The first visitors came cloaked and hooded. Ridiculous, thought Rumplestiltskin. Pretending not to know him after all the trouble he had gone to, making sure that twue wuv was protected.

"Snow White and Prince Charming!" He let an insane cackle escape as he dropped from the bars to the floor.

"We've come to ask you about the—" began the prince.

"Yes, yes, I know why you're here," Rumplestiltskin interrupted. "You want to know about the queen's threat." And how to neutralize it. That meant a change in plans, but the Dark One had more than one curse at his disposal.

A deal was struck. A curse to take away the queen's magic in return for the name of Snow White's unborn daughter. One never knew when a name so deeply embedded in fate's web might come in handy.


The next visitor came cloaked in the shape of a rat. Once assured of their privacy, the rat became a woman.

"That curse you gave me. It's not working!"

Rumplestiltskin smirked. "You're a smart woman, your majesty. You figure it out." If he was lucky, she never would. If she did... well, the Charming couple would stop her before she could cast it — if he had played his pieces right. Being who he was, he knew he had.

The Dark Curse would never be cast. Rumplestiltskin ignored the nagging memory of a seer's prophecy — seers could be wrong. He had found his son. That was all that mattered.


The boy had run off. Good riddance to him — Captain Hook made only a cursory attempt to track him down before giving up. Baelfire was old enough to make his own way in the world. Any half-formed idea of using the Crocodile's brat as leverage faded away quickly, and Hook told himself that it would have been bad form to involve a child in his feud.

That left the magical dagger. As to where it was hidden... Smee brought back a rumor of a woman who might know the secret. Currently a prisoner of the Evil Queen, the woman had once been a slave in the Dark Castle. How Smee had found out, Hook didn't know and didn't ask. The man always seemed to know too much about everyone. Luckily for his continued health, he displayed little ambition and remained loyal to his captain.

The trip to the prison tower ended in Hook's capture at the hands of Regina, the Evil Queen herself. She spared his life only to send him after her own mother, after a test of his resolve. Well. The test hadn't been pleasant — finding out that his father was alive and well with a new son to replace the ones he had abandoned. Hook had avenged Liam — the real Liam — with a knife in the old bastard's gut. And then the Evil Queen had sent him to Wonderland, only for him to be captured yet again, this time by Regina's mother, Cora, an even more powerful sorceress than her daughter.

Bloody hell. He hated sorcery. Once he disentangled himself from that mess, he made himself scarce and kept to low dives well away from royalty and their penchant for black magic and heavy-handed guards. From what Cora had let slip, all he had to do for his revenge was to wait for the Evil Queen to cast her Dark Curse. The Curse would take them all to a land without magic, where Hook would finally have the advantage over the Crocodile.

Simple.

Except that instead of a billowing curse cloud, he was met by a defeated Evil Queen-in-exile. With her magic gone, Regina was forced to give up on grand schemes of vengeance — but Hook refused to let that end his own not-quite-as-grand schemes. He traded passage on his ship in return for a map she had — a map to a tower with magic possibly powerful enough to contain the Dark One, a tower rumored to be guarded by a hideous witch.

Rumor lied. The witch was a fair young maiden and a prisoner of the tower, not its guardian. Petty jealousy from petty royalty had marked her as outcast, unclean. Tears glistened in beautiful blue eyes as the girl described the injustice. She begged the brave captain to free her. He had only to go to a certain garden and bring back a certain golden flower.

"It has great power, power to lock and unlock the gates of this tower," said the girl, who introduced herself as Gothel. Though she gave no rank or title, her speech and manners betrayed a noble upbringing.

"Aye, I'll help you," said Captain Hook upon hearing her pleas. "A daring rescue might be in order, in return for a share of this magic." If he couldn't get his hands on the Dark One's dagger, then trapping the demon in this tower for all eternity would do nicely as vengeance for Milah. Poetic, really, considering how trapped she had felt in her marriage to the coward. Now the Crocodile would feel her torment.

With Smee's help and his own talent for holding a tune, the golden flower was soon obtained, giant gnome or no giant gnome.

"One golden flower, my lady, freshly plucked." Hook returned to the tower, pleased to have this chance to be the hero.

The prisoner was grateful, so grateful that it would have been ungracious to reject her passionate decrees of gratitude. So passionate that Hook ended up spending the whole night in her embrace.

Everything was going swimmingly until Hook found himself clutching the resulting progeny in his arms. It seemed that as well as unlocking gates, the magical golden flower had the power to bring a pregnancy to term in the short span between sunset and sunrise. And it was the baby that was the key to the witch's prison: the magic that held her was satisfied as long as one of her bloodline remained in the tower.

A baby that Gothel left behind with a smile on her face, and she expected no better of him. After all, he was a pirate, wasn't he? No matter how he played the gallant, it was revenge that drove him. Something she thought they had in common.

"I thought you of all people would understand. What they did to me has its price, a price they shall pay in full." Her eyes glittered with hatred. "The takers, the destroyers, the ones who locked me in stone — they shall not escape punishment. Come. Time to go. You can have the magic you wanted." She proffered a vial containing distilled power from her golden flower. "A few drops can trap even the Dark One forever."

"Just as our daughter is now trapped?"

"What can she be to you, other than a by-product of a night's careless frolicking?" Gothel scoffed.

"No." Hook turned away. Something in him rebelled at the witch's offer. His heart ached upon seeing the newborn, so tiny and helpless, innocent and alone. His child. Who else would love her if he did not?

"So be it." Gothel left, taking her magic with her.

Hook refused to regret the loss. He left the tower only long enough to find his crew and passenger, in order to leave his ship to Smee. "I have something more important than this mission or revenge to attend to."

Ignoring the disbelieving looks of the Evil Queen and his crew, Hook returned to take up his new role. He named his daughter "Alice", after his mother. "She stayed with me as long as she could, and I vow to do the same for you."


The damn pirate had gone soft. Regina took it as an opportunity. The new captain, Smee, was a natural groveler. Upon questioning, he admitted that the Jolly Roger was the infamous ship that had for centuries sailed the arcane passage to Neverland and back.

"Take me there," Regina ordered Smee.

"Wh-what? But we just broke free..." Smee clutched his red cap and stammered apologies. "We can't go back."

"No? Perhaps I can persuade you." Regina lifted a hand before remembering the curse that had taken her magic. Damn. She scowled. "Let me remind you that I made a deal with your former captain. Think long and carefully before you refuse me again..."

"But Neverland..." Smee's protest withered under Regina's glare. "Are you sure, your majesty?"


Her certainty took a blow when the first person Regina found on the island wasn't Peter Pan but Tinker Bell. Or rather, say that Tinker Bell found her, then dosed her with a puff of poppy dust by way of greeting.

What the hell was the damn fairy doing on Neverland?

Regina had plenty of time to ponder the question after she woke up on the floor of Tinker Bell's tree house, trussed up in wiry vines like a roast chicken. Poppy dust. The fairy had used poppy dust on her, which suggested she didn't have magic, either.

That guess proved to be accurate, but little consolation, when Tinker Bell returned and aimed a spear far too close to Regina's throat for comfort. "It's tipped with dreamshade, so don't try anything."

"Dreamshade?" Regina tried for a tone of professional curiosity.

Tink snorted. "Concentrated dreamshade poison. No magic could save you from an agonizing death — even if you had any." She bared her teeth and dared Regina to prove her wrong.

Regina longed to burn that smirk off Tink's face, but she didn't even have enough power to break these makeshift ropes. Then again— "Nor do you. You look terrible. What happened to you?"

"I tried to help you. Do you know what you've cost me?" Tink turned, exposing her back.

Regina gasped at the scars. "Your wings."

"All because you were too afraid to embrace happiness."

"It would have made me weak!"

"And you're strong, now?" Tink sneered. She thrust the spear at Regina again. "Why are you in Neverland, Regina?"

"Don't shove that stick in my face."

Tink growled and pulled the spear back. "It doesn't matter. I can guess. You want your magic back, which means you're here for pixie dust. Stealing it or..."

"Or what?"

"Or worse. Making a deal with Pan..."

"It's none of your business, fairy."

"It's everyone's business if your pursuit of revenge is just gonna hurt more innocent people."

"'Innocent'? Don't make me laugh."

"Who's laughing?" Tink leaned forward and hissed, "I heard about your exile. You have a chance to walk away. To make a new life for yourself. One not filled up with anger."

"Look who's talking." Regina glanced pointedly at the spear. "And you're so happy in your exile?"

Tink jerked back, straightening. "I do what I can to help. The Lost Boys..."

"Grateful, are they?"

"It doesn't matter." Tink's voice turned cold. "I do what I can."

"And what are you planning to do with me? Kill me?"

Tink didn't answer. Whatever she was planning to say was interrupted by the arrival of Lost Boys loyal to Pan. Regina's arrival on Neverland hadn't gone unnoticed, and now she was taken away to meet its master.

Regina didn't let herself be disappointed when Tink stepped aside. As she was dragged away, she heard the fairy hiss after her, "It's no use. You'll see. You didn't believe in its power before. What makes you think it'll do anything for you now?"

Regina shook her head. Tink was wrong. Pixie dust — more powerful than mere fairy dust — would restore her magic. The Blue Fairy went to great lengths to control its distribution, but Neverland was the one source beyond her grasp. And that was down to Peter Pan.


Pan was a boy with eyes far too old for his face. But Regina knew something about dealing with ancient, malevolent creatures, and she made herself a useful pawn in his game. She claimed ownership of the Jolly Roger. Knowing that Hook had once served Peter Pan, she now offered herself in his place.

Pan wanted something. He was looking for someone. Someone in the realms outside Neverland. He had a drawing — a child, a young boy. A boy who might or might not yet exist, but Pan wanted him brought here. The demon's eyes gleamed with unholy greed as he spoke of his desire, but Regina didn't care. What did it matter, as long as Regina got what she wanted out of the deal? A vial of pixie dust, and unending youth for as long as she needed to search for this unnamed boy. The bargain struck, Pan gave her a drawing of her quarry and sent her on her way.

Smee, in his terror of Pan's wrath, made no objection when Evil Queen Regina took over the ship as Pirate Queen Regina. Where Smee gave way, the rest of the crew followed, equally as unwilling to cross the demon of Neverland.


The third visitor came in the dead of night, throwing off his hood as he picked his way warily down the dimly-lit corridor.

Someone doesn't want to be seen visiting the Dark One, thought the imp, chuckling to himself. Then he saw who it was, and his heart skipped a beat. His voice came out in a strangled croak, "Bae!"

The boy stopped short of the cell and stared at Rumplestiltskin, eyes wide with uncertainty. He whispered, "Papa..."

Rumplestiltskin pressed himself against the bars, hands gripping the dwarf-wrought stone in an effort to keep himself from reaching out.

Don't frighten the boy, you fool.

"Are you..." Rumplestiltskin swallowed heavily. "Are you well? Do they treat you... are they... kind?" He hoped they were kind. At the first sign of distress on his son's face, he would see them burn, these Charming heroes. If they dared hurt Baelfire, they would suffer a hundred-fold. No matter that he was imprisoned, he would...

Pull yourself together! He forced down the insane cackle that threatened to escape his lips, clenching his teeth and waiting for his son to answer.

Baelfire managed a smile, a small one, but the first his father had seen in... in far too long. "I'm a squire now, papa."

"Oh?" Rumplestiltskin choked out. A squire? His brave, goodhearted son, all too willing to plunge himself into danger. But the war was over, the realm at peace. Bae would be safe.

"To Sir Lancelot," Bae told him.

"Ah! Lancelot." Rumplestiltskin nodded, remembering. "Queen Snow's general. A good man."

"Yes. It's a great honor." Bae stared at him, eyes dark and longing for... for what, his father's approval?

Rumplestiltskin fought back tears. "Aye, that it is. I... I'm proud of you, son."

Bae ducked his head, then, muttering to the floor, "I have to go, Papa. They're expecting me first thing in the morning."

"Yes. Yes, of course..." Rumplestiltskin let the words trail off, clinging to the bars, feeling that they were the only things keeping him upright as he watched his son turn his back and walk away again.


The damn fairy had been right: Regina couldn't make the pixie dust work. No matter how she scowled at it, no matter how fiercely she poured her rage into it, there was no telltale green glow from the vial. She nearly flung the useless thing overboard, but stopped herself at the last minute. She could always trade it to some gullible idiot, after all.

Meanwhile, she had command of the Jolly Roger, a ship made from enchanted wood and the fastest in the realms. Why let that advantage go to waste? That insufferable girl had usurped Regina's kingdom — why let her profit from it, when merchant ships were such easy targets? But she was a queen, not a thief. Regina enlisted Smee's aid in acquiring letters of marque from those who still harbored grudges against the Charmings, King-in-Exile George being prominent among them. A privateer was not much different from a pirate in practice, but she still had her pride.

Money was power, Regina told herself. Gold piece by gold piece, she was winning back her kingdom. When she had enough to hire an army, revenge would finally be within her grasp, magic or no magic.


Author's note: Why the show insisted on having another baby born from a rape by deception, I have no idea. It was completely unnecessary and icky. Gothel was just Gothel all along in my version.