Once Upon a Time 1. An unlikely saviour

They called her the Dark One. There was no life in her cold blue eyes, only hunger for the one thing she desired above all else: power.

He had heard tales of a girl who slayed a terrible creature, to take on an all-consuming darkness and wield the most uncontrollable force it possessed for her own. And now she stood before his little town. Rumpelstiltskin, a mere spinner, a cripple and a coward, was in the presence of the most powerful being in possibly all the lands.

And she was beautiful. He was almost reluctant to admit it to himself, for there was something so terrifying in her steely, ice-blue gaze. He found a certain allure in the confident way she held herself, in the slight breeze that tickled her hair that curled wildly around her small face, snakelike tendrils that complimented her scaly skin.

She was terrible, and beautiful.

The Dark One stared through them all like they never even existed, like they were unimportant in the scheme of things. Mere pawns in her game.

"I've come to make you a deal," she said coldly, the words chilling Rumpelstiltskin's bones. He drew his son, Baelfire, nearer to him, taking comfort in the warmth of his boy's form.

Her eyes flitted over the small crowd, and Rumpelstiltskin could only imagine her disdain at the raggedy bunch, the poor, downtrodden townsfolk suffering the terrible drought that the year had brought_. Does she even care?_ He thought. _Is this our unlikely savior?_

He froze when her gaze fell upon him. A smile reached her lips then, but there was no warmth in it. He suspected that, like a reptile, her blood had grown cold along with her heart. Staring, transfixed, into her eyes, he imagined she had shut herself off to feeling a long, long time ago.

She drew nearer, a lackadaisical saunter that made him lower his eyes, pressing Bae tightly to his chest. The Dark One stopped mere inches from him, before twirling around and walking the other way. She was toying with him, he realised. Like a mouse in a trap.

"The deal, my dears… is that I shall rescue you all from this terrible, terrible drought," she said that mockingly, a tinge of humour in her tone. Rumpelstiltskin shuddered. _She makes fun of our plight_, he thought. _Innocent men and women, innocent children die each day and she saunters in and laughs_. He realised she had probably been aware of their situation for months, choosing not to come to their aid until it suited her.

The Dark One stopped in her tracks, assessing the crowd as if she saw them for the first time. Assessing them like pigs for the slaughter.

"I'll rescue you… for a price," her voice had dropped dangerously low, and Rumpelstiltskin raised his eyes long enough to see no one had the courage to meet her gaze. _For all the times I have been berated for cowardice… every one in this town is just as scared as I am._

"I require certain… services in the Dark Castle," she continued, her voice skipping from high to low tones with each word, a singsong declaration that sounded like a musical instrument, "I require a housekeeper."

She paused, as if expecting someone to speak up. The silence seeped into Rumpelstiltskin's skin and made him shiver with cold sweat.

"Anyone will do," she said cheerfully, "and in exchange, I'll remove the drought from your village for the rest of time. It's quite simple, really. Just a little spell, and you could all be free."

The Dark One placed her hands on her hips, pacing back and forth in front of them. She stopped to kick a stone with her boot. Rumpelstiltskin was fascinated by the motion, was it a show of power, to intimidate them? It had been graceful, girlish even. She was so young and so old, so beautiful and so monstrous, so calculating yet so… trivial. She was a bundle of contradictions, this creature before him. He felt the urge to look upon her again, but he felt like the victims of Medusa, he would surely turn to stone.

"Well?" she asked shrilly, looking a little impatient now. Her hands had not left her hips as she assessed the crowd. No one had met her gaze, but still she searched, hoping to find a measure of foolish bravery in one of them.

"Ah," she said, a dangerous lightness entering her voice, "I see there is one heart of gold amongst this sea of dirt, after all."

Rumpelstiltskin almost fainted in relief, his hands releasing their tight grip from Bae's shoulders.

Horror entered his heart as he raised his eyes and saw the Dark One's face mere inches from his own. Only she was not surveying him, but the small child in front of him.

"No," he blurted, a sudden desperation filling him with something akin to bravery. But never true bravery. Not the village coward.

"I'll go," Baelfire uttered, his eyes never leaving the Dark One's. He gently removed his father's hands from his shoulders, turning around to face him. Rumpelstiltkin's gaze flittered up to the Dark One for an instant, but saw his son turning his back had not offended her. In fact, a cruel smile had reached her lips, sending a shiver down his spine.

"Bae, you can't-"

"Father… I need to do this. To save everyone… to save _you_."

He was such a little boy, so strong and so resolute. Hot tears prickled Rumpelstiltskin's eyes as he drew him close, clinging to him for dear life.

In that moment, a flash of courage went through him. There was only one thing in life he cared about, he couldn't let that get away.

"Bae," he whispered softly, "I can't let you go with this… beast."

The Dark One giggled amusedly, clasping her hands together. It was all just a game to her, and she moved the pawns as she pleased. Perhaps she had intended this all along.

Mustering up whatever courage he could find within him, Rumpelstiltskin drew himself up to his full height, his hand grasping his cane for the meager support it offered.

"I will go instead," he said, and he was mortified to hear his voice shake.

The Dark One eyed him carefully, the cruel smile not leaving her lips for an instant.

"It's forever, dearie," she reminded in that singsong voice that drew terror from within him unlike anything he had experienced before.

"I will go with you, forever," he replied, voice steady now. His shoulders slumped a little in defeat. The bravery had gone, but he was resigned to his fate.

"Papa, no!" Bae screamed, tugging at his arm. Rumpelstiltskin could not bear to look at him, not even once. He knew that one look from Bae and he'd change his mind, he'd beg for some other solution, and they'd both be killed with the flick of a wrist from the great and powerful being before them.

He couldn't let Bae's last memory of his father be the image of a coward.

This was his chance to be brave, and he had taken it.

* * *

After 2x07, I decided Belle needed a chance to lock some people up. Thus began this fic!


	2. Coward

**Sorry for the long wait! This chapter's on the short side but hopefully I'll be writing them longer from now on :) I've planned out a lot of chapters in advance. Thanks for the lovely reviews! :)**

* * *

Rumpelstiltskin had been ushered into a carriage that waited a little outside the village. He'd struggled to keep pace with the Dark One - although small, she seemed to dart about quite quickly.

"Hurry up, Spinner, before I change my mind and go after your little son," she warned, a menacing little giggle at her throat. Rumpelstiltskin shivered. He'd not thought it humanly possible to make what was meant to be a sound of joy sound so terrifying. But then again… she certainly _wasn't _human.

The carriage was comfortable enough, though as it rocked along the forest path each stone under the wheel seemed to make it shake. Often, Rumpelstiltskin's ailing leg would hit against the door at a jolt, causing him to wince in pain. Sometimes, he became aware of the Dark One's stare, but he was too afraid to look her in the eye. Instead, he contented himself by looking out the window at the passing trees, imagining Bae was beside him. All the while, she sat motionless, staring at him.

After a time, the Dark One sighed, moving at last.

"Time moves too slowly, doesn't it, dearie?"

"I-I… yes," Rumpelstiltskin replied, looking at his hands.

She regarded him for a moment, as if sizing him up.

"Best hold on to something," she warned quickly, before snapping her long, scaly fingers.

The world around him seemed to shimmer for a moment, a zap of electricity shot through the air and hit him in the gut. When it ceased, Rumpelstiltskin realised his eyes had been closed. Upon opening them he felt as though he would be sick.

Raising a hand to his temple to combat the dizziness, he realised the carriage had halted and the Dark One stood outside, tapping her boot impatiently on the ground.

"Come now, dearie, we haven't all day. You couldn't be slower if you were a snail." She leaned around the door, staring him straight in the face. A cruel smile adorned her lips, "Although, that could certainly be arranged…"

Realising the threat, Rumpelstiltskin jumped up, hitting his head on the carriage roof. Red-faced, he managed to hobble out, carefully stepping on one stair at a time so he wouldn't trip and worsen the situation. He had no idea of what she was capable of, and he had no desire to find out the extent of these capabilities.

"I'll take you to your room," she said with mock sincerity, causing alarm bells to ring in the back of Rumpelstiltskin's mind. Her very words were always laced with ice and deception; he found it very hard to tell if there was ever any truth in them.

Nevertheless, he had little choice but to follow her into the castle. The rooms were big and empty - they smelled musty. The air was cold and damp, the like of which suited that of some long-lost cave. He almost smiled at that. He recalled Bae telling him a story about a beast that lived in a cave under the sea; so far from anyone he thought he'd never learn to love.

"_We'll have adventures together one day, won't we, papa?"_ Bae had pleaded, his brown eyes sparkling beneath a mop of unruly curls.

"Spinner!" the Dark One called in a singsong voice, disrupting his reverie.

"Hurry up, now!"

Gulping, Rumpelstiltskin followed. They reached a heavy door at the end of one of the long corridors, and the Dark One motioned to it with a smile.

Hobbling towards it, he peered inside. It wasn't a room… it was a cell - a small, bare little place with some straw on the ground and a ledge with a mouldy looking blanket.

"My… my room?" he queried hesitantly. He barely had time to turn around before the Dark One pushed him inside, sending him sprawling onto the stone floor.

He heard her customary giggle as the door was bolted shut behind him, leaving him shrouded in darkness.

"Well… that sounds a lot nicer than dungeon!" her words, along with her fading footsteps, were muffled through the thick iron door. No one would hear him if he tried to call out, he knew they were isolated in the castle. With a sinking heart, Rumpelstiltskin left his cane on the floor and curled up on the ledge. He wrapped the blanket around him for warmth. It didn't smell as bad as he'd feared, but it scratched against his skin.

He felt a cloying sadness well up inside him, realising the gravity of what he'd done that day. He'd abandoned his son, just as he'd abandoned his wife just two years earlier, and the soldiers in the ogre war. He knew that nothing he could possibly do would ever change that one constant certainty he'd ever had: _Rumpelstiltskin was a coward._


	3. Gambling hearts

**Thanks so much for the reviews! I'm glad you're still interested in the story. Sorry if things look a little bleak right now (definitely not what rumbellers need right now, right?) I promise there'll be happier times ahead :)**

* * *

Morning came. The light filtered through the small window above him and rested gently on his closed eyelids. He was back at home with his boy nestled beside him, Bae's breathing shallow and soft. In the distance, he could hear the birds singing in the trees - a sweet, sad tune meant only for him.

A loud creak caused him to start, and he realised with a pang that he had been dreaming. The dungeon door swung open, and he leapt up, half expecting the Dark One to pop out of nowhere and kill him then and there, after realising he was of no use to her. The doorway was empty, however, and he hobbled to the door and peered out – she was nowhere to be seen.

Rumpelstiltskin rubbed at his bleary eyes. He hadn't slept well, each time he felt like drifting off he had awoken again with a chill, not wishing to open his eyes for fear of what he might find in the darkness around him.

He figured the door opening was some kind of magic, a sign that he was needed upstairs. Reaching for his cane, he started down the corridor. Rumpelstiltskin began to notice things he hadn't seen last night, perhaps because he had been disoriented from the journey. Spiderwebs adorned the walls like tapestries, and he passed an occasional bookshelf coated with dust. He knew in his heart he didn't have the strength to be a housekeeper; his leg was a constant burden. Rumpelstiltskin decided he'd put on a brave face like a mask; he could endure for the sake of his son. He shuddered at the thought of the Dark One changing her mind, killing him with a flick of the wrist and sending for Baelfire. She seemed a fickle creature, and he daren't cross her. Bae deserved love and light, something that he was certain could never be found here.

After climbing a long-winding staircase, he reached a door. Putting the full strength of his body into it, he leaned against its wooden mass and heaved. It opened easily enough, he noted with chagrin. Perhaps he overestimated how difficult life in the Dark Castle would be.

"No, I can't give myself too much hope," he muttered to himself, "that's the most dangerous thing of all."

He retraced his steps as best he could from the night before, but he found himself getting further and further into the castle. There were more rooms than he could count, the ceilings were so high and his heart sank with the realisation he would probably be expected to climb up ladders and dust the windows.

He opened a door to his left, realising to his dismay it was empty, save for a large bookshelf on the left wall.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's rude to snoop, dearie?" the Dark One's voice crept up behind him. Whirling around, Rumpelstiltskin was once again faced with an empty room.

"H-hello?" he called out, grasping onto his cane. The curtains were heavy and ill fitting over the windows, and the only light the room afforded escaped through tiny gaps around its edges.

"Hello!" the Dark One's voice responded, followed by a girlish giggle. The voice seemed to bounce across the room, and Rumpelstiltskin, whirled around again to find her in the half-light. _Is this how it's going to be? Living in constant fear of the Dark One's trickery, while she mocks me and plays with my mind for sport?_

He thought he saw her then, her small figure cloaked in darkness in the corner of the room, staring at him. He started bravely towards her, before he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"_Goosey goosey gander, wither shall I wander?"_ her voice came from behind him and he spun on his leg. Too late, there was no one there.

"_Upstairs and downstairs and in my lady's chamber,"_ she continued, singing in a breathy sigh that sent chills down his spine. Her voice seemed to come from above him now, and he raised his eyes to the ceiling. Of course she wasn't there, this was all a magic trick. Rumpelstiltskin turned towards the door, starting towards it as fast as he could.

"_There I met an old man who wouldn't say his prayers_," her tone had changed, it was darker somehow. An underlying threat was there, laced in the sweetness.

He was nearly at the door; he outstretched his hand to meet the golden handle that glimmered in the faint light.

Rumpelstiltskin froze as he felt a hand around his waist, pulling him near.

Her mouth grazed his ear, he felt her warm breath down his neck, "_and so I took him by the left leg and threw him down the stairs."_

She held him against her for a moment, and Rumpelstiltskin felt his heart pound so quickly he feared it might break his ribcage. Her body was warmer than he expected as she leaned into him with a small sigh on her lips. With a snakelike gentleness she wound her arm around his torso, her hands moving under the fabric of his shirt where she traced the bare skin around his heart. Rumpelstiltskin shivered at her touch, which was far from smooth. Rough scales brushed against him as his breath hitched.

All too suddenly, she pushed him roughly downwards. He collapsed, his cane clattering to the ground beside him.

Struggling to regain composure, Rumpelstiltskin turned around so he was looking up at her. He didn't think he could possibly find the Dark One more terrifying, but she had proven him wrong once again. The light shined through her dark hair, casting shadows over her gaunt face. Her paradoxical combination of youth and monstrosity yielded a darker result – a hunger for something out of reach.

A smile began to play at her lips as she tilted her head to the side.

"Come, spinner. We haven't got all day."

She turned on her heel and walked out the door, leaving Rumpelstiltskin in her wake. With no choice but to follow her, he reached for his cane and left the room, closing the door gently behind him.

* * *

"You will serve me my meals, and you'll clean the Dark Castle," the Dark One announced as she sat lazily on a chair, her legs dangling over an armrest. They had moved into a dining room of sorts that Rumpelstiltskin had recalled from the night of his arrival. Without a word, she had hoisted herself gracefully across the high-backed chair, which sat at the head of a rather long table. It struck him as odd that she owned such a piece of furniture, when it was clear she was not used to company. He had fetched her some tea in a large, ornate teapot that he set on the table and started to pour into a small white cup.

"I understand," he said softly, with a nod. He had meant to explain that perhaps he was not suited for some of the more rigorous tasks… but the words would not come.

"You will dust my collection and launder my clothing," she continued, eyeing him carefully.

"Yes," he gulped, trying to concentrate on pouring.

"You will bring me fresh ink when I'm writing."

Rumpelstiltskin had noticed the copious amounts of reading material in the far corner of the room. There was another table filled with piles of pages of writing, and he had noticed ink stains marring the floorboards. He had wondered what the great Dark One could possibly want with the escapism of books, when she had all the means to travel the world and create her own stories. Still, he supposed, it was not his place to wonder.

"Oh, and you will skin the children I hunt for their pelts."

Rumpelstiltskin gasped, the cup dropping to the floor. He stared, open mouthed, at the Dark One, whose expression remained still.

"That one was a quip," she said at last, after enjoying his reaction, "not serious!"

His face flushed. How stupid must she think he is? He leant down to retrieve the fallen cup. He'd have to mop the floor later; tea had splattered across the floorboards. Hairs prickled on the back of his neck in alarm when he realised the teacup had been chipped. Rumpelstiltskin traced a finger over the crack. Perhaps she wouldn't notice?

"Spinner?" she barked when he'd spent too long examining the item.

"I, uh… your cup. I chipped it." He looked up to meet her gaze; she was staring at him with an incomprehensible expression.

"It's… you can hardly see it," he offered, his hands shaking. What would she do to him for this? He'd heard tales of the Dark One killing men where they stood simply for looking upon her in a manner she found disrespectful. What would she do to a man who broke one of her priceless teacups?

Finally, she broke the stare, leaning back into her chair. She waved her hand dismissively as she shrugged, "it's just a cup."

He almost sighed in relief, his head was light as he filled another cup with boiling hot tea. Balancing his cane against the leg of the table, he let go of the support and carried the tray to the top end. Halfway, however, he tripped. He didn't fall, but the cup fell from his hands and stopped just before it hit the ground.

"Tell me, Spinner…" the Dark One began, words like ice, "how many of my things are you intending on breaking today?"

She had suspended the cup in the air, and with a flick of the wrist it floated up and onto the table. Not a drop was spilled. Rumpelstiltskin felt almost angry. It would cost her nothing to concoct her own tea with magic. She could undoubtedly clear the whole castle with a click of her fingers. She probably had the power to heal his leg and make his duties infinitely easier. Instead, she intended to humiliate, mock and laugh at him and make the poor spinner cower at her every word.

"I apologise, my Lady," he said, not meeting her eye.

The Dark One was silent again, surveying his features with inhuman calm. _She likes this_, he thought sullenly. _She likes watching me sweat._

After a minute, she sighed.

"Go and clean the castle. I expect supper at six."

* * *

Rumpelstiltskin found the work just as arduous as he'd imagined. Though he had tried to deny himself any hope that he might be pleasantly surprised, he'd failed to quash that glimmer of hope in the back of his mind. He regretted that now as he got on his hands and knees to scrub the floors of the same room he'd found himself in earlier in the day.

Rumpelstiltskin's back ached, and his wrists were sore from exertion, but he knew he must try, for Bae's sake. Occasionally he got the sensation that someone was watching him, but whenever he looked up he was alone. After he had swept and mopped the floors, aired the curtains, opened the windows, and dusted the bookshelves, Rumpelstiltskin stood in the doorway to admire his day's work. _Yes, that will do_, he thought, pleased. He glanced at the clock on the wall. There was still a couple of hours before dinner was expected. He decided to start cleaning another room.

Leaving this one behind, he brought a broom out into the corridor. There was a stairwell he had previously missed, its railing covered in cobwebs. Holding onto the wall as he climbed, he found himself on another landing, dimly lit. Lamps sat in hollows along the walls, where lopsided red tapestries hung dangerously close to the flames. Reaching another door, he hesitated at the handle when he heard a noise from inside. His hand hovered shakily over the metal as he froze, listening. It was a constant sound, not one of movement. And, after all, the Dark One had not forbidden him from entering any rooms. He didn't know exactly where she was at this time, but when he had left her in the morning she had seemed quite intent on writing in her books.

He would _have_ to check the cleanliness of this room. If it was as bad as the landing, the Dark One might wonder why he failed to tidy it, considering how close it is to the one he'd already cleaned. Rumpelstiltskin did not want to face her wrath, especially after the morning's disaster.

Taking a deep breath, he turned the door handle.

Immediately his eyes were drawn to a bubbling cauldron that sat in the middle of the room, green light emanating from its depths. Anxiously, Rumpelstiltskin looked around for the Dark One, but she was nowhere to be seen. His shoulders slumped a little in relief, as he scoured the rest of the room. Leaving the broom by the door, he slowly made his way around, peering into cupboards that were thick with dust. He crinkled his nose in distaste. Surely someone so powerful would not abide to live and work in such a state? By the window a blanket covered something from head to toe, and as he grabbed an end and pulled it gently, it slid to the floor to reveal a full-length mirror. Rumpelstiltskin frowned. He could not recall seeing any mirrors in the castle.

He was about to turn away when a shimmer caught his eye. His reflection began to change, warping in circles until it showed an image of someone else in the distance, too blurry to recognise. He squinted, stepping closer, reaching out a hand.

The Dark One clamped her hand painfully around his wrist, turning him to face her. There was pure rage in her eyes; they'd darkened like a stormy sea.

"I see you never learned your lesson about snooping, spinner," she spat, pulling him away from the mirror and covering it with her free hand.

"N-no… I was just-"

"Shhhhh," she hushed, tracing a finger down his cheek, "the lies of a coward can't save you now."

The Dark One dragged him to the cauldron, where she pushed him. He nearly fell in, but she grabbed his collar and he held on to her arms for dear life.

"Please… I was just seeing what I could clean," Rumpelstiltskin begged, feeling the heat from the substance beneath him dangerously close to his head.

She smiled at that, but it was cold and cunning, "you like doing that, don't you? Making excuses, cowering away…" she laughed in his face.

"I didn't know I wasn't to come here! You never said-"

"Oh, it's my fault now, dearie?" the smile froze on her lips. In that moment she looked quite insane, the greenish tinge from the glowing cauldron emphasising the pallor of her skin. The flames reflected in her eyes like wildfire, dangerous and unpredictable. _Oh god, what's to stop her from killing me right now?_

He remembered the way she had caressed his heart earlier in the morning, softly like it was some kind of precious relic. His mind drifted back to the way she'd stared at him as he lay on the floor, looking up at her. Something told him she wanted _more _from him, something his death could never bring her.

With these thoughts flying wildly in his mind, he dared to speak.

"Yes, it is your fault," he said boldly. He was surprised at his own audacity, to speak to her in such a fashion. It was the way Rumpelstiltskin would talk to Bae when he disobeyed his wishes - stern, but with an authoritative softness to coax the good intentions behind the chiding.

"I could kill you right now," the Dark One said, and Rumpelstiltskin was shocked by the frankness of her tone.

"Did you know I can take people's hearts?" she asked, her eyes never losing contact with his.

"N-no," he stuttered, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Oh, yes. I'm the _master _of such an art. And it _is _an art to behold," she continued, as her eyes bore into him and he was powerless to look away.

"I can enslave a man with a single movement," she moved her face even closer to his, and for a moment he was worried she'd loosen her grip on his collar and send him sprawling into whatever sorcery bubbled behind him.

"To wield such power… you get bored when you don't get ample opportunity to use it," she whispered, inches from his face. Her lips moved slowly as she spoke, always parted. Rumpelstiltskin felt her breath on his face, and his heart inexplicably began to race. She moved a hand over his heart, where she rested it against him, feeling his chest rise and fall.

"And it has been a… very… long time," her tongue flicked and she licked her lips as her eyes trailed downwards from Rumpelstiltskin's eyes to his mouth. For a moment in time he thought she might kiss him, and the thought terrified him more than any fate she could describe to him.

All the while, he remained still as a statue, his hands clinging to her cold arms.

She pulled him back roughly.

"Let's get you back to your room," she said coldly, dragging him close behind her.

* * *

The Dark One wordlessly shoved him back in his cell, where he fell upon the cold concrete floor. The door slammed shut behind her, and he flinched as the sound echoed around the castle.

For what seemed like an eternity, he sat there in shock. He didn't notice the sun setting and the room growing darker, he didn't feel the cold damp that seemed to settle in around him. He had gambled not only his own life today, but Bae's too. In future, he mustn't be so brash. Sometimes in the midst of his own cowardice he forgot he wasn't only rolling the dice for himself. At heart, Rumpelstiltskin knew he was a selfish man, but realising he had almost killed his son made him hate himself all the more.

"Hello?" a voice whispered from the darkness. Rumpelstiltskin snapped out of his reverie. He gasped as a brick fell from the wall and clattered to the floor next to him. Struggling to his feet, he peered through the gap.

An old man peered back at him, an excited smile on his worn face.

"Thank goodness there's someone else here!" the man exclaimed, a little too loudly. Rumpelstiltskin blanched, hushing him quickly.

The man's eyes glittered expectantly in the darkness.

"I need your help. I think we can help each other escape."


End file.
