Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited! And sorry for the longer wait, I meant to post this chapter a couple days earlier, but work and summer classes got in the way. I'm not sure if I'm completely happy with this chapter, but here it is. This is a long one by the way ;) (Anonymous reviews below)
Rumbae: Thank you so much!
They made it to the car in no more than five minutes. When the pawnbroker had first begun his journey into the forest, it had seemed so much longer than now as the two head back. Truth be told, the clearing to the house was not nearly in the thick of the woods, but the beginning really. Rumplestiltskin must have felt the time stretching due to his impatience in finding out what was going on.
And found out he did.
The man gave another glance back to where his newfound son was still dutifully following him. The boy had been looking at the black Cadillac by the road and soon noticed Rumplestiltskin's attention on him. Embarrassed, he quickly bowed his head again, his cheeks burning a little.
Rumplestiltskin cleared his throat, a painful lump having formed at his boy's continued behavior, and gave a soft smile, "Well, should we head off?"
The man opened the passenger door and Bae meekly got inside and buckled his seatbelt. The boy took in the car as Gold limped his way to the driver's seat and placed his cane in the backseat.
Immediately, Rumplestiltskin's fingers sought out the heater and put it on full blast, hoping his boy would feel no more remains of the bitter cold outside. He then fiddled a bit with the radio, hoping to bring some comfort to the distressed boy who, for all he knew, was in a car with a complete stranger. The man settled on some classical music before turning to his son, unsure.
"I hope you don't mind this station? Or do you have a preference? Don't feel hesitant to change it to whatever pleases you. Ah, we should be to my house in less than ten minutes," He rambled a bit before turning the key and starting the car. As they took off and got onto a main road, the feeling of his feet on the gas pedal and his hands expertly placed on the wheel never ceased to amaze Rumplestiltskin. His fake memories supplied some story of how Mr. Gold had gotten his license and been a good driver, although some might say he was too careful and a tad slow at times. The high technology of this world and the knowledge of how to use it certainly came in handy in times like these. Though he still wasn't sure if he preferred them over the beautifully built carriages he had had back in their land.
When Mr. Gold had asked his preference in music, Bae had sat stunned that this man had even cared for his opinion in something so minute. He just gave a small reply that the music playing softly in the background was fine before turning his gaze back at the window.
He was awfully nervous about being in the car with this man. The boy fiddled with his hands, placed his lap, as he stared at the trees in the distance give way to buildings and streetlights as they went through the town. He felt awkward and scared and so many other things but took a deep breath and tried to just focus on what he was seeing, leaving his thoughts behind.
As the music carried on and they got closer to their destination, Bae felt his eye lids get heavier and heavier. The music was in truth, very peaceful and soothing. And the warmth of the car and Mr. Gold's coat still around him gave him a feeling of comfort that he didn't think he had ever felt. It would very easy to let go of his nerves and allow himself to rest, but he fought to stay awake. He didn't trust falling asleep in the company of Mr. Gold, or anyone really.
With the boy's attention to the window, Rumplestitlskin himself was very distracted during the drive. He tried not to glance too often at Baelfire, not wanting to startle the poor boy, but he really couldn't help himself. Gods, 300 years without his precious son and here he was, right next to him in the car. My boy.
Soon enough, the drive was over and Bae noticed that they were pulling into the driveway of a large, three story, old-fashioned house; the salmon-pink color not going unnoticed by the boy. It was more of a mansion really, properly suited for the richest man in town. At the size of it, the boy absently wondered if Mr. Gold truly lived there all by himself.
Turning the keys, Rumplestiltskin turned to his boy, "Here we are."
Bae looked up at the man from under a fresh fall of dark hair, still swaddled in his coat, "It's very nice, Mr. Gold," And he meant it, truly. It must have been the most beautiful house he had ever seen.
Startled, Rumplestiltskin beamed fondly back at his son, his eyes easily tearing at the unexpected compliment. The house really meant nothing to him; he would trade this extravagant house for his old hobble in an instant to have his Baelfire back with him. Regardless, this huge house was really intended for his son: when getting his wealth from the curse, he had wanted nothing less than the best for his boy to live in. His son had always been such kind-hearted soul though. "Th-thank you, my boy. Ah, let's head inside, shall we?"
Bae followed the older man onto the porch steps and through the double doors, warmth instantly hitting him and shrugged the man's overcoat off, saying his thanks again as he handed back. While Mr. Gold hung his coat up on a rack near the beautifully stained glass doors, the boy took a look at his surroundings.
On his right he noticed a staircase leading up to where he assumed was the next level, another big window placed near. On his left, he could see a big room that looked to be filled with various antique items that must have held high values. Numerous statues and lamps, some old papers and books scattered on tables, and polished wood cases surrounded the room. Huge windows were located by the front of the big room, out looking the street and big trees; a table and numerous chairs were situated nearby.
Baelfire stared at it all, unable to keep his mouth slightly opening, gaping at what his eyes were seeing. He felt very aware of his rags and filthiness and knew how much he did not belong in such a beautiful place like this.
Mr. Gold's voice cut through his dark musings then, and he jumped a little, facing the man again. "How about I show you around a little? Then take you to your room and get you situated?"
The child calmed himself and nodded shyly, dark disheveled bangs falling into his eyes again. Mr. Gold smiled and gently gestured for the boy to follow as he took him through various rooms on the first floor.
After going through comfortable looking living rooms, a big kitchen, an office and other rooms used for storage of objects, possibly for the man's pawnshop, Mr. Gold led him up the stairs onto the second level of the house.
Rumplestiltskin could feel his son's awe as he took him through his mansion of a house. He could understand it truly, as well. When Rumplestiltskin had regained his memories he had stared at his house in wonder. Even though as the Dark One he had lived in the Dark Castle, both "homes" had been more than he could ever imagine the peasant he had been living in.
He led them up the stairs to second floor and took a left. His own room was the last door on the farthest side of the left end of the hall, with his son's chosen room as the one right next to it. The man smiled carefully at his boy as they walked through and allowed him to glance around.
It was a big room, with a nice big bed as well and of course, huge windows on the side. The bed looked to be queen sized and had a simple dark red quilt to match the warm colors of the house that looked expensive; numerous big pillows sat atop. The room itself was fairly empty, with a big closet situated near one side and a big desk on the other. A mirror with a cabinet was close by the door.
This is.. my room? This certainly must be a dream, Bae thought. However, dream or not, he knew this would all come to end soon enough when Mr. Gold finally realized that he was not his real son, and back to the abandoned house he would be.
Glancing at the bed again, he smiled a little. He was so tired, even for just a night it would be wonderful to be able to lie on that bed and sleep his troubles away.
"I hope it's to your liking, son," Mr. Gold's accented voice cut through his musings. "If there's anything you want to change or prefer a different color scheme or anything, just let me know, lad." He walked over to the closet a little and frowned, "We'll fill this up soon, maybe tomorrow, and get some other things in here to make it feel more at home, how does that sound?"
Bae just looked at him stared at him with wide eyes. "I-this is too much, Mr. Gold. It's very, very nice, sir. I certainly wouldn't need anything more," The boy said politely in a quiet voice.
Rumple knew painfully from what his son had been living from that this must be a shock. "You deserve the best of the best, my boy. You won't have to worry about anything anymore. I'll take care of everything," He said firmly. It was every parent's dream to be able to give their child everything they deserved and Rumplestiltskin felt proud he could do that now. He had so much to make up for, and he would do anything to make sure his son was happy and had everything he wanted and more.
"Ah, would you like to wash up as I prepare dinner?" Rumplestiltskin asked gently.
Bae's cheeks flushed with shame at the question. What a mess he must have looked. "Yes, sir, thank you," he replied, looking down at his feet again, a recurring habit.
Rumple's heart shattered at his son's reaction. Oh, his poor boy. This is all my fault, he thought for the hundredth time since finding Baelfire.
He got closer to his son and hesitantly placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. His son only flinched a little but didn't move away, Rumplestiltskin took that as a good sign.
"Bae, please. Look at me, it's alright." Baelfire hesitantly brought his face up. The boy felt tears well up in his eyes and he felt so stupid in that moment. Stop being so weak. Look at you, crying. Pathetic.
"Oh, son. Shh, it's ok. You've done nothing wrong, ok. Everything's all right, this is my fault. All my fault. I'm going to make things right, I promise son, I promise."
Rumplestiltskin was in near tears himself and felt his other hand twitch, wanting to travel up and caress his son's face, noticing the tears in the boy's dark eyes. He desperately wanted to wipe them away and soothe his boy, hold him in his arms and let him know his papa was here. Rumplestiltskin wanted desperately to tell his son just how precious he was, and to not think for a moment in shame of what had happened to him.
With a heavy heart, the man knew he couldn't just yet, his son had really just met him and his emotional state was very delicate. He had to take this slowly, though it pained him immensely.
This man continued to confuse him. Gazing into his eyes, 'they're just like mine' he realized, the child could sense something so gentle and comforting. It didn't make sense though. Everyone knew Mr. Gold was ruthless and cold, not sympathetic in the least. Yet, this man in front of him was someone else entirely.
Bae just nodded again, taking a deep breath, his tears thankfully going away.
Mr. Gold gave a comforting small squeeze on his shoulder before he spoke again, "Let me see if I have some clean clothes for you. Feel free to make yourself comfortable, my boy." The man smiled fondly at him again before disappearing into the hall.
Bae blew out a breath before glancing at the bed again. He wanted to sit, but stopped himself. His stubborn manners would not allow the lavish quilt and sheets to be soiled by his dirty clothing.
Rumplestiltskin limped into his own room and sought a specific drawer of his big, wooden cabinet. With careful hands, his fingers reached out and brushed the soft and worn fabric of clothing much smaller than his own; a tan tunic and dark trousers. His son's clothing, made by Rumple himself. Rumplestiltskin only had a couple shirts and pants that had belonged to his son from their homeland and he treasured them immensely. His hands lovingly stroked the worn fabric before he sighed and closed the drawer.
He realized he couldn't give his son these clothes to wear despite them being his own and therefore fitting him perfectly. The type of clothing would certainly confuse the boy.
He opened up another drawer and decided on a simple white t-shirt and some comfortable black sweatpants, usually used for sleepwear. They were his own, and he knew they would be big on his son, but they would also be comfortable.
Coming back into the room, Rumplestiltskin noted that Baelfire was still standing where he had left him, looking up politely as he entered.
"I hope these are alright. They're mine and they'll be a bit big. I'll wash the clothes you have on now and get those all nice and clean for tomorrow." Rumplestiltskin said, placing the shirt and pants on the bed.
"Those are fine, thank you Mr. Gold."
Rumple smiled again at his boy, still in awe Baelfire was here right now, in the room Rumplestiltskin had dreamed his son could be.
Suddenly, he had just remembered something he had been meaning to ask his son. "You're welcome, son. I-Is it all right if I call you Bae… even son? I-I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." The man was all stutters.
The caring question surprised the boy. "No, it's alright. I've never had a name. I like Bae," The boy smiled a little and Mr. Gold's own beaming smile didn't go unnoticed, "And… son as well," Truthfully, Bae wasn't exactly sure how to feel about Mr. Gold referring to him as "son", but he didn't have the heart to deny the man that.
Rumplestiltskin's heart swelled to bursting. "I'm glad you like it, son. And thank you."
The pawnbroker then showed Bae to where his polished bathroom was close by, numerous sizes of towels easily accessible before turning the shower on a warm heat setting.
"Ah, just leave your clothes by the door and I'll pick those up for you. If you need anything I'll just be downstairs in the kitchen. And feel free to either stay in your room or come down when you're done," Bae nodded his thanks and Mr. Gold left to start dinner downstairs.
This must be heaven, Bae thought as he stood in the warm water and allowed his eyes to close, enjoying the heat. He couldn't remember the last time he had properly cleaned himself, so scrubbing himself of the filth took a little long, but Bae didn't really mind.
When he brought the soaped cloth over his skinny stomach, he winced a little as it touched a bad bruised spot. His fingers brushed the spot gingerly; hoping as he always did that no ribs had been broken. He yelped slightly at the hard sting of pain his touch had brought. The boy had numerous cuts and scrapes on his arms and spots of bruises too, none of them as badly as that spot though.
After rinsing his hair clean, the boy reluctantly turned the water off and quickly dried and dressed himself in the clothes Mr. Gold had left him. The shirt hung off him quite a bit and was quite long as well. Although Mr. Gold was not a very tall man for sure, the pant legs were still long on the boy and the ends gathered on the floor. Luckily for the waist, there were drawstrings and he could pull them tight to ensure the pants would stay on.
Sighing, the young teen walked over to where a comb sat on the bathroom counter. Glancing at himself in the rounded mirror, he noted his long wet hair was matted down still with thick knots; the curls easily tangled. Bae sighed again and began on his task. This is gonna take a while, he thought glumly.
As Baelfire washed up upstairs, Rumplestitlskin set about in the kitchen deciding what to make for dinner. The man knew his son was in a state of malnutrition but wasn't sure exactly how bad it was. He decided on a quick stew, something good and filling, a special kind that Rumple had always made for Baelfire back in their home world, so, so long ago. Rumplestitlskin wasn't sure if he was the best cook, but his son's eyes had always lit up especially at the stew he was preparing now.
Supper being nicely prepared, Rumplestiltskin picked up the phone and made the call to schedule an appointment with Dr. Whale for the next day. The doctor was certainly surprised by the call but Rumplestiltskin made sure to stop the man before he could even utter his questions. He set up an appointment at 10:00 am the next morning for Baelfire to be properly checked out and then to have the DNA test done – to prove to the boy he truly was his father.
Just as Rumplestiltskin was setting out plates and utensils on the big dinning table, he saw his son coming through the doorway to the grand kitchen.
The man put the final utensil down and looked up, "Hey," he greeted softly. Rumplestitlskin quickly gave the boy a quick inspection, noting that the boy's face was clean of any dirt and grim. His son's hair, still a little damp, was no longer full of tangles; the familiar floofy dark waves looking soft and clean, cascading gently down the boy's face, his bangs still hanging down near his eyes. It also didn't go unnoticed to the father that his clothes were indeed big on his son, as he predicted, but he hoped they were at least comfortable. And if Rumplestiltskin had to admit, Baelfire made a pretty adorable sight dressed in his papa's clothing.
Overall, the boy looked much more like he should. Until his eyes caught sight of the boy's arms.
"Bae! What happened to your arms, son?" Rumplestiltskin limped closer and couldn't help but take the skinny pale arms and gently inspect them, which had various angry, red looking cuts and small bruises.
Bae inwardly curse. He should have realized that without his usual long sleeved shirt, his scrapes would now be noticeable. "Uh, it's n-nothing, Mr. Gold. Really, I'm just clumsy."
Rumplestiltskin didn't believe that for one second. If someone had been hurting his son…his face grew dark for a moment.
He took a deep breath, trying to qualm his anger and not frighten Baelfire. "Does it hurt badly?" Rumplestiltskin asked gently. He wished he had his magic of healing again and was able to take away his son's pain with a simple touch of his hands.
Bae was a little startled at the touch and Mr. Gold seemed to notice after his question. He let go of the boy's arms, and Bae calmed himself to remember the man's question. "No, they're fine and pretty old anyway." The boy tried to blow off Mr. Gold's concern. It wasn't exactly a lie, compared to the bad bruise on his stomach; the cuts didn't hurt nearly as much.
Rumplestiltskin reluctantly let it go, but was still pained to see the marks on his child's skin. He would keep a close eye, but tomorrow he would let Whale know about them and see to it that they were healing okay.
"If you're sure, my boy… Well, ah, let me check on supper," Rumple led Bae over to a seat at the polished wood table before checking on the stew.
Bae sat at the table watching Mr. Gold get everything ready, observing that he had taken off his outer layers of his professional three-piece suit and had just left a dark blue dress shirt on and his black pants. He looked strangely homely Bae thought, as he went about ladling the food out of a big pot and putting it into bowls.
The smell of the food hit the boy as Mr. Gold placed his in front of him. It smelled wonderful and Bae's stomach churned.
"I made us some stew, a special recipe of mine," Mr. Gold almost winked at him. "I hope that's alright? If you don't like it, I can make something else."
"It smells great, sir, thank you," Bae smiled gratefully at the man and waited for Mr. Gold to get his own bowl and take the seat across from him.
Rumplestitlskin seemed to realize that Bae was waiting for him to start eating, so he tried to act nonchalant and eat his bowl to make the boy feel comfortable.
Bae carefully watched Mr. Gold start eating before picking up his spoon and starting his own stew. His first instincts were to devour the food as he was so hungry, but his manners wouldn't allow it.
"How is it?" Mr. Gold asked after a couple minutes.
"It's the best stew I've ever had, Mr. Gold," The boy said, though he couldn't remember the last time he was able to have stew, he was sure what he had said was true.
Mr. Gold beamed, a twinkle in his eye. "I'm glad, my boy, thank you."
The rest of the dinner had gone considerably well. Bae had felt his hunger return to him at the start of the meal, but near the end of his bowl he felt almost a little sick.
"Are you sure you're full? Would you like anything else?" Rumplestiltskin asked. He wished the boy would eat more. At least he had almost finished the whole bowl.
Bae shook his head, his hands going to his stomach. "Yes, I'm good. I don't think I could eat any more."
Rumplestiltskin then cleared the dishes and Bae had offered to help him wash them. Rumple smiled tearfully at the gesture, remembering how willing Bae had always been to help his father with anything. His sweet boy was really here with him, even if he couldn't remember who he truly was; Baelfire was still here.
The man explained that he was just going to rinse them and then put them in the dishwasher, but thanked the boy for his very kind offer.
Even though it was still relatively early, Rumplestitlskin knew that his son needed some good rest, and suggested that they both head to bed.
They said their polite goodnights to each other and Rumplestiltskin made his way into his own room. He changed into the pajamas that Mr. Gold had always wore, and rested himself on the bed for about five minutes before he got up. Frustrated, he paced as well as he could with his limp anxiously around the room.
Meanwhile, Bae had quickly turned off the lights and wrapped the wonderful and warm bed sheets around him, sighing contentedly. It had been such a bizarre day, but he was too tired to think over everything that had happened. He could faintly smell some type of fragrance in the air that was vaguely familiar when he realized it was Mr. Gold's clothes. Surprisingly, the smell was pleasant and comforting to him. His final thoughts before drifting off to sleep were the hope that he would be too tired for his frequent nightmares to plague him tonight.
It had been about thirty minutes since Rumplestiltskin had bid Bae goodnight, but he yearned to make sure his boy was still there, that he was all right. He still couldn't believe he had finally been reunited with his precious son after centuries. Centuries.
After pacing for about another fifteen minutes, Rumple decided he couldn't wait any longer and quietly limped into the hallway. He listened to the door nearest his, trying to hear if Bae would still be awake or not; he didn't hear anything.
Luckily, the boy had left the door creaked a little, so getting in made next to no noise. Once inside, Rumplestiltskin gazed at the bed, his eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness of the room, made a little lighter from a bit of moonlight creeping in through the windows. When he spotted his child, his eyes grew soft and he felt a strong pang in his heart.
Baelfire was curled up on the left side of the bed facing the windows, fast asleep, looking to all the world like a little angel to his father. He appeared very small and fragile in the big bed, with the covers snuggled around him.
Rumple noticed a chair near the side of the room and brought it closer to the bed, resting his cane on the ground.
Settling himself down in the chair and facing his son, it all hit Rumplestiltskin again. After 300 years of pain and longing, his beloved son was here. Here. The most precious and beautiful person in his life.
The man gazed at his son's face, memorizing every detail again, a loving smile on his face. Looking at his son, he knew none of the numerous drawings he had made of Baelfire over the centuries could compare to what he was seeing now. They all paled in comparison to its live counterpart.
Hesitantly, Rumplestiltskin reached out a shaking hand above his son's head, wanting to smooth back the wavy dark curls, but was worried that his touch might wake the poor boy up. Finally, he gained some courage and rested his hand atop his son's head, eyes darting back to his son's face to see if the boy had sensed anything.
Baelfire, however, remained peacefully unaware of his father's presence and continued to be in a deep sleep.
Smiling softly, Rumplestiltskin moved some of his son's soft dark hair back, whispering quietly to him. "Oh, my sweet boy, my beautiful little boy," Tears started streaming down his cheeks. "I love you so much, Bae. So much," His breathing hitched with his cries.
"I'm here now, Bae," You should have always been. "Papa's here. It's going to be alright now."
After a few minutes, left hand still resting on Bae's head, he moved his other hand and gently began caressing his son's face. He traced the boy's soft cheek lightly with his thumb for a while.
Everything in this moment was perfect; the man felt as though he could breathe again. He was finally reunited with his child who was safe under his secure hands.
However, Rumplestiltskin frowned slightly when his other hand brushed against Bae's forehead when carding his fingers through the boy's long hair. Frowning, he placed the back of his hand against Baelfire's forehead, feeling some warmth come from it. He looked down at Bae's face and tried to detect any signs of pain, but the boy's face remained peaceful, almost a smile on his face.
Rumplestiltskin let out a breath and tried to calm himself. Bae would be fine; everything was going to be fine. Just to be sure, he decided to stay and watch over his son for the night, not really caring one bit whether he got much sleep at all.
I'm a father again, Rumplestiltskin thought with a wide grin as he continued to gaze fondly at his beautiful boy. The best part of himself had always been when he was a father to his Baelfire, and his heart was practically bursting that he was getting a second chance.
"My boy. My beautiful Baelfire."
