"Rowan can I talk to you?" the stranger, August called out over the roar of his motorcycle's engine as he came closer. His eyes, an azure blue, starred hopefully at her as he gave a soft smile, "it's important."

A few years worth of "stranger-danger" lectures flashed through her mind at that moment from school. Weary she stayed as far away from the street and the stranger by walking along the grassy lawns.

"I'm listening."

"Henry told me you're starting to remember our land. You're starting to see through the curse which is great but just solving your curse isn't going to save the entire town," his tone was assertive and clear cut to the point, "we, you, Henry and I have to get Emma to believe before it's too late."

"Too late for what exactly?"

Henry never mentioned an expiration date on the curse. It'd been going twenty-eight and half years without halting not once why was it suddenly going to stop now? Their mother had meant for the curse to be everlasting, surely there would be no escaping the eternal limbo that was Storybrooke unless Emma broke it.

"To save myself," August admitted, "I'm dying and I need magic. It is the only thing that can save me now."

The Dark Castle

"Well dearie if you're going to save your true love you have not yet another choice," the imp chirped as he pretended to be fixated upon his long dirtied finger nails. He sat upon the window bench, his legs propped up against a few of the pillows lounging as if this was his home, "tic-toc, tic-toc."

Rose paced the outer perimeter of the bedchamber, two voices battling inside of her, magic is bad and the other save Peter he'd save you. Neither was wining or losing rather just making a resolution near impossible as her mind wondered to Peter trapped, dazed and hurt waiting for the execution somewhere deep down in the abyss of the dungeons. The mere thought made her wish with all of her might they could switch places.

"If you teach me magic will I too fall too corruption as my mother and grandmother before me?"

"Now that dearie is up to you."

Rose heaved in a deep sigh. She wished nothing more that he'd stop his cryptic behavior and answer her questions directly. And that his laugh wouldn't be so high pitched, squeaky and irritating.

"What's in it for you?"

Rumpelstiltskin threw his legs over the side of the window bench pushing himself up in one swift move. A sadistic smile spread across his face as his hands clasped together in front of him, "let's just say I'm invested in your family. We have quite a history."

"You're the reason my mother's the way she is."

The smile faded off his face, "let's just say I was instrumental in it. Evil, Rose Red is not born it's created. I did not create the evil that is rapidly blackening your mother's heart."

"Will my heart too grow black?"

"Only time shall tell."

Storybrooke

"You're Pinocchio?" Rowan asked in disbelief. The painted pictures in Henry's book had done him no justice. His hair was not flaming red as the child Pinocchio's hair had been. His face not quite as freckled, "hold up the curse halted everyone's ages, why aren't you still seven years old?"

"Let's save that story for another-

"No. Tell me how exactly you've seemed to escape the non-aging, non-moving forward part of the curse?"

August hung his head as he began the tale of his escape with Emma into this world. How he'd stumbled across a freeway, terrified, abandoned and unsure of what to think of this new land with horseless carriages and flying contraception. How all of the people in the diner regarded him as an invalid talking around him and to each other before calling the police who'd asked him if knew where his parents where and he told them that his Papa was in the castle. The cops looked sympathetic and stopped their questioning. The orphanage and leaving Emma behind, the regret and shame of being turned back into wood for not making the savoir believe.

"August that's quite a job for a seven-year-old-

"It wasn't a job. It was a mission, a promise to my Papa and to my-our people. I had to make sure the savior believed."

"We still have time right? You said something about Mr. Gold's shop tomorrow morning-

"You and Henry let me handle that. Gold was a powerful person back in our land and he's still just as powerful here. I don't want either of you getting hurt all I need is for the two of you to distract him long to find what I'm looking for."

"All right."

Baker Street curved off to the left in the opposite direction of the Main street and Granny's. August said a hurried goodbye as he mounted the motorcycle and sped off in the distance. Rowan placed her hands on her stomach it's all gonna be ok soon baby. It was the first time she'd ever allowed herself to think of it as a baby, instead of a thing or it. Maybe after the curse broke she could raise it with Peter. Maybe she'd find her happily ever after.

Dark Castle

Magic lessons came in the dead of the night. Three or four am when most if not all of the castle were slumbering. The imp would bring various sorts of miscellaneous objects to learn from and to practice from. He'd heard whispers that the execution would concur upon the fifth night when the queen returned from her annual trips to the countryside. Emotion he said was were magic stemmed from. Good emotion created good magic, protection, healing and guiding much like used by the fairies. Bad emotions created dark magic killing, ripping hearts out, causing pain and various other sorts of cruel punishments.

"I only wish to learn good magic," she'd told him, "to save people. Not to harm them."

"Hard to believe you're from the same family."

I will not be my mother. She'd repeat over and over again in her head attempting to convince herself that she wouldn't slip and tumble off the righteous narrow path. She wouldn't stray from the protection spells and never would she ever harm another soul. He was pleased with her progress, saying she like Regina and Cora was a quick study. Something Rose wasn't quite sure to be dreadful of or relinquish in.

Personal space did not seem to factor into Rumpelstiltskin's actions at all. His scaly hands would rub across hers whilst demonstrating the proper way of hand orientation during a spell. It made goosebumps swarm up and down her arms and when his freakish eyes fixated upon her it was as if he was seeing right through her.

"So pure," he cooed as his hand brushed against her left cheek. Involuntarily she jerked away. She looked away feeling her cheeks grow warm and red cursing her father for her fair complexion. There were many times when she wished she'd had her mother's darker skin tone especially with Peter who'd always teased the hell out of her when she'd blush.

"Please let's just finish our lesson. Our time fades quickly,"

"As you wish your majesty," he replied.

"Don't call me that. I wish more than anything that I was not of royal blood. Royalty does not know kindness or fairness or the hardships of the life on the outer villages. Gold, land and absolute power is all they desire. And absolute power corrupts absolutely," Rose declared firmly. For a moment she wasn't sure if he'd cry or perhaps strike her. His eyes seemed to glisten as he grinned broadly showing off his yellowed rotted teeth.

Storybrooke- Early That Morning

Henry sat cross legged upon her bed munching happily upon one of the muffins Regina had left for them before her early town hall meeting. She'd scribbled a post-it note in her fancy cursive apologizing for missing out on Sunday breakfast and offered the muffins as her peace offering.

"I'd never thought an Evil Queen would cook muffins for her kids," Rowan said wearily as she glared at the town clock. Sleep had evaded her the night before leaving her exhausted and half-functioning. She hadn't bothered to shed her pj's even though it was nearing one in the afternoon and left her hair in its bed head style. Her stomach hadn't allowed her to eat one of the deliciously smelling muffins and she was attempting to resist the urge to do something she'd later regret.

Henry stopped munching on the muffin from a minute his face scrunching up, "do you hear that?"

"What?"

Ping, ping, ping. Out of the corner of her eye she caught something hitting the window. Padding along the carpeted floor she caught sight of Dylan standing in the front porch standing in a pair of stripped wrinkled pj's with a couple of rocks. He motioned for her to open the window.

"Guess I should be leaving now," Henry stated, "good luck."

He clamored off the side of the bed dashing out of the room. Rowans turned back to the window heaving in a deep breathe before pushing it all the way up. His smile made melted her. The dimples, the blue eyes and the messy jet black hair all of it and she was quite sure it was both Rose and Rowan falling for it.

"Can I come in?" he shouted.

Unable to formulate a coherent string of thought she nodded quickly. He walked to the side of the house attempting to straddle something nonexistent to be able to climb up to the window. He fell to the ground a few times but it didn't stop him from trying and failing a few more times.

"There's something called a door," Rowan said laughing, "Regina's not home. You can use it."

"Oh….right." he said dejectedly running a nervous hand throughout his hair before dashing towards the door.

She ran to the long mirror inwardly groaning upon the reflection. She patted hurriedly at her hair hoping it'd stay down long enough. Dylan pounded up the stair case two at a time. And before she could react his lips were pressed against hers. At first slow, soft and hesitant and then growing more and more desperate as his hands wrapped around her middle pulling her closer towards him.

Out of breathe he pulled apart, "Rose?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes," she huffed out cupping his face.

He leaned his head into her embrace, "I have missed you so much." She nuzzled her head into him breathing in the familiar scent longing to never leave his embrace ever.

"Are you well?" he inquired, "is the baby well?"

His hands trailed to her mid section resting upon the barely-existent bump present.

"We must find a way to make Emma break this curse. I will not have this child here, it was created in the Enchanted forest and I want it to be our home."

A/N: Please, please tell me what you think. Romantic stuff really isn't my forte.