The prince had Rapunzel taken away by guards and locked in a comfortable room, until he could talk with Snow White, and figure out what to do. He, Snow White, Jiminy, and Grumpy were in the situation planning room. "Do you think she knows how to defeat the Regina?" Snow White asked her husband.

"I think Rumpelstiltskin may know." he suspected. "But I'm certain he won't tell us."

"He may tell his friend. If she was honest about her relationship with him, she may be able to learn how to stop the curse." Jiminy chirped. "Is there anyway to get her to come around to our cause?"

"All she keeps saying is she wants to go home. She wants to go back with the DarkOne." James sighed.

"Why would the DarkOne leave her behind?" Snow asked wondering.

"I don't know and she doesn't either."

"I think she knows something about Regina, and just isn't saying." Grumpy concluded. "I bet if we lock her in a cell for awhile, take away any comfort, she'll talk."

"I don't think that's the best solution." Jiminy argued. "I think if we just explain to her how important this is, she can be persuaded to ask the DarkOne to help us."

"Would he even listen to her?" Snow questioned again. "If he left her here he may not care about her at all."

"I think Jiminy's idea is worth a shot." James agreed with the cricket. "One of us can go reason with her, and try to talk her into helping us." Together they agreed Charming should go, as he was the one Rapunzel met first. He entered the room, while Rapunzel was at the window. "Hi."

"Let me go." she responded coldly.

"I just want to talk." I went and sat on the bed near Rapunzel. "So what is it like living with Rumpelstiltskin? Must be pretty lavish?"

"I don't care about the luxury."

"Do you know why he would leave you behind?"

"I can't wait to ask him."

"Look my kingdom is in danger. My family, and friends, and a lot of people. The Evil Queen is going to cast a curse that will hurt everyone. Is there anyway the DarkOne can help us?" he pleaded.

"Summon him. Ask for a deal."

"The price is always too high with him."

"Then you should go enjoy your kingdom while you can."

"Would he help us if you asked him too?"

"We're not that close." she lied.

"Please, we don't have any other options."

"I don't care about your problems!"

"But you care about Rumpelstiltskin?" he guessed.

"I just want to go home."

"The curse will affect him too. You, him and your home will be dragged into it." the prince reasoned. "This isn't just my problem. It's everyone's problem."

"If he isn't stopping it on his own, then it can't be stopped." she warned. Silence hung in the air for awhile.

"Why do you care about Rumpelstiltskin?" James asked, and Rapunzel turned to look at him. Her eyes ready to overflow.

"He's my only friend in the world." she whispered. The prince jumped up and hugged Rapunzel tightly, and she couldn't hold her tears anymore. "Why did he leave me here?" she knew the prince wouldn't know, but she couldn't think of one reason either.

"It's ok." he told her. "Its gonna be ok." He pulled away holding her shoulders at arms length while she wiped away at her cheeks. "Are you sure you want to go back there? I mean I can tell you care about him, but you have other options. You don't have to go back." James said sincerely.

"I just want to go back to my tower." she couldn't stop crying. She was confused and just wanted her own bed. "I want to go home."

"Ok. I'm gonna get a carriage and escort you there right now. Just wait right here." He left her in the room, guards still standing outside the door. He returned to the situation room to tell the others what he learned. "Rumpelstiltskin can't help us."

"What?" Grumpy asked angry at the statement. "He's the DarkOne! He can do anything!"

"She said if he hasn't stopped Regina, then he must not be able to." the prince explained.

"Then what do we do?" Snow asked worried.

"I'm not sure." James paused before announcing "I'm taking her back to the Dark Castle."

"Why?" Jiminy asked shocked. "She shouldn't be with someone so dangerous."

"I agree, but if we keep her from going, we just become her enemy. She will be more alone than if we take her back."

"So what if she's alone?" Grumpy questioned. "Alone is better than living with Rumpelstiltskin!"

"I don't think so. She said that Rumpelstiltskin is her only friend, but doing this would show her she has a few more." The prince suggested.

"Why do we want to be her friend?" the dwarf argued. "She's willing to let us all die."

"No, Charming is right." Snow agreed with her husband. "She needs to know that she can count on someone else, other than the DarkOne. Maybe then she could get him to help us." She walked over to him and held his hands. "Go do what you think is right." He kissed Snow White and ran out of the room, and told the first guard he saw to go get a carriage and their bravest coachman.

Later he helped Rapunzel into the small carriage and joined her sitting opposite of her. "It'll be half the night before we get to the DarkOne's castle." he informed her.

"So what made you change your mind? About taking me back?"

"I know what its like to just want to return to what you know." He said. "I wanted to show you that there are other people you can count on. Rumpelstiltskin isn't your only friend."

"I wouldn't exactly call you a friend prince."

"I'd say we're friends." he defended.

"What's my name?"

"Fair enough." James said understanding. "What is your name?"

"You tell me 'Dearie'?" She said copying Rumpelstiltskin's words and tone.

"Alright." he smiled. "Are you Annabelle?"

"No."

"Are you Bethany?"

"No I am not." she stated bored.

"Could your name be Charotte?"

"It could be?" she smirked.

"Is it?" James asked hopeful?

"No."

"Ok, if we're going to keep playing can I have a hint?"

"I didn't get to have a hint when I had to guess his name."

"You had to guess Rumpelstiltskin's name?" He laughed. "How did you do it?" She smiled fondly remembering how happy she was when she found his name on the dagger.

"I ran around the Dark Castle ruining everything I touched, until I found something with him name on it."

"Ruining? He must have been pretty upset with you."

"Yeah, he shouted a lot." she giggled.

"He's been known to have a temper."

"He does. Once he was going to skin a man for just trying to steal one of his magical objects."

"Going to? You mean he didn't?"

"No the maid let the man escape."

"So why didn't he go after the man? Did he kill the maid instead?" He asked curious, trying not to sound too worried.

"No, nothing like that. He just..." she paused not wanting to give anything important away.

"He just what?"

"He got distracted."

"By what?"

"Me guess. I didn't really do anything. I just asked him to stay and he decided he didn't want to go anymore."

"That's amazing. I mean that you prevented him from hurting someone. You saved that thief's and maid's lives."

"I didn't do anything."

"No that was a real selfless act."

"No it wasn't. I've never done a selfless thing in my life."

"Going back to Rumpelstiltskin isn't a selfish choice"

"It is. All my things are there. My tower, my brush. Everything that was ever just mine is there."

"But that's not why you're going back."

"How could you know? You don't even know my name."

"I don't know your name. But I do know that back at the palace you weren't crying because you wanted your things. You wanted to come back for you."

"You under estimate how much I really like my things." she joked.

"Maybe I'm wrong. So why don't you tell me who you are."

"I'm just a selfish person, with abandonment issues, who finds power attractive." she answered simply.

"That can't be all."

"That's all there is." she said grimly.