This fic was written BEFORE "Ill Boding Patterns" aired . . . . just FYI because of the Dagger mention . . . . .

The Doorway

Rumpelstiltskin had not expected it to work. He was certain that all of the years he spent searching would culminate in the dark curse; he was certain it was the only way he would be able to find his son.

He should have known better than to believe one word that the blue gnat said. His first trip to the sorcerer was unsuccessful thanks to that insipid little girl who stopped him, but his second trip, after a bit of aggressive persuasion, proved quite fruitful. He'd finally found a way to get Baelfire back from Neverland.

Neverland. He had no idea how his boy had gotten there, or how long he had been there. Rumpelstiltskin wasn't sure which thought was more frightening – facing his son, or facing his father. Either way, he had to do this. Taking a deep breath, Rumpelstiltskin waved the wand that he had acquired from the sorcerer and a doorway appeared.

"Bae," he whispered to himself, "I'm coming to find you, my boy." Just as he was about to open the door, he heard a voice behind him speak up.

"Rumpelstiltskin? What are you doing?" Belle asked.

"What am I doing? Haven't I told you that when I am working I don't want to be bothered by you?" he snapped at his maid.

"I was just wondering what you wanted for dinner," Belle retorted. "What is that?"

"Something that doesn't concern you. Go away."

"That door was never there before. Where does it go? Is – is that a portal?"

"If I wanted you to know what I was doing, I would tell you. Go."

"Well, will you be back for dinner?" Belle asked. Losing his patience with her, Rumpelstiltskin waved his hand and next thing she knew, Belle was standing in the middle of the kitchen. She sighed angrily. "You can cook your own meal tonight then!" she shouted, out loud, to no one, looking up toward the ceiling as she did so.

Rumpelstiltskin stepped through the doorway, and immediately recognized the place – the same place his father abandoned him for all those years ago. With Bae's shawl around his neck, which he had enchanted to serve as a locating device, he was drawn toward a cavern not far from where the portal opened. The young boy was sitting on the ground drawing on the walls of the cavern. "Bae?" Rumpelstiltskin called out. The boy turned around.

"Papa?" Bae responded, stunned to see his father standing in front of him.

"Oh, Bae – oh, I found you, son! It's really you!" Rumpelstiltskin moved toward Bae, who cowered back in fear.

"This is a trick. You're playing a trick on me Pan, I know you!"

"No – no, Bae, it's not a trick, it's really me. Here – here, I want you to have this." He took out his dagger and offered it to Baelfire. "I trust you, Bae. I trust you with this." Bae looked down at the dagger and started to cry.

"Papa? Is it really you?"

"It's me. It's really me, Bae. Go on – take it."

"No – no I don't want that."

"Bae – don't you understand? I want to be better for you, Bae. I want you to make me better."

"If you loved me, you wouldn't need me to make you better. You would have trusted me, you would have gone with me through that portal, Papa! You haven't changed at all."

"Yes I have. I swear Bae, I have changed. Please – just come back with me, and I'll show you."

"Back? I don't want to go back there with you!" Bae shouted at him.

"You heard the boy – he's quite happy right where he is," Peter Pan said as he entered the cavern. "Hello, Laddie," he said as he eyed Rumpelstiltskin up and down.

"Bae, please – I want to get you away from him." Rumpelstiltskin begged his son.

"Now, Laddie – you can trust me with young Baelfire here. I'd never do anything to harm him." Peter Pan taunted. "If Baelfire wants to go back with you – I'll let him." Pan turned to Bae. "So – Baelfire – were you happy with your father?"

"We used to be," Bae said.

"Well – perhaps you could be again. Let's just see how much your father has changed, shall we? Felix! Bring her in!" Felix entered the cavern, holding Belle prisoner in his tight grip as he did so. "You really shouldn't leave portals lying around, Rumple. Anyone can go through them."

"Rumpelstiltskin, I didn't, I swear – he came, he took me!" Belle screamed.

"Papa, who is she?" Bae asked.

"Oh, this is your father's maid – pretty little thing, isn't she? Would you like to know how your father acquired her? He won her in a deal." Rumpelstiltskin glared at Pan. "What, you think I haven't been keeping an eye on you, Laddie?"

"Let her go," Rumpelstiltskin demanded.

"Oh, I'll gladly let both of them go, Rumple. There's just – one little thing I want. Give me your dagger." A look of shock came across Rumpelstiltskin's face. "You do realize that magic comes with a price, right Rumple? Either they die – or you do. Which will it be?" Rumpelstiltskin glanced at his son, then at Belle, and he slowly moved toward Pan, holding out the dagger.

"Let them go – then you can have it," he demanded. Rumpelstiltskin looked up at Belle again. "Please look after my son," he pleaded to her. Belle saw a tear fall down his cheek, and she was moved to tears herself. Rumpelstiltskin turned to Bae. "Bae – I've never stopped looking for you, and I've never stopped loving you. I'm so sorry, son. I'm so very sorry."

"Let her go, Felix," Pan motioned to his minion, and Felix released Belle from his grip.

"I want to see them leave safely," Rumpelstiltskin insisted.

"Quite demanding, aren't we Rumple?" Pan taunted. "Very well." Just as they started to move, Belle darted toward Rumpelstiltskin, grabbed the dagger out of his hand, and stabbed Pan in the shoulder. Pan let out a loud scream.

"Go! Run away!" Belle ordered Rumpelstiltskin while she was holding the dagger, and he had no choice but to obey.

"You foolish girl!" Pan shouted. "You'll pay for that!" Just as Pan moved to grab her, Belle shouted, "Rumpelstiltskin! Save your son and save me!" Belle and Bae both vanished before Pan's eyes, and next thing they knew they were standing in front of the portal with Rumpelstiltskin. He opened the portal and pushed them both through it, then went through the door himself. Once they were safely back in the dark castle, Rumpelstiltskin destroyed the portal.

"Papa – she saved you," Bae said, smiling at Belle.

"Yes – she did," he replied in agreement. Belle looked down at the dagger still in her hand.

"Here – this is yours," Belle said quietly as she handed the dagger back to him.

"You – you want me to have it back?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"I don't want to control you – I just – wanted to help. Now – are you going to tell me what you want for dinner or should I just guess?" Belle teased, then she looked at Bae. "By the way – I'm Belle. It's very nice to meet you, um -"

"Baelfire," Bae replied. "It's nice to meet you, too."

"You know, I um – I think the two of you would probably like to be alone for a bit, so – I'll just go up to my library and read. When you decide what you want for dinner, let me know." Belle headed up the stairs. She turned and smiled at him as she reached the top – and he smiled back. Baelfire couldn't help but notice.

"You have changed," Bae said to him, and he ran into Rumpelstiltskin's arms and hugged him. "I missed you, Papa."

"Oh, I missed you too, son. I missed you so very much. We have so much time to make up for. Come on – let's go see your room, you can arrange it however you like."

"Papa, are you gonna tell her that you love her?" Bae asked as they walked up the stairs.

"Who?"

"Belle! You love her – I can see it. And she loves you too."

"Of course she doesn't, Bae – how could she? How could a beautiful girl like that ever love a beast like me?" Belle peeked out from her door as she secretly watched them turn the corner when they reached the top of the stairs, and she smiled to herself. He did love her – now she just had to find a way to make him see that she felt the same. Perhaps if she simply took him by surprise and kissed him . . . . what would he do if she did that, she wondered . . . . . .