The Girl and the Nutcracker ~ A Once Upon a Time Story

It was almost Valentine's Day in Storybrooke. This meant the flower sales were at its all time high, especially for the Game of Thorns shop. Moe, the owner, unfortunately wasn't on good terms with Gold.

Clara got a call from Gold to help him with something, and they walked towards Moe who was unloading a bunch of flowers from his truck.

"Well, this is just perfect." Gold said as they came closer, "I've been looking for you, Mr. French."

Moe looked scared of Gold as he faced him, "I'll have your money next week."

"The terms of the loan were fairly specific." Gold argued and he looked at Clara, "Take the van."

Clara whispered to Gold, "I don't know how to drive these cars. Graham actually wanted to teach me, but that plan died with him now didn't it?"

"Just take the van." Gold sighed and Clara walked towards the van and opened the door to sit in the driver's seat. Moe quickly ran over, "Wait, no! Tomorrow's Valentine's Day! It's the biggest day, I've got a grand in roses in the back! Stop!"

Clara looked through the little window to take a peak inside the van, "Oh, nice! Too bad the petals will fall off soon enough, I can never keep flowers alive." Clara started the van, "Oh shit, I don't know what pedal is gas!"

"Right foot." Gold answered for her, but Moe didn't allow Clara to leave once she pressed the gas, "You've gotta let me sell them!"

"I don't make the rules, dude." Clara commented as she pressed in the gas and drove away, not without a scratch since she hit some cars on accident. Nobody would track it down to her, though. Hopefully.

_____

After Clara parked the van somewhere out in the woods, she headed back to Storybrooke. She had to visit the store to get some new comics for Henry. When she entered the store, she saw David in line for the checkout, holding two Valentine's Day cards.

"Two cards? Is Kathryn getting really lucky or are you giving one to Mary Margaret?" Clara asked as she joined him in the line. David shook his head almost too quickly, "I just couldn't decide..."

Clara smirked at him, noticing his ears started going red, "I know about you two, you don't have to lie. I see you guys at Granny's like every single day, not sitting at the same table but still striking up conversations. It's a little sad to see to be honest, but I don't care. It's your love life."

"Is it that obvious?" David asked and Clara laughed, "Like a fork found in the kitchen kinda obvious, yeah. The only one who doesn't seem to notice is the person you share your vows with."

David sighed, "I know... I- I'm figuring it out." Clara gave him a pat on the back, "Good. Because the only ones who'll get hurt if you keep this secret is Kathryn and Mary Margaret, more specifically Mary Margaret. She's very delicate, like porcelain. One break in her trust and she'll break entirely."

David quickly paid for the cards, "I'll find a way so nobody will get hurt. See you soon." He walked out of the store and Clara looked at his disappearing figure, "I hope so. Snow being swallowed by her bed and surrounding tissues is not something I want to see."

_____

"Everyone behold, the best babysitter slash person in the world ever!" Clara announced as she entered the Mayor's house, "I bestow upon you my gift, Mr. Mills."

Henry smiled as he took the gift from Clara's hands when she handed it over. "The new comics! I thought they would release next week?"

"Oh. Well, blame the store for having them in the shelves already." Clara said as Henry gave her a hug, "Never apologise for giving me comics."

Henry sat back on the couch, "I wish I could go see my mom." Clara sat next to him, "Blonde one or brunette one?"

"Emma." Henry clarified for her, "She told me she couldn't see me anymore because of my mom since the playground got destroyed, but I don't know why."

"Maybe... your mom wants some more time with you? Ever since Emma arrived, you've started to be more with her than with Regina." Clara tried to justify, but Henry shook his head, "If she did, she wouldn't be working all the time."

Clara tried to come up with an answer, but she knew couldn't defend Regina on that part, "I know... you two should talk about it. Maybe that makes Regina realise she can't keep you away from Emma anymore."

Henry nodded as Clara stood up, "I hope that works." Clara gave a small smile, "Yeah, me too."

_____

The next day, Regina had a change of heart and let Henry see Emma again after the whole playground scandal, as Clara would like to call it. They all made their way down to the Sheriff's station, and to Clara's surprise, Gold was behind bars. She gave him a look of confusion, but he didn't seem to care about being behind bars right now.

"Sheriff Swan, I'm letting you have thirty minutes with Henry. Take him out, buy him ice cream." Regina said as she looked at Emma, who was suspicious, "You want me to leave you alone with a prisoner?"

"Clara is here." Regina answered, "Twenty-nine and a half minutes."

"Hi Emma." Henry said with a smile and Emma smiled back, "Hey." Emma looked back over to Gold, still not sure on what to do. Gold just gave a small shrug, "Bring me back a cone?"

"Just this once." Emma responded as she grabbed her jacket and turned to Henry, "Come on, let's go."

Emma and Henry left the station, and Regina turned to Clara, "I need you to sit outside for a moment."

Clara looked towards Gold, who gave a nod to the girl, and then she looked back at Regina, "Okay. Whatever you want."

She moved away from the cells, but stayed just behind the corner so she could listen to Gold and Regina conversing. Apparently, Regina had something Gold wanted to have. To Clara's shock, he even revealed that he wasn't cursed anymore to get what he wants.

Regina then turned away from him as she gave the item, and Clara quickly sat in a chair further away to pretend she didn't listen in on their entire conversation.

"When Henry comes back, you'll take him home." Regina commanded, and before Clara could even try to give a response Regina had already walked away.

Clara walked back to the jail cells, and saw Gold looking intently at a tea cup he held in his hands. Clara quickly realised what it was, "So that's what all this was about with Regina just now and with Mr. French's van? Just for the tea cup?"

"You don't understand." Gold bit back but Clara scoffed, "I know Belle. I treated her better than you did when she stayed at your castle, remember when she got taken by Mal-"

"Don't." Gold angrily said to her and Clara quickly stopped her sentence and put up her hands, "Sorry? I know that thing means... a lot to you. It's like... my necklace. Except that's parental love and not..."

Gold looked at her and Clara gave an awkward smile, "Right. I need to shut up... Let's just wait for that ice cream shall we?"