Mr Gold had only half finished the inventory, but he was already bored. He'd do the rest tomorrow. He could have stayed up all night but his leg was causing him pain again. The curse had brought him to the ridiculous land without magic as he'd wanted, and given him the luxurious lifestyle he'd negotiated, but there was still a catch. There was always a catch. He'd spent every day since hearing Emma's name suffering that ache in his leg which, depending on how much he used it, could become agony. Things had been so much easier when time stood still. It hadn't occurred to him back then that his leg should do anything other than hurt, but now that he remembered the centuries he'd lived in perfect health, the pain made him bitter whenever he felt it. He should have negotiated a new leg as well as the riches.

Damn Queen, he thought.

He should never have bargained this curse away to Regina. He should have found someone else who was easier to manipulate and more open to being controlled. Now he was stuck in this dead end hell-hole, alone in the knowledge of who he was and, with no magic, he had to live with the bad leg that had plagued him as a cowardly little man. Worse still, while he was frozen in time, Bae could be withering away of old age. He'd made sure to time things so that his son was alive when he got here, but pinpointing what stage of life Bae would be in was more difficult.

Gold's mind also began to wander to Belle. That tended to happen when he was doing menial tasks. It was easier when he was making his deals or collecting rent. Seeing the fear in people's eyes was amusing enough to keep him from thinking too deeply. His new amusement was not afraid of him though. Chief Emma Swan appeared to be afraid of very little, and she was certainly determined. He just hoped she'd have the intelligence to act like she was ignorant to the Mayor's evil, otherwise Regina might kill her before she had the chance to break the curse.

As he walked down the high street, which was bathed in a bluish glow by the bright half-moon above, he thought of Belle again. Her pure and loving yet always strong crystal blue eyes, and the dress she wore to match them, could always bring him a moment of solace. She was the only woman who'd ever loved him and her smile lit up a world that had always been dark around him. Gold tried to avoid thinking that he was responsible for her death. He'd sent her home. How was he supposed to know her own father would kill her?

And people think I'm evil, he thought to himself.

He shook off that memory and returned to a more peaceful, enchanting one, of Belle humming as she cleaned her library. She resented most of the chores, of course, but she'd taken particular pride in the library he'd given her. She'd spend hours making sure every book was in its perfect place and without a speck of dust on the cover. She was easily distracted by the titles though. More than once Belle had climbed the ladder, only to have her interest captured. She'd stand at the very top of the ladder, reading the book with one hand, and only remember where she was when it came to turning each page.

"Get in the car you stupid girl," a muffled voice said from around the corner, pulling Mr Gold rudely from his reverie.

His brow furrowed. He didn't like being interrupted in any thoughts, let alone amidst memories of the few happy times he'd experienced in his life. As he got closer he recognised Regina's voice. Typical. She'd always had bad timing.

"JUST GET IN THE DAMN CAR!" The Queen succumbed to her rage and her voice echoed through the empty streets.

"Please…"

Gold froze on the verge of rounding the corner. Anyone passing might have mistaken him for a statue. He was rendered completely motionless. The second voice had been a feeble shadow of the last time he'd heard it. It was possible his imagination was running away with him, but he couldn't move to check.

He closed his eyes and begged in his mind, Say something else.

"We've been through this," Regina taunted. "You can't escape me. Now get in the car so I can take you back. If you hurry up, maybe I won't punish you."

"Please, just let me go. I promise I won't tell anyone," the second voice begged.

Gold's fist grasped his cane tightly, turning his knuckles white as the rage boiled up inside of him. She'd lied to him. He breathed out through his teeth and willed himself to move again.

"I know you won't, and I will let you go," the Queen teased, "when I have no use for you."

Mr Gold calmly rounded the corner to meet the eyes of the woman who'd occupied his mind for over thirty years. However, she was not the same woman who had bravely sacrificed her life to save her kingdom and stood firm in the presence of a monster. She stood before him now weak and broken, barefoot and wearing nothing but a hospital nightdress against the cold.

"Belle," Gold spoke her name so softly, but there was a burning fury hiding behind it.

"You're real," she whimpered, her hand flying momentarily to her lips with shock. "I knew you were real," she cried and ran into his open arms.

Gold didn't want to think how long she might have been out here, but she was shivering. He wrapped his arms around her body and held her so tight, willing her to be warm, and she gripped his shirt with her fists in return, never wanting to leave him again. He did love her and he was all she had. They breathed deeply the smell of each other. She was real, she wasn't dead. He was real, she wasn't crazy.

However, the moment couldn't last. He'd spent all this time thinking that she was gone forever, and now he knew that all this time his beloved's strength had been beaten down as she was locked away in a small, dark room. He knew of the secret asylum, but he'd never bothered with the people Regina kept down there, because her prisoners rarely interested him. How foolish it was of him to be so complacent. That the Queen had dared to take the only woman he'd ever loved, dared to take the only perfect creature from the most powerful being in any world, was more than he could bear.

"Gold…" the Queen stuttered, knowing her plans were thwarted and searching her mind for an explanation, any explanation.

Gold's relief at Belle's safety was equalled only by his hastily deepening hatred for Regina, and he could feel the mask he'd put on here melting away. He took off his coat and placed it gently over Belle's shoulders, and then took a step in front of her. The pain in his leg now almost forgotten, though still requiring his cane, he began walking over to Regina. When he spoke his voice was livid and cruel.

"You lied to me. You bitch! HOW DARE YOU KEEP HER FROM ME!? How dare you lock her away, for all this time?"

The Queen cowered before the devil's fury, and in his wake felt her heart racing.

"Gold I…" she stammered but he seized her arms and screamed into her face.

"STOP CALLING ME THAT! YOU KNOW MY NAME! Say it. Beg for mercy," he seethed.

"Rumpelstilzchen please!"

"Please what!?" he spoke through his gritted teeth.

"Please have mercy!"

Gold threw Regina violently to the floor. Her head slammed onto the concrete road and a small amount of blood was cast across the tarmac. Shocked and dizzy, she barely had the strength to hold her body off the road. When she gained the strength to look up he stood over her for a moment, looking down on her with disgust, before kneeling down and taking hold of her chin to look into her eyes. This time when he spoke his voice was sadistic but calm, so much closer to the old Rumpelstilzchen than the Mr Gold she'd come to know.

"You will never be more powerful than me witch, so it's time you stopped trying to be. Never touch Belle again."

He left then, quietly putting his arm around Belle's waist and taking her home. Chief Swan came running over to her as she lay on the floor.

"Damnit when did you get here!?" Regina complained rudely.

"Way to be grateful, I was just coming over to see if you were alright." Emma was fed up with Regina's attitude.

Regina however, was fed up with Emma's meddling. She didn't want her in her town, but it seemed impossible to throw her out. She certainly had to be careful about how she was going to kill her. Henry seemed very fond of Emma, not that Regina could see why.

In any case, Chief Swan couldn't be of any use. It wasn't like Regina could make a complaint about being assaulted by the imp. He'd only attacked her because she'd been keeping his girlfriend in a secret lunatic asylum. Really, Regina was surprised he hadn't killed her on the spot. Looking around she saw why he hadn't. Their yelling had attracted witnesses. Henry was standing over on the other side of the street, with the stranger who seemed to have a special interest in Emma.

"I'm fine," she insisted, shoving away the hand she'd offered to help her with.

"Come on, I've got a first aid kit in the station," Emma sighed, and cast a glance down the street where Gold was opening his car door for the mysterious woman who seemed to know him. "I'll get him later."

"No. I have no intention of pressing charges," the Queen decided.

"Why!?" Obviously, Emma couldn't have imagined why someone so petty would have no interest in bringing the law down on one of her main competitors for small-town power.

"Because I don't! Do you need to know why!?"

Emma paused a moment to take in the obvious fear in the Regina's eyes. "My God, you're actually terrified of him aren't you?"

"Who isn't?" she replied irritably, brushing the dust off her suit.

"Me," the Chief challenged arrogantly.

Regina couldn't help but laugh. Emma was a clueless idiot.

"Only because you don't really know him. You have no idea what he's capable of. If you did, you'd stay the hell away from him." Regina didn't seem to notice that she'd just accidently given Emma some genuine advice. She'd looked over to Henry again, as she felt the force of her own words. "Bring Henry back tomorrow morning," she ordered Emma.

Just because Rumpelstilzchen hadn't beaten her to death in front of the three onlookers and, most importantly, his beloved Belle, didn't mean she was safe. If the imp came for her at home, she didn't want Henry to get in his way. No matter what, he had to be safe.

"I can keep him overnight? What exactly do you think Gold will do? What the hell was all that about anyway!? Who was that woman!?"

Emma was getting frustrated. As much as she disliked Regina, and would generally jump at the chance to spend more time with her long lost son, this was off. As the Sheriff, and Henry's mom, Emma couldn't just ignore that the Mayor was terrified enough to get him out of the way.

"Don't question me," Regina seethed. "Don't leave Henry's side tonight. Do you understand?"

"Regina…" The frustration subsided and Emma was left with blind shock.

"Do you understand me!?"

"Yes!"

Regina knew she had to get out of there quickly. The more time they stood there arguing, the more danger Henry was in. Her only consolation was that there was no magic in Storybrooke. In a physical fight she actually stood a chance of winning, and Regina found herself very thankful for Rumple's old injury.

"I love you Henry," she called across the street, hoping they wouldn't be her last words to him.

Wasting no more time, she stormed off back to her car and set off home at twice the speed limit. She probably had a little time while Rumple got Belle settled at his mansion, hopefully enough time to mount a defence.

"Now," Regina said to herself, "where did I put that gun?"