CHAPTER 28: TOGETHER
"Rummy…" I blinked out of my daze before slapping him.
His mouth dropped open and he stared at me with wide eyes. "What was that for?" he asked as if he didn't already know.
"That was for suspending me in some time lock!" I exclaimed and slapped him, again. "That was for leaving me alone, AGAIN! And this – " Before I could hit him again, he caught my wrist.
"Anna, I'm sorry," he apologised without sounding a single bit apologetic. "I just wanted to make sure I have everything planned out."
"Everything?!" I huffed. "You never even gave me a chance to tell you that Bae isn't even here! I saw him in Neverland before that bloody pirate took me away!"
His eyes darkened when I mentioned the land where no children ever grew up. "Don't worry. I know he's here. Do you think I've been sitting in the pawn shop, twiddling my thumbs the entire time?"
"How?" I asked with a frown. Suddenly, a thought hit me and I was grasping at something that should be around my neck, but wasn't. "Bae's scarf!" How could I have lost it? Rumple was going to kill me!
"No need to worry," Rumple assured me. "The scarf appeared with you and I have it safely stored away, now."
"So why exactly did I have to come after everyone left?"
"For the scarf, of course!"
"What?!" I couldn't believe it. "You made me live like a lunatic when you could've just gotten the scarf yourself? I thought you had some other plans for me!"
He smiled. "Regina would've taken it away. Besides, you were my ticket to making sure that I can find my son here."
I still didn't understand. "How?"
"Nevermind that." He took my hand and began to lead me away from the well. "There are other things to deal with now that everyone have their memories back and magic is being restored as it should be."
It was weird hearing him say that. I would've thought that Baelfire would always come first, but maybe he was still scheming something. I've given up trying to understand. It was as if he was always working at a different wavelength to everyone else.
We weaved through the trees as if it was just a casual stroll in the park instead of the entire town having its curse lifted and billowing purple smoke slowly making its way over. "Now, all we have to do is wait for the magic to spread throughout the town."
"And how long is that going to take?" It wasn't as if everyone got along in town. Everyone had regained their memories, meaning all the enmity was returned. I could just imagine what Regina was going to do to Snow White, especially once magic returns.
"Anna." He suddenly stopped. "I meant what I said back then."
I tilted my head. "What are you talking about?"
He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," he repeated. "I missed you. I know I'm not perfect, but I try. I just want you to know that you… mean a lot to me."
I smiled. I didn't know how long I had been waiting for this. "You mean a lot to me, too. I wish you didn't have to go behind my back to do all this. I could've helped you – by your side as a partner or… well, instead of just your sidekick. I missed Bae too and I would've done anything to help you find him." I tugged at his hand to start walking, again.
"I saw him in Neverland. He looked healthy, but sad. I'm pretty sure it's because he misses you." I entwined my fingers with his.
Rumple wasn't happy that his son was in Neverland, or even the idea of that place where no one grows up. "That… Pan better not have done anything to him," he growled, his eyes darkening with anger.
I shook my head. "I know he won't. Pan won't harm him and I know Felix will also protect him for me." I found myself longing to see those boys, again.
"Pan doesn't keep his promises. You don't know him like I do." His hand tightened uncomfortably around mine.
"I know Bae will be fine in their hands," I tried to reassure him, again.
"What exactly is your relationship with him," he growled, narrowing his eyes at me. A deep frown marred his features.
"I…" My eyes shifted away. "I think we had some kind of history together before I even met you, but I don't really remember much about it. I think something else is suppressing my memories."
He lifted an eyebrow at me and it immediately reminded me of his father's habit. I still found it hard to wrap my mind around their familial relationship. Perhaps if it had been the other way around, it wouldn't be so hard to imagine. "We may have been slightly… romantically involved," I quietly confessed.
He abruptly froze and a look of utter shock was on his face. "Pan… You… What?!"
I flushed. "I wasn't exactly… You had just…" I stuttered before clamping my lips shut.
What was I to even say to him? Pan was different to me. I knew that he had a ruthless side, but not once had he done anything to make me lose my faith in him. I did, however, understand Rumple's ire. Pan had abandoned him when he was still very young. He was traded for eternal youth.
I didn't know what to think knowing that I had been – and quite possibly – still in… love with both of them. What had I gotten myself into?
When I didn't respond, he didn't say anything more, nor did he stop his hastened pace even though I could tell that his leg was hurting him. "Rummy, I'm sorry! Please! It's nto as if you hadn't had your fancies elsewhere while I was away!"
That was when he, once again, stop abruptly. "But the person I was with wasn't your father who abandoned you!" he snarled.
I looked down. "I didn't know. You never told me anything about Pan. It took me years for him to even tell me!" I huffed, glaring up at him. 'Honestly, the two of you are more alike than you'd ever admit!"
"I am nothing like him! I would never abandon my son!"
I bit my lips to keep from retorting. He did lose Baelfire, only in a different way. Of course, I wasn't going to point that out to him because of how devastated he ended up being. Like Pan chose eternal youth over his son. Rumple chose his power over Bae.
We made it back to the town square where many of the people were congregated, hugging each other and shouting loudly at the new found memories. Some, however, were frightened at the dark cloud that was approaching them.
"You!" Regina stomped over. "You knew this was going to happen, all along!"
Mary Margaret and David also rushed over with worry in their eyes, but there was no hiding the joy they had of finding each other, again.
"Hello, Regina," Gold calmly greeted her.
"Don't hello me, Rumplestiltskin," she snarled. "They were never meant to regain their memories! This is my town and no one is going to take it away from me!"
He merely smiled at her. "Well, I think everyone else disagrees with you."
A small angry of townspeople were slowly closing in on her. Before they could do any damage, she teleported away with a cry of outrage at the mutiny.
"Rosalie!" I heard a familiar shout.
I saw Graham approach me with a brunette in his arms. Her head was resting on his shoulder, but her doe-like eyes were staring straight at Rumple.
I knew exactly who she was.
"Anna…" Graham was in front of me when he gently placed the other woman on to her feet. "I'm sorry for what I had done. I never intended for any of this to happen."
I gave him a small smile. True that I still felt hurt by the betrayal, but it was also my fault for trusting a stranger so quickly. "I know. Regina had your heart. I just wished that you could have told me. Maybe we could've done something about it."
He looked deflated at my reply. I wished that I could give him the affection that he deserved, but that ship had long since sailed.
"Rumple…"
I looked over to the other pair who seemed to be stunned by each other's presence.
"Belle…"
Belle took a step towards him and was about to fall into his arms, but he held her up by her arms. "Rumple, I've missed you so much. I'm sorry for running off. I know that it's taking me a long time to accept that you're the Dark One, but I do lo – "
"Belle, I don't love you," he interrupted her. "What we had wasn't true love."
"But your skin began to change. I saw it! When I kissed you, the curse was going to be lifted. If you'd only allow me a second chance…" Belle was looking at him with wide, watery eyes, as she desperately pleaded him.
I didn't like what I was hearing. The fiery head of my inner demon wanted nothing more than to push the other woman away from him.
"You wanted to change who I am. That is not true love," he corrected her. "I am the Dark One and the Dark One is me. You can't have one without the other."
"But Rumple…"
Her insistence was leaving a bitter note on my tongue. "I think what you want to do is try to fix him, but there's nothing to be fixed. He is perfect the way he is," I told her, glaring as she questioned who I was.
"I'm sorry, Belle. What you think we have is exactly that. All a figment of your imagination. Now, why don't you go back to your… knight in shining armour." He nodded his head to Graham who was watching with wide, puzzled eyes. "He's probably more your type."
"Come, dearie." Rumple pulled me away from the two bewildered duo and into the pawn shop. When we were inside, he plucked a strand of hair from my head.
"Ow!" I glared at him.
"Compensation for earlier. You'll be making it up for a very long time," he told me, while punching some numbers into a safe behind one of the paintings. "Bae's scarf. Now that I have my magic back, we'll be – well… I'll – be able to put a locator spell on it and find him."
I didn't like how he was still taking jabs at my lack of talent in regards to magic. It wasn't exactly my fault that I didn't have a magic dagger making me the all-powerful Dark One.
"What is going on between you and… Belle?" I asked him, unhappy that he still hadn't told me about his very obvious relationship with the other young woman, while I had already confessed about Pan.
He let out a deep breath and turned towards me. "Nothing is going on between Belle and I, Anna."
I wanted to believe him, but how could I? "No? Because she seemed to think that she's your true love and wants another kiss from you."
"Well, she is wrong, isn't she? Because she isn't my true love. You know very well who that is. Don't allow her delusions to come in between us, Anna, because I'm willing to overlook what you had with Pan. They're both in the past and they will remain in the past." The way his eyes hardened told me that he really wanted nothing to do with either of them.
I decided to let it go for now, but if that pretty brunette thought of laying her claws into him at anytime, she'd have another thing coming.
For now, however, there was something else that had been nagging at the back of my mind for a while and I needed it out. "Rummy, what did Regina give up for the curse back in the Enchanted Forest?"
Rumple pursed his lips. "Does it really matter, after the fact? She had already cast the curse and now it's been broken."
"It does matter because she's probably going to do something foolish again and lose whatever she has left!" I exclaimed. Would Regina go as far as to sacrifice Henry?
"The curse requires the caster to take the heart of the one she loves most," he deadpanned, waiting patiently for my reaction.
"But Daniel's dead," I whispered. "She told me."
"Well, love comes in many forms."
I knew that she didn't love her mother, so the only other person would be… "Her father? She killed her father for this? And to accomplish what exactly? To exact revenge on Snow White because the young girl had told a secret? What sense did it make that once she lost her true love, she'd go and sacrifice her father as well?" The Regina I knew would never do that, but Cora? I wouldn't put it past that witch. How far had Regina fallen while I was gone?
"Her father and her favourite stallion, but that was her fault. Who told her to use a horse's heart?" he told me with a snort.
I bit my lips. "And you? Who would you have had to sacrifice? Baelfire? Is that why you couldn't do it?"
He looked at me with dark eyes. "Even I know true love that's not familial."
My heart quickened. Did he mean what I thought he meant? "Rummy, you know I'd do anything to reunite the two of you, again."
"I know you will, but I don't know if I'm willing to give you up for anything."
I stared into his eyes before shutting them as his lips fell upon mine. It was as if our connection had created magic out of nothing. The air around us hummed and I could feel the gentle caress along my skin.
"I love you, Rummy," I whispered when we finally broke apart.
His hand rested on my cheek and wiped the tears in my eyes. I didn't even realise that I was crying, but whatever I was feeling was overwhelming. "I love you, too, Anna."
I let out a watery laugh. It had only taken us decades for this to happen.
"And I'm not going to let you go," he said, his hands on me tightened.
"I don't ever want to go."
…
I fell asleep in his arms that night and woke up still comfortably enveloped in his embrace. I couldn't recall the last time that I felt so well rested.
"Good morning, dearie," he whispered.
I shyly pecked him on the lips.
He ran his hand down the side of my body, leaving a trail of goose pimples on my naked flesh.
"It seems that both Ms. Swan and her mother had gotten themselves transported to the Enchanted Forest," he told me.
"How did you know?" I frowned at the sudden news.
"There was quite a ruckus when the false prince rudely burst through the doors last night. I'm surprised that it hadn't woken you up."
"I… I must've been really tired." How odd. I was typically a very light sleeper. I must've been more exhausted than I thought.
Rumple hummed before slowly getting up. "Time to open shop, again. Everyone may have regained their memories, but there is still business to be done."
"You mean your deals?" I raised a knowing eyebrow at him. I didn't actually have a qualm with them. If people were foolish enough to bind themselves to a contract without reading the fine prints, then that's their fault. It only irked me when he got my friends involved.
…
Gold flipped his store sign to 'Open.' Last night had been very eventful after Anna had fallen asleep. He placed a small spell on her to keep her unconscious and summoned a wraith to get rid of Regina. How annoying that the two goody two shoes had interfered, but that was fine. Besides, with their luck, they'd come back completely unharmed. Right now, he had to concentrate on making the locator spell for Baelfire and ensuring that Anna didn't find out what he wanted to do. He was certain that she wouldn't be happy that he had tried to get of her friend, despite the fact that Regina had done nothing but hurt her.
He suppressed the feeling of his own guilt down. She was never going to be hurt again if he could help it, even if it meant keeping secrets from her.
"What can I do for you, Sheriff?" David had stormed in with a look of determination on his face.
After Emma had disappeared, he had appointed himself as Sheriff and Regina made some silly vow to never do magic, again, for Henry. Gold was absolutely incredulous at the notion.
She'd have an easier time chopping off her own limbs than swearing off magic forever. He'd give her three weeks at best, but even that was probably overestimating her.
"I need to know where my family is," he demanded.
Gold raised his eyebrow at him. "Well, they're in the Enchanted Forest. What makes you think I'll be able to pin point them from here?"
David glared at the imp. "I know you can do it."
"Well, perhaps…" He wondered how far he'd go to find them. "It depends on what you are willing to pay."
"I know that Henry can contact Aurora in his sleep. Why is that?"
Gold gathered that it must've been the cursed sleep that connected the two, which meant that Snow White would also be able to communicate with the young boy.
"I'd do anything to get them back. Just let me be the one to talk to Snow. Henry has burn marks all over his arms and I don't want anything worse to happen to them," he declared. "Please, Gold. I'd do anything."
"That's good." A grin stretched across his face. "Because you know that all magic has its price."
Of course, David knew this. It wasn't the first time that they had a deal together.
"Here." Gold extended a bright red apple to David. "Just one bite and it will put you into a cursed sleep. From there, I believe you know what to do."
He quickly shoved out the prince after the deal was made and went back upstairs to where Anna was still peacefully slumbering. As quietly as possible, he slipped beneath the covers and cradled her body against his.
Being in Storybrooke without Emma, Mary Margaret, and Regina causing a fuss was odd. Our newly self-appointed sheriff had also volunteered himself to be put under the sleeping curse in an attempt to contact his wife. It all sounded very farfetched, but with what I've seen and experienced, it didn't surprise me as much as it would before. The only thing I wondered about was how Charming cursed himself. Since hearing about Regina's vow of never using magic again, I could only imagine Rumple being the only one who could manage it. When I asked him, however, he was as vague as usual with absolutely no intention to give me a real answer.
I couldn't say that it even surprised me at all. I knew what I was getting into when I decided to be with him. Besides, this was voluntary and for a good cause.
I can my hand down his pale body. Since regaining my memories, it was odd seeing him in human flesh. I was so used to the luminescent sheen to his dark tone. It had almost been scale-like, btu soft to the touch.
"I love you," I murmured as I placed a soft kiss on his shoulder.
He let out a deep breath and returned the kiss. "Love you, too, dearie."
AUTHOR'S NOTE
And there it is! The end of this part of the story! I decided not to be mean and end it in a cliff-hanger of any sort as I usually do in my stories (when I could finish them).
I have a few questions regarding how I should proceed.
Do you prefer first person or third person point of view? I know I switched it once I started the flashbacks.
Do you prefer it that I call him Gold or Rumple when it's in the description/narration. Right now I've been using both. Rumple when it is in Anna's point of view and Gold at every other time.
I think I might pair Graham with Belle. How many of you would object to that? If I do it, will you stop reading? It won't be an integral part of the story. I might only mention it a couple of times if it does happen. My focal point is still Anna and Rumple.
If I decide to put the sequel up as a new story, what should the title be?
I'd like to thank calh, Lady Jensen, BrownEyedDreamr, Shiko-Rae, The mad wolf, TwoHeartedMarauder, KilalaInara, and guest (Guest) for reviewing!
I'd also like to thank everyone who has favourited and followed this story.
You don't know how much all of you mean to me. I can't believe how many loyal reviewers I've garnered over the course of this story. Each and every one of you have motivated me to finish this story.
This is the final score for the polling:
Love interest poll:
1.) Graham = 108
2.) Peter Pan = 8
3.) Rummy = 137
Currently, I'm fervently writing for my Walking Dead and American Horror Story, so if any of you are interested in either, I'd love to see you guys there.
Once I have the first chapter of the sequel up to this story, I will post the update here to alert you.
If you have any questions, please feel free to drop it in the review and I will either post the reply in the update or PM you.
Lastly, I'd like to just take this little spot here to write a blurb about all the tragedies that had occurred the past weekend. Christina Grimmie, R.I.P. I love making music covers myself and to see someone I had looked up to and watched for so long on Youtube to just be murdered like that is absolutely heartbreaking. After the entire thing with her mum battling cancer, but Christina being the one to die first… She had done nothing but try her hardest to be her best, whether it's to help her family or entertain her fans or just be a wonderful person in general. She had so much talent and even more potential to reach. No one had the right to take that away from her and for him to just kill himself right after. I feel like there's no closure to her death. My heart goes out to all her family, friends, and fellow fans.
Secondly, the shooting at the Orlando nightclub was absolutely horrific. I can't imagine being in a dark, enclosed space with panic all around. People shouldn't die for being who they are without harming anyone. There has always been a saying that we can't choose who we love, so why would gender suddenly come into play here? For so many people to die like that… I know there has been a lot of talk regarding religion, I believe there're always two extreme ends to any spectrum. Some people are kind and caring to a fault, while others have a mentality that if they don't like something, they will purge the world of it. Despite saying all this, I'm not here to start a religious debate. I don't want to see any of those comments later on at any point.
I just hope that everyone will spend more time with their love ones now and cherish every second of it.
Thank you again for being such wonderful readers!
