Thank you to everyone who is reading my story and especially those who review. It really makes my day. Now I must tell you that I am about to start a summer research program and will not be able to update as much as I would like. I will try to write as much as possible, but we will see how it goes.

Complications

Regina was walking home from the castle at her normal time. She was looking forward to seeing Henry, but she was not looking forward to making dinner. She often wished Rumpelstiltskin would do it sometimes, but Gaston kept him working so late that it wasn't really an option. As she was about to open the door she heard Henry say, "I hope she likes this."

"I know she will," Rumpelstiltskin responded and Regina gasped from outside. He was never home this early. She swung open the door to find the table set with three bowls of scrumptious- smelling stew. It looked like the boys had just finished setting the table as they were standing by it when she opened the door.

"This looks amazing," she said happily. They both jumped and turned upon hearing her voice. When he saw who it was, Henry ran up and hugged her. "It's not as easy to avoid being caught unawares as you thought, is it?" Regina asked her friend.

"At least we weren't making noise to draw attention," Rumpelstiltskin responded, although he did look rather sheepish. Before she could argue he continued and said, "But you're right; I guess we both just have to be more careful."

"Mom, look, we made stew!" Henry exclaimed happily as he dragged Regina over to the table.

"I see. It looks like you did a fabulous job."

"Well, let's taste it and see," Rumpelstiltskin proposed as he sat at the table. Regina could sense that he was apprehensive about how the meal turned out and it was no wonder; he hadn't been able to cook for years. He must have remembered more than he thought he did, however, because the stew was quite good.

"I am glad to be home," Regina told her family as she ate. "The castle is extra-crowded and busy because of the ball. I'm always glad when it's over, aren't you, Rumpelstiltskin?"

"Usually, but since Gaston's fiancée is here, he hasn't worked me anywhere near as hard as normal. That's why I came home early," he informed them. "Oh, and you can call me Rumple now, if you want," he told Regina, almost as an afterthought. But she didn't miss the way he looked off into the distance when he said that. Neither did Henry.

"Who came up with that?" Henry asked shrewdly.

"A maid I met today," Rumple said, and Regina detected a bit of red starting to show on his cheeks. "She's new and her name is Belle."

Regina had been about to take a bit of the stew but instead she found that her spoon had fallen to the ground. The other two looked at her in concern as she stared a Rumple in shock. Henry used magic to levitate the spoon back onto the table while his mom tried to recover. "Lady Belle is the woman engaged to Prince Gaston," she managed to inform her friend despite the fact that she was still in shock.

"So you mean a lady gave me a nickname today?" Rumple questioned, all color draining from his face as he remembered how he had talked to her.

"Cool!" Henry exclaimed, seeming unfazed by the new piece of information. This was because his guardians had done their best to make sure the boy felt inferior to no one. Also, the topic of nobles and the like was rarely brought up since neither adult was fond of it.

"Maybe it's just a coincidence," Rumple said hopefully although without much conviction. He felt extremely embarrassed that he had made such a mistake, but worse than that, he knew a slave could be brutally punished for such a thing.

"I don't think so," Henry said. "Maybe you two will fall in love and she will help save all us wizards."

"Where did that come from?" Regina asked, giggling a little at her son's imagination.

"I can tell that Grandpa has a crush on Belle."

"Lady Belle," Rumple corrected almost without thought. He was too busy trying to determine the repercussions this could have.

"I don't think she'd mind her future grandson calling her Belle," Henry mused.

"Don't get ahead of yourself there," Regina scolded. It was times like this that she was sure they would have to hide Henry away even if he didn't have magic; he would get himself killed for not knowing how to properly interact with people of a higher social class.

"That's right," Rumple agreed. "She's more likely to have me whipped or killed than she is to kiss me, let alone marry me."

"Well I still think it could happen," Henry argued back.

"And I'll live to be three hundred," Rumple scoffed. The family then got into a discussion about whether or not this Lady Belle would want to have anything to do with a slave. They were too busy to notice the bug that hopped off the windowsill. And there was no way they could have known that this bug had been there for a while and had seen Henry's levitation spell. The bug's friends were going to be very pleased when they heard about the boy who could do magic.

Belle finally got back to her room after an exhausting day with Gaston. He was an arrogant jerk and she hated having to be around him. She was just glad that she wasn't going to have to marry him like everyone expected her to. She went to her desk, pulled out a special quill, some ink, and some paper. Then she wrote. I finished the day. Do you have any orders for me?

Then words appeared on the page in answer. You must find him soon. He is getting stronger.

This was a cause for concern. Belle frowned as she wrote her response. Are you sure?

Yes. You must identify him as quickly as possible.

Belle sighed. She had just started her mission. It would take time to discover the evil one that was going to try and take over the world. I will try my best.

Good luck.

Belle got up from the desk, crumpling the piece of paper as she did so. She went over and tossed it in the fire. She couldn't risk such a thing falling into enemy hands. Then Belle went and collapsed onto her bed with a sigh. She just hoped she could find and help stop this evil before it was too late.

Rumple was terrified of meeting the lady again so he had tried to avoid her. He'd been doing well, until she came into her room after lunch to change into a riding outfit, since Prince Gaston was going hunting that day and no doubt wanted his lady to go with him. When Lady Belle walked into the room, Rumple was sweeping the floor. He jumped and spun around when he heard the door open, which caused her to giggle.

"Hello, Rumple," she greeted.

"My Lady," he responded, bowing his head. He would have gone down on his knees, but his leg had been really bothering him lately and kneeling did not help it in the slightest.

Lady Belle sighed. "I had hoped you wouldn't find out," she informed him. "I liked having one friend whom I knew cared about me for me."

Rumple was confused. No noble he had ever met would want to be friends with a merchant, let alone a slave. "I am sure some of the nobles care about you, my Lady."

She scoffed. "None that I've met. With nobles it's all about politics like who was born into a higher position and who has more money. None of them have ever truly wanted to talk with me to get to know me."

"That would be all the more true if you chose to associate with slaves, my Lady."

"Well at least the slaves will get to know me for me. If I make one friend it will be more than I have now."

He was shocked that she would want someone like him to be her friend. But he remembered how he had sensed that she would have been unhappy if he didn't let her be his friend the other day, and he knew that she felt the same way today. "Then I suppose you are the first lady to have ever made friends with a slave.

"Good," Belle replied, grinning at him.

"I'll let you get changed," he replied. As he walked out of the room, he marveled at the fact that he now had three friends, and one of them was a lady.

Red, Granny, and the seven dwarves sat around their table talking. "I still don't think Jiminy is going to find a wizard that can use magic," Grumpy stated. "They would have been found and collared by now."

"I wouldn't bet on that," Jiminy's voice came from the window sill. He hopped into the room and up onto the table. "I overheard a conversation. Two collared sorcerers have been hiding a magical boy. Maybe he could help."

"How old is he?" Granny questioned.

"Ten," Jiminy replied. Noise erupted out of the meeting room. Everyone was discussing and arguing and no one seemed completely convinced that a ten-year-old would be able to do much good.

"Hey!" Red yelled, getting everyone's attention. "It's better than nothing. I know we can't afford to wait until he grows up, but maybe he could learn how to do what we need him to now."

"I doubt it," Grumpy grumbled.

"Well, it's worth a try," Red said. As she looked around the table she saw that everyone agreed with that. "We will have to talk to this family as soon as possible."

He moved his sword quickly to block a guard (who seemed to think the best way to find out what he had for dinner was to cut open his stomach) as he brought his staff down on the man's head, knocking him to the ground. Five soldiers who were either bold or stupid rushed him all at once. He simply slammed his staff into the ground and his magic had them all flying backwards. "Help!" the cry pierced the forest and he realized that his best friend was in danger. He teleported instantly to the spot where he knew his friend was.

"Hello, sorcerer," a woman said, smirking. She was next to his friend who seemed to be unharmed.

"Are you okay Your Majesty?" he asked wearily, sensing something was wrong.

"Much better now that my new friend has told me about your evil ways," the king replied, glaring daggers at the wizard.

"Your new friend must be lying," he responded. "I have not done anything to warrant giving me the title of evil."

The king was not satisfied. "Did you or did you not steal my orb?"

The wizard narrowed his eyes and watched the woman closely. If she knew that, than she must be dangerous. "How did you learn that?" he asked.

"So you did do it!" the king exclaimed.

"Sire, you now see that we must imprison him; for the sake of all our fellow men," the lady stated.

He knew this was not going to end well for the king seemed inclined to listen to this strange woman. He had to get away. He tried to teleport, but found he couldn't. "You're a sorceress," he realized.

"Yes, she is," the king said as he walked closer to his former friend, holding a golden collar in his hand. "Now I shall enslave you, for the good of all the realms."

"No," he said softly, sadly. He took up a defensive stance, sword and staff at the ready. "I will not surrender willingly, for this witch has poisoned your mind against me, old friend."

The king shook his head. "No, she has helped me see the truth."

"I will not give up!" he cried, brandishing his sword to keep the king from coming any closer.

"You would attack your friend and king?" the lady questioned.

"I would do what is necessary to protect people, and I can hardly help others from a cell!" While he had been looking at her, the king had pulled something out of his pocket. Suddenly the wizard felt odd. He turned to look at the king and realized he was holding a bag of sleeping powder in his hand. The sorcerer fell to his knees, trying to fight the effects of the powder as his weapons slipped out of his hands. The last thing he saw before he slipped into unconsciousness was the lady. She was standing over him with a triumphant smile on her face.

Henry awoke from his nap with a start. He fought to get his breathing under control as he thought about the dream he had just had. What in the world could it mean? Had that really happened? Was the wizard the first person to ever be collared? Who was that lady? And if it did mean something important, why had he gotten the dream? Henry felt himself slipping off as he had those thoughts and decided to figure everything out later. There was only one problem; Henry had completely forgotten about the dream when he woke up.