Lacey awoke to the thin sound of her daughter's cry. The apartment was bathed in darkness and it took her a moment to remember exactly why she was tucked up on the couch. She was just about to unwind herself from the quilt when Poppy's wail stuttered to a stop, soothed by a distinctive Scottish brogue.

'Shhhhh, we don't want to wake your mama, do we?'

Looking towards the bedroom, Lacey could just about make out Gold's pale figure. Poppy was cradled in his arms.

'Are you hungry? Shall we see if mama's got some milk for you?'

She peeped through her lashes, feigning sleep as he limped past her towards the kitchen. A click, and he was suddenly illuminated by the light from the refrigerator.

Dressed in his boxers and undershirt, it was weird to see his normally carefully combed hair in disarray. Her eyes were drawn to his ankle and the mass of pale scars that marred the flesh.

He picked out a bottle and plunged the apartment back into darkness. Lacey felt him move past her again, back to the bedroom. The bedsprings creaked as he sat down. He switched on the bedside light.

'My beautiful baby girl,' he cooed as he offered Poppy the bottle. 'Did you have a bad dream?'

Poppy turned her head away, refusing to take it, giving another little whimper. Outside a police siren wailed.

'It's alright little one. I won't let anything hurt you… that's it… come on now…'

He continued to whisper, his soft voice comforting as the baby started to feed. Lacey carefully got to her feet and crept closer. Gold's attention was fixed on Poppy.

'Do you want a story?'

Poppy clasped the bottle in her little hands, an action that Gold seemed to take as permission to continue.

'Once upon a time there lived a man called Rumplestiltskin – the most powerful wizard and the biggest fool in the Enchanted Forest. He was married to a princess called Belle. As kind and as clever as she was beautiful, Belle was braver than any knight of the realm. Her smile would light up the darkest room and Rumplestiltskin loved her very much.

'But Rumplestiltskin was a coward. He didn't believe the life that they had was perfect. He craved power and would use any means to obtain more …even taking another man's life. Such were the magnitude of his evil deeds that his heart became black. And Belle, seeing how much her husband had hurt their family and friends, and the danger he had brought to their world did a very brave thing. She banished Rumplestiltskin to a land without magic.

'Rumplestiltskin wandered far and wide through this strange new world until he came to a city called New York. Even though Rumplestiltskin was alone and afraid, he was still a very rich man. He used his gold to buy a castle, fine clothes … many, many things but his heart … his heart only wanted Belle.

'And then one day, just when he thought his old blackened heart might stop beating all together, he found his love once more. With her was a beautiful little girl called Poppy – Rumplestiltskin's daughter. Belle was under a spell and she didn't recognise her husband. But Rumplestiltskin believed that she would come to know him again. He would wake her with true love's kiss and they would all live happily ever after.

'So it's alright Poppy, your Papa's here and he promises that he will never, ever leave you.'

'That's not how the story goes,' Lacey said as she stepped out of the shadows. Gold looked up, tearing his eyes away from Poppy.

'You prefer the version where Rumplestiltkin tears himself apart?'

The baby whimpered in his arms but Gold quietened her effortlessly.

'I prefer the truth.'

'Sweetheart … It's not what you think.'

What the hell had she done? Spent the rent on cheap beer and screwed her landlord in compensation?

'You knew? All this time?' she demanded.

He nodded.

'As soon as I held her in my arms.'

She wanted to deny it but the resemblance was too strong. The eyes, the nose … Lacey couldn't believe how stupid she'd been.

'That's why you started being nice. It had nothing to do with me. You just wanted to get to Poppy.'

Lacey wrapped her arms about herself, trying to ease the ache in her gut. Gold had everything. He could give Poppy the life she deserved.

'No … no … I would never take her away.'

'Why not? She'd be better off with you.'

'She needs her mama,' he said gently.

It didn't make sense. None of this made sense.

'Sweetheart…'

'Don't call me that!'

'Lacey … let's put Poppy back to bed and then we'll talk. I promise.'

She was torn between the desire to let her daughter sleep and the need to get them both as far away from Gold as possible.

It felt surreal to watch Gold set Poppy down in her cot, cover her with the blanket, to make sure her bear was within reach. All the things a father should do. He sat down on the bed and gestured for Lacey to join him. She didn't move.

'You're name is Belle Gold,' he said. 'We were married last year.'

'No last year I was …'

'Where? Where were you, Lacey?'

She shook her head. He was playing mind games. She'd been here in New York last year. That much she was sure of but when she examined more closely the actual memories seemed to slip away. Fuzzy. Unfocussed. Just out of reach. Gold gestured towards his jacket, hanging neatly over a chair.

'If you look in my wallet you'll find a picture.'

Lacey did as he asked, removing the battered photo from a wallet that seemed overburdened with platinum credit cards.

'Did you photoshop this?' she asked.

But the scrap of paper was too well worn, too fragile to be the product of computer generation. The woman in the picture was smiling at Gold, her eyes glowing with love. Somehow, Lacey found it difficult to recognise the woman in the photo as herself. The face was the same but… she didn't know what it was. A different personality seemed to lurk behind those wise blue eyes.

'She looks happy,' Lacey said.

'We were … for a little while.'

'What happened?'

'I made a mistake.'

'No … to her. Belle.'

'I don't know.'

There was another photo in the wallet. Lacey pulled it out without waiting for Gold's permission.

'My son and my grandson,' he said.

'Handsome.'

'I like to think so.'

But there was a catch in his voice … a grief still raw and new. Her heart softened, just a little. His loss must have been a recent one. She handed the photos back, sitting down beside him.

'People's memories don't just change,' she said, even though her voice wavered.

'I know but they can be stolen.'

'How?'

'Magic.'

Lacey laughed.

'And there's a cure?' she asked.

'True love's kiss … May I try?'

It was a fairytale. A stupid story he was weaving around her but she leaned towards him all the same, letting his hand brush softly against her cheek. His lips were just as sweet as she remembered. Yielding to the gentle pressure, Lacey let him deepen the kiss, sucking gently on his lower lip, his tongue flickering briefly against her own.

And then she felt something shift inside. Twist. A different personality trying to fight free. A blinding light, so pure that it threatened to overwhelm her. But Lacey didn't want to go.

She shoved Gold back so hard that he fell off the bed. He landed on his hands and knees with enough of a thump to wake Poppy and start her crying again. Grabbing his clothes, Lacey threw them at him.

'Get out,' she hissed.

'Lacey ...'

Turning away, she picked Poppy up, cradling her close. The little girl didn't stop wailing. Gold pulled on his pants and shirt, shoving his feet into his shoes, stuffing his tie into his pocket.

'I meant what I said … I won't take Poppy away from you but neither will I be separated from my child.'

'Go … please.'

He nodded, picking up his coat and cane.

'I'll see you in court, Miss French.'

The door slammed shut behind him leaving the apartment suddenly too still, too quiet. Somewhere in the distance Lacey heard a clock strike, a reminder that it was Christmas day. She went to the window. Snow was falling again, coating the pavements and harsh lines of the city blocks. Poppy pointed to the sidewalk, to Mr. Gold. He was standing there, head bowed, shoulders hunched against the chill wind. And then he straightened, turning his head to glance up at the window. Lacey drew back, pulling the drapes shut and shutting out the world. She didn't want to watch him walk away.

Lacey crawled into her bed, Poppy beside her. She tried to ignore the fact that the pillow smelt of Gold's cologne. But there, resting on the nighstand, was the photo. Two people happy and in love. She didn't believe for a moment that he'd left it by mistake. Lacey tore it in two. The pieces fluttered from her fingers.