A/N: Whoa, what a week and it aint even half over yet! Been kind of distracted lately, guys and gals, really, really difficult to sit down and do this one. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing! Cookies for all!
~8~8~
"Well, well if it aint me old pal, Rumpelstiltskin." Captain Hook huffed in a low rumbling chuckle as the Dark One appeared inside the old bar located near the Storybrooke cannery.
The filthy rats nest of a tavern was run down old joint where most of the burly rough and tumble workers in the cannery spent their nights carousing and drinking their low pay away while grousing over life's ills and the sordid fates they'd been dealt.
Of course, after the curse had been broken, most woke up from their magical induced hazed memories to remember who they truly were - Hook's crew. The murderous brigands of the Jolly Roger were the surliest, thick skinned ruffians that had terrorized the seas in Neverland and beyond, making the grouchy Leroy look like a bright and chipper housewife compared to their savagery.
Dim light illuminated the grubby, tarnished pub showing old fishing gear of rotted corded nets, fishing poles, bobbers, and harpoon all centuries of years old stashed and cluttered in cobwebbed corners and covered in a thick grayish grime.
A heavy, smoky haze rose to the rafters of the establishment in a wreath of odorous, rank fumes that caused people, who weren't regulars, to break into harsh coughing fits with the vapors painfully plummeting down their lungs and attacking their airway with its acrid stench.
Even in the scant tarnished light slanting through the grime caked windows and filtering through the open door, the notorious captain could make out another figure trailing close behind the calm Dark One.
A weasel like grin snaked upon his features as emitted another quiet laugh. "Brought the missus along too I see." He flourished his polished hooked extremity in mock greeting towards the wary, yet brave beauty exuding as much calm and control as the magical beast protectively in front of her.
"Certainly has been a long time." The Dark One concurred dryly in a tone that dispelled any notion of false pleasantries and also to draw attention away from his Belle.
With him back on the scent of his lost son, even if it was merely a shot in the dark, Rumpelstiltskin had no inclination to prattle on with veiled words or implied threat. No, better to get down to business then leave the wretched dung hole without a hint of filth staining his precious Belle.
The pair drew up two mismatched chairs to the rickety round galley table where the pirate captain had been enjoying an old bottle of tequila. A well used shot glass sat in hands reach of the lazily grinning, mustached man that radiated a form of conning trust. By the looks of the opaque liquid shimmering to about the middle, and the streaks of red in the whites of his eyes, he had been about his heavy drinking with a fierce gusto.
Pouring a fair amount into his dirty shot glass, the wicked captain made a deferential salutation towards them both before throwing it back. Smacking his lips in satisfaction he let the fiery sting blaze down his throat.
"That it has." Hook concurred with a smile. For a moment the oily grin dissipated from his features as he stared at the hook upon the stump of his hand. "That it has." He murmured lowly.
"How do you two know one another?" Belle blurted suddenly; unable to keep her curiosity at bay. How her love appeared to have dealt with everyone in town at some point had always sparked an inferno of questions which she was always hard pressed to restrain.
The pirate captain allowed a small smirk. "The way everyone knows him, miss. Deals, bargains, trades, the usual things people come to the Dark One for. I used to run goods for him he could never get in Neverland. It was a cozy deal; he got a few plants and water and I got…well looking back, I never really got what I wanted." A look of self deprecation and regret bloomed sorrowfully upon his grizzled features, but vanished as he regained his sinister smirk. "Oh, but you couldn't be here with your girl simply to yawn on about old times, Rumpel, what's it you really want now?"
"I want to know if you ever remember running into a young brown haired boy about 13 while you were terrorizing the high seas in Neverland." Gold dove in simply; not wasting his time with the painful blow the words would deal to the captain. There was no time to waste, as every moment could draw him closer to his son.
Hook visibly stiffened as though the businessman had struck him dead in the face with his gold handled cane. "Never thought you one to pick at a mans wounds, Gold." The pirate groused dourly as he twirled the shot glass with his hook. Forgoing the grimy glass he pulled a long draught from the bottle before continuing. "You know my history."
"I'm not referring to Pan." The Dark One clarified with a smirk at the pain lashing across Hook's weathered face. "He had a band of lost boys. If memories serves, they had a penchant to foil a murderous man and his crew at every plot they dared form."
Abruptly, the pirate captain slammed the solid silver hook that had given him his notorious moniker down viciously upon the table unsteady table. The tip dug barbarically into the old rough, wood, showing just what it could easily do to flesh if he had a mind.
His face was a reddened mask of enraged scarlet. "Don't you be reminding me of them miscreants, Gold. I remember them well enough. I a' member how they constantly made me a laughing stock in Neverland with their wily tricks. " He snarled furiously; still seething over injustices done to him a life time ago.
The Dark One grinned, nonplused by the pirates savagery. From the corner of his eye he could see Belle staring intently at the infamous captain of the Jolly Roger. "Good, if you can recall them so well, maybe you can tell me more about them."
"A bunch of riff raff and rabble they was." Hook cursed vehemently, his gray eyes flashing with the fires of hate. "Short ones, tallish ones, and Pan's right hand man a kid with a mop of dark brown hair. Barney, Barry, some sort of odd name and some such."
"Baelfire?" Blurted the Dark One, his nerves bristling with excitement.
Part of him always scolded himself for throwing his normal tact to the wind when it came to the very name of his son, but it couldn't be helped, not when he had been so long without his boy and now there was a faint invariable trace of him in a link he had never considered.
The pirate nodded and sagely tugged at his chin in thought. "Eh could have…" He paused suddenly, his hooked appendage deftly and craftily twirled his dark curled mustache. "What's so important about the lad, huh?"
"Hook." Rum growled in warning, his voice promising pain and death. Magic flared violently to his curled hand, ready to be aimed in Hook's direction should he be so foolish as to deny him answers.
Did that moron of a brigand know exactly who he was dealing with and the important information he possessed? For even a scrap of information concerning his son Rum would have peeled the pirates flesh from his bones if it would have elicited an answer to his inquiries.
The weathered captain shook his head in mock sorrow; enjoying the magical beasts distress. His silvered hook toyed with the cap to the tequila, making it spin upon its edge as he dared deny the Dark One what he sought. "Nah, I reckon I've said to much as it is. Can't have Regina thinking I'm watching out for me own back instead of just playing to her tune. Seems like she's controlling everyone these days." Suddenly he swiveled his head from the Dark One to Belle, the same knowing grin upon his alcohol stained lips as he offered her a sly wink. "Aint that right, miss?"
Perhaps it was the drunkenness that fueled his foolish choices, or mayhap it was an action born of stung pride bringing up anything of Pan and his constantly foiled crew. Whatever the reason, the pirate extended his hook out towards Belle, a sinister smile pinioned up his features.
The clawed extremity never got half way before Rumpelstiltskin met the silver with the gold tip of his cane; expertly interlocking and blocking Hook from progressing further.
A loud clack sonorously chimed throughout the foul bar as the two remained locked hook and cane.
The smoky air was nearly palpable as the Dark One stared fiercely into the captains gray eyes as though daring him to try and free his hook and try again. All he needed was one thought of a threat to his Belle, and the pirate would be nothing more than a scarlet grease stain on the already disgusting floor.
Rumpelstiltskin's lips were curled back into a feral, untamed snarl as he wrenched at the glistening hook harder. "You will tell me all you know or so help me I will take your other hand and see if that croc enjoys it as much as the one Pan cut off."
"Rum." Belle piped tenderly up for the first time since her unexpected query. Her voice was akin to a cool breeze on a sweltering summer's noon, taking his flickering flame of anger and blowing it out.
Rage the magical fiend felt stirring within settled into an uncomfortable simmer as her voice broke through the haze of desperation and fury. He felt his cane sliding slowly away from the pirate involuntarily, Belle's tone softly gliding through his ears to quell the infuriation.
"Much obliged, miss." Hook made a salting, rather relieved gesture to the beauty. Though the pirate tried to remain cool, the driblets of profuse sweat about his neck spoke otherwise of clashing idiotically with the Dark One.
The vile pirate captain smirked cockily to the magical beast. "I see your girl friend has you on a tight leash. Rumpelstiltskin I used to know would have blasted me half way to kingdom come by now."
"I still will if you don't tell me what you know." Rum snapped.
"He doesn't know anything." The chestnut haired beauty concluded; her gaze stapled to the captain as though she could see right through him. She had always held a knack of perception. "You were a captain, you hate being under Regina's heel. If you knew anything you would cut a deal at this moment to be free of her."
Captain Hook stared hard at the brilliant beauty who never backed down one inch from his stern, ruthless gaze. Long, tenuous moments passed before the pirate broke into an amused and defeated grin. "Clever girl." He commended as he took another swig of the alcohol and nodded to Rumpel. "She's right you know. If I could cut a deal for any information I would."
"So why string us along at all." The Dark One snarled dangerously, desperation hint the borders of his feral growl. "I'd have better things to do than sit in your pig sty of a bar and listen to your drunken ramblings."
Hook chuckled dryly and licked his lips. "Just an old sailor looking for something in his past to recall."
The pirate gazed sternly into the green bottle glass that sat before him as though it housed some image that only he could see. His brow knit in hard lines of deep pondering as a grimace formed upon his features. " Surely you can feel it like all of us can; like your girl there can, I reckon. We're getting tired of this world, Rumpelstiltskin. All of us, the good and the bad; we want to go home. Don't get me wrong, this world is nice with its strange magic they call technology and all, but aint home. It will never be home. More are starting to abandon Regina the more homesick they feel." A mirthless chuckle fell despondently from his lips as he sunk into his seat. "You know, we all wanted power, many still do. We just…well, we just want to go home more now."
"So you allowed a meeting just to give me a heads up on the turning tide." Rum snorted derisively; his timbre cutting and calloused.
He already knew as such. The tie to their true world was strong; it funneled through their very blood. While the curse had transported them here, and swiped their memories clean, it could never strip the longing for home that tethered them to their other realm. It called to their very bones to return from whence they had come.
"Dammit, you filthy toad fleshed imp, we just want you to end it already!" The captain roared revelatory as he slammed the bottle down. Alcohol sprayed sloshed in every direction upon the rickety table, coating it in a clear liquid that swilled with the dirt and grime. "We all know you can, you just won't for any of your own reasons, you selfish, arrogant, beastly monster!"
This time, at the outburst, Belle couldn't stop the Dark One in time for his angered reaction towards the pirate.
Crack!
The gold handled cane made direct contact with the side of Hook's skull like a baton smashing against a gong. A strange disconcerting noise squeaked from the captain's lips as he swayed unsteadily in his chair.
For many it would have spelled a quick demise of a broke skull, but fortunately Hook had a thick skull that never seemed to let anything pass through; least of all common sense.
With out a sound he plummeted to the floor in an unconscious heap.
"Come Belle." Rum requested gently to the beauty who had her hands over her mouth at the horror and rapid savagery she had witnessed.
Silently she rose, but not without casting a terrified glance her loves way. "You didn't have to do that." She observed mildly, some what cowed by the act of barbarism he displayed. She hated it when he acted so…beastly.
"And ruin my sterling reputation." He attempted a slight quip that fell flat.
A part of him wished Belle hadn't been insistent to come along to broach Hook about Pan's gang and perchance his son. He could get so much more done when she wasn't soothing his rankled ire and gently reminding him of his humanity.
A man was more inclined to tell him everything he knew when he was beating him senseless than when he was taking them for a round of twenty questions that led to nowhere.
In truth, it was easy to be the snapping, snarling beast of old who abused his powers ruthlessly upon those that crossed him, than the man he wanted Belle to see and the man he desired to be.
It was his reputation, the beastliness and sheer ruthlessness, Belle admitted sadly to herself. Her love had a disturbing knack for a feral manner unequaled to that of even the most ferocious of rabid animals. It was something branded upon him, something she feared would be nigh impossible for him to erase or her to fully tame.
Sliding her arm into his, she laid her head upon his shoulder and sighed as though reading every thought he had. "I came with you for precisely this purpose of keeping you settled. Believe me, I know you desire to have your son back at any price, but at the cost of you losing everything you've learned?"
Where was the progress in that if once he had his son they were back to square one?
A ponderous sigh fell dourly past his lips skewed in something half between a grimace and a sneer. Rum leaned in closer to his true love as he deeply breath in the scent of her honeysuckle shampoo still lingering faintly upon her thick dark amber tresses.
"Forgive me, my love." He whispered somberly ingeniously changing the subject.
Her brow knit with a hint of alarm migled liberally with curiosity as her thoughts about his barbarity slipped wholly from her mind. That had been more than an odd statement. What had he to apologize for; what crime had he committed to beg her forgiveness?
A pit of terror pooled in her gut, but she swallowed back the fear bravely. "What is it I shall need to forgive?"
While she hadn't approved of him smashing his cane across the pirates head, to say she was displeased with the action would have been a flagrant lie on her part.
"Sullying your reputation, putting a mark of shame upon you with your association to me, and fraternizing with you have all marred upon you a sigil of scorn. My foulness has bled into you as far as others are concerned, branding you as the beasts cohort. For making your life more difficult than it already was." His wiry fingers slowly entwined with hers as he squeezed lovingly. "For staining your alabaster purity with my malignant darkness. For that I am sorry."
Belle crinkled her nose in a way that always made a smile bloom upon the Dark One's face. "If that's all, you have absolutely nothing to be sorry over, beloved."
She didn't care what others thought of them. Yes, he could be wild and feral and barbaric, and he could be rather beastly, but no matter who tried to judge them, her love would never fade from her Rum.
Rumpelstiltskin forced a smile towards his love as they meandered back to their home of pink. If only he really believed that.
~8~8~
A dark sneer stabbed upon Regina's pallid lips as she sat staring into the orange-red space on her fireplace warm glow; her mind lost in thoughts and ponderings. Heat buffeted her smooth face like the heat of her fury in a physical manifestation.
Her magic laced fingers steadily drummed a slow beat against the upholstered armrest of her chair while she sipped a glass of her famous apple brandy sparingly. Once a delectable alcohol, now tasted of ash and bile in her mouth. It's flavor was now tinged with the swill of set backs and unexpected plans barring the way to her complete and utter triumph.
In less than a day, Mr. Gold's little trollop had managed to escape, burn half her home and ferry her son away with her flawlessly like some master thief and deposit him to his mother! Despite that fact, no one in the rebellion attempted to hide, she knew very little else of their plotting and plans. These were times she wished she still had her dwarven spy relating their doings, and yet now even he had been pulled from her rapidly dwindling arsenal.
And all thanks to that one little slave girl putting dents in her carefully crafted schemes. That, in any regard could not be allowed. The girl would pay for all she had done in due time. She would pay a thousand times over for every transgression against the ultimate ruler she sought to undermine.
Of course she had the one precious thing Belle had, but it wasn't enough, not yet. That last resort, that tool was only for the direst of circumstances, which she feared was fast approaching. Hook had already drawn out with his useless crew, being just one of many who were steadily abandoning her.
But that didn't matter, none of it would matter soon when she was finally, undeniably in place as ruler for all eternity in the misbegotten little town of Storybrooke.
Her hard, teal eyes fell to a medium sized dark mahogany box resting by her chair. It was a rather bland looking container, with a few crafted crests along its gold trimmed sides. At some point, it might have even been a small girl's jewelry box.
A sinister grin curled upon her glossy ruby lips as her finger tips lightly patted the top of the box with satisfaction. To have such a weapon that would bring the Dark One to her very bidding was a comfort indeed to have so close.
Those who had abandoned her with those who sought to defy her would pay, she promised remorselessly under her breath. Yes, all would suffer soon, so very, very soon.