Lacey

Piper stood at the edge of the park, watching as Henry and Neal played swords with small wooden ones, a small smile on her face, Gold beside her, her arm in its sling still. They were on their way to the hospital, to have her arm checked out and see if she could possibly remove the sling and try and get some movement back into her arm but they'd passed the park and just…had to stand there a moment and look on.

The last couple days had not been easy at all, especially for her and what happened to August.

Mary Margaret had walked with her to Gold's shop, with her able to keep her tears in until she saw the man standing at the counter. It had only taken him one single look, one quick glance up to see who had entered, to know that something was wrong and that she was hurting. He was at her side in an instant, her in his arms, secure the moment she started to openly cry, something she would not have allowed anyone but him and her cousin to see. Mary Margaret had been beside her as well, her hand rubbing her back, tears in her own eyes at the suffering her cousin was enduring.

Gold hadn't asked a single question about what happened, knowing it would be useless given that she was crying about it. All he knew was something had hurt her deeply for her to cry like that, to see that comfort in his arms. So he kept his questions quiet, also knowing that he would not ask her about it either, he would not reopen those wounds. So many people had tried to ask him about Baelfire, had tried to get him to talk about it before he was ready and all it did was hurt him and pull the wound open again. When HE was ready to talk about it, he did and only when he was ready, Piper never forced him to talk, never asked, left things open for him to pick up if he wished to speak, but never tricked him into it so he could extend the same courtesy to her as well.

He had magically transported the three of them back to his home, telling Mary Margaret that he was going to help her lie down a moment and to make herself comfortable before he guided her to their bedroom…which left Mary Margaret both flushing in embarrassment and nearly cringing as she recalled all those candles that her cousin had bought during Minor's Day and why she'd bought them. But Gold had returned shortly after, after she had managed to lie down and roll over, sniffling but needing a moment to cry alone as well. He'd given her space with the promise to return quickly and gone to see Mary Margaret making hot chocolate for them. He had asked HER what happened and learned the horrible truth of what happened with August, how he'd turned entirely to wood and nearly died, how the Blue Fairy had saved him but turning him into a real boy again…but a real boy at the same point as when he'd first become real, with no memories at all of Piper or his time in this world, just a little boy.

He'd asked Mary Margaret to leave for the moment and turned to return to Piper, knowing better than most what it meant to have lost their son, to have raised them and lost them and even though it was a different situation and circumstances, he would not let her be alone in her sorrow. He knew, if he'd had Piper when he'd lost Bae…he would perhaps have been better off, less hurt, but he didn't and she had him now. He knew that Mary Margaret hadn't quite left, but peeked in at the two of them, lying in his bed, with Piper in his arms, him whispering in her ear soothing words and running his hand through her hair, just the two of them lying together, before she'd left.

It was all the comfort that he could provide her at the moment, if they tried to break the magic on Aug…Pinocchio, there was a chance that he would revert back to the state he'd been in when the magic had been cast and die. Piper refused to risk that. She had told him how she'd subtly asked Gepetto to raise the boy as his own, with no mention of her, her way of trying to give him his best chance, because he'd started to turn to wood because of how SHE had raised him. Perhaps Gepetto would have a better chance this time and Pinocchio a better life.

Well, perhaps that wasn't all the comfort he could provide. He had stayed with her in the day or so after, kept her company, held her when she was upset, but he'd also promised her that, if they found proof that the Blue Fairy had intentionally done this to harm her, to punish her for being his true love or for some other spiteful reason…he would present her with the woman's wings ripped off and pinned to one of those collections boards that butterfly collectors used. She had smiled and kissed him rather deeply in thanks for that promise, knowing full well that he had been longing for a reason to do that to the fairy for centuries now. But, unfortunately, they had no proof that that had been the Blue Fairy's intention. Oh she could speculate, she could see maliciousness in her smile (where there might not have truly been), she could watch the fairy like a hawk and want to hurt her…but the fairy was, at the moment, an ally of her cousin and trusted by Snow White and she was protected in the fact that they could bring no proof to anyone that the Fairy had done this on purpose.

The moment that they did…oh there would be hell to pay for the blue gnat.

Piper had managed to gather her strength though, after a few days with Gold there to comfort and support her and…there was a new threat to be seen.

That night, that same night that August had been lost to her, Gold had gone with her to the room at Granny's that had been paid off to the end of that month to gather what she had left of him. That was the problem with the locator spell they tried, August had taken everything that belonged to him, but there were some things she had that belonged to HER about August, pictures and mementos of their lives before Storybrooke. She had albums and a few mother's day gifts from him that she wanted to bring with her to Gold's. She and August had been using the room together and those were the items he'd left. She's left them there as well, thinking that he might come back for them…but he hadn't and it had been time to collect them.

Gold had been packing the last of the things in a box on the bed when she had heard someone in the hall, had heard the songs of two people…Greg Mendell and Tamara in the hall and gone to look. What she saw had shocked her…they were kissing. Greg and Tamara were kissing in the doorway of Greg's room before they'd entered and she'd just…stared out the peephole she'd spied them through in alarm. There was no justified reason for that to happen but it was. Tamara was not only cheating on Neal…but she clearly knew Greg and that was not something that could be a coincidence in terms of how Greg was there and then Tamara came and there was more going on.

But she was at her wits end about everything and it was too much, it was all too much and she couldn't think about that right just then. She needed to gather her thoughts and focus. She was almost happy when she felt her heart starting to harden as the sorrow of what happened to her son began to set in. It helped clear her mind, it helped focus it, it helped push her to realize that that little boy was still in danger with Tamara and Greg in cahoots with each other and she was NOT going to let them cause any more harm to him or her family. She could guess, when she realized how Tamara had showed up so soon after August was harmed, how she'd showed up AFTER he'd passed and not when he still had strength to point. There was no reason for anyone in Storybrooke to kill August, not even Regina, not when Henry would have witnessed it…and August had been saying 'She' before he died…Tamara was the only new 'She' in town and she had been RIGHT there.

She felt her heart stronger for that, for that hardening, because if it was Tamara, which she suspected it was, if she and Greg were planning something, which she suspected they were, she would kill them both.

And she would NOT use her magic to do it this time.

But it was almost worse, it wasn't just her that was suffering this either, Gold had been having nightmares since they'd learned that Henry was his grandson. He'd woken just that morning in a panic, waking her as well, turning to her and apologizing over and over till she managed to calm him and see what was bothering him. He'd dreamed that it was Henry's birthday and that he'd allowed him to pick an item from the shop. Henry had picked a wand and he had, instead of showing him how to use it, turned Henry into a porcelain doll...and smashed him with his cane.

She knew, he'd met a seer once, who had told him there would be a boy that would be his undoing. He had sworn that he would kill the boy instead of allow him to end his life…only to realize that boy was his grandson. She wasn't worried at all about what might do to Henry, the fact that he woke up and his first thought was to apologize told her that he would regret doing something to the boy. He couldn't harm Henry even if he wanted to, which she doubted he did. Despite what happened in the past, he did love his son more than his magic, he loved her more than his magic too and he had sworn to her, had adapted their original deal to include protection for her entire family. He would never break his deal and harm Henry like that.

But times were tense and there was so much going on, so much to work through, and she really wanted to have full use of both her arms to see it through.

After all, it was easier to strangle someone with two hands.

"Seems like we all have been pushed to the side lines," Regina's voice broke into Piper's thoughts as she and Gold looked over to see the woman approaching them.

"What are you doing here?" Gold rolled his eyes at her, not even slightly worried that she would try something against Piper, not in full view of Henry anyway.

"The real question is what's your son doing with mine?"

"Oh that..." he began before he saw Piper's smirk and realized Regina didn't know, "That's right, you didn't get the birth announcement, did you? That's Henry's father."

"What?!" Regina gaped.

"Honestly Regina, must we give you the lecture on the birds and the bees in relation to Baelfire and Emma?" Piper remarked with ease.

"You're Henry's grandfather?" Regina looked at Gold, "And you…" she narrowed her eyes at Piper, "You're his…"

"I prefer Aunt," Piper shrugged, knowing it was complicated to say his grandmother's cousin in terms of working out what she and Henry were and how many times removed and great whats.

"Guess that makes us family!" Gold grinned gleefully at Regina, loving how irritated she was, "He's got my eyes, don't you think?"

"Hmm…" Piper hummed, tilting her head at him, "I do believe he does."

"You did this!" Regina nearly screeched, pointing an accusing finger at Gold, as though he'd planned all this to happen.

"Hardly," Piper scoffed.

"Trust me, dearie," Gold chuckled, "It was as much a shock to me as it is to you."

"Me as well," Piper sighed, she hadn't quite gotten the chance to truly ask August why he hadn't told her he'd found Baelfire in all the chaos from before, now it seemed she wouldn't know the truth of it. All she knew was what Neal had told her along the way, that he'd requested no one know who he was and that August had held to that for some reason.

"No," Regina glared, "You must have known! When I adopted him, it was you who procured him for me. You expect me to believe that that was a coincidence?"

"No, not coincidence," Gold shook his head, "Fate. And apparently, fate has a sense of humor."

"Fate," Regina spat, "So, you're playing the part of the loving grandpa now? They won't accept you, no matter what you do. Not your son, not any of them."

"We'll see."

"They do have a fondness for protecting blood," Piper murmured, "They have already proven their desire to see Rummy safe and protected solely for being Henry's grandfather," she turned to look at Regina, "What blood claim to YOU have to him?"

It was a low blow, she knew, from one adoptive mother to another, to bring up blood in comparison to how you felt for your child. August was her son, in every way that counted except in biology. Just as, she knew, Henry was Regina's. But she couldn't bring herself to care that much, not after losing her son, not after her heart hardened, what pain might come to Regina from her words. She knew it would sting to know that the two people before her had a closer blood bond to Henry than she ever would.

"I've already seen," Regina muttered, ignoring Piper's jab but it was all too clear to them that Piper's words had gotten to her, "But I've seen your dark heart and it always wins out. You always choose darkness."

"You think you know me, dearie," Gold sighed, sounding slightly amused, "But you don't."

"I know you well enough. If your own son couldn't bring out the good in you, who will?"

"You know…dark does not always mean evil," Piper called when Regina turned to leave, "Dark is a shade of gray, gray contains white in it, contains a lick of good," she eyed Regina, "Tell me, majesty, which of the three of us has a moniker of Evil to them?"

Regina glared at her before she turned to storm off, and Piper smirked. Dark didn't mean evil, Dark meant there was still a little good left in them. Dark was potential for either way. It was surprising how many people failed to realize how much good could come from the dark and shadows. She and Gold had proven that over the years, helping move things along, helping to protect when others were unaware, even if their methods were questionable, some good did come from it eventually.

~8~

Piper was not happy even as she sat in the car with her cousin, Emma, and David on their way to a field on the edge of town. Whale had refused to allow her to be without her sling, all he'd conceded was that she could use a looser one, allow herself more movement and freedom, but she still had to wear one and it was irritating. She'd never really been injured in the last 28 years, had been cautious and been careful and hadn't really been so constrained, she also hated it because she rather preferred playing her pipe with two hands than one. It was a good thing in the sense that others would underestimate her, but another in terms of the fact that she was just irritated in general. One never realized how much they used their hands till they couldn't use one.

Gold hadn't been very pleased with Whale either, but there was little they could do because of the magic resistant bullets that had been used. They had been heading back to his shop when David and Mary Margaret had pulled up near them and requested Piper's attendance with something. Gold had wanted to come but hadn't felt fond of being crammed in the car with them and so she was going herself, promising to tell her about what they wanted when she returned.

She could guess why they were at the field though, Mary Margaret had mentioned that Anton was back in Storybrooke and that he had some bean cuttings that they could use to try and grow some magic beans. She hadn't thought the conditions of Storybrooke would be good for growing such beans, as the Giants were in the sky and she could assume the air pressure was different, but then again, Anton would know best.

"Why are we in the middle of nowhere?" Emma asked as they got out of the car and headed for the field, "Why aren't you guys telling me what's going on? Why the secrecy?" she glanced at Piper, "Do you know something?"

"Because you need to see it," Mary Margaret smiled, answering before Piper could.

"Great. That always goes well for me. Listen, whatever it is, it can wait. August was trying to warn us about something…someone dangerous."

"Doesn't matter," David countered.

"The hell it doesn't!" Piper snapped at him, "My son died and I lost him to giving that warning so do not dare tell me it does not matter!"

Mary Margaret winced, "He didn't mean it like that," she tried to reassure Piper, already knowing that she and David hadn't always seen eye to eye. And his words hadn't been the best choice of them, but she knew he hadn't meant it like that, where he was trying to insult or demean what August had given up to try and help them.

"He just meant, well…come see," Mary Margaret stepped forward and disappeared from their eyes, David following.

Emma looked at Piper for an explanation, a little shocked.

Piper reached out her good hand and watched it disappear, "Cloaking spell," she remarked, "They are on the other side of it," she glanced at Emma and stepped through the spell, Emma with her, appearing in a tended field where magic beans were growing.

"Piper!"

Piper had barely any time to look over before she was being picked up in a big hug from Anton, being squeezed by the human sized giant, wincing a little at the tightness of it against her shoulder, "Hello Anton," she managed to smile though as he set her back down.

He blinked and poked her arm, "What happened to your arm?"

"I was shot," she told him.

He frowned and looked back at David with a suspicious look, "By James?" he whispered to her, just a little louder than an actual whisper.

"No," she sighed, "By that pirate we asked you to hold onto for a short while."

"The one with the hook?"

"Yes."

"I don't like him."

"Neither do I."

"So…not James then?"

"No, James is dead."

"But then why does he look like James?" he pointed at David.

"His twin brother," she told him, Mary Margaret having warned that the giant was leery of David even now, had refused to believe he wasn't really James till SHE could confirm it, "That is David," she added, "As irritating as his brother, but with a better heart."

"So he…he hasn't hurt you?" Anton asked, trying to be quiet again but not quite managing it.

"He has tried from time to time," she said easily, waving it off, "I am the quicker draw though," she gestured at her boot with her pipe in it, "He never harmed me Anton, not like James or George did."

"Good," Anton smiled, giving her another, lighter hug, "Cos…cos I'd punch him if he did," he told her, "I won't let anyone hurt you Piper, not after all you did to try and help me."

She smiled at that, "Many thanks, Anton, that means the world to me and I am sure that will mean much more to Rummy."

"Rummy?"

"My true love," she said, not quite sure if she should bring up that her true love was the Dark One just yet, even the Giants knew about him.

"I would like to meet him one day," Anton told her, straightening, puffing out his chest slightly, sounding very much like an older brother she never had, "Make sure he's doing a good job."

"He is and you shall," she reassured him, "I think he should like the help in dealing with Hook for shooting me," she nodded at her shoulder.

"It would be my honor to assist," Anton nodded, blinking as he seemed to realize something, "Are you here to help? It's not quite harvest time yet."

"Not at the moment, no," Piper told him, "Snow wanted Emma and I to see this and see you," she glanced at Emma, "You remember Emma yes?"

Anton looked over and waved at Emma, but Emma was staring at the field of beans, "Beans. You're growing magic beans. That's what you were up to when we were in New York? Why didn't you tell me?"

"They told me," Piper offered and Emma gestured at her as though repeating the question to her parents.

"We are telling you," David replied, "We kept it a secret to protect the crop. Mother Superior, she cloaked the area," he ignored Piper's scoff of disgust at the thought of fairy magic, choosing instead to use 'Mother Superior' instead of the Blue Fairy given what happened to August, "That way Anton can do what he does best."

"Throw darts?" Piper jested, making Anton smile.

"I am the best dart thrower around," he puffed out his chest again in pride, recalling that Piper had been one of the few genuinely impressed with his display in the tavern so long ago, "But, yeah, I do this pretty good too."

"Um, Anton," Emma glanced at him, "Don't take this the wrong way, but w-why-why are you so..."

"Small? Cora," he frowned, "She and Regina brought some magic to make me human-sized. Kind of like it."

"Enough lollygagging!" Leroy called and they looked over, as though just noticing the dwarves were all gathered there as well, "Back to it."

"Wow," Anton grumbled, "Dwarves really like to work. It's great to see you, Piper," he gave her another hug.

"Please find me in town later Anton," she told him, "I will either be at Granny's, Snow's apartment, or Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop, and we can have dinner with Rummy."

"I'd like that," he smiled, nodding before he turned to walk back to the dwarves.

"You want to use the beans to make a portal, to go back to the Enchanted Forest," Emma turned to David and Mary Margaret, "That's the real reason you didn't tell me. What about Ogres and destruction and danger?"

"Ogres and danger are not that much of a threat," Piper waved it off.

"And we can fix the destruction," David nodded, actually seeming to agree with her for once, "We can fix all that. We did it before, we can do it again."

"We can start over, Emma," Mary Margaret smiled.

"So, you've changed your mind?" Emma frowned, "You wanna go now, too."

"Not my mind," Mary Margaret shook her head, "My heart. Our family…this world has cost us so much, and we're struggling here Emma. There's just…so much pain…"

"And having your lives hunted down and kingdoms burned isn't painful?" Emma countered, recalling the stories of Snow White and Rose Red.

"It was home," Piper said, "This world is a reminder of everything we have lost, of the reasons why we are here. To be back in the Forest…we can rebuild," she told her, "This is a cursed land Emma, whether you wish to believe it or not, and we are trapped here. Home is freedom."

"It'll be good for all of us," David began, "The…" he glanced at Piper, "Whole family," he let out, knowing that this world would always be a reminder to her of how she was separated from Snow White and True Love, how her son had been lost and…he understood, it was a reminder to him as well of how his daughter grew up without them.

"We're from there," Mary Margaret nodded, "You're from there."

"No, this world is…my home," Emma argued.

"And it's been nothing but cruel to you," David reminded her, "If we go back, I think you might be able to have your happy ending."

Piper looked at Emma, knowing already that she wouldn't be willing to try this plan, but…if Henry wanted to go, which she knew he would, she doubted Emma would just let him go alone. And if Neal was as dedicated a father as he was trying to be, he would return with them as well.

~8~

Piper sat across from Gold in Granny's Diner that night, she'd gone for a walk with Mary Margaret after they'd left the bean field and passed the park where Neal and Henry still here…but Neal was speaking with Gepetto and Aug…Pinocchio was playing with Henry, the two seeming to get on very well. She'd caught sight of Gepetto and he'd given her a sorrowful wave and bow of his head, but she'd just given him a nod back and a small smile. It was hard, it was the hardest thing she'd ever experienced, seeing her son running around, seeing him looking around for his father and his gaze going past her again, seeing him running to hug Gepetto and she was left standing there. But she stepped back and she walked away with Mary Margaret, back to Gold's shop and spent the rest of the day polishing the items there, much like she had done in the Enchanted Forest when she was thoughtful on something or affected by something, she'd just absently clean and he said not a word, understanding.

But eventually time had come for the shop to close and he had led her to the Diner for a small dinner, like a date he had said, making her smile. She loved the little 'dates' that they had together, both in this world and in their 'courting' in the Enchanted Forest. Many people would refuse to see it, but she did, he was really and truly a sweet and romantic man it was just his reputation that got the best of him. When she had first come to Storybrooke, a few of the people had pulled her aside to warn the 'new girl' about him, especially when it became clear that they were close. They would say that he was a powerful man, a dark man, ruthless even, that people got hurt when they crossed him and to get away while she could. She had probably startled a few of them when she just laughed, smiled, and told them that was what she was counting on him to be. She wanted to know that, she wanted to know that he still inspired that level of fear, that he was still the same man she'd fallen in love with and held in her heart for so long.

And then…when they remembered who SHE was…their reactions were priceless that they'd tried to warn, of all people, the Pied Piper, away from the Dark One.

But that moniker of 'The Dark One' was really so overused, Gold could be a dashing hero as well as a cruel villain, and he was gentle, especially when he wanted to woo his lady and she was rather glad SHE was his lady.

She had just started to smile as he held up his glass of wine to her, toasting her strength silently, to be able to endure what she was, the loss of her son, even though he was still alive, when someone stopped by their table. She looked up, blinking when she saw a face she'd only glimpsed around town, a face that was often glaring at Gold and her for associating with Gold, a face that had been 'taken care of' staring back at her. She glanced at Gold who was frowning at the woman, as though he were trying to work out why she was there and what she wanted.

"Can I help you dearie?" he asked dryly, with no intention to actually help in his voice, "As you can see, we are in the middle of something.

But then the girl said something that startled them both.

"Rumpelstiltskin," Isabelle French began, looking at him, "I remember you."

A/N: I know this chapter didn't have much of 'Lacey' as in the episode, but there was a bit of the whole Belle was never in the hospital to begin with, she never needed her memories of this life to really recover nor her original memories thing. So I wanted to try and follow the episode as much as I could, but hold off on the big 'uh oh' moment till the end. Belle remembers }:) We'll have to wait and see what happens next ;)

I can say though, Robin Hood in the next chapter ;) And then we get some serious Tamara-suspicion going from Piper and a bit of sharing between her and Emma ;) And some Anton meeting Gold ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Lol, thanks! I fixed it :)

Aww, I'm sorry :( It killed me to write that chapter too, because of August :'( I can say we'll be shifting away from Piper's loss a little more after this chapter...she'll be very focused on Tamara and Greg and revenge ;) So far there's no drumming, which I'm thankful for ;)