AU: What if, after being banished from Storybrooke, Mr Gold settled down in NYC. Meanwhile, Zelena, who ruse was uncovered, loses Robin to Regina. Angry and jealous, she seeks out the Author and forces him to write her a happy ending. Henry is the only one left in Storybrooke, so he sets out to find the only person who can help him: his grandpa.
Operation Mongoose
Henry thumped on the door again, and this time he was certain he heard movement inside the apartment. After another few tense moments the lock on the door turned and Henry was met with a very agitated Mr Gold. For a brief moment Henry thought he was going to hit him with his walking stick, but then he seemed to realise who it was standing at his door.
"Henry?" Mr Gold said, screwing his face up slightly. "What are you doing here?"
"Grandpa, you have to come back to Storybrooke with me," Henry said in earnest, "we need to go now. Everyone's in danger."
"Well, then, that's their problem now, isn't it," Gold said before throwing the door closed in his grandson's face.
Henry banged on the door again. "Grandpa, Grandpa!"
He was only met with silence.
Resting his head against the door in defeat, Henry said, "Please, Grandpa, I need your help."
No response.
Henry realised that he was going to have to do this on his own – without magic. With a sigh, he turned away from his grandfather's apartment and walked down the hallway. However, he had barely reached the top of the staircase when he heard his name being called. Hurrying back up the hallway, he saw his grandfather. Henry smiled at him.
"You'll come with me then?"
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on."
"All right, but then we need to go."
Mr Gold stepped back from the door and motioned for his grandson to come in. "So...what has happened?" he asked as he closed the door.
"It's Zelena," Henry began, "She was posing a Marian the whole time; it wasn't the real Marian Emma and Hook brought from the past, it was Zelena. It took Robin a while, but he finally figured it out. He took Rowland back to Storybrooke one day when Zelena was out, but she followed him there. She turned green when she saw Robin with my mom; that's when she went looking for the Author. When she found him, she made him write a story where she got her happy ending, and no one else did."
"How unoriginal," Mr Gold said dryly, "it must run in the family."
"No, Grandpa, you don't understand," Henry said in earnest as he undid the zipper on his backpack and pulled out a large, thick book, very similar to Once Upon A Time, only this one was entitled Heroes and Villains.
Opening the book, Henry began to flick through the pages. "Look here, it's my mom; she's in prison for being an enemy of Queen Zelena. She's married to Robin, who my mom loves, but he chose Zelena over her." Henry flicked to another page. "And here's my grandma and grandpa; he never woke her up from the sleeping spell with true love's kiss because he's trapped in a maze. And I'm worried about Emma, she's not mentioned the story, but I know she's in there somewhere because she's not in Storybrooke..."
"Henry, I fail to see..."
"And here's Belle," Henry said, noticing he now his grandfather's full attention. "She lost her true love, so she went back to her father. He thinks her mind was poisoned; he has her locked up and won't let her out until she has come to her senses, and agrees to marry Gaston."
Mr Gold pointed at the book. "Henry, are you saying these stories are real?"
"Yes, they are." Henry watched as his grandfather's gaze settled on the picture of Belle. "It happened two days ago; I was the only one who wasn't written into the book because I wasn't born in the Enchanted Forest, and you aren't in it because..."
"I wasn't in Storybrooke," Mr Gold finished his sentence.
"But we can undo what Zelena and the Author have done. All we have to do is go back to Storybrooke, use the Author's key and give everyone back their happy endings."
"A noble plan, dearie," Mr Gold said, "but how do you propose to achieve all of that?"
Henry fished around in his coat pocket and then pulled out a small brass key. "I took this from the Author; so we'll be able to get into the book...and then..." Henry shrugged his shoulders. "I thought maybe you could figure out the rest."
"Henry, even if I possessed all the magic in all the realms, I would still not be able to override what the Author has written."
"There has to be another way; I can't just leave my family in there," Henry said, helpless anger rising within him, "and what about Belle, don't you care what happens to her?"
His grandfather's grip tightened on his walking stick. "Do not presume to know my heart, boy," he said through clenched teeth.
"If you care for her, then come back to Storybrooke with me; we can find a way to get Belle, and everyone else out of this book."
A silent war waged inside of Gold. His wife was trapped in a book, and her story was bleak: she would either rot in a prison cell or be married off to a self-absorbed oaf.
It is no less than she deserves, the Darkness whispered, she was the one who banished you from Storybrooke. She didn't want you anymore. She gave up on you. Why should you risk your life for her?
He wanted to give in to the Darkness. Holding onto hate and bitterness had always been so much easier; it was what had driven him for centuries; hatred of himself for letting go of Bae, and hatred for those who stood in the way of him finding his son. But Bae was dead, and the only thing in the world that was worth living for was Belle. She might have exiled him but it had not diminished his love for her. He had spent many nights lying awake, thinking of how he had wronged her. Lies had followed more lies; their whole marriage had been a sham from the start.
Yet, now, he had a chance to save her. It would not fix things, far from it. But at least he would have the opportunity to do something for her that would ensure she could have a happy ending, even if it was not with him. It was a hard truth to swallow, but it was something he knew he had to be prepared for.
"All right, Henry," Gold said, his gaze on the picture of Belle, "I'll come back to Storybrooke with you."
...
The moment the car crossed into Storybrooke, Gold felt magic surge through him and strength returned to his leg. It seemed the town only refused to present itself to unwelcome guests, and clearly Henry was not included in that category. He had gone through the protective shield first and then tossed a spell across the barrier so that his grandfather could enter the town as well.
They drove into the heart of the town in silence. Henry read through the book, as he had been doing for most of the drive from New York City. He had brought Gold up to date on all of the stories; the hardest one to listen to being Belle's. Anger surged within him for what had been done to her, and he would see that it would not go unpunished.
"Look," Henry said, "it's the Author."
Gold slowed the car down, bringing to a full stop. "Stay in the car, Henry," he told his grandson.
"Well, if it isn't Rumplestiltskin," Isaac said, "If only you had been here two days ago, I had just the perfect story for you."
"Enough of this," Gold said, "you will undo what you've done."
"Oops," Isaac said, chuckling, "I guess I shouldn't have written it in squid ink..."
Gold had run out of patience with the Author. "Well, then, you are of no use to me..."
"No – wait!" Isaac said, holding both hands up in a gesture of surrender. "There is a way to stop it."
Gold kept his hand poised, ready to choke Isaac if his answer did not satisfy him. "I'm listening."
"Zelena wanted to make sure that anyone who remotely cared about Regina would be so wrapped up in their own unhappy ending that they would never be able to help her. That's why she had Emma locked up in a tower on an island out at sea; her memories couldn't be meddled with. But, each time someone who cares about Regina gets their happy ending, their memories will be restored to them. The more of you working to get Regina her happy ending the quicker you'll be able to escape the book. But, it must happen before Regina's execution –"
"My mom is going to be executed!"
Gold turned his head and half-glared at his grandson. "I told you to stay in the car."
"What happens after my mom is executed?" Henry said, ignoring his grandfather.
"It's the end of the book, and all the stories will remain that way – forever."
Henry hurriedly took off his backpack and took out Heroes and Villains, laying it out on the hood of the car. "Come on, Grandpa, we need to do this now."
"All right," Gold said. He then pointed at Isaac. "You are coming with us."
"Me, no...I..."
"Fine, have it your way." With a slight movement of his fingers, Isaac began to struggle for breath, until he was clawing at his throat.
"O...K..." he rasped, "I'll...do...it..."
Once Gold had let go of his magical hold, Isaac coughed and spluttered as he gasped for breath. Gold would not let him out of his sight once they inside the book. He could not let him run off and warn Zelena that someone had arrived in her kingdom to undo her happy ending.
"Grandpa," Henry said, holding the Author's key, "you need to come closer; Isaac too."
Gold did as his grandson said. He saw that Henry had opened the book up at Belle's story and he looked at him questioningly. "Henry...?"
"Trust me, Grandpa, this will work. Isaac said we need people who would be willing to help my mom. So why not start here?"
"I can't give Belle her happy ending," Gold said quietly.
"That's where you're wrong. Belle was miserable after she banished you. She tried to hide it from everyone but everyone could see it. You are her happy ending, Grandpa. You just have to believe it."
Gold wished he had his grandson's faith. Even so, he nodded his head. "I'll trust you, Henry."
The moment Henry placed the key in the book and turned it, they were sucked into the pages and Storybrooke vanished. Henry and Isaac landed rather unceremoniously on the ground, while Gold arrived with more finesse.
"Moe's – I mean, Maurice's castle is that way," Henry said, pointing to the north of where they were standing. "We need to get Belle out and then we can go free my mom before...before..."
"I'm not going to let that happen," Gold said, more for his grandson's sake than Regina's. He then turned to Isaac. "You are going to describe in precise detail what this castle looks like."
Once Isaac had finished, Gold took a hold of both Henry and the Author and vanished with them in a cloud of purple smoke. They arrived on the outskirts of a village that rested in the shadow of the castle. It was never wise to magically transport somewhere you had never been before; of course, no harm would have come to Gold, but it would not do to have his grandson impaled on a tree branch or a guard's spear.
"Henry," Gold said, "wait here while I fetch Belle." He then turned to Isaac. "If anything happens to my grandson, I will kill you."
With that warning still hanging in the air, Gold transported himself to the tower in the west wing of the castle. Isaac had told him that was where Belle was being held when he had described the castle to him. There was a guard at the door but Gold easily dispatched him and then broke the lock on the door with a lazy flick of his hand. The door creaked on its hinges as it opened and Gold prepared to meet his wife for the first time in months.
Belle drew her knees closer to her chest when he heard the door opening. She wished she had never returned to her father; she should have stayed in Rumple's castle. It would have been a lonely existence but at least she would have been free. Her father believed Rumple had poisoned her mind, that all she needed was time to forget what the Dark One had done to her. But she would never be able to forget him. He was her true love, her happy ending. But he was gone, dead.
"Belle...?"
Squeezing her eyes shut, Belle refused to listen to the voice. Her father had slipped a potion into her drink before, causing her to see a vision of Rumple. She had wept with joy at the sight of him but then his eyes had grown cold, his featured had hardened. He had said horrible things to her; he had told her he never loved her. It was only later, when her father had mentioned Rumple being there, and that perhaps she should listen to him, that Belle suspected he had done something.
She would not allow herself to be fooled again. She could not take the heartache.
A hand touched her shoulder and she flinched.
"Belle, it's all right. I won't hurt you."
Slowly, she opened her eyes and she saw him standing right in front of her. He was watching her closely, his brown eyes studying, as if to make sure she was not hurt in any way. It was then that she realised he was still touching her shoulder; she felt the warmth of his hand. Gingerly, she reached out her hand and placed it on top of his, gasping slightly as she did so.
"You – you're alive..."
Gold's mouth tipped slightly as he remembered that afternoon in his pawn shop when he had reached out to touch her, to reassure himself that she was real.
"Yes, I am."
"How?"
"It doesn't matter." He gently pulled his hand out from under hers and grasped it. "Come with me."
Once she was on her feet, she wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in the curve of his neck. Gold returned her embrace, holding on to her tightly. For the first time in months, the Darkness began to recede; the small flicker of red in his heart burned brighter, he could feel it.
"I thought you were dead," she said, her voice choked with emotion. "I came here thinking my father would be happy to see me...I never thought he would lock me up."
"It's all right, Belle," he soothed, "I won't let anymore harm come to you, I promise."
She drew back from him, but Gold was reluctant to relinquish his hold on her. Reaching out, she caressed his cheek; he turned his head, pressing deeper into her touch. Slowly ghosting her fingers across his cheek to his neck, she teased the pale skin at his nape before entwining them in his hair. Tugging his face closer to hers, she closed her eyes as she kissed him.
Suddenly, Belle's mind was flooded with memories.
When Belle wriggled out of his arms, Gold knew that something had happened.
"Rumple..." she said, looking at him with distrust in her eyes, "what's going on? Why are you here?"
"Henry came to New York. He told me what happened, what Zelena and the Author did."
"You came to save us?"
"I'm here because of you," he answered truthfully, "and because Henry asked for my help."
"That's the only reason?"
"Yes."
It stung that she didn't fully trust him. But what could he expect? He had lied to her face so many times.
"Come," he said, pushing his emotions to one side, "we need to hurry if we hope to put an end to this nonsense." He held out his hand. "Take it; Henry is waiting for us."
When she took it without hesitation, hope flickered to life within him. It was not much, but it was start.
"Belle!" Henry said, rushing towards his step-grandmother. "Grandpa found you! I knew he would."
She glanced at Rumple, terrified by her own feelings for him. She was a fool to think she could ever forget him; he had rooted himself so deeply in her heart that the only way to remove him would be to crush it into dust. She almost wished she could return to the ignorant bliss before she had kissed him, when all that existed was their love for each other. But reality had come crashing down on her, and she was not certain if she was willing to entrust her heart to him again.
"How do we get out of here?" Belle asked.
Henry began to explain what Isaac had told them in Storybrooke. "So...each time someone gets their happy ending their real memories come back; and with enough people helping, we can get my mom her happy ending."
This time Belle fully turned around and looked at Rumple. Her memories had come back when she kissed Rumple; it had been true love's kiss. That was her happy ending – he was her happy ending.
Belle felt the walls she had placed around her heart begin to crack.
Henry picked up his backpack. "We need to go; we need to bust my mom out of prison so she won't be executed. We'll go after grandma and grandpa after that; then Emma...then we can all work on Robin."
"Yes," Rumple said, never taking is eyes off Belle, "we're leaving. Explain where we need to go, Author."
"Hey Grandpa," Henry said after Isaac had explained the layout of the land, "you might want to use this."
Rumple caught Pandora's Box. "How did you get this?"
Henry shrugged. "You used blood magic on the lock..."
Isaac backed away, wagging his finger at the box. "What is that for?"
"My grandson seems to think you can't be trusted, and frankly, I don't think you can be either." Rumple opened the top of the box. "We'll let you out when we're far from Zelena."
Once Isaac was inside the box, Gold tossed it back to Henry, who put it back in his backpack.
"We make a good team, Grandpa," Henry said, smiling.
Gold managed a weak smile. "I suppose."
"So, how do we get my mom out of prison?"
"Zelena will have the castle warded; she will know if someone with magic attempts to pass through. I think I will have to get into the castle the old fashioned way."
"You mean like an infiltration. Cool!"
"You and Belle will wait in forest; I will get Regina."
"But she's my mom."
"Without me, it will take you days to reach Zelena's castle on foot. So, either you follow my instructions, or I will go alone."
Henry sighed. "OK, I'll wait in the forest."
When they arrived on the edge of the Enchanted Forest, Gold saw that there was a steady stream of merchants going in and out of the castle. It would not be too hard to fit in. With a quick flick of his wrist, he transformed his suit into the type of garb he wore when he was a spinner.
"Rumple..."
Gold turned around and saw Belle watching him.
"You can't be harmed in this world, can you?"
He smirked. "I suppose I am about to find out, dearie."
To his surprise she grasped his hand. "Please be careful."
"I will." He squeezed her hand gently. "I promise."
As he walked towards the castle, he sensed the Darkness receding even further, almost as if his act of selflessness was cowering it into submission. But the closer he got to the castle, the more he became aware of what Belle had said: could he harmed in this world? After all, this was Zelena's story, and she was not called the Wicked Witch for nothing.