Sloth: This chapter originally had a different start that was heavily Devie. And Doug played the part Dopey rather than Dopey's son. I decided to change tactics and go over how I wanted to take Doug's character before I cemented his fairy tale counterpart. So instead of that, I decided to give some brief VK shenanigans.

As for whether Devie will remain...eh, I'll just follow the story.

Anyways, enjoy!

Chapter Three. Fortune Favors the Brave

The Enchanted Forest. Many Years Ago.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

There had been many things they had seen during their travels. Giant bean stalks that reached to the skies, tiny sea witches with pirate fetishes, and even an elephant graveyard. But in all that time, the rotten little teens had never seen anything like the Dark Castle before. It was both beautifully built with faded white walls, while looking utterly imposing as dark rotting ivy stretched over across the walls. The sight made Evie shutter.

"So this is the Dark One's castle," Mal's voice hummed unimpressed. "I've seen better."

"Are you sure this is where it's at?" Jay asked as he gazed over the imposing walls. Evie would already see the gears turning in his head. She'd bet three pieces of gold that he was already trying to figure out which of the many windows he should break down first.

"Yes," Evie answered. Carlos walked over, his own eyes following the walls. In his arms, Dude whined and fussed.

"I don't mean to be rude, but you sure?" the small boy asked. "I mean, your mom's the Evil Queen. Why would she give Rumpelstiltskin a heart?"

Evie let out a calm, steady breath. The chilled air that hung around the Dark Castle sent shivers down her spine, but it paled to the discomfort she got from about to break into the home of Rumpelstiltskin. She had seen him many times in her youth. Her mother taught she had protected Evie from the imposing imp. But Evie had been too curious for her own good. Even now she could still feel her skin crawl as the imagine of Rumpelstiltskin's crooked teeth and crocodile skin flashed through her mind.

"Mother knows keeping it in my grandmother's vault wouldn't stop me," Evie explained. "But with Rumpelstiltskin…"

"It's almost guaranteed that no one's ever going to see it ever again," Mal finished. "But luckily for us, the Charming's got him locked up."

"And, how sure about that are you?" Jay asked. When the muscle of the group looked nervous, you knew there was something wrong. Mal however, looked as confident as ever. She ran her fingers through her purple locks as she examined the place. Gingerly, she waved her hand over the front door, revealing a weak magical barrier over it.

"I'm confident," she grinned. The magic was so weak that a novice could break it down. With a flick of the wrist, the protection over the doors broke and they creaked open. "Now, let's go find us a dwarf's heart. Shall we?"

As Mal turned to her, Evie smiled with gratitude. Gratitude for all of them. They didn't have to come with her on this journey, and yet, here they were. They were going to ransack the beast's castle to find her Dopey's heart. If she thought she couldn't do this before, she sure as hell did now. With her head held high, Evie strutted over to Mal, her blue hoop skirt bouncing with each step. She stuck her arm through the crook of Mal's arm.

"Oh, we shall," Evie grinned. Together, the girls marched forward, blue and purple bouncing in sync as led the charge into the Dark Castle. Carlos and Jay followed, the youngest of them allowing his dog to roam the castle to his little heart's content. Dude looked around, sniffing the walls and curtains. He yipped in approval before trotting to his master's side.

The four of them laughed as they explored the abandoned castle, unaware of the eyes that followed their every step.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Storybrooke, December 21st, 2001

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Hey, Evie."

The mayor's daughter looked up from her locker. Doug was walking towards her, his purple beanie skewed on his head and as he adjusted his glasses, Evie felt the butterflies in her stomachs flutters. No. She had to push that feeling down. He's taken, she told herself. Her and Mal might not be the best of friends, but she wouldn't do that to the blond. Checking her mirror to see if she was blushing, Evie smiled at the boy.

"Hey, Doug. If you're looking for Mal, she's already gone."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Her foster mom needed her at the ice cream shop."

"But it's December," Doug pouted.

"Yeah, her foster mom's real weird about it," Evie frowned. It was like Ms. Fisher lived off the cold or something.

"Well thanks. Want to come with me to meet her?"

Yes, her heart said.

"I'm sorry. I've got to get home and watch Henry for the evening."

"Ok. I'll catch you later then," he walked off without another word. Sighing, Evie closed her locker and made her own way out of school.

Distracted by her thoughts, she didn't notice her locker neighbor until they collided into each other. Books and school notes scattered to the floor. She let out a string of curses that would make pirates blushed before angrily bending down to pick up her things. While her anger wasn't directed at the other student, she noticed how he flinched.

She felt guilty at Ben's expression. "No. I'm sorry. That wasn't directed at you," she tried to reassure him. It was no secret that Ben was…skittish. Putting a gentle smile on her face, she tried to make herself seem as harmless as possible. It was only when he started picking up his things did Evie picked up her's. As she picked up her things, her hands came upon a large leather bound book. She looked over the gold embroiling. "Her Handsome Hero. I didn't think you were into cheap romance novels, Ben."

The boy's eyes grew wide and he started shaking his head while his mouth opened and closed like a guppy. He timidly gestured for the book, trying to get it back and Evie relented. She'll admit, the smile he gave her upon receiving the book was infectious.

"Must be a really good book. It looks really worn out and –"

Evie will admit, it was her fault for trying to grab the book. But the instant her fingers brushed against the leather. His head snapped towards her, which was probably the fastest she'd ever seen him move. Before she could even say anything, he took off, bolting for the front door.

"W-wait. Ben." He was gone in the crowd and Evie sighed.

She couldn't do anything now. Standing up, she moved forward, poised and regal as a princess.