The Hunter and the Hunted

Rumpelstiltskin stood in the doorway of the cell that the Pied Piper was currently lying in. She was on her back, on the floor, her feet up on the wall, her arms beneath her head and crossed, just…lying there with her eyes closed. It was an odd thing to walk in on. He was honestly surprised that this was what he was seeing, he hadn't been expecting it. Of all things, he'd actually thought that he'd step in and see the cell mysteriously empty. That, perhaps, she had charmed the rats and other insects in the castle to steal the key to the cell and create some sort of tower of themselves to put the key in the lock and escape. It was a foolish thought, utterly ridiculous…were it not entirely possible. He had heard tell of the things she could do with her music, and he had to admit…she HAD charmed him into the woods as much as he'd wanted to deny it. She'd charmed him right to where she wanted him before he'd even realized what was going on.

But this…well, he tilted his head to observe her, still in her travelling clothes, her cloak cast to the side with her bag which was…odd. Why didn't she use her cloak as a pillow instead? Why didn't she take anything out of her bag and set it up as though the room were her own, which it was. THIS was going to be her bedroom. Or…at least he'd planned it that way. But this…this was putting a bit of a damper in his plans. He liked his caretakers to be scared of him, to be uncomfortable, so that they wouldn't dare cross him, so that they'd be ever so thankful when he showed them some sort of comfort that they'd fawn all over him like he was some benevolent god instead of the Dark One. He liked breaking them…but the Piper was proving already, within just the first day, to be unlike the other caretakers.

For one…she appeared…comfortable. He should have guessed that given that her first words about the room were essentially that she didn't mind and that stone was better than dirt. And she was just…lying there! Like she was entirely at ease, like she wasn't trapped in his dungeons. She hadn't even stirred when he'd thrown the door open, hadn't even flinched, and he knew she was still awake. She was…quite the conundrum.

"Did you have a task for me?" she asked after the moments of silence and staring dragged on, still she didn't open her eyes though.

And for some reason he found himself preferring that she would. Her eyes were a…unique shade of green, well not really, but they were…a good color. It reminded him of the forest outside his home, of the Never-Ending Forest that he often sent people to get trapped in. It was a very good shade of green.

He nearly startled at that, at her sudden question, most caretakers only spoke when they were spoken to, "No."

THAT seemed to be enough to get her to open her eyes as she tilted her head back to look at him upside down, "Then might I inquire as to the visit?" she smirked a little, "Did the Dark One miss me already?"

He wanted to let out a scoff at that, but it came out as more of a giggle, "Careful with that tongue of yours dearie," he warned.

"Or what?" she challenged.

"Or you shall find yourself without it."

She shrugged, seeming not at all perturbed by that, "I do not need a tongue to play instruments."

He blinked, well, it appeared threats were lost on her.

But she wasn't done there it appeared, "If you had another use for my tongue though, I feel you should at least begin a proper courtship first."

He started to sputter at that, completely thrown that she would think of that or say that or assume he would ever consider that, no, no, kissing was bad. Belle had proven that kissing was very bad and he did NOT want to kiss Piper or Belle or any woman, ever, never ever again. No, not if it meant he would lose his magic for it.

"I am not here for a courtship!" he pouted.

"Then why?" she asked, closing her eyes again.

"I was…merely trying to ensure you were still alive."

She frowned and sat up this time, turning to him, "Why would you believe I was dead?"

"The cell was silent as the grave," he said simply.

"And that is…bad?"

"It is unusual."

"How so?"

"You weren't sobbing," his face pinched in disgust, "Many other caretakers, they all get ever so weepy about being here."

"I am not many other caretakers I can assure you of that," she countered, pushing herself up more but not standing.

"I see that," he eyed her. She was…truly at ease, not at all upset to be there. Well how was he supposed to use the cell against her when she was just as comfortable there as she'd be I a room? She was making things complicated.

"If you prefer, I can fill the room with music so you know I am alive."

"Music or magic?"

"Which would you prefer?" she countered, "This is YOUR castle, I believe it would be up to you. My magic, at your command, that was the deal was it not?"

"It doesn't have to be all the time, dearie," he said before he even realized he'd said it.

He wanted to say that he didn't know where that had come from…but he did. His magic, it could be controlled by the dagger that had his name on it. Whatever the holder wanted, he would be forced to do, his freewill, his magic at their beck and call. The deal he'd struck with her…it was like the contract was his dagger and HE was in possession of it. He…could understand what it felt like to have the thing that burned inside him being used by someone else and…he honestly…only for deals. He'd promised himself, only for deals would he use her magic, perhaps for some displays or defense, but no more than was necessary.

"Many thanks," she gave a small nod of her head.

He tilted his head and looked at her, opening his mouth to ask her how desperate she had to be, to truly be, for her to offer him control like that…when the sound of shattering glass reached them.

"Come," was all he said to her as he turned and rushed out of the room, Piper following him to the source of the sound, where a man was sifting through his possession in the main room of his house, grabbing a magic wand and holding it up to look at, "Are you sure you wanna do this, dearie?" he called.

The man spun around, pulling the hood of his cape off to reveal a man with short black hair, stubble, and brown eyes as he glared at them, a bow in his hands and now aiming an arrow at them, "Pretty sure."

"If you don't know how to use that wand, it can do nasty things to you."

"Well, then...I'll stick to what I know works," he tensed the arrow, "Do you know what this arrow can do to you?"

"Has to hit me first," he teleported to another part of the room.

The thief smirked, "Shouldn't be a problem. An arrow fired from this bow always finds its target," his gaze flickered to Piper, "But who says I'll be aiming for you!" and quickly turned it on her, clearly thinking that the man would either poof her away or poof in the way as he nearly released the arrow.

Piper was quicker though, only having to open her mouth to a shrill whistle that had the man letting go of the bow, nearly dropping it as he stumbled back, his hands pressed to his ears to keep the piercing note out as Piper stepped up to him, making it louder and louder the nearer she came.

"Well done dearie," Rumpelstiltskin walked up to the man still on the ground and putting a hand on Piper's shoulder to signal her to stop, "But don't you know? All magic comes with a price! I'm not the only one with magic here," he grinned, looking at Piper, impressed with how passive her face was at the blood dripping down the thief's nose as he passed out on the ground.

That trick could be quite useful when people tried to run away.

~8~

Piper stood in the main hall of the Dark Castle, polishing some candlesticks, a broom beside her, ready to start sweeping when she finished, not even flinching at the sounds of the thief screaming in a side room.

"I'm gonna need another apron," Rumpelstiltskin grinned as he entered the room, an old, once-white apron tied around him and splattered with red.

"You shall have to wait I am afraid," she remarked.

"And why is that?" he came to the table and leaned against the side of it, his eyes flickering from her work and her eyes to his apron and back, as though he were waiting for her to notice or remark on the blood covering him.

"Your prior caretaker was horrendous at removing bloodstains," she said simply.

"And you are better?" he asked.

"I have been taking care of myself for many years," she set one of the candle stick holders down and picked up the second, "I am not a princess that has her ladies tending to her spotted clothing. I am no stranger to more copious amounts of blood as well."

"No, I don't suppose you would be," he eyed her, knowing that her first reference was about women in general, but that the second was about her own terrible past. There was quite a bit of red spotting along her timeline, and given that she only seemed to have that one dress to her name and he saw no traces of blood on it, he could assume that she was as adept as she claimed in removing blood, "How long shall it take?"

"Long enough for his wounds to start to heal," she glanced at him, a small spark in her eyes.

He felt a wide smile forming on his face, "It does seem to hurt more when the wounds are reopened, doesn't it?" he hummed a moment before he pulled his bloody apron off, "Fix the others and get to cleaning this one as well," he handed it to her, watching in interest as she didn't do what Belle had done once before, grip it with the tips of her fingers and in the cleanest part of the apron, but just grabbed it, uncaring of the blood on it and took it from him, "I'll be back later."

"I have a question," she called as he began to leave.

"Yes?" he spun on his heel and held out his arms.

"You are doing this merely because he tried to steal a magic wand?"

"No," he shook his head, "Because he tried to steal from me. The Dark One. You try that, you get skinned alive. Everyone knows that."

"It does not appear that HE knew that."

He blinked, she wasn't reprimanding him for it, but commenting, "Well they will after they discover the body."

"Hmmm…" she hummed.

"Yes?" he raised his eyebrows, not sure if he should be irritated she appeared to be countering that in her mind, "What is it?"

She shrugged, "There will be less thieves coming to steal from you if they find him like that," she remarked.

"Yes, and?"

"I should have thought you would miss the screaming."

He blinked at that, starting to smirk, "I should have thought that it would be an alarming noise to you, the screams."

She gave him a smirk of her own, "I am no stranger to the screams of others," she told him, a hint of darkness and danger in her words as she merely turned and resumed her polishing of the candlestick holders.

He stood there a moment longer, eyeing her, before he turned and strode out of the room, considering perhaps he should leave the body somewhere it wouldn't be found, unaware of Piper watching him go.

She waited till he was out of sight, till he was far enough away, before she set the candle stick holder down and turned, walking into the side room to see the thief was tied up. It appeared to be a special torture-themed room, not quite the dungeons, but a room meant to hold a prisoner for the Dark One's use.

"What?" the man glared at her, as she turned to close the door behind her, "Did he send you to finish the job?"

Piper paused, looking at the wood of the door before closing her eyes and taking a breath, spinning around, her eyes wide with fear and alarm, as she rushed over to him, "No, no, I'm so sorry that he is doing this to you," she hurried for his bindings around his wrist holding him up, "I had no idea he would do this to you when I stopped you. I'm so sorry. I can't let him hurt you like this anymore. It's…it's monstrous."

"I-I couldn't agree more," the man winced as his one arm fell out of the bindings, "But I fear now he'll turn his wrath on you."

"It'll be ok," she smiled at him, tentatively, "I…I'm new here, I can try and make him think I didn't know better," she gave a small laugh, "I don't think anyone deserves to be tortured."

"Well, he may beg to differ.

She looked over her shoulder quickly, "You have to go," she hurried to the other binding, releasing it, "He'll be back soon. Go!"

"But he will…he will kill you," he looked at her, trying to contain his wincing, "Unless-unless you run away with me!"

She shook her head sadly, "I can't run. I've a deal with him. Protection in exchange for serving him. I…I cannot leave or else I…I might lose my magic," what a lie.

"All I can do is wish you luck," the man told her.

"And I you," she smiled, "Now quickly, go," she led him to the window of the room, "There should be ivy enough for you to climb down and…"

"Yes," he leaned out, "Yes I see it. Thank you," he turned to her, already climbing out the window, giving her one more smile, "Thank you for this," before he began to climb down.

Piper's expression morphed into a dark smirk, "My pleasure," she murmured, reaching up to close the windows and make her way back into the main room to wait for the Dark One to return.

~8~

Piper looked up from where she was sweeping as Rumpelstiltskin walked back into the main room, "I'll try not to be too loud," he grinned at her, clapping as he finished tying another apron onto him, "I can't promise the same courtesy from our prisoner."

She stood there, waiting and watching as he walked into the side room, counting down silently in her mind until…

"PIPER!" Rumpelstiltskin shouted, storming out of the room with a fierce glare on his face, "Where is he?!" he demanded.

"Is he not there?" she gave him a small, amused smirk, "Ooh, he must have escaped."

"Or you let him go!" he nearly snarled.

"Ye of such little faith in your new caretaker," she tsked.

But he grabbed her arm, not even earning a flinch from her, "Why would you let him go? He was a thief!" he turned and stormed over to the items he'd seen the thief pilfering around the other day, "He took the wand! He wanted magic and took the wand!"

"You were going to kill him," she told him simply, "Right there, in that room."

"I have every right to!" he shouted, letting go as a thought hit him, "Oh, let me guess. You think he's a hero, stealing from me for some noble cause. I thought you, of all people, wouldn't be THAT gullible dearie. People who steal magic never have good intentions!"

She let out an exasperated breath, "I did not free him for that purpose."

"Then what was it?" he nearly snarled.

She rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head as though it should be obvious and walked over to where the thief's bow and arrow were lying against a chair, picking them up and walking back to hold them to Rumpelstiltskin, "I thought that you would enjoy the thrill of the hunt more than a stationary target," she looked at the bow, "What better irony, to hunt with the man's own bow?"

He blinked and stared at the bow and arrow before a dark grin began to spread across his face. He let out a giggle as he took the bow and arrow from her, "I do love the thrill…" he murmured, and glanced up at her, "And, because it was your blessed idea, you get to come with me and watch," he stepped closer to her, "And know, as the blood drips from his carcass, it'll be you and your rags to wipe it up."

"Hmm…" she hummed, as though considering that.

"A problem dearie?" he smirked, "Your stomach not strong enough?"

"No," she shook her head, tilting her head but rolling her eyes up to lock on his, "I merely thought it would be more entertaining to allow the animals a decent meal."

He let out a delighted giggle at that, "Ooh I like you Piper," he told her, stringing the bow and quiver onto his back and holding out his hand to her to take, the two of them disappearing in a puff of red smoke a moment later.

~8~

"I'm losing track of him," Rumpelstiltskin frowned as he and Piper trekked through the forest that his magic had led them to, the locator spell he'd used on the bow moving slowly, Piper in her brown travelling cloak beside him, the clasp having been magically fixed by him at the start of their trek through the greens and browns, "This forest is too thick."

"Is there any way to speed up the locator spell?" she inquired.

"No," he muttered, "And we cannot let the thief escape! What would people think if I spared the life of someone who stole from me?"

"That you were going soft, I should think," she answered even though she knew he wasn't asking an actual question.

He shot her a small glare over his shoulder that didn't hold as much power as it would have just after he'd discovered the thief was gone, "And whose fault would that be?"

"Well yours," she challenged, "If you and your magic cannot find a simple man hiding in the woods," he turned back to their quest, the two of them falling silent for a moment before she asked, "You could have killed me, after you saw him gone."

"Yes."

"Why did you not?"

He glanced at her, "We had just made a deal," he remarked, turning back, "I doubted you would do something to break it so soon."

She started to smile, "You thought I had a good reason to do it."

He made no noise of acknowledgement that she was right, even though she was, "Be thankful that you did dearie."

"Why? What would you have done had I simply let him go?"

"You saw the thief."

"Yes."

"That," he added, "But much, much worse."

"Would you really?" she challenged, not sounding at all like she believed him, "Look me in the eye and repeat that."

He rounded on her, "Don't tell me you are one of those sniveling fools that believe that I am not as dark as I want people to believe. That, deep down, there's love in my heart, for something more than power?"

"Hardly," she looked him right in the eye, "I know how dark you are."

"Ooh I doubt that very much dearie," he smirked, "I assure you, I'm darker. Much darker."

"I shall look forward to you proving it to me one day," she told him, "I prefer to see with my own eyes than trust the word of strangers."

He started to smile at that, about to tell her that he would expect the same from her, to show him the truth of what she's like than the stories he'd heard of her. He'd seen glimpses of what she could do, he'd seen flashes of darkness in her eyes, but he wanted to see it come out fully.

"What are you doing in my woods?" a voice demanded.

They looked over, standing only a foot away from each other, to see a man in a sheriff's garb had leapt out of the tress beside them, his sword out, dark haired and dark eyed, seeming as pompous as a man could be to threaten and demand anything of the Dark One.

"Pardon the intrusion, sheriff," Rumpelstiltskin began, slightly shaken that he hadn't heard the man sneak up on them, that he'd been that focused on Piper that he'd not noticed, "Uh, I'm looking for a thief. He attacked me with this bow. Uh, I…I traced him as far as these woods, and then he vanished."

"Yes," the man sighed, "I know exactly who you're after. But I also know who you are, Rumpelstiltskin."

"My reputation precedes me," Rumpelstiltskin grinned, "Excellent."

"Yes, as does your penchant for making deals," he sheathed his sword again, "I'll tell you where you can find your thief if you give me something in return."

Rumpelstiltskin was not amused, "What do you want?"

But the man just grinned at Piper, "A night with your wench."

"She's not for sale," Rumpelstiltskin nearly growled at that, taking a step forward, as though to block her from the man's leering gaze.

"You can't part with her for, say, an hour?" the man tried, eyeing her up and down, seeing her jaw clench as though she were literally biting her lip to keep from speaking, his gaze flickering to the pipe in her boot, "A musician," he grinned, licking his lips, "I bet you have a talented tongue. I should love to test that theory."

"You try," Piper spoke, her voice tense but eerily calm, "I bite your tongue off," she warned, "I have done it before."

The man seemed actually startled by that, by the venom and threat and truth in her voice and stepped back at that, but Rumpelstiltskin just giggled and tapped his fingers together in glee as though he'd just been hit with a rather remarkable idea, "Ooh, I propose a new deal," he flicked his hand and the man fell to his knees, clutching at his throat and staring in horror at the pink lump that was floating in the air before him, his tongue, "I give you this back and, in return, you tell me everything you know about the man I am hunting," he tsked as the man tried to speak, "You ought to be more careful with your possessions," he tilted his head, "Do you agree to my terms?" he put his hand to his ear as the man only succeeded in making gurgling noises, "What was that?" he laughed as the man tried to speak again, "Alright, I'll take that as a 'yes' then," he flicked his hand and the tongue disappeared in a poof, the man gasping and touching his jaw, the tongue returned, "Start talking!" he barked.

"The thief that you're after," the man swallowed, scrambling to his feet, "I've been chasing him for years. He ruined me! He stole the woman I love and made me the laughingstock of all of Nottingham!"

"Where can I find him?"

"Well, the last I heard, he was hiding out in Sherwood Forest."

"What of his name?" Piper asked, making Rumpelstiltskin look at her, "There is a power in words," she murmured, and he nodded, understanding, there was a magic in itself of how much words had power of others, from a curse to a name, it could be useful to know.

"Robin Hood," the man answered, "He goes by Robin Hood."

Rumpelstiltskin nodded and turned, about to trek off when he paused and looked back, hearing a thump, to see that Piper had smacked the man across the face with a rock she'd picked up, knocking him out.

"What?" she gave him a look when he turned to her.

"Nothing, dearie," he smirked, waiting till she caught up to him to poof them to Sherwood Forest, the locator spell picking up instantly and leading them through it, towards this Robin Hood man.

It only took a few more minutes of silent walking before the bow stopped tugging in Rumpelstiltskin's hand, indicating they were there, that Robin Hood was near. He looked around, and then down a small incline, realizing he and Piper were standing on the top of a little hill, overlooking Robin Hood as he stood there, looking around but making no move to continue in any direction.

"Found him," he grinned.

"Who is he waiting for?" Piper wondered, but it was answered a moment later when a small cart was wheeled over to him by two men pulling it. He seemed to thank the men and send them off, pulling a blanket down off the back of it to reveal a woman lying in the back, pale and sickly, seeming close to death, "Hmm…the woman he stole from the sheriff."

Rumpelstiltskin glanced at her for how she didn't comment on the wand or the fact that the woman was ill, that the wand was likely for her, "It appears she's going to die," he murmured.

"Does that matter?" she looked at him, "He is a thief. The law is the law."

He grinned at that, finally someone who understood! You break a rule, you face the consequences! He looked down at the bow and arrow, then to the man as he ran the wand along the woman, curing her, bringing the healthy tone back to her skin and helping her sit up to hug her, "Care to do the honors, dearie?" he asked, holding up the bow to her.

She eyed it with a raised brow a moment, "Are you certain?" he nodded as she took the bow, "What if I miss?"

"The bow is enchanted," he reminded her, "The arrow never misses its target. Here," he turned her, moving her to the side, to the proper stance, and lifted the bow, an arrow already in his hand. He out his one hand on hers, just on the bow, used his other hand to help her pull the string back, making sure the arrow was notched before his hand on the string fell to her shoulder. He tilted his head to the side, his nose brushing along the back of her head, his breath ghosting along her ear as he whispered, "Focus on the target dearie," he murmured, "Hit him and leave her to tell all of Sherwood Forest what happens when you cross Rumpelstiltskin."

Piper focused, watching as the man helped the woman stand, revealing a swollen stomach on the woman, "She is with child."

He looked over, "Does that matter?" he whispered, feeling his heart beating in his chest at how close he was to her to help her keep the arrow aimed, his hand moving from the bow to her forearm, not even realizing that his thumb was stroking the skin of her inner arm, "The law is the law, is it not?"

Piper considered them a moment before she let out a breath, releasing the arrow…

And striking the tree just behind Robin Hood's head.

The man's gaze shot up, looking around, but missing them above him, "We've been found!" he cried, turning to the woman, "Marian, we must go!" and rushing off with her.

"What happened?" Rumpelstiltskin frowned, stepping away from her, "It should be impossible to miss."

"I did not miss," she turned to him, placing the tip of the bow on the ground, resting her hand on the other end of it, "I intended to strike the tree."

He frowned, "And why is that?" he asked, starting to learn that she did things for a reason, that if she aimed for it, there was a cause to it.

"Look at them," she gestured back, turning to look over her shoulder a moment as she observed the two fleeing through the woods, a dark smirk appearing on her face, "I know from experience…it is much more fun when they are afraid," she turned back to him, the darkness flashing in her eyes as well. She knew, of course she knew…but from the opposite end, SHE had been the hunted and she knew, she saw it in the eyes of her hunters, it was more fun for them when the prey was afraid.

It was time she experienced it from the other side.

Rumpelstiltskin let out a pleased giggle, clapping his hands, "Ooh yes it is dearie," he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, "I can almost taste it as well," he opened his eyes and held out a hand to her, "Shall we?"

She grinned dangerously and took his hand.

Let the hunt begin.

A/N: I can say that Rumple gave Piper something as a small treat after the hunt, but we'll have to wait till the third story to find out what ;)

I know Piper might be seen as a hypocirte for experiencing being hunted and doing it to someone else. But that's purposeful. No one is perfect and Piper's reached a point of not caring. Her life and her heart make it hard for her to feel much empathy at times. I think it adds a little more sinisterness to her, that she can endure something and then do it to someone else }:)

Some notes on reviews...

Yup, Outlaw Queen will happen, just like in the show ;)

Ooh nope, Piper and Robin are not going to see eye to eye after this chapter }:)