Once Upon A Fan
1x12 - Skin Deep
by Amy Taylor
We start with Belle and her father in a castle. They are in the middle of a war with the Ogres and are losing. They have sent for help from Rumplestiltskin. He finally shows, demanding payment in return for protecting their town. Belle's father remarks that he had sent promise of gold, but Rumple doesn't want gold. He wants Belle. Belle's father and Gaeston refuse, but Belle agrees. The deal is struck and she leaves with Rumple to live with him forever.
Mr. Gold finds Mr. French delivering flowers out of his van. He demands payment on a defaulted loan. Mr. French tells him that he will give him the payment next week, but Mr. Gold reveals that the terms of the agreement were strict and repossesses the van.
Regina sees the commotion on the street. She tells Mr. Gold that she needs to speak with him. He refuses to talk with her, saying it will have to wait. He puts major emphasis on the word 'please', and walks on.
David and Mary Margaret are at the coffee shop sitting at different tables chit chatting. He is reading Anna Karenina. Emma walks in and joins Mary. Mary tells her Henry is fine, even happy, but he misses her. She tells Emma "when two people are meant to be together they will find a way". Ashley comes in with the baby and joins them. She is upset that her and Sean don't get to spend much time together anymore because he is always working. Ruby suggests that they have a girls night for Valentines Day. Emma rejects the invitation. Emma leaves when a robbery is called in.
She goes to Mr. Gold's house, where the robbery has taken place. Mr. Gold returns home and notices the front door open. He pulls a gun out of a drawer and starts to look for the intruder. He finds Emma already there. She tells him a neighbor saw his front door open and called it in. She also makes a comment that funny things like that keep happening to him. My Gold says he is a difficult man to love.
Back at Rumples castle, he takes Belle to her room, the dungeon, and laughs as she beats on the door. The next day, Rumple gives Belle her orders, and she drops a teacup. As she picks it up, she notices it is chipped. She tells Rumple she is sorry, and he tells her it's only a cup.
Mr. Gold tells Emma that she can leave. He tells her he knows exactly what was taken and who the intruder was. She tells him that this was a robbery and if he didn't tell her what he knew then she could arrest him for obstruction of justice. Mr. Gold rolls his eyes, and tells her that it is Moe French. He continues to tell her that he had defaulted on a loan payment and that they had an altercation the day before. Emma says she is going to check it out. Mr. Gold replies that bad things happen to bad people.
Belle is trying to pull the curtains back at Rumple's castle. She falls off the ladder and he catches her and tells her to leave the curtains down. She asks him why he spins so much, and he says "so I can forget". Belle says forget what? And he replies "I guess it worked", which makes Belle laugh.
Emma finds various objects that had been stolen from Mr. Gold's, but one item is still missing. He storms out of the office, annoyed that Emma hasn't found Mr. French yet.
Belle asks Rumple why he brought her here. She tells him she thinks he's lonely, like any man would be, and he tells her he is not a man. She mentions that she found child's clothing while cleaning and asks about it. Rumple admits that he had a son, but he lost him and his mother. Belle says that he was once an ordinary man, but Rumple disagrees, saying she only wants to find out his weaknesses. She tells him he is not a monster. Meanwhile there is a knock at the door. It is Gaston. Rumple answers the door and turns him into a rose, which he gives to Belle.
Rumple then turns the tables and asks Belle why she chose to come live with him. She tells him she wanted to be the hero. He asks her about Gaston and she explained that it was an arranged marriage. She tells Rumple she thinks love has many layers that need to be discovered, and she could never love someone as superficial as Gaston. Rumple then orders Belle to go into town to get more straw, and when she returns he will tell her about his son. Belle is surprised that he would trust her to leave and come back. Rumple explains that he doesn't expect to ever see her again.
In Storybrook, it's valentines day and the girls are at the bar. Ashley is going pretty heavy on the drinks. Mary Margaret tells her to slow down. Ashley is just glad to be out of the house for the first time since the baby. Ruby goes to flirt as Ashley continues to complain.
David is at the store buying 2 valentine cards and runs into Mr. Gold, who is buying duck tape and rope. Mr. Gold tells David his life must be complicated, but David ensures him that he just couldn't make a decision, and tries not to notice the duct tape and rope. Before leaving the store Mr. Gold tells David "love is like a delicate flame and once it is gone it is gone forever.". He is then seen driving Mr. French's van, with Mr. French tied up in the back. He pulls up to his house and gets Mr. French out by gunpoint.
Belle is walking into town as the Queen's carriage rides by. She decides to walk with Belle, and notices that she is not carrying much. She guesses that Belle is running from her employer and her lover. Belle tells her something evil is inside him. The queen tells her it sounds like a curse, and that true loves kiss can break any curse. She then informs Belle that if he loved her he would have let her go. If he didn't the kiss wouldn't work. Belle runs back to the castle with his straw. She sits on a stool and tells Rumple she is ready for her story. He tells her he lost his son and there is nothing more to tell. She leans into him, mentioning that since he lost his son, he has never loved any one else. Rumple asked her why she came back? She tells him she wasn't going to, but then something changed her mind. She leans in further and kisses him. He asks her what is happening as he starts to morph into an ordinary man. She smiles and tells him to kiss her again, that any curse can be broken with a kiss. He gets angry and starts yelling at the Queen through his mirror. He rages at Belle that this is her becoming the hero, taming the beast. Belle argues with him, trying to tell him that it is true love. He says no one can ever love him and throws her back in the dungeon.
Back at Mr. Gold's, he has Mr. French laying on the floor. He puts his cane in his mouth, chocking him. He tells him that he will answer two questions. 1. Tell me where it is. And 2. Tell me who told you to take it. He removes the cane and Mr. French says that he needed the van. "that's not a good first sentence," he yells as he beats Mr. French with his cane. Mr. French yells that it wasn't his fault. "She's gone forever and it is your fault, you are her father". He continues to yell at Mr. French. Emma arrives and tells him to stop.
Rumple is at the castle throwing the teaset in his rage, but leaves the teapot and the chipped cup.
Ashley and Mary Margaret are still at the bar. Ashley is still complaining about what's the point of being together if your never together? Mary Margaret understands its a terrible burden. Sean comes in with roses, bends down on one knee, and asks Ashley to marry him. She says yes! Sean then takes Ashley on a drive before heading back to work. Mary Margaret leaves the bar as David walks up. He hands her the valentine card, only to realise he has given her Kathryn's instead. She tells David to go home to Kathryn. He said she was right and that they would find their way.
The ambulance arrives for Mr. French and Emma arrests Mr. Gold because he refuses to cooperate. He refuses to tell Emma who Mr. French hurt.
In the dungeon Rumple finally opens the door and tells Belle to leave. She tells him that he could have had happiness if he just believed that someone could love him. She then calls him a coward. He tells her he is not a coward, that his power simply means more to him than her. She says he has made his choice and he will live to regret it forever. "All you have is an empty heart and a chipped cup," she says as she leaves.
Regina walks into the jail with Henry. She tells Emma that she can have Henry for 30 minutes. Mr. Gold tells Regina to please sit, putting the emphasis on the word please. He asks her if she had what he wanted. She knew exactly what he wanted, and told Mr. French what to take. He is angry that she knows what he wants , and wants to know what she wants. She tells him she wants to know his name. He tells her his name is Mr. Gold. She tells him no, your real name. He tells her that Mr. Gold is the same name that it has been every minute spent on this earth. She replies "what about ones spent elsewhere? If you want what's yours tell me your name". Mr. Gold chuckles as he says Rumpleskiltskin. Regina gives him the chipped cup. Mr. Gold tells her that he is the one with all the power and things will not change when he gets out of jail.
Rumple is at the spinning wheel as the queen comes in. She tells him she is there to talk about making a deal about a Mermaid. He tells her no, noting that her deception failed and she would never be more powerful than him. The Queen tells him that when Belle got home, her fiancé had gone missing and no one would have her because of her time spent with Rumple. She continues to tell him that her father shunned her and locked her in a tower, punishing her with scourges, and that after awhile she threw herself out of the tower and died. Rumple tells her she is lying and to leave. He takes chip out of the cupboard and places it on a mantle, a look of devastation on his face.
Regina goes to a hospital. She asks the nurse if anybody has been by to see her. The nurse explains that no one ever comes to see her. Regina gives her a red rose and walks down the hall. She opens a window to one of the doors and looks in, revealing Belle is inside, alive and well.
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