Hey all! Sorry about the long wait. Work has been extremely hectic this week! But here we go! I hope everyone likes the new chapter. I had a little difficulty writing it, but I powered through.

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time.


Chapter Seven: New Beginnings

When Kellan awoke, she felt extremely well-rested – if very sore. She felt that she could handle the pains of healing now that she got some much-needed sleep. The first thought that entered her mind was of how long she slept. It seemed like she had only just closed her eyes, but at the same time she felt like she was in a coma for a year. She shook her head to get rid of the sleep still in her eyes before stretching and sitting up. It took a little more effort than she was expecting – as if her muscles weren't used to moving. Confused, she looked around the room. Nothing had changed out of the ordinary, except a new set of clothes laid out on the writing desk. She knew that to be Rumpelstiltskin's doing, and smiled to herself. No matter what people said about him, she knew he had a heart. She gingerly walked over to the desk and picked up the clothes. There was a pair of leather pants, a snug-fitting shirt without sleeves, and a vest of some sort. On the ground was a pair of brand-new leather boots. 'He's going to spoil me….' She thought, smirking. She quickly changed her clothes, still moving carefully so as not to pull any stitches or reopen cuts, and headed out of her rooms.

It took her a few tries, but she eventually found her way down to the great hall where she heard a peculiar noise. It sounded like something was slowly spinning. She looked inside, trying to figure out the source of the noise, and spotted The Dark One sitting in the corner. If her eyes weren't so keen, she would have missed him. She smiled slightly and entered the room, clearing her throat to let Rumple know that she was there. The spinning slowed to a stop and she watched as he looked up from his concentration to find her. The barest hint of a suggestion of a smirk graced his lips, then it was gone. "How kind of you to join the living, dearie. You've been out for nearly four days." He remarked, his voice taking on the annoying high-pitch she was used to when he was frustrated. Her eyes widened at his information and she paused. "I was asleep for four days? No wonder I feel so great." She said, receiving a giggle. "I should think so! Not even an elephant parading through your rooms would have awakened you." He said, giving his hand a little flourish for added effect. She laughed. "And I suppose you know this from experience?" He smirked, a mischievous glint in his eye as he spoke. "Wouldn't you like to know, dearie?" Kellan rolled her eyes at his attempt to spook her. "Oh please. You just wanted to see me naked." She remarked, shrugging. He paused at that, a surprised look coming on to his face, and Kellan laughed. "Calm down! It's called a joke, Dark One." She explained, as if he were a child. "Oh? Feeling well enough to joke around?" He asked, a warning note in his voice. Kellan shook her head. "Maybe not quite yet. I'm still not 100 percent." She admitted. The man nodded before waving his hand at the very long table. A huge assortment of food appeared out of nowhere, and Kellan found herself drooling at the smells. There was bacon, eggs, potatoes, scones and muffins, sandwiches, salads, chips and dip, fruit and veggies, pork, steaks, chicken, turkey, and even sweets. The table also displayed an impressive variety of drinks, ranging from water to whiskey. This last bottle made Kellan look at Rumple with an odd expression. "Whiskey? In the morning?" She asked, her eyebrow rising. Rumple shook his head. "It's actually closer to dinner, dearie. Your internal clock must be backwards." He said, receiving a very confused look. Kellan thought about this, and then nodded. She knew he was right. "Well, since I just woke up, it's breakfast to me." She said, sticking out her tongue at him as if that solved any arguments.

He shook his head and motioned to the table. "I figured you were going to be hungry when you woke. It's been a while since you've eaten." He said, before seating himself. Kellan nodded in earnest agreement before sitting down herself. There were only two chairs at the entire table, and they were seated next to each other. She glanced at Rumple and smiled slightly before piling her plate up with a salad, a sandwich, bacon, eggs, a medium-rare steak (Even though she ate raw meat at night, didn't mean she didn't love a good medium-rare steak), and a couple muffins. She then filled her cup with juice and tucked in. Rumple looked at her plate and scoffed. "You'll never finish that." He told her, as if he knew. Kellan raised an eyebrow. "Wanna bet?" She asked, a dare evident in her voice. He sat back and surveyed her. "On what conditions?" He asked. Kellan thought for a moment. "Loser pays winner one hundred gold pieces?" She offered. Rumple laughed condescendingly. "Dearie, I spin gold. What use is one hundred more pieces going to do for me?" He asked. "I know. But I also know how much I can eat. And therefore, if you take the bet, I'll be the one who's 100 pieces richer." She said, a challenging smile coming to her face. Rumple thought, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. "Tell you what. If you win, I'll pay you the one hundred pieces. If I win, you'll owe me a favor. But everything has to be gone before you stand up from the table." Kellan thought on this for a moment, then smirked. "Prepare to pay up, gold-spinner." She said, before digging in.

Rumple watched in fascination as first the salad and sandwich disappeared. Then she took a drink from her juice and continued with the bacon and eggs. What fascinated him the most was the fact that no matter how quickly or how much she ate, she never forgot her table manners. But they were barely discernible as she shoved one item of food after another down her gullet. Soon, the only things left was half her juice, a quarter of the steak, and her muffins. Then the rest of the food disappeared. Kellan sat back with a triumphant smile and looked over at Rumple. "Ha! I told you I could finish everything. No where's my gold?" She asked, giving him a pointed look. Rumpelstiltskin smiled slightly and stood up. "Right this way, dearie." He said, motioning for her to follow him. She nodded and stood up before starting to walk after the man. She was stopped short, however, when he spun around. What stopped her was the glint in his eye that said he was giddy with glee. "I do believe, dearie, that you lost. You now owe me one favor." He said, letting his giggle out as he danced slightly. Kellan raised her eyebrow and shook her head. "Are you blind? Can you not see my plate is completely clear?" She asked, walking back over to her spot. "Ah, but you see, we didn't bet on just the food. We bet on finishing everything. And I believe a drink is included with a meal." He said, still smiling, as he walked over and picked up her cup. He turned it upside-down and Kellan groaned in horror as half her juice poured out onto the table. "You dirty rat bastard…." She groaned, before glaring at him. "Fine. I owe you one favor. Tell me what it is." She said, crossing her arms. Rumple giggled at his victory and waved his hand. All the food and the spilled juice disappeared and he pulled her chair out for her to sit down.

"My favor is simple. Agree to become the leader of your pack. I know that once a wolf kills the alpha, they become the leader, but I saw that you were going to hand it down to Anita. I need you to accept the role. I won't tell you why – not now, but eventually I might." He said. Kellan heard the seriousness in his voice and stared hard at him. He was right – she was going to hand the role of the alpha to Anita, but he wanted her to fill that position. She sighed and nodded. "Alright. I think I can do that." She said, before standing up. "Can you take me to the den? I need to speak with everyone." Rumple nodded and stood up himself. He walked over and wrapped his arms around the girl in front of him. A thought of how comfortable they both were when they did this passed briefly through his mind before he transported them.

"Kellan! Thank god you're okay!" Anita said, rushing over to the blonde as she walked in to the den. "We've already taken care of the… bodies." She said, a flicker of grief passing her eyes. Kellan knew that the woman standing in front of her was really close to Aiden, and figured that was the biggest reason for her state now. She nodded and went to stand on the slightly raised platform that the Alpha stood on to give announcements. The entire room fell silent as numerous pairs of eyes looked to her. She took a breath before beginning. "I know that what happened here was a huge travesty. And all who witnessed it will forever remember those we've lost. Jakob was a very troubled man, but we can't be angry at him. What happened here was not only his fault, but Aiden and my self's as well. If we had taken more precautions when he started showing signs that he wanted to be alpha, this all could have been prevented. As it stands, I am your new Alpha. I was planning on giving the title to Anita, but recent events have changed my mind." Her eyes flitted over to Rumple for a brief moment. "Since it is custom for a new alpha to assign roles to everyone, I shall be doing that as well. "Anita, Trystan – you two were the betas before me, and I would like it if you could fill that role once more. Out of the six that started as the heads of the pack, there are only the three of us left." She said, looking at the pair, who eagerly nodded their heads. She nodded back and continued. "Tomorrow night, we'll hold a sparring match between all who want to be numbers four and five – the main fighters of the group." She could hear excited murmurs amongst the crowd and gave a very small smile. "Yes, it should be very exciting. However, it will be a two-part fighting competition. First, we will spar as humans, then as wolves. The two winners will be our new defenders." She explained, receiving nods from everyone in agreement. "Good. Now, tonight is a night of celebration. We will celebrate those we've lost, and those we'll gain over time. Let's get ready." She said, receiving cheers. She figured they were just encouraging her, since was new to this whole leader-of-the-entire-pack thing. But still, it felt nice that her pack members liked her enough to want to do well. She smiled to herself as she made her way over to Rumple.

"What kind of celebration are you talking about?" He asked her when she reached him. Kellan shrugged. "You know. The usual – drinking, dancing around a big fire, couples going off to enjoy each other's company… Plus the big orgy at the end of the night." His eyes snapped to hers as if in disapproval and Kellan laughed. "Only joking! You need to lighten up. Why don't you stay and partake?" She asked, receiving a shake of the head. "Drinking doesn't phase me." He said simply. "Oh, come on. We don't all drink to get drunk. Some of us actually like to remember the night. Stay for at least one dance. Please?" She asked, her lips breaking in to a huge grin when he sighed. "One dance." He consented. "Fine. But I get to pick which one." She added. His eyes turned wary at the possibility of having to stay the entire night and Kellan laughed. "I promise it won't be the last one of the evening." He finally relented and Kellan threw her arms around his neck in a hug. "Thank you. I wouldn't be where I am today without you." She told him, before letting go. "Now, time to get this shindig set up!" She said, earning cheers from everyone.


It took a total of about five hours for everything to be ready for the party. Kellan had people run and get food and drinks from the nearest village, while everyone else decorated. Sitting on a table, raised up on a platform, were eight pictures. Aiden, Riley, Jakob and the five others who lost their lives. Tonight's celebration would be in their honor. People would tell stories of the departed, some pranks that they've done or jokes that they've said, but mostly just how they lived. When the music began to kick up, a large bonfire was lit and everyone started to dance. Rumpelstiltskin kept looking over at Kellan, wishing she would allow him to dance with her so he could leave, but she would always laugh and shake her head. She kept mouthing to him 'Not yet'. After every time she turned him down, he would huff and cross his arms like a four-year-old. Kellan found it to be quite adorable. After all, he was a man who was centuries old and he was throwing tantrums.

As the night went on, Rumple found that he was enjoying himself. He would watch Kellan dance with many partners, step back and relax a bit, then going back out. She talked endlessly to her friends, remembering the people who have died. And the weirdest thing? She respected the dead. Not just those who were killed, but Jakob as well. He was her biggest enemy, yet she was still honoring him and telling tales of his life. He felt a little pride in his choice with her as he realized that she was stronger a person than he ever would have thought. As he sat there in quiet contemplation, Kellan walked up.

"Up for that dance now?" She asked, holding out her hand as a gentleman might to a lady. Rumple snapped out of his reverie and giggled. "I would be delighted, dearie." He said, before standing up and doing a small curtsy. Kellan laughed and bowed as he took her hand and she led him over to the bonfire. He thought she would expect him to make a fool out of himself like the rest of the pack was, and so he was surprised when she passed the bonfire and stopped a little ways away. They could still hear the music and could still see very well by the light of the fire, but they were more or less alone. She looked up at him and smiled. "See? Now you don't have to feel embarrassed about dancing with me." She said. He rose an eyebrow and shook his head. "Frankly, dearie, lately I've been wondering if you shouldn't be embarrassed to be see with me." He admitted, before placing his right hand on her waist and taking her right hand in his left. She tilted her head in confusion as she placed her free hand on his shoulder. "Now why in the world would I be embarrassed by you? You are, after all, The Dark One. Anyone would count themselves lucky to have you grace their presence." She said, not the tiniest hint of sarcasm. She was being honest. In the past three years since her father made the deal with him, she considered this man dancing with her to be one of her closest friends. Of course, they rarely, if ever, talked about him. But she didn't mind. She knew that he would open up to her with enough time. He wasn't a very trusting man, and she wanted to be one of the people that he did place trust in. Even if it was just as a confidant.

Rumple had looked taken aback by her statement of people wishing for his presence. "I think that fight messed your head up a little more than we thought, dearie. People don't want me in their presence. I'm a last resort – a hated one, at that." He scowled, his fingers grabbing her hip a little tighter than was necessary. Kellan shook her head. "Not to me. I find myself looking forward to our monthly walks. And whenever you 'pop in' to check up on me is always a very welcome surprise. Even when we first met I didn't hate you." She said, looking up into his eyes. They were a mixture of confusion, a little bit of awe, and something else Kellan couldn't put her finger on. He slowly shook his head and smirked slightly. "This is why I say you should be embarrassed to be seen with me. You're too good for everyone. And I mean everyone. You see the goodness even where there is none." He muttered, glaring into the woods as they slowly spun in a small circle. Kellan laughed and shook her head. "You silly, silly man." She said, before detangling herself from his arms. She saw a look of shock and hurt for a brief moment of time before she grabbed his hands and pulled him back toward the bonfire. The music had picked up again and she was determined to show that she wasn't the least bit ashamed of his company. When they reached a point where the entire pack could see them, she turned and began jumping around Rumple. He watched her warily for a moment, but her enthusiasm was highly contagious. She seemed to not care about a thing, and wasn't even bothered by her recent injuries.

He soon found himself smiling and dancing like a buffoon with his partner, and he realized that he didn't care. Every single one of the people gathered there had a dark secret that the rest of the world hated. Even if they didn't try to hide their nature, they always kept out of the public eye. In a way, he was one of them – or they were more like him. It mattered not. Here, he could let go, just a little, and not be judged. So he did.

After a couple more dances, they both were out of breath and needed to stop. They walked a ways away, out of sight of everyone and just enjoyed each other's company. "It's been a long time since I've enjoyed myself like that." He said, once he got his breath back. Kellan looked up at him. "Really? How long – if you don't mind me asking?" She wondered, receiving a shake of his head. "Not at all. It's been about….. three hundred years? Not since before my son passed away…." He trailed off, silently cursing himself for letting that bit of information slip. He heard her gasp and looked up just in time to see her arms being thrown around his neck. "Oh Rumple. I'm so sorry. I never knew." She whispered, feeling his arms hesitantly wrap around her waist. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but it might help." She offered, not moving. She found she rather liked hugging him, and this realization almost startled her. He sighed and his grip on her tightened ever-so-slightly. "My late wife died in childbirth. And the ogre wars had just started. A blind seer told me that if I fought, I would die and my son would grow up in a loveless home. So I…. injured myself to gain leave of the army. They branded me a coward, but my son was the only thing on my mind. I raised him as best I could, loving him with all my heart. When he reached the age of seventeen, however, the wars started up again and he was first in line to sign up. Nothing I could say would change his mind. He was determined to prove to everyone that my cowardice wasn't passed down to him. He lasted six months before an ogre….." He trailed off again, pain rushing through him at the memory.

It was a stormy night, just about six months after Baelfire had left to join the army. Rumpelstiltskin was mad with worry, but he knew his son was smart. He had faith where others did not. Faith in the fact that his son would return to him victorious, removing the name 'coward' from everyone's lips. Faith in the fact that his son would live and grow up and find a wife and have children. Faith in the fact that his son was far braver and stronger than he ever could hope to be.

But that faith was crushed when he received a knock on the door. It was too late for any visitors, and when Rumple opened the door, his heart sank to his feet. "Rumpelstiltskin?" The man at the door asked. Rumple's mouth went dry as he nodded. "I'm sorry for your loss." The man said, before turning to the side. He could see a stretcher lined up behind the officer and he felt his heart break into tiny pieces. Slowly, he reached a hand out and removed the sheet covering the body. He didn't want to see his son like that – broken, bloody and lifeless – but it was necessary. He had to identify the body. The moment he saw Bae's face, he let out a wail and sunk to his knees. "He fought bravely, sir. His death was quick and painless." The man said, before walking away. They would retrieve the stretcher tomorrow, when it was needed.

Rumple stayed there, on the ground in front of his son's corpse, for hours. Just sitting, crying, and staring at his only son. He had never felt so broken before – not even when Milah had died. Their marriage was one of convenience. The village had paired them together when they were both eighteen, and there was no love lost between the two. He did his part – bring home food and keep a roof over their heads, and she did hers – bear him a son. Who was now as dead as she was.

Kellan fought the tears that sprang to her eyes at the pain in his voice. She knew he never let his guard down, and would take this secret to her grave. She hugged him even tighter as they stood there, and she let him be supported. He needed this, and she knew that. After what seemed like an eternity, he reluctantly let her go and just stared at her. He had never felt so…. weak, since he became the dark one. And in a matter of moments, she had literally torn down his walls and made him feel like a man again. Without blinking, she brought him back from centuries of feeling like a monster. Without flinching, she single-handedly started his heart beating again – when he thought it would never do so since the night they brought Bae home. All of this came crashing down on him and something inside snapped.

He grabbed her roughly by her shoulders and pulled her back to him. She let out a startled gasp when his lips crashed onto hers, but recovered quickly and re-wrapped her arms around his neck. His own arms went around her waist and he pulled her closer. This kiss was one of need, longing, and grief. But she didn't care. As he kissed her, her thoughts were on nothing but the man holding her. How strong he was, even though he didn't look it. But he was crushing her to him, and she didn't mind. His skin was an odd texture, sure, but it suited him very nicely. His eyes, always a dark brown – almost black – with a hint of gold, lightened whenever they took their walks to talked with each other. His hair was surprisingly soft, she found, when she reached up and gently tangled her fingers into the tresses. This sign was the only thing he needed to deepen the kiss. He took her lower lip between his and gently bit, earning a gasp in return. He inwardly smirked and took that moment to invade her mouth with his tongue. Her kissing was slightly awkward, as if she'd never done this before, but she caught on rather quickly. Their tongue danced together in a furious tango while their hands explored areas they've always want to, but couldn't because it wasn't appropriate. Her hands were exploring his face, trying to memorize through touch every raised bump and line. His hands were trailing up and down her back, always stopping himself before he got to no-man's-land. When she let out a slight groan, something inside of him told him to further their kiss and he pulled her head back away from his.

Confusion flickered in her eyes and he laughed lowly, shaking his head. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into, dearie." He warned. She shook her head. "I don't care." Those three words were all the consent he needed and he backed her up into a tree. She gasped slightly at the impact on her ribs, but tried to bring his head back down to hers. He allowed this, and kissed her roughly for a moment, before turning his head and kissing down her jaw. He nibbled her earlobe, smirking when he heard her groan slightly, and continued down her neck. When he reached the junction of her neck and shoulder, he bit hard. She moaned louder and arched up into him, obviously enjoying this kind of attention, and he continued to bite and suck at that point. He knew that there would be a deep purple mark on her shoulder because of his attentions, but he found he didn't care. On the contrary, he felt pleased that this would mark her as his. After worrying that spot a few seconds more, he trailed fiery kisses down her shoulder and back up her neck, only to reunite their lips in a heated frenzy. His hands were gripping her waist tightly, as if afraid they might do something he'd regret, but hers were roaming down his chest and around his back. She was trying to feel every inch of him that she could. "Dearie, with those sounds you're making, the pack is going to think I'm eating you up." He muttered, bracing his hands on the tree behind her and looking into her eyes. Something in his look told Kellan that the thought of him eating her up was a very pleasurable one indeed. And for some reason, that had her lower stomach churning in a very strange way. "We could go somewhere more… private?" He offered, not wanting to go too quickly, but finding himself unable to prevent it. She bit her lip in thought as she blushed, and then slowly nodded her head. He let out a very quiet groan and grabbed her once more before they disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Kellan didn't notice that they had transported until she opened her eyes from their kiss and saw that they were in his castle once more. She blushed even deeper as Rumple picked her up and sat her on his table before stepping between her legs. Without hesitation, he grabbed her by the back of the neck and pulled her face towards his – devouring her lips in a searing kiss. She once again let her hands trail his torso as their tongues danced, but found herself wanting to be closer. There was a coiling heat in her stomach, and she wasn't sure what it meant. Of course she had never gone this far with anyone – a few kisses maybe – but nothing like this. "Rumple…" She moaned as his lips began making their way to the shoulder opposite his bite mark. That one word – his name – made him lose all sense of control and he picked her up. He ordered her to wrap her legs around his waist, and began walking out of the grand hall when she complied. They made several stops on the way to his bedroom, mostly due to him wanting to taste her exposed skin once more. He would pin her to the wall and kiss and nip her shoulders and neck, before continuing his journey. He knew she was inexperienced, and he was going to show her that this was a very, very good thing. He just had to regain enough control in order to not take her like an animal.

When they finally reached his bedroom, he kicked the doors open and stepped inside. Kellan jumped slightly at the sound – not expecting it – and the sudden friction between them made them both gasp. "Dearie, you're making this very difficult for me…." He muttered in-between kisses. She stopped kissing him and looked him in the eye. "I- I've never done this before. I don't…. I don't know what to do." She admitted, her face blushing severely. He found he liked making her blush as he smirked. "I know. That's why you must let me take the lead." He said, walking them towards the bed. He gently laid her down on top of the blankets and crawled over her. She was about to protest when his lips kissed the exposed skin on her chest. In their movements, her shirt had loosened enough so that some cleavage was showing. And he was taking his time in kissing every inch of skin he could reach. She felt his hands lazily trailing up her sides and gasped when they brushed the underside of her breasts. He took that as a positive sign and reached up to cup them, earning a slight moan. She arched into his hands and he kneaded the mounds with relish. Opening one eye, he could see that her nipples were peaking and smirked. He was going to taste them if it was the last thing he did.

After another moment of palming her breasts, he lifted his hands to the opening of her shirt and glanced up at her. She looked down and shook her head. "Don't you – " She was cut off by the sound of ripping fabric and almost groaned in protest. But even that was interrupted by the feeling of his mouth on one of her nipples. She cried out at the new, but very desirable, feeling and lost all train of thought. She didn't even feel embarrassed that she was naked now from the waist up to this man who wasn't her husband. All she wanted was to feel his hands and mouth roam her torso. She let her head fall back onto his pillow as she tangled her fingers in his hair. "By the gods, Rumple…." She muttered, feeling him smile against her skin. It was only when she felt his hands starting to tug on her pants that she woke up. "Wait…. I…. Not yet…." She muttered, reaching down and stopping his movements. He looked up at her sharply and searched her face. It was burning with embarrassment, but she was determined. She wasn't ready for that step yet. Rumple sighed and nodded, running a hand through his hair. He crawled back up to where she was laying and took her into his arms before kissing her once more. "I'm sorry. I'm just….." She trailed off, now feeling guilty. He could hear it in her voice. With a gentle hand, he raised her chin to look at him. "Never be sorry for telling someone 'no'. If you're not ready, then you're not ready." He said simply, shrugging. He could wait. After all, she was his now – if that bite mark had anything to say about it. Kellan nodded and scooted her body down on the mattress to allow her head to rest on his chest. She closed her eyes and began to drift off to sleep.

Rumpelstiltskin sat there for another hour, staring at the sleeping form cuddled next to him. He didn't know why he told her about his son, but it seemed to have opened a door for the pair. One he was happy to allow. She was the first person in three centuries to get him to divulge that much information, and all she did was hug him. No, that wasn't true. It had been her constant work over the last three years that they've known each other. It was her friendship that she offered time and time again, even when she knew what some of his deals contained. It was her unwavering loyalty to her pack, even when it nearly cost her life. It was her green eyes that spoke of far more intelligence than he had originally thought. It was her determination to go on through life no matter what the cards were that she was handed. It was her laughter. It was her anger. It was her caring heart. It was… everything she was. He found himself caring a lot more about the slip of a girl next to him than he thought he ever would. It wasn't love – not even close. But it was something similar. It was something that would have to be nurtured and cared for and protected. It would take a lot of time and effort. But he didn't care about all of that right then.

He glanced once more at Kellan's sleeping form and closed his eyes.


Thanks again for staying with me! I hope you all liked this chapter!

SeriouslySirius09