The Dust Settles

"Oh, Bae," Rumpelstiltskin whispered as he watched Bae sleep in his bed.

"What are you thinking?" Belle asked from the doorway.

"This was so far from what he wanted out of life. He wanted us both to live magic-less lives, together, where I wasn't the Dark One and we could be family, like we were supposed to. Now he has power, too."

"You're equals now," she said. "When you lost him, you were the only one with the power." He looked at her over his shoulder. "I did take up a job at the library."

He sighed and looked back at his son. "I don't know what's going to happen to him, but whatever it is, I need to be here, with him."

She stepped forward. "You're a good father."

"No, Belle. I'm not. I just got lucky and had a second chance with my boy."

"And you look like you know what you're doing this time around. You're going to do a good job."

"How do you know that?"

"I have faith, and you should, too." She lay a hand on his shoulder, and he lay his on top of hers and stroked gently with his thumb.

OUAT

August looked up from the typewriter as soon as someone rapped on the door. He put a baseball bat next to the door and answered, to a face he hadn't expected to see in any scenario he could've ever dreamed up. He blinked and said, "Hey, Dad."

"Pinocchio," Marco whispered.

"Come in." August stepped aside so that Marco could enter, and he closed the door behind him. "So...how're things?"

"I can't believe it's you. What happened?"

"I haven't been a good boy lately, but I'm trying my best."

Marco nodded. "That's all that matters."

OUAT

Smee waited at the pier long after the other pirates fled, fearful of another of what they called "witch's storms". Finally, Hook broke the surface of the water and groped for the dock, coughing, spluttering, and gasping for air. Smee helped him completely out of the water and waited for the captain to completely recover control of his breathing.

Hook took in his surroundings at the first available opportunity, and he noticed the medallion almost immediately. He picked it up by the string with his hook as he sat on his knees.