It was a slow Wednesday. Luckily Mr. Gold had one slow day, and one day off, which was Sunday. Every other day the store was busy. Business was so crazy the last few months, he needed a part time assistant…and was he the perfect person. Evan Gilt. He was the nearest thing Mr. Gold ever had to a son…in this lifetime.

Mr. Gold knew him since he was 10 years old, through a friend. 16 years later, he was still in his life…working in his shop.

"Evan," he yelled from the front. Evan came out.

"Yeah, uncle?" Mr. Gold smiled when he heard his salutation. It felt good to be called something second best to a father figure..."Uncle."

"I am in need of some paper, can you go grab some?" Mr. Gold handed him a five.

"Yes, right away. I'm grabbing something from the bakery, want anything?" Mr. Gold shook his head.

"No , thanks anyway. Hurry on now. I have a lot of spreadsheets to sift through."

Mr. Gold turned back around to his screen. Oh, how I hate this piece of junk…I'd rather be polishing or pricing…."

"Hello Mr. Gold," a womans voice said. That voice was so familiar, that velvety, low, unintentionally seductive voice. No…she isn't even in the story book. She was a princess though…well sort of.

He turned around to greet his customer. One look, that's all it took, he dropped his pen. She sighed, averting her eyes to the counter.

"Your looking at my eyes…aren't you? She asked. Her eyes weren't a monstrosity, it was farthest from that. They were hypnotic, so dark and exotic. Something you'd see in your nightmares, but something so beautiful. Her pupils was black, as others, forest green iris's, with flicks of metallic violets and gold's. but not completely there, it looked as if she had a black ring around each iris. All of it, crowned by long thick lashes.

"I…ugh, i'm sorry miss. Where are my manners, your eyes, there very breathtaking."

"There not contacts, it's a condition," she said, knowing he what he wanted to ask, but dare not say. He looked up, back into her eyes, smiling.

"It certainly seems like a nice problem to have…that is the first thing when you see someone, is their eyes. You should be proud, makes you a rare creature, or think of it as a grand entrance." She laughed.

"Thanks for being so kind, Mr. Gold, I have gotten worse reactions."

"How do you know my name, dear?" She smiled, feeling awkward, pointing down at a stack of his business cards. Mr. Gold laughed at his odd moment.

"Don't know why I have those, 99 percent of this town knows me…which brings me to next question, what is your name, dear?" She held out her hand.

"Jade, Jade Miller, or "Dear", if it's easier for you." He shook her hand. She pulled away and took out a necklace. It was an onyx circle, encrusted diamonds in a filigree type pattern, on oval plate of gold, hanging off a beautiful braided chain.

"I was wondering if you wanted to buy this…I have been detached from it for years now. Just one day, I quit liking it. I prefer silver anyhow. He was urged to ask, But gold is so much better and it lasts longer," but he didn't want to come off as "the creepy old shop keeper".

Mr. Gold looked at it, he had to grab his cane tighter, in case he fell. This wasn't a regular necklace, this was belonged to someone he knew long ago, and still may know…the evil queen. What on earth was this stranger doing with it? He needed this necklace; he needed something of hers, that could possibly be precious, or maybe a good ol' scare to that hag.

"How about 200.00?" Jade smiled.

"Sounds good. Didn't think it was worth much in the first place. Deal." He took the necklace out of her open hand and handed her 200.00 out of the register. He leaned in on the case, so interested.

"So…Miss Jade, are you new in town?"

"Yes, I am. Well, sort of, only 2 months. I've been hiding in my house, I am a music teacher, and I am in a band for part time. So, I can get pretty busy. I am still in the process of moving in, that's when I found that necklace. I hope someone enjoys it…the necklace." She smiled. She continued her rambling. Why was she so nervous, it was as if he held this intimidating aura around her.

"Well, I will be back. I'd like to find some décor for my house. This looks like the right place to be for it. I will see you another time. Nice to meet you Mr. Gold. As she turned, her hip length, very thick auburn hair swished, nearly knocking a small sculpture." She looked at him and giggled.

"Whoa, close call. Sorry, she said" He smiled.
"Accidents happen," he replied. "That's why your in this town, and you just met me," He thought to himself.

Evan walked in, nearly bumping into Jade. He didn't really have a good look at her. He was to distracted by her figure, so tight in her curve hugging knee length dress, and so tall in those boots, he looked down, it was the heels, then catching a quick glimpse at those soft, thick, perfect smiling lips. She giggled again as she left. "Such good looking men in this shop," she thought to herself.

"Wow, who was that?" Evan asked, entranced.

"Jade Miller, she's a pretty little thing, isn't she?"

"Yeah…isn't she a music teacher?" Mr. Gold nodded to answer. He slid the necklace towards Evan.

"This is what she sold," he stated.

"Be a good boy and put it in the back," Mr. Gold said, taking the paper stack out of Evan's hand.

"Be a good boy," Evan mocked.

"Okay…Dad," he laughed. Mr. Gold gave him a smug grin and went back to his charts.

Evan came back out, munching on a muffin.

"Seriously though, you need to get her to pawn something…I wouldn't mind her coming in more often." Mr. Gold looked at him like an idiot. Then he put in his two senses.

"That's funny…I saw her first. Get in line young man." Evan playfully jabbed him in the arm.

"Really…you think she'd pick you, over me? You seem old enough to be her dad." Mr. Gold looked at him, challenging him.

"She needs a man, not a boy, it all counts on the experience you have," he smirked.

"Ugh, you can be such a pervert sometimes," Even retorted. The two men laughed.

Mr. Gold thought about her. He felt that feeling, like when he first met Regina Mills, the mayor. He knew she knew him, they were not meant to be in this realm. They came from elsewhere. It was the elephant in the room. The auburn haired girl looked so much like the Jade he knew…the one who constantly denied him, for someone else, for a mere man. He remembered when he was Rumplestiltskin, the most powerful man in the land. She came to him, so slick with her tongue, so clever, confident, and eager to get things done. He felt like he was looking at a female form of his personality. He remembered the little chats they had, how she carried herself with dignity, how she seemed to portray good and bad at the same time. How bittersweet that girl was. Jade remarkably looked like her, it had to be her! Why would she have that necklace in her possession? How on earth did she even get here…and why? He couldn't figure out why then…why he was so obsessed with her, when he met her, it was 8 years after he lost Bealfire, when he did the math, they were five years apart. Could have she made a perfect protégé, a perfect replacement of what he lost? When he met her, Bealfire had to be at least 29 by then. He wondered if his son even lived after he left at only 15…