"All Magic Comes With A Price" [OUAT]

01 ~ 'Dearie'

POV Nadine

(Written by: Danique)

'Then, the handsome prince kissed the beautiful princess and she opened her eyes.' I say. The children I'm telling the story to start clapping their hands. 'She's alive!' David crows of happiness. 'The prince saved her!' Little Liz yells, throwing her hands in the air. I smile. 'And they lived happily ever after,' 'Thank you so much Nadine, that was such a beautiful story' The little boy hugs me. 'You're very welcome David' I hum. I close my eyes. We're in the kings forest, a place I'm not allowed to come, just as I am not allowed to tell fairy tales to the riches children. They think fairy tales are to keep the children from believing in the "Real world" I would prefer to only just call It an escape. Suddenly I hear footsteps and crackling twigs. I open my eyes. 'Oh no,' I gasp. David knows and he lets go. 'Nadine, run' he whispers. I stand up and make ready to run, but I'm too late. 'You again!' I hear a low dark voice. I bite my lip, knowing who It is. I breathe in and turn around. 'Sir' I say, as I bow. A guy named sir George is standing in front of me. He is one of the riches I fear most. He is not afraid to hurt someone. 'I thought I told you to stop telling this nonsense to our children!' He reaches for my throat and presses me against a tree, choking me. 'Do you know what the word "Stop" means? Cause I don't think you do. And right now. I don't really think I do either' My lungs are slowly collapsing. 'GEORGE PLEASE!' Liz screams. Sir George lets go and I hit the ground. I gasp, searching for the air that had left my lungs. All my muscles hurt. George grins. 'There, right were you belong.' he kicks me in my tummy. I start to moan. He kicks again. And again. 'George, enough! stop It!' David screams. Tears are rolling down his cheek. Grabbing the mans arm. Sir George snifs. 'Alright then' he says. But just as I'm trying to get up, he kicks my head. My eyes start to roll. In the back I hear Liz screaming, then everything turns dark.

I open my eyes and moan. 'I've been watching you getting kicked and choked for a while now, dearie. It's about time you stop that man,' someone whispers in my ear. I blink my eyes. I don't dare to turn around as I already know who it is. Rumpelst.. no, no, no. That can't be. 'No, you're not real' I scream. 'Nadine?' I squeeze my eyes. 'NO YOU'RE NOT R-..' 'Nadine, Jesus girl. Calm down,' I open my eyes and look at Angel's bright blue eyes. I shiver and turn around. No one's there. I turn back and look at a frowning Angel. 'Are you okay?, as far as we both know, I'm pretty real' she smirks and reaches for my hand. I gladly grab hers and she helps me getting up. 'Was.. was there someone behind me?' I say. Still shivering. Angel blinks her eyes a few times and her frowns again. 'No..?' She says. 'You just checked that yourself as well, right?' She grins nervously. Suddenly I start to laugh. I don't know If that's a laugh of disbelieve or relieve. 'Okay, then I think I might gone mad,' 'Do tell' I bite my lip and look around. There is no one here but me and Angel. As much as I love fairy tales. I do am capable of telling what Is real or not. Am I? 'I'll tell you when we're at the farm,' I sigh. Praying that she won't ask me about it again. I try to walk, but my sore knees are making It very hard for me to do so. Angel sighs. She wraps her arm around me, making It easier for me to walk. 'Stop it, Nadine. Honestly,' she moans. 'But the kids, they like-..' 'I know. I also care a lot about them. But we cannot just keep going like this. What If the time comes, that the riches will stop buying our products because they are mad at us 'cause we keep telling their kids fairy tales,' I love having Angel by my side. She keeps me real. She is very capable of telling what is real or not. Even though she loves fairy tales just as much as I do. I nod. 'You're right' 'Also, I don't really like to see you hurt' I sigh. 'He choked me again' I whisper. 'I was so scared' 'All magic comes with a price, dearie' Angel hums. Quoting my favorite fairy tale creature whom I believe had whispered in my ear a few minutes ago. 'If you want to give the kids some, by telling these stories, you got to pay the price' 'Being choked isn't quite a price I like to pay,' I look up to spot our little old farm house and I smile. 'Then stop,'

I sigh. Angel throws another brick of wood into the fireplace. I close my eyes and moan. I'm enjoying the heat that It gives. 'So,' she says as she thuds next to me. 'You've gone mad?' Shit. She still remembers. I bite my lip. Shall I just.. tell the truth? I sigh deeply. Angel smiles at me, looking straight into my eyes. 'I heard someone whisper in my ear, just when I woke up,' I stop talking. But Angel knows there's more and still looks into my eyes. 'Someone, that shouldn't be here' Angel exhales 'Someone, that doesn't exists, you mean? As you were yelling to me that I wasn't real' I nod. It's quiet for a while and then Angel asks me the question I don't want to answer. 'Who was it,' 'That doesn't matter,' I choose to say. 'All that matters is that he isn't r-..' 'Who. Was it' Angel moans. Her voice is dark and its scaring the shit out of me. 'Rumpelstiltskin' I whisper quickly. I close my eyes, waiting for Angel's answer. 'Really?' She says after a while. 'How did you know It was him?' I'm not quite knowing If she's taking this serious, or if she's going to laugh the shit out of her soon. 'Goddammit, Angel. Rumpelstiltskin is my favorite fairytale. I just know,' 'I know. You used to tell It to the kids. Over and over again,' she sighs. I smile. But she isn't done talking yet 'But you haven't seen him right? And you blacked out so I might-..' 'I just wanted to share It okay? I know when something feels real and this damn well did.' I moan. Never mind. She's not taking it serious. 'Look, Nadine. I want to believe you. But really? Rumpelstiltskin?' 'So If It for instance, would be Snow white you would have believed me?' Angel bites her lip. 'No.' She growls. 'He called me dearie' I hum. Looking at the burning wood in the fireplace. 'You need to go to bed early tonight,' I close my eyes and sign. 'Maybe I should'

'What did he say to you?' Angel suddenly says. Stepping into her boots, getting ready to feed the pigs. 'Sorry?' 'Rumpel' she says. Throwing the food in the air. I shake my head. 'I thought you didn't believe me?' I hum. Milking Mary, our most precious cow. 'Doesn't change the fact that I'm still curious' I roll my eyes as I grab another bucket. 'That he's been watching me, getting choked and kicked for a while and that I should do something about George,' 'Sound like something he would say' she says. Petting one of the pigs. 'I know. That's what scares me,' I whisper. 'Dearie,' Angel grins. Shaking her head throwing more food in the air. I bite my lip and sigh. Dearie..