God, it was rent day.

That was the first thing in Elias Gold's mind at the beginning of every month. Warm days of the month weren't so terrible but it was the cooler fall and winter months that bothered him. The cool winter months where the cold crept up his bad leg like icy fingers and his entire leg felt as if it were on fire.

He'd have much rather spent the morning in bed with his wife.

He got an earlier start than his wife did in the mornings, so he extracted himself from the covers so as not to disturb her.

But she was a light sleeper and felt the bed bounce slightly, "Hmm, honey?"

"Shh," he moved over and kissed her neck, "Just get some sleep."

She reached behind her…but her hand only grabbed air, "Come to bed."

He bent back over and trailed small kisses down her bare back, "I wish I could but work calls."

"So early," she pouted.

He pulled the covers over her so that she would be warm, "This town is a lot bigger than most would give it credit for. If you want me home at a decent time for dinner, then I must leave now."

"Or you could just forgo rent for the month and spent your time with me," she rolled on her back and brush her nails down his back, "I could take the day off…we could go to the cabin on the lake."

"Yes, but then how will I get my income and afford all those porches and Lamborghinis that you love, dear?" he teased.

"Hm," she sat up and kissed his neck, "Have a good day, sweetie."

He didn't miss the hand that circled around his waist. He gave her backside a playful pat, "Get some sleep."

He had come to relish the small moments they had when they woke up and when they went to sleep. It was their more vulnerable times they shared. It was the happier times in this little dreadful town that they lived at.

Where the stupid clock never moved…

And the mayor's boy acted out for any attention other than the authoritarian rule that his adopted mother instilled on him….the boy ran away yesterday. Mary Margaret had been beside herself with worry. Elias wondered if that boy returned. He knew he wouldn't…if he was that child. If Henry was as desperate as to believe that fairy tales were real to escape his life, what sort of torment did that boy live in?

What sort of torment did he put that child through by giving him to her?

Elias shuddered and tried to brush off feelings of guilt.

But he knew that the boy's situation was his fault. It had been a habit of his…a less than savory person wanted something and he obliged. Now, as he saw the boy's slumped shoulders when the boy walked to and from school, he couldn't help but secretly think that perhaps the boy would've been happier with them as parents instead of Regina.

It's not like she would've been able to protest, the adoption hadn't been legal.

Elias wondered if he would have even cared if the boy hadn't been in his wife's class though. Every day it seemed that Mary came home in a bit of a depression because she saw the boy was drifting and unhappy and there was nothing that she could do.

It had been his idea to give the boy a gift on fairy tales. He gave it to her from his shop. It'd been on the shelf for as long as he could remember. He'd never looked in it, so he hoped it wasn't the old fairy tales that had rape and cannibalism and murder in there….or else that poor child was going to be more troubled than he already was.

But now he thought they were all fairy tales. Ludicrous…who exactly was he supposed to be?

Elias made a note not to ask the boy that. He might not like the answer.

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Mary Margaret knew that her husband wasn't…exactly unhappy with his situation but she did know that he was bored. Content and bored, she thought was the most appropriate thing for him. He wanted power and reputation. He had that here. No one else was more powerful than him…so what else did he live for?

It was…very easy to fall down that slope of wanting power and never being satisfied. Mary had already seen her husband go through that in the city and she didn't want him to go through it again. She was happy here, they had something together. He was a stern landowner and he had money and a reputation and that should be enough.

She had her kids. She had a job that allowed her to be creative and free with how she ran things. It wasn't like that in the city. In the city….things were stricter. There were more children and more 'concerned' parents that the faculty bowed to because they were the loudest, but here…it wasn't so bad. The Mayor complained occasionally but whenever it was about Mary, Elias swept in and used his own influence to get her to shut up.

And so Mary was free to conduct her class the way she saw fit as long as she followed the lesson plan. That was fine, Mary understood lesson plans and all that, but she wanted her children to remember these lessons as they were memorable

The bird stayed still in her hand as she walked through the class. She noted earlier that Henry wasn't here today. She hoped that they found him…or at the rumor of him running away wasn't true. The next town was hours away, where would he go?

She worried about that boy.

"As we build our bird houses, remember – what you're making is a home, not a cage," she instructed as she walked through the classroom, "The bird is free and will do what it will. This is for them, not us. They're loyal creatures."

She gave the bird a fond smile and let it fly out the window to the birdhouse that she'd built for it. She heard the children behind her give gasps of awe and she turned around, "If you love them and they love you…they will always find you."

Her mind went distant after that…she swore she heard that once….like it was a promise made to her but she couldn't quite….remember who made it or why…

The bell rang and she jumped, "We'll pick this up after recess. No running"

Mary went to her desk to collect her things, recess was just before lunch…she could have something to eat with her husband and then be back in time for the paint to be dried.

She looked up and saw the mayor shoving her way through the children…there was a woman behind her in a red jacket, but Mary's first thought was to the mayor, "Miss Mills, what are you doing here?"

"Where's my son?" The mayor demanded.

"Henry," Mary started and wondered how much she was actually legitimately supposed to know about his disappearance, "I assumed he was home sick with you."

"You think I'd be here if he was?" Regina sneered, "Did you give him your credit card so he can find her?"

Mary looked over her shoulder and glanced at the blonde woman in the red jacket, "I'm sorry, who are you?"

"I'm his…," the woman started, "I'm his…"

"The woman who gave him up for adoption," Regina said tersely.

His birthmother! Well, that…could either end very well for Henry or very badly. Mary hoped it was the former because that child…needed some more role models in his life. There was only so much that she and Archie and others could give him.

But it looked like Henry's birthmother didn't want to be there anymore than his adopted mother wanted her there, "You don't know anything about this, do you?"

Mary took out her billfold, "No, unfortunately not."

Her cards were gone.

Despite herself, Mary smiled. Maybe if he'd just asked her husband…her husband would've done it for free. It was well known that he and the mayor didn't get along, "I should never have given him that book."

That was where it all started. At least for this path that Henry was on. She remembered how he stayed after class to tell him his theory that they were all fairy tale characters. She hadn't known how to react so she humored him. She imagined shooting down the theory was all Regina did, she didn't want to go down that route.

"What is this book I keep hearing about?" Regina demanded loudly.

"Just some old stories I gave him. As you…well know, Henry is a special boy. So smart, so creative," her voice turned sterner, "And as you might be aware, lonely. He needed it."

Regina grabbed her purse, "What he needs is a dose of reality. This is a waste of time."

She turned and swung the purse as she went. She hit a stack of books and paid them no mind as they collapsed. She passed by the woman, "Have a nice trip back to Boston."

Mary went to collect the books and the woman bent to help her.

And it was then that Mary finally got a look at this woman. She didn't…know how to explain it but when their eyes met…it was like some sort of protective instinct washed over Mary…and then there was a curiosity as well. What sort of woman was this in Henry's life now?

"Sorry to bother you," Emma said and helped her.

Mary didn't take her eyes off the woman…there was something there but she didn't know how to explain it, "No, it's….it's okay. I hear this is partially my fault."

"How's the book supposed to help?" the woman asked, genuinely curious.

"What do you think stories are for?" Mary asked, "These stories are classics. There's a reason we all know them. They're a way for us to deal with our world. A world that doesn't always make sense."

And then Mary had the urge to tell this woman about her son and what he'd been going through, "See, Henry hasn't had the easiest life."

"Yeah," the woman said as they walked down the hall, "She's kind of a hardass."

"No, it's more than her," Mary told her, her concern for the boy overrode her common sense, "He's like any adopted child. He wrestles with that most basic question they all inevitably face – why would anyone give me away?"

Then she realized what she said and how that sounded and she turned to face the woman, "I am…so sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean in any way to judge you."

The mother looked uncomfortable but she tried to brush it off, "It's okay."

But Mary wanted to somehow make it right, "Look, I gave the book to him because I wanted Henry to have the most important thing anyone can have. Hope. Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing."

She just wanted this woman to realize that Mary had given him the book for good intentions.

"You know where he is, don't you?"

Mary smiled…almost mischievously, "You might want to check his castle"

And she hoped that whatever good this woman could do for Henry, she hoped she could give it to him.

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One more rent collection and he could go home.

Elias always saved Mrs. Lucas for last. He wanted to be honorable and say that it was because she worked all day and he didn't want to take her away from her customers but there was something about the woman that intimidated even him. She looked like she would shoot him one of these days if caught her in a bad mood.

It was really cool as he limped up the stairs and walked through the front door. His leg screamed in agony as he walked in and saw some…woman standing there. So, this must be Henry's birth mother. His wife had said something about her arriving with the child in tow. She had been so relieved that Henry came back safely.

Elias was not eager to meet the mother…if Regina felt like she was threatened this woman would be run out of town. So, what was the point?

He caught sight of her bright red jacket and accidently glanced down at her extremely tight jeans (Just because he was off the menu didn't mean he couldn't look)

"What's the name?" Mrs. Lucas asked.

"Swan," the woman said pleasantly, "Emma Swan."

And then he felt like he'd been hit…by something like a wave crashing over him. But instead of water, it was memories…memories of another life where he was not a lawyer turned property owner and he was not here to collect rent.

He was here to find his son.

He was Rumpelstiltskin; the Dark One.

It felt like an eternity for him as he relieved an entire life at a woman mentioning her name, but it only seemed to have been a millisecond.

"Emma," he drew the name out. It was the same tone and the same pitch but it was no longer the voice of Mr. Gold. It was the voice of a very old and very tired imp.

She turned and he nodded his greeting as his savior, "What a lovely name."

She just stared at him, "Thanks."

He gave a smile at the girl he had a part in helping create.

Granny…or whatever her name was here pulled out a roll of bills, "It's all here."

"Yes," he took his attention off the savior for an instant, "Yes, of course it is, dear. Thank you."

The savior, Emma, watched him carefully as he accepted the money and looked back at her.

"You enjoy your stay," he said and gave her a once over, "Em-ma."

He turned to leave, but before he did, he looked at the wolf…Emma's godmother…oh gods, what had Regina done to this one?

She gave him a half confused; half aroused look as he left the Inn.

He limped down the stairs and drew his first full breath of fresh air from a world he'd been asleep in. It was good to wake up.

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Rumpelstiltskin…knew that there was a possibility something like this would happen. He had believed it to be a small possibility, of course because surely no one was as mentally ill as that.

When we get to this new land, I want…comfort….I want a good life.

The words echoed in his ears…he still remembered the tone he used in that prison cell all those years ago. When he wanted comfort, he didn't mean that.

He didn't mean her.

And Regina knew that, she had to because Snow White was never offered to him. Nor Red Riding Hood, nor any other of the countless women Regina could've given him.

Because this wasn't about honoring the deal, this was about hurting two of her enemies.

So, while he didn't expect her to really do this, he took into account that she might. He took the proper precautions. Not just for this but for a number of things. The curse had preparations for every contingency that a human being could think of…and some that they couldn't. This was just one of them. He couldn't stop what Regina set in motion if that was the ending she planned for them, but he could put in a few tweaks.

He came home and pretended nothing was wrong, "Mary!"

He took off his coat and hung it up beside his wife's or…Mr. Gold's wife, he wasn't entirely sure their marriage was really legal if they never even made the vows.

He walked through the house, "I'm back."

She sat at the dining room table. Her knee was pulled up to her chest and her arms were wrapped around her leg.

A knife and a gun were in front of her.

She gave him a furious look, "Sit down."

Oh good, the contingency worked, she remembered that she was Snow White…probably as soon as he remembered.

He gave a tired sigh and looked around the room, "Allow me to make us drinks first. I believe we will need them."

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Mary had been preparing dinner when she was hit with what felt like a lifetime of memories. The plate she held in her hands had fallen out of her hand and crashed to the ground.

She was Snow White.

Henry had been right.

The plate was still on the ground…so was the food that was prepared on it. Snow didn't see why she should bother cleaning it up when her mind was going a thousand miles an hour.

Her daughter was here…she had to find her. She had to pull her aside and tell her she had to stay…to beg her to stay. Just so she could get to know her…and memorize her face and learn all about her life that Snow had to miss.

So her daughter could break the curse. So she could defeat Regina, the woman that separated all of them in the first place.

She had to convince Emma that she was her mother.

But she couldn't do that yet. She had to face Rumpelstiltskin for what he'd spent 28 years doing to her. She didn't fool herself into thinking he didn't remember. He did. She knew that somehow…for some reason this wasn't just Regina's chess game, this was his. And he wouldn't let himself lose control of the board for 28 years.

Even if it meant 28 years of…doing what he did to her. Every night. Because for some reason it was a loop with various things that were different but never that.

So, she sat down to wait for him…with a knife and the gun that he kept in the drawer of the entrance table. Her…very confusing (and often bleeding together) memories told her that he had enemies…and they had it in case one of those enemies ever showed up.

Snow knew that if he had his memories, then he had to have his magic and while she may not be able to…completely kill him or maim him; she could hurt him in case he tried to come at her. She wasn't sure what he'd do now that she remembered, but he was going to get a fight.

But when she heard the front door close…and the tapping of his cane, she felt a jolt of fear slam through her.

If he had magic and he remembered…he could do whatever he wanted to her and no one would hear.

She watched him looked cautious at first…and then when he saw the gun she saw the acceptance in his eyes, "Allow me to make us drinks first. I believe we will need them."

A chill ran down her back at the sound of his voice. He sounded like Mary Margaret's husband, but she knew that this was him.

"What you got in there? A sedative to make me sleep again?"

He gave a wry laugh at her sarcasm, "Trust me dearie, you sleeping with me in every sense of the word was not my idea. I'm truly sorry you were pulled into this."

Snow felt disgusted, she felt…dirty and used. She wanted to rail against him but she saw the same look of disgust and anger in his eyes that she had in hers.

But she was too hungry for a fight and for answers to even consider that perhaps he didn't remember, "You just played house right?"

"I played no games," he put the drink in front of her but she made no move to touch it, "I was Elias Sebastian Gold as you were Mary Margaret Blanchard-Gold."

Snow held his gaze as he drank but never took his eyes off hers, "I don't believe you."

"That is your anger talking; I assure you I had no wish to play any part of these roles that your stepmother played for us."

She saw that he was just as angry as she was. His face was almost contorted with grief and rage and she heard the disgust in his voice.

"Why should you give up your power for 28 years?" Snow demanded.

"Self-preservation," he replied, "Regina had to believe she had all the power. I give you my assurances that if I had my memories for 28 years, I would never have laid a finger on you, princess. Why would I do that? After I worked so hard at getting you and your husband together, why would I do that to you?"

He wouldn't. He had…been forward in how he handled her but not in a way that ever convinced her he truly wanted her. She had always somehow known that that was a wall he used to make people uncomfortable.

Somehow…deep down, she believed his protests of innocence.

"Does she know that we're awake?"

"No," he took another sip, "I don't believe anyone else is."

Snow looked up at him, and felt herself shaking, "She did this to us."

"She did."

"All of us…after I spared her."

"Mercy is a kindness," Rumpelstiltskin muttered, "But if you're not careful, it can be a weakness as well."

"She hurt Charming…she was going to kill Emma."

"Yes, she was."

Snow tried to make sense of it all…of her own memories and Mary's, "Emma is here."

"Not for long is Regina has anything to say about it."

"I should," Snow started and stood as the walls in this house were closing in, "I should see her…I should talk to her."

"I do not believe that would be wise."

"Why not?"

"Regina has one of her patsies watching the Inn as we speak…they'll tell her you're there…and at this time, I do not think it to be wise if you risk exposing us unnecessarily as you have no idea what you are doing."

Snow heard the implication in his voice, "You think we should continue this farce so Regina doesn't suspect?"

He was grim, "Not the entire farce as I didn't want some of the more…intimate aspects any more than you did and despite that it was forced on us. However, if she suspects that we're both awake, then she will feel threatened. And you know what Regina does when she feels threatened."

No, she couldn't do that. She couldn't…stay in this house with him. She couldn't…be with him because they would have to continue pretending in such a way that Regina would believe that they didn't remember.

And they were very affectionate in public when together.

Another of Regina's punishments.

"No," Snow whispered and stood. She couldn't be here right now…the walls were…the walls were closing in. She needed to get out before she said or did something that she would regret.

She had to find her husband.

"I can't do that," she shook her head; "I can't do this."

"Snow, I would advise caution, I believe there is much to talk about still."

She grabbed her coat and nearly stumbled out of the door.

She couldn't be there. Not with the ending Regina had forced on her. Not with him.