In which Gold manipulates, Emma plays right into his hand and Izzy ends up hella pissed off.

A/N: What are you talking about? It hasn't been a month and a half since I updated this! You're crazy! Some dialogue from this chapter is taken from Episode 1x04, The Price of Gold.

"You want me to what?"

Izzy was staring at him like he was insane.

Rumplestitlskin sighed and placed his teacup back down on the coffee table. They'd spent the last hour discussing his plan to deal with Ashley Boyd, but Izzy still wasn't sold on his idea.

In truth, he probably wasn't explaining himself well. The problem with Izzy being Izzy rather than Belle, was that he could never tell her the whole truth.

The real reason he had to see through the deal with the little pauper princess was because it was magically forged in the Enchanted Forest. The rules of magic were precise and unyielding. Even someone as powerful as the Dark One couldn't break them. Chief among those rules was that all magic had a price. There were no free lunches as far as magic was concerned, and Miss Boyd could not receive something for nothing. The price would be exacted somehow, and Rumplestiltskin didn't relish paying it.

But he had no intention of taking her child. Even in the Enchanted Forest the baby had been a ruse, a way to get what he really wanted. No, he wanted something even more special than Ella's brat. He wanted the Savior on his side. She had a knack for finding people after all.

Now he had to balance the pieces just right to ensure that happened.

"It's quite simple, sweetheart," he explained. "Miss Boyd will most likely make herself scarce following tonight's attack. I propose we implore Miss Swan to help us find her."

Izzy arched a brow at him. "And you want me to play the concerned best friend?"

Rumplestiltskin shrugged. "You are her friend."

"Not anymore, I'm not," Izzy murmured under her breath, and Rumple's twisted heart leapt a little at her loyalty.

"Be that as it may, I'm hardly a sympathetic figure in this town," he continued. "I think Miss Swan might be more amenable to our needs if you express your concern for your friend. Perhaps you could mention the conversation you had with her at Ruby's. Perhaps you feel some guilt for urging her to keep her child."

Izzy's eyes snapped up to meet his. "Are you blaming me for this?"

"Absolutely not," he assured her. "I just think it behooves our case to Miss Swan if you feign a guilty conscience."

Izzy chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, lost in thought.

"I don't want Ashley to get away with this," she said, gesturing to his bandaged head. "But isn't there some other way? What would be so bad about letting Ashley keep her baby?"

"I've already lined up an adoption for the child," Rumple replied. "The Lang's have gone through a number of miscarriages in their efforts to have a child. Do you want to be the one to tell them they've lost this baby as well?"

Rumplestiltskin had found a home for Cinderella's baby with a childless noble and his wife back in the old world, just in case his plan for imprisonment went awry and he actually found himself with an infant. That part of the deal had been transferred to their Storybrooke counterparts.

Belle shook her head. "No, of course not. But what if she's changed her mind? What if she wants to be a mother?"

"Isobel, only a few months ago Miss Boyd was more than willing to give up her child in order to achieve a small amount of financial stability," Gold said. "Being a parent means sacrifice. Do you think she's ready to raise a child?"

"No, I don't," Izzy said resolutely. "But that's not really our decision is it?"

Gold stared at Izzy for a moment. She was just as stubborn as his Belle, that was a fact that hadn't changed. He wasn't sure he could actually win this conversation.

"It's not our decision, darling. It's Miss Boyd's. It's a decision she already made, and there are consequences for that. Consequences that she has to own up to."

Izzy still didn't look sold on the idea. "And why do we need Emma involved in all this in the first place? If you want to find Ashley, I'm sure I could track her down."

Gold sighed. This was another part of his plan he had to carefully vague about. Mr. Gold didn't have a son. Izzy had never been told of a son's existence. To tell the truth now would lead to many uncomfortable questions. Questions he wouldn't be able to answer.

"Emma Swan is the one person in this town, other than me, willing to stand up to Regina Mills," he finally conceded. "I need her on my side."

Izzy looked up at him with a wry twist to her mouth.

"Your constant need to get one over on Regina Mills is slightly worrisome."

"She's a miserable cunt," Gold said simply, with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

Izzy let out a barely contained snicker. "No argument there."

Emma rubbed at her temples as she glanced over the security photo Gold had handed to her. She recognized the girl as the pregnant maid at Granny's she'd run into the day before.

"Why don't you just go to the police?" she asked wearily.

"Because she's a confused young woman," Gold said, leaning against Mary Margaret's kitchen table.

"Ashley is one of my closest friends," his wife interjected. "For her to do something like this – " she trailed off, glancing at her husband.

"I don't want to ruin a young girl's life," he continued. "I just want my property returned."

"Okay," Emma sighed. "What did she take?"

Gold opened his mouth to answer her question but Izzy reached out and gripped his hand.

"Ashley stole a contract from my husband's safe last night. She broke into his shop, knocked him unconscious and took his keys."

As if to verify his wife's claim, Gold pulled his hair back from his forehead revealing a nasty gash to his left temple.

"I'm afraid it's true," Gold said. "And so unlike her. She was quite wound up, rambling on and on about changing her life."

Beside him, Isobel's eyes were filling with tears.

"I think it's all my fault," she sniffed prettily. "Ashley is pregnant. She's told me on multiple occasions that she doesn't want to keep the baby. But a few nights ago I told her she had to give the child it's best chance. I'm afraid my words might have spurred her to do something drastic. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Emma eyed the odd couple in front of her. Her gut told her neither of them were lying. But they were hiding something from her too. She didn't like it.

"This contract, what was it for?" she asked after a moment. "If Ashley was just looking to get some money to afford raising her kid, there are far more valuable things in your shop than a piece of paper."

Gold looked tense for a moment before answering.

"Part of the benefit of you not being the police is discretion," he said with a smile. "My only other option is the police, and I don't think any of us wants to see this baby born in jail, do we?"

That struck a chord. Emma was only too familiar with the joy of giving birth while wearing shackles. It wasn't a fate she'd wish on her worst enemy, much less a confused teenager who'd made a couple wrong choices. She'd been there as well.

"No, of course not."

"So you'll help us?" Izzy asked, her large blue eyes still shining with unshed tears. "You'll help Ashley?"

Emma stared at the young woman who'd somehow found herself married to the most powerful man in town. She didn't trust Gold as far as she could throw him, but his wife was a different story. There was something so innocent and good that seemed to radiate from her entire being. She didn't know how that could survive close proximity to the pawnbroker, but the fact that it had spoke to the librarian's resiliency. She didn't trust Mr. Gold, but she might be able to trust Mrs. Gold.

"I'll help your friend," she directed to Izzy. The woman's face lit up like a Christmas tree. She really was beautiful.

"Thank you, Emma," she said, grasping her hand. For a horrifying moment Emma thought she might try to hug her. Luckily the moment was interrupted by the arrival of Henry.

"Oh, hey Mrs. Gold!" Henry said enthusiastically when he saw Emma's guests. "Mr. Gold," he added with less enthusiasm.

"Hey, Henry! How are you?" Mr. Gold asked with surprising sincerity.

"Okay," Henry replied awkwardly.

"Henry, if you come by the library later, I got some new books in I think you'd like," Izzy interjected.

Henry smiled, "Thanks, Mrs. Gold!"

With that, the oddest couple in Storybrooke left the apartment, leaving Emma in a daze. She had to find Ashley Boyd, and fast.

"Do you know who that is?" Henry asked as soon as they were gone.

"Yeah, of course I do," Emma replied, rifling through her newly arrived wardrobe.

"Who? 'Cause I'm still trying to figure it out. I mean, obviously Mrs. Gold is Belle from Beauty and the Beast, but I have no clue who Mr. Gold is supposed to be."

Emma had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes. She had to hand it to the kid for his imagination, but this fairy tale thing was getting slightly ridiculous.

"Beauty and the Beast, huh? I guess Gold is pretty beastly."

She left Henry looking pensive as she ran upstairs to change.

Izzy had felt distracted all day. She felt bad about misleading Emma that morning. She seemed like a nice woman, wanting to do what was best for Ashley. Instead she was helping the very people who wanted to take Ashley's baby away from her.

That she was one of those people made Izzy's stomach twist uncomfortably.

She knew Ashley was in no place to raise a child. The fact that she had injured her husband and stolen from him was proof enough of that. But she supposed desperate people went to desperate measures.

She had to think of the couple who were adopting the baby. They were innocent in all this, just wanting to give a child a good home. That was who Izzy was fighting for. The fact that she knew exactly how they felt did not escape her. She and Andrew had been married for three years. In all that time she'd never been on the pill. They'd never discussed trying to have a child, but they'd never taken any efforts to prevent pregnancy. The fact that it hadn't happened led Izzy to believe there was something wrong with her. She was positive they weren't ready for a baby, but seeing how adamant Andrew had been about protecting children, the way his eyes lit up when he saw Henry, she couldn't help but imagine a child of their own. If the last three years were any indication, adoption might one day be their only option.

She leaned her head against the circulation desk, willing away the headache forming behind her eyes, when her cell phone rang shrilly in the quiet of the library.

"Hello?" she answered wearily.

"Izzy?" came Ruby's frantic voice from the other end of the line. "It's Ashley. She crashed my car trying to get out of town and now she's gone into labor."

"Oh my God," was all Izzy could think to say. Had their search for her friend led Ashley to try to skip town? She could have been hurt, she could have lost the baby. Izzy felt a stab of guilt. She was angry with Ashley for what she'd done to Andrew, but she didn't want anything bad to happen to her.

"Look, I know you guys haven't been getting along great lately, but I thought you'd want to know."

"Yeah, Ruby, thanks for calling. I'll be right there."

Before she could hang up Ruby interjected.

"Don't tell your husband, okay?"

Izzy felt that pang to her stomach again. "Ruby, he's not a –"

"Just don't," Ruby entreated. "She's been trying to better herself for this baby. I don't want to see that all go to waste."

"Okay," Izzy agreed.

She hung up the phone and grabbed her jacket. Flipping the library sign to closed, she headed off down the street to the hospital.

Andrew would find out eventually. Right now, she needed to do what was best for that baby.

Rumplestiltskin made his way through the stark hallways of Storybrooke General to the waiting room of the maternity ward. He vaguely wondered what the doctors and nurses here had done for the past 28 years. Ella's baby would be the first born in Storybrooke. Not for the first time, Rumple was glad that he'd been as unaware of the passage of time as anyone else in this town. It must have been frightfully boring for Regina.

He was startled to find Belle in the waiting room, heads together with the savior, talking in low voices.

"The child was to be adopted," his wife was saying. "I thought it was for the best."

"I can understand that," Emma said sympathetically. "But the moment Ashley decided to keep her baby that agreement should have been null and void. Anyone who wants to be a mother should damn well be able to."

"I agree," Belle shrugged. "But my husband can be quite implacable."

They were interrupted by the arrival of one of the doctors.

"Miss Swan, the baby is a healthy 6-pound-girl, and the mother is doing fine."

Taking that as his cue, Rumple stepped forward from the hallway beside the nurse's station.

"What lovely news," he said. "Excellent work, Miss Swan. Thank you for bringing me my merchandise."

Emma and Izzy spun around to face him.

"Merchandise?" Izzy asked, anger coloring her voice. "What are you playing at, Andrew?"

Rumple leaned heavily against his cane. The last thing he needed was a public argument with Izzy. All he wanted was to gain his favor from the Savior. He knew nothing about this world outside of Storybrooke's borders, but Emma did. She also had a knack for finding people. Once Regina's curse was broken, he would need her help to find Baelfire. She would never give him that help willingly. Securing a favor from her was the only way.

Belle would understand, once he had her back. At least that's what he told himself.

"Sweetheart, why don't you go check on Miss Boyd?" he asked, effectively dismissing her. "Offer her your congratulations."

Izzy crossed her arms against her chest, staring him down resolutely. Belle was definitely starting to take hold in meek little Izzy.

"I don't think so. I'm the second to last person she wants to see right now."

Izzy turned and placed a hand on Emma's shoulder. "Do you mind if I have a moment alone with my husband?"

Emma just shrugged, looking from one Gold to the other. "Go ahead."

Izzy dragged Gold away from the waiting room, stopping next to an ancient coffee machine.

"No more games, Andrew," she whispered. "I know you feel the need to put on your growly face with the rest of this town, but be honest with me. What is your plan for that baby?"

"I've already told you," Rumple sighed. "I've found a suitable home for the child. Everything will be fine."

Izzy reached out, grabbing him by his free hand. "I am begging you, as your wife, please let Ashley keep her baby. You can't rip a newborn out of its mother's arms. We have no right to decide her fate for her."

In that moment she sounded so much like Belle, blue eyes shining with the righteousness of her conviction, that every fiber of his being wanted to say yes. He wanted to pull her into his arms, agree to her every desire if she'd only come back to him, his beautiful, brave Belle.

But he couldn't. For three hundred years he had only one purpose, to find and apologize to his son. That wasn't going to change. If he had to break Izzy's heart for a moment to ensure his ability to find his son, so be it.

"I can't," he replied, looking away from her. He couldn't face Belle's gaze.

"Fine," Izzy nodded, voice thick with emotion. "Have it your way."

She turned away after a moment, her high heels clacking against the tile floor as she retreated. Rumplestiltskin decided that was an opportune moment to take out his frustration on the coffee machine, slamming his hand against it repeatedly.

"A baby? That's your merchandise?" The Savior asked, coming up along side the coffee machine. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because at the time, you didn't need to know," he replied smartly.

"Really?" she asked, arms crossed in defiance. "Or you thought I wouldn't take the job?"

Rumplestiltskin popped a couple of quarters into the machine, watching as the coffee filled up a paper cup. It was time to corral Miss Swan right where he needed her.

"On the contrary, I thought it would be more effective if you found out yourself. After seeing Ashley's hard life, I thought it would make sense," he paused before readying to push the button to trigger the Savior. "To you. I mean if anyone could understand the reasons behind giving up a baby, I assumed it would be you."

"You're not getting that kid," Emma said determinedly. Rumplestiltskin had to suppress a smile. She was playing right into his hand.

"Actually we have an agreement, and my agreements are always honored," he took a sip of the bitter coffee, walking back toward the waiting area. "If not, I'm going to have to involve the police, and that baby will wind up in the system. You didn't enjoy your time in the system, did you, Emma?"

A look of something akin to fear flitted across the Savior's face. Rumplestitlskin vaguely wondered at what exactly this woman had been through in her twenty-eight years.

"That's not going to happen," Emma declared.

"I like your confidence," he needled her. "But all I have to do is press charges. She did, after all, break into my shop.

"Yeah, to steal a contract!" From the looks of things, Emma was starting to get desperate. He could always make a deal with a desperate soul.

"You know no jury in the world is going to send a woman to jail whose only reason for breaking and entering was to keep her child," The Savior said with false confidence. "I'm willing to roll the dice that contract doesn't stand up. Are you?"

In truth, Mr. Gold was quite a thorough attorney. Every line in the contract was completely, bindingly legal. He had managed to phrase everything in just the right way. Emma didn't really have a leg to stand on, but he wouldn't tell her that.

At the look of uncertainty he allowed to cross his face, Emma continued, growing bolder.

"Not to mention what might come out about you in the process. Somehow I suspect there's more to you than a simple pawnbroker," she said, glancing over her shoulder to where Izzy was sitting with Henry. "Does your wife know all your secrets, Mr. Gold? I'd hate for anything to come between the two of you. You seem so – well suited."

Rumplestiltskin let his eyes linger on Izzy across the room. She was a rather obvious Achilles heel, but he was still surprised Emma would go for it right away. She was obviously willing to do anything to let Ashley keep this baby. Good.

"I like you, Miss Swan," he replied with a smile. "You're not afraid of me, and that's either cocky or presumptuous. Either way, I'd rather have you on my side."

"So she can keep the baby?" Emma asked hopefully.

"Not just yet," Rumple stopped her. "There's still the matter of my agreement with Miss Boyd."

"Tear it up," Emma shrugged, betraying the trademark Charming obtuseness.

"That's not what I do," he replied, dusting off his dealmaker façade and using it for the first time in decades. "You see contracts, deals, they're the very foundation of all civilized existence. If you want Ashley to have that baby, are you willing to make a deal with me?"

"What do you want?" she asked immediately. A desperate soul indeed.

"Oh I don't know just yet," Rumple lied. "You'll owe me a favor."

"Deal," the Savior replied immediately before walking back over to Henry. Stupid, really. Agreeing to a deal without understanding the terms is what got Ashley into this mess to begin with. Now Emma was following suit. She was her father's daughter.

Lucky for the Savior he didn't have anything nefarious planned for her. She would simply help him find his son. He was one step closer to Baelfire.

He tried to let that thought buoy him as Izzy stalked over to him, storm clouds in her eyes.

"You can't make an exception when your own wife asks you to, but you'll do it for a complete stranger?" Izzy demanded, outraged. "Do I mean nothing to you?"

Rumplestiltskin did his best to uphold Mr. Gold's stoic demeanor. This wasn't the time or the place to let his façade slip.

"She gave me something of value in return, dear," he said. "Miss Swan has defied the Mayor and now she has done the impossible, convinced me to compromise. She's an important ally to have."

Izzy just looked at him, her mouth slightly agape. "This is still about Regina, isn't it? This is about your sick power struggle with her. Well I don't want to be a part of it. You used me, Andrew! Just like you use everyone else in this town!"

Her raised voice was drawing spectators, Ruby was watching from across the waiting room and several of the hospital staff had looked over with perked up ears.

"Sweetheart, can't we have this conversation somewhere more private?" he asked placatingly, trying to steer Izzy away from the waiting room to a less populated area of the hospital. Izzy simply shrugged his hand off and continued.

"And here for a moment I thought you actually cared about what happened to that child. You never had any intention of taking Ashley's baby, did you?"

"No," he replied, looking down at where his hands were clasped over the head of his cane.

"And what about the family that were going to adopt her?" Izzy asked.

"I'd already informed them that the birth mother had changed her mind," he replied truthfully.

"So it was all a lie then? Everything you said about the child's best interest, that was all just a way to get me to go along with this?"

"No," he said with a shake of his head. "I do care what happens to that child. If Miss Boyd is prepared for motherhood, I won't stand in her way."

"But you only make that decision when it's most convenient for you," Izzy spat at him.

He couldn't do this here. He needed to speak to her in private, where he could grovel and beg her forgiveness. If he was seen behaving that way in public, there were sure to be questions. Regina would realize he had awoken and Belle would be in danger.

He looked at her, silently pleading for her understanding.

"Can we go home and discuss this in private?" he asked tersely.

Izzy shook her head. "I'm going home. You can sleep at the shop tonight."

With that Izzy spun on her heel and stormed over to where Ruby was standing. The waitress wrapped an arm around his wife, shooting him an angry glance as Belle began to cry.

Rumplestiltskin headed out to the parking lot, tossing his half drunk coffee in a bin on the way out. Today he'd won one small victory, and had one devastating loss.