Skin Deep
Mr. Gold circled his house with his gun raised. A board creaked behind him and he spun around as fast as he could with a bum leg, to see Sheriff Swan behind him. "Sheriff Swan," he breathed.
"Your maid saw your front door open. She called it in." Emma said referring to Lacey French, the girl behind her. She had her gun trained on him.
"It appears I've been robbed."
"Funny how that keeps happening to you."
"Yeah, well..." He lowered his gun first. "I'm a difficult man to love." 'But I'll get them back.' Emma took a look around the house. "Sheriff Swan, you can go now. I know exactly what was taken and who did it. I've got it from here."
"No you don't," she said turning to him. "This was a robbery. Public menace. And if you don't tell me what you know, I'll have to arrest you for obstruction of justice. I have a feeling you don't want to be behind bars."
"Indeed not," he said as he was reminded of his cell in the Enchanted Forest. He thought his options over and dismissed Lacey. "Alright, his name's Moe French. He sells flowers. He recently defaulted on a loan. A short time ago, we had a little disagreement over collateral."
"Okay," she said as she turned to go. "I'll go get him. Check him out."
"I'm sure you will.. assuming I don't find him..." he trailed off with a laugh. Emma looked at the pawnbroker confused. "Let's just say bad things tend to happen to bad people."
"Is that a threat?"
He hesitated. "Observation." Emma made her exit. "Good luck."
"Ah, Belle." Rumplestiltskin opened the doors to the main hall, escorting a figure in black armor, a cape billowing behind them. "This is your Misstress, my Lady, Certainty."
Belle stood from her place scrubbing the floors. "Mi'lady," she bowed.
The figure threw back her hood and removed an armored face plate: red waves fell like a river of blood as dark emerald green eyes pierced through her. "Belle?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Certainty looked her over. "Right on time," she concluded. She walked to the long table and threw her face plate down onto it, and removed her cloak. "Never touch my things unless told, never enter my rooms, and Gods help you if I find you with anything of mine in your hands. Understood?" Certainty's tone was final.
"Yes, ma'am," Belle's voice trembled as the woman removed her armor.
"Also, tell of my features to anyone, and there's no place in this life, or the ones that follow, that you can hide that I will not find you." Certainty's gaze over her shoulder ran through Belle like a knife.
"Yes, ma'am," She agreed with a curtsy.
The woman nodded and turned back to her armor as the maid went back to her duties. Rumplestiltskin reached across her shoulders to undo the clasps at the joints. "Successful day?"
"Quite," she smiled lovingly at him. "I've finally found the perfect stone."
"Shall we to the smithy then," he asked as she hopped onto the table and began to remove her boots.
"We shall," she said as the laces fell away. He offered his arm to her and she stood and let herself be led to the back of the castle.
Emma uncovered the desk in the Sheriffs office. "You're welcome." She said when he gave no thanks for her efforts. "You were right. The man Moe ripped you off. It was all still at his place," she continued, sitting behind the desk.
"And the man himself?" Gold looked over the items with a sneer.
"Closing in on him," she assured.
"So job well half-done then," he grumbled, not finding the object he was searching for.
"In less than a day, I got everything back. Is something wrong?"
"You've recovered nothing," he snapped, taking his leave. "There's something missing."
"I'll get it when I find him."
"Not if I find him first."
Certainty held up two items. "Gold, for your skin."
"And an emerald for your eyes," he finished taking the items. "And now the final touch." He reached behind her and drew her dagger. He sliced their fingers and they watched as their blood combined in his hand before the gold absorbed it and filled the vine engravings carefully etched into it. With a wave of his hand the blood was cleaned and the cuts healed.
He tilted her head down and threw the pendant over her neck. "So you may find me, my lovely, when we are separated."
She smiled at him and the gift before taking his right hand. "So you may find me, my love, when we are separated," she repeated as she slid the ring onto his fore finger.
He smiled down to the trinket and pulled her to him. "We've come a long way."
"And we'll go further still," she promised.
Regina stalked over to the cell as Emma and Henry left the Sheriffs office. "Well, you really wanted that little chat, didn't you," Gold questioned from behind the bars.
"Apparently, this is the only way I could do it," she said as she drew closer.
"Now when two people both want something the other has, a deal can always be struck." He gulped with uncertainty. "Do you have what I want?"
Regina gave him a sickening grin. "Yes."
"So..." Gold whispered. "You did put him up to it then." He had beaten French in his questioning to find the lost item.
"I merely suggested that... strong men take what they need."
"Oh, yeah, and you told him just exactly what to take, didn't you?"
"We used to know each other so well, Mr. Gold. Has it really come down to this?"
"It seems it has, yeah. But you know what I want." He tilted his head to the side. "What is it you want?"
"I want you to answer one question. And answer it simply. What's your name?"
Gold started. "It's Mr. Gold."
"Your real name," Regina said glowering at him.
"Every moment I've spent on this earth, that's been my name."
"But what about moments spent elsewhere?" She brought her face closer to the bars.
"What are you asking me," ha asked, feigning confusion.
"I think you know. If you want me to return what's yours, tell me your name," she demanded.
A manic grin slowly spread across his face with a dark chuckle. "Rumplestiltskin." Regina swallowed and he drew closer to the bars as well. "Now give me what I want."
"Such hostility," she said pulling back to grab her purse.
"Oh, yeah."
She dug through her bag and produced a velvet pouch. "Over this? I even had it fixed for you," she said as she opened the pouch and slid the object out. She swung it from her finger in front of him. "Such a..." He caught it in one curled finger. "...sentimental little keepsake."
He tore it from her hand. "Thank you... Your Majesty," he sneered as he pulled the gold object through the bars. He sat back and let the repaired chain run through his fingers as he examined it.. "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, dear. I'm the one with the power around here. I'm gonna be out of here in no time, and nothing between us will change. I shall have her by my side again."
Regina closed in on the cell. "We shall see." She turned and left him alone.
Ten minutes later, Orabella entered the station. "Regina? You still here? Sheriff said you were."
Gold took a breath and placed the pendant into his breast pocket, hiding it from its owner. "She's not here, lovely. Mayor left not ten minutes ago." The red haired woman reached the office. "It's just me in here."
"Emma said you'd been arrested," she smiled as she placed a cardboard container with 2 to-go cups and a paper bag on an open desk. "She said you hadn't eaten since and asked me to bring you something." She picked up a cup and slid it through the bars. "She also said to say 'it's not a favor,' and that you'd understand."
"Indeed I do," he smiled at her as he took the cup. He noticed a thick gold ring on her finger. "What a lovely ring," he said gesturing to the diamond adorned band on her forefinger. "Wherever did you get it?"
"It was my father's I think," she said looking down at it. "I found it with his things after the funeral. Wearing it makes me feel a little stronger. Lately I need it." She gasped and turned back to the desk. "Food." She dug through the bag and produced two sandwiches. "It's simple, I hope you don't mind."
She slid a wrapped sandwich through the bars, but he didn't take it. "Food and drink for a prisoner? You must want something. And I've nothing to pay you with at present."
"I can't be nice?'
"Everything comes with a price." He looked at her hard, willing her to remember him. "Name it and it shall be yours."
She tilted her head in thought. "What's your name?"
He stiffened and repeated what he had said to the Queen. "It's Mr. Gold."
She chuckled at him. "I know that. I meant your first name. Surely you must have one?"
He relaxed and smiled at her. "Must I? Perhaps I've not?"
"Then I'll make one up and it'll be horrid."
He laughed. "Well, we wouldn't want that." He looked her in the eye and placed his hand on hers over the offered food.. "It's Robert."
She started as though something had pained her. "Robert?"
He nodded. "It's simple, I hope you don't mind."
"Better than the name I had in mind," she said as he took the sandwich.
"And what was the name you would have sired me with," he asked as he unwrapped his lunch. She laughed and adjusted her bag and made to leave. "I've always had a desire to call you 'Stiltskin'," she said before she walked out the office door.
