That evening, both Mr Gold and Belle were at the Pawn Shop, getting ready for a date. Mr Gold picked up a circular velvet case from the glass counter before opening it up for Belle. She smiled at the diamond necklace inside.

It was a sweet gesture. One that made Belle begin to tear up. "It's, um … It's gorgeous," she said with a smile.

Mr Gold smiled back at her and unclasped the necklace before walking around to Belle, where he began to put the chain around her neck. "What's the occasion?" She asked as she turned around with a huge smile.

"The occasion is us," Mr Gold answered. "We haven't really gotten out much since Storybrooke awakened. So I thought we should see it. Together." Belle turned around, and Mr Gold looked over at her. He admired the sight of her. Of how pretty she was. "Wow."

Kissing his right cheek, Belle leaned in and gave her boyfriend a tight hug. "Thank you," she whispered.

Mr Gold chuckled as he returned the hug. "Don't get your hopes up. The nightlife is minimal." And they both laughed.

"No. That's not what I meant," Belle said, pulling away from the hug. "Thank you for ..." She sighed and inhaled a breath. "… For what you're doing. For how you're changing."

Suddenly, the front door to the shop opened, and the doorbells jingled. They both turned around and saw Leroy march towards them. "Okay, 'Stiltskin. I want my axe," he demanded as he marched towards the owner of the shop.

"I'm sorry, but we're closed," Mr Gold said, staring back at the dwarf.

"It's mine. Give it to me," Leroy ordered, and Belle looked away in horror.

"And yet … Still closed."

"Just because you possess something don't mean it's yours. Nothing in this shop belongs to you." Leroy turned his attention to Belle. "And you? How can you be with such a monster? Or maybe you're just another possession too?"

Mr Gold stared over at Leroy. "How … Dare you?" He asked, his anger overtaking him. He didn't like Leroy's tone towards Belle. And he wanted to make him pay. "You want your axe?! Fine!" He pushed the other back towards the door.

"Rumplestiltskin!" Belle called out to him, wanting him to calm down.

But Mr Gold wasn't listening. He had his hand around Leroy's throat. "You can have it … Buried in your chest."

"Stop! Stop! This isn't you anymore!" Belle called out again.

Mr Gold turned around, and Belle was horrified at what she saw. His scaly skin was back. "Oh, it's me, dearie," he said in his high-pitched voice. Something that she hadn't heard in years. "Always has been. Always will be."


Belle then suddenly woke up from her nightmare, drenched in sweat. She looked beside her and found that Mr Gold wasn't beside her. She got up and went to investigate. She walked around the house and found no one. Until she stepped outside. She looked around the house and saw the light coming from the basement window. She looked in. She was horrified at sight. There she saw the Professor at a spinning wheel, turning straw into gold, while Mr Gold looked on. He picked up a thread of gold and cut it before placing it into a jar filled with liquid. The liquid instantly began to glow purple, and Mr Gold smiled at it.