Rent day was a mixed blessing for Mr. Gold. It meant that he got to exert his power over everyone and remind them where they stood in the pecking order of things, but it also meant that to get the rent he had to TALK to them.

He'd much rather just spend the day in his pawn shop. No one ever came in there unless it was to beg for a reprieve and usually their desperation made for a better day. He could usually handle one or two people; it was just the town as a whole that he couldn't stand. If they didn't like the rent prices then he would hate to see how they would react in the outside world where his mercy and leniency weren't there. He didn't think he asked too much. Gas was 15 cents here and the bread was a quarter. Upping the rent was reasonable in his eyes, what else would they spend money on? Material goods? He had plenty of material goods, and all it did was clutter up his house and make for more dusting. He was doing them a favor. If they complained then he could easily double the rent and give them something to complain about.

He made himself a sandwich for later and turned on the TV in the living room as he prepared for his day.

Perhaps he would stop by the mayor's house first. Nothing more like making her miserable to brighten up his day. He couldn't stand that cold hearted cow. She thought she held cards that he didn't know about and that somehow she had power.

Well, she didn't hold the cards, he knew everything thanks to his little spies and she needed to learn her place in this town. Unfortunately for her, it was far beneath him. Just like everyone else. Oh, wouldn't that get her angry? To know that she was no better or no worse than everyone in this town from the John Doe in the hospital bed to that saccharine sweet teacher that lived in an apartment that she could barely afford.

Maybe he would stop at the teacher's house. Ms. Blanchard's pure innocent outlook on life amused him and for some reason he genuinely liked her. He didn't understand it and he hoped it wasn't some sort of fancy. She was half his age and he normally didn't like women with hair shorter than his.

He was starting to leer at this age already. Wonderful. He was hoping that he'd skipped his midlife crisis altogether.

He turned the dial to the early morning news and waited to hear how the world was getting worse today. None of it reached Storybrooke, it never did but he liked to be informed. He liked to know everything. It gave him an edge. Why? He didn't know. It wasn't as if anyone else watched the news here and even if they did, he didn't talk to them about it.

It was just something he liked to do.

"The search for the parents of the newborn girl found on the side of the road…"

Oh this again. The townspeople had talked about it and he ignored them. They'd tried to ask his opinion when they came into his shop but he brushed past them. He had no interest in something that he couldn't change. Parents left her on the side of the road. Give her a home and let her be. IF they hadn't found the parents yet then he doubted they would. Why waste good money bothering?

If anyone has any information on baby Emma-

The comb that he was using for his hair dropped from his hand and clattered on the hardwood floor.

Memories came flooding. Memories of being Rumpelstiltskin. Memories of Baelfire and the curse. Memories of targeting Snow White and Charming to bear the savior

And memories of Emma.

"Emma," he mused and walked to his phone. Rent could wait a few hours. He needed to get his hands on that baby before any other well-meaning families got her. His Mr. Gold had connections for procuring children if need be. Of course he never had but his false memories had taught him how to do it here. And if the curse worked then the people he would contact would have false memories of him as well. Giving false memories to the outside world was dangerous and unpredictable and so he had to only give a couple of memories to some people. When the curse was broken the memory would just disappear and they'd continue their lives.

But it was worth it if he could get his hands on Emma.

"What a lovely name," he said and put the receiver to his ear.