Once Upon a Time 1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Rose-Red

**Premise: **This takes place sometime after Emma becomes sheriff and is set in the first season. Late one night she receives a phone call from the mayor who tells her that a teen is vandalizing her home, but it's not just any delinquent, it's the child Regina gave up many years ago.

**Fairytale Land, 43 Years Prior to The Curse**

"You know my mother was a redhead," King Leopold muttered ecstatically to one of the guards as he leaned over the basinet where a baby was swaddled in pink silk blanket with only her face peaking out of it. There was a tuff of red hair on her slightly reddish face, the doctors had reassured him that the reddish tint of her skin tone would fade in a couple of weeks. He also told him that the baby's mother would soon to grow out of the depression she'd seem to sink herself into but day by day, the queen was locked away in her bed chamber, and day by day his hope dwindled.

"She is a beautiful child your majesty just as beautiful as her sister." The guard said with a smile as he noticed the recently turned thirteen-year-old Snow White bound the stairs into the royal nursery. She smiled sweetly at the guard as she skipped towards the basinet, tenderly placing a kiss to the baby's forehead as she did every morning before she went to greet her father.

"How is Regina?" Snow inquired.

The king frowned slightly, "she is still the same. But I am hoping you and her daughter will help to mend the sadness she feels in her heart."

"I am sure father. We must have faith." Snow said smiling.

King Leopold wasn't quite sure what he did to deserve such a compassionate child but he knew he owed it to his late wife Eva's influence. She was truly the fairest of them all. She taught Snow well.

"Have you decided on a name?" Snow asked her eyes beaming.

King Leopold grinned, "you know that must not be announced until the royal concurrence before she is blessed by the gods of this land…..it is bad luck child…..," and he glanced a the guard who bowed his head and ducked out of the nursery, "but Rose-Red shall be the name of this child."

"Rose-Red?" Snow said, "because of her red hair?"

"Do you not like it?"

"I love it, it suits her."

**Present Day, Storybrooke **

"Hello?" Emma asked wearily on the phone trying to attempt to stop yawning.

It was well past midnight and she wasn't quite sure why she'd forced herself to stay in the police station. Storybrooke fell to slumber at ten o'clock almost as if there was some sort of unspoken curfew. Granny's diner closed, Mr. Gold's shop closed, the local supermarket and the veterinarian store. Small towns, she presumed.

"Sleeping on the job?" questioned a voice she knew all too well.

"Regina." Emma stated, "what do you want?"

"My house has been degraded by a delinquent….,"

Emma rested her face on her hand, "all right….I'll be right over to file a report-

"No I know who did it,"

"You saw them?"

"Well no."

"Then just your testimony is not going to suffice Regina….who do you think it was?"

"Her name is Rowan Harkin,"

Emma dug around the contents of her draw before coming across a pen and piece of paper before scribbling the name onto it. _Rowan_? It sounded as it could have been a last name rather than a first name.

"I'll be right over."

**Fairytale Land, Fruit of a Poisonous Tree **

The kingdom moved in a sluggish pace. Everyone from the high merchants to the lowly peasants of the far reaches of the kingdom hung their head in grievance for the loss of their beloved King Leopold. Hushed whispers told a story of a genie killing him with that of a poisonous snake but it was only a rumor. No one could confirm it. People cried out when they spoke of his poor daughters, Snow and Rosie, to have their father ripped away from them. To be left with the coldhearted woman they were forced to bow down and bestow as their queen.

Inside of the castle preparations were being made for the funeral. Grim faces were plastered onto every guard and every servant as they hurriedly went from chamber to chamber to check upon the princesses. In the smallest bed chamber located in the far northern tower, sat Rosie upon the edge of her bed, Snow sat behind her gently running a brush through her sister's tangles of reddish hair.

"You have so many knots," Snow sighed as the brush became caught and she had to tug forcefully on it to get it to move, she winced slightly when her sister let out an yelp of pain, "dear child how long has it been since you've brushed it?"

Rosie frowned drawing her eyebrows together as she pondered the question. She rested her head on her hand and placed her other hand on her chin and began to rub it.

"Oh yes I remember…..the night of daddy's birthday!" she proclaimed.

She had yet to be told of her father's death. The lie of King Leopold going out to the far reaches of the Kingdom had subdued her questions as to where her father had gone. She was blissfully ignorant of the grieving atmosphere of the castle. Snow made sure to keep to her own chamber when she wept. The last thing she had ever wanted was to see Rosie cry. It was always such a horrible sight to bear.

"That long?" Snow whispered.

"When is he coming back?" Rosie questioned.

Snow bite down on her lip. _I will not cry _she told herself. _I will not cry_. Tears brimmed at the edge of her eyes blurring her vision slightly as she forced a smile upon her face.

"Rosie, he isn't coming back," The child blinked incomprehensively at her.

"Why?"

Snow heaved in a deep breathe taking the brush out of her sister's hair and placing it on the bedside table. She took Rosie's shoulders and gently turned the girl so she was now facing her and she clasped her hands over one of her tiny ones. Rose stared bright eyed at her.

"Do you remember that filly we used to have in the stables?"

"Fawn?"

"Yes Fawn…..do you remember the day you went out to the stables and you found that Fawn wasn't moving at all?" she nodded, "daddy told you that Fawn had died? And we buried her out in the courtyard and said our goodbyes?"

"Yes but Snow what's Fawn got to do with Daddy?"

Snow sniffled and the tears began to dribble down her cheeks, "Daddy has died."

**Storybrooke, Present Day-(Early Morning, Sheriff's Office)**

Rowan Harkin was a pretty girl. Her short crimson colored hair was tussled into messy neat waves that came to just below her ears and her eyes a dark brown framed by long eyelashes were two glaring orbs sending daggers at Regina. How Regina was able to ignore the glaring eyes boring into her, it was beyond Emma.

"Miss. Harkin if convicted you can be in a lot of trouble."

Rowan rolled her eyes as she shifted in her seat. She attempted at some decency as she tugged at the edge of her leather skirt which was slowly inching it's way up her ivory colored legs.

"Guess I'll just have my _mother_ bail me out." She spat at Regina hoisting herself up.

"Mother?" Emma questioned raising an eyebrow at Regina's back and then at the girl.

She raised one of her eyebrows, "I'm surprised no one's blabbed it to you Ms. Swan…..seeing as the whole town was questioning why the mayor would adopt a child whilst giving her own up."

Regina turned at this moment. A blank expression plastered onto her face, "I do not have to _explain _myself to you," she said through clenched teeth, "you have a good home. A loving family, what do you see in me?"

"You're mymother!" Rowan cried.

At that moment a dark haired plump woman came running into the sheriff's office. She sighed in relief upon the sight of Rowan.

"Thank you for finding her Officer Swan….Dale and I have been worried all night," the woman said as she marched towards Rowan placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. She flinched away as if the woman had burnt her.

"Uhm she was caught vandalizing Miss. Mill's home she's not free to go just-

"I'm not pressing charges."

"Thank you Madam Mayor….," the woman replied curtly before clasping her pudgy hands onto Rowan's and pulling the girl up, "c'mon you're coming home now."

Just as Rowan was nearly out of the office she called over her shoulder, "yes thanks _Mom_!"

The door slammed shut leaving Emma and Regina alone again. The silence was thick and tense as the pair stood there. Emma wasn't really quite sure what to say or do. Regina took her coat off the deputy's desk and shrugged it over her shoulders not carrying for the buttons and such. A indifferent mask was on her dark features. She walked out of the office not saying a word to Emma.

**Mary-Margaret's Apartment**

"Rowan has _always _been troubled," Mary-Margaret said, "rebellious and refusal of listening to any kind of authority," she took a very long sip of her hot coco, "Millie and Dale own the supermarket. Sweet people, and very loving parents. They tried their very best to keep the whispers away from her but it's a small town and gossip travels fast. And kids aren't always the best at keeping secrets and she found out. At first everything seemed to be okay for her. But then Regina adopted Henry and she's spent every year since finding ways to make life difficult for Regina and for Henry-

"Henry?!" Emma questioned.

Mary-Margaret blinked slightly, "she was the one who told Henry he was adopted….and I think she may have been the one to ignite his thinking in believing that Regina was evil even before Henry thought her to be the Evil Queen," Mary-Margaret sighed, "she's a good kid. Just confused. And hurt. She feels as though she wasn't good enough for Regina that she was given away because she didn't warrant enough love from her."

"Who is she in Henry's book?" Emma inquired a bitterness to her tone.

"Rose-Red," Mary-Margaret answered, "the daughter of the Evil Queen and Snow White's sister….well half-sister."

"A huh."

**A/N: So what do you think? Please review. I only own Rowan Harkin. Just so you know both Rowan and Harkin mean red I kind of thought it was a play on words, Rose-Red, Rowan Harkin.**


	2. Chapter 2

Rowan stood outside of the supermarket, a cigarette in clasped in one of her hands and a lighter in the other. She twirled the cigarette around and around in her hands as she watched the people of Storybrooke go about their lives as they always did. Happily. Their happiness irked her to no end. How could they be so happy when all she felt was such hatred and anger? She flicked on the lighter running her thumb over the edge of the flame allowing for a split for it to burn the edge of her skin.

"Hey!" a cry erupted.

The shock made her drop the lighter sending it clattering to the ground a few feet away from her. A stiletto heel stepped on it crushing the cheap plastic into shattered pieces. The shoe belonged to no other than Regina Mills. She bent down carefully and picked up the remains of the lighter.

"Playing with fire is _never_ a good idea." She half scolded as she pocketed it.

"Oh now you are going to scold me?!" Rowan cried, "how does that make _any _sense at all?"

**Fairytale Land, "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter", Rose is now eight **

"Mirror? Mirror?" Rose called out impatiently as she banged the mirror against the table.

The man in the mirror had become the only person who'd spoken to her since Snow had gone away. Her mother spent many hours away tending to the peoples of the land who were still missing daddy.

"Rose," her mother's sharp tone cut across to her, "place the mirror down now. It is not a toy."

Reluctantly she placed the mirror into her mother's out reached hand. Her makeup reminded her of the birds Snow used to speak to. But it seemed they didn't come no more. She missed the other castle. She missed her bed and the horses and all of the kind servants who all bowed to her, called her "Princess Rose Red" and would hold her hand and walk her along the vast walls. No one aside from Grandpa would do that now.

"We have a guest coming Rose," Regina said bowing slightly so that her child was now at eye level. She squeezed her upper arms gently.

Her brown eyes staring curiously at her, a smile spread across her features, "is Snow the visitor?"

It took every ounce of self control for Regina not to press painfully tight onto the girl's arms. Snow wouldn't be a problem much longer she kept telling herself. And no longer would the kingdom be so empathetic to Snow White but rather to the only dear sweet poor princess Rose who'd lost both her father and her sister in a very short time. She'd have the masses bowing and sobbing for the poor child and for once she'd win.

"No not Snow White."

The guards opened the door announcing the arrival of the huntsman. Regina dismissed the guards as she took hold of Rose's hand leading her to the chair. The man must have been a giant, Rose thought. She'd never seen a person so tall and giants were supposed to be tall. Though his eyes were kind and soft. Kind of like her daddy's. They were bright.

"You have no name?" Rosie piped up breaking the uneasy tension between her mother and the huntsman.

The huntsman turned and smiled kindly at the child hoping his smile wouldn't terrify her as children did him. Children were just as observant as wolves at time but acted in much different ways. They went around the problem whilst wolves were direct.

"I was not old enough to remember the name my birth parents bestowed upon me," he answered.

The child was quite for a moment tapping her chin with her pointer finger letting out soft humming, "Graham…," she decided after a moment, "that can be your name if you'd like!" she proclaimed.

"Graham?" he muttered trying it out. The word was foreign to his lips. But oddly he liked it. He'd been called many things, _animal, dirt bag,_ and many other words he didn't care to remember.

"Let's discuss the identity of the person I want dead is," Regina interrupted.

"Dead?" Rose whispered, "killing is bad! Bad people kill! Bad people go to the dungeon! Mama I don't want you to the dungeon….," she trailed off.

"Oh sweet child Mama won't go to the dungeon…," Regina said softly cupping the edge of her face, "there's something called vengeance. Someone does something bad to you, you do something bad to them."

It was the most simplistic terms that she could manage.

"Ven….ven-

"Vengeance," Regina corrected.

**A/N: This story is set in the middle of Season 1 prior to Snow White knowing who she was. And the flashbacks are from different episodes in which Regina and Rose were involved. Please let me know what you think of this chapter. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Fairytale Land**, **33 Years Prior To The Breaking of The Curse, Rose is 10**

"Let me go!" Rose yelled.

The night before was a mere blur of memories. She vaguely could remember climbing into one of the royal carriages. The rickety path through the woods, her mother speaking of where it was they were going. She could remember the uneasiness queasy feeling in her stomach that always came when she left the kingdom. There had been threats before. Sneers from the people who'd once cherished her.

"Just let her out Peter….," a high pitched voice demanded, "she's just a child. She won't do you any harm."

Rose felt around herself. She appeared to be in some kind of sack of sorts. There were thin beams of light peaking in from the top and from small holes in the bag.

"_Harm_?" a boy's voice said, "her mother killed my parents….she's the child of a monster."

"And you are being monstrous to her!"

Abruptly the walking stopped and she landed with a thud onto the ground. She scrambled towards the opening of the sack, the light momentarily blinding her as she wiggled out of it. There were in the middle of the forest though she couldn't tell where exactly it was they were. She was never allowed to wonder much further from the service path and from the looks of it the service path was no where to be found. She glanced around looking for the sight of the high towers of the castle but could only see the blueness of the sky.

"C'mon," the voice said.

Its speaker was a boy not much older than she. His hair was unruly and matted with mud, dirt and twigs. His face was slightly rounded and covered in a thin layering of freckles his eyes were barely visible from underneath his mop of hair but they were azure in color. His clothing was tattered and raggedy looking like those of the people who sneered and said cruel things as she and her mother made their way through the kingdom.

"I'm not going anywhere with _you_!" Rose declared placing her hands on her hips.

The boy let out a snort and rolled his eyes. He gestured to the forest, "you'll be lost forever _Princess_ if you attempted to find your way home from this very point."

It was true. Everything looked the same to her. All endless rows of trees which upon glancing showed no sign of the kingdom not even the peasants' farms which lay boarding the forest. Her stomach clenched into a painful aching knot as she was forced to realize the truth in the boy's words. Either follow him or be left to wonder the forests in hopes of finding a kingdom that could be a long way from here.

"You have nothing to fear with us," the high pitched voice whispered.

A fairy was floating just above eye level. A little thing dressed in a green floral dress, her hair yellow was tied into a tight knot on top of her head and she had a soft smile on her face.

"I'm Tinkerbelle," the fairy said.

"I'm Rose Red," Rose muttered in awe as she stared at the glowing light. Fairy test sparkled much like the diamonds of her tiara at home did.

**Storybrooke, Present Day**

There was a playground that lied just past the Storybrooke docks. Too many parents didn't allow their children near it because of it's closeness to the icy frigid waters that boarded Storybrooke. Rather it was their excuse as to not want to bring their children there because it meant they had to stay the whole time and keep an eye on them. Most of the children went to the playground located in the school grounds. She couldn't recall the last time she journeyed out to the docks but maybe she needed some semblance of a time where she felt happy.

Happiness seemed to be something like heaven. People were always talking about it. Preaching about it, but no one was sure even of its existence and no one was sure if they were going. Happiness seemed to be like heaven. Something she wasn't quite sure existed but wanted to have once again. To have faith it existed.

Today was not that day. The playground once shaped like a castle was now toppled to the ground left in disarray. She felt her heat sunk and a sudden chill overcome her when she noticed that she wasn't alone at the playground. Henry Mills was digging frantically tossing sand behind him. He appeared to be in panic and desperation to found whatever it was he lost.

"Henry?!" she called out before she could stop herself.

He turned to her his eyes narrowing before going back to the task at hand. Their relationship was never well, some days it could be said perhaps they were friendly by some stretching of the truth and other days they had a bitter relationship. He wanted nothing more than to find his birth mother and she wanted nothing more than to be loved by his adopted mother.

"Leave me alone Rowan."

"Maybe I can help-

"I don't want your help!" Henry snapped.

She couldn't explain it but at that moment she wished she hadn't strained to go out of her way to make his life miserable because it hadn't made hers any less. Right now she wished more than anything she had a friend to wallow in pity with.

**A/N: Please let me know what you think…..and if you like the introduction of Peter and Tinkerbelle. **


	4. Chapter 4

"What's going on here?" a sharp authoritative voice came from behind them.

Rowan craned her neck backwards, catching a glimpse of the fair haired sheriff. Emma. She looked to be quite upset as her glare hardened upon her. Her green eyes grazing over her as they analyzed the state of her son who'd sent her a "code cobra" emergency only a few moments ago. He seemed to be okay. The way she looked at him showed how much she loved him. She was his birth mother, just like Regina was hers, why didn't she love her? Or seem to care at all? Regina has known her all her life. And Emma has only know Henry for a few months. There was always a voice in her head saying _"you came from Regina,"_. And sometimes she'd glare at the woman's flat stomach and tried to picture it nine months protruding with her inside of it but just couldn't make the image form completely.

"Are you all right Henry?" Emma questioned.

"I am now," Henry said standing still clutching the leather bond book of fairytales that once belonged to Ms. Blanchard, a book that she herself once looked at. The pages were yellowed with age and crinkled slightly in the edges. The pictures were drawn with a careful hand and with such delicate care. It truly was something to behold.

"What are you doing here?" Emma questioned.

"Just wanted to go to the park," Rowan answered quietly.

There was hard edge to Emma. Something about her that said _dare piss me off and you'll be sorry._ The sound of a car door slamming draws all three of their attention. Regina Mills was climbing out of her sleek 1990's black car with an enraged expression plastered onto her face.

"Henry! I've been looking everywhere for you! You know you have a session with Archie this morning!" Regina scolded even though her eyes glanced over him quickly searching for any sign of injury whilst they completely ignored Rowan's existence as they roomed to Emma, "Should have known he was with you. Henry, car!_ You let him play _here?!"

"The storm hit it pretty hard but we can fix it up."

"Well, can you fix a cracked cranium? 'Cause that's what you'll have on your hands if one of these boards collapses under his weight. You're not thinking about Henry or his safety, just ways around me. Miss Swan, don't let your feelings cloud your judgement, people can get hurt."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're the sheriff now it's time to be responsible."

Regina stormed off to the car where Henry was waiting. Emma waited a moment watching as the car reversed out of it's spot and turned before tailing away before letting out a frustrated growl. That woman could make her blood boil just upon sight.

**Fairytale Land**

"And these are the other boys," Peter said motioning to the raggedy clad boys whose faces were covered in mud and whose limbs resembled twigs. Their eyes were fixated on her and starring at her eloquent dress, her white gloves, her shoes, her hair tied pinned with a diamond clip.

"Who is she?" demanded one of the smallest and thin creatures she'd ever layed eyes on.

"This is the _Princess_." Peter sniggered out

"Rose-Red, my name is _Rose-Red _not Princess."

"My sincerest apologizes your majesty," Peter said as he mockingly bowed to her.

"She's that witch's daughter?" another boy cried out, "let's kill her now!"

His cry was met by roaring of cheers and applause. _Kill_? She felt herself slowing taking a few steps backwards as the boys emerged from the cover of the forest making their way to her.

"Stop it! Stop it all of you!" Tinkerbelle admonished, "she's innocent!"

"_Innocent_?" Peter roared, "The Queen ripped out my mother's heart….crushed it into tiny pieces right in front of me…..she did the same to all of their mothers too…-

"What rubbish are you speaking of?" Rose questioned, "my mother would never do this….unless your mothers were criminals or warranted vengeance! Surely your parents were some sort of savage criminals."

Peter let out a hallow laughter, "then you child must surely blind if you think that witch is innocent of anything."

The way he said child made her insides squirm uncomfortably. She was no child and if he believed her to be one, he himself surely was as well.

"I am not a child," she protested, "I surely have knowledge and educated much further than you…..I have been trained by the best tutors in all of the lands-

"Knowledge does not get you anywhere in this forest," Peter replied, "this forest swallows the knowledgeable and the ones who know nothing chewing the weak hole and leaving only the strong to survive. A royal purebred much like yourself would not be able to withstand."

"I am not weak."

Peter raised an eyebrow shaking his head slightly, "prove it…..stay with us…for _one year_ and see if you can survive," he walked closer to her, "if you do I'll return you to your castle….if you don't well you don't."

**Storybrooke Present Day, Home of Millie and Dale Harkin**

"I just don't know what to do with you _anymore_," Millie sighed, "you never listen. You're never home anymore-

"It's not like you're ever home either _Millie_," Rowan spat back, "you do realize that most families do eat together, spend Christmas together, they don't sit in their store and get drunk _every_ night whilst leaving their six-year-old child home to fend for herself….-

"You're being overdramatic Rowan Grace," Millie replied dramatically.

Rowan glared at the woman-thing rather. She was the size of a large whale. Weighing in at nearly four hundred pounds, her bad dye job of reddish brown was cut into an uneven attempt at a "pixie cut". Rowan rolled up her long sleeves revealing a burn mark that stretched from the tip of her fingers to just past the edge of her wrist and waved it in front of Millie.

"Do you remember this? The night you and Dale were passed out on the sofa? I was six years old….do you remember you left the stove on? Do you?!" Rowan cried, "did you ever feel sorry for it? Huh?"

Millie attempted to lean backwards only to tumble over in her chair. Her chubby thunder thighs hung high in the air. Karma was most definitely a b*tch.

**A/N: Please let me know what you think. I love your reviews and thank you.**

**Oh and when Mary-Margaret says that Dale and Millie are good people she isn't aware of their drinking habits it's behind "closed doors" **


	5. Chapter 5

**Present Day, Storybrooke, The Next Morning **

It was a frigidly cold morning when Rowan found herself tugging on her old boots over her worn jeans, they were about a size or two too small and her toes ached in protest against their tight enclosure but she fought the feeling off as she tip toed across the hard wooden floor towards the back door. The sound of Dale and Millie's thundering snores told her they were still in their drunken induced slumber and most likely be for quite some time. She slipped the keys to the supermarket off the key rack and snuck out of the back door.

Storybrooke overnight had been covered in a thin layering of snow. Snow rested on the rooftops and on the cars, it was a sure sign that it would be a cold winter. The town was very much still asleep, upon glancing at the clock tower she realized it was just past seven thirty and only the school children and teachers would be aroused and preparing for the day whilst everyone still slumbered.

The supermarket rested on the corner of Maine and Pine Street, a ratty decaying building in desperate need of a little more care than it received. It's windows were cracked and boarding up with tape and other miscellaneous objects like card board. Bricks were missing from the sides of the buildings and graffiti lay littered on the wall. Dale was always muttering about painting it over but the lazy old bastard had never even attempted to buy paint.

She flickered on only the snack aisle figuring she had no such use for any of the others. The aisle had an assortment of different types of granola bars, nature valley, Quaker's, Cliff and other lesser known brands. She picked a nature valley out of the box when she heard the jingle of the door.

"Hello?" a male's voice called out.

It must have been Dylan Jones; the recently promoted manager. He was a year older than she was in Storybrooke High, the son of a retired Military general and the elder brother of seven. His father ran them like they were soldiers. All eight of them walked with their heads up, shoulders square and in a march-like step. Their hair was always buzzed and they always dressed in khakis and polos unless they were in school uniform. They always greeted everyone they passed, they held open doors for everyone and always said please and thank you, the whole town loved them.

"Good morning Miss. Harkin," Dylan greeted his head was bowed over the cash register as he counted the change that was in it and fixed the receipt maker.

"Morning," Rowan greeted between munching down on her breakfast, "you're here early."

Dylan looked up for a moment pausing as he counted off singles in his head. His azure colored eyes rolled back. His eyebrows knitting together as lines creased his forehead. In an odd way he kind of looked sort of cute.

"How are you today Miss. Harkin?" he inquired.

"Dylan we've known each other all our lives my name's Rowan not _Miss. Harkin_."

**Fairytale Land **

"I am to wear _this_?" Rose cried holding out rags.

Peter smirked, "that dress of yours isn't gonna do much good out here it'll get dirty and ruined and sides you'll need to fit in."

Rose stared at the rags for a long moment before reaching up for the lace tie that held the back of her dress. Just as she was about to let the dress drop to her ankles she became very aware that he was still staring at her.

"Well turn around," Rose said twirling her finger.

Once she felt assured that his back was to hers. She allowed her silk dress to fall crumpled in heap at her feet. Her legs felt barren and cold. She shivered tucking her knees together as she reached for the top rag pulling it over her head and then tugging the pants up. The rags were itchy and poked at her skin at odd places.

"What is this thing made out of it?"

"Sacks." Peter answered.

**Storybrooke, Present Day**

"What are you doing at the store so early?"

"Your parents left an slurred voice mail on my phone and I think they might be unable to come to work today-

"They're drunk bastards."

Dylan looked as if someone had slapped him at that moment. She'd nearly forgotten how conservative he and his brothers were. There was no curses, no television and no computer in their home. Church was mandatory, in fact, he and three of his other brothers were altar boys.

"That's…well that's not good," Dylan muttered as he ran a hand over his barely existent raven colored hair.

"You know what's worse….," Rowan mumbled, "is knowing that my _real _mother the one who gave me up is actually a decent mother to that ungrateful little boy…..more than anything I wish she didn't give me away. I could deal with a strict mother and no father if it meant I didn't have to deal with two drunks who sometimes can't even remember my name."

**Fairytale Land**

It was a clear night and through the cover of trees she could barely make out the stars that once graced the dark sky. She'd spend hours watching from her stained glass windowed in the castle tracing the constellations out in her head. Some of their stories she knew and sometimes she made up her very own. She lay on her back, the ground was cold and uneven poking at her sides uncomfortably.

"Second star to the right and straight on till morning," Peter mumbled from behind her, "that's how you get to Neverland."

"Neverland?" she inquired propping herself up on her elbows to stare at him.

He was wistfully starring up at the second star to the right as he plopped down beside her, crossing his legs in an Indian style.

"What's Neverland?"

"It's not a what, it's a place. Just like this land is a place and all the other kingdoms in the Enchanted forest."

"What's in Neverland Peter?"

His face was half-covered in darkness but even in the dim light she could tell that his persistent smirk had fallen off his face. In its place was a grimace. He drew his knobby knees to his chest. He rested his head on them.

"My father," he replied.

Father. It was almost a foreign term to her. Once upon a time she had a father. He had a balding head with grey hair, kind grey eyes, a wrinkly face and belly that would jiggle when he laughed. Almost always he wore a smile. He was kind and patient. There was always an aching in her heart longing for him to come back with Snow, and they'd all laugh, and then they'd talk to the birds together like they used too.

"He's a pirate….," Peter explained, "he told me when I was three before he dropped me here when I was old enough to find him."

"Are you? Because we can go together…we-

"It's not that simple."

"We'll find a way."

**A/N: Sorry for the delay I was away for the long weekend. What do you all think of Hook being Peter's father? Please let me know. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Present Day, Storybrooke**

The next few moments were blurred as she was overcome with a sharp pain to her abdomen. Almost similar to period cramps but intensified by ten fold, she hunched over grasping to the sides of the shelf. Her breathing came in hitched short grasps much like the time she was ten and fell from the monkey bars and landed on her back knocking the wind out of her chest.

"Rowan?" Dylan questioned alarmed at her state.

In moments the pallor of her skin had drastically changed from a healthy coloring to a deathly pale color. Her face was scrunched up in pain as her hands retracted to her stomach clutching it tightly as she let out soft grunts of pain.

"Do you want-

His question was interrupted by a shriek. The next expression that sprawled across her features answered his question. He dug into his khaki pants and withdrew his keys before walking towards her gripping underneath her legs and underneath her neck swooped her up in cradling position. Her cold arms enclosed his neck in an iron tight grasp as she let out a soft moaning noise.

"Hold on okay?" he whispered, "hold on all right? I'm gonna bring you to the hospital."

Storybrooke General Hospital rested just on the edge of town. It was a small hospital run by one doctor, by the name of Whale, and his team of specialists. More often than not it's only patients were those who had been long term residents. Most of them elderly on the brink of death and in need of machinery to sustain what little life they had left in them.

Rowan lay on the examining table. Drugs and medications had been administered to help the pain and they had a calming effect as she lay in a haze half-delirious on the table. Her shirt was pulled up to just underneath her breast and Doctor Whale was tenderly applying cream to her stomach, in preparation of a sonogram in hoping to discover what had been the cause of her abdominal pain.

"Is she going to be all right?" Dylan questioned unable to hide the quavering in his voice.

Dr. Whale starred at the adolescent and sighed, "we'll find out now won't we?" he placed the end of the sonogram onto her stomach and in gentle rolling motions went around on the girl's slight stomach. At first there was nothing of alarm on the sonogram but blurrily and statically he could begin to hear and see the small fetus inside of her. He turned to look at the boy who was squinting at the screen.

"Is that what I think-

"It's a baby Mr. Jones," Dr. Whale answered standing, "is it yours?"

Dylan widely jerked his head back and forth motioning 'No'. He stared appalled at the girl who was just shy of her sixteenth birthday. The curtain drew back violently and in its mist stood a disheveled Millie Harkin who looked as if she had literally rolled out of bed only moments ago. Her mousy colored hair lay at odd ends atop her rounded pudgy hair, her eyes were puffy and bloodshot and deep crescent dark bags hung underneath them.

"Mr. Jones, I advise you'd leave."

**Enchanted Forrest**

"What's your father like Peter?" Rose questioned as the two ambled on in the woods in search of fire wood.

A measly pile of sticks rested in her arms whilst a large pile of logs rested in his. It was midday by the guess from the sun, though, it being partially blocked by the trees made her wonder if her calculations were indeed correct. But if she had to say a certain time she'd say it was _tea time_. One of her most hated activities in the castle. It was stuffy and long and boring.

Peter blinked for a moment before halting his steps, "I was quite young when he brought me here. Four or so, my memory I dare to say isn't that great."

"You must remember something….you remembered that he told you to find him once you were old enough." Rose pointed out.

Peter bite his lip as his shoulders feel, "I can remember the smell of the sea," he said recalling flashes of his life that only blurred with times, "I remember how he and my mother used to smile when they shared a kiss or when I was up on his shoulders. She'd point out each and _every _star to me. Stars were a pirate's lifeline, he'd say, if you could see the stars, you were never lost."

"That's sweet," Rose chirped when she paused upon seeing a blue bird resting on a nearby tree branch.

It'd been many years since she'd last seen one. It seemed in the years since her father's passing and her sister's leaving that the birds no longer returned to grace the barren trees outside of the palace. As if they could sense the absence of Snow and of King Leopold.

"My father taught me how to speak to the birds."

Peter stared in incredulity at his companion. She was an oddity. Not like any of the other woman and little girls he'd ever encountered in his village. None of them spoke to the birds.

"Birds are gentle and loyal creatures….they return the love you give to them," she explained remembering the words her father once spoke to her. Pursing her lips she stuck out her finger and whistled loudly. The noise echoing throughout the woods and a blue bird flew and landed on her outstretched finger. She tenderly rubbed the bird's small head offering it some of the seeds they had found scattered amongst the dirt of the forest.

"That is amazing…," Peter mumbled in astonishment as he watched them interact, "will you teach me to speak to the birds?"

"If you'll teach me the map of the sky."

"Deal."

**Present Day, Storybrooke**

Her ears were ringing with a loud noise that sounded oddly enough like a dentist's drill. The doctor had handed a few pamphlets and explained what her condition was. _Pregnant_. In her basic knowledge of pregnancy and freshmen year of health she knew the basics in which one becomes impregnated, steps she never took. Her only kiss had been on the check in the third grade edition of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" when she played Mrs. Claus and the kiss was fleeting peck.

"Whose is it you whore?" slurred Millie.

"Nobody!" Rowan insisted her voice squeaking, "I never had….I never had-

"Sex say it you filthy little thing!" Millie gripped painfully tight to her upper arm digging her unkempt nails into her flesh.

"Let go of me!" Rowan cried jerking her arm out of her grasp.

Her skin broke slightly as blood began to drip out of her pale skin. At that moment Dr. Whale alongside a nurse walked in breaking the fight. The nurse instantly placed a bandage onto the bleeding on her arm in an attempt to stop it.

"Mrs. Harkin perhaps it's time you leave." Dr. Whale muttered.

Millie did not need to be informed once again as she hurriedly waddled out of the room. Dr. Whale starred at the shaking child. There had been a few incidents that had brought young Rowan into the emergency room, broken arms, odd bruises, but all of the stories checked out and under the Mayor's insistence he dropped the cases that would warrant the specialties of Social Services.

Emma Swan was weary of Doctor Whale since the night he and Mary-Margaret had spent together and watching him flirt his way through a bunch of Storybrooke residents, he was a class A player and a jerk, so when he called asking her assistance at the hospital she reluctantly made her way to it.

"Emma so glad you came quickly," Dr. Whale greeted, "please come with me."

He led her towards the last bed of the room on the right side. Rowan was idly playing with the I.V. that was attached to her arm.

"Don't play with that Rowan it's providing vital nutrients for you and for your _baby_,"

"_Baby_?" Emma inquired staring between the doctor and the patient looking for assurance from the Doctor or from the patient.

Rowan rather shrunk pulling her sheets up to her chin and playing with the frayed ends of them. It was the first time since Emma had met her that she seemed fragile, scared and child-like, so unlike the defiant rebel she met who vandalized Regina's home.

"Dr. Whale can I have a moment alone with her?"

"Just grab me before you do there's something we need to discuss."

He slipped through the curtains leaving the two behind for a moment. Emma looked sympathetic as her brows creased together and she slightly shook her head. _Disappointment_, she felt a pit grow in her stomach.

"Kid what happened?" Emma inquired.

Rowan blinked back the tears that brimmed at the edge of her eyes blurring her vision, "I don't know….I've never been with anyone…ever." She tearfully admitted.

Emma sat at the edge of the bed careful not to not sit upon her feet. She placed a hand on her arm squeezing it tightly. She waited until the girl was able to stop racking and sobering enough to form a coherent sentence.

"I want to legally emancipate myself."

It was the second time she thought she was hearing wrong.

"I've looked it up," Rowan insisted, "I'm almost sixteen, almost legal age….I can't live with my parents anymore…..they hurt me….they won't let me live with me now that I'm…I'm pregnant."

**A/N: I really need to know what you think of it. The baby was conceived shortly before the casting of the dark curse and its effects only became apparent because when Emma arrived the time began to move. Please let me know what you think and maybe possibly baby genders/ names if you like the idea? **


	7. Chapter 7

For the whole next week straight Rowan could not force herself to get out of bed. Her daily rows of morning sickness and the judgmental glares and hushed whispers completely depleted her will of leaving her bed.

She wasn't quite sure she'd ever felt so miserable before in her life. This did not even come into comparison with the week and half she was condemned to bed rest because of pneumonia. No, this was much worse. She wasn't quite sure if she'd ever feel well and escape from the dismal setting of her bedroom.

**Fairytale Land, The Dark Castle, Night of Snow White and Charming's Wedding**

"We have a visitor," Henry muttered.

Henry was delightfully surprised and over zealous upon seeing his granddaughter once again. She in a bittersweet way reminded him of Regina when she was young, hopeful and had a purer soul. It was in her eyes especially she had the exact shape and coloring of Regina's, but Rose's were brighter.

She came adorned in a lilac ball gown that draped to the ground. Her crimson hair was placed into a neat bun upon her head and flowers were meticulously placed into it. She gracefully bowed before him.

"Who?" Regina spat out whirling around from her mirror.

Henry side stepped to reveal Rose standing behind him. Regina's face contorted for a short moment before her mask sprawled across her features. A slight twitch formed in her mouth as her eyes gazed upon her daughter.

"Are you here to kill me again?" Regina inquired the bitterness in her tone was evident.

"My intention was to never harm you Mother." Rose said carefully.

Regina snorted, "could've fooled me."

Rose blinked slightly. She'd imagined this meeting for months now. Imagined herself using words of love and hopefulness to convince her mother to forgive her and perhaps in time she could mend the broken heart that lay lodged in her mother's chest.

"Mother…..I love you," Rose blurted out quickly. She cursed herself, so much for being gradual and easing into everything, "and I know you love me. I can see it in your eyes I can see the good that still lingers in you. Just like the good you were when you saved Snow White-

"That person is dead."

Rose licked her lips looking quickly to her grandfather who only sent a panicked expression back in her direction. He was of no help in these kinds of situations. He pined desperately for mother and daughter to get along once more but did do much in aided it's rebuilding .

"No she's _not_," Rose argued, "a piece of her still lingers in your soul. Your love for me….it is as true and as pure as of that as your love for Daniel-

Regina fumed closing the gap between them quickly. Rose stared up at her, with eyes that weren't fearful but rather determined and spirited.

"You foolish child," Regina spat out, "_love _is weakness."

"Do you truly believe that?" Rose inquired, "when you yourself have seen the drastic lengths people would go in the name of love? David and Snow?...she paused when she saw her mother flinch, "me and Peter? True love it's strength."

**Present Day Storybrooke-Park Night **

"Rowan?" Regina Mills called out.

She wasn't quite sure what it was that had pulled her towards cite of which was once Henry's castle. Henry had refused to go to the new park she'd built in honor of him and all of the children in Storybrooke. It was supposed to be a peace offering to him but only ended up drastically blowing up in her face when he completely dejected it.

The girl was slumbering on one of the benches. A thin hand-knitted blanket lay resting on top of her. Her knees were tucked into her chest and a backpack lay to her side. Regina had heard the rumors, that she was pregnant. Rumors spread like wild fires did swallowing whole everything in its path. There was not one person who did not know or was talking about it in hushed whispers around the town.

She gently shook the girl awake. Her brown eyes fluttered open softly at first and then fully in alarm as they adjusted to the pitch blackness of her surrounding.

"What are you doing here?"

Rowan's face contorted uncontrollably and tears began to rapidly fall down her pale cheeks. She was reminded of the young girl who'd came running through the corridors of the castle speaking of the fawn who would no move. She seemed small and helpless.

"I couldn't stay at home anymore," she managed through gasping sobs that racked her whole body, "I can't. I can't do this….I can't…I can't…I can't,"

Instinct took over as Regina sat at the edge of the bench and held tightly onto her child as she racked back and forth. After a few moments Rowan nestled her head into the crook of her mother's neck and for a few moments was still taking in the full scope of the situation. She pulled herself away a few moments later jerking her hand up to her eyes and wiping away the remaining tears smudging her make up even further in the attempt.

"Rowan if you need a place to stay you can stay with me." Regina softly murmured half-heartily knowing her daughter would certainly say no.

"Do you mean that?"

"Yes."

"Thank you."

**A/N: I am so sorry for the long delay, life just got hectic. So in honor of Once coming back here's "Red Rose". I hope you're still enjoying it and I still have my groove with this story. Originally I was gonna have Rowan move in with Emma and Mary-Margaret but I thought Regina really needs something positive in her life. I mean I really do ship Regina+Happiness. **


	8. Chapter 8

The Mills Mansion was foreign to her on the inside. She'd spent many a day studying it from it's exterior, it's Greek columns, it's high hedges, the apple tree on the front lawn, _everything _and tried to commit to memory. _That _was supposed to be her home.

"You can have the guest room." Regina said as she flicked on the lights.

The inside of the house was just as magnificent as the outside. Much detail had gone into the house's décor. The stairs were spiral and almost reminded her of a castle's stair cases. Perched at the top the stairs was a Henry Mills, in a Kodak moment, dressed in pj's that were an inch short that hung just above his bony ankles, his hair was ruffled, he clutched a teddy bear in one of his arms and with the other arm was tiredly rubbing at his eye.

"What's going on?" he asked through a yawn.

Regina smiled up at him, "Rowan is going to stay with us for a little while Henry."

Henry stopped rubbing his eyes, a brief look of disgust spread across his features before he turned on his heel and promptly walked back into his bedroom. His stare sent daggers at her heart. She wasn't quite sure how much longer she could take people's disgusted glares that were sent in her direction.

**Fairytale Land, 29 Years Prior to Present Day**

"Where were you?" Snow inquired.

It was almost dawn. The sun was hanging just above the mountain in a silver of a portion. Her sister stood disheveled in her wedding dress her hands folded across her chest, behind her stood David and Peter who had equal looks of dissatisfaction upon their faces, though it was laced with concern.

"I visited my _mother_." Rose replied placing strain on the word _mother_, "I was fine."

David stepped forward, "have you lost your mind? That woman is insane."

"Watch your tone _Charming_," Rose said sharply, "that's my mother you're talking about and believe it or not _there _is good left inside of her. Buried yes. But there must be a reason why she spared me all of those times."

"You are certainly blind Rose," Charming responded, "even after your sister gave her the chance for repentance and saved her life she still would not stop trying to kill her, _kill us_."

"Enough," Snow cut in, "we _are _all family, we are all okay and it is the morning and we all need to rest."

Rose watched as the King and Queen walked away to their bed chamber their hands entangled together. It was their wedding night. Guilt built up in her stomach. They were supposed to spend it together but rather they spent it worrying about her well being.

"Rosie," Peter said softly, "are you all right?"

"I had to speak to her," Rose said softly unable to stop the tears from forming in her eyes and dribbling down her cheeks, "she's my mom. I came from inside of her. I can't give up on her, I _just _can't."

"Your optimism is noble and admiring Ro," Peter softly murmured as she nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck.

"Do you think I am wrong? That it is hopeless?"

Peter was silent for a long moment. His azure eyes looking away from the watery brown of Rosie's, he glanced around the main chamber of the castle where only a few hours ago stood members upon members of happy joyous people celebrating a wedding in spite of being struck down by the Evil Queen.

"I think challenging would be much more appropriate not hopeless Ro."

**Present Day**

She awoke to the aroma of pancakes whiffing around her nose. She creaked open one of her eyes before rapidly sitting up. At first she was unsure of exactly where she was but soon last night came flashed in her mind.

"Are you hungry?" Regina asked a hesitant smile forming on her lips, "I thought you could use a warm meal."

Someone had taken her out of the three day old clothing she'd been wearing and she was placed into an oversized silky white nightgown which hung loosely from her limps and was soft to the touch.

"I don't think I could stomach a meal right now," she admitted softly.

The slightly forced smile quickly evaporated from her face instead a tight grimace formed as she placed aside the plates of pancakes. She'd nearly not wholly forgotten what kind of torture entailed the beginnings of a pregnancy, the morning sickness, the slightly swollen feet, the three month period of compete and utter exhaustion. It wasn't something she enjoyed, every day, every month as her stomach grew from a slight bulge to the size of a beach ball, it was a painful haunting remembrance of _that _night. The memory of Leopold's hot breathe on the back of her neck was forever engraved into her memory. His hands were rough, old, wrinkled and almost leathery he gripped her face and body with a fierce longing passion unlike Daniel's soft hands which lingered lovingly on her face cupping it tenderly.

"It's almost seven-thirty," Regina said quietly, "I have to go to work. Will you be all right by yourself?"

Rowan could only muster a nod. It was everything she had always wanted. It felt surreal. She was waiting for that moment where her alarm clock would go off or Millie's shrilly voice would echo in her ears waking her from this dream but none came as she walked along the Mills mansion in a half-lucid state shuffling her feet alongside the marble floors.

_The baby's whaling shrieks echoed in the bed chamber, ringing over and over again in her ears as she stood memorized at the small tiny frail little thing that was supposed to be their savior. _

_ "Emma," Snow cooed softly as the baby was dried and cleaned off by the doctor._

_ "She's beautiful Snow," Rose said wiping at the tears forming in her eyes. _

_ The baby was wrapped into the painstakingly hand sewn blanket that Granny spent months on. The baby's cries softly went away as if she could detect the comfort and familiarity in her mother's arms. _

Rowan groggily blinked and rubbed at her eyes. Somehow someway she'd ended up in the guest bedroom in an oversized silk t-shirt. Her head felt as though it were about to split into two and she had the oddest feeling of déjà vu.

**A/N: Hope you still enjoy this story! **


	9. Chapter 9

**Storybrooke Present Day**

"At least we have each other." Mary-Margaret said in a falsely forced chirper voice as she sat beside Rowan in the Storybrooke School's cafeteria. Rowan was dressed in an oversized sweatshirt and the school's khaki's in an semi-futile attempt in hiding her slightly baby bump.

In the last few days Mary-Margaret and David Nolan's affair had circulated around Storybrooke in a rapid frenzy. People began to stop casting her dirty looks or whispered in her presence but rather did it in the presence of Mary-Margaret. For a moment it seemed the town forgot its teenage pregnant girl.

"We're a real motley crew. Two social pariahs," Rowan mumbled.

Mary-Margaret's forced half-grin immediately dropped from her face. Her shoulders slouched and she pinched her temples heaving in a few deep breathes. Rowan wondered for a moment if she'd cry or faint.

"I have to do something to get people to stop hating me," she whimpered.

"Why are you asking me?" Rowan challenged standing to throw out her half-eaten bologna sand which.

**Fairytale Land**

"But giants have been extinct for a very long time," Rose argued, "they are no beans left."

She was sitting on a rather large tree branch her knees curled up to her chest and her hair was matted with dirt and grime and left in a knotted bunch. She'd long ago given up on attempting raking her fingers through it. The knots were endless and nearly impossible to untangle. _You have such beautiful hair Rosie why you let it get so tangled is a mystery to me_. Snow would always say as she gently and tenderly ran a hair brush throughout her hair.

"Well the giants might be gone but there are definitely beans," Peter muttered from above her. He was perched on one of the highest branches staring intently at the night sky, his eyes fixated on the third star to the right, "my father required a bean the day my mother was killed when the beast killed my mother."

"The beast?" Rose scrunched her face up. Her mother was most certainly not a beast of any sorts.

"Rumpelstiltskin," he hissed out.

"If Rumpelstiltskin killed your mother why did you lie to me?" Rose demanded angrily glaring up at him.

If her tone affected him at all he didn't show it, "he killed my real mother. Wendy was the woman who cared for me from when I was four until a few years ago. She was the mother I really remember….,"

Rose was quiet for a long moment before she hesitantly asked, "what do you remember of your real Mom?"

"I remember her death," Peter deadpanned, "enough now."

**Storybrooke Present Day**

"Hey I was trying to get your attention!" a voice said as a hand gripped her shoulder and turned her around.

She hadn't heard anyone or anything. Her main focus was to get back to the Mills Mansion without facing or acknowledging anyone. She'd taken a detour on some back-roads of Storybrooke that were in desperate need of some repairs. It'd been the routine for the last month and a half.

"Were you following me?" Rowan inquired holding her books closer to her chest.

His face blanked for a moment his eyes glancing sideways before he sheepishly grinned guilty and rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably as his cheeks flushed red. He stammered out something incoherent.

"Just to let you know following people is kind of creepy."

"Well I don't see you at the store anymore or at school you avoid social interaction with everyone you left me with no choice at all."

"Ever heard of a telephone? You know Alexander Graham Bell made one in the like 1901."

"Actually it was 1876."

Rowan gave him her best "are-you-kidding-look?" she could muster. She shifted her book bag on her shoulder. One of the straps had long ago had broken and the one shoulder strap was killing her left shoulder.

"Here let me get that for you," he reached his hand out to grab for the bag but she slapped it away. He jerked back and retaliation.

"What the hell was that for?"

"I'm not weak…..I'm just…I'm just…," no matter how hard she willed herself to say it the word refused to formulate in her mouth.

"Pregnant?"

The word felt wrong, _dirty_. Especially when he acknowledged it, no one aside from Dr. Whale had acknowledged her present condition. Regina kind of skirted around the topic. She hadn't spoken to Millie or Dale in nearly three weeks. And everyone else in town never muttered the word whilst thinking they were whispering discreetly. Rather they said whore, slut or knocked up. Never pregnant.

"Ro….," and the rest of his sentence came out in a jumbled blur.

There was an odd sense of déjà vu. He flashed from being Dylan dressed in Storybrooke school's tacky uniform into something else dressed in raggedy tagged clothing. His face caked in mud and grime, a knife in one of his hands.

"Are you ok?" Dylan asked waving his hand in front of her face.

"I'm so sorry I just faded out for a moment," Rowan said, "I have to go."

**A/N: Hope you're still enjoying.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Police Station**

"Is there a reason why you came here?" Emma asked her eyes flickering upwards towards her for just a fleeting moment before casting a look behind her.

Rowan licked her lips and awkwardly shoved her hands into her pockets, "I was wondering if you knew where Henry keeps his book….uh I need to look at something."

Emma's eyes narrowed accusingly. She shook her head 'no'. Why would she ever help me? Rowan wondered to herself. She'd probably heard the stories of her not being the nicest person ever to Henry. Guilt settled into her stomach. The kid wasn't her target. He had never been. He'd just been an obstacle in her messed up plan of attempting to hurt Regina.

"How are you feeling?" Emma asked her eyes motioning to her stomach.

Rowan sunk into the chair outside of the desk, "I haven't been able to eat _anything_. My feet are the size of balloons and I've already started to wear another size bigger in jeans."

"How far along are you?"

"About twelve weeks."

"The first trimester was god-awful for me with Henry," Emma admitted.

"You were in prison."

Rowan felt like slapping herself especially when she saw that Emma's lips formed a tight line. Lines formed above her forehead and she momentarily stopped fiddling around with paperwork.

"You're right I was. Henry was born in jail…," she trailed off for a moment, "have you thought of what you're going to do with your child?"

"No." She admitted sheepishly.

"Well you should start because people are gonna start voicing their own opinion very soon about your options but you can't listen to them. It's _your _kid. It's _your _decision. Don't let anyone bully you out of being a mother just because you're young," Emma said firmly.

"Do you regret giving up Henry?"

"Every single second of every single day, I had seventy-two fleeting hours with him as a newborn. Most of the time I was drugged up on some kind of medicine and others he was being taken for tests and for everything else. Before I even could say _anything _the social worker had papers ready for me to sign. What I did I thought was best for Henry and when he came to get me I realized that it wasn't his best chance and I'm doing my damn best to make up for it."

**Mills Mansion-Later That Night**

Henry's room was odd. Clocks were littered by the masses around his room. Some people have collections, she thought to herself, it could be much worse. He could be spending his days killing cats or something.

"What are you doing?" Henry asked appeared at the doorway.

Rowan jumped involuntarily as she whirled around to face him, "Henry!" she cried guiltily placing the clock she was holding back onto his nightstand, "I wanted to speak with you."

"Me?!" Henry doubtfully asked as he slung his backpack onto the bed, sitting upon it and began to meticulously untie his shoes, "usually when I talk with you nothing good happens after."

"Henry…..I'm sorry. What I did was wrong. I wanted you to hurt your mom…._our _mom for giving me away to those _people_," she swallowed harshly, "they hurt me Henry, physically." She slowly tugged up the edge of her blouse where lingering scars remained on her body. Pink skin tissue that was slightly raised that had faded with years but never completely gone, rather they were engrained permanently into her memory, "I wanted her to take me back. I had this delusional thought that if she realized what a horrible mistake she made in giving me away was…but I hurt you. I never meant to put you in the cross fire you were just there. In the way."

"That's how you're like _her_," he mumbled.

"_Her_ as in the Evil Queen?" she inquired. Henry gave her a look as if to say 'you're kidding right?' as he preceded to get ready for bed hurriedly taking off and hanging his coat, scarf, vest and neatly putting his shoes in the corner.

"I believe you." Rowan admitted feeling herself became lightheaded.

Days of odd déjà vu feelings, vivid dreams and many other things had made her reconsider Henry's theory. There were things hazy things that kept coming up in her memory as she spent hours laying on the guest bed trying to figure out how exactly she became acquainted with Mary-Margaret, when her birthday was, who her first grade teacher was, and almost everything came up blank. It was oddly unsettling.

"You do?" Henry asked beaming at her, "wait why?"

Rowan bite her lip twirling her thumbs around and around each other, "I think I may be remembering."

"You are?!" Henry excitedly inquired.

"Who am I? In Fairytale world?"

"Rose Red. The Queen's daughter and Snow White's half-sister, and the lover of Peter Pan…..he's the father of your baby."

Rowan's hands instantly went onto her stomach rubbing it gently in circles, "Peter Pan is the father of my child? And who exactly is Peter Pan in Storybrooke?"

"Dylan," answered Henry, "I think maybe it's your baby that's helping you remember."

"How so?"

"The baby wasn't really there when the curse hit. The baby's not cursed. Not like you and Peter are. The book keeps saying true love is the most powerful magic there is. Breaks any curse. You and Peter were each other's true loves, maybe the baby is breaking the curse."

The more he spoke the more she felt herself slipping. Fairytales were supposed to teach morals. There was no Rose Red that she'd ever heard of. Peter Pan was a child who refused to grow older and spent his days tormenting a rather insane pirate who lost his hand. He certainly was not Dylan. And he couldn't possibly be the baby 's father could he?


	11. Chapter 11

"Mary-Margaret is innocent." Henry crossly said as he stomped along the sidewalk kicking at whichever rock had the misfortunate of being in his way. His face was contorted lines ceasing at his forehead and his hands were clenched into tight fists.

"Henry hey….," Rowan said grabbing hold of his arm, "being angry is never going to solve anything. Perhaps me and you can walk to the Sheriff's Station and see what Emma can do or if maybe we can help her."

Henry shook free of her grasp, "it's _her_. Regina's framed her."

The details of Katherine Nolan's murder were vague at the most. The only known facts were that she was dead, Ruby had found her heart under the toll bridge and Mary-Margaret was in custody. The story had taken Storybrooke by surprise, a beloved innocent fragile school teacher committing murder.

"She's your sister," Henry added, "Rose-Red would drop everything to help her sister after they were reunited."

"Henry I think I'm remembering but I'm not Rose-Red….I'm Rowan Harkin. I'm not some kind of hero thief, princess or anything that Rose Red is. I can't shoot arrows or wield a sword like she can and until she's woken up or completely here you're just going to have to stick with Rowan who can only take you to Emma and hope maybe she's sorted everything out by…," she trailed off when she caught sight of a slightly dishelmed Dylan Jones staggering towards them. His hair stood in all different directions, his eyes glassy and bloodshot and his shirt laid un tucked from his pants. He looked nothing of the sort like the Dylan Jones she'd known.

"What's wrong with him?" Henry inquired.

_Damn it_. He was far beyond drunk. Drunks were unpredictably violent and a possible danger to Henry. She squeezed his shoulder.

"He's drunk Henry," Rowan muttered, "why don't you go home I'll take care of him ok?"

"Maybe it's effecting him too-

"Go home Henry."

It took some more efforts of cajoling before Henry slowly began to trot off in the other direction towards home. Sighing deeply Rowan made her way towards him gripping his upper arms tightly. His head bobbed uncontrollably as his eyes rolled back for a long moment.

"Hey stay with me ok?" Rowan said.

She half-dragged half-tugged him along the streets of Storybrooke towards the back of the grocery store as Dylan slurred things incoherently in her ear. His breathe reeked of vodka, a smell that made her cringe.

**Fairytale Land- About 2 Years After Peter and Rose Met**

"Are you afraid or something?" Peter teased as he tugged off his shirt tossing it aside where it crumpled on the side of the bank of the river. Holding his hands above his head he dove head first into the murky waters.

Rose stood at the edge of the water shakily walking towards it dipping her big toe into the water before retracting it quickly. Peter emerged from the water. His dark hair was matted and flat on his head.

"You scared or something?"

Water and royals hadn't quite mixed. Her father never learned insisting swimming had been an activity for the lowliest of all commoners. Her mother hadn't ever mentioned swimming to her and Snow only longed to learn.

"You can't see the bottom….you've no idea of what kind of fowl creatures lurk in these waters."

Peter laughed, "didn't you tell me that all animals are gentle loyal creatures?"

"I said _birds_."

Peter swam towards the edge where she sat propelling himself upward. It wasn't the first time she'd ever laid her eyes on his bare chest. There had been many a few accidental sights of too much exposed skin but there was something else stirring inside of her that made her squirm so she cast her eyes elsewhere.

"I _could _teach you," he offered leaning closer towards her, his hand clasping over hers. She shimmered her hand away from his grasp holding it on her lap.

"How'd you learn to swim? There's no waters near where you grew up."

"No but when I was with my parents we were always on a ship. I think I was just about walking the first time my father threw me into the water. He told me sink or swim. And I swam."

"Just like that?" Rose inquired leaning backwards on her hands.

The sun's rays were beaming in streaks through the trees. They glistened on the surface of the water below them. Birds could be heard chirping, crickets could be heard murmuring their ancient stories.

"Well there was a lot of flailing arms, and splashing and such but water is nothing to fear."

"Speaks the son of a Pirate."

"Aye and what do Royals not engage in swimming? Surely you must have bathed-

"We had these large tubs filled with all sorts of flowers, candles used to illuminate the bathroom and….," she trailed off when she realized he was smirking at her with one eyebrow raised questioning her. She reached forward jabbing him in the ribs where a sword had the misfortune of striking him along a few weeks ago. He hunched over in pain letting out a few soft moans of agony.

"Oh you'll pay for that Princess!" he shrieked his hands gripped just under her breasts tugging her into the water. She kicked wildly at him but it was fruitless as she ended up in the dark murky lakes. She flailed her limbs attempting to reach the surface of the water, only coming up for gasping breathes before once again being sucked under.

"Stand up Princess." Peter ordered whilst regaining a grasp on her squirming body.

Her toes hesitantly felt the slimy bottom of the ground shrinking upward upon the contact.

"You scoundrel!" Rose yelled.

Peter slowly began to tread away from her into the deeper side of the river chanting, "if you want your revenge dear sweet Rose you must swim to catch me!" and in more gentle voice he attempted to coherence her into coming closer, "just float on your stomach, and push the water back with your hands and kick! I won't let you drown! Promise!"

"A promise from a pirate is like trusting a dragon."

"What are you suggesting lass? That I'm not honest and trustworthy?"

Hesitantly she tip toed to the deepest part of the water where her just her eyes were above the water level before pushing off and slowly treading the water with her hands. Peter swam towards her.

"Not that scary eh?" he asked holding onto to her.

"Don't let go of me," she pleaded as her hands wrapped tightly around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist in a iron tight grasp.

"I won't."

Before she could even realize what was going on, his lips gently pressed up against hers. The sound of laughter made them pull their heads apart.

"Interrupting something?!" a palace guard sniggered.

**A/N: hope you're still enjoying!:)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Storybrooke, Supermarket **

"Gots to tell you something Rose," Dylan purred out beckoning her towards him with a sloppy flapping wrist. He was slouched against one of the shelves of the supermarket looking as if he'd been a lost, kicked puppy. If he was attempting to seduce or hope she'd even move an inch or two closer he was failing miserably. She let out a chuckle before shaking her head grabbing a water bottle from the shelf and proceeding to chug down half of it's contents whilst his crystal blue eyes, slightly red and dilated fixated upon her with such a loneliness and a hunger it made something deep inside of her stir, "_Rose_ please." He said exasperated.

_Rose_? Did he say Rose? There seemed to be a loud ringing in her ear. It got louder and louder with each passing second only adding to her already present headache. She pinched the bridge of her nose in an attempt to alleviate some of the pressure but to no avail. The ringing only got louder and her headache only got much worse.

"I think…I think that baby's mine," Dylan muttered slowly, a pause added in-between each of his words as he rocked back and forth on the floor, "and I think you kn-know it."

"I think so too." Rowan whispered softly.

**Fairytale Land **

"Such a filthy mess," Annora spat as she forcefully bathed Rose using one of the roughest brushes she'd ever felt. The bristles dig deep into her skin scrubbing away dried caked mud, dirt and dry skin. Annora looked exactly the same, unpleasant, stern, narrow and bony, "it's hard to have ever thought you were the Rose I'd looked after." She shook her head condescendingly before moving towards Rose's head and pushing her underneath the lukewarm waters and began to scrub at her scalp.

She didn't have the energy or the will to fight against Annora. The castle was a well guarded place with the haughty guards at every corner, every nook and cranny, there'd be no escaping. Her mind wondered over to Peter, there was no way in hell he was getting the "special" treatment as she was. He was either dead, being tortured or locked away in the one of the many underground dungeons. None of the situations were pleasant and it made her ache for him.

"Done," Annora announced a few moments later, her bony finger arms scooping under her arms and her finger nails digging into her arm pits as she dragged Rose out of the tub and began to dry with one of the silk towels, "you will finally look presentable for the Queen, but first I'll have to comb out that bird's nest."

It took a few prolonged moments of pure agony as the bristles scrapped against her skull for her hair to be completely free of the many knots it'd accumulated over the years. The silk nightgown Annora had tugged forcefully over her head was one made for an adult. The silk felt foreign to her skin and she almost felt naked standing there in it. She didn't recognize the young woman starring back at her in the mirror. It couldn't possibly be her. Could it? She leaned closer, touching her hand to her cheeks. No longer were her cheeks "squirrel-like" as Snow liked to call them but rather thin. There was a maturity to it. Her body wasn't so narrow and straight as it'd been throughout her childhood but rather it was curved. The nightgown fit her body nicely. Her hair wasn't quite as unruly but rather it had a soft wave to it.

"You're almost pretty." Annora spat.

It was as close to a complement as she'd ever get out of her former governess.

"The queen is here." One of the ghastly guards announced tapping loudly with one of the stick things she'd never quite learned of their names.

The glass doors swung open at that moment revealing her highness Regina dressed in a low-cut tight leather dress slash pants thing Rose had never seen her in before. She strutted towards them ignoring Annora's bowing and sucking up completely, her eyes fixated only upon her daughter. Her face a mask and for a moment Rose was quite sure she was going to be hit or yelled at and was taken by complete and utter shock when her mother wrapped her arms around her. The things poking out of the collar of her mother's dress tickled her nose and made hugging back a near impossibility.

"I have missed you." Regina purred softly into her daughter's ear.

A part of her wanted to melt into the small child that still lingered inside of her and dig deep into the embrace of her mother's love. The love she craved so much as a child. The warm sincere love that Snow and her father showered her with at every occasion. Her mother's love came at intervals. Her earliest memories were of her mother locking herself up in her bedchamber and not emerging from days, entering fits of crying and such. The maids would mutter to themselves about the Queen's depression. A word unknown to her but now understood.

Another part of her wanted to wrench herself away from the woman who'd taken to ripping people's hearts out of their chest cavities as a sport, who'd thrown the kingdom into chaos and who caused so much suffering and pain throughout the far reaches of the forest.

"Rose?" Regina inquired releasing her daughter from her tight embrace to grip at her bony shoulders. Bony shoulders, gaunt cheeks and emaciated fingers, all signs of malnourishment. The boy who'd taken her, he'd pay for it, "are you all right?"

She didn't trust herself to speak at the moment and could only manage a feeble nod of her head before collapsing back into the chair, breathing in short hitched breathes. There was a time she could remember feeling this winded. She must have been six or seven, alone for once on the grounds of the castle. No guards to see. She'd climbed the apple tree, to reach the top branch, but to only fall to the ground on her back. The sensation stole the very breathe from her chest and she could remember feeling as though she'd died starring up at the cloudless blue sky above her. Father had found her first scoping her up into his strong arms and cradling her, whispering words that she couldn't quite remember.

"Did you kill my father?"

Regina looked away, "yes," she admitted, "but you most understand. He kept me here against my will. Just as that boy Peter has."

"Peter?" Rose choked out hoarsely, "no! It's nothing of the sorts. Peter has been nothing but kind to me. I could have left at any moment-

"Well why didn't you?!"

"Because…because….I love him."

Regina's face contorts into angered expression. Her fists clenched together tightly as she gritted her teeth. The nearby candles blew out rapidly making her jump, "_how _Rose Red could you love the boy who kidnapped you? Took you away from your family?"

"Family?! What family?" Rose said, "you've killed my father. Accused my sister of grotesque things she didn't do-

"I am your family! I'm your mother!"

"Some mother you are your Highness," Rose shouted unable to hold the anger inside of her, "you didn't even acknowledge my existence-

"Because _you _were never meant to be! A mistake! Your father wasn't the kind and gentle man so many of the kingdom came to cherish him as…he forced me to bed with him-

"No that isn't true."

**A/N: I hope you guys are still interested. Sorry for the long delay life and writer's block kind of got in the way. I hope Regina and Rose aren't too OCC, this scene was the hardest for me to write. Let me know what you think.**


	13. Chapter 13

**The Dungeons of the Dark Castle **

"You all right?" a voice asked from somewhere to the right of him. In the dim lighting of the place he's unable to see the man's face as its cast in the shadows. And if his mouth wasn't quite as numb and sore as it was he'd give an answer aside from a grunt.

The soldiers had taken great pleasure in making sure he knew pain. Repeated kicks to his face, his side and almost everywhere else left him stiff, numb and feeling lost dazed and disorientated. His eyes were swollen leaving a blurry narrowed vision. And the word _execution _rang repeatedly in his head over and over.

"Leave us," a voice ordered. And a woman, the Queen, Peter presumed appeared in his line of vision. There was something familiar in her face, her eyes especially that reminded him of Rose, but the expression upon it was sinister. An expression that would be foreign to Rose's gentle, kind face, "you must be Peter," she drawled out a grin appearing across her features, "you look exactly like your father."

He couldn't help but to look at her now. It'd been countless years since he'd heard anything at all of the man. It was sometime in the middle of his years spent with Rose that he'd decided they'd never get to Neverland. Never not without the bean of the Great Giants who were extinct or some sort of magical deal with the Dark One. And magic always came with a price, and neither had much to pay him with.

**Storybrooke, Later That Day**

"Mr. Jones?" Rowan weakly stammered out as she attempted to keep his half-lucid son from tumbling over onto the hard concrete. The Jones house rested near the border of Storybrooke. A charming disheveled little Victorian that was home to Mr. Jones and seven or eight boys, no one was quite sure, they never seemed to leave the house. Their mother was unknown. Nobody remembered her or hearing of her.

Mr. Jones was an intimating looking man, a balding head, beady narrow grayish eyes, a narrow nose, narrow chin a big muscular body and an unreadable pout. She could remember someone saying he'd once served in the Navy or maybe it was the Marines. Either way he was definitely certified to kill.

"Yes?"

Rowan gulped down. Dylan staggered forward before she could stop him. Mr. Jones' looked oddly as if steam was about to pour out of his ears. Rather he began to yell for one of the other sons. Two burly boys came barreling out of the house gripping Dylan under his arm and dragging him the rest of the way up the stoop and into the house away from eye sight.

"Is he the father?" Mr. Jones inquired in a soft rough voice as he peaked out from behind his glasses that rested on the bridge of his narrow nose.

"Yes." She muttered feeling her mouth go dry after the statement. Thinking it and hearing it were two completely different things. It made it real. The child was conceived by Peter Pan and Rose Red. That she was sure of now.

"I suggest you be on your way now." His tone insisted that it wasn't much of a suggestion. Turning around she caught something in the corner of her eye, a motorcycle. The stranger, and her stomach clenched tightly as he kick started and zoomed away out of sight on his motorcycle. There was something unnerving about him. The way he seemed to know the inhabitants of the town, the way he rode around on his motorcycle just watching and observing as if expecting something miraculous to happen. Perhaps he was waiting for the curse to break? Her ponderings were broken abruptly when she rammed into a solid force, David Nolan, who looked dishelmed, exhausted and in a hurry.

"I am so sorry Rowan," he mumbled reaching down and offering his hand pulling her up, "I didn't see you. Are you all right? Is the- uh your baby all right?" He shifted awkwardly on his feet, rubbing at the back of his neck as if unsure of himself. And this was Prince Charming, she mused to herself. Wasn't much of a prince here or charming at all, rather an aloof man who didn't know what choices to make. Who let love cloud his judgment in the whole entangled web of the affair.

"I think we're good." Rowan said brushing off the dirt that cluttered onto her sweatshirt and khakis, "how are you? Holding up I mean?"

"Fine." He said curtly. Apparently she'd hit a few sour notes with that remark. He excused himself as he side-stepped around her and continued on his way to wherever it was he was going.

It was just past dawn in Storybrooke on a Sunday night. The main center of the town was empty aside from Marco and Mr. Hooper who seemed to be deep into conversation and laughter. They paid her no attention as they passed on the streets of Storybrooke.

**The Dark Castle **

Her old bedchamber lay just as it used to, just now it had a layering of dust piled upon it. The silk sheets left unmade upon her bed as if they were preserving it for her. Or perhaps nobody cared to make a room for a princess who was no longer there. If she had any amount of tears left she would have crumbled into a ball upon her bed but alas it seemed she'd exhausted every last once of tear in her body.

"Don't fret dear princess," a high-pitched voice chirped. The sound of his voice echoed along the brick walls of the castle and Rose shot up in her bed. Her eyes settling upon an imp with skin much like that of a crocodile. His eyes amber gold grazing over her body in a way that made goosebumps form, "as I can help."

Rose jumped up falling off the side of the bed. The cold marble floor sent shock waves throughout her body making the left side of her body numb. She'd forgotten just high up her bed was and how much it hurt when she'd fall off it in the course of her sleep, "what-what are you?"

"I can see where you get your gumption dearie," the man purred, "just like your mother."

"My _mother_? What have you got to do with my mother? Or me for that matter imp?"

"Imp?" and he let out a high pitched giggle like snort, "feisty aren't you? Let me introduce myself, Rumpelstiltskin." He bowed to her. The name sounded oddly familiar to her, "better yet known as the Dark One."

She took a few steps backwards. She'd heard many a things about the Dark One from the villagers she'd talked to. All dreadful tales of deals, magic, death and baby theft. His name provoked fear even in the most brave villagers who'd taken a stance against her mother in the Nordin regions.

"What do you want from me?"

"It should be more like what do you _need _from me hehe."

"And whatever could I desire from you?"

"A chance to save your twue love!" he proclaimed, "Peter before your dear sweet mother chops off his head."


	14. Chapter 14

"Rowan can I talk to you?" the stranger, August called out over the roar of his motorcycle's engine as he came closer. His eyes, an azure blue, starred hopefully at her as he gave a soft smile, "it's important."

A few years worth of "stranger-danger" lectures flashed through her mind at that moment from school. Weary she stayed as far away from the street and the stranger by walking along the grassy lawns.

"I'm listening."

"Henry told me you're starting to remember our land. You're starting to see through the curse which is great but just solving your curse isn't going to save the entire town," his tone was assertive and clear cut to the point, "we, you, Henry and I have to get Emma to believe before _it's _too late."

"Too late for what exactly?"

Henry never mentioned an expiration date on the curse. It'd been going twenty-eight and half years without halting not once why was it suddenly going to stop now? Their mother had meant for the curse to be everlasting, surely there would be no escaping the eternal limbo that was Storybrooke unless Emma broke it.

"To save myself," August admitted, "I'm dying and I need magic. It is the only thing that can save me now."

**The Dark Castle **

"Well dearie if you're going to save your true love you have not yet another choice," the imp chirped as he pretended to be fixated upon his long dirtied finger nails. He sat upon the window bench, his legs propped up against a few of the pillows lounging as if this was his home, "tic-toc, tic-toc."

Rose paced the outer perimeter of the bedchamber, two voices battling inside of her, _magic is bad _and the other _save Peter he'd save you_. Neither was wining or losing rather just making a resolution near impossible as her mind wondered to Peter trapped, dazed and hurt waiting for the execution somewhere deep down in the abyss of the dungeons. The mere thought made her wish with all of her might they could switch places.

"If you teach me magic will I too fall too corruption as my mother and grandmother before me?"

"Now that dearie is up to you."

Rose heaved in a deep sigh. She wished nothing more that he'd stop his cryptic behavior and answer her questions directly. And that his laugh wouldn't be so high pitched, squeaky and irritating.

"What's in it for you?"

Rumpelstiltskin threw his legs over the side of the window bench pushing himself up in one swift move. A sadistic smile spread across his face as his hands clasped together in front of him, "let's just say I'm invested in your family. We have quite a history."

"You're the reason my mother's the way she is."

The smile faded off his face, "let's just say I was instrumental in it. Evil, Rose Red is not _born _it's created. I did not create the evil that is rapidly blackening your mother's heart."

"Will my heart too grow black?"

"Only time shall tell."

**Storybrooke**

"You're Pinocchio?" Rowan asked in disbelief. The painted pictures in Henry's book had done him no justice. His hair was not flaming red as the child Pinocchio's hair had been. His face not quite as freckled, "hold up the curse halted everyone's ages, why aren't you still seven years old?"

"Let's save that story for another-

"No. Tell me how exactly you've seemed to escape the non-aging, non-moving forward part of the curse?"

August hung his head as he began the tale of his escape with Emma into this world. How he'd stumbled across a freeway, terrified, abandoned and unsure of what to think of this new land with horseless carriages and flying contraception. How all of the people in the diner regarded him as an invalid talking around him and to each other before calling the police who'd asked him if knew where his parents where and he told them that his Papa was in the castle. The cops looked sympathetic and stopped their questioning. The orphanage and leaving Emma behind, the regret and shame of being turned back into wood for not making the savoir believe.

"August that's quite a job for a seven-year-old-

"It wasn't a job. It was a mission, a promise to my Papa and to my-our people. I had to make sure the savior believed."

"We still have time right? You said something about Mr. Gold's shop tomorrow morning-

"You and Henry let me handle that. Gold was a powerful person back in our land and he's still just as powerful here. I don't want either of you getting hurt all I need is for the two of you to distract him long to find what I'm looking for."

"All right."

Baker Street curved off to the left in the opposite direction of the Main street and Granny's. August said a hurried goodbye as he mounted the motorcycle and sped off in the distance. Rowan placed her hands on her stomach _it's all gonna be ok soon baby_. It was the first time she'd ever allowed herself to think of it as a baby, instead of a thing or it. Maybe after the curse broke she could raise it with Peter. Maybe she'd find her _happily ever after_.

**Dark Castle**

Magic lessons came in the dead of the night. Three or four am when most if not all of the castle were slumbering. The imp would bring various sorts of miscellaneous objects to learn from and to practice from. He'd heard whispers that the execution would concur upon the fifth night when the queen returned from her annual trips to the countryside. Emotion he said was were magic stemmed from. Good emotion created good magic, protection, healing and guiding much like used by the fairies. Bad emotions created dark magic killing, ripping hearts out, causing pain and various other sorts of cruel punishments.

"I only wish to learn good magic," she'd told him, "to save people. Not to harm them."

"Hard to believe you're from the same family."

_I will not be my mother_. She'd repeat over and over again in her head attempting to convince herself that she wouldn't slip and tumble off the righteous narrow path. She wouldn't stray from the protection spells and never would she ever harm another soul. He was pleased with her progress, saying she like Regina and Cora was a quick study. Something Rose wasn't quite sure to be dreadful of or relinquish in.

Personal space did not seem to factor into Rumpelstiltskin's actions at all. His scaly hands would rub across hers whilst demonstrating the proper way of hand orientation during a spell. It made goosebumps swarm up and down her arms and when his freakish eyes fixated upon her it was as if he was seeing right through her.

"So pure," he cooed as his hand brushed against her left cheek. Involuntarily she jerked away. She looked away feeling her cheeks grow warm and red cursing her father for her fair complexion. There were many times when she wished she'd had her mother's darker skin tone especially with Peter who'd always teased the hell out of her when she'd blush.

"Please let's just finish our lesson. Our time fades quickly,"

"As you wish your majesty," he replied.

"Don't call me that. I wish more than anything that I was not of royal blood. Royalty does not know kindness or fairness or the hardships of the life on the outer villages. Gold, land and absolute power is all they desire. And absolute power corrupts absolutely," Rose declared firmly. For a moment she wasn't sure if he'd cry or perhaps strike her. His eyes seemed to glisten as he grinned broadly showing off his yellowed rotted teeth.

**Storybrooke- Early That Morning **

Henry sat cross legged upon her bed munching happily upon one of the muffins Regina had left for them before her early town hall meeting. She'd scribbled a post-it note in her fancy cursive apologizing for missing out on Sunday breakfast and offered the muffins as her peace offering.

"I'd never thought an Evil Queen would cook muffins for her kids," Rowan said wearily as she glared at the town clock. Sleep had evaded her the night before leaving her exhausted and half-functioning. She hadn't bothered to shed her pj's even though it was nearing one in the afternoon and left her hair in its bed head style. Her stomach hadn't allowed her to eat one of the deliciously smelling muffins and she was attempting to resist the urge to do something she'd later regret.

Henry stopped munching on the muffin from a minute his face scrunching up, "do you hear that?"

"What?"

_Ping, ping, ping_. Out of the corner of her eye she caught something hitting the window. Padding along the carpeted floor she caught sight of Dylan standing in the front porch standing in a pair of stripped wrinkled pj's with a couple of rocks. He motioned for her to open the window.

"Guess I should be leaving now," Henry stated, "good luck."

He clamored off the side of the bed dashing out of the room. Rowans turned back to the window heaving in a deep breathe before pushing it all the way up. His smile made melted her. The dimples, the blue eyes and the messy jet black hair all of it and she was quite sure it was both Rose and Rowan falling for it.

"Can I come in?" he shouted.

Unable to formulate a coherent string of thought she nodded quickly. He walked to the side of the house attempting to straddle something nonexistent to be able to climb up to the window. He fell to the ground a few times but it didn't stop him from trying and failing a few more times.

"There's something called a door," Rowan said laughing, "Regina's not home. You can use it."

"Oh….right." he said dejectedly running a nervous hand throughout his hair before dashing towards the door.

She ran to the long mirror inwardly groaning upon the reflection. She patted hurriedly at her hair hoping it'd stay down long enough. Dylan pounded up the stair case two at a time. And before she could react his lips were pressed against hers. At first slow, soft and hesitant and then growing more and more desperate as his hands wrapped around her middle pulling her closer towards him.

Out of breathe he pulled apart, "Rose?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes," she huffed out cupping his face.

He leaned his head into her embrace, "I have missed you so much." She nuzzled her head into him breathing in the familiar scent longing to never leave his embrace ever.

"Are you well?" he inquired, "is the baby well?"

His hands trailed to her mid section resting upon the barely-existent bump present.

"We must find a way to make Emma break this curse. I will not have this child here, it was created in the Enchanted forest and I want it to be _our _home."

**A/N: Please, please tell me what you think. Romantic stuff really isn't my forte. **


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