Chapter Four
The first thing he noticed was he was very ill. Why, he didn't know. Suddenly memories of being attacked filled his head, but he couldn't see who attacked him. All he knew was whoever it was hated him. Breathing hurt as he painfully sighed then moaned and slowly opened his eyes. The second thing he noticed was he was in some sort of room and was lying on a couch. He could hear noises coming from the window, but he didn't have the strength to lift his head to see where he was.
"Where am I?" Rumplestiltskin thought while looking at the ceiling then heard someone walking closer. Looking to his left, he saw a boy with black hair and eyes that looked like Baelfire's eyes walking closer and the boy knelt next to the couch.
"How are you feeling?" the boy asked. He thought he knew the boy's name, but the name quickly flew out of his head.
"I'm been better," he said, trying to joke about how terrible he felt. "Where are…?"
"Emma and Neal left a few minutes ago," the boy said and Rumplestiltskin tried to remember who Emma and Neal were. All he knew was they weren't happy to be around him and he frowned, pressing his lips together.
"So they left you here to make sure I didn't go anywhere," Rumplestiltskin said then sighed. He knew his chest hurt, but what concerned him was his heart didn't seem to be beating correctly and the boy placed his hand on top of his hand.
"I don't mind," the boy said with a small smile and Rumplestiltskin gave him a puzzled look.
"You're not afraid of me?"
"No," the boy said with a shake of his head.
"You should be," Rumplestiltskin said, but wondered why.
"Why?"
"Why?" Rumplestiltskin asked, wide eyed. "You must have read my story in that book of yours."
What book?
"There are several stories about you in the book," the boy said and Rumplestiltskin arched an eyebrow. "Your stories aren't as bad as my mom's."
Who was the boy's mother?
Why did he look a little bit like Baelfire and why did he feel a connection to him?
"Believe me," Rumplestiltskin said then softly coughed. "I'm worse."
"I don't think so," the boy said and Rumplestiltskin gave him a confused look.
"You think you know me that well?" he asked then coughed.
"I know enough. If you were as evil as you think you are then Belle wouldn't have wanted anything to do with you."
How did this boy know Belle?
"You're right," Rumplestiltskin said then sighed, causing him to cough again. The boy held his hand tightly until he stopped coughing then looked at the ceiling.
"I think I better let you rest," the boy said, but Rumplestiltskin kept hold of his hand and shook his head.
"No," he said then sighed. "I'm fine."
"No, you're not," the boy said and Rumplestiltskin saw the tears in the boy's eyes.
"Henry…," Rumplestiltskin said then stopped.
Henry.
The boy's name was Henry and he was Baelfire's son.
Memories of Henry filled his head as he blinked his eyes a few times and gently squeezed Henry's fingers.
"This is my fault!" Henry shouted as he let go of his hand then stood up and Rumplestiltskin looked at him.
"No, it isn't!" Rumplestiltskin shouted then coughed again. Henry knelt back down as he took Rumplestiltskin's hand and Rumplestiltskin wrapped his fingers around Henry's fingers. It took a few seconds to stop coughing as he looked at Henry and gave him a stern look. "Now you listen to me. None of this is your fault."
"If I hadn't brought Emma to Storybrooke…"
Rumplestiltskin tried hard to remember Storybrooke as he closed his eyes and sighed.
"If you hadn't brought her then I wouldn't have found my son."
Memories of what happened to Baelfire filled his head as he closed his eyes tightly and tried hard not to cry.
Baelfire was Neal. He promised to go somewhere with him, but changed his mind and Baelfire vanished inside a portal. He spent years trying to find his son and it was Henry and Emma who helped him reunited with him. Emma was Henry's mother, but why did he see a woman with black hair and why did he dislike her?
"But you got hurt," Henry sighed and Rumplestiltskin frowned.
"My getting hurt has nothing to do with you. It had to do with my history with Hook."
Who was Hook and why did thinking about him make him angry?
"Is that why he hurt Belle?" Henry asked and Rumplestiltskin's heart jumped in his chest.
Hook had hurt Belle?
Memories of Hook roared through his mind as he closed his eyes tightly and moaned.
Hook had shot Belle and Belle forgot who she was after falling into Rumple's arms and the anger boiled inside him.
"Yes," he hissed and Henry sadly smiled at him. There was wisdom and compassion in Henry's eyes and Rumplestiltskin gave him a puzzled look. "What's so funny?"
"I was thinking that I don't just have one grandfather, but two."
"Not for long," he sighed and Henry gently squeezed his fingers.
"Don't talk like that."
"It's alright. I've known for a long time that I'm not going to have a happy ending like your grandparents."
Who were his grandparents?
They must be Emma's parents and he tried to remember who they were.
"Yes, you will," Henry said and Rumplestiltskin was shocked when Henry gently placed his head on Rumplestiltskin's chest and held onto his shoulder. Not knowing what to do, he gently stroked Henry's hair and Henry looked at him.
Rumplestiltskin swallowed when he smiled then Henry stood up and went into the other room while Rumplestiltskin sighed, closing his eyes.
"Are you alright?" Belle asked while her fingers stroked his side and Rumplestiltskin sighed, enjoying the feeling of her fingers on his skin.
"I think so," he said softly then yawned and opened his eyes. Her head was resting at the center of his chest as he reached up and stroked her hair. Over the last ten years, she got used to sleeping to his left so she wouldn't knock his right leg and he looked at the ceiling. "I had the oddest dream."
"What was it about?" she asked while carefully climbing on top of him and supported herself on her elbows.
"I was in this room, but was very ill. I don't know why. There was this boy in the room and he had Baelfire's eyes. It turns out that he was my grandson."
"Interesting," Belle said with a small smile. "What was his name?"
"His name was Henry and he was very upset, blaming himself for me being sick as well as other things. We talked and he mentioned that someone named Hook had hurt you."
"Why?" Belle asked with a puzzled look on her face.
"I think he wanted revenge for something I did," Rumplestiltskin said then shrugged his shoulders. "The one thing that surprised me was how much I loved him yet I didn't. It was like a part of me wanted to hurt him. Why would I want to hurt my grandson?"
"I don't know," Belle said then frowned. "Maybe you were seeing the future."
"If I was then I don't think I'll enjoy it. I felt like I was dying," he said then sighed and Belle carefully moved closer to kiss his lips. He held her head in his hands then moved back, placing his forehead against hers. "I think we better get up. We have a long trip ahead of us."
"You're right," she said then gently got off of him then got up and walked to the wooden door. She smiled at him then opened the door and he watched her leave the room. Looking at the ceiling, Rumplestiltskin placed his hands behind his head and images of Henry floated in his mind. He wasn't sure why, but a part of him wondered where Henry was as he sighed, moved the bedding back and sat up. The wooden staff was near the night table as he picked the wooden staff up, stood and limped to the dressing screen.
Being invited to the Royal Festival was an honor as Graydon and a tan mare, Clover, pulled the cart and Rumplestiltskin held the reins tightly in his hands. It didn't take long for him to learn how to control the horses and the clockwork for his seat only broke down three times.
"Look, Pa-pa," ten year old Baelfire said as he pointed to the long line of carriages and carts and the royal guard was on the road to help keep things moving. Several of the guards looked frustrated as some people leaned out of the windows of the carriages and argued with them.
The captain of the guard sat on his white horse as he watched his men when he saw Rumplestiltskin and moved the horse toward his cart.
"Good afternoon," the captain of the guard said with a nod of his head.
"Good afternoon," Rumplestiltskin said.
"So the story is true," the captain of the guard said, looking at the cart. "You saved Lord Maxwell and his family."
"Well, I didn't think it was right to just leave them."
"Guess Rumple the Runt is a fighter after all," the captain of the guard teased and Baelfire glared at him. Rumplestiltskin glanced at Baelfire then shook his head and smiled at the captain of the guard.
"I guess so," Rumplestiltskin said then looked at the line. "It looks like your men are having trouble."
"Yes," the captain of the guard said. "Either they're complaining about the wait or being having to share space with the lower class or where their tents are or…"
The captain of the guard sighed as he rolled his eyes and Rumplestiltskin had to nudge Baelfire to prevent him from laughing. One of the guards rode closer when he whispered in the captain's ear and he nodded, looking at Rumplestiltskin.
"I have to go," he said then waved goodbye and Rumplestiltskin nodded his head. A short time later they were led to the red and gold tent and Rumplestiltskin was surprised how close to the main area the tent was. Several of the high powered merchants glared at them, but turned away after Rumplestiltskin gave them a look which made them shiver and he held the wooden staff tightly in his hands.
People passed by as the sounds of merchants talking or shouting out their wares filled the air while Rumplestiltskin sat on the wooden stool and had his hands on his knees. Baelfire had gone off with some of the children to watch some acrobats, but Rumplestiltskin worried about him and sighed, brushing some hair out of his eyes. Belle was chatting with some women when the sounds of horns filled the air and armed guards appeared.
He watched the tall woman in a dark blue gown with silver trim, dark blue slippers and a silver cape lead a small girl, she looked to be around five or six years old, by the tents and could just hear her arguing with the merchants. The small girl was wearing a white gown with puffy sleeves, white shoes and a gold headband and she looked like she was about to cry. The woman seemed angry as they moved closer and Rumplestiltskin noticed a guard stood near the tents they had visited.
"Wonder what that's all about," he whispered then picked up the wooden staff and carefully stood up. Limping to Belle, she smiled at him as he stood next to her and they watched the guards, woman and small girl coming toward their tent.
"One of the women told me that the little girl is the princess," Belle said while pointing with her chin toward them and Rumplestiltskin had a blank look on his face. He had heard the rumors of the royal family being at the festival, but the sadness on the small girl's face made his heart hurt. The woman led the small girl closer as the small girl looked at the baskets and pressed her lips together. The woman leered at Rumplestiltskin and Belle while the small girl moved along the table when she picked up a small basket and smiled.
"I like this one," the small girl said and Rumplestiltskin placed his hands on the table, smiling at her.
"Ah, now that is the prefect thing for a little lady to hide her secrets," he said and she shyly smiled.
"I thought I'd put my sewing threads in it."
"Well," he said with his hand out and she handed him the basket. It was a small basket with two handles on the sides and little crystals were woven around the basket. The lid had blue ribbons weaved into it and a blue crystal was woven into the center. The woman glared at him as he looked from her to the small girl and opened the lid. Inside were little compartments and a cloth was stitched onto the lid. "That is exactly what it's for, but…"
The small girl watched as he removed the little compartments and she saw they were on a small piece of wood. An empty space was under the wood and he smiled, gently wiggling the basket.
"It has a hiding place," the small girl squealed and Rumplestiltskin nodded his head, placing the small piece of wood back and closed the lid. As he went to hand the basket back to her, Rumplestiltskin saw the sadness in her eyes and frowned.
"What's wrong?" he asked and the woman leered at him.
"She has forgotten her money," the woman said in a cold tone and looked down her nose at him. Rumplestiltskin now understood why the guards were standing near the other tents as he looked at the small girl and she held the basket to her chest.
"I see," he said then pressed his lips together. "Do you promise to take care of that basket?"
"Yes, Sir," the small girl said, nodding her head.
"Off you go then, Dearie," he said and the small girl's eyes widened.
"You mean I can have it?"
"Yes," he said with a smile and the small girl smiled back. A slight smile appeared on the woman's face as they walked away and Belle slid her arms around Rumplestiltskin's waist.
"That was so sweet," Belle said while Rumplestiltskin watched the woman and small girl go around the tent then look her in the eyes.
"I couldn't stand the sad look in her eyes."
"So, if we would have had a daughter instead of a son, all she had to do is give you sad eyes and you'd do whatever she wanted?"
"Well, considering her mother makes my heart melt when she gives me sad eyes then, yes," he said and she gently swatted his chest. Moving closer, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. He didn't care about the other merchants glaring at him as he looked deeply into Belle's eyes and softly laughed.