Hands On Me

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time or the delicious Robert Carlyle (the actor who plays Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold), as much as I'd like to. ;) None the less, please enjoy!

Chapter 1

The wail of a baby pierced the castle in the early morning as the sun just started to rise. Still, no celebrations were made as the baby girl was passed into a pair of rough greenish-golden hands. The wailing stopped in that moment as the newborn stared up, its large eyes wide. Despite the milk white haze that seemed to cover the dark brown eyes, she seemed to strain to see something in the now gentle face that gazed down at her. A couple of his long slender fingers pressed against her cheek and as the warmth seeped into her face, she closed her eyes and fell asleep. The king had the decency to at least turn away and look ashamed as he caught the large bag of gold tossed his way. The small imp let out a small laugh, keeping the volume down lest he wake the sleeping babe. Regardless of the small child he held cradled in his arms, he managed a small bow and disappeared with a light Pop!

The imp was not at all surprised when he heard someone trying to summon him just a week later. He appeared before the family he had delivered the baby to, smirk firmly in place. His arms crossed, he leaned against the doorway as the man glared angrily at him and his wife tried to calm the crying babe.

"Something wrong?" he drawled from the doorway, clearly enjoying every moment of this.

"Rumpelstiltskin," the woman began and the baby's cries lessened as she craned her neck. "She's blind."

"That's part of the deal, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin drawled again, wondering why he ever dealt with such foolish peasants.

"Liar!" the husband spat. Rumpelstiltskin laughed.

"Oh no, you signed the contract," he said and pulled it out. "With your infertile wife, I promised you a babe. Under the conditions you never ask where it came from…and that it would be missing something. This dear child is missing her sight."

"Well fix it!" the wife snapped. Rumpelstiltskin smiled maliciously. Ah. This is why he made these deals.

"Care to make another deal, dearie?" the imp asked and motioned for the baby. She hesitated. He took it anyways and said, "I won't do anything to her…yet."

He laughed. The baby let out a cry of frustration, unable to see that which was holding her. She squirmed as much as a newborn could. Rumpelstiltskin gently pressed a couple fingers against the baby's cheek and she settled down at the familiar warmth. He laughed again and looked at the parents, their surprise at calming their restless baby fueling his laughter even more.

"You can…fix it?" the father stammered, looking down at his baby girl.

"Oh no, these kinds of…monstrosities simply can't be undone," Rumpelstiltskin purred. He lifted one hand, baby cradled in the other, and pointed a finger upwards. "However! I can ensure that her other sense work much better and much sharper than they usually do and of a talent that will be known by many. Of course, there will be a price…She must have a suitor and she must consent to marry by 21."

"Done," the father said, his mind already going through who had given birth to sons as of late while his wife's face began to fall.

"Ah-ah-aah!" Rumpelstiltskin said in a sing-song voice. "I'm not done. This suitor must be of the Nobility. And if this does not happen, on the day of her 21st birthday, I will come to her and she will be mine!" He laughed hysterically as if only he was privy to the joke.

"That's impossible," the father tried, but the imp hushed him.

"I promise a great talent that will bring her to the castle yet. There may be hope…"

"Deal," the father said and held out his hand. The mother let out of a cry and snatched her baby back. The imp laughed and took the hand.

"Wonderful," he laughed.

"Pigs," the mother said and marched off with the baby that now began to cry.

"I'll be checking up," Rumpelstiltskin said. "On you or on her, one or the other." The father's face fell as he realized to what extent he had just promised. Rumpelstiltskin smirked.

"Miss Berry, what on earth did you do with your walking stick?" a voice drawled from behind her. She frowned and stopped. She had heard him coming, but she was too preoccupied with counting each step, hands out just in case, to really pay attention to it.

"I might have lost it," she began carefully. "It might have been broken. Someone might have played such a childish prank. I'm not really sure, but I do not have it. I was on my way to see you, actually, Mr. Gold, to see if you might have an extra or something similar until you could order me a new one. I have the money, just sold another painting. The anonymous patron again. I was counting steps to get to you, but I'm afraid I've lost count."

"That will not do at all, my dear," Mr. Gold said with a small chuckle. She smiled and turned her face towards him. Though she could not see him, he knew she was meeting his gaze.

"No, I suppose not," she said. He reached out with his cane hand to take hers and put it through his other arm. She stood beside him now.

"Come on, then, I will guide you," he said, putting his cane back in the proper hand.

"Thanks," she said with a small smile. A blush crept into her cheeks as they walked. She hated needing help from people, especially Mr. Gold. He had already done so much for her.

He led her into the shop and she dropped her hand from his arm. He excused himself to the back, ok with leaving her there. She had been there so many times she had the store memorized. She walked around, delicately trailing her fingertips along the different trinkets. She loved the way they felt, especially the glass pieces. They were so soft and smooth to the touch, yet she could feel the slight bubbles and creases that indicated a new color. She remembered making Mr. Gold describe to her the colors of each one. She had then proceeded to paint each of them for him in return for the gesture. She smiled at the memory. It was one of the few times she had heard him laugh and it was a nice sound coming from the usually gruff pawnbroker, a sound few people in Storybrooke had ever heard.

She shook these thoughts away as she picked up her favorite piece. She turned it over in her hands, feeling the small wings of the white bird stretch out as if it were flying. She set it down carefully as she heard the slight thump of a cane approaching. She turned around, smiling.

"I don't think I would ever hear you if it weren't for that cane," she said softly. "You are far too graceful; it's all that gives you away." She didn't have to feel his face to know there was a slight smile on it.

"I do not have any spare Seeing Eye sticks, but I put an order for some in and found this for temporary use," he said, ignoring her compliment as he often did. He pressed the thin cane into her hands –one of his spares.

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Gold," she said and smiled. "How much will it be?"

"Think of it as a birthday gift," he said simply and shrugged.

"Oh, no no no," she cried, looking shocked. He smirked. "That's not fair. You've helped me out enough already. And you're not supposed to give something for nothing. You're Mr. Gold! Besides, my birthday is not for another 3 months."

"Yes. How old will you be turning?" he asked casually.

"21," she said matter-of-factly. "Now, how much do I owe you?"

"A painting," he said. She furrowed her brow in confusion. He smirked, and as she opened her mouth to speak, he stopped her with, "Of yourself."

There was a long drawn out silence in which several emotions ran over her face. She was never any good at hiding them. Mr. Gold watched the lips twitch, unsure of what position to twist into. She looked down, fidgeted with the cane in her hands, then she looked back up. The expression she had finally taken was one of thoughtfulness.

"I've never done that before," she murmured finally.

"Well. That's the price," Mr. Gold said. "The shipment should be in Friday. Have it to me by then?"

"Sounds good. Though, I'm not sure where to begin. Are you sure that's all you want?"

"You'll figure it out. You may bring it by here. I'm intrigued to see what you'll make. And yes, that's all I want, my dear. Just you."

"If I didn't you know you any better…" She trailed off, her lips turning upwards into a grin. "She moved towards the door, but glanced back once she got there. "Good afternoon, Mr. Gold."

The bell over the door rung, signaling her leaving. He watched her walk away, cane out as her guide. His lips curled upwards as he held back a laugh. Oh, how perfect things in this world were still lining up.

She sat back against the boulder in the clearing, enjoying the sunlight that trickled down through the leaves warm her face. There was a slight enough breeze to keep her cool that hot summer day. She was content with it. The slight crunching of leaves nearby indicated that someone was approaching and she sighed, knowing the peace she had had all morning was about to come to an end. As the footsteps drew closer, she realized she didn't recognize them, though she noticed they were indeed human, and so she frowned.

"Who's there?" she called out, only slightly wary of the stranger. She was only a little ways in the woods, close enough to the village that fights and screams were heard. They hardly ever had any real danger in these parts.

She heard the footsteps stop just a few feet in front of her. She tilted her head upwards and pretended to stare him in the face. Though she was blind and few people were wary to her ways, most newcomers did not take well to the realization that she could see them without visibly seeing them. The concept that the rest of her senses had sharpened was lost on them. So she pretended she could see now, not realizing that this newcomer knew any better.

"And who are you, may I ask?" she said gently.

"Just a traveler passing through, dearie," a man responded. The voice seemed gravelly, but sweet. She found the sound pleasing, albeit familiar though she couldn't quite place it. "Don't mind me."

"Oh, I wasn't," she said, smiling. "And why are you wandering about? What is your destination?"

"I am…a tradesman, of sorts," he said and something about his tone made her think there was more to it. Still, she did not know him and so she said nothing. "I hope to be at the castle come nightfall."

"Well, surely you are tired from your travels," she said, knowing her chance to learn about what ways beyond the borders of this village had come. "Do sit with me a while. I would so love to hear your stories!"

"And what, may I ask, is in it for me?" he said, mimicking her own way of phrasing questions, though she heard the amusement in his voice. She smiled.

"Companionship?" she tried.

"From a woman?" he scoffed.

"I have never seen a man turn down the companionship of a woman," she said with a laugh, glad it was his only objection.

"And how can you see it?" he said suddenly. The shock on her face was enough to make him let out a triumphant laugh.

"How…how did you-" She stammered, but a sudden breeze near her face told her he had waved his hand to stop her.

"I know many things, dearie," he said calmly, though she had yet to wrap her mind around it. Her shoulders slumped slightly as she leaned back against the rock, turning her head out in front of her again. She was just about to give up on knowing the world outside home and he saw it. As casually as he could, he threw out a gentle, "I suppose I could stay a while and rest." She lit right back up.

"Oh, yes," she said, hearing him sit down beside her, and then came the rapid fire questions that had been burning to get out. "Where are you from? Where have you traveled to? Have you met any beautiful queens or kings? Have you danced at a ball? Which kingdom is your favorite? Are you well known? Why are you going to the castle now? What do you like to trade? Can you-"

His laughter cut her off. She bit her lower lip and looked down, fidgeting with her hands again as a blush crept up into her cheeks. She felt embarrassed and he reveled in the feeling, a smirk pushing its way to the surface of his face. For fun, he decided to answer her questions.

"I will not tell you where I am from, but I can tell you that I have traveled to many kingdoms far and wide. I have met many kings and queens and attended balls, though I was not exactly invited. This kingdom is my favorite, I am very well known, and I am going to the castle to speak with a few people there. It's simply business. As for what I trade…well. I trade quite a few things. One simply need ask…"

She looked back up at him and furrowed her brows in thought. Her next question surprised him a little, though he realized it shouldn't.

"May I touch your face?" she asked quietly. She was biting her lip again. He watched it. When he didn't say anything, she explained herself further. "So that I might know what you look like. And in return…in return I might paint you something."

There was that silence again. It bothered her sometimes, to not be able to see the faces of other people as they mulled over the conversation at hand. She wasn't able to know what they might give away in glances, not unless her hands were on their faces. And as she contemplated this, she couldn't even see that the reason he was not speaking was because he was studying her. Gaging her thoughts and her motivations, watching her think and try to pretend like she was simply waiting for a response.

"No," he said finally. She became more alert, surprised. He laughed and she relaxed a little, though she was still confused. "Not yet. Maybe on my way back."

"So you'll see me on your way back?" she asked, trying to hide the hopefulness in her voice. He smirked again. This was almost too easy.

"Maybe," he said dryly. She smiled, realizing it was the best answer she was going to get. They sat there in silence. It was his turn to speak, to ask the questions. It was how it always went, she knew. So she waited, enjoying that she could still feel at peace in this space even with this stranger sharing it with her. "Wouldn't you like to see?"

"I should think I would like that very much," she said, unsurprised of this question and even this conversation. He noted this, wording his next question carefully.

"Would you be willing to…make a deal for something as…vital as sight?" he said, conveying his voice to sound merely curious. In a way, he almost was. He watched her frown as she thought about it. She shook her head.

"No, I do not think I would," she said and he raised an eyebrow. Now it was his turn to wait as he watched her look for the right words to convey the thoughts running through her head. "If I was meant for sight, I would have it. It would be nice to see what I try to paint, but it is not as if I ever had the chance to see and then lost it. I was not as unlucky as that, to have something dangled before me and then taken away from some treacherous blow. It would be nice to see, but I would not sacrifice something over it. There are far too many more important things that should involve sacrifices. Like world peace or even love."

"Love?" he sneered. The idea was mundane to him and she sensed that. Still, she smiled.

"Yes. Love takes sacrifice, involves sacrifice, is sacrifice. Though I have never experienced it, I know it takes work and giving up things for those you love just to keep them safe or comfortable or even just to keep life simple."

"But everything comes with a price, dearie."

"Yes. And sometimes that price is well worth it."

"Natasha, how can you ask me such a thing?" Ruby giggled as she unloaded the tray of tea and cake.

"Because it's a girl's night and you should be sitting with us, not serving us," Natasha teased as she gladly began eating her chocolate cake.

She smiled at the girls, Ruby, Ashley, and Mary Margaret. They were the few friends she had managed to make here in Storybrooke and she was glad for it. They had been helpful growing up and had been the few people willing to stand up to the bullies that would try to make her lost. The group now had nights like these where the four of them would just hang out and gossip and giggle endlessly. On nights where Ruby had to work, they'd spend them in the diner and Ruby would join them between serving other patrons.

"Well. My turn to ask you a question, then," Ruby said with a smile. "What's something you've never told us before?"

"Hm," Natasha said, and put a forkful of cake into her mouth as she thought about it. She heard the tapping of the cane as the door opened and a new patron stepped in. She knew who it was, but guessed her friends were peeking anyways. The footsteps stopped in front of the table and she finally looked up when her table got quiet.

"Ladies," Mr. Gold's gruff voice greeted them as he nodded in politeness. Natasha tilted her head, putting another bite of cake into her mouth as she listened to the soft breathing of Mr. Gold before he spoke again. "Miss Berry, I have something I'd like to speak to you about."

"Oh?" Natasha said, perking up a little. He nodded and her friends stared up at him, half afraid and half curious.

"Yes. It's about painting the mural behind the courthouse," he said. "The Mayor would like for you to paint it and would like to discuss in more detail about it tomorrow."

"I'd love to," Natasha said, excited for the opportunity.

Despite being blind, Natasha had found fun in trying to draw as a child. The more she drew and painted, the better she became until people started to realize she had a talent. For scenery, she needed only have it explained to her before she could paint it –proper colors and all. She set up her paints so that she could use them right. When it came to objects of people, she merely needed to, well, feel them. She'd drawn most of her friends to perfect and was quite proud of herself. It was one of the few things she had to call her own that she did not need help with. She had made something of it and began showing her paintings in a gallery an older couple had opened to honor her art in particular. Every once in a while, she would do an entire series and have a show. It was nice. And to think, being offered to paint as something big as the town mural that would be seen soon upon entering the town by the main road…it was something she couldn't pass up.

"Good," Mr. Gold said simply. "The Mayor would like to meet you here at about one. Does that sound reasonable?"

"Oh, I suppose that will do," Natasha said with a grin. Her friends stared at her, slightly surprised. They never could quite grasp her fondness for the infamous pawnbroker. They knew he had done much for her, but they did not realize that she actually liked him after all that she had heard otherwise.

"Very good," Mr. Gold said, watching Natasha as she thought for a moment. "Good evening, ladies." He nodded to them.

"I've never been kissed," Natasha said before he had even stepped away. Her friends blinked at her, confused. She smiled. "Something I've never told you. I've never been kissed."

"Really?" Ruby sounded from behind Mr. Gold as she came back over to them. He stepped away and slipped into a booth within hearing distance, ordering a cup of tea.

"Yes, really," Natasha said with a shrug. "I've never really met anyone I've been interested in enough to kiss and anyone I might be interested in enough simply does not reciprocate those feelings."

"Oh, shush," Ruby said and slid in next to her friend. "That is a terrible excuse."

"Even I've kissed someone before," Mary Margaret piped in, making the girls laugh.

The four began to laugh again as they chattered away. Natasha finished her cake and tried to change the subject, but her friends were relentless with making this the center topic of conversation. With reluctance, she discussed her lack of a love life and her friends discussed how they could change this. Natasha stirred her tea, her face turning red as Ruby smiled triumphantly.

"So it's settled then," Ruby said. "You have three months to have your first kiss or we'll find a man for you."

"Fine. I will do my best to woo my person of choice," Natasha said with a sip of tea, smiling.

"And just who do you have in mind?" Ashley asked, leaning forwards. Natasha shrugged.

"When I kiss him, I suppose I'll let you know who I've figured out," Natasha teased and her friends rolled their eyes. "Now come on, we are too old for this. Ruby's about done with her shift; let's go back to my place for a movie or something, shall we?"

The group stood and chattered out the door. Mary Margaret linked arms with Natasha, more out of a friendly gesture than anything else. The pair shared a few whispered words and moved forwards, leading the group. Natasha's grip tightened on the thin cane she had been using all day and Mr. Gold casually watched them leave, pondering the conversation he had just coincidentally overheard.

And what do you think so far? This all takes place before Emma gets to Storybrooke. Next chapter, she will show up. Hopefully it's interesting enough for you to keep wanting to read! haha

I do apologize for any lack of knowledge on the blind that may come across as ignorant. For the record, the milky sheen of her eyes does come into play as something important down the road for the plot, not just to be like "See? She's blind!" That won't be revealed for quite some time, though.

Please let me know what I can do to improve my writing. Tell me how good it was, how bad it was, what you liked best, what you think should be fixed, whatever. I appreciate it. :)