Finding You Always

Darkness on the Edge of Town

Chapter 94: Darkness on the Edge of Town

Present Day - New York City

In his six months of preparation, Gold had done his research. While he would have rather sought out Ursula first, being that the sea witch was the most level headed of the three, he knew Cruella would be easiest to find. She wasn't someone who kept a low profile and Cruella was a name that stuck out like a sore thumb. Of the millions of people in New York City, only one Cruella popped up. In her short time in this realm, Cruella had already made waves and married a wealthy Wall Street tycoon by the name of Feinberg. So finding his way to this Feinberg's Long Island mansion had been the simplest part of all that was to come.

Cruella certainly knew how to take care of herself and wasn't at all squeamish about marrying for status or money. Nor was she shy about telling people exactly that. She actually boasted about what a truly horrible person she was; she relished it. Cruelty was in her name, after all. She delighted in torture and murder, though she was endlessly annoyed that she couldn't commit the later. Rumple wondered if the author realized just how many lives he had probably saved by writing that ability away from her.

Cruella presented on the surface the perfect villain; almost to the point that she was a charicture of herself. She was rotten to her very core, knew it, and loved it, thank you very much. He wasn't exactly sure what a happy ending for Cruella looked like, but he was sure it wasn't for the faint of heart. Needless to say, though he loathed it, she would be an important part of this operation. Her ability alone to control animals could cause devastating chaos in a place like Storybrooke. There would be no heroes in his way if they were too busy fighting off raging beasts under her spell. And once she served her purpose, Gold would be sure to be rid of her, for while she couldn't kill anyone, she was still capable of hurting people. It was a very fine line and she was a loose canon. It would be too risky to Belle and Baelfire to let her live once she served her purpose.

She would help him under the guise of getting her happy ending and then he'd see to it that she became Hades' problem. For now, he needed her as an ally.

"Well, well, this is certainly a surprise. Hello dahling," Cruella greeted, as the door after shooing the butler away.

"Cruella," he stated coolly.

"You've certainly done well for yourself in the six months you've been in this realm," he mentioned. She looked curious at his statement.

"So...you knew we came to this land. For how long?" she asked.

"Almost since you first arrived," he revealed.

"Well, if you're here, then it must mean you want something," she surmised.

"I do. But I have something you want as well," he replied.

"Oh...this I must here then," Cruella said.

"You and your...associates want a way into Storybrooke. I can provide that," he stated.

"And what is it you want in return?" she inquired.

"The hat," he said. Cruella chuckled.

"Of course...but you take me for a fool if you think we'll just hand it over," Cruella retorted.

"Of course not. What I'm proposing is an alliance to get what we all want. We need more than just the hat," he replied.

"You're looking for the author too then," she said. He smirked.

"I don't have to. I know exactly where he is," Rumple revealed. Her nonchalant smugness turned to surprise.

"You know where he is? You can find him?" she asked. He smirked.