Looking at Paige, I felt even worst than before in the morning when I discovered my best friend had been lying to me for more than 28 years, and the man I loved was alive on Wonderland.

It wasn't only my feelings for him what made it harder for me to get over this new information, but the thought of my dear Grace, and what would've happened if I had found Jefferson back in the Enchanted Forest. The possibilities were eating my mind. I could only think of how our lives here on this damned land would be, the three of us together, no magic to tempt us or drive us apart...

And then there was the doubt of how Jefferson was now. He always hated Wonderland, it was too silly and weird for him to like it. Was he suffering? 28 years on a place you hate can't be too good for anyone. And...the worst of all my doubts: would he still love me, after all this time? Would he still think about me? I know he still thinks about Grace, whenever he is. Grace is the light of his eyes, and he'd never stop fighting for her. But me?

Me I don't know. I don't doubt he loved me, just as I loved him. But...does he still love me like I do?

A knock on the door made me tear away my gaze from the necklace I was holding. It was the necklace Rumple returned to me, the one that Jefferson gave me. Paige glanced at me from the door, looking worried, "Hey, Mel, can I come in?"

"Of course." I rose from my bed, putting the necklace back on my jewellery box. Turning back, I motioned Paige to sit on my bed. "What is it, sweet thing?"

"Mark called me," Paige started, and I swallowed.

"Of course..." I closed my eyes, sighing and allowing myself to sit next to Paige. Mark probably called her to tell her how I broke his big brother's heart. Opening my eyes, I grasped her hand softly. "Sweetie, if it about James and me..."

"I just want to know why," Paige whispered, looking completely serious and confused. "You two were so cute together...what happened?"

"I don't know," I whispered, "Everything is too...difficult. Paige, sweetheart. You'll understand as you grow up, but when someone no longer feels the same way about a person, it's better to let them go..."

Paige got angry. She loved how James seemed to make me happy,...well, he made Melanie happy. I was just 50% Melanie. The other 50% of me was still Artemis, and Jefferson made her happy. Paige, not understanding anything yet, only shook her head scoffing.

"You think you're so smart, saying how you should let people go, but when are you going to apply that to yourself? You keep changing! Its like you're two different persons at the same time! Why don't you apply your philosophical phrase to yourself? When are you going to let Jefferson go? He's dead, Melanie! Get over it, you're not going to spend your whole life loving a ghost! Its not sane!"

Was that what I was doing? Was I loving a ghost?

To say Artemis was having doubts about the whole living with Jefferson was an understatement. She really loved being with him and Grace, but...she wasn't used to people loving and caring for her. She still feared Jefferson might change his feels for her, or that Grace would hate her for dating her dad...but none of that ever happened. Jefferson was sweet and caring and a true gentleman to her, and Grace actually loved her.

"What are you scared of?" whispered Jefferson one night after a big fight with Artemis in which she'd started to pack her things to go.

"I am not scared," Artemis hissed, but as tears danced their way down her cheeks, Jefferson's arms around her made her sob. "I'm not..."

"I love you," Jefferson said, his head resting over Artemis', his arms around her waist in a hug from behind. "Grace loves you. You are a great girlfriend and a great mother figure. I don't understand. If its me that's doing something wrong...tell me, and I'll change it, but please don't give up on us."

"You're not doing anything wrong," Artemis whispered, unable not to say it anymore. "It's me."

"Don't you tell me that whole "It's not you, it's me" crap," Jefferson frowned, moving away from Artemis and turning her, making her look at him. "What is wrong, darling? Tell me and I'll fix it."

"You can't fix something that's inside of me," Artemis sobbed. "I cant't trust you, or Grace, or anyone. I just...I keep thinking its all gonna go down in flames and that I'll never have your friendship anymore, or that you'll never love me enough...I don't want to get hurt, not again. I don't think my heart could resist it."

Jefferson hugged her again, seeing how broken she really was. He still didn't knew much about her past, but he knew enough. She was a broken woman, a woman who couldn't trust. And he wanted to repair that. He wanted her to be happy, and to trust him.

"Darling, I promised you long ago that I'll never hurt you. I'm not breaking that promise, not now and not never. I want you to know that you can trust me, with anything, it doesn't matter how silly or unimportant you think it is, you can tell me anything. My feelings for you aren't going to change, dear, I love you."

"But you love her too," Artemis whispered. "I'm scared Jefferson, I don't want to lose this...I'm happy, and I can't remember any other time of my life in which I've been happy..."

"Grace's mom was different, Artemis," Jefferson said softly, his eyes full of endless sadness that hurt Artemis, because it was obvious he still had feelings for her. "She was...she was my world. But I wasn't hers, and while I'm still hurt for her departure, I don't love her. I love you."

Artemis closed her eyes. "I love you," she said. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise, I understand perfectly how you're feeling," Jefferson said softly, kissing her neck. She sniffled. "But if your worries are Grace's mom coming back and taking your place...it's not going to happen, she's...she's not here, and I love you. I stopped loving her a long ago, the only thing I have left from her is Grace, and the ghost of our love. But I'm not loving a ghost for the rest of my life."

Artemis closed her eyes, forcing herself to swallow all her unwanted doubts, and simply enjoy the little happily ever after fate was giving her. "Okay."

Paige's words marked me. It made me remember how fucked up Artemis really was. The woman I used to be...the woman part of me still is, is truly fucked up. She's a villain, a creature that never had anything in her life, a poor girl that was never happy enough...a broken girl.

And I was tired of being her. I was tired of feeling this immense guilt, and sadness over something that happened many years ago. I'm tired of being heartbroken, of feeling so broken and unimportant. Of wanting to cry my heart out every time something bad happened.

Now I understand why Regina wanted so hard to have a Happily Ever After. I understand because I want one too. I crave for a happy moment, a happily ever after...I I just want to forget how fucked up I actually am and be happy.

Why couldn't I accept Melanie enough to let her overcome me?

Why I never did?

Melanie was perfect. She was the perfect example of the girl I wanted to be back when I was a child, back when my only worry was to find something to eat, when I still wasn't evil. Melanie was young, beautiful, kind, she had a beautiful family, a handsome young man in love with her, a job, she had everything...

Better thing of Melanie? She wasn't heartbroken.

All this years I've been switching from Melanie and Artemis so much, when...the better would've been to stay as Melanie. But the Artemis in me always won, and my mind always remembered Jefferson, no matter how much I wanted to forget him. My obsession for Jefferson was going to be the end of me, no matter how much I tried to forget about him I never could.

"Artemis?" I winced. "Hey,"

"Hi...I didn't tought you'll came back." Rumple said.

He was looking at me with a pained expression, regrets written all over his eyes and face. For a moment he looked more like Mr. Gold than himself. While Rumple always cared for me, even when he was the Dark One, he never liked to apologise or admit he was wrong, much less to look like it.

Rumple...he'd always been there for me, even when he couldn't get over his own heartbreak for Belle and the lost of his son Baelfire. He was my only friend, and...we all make mistakes. He should've told me about Jefferson. But that was the past now, there was nothing I could do about it but wait. Our friendship didn't need to go to hell just because of a mistake he made 28 years ago. Not now when I needed him most. It took me days to rethink about all that had happened, and about our friendship, and that's when I decided I wanted to forgive him.

"It's my job," I said, looking down at my shoes. "And...you are my friend."

"Artemis—"

"Melanie," I corrected, shaking my head. "Artemis is so fucked up...I just want to forget about her, and be Melanie for a while."

He seemed surprised for a second, but he then nodded. "Come on, dear, let's get inside, so we can talk." he offered me his hand that wasn't gripping his cane, and I took it, accepting his help to get up.

Entering the shop, he turned to me, and we simply stared at each other without really knowing what to say.

"I'm sorry," he said at last. "I'm sorry I lied to you, and I'm sorry I hurt you."

"I'm sorry too, Gold, I'm sorry I called you a monster." I whispered.

"It's what I am," he said softly. "I'm selfish, I'm always going to choose me over everyone."

"I know that. It doesn't make you a monster, it makes you human. We all are a little selfish." I took a deep breath, swallowing all the hurt I felt thinking about his betrayal. "But it's all in the past. I forgive you."

"Why?" he whispered, looking so confused and lost, like he couldn't fathom the thought of me forgiving him. He, like me, wasn't used to people caring for him. Belle had been the exception, but he lose her. He probably thought he lose me too.

"Melanie is kind and sweet," I said. "She forgives everyone, and that's a quality I wish the real me had. Nevertheless...I forgive you."

"Is that why you're so keen on being Melanie and not Artemis?" he asked me, not commenting on my forgiveness and our friendship, he clearly didn't know how to deal with it, with having nice emotions about someone else.

"That's part of it," I admitted. "The real reason being wanting happiness. I can't stand anymore how Artemis is always being so unhappy and so obssesed with Jefferson, and...so plain mean."

Gold's lips twitched, but his eyes remained hard. "It's weird hearing you talk about yourself in that way. But yes, dear, Artemis is quite the emotional wreck. However, I must warn you about something, what you're planning to do is not going to work."

I frowned. "Why?"

"Melanie is fiction, she's someone that was forced upon your head to be you. She's not real, and in the end...Artemis will always resurface. It doesn't matter what you think or do, you will always have your past self whispering things to you, making herself known. It's like that with everyone else. That's why sometimes the rest of StoryBrooke's habitants look so pained, even when they don't remember, the pain they felt still continues." Gold gave me a soft look, one that reached his eyes, one full of pity and sadness. "This curse, my dear girl, is the worst curse ever invented."

I tried to swallow his words, "But it was needed. You needed this curse."

"I need to find my son." he said, his voice firm and serious, "This curse is nothing compared to what I would do for him. I need to find him, I need to ask for his forgiveness."

"I understand."

Of course I understood. I've known Rumple all my life, and he'd always been searching for a way to be with his son. He found one, this curse, and didn't cared about the consequences. Who would? If it meat that he would find his son, it didnt mattered the rest.

"When the time comes, and this curse is broken," I started, "I'm going to help you find Bae."

He stared at me in full surprise. "Dear, but what about...—"

"He's not here," I said. "We both know that when the curse breaks we're going to stay here for some time before anyone discovers how to get back to the Enchanted Forest. In that time I'll help you go and search for him. When we get back, I'll go and find Jefferson. I don't know how, but I'm going to find him, and I'll reunite him with Grace."

I left to myself the little thought of me reuniting with him again and never letting him go, because...what if he didn't loved me anymore? I wasn't going to force him into a relationship with me. It's better if I concentrate in finding him and reuniting Grace with him, our relationship could wait. My happiness could wait if it meant my lovely Grace would have his father back.

Looking into his eyes, he saw how serious I was, and he softened his gaze. "Thank you."

...

As time passed, I realized what Rumple said was true. It was harder to try and be someone I'm not, than to try and deal with my feelings. Being Melanie only worked for a couple of hours. The Artemis in me was too strong, and she always won over me.

"Good morning, Miss Grace," a voice said behind me.

I didn't need to turn to know who it was. My blood went cold, my anger making me want to take my hand, grab her heart and break it to pieces. Regina stood besides me, watching how Rumple was being an asshole to Mr. French, the flower guy.

"Good morning, madam mayor," I said, trying to sound cherry and polite. Knowing what she did made me angrier than thinking she killed him.

"You sound bitter," Regina said, sounding smug. It was clear none of us liked the other too much. "It makes you look old."

"I'm not bitter," I said bitterly with a bitter expression. Seeing her smirk grow, I smiled dryly. "How's Emma?"

Her smirk dropped, and she glared at me. I smiled sweetly at her.

"You are the lowest! People aren't gonna put up with this!"

I glanced at Mr. French, only to see his flower van being taken away. Rumple walked towards us, looking very sassy with his sunglasses and smug smirk when he saw Regina.

"Mr. Gold," Regina greeted. "That was quite a show back there."

"Well, Mr. French is just having a bad day. Happens to the best of us."

"I've been meaning to talk to you about something," Regina said, but Rumple interrupted her.

"Yeah, and the moment you have something I want to discuss, we'll have that little chat."

"No, we're gonna do this now. It'll only take a moment," Regina frowned, moving to block Rumple's path

"Is there something eating you, dear? Something you need to get out in the open? 'cause it's gonna have to wait." he said. Regina opened his mouth to say something, but Rumple interrupted her. "Please."

Regina stood there, like frozen by something, and Rumple moved past her. "Melanie, dear, with me."

I followed him, not after giving Regina a mock curtesy that left her staring at me. I noticed the way I curtsied was the same way I used to in the Enchanted Forest, and she probably noticed that.

Walking alongside Rumple, I said, "You know, I love it when you use the "please" card against her."

"I know."

"Is everything alright?"

He stopped, turning back to me.

I stopped too, looking at him curiously.

"Dear, do you know what day it is?"

"Sunday?" I shrugged.

"It's Valentines day."

"Oh." I whispered, suddenly realizing why he was so cranky. I looked at him pityingly, making him frown at me. But I knew he was thinking about Belle, and he was grieving. "Sorry."

He simply nodded, and we continued. Walking towards his shop, I bit my lower lip. "You know, we should do something together. After all it's love and friendship day."

I saw a small amused gleam into Rumple's eyes, he looked down at me. "Are you asking me out?"

I gave him a look. "Look at it in whatever way you want, but I'm not spending my day at home alone eating ice cream thinking about my past lover."

"That option sounds so tempting, though," Rumple said, so soft I nearly didn't heard him.

"Hey!" I grabbed his arm, halting us to a stop. "You told me once that focusing on the past wouldn't get us anywhere. So let's stop thinking about Jefferson and Belle for this day, and simply enjoy our company."

He seemed to think about it for a second, to then nod while smiling softly. "Well, it do is the day of friendship."

I smiled softly.

...

But we didn't quite get to have dinner tonight. After working, I got home and headed to the bathroom to take a shower, but I stopped when I saw my mother and Emma Swan in my room. Frowning, I entered my room, gasping slightly when I saw the state of it. Everything was upside down, my clothes laid tattered on the floor alongside other of my possessions, my mattress bed had been ripped to pieces.

"What happened here!?" I asked, looking at all my things in pain. "How...?"

"Someone sneaked in," Mrs. Grace said, looking on edge.

"But...why me?" I asked, totally confused and still shocked. "Why would anyone do this to me?"

"That's exactly what I'm wondering," Emma said. "The whole house is intact, yet your room is the one that was robbed. I need you to look and make a list of everything they stole, okay? I need to talk to your mother now."

As Emma left the room with Mrs. Grace, I started to look around. In shock, I shook my head. Why would anyone enter this house and rob me? Me! I'm such a nice person to everyone around here, I don't understand, why and...why?

After checking everything, I saw that everything was were it should be. There was nothing missing. I went downstairs feeling very upset and tired.

"Emma," I called. "Everything's here. It was probably some stupid joke."

I stopped at the edge of the stairs when I saw Emma talking to Rumple.

I frowned. What was he doing here?

He looked over Emma's shoulder and met my gaze. He looked very angry and downright murderous. Stepping away from Emma, he walked towards me, his cane clicking forcefully on the floor. "I was robbed too."

That surprised me. No one, and I repeat, no one would ever dare to do that to him, he's the most feared man here. "You too?"

"I have to talk to you, but first, did you realized yet what was missing?" he asked me, direct to the point as always.

"There's nothing missing," I shook my head.

The coldness of his eyes scared me, then in a whisper, he told me: "He stole my chipped cup."

His chipped cup...the cup Belle chipped on her first day on the Dark Castle, the only physical thing Rumple had to remember her. But what would that had to do with me?...With a gasp of fear, I ran upstairs. Entering my room I started threw things around, searching wildly for my jewellery box. I found it, and started to look for my arrow necklace, but it wasn't there.

"No, no, no, no, no...it has to be somewhere, it has to..." I started to look on the floor, to see if it was there mixed with the rest of my things, but it wasn't. I started to get hysterical. I needed that necklace. It was the only thing I had from him, I can't lose it. Not now. No...No no no no no!

"It appears he took it too," Rumple's voice said from the door.

My hysterical and upset feelings changed to anger. A type of anger so strong my blood went cold and I saw red. "Who?"

"Mr. French."

...

The cabin in the woods was somehow always in this sort of situations. It's the best because no one lives there, and it's so retired its easier to do bad things. Right now, Rumple has Mr. French and is forcing him to tell us where our things are. He's mostly asking about his cup, but my necklace should be in the same place his cup is, so...

"—The first is gonna tell me where it is. The second is gonna tell me who told you to take it. Do you understand the rules?"

I must admit that after seeing Rumple as Mr. Gold for so many years, seeing him acting so much like himself was so scary. I hadn't seen him look so angry and murderous in so long...He had his cane on Mr. French's neck, and was making so much pressure I was surprised Mr. French was still breathing.

With a strained voice, Mr. French said, "Yeah."

"Good. Let's begin." he removed the cane from his neck, and he took a raggedy breath, gasping and panting.

"I needed that van," he tried to explain himself.

I winced. That wasn't what Rumple wanted to hear.

"Ah, ta, ta, ta, ta." Rumple scoffed, a wicked and angry humourless smile on his face. He rose his cane again. "Now you see, that is not a good first sentence."

He started to hit Mr. French with his cane, so hard and so many times that I actually started to worry. If he killed him here there was no way he could get away with it. He can't hide the body nor escape prison.

"Gold..." I said warningly. But he ignored me, hitting with more force the poor flower man.

"Oh! Gold! Listen—" he started to say, but Rumple didn't stopped hitting him.

"Tell me where it is!" Rumple demanded, continuing hitting him.

"Stop, please!"

"Tell me where it is!"

"Oh, stop! It wasn't my fault," Mr. French sobbed.

Rumple stopped for a second. ""My fault"?" he scoffed, "What are you talking about "my fault"? You shut her out. You had her love and you shut her out!" he hit Mr. French again, this time harder than before, a new hatred and force on him.

Suddenly I understood everything. Mr. French was Belle's father, and he had Belle killed. That's why Rumple hated him so much. I swallowed, my heart breaking at the sight. Rumple was grieving. Really really grieving, and I've never seen him like that. It hurts me so much.

"Rumple," I said softly, approaching him, not caring that Mr. French heard me say Rumple's real name. "Darling, stop..."

"She's gone," he said, not looking at me, his voice breaking as he continued to stare at Mr. French. "She's gone forever. She's not coming back. And it's your fault! Not mine!" he continued to hit him, and I found myself unable to prevent it. "You are her father! Yours! It's yours! It's your fault! It's your fault!"

Crying as I saw how broken Rumple really was, and thinking about poor Belle dying, and how much Rumple cared for her after all this time, I couldn't help it. I cried silently for the girl that sued to be my best friend, and for the beautiful love Rumple could have had with her.

Somehow Emma found us. She opened the door and widened her eyes when she saw what was happening. I evaded her eyes, and she run to where Rumple was still hitting Belle's dad. He was so on it that he didn't heard or saw Emma here. She grabbed his hand as he raised his cane for another blow at Mr. French. "Stop."

...

Watching paramedics take Mr. French away, I stayed at Rumple's side. We didn't said anything to each other, in moment where he was this upset it was better to leave him be.

"So, I heard you managed not to break anything he needs," Emma said, walking towards us. "You're lucky, Mr. Gold."

"You got a funny definition of lucky."

"You have a funny definition of justice," Emma crossed her arms. "What did he really do?"

"He stole."

"That reacting was about more than taking a few trinkets from you and Melanie. You said something about how he hurt "her", what happened to "her", who was that? What did he do? If someone needs help, maybe I can help."

It was cute how she quickly offered to help, but there was nothing she could do. Belle was dead, she died a long time ago in the Enchanted Forest.

"That's none of your business," I said, pursing my lips.

"That, and I'm afraid I have to tell you you're wrong," Rumple said. "You misheard me."

Emma stared at us in disbelief. "You really don't want to cooperate."

"Look, we're done here." He moved to go, but Emma grabbed him. "Actually...no, we're not. You're under arrest." As Emma clicked the handcuffs on him, he gave her such a look I was surprised Emma was still so confident.

Turning to me, she out handcuffs on me too, making me arch my eyebrows at her in shock. "You just stood there as he nearly killed Mr. French. You're just as guilty as him."

...

That's how I ended stuck in a cell at the Sheriff station, all while still feeling sad for Belle, and the thought of not having my necklace back was eating me alive. I could felt Rumple's stare on the back of my neck, but I didn't moved to stare at him, I continued with my head resting over my knees, my hands hugging my legs.

Regina appeared then, and I knew my assumptions about she being the one that ordered Mr. French to steal from us was true. She manipulated Emma, letting her have Henry for thirty minutes in which she would talk to us. Of course, Emma's wish to be with Henry were stronger than her sheriff job. She left, leaving us with Regina.

I refused to look at Regina. Rumple, on the other hand, did spoke to her. "Well...you really wanted that little chat, didn't you?"

"Apparently, this is the only way I could do it." Regina smirked, then she saw me in the other cell. "What is she doing here?"

I simply gave her my middle finger, to which I heard Rumple chuckling.

"Oh, yes, I forgot she was your little dog, always following you." Regina said with disgust.

"Fuck off," I said, raising my head and glaring at her. "What the hell do you want?"

Before Regina could answer me, Rumple spoke, "Please, sit." She sat in the couch closer to his cell. "Now, when two people both want something the other has, a deal can always be struck. Do you have what I want?"

With a big smirk, she answered. "Yes."

Rumple took a second to let those words sink in. "So...you did out him up to it, then."

"I merely suggested that...strong men take what they need."

"Oh, yeah, and you told him just exactly what to take, didn't you?"

"We used to know each other so well, Mr. Gold. Has it really come down to it?"

I seriously didn't wanted to hear this conversation. It had nothing to do with me—unless she had my necklace too.

"It seems it has, yeah. But you know what I want. What is it you want?"

"I want you to answer one question. And answer it simply. What's your name?"

That made me move and stare at them. Rumple looked amused for a second, watching Regina intently the whole time. "It's Mr. Gold."

Regina gave him a cold look. "Your real name."

"Every moment I've spent on this earth, that's been my name."

"But what about moments spent elsewhere?"

Rumple continued to play innocent. "What are you asking me?"

"I think you know. If you want me to return what's yours, tell me your name."

That had the right effect on Rumple. He chuckled, "Rumplestiltskin."

The shock on Regina's face was so worth everything I've suffered this night.

"Now give me what I want." Rumple demanded, rising from the bed and grabbing the cell bars roughly.

"Such hostility."

"Oh, yeah."

Searching into her purse, Regina pulled a cup from it. "Over this?" The look on Rumple's face as he looked at it and extended a hand to take it broke my feels, along with his scared look as Regina moved it around as if she was going to let it fall to the floor. Rumple gripped it tightly. "Such a sentimental little keepsaker."

"Thank you..." Rumple said, snapping it out of her hands.

"Your majesty." Rumple sat back on the bed, checking the cup for any other damage. Seeing it well, he turned back to Regina. "So, now that we're being honest with each other, let's remember how things used to be, shall we? And don't let this bars fool you, dear. I'm the one with the power around here. I'm gonna be out of here in no time, and nothing between us will change."

Regina's face got really close to the cell bars as she smirked at Rumple in a dark way. "We shall see."

As she moved to go, I gripped her by the arm roughly, stopping her. She glanced at me. "What?" she hissed, moving her arms as if to shake me off.

"Give me my necklace," I hissed back, glaring her as forcefully as I could.

"I don't have it," she said slowly, like talking to a child, allowing herself to be as close as she could to my cell bars. "Artemis."

I continued to glare at her. "I'm not up for stupid games, your majesty. Give me my necklace now."

"What necklace?" she scoffed.

"The one you stole from me," I said, starting to get more angry.

"Regina, stop playing games with Artemis and give her her necklace," Rumple called, sounding tired and very much still angry.

"I don't have it," Regina shook her head, looking angry.

"Stop lying!" I yelled, losing my shit. "Give it back! Give it back!"

I didn't cared I sounded like a child, I needed my necklace.

Regina scoffed, looking at me directly in the eye, and saying. "I don't have it."

I sat back on the bed, too stunned to even move. "If it wasn't you that took it...who did?"

Meeting Rumple's gaze, he looked as lost as me. I looked back at Regina, but she still looked confused about what I was asking, so it was true she didn't took it.

But if she didn't...who did? Who would want my necklace?