A/N: Quite possibly my favorite chapter. Enjoy.

Chapter 10

Gutter Rat

As the pirate led Bae away, Rumplestiltskin realized that he no longer had any assurances that he would see his son again. This could be the last time he saw him, and he just let him go. Three years of living in the streets, all for one brief afternoon?

No. He couldn't let Bae go. He couldn't let Milah and the pirate captain take him away again.

He hauled himself to his feet. The tall pirate had already disappeared, but Rumplestiltskin didn't need a guide to find his way to the docks. The Jolly Roger was still there, with no signs of departing just yet. Good. That meant they intended to stay the night. And he knew where he'd likely find Milah.

As he turned to seek out the nearest tavern, he caught sight of his reflection in a shop window, the setting sun striking at just the right angle. He looked a mess. It was no wonder Bae hadn't recognized him. He hardly recognized himself. He truly did look like a pitiful, ragged beggar now. And he was.

He couldn't face Milah like this. At the very least, the beard would have to go. And some new clothes would be a good idea too.

You don't have to be a beggar.

How often had he heard those same words from Milah about being a coward? Yes, Bae was right. The time for hiding was passed. If he wanted to get his son back, he had to make a stand and show the world who Rumplestiltskin could really be.

It didn't take long for him to shave. Finding appropriate clothing was another matter. In the end, he settled for a tunic snatched off a laundry line and a cloak off a sleeping drunkard's back. He left his own tattered and patched cloak as payment. He also managed to comb the tangles out of his shoulder-length hair. With clean face and new clothes, he was ready to face his demons by the time full dark had fallen.

It took him three tries to find the right tavern, and by that time he was nearly ready to give up. Seeing Milah sitting at a table with Jones grounded him though. She was happy with her new life, laughing, drinking, and playing dice, oblivious to her supposedly dead husband standing in the doorway. Oblivious to the pain she'd caused him.

He worked his way over to their table unnoticed. In all the crowd, he was invisible even when he was standing right next to them.

"It's time to go, Milah."

The venom in his voice surprised him as much as his presence did her. She looked at him over the rim of the cup she had raised to her lips, only her eyes having moved. She put the cup down slowly, still not daring to look at him fully.

The pirate looked from Milah to Rumplestiltskin. "Well now. What rock have you been hiding under, coward?"

Rumplestiltskin glared at him. "Shut up," he snarled. "I'm not here for you."

"Whoa. Looks like the gutter rat's grown teeth."

Some of the men at the table laughed. Milah didn't.

"I'm not going anywhere, Rumple," she said.

"I don't want you anymore, dearie. I want my son."

"What makes you think the boy wants a coward for a father?" Jones asked.

Rumplestiltskin's grip tightened on his staff. "Oh. So you asked him what he wanted before you stole him from me? And I suppose he calls you Papa now, doesn't he?"

Jones glared but didn't respond.

"Thought not."

Milah stood, and Jones reached across the table to stop her. "No, Killian," she said, shaking him off. "I'm not having this conversation in here."

She walked past Rumplestiltskin and out a side door into an alley. He followed, ignoring the glare Jones was giving him.

"How could you take Bae?" he asked. "After everything you knew about me."

"Killian and I fell in love, Rumple. I just didn't know how to tell you. I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't enough. Why Bae?"

"Because he's my son. He deserves a better father than you'll ever be."

Rumplestiltskin stared. She couldn't mean that. She knew. She had to know. Everything he'd ever done was for Bae.

A hand clamped down on his shoulder. "She's right, you know," Jones said breathing rum in Rumplestiltskin's face. "The boy's a born pirate if there ever was one."

Rumplestiltskin shook off the captain's grip and swept his staff around to whack the pirate's leg. Jones yelped in pain, and Rumplestiltskin instinctively backed away.

"What the hell was that for?" Jones snapped, rubbing his leg.

"You know nothing about my son," Rumplestiltskin said.

The captain straightened. "Oh. Don't I?" He stalked closer, forcing Rumplestiltskin to back away. "Tell me, where have you been the past three years? Seems to me Baelfire is quite happy without you."

Rumplestiltskin shifted to strike again with his staff, this time a little higher than the pirate's legs, but Jones caught the staff with his hand and ripped it out of his grip. It clattered on the alley stones where it landed, far out of reach.

"What else have you got, coward?" Jones sneered. "Or did you really think you could beat me with a stick?"

"Killian..." Milah called. "Let's go. He's harmless."

The pirate glared at Rumplestiltskin, daring him to make a move. So he did.

"That's a nice sword you got Bae for his birthday. Plain wood. Couldn't afford a bit of decoration?"

The captain's eyes widened, then narrowed as he shoved Rumplestiltskin to the ground. The cobblestones were damp and cold.

"You stay away from him," the pirate growled.

"He's my son," Rumplestiltskin said, sitting up.

"Not anymore."

The pirate stomped on Rumplestiltskin's bad ankle. Rumplestiltskin screamed. Then Jones started kicking him until he curled into a ball of pain, arms covering his face and knees drawn up to protect his chest.

"Killian, stop. We need to go." Milah sounded concerned, but Rumplestiltskin knew her concern wasn't for him. "We need to get back to Baelfire."

Jones halted his attack, then rested his boot over Rumplestiltskin's bad ankle again.

"No," Rumplestiltskin whimpered, looking up. He reached a hand out, as if it would do any good. His hand was trembling. "No, no, please, don't."

The pressure slowly increased as the captain leaned over him. "I never want to see you again," he hissed.

Rumplestiltskin shrank back and nodded. The pressure eased, but before he could take a breath, the boot came down again with force. He could feel the bones crunching against the stones. By the time he stopped screaming, they were gone.