Ello one and all to my Once Upon a Time story! To those who are wondering what happened to my Avengers sequel I decided NOT to finish it so don't bother trying to tell me to continue, only having thirty something reviews kinda hurt my pride….anyway….onto the story!

Prelude~

Night had fallen over the Enchanted Forest; the full silvery moon casting iridescent beams across the land causing the fresh dew on the grass to sparkle like specks of diamonds. Within the palace of Queen Gwendolyn, standing on a balcony that overlooked the sea stood Princess Karissa. She had been unable to sleep ever since meeting that wonderfully kind stranger named Jefferson in the woods a few days ago; she had been out riding her stallion when she came across him seemingly lost but it was revealed he was searching for his little girl Grace who she had helped find later. Karissa felt a pang of lost at this simple thought, her mother hadn't allowed her to ride again seemingly knowing that she had met someone and fearful of what could happened had all but confined Karissa to the palace. Giving a sigh, she turned to find her mother standing within the threshold of her bedchamber; her silver hair atop her head, her soft brown eyes shining in the candlelight.

"Dearest, it's late, you should be asleep." her mother said coming into the room with a sweep of her skirts over towards her daughter.

"Mother, you once said I was promised to someone yet never told me. Will you tell me now? On the cusp of my eighteenth birthday?" Karissa asked softly turning back to look out the window, leaning against the marble column with a faraway look in her topaz eyes. Queen Gwendolyn sighed deeply and hung her head knowing the question would come sooner or later. Trying to think of the best way to say what she needed, she looked up to see her daughter before her, longing in those topaz eyes which she had gotten from her father, the one responsible for her cursed fate.

"Before you were born, I learned I was unable to bear children. Your father rest his soul wouldn't leave me despite what his Court said, saying he loved me no matter if I could bear him a child or not. But your father soon took ill and realizing that he would need someone to cease the throne when he and I passed sought out Rumpelstiltskin." at the name Karissa gasped, not expecting that Devils name to come from this tale. Bringing one pale hand to her lips she trembled out,

"No, please mother don't tell me—"

"Yes, I'm afraid so darling child. Your father made a deal with him that I'd become pregnant, but on the day of her eighteenth birthday the child, be it female, belong to the man responsible for the pregnancy." tears filled Karissa's eyes; she had been promised to the beast of a man whose name is feared throughout the realm? As the tears began to fall her mother enveloped her into a hug, crying herself and saying,

"You will never have to go to him. I won't allow it!"

"Too bad dearie!" an oily voice said from behind the two and turning both found the imp himself standing behind them, dressed in his usually attire and pebbled hands clasped behind his back.

"Leave my daughters bedchamber you fiend!" cried the Queen but the imp just simply snapped his fingers and out from her mother's arms Karissa went towards him. Though she dug her heels into the ground she continued moving forward until she was mere inches from him, her head tilted upwards to look into his yellowy eyes.

"What a lovely sight." he said softly bringing one pebbled hand to her cheek, two fingers brushing the skin. Swallowing back her fear as warmth filled her from the simple touch, Karissa said,

"Leave me alone Rumpelstiltskin." but the imp was far too busy inspecting her face, his yellowed eyes taking in every feature as he said loudly,

"Such a lovey sight indeed."

"You let go of my daughter this instant!" Gwendolyn cried in a lost attempt to save her daughter as the imp began walking around her, his eyes scanning her body. Still frozen in her spot, Karissa closed her eyes wishing him away but a whispery voice near her ear said,

"That won't work love, you can't simply wish away your problems." his breath tickled her ear and she shuddered swallowing to wet her suddenly dry throat. As Rumpelstiltskin walked back around to see her face he noticed her eyes shut and said in a cackle,

"Am I that repulsive love?" sensing his anger Karissa opened her eyes and said softly,

"No, no you're not repulsive in appearance Rumpelstiltskin. Only in deeds." at her simple words the imp took a step back and that was just enough to break his binding spell allowing Karissa's feet to take off on their own, towards the stables.

"Karissa!" screamed the Queen as Rumpelstiltskin raced after her, he enjoyed playing catch. Karissa never slowed once as she raced down back staircases and hallways before reaching the stables where her horse waited. Not even bothering to put his saddle on, she hopped atop bare back and kicked into his side causing him to rear up before taking off at a gallop. As soon as Rumpelstiltskin entered the stables she was already out the barn door and feeling a mixture of anger and giddy delight he said,

"Oh I will catch you love, I will find you and make you mine." and he vanished in a puff of smoke. Karissa never once bothered to look back, instead she steered her horse onwards towards where she had first come across that man Jefferson, the man to whom she couldn't stop thinking about. It took her longer than she thought it might even though she galloped but finally she spotted smoke along the horizon meaning a cottage nearby. Slowing her horse to a canter, than trot, than walk she finally came to a halt and dismounting ran for the cottage where coming out of it was,

"Jefferson!" the man had spotted a riding figure coming towards his home and once he realized who it might be had jumped at the opportunity to see her again. He had been all but consumed by her very existence; the fact she had waltz into his life, filled his heart with an unparalleled joy than waltz back away had nearly killed him. Now that she was here, right before him, he couldn't feel happier and thought for sure his heart would explode with the joy he felt. But once he noticed the tears streaming down her face he stopped so that she collided into his chest. As she wrapped her arms around his middle and buried her face into his shirt he felt stiff as she sobbed.

"What's wrong Krissy?" he asked softly, using her nickname to try and get some type of responds out of her. She just sobbed harder though and seeing her only in a robe and her nightgown Jefferson ushered her into the house and pulled her by the fire. After setting her down in his lap and she had curled into his warmth only then did she speak saying,

"I'm to be his forever!"

"Whose Krissy? Who are you talking about?" Jefferson asked bringing his hand to her chin so that he could look at her. Karissa sniffled before saying oh so softly,

"Rumpelstiltskin."

"Yes love?" came a sickly dark voice from beside them and as both looked they found the imp himself standing there, his eyes wickedly glowing in the firelight. At the sight of him Karissa hid her face deeper into Jefferson's chest who shouted,

"What do you want you bastard?!" clucking his tongue, the imp waved one finger as he said,

"That's not nice Hatter boy-oh."

"I don't care really, what have you done to her?" demanded Jefferson as he felt tears wet his skin through his shirt. Rumpelstiltskin saw the love in Jefferson's eyes; it gleamed just as fierce as his own anger if not stronger and said in a tickled tone,

"You love her don't you? How utterly sweet." at the imps words Karissa looked up to see Jefferson who had moved her aside so that he could stand to walk over to the imp saying,

"You leave her be, or so help me—"

"What are you going to do then? Kill me? Risk the life of not only your newly beloved but also your daughter? Not very smart boy-oh." the imp said with a dark tone but then a scream made both turned to see her expectantly where thick purple smoke was racing towards them.

"The Curse." Rumpelstiltskin said as Karissa ran for Jefferson but she never made it as both Jefferson and the imp shouted,

"I will find you no matter what! I will have you!" and then they all were gone, to a horrible place far, far away.