Sloth: I swear there's a plot somewhere in all this Ben angst. It's just going to take a bit for it to be revealed. Unless you can guess it. :3

Chapter Twelve. The Purest Heart

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The Enchanted Forest, Three Months Before the Dark Curse

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His hand dug into the older man's chest, sliding in as if there was nothing to stop him. Even as he heard the sharp intake of breath of the people around him, he didn't hesitate. His fingers curled around the man's beating heart. A satisfied grin split across his face at the man's pain. Without hesitation, he pulled, ripping the heart out of his victim's chest.

The heart glowed a brilliant red in his hand. The rhythmic pulse of the heart was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. The heart was smooth and felt like glass. A delicate thing that held so much power. Power he now had in his fingertips. With an impish smile, he turned his gaze at his kneeling victim. Hazel eyes looked up at him in surprise and hurt.

"Why?" the man asked.

He only grinned.

"Because I can."

The man's screams of agony as he started crushing the heart was something else. It was an adrenaline rush. A high he'd never experienced before. This was fun.

"Stop!" a new voice called out to him. He turned to the violet haired sorceress, pouting in annoyance. "Please. This isn't you."

"Oh but it is, Dearie. Always has been. Always will be," he cackled as he played with the glowing heart in his scaled hands.

"Killing him won't bring your mother back," she tried to reason. "Please, Ben."

Ben just tilted his head. He turned back to his victim, watching as his grandfather looked up at him, reaching out for desperation. For help. For forgiveness.

"I know."

He crushed the heart without hesitation, reveling in the feeling of ash slipping through his fingers as his grandfather took his final breaths.

…

…

…

Ben woke with a gasp of terror. Sweat was trailing down his brow and his yellow shirt stuck to his chest uncomfortably. But his discomfort was put aside as his mind failed to catch up with the rest of his body. He looked around the unfamiliar darkness around him, hazel eyes searching for something, anything that would push the darkness away. Something that would ground him in reality. A groan to his left drew his attention. He latched to the sound and to the figure sprawled next to him. The familiar white curls tan skin jogged his tired brain. Slowly the memories came to him. He was in a tent with Carlos and Jay. They were a day's journey from Port Tortuga, where Mal was planning on acquiring a ship to take them to the Fairy Graveyard. Their journey was nearly complete.

He ran his fingers through his hair, stopping for a minute to check them. Even in the darkness of the tent, he could see that his skin was pale and pinkish, not a sparkling gold. They were warm and sweaty, not cold and scaly. And yet…he could feel a phantom weight in his hand. As if he had been holding onto something small and fragile.

He started wiping his hands on his pants.

"Hey."

He snapped his head to the quite voice. Jay was up, looking at him in concern.

"I…I'm sorry I didn't mean to…"

"Hey, it's ok. I'm a light sleeper anyways. Someone's got to keep watch for you guys," Jay smirked as he sat up. Ben just nodded, biting his bottom as he tried to rid himself of that terrible feeling in his hands.

"You're going to cut your lip if you keep doing that," Jay teased as he lightly patting Ben on the shoulder. It was a gentle, comforting pat, something Ben didn't expect a tough looking guy like Jay could do. And yet the simple gesture helped ease him just a little bit. It wasn't enough to rid the feeling of disgust he had, but it was good to know someone was there. "Why don't you go get some air? It'll help."

"Will it?"

"Yeah. Carlos used to have nightmares when we first started traveling together. Fresh air and water seemed to help him. Give it a try."

"Uh…Thanks. I'll give it a try," Ben said. He sat there for a minute before finally crawling out of the tent. He stood outside the tent, waiting to see if maybe Jay would join him. A quick glance told him Jay was going to just lay back down, leaving Ben alone in the campsite.

He could feel the cool night air embrace him as he stood alone. It did feel good, but still not enough to get that horrific nightmare out of his head. He made his way to the river, hoping its icy cold water could help. As he walked, he couldn't help but see the nightmare play in his head again.

He had never actually met his mother's father. In fact, if his mother had never kept a tiny portrait of his grandparents in the library, Ben wouldn't even know what the man looked like. But from what she told him, Ben would have probably enjoyed meeting them. His grandmother was a lover of books like he was, and grandfather sounded like a benevolent ruler. But since he never left the castle and his grandfather dared not come to the Dark Castle, they never met in person. And it's not like his father would want them to meet after what happened to his mother.

His father was anything but a forgiving man.

Reaching the river bank, Ben kneeled down and splashed his face with water. The icy water sent a shiver down his spine, but it helped to wake him. The awareness helped push back the lingering nightmare. He could think a little clearer now. But he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

His mother's death had been a sore subject for two years now. He didn't know exactly of what happened, his father didn't want to go into detail, but all he knew was that his Grandfather Maurice was involved somehow. His mother had gone to visit and just never came back. She never came back to tuck him into bed. To tell him another story or gift him with another book. She never came back to have dinner with them. She'd never be there to convince his father to stop working so late, or stop being rude to visitors.

'And it's his fault.'

Ben shook his head, splashing water into his face to rid himself of that thought. It wasn't Grandfather Maurice's fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. And even if it was, his mother had taught him that forgiveness went a long way. He had to remember that.

He drew in a shaky breath. If he was being honest with himself, he hadn't thought about his mother's death a while. He definitely felt the emptiness without her in the castle, but he had gotten used to that with time. He'd coped with the loneliness by using fairy dust to turn the furniture into friends. But being used to something was so much easier that thinking about the reason why.

And that nightmare had brought up all those feelings. He didn't know what was scarier. The fact that he had dreamt about killing a man, or the fact that he did it for his mother. He loved her, that was no secret. But did he love her enough to kill for her?

"Gods, why would I even think that?" he asked him, disgust crossing his features. He splashed more water onto his face, trying to bury the dark thoughts. When his face was numb from river water, he allowed himself to just sit in silence.

Gods he missed her so much. He missed the smell of her hair. He missed her laugh. He missed how she wasn't afraid to chastise his father. He just…missed her. And he couldn't believe a stupid nightmare was making him think about her.

The tears started to fall.

"Now, now. Men don't cry, my dear boy."

He jumped to his feet, looking around. "W-who's there?" he asked, blinking rapidly to rid himself of his blurry vision.

"Don't be afraid," the voice told him. He looked around. The voice was small and light, with a slight melody to it. Like someone was ringing a bell as they spoke. Just as he thought he was going crazy, his e eyes caught movement of something. Across the river was a glowing purple ball of light. It floated towards him, diamond dust trailing behind. As it came closer, Ben's eyes finally registered what he was seeing.

"Y-you're a fairy."

Indeed, fluttering before him was a fairy. The tiny woman was dressed in a beautiful midnight black outfit. Her knee long skirt billowed out like the bulb of a jellyfish, string beads falling down from the skirt. Hey glass-like wings were a purplish black and as they fluttered, they reflected the light of the moon, giving them an ominous glow. Her hair was tied up in frizzy beehive, with braids falling down. She smiled at him, giving off a comforting glow as she laughed.

"Oh I'm not just any fairy. My name's Fiona and I'm your fairy godmother."

He blinked several times, a dumb founded expression plastered on his face. Of all the things he thought he'd hear that night, hearing that was not what he'd been expecting. He'd read a lot of things in the library back home. There had been quite a lot about fairies, most of which were in a language she couldn't even understand let alone read.

But from what he could read, he understood enough to know that fairies usually came to good hearted people. They were especially drawn to children wanted a wish or something. Or, as his father had put it, "desperate brat who were too weak to fend for themselves". His mother had made him sleep in a hammock for that one.

His heart twisted at the memory. Wanting a distraction, he focused back on the fairy before him.

"I…I don't understand," Ben stammered. "I've read about fairies. I thought you only came to those who made a wish and…I didn't wish for anything."

"Didn't you? I heard your wish," Fiona told him as she fluttered close, placing her tiny hand over his heart. "Here. You don't need to make a wish. Not when you've got such a pure heart. Any fairy worth her fairy dust could sense it. You're just like your mother."

Ben blinked, trying to bat away the wetness in the corner of his eyes. "My…You knew my mom?"

"Oh of course, my sweet boy," Fiona said as she floated in front of him. "We were good friends. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about her."

"H-How come I've never seen you before?"

"Oh my dear, Ben. It's no secret that your father has a distain for fairies," Fiona told him. "Going to the castle wouldn't have ended well for me."

He could actually believe that. His father really did hate fairies. His father never hesitated to voice his opinions on them, how he'd pluck their wings if he ever got the chance. Ben also very much remembered what happened to Cinderella's fairy godmother. That had been a story he didn't need to hear. And now that he thought about it, he did remember his mother off handedly mention something about a fairy from her youth. But he had been a young boy at the time so the memory wasn't quite as clear as he'd like.

"Why, if I remember correctly, your mother had wanted to name you… 'Chip' was it?" Fiona spoke up as she fluttered around him. His ears burned at the name, his fingers curling around the enchanted satchel tied to his belt. He could feel the cup's outline within the protective leather.

"How'd you know that?"

"I was there, of course," she laughed. It was the kind of full body laughed a parent would make when their child told them an unfunny joke, but they wanted to be nice. "I've always been watching you, Ben. Since the day you were born. And now that you've left the castle, I can help guide you just like your mother wanted."

"I still don't get it. I've read about fairies and normal people don't get fairy godmothers."

"Who said you're normal?" Fiona asked as if he had offended her. "You, my sweet boy, are a child born from true love. The child of the Dark One and his true love. You are so much more than normal."

Ben blinked. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the compliment. The way Fiona spoke to him, with love and affection, was so much like his mother. But that still didn't deal with the one issue of him not being magical. He told her as much and Fiona just chuckled.

"My boy, everyone has the potential for magic. You just have to dig deep inside and want it," she told him.

Something bubbled in his stomach. The sensation rose up until it came to stop in his chest. It felt like a cold flame was not resting in his chest. But as that sensation pulsed in his chest, that same cold feeling returned to his hand. The phantom sensation of having a heart in his hand snapped him out of that good feeling. It turned his brief high into a nasty reality check that made him want to puke. He shook his head.

"No. No I'm sorry. I can't."

His answer seemed to throw the fairy off, making her flutter back in surprise before composing herself. A wide smile graced her features as she floated in front of him.

"That's ok, my sweet boy," she smiled. "Magic or not, you've got a great destiny before you." She placed a warm hand on his cheek.

A sudden ringing in the air drew her attention and she looked back at him. "I'm sorry, but I must go now."

"Wait, already? But you just arrived?"

"Yes. Because your heart wanted companionship," she told him quickly as she floated backwards like some invisible force was pulling her. "But remember, should you ever need guidance, just call out with your heart. Call for me and I will be right by your side to guide you," she whispered softly, her voice reminding him of how his mother used to speak to him.

In the blink of an eye, she disappeared in a burst of dark purple light. It was so sudden and bright Ben had to blink a few times for his eyes to readjust. The warmth of Fiona's light disappearing with her, plunging Ben back into the cold night. He shivered at the sudden temperature change and rubbed his bare forearms for warmth.

Cold and alone. Story of his life.

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Storybrooke, November 4th, 2011

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He didn't know what hurt more: the pain in his neck from sleeping in the closet, or having his back slam against his locker. He let out a silent cry of pain as he felt a metal lock press against his shoulder blade. While he was used to Gil's violent greeting, it didn't make the pain hurt any less. As his butt hit the floor, he looked up to see Gil and his goons laugh at him.

"Aw, sorry about that, Ben. You should have said something," he joked, making all his friends howl with laughter. Ben didn't find it particularly funny. He tried to get back up, only to stop as Gil grouched in front of him.

"Oh, hey, need a hand?"

He nodded. Which to be fair was his mistake. He should have seen it coming because it wouldn't be the first time Gil acted nice to him, only to humiliate him later. When he was expecting Gil to take his hand and lift him up, he instead got Gil reaching past his waistband and pulling him up by his boxers. The squeak of pain that ripped out of his throat was probably the loudest sound anyone had ever heard from Ben's mouth. Gil was thankfully merciful enough to let go and shove him back against the locker. This time Ben steadied himself on his feet, bracing himself against the locker to balance.

Why did this always happen to him? He didn't even do anything and let Gil came out of nowhere just to use him as a punching back. He could understand it when Grampa Moe disciplined him. But Gil? What did he do?

Apparently whatever he had done it was enough, because Gil was suddenly in his face, making Ben back up in fear. It was like looking into the eyes of a wild predator. And Ben was the prey.

"Hey!"

They all turned to the sound of the voice. As it turned out, it belonged to a petite girl. Ben recognized her almost immediately. It was hard not to recognize Uma. She was always advocating for student rights and trying to get her club to stay intact. Just last week, she was trying to get other students to join her to petition the mayor to start implementing solar energy. To be honest, he kind of admired her for that. And he'd admired her more if Gil wasn't holding onto his shirt so hard.

"What do you want pipsqueak?" Gil asked with a sneer. He thought Uma would leave at that, but to his surprise, she stood her ground. Sort of.

"Y-you shouldn't be bullying people," she stammered slightly before getting her composure.

"Bullying? Who's bullying? I'm just having a nice little chat with my pal." Ben suddenly found himself in a tight headlock. "Right, Ben?" When Gil applied a little too much pressure, Ben nodded in understanding. But Uma was undeterred.

"I-I know a bully when I see one, Gil. Now stop or I'll tell a teacher," she threatened.

There was a moment's pause. Ben held his breath, fearing if he made a single move, Gil's bicep would crush his windpipe. Fortunately, the blond let him go, shoving him against the same locker and getting in his face once again.

"I don't know what you did to get Evie to start taking notice of you, but you better give up now, Romeo. A dame like that deserves a real prince charming. You dig?" Gil whispered, his hot breath against Ben's cheek. "I see you around her again and I'll make sure your voice won't be the only thing you can't use. And next time, you won't have Shrimpy over there to watch your back."

Gil slammed the locker to get one final scare out of Ben before walking away with his goons. Ben stood there for a moment, biting his lower lip. If he bit down hard enough, maybe he could stop the tears.

"Are you ok?"

He had completely forgotten about Uma. He didn't expect her to stay. But there she was, offering him a tissue from her bubblegum pink Sailor Moon purse. He hesitated for a second before taking the offered tissue to wipe away moisture from his eyes.

"Don't listen to Gil," Uma advised. "He's just jealous."

Ben nodded. It was all he could really do. But Uma just smiled.

"It's ok. Everyone sort of…knows about," she gestured to her throat. She quickly added, "N-not that it matters to me. I…I mean…uh…y-you should still come to Evie's party tomorrow."

He gave her a questioning look.

"Evie's party? It's usually this big event and…well she invited you. And I-I'll be there so...I mean…Just come. You won't regret it. I promise."

Ben blinked in confusion. And then corners of his lips twitch. He nodded and Uma smiled.

"I'll…uh, see you there then." She smiled before walking off. He watched her go, unsure if what he had just done was a smart idea or not.

Gil was a jerk who took way too much joy in tormenting him. He didn't put it past Gil to just do something nasty to him just for fun. And to blatantly threaten him to stay away from Evie…he was ashamed to admit it but he'd prefer to just listen. He could predict Grampa Moe's temper, but he couldn't predict Gil's.

"Ben!"

He froze. God why did this keep happening to him? Turning to see Evie and Mal walk to him, Ben bit his lip. It was rude to run he told himself. But he was already bruised enough. He gave one short wave before stumbling off to class. He didn't want to get into any more trouble. He'd get Evie a gift as an apology, but then after tomorrow, he'll heed Gil's warning and stay away from her.