What's in a Name?

Piper was sweeping the floor of the main hall of the Dark Castle, just meandering through her chores really. Things were rather…calm, as calm as they could be at the moment. The Evil Queen hadn't made any overzealous threats or attacks, Snow White was all but in hiding, she was safe with Rumpelstiltskin, and really…things were going well.

She smiled slightly as she swept more absently, thinking about the so-called Dark One. She didn't understand why so many people feared him. Well, that was a lie, she did understand, had seen firsthand how he reacted to others, what he was capable of, the darkness in him. But it was odd, what seemed to terrify others only thrilled her, what made them wary and wanting to keep distant made her want to get closer. She didn't understand how that was possible though, all her life she'd never felt this way about anyone, never wanted to get to know them more or spend more time with them. She actually found herself adding more chores to her list without being asked when it was days that she knew he'd be out longer, making sure his deals were going well, or gathering ingredients in distant places for potions or acquiring some sort of artifact that another requested. Added more chores just to keep her mind occupied.

Never before had a man invaded her thoughts like that, she never saw the point in them. Most men around her, noble boys, princelings, even some of the servants that she'd once had shied away from her, looked at her oddly, saw her as something different…and not a good different. Even when she had tried to be a normal girl, her cousin had once tried to help her in that, tried to act normal and warmer and friendlier it just didn't work. It was like people could see through her when she wasn't genuinely being kind, which didn't happen as often now as it had in the past when she'd had her family around her. They just felt something off about her, a coldness in her soul, a hardness in her heart and didn't want to be around her.

Rumpelstiltskin though…he looked at her in a way no one else had. At first, he had eyed her with this growing smirk, this grin on his face and a sparkle in his eye that told her he was inordinately pleased to have her services at his command, that he had 'acquired' her talent for his magical collection. He had looked at her like a tool to be used…for all of a day or so perhaps. But she had noticed a change in him, the more she was around him, the more she caught him looking at her. It had grown less him eyeing her with a smirk like he'd gained some sort of victory and more like he was merely observing her. One time or two she had even glimpsed him looking at her more softly than she was sure the Dark One would ever want to be seen as, he was looking at her like she was…a treasure. Not some sort of tool, not a jewel or some other thing that he coveted solely to possess but like…she was rare and special and needed to be protected.

He looked at her now like he WANTED to protect her, instead of that he was forced to.

That was a new notion to her. Her parents had cared for her, yes, loved her and wanted her safe and protected, her cousin had as well, but the way Rumpelstiltskin looked at her spoke of a deeper desire, one that was less about blood and more about…care. It was odd to think it, that he might actually care for her like that, but it wasn't actually all that startling when she considered little things that had changed between them the longer she was in his service.

What meant the most to her though, was that he didn't judge her. He took in the stories about her as though they were some sort of delightful tale, drank in her own recallings of past deals that weren't quite so well known as though they were the most interesting piece of history he were hearing. He didn't shy away from her, he leaned in closer, he didn't ignore her but focused on her, he didn't treat her like an object that could be used to see a means to an end but a person. He actually ASKED her for help now even though their deal had been all but cemented that she had to assist him in his deals. After the first trip she'd taken with him, where he'd needed help with the Muffin Man, he had changed his tactic from just bringing her with him and explaining what needed to be done, to telling her the story of the deal in question, the persons involved, first and asking if she would be interested to assist.

She always was though, which seemed to make him rather happy as well.

She'd actually started to notice that he came to her more and more, for more deals…even ones that were so easy she really only ended up just standing next to him and not doing much but observing. She would almost think he was actually enjoying spending time around her. She shook her head though, she was probably being silly, the Dark One was a powerful, immortal magic user and she was a half-siren pipe player, she was the caretaker of his castle, and she wouldn't be there forever. Once her cousin was safe, once the Evil Queen was taken care of and dealt with and (hopefully) executed, she could find her cousin once more and they could be a family again. There was no point in getting it in her head that there was something there between her and Rumpelstiltskin. She would leave and he would find another caretaker to fill her spot.

It wasn't like she was his true love or anything.

Not that she thought he'd even want one, if true love could break curses and many considered his magic to be a curse, she doubted he would want to give it up. She understood that. She knew that the man was centuries old, that he'd been cursed into the powers he had and that the man he was now likely wasn't the same man he'd been in the past. But it HAD been 300 years, that was ample time for someone to change, she knew that better than most as well. She had changed drastically from the little scared princess she'd been when her kingdom fell to a rather feared nightmare for children and parent alike. The man the Dark One was now was the man he was and she knew, based on her own experiences, that magic, the magic that one possessed was often the only thing that could keep them safe.

If someone tried to silence her voice, tried to take her siren-half from her…she wouldn't be who she was, she'd be missing a part of her. If they tried to suppress her magic or 'release' her from it, she wouldn't be HER. Her magic was a part of her, she'd been born with it, practiced it, it was in every breath she took. To be without her songs would be like choking her, she couldn't breathe or function without it. It was what she relied on to protect her, to get what she wanted, to keep her safe and make sure that no one tried to double cross her. It was the one thing she had left that tied her to her mother.

She could imagine it was the same for Rumpelstiltskin as well. The power had been his for centuries, it was a part of him now. To break it or try to 'release' him from the Dark One's curse would be like ending his life, tearing apart the man he'd grown to be and reducing him to nothing. He'd taken on the curse for a reason and, in 300 years, he must have had people come to try and take the power from him as well. If he still had it, it had to mean he WANTED to have it. He didn't want to be freed from his magic any more than she wanted to have her own suppressed. True love could be dangerous like that, more so for him, if the person using true love's kiss had no experience in magic. Magic was based on emotion and intent, someone would kiss him one day, wanting to break him from his curse…like Belle had attempted to do. But the thing was…Rumpelstiltskin didn't appear to view it as a cruse any longer, if he ever had. He needed someone that would kiss him and love him for who he was, Dark One and all, curse and all, so that the curse would not break and he could still hold the power that was such a part of him.

She shook her head and looked over at the doors, hearing a faint melody just outside them before a knock sounded. She sighed, putting her broom off to the side, resting it on the wall, before she moved over to the doors and pulled one open.

There was a short man there, balding, what was left of his hair was gray and what seemed to be missing from his head was made up for in the unruly beard he kept. He was rather plump as well, she truly would have thought him to be as wide as he was tall if it had not been for the fact she saw him wearing the heeled shoes of the more…prissy upperclass nobles, or those who were attempting to appear royal when they merely had a high title. His clothing was a rich purple and black, with gold accents, well made, well tailored, made of a very expensive fabric. She didn't care much for the style or cloth that came with outfits, had never really cared for dresses and fashions but her cousin had loved the ball gowns and the latest styles and so she'd been dragged into endless fittings for new dresses, she recognized the fabric of a noble when she saw it.

But this man was truly over the top about it, the amount of jewels he was wearing, the belt that was barely buckled around his expansive gut, the layers of draping and capes and all ruffles was just ridiculous. She also knew, however, what sort of man this was besides pompous. Desperate. She had seen it before, people coming to the Dark Castle in tall their regalia, wanting to make a show of power, wanting to make clear their status so that the Dark One might ask riches instead of favors, gold instead of valuable objects, jewels instead of people. They always failed to recall that Rumpelstiltskin could spin straw into gold so he had no need for more money, and the fact he had a castle of his own proved his own wealth and status, that he'd ask whatever he wanted and people, no matter how regally dressed, always caved to his wishes.

Even more so now that she was in his employ.

"May I help you?" she inquired, her face blank, almost bored.

"I dare say you shall," the man stuck up his nose. Piper was quite surprised when she managed not to laugh at how squeaky and ill-fitting it was and, instead, raised an eyebrow at him, "I demand to see the Dark One at once!"

Her jaw clenched at the demand, but she gave a slight nod and opened the door, "Follow me," she turned, leading him off once she'd shut the door after him, through the hall and to the main room of the castle. She didn't bother to knock, merely opened the door to see Rumpelstiltskin sitting at his spinning wheel, though his eyes were on the door as though he knew a new guest had arrived, which she was sure he likely had. He could sense things about his castle like that, "A client to see you," she offered even though it was obvious.

"Yes yes," he stood, making his way over towards the snooty man who had his nose stuck so far up in the air and above his face she was sure he had to be looking at the ceiling. He nodded towards the door, signaling he'd like privacy for this deal, waiting till she gave a nod and turned to go before adding, "Yes, yes, thank you, Pip."

She walked over to the broom, pulling it off the wall and starting to sweep once more before she stopped still and blinked.

Did he…did he just call her 'Pip?'

~8~

Ogres were not something Piper had encountered often, not really ever if she had to be honest. They weren't a part of the Enchanted Forest any longer, hadn't been for quite some time. They had been around centuries ago, there had been a massive Ogre War, so bad that it lasted years, so bad that even children had to be called to the front lines because the soldiers were running out. Something had happened back then that ended the wars, but now, centuries later, the Ogres had returned, not quite as massively as then, not as devastating but there were hints of them here and there, a kingdom or two attacked, a war starting up again. But Rumpelstiltskin had seen to it that it was contained, apparently a few kingdoms had made deals to protect them from the Ogres and it was easier for him to just rid the Enchanted Forest of the lot of them.

In foresight though, the Ogres couldn't be entirely obliterated, the Dark One might need them one day when things grew quiet and dull, lure them back into the Forest, let them cause havoc so that more deals could be made. Piper wasn't entirely a fan of the notion, more so because her cousin was still out there somewhere, hiding in the woods and if she was attacked by an Ogre she'd be furious. But she could agree that the foresight and the underhanded method of gaining more deals was to be appreciated. After all, that was essentially what she helped him do, gain more deals through her music and…she had a sneaking suspicion that a handful of deals she'd made where locusts and other infestations suddenly appeared out of nowhere were his doing as well, to get more deals for her. It was always good for business to have a backup to strum up business. So long as her cousin was unharmed by the Ogres she couldn't bring herself to care what might happen to others.

Call her selfish, she didn't mind, she WAS. There was only one person she cared for deeply enough to want the best for and to be selfless about, and right now that person thought she was dead.

Still, Rumpelstiltskin had been sure to tell her about the Ogres as they had headed towards where one was spotted, they were mostly blind, hunted by sense of hearing. She understood her use at that, bring HER as her specialty was for the more hearing-inclined, it would mean that the Ogres were more susceptible to her music and her magic if they relied that much on sound, it would resonate more deeply in them, she would be very useful in this endeavor. And useful she was.

Rumpelstiltskin had needed the eye of an Ogre for the deal he was making with the plump duke that had come to visit him. The man was determined to find a wife…but he wanted an attractive one, of course, such a man. It put a foul taste in her mouth at that, recalling when another kingdom had pressed both her and her cousin to wed their future king solely because they were said to be fair maidens. But it wasn't just that that the duke wanted, no…HE wanted to be attractive as well…at least till the women were wed to him and he could return to what he claimed was his 'natural state of Adonis.' He was repulsive. She'd had to serve him a meal while he 'negotiated' with the Dark One and watching that man pick at his meat and sputter out with his mouth full was so disgusting she was sure she would not eat for a week.

But Rumpelstiltskin had agreed, he would make a potion that would turn the man into the most attractive one that a human woman had seen, lure them in, and once they were married, the antidote would turn him back, slowly but surely so that the woman would be unsuspicious that magic was at use. Magical tricks when it came to marriage could be difficult to deal with and might make a case for annulment or divorce and then the deal would be reversed. The potion required the Ogre eye as it was blind and it would make the women blind to what the duke really looked like.

It was hard to come by, he'd told her as they'd walked there, but that was where she came in. Because it was blind it didn't know night from day and so her music, if a lullaby of sorts were played, would put it to sleep. If she happened to put it into such a deep sleep that he could get close enough to tear the eye out, the better. He had made it a challenge of sorts, left it up to her how she wanted to take the brute out, from what distance, what song to play, and so on. He'd even challenged her in a…playful manner, about her music, wondering offhandedly if a tiny siren, HALF-siren, could even manage to fell the beast. Most would have taken it as an insult, but she heard it, the giggling tune in his voice, the excitement he was feeling at seeing if it could be done, the anticipation in his voice, it was encouraging, HE had encouraged her in his own way.

And she did so love rising to a challenge.

Rumpelstiltskin had seemed to enjoy it as well when, without much fuss, the Ogre had been taken down. He'd magiced them near enough, let the two of them walk within distance that they could hear the brute stomping around and she'd stopped there. He seemed almost intrigued when she pulled her pipe out and began to play a soft tune right from there. But if the Ogre was really as strong in its hearing as was rumored to be, it should hear her even from a distance…

And the thud that had shaken the ground when the monster fell down into a sleep was proof enough that the rumors were very much true.

Piper stood there, a few feet away from the Ogre's head, watching as Rumpelstiltskin walked over to it, the imp having walked the entire length of the Ogre's body, around its entire frame and back to its head, observing it, "Well done, Pip."

Piper's eyes narrowed at that, this time more certain that he HAD in fact just called her Pip. But, just as she opened her mouth to respond to it, Rumpelstiltskin had reached his hand out, right into the eye of the Ogre to rip it out.

She stepped over, a small cloth and bag that he'd handed her in her gasp, holding the cloth spaced out for him to place the eyeball onto it, allowing her to wrap it up and place it in the small satchel that he could string to his belt.

"It didn't even wake," he mused, looking at the beast as it lied there, slumbering even with blood leaking out of its eye, not even flinching, not even seeming aware that it had really and truly been blinded.

"You requested it give us no trouble," she shrugged, "I always uphold my end of a bargain," she reminded him, "It shall sleep for hours more still."

Rumpelstiltskin hummed, "Even when the other Ogres are drawn to it by the scent of the blood?"

"Even then," she agreed, "I am very thorough."

"That you are Pip," he giggled, turning to her, clapping his hands at the excitement of it all.

She really was a wonder, to him, that she'd been able to fell an Ogre from a distance. He hadn't even had to get close to it nor get himself truly dirty to obtain the item he needed. He…wouldn't lie to himself and say that he'd put off this excursion. The Duke had come to see him yesterday, had stayed till late, and he had promised the man by the same time the next evening he'd have the potion all brewed and ready. He really had all the ingredients he'd need…save the eyeball. It was always so difficult to obtain though, always left him with a dead Ogre, with his clothing soiled and covered in blood, or with a horde of other Ogres angry and ready to take out another village and after dealing with one Ogre the last thing he wanted was to have to go save another kingdom from their rampage.

He…hadn't wanted to take her with him either, hadn't wanted to expose her to the true terror that an Ogre could be. And even if a little voice in his head told him that he could (and would) protect her, that she wouldn't be harmed if she went with him because he would NOT let harm befall her…he silenced it quickly. Because it was a pesky little voice that had been popping up more and more in his head as of late and was starting to irritate him. He told himself it was because she was a rather good business partner, that he was just protecting his future prospects in not wanting her to join him. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that if he failed to protect her or if her own magic was ineffective against Ogres (for who knew what a Siren could or couldn't sway, especially if beeswax was able to keep humans from being affected), then she'd be harmed or worse, dead, and it had nothing to do with him not wanting to see that happen.

Really, it was JUST because she helped bring in more business, make him more deals, JUST that.

Of course.

Yes.

Only that.

Why would he, the Dark One, care about protecting some insignificant little half-siren? He silenced the voice in his head that told him she was nothing of the sort the instant it rose up to try and counter him for it. But that little voice had been the one that had gotten him to take her, had been persistent. It egged him on, played on him, and he convinced himself that it was because he wanted to see what she was capable of, what her power held, how big a creature she could take down with just a bit of wood and air. Or at least he tried to convince himself of that. It really wasn't at all to do with that he rather enjoyed watching her perform her magic, how she got lost in her songs, how she put her heart and soul into the tunes, how much of a small thrill he got out of seeing the melodies her mind could conjure. She weaved her magic into her songs and it resonated in him, even if the song itself didn't affect HIM or wasn't meant to, he still felt it in his soul. He could feel the magic swirl around him, feel a pull, the siren call, the allure of her when she was using her magic.

She hadn't been lying when they'd first met and she'd remarked that her magic was powerful if it could affect him. It had to be, very much so, if it could still do it even when unintended. And it WAS the magic, it was JUST the magic affecting him, not Piper, not her, no, just the magic, he was sure of it. THAT was why he reacted to her as he did, her magic was invaluable to him and, therefore, so was the vessel that held the magic.

And that was all.

'Liar,' the small voice giggled in his head.

He shook his head firmly at that, not about to let it win again, it had already won in getting them both there, in getting her beside him to fell the beast. And he…could admit, that he was pleased with the outcome. It really was quite a bit easier when Piper helped him.

"Right then," he cleared his throat, "Back to the castle," he held out his arm to her, but she remained standing there, "What, breaking your deal dearie?"

"Dearie now?" she tilted her head, "Not Pip?"

Rumpelstiltskin blinked at that, straightening slowly, "I beg your pardon?"

"You have been calling me Pip," she informed him.

"Have I?" the way his expression tightened made her think he honestly hadn't been aware he'd slipped like that…or that he'd wanted to, that he'd wanted to call her that, but had been trying not to.

"Yes," she nodded, "Why is that?"

"People don't always call others by their names ALL the time," he tried to wave it off, "Most people call me 'The Dark One.'"

"Because most are not aware your name is Rumpelstiltskin," she countered, "Why is that?"

"There is a power in names, dearie," he told her solemnly, "The less who know my actual name, the better for me," he grinned.

She smirked at that, "The same for me."

"Oh?"

"You do not truly think my NAME is 'the Pied Piper,' do you?" she did her best not to let her smirk grown at that, knowing that he was aware that wasn't her name but that he was slightly bothered by the fact that he didn't know what her real name was.

"No, dearie, can't say that I do."

"You you are giving my title a nickname?"

"It…would appear so…" he struggled to actually admit that, admit that he had actually given her a nickname, it was so…childish, so improper, so…significant. Nicknames were what those who were close did, and they…they WERE that close, but they shouldn't be. They really shouldn't be. Because they were business partners, because she was his caretaker, because he didn't know much about her, because…

Because there was a danger in being too close…and Piper was growing closer to him than any had been in a long, LONG time.

Piper paused to consider that for a moment, making him shift in discomfort.

"Is that…disagreeable?"

She nearly smiled at that, at how he was considering her feelings on it, "I do not believe so," she began, before the smirk was back on her face, "Rummy."

Rumpelstiltskin blinked at that again, "What?" he sounded almost scoffing, offended, and amused at the same time.

"You wish to shorten what you call me, I shall do the same," she said simply.

"Yes, but…Rummy?" his nose crinkled at that, "Can you not just call me Rumple like everyone else?"

She raised an eyebrow at that, testing him, "Would you wish to call ME something that everyone else does?"

She had gotten him there, blast her, he realized. The entire point of the name he'd been calling her in his head, that had slipped out by his traitorous tongue, was that she wasn't just the Pied Piper to him, she wasn't even just Piper any longer, a small little possessive part of his mind (not his heart, it couldn't be his black and shriveled heart too!) had taken to thinking of her as his Pip.

Piper stepped closer to him when he remained silent, obviously caught, "No one but you has ever, or will ever, call me Pip," she promised him, "Just so no one but me shall ever call you Rummy."

His eyes narrowed, "And how can you be so sure about that, dearie?"

She gave a subtle shrug, "I would assume that you would kill any that dare call you that if you reacted so to me saying it."

"What makes you think I won't kill you for it either?"

"Because you need me," she shot back, quick as ever, "Kill me now and our deal would be broken and you would not have access to my music for your deals. So…" she held out a hand to him, "Have we a deal?"

"Deal," he nodded after a moment, taking her hand to shake on it.

"Now," she took a breath, "We should return to the castle and see to it that the eye is put to good use, should we not?"

But this time it was HIM that made no move to transport them off, just…staring at her with a small frown.

"What is it?" she wondered, her own expression starting to morph into a matching one, "Rummy?"

He shook himself out of his thoughts at that, "You felled and Ogre," he murmured.

She nodded slowly, "I did."

"It was quite impressive."

And dangerous, very stupidly dangerous and what had he been thinking bringing someone of her talents, that were needed FAR more for MAKING deals than seeing them through, with him when she could have been killed and their deal broken anyway.

"Many thanks?" she shook her head slightly, not entirely sure what he was going on about.

"Not many could do it," he continued, starting to speak quicker, trying to recover his thoughts, "Not many would face one. It was…brave," she was silent now, letting him work through what he was trying to say, "Such a feat should be rewarded."

"Is the eye not reward enough?"

He felt his lips quirk at that, a giggle escaping him at how her first thought had gone to HIS reward, instead of realizing he was offering something to her, "A deal," he corrected, "For you, with…no payment required."

"A favor?"

He grimaced at that, "I don't deal in favors."

She nodded, "A one-sided deal then."

He considered it before giving a nod, "Acceptable," he agreed, "Now…what shall it be?"

"You wish to know NOW?" she blinked up at him this time.

"Yes, yes," he huffed, not wanting to drag it out, not wanting it to fester that he, the Dark One, was giving someone a…gift, no…not a gift, a favor…no! A one-sided deal, just as she said, yes, that was it. He didn't want people to think he was going soft so the sooner he dealt with it the better, "What'll it be?"

Piper looked down a moment, then over at the Ogre, thinking about it, her mind racing, but then…her thoughts drifted back to the other morning, to her sweeping, to what she'd been thinking about then. True love…how powerful it could be, how rare it was, how desperately people wanted it and how…how it could make someone stronger.

"True love," she breathed.

"What?" his eyes widened as he gaped at her.

"My request," she nodded, looking up at him, "I wish for you to find someone's true love for me."

Rumpelstiltskin honestly had no idea why he felt like he couldn't breathe, why he felt like there was a weight settling on his ribs, why he felt like his heart was clenching in the most painful way at such a request. He didn't know why his ears were ringing, why his heart was pounding, why he'd suddenly gone very stiff and tense, nor why he was gaping at her for it. She…wanted HIM…to find someone that truly loved her?

No!

NO! Wait, no that wasn't what she said!

He let out a breath, "Whose?" he asked, his voice coming out more wheezing then he would ever admit to, with a hope he would swear was not in there.

But if she noticed, she said nothing, just smiled, "Snow White's."

A/N: Awww :) I wanted to show how they got their nicknames for each other :) I hope you liked it ;) I had a few lines more after the end of the chapter, but it felt better to end where it was here :)

Also, wanted to apologize for not posting yesterday. I'm preparing to restart one of my Doctor Who stories and I really want to get all the chapters for it edited before posting and I spent most of the day doing it. It took longer than I thought it would and by the time I started to look at this chapter I had a pounding headache and I think I went cross-eyed for a little lol :)

Some notes on reviews...

I can say Piper will return to the Enchanted Forest, she was still born there just like Snow :( Emma was only immune because of being the Savior :(

Unfortunately I'm putting Proffy off till (hopefully) Wednesday :( I just want to get ALL her chapters edited first so I can post them at the normal times again :)

We'll have to wait and see when Piper might be pregnant ;) I can say that I would very much like Gold to be around for the pregnancy though }:)