AN: I am doing my best at improving my writing skills, and I do want to thank you for all of your patience as I attempt to write this idea I'm so in love with. I have not written anything in quite a long time, other than the occasional piece of poetry. Story writing I'm not in the practice of writing, and this is giving me a chance to self-improve.

I'm getting a bit off track here, but I hope you enjoy this chapter. I had a good time writing it down. It does has a Dream Sequence involved, and I'll give you a one word clue, "Milah." Enjoy! :)

Mr. Gold prided himself as a man that wasn't easily surprised… He was never surprised. He always knew what was going on, he had eyes and ears everywhere. He was a suspicious man who didn't trust anyone and thought everyone was out to get him, so he turned to learning the law so that he could exploit their loopholes for his own benefit. Knowledge is power, and he loved power.

He was not expecting anything different on this day, everything went by like clock work. Rent day. It was his busiest day of the month, not only did he get all the money owed, but he collected his Intel. Not the need to know, 'tell me when something big happens', type, but the little things that could wait. His monthly treat to himself after a long day on his feet from collecting everything on the town folk, was to just go home and get comfortable in his bed and would fall asleep after watching a movie with popcorn and a grape slurpee.

This morning; however, he felt as if the rain from yesterday brought with it an omen of some sort, good or bad he didn't know. He just couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming.

While walking into the Bed and Breakfast that night, he heard Widow Lucas giving out a room to a traveler. They haven't had anyone new in town, well, since he's been here, other than the mayor's kid, Henry, he had helped her acquire of course. Curiosity had taken root and with his mind made up, decided to listen in, and then he heard her name, "Emma". With that one word hitting his ear, he knew his Savior was finally here. He remembered… everything. He had always remembered, and a smile graced his face. Has it been twenty-eight years already? Time sure flew on by. "Emma. What a lovely name."

Shock. The hand holding his cane tightened the slightest, that was the only outward sign that he gave. It was the one word that described this unknown feeling that had surfaced when the young woman in front of him, turned around. 'No. It can't be. She's dead! This has to be someone else!' He hid his racing heart and breath well, after all he is Rumpelstiltskin. He couldn't let this one time surprise startle him this badly.

"Do… Do I know you?" The woman in front of him studied him intently, her voice questioning. Her eyes scanning his entire frame. Second surprise. She knows him? He swallowed his breath as quietly and relaxed as quickly as he could. Two seconds and he relaxed completely, that was really good, considering his body wasn't used to being shocked.

He had to think of something, anything. Emma obviously remembers something about him… Then it suddenly hit him like an Ogre smacking him with a club, wait! His savior is his friend Swan!? She's alive, now!?

"No. I do not believe we have met here before." Cryptic, and vague… maybe she'll get the hint? We have never met here, in this world before. It was the truth; although, we do know each other. The question wasn't completely answered but it's not like he can come right out and say, 'Yes, I believe we met centuries ago; many years before I became the Dark One.'

The clock behind Lucas' head chimed lightly, now he knew that he was already minutes behind schedule. He has things to do, plans to revise and edit… especially if his Savior is … was his only friend. That would change a lot of manipulation tricks he was planning. Her friend Stiltz is gone… he felt a tinge of regret at that, and also about his next thought, 'I'm the Dark One. I do not have friends, I can not have a weakness, not like my old self. I'm here for Bae, and only Bae.'

His body went on autopilot dealing with receiving the rent and interacting with Lucas and her granddaughter Ruby. 'I'm sorry old friend, but I will have to manipulate you a little bit. Not as much as what I was planning before; however, my focus is only on Bae.'

The doorway was so close yet so far away. He couldn't leave without saying something else, turning around he looked at Swan the last time for that night, quietly and gently he uttered, "Enjoy your stay, Emma." One last look at her and he turned around and walked out the door.

He paused outside the door and listened quietly to the conversation behind him. Rumple then heard his Swan, his Savior, asking about him. 'Oh Rumple you old fool.' He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding for so long, shame hitting him in his withered heart.

Composing himself he walked slowly to where his parked car was, and thought about how he's going to complete his plan. He knew he was going to have to use his only friend to get what he came here for. 'She would understand.' He looked back at the building one more time, got into his car, 'I hope', then drove home and went straight to bed. He didn't deserve to indulge in his splurged bliss.

'He better not be wasting my time summoning me here.' He growled to himself. This place reeks of past memories he didn't want to resurface. The tavern was dark, hazy and he sat in a corner watching the pathetic mortals ruin their lives by being here.

The conversation with a dimwitted man with a red fuzzy hat was muffled, and hazy. The conversation between the two wasn't heard, but he didn't need to hear it. This was a way for his solution to his problem, could be fixed. He needed that Magic Bean the man said he could acquire for him. With both parties pleased with the result, the stranger that had appeared at the table, left.

One of the barmaids that worked there approached the now alone, darkened figure, "You sure you don't want anything?"

Before he got a chance to respond the door to the tavern opened up and a group of leather clothed men came in, pirates. Leading the group was a tall familiar man, blue eyes, scuffle on his face, leather pants, a long leather jacket and red shirt. The group looked happy to be here and the leader said with cheer in his voice, "Where's my scurvy crew?"

The men behind him joyously shouted back, "Ah, here we are, Captain!" While the group of them sat down an empty table in the middle of the room.

"Where's my beer?" The pirate leader, the Captain shouted. A few seconds go by and a chorus of "Cheers" sounded as mugs clanked against each other and the group laughed and chatted together.

Turning to the barmaid that had asked to serve him he answered with a wicked gleam in his eyes, "You know, I suddenly find myself quite thirsty." He quietly laughs a giggle to himself, planning what he'd be doing to that Captain later.

The scene from the bar vaporizes into mist and everything starts to change. Colors and shapes are twisting around and then smoke swirls and dances until the detail of a village street is seen. The night air seems eerily chillier. The now drunken pirates from the tavern are talking and shouting through the streets.

The creature smiles to itself and walks into their direction. You could taste in the air that the figure can barely contain its glee. 'That pirate will pay for what he did to my family.' With those thoughts he bumps into the leader of the group, with the purpose of getting his attention, and kept on walking.

"Hey, you. Stop!" The red and black leather clad Captain shouted, "Even gutter rats have more manners than you just displayed."

Turning around the man stuttered a reply, "I...I'm so sorry, sir." His clothes looked like they were a mixture of lizard scales and leather. The features on his face were cracked and the color of his skin was dark, gray and gold. Yellow, reptilian eyes stared out of the hood of the cloak he was wearing at the men around him, as he looked at them all, one by one.

The pirate captain jeered and taunted, "Ah… I was wrong. Not a rat at all. More… More like a crocodile." He laughs at the man and kicks him down, the crew around him laughing and cheering him on. Taunting the downed man even further he mock and with a grin he says, "What's your name, crocodile?"

Jumping up quickly from the ground the figure stood up to his full height. He wasn't as tall as the pirate captain but he doesn't need to be. He giggles with glee as he pulls down his hood and looks at the men that were taunting him before; his eyes finally landing on the captain that stole his wife.

Something registers in the Pirate's eyes, and he knows that he now remembers who the man in front of him is. With cockiness he smiled and pointed at him saying, "You… I remember you."

Being the exaggerating man that he is, he flourishes a bow and stated, "Always nice to make an impression. Where are my manners?" He circles the group and continues to talk, "We haven't been properly introduced. Rumpelstiltskin. Or, as others know me…" Pausing for the theatrics he loves so much, he delivers the news to the merry band of pirates, "the Dark One." A dark, menacing look crossed onto his face.

When the news hit the crew it was an automatic switch of emotions. The joy that was covering their faces was replaced by fear. Oh how he reveled in the taste that was coming off of them in waves. "Oh! I see my reputation precedes me."

"It does." The Captain's body tenses as the Dark One circle him.

"Good! That's going to save us time during the, uh, question and answer portion of our game."

"What is it you want to know?"

"How's Milah, of course?" he questions curiously.

"Who?"

The Dark One, not feeling like playing a game with this other man at the moment replies saying, "Only too happy to, uh, dig out the memory. But, it gets really messy." He growls with menace lacing into it.

"She's dead." Pausing for a few seconds he then continues with sadness in his voice, "Died a long time ago. What is it you want?"

"We didn't get a chance to finish our duel."

The threatened pirate attempts to draw the sword at his side, but before he gets it out even half way the Dark One states with suppressed joy. "Not now. Tomorrow at dawn. I am not a cruel man. Get your affairs in order. Also, you can spend tonight knowing, it will be your last. Maybe I am cruel. And don't think about trying to escape." He leans into the pirate to make his threat, his promise very clear, "Because I will find you, and I will gut your entire crew like a fish."

Not even a second passed by when everything just disappeared and he now watches from above on a wall the captain arrive for their duel. Dropping a sword from where he's at he watches as it hits the ground with a clatter and the pirate spots him from the ground. "Pick it up, dearie, and let's begin."

"There's no need." He reaches for his sword and notices it's not there. Looking behind him he sees Rumpelstiltskin behind him with the sword he took from the Pirate's scabbard.

Giggling a little bit he then taunts the unarmed man saying, "Sorry, but killing a man with his own sword was just too delicious to pass up."

The Captain leans down to pick up the sword that was dropped in front of him earlier and then attacks the other man. The two of them strike, parry and block the other's blows; however Rumple giggles and playfully dodges more of the pirate's blows. Rumple, getting enough of his game parries a blow that takes the Captain's sword flying out of his hand and then smacks him on the top of his head with the pommel of his sword, then brings it around and holds the tip to the pirate's neck.

Defeated, the man on the ground stares up at the winner of the duel with fear, defiance and acceptance in his eyes. "Go on. I'm ready for the sword."

Thinking it over a second, Rumple replies with malice, "No… Do you know what it's like to have your wife stolen from you? To feel powerless to stop it? It feels like having your heart ripped from your chest." He pauses and looks down at the fallen pirate then smiles sinisterly, "Actually, let me show you."

He then shoves his hand into the Captain's chest and goes to his heart. As his hand wrapped around the heart and his fingers closed around it he suddenly gets mentally slammed by a flash of a vision. A quick one second look of a woman. Blond. Green eyes. His Swan, his friend. The old tavern woman he once glanced at through his peripherals when he went to go find Milah the night before she got taken. He's about to yank the heart out to get a better picture of what he's seeing in his head when a voice shouted at him and cut off his connection. "Stop!"

With the brief connection he had now severed he glanced in the direction of the woman's voice only to see Milah standing there. He removes his hand from the Captains chest. "Milah." He pauses his actions and then takes a small step towards her, stops then says, "How?"

The wounded, exhausted pirate on the ground groans and gasped out in a weakened voice, "Milah, you have to run."

Milah glances away from Rumple and looks at the downed man on the ground, "No. I'm not leaving without you."

Rumpelstiltskin, feeling a bit nauseated with all the toxic feelings between the two lovers comments sarcastically while slowly puncturing the Captain with his own sword, "Oh, how sweet. It appears there's more to this tale than I know. Tell it to me, Milah."

"Please, don't hurt him. I can explain." Milah explained in a desperate voice.

Wagging a finger in Milah's direction and with an annoyed tone that showed he was quickly losing patience for this, said, "Tick tock, dearie. Tick tock."

"That first night, when Killian and his crew came into the tavern, he told stories about the places he'd been. And I fell in love with him. I didn't mean for it to turn out this way. I didn't know how to tell you the truth. I'm sorry."

He stared at his wife, his ex who left him for the deadbeat at his feet and he could tell something was amiss. She didn't know how to tell the truth? If she couldn't say the truth face to face back then, she could end up lying through her teeth right now. He didn't trust her, and sent a glare her way. "And so, here we are. You've come to save the life of your twoo wuv… the pirate. I didn't realize the power of true love before. It is impressive. I'd hate to break it up." Looking into her eyes he gleefully continues, "Actually, no. I'd love to."

Rumple then starts to push his sword deeper into the side of the soon to be dead pirate, when Milah's voice again interrupted the Pirate Kebab he was about to skewer. "Wait. I have something you want."

Glancing back up at Milah he scoffs, "Well, I find that very difficult to believe."

She pulls out a familiar looking red hat that he had seen just the other day, and dangles it in front of him.

Rumpelstiltskin's eyes grow wide and he demanded with curiosity, "Where did you get that?"

Gulping her fear back she replies, "You know who I took it from. I may not know what the Dark One wants with a magic bean, but I have it." She pauses a moment then continues with her plea, "The magic bean in exchange for our lives. Deal?"

Eyes narrowing as he responds, "I want to see it first."

Rumpelstiltskin arrives on board the large wooden pirate ship, the Captain's Jolly Roger. The crew around him scurries around helping Milah and her pirate lover. "Well, well. Seems like you finally found a family… You could never have with me." He comments while looking at all of the scared sheep around him.

He observers Milah taking the satchel from the stranger that they brought from below deck. She removes something out of the bag and holds it up so that he has the evidence he demanded earlier. Reaching out to take it out of the woman's grasp Milah doesn't give him the chance, and ends up throwing the bean over to her Captain.

"Here's the bean you requested to see." He glares with visible hatred in his eyes. "You've now seen it." His left hand clenched tighter into a fist, then growls out, "Do we have a deal?"

Milah then questions Rumple, "Can we go our separate ways?"

A moment of silence passes, then it got shattered with the smooth voice of the Dark One, "Do you mean, do I forgive you? Can I move on? Perhaps." Pausing to circle around Milah's figure then continues, "I can see you are twooly in love."

Milah thinking that she has the right to turn around and walk away, says with confidence while starting to walk towards her lover, "Thank you."

Before she gets one step farther away from the magical being she was bartering with, he speaks with curiosity in his voice which interrupts her strut, "Just two questions."

Looking into the yellow eyes of her ex she says, "What do you want to know?"

With a hiss to his voice he demands, "The blond from the bar, before you left. Who is she?" He figured she would know which one he was talking about. If the Pirate he was dueling before had a heart memory imprint of his friend in her old uniform, knew her; then his wife would surely have had to deal with her with how often she was drinking over there.

Miles curious gaze turned into a blaze of hatred in a blink of an eye. She said with seething anger dripping in her voice, "That bitch hussy from the bar? Well if you're so interested in her you're out of luck." She paused a moment and then with a twisted smile on her face and a wave of her hand finishes by saying, "She's long dead! Killed and left behind to get swallowed by the sea!"

Rumple's blood froze in his veins in an instant, 'She's dead? Is that why I stopped receiving letters and can't find her anywhere in this damned world?' 'With those thoughts crashing through him and the grief hitting, slamming into his heart he lets some of his magic out. Several ropes anchored along the ship begin magically coming undone, and violently get ripped out.

Sensing the now escalated fear around him, he temporarily reels in his anger to ask the demon woman in front of him the second question, "How could you leave Bae?" He pauses then snarled, "Do you know what it's like, walking home that night…" Wind starts to blow around the crew violently and the whole ship seeing the danger it's in start to slowly panic more.

Miles' voice laced with fear tries to soothe him down from his rage, "Rumpel…"

Ignoring the vile woman's voice continues his statement. "...knowing I had to tell our son. That his mother was dead?" He glared down at her, no longer holding back his anger, the people around him felt the anger and shivered in dread.

Knowing she was now in serious trouble she speaks with a begging voice, "I was wrong to lie to you. I was the coward, I…"

"You left him! You abandoned him!" He roared with anger and stepped closer to the traitor of a wife and mother.

Backing away from the angry Dark One in front of her she whimpers, "And there's not a day that goes by that I don't feel sorry for that. I let my misery cloud my judgment."

"Why were you so miserable?" His eyes narrowed. He gave her everything he could. She treated him worse than dirt. He was the one to practically raise their son, alone because she was hardly ever home.

With a cocky tone and taunt, she let all fear go saying, "Because I never loved you."

With a roar of anger Rumple shoves his hand through Milah's chest. All the anger and pain she caused him, collided with his already held back temper of hearing of his friend's death coursed through his body and he let it take over.

The Captain who was oddly silent through the whole exchange, came out of whatever haze he was in when Milah's gasp was heard and started towards the seething rage monster in front of him, intent on killing him. Before he even reached three steps forward he was flung back by a magical lash and was bound to the ship's mast.

Giggling in rage and madness, Rumple yanks out the heart of the beast in front of him in glee. While observing the heart he saw that it was tainted in blackness. As he squeezed it a bit more, he was assaulted by a glimpse of a despicable deed. Mentally he witnesses his friend getting assaulted by his wife, the monster, in pain at his feet. Not knowing the time line of this deed he assumes this was a time after he became the Dark One.

This new vision he's watching get interrupted again, this time by the Pirate Captain yelling, "No!" and manages to break free from the ropes. He runs over to Milah's body, which when her heart was slowly being squeezed started to fall down, and catches the falling woman and gently lays her down onto the deck.

Milah in pain attempts to speak and gets out the words, "I lo…" and doesn't get the chance to even finish speaking because she gasps in pain, while the heart in Rumple's hand gets crushed to dust, and Milah falls limp, dead.

The Captain, while still grieving stands up and grabs a downed sword by his feet with his right hand. He then points it in Rumple's direction saying, "You may be more powerful now, demon, but you're no less a coward."

Ignoring the taunt from the pirate, Rumple demands, "'I'll have what I came for, now." He then starts to walk towards the fuming man who was standing by the fresh corpse.

"You'll have to kill me first." With a lunge he attacks the Dark One swinging his sword towards the crocodile's neck, attempting to behead him.

Dodging the sword's blow, Rumple disappears, then appears behind the man attempting to assault him and states, "I'm afraid that's not in the cards for you." Swinging the sword he still held from the duel from earlier, quickly slices off the Captain's left hand.

He drops his weapon in pain, and cradles his wounded arm. Taunting the injured man Rumple states, " I want you alive. Because I want you to suffer like I did. You deserve this pain, maybe this will teach you not to go after another man's wife. I did you a favor lad, that woman was more evil than I, up until now."

Rumple then turns around to leave, when the injured pirate grabs a hook that had fallen on the deck and stabs Rumpelstiltskin in the chest with it. Nothing happens. The hook was embedded, but there was no harm done. "Killing me's going to take a lot more than that, dearie." He states with a small giggle.

"Even demons can be killed. I will find a way." The Captain promises, while shooting angry glares at the Demon, the Dark One.

"Well, good luck living long enough." He giggled with glee and then disappears in a puff of red smoke".

With a start a figure jumps up out of their sleep. Their breathing a bit labored and stressed. Slowly he makes his way towards a safe in his room, and fully awake now, removes a box from the inside of it.

Emptying the contents onto the bed he fingers all of the little notes. Forty. That's how many notes he had received from the woman he befriended when his wife left him. Picking up the last letter he and Bae had gotten, he reads it, "My travels are done for now. Bae and yourself, please stay safe. I'm coming home." He never got to reply to any of the letters, for they all would appear on the stool of his spinning wheel. Reading it one last time, he then drifts back to sleep conflicted and uneasy, trying to figure out what he's going to do now.

AN: I hope you all enjoyed this Rumple point of view chapter. This story will sometime show key points in another point of view in order for certain details to be shown. :) So far this was my favorite chapter to write. Next chapter I'll be using some canon dialogue but I'll also try to change things up so it's not word for word. Thank you all for sticking with me! Ariz0na-Sky