Chapter 14: Would You Rather

"Here's another one for you," Jennifer stated, hopping onto the counter right beside the register. Gold watched the lovely minx cross her legs at the ankle, watching him with a calculating look on her face.

"Is this the last one?" Gold asked softly.

"Well, you've refused to answer the last five, so I suppose this will have to be," Jennifer replied sweetly. "But this time, you have to choose one of the choices. You're not allowed to just skip it simply because you don't like the options."

Gold said trivially, "Maybe I don't want to be eaten by a lobster."

"The other choice was being stung by an infinite number of bees," Jennifer returned, giggling. "You have to choose one of them, Rumple—it's the rules of the Would You Rather game."

"Why are we playing this game?" Gold questioned.

"Do you have anything better to do?" Jennifer reasoned. "No customers in the shop—yet. You have to find some way to amuse yourself. Now come on. Get your head in the game."

"Both options are terrible," Gold attempted to reason. "Out of my own self-preservation, I would find a third way."

"Well, there is no third way," Jennifer debated. "So this next one is going to be hard. You have to choose which you'd be more likely to do. You have to pick the lesser of two evils, and there is no right or wrong answer. It's based on a person's preference."

"I never said I wanted to play."

"And yet, here we are," Jennifer returned, clicking her tongue.

Gold simply stared at her and then he submitted, looking up at the ceiling and sighing, "Okay. One more question. But that's it."

"I'm glad you're finally cooperating—this game isn't half as fun when the other person isn't participating," Jennifer mused, smirking when Gold sent her a look of irony.

Tapping her feet up in the air for a moment, Jennifer thought of her hard question. Gold watched her with a suppressed smile, taking a great deal amusement from her deep thoughtful expression. Finally, she smacked her lips and they curled into a mischievous smile.

"Mr. Gold..." Jennifer drawled, grinning broadly at him. "Would you rather….watch me kiss Emma Swan or Miss Regina?"

"What kind of question is that?" Gold responded incredulously.

Jennifer said, "It's a preference thing, my dear."

"I'd rather you kiss me," Gold returned honestly.

"Not the point—you have to choose." Jennifer said smoothly, smirking at him.

"In what circumstance would I have to make that choice?"

"In this circumstance," said Jennifer, pointing to the ground, indicative of the game. "Now come on—you said you would answer."

"That's an inappropriate one," Gold replied.

"It's actually fairly simple," Jennifer said, leaning forward. "Men seem to like it when women kiss other women—on the lips. Now I have given you a chance to embrace your own little sexual fantasy. If you had a choice between watching me lock lips with Emma Swan or Regina, which would you prefer?"

Gold stared at her for a long time as though possibly answering the question. Jennifer could see it in his eyes that he did in fact have a preference. Now whether or not he was going to answer was completely besides the point.

"What's keeping you from answering?" Jennifer inquired curiously.

"I..." Gold began and he watched Jennifer hop off the counter.

"Would you like to hear my preference?" asked Jennifer softly, her hand fiddled with his collar, smoothing it out; her fingertips then followed the collar down to his tie.

The door opened, the little bell ringing and Gold breathed a sigh of relief as Jennifer turned around to see Regina enter the shop. The woman appeared quite unhappy, although the reason seemed obvious. News had spread about Emma Swan running for Sheriff and now—with the loophole revealed and the technicality exposed—Regina couldn't simply get past the red tape like she had been doing for a while now. There was going to be a debate, then supporting banners and posters—people were going to start choosing sides, all because of Mr. Gold, who'd pointed out that small technicality in the town charter. Regina wasn't too happy that Emma Swan was receiving such incredible support, and now, here she was—as expected.

As Regina flipped the sign from 'open' to 'closed', Gold smiled at Jennifer meticulously and greeted her, "Regina, shall I move a few things, make some space for your rage?"

"You found that loophole in the town charter," Regina said with mild patience, although Jennifer suspected that just beneath the surface was the 'rage' that Gold just mentioned.

"Legal documents—contracts, if you like—have always been a fascination of mine."

Regina, disgruntled, muttered, "Yes, you love to trifle with technicalities." She glanced at Jennifer, who simply smiled at her wordlessly.

"I like small weapons you see—the needle, the pen, the fine point of the deal. Subtlety—not your style, I know." Gold returned politely, but a knowing smile couldn't be easily suppressed.

"You're a bastard." Regina returned coldly.

Jennifer narrowed her eyes at the Mayor, ready to give her a nice zinger back but at that moment, Gold ignored Regina and turned to his wife.

"Jennifer," he said lightly. She looked at him, and he gestured to the back of the shop. "Please."

Jennifer smiled, understanding his meaning. She glared at Regina, who returned the look of distaste. As she disappeared from sight, Gold sighed.

He said calmly, "I think your grief is getting the best of you Regina. Shame what happened to Graham."

"Don't you talk about him. You know nothing!"Regina declared, pointing accusingly at Graham.

"What is there to know?" Gold inquired innocently. Then as a fact, he added, "He died."

Regina leaned over the counter threateningly, whispering, "Are you really going up against me?"

"Not directly. We are, after all, both invested in the common good. We're just picking different sides."

"And your wife?" Regina questioned softly, her eyes glinting. "Is she supporting Miss Swan as well?"

"Of course, she is," Gold replied smoothly.

"I knew she was taking her side." Regina said, her nose curling with disgust.

"Now, see, that's where you're wrong," Gold mused, smirking at her. "Jennifer doesn't take anyone's side, but my own."

"She's as loyal as they come," Regina stated calmly. "I don't particularly like the fact that she tried to be a friend to me one day and then turned on me the next day. Did you have your hand in that decision of hers as well?"

"Whatever decision she makes is directly chosen by her, Regina," Gold said. "But you're right—Jennifer is very loyal. To me."

Regina might have taken the hint that Jennifer could never truly be a real friend to anyone but her husband for her loyalty—her true allegiance—lied with him. It could only be assumed that Jennifer had only wanted to be Regina's companion until Regina completely tossed her aside—all the suspicion, all the uncertainty had made her push away a valuable ally. And this certainly would have been one of those moments where Jennifer could have been useful. Despite this, Regina shrugged carelessly as if none of this mattered.

"Well I think you picked a really slow horse this time. Not like you to back a loser."

"She hasn't lost yet." Gold reminded.

"She will."
"Never underestimate someone who's acting for the benefit of their child." Gold told Regina carefully.

Regina retaliated, "He's not her child. Not legally."

"Now who's trifling with technicalities." Gold returned.

Regina gave him a harsh look but seeing that this would get her no where, Regina simply walked out of the store in a huff, slamming the door hard enough where the bell might have broken if it didn't withstand the constant beat down of angry customers. Hearing her leave, Jennifer came out of the room.

"Any particular reason why you shooed me away?" Jennifer asked.

"By now, I know you too well, Sweetheart." Gold said smoothly. "You have a nasty temper, and-when it concerns me—you tend to overreact."

Jennifer shrugged saying, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You wanted to hit Regina for calling me a bastard," Gold stated knowingly.

"So?" asked Jennifer. "If she disrespects you, she disrespects me. And if someone is going to call you something that I particularly dislike, I'd like to punch them in the face."

Gold smiled at her saying, "You've become quite territorial of me, haven't you?"

"You have noidea." Jennifer uttered emphatically.