Chapter 11: Skin deep

Rose was walking down the Street when she heard a man yelling about how the next day was Valentine's Day. She turned and saw a man standing in front of a van with the name ʽGame of Thornsʼ on the side. She saw Mr. Gold looking at the man unimpressed when a woman approached him.

"Please Mr. Gold. At least let us get the roses out of the truck." She pleaded with him. "With the money we'll earn from them, we will be able to buy our truck back from you."

"Dear, your father made a deal with me." He said to the woman. "He wasn't able to keep his side of it, so I take the truck. It's just business."

The woman glared at him and was about to say something, when the man in front of the truck stopped her.

"Don't bother, Lacey." He turned to look at Mr. Gold. "You can't reason with him."

After a while, one of Mr. Gold's goons took the truck and the owner and his daughter watched Mr. Gold leave with matching glares.

"Wow." Said Rose when Mr. Gold approached her. "I understand that if you make a deal and don't follow through, there are going to be consequences. But, if the collateral was the truck, was it necessary to take it full of their flowers?"

Mr. Gold looked at Rose with a smile.

"As you said darling, he didn't keep his end of the deal and the repercussion was me taking his truck. He knew about that. I don't think I have done anything wrong."

"No, you were in your right to take the truck. I just don't' see the point in taking the flowers too. How do you expect them to pay you back? Or do you plan to open a delivery service for your shop and use the truck for that?"

Mr. Gold thought over what to say. As always his fire bird had made him think about his rash decisions.

"I have to say that I haven't thought that far. When I come with an answer, I'll be sure to let you know."

Rose chuckled and shook her head. She said goodbye to the man and started on her way again.

Rose arrived at Granny's at the same time that Emma did. They both sat down with Mary- Margaret, and Emma asked them about Henry. They told her that he was fine and that he missed her.

Then Ashley came in, gave the baby to Granny and sat down with them. She told them how it had been hard since the baby had been born. Sean and her hadn't been able to spend much time together, as he was working double shifts. She complained how he couldn't even get a day off on Valentine's Day.

Ruby brought Ashley her drink and told her to have girl's night. She invited Mary-Margaret, Rose and Emma too, but only if she left the badge at home. Emma was quick to get out of it but made sure that Mary-Margaret couldn't say no.

"I'm in. It's been a while since I had a night out and let loose." Ruby cheered and said that they would make plans later.

At that moment, Emma received a message from the station and left.

Rose Red was at the entrance of the Dark Castle with Gaston. The man has a determined look on his face.

"So, let me get this straight. Rumpelstiltskin has kidnapped Belle?" Asked Rose with a confused face.

"Yes. And I thank you for your help, Princess Rose." The man nodded.

"There's something that doesn't add up. He wouldn't just take someone like that."

Gaston swallowed and knock on the door. He took out his sword and pointed it to the doors when they started to open. The Dark One looked at the man unimpressed and was about to wave his hand in a spell when he saw who was standing beside him.

"I wasn't expecting you back so soon, darling."

"Yeah. About that, Gaston and Sir Maurice told me that you had kidnapped Belle and asked for my help. Would you mind explaining to me what is this all about?" She said with her hands on her hips.

Gaston looked at the redhead surprised. He had never imagined anyone talking like that to the Dark One, but was even more surprised when the imp just laughed. He didn't curse her or kill her for talking to him like that.

"That's what they told you? No, no, darling. They made a deal with me and the price was the girl. She was to stay with me as my caretaker."

Gaston was about to say how he wasn't allowed to take his fiancée like that. He was going to fight for her. But before he could say anything, he received a slap to the back of the head. Rose had just struck him. She had her arms crossed and a frown on her face.

"Are you kidding me?" She yelled at him. "He didn't kidnap her. It was a deal. She agreed to it. Moron!" And she hit him again upside the head.

Before the man could defend himself, Rumpelstiltskin waved his hand and turned him into a red rose. Rose turned to him with a glare.

"I wasn't done with him." She snapped at him.

"I know, darling. But his stupidity was giving me a headache." He picked up the rose and turned around. "Do you want to come in and see the kidnapped girl?"

Rose nodded, and followed him inside. When they reached the room where Belle was, the woman asked about who was at the door. At that Rose stepped out from behind the man and smiled at Belle. The woman smiled and laughed a little hugging the princess.

"Rose! What are you doing here?"

"Well, your father contacted me, saying that you had been kidnapped and if I could help. But I've been informed that you being here is just the price of a deal."

Belle frowned and nodded. She didn't think her father would call for Rose. She had accepted her fate to protect their town from the Ogres. Then she saw the red rose on Rumple's hand and asked about it.

"Where did that came from?" She asked curiously, and turned to Rose. "Does he tease your bout your name?"

Rose and the imp looked at each other. It looked like they were having a private conversation with their looks. Finally, Rose sighed.

"You could say that. I've had a long journey, so I'm going to spend the night here. Belle, whistle if you need help." Then she turned to the Dark One with a glare and pointed a finger at his face. "And you! You and I will be having a conversation."

With that, Rose Red went upstairs to one of the many rooms and left behind a curious Belle and a grinning Rumpelstiltskin.

Rumpelstiltskin turned to Belle after his little fire bird left.

"I'm curious. What made you choose to come here with me?"

Belle went to get a vase for the rose and thought about her answer.

"Heroism. Sacrifice. You know, there aren't a lot of opportunities in this land for women to show what they can do. To see the world, to be heroes." She had a soft smile on her face. "I have always admired Rose. She was able to do all of those things. She is brave, she has seen the world and from the tales she has told me, she might not admit it, but to me she seems like a hero."

She was going to grab a small vase when she saw a figurine that she hadn't seen before.

"This is really pretty. Where did you get it?"

The Dark One looked at the figurine and smiled softly.

"That was a gift" He said in almost a whisper.

Belle sensed the care behind his words.

"Someone important?"

The imp nodded his head and was deep in thoughts.

"I'll tell you what... I'll make you a deal. Go to town, and fetch me some straw. When you return, I'll share my tale."

Belle nodded and went to get ready to leave.

Rose Red arrived at the castle late at night and stepped into the room to see the Dark One spinning on his wheel.

"Rumple, I'm home!" She said with a big grin.

The imp sighed and looked at the adventurous princess. It seems that she had returned and that her trip hadn't been a complete waste of time, if her grin and good mood was something to go by.

"You are in a good mood, darling. Found out something?" He said turning his attention to the wheel.

"Nah. Nothing new."

She then stood in front of him and got something from her pack. She opened her hand and there was a figurine. He looked at it with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't find anything useful, but they had these legends about birds made of fire. And it reminded me of you and your nickname. Turns out that they have this birds that once they die, they turn into ashes and are reborn." She looked at the figurine and smiled.

"I saw this one on a store and I had to buy it." She handed it to him with a grin. "It's for you. I know you miss my wonderful person when I'm gone. This way you will always have a fire bird to look at."

She said goodbye and promised to be back in a couple of months at most.

Once she left, Rumpelstiltskin looked at the figurine carefully. It was made of glass and it was a bird that seemed to be rising from flames. It was a mix of reds, oranges and yellows. A very good craftsmanship. He took it carefully and set it on the cabinet, on top of a small pillow so it wouldn't break.

He looked at it with tender eyes. He would never say it out loud, but he did miss the young woman when she was gone. And now, he had a constant reminder of her.

It was Valentine's Day night and Mary-Margaret, Ruby, Ashley and Rose were having a girls' night out. Ruby, Ashley and Rose took a shot and Mary-Margaret warned Ashley to take it easy.

Ruby told the girls to check out the guys at the bar. Mary-Margaret was not interested, and Ashley said that she was still with Sean. Ruby turned to Rose expectantly.

"I'll pass. I like when a man can give me a mental challenge, and they don't look like great conversationalists to me." She turned to Ruby with a smile. "But, go have fun."

She pouted but left to chat with the guys. Once she left, the conversation turned sour.

"Come on. It's girls' night. Let's have another drink and forget our sorrows." Rose said. The other two just looked defeated. "Come on, we can have fun watching Ruby make those guys sweat."

At that the three women laughed and watch the guys at the bar make fools of themselves trying to impress Ruby.

Belle made her way into the castle with a big smile on her face, after her conversation with the Queen. She asked Rumpelstiltskin about his son.

"And since then, you've loved no one, and no one has loved you."

The Dark One's thoughts were conflicted. A part of him felt something for the woman standing in front of him, who clearly seemed to feel something for him too. But at the same time, he couldn't stop the images of the redheaded princess sleeping in one of the guest rooms.

Finally, Belle closed the distance and kissed the imp. Once they parted, Rumpelstiltskin started to feel different. Belle told him to kiss her again so the curse could be broken. And at those words he lost his temper.

Rose sensed a shift in Rumple's sound and went down to see what was happening. Once she reached the room, she heard screaming.

"Because no one. No one could ever, ever love me!" The Dark One yelled while shaking the scared woman.

He dragged Belle to the dungeon and Rose followed. Once he left the cell, Rose sat next to Belle and sighed.

"I think it's time you and I have a talk."

Mr. Gold had Moe French tied up, and he was going to get some answers out of him. He took a chair and put it in front of the man. He sat down and put the end of his cane to Moe's neck.

"I'm gonna let you breathe in a second, and you're gonna say two sentences. The first is gonna tell me where it is. The second is gonna tell me who told you to take it. Do you understand the rules?"

When Moe didn't answer what he wanted to hear, Mr. Gold hit him with his cane. He kept asking where it was, but Moe wasn't answering, he just whimpered from the pain. The only thing he let out was a soft ʽit wasn't my faultʼ. And that made Mr. Gold snap.

"Not your fault? Are you saying it's mine?" He said in a dangerously low voice. "She's gone. Her mind is not her own. Her memories lost. Everyone may say it was my fault, but it wasn't. It's not my fault. It's not my fault."

With every sentence he struck the man again and again, until Emma grabbed the cane and made him stop.

At the Rabbit Hole, Ashley was getting depressed about not being with Sean and Mary-Margaret and Rose were running out of ideas about what to do.

"I mean, what's the point of being together if we're not together?" Said Ashley defeated.

Mary-Margret started thinking about her own situation.

"I get it. Loving someone you can't be with...it's a terrible, terrible burden." She said with a frown.

Ashley was about to leave when Rose smiled.

"I think your night is about to turn around."

Ashley looked at her with a raised eyebrow, until she heard a voice behind her. Sean had taken the opportunity to see her on his break. He even proposed to her. Then he asked her to go on a ride with her for the rest of his break. She turned to the girls as if asking for permission and all of them nodded with big smiles. Mary-Margaret went outside to take some fresh air.

A little while later, Rose went out to find her friend. She saw her with David having a conversation.

"It doesn't mean I'm gonna give up. We'll find that way." He told her.

A few more words were exchanged and they parted ways. Rose approached Mary-Margaret and put her arm around her shoulders.

"You were right." Said Mary-Margaret with tears in her eyes. "This wasn't the way to do it."

Rose sighed and hugged her friend. Sometimes she hated being right.

"Belle, listen." Rose started. "You can't love someone for whom you want them to be. You love someone for who they are."

Belle opened her mouth to say something, but Rose raised one hand and silenced the woman.

"You can't expect someone to change who they are, because you don't like it. Everyone is their own person, with their virtues and their faults. If you can't accept their faults, they you don't truly love that person."

"But he could be a normal man. Live a normal life. He could be good." Belle said, not listening to what Rose was telling her.

"Belle, listen to yourself. You are still talking about changing him. Have you even considered if he wants to be normal?"

Belle was speechless as she thought about what the princess had said. He hadn't thought about it. She truly didn't know what made him be the Dark One or if there was a reason for him to keep his powers. She didn't know if he wanted to be evil.

Rose saw that Belle was finally listening to her and decided to say one last thing.

"Belle, you like someone for their qualities, but you love them for their imperfections." She grabbed Belle's hands. "If you can't see yourself loving everything that makes Rumpelstiltskin, then it means you don't truly love him. I think that everyone is capable of changing. But just a little bit. If that little bit is not enough, then it's not love. When you love someone, even the attempt to change should be enough."

Belle, thought hard about Rose's words. She had seen the man behind the beast. He had shown her kindness. And that was a change from the image everyone had of the Dark One, a being capable of nothing but evil. And Rose was right; these little shows of affection weren't enough for her. Maybe, she didn't love Rumpelstiltskin.

At that moment, the door to the cell opened and the Dark One entered the cell.

"I should kill you for trying to take my powers from me." He said with an unreadable face.

Rose sighed and look from the imp to the woman cowering on the corner.

"What about a new deal?" She asked looking at Rumple.

He looked at her with a curious look and signaled her to proceed.

"She goes free, and I stay as a caretaker."

Belle gasped and grabbed Rose's arm, telling her not to do it. But before Rose could respond, Rumpelstiltskin accepted the new deal. He turned to Belle with an empty look.

"You have until midday to leave this castle." And left the cell.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Asked Rose with a soft smile.

"Rose, you don't have to do this for me."

"Don't worry. I had to come here after all of my trips anyway. It's part of a deal I've had with him for a long time. So, are you going back home, or are you going to explore the world?"

"I'm not going home." She finally said with a smile. "I'm going to see the world. I want to see the lands I have only read in books. I want to have my own adventure."

The two women spent the rest of the time until midday talking about where Belle could go. Rose gave her tips on how to survive in the wild, and Belle paid attention to every single advice the redhead gave her.

Mr. Gold was in his cell and Emma offered him her pastrami sandwich in exchange for her favor. After a while, Regina came in with Henry and told Emma that she had 30 minutes with him. After a small hesitation, Emma left with Henry and Regina was alone with Mr. Gold.

Regina sat down in front of Mr. Gold's cell, and they started talking.

"When two people want something the other has, a deal can always be struck. Do you have what I want?" He asked.

Regina smiled and said yes. Mr. Gold looked at her intently. They talked about how Regina had nudged Moe French to rob Mr. Gold, and exactly what to take. Mr. Gold asked Regina what she wanted.

"I want you to answer one question. And answer it simply. What's your name?"

Mr. Gold said his name, but Regina wasn't satisfied. She wanted him to tell her his real name.

"If you want me to return what's yours, tell me your name."

After a tense pause, he finally said what she wanted to hear.

"Rumpelstiltskin. Now give me what I want." He said grabbing the cell bars.

She took from her purse a glass figurine of a bird rising from the flames. She held it out to him, but teased him dangling it out of his reach.

"Over this? Such a... sentimental little keepsake."

She finally relinquished and gave the figurine to Mr. Gold. They discussed who had the real power. When Regina was about to leave, Mr. Gold stopped her.

"You told me she was killed because of me."

Regina stopped and turned to look at the man behind bars.

"I just let you believe that. The rumor just said that ʽRed had been taken by blackʼ. A lot of people assumed that you had killed her." A frown appeared on her face. "I don't know what happened to her, where she disappeared to. I only know that the curse affected her two years later than it was supposed to."

With those words she left, and Mr. Gold looked at the figurine on his hands. Wondering what had happened to his little fire bird all those years ago.