Papa wasn't home.

The young boy had just finished cleaning up the kitchen after his meal and was contemplating whether to test his father's patience by going outside. People were scared of him because of his father, but it didn't mean that he didn't feel bored whenever he was stuck at home doing nothing. The forest seemed to supply a good amount of surprises that would keep him occupied for a while. Besides, Papa didn't have to know. He just had to be back by sundown.

Gathering his green cloak from the hook beside the door, he looked around the house, scanning if he had left something undone before leaving. The place looked clean enough, so the only scolding he would receive in the even that he would be caught would be that he went outside without permission. He covered his head with the hood of the cloak before walking out the door.

It was a little later than noon, so the people were only wandering about the village aimlessly unlike the hustle and bustle of the early mornings. He kept his head down and quietly slipped into the forest without anyone noticing him pass by.

About fifteen minutes into his hike, he had found himself by the riverbank. The cool running water tasted sweet and felt refreshing against his hot skin. He sat there for a while, marveling in the peaceful hum of the forest. Sometimes, being alone was all right with a good view.

Looking around, he wondered if he would be safe if he were to lie down and close his eyes for a moment. He shrugged. No creature would even attempt to lay a finger on him, knowing who his papa was. He lied down on the ground and looked up at the clear blue sky. Now, that was a view.

Closing his dark eyes, he sighed in content. The sound of running water, birds chirping, and the rustling of leaves together was calming. He was about to fall asleep when a loud scream jolted him out of his reverie. He stood up quickly to scan his surroundings of possible dangers. Nothing looked out of the ordinary.

Placing a hand on his hidden dagger, he walked towards the direction of the sound. After a few steps into the dense greenery, he found a girl no older than he was studying her bleeding leg. She was wearing a long pink dress and a white shimmering cloak that were ruined by the soil. He wondered if he should introduce himself and help her, but she might run away like the rest of the children who see him within their perimeter.

"Hey," he said softly without thinking it through, making her snap up to him. Her beautiful green eyes had tears in them, and her blonde braid was already messy. She must've fallen from something by the looks of it. "Are you okay?" he asked carefully, coming closer.

She shook her head and hastily wiped her tears away, not wanting to look weak in front of a stranger. "I'm fine. My leg just hurts."

"What happened?" he asked gently, crouching down in front of her. He marveled at the fact that they were still talking, and she didn't look at him in fear. By the look of the wound, he needed to wash it before tying it up with something to stop the bleeding.

"I fell of my horse," she explained before sniffing involuntarily. "Sierra had run off, and I have no idea how I'm going to get back home. Nobody knows I've left the castle."

His eyes snapped up to hers. "You're the princess?" he asked, suddenly interested. He didn't expect to meet anyone in royalty in person before, so this was a pleasant surprise, although the pretty dress and the shimmering cloak should have been a dead giveaway. Clearing his thoughts, he focused on the main problem first. He needed to patch her up.

"There's a river not far from here. I can take you there to wash this up," he offered, gesturing towards her injury. She looked pained at the thought of moving let alone stand on her own. He gave her a small smile in understanding. "Don't worry. I'll help you." He placed her arm over his shoulders and lifted her up with ease. She bit her lower lip as she felt her cheeks burn. It was the first time she was alone with someone she'd never met, and that someone carrying her like that.

The princess watched him silently as he gently washed her wound and wrapped the cloth he tore from his cloak tightly around her leg. The pain had somewhat numbed by then, and she felt slightly better than she did earlier. She washed the dirt away from her arms and face before drinking from the running water. After, she sat down and noticed that he was watching her.

"You haven't told me your name," she started shyly before offering her hand to him. "I'm Emma."

He looked surprised when she said that. It took a moment for him to grasp her hand in his. "I'm Baelfire," he replied with a small tentative smile.

Emma grinned. "That's a cool name."

"Really?" he asked with a big smile.

She let go of his hand and leaned on them behind her. "Yeah. Baelfire."

"My mother gave it to me," he told her proudly, his smile faltered a bit at the mention of his parents but he tried not to let it show. "My father says it's a strong name."

"It is," Emma smiled at him. She looked at the water for a moment before asking, "So, why are you here all alone?"

"I should ask you the same question," he said, not wanting to answer it himself.

She shrugged. "I got bored."

"In the castle?" he asked, looking incredulous. "I find that hard to believe."

"Believe me, people tend to exaggerate what's inside," Emma laughed. "How about you? Where do you live?"

"Just a small village not far from here," Baelfire answered tightly. "Wouldn't your parents be worried?" he added, making the princess tense. "You're a bit far from home."

Emma frowned. "I know. I'm already expecting a scolding when I get home." She sighed before turning to him. "Don't you wish we'd grow up faster? Being a kid sucks. You can't go out and have an adventure without permission. Where's the fun in that?"

Baelfire chuckled but didn't say anything. "Come on," she insisted. "Don't tell me you haven't thought of running away. Living an entirely different life?" Her words made him think about his father.

"Sometimes," he answered quietly.

She wasn't expecting that. "Really? I was joking."

Laughing, he nudged her with his shoulder. "Of course, you are. You're the princess." She gave him a look that said that she knew he was avoiding her question. He picked up a stone and twirled it with his fingers before answering with a sigh. "My father is very protective." That was an understatement. "If he knew where I was right now, he might throw a fit." She giggled. "It's true!" he insisted.

"No, I know," she said. "My dad would throw a fit, too, when he finds me."

"Really?" he challenged. "He'd find you in the middle of nowhere? The forest is huge."

Emma looked proud for a moment before answering. "Of course. He will always find me."

"By the looks of things, that may take a while," Baelfire commented.

Emma shrugged at that. "I'm not worried. Talking to you is fun." Hope blossomed in his chest at her words. Maybe it wouldn't be so late to have a friend after all.

The two children didn't notice the time passing by as they talked about every possible topic that they thought of. Emma found her first friend, and Baelfire found his. As the sun was beginning to set, they've realized that they have exhausted everything there is to talk about, making them sit there in comfortable silence. Emma glanced at Baelfire and found herself blushing when she noticed for the first time that he was actually pretty cute.

Her serene smile turned upside down at the sound of horses' hooves coming from the forest. Her heart thudded as her wide eyes met Baelfire's frightened ones. What if they were black knights? He immediately helped her up, and they quickly hid behind the bushes. She peeked over the greenery to see who had disturbed them despite her friend's protests. Once she saw that it was her father along with a few knights, she jumped up from her hiding place and ran.

"Daddy!" Emma shouted, suddenly forgetting about Baelfire and focusing on her father. She knew he would come for her. Prince Charming's worried expression turned to relief at the sight of his baby girl running towards him. He dismounted his horse and opened his arms wide to catch her.

"Emma," Charming breathed out as she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. "You're okay. You're okay." The way he said it was more of convincing himself rather than his daughter. He cradled her head with one hand and exhaled in anxiety. "You're okay, kiddo."

"Daddy, I want you to meet someone." Emma was grinning at him excitedly when she pulled back all too soon from his embrace. Those were the words he dreaded to hear the most, and Snow promised him thirty more years before he had to face them. She started to pull his hand in the direction where she and Baelfire were previously hiding and frowned when she can't see him.

"Baelfire?" she called out, but no response came. "Baelfire, come out!"

That name rang warning bells in Charming's head. He knew who had a son with that name. Although he knew that it would break Emma's heart to ban her from seeing her friend, her safety was much more important to him. He would certainly not risk his daughter's life by letting her be friends with the Dark One's son. That was too much.

"Emma, come on." Charming said, pulling her hand gently to keep her away. "He probably went home already."

The princess whimpered as she glanced up at him before turning back to the bushed. "No. He was right there. What if he's in danger, Daddy? Baelfire!"

"Emma," her father said, kneeling down in front of her.

Emma's eyes were already tearing up. "But, Daddy, he was right there."

"I know, baby. I know." Charming whispered, wiping her tears away. "He probably had to run home, too. His parents must be worried about where he is. I know I was when I couldn't find you." Emma sniffed as fat tears rolled down her cheeks. His heart broke at the sight, making him sigh and lift her up in his arms. "Come on. Let's get you home. Your mother is worried sick about you."

Emma rested her head on his shoulder and watched the bush getting farther and farther away. She sniffed before closing her eyes tiredly. She would come back, mentally promising him that she would come back for him. They will see each other again soon. They will go off deep into the forest where the knights will have a harder time at finding them. There will be more stories to tell and more adventures to be done.

But at that moment, with her dad's arms protectively secured around her, there was no place she'd rather be.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to run off like that, Bae?" Rumpelstiltskin scolded his son once they were inside their house. "You could've gotten hurt! Someone might have abducted you."

"I'm okay, Papa." Baelfire tried. "I promise. I'm sorry. I just wanted to have some fun. I was just…"

"Out with the princess?" his father finished for him with a stern tone. He was quiet. "It is not safe for you to be around her. You're not safe out there."

"But she's kind," he protested. "She didn't hurt me. I even helped her with her injury."

Rumpelstiltskin sighed in frustration. "Don't you get it, Bae? You're my son! People who want to defeat me know that you're my only weakness. Once they get a hold of you, they get a hold of me. That is why I'm trying to protect you."

His son sat down on a chair tiredly. "I just want a friend, Papa. She is the first one who wasn't afraid to talk to me." He had a fleeting smile on his face as he added, "I love talking to her."

"There's no such thing as friends." Rumpelstiltskin snapped bitterly, turning towards the kitchen to prepare their supper. "There are only people who need you in order to get what they want."

Baelfire knew that wasn't true. He silently recalled the moments when Emma was calling out to him, but he couldn't reply since his father already got a hold on him and was pulling him away from her. "Baelfire!" she cried out. He sighed, hoping that she didn't think he abandoned her out there. He was hopeful that they would see each other again. But until then, he had to make it up to his father.

"I'm sorry, Papa," he whispered.

"It's all right, Bae," Rumpelstiltskin replied, tone warm for his son. "Now. Come on. Let's eat."

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