Norman was so desperate to leave school, that he ended up leaving class right into the middle of it. He didn't do any of the assignments he was suppose to do, claiming that he wasn't motivated. He was sent to the principal's office, and was confused why the principle asked him if his unacceptable behavior had anything to do with Rose Gold leaving school. Norman had said no, and believed it. Or so he thought.

He was angry at Rose for being the daughter of the most horrible, powerful man ever. But that was it. He couldn't find any other reason to hate her.

His day got worse when Madame- the Blue Fairy took him to talk about his status on living with Granny for temporarily.

She was trying to convince him to move back in with the nuns/ fairy's, and that annoyed him. He wanted everyone to leave him alone.

But, no. Henry found him in the halls and asked him one thing.

"What's your real name and what's your story?" That just made the teen turn the other direction and and walk straight out of the school doors.

The question did leave him thinking what he should be referred as. His real name or his curse name? Should he be reminded of the sad reality he was born into, or continue living a pretend life as if nothing had changed? Nothing sounded good.

Even walking onto Granny's Diner and seeing Ruby talking to Prince Charming and The Dark One didn't look good.

The three adults heard the bell ring from the door. Rumple was unhappy to see the young boy who hurt his daughter.

"I came in at the wrong time." Norman muttered to himself.

"You are so lucky that Granny isn't here right now and that I am in charge. Especially when I have to leave." Ruby said and got her things ready to leave.

"Wait, what's going on?"

"None of your concern" Mr Gold glared at him.

"Shouldn't you be in school, kid?" Charming asked. The standing in sheriff looked like he was getting ready to escort the teenager back to school.

"Guys, please wait for me outside. I got this." Wolf girl told the men to do. They both gave Norman one last glance before leaving the diner.

"Saved by the wold." Norman felt relieved.

"Don't thank me yet. When I get back, I want a full explanation for skipping school. Again. Until then, watch over the diner for me."

"But-"

"Nuh-uh! You skip school, you work double time. Now stay." She ordered and left. Norman shook his head, back to feeling disappointed.

"Man! I came here to escape not work."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ruby had lead the two men towards Moe's flower shop. Bell's scent was leading them there. Moe wasn't pleased to see the Dark One.

"You again! Out! This is a private establishment. Your not welcomed." He yelled out.

"Where's Belle?" Rumple asked instead of listening to him.

"I won't let anything happen to her."

"We're just worried." Charming and Ruby added, hoping they could gain Moe's trust since no one really likes Gold.

"Don't be. She's safe. So you can stop looking." He responded.

"Look… if I could just have a chance to talk to her-" Moe cut Rumple off.

"You will destroy Belle like you destroy everything else. Well, I won't let that happen." The three of them eyed the flower owner suspiciously. What did he mean by that?

"What have you done to her?" Rumple more sounded threatening than asking him. But Moe kept his gaurd up at the beast.

"There's only one way to get her away from you. I have to make her forget about you. Even if it means she'll forget about me too." Now it was clear what he was planning on doing.

"He's sending her across the town line." Rumple concluded.

"Not just her, your mistake of a daughter too!" That was another surprise for them.

"You took Rose too?" Ruby asked, more worried that a child is being added to this mess.

"Why would you do that?" Charming looked at the man as if he was crazy. And he was being crazy! Gold couldn't even say a word. He felt frozen. His mind was still processing about Belle, but now that his daughter is involved too is scarring the man. Why her? How did he even get to her?

"How…?"

"Your daughter is a fool thinking she could stop me. While Smee was taking Belle away, your brat tried to escape. She was hiding behind a flower pot, breaking it when she ran. I caught her and thought the gods were in my favor. To help me punish you!" Not a second later, the beast came out.

The Dark one started to hit that man with his cane. Trying to choke him with it pushing on his throat.

"Why her? What has Rosemary ever done to you!" He screamed.

"You took my daughter to care for your's. Because of her, my daughter was taken! How does it feel to have what you love be taken from you. Ahh-" Gold pushed harder, causing more pain on the man's throat. He had enough of him, until Charming pulled him off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Belle and Rose were being tied up by Smee in the tunnels, inside one of the metal carts. Belle still didn't understand what was going to happen, but Rose did. She was mad at herself for not being smarter on her actions.

"Rose has nothing to do with this. Let her go!" Belle begged.

"She's the Dark Ones daughter. Apparently your father wants Rumplestiltskin to suffer as he did. A daughter for a daughter."Smee said.

"Let us out now!"

"No! You two are going on a little ride under the town line. Once you cross, you'll forget who you were i the other realm and who you loved."

"And once my father hears about this, you will die. You know that right?" Rose reminded him with a smirk. Showing him she wasn't scared. Well she was, but she wasn't going to let him know that.

Smee did get frighten of the thought. But he couldn't stop now.

"Not if he can't catch me first." Rose rolled her eyes. No one can escape her father without punishment.

"He's the Dark One. He can and will find you, idiot." Smee was silent. He knows she is right, but when does anyone get the chance to hurt the Dark One like this?

"Go to hell!" He told her and pulled the lever. Sending the girls away. Rose was once again cursing herself for not having her wand again.

"Where's the key?" She asked Belle. They needed it to unlock the cuffs they are trapped in.

"I don't know. I can't see it!" Rose could barely see that the key was close to the woman's shoe.

"There it is!" She pointed. She tried to reach for it, but thanks to a bump on the tracks, the key fell through a hole, now gone.

"Darn it!"

""I'm so sorry Rose! You're here because of me." Belle cried. Feeling so much guilt for what's going to happen.

" Actually-" The cart made a sudden stop and then started to move backwards.

"What's happening?" Belle was freaking out. Rose managed to turn around and could see that it was magic that was pulling them back. She smiled at the sight.

"Magic!" She said with glee. But Belle wasn't feeling the same. Rumpele stood there with the others beside him. Watching him use his magic to bring them back. Once the cart stopped, he unlocked the chains.

Belle was still trying to take it all in of what just happened. Rose, however, jumped out of the cart and cheerfully ran to her father. Hugging him, happy to see him.

"Papa!" after a brief moment, Rumple pulled her back to examine her for any injuries. David and Ruby felt awkward to watch for themselves that the Dark One really did care for someone other than himself. True he has a daughter, but no one had seen her with him willingly. (No they knew at least) Well David did that one time, but this was still new to him.

Belle had made it out of the cart too, thanks to David. Rumple was going to hug her, but she refused to let him even touch her.

"What's wrong?" He asked her sadly. Rose rolled her eyes.

"Thank you for what you just did. But that doesn't change that your too cowardly to be honest with me." Rose didn't know who was dummer. Her papa for thinking that after saving Belle that everything is still okay between them or Belle for bring that up in public after he just saved her.

"I tried to tell him, Belle. Come with me, darling." Moe tried to take her with him. Rose believes that he's the bigger idiot now.

"After what you just tried to do to me? Your no better, father. You don't get to decide what I do or how I feel. I do. If you two did care, you'd listen. I don't want to see you two again ever." She decided and left them in the tunnels.

Rose looked back at her father's face. He was disappointed and sad.

"Papa?" She asked to get his attention. "If you love her papa, I think it's time to make a big gesture."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So what's going on with you?" Ruby asked the teenage boy. It was the next day, making it Saturday, a no school day for Norman Bates. But he still had to go to work at Granny's.

"I'll tell you the same thing I told the school I-" She stopped him.

"Have a real problem with motivation?" She smirked at him. She knew him too well.

"How'd you-" She giggled.

"Dude, I used to use that line when we were cursed. You can't trick me."

"Right. Why lie to the wolf who can sense it. Great plan." He mumbled.

"Does your recent attitudes have anything to do with a certain girl?" Norman was getting annoyed of everyone's theory.

"Why does everything think that it has to do with Rose!" He complained. She grinned.

"I didn't say that it was Rose." He fell for her trap. Again.

"So it does have to do with the Rose Gold. Are you sad that things didn't work out with you two."

"We were never together. Not like that." He grumbled the last part. Ruby notice his face expression. He didn't seem angry, he just seemed disappointed.

"You sound pretty down. Do you want to be with her-"

"No!... I don't know. That was curse me. That was Norman Bates. Now I'm…. I'm...I'm me, Jim Hawkins." Ruby continued to eye him. He looked lost in thought.

"I'm guessing the problem is with yourself. You feel you don't know who you are or what you want anymore."

"I don't know." She knocked on the marble table to get him to look at her.

"Hey! Look at me! We are all going through that. Some of us have it easier than others. But it's important to be happy with what you've got and to move forward with it. It will take time, but we'll figure it out. And I know you will too." She offered a small but encouraging smile to him.

"So what should I do?" He asked her.

"Try to set things right with yourself first. Who do you want people to know you as? Norman Bates or Jim Hawkins."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose was joining Belle for a walk to the library. They had breakfast together and Belle received a key for the library from a secret person (according to Ruby). Rose knew who that person was and stayed quiet.

"I'm so sorry again for what my father did." Belle apologised for the 100th time. Rose had to laugh.

"It's funny to hear someone else say that when I've been doing that for years." She said.

"You have been with your father for years. How do you do it?" Meaning, how can she stand the man.

"It's like you said before, I'm his daughter. I have to."

"Even after everything he's done?" That got the young girl thinking. There was a main reason why she always stayed with her father. And that reason was because of a woman named Milah. Rose refused to be someone who would leave their family behind just to be "happy". She didn't want to become Milah, the person she hated the most.

Because Rose stayed, she got to meet Belle. And Belle was a mother figure and a companion for her. She also got her father back and went through a number trips with him. She got to meet and have Henry in her life. Nothing could replace that type of happiness.

"After everything. I found a reason to stay and to move forward." The young teen said. Belle can tell Rose was being honest but was still feeling conflicted on what to do as she held the key closer to her chest. Staring at the closed doors of the library building.

"Belle." Rose called out for the woman to look back at her. " Papa really regrets it. I see it in his eyes every second. He'd do anything to change it. And who knows him better than I do? We all have to start somewhere. This key is your start. Go and open it."

Belle couldn't help but feel so amazed with the girl in front of her. Rose was no longer the little girl who would hide away.

"When did you become so wise?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Learned from the best." Rose smiled. With a deep breath in, Belle opened the doors.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose left right after Belle opened the entrance to the library. She knew her father was waiting inside to explain himself to her. The real reason why he needed more magic was to find her brother Baelfire.

Rose was too lost in her thoughts during her walk when she accidentally bumped into someone.

"I'm sorry!"

"No, its my fault." He said, and Rose recognized who that voice belongs to. Norman Bates. They both looked at each other in silence, shocked to see each other. Rose was uncertain what to do or say. Norman looked down at his feet, which angered the girl in a second. She decided to continue her walk, perhaps it would be better to ignore him.

"How are you?" She heard him ask, causing her to stop. She looked back at found him facing her, scratching his head awkwardly.

"I uh…. Heard what happened yesterday in the tunnels. You okay?"

"Why do you care?" She wasn't going to make this easy for him.

"Look… I'm just trying to figure things out. Everything has been confusing for me." He tried to say.

"Well, it's been the same for me too." He wasn't surprised she was angry.

"Look, I'm sorry for how I acted towards you. I was wrong to do that."

"You mean when you judged me and accused me part?" She definitely wasn't making this easy on him.

"You know, your a lot more straightforward than before." She shrugged her shoulders.

"That was Rose Mills. This is Rose Gold your dealing with from now on." He couldn't help but like what he was seeing. She had just declared herself as Rose Gold. Ruby was right about things being different for people. For Rose, it's easy for her to believe who she is, but harder for people to accept that. It's harder for him to see who he is but easy for people to treat him the same.

"We haven't been properly introduced." He said and offered his hand for her to shake. Rose first looked at his hand then at him confused. "I'm Jim Hawkins, diner boy." He finished.

She gave a small smile and finally shook his hand.

"I'm Rose Gold, nerd girl."

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Thank you for reading!