Guardian Angel Haruki

Interest Check - Sleep is for the Wicked (A Modern/Fantasy RP)

May I join as the Sweet Shape-Shifter?

Once Upon a Time...

*~*~*Collaboration between YoshiSkittlez, Ghost Shadow, and I*~*~*

The Cat started to slink away after his conversation with Snow, deciding, now that he was in a stable location (for the time being) to get answers out of The White Rabbit...

Teleporting in a small poof of wispy smoke once again, the Cat appeared in front of Leveret at the fire, looking up at him with his leery grin. "Hello, Rabbit." He greeted in a voice that was cheery enough, but laced with venom.

"It's a shame that Ogre didn't disembowel you, but I suppose you still have your uses...tell me - why does the Queen want Alice? And don't leave out a single detail...or I'll break your mind even worse than it is now." The Cat threatened, his grin turning into a sneer for a brief moment as he intended to go through fully on his threat. It wasn't difficult to shatter one's sanity with illusions, even if the person in question already *was* quite insane.

Leveret looked up from his bowl of watery stew with a rather annoyed expression of having been interrupted at mealtime but he set the bowl aside and placed his hands back into his lap, drawing out a long, high-toned sigh.

"My Mistress doesn't confide such things with me I'm afraid." He said, sounding almost upset by that small fact. "She pushed me out of the barrier, said to follow you. Gave me a magic bean she did, and said to return home with the girl." He began to rock back and forth, like an amused child as his tone became lighter. "Leveret did as he was told, he did, and my Mistress will be most pleased, she will." Ending with a giggle, Leverett's dark, beady eyes shot to a small ring placed on his pinky finger, and though his smile faultered, he went back to eating as if the fluffy pink and purple cat had never bothered him.

"Quite right...if that's so, I suppose you wouldn't mind 'confiding' to me what that is on your finger, there?" The Cat asked in a sickly sweet tone as he began to close the space between the two of them.

Leveret paused, wooden spoon stuffed deep inside his mouth as once again, his eyes shot back to the ring on his finger. He swallowed hard and pulled the spoon from his mouth to look back at The Cat. His once, somber expression slowly began to twist into a crooked smile as he put a sausage-like finger to his lips, shushing the air around them before saying, in a rather squeaky, eager voice,

"Magic."

"Tell. Me. More." The Cat ordered, his voice seeming to lower octaves in pitch, becoming huskier, more guttural as his fur changed color, becoming black as ebony, matted in places; his eyes turning from a luminescent blue to as red as blood, his teeth becoming sharp, crooked, yellow. A simple illusion, really, one that only the White Rabbit could see in front of him.

Leveret found himself shrinking back at The Cat's sudden change of appearance; although he had lived most of his life in Wonderland and found such illusions to be on the norm, living in Storybrooke for five years had seemed to take a toll on his sensitivity to such things.

"M-my Mistress..." Leveret stammered, now deciding to fidget with the dirt underneath his fingernails; anything to keep from looking at The Cat before him. "...ties me to her it does, a bond that I can not break nor would I want to. No, no separation. I can feel my Mistress when she allows it I can; pull from her powers I can...when she allows it..."

"A leech, hm? Interesting..." The Cat replied thoughtfully, his appearance slowly but surely turning back to normal, as though a veil was being lifted.

"The question is why she would send a bumbling idiot such as yourself instead of someone more...capable. But I suppose I can ask her soon enough, because I'm getting to Wonderland, and you're going to help me. Am I clear?" The Cat hissed coldly, eyes narrowed dangerously at the White Rabbit.

Leveret seemed to ease up a bit now that The Cat was his usual, fluffy-self and let his eyes do a bit of wandering; no where in particular, just something for him to do.

"Oh dear, my Mistress won't like that at all; not one bit! No, Leveret will find himself in much trouble if he helps The Cheshire any more than he already has."

"Well, then, let's look at your options, my dear fellow. You can either wait for your 'Mistress' (a word he spat with as much venom and condescension as possible) to punish you later *or* I can let my friend over there deal with you now." The Cat threatened, turning his head towards Knox for a moment. He had no idea how violent or agressive the security guard shadow-man-thing would be, but he had high hopes...

Leveret's eyes darted over to where the Shadow Man was standing and felt a dry lump forming in his throat, however before he had time to think on The Cat's offer, the ring on Leveret's finger began to grow warm. His beady eyes looked back to his hands, more specifically to the ring on his pinky and gave The Cat a quick, crooked-toothed grin.

"I'm afraid I can't make our tea date, Cheshire..." Leveret said standing up, suddenly sounding refined and a whole hell of a lot more dignified in his speech than he had ever lent onto before. "...for you see-" His speech was cut off by a giggle worthy of Rumpelstiltskin himself before finishing, "-I'm late."

A small cloud of violet smoke began to accumulate at his ankles, slowly snaking up and around Leveret until he was completely encased by the fog and then, with the blow of the wind, he was gone.

The Cat could only stare at the empty space in front of him with utter disbelief. He had him, he had the White Rabbit in his grasp - only for the slippery bastard to slip out of his grasp, and probably waltz and hop his way back to the Queen.

The Cat, at first, showed little reaction; no visible anger, or rage, or irritation - he simply sat there staring, mouth twitching as he struggled to cope with the sudden loss of an asset.

"Irritating bugger, isn't he?"

A cool and calm, yet very cheeky, voice spoke up behind The Cat. A devilishly handsome man who wore simple blacksmith's attire, was leaning against a tree, and looked at The Cat with a knowing look, as though he had been listening in on the whole conversation. He stood up from the tree and started walking towards the cat as he continued "The fat man's probably gone back to her,"

The Cat slowly looked behind him as a voice, sleek and confident, spoke up. Tilting his head to the side slightly, The Cat took his sweet time replying, instead studying the 'blacksmith' carefully, trying to read him, noting him to be the very same man who had followed Lancelot out from his tent earlier.

"You're quite curious for a blacksmith...haven't you got swords to sharpen?" The Cat asked rudely as he turned around to face the man fully, all the while meeting him with a piercing look.

The Blacksmith raised an eyebrow at The Cat's response, and he answered, "I suppose I do. Plus, talking with cats is quite an absurd activity to partake in anyways,"

He looked as though he was ready to leave, but he paused and he added, "However...I couldn't help but overhear that this...Alice girl, is with her...someone special to you I'd assume, judging from your initial reaction of the fat one's departure..."

"....And I may know how to get to her, but you don't seem to be particularly interested,"

He shrugged as he turned his back on The Cat, and he stated as he started walking away "Oh well. C'est la vie,"

"Wait." The Cat's voice called out, piercing the palpable tension as he silently bid the blacksmith's return.

The Blacksmith stopped and he turned to look at The Cat, with a raised eyebrow.

"Tell me more..." He commanded, obviously interested by the temptation of information.

The Blacksmith wryly smiled at The Cat's command, and teased lightly "Now who's the curious one, eh?"

He chuckled before he continued seriously, "I've heard rumor of a portal that will take one to a world called Wonderland, and it lies within the ruins of Snow White's castle,"

"Funny business, portals....more trouble than they're worth." The Cat added nonchalantly, veiling his own excitement, and fear, of returning to Wonderland - returning home.

"How would one...find this portal, then?" The Cat asked curiously, swishing hs tail from side to side as he continued to stare at the blacksmith with those piercing eyes.

The Blacksmith answered, adding a slight joke about The Cat's appearance into his answer, "It shouldn't be too hard, unless you don't know what a mirror is,"

"For the sake of your dignity, Sir, I'll neglect to reveal my true form to you." The Cat returned dryly, confident that his own attractiveness surpassed that of the blacksmith's.

"Now, funny you should mention a mirror..." The Cat began, switching the subject completely, unsure as to if the blacksmith knew more than he was letting on, or if he simply made a coincidental comparison.

"There are, of course, Looking Glasses, mirrors, that lead into Wonderland. I've only seen a handful before, and I'm not sure if many could survive this....chaos." The Cat finished with a narrowing of the eyes. Why could nothing ever go his way anymore?

The Blacksmith answered "Apparently, according to the rumors, there is one Looking Glass that is well hidden in the ruins. Where exactly, I do not know. That you would have to find out for yourself, mate,"

He then added "Besides, Her Highness seemed eager to go to those ruins from what I've noticed. That may be your best chance, mate,"

"Hm...most useful. I suppose you're going to tell me the price of information, now, yes?" The Cat asked in a somewhat fatigued tone, not even bothering to thank the blacksmith for information. His dealings with people of the sort left a sort of prejudice in his mind - money was the universal deal-pleaser.

The Blacksmith seemed to raise an eyebrow at the Cat's statement, and he asked in a genuinely friendly tone, "Price? Seriously, mate?"

He shook his head and he continued in the same benevolent tone, "You already lost The Fat One. I should think that would count as enough of a price don't you think? Besides, as far as I can tell, you have nothing I want,"

"Hm...quite." The Cat answered, thoughtfully, his tone hinting there was much more on his mind beyond a simple 'quite'.

"You've been most useful to me. You have my deepest thanks." The Cat said in what one could 'call' a gracious manner, though an air of condescension remained prevalent, as though he looked down on the blacksmith like he did everyone else.

The Blacksmith retorted in a sarcastic, yet still good-natured joke, "How humbling, mate," He then turned around and started walking away, and he waved as he walked away, heading back to the camp. He said to The Cat, intentionally nicknaming him with a girlish name, "Best of luck to you...Kitty,"

"Oh, I don't need luck, my friend. My wits have sufficed." The Cat replied under his breath, though made no other attempt to hide his words. He watched the blacksmith walk away keenly, keeping a careful eye until growing bored.

Deciding he would take a few moments to learn the camp's schematics before going to bed, The Cat disappeared in a cloud of smoke, for all intents and purposes, gone from the world.

Once Upon a Time...

*~*~*Collaboration between YoshiSkittlez as Rumpelstiltskin and I as Belle and Dr. Faye Stevenson*~*~*

Belle walked through Storybrooke, realizing that she had no money on her person. How was she going to get a room at Granny's if she couldn't pay? She continued to walk on until she bumped into a figure wearing a white Doctor's jacket. The two stumbled a bit away from each other, and Belle started "Oh, I'm so sorry-"

"-No, no. I should apologize, I should've watched where I was go...ing..." The figure was none other than Faye, the woman Belle saw earlier. Faye seemed to pale a bit and she stated out loud, "It's you...! You saw the entire discussion..."

Belle nodded noticing how Faye seemed to get scared after seeing her. Belle nodded and said "Oh! Yes...I'm Belle. Who are you?"

"Here I'm known as Dr. Faye Stevenson...It's a pleasure to meet you, but I wish we met under better circumstances,"

Belle nodded in agreement. She asked "Rumpel mentioned that you were his apprentice...does that mean...that you're his new love now?"

Faye seemed to switch from pale to a slight shade of green as she answered with a repulsed look on her face, "No! No, of course not!" Faye shuddered at the thought, which seemed to make Belle chuckle a bit.

Belle then noticed that Faye's clothes weren't covered in blood. She asked "Wait...are you going to...?"

Faye caught onto Belle's question and she answered "No. She already tried, but she's still alive...thankfully," Belle sighed and she said "Rumpel didn't get what he wanted..." She then realized what that meant and she looked to Faye in concern. The good doctor clearly noticed and she said "Don't worry, I can handle whatever is thrown at me," Belle sighed with relief and said "That's good to hear,"

Faye was silent as she nodded. After a few more moments of awkward silence, she said "He didn't do it out of bloodlust you know..."

Belle blinked and asked "What?"

Faye clarified, "Mr. Gold. He didn't send Hyde to kill Mayor Mills out of pure bloodlust. Hyde and I could tell what his intentions were...he did it to protect you,"

Belle blinked at the revelation, and she immediately decided to go see him. She said to Faye, "Thank you, Faye. I'll see you later," Faye nodded and said to her "Have a good night. And please...don't tell anyone about what you saw,"

Belle smiled at her and nodded saying, "Don't worry. I won't," Faye was surprised that Belle easily accepted, but she wasn't going to complain. Belle walked off, and Faye continued on her way back to her house.

*~*~*

Belle soon reached Mr. Gold's house. Not a single light was on in the Pawnbroker’s home, the darkness of the cloudy night seeming to envelop it into its open claws. It was a strange occurrence in Storybrooke; as the regulars would remember (if they ever had the misfortune) of walking by Mr. Gold’s home during the night and notice that at least the front room always had a light on; however dim a light none-the-less. But not tonight, tonight not even the light of the moon could illuminate the darkened house. Looking at it now, one would get the feeling of death.

There was, however, one light that had been lit on the entirety of Mr. Gold’s property. It was dim, and very easy to miss, but a soft light did come from the basement rather than the house itself. Light flickered out onto the gardens on the side of the house through the still shattered glass window the man had taken his cane to beforehand, having not bothered to clean it up.

Inside, a single candle had been lit, sitting promptly on a small circular end table in the corner of the basement having long been forgotten about. The flame flickered and hissed, threatening to go out as the flame had reached the bottom of the candle long ago, merely running on fumes anymore. The Pawnbroker didn’t seem to notice as he raised a metal flask to his lips once again and drained it dry of its contents.

Mr. Gold sat on the built-in seat of his spinning wheel, his free hand turning the wooden wheel in slow circles and filling the room with a dusty, creaking sound. There was no straw in the grinder; nothing to spin, but he kept going, his eyes lost in the trance of alcoholism combined with the lulling sound of the creaking spinning wheel.

He didn’t need the alcohol anymore, he had only turned to it to help dull the pain the lung cancer had impeded onto him; but just as magic had once been an addiction for the Imp back in The Enchanted Forest, he found that even now, as The Dark One once again, he simply couldn’t let go. He needed it, now more than ever. Belle was gone, left him for good this time he was sure, and not only that but he had just sent a monster on arguably his closest friend in Storybrooke.

Regina may have had her flaws, her many, many flaws, and the two fought with one another more than anyone else in the small town, but the two had come to a mutual understanding a long, long time ago as a realization came that they weren’t so entirely different from one another; that they needed one another despite their total detestation for the other.

Love came in many ways, shapes and forms; it didn’t necessarily mean the emotion had to be romantic. It vexed the Pawnbroker when he had realized back at the station that he might have cared for Regina in some dark, twisted way, a time when it was too late to do anything about it. He would choose Belle’s safety over the friendship of the Evil Queen any day, that much was certain, but just knowing that didn’t help to dull the pain in his blackened heart where he felt a hole beginning to form, right in between the holes created by Belle and his daughter, Baelfire.

Belle noticed the light, and she headed for the basement. She knocked lightly, only to find that the door opened a little from her touch. She opened the door carefully, and she spoke softly, but hopefully loud enough to catch his attention, "Rumpel...?"

She entered the room slowly, as if he may lash out again.

The creaking of the spinning wheel had stopped and Rumpelstiltskin turned slowly to find the source of voice he heard through his ears, and felt in his heart. His appearance had become haggard. The suit jacket had been done away with long ago, leaving him in a simple blue collared shirt with a black vest over the top; however the buttons were either undone or missing. His suit pants fit him a lot more loosely now as his belt had been lost at some point and his once kempt hair splayed out in various directions, either sticking to the sweaty skin on his neck and forehead or sticking out in random directions. But perhaps the most noticeable change in the usually pristine-looking Pawnbroker were his eyes; blackened and glossed over, as if blind; dead.

Belle was startled at the sight of Rumpelstiltskin's blackened and almost dead eyes. The realization that her leaving had done this to him had sunk in completely, and Belle couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty. She didn't have any words to express her sadness or guilt at the sight of his condition.

The Pawnbroker took in Belle's presence slowly, his face remaining completely placid until, moments later (due to the alcohol slowing his mind down) his thin lips twitched into a half smile, if for a brief moment.

"Hey."

Belle answered, her lips giving a slightly sad smile in return, "Hi," Her throat felt dry and she wasn't sure what to say to break the tension that was in the air. It took her a moment, before she stated, "I'm back..."

The words processed slowly, but he understood them clearly. However, instead of looking elated or even happy for the briefest of moments, he shook his head slightly.

"Why?"

"Because, I was worried about you," Belle answered with complete honesty.

I was worried about you. Words he hadn't heard directed towards him once in his life but what made it worse in his already aching heart was that he knew Belle meant it. Mr. Gold remained silent as he turned his attention back to the spinning wheel and watched it turn.

Belle sighed through her nose when he turned back to look at the spinning wheel. She remembered how it helped him forget...

She then stated out loud, her voice showing that she wasn't angry at all, "Regina's alive," There wasn't a single hint of malice in her voice. Just a statement that simply gave a reason as to why she wasn't angry with Rumpelstiltskin.

The creaking of the spinning wheel slowed, but did not stop, and the Pawnbroker kept his back to her.

"Then you got what you wanted." He said a bit coldly, before letting up a bit. "And I'm fine Belle, you can go."

Belle blinked at his words, and she asked, repeating his last word, confused and worried, "Go?"

His shoulders fell as he stopped spinning the wheel once again and swiveled around on the seat and looked up at her thoughtfully.

"Because despite what you might think, I'm still a monster." He explained.

Belle kneeled so that she could look him in the eyes better, and she placed her hands gently on his shoulders. She said to him in response, "But don't you see? That's exactly the reason I have to stay,"

A ghost of a smile flickered at the corner of his mouth. He stooped down at the waist a bit to set the empty flask down by his feet before sitting up straight agian, putting a gentle hand on the side of her face and meeting her gaze.

"I will never understand you Belle..." He started, the flicker of a smile gradually returning to his lips. "...but I'll sure as hell try."

Belle simply smiled happily at his answer, and she lightly kissed him on the lips. Mr. Gold's arm reached out and took a hold of Belle's waist, pulling her back up onto her feet and then down onto his lap where he reciprocated her kiss, content to just hold her to him for the rest of the night.

Once Upon a Time...

*~*~*Collaboration between YoshiSkittlez and I*~*~*

Belle had no idea where to go after she had left Rumpelstiltskin. She asked around as to where her father was, and she managed to find his home, despite that some of the people were still somewhat upset about the current circumstances.

As soon as she reached the house, she knocked on the front door and she called "Papa? It's me,"

As she waited, she couldn't help but think to herself. Should she really have left Rumpelstiltskin?

There was a hurried sound of multiple locks being undone from the other side of the door before it flew open, the portly face of her father looking upon his daughter standing on his porch with wide eyes or surprise and relief.

"Oh Belle," Moe pulled his daughter into him in a tight hug, holding the back of her head into him gently. "Oh my darling Belle, you've come home again..."

Belle smiled at her father, and she hugged him back and she answered happily, shedding a single tear, "I missed you, Papa,"

"I know my girl, I know." Moe said patting his daughter on his back with his opposite hand. "I missed you too."

After a few more moments, Belle backed away and she asked her father, "How are my sisters?"

"Fine, fine, they are all fine." Moe assured Belle before gesturing for her to come inside. "All have their own places now, just like back home." His beady little eyes took a quick glance to Belle's shoulder where she had been shot. He had seen the monster himself heal her with magic, but he couldn't help but to feel ill towards the man just the same. If it hadn't been for him, she wouldn't have gotten shot in the first place.

"Come, take a seat in the living room. I've just brewed up some fresh coffee..."

Belle walked inside after her father invited her in, and she asked as she did, "Coffee?" The asylum personnel never provided her with coffee, so she remained unaware as to what it was. She looked around the house as she made her way to the living room and sat down on a nearby couch.

Moe didn't seem to hear her query, as he was already in his small kitchen filling up two mugs with the blackened beverage and brought it to her, setting his own on the coffee table as he handed Belle's to her before taking a seat in a dusty old, dark purple recliner.

"You can come and work for me, Belle." Maurice said, diving quickly into his fantasy that his daughter was once again there to stay. "You'll like the flower shop, smells just like our garden back in Avonlea."

Belle accepted the cup of black liquid and she took a sip as her father stated that she could work for him in the flower shop. She answered "Thank you, Papa,"

"And you can stay here, of course. It's not much of a home, but it's better than anything that monster kept you imprisoned in..."

Belle raised her eyebrows and she said reprimandedly, as she set her cup of coffee on the side table, "Papa! Rumpelstiltskin isn't a monster. He's just a man who has made a lot of mistakes,"

Moe scoffed as he took his mug from the coffee table before him.

"Not a monster, bah! He's poisoned you my girl, poisoned your thoughts but we will get you through this, just as we did before when you finally came to your senses and married Gaston."

A noticable flinch came across the older gentleman's face as the name of his deceased son-in-law. It was no secret that Gaston and himself were close and he had taken the news of Gaston's death quite hard; which brought him to a second realization...

"The beast...the one cursed inside you...is it-?"

"I don't know...but it hasn't...appeared...in five years," Belle clearly looked guilty as she recalled that she almost killed her own father and sisters, when she had killed Gaston as a beast. The mere memory and her father's scoff, gave her more reason to do what she thought was right.

She stood up and she said to him, "I think I'll find my own place to stay. It was nice to see you again, Papa,"

The older man blinked as he stood up in protest, hastily setting his coffee mug back down onto the table before him.

"No, Belle, you can't...stay here." He pleaded, before his beady eyes grew wide with realization. "You're going back to him again...aren't you?"

Belle shook her head and told him what she had in mind, "No. For tonight, I'll get a room at Granny's Bed and Breakfast, and then I'll look for my own place tomorrow," She then headed for the front door and said "I'll see you later, Papa,"

"There's no need for that, my girl." Moe said following after Belle, relief in his voice when she said she wouldn't be returning to Rumpelstiltskin. "Why won't you stay here where it's safe?"

She looked to him as she opened the door and she answered seriously, "Because I think it's best if I stay away..." She then turned around, and she said to him as she headed out of the door "Good night, Papa,"

Moe French could do little but to watch his little girl walk out on him once again. He knew better, she would return to that monster just as she had before. The bitter taste of detestation came upon his tongue as he lashed out with a simple sentence,

"Your mother would be ashamed of you."

Belle easily heard his simple sentence, and she felt hurt by his words. She whispered as she continued on her way to Granny's Bed and Breakfast, with a tear falling down her cheek,

"No one decides my fate, but me..."

Once Upon a Time...

*~*~*Collaboration between YoshiSkittlez as Mr. Gold, Regina Mills, and David Nolan, and I as Evelyn Hyde*~*~*

Running her hand over her knuckles, Regina willed for the magic to be pulled from within her fingertips as it had so easily come to her time and time again. Magic was back, it had to be. She could feel it, and yet, there seemed to be this...barrier, this wall keeping her from being able to use it. As soon as she could heal her injuries she would have less to fear from the citizens of Storybrooke, and she could get her son back, but as Regina tried once more to heal just the simplest of scrapes on her knuckle, nothing happened.

Graham looked up from the office desk, shaking his head at Regina in pity. She had been at it for hours now, and as much as he didn't want Regina to get her magic back, he only wished that he could have done something to help her, but the deputy just raised his coffee mug to his lips and instead took a drink. As soon as the warm liquid filled his belly, his eyes grew incredibly heavy and slowly let his head fall back; eyes shut and asleep.

"Magic is different here...dearie..."

Regina wasn't sure how she missed the sound of Mr. Gold's wooden cane clicking on the hard surface of the Sheriff's office, but his voice was unmistakable. She turned her attention from her injured hand to the shadow of a man that stepped out from behind his hiding place, stopping to let the light of the quickly setting sun settle in on his features as he stared at her coldly.

Regina looked over at Graham next, realizing then that her 'security' had been put under some sort of spell; she was truly alone with the monster before her.

"I noticed. I assume this was all your doing?" Regina asked, pushing herself up and off of the bed to hold herself against the bars. The last thing she wanted was to make Mr. Gold feel as if he had the advantage here; even though it was painfully obvious it was just that.

"Most things are." Mr. Gold took a look over at the busted jail cell next to Regina, his dark eyes settling on his folded up suit jacket and cane and with a small flourish of his wrist, they disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.

"Get to it Rumpel, what do you want? You here to finish the job?"

"No, no, no. You're safe from me." Mr. Gold adjusted his grip on his cane, enjoying watching Regina's face visibly wince as he did so before relaxing his hand back onto the handle.

"I feel so relieved." Regina replied, rolling her eyes.

"I made a promise to someone that I won't kill you." Mr. Gold explained, his Scottish accent coming out thick and letting Regina know the sincerity of his words, but more than that, the Pawnbroker had been drinking...and heavily. She hadn't noticed it before, but looking upon him now she was sure she was right.

"Who could illicit that from you?" She inquired, shifting uncomfortably behind her cell. Mr. Gold winced, but opened his mouth to speak a single word that nearly brought tears to his eyes,

"Belle."

"Oh yes, your ring leader. Pulling the leash a bit tight don't you think?" Regina smirked, attemping to gain the higher ground now that a raw nerve had been struck. She didn't know what that nerve was, but putting together the hurt in his voice and his current phyisical state, she could only assume that something bad had happened between them.

"What you did to her; what you did to me...keeping her alive so you could kill her when it suited you; a fate worse than death. Unfortunately, I don't have the energy to offer you the same courtesy."

The lights suddenly flickered on and off rapidly, the sound of some circuit almost shorting out echoed throughout the room. But after five flickers, the light stayed on, and the atmosphere grew slightly heavier and darker...almost as though something dangerous was coming.

Instinctively, Regina took a step back from the bars keeping her locked in, her eyes glancing at the lights overhead as she felt a spike of adrenaline shooting into her bloodstream Her eyes landed back on Mr. Gold, who hadn't looked away from Regina, as if he had be expecting them to do that. Of course he was expecting the lights to flicker, he had done it! The question was; why?

"I met a friend, you see. She, like you, is unafraid to get her hands dirty. I believe you've met her once before." Mr. Gold's dark brown eyes glanced to Regina's neck, a smirk crossing his lips.

"Come out and say 'hello' dearie!" Mr. Gold called out into the open air, a slight trace of the Imp back from The Enchanted Forest teasing in his delivery.

The lights flickered on and off again, until this time, the light went out and left the two in complete darkness. The air grew heavier and heavier, along with the feeling of imminent danger. All was silent, until a familiar voice purred giddily,

"My, my. Oh, how the tables have turned. Nice to see you again...Queenie,"

The lights suddenly switched back on to show Hyde standing right in front of the bars, with a disturbing and terrifying smile, and simply stated "Boo!" in greeting.

Regina jumped back, the sudden familiar face in her own giving her quite the fright as her back pushed up flat against the stone wall. Her wide eyes looked from the woman and back at Gold, the man statue-like throughout the entire ordeal. He could see it in her eyes, she was pleading. She needn't say a word, he knew her well enough by now most of their conversations had been carried silently anymore.

"Belle may not love me the way I had hoped, but what you did, Regina, I can not forgive." Mr. Gold said to Regina calmly, but that didn't keep Regina from spotting a ghost of an emotion that shadowed across his features for a fraction of a second, an emotion she didn't quite understand, coming from him, in that specific moment; regret.

"Good night Regina. Give your mother my best." He attempted to scoff, but it only came out as a half-enthused smirk before the Pawnbroker looked upon Hyde and then stalked out of the Sheriff's Station to leave the monster to her work.

Hyde remained still and grinning, looking at Regina and relishing her fear while Gold spoke to her. After Gold said his good byes to the woman and stalked out of the office, Hyde stated in a growl, "Now where were we...? Ah, yes,"

She looked at the bars that blocked her from getting to Regina. She let out a growl like "Hmmm...." as she clasped her hands around two of the bars, and pulled them away from each other. The bars seemed to bend easily in her grasp until they broke. When they broke, she shrugged and tossed the broken bars in her hands behind her, allowing them to fall to the floor with a loud clang.

"You don't have to do this." Regina managed to choke out, not realizing until then just how dry her throat had become. "Whatever it is Gold promised you, I can double - no, triple!"

Hyde walked into Regina's cell quickly and she grabbed Regina by the throat and slammed her down into the floor, leaving her alive to feel the great pain. She hissed seriously "Sorry dear. But the deal is already made!"

"Deals are made to be broken. Especially his. I know the way he works, he gets what he wants while you...settle."

She chuckled, "Keep squealing, I love hearing desperate words!"

She then leaned forwards and quietly whispered in Regina's ear, so that not even the imp could hear if he ever was listening, "Perhaps...if you cooperated with the faux-Prince and the good doctor...I may reconsider. Answer wisely, and answer now, because your time is running out..."

Regina swallowed hard, goosebumps traveling up her neck and down her arms as she felt the woman's hot breath cascading over her skin.

"Whatever it takes, I just want my son..."

Hyde smirked at the answer, and she only whispered "Just do as the prince and doctor say then..."

She then backed away from Regina's face slightly, her hot breath still could be felt on Regina's skin, "Now...which method of death do you prefer?" She then asked "Strangulation? Dismemberment?" She then laughed "No, wait! How about having your heart physically ripped out from your chest?! That seems like the perfect death for you,"

Hyde seemed to be taking her sweet time, relishing the fear and panic that came from Regina, only raising her head when she detected another person's scent nearby.

"How about neither?" David asked as he walked into the room. The sound of unsheating metal filled the quiet air as David pulled a sword from his hip, a sword recently acquired. He was just happy that Mr. Gold hadn't been in the shop when he had gone looking for it.

Regina's brown eyes shot to the Prince-turned-King and couldn't help but to roll them.

"Oh please, I'm to be rescued by the shephard?" She asked, disappointment in her voice.

"If I were you, I wouldn't start getting picky Regina." David replied curtly before pointing the end of his sword in Hyde's general direction.

Hyde's smirk seemed to widen when David piped up, and she slowly stood up after letting go of Regina's neck. She turned fluidly to face the prince, not the least bit intimidated by his sword. She sighed and said "Well, well! The prince has finally come to the rescue then!" She then asked in a teasing voice "Where's your red-hooded wolf friend, hm?"

A muscle in David's jaw twitched at the mention of Ruby, but he said nothing to the woman in front of him.

She merely shrugged before he could answer, and she said "Well, as much as I would love to stay and chat, maim, kill, play lions with you, or whatever your preference is...I oughta get going. Ta. Ta," The lights flickered on and off once again, before leaving them in darkness. When the lights came back on...Hyde was no longer standing in the room.

It seemed as though she had disappeared.

Regina looked to the spot where Hyde had once been before looking back to David, who looked just as confused as she was as to what the hell had just happened.

"Well...that was...easy...?" David said sheathing his sword back onto his hip.

"You almost sound disappointed..." Regina pointed out, looking at David between the bent bars that had allowed Hyde into her cell.

"I've had more...engaging battles before." David shrugged before taking notice of the shape Regina's jail cell was in and groaned. "We really need a better system here. Might as well come out Regina, I can't keep you in here like that."

A smile of confidence came from The Evil Queen as she did as David had suggested and stepped outside of her cell, looking back on it for a moment with a look of total detestation before looking back to Charming.

"Well then, thank you for your...daring and heroic rescue..." Regina started before narrowing her eyes on him. "...but I've got it from here." She stared David down before letting up with a soft smirk before she turned to leave.

"Regina..." David called after her, causing her to look back to him. "Don't make me regret this."

The Evil Queen met Prince Charming's eyes, a small scoff coming from her throat in reply before turning to leave once again.

Once Upon a Time...

*~*~*Collaboration between YoshiSkittlez as Rumpelstiltskin and I as Evelyn Hyde and Belle*~*~*

After Rumpelstiltskin uttered his famous words 'The deal is struck', Hyde's grin seemed to widen.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Imp,"

However, after Hyde said that, she said "Congratulations, Mr. Gold. You have now lost your humanity..." her blackened eyes darted behind Gold for a brief moment, and her grin widened,

"Oh I've lost that long ago dearie-"

"-And your girl..."

Hyde walked past Gold casually and walked up the stairs, passing by a certain someone without laying a hand on her...and disappeared into the sunlight, leaving instead Heather Jekyll to walk on into Storybrooke. The person Hyde walked past was none other than Belle.

Mr. Gold turned his head towards where Evelyn had been looking past, finding Belle's angelic face looking into the basement from outside. His heart and stomach seemed to suddenly switch places in his chest, but his body otherwise remained vigil, ungiving to anything he might have been feeling right then. Technically, he had done nothing wrong.

Belle had seen the whole incident and her jaw had dropped and hurt was clear in her eyes.

Mr. Gold headed up the stone stairs and out the door, letting himself out into the lavish, green back yard of his home only stopping when he was about four or so feet from Belle, letting both of his hands rest on the top of his cane. He noted that she had put the clothes she had taken from his shop back on and silently swore, forgetting once again that she was in need of something much better. Though shopping in the middle of a town-wide panic didn't sound like the best of ideas, and he had all but exhausted his magic by getting them from the Sheriff's station to his home, so magically conjuring up some at least temporary clothes wasn't the answer either...perhaps he could convince her to put on one of his pajama suits - no -
no he couldn't even do that without feeling he would lose all primal control of himself...shit.

It was hard looking past the hurt she held in her blue eyes, but again he felt as if he hadn't done anything wrong. He twisted the cane underneath his hands a bit nervously and fashioned a soft smile.

"Hey."

Belle found her words once again, and she said to him, hurt lacing her words, "Rumpelstiltskin...you lied to me again...! You said you wouldn't kill Regina. How could you?" Her eyebrows knitted together as she spoke and she was doing her best to keep herself from shedding any tears.

"What? Oh no, I kept my word." Mr. Gold assured her, braving a single step closer to Belle. "I...will not kill her..."

Belle took a single step back when he braved a single step forwards. She pointed out "You toy with words...just as you toy with people. Are you even going to help the first woman at all?"

"The first wo- ah, that." He stopped himself after realizing just how much of their conversation she must have seen. "They're the same person. It's a bit...complicated...but yes, I am going to help her. I've yet to break any of my deals, and this one will be no different."

Belle shook her head and she stated in disappointment and hurt "Rumpel, you still lied to me. You're still making the wrong choices. I thought you changed..."

Mr. Gold scoffed, unable to hold his tongue.

"Oh what, in the hour you've known me?" Immediately he winced, regretting the words coming out of his mouth before he was even able to finish.

Belle took another step back as though she had just been slapped by his scoff. She closed her mouth, and she turned around, walking away in complete silence.

"Belle...I'm sorry..." He called after her, feeling his heart and stomach switching places again.

Belle only stopped once and she looked at him briefly. Her hurt expression was covered with a stubborn and stern mask.

"Belle I'm sorry..." He said again after meeting her eyes, the pleading clear in his voice. "I am."

Belle didn't answer, she instead turned and continued walking away until she was out of his sight. She headed off to go and find her father.

Mr. Gold shook his head, his nostrils flaring as a moment of heated anger pulsed through him, causing his arm to raise his cane and brought the handle down on the pane of glass that served as a window into the basement. The glass shattered upon impact, the sound somehow helping in his fit of rage. He shouldn't feel bad about this, he wouldn't. Every step closer to finding Baelfire was a step away from Belle, and even though the small, personal steps inbetween provided enough of a wedge between them to make him realize that he couldn't have both. He was stupid to think that he could, he didn't deserve her, not one bit. Perhaps...perhaps this was best. A single tear squeezed itself out of the corner of his eye, falling to the grass beneath his feet as he hobbled himself back into the house, shutting the sliding glass door with more force than necessary but surprisingly the glass remained intact.

"Now where did I put that bottle?"

Once Upon a Time...

*~*~*Collaboration between YoshiSkittlez and I*~*~*

The jail door slammed shut on Regina and David took careful measures to make sure that it was locked up tight with the keys that Robert had been more than willing to hand over to him...temporarily of course until some of their questions got answered. Thankfully, there were two cells in the Sheriff's station, as the first one to Regina's immediate left was lacking a door and most of the outside wall.

"So I'm a prisoner now." Regina shot coldly to David, watching him lock up the door.

"If the curse is broken then why didn't we go back?" David asked, getting right to the point of asking questions.

"Because there's nothing to go back to." Regina said simply, going over to sit herself down on the provided 'bed' in the cells, her legs threatening to give out on her completely if she didn't sit down soon. "That land is gone." She watched with what looked like satisfaction as the color seemed to drain from the faux-prince's face. He simply shook his head no a few times before removing himself from the jail cell. He just didn't have it in him right then to ask what might happen if someone were to use a portal to return to a land that was no longer there.

Heather, who was now walking down the sidewalk with her complexion now paler than a white sheet. She felt sick to her stomach as she recalled the deal over and over again in her mind. She shouldn't have gone to Mr. Gold...! She walked silently, but as quick as she could, to where she thought David Nolan may be right now...the prison.

She walked in to see that her hunch was correct, and her blue eyes filled with guilt and horror looked at Regina briefly, before landing on David Nolan. She said to him, her hand trembling as it stayed on the door frame, "Mr. Nolan...I need to talk to you...outside..."

David felt his shoulders drop immediately, and perhaps his head hung a bit lower as he heard the 'I have bad news' tone in the doctor's voice. What now? What else could possibly make this day any worse?

"Yes?" He asked with little-to-no enthusiasm. They were well out of earshot from Regina, but that didn't stop David from taking Faye's arm and leading her out into the hallway...just in case...

Heather sighed as she calmed herself down enough to speak properly, "I'm afraid we've got another problem. The monster....The monster, Evelyn Hyde. She's here in Storybrooke, and she's going to attempt to murder Regina,"

David's face went from grim, to confused.

"Evelyn Hyde? Is...is that a name I...should know?"

Heather slapped her forehead at her own stupidity and said "Oh right...Evelyn Hyde isn't from the Enchanted Forest...so you wouldn't know who she is..."

She bit her lip, trying to think of a way to explain who Hyde was, without giving herself away. She told David that Evelyn Hyde is a murderer with supernatural abilities, and that she was quite infamous in her original world, London 1885.

"Evelyn Hyde will stop at nothing until she achieves her goal. She is a dangerous woman who must not be underestimated. The worst part about her, is that she can disappear without leaving a trace behind, and she is immune to magic," Heather finished.

"She's the mysterious woman that's been walking around Storybrooke." David observed outloud, making the connection.

Heather nodded and agreed with his vocal observation, "That's what I think as well," She then said to him, "She will attack tonight. You need to get Ms. Mills somewhere much more secure. Mr. Nolan,"

David let out a small laugh as he crossed his arms over his broad chest.

"Regina will be fine. There's no place more safe for her right now. Look, I know a lot of people want Regina dead right now, myself included but I owe it to Snow to be the better man here, it's what she would have wanted. So...so maybe I can talk to Evelyn? Try to bring her down a bit? Where is she at now?"

Heather shook her head as she answered with a lie that easily rolled off her tongue and made her sick to her stomach, "I don't know where she is now, and this is no laughing matter Mr. Nolan! Hyde is a monster for a reason,"

"As if two monsters in this place weren't enough..." David sighed.

She then warned him, "Mr. Nolan, are you going to be watching over Ms. Mills?"

"I-" David took a good look into Heather's eyes, she was pleading and even though in his mind he was going to reply with nothing but a no, it was her eyes that got to him. "Alright, I'll look after her tonight if it will make you feel better. Did...did you get any answers from Gold?" He asked, changing the topic to the more pressing matter on his mind.

Heather answered "No. He would only give the answer for an...unreasonable price,"
She then said "I'm sorry to ask you to stay and watch over her, but I think we may need Regina alive," She then said "No matter how scared you feel...or what threats Hyde throws at you...be ready to knock her unconscious, or if worst comes to worst, kill her,"

"You really think it's going to come to that?" David asked, skeptisism in his voice only for the fact that he hadn't the pleasure of meeting this...Evelyn Hyde personally before. She was only known to hang around bars, a place David Nolan never had any interest in.

Heather nodded and answered, this time with grim confidence, "Yes. It will come to that," She then sighed and said "I'll get to work on the soil samples. Do what you want with the warning I just gave you. But whatever you do, don't run from Hyde. She has a...primitive way of thinking. If you act like prey, you are as good as dead,"

"Noted." David adjusted his arms over his chest, but kept them crossed, the mention of Faye getting to work on the soil samples bringing what Regina had told him to the surface of his mind. He debated on telling Faye, but what would he tell her exactly? They had no idea what that portal did; where they had been taken...it would only cause the good doctor to worry over what could potentially be nothing. So instead, David gave Faye a smile and a nod before heading out of the building. If he was going to be babysitting Regina all night, he needed to get a few things.

Heather watched him leave and as soon as he was gone, she sighed through her nose and let out a single tear. She had warned David...and lowered her chances of surviving the night. If she wasn't going to live after tonight...then so be it. She didn't think she could live with Hyde's deeds any longer. She headed for her house after giving a silent and distant apology to Nolan, Mills, and Henry.

Once Upon a Time...

*~*~*Collaboration between YoshiSkittlez as David Nolan and Rumpelstiltskin, and I as Dr. Heather Jekyll and Evelyn Hyde*~*~*

Faye quickly calmed herself down, and wiped away her tears. She thought about what she should do, and after she did, she nodded to herself in turn. She quickly brought out three empty spare glass cylinders from her lab coat, and filled them with the dirt from the area where the portal was, and from outside of the area (as a control sample). She hoped to do some tests on the soil, and see if the chemical components of the dirt will give her answers.

After she corked the cylinders, she pocketed them in her coat, and she headed for town, where she intended to break the news to David and Ruby.

When she reached the town she noticed that people were crowding around David for answers, or they were crowding around Frankenstein in preparation to go after Regina. With the crowd that was around David, there was no way she was going to be able to talk to him. Besides, they were more likely to listen to him then they were going to listen to her.

However...Faye couldn't see Ruby anywhere, so it looked as though talking to David was her only option. She went around the crowd, and she called "Mr. Nolan!" (addressing him as Prince Charming was only going to give her away that she met him before as Hyde). She called "Mr. Nolan! I need to talk to you! It's about Ms. Margaret!"

David caught sight of Faye through the corner of his eye, a slight breath of relief coming over him as he ignored the shouting citizens of Storybrooke for just a couple seconds to give her his attention, either not fully hearing what the doctor had to say or not able to hear her at all over the uproar.

"Dr. Stevenson! There you are! Where did you guys head off to? Where's Snow? She's always been so much better at this...talking thing than I am..."

Faye answered David, her worry for their friends clear in her voice and facial expression, "Henry...Knox...and Ms. Margaret...They-They fell down some kind of hole and they've disappeared! I don't know what happened!"

She continued honestly and guiltily, "I came too late...I couldn't do anything...I'm so sorry..."

"WHAT?" David exclaimed, not at all in anger but in surprise and confusion. "Where? Show me!" The rioting crowd behind him no longer mattered as his blue eyes focused intently on Faye. Snow always came first, no matter what. And if she were in some sort of danger...

David shuddered, not wanting to think about it.

Faye nodded at him in response to his request, and she answered "Follow me then," She then led him away from the crowd and into the forest, right to where she saw the portal. She was glad that she had eidetic memory, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to retrace her own steps.

When the both of them reached the area, she said to him, "Here....The portal was here, but it closed after the three of them fell in,"

David looked at the ground carefully, though it didn't take much to spot the area in the earth where it looked as if a child had been busy trying to dig a hole to reach the other side of the world. It made sense now; the first time Faye had said 'hole' but this time, she called it a 'portal' and that's just exactly what it was.

She took out the cylinders of soil, and she said to him, "Hopefully...Hopefully I can perform some tests on the soil samples and get some information that may help...but the chances may be slim..."

David covered his mouth with his hand, rubbing his palm against his lips as he tried to think past the tears that were nearly blinding him as the realization hit him harder than gaining his memories back. Snow was gone, again he had let her fall through his grasp and this time, he didn't even know where.

"We...we have to keep this quiet..." David said at last, feeling his tears receding back. He was a King dammit, he couldn't allow to have anyone see him cry. "If word gets out that Snow is...missing..." He paused, unable to bring himself to use the correct term of 'gone.' "...then we'll have a much bigger problem on our hands than just an angry mob." He let out a tired, anguished sigh and lowered himself to balance on his haunches, his eyes never leaving the hole in the earth where his wife was last seen. He reached his hand out tentatively to touch the soft soil. He wasn't sure why he was surprised when that didn't suddenly bring Snow back to him.

Faye could tell that he was in anguish and was holding back tears, just like she was. Normally she would leave the man to mourn, but there was still another problem. She asked David, "What about Ruby? She...needs to know that Knox is missing. The two of them were close, from what I've noticed..."

Mentioning how Ruby and Knox were close reminded her of her own pain at the fact that Henry was missing. She added under breath, knowing that Ruby may feel the same, "...She would want to know..." Faye herself would've wanted to know if something happened to Henry.

"I..." David shook his head and stood back up, forcing himself to look away from the spot of dirt that very well could have been Snow's, Knox's and Henry's grave. His hands balled up into tight fists until his knuckles turned white. He wanted answers dammit! And just as he had said before, there were only two people here in Storybrooke that would even have a phantom of an idea as to what was going on. "Leave Ruby to me, as her good friend, and not as her King, I owe it to her..." He said before his face shifted slightly, a more determined role of Prince James taking over the uncertainty of David Nolan coming into view.

"We need answers, and I'm afraid that either Regina or Mr. Gold might be the only ones who have them..." He was asking, and not asking at the same time. He had his hands full with trying to keep the people from killing their mayor...Queen...but he wouldn't ever ask anything like going to Rumpelstiltskin on his behalf...not unless he was desperate and he was quickly coming to find out, he was exactly that.

Faye came to realize the situation as well, and she dreaded the fact that she had to go to Mr. Gold, since it is up to David Nolan to make sure the people didn't kill Regina. She sighed through her nose and volunteered for the inevitable, "I'll go and talk to Mr. Gold, and see if I can get any answers from him. Hopefully, you'll be able to get an answer from the Mayor,"

"I'll do what I can." David promised before putting both his hands on her shoulders, meeting her eyes directly. "Don't worry, we'll find them. Snow and I have been in this position before; many times in fact, and I always find her, this time won't be any different."

Faye looked David in the eyes when he reassured her, and she nodded, slightly admiring his confidence, and commented "I hope for everyone's sake that you're right," She herself wasn't too sure. There was no proof, and she didn't know David Nolan enough to know what he and Snow had been through, except from the fairy tales she read before...

As soon as David's hands were off of her shoulders she walked with him back to the town at a fast pace. When they reached the town, they parted ways rather abruptly, as the crowd that had once gathered around David had completely disappeared, and David only had to guess once as to where they went. Faye easily recalled Gold's medical file and recalled his address. After searching the address on her smart phone, she headed there immediately. As soon as she reached the...absurdly pink house, she rang the doorbell, trying to quell the fear that grew in her heart.

There was a light shuffling sound from behind the door that grew louder with each moment, turning from a muffled, inaudible sound to the sound of a cane thumping on the hardwood as he neared the door. His silhouette could be made out crudly through the colorful stained glass windows as he reached for the door knob and pulled open one of the beautifully hand-crafted cherry wood twin door.

There was a look of surprise on the Pawnbroker's face for a split second before his thin lips curved into a slight smile, one hand held tightly onto his cane while his other remained behind his back.

"Angry mob of one? You're going to have to do a lot better than that, Dr. Jekyll." He paused to turn and face a small desk that was pressed up against the wall leading down the short hallway from the door way and opened up the drawer, stashing the gun in his opposite hand back inside and closed it back up before turning back to the doctor. "I don't suppose this would be a good time to ask for a refill on my Fentanyl prescription?"

Faye rolled her eyes slightly at his joke about her being an angry mob of one. When he asked about the perscription, she answered with slight sarcasm, "A better time would be after a regular check up. But that's not why I'm here,"

She sighed through her nose and said "I need help from someone who is an...expert to say the least, in magic,"

Mr. Gold's once well-mannered, practiced smile turned...wolfish, his golden tooth catching the light as what sounded like a chuckle came from his throat.

"Well that's not something I'd planned on hearing today." The Pawnbroker made a quick glance over his shoulder, hearing the faint sound of the pipes running through the walls as an indication that the bath water was still running. He turned back to Heather Jekyll and jerked his head a bit. "Around back, take the stairs down to the basement, we can talk there." He finished, his voice practically in a whisper before shutting the door on Heather's face, the distinct sound of tumblers turning indicating that he had locked the door.

Faye felt a chill roll down her spine when she saw his fake smile turn into a predatory one. When he fell silent, Heather strained her ears and caught the sound of water running through pipes (thanks to Hyde). She listened to his whisper carefully, and after he closed the door, she headed for the back, while Hyde told her that someone else was indeed in his house (as Jekyll suspected), and from the extra scent (something along the lines of vanilla, brown sugar, and peaches) that lingered on Gold, it had to of been a lover.

Faye went down the stairs to find herself in a familiar place; A laboratory. Though hidden with what looked like years and years of random stored pieces of furniture (including a single spinning wheel that seemed to be the center of the entire room) it was clear what the main use of Mr. Gold's basement was intended for. She looked around and noticed the windows that let sunlight in above. She also noticed the chemicals, but she knew better then to let her curiosity make her touch and examine the miscellaneous vials. She stood in the lab, waiting for Rumpelstiltskin to come.

He wasn't too far behind, the sound of his cane on the cement stairs giving him away well before he had opened up the door. He shut it quickly behind him, eying Heather out of the corner of his eye as he walked down the stairs to the main floor of the basement. He stopped a good few feet in front of Heather, somehow knowing the limits of the light being filtered into the underground room as over half of his person was cloaked in nothing but darkness.

"What is it you want dearie?" Mr. Gold asked, a hint of the Imp from The Enchanted Forest tickling at his tone.

Faye answered Mr. Gold in a serious tone, her facial expression betraying no emotion what so ever, "Henry Carlyle, Knox Kowalski, and Mary Margaret fell into some kind of portal and now they're missing. I need to know what happened to them, and if they're still alive, be able to communicate with them, and help them back to Storybrooke,"

"A portal?" Mr. Gold asked, genuine curiosity in his voice as well as a lack of empathy towards the situation. He thought Heather's words over carefully, unable to help but glance at the watch on his left wrist, keeping track of how long he was to be down here. "And...what is it you would be willing to do for me...should I agree to help?" He breathed out a quick laugh at his own statement and shook his head. "Oh, that's right, you don't have a choice, do you. Not after the deal you made with me back in The Enchanted Forest." He quickly gauged the look on Heather's face before continuing. "The contract still stands dearie, you are bound to me, as my apprentice. I can simply ask anything of you, now can't I?"

Faye clenched her teeth at his comments but she kept herself calm despite the anger she felt towards him. She retorted, "It only stands if you intend to uphold your end of the deal. I couldn't help but notice that you were quite...friendly to Evelyn Hyde,"

"She peaks my curiosity." Mr. Gold said simply, his wolfish smile returning once again before he pressed on with what was on his mind. "You actually have nothing I want Dr. Jekyll, and aside from a prescription refill Dr. Faye Stevenson is also of very little use to me." He took a moment to inspect the handle of his cane, seeming bored already with the conversation.

Before Faye even realized what was happening, her consciousness was pushed to the back of the mind and everything around the both of them went pitch black dark except for the light that filtered in from the windows above them. Jekyll, who had been standing away from the windows, was now enshrouded in darkness.

A familiar voice to Gold spoke up with a animalistic and jovial sneer, "And yet, you clearly want something from me, Imp," The light from the light bulb above them flickered back on to show Evelyn Hyde, standing right where Jekyll had been, with a sadistic grin on her face.

"Indeed I do." Mr. Gold said dropping the bottom of his cane back onto the floor, done 'examining' the handle it seemed as Evelyn Hyde now had his full attention, the wolfish grin never faltering on his face. "Tell me, Ms. Hyde...ever kill anyone?"

Evelyn Hyde's grin seemed to widen, and answered evilly, "Of course...it's like sex only there's a winner,"

The wolfish grin on the Pawnbroker's face only widened at her response. He twisted his cane around in his grip as an airy chuckle left his throat.

"Then Ms. Hyde, I have a proposition for you..."

Once Upon a Time...

Name: KIllian Jones, Captain Hook

Age: Appears 30

Affiliation: Neutral. He does what he does for his own gain, ever since the Crocodile took away Milah and his hand. However, he does follow what is considered 'Good Form'.

Magic Capibilities: None, except for when his hook is enchanted to take out hearts.

Weapons: He has an arsenal of weapons on his ship (including cannons), but he personally uses a sword, a blunderbuss pistol, and his hook (which is meant for a certain Crocodile).



Strengths: A strong and relentless fighter, very charismatic and charming, and very clever. He also has his own crew at his command.

Weaknesses: He only has one hand, which could complicate things. Also, he is very vindictive and tends to hold grudges. He would make others who had crossed him pay dearly.

Relationships:

Cora: Regina's mother, he tried to take her heart, only for the attempt to fail. Now he works with Cora in order to get to Storybrooke and kill the Crocodile. He holds no good will to her, but no ill will either.

Regina: He met her, when he tried to get Belle out of her grasp so that he could use her against Rumpelstiltskin. However, the two spoke with each other and the two came to an agreement. Regina would help him get revenge on Rumpelstiltskin if he helped her kill Cora, before the curse was enacted. He is neutral towards the Queen. He doesn't consider her an enemy, but he wouldn't consider her an ally either.

Rumpelstiltskin: Abhors this crocodile with a passion. He took Milah away from him, and so, Killian swore vengeance on Rumpelstiltskin. He will do whatever it takes to kill the imp. His vengeance is his motivation for everything he does.

Milah: The love of his life. Killian was head over heels for her, and was the one who gave Milah the chance to leave her coward of a husband and come with him on his adventures. He never expected her to bring her daughter along, but he didn't really blame her either. He would've done anything for her. He grieved for many days after her death at the hands of the Crocodile.

Baelfire: He considers her as his own daughter. When he lost her, he was quite distressed but he had no choice but to leave without her....

Pan: He also considers Pan to be his enemy.

Brief Bio:

Once Upon a Time...

*~*~*Collaboration between YoshiSkittlez, Tanderbolt, and I as Rumpelstiltskin, Robert Leland, and Belle*~*~*

"You freed Belle, you had to of known I'd go after Regina."

Mr. Gold lay back in his cell, the tiny cot of a bed providing little to no comfort for the older gentleman as another shooting pain came down on his back and across his chest, causing him to grit his teeth and suck in a painful breath. His skin was coated in a light sheen of sweat, and in previous request by the Storybrooke Sheriff his suit jacket had been removed prior to being locked in his cell, g Mr. Gold to claw open the first couple buttons of his dark blue dress shirt and loosen his tie in a futile attempt to try and feel cooler.

In the thousand or so years he had been alive, Rumpelstiltskin had never gone through so much pain, even dwarfing the time he broke his own leg to return to his bitch of a wife Milah and the light of his world, Baelfire. A quiet whimper came from the pawnbroker as he slumped down even further onto the bed, his head resting crudly against the cement wall corner of his cell, just inches now from lying flat on the bed. But he wouldn't give in; this pain was something he could endure, even if the corners of his vision had gone black and his lungs felt as if he were breathing through a coffee straw.

Robert was not in a great mood, and Gold's comments did not help.

"I was hoping to arrest Regina right after I dropped off Belle. I had no idea she would be at your store. I also thought you were more of the type to make long terms plans for revenge. Someone your age must have some pretty impressive patience,"

Had he not been in so much pain, Mr. Gold might have chuckled at that remark. Instead, he shifted himself on the bed in hopes to find a more comfortable position to no avail and grunted in his discomfort, letting the sweat instead fall from his face and onto his silk shirt, too tired to even grumble about how impossible the stains would be to get out.

He instead concentrated on his breathing, which was proving to become a steadily increasing demanding task. Part of him just wanted to give up; to give into what his body was screaming for and let his eyes flutter closed, but the moment he did, flashes of the smile on his daughter's face caused him to snap them back open. He had to stay awake...for Baelfire, his entire world.

"I've wanted her dead for a long, long time." He admitted with his lips curling up into a snarl, pushing past the pain though causing an increase in his already ragged breathing.

Gods Belle, hurry!

Robert was still doing paperwork, not paying much attention to the pain Mr. Gold was in.

"You're not exactly helping your case here. I'm not very fond of either you or Regina, but I'm the sheriff of this town, and I am guided by the law, not by my personal judgements. You should be glad about that, I don't know what would have happened if I still had that curse on me."

Mr. Gold had a pretty good idea, but he held his tongue, mostly because it was taking every bit of strength he had to just keep awake and he didn't feel like explaining how none of that would even matter in the next few minutes; provided of course that stupid cat did his job correctly.

Thunder rolled in the distance; at first Mr. Gold believed that his hearing had started to act up on him but when it sounded again, closer this time, he made a last-stitch effort to sit up on the cot, a feeble smile tugging at his thin lips. He managed to get his shoulderblades to rest against the cold cement wall, craning his neck to look out the window to the right of Robert's desk but it was just out of his view. However, all Robert had to do was look up, there was no way he could miss the sunlight the room held within it had been suddenly cut off.

Robert looked out the window and and saw a purple cloud heading towards him, it was wide and tall enough that he couldn't see the edges. It was moving fast, too fast to move away from. He said "What is that?" before reflexively covering his mouth with his arm.

"Magic..." Mr. Gold answered with a wolfish smile. He didn't need to see the immense purple cloud to know what the Sheriff was talking about, he could feel it. Not even a handful of moments passed before the purple fog began seeping in through the cracks and seams of the Sheriff's department. Mr. Gold found himself standing with immaculate ease and grasped the bars of his cell, willing to get closer and inhaling the smoke with a deep breath as it overtook him and everything inside.

Belle my angel, you did it!

After the cloud hit, Robert found himself unable to continue his paperwork. Gold's words confirmed what he feared, magic had returned. He felt mentally and physically different, like the old Roland he remembered. He got up to look directly at Gold, and said "I guess I was stupid to think that I could ever get out of a deal I made with you. With the way things are going, maybe you'll end up regretting it as much as I do."

"No one breaks deals with me dearie." Mr. Gold replied as the purple smoke dissapated around him, seeming to cling to him a bit longer than anything else in the room. The staggering, haggared, sweaty man was gone, replaced with a man standing tall despite being locked away behind iron bars. His face looked and felt fresh and despite the disheveled appearance of his once ironed pristine clothing, he looked in even more power than he had ever before.

The pain...the pain was gone...everywhere! Albiet his leg but he of course was used to that before he had gotten his power. It had only been five years, but he swore that never again would he take the feeling of being a truly healthy man for granted. Was breathing always this wonderful?

"Let me go; I'll deal with Regina, and then you'll no longer have to answer to anyone but yourself." Mr. Gold said, his voice sounding dark, matching the nearly black color his eyes had melted into from the sheer exhileration of magic filling his veins once again after so long...the power.

"You know I can't do that." Gold was an enemy of Regina, releasing him would endanger her. The code of chivalry wouldn't allow him to do something like that. "Fortunately, the laws here require due process. You can leave as soon as your hearing is finished, shouldn't be any more than 48 hours." Robert had to attend to the evidence regarding Gold, he went into the other room to package the cane properly.

Mr. Gold outwardly scoffed, his blackened eyes rolling as he took two steps back away from the bars. Sure, he could wait until the hearing...or he could even get in a phone call to the DA who happened to owe him a handful of favors...but Rumpelstiltskin was never known for his patience.

He raised his hand, feeling the magic flowing through his fingers, itching towards blowing the iron bars clean off the cement wall. His time being locked up was finished, and no one had the right to decide otherwise than himself. His eyes narrowed and began to pull the magic out from within his core when suddenly a gunshot caught his attention; the bullet skipping off the ground in the center of the room and spinning uselessly until it rolled into the wall on the left.

"Next time it will be between your eyes you filthy bastard!" Mo French had entered the Sheriff's office, reloading the 9mm pistol with the most unsteady hand Rumpelstiltskin had ever seen and raised it once more to point at Mr. Gold. It would have been worthy of a light chuckle if he hadn't been followed in by a group of ten or so other people, all eyes glaring daggers at The Dark One but still stayed back apprehensively, unsure exactly what it was that purple smoke had been all about.

Half the town believed that it was magic, as stated by Mother Superior, the other half didn't know what to make of it and became mad with fear. Clearly, this was a small portion of that half.

Mr. Gold simply returned his hand to his side and walked back up to the barrier the metal bars provided, getting a good look at those who wished for his head on a spike before letting his eyes rest back on the town florist, a flickering smile playing across his lips. He wasn't sure whether to laugh or feel disappointed at their numbers, perhaps there were others still in the process of regaining their memories...or perhaps he only came second on their list; right underneath Regina.

"Mr. French! What can I do for you?"

XXX

Thunder clapped and the wind howled as Maurice guided his horse that pulled the heavy cart of merchandise through the forest. The old man knew that he needed to find shelter and soon. There was honestly no way that he would be able to last through this storm if he stayed out any longer. He kept a hand on the horse's reins, and his other hand clasped tightly around a bag of gold coins. His white knuckles around that bag showed that the money was quite important to him...probably more so than life itself.

He looked up around to see only dead trees, until the streaks of lightning illuminated a dilapitated castle nearby for a brief instant. He smirked to himself. Finally! Shelter! He guided his horse up the path, and with some struggling, they finally reached the castle. Maurice led his horse to the stable that was conveniently placed nearby. After that, he went to the front double doors and knocked, praying that someone would show the merchant mercy, at least until the storm let up.

When there was no answer, he knocked again, this time more urgently but as the rain continued to fall and soak through to his bones, there was still no answer. Looking around his surroundings once more, he took note that the place hadn't looked touched in years; perhaps it was just his luck he had come across an abandoned castle? Maurice clapped his hands together, attempting to warm them the best he could with the bag of gold clutched still tightly in his right hand and tried the knob, finding it to turn with a bit of effort, feeling the rusty tumblers creak and threaten to break and pushed the door open. The door creaked loudly. If anyone were inside, they would no doubt be alerted to his presence now.

Once inside, Maurice flipped his cloak's hood off of his head and he looked around. There was no light, except from the brief instances from the lightning. Everything in here was a wreck, and covered in dust. Nobody could have lived in a place like this! Not comfortably anyway.

With the assumption in mind, Maurice started to look for a place where he could sleep for the night. However, his search took a while, due to the grand size of the castle. In one of the rooms he stumbled into he took a quick inventory of the objects inside. A long, dark oak table, a spinning wheel, and ten or so pedestals showcasing various items. It was upon one of these pedestals that he spotted something quite...rare? Exquisite? Unique? Whatever the term...it was definitely something that would earn him a lot of money!

A pale pink rose, made out of from what he could tell, crystal. The soft glow that came from the inside of the crystal petals, with smaller white lights falling slowly and gently to the surface of the pedestals that the pink rose was placed on. The rare artifact also seemed to be shielded from the thin layer of dust by a glass large cylindrical lid.

Maurice walked up slowly to the artifact, almost like he was entranced by the glow, and he slowly and carefully removed the glass lid so he could get a better look at the glowing rose.

"Lost are we?" The ominious silence of the Dining Hall was crudely interrupted by a sudden voice, followed immediately by a giggle. Maurice whipped his thick neck around in surprise to locate the source of the voice as his heart leapt into his throat in surprise. Suddenly, he felt the top of his white, clammy hand being swatted away and turned his neck once more and let out a quiet cry of surprise as he came face to face with a beast.

"We musn't touch what isn't ours, dearie! The consequences could be quite...unsettling..." Rumpelstiltskin chided, flashing the portly man a rather wicked smile through the darkness.

A streak of lightning flashed across the stormy sky, the light coming in through the thickly curtained windows to reveal the green and gold complexion of the monster of the castle. He looked human enough if it hadn't been for the obscure skin color and dead eyes; and that smile...teeth rotted and black, it was a wonder they were all still intact. Still, the tan silk shirt layered underneath a golden colored vest complimented by black leather pants and shoes would give someone reason to believe that he was indeed human...and wealthy.

Maurice stumbled backwards a few steps after his hand was swatted away and while the beastly man in front of him spoke. He stuttered, snapping back to his senses, and trying to regain his composure, "Ah! My-My apologies! I-I thought this castle was abandoned,"

He slowly started backing away from the man in front of him, not quite sure if the person was more man or more of a beast. Could this person be reasoned with? Or would he just behave like a beast? But a darker part of his mind whispered plans and ideas in his head on how to get the rose from the beast.

He added as he took another step back, "I came in here for shelter from the storm,"

"Yes...that much is clear..." Rumpelstiltskin said in a bored tone, letting his dark eyes scan the merchant with great detail, seeming to size him up. Once he was satisfied, Rumpelstiltskin turned from the man and began walking away, snapping his fingers once and in turn, the candelabras in the room lit, illuminating the dark room with enough light that would be considered 'comfortable.' He turned back to face Maurice in a bit of a flourish, his hands dancing around a bit as if he didn't know what to do with them.

"I suppose I could let you stay...for a price of course..." He said letting the child-like giddiness back into his voice, a small giggle coming straight afterwards as his still dark eyes glanced at the pouch the merchant was holding fast to.

Maurice blinked at the mention of the price. He was a merchant! He was an expert in trading! From what he could tell, the man may not ask him for the money...he looked wealthy as he is. But even so, the possibility was still there. He asked the man in a completely calm and negotiable manner, "What would you like in return? I am a merchant, and I have a wide variety of wares I can offer you,"

Rumpelstiltskin giggled for the third time that evening, his torso twisting on his hips side to side with the eagerness of a child just itching to open his birthday presents.

"I have no use for your wares...or your gold..." He assured the man, though his dark eyes lingered on the satchel in the man's hand for a moment longer. With a slight shake of his head, Rumpelstitlskin flourished his right arm into the air, a small cloud of purple smoke encasing the satchel and as the cloud of magic disappeared, so did the bag of coins. "...and neither will you." He added on, his voice dropping to a low snarl, the lit candles in the room flickering at The Dark Ones words.

"You intruded on the wrong castle dearie! And now, for your insolence, you will serve as my slave until I have no further use of you, but don't despair! I have quite a few spells and potions I'm eager to test out before we're through!" Rumpelstiltskin shouted with his arms waving in every-which direction, and though his voice level remained raised, he bantered between jovial and angry, as if unsure on which one to pick.

Maurice sputtered after the coins were taken and he said that he would be a slave, "Wh-Wh-Wha-WHAT?!" He started to beg, sweating profusely in fear at the man and at his predicament, "No! Please! I have six daughters waiting for me to come home! They need me!"

Rumpelstiltskin let out a shrill "NYEAHH!" expressing his amusement.

"You should have thought of that before you entered The Dark Castle. Everyone knows they don't leave here without something special to trade, and in your case, it's to be your freedom!"

Maurice interjected, now paling in realization about who the man was "Y-you're Rumpelstiltskin? But I had no idea that this was The Dark Castle to begin with! I'll leave immediately, that should render such a trade null!"

"Mmmmm...." Rumpelstiltskin hummed, seeming to seriously consider the man's words. "No." He then said indefinitely and waved his hand once more, covering Maurice in a thick cloud of purple smoke and removed him from the Dining Hall.

With a quiet huff, Rumpelstiltskin adjusted his golden colored vest and turned to head out himself, the candles extinguishing by magic as the grand double doors closed with a resounding thud as he made his way back to the tower where he would continue his evening unbothered.

The old man soon found himself shrouded in purple smoke and he soon found himself in a prison cell. He stumbled over to the bars and he clasped the cold metall in fists and he called "Please! Please, let me go! I'm sorry!" He cried, begged, and plead throughout the time that he was in the prison cell, but it seemed as though his cries fell on deaf ears.

As the hours passed by, he felt his throat start to dry from dehydration, making it difficult for him to continue his cries. He was also starting to become desperate. He started to even consider trading one of his daughters away for his freedom. If Rumpelstiltskin was indeed a man, then a woman would certainly be something he was interested in...right? No...no he could never wish his fate on the jewels of his life, and so the idea was immediately dismissed.

XXXX

A complete day passed by before the thick wooden door of Maurice's cell creaked open, however there was no one on the recieving end of the dungeon, as if the door had been opened by magic.

Maurice blinked in surprise at the sound and the sight of the cell opening ever so slowly. He stood up shakily, and he cautiously looked out, as though expecting Rumpelstiltskin to pop out of nowhere, and cast some kind of spell on him. When he was sure enough, he stepped out of the cell, and planned on leaving the castle.

As soon as he reached the top of the staircase, there was a small tray laid out on a circular table with a couple slices of stale bread and a tankard of water.

He noticed the small tray, and he gently moved it to the side so he could try the door first. However, when he tried the door, he found that it was locked. He swore under his breath at that discovery. From what he had seen of this dungeon thus far, he doubted that there was any other exit.

"Do that again and I'll skin you alive." The familair voice called out to the portly man, though it held no hints to whether he was joking or not. Rumpelstiltskin had, at some point, materialized himself sitting on the edge of the table next to the tray that Maruice had pushed away with little interest.

Maurice jumped at the voice, and turned to face Rumpelstiltskin in shock and fear. How could he have not noticed The Dark One there before? Maurice asked in fear, "That's not the worse you intend to inflict on me, is it?"

"Now you're catching on dearie." Rumpelstiltskin giggled softly.

Tears started to well in Maurice's eyes as the gravity and despair of the situation started to become fully realized in his mind. He didn't dare to let them fall though. He soon gathered up the courage to request the imp, "Before you end up killing me, could you at least let me write to my daughters? At least let me say good-bye to them. This is a very small thing compared to what you intend to do to me,"

Rumpelstiltskin's dark eyes rolled at Maurice's pitiful pleas, feeling nauseated already and it wasn't even tea time.

"Yes yes yes, so long as the blubbering stops!" He said raising his hand to his head, attempting to rub away the rising headache. He flicked his opposite wrist, the tray of bread and water replaced with a blank piece of parchment and ink quill.

Maurice fell silent as the parchment and ink quill appeared. He went over to the table and he started hastily writing on the parchment, trying to make sure that his tears didn't land on the parchment and smudge the ink. He wrote of his plight, and how he would never return home. He wished his six daughters, all by name, the best in life, and to be happy.

When he finished, he set the ink quill back into the ink pot, to show Rumpelstiltskin that he finished writing the letter.

Rumpelstilstksin hadn't moved from his perch atop the table, bending at his torso and neck to read over Maurice's words more out of boredom than of paranoia.

"How nauseatingly romantic..."

When Maurice indicated that he was done he snatched the letter away from Maurice and with a flick of his wrist, the letter was folded, sealed, and then gone from the castle entirely.

"Now then, if you're done babbling like a child..."

Maurice chuckled bitterly "If you thought that was babbling, then you clearly know absolutely nothing,"

Rumpelstiltskin hopped off of the table, clearly unmoved by the merchant's words and began heading towards the Dining Hall when Maurice addressed him once more in an utterly serious tone.

"You don't know what it's like to have a daughter..."

The Dark One halted in his step, his back hunching over slightly as he kept it facing the merchant. A muscle in his cheek twitched and his blood began to boil hot under his skin. He turned slowly to face Maurice, the once jovial, childlike expression he held gone in an instant and replaced with nothing but malice.

"And that just goes to show that clearly it is you who knows nothing!" He breathed out through clenched teeth. Rumpelstiltskin's fingertips began to crackle, white spurts of what looked like electricity dancing around his hands until finally The Dark One waved his hand in Maurice's general direction. A trail of black smoke went from his fingertips to the merchant, covering him entirely and shrinking with the merchants body until all that was left was a rather large cockroach where Maruice had once been.

"Let's see if being the slimy little cockroach you are for a few days won't teach you a little something. Best hope I don't forget you're here or better yet - best hope that I don't accidentally step on you." Rumpelstiltskin let out another giggle, but his heart wasn't into it, making it all the more frightning. He scoffed as he watched the cockroach scurry away, the snarl never leaving his lips until it was gone entirely.

XXX

"What are you waiting for? Shoot him!" One of the townspeople called behind Mo French.

"While he's still locked up!" Another one chimed it.

"No! Not until I find out the truth!" Mo yelled back at the townspeople cowering behind him, all of which seemed to have no regard whatsoever for the Sheriff who sat behind his desk. It was clear that the rules had changed.

Mo took a tentative step forward, testing the waters to see just how close he could get to the monster before it snapped. "My girl; what happened to my girl?" He asked, his lower lip quivering as he attempted to keep his tears at bay. "I know you did something! I know you were there! You have her locked up somewhere don't you? Just as you did in The Dark Castle, forever a prisoner because of my mistakes!"

"Glad to see your memory is all there." Mr. Gold slightly mumbled, unblinking as he stared the barrel of the gun down, more interested in the tears that began streaming down the chubby man's cheeks.

As soon as he heard the gunshot, Robert dropped what he was doing and ran towards the direction of it. The mob was thick and hard to pass through, but his newfound strength helped him create a path. He saw Moe French holding a gun, and tackled him from behind, trying to wrestle him to the ground. Immediately the townspeople that had followed Mo French into the Sheriff's Department became outraged, shouting obscenities at the Sheriff, begging him to see reason behind their purpose there, some even going as far as pushing past the others to charge Robert themselves and pulling out their own concealed weapons.

Robert got his hand on the gun, but was immediately assaulted by almost a dozen townspeople. He was still on the ground with Mo, and the mob rained down stomps and kicks aimed at his head. Robert took the hits and rose to his knees, surviving the onslaught. The townsfolk had now managed to draw their weapons, swinging at Robert with knives and blunt objects while the pawnbroker watched with amusement behind bars. After the first hit, Robert realized that his life was in danger, and he had no other choice. A thunderous bang echoed through the police station, Robert had fired the gun. He didn't have a chance to aim because he too busy trying to block the attacks, and the bullet hit a target he didn't intend to.

Belle hurried back to the station once the fog cleared up. She wanted ton confront Mr. Gold about lying to her. However, the thought perished when she saw the mob bum-rushing into the station, all with weapons raised.

Mr. Gold's eyes snapped up from the pitiful fighting before him as he felt a new presence in the building, his suspicions only confirmed when he saw a glimpse of Belle's chestnut colored hair.

Despite the chaos once inside the Sheriff's station, she heard her father's voice amongst the crowd. She pushed her way through, until a bang ran through the air and a sharp pain went through her left shoulder.

She widened her eyes at the pain and she screamed loudly as she fell to her knees while the crowd went silent. After she screamed she heard her father's voice call out to her. She couldn't hear him though. She lifted her hand off of her shoulder and saw blood on her hand.

It took a moment before Mr. Gold could even register what had happened, his blackened eyes looking at the smoking gun being held in Robert Leland's grasp; Belle on the floor. He was sure she was crying out, but he heard nothing, a deafening ringing in his ears followed immediately by his mouth hanging slightly agape.

There was a loud boom and the bars of his cell were blown completely off followed by large chunks of cement, all hurling towards the crowd of townspeople at an incredible speed but he did nothing to stop it. He immediately rushed to Belle's side, scooping her up to hold against him once on his knees, cradling her head into his chest.

"It's alright Belle, it's alright...I can stop this..." He cooed, his accent so thick he hardly even recognized it as his own voice; it had been centuries since he truly spoke with the dialect he was born with, something he just eased into no longer using that became his norm after becoming The Dark One.

The pain didn't seem to cease until Rumpelstiltskin reached her and held her close to him. Her ears rang, and whatever Rumpelstiltskin said was an auditory blur. Her vision grew hazy, as the sharp pain in her shoulder seemed to come back and she could only mumble "Rumpel..." before she passed out, her chest still rising and falling with every breath her body took.

"No, no no no!" Tears began to sting the corners of his eyes as he looked down on his beauty, feeling her lose consiousness in his arms. Quickly, he ran his hand over her shoulder where the most blood seemed to be pooling out of, feeling her injury by magic and reaching out with it until he no longer felt the presence of the bullet embedded into her flesh. He bent his neck down to kiss her cold, sweaty forehead delicately before scooping her up in his arms as he stood.

His eyes immediately happened on Robert, the tears gone and in their place nothing but detestation. He dared anyone from the watching crowd to do something, to say something to him, but especially daring for Robert to make some sort of comment about needing to get back into his cell. His nostrils flared when Mo opened his mouth to say something but then clamping it back shut immediately as he met the monsters black eyes.

There were a thousand thoughts flying through Robert's head at this moment, but he did not vocalize any of them. He stood up and backed away from the mob, keeping an eye on everyone involved and making his way to a secondary exit. Today had been a very bad day for him, and it was far from over.

Mr. Gold's right leg shook violently under the added weight as he stood to his full height, holding Belle closer to him still. He'd rather endure breaking a thousand bones again than to lose sight of Belle, even for a moment. He'd be back for his things later, now he needed to tend to the one of the two people that made living worthwhile. A cloud of purple smoke encased both Belle and Mr. Gold, vanishing beneath it until nothing was left but his cane and suit jacket, folded neatly on a nearby chair outside the cells.

XXX

It had been a month since Maurice had left the six sisters, and it had only just been last week when Belle received the letter from her father. It was an understatement just to say that Belle and her older sisters were shocked to hear that their father was now The Dark One's slave, all because he intruded into his castle.

Belle immediately headed out to go and find Rumpelstiltskin's castle herself, despite her sisters' warnings and pleads asking her to do otherwise. It had been a week of travelling until she finally reached The Dark Castle. When she saw the tall and ominous tower, she was sure that this was place she was looking for.

She took in a few deep breaths, bracing herself for meeting with The Dark One, before she walked up to the large double doors and knocked on the door loudly and called for Rumpelstiltskin. The doors swung open almost immediately, allowing Belle entrance, and yet no one was there to have opened the door for her.

Belle entered cautiously, and she looked around warily. As she entered, and looked through the castle eventually finding a stone staircase that led downwards, she called "Hello...? Is anyone here...? ...Papa?"

Soon she found the dungeons, and she called after she heard movement, "Hello?" The sounds of movement grew louder, and a familiar voice answered, "Belle? Belle, is that you?!" Overwhelmed with joy, Belle rushed over to the cell and she called "Papa!" When she reached the cell, they held each others' hands, and Maurice asked in worry, "Belle! What are you doing here?!" His daughter answered, "I had to come find you, after reading that letter...!"

Maurice shook his head and he said "Belle, no! Don't worry about me, you need to get out of here, before he realizes that you're here!" Belle answered "But I can't just leave you here!"

"I think...you'll find...you can..." Rumpelstitlskin's voice cut in, the Imp seeming to appear out of nowhere as he stood out in the open behind the female. His green eyes scanned the newcomer over carefully, his brows furrowing in the slightest unsure what to make of her quite yet.

He was garbed in his usual brown dragon-hide jacket today, the sharp points and rigid fabric making the small man look all the more imposing as his eyes began to melt into a darker color as he continued to examine the female, his head tilting ever so slightly to the side in curiosity.

"Your father belongs to me now dearie, no one breaks a deal with me!" He chided with a smile.

Belle and Maurice widened their eyes at Rumpelstiltskin's presence. Maurice stared in fear, while Belle whirled to face him, almost standing in front of her father protectively. When he made his chastisement, she narrowed her gaze at him.

Maurice spoke up, "Belle, please! Just leave! I don't want that...that beast to do anything to you!"

Rumpelstiltskin placed a hand over his heart and let his jaw drop, exaggerating greatly that his feelings had been hurt.

Belle seemed to ignore her father as she said to Rumpelstiltskin "What if I took his place...Rumpelstiltskin," Maurice gasped at what Belle said and he shouted desperately in an attempty to protect her, "BELLE, NO! DON'T YOU DARE SAY SUCH A THING!!!"

Rumpelstiltskin's fingers twitched at the female's request, his head tilting once more as he surveyed the beauty in front of him. Certainly he could get more work out of a woman than the portly merchant...males just never seemed to make good caretakers...or test subjects.

"You would do that?" Rumpelstiltskin asked her with genuine curiosity, unsure what to make of her request.

Belle answered his question seriously, "Yes, I would, in return for my father's freedom from his servitude to you," She kept her eyes on Rumpelstiltskin, as though trying to find any sign of any trickery or deceit on his part. Maurice begged once again, "Belle, stop! What about your sisters? What about Gaston?! Don't forsake them for my sake!" Belle turned to her father, and she said "I'll be alright, Papa. No one decides my fate, but me,"

Rumpelstiltskin's eyes bounced back and forth between father and daughter, his smile only growing wider and wider with each passing word.

"It's forever dearie..." Rumpelstiltskin reminded Belle, looking back at her with just as much intensity, almost daring her to back off.

Belle looked back to Rumpelstiltskin and she reaffirmed, showing that she wasn't backing down from this deal, "My father will be safe from you, correct?"

The Imp put his hand back over his heart, though this time without the mockery.

"You have my word." He promised with a slight bow.

Belle promised after he gave his word, "Then I shall stay here and take Father's place...forever,"

"DEAL! NYEAHH!" The Imp bounced up and down on the balls of his feet in excitement, flicking his wrist and letting the door of Maurice's cell open to give the merchant his freedom.

As soon as the cell door opened, Maurice stood up and he went over to Belle and he hugged her sadly, "Oh Belle...! No...!" Belle hugged back and she said sadly "Tell my sisters good-bye for me, alright Papa?" Maurice openly sobbed after Belle spoke, causing tears to fall from Belle's eyes as well. He seemed to be unwilling to let go of his daughter and lose her forever.

Rumpelstiltskin's fingers twitched again in anticipation. There were one too many people in his castle now. A small swirl of purple smoke slowly built up at Maruice's feet, the bag of gold he had confiscated the first day Maurice had come into his castle appearing once again.

"Unless you enjoyed your time as a cockroach, I suggest you go." He said, attempting to break up their sickening goodbye.

Maurice backed up when he saw the cloud of purple smoke. He had thought that the imp was going to try and turn him into a bug again, but instead the gold coins appeared at his feet. He nodded silently in response to Rumpelstiltskin's warning, and picked up the gold before he left the dungeons and castle, while Belle stayed in the dungeons.

As soon as Maurice had gone, Rumpelstiltskin approached the woman, perhaps he should start using her name now that she was bound to him forever.

"Here, let me show you to your room..." He let his green hand hold the small of her back before pushing her back into the cell that had been previously occupied by her father and shut the door quickly, trapping her inside with an echoing giggle.

Belle fell to the ground in the dungeon when he pushed her in. She heard his giggle, and she didn't bother screaming or shouting about how he couldn't just leave her there. She had expected that she would be in the dungeon, considering she said that she would take her father's place.

She went to the small cot that was in the room and cried silently as the imp left.