Rumpelstiltskin chugged back the drinks almost faster than Lacey could pour them but he couldn't get drunk.

Dagian was refusing him rights to his daughter.

DAGIAN was refusing HIM access to Lily.

The Dark One whispered in his ear and he allowed himself to listen as he nursed a drink. The audacity of that woman. Did she forget who he was? He had taken and given children to families for centuries. He had broken and mended families. He would rip apart her little family to remind her of what he was capable of.

And then he got ahold of himself….Dagian DID know what he was. That's why she took the steps she did.

"I don't know what you're pouting about," Lacey said and took another drink, "You can take her to court if you want to. You have money and power just….line the judge's pockets."

Rumpelstiltskin smiled wryly, "I'm afraid it's not that simple. We had a deal that said if I stepped too far back to what I was, then she could take Lily."

"Then take her back," Lacey said, "Break the deal. I mean…it's not like anyone else heard it, right?"

"I don't break deals," he snapped and looked at her angrily, "The measure of a man is not his physical prowess but his word."

Lacey ran her tongue in the inside of her cheek thoughtfully, "I think you're scared of her."

Now she was just trying to antagonize him. Why should he be scared of a little mortal? He was the dark one! Nobody; man or woman, held command over him. Least of all, her, "I am not scared of my ex-wife, Lacey"

"Then why is she holding power over you with just a few words?" Lacey challenged.

No, he wasn't going to listen to this. He wasn't going to take his daughter away from Dagian by force because he knew very well that he wasn't fit to be that child's father any more than Lacey was fit to be her stepmother.

But who would be a father to her? Jefferson?

He felt the anger start to rise in his belly. That hatter was no more fit to be her father than Rumpelstiltskin was. He had no right to raise Lily; he wasn't in any way related to her.

And Rumpelstiltskin knew he had something to do with Lily's premature birth. He just didn't know how to prove it and neither one was saying a word. He'd been prepared to torture it out of the hatter until he and Dagian started dating.

"Well you lost this Belle….," Lacey said, obviously trying to manipulate him, "And you lost your son and that…gem of an ex-wife left you…who else do you have but your daughter…and me. She's your daughter, she belongs to you."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled a very….UnBelle smile that shouldn't have been on Belle's face.

"No," he wrapped his hands around her wrists and pulled them firmly to her sides. He had stayed away from Bae because he was a coward and it was best for Bae. He needed to respect the deal he made with Dagian because he knew that it was best for Lily, "Don't Lacey. Don't ever talk to me about my daughter again."

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"You told him that he couldn't see Lily anymore."

"Yes," Dagian whispered and wiped a tear away.

Jefferson adjusted his position, "You told the Dark One that…he couldn't see his daughter."

"The more you say it, the more it doesn't change," Dagian snapped and then immediately regretted it, "I'm sorry."

"He's not going to forgive this."

"I know."

Jefferson looked at his hands, "This isn't going to make him change."

"I know," she said. If anything, it was going to make him fall deeper in the hole that he was falling down. She should call him and make it right and help him change but…that would be suicide. He would know that he could walk all over her to get what he wanted because she was scared of what he could do. She couldn't fold now. She couldn't let him bully and manipulate her because he wouldn't change if there were no consequences.

And he might get worse if there were.

He looked at her and she could see the fear in his eyes, "Dagain….do you think that he might come after me?"

She averted her gaze, "I don't think he'll come after me directly. Him going after you is a possibility."

He looked down, "He won't like the idea that I might be a father figure to his daughter if he doesn't straighten up."

"Well," Dagian said, "That's why I'm here…actually."

Jefferson sighed and scoffed, "Shall I pour us a drink, then? So we can be properly buzzed when we break up?"

"It's for your safety," Dagian said, "I'm not going to let him take you too."

"You have a life," he snapped, "And you're doing good, Dagian. You're breaking away from him…don't let his influence scare you away from what we can have."

Dagian looked up at him and saw his eyes filling with tears, "You know why I can't take you up on that offer."

"Yes, but I can protect Grace. We can't be separated here and maybe Rumpelstiltskin knows what he'd be risking if he hurt me. He'll always hold power over you if you cower at what he could do."

Dagian heard her phone texting app buzz and she saw that it was Emma. Is Tamara with you?

"I'm not going to be responsible for Grace losing her father because my ex wants to take it out on someone but me."

"It's just a cooling off period," Dagian promised, "Until we can get Rumpelstiltskin calmed down."

"And how many times will you do that?" he demanded, "Run off and sacrifice your own happiness?"

"Until the people I love aren't in danger," she whispered.

That seemed to strike something in him and he put his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her closer to him. Dagian rested her forehead against his and gripped his hand.

"I love you," she told him and felt a weight being lifted off her shoulders.

He gave a wry smile, "I Know."

Dagian laughed slightly and looked at him. She gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek, "I should…get Lily."

They both walked down the hallway where Grace was playing with the baby. On the way, Dagian replied to Emma that she wasn't with her.

They stopped in the doorway and watched as Grace hid her face behind the blanket and popped out much to the baby's squealing delight. It felt…wrong to interrupt the moment.

Jefferson looked at her and noted her reluctance, "Perhaps letting her play with the baby for a couple of hours wouldn't be a bad idea."

"Mm," Dagian muttered and looked down at the phone when it buzzed again. T has Regina at Cannery. Might need Dawn's aiming skills.

Jefferson glanced over her shoulder, "Geez what a shame."

It was really tempting of Dagian to refuse. Let Tamara do whatever she wanted to Regina, why should Dagian care? Why should Emma after what that woman kept trying to do to her family just so she could take Henry by force?

But if Tamara somehow got Regina captured then she was powerful enough to hurt Emma and Dagian felt like she owed it to Emma to keep an eye out.

"Emma can't ask anyone else?" Jefferson spat.

"I'm the only one that has experience with a gun," she turned off the phone, "To blow off steam, Rumpelstiltskin used to take me into the woods to go shooting."

He bit his lip, and weighed his options, "Tamara's the one your boy's dating?"

"That'd be her."

"Go," he nodded, "I'll watch her."

Dagian kissed his cheek, "Thank you."

He grabbed her hand as she started to walk away, "Just come back