"Mr. Gold..." she said softly, seductively even, as she giggled right behind him.
He stopped his cane mid-swing and rested it across his shoulder as he turned to the sound of her voice.
Lacey ('Belle') was still standing against the parking lot corner, watching with rapt interest as he pummeled the drunk pool shark ('Sheriff of Nottingham') to a pulp on the cement lot. And Mr. Gold (our beloved 'Rumplestiltskin') couldn't take his eyes off of her.
The woman he had loved, and had loved him when he was a monster, was sweet and innocent; pure, like a white rose. The lovely creature that stood before him, making his heart swoon with her voice, was still that young woman. And yet, different. It ws plain to see what Regina had done to her. In pushing forward her fake memories of Storybrooke, she'd also brought out the dark side of the lovely princess. This time it was not bringing out the good side of the man that caught her interest. She wanted to see the bad. And she was already a pro at bringing it out.
Lacey's eyes were filled with rapture as she met his gaze, like they had been when they'd reunited in Storybrooke. Her fingers fiddled with the very short edge of her dark blue, sequined cocktail dress that hugged every curve. Knee high black stiletto boots traveled up her half-covered legs, and a black leather jacket put off an "I don't care" attitude.
"So this is what the dark side of ma Belle looks like..." he thought as she slowly walked towards him.
Stopping right in front of him, Lacey rested her hands on his shoulders, familiarly, and touched the end of his bloodied cane.
"So, Mr. Gold, do you have a first name or shall I make one up for you?" she asked in a low tone, looking up innocently at him.
Mr. Gold gulped nervously, not used to her advances. This was his game, not hers. And yet here she was, twining him around her finger and knotting him, like he was a tiny piece of string.
"You used to call me Rumple... And you were ma Belle..." he sighed, lightly shuddering as her hands slid down the front of his shirt.
An unmistakeable smirk flit across her face as she played with the buttons of his shirt.
"Belle huh? Why did you used to call me that...?" she queried.
Rumplestiltskin sighed, bringing his cane back down for support, resting his other hand atop of hers.
"Because my dear, you always have been the Belle of the ball." he said, touching her cheek and turning her chin to look at him. Lacey couldn't help but shiver at the intensity of is gaze as it roamed her hair, face, and neck, now leading in the game.
Lacey looked over his shoulder at the man slumped onto the pavement.
"Why did you beat up the drunk Sheriff?" she asked quietly, pulling on his shirt again.
Rumple only smiled at her renewed try to regain control.
"I was protecting what's mine. He is of no consequence compared to what belongs to me." he said, growling so low only she could;ve heard him.
Shock registered across her face, along with a sweet smile of pleasure.
"Even like this, she belongs to me. She doesn't care one bit that I nearly killed the man she was kissing not 10 minutes earlier..." he thought, slowly dragging a thumb across her cheek. Lacey leaned into his touch, the way he did when their roles had been reversed, when he'd been the one with the ultimate struggle with darkness. Glancing back quickly ovr his shoulder, he could see the Sherrif hadn't moved. By his magic he could tell the man was still alive, but barely.
This was the moment. He knew it. It was in the black-shadowed eyes of the dark side of his love, it was in the death that hung over the man behind him, and it was in his blackened heart.
"I could let this happen. I could let that sorry excuse of a man die behind me and take ma Belle into my arms." he thought.
"But if I do that I could still lose her, and Baelfire as well. He'd never forgive me for killing another person, not when I'm supposed to be proving myself to him."
"And Belle..." he thought, sighing sadly.
"She could still be lost. I could win her heart slowly by being the Dark One, the way I was. Then True Love's kiss would either change her back to innocence, making her hate me, or leave her permanently as someone I don't truly know... And in both those things, I could lose myself... Forever."
Lacey brought him back to the present as his thumb continued to sweep across the soft skin of her cheek. It came a hair too close to her lips, and she gently kissed the tip of his thumb. She could only gasp in suprise as his eyes lit with fire, smoldering with an intensity that she could not match. His gaze was that of a man looking to posess, to take.
His hand reached around the back of her head, pulling the pins loose that bound her hair atop her head. Soft brown curls caressed his fingers as he gently tangled them in her long hair.
"I always hated those damned pins..." he growled.
Lacey leaned forward against his chest, her breathing heavy with the desire to know this man, to understand how he took her breath away.
Rumple leaned in close, inhaling deeply of her face and hair, blissful that at least the rose scent she always kept had remained.
"You're still in there..." he whispered against her lips, desperate to kiss her.
"I want you back, ma Belle. You belong to me. And more importantly, I belong to you. Only you..."
Rumple pulled her roughly against his chest, dropping his cane as he took her into his arms. His lips crushed against hers, putting everything he had in his heart into the kiss. She had to remember, or he would become a creature that even the dark-side of his beloved Belle would be repulsed by.
He didn't feel the tingle of magic in their kiss, didn't feel the change of True Love. Lacey was still the one he was kissing, not Belle. She wanted him, wanted to kiss him. But it was still lust, not love.
"I need your innocence, I need your love, I need your truth." he thought, parting her lips and deepening the kiss.
With a quick flick of his fingers, he opened his mind to her with magic. Every thought he'd had about her, every memory he had of them together, and every ounce of the love and affection he had for her was open to her mental view.
It overwhelmed her senses and frightened her. She almost pulled away from the kiss as the first of many memories came to view, but she was so intrigued that she couldn't stop.
Lacey recognized herself in his memories, but she looked so strange... A long, yellow ball gown and tiara adorned her, like some princess of old. She witnessed bravery as the look-alike sacrificed her freedom and family to serve a monster.
Rumple cringed at her thoughts of his being monstrous, but she didn't know it to be him, yet. Slowly, he pulled away from her. Magic flowed from him to her, revealing the memories. She gasped as she saw it, tangible in the air. She looked at him, hurt and confusion etched on her face as she remembered what he'd said about him healing her.
Rumplestiltskin merely shook his head sadly.
"I'm so sorry, ma Belle. I shouldn't have tried to cover it up. But you don't yet remember who you are, and I thought it would be too much." he said, sighing softly.
"If you could just try to believe me, to see who you REALLY are, all of this would make sense..."
Lacey was frightened, but she couldn't move.
"If I leave right now, I'll never get this chance again... People will just keep thinking I'm crazy, but I want the truth." she thought.
Nodding her ascent at Rumplestiltskin, she closed her eyes.
"Show me more." she asked.
The magic coursed faster as he bid it, enveloping her in a golden mist, raising her so slightly from the ground. Yet Lacey couldn't see a thing. All she could see was behind her eyes as the memories came faster, increasing in their intensity.
She watched the look-alike maiden go willing with the creature. How she took care of his meals and cleaned his castle. She watched as the monster stalked her silently through the castle, intrigued by her, watching her. Lacey watched as Belle cried for her family and friends, then straighten right back up at the importance that she keep her bargain.
She watched as the maiden grew curious about the monster. Lacey stood in awe as she even verbally fought with it, and how it did not harm her. Aside from small glances in mirrors throughout the memories, however, she never saw the monster's face. Lacey could only guess by the green metallic skin she glimpsed.
"Show me what that is, Mr. Gold." she asked.
"All in good time dearie, all in good time..." he sighed softly, waving forth another set of memories.
Lacey's eyes shot up to the sky as she found herself in a ballroom, staring up a grand staircase. And there the maiden was again, dressed in another yellow silk gown, three times lovelier than the first. She wore a smile that radiated like sunshine, and she felt the depth of affection that beholder held in that beautiful smile. "This is beautiful." the maiden said.
"I always knew there was good in you."
Lacey's heart nearly burst, remembering those words.
"I... I said those words..." she murmured.
Rumplestiltskin's eyes wet with tears as he heard her words.
"Yes! Yes my dear, you did." he whispered.
The memories went on.
A spinning wheel. The maiden sat beside a spinning wheel and was asking about the monster's son. She watched her hand rest upon the creature's knee, crying silently at it's story. A green hand rose from the wheel and gently wiped tears from the maiden's cheeks. The maiden caught it's hand, lightly kissing it's palm. Lacey felt the surge of love that the monster had for the maiden, felt it's desire to be whole again, to be loved.
Then all of time stood still. The maiden had leaned forward, the monster gathered her close. Lacey saw it's face, contorted features covered in green, scaly skin. Oily dark green hair that curled in familiar ringlets. Scaled hands rested on the maiden's shoulders as it pulled her hesitantly close, unsure of what to do with this moment. The maiden closed the distance, pressing her full lips to the creature's mouth.
"That's... me." Lacey breathed.
And then she gasped, watching as magic erased the monstrous features of the creature's face. Smooth tan skin swept across the monster's face, revealing him to be a man. Oily curls were replaced by chestnut brown ringlets, only a shade lighter than her own. And the most beautiful brown eyes that closed moments after the kiss. It was... him.
The moments Lacey's eyes opened, the magic broke. The gold dust parted open and set her down. Lacey doubled over, trying to stop the shock that threatened to consume her.
Rumplestiltskin, leaning heavily on his cane (as the magic spent took it's toll), he hobbled forward to attend to her.
"Are you alright?" he asked, taking her shoulders in his hands, begging her answer from her.
This moment was all too familiar to Lacey, and now she wanted it to be what it was.
Lacey lifted her eyes to meet the same beautiful brown ones she'd seen in the memories.
"Those were your memories... You are the Beast." she whispered.
Rumplestilitskin's eyes spilled forth tears at her remembrance.
"Yes my dear. A horrible sorcerer, a vile Beast. Yet, I was saved. By one whom I still am completely undeserving of." he told her, dragging a thumb gently across her cheek.
Lacey had begun to cry and hadn't even realized it.
"You are the Beauty that tames the Beast. It's not just a story m'love. It's OUR story. And it's the one I want depserately to continue"
He swept his eyes across her, emphasizing what he meant.
"This isn't you. You are everything light that bring out the light in me. Without that light, all is lost to us. You are not dark-..."
Rumplestiltskin didn't have to say anymore. The maiden that stood before him now was the one in his memories and every waking dream. It was a hopeful Belle that leaned towards him, took his face into her hands, and kissed him fervently. The magic of her own memories enveloped her, bringing every moment back, both good and bad.
The kiss deepened as every ounce of love that she had for the man in her arms returned. Lips parted and tongues entwined in a way that left Rumple breathless. He stumbled forward and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her as close as he could get her. One hand tangled in her hair as he pulled away and nuzzled his face into her collarbone.
"Please, by the gods, tell me you remember who I am... Why you love me...?" he begged.
He felt as she gently rubbed her nose across the outer shell of his ear, kissing the place just below gently.
"Because there is good in you, and I found it." she whispered.
"My beloved Rumplestiltskin..."