I do not own any of the Once Upon a Time Characters.

This is basically just going to be some of Baelfires life if perhaps the incident of his father abandoning him had happened later or not at all. Anyways, I wanted to pry into the idea of them having a good relationship, and the joy it would have brought him as a young child.

Forever and Always

"Where is Mama, Baelfire," Rumple asks his son, who sits by the fire playing with some stones he had found on the street. The little boy turns at the sound of his fathers voice and runs to give his father a hug.

"She told me that I was spos'd to sit by the fire and play with my rocks cause she needs to go away again. I listened but I was all alone and I got scared so I brought my blanket and hided for a long time." Rumple sighs, brushing his fingers through his sons brown curly hair. "Papa?"

"Yes, Bae?"

"Why won't mama play with me?" He pulls his son's face into his chest as he tries to answer, blinking back the tears that begged to fall from his tired eyes.

"Sometimes, Bae, people make wrong choices. But mama loves you, okay?" He waits for an answer but does not receive one. He feels something wet on his chest and looks down to find tears falling from his sons eyes into his shirt.

"I want Mama to love me like you do, Papa," he cries, "all the other boys – they have nice mamas but my mama hits me and goes away."

"Bae," he pleads, kissing his forehead. "Sweet Bae, Mama doesn't mean it." Letting his staff fall to the floor he limps to the rocking chair, holding his son tightly to his chest. "Sweet Bae," he repeats over and over. "Oh my boy, but I do love you. I will always love you."

"Always Papa?" Baelfire chokes out, curling into a little ball and resting his head on Rumple's shoulder. He rubs his nose on the back of his sleeve."Always is a long time, Papa. What if you have to go away?" Rumple wipes away his son's tears with his calloused thumbs, and smiles a bit when Bae does, even through his little hitched breaths.

"Then Bae," he replies. "My sweet Bae, I will come back so that I can finish my always."

"What about when you finish always, Papa? Will you be like Mama then?" Rumple sighs, his three year old son so full of questions and insecurities he shouldn't even have to think about. All because of Milah. Bae waits patiently for an answer and lays his head back on his Papa's shoulder. He hiccups and Rumple rubs the little one's back. Milah probably hadn't even napped him today.

"Well then we have to start forever, Sweet Bae."

"But Papa," he asks. "Is forever longer then always?"

"Yes Bae. Much, much longer, so much longer that it never even has a finish." Bae yawns and fights to keep his little eyes open long enough to ask another question.

"Promise, Papa?"

"Oh Bae, my precious little boy. I promise." He lets out another yawn.

"Papa?" he whispers.

"Yes son?"

"I love you forever and always too." Rumple closes his eyes, hugging his son tighter to his chest as his breathing deepens.

"Don't worry, sweet Bae," he whispers into the child's sleeping form. "I will never let you go."

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Bae wakes up to hear harsh whispers and footsteps roaming towards the door. It opens.

"I don't want the cowards son," his mother says, "Either I make him brave or throw him to the dust, Rumpelstiltskin. He would be better of dead then like his father." The door slams shut and he jumps out of bed, desperate to find that at least one parent was there. The fireplace is empty and the kitchen too, he runs outside and someone grabs his arm.

"Mama! Papa!" he yells. "Ill be good, I promise!" He cries out as someone slaps his thigh.

"You were never good, Bae," his mother seethes. She slaps his leg over and over as he tries to get away. He begins to cry at the sting. "You know better then to be out this late, Baelfire!" She yells between swats.

"I promise ill be real good, Mama. Real good. . ." She lifts him off the ground and paddles his thigh a few more times before dropping him and walking away, leaving him crying in the dirt.

"Then stay in your bed like a good boy," she returns cruelly. "And stay out of my life." He continues to sob until someone comes out of the shadows.

"Mama?" he questions, unable to see through his tears. Rumple bends down and shakily lifts Bae back into the safety of his arms. He buries his face into Papa's soft wool coat.

"Bae, Sweet Bae," he whispers hoarsely, feeling all the more cowardly for not being able to stand up for him. He gently rubs his sons thigh as he cries, knowing he would be feeling it for days. With Bae holding tightly onto him, Rumple slowly limps up to his room and sets the little boy in Milah's and his bed before crawling into it himself. He watches as his son shivers alone on top of the blankets and reaches out to caress his tear stained cheek.

"Come on sweet boy, come to Papa," he whispers gently. Bae rolls into his fathers chest before slowly bringing himself to calm down. "Sweet Bae," his father whispers over and over as he combs through his hair. "My precious Bae."

Eventually, he closes his eyes and the two of them fall asleep together, Bae comforted and warm in his fathers arms and Rumple content that at least for one night he could keep his son away from his abusive mother.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

"Papa," Bae whispers. His father lays there, his eyes closed and his breathing deep. "Papa, wake up!" He squirms out of his Papa's tight grip and pokes his chest a few times, trying to awaken him. "Papa! Papa, it's tomorrow!" He doesn't even stir, just lays there. He shakes the bed a bit and sits, waiting for him to open his eyes. "Papa! It's morning time and you said we have to wake up at morning time cause the cows and sheeps are hungry." He sits on his fathers stomach and shakes him a bit. "Papa!" he yells as his fathers hands come up by his waist and lift him into the air. He laughs as Rumple sets him down beside him, tickling his little feet. "Papa stop it!" he laughs, trying to hold his fathers strong hands still. Weaving and spinning day in and day out had taken its toll on Rumple's body. His hands were large and calloused but also very strong. It would be years before his son would ever become a challenge to him. "Papa!" his son giggles, trying to get away. Rumple sits up, combing his hair back and planting a small kiss on Bae's head before limping downstairs. His son tries to keep up behind him, his little waddle bringing a smile to his father's weary face. Rumple slips on his cloak and wraps a small blanket around his son to keep him warm in the chilly winter breeze. With the little amount of money they had, he could never afford a doctor. If Bae got sick with pneumonia and died, Rumple would have nothing to live for. He had to keep his son as healthy as possible.

Rumple does not need to tell his son to follow along – he does so without thought, laughing and giggling and talking the entire way to their small barn.

"Time for a new day," he breaths as the musty smell greets him through open doors. He looks down at his son, who stares at him with those big brown eyes and waits for his Papa to continue. Forever and Always.

Any thoughts, dearies? I am writing this partially dreaming of the father I would want and the father I see inside Rumpelstiltskin, always caring for his son no matter what. But srsly, Milah makes me so mad so please do not be angry when I show what a horrid person she is, inside and out. Baelfire deserves so much better! I will write more if y'all would like me to but if it isn't going anywhere, I will start over.