Usual Disclaimer - I don't own any of the characters, etc. etc.

Prologue – A Land Without Magic

She didn't know how long she'd been there. Sometimes, she tried to keep track by making scratches on the walls, but days would go by in an endless haze, and she'd forget, or other days, she might forget she'd done it and do it again. For the most part, she lived inside her head, inside vague dreams of a castle and strange treasures and a man who frightened and compelled her in equal measure.

When the doctor came… when she came, that was a whole other story, but….

A harsh sound broke the buzz of thought in her mind, and her head snapped up. The door opened, and a man came in. He had dark, intense eyes, with pain, but no cruelty. She sat up, not certain whether or not she should be afraid.

He reached out to her. "Come with me."

His hand was warm as he helped her stand.

"Who are you… why are you doing this?"

Through the pain, she could see kindness in his eyes, and she decided that she would not fear him.

"My name is Jefferson," he said. "And I need your help to do something that I can't. There's a man, his name is Mr. Gold. Find him. All you have to do is tell him where you've been, and that Regina locked you up."

Regina… that was her name. Even hearing it made her sick to her stomach. "What… what?"

Jefferson squeezed her hand. "It's very important. Mr. Gold's going to protect you, but you have to tell him Regina locked you up. He's going to know what to do." His grip tightened to the point of pain, but she didn't flinch. Somehow, she knew she wasn't dreaming, that she was really staring freedom in the face, and she had to keep control of herself. "Do you understand?"

She nodded quickly. "Yes. I-I have to find Mr. Gold."

"And tell him…."

"Regina locked me up."

"Exactly." Jefferson might have smiled a little, but it was hard to tell in the darkness. He wrapped a wool coat around her shoulders. "Put this on. It's cold out there."

She shoved her arms into the coat, shuddering at the warmth pouring over her. "It's cold in here, too."

"You find Mr. Gold, you'll never have to come back here."

With that promise, she let him lead her through the corridor, out of a dark doorway she'd never seen. They emerged into an alleyway, into fresh air and pale afternoon sunshine. She let her head fall back, and breathed deeply, feeling the sun upon her face for the first time since she could remember. She wanted to weep. But Jefferson's voice kept her at bay.

"We have to go. Keep close to me and don't look back."

So she followed him, through the alleyway, onto a street. There were cottages, she noticed, rather pretty ones, and large carriages… no, cars. She knew about cars, didn't she? She must have known. They came upon a street where the cottages were bigger… no, they were stores, and Jefferson stopped.

"You can read, right?"

"Of course." Not that she was ever given much material at the asylum, but she knew she knew how. She pointed at a large, square building across the road. "Marine Garage. What's a garage?"

"I'll tell you later. Just go that way, until you see a shop that says Mr. Gold on the front. It's a pawnshop. He should be there."

Suddenly, she was very cold, and very afraid. The world was bigger and louder than she'd imagined, and things moved very quickly. "What if he's not?"

"Then find a place to hide, and wait until he comes. You remember what to tell him?"

"Regina locked me up."

"Good girl." Jefferson squeezed her shoulder, a reassuring gesture. "You'll be fine. Hurry, now. There's no time to waste."

Then he was gone.

There was no way to go but forward. She couldn't think about returning to the past, to the asylum and the doctors and her, and this Mr. Gold was the only bit of direction she had towards some sort of future. So she hugged the borrowed coat around herself tightly and walked.

As strange as it all was, it was also beautiful. The air smelled so sweet, especially outside the place called Granny's, and the sunshine felt so lovely against her skin. How long had it been since she'd felt sunshine? Had she ever? She must have, but she just couldn't remember… No time to think about that now. She had to find Mr. Gold, and make sure that he would protect her. He must be a powerful man, she thought, if he could actually stand against Regina. Powerful people were not, in her experience, often kind, but if he would at least protect her, she could handle a bit of unkindness.

There it was. Mr Gold, Pawnbroker and Antiquities Dealer. The shop was rather small for such a powerful man, but there was something comforting about it. Safety. Protection. Right across the street.

She looked around. No Regina in sight. She hurried across the street, and, drawing in one more sweet breath of fresh air, opened the door to the shop. A small bell tinkled, a lovely sound. It was dark in there, the lights almost as low as they were in the asylum. But even in their dimness, they were a warm shade of gold, rather than the cold paleness she'd lived with for so long, and she liked them.

There was a blur of movement at the back of the shop, a man in a dark suit, with dark hair. His back was to her.

She summoned every bit of her courage. "Excuse me, are you Mr. Gold?"

"Yes I am, but I'm afraid the shop's closed." His voice was low and smooth, strangely sensual, and she felt heat inside of her, not just feeling, but recognition… had she heard that voice before? It was so beautiful.

He turned to face her, and for a moment, all words were gone. There was nothing but him. Those eyes, liquid dark brown, filled with brilliance and wit and pain and passion and power… those eyes could speak volumes, even if his perfect lips never formed a word. He was handsome, in the quiet, dignified way she somehow knew she'd always loved, even if she didn't remember why, and strength and control just swirled around him, from the silky fall of his dark hair, to the straight line of his shoulders, to the precise cut of his suit. But it was all secondary to those eyes….

Which were staring at her like she was an apparition.

She forced herself to move forward, and keep talking. "I was, ah… I was told to-to find you and tell you that Regina locked me up."

He moved towards her, and she realized that he used a cane, though it seemed to just add to his overall aura of power, rather than show some sort of weakness. His face, though, still looked like he was looking at something he couldn't quite believe.

"Does that mean anything to you?" she asked, trying to keep the desperate hope from her voice? If he didn't listen to her, if he refused to protect her, this would all be in vain.

But somehow, he seemed more frightened than she was. He moved closer, and reached a trembling hand to touch her shoulder. "You're real. You're alive." His face tightened. "She did this to you?"

Yes, he did know Regina, and no, he didn't like her. There was so much to think about, so much to wrap her head around, but she needed to know one thing first. "I was told you'd protect me."

Something else entirely came into his face, something she couldn't quite understand, and she wasn't certain if she wanted to run away or stay standing there forever. Then he reached for her. "Oh yes," he whispered, pulling her tightly into his arms. "Yes, I'll protect you." He held her for only a moment, but she could feel the heat, the strength, and she knew that Jefferson had directed her well. She would be safe here. Everything, his eyes, his mouth, even the way she fit against his chest, felt like coming home, to a place that was meant for her and only her. Yet his intensity….

She let him draw away, almost relieved to have space again. "I'm sorry do… do I know you?"

The look on his face was as beautiful as it was overwhelming, pain and emotions she didn't really understand, but she desperately wanted to remain near. "No," he said gently. "But you will."

Rumpelstiltskin might have been world's biggest idiot, hurrying through the woods with a traumatized girl behind him. Maybe he should be back at the shop, serving Belle hot tea and gently explaining their shared past to her. Maybe he should have just taken her right home and done his level best to seduce her. It might have worked. She'd been nervous at the shop, but even if her mind didn't remember him, her body certainly did… he'd felt the surge of heat between them even in the brief moment he'd held her. If he was any kind of decent man, he'd simply have taken her home, given her something to eat, and just let her rest.

But the fact of the matter was, he was a selfish prick to the core, and he knew it.

Oh, he might try to justify this with the fact that her eyes had lit up at the suggestion of a walk in the woods, she'd been inside for so long, you see, but he knew, in his heart, he was being a bastard. Yet he couldn't stop himself. He was so close. Everything he'd thought about, planned for, dreamed of for so many years, would soon be within his reach. And now, if he could make it up to her well enough, he might manage to have Belle, too.

Was this the feeling of a man who had walked through hell to be steps away from paradise? Ignoring the stiffness of his injured leg, he hurried through the woods, mindful of the waning light, selfishly grateful that Belle could keep up with him.

Then he felt it. A pulse, a surge, a rush of the most powerful magic there was, rolling through the whole of Storybrooke. It nearly knocked him off his feet. He steadied himself and smiled. Dear Miss Swan… he knew she'd figure it out. She was a clever girl, after all, and there was little in the world more pure and powerful than a mother's love for her child. He glanced behind him. Belle hadn't slowed, so neither did he. And he was relieved. They were so close!

But then he heard her. "Wait."

"No, no, we're very close." Of course, he hadn't explained everything to her. Nobody could know his secret shames, his failures, his desperate plans to right the wrongs he'd done.

"Rumpelstiltskin, wait." The words ended in a whisper, but screamed through his mind and heart. Her, saying his name. He'd never thought he'd hear that again. By the fairies, it was lovely.

He turned slowly as she approached. She looked him full in the eyes now, her wonder and delight alive on her beautiful face. "I-I remember. And I love you."

The words washed over him like water, like the best kind of magic, soothing every dry and lonely part of his soul. She reached for him without hesitation, and this time they could hold one another as equals, who knew and understood their history, who shared the same feeling.

"Yes," he murmured against her tangled brown hair. "Yes. And I love you too."

He might have stood there forever, holding her, but as much as he wanted that, there was something he wanted even more. So he drew back, and stroked her hair. "But hey, there will be time for that. There will be time for everything. But first, there's something I must do."

If anyone from his old life, or even from Storybrooke, could see him right now, they might consider calling him a fool, but none of them understood. None of them had lived his life, felt his pain, fought so hard and so long for what he was fighting for. So he led Belle the last few steps to the well.

"What is this?" she asked.

Perhaps it was even better, having someone he loved beside him to share in the moment. "This is a very special place, Belle. The waters that run below are said to have the power to return that which one has lost."

His leg hurt, and he didn't give a damn. He climbed up beside the well and tossed in that precious, hard-won vial. Immediately, he felt it, the first rush of power.

It came in thick furls of cloud, deep purple and indigo, heavy with the sweet smell of magic. Rumpelstiltskin stepped back off the platform, and drew Belle beside him, mind spinning with possibilities for the future. If they could do it, he and Belle, if they really could be in love and happy, he could brew more potion, this time of them. Imagine what he could do with that!

"But I don't understand," she said.

"We're in a land without magic, Belle." He pulled her closer, hoping she could feel his strength, hoping she would trust his power. "And I'm bringing it. Magic is coming."

Then she asked the strangest question of all. "Why?"

"Why? Because magic is power." He kept a reassuring hand on her back. Soon, he knew, she'd understand. Soon she'd be grateful at how powerful he was, and soon she would love that part of him. And with her by his side, with her love feeding him, he'd be stronger still.