OUAT/VD: The Truth Is Out There

Ch.12: Skin Deep

*Flashback*

When the ogre war was happening and they were losing, Rumple appeared in the castle, saying he got the message.

"The answer is yes. I can protect your little town. For a price."

"We shipped you a promise of gold," the king replied.

"You see, I make gold. What I want is something a bit more special. My price is her," he replied, pointing at Belle.

Mr. French turned to look at his daughter.

"No."

"The young lady is engaged," Gaston informed him, not wanting to let him have her. "To me."

"I wasn't asking if she was engaged," Rumple clarified. "I'm looking for a caretaker. For my rather large estate. It's her or no deal."

"Get out," Mr. French ordered him. "Leave."

Rumple began to walk towards the doors.

"As you wish."

"No. Wait," Belle called to him. She went to stand in front of him and he looked at her. "I will go with you."

"I forbid it," her father said.

"No one decides my fate but me," she told him and Gaston. "I shall go."

"It's forever, dearie," Rumple informed her.

"My family. My friends. They'll all live?" she inquired of him.

"You have my word," he assured her.

"You have mine," she replied. "I will go with you forever."

"Deal," he answered her.

"Belle. Belle. You cannot do this. Belle, please. You cannot go with this...beast," her father said.

She turned around to face him and her fiancée.

"Father. Gaston. It's been decided."

Rumple came to stand by her.

"You know, she's right," he told her father. "The deal is struck. Oh. Congratulations on your little war."

With that, he and Belle walked out and headed to Rumple's castle.

*Present*

Since Mr. French hadn't paid any money to Gold as he was supposed to, Gold had his truck be taken, which still had a bunch of flowers in the back. In Storybrooke world, Mr. French had a flower shop.

When Gold was heading down the sidewalk, Regina was there, waiting. She wanted to talk to him about something, but he wasn't interested. Then he walked around and left.

Rumple walked into his house, a gun in hand, since his door was open, and found Katherine there. She informed him that she was there, since she got a call that someone saw his door open and thought she should take a look.

"It appears I've been robbed," he stated to her.

"Funny. That keeps happening to you," she answered him.

"Yeah, well, I'm a difficult man to love."

"I'll go find him," she said, once he told her that he and Mr. French had a disagreement recently.

"If I don't find him first," he answered. "Let's just say bad things tend to happen to bad people."

She didn't have anything to say to that, since she knew all too well what that felt like. She'd been a bad person when she was a vampire. As a human, she knew she had to do better. She couldn't be who she used to be. Especially, not in this town.

She left the house to go look for Mr. French.

That night, he found him and at a cabin in the woods, used his cane on Mr. French to get him to tell him where his chipped cup was at, but then Katherine found him a few minutes later and stopped him. Because of what he did to him, she didn't have a choice but to lock him up in the cell at the station. Mr. French was going to be okay, though.

The next day, Regina let Katherine and Henry hang out for half an hour, while Regina visited Gold. Once Henry and Katherine left, she went to stand in front of his cell and Gold stood.

"You really wanted that little chat, didn't you?" Rumple said.

"Apparently, this is the only way I could do it."

"When two people want what the other has, a deal can always be struck. Do you have what I want?" he replied.

She gave a smile.

"Yes."

"So, you did put him up to it then."

"I merely suggested that strong men take what they need."

"And you told him exactly what to take, didn't you?"

"We used to know each other so well, Mr. Gold. Has it really come down to this?" she replied.

"It seems it has, yeah. But you know what I want. What is it you want?"

"I want you to answer one question," she answered him. "And answer it simply. What's your name?"

"It's Mr. Gold."

"Your real name."

"Every moment I've spent on this earth, that's been my name."

"But what about moments spent elsewhere?"

"What are you asking me?" he questioned her.

"I think you know. If you want me to return what's yours, tell me your name."

He gave a smile, before answering her, "Rumpelstiltskin. Now give me what I want."

"Such hostility."

"Oh, yeah."

She brought the chipped cup out of her purse.

"Over this? Such a sentimental keepsake."

She handed it to him, and he took it.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." He sat down. "So, now that we're being honest with each other, let's remember how things used to be, shall we? And don't let these bars fool you, dearie. I'm the one with the power around here. I'm going to get out of here in no time. And nothing between us will change."

"We shall see," Regina replied.

He watched, as she left, before looking down at the chipped cup.

That night, Regina went to where she liked to keep certain people in closed cell rooms. She gave the nurse a rose and then stood in front of Belle's cell and looked in.

From where Belle sat on the bed, she looked to see Regina looking at her from the other side of the door.