Rumpel was momentarily blinded by the camera flashes as he climbed out of the back of his limo, buttoning his tuxedo jacket. Some of the photographers were shouting his name trying to get him to look at them, but Rumpel refused and climbed the steps towards the building, brushing pass some people being interviewed before they entered. It was a charity benefit for the New York City Children's Centre and a chance for Rumpel to use it for his gain. People noticed when businesses gave to charities. It seemed that in this world it opened more doors and made way for deals.

Slowing his pace as he entered the entrance hall, Rumpel glanced around to see if there was a familiar face. Any other businesses he could chat to and lead into a deal. There did not seem to be anyone, so he moseyed through the mingling people to find the bar or a server. Rumpel entered the main event hall to see a sea of tables in front of a stage. He hated these events but he knew they were good for business.

He noticed the bar off to one side and made his way over there, asking the barman for a whiskey no ice. Rumpel shoved one of his hands into his pockets and swept some of his hair back out of his face. It still felt weird to have it slightly shorter. Moving with the times, Rumpel had trimmed his hair shorter, leaving the top longer to curtain over his forehead. It had been a business decision more than a fashion choice. Dealing with the older generation, they would often comment on how he looked like a hippy, whatever one of those were. Since the haircut, he had noted that his deals with the older generation went more smoothly.

The barman handed Rumpel his drink. Rumpel took it and sipped it, nodding his head at the warm oaky taste of the whiskey. He freed his hand from his pocket and slipped it into his jacket, pulling out the invite to see where he would be seated.

"Mr Gold." The female voice called to him.

He grinned at hearing her voice and then turned to see her stood a couple of feet away. "Why, Miss Field, what a pleasure to see you here."

"Don't you try to flatter me, Mr Gold." Miss Field retorted to him, motioning to the barman she would have the same as Rumpel. "You cost me in our last deal. I haven't forgiven you yet."

"Really, dearie?" Rumpel queried.

"Yes. I lost out on five million dollars!" She told him, swatting her purse against his arm.

He raised his eyebrows at her, smirking as he said. "You didn't seem that bother afterwards. Especially when you were too busy screaming my name."

Her cheeks blushed at him. "Rumald!"

"No, it wasn't quite like that." He commented pursing his lips in feign thought. "It was more a shrill. Like, RUMALD!" She laughed loudly but hit him again with her purse, embarrassed that people had stopped to look at them. Rumpel grinned wickedly and sipped at his whiskey, eyeing her over the top of his glass. He liked her but not enough that he wanted her in life. She had just happened to be there in a moment when he wanted someone with brown curly hair and deep blue sapphire eyes. Someone he was never going to have in his life again.

"So, now you've embarrassed me, how're you?" Miss Field asked before drinking from her drink.

"I'm good, thank you for asking." He said nodding his head. "And you?"

"Feeling splendid. I've just come back from two weeks in Bora Bora." She informed him, her hand touching his shoulder as she spoke.

He sipped his drink watching some people come into the room and said. "Sounds boring."

"Oh, you're just saying that 'cause you haven't been there with the right person." She said moving closer to him, her dress brushed up against his tuxedo. Rumpel looked down at their closeness. She gazed at him so expectantly, he knew what she wanted but he did not want it with her.

Rumpel took a step away from her. "Yes, well the right person for me came and went a long time ago."

He saw the hope crush in her eyes, but she was a strong woman and soon blinked it away, hiding her hurt. "Oh."

"Angela, it's nothing to…" He began but she cut him off by pressing her finger to his lips. "It's okay, Rumald, I understand." As she finished, Angela turned away from him and walked off downing her whiskey in one. Rumpel closed his eyes and shook his head, someone else he had hurt to add to the endless list.

Opening his eyes as he sighed, Rumpel turned to face the bar behind him finishing his whiskey and asked the barman for another. He raked his fingers through his hair wishing things could be so different. If he had only accepted Belle's love then he probably would not be there on his own. Rumpel thanked the barman and took his glass back, and headed over to the table that his invite indicated.

He was the first to the table and as there were no place cards on the table, he pulled out a chair for himself and sat down placing his glass on the table. Rumpel knew he was going to be bored out of his mind. First there would be a big introduction of whatever equipment or new wing they wanted to build, then they would tell everyone how much they needed to raise and then the auction would start, encouraging the rich people in the room to hand over their money. He normally waited until there was something that two people were having a bidding war over and then would come in at the last second to steal it, just for his own entertainment.

A hand touched his shoulder, making him look up from his glass to the person that sat down beside him. "Hello, Rumpel."

Rumpel scrunched his eyebrows together, whipping round in his seat to look over his shoulder and then back at Regina. "How the hell?"

"What? You're not the only one with magic here." She told him.

"What are you doing here?" Rumpel's voice was low as he spoke, annoyed by her sudden presence.

"Did you not get my letter?" Regina asked. Her eyes already had that pleading look about them.

He nodded his head at her, sitting against the back of his chair. "Yes, I got it today."

"I sent that letter two weeks ago!" She exclaimed to him, her hand clenching at his tuxedo jacket.

"I am a busy man." Rumpel said before snatching his arm out of her hold and straightened the arm of his jacket. "I've been aboard on business. Not that it's any of your business."

Regina changed tactic with him and leaned forward towards him. "I need your help, Rumpel. We need your help."

"Oh, no, dearie. I'm not helping you. You've got nothing to offer for my help." He told her closing the gap between them, their faces close enough to feel the other's breath. "You don't have the right to ask me for help."

"No, I guess I don't." She responded leaning away from him.

Smiling at her retreat, Rumpel picked up his glass leaning back as she spoke. "But your grandson does."

"Grandson?" He chuckled at her. "I don't have a grandson, dearie."

"That's funny. Seeing as the father to Henry is your son, Baelfire." Regina smiled watching Rumpel choke on his whiskey, coughing into his fist. "Yes, I had that same reaction finding out you were my son's grandfather."

Steadying himself against the table, Rumpel stared at the table. "Baelfire? But how?"

She looked puzzled for a moment and then shrugged it away, saying. "Well, when a man and woman love each other… Okay, never mind that, but when a man and woman…"

"I don't mean that! I meant how did he meet Emma?" Rumpel growled at her, his annoyance reaching tipping point with her.

"They met when she stole a car that he had already stolen, or something along those lines." She said flippant, not interested in the details.

"He stole a car?" He asked but he was not looking for an answer.

"Rumpel," Regina touched his hand on the table. "We need your help. You need to come back to Storybrooke."

"Why do you need me?" He questioned, turning his head to look at her.

Regina pursed her lips at him before she spoke. "I don't have anything that will show me where they have gone. You must have something, if you were able to trace Baelfire to this realm."

"It's in my shop." He told her leaning back against his chair.

"Okay, where is it in your shop?" Regina asked hopeful.

Rumpel shook his head at her. "You won't find it in my shop without me. I've sealed it away with blood magic."

"I guess you've got no choice then." She informed him. "You're going to have to come back to Storybrooke, especially if you want to find Baelfire." He glared at her making her evil grin disappear. The idea of going back to Storybrooke, to have people whisper and look at him wherever he went in town, was not appealing. They did not want him there and he did not want to be there. It was probably why he had grown to love New York. Nobody knew him and they did not treat him any different.

Reluctantly Rumpel downed the last of his whiskey and stood from his chair, scrapping it on the vanished floor. Regina was surprised by his sudden movement and jumped up from her seat, moving out of his way as he stepped pass her to head out of the room. He pulled at his bow tie and undid it, pulling it from around his collar to shove into his tuxedo jacket. Leaving the building, Rumpel took his phone out of his pocket and called his driver to tell him to meet him at the street corner.

"Rumpel!" Regina shouted as she try to chase him in heels. He ignored her, pushing his way through the crowd, and unbuttoned the collar of his shirt. Behind him, she was pleading for him to slow down but he kept his pace and shook his head at her.

He dialled Laura's number and she answered on the second ring. "Mr Gold?"

"Sorry for the late call, Laura." Rumpel apologised glancing at his watch to see the time. "I need you to cancel all my appointments."

"For tomorrow?" She asked.

"Yes and for the next two weeks. I'm taking an unexpected trip and I don't know when I'll be back." He told her as he came to a stop at the street corner, looking for his limo. Regina pulled down on his shoulder when she caught up, bending down to remove her heels as she cursed at him.

"Oh! Right, okay, sir. I'll sort that out first thing." Laura replied. Rumpel liked how Laura never pushed to know personal things about him. She understood him. He did not like talking about himself and she never asked. A normal person would have asked about his trip, not Laura.

Rumpel ended his call to shove his phone back into his pocket and gazed down at Regina, as she picked up her heels saying. "You could have waited!"

"You could have stayed out of my life." He countered, smirking at her discomfort.

"You could have stayed in Storybrooke and then I wouldn't have to be here." Regina snapped up at him, now she was shorter than he was out of her heels. The limo pulled up in front of them. Rumpel yanked the door open and gestured for Regina to get in, following her in when she scooted across on the leather seat. He closed the door and told the driver to take him home.