Every day his son becomes more and more curious about the world, asking questions that have him yearning for for the days when he simply watched, not only because he feels so completely unequipped to answer everything being thrown at him, but also because it means he's growing up.
That the day when he was his 'own man' was growing steadily closer.
It's an unsettling thought that's managed to get him blue enough today that his wife has let him tuck the young prince in for the night. A sacrifice made for the knowledge that, just as with every night he spends with his boy, the very instant he's stepping into the bedroom he'll be saying, "Tell me a story papa."
More often than not recently he's been brushing the boy off, kissing his forehead and telling him 'maybe next time' because he's desperate to spend a little time with his wife alone or simply just exhausted. Today though it feels good to still be needed and so he smiles, settles in at his son's side and says,
"Once upon a time there was a spinner by the name of Rumplestiltskin and he lived in a little cottage with his son, Baelfire. They were not rich, living only on the little they earned selling wool at market and many in the village shunned them because they believed Rumplestiltskin coward, yet because they had each other they lived still a happy enough life. "Then the soldiers came to draft Baelfire into a terrible, thankless, war and, desperate to keep his boy safe Rumplestiltskin made the choice to again flee. Fate was not, however, on their side and when they were found Rumplestiltskin took even more desperate action, ceased the power of the Dark One all in the thought of stopping the war entirely. Yet as well you know all magic comes with a price and, once peace was called Rumplestiltskin was no longer truly himself.
"The Blue fairy had warned Baelfire that this day would come, had gifted him a rose upon which was an enchantment so strong that it would stop time itself for both the boy and his Papa. An enchantment that could be broken only by true loves kiss.
"Years passed for the two, trapped now by the curse into the form of beast and simple cup, the world shifting far beyond what it had once been. Cinderella found true love with aid from a glass slipper; Aurora was roused her own curse by her true love; Mulan proved that a woman could be as strong as a man; and finally Snow White rescued all the land from the influence of the Evil Queen, married her true love and brought into the world a beautiful daughter by the name of Emma.
"Emma was a curious princess and as she grew that curiosity grew also until, at but seven years of age, she made the choice to run away from home. Not, you must understand, because she did not love her parents but because she wanted to have her own adventures and believed the best way to do as such was to go out and find them.
"Always while growing she had been told of the Beast who lived in a castle to the north of her kingdom, had been warned time and time again to stay away. Thus, naturally, the castle of the Beast was the first place she wished to see on her grand adventure and, though it was dark and broken, she found herself little disappointed. Found herself wanting to see more of the strange place and as she delved deeper, she happened upon a cup that was, in fact, a boy.
"long ago Baelfire had promised his papa that he would stay hidden always, that he would allow any strangers to be scared away by what his papa had become and never, never, talk to them. Yet there was something about the young princess that entranced him and, forgetting a moment that there was more darkness now than humanity in his papa's heart, he made the choice to break the promise.
"When the Beast learned of this betrayal he snatched the princess from his son and cast her into the dungeon with the words 'you have trespassed on my land and, in payment, you will live the rest of your years here with me,' before telling Baelfire, 'if you talk to her again I will not hesitate to kill her' "Both princess and boy knew the Beast words were binding, that she would have to live always now within the castle with no one to talk to other than the Beast himself, yet what they did not know was that there was way to break this bond. For, as a merchant, Rumplestiltskin had always seen value in making deals, offering that little extra in hopes of establishing rapport with his customers and thus making it that more likely that he would see either them or those they had told of his kindness. The price for the power of the Dark One was the shifting of this understanding into an obsession, a base need to always be making deals both for immediate gain and the weaving of gain in the future.
"So when one brave soul offered her life for Emma's in payment for the kindness Snow White had shown both she and her father the Dark One agreed without hesitation, thinking most likely the advantages of having older servant able to carry heavier loads and dust higher. The rewards he reaped for the deal, however, were greater than he would ever have imagined for the kind, brave, soul, he had taken in on little more than whim became the one to return him again to the man he had been long, long ago. "For she was curious enough to ask questions even after he had become prickly, brave enough to push when he proved his most stubborn, bright enough to see to the beauty beneath his beastly form and just enough in love to return to him after being let go…to risk everything with one single kiss."
"It worked though didn't it papa?" The enquiry is slurred by sleep and, gently rolling back onto his feet he kisses his son's forehead and remarks, "Of course, for true love is strong enough to defeat even the strongest of curses." Before wishing the boy a goodnight and, quietly, making his way out of the room, turning the light off as he goes.
"I still can't believe I almost dropped you." She's smiling apology for eavesdropping and kissing first her face then the gentle rise of her belly he responds, "I still can't believe my sweet Princess grew into such a tomboy," before running for all his life is worth.