Welcome to my newest story dear readers! The song in this chapter is called 'If Only' from the Little Mermaid on Broadway for legal saving my bum reasons so I don't get sued. Hope you enjoy! Please R&R!

Prelude~

He had been given two day's reprieve from the town of Storybrook, an overly gracious favor he'd probably pay for later on he surmised. For some reason he had been drawn to the city called Boston not really having any other reason than it was nearby and a quick escape rather than other locations such as New York City or the like. He drove in the rain for hours it seemed before he stopped finding he needed gas for his car desperately and pulled into the nearest gas station. There he was able to get directions to the nearest hotel in the area for the night though he wasn't particularly sleepy just yet. After filling his tank he drove to the hotel called the Four Seasons, funny, and paid for the two days stay. It was only after he'd checked into his room that he called down to the front desk to ask about the best locations to eat.

"Well, the best place I know of is a local place you might want to try called Johnny's Hillside. Tonight is karaoke night however so if you're not into that sort of thing stay away—they often don't have the best of singers." the woman told him but intrigued, he got the address and thanked her. It had been far too long since he'd been around other people who were 'normal' and so decided that this might be a good change of pace. So out into the rain he went walking under his umbrella through the crowds noticing that people seemed to part for him. Either they knowingly did it or not and that made him smirk as he limped up to the door of Johnny's Hillside and stepped into a large open floor-plan where a karaoke machine was set up and someone was singing some Heaven awful rendition of Sinatra. Rolling his eyes, he was able to get a table and sat down; ordering a wine from off the list before starting to skim the menu. When the song ended the host called out on the microphone,

"And next is our house favorite, Darcy!" he noticed how the whole place seemed to cheer before it got eerily quiet save for the music. Interested, he peered up to see a teen, no older than nineteen or perhaps twenty at the most standing on the small stage getting ready to sing. She had scarlet hair that gleamed like embers in the restaurant lights, peach colored skin and eyes the color of violet.

"If only you could know, the things I long to say," her song began soft and low—a hush or a lullaby it seemed as he lowered his menu to stare at the teen who's voice was unlike anything he'd ever heard—ever.

"If only I could tell you what I wish I could convey. It's in my every glance, my hearts an open book, you'd see it all at once if only you would look." here she scanned the room and for a moment landed on him giving him a small smile making his chest tighten in an annoyingly tight way.

"If only you could glimpse the feeling that I feel, if only you could notice what I'm dying to reveal, the feelings that I feel, the needs I can't deny, you'd understand them all if only you would try. All my secrets you would learn them, all my longings you'd return them, all my shackles they'd be broken and not a word would need be spoken." she looked so dejected while singing that he—for a moment thought she might cry right there on stage but she swallowed as the music rose and closing her eyes briefly looked back up with a spark of fire in her eyes singing,

"If only it were true, if only for a while, if only you would see how I ache behind my smile. I guess I never will, I guess it doesn't show, but if I never find a way to tell you so—oh what I would give if only you could know." the last note seemed to float off into the distance as she added,

"If only." and just like that the song ended and the whole restaurant roared with applause with him joining in clapping, a large grin on his face. As she bowed to the crowd she noticed him once again before stepping off stage while the host called out,

"Our very own Darcy everybody, give her a hand would you? Isn't she fantastic!?" he notice as she collected the box for tips and went over to her table where her empty plate sat and began packing up; a ratty tattered backpack that had clearly seen better days that she put the money she counted in into a wallet. Then she was slipping out the back door, getting a hug from the man who must be the manager.

"Excuse me sir," he said waving the man down to inquire,

"Could you tell me a bit about that young woman?"

"Who Darcy? She's a regular who comes to sing on karaoke nights. Poor kid, lost her family in a house fire and went into the foster system before she aged out a while ago. Now she goes shelter to shelter for the nights but always comes back here—we give her a free warm meal and chance to earn money. Poor girl, she deserves so much better." the man then exhaled deeply before asking if he wished to pay which he did, with his interest peaked he wished to find this Darcy and have a moment to speak to her. Quickly able to leave, he walked to the parking lot to see someone trying to break into a car.

"Hey!" he snapped causing the person, a hooded figure, to turn and stare at him—with violet eyes. Caught off guard, he watched her try to run but she tripped and cursed as he limped over towards her. Turning around, she stared up at him panting and frightened like a caged animal saying softly,

"Please don't report me, I can't go back to jail."

"Back? Would I be correct then in suggesting that this would not be the first time you've done such a thing as breaking into a car?" Darcy nodded running a hand through her scarlet hair before saying,

"Is it you're car?" he only smiled making her curse again so that he chuckled dryly before saying to her,

"I have a suggestion, let us make a deal; I don't call the police if you walk with me back to my hotel." Darcy looked the man over; dressed in a fine navy suite with maroon tie, his shoulder length wavy hair was peppered with gray steaks but she couldn't make out his age. Though it was his eyes; they were a dark amber that held no other agenda to them—he meant what he said. Swallowing, she nodded and stood up grabbing her backpack and shrugging it over her shoulder.

"Ok, which hotel?" she asked noticing the cane for the first time and raising an eyebrow though he said nothing except,

"The Four Seasons."

"Perfect, not too far from here." she replied as they started off into the crowds, thankful it had stopped raining. They walked in silence until he said,

"My name is Mr. Gold by the way dear." nodding, she told him,

"Darcy, but I guess you heard in the restaurant."

"Yes, and you have an incredible voice by the way—you are very talented my dear." he said glancing at her to see a slight flush on her cheeks. As they reached the Four Seasons, Darcy froze next to Mr. Gold and he turned to see why, a group of thug looking guys were a few blocks away just hanging out smoking.

"Shit, oh man no way." she hushed looking around for an exit or quick escape causing him to ask,

"Whatever is the matter dear?"

"Those guys, this is their turf and I'm on it and that guy in the red jacket? I had a fight with him last week—he sort of wants me dead." then as if hearing her the man in question turned towards them so that Darcy turned Mr. Gold around so his back was to them and she was holding the lapels of his jacket.

"Can I hide with you?" she asked leading him to snap,

"What?"

"I mean in your hotel room, just until morning I can sleep on the floor I've sleep on the ground in winter before just please, if they see me they literally will try and kill me." Mr. Gold saw the raw horror of the thought in her eyes and exhaled deeply before noticing how close she was to him. Nodding, he watched the horror fade slightly before they managed to enter the hotel through a side entrance they found. Once in his hotel room, Darcy took off her overly baggy sweatshirt to reveal her naturally skinny body in torn jeans and a loose t-shirt.

"Ok, I can take the floor as I said I don't mind. I can just grab an extra pillow and blanket and be fine." she said but Mr. Gold laughed telling her,

"No, I won't allow that." Darcy stopped what she was doing which was making a bed on the floor and stared at him quizzically to ask,

"You mean—share a bed?"

"We won't do a single thing. Just let me change in the bathroom and allow yourself to get comfortable." Darcy watched in amazement as he grabbed silk pajamas and limped into the bathroom shutting the door behind her. Looking at the bed, she did notice it was a king size so there would be plenty of room for them to not touch—so with a heavy sigh just got under the blanket and snuggled in. When Mr. Gold came out he found her—to his surprise, drinking one of the several alcoholic drinks from the mini fridge.

"What are you doing?" he asked in amusement as he watched her drink the whole thing down in one swallow before opening another.

"I figure if I'm going to sleep in the same bed with a man I don't know I might as well have fun with it." she said winking over at him before offering the bottle to him which he took and gave her an unreadable look.

"Go on, it's not poison!" she giggled so that he swallowed it down in once gulp and before long they had cleared out the mini fridge and were sitting on the bed talking.

"I had gone to a friend's house one year for a sleepover and the next morning when I woke up they told me my parents had died, a house fire. I was only five years old so they put me in the foster system and I never, not even once got look at to be adopted. Everyone picked on me, bullied me, or made fun of me because they thought I was an outcast. Three years ago I aged out and I've been on the streets ever since, I can't hold a job for shit and the only people who trust me are the people at Johnny's Hillside. They're the only family I have right now." Darcy said.

"Hush dear, that's in the past and the here and now is what's important." Mr. Gold told her soothingly, rubbing her back in a comforting manner so that she leaned her head on his shoulder. She sniffled as he let his lips skim her hairline as he felt her breath on his neck. Allowing his arm to wrap around her, he drew her to his side and she settled in beside him as she looked up at him; glossy violet eyes begging for acceptance. In his drunken state, for he did have his fair share of drinks, Mr. Gold leaned down and softly captured her lips before applying more pressure when she moaned. When she opened her mouth he moved so that she was underneath him on the bed and he could straddle her. The next several hours were a blur of movement and moaning, panting and music-like sighs of pleasure.

"Darcy-dove, my little Darcy-dove." Mr. Gold said as he kissed her neck, holding her impossibly close to him as they drew closer towards their peak. Finally they crashed over the towering walls and as they climbed down he held her gently to his side watching as she drifted to sleep, a content happy smile on her face. That smile faded however when morning light forced Darcy's brain to stat and she slowly and very groggily woke up feeling a hangover beginning. It was then she realized two things; one, she was naked and two, she had had sex with a man she had never met before in her life! Carefully sitting up as to not to wake him, she slipped out of bed and quickly got dressed. Daringly, she glanced over at his wallet and chewing her lower lip, went over and opened it to find at least a hundred and twenty dollars in bills. Shifting through it, she took the lower bills, the fifty, and stuffed it into her pockets before glancing over at the bed. Mr. Gold hadn't woken yet, instead he had grabbed the pillow that had her scent and held it to him with a small smile on his face. Darcy felt her heart ache at the sight, she never thought she'd ever be the type of girl to sleep and run, but at that thought she grabbed a pad of paper off the desk and the pen and scribbled down a note before she was out the door and gone forever. When Mr. Gold did at last wake up he realized two things; one, she was gone and two, when he checked his wallet she had stolen from him.

"Why the—" he began only it was then he noticed the note.

"Dear Mr. Gold, I'm sorry for stealing from you but I would like to be able to eat tonight. What happened shouldn't have and I have no right to any sort of happiness—even for a night. Again, I'm sorry about the money, Darcy." with that Mr. Gold drove back to Storybrook, note in his pocket as a keepsake.