"Gold, you need to calm down. Freaking out like this isn't going to help Belle." Jefferson worked on wiping the blood from Belle's forehead. They had carried her into the bedroom and laid her down on the bed underneath the covers. She had been unconscious for almost ten minutes since they had arrived.
Rumpelstiltskin stopped his frantic pacing just long enough to glare at the man nursing his Belle. "Don't tell me to calm down, Hatter."
"All I'm saying is that she's going to need your support. Her daughter was taken right out of her arms. She needs you to be calm."
His words seemed to have their desired effect on the Dark One, and Gold tucked away his anger for the time being, crossed over to the side of the bed, and took the cloth from Jefferson's hand. The man moved out of the way and Rumpelstiltskin took his place beside Belle. He dabbed at her wound gently. "It doesn't appear to be very deep."
"No," Jefferson said as he shook his head. "Looks like she just fell and hit her head on the floor. She was probably pushed."
Gold felt that familiar rage bubbling up within him again and he gritted his teeth to keep from doing something he would regret. "I'm going to kill her."
"You think Regina did this?"
"Who else would do this?" He pointed out. "She visited me this morning and made a not-too-subtle threat against Belle. I just didn't think she would take the baby of all things."
Jefferson sighed painfully at the thought. "I should've been here."
"Yes, you should have," Gold agreed simply. His voice was neutral, void of any accusation or anger.
"Emma could've waited."
"Yes, she could've." Again, his voice was emotionless. Jefferson hoped the man wasn't slipping into a state of shock. That was that last thing they needed right now.
"What do you think she wants?" He asked in reference to Regina.
"I don't know. I'll find out as soon as I ask her though."
Jefferson's eyebrows shot up. "You're going to go see her?"
"Of course I am. I need to get Rose back, and Regina is the only one who knows where she is."
"There has to be another way. We can't let that witch win."
"This isn't about winning and losing anymore, Jefferson," Gold chided, "This is about Rose's life. Regina has always wanted her."
Jefferson frowned. "What do you mean?"
Gold sighed. "It's a long story."
"Then give me the short rendition."
"Regina impregnated Belle. That was back in the Enchanted Forest."
Jefferson crossed his arms. "Yes, I remember."
Gold nodded. "Regina knew something that I didn't. She knew that creating a life meant that another life must be taken in return. It's the law of magic. The balance of nature must always be restored. Rose was born, Belle was the price, and she died. After she died, I visited Regina. I fully planned to kill her, but she told me that if I killed her, Rose would die as well."
"Why?" Jefferson furrowed his brows in confusion.
"Because Rose was created with magic, more specifically, with Regina's magic. And when Belle died, the magic automatically linked Rose to Regina. In essence, Rose belonged to Regina. If I killed Regina, that magical link would be severed and Rose would have died as well."
"Regina planned for that to happen?"
Rumpelstiltskin nodded his head. "I made a deal with Regina. I gave her the Dark Curse in exchange for her link to Rose being transferred onto me."
"Is that why Rose is so close to you?"
"Yes, Jefferson. Rose is linked to me. Her magic is essentially mine."
Jefferson's eyes widened. "Rose has magic?"
"Not in this life, but in the Enchanted Forest, in a world with magic, yes. She has whatever power I have inside of me."
"I can't believe it," Jefferson said as he swallowed in awe. "That must be Regina wants."
Gold wiped Belle's brow again. "What?" He asked absently.
"You said that she's always wanted Rose. She used Belle, essentially, as an incubator of sorts, to carry her very own apprentice."
"What are you getting at, Jefferson?"
"Regina wants to be linked to Rose so that her magic runs in the child. That same dark magic would be shared between them."
Gold's hands began to shake with the realization and then he turned his head to look at Jefferson. "An apprentice. There would be two of them. Imagine life with not one Evil Queen, but two of them."
"She's going to try to break your link to Rose. She's going to try to connect herself to the baby."
All of the sudden, Rumpelstiltskin leaped off the bed and dropped the cloth to the floor. He limped over to the door.
"Where are you going?"
"I have to find Regina and get Rose back."
"She's been waiting for this chance for years, Gold, ever since she impregnated Belle," Jefferson argued as he followed after him. "Do you really think there's anything you could offer Regina that she would be willing to give up Rose for a third time?"
"I have to try, Hatter!"
"And what about Belle?"
"You stay with her," he called back as he bounded down the stairs. "Rose needs me more right now."
Jefferson grabbed his arm and forced him to stop. "At least think about this. Why is Regina doing this now? Of all times?"
"There isn't time for this right now, Jefferson! Rose is my daughter and I need to get her back." Without another word, he slammed the front door behind him and left Jefferson alone to tend to Belle.
0o0o0o0o0o
"She has Rose!" Gold wasted no time in shouting as he entered the Sheriff's office. Emma whirled around in her seat, somewhat shocked, a half-eaten slice of pizza still clenched between her teeth. "We have to get her back!"
Taking the pizza out of her mouth, Emma gave Rumpelstiltskin a confused stare. "What the hell are you talking about, Gold?"
"Rose is gone, Miss Swan. And I know who took her."
"And who would that be?" Emma crossed her arms over her chest. "Maleficent or Ursala? Don't tell me the Queen of Hearts's joined the party too because I'm really not all for having my head chopped off for mere insubordinations."
Rumpelstiltskin's cheeks turned a dangerous shade of red and he clenched his hands into tight fists. "Are you mocking me, Miss Swan? Do you think this is a game?"
"I think I've had enough of your crazy talk for one day and I'd like to go back to the way things were before the town's most feared man tried to convince me that happy endings do exist. I suppose that next you're going to tell me I have a fairy godmother."
"Everyone has a fairy godmother," he let slip out before he shook his head. "That's besides the point. Emma, I need your help. Contrary to what you may believe, I am not crazy."
Emma scoffed. "You're asking me for help so I beg to differ."
"Look," he said with a sigh, and Emma could see just how ragged and worn he looked. He was sickly pale with what appeared to be genuine fear. His voice became gentle as he plead with her to understand. "I know your opinion of me isn't great these days, and I know you think I'm insane, but I am begging you, Sheriff, to believe me and to do your job."
Something compelled Emma to believe him. She didn't know if it was the puppy dog eyes or the quivering lip, but she felt her insides squirm uncomfortably. She had a deep-seated feeling that she was going to regret loading her gun and putting into her holster, but she did it anyway.
"Tell me what happened. Slowly, and from the beginning."
For now, Emma Swan was willing to help him, and so Rumpelstiltskin did just that. He told her exactly what had happened. Slowly and from the beginning.
0o0o0o0o0o
Emma placed a hand on Gold's arm as they walked up to Regina Mill's front door. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Let me handle this, Gold. I just want to ask her questions. Technically, we have no evidence suggesting she took Rose, so we have to go about this the right way. Got it?"
He gave her a bored nod, but she wondered if he was really agreeing with her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him grip the handle of his cane just a bit harder. The same cane he had used to beat Garrett Stone to unconsciousness with.
She rolled her eyes and rang the door bell. "Remind me why I brought you here again?"
"Because I wasn't about to let you go without me. And you don't trust me to be around Regina without killing her."
Emma looked like she was about to say something else, but just then the door opened to reveal Regina's all-too-sickly-sweet smile. It was as fake as Gold's pretend state of coolness.
"Miss Swan, Mr. Gold. What brings you here? Together?"
Was it just him or did her eyes seem to rest on him just a bit longer than was normal? And did her eyes flash when she did? He tried not to notice, but he knew she was smart. She could probably see him boiling underneath his chilly exterior.
"I have a couple of questions to ask you, Madame Mayor. Could you give us a few minutes?" Emma responded.
Regina widened her smile just a bit and then she nodded her head and opened the door to let them walk through. They followed her into her office. She motioned for them to sit but both refused.
"Is everything alright, Miss Swan?"
Emma crossed her arms across her chest. "No, things are not alright. Mr. Gold came to me a little less than an hour ago. He says that Belinda French's child has been taken."
"Taken?"
"As in kidnapped."
"Oh my God," Regina sounded shocked, but Gold could see right through her act. He wanted to reach across the table and strangle her right then and there. "Is Miss French okay?"
Emma looked sideways at Gold and then back at Regina. "She's still unconscious. Apparently whoever took Rose knocked Belinda over the head."
"This is terrible," Regina shook her head and formed her fingers into a steeple underneath her chin. She seemed thoughtful. "Of course I'll help in anyway to get that child back. Whatever resources you need are at your fingertips, Miss Swan."
"That's very generous, Madame Mayor, but that's not exactly why we're here."
Regina cocked her head, but she wasn't looking at Emma. She was staring at Rumpelstiltskin. "Really? Then what's this all about?"
"Where were you this afternoon?"
"Where was I?" She chuckled. "Why on earth would you want to know that?"
"Just answer the question, Regina," Emma gritted her teeth, and the Mayor seemed to tense just a bit at the Sheriff's tone.
She raised an eyebrow. "I was spending the day with my son."
"Our son."
"My son. I took him out for ice cream and then -"
Emma's phone rang, interrupting Regina's explanation. She took it out of her pocket, read the number, and then looked up at Regina. "I have to answer this." She shot a warning glance at Gold and then she left the room. Her voice slowly faded away to nothing.
The moment they both could no longer hear Emma, Regina's facade dropped and her lips broke out into a victorious grin. "You tattled on the Sheriff about me, did you?" Gold's chilly exterior also melted away to reveal a simmering anger. He gritted his teeth and clenched his cane until his knuckles turned dark purple. The moment Regina let out a chuckle Rumpelstiltskin cursed her very existence. "I must say you've surprised me, Rumple. I didn't expect you to go to Emma Swan."
"You took her."
"I took her," Regina admitted. Her voice actually sounded proud.
Gold growled. "We end this. Right now."
She smiled. "Then what are you waiting for?"