Once Upon A Time.

IT was a day after she'd birthed her son but Dagian was already antsy. The midwife told her that under no circumstances was she to leave the bed other than to relieve herself but the temptation to just clean was proving to be difficult to ignore.

She might've been able to escape the confines of the bed if it wasn't for the sharp lancing pain between her legs. But by the time the afternoon rolled around she decided that she wanted to risk it because she couldn't take just laying here sleeping any longer. The dreams came…how hard Dauis grabbed her and the fear that sent her into premature labor was the ones that haunted her since she'd fallen asleep.

"Sweetheart?" she heard her husband whispered when he found her trying to force her way off the bed, "Dagian, what are you doing?"

"I have to do something, I have to-."

He grabbed her elbows and gently helped her down on the bed, "I'll give you something to do, I'll do anything you want me to do all you have to do is ask me."

He looked so happy; he'd been beaming since yesterday. The way he just looked at her and little Baelfire…she'd never seen him like that. It just reminded her day that she thanked the gods he was alive.

She cared little if he was going to be called a coward, she didn't care if she was going to suffer for it. Anything to have him look at her the way he did last night and this morning when he kissed her goodbye to go work.

"I just wanted to get some work done," she said.

He brushed some hair behind her ear, "It's nothing that can't wait, you need to rest."

"All I've done is rested," she argued, "I'm tired of sleeping."

He smiled, "You just gave birth."

"And he's asleep and I'm bored," she pouted and watched him pour her a cup of tea. He held it out to her and she continued "Women have given birth before."

He gave her a shy smile and brushed her hand with his fingers. Dagian smiled back at him and noticed a new picture he was drawing at the desk on the foot of their bed, "What's that?"

"Oh it's nothing," He said and averted his gaze. From Dagian's position she could see that it was quite different from the ones that he normally drew when he had some free time. Her husband was supremely talented when it came to art. He often liked drawing faraway places that he heard the merchants and sailors talking about while he worked and traded but this was different.

"You always show me what you draw," she looked at him in curiosity, "Why are you hiding this one?"

He looked embarrassed, "It's not done yet."

"Your reluctance makes me even more curious," she teased happily

He sighed and handed her the paper.

He'd drawn a picture of her holding their newborn son. She was wearing her nightgown her hair was tied in a messy braid that she recognized she had from last night. In one arm was their son, the other hand she brushed the back of her finger lovingly against her son's cheek. In the picture, he slept but in one hand he grasped her smallest finger the hand that did not cradle him and in the other of his hands he held onto her braid.

"It's how I saw you last night," he said and gave her a small smile, "You were in some pain last night and I was too excited to sleep, so I drew this for you because I didn't want my tossing and turning to wake you and hurt you."

She felt the tears gather in her eyes. She put her hand on the side of her face and pulled him in for a kiss. She didn't care if he was a coward or not. A man's character should not be judged just on how they reacted while in battle.

He returned the kiss and held her close; she clutched him tightly and breathed in his scent. She'd never forget how he smelled…how he felt.

"There's something I have to ask you," he whispered when she finally pulled back

"What?" she asked and smiled at him when he brushed some of her tears away.

"Did you….did you go into labor because of me telling you that I fled the war?"

The look of fear on his face hit Dagian in the stomach and it made her hate Dauis more, "No! No, no, Rumpelstiltskin, it was never you, I swear you weren't why I went into labor."

"You came back to the house nearly giving birth to the baby right after I tell you that I ran-."

"Rumpelstiltskin," she took his hands, "I would never lie to you. You're not the reason Bae is here now."

"Then why?" he demanded.

If she told him about Dauis then it'd kill him. Dauis only grabbed her because he got angry and she refused to tell him where her husband was hiding. Rumpelstiltskin would blame himself and she wasn't willing to force him to live with that for the rest of his life.

"It was just one of those things," she whispered, "Sometimes they happen."

She'd lie to him but this was the only time she'd ever do it. She didn't care; she thought she had good reason.

This lie would be better than him ever knowing the truth.

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Present Day

Jefferson treated Dagian for lunch as he filled her in on the misdeeds that her husband had committed while she slept in the tower. The more the madman talked the more Dagian felt her stomach clench. This was her husband…the man that she'd given her blessing to find their son no matter what. But when she said 'no matter what' she wasn't sure she'd understood what that really meant at the time.

"Jefferson-," she said and shook her head as he finished telling her how Rumpelstiltskin had conned Regina into doing what he wanted, "If what you say is true- Regina knew what she was getting into when she summoned him. She knew he was manipulative and she jumped into league with him anyway-."

"Are you really that naïve?" he asked, "Regina is at fault for her own actions, yes. And she should pay for them just like I have to pay for mine, and you have to pay for yours and your ex has to pay for his. But if Regina had walked away just like any smart person would do then Rumpelstiltskin would've done one of two things…he would've upped the ante or he would've found someone else to serve as his monster and we'd still be in this position that we're in today."

"We don't have proof-."

"We don't need proof," He argued, "I've seen everything and you KNOW Rumpelstiltskin. You know, I kept expecting you to be shocked but your acceptance seems to show that you know what he's capable of.

"You do realize that if we decide to start exposing my ex and your queen then we're putting our children in danger. And with all due respect, I don't want to put my daughter in danger based on the word of a madman who used to work for my husband."

"How I'll keep my daughter safe is my concern," he hissed, "But if we make people realize what they're capable of-."

"What? Jefferson, what will that accomplish?" she challenged, "People know what they're capable of. They don't need a reminder when they can just look out the window and realize that this isn't home. Why are you so interested in-."

'Because Rumpelstiltskin took advantage of my ability since I was fourteen years old and Regina took my daughter from me. I'm not going to sit there and let them hurt other people and I need you-."

"Oh, there we go, you need me for what?"

"Because Rumpelstiltskin still values you as the mother of his children. He won't hurt you and he won't let anyone hurt you-."

"If I don't push him that far," she said, "If I put myself against him then I might lose my daughter."

"We can't sit here being afraid of 'what-ifs," he reminded her, "We need to make as many people aware as we can and this is the way to do it. You want to look for your purpose and this might be it. It's the paper."

They stopped talking as Ruby came over and filled up their coffee cups, "I can bring a candle if you two-."

Dagian nearly dropped the plate that she was handing Ruby, "No."

Even Jefferson seemed a bit mortified, "We're not dating."

"Sure you're not," Ruby smirked and took the dish that Dagian gave her.

Dagian looked on in irritation as Ruby practically skipped off. She looked at an embarrassed Jefferson, "I think we should talk about this elsewhere."

"Me too," he grabbed his coat and stood.

They didn't talk until they were outside, "I'm not scared personally of what Rumpelstiltskin and Regina will do if we use part of this newspaper to expose them. I'm scared of what it'll mean for Lily. She's barely surviving in the hospital as it is and if Regina used her magic to hurt her."

"Rumpelstiltskin will fight for your daughter and I imagine that you can protect yourself even if you do royally end up pissing Rumpelstiltskin off. Dagian, we're both running the same risks here."

"Really?" she challenged, "Because you seem to be pushing me to take the brunt of it."

"Is that what you honestly think?" he asked, "They'll know about me and my involvement soon enough. Why do you think I Took you to the diner during lunch rush? By this time tomorrow, Rumpelstiltskin and Regina will know that somehow we're involved. I'll be in the middle of this just like you will be. Now will you help me?"

Dagian sighed, the idea of being thrown in the middle of a three-way battle between the queen, the hatter and the imp wasn't something that she really wanted to experience. But she knew that Rumpelstiltskin's power was not only from the dark arts but from the deals he made. If Dagian cut that off then she might be able to remove at least some of that power.

"I'll go against you with Regina," she said, "But not Rumpelstiltskin, not yet."

"Why because your other personality still loves him? Dagian, he ruined lives."

"And so did you."

"And I spent 28 years in solitude and a year before that in Wonderland, haven't I paid for that? Your alliance to him should've ended the moment you woke up pregnant with a baby that you didn't remember consenting to make."

"Regina is not as manipulative as Rumpelstiltskin is. If I'm going to charge at him then it's not going to be blindly."

He nodded, "I suppose I can work with that."

"Good because you don't have a choice otherwise."

He smiled a bit and walked her to her door, "Well, he we are the um…."

"My maiden name here is Danvers apparently. I didn't have a last name in the other world."

"Neither do I, my father thought that second names were so pretentious."

Dagian smiled and moved in front of him when he walked her to the door, "Um…Jefferson when Ruby asked with a couple…you wouldn't by any chance-."

His eyes grew, "No! No because-."

"Because you kidnapped me…"

"…and I delivered your baby after said kidnapping…"

"…and I've already been in a relationship where I was held captive…."

"…It wouldn't be right," Jefferson stuttered, "I want my daughter away from all this as much as possible and getting in a relationship with you would be the exact opposite of what we were going for

"…and as attractive as you are….," Dagian said, "I have enough on my plate."

"…perhaps the only relationship we should have is one of friendship…"

"Agreed," Dagian said and turned to unlock the door.

"Agreed," he said and then smiled mischievously, "Just imagine the look on your ex's face if we got in a relationship though."

"I think he'd have that same look if I got in a relationship with anyone, he's a bit overprotective."

He smiled, "Should we have dinner tomorrow? Just to keep them all talking?"

Dagian shrugged, "Why not?"

He gave her a beaming smile that would charm even the most ice cold woman and kissed her on the cheek, "We can do this newspaper thing, you know."

"Yes," she said, "I know."

He gave her one last parting squeeze on her shoulder and walked down the stairs.