Forgetfulness

A soft melody hung out over the night, surrounding the small figure in a green cloak as it paddled on a rowboat through a thick fog. It almost felt like the melody was coming up from the waters itself as the figure floated among it. There were ripples moving out from a dock a short distance away, but there was nothing to see that could have been making that ripple. Or at least nothing that the figure could make out. It was pitch black out, the fog swirling and making it harder to see anything at all. The figure almost hadn't realized they'd reached the small dock till the boat knocked into it.

She, for clearly it was a she by how her cloak fell away, hopped out of the small boat, tying it to the pier, not even realizing that the melody had abruptly stopped until a voice spoke behind her as she turned to look down the dock.

"How much for this?"

Snow White gasped as she spun around to see none other than Rumpelstiltskin sitting in the back of her boat, "Excuse me?"

"Your boat," he looked at it, running his fingers along the edges of hit, humming softly, the same melody that had been playing before, it was a small code of theirs, he would hum nonchalantly in the middle of a deal and Piper would pick up the melody. But he knew, this time, likely the only time, she refused to use her pipe, use her magic. It was a running tag to the end of a rather particular deal he'd made with his latest business partner, to help Snow White find her true love and happy ending. It was quite lucky that Snow White's happy ending coincided with his own plots or he might have found himself in quite the pickle about what to do, break a deal or alter his plans and altering plans took so much doing, "Exquisite craftsmanship."

He stopped humming, knowing the melody would not be picked up again. He hadn't been quite…forthcoming with his knowledge that it would be Snow White that was coming to see him. He'd seen her coming though, oh yes, he'd seen a vision of this moment and the effects it would have and had merely told Piper that he was going to meet a desperate soul that he thought she'd enjoy coming to see. Upon learning it was Snow White she'd simply stopped playing and didn't pick it back up.

He was a man of facts over belief, a man of keeping word and iron clad deals than faith, he wanted information first and foremost before he made decisions. Piper was…a puzzle, she spoke of a cousin and the care and concern she showed for Snow White's future was…suspicious. He wouldn't lie and say he hadn't brought Piper there as a test, to see her reaction to the woman, her cousin thought her dead, he'd planned to watch her reactions closely, see what she'd think of Snow White coming to him for help. But Piper was clever, he'd nearly forgotten, with how much confidence she strutted about with, that she had been on the run from the Queen for quite a while, that she'd learned to not give away anything, that she'd learned to keep what was important and dangerous to know to herself. She gave away nothing, absolutely nothing…

Save for the fact she refused to use her magic on Snow White.

He had broached the subject to her, brought up how…curious…it was that she wouldn't use her pipe on Snow when she would everyone else. But she was sharp, she had merely countered her pipe was best kept for the desperate ones, the ones that he couldn't crack on his own. Snow White coming there and seeking him out was all they needed to know that the woman was clearly already desperate. He'd let it pass, her logic was sound, and that COULD have been the reason, but there was something else about it, something in his gut. But he was a man of facts, he wanted to know who Snow White was to Piper first before he assumed anything. One wrong move against the woman and he might end up losing the best business partner he'd had, one slip and injury done to precious Snow and…he might…lose a…friend?

His lips nearly pursed at that, friend, it was an odd notion an done that felt entirely wrong, but he forced his mind not to think of how the term didn't seem to fit with what he saw Piper as and instead how he just…wasn't used to having anything of the sort, a friend.

"It's not for sale," Snow White spoke, pulling his attention back to her.

"Of course it is, dearie," he rolled his eyes, "No one comes to see me without a deal in mind."

Snow lifted her chin slightly, "So you're Rumpelstiltskin?"

"Indeed, I am," he held out his hands to his sides in a gesture of 'ta da', "I've been looking forward to meeting you," he eyed her, hopping out of the boat, "Wow. You really are the fairest of them all, aren't you? What can I do for you?"

"I need a cure," Snow swallowed.

"What ails you, child?" he asked, stepping past her, staring out into the darkness, smirking as he saw a figure no one else would. As the creator of the cloak, he could see Piper when she stood in it easily. She was at the end of the dock, her cloak on, hood up, standing as regal and strong as she had when he'd first seen her in the woods, though she looked far more powerful, more commanding, more enticing, and…

He blinked, shaking his head from his thoughts, but he felt his gaze drift back to her. She was wearing black under her cloak. It should have made it harder for him to see her, but he'd always thrived in the darkness, as he could almost suspect she did as well. Seeing her standing there in what was nearly a long sleeved, though corsetted black top, nearly like a riding jacket, and black leather pants that were tucked into her black boots, knowing that the only thing that would be visible were her face and her golden hair, her eyes as dark as a forest after a storm…he loved seeing her in dark colors though she often wore green, sometimes red, but he loved the darker ones. They made her look more forbidden.

"A broken heart," Snow's voice broke.

He stiffened, this was not good, not good at all, he must focus on this deal, and not the one whose request had led up to it happening. He spun on his heel, "Ah," he eyed her, "The most painful of afflictions. Well, I'm afraid if you want me to make him love you, no can do. And nothing can."

With his back to Piper, he missed the small frown that darted across her face from just under her hood, a look of concern mixed with curiosity and confusion. The way he'd said that, the last part, it sounded almost bitter, but there was no call for it.

From the way Rumpelstiltskin stiffened, not even he understood why it had come out like that.

"Oh, no," Snow shook her head, "That's not the problem. We can't be together."

"Well that, I can help you with," he grinned, pulling a small vial from his jacket and moving over to the water. He knelt down and dipped the vial in, taking some of the water before he stood. He shook it a bit and it turned cloudy white.

"That'll do it?" Snow watched him apprehensively.

"Not yet," he wagged a finger back and forth at her, "No two loves are exactly alike. We must make this personal," he reached out and plucked a strand of Snow's hair from her head, dropping it into the solution.

"So…" Snow took a step forward, "If I drink that, I'll no longer love him."

"The next time you see the object of your grief, you won't even remember who he is," he smirked.

Snow frowned at that, "Won't remember him?"

"Love," Rumpelstiltskin began, "Is the most powerful magic. The cure must be extreme."

"Extreme sounds like an understatement."

"Don't doubt yourself now, dearie," he tsked, "Love makes us sick, haunts our dreams, destroys our days. Love has killed more than any disease. This cure is a gift."

Snow took a deep breath, "What's your price?"

"These'll do," he held up an extra strand of hair that he'd plucked.

"What do you need of my hair?"

"What do you need of it now?" he countered, nearly giggling as another thought struck him, at just how similar Snow White was to another sharp girl, "It's been plucked from your head. Do we have a deal?" he offered her the bottle.

Snow White hesitated only a moment before taking the potion.

"I thought so. Drink it in good health, Snow White," he gave her a bow and stepped back as she hurried for her boat and quickly paddled away, glancing back at him only a moment before he waved his hand and the fog settled back into place, blocking her view of him as Piper came to stand beside him.

"The course of true love can never run smooth," she murmured, commenting more like it, "There must always be challenges to prove it is as true as it can be. Love…is not easy by any stretch of the imagination."

Rumpelstiltskin nodded, "It can be the greatest burden, the greatest weakness."

Piper glanced at him a moment and back to the lake, "And yet it can be the most powerful thing ever felt, enough to break even the strongest curse," she gave him another look.

He glanced at her this time, "She shall have her happy ending Pip, as promised. She must be happy for my plan to work."

Piper tilted her head, eyeing him a moment, "You realize…happiness can be found along the way to the end of a plan as well," he turned to her, frowning in confusion, "When shall you find your own happy ending?" she mused, "And who with?"

He blinked and watched as she turned without a single swish of her cloak and walked off, back towards his castle.

His son, that was it, he'd find happiness in seeing his son returned to him, alive and well, and to earn his forgiveness.

He didn't even consider the fact that there could be more than one happy ending on a journey.

~8~

Rumpelstiltskin sat at his spinning wheel in his castle, looking at the straw as he spun it into gold, trying his best to let the wheel distract him, sort his thoughts. Piper's words were ringing through his head and he'd been trying like mad to shut them out. He'd sent her to the village 4 times already for more straw he just…hadn't stopped. There was more gold there than even he knew what to do with and it didn't appear as though it would stop any time soon. He had ignored her largely since she'd uttered them, could barely make himself look at her for fear he'd just…stare.

He'd often stared at her, sometimes while he spun and she'd watch him, their gazes locking across the room and neither ever broke it until something else did, usually him running out of straw. She was such a puzzle, the way she acted, how she talked, the walls she seemed to have up around her heart that…didn't exist. It was hard to describe how almost free she was around him yet guarded with others. He had hardly done much to engender such trust but there she was, trusting him, acting differently around him than others.

And it was getting worse. The more she was around him the…more he saw of her, of the woman she was instead of the airs she gave around others. He liked what he saw of her, the almost…soft side that he only really ever saw when she was around the children in the village. Ooh she was still tough as nails, as valuable as gold, as sharp as a dagger, she was still ruthless and cunning, but there was a…tenderness around him that he'd noticed more often. A lingering touch here and there (for once someone who wasn't afraid or offended by his skin), an extra bit of food when she'd bring him tea, more straw than he knew could easily be carried when she returned. It was so many little things that were building up and…

He found himself on the verge of reciprocating, which was…not good, no. He was the Dark One, he did not act soft or tender with anyone. Not that…not that he truly thought she'd want a soft or tender him. If she was acting so comfortable around him while he was off in his dungeons torturing those who refused to uphold their deals or those foolish enough to steal from him that she could simply hand him a cloth to wipe the blood off his hands then she did NOT want a soft or tender man in her life. And that thought also bothered him, she struck him as the sort to want a strong man, a dark man, and that was him as well. The things he'd done in his past, the manipulations he made around himself every day, for her to still trust him, seeing what he did for a living and knowing what he was capable of…it conflicted him.

She should be scared of him, terrified, he should be a monster she flinched back from and rushed to do the bidding of out of fear and power and respect…but she matched, barb for barb, deal for deal, revenge for revenge. She didn't look at him as though he were a monster, she didn't shy back, she knew all he was capable of and nearly…enable him even more. She seemed to…like the darkness in him. She almost seemed comforted to know there was someone out there willing to do the dirty work, do the dark deeds, do whatever it took no matter the cost to see something done.

His thoughts were cut off when the doors to the room flew open and his hands gripped the piece of gold he'd just spun tightly. That was not the way Piper entered the room, she was quiet, she was sneaky, she didn't disturb him though no matter how much she tried he'd get a faint hint of roses on the air and he'd know she was there. She didn't wear perfumes at all, he'd almost nearly gifted (as much of a travesty as that would have been for the Dark One to bestow gifts) her with a perfume once, but she'd made it clear when she'd told him once of how foolish women were that they used the substance as it was far too easy to spike with poison, that she disliked the stuff. But that had been quite the tale, of just HOW she knew perfumes could be poisoned, to hear on the way back to the castle.

Sadly (or perhaps luckily given who the guests were) it was not Piper who had entered but an angry looking dwarf and Snow White herself, "The potion you gave Snow," the dwarf, Grumpy if he knew right, spat, "It changed her. She's not the same."

"Well, of course it changed her," he nearly rolled his eyes, exasperation seeping into his words, "It took away her love, left a big hole in her heart. There is no cure for what she's got. The person she was…" he shrugged, "There's no way to bring her back. No potion can bring back true love," he stood and moved over to a cabinet, opening it to reveal several rows of labeled potions, for quite a few emotions, however one with a heart beneath it was empty, "Love, is the most powerful magic of all. The only magic I haven't been able to bottle. If you can bottle love, you can do anything. But you don't care about that, do you?" he turned his gaze to Snow White, "You have a familiar expression," he mused, eyeing her face, it was an expression he often saw on Piper's face when she was planning something, "Now, what is it you really want?"

"I want your help to kill the Queen," Snow said bluntly.

He giggled, "Now we're talking, dearie."

"Snow, don't," the dwarf tried to warn.

But Rumpelstiltskin merely turned and picked up a string and a piece of wood, using magic to turn it into a bow, holding it up to her.

"Now, what is this?" Snow eyed it.

"This…is how you kill the Queen."

"How will that help me get into the castle?"

"No, no, no," he wagged his finger, "That's impossible. You have to kill her when she's on the move. When she's on her way to the Summer Palace," he magiced a map into his hand, pointing out the route as Snow studied it intently, "Fire the arrow from this spot here," he moved his finger, "And you'll be hidden from sight. An arrow fired from this bow will get you exactly what you need. It always finds its target."

The Dwarf shook his head, "I can't stand by. If you take that weapon, you do it alone."

Snow didn't even look over as Grumpy turned and stalked away, simply took the bow and examined it, tested its weight, "So, what do I have to do in return?"

"Do?" he tried to blink innocently, "You don't have to do anything, dearie."

"Everything comes with a price with you. Last time you took a strand of my hair. What's in it for you this time?"

He hummed, before he smirked, "Let's just say, I'm invested in your future."

Snow gave him a lingering look before she turned and strode out of the room. He grinned, watching her go, let her think he merely wanted the Queen dead either for his own rivalry with her or for Snow's future's sake. She didn't need to know that it would be the ultimate way to keep Piper safe, nor did he, for that wasn't his reason, no, it hadn't even crossed his mind to think that…because if that happened and that were true…

Piper would leave.

~8~

The front doors to Rumpelstiltskin's castle burst open as none other than the new 'Prince James,' really Prince David, barged in, "Rumpelstiltskin!" he shouted, "Show yourself."

"I am afraid he is not here," a voice said from behind him.

He spun around, pulling his sword on instinct, only to blink, seeing a woman there. She was blonde, with forest green eyes he felt like he'd seen before somewhere, her hair in a braid from the top of her head to her shoulder. She had a white tunic on, green vested, with black trousers and boots. Her hands were behind her back though as she stood regally before him.

"Who are you?" he demanded, eyeing her suspiciously.

"I am the caretaker of this castle," she stated simply, "And it would do you well to withdraw your sword else I shall be forced to ensure you drop it."

"I will not relinquish my sword till I've dealt with Rumpelstiltskin," he glared.

She sighed, "I had been hoping to avoid this," she shook her head and pulled her hands before her, a piece of wood in them, a pipe.

He had only been able to look at it curiously for a moment before she brought it to her lips and played two notes, and a third, the third rising in pitch and volume and sound until he dropped his sword to press his hands to his ears, his back arching in pain as he tried to breathe but all he felt was a pain radiating through his body.

It wasn't till he fell to his knees that it stopped and it wasn't till he fell onto his hands from the effort of being released from whatever magic that was that he realized she'd taken his sword.

"You may dress like a prince, shepherd," she spoke, eyeing him with a quirk in the corner of her lips, a dangerous smirk he'd not make the mistake of underestimating again, "But you do not carry yourself like one, nor does slaying a dragon make you an expert in weapons and defense."

David panted as he looked up at the woman, smirking away, "Are you enjoying this?" he gasped, his hand moving to his heart as it raced in his chest, the feeling of utter torment that had ripped through him…it felt like every limb, ever cell in his body had been on fire, had been seized and frozen and twisted and just utter agony. And it alarmed him quite a bit to know that this girl that was standing before him had been the cause, that she'd been able to cause it without so much as an effort. One note, one note on that wooden pipe of hers and he'd been driven to his knees.

He reached up and wiped beneath his nose, feeling something dripping, and saw blood.

"Quite a bit, yes," the woman had the nerve to NOD at that.

"This?" he held up his hand, showing her the blood, "This is fun for you?"

He should have expected it though, or something like it, he highly doubted Rumpelstiltskin would entrust the care of his beloved castle to anyone nor would he ever leave it unprotected. The girl was quite adept at handling the situation, it seemed. And he supposed he should have expected something like this from someone dealing with the Dark One and staying in his home. A person able to survive with the mad man he knew Rumpelstiltskin to be would have to be just as mad and dark as he was. That she caused that much pain, so quickly and so easily, that she smiled after it, he could admit, even facing a dragon, he was quite…disturbed by her. He would not want to face her down in an actual duel any time soon if she could do this from him just breaking into the castle.

"It is when those who storm into my place of dwelling, unannounced, uninvited, and impolite, dare threaten me with a sword merely because I do not abide by their demands," she tilted her head, "You are not quite so charming when you are wielding this," she gestured at the sword.

David frowned a moment, wondering why she'd picked that particular word, Charming, what Snow had called him. He swallowed hard, "My apologies then," he tried to make amends, really truly just not wanting another round of whatever that was.

"Accepted," she nodded, tilting her head to examine him, "You do yourself nor Snow White any favors by fleeing King George you know."

"I know," he swallowed, pushing himself to his feet again, "But that's why I'm here, for Snow. Rumor has it, she's after the Queen and that it wasn't until after she'd come to Rumpelstiltskin for help that it happened."

"That is true," she gave a single nod.

"What did he do to her?"

"When one's heart is broken and in danger, one does what one can to avoid the pain," she said simply, "Snow wanted an escape from her love for you. You caused her pain, which is not something intelligent to do. Snow has many allies she is yet aware of."

"And what," he shook his head, "You're one of them?"

"I was the first," she nodded, "You harmed her, she wished to forget you."

"Then I need Rumpelstiltskin to undo the potion. All magic can be broken."

"Yes," she agreed, "The most powerful of spells can be broken, through true love's kiss."

"That's it then?" he breathed, "True love's kiss will awaken her?"

She smirked, "You seem to forget the part where she has no memory of truly loving you?"

"That doesn't matter," he shook his head, "I love HER, I love her with all my heart. My heart is strong enough and true enough for the both of us."

"Perhaps," the woman eyed him, her smirk morphing more into a genuine smile, as though she were pleased, as though he'd passed some sort of test, "Have you any idea of her location though?"

"Do YOU know?" he asked, hopeful, clearly NOT wanting to have to deal with Rumpelstiltskin if he could help it.

"I do."

"Will you tell me? As an ally of Snow's?"

"And ally of HERS, not yours," her eyes narrowed, "I feel I should warn you, I am not merely the caretaker, I am Rumpelstiltskin's partner in dealings."

David closed his eyes a moment, it had been too good to be true, "Name your price."

"Your cloak," she nodded at the cloak around his shoulders.

He blinked, "My cloak? Why would you want my cloak?"

"I may be Rumpelstiltskin's partner, but I am not him," she shrugged, "I ask for far more simple things. Money, items, so be it."

David quickly took off his cloak and threw it over the table before them, "Where is she?"

The girl didn't answer, only walked over to him, moving his sword to hold out before him, flat across her two palms, "On her way to the Queen's Highway," she offered him the sword and he quickly took it, "Be warned, should she kill the Queen, she shall become as evil as the woman whose life she takes."

"She could never become that evil."

"Evil can be made," she shook her head, "It can be forged in hate as much as good is grown of love," she turned and collected his cloak, heading for a door to the side, "You had better hurry," she gestured at the front doors, waiting till he'd run out them and the doors had shut before she opened the one before her and stepped into the main hall of Rumpelstiltskin's castle, the man himself standing at the end of his long table, just before the cabinet of his potions, looking at a vial that contained Snow White's hair.

"You were successful?" Rumpelstiltskin looked over at her.

She smirked, "Am I ever not?"

He giggled, pleased, and took the cloak from her, "I shall require more straw for when I've finished here."

She nodded and turned to go, already knowing why he'd needed Snow's hair and Charming's cloak, a cloak that had his hair on it as well. There was only one potion he needed, one potion he thought that only Snow and Charming could provide, true love. Their hairs, when combined and added with a touch of magic…would create the true love magic. She didn't need to be there and witness it happen, not when she already knew the two were true love.

Rumpelstiltskin though, grinned, pleased with himself when he found a strand of Charming's short hair and dropped it into the vial with Snows, watching as they glowed, as they wrapped around each other, and as the magic radiated off them. He giggled to himself, placing it in his cabinet, above the heart label, and closed the doors. He turned, moving to the cloak, ready to toss it somewhere when he noticed something.

A longer strand of golden hair, Piper's hair, he knew.

He didn't know what possessed him to do it, he truly could not explain what prompted it, but before he knew it, he had plucked another vial from his pocket and dropped her hair into it. He stared at it a long moment, too many emotions warring within him for him to know what to make of any of it. And then, slowly, ever so slowly, he reached up and plucked a hair from his own head.

This was ridiculous, he knew it, he knew that nothing would happen, at all, he was the Dark One, he was a villain and villains didn't get true love…but that didn't stop him from dropping his hair into the bottle as well.

Nor did it stop him dropping the vial in shock and shattering the magic onto the floor when the strands began to glow and wrap around each other as well.

A/N: I am happy to say this is the last delay in posting :) My family seems to have a curse with holidays. Usually the day after anything we celebrate, there's a fight. I was expecting it to be today but it happened last night, after we finished Mother's Day, between my mother and brother, then my brother and father, then my father and mother and I had to play mediator till about 2 am :( And, of course, when I plan to edit bright and early this morning to post, the fight just resumes. It didn't stop till my brother left for work at 2 :( I just got the time to edit now, but I'm going to spend the rest of the day editing and getting ahead so I won't have any delays again :)

As for this chapter...awww, Rumple's all shocked and confused :)

And, no spoilers for the OUAT finale...but I've already written Piper's last scene for this series from it, let's just say...someone will be singing a different tune }:)

Some notes on reviews...

Piper is not related to James nope :) Ooh Piper will not be letting David off the hook in Season 2 either ;)

Piper will appear in the finale in a way, definitely :) I get the ships thing, I actually almost sort of feel like I want to write a Robin/Regina oneshot or something now, but I'll probably just work that into season 3 ;)