Everyday was exactly the same. Everyone did the same routine over and over. Mrs. Gold remained in the house for months and months. She would do little things to make the day even just the smallest bit different from the one before. Somedays she made dinner, some days she wouldn't, a few times she tried a new recipe and prevailed, other times she almost set the kitchen on fire. Some days she would paint from dawn till dusk, she might read the whole day, or she might clean her large home. Finally, she had read all the books, and had lost any inspiration for painting, and there were no more new recipes, and she had tasted every meal in every restaurant in town. To make this day different she decided to go down to her husband's pawn shop. She walked through the doors and heard the doorbell jiggle above her, warning Mr. Gold of some entering the shop. He came out from the back room surprised to see her. "Hello Mr. Gold."
He said stepped around the counter to greet her on the other side, "Good morning, Mrs. Gold." He smiled. "What bring you here today?"
"I don't have anything to do at home. Is there anything here I can help do for you?" She asked him looking around.
"Come with me." He lead her into the back room. "All I really is some help taking inventory. I swear once I think I'm done, I find something new." He handed her a large book, and pen. "Go through every item here and when you find something that isn't the with book, write it in, and I'll appraise it later."
"There must be a faster way?"
"Did you want to complete a task, or do you want something to do?" he asked.
"Something to do I suppose."
"Well then my Dear, I'll let you get started." he went to the store front. Mrs. Gold couldn't think of where begin. The room's cluttered appeared to be never ending. She tried to organize the space, and found a brush with beautiful detailing. It was so familiar.
"This is mine." She told herself then had a vision of golden hair, and staring into a mirror. "Hey Honey!" Mrs. Gold called out to her husband walking out into the front room.
"What is it?"
"Was I ever blonde?"
"I imagine you would know better me what color your has been."
"Is this mine?" she should him the brush, and he took it from her and looked it over.
"Hand made,German silver, made in the mid 1800's. It can be yours, if you want it." He handed the brush back.
"You haven't seen me with it before?"
"Not while we've been in Storybrooke."
"How long have we lived here?"
"Oh I'm not sure. It feels like we've been here a long while. Is something wrong?"
"Just." She paused unsure of what she was sensing. "I feel off."
"You don't feel well?" He asked her worried, and placing the back of his hand on her head, feeling for a fever.
"I don't know."
"I'll close up the shop, and take you home."
"No that's ok, I'm fine."
"My Dear one of the perks of being my own boss, is that I can close my business at anytime, and for any reason." He cupped her cheek in his hand. "Let's spend the rest of the day together. We can go home and if you start to feel better we can go out. Do what ever you like."
"Alright Mr. Gold."
"Very well. Mrs. Gold." he locked up his shop while she waited just outside. While waiting the stunted angry drunk stumbled up to her. "Hey! Let me ask you a question Sister!"
"Do you need something Leroy?" She asked trying not to sound annoyed with his attitude.
"How can you be married to such an egotistic fat cat?"
"Excuse me?" she reasoned outraged.
"You heard me, Mrs. Gold." the little man growled up at her.
"You're drunk."
"And you're a gold digger!"
"Get away from me!"
"Why? Cause you can't stand blue collar guys?"
"Leroy? What's going on here?" Graham the sheriff had saw the argument while patrolling and pulled over to approach the situation to defuse the tension.
"I'm giving this leech a piece of my mind! She thinks she's so such better than everyone just because she married the deepest pockets around."
"Sheriff this man is very publically drunk." Mrs. Gold told the lawman, and he tried to lead Leroy to his car.
"Get off me! You are going to arrest me because that hustling floozy told you too."
"Shut up! You're just gonna make things worse for yourself." the officer warned.
"He already has." Mr. Gold finally came out of the shop.
"Mr. Gold, I've already got this handled. No need for this to become bigger than it needs to be."
"Oh it's pretty sizable already sheriff." he growled eyeing the stocky drunk. Mrs. Gold went to her husband and grabbed onto his arm.
"I just want to go home." she told him quietly.
"Not just yet." he said through his teeth.
"Please. I'm so embarrassed just take me home." she begged him.
"Alright." Mr. Gold agreed unhappy, and Graham finally got Leroy into the car.
"He won't be bothering the two of you again." The sheriff promised.
"Get him out of here." the pawn shop owner demanded, and Graham quickly got into his car and drove away from them. "Come on. Let's go.". Once they were there Mrs. Gold went straight to the living room couch and laid down, and Mr. Gold went to make them both tea. While the water was heating up on the stove, he went to his wife and stood in front of her. "May I sit?"
"I feel awful." she said sit up, so he could join her. He set his cane against the sofa, and sat beside her, and gently place some hair behind her ear.
"Kettle is on the stove. Some tea will make you feel right again." She threw herself into his arms, and nuzzled into his neck and shoulder.
"Does everyone really think that way about me?"
"Think what?"
"That I'm a gold digger. That I only married you for money."
"I don't believe that. Not for one minute."
"Why?"
"I happen to love you. Truly love you." He pulled away just enough to look her in the eyes. "Don't ever forget that Mrs. Gold. I will do everything in my power to keep you with me."
"I love you too." he leaned in and kissed her tenderly.
"You don't deserve to be talked to that way."
"No I don't." she mocked. "I'm sure the sheriff will handle it." she smiled and got up to make the tea.
"I'll take care of it."
"Mr. Gold, he was only drunk." she called out from the kitchen.
"I don't care." He took his cane, and went to the kitchen. "No one will speak to my wife like that. I simply won't allow it." Mrs. Gold realized that she was still gripping the brush, she looked over smiling at him.
"We can discuss this later." He shook off his angry, for the time being.
"You're right." he agreed not wanting to argue with her. "Are you feeling any better?"
"Yeah I think so. I'm just gonna go lay down. Think you can bring me tea when its ready?"
"Of course." She left him to his task and went to their bedroom. Before actually laying down she went to the master bathroom and took a look in the mirror. Mrs. Gold undid her braid, pulled her hair over one shoulder and using the antique brush to untangle her hair. Then it hit her like a bolt of lighting. The hours of sitting in a tower, her mother, her first time in a kingdom, and him. Everything rushed back so quickly she dropped the brush and it fell to the floor. "Are you alright?" she heard Mr. Gold call up to her, but she was too busy trying to sort of her memories to answer him. Concerned he came to check on her. "Dear?" he asked as she stared, transfixed by the mirror. He came in the dropped his cane to the floor, and grabbed her by both shoulders shaking her wake. She looked at him blinking. "Are you alright?"
"What is my name?"
"What?"
"What is my name?" she repeated.
"Mrs. Gold."
"Is that all?" she asked sure he knew.
"For as long as we've lived here, that has been your name."
"But before we came here." she asked her voice shaking. "What was my name?"
"You are as of right now, Mrs. Gold." he smiled trying to sooth her.
"Tell me my name. Tell me so I know I'm not going crazy. Please! What is my name?" He let go and stepped back, holding the counter for support.
"Rapunzel." and she could breath again. Knowing it wasn't a dream, none of it. She was so relieved that she wasn't losing her mind.
"Rumpelstiltskin?"
"Yes?"
"What happened to us?"
"We forgot."
"No. We didn't! We almost forgot." she corrected. "Why didn't we?"
"Mrs. Gold-"
"Rapunzel!" she interrupted, afraid she'd forget again.
"Rapunzel. It doesn't matter why we remember, let's use this opportunity."
"For what?"
"To enjoy one another. You were the one who said you wanted to enjoy the time we had left."He reached out for her hand. "Come enjoy it." She took his hand, but couldn't shake her feelings of dread.
"How long do we have?"
"The rest of our lives."