Chapter 8- Let the War Begin
Gold shot up in bed breathing hard, chest heaving, cold sweat pouring from his brow and making his hair stick to his face.
Sally… Belle… his son… his wife… the Dark One… Shooting stars… falling snow… Sally…
Dear God, how he missed her…
Missed… he hadn't felt that emotion in years towards anyone. Except for one other woman. He looked over at his mantle above the fireplace in his room where the chipped cup lie, it's being twinkling in the moonlight.
With a low growl, he threw the covers off of him and got up, pulling on a quick suit with a white button up and a black tie, not bothering to shower, grimacing as he realized how unpreventable this made him but honestly not caring. He grabbed his cane, jerked open the door and rushed out of his room, flying down the stairs and yanking the front door open before slamming it shut behind him.
It was hailing and it took him a minute to realize it as he walked hurriedly down the street, as fast as he could with his bad leg and cane. He was walking to a local bar and, by the time he got there, he was sure he'd have a few bruises in the morning but he didn't care. Not one bit.
He walked right up to the bar and the bartender looked up from his discussion with another customer, his smile vanishing completely.
"Mr. Gold," The bartender began but got cut off.
"The strongest thing you have!" Gold snapped. "Now!" The bartender quickly left his conversation and went to make the drink as Gold sat down beside the customer the bartender had been talking with.
The customer—a young girl with blonde-red hair—turned to Gold, eyes narrowed.
"Not like I was talking with him or anything," She snipped then added sarcastically. "Mr. Gold." Gold turned to face her slowly, eyes flashing. He sneered barely.
"Not trying to be rude, dearie, but I simply do. Not. Care." Gold replied softly. "Miss…?"
"I don't have a last name so don't "miss" me, Gold," The girl stood, slamming her drink down and the thought of she was hardly young enough to drink crossed Gold's mind before she had stuck a finger in his face. "You may have this whole town under your little thumb but you'll never have me at your command." Gold stood, towering over the girl and smirked barely before putting his face in hers, nose tip almost touching nose tip, and whispering, "Try me." The girl smirked and leaned back crossing her arms over her chest, lifting her chin up.
"You really want to challenge me, Gold? Really and honestly?" Gold leaned back putting both hands on his cane, smirking a smirk that mirrored the girl's.
"What's your name, girl?" He asked.
"Kaia Earla. Earla is my middle name."
"Kaia? That's an odd name."
"No any odder than yours."
"Gold? How is that odd?" She smirked and took a drink of her martini, not replying. She set her drink down and moved forward, pressing her lips to his ear and blocked his body with hers, placing a hand on his groin and whispering, "It just is."
Gold inwardly gasped as he was touched there and closed his eyes as she began to move her hand. Her lips began to dance along his skin and he felt himself reacting as he pulled the Kaia closer, pressing his own lips to her ear and whispering huskily, "Not here." He felt the girl smirk and she moved away, finished her martini and began to leave, throwing a seductive look over her shoulder. Gold quickly threw back his drink and tossed some money on the table before following her out the door, with a click, click, click of his cane.
She led him to Granny's and up to a room in the far back. He shut the door behind him and she instantly jumped him, pushing him into the wall and attacking his lips with hers. He groaned, pressing his cane against her back to hold her tightly against him while her hands roamed all over his body. His lust grew and he became more violent with the kiss, dropping his cane to touch her body, hands moving all over her, making their way under her shirt. He slips it off of her and gropes her, kissing her neck.
Next thing he knew, he was on the ground, blood rushing from his nose, unable to catch his breath, his leg withering in pain. Kaia stood above him his wallet in her hand, his cane in her other. She sneered.
"You may think you're more powerful than everyone here, Gold," She said. "But you're just as weak as any man. Have a chance to get into some young girl's pants and you take it because you're weak when it comes to lust. Powerless!" She bent down next to his pain-filled face and hissed, "Don't ever challenge me, Gold. Ever! I'll always end up on top." She stood and opened his wallet, thumbing through it before pulling out the crisp 100 dollar bill along with the 50 in there and pocketing it. She tossed the wallet onto the floor beside him and took his cane, slamming the bottom of it into Gold's chest making him gasp painfully.
"You… I'll have you arrested for this!" Gold gasped out.
"See, I don't think you'll tell anyone really."
"You stole from me! No one ever steals from me!"
"But I just did," She sneered again. "Besides, if you did tell anyone, you'd have to tell them that you were going to have sex with a minor. Who do you think would be in more trouble? A homeless 17 year old girl who was just trying to protect herself from the man who tried to have sex with her and who stole money from that man because she needed it to buy food to live another week, or the man who tried to have sex with said minor?"
Gold glared at Kaia and snarled, "You're a demon!"
"Not any more than you are, Rumpelstiltskin." Kaia snickered and with that, dropped the cane onto the ground and whispered, "Have a nice night." She turned and grabbed her shirt, slipping it back on and walking out the door, leaving Gold to lie on the ground in pain, eyes wide in shock and fear of her knowing exactly who he was and wonder just how she could remember anything about the fairytale world they had come from.
Several days passed in which Gold remained at his estate, locked inside, the pawnshop remaining closed during all that time.
In short, he was embarrassed; embarrassed and ashamed and spiteful towards himself, his actions. He felt like he had betrayed Sally due to his previous actions with the young girl, Kaia Earla.
Who was that girl? He had never seen her before in his life. Neither in Storybrooke nor in fairytale land. She was bazar, more like him with trickery than anyone else he's ever known. She was probably 15 or so, maybe 16, but no more than 17. The same age as Sally.
Sally…
He missed her, so very much, but he wouldn't allow himself to see her. He would only cause him more pain and that was something he just couldn't do. He had allowed himself to care about someone again; someone besides himself and that had made him hurt whenever he hurt her. And he hated that, more than anything.
Now, he sat at his breakfast table, eating his breakfast in silence, looking between the goopy oatmeal sitting in the bowl before him and the pulpy, untouched orange juice beside it. Neither one seemed satisfying anymore so he pushed the bowl away and stood, grabbing his cane and limping away from the kitchen, going into the living room where the chipped cup sat on the mantle above the fireplace.
Belle…
Dead… She had died, his wife had left him, he lost his son, and Sally had lost all memory of him. And all of it was his fault.
He froze looking at the cup, feeling himself starting to become emotional and he did the one thing he knew best on what to do during this kind of thing; he shut his eyes and turned away, quickly leaving the house and shutting everything else out.
He walked, limping all the way, towards his shop but halfway there, something stopped him. He felt like someone was watching him. Someone…
He turned around quickly, gun out, pointing it into the face of an old woman—over ninety years old— with dark, evil eyes and thin, cruel lips. Her face was shadowed and twisted with immorality, her mere presence making the hair on Gold's neck stand on end.
"Who are you?" Gold demanded in a hiss. The woman said nothing but instead placed a hand to her lips before holding out an envelope to him. Gold hesitated, unnerved by this woman even more now, but took it slowly. "Who are you?" He repeated. The woman placed a hand on his hand holding the gun and lowered, leaning in as she did to his ear.
"Head my warning," She whispered, her voice scratchy and robotic like, full of evil. She took a deep, wheezy breath making Gold think she was going to double over and die but she didn't. Instead she continued on. "Head my warning… she is in danger… she is being harmed… she needs your help…" Another wheezy deep breath before she continued softer, deeper into his ear, "You have not seen me…"
Gold opened his mouth to speak but blinked as he did and, suddenly, all presence of the woman was gone, like she had just turned to smoke and vanished right in front of him, like smoke in the wind.
He looked around wildly but there was no one in sight. He swallowed and slowly put his gun away and looked at the envelope. He continued to his shop quickly and when he got there, he locked the door and went into the back before sitting down, cane on the table, and opened the envelope.
A picture of Sally fell out and he quickly retrieved it. But it wasn't his Sally… it wasn't the girl he had known in fairytale land.
This girl… she was lying in a bed, dead looking, bruises covering her body as Regina and Ryan stood in the background. Ryan seemed to be speaking to the mayor and there was blood on his hands. Regina, however, had her arms crossed, her lips pressed into a tight line, staring at the wounded and sleeping girl lying on the bed. Gold felt his pulse quicken and anger built up inside him. Shaking, he set the photograph down and pulled out the letter in the envelope.
Head my warning…
She doesn't have much time… she is trapped more than the others… unlock her voice, unlock her mind, unlock her heart, unlock her part.
-G
That was all.
A riddle and a simple "G".
Gold crumpled the letter in his fist and stood, throwing it at the wall with an angered cry before swiping his hand through the air and knocking everything off his desk, slamming both hands upon the wood, breathing hard.
Sally… Abused… By… by THEM!
He slammed his fist down onto the desk again, making it tremble. His chest was heaving, his arms shaking. He closed his eyes and swallowed, pulling himself under control again. He moved some hair out of his face and stood up straight, picking up his cane and clenching his teeth before heading for the door of the shop.
Work can wait. He thought. She can't. He threw open the door and walked out, just barely remembering to lock it before walking down the street towards the orphanage.
No one breaks deals with me, dearie. He seethed silently, eyes flashing, body language screaming to be left alone by everyone passing by.
I want to make a deal with you.
Oh? What could that be?
You will leave the entertainer alone.
Who? Sally? Why would I do that?
Because I am willing to do whatever you want right now, in exchange for her safety. One time offer only!
Anything I want?
Yes. Anything.
Kiss my boot.
Kiss my boot.
In front of my boy?
Kiss my boot!
I'll leave the girl alone. Just remember that you place is kissing the ground I walk on, you aren't worth much more.
"We'll see about that." Gold snarled under his breath, his fingertips brushing against the gun in his pocket.
Let the war begin.
Throw your dollar bills and leave your thrills all here with me
And speak but don't pretend I won't defend you anymore you see
It aches in every bone, I'll die alone, but not for you
My eyes don't need to see that ugly thing, I know it's me you fear
If you want me hold me back
Frail, the skin is dry and pale, the pain will never fail
And so we go back to the remedy
Clip the wings that get you high, just leave them where they lie
And tell yourself, "You'll be the death of me"
I don't need a friend, I need to mend so far away
So come sit by the fire and play a while, but you can't stay too long
It aches in every bone, I'll die alone, but not for pleasure
I see my heart explode, it's been eroded by the weather here
If you want me hold me back
Frail, the skin is dry and pale, the pain will never fail
And so we go back to the remedy
Clip the wings that get you high, just leave them where they lie
And tell yourself, "You'll be the death of me"
Frail, the skin is dry and pale, the pain will never fail
And so we go back to the remedy
Clip the wings that get you high, just leave them where they lie
And tell yourself, "You'll be the death of me"
Hold your eyes closed, take me in
Hold your eyes closed, take me in
Frail, the skin is dry and pale, the pain will never fail
And so we go back to the remedy
Clip the wings that get you high, just leave them where they lie
And tell yourself, "You'll be the death of me"
Frail, the skin is dry and pale, the pain will never fail
And so we go back to the remedy
Clip the wings that get you high, just leave them where they lie
And tell yourself, "You'll be the death of me"
-OUAT-
Sorry this took so long… I'm kinda sorta grounded so updates may take a while…
This chapter was a little dark (though not as much as Chapter 6) and confusing, I know. Any predictions on who "G" was? If not, read some of the Brothers Grimm tales to see who "G", Allard, Kaia, and Penelope. No, she is NOT Ariel. Ariel might come in later. Not sure yet. Even if she did, you'd have to figure it out for yourselves.
Tell you what, if no one can guess who's who within the next few chapters, I'll give you guys a hint on one of the characters. But seriously, their all from the Grimm tales and the hints I put out make it clear. Well… except for Kaia…
What do you think of her character anyways?
Questions/comments?
Review review reiew!
And add/promote!
-Blue