Once Upon a Supernatural

Chapter XXVIII: Golden Viewpoint

Mr. Gold walked through the doors of his shop, too anxious about making it back safely with the egg to notice that he hadn't turned his "Open" sign to "Closed". The sun was starting to rise and by now Mr. Gold assumed that Emma, Dean, and Regina would be returning to the hospital, leaving him free to relax for the time being. He took a deep breath and immediately smelled the aroma of something burning.

Oh yes, he thought with a sinister, my angel's still cooking.

He walked to his back room and was met with a very annoyed glare from the man surrounded by a roaring flame. "Rumpelstiltskin," the angel said with a threatening tone, "the time for games are over. Let. Me. Out."

"Tsk, tsk," Mr. Gold shook his finger. "The games haven't begun, dearie. And this," he held up the egg, "is the biggest playing piece on the board."

"That egg," the angel's eyes widened, "inside it. Magic."

Mr. Gold smiled, "The most powerful magic."

"Why? How? What are you planning to do with it?"

"That's for me to know," Mr. Gold smirked, "and for you to sit tight and watch as the new Storybrooke is born. And we will see just who exactly the powerful one is."

The bell on the door to the front of his shop chimed, alerting them that someone was here. Mr. Gold frowned, wondering if Emma, Dean, had made their way back to him. in the very manor that was Rumpelstiltskin, he walked out to face them.

"I'm afraid the shop's closed-"

He stopped cold in his tracks. For a second, all of his senses died as he stared at the unbelievable creature that was walking towards him.

"Are you Mr. Gold?" It took every fiber of his being to nod downward slightly, still unable to process exactly what was going on. "I was, uh. I was told to- to find you. And tell that, Regina locked me up."

Regina? Locked her up? But she... She had told him that this very creature had died; taken her own life after his selfish and cowardly ways had driven her away. But no. She was here- right in front of him.

"Does that- does that mean anything to you?"

He walked over to her. She looked like she hadn't seen sunlight in years. Her hair resembled that of a woman who had just woken up from 28 years of lying in a bed without access to a brush. While she had on some kind of scratchy looking coat, underneath she had on what looked like a hospital gown.

Locked up.

He had to touch her- he had to know whether she was real or if his eyes were playing tricks on him. He reached out and grabbed hold of her shoulder. Flesh and bones. She was real. His Belle.

"You're real," he heard himself say, though he still had no control over his body. "You're alive. She did this to you?"

"I was told you'd protect me," she replied, looking at him curiously.

He felt his emotions finally come to a boil, "Oh yes." He couldn't contain himself any longer as he leaned forward wrapped his arms around the small woman, grateful that he was being given a second chance. "Yes, I'll protect you."

"I'm- I'm sorry. Do I know you?" he heard her say against him.

He pulled away from her, but refused to let go for fear that was just a mirage and she would suddenly vanish. Did she know him? The curse. "No. But you will." She gave him a confused look, but nodded regardless. "We must do something first, and then everything will be well. No one will ever be able to hurt you again."