"Oh, I'm sorry dearie," Gold says softly, entering Blue's office. "I was looking for Mother Superior…" Nova is at the desk, reading over the note left behind by Blue. It was the only magic he had used in this plot, to write the note in her handwriting and make everyone believe she'd left.
"Oh, Mr. Gold, um, not here, she's gone; uh this note…she's not coming back…" her anxiety is obvious as she stammers, terrified of his presence.
"Well, unless she left a rent check consider this your eviction notice…" he says coldly with a triumphant smirk.
"I can write you a new one…" the nun eagerly replies. Gold nods accepting the offer, limping slowly to the desk. He watches as her elegant script fills in the lines, unable to stop himself from asking.
"Is it true, dearie that you are in love with a dwarf and the Blue Fairy kept you apart?" Her eyes widen as she looks up at him in surprise.
"Yes, how did you know?"
"I'm just intuitive." He replies with a crooked grin. "But, if she is indeed gone, then I say take advantage of her absence and go find your man…" she bites her lower lip nervously, her eyes diverting to the desk.
"I can't…I've taken vows here…" she replies sadly.
Gold scoffs at the notion, "Vows to serve a God you know nothing about and don't even believe in? Your faith is implanted in your mind by the curse. Would you really sacrifice true love for a superficial faith in service to a God that means nothing to you?" Her eyes never lift from the desk, but he could see that his words obviously echo thoughts she's already had.
"What if he no longer loves me? It is him who left after all …" at that she chances a look in his eyes, and Gold forces a tight but sympathetic smile. If anyone understands the pain of a lost true love, it is him.
"Only at the urging of the Blue Fairy. True love never dies, dearie…" he assures her. A small smile forms on her lips, growing wider as his words sink in. "Go…" Nova tears the check from the book and hands it to Gold.
"Thank you…" and with that, she is gone. Gold smiles smugly to himself; he doesn't so much care about her happiness as he does about getting one over on the blue fairy. Gold looks to the door, hearing Nova apologize and excuse herself. A cruel smile forms on his lips as none other than Prince Charming enters her office.
"You…what are doing here?" he demands angrily.
"Collecting the rent..."
"Where's Blue?" Gold merely shrugs, seeing an opportunity too delicious to pass up.
"She's gone dearie…" he says, picking up the note. "Apparently her former life is just too painful to live with." Charming snatches the note from his hand, his brows furrow with confusion as he reads it quickly.
"What is she apologizing to me and Snow for?"
"Well, I would guess about lying to you both about the wardrobe…and the fact that it could indeed, send two." The look of rage that flashes in his eyes is exactly what Gold had hoped for. It could only work to his benefit to turn people against the Blue Fairy, or at least expose her for the liar that she is.
"What are you talking about?! Fairies can't lie and she wouldn't…not about this." Rage edges his voice, but there is a look of betrayal in the prince's eyes as he looks to Gold; no doubt desperate to hear this supposed truth confirmed. And he is only too happy to twist the knife in deeper.
"Oh, yes Charming, they can lie and they do it all the time. You see, Gepetto wanted to save Pinocchio and only agreed to make the wardrobe if Pinocchio would be saved. The Blue Fairy agreed, telling the two of you the wardrobe could only send one. But when Snow went into labor early, instead of coming to you directly and telling you, she told Gepetto that Snow had to go with Emma, and that Pinocchio would be cursed. Gepetto obviously never told you and Emma grew up alone – an orphan, unwanted and unloved her entire life."
"How do you know this?" Charming asks in a hoarse whisper, leveling Gold with an incredulous stare.
"I know everything," he replies smugly.
"Why the hell doesn't you say anything?" the anger returns and Gold grins wickedly as he limps passed the prince.
"Because I was locked in a cage, dearie. And after I told you of your precious daughter's fate you never came to see me again. Would you have believed me even if I had told you?" At that, Charming's gaze falls to the crumpled piece of parchment in his hand. Gold continues to the door, leaving Charming to wrestle with this alone. "Have a nice day, dearie…"
Gold takes his time, driving around town in no rush to get back to his captive. The anticipation of waiting, of not knowing what would become of her would begin to play tricks on her mind. A few hours alone in a cold, dark basement is enough to weaken even the strongest resolve. And he knows there is no one more obstinate than the blue fairy. Her defiance pleases him; it would be no fun at all if she doesn't put up a fight. He knows this wouldn't bring Bae back, he knows now how very slim the chances are of ever seeing his son again. They couldn't leave this place without losing the memory of those they love most. It is his fault that he lost Bae, no one knows that better than him – he accepts it. But Blue shares a responsibility in that as well and he needs to blame someone other than himself before it destroys him completely.
She doesn't know how much time has passed, but it feels like days. Her skin crawls as if there are thousands of tiny bugs burrowing just beneath the surface. She could still taste him on her tongue, his musty smell lingers in her nostrils making her nauseous. Her throat is raw from endless screams for help, her voice weak and almost gone now. While she savors every moment of his absence, the biting chill in the air has set itself deep in her bones, her body shivering ceaselessly.
Despite having lost feeling in her arms, hands and feet, she could still feel the agonizing stiffness in her joints and limbs. She fears they may be permanently damaged. Reminding herself not to panic, she tries to think of a way to outsmart him. She couldn't stand just waiting for him to return and finish whatever dark plan he had in store. There is a way out of this, she just has to focus and wait for an opportunity.
Long minutes pass, or are they hours? Being left alone for so long left her with nothing else to do but think is making her stir-crazy. Her thoughts are at war with each other. Despite her best efforts, it is getting harder to convince herself that she is innocent in this. Hindsight is always 20/20, perhaps she should've helped him as they made their escape, ultimately preventing his meeting of the dark one. But her failure to do that in no way made her responsible for the curse, and it certainly doesn't justify this. He made his choices. Her heart sinks at the ominous tap-step of his cane on the floors above her, taking a deep breath as the door opens slowly. In spite of her attempts to control it, her fear renews with each step that brought him closer.
"Did you miss me, dearie?" he asks mockingly, his maniacal giggling resounding around them. Raw hatred burns in her eyes, glaring at him without a word. Gold could visibly see the trembling of her body as he approaches her, setting the bag of food on the ground beside her.
"Please just let me go. I swear I won't tell…" she pleads, her voice unrecognizable even to her. If she could fool him into thinking she wouldn't tell, she might have a chance.
"Yes, you will…" he states confidently, kneeling with difficulty before her. Removing her shoes and untying her ankles, he massages gently, restoring feeling and warmth with firm hands. Though confusing, Blue almost cries in relief as blood and feeling surge back into her feet.
"Does that feel better?" he asks, though his eyes lack any semblance of concern. She nods numbly, unable to form a word. He repeats the motion up each of her calves, squeezing and kneading to restore blood flow and warmth. It's a relief when he doesn't venture too much higher than her knees. She allows herself to hope that the worst of it is over as he unbound her wrists, creating friction and restoring warmth. His erratic behavior utterly baffles her – vicious and malignant one moment, kind and gentle the next.
"Oh, dearie, look what you did to your wrists…" he all but smiles rolling her shirt from her wrists, admiring the scars. Despite that she is bound through two layers of clothing, her skin is raw and red from struggling against the wire. He warms her hands with his hot breath, rubbing them between his own. She closes her eyes, reminding herself not to be fooled by his kindness. Her legs ache with the urge to kick him away from her and run, but with her torso still bound it is pointless. The feel of his touch is disgusting, as is his breath on her skin, but she couldn't bear to stop him either as he warms her freezing body. He finally releases her hands, leaving her mostly unbound as he opens the bag of food.
"I wasn't sure what you'd like more so I got a hamburger with french fries, chicken with mashed potatoes and vegetables, oh, and soup…" he says, holding up the medium sized cup. Her eyes narrow skeptically, shifting her gaze to his mischievous eyes.
"How do I know it's not poisoned?" Gold chuckles, mocking offense as he stares at her incredulously.
"You've already been kidnapped and bound. Why would I need to poison you now?" While she is still suspicious, she is also starving and she could see the steam coming off that cup.
"I'd like the soup first…please…" Without a moment's hesitation, he hands her the soup and a plastic spoon. She wraps her hands around the steaming cup, allowing its heat to seep into her shivering hands. She watches from the corner of her eye as Gold pulls out a stool out from behind the work table, setting it front of her. The muscles in her neck burn, too weak to lift her head. She always holds her head so high; strong, confident and proud. Now her head is lowered, her gaze downcast and far off, fearful of sparking his rage.
"How long have I been here?" she asks, unwilling to meet his eyes.
"A while…" came the vague reply. She rolls her eyes in frustration, tightening her fingers around the cup. She doesn't even bother with the spoon as she removes the lid, bringing it to her lips. She sips slowly allowing the hot liquid to burn on its way down, hoping in addition to warming her from the inside out the heat might also soothe her sore throat. It has the opposite effect, feeling more like someone had just scrubbed salt in an open wound with sandpaper.
"How did you get me here?" she asks hoarsely, hoping to piece together what had actually happened.
"Wouldn't you like to know…?" he taunts cheerfully. Given that he is injured, she knows there could only be one of two possibilities: he used magic, or he had someone else take her for him.
"Aren't you the one always going on about how magic always comes with a price?" she challenges, her voice sharp with a bitter edge. Gold cocks an eyebrow at her boldness, a smug smirk on his lips.
"You know, there are many potions in this dark world that are just as powerful as magic without bearing any of its consequences." He replies cryptically, confirming Blue's original suspicion. It is the only thing that made sense.
"So you did drug me…"
"I didn't do anything, dearie. You left a note at the convent explaining that your past life is just too painful and that you decided to cross the town border."
"I did no such thing!" Blue tries to shout, but her voice is almost gone now. She has no memory of writing a letter, horrified as she thought of what else he made her do that she couldn't remember.
"Ah, but you did…you wrote it by your own hand. You are quite apologetic to Snow and Charming for lying about the wardrobe." Her eyes widen tearfully, no longer able to suppress her despair. If they thought she left, no one would come looking for her. She would be cursed to remain here until he killed her or let her go – uncertain of which outcome would be worse.
"You should have seen Charming's face when I told him of the deal you made with Gepetto, a mix of anger, confusion and betrayal. And that pretty little Nova didn't give you a second thought, she ran straight to the man you tore away from her…" He laughs inwardly, knowing it would make her feel abandoned, hopeless, and utterly alone…just like he had been.
"You're lying…" she whimpers, her cheeks wet with fresh tears. Her voice trembles, and Gold could see the doubt form on her face. She is starting to break.
"You only wish I were…" he growls darkly. Before she could say another word, a wave of dizziness passes through her; the room spins as her vision blurs. She struggles to focus on Gold, a cruel smile forming on his lips. Realization stung like a slap to the face.
"What did you give me…?" her speech slurs as her eyes roll back, struggling to stay awake.
"Sorry dearie…" he croons without an ounce of remorse. It is the last thing she hears before the darkness takes her.
Gold leaves her bound in the chair as he eats the hamburger and french fries. It occurs to him that he didn't plan this out as thoroughly as he should have. He doesn't have an ultimate endgame; he only planned as far as getting her here and making her suffer to no end.
He 'borrowed' a few vials of Jefferson's specialty drug that is rather effective in rendering one unconscious, but also leaves memories intact. The whole point of this is to make her remember his son, to remember what she stole from him. To do all of this only to have her forget is pointless. It's why he doesn't want to take her to the town border or kill her either; he wants her to live with it every day, just as he had done for 300 years.
A cruel smile forms on his thin lips, deciding it could be more fun to simply taunt her with all the various possibilities. Threatening her with a lifetime of being tortured, held as a madman's sex slave, or making her believe he plans to impregnate her to replace his son. While there is no replacing Bae and just the mere idea sickens him, making her believe that's what he wants is too tempting to pass up.
After he finishes eating, Gold removes the wire from her torso and tosses it aside, dragging her from the chair to the center of the room. He chains her ankles with shackles that are fixed in the walls, leaving her hands unbound until she gives him reason to restrain them. His leg is on fire after all the physical exertion of the day and he sits down in the chair, propping his leg on the stool as he massages it gently. He wonders what she dreams of, watching as she sleeps so peacefully. Gold is forever plagued by nightmares, images of his son and Belle, haunted by lifetimes of regret. It's only fair she suffers the same.
Her mind is fuzzy as she returns to consciousness, vile images flashing behind her eyelids. She is lying down, her hands are no longer bound and she is warm – shielded from the biting cold. For the briefest of moments, she allows herself to believe that this had all been a horrific nightmare. But as she moves her feet, the weight of cold metal clamped around her ankles restrains her movements. Hopelessness is renewed. As the drug induced stupor lifts and her eyes open, she realize that he had covered her with his suit jacket.
"Welcome back…" the sound of his soft voice behind her makes her cringe. Her chest quivers with suppressed rage that could never escape her lips, with crushing despair that would strangle her heart. She hears him rise behind her, leaning over her as he removes his jacket from her torso. It's a shock – and also a relief – to find that she is still fully clothed. Perhaps, she hopes fiercely, he doesn't intend to rape her as she fears. Not that it made much difference, being repeatedly tortured isn't a better fate by comparison.
"Stand up…" It is a simple command, and she is simply too tired to fight him. As she sat up slowly, she saw that her chains hooked into the walls. Her heart sank as she resigned to the fact that there would indeed be no escape from this hell. She rose on un-sturdy legs, standing firm before him as their eyes locked.
"Have you given any thought to what I said?" he asks calmly. She nods once in response, wanting to tell him exactly what she thought of him. But she also doesn't want to endure his wrath, so she remains silent. "And…?" he prods in the lingering silence. Her eyes fall, knowing what she is about to say will likely result in a world of pain
"I am sorry for what you have endured in your life, that you felt you're only option is to become cursed." She purses her lips, inhaling deeply as she steels her nerves. "But I cannot be blamed for your choices. You didn't need to kill the dark one and take his powers. You could have just used him and returned the dagger after he saved your son. You created this dark curse and Regina cast it; you're the evil ones here, not me. Not the fairies..." He circles around her like a vulture circles its prey, his jaw clenched and grinding at her words. Though, an eerie, satisfied smile forms on his lips that sent shivers down her spine as he moves around her.
"I am evil…Regina is evil…we are blamed for everything…" he whispers, pressing his chest against her back. She swallows hard, her breath coming in quick pants as his mouth brushes against her ear. "It's time you start sharing that burden."
Her struggle renews with fervor as he began collecting her skirt at the hem, rolling it up her thighs. Instinctively, she jams her elbow into his rib cage, trying to turn and hit him again. But the chains on her ankles throw her off balance, causing her to fall back against his chest. He caught her around the waist with ease, steadying her on her feet.
She regrets her action the moment she hears him grunt with surprise, apologizing profusely as he coughs for breath behind her. Though there is a large part of her that is pleased as she listens to him gasping to catch his breath. But her victory is short lived as she feels a metal band clamp tightly around her scarred wrist. Grabbing her other arm forcefully, he secures her hands behind her back.
"So much for being nice…" he groans hoarsely. An exasperated sigh escapes her, bracing herself for whatever assault is about to take place. She listens and she waits for his hand to hit her, his voice to mock her – the inevitable sound of his zipper.
"Nuh…" She inhales sharply when the cold steel of a knife presses against her throat, pulling her back against him. She holds her breath unable to cry, afraid if she so much as blinks he'll stab her through the heart. Without a word he drags the blade lightly over skin to her sweater, popping off one button at a time.
"I try to be kind and rather than say thank you, you fight me…" The air is thick with her terror as he cuts the garment open with painstaking precision. His eyes dance maliciously, watching her intensely as his hand brushes over her breasts. Her face burns with a new humiliation as he slips the sweater from her shoulders, letting it bunch at her wrists.
"Even your kindness feels evil..." she whispers with the last of her courage.
"Well, if it's the beast you want, dearie…" He rips her blouse open, gripping her jaw in his fingers, "It's the beast you shall get." He steps behind her, slicing her skirt from her body and cutting her nylons open at the hip.
She sways back and forth, trying to keep her balance on the uneven ground. It is difficult enough to keep her balance when her hands were unbound, but now that her hands are behind her it feels as though she would fall backwards at any moment. Her nerves quiver with terror, the knife cuts her bra straps and rather than remove it he walks back around to face her. She avoids his vicious glare as he slides the knife over her abdomen and up her torso. With a flick of his wrist he cuts the garment between her breasts and it joins what remains of her shredded clothing, leaving her clad in underwear and torn nylons.
"The only thing that separates us, Blue…" he continues calmly "…is that Regina and I admit who we are. People know exactly who we are and what to expect from us. But you…" She turns away as the blade is brought to the edge of her face, trailing it down her cheek until it rests below her chin. With gentle force, he coaxes her with the blade to face him.
"…You fly around above the world watching it burn, granting the wishes of some yet destroying the happiness of others. And you are called 'good'? I give people what they want for a price, and they call me evil…"
"You are evil…" she whispers, holding his gaze.
"Am I?" his fist grips her hair, forcing her head back. "Who stopped the ogre wars and led the children home? Hmm? Was it the good, pure fairies? No, it was thedark one…in an attempt to save his son." She sighs heavily in relief when the knife is pulled away from her throat. But with the fire that burns in his eyes, with the way his voice trembles as he speaks; she knows the worst is yet to come.
"Decades of war ended in mere minutes as I walked onto the battlefield! Thousands of men would be alive and countless families could have been spared unimaginable pain had you bothered to care!" she turns away before he could strike her, no longer able to suppress her tears as her body trembles uncontrollably.
"That's not our fault –" she whispers talking more to herself than him. He chuckles mercilessly as he grips her jaw, pulling her back to face him. His eyes lock intently on hers as if searching for something, trailing his thumb along her lips. All at once the wild rage is gone from his eyes, replaced by something she couldn't define.
"You say that fairies are good, that they cannot lie…" Gold says staring at her expectantly. She nods in reply. "Very well," he pushes her face away from him, moving behind her.
Panic all but stops her heart at the sound of his belt being unbuckled, sliding through the loops of his pants.So this is it... All the lifetimes that she's wondered about what it would feel like to make love, and it is about to turn it into the most vile and painful experience of her existence. She yelps involuntarily when she hears him snap the leather on itself, causing Gold to laugh. Her breath came in quick and frantic gasps as she realizes that he had no intention of raping her, unsure if she should be relieved or terrified at the prospect.
Gold slides his fingertips into the waistband of her underwear, sliding the garment down just enough to expose her ass and upper thighs. He lets his fingertips trail over her pure, unblemished skin, admiring the perfect round shape of her ass. By the time he is done it would be raised with red welts and cuts. A disgusted whimper escapes her lips at his touch and he smiles cruelly – he is truly going to enjoy this.
"I'm going to ask you a series of questions. If you tell the truth I will leave you untouched. If you tell a lie, or I prove you have lied in the past I will strike you with the belt…" she yells sharply as the leather belt struck her left side at the hip. "Or the cane…" she gasps again as his cane struck her right hip, "Your choice…" Her skin tingles and burns as she struggles for breath, her face flushing crimson with humiliation. "Pick one dearie…tick tock…" he commands, striking her with the belt again.
"The belt!" she cries quickly before he could strike her again with the cane.
"Very well, now then, did you or did you not tell Snow and Charming that only one person could go through the portal?" She exhales heavily, the tears already streaming from her eyes.
"But that –" the slap of the belt across her ass resounds with the echo of her cries.
"Yes or no!?"
"Yes…" she whispers breathlessly.
"Is that a lie?" she swallows hard, closing her eyes.
"Yes…" another slap echoes as the burning intensified, her breath stolen away as the room spins around her. The cold air makes the sting of each slap that much worse. Combined with the over-sensitivity of her nerves and this newest form of torture, he is breaking her. She is mentally exhausted and her body can't take much more.
"Did you tell Grumpy that he and Nova couldn't be together because she is going to be a fairy godmother, when you knew full well you'd never let that happen?"
"Yes, but what do you care of –?" her voice caught in her throat, her body seizing from the intense pain and lack of oxygen.
"I care because you deliberately kept two people in love apart for no other reason than you could! And there is no worse curse than being kept apart from the people you love!" he seethes, striking her twice on each side. He could see her shoulders trembling; her body bent forward almost falling to the ground to escape his torment. With the way he bound her hands behind her it is hard to hit just her back, resulting in red welts across her back, arms, legs and ass. Gold clears his throat, regaining control of his emotions before continuing.
"And you would be wise to bite that tongue of yours unless you truly want to suffer…" she nods in understanding but says nothing. He moves around her, wanting to see her eyes as he asks his next question.
"Did you know that Belle was captured by Regina after I released her?" her eyes close, releasing a trembling breath.
"Yes."
"Did you save her?" her eyes remain closed, shaking her head in response. Closing what little distance remains between them, he orders her to open her eyes. She could hardly breathe, the sweat dripping down her face as all coherent thought left her body. Her normally bright blue eyes are wide with terror; tear-soaked, bloodshot and red rimmed from all the abuse she's suffered. "Tell me why. I only ask because I wish to know the criteria for being helped by the 'good', kind fairies…" his calm voice masks the murderous rage boiling just beneath the surface.
"Regina's castle is protected…" came her raspy voice. Gold would have laughed if she wasn't being serious. Moving around her he struck her so hard it drew blood on the back of her leg.
"But you're Reul Ghorm…you're more powerful than the dark one – or so you've managed to convince people." He mocks her, his fury firing through him, "Tell me dearie, which is it? Are fairies truly more powerful than the dark one, or have you simply mastered the art of manipulation using a most powerful substance? Cause you seem pretty damn helpless without it…"
"Fairy dust is more powerful –" he turns sharply, bringing the belt across her backside. The force of the slap knocks the breath out of her, almost knocking her to the ground. But she is determined to remain standing. She couldn't let him break her.
"I didn't ask about fairy dust, I asked about fairies! You turned that man into a cricket after his deal with me went awry. Why is his wish granted where so many others are denied? You turned Pinocchio into a real boy granting Gepetto's greatest wish, what made him worthy to be given such a gift?" When she didn't reply immediately, his grip fists in her hair, pulling her head back to his shoulder.
"Did you consider Belle tainted by the dark one and therefore not worthy of saving?" a choked sob is her only reply. Throwing her head forward he strikes her again. "If you were too cowardly to save her yourself, you could have sent word to me and I would've saved her!"
"Stop this…please; I'm sorry!" She manages to scream at last.
"You're sorry!? After all this, you think I want an apology?" he spit the words with such malice she is certain he is going to kill her. "Belle was entirely innocent and you left her to suffer in that prison. Yet you rallied all the fairies and stormed King George's castle to assist Snow White in rescuing Charming –a castle he wasn't even in!"
He lashes the inside of her thighs, her arms, her back; nothing is safe from his fury – enjoying the blood and angry welts that marred her formerly unblemished skin. His heart hammers in his chest, his body trembling with an all-consuming hatred and malice, unable to strike her hard enough to satisfy his rage. He is panting for breath from the exertion by the time he stops; the blue fairy an incoherent, sobbing mess on her knees. He falls to his good knee behind her and once again pulled her head back, his lips touching the shell of her ear.
"And speaking of Regina…why didn't you save her? Once upon a time she was as innocent as they come – in love with a stable boy, not wishing to harm anyone. All she wanted was freedom from her mother..." His grip tightens, pulling her hair harder as he growls through clenched teeth, "And you left her to the devices of Cora – of the dark one – until she had no choice but to become evil. Regina tried everything she could think of to escape before she called on me and you stood idly by and watched her snap." Her eyes are hollow as tears fall numbly, unable to form a word as the darkness circles around her.
"I never sought out the people who called on me for help. They only came to me out of desperation after having been ignored by you. And that's what they call good?" He pushes her forward and she falls like dead weight. Whether she is conscious or not, dead or alive – he doesn't care. Leaning heavily on his cane, he leaves her alone in darkness.