Redemption
Chapter Seven:

The Jolly Roger

"I can't keep silent!" Mary Margaret complained to her husband. "What good will it do to tell them now?" David questioned. "What's done is done."

"It's wrong for Neal to go on believing such awful things about his father."

"It's not like Gold didn't do awful things before this," David reminded her.

"That doesn't matter," his wife insisted. "The truth is still the truth and he did save Henry. He also saved you in case you need reminding of that!"

David bristled under her scolding. "You're right. But let's just wait until we're in Storybrooke so there's no chance of Neal turning the ship around and going back for him. Gold wanted to be sure of that."

Mary Margaret looked over to Neal who was chatting happily with Emma and Henry. Her face was tinged with sadness as she nodded and said, "I'm not so sure he would go back for him."

Storybrooke

Belle was just about to close the Pawn Shop for the night when her Ruby burst through the door. She was gasping for breath and could hardly get any words out. Belle wasn't sure but thought she heard Ruby say something about a ship. "Ruby calm down, catch your breath, and tell me what's going on!"

Ruby composed herself, somewhat. "The ship…flying…landing in port…"

Belle's heart pounded in her chest. "Rumple!" she cried racing out the door and down the street towards the harbor. Ruby paused wondering if she had enough breath left to run after her friend. She decided to give it a shot, hoping there was a full moon out and she would turn into a wolf to aid the task.

Captain Hook had just lowered the gangplank when Belle arrived at the end of the dock. She climbed aboard calling for the love of her life. "Rumple, Rumple!" She was met by silence and a mixture of strange looks. "Where is he?" she anxiously asked. Neal looked at her apologetically. While he held no positive feelings towards his father at the moment, he did feel for the beautiful lady Rumple loved. "He's not with us Belle; I'm sorry." He gave her no more information than that and disembarked the ship. Belle was too distracted to realize who had just addressed her. Mary Margaret made sure she was the last of the group to leave and stopped to talk to Belle on the way. "I can explain everything to you. Can we go somewhere?"

Belle didn't want to be anywhere near the people that returned without her Rumple but desperately wanted to know what happened to him. She led Mary Margaret off to the Pawn Shop.

Regina reluctantly said goodnight to Henry after he promised to spend time with her the following day. Hook gave a light bow to Emma after she thanked him for all his help. He was happy the Dark One was being destroyed by Pan, but unhappy Emma's dead boyfriend had turned up alive. He'd had inclinations of his own towards the Savior. David, Emma, Neal, and Henry headed home to the loft. Neal and Henry were all smiles, but Emma knew Neal couldn't be at peace with leaving his father behind to die.

Gold's Pawn Shop

Belle made some hot tea and the two women sat at a table in the back room of the shop. Belle tried to keep from crying while Mary Margaret told her tale. "He made a deal with Pan to save Henry, to save us all." Belle nodded her head and added the statement, "in exchange for his life." Mary Margaret shook her head, "No that wasn't the deal he intended to make." Belle was confused, "What do you mean 'intended'?"

"He told us he was going to offer to share his power with Pan, so Pan would no longer need Henry to save magic in Neverland. But Pan turned the tables on him and demanded the Dark One's dagger in exchange for all our lives."

Belle shuddered with the meaning of that demand. "So Pan killed him?" Mary Margaret paused, "Well, we didn't exactly see what happened. Mr. Gold agreed to the deal and Pan let the rest of us leave." Belle thought about it and a small glint of hope crept into her heart.

"What exactly did Rumple agree to?" she asked.

Mary Margaret thought it over carefully and then retold the dialog as best she could remember. "Mr. Gold told us he was going to offer to 'share his magic' with Pan if he released us all. But then Pan lied to Neal and said that his father wanted to kill Henry, not free him."

"'Share his magic', that's an interesting choice of words. What…wait a minute!" Belle cried. "Neal! That was Baelfire coming off the ship, he's alive!"

Mary Margaret nodded her head. "Apparently he fell through the portal to our land and some friends there healed him. Then he somehow figured out where Emma and Henry were and got to Neverland."

"Did Rumple know this?"

"Yes. As we approached the island, Mr. Gold went off on his own. They apparently met up on the island."

"If he knew his son was alive, there's no way he'd want to die," Belle stated with conviction.

"He didn't, but then again Neal didn't believe his intentions were good."

"I'm confused," Belle commented. "You said Rumple told you his true intentions so why did Baelfire doubt him?"

"David and I were alone with Mr. Gold when he told us. Belle, he saved David's life. He'd been shot with a poisoned arrow and was fading fast."

"What did he ask in exchange for that?" Belle inquired, knowing there was always a price where Rumple was concerned.

"He asked secrecy from us, which I have broken by talking to you now. But I think it's important for you to know that he begged us to look after you and treat you as part of our family. That was the price he asked."