Just a little story that has been floating around my head for quite some time. Enjoy!
Rumple… no Robert Gold, as he was now known, looked out the window of his spacious apartment to see the storm clouds gather over the Big Apple. There weren't many storms so far during his, sadly, permanent stay so he would always get excited to watch the raw power that nature was capable of.
Not that he would tell anyone he would get excited over such a small thing, his employees were already getting a little bit to close without knowing even more about him.
Nevertheless, as the rain started to descend from the heavens in a never-ending downpour he couldn't stop but to reminisce about the last five years since his darling wife had enslaved his mind, body and soul and commanded him to leave that quaint little town that had once served as his home. The town where he had dreamt about finally finding a bit of happiness.
But Fate was a cruel mistress and once again he had brought ruin upon everything that he touched.
He couldn't exactly remember how he had gotten to New York City. All he remembered where the voices in his head taunting him for his own foolishness, the chilling sensation that he had only his clothes on his body and the endless howling void in the place where his heart should be.
Yet in the end and after a near endless series of hitching rides with strangers in cars that definitely shouldn't drive on Americas roads and staying in ratty motels that went against all health codes he had reached his destination. And the moment he had set foot in the city he had sworn to himself and to his boy that he would not be crushed again. Therefore, with his head up high and an oak cane in his hand he had made preparations for his stay in this place that he didn't know, surrounded by people with whom he had no experience except during his stay to find Baelfire.
His first order of business had been to get some money since he had spent all of what he could find in his pockets, which had still amounted to nearly $300, on said ratty hotels and as a bit of gas money for the somewhat kind strangers that had shown him some small mercy. And it had been mercy, and a good pinch of pity for the old crippled man standing on the side of the road, that had moved so many to slow down and offer him a seat in their cars. He had memorized each of the names and the license plates so he could repay them in full. Because even if he had nothing Rumplestiltskin still honored his deals!
But for once his luck was still there because he had his driver's license still with him. How exactly that small piece of plastic had found its way into his breast pocket behind his handkerchief was so far beyond him he probably couldn't figure it out if he had magic on his side.
And with his license to identify himself and a sob story at the police station about an argument with his wife that left him homeless and a "mugging" that had occurred later he was able to get quite a lot of information about "his life". Regina's curse really saved his arse and he allowed himself a smidgeon of pride since he was the one who wrote it. But he never imagined it to be this good and thorough!
His name was Robert Gold and he was 46 years old, he was born in Glasgow and moved to the US at the age of 22 where he studied law at a small university and held a PhD for said subject. A quick call with the head of the faculty had even confirmed that he graduated as one of the best students there. Apparently one of the professors even had one of his papers hanging in his office!
But more important than that was that Rumplestiltskin had several bank account all filled with money that his cursed persona had seemingly opened because he didn't trust the bank of Storybrook to keep his rent money safe.
The metaphysics of a time locked town interacting with the rest of the world were so interesting that he had spent his first night in a hotel room that he rented pouring over the document just to check how the dates aligned with everything else.
Magic really was the most beautiful thing to ever happen to the universe.