Chapter 38

Welcome Home

Gold couldn't help but smile as he looked at Elizabeth's precious, happy reflection in the rear view mirror of his Cadillac. She was indeed happy...happier than she had been in a long time. And the same was true for him. Gold's genuine smile was rare…something that many would argue that this was the first time that he had sported that smile. Elizabeth was thrilled in looking at everything all around her, the fantastic views of this new modern world thrilling her with every new sensation. She couldn't see that much due to her eyesight being weak from years of hunger and being trapped inside that dim room. But what she could see though, was thrilling her. And so, as curious as her mother, she started to ask him all sorts of questions, especially about the car. He had explained it to her as simply as he could. "Oh? This is a car, baby girl, it's sort of like a horseless carriage…" Due to Elizabeth's mind still being in terms of the enchanted forest, he had to explain things to her in those specific terms. She was wide eyed at this and then he chuckled at her reaction. He had to do everything he could to keep his eyes on the road, for Elizabeth just looked so precious nestled in her car seat and half asleep, the pacifier that he had gotten her already in her mouth. As peaceful and as wonderful as this moment was, there were still things that worried him about this. He was concerned that he wouldn't remember how to take care of Elizabeth after all these years. After all, Eli Gold never had to take care of a baby, but there was still enough memories inside of him and his old self to whisper to him what to do. After all, how was he going to distinguish her cries? How was he going to know whether she was hungry, needed to be changed, or just needed his affection? He wouldn't remember what certain crying meant now, after all these years of having no one to care for. How was he, the mean old man of the town who had never thought of anyone in terms of love but in terms of rent, going to keep this tiny little life that he now would hold in his hands alive? He told himself to snap out of it and let instinct guide him as he did so many years ago when he first started to take Elizabeth into his care. However, it wouldn't be that simple without magic anymore. Regardless of all these little obstacles, he would overcome them and make Elizabeth happy, giving her the life that she had deserved. As they finally pulled up to the mansion, the thrilled smile on her face couldn't be mistaken. She couldn't see much, but by what she could tell, the house was the biggest on the street. It was a beautiful Victorian home, sporting a soft Rose color and stained glass windows. Much like his castle, it put every other dwelling in the area to shame. As he pulled into the driveway and put the car into park, he smiled and reached behind, touching and rubbing Elizabeth's little hand. "We're home baby girl…" he cooed, getting out of the car to go get her out of the backseat. "H…home…" her weak little voice chimed in, a content smile spreading across her pale face. After all of these years she was coming home. This mansion was beautiful, but even a shack would be fine for her if she could live with him in it. That's all she ever wanted: was to be at home with him. She looked all around her as he opened the door and unbuckled her, but there was only one place where she could be focused: his eyes. She kept eye contact with him while he was unbuckling her, earning her a kiss on the forehead. "That's right lovey, we're home." He then picked the little thing up into his arms, hobbling as he carried her up to the door. Getting the door unlocked was interesting, to say the least. He held Elizabeth on his hip and unlocked the door with that hand, leaning on his cane with the other. She, at this point, noticed his limp and became immediately concerned. Elizabeth cared about him so much that even the slightest bit of pain on his part worried her half to death. "Papa…you're…you're…" as he finally managed to unlock the door, he shook his head softly and nuzzled her cheek. "Shhh…it's okay little one…it's always been there…and it doesn't really hurt that much at all. Worry you not…" he soothed, soon opening the door. Elizabeth's blurry, hazy eyes couldn't see that much at all, she was trying to see what she could, her curiosity getting the better of her. Holding her, he could feel that she was even smaller and thinner than she used to be, and he was able to feel her ribs. He wanted to start feeding her right away, for he could clearly hear her stomach growling. That, and a feeding would help them to bond once again. "Are you hungry, dear?" he asked, nuzzling the top of her head. The thought of getting fed to begin with made her mouth water and her stomach howl. It had been twenty eight years since anyone bothered to feed her, and needless to say she was starving. "Uh..uh-huh…" he nodded in agreement and lay her down on the nearby couch in the den beside the kitchen. "You wait here sweetheart…papa get your bottle…" he sighed and entered the kitchen, confused out of his mind as he looked at the directions on the container of formula. It was so much easier to just conjure up her food with the wave of his hand…and without magic, he found himself to be hopeless. With every other thing that he had to do on his own like every human did, it was the same thing. A land without magic was no place for either of them, but he had to make the best of it. A small stove fire and a burnt finger later, he emerged from the kitchen with the bottle in hand. "Here we go love…don't worry about that smell, the fire's gone…" she looked up at him concerned and he gave her a reassuring smile. "Everything's alright love…everything's alright…" he whispered, sitting down with her on the couch, cradling her to his lap. He remembered this, at least, and he could sit and rest his leg at the same time. "Here we go love…" he cooed softly, putting the bottle into her mouth. It had worked out that feedings were the ultimate way for the father and daughter to bond with each other. The routine alone required a lot of trust and close contact. And as she looked up into his eyes as she nursed, he couldn't help the soft smile that had spread across his lips. Such a smile had never been seen on his face before. He started to speak sweet nothings to her while she was feeding, just to keep her attention and to give her the sense of security that she had not felt in years. "Hi Elizabeth….you're still my baby girl, yeah?" he cooed gently, also praising her for eating in general since he was fearful that she wouldn't be able to. "That's a good girl…my girl…" he rubbed her forehead tenderly with his nose, nuzzling her there. She was so starved that she was hungrily draining the bottle without even so much as a break to breath, going so fast that she nearly moved his hand once. He couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Well, well! Someone's a little hungry…" Even after he had fed her, he sat there with her and just cradled her. It had been so long since he had held her like this, and had forgotten how much he loved it. Holding her gave him a sense of hope that he never could feel with anyone else. The child looked up at him with a loving gaze that he could see with no one else. Like most young babies after being fed, she would probably want to go to sleep soon, but for now they just wanted to spend that precious, long awaited time together. She couldn't speak too much yet, but she tried to talk to him anyway just to hear his soft Scottish voice. "P…papa…" she smiled up at him and reached up with her tiny little shaky hand and touched his nose. "Yes dear…your papa's here…and he's never leaving you again…" the guilt he felt for leaving her behind was unbelievable, and he was going to try his hardest ever to make up for all that he had done. He was determined in that moment to never leave her again, and to take care of her forever. Perhaps the promise he couldn't keep as an imp was a promise he could keep as the rich landlord. He smiled down at her softly, being able to tell that she was getting sleepy from years of not sleeping in the ICU. Her little eyes were droopy now and he smiled at that cute little yawn. She wanted to ask about what had happened, why they were like this…every question about this new land that could possibly be imagined, but she was too tired to even try to ask, and he was too tired to try to explain. To help her along, Gold put the pacifier in her mouth and began to softly sing an old Scottish lullaby that he used to sing to her back in the old world. All the while, he rocked the frail, sickly child back and forth carefully. She put an ear to his chest just so that she could hear its soothing sound. As she finally gave into sleep in his arms, he stood up and carefully searched out the basket that she used to sleep in an set her in, putting the basket in his bedroom so that he could get up and pick her up if she needed him. Both hoped that when they woke up tomorrow, it wouldn't be just some beautiful dream, and they would wake up with each other instead of a lonely old mansion and a cold hospital room. And of course, that point was proven when she cried for him in the middle of the night…for the first time in years.