Once Upon a Time 1. Chapter 1

Mr. Robert Gold was not to be trifled with. He had a reputation for being ruthless and cunning and a monster of a man. He was never lenient when collecting rent every Saturday and almost never talked to anyone except when they came to him first. His glare was enough to scare anyone way and if that didn't work, his quick remarks and snapping at you would do the trick. Everyone in Storybrooke knew this and everyone in Storybrooke stayed away from him. But as he was walking to his pawnshop one day, something changed. It started with the sound of small feet hitting the pavement and a voice so innocent and pure, he almost didn't believe it was real.

"Daddy, Daddy!" the voice cried happily, and a small body collided with his legs, hugging them fiercely. He stumbled back and dropped his cane out of pure shock before looking down. Hugging his legs was a tiny girl, no older than four. She had a mop of chestnut curls on her head and and brown-gold eyes that sparkled. She was wearing a simple yellow dress that looked more like a hospital gown and a soft gray sweater on top. She looked at him with joy and a bright smile on her face.

"Daddy, I found you!" she said. Mr. Gold was at a loss for words. 'Daddy'?

"I-I'm sorry?" he asked.

"Rose!" a woman's voice yelled and Mr. Gold looked up. The woman running towards him was very similar to the girl hugging his legs. She had long brown hair and the same shaped face, but this woman's eyes were startlingly blue, like the sea. She was wearing some jeans and a sweatshirt, but even in her attire she was... so remarkably beautiful. Mr. Gold couldn't breathe for a moment.

"I'm so sorry, sir, I don't know what has gotten into her!" the woman said. "Rose, what on earth are you doing?"

"Mommy, I found Daddy!" the girl smiled at her mother, and Mr. Gold and the woman froze. His head was spinning. He had never even met this woman before, how was this possible?! The woman looked as shocked as he was, and she pulled the child away form him.

"Rose, I have never met this man before, he's not your father," she said and then turned to Mr. Gold. "I'm so sorry, sir, truly sorry. I have no idea what is going through her head sometimes."

"It's... It's quite alright, Miss...?" Gold fumbled through his words and straightened his suit.

"Ah, Lacey French, sir," the woman said. "And my daughter, Rose. We're um... new..."

"I see..." Gold said quietly. New? No one was ever new... "Well, keep your daughter under control, Miss French." He started unlocking the door to his shop.

"I will, sir, sorry again," the woman said. The girl smiled and waved.

"Bye, Daddy!"

He slammed the door shut behind him. It would be another ten years, when Emma Swan came to town, before he realized who he had just met.


	2. Chapter 2

"Alright, what's the name?"  
"Swan, Emma Swan."

"Emma," Mr. Gold said, and the blonde turned to him in surprise. "What a lovely name."

"Thanks..." she said, and Gold struggled to stay standing as a flood of memories ran through his head. Rumplestiltskin. He was Rumplestiltskin, the Dark One, the Stealer of Babes, the Gold Spinner, the Dealmaker. As he headed to his car, out of the hundreds of years of memories going through his head, a choice few stuck out particularly.

Belle. Belle was here. Belle was _alive_. And... she had a daughter... A daughter that called him her father. Dear gods, how could it be? Was it true? Was he that angel's father? He had to know. Putting the key in the ignition, he sped towards Lacey French's house. He didn't care if he didn't have an excuse at the moment. He had to see them both again.

The windows were dark when he arrived. It appeared that no one was home. But he had to make sure before he gave up. He went up to the door and knocked loudly.

"Who's there?" a small voice asked after a moment. Rose. Darling, sweet, beautiful little Rose.

"It's Mr. Gold," he said, his voice shaking. "Please open the door, little one..."

"Mommy said not to open the door to strangers..."

"...I'm not a stranger Rose..." he licked his lips. "It's... It's Daddy..."

The lights flicked on a moment later, and a moment after that the door was flung wide open. There she stood, in a little pink nightgown, holding a stuffed bunny, here eyes big and hopeful.

"Daddy?" she asked, looking up at him. He nodded, too overwhelmed to do anything else. She smiled wide and hugged him around the legs. His mouth started to twitch into a smile. She could be. She really could be his daughter. He hesitantly placed his shaking hand on her curls.

"Rose, where's your mother?" he asked.

"...Out... She wore her really short dress, so she's going to the bad place again..." Rose buried her face in his pant leg. "The bad place that smells like Mommy's grown up bottles..."

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The Rabbit Hole. It seemed like the last place Belle would have gone. It was a bar, one of the most distasteful places in town according to Gold, especially since it reminded him of Milah and that pirate, Jones. And now Belle was there, doing exactly what Milah had done; leaving her child alone while she went and tried to drink her problems away. He had to keep reminding himself, as he walked up to the bar, that this was not his Belle, but Lacey. And Lacey was an alcoholic.

She was playing pool when he found her, drinking a shot and wearing clothes that looked more like they had come from a lingerie magazine than her closet. Dear gods, what had Regina done to her? Regina... He would think about that later. Right now, he needed to get Belle home.

"Miss French," he called as he neared the pool table. She looked up with slightly glazed eyes.

"Mr. Gold, what a surprise to see you here," she said, reaching for her drink. "This isn't usually your type of place. Care for a drink?"

"No, I'm not here to drink. I came here for you," he said.

"Me?" she asked, smiling flirtatiously at him. "You're not usually my type..."

"I came because you have been leaving your daughter at home, alone, while you sit here and drink," he said, his utter disgust quite plain.

"Oh pish posh, Rose's _fine_, she can take care of herself," Lacey rolled her eyes and started to head back to her game.

"Dammit, Miss French, she is _four years old_, she can _not_ take care of herself," he snapped.

"When did you get so interested in my personal life? The way I treat my child is none of your business," she said, glaring at him. "Now, if you'll _excuse me_, you're in my shot." She pushed him aside and went back to her game. "If you're so concerned about Rose, why don't you go watch her yourself, or get me money to hire a baby sitter? I could certainly use it."

"Miss French," Gold said threateningly, leaning close, "I will ask you one more time to go back home to your daughter where you are truly needed, and give up on this disgusting behavior."

"The only one who has disgusting behavior is you, Mr. Gold, for muddling around in my personal life where you are truly _not_ needed," she snapped back. "Now leave before I call the bouncer."

His jaw clenched and hands tightened into fists, Mr. Gold practically stomped out of the bar and headed back to his car. He drove angrily back to the French house, where Rose was curled up on the couch with her bunny, half asleep. She looked up at him when he walked in.

"Mommy's not coming back tonight,is she?" she asked sleepily. He sighed and closed the door behind him.

"No, sweetheart, she's not," he said, making his way towards the couch. "But while she's gone, I'd like to talk to you about... well, everything. That okay?"

"Mm hmm..." she nodded and sat up, holding her bunny close. He sat down next to her, his hands wringing nervously on his cane.

"...How did you know that I... that I was your Daddy?" he asked.

"I remember seeing you in the mirror," she said, as if it were obvious.

"The mirror?"

"Mm hmm. The lady with the dark eyes came in one time and handed Mommy a mirror. She said that my daddy was in there and I looked and it was you. But you looked different. You looked sparkly like my shoes."

He began to smile softly. "You remember what happened before the curse. How?"

She simply shrugged. "I dunno. But in the mirror you were sparkly. And sad. You missed Mommy a lot, or that's what Mommy said. But when I asked her about it in the new room, she said she dunno who my daddy is. Like she forgot."

"...Lady with dark eyes?" he asked. "If you saw her again, could you point her to me?"

"Uh huh" Rose nodded. "She used to visit a lot when Mommy and I were in the room. When she was dressed really fancy dresses, she come in and talk to Mommy, asking questions about a knife and say other mean things. Then in the new room she just look at us in the hole in the door. Until one day she told us to go free and we moved in here. Sometimes, when Mommy's doing bad stuff, the lady comes and says she's gonna put me and Mommy back in the room. But I don't wanna go back in the room, Daddy, it's scary!" Her big brown eyes began to fill with tears.

"No no no, sweetheart, don't cry," Gold said. "Come here, come here." He opened his arms to her and she crawled onto his lap, hugging him close. He hugged her back and pat her head soothingly. "Don't cry, Rose, it's gonna be okay."

"I don't wanna go back, Daddy. I don't wanna," Rose sniffled.

"Rose, listen to me," he said, and her eyes met his. "Now I _promise_ you, that you will never go back there again. I will take care of you, and make sure you never go back there again. I _promise_, dear."

Rose sniffled again and nodded, and she hugged him tightly.


	3. Chapter 3

Rumplestiltskin had promised himself that he would never love again. He had made sure that he never would, not after Milah. Not after Cora. And yet here he was again, with his heart ripped from his chest and cleaved in two by the girl, Belle, who was now crying her eyes out in his dungeon. How could he have let this happen? He should have know that she and Regina had been working together this whole time. He should have known that there was no way she could ever love him, on way at all. He should have seen her evilness. He should have known what a viper she was, coaxing him out of his shell to strike at the right moment, when he was most vulnerable. And she would pay for her treachery.

He burst into the dungeon and saw her curled up on the floor, her eyes pouring down tears. It almost killed him to see her like this, he hated to have her upset. But she was a good actress, and he knew this was all lies. She would stop soon. She sat up and looked at him, her lip wobbling.

"Rumple, please, listen to me," she said, but she never got to finish. With one move, he pulled her up from the floor and crushed his lips to hers. His curse would have broken normally, but this kiss was not of true love, but of anger and self loathing and a desperate heart. He had to get her to say that it was all fake, that her feelings weren't real. That she had never felt anything for him and it was all just a trick so he could throw her out with no regret. He pulled away form her to bore into those eyes that were the same color as the sea. She was shocked, yes...but there was no trace of falsity or disgust.

"Rumple..." she whispered, and another tear trickled down her cheek. He didn't listen as he began to rip her bodice open to expose more of her creamy beautiful skin.

"Now, _dearie_, this can all stop if you just admit that you never loved me, that it was all a trick," he said as he kissed and bit his way down her throat. "If you admit to that, then this stops, and no one gets hurt. Admit it, _dearie_, say it." He refused to say her name. Saying her name would make him remember who she was. She wasn't Belle tonight. Tonight she was a viper, a traitor...and tonight she was his whore.

"No," she said, and he brought his eyes back up to hers. "No, I will not lie to myself and to you like that. I love you Rumplestiltskin... and if this is what it takes to prove it to you..." she placed his hands on her breasts, "...then so be it."

All was lost after that.

Never once did she protest to his touches or either of their unclothing, never once did she say stop. Not when he left bit marks on her perfect skin. Not when he threw himself over her on the floor, both of them naked. Not when he ripped through her virginity like the monster he had been labeled. She did not protest, did not stop him. So it was true. She loved him. But... but he couldn't. He couldn't love her, no matter what his heart said.

When he had finished ruining her, he pulled himself up and used magic to dress himself, too numb to do it the regular way. She laid on the floor at his feet, looking up at him, not even getting up to dress herself. The look in her eyes was one he would never forget; sadness, betrayal, fear, and most of all, love. But not one trace of disgust, and none of it was fake.

He left, locking the door behind him.

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Rose fell asleep in his arms. He could have sat there all night, holding her close. She was his daughter. _His_. He had become a father again, all because of the stupid mistake of thinking Belle never loved him. He knew now that she did, or she had. She had bore his child and kept her, naming her Rose, after the gift he had given her. Rose even remembered, and though her descriptions weren't very reliable, Gold knew exactly who that lady with the dark eyes was. He knew who had locked them up, who had kept him from his family, who had let them free to torture him when he woke up. It had all been Regina.

Before he could start planning his revenge, the door burst open and a figure came stumbling into the house. The noise awoke Rose and she lifted her head off of Mr. Gold's chest to see who had come in.

"Mommy?" she asked, still half in dream land. Lacey French stumbled into the living room, her hair toppling down from the sexy bun she had put it in, her three or four inch heels clutched in her hand. She stank of alcohol and cigarettes. Mr. Gold slowly put Rose on the couch and stood up. Lacey lifted her head and saw him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked, her voice slurred.

"I'm watching your daughter like you suggested, since you clearly have no interest in doing so yourself," he said, gripping his cane handle.

"Get out of my house, Mr. Gold, before I call the cops," she threatened, pointing her hand at the door.

"Aye, call the cops, and what will they find? A mother leaving her child alone in the night while she goes and drinks herself sick."

"I said get out!"

"I'm not going anywhere until I see Rose is well cared for."

"Well, if you like her so much, you can have her. You run the adoption service, don't you?" Lacey snapped and went over to the couch. "Here, you can take her." She grabbed Rose, who had started crying, and thrust her into Gold's arms. "If you're so concerned, you can 'well care for her' yourself!"

"Belle, listen to me-"

"No, I'm done! I'm going to bed!" Lacey shouted and she headed down the hallway into her room, slamming the door behind her.

Mr. Gold adjusted his grip on Rose as the child sobbed into his shoulder.

"I don't like it when Mommy yells..." she whispered and Gold felt so helpless as he held his daughter. He had caused this. If he hadn't created the curse, Belle wouldn't be Lacey. She wouldn't be drinking like this, she wouldn't be yelling, she wouldn't be leaving Rose to fend for herself. He couldn't help but blame himself. He looked at Rose on his shoulder.

"...Rose, I want you to go to your room quietly and pack a bag of your clothes," he said. "How would you like it if you came to my house for a little while?"

She looked up at him "Really? I can go to your house?"

He nodded and she started to smile. He put her down and she went into a room across the hall from Lacey's room. He followed her. It was a very small room, dark with one window, but decorated in stickers of flowers and butterflies. She grabbed a bag and began to put some clothes in from the dresser next to her bed.

"Can I bring toys?" she asked quietly, so she wouldn't disturb Lacey.

"Yes, but make it quick," he nodded. She grabbed her stuffed bunny and a toy cat that sat on the bed. He carried her bag for her as they left the house, closing the door behind them.

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**…..OMG I just wrote my first sex scene... umm... not sure how to handle that... you guys like it? Lol, I'm stupid like that, sorry. **

**Please review! I know, I hate seeing angry drunk Lacey-not-Belle, but it was just too tempting to make this happen. so... yeah.**

**Hugs and loves!**


	4. Chapter 4

Lacey groaned as she rolled on her side when she woke up. Her head was pounding and she felt nauseous. God, she hated hang overs.

"Rose, go get Mommy's pills," she called, wincing at noise. But instead of Rose's usual response of "Okay, Mommy", or "Coming", there was only silence that followed the mother's request. Lacey waited a few minutes.

"Rose?"

Again there was only silence.

"Rose, bring me my medicine!" Lacey said, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed slowly. Inching through the house, the hung over woman could not find her daughter anywhere, and she began to panic.

And then she foggily remembered what had happened last night.

"Oh, that son of a BITCH!"

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Mr. Gold woke up to the sound of a small child talking to her stuffed animals.

"Yes, Mr. Boots, I think Daddy's very nice... No, Bonnie, he's gonna wake up soon. I hope he makes breakfast... Good idea, Boots, pancakes does sound good."

He smiled softly as he got up. Rose was in the bedroom right across from his. He grabbed his cane and slowly headed over. Peering into the room, he saw Rose sitting on the large bed, her bunny on one side and the cat on the other.

"No, Bonnie, Daddy will make sure I'm safe. He won't let Mommy yell at me, and he won't let the lady take me back in the room. He promised... I know... But Boots knows he's not so bad, why don't you?"

"I think Bonnie needs me to make some chocolate chip pancakes so she can see I'm not so bad," Mr. Gold smiled as he stepped in.

"Chocolate chip?" Rose's eyes went wide, like he had just suggested they go flying to the moon.

"Yeah, Rose. Come on, you can mix the ingredients," he said and they headed downstairs into the kitchen. She seemed utterly amazed by how large the house was. Gold had to remind himself that Rose had spent most of her life in a room, probably a dungeon in Regina's castle. She had never seen something this big. Gods, moving into a house with more than one room must have such a shock to her!

They got to the kitchen and she sat on a tall stool at the counter, her eyes wide as she looked around. Gold went into the kitchen and started pulling out eggs and milk and pancake mix.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked.

"Making pancakes, sweetheart," he said over his shoulder.

"No you're not. Pancakes come in a bag and you put them in a microwave."

He almost dropped the mix. "...Your mother and you never made real pancakes?"

"Mommy doesn't cook. All food comes from the freezer and you put it in the microwave."

Gold didn't speak for a long minute.

"...Well... I'll just have to show you how real food is made," he said finally and he got the ingredients on the counter.

Cooking with Rose was actually the most fun he had had in years. She had spilled some of the mix on the counter and covered her hands with it, then proceeded to rub it on her face...and then on his. When he laughed, she seemed surprised, but didn't say anything. She had a lot of fun mixing the batter by hand, and watched in awe as the batter browned and cooked in the pan. He even helped her flip her very own pancake. It ended up on the floor in a splattered mess and she began to cry.

"Rose, Rose, you don't need to cry. I don't expect you to get it right the first time," Gold said as he got something to clean it with.

"You-You're not gonna ye-yell at me?" she sniffled.

"Yell at you? No, why on earth would I do that?"

"Mommy always yells at me when I drop something..."

Again, Gold was quiet for a long time. Dear gods, if only he had taken Rose away from Lacey sooner. She wouldn't have to live in fear of being yelled at or being left alone. This time, he wasn't sure who to blame; Regina, Lacey, or himself.

"Rose, I want you to listen to me very carefully, okay?" he said, and she nodded as she met his eyes. "I will_ never... ever_ yell at you the way your mother did. I'm not like that. The only time I would ever yell at you would be because you were being very bad, and I know you're a good girl. I want you to forget about your mother yelling at you, okay?"

Rose slowly nodded. "Okay, Daddy."

Gold smiled softly and stood up. "Now, how about that breakfast?"

A little while later, Rose sat on her stool drinking orange juice and eating chocolate chip pancakes like it was her last meal, savoring every bit of it. He ate next to her, making sure she didn't spill and trying to wipe the mix off of her face. He could see them living together, making breakfast in the morning, driving her to preschool. He could see himself hanging pictures that she drew on the refrigerator, and watching children's movies with her. Tending to her when she was sick and holding her close when she would have nightmares. Planning birthday parties and holidays. With Rose, he could see himself as a father again. With Rose, he could make this house a home.

But his dreams were short lived when there came a banging on the door.

"Stay here, Rose, I'll get it," he said and he got up to answer the door. As soon as he opened the door, he wished he hadn't.

"Give me back my daughter, you snotty son of a bitch!" Lacey French yelled in his face. "You're lucky I didn't call the cops to arrest you for kidnapping!"

She looked like a mess. Her make up was smeared and her hair was tangled and her clothes looked like she had pulled them out of the dirty clothes bin. But her eyes were ablaze with anger.

"Miss French, if I remember correctly, you said I could care for Rose myself since I seem to be the only one who cares for her well-being." Gold said coolly.

"I was fucking drunk, don't you dare pull that on me!" Lacey shouted. "Now I want my daughter now, you creep!"

"Miss French, I am not keeping your daughter from you. I asked her myself if she wanted to stay with me and she said yes. If she wants to go home with you, I won't stop her," Gold said, and then he leaned closer, his voice growing darker. "But the fact is, Miss French, if you did give a damn about your daughter, I wouldn't think that you would leave her alone in the first place. For God's sake, she is four years old. Next time she's missing from the house, she could be kidnapped by a criminal and not safe with a _responsible_ person like me. If you had any sense in that head of yours you would stop this behavior and start acting like an adult, not a slutty high school student."

It was supposed to bring sense to her head. Instead, Lacey French only got even more irritated.

"I don't need some pawnbroker to tell me how to run my life," she said. "You have no idea what has happened to me in my life and you have no business with me or my daughter. Now give her to me."

"She's in the kitchen having breakfast," he sighed, giving up. There was no arguing with this side of Belle. Lacey shoved past him and headed for the kitchen, Gold following behind her feeling helpless.

"Rose Angela French, you come here right now!" Lacey said. "Get your things, we are going home!"

Rose jumped at her mother's yelling and spilled the rest of her orange juice on the counter. She stared at her mother with wide eyes, almost terrified.

"Now look what you've done, you've spilled all your drink! Get up and get your things, we're leaving!" Lacey yelled again, storming over and picking up the glass.

"I'm sorry Mommy, please don't yell! I wanna stay with Daddy!" Rose said, her eyes filling up with tears. It killed Gold not to go to her and scoop her up in his arms to comfort her.

"I've told you before, he's not your dad! Where are your things?"

"Up-Upstairs..." Rose sniffled. Lacey stomped up the stairs and Rose ran to Gold, feeling so much safer in his embrace.

"Daddy I don't wanna leave!" she cried.

"I know sweetheart, I know, but you have to," he said as soothingly as he could without choking up himself. "We'll see each other soon, okay?"

"Okay," Rose nodded and sniffled.

"Now you be a good girl," he said. "You'll be alright."

Lacey came back down with Rose's belongings and Gold had no choice but to let go of his daughter. She grabbed Rose by the hand and almost dragged her out of the house.

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** I'll have you all know that I take absolutely NO pleasure in writing Belle as such a bitch! Believe me, I hate it as much as you all do! Please no hate mail, I have enough hate going through with another fic, Daughter of Darkness!**

** Ok, I'm done ranting and heading off to bed.**

** Hugs and loves! Please don't kill me...**


	5. Chapter 5

By the time Lacey and Rose arrived at the house, Lacey's headache had gotten slightly better and her anger had dissipated some. Rose was still scared, but at least she wasn't crying. When they were inside, with Mr. Gold's words echoing in her ears, Lacey sighed and sat on the couch with Rose.

"Rose..." she said quietly. "I... I don't want you thinking of me as a bad person. I do care about you... I love you... It's just that... when I drink, I feel better. I don't have to think about what happened to me or what I saw when we were in... that room. I don't want you thinking you have to run off with some stranger to feel safe."

"Daddy's not a stranger. And he don't yell at me. He said he would always keep me safe..." Rose said, fiddling with her bunny's ears and not looking at her mother.

Lacey sighed and rolled her eyes. "Rose, I told you before; Mr. Gold is not your father. You were born long before I ever met him."

Rose wanted to say that she did know him, she just didn't remember, but Lacey kept talking.

"Now, I want you to stop referring to him as Daddy. He's just Mr. Gold," she said and looked at her daughter for a moment before giving her a slightly awkward hug. "Now go get dressed and ready for preschool, you're late."

Rose sighed and did what she was told. She was sad that she had been taken away from Daddy, but at least Mommy wasn't yelling.

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Belle spent most of her pregnancy in the tower of Queen Regina's castle. At first, she had tried to hide it, but as soon as she began to show, all was lost. Regina laughed at her, calling her a monster's whore and taunting her for having a spawn of Satan growing in her belly. But Belle turned a deaf ear to her words and remained as cheerful as she could as her belly grew rounder and fuller. When she felt the first kick, she cried tears of joy.

There was only one window in the tower, no where near large enough to even dream escape and barely enough to let light in. but one day, about a month before the birth, it let a fairy in.

Belle had been gently rubbing her large belly and softly telling her baby the story of how she and Rumplestiltskin met when a soft pink shimmering light came through the window, and through the bars came a small fairy with a pink dress and big brown eyes and a bun of brown hair. She flew over to the prisoner who looked at her in astonishment.

"Hello," the fairy said, sounding as nervous as Belle felt. "I'm Nova, and I've come to help you."

"Have-Have you come to set me free?" Belle asked, sitting up straighter.

"I'm-I'm sorry, no," Nova stammered. "I'm not even supposed to be here. But I have watched you since the day you met the Dark One. I have heard your many wishes and even though the Blue Fairy thinks that you shouldn't get help, I do." Nova then grew into a full sized woman and sat down on the uncomfortable bed with Belle.

"I understand that... that you're carrying the Dark One's child, yes?" Nova continued. Belle nodded and the fairy stretched out her hand. "...May I?"

Belle nodded again and Nova placed her hand on the swollen belly. The baby's kicks were strong and healthy and Nova couldn't help but smile brightly.

"She's a strong fighter," she said and Belle looked up.

"She? It's a girl?" the princess's eyes lit up with joy. Nova smiled wider and nodded.

"Now, I can't set you free," the fairy continued, "but I can offer you protection. The fairies have learned that one day a terrible curse will be upon us, and it will take away all of our memories. But I have enough magic to protect just one of you, so you will remember who you are... and who you loved."

"You would do that for us?" Belle asked with tears in her eyes.

"Yes," Nova nodded. "I believe that anyone who is brave enough to stand up to the Dark One, fall in love with him, and brave the Yaogui while pregnant deserves happiness."

Belle smiled and hugged the fairy. "Thank you so much."

"Don't thank me just yet," Nova said. "Let's just hop I don't mess it up. Now I'll be back on the day of the birth to help you and I'll give you the protection then, okay?"

"Okay," Belle nodded. "Thank you so much, my dear friend Nova."

On the day of the birth, Nova returned to the tower room. Belle's water had broken and she laid on the bed in pain. With Nova's help, she was able to bring her beautiful little girl into the world without much trouble. Belle held her daughter close with tears of joy streaming down her face.

"Oh, Nova, she's so beautiful," she smiled. "She has his eyes..."

Nova smiled and let her own tears trickle down. She caught her tears in her hands and the tears formed into a simple and beautiful silver necklace with a pink jewel in the shape of a heart.

"This..." she said, "will protect one of you from...anything." She was about to place it around Belle's neck.

"No," Belle said. "Put it on Rose."  
"Rose..." Nova nodded and gently placed the necklace around the baby's neck. "It's a beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

"I want... I want you to be her godmother, Nova," Belle said, looking up at the fairy.

"M-Me? But I'm not a fairy godmother," Nova stammered. "Not a real one, anyway."

"Well, you are now," Belle smiled softly and she handed the small child to the fairy. "When this curse comes, no matter who we are and what we remember, I want you to look after her. Please Nova."

Nova smiled brightly and once again tears fell from her eyes. Whether it was official or not, she was now a fairy godmother, and she made a vow to both Belle and little Rose that she would always look out for the child.

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Gold was in his pawnshop, only half paying attention to what he was doing, which was wiping down the tops of the glass display cases. His ind was swimming with so much information, so many emotions. He was trying to figure out why Regina had let Belle and Rose free, why the curse had turned Belle into Lacey, why Rose remembered before the curse, and many other questions tumbled around in his head. But no answers came.

The shops phone began to ring. Grumbling, he answered it, not wanting to deal with the world today.

"Mr. Gold's Pawnbroker," he said.

"Ah, hi, Mr. Gold. This is Dr. Whale," the voice on the other line said. "See, I have a patient here who was in a car accident and her four year old daughter keeps asking for you..."

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** DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN!**

** BELLE IS A GOOD MOTHER, I CAN FINALLY SAY IT! Ok, another chapter, hopefully everyone's happy, I know I am. **

** Most of this was in Fairytale Land, I know, but I couldn't think of much for Storybrooke, so I hope that's ok. I loved Nova/Sister Astrid in the show, so I put her in.**

** So then! Car accident? Four year old asking for Mr. Gold? Please stay tuned and review! I love comments!**

** Hugs and loves!**


	6. Chapter 6

"Daddy, Daddy, you came!" Rose's cheerful voice called as Mr. Gold walked into the waiting room. She ran to him and he didn't even hesitate to pick her up and hold her in a tight embrace, ignoring the stares from everyone that was close to them. She hugged him back and smiled.

"Rose are you alright? Are you hurt?" Gold asked.

"Not hurt," Rose said. "I'm happy you're here. I'm scared."

"It's alright Rose, I'm here." he said. "What happened?"

"Mommy was driving me to preschool," Rose explained, "and we were driving and she was saying she had a headache, and sh didn't stop at a light and we ran into a car. Mommy wouldn't wake up so I got scared and called 911 like she tells me to and I told the Sheriff what happened and they got us here. I kept asking for you 'cause you said you keep me safe."

"I'm glad you called me, sweetheart. You did the right thing," he said. "I'm going to talk to your mother now, I want you to stay in here."

"Okay. Sister Astrid is coming to see me," Rose nodded as Gold set her down on a waiting room chair.

"Sister Astrid? Why?" he asked, racking his rains to remember who Sister Astrid was.

"She's my fairy godmother," Rose smiled. "She gave me this when I was born." She showed him a silver necklace around her neck that had a pink jewel heart. After 300 years, he knew fairy magic when he saw it. So a fairy had protected Rose, that's why she remembered. One answer down. A thousand more to go.

"I see," he said. "Well, I'll go see your mother while you wait for Astrid. Don't leave the room, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy," Rose nodded and began fiddling with her necklace. Mr. Gold headed into the hospital room where he saw Lacey on the bed ad Dr. Whale standing by her side. Lacey had her right arm wrapped in a cast and a bandage cloth wrapped around her head. They both turned to the man in the suit.

"Ah, Mr. Gold, you came," Dr. Whale said. "Did you see Rose?"

"Yes, she's alright," Gold said. "What about Miss French here?"

"Well, she'll heal. She has a broken arm and a mild concussion, so it'd be best if we keep her here a couple days before she gets back up."

"I don't need to stay here, I'm fine. And what is he doing here, and why has he been near my daughter?" Lacey snapped, glaring at Gold.

"Your daughter kept asking for me since I'm the only one who cares for her well-being," Gold said a-matter-of-factly.

"I'll just uh... leave you two alone then..." Dr. Whale said awkwardly and he slipped out of the room. Gold walked up to the bed and stood just a foot or two away from her. Her glare never wavered.

"Do you finally see now, Miss French?" he asked. "Have you finally woken up enough to see that you need to change?" She said nothing. "Your daughter could have died in that car crash. You're lucky she didn't get a scratch. Next time it might not be so lucky. There may not even be a next time because if someone was to alert child protective services they would remove Rose from your home in a heartbeat because of the way you treat her."

"Nobody is taking my daughter from me!" she said. "She's everything to me!"

"Then why the hell don't you act like it?!" he growled. "If you truly cared for Rose you wouldn't leave her alone to fend for herself while you drink away your problems. That child needs her mother and she would rather be with a complete stranger instead of her mother, what does that say about you? If I have to do everything in my power to keep her away form you then so be it. She deserves more than a drunken high schooler." It was killing him to say this to her, it really was. He couldn't look at her directly because he saw Belle every time he did. He had to keep telling himself that this was Lacey, not Belle. But when she woke up, what would he do?

He turned to leave, to take Rose to his house and make sure Lacey never saw her until the day she remembered she was Belle.

"Wait!" her voice said and he stopped. "I... You're right." His eyes widened and he looked back at her.

"What?" he asked.

"You-You're right," she said, and for the first time he thought he saw the real Belle looking up at him. "You're right, Rose deserves so much more than me. And I... I want to change."

Was he hearing things?

"I want to be a better mother," Lacey continued. "I don't want to do this anymore. And I don't want Rose to be taken away. She's all I have left. If she's taken away, I wouldn't know what to do. I want... I want to change."

Dear gods, it was a miracle. He slowly began to smile. "Well now," he said softly. "I believe I can help with that."

She looked up at him and he sat down on a chair next to the bed.

"How about a fresh start Miss French?" he suggested.

"What do you mean?"

"I was planning to take Rose to my house to stay there until you were released from the hospital, and I'm still going to do that. How about when you're released... you can come to my house and work for me?"

"Work for you?" she asked, obviously disliking the idea.

"As a housekeeper of sorts. Someone to cook and clean and laundry. And Rose would be there, so she's not taken away from you," he said. "You'd get paid, and you'd still have your daughter."

She eyes him suspiciously. "...What's the catch?"

"The catch?" he smiled. "The catch is that you don't drink, you don't yell, and you don't go driving Rose to preschool with a hang over. You want to change, well this is it. No drinking, no swearing, and you do your job correctly. If all of those are met, then Rose is still yours and everybody wins."

She looked at him for a long time, not exactly happy but somewhat willing. Slowly she held out her good hand.

"Deal Mr. Gold," she said. He shook her hand.

"Then the deal is struck."

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"Hi Sister Astrid!" Rose waved cheerfully at the nun coming towards her. Sister Astrid was a clumsy but good-hearted nun with big brown eyes and a bun of brown hair. She smiled brightly when she saw Rose and the two hugged each other.

"Hi Rose sweetie!" Astrid said. "I haven't seen you for a long time! How are you? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Rose said. "Your magic protected me."

"My magic?" Astrid asked. "Do you mean God?"

"Maybe..." Rose shrugged, deciding that it was better to play along. Mr. Gold stepped out of the room looking satisfied and perhaps a little hopeful. Rose smiled at him.

"Daddy look! Sister Astrid is here!" she waved.

"Uh, Daddy?" Astrid asked, glancing from Gold to Rose, terribly confused.

"It's what she calls me," Gold sighed, not wanting to talk about it to another person. "Now why are you here?"

"Um, I'm here to pick up Rose," Astrid said. "With her mother in the hospital, she needs a place to stay. The convent is-"

"Is not where she'll be staying," Gold interrupted. "Rose will be staying with me while her mother is here."

"W-With you? But it's already been arranged-"

"You can tell Mother Superior that Miss Lacey French and I have come to an arrangement of our own, and if she has problems, she can bring it up with me," Gold said, bringing Rose closer to him. It didn't matter that she was Rose's godmother, she was still a fairy.

"Yes Mr. Gold," Astrid said nervously. "...But I would like to see Rose more often. After all I am her godmother."

"My _fairy_ godmother," Rose smiled and Astrid smiled and rolled her eyes slightly.

"I think we can arrange that," Mr. Gold said, which surprised the nun a great deal. He was actually agreeing to it? "Now if you excuse us, Rose and I have to go get her things from her house."

"Yes of course..." Astrid said. Gold took Rose's hand and began to walk away. "If... If it's not too bold to ask?" Gold looked at her. "Are you...really her father?"

Gold looked a little tight lipped for a moment before he sighed and looked down at Rose, who was smiling cheerfully.

"...Yes I am..." he said softly. He had been expecting shock and maybe some disgust, but instead, the fairy-turned-nun just smiled softly and nodded. Mr. Gold and his daughter walked away.

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** -doing a victory dance- Woo Hoo, another chapter, and it's cotton candy fluffy! We got more Nova/Astrid and everything worked out! So Lacey is gonna change, I hope you all like that, because writing that whole scene almost killed me. Just freaking fluffiness everywhere! **

** Please please please comment! **

** Hugs and loves!**


	7. Chapter 7

"DADDY! DADDY HELP ME! DADDYYYYYY!" Rose's screams ripped Gold from his dreams. Not even bothering to get his cane he stumbled across the hallway and burst into his daughter's room. She was on her bed, her eyes squeezed shut and thrashing in her sleep.

"Rose!" he said and went over to the bed, shaking her awake. "Rose, wake up! Sweetheart, it's a bad dream, wake up!"

Rose awoke with a start and started sobbing. "Daddy..."

"I'm here Rose. I'm here. You're safe now," he sat on the bed and took his daughter in his arms, cradling her and rocking her back and forth. She held him tightly and continued to cry into the front of his shirt. As both of their heart rates began to slow, he sighed and looked at her.

"Rose, do you want to tell me about it?"

"It... It was awful Daddy..." she sniffled. "I-I was in the room again and Mommy wasn't there and it was dark. And then the walls were getting closer and no one could hear me and they were going to squish me. And all I could hear was the lady's laughing. I was so scared."

"It's alright, Rose," he sighed. "It's alright, I'm right here..." He held her for another long while before she stopped crying. "Ready to go back to sleep, sweetheart?"

"Yeah," she nodded. He was about to tuck her back in when she held onto him tighter. "Can... Can I sleep with you?"

Gold's heart practically burst and he smiled softly at Rose. "Yes sweetheart you can." And he carried her into his room as best he could without his cane. She curled up right next to him and he put his arm around her. The two of them slipped off into dreamland and no nightmares bothered them for the rest of the night. In the morning they made waffles and got Rose ready for preschool. She looked so adorable in a pink dress with ribbons in her hair. How on earth had that little angel come form a monster like him?

Dropping her off at preschool had been a laugh. All of the teachers, parents, and even the students were instantly intimidated by his presence and completely shocked Rose was being dropped off by the most feared man in town. He had to explain to the teacher, Mrs. Thumb, about Lacey's accident and how Rose was now under his care. The short woman was flabbergasted but nodded none the less, and everyone in the room watched in astonishment as Mr. Gold hugged Rose good bye and even kissed her head. He laughed all the way to his shop.

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"Mommy, Mommy, look at what I can do!" Rose smiled wide and she clapped her hands. Belle watched smiling, having seen this trick so many times before but delighted every time she did. The little girl then slowly pulled her hands apart, and floating between them was a little light in the shape of a heart. Rose concentrated, and the heart changed into the shape of a dragon, and then a butterfly. It disappeared in little sparks.

"That's wonderful, Rose," Belle beamed. "You're getting a lot better."

"I like my lights, Mommy... Could Daddy do lights?" Rose asked. Belle looked a little sad.

"I don't know. He didn't use his magic like you did."

"Oh... I like my magic."

"I do, too. It's good you have something from your father."

Rose smiled, and behind her the heavy door opened. Regina walked in, looking smug as always. Belle gently pushed her daughter behind her.

"Good morning Belle, Rose," the queen smiled sickly sweet as she walked towards them. "How are you two today?"

"Fine...your majesty..." Belle said, bowing her head, looking like she was showing humility, but really she was hiding the murderous look in her eyes. Rose trembled, holding her mother's hand.

"I was wondering if you remember what day it is today," Regina smiled.

"I do remember, your majesty... Today is Rose's birthday. Today she turns 4..." Belle said.

"Yes, it is, good girl," the queen said. "And since it's her birthday, and I've always had a soft spot for children, I thought I would give her a gift this year, since it will be her last birthday in this land."

So the curse will happen sometime this year, Belle thought sadly. She had been hoping to escape before then, so Rumplestiltskin could meet his daughter once before they were ripped away to some unknown place. "That's very generous of you, my lady," she said. Regina smiled again and bent to see little Rose standing behind her mother.

"Come here, little one. I have a gift for you," she said, bringing something out of her pocket. It was a mirror. Rose slowly came out form behind Belle and very hesitantly stepped closer to the queen. Regina lowered herself to the girl's level and held the mirror up so they both could see. Rose looked at the mirror, seeing her reflection for the first time. And then the image changed, and she saw a man seated at a long table, drinking some tea. The man had unruly brown hair and strange, gold-green skin. He dressed in unusual clothes of dragon hide and leather, and his eyes... his eyes were brown with a hint of honey. Just like hers.

"Who is that?" she asked.

"That, little one," Regina said, "is your father, Rumplestiltskin."

Belle peered over them at the mirror and tears lined her eyes. It was the first glimpse she had of Rumple in the whole almost 5 years since she had left the castle. He hadn't changed one bit, and she couldn't help but smile at the sight of him. Rose looked up at her mother.

"Mommy, is that Daddy?" she asked. Belle smiled wider and nodded.

"Yes, sweetie," she said. "That's Daddy."

"He looks funny," the girl said, and Belle chuckled. Even Regina cracked a smile. The queen allowed Rose to look at her father for a few moments more before the image disappeared. She stood up.

"I hope you enjoyed your present," she said.

"Yes," Rose said. "Thank you, your highness."

"Thank you," Belle nodded, her voice very sincere. She was truly grateful that the queen had blessed them with this gift.

"Enjoy your birthday... while you can," Regina's smile turned evil again, and she walked ou of the room, locking the door behind her.

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Rose was very quiet when Gold picked her up from preschool. She sat in the back seat with her head down and her hands in her lap.

"I'm not going to preschool anymore," she said as they drove off towards the shop. He looked at her in the rear view mirror.

"Why not?" he asked. "What happened?"

"Everybody's mean 'cause you're my Daddy," she said, and she burst into tears.

The car stopped a not two seconds later.

"What?" he asked, turning to her.

"E-Everybody hates me! Even the teachers!" Rose sobbed. "Nobody played with me and-and my friends called me names and the teachers didn't tell them to be nice and wouldn't listen to me telling them my friends were mean! I don't wanna go back! They all hate me!"

In the next minute, the black Cadillac was rushing back to the preschool.

"Mrs. Thumb?!" Gold shouted as he burst into the building with Rose trailing behind him. The short woman and the other teachers, along with some other parents, jumped as the pawnbroker entered.

"Am I to understand that Rose was treated unfairly all day today?!" he thundered, his eyes blazing with anger.

"T-Treated unfairly?" Mr. Thumb stammered. "N-No, not that I-"

"Oh, really? Then explain to me why she told me that she was ignored today by both students and teachers when she was being bullied!" he snapped. Rose's lip was wobbling as she looked up at her father, her eyes big and tearful.

"M-Mr. Gold, I'm sure she's just exaggerating!" Mrs. Thumb held up her hands. "Rose, you had fun today, right?"

"No, teacher," Rose sniffled. "Emily and Mary wouldn't play with me, and Todd called me names and pushed me, and when I told you, you said it's not your problem. Todd said I'm evil like Daddy is and you didn't do anything!" More tears trickled down her pretty face. Mr. Gold's grip tightened on his cane as he turned back to Mrs. Thumb. She was whiter than a sheet.

"Mrs. Thumb..." he growled, trying to keep his temper under control. "If you had a shred of decency in you, you would have treated her with the same manner you did every day before this. Rose is under my protection, and if I were you I would have thought twice about treating her poor today. You forget, Mrs. Thumb, that I own this town, and if pushed, I can shut this place down. I don't believe you would want that to happen, would you?"

Mrs. Thumb shook her head quickly. "No, Mr. Gold..."

"Then I suggest you watch yourself and make sure that this never happens again. Am I understood?" Gold asked.

"Very much so, sir," the woman nodded.

"Good," he said. "Now I expect you to apologize to Rose. Now."

Mrs. Thumb turned and looked at the young teary eyed girl. "I'm very sorry for hurting you're feelings, Rose. Do you think you can forgive me?"

Rose looked at her for a long moment. "...Okay..." she nodded.

"Thank you," Mrs. Thumb nodded.

"Rose will no longer be attending this preschool as of now," Gold growled.

"W-What?" Mrs. Thumb had the nerve to look surprised.

"You heard me," he said. "I want her enrolled out of this place _now_."

A little while later, Rose was back in her car seat behind Gold as they drove away from the preschool. She looked at the back of his head, nervous to speak. The way he had been yelling... It had reminded her too much of Lacey, and she never wanted to see that side of him again.

"...If I'm not going to preschool there anymore, where will I go to school?" she asked, preparing to be snapped at, so she tensed and ducked her head. To her surprise, he sounded very calm.

"I know someone who would be glad to watch you, sweetheart..."

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**...Welp, i'm a bitch. i'm just freaking mean, huh? i don't like being mean. the whole thing with Rose's night mare and then everyone mean to her at school... yeah, i'm just mean and i hate it. **

**when i told my sister about this scene she said that the kids wouldn't know about Mr. Gold and wouldn't care, but i think that the kid's parents would have to give the rent to Gold and the kids would probably over hear some choice words about him, and little kids copy what the adults do. (i should know, i worked in a preschool late year and this year for my school. they are nuts!) so i'm putting it out there that the kids would have given rose a hard time one because of what their parents say about mr. gold and because the teachers would be afraid of her since gold was... well he's gold.**

**so yeah, new chapter. i really like the idea of rose being able to do magic. and we got to see how rose saw rumple for the first time, (-squeal-)**

**before i stop my rambling, i would also like to encourage you to take a look at my sister's profile, LoquaciousQuibbler. she posts Loki and OC stuff because she's in love with loki. please check out her story, it's actually really good.**

**ok i'm done now. counting down the seconds until i die at the end of this finale.**

**hugs and loves!**

**darkonesroses**


	8. Chapter 8

"Mr. Gold? Are you here for the rent?" Dr. Hopper asked.

"No, Doctor, I've come to discuss another matter of business with you. May we come in?" Gold asked.

"W-We?" the doctor asked. And then he saw little Rose holding onto the pant leg of Mr. Gold. His surprise was not hidden, but he did not comment, and he let the two of them in. Rose looked around with child curiosity and immediately began to play with the Dalmatian, Pongo, who was laying in a basket in the corner. Dr. Hopper and Mr. Gold sat on the couches in the office. Hopper couldn't help but stare at Rose.

"So, uh... Is-Is she... yours?" he asked tentatively. Gold glanced at Rose, who was getting licked in the face by the dog, and nodded.

"She is..." he said. "And because she is, her preschool has decided to resorted to bullying and neglect to show their distaste for me by taking it out on her. I will not stand by that, and I've taken her out of that environment."

"I'm glad you did," Archie nodded and looked over at Rose. She looked like such an angel. Anyone neglecting or bullying her would have to be crazy, especially now that Gold was protecting her. "But, ah, why did you bring her here?"

"...I would like you to watch her," Gold said. "Her mother is currently in the hospital, and I can't watch her while I go on my rounds for rent or at the shop. I... would appreciate it very much, Dr. Hopper, if you would look after her while I work. I'd even pay you."

"But...Why would you want me to look after her? There are plenty of people in this town that-"

"Yes, but you're the only one I trust." Gold said, wringing his hands around his cane. Archie was shocked and... well, touched. He thought about it for a long moment.

"...What time would you be bringing her here and bringing her home?" he asked. Gold smiled softly.

"My shop opens about 8 o'clock, and closes at 5:30, so those times. Though I will take her out for lunch every day," he said.

"I think I can agree to that, though she will be present during my appointments..." Hopper said.

"If she has something to entertain herself with, she won't be a big problem."

"Well then... I guess we have a deal, Mr. Gold," Archie said, holding out his hand. Gold looked at him and shook his hand.

"Rose," Gold called. "Come here, I want you to meet Dr. Hopper." Rose scurried over and climbed up onto her father's lap. "Rose, Dr. Hopper is going to be looking after you while I'm at work."

Rose looked up at Archie with her bright eyes. "Hi, Dr. Hopper..." she said timidly.

"You can call me Archie," the crickety man said smiling gently and he held out his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Rose smiled and shook hands with him.

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A few days later, Lacey was released from the hospital. She was tired and relieved that she was out of there, finally. She really hated that place. It reminded her too much of the room. Too much for comfort. Mr. Gold's car was parked outside of the hospital, and he stood out there waiting for her to come out. Rose was inside the car smiling wide, and she opened the car door and ran to her mother.

"Mommy Mommy!" she said smiling brightly. Lacey smiled back and hugged her daughter close. "I'm so happy you're back! And Daddy says you're staying with us at his house, right?"

"Yeah," Lacey nodded and stood up. Gold was just looking at her, and opened the passenger door for her to step into. Lacey hoped that he wasn't some wacko waiting to kill her while Rose was asleep...

She had only seen the inside of Gold's house once before, when she had stormed in there with a hangover. She hadn't taken the time to look around. The house was like his shop, filled with antiques and priceless objects that had seen better days.

"...So... where will I be staying?" she asked. Gold pointed up the stairs.

"There's a spare room at the end of the hall way, two doors down from Rose's and mine. Why don't you go and get comfortable," he suggested. Lacey nodded and headed upstairs. She had been expecting to sleep in a dungeon or something...

"I'm happy we're all together, Daddy," Rose smiled innocently. Gold breathed deeply and nodded.

"I am too," he said. "I just wish she remembered me."

"Do you think she will?"

"Oh she will. But it'll be a while. We just have to be patient, alright?"

Rose nodded and reached up to take his hand. "I colored today! And Archie is helping me write my name! Wanna see?"

"I'd like that a lot," he smiled and followed her to the kitchen where she had set down her drawing things from earlier. She pulled out a drawing of her and her mother and him. They were all standing there smiling and holding hands. It was a clumsy drawing, but he loved it none the less. At the bottom corner in pink crayon was her name: Rose Gold. He felt his heart swell.

"It's lovely, Rose," he said. "Let's hang it up on the fridge, yeah?" Rose nodded, and they put it up on the fridge. The fridge's surface was usually blank, but he had a feeling it would soon be covered with his daughter's drawings. And honestly? He loved that idea.

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A week had passed. One whole week of Rose and Lacey living at the Gold manor. And it was going rather well. Every morning, Lacey would get up and make some form of breakfast, whether it was scrambled eggs or french toast or cream of wheat; something that was simple, since Lacey apparently wasn't a good cook. He had it set in his mind to teach her one of these days. Belle had been a decent enough cook, for a princess. At least she didn't burn toast.

Gold would help Rose get ready for the day and drive her to Dr. Hopper's while Lacey stayed at the house and cleaned and got groceries. Rose would spend the morning with Archie when he wasn't busy with patients, and he was teaching her how to write her name and alphabet, and doing some math with time differences. At lunch, Gold would take Rose to Grannie's, where she had the kids Mac 'n Cheese and he had a BLT. Rose, being so young, was oblivious to the fact that people were staring at them whenever they came in, and Gold thought the gaping hysterical.

After lunch, he would drop her off at Archie's and went back to the shop until 5:30, when he picked her up and brought her back to the manor, where Lacey was finishing up cooking dinner. After a movie, either Lacey or Gold would give Rose a bath, tuck her in, and the day started over in the morning. It was a good routine, and Gold really liked having the two of them at the house. It sometimes... felt like they were a family. But it wasn't Belle. Not yet. Lacey still had an attitude, and still didn't like Rose calling him 'Daddy', and was definitely lazy when it came to the cleaning, doing the bare minimum, but it was something. And at least she wasn't drinking or yelling at Rose. So it was going rather well.

"Daddy, Bonnie wants carrot cake," Rose said, a sly grin on her face that she was failing miserably to hide. Gold smirked at her.

"I think you mean you want cake and are blaming it on Bonnie," he said. Rose giggled and shook her head, grinning from ear to ear. Gold chuckled.

"No cake today," he said. "But I'll get something special for dessert after dinner, alright?"

"Okay!" Rose said, bouncing in her seat. "What are you gonna get?"

"It's a surprise."

"Surprise? Ooh, tell me tell me tell me!"

"No, you'll just have to wait and see."

Rose made a face at him and pretended to be angry. Gold just chuckled again. Then out of the window, he saw the familiar yellow bug driving down the street over the speed limit. For a moment, he saw three figures in the car; little Henry, Miss Swan, and Ashley Boyd. Gold smiled.

"Come on, Rose," Gold said, getting his cane. "We have to go."

Mr. Gold drove to the hospital with Rose in the back seat. She had been very good in the car. Occasionally talking to her bunny, which she took everywhere. It wasn't until they pulled up in the parking lot that she spoke to him directly.

"Daddy, why are we here?" she asked as he unbuckled her.

"I just need to do some quick business here, Rose. We won't be long," he explained. She held her bunny tightly with one hand and held onto his pant leg with the other as they walked through the white hallways. She was oddly quiet and rather nervous, but she wasn't complaining.

Gold found just what he needed; Miss Emma Swan. She was in the waiting room with Henry when the nurse came in to say how both mother and child were fine. Taking that as his cue, he stepped into the room.

"What lovely news. Thank you for bringing me my merchandise, Miss Swan," he said, wearing his signature smirk.

Rose's hand never left his pant leg as he discussed business with the savior. Emma didn't even seem to notice the small girl.

"Now if you want Ashley to have that baby, are you willing to make a deal with me?" Gold asked. That was when Rose started tugging on his pant leg to get his attention.

"Daddy? Daddy can we go? I'm scared..." she asked. Emma noticed the child for the first time and her eyes bulged out as Gold turned and knelt in front of the four year old.

"What's wrong, dear? Why are you scared?" he asked.

"I don't like this place Daddy," said the girl. "The room... The room is downstairs..."

"The room?" he asked. She simply nodded before he remembered that Regina had locked her and Belle up in her dungeons. In Storybrooke, the dungeons probably meant... the mental asylum underneath the hospital.

"Ah..." Gold said, at a loss for words. Rose looked so genuinely scared, scared that someone would put her back in that room. "It's going to be alright, Rose, I'm almost done. Then we can go."

"Can we get ice cream?" she asked hopefully. "Ice cream makes the scary go away..."

He smiled softly. "Yeah, sweetheart, any flavor you want. Just let me finish with Miss Swan, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy," she nodded. Gold nodded and turned back to Emma. The savior was in complete shock of how fatherly and kind and gentle he was being to the girl. Wasn't everyone in town afraid of this man? How had he ended up with a daughter?

"If you would please come to a decision today, Miss Swan," he said.

"...What do you want?" she asked.

"Oh, I don't know just yet... How about you just owe me a favor?" he suggested. Emma looked at him, deciding something, and then her gaze fell to Rose. The four year old jumped every time a nurse walked by, her big brown eyes wide. Eyes that looked just like Mr. Gold's.

Emma slowly shook the man's hand. "Deal," she said.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Gold nodded before turning and scooping up Rose in his arms. The girl held him tightly as she began to tremble with fear.

"It'll be alright, Rose. We're leaving now," he murmmured to her before glancing at Emma. "Until next time, Miss Swan." And he walked off with Rose in his arms.

Emma sat down after an minute, clearly confused. "Well that was weird," she said to Henry. "Who knew he had a kid..."

"He doesn't, that's what's weird," Henry said. Emma turned to him.

"What?"

"As long as I've been here, Gold had never had a daughter. I only started seeing her with him after you got here," Henry explained.

Well that just raised the weirdness level a few notches.

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**Whoo hoo, new chapter, everybody happy? so then! rose is hanging out with Archie, how you guys like that? i awlays have this headcanon that if Gold had a kid Archie would be the baby sitter. after all, he was the only person gold could go to talk about his son, so there's gotta be some trust htere. i love their bromance. and lacey is back in the story and oddly she's doing well. but will it last? dun dun duunnn...**

**and lastly, emma meets little rose for the first time. all in all, i love this chapter. it's not my favorite just yet, but i hope you all enjoy.**

**once again, i encourage you to look at my sister's work, LoquaciousQuibbler, since she just updated her new story, which is really good. **

**stay tuned for next chaper! hugs and loves!**


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Once Upon a Time, Family, Romance