11
The Elusive Quarry
Bae knew something was wrong the moment he saw his father's face after he'd opened the front door. "Papa, did something happen with Mama? Abby?" were the first words out of his mouth after he let Rumple into his house.
"Not exactly. But something happened to Henry," he explained concisely what they were sure had happened—the boy had been abducted by his aunt.
Bae frowned. "Hang on a sec," he said, then went to get the scarf Peaceful had brought to him. "Peaceful found this here this morning. I thought maybe he'd dropped it when he was going to milk your goat."
At the sound of her name, Peaceful lifted her head and thumped her tail on the ground. Then she carefully got to her feet and lumbered over to him, thrusting her nose into his hand.
"Hey, girl," Bae stroked the faithful old dog's head. "I don't have any treats for you, just showing Papa what you found."
The dog perked up her ears and half-whimpered, looking at him hopefully.
Rumple took the scarf. "That's Henry's all right. I was the one who helped him make this."
"I could cast a locator charm on this," Bae offered.
"Not with the wards up here, son," Rumple reminded him the compound was on red alert. "The spell will get tangled up."
"Right. Forgot about that." The mage tracker looked dismayed. "Well, we can always do it the old fashioned way by using our eyes."
Peaceful nudged his hand again and barked.
Bae turned to look at the fine old collie. "Peaceful, you old mooch, what—" Then he stared at the dog. "That's it! She might be old, but her nose is still good, Papa. She can track for us."
Rumple eyed the dog doubtfully. "Bae, she's sixteen! The poor girl's not up to a scout. She's got arthritis and she's almost deaf and blind."
Peaceful barked again, then buried her nose in the scarf on Rumple's lap. She lifted her head and waltzed backwards, a trick she had learned years before herding sheep, then she scratched at the door and barked eagerly.
"Papa, look! She wants to help. She might be old, but she's not pushing up daisies yet."
Rumple stared at the collie. The dog plainly was trying to lead them somewhere. "All right, Bae. But let me heal her a smidgen first. I don't want her collapsing." He slapped his knee. "Peaceful, come!"
The collie obediently came to him, sitting neatly at his feet as she had been trained to do.
Rumple took the dog's head in his hands, murmuring, "If you can help us, girl, I'd be greatly obliged to you, aye? Now, just relax and I'll heal you a wee bit of those aching bones and joints."
A golden glow covered his hands and then spread down the dog, as he temporarily mended her arthritis and sharpened her hearing and eyesight for the trek. Temporary because not even his magic could put off the inevitable—old age.
When it vanished, Peaceful seemed spry again, and she scampered like a puppy to the door and barked to be let out.
"Bae! Can you please shut the damn dog up? I'm trying to sleep here!" came Robin's voice from his bedroom.
"Get your ass out of bed, Lieutenant!" barked his father. "We've got a scouting mission."
Two seconds later, a rumpled Robin appeared in the kitchen doorway. "Papa?"
Rumple snorted. "Make yourself presentable. Bae will fill you in. Meantime, let me follow Peaceful and see what she finds." He rose.
Bae looked at him askance. "Papa, are you sure you don't want to wait? Your leg . . ."
His father gave him a sharp glare. "Are you questioning my competence, Lieutenant Gold?"
"No sir!" Bae immediately fell back into his old patterns.
"Good. Because if you were, we might have to go a few rounds," Gold grunted, and then he followed Peaceful out the door.
"Bae, what in hell? Has the old man lost it?" Robin asked.
"I heard that!" Gold growled.
"Sorry, sir," his son muttered. Then he looked at his twin. "Just what is going on?"
Peaceful led Captain Gold across the yard, her tail waving like a tattered banner. Gold followed carefully, for the yard had some holes and so forth in it from the rain and passage of animals running to and fro.
The collie paused as she came upon the invisible boundary from her yard to his own, knowing she shouldn't go past her property.
Gold limped up to her and caressed her head. "It's okay, old girl. Find him!" He gave her a hand signal to proceed.
Peaceful barked and then trotted across the invisible line and into his yard. She trailed the boy's scent out of Gold's yard and into the woods bordering it. Again she halted and glanced back, as if to say, Are you coming?
Gold's eyes crinkled. "Hold up, girl. I know you might feel like a puppy again, but this blasted leg of mine is slowing me down."
Damn you, Pan! He cursed softly as he limped up to where the dog now waited.
Peaceful waited patiently, then went on again.
Bae and Robin soon caught up to them, running in tandem on silent feet, and even though Rumple was expecting them, startled him a bit when they surrounded him. He conjured an energy bolt on instinct, then let it fade when he saw who it was. "My gods, next time send to me, you idiots! I almost fried you."
"Sorry, Papa. But we were in a hurry," Bae began.
"You in a hurry to die too?" Rumple demanded caustically.
"No, sir," Robin sighed. "What's Peaceful found?"
"She's tracking him." Gold indicated the eager dog watching them. "So follow her. Don't let me slow you down."
His sons loped up to the sheepdog. "Good girl, Peaceful," Robin crooned. "Fine Henry for me."
The collie wagged her tail, and then barked once and went to follow the scent again.
Gold rubbed his lame leg, as it was aching, then he ignored it and followed doggedly through the woods. He doubted the trail would last much longer, as Zelena would have teleported once she was beyond the boundary. Still any lead was a good lead now.
Page ~*~*~*~Break
Belle was having a rather trying morning. After Rumple had left, she had attempted to work on some cases while Abby played with her toys on the floor in her office. The only problem was Abby was in one of her exploring moods this morning and refused to sit still. She toddled over to the small table where Belle had her journals and a stack of note paper and knocked everything over.
"Oops! Fall down!"
Belle groaned. "Abby, quit touching everything! Come and play with Jack-Jack and Jenny." Those were Abby's baby dolls.
"Don't wanna!" the minx declared with a stubborn pout. Then she pointed to the floor. "Uh oh! Mama, mess!"
"Yes, and you made it!" the young mother sighed exasperatedly. She gestured and the paper and periodicals were put back. "Come here. Mama wants to tell you a story."
But Abby shook her head, her brown curls flying. "No! No 'tory! Want Papa!"
"Papa's not here. He went to work."
The child scowled. "No!" she bolted out of the office, screaming, "Papa! Where you?"
"Child, you'd try the patience of the Mother herself!" Belle huffed, and got to her feet before Abby could try getting out of the house to look for Rumple.
Since Rumple had come home, Abby had become very clingy and followed him about like a shadow. Belle understood why, but lately her daughter had become prone to acting out when Rumple wasn't around, and though Belle knew what caused that behavior, she wasn't minded to put up with it either.
She winced as Abby began banging on the cottage door and wailing loudly for her father. "Papa! Want Papa!"
"Dearest gods, not again!" Belle moaned, and went to see if she could calm her daughter down.
She could have used magic, as a Mind Healer she was trained in all kinds of magical spells to calm patients and put them in a relaxed state, but magic use on children was frowned upon. Because it created a dependency on the part of the parent, to use it any time the child did something wrong, and that was not a good thing.
She approached her daughter, who was now red faced and sobbing, tears making tracks down her cherub cheeks. "Sweetie, stop. Papa will be home soon."
Abby continued to bawl and kick the door. "Want Papa!"
Belle cringed for the child had a scream that could make your ears ring. "Okay . . .what if we go see Aunt Gina and then see if Papa's home?"
She hoped that maybe getting the child out of the house would distract her enough so she forgot about missing Rumple. And Regina no doubt would welcome the company and distraction as well.
Abby paused, sucking in great gulps of air. Then she quit banging the door and ran over to Belle, hugging her about the legs. "I see Aunt Gina!"
"That's my girl," Belle cooed, and picked her up. "Let's wash your face and we'll go see her."
She contacted Rumple through their bond, letting him know where she was, then she went to clean up her daughter before going visiting.
Regina answered the door when Belle knocked. The usually composed and ultra calm captain of the Red Queens looked like she had fought a battalion of ogres singlehanded and come out the loser. Her eyes were red from crying, her hair was tangled mess, and she wore a simple tunic and pants, the tunic laces undone.
"Aunt Gina!" Abby crowed and held out her arms for Regina to hold her.
"Hey, Gabby Abby," Regina said, trying not to burst into tears as she hugged the little girl. Her stomach was just beginning to show, and it protruded slightly above the waistband of her pants, which actually were Daniel's old riding breeches, since she hadn't yet gotten her new ones made over yet and had given away the uniforms and maternity clothes she had worn when pregnant with Henry, thinking she would never be blessed with another child. Now it seemed the gods had answered her prayers for another child, but now she had lost her firstborn to her scheming wicked sister.
The weight of the beautiful child in her arms caused her to hug Abby tighter than normal and the child squeaked, "Auntie Gina, you is 'quishing me!"
"I'm sorry, baby." Regina apologized and went to put Abby down and greet Belle. "Belle, it's good of you to come. I'm just so . . .frazzled and . . ." to her horror, tears came to her eyes. She was the tough as dragonhide captain of the first and only female mage company in the Forest Brigades and she was weeping like some baby! Yet she couldn't seem to help herself.
"Damned hormones!" she sniffed and went to grope for a handkerchief.
Belle handed her one. "Here. I always carry these on me. Little children and their sticky fingers and runny noses." She gave the other woman a sympathetic smile. "Come on, we'll sit down and have some tea on the veranda."
Regina took the handkerchief and blew her nose and swiped at her eyes. Though she thought she hadn't fooled Belle for a moment. The other woman was, after all, an Empathic Mind Healer. "Thanks, Belle."
Suddenly Abby tugged on her tunic, her huge eyes bright with worry. "Aunt Gina sad?"
"Uh . . yes, a little," the captain replied honestly.
Abby threw her arms about her and cried. "Not be sad! I's here!" Then she did something totally unexpected.
She projected happiness at the beleaguered combat mage, and like a ray of sunlight, it suffused Regina's being with a golden warmth.
Regina's eyes widened as she felt the toddler's nascent magic.
Belle gasped. "Abby!" she cried, feeling what her daughter was doing. "Abby, sweetie, stop!" She gently pulled her daughter away from Regina, and slipped mind shields into place, locking away the child's magic, for to have a small child projecting constantly would exhaust her and possibly also injure her growing body and mind.
Abby whined. "But Mama, make Aunt Gina happy!"
"Yes, and that was very good of you baby girl, but . . ." Belle began, stroking her hair.
"I'm very happy right now, Abby," Regina assured her, and kissed her cheek. "Belle, she's your daughter all right."
"And Rumple's too," Belle laughed. "She gets her precociousness with magic from him. I could never do what she did at that age. My magic only showed up when I was twelve and became a woman with my first monthly."
"She's quite amazing," Regina said, cupping her belly. "I wonder if this one . . ." Then she shook her head.
"Let's have some tea," Belle suggested again, and she led the way into the kitchen. "Have you heard from Daniel yet? Or Rumple? He's gone out with Bae and Robin to look. You know the twins are the best trackers in all the companies."
"I know." Regina took mugs down and handed them to Belle. The reputation of the Gold twins as the best recon officers anywhere in the Enchanted Forest was well known. "But I also know my sister. Zelena is a petty hag, but she's not stupid, more's the pity. I know your husband dressed her down good after what happened on Neverland, and she'll be out for revenge." She bit her lip hard. "In fact she's already started. We had it out after I went to see her at the base infirmary. I told her that her actions were a disgrace to the company, herself , and her family. And she swore at me up and down like some crazy thing. I walked away, figuring she was just having one of her snits, then when she disappeared . . .I never thought Henry wasn't safe, Belle!"
Belle laid a hand on her friend's arm. "I know. But you know, the most dangerous enemy isn't one you face across a battlefield, but the one you know best. Zelena knew just how to strike at you. But you mustn't lose hope. We will get Henry back. You know Rumple won't stop until we do."
Regina nodded. "I know. I trust him. He was my mentor, Belle. If anyone can get my son back, he can. It's just so hard to sit here and . . .and wait . . . I feel like I'm going to fly to pieces . . ."
"You need to calm down. Getting upset like this isn't good for you or the baby," Belle warned. She gently sent a pulse of calming magic into the other woman, soothing the raw edges of anxiety and grief, because getting very upset could bring on a miscarriage.
Regina sighed. "Thank you, Belle. I know what I should do, but I've never been very good about doing it."
"Neigh!" Abby picked up one of Henry's toy horses and pretended to run with it.
The women smiled at the little moppet, then took their tea once it had steeped out to the back veranda to sip it and relax, while Abby played on the lawn amid a profusion of wild flowers and Regina's apple trees.
Page~*~*~*~Break
Captain Gold gritted his teeth as his lame leg protested his sudden increase in speed, but he resolutely ignored the throbbing. He had lived with pain before on missions and exercises. This time would be no different. Ahead of him, he heard Peaceful bark and Bae and Robin suddenly come to a halt.
"Damn! I think she's lost it!" Robin swore.
"No, just give her a chance," Bae argued. "Look, she casting for it."
The collie snuffled the ground and the air, trying to catch the elusive scent of the crow mixed with human, which was what she had been tracking this entire time.
Rumple paused to mop some sweat from his brow discreetly. He was ashamed to let his sons see how woefully out of shape he was since his captivity. Once he would have kept up with them easily, and he could have run circles around every member of his company before breakfast. He had done his exercises faithfully when the Healers had assigned them to him in rehab, and still did them, but even strengthened, he was still a crippled wreck, he thought bitterly.
You're a liability, Captain. You should just go home and leave the scouting to those who are most capable of it.
But he couldn't do that. He had made a promise and he had never broken a promise until Neverland and the hell on Skull Rock. He drew in a deep breath, fighting off the memories that threatened to overwhelm him. Pull yourself together, Gold. You have to focus!
He approached his sons and the dog. "What's wrong?"
Robin pointed to the collie who was questing back and forth. "I think she's lost the scent, Papa."
Gold studied the collie. "Hmm. Maybe not. Just wait."
Sure enough, about two minutes later, Peaceful tore off again and Robin and Bae ran to keep up with her. Gold could already tell she was headed towards the boundary wards.
When he finally caught up, Peaceful was whining agitatedly, and couldn't seem to find the scent.
Bae called to her and petted her. "Good girl!" He looked at his father. "Papa, she probably used her magic from here. Once outside the wards, she could do so without fear of being detected."
"I'd say you're right," Gold agreed. "You and Robin cast the locator spells on the scarf. I'll bring Peaceful home and tell your mother what we're doing on the mirror."
He called the collie over to him and Bae picked her up and gave her to his father. The small dog fit in Rumple's grip, she was only twenty-five pounds. "I'll be back. Don't go anywhere."
"We won't," Robin assured him.
Gold teleported back to Bae's house, fed Peaceful and made sure the dog was asleep before he went back to his own house to collect some things he would need for the journey.
He pulled out his leather apothecary case and filled it with some necessary potions. Healing draughts, pain relievers, strengthening solutions, and two vials of sleeping draughts. He could see Belle shaking her head as he placed them in the case. "It's just in case," he muttered to the figment of his imagination.
He then packed a rucksack of extra clothes, bandages, trail rations, a razor and some soapless shaving lather. He tucked a short dirk in his left boot, in the concealed pocket. If worst came to worst, and he were captured again, he would die before he submitted to anything.
Last but not least, he pulled out the mirror he used to communicate with his mages and headquarters in the field. "Belle," he called, and the mirror flared.
"Rumple?" Belle face appeared in the magical glass.
"I'm calling to tell you we're on the trail, and I just stopped back home to grab some things for the trip and bring Peaceful back. She's over at Bae's so please take care of her till we get back."
"I will, Rumple. Be careful."
"I'll try, dearie." He cleared his throat. "If . . .if I don't come home . . . remember I always loved you." He blinked back tears. He'd always hated goodbyes.
"Rumplestiltskin, I will see you again," Belle told him firmly.
"Dearie, you know there's always a chance . . ."
"Not this time. You're coming home to me and to Abby. With Henry." She pierced him with her beloved hard as blue diamond gaze.
"All right."
"Don't humor me, Captain. Promise me."
"Belle . . ."
"Promise!" she insisted, her blue eyes now pleading and filled with tears.
How could he refuse her? Simple put, he couldn't. "I . . .promise . . ."
"I'll be right here waiting . . .and so will Abby." Belle promised, her eyes still misty. "Abby, say hello to Papa!" The mirror went blank for a bit and then it flared as Abby's tiny face appeared in it.
"Papa! When you comin' home?"
Rumple nearly felt his heart crack. "Uh . . . as soon as I finish this really important mission, sweetheart."
"When's that?"
"Soon as I can."
"I miss you," she pouted.
"I know. But I'm always with you, dearie. Even if you can't see me," he said hoarsely.
"You are?"
"Yeah. I'm the whisper on the wind and your imaginary friend." His throat had tightened so much it was a miracle he could even get the words out.
But it made his little girl smile and that was all that mattered. "Love you, Papa."
"Love you too, sprite. Now you be good for Mama till I come home, okay?"
"Uh huh!" She blew him a kiss.
Rumple blew her one back.
Then Belle came back on. "I love you, Rumple. And if you ever need me . . . call me."
"I will, dearie."
"I love you, Rumple."
"I love you too, Belle. Gold out."
The mirror darkened as he severed the connection. He bowed his head, fighting the urge to burst into tears. Ever since coming back from the hellhole on Neverland, his emotions were precarious and easily roused. But he knew this wasn't a result of his captivity. It was a result of his knowing there was a better than even chance he might never come home again. Realistically, he knew, like every soldier, that death walked in his shadow. But that didn't mean he was immune to the tender feelings that stirred in his breast. He loved his family, and never more so than now, when he had to walk away and leave them.
Then he did what he always did. He locked away his feelings in a box for the time being. Finding Henry was all that mattered.
He slung his pack over his shoulder and teleported back to where his sons waited, Robin holding the scarf which was glowing softly with an amber light.
"Papa, they went this way," he said, and the three began to follow the glowing scarf as the locator charm pulled them steadily onward.
Page~*~*~*~Break
Three cups of tea later, and one conversation by mirror, and Belle wasn't sure if she was going to float away from how much tea was inside her, or from gulping back her tears at knowing Rumple was once again going on a dangerous mission. Later, she promised herself, when Abby was in bed, she was going to have herself a good cry, since she knew bottling up her emotions was bad, especially for an empath.
Regina was looking at her with concern. She knew how hard it was to leave your family . .. and how hard it was on your family to watch you leave. "Belle, he'll come home. They all will."
"Do you believe that?" queried the Mind Healer softly. "Or are you trying to make me feel better?"
"That's your calling, not mine," laughed Regina. "I'm a soldier, I deal in death and telling people how it is. So yes, I do believe it. Rumple's a survivor, Belle. And he's taught that lesson to his sons."
"You're right. I guess I just . . am feeling sorry for myself," Belle sighed.
"We all go through that."
"Even you?" Belle drawled.
"Even me. The Evil Queen Bitch," laughed Regina. "As if you didn't know that."
Belle was about to respond to her friend's typical snarky wit, when she heard Abby yell, "Mama! Lookit! Bees! Bzz! Bzz!"
Belle looked up.
"Dear gods!" she shrieked. "Abby! Run!"
For there was a swarm of bees headed right for her vulnerable child, buzzing angrily.
Abby scrambled to her feet at her mother's cry of horror, but even running she would have never reached the safety of the porch in time.
Regina reached out with a hand and gestured.
Abby was transported up to the veranda.
At the same time, Belle narrowed her eyes and used her empathic magic to feel fear at the bees, making them halt in midswarm. Her eyes glowing fiercely, Belle sent another wave of fear at them, causing them to back off and start flying away.
Regina went and hugged Abby, thinking that Mind Healer or not, Belle Gold was no pushover in the magic department. People always tended to forget that, since Mind Healer powers were not flashy or obvious. But Rumple had always warned his recruits to never underestimate a Mind Healer. Anyone who could feel fear at someone was a force to be reckoned with, and Belle could feel fear at an entire crowd of people if she wished.
All mages are dangerous, dearie, even the least trained apprentice. Because the magic responds to need and not always to will.
One of Rumple's sayings flashed through her head then, and she whispered, "Are you all right, Abby, darling?"
"Uh huh. Them bees were scary," Abby whimpered, and clutched Regina tight.
But only until Belle blinked, regained her focus, and then came to hug both her daughter and her friend as well. "Regina, thank you for saving her."
"I don't need to be thanked, Belle. You're family to me, and I always help my family."
Belle just prayed they could return the favor.
"You know that swarm wasn't natural. I've never seen bees swarm this late in the summer," she mused.
"I know," Regina said tightly. "My little sister's at it again." Then she thought, Gold, please, for the love of all that's holy, kick her ass to hell.
Page~*~*~*~Break
The three members of Magical Mayhem followed the tracking spell as far as they could that day through the forest. As the light waned, and Bae didn't want them traveling at night, because it was too easy for Zelena to set a trap for them or for them to get careless and trip and fall in a hole, they called a halt and set up camp.
Neither scout was surprised when Rumple pulled out trail rations as well as small portable camp tea pot and a tin of strong tea and honey.
"Always be prepared, that's Papa's motto," laughed Robin upon seeing it.
"There something wrong with that?" his father asked.
"No. Just saying."
As they sat around the small fire waiting for the tea kettle to boil, Bae said, "This reminds me of the times we used to go camping when we were kids. Remember?"
"I remember you put fleabane down my pants," his twin groused.
"So? You put a frog in my bed."
"I remember how I was nearly driven crazy," Rumple remarked wryly.
"Aww, c'mon, Papa, we weren't that bad!" Robin protested.
"True," Captain Gold nodded. "You were worse."
"Papa!" Both his sons groaned.
Captain Gold spread his hands, smirking impishly. "What?"
Bae pointed at his twin. "He started it half the time!"
"What? No way, you did," Robin protested.
"Like hell!"
"You did too!"
"How old are you?" Gold demanded. "Two or twenty-two?"
Both scouts looked ashamed.
"Thought so," their father said, thinking it still worked the way it used to—the Look of Doom.
Bae peered at his father. "Do you have any debriefing for us, sir?"
"Just be prepared for anything. And Henry is the priority. You do whatever you have to in order to get him home. I will not have a repeat of what happened last mission. Clear?"
The twins saluted smartly. "Yes, sir!"
"Whatever you have to," Gold stressed. "I don't care if you roast that bitch over a fire or shove a stake up her ass. She's no longer worthy of the consideration I'd show a dead dog. She's beyond the pale and has crossed the line. I know there was something fishy about her when I began questioning her in my office. She was very argumentative and also very evasive. And you two know how I can spot a liar in two seconds."
"We sure do," agreed Robin. Both of the twins had been accomplished liars as teenagers . . .except when it came to their father.
"I believe that she was working with Pan, or something close to it," Gold continued. "I don't have the proof yet, but my gut tells me that fire that wa set . . .maybe wasn't the accident we all thought it was."
Bae looked grim. "You think it was deliberate, Papa? But why?"
"What's meat and drink to a dark sorcerer, Bae?" Gold asked bluntly.
"The death of innocents," his son replied immediately.
"Exactly." His father nodded in approval. "There's always been something slightly . . .shady and a little crazy about Lieutenant Green. I know that a lot of us have checkered pasts and many of us could be classed as slightly crazy by normal people. But she seemed almost crazed by jealousy . . .and the need to be better than Captain Mills. And that's something that doesn't just develop overnight."
"You think she was planning this for a long time?" Robin clarified.
"I do," Rumple said. "Or planning something like this, to make Regina look incompetent. Only it didn't quite work out that way." He rubbed his eyes. "Just remember what I said. Henry's your first consideration. Not me. You get that boy out of her hands, because she might do to him what Pan did to those other hostages . . ." His eyes darkened with remembered pain.
"We know, Papa. We won't let her torture him," Robin reassured him.
"It's not just that . . . though that was horrible enough . . ." He shuddered as the blood drenched memories awoke . . .and he heard Pan's voice crow mockingly in his head.
"Ahh . . the taking of innocents . .their lives, their future, their virginity . . .how it fills me with joy and power! A power you'll never know, Gold, with all of your morals and values! In the end only one thing matters—power! And the sweetest power of all is one that is stolen from innocent youths!"
"You're a sick fuck!" Gold had spat, struggling to free himself of the magical chains that held him.
"Ahh, but I enjoy what I do!" Pan cackled. "Now, watch, oh savior of children, while I have some fun!"
A small boy of about ten was dragged into the room by Pan's shadow entities. The boy began to sob in terror.
Pan clucked to the child tenderly. "Oh, now don't cry. We're going to play a little game." He patted the boy gently, his hand lingering on the boy's bottom. He looked back at Gold, a diabolical smirk creasing his handsome features. "He's ripe. More power to me!"
The boy began to quiver. "Please . . .mister Pan . . .don't hurt me . . ."
"Hurt you? Why, I'd never do that," Pan crooned with false solicitousness. "I care for you very much, my lovely boy!"
"Pan, you sick fuck!" screamed Gold, pulling on his chains like a raging beast. "I'm going to cut your heart out with a spoon!"
Pan laughed chillingly. "Not today, Captain. Today you will merely watch."
He gestured and Gold was frozen in place, unable to even shut his eyes, forced to watch until the horror was seared into his brain, never to be forgotten . . .
"Papa? Papa!" called Bae, seeing his father's eyes darken and then go oddly blank. "Robin, I think . . .he's having a flashback."
"What can we do?" asked his twin worriedly.
"Nothing we can do . . .we're not Mind Healers like Mama, to go inside his head. I guess . . . we'll just have to wait it out."
"He's remembering something that happened on Skull Rock" Bae said through clenched teeth.
"Whatever the hell it is, it must be pretty bad."
"You can't imagine it unless you've been there," Gold said hoarsely. He blinked and was back in the here and now. "What was done to those poor kids . . . it's almost a blessing some of them died, may the gods forgive me. Because after what he did to some of them . . .they never would have been right again. He . . .took their innocence . . .and I watched it happen . . ."
His voice died to a raspy whisper, like sandpaper scratching across wood, and he turned and stared resolutely at the pine tree across from him, struggling to master the maelstrom inside of him. He couldn't fall apart here. Not now. It wasn't safe, and he was needed to rescue Henry. You can become a sniveling drooling wreck later, Gold. For now, focus.
But two tears glistened on his lashes, and made their way in an invisible glide down his cheeks.
His sons saw, and were heartbroken, for they had seen their father cry a bare handful of times in their lives, and they knew it took something horrifying to bring him to that point. They exchanged glances.
Then Bae realized what Rumple must have seen. And he shut his eyes and whispered, "Aww hell no, Papa!"
Then he reached out and put a hand on his father's shoulder.
He expected Gold to shrug it off.
Instead he brought his own hand up and squeezed his son's hand hard.
Robin came and put his other hand on Rumple's opposite shoulder, and Gold gripped it as well.
Their touch seemed to bring him a measure of comfort.
For long moments they remained so, bound together by love and family and a loyalty so strong that not even death would break it. And it was that which enabled the captain to throw off the deadly fugue of despair that had engulfed him, drawing strength from his beloved family, and his indomitable will reasserted itself.
Gold released his boys' hands and wiped his tears away unashamedly. He had work to do. "All right. The pity party's over. Who takes first watch?"
"I will," Robin volunteered. He needed to be alone to think about what he had just realized, for it hadn't quite sunk in, but he knew one thing—he never could have endured what his papa had. He would have snapped like deadwood in a chilling frost. And his respect and devotion to Captain Gold went up several notches.
"Papa, you want another cup of tea?" Bae asked.
"Sure. Then we need to get some shut eye," Rumple said, hoping he could sleep tonight without the aid of the potion.
"Right." Bae filled the kettle with water.
Finding out about part of what his father had endured on Neverland didn't make Bae feel anything like revulsion towards the other man. Instead he felt proud . . .proud and honored to serve beside him.
And he always would.
Captain Gold was a legend among the mage companies. Not just because of what he had accomplished. But because he had endured and survived things that would have crushed any other soldier.
There was no one Bae would rather have at his back than Rumplestiltskin Gold. Because he would make sure, if anyone could, that his men had the best chance to survive the mission assigned and come home. And that was priceless.
Page~*~*~*~Break
The next morning, the three broke camp with an easy efficiency which spoke of long familiarity. They were back on the trail as soon as they had breakfasted. The locator spell led them quite a long way through the forest, which all three men had expected. Robin even speculated that Zelena must have commandeered a ship to get to Neverland, and they were prepared to contact the Royal Navy again if necessary.
Until the scarf led them to the waterfall.
The Snowflake River that ran through the Enchanted Forest had its headwaters here, at this larger river, the Mystic. The Mystic was a huge river that flowed down from the northern mountains, frothing and churning and icy cold with the snowmelt.
The waterfall roared and thundered from the top of the headwaters and plunged down into the smaller river, making it bubble like a cauldron about to boil over. It was like a curtain of glass that couldn't break.
The three halted and gazed at the waterfall.
"Now what?" Robin frowned. "Is there some kind of passage behind the waterfall?"
"Not that I can see," Bae said, climbing upon a rock.
"Then why did the scarf lead us here?" frowned his twin.
Rumple was pondering something. Waterfalls were often a conduit for portal magic. Water conducted magical energy better than almost any other element, except earth. Could the waterfall be a portal?
He muttered a detect magic spell over it.
And he felt the sympathetic thrum of magic in return.
"Bae! Come here! This waterfall . . .it's got magical residue all over it. I think it was used as a portal conduit not long ago."
Bae jumped down. "Can it be reactivated?"
"Possibly. If we pay the right price," Rumple said.
"How do we figure that out?"
"We ask," Gold replied mysteriously. "Guardian of the mystic pool, I, Rumplestiltskin Gold, summon thee to ask a boon." He held his hands over the water and they glowed with blue light.
The water began to spin like a geyser and then it erupted high into the air. A being made almost entirely of flowing water emerged from it, shaped like a young woman with blue hair. "Who calls the Guardian of the Mystic?"
"I do. I wish to ask a boon of you," Gold said respectfully. Elementals such as this one were often unpredictable and coy and needed to be handled cautiously.
"Speak. But I cannot promise to answer."
"Recently another mage made a portal to a distant land using the waterfall. I want to know if I could reopen it and follow her through it."
The water nymph purred. "You could . . .if the price is right . . ." She looked at him speculatively.
"What is your price?"
"Something of great value . . .to one who loves you," the sly spirit replied.
Gold was flabbergasted. "The thing I love most?"
"Not you, sorcerer. One who loves you," laughed the Elemental. She tossed her head coyly. "Might you know what that is?"
"My wife . . .loves our daughter . . .and me . . ."
The undine glided to the edge of the river. "Indeed. But . . I am not so heartless as to demand your child, like some of my kind." She set her watery fingers upon Rumple's shoulders. He shivered at the icy feeling. "So . . . I shall play nice . . and only demand of you—a kiss."
"A kiss?"
"Yes. One kiss. On the mouth."
"Why not from me?" demanded Bae, knowing what it would cost his papa. "I'll give you a kiss."
"Me too," Robin offered, though he'd pray Marian and Emma never found out.
"No," the Elemental pouted. "He is the strongest, why should I settle for anything less. A kiss—magician! Or else you can find your own way to this land you seek!"
Rumple gnawed his lower lip. Time was of the essence. Or else he knew Zelena could sacrifice Henry. They couldn't afford to take the time to charter a ship to Neverland . . .and besides, who knew where Zelena was? He had to find the boy before something unspeakable happened to him.
A Gold never breaks his promise.
Feeling slightly ill, he said, "Very well. One kiss." Then he leaned in and kissed the undine, very swiftly, on the mouth.
It was like kissing a mountain stream. His lips went blue. He didn't know what the undine felt, if anything.
"Humph!" she snorted. "I've had better. But a bargain is a bargain."
She threw out a hand and the waterfall shimmered and shuddered and ran with rivulets of rainbow light. "Your portal, magician!"
Rumple stepped through the portal unhesitatingly. "Much thanks, Guardian!" he called.
Then he turned around to speak to his sons when they came through. Only to find the portal was vanished. And he was alone again on the one place he had sworn never to return to.
Neverland.
Panicked, he spun around and began beating upon the rock that was there on the beach. "Open! Open dammit!"
He flung his hands out and tried to call back the magic of the portal, but the portal was no longer active from this side.
It was gone, and he was trapped. The portal was gone.
And above him loomed the shadow of Skull Rock, half burnt away, but the remaining portion still cast a long shadow. Trembling violently, he crumpled to the ground, whimpering.
Being here was my undoing last time. I can't face this again!
All of his resolve crumbled and he felt himself flung into a dark abyss, drowning in fear, regret, and darkness. Once again he was a prisoner, only this time there was no one to rescue him.