Questions to Answer:

Will Baelfire/Neal show up: He certainly will. New child or not, Rumplestiltskin's end goal is still getting to his son, and he'll move mountains to make that happen. Unfortunately, Cora does know this.

Why Gabrielle (Renee) isn't in the Book: Whoever wrote the book could only put in what they knew, and Rumplestiltskin and Belle went to great lengths to make sure their daughter's existence remained a secret.

Chapter Ten—"The Deals We Make"

In hindsight, Emma supposed this was a really bad idea. She'd meant well, back when she'd met Ashley Boyd at Granny's the day before. All she'd asked was why a girl who was obviously so far along in her pregnancy was still working, and next she'd known, Emma had been listening to a sob story about how Ashley didn't have a choice, because no one was there to help her, and besides, she was giving up the child anyway, so what did it matter? She certainly hadn't meant for Ashely to try running away from town after their conversation, but the young mother-to-be had done just that. She was only lucky that Emma had found her while she'd been out on some pointless patrol Keith had foisted off on her when he didn't want to do it, following up on an anonymous call about a car crash near the town line. Whoever had called had been too much of a jerk to help out himself, but there Ashley had been, having crashed Ruby's car and desperate to get out of Storybrooke.

But there hadn't been time. There'd barely been time to get Ashley to the hospital before she'd given birth, and then Doctor Whale had yelled at Emma for making things take so long. She only managed to refrain from strangling him because he seemed to be a good doctor when he wasn't leering, or at least he talked like one. Emma really hoped he was as Whale kicked her out of the delivery room, sighing and heading out into the waiting room. One birth had been enough for her; Emma didn't see any reason to stick around for someone else's, even if Ashley's deadbeat ex-boyfriend couldn't be bothered to be there for her.

Slumping into a chair—it had been a long day already and was only getting longer—Emma glanced down at the contract she'd found tucked into Ashley's purse. It explained everything: why Ashley had run, what was supposed to happen to her child, and what the financial consequences for breaking the contract were. There was no way a poor maid working at the local bed and breakfast had fifty thousand dollars stashed away to buy her baby back from those who had planned on adopting her. Emma found the entire episode distasteful, but the contract seemed pretty watertight now that she read it.

Legally, on the other hand, she wasn't sure it was going to—

"Ah, so I see that you found my missing contract, Miss Swan," a cultured voice intruded on her thoughts, and Emma's head snapped up.

The infamous Mr. Gold wasn't nearly as intimidating at first glance as gossip in town implied he was. Emma hadn't met the man yet, but she'd heard plenty about Mary Margaret's landlord and chief creditor, and she had expected him to be much taller. Instead, he was a slender man dressed impeccably in a dark suit, complete with a gold-handled cane and a maroon tie. But he walked like a man who 'owned half the town' as Mary Margaret had said, someone who was sure of his own power and influence.

"Your contract?" Emma echoed, getting to her feet as she flipped to the back page. Sure enough, down at the bottom of the page, right underneath Ashley's messy signature was a scrawled 'R. Gold'.

"Indeed. I assume that Miss Boyd has safely made it into delivery?" he asked smoothly, but there was something about his demeanor that set Emma's teeth on edge. No wonder Mary Margaret doesn't like him. She's too nice to deal with someone like this.

"She doesn't want to give up her child," Emma replied bluntly, meeting his eyes squarely.

"Well, that's too bad. She was more than eager to sign the contract, I assure you." Gold smiled enigmatically, gesturing at the papers Emma still held. "As you can see."

"I don't care. You're not getting that kid." There. She'd put it on the line. Now it was time to see how scary the big bad Mr. Gold really was.

"Actually, we have an agreement," Gold countered easily. His expression was still hard to read, but the man exuded confidence. "And my agreements are always honored. If not, I'm going to have to file charges, and that baby is going to end up in the system. And that would be a pity. You didn't enjoy your time in the system, did you Emma?"

Oh. He hadn't just gone there, had he? And how did he know about that? Emma had only told Henry and Regina about her past, and there was no way this loan shark should know about it. Her eyes narrowed. "That's not gonna happen."

Gold just chuckled. "I like your confidence. Charming, but all I have to do is press charges. She did, after all, break into my shop."

"She what?" Damn, now there was something Emma had to care about as a deputy sheriff. Why had she taken that job, anyway?

"Indeed." Gold pushed hair away from his forehead, revealing a newly-made gash.

"Why didn't you report that?" Emma asked suspiciously.

"Because it only happened last night, and I spent most of the night lying unconscious on the floor," he replied, and didn't the man just have an answer for everything?

"Let me guess," she snarled. "She did it to steal a contract?"

"Who knows what she was after?"

The bastard was smart; Emma had to give him that. But Emma wasn't in the mood to back down today, so she met his innocent shrug with a glare.

"You know, no jury in the world will put a woman in jail whose only reason for breaking and entering was to keep her child," she pointed out. "I'm willing to roll the dice that contract doesn't stand up. Are you? Not to mention what might come out about you in the process. Somehow I suspect there is more to you than a simple pawnbroker. You really want to start that fight?"

She didn't expect him to chuckle as he paced, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "I like you, Ms. Swan," Gold said. "You're not afraid of me, and that's either cocky or presumptuous. Either way I'd rather have you on my side."

"So she can keep the baby?"

"Not just yet. There's still the matter of my agreement with Ms. Boyd."

Emma shrugged. "Tear it up."

He spread his hands, the picture of dangerous innocence. "That's not what I do. You see, contracts, deals, well they're the very foundation of all civilized existence, so I put it to you now. If you want Ashley to have that baby, are you willing to make a deal with me?"

A sinking feeling started to form in the pit of her stomach, the one that always told Emma she was heading towards rocky waters. But then again, it was also the feeling she had always ignored. Life was for living, and risks existed to be taken. After all, she'd had that feeling in her stomach when she'd tried to leave Storybrooke after Regina dared her to, and even though it hadn't worked, Emma was always willing to try. So, she met Gold's gaze squarely, refusing to give an inch.

"What do you want?" she demanded.

Another smile; another shrug. "Oh I don't know just yet," he replied casually. "Let's say…you'll owe me a favor."

Emma studied him for a moment, but really, how bad could things be? Though she did make a mental note to ask Regina for details—and dirt, hopefully—on Gold. Her instincts said that the man was being both truthful and that he was every bit as dangerous as everyone said, and that meant Emma wanted as much ammunition as she could get. He didn't look frightening, not at first glance, but there was something steely in his eyes that gave her the shivers. He was certainly cagey, and seemed to be smarter than half the town put together. No wonder they all owe him money, if he can run circles around them so easily. She squared her shoulders.

"Deal."

"It's a pleasure doing business with you, Miss Swan." Gold inclined his head to her, rather politely for a man who had just wished fifty thousand bucks away for a favor.

Maybe he wanted more than one. If so, Emma would gladly grant another to free Mary Margaret of some of her debt to this hard-edged man. Owing him wasn't going to be fun, Emma knew, but she'd done far dumber things in her twenty-eight years. She'd survive. Besides, someone in this miserable little town had to show some basic human decency, because that seemed to be in very short supply here in Storybrooke.

"Is Ashley all right?" a new voice asked before Emma could tell Gold that the pleasure definitely wasn't hers, and Emma turned to look at the town librarian.

She'd only met Lacey French once before, and she'd seemed like a nice enough woman then. Quiet and a little heavy on the wide-eyed innocence, perhaps, but nice enough. Henry seemed to think that Lacey was the smartest person in the entire town, though Emma wasn't sure she'd go that far. Still, Lacey was a lot more pleasant to talk to than Gold, so Emma turned to face her and ignored the pawnbroker. He could go hang himself for all she cared.

"Yeah, she's in delivery now," she answered.

"Good." Lacey smiled in relief. "I heard she was in an accident, and I didn't want her to be alone."

Okay, make that one person in the entire town who apparently had a heart. Aside from Henry, and maybe Regina on a good day. Emma liked Lacey French more by the moment.

"She should be out soon," she reassured the librarian. "I didn't know you two were friends."

"Sort of," Lacey admitted. "More lately than before. "But I know what it's like to face this by yourself, and it's never easy."

"You're tellin' me," Emma breathed in agreement just as Henry ran in.

"Emma! Has she given birth yet?"

"Not yet, kiddo. This stuff doesn't happen fast, you know." Her son scowled, and Emma tried not to laugh.

"I know," he informed her like she was an idiot. "I'm not that young."

Man, how did parents do this all the time? She was always treating Henry like he was too old or two young. There was a sweet spot somewhere, but Emma had yet to find it. She'd told Ashley earlier than parenthood was hard, and Emma was discovering that for herself every day she stayed in Storybrooke. But she was also slowly becoming very happy with her decision to stick around. Maybe she would have made a terrible mom if she'd tried to do what Ashley was now doing, but Henry showing up on her doorstep had been a second chance, and Emma wasn't going to throw away the opportunity to be a part of her son's life.

Even if being a part of that life only meant sitting next to him as Henry popped a comic book open, clearly content to wait for Ashely to finish giving birth. He wasn't reading the fairy tale book here, at least, but Emma had a feeling that was only because of his grandmother's attempt to take it away from him. Henry had said that the mayor had gone so far as to threaten Lacey over it, but Henry had snuck the book back out of the library. Thinking of that made Emma turn to look at Lacey again, only to find that—much to Emma's surprise—Lacey had approached Gold.

"What happened to your face?" Lacey asked quietly, gesturing at the cut.

Gold shrugged coolly. "Nothing that need concern you."

That response seemed to surprise the librarian; she looked at him with concern and confusion both, blue eyes wide. "You're hurt," she objected. "Was it…?"

"No," Gold cut her off sharply, brown eyes flashing. Had Emma been Lacey, the look on his face might have been enough to make her step back, but Lacey only reached out, obviously moving to touch his forehead near the cut.

Gold caught her wrist, and Lacey yelped in surprise.

"I am not your concern, dear," he said softly, venom dripping from each word. "How many times do I need to tell you that?"

The librarian was brave; she yanked away. "At least one more," she shot back, but Emma could see tears filling her eyes.

"Then consider it said."

Most women would have run; Lacey French stepped in close to Gold, fury plain on her pretty face.

"You're a coward," she whispered, and Emma had to strain to hear her. "You could have something wonderful if only you'd let yourself. But instead you hide behind that mask of indifference and wonder why everyone thinks you're a monster. And you're going to regret this for the rest of your life."

Gold looked too shocked to say a word, and Lacey spun and stalked out—heading deeper into the hospital—before he had the chance to, anyway. By then, Henry was staring, too, but he sat as silently as Emma did while Gold shrugged slightly and then turned to limp out of the waiting room as well. His air was that of a man who didn't give a damn about the words flung in his face, but Emma had seen enough hard-edged people to know the difference. There was something going on there, and she was going to find out what.

4 Years Before the Curse

"Do you, Rumplestiltskin, promise to take this woman as your wife, and love her for all eternity?"

His heart hammered so hard against his ribcage that Rumplestiltskin thought it might burst. Here he stood, as human as before he took on the curse that would change his life, holding hands with his True Love as she smiled at him. "I do," he whispered.

"And do you, Belle, promise to take this man as your husband, and to love him for all eternity?" the mayor of Amorveria asked.

"I do," Belle answered, her voice clear and strong.

"Then you may kiss the bride," the mayor said, and Rumplestiltskin felt his face split into a wild grin. This was why he had brought Belle here; Amorveria was the one place in any magical realm where he could kiss his True Love without risk of losing his power. Here he could give her, just for a little while, the love she truly deserved, without strings attached or a monster burying the man she was marrying. While Rumplestiltskin was not entirely sure of himself, of the man he would be without the curse—and he never would be, because even now he could feel the darkness coiled up within his soul, patiently waiting to return—he could give Belle at least this much. And he could kiss her.

Magic rolled off the pair as their lips touched, first tentatively and then more hungrily. This was not like their first uncertain kiss, when both had been groping towards their feelings for one another and both had been afraid. No, this was four months later, four months of trials and arguments, of learning and loving and getting to know one another without the fiction of employer and maid standing in the way. This was True Love, a golden whoosh of power arching off of them and filling the air around them, almost overloading Rumplestiltskin's senses with power and light. Belle's arms slipped around his neck as his hands tangled gently in her hair, and together they took advantage of the one place they could indulge in this otherwise forbidden expression of love.

Rumplestiltskin lost track of how many times they kissed, smiling and holding one another and grinning like idiots. He would have given Belle a grand wedding, would have invited half of the Enchanted Forest, had she asked, but all she had wanted was him. So he had brought her to Amorveria, the town were only the magic of True Love worked, the one place where he could kiss her and be human for her, just for a little while. In this sheltered little town, whose inhabitants rarely left and which received very few visitors, no one looked at them twice. They were only a married couple who shared True Love. These people did not know him as the Dark One, and they did not care that Belle was a brave woman who had given up her freedom to serve a monster. The people here only took that kiss at face value, recognizing it for what it was and giving them space to seal their union.

"This is the best wedding present you could have given me," Belle whispered when they finally drew far enough away from one another for speech.

Rumplestiltskin smiled and kissed her again, lightly this time, with the kiss full of promise. "I'm only getting started, sweetheart."

"Oh?"

Her enthusiasm was infectious. "Oh," he confirmed. "I've rented a cottage on the edge of town, one overlooking the ocean. Just for us."

"I've never seen the ocean," Belle admitted.

"I know." She'd wanted adventure; Belle had gotten a monster in exchange. The least he could do was give her this. Rumplestiltskin offered her his arm again. "Shall we?"

"How long can we stay?" she all but bounced in excitement as they began to walk, their hips brushing against one another and shoulders touching. Even with his limp, Rumplestiltskin reveled in being so close to her, in not having to weather the incessant whispers of his curse screaming danger every time Belle's face came near his. He would never tell her how the demon within him hated her, wanted her, burned to devour her as much as it demanded to kill her. Belle didn't need to know that; she was burdened enough by loving him. Here, however, it was so much easier.

"How long do you want to?" he asked lightly. His plans could weather a month or two's absence, Rumplestiltskin knew.

"Forever," she breathed, blue eyes shining.

Part of him wanted to say yes. Part of Rumplestiltskin knew that he could live with her, live in peace and grow used to the almost-silent whispers in the back of his mind. He could stay here forever, and perhaps he might even learn to be happy. He was terrible at it, but maybe Belle could teach him, and Rumplestiltskin could actually accept a life that was…empty. Empty because it would be without his son. That realization hit him hard, with guilt rocking him back on his heels and making him stumble to a stop in mid-stride.

Belle must have seen the look on his face, though, because she squeezed his arm. "I know we can't stay that long," she said gently, moving up on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. "You still have to find your son."

"Yes. Yes, I do," he replied, his throat thick with memories.

"And I'll help you. Every step of the way. You're not alone, anymore, Rumple. Never again," Belle said, and her smile was enough to lift his spirits.

"Never again," he agreed.

"A few weeks, then? she asked, tugging him forward. They resumed walking, smiling at one another and heading towards the cottage by the water he had rented.

"A month, if you like," he replied. "Or two, even."

"Oh, Rumple." She stopped and kissed him again. "I love you."

"What was that?" Emma asked Henry as Gold made his way towards the door. But her kid only shrugged.

"Dunno."

She narrowed her eyes. "I thought you knew everything about this town."

"Well, almost everything," Henry replied, and then suddenly jumped to his feet, abandoning his comic book. "I have an idea."

"Henry—" But Emma didn't grab for him fast enough, and before she knew it, Henry was chasing after Lacey. Meanwhile, Regina walked in, almost colliding with Gold while she was at it, and the two glared at one another for a moment before Regina said:

"We need to talk, Gold."

"Well, I'm ever at your service, dear," he replied in that same cool tone, the one that said he wasn't saying a thousand things and immediately got under Emma's skin. But Regina seemed unaffected, only arching an eyebrow and waiting. Gold gestured, and the pair left the room together.

Sighing, Emma rose from the uncomfortable plastic chair and figured that she ought to follow Henry. They undoubtedly had some time yet before Ashley was able to receive visitors, and poor Lacey French really didn't need a ten year old trying to comfort her with whatever idea he'd gotten. So, Emma grabbed Henry's forgotten comic book and headed down the hall. Tracking the pair down wasn't hard—they were in the next waiting room over, the one for pediatrics—just in time to hear Henry saying:

"It's not his fault, you know. Not if he's the Beast. You two aren't supposed to get a happy ending here."

Lacey looked like she'd been crying, only a little, but she smiled a little crookedly. "Because of the curse?"

"Yeah. That's how it works," Henry told her, and Emma just wanted to shake her kid. Stories about his curse weren't going to help the girl get over an obvious case of rejection.

"Henry, that's nice of you to say, but no curse is going to decide my fate," Lacey replied, standing up from where she'd been sitting next to him. "And neither is anyone else."

Henry beamed. "That's good! That's Belle coming through, and not your cursed self. Belle even said something like that in my book."

Much to Emma's surprise, Lacey laughed, reaching out to squeeze Henry's shoulder. There was still a lot of sadness in her expression, but damn that girl was strong. "Well, I knew I liked her," she said, and gave Emma a bit of a strained smile over Henry's head. "Now I need to go. Ruby's watching Renee, and you know what kind of a disaster could happen if I leave them alone in the library for too long. Give Ashely my best, okay?"

"I will," Henry promised. "Will you think about what I said?"

"I always will, Henry," Lacey promised.

Regina was giving him one of those looks, one of the ones that said her teeth were on edge and her patience was at an end. Rumplestiltskin knew her too well, knew that she was getting sick of waiting and even sicker of her mother. But his thoughts were elsewhere; the words he had said to Belle—Lacey!—kept running through his head. He'd been cruel. Needlessly so, and he'd hurt her terribly. He had deserved every word she spat at him in response, when she'd called him a coward and stormed away. Rumplestiltskin had promised to love Belle for all eternity, and now look what he had done. He had hurt her, and she would be well within her rights to never forgive that.

"Are you even listening to me, Gold?" Regina demanded as the pair stopped in a deserted hallway.

"Frankly, no. You're going to have to repeat whatever your current complaint is," he replied with a shrug, hauling himself back on balance with an effort.

Regina glared.

"Is this really necessary?" she asked, obviously not for the first time. "You and your favors. Did you really have to go through all that rigmarole, antagonizing Emma and pulling her attention away from breaking the curse?"

Her voice dropped to a whisper on that last part; Regina was angry, not stupid. For his part, however, Rumplestiltskin was still thinking on what he had said to the woman he loved, of her reaction and of his own pain. Damn the favor he'd known he needed; it didn't seem to matter now. His actions might have kept Belle safe, but at what cost?

Yet Regina was waiting impatiently for an answer, so Rumplestiltskin dredge up a grim smile. "I'm sorry, were you under the impression that breaking this curse would be easy?" he asked, folding his hands on his cane and peering at her. "I seem to recall telling you the exact opposite when you decided that you wanted to help."

"If I'd left you to shepherd things through on your own, Emma would destroy the town rather than save it," his former student snapped.

Rumplestiltskin laughed softly. "Well, I wouldn't go that far." She was stubborn, their savior, but he could see a dozen ways to manipulate her—if only he'd been free to act.

"You haven't seen her temper," Regina shot back. "And I get to deal with it, now, thanks to you. So what the hell did you need a favor for so damn much, anyway?"

"I have my reasons."

"Don't start with me, Rumple. I'm not in the mood for riddles!"

"Neither am I, dear," he snapped, his own patience wearing thin. Regina shouldn't have needed to hear this, but apparently it needed saying. "Not everything we do can be focused on breaking the curse. Some of it must be in keeping with the situations your mother set up. I am not going to break a deal just because your darling niece asked me nicely—which she did not, I might add. Your mother knows that."

"My mother—"

"Is in control," Rumplestiltskin cut her off. "Never forget that. The curse may have weakened slightly with Emma's arrival, but it is still Cora's curse. Do not allow yourself to become complacent."

"Complacent? I'm the one doing all the work," she hissed, rolling her eyes.

Ah. There was the rub, there was what was annoying Regina so much.

"This is your family you're trying to save," he pointed out, evading the real reasons why he'd dumped the hard parts of this crusade on Regina. But she was too smart, this protégée of his, and knew him too well.

"You expected this," she realized with wide eyes. "You knew she'd have some sort of hold on you."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he scoffed.

"You're still sleeping with her," Regina accused him.

Rumplestiltskin couldn't help himself; he looked away.

"What hold does she have on you?" Regina asked quietly, sounding more worried than hostile.

But he didn't want her compassion. "Not your business," Rumplestiltskin snapped, turning to walk away and adding before she could follow: "Go see to Miss Swan. Make sure she doesn't actually manage to destroy the town while we're busy trying to save it."

11 Years Before the Curse

"Why do you live alone?" Regina wondered aloud. She'd stayed away from such asking personal questions of the fascinating sorcerer who had become her mentor, but she was comfortable enough with him now that Regina didn't stop herself.

Rumplestiltskin giggled, but the laugh was a little off. "Why would I not?" he countered. Regina shot him a look.

Could her mother really have been lovers with this…creature? Cora certainly had implied as much just two days earlier.

"Did you learn that from Rumplestiltskin? You're quite good at it," Cora asked during one of their magic lessons, and Regina froze. She'd been so careful these past two years, never letting her mother know that the imp was also teaching her magic, filling in the gaps Cora intentionally left. But now she'd slipped up, and Cora pounced like the predator she was.

Regina hesitated a moment too long before replying, struggling to find some sort of excuse and failing.

"Don't bother denying it, darling. I've known for months that you're going to him, and I'm pleased. He did teach me, after all."

"He said," Regina ground out from between gritted teeth.

Cora smiled mysteriously. "Did he mention that he was almost your father?"

"You didn't always," she replied, pulling her mind back to the present. "You and my mother—"

"Are done," he snapped.

"Mother's always been rough on men," Regina agreed, thinking of her beaten down father, of all the hearts her mother had collected and of poor, enchanted Leopold. But Rumplestiltskin scowled.

"Told you about us, did she?" It was interesting how his voice went less high pitched when he wasn't grandstanding. Regina thought he actually sounded human, now.

"Not much," she admitted. "But she did kill Daddy to marry Leopold. I know what she's like."

The Dark One only snorted, so Regina pressed on:

"That doesn't explain why you're so lonely, though," she said to the man who would never replace her beloved father but at least offered her someone to turn to. Somehow, knowing that Rumplestiltskin had almost been her father put their relationship into focus, and although Regina knew her mother had been trying to unsettle her, the knowledge actually made her more comfortable, not less. "Couldn't there, uh, be someone else?"

Not that there was for her after Daniel, but she was quite certain no one could feel that way for her mother. Daniel was her True Love. Cora was a poison, and Rumplestiltskin clearly knew that, judging from his reaction. But the question seemed to spook him, and Rumplestiltskin shook himself, his eyes wide before they skittered off to study some tapestry on the wall.

"I do better alone," he answered quietly.

"That's hardly…" Fair. Living? What did he live for, other than magic? Regina felt an unexpected surge of pity for her teacher.

"Let's get back to your lesson," he said instead of going anywhere near the subject, and Regina let him distract her with magic. She was so close to figuring out how to free Leopold from her mother's spells, and she would not let Snow down now.

A/N:Thank you again to everyone who left a review, and particularly to the anonymous reviewers who I can't send a note to.

Stay tuned for Chapter Eleven: "Dreams and Destruction," in which Emma and Graham get to know one another, Mary Margaret faces off with Jefferson, and Rumplestiltskin does what he knows he should not. In the past, Belle and Rumplestiltskin have a talk about the nature of their child, and Cora manipulates the Hatter into doing her bidding.