In Storybrooke, Mr. Gold strives to be the man Bae used to love--until Belle is kidnapped to Neverland. If he resumes his Dark One powers to save her, can he control them? In the Enchanted Forest, Emma battles ogres, zombies and her ex to get back h...
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Evil Queen (Regina Mills): Then, what you saw, what I told you - you must keep it a secret. Can you do that? (The Stable Boy)
As Mr. Gold gazed into Belle's fervent blue eyes, he felt his anxieties melting. True love-the most unfathomable magic in all the universes. No matter what horror I bring to her, she's on my side. Gently, he entwined her fingers with his. "Sweetheart. You always look for the best in things. And when it doesn't exist... you create it."
"Oh, Rumple." The frown dimple he cherished appeared in Belle's forehead. "I'm not making things up. You did put Zoso's powers to a noble use. You stopped the Frontlands Massacres."
Indeed. And that first day, my killing Captain Hordor, his four lackeys, the ogre chieftain, Duke Argus, and six of his lords bothered no one. Mr. Gold flourished his free hand. "The end of the massacres was a happy occasion for the Frontlands, granted, but far from a happy ending-at least for me. When the celebrations were over and everyone returned to their usual lives, I couldn't. I'd changed too much. For a while, I continued to spin and weave, fulfilling deals I'd made before I became the Dark One, but I began bartering bits of magic as well. To my face, my petitioners were impressed and grateful. But with my newfound powers, I could sense what they really felt. More often than not, it was jealousy, resentment, and fear."
Belle winced. "Poor Rumple. That must have been disheartening."
Mr. Gold shrugged. "At the time, my growing awareness of my neighbors' dark sides seemed-how should I put this? Enlightening. At first, I kept my insights to myself-until one day, the tanner's wife came asking for an elixir to cure her mother-in-law's fever. Without hesitation, I replied, 'But what you really want, dearie, is to inherit her gold necklace.'" And my cackling at Edwina's indignation made the village quake.
Belle bit her lip. "Selfish impulses-we all have them. We all have to fight them."
"And the Dark One's mission is to make people give in."
Belle clicked her tongue.
My darling. Mr. Gold smiled. Your refusal to concede the truth is so endearing. "Earlier this evening, you said you'd read about me in this world's 'Rumpelstiltskin' and 'Beauty and the Beast.' I told you I figure in 'Peter Pan' and 'Cinderella' as well."
Tentatively, Belle nodded.
"Well, there's another character that describes what I became more closely than Hook's crocodile, Ella's conjurer, or your cursed beast-even more than the gold-spinning hobgoblin that carries my name." Mr. Gold took a deep breath. "The devil."
* * * * *
Where's that ditsy Tinker Bell? Tamping down her frustration, Emma edged closer to Neal. They'd reached that maddening point in their wait where enough time for an exhilarating quickie had come and gone, but yielding to temptation now would likely catch them with their pants down. And if not tonight, when? Once they rejoined their companions, privacy would be impossible.
