The Goblin and the Fairy Princess PART IV

by Twyla Mercedes

Shattered Smoke and Wind - At last, the Fairytale Book reveals to Henry what must be done to end the Storybrooke curse, and, perhaps as important, how to free Rumpelstiltskin from the thralldom of the cursed dagger.

The Goblin and the Fairy Princess, PART IV - Shattered Smoke and Wind

At last, the Fairytale Book reveals to Henry what must be done to end the Storybrooke curse, and, perhaps as important, how to free Rumpelstiltskin from the thralldom of the cursed dagger.

Of course, the only characters that are my own is Sylvia and now, baby Auric.

It's been more than a year since Gold and the dryad Sylvia have been together and their little family has grown by one, a placid baby boy. By not retaliating they have survived a brutal attack and they have managed to convince Mayor Regina Mills that they have no memory of Fairyland, insuring their safety for at least a little while. Sheriff Emma Swan has made some truce with Gold, but is harboring increasing suspicions that he may be the mysterious man who fathered her child, Henry, the Mayor's adoptive son. More and more things are beginning to change.

+ + + + + Change

"It's changing," Henry began.

"What do you mean," asked Emma. She and Henry were sitting outside in Henry's "castle" together. Henry was holding the book of fairytales that he often carried with him.

"This book," he explained, gesturing to the fairytale collection. "I must read something from it every day. I feel like I have read it from cover to cover over and over again."

"I would think so," agreed his mother.

"Well, often when I'm reading it, I find a new story."

"What? How?"

"It's like it changes and keeps adding new stuff"

Emma was puzzled. "How is that possible?" She didn't question if Henry was telling the truth. The child had spent hours with the book and, at this point, it would seem unlikely that he could have missed reading anything from the book.

"What new stuff was added?" she asked.

"There's a whole story in here about Rumpelstiltskin now. He was this poor peasant from a small village living with his only son when the local Duke began taking children to fight in ogre-wars. To save his son, he set fire to the Duke's castle, sneaked in there and stole a really, really cursed dagger. Whoever controlled the dagger controlled a really evil entity called the Dark One. But instead of controlling The Dark One, Rumpelstiltskin killed him and got his powers. But nobody controls Rumpelstiltskin. He managed to keep the dagger hidden. He still has it hidden somewhere."

Emma was interested. "That's a pretty big story for you to have missed."

"Right, like I said, the book keeps changing. This story is new. But don't you see, Mr. Gold is Rumpelstiltskin. He's the one who created the curse. He was called the most dangerous man in the kingdom. He still has that dagger hidden somewhere and If someone could find the dagger, they would control him and could make him break the curse."

"Whoa. That's a lot. So where's this dagger now?"

Henry made a face. "That's the hard part. It may not even look like a dagger anymore. It could be anything. He could be keeping it anywhere. He's always kept it hidden so that nobody would control him. He destroyed everybody who even knew it existed in Fairyland." Henry was very concerned. "This story is very dangerous. If Mr. Gold knew we knew, he could try to hurt us. But we need to try to find the dagger because if we can, we could make him break the curse."

Emma shook her head. "I don't know, this dagger sounds like it is very evil. Even if we could find it, which I don't know that we could, using it to control somebody else? Especially trying to control somebody like Mr. Gold. He's a pretty scary guy."

"But you could make him break the curse if you had control over him," protested Henry. "You could use the dagger for good."

"Nah," Emma disagreed. "I've seen things like this. The good guy always starts out with the best of intentions, but the evil power starts to consume them and they end up a bad as the bad guy they defeated. Sounds like that's what might have happened to Mr. Rumpelstiltskin."

Henry considered. "Maybe, but I still think it would be a good idea to try to figure out where he's hidden that dagger."

+ + + + + Relationships

"Darling, are you all right. You seem. . . distant?" Sylvia had dropped by the pawn shop to check on her spouse, a man whose quiet demeanor projected an aura of power and control. Most of the townsfolk considered him sinister and steered clear of him, having as little to do with him as possible. But, of course, deal with him they did. They paid him rent, paid off loans, and, generally, paid him off. Sylvia, of course, did not usually see him as sinister, not anymore. Controlling, well perhaps. She hesitated, "Are you upset about last night?"

He waited a moment before responding. "I thought we had talked all this through already. I'm fine. I'm just a little reluctant to re-establish our. . . relations. You are still recovering from the baby and, I can't help but remember that our last liaison was not what such things should be between a man and his wife."

"I'm fine. It's been plenty of time. And, I will remind you, our last 'liaison' was splendid. There was that one unpleasant incident between that time and now, but I'm ok."

Gold took her hand. "'Unpleasant incident!' I hurt you. I was ready to force you when you had told me, 'no.' You had to use magic against me. I was ready to use force and magic against you and even if you have forgiven me, I haven't forgiven me."

"Well, I have an idea, but I need your cooperation. I want you to come to your house at 8:00 tonight. I will be waiting for you."

"At 8:00?"

"Be on time," she leaned him and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

As he watched her leave, an old memory stirred. That was the time he had first asked her to come to his house to pay her debt to him.

+ + + + + Looking/Lying

Henry was next to stop by the pawn shop. He and Mr. Gold had developed almost a relationship. He would stop by and ask about different things in the store and, a few times, had gone with him into the back room to look at different items. Gold was impressed by the child's quick intelligence and his uncanny ability to ask penetrating questions. He wondered if the child had, among other qualities, inherited his mother's superpower.

"Do you know how to spin, sir?" He and Gold were in the backroom with the floor to ceiling array of interesting items, pieces and wholes, upright and broken.

"I do indeed," Gold answered him from his workbench.

"Was it hard to learn?" Henry put his hand on the wheel and made it go around.

"Not really, I learned when I was younger than you are now."

"Rumpelstiltskin could spin straw into gold," he said, watching the wheel turn and turn.

Gold rose and stood by Henry. He stopped the wheel. "That's a fairytale, Henry."

"Where does all this stuff come from?" Henry turned his attention elsewhere.

"Oh, people get tired of things and bring them to me. People need money and bring me things. Some of these items have been here a long time, but, say this item, the small harp, just came in this morning." Gold addressed the matter directly. "Are you looking for something in particular, Henry?"

"Yes sir. I've been reading about sword and knives and such and wanted to see what you might have."

"Not too much I'm afraid. Not very common items. A few here," he pointed to two swords on the wall. "and a few here," he pointed to a small cabinet on the counter.

He watched as Henry closely examined each item. He had a brief prickling sensation, a sensation that something was about to happen. "Is there any particular knife you might be seeking?"

"No sir, thank you sir," responded Henry and he smiled and left.

Henry was lying.

+ + + + + The First Night

The house was dark when Gold arrived home, entering into a dark foyer. He sensed his wife was sitting in the parlor, not in his chair, mind you, but the little hassock she usually perched upon so she could be seated next to him.

"Come in, my dear," he heard her call to him.

He went into the dimly lit room.

"Auric's been fed and he's fast asleep. I've got us a simple, light supper waiting in the dining room," she told him, rising and giving him a light kiss on the cheek. He followed her over to the dining room where there were figs and goat cheese, apple slices and cheddar, with toasted brioche bread. There was water and red wine to drink. This all looked familiar.

Gold sat and sampled the fruit and cheese and drank some of the wine.

"You are rather quiet tonight, darling," she observed.

"I believe I'm a little nervous," he admitted.

She was surprised. "Nervous? Now that doesn't sound like you at all."

"I'm not sure what you have in mind here."

She leaned forward and touched his hand. "Actually just this, a couple of good night kisses and holding you a long moment before we go to our separate beds. No pressure, no demands, no sex. Not tonight. We will have plenty of time to enjoy ourselves later."

He considered and finally smiled. "All right. We'll play it your way."

With some measure of amusement, he allowed her to lead him upstairs, hold him very closely for some time. When she finally began to kiss him, he chose to intensify the contact, backing her against the wall, and pressing her into him. When he released her, she struggled to stand, clinging to him for support.

"Still think this is a good idea?" he asked archly. He opened her bedroom door and ushered her into the room, then turned to leave. "Tomorrow, at seven, then? We'll meet again here at the house, won't we?" he asked.

+ + + + + Gazebo

Gold walked Sylvia, who was carrying the baby, to the Diner and they shared breakfast with together. They lightly kissed and parted. On her way back to her florist's shop, Sylvia encountered Henry. Interesting, Gold had told her she would cross paths with the child.

"Hello, sweet boy. You are just the person I was looking for. I've got my hands a bit full here with Auric so I need a good helper this morning. Are you up for helping me carry some plants over to the Estate? There's a five and some flowers for your mother in it for you."

"Sure," Henry was open to earning some cash. "What do you need me to do?"

"Oh, I'm bringing over some ferns to the Estate and need someone to help me get them there. I'll be putting them in a wagon and you can pull them for me."

Henry couldn't help but like Ms. Sylvia. She was always kind and pleasant. She always smelled good. And, next to his mom, she was the prettiest lady in town. He wasn't sure why she had married Mr. Gold because she wasn't anything like him. In fact she was not like him, like opposite. He was dark, she was light. He was serious, she was funny. He was scary; she was welcoming.

"Did you fall in love with Mr. Gold? Is that why you married him?" he asked her abruptly, as he helped her load the ferns into the wagon. He then pulled the wagon along side of her to the Gold Estate.

"Yes, I fell in love with him, Henry." She stopped a moment. "I know you think he's a very dangerous, scary person, and he is. But he can also be very nice and very kind, especially to his friends."

"I didn't know he had any friends," Henry said with a child's honesty.

"He has some. I'm pretty sure he likes you (since you're his son). Your real mother, I think, he might count as a friend. I know he likes her and respects her." She started walking again.

"Not like he feels about my other mom, the evil queen."

Sylvia considered this. "Oh yes, the fairy tales. Regina is the evil queen. That would make sense. And you're right, she and Mr. Gold have a long history of. . .of not being friends."

They had reached the house. Henry noticed that Sylvia had to take a deep breath before going through the iron gates. Once through, Henry started around the estate going to the left, but she stopped him.

"We have to go this direction," pointing to the right, "to get to the Gazebo."

Henry was puzzled. "It makes a difference? Which way we go around the house?"

"Absolutely," she assured him. "We have to go widdershins, what you might call counter-clockwise, around the house or we won't find the right path."

Henry didn't say anything. He wasn't sure if she was kidding him. He thought the path was easy enough to find and follow, with generally even ground, white sand surrounded by an encroaching forest floor.

As they approached a stone bench on the edge of a glade, Sylvia stopped him. "I'm so glad you are with me today, Henry. There is something Mr. Gold and I wanted you to see back here. You are about to see some things that may be a little . . . unexpected. As we go into this glade, some things will change. There's nothing for you to be afraid of. Nothing can hurt you here."

Henry made no reply, curious as to what she might be talking about. Once inside the Gazebo, he saw that Sylvia herself had changed. The color of her skin and hair were altered, although her face and smile were still the same.

"You're different," he stated the obvious.

"We're in Fairyland, Henry. This is a very tiny pocket that has returned. This is my true form. I'm a dryad, what you might call a tree fairy. This is my glade of rowan trees. As long as even one of my glade trees live, so will I. My son is neither human nor dryad, but, as you can see, he does not look quite the same here as he does in the outside world. I think he is quite handsome."

"Why are you showing me this?"

"Why do you think?"

Henry considered. "I think Mr. Gold is Rumpelstiltskin. He is considered the most dangerous man in the kingdom. He is a trickster. You're his wife. Maybe he wanted you to show me this because. . . " Henry faltered.

"We wanted to see what you would look like in my Glade," she said, simply.

"Why? Don't I look the same?" he asked.

"For the most part, child. Here, you're a little taller and your hair is much longer. Oh my, your eyes are almost black, that's a change." She had laid the baby on the bed, propped up on some pillows. He was content to watch the butterflies and birds that gently flew in and out of the Gazebo.

"Yes, you are a little changed. But now come, Henry, I want to see what type of magic you possess."

"Magic, I don't... " Henry started.

"Of course you have magic, Henry. Only someone with magic could make the book work. Come here. I suspect that you have fire magic. Can you make the little sparks jump into your hand?"

Henry noticed the little creatures that made up the fire. They eagerly advanced over to him and a few of them cautiously approached him.

"Hold out your hand to them. If they like you, if they are comfortable with you, they will jump into your palm and you can pet them."

"They won't burn me?"

"Like a kitten will scratch and bite you if you hurt it, these will burn you if you frighten them. But if you have fire magic, they will almost certainly like you."

Henry watched in delight as several of the creatures jumped into his hand. He instinctively began to pet them and they began to brightly glow. "They're beautiful!" he exclaimed.

"So they are, Henry. So they are."

Henry considered. "You're not fire magic, are you? You grow things and heal things."

"Right, Henry. Most of my magic is what is called earth magic."

Henry still considered. "So other people from Fairyland have other kinds of magic?"

"Just about everyone from Fairyland has some type of magic, some have just a little, some have a great deal. Some don't recognize their talents, while others spend their whole lives developing their abilities. Most of us with any real talent can also call on the other elements if we need to."

"The Evil Queen?"

"She relies on smoke and wind, air magic, but does sometimes twist the earth to use its magic. She has some water and some fire magic also. And she is not opposed to using blood magic, dark, black magic. She is very powerful and can call on whatever she needs to get a job done, match the magic to the task, if you will. If she were in a magical contest say with Rumpelstiltskin, she would likely prefer to try water magic."

Henry finished, "Because he's fire."

"Very good Henry," she smiled generously at him, then became serious. "Of course, you know you won't remember any of this once you leave this Glade."

Henry gave her his wry smile (so like his father's). "I kinda figured you would tell me that.

"You'll remember everything when you are ready, but you aren't quite ready."

Henry dropped off a bouquet of yellow roses with Sheriff Swan on the way home, that afternoon.

+ + + + + The Second Night

At seven o'clock, Gold entered his house. Sylvia was waiting for him in the Dining Room. As they had the night before, the couple ate in relative silence. Gold was curious as to Sylvia's attire. Usually she tended towards extraordinarily frilly, lacey garments, loose, flowing, soft colors. Tonight she wore black, a long fringed silk embroidered robe. What it was covering he wasn't quite able to see.

"Did you have a good day, dear?" she asked him.

"Every day is good right now, Princess. You know that. How about yourself?"

"Productive. As you had told me to do, I took young Henry to the Glade."

Gold was interested. "And?"

Sylvia smiled. "Quite human. My sisters would tell you that he's a very pretty human, too young by half for them of course, but very pretty. He definitely has fire magic, the little plugs scampered over to him like they were a litter of puppies and he was going to pick one to go home with him."

"His reaction to Fairyland?"

"Like he'd lived there all his life."

"Excellent, what I was anticipating." He paused, lingering over his plate. "Now, my dear, what am I to expect from you, tonight?"

Sylvia shrugged. "Now, I think we both know the answer to that. In a moment I am going to go upstairs to my bedroom. I want you to look for a sign. You'll know what to do." She rose, leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the check and left to go upstairs.

Gold finished his wine, it was his wine after all, and he sat quietly. He looked over the room. How much brighter it appeared now, a year after he had first invited the dryad back into his life. He remembered how frightened she was of him those first few nights. He had had to go so slowly, but it had all been worth it. As he sat quietly, the largest luna moth he had ever seen flew into the room and onto the table. The insect paused before him and then flew out of the room, fluttering up the stairs.

No question, that was the sign. He followed the moth up the stairs and it led him directly to her open bedroom door. The moth flew into the room and directly to Sylvia. She was sitting in the center of the large mahogany bed that was central to the room. She held out her hand to the moth which landed directly in her palm. She said a few quiet words to the insect and it turned and flew back out of the room.

Gold pulled the door to behind himself, shutting the two of them in the bedroom. Sylvia had removed the long robe and contrary to her usual preference for light lacy pastels, had attired herself in a black satin bustier with barely-there matching undies. The garment nipped her waist and raised and lifted her breasts. Swollen as they were with milk for the baby, the delicate garment barely restrained her in. Very distracting and the contrast with her fair skin and usual style somehow made her even more tempting.

Making eye contact, he began, "if I recall correctly, on our second night together, I put you on my lap, undressed you, completely, and then touched every single part of your body."

Sylvia broke eye contact and the blush reached down her neck and body. "You did a little more than just touch me."

He smiled. "I did, didn't I? That was rather reprehensible of me, considering you were such an innocent."

"Looking back, I would have to agree. You were quite low and vile." But Sylvia was smiling. "Tonight, I still need your cooperation. I can't do those same things to you that you did to me, so I thought of something just a little different"

She cleared her throat, and hesitantly instructed him, "I want you to undress for me."

He stood a moment, then shrugged in agreement. He worked deliberately, removing his jacket, loosening his tie, removing his shoes, then socks, the removing the tie. He unbuttoned his shirt.

He talked quietly as he proceeded. "I personally don't think a man's body is as interesting as a woman's. A woman's body is a work of art. All the curves and soft, hidden mysteries. A man's body is more angular, more functional."

He had gotten down to his undershorts, silk of course. "Princess, if I remove these, I shall have no more secrets from you."

She giggled. "I hardly think that's true. Off with them, please."

He complied.

After a long moment, Sylvia spoke. "I think you are wrong. I think a man's body can also be quite beautiful, breath-taking even. Now, come over and lay on your back on the bed."

He complied.

She sat up, next to him. "You know, I don't entirely trust you to be 'cooperative.' I'm concerned at any moment that you will not let me finish."

He gave her a wicked smile. "Oh, princess, I can promise you that whatever else happens, I will let you 'finish'."

"Uh hum." She considered a moment. "I have an idea, but you must put your hands here" she gestured for him to put his wrists together and raise them above his head so that they were next to the ornate carved and filigreed headboard. "And close your eyes."

He hesitated, but then complied.

In a swift motion, she quickly and efficiently applied handcuffs that she had previously wrapped through the filigree of the headboard. She didn't like touching the cold steel, but knew quite well that he could tolerate it.

Gold's eyes snapped opened and he immediately pulled against the steel, but found it obdurate. He lay still, but a moment, then addressed her in low, quiet tones. "You realize princess that I have been called the most dangerous man in the kingdom and am considered the most powerful man in town?"

"I do," she replied, gently running her fingers down his torso.

"You understand, that at some point, you will have to release me?"

"Uh hum." Sylvia reached down and ran her hand up the inside of his leg, stopping just at the upper thigh.

"And there will be retribution."

"Of course," she replied. "I guess, I will have to be sure that you are just totally, completely, and absolutely satisfied and too tired to take any revenge." She leaned forward and began to kiss him on his neck.

+ + + + + A Return

Emma was startled. She'd heard the metal drop onto her desk without ever having heard the man come up upon her.

It was Gold. He had dropped the handcuffs on her desk.

"My princess said you had lent these to her."

Emma looked him right in the eye. "She told me she wanted to insure that you would be 'cooperative'." she said as evenly as she could.

"I was." He leaned over her. "But in the future, stay out of my bedroom."

Emma watched him leave and couldn't help but smile and just a little laugh. Not often she got to see that man quite so nonplussed.

+ + + + + Gazebo Revisited

He had dreamt about the Gold Estate all night. There was something. He knew he had helped Ms. Sylvia yesterday, but he struggled to remember exactly what had happened. He knew that something important had happened but it kept floating just outside of his vision. It was something very, very important.

Early the next morning, Henry quietly went down Main Street. He looked around and quickly ducked into the Gold Estate, through the iron gates. He remembered something about finding a gazebo in a glade of trees. He first went around to the left and came out on the back of the house. The grounds were rolling with structured gardens and laid out paths. He searched for awhile but could not find the winding white path to the gazebo. He sat a moment. He certainly didn't want to be here if Mr. Gold or Ms. Sylvia should come home unexpectedly. Ms. Sylvia he would be ok with, but Mr. Gold scared him. He knew his mother was able to stand up to him, but Henry, himself, not ready, not yet.

There was something Ms. Sylvia had told him the day before. They had to go to the right of the house, walk counter-clockwise or they wouldn't find the path. Well, Henry was prepared to believe such a thing, after all he thought that everybody in town was really somebody else from Fairyland. He changed direction and, once around the house, had no difficulties finding the path. It led him directly to the glade with the white stone bench sitting just on the outside.

He made it to the bench. Did he dare go in? This place really felt different. Would Rumpelstiltskin have hidden the dagger here, kept it in Fairyland? This was someplace only he and Ms. Sylvia and now Henry knew about. With hesitation he entered the glade.

Nothing felt different. The trees seemed like ordinary trees.

The Gazebo was not hard to find. It was a large, open room with eight posts around the perimeter to support the roof. On one side was a large fireplace. There was a table with two adult chairs and a large bed. Henry poked around but didn't see anything at first.

It was the fireplace that caught his attention. There were some little live embers in the grate. They were leaping about. He sat by them, and several of them rolled over to him. Without thinking about it, he held out his hand and one of them jumped into it. It didn't burn him. He grinned at it and began to pet it with the back of his hand.

"Will you come with me?" he asked it.

The little ember curled up in his palm as if to go to sleep. Henry slipped it into his pocket and quickly as he could, left the gazebo, the glade and made his way back on the path to the front of the estate and out the gate.

+ + + + + The Third Night

Gold waited patiently for six o'clock, closed his shop and walked directly home. As expected the house was lite up with candles and tiny electric lights on wires. As expected a light supper, complete with tiramisu, was laid out. Sylvia was waiting for him. Tonight she was dressed in a simple golden dress, long, sleeveless, and clinging to her body. As he insisted when he was alone with hum, she wore her long hair down. She wore the green crystal necklace.

He stopped before coming into the room and leaned against the door.

"Mary Margaret is babysitting Auric tonight. I didn't want to risk any interruption," she greeted him with a warm smile.

He did not reply.

"Would you like to eat first?"

He did not reply. He did not move.

"We could make this into a picnic and take it out to the Gazebo," she said nervously.

He continued to lean against the door.

Sylvia felt increasingly anxious. There was a predatory catlike quality about the man. He was waiting, waiting for her to move or say. . . what? She stood, not moving, waiting for him to do something. When he did not, she began to feel uncomfortably apprehensive.

"Gold, are you angry about last night? I thought it went rather well." When he still did not respond, she felt a little fear; Gold could be unpredictable. "Are you all right, did something happen today?" She approached him moving warily.

As she went right up against him, he continued to watch her, still not moving. She confessed, "You're making me nervous and afraid. What's wrong?"

He slowly reached for her arm and gently, brooking no resistance, he pulled her close to him, resting her against the longer line of his body. "The third night you spent in this house, I remember deferring satisfaction because I didn't want your first time to be here on the carpet." With no wasted motion, he slipped the golden dress down from her shoulders and pulled her down onto the carpet. "I have no such compunctions this time."

+ + + + + Retribution

Gold had later put one of her velvet and silk embroidered cloaks around her and walked her out to the Gazebo. He wanted their reunion to encompass both worlds and moved swiftly to this end. Sylvia had remained uncharacteristically quiet, allowing him to take the lead. They walked quietly, accompanied by fireflies and one unusually large luna moth.

"It's a beautiful night," he observed. "Clear, crisp, another full moon."

They had reached the bench. He hugged her to him and turned her face up to his. "You are so quiet, my sweet."

She couldn't meet his eyes. "I'm so glad we are back together, but I am becoming more and more worried."

"About?"

"Henry, Emma, Regina, everything."

"My dear, my dear, everything is going according to my plan. Everything, everything is what it should be." He kissed her soundly and propelled her on into the Gazebo. "I'm hoping a next step will be accomplished tonight." He picked her up and tossed her onto the bed. "Wait here, I want to check something." He knelt down at the fireplace and began to coax the firebugs out. He picked up several and cooed at them awhile."

Sylvia, clutching the cloak round herself, turned on the bed, kneeling, watching him. "What are you doing?"

He was smiling as he deposited the fireplugs back into the hearth. He turned back to her. "It seems like we had a visitor earlier today."

"What, who?"

"My guess is our little friend Henry made his way back. I knew he would eventually. I'm impressed that he was this quick. Apparently, he took one of the firebugs."

"You seemed pleased. Is this what you wanted to happen?"

"Absolutely. Now enough about Henry." He joined her on the bed. "I want to devote my entire attention to you. We, my dear, are going to play a game called, 'retribution'."

Sylvia pulled back a little. "Now, I didn't hurt you last night."

"No, but you nearly drove me mad with your mouth and your fingers. I'm going to do the same to you." He removed her cloak and traced his fingers down her neck, shoulder and arm. "Except instead of continually making you respond, I want to see how long I keep you on edge without quite tipping you over."

+ + + + + Firebug

Henry knew he had to keep the little firebug a secret, at all costs, from the evil queen, but maybe, just maybe this was just the thing to finally convince his mother about the magic. The little thing seemed to read his mind and was able to curl up, keep still, even faded a little when ever Regina came into the room.

Henry was barely able to restrain himself until afterschool. He came straight on to the sheriff's office and, making sure they were quite alone, pulled out the little firebug to show his mother. The story poured out - the glade that could only be reached by one direction, the eerie gazebo, the fireplace with the little creatures. There seemed to be something else, but he couldn't quite remember what. But here, here was one of the creatures.

Emma was shocked, this thing was actually moving around as if it was alive. This stirred a memory, she had thought that she had seen this when she had gone to the House with Sylvia to help her gather some clothes. She thought that she had imagined them, but now here was one. Clearly some type of entity, some kind of magical entity.

What the hell? "You say you found this on Mr. Gold's Estate. Uh, Henry, I don't think you should be going onto his grounds. That's trespassing and could get you in trouble with Mr. Gold, not to mention your mother."

"I know. I was really careful. But don't you see. This proves that magic is real. Can you explain it any other way?" he asked.

Emma considered. "I don't know. I just don't know."She took a deep breath. "Don't show this to your mother."

"It's kinda afraid of her. When she came in my room, it hid."

+ + + + + Revelation

Emma had to talk with someone. Sylvia, she had what she hoped was a good relationship with Gold's wife. She dropped in the florist's shop. Sylvia was there with the baby. Auric was sitting in a swing seat, watching one of the little waterfall displays that Sylvia had in the shop. Such a quiet, intense baby. Sylvia had given Ashley the afternoon off while she minded her own store.

She brightened up when Emma came in. "Hello, Sheriff. How are you doing?"

Emma was hesitant. Where did she begin? "Sylvia, I'm fine but I have a problem. I'm hoping you can help."

Sylvia immediately became serious, settling down on one of her stools. "Please, what is wrong, what can I do, how can I help?"

"It's Henry."

Sylvia sat back. "Ahh."

"Yeah, I know I'm not his mother, but I guess I am. I'm a little worried. He's acquired this thing. It's like a little living ember. I've never seen anything like it. It moves around on its own. It responds to him. It has this little personality. I don't know what to make of it."

Sylvia didn't respond at first. "So you want to know what it is he has?"

"That and where did it come from." Emma faced Sylvia, "He told me he got it from Gold's estate, from a Gazebo that you two have in the back part of the estate."

Sylvia sat quietly. She finally answered. "Emma, Henry did get it from the Gazebo. We have several of the little firebugs that live there and in one of fireplaces in the House. Henry helped me take some plants out there two days ago. Then, we think Henry found his way back there yesterday morning and took one of them."

"What!"

"We aren't angry. Gold thought it would take him a little longer to work it out, and, I think, he's impressed that Henry was able to find his way out to the Gazebo and secure one of the little bugs so quickly."

Emma shook her head. "Is one of us high? You're telling me this is real?"

Sylvia gave her a tight smile. "Very real, Emma, very real."

Emma took another deep breath. "You are telling me that Henry is. . . has been. . ."

Sylvia finished for her, "Right, all along." She got up from the stool and approached Emma. "Emma, do you honestly think Gold is an ordinary human? You've seen some of the things he's done." She stood in front of Emma. "Look at me, Emma, do you think I am an ordinary human?" She smiled and softened her tone. "Emma, are you ready to believe?"

It was Emma's turn to sit down on a stool. "This is so hard, too hard. If I suspend my belief system, then what Henry has been talking about is well and truly horrible."

"It's a curse, actually several curses," explained Sylvia. "And it is well and truly horrible."

Emma hesitated. "Sylvia, Henry said that there is a dagger," she began.

Sylvia abruptly became hyper-alarmed. "NO!" She shook herself. "No, this is not something that can be spoken of, that can ever be spoken of." She was trying to speak calmly. "This is not safe knowledge. Emma, never speak of the dagger again. Tell Henry never to speak of it. Don't think of it. It is deadly danger."

"But Sylvia, Henry said that it is a great source of power and whoever controls it, controls everything."

Sylvia bit her lip. She whispered, "He does not know that I know of its existence, but the knowledge has been shared among my people." She spoke very slowly, very softly. "Long ago, he began to destroy everyone that he thought had knowledge of it. It is very, very, very old knowledge of a very, very, very dark force. A force that continues to grow and consume and overwhelm. It is unassailable, irresistible and unbeatable. Emma, if you and Henry are aware of the dagger, then you are in great danger."

"But if it is the source of the curse?"

Sylvia shook her head, "It is too dangerous. Emma, consider if Regina should discover this dagger. She could enthrall Gold, make him her slave. He would not be able to resist her. He would afford her limitless power and she would not hesitate to use it. The curse would never, never end. She would surely destroy each and every one of us and use Gold as her instrument. Do you not understand how dangerous this knowledge is?"

Emma absorbed what Sylvia had shared. "The story just appeared in Henry's book. It must have had a purpose for appearing right now."

Sylvia panicked. "Have Henry destroy it. Rip it out, do it now! Please, please, before Regina finds it, before Gold finds it." She was pacing. "Come, come, let's find Henry now." She scooped up the baby and moved Emma towards the door. She flipped the sign from Open to Closed and locked the door behind them.

Emma called Henry on the walkie-talkie and asked if Cobra Commander could bring the code book to the House of Shadows.

+ + + + + A New Story

Henry looked around the house. He didn't want his mother to see him sneaking out, especially not with The Book. Something was up, Emma had discovered something. He was sure he had finally convinced her of the fairytale theory.

And there was more. A new story had appeared in the book and he now knew the location of the dagger.

+ + + + + Resentment

Regina saw her son stealthily leave the house. What was going on? She knew something was up between Emma and her child.

Why did things never work out for her? Why could no one love her? She had given Henry everything, but he still rejected her for his no-account mother. He had somehow gotten that damn book, she knew Gold had a hand in that and it had fed into Henry's hatred, yes it was hatred, of her.

Damn Gold. She should just go ahead and take care of him. She didn't think he knew, not after the water torture she'd subjected him to. But still, he was altogether too dangerous. Why could he not have loved her? She recalled a time. . . but no, that was before his deals and trickery.

Regina decided to follow Henry.

+ + + + + Suspicion

Henry made his way, cutting down alleys, as swiftly as he could to Gold's Estate. Emma was waiting for him and quickly took him inside the gate and into the house. Regina watched from down the street. How long, how long should she wait? Something was definitely going on.

+ + + + + Decision

Sylvia was still panicking. "I cannot possibly keep this from him. He will know something is going on as soon as he sees me. I cannot lie to him, but if I tell him, he will. . . I do not know what he will do."

"Sylvia," Emma tried to calm her down. "He's not going to kill us because of a story in a Fairytale book."

Sylvia looked at Henry. "She doesn't understand, does she? She almost believes, but not quite. She doesn't know what he's capable of."

"Emma," Henry addressed his mother. "Mr. Gold is really, really scary. He's not going to like people knowing about this."

"Knowing about what?"

It was Gold. He had silently entered the parlor where the three, plus baby, were together. He also had seen Regina watching the House, and knew she had seen him enter.

"Knowing about what?" he repeated.

Sylvia dropped her eyes and sank to the floor. Henry shrank back against the wall. Emma shrugged, picked up the book, turned to the Rumpelstiltskin story and handed it over to Gold.

He read it silently.

After a moment, he spoke. "When did this story appear, Henry?"

Henry responded in a small voice. "Two days ago, sir."

"And you shared it with your mother, Emma?"

"Yes, sir."

"Anyone else?"

No sir, except Ms. Sylvia, just now."

Gold considered. He slowly spoke. "The story is to be destroyed. You are never to speak of it again."

He directly addressed Sylvia. "You knew already, didn't you? So many of the fairies knew, and I took them out. But I discounted your people. They were too flighty, not interested and, because of the iron handle, would have never been able to manage the dagger themselves. Now I think that perhaps I should have exterminated them."

Sylvia was crying. "I would never betray you. You know this. Never. I would die first, for you, for this secret."

He gently laid his hand on her head. "I know, my dear, I know." He turned to Henry and Emma. "It is these two that I have concerns about."

Emma spoke, "We aren't going to tell anyone. Who would believe us? An evil dagger that is a source of unimaginable power?"

Gold put his hands on Emma's arms, holding her while he talked seriously to her. "Regina would. Regina would kill for this information. She would kill for this dagger. If she should obtain it, she would not hesitate to use it. Do you both understand how dangerous this knowledge is?" He paused. "Emma, I have destroyed many who knew of this. I don't want to destroy you nor Henry."

She wanted to pull away from him, but knew he would not permit it. "What can we do?"

He let her go, "First we destroy this story. Now, tear it out" he directed Henry, who immediately complied.

"Put it in the fire." Gold sat himself down into his leather chair. He watched Henry put the story into the fire.

"Now, he continued. "Do you have something else you wish to share with me, Henry?" He spoke quietly.

Henry gulped. "Yes sir. But I would prefer to speak without the ladies present."

Gold paused. "I'm impressed sir. This is a very astute decision on your part, chivalrous, kind, generous." He looked at Emma. "I couldn't be more proud right now Henry if you were my own son." He gave Emma a crooked half smile that sent a chill up her spine. He nodded towards Emma and Sylvia. "Get the baby, Henry and I are due for a man to man talk."

The two women left reluctantly, adjourning to the Dining Room, and once alone with Henry, Gold addressed the child again. "What else do you have to share with me, Henry?"

Henry reached into his pocket. "I took this from the fireplace at the Gazebo." He started to hand the fire bug over to Mr. Gold, but the little bug curled back into Henry's hand.

Gold smiled. "I believe the little spark prefers your company to mine." He reached forward and patted the little bug. "You can keep him, but don't let the Queen know about him."

Henry actually smiled back at the man. "You didn't have to tell me that, sir." Henry hesitated. "There's more, sir."

Gold watched him, "Go on."

Henry took a deep breathe. "There another new story in the book."

"And?"

"It says where you hid the dagger."

Gold sucked in his breathe. "Let me see it," he held out his hand for the book.

Henry shook his head. "I already tore the pages out of the book and destroyed them," Henry went on. "If I understand things right, if we can get this dagger, we can destroy it and end the curse and everybody will live happily ever after."

Henry continued. "I had almost figured it out on my own. I knew you wouldn't have wanted it to come into the hands of anybody who might recognize it, because they would take over you, even kill you for the power. I didn't think you would keep it in your shop, someone might come in and steal it, maybe not knowing what it was, but still take it. I didn't think you would keep it on you, it's too big. It could be at your house, but again, that's somewhere it could be stolen. So, I figured that it was somewhere in plain sight. Something you could see every day and everyone else would see it but because it's so ordinary that nobody looks twice."

"You've apparently given this dagger-thing a great deal of thought, Henry. What would happen if you did get it?"

"That's the really hard part. Anybody who possesses it controls you or could kill you, so we wouldn't want anybody evil to find it."

"At least anyone more evil than myself, I would think," Gold said a bit caustically. "But I would agree that the prospect of your mother, the Mayor, possessing it, is rather alarming."

Henry continued, "But if someone good got it, like my real mom or Ms. Blanchard, wouldn't they be able to make you do good stuff? They could make you fix things and help people."

"Maybe for a little while, people always start with good intentions." He sat quietly a moment. "I know I did. But Henry, what you're talking about is a lot of power and power has a way of making good people do bad things."

"Yeah, that's what my mom told me. Maybe we could break it, break the dagger. What do you think would happen then?

"I sure I don't know, Henry."

Henry took a deep breath, "I think that the magic will pour out and the spells will all be broken."

"Perhaps," agreed Gold. "But it could kill me, Henry. Would you want that?"

Henry looked at Gold. "I don't know, sir. Reading in this book, you have done some pretty evil things, even more evil than the Queen."

Gold nodded. "I would agree. But perhaps I did them for different reasons. And, perhaps I have grown. Perhaps I have changed."

"The book says that you are a trickster and cannot be trusted."

Gold shrugged. "True enough."

"So what should we do, sir? I know where it is."

Gold took a deep breath. "I think we should go and get it."

"Really?"

"Really," Gold added. "It's time. We will need to collect all the players. Come along, son." He rose. "Let us collect the ladies. We will need to call Ms. Blanchard and the Mayor."

Henry asked, "We're going to the clock tower?"

Gold smiled. "Absolutely."

+ + + + + Circle

Gold had walked out from the House, with Henry, Emma, Sylvia and baby Auric in tow. He asked them to wait a moment for him while he went down to retrieve Regina who was still waiting in the shadows.

"Regina," he called to her. "Come out, dearie. You need to be part of this. And please, don't argue or be difficult."

"What the hell is going on? You have had my son in your house for nearly an hour. He's got that damn book with him. What is going on?"

"A moment of fate. Things hang in the balance. We will be weighed and we may be found wanting." When Regina didn't move, Gold asked, "Have you ever heard rumors about a dagger, so filled with magic and power, that it would make the owner into a vessel, a repository if you will, of virtually unlimited abilities and talents?

Regina looked at Gold hard. "That's a very old story. I think it goes on to say that someone holding the dagger, just holding it, would have mastery of the owner so that they could control the power without being consumed by it. But, as I said, it's a very old story and no one has seen such a dagger in generations."

Gold reached for Regina's arm to help her along. "Actually we could say that only one person has seen the dagger in generations. Or we could say that everyone has seen the dagger every day for the past twenty-nine years, but they didn't realize what they were looking at." He reconsidered. "Actually, I should correct what I said first. Two of us have seen the dagger and known it for what it was. You have a remarkable child, Madame Mayor."

"Henry has seen this dagger!"

"Interesting, he turned to Ms. Swan with this information."

"Of course, he did. That woman has done nothing but encourage my son's delusions. And now you're part of this, too."

Regina," he stopped her and looked right into her eyes. "We're all part of this. We're going to the clock tower right now, tonight, to see if we can break your curse, and, I hope, my curse. Now we are hoping for that truly happy ending, but there's always that chance that things will not go as I planned. You could end up with possession of the dagger. . . and me, or I could end up dead and the power all dissipated. I would think either one of those possibilities would draw you in."

"So you do know. All this time, you knew. You let me almost kill you, that was a pretty impressive display of restraint."

"Protecting my wife and unborn child. Right. Not as hard as you think it might have been."

"Tell me Gold or should I say Rumpelstiltskin, can I still win?"

"Absolutely, you could still win it all, but you have to be there. Now come along dearie and quit being difficult." He took her arm and propelled her along.

Regina walked on with the group, including her adoptive son. When they got to the base of the clock tower, Mary Margaret was waiting for them.

"What is she doing here?" asked Regina.

"The last important player; she plays for the White Team. " explained Gold. He addressed Mary Margaret. "Nice of you to come on such short notice, missy. Everyone up the stairs."

"No elevator, huh, " puffed Emma by the time they got to the third floor"

Mary Margaret smiled. "It would have taken away from the charm of the building. Just two more flights. Why are we all here?"

"We going to break the curse," Emma replied.

"Oh, goody," Mary Margaret was bewildered. "I guess I didn't have anything else to do tonight.

When they arrived on the fifth floor, they were stopped by a padlocked door.

"Well, well, it looks like the fates have taken things in hand and we've been stopped by the simple presence of a locked door," observed Regina. "Or are you going to blow it off with a burst of fire magic?"

Gold shook his head. "Always with you it has to be a grand gesture. Brimstone, hail, lightning. This simply requires a key," he reached into his jacket pocket. "Which, of course, I happen to have."

He unlocked the door and the seven entered into the Clock Tower chamber. It was a large dusty room and the back of clock could be seen through an enormous window which filled the entire front wall. Most interesting was a large compass rose that had been painted, no, it had been inlaid with wood on the floor of the room.

Gold first opened the window near the hub of the clock and began to turn and twist bolts, freeing the short hour hand of the clock. He brought the hand into the room.

'That's it?" asked Regina.

"Yes, something everyone saw everyday. I could actually see it from my shop," responded Gold. He then directed the group to stand in certain places. "First we must prepare. Ms. Blanchard, you take Auric and stand in the center circle. Sylvia, you stand at the North point. Regina, stand in the East and Emma you stand at the West point. Henry, do you think you can anchor the South point? I need to have someone with fire magic on this."

Henry brightened up. "Yes sir."

Gold smiled at him. "Good job. Just stand here. You may feel a rush of energy but it won't hurt you."

"You're casting a circle?" Regina was incredulous. "You're going to undo the most powerful magic spell ever created with a protection circle?"

"The protection circle is the oldest magic ever created," he explained patiently. "It will stand up to anything the curse can throw at it and give us some protection." He added under his breath "I hope."

He turned back to Regina. "Now, would you care to begin? I would think you would remember how to call upon the air spirits."

Regina reluctantly began to name the manifestations of air, the wind, the gentle breeze, the very breath of life, asking these spirits to aid the group.

"Now Emma, I need you to name all the manifestations of water that you can think of."

Emma was confused, but began to name, "Uh rain, snow, drizzle, hail. . ."

Gold coached her, "It doesn't have to be just weather phenomenon."

"OK, uh, rivers, streams, oceans, waterfalls. . . can you guys come and help us out here."

Gold repeated her words, "Guys, come and help us out here?" He shook his head. "I guess that will do."

Next was Henry who had been watching and had caught on.

"I call upon the spirits of fire. Heat, flames, burning, melting. . ." he waivered.

Gold assisted him. "Purifying, strengthening, destroying and creating."

Henry finished. "Come and protect us."

He turned to Sylvia who was more than ready.

"Spirits of the earth. Although we are high above you, through the wood and stone of this building we connect to you. Mother earth, solid beneath us, nurture our growth. Spirits of the earth, be with us, protect us."

They all felt a gentle rush and Gold was satisfied. "The circle is cast."

He walked to the center with Mary Margaret and Auric. Everyone noticed that, now within the circle, the clock hand had changed to a long silver and iron dagger. Gold paused, closed his eyes and finally began.

"Many, many years ago, before any of you were born, in desperation I took this dagger, killing the dark one who had possessed it before me, but not knowing, not knowing the burden, the curse it carried with it. I was so much more fortunate than the previous bearers of the dagger, for those that came before me all had masters and were compelled to do their bidding. I was my own master. I was free to make my own choices and do what I felt was right. And that's how it started. What I felt was right. I paid out justice and retribution on my own terms. But then," he paused. "Then they started to come to me. Help me, get even for me. Do this favor for me. And I found that I could get favors in return from them. They would owe me. There were patterns, I could see the patterns. If I did this, I would get that and with that, I could also get other things. Kings and queens, prime ministers all would beg for my favors. Young men would barter their souls for power with me. Young girls," he laughed. "would barter their first born or, at least their virtue, for a better life, a richer, kinder husband."

"I've missed that somewhat, you know," he mused. "In Storybrooke, I usually just get young women who can't pay their rent. . . or pay off a loan" he looked at Sylvia, "and are willing to barter themselves." He regarded Emma, "And the rare young woman who just wants a hot meal and a kind hand."

"Yeah, yeah," interrupted Regina. "We all know how you use your powers to take advantage of everyone."

He glanced sharply at Regina. "As I recall, you were eager enough to allow me considerable advantage, willing to trade your virtue and your freedom for what you thought you wanted. What were you, thirteen, the first time you offered yourself to me?" He shrugged. "But this is my story," he replied. "I took great care to destroy those who knew about the dagger because they represented a threat to me. I confess that I usually made sure they were dead and, how intoxicating it was. I found I could absorb their energy, making the dagger even more powerful than it was when it came to me. It fed on power and kept wanting more, never satiated, always hungry. The power made me greater also, in so many ways. I guess I already had some foresight, but that skill became so much greater with the energies of the dagger and with it I could manipulate kings and kingdoms. So I did. All of those high-born people coming to me, for favors and advice. But they didn't like to pay for my favors or my advice and their bitterness, resentment, hatred and fear grew. I saw what was to happen. My old apprentice using my own magic against me," he smiled at Regina. "The young powers of the kingdom joining together to bind my magic," he nodded at Mary Margaret. "The one creature who loved me unconditionally being unable to help me, to understand me, to be with me, " he blew a slight kiss to Sylvia.

He took a deep breath. "I knew that Regina's little curse could only be broken by Emma, but I also began to see that Emma might be the one to break the curse of the dagger also. To free the world of its evil. To free me of the evil."

He turned to Emma. "You owe me a debt. I want you to destroy this dagger."

Emma stepped forward, not sure of what to do. "What happens if I touch it?"

Gold closed his eyes. "You command me." He laid the haft of the dagger on his forearm toward her.

Regina moved to stand by her side. Mary Margaret moved to her other side.

"Take it, Emma. Take it. He's giving you the power," Regina urged her. "Take it. This is the most powerful, dangerous creature in two worlds. Don't you dare feel sorry for him. He has caused more misery than I have ten times over. He created this spell that created Storybrooke, He was why you were separated from your parents, why you grew up in the foster system."

Mary Margaret spoke, "Emma, think about this. If what he says is true, you can break the curse. You can save us. You can save him. Maybe what he says is true. Maybe he wasn't evil when he started out, but the power corrupted him. You can break the curse, then break the dagger."

"I think you should take it and just kill him." Regina lowered her voice,
Frankly dear, I believe that he was the one who seduced, impregnated, then abandoned you with a baby when you were little more than a child, then he took the child away from you, isn't that right Gold?. You owe him nothing."

"I don't know. To take command. It's tempting." Emma hesitated.

In those moments of faltering, Regina moved before any of them could, grabbing the dagger from Gold, raising it above her head. Gleefully she shouted, "The power is mine!" She was delirious. Sparks and wind flew out from her hands and fingers. "This is too much, too much. At last, Rumpelstiltskin. I am mistress. I command. You shall kneel."

Without a moment's hesitation, Gold was on the floor. "As you command," he said.

Sylvia cried out "No," but her motion was stopped by a gesture from Regina and she was held immobile.

Regina reached down to caress Gold's head and hair. "Oh sweet. You never appreciated me. I gave you everything. I was willing to do anything for you. But you didn't want me. But now, now we shall have a long time to get to know each other. A long, long time. I can take my revenge and my pleasure from you."

Gold kept his eyes closed. This was the worst of all the possibilities, to be enslaved to Regina. He knew how she would use him and abuse him and his power. And she was no fool, she would jealously and well guard the dagger. If there was any hope of breaking her hold, it had to be now. But who? Sylvia was immobilized. Emma and Mary Margaret were stunned. Henry. Was he strong enough, brave enough?

He managed to turn his gaze to the child. "Now, Henry, now," he whispered.

Regina did not hear him and did not see Henry launch himself towards her, incredibly brave, pushing the dagger away from her grasp with both of his hands, landing on his stomach, holding the dagger by the blade, the blade cutting into his hands

"I believe mother, the dagger is now mine. Whoever holds it."

Regina attempted to move towards the child, but Gold grabbed her around her legs and both Emma and Mary Margaret were able to intervene, bringing her down to the floor. Mary Margaret and Emma both sat on her. Sylvia was closest to the child and, no longer immobilized, was seeing to his hands.

Things happened quickly.

"Henry, are you all right?" she asked. She tore off part of her slip to bind each palm.

The two women continued to struggle to hold Regina down on the floor. She was hitting, kicking, trying to bite and screaming out threats.

Henry responded, "Yes, but I feel strange." He addressed Gold. "It's the power isn't it? I feel like I could do anything. I can see everything."

Gold didn't answer. This was not how it worked. Henry was feeling the power directly. Maybe the cuts? This was unforeseen.

"I can't do this, Ms. Sylvia, you take it." He handed the dagger over to the dryad. She nearly dropped it. "It's iron, Henry, I cannot hold this. I cannot wield this." She quickly handed it off the Mary Margaret who was closest to her, still sitting on Regina.

Mary Margaret looked quietly at the dagger. "I don't like this. I can feel the darkness, the evilness. This is too much temptation. This is wrong."

Regina was continuing to thrash and yell. Gold addressed Mary Margaret directly. "Would you like me to do something about her? You have but to command me."

Mary Margaret nodded. "Yeah, sure. Can you shut her up and have her be still?"

This time it was Gold who reached out and caressed Regina's hair. "No sweet, you are wrong. I did appreciate you. I also understood you, but I never trusted you. Be still," he commanded, and, as an afterthought, added, "Please." Regina went limp and silent.

Mary Margaret turned to Emma. "I think this is for you," and handed her the dagger.

This time Emma took the dagger. "Oh my. This just vibrates with energy." She looked at Mary Margaret. "You can feel the darkness, the power. This is amazing."

She went over to Gold, who was still on his knees. She knelt down to him. "You would do anything, everything I ask?"

He nodded, "If it is within my power. I canna bring back the dead, but otherwise," he shrugged.

"So I could set many things right, through you."

"That is how is begins," he agreed.

Emma considered. "I understand." She lowered her voice. "I need you to answer some questions honestly."

"You understand that I am what I am. Honesty is not always what it might seem."

"Storybrooke is your curse?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"To get to you."

"And Henry? Is he?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"To get to you."

"Why me?"

"Because I knew you were the only one who might be strong enough to break the dagger curse."

"So all along, it wasn't about Regina's curse. It was how to get me strong enough to break the curse of the dagger."

"Yes."

"How do I do it?"

"Break the dagger."

"That simple. Will it let all the power go?"

"I believe so."

"What will happen to you?"

"I do not know. It may kill me. I'm prepared."

Sylvia heard this. "No! Emma, don't. Please."

"Sylvia, Faline, This is what I want. It's time to end things," he was sorrowful, but earnest. "I must play this out." He turned back to Emma, "Do you know what to do?'

Emma stood. "I think so. First, I want you to end the Storybrooke curse. Let everything go back to what it was, what it should be."

He stood, "It's done,"

And he vanished.

+ + + + + Change

Everything changed. Sylvia was gone, Baby Auric was gone, Mary Margaret, Regina gone. Only Emma and Henry remained. They moved to each other, held on, clung to each other, Emma holding on tightly to the dagger. A white cloud, a deep solid white fog moved over everything. Wind blew over everything. Buildings changed. Trees changed. Roads changed. Everything changed.

She and Henry held on to each other for minutes, hours. It seemed forever before things cleared.

"Where are we?" Emma asked.

"Fairyland! Where we are really from!" Henry turned to Emma. "Mom, you look beautiful!" he exclaimed.

She looked down. "Damn, I look like a princess." Her clothing had been changed to a beautiful soft beige dress with a red loose embroidered jacket. Her hair had grown and fell in golden ringlets.

"Oh Henry, you are so handsome," she said looking at her son. His hair was slightly longer and, oh my, his eyes were so brown as to be almost completely black. Like his father's.

"Where do we go next?" wondered Emma aloud. "I still have this dagger to destroy. And we need to find Mr. Gold."

"Mom, he's Rumpelstiltskin here. And I would guess that he's back in prison."

"Well, let's go," Mother and son found their way down some stairs and began to wander around the area. They could see a castle not so far away and found a road that they guessed (hoped) would go up to it.

It wasn't long. They were met by Snow White and Prince Charming, eager to welcome and thank their daughter. They all seemed to be laughing and crying at the same time. Also in the group were Grumpy, Sleepy and Doc.

"We knew you would save us. We knew you would find us," said James

Emma hugged her parents, feeling awkward but still close to these people.

"We will have a place for you at our court," promised her father.

"Yeah, well, not yet. I still have this debt thing to pay. I have to go and find Rumpelstiltskin." Emma was trying to stay focused. "I still have business with him. Can you get me to the dungeon? And I think there's a red feather and a contract that was used in binding his powers. I read something about it. Can we get those things?"

James shook his head. "I'm not so sure about this, Emma. He was responsible for everything that happened. I'm not so sure that we shouldn't just leave him there to rot."

"I have a debt to finish paying. I have to see him," she insisted.

James reluctantly nodded, "I'll take you." James turned and asked Grumpy to get the red feather and the binding contract.

Emma and her father trudged through the dark corridors down into the caverns. It was damp, smelled badly and had things growing and running along the walls.

Emma was appalled. "You kept him here?"

"Emma, you can't imagine how terrifying he was, is, for all I know. Everyone owed him."

"But they made these deals on their own. He didn't make anybody do anything they didn't want to."

"Oh, Emma. He just knew so much. He knew when to get to people, what to offer them. He always came out on top."

"I don't know about that. Ending up in this dark, damp prison doesn't seem like coming out on top to me."

They had arrived at the final corridor. Emma looked at her father and demanded, "We are letting him out."

"Emma, I can't think that this is a good idea. It was not easy binding his magic and getting him here."

"He answers to me now. We are letting him go."

They rounded the final corner and Emma nearly ran over to the cell they had corralled Rumpelstiltskin into. It looked to her that he had been enclosed in a cage made of giant teeth and bones.

"Princess Emma," he bowed. "I was so hoping you would come."

Emma was taken aback. His appearance was radically changed, his skin green-silver, his hands gnarled with blackened finger tips, his hair matted.

"Mr. Gold?" she asked him.

"Here, I'm Rumpelstiltskin. Your humble servant. What would you have me do?"

Emma turned to James. "Let him out. Let him out now."

Reluctantly, James unlocked the cage door. Rumpelstiltskin held back.

Grumpy had come up with the contract and the red feather and handed them off the Emma.

She examined the two items. "As I understand from the story in the book, this was obtained under false pretenses, as there were no twins to bargain with. This contract was, is, invalid. So first we get rid of this contract," Emma simply tore it up. "I don't know about this feather quill. This magic stuff, was it just good for the one spell?"

"Indeed, mistress. There is no more magic in the quill." Rumpelstiltskin still held back, watching Emma. She snapped the quill and was rewarded with a wash of red spilling out of the prisoner. His magic had been unbound. He flexed his fingers and smiled. "Thank you," he said. "Well done."

"You can come out, please," Emma urged. "We have something more to do."

He looked at her. "You are going to go through with it?"

"I don't want you as my slave. I don't want this power." She turned to James. "David. . . uh. . .James. I need you to leave us alone."

"Emma, are you sure? Do feel safe with him?"

"I control him, James. He cannot hurt me."

Still reluctant, James left them.

Rumpelstiltskin moved in very close to Emma. He reached up and touched her hair, then took his finger and trailed it down her cheek. "Are you sure you feel safe with me, Princess Emma? You have returned me to my full strength, now. You say you control me, but do you? Do you think you can wield the power? Do you feel comfortable ordering me around?"

Emma shivered. Despite his odd, even exotic, appearance, this creature was far more seductive, more alluring than Gold. The raw power was more palpable here than it had ever been in Storybrooke. And there his powers had been bound? He wasn't at top form. No wonder they had been terrified of him here. He exuded strength and, what was it? Magic. Anything, anything you could want. He could give it to you, would give it to you. . . for the right price.

Emma sighed. "I'm going to destroy the dagger. Is that what you want? Is that what I should do to end your curse? To pay my debt?"

He stood very close to her, his lips nearly touching hers. "Yes, yes, yes."

Emma pulled out the dagger and held the blade in one hand and the haft in another. "How would you suggest I go about this? Over my knee? Pound it with a rock, hit it with a hammer? What?"

"Come with me," he directed. "If my workshop is still intact, there will be something there that you can use."

He led her back out of the dungeon.

"I have more than enough power to, what would you call it, teleport. To rapidly move us to my workshop. Are you game?" he asked her.

"I. . . I guess. What do I have to do?"

He pulled her directly against him. She could see that his dark, dark eyes had clouded over. She could feel his body and legs up against hers, their bodies touching everywhere and she struggled not to pull back.

He grinned at her. "Uncomfortable darling?" He ran his hands down her backside. "Relax, I'm a married man in this world also. And as beautiful and attractive as you are, and you are," he traced his fingertip around her lips, "Well, I love my wife."

There was a pop and Emma found herself, along with Rumpelstiltskin, deep in the forest, outside of a small hut. Out of perversity, he held her awhile before letting her go, letting her feel the warmth, the strength of his body. He was very close and for a moment. . .

"My workshop is still here. Let's see what we can find." He released her abruptly and directed her into the hut. It reminded Emma very much of the back of his shop in Storybrooke.

"Ah yes, exactly what is needed." Gold picked up a large, very old spindle. "This has great value to me, from long ago. It should work best. It will be destroyed in the use but that is its destiny." He handed it to here. "Whenever you are ready."

Emma hesitated. "I want some more answers."

"Whatever you may ask."

"You ended the Storybrooke curse just by saying, 'It's done.'?"

He was almost petulant. "It required your command, but, after all, it was my spell."

"The other thing," she hesitated.

Rumpelstiltskin smiled. "Henry?"

"Yes. How could you do what you did? You used me in the worst way."

"Would you prefer to have never had Henry, to have never come to Storybrooke?" he asked. He leaned in close to her. "I did what had to be done. What was necessary. And, I'm sorry, but I would do it all again." He hesitated and then added softly, "I did, I do, like you Emma. If not for Sylvia, well, there might have been something more between us. But I know there is someone else for you. Someone more . . . appropriate. You will find happiness. I promise you."

Emma sighed. She could never forgive him, but could she move past it? "What will happen to you when I destroy the dagger?" she asked.

"As I said earlier. I don't know. I could die."

"But you would leave behind Sylvia and your other son."

"I would," he hesitated, then confided, "but I don't think I will die. I have seen a daughter in my future, a daughter I am sure has not yet come to be. Emma," he said. "Do it."

+ + + + + Gone

Emma felt renewed, refreshed. It had been a single clean stroke. Although awkward to wield, she simply brought the point end of the spindle directing down onto the blade. It seemed to have responded more to her intent than to the force of the blow. She had efficiently splintered the dagger into two halves.

It was what happened afterwards that overwhelmed her. As powerful as the energies released when the Storybrooke curse was broken, these were nothing compared to what poured out of the dagger. And there was no circle to shield her from the forces. There had been a tsunamic wave of energy bursting, bubbling, shooting out from the dangerous weapon. She felt herself absorbing much of the energy and, to her surprise, felt her legs slip out from under her and consciousness left.

She didn't know how long she was out. When she came to, Rumpelstiltskin was gone. She looked around for some sign that he had survived and found the haft of the dagger still attached to part of the upper blade had been left beside her. There was a note attached, "For Henry." The lower dagger blade was missing and Emma guessed that he had taken it for his younger son.

So he had survived. Outside the hut, she found a saddled horse. How did that happen? She got on and followed the road, she hoped was going back to the palace of her parents. Her parents. This will start a new life.

+ + + + + Powers

Henry was waiting for her. "This place is so cool. I have my own room. And I can do things. I mean, before I could just find things in the book, but now, I have a firebug for a pet. Mom, and I can make things catch on fire. And," he hesitated. "Something really strange. I think I'm seeing things before they happen, like I can see the future. Did I get that when I was cut by the dagger?"

Emma thought this through. "Maybe, I don't know. That is one of the powers that the dagger gave."

"Wouldn't it be neat to find out that all the powers in the dagger spread out and went into different people?"

Emma nodded. "I think that may have actually happened, Henry. As I rode back to the palace, I passed a lot of people and I'm finding that my superpower is even stronger here than it was. For while there I was feeling like I was hearing people's thoughts."

"Wow that is a great superpower." Henry paused and became very serious. "My dad wasn't a fireman, was he? I overheard what the Evil Queen was saying. Mom, Mr. Gold, he's my father isn't he?"

Emma nodded again. "Yes, it was a bad time in my life and, I guess, he somehow blurred the memory so I didn't remember it was him. I didn't know who your father was and, even though I tried, I could never find out. I didn't realize for sure that it was Gold until, well until the clock tower." Emma remembered the dagger handle. "Oh yeah, he wanted you to have this."

Henry took the dagger handle and considered. "Then my father is. . . or was the most dangerous man in the kingdom? I think, after I have spent some time with you, that I would like to go and spend some time with him. Where is he?"

"I don't know. I don't know what happened to him once I destroyed the dagger. I passed out but he obviously survived. I would guess that he has gone to find Sylvia and his other son."

+ + + + + Reunion

Rumpelstiltskin rode on a beautiful black horse into the rowan glade. He was carrying a large black cat with large golden eyes. Faline was waiting for him with baby Auric and ran across the field to reach him. He dismounted, dropping the cat and ran towards her. They embraced for a long time, Sylvia with tears.

"The light in the crystal did not go out, but there were times it became so dim. I hoped, I believed, you survived. We felt the energy wave and I saw it pour into Auric. Some of that power went into your baby."

"I should hope so, that was part of what I wanted to happen. Some of it should have gone into you. I wanted you to have some better abilities to defend yourself against thieves and tricksters and such. I sent you the ability to 'push.' If someone gets too close, you can move them away from you. I sent some improvements to Emma for her mind reading. Henry, I'm not sure what will happen for him. He absorbed an enormous amount of wild power through the cuts on his hands, and I know he already had fire magic." He closed his eyes. "Yes, Henry has nearly as much power as I had."

"How much power was there in that dagger?"

"It had the collective powers of more than twenty generations of wizards and demons and magicians. It was more than one person could handle. As I said, I sent out some of the talents to specific people but, well, I kept the rest for myself."

Sylvia considered. "You didn't actually lose anything, did you?" she asked. "You are still the most dangerous man in the kingdom."

Very slowly he smiled at her. "But completely under my own power. No one now can steal my power or command me. However, I would much prefer everyone think that I was now very, very ordinary. Why do you think I rode a horse back here? I'd like to live with you in peace for a while."

"I think I can arrange that. I can make this glade more or less invisible so that it is very hard to find."

"Excellent. Let's stay inside awhile and raise our son."

"What's with the cat?" she asked.

"I acquired her. She was hiding in my hut. After Emma destroyed the dagger, I came across her. I recognized her and thought it would be best if she stayed with me, with us, for a while."

Faline looked closely at the beautiful cat. "Interesting. Do you think you can change her back?"

"Of course I can. But only when she's ready. Only when she's ready."

He smiled, put his arm around his wife and youngest son and walked back into the rowan glade followed by a large solid black feline.

Ok, I'm putting this story to bed, folks. I'm writing on prednisone and rituxan, which for me means living on four hours of sleep a night. Does some interesting things to the creative process. Thanks for all the kind comments. thx txm