It had been two weeks since Belle left for town, and she had not returned. The castle felt empty, and collected dust. Rumpelstiltskin sat spinning in the library, and Rapunzel was with him brushing her hair, staring at the spot where Belle use to read. "Maybe she's lost?" Rapunzel offered.

"She isn't lost." He responded without his usual humor.

"She could need us?"

"No one needs monsters Rapunzel" He stopped spinning and looked to the doors. "Someone is here."

"Belle?" she asked with hope.

"No." he hissed. "Regina." A woman in a sexy black dress and bright red lips burst through the door.

"Flimsy locks!" she giggled. "I have a deal to discuss. I certain mermaid-"

"I'm not dealing today." Rumpelstiltskin stated.

"Are you angry with me?" Regina asked.

"If he were angry..." Rapunzel pulled her attention to her. "You'd know."

"No one asked you." She growled, then asked the DarkOne "What is it this time? Is this about the girl I met on the road?" She teased the sad man.

"Watch your step your majesty." Rapunzel warned. The queen waved a hand dismissing Rapunzel.

"What was her name? Margie? Verona?"

"Belle." Rapunzel told her.

"Again! No one is talking to you dear."

"He already told you. He isn't making deals today!"

"Well you both..." she addressed. "Can rest assured I had nothing to do with that tragedy."

"What tragedy?" Rumpelstiltskin finally spoke again.

"Don't listen to her."

"Hush Rapunzel. What tragedy?"

"You don't know?" Regina asked in fasle surprise. "Well after she got home her fiance, had gone missing. And after her stay here, her association with you, no one would want her of course." Rumpelstiltskin listened to the witch's words, his eyes revealing his sadness, and Rapunzel was in silent horror, knowing there was more to the story, feeling dread as the witch continued. "Her father shunned her, cut her off, shut her out." Regina was clearly taking pleasure in telling the tale.

"So she needs a home?" Rumpelstiltskin asked solemnly.

"He was cruel to her!" she laughed. "He locked her in a tower and sent in clerics to cleanse her soul with scourges and flame." she purred. "After a while she threw herself off the tower. She died."

"You're lying." He said, but unsure.

"Am I?" she knew he couldn't tell. His mind was clouded.

"We're done." he said almost like a whisper. He was trying so hard not to give himself away.

"Fine." she said simply. "I have other calls to make." Walking out she said to him "The place is looking dusty Rumpel." She stopped making sure to look in his eyes, "You should send your new girl away too." Rapunzel threw a teacup at the wall.

"She isn't a maid." he said simply. As Rapunzel curled up into a ball on her chair. Once Regina had left, Rumpelstiltskin walked out of the library to his room filled with his collection, He opened some glass cabinet doors, where he took out his old wooden cane. In a fit, he started to bash all the trinkets inside, striking wildly with the cane. Rapunzel entered seeing him destroying his possessions. She ran to him and held him from behind, her hand resting on his chest. He dropped his cane. There was a moment of calm, before he violently broke free from her and shoved her to the ground yelling. Rapunzel fell hard to the floor, and whimpered a bit. He stared down at her still raged.

"What now DarkOne?" she asked angry, hiding fear. "Will you destroy me like the relics you kept in there?"

"No. No." He said turning away from her and holding his head in his hands. Rapunzel picked up the cane from the floor, and stood up.

"Well that's too bad. Dearie" She stuck his leg with the cane, and when he fell she hit his back.

"What are you doing?"

"It's your fault! Your fault she's dead! You shouldn't have let her go!" He pulled the weapon from her, and jabbed her in the stomach with it, and she fell in pain.

"She was taken from us!"

"You drove her away! You dumb cruel man!" Rumpelstiltskin threw the cane away, and grabbed her arm and hair closest to her head. He pulled her from the floor and dragged her to the dungeon. "Let go of me!" He threw her in, shutting the door on her long hair. "You can't treat me this way!"

"Oh actually Dearie!" He shouted walking away. " I think its long over do!"

"You coward!" She screamed. " You shut the door on my hair!"

"You're lucky I didn't cut it all off!" he left the dungeon. Left her all alone and yelling.

"You coward!" She shouted, her voice cranking. "Dumb devil thinks he can keep me here." she began to sing, and as she sang her hair flowed into the cell, and whip around her, until she couldn't be seen.

" Flower Gleam and Glow

Let your power shine

Make the clock reverse

Bring Back what once was mine

Heal what has been hurt

Change the Fates' design

Save what has been lost

Bring back what once was mine

What once was mine ."

When she finished her hair fell from its flight, and draped down around her, Rapunzel had teleported herself outside the castle walls and marched into the forest.