#this is mostly about carrie white and ashley graham

[hidingoutbackstage]

Maybe it’s personal but I like imperfect victim characters more than perfect victims. I like when they’re flawed. I’m more annoyed when the creators think the victim has to be perfect for the audience to sympathize with them. If they lash out I’m not gonna hold it against them

[treatian]

The Chronicles of the Dark One:  Breaking the Curse

Chapter 5: Old Somebodies

Tonight was the night.

He'd been waiting well over a week for an opportunity like this, ever since he'd confronted Regina at that Apple Tree of hers. He was starting to believe that the day might be months off or might never arrive, and he'd have to prepare for the future with educated guesses. But here they were.

He'd been busy in the last few days. After twenty-eight years, there was a lot to catch up on, and doing it in such a way that Regina might not notice anything different about him meant he had to be creative about how he acquainted himself with this new world. He wanted a way to be aware of who was around him, to let himself know who was in this town, who they were here, who they'd been at home, as well as any stray information that he happened to know about them. He wanted to be prepared and knowledgeable, and to do that, he had to unite his old self with his new self perfectly. As it turned out, his ledger was the key.

The books he kept, the same ones he used to keep track of rent, were as good as having the town census. With human eyes, it took a long time to go through name after name after name. Still, it was all worth it in the end, especially when he remembered that if Regina was capable of watching him in his house, all she'd see was Mr. Gold obsessing over his finances, something very "in character" for his alternate persona. Name by name, he went through his books. Often, he knew little about the individual, but there were more than a few that he was able to place.

Albert Spencer, a full-time lawyer, working crimes he didn't dare bore himself with-that was King George, James' and David's adoptive father.

Doctor Whale, a physician at Storybrooke Hospital-in fact, was Doctor Frankenstein, from the Land Without Color. Apparently, Regina had brought over a few individuals that were not in their land.

Tom Clark, owner of the Dark Star Pharmacy, the only pharmacy in town. Mr. Clark was teased by many for being rather short in stature, but on this side of the Curse, he knew that was neither bad luck nor ailment. In reality, he was Sneezy, one of the seven dwarves that always seemed attached to Snow White.

He studied his lists carefully, forming a checklist in his head of all those he wanted to know and needed to know and making sure they were accounted for. He found the other seven dwarves. Ashley Boyd, his "girl of ash," was currently very pregnant and working odd jobs, so she didn't have to live with her step-mother and sisters. It seemed Jefferson had kept his name of Jefferson and was secluded in a mansion of sorts close to the hospital and police station. Sheriff Graham was Regina's hunter, faithful to her only because he reckoned that she still held his heart captive somewhere safe. Kathryn Nolan was Abigail, King Midas' daughter, and David Nolan's supposed husband, not that anyone knew where David Nolan was at the moment. Sidney Glass was the Genie that Regina had used to murder her husband.

The name Sarah Fisher was the only one that made him stumble. Sarah Fisher, owner of the ice cream shop across the street. He'd given her a loan to get it, but…he remembered that. She wasn't like the others in Storybrooke that he had fuzzy false memories of. Her coming to him for a loan to start her shop, her opening day, Mr. Gold remembered those. They'd happened here in Storybrooke after they'd been here; years after, he was almost sure. But nothing in Storybrooke ever changed. For twenty-eight years, everyone had only ever had their single loop that they followed. No one ever struck out on their own or followed their dreams or got their happy endings, which meant…

Sarah Fisher hadn't always been in Storybrooke. She hadn't been brought here by the Curse. In actuality, Sarah Fisher was Princess Ingrid, the scared little Elemental from Arendelle he'd met so long ago. And this…this was very valuable information he now possessed. Until she made a nuisance of herself, it was information to keep close to his chest and play only when the time was right. Though, he was also fascinated to learn that Ingrid's niece, Anna, was among the missing.

There were a few others that joined Anna on this list of "missing people." Of course, "unknown" was perhaps a better word for it. Though he knew most people in Storybrooke, he had to admit he didn't know them all. There was an entire realm of people here; the Dark One hadn't dealt with all of them in his time, and thanks to Dove, neither had Mr. Gold. It was possible Anna was one of the faceless names he'd looked over and didn't know it. But he was disappointed and more than a bit nervous at who was on his list of unknowns.

For a while, David's name was at the top of that list, though he hadn't panicked when he realized it. His memories of when he'd awoken told him he was not a paying member of society, and shortly after he'd begun his search, he'd had Dove go to the hospital and locate a John Doe that matched David's description. A picture later, it was all confirmed. David was located even if he was the only one who knew it.

Also among the unknowns; Archie Hopper's unknown friend with dark hair who knew Baelfire, and Cora. Regina had claimed to have killed the woman when they were in the Enchanted Forest, so he supposed it was possible that was why she was missing, but he'd always doubted that she'd actually done the deed. So where was she now? More than likely, she was still in Wonderland. Dead or alive, that woman would be the last person Regina would want around here, and at the moment, he didn't care which it was so long as she wasn't anywhere near him. The Apprentice, Merlin, King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, all of them were missing, and he couldn't recall seeing Princess Aurora or her Prince Phillip anywhere in town. But the most important person on his unknown list at the moment was the one that held something extraordinary of his inside her. Maleficent was missing.

He was certain, or at least almost certain, that she'd been carried over in the Curse. He knew that she'd still been in the Enchanted Forest when he'd been captured and taken to his cell. He'd been planning on her being here; that was why he'd had David leave his egg with his potion inside her! So where was she?

After days of consideration, he had a hunch, one theory that had come to him as he glanced across the street at the empty library, missing his Belle. He knew everything about this place, everything about his land and especially the library that Mr. Gold had considered knocking down more than a time or two. He'd seen the blueprints for it. He knew that in that library, there was an elevator; mostly, it was to be used for going up to the clocktower, but it could also go down. Down…Mr. Gold had no idea where "down" went to. The town legend had always said there was a dragon beneath the library. It was just a stupid story that children told to scare their classmates. Poppycock, Mr. Gold considered it. But suddenly, he remembered all those times he'd walked to his shop in the snow and cast that irritated glance over to the library. Why was it that the area around that library always seemed to get less snow?

It was worth an investigation. But how to pull it off? Regina was suspicious of him enough as it was, but she couldn't prove anything, and that was how he wanted to keep it. If the elevator was what he thought it was, then there might be magic on it. It might alert Regina to the fact that he used it, and he might be able to come up with some story or excuse, but at that point, he would be playing with fire.

He thought of a hundred different scenarios, dozens of different plans which might allow him to investigate, but all of them came back to one lesson the Seer had always taught him-it had to be the right time.

Well, it seemed the right time had finally arrived. He was keeping Dove happy and rich these days, paying him to watch Emma Swan, who was currently living in her yellow car on the street because no one was willing to invite the Mayor's wrath and let her stay with them. Last night, something had happened, something that nearly made him erupt in a fit of giggles when he found out. John Doe, David Nolan, Prince Charming…at Henry and Emma's behest apparently Mary Margaret had gone to read to him last night. The result?

John Doe was awake.

Dove didn't know the entire story. There had been some speculation in the hospital earlier in the night. Mary Margaret had insisted that he'd woken, but the medical staff had assured her that he hadn't. But sometime in the middle of the night, he'd wandered off in nothing but his hospital gown. Damn near the entire town had shut down today to go looking for the missing man, just as they had more than a decade ago, though no one else seemed to be able to remember that clearly. Naturally, much to what he was certain was Regina's disappointment; it was Emma and Mary Margaret who had found David in the woods.

Hopeful that a moment was coming, he'd stayed in his shop, hoping that the timing might be right. And then it arrived, a single text message from Dove. "Things are crazy here. The Mayor just showed up with a woman she claims is John Doe's wife. No one saw this coming. Everyone has questions."

That was good enough for him. Regina was busy. Good and busy, for the next several minutes at least. From the back of his shop, in a black bag that held all his magical potions, he grabbed a thick paste he'd been working on for just a time like this. Water, ground limestone, and salt. In their world, it was the essence of natural magic. He just hoped it would cancel or dull any protective spells that Regina might have on that elevator. With any luck, the commotion at the hospital would keep her busy enough not to notice. He grabbed a flashlight, a thick ring of keys that let him into nearly any home and establishment in Storybrooke, and he made sure his gun was tucked into his pocket. Then, quick as he could, he limped across the street to the library.

The door whined so loud at being opened, he wanted to cover his ears. But he pressed forward. Though the library did have electricity, he didn't turn the lights on and made sure not to aim his flashlight at any of the boarded-up windows. The last thing he needed was Regina getting a hint that something was wrong because some snoopy shop owner had seen something they shouldn't have. He smeared the paste he'd made over the frame of the elevator best he could and felt something tingle in the air. He hoped it was the Curse, desperate for more magic to keep itself going, taking the bait, and releasing any wards there might have been on the thing. Then he opened the doors to the elevator open.

The elevator car wasn't where it was supposed to be but rather stuck halfway down the shaft, further inviting those who wished to use it to simply leave. He wasn't fooled by it. He used the handle to inch the rattling metal cage up to where he was and then pretended not to gulp as he got into it, closed the doors, and opened a hidden panel that contained the emergency controls. Then he lowered himself down the shaft and into the mines below Storybrooke.

Ten minutes later, he was sitting in his car, huffing and puffing at what he'd seen and how he'd hurried to vacate the library before anyone knew he was there. He sent a text message to Dove and confirmed that Regina hadn't left yet and everyone was still there at the hospital. Relief spread through his body as he leaned his head back against the seat and tried to breathe.

He should have turned on the car and gone home, but he was suddenly aware that his hands were shaking and his feet felt unnaturally light. He tried to tell himself it was because he had hurried, that this body was far less capable than the body he'd had in the Enchanted Forest, but deep down, he knew it was something far more cowardly making him shake. It was what lay at the bottom of the Storybrooke Library.

At the bottom of the elevator, there had been an impossibly large cavern. It had been dark and damp, but cold. Fear kept him from taking a single step off the elevator platform as he circled his flashlight around the darkness. The light glinted and fractured over something shining and glass. It was an artifact he recognized, one that he was shocked to see found it's way over…Snow White's infamous glass coffin. He swallowed as he moved the beam of light again. Across a crack in the cavern floor, he was met with the sight of two glowing yellow eyes the size of large dinner serving platters. A low rumble had vibrated in his chest and across the walls of the black walls of the cave as those eyes had risen in height, and he'd quickly closed the elevator doors and pushed the metal cage to move faster back to the library.

A dragon was living under the library in Storybrooke.

He'd found Maleficent.

[dumbledearme]

chapter four—a chipped cup

~~ read Swan Song here ~~

The Sheriff's death hits everyone pretty hard. Storybrooke isn't used to having to deal with loss, so for awhile people aren't quite sure of how to proceed. We hold a funeral for Graham first thing in the morning, and I'm glad to see that everyone has come to pay their respects, even the little kids, Eva and Nicholas, whom Graham had indeed help reunite with their parents. My mother sets a memorial for him near the police station. A street bench with his name on a plaque, no less.

The official cause of death determined by Dr. Whale is heart attack.

I'm to meet with Flynn at Granny's for lunch, so I take a quick shower (wash the grief off of me), put on some old jeans and T-shirt and hurry up there. As I'm about to turn the corner in the avenue, however, I hear his now familiar voice coming from a dark alley to my right. I come to a halt. He's talking to someone in hushed whispers.

"I think we should stop," Flynn is saying. "Lay low for a bit."

"No." I'm fairly certain the other voice belongs to his so-called partner, August. "It's time. She has to break the curse. She turns sixteen in two days. That's the only opening we'll ever have."

"You said all she needed to do was believe in it," Flynn says. His tone of voice is accusing. "She believes in it, August, and it still hasn't made a single difference. Now you're saying she has to have a birthday?"

"It hasn't made a single difference?" August repeats, sounding affronted. "Are you crazy? It's made all the difference in the world. People are starting to remember—"

"And they're being killed for it." Flynn's voice is cold now, hard. "The Evil Queen murdered the huntsman right in front of Hannah. If she starts to suspects us, if she feels threatened, what do you think she'll do?"

"That's why we need to get this over with as soon as possible."

"You don't play with a curse, August. Hannah's only safe for as long as Regina doesn't know who she is."

"Nobody else is safe while the curse is still in motion," August says fervently. "I don't need to tell you that, Bae."

There is a moment of silence in which I make my decision. I walk into the alley.

"What are you two going on about? Who's Bae?" Something tells me I've heard the name before.

"Shhh," says Flynn coming over to my side. He looks surprised to see me, but not angry that I've been listening in on them. "You can't be saying this name around here. It's not safe."

I try to assess if he's being serious. The conclusion is yes, he is. "Alright," I say. "I won't."

Flynn takes my hand. "Come on. Let's have lunch." He starts pulling me back toward the main street, but August calls my name, making us both stop.

"I have something you need to see," he tells me, after glancing sideways to his friend.

"No," says Flynn. He sounds like he's trying to keep his temper in check. I wonder what is putting him so on edge. Is it just what happened to Graham?

August is a much more patient man. "Why don't we show her and let her decide—"

"I said no." Flynn is firmer this time and August seems to rethink his strategy.

"Maybe another time then," he tells me, and then walks right past us into the main street and out of sight.

I look at Flynn. "Hiding stuff? That's kind of a deal breaker." He gives me one of his crooked grins and I know in my heart that there is literally nothing in the world he can do that will make me break up with him. My warning is utterly empty.

I don't know if Flynn can tell that or not, but he takes it lightly. "I have to keep my mysterious facade or you might get tired of me," he teases, squeezing my hand.

"Be serious," I say, but mostly because making out in a dark alley isn't really my thing so I need to break the spell. No pun intended.

"Look…" he starts. "There are parts about the curse that even I don't understand."

"But the parts you do," I press. "I mean, from your little argument with your boyfriend, I gathered that you're certain my mother is the Evil Queen?"

Flynn pulls me toward the main street and I don't protest. "Who has cast the curse, yes," he says, ten steps later.

I try to keep up. "And she… she's really killed Graham? Why would she do that?" I know what his answer is going to be—because he started to remember who he was before—but I find that a little hard to believe. I am aware that my feelings might be blinding me to the truth—after all, she is my mother and do love her. If she's truly this monster I've been hearing about… well, I don't know how I feel about that. Are my feelings supposed to go away just like that? Should I hate her? Am I even capable of that?

The answer is... maybe. When I break it down, when I separate the good memories of my childhood to the things I'm learning about her, I think that 'maybe' is as close as I can get to an answer. If she is this Evil Queen then she has poisoned Snow White, she has cursed an entire kingdom, she has murdered countless people including Graham and her own father. When I think of her, my mother, I'm unable to spot the monster. But when I think of Graham…

"Look, you've read the book, right?" Flynn says. "You know she has only ever loved one person in her entire life."

I nod. "Daniel—the stable boy." Not me.

"Yes. So… I think that… honestly, Hannah, I think that there isn't a line she wouldn't cross."

I try to let that sink in. My mother. A killer. A monster. Graham… poor Graham. And Daniel… the only one she has ever loved. Not me. Daniel.

"How?" I'm whispering now. Not because I'm worried someone might overhear us, but because my own voice is failing me.

Flynn has a funny look on his face as if he's trying to decide how much of this I can take before I break. "She had his heart," he says. "She took it from him before the curse. I'm guessing she must've crushed it. It's kind of her thing."

Crushed his heart. A heart attack. I can't feel anything, he told me. Emptiness. His heart, crushed by her hand.

As we reach Granny's, I try to shake these thoughts away. We pick a table near the door and Flynn orders some pancakes and two hot cocoas.

"Alright," I say after our orders have arrived. "And where exactly do I come in? I get that I'm supposed to be Snow White's kid, but…" I stop. I don't know how to finish that sentence.

"You are the only one who can stop her curse," Flynn tells me. "You are the savior, a product of true love. Long before you were born, someone prophesied your coming."

As I glance out the glass door, I see David Nolan talking to Ms. Blanchard in the street. They exchange a few words, secret smiles, and then he leaves. Ms. Blanchard stands there for a moment, watching him go. It is a pretty sad sight.

I stand up. "Give me a minute, will you," I say, and I leave before Flynn can reply. I head outside to meet Ms. Blanchard. She's not happy to see me there.

"You saw that, uh?" she mutters. "He comes here every morning to get coffee." She doesn't look very much like herself, I notice. I guess that's what happens when half of you gets taken away. She is wrecked because of David Nolan.

"For him and his wife," I remind her, not because I'm trying to be mean, but because I think love sometimes makes people forget right and wrong. I fear that Ms. Blanchard might not be seeing clearly and I would hate for her to do something she might regret later.

"I know." She sighs. "I know, I know. I just like to… to come here to see him."

I try to lighten the mood a little. "So… you're a stalker?"

"No, not really," Ms. Blanchard says quickly. Then she considers it. "Maybe a little bit. It's not like I'm following him. I just know that he spends his mornings with Kathryn, gets his coffee, then drives to the animal shelter and then he's home around 5h00."

"Is that all?"

"Thursdays they pick up Chinese for dinner."

"Oh my God." That makes me giggle. She's acting more like a schoolgirl than a teacher. She's acting worse than me and I've been feeling pretty struck down by love as well.

Ms. Blanchard is head over hills. It'd be really very adorable if it wasn't so terribly hopeless.

"I can't get him out of my head," she whispers, emotion pouring out with each word. "Love's the worst."

I can't agree more.

"Does anyone want to babysit for me?" someone moans from behind us. We look upstreet. Ashley is coming our way pushing her newborn baby girl on a stroller.

"Wow, Ashley, I didn't even recognize you," says Ms. Blanchard.

"With the baby on the outside?" Ashley rolls her eyes. "I swear, it's an improvement."

"No," says Ms. Blanchard with a smile. "I think you look well. Motherhood suits you."

I'm about to comment that I think she looks well, too, for a new baby mama, but someone else has joined our little group. Mr. Gold, carrying a big box in one hand, his walking stick in the other, and looking no less of a gecko than usual, stops in the sidewalk besides us. He gives us a few polite words before turning his full attention to me.

"I just wanted to offer my condolences," he tells me. "The Sheriff was a good man."

I don't understand why he should be offering his sentiments to me of all people, unless he should think I had a special connection with Graham because he died in my arms. The look on his face tells me this is something else, though.

I stop and take stock of the man before me. Mr. Gold, pawn shop owner, has a bad leg, wears striped suits, has a few gold teeth, owns the entire town. Who is this man? In the book, I mean, before the curse. What am I missing?

"Thank you for the kind words," I say lamely after my silence turns a little awkward.

"I have his things."

I blink. "What?"

"The Sheriff," Gold says moving the box he's holding into my line of vision. "He rented an apartment that I own. I thought I should offer you a keepsake."

I can feel Ms. Blanchard's curious eyes on me. "I don't need anything," I say, unsure of what the right answer to this situation might be.

"As you wish." Gold gives me a sly smile. "I'll give them to Mayor Mills. Seems like she was the closest thing he had to family."

His words chill me to the bone and the scariest part is that I think he knows it. I feel like he's playing me, testing me.

"I suppose that might include you as well, Miss Mills," he goes on. "My, you grew up so fast. I remember like it was yesterday when Madam Mayor brought you home, just a tiny little pink thing. I hope she has enjoyed her time with you. What we get to spend with our children… Let's just say time is a very precious thing. And the thing about children…" his eyes search mine, "before you know it, you lose 'em."

And then the voices do come.

Papa! We have to go through!

No! It's a trick. It'll tear us apart!

No, it's okay. I promise. Papa, you have to trust me!

I can't! I can't!

Papa, please! It's the only way we can be together!

I can't!

You coward! You promised! You can't break our deal!

I have to.

Rumpelstiltskin.

A poor villager that injured his own leg so that he could go home instead of fighting in the Ogre war. Abandoned by his wife that was so very ashamed of his cowardice, he raised a son by himself. Years later, trying to spare his son from that very same war, he tries to escape but some soldiers stop him. Humiliated, he decides to seek a power so great nobody would ever dare look down on him again. He finds the Dark One, a terrifying entity with unmatched powers, wishing for his help, but the Dark One does him one better—he tricks Rumpelstiltskin into killing him thus making him the new Dark One.

With these great powers, great evil has followed. The son, Baelfire, did his best to keep his father from going dark, but Rumpelstiltskin was beyond salvation. Believing the only way to help his father was to remove his dark magic, Baelfire opens a portal to the world without magic. Rumpelstiltskin agreed to go with him, but he changes his mind in the last minute and Baelfire alone is sent across worlds, never to be found again.

The thing about children… before you know it, you lose 'em.

"Miss Mills, two people with a common goal can accomplish many things," Mr. Gold says, calling me back to the present. "Two people with a common enemy can accomplish even more."

I might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but even I know what's going on here. He is offering me something, a partnership of sorts. He wants an ally so he can beat the villain of this story—which I'm guessing must be my mother. But Gold is being cautious. I figure he doesn't want to go against Regina directly which is why he's coming to me.

I try to remember what else the book told me about these two. Rumpelstiltskin was imprisoned when the Evil Queen did cast her curse. However, if I'm not mistaken, she went to see him, just like Snow White did, after her first attempt to cast the curse had failed. She went to ask him why. And he told her… he told her that she had to make a great sacrifice; she had to kill the thing she loved the most.

But even before that there is something else. It was Rumpelstiltskin who originally discovered the curse. It was supposed to be the means through which he would be sent to the same land where Baelfire supposedly was. Since the sacrifice required by the curse was too great, Rumpelstiltskin needed someone else to cast it for him.

My mother. He played her. From the very beginning, he played her. Using a strand of hair from both Snow White and Prince Charming, he created a true love potion which he added to the curse scroll. That's what made Princess Odette the savior! It wasn't circumstantial—he made it all happen, he orchestrated everything! He created a loophole to his own curse.

But why?

He wanted to come here to find his son, but I'm guessing the curse would be trapping him in Storybrooke as much as the rest of us. So as of right now, he can't leave to look for his son. Unless… Unless I brake the curse? But that would mean that… that he is aware of where he is and who he is.

And, perhaps what is more worrisome, he is aware of who I am.

Can it be?

I stare at the man before me and I decide that it can. He stands tall, confident of the secrets he keeps. Here, in the land without magic, I guess that translates as his power over the rest of us—knowledge, awareness, remembrance. I ask myself if, ultimately, that doesn't make him a whole lot more dangerous than the Evil Queen.

"Thanks," I say weakly. "I'll remember that."

Just like I remember other things, Mr. Gold. Like the deal I already made with you. Sorry, but I'm not about to dig myself an ever bigger hole.

Flynn and I have a heavy afternoon dissecting what Mr. Gold's intentions might be. For some reason, the subject seems to make Flynn extremely uncomfortable. I get the feeling he doesn't like Gold very much. I don't blame him; I don't think I like him either.

He walks me home around sunset, just as Regina is arriving. I immediately let go of his hand, but from her expression, I can tell she's seen it. And she doesn't like it. However, she makes an effort to smile and greets Flynn politely.

She also invites him to dinner which I think it's a bit of a stretch. Thankfully, Flynn has some excuse ready—he is to meet with August back at Granny's.

"Pity," Regina says almost sounding like she means it. "Maybe some other time then."

Flynn wishes us a goodnight and starts heading back down the street. Regina doesn't bring up the subject during dinner or afterwards. She keeps our conversation light. She is in a good mood which makes me worry. When we have finished eating, she receives an unexpected call.

"I have to go downtown," she tells me when she's hung up. "I'll be back late."

"Why? What happened?"

"There's been a misunderstanding between Mr. Gold and Moe French earlier today," she tells me like it's not a big deal. "French owed Gold some money. When he failed to make the payment, Gold took his van. It seems Moe has decided to retaliate. That's what happens when you no longer have a sheriff in town." She mentions Graham lightly which makes my stomach churn.

I can't imagine what Moe French must've been thinking to go after Mr. Gold by himself. You don't have to know he used to be Rumpelstiltskin and the Dark One to fear him. But since time has started to move forward nothing has happened here without a deeper purpose. I should keep my eyes open.

After Regina leaves, I hurry up the stairs and into my room where I grab the fairy-tale book and start shuffling through the pages. Moe French must be someone who's had a connection with Rumpelstiltskin. But who? As the resident villain, Rumpelstiltskin went around making enemies everywhere. What could Moe French, a florist, have against him?

French. Florist. There is a connection I should be making, but my brain is too tired of theories of conspiracy for today. I close the book and put it aside. Maybe in the morning, I decide. I'll figure it out.

Unfortunately, I don't have the night's rest I've been hoping for. My dreams are dark and misty, filled with ogre wars and dark magic and betrayal. A beautiful girl in a yellow dress offers herself up to a beast with iron skin to save her kingdom. She lets a teacup fall on the ground, chipping it. She has the strange ability to see the beauty within.

Any curse can be broken.

Who told you that? I knew this was a trick, that you could never care for me.

No! It was working. It means that it's true love.

Shut up!

Why can't you believe me?

Because no one, no one, can ever love me!

I wake up with a start but it isn't because of the voices in my head. There are voices in the real world, real voices from real people, and they're inside my house. I glance out the window; it's the middle of the night. What the hell is going on?

I get out of bed and slowly open my bedroom's door. The voices are clearer now. They come from the foyer downstairs. I think it's Regina arguing with someone. Barefoot, I go down the hall until I reach the base of the stairs. I can't see them from here, but I can hear them much better.

"You really wanted to get my attention, didn't you?" That can only be Mr. Gold. His tone is carried with bitterness and a certain degree of hostility.

"I tried talking to you yesterday," my mother says, nonchalant, "but you shut me down. This was the only way I could do it."

"You saw me have a row with Mr. French." It's not a question. "So what? You put him up to it? Told him to rob me?"

"I merely suggested that strong men take what they need," is my mother's boastful answer. So the commotion from before that she went to investigate has been something she planned? That actually makes more sense. Moe French doesn't seem the kind to take initiative.

"And you told him exactly what to take, didn't you?" Gold almost snarls. "Alright. When two people both want something the other has, a deal can always be struck. Do you have what I want?"

"Yes." I can hear the smile in her voice. Silence follows that. I assume that Gold is trying to come up with his next move. I feel like I'm hearing a game of chess unfold.

"You know what I want," Gold says. "What is it you want?" He tries to mask his interest, but both me and my mom pick up on that.

"I want you to answer one question. And answer simply." There is a pause. I edge further against the wall afraid to miss her next words. "What is your name?"

"It's Mr. Gold."

"Your real name."

Oh gosh. It is happening.

"Every moment that I've spent on this Earth that's been my name," Gold says, voice soft.

"But what about moments spent elsewhere?"

My heart starts hammering in my chest. I know what she is asking him. She wants to know, much like I do, if he is aware of the curse and of who he used to be before that. If she wants to know this it must be because she is picking up on the changes that have been occurring in Storybrooke. Maybe she knows now that time has moved forward. Maybe she knows that there is people trying to break her curse.

That cannot be good news.

When Gold doesn't answer, Regina presses on. "If you want me to return what's yours, tell me your name." She enunciates the words very carefully—a threat if I ever heard one.

There's a little intake of breath before the answer comes. "Rumpelstiltskin."

It's like the entire world has stopped turning. The name rings in my ears—I have never heard anyone say that aloud, much less mean it. But here it is proof of everything that has been going on in Storybrooke for the last two decades, straight from the horse's mouth.

I hear footsteps and try to focus back on what's going on downstairs. "Now give me what I want," Mr. Gold—or Rumpelstiltskin—growls.

My curiosity gets the best of me. Risking being discovered, I lean over the railing to spy on the two of them. They stand in the middle of the foyer facing each other. Gold's knuckles are white as he grips his walking stick with silent fury. My mother has a teasing grin on her face, like she feels this is some kind of victory. Reaching inside her coat's pocket, she pulls the last thing I expect to see: a simple, white teacup.

No, not a simple teacup—the chipped teacup from my dream.

All you have is an empty heart and a chipped cup.

"Such hostility," Regina provokes the beast, waving the teacup in front of him, "over this. Such a sentimental little keepsake."

Mr. Gold takes it from her in one swift motion. "Thank you, Your Majesty," he barks. The use of her formal title makes her grimace like she finds it distasteful. "Now that we're being honest with each other," Gold goes on with much more confidence now that he has his item back, "let's remember how things used to be, shall we? I'm the one with the power around here. And nothing between us has changed."

Regina gets in his face, unaffected by his words. "We shall see." She makes a move toward the stairs and I run back to my bedroom before any of them can realize they've been overheard.

I am up and dressed before the sun has properly risen. I need to see Flynn straight away and tell him what happened here last night. Grabbing a piece of toast, I run out the backdoor and start hitting the pavement toward Granny's.

I don't get far. Near the edge of my street, I see the white-furred wolf. Graham's friend. I haven't seen it since the day Graham died; in fact, I had almost forgotten about it.

It hasn't forgotten me, it's clear. Come with me, it seems to whisper, just like it did that night. I'll take you where you want to go.

Who am I to argue with a wolf?

Putting aside my original intention, I bolt after the wolf. It guides me through the still dark forest. I don't much think about where its leading me. I guess I have learned to trust it.

I follow the wolf to the point where the intersection forks into two directions; I'm so busy trying to remember where either of these paths lead that I don't realize the wolf hasn't stopped to wait for me. It hastily followed the left path until it disappeared in the distance and I have to run after it otherwise all of this is for nothing. In my rush, it isn't until I'm lying flat on my back that I register I've ran right into someone.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," I mutter as a man struggles to sit down. I jump to my feet and hurry to pull him up by the arm. His neck cracks up and his eyes find mine. I'm looking straight into the face of the official town loony, the one and only who has managed to beat me to that title.

"No problem," he says as he straightens up. Then he gives me a long asserting look. "You're the Mayor's kid, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"What brings you out here this early?" He has a pretty face, square jaw and blue eyes. Considering everything else I've seen this week, he looks positively normal today.

"Oh… I was looking for a… a dog," I can't bring myself to say wolf. Ironically, I don't want the town loony to think I'm crazy.

"Well, I hope you find it. I'm Jefferson," he reaches out his hand and I, even though I'm familiar with the name and the person attached to it, shake it.

"Hannah."

"Do you want some tea?" he offers, sounding eager for some company. The saying about misery crosses my head. "I live just around the corner and after getting you covered in mud, I wouldn't dream of sending you home without drinking something warm. We don't want you catching anything, do we?"

The fact that he is referring to himself as two people should've put me on my guard, but he smiles so friendly and his touch is so warm that I can't find a good reason no to indulge the man. I let him lead the way. Jefferson chats animatedly as we walk. The trivial subjects seem to be just an excuse to keep him talking and it makes me wonder when was the last time he spoke to another person.

The house that reveals itself when we turn the corner isn't really a surprise, but its magnitude it's always awing. White, great and empty it looks a lot like my house if not for the fact that no one ever comes here. It is perhaps the best piece of real estate in Storybrooke and how it came to be in the hands of someone like Jefferson—who doesn't even seem to hold a job or anything—is the real mystery of this town.

It's colorful inside, tasteful—all of the houses in Storybrooke are. Ever since I was little it always seemed to me that the houses looked like they'd all been decorated by the same person because of how much alike they are. Must be the curse.

By the time Jefferson emerges from the kitchen with a tray, I'm actually longing for some tea as something to warm my hands with. The smell of chamomile fills the air as he pours the tea into two cups.

"Here," he says handing me a cup. I bask in the warmth of it before taking a big gulp; it tastes wonderful. "I brought you this," and he pulls a folded map from his back pocket. "I'm a bit of a amateur cartographer. Mapping the area is a hobby. Maybe it will help you track down your dog." He straightens the map on top of a grand piano and beckons me closer.

I'm immediately impressed with what I'm seeing. This map is the most detailed depiction of Storybrooke I have ever seen and I have seen my mother's maps. I wonder how long it has taken him to put all of this information together and how can he have pulled it off with the curse on full motion?

I trail my finger over the map. I can feel his eyes watching me, as if waiting for something, but my mind seems to be slowing down and I can't finish the thought. Something is wrong. The room has started to spin. I look at Jefferson beside me, searching his face for signs that he might think something is wrong too, but my eyes are blurry and I can't make out his face.

"Something wrong?" his voice sounds very distant although he is standing right beside me.

"I feel a little…" I want to say 'dizzy', but my tongue feels like cotton. I stumble onto him and he grabs me with enough force to keep me standing. He pulls me toward the couch and sets me there.

The last thing I see is his bright blue eyes on me, and the sinister smile creeping on his face.