#you have to take apart the slicer and wash the parts in the sink. so there is no way you actually didnt use the sink after 8:30. pls be

[oysterie]

😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁👍👍👍👍👍👍

[kelyon]

Golden Rings 25: A Challenge

The Storybrooke sequel to Golden Cuffs

Lacey faces her greatest struggle yet. 

Read on AO3

She wakes up screaming. Her body is rigid, helpless, wracked with pain. Her tongue burns with the sour juice of an apple. Cruel hands are on her, pinching, clawing, grabbing--!

Her husband is already holding her, even before she understands that the nightmare is over. He rocks her back and forth like a child. He strokes her hair and murmurs soft words. He wipes away her tears. 

She cries until her chest hurts. Until she is wrung out from it. Until she has no more tears and her noises are more moans than sobs. He holds her through it all. He never lets her go. 

Gasping for breath, she tries to speak. It isn’t needed, he knows what memories plague her thoughts. She doesn’t need to explain herself to him. 

But she wants to say the words out loud. Fears are most powerful when they are hidden, like monsters lurking in deep water. If she brings them up to the surface, if she exposes them to the light, they will be weakened.

“It was--them.” Her chest heaves. She rests on him. He is there. No matter what, he is always there. 

“They’re not here,” he whispers, as he does every time this happens. “You’re home, you’re safe here, sweetheart.” He takes her hand, presses her wedding ring to his lips. “You are mine now. They will never hurt you again.”

Shuddering, she curls into a ball in his arms. “I know,” she whispers. “I know, Rumple. In my mind I have no doubts. In my heart, I trust you--I do! But these nightmares, these memories… They keep happening.”

“Less and less often.” He kisses the top of her head, clutches her tightly. “That is the way of pain--pain in the body and pain in the mind. It never disappears, but it can lessen. In time.”

She laces her fingers through his. Slowly, her breathing returns to normal. He’s right. For a while, this happened every night. She’d be so afraid of her nightmares that she wouldn’t sleep at all. Now the memories are a disturbance, not a certainty. Someday her terrors will be less than memories. 

“And you’ll be here for me, when I am in pain?”

“Always.” He kisses her head. When she tilts her face up, he kisses her lips. Softly, gently. “I will always protect you, sweetheart. I will always comfort you.”

Exhaustion overtakes her. Still in her husband’s arms, she sinks into the pillows of their marriage bed. 

“I love you, Rumple,” she murmurs. 

He places a kiss on her temple. “And I love you, Belle. I will never let Regina hurt you again.”    

****

It was dark when Lacey opened her eyes. Her chest was tight. Her jaw had clenched as she slept. She didn’t move as she lay on her back in bed and let the dream wash over her. 

It hurt. It always hurt to dream of being loved, of having a husband who loved her. She kept telling herself that it didn’t matter, that she didn’t want Mr. Gold to love her. But the husband in her dreams wasn’t Mr. Gold. He was someone she called Rumple.

And Rumple called her Belle. Lacey was so desperate to be loved that her mind let her imaginary husband call her by the nickname her real husband had given to his boyfriend.   

Fuck, she was a nutcase. 

She had to get over him. These stupid dreams and delusions would never stop as long as she kept yearning for her husband. She needed to give herself to Mayor Mills. She would make everything better. When Mayor Mills finally owned her, then Lacey could stop deluding herself that she deserved love. She was a worthless, trashy, Old Town slut. No one worthwhile could ever love her, and Mayor Mills would never pretend to. Mayor Mills would punish her for existing, just like she deserved. 

It would all happen. Life would go back to normal. All her dreams would come true. Just as soon as she could prove to Mayor Mills that her marriage was dead.  

Gradually, the room lightened around her. She heard the noises of Mr. Gold getting out of bed. Water in the pipes as he washed his hands and brushed his teeth.  

She didn’t move until she heard the shower turn on. That was when she slunk across the hallway to what used to be their room. As she crept over the creaky floorboards, she rehearsed excuses for why she was there. She had forgotten something, some piece of jewelry or clothing she had left in the armoire. 

That was technically true. She was looking for jewelry.

For as long as she could remember, Mr. Gold had never taken off his wedding ring. Sometimes he would remove the large moonstone ring, but never the plain gold band that hid behind it. Not when he did messy house work, not when he showered, not when he slept.

Lacey was probably an idiot for thinking that might have changed, but how would she know if she didn’t try? She’d been watching him lately, trying to see if she could get his ring away from him. Every night for a week, she’d dried dishes that he washed, standing next to him at the sink making stilted small talk. Being that close to him made her want to tear her skin off with a cheese slicer, which was not quite the type of pain she was looking for. 

It hurt to be near him, it hurt to be away.

Quickly scanning the bedroom, Lacey looked at the dresser and the bedside table where he might have emptied his pockets the night before. His keys and his change were in the amber-brown cut glass dish where he always left them. No ring. 

There was a teacup on the nightstand, by what used to be her side of the bed. Lacey pressed her lips together. That fucking chipped cup had ruined her life. It was a symbol of how much he loved “Belle.” Balling her hands into fists, she crept closer to the bed and looked inside the teacup. 

Empty. 

That left only one more option, the riskiest one yet. Silently, Lacey went to the closed door of the bathroom and crouched in front of it so she could see through the keyhole. 

At first, she couldn’t see much through the steam. She knew she would be able to see the sink or the counter or any other place where Mr. Gold might have set his ring down. But as she squinted through the haze, she could see his body through the glass of the shower door. He was standing up, under the spray. His right hand was braced against the wall, keeping his weight off his bad ankle. 

His left hand, the hand where she could see a faint glint of gold, was pumping his cock. 

Lacey bit back a scream. Bastard! He was jerking off? He was thinking about his handsome Belle while still wearing his Goddamned wedding ring?

She backed away from the door while the world fell apart around her. She stared at the chipped cup, as though she could shoot lasers out of her eyes to blow it up. God, she wanted to smash that fucking thing into shards. She wanted to smash her skull in. The voice inside her was screaming and for once she didn’t want it to stop. She wanted to join it. She wanted to scream and wail until there was nothing left of her but pain. And then she wanted her husband--her Rumple--to comfort her, and hold her, and help her put the pieces of herself back together. 

She made it back to her room before she began to cry. She buried her head in a pillow to muffle the sound. Part of her wanted to let Mr. Gold hear, to know how much she hated him, how much she hated herself for loving him. He needed to know how much pain she was in. She had to tell him. She had to make him care about her!

But he didn’t. That made Lacey cry all the harder. He didn’t care about her. She could tell him everything and it wouldn’t change that fact. 

Her dream was even more bitter now. Rumple had promised that he would protect her from an outside threat, from some horrible person named Regina. He didn’t even think that he needed to protect her from himself--or from herself. Rumple would care if she was in pain. He would comfort her, and love her.

But Rumple wasn’t real. 

Rumple wasn’t real, and Mr. Gold didn’t care. Her only hope was Mayor Mills. 

****

One of the best parts of trying to prove herself to Mayor Mills was that Lacey had a reason to care about her appearance again. The ritual of clothes and makeup and jewelry helped her keep her mind off herself. It wasn’t like she mattered. That was why she needed to be decorated. She was just a fucktoy, a thing to be looked at and consumed. 

And she really, really, wanted to make Mayor Mills want to consume her today. Lacey’s hands shook as she attached her thigh-high stockings to her garter belt. These were real silk stockings, with a black line going up the back. Classy as fuck, like Mayor Mills herself. A tight black dress matched the stockings and the black heels. 

Heavy on the eye makeup today. Black mascara and eyeliner, shimmery dark gray on the lids. Sultry, seductive. Maybe just trashy enough that Mayor Mills would notice it, and insult her for it.

“Stupid whore,” Lacey whispered to her reflection as she lined her lips apple-red. She stared at her mouth and tried to imagine it was Mayor Mills speaking to her. “You desperate, needy little slut.”

She breathed. That felt better. 

Her own wedding ring was right where she had left it last night, in the bottom of her sock drawer. The night after Mayor Mills had made her offer, Mrs. Gold had taken off her wedding ring for the first time in as long as she could remember.  It had taken her hours to get to sleep that night. She’d kept rubbing the naked patch on her finger. It had felt so weird, so wrong.

Now it was easier. Today, she was ready to go a step farther. Lacey took the ring out of her sock drawer, but instead of sliding it onto her finger again, she dropped it into her royal blue clutch. Today would be the first time since she had gotten her wedding ring that she would go out in public without it on. At least she’d have that to show Mayor Mills. 

By the time she came down the stairs, Mr. Gold had already finished breakfast. He was folding the newspaper and getting ready to go. 

“Good morning,” he nodded to her politely. Then he stopped and looked again at her outfit. Yep, there was nothing wrong with his eyes or his cock. He just didn’t want her. “Are you going into town today?”

Lacey nodded and kept both hands behind her back. “I’ll grab breakfast at Granny’s.”

She would do no such thing, but this version of Mr. Gold liked to know she ate.

 As he drove them to the shop, Lacey wondered--again--if Mayor Mills knew what Mr. Gold’s ring looked like. One plain gold band was pretty much the same as any other, right? The other day, when he had left her alone in the shop, she had gone through the inventory of men’s rings and picked out a few likely candidates. If she had ever seen Mr. Gold taking off his ring, she would have tried to swap it out with a fake. As it was now, she might still try to pass off shop inventory as her husband’s private property. 

But he would be able to tell the difference if she tried to switch the rings. And even if Mayor Mills didn’t have Mr. Gold’s eye for antiques, she would know when she was being lied to. She was a smart, savvy woman in power. A useless idiot like Lacey couldn’t hope to fool her. 

Lacey, please stop insulting yourself. This is how you let yourself get hurt!  

The voice was getting pushy. Lacey waved it away from her mind like a wasp at a picnic. Besides, what the voice didn’t understand--what no one had ever understood, except for Mr. Gold and now Mayor Mills--was how much she wanted to get hurt.

****

Lacey managed to keep away from City Hall until around noon. She spent the morning walking in a spiral around town, circles getting smaller and smaller as she zeroed in on her target. 

She stayed away from the familiar stores today. If she went to Sugar’n’Spice or Hair Today! she might be tempted to tell Mara or Janine what she was planning. They would try to talk her out of it. They’d tell her that she deserved better--as if they knew anything about her. She also gave a wide berth to Marine Automotive and Game of Thorns. Lacey had only just gotten on better terms with Dad, she didn’t want to have to deal with his judgement again. And Uncle Manny only liked her so much because he remembered a little girl who could repeat jokes and read meaningless trivia out of books.

Her family, everyone who loved her, didn’t really know her at all. They loved the person she was in front of them--fun and smart and hard-working. They would never understand who she really was. Her darkest, ugliest, most depraved self. The part of Lacey that had slipped so easily into being Mrs. Gold. No one could ever love that version of her. 

Good thing she wasn’t looking for love.

Heart in her throat, Lacey climbed up the stairs to City Hall. What time did Mayor Mills usually take a lunch break? She didn’t know, but she would find out, wouldn’t she? If this worked out, she would know the mayor’s schedule intimately. 

As she thought about that scenario, Lacey’s breathing began to even out. Surely even someone as professional and orderly as Mayor Mills wouldn’t be above an occasional nooner. Of course Lacey would be available at any time of the day or night. If the mayor had a bad day and needed to unwind, if she was furious with the incompetence of the stupid bureaucrats and drones she worked with and needed to vent out her rage, then Lacey would be there. Ready and willing. For as long as Mayor Mills would have her. 

Lacey, she’ll kill you. Regina killed Sheriff Graham--she killed Maleficent! And her own father! If you take one step out of line, she will rip out your heart and crush it!

“Mr. Gold already did that,” Lacey muttered to herself as she opened the big double doors. The worst Mayor Mills could do would be to finish what her husband had started. 

The stuttering male receptionist told her that the mayor was in a private meeting, but of course Mrs. Gold was more than welcome to wait.

She sat in a hard red plastic chair directly in front of the mayor’s office. There was a magazine in her hands, but she couldn’t even pretend to read. Instead, she looked at the door. Then at the shiny black and white tiles. Then at her left hand, and the indentation in her fourth finger.  

Hours could have passed. Days, or years. What was time? It felt like she had been waiting all her life, or like she had never been alive before this moment. Or like she still hadn’t been born. Not yet, Not until--

The door opened. Mayor Mills was dressed impeccably in a black pantsuit. The blazer had a thin border of white around the lapels, to match the blouse underneath a black vest that was cut to accentuate her bust. She was stunning. And she was smiling. Not a smirk or a grin, but a real smile that radiated joy and triumph. 

Lacey’s breath caught. How could she have forgotten how magnificent she was?

However, her spirits sank when she saw just who Mayor Mills was holding the door open for. 

It was him. It was Mr. Gold’s “Belle.” The tall, handsome, well-dressed man who had destroyed every hope she’d had of a happy marriage. 

Jefferson!

Unlike Mayor Mills, the man left the office frowning. He held a battered old top hat under his arm, close to his chest. When he saw Lacey, his slate blue eyes went wide. His mouth opened, but it was Mayor Mills who spoke.

“Why, Mrs. Gold!” she smiled. “This is turning out to be a banner day! Please come in.”

The man stared at her, but she didn’t look at him as she hurried into the mayor’s office. She stood in the center of the circle on the floor while Mayor Mills shut the door behind her. There was an extra click as the door locked.

“You know, I must admit, I wasn’t expecting to have you back so soon, dear.” Mayor Mills came up behind her and wrapped her arm around her waist. The closeness made her gasp. The mayor’s hand took Lacey’s and rubbed approvingly along her naked fingers. “You’ll find I reward prompt obedience in my underlings.”

With a final squeeze, Mayor Mills broke her contact with Lacey and went behind her desk. An apple sat on the white stone surface. One of the mayor’s Honeycrisp apples, as red as blood. It already had a bite taken out of it. Mayor Mills sat in her black leather chair like it was a throne. 

“Now,” she said, “do you have something to show me?”

“Yes!” Fumbling with her clutch, Lacey pulled out her ring and set it on the desk next to the apple. 

Mayor Mills looked down at it, pleased but clearly expecting more. “And?” she said brightly. “Where’s the other one?”

Lacey opened her mouth. “I--” she began. “I don’t think we really need it. T-there’s nothing special about Mr. Gold’s wedding ring. I can prove my devotion to you in any number of way, Madame--”

“No!” The single word was a wrecking ball, crashing through all of Lacey’s pitiful excuses and desperate begging. “No, that is not good enough, you stupid whore!”

  Despite her fantasies, Lacey winced at the reality of the mayor’s wrath. It took all her strength to stay standing. She didn’t deserve to kneel. 

“I’m sorry,” she whimpered. 

“I gave you a job, you brainless blow-up doll! And when I tell people to do something, I expect it to get done!”

“You’re right, Madame Mayor. I’m so so--”

“Get out of here,” she snapped. Mayor Mills grabbed the half-bitten apple off her desk and dropped it into her purse. She started turning off the lights around the office. “Don’t come back until you can get Gold’s wedding ring away from him.” She unlocked the door and opened it. When she looked at Lacey again, some of her good mood seemed to have come back. “I promise you, dear, you’ll have plenty of time to make this up to me. Right now, I’ve got some baking to do.”

And she left.

****

 Standing alone in the middle of the mayor’s office, Lacey heard the click-clack of high heels on tile, fading away. 

“What the fuck?” Lacey whispered. For a moment, she wondered if the voice in her head would say something. But there was nothing. 

She was nothing. 

Nothing to Mr. Gold, and nothing to Mayor Mills. She wasn’t even important enough for them to hate or degrade. They didn’t care about her.

She was nothing. 

It was like she was in shock. She couldn’t move. If there was anything to hear or see, she didn’t notice it. Again she had the feeling of time evaporating into mist all around her. All her hopes of a future had just turned into ash and crumbled away. 

 Slowly, the door creaked open. A man’s head popped into the office. No, not just a man. The man. The man her husband had sex with and called “Belle.” The man he loved. 

“Are you okay?”

Lacey wanted to laugh. What a question! And from what a source! Sure, why not? Why not talk to “Belle”? It wasn’t like it could make this day any worse!

The man stepped into the office. He didn’t speak to her at first. He walked to the desk and picked up her wedding ring. He held it in his palm and smiled. 

“You know, I’ve never seen you without this on, in one form or another.” He held the ring out to her and she jolted back to life.

“How many times have you seen me?” She snatched the ring out of his hand. “I never saw you before a month ago. But I guess it makes sense that you knew about me before I knew about you. The wife’s always the last to know, right?”

The man didn’t match her anger. He just smiled at her, the same kind of condescending compassion usually reserved for children or morons. 

“Why did you think Regina would help you?” He tried to move his hands, but he was limited with the hat under his arm. “Now me, I knew exactly what I wanted, and I demanded payment in advance. That’s the only way to deal with her. She’s not like your husband.”

“Please don’t talk about him,” Lacey hissed. “Or about her. Or about anything! Why are you even here? Just to torture me?”

His smile vanished, his eyes filled with tenderness. “I’m not your enemy,” he said. 

“No, you’re my rival. Are you fucking both of them? Do you seek out people I might have an interest in and seduce them before I can get a chance? Did you dig up my old high school boyfriend and rock his world too?” God, it felt good to be angry, to have somewhere to direct her anger that wasn’t at herself. Jefferson could take it. 

“I’m not fucking Regina.” He was almost sardonic as he said it. “One thing I learned in my travels is don’t put your dick in crazy. That’s something you should have thought of before you came here, missy.”

Lacey rolled her eyes and stomped out of the office. The man stayed behind her until they were out of City Hall. On the front steps, he grabbed her arm. Not hard, just enough to get her attention. Just enough to turn her around to face him.

“So what’s your plan now?” he challenged her. “Regina was kind of loud in there, I couldn’t help overhearing your predicament.”

“And you want to help?” Of course he did, he wanted Mr. Gold all to himself. 

“I want to know what you’re thinking,” he said. His mouth twitched and he looked away for a minute. “I wanna know how badly all this has fucked you up.”

She scoffed and began to walk again. She didn’t know where she was going, but it didn’t matter. Away from this weirdo. Away from everything.

 She stopped at the crosswalk and watched Sheriff Swan’s yellow bug turn the corner onto Mifflin Street. Was she going to Mayor Mills’ house? Why? God, was everyone having sex with each other except her?

The man was still following her. “Listen,” he said. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk? Maybe you have questions for me? We’ve got a lot in common.”

The thought made Lacey want to gag. The swell of anger was the push she needed to turn on her heel and face this homewrecker. 

“Why does he call you Belle?” she spat. “Mr. Gold doesn’t like nicknames and it doesn’t make any sense to call a man that. So what’s the story there?”

He blinked. The face he made seemed to be genuine shock. He looked her in the eyes when he asked, “You think I’m Belle?”

Lacey was going to scream. “Oh, good God! How many people is he cheating on me with?”

The man held up his hands. “Just me, as far as I know. I can’t imagine him with anyone but me and you.”

“And Belle,” Lacey taunted them both with the name. “I know that Belle exists and I know that he loves her. If that isn’t you, then who the fuck is it?”

Exhaling, Jefferson scratched the back of his head. “Um,” he said. “Wow. Okay. Um. Have you… ever talked to your husband about Belle?”

She bristled, crossed her arms over her chest. “Where do you think I got the piddling information I have? Yes, Mr. Gold says that Belle is real. He talks about her like she’s a woman--actually, he talks about her like she’s an angel, but that’s neither here nor there. He says that he loves her and that she trusts him.”

“Do you trust him?”

Lacey scowled. “Why should I?” 

“Because he loves you.”

She let out a bitter laugh. “No. He doesn’t. Never did, never will.”

The man made a noise, a wordless expression of pity. He looked at her like she didn’t understand something blindingly obvious.

“You can’t expect me to believe that Mr. Gold loves me.”

“Mr. Gold? Nah. But your husband? Honey, your husband loves you more than anything in any world.”

She couldn’t speak. Tears welled up in her eyes. She turned away so he wouldn’t see, bracing herself against a fence. It was plastic made to look like wood, the sort of thing you got in the bad part of New Town. Up ahead, the yellow bug was on Main Street again. Must have been a short visit.

“Why are you doing this?” she whispered. The man was still behind her. “Isn’t Mr. Gold loving me a bad thing for you?”

He shook his head. “I’ve got a wife of my own. I’m gonna see her soon. I’ve got a piece of what I need for that.” He held up the top hat, as if that explained how he was going to get back to Leona. “Point is, there are some people that belong together. They’re a matched set. In one world or another, they’ll find each other.”

Lacey shook her head. “That’s only true in fairy tales.”

Jefferson patted her on the back. “Exactly.”

She shook her head and started walking again, faster than before. Somewhere in the distance, ambulance sirens blared. Behind her, the man picked up his pace to catch up with her.

“You keep following me and I’m going to call Sheriff Swan.”

He shook his head. “Emma’s got her own problems right now. Hopefully, she’ll have her own solutions too. You need to figure out yourself, sweetheart.”

Sweetheart.

Someone called her that. Not this man, not any of her friends or family, no boy she’d ever dated, but a man. A man who loved her. 

Rumple.

Lacey wiped at her eyes again. God, her makeup was probably ruined. “Alright, Jefferson, fine. If you have all the answers, why don’t you tell me what they are?”

The man got ahead of her and stopped walking. He looked at her like he couldn’t believe his eyes. His mouth was open, but it took him a moment to speak. 

“Two questions,” he said at last. “One at a time. First, what do you want from your husband?”

She sighed. There was no way she could tell this man what she really wanted from Mr. Gold. And she couldn’t very well tell Mr. Gold about it either. So she settled for the next best thing. 

“I want him to give me his wedding ring so I can give it to Mayor Mills.”

The man pressed his lips together and nodded. “Okay, well, you’re going to have to tell him that.”

“What?”

“Just be honest with him. Tell him that Regina wants your wedding rings. Tell him that she wants to hurt you and you want to let her. You’ve tried everything else, haven’t you? Maybe that’s the only thing that will work.”

Lacey shook her head. “That would never work! Mr. Gold isn’t going to give me something just because I ask for it!” 

Jefferson shrugged. “He’s fair, isn’t he? Make it a deal, truth for truth. Maybe he’ll surprise you.”

She kept shaking her head. This man might have fucked her husband, but he didn’t know him at all. 

“Second question.” He held up two fingers. “And then I have to go. School’s letting out and I need to see my daughter. But the question is,” he leaned forward, and looked her straight in the eyes. “How did you know my name is Jefferson?”

He didn’t wait for an answer. With a showy flourish, he spun around and put the top hat on his head. Then he sauntered off, with Lacey alone on the sidewalk.   

 ****

She trudged along by herself, from the New Town mansions to the Main Street shops. Unlike her frantic spiral to City Hall, Lacey walked slowly now, in a straight line. There was no avoiding where she was going, where she had to go. But there wasn’t any hurry either. 

He was right--the man, Jefferson, whatever--she had to talk to Mr. Gold. Lying and sneaking around hadn’t worked. But maybe they could make a deal. She couldn’t imagine what he would demand as payment, if she asked to be freed from their marriage.

 If nothing else, Dad would have to start paying rent again. She couldn’t live in Mr. Gold’s house anymore. She’d be homeless, jobless. She could probably crash with Janine or Mara. Live with them and work at Game of Thorns for whatever twenties Dad could spare after he had paid the bills. On the bright side, he probably hadn’t cleaned out her old bedroom. She could still wear her clothes from high school.

It was a bleak future, but at least it was something. It was better than hating herself all the time, the way she did around Mr. Gold. The way she would if she gave herself over to Regina Mills.

Rumple will protect you, Lacey. He loves you!  

And maybe she could beg Dr. Hopper for some therapy. Clearly she had a lot of issues, even before she started hearing voices.     

When she got to the shop, the Closed sign was facing out, even though it was the middle of the day. But the Cadillac was parked by the side door, and she had her key. The bell rang as she let herself in. 

“We’re closed,” her husband’s voice came from the back. 

“It’s just me,” Lacey called. Whoever that was. 

She made her way to the back slowly. Between all the walking and all the emotions, she was wrung-out. Bone-tired and ragged. She slumped on the doorframe and looked at him. These could be the last moments for her to pretend that he was her husband. 

Mr. Gold was sitting at the work table, appraising some kind of antique. It was shaped like an egg but the size of a football. It was gold, and covered with clear gems so huge they had to be fake. Diamonds that big didn’t exist outside of museums. The two halves of it opened on a hinge, and lay flat on the table like a book. Gray velvet lined the inside, covering the indentation meant for some kind of small bottle. 

What was that thing? A holder for a bottle of perfume? A carrying case for an expensive liqueur? Something to do with Easter?    

Standing up, Mr. Gold closed the egg on its hinges and locked it with a key. His hand slipped into his pants pocket. He was hiding something. That didn’t surprise her at this point. As far as she knew, he was hiding everything.

She cleared her throat and stood up straight. “I went to City Hall today,” she announced. 

Mr. Gold pulled a jewelry box off a shelf, then frowned at the dust on top. “Oh really?”

Lacey knew that tone. That dismissive, disinterested voice he used every time he wasn’t growling or snarling. Being ignored was worse than being hurt, and that was all he had done to her in months.

“Yes,” she spat out the word. “I had a meeting with Mayor Mills.”

That stopped him from looking at his inventory. When he turned his head to her, she saw that his teeth were on edge. 

“Why?” he whispered. 

A deep breath. Do the brave thing. Tell him the truth. He loves you.

“Because I wanted her to hurt me.” Lacey had tears in her eyes. When had that started up again? “Because I want her to fuck me, and insult me, and treat me like shit. The way you used to.”

Grimacing, he looked away from her. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because she couldn’t do it.” Lacey kept breathing, deep and even. She felt… strong, somehow. Like there was more inside of her than there had ever been before. Maybe bravery had followed her after all. “She tried to play it off like she wouldn’t do it, like it was a principle or something. But I’m pretty sure that something stopped her.” She swallowed, and took a step toward him.

Rumple.

“I think...” she began, and then stopped. “I don’t know how to say this without sounding crazy.”

“Say it,” he whispered. His eyes--so dark, so lovely--brimmed with tears. “Please say it, sweetheart.”

Sweetheart.

Another breath. Another step. 

“I had a dream,” she said, “where you said you would protect me from Regina.”

“Yes.” He stared at her. He looked at her like she was the only star in the sky. He moved toward her, arms open. “Yes, I’ll protect you.”    

He held her. He embraced her. For the first time in months, she felt his arms around her. He cherished her. He loved her.

Lacey wanted to melt into him. She wanted to cry so hard she dissolved. But she couldn’t do it yet. There was more that she had to say. 

“In my dreams... I call you Rumple.” 

A shudder went through him and he held her tighter. “Yes,” he whispered into her hair. 

So, Lacey thought, as crazy as she sounded to herself, somehow she was making sense to him. 

“And in my dreams,” she went on, “you call me Belle. Am I Belle? Have I been Belle all this time?”

He broke apart from her gently, and kissed her on the forehead. “No,” he murmured. “But you will be, sweetheart. I promise.”

Moving away from her, he went to one of the shelves. He pulled down a box--a fireproof safe--and unlocked it with two different keys. His back was to her, so she couldn’t see what was inside.

“I think it’s time,” her husband said, “for me to tell you everything.”

Then he turned around, and put something on the work table. It was a knife--no, a dagger. A ruby-pommelled, wavy-bladed dagger. On the flat of the blade, facing up from the table, a name was engraved in black enamel.

Rumpelstiltskin.

Lacey blinked. She had seen that dagger before. Was it in a dream? Or a memory? She looked at her husband, who stood back from the blade as though he had no claim to it.

She looked at it again. She knew that dagger. It was hers. He had given it to her. Long ago, in another world. Or in a dream. Or in a memory. 

Picking it up, she looked at him. Understanding was so close she could taste it, but she wasn’t there yet. All she could do was ask her husband.

“Rumple?” 

[skylanders-after-the-end]

Empty

A day has passed since the annual Multi-Terrain Race. While Nightfall is dealing with other Skylanders congratulating her for being the winner, Sprocket was asked to fix the Sky Slicer and Shield Striker, which were damaged during the race. The Skylander didn’t hesitate and began to repair and replace the damaged parts right away. It didn’t take long until Smolderdash entered the factory used by the Tech Skylanders and Superchargers, and discovered Sprocket laying underneath the Shield Striker.

“Sprocket, there you are!” The fervid humanoid hovered through the large interior and examined the several machines.

Sprocket dropped her tools and moved forward to stand up and face the fellow Skylander. “Smolder, what brings you here?” She was happy to have some company but also curious as to why the Fire Skylander was in the factory.

Smolderdash was happy to see one of her closer friends after a while without contact. “I’m sorry to bother you, but there’s been an accident in the Water Realm.”

Sprocket gave her a surprised look. “What happened?”

“The different pipes and fountains started malfunctioning, and there was also something about black holes transporting the water… but I’m not entirely sure. Anyway, there’s puddles and streams of water across the Academy and other realms, including the Fire one.” Smolderdash sounded quite concerned about the situation. “The Water Skylanders are taking care of the black holes, but they need someone to fix the pipes and fountains, so I wanted to ask you.”

“I see…” Sprocket was thinking for a second before looking at the vehicles she was taking care of. “I would love to help, but I’m currently trying to fix those vehicles. I know I’m considered the best engineer around here, but you should probably ask someone a little… less busy.”

“Oh, of course, I’m sorry.” Smolderdash understood her friend and didn’t want to interfere with her work. “I’ll let you work on the vehicles then.”

“Thanks.” Sprocket responded with relief and got back to fixing the Shield Striker.

Smolderdash watched her friend do her work and struggled to leave her just yet. “Do you mind if I stay here for a while?”

“Of course not! You can stay as long as you want!” The goldling sounded happy. “I’m always glad to have some company during work!”

Smolderdash smiled and sat on top of some machine parts next to the vehicles. She once again let her eyes wander the fascinating sight of the factory. The Skylander experienced a stinging smell of gas and smoke. It didn’t bother her since Spitfire spreads that smell throughout the entire Fire Realm. The mechanical objects in the building were mostly silver and gold, reflecting the light coming through the windows on the ceiling. She then looked back to Sprocket and saw how motivated she was while doing her work, how much energy she put into it. Smolderdash couldn’t help but feel empty and thought about herself for a minute.

“Sprocket?” The Skylander asked to gain her college’s attention. “Do you ever feel… useless?”

Sprocket stopped her work and looked at her friend sarcastically. “You’re kidding, right?”

The hot blooded being chuckled upon that response. She knew that Sprocket is a very active and busy Skylander, even if there aren’t any villains to fight.

“I guess that’s a no then.” Smolderdash’s smile began to fade and turned into a rather sad frown. “I can’t really say the same for myself, though.”

Sprocket kept on doing her work, but her attention was completely directed at Smolderdash. “What makes you say that?”

“I’m not entirely sure.” The fiery warrior held her arms, as if she was hugging herself. “Since we stopped Kaos and all the other villains, I felt like I’m not needed anymore.”

“That’s nonsense Smolder!” Sprocket wanted to cheer the usually joyful Skylander up. “We might not have to fight villains anymore, but that doesn’t mean we’re useless.” She finally set her wrench aside and turned around to face the insecure Smolderdash. “A Skylander isn’t just a warrior that protects people and fights bad guys, we are much more than that!”

The Fire Skylander was interested in the things Sprocket was hinting at. “Like what?”

“Like fixing cars!” The Sky Slicer shot out a few sparks after Sprocket’s sentence, which caused the two to flinch. “More or less.”

The burning human tried to smile again. “But… I don’t know what else I could do.”

“Then find something!” Sprocket sounded demanding but in a motivating and friendly way. “There’s plenty of things to do in Skylands! You can try out racing, or visit new places, or read a book in the library!” The Skylander became overly enthusiastic and started to drift away. She put her hands on Smolderdash’s shoulders and looked at her. “My point is, you can do whatever you want to do. And even if you don’t do anything, you’re not useless.”

Smolderdash was finally able to put a slight but genuine smile on her face. She then threw her arms around the goldling to hug her. “Thank you, Sprocket.”

Sprocket returned the embrace happily. “You’re welcome.” While they were hugging, the Sky Slicer shot out another set of sparks and ruined the peaceful moment. “Okay, I should get back to these now.” The Tech Skylander grunted slightly annoyed, before getting back to the vehicles.

In the meantime, Tidepool was getting ready for her date with Wild Storm. The Quickshot was inside of her room, bolting from one spot to another. She was as nervous as she was excited and didn’t have much time left. The Skylander put some new make-up on and washed her hair so it would smell less like seaweed and salt.

“Should I already tell him?” Tidepool was talking to her squid guns, which behaved like they were her pets. “No, it’s too early. I should just try to get closer to him.”

One of the pale blue squids jumped on top of her dresser and moved its tentacles. Only Tidepool ever understood how they communicated. “Are you sure I should tell him?” The animal moved its body to indicate a nod and the second one raised its tentacles in agreement.

“Well, if you say so…” Tidepool looked at herself in the mirror. She thought about all the years she spent with Wild Storm and how much their friendship has developed. She didn’t want to ruin that, but she knew that silence would only drive them further apart. “You’re right!” The Water Skylander finally exclaimed with confidence. “Wild has been my best friend for years! Even if he doesn’t want more than a friendship, he should know that I do.”

Her loyal marine companions clapped with their tentacles in excitement and joy.

“Wish me luck Squids!” The Sensei finally opened her door and stepped into the open. Tidepool had a clear mind and knew what she would tell to the one she was in love with.

Soon after, when the sun set, Tidepool and Wild Storm met at an island which was offering rides with air balloons. They paid for one and observed the gorgeous view as the balloon rose into the air.

“What a beautiful sunset.” Tidepool commented while being completely mesmerized by the orange and red hued sky. The wind gently blew through her green hair and created a soothing atmosphere.

“That’s something you don’t see every day.” Wild Storm leaned his upper body on the ledge of the basket and enjoyed the sight.

Tidepool eventually glanced over to the Knight and felt strangely safe and calm. During the silence, the Quickshot thought about what she could say without sounding too intrusive.

Tidepool kept looking at the sky while asking. “Do you often go out like this?”

“Besides when going on missions, no.” The Air Skylander answered simple and remained to stare at the light pink clouds.

Tidepool started to feel awkward but remained calm. “I would like to do this more often.” The sky slowly faded into a purple color as the sun was disappearing in the endless horizon.

“Me too.” The Knight agreed.

Tidepool’s eyes widened and she looked at her partner. “Really?”

“Yeah, I’m always glad to spend time with you.” He looked at Tidepool and smiled, even though she couldn’t see it. The Water Sensei tried to keep herself from blushing and turned her head away. She was about to say something before Wild Storm cut her off. “But it would be for the best if we didn’t.”

Tidepool felt disappointment overcoming her and didn’t understand what the Skylander meant. “What? Don’t you want to-”

“I do. But… I can’t.” Wild Storm turned around without giving Tidepool another look.

Suddenly, the Quickshot Sensei became angry rather than disappointed.  “Wild Storm what’s your problem?”

“It isn’t you.” The Knight couldn’t find the right words to express himself. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Tidepool suddenly felt sympathy over anger. She was aware of Wild Storm’s past with Kaos, but she never thought it would affect him like this. “Wild Storm, I…” The Skylander felt like there was a knot in her throat. She wasn’t able to finish her sentence, until she decided to finally tell the truth. “I lo-“

The Water Sensei was interrupted by the sound of a rope speeding through the air. Her eyes immediately turned to one of the corners of the basket, which was missing a rope. Before the Skylanders could react, another rope unlinked itself from the basket. As Tidepool and Wild Storm tried not to drop into the endless skies, the other two ropes barely held the balloon and basket together. The terrified Senseis were sinking at immense speed and there was no way to stop it. Tidepool quickly thought of a plan in the perilous moment and summoned one of her squid guns. She tossed it at the two disconnected corners of the basket, which the squid grabbed with its long arms. She instructed the animal to reach for the balloon and replace the ropes, in order to keep it together. The squid did as it was told and used all of its strength to pull the basket towards the balloon. After they passed the island they left earlier, Wild Storm swiftly jumped up, grabbed the opening of the balloon and unleashed a powerful roar. The impact of the attack caused the balloon to ascend and fly upwards again. They finally reached the air balloon island and had a rough landing.

Tidepool stumbled out of the demolished vessel and thanked her squid for its help. “That sure was a ride.”

Wild Storm was underneath the deflated balloon, too exhausted to get on his feet again. “Let’s not do that again.” He finally managed to toss the fabric aside and crawl towards Tidepool.

“Yeah, we shouldn’t.” The Water Skylander remembered why they went on that trip in the first place, and how Wild Storm behaved. The Quickshot became angry again, she didn’t even get to tell him how she feels. Nevertheless, she helped the Knight to get back up again. Tidepool left immediately after making sure everything’s alright and didn’t say a word to Wild Storm anymore.

As the day was coming to an end and the evening sky turned dark, a small group of Trap Masters were nearby the air balloon island, heading back to the Academy.

“I still can’t believe it.” The Water Skylander Snap Shot was frustrated. “Out of all the villains I have to work with my sworn enemy? Why do those things always happen to me?”

“You’re being dramatic Snap Shot.” Enigma tried to cheer the crocodile up. “If the leader of the infamous Doom Raiders could redeem herself, then so can Wolfgang.”

“That doesn’t mean he won’t hate me.” Snap Shot hissed with spite.

Knight Light laughed over the reptile’s worries. “It’s not like you two have to love each other.”

The other two Trap Masters looked at the angel without smiling in the slightest. “It was just a joke. Sheesh, you two should really work on your sense of humor.”

Both Snap Shot and Enigma ignored their college’s comments and remained silent. The sorcerer then noticed that they had passed the air balloons, and suddenly stopped walking.

Snap Shot wondered what’s the matter and stopped to turn around. “Are you alright Enigma?”

“Yeah.” The magician answered while keeping his sight on the balloons. “You two can go on without me, there’s something I have to do.”

The turquoise Skylander shrugged and proceeded to walk, followed by Knight Light.

Enigma waited for them to leave before looking around himself to make sure no one was near. As careful as he was, he overlooked Stealth Elf who was behind some trees nearby. The elf was heading to the Academy as well, but spotted the mysterious Skylander walking towards an air balloon. She turned invisible and moved closer to Enigma, while also making sure she has a place to hide in case he notices something. The Magic Trap master opened the basket tied to a balloon and entered it. He then mumbled a spell which Stealth Elf couldn’t understand. His Traptanium staff started to glow in a dim purple light before shooting out a white laser straight through the sky. Stealth Elf gasped, alarming Enigma to observe his surroundings once again. He eventually released the balloon and directed it to follow the laser, which behaved like a string leading him somewhere. After the sorcerer was out of sight, Stealth Elf cancelled her invisibility mode and looked at the night sky.

“Where is he going?” Stealth Elf was asking herself and had the desire to find out.