Bonnie & Clyde-Once Upon A Time

THREE

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"Here you go," she set down one of the bags of coins she stole next to a woman. The woman had two small kids and her husband had only recently died. She was struggling to pay for a living but that didn't stop the woman from taking her in when she needed a place to stay.

"You'll never need to worry about money again," Bonnie said.

The woman had tears in her eyes, "You mustn't risk yourself like this. You could get caught; they'll kill you."

Bonnie hugged the woman, "Don't worry about me. Just take care of yourself and your family."

Bonnie let go of the woman and smiled softly before she walked herself to the market. She didn't wear her cloak here. She walked around aimlessly before she saw guards unloading gold out of a carriage in the courtyard that was blocked off.

It seemed easy to go and steal it as there were only four guards blocking the courtyard and two unloading the gold. But she wasn't going to steal it.

She flicked her hand and all six guards fell down in a heap, unconscious. The townsfolk stilled, staring before they realized there was no supervision and they beelined for the gold.

Bonnie smiled before she walked away from the market and into the woods, walking back to her sort of home that resided in a cave. But she stopped once she felt like she was being watched.

She made her cloak appear, hiding her away from the world. She continued walking until she was suddenly frozen in place and she couldn't move.

"A mighty righteous thief, aren't you, dearie?" an amused voice sounded from behind her until a man appeared in front of her, or at least, a beastly man.

She couldn't speak nor do anything. She was helpless as he reached for her hood and pushed it away from her head. His eyes widened.

"You..." he pointed his finger at her. "...a child...did all of this. How?"

He flicked his hand and she was able to move again. As her foot had been mid-step, she fell. She looked up at him like he was the most miraculous thing she'd ever seen. And she smiled.

It threw him off guard and he swallowed before she asked, "You...know magic?"

"Of course, I know magic, dearie," he answered. "I am the Dark One."

Bonnie thought about how powerful his magic was. If she could learn from him, perhaps she could get back to Clyde.

"I'll make you a deal," she smiled. "I'll tell you how if I can learn from you."

"You are offering me a deal?" Rumple was astounded; did this child know nothing of the Dark One? "I make the deals, dearie. I don't need an apprentice and your story no longer interests me."

"Please, please," she pleaded. "I'll be your best apprentice. I won't fail you. I promise."

"You...promise?" Rumple crossed his arms. "Do you know nothing of the Dark One? You are a child so I will warn you, you don't want to make a deal with me."

"I-I lost somebody close to me. I will find my way back to them no matter what," she swore and her story reminded him of Bae.

He couldn't help but think that she would be a good apprentice, far better than Regina or Cora because she was a child and she held true belief in her heart.

"That's all very touching, but I've made a deal to get rid of you," Rumple responded. "And I don't break deals."

"You're going to kill me," she deflated.

"Did I say that?" Rumple held out a hand to her to pull her up off the ground. "But you will have to stop stealing."

She smiled as she grabbed his hand, "You're going to let me be your Apprentice?"

"You only get to be called my Apprentice once you haven't failed me," Rumple responded. "And I expect that you will..."

"Bonnie," she answered as he trailed off.

Rumple was stunned when she hugged him. He held his arms out, unsure of how to respond. But he grabbed her arm and pulled him away from him like she was a leech, "And don't do...that."

"I will not fail you, sir," she said with such belief that Rumple thought he could believe her right then and there.

"The name is Rumplestiltskin."

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Bonnie walked into Mr. Gold's shop after school. She took the envelope out of the pocket of her shirt once she saw him behind the counter, "I got the rent from Granny's Diner."

"Did you? Finally?" Mr. Gold questioned.

Bonnie lowered her head as she smirked, "Well, I kind of made a deal where I put off getting the rent if I get free food. I thought it was a good deal."

"Only for you, dearie," Mr. Gold said and Bonnie furrowed her eyebrows. He had never said dearie before.

Bonnie shrugged, "Well, I learned from the best."

Mr. Gold smiled but then he frowned. He didn't like that Bonnie was taken away from him. She was under Regina's care and influence now and he didn't like that at all; it made him angry.

She had been under his care and now she was being used as a pawn by Regina when Bonnie was his Apprentice; the only one that had really earned that name. She had been taken away from him and he would have his revenge.

AN: i really love Bonnie's relationship with Rumple. It's really wholesome.