A/N: Okay, so I went to Comic-con today in London and met Raphael Sbarge! He's so nice! Anyway, I decided I would give you all an update because I feel so happy, I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think please and make my day even better than it's already been! :)
Also, thanks to spike847, impureevilregal, MadeofCandy, anakin900 and YellowBrickQueen for reviewing/favouriting/following :)

That evening, Regina stole into her mother's room, hiding in the shadows as she made her way to where her mother was sleeping peacefully on the bed. Her father had told her that her mother always slept with the book under her pillow. Now all she had to do was get it without Cora waking up.

Biting her lip, she reached her hand under the soft silk of the pillow, watching her mother carefully for any sign that she might be waking up. She was thankful when her fingers closed around something hard and book-shaped and she allowed herself a little smile as she pulled the dark book out, smoothing her hand over the cover. She had done it; now all she had to do was to summon the man that made her mother into who she was.

With one last, swift glance at her mother, she left the room, shutting the door carefully behind her and hurrying to her own chambers so she could be alone.

She stepped out onto her balcony after checking that Talulla was sound asleep and rested the book on the wall before opening it to the first page, hoping to find something that would help her find the identity of the mysterious man. It only took her a second to see the words scrawled in the top left corner of the page, stating the words: Rumpelstiltskin, I summon thee.

Frowning, Regina tried to sound out the name. "Rumplesht… Rumpleshtikskin? I summon thee," she demanded, but with a slight question in her voice. Would it work if she'd said the name wrong?

"That's not how you say it, dearie. But then, you don't have to say anything." The young woman jumped and turned round at the sound of the voice coming from inside her room. Shocked and utterly confused, she hesitantly walked inside, only to see a strange looking man, if you could call him that, lounging in her chair.

"What are you?"

"What, what, what? My my, what a rude question. I am not a what," the man said, standing up, his large hazel-green eyes watching her.

Regina bit her lip and looked down. "I'm sorry, I don't really know what I'm doing."

"That much is clear," he said snappily before the rudeness seemed to leave him. "Allow me to introduce myself. Rumpelstiltskin." He stooped into a low bow.

The young woman went to curtsey. "And I'm–"

"Regina, I know."

She looked up, startled. "You do?"

"But of course."

"Because of my mother, Cora," she realised, remembering what her father had told her. "You taught her."

"My legend precedes me." The man smiled smugly, but Regina wasn't paying attention, her mind had wandered somewhere else.

"People say I look like her when she was younger," she commented, looking at him and turning her head from side to side so he could see her features, expecting him to answer as everyone else did.

"Really? I don't see it. No, that's not how I know you."

Regina's brow creased. Now she really was surprised. There was something about this Rumpelstiltskin that she couldn't quite put her finger on, something a bit… odd.

Her thoughts were only confirmed further as he walked towards her and started to circle round slowly, making the young woman shift uncomfortably.

"Oh, how then?"

"I knew you long ago, dearie," he said, suddenly stopping behind her and leaning down to whisper into her ear. "It's been some time, but I knew this day would come. I've been waiting for you."

He pulled back as Regina gasped.

"And I'm so happy… we're back where we belong." He continued to circle her until he was stood in front of her again.

"Where's that?" she asked curiously.

"Together," he whispered, his eyes growing large as Regina shivered. What did she say now? She hadn't been expecting him to know her. She certainly didn't know him, she would have recognised that sparkling face, those weird eyes, no, she didn't remember ever meeting him.

While she was away in her thoughts, Rumpeltiltskin wandered further into the room, fascinated by the crib next to Regina's dressing table. This time, it was his turn to frown as he saw little Talulla tucked up, fast asleep.

"Who's this?" he asked, turning back to Regina. "I wasn't aware of another child."

"That's my child," Regina replied and ran over to snatch the baby up into her arms before Rumpelstiltskin could touch her.

"Your child? Interesting…"

He stepped towards her, but Regina took a pace backwards, her eyes narrowed cautiously, not trusting the man.

"Oh, I won't harm her, dearie. I have no interest in harming a child. I am only… curious." He cocked his head to one side, looking at the young woman with the hint of a smile on his face before taking another step forward. This time Regina stayed still, although she still swallowed as the man's long fingers hesitated softly over Talulla's cheek.

"This is not the King's daughter," he said accusingly, but with a bit of wonder in his voice.

Regina looked up at him with concerned eyes. "How do you know?" she whispered.

"Because, dearie, I know everything, including all about your childhood. I held you in my arms, you know. You were younger, more… portable." He looked into her eyes. "There is much history between your family and me, dearie. History both in the past… and in the future," he said, his face lighting up as he took a step back.

"Then can you help me?" Regina was hopeful, her eyes pleading with him. This is why she had called him in the first place.

"Possibly, dear. You seek power?"

Regina look surprised. That she certainly didn't want.

"The death of your enemy?" Rumpelstiltskin guessed again.

Regina looked disgusted.

"The death of your friend?"

"No!" Regina cried out finally. "I don't want to hurt anyone."

Rumpelstiltskin frowned, unconsciously moving back towards the young woman. "Hard to believe you're from the same family," he murmured. "So… kind." He trailed a hand down the frozen woman's cheek before placing his other hand on her opposite cheek. "So gentle, so.. oh!"

He held up a finger as Regina nearly jumped out of her skin at his outburst, moving away from him, wide eyed, before he continued.

"So powerful. You could do so much if you just let yourself."

Regina looked down and shook her head sadly. "But I don't know how," she said and turned away, her shoulders slumping. Something her mother would have told her off for, she thought, and immediately shook it off. She was here to get rid of her, what she would say wouldn't matter anymore if he would help her.

Looking down at her daughter, she set Talulla back down in her crib and moved towards the balcony, clearly troubled. Yet Rumpelstiltskin wasn't disheartened and followed her, setting his hands on her shoulders and turning her around.

"Well, let me show you the way," he suggested, indicating to a large parcel covered in a cloth that now stood in the centre of her room and leaving Regina to walk over to it.

Regina gasped in shock. "How did–?"

But the man didn't let her finish. "Magic. It can set you free."

Regina shook her head firmly, fire in her eyes. "I don't want to do that; use magic. That's what she did. I don't want to end up like her."

"No, no, of course not, but that's the beauty of my gift. You don't have to. It…" His eyes flickered towards the package. "… will do it for you."

Regina bit her lip and looked at the cloth, tempted. "What is it?"

"A portal," Rumpelstiltskin said simply. "A passage between lands. This is a portal to a. Specific. Annoying. Little. World." He walked back over to Regina, swinging his finger at every word as though he was conducting an orchestra. "Useless to me, but for your purposes, are perfect. You're unlikely ever to see her again."

Regina sighed and wandered over to it, feeling troubled. Should she use magic? It would be going against everything she believed in, but Talulla would be safe from her mother's clutches. She would be gone, never to return.

"All she needs is a little push," Rumpelstiltskin continued to encourage. "The question is… can you do it?"

Regina hesitated, biting her lip. She didn't know whether she could do it. Could she do it for Daniel, for the safety of their child? But what about her mother? She did love her, no matter what she'd done, so did she really want to push her into the portal? Yet could she risk Cora finding out?

She turned round, her mind made up. "I think I…" She stopped short, Rumpelstiltskin was nowhere to be seen. "Rumpelstiltskin?" She looked behind her, he wasn't there either. He was gone.

She sighed. It was entirely up to her now. Up to her to decide the fate of her family...