Snow opened the door to find a chocolate cake in front of her where a face should be.
"Hello!" a pleasant female voice chirped behind the cake. The woman peeked around. She was a beautiful brunette with piercing, bright blue eyes and a dazzling smile.
"My name is Belle and I live next door. I made you a cake to welcome you to the neighborhood."
Snow's face lit up. "Belle! So nice to meet you! Please come in." She took the cake from Belle. "I'm Snow, and this is my husband Charming."
Charming stepped around his wife, relieved that the visitor was not Regina, and offered Belle his hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Belle."
The other guests relaxed and rose to say hello — all except one, who sat looking wide-eyed and fearful.
"Oh, you have guests," Belle flinched in embarrassment. "I don't mean to impose." She froze when she saw Rumplestiltskin. They exchanged questioning glances, but Belle broke the gaze as she was introduced to guests.
"Have you met Rumplestiltskin?" Snow asked.
Rumplestiltskin reluctantly rose from his seat and walked toward them.
"Yes, we've met before," he declared with a twinkle in his eye and an uncomfortable smile. "It's nice to see you again." He extended his hand.
Belle gingerly shook it. "Likewise," she replied stonily.
Rumplestiltskin turned to Snow and Charming and scratched his nose. "I, um, can vouch for our neighbor," he stated. Belle bristled at his last word. "Regina caused her great pain during the curse. She is on our side."
Snow placed her hand on Belle's arm. "Oh, then you must stay for dinner."
"Yeah," Henry agreed, "we have an extra seat next to Mr. Gold, I mean, Rumplestiltskin," Henry noted. Getting the names right post-curse was tricky. "You can be his date."
The other guests laughed at Henry's ludicrous idea. Rumplestiltskin stared at the floor and tried to look dignified.
"Oh joy," Belle mumbled.
Emma smiled, the only one to overhear Belle's comment. Belle had some sort of beef with Rumplestiltskin — and that was a point in her favor.
"Please everyone, have a seat in the dining room," Snow instructed. "Henry made place cards. I'll just put this cake in the kitchen and bring out the meal."
"Oh, let me help you," Ella offered.
"Me too," Ariel added.
"Come on, kiddo," Emma grabbed Henry's neck playfully, "let's get you some dinner." They followed Snow, Ella and Ariel into the kitchen.
Aurora and the men retreated to the living room to retrieve their drinks. Belle and Rumplestiltskin were left alone in the foyer.
"You said you had business to attend to this evening," Belle hissed.
"This party IS business," Rumplestiltskin whispered. "I'd much rather be home with you indulging in that chocolate cake."
"Well, you aren't the NEIGHBOR I made the cake for," Belle's voice dripped with sarcasm.
Rumplestiltskin flinched and exhaled in exasperation. "They have no business knowing about us," he insisted. He started to say more, but Emma walked in carrying a bottle of wine in each hand. He stepped away from Belle as casually as he could. Emma squinted in suspicion, but became distracted when she saw the dining room table.
"Henry?" she called into the kitchen.
"Yeah?" he answered, sprinting out with a large glass of milk, doing his best not to spill any.
"You set the table for 10," she noted. "I told you we were going to eat in the kitchen."
"Oooohhh nnnoooo," Henry stated emphatically, plopping down into a chair. "I'm not missing a word."
The guests found their seats while Charming sat at the head of the table. On Charming's left were Henry, Emma, Phillip and Aurora. On his right were Belle, Rumplestiltskin, Thomas and Ella. Snow brought the roast in and placed it on the table. She took her place at the end opposite her husband, in between Aurora and Ella.
The guests passed their plates and served each other, digging into their meal with gusto and engaging in everyday, mundane conversation that relaxed them. Most talked about their jobs, while Ella spoke of her baby and her burgeoning shoe collection. Belle and Rumplestiltskin remained mostly silent, choosing instead to observe and listen to everyone else.
With plates cleaned, bellies full, and wine glasses emptied, everyone sat back and complimented Snow on a phenomenal meal. Snow beamed.
"Thank you. But I suppose we should get to the purpose of this get-together, besides good food, drink and company." She smiled. The meal had gone well and those at the table enjoyed camaraderie; she winced that it might have to end with this necessary change in topic. "What are we going to do about Regina?"
Rumplestiltskin rephrased the question. "What is the best way to find out the Queen's plans?"
The guests exchanged looks. Snow was the first to speak.
"We need someone on the inside," she suggested.
Henry's eyes widened. "I could be your spy!" he offered.
"No way, José," Emma stated emphatically. "You are what she wants. Who knows what sort of magic she'd use on you." She turned to Charming. "There has to be someone else."
Charming snapped his fingers. "Abigail! She and the Queen were friends."
Rumplestiltskin looked at his plate. "I was rather expecting her and her husband to be here this evening."
Snow and Charming exchanged glances. "We thought under the circumstances things would be too uncomfortable," Snow explained.
Rumplestiltskin glanced around the room, a smile slowly creeping over his face. "Of course. Because things have been so comfortable thus far."
The couples squirmed as memories from earlier that evening materialized. Emma snickered. Belle kicked Rumplestiltskin under the table.
Charming interceded. "I think something happened between Regina and Abigail that stopped their friendship."
"That doesn't mean they can't become friends again, if the situation is right," Snow suggested. "The kidnapping could have changed Abigail's perspective on things, in theory. The curse was not horrible for her like it was for others, considering she …" Snow's voice trailed off as she motioned toward her husband. "Well, since Charming was in her life. And Regina losing Henry could have evoked Abigail's sympathy."
Eric nodded. "It's plausible. And we could work around it. Regina is fairly friendless right now. She may welcome Abigail into her realm more than we think." He leaned forward and exhaled slowly, gathering the courage to say what he needed to next. "However, you all need to be aware that anyone who Regina ever cursed or had power over cannot be involved in any recognizance activity. In the old world she placed a curse on me, and in this world she reinstated it so that I always reported to her and became obsessed whenever I saw red hair." He clenched his eyes shut and his face flushed in embarrassment. "I can't set foot in Granny's anymore now that my memories are back and I know how crazy I acted around Ruby."
Ariel shifted nervously in her chair. "We're going to have a lot to talk about after we go home, aren't we."
Eric pursed his lips and nodded, the pain evident on his face. Ariel placed her hand in his sympathetically. He squeezed it tightly and looked upon her lovingly.
Aurora asked quietly, "Could she only control people who she cursed or are all people cursed by anybody affected?"
"Only the ones she cursed," Rumplestiltskin assured. Aurora sighed and relaxed. He noticed Snow's lower lip quivering out of the corner of his eye. He turned to her. "But remember that True Love's Kiss can break even her most powerful magic. As long as you have each other, you have nothing to worry about."
Emma squinted and folded her arms in front of her. "Funny that you of all people bring up True Love's Kiss. You knew all along that would revive Henry. And yet you led me on a wild goose chase and nearly got me killed to retrieve an egg containing True Love — which you then tricked me into giving you."
Rumplestiltskin leaned back. "Ah yes, I was waiting for you to bring that up." He paused to collect his thoughts. "Simply telling you what to do would not have had the same effect. You needed to embrace your motherly instincts and discover their enormous power on your own." He sighed, leaned forward and folded his hands together. "Now, as far as the egg, that was different story. I know you are angry with me, Miss Swan, but Regina getting her hands on True Love would have been catastrophic. Look at what she did when she was most desperate! She played her trump card and released magic into Storybrooke, a feeble attempt to retain some semblance of control." He shook his head in dismay. "If she got her hands on bottled True Love? She would have manipulated it for her own use and though the curse may have been broke, none of you would have been reunited."
"And what right do you have to that bottled True Love?" Emma asked.
"More right than you think I do, dearie," Rumplestiltskin answered. "After all, I created it — everything legally obtained through the deals that I made."
Emma bit her lower lip in thought, processing his words. "So that bottle was your fail safe, something you had in your back pocket,"
"Yes." He smiled. "Or dragon's stomach, for that matter. A place where Regina could not find it and only you could retrieve it."
"And what are you doing with that bottled True Love now?" Emma asked.
Rumplestiltskin's mouth twitched. "Keeping it safe. Protecting it."
"Where?"
"If I told you, I wouldn't be protecting it, now, would I."
"But what's to say you won't use that magic against any of us for your own personal gain?"
"Nothing!" he answered. "But as your parents will tell you, I've done nothing but help them during their entire courtship and marriage. Isn't that so?"
Snow looked at Charming. Charming sighed and nodded. "Yes, it's true."
"So you're right, Miss Swan," Rumplestiltskin continued. "You have no assurances that I won't use it for my own personal gain — except the fact that I haven't thus far."
"That we know of at least," Emma grumbled. "But what I do know is that something that powerful should not be in YOUR hands."
"Are you saying that perhaps it should be in YOUR hands, since you are the product of it?" Rumplestiltskin asked with a grin.
"I'm saying that perhaps it should be in no one's hands," Emma answered quickly.
Rumplestiltskin shook his head. "Unfortunately that's not an option. And between me and Regina, I'm the one whose agenda doesn't include making everyone miserable."
Emma snorted. "You do that well enough unintentionally then."
Rumplestiltskin's eyes flashed in amusement. "Miss Swan, after everything we've been through, even you have to admit that I'm the lesser of the two evils." He looked around the room. "And are you really all that unhappy? You are reunited with your parents and your son, living in one of the nicest homes in Storybrooke, protected from Regina by magic thanks to yours truly."
Emma bristled. Rumplestiltskin grin widened.
"Or are you too afraid of being happy?" he continued. "Of becoming too accustomed to the feeling? Of possibly letting your guard down and getting hurt?"
Emma's eyes narrowed and her jaw tightened. Snow tried to intervene by steering the conversation back to next steps against Regina.
"Anyway," Snow began in a singsong manner, "tomorrow Charming will talk to Abigail, and if she's willing I'll mention the idea of Abigail as our spy to the fairies and dwarves."
Thomas cleared his throat. "Forgive me for interrupting, but I think the less people who know, the better. No offense, Snow, I know they are your friends, but there's no need to put anyone at unnecessary risk. Frankly, I don't even want to know."
Rumplestiltskin chuckled. "I could wipe your mind…"
"No thank you," Thomas retorted.
Charming clapped his hands. "So that's settled. That's our solution. I'll go talk to Abigail and we'll brainstorm with the fairies and dwarves to see if they have any other ideas — without mentioning Abigail to them."
Phillip drilled his fingers against the table in thought. "We'll need to devise a way that Abigail can communicate with us," he noted. "She can't be seen talking to any of us."
Charming looked at Rumplestiltskin. "Rumplestiltskin, is that something you could help us create?"
Rumplestiltskin shrugged and tried to quell his delight. "I'm sure something can be arranged."
Belle sat in awe. She knew exactly what was going on, though no one else did. The guests thought they were solving problems on their own, but Rumplestiltskin was standing behind them, pulling their strings. He always knew they would select Abigail. He knew Emma would question his betrayal, and he had perfected his reply, turning the tables in the end to remind Emma of her insecurities. He even found a way to cunningly blame Regina for the return of magic, even though it was all his doing. If Belle wasn't so mad at Rumplestiltskin, she'd be turned on.
She felt his hand brush against her knee. Her eyes widened. She looked at him askance. He moved his hand away, but he smiled at her slyly, reveling in his success thus far.
She knew he was looking to appease her without apologizing — while still getting his way. Oh no, she would not be his next manipulated victim. Yes, keeping their relationship a secret did have its appeal. But only if they were going to sneak into a bathroom together without anyone suspecting. If he wanted to be affectionate with her — even in their extremely limited way — it would have to be in public.
She rose anxiously, banging her leg against the table leg. She yelped and tried to hide the pain.
"Would anyone like cake?" she asked.