Ch.8: Desperate Souls
After Rumple gave Katherine some walkie talkies from Graham’s stuff, she found Henry alone at his castle as usual.
“I thought we could use these for Operation Cobra,” she said, giving him one after sitting next to him.
“I think we should stop for a while. You don’t mess around with the curse. Look what happened to Graham. He was good and she killed him. You’re good.”
“You’re worried about me?” she questioned, half surprised, since nobody had cared about her before apart from Elijah and 145 year ago, Damon. “I’m not exactly good. I’m just trying to make up for the evil I did when I was a vampire.”
“Good has to play fair. Evil doesn’t. She’s evil,” he said. “It’s probably best. Don’t want to upset her anymore.”
He got up and left.
When she was at the station and about to put the sheriff’s badge on, Regina walked in.
“Oh, that’s not for you.”
“It’s been two weeks. It’s automatic,” she answered her, looking at the mayor.
“Unless the mayor appoints someone else in the appointed time period, which I’m doing today,” she informed her.
“Who’s it going to be?”
“After some reflection, Sydney Glass.”
“Sydney Glass from the newspaper?”
“Well, he’s covered the sheriff’s office as long as anyone can remember.”
“And he’ll do whatever you tell him to do,” Katherine assumed. “You just can’t stand that things are getting better around here, can you?”
“Better? Are you referring to Graham’s death as better? He was a good man and you haven’t earned the right to wear his badge,” Regina said.
“Graham picked me to be deputy,” Katherine reminded her.
“He was wrong.”
“No. He knew what he was doing. He freed this office of your leash. You’re not getting it back.”
“Actually, I just did,” Regina replied. “Miss Pierce, you’re fired.” She grabbed the badge and walked out.
Mary Margaret entered the house to see Katherine at the table, having a shot glass of Bourbon. When she questioned of what happened, Katherine informed her that Regina fired her in order to have someone else be sheriff.
“I guess I just want to beat her,” Katherine stated. Then there was a knock at the door.
Katherine opened it, only to reveal that it was Gold.
“There’s something I’d like to discuss with you,” he said.
Katherine looked over to Mary Margaret.
“I’ll let you two talk,” she said, and left the room.
Katherine turned back to him. “Come on in.”
He walked inside and she closed the door.
“I heard about what happened. Such an injustice,” he informed her.
“Well, what’s done is done,” she replied.
“Spoken like a true fighter,” he commented.
“I don’t know what chance I have. She’s mayor and I’m me. It’s not like I have any of the abilities I used to have anymore.”
“Maybe not, but two people with a common enemy can accomplish more than two people with a common interest. You know, it’s strange how few people study the town charter.”
He sat down at the table, as did she.
“The town charter?”
“It’s quite comprehensive under her authority, but maybe she’s not as powerful as she says or thinks she is.” He gave her a smile.
After learning all about the charter, she decided to run election with Regina.
Just as Regina was about to put the sheriff badge on Sydney, Katherine walked in.
“Not yet,” she stated.
“Miss Pierce, this is quite unceremonial.”
“Nothing is unceremonial except this ceremony. You can elect a candidate. Making anyone sheriff requires an election. I’m calling myself as a candidate.”
“Very well. So is Sydney. I guess we’ll learn a little something about the role of the people,” Regina replied.
“I guess we will,” Katherine agreed.
Later, she and Regina were having a talk about the debate that was going to happen, as they left her office and walked down the stairs.
“You should be careful of who you’re getting into bed with,” Regina warned her, obviously knowing more about him than Katherine even knew.
“I’m not getting into bed with anyone. I’m just fighting fire with fire,” she answered.
When they were almost to the end of the stairs, there was an explosion and fire started rapidly. Katherine got a square thing made of wood off of them both and got to her feet.
“Come on. Let’s get out of here.” She was about to go, when Regina informed her that she couldn’t move.
Katherine stood there, debating. The parts of her that would always have the darkness she’d had as a vampire would have, and still would just leave and not look back since they were enemies, but the good part knew she shouldn’t. Besides, she was Henry’s mother. She lost her own mother to Klaus. She wouldn’t do anything to Henry’s mother when it would hurt him.
“Help me. Please,” Regina said, looking at her.
Katherine made up her mind and helped her up and out.
When they got out of there, there were fire trucks and people taking pictures, as well as some of the town people that they knew.
Henry went up to her and she knelt at his level after he’d told Snow and Granny and Hopper that she really had saved Regina.
“See? This is what good people do. You do good and people see it. No one gets hurt,” she assured him.
“You know what? You’re right,” he said.
“See, Henry? We don’t have to fight dirty.”
When she looked at the pile of ash and other things that were outside, she noticed something that she’d seen Gold working on before. That’s when she realized that Gold had done it, but when she confronted him, he didn’t exactly admit to doing it. She knew he’d started the fire anyway, though.
Soon, the election came. When everyone was getting ready behind the curtain, she and Mary Margaret were talking and she confessed, “I want to show him that good can win.”
“That’s why you want to beat Regina? I thought you wanted it for yourself,” she replied.
“I do. If I’m not the Savior though and I can’t win, then who am I? I can’t exactly be the person I used to be. I was once worse than Regina; a lot worse. I did things; some I regret doing. Because of that, I lost those I cared about and those I loved one way or another. I can’t go back to who I was; Especially, in this town.”
After the election began and she announced that the fire was a set up and that Gold did it without her knowledge that he was going to do it, she left and went to the diner for a drink.
“Another one?” Ruby inquired, taking the empty glass.
“Hell yeah.”
She gave her another one.
Henry came in and set a walkie talkie on the bar by her.
“What’s this?”
“You stood up to Mr. Gold. You’re amazing,” he replied.
“Well, he did something illegal.”
“That’s what heroes do. Expose stuff like that,” Henry pointed out.
Regina and Sydney entered the diner.
“I thought I might find you here,” Regina stated. “With a drink and my son.”
“Here to card me?” she questioned Sydney. “I thought you’d be joining your after party.”
“Well, you’ll have to tell me what that’s like,” he answered.
Regina gave her the badge. “Congratulations, Sheriff Pierce.”
“Wait, what?” Henry questioned.
“It was a very close vote, but people seem to like a sheriff brave enough to stand up to Mr. Gold,” Regina elaborated.
“Are you joking?” she questioned. It was hard to believe that, for once in a very long time, she’d won something; won against someone. After all, everyone where she was from all saw her as a villain.
“She’s not,” Sydney assured her.
“You didn’t pick the best friend in Mr. Gold, but he does make a superitive enemy. Enjoy that,” Regina informed her.
She was at the station, stacking a pile of stuff on a desk, when she realized that Gold was there. He informed her that he knew that she’d defy him.
“No way did you know that,” she countered him. Unless he had magic that allowed him to see into the future, which she doubted he had, he couldn’t have known that she’d defy him.
“I know how to recognize a desperate soul,” he replied. “We made a deal some time ago that you’d owe me a favor. Now that you’re sheriff, I’m sure you can figure out how to repay me. Congratulations.”
She watched, as he left.
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