A/N: Hey there! Welcome to the third story, Phantom Melodies, of my Once Upon a Time Series Bedtime Stories :) I would recommend new readers read the first two stories (All That Glitters and Every Rose Has Its Thorns) to understand my OC, Piper (AKA Rose Red) and her relationship to Gold/Rumpelstiltskin as well as her tie to Snow White. This will be a Gold/OC story, the pairing name officially Dark Rose, and will be about 40 chapters long, updated daily too ;) This story will follow the episodes more in terms of what's happening with the OC, but will also have an Enchanted Forest flashback/backstory chapter afterwards and some of the 'Missing Year' chapters too :)

A short physical description of Piper is that she's a tall, blonde woman, with forest green eyes. She tends to wear boots that she keeps her playing pipe in one, and the dagger of the Dark One in the other. She likes to wear colors, though Gold (or as she calls him, Rummy) prefers her in black ;) She also has a necklace of a small purple powder from the Enchanted Forest. She appears to be about 40 years old, though she is much older. For a reference, an actress I see as being similar to her is Sophia Myles ;)

~8~ is a scene break.
~location~ is a scene break between different worlds (just to help keep up with where the characters are)

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time...or we would have had an entire season of 1 enemy each to add more drama :)

~8~

The Heart of the Truest Believer

Mr. Gold held tight to the ropes of the Jolly Rodger, Regina, Emma, David, and Mary Margaret around him as they sailed through a portal, Hook at the helm, floating into the waters of Neverland, nothing but dark waters and an island in the distance.

"Is that it?!" Emma called over the sound of the winds howling around them.

"Aye," Hook let out a breath, "Neverland," he set the helm and began to move around the ship, slowing it down.

"Why are you slowing down?" Regina spun to face him, "In case you didn't know, my son's life is in danger!"

Gold shot Regina a glare for that outcry. He knew that Regina couldn't care less about whether Piper or Baelfire were found, Mary Margaret would and she seemed anxious and torn between her grandson and her cousin, but he could see the determination in her eyes that he was sure mirrored his own, to save all of them. He was well aware of the fact that nearly everyone there felt that his boy was dead, but he was going to hold onto hope, for once in his life a villain was going to have hope. He knew he would see his boy again one day, knew he would find true love, the Seer had prophesized it, but this…this was a hope that he had to hold onto, to go on blindly. He had to hope that Piper would be able to keep his boy alive till they found him, but he also knew that Piper would want him there, on the island, to find Henry first. So would Bae. If he went after his boy and left Henry to the mercy of Peter Pan…his son would never ever forgive him for that.

As much as he hated the thought of Piper and Bae being lost in the Enchanted Forest, of his son being injured as well, he knew that they would be alright for now, they could both handle themselves and he had to help find Henry first. Save his grandson, then save his son and find his true love at the same time. As much as he felt worried for them, as much as he didn't like this…he could feel a small warmth inside of him, because he knew they would both be proud of him for doing this, for putting Henry first.

"Oh, I know, my hot-headed Queen," Hook remarked, pulling Gold's attention back, "The plan is to bring us to the far side of the island, link up with the widest part of the river, and…then we sail right through, take him by surprise. The irony..."

"What irony?" Regina huffed.

"Oh, I spent more time than I care to remember trying to leave this place to kill Rumpelstiltskin. And here I am, sailing right back into its heart with him as my guest of honor. It's not quite the happy ending I was hoping for."

"Greg Mendell said something funny to me," Regina mused as she stepped closer to Hook, only Gold able to really hear them as Mary Margaret, David, and Emma gathered at the other end of the boat, "He said I'm a villain, and that villains don't get happy endings. You believe that?"

"I hope not, or we've wasted our lives," Hook sighed.

"It is true," Gold turned to them, "A truer thing has never been spoken dearie, but eh," he considered the words mockingly, "Not in the way you think. Villains are never given the happy endings they desire, that's the difference between us and them," he gestured at Mary Margaret and the others, "Happy endings come to them, WE have to fight for ours."

"Yes," Hook scoffed, "You fought so hard for yours both your true love and son ran away from you through a portal to escape you."

Gold just chuckled at that, irritating Hook with how he failed to rise to the bait and turned to look out at the island once more. He glanced over though when he started to hear Emma shouting at her beloved parents. He would have chuckled again at the topic. It seemed the little princess had a bite to her, not that he didn't already know that but the words she was dishing out were intended to harm her precious parents. She was blaming them for this happening, because good should always win and she knew from experience in the real world that it didn't always. She was angry that they were trying to parent her, to claim they had more experience, when she was the same age as them. She was even bitter that they missed out on raising her for 18 years before she became an adult…when she seemed to conveniently forget that she missed out on raising her own son for the first 10 years of his life.

He could see where the similarity to Piper ended, while the woman was just as biting and just as cruel, while she could hold a grudge with the best of them. She did at least make an attempt to place blame where it was due. And she did understand that her own actions had consequences, she accepted them when they came. But when those consequences fell on her when they were the actions of another, that was when she targeted her anger at someone else. Emma was trying to pin this all on her parents, when she was the one that gave Henry up, when Regina was the one that cast the curse that left her without parents, when their experiences were based in the Enchanted Forest and in magic which she did NOT have and which they were facing now.

"…your lives have...they've...well, they've sucked!" Emma was shouting, not seeming to understand how her parents could hold such optimism.

He was curious about that as well, that seemed to be something Piper couldn't quite work out either.

"No," David was arguing, "No, we found you."

"And lost Henry! And Neal, and countless other people!"

"Emma," Mary Margaret took a breath, "The minute I let go of the belief that things will get better is the minute that I know they won't. We'll find him."

"No, you won't," Gold turned to face them, snapping his fingers and changing his outfit to his old Rumpelstiltskin garb.

"Oh, that's a great use of our time," Hook rolled his eyes, "A wardrobe change!"

"I'm gonna get Henry," Gold told them.

Regina's eyes narrowed, "We agreed to do this together."

"Actually, we made no such agreement."

Emma frowned in suspicions, "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I wanna succeed," he said simply, the sooner he found Henry, the sooner he could focus on finding his son and finding Piper. Though, Piper would have been an asset to find Henry, with her magic and music to track him, they would probably find him within the day.

"What makes you think I'm gonna fail?" Emma straightened to her full height.

"Well, how could you not?" he smirked, "You don't believe in your parents, or in magic, or even yourself."

"I slayed a dragon!" Emma defended, "I think I believe."

Gold shook his head, "Only what was shown to you. When have you ever taken a real leap of faith? Think how long it took you to believe Pinocchio, to believe Piper? Think of what lengths your own son had to go to make you believe," he nearly smirked at seeing her looking away at that reminder, "You never have. You've never had a true belief, the kind where there's absolutely no proof to be found. I've know you some time, Miss Swan. And, sadly, despite everything you've been through, you're still just that...bail bonds-person, looking for evidence. Well, dearie, that's not gonna work in Neverland."

"I'll do whatever it takes," Emma stated, firm.

Gold chuckled, "Well, you just need someone to tell you what that is. Sorry, dearie, our foe is too fearsome for hand-holding. Neverland is a place where imagination runs wild. And, sadly, yours doesn't."

He tossed his cane up and by the time it fell to the deck, he'd disappeared in a swirl of smoke.

~The Enchanted Forest~

Piper was standing beside Neal as he laid on a small cushioned platform in the middle of a courtyard. She vaguely recognized it when she, Emma, and Mary Margaret had passed it after Mulan and Aurora had tied them up when they fell through the portal the first time. His shirt was slightly open, a small patch of white bandage visible just at the edge of it. She reached out and gently pressed on it, pleased when no blood started to seep through it. It…hadn't been pleasant, to undo the damage that Tamara had done with her gun, she'd had to use the Dark One's dagger to cut the bullet out of him, and then stitch the wound closed. She was rather thankful that he'd been asleep when Mulan had heated up her sword to cauterize it more and Aurora cleaned it out afterwards, Phillip, the man that Aurora was to wed, who she recalled had been lost to a wraith when they'd entered the Enchanted Forest, had given them bandages. Apparently Cora had told Aurora that the soul of a wraith victim could still be returned to its body so long as the body was preserved and it appeared Phillip still had that time left. The two women had succeeded in returning his soul to him and there he was.

That was good to know, if she and Gold summoned a wraith again they would have to find a way to ensure Regina's (or whomever they had the wraith target) soul was destroyed afterwards.

She glanced over when she heard footsteps approach to see Mulan making her way towards her, "Has he woken?" the warrior woman asked.

"He appears about to," Piper mused as Neal's face began to tense and twitch, his breathing pattern shifting as he slowly started to wake, "Baelfire," she smiled down at him, "How are you?"

"It's Neal," he grumbled.

"Is he well?" another voice called as Aurora and Phillip came running over towards them, having come to check on the man as well and seen he was awake.

"Well enough to be questioned," Mulan stated, straightening.

"I have answered all your questions Mulan," Piper remarked with a dry roll of her eyes.

Aurora turned to a small table set up and poured a glass of water for Neal as he started to cough, "Here," she hurried to his side, offering him the goblet, "Drink. Drink. You must be thirsty."

Neal swallowed a mouthful, nodding thankfully towards her before looking to Piper, "Where are we?"

"The Enchanted Forest," Piper spoke, "Aurora and Phillip's kingdom."

Neal let out a breath at that and looked around, "I'm back," he whispered, and Piper couldn't tell if he was awed by that or unhappy.

"Back?" Aurora eyed him, "You mean you're from here?"

"He's lying," Mulan nodded at him, "Look at his clothes. He's from the same world Emma, Snow, and Piper are from."

"Emma?" Neal jerked up at that, "Emma Swan? You know her?"

Mulan frowned at that, "How do you know her?" they had only asked Piper how they had gotten there but nothing much after that, and just because he appeared with Piper didn't mean he knew Emma.

"She's…" he strained, trying to sit up more, but groaned in pain, "She's my…" he winced and fell back down on the cushioned bed, "I…I don't know…"

"Mother of your child?" Piper offered, "First love?"

"Whatever she is, she's in danger," Neal groaned, trying to get up again, "I have to get back to her. I have to help her!"

"You need to rest," Phillip tried to argue but Piper just reached out her good hand and helped Neal sit up, "You were gravely injured when we found you. Piper said you were hit by some kind of 45 caliber arrow?"

"Look," Neal shook his head, "We…we need your help. I need to know that Emma and Henry are alright."

"Mother of your child…" Aurora repeated quietly, before her eyes widened, "You're Henry's father?!" Neal nodded, getting off the cushions, "I was once under a sleeping curse," her eyes flickered to Piper who looked away, but the motion didn't go unnoticed by Neal as he frowned when Aurora turned back to him, "Snow taught me how to control the nightmare. And with practice, I'm able to walk the dream world, find others like me who have passed through. It's possible I can make contact with them. If I can, what would you like me to tell them?"

Neal took a breath, "Tell Emma I'm alive, and I love her."

Aurora nodded and moved to get back on the cushions, Phillip helping her, as Piper turned to Neal, "Come," she nodded to the side, "You must eat."

He frowned a moment but followed her, "What was that flinch before?" he asked her.

"I did not flinch."

"You looked away," he countered, "Look, I've spent a lot of time around my dad and Emma, I get when someone's trying to hide something and…"

"I fell under the sleeping curse once before," she muttered, "All those who do, their souls return to a room that is aflame when they sleep. For most it fades after time, the mind builds defenses against it," she sighed, "My mind built a defense that contained it. My mind goes there each time I sleep. And it is painful to be there. The flames…they can actually burn you."

Neal blinked at that, not quite having realized that, "I'm sorry," he understood her looking away now, Aurora offering to do that was one thing, she had a choice it appeared in when she wanted to go to the room or not. Piper was dragged there each time, "You uh…I haven't seen any burns on you though."

"The room has been unable to harm me on only one occasion," she remarked.

"Yeah? And when's that?"

"When I sleep in Rummy's arms," she answered bluntly, "He keeps the nightmares away."

Neal eyed her for that remark, that…well, he had heard of his father bringing people nightmares, being the cause of them, the source of them, the terror in them…

He hadn't quite heard of his father keeping the nightmares back.

Piper seemed to understand his incredulous look, "He is not always the monster people think he is."

He scoffed at that, he found that hard to believe.

~8~

Piper was sitting on a small chair, her arms crossed over her stomach, her feet up on a small table before her as Neal and Mulan stood to the side. They were watching Aurora sleep on the cushioned platform, Phillip keeping vigil around her, his eyes on her, never straying as he guarded her in her sleep. Piper, however, had her eyes closed, just relaxing for a moment, thinking.

"Feeling better?" Mulan asked, looking at both Piper and Neal.

When they had found them on the beach, Neal had been half dead, bleeding out while Piper had been exhausted, having somehow managed to drag Neal to the beach from where they'd fallen in the shallows of the ocean. Aurora had helped her walk on while she and Phillip had taken Neal. They were both still in the clothes they'd found them in, as odd as they were, but she had seen Piper in something like that when she had last been in the Enchanted Forest.

"Yeah," Neal nodded.

"Getting there," Piper murmured, not asleep but resting her eyes, knowing she wasn't looking forward to the dreams of the burning room and trying to avoid it.

"Did you really fall through a portal?" Mulan looked at Neal. Piper had said so, but she hadn't exactly said how, from what she knew of other world that Piper and the others had come from, it didn't appear that they had portals there.

"Yeah," Neal rubbed his nose, "I thought…I thought I was gonna die, and…and I thought about this place. I thought about growing up here."

"And therein lies the power of portals," Piper mused, "Tricky devils, can be very…hard to navigate without an enchanted compass. To ensure you go where you wish, it is best to have one, but sometimes you can get there by envisioning a place clearly."

She knew that was why they hadn't used their minds to get to Storybrooke last time. The curse had been too recently broken on Mary Margaret, she had memories of both places and the most clear was of the Enchanted Forest, her home. Emma hadn't lived in Storybrooke long enough to consider it home, nor had she. To her home was a person not a place and so she couldn't envision Storybrooke as clearly as would be needed to get back, none of them would.

"What's it like, the other world?" Mulan tilted her head at Neal.

"Uh, well, for starters, they think that this place is just a fairytale," he offered, "Like a like a legend, like we're all just characters in a story."

"I'm in a story?" Mulan blinked.

"Yeah," he eyed her a moment, "They made a movie about you. It's actually pretty good."

"What's a movie?"

Neal was cut off from answering when Aurora gasped and woke, sitting up with Phillip helping her off and to her feet, "It's worse than I feared," Aurora breathed, regret etched on her face, "I couldn't make contact. I wish I could be more help. I…I fear no one can."

"My father can," Neal sighed, rubbing his face.

"Yes," Piper smiled, not seeming truly disturbed, "Rummy always had a plan on top of a plan."

Neal had to nod at that, "He would've left something behind, if he ever found himself back here. Something that can be used to contact Emma, to get to her. I know it."

"He did," Piper agreed, opening her eyes, "Numerous things actually. But they are all in his castle."

"So that's where we need to go," Neal decided.

"Who's your father?" Phillip frowned a moment.

Neal hesitated to answer, knowing that it wasn't the most pleasant answer to hear, "Rumpelstiltskin."

"The Dark One?!" Phillip gaped at him.

"Yeah," he nodded, expecting that reaction, "You've uh, you've got his son," he gestured at himself, "And um," he glanced at Piper, jerking a thumb back at her, "His true love apparently."

"The Dark One has a true love?" Phillip stared at Piper in shock, she seemed…well, a little odd, but nice enough.

"And the Pied Piper had a son," she rolled her eyes, "Shall we repeat what we hear again?"

"Still don't know how anyone in any realm could give you a child," Neal muttered.

Piper shot him a glare, "I gave the children of Hamelin back you know," she reminded him, "Not all stories in the other world are exactly as they say. Honestly," she stood, "All I did was have the people massacre their mayor and tear him apart limb from limb with his head left on a pike as a warning."

"I can understand the true love now," Phillip murmured, eyeing her warily.

Piper shook her head, "Shall we head to the castle or are we dallying?"

"No, no, we're going," Neal agreed.

"Wonderful," Piper smirked, starting to unstrap her sling.

"Um…should you be removing that?" Aurora frowned.

"Your arm was injured," Mulan agreed, having seen the wound that was still healing on her shoulder.

"I am not much a fan Dr. Frankenstein," Piper stated dryly, taking the sling off and slowly moving her arm, "If we are heading to the castle, it will be best if I have both arms to use."

And if she injured herself more…well, then that would be on her.

~Neverland~

Gold walked through the thick foliage of Neverland, hearing a gasping from ahead of him, smelling the remnants of a fire. He could feel magic before him, something had happened a short distance ahead, so he followed it, stopping only when he came across the dead body of Greg Mendell, lying face down on the dirt, his face blank and pale. He looked at the man's body, noticing that he had no shadow and knew what had happened. Peter Pan had stolen the man's shadow, stolen his soul from him, and killed him. But that didn't hold his attention much longer, not when he saw Tamara crawling across the ground, an arrow in her back, sweating and pained.

He stepped right over to her, getting in her way so she'd stop and look up at him, "So where is he?" he demanded.

"H-Henry…" she whimpered, trying to speak.

"Now, now. I can help you speak," he waved his hand, removing the arrow from her back only so that she would be able to speak without the wound restraining her.

"Thank you," Tamara began to cry, feeling the wound heal as well.

"Where's Henry?" he repeated, but Tamara looked down, "They killed him?" his hands clenched into fists.

"I don't think so," she shook her head, looking up at him again, "I told him to run, and he did."

He eyed the woman, seeing the fear in her eyes, knowing that she had likely realized who she and Greg had been working for, who their target was, Henry. Given how Greg had died, he could assume she had been betrayed by her 'employers' and was now paying the price, but the price was also his grandson, Piper's family, HIS family, "Where?"

"The jungle," Tamara looked around, "Pan wants him. He's behind all this," she swallowed hard, "Look, Mr. Gold, I didn't know who I was working for. I'm sorry about Neal. I'm so sorry."

"I know," he crouched down before her, his arms crossed over his knees, "You were merely a pawn."

"Can…can you forgive me?" Tamara whimpered.

Gold looked at her a long while, studying her, studying this woman that had shot his son and opened a portal that stole both him and his love from him...before he smirked, "No," before he shoved his hand into her chest and pulled her red, glowing heart out of her, standing as he crushed it in his hand, turning it to dust as she fell to the ground, dead.

He stepped over her body and continued on his way, determined to find Henry if it was the last thing he did. He WOULD make his boy proud of him.

~Enchanted Forest~

Mulan looked ahead of her as she followed Neal and Piper through the fields and forests, trekking for the Dark One's castle. She had offered to go with them, to accompany them through the now-dangerous land, even more dangerous than the last time Neal had been there. Truly, it was in part to get away from Aurora and Phillip, but also to see Piper and Neal safe and returned to Emma and their families.

"Can I ask you a question?" she began.

"Yeah, I don't know how to explain what a movie is," Neal cut her off.

"You say that you're fighting for Emma," Mulan started carefully, "But she never mentioned you when she was here. Why is that?"

Neal sighed, "Because I broke her heart. I let her go so that she could break the curse and fulfill her destiny. And when it was broken, I could've gone after her. I could've told her I loved her," he shook his head, "But I was afraid she would never forgive me, so I wound up taking the easy way out, which is not trying."

"Your belief in love wasn't strong enough to overcome your fear of rejection," Mulan realized.

"Yeah," he nodded, "Greatest regret of my life, not one I wish upon anyone."

"Never let your love go when you have it," Piper mused, still walking ahead of them. Her arm was still a little stiff, but she was slowly working it out, wincing here and there but determined to be of use during this trip, she smiled though when they reached the top of a hill, spotting the Dark Castle ahead of them, "Finally," she breathes, and just…stands there, contrary to her words that were clearly eager to get there.

Neal eyed her a moment, not quite sure why she was just smiling at the building that was more like a prison for most who lived there. He knew that she was his father's true love, but it was just…hard to imagine anyone being genuinely happy with the man, despite the fact he had seen clear evidence that she WAS actually quite happy with his father.

"We should make haste," Mulan said, "The sun will be setting soon."

"Right," Neal sighed and they started down the hill, making their way into the rather unkempt gates, to the door.

Piper was the first to enter, placing a gentle hand on the front door for a moment before she pulled them open and allowed them in.

Mulan frowned as she looked around, all of them pausing in the doorway of the main chamber, "It appears abandoned."

"No," Piper frowned, "There are…quite a few people here," her gaze flickered to the window, leaning down to pull her pipe from her boot, "You may wish to cover your ears."

Neal immediately put his hands to his ear, almost surprised to see Mulan do the same but he could only assume something like this had happened the last time that Piper had been in the Enchanted Forest. Piper lifted the pipe to her lips and let out a piercing note…that had a man falling in through the window a moment later, falling to the floor and struggling to cover his ears but the noise was too loud, too violent, too agonizing.

She let the note linger a moment, before she dropped it, striding forward to lightly kick the man onto his back, his forest green cape fanning around him as she put her foot on his chest, "Hello Robin."

The man on his back panted and looked up at her, revealing his appearance, his hood having fallen back. A man with blonde hair and stubble, blue eyes, lean and shorter than she remembered.

"How's the new face?" she smirked at him.

Robin glared at her and tried to shove her back, Piper releasing her foot and stepping back, making it clear that SHE was the one to allow him up.

"Robin?" Neal frowned, seeing a bow and arrow dropped on the ground where the man had fallen, "Robin Hood?"

"At your service," the man muttered, "I'd bow but this quiver's rather tight."

Mulan, however, looked at Piper, "New…face?"

Piper laughed, "He did so wish to escape Rummy's wrath," she eyed the man, "Did you not?"

Robin glared at her, wanting so badly to pull an arrow on her but refrained, not willing to suffer another bout of torture like that, "I made a deal with the Dark One for the safety of my family, so he would stop hunting us," his eyes narrowed more, "You failed to mention that, while my face would change, my song would not."

Piper shrugged, "You failed to ask," she said simply.

That had been…a rather enjoyable moment. She and Rumpelstiltskin, hunting Robin Hood and his wife through the woods, till the poor pregnant woman could go no longer and collapsed. Robin had been reduced to begging on his knees for the Dark One to spare him, and he had been spared. Unfortunately they were both aware that his ploy to beg for forgiveness was just to give the woman time to run away. Rumpelstiltskin hadn't been pleased with that and had managed to trick the outlaw into a deal, to 'protect him' from both the law and himself. The man would run away, and when he was far enough from sight, his appearance would change. The law wouldn't recognize him, but neither would Rumpelstiltskin.

"How did your wife like a stranger claiming to be her husband?" she wondered.

Robin's jaw tensed so much that a vein started to appear in his cheek at that, the answer all too clear, that he had had a devil of a time convincing her that he was the same man that she had seen only moments ago. Even after that, even after he had changed his face to what it was now…the Dark One still knew where he was at all times, because the Pied Piper knew his song, she could track him, could call him to her, to do the Dark One's bidding. Because now he knew he had a child and a wife to use as leverage.

"Actually," she held up a hand, "A better question…" her expression hardened, "What are you doing trespassing in my castle?"

"Your castle?" the man scoffed, "This is the Dark One's castle."

"And I am mistress of it," Piper spoke, making the man stiffen at that, "Which means…the wards react to me and my desires," just as she spoke, the doors behind them slammed closed, "Your men are now trapped in the rooms," she added, "So you had best be honest with me if you wish them to ever be released."

Robin let out a long breath, the fear of his men keeping him from attacking her, "The castle has been abandoned since the Queen's curse. We took up here for refuge from the Ogres. If the Dark One ever shows up, I'll be happy to vacate," he added in more of a mock.

"No, no need," Neal shook his head, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that the woman beside him had been officially made mistress of the castle, "Just…we just need to look around for a bit."

"And who would you be to travel with such loathsome company?" Robin glanced at Neal before glaring at Piper.

"Loathsome company?" she snorted at that, seeming more amused by that than offended, "One of the weaker things I have been called."

"You tricked me and gave cause for me and my wife to be hunted!" Robin shouted at her, pointing accusingly at her.

"Yes," she said slowly, as though speaking to an idiot, "And you fell for it. The noble thief, always seeing a damsel in distress where there is not one."

"In this land," Neal continued, answering Robin's question and cutting off a growing argument, he could tell that Robin would like nothing more than to kill Piper where she stood and…right now…he probably needed her help to get back, "I'm known as Baelfire. I'm his son."

"My apologies," Robin remarked, knowing on one in their right mind would ever wish such a fate nor would they claim it if it wasn't so.

"Yeah, mine too," Neal muttered.

Piper shook her head at them, "If we gather what we came here for, we can be off sooner," she reminded the men.

Neal nodded and looked at Robin, "We're looking for something he left here. A magical item. You see anything like that?"

"I'm very sorry to disappoint," Robin shook his head, "But I arrived shortly after the curse. The place was cleaned out. Nothing of any value remains."

"Nothing of value to them, perhaps," Piper stepped past them, walking further into the room, towards the back wall, "Rummy would, of course, ensure that the only things taken were the things visible."

She headed for an old cabinet, reaching out a hand to the air and smiling, before she lifted her pipe to her mouth. She paused, hearing a sharp rustling sound behind her and turned to see all three had ducked down, their hands pressed to their ears. She rolled her eyes, "I wish to cause no harm and so I shall not," she told them, exasperated, "Not all magic harms."

She waited till they let go of their ears and slowly stood, but could tell they were tensed and ready to cover their ears if the need came of it. She shook her head and turned back, playing a soft melody on the pipe, smirking when she glanced at them out of the corner of her eye to see that the three were just standing there watching her in stunned silence, not many of them having heard her play as light a tune as that, though Neal had a small frown of thought on his face. She knew the tune was familiar to him, it was a lullaby that Rumpelstiltskin had taught her, one that he often hummed to his son, the only song he trusted to guard his secrets, the only song he trusted her to use to break the enchantments that kept them hidden.

Before her eyes the air shimmered and items appeared in the cabinet, glowing and magical just by sight. She glanced over as Neal move to stand beside her, Robin and Mulan walking over only a few feet behind.

"And there we have it," Piper mused, eyeing the items, "Everything we could need to find someone in this realm."

"But what will help us faster?" Neal stepped forward to start examining the items.

Piper stepped beside him and reached out to pick up a crystal ball, "This," she held it up to him, "It can show you what someone is doing…but only in this realm," she warned, "This will show us if she or the others came after us, if we should look for them here or if we should try for a portal to Storybrooke as planned. I very much doubt Rummy would leave either of us here and not find a way back. And, if Tamara and Greg have the beans as we feared…"

Neal sighed and nodded, taking the crystal ball from her, "I spent my entire life running from magic. Now it's the only thing that can help me," he cupped it in his hands and started to concentrate as he stared into it, "It's not working," he muttered after a long moment, "Why isn't it working?" he looked at Piper.

"You should have paid more attention to your father, Bae," she remarked, taking the ball from him, "You were so focused on not having anything to do with magic, in pushing him away, you failed to realize he was trying to share part of himself with you," she held the ball up, eye level to them, "Magic is based in emotion, you must focus on how you feel about someone."

She hadn't even finished speaking when the image in the ball swirled revealing Gold on his knees in the middle of a forest, holding a small straw doll, weeping. Neal snatched it from her hand and focused as she'd told him, the image flickering to Emma…in the same forest.

"No," he breathed, "It can't be."

"What's wrong?" Mulan frowned, "Isn't she there?"

"Yes, but that's not Storybrooke," he shook his head, looking at Piper to see even she seemed alarmed by that, "Emma's in Neverland."

"And so is Rummy," she pursed her lips at that…

Neverland was the LAST place she knew he ever wanted to be.

A/N: I was tempted to put in what was going on with Emma, Mary Margaret, Hook, and David after Gold left, but I really wanted to focus this more on Piper and Neal with a hint of Gold there ;) We'll find out what happened to them all at the start of the 3rd chapter though, I won't forget them ;)

I hope you liked my little reason for the Robin we see here and in the rest of Season 3 being a different actor than when he appeared in Lacey, Gold got his revenge there lol ;)

Also, wanted to officially announce that I'll be adding an AU of 'What if Piper found Emma and adopted her with August' to my list of AUs that I'll be writing in the future. I probably won't be writing/posting it till after OUAT is officially over, but it'll be coming one day ;)

Some notes on reviews...(from the end of ERHIT)...

Phillip's soul was taken from him :( So, in a way, he 'died' but Aurora and Mulan were able to get it back and bring him back too :)

The Piper/Neal relationship will be a little rocky, but Neal will have A LOT to learn about the woman that stole his father's heart that might surprise him both about her and his father ;)