Rumpelstiltskin sat at his wheel, thinking about his home life.
He had no family anymore. He had no life anymore. All he would do is sit in this very large home, with its many towers, and spin straw into gold. He didn't enjoy this life, but he had to stay good for Bae.
Maybe if he had some company, his life would be more exciting.
He laughed his little shrill laugh and went to his long list of children.
Rumple kept a list of every child he traded, like Prince James. What a sweetheart he had been.
He looked through his list and eventually found the perfect match: a lovely teen who was traded for safety as a baby, who was now being tortured by her new mother because her hair was too long and she refused to cut it.
What's the big deal, anyways? Rumple thought to himself. It's just hair.
Mere seconds later, he was in their palace, interrupting their argument about hair.
"Rapunzel, if you don't cut that hair I'll- Oh Rumple, I didn't see you there." Gothel held her chest as if he'd given her a heart attack, but that didn't stop his from moving closer to Rapunzel.
"What lovely hair you have, deary. Mind if I borrow it?"
Gothel snorted and turned away. "Take anything of her that you like. She's no use to me."
"Mother!" Rapunzel shrieked. "I help with all the house work, and I cook and I clean, and I garden. Mother, please don't trade me away!"
Gothel tsk'd a few times before finally crossing her arms. "Rumple, darling, trade me for a younger child. One who's more grateful and obedient. One who will respect her step sisters."
Rapunzel was on her knees crying. "Oh, mother, I do respect you! I really do! I'd do anything to make you happy!" She was grasping her mothers leg and shrieking again. Rumple rolled his eyes. "Mother, I promise I'll be better. I'll even cut my hair!"
Gothel shook her head and Rapunzel sank down and buried her head in her skirts.
"Don't worry, deary. Just come with me and I'll appreciate you. You won't even need to cut your hair." He laughed again and started to pet her head.
She looked back at Gothel with such a look of disgust that even Gothel couldn't refuse.
"Oh, Rumple, take that girl away before I change my mind!"
"Mother, no!" She screamed. "Mother! Please! I'll do better!"
"There's no hope now, deary!" he said as he snapped his fingers and a little girl, no older than eight years old, appeared covered in ash in front of Gothel. "Meet Cinderella. She loves her cinder!"
Rapunzel cried and screamed the entire carriage ride home. Eventually she broke down and just cried. Rumple rolled his eyes as he made his way inside and she reluctantly followed.
"The rules are simple, deary. Clean the house, cater to my needs, and fetch me fresh straw from the yard when I'm running low. Understand?"
she was still crumpled on the floor crying and Rumple rolled his eyes. "Follow me." She raised slowly and followed him out of the main hall to a series of stairs. They took three flights of stairs until they finally reached the tallest tower of his castle.
"Disobey me, or ignore me, and this is where you'll end up."
She was still pouting and tears were still rolling down her face. Rumple rolled his eyes and got his list. "She wasn't your mother, deary. She bought you! She traded her crown for a little slave girl, and she got you!" He laughed again.
Rapunzel's face twisted in horror as she saw her name on the list. She fell into her skirts again and cried.
Rumple kneeled down next to her and whispered in her ear. "Cry one more time, deary, and I'll lock you in the tower."
The sobbing stopped immediately, but it took a moment before she raised her head, showing her tear stained face. She had a glassy look in her eyes and Rumple couldn't help but laugh and clap.
"Now you've got it!" he clapped some more before snapping a broom into his hand and thrusting it towards her. "Now get sweeping, deary. There's a lot of castle to cover."
As Rumple was spinning and Rapunzel was sweeping, Rumple got a note telling him that Sir Maurice needs help protecting his land. He threw the note away and continued to spin.
"I just swept here. Did you need to toss this paper."
Rumple's hands froze where they were, as did his composure. "I'm sorry?"
"I said," Rapunzel said slowly. "Did you have to have to toss this paper where I had already swept?"
Rumpelstiltskin turned ever so slowly to face Rapunzel. "I'm sorry?"
She sighed. "I said-"
"I know what you said, deary, I'm just astonished you would talk to you master like that." He turned back to his wheel and began to spin again. "I'm can see why your mother gave you up."
She dropped the broom and huffed. "Well, apparently she wasn't my mother, so I can see why as well." She picked up the broom as Rumple continued to spin. "Is that all you do?" She burst out. "I can't stand it! Why don't you go plant a crop or something. Make something!"
"I'm making gold, deary." He turned to face her. "And one more burst out of you and I'll lock you up." He turned back to his wheel.
"Might as well. What's so great about this place? It's just spinning and sweeping. What a life."
With a snap, he zapped her to the tower, without even turning away from his wheel. He could hear her constant cries from above, so he snapped again and heard her no more. He wasn't sure exactly what he had done, so he laughed. Surprises were nice.
He was suddenly aware that once again everything was quiet and he no one to talk to. Obviously Rapunzel wasn't a great idea.
He stood back from his wheel and thought. He needed something to do, but what?
He looked over at the paper that Rapunzel still hadn't cleaned up and smiled.
Maybe he could make something out of this.