Author's Note: This plot bunny would not go away and here we go. I'm sorry for the ending...the evilness would not let go of me.

Past the Picket Fence

The Storybrooke curse had broken two weeks ago. It had taken him that long to put enough pieces of the world back together to officially marry his Belle, pack their bags and fly to a suburb of San Diego. Three hundred years of waiting, planning, dealing and manipulating have brought him here: sitting in a rented car on the other side of the country so he could stare at a well shaded, aqua siding house that was sitting behind a white picket fence.

His hands itched for the comfort of Belle's but she hadn't come with him, not this leg of the journey. He had told her back in Storybrooke that he had to go alone at first, make sure he was welcome. As he suspected, waking up this morning the coward had returned. He asked her at first, a playful little request which she ignored. Then came the direct question, which she answered with a shake of her head. Then he pleaded and she grabbed her book and sunglasses, gave him a kiss on the cheek and went to the pool. It still amazed him that she loved that fearful part of him along with everything else that made him who he was.

He looked back out at the house and wondered if Bae could carry the same kind of love after all these years. There were children's toys abandoned in the front yard and a bike propped up on the inside of the fence. A couple chairs sat on the front porch. A row of pink and purple flowers were carefully planted along the white fence. It had a sense of life and peace about it even though he hadn't seen any movement around the house. But it wasn't a house, he realized with a grimace.

It was a home.

It was sacred, holy ground that his son had created for his own family and that was something Gold shouldn't desecrate. But the thought of returning to the hotel and telling Belle he couldn't bring himself to knock on the door kept him rooted to the driver's seat of the car. He would most like suffer from a sound thump on the head from her book. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. He looks back up at the door and finds it's open, a woman with a baby on her hip is standing by the front gate.

She waves at him, as if he's an old friend stopping by for a visit and his heart stutters. Did Bae tell her? Did he tell her about the father who abandoned him all those years ago? Did he warn her that his father might come in the night to steal away whatever happiness he had found in this new world? If Bae did, he did a poor job of it as the woman kept motioning for him to get out of the car. Grabbing his cane, he unfolded himself from the car and tried to draw in a deep breath.

As he crossed the street, the woman with the baby became more detailed. She had short, blonde hair cut much like Snow's while she was Mary Margaret. Her eyes were green and set in a pixie-like face splattered with freckles. She smiled openly with just a hint of wariness as he limped his way to the gate that she swayed behind, trying to soothe the sniffling babe on her hip.

"You look a little lost," she said. "Can I help?"

Three hundred years and he has finally run out of words. But he clears the dust from his throat and croaks the name that he has uncovered, the name that his son has taken in this world. "Ben Spinner."

She nods slightly, encouraging him to continue, and somehow he finds his voice.

"I'm looking for Benjamin Spinner. This was the address I was given."

"And why are you looking for Benjamin Spinner?"

Once again, his voice fails as his throat closes upon the word. But he's no longer a coward. He's fought in the final battle and did not run. He turned his back on the enchanted lands, on magic itself so he could stand in front of an aqua house with children's toys in the front yard and a blond woman welcoming him as if she has been waiting the entire time. He is no longer a coward and he finds the words he's looking for.

"He's my son."

And she smiles, brightly and beautifully before it starts to waver under the threat of tears. "We've been waiting for you."

"We?"

She opens the gate and he steps through, following her down the brick pathway to the open front door. It didn't feel right, going into the house but he was brave now so he did.

"Sorry about the mess," she said, kicking toys out of the way so his cane didn't catch on any of them. The baby started to cry, chubby hands clenched into fists and fat tears rolling down red cheeks. "This is Emily," the woman shouted over the screaming, "and it's way past her nap time. If you want, you can wait down here or go out into the back yard and wait. It won't take me long to put her down for her nap."

He nods his head and she sprints up the stairs on her bare feet. Floorboards creak overhead and he takes the time to look around the room where she has left him. It looked like the family room with the couches and chairs, a television and a fireplace with a mantel full of pictures. He's drawn like a moth to flames as his eyes run hungrily over the framed snapshots. He picked up a wedding photo of the blonde woman and a tall, dark haired man standing on the beach at sunset. He ran his fingers over the man's face, a face he would recognized anywhere. Tears splattered against the glass and he hastily wiped them off with the sleeve of his suit jacket, putting the picture back on the mantel.

"Sorry about that," the woman said as she returned to the room. "Can I get you anything? Something to drink, perhaps?"

"No, thank you."

She extended her hand towards him. "I'm Meg, by the way."

He took her hand but didn't know which name to give her so he opted for the one that he now used in this world. "Timothy Gold."

"Ah." She gave him a shrewd look. "I was expecting something different. Something that was a bit more of a mouthful."

"I don't use that name anymore." So Bae did tell her, and she believed him. No wonder they were married. He looked around the room, listened for other noises but couldn't hear anything. "Is Ben not here?"

Meg bit her lip. "I'm afraid not."

His heart stuttered again. He hadn't thought about this outcome. He found his son's home, his children and his wife only to find them fatherless and widowed. He was too late. He showed up too late. Tears started to fall again. "I'm so sorry."

"What?" Meg looked confused and then finally realized how he had interpreted her words. "Oh, no, that's not what I meant! Ben's not home, he's camping with our two boys."

Gold huffed out a laugh as his heart restarted again and he wiped the tears off his face. "I thought I was too late."

She put a reassuring hand on his arm. "It's never too late. Especially for something like this."

"You really think he'll forgive me?"

She knotted her fingers together. "That's really up to him to decide but from what I know of him and the situation, I know he'll be happy that you're finally here at least."

"You're certain?"

She held up her cell phone so he could read the text that was showing on the screen.

Make him stay for dinner! I'm on my way home now. Be there at 6.

Meg had released him from the house so he could retrieve Belle from the hotel. She had seen the wedding ring on his hand and insisted on meeting his wife. Meg was shrewd and thoughtful with her questions, drawing details out of him without giving too many away of Bae and his current life. He respected that, wanting to hear the details from Bae himself.

He really knew very little about Bae and his life: he was an architect. He had two sons, Michael and Jeffery, and Emily, the only daughter. He had been married to Meg, whom he met in the foster care system, for ten years. But those details would satisfy Belle and she bombarded him with more questions which he had no answers but her consistent chatter was enough to distract him from the fact that six o'clock was upon him. He pulled up to the house and found himself once again glued to the seat behind the wheel.

"What a beautiful house," Belle exclaimed. "Apparently picking striking shades for the exterior of your home is a Rumpelstiltskin family trait."

He couldn't even bring himself to crack a smile. His eyes were riveted on the two boys playing in the front yard. His grandsons back from their camping trip. That meant that Bae was back as well. "I can't do this."

"Of course you can." It was said so matter of fact. She unhooked her seat belt and opened the car door. "That's why you brought me along. Bravery support."

Before he could say anything, she had stepped out of the car, crossed the street and had introduced herself to the two boys playing in the yard. He had no choice but go over there now. He repeated Belle's own mantra to himself as he opened his car door. Do the brave thing and bravery-

"Hello, Papa."

He was so thankful he was still seated in the car. Bae, fully grown held the car door open with one hand and stared down at him. The sun back lit him and Gold couldn't see his expression until he knelt down in front of him and they were on eye level. His face was more angular, that of a man and not a boy, the dark hair still held a slight curl and the dark brown eyes were the same. How many years had it been for him? How many years did he have to fight and scrounge in this world? He didn't realize he had spoken the question until Bae smiled slightly.

"It's been twenty years for me, Papa."

"Twenty," he repeated.

"How many years passed for you?"

"Three hundred."

Any hardness to Bae's face softened immediately. "Three hundred? And all that time...you never stopped..."

"Never, my boy." Words that had stuck in his throat earlier in the day came spilling out with ease. Apologies, pleads for forgiveness all watered with tears from the both of them left them spent and still at the car. But finally, Bae looked him in the eye, steady and sure.

"I want you to know, I do forgive you for what happened. But," he held up a finger, "only because I want a fresh start."

Gold could understand that. "Thank you. It's more than I deserve."

Bae stood up from where he was sitting on the ground and helped his father out of the car. He looked at the cane with slight suspicion though. "Meg mentioned you were using a cane."

"No magic in this world, Bae. No healing of old injuries."

"The dagger?"

"Back to the other realm, which has been sealed off to me." He offered up a shaky smile. "A fresh start for me too."

Relief uncoiled Bae's muscles as he put a strong arm around his father's shoulder as they made their way into the house together. He wasn't surprised to see Meg and Belle chatting together as if they were old friends, Belle swinging baby Emily in her arms with ease. The two boys had their faces pressed against the sliding glass door, waiting for the word to come in and meet the new family members that had arrived that day. Bae squeezed Gold's shoulder.

"Welcome home, Papa."

Rumplestiltskin wakes up with a start. There is no sunlight here. No laughter, no home, definitely no happiness. Not yet, at least. He stands and stretches his muscles from the abuse of sleeping on a cold, hard ground. He knows she's coming, she has questions about his curse and will be seeking his counsel. He smiles into the dark, ready for Regina and her doubts, and savors the dream that has been replaying in his subconscious for months now. Only this one was different and it made it him giddy.

He made it past the picket fence this time.

He would have his happy ending.