The Other Side of the Mirror

Chapter 7: Rumplestiltskin and the Second Child Who broke his Heart

The Enchanted Forest (about 30 years ago)

*For the record the Enchanted Forest chapters are going to be in third person and for the sake of clarity will be in mostly chronological order except for one part. I've never written a story with two timelines like this so message me if you think something should be better clarified in the future. Thanks!* 

Rumplestiltskin did not think of himself as a sentimental man. But when Cora came to him with the newborn babe insisting she needed to have a home, something stirred in him.

Due to his power, he knew exactly who she was. Despite Cora lying and saying she found her in a village and her mother died in childbirth.

Juliet was the daughter of his soon to be student, Regina and the granddaughter of his student before her, Cora. He promised Cora he'd find the baby girl a home, and he did find one. Yet he couldn't bring himself to make the deal when the time came.

He had already had a maid. It was nothing for him to insist she take care of the baby too. It's not as if she could say no.

Once Juliet was 3, he was certain she had magic abilities. She would sit in his castle garden (he had moved away from his village and the memories of Bae at this point). And she would make the flowers bloom with the touch of a finger. And then she would giggle. He had never seen such a happy child. It was as if, pure joy leaked from her fingertips.

That's why he kept her. He told himself he was sure it was because she would one day be powerful. But something deep down knew he kept her because she was so pure and innocent. Both coming from the fact that she was the product of true love.

It wasn't until Juliet was older that it became a problem. Rumple knew love made one weak. As she grew into a kind and compassionate person, he started to fear what she would do to his power.

She began to question why he made deals with people. She began to question what was in his special vials of magic. She even began to wonder if she should be doing magic for him at all.

It was during one of their magic lessons that he decided to move his plan into action.

"You aren't trying hard enough." Rumple said, barely looking up from his book. Juliet tried again to conjure up enough fire to start the fireplace, but only seemed to grow more tired. "You disgust me."

"You repulse me."

"Can't even do a simple fire spell."

Rumple tisked off each time she failed.

"Your mother never struggled like this."

That was it. The final straw. Juliet whipped around and forced so much water out of her hands onto the castle floor, Rumple's chair started to float away. "My my. We hit a nerve." He giggled.

"You never told me you knew my mother. You told me she died." Juliet snapped, looking hurt. Rumple smirked. He had gotten quite glib in his old age.

Juliet was almost 16 and he deemed her old enough to know the truth. If he was to get rid of her the way he wanted, but also so she could harvest her true power, she needed to expand her emotions. "No, no, dearie, I said she was dead to you."

Juliet's cheeks flushed with heat. "Who are you to decide that for me?" Rumple stood aggressively and stomped through the puddle she had made. "I am the man who took you in from a family who wanted nothing to do with you. I saved you."

"You trapped me." She softly whispered. Rumple shook his head. "No."

"You used me because you missed Baelfire. You don't care about me." She cried out. "All you care about is magic and power and for some reason you thought I would bring you both, but you're wrong." She said firmly.

"I won't do magic for you and then you'll either have to let me go or kill me. And you'll wish you never took me in, as much I do."

Rumple raised an eyebrow. He walked towards her and she began to walk backwards, trying to keep her distance between them.

He had never hurt her, but she knew what he was capable of.

"If you are so certain. Leave. Try to make it on your own. Where you have no money, no prospects and half-harvested magic skills that will never work well for you as long as you refuse to let in anything actually powerful." he quipped.

"Because I don't want to become evil like you!" She had backed up so far, she was almost outside of the dining room now.

He gave his cheeky grin once more to say. "Believe me, dearie. There are worse evils out there." And he closed the door to the room.

In less than half an hour, Juliet had run to her room, packed a small bag and made a plan.

Her bag was the smallest she could carry and run with if needed. She packed an extra dress and coat and gloves for when it became cold. She charmed some food and water into her pack.

And she even brought out the gold strings she had been saving ever since Rumple gave her the task of bringing the gold to town and returning with new straw.

She would set out on horse to the nearest neighboring village until she could find a way to go farther.

She quickly took her bag and rushed to leave the castle.

Rumplestiltskin watched as she rode off on her favorite horse, Phillipe. He knew this was his intention. And his plan had worked perfectly. But he hurt the child he had raised since her birth.

He was sending her out into the world alone.

Which meant that he was now alone.

He tried to justify his actions by reminding himself that love makes you weak, and he couldn't be weak. He needed his power. He needed his power to survive.

And also because he was determined to get Bae back.

He swore that one day he would get Juliet back too. Her heart was too pure to ever really hate him.

She was meant for greater things, he told himself. Even though he knew she wasn't The Savior, he knew she could be a savior for many people.

Which, even if he never admitted it, even to himself - was the true reason he let her go.