AN: This is the first time I've written a Once Upon A Time fanfiction, so please bear with me. This will be basically canon-compliant, although i may change things as I go along. Also, I've only watched the first couple of episodes, but I fell in love with the fandom so I'm writing this with only a sketchy knowledge of what actually happened. My good friend Defiant freedom has watched it though, so I'm relying heavily on her knowledge of the series.

Many years ago, when Rumplestiltskin had only just become the Dark One, just after he lost Bae but before he took on any apprentices, he found a thief trying to sneak into his castle. The thief was only a child, barely five foot tall and skin and bone. At first, he thought the thief was a boy, as the child's thick, black hair was cut short and ragged and they were wearing breeches. He suspended the child with his magic, upside down, and his high-pitched giggle reverberated through the room.

"If you wanted to get a deal, dearie, this was a poor way to go about it," he said. His prisoner snorted.

"Like I'd make a deal with anybody. I can steal what I need." The answer intrigued him, but the voice more so. It was of a higher pitch then he was expecting, and although it was tinged with annoyance and sadness, there was no fear. Curious, he spun the child about and stepped closer. It was a girl, about fifteen years old, but she was the size of a ten-year old.

"What were you doing in my castle then, thiefie?" The girl rolled her eyes at the nickname.

"I was looking for a place to sleep and something to eat," she replied. "I thought this place was deserted." They were in the Grand Hall, so Rumplestiltskin sat down in his wing-backed chair and placed his booted feet on the table, folding his arms and looking at the girl with interest.

"So you weren't afraid of me then?" he asked curious. The girl rolled her eyes.

"Why would I be afraid of you? I have six older brothers. Trust me, hanging upside down is usually the least of my worries." He crooked an eyebrow.

"Who are you then?" He asked, standing. "To not be frightened of the Dark One, thiefie?"

"I'm Raven," the girl replied, then she added softly. "And I have far more reason to be frightened of my father than I do of you."

Rumplestiltskin paced as he wondered what to do with the girl in his dungeons; he'd tossed her in there last night with a blanket and something to eat. He'd always had a weakness for children, especially after losing Baelfire and he knew he couldn't kill her or hurt her, but at the same time he couldn't just let her go free, it wasn't safe here. He also couldn't let her go home. His fists clenched as he remembered the girl's words. I have far more reason to be frightened of my father than I do of you. A thought came to him then. The girl had said she was a thief...

He appeared in the dungeons in a puff of purple smoke. "Wake up thiefie," he called in his high-pitched voice. The girl, who was curled up on the floor asleep, didn't move. "Wake up!" he repeated in a louder voice. Still no movement. "WAKE UP!" he bellowed, finally losing all patience. The girl turned on her side to face him and cracked open one eyelid.

"G' way. Tired." He blinked at her, genuinely thinking he'd misheard.

"What?"

"G' way. I'm tired." Her eyelid slid closed again and her breathing evened out. To hell with this. Rumplestiltskin thought and he snapped his fingers. In the blink of an eye the girl was hanging upside down from the ceiling, again. "What the hell was that for?" she demanded, now very awake.

"I told you to wake up, thiefie," he replied, smirking. The girl crossed her arms.

"Firstly, don't call me that, I do have a name, you know, and secondly, it's the crack of dawn and this is the first sleep I've had in forty eight hours. So go away."

"Can't," he smirked. "I have a deal for you." The girl raised an eyebrow.

"Put me down – the right way up – and I'll think about it." He clicked his fingers again, and the girl was sprawled on the floor at his feet. She stood up and brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Alright, what is it?"

"I find myself in need of a thief," Rumplestiltskin replied. "There are certain things I need for my potions that are not readily available. Were you to agree, you would fetch these items for me." He snapped his fingers and a contract appeared.

"How long would I be..." The girl searched for the right word. "...employed by you?"

"It's forever, thiefie."

"You'll have to give me some kind of immortality spell then," the girl said. "I won't be able to steal things for you if I grow old." Rumplestiltskin nodded, she had a point, and the words appeared on the contract. "Also," the girl continued. "I'll need some way to get back here instantly and some way of passing unseen. Depending on how well guarded some of these places are, I'll need that to get what you want." Rumplestiltskin clicked his fingers and that stipulation was added to the contract. "Finally," the girl said. "I want it written in there that I won't come to any harm while I'm under your protection. Stealing things is a tricky business, and if I can't find what you want I don't want you lashing out at me." He could see the fear in her eyes, and he knew it wasn't aimed at him. This girl hadn't had a good life, she didn't have any more reason to trust him than he had to trust her.

Once her last condition had been added she looked to Rumplestiltskin.

"You won't be able to leave the castle, thiefie, not forever. If you try to escape you'll die."

"Why?"

"Magic comes with a price, thiefie. It will keep you alive if you abide by the deal." The contract finished writing itself and a quill appeared in mid-air. "Do we have a deal, thiefie?" he said in that high-pitched voice of his. The girl took a deep breath and grabbed the quill.

"We have a deal." She signed her name on the contract and Rumplestiltskin signed his. Then he snapped his fingers and the contract vanished.

He snapped his fingers again and a necklace appeared in the air between them. Hanging from a silver chain was an amulet in the shape of a Raven. "This will give you the ability to teleport, thiefie, and you will be able to shape-shift."

"Shape-shift?" She frowned at him.

"Invisibility spells can only be used once and they wear off after six hours. This will allow you to pass unseen by most." Once she'd taken it he turned and walked out of the dungeon. "I'd get some sleep if I were you, thiefie. You've got a long day ahead of you."

This chapter and the next one are just sort of introductory chapters to set the scene, the bit I'm really focusing on is how having a third person around will affect the relationship between Rumplestiltskin and Belle.

The next chapter should be up soon, hopefully, but since I haven't actually managed to finish any of the fics I've started I wouldn't hold your breath.

Thanks for reading,

Catkin Thief.