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Ever since Rumpelstiltskin returned to Storybrooke, it seemed like one event followed another. In between the family reunion, being on the verge of death, and stopping Cora, Rumpelstiltskin finally found some time to deal his personal life after choosing to remove himself from the Charming family drama as fast as he could. He had other things to tend to, namely to figure out how to approach his relationship with Bae. Not to mention, he had to deal with Belle's lost memories.
Since his son was dealing with his own problems, Rumpelstiltskin wanted to give Bae some space. After all, he was an adult, and he was choosing to be a part of Henry's life, which was a part of the Charming family drama, hence why Rumpelstiltskin was keeping his distance. Besides, his priority right now was more important. The love of his life had forgotten her memories, and that part didn't sit well with him.
After recovering from his trip outside Storybrooke, Rumpelstiltskin took some time to observe his situation. He learned that Belle had recovered with no major injuries, and after visiting her at the hospital, her attitude toward him was different from the last time he met her. He was still a stranger to her, and although she was no longer yelling at him to stay away from her, she was still not the Belle he used to know.
After a clean bill of health, she was discharged from the hospital, but Rumpelstiltskin didn't like what he saw. The Belle he knew was gone, replaced by woman who called herself Lacey.
It didn't take him long to figure out that Regina had decided to meddle into his affairs to jog Belle's cursed memories. He was fine to deal with the fact that Belle had no idea who he was, but now he had to deal with her false memories, along with her new persona.
It was difficult for him to witness Belle with her cursed memories. He would see her around town with her long hair bound together in a bun. Often, she would wear short skirts and high heels, walking around town without the burden of responsibility or a care for her modesty. At night she would hang out at the bars like The Rabbit Hole until the early morning, staggering drunkenly down the streets, or striking up conversations with other men night after night.
Nothing pained him more than to see Belle living in a shell of her former self. Her cursed memories had completely taken over, but he could see that she still had some of her integrity intact. More than anything, she was wary of him even though they were on civil terms, and he would find himself reminiscing the times when they would have lunch together. He’d always forward to her visits to her smiling face and cheerful demeanor and it would make his day a little better.
Knowing that it would do more harm than good, Rumpelstiltskin kept his distance from Belle until he could figure out how to return her memories. To keep himself busy, he would wake up, get ready for work, and open his shop, knowing it didn’t make a difference. Everyone in town knew where he lived, but in order to get out of the house, Rumpelstiltskin opened his shop to show Regina that he was not bothered with her ploy to make him miserable. What Rumpelstiltskin expect was an early visitor.
He was in the back of the shop when he heard the bell ring. It was in the afternoon, and since he would rather want to be left alone, he didn’t immediately come out to greet the customer. It wasn’t until he heard the sound of heels clicking upon the hardwood floor that grabbed his attention. When he finally exited the back room, Rumpelstiltskin was surprised to see Belle standing in his shop.
She was peering at the odd objects in the glass cases, but it didn’t stop her from touching the other memorabilia that were on the counters with her long manicured nails. Today, she was wearing a somewhat modest dress. The tight number was just a few inches from her knees, matching her pair of stilettos that brought her to an even height when he approached her.
“What can I do for you today?” Rumpelstiltskin asked her, wondering why she was in his shop in the first place. This was the first time he had seen her in here. He knew because she was rarely out in daylight. Lacey was more of a night owl.
“I have something to show you.” She gave him a coy smile and he couldn’t help but notice her red painted lips. Then, his eyes flickered to her hand as she pulled something out of her pocket. When she opened the palm of her hand, he found himself staring at a golden necklace. He recognized it immediately, down to the intricate details. The golden circular pedant encompassing a single tree was a giveaway. “I believe you know who it belongs to.”
“As a matter of fact, I do, but the question is why have you brought it to me?”
“I want to know how much it’s worth.”
“Why? Clearly, it doesn’t belong to you.”
“I was curious.”
“If you don’t mind telling, how did you get off Regina’s neck?”
“She might have misplaced it.” Rumpelstiltskin gave her a look.
“Okay,” she sighed. “Regina may have dropped it somewhere and I happened to pick it up.”
“Yet you have it in your hands.”
“I am going to return it to her.”
“Then why are you so eager to find out the market value?” The woman shrugged, and Rumpelstiltskin couldn’t decide if she was here because Regina sent her to get a rise out of him, or she was desperate for money.
“Like I said, I was curious.” She gave him another smile and took a step closer to him. “So, are you going to tell me, or not?” Rumpelstiltskin decided to play her game.
“I don’t know what to tell you, dearie. It’s a sentimental piece, hardly of value to me.”
“Then, I guess I should return it to Regina.”
“What you do is not my business.”
“Really, Mr. Gold, is that how you’re to play it?”
“Pardon?”
“I know you have been following me,” she told him.
“I think you’re mistaken.”
“I’ve seen you going around town, showing up everywhere I go.”
“It’s a free country, and this town is rather small.”
“Mr. Gold,” she stated firmly as moved closer to him. “Why are you stalking me?” For a second, his throat tightened. He forced himself to think of a valid answer, but he couldn’t. Having her so close, Rumpelstiltskin didn’t know what to say. The truth would only turn her away.
He could still remember the look of fear in her eyes when he kissed her, and when that didn’t work, he tried to show her the chipped cup, hoping that it would jog her memory of their time together at the castle. Things didn’t go according to plan and seeing the shattered glass lying on the hospital floor was a wakeup call that he was quickly running out of options. Without magic, he didn’t know how to handle this situation, so he figured he would observe her behavior instead of scaring her. It was a logical approach. However the plan was beginning to fall apart.
“I am only looking out for you, dearie.” It was closer to the truth, not that he was planning to lie to her. Yet, it didn’t stop her from rolling her eyes.
“I’m a grown woman, Mr. Gold. I don’t need you to look after me.”
“I am only concern for your safety,” he tried to sound sincere, but she was immune to his deception. Clearly, she knew how to read him.
“Why is that?” Taking a step back, she folded her arms across her chest. “Don’t you have a reputation to uphold?”
“And what reputation is that?”
“You own half this town, Mr. Gold. I’m sure you didn’t acquire it through your sparkling personality,” she retorted sardonically. “So, I’m going to ask you again. Why are you following me?”
This time, he took a step toward her, closing the distance between them. He saw the panic in her eyes as she tried to stagger back, but he grabbed her elbow before she could turn away from him.
“I find you interesting, is that what you wanted to hear?” The word “dearie” was hanging at the tip of his tongue, but he stopped himself from saying it. The last thing he wanted was for her to think that he was patronizing her. He expected her to turn away with a look a disdain on her face, but she didn’t. Instead, she gave him an amused grin as if she knew it was his answer all along. Then, without breaking eye contract, she wretched her elbow out of his grip and turned away.
“You know, Mr. Gold,” she told him as she reached the front door. “There’s nothing wrong with telling the truth.” The bell rang when she pulled the door open, and looking over her shoulder, she gave him a smirk. “I guess I’ll see you around.” With that, she left him standing in the middle of his shop.
To say that he was bewildered was an understatement. A part of him expected her to tell him to stay away from her like she had done previously. What he didn’t expect was for her to approach him in such a manner. Gold had a reputation of being a dangerous man, and it didn’t faze her at all. In that moment, he realized that getting Belle’s memories back was going to be challenge, but it was not going to stop him from trying. After all, she fell in love with him once before when he was a monster. This time, he was willing to love her, even if she has her faults.