Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time or any of the characters from the show
She had travelled a long distance and roughly three centuries to finally make it here today. With her dark hair blowing in the wind, Meg gazed upon the town where her son lived. A son she had not seen since he was a babe. The town was called Storybrooke and it wasn't listed on any normal map. She had received a letter a few weeks ago that included a map of how to find the town. It was sent by a woman named Belle. The woman claimed that she was his wife and that it was time Rumple knew the truth. Meg thought it was a joke. There was no way that this could be the same Belle she met all those years ago. She had never told that Belle the truth. Meg may have mentioned that she had a son but never went into detail. Not to mention that the Belle she knew lived in an entirely different realm. Meg knew that it had been too long and that Belle was probably dead but she couldn't risk the chance of never seeing her son again. She had worked too hard to keep him and herself alive. Whoever sent the letter was right, it had been too long and her son deserved the truth. Even if it was an ugly truth with a price that she would have to pay.
Part of her ached knowing that he had no idea that she was alive. How could he? For many years, Meg had lived on the run with few people to help her. She had made friends along the way but most were for convenience and ended poorly. Her heart was filled with regret but she told herself that she did what she had to do to survive. The only solace she had was that she would get an opportunity like this one which is why it didn't matter if this "Belle" wasn't the one she knew.
She looked at the map again and traced her finger along the paper to see where she was going to be meeting this woman. According to the map, she only had a few hundred feet left to walk. Meg placed the map and the letter back into her bag and started to pick up the pace. Her heart was racing and her palms were sweating. This was the closest she had been to reuniting with her son. Any other time she came close, something stopped her. She could see someone in the distance. The figure was clearly a female. Of course she is, Meg thought, it's that woman named Belle. The woman was standing in front of a car. She didn't realize how right she was until she was about twenty feet away. It was the Belle from her memories. Belle was still bright eyed and young. She was obviously excited to see Meg.
She had to stop for a moment and catch her breath. Meg needed to process what was going on. She didn't really believe anything until now because she had been running for so long. She had run from pirates, horrible creatures, and even Gods. Those were distractions from who she was really running from. Meg was running from her husband who now went by the name Peter Pan. She had allowed him to take everything away from her including her hope. No longer would he get the satisfaction of seeing her run. No longer would she stay away from her son and his family. She knew that if she stayed here that Pan would eventually follow. He might show up tomorrow or next week but she wasn't running anymore. Meg was done running. She took a deep breath and walked the last twenty feet and hugged her old friend.
"How? How did you survive all these years?" Meg choked out. Belle pulled away and looked at her with a soft expression.
"We can discuss that later but if I remember correctly, I made you a promise many years ago that I would reunite you with your son." Belle responded. It didn't exactly answer her question but Meg was too excited to hash out the details. She nodded and they got into the car. Meg continued to take deep breaths to try to slow down her heart rate a little.
"So where did you come from?" Belle asked. Belle didn't know the whole situation but Meg guessed she had pieced some things together. She was clever like that. Belle had known that Meg was running from something or someone. All those years ago, Meg had been foolish enough to try and convince her friend that she was just a traveler. Belle had known better. She knew it was useless to lie now. If she knew that Meg was Rumple's mother then she knew that Meg was married to Pan.
"I've been laying low in Boston for about 5 years." Meg replied. Belle looked surprised.
"You've been in Boston this whole time? Pan didn't look for you while he was alive? You never looked for your son?" Belle questioned.
"Pan never looked for me because he's not interested in a world without magic. Which reminds me, if I'm staying in Storybrooke and there is magic like you said, then Pan will come looking for me. He wants a fight where he thinks he has the advantage which is why he needs a place with magic. It could be tomorrow or next week but he will come here." Meg told Belle. Meg chose to ignore the 'while he was alive' part. Belle stopped the car and stared at Meg in disbelief.
"Pan is dead. Rumple killed him not too long ago. I'm sorry I thought you knew." Belle replied. Meg started to laugh even though there was no humor in her voice. Belle looked concerned. Meg knew her husband wasn't dead. Admittedly, she would laugh if he was but she knew in her heart that he was very much alive.
"You foolish child. Peter Pan isn't dead!" Meg exclaimed. Belle looked bewildered.
"I saw him die. I watched, literally frozen in horror, as Rumple killed both his father and himself." Belle stated. Meg sighed in derision. It was Meg's turn to give Belle a softened expression.
"What you saw was a charade. Pan wants you to think he's dead because he's planning his next move. I admit that this may be his best plan yet and that includes the last time he faked his death. Did he do that thing where he shifts between his former self and his reclaimed youth?" Meg asked in slight admiration. Just because she hated the man for all he was worth, didn't mean she couldn't admire his methods.
"He…might have." Belle replied in confusion and started the car again.
"Yeah, he loves that trick. I don't know where he learned it but he's used it before. You mentioned Rumple was alive. If he killed himself and his father, how is it that he survived?" Meg asked. She already knew the answer to that question. She knew that her son was the Dark One but now was not the time to reveal all her knowledge. There's a time and a place.
"Well, Rumple is the Dark One. Baelfire, Rumple's son, and I resurrected him. Meg, I assure you that Pan is dead." Belle replied. Meg looked out the window and noticed that they were starting to make it into the actual town. If she were feeling ambitious, she would press the matter but all she can do is warn people. Whether or not they believe is another story. Belle parked the car in front of a shop with a sign that read 'Mr. Gold Pawnbroker and Antiquities Dealer'. She followed closely behind Belle as she was led inside. Behind the counter was a man who looked much older than herself but she would recognize him anywhere. It took everything she had not to run up and hug him.
"Belle, who's this?" He asked. A part of her heart broke but Meg reminded herself that he was no older than two when he last saw her. Tears welled up in her eyes and she tried to blink them away.
"She's an old friend of mine. Rumple, I've spent a very long time trying to find her. A long time ago, she tried to convince me that she was just a traveler but I knew better. Travelers don't watch their surroundings as if something bad could happen at any minute. I knew she would find her way to this world eventually. She had a reason to come to this world. This woman was looking for you." Belle explained. Rumple looked confused. He looked at Meg.
"Why? Why were you looking for me? Who are you?" He asked. Meg couldn't help but compare him to Pan. They both had a temper and were extremely suspicious. She knew that was with good reason. Meg took a deep breath before answering and hoped that he voice wouldn't fail her.
"I'm your mother." She replied. His expression changed from guarded and suspicious to bewildered.
"That's not possible. You see, my mother died many years ago. She died in another realm." Rumple exclaimed. Meg let out a dry laugh.
"Is that what your father told you? That I died? Well, I suppose that was easier than telling you the truth." Meg replied with disdain .
"And what would that be?" He demanded. She should've known that he would be stubborn about this. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. She let her excitement get in the way of her judgment and now her hand was forced. She realized that she would have to tell him more of the truth than she originally wanted to admit.
"The night that I supposedly died is a little tricky to explain…" She began and quickly continued before she could be interrupted, "But I will try. We had been having some money issues. Before you were born, your father and I…well, we were frauds. We played games with people that were rigged in our favor. I'm sure he continued his charade after I was gone but with a child I realized that I could no longer continue mine. Your father was beginning to become resentful towards you because he had to grow up and be a provider for our family. He didn't want to grow up. I had decided to leave your father and take you with me. I should've known better. I should've known that it wouldn't be as easy as waiting for him to fall asleep and then leaving. He found out about my plan. The next night, he sold me to a pirate for a magic bean but before we could set sail your father sneaked me off the ship. He used the bean to make a portal and pushed me through it."
She had left a few details out of the story but he didn't need to know those quite yet. Meg reached into her bag and pulled out a raggedly old blanket. On the side was stitched the name 'Rumpelstiltskin'.
"He never checked my bag and as a result, I got to keep this all these years." Meg stated and handed him the blanket. He took it and examined it for a moment. She waited in anticipation. When he looked back at her, there were tears in his eyes.
"Mom." He whispered. She nodded and pulled him in for a hug. Meg pulled away.
"He's not dead. I know you think you killed him but he's still out there. Once he finds out I'm here, he will come looking for me. He will come here. It's only a matter of time." Meg warned. She expected her son to react the same way Belle did.
"The prophecy was very clear. We both had to die." He stated.
"And you both did. Kind of. The problem with prophecies is that they sometimes have loopholes. You did kill him but not in the 'you killed him and everyone can live happily ever after' kind of way. It was more of a 'you killed him but when you came back to life so did he' kind of way. He sent me a reminder the other day that he was still after me. A red rose with a note that said 'For the prettiest Rose I ever did see'. He's the only one who knew me by that name. I haven't been called that since the night I left." Meg replied. She reached into her bag and pulled out the rose and the note. She wasn't fond of being called by her given name, Rose.
"Let's say I believe you and he's not dead. Why now?" Rumple demanded.
"He wants me dead," Meg replied nonchalantly, "You've made him more unstable than he's ever been. The fact that he's making contact with me is proof enough of that. He hates me more than he hates you and how often did he make contact with you? And now that I'm back to a world with magic, his favorite target just came back on the grid."
"Wait a minute, back to a world with magic? You've been near this whole time?" Rumple growled. His anger was understandable.
"Yes and we don't have time to deal with that right now. After all of this is done, you can be as angry with me as you'd like but right now we have bigger problems. Like the issue that Peter Pan wants me dead."
"If Pan wanted you dead, wouldn't you already be dead?" Belle asked. Meg nodded, not in agreement but in understanding.
"He only kills those who aren't useful to him or don't provide entertainment for him. We're all pawns in his game and the only rule is that there aren't any rules. The sooner you learn and accept that, the easier the game becomes. At least that's the way I've been taught to play his game. He may have different standards for you lot." Meg explained.
"So you've come into contact with him at some point? Why didn't you kill him yourself?" Rumple countered. Meg sighed in annoyance. She was particularly annoyed at the next phrase she would have to utter.
"Peter Pan never fails. They don't say that for fun. They say it because he's a difficult man to kill and he gets revenge on those who try to kill him. So it's not for lack of trying." Meg retorted. This conversation was getting nowhere and they were both on edge.
"Look, it's been a long day. Maybe we should see if Granny's has a room open and we could hash this out tomorrow. Maybe we could get the others here to help." Belle suggested. Meg wasn't sure who she meant by others but it had been a long day. She didn't know what or where Granny's was but she assumed it was some kind of inn. Meg nodded reluctantly and followed her friend to the car.
She was half right in the idea that Granny's was an inn. It was also a diner. Belle was able to help her get a room and she thanked her friend once again before Belle had left for the night. Meg replayed in her head the night that Peter Pan, then Malcolm, had thrown her into the portal.
It was warm night for autumn but it was still early in the season. To be safe, she had started a fire to keep Rumple warm. Her darling boy was just under two years old at the time and the light of her life. The boy had gotten into everything in their tiny cottage so she let him play with her bag and some of the items in it while she cleaned. She mused at how easily children were entertained. The cottage didn't take long to clean because there wasn't much in it. She placed the child on her lap while she repacked her bag. She placed his blanket in there last so it would be easier to find if he got cold.
This was the night she had waited for in both anticipation and dread. It was the night that she was going to leave her husband. She was hoping to be gone before he got home. She was taking her son with her. It wasn't because she hated her husband. Although, she hated who he was becoming. They were extremely poor and he was doing his best to provide but phony card tricks can only bring in so much money. The worst part was that he blamed all his frustration on his son. She was leaving because she was afraid of what their life was becoming. She didn't want to come home to find her son dead. She was putting their son's needs first.
She snuffed out the fire. She picked up the rambunctious child and blinked away the tears. She could hear Malcolm's voice outside and she cursed herself for taking so long. Maybe if she had left the cottage a mess he would've thought they had been kidnapped. She quickly placed Rumple on the ground and hung her bag across her shoulder. Malcolm walked in the door.
"What's going on?" Malcolm demanded.
"I was just going to take Rumple to come find you. It was getting late…" She lied and was cut off before she could finish. She took one look in his eyes and knew the game was over. He knew the truth.
"You don't have to leave, Rose." He pleaded. His voice was steady and there wasn't a lot of remorse in it. He had known this was coming. He prepared himself. That frightened Rose.
"I'm afraid I do. It's better for the boy…" She began but was again cut off.
"You are NOT taking the boy." He growled. She could've thrown the book at him. He had spent the last year and a half complaining about how the boy was a burden and now he WANTS the boy. She darted towards her son but Malcolm got her first. He dragged her to the door and out of the cottage. There was a man waiting outside. The man was unshaven and reeked of rum and sea water. It was hard to make out his face in the dark. She realized that it was Blackbeard. A pirate whispered about in horror on the streets and the taverns she sometimes had to pull her husband from. He was known for the terrible things he had done. She cringed into Malcolm. The worst part was that Malcolm didn't say a word. He just handed her over and Blackbeard handed something to him. She felt herself go numb.
She didn't remember getting on the ship but here she was. She sat below deck and stared blankly into space. The door opened and someone walked in. Malcolm kneeled in front of her.
"Don't make a sound. Don't ask questions." He whispered. He grabbed her hand and led her out from the room she was in. They ran up the stairs. Why was the boat so empty? When they were at the top of the stairs, she saw a couple of men who were knocked out. They were probably supposed to be guarding the ship while the rest of the crew was at the tavern. Malcolm helped her onto the dock and they ran towards the woods. Once they were a safe distance away, they stopped to catch their breath. Malcolm started laughing. She thought he was losing his mind.
"What…wh…what?" She stammered. He was still laughing. It took him a moment to collect himself.
"I traded you to the pirate for a magic bean. It's not worth a lot but it's worth more than those silly card tricks. Rose, this is my best scam yet!" He explained.
"This is exactly the kind of life I was trying to leave! You've just gone and made more trouble for yourself. I don't want this life anymore. I don't want our son to be a fraud like his parents. I want him to be an honest man and earn an honest living. I don't want him turning out like us." Rose exclaimed. This brought him out of his reverie. He looked hurt and then angry. He took the bean out and threw it on the ground a few feet away. A green glowing portal opened up and he pushed her in. It closed up after her.
Rose, she mused, a name she tried so hard to forget. At this point she had showered and was getting ready to lay down. A part of her yearned for the simplicity of the life she once took for granted. Another part of her wonders what would have happened if she had stayed. She pushed these thoughts out of her mind. She reminded herself that she doesn't have time to be wistful.
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