The word had lost its fun when the curse broke, his power over it dying when the rest of the town had finally woken up from their nearly thirty year stupor. Even so, the man knew they would accept nothing less than that word with what he was going to be asking of them, and, more importantly, their daughter.
"Miss Swan, are you ready?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, announcing himself unceremoniously into her mother's home.
New York, and Baelfire, would soon be in his grasp.
The blonde nodded, turning to retrieve her son and their bags. He turned his attention to her parents, exhaling slowly.
"If anything happens to them - " Charming began.
"You'll what? Drive over the town line and have David Nolan chase after me in his animal rescue van?" he snapped. It probably wasn't necessary, considering the man hadn't said anything, but he was not in the mood for games.
" - I'll be devastated."
He paused, then nodded. "They will be fine. But can I ask the same of Belle?"
Charming frowned. "Belle?"
The former imp sighed. "She won't see me since she's lost her memories, and I do not want her father near her."
The prince nodded, and Rumpelstiltskin was glad he remembered what happened between Belle and her father.
"You though… you could help her better than I could for now," Rumpelstiltskin explained. Seeing as you had amnesia yourself once upon a time."
When Charming still seemed hesitant (although, the man could hardly fault him for that), Rumpelstiltskin sighed.
"Please," he finally said.
Charming nodded slowly, and Rumpelstiltskin saw Snow White's hand go to her husband's shoulder. "We'll keep Belle safe. I promise. Especially from her father."
"And Regina. We all know what she can be like around amnesia patients," Rumpelstiltskin said, looking at Snow White and Charming with no amusement in his gaze. That woman had nearly ruined a happy ending.
While Rumpelstiltskin had not been a fan of them in the past (only the love that came with them), he was close to getting his own, and so he finally understood what the fuss was about.
Happy endings were actually very beautiful.
Not that he'd ever admit it in front of Snow White and Charming.
"Miss Swan, Henry, are you both quite ready to go?" Rumpelstiltskin called as he ignored the married couple. He was getting anxious. He had never been on a plane before, and he really wasn't fond of the thought of one, but flying was the quickest way to New York City, and to Baelfire.
"All set Gold," Emma said, she and Henry entering the room with bags in their hand. Rumpelstiltskin noticed the worried look she exchanged with her parents, while Henry just seemed excited about the chance of escaping from Storybrooke.
Not that Gold could blame him – the boy always had a sense of adventure, like the rest of his family did, it seemed. It reminded him so much of Baelfire, his selfless son.
He gave the boy a small smile as he guided he and Emma out the door and to his awaiting car.
New York awaited.