SlothKeeper: I'm not dead! Just...unsure if I should continue. I was at least. I mean love this story, don't get me wrong, but the next few chapters were really hard and I just, couldn't write. But recent events have brought me to re-watching shows and DCOMS and well...the creativity flowed back. So I decided to tackle this again and hopefully I'll be able to push through these next iffy chapters so we can get to the real fun. I hope you all are doing well and safe.

off notes: if anyone has read some of my earlier fanfics, specifically my Lab Rats: THe Tale of Marcus Daveport, I want you to know that I will be re-writing that fic. So expect updates soon.

Chapter Thirteen. The Con

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Port Tortuga, Three Months Before the Dark Curse

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"Whoa. This place is amazing."

Mal raised an eyebrow at Ben's wide eyed amazement as they stood at the threshold of Port Tortuga. The place was filled with people, from commoners trying to make money with their little side shows, to drunks stumbling through the streets. For those used to busy places like this, it was just another town to walk through. But Ben looked like he had entered a sweet shop that was going out of business. If Jay wasn't holding onto his jacket, Mal was sure that Ben would have run off into the crowd.

"Dude, it's just Port Tortuga," Carlos commented as the five of them stepped through the crowd. The crowd stepped out of their way, not willing to bump into a group of teenagers. Especially a group that had someone like Jay. His tall stature and imposing stance helped ward off any riff raft they didn't need. Or, in Ben's case, to keep him in line.

"I know!" Ben smiled. "The books don't do this place justice. It's so much brighter here. And a lot warmer than I thought it would be. And that smell." He took in a deep breath, a grin splitting across his face. "What is that?"

"Hopefully sea water," Jay smirked as he patted Ben on the back. "Come on, Buddy. We need to go this way."

With Jay steering Ben forward and through the crowd, Mal had time to take in the sights. Port Tortuga wasn't any different from the other ports in the realm. It was large, with yellowish stone buildings that faced the sea. It was one of the few ports in all the realms to be considered neutral territory. And with it being one of the most central points in the realm, the port was a melting pot of cultures and festivals. From their short walk to the piers, Mal could see the villagers setting up for some sort of festival.

"What are those?"

Mal looked towards Ben, who was fixated on a couple of kids playing around with a paper lantern. Evie gasped, placing a hand over her heart as she cooed at the sight.

"It must be the lantern festival," the blue haired girl sighed. "I didn't even realize what time of the year it was."

"The lantern festival?" Ben asked confused, drawing everyone's attention. His dumbfounded expression reminded Mal just how sheltered the boy was. It wasn't like the festival was a new concept or anything like that. She could recall a pleasant memory from her childhood when her mother had taken her to see the lanterns.

"It's a light show," Jay informed Ben. "Everyone sends all the lanterns up into the air. I saw them once when my old man and I were traveling the realms. It was pretty sweet."

"One year, my father brought my sister, mother, and I to see the lanterns," Evie said with a longing smile. "It was one of the few times my mother had fun spending time with father."

"Mal and I got to see them when we were young," Carlos added as he scratched Dude's ear. He stopped, frowning slightly as a memory graced his mind. "Mom had a bit too much rum."

"A bit? She fell off the docks while yelling at a seagull," Mal laughed. The others laughed as well as the image of Cruella humiliating herself entered their minds. While Mal could respect Ursula and even Regina, she had no love towards Cruella. Thinking of Cruella, Mal placed a hand on Carlos's shoulder, giving him a small reassuring squeeze. Whether he knew what she meant or not didn't matter.

"Come on," Mal started as she turned from the lanterns. "We need to get some supplies. Even with a boat, it'll be a week before we can get to the Fairy Graveyard. Times a-wasting, people." She marched forward towards the shops, knowing the others would be behind her.

Port Tortuga was a mine field of distractions. It didn't take long for their little venture to veer off course. Even with a mission in mind, they were just teenagers and all it took was one thing to draw their attention. It started with Ben and a little stand full of maps. Then Jay got distracted with a display of weapons. And when Evie found some new silk to work with, well their 15-minute tour turned into an hour and a half window shopping spree. After a little while, Mal was enjoying herself.

It wasn't until she thought she saw a flash of turquoise did she snap out of the fun and fixed her thoughts on the mission. She excused herself from the group, telling them to find someone who'd ferry them to the island while she went on a personal errand.

During her walk towards her destination, she had caught sight of a fruit vendor angrily shouted at a pair of kids. The kids looked as helpless as puppies, and yet the guy just shooed them away. Annoyed, she walked by the vendor as he was distracted by a crate of oranges that had magically fallen to the ground. He wouldn't miss two apples. And as she walked away, she made sure those missing apples made their way to the two kids who had been eyeing them. She didn't even wait to hear them thank her. As fluid as a stream, she kept moving without missing a beat.

"That was nice of you."

She hadn't mean to, but upon hearing the sudden voice behind her, Mal's natural reaction was to strike first and ask questions if they were still breathing. Luckily for Ben, a punch to the gut was a lot less deadly than a fireball to the throat. She huffed in annoyance, trying not to feel bad as he held his stomach.

"Ow," he whined.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to stay with the others," Mal scolded him, crossing her arms in disapproval.

"I was curious where you were going," Ben said with a shy smile. To anyone else, it might have looked cute. But Mal's had time to build a wall against cute. She simply rolled her eyes and turned away, her destination still on her mind. She could hear Ben's boots patting towards her.

"Ever hear about what curiosity did to the cat?"

"Since I could walk actually," he replied and Mal cursed the boy's long legs giving him the ability to catch up with her.

"Guess you're not the type to learn," she commented. Ben laughed and she squashed that part of her the warmed at the sound.

"You know, you can insult me all you want, but it's still not going to change my mind," Ben smiled. She raised an eyebrow at his statement. He simply turned, looking back towards a couple of kids eating the apple she had swiped. Ben, in his ever annoying optimism, had misinterpreted her mischief as an act of kindness. For the son of the darkest being in the entire realm, Ben sure as hell didn't get it. Villains weren't good.

"Don't look too much into it," she told him before continuing her walk. She could hear him following behind her and she wished Jay had kept a better eye on Ben. It wasn't that hard. The boy was the tallest one out of the entire group and he was dressed in blue leather. So unless Jay confused Evie for Ben, there was no reason for the Agrabah native to have lost track of Ben. And yet. "Why are you even following me?"

"Like I said. I was curious."

"Word of advice, girls don't like stalkers."

"It's technically not stalking if I'm just following a friend."

This time it was Mal who stopped their walk. She couldn't help but stop and laugh at the comment. She gave him an amused look, tilting her head slightly as she asked him, "you really think of us as friends?"

"Yeah," he smiled. His lips stretched from ear to ear, highlighting his dimples. She countered his attempt at friendship with her own cunning smile. Leaning up to stare evenly with the tall boy, Mal broke his happy fantasy with her cutting words.

"A week's worth of walking and camping doesn't make us friends," she told him flatly. Well, it didn't win him points with her. She wasn't going to deny Jay and Carlos's near immediate attachment to Ben. But those two could get along with just about anyone. Evie only became friendly because of the deal they had made. But Mal had enough friends. The others were loyal. And she wasn't going to let herself become friends with someone who was just going to leave them in the end. She already made that mistake enough times.

Ben frowned at her comment and she simply raised an eyebrow, challenging him to find the fault in her logic. He only blinked, biting his lip as he tried to come up with an answer. Just when she thought he had won, he said, "Ok, but it's a start. And my mom always said a start is all you need."

She rolled her eyes. "You mother must been one real optimist."

"S-She was," Ben sighed sadly. His eyes drifted for a moment. It was the same expression Evie wore when she talked about King Leopold or when her own mother talked about Diablo. And Mal felt kind of bad.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. It's been a while. I've had time to…adjust."

And yet somehow Mal doubted him. She could see the corner of his eyes watering despite the pleasant smile he had put on his face. She decided to let the subject drop, turning to the shop. This time she let him follow like the lost puppy he was. She let him talk her ear off, listening to him talk about how fascinated he was with the town and the outside world. She just kept telling herself that at best, Ben was just leverage against Rumplestiltskin and at worse, a temporary companion.

But at least it was nice to have some noise as they finally reached their destination. The place didn't look much different from any other shop. It was a simple single store building made of yellow sandstone and terracotta roof tiles. Potted mandrake adorned either side of the wooden door. Hanging above the door was a simple sign that read "Facilier's Apothecary."

"Facilier's?"

Mal turned to look at Ben in surprise. "You know Facilier's?"

"Enough to know I know my father's not a huge fan of him."

"Why? Not big into voodoo?"

"No, he's dabbled in it before," Ben clarified. "It's just Facilier's spent a few years trying to…" he trailed off, as if a memory had popped in his head. "You know what, never mind."

"Oh no, no," Mal smirked. She smelled something fishy and it wasn't the port. "You don't just get to trail off like that. What were you going to say?"

"Uh, well…Um…Oh no, I'm tripping," he said as he pretended to trip over his own two feet. He pushed the door open and walked in. Mal huffed in annoyance before following behind him. He didn't get to avoid answering her questions. She was the one who avoided answering questions.

Entering the shop, Mal frowned at the strong herbal scents. Even after all the times she's come into the place, she could never get used to the smell. And it looked like Ben was also having the same issue. He was covering his noise, coughing from the strong scent that assaulted his nostrils. "Don't be rude," she told him before giving him a hard pat on the back. Looking around, Mal raised a brow. There were several trunks around the shop, some closed and some open. Most of the products she was used to seeing were gone or in boxes.

The beads that covered the door to the back room jingled as someone stepped out. The young girl that stepped out was a near mirror image of her father. She rocked a feminine pants suit, the coat opened up to show off the corset she wore. Her top hat rested carefully against one of her pigtails. The streak of green that had run through her hair was fading, the natural ebony slowly returning. The girl looked up at Ben and smirked.

"Well hey there, handsome," she greeted, her voice silky as she drew out each syllable as she spoke. The girl left safety of the beaded curtains and strutted to Ben with the grace of a swan and the hungry eyes of a vulture. "Welcome to Facilier's. How can I help you?"

"Uh…I …Hi," Ben's face broke into a goofy smile. Mal could practically see his pupil's dilate and she rolled her eyes in embarrassment. She just reached up and pulled at his ear to snap him out of his daze. "Ow!"

"Sorry, Freddie," Mal told the girl, "but he's with me. And I don't have time for you to con us right now."

"You're such a party pooper, Mal," Freddie sighed playfully. The girl walked away from Ben. Now that Mal had snapped Ben out of the voodoo user's pheromone scent trick, there was no point in Freddie to continue with her con. While she was nowhere near as skilled in magic her father, Freddie knew how to con men into practically buying anything. And Mal would rather not waste what few gold coins they had. "If you're looking for a reading, Celia's not here. She and my old man are off getting the rest of our stuff from The Bayou."

"You guys going on a trip or something?" Mal asked as she looked at the trunks. To her surprise, Freddie just laughed.

"Where are you been? Haven't you heard? The Evil Queen's planning to cast her curse."

"Her curse?" Ben asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"See, he gets it."

"Yeah, good one," Mal snorted. "She failed to casting it months ago."

"Oh, she's not going to fail this time," Freddie said as she picked up some books and haphazardly dropped them in an empty trunk. "She's going to try again. And it's going to work this time."

"You can't be serious."

Freddie gave Mal a look she was all too familiar with. All sense of humor and playfulness left the girl's face as she stared Mal right in the eye. Freddie was one of the few people who wasn't afraid to look darkness in the eye. She was serious. "We've read all the cards. Looked through every crystal ball. Even chatted up Leota's ugly ass head. The Evil Queen's curse is going to work, and if you're smart, you'd get packing too."

"I'm not afraid of some wannabe dark mistress," Mal said, staring into Freddie's eyes, not willing to break their staring contest.

"I see you still have your mother's fire in you, Mal," a suave baritone voice chuckled behind them.

Mal heard Ben yelp in surprise and she rolled her eyes. Silently she sent a prayer to the ancients, because she was really tired of having people sneaking up on her today. She turned to find Facilier at the threshold of his shop. He was dressed in his usual red and purple suit, a more elaborate copy of Freddie's. The voodoo king entered the shop and, to her surprise, Mal felt Ben press against her side.

"Freddie, why don't you assist your sister with the carriage? We'll be leaving as soon as we finish with our last customers."

"It's been fun, Mal," Freddie said as she purposefully slipped between her and Ben. Freddie turned, winking at Ben before slipping out the shop.

"So, I assume you and your new…," Facilier looked down at Ben, his eyes holding that same predatory gaze Freddie had. This time Mal was the one to lean in front of Ben. While Freddie, and to an extent Celia, saw people as easy cons, Facilier saw puzzles. He saw people he could dissect or manipulate. While his powers of voodoo barely did anything but tickle any one with magic, Ben claimed he didn't' have magic and Mal would rather not find out the hard way if Facilier held power of Ben. "Friend aren't here for a casual visit. What can I do for my favorite customer?"

"Just some protection charms."

"is that all? Now what could the daughter of the great Dragoness herself need with protection charms?"

"We're going to -" Mal placed her hand over Ben's mouth before he could give up too much information. She made a mental note to teach him how to not be so trusting.

"Being safe couldn't hurt," Mal smirked. Facilier just matched her smirk before going to one of his trunks. She watched him carefully, keeping close to Ben.

"It does pay to be careful. There are many dangers in this realm. Especially for young children," Facilier said, his suave baritone voice ringing with each word. "But if I am to make you the best protection charms I can make; I'm going to need to know exactly what I'm protecting you from."

"No dice," Mal countered, crossing her arms. "Or are you worried you can't do it."

"My dear, there's nothing I can't do," he laughed. "But, it's perfectly fine if you don't want my help. I'm sure someone else can help you instead."

"We're going to the Fairy's Graveyard."

"Ben!"

"What? Mal, if he really needs to know we should just tell him," Ben said sheepishly. "I mean, if he can give us even a remotely decent charm, it can't hurt."

"Decent?" Facilier asked egregiously. To her surprise, Ben nodded pretty casually, as if he didn't just insult someone that could turn him into a living voodoo doll.

"Well, I mean, I know if we could have gone to the Dark One, he would have given us something that could ward off even Death," Ben said. Mal had to wonder if he'd finally gone insane. Facilier didn't seem to like the brunette's comment. He growled, standing tall and towering over Ben at his full height.

"The Dark One has gone soft over the years! His magic could barely protect a swine from a rainstorm let alone against some place as dangerous as the Fairy's Graveyard."

"I don't know," Ben muttered. Mal watched as his stance changed ever so slightly. He was no longer leaning close to her, but standing in a way that allowed for Falicier to have the height advantage. Yet he kept eye contact, his feature a mask of skepticism and doubt. "See, I heard that the Dark One's power is outmatch. He took down Camelot. Someone like that I'm sure could easily make us protection charms."

"For a price," Facilier countered hotly.

"Hey, if it means protection from the supposed boogeyman, sure."

"Were you raised by pirates, boy?" Facilier asked through gritted teeth. Ben just sighed and turned to Mal, his posture changing to one of boredom and disappointment.

"Come on, Mal. He's obviously just stalling. I told you, voodoo isn't just the same as real magic. Let's go and-"

He was cut off by a cane to the throat. Mal jumped back in surprise as Falicier used the ornate décor of his cane to snatch the scruff of Ben's shirt.

"You've got quite the tongue on you."

Ben just smiled, a sweet, innocent smile that showed no malice of ill intention. The room of silent as the two stared each other down. After what felt like hours, Falicier let Ben go, making sure to hit Ben with the cane in a way that it could easily be mistaken for an accident.

"You want a protection charm, I'll give you a protection charm," Facilier said smoothly, as if he was just about to beat a teenager with a cane. With a dramatic aflare, he turned from Ben and went to his back room.

Mal took the opportunity to give Ben a good smack to his stomach. He must have predicted it, because he caught her hand before it made contact, his grip surprisingly strong. She wretched her arm from his grasp and turned to him, her eyes flashing emerald green.

"Are you insane?" she hissed at him. "He could have killed you!"

"And miss the chance to prove me wrong?" Ben snickered, that bright eyed innocent back on his face. "His ego's too big for him to not try and show off how powerful he is." Ben whispered back. Mal scofted.

"Falicier's the kind of man who'll save a man's life just so he can gloat about it. He wants fame and reputation above anything else. Even his own pride," Ben whispered, his eyes never leaving the beaded curtains the voodoo king disappeared behind. For a brief instance, he didn't look so sweet and innocent.

"D-Did you just try and con the con man?"

"It's barely even trying if you already know it's going to work," he winked

A smug grin formed on his face. It was the same smug look he had on his face when he first proved he was Rumpelstiltskin's son. The look of someone who knew he had won before the game even began. And, as much as she hated to admit it, she was impressed. She hadn't seen this side of Ben since that first night they met. He had been such a wide eyed idiot this whole time that she thought it had all been an act; that the Ben back at the Castle had been all for show.

Mal stood there, briefly wondering if she was being conned too.

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Storybrooke, November 4th, 2011

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"Lovely evening, isn't it, Ms. Fisher?"

Ingrid, or Sarah Fisher as the town knew her, stilled momentarily as the words reached her ear. The urge to turn around and blast the imp with ice was strong, but as it stood, Ingrid didn't have magic in this land. Any magic she did have left she had used to remove Emma's memories of their time together.

Once upon a time, she had been Emma's care taker. She had been the one to help raise the young savior. But she had destroyed whatever trust had been between them a long time ago. The only option she had left was to start all over again, re-introducing herself to Emma as the kind ice cream lady. In time she would hope that Emma would see her as a friend once more.

But if she was going to do that, she would first have to survive long enough to get there. The curse needed to be broken and Ingrid, who didn't arrive here with the other inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest, had to play the part of a meek woman. So, mustering up her best acting skills, she turned around to face Mr. Gold. Or as she knew him, Rumplestiltskin.

It really was startling to see him looking so human. Back in the Enchanted Forest, Rumplestiltskin was golden scaled skin. His hair had been a ratty mess and his teeth looked like they hadn't been brushed in centuries. But here, he was quite handsome. He held himself with such poise despite his limp. And he wasn't afraid to show off his best suits. But with the face or an imp or not, what didn't change was the all-knowing grin on his face.

"M-Mr. Gold. Good evening. Are you going to the Nolan's as well?" she asked.

"Ah yes," Gold started. "Our faithful coma patient is finally returning home isn't he? Feels like he's been in the hospital for…ever hasn't it?"

Ingrid nodded. But she couldn't help but think of how he had spoken. As if he was trying to fish for something. Whatever it was, Ingrid didn't know. But she wasn't going to let him use her for whatever he wanted.

"Yes. I can't even remember how long he's been in there." She said. "I-I'm glad he can finally return home."

"I hear our newest deputy is going to the party."

"Is she now? Well, I'll have to say hello, then," Ingrid said, readjusting the casserole dish in her hands.

"Well, allow me to accompany you," he smirked, limping towards her. Ingrid didn't know what he was planning, but it was better to keep him close and observe him. She wasn't sure if he was still cursed or not. Since Emma's arrival, things had been changing. Gold's behavior could easily just be the cursed persona looking to get his greedy mitts on something. She turned and moved forward. For a while, they walked in silence. Silence that Ingrid was able to think with. But like all good things, Gold had to ruin it.

"Ah, if you don't mind me asking, how is your foster daughter?"

Ingrid felt a knot twist in her stomach at the mention of Mal. "M-Mal?"

"Yes. Lovely name," Gold said with a smirk.

"Yes. It is," Ingrid agreed. Internally, she wanted to smack the imp. Cursed or not, she did not like how he was talking about Mal. "She's doing well. She's having a movie night with her friends actually."

"All her friends?" he asked.

"Yes."

"How quaint," he smirked. "You know, before she came to live with you, she didn't have many friends."

"Excuse me?"

"Just something I remembered is all," Gold said, waving it off nonchalantly. "A compliment on your parenting skill."

If he was trying to butter her up, Ingrid wasn't going to fall for it. "Thank you Mr. Gold. That's very kind of you."

"Although even with friends it's probably difficult to let old habits die."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Well, from my understanding, Mal had been in an altercation with another student earlier this week," he told her. He stopped, leaning on his cane, yet still holding himself as if he was lord of the land.

"Are you insinuating that Mal is bullying another student?" Ingrid asked, her anger boiling under the cool exterior she held. She knew Mal. She spent so many years with the young girl. Years filled with both joy and hurt. And in all those times, Mal had never once bullied another student. She might act stand offish but the girl was kind. Like her sister Helga. And if Ingrid wasn't trying to keep up the act, she would lay into Gold right there on the streets.

"Oh no, I wouldn't do such a thing," Gold reassured. "I simply heard it from a reliable source."

"And who would say such a thing?"

"Moe French."

Ingrid almost snorted. Moe French was far from reliable. She started walking forward, her pace increasing as the desire to get away from Gold grew. But despite his limp, he caught up with her in no time.

"You see, his grandson had a bit of an accident in front of my shop," Gold continued. "Deputy Rodgers had been passing by and he discovered a…remarkably large bruise on the boy's wrist. When asked, Moe had implied your foster-daughter as the culprit."

"And you believe him?" Ingrid asked egregiously. Gold just laughed.

"I hardly trust Moe to finish the payment he owes me," he said. The comment just angered Ingrid even more. If he didn't believe Moe, why bring it up. "Which is a shame, because that'll mean I'll have to take his truck as collateral. But you don't have to worry, Mr. Fisher. I highly doubt he'll go confronting your foster-daughter about it. Moe did seem eager to brush the events away. A little too eager if you ask me."

Now it was Ingrid's turn to stop their walk. She turned, seeing that irritating smug look on his face.

"What are you trying to say, Mr. Gold?"

"How well do you know your foster-daughter, Ms. Fisher?" he asked. "Could you say well enough to confront Moe about it?"

There was a moment of silence as Ingrid stared Gold down.

She turned away.

She didn't need to prove anything. She knew Mal well enough to know she would never hurt another student. Not unless they hurt one of her friends first. So if there had been a confrontation, then Ingrid was sure the boy deserved it.

However, that didn't mean she wasn't going to keep her eye on Moe. No one disrespected her family and got away with it. If Moe wanted to go around spreading rumors about Mal, then it was a good thing Ingrid was going to a party where many of the town gossips were attending. Let's see how well Moe will do when he couldn't afford to make his payments and loses his damn truck.

As she marched with a new found desire to ruin a foul man, she missed the smug grin that formed on Gold's face.

"It's barely even trying if you already know it's going to work," the man chuckled to himself before following after Ingrid.