Whoot! First Once Upon a Time fanfiction. This mostly takes place in Storybrooke, I'll be having the canon characters of course, and tying in others...such as...Dorian Grey, Sherlock Holmes, Rapunzel, Scar and Mufasa, and...more! To name a few. I may touch on the Neverland arc currently going on, but I may not, if only because I don't like writing outside of main storyline canon. I also want to start a Once Upon a Time in Wonderland fanfiction separately that brings in Aladdin and later ties into this fiction...but we'll see. Enjoy! P.S. In case you don't know Dorian Gray, he's a fellow who gains eternal youthfulness by having a portrait that ages instead of him. He's rather a monster, and when he finally looks upon his cursed portrait, he meets his well-deserved fate.

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"Mighty fine portrait you have there! Wonderful things, aren't they? Paintings, that is. The you in that painting will be lovely long after you're a withered old husk." A shrill giggle followed the words, and Dorian Gray whirled around to face the intruder. The man had strange, leathery skin, wiry hair, and an overall unpleasant countenance.

Dorian stiffened in alarm as he turned from the recently commissioned painting of himself and the mirror he had been using to compare his reflection. "Who are you?" he demanded.

The stranger tsked and then gave a sweeping bow. "My name is Rumplestiltskin. Don't bother introducing yourself, I already know all about you. Your desires were strong enough to call me through that mirror of yours, all the way to this...interesting land. And now I'm here to make a deal."

The man was clearly mad. "What kind of deal?" Dorian asked to stall as he began to think of a way to defend himself.

"Well...what would you say to being young and beautiful...forever?"

Donald Baxter strummed his fingers idly on the desk in the office of his rather lavish home. Mr. Gold may have been the richest man in town, but as the owner of the only grocery store in the town of Storybrooke, he was rather well off himself. But even so, he had always been bored, always irked at the world around him, nothing gave him pleasure. And finally, he knew why. Because Donald Baxter was a facade, and when the curse broke, he was restored to his true identity as Dorian Gray. And he hadn't liked what he'd woken up to. A quaint little town full of fools, those blasted, simpering Charmings, a host of petty squabbles, and the knowledge that if he left the wretched town...he'd lose his memories. That, of course, was not acceptable. As Donald Baxter he'd tried to take the mayoral seat against Regina, but always failed, and now he knew why. The Evil Queen refused to be upstaged and there had been nothing he could do about it until now. The Queen was gone, as were the Charmings, even Rumplestiltskin, hopefully never to return and in the meanwhile...he now had an open playing field. Magic had been introduced to Storybrooke, and although he had no talent for it, he knew others who did and manipulation was a strong suit of his...

Dorian glanced at himself in a mirror and admired his reflection with a smirk. "To work then."

...

Dr. Archibald Hopper, also known as Jiminy Cricket, peered over the papers he'd been reading from his last patient's file. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, he'd had more clients now that the curse had been broken than he had ever had before. While every one was more than relieved to have their memories back, it was hard to adjust to life in the strange world they'd found themselves in. And with their surrogate leaders, The Charmings, gone...well, they were understandably worried. Regina's loss didn't leave anyone sore, but Henry and Emma, and even Rumplestilskin's absence had raised some alarm. Belle had returned with a protection spell to shield the city, but it was only a small comfort, especially in the face of the destruction of their one method of returning home: the magic beans. A woman named Ariel had come, she knew at least that Regina and Rumplestiltskin were alive...hopefully that meant that the others were as well. He was so lost in thought that he didn't realize that he had a visitor until small hands clapped his shoulder and he heard a cheery, "Hullo, Jiminy!"

Archie blinked down in surprise into the smiling face of Pinnochio. A momentary pain was quickly replaced by fondness as he set his papers down and smiled down at the boy. How he had missed Pinnochio. And while he was sad that his entire life as August had been stripped away...he was also a bit glad...because this was the Pinnochio he knew and loved, and had missed so terribly. "Why, hello, Pinoke. And how are you today?" he ruffled the boy's hair affectionately.

Pinnochio scrunched his nose a bit but allowed the ruffle as he tugged on Archie's sleeve. "I'm fine! Father wants you to come to lunch with us today. He says you've been working too hard. You'll make yourself sick." His expression scrunched up again, this time with worry. "You won't really, will you, Jiminy?"

The boy's concern was touching, and he was grateful as always to have the blessing of Pinnochio and Gepetto in his life, even as he was always guilty for how it came to be. He thought back to their reunion. Pinnochio had been wary of the man claiming to be his little cricket conscience, but he'd come around quickly. And Archie had to admit, it was nice to be of a proper size, able to better care for Pinnochio and the like. Archie placed a hand on Pinnochio's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Of course not, Pinoke. Who would take care of you and your father then? I'm perfectly fine." he reassured the other. "Now then, shall we go? I don't want to keep Gepetto waiting." Although many residents of Storybrooke had taken to being called by their new names, Pinnochio didn't have the same base to draw on, and he preferred Gepetto and Jiminy to Marco and Archie.

Pinnochio's smile returned full force as he slipped his hand into Archie's and gave it a squeeze. "I kind of miss you being small...but I like you being big too, Jiminy." the boy added thoughtfully, not for the first time.

Archie smiled fondly as he held the small hand warmly and led him out. "Me too, Pinoke. I'm not too big, am I?"

Pinnochio seemed to seriously consider it and then shook his head. "No. You can't sit on my shoulder anymore...and you won't fit into Father's clocks anymore...but you're good, Jiminy."

Archie chuckled before he pulled Pinnochio up into his arms, definitely a perk of his present size. Pinnochio didn't seem to mind as he leaned his head on Archie's shoulder. "I'm glad you think so, Pinoke." This new world was familiar and unfamiliar, comforting and off-putting, but with Pinnochio and Gepetto by his side, it felt like home.

...

"Brother, come look! It's magic!" A voice chimed. Eight-year-old Gerhardt Frankenstein pointed excitedly as twelve-year-old Victor rolled his eyes and stopped his study of a certain plant to see what had his brother in a tizzy. He was pointing at flickering fireflies.

"Ger, it's only fireflies. They're insects, it's not magic."

Gerhardt shook his head. "Look! They're making the flower glow!"

Victor frowned as he peered down at a large, overturned bulb. The flower thrummed a bit and did seem to be glowing, but he quickly guessed the cause. He tipped the flower over, and several trapped fireflies zipped out. "They were stuck in the flower, Ger. There's no such thing as magic. You've been reading too many silly stories."

Gerhardt blinked and then his expression fell. "It...seemed like magic." Now that it was proven otherwise, the younger male was embarrassed, and he feared he'd annoyed his older brother. "Sorry, Victor." the boy shuffled his foot against the dirt.

Victor realized his mistake and fought a groan before he slid an arm around Gerhardt's shoulder and pulled him into a one-armed hug. "There's nothing to be sorry for, little brother. In fact..." he smiled. "I'll show you something better than magic. A bit of science. We'll make our own lamp out of the fireflies, and then I'll show you very special flowers. They only bloom when the moon is out. How does that sound?"

Gerhardt's expression brightened as he asked excitedly. "Really? You know how to make one?" When Victor's smile widened and he nodded, Gerhardt beamed. "You're so smart, brother! Let's go!" he began to tug on Victor's sleeve, and Victor chuckled, outdone by his little brother. How could he be annoyed in the face of such silliness and love? The same silliness and love, the same loyalty, that would prevent him from coming to hate his brother even when their father made it almost impossible not to...

"Dr. Whale needed in Room 4, Dr. Whale to room 4, please." A female voice buzzed over the intercom and Dr. Whale, once known as Victor Frankenstein, sighed. Nothing had really changed for him since gaining his memories, except perhaps that his life had gotten even more droll. This was not his world, these were not his people, he had nothing but broken memories and regrets. His brother Gerhardt he had turned into a monster, and inadvertantly left to rot. Stories in this land showed that he had been hailed as a monster himself, and his creation driven to destruction. They mocked the name Frankenstein and his 'monster'. They had no idea of the real story, of how badly they had butchered him. His proud, strong little brother...reduced to an electrified corpse...it made him sick to think of. What had become of Gerhardt, even now, was he waiting for Victor's return? Had he escaped? Been captured? The only person in the world to have ever loved Victor, to have ever thought him worth something, and Victor had destroyed him.

Dr. Whale finished his work quickly, determined to get home and finish off a bottle of whiskey. Until he glanced at his watch and remembered that there was somewhere he had promised to be...half an hour ago. Damnit!

It was an out of breath and slightly disheveled Dr. Whale that showed up at Granny's diner, and Ruby was already outside waiting with a basket in hand. "Ruby...I'm sorry, I...it was a long day." he heaved a sigh, regretting having agreed to the outing in the first place. But when he met Ruby's amused gaze and saw the smiled that quirked her lips, his burden lessened a bit as he recalled why he had. They were two of a kind, he and Ruby, outsiders to these happy folk around them, monsters.

"Forget about it, Vic." she said dismissively as she smiled widely and then thought about it. "You know, why don't we forget about the picnic...maybe a walk on the beach? You can rest up and tell me about your day?"

She was the only one to call him 'Victor'. Dr. Whale was too stuffy, she'd said, and he found he didn't really mind even though the name was just a painful reminder of who he really was and what he had done. And then there was her kindness. She, out of everyone in Storybrooke, was the only one that went out of her way for him, or paid him any mind really. The others all came to him for help, he was the doctor, but no one offered him any save her. "We don't have to.."

"It's alright. I mean, hey, technically it's still a picnic anyway, right? We'll just eat on the beach."

Dr. Whale smiled gratefully and nodded. "To the beach then..."

Several hours later, some small piece of the weight on his shoulders had been chipped away in the wake of Ruby's tender minstrations. She was beautiful, probably the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. And that in itself was new for him. Victor Frankenstein had been laughed at by beautiful woman, kept in shadows while his handsome, suave younger brother stole the show. And some wicked part of himself had resented that, been bitter, but still...Gerhardt would innocently dimiss them in favor of his brother's company, pure to his core, and Victor was helpless against him. Gerhardt looked like the older brother, received accolades and merits as if he were, but at the end of the day...he still looked 'up' to his big brother, asked his advice as though it mattered, and demanded that Victor be treated with respect. Gerhardt was more than he'd ever deserved...why couldn't he have been happy with that?

Thoughts like those began to ruin what Ruby had just repaired and a buzzing headache prompted him to stop at the pharmacy on his way home, it was part of the Baxter Grocery store. He picked up some ibuprofen and headed for the counter where he didn't pay the cashier much mind until he heard his name. His real name.

"Hello! How many I-...Victor?" The voice of a woman, taken quite by surprise it seemed.

Dr. Whale looked up to see a pretty brunette with wide-rimmed glasses and her hair pulled back into a bun staring at him with wide-eyes and a slightly open mouth. She looked as though she'd seen a ghost. And while his identity was no longer a secret, most people still didn't know...so how did she? And why? "I'm sorry...do I know you?" Her name tag read 'Jacqueline', but that was likely her curse name and didn't really matter.

Jacqueline stiffened and then seemed flustered as she shook her head. "I...no...no, we haven't met. I'll ring this up right away."

Dr. Whale's brow furrowed as he took stock of the woman's behavior. He was definitely missing something. "How did you know my name?" he chose to ask, instead of pointing out she rather obviously knew him somehow.

Jacqueline's hands trembled slightly as she rung up his pills and totaled out the register. "Ah, that'll be four dollars and thirty-two cents..." she announced cheerfully, if a bit shakily.

Dr. Whale was beginning to grow annoyed. "My name." he said firmly. "How did you know it? I'm Dr. Whale here."

"I-I must have heard it from someone...so...ah, that's four thirty-two, sir..."

"Heard it from...whom?"

"I...go to Granny's Diner sometimes...and there's...there's a girl who talks about you sometimes...but it's never anything bad!" she added quickly.

Dr. Whale paused as he considered that. Ruby had spoken of him? What had she told this woman? Was her nervousness based on that...? Or had Ruby revealed something this woman had been asked not to tell...but they weren't friends, were they? He had never even seen this woman. Or had Ruby said something bad after all, and that was why? But Ruby wouldn't talk behind his back, they were...they were friends, weren't they?

"Your...payment, sir?"

Dr. Whale was startled from his train of thought as he absently handed her a five and collected his change. "You say she talks about me...how did you recognize me?"

Jacqueline's expression was almost miserable, and something about it seemed vaguely familiar, and she finally pointed meekly to the name tag on his coat which read 'Dr. Whale'. "She only called you Victor a couple of times...Dr. Whale the others...so I just thought..."

Dr. Whale blinked and glanced to his coat before understanding dawned. "Ah, of course...forgive me. It's been a long day...thank you."

The woman nodded. "You're very welcome, have a good night...Dr. Whale."

He inclined his head and headed out as he thought on the exchange. Something about that woman struck him as odd. Perhaps she really had caught wind of him from afar and she fancied him? That would explain her shy behavior. Great, just what I need, a female stalker... And yet, didn't Ruby always call him Victor? Had she been talking about him in earshot of strangers? That just didn't seem right, but if she was lying...why was she? And who was she really? He paused as he caught sight of something on the ground. A business card that read: Jack Walters, Novelist and Notarist. It had a shop address and a magnifying glass in the corner for some reason, and was otherwise unadorned. Dr. Whale considered it a moment and had the oddest feeling, like he'd been searching for something and suddenly found it.

But it was late, perhaps he would pay a visit to the shop tomorrow...if only for lack of anything else to do.

...

"If Gold and Regina are still alive...Emma and the others have to be, right?" Grumpy finally spoke up from the makeshift pow-wow being held at Granny's diner. Tiny was stuffing his face in the corner with Sneezy and Sleepy, while Ruby and Granny were passing out hot cocoa to guard against the chilly night. Gepetto and Jiminy sat at a table with a sleepy Pinnochio curled up against Gepetto's side. Belle sat at the table next to theirs with the blue fairy, while Cinderella and her husband sat with at another. The rest of the dwarves were there as well, along with a few others, like Astrid who sat near Grumpy.

"They're a tough family, the Charmings, as long as they're together...I'm sure they'll be fine." Archie put in, and when Pinnochio yawned sleepily, he smiled fondly while Gepetto slid an arm around the boy.

Doc regarded Tiny. "About the beans..."

Tiny shook his head. "I'm still trying...but everything was burned...I don't think there's anything to salvage..." There was an air of disappointment at that, until the blue fairy spoke up.

"That mermaid is able to cross realms...perhaps somehow with her help we could all do so?"

Ruby considered that. "Does everyone...want to leave? I mean...is it that bad being here?"

"Don't you want to go home, Red?" Cinderella asked.

"Of course I do...it's just...this isn't so bad either. No dragons. No big castles. No evil queens, sort of...we're all together...it's not the worst thing being here."

Silence descended as they considered that before Bashful spoke up. "I, uh...I agree. It's...it's nice...and I bet...w-we can find more dust...in case we n-need it."

Astrid, formerly known as the fairy Nova, smiled hopefully. "That would be nice...it really isn't so bad here."

Belle was inclined to agree...Rumplestiltskin could make far less mischief here, magic and all the creatures it gave birth to were scarce. Perhaps here they could finally make a new life...provided that Rumple returned to her. And if he did not...what would she do? Why did their love never have a chance?

"Guess for now, all we can do is wait." Grumpy said, clearly none too pleased about that fact.

"And hope." The blue fairy added.

A general agreement fell upon the crowd, and the meeting soon dispersed. There would be time for further worry on the morrow.

...

As the fairytale inhabitants of Storybrooke filed out, a pair of unearthly violet eyes watched from behind a tree. The man wore a tall black tophat with a skull, and a suit to match his eyes as he grinned into the night. While the Charmings were away, the shadow man would play. Storybrooke was a city rife with virtuous [and pretend virtuous] souls, just ripe for the picking. He hummed an old show tune as he twirled a cane and headed for his shack in the woods, his own little slice of paradise. He'd been short on tricks for too long, it was long past time for him to have a little fun...

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Whoot! Hopefully this was a good start. I've got all sorts of mischief planned. I adore reviews. They're like verbal hugs and inspire me to write. I also like getting a feel for thoughts and what you think is going to happen and what relationships you like and that sort of thing. Just like when you gush over the real show, you see? XD And I'm still back and forth, should I write my own take on what's going on in Neverland, or leave it just here in Storybrooke? I really wanna touch on Rumple and Bae, and Regina and Snow, and Emma/Hook/Neal...it killed me when Neal didn't even really acknowledge Hook after everything. XD Dun dun dun. Enjoy!~ -Witchy~