Rose awoke early as she did everyday, but this time was different. It was her birthday and she was turning five years old. This was a special birthday for the young child. It would be her first birthday with a mother. Rose had always dreamed of the day she could celebrate a birthday with her father and her mother. Now that she could, she was excited. She knew they most likely wouldn't leave the castle, but she didn't care. As long as she got to spend her birthday with both of her parents, she was happy. She jumped out of bed, grabbed her rose blanket, and left her room. The first thing she wanted to do was watch the sunrise with them. She had always watched it with Rumple or Belle, but never at the same time. Either Rumple was working when she watched with Belle or Belle would sleep in when she watched with Rumple. She wanted all three of them to watch it together as a family. She first went to Belle's room to wake her. She opened the door, but noticed that Belle's bed was empty. Rose thought it was odd. Belle was never awake before she was. She then went to Rumple's room, but found that his bed was empty as well. Rose figured he was working again. She grew disappointed, but she went out into the garden anyway. When she reached her hill, she gasped at the sight before her. She saw both Rumple and Belle were already there. They had a huge blanket spread out on the ground with a picnic basket. They smiled at her.
"Happy birthday, Rose!" She smiled as she ran to hug them. Rumple picked her up and she wrapped her arms around both of them.
"Thank you!" They broke away from each other. "I though you forgot."
"We would never forget your birthday, flower. This is the most important day of your life. We wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Especially since this is the first time I'm here for it. This is a very special day for all of us." Rose smiled and hugged them again. She knew this would be her best birthday ever. They all sat down on the blanket and Rumple opened the picnic basket.
"Alright, flower. What would you like for breakfast? This basket will give you anything you want. Just think about it and take it out." Rose thought for a moment. What was she in the mood for? Fruit? Muffins? Pancakes? After a moment, she reached into the basket and pulled out a plate of warm, fresh biscuits. She smiled and giggled.
"It works!" Rumple and Belle chuckled at the child.
"Well, of course it works, dearie. I made it." Belle playfully rolled her eyes at him. Always praising his own accomplishments. Rose reached in the basket again and pulled out a jar of strawberry jam. Belle never did understand the child's strong love for strawberries, but everyone had their food weakness. She herself could never resist a warm fudgy brownie. When she was younger, she would sneak them from the kitchens before they even got a chance to cool. Her cooks would often scold her for it, but she always felt it was worth it. She then reached into the basket herself to pull out her breakfast, but she pulled out a plate of brownies instead. Rumple gave her a quizzical look. "A bit early for sweets, darling."
"Oh, sorry. I guess I was thinking about brownies." Belle placed the plate on the blanket next to her. Rose eyed the chocolatey treats.
"Ooh. Can I have one?" Belle bit her lip in thought. She didn't want her to have one, half because it was too early for them and half because she didn't want to share.
"Well..." She looked to Rumple for his input. Even though she was dubbed Rose's mother, she still had him confirm whether certain things were okay with him. He gave her a single nod. She looked back to Rose. "Since it's your birthday, I suppose one wouldn't hurt, but only one."
"Yay!" She picked up the top brownie and stuffed it in her mouth. It was warm and gooey and thick. Belle and Rumple smiled at how adorable she looked with her chocolate-filled cheeks puffed out. Rumple conjured up a small cloth and a glass of milk for her. She put the brownie down and took the items from his hand. She drunk down half the milk, then wiped her face with the cloth. Rumple couldn't help but chuckle.
"How is it, flower?"
"It's really good!"
"That's great, but perhaps we should save these for another time." He took the plate of brownies and placed it back in the basket. He would save those for when he and Belle were alone. He then pulled out two blueberry muffins and gave one to Belle. They ate together as they watched the sunrise. Rose told them about one of her infamous dreams. This one involved a little boy, a talking owl, and a wizard with a long white beard. After they finished eating, Rumple cleaned up their mess with a flick of his wrist. Rose looked between her parents.
"What are we doing this year for my birthday?" Belle and Rumple looked to each other, then back to Rose.
"Well, flower, your mother actually had a great idea for your birthday." That sparked excitement in her.
"Really? What?" Rumple looked to Belle.
"Would you like to tell her?" Belle smiled at him.
"Why, yes I would."
"Tell me what? What is it?!" Belle giggled at her.
"Well, I found out that there was going to be a fair in town today. It has games, puppet shows, hayrides, and other fun things. Your father and I talked about it, and after much deliberation, we decided that it would be a great way to spend your birthday." Rose was speechless. She was going to leave the castle! And for a fair! She had never been to a fair before. She didn't even know what a fair was, but Belle said it would be fun. She jumped up and hugged both of them.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This is the best birthday ever!" Rumple and Belle hugged her back. They loved to she her so happy and excited. She broke away from the hug and sat in Rumple's lap as she started asking questions about what exactly a fair was and what all they could do. Rumple remembered a few times when his father would take him to a fair to swindle people out of their money, but he would wander off to watch the puppet shows and see the side attractions. Belle was never allowed out much, but when she snuck out with her friends at night, she saw and watched the side shows and fireworks. Rose was looking forward to all of it.
"But before we go anywhere, I would like to present you with your first present." He waved his hand and a small box appeared. Rose took the box and shook it.
"What is it?"
"Open it and find out." She tore the wrapper from the box and opened it. She gasped as she reached inside and pulled out the heart-shaped locket.
"It's pretty." He took the locket from her and put it around her neck. When he snapped the clasp, the locket glowed and the heart turned from gold to pink. She lifted it and examined it. "Wow! Why did it do that?"
"Yes, Rumple. Why did it do that?" He gave her his impish smirk, then turned back to Rose with a smile.
"Because you love, flower." He could tell that she was confused. "This locket was made with the most powerful of all magic; true love. As long as you wear this locket and have love in your heart for something greater than yourself, it will protect you and your loved ones. And you love more than anyone I've ever known and you have the truest heart, so I know that you will be able to keep the magic in this locket alive for a very long time."
"So, all I have to do is think about who I love and the locket will protect them?"
"You don't have to think at all. Your heart will know." Rose smiled and hugged him. Belle smiled at them. She loved watching their tender father-daughter moments. It reminded her that he was a man. And he was a man that loved his daughter. They broke apart and Rose looked to Belle.
"Did you get me a present too, Mama?" She smiled at the child.
"I did, but I think it's best we save that for when we return from the fair. Speaking of which, we should start getting ready if we want to get there for the early shows." They gathered up the blanket and basket and headed down the hill. Once they were inside, Rose pulled Belle to her room so they could find something for her to wear. Rumple went up to his tower while they searched. He would need to use the Glamor Spell to change his appearance if he was to go with them. The Dark One couldn't be seen at a fair with a child and a lover. He could look like his old self. No one would recognize him since everyone he ever knew was gone after three centuries. No one would recognize the son of a coward or the coward that injured himself to run away from the first Ogre's War. He waved a hand over himself and cast the spell. He watched his hands as the bumpy green-gold skin faded away. He felt his face was now smooth and his hair was straight. He couldn't risk looking in the mirror. He knew Regina was always watching. He would have to trust that he looked normal. Downstairs, Belle and Rose waited for Rumple. Rose decided to wear one of her play dresses so she could risk getting it dirty.
"Where's Papa? We're gonna miss the fair!" Belle giggled at the impatient child.
"Calm down, Rose. The fair is going to be all day long. And I'm sure your father is about ready." As soon as she said it, they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. As he appeared, Belle and Rose gasped in shock. They didn't see the man with green-gold skin, large reptilian eyes, and scruffy hair. They saw a man with pale skin, deep chocolate brown eyes and straight hair. Rose hid behind Belle, for she didn't recognize the man. Belle immediately knew it was Rumple. She had seen those same brown eyes when she kissed him and his curse was breaking. "Rumple?"
"What do you think?" Rose peeked from behind Belle.
"Papa? Why do you look like that?"
"I had to change how I look so I can go with you to the fair, flower. Many people fear me and I don't want anything to ruin your special day." Rose didn't fully understand, but she didn't care much. She was just happy that they all were going out together. They were finally ready to head out. They loaded into the carriage and made their way to town.
They left the carriage a mile away from town and Rumple cloaked it so no one would find it. As they walked, Rose grew more and more excited. She couldn't wait to finally see what a fair had to offer. What kind of shows would it have? What kind of animals would be there? What kind of people could she meet? Maybe she could even make a friend. When they finally reached town, Rose's eyes brightened and grew wide. It was still early, but the fair was full of people and other children. She saw so many things that she couldn't keep up with everything. There were puppets shows on one side, face paintings on another, food vendors on another, animals on another, it was just so much.
"Wow! This looks like so much fun!" Rumple smiled at his daughter.
"And you have all day to enjoy it, flower. What would you like to do first?" There was so much to choose from. She first went to a pen with a bunch of animals. There were kids inside the pens petting and feeding sheep, goats, pigs, and other small animals. There was a portly man with a beard and a black hat supervising the kids. He saw Rose run up to the pens and smiled a large welcoming smile.
"Hello there, little girl! Would you like to feed the animals? Only one gold coin for a bag of feed!" Rose turned to Rumple.
"Can I, Papa?" He smiled at her.
"Of course." He took out a small pouch of coins and gave the man one. The man took it and handed a bag of feed to Rose. He opened the pen and Rose entered. Rumple and Belle watched as she fed and petted the animals. Belle looked up to Rumple.
"See? I told you she would love it."
"I know. You were right, as usual. Perhaps I should let you plan all of her birthdays from now on. Although, I don't think you'll be able to top this one." She narrowed her eyes at him.
"Is that a challenge?" He smirked at her.
"Only if you choose to accept it." She smiled at him.
"Well then. I suppose I should start planning for next year. Perhaps a ball." He chuckled.
"Let's see how well that works out, my dear." After Rose finished with the animals, they went to each stand to see what was there. Halfway through the day, they had been to almost every stand and attraction. Before they reached the next one, there was a sound that echoed through the fair that sounded like a pipe. Everyone looked up and saw a strange looking man in a jester's outfit playing a pipe sitting on a post.
"Come little ones, for I shall take you for a hayride. Give your parents time to relax and unwind. Children ages three through twelve, follow your old friend Clopin!" He played his pipe and jumped down from the post. All the children started to follow him. Rose looked up to Rumple and Belle.
"Can I go? Please?" Rumple wasn't sure. He didn't trust to let her out of his sight. Belle placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a small nod. He needed to learn to let her go. Besides, she had her locket to keep her safe.
"Well...alright, but be careful."
"I will!" She then ran off with the other children. Rumple watched after her. He was still a bit on edge about letting her go, but he knew he needed to. Belle squeezed his hand.
"Don't worry, Rumple. She'll be fine. She's protected."
"I know. I'm still a bit nervous."
"It'll be okay. Come on. How about we try one of those funnel cake things?" While they went back to the food stands, Rose followed the jester and other children to the hay rides. There were rides set up for each age group. Before she could climb onto the cart, the jester jumped in front of her.
"Hello there, little lady. A little birdy told me that today is your birthday!" She smiled.
"Yeah. I'm turning five."
"Five?! That's a very important age!"
"Why?"
"Because you're halfway to ten! And because it's your birthday, you get to wear the Crown of Honor!" He waved his hand and a gold crown appeared in his hand. Rose gasped as she saw it. She never saw anyone but her papa use magic. He placed the crown on her head. "And as a special treat, you get to ride up front with the driver and help him steer!"
"Really?!"
"Yes, really! It's your very special day!" He lead her to the front of the carriage and helped her up to sit next to the driver. He was a short, portly man with gray eyes and short blonde hair. "Hugo, this is our guest of honor! The birthday girl!"
"Birthday? Well, happy birthday to you! How old are you today?"
"Five!"
"Five?! That's the best age to be! Not a child, but not yet a kid! Best time to be both!" Rose giggled at him. She liked the funny man. The jester was suddenly on the other side of the carriage next to Hugo.
"Now, take care of our honored guest! We wouldn't want to ruin her special day!" He then disappeared and the line of carriages started moving. During the ride, Hugo told Rose about life on the road with a traveling fair. He told her about his older brother and sister Victor and Laverne. They were with him at the fair. Victor ran a food stand and sells what he calls a funnel cake. It's an odd looking treat, but it's delicious. Laverne was a fortune-teller. He told her about how they all loved traveling from place to place and meeting new people. He mostly liked the different foods.
"It sounds like fun! And everyone is so nice to everyone."
"Yep. It's pretty great. And just wait until the big finale tonight. We always do a huge blowout our last day in a town."
"What is it?"
"If I told you, it would ruin the surprise and we can't have that! Stick around 'til the end of the night to find out!" Rose was a bit disappointed, but she was mostly excited. She wondered what the huge surprise could be. After the hayride, the jester appeared in of the front of the kids.
"Welcome back, children! I hope you all had a fun time because it's time for even more fun! Follow me and I'll take you to our next show! Follow your old friend Clopin!" He took out his pipe and started playing it again. The kids laughed, skipped, and danced after him. While on the way, something caught Rose's eye. She saw a cloaked figure disappear around the tents. Curious, she broke away from the crowd of kids and followed it. She then saw the figure go into one of the smaller tents. She didn't know what prompted her to go after the stranger, but she followed it into the tent. She saw the figure remove the cloak and place it on a small table in front of him, but his back was to her. She walked over to him.
"Hi!" He jumped in surprise, but never turned around.
"What are you doing in here?"
"I dunno. I saw you and I followed you." He kept his back to her. She noticed it was oddly hunched and she couldn't see his head from that angle. "I'm behind you, mister."
"I know. I...I wouldn't want to frighten you." Her eyebrows knitted in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"I...I'm a monster. I always frighten people." Rose didn't understand. What did he mean by that? She wasn't afraid of him. Why would anyone else be? He seemed nice enough. She got closer and tried to see him. He saw her and turned away from her. He didn't want her to see him and run off screaming in fear. She tried to look at him again, but he turned his head again. Rose took this as a game. She would play a similar game like this at home with Rumple and she always won. She looked towards him again and he turned his head once again. She tried to look at him from the other side and just as he turned his head to avoid her, she turned again and he was met with her eyes.
"Gotcha! I win!" She then took a moment to get a good look at him. She first noticed that he had dark green eyes and short red hair. She then noticed that his eyes were uneven and one was half closed on account of an unusual circular hump on top of it. She also noticed that his nose was large and almost pig-like. His clothes were tattered and worn down like he had worn the same long green shirt and brown tights and shoes for years. He was a shocking sight to behold. Anyone else would've screamed or run away from him, but not Rose. She could see he was different, but she wasn't afraid of him. The man saw that she didn't flinch, scream, or run. She just stood there with a smile on her face, satisfied that she won her little game. The man was confused by this.
"You...You're not afraid of me?" She shook her head.
"No. Why?"
"Most people are. I...I mean look at me. Are you blind?"
"No. I can see just fine. I don't think you're a monster." The man couldn't understand this. Why wasn't the child afraid of him? He didn't want her to be, but he was curious as to why she wasn't. She was a young child, no more than five or six years old. How could she look at him and not see a hideous and disgusting monster like everyone did? "What's your name?"
"What?"
"Your name. What is it?"
"It's...uh...It might be hard for you to remember." She shrugged her shoulders.
"Try me." He couldn't help but smile at the adorably confident child. He had a lop-sided smile with two uneven buck teeth.
"Quasimodo. My name is Quasimodo."
"Qua...si...modo. That's not that hard. It's easier than my papa's name."
"What's your papa's name?" She opened her mouth to answer, but stopped herself. She remembered that no one was suppose to know that she was his daughter. She couldn't tell anyone who he was.
"I...can't tell you. It's a secret."
"Oh. Well, what about you? What's your name?" Before she could answer, the tent opened and another man entered. He wore a long black robe with purple and red accents and a large hat to match. He was an older man with silver gray hair. Rose was suddenly frightened of the tall man, more frightened than she ever could be of Quasimodo. Quasimodo himself was afraid of the man for he lowered his head at the sight of him. "Master Frollo."
"Quasimodo, who is this child?"
"She...She wandered in from the fair. She was just curious." The man approached Rose. She was rooted where she was. She didn't know what to do. When he was close enough, he tapped the crown on her head.
"I hope you wished her a happy birthday. It would be rude for you not to." He didn't wish her a happy birthday. He was trying to fathom why she didn't fear him to notice that she was even wearing the birthday crown.
"No. I...I didn't." The older man narrowed his eyes at Quasimodo that made Rose feel even more uncomfortable.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" He turned his attention to Rose.
"Happy birthday, little girl. I hope you enjoy the fair on your very special day."
"As do I. Now, run along. I'm sure your parents will be worried if you don't return with the other children." Rose looked back to Quasimodo for a moment. She was worried for him. Who was this man? What would he do to him for not wishing her a happy birthday. She then looked back up to the older man before running out of the tent. Quasi looked out after the young child. He never got the chance to learn her name. He didn't even know if he would see her again. He could give her a name for himself to call her. She would be Esmeralda for her bright emerald eyes. Quasi then turned his attention back to his master. "Now, Quasimodo. It seems we need to review your manners."
"Yes, Master."