Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters you are about to meet. And I do not own Once Upon a Time
Author's note: If you have never seen Once Upon a Time prepare to be confused. If you are a Once Upon A Time fan, prepare to be confused.
Episode 7
Lacey
Story Brook
Mr. Gold awoke from another startling dream…seeing himself killing Henry, his own grandson. This time, Frodo was with him. Once Mr. Gold had stabbed Henry, the hobbit had begun to chase after him. What was it about that hobbit that made Mr. Gold feel…threatened?
He got ready for the day and saw Henry battling Baelfire with the wooden swords in the park. Regina came to stand beside him.
"Well," Regina said. "I finally figured out who that man is."
"Really," Mr. Gold said.
"Yes," Regina replied. "You know the tales and legends of Middle-earth? They're real."
"So," Mr. Gold said. "You're saying that man is from Middle-earth."
"Yes," Regina replied. "It's Frodo Baggins."
"Ah," Mr. Gold sneered "The hobbit who is now the mayor."
Regina was silent for a long time. She watched as Baelfire fought with Henry.
"It seems we both have been pushed to the side." She finally said. "You're Henry's grandfather…" She breathed in disgust.
"Yes I am, dearie." Mr. Gold replied.
"I have a feeling you did this," Regina said, sounding angry.
"Believe me; I was just as shocked as you are." Mr. Gold said, walking through the park.
"You must have known!" Regina said. "When I adopted Henry, it was you who procured him for me. You expect me to believe that was a coincidence?"
"Not coincidence," Mr. Gold replied. "Fate, and apparently, fate has a sense of humor."
"Fate," Regina echoed. "So you're playing the part of the loving grandpa, now? They won't accept you."
Mr. Gold turned his face away.
"No matter what you do," Regina continued. "Not your son, or any of them,"
"What have you seen?" Mr. Gold retorted.
"I've already seen, Gold." Regina replied. "I've seen your dark heart and it always comes out. You always choose darkness."
"You think you know me, dearie," Mr. Gold stopped and turned to her. "You don't,"
"I know enough," Regina said. She stepped closer to him. "If your own son couldn't bring out the good in you, who will?"
Regina walked away, leaving Mr. Gold alone in his thoughts.
~jb~
Mr. Gold finally went to the hospital to see Belle. Ever since the 'incident' with Frodo crashing into her room, Belle was moved to a new room in the hospital with no glass walls.
The door was wide open. Mr. Gold tapped on the wall to get her attention. She was reading a book that Ruby had given her. He smiled at her when she looked up at him. She gasped and smiled back.
"You…" She paused. "You're alive!" When Mr. Gold had finally found his son, Hook had chased him and stabbed him with a poisoned hook. When Emma and Neil got him back to Story Brook, Mr. Gold called Belle on a cell phone to say goodbye in case he didn't make it out alive. Belle had wondered ever since if he had survived. That explained the flowers her 'secret admirer' had been leaving.
"Indeed I am," Mr. Gold replied, walking into the room. "I imagine my last phone call was… alarming."
Belle cleared her throat. "It sounded like you were on your death bed."
"I'm really sorry if I startled you." Mr. Gold said. "I know you have no memory of me, but my feelings for you are real…and I just wanted you to know that in case…well…well, in case I died."
"I'm glad you're okay." Belle said. "And I can tell your feelings are true."
"You can?" Mr. Gold asked.
"I have a sense about people." Belle said. "I can't explain how but…I could just tell."
"So, you believe we know each other?" Mr. Gold asked.
"I believe that whatever caused me to forget myself…means that I have a past and that past probably included you." Belle admitted.
"It did," Mr. Gold nodded.
"When I…uh…" Belle hesitated. "When I was injured..." She sighed. "This is going to sound crazy…" She took a deep breath and cleared her throat again. "I remember you healing me."
Mr. Gold was silent, thinking of the right thing to say. "You've been through a lot, serious injury, and all the things that have happened since you've been in here; me for example, almost dying, and Mr. Bearer suddenly crashing into your room. Once you remember who you are, it'll all become clear."
"Can you help me do that?" Belle asked. "Can you help me remember who I am?"
"Only if you help me remember who I am." Mr. Gold replied.
"Sorry, what?" Belle asked.
"Well…" Mr. Gold hesitated. "You always brought out the best in me, and right now I need that. So yes, I'll do anything I can to bring you back, for you, and for me."
Belle reached out to place her hand onto his as he leaned on his cane. "We can help each other." She said.
"Yeah," Mr. Gold nodded. "Let's talk to someone about getting you out of here. You've been locked up long enough."
Before the Curse
It had been a few weeks since Belle had arrived to Rumplestiltskin's mansion. She would spend the night in her dull, dungeon which Rumple called a room. One night she was sobbing into the itchy, wool blankets. She turned in her small bed when she heard the door open.
"When you so eagerly agreed to come and work for me," Rumple grumbled, walking into the dungeon. "I assumed you wouldn't miss your family quite so much."
Belle stood up to face him. "I made my sacrifice for them, of course I miss them, you beast!"
"Yes, yes, of course," Rumple replied, as if he could care less. "But the crying must stop. Night after night, it's making it very difficult for me to spin! You know, I do my best thinking then!"
It was silent for a long moment. The tears continued to fall from Belle's eyes.
"Here," Rumple waved his hand in the air. When he lowered it a soft, white pillow appeared. "Perhaps this will help?"
"For me?" Belle asked.
"Not quite so beastly now, am I?" Rumple asked, thrusting the pillow at her.
"Thank you…" Belle said, rolling her eyes. "Maybe now I can actually get some sleep."
"No, no, no," Rumple said. "It's not to help you sleep, dearie. It's to muffle the cries so I can get back to work!"
Suddenly, they heard a noise coming from the dining room, as if someone had dropped a plate. Rumple quickly turned and headed out the door, followed closely by Belle. A mysterious man with a bow walked confidently across the room, walking up to a wand that was displayed on a small table.
"Are you sure you want to do this, dearie?" Rumple asked, interrupting whatever the man's purpose was. The man wore a dark hood that covered most of his face. He turned just as he was lifting up the wand. He uncovered his hood and smiled at Rumple.
"Pretty sure," He insisted.
"If you don't know how to use that wand," Rumple said. "It can do nasty things to you."
"Well then," The man examined the wand and placed it with his arrows. "I'll stick to what I know works." He took an arrow out and placed it with his bow. "You know what this arrow can do to you?"
"It has to hit me first," Rumple said, taking a step and disappearing. The man waited patiently for him to reappear. When Rumple showed his face again, the man aimed his arrow toward him.
"That shouldn't be a problem." He said, taking a step toward Rumple. "An arrow that flies from this bow always finds its target." He sighed and smiled again. "I just love magic!" He shot his arrow just before Rumple disappeared. He watched as the arrow flew around the room, as if it were searching for its victim. Belle stood and watched the whole scene in anticipation. She secretly hoped this stranger would succeed in killing Rumple, and then she could escape and return to her family.
The man turned to see Rumple standing next to him with a friendly smile on his face. The arrow flew toward him and hit him right in the heart. Belle gasped and ran forward.
The man said something to Rumple that Belle couldn't quite hear. His accent was too thick to understand him clearly. Rumple leaned forward and as if he was about to fall to the ground. The man walked away only to have Rumple suddenly appear in front of him, the arrow still sticking into his chest. He spoke loud and clearly enough to understand even if you were hard of hearing.
"As. Do. I!" Rumple said, pulling the arrow out of his chest with ease. The man stared at him in surprise. Rumple let go of the arrow and it disappeared in a cloud of violet smoke. Rumple giggled in a high pitch that sent chills down Belle's spine. "But don't you know, all magic comes with a price! And in your case, that's me!"
Story Brook
Belle was sitting in her bed and packing her bag, finally ready to be leaving the hospital. In the hallway she could hear footsteps coming toward her door. A woman with short, dark hair and a black coat walked in. She tapped on the door and smiled pleasantly at Belle.
"Hello," She said.
"Hi," Belle replied.
"I don't think we've been properly introduced." The woman said, walking up to the bed. "I'm Regina; I used to be the mayor of this town before I stepped down for Nathan Bearer. I just wanted to make sure you're okay…just like I would when I was mayor."
"That's very thoughtful of you," Belle said. "Thank you, but I'm fine...I think I am… Mr. Gold's getting me discharged; he believes he can help me remember who I am."
"Does he now?" Regina lifted her eyebrows and smiled. Belle smiled back and continued to pack.
"I hope Mr. Bearer didn't scare you," Regina said.
"Oh no," Belle replied. "He really is sweet…He must have picked a fight with the wrong person."
"Yeah," Regina nodded. "He must have…" She looked at the ground. She leaned down and brought her hand closely to the ground. In her hand she held what looked like a small, red box. She lifted herself and held it out to Belle. "What's this dear?" She asked. "Did you drop it?"
"I don't think so," Belle admitted, taking the box and looking at it. She set it onto the bed.
"Keep looking, dear." Regina insisted.
Belle rolled her eyes and picked the box back up. She held it and closely examined it. Her face changed as she looked at the box. "Wait…" She hesitated. "I…I know what this is." She looked up at Regina. "I think I remember who I am!"
"I'm sure Mr. Gold will be thrilled." Regina said, smiling at Belle.
~jb~
"Are these the places you saw it?" Tamara asked, looking over Greg Mendel's map of Story Brook. There were multiple tacks sticking into it. Greg Mendel had driven to Story Brook to see if he could find his father. Regina had captured him years ago, and when he requested Regina freed him, she refused. When he first came, Hook had shot Belle, and Rumple was ready to start shooting fire. When Greg had seen, he lost control of his car and crashed into a tree. Since he had been staying in Story Brook, he had caught Regina performing multiple acts of magic. She had made a hospital patient sleep and made her personal belongings from her bag float in the air, and nearly ripped out a woman's heart and replaced it.
"Yeah," Greg said, standing behind her and wrapping his arm around her waist. "This place is sick with magic. Now you should go, if Neil suspects anything, it's gonna make everything we have to do that much harder." Tamara walked away from him and stood by the door.
"Don't worry," Tamara replied. "He won't…" Greg turned his face away. "Greg, have you had any luck…finding him?"
"My dad?" Greg replied. "No…but he's here, I'm sure of it." Tamara gave him a look of concern and walked toward him.
"We will find him," She said, resting her hand on his arm.
"I know," Greg whispered. "But one thing at a time, you were able to get the package here, right?"
"It's right outside town," Tamara said. "You can just drive right by it."
"And it's…it's stable?" Greg asked.
"Very," Tamara said. "I'll bring the package in tonight. Be ready,"
"Have you heard from…him?" Greg asked.
"Not yet," Tamara said. "He might come on a very fortunate day…" She backed away from him headed out the door.
Greg smiled.
~jb~
Mr. Gold walked into Belle's room, ready to take her back to his home. As he walked in, he saw her hospital bed was empty.
"Nurse!" He called out angrily. "Nurse!" A nurse with brown hair walked into the room, a look of concern on her face. "There was a patient here suffering from amnesia," He said, pointing to the bed. "Where is she?"
"Belle?" The nurse looked over at the bed in confusion. "She should still be here…"
"So where is she?" Mr. Gold demanded. The nurse turned to leave and immediately began to search for Belle. Mr. Gold turned back to the bed and noticed a small object on it. He picked it up and examined it closely. He had heard that Nathan Bearer was indeed Frodo Baggins; a hobbit.
Mr. Gold felt pretty annoyed that he would need the hobbit's help on this one.
~jb~
"You need me to what?" Frodo asked, looking up from his desk.
"I need you to help me find Belle," Mr. Gold repeated impatiently. "Do you know what this is?" He placed the object onto Frodo's desk.
The hobbit picked it up and examined it. "It's a matchbook…" His eyes were glued to it for a long time.
"Yes," Mr. Gold said. "Have you ever been to that bar before?"
"Well…" Frodo hesitated, still looking at the matchbook. "Wait…" There was a blue fire in his eyes. "I haven't…"
"Well, I think Belle might be there." Mr. Gold replied.
"Mr. Gold, I would love to help you!" Frodo suddenly stood up and walked around the desk.
"You would…?" Mr. Gold looked at him in confusion.
"But only if you'll let me bring Samwise." Frodo said.
"The gardener?" Mr. Gold tilted his head. "Why do we need him?"
"Well," Frodo hesitated again. "You never know when you'll need Sam."
~jb~
Mr. Gold led Frodo and Sam into the Rabbit Hole. Rock music was playing loudly in the background.
"All right," Frodo said. "Keep your eyes open."
"I don't even know what she looks like!" Sam protested.
"Yes you do," Frodo replied. "Just keep your eyes open."
Mr. Gold led them over to the bar. The bar tender looked up at them nervously.
"Ah," He walked over to shake Mr. Gold's hand. "Yes, Mr. Gold? "
"Someone I care for has gone missing." Mr. Gold said. "All that she left behind was a matchbook from this bad, old joint."
"Oh, really?" The bar tender hesitated. "Yeah, we have some."
"I don't understand it…" Mr. Gold said, looking around. "If you knew her, this is the last place she would go for…"
"You're really not a fan of the Rabbit Hole, are ya?" The bar tender asked.
"No, but we will be!" Frodo said, taking a seat, Sam immediately sitting next to him.
"We'll take a drink…or two." Sam said. The bar tender looked at Mr. Gold in confusion.
Mr. Gold just rolled his eyes. "Hobbits," He muttered. The bar tender nodded.
"Describe her." He said.
"Brown hair, beautiful blue eyes, and an accent you wouldn't soon forget. Her name's Belle." Mr. Gold said.
"Belle, are you sure?" He asked. "Because that sounds an awful lot like Lacey…"
"Who is Lacey?" Mr. Gold furrowed his brow.
The bar tender pointed over to the pool table. Mr. Gold, Frodo, and Sam turned to see Belle there, her brown hair pulled back into a bun. She wore a bright blue, silky shirt. She was concentrating on the pool table. When she had hit the balls on the table, she looked around and smiled. She stood up straight and went for her drink.
Mr. Gold walked right over to her. "Belle!" He said in relief. Frodo had followed closely behind him.
She's turned into a hobbit! Frodo thought.
"Oh, the name's Lacey." She corrected him.
"Do you remember me?" Mr. Gold asked.
"Gold," She said. "You visited me in the hospital, sure I do! Oh, and I remember Nathan. And now I remember who I am, and that's Lacey. Now if you'll excuse me Nathan, you're kind of in my shot." Frodo stepped out of her way.
There was a sudden noise that startled everyone. Lacey turned to look at whoever interrupted her game. Frodo and Mr. Gold turned to whoever made the sound. It was the sound of plates breaking and glasses rolling across the floor. A waitress was staring right at Sam. Her curly blond hair was tied back in a ponytail.
"Samwise?!" She gasped. Sam turned around in his seat to look at the waitress. The whole bar was silent as they watched the two.
"Rosie…" Sam quickly stood up and ran toward the waitress. He embraced her. Rosie cried and threw her arms up around his neck. He picked her up and spun her around.
"I found you!" Sam cried. "I found my wife!"
Many guests stood and cheered for the couple. Frodo turned away and smiled to himself, proud of what he had done.
"You knew?" Mr. Gold turned to him. "That's why you brought him?"
Frodo turned to Mr. Gold, still smiling.
"If you keep that up," Mr. Gold said. "You'll be as good as Emma."
Before the Curse
Belle continued to sweep the floors of Rumple's home. She could still hear the cries of the thief as Rumple continued to torture him. She tried hard to ignore them.
Rumple walked into the room. "I'm going to need another apron." He said, tossing his gloves. He began to untie the apron he wore. It was drowning in blood.
Belle walked over to him, clearing her throat. "They're um…they're on the line…drying." She informed him. "It'll be some time…"
"Fine, fine," Rumple said, removing his blood-stained apron. "You get to clean this one as well." He tossed the apron at her. She dodged and it landed on the table beside the gloves. "I'll be back later," He continued, walking toward the door.
"All of this, because he tried to steal a magic wand?!" Belle demanded.
"No," Rumple replied, turning back to Belle. "Because he tried steal from me; The Dark One! You try that, you get skinned alive. Everyone knows that!"
"Actually," Belle retorted. "No, they don't!"
Rumple was taken aback for a moment. "Well," He said. "They will after they discover the body!" He giggled and turned to leave.
~jb~
Belle walked into the dungeon where Rumple was keeping the thief. His wrists were chained and he was hung on the ceiling. He was breathing heavily and it sounded as though he were crying.
"Did he send you to finish the job?" He asked, almost laughing. Blood was dripping from his mouth and nose and down his chest.
Belle hesitated for a moment.
"Uh," She stiffened and decided the thief's life was more important than hers. "No, no, not at all." She rushed to his side, holding a glass of water. "Here, drink this." She said, holding it up to his lips.
"I couldn't let this continue," Belle said after he took a drink. She set the glass onto a chair. "It's inhuman." She began to untie the rope that held Robin in the air.
"I couldn't agree more," The thief said. "I'm afraid now he'll turn his wrath on you."
"If he does, I'll stand up to the beast that he is because no one deserves to be tortured!" Belle reassured him. The rope was lowered and the thief fell to the ground.
"He may beg to differ." The thief said as Belle unlocked the shackles on his wrists.
"I don't care," Belle said, removing the shackles. "He doesn't frighten me. Now hurry up, he'll be back soon. Hurry," She helped him to his feet. Robin headed toward the door. He stopped and turned back to Belle.
"Be he will…he will kill you…" He breathed heavily. "Unless…unless you run away with me."
"I can't run," Belle replied. "I made a deal to serve him in exchange for him to protect my kingdom and my family from the ogres. If I were to leave I may survive but my family surely wouldn't."
"All I can do is wish you luck then…" The thief said.
"Thank you," Belle whispered. "Now go, go!" The thief took off out the door.
Story Brook
"What've you done with Belle?" Mr. Gold demanded, barging into Regina's home. Regina was sitting at her dining room table, looking over old papers.
"I'm sorry," Regina retorted. "Do I look like a one-handed pirate with a pistol? You know who shot her."
"Stop playing games!" Mr. Gold growled. "She's gone and now she's someone else!"
"Oh," Regina said. "You mean she has her memories back." She set her pen down. "You're welcome,"
"Not her memories, her cursed memories!" Mr. Gold said impatiently.
"From the curse, you gave me." Regina said, standing up from the table. "See, all I did was drop things back into place."
"Well undo it," Mr. Gold said. "Bring her back!"
"You know I can't," Regina said quietly. "She crossed the town line, her old self is gone. These cursed memories she has now are real; Lacey's here to stay."
"Any curse can be broken, dearie." Mr. Gold said. "Now you are going to help me, or-"
"What?" Regina asked. "You'll kill me?" She smiled and sat back down. "No you won't."
"Oh, I'll try," He said, walking toward her.
"You're on your best behavior because of your son." Regina said. "You don't want him to know who you really are, do you? So I suggest you get used to Lacey."
Mr. Gold was silent for a moment before he sat down across Regina. "All right," He said. "I'll find a way."
"Finding a way isn't the problem, dear." Regina said. "We both know it is."
"True Love's Kiss," Mr. Gold said.
"I don't think our new resident feels the same way about you as you do her." Regina said.
"Then I'll make her!" Mr. Gold said loudly.
"There's the charm that should easily woo a lovely young lady." Regina smiled at him again. "She'll most certainly fall in love with you at first sight." She laughed. "Oh wait, that didn't happen, did it?"
Mr. Gold quickly stood up and slammed the table. "She will or I promise you, there will be suffering!"
Regina looked up at him, her smile disappearing. "Finally, something we both can agree on." She looked back down at her papers. "Good luck Gold."
Mr. Gold turned to leave.
"Oh, and uh, give my best to Lacey." Regina said.
Mr. Gold stormed out of the house.
~jb~
"Ten bowls of hot chili." Granny announced, bringing a large box over to the counter. It was filled with bowls of chili. "No beans, do you guys have something against beans?"
"Well," David said. "Let's just say the dwarves have already had their fair share."
"What are you boys been up to lately anyways?" Granny asked Leroy.
"Just a little landscaping." Leroy replied. Granny narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
Frodo walked into the diner, a big smile on his face.
"Hey Frodo," David said. "What's up with you?"
"Did you visit Belle again?" Leroy asked. "Man, how many times do I have to tell you, she's not single! She taken! By the Dark One! You have some serious death wish!"
"No," Frodo said. "I didn't see Belle…Well, yes, I actually saw Belle, but that's not important."
"What?" David asked.
"Sam found Rosie!" Frodo said. "All this time, she was working at the Rabbit Hole!"
"What about their kids?" David asked.
"Well," Frodo said. "Rosie would work during the day so she could spend nights with them. She takes them to a daycare every morning."
"Are they living in your house?" David asked.
"Of course," Frodo said. "My home is just as much as theirs. Haven't you read the book?"
"Yes," David said. Frodo looked over at the box.
"What's all this?" He asked.
"This?" David said. "Is for the dwarves."
"But…" Frodo whispered as he began to put the pieces together. "I thought…"
"One has re-grown," Leroy said.
"That's impossible!" Frodo said. "They were all burned!"
"Well," Leroy said. "This one is growing back somehow."
David nudged Leroy as Mr. Gold walked in. "Is this seat taken?" He asked Leroy. "You might want to run along. I need to chat with the Prince." He sat in the seat next to Leroy. The dwarf stared at him suspiciously. A strange look in his eyes reminded Frodo of how Sam would look at others that way. It was a protective look.
"It's all right Leroy," David reassured. "I've got this." Leroy sighed and walked away.
"What do you want to chat about, Gold?" David asked, leaning on the counter. At first, he wondered if he should ask Frodo to leave, but thought the hobbit might be useful.
"Regina," Mr. Gold replied. "She helped jog Belle's memory."
"That's good then," David replied.
"No, no," Mr. Gold continued. "Wrong memories. She now thinks her name is Lacey. She drinks and plays pool. She has a false life, as you did, under the curse with Katherine."
"What do you want with me?" David asked.
Mr. Gold hesitated. "I want to know how you did it." David looked at him in confusion. "Even though your heads were filled with false memories, David Nolan still won Mary Margret's heart."
"You want me to help you." David nodded in understanding.
"Well I'm certainly not here for over-praised lasagna." Mr. Gold replied. Granny turned and scorned at him.
"You got my wife to murder someone." David hissed at him after an awkward moment of silence.
"Someone who would've killed all of you," Mr. Gold pointed out. "Look, if you don't want to help, that's fine. But if you do, for the first time ever, I'm going to owe you a favor."
David studied Mr. Gold for a long moment. "All right," He sighed. "When Regina cursed Mary Margret and me, there was still a sliver of Snow and Charming. The real us…inside."
"So, how do I bring back the real Belle?" Mr. Gold asked.
"Show her the man she fell in love with." David replied.
"I can help," Frodo suddenly spoke up.
Before the Curse
Belle was sitting, enjoying a book as Rumple continued to sharpen his knives. She looked up at him nervously.
"I'll try not to be too loud." Rumple said. "I can't promise the same courtesy from my prisoner." He walked out of the main room. It was quiet for a moment.
"Belle!" Rumple bellowed, making her jump. Rumple stormed into the room. "Where is he?!" He demanded.
Belle took a deep breath. "Gone…I let him go."
"What?!" Rumple's eyes were furious. "He was a thief!"
"Which doesn't give you the right to kill him." Belle said, trying to stay calm.
"It gives every right!" Rumple shouted. "Aaaaaah, let me guess…you think he's a hero! Stealing from me, for a noble cause. You read too many books, dearie!" With a wave of his hand, the book dissolved into that purple smoke. "There, maybe that'll stop filling your head with poisonous thoughts." This only made Belle angry. You would be too if someone took your book away before you got the chance to finish it.
"I didn't free him because of what I read in my books!" Belle retorted, still fighting to stay calm. "I saw good in him. That man only wanted to escape with his life."
"Oh," Rumple sighed. "Is that what you thought? Perhaps he's escaped with more than his life?" He gestured to the empty display table. A magic wand had sat there once, but now it was missing. Belle stood.
"You were tricked!" Rumple said. "You foolish, gullible girl!"
"There must be an explanation," Belle shrugged. "We don't know why he needed that wand."
"He took the wand because he wanted magic!" Rumple shouted again. "People who steal magic never have good intentions!" He walked over to the table and set a knife down.
"No," Belle said, marching over to him. "No, you can't tell what's in a person's heart, until you truly know them!"
"Oh, you'll see what's in his heart all right!" Rumple declared. "When I shoot an arrow straight through it, because it'll be with his bow!" He waved his hand and the archer's bow appeared. "And because it is you fault, you get to come with me, and watch, and know as the blood drips from his carcass, it'll be you and your rags to wipe it up!"
Story Brook
Belle…or perhaps Lacey was sitting at the bar, drinking out of a small cup. A stranger came and sat next to her.
"Another round for the lady," He said to the bar tender, pointing to Lacey. She smiled at him.
"I've had my eye on you for a while." He said to her.
"Thank you," Lacey nodded.
David, Mr. Gold, and Frodo walked into the bar and looked around. They spotted Lacey at the bar talking to a stranger. Both Mr. Gold and Frodo felt a strange anger, unable to see her with another man.
"You might want to wait outside," Mr. Gold said to David.
David stepped forward and quickly grabbed Mr. Gold's arm.
"Bad idea," David warned. The stranger stood and walked away. "Okay," David said. The three men walked over to Lacey. She took another sip of her drink. Mr. Gold walked over and sat next to her at the bar.
"Mr. Gold," Lacey hiccupped. "You're uh…you're back." Frodo and David sat a few seats away.
"As are you…" Mr. Gold replied.
"What can I say?" Lacey said. She giggled and took another drink. She turned around. "What is that? Let's get some real music in here!" She turned to Mr. Gold. "You like rock, right?" Mr. Gold was quiet. "You're a classical man, aren't you? Huh?" She stood and walked away.
David looked up from the drink he had bought. "What are you doing?" He whispered.
"We have nothing in common…" Mr. Gold murmured. "She acting like a…"
"Like a hobbit…" Frodo suddenly said.
"It doesn't matter, you just need a way in." David replied. "Ask her out, go on,"
Mr. Gold hesitated before he stood. "Come with me," He said to Frodo. The hobbit stood and followed him.
Lacey was examining the music.
"Lacey," Mr. Gold said. "Now that you're…back to your old self…perhaps we could spend some time together."
"Like a date?" Lacey asked.
"Yes, a date." Mr. Gold replied.
"Well, you do know that I'm not this Belle that you're always talking about." Lacey said.
"Yes, of course," Mr. Gold nodded.
Lacey was quiet for a moment. "I've heard about you, you know," She said. "People in town, they're afraid of you Mr. Gold."
"Give me a chance, please." Mr. Gold said quietly.
Lacey was silent again. "Okay…" She hesitated. "Tonight. Granny's. At eight 'o'clock." She walked away from him. David walked over to Mr. Gold and Frodo.
"Not bad," David said.
"Looks like you didn't need me after all." Frodo said.
"He got her to go out with him." David said happily. "Congrats,"
"Now I just need her to fall in love with me…" Mr. Gold said.
~jb~
For the date, Mr. Gold had asked Frodo to eat dinner at Granny's. Frodo sat at the bar, talking to Ruby. The two were laughing as Mr. Gold looked over the menu. Lacey was wearing a short, sparkly, blue dress. Her hair was still tied up in a bun. Rapunzel walked by and wondered how Lacey wasn't getting a headache. She sat down next to Frodo. He quietly explained to her what was going on.
Mr. Gold cleared his throat. Frodo, Ruby, and Rapunzel's giggling was starting to get on his nerves.
Lacey giggled as well. "Are you nervous Mr. Gold?" She asked.
"No, no, of course not!" Mr. Gold replied. "I'm just uh...deciding what to have."
Granny walked over to take their order.
"What the heck happened to you?" She asked Lacey. "Did you raid the back of Ruby's closet?"
Frodo, Ruby, and Rapunzel giggled again.
"Perhaps Lacey and I could order…" Mr. Gold said irritably. "Two burgers, two iced tea please."
"Actually," Lacey said. "I'm going to go chicken and white wine, and I'll take the bottle."
"All righty," Granny said. She walked away.
"I've never been much of a burger girl," Lacey admitted, turning to Mr. Gold.
"Well," Mr. Gold said. "Whatever you want, you shall have."
"You know," Lacey said. "You're a classy guy, Mr. Gold. This is not what I was expecting from you, given all the stuff people say about you."
"Oh, that again…" Mr. Gold said. "My reputation…what is it you hear?"
"Only that you're the most powerful man in town, and you got that power from being ruthless. And when people cross you they get hurt…" Lacey said. Granny walked over and set some glasses down onto the table. She set the bottle down.
"Thank you," Lacey said.
Mr. Gold grabbed the bottle and poured some wine into Lacey's glass. He only filled it about half way and set the bottle down. Lacey picked it back up and poured more into the glass until it was almost full. Mr. Gold looked at her in surprise. Frodo smiled as he watched from the bar.
"People like to believe the worst in me, but I much rather you believe the best." Mr. Gold continued.
"I…" Lacey hesitated. "I just don't get why people are scared of you. I see a man who wouldn't hurt anyone."
"Thank you, Lacey." Mr. Gold smiled. His eyes became hopeful. "You know, I really needed to hear that, especially now."
"Well," Lacey said, after taking a huge gulp of wine. "You know what they say; you can't tell what's in a person's heart until you truly know them."
Mr. Gold looked at her in surprise once more. David was right, there was still a sliver of Belle in her, and he could see it. He reached forward his hand without thinking about it and tipped over his iced tea. It splashed toward Belle.
"Oh," She laughed. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No," Mr. Gold reassured her. "It's just that…I knew someone who said that exact same thing to me. Oh my goodness…I'm so sorry, your dress…"
Lacey shook him off. "Don't worry, a bit of water will take it right out." She stood, laughed, and walked away toward the restroom. Mr. Gold smiled.
Before the Curse
The carriage rode on through the woods. Belle sat across from Rumple and refused to look up at him.
"We're losing track of him." Rumple mused, looking out into the woods. "This forest is too thick."
"Maybe we should return home." Belle said.
"What, and let the thief escape?" Rumple retorted. "What would people think if I spared the life of someone who stole from me?"
"There's actually a man hiding behind the beast?" Belle guessed.
"No, there isn't." Rumple said strictly.
"Then why didn't you kill me when I freed the prisoner?" Belle asked.
"Well I would have," Rumple said. "But a good help these days are really hard to find."
"I think you are not as dark as you want people to believe! I think deep down, there's love in your heart, and for something more than power."
Rumple leaned forward. "You're right, there is something I love." He leaned in closer to her. "My things!" He held up his hand and the carriage slowed down to a stop.
"You really are as dark as people say." Belle said.
"Darker, dearie. Much darker." He left the carriage. He carried the bow and watched as a group of men came riding on horses. Belle got out of the carriage and followed Rumple as he walked up to man who seemed to be their leader. The man seemed either injured or drunk. He struggled to get off his horse and grunted. He sniffed and turned to Rumple.
"What are you doing in my woods?!" He demanded in a rough voice.
"Pardon the intrusion, Sheriff," Rumple said. "But I'm looking for a thief. He attacked me with his bow." He held up the bow of the thief. "I traced him as far as these woods and then he vanished."
"Yes," The Sheriff nodded, reaching out to touch the bow. "I know exactly who you're after." He looked up at Rumple. "But I also know who you are…Rumplestiltskin."
"My reputation precedes me," Rumple mused. "Excellent."
"Yes," The Sheriff agreed. "As does your penchant for making deals!" The man seemed delighted. "I'll tell you where you can find your thief, if you give me something in return." He took a drink out of a canister. He was most certainly drunk.
"What do you want?" Rumple asked, trying to keep his patients.
"A date with the hobbit," The Sheriff replied. He pointed over to Belle. She nearly gagged, thinking of having to eat or drink with this stranger.
"She's not for sale, and she's not a hobbit." Rumple replied quickly, as if he could sense her discomfort.
The Sheriff laughed. "You can't part with her for, say…an hour? No? Twenty minutes?"
"Let me think," Rumple looked down for a minute. Rumple waved his hand, and something came out of the Sheriff's throat. His vocal chords sat in Rumple's palm. "I'm not a big fan of queer folk, such as hobbits. But you have abused their name because of the girl's curly hair, am I right?"
The Sheriff gasped and struggled to find his voice. Rumple giggled.
"I propose a new deal," He said. "I give you this back, and in return, you tell me everything you know about the man I am hunting."
The Sheriff grunted angrily at him.
"You ought to be more careful with your possessions!" Rumple mocked, waving the vocal chords in the man's face. "Do you agree to my terms?"
The man grunted at him.
"What was that?" Rumple mocked again.
The Sheriff grunted more angrily and loudly at him.
"I'm gonna take that as a 'yes', then." Rumple said. He waved his hand and the chords crawled back into the Sheriff's throat.
"Start talking," Rumple said.
"The thief that you're after?" The man gasped. "I've been chasing him for years! He ruined me! He stole the woman I love, and made me the laughingstock of all of Nottingham."
"Where can I find him?" Rumple asked.
"Well, the last I heard, he was hiding out in Sherwood Forest."
"And his name?" Rumple pressed.
"Robin Hood," The Sheriff replied. "He goes by Robin Hood."
Story Brook
Mr. Gold sat patiently at the table, waiting for Lacey. He suddenly began to feel anxious. Granny walked by and placed the food on the table. He began to wonder where Lacey had disappeared to. He looked over at Frodo, and could tell the hobbit was feeling just as anxious. Ruby and Rapunzel whispered to each other, wondering if Lacey had left.
Finally, Mr. Gold stood and walked toward the hallway where Lacey disappeared. The bathroom door was opened a crack. He slowly opened it and saw it was empty. He continued down the hallway and out an exit. He looked around and heard the sound of crickets.
Before the Curse
"You know," Belle hesitated, still following Rumple. "It's still not too late to turn back… I'm not going to stand by and watch you kill a man!" She finally snapped.
"Well," Rumple snapped back. "You're welcome to sit, if you like. But you are going to watch! That's the whole point of our little expedition, remember? To see what your actions wrought." He paused and gazed through the trees. Robin Hood stood, leaning against a tree.
"Found him." Rumple whispered triumphantly.
"Look," Belle said. "He's waiting for someone…" Robin Hood held the wand and looked around anxiously.
A carriage pulled up, filled with what looked like luggage. Robin Hood dashed toward the carriage. A woman was lying in the carriage, covered in blankets, coughing loudly. Her face was pale and sickly.
"That woman…" Belle said.
"That must be the one he stole from the Sheriff." Rumple mused darkly.
"She's sick," Belle said. "She's going to die!"
"Yeah," Rumple nodded. "And so is he." He raised the bow.
"Stop!" Belle snapped, nudging his arm. Robin Hood levitated the wand over the woman. Eventually, she stopped coughing and her breathing became steady. There was color in her skin and she looked up at Robin Hood in relief. The man smiled back at her.
"I'm right about him!" Belle turned to Rumple, feeling proud. "About why he stole the wand! He did it so he could heal the woman he loves!"
"He's still a thief." Rumple said stubbornly.
"And she would have died if he hadn't stolen your wand!" Belle reasoned.
"And now he gets to die!" Rumple declared. "And she can tell all of Sherwood Forest what happens when you cross Rumplestiltskin! There!" He snapped his fingers and Belle found herself in what felt like a hole that went deep to her waist. The ground felt like it was closing in around her legs and she struggled to pull herself out.
"That should give you a good view!" Rumple said. He readied the bow once more.
"You don't have to do this!" Belle protested. "There is good in you! I was right about the thief and I am right about you!"
The woman stood and Robin Hood helped her from the carriage. He dress was shaped oddly as if her stomach was swollen…
Rumple lowered the bow.
"Look, she's pregnant!" Belle shouted. "You are not the kind of man to leave a child fatherless." Robin Hood embraced his wife, and they kissed. Rumple raised the bow again.
"No!" Belle shouted. Rumple shot the arrow. It flew past Robin's head and hit the carriage.
"We've been found!" Robin said. He and his wife looked around in fear. "Marian, we must go!" He led her to a white horse and helped her up.
"What happened?" Belle asked in confusion.
"I missed." Rumple grumbled as he watched Robin and Marion ride away. He waved his hand and Belle found herself standing on the ground again. "Get back to the carriage," Rumple said. "I'm bored of this forest."
"You're not going after him?" Belle asked.
"He's not worth the effort." Rumple decided.
"You spared his life…" Belle smiled.
"What?" Rumple asked. "I did nothing of the sort."
"That bow has magic in it." Belle said. "It never misses its target."
"Well," Rumple said. "Perhaps the magic just simply wore…off." Belle reached up and wrapped her arms around Rumple's neck. He stood in surprise for a moment. Her embrace was warm, and had a healing sense about it. It would melt a dark heart of stone. She pulled away after a moment and walked toward the carriage. She looked back at Rumple.
"Aren't you coming?" She asked. Rumple picked up the arrows and followed her.
Story Brook
Mr. Gold walked into an alleyway to find a man standing over Lacey. He got an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach and pulled the man away. He recognized the Sheriff of Nottingham.
"What do you think you're doing?!" He demanded.
"Wait…" The Sheriff looked at him in confusion. "You two were here together?"
"Yes, we are." Mr. Gold walked toward him.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know!" The sheriff backed away.
"Go! Now!" Mr. Gold yelled. The sheriff ran away. Mr. Gold turned to Belle. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Lacey replied.
"Let's get you inside." Mr. Gold said.
"No, look, I said I'm fine!" Lacey snapped. "Okay? I'm…" She tried to walk away.
"No, whoa, whoa…" Mr. Gold stopped her. "You came out here because you wanted to be with him!" He accused.
"Yeah," Lacey nodded.
"But I don't understand…our date…it was going well…" Mr. Gold said.
"No," Lacey shook her head. "No, it wasn't."
"What?"
"It never was…" Lacey said. "The only reason I agreed to go out with you was because I was trying to be nice. But that's not me…that's you."
"But that's what you liked about me." Mr. Gold reasoned. "The nice part…the good part!"
"This is still about Belle, isn't it?" Lacey asked. "Look, Mr. Gold, I'm sorry. She may have loved you, but I am not her!" She walked away.
"No you're not…" Mr. Gold said.
~jb~
Mr. Gold walked around the town, lost in thought, feeling quite heart-broken. The Sheriff ran up behind him.
"Mr. Gold," He panted. "I'm so sorry…about what happened back there. I didn't know you two were still together. I thought you had moved on when the new mayor started talking to her…"
"We're not," Mr. Gold replied darkly.
"Oh," The Sheriff laughed nervously. "So, we're good then, right? There's no hard feelings?" He walked forward to shake Mr. Gold's hand.
"What do you mean the new mayor started talking to her?" Mr. Gold narrowed his eyes.
"Uh…" The Sheriff hesitated. "Um…he visited her often while she was in the hospital… rumor has it that he likes her…"
Mr. Gold looked down at the former Sheriff's hand. "You know, I've tried so hard to be on my best behavior." He said. "I guess there's no point now." He waved his hand and once again, took the Sheriff's vocal chords. "So no one can hear you scream." He said before he tossed it and it vanished into thin air. He began to hit the man with his cane.
Before the Curse
"Looks like you won't be needing that bow anymore." Belle said as she and Rumple walked back into his home.
"Actually, I think I'll hang onto it." Rumple said. "It might come in handy someday." He set the bow and arrows on his table.
"Well," Belle said. "If you don't need me for anything else… good night Rumplestiltskin." She turned to leave.
"Wait," Rumple said. "There is something else." He led her up at a room he hadn't shown her yet. She had still only been there for a while, so she hadn't seen the whole mansion yet. The room was upstairs and it was filled with books.
"Don't get too excited, dearie," Rumple said. "This is just another room for you to clean."
"This is beautiful!" Belle gasped. "There are more books in here than I could read in a lifetime!"
"I hope you can clean faster than you read." Rumple said. Belle quickly picked up a book from a table and flipped through the pages.
"Did you do all this for me?" She asked.
"I've better not see a single speck of dust gather on any of these books!" Rumple said. Belle smiled. "What are you smiling at, dearie?"
She reached over and took his hand. "You're not who I thought you were, and I'm glad."
Story Brook
Mr. Gold continued to hit the Sheriff with his cane. "I should have done this to you a long time ago!" He snarled, and continued beating the poor man. He turned to see Lacey standing behind him, watching him attack the man.
"Lacey," He said.
"So," She replied. "It is true then, what they say about you…"
"Yes," Mr. Gold said, sounding frustrated. "Yes, it's all true!"
"You are not who I thought you were…" Lacey walked toward him. "And I'm glad…you really are as dark as people say you are." She smiled.
"Darker dearie," Mr. Gold replied. "Much darker." He turned and finished beating the Sheriff, who was curled on the ground.
Now all Mr. Gold had to do was walk around the town with Lacey, maybe go past the mayor's office, and shove his success in the hobbit's face.
Author's note: Wow, this is my longest episode so far. It's more based off the episode of Lacey of course. I had an original plan for Belle and Frodo before I watched this episode…but then I watched this episode and Rumple and Regina ruined my plan! The meanie faces!
Ironic, isn't it? Rumple and Regina ruined my plans…? It's very much them…don't you think?
Bonus: I decided to talk about one of my favorite Once Upon a Time Bloopers! It's when Granny goes over to place the glasses on the table and the iced tea tips over. Mr. Gold jumps back in surprise as it splashes toward him. You hear Granny say: "I'm so sorry…" Before laughing at herself. Belle begins to laugh too!
One more thing…I just realized that I don't know how to spell Mary Margret. Is it Margaret, or Margret? I don't feel smart at all…I need help. So if anyone knows the answer let me know, it would be much appreciated.
I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to leave a review!