Past

"Emma. What a lovely name."

Those were the first five words Gold ever spoke to her in Storybrooke. Those also happened to be the first five words that the humble spinner Rumpelstiltskin said to her when he took her in to stay with him and his son temporarily. It was the same man, but those five words were uttered so differently between them. The way Gold said it was cryptic and creepy. The way this version of him said it was sincere, as if he truly meant it.

After falling into Zelena's time portal, it only took her an hour or so to figure out that she had fallen into the past. Not just the past, either, but the Enchanted Forest centuries before she was born. She had landed painfully in a sprawling green field and was forced to limp with a sprained ankle until she stumbled across a young boy with a head full of dark curls, not much older than Henry, playing alone with a wooden sword. She recognized his brown eyes immediately as the same eyes of his father. How could she not, when she had spent so much time admiring them, matching them in wit, and trying to read the complex thoughts behind them?

Bae had brought her home and his father, who had put her in a state of quiet shock when she first saw him there, offered her a roof and a warm meal of homemade stew. He did not demand anything in return, even when she offered all the money in her pocket. Besides, it was the wrong currency. They had no idea who George Washington was and she felt it was better not to confuse them with an explanation.

It was impossible to move very far with her ankle swollen, so she stayed until it was healed. And even when it was healed, she stayed a little longer, at Bae's request. Yet she could tell, from the unnatural pleading look in those endless brown eyes, that Rumpelstiltskin didn't want her to go, either.

So she stayed.

She had to do something to repay them for their kindness and help out in their hovel, so Rumpelstiltskin taught her how to spin like a pro. He didn't yet have magic, so there was no gold at the end of their efforts, but he was eternally patient and tender, guiding her hands along the wheel. They made twice as much in gold that week at the marketplace and had a meal that, though still small in portion according to Emma's usual habits, was declared a feast by Rumpelstiltskin and Bae.

For Bae, she was resourceful enough to make him a ball out of dark leather and cotton, tearing her brown leather jacket into strips to accomplish it. It wasn't too hard or pretty, but it made him smile. More than anything, that reminded her of Henry and, to an extent, her home. They kicked that ball back and forth and she taught him how to play a basic form of soccer. She even let him win three goals. At the end of the day, Bae told her he was glad to finally have someone to play with outside. Rumpelstiltskin claimed that he'd never seen his son smile so much in a single day or fall asleep so quickly when his energy was spent.

Emma found it hard to fall asleep most nights. Her dreams were haunted with memories of home, her old life, her friends and family. Her parents and Henry. Gold. It broke her heart to imagine never seeing them again, but she knew it would also break her heart to leave these two behind.

This wasn't her Gold. Not yet. He seemed like a completely different person and she could not resist staring at him for long periods of time. Inevitably, she compiled a list in her head of the differences between Gold and Rumpelstiltskin.

There were no witty remarks, no sly smiles, no double entendres. No shady deals, no dark secrets, no tendency toward violence or revenge when he was upset. This man kept his eyes lowered, his head bent, his fingers almost constantly busy with spinning so he could provide food and comfort for his only son. Those skillful fingers were marked with rough calluses from hard work while Gold's were softened by a small bottle of cucumber-scented lotion that he carried around in his suit. She wondered if he knew that she knew.

Tan, tattered cloaks and scuffed boots instead of expensive, fashionable suits no one else could afford.

Rumpelstiltskin had opened his home to her and eventually his heart. He was more forthcoming in answers to questions that she asked out of curiosity and his only desire was to be loved. When he got up the courage to kiss her, it was slow and timid. Uncertain, but sweet. When he made love to her the first time, one late night in winter, it was so gentle. He handled her like he was afraid she would break apart in his hands.

The way he looked at her was different: not leering, not calculating, but in a sympathetic, shy manner. Even the way he spoke her name: not slithering, but delicately. Happily. Scarcely, as if he wished to preserve it. Not a single drop of manipulation.

The limp was the same, as was his face and velvet accent. Everything else, though...he was a stranger. Completely different from the man she once knew. He was honest, kind, and quicker to smile. It made her question how he came to be that man she knew.

She didn't know precisely when it happened, but she discovered one day that she was falling in love with him.

And his boy...his beautiful, baby boy...the strangeness of him being Henry's father wore off with time and she started to love him in a new, more innocent way. Like he was her own child. Every time she got him to smile, she would smile easily in return, her steps lighter than she could remember in a long time.

She may not ever find her way home, but, until then, she would not be unhappy if their home became her new one.

...

A/N: I've always wanted to write a one-shot in which Emma met the humble spinner Rumpelstiltskin. I hope everyone liked it. Of course, I want to thank those that read and reviewed:

CrypticCobra: Thanks for reading! Guess we'll have to see how Emma turns out in the next season. A dark-haired Emma might be a welcome change, though I admit I sort of like how she's one of the only light-haired characters on the show. Glad you enjoyed the chapter, anyway!

Grace5231973: As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read and review! Ah. at least someone else remembers Jen Morrison on House! It's one of my favorites. I can only imagine that there were worse conclusions that Gold was considering, so dark-haired Emma was probably a bit of a relief for him. Just imagine if she told him that she 'went dark' in that text! The poor man would probably expect to be married to a second Dark One when he got home!

orthankg1: Okay, it's official. I'll make that special request the 50th one-shot. Don't worry, I'll be accounting for all sorts of small details. Plus, setting it for the 50th one-shot will give me even more time to work everything out. I do like the challenge and I will try my best to satisfy your request. It's definitely going to be a big one.

1994omi: Thank you for the request again and I kind of liked coming up with something creative for it. I'll probably still write a one-shot where Emma actually does go dark, just to see how Gold handles it. It totally blew me away how much dark-haired Jennifer Morrison looks like Ginny Goodwin. They could be sisters, if they weren't busy playing mother and daughter on the show.

Thank you, everyone, for reading! (-: