A/N: this is my firs fanfic! I got the idea from the sneak peek for season 3 OUAT, so a small part of the dialogue you will recognize. Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or its Characters!
Rumple had been pacing the forest all night he couldn't understand how they had been caught, he had been sure they had planned everything perfectly well and that by now they would've been on their way to search for other portals to get out of this horrid land that seemed to have nothing but dark to it, darker than himself could ever be. He needed a walk to think of how they would get Henry back,this time for were lucky to escape though, and that gave them time to come up with a better plan, he had to do this, he had to get his grandson back if he was ever to honor his son's memory.
He was sure of something right now though, he was sure that whoever had caught their plan had to be Pan because that young boy had once made him miserable when all he had tried to do was forget what the fairy tale land had done to him as a child. He kept walking until feeling tiered, spotting a rock he decided to take a rest, after all in this land he was just the same man that in Storybrook, with half his powers and half his look.
Sitting pensive he suddenly heard the leaves in the ground shaking and instantly knew he was being watched.
"Come to say hello dearie!"
"Hello Rumplestilskin." The boy in the black hood approached him.
He returned his greeting with the simple hand gesture that represented him so well.
The boy held a wooden weapon in his hand and kept walking his way. "The Pan wanted me to tell you he is excited to see you again."
Of course he would send young Felix,Rumplestilskin thought, the only friend he truly had have during his time in Neverland.
"Of course he is." The dark one replied.
"He wanted me to let you know you are welcome in Neverland as long as you wish to stay." The boy continued. "With one caviar."
Rumple thought of this irony, wasn't it him the one who made deals?
"Theres always something with him" he simply replied.
"If you are here for the boy... Well that makes you Pan's enemy."
This sole sentence made Rumplestilskins anger raise, how could Felix think he would befriend Pan on the only term that was his redemption.
"Then nothing's changed" rumple replied.
"If you go against him you will not survive." Young Felix threatened
" Well the question isn't will I survive cause we both know I won't" Rumple replied, since he was sure he wasn't going to since the moment he got on that ship to rescue the boy who was to be his undoing. "The real question is, how many of you I take with me." He held the boy by his cloak,as he delivered his threat.
"So is that your answer?" Felix questioned. "Thats my answer" Rumple said.
"Well then I suppose I'll see you again, in less friendly circumstances."
"Count on it" he said letting go of Felix' cloak while walking away. He suddenly realized Felix had a last thing to say, and he turned around.
"One last thing, theres something he wanted you to have." He said while getting something out of the cloak, he couldn't really figure out what it was until he threw the small object right at him. As it fell to the ground he saw the small corn leaf doll with a blue sweater he thought he had lost so long ago.
He kneeled down and took the old doll in his hands as memories from his childhood invaded his mind, making him vulnerable and feeling his darkness grow as his tears of abandonment fell down his cheeks.
Felix kneeled down and coldly spilled his last words to rumple before leaving. "Isn't it funny...the things we haven't thought about in years...still have the ability to make us cry. The Pan really wants you on our side, he gives you three days to make the right choice." With that he stood up and left a broken rumple to think.
"See you around dark one."
...
He had three days to think about this. How could that boy with the use of a simple object came to make him doubt his purpose? That corn doll reminded him part of where his darkness was held and it seemed to be invading him at the moment. He couldn't think of what Bae would want him to do,because the image of his own selfish father was invading his mind, wanting to do nothing but get rid of Henry and help the dark side that had always pulled his way.
When he arrived to the ship he quickly entered his room and packed a few things on a sack, on his way out he bumped into Emma.
"Well what exactly are you doing?" She asked, wondering why Gold was heading out with what seemed like a bag of belongings. "Are you leaving!? No you cant leave we haven't gotten Henry back!" She said firmly and blocking his path.
"Listen dearie get out of my way, before I hurt you." He said firmly
"No! I cant let you go, you have to help me find my son, you said you would do this!" Emma almost yelled at Gold her words.
"I know what I said dearie but I need to think things through, I don't know how worth Henry can be to rescue and me dying." His darkness feeling his words.
"He is very worth saving, and you running away only makes you the coward you have always been! "
Rumplestilskin seemed offended but didn't really show any emotion as he made his way out of the ship and only listening to Emma yelling a few last words.
"Neal is hating you for this right now!"
Emma was most likely right, but he couldn't stop, he had to go he needed space to know if it was his dark side the one he'd choose.
...
Making his way through the forest he could feel the darkness invade him, every step he took he felt his voice turning into that evil tone and his dark thoughts made him laugh, but he also felt this pull of goodness when his mind went to Bea. He was sure his son would've hated him for abandoning the mission.
He remembered the times when he was a boy and all the wrong he did to him, especially the way he had damaged him when choosing magic over a life with him.
On the other hand he was already dead and he needed power to survive to living out of evil was the only way he knew to cope.
That night dreams of his son invaded him.
'The blue sky covered the small hut and he could feel the sun in his face as he woke up from his slumber. As he opened his eyes he could see his young son getting dishes out of the cabinet. He stood up and grabbed his wooden cane. "Son you don't need to make breakfast, I've told you child is your papa who has to care for you."
"I know papa! But you worked so hard yesterday and I feel like you need to rest more, you already do so much to bring bread to the house." The young boy replied. Rumplestilskin couldn't believe how good hearted his son was, it made him very proud.
"My boy you are so good, what do you say we go to town and get something you like?"
"Really papa? We can go to town! This is going to be the best day ever!" Bae replied as he threw his arms around his father.'
He quickly rose from his sleep and was sure his dream had only meant one thing, he had to help Emma and Henry, they were his family now.
He packed his belongings and made his way back to the ship.
Half way to the ship he suddenly felt the burden of his darkness upon him and the doubt raised like smoke from the fire. No he couldn't save Henry he would die if he did so,and bad thoughts about how to get rid of his grandson came back. He only had tomorrow to make his decision for sure since it would be the third day Pan had granted him to join his side. That night his dark side convinced him Bae was dead and couldn't judge his actions, he had to save his life and so he turned around and made his way to Pan's place.
When the sky turned dark and filled with stars his dreams were filled of his son once more and when he rose his decision had changed again, but this time he seemed to be struggling more than ever on what to do.
As he walked near the river to get a drink his sack fell to the ground spreading its contents everywhere.
Then he saw it,next to the corn doll, was his mirror the one object that could let him see the person that would make his choice easier.
He took the mirror in his hands as he sat on the ground and said "mirror show me my Belle."
The image he saw instantly brightened him up, Belle seemed to be on the beach wearing a yellow sundress and reading a book. She looked beautiful and she seemed to be content. All of a sudden he felt shock at what he saw next.
A man approached Belle, but this wasn't just a man it was Bae his son.
But how? He though he had been shot and thrown into a portal.
As he watched both of them he heard the conversation that revealed his answer.
" Hey have you found anything new?" Bae asked Belle.
"Not really, but Im not giving up Bae we will find them, I miss him." Belle told him.
" I know, I still cant believe he went to rescue my kid." Bae offered.
"He is good you know? just a little bit complicated, but I know how much he loves you and missed you. I saw it everyday I was with him." She said in a sad tone.
Bae looked back at her and put his hand on her shoulder " I know he loves you too, and Im relived he has you, you make him the man I once knew as a kid. I just hope he remembers you in that place. So he'll stay good"
Belle smiled at him "He will, I know it. He's good." She didn't question her last words,she stated them.
"Glad you are sure. Now keep reading woman! We need to get out of fairyland, if that book on portals helped you get here it will help us get to them. "
"Hey don't rush me or I'll tell you father." They both laughed at this as he walked away and Belle kept reading.
The image disappear and Rumple felt a tear roll down his cheek.
He took the corn leaf doll and burnt it and with it his doubts.
He headed back to the ship.
He would help rescue Henry and maybe see his son and the woman he loved again. After all she once told him the future never was what it seemed.
The End