The office door slammed closed behind them.
"I hope you've chosen a successor, Madame Mayor," Gold whispered fiercely. "Because you'll be dead by morning."
"Oh Rumple," she replied, carelessly leaning her weight upon the abandoned desk behind her, "lay a finger on me, and you may just find you're precious little Belle in a far worst state than this."
His jaw locked, and he practically shook with anger.
"All this time," he said.
"Don't you start with that," Regina cut in. "You discarded her. You sent her away. I, on the other hand, realized her value."
"Enough!" Gold spat. "She isn't a—a trading card to be played against me!"
Regina's eyebrow rose. "Oh but she is."
"I want her out of here." Gold had nervously begun pacing the room. "Please."
"Maybe we can strike a deal."
"We've already got a deal!"
Regina pushed off the desk and pressed closer to the frantic man.
"We already have a deal," he continued again. "You promised me anything I desired in this world in exchange for the curse. That was our deal, and nobody breaks an agreement with me, Dear. Nobody."
"That's rather vain of you, Rumple," said Regina. "Tell me, are you willing to let your own conceit jeopardize Belle's life?"
There was a thick and lasting silence between them. Finally, with trembling lips, Gold said, "What do you want?"
"Simple," Regina replied. "I want an ally."
…
Hushed voices filled the asylum.
"So it's decided," Emma confirmed. "The woman—"
"Belle," Gold interjected.
"Right, Belle… will be free to leave the asylum as long as she visits Mr. Hopper three times a week."
There were nods of agreement from everyone in the group.
"Okay then," Emma said. "Archie, would you like to give her the good news?"
Archie stepped into the room.
"Hello again," he said.
"Morning," she replied although it were late in the afternoon.
"A friend of mine tells me that your name is Belle. Is that true?"
She paused for a long moment, as if deciphering the question.
"Yes," she finally said. "My name is Belle."
"Well, Belle," said Archie. "How would you like a change of scenery? Would it be okay if you left this hospital?"
And, for the first time, Archie saw a refreshing splash of light in her crystal blue eyes.
"I'd like that very much," she said.
"Then there are some people I'd like you to me," he urged.
For the first time in a very long while, Belle stepped out into the hall. It was still a part of the asylum—still ugly and dreary and cold—but it wasn't room 43. And for that, Belle was overcome with joy.
She paused to examine the people around her.
Regina, with her dark eyes and porcelain complexion, she recognized instantly. Her unwelcoming gaze made Belle's spirits drop and nearly induced a shudder. Beside her was another woman—light haired and seemingly friendly. And, behind them both, a man loomed in the background.
"Hi Belle, my name's Emma," said the one, stepping forward. "I'm Sheriff here, and we'll be working very hard to find you some more comfortable living arrangements."
"I haven't any family," said Belle. "But I'll do anything, live anywhere…"
"Perhaps," said the man, stepping forward, "we can make a deal."
Belle looked him up and down. Something in his lofty steps forward, his elegant form of speech, and his long and narrow expression, made Belle feel apprehensive. He reminded her of snakes and caves and darkness in a way that, somehow, wasn't entirely unpleasant. Yet intrigued as she was, she couldn't quite shake the feeling that this gentleman was not being himself.
"What are you talking about, Gold?" asked Emma.
"I've been in need of an attendant—someone to look over my estate."
"What?"
"I'm not exactly in my prime, Miss Swan. And I spend most of my energy at my shop. I need someone to tend to my estate. And for her assistance, she'd receive shelter and meals and payment for sessions with Hopper. It seems like a fair enough exchange."
Silence stretched among the crowd. The man, she'd noticed, had avoided looking at her since she'd arrived.
"I-I don't know if that's the best idea," said Emma.
"No," said Belle, surprised at the urgency in her own tone. "I'll go. I'll earn my keep."
"There's other ways to make this work," Emma said.
Belle glanced over, meeting his eyes for the first time. And though she couldn't remember having seen many eyes in her lifetime, Belle knew almost instantly that she could look into his gaze forever, trying to decipher what secrets lay beneath their outer facets. "These accommodations seem alright by me."
"In light of recent events," Emma persisted, turning her full gaze toward the man, "I can't permit this."
"A word… in private?" he asked.
…..
Again, the office door slammed shut.
"I'm sorry Gold, but you just got charged for battery," said Emma. "I don't think that it's right to allow this."
"If I can recall, I'm not the only person in this room who's been in jail before."
Emma responded with only a glare, so Gold continued.
"I don't see why I can't hire help."
"But why her?" asked Emma. Her mind immediately went back to her conversation with Henry. It was, she admitted to herself, an incredible coincidence that her name proved to be Belle.
And as Gold ran his tongue across his lips in frustration, Emma couldn't quite shake the thought that he did appear rather beastly.
"Look, Gold," said Emma. "You can find someone else to housekeep."
She began to turn away. Her hand was on the doorknob when—
"I believe you owe me a favor, Sherriff."
Man, was anyone else bummed that there was zero Gold in last weeks episode : ((
Anyway, I totally think that The Stranger is Pinocchio. He can't tell a lie! What do you all think?