Almost done with Season 2, finally!
As usual, I do not own any rights to the show itself or to ABC's characters and plot lines.
Enjoy!
~~Previously on "To Carry On"~~
~In the Enchanted Forest, Eliza's grandmother, Hazel, was sickly as a child. She was near death at one point, and Nerean, a faun, left his home and his own kind to tend to her.
~In Storybrooke, Paige's daughter is born early, but makes remarkable progress and is released after a little less than a week and a half. The fact that Mike has returned and promised to spend the night in case anything happens factored in to the doctor's decision. Unfortunately, Mike still doesn't know what he wants to do about his future with Paige. Against her better judgment, Paige listens to her heart and gives Mike another chance.
Gold is once again embracing his darkness. Though it pains him, he is rude to Paige because of Lacey. He refuses to help Paige find her brothers, and lets Lacey throw away the toy Paige had made as a child. But later, he rescues the toy from the trash can and tucks it into his wall safe, while Lacey isn't around. Gold steps into Paige's dreams that night, partly wanting to apologize, but when Paige looks at him so trustingly, his darker nature sets in, and he tries to prove to Paige that he truly is a monster. Paige still sees the good in him, but before he can get too rough with her, Aurelia's cries break into the dream. Paige is willing to let Gold go ahead and try to prove how horrible he is, but he tells her to go take care of their daughter, threatening to continue another night.
While Paige was in the hospital, Mother Superior came to tell her who had really died the night Cora killed to frame Regina. It was Ed Grove, formerly Sir Elrick – Eliza's protector.
"I would prefer not to even consider asking him for help," the queen said vehemently.
Her husband leaned forward in his throne, resting his arms on his knees. His throne sat on the same dais as the queen's, and at the same height, but since she was the ruler, the back of her throne was decorated with diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds in a pattern that suggested a blueberry bush that was partly in bloom and partly in fruit. The design was placed to show above her head as she sat on her throne. The king's throne was just as well made, and had a similar motif, but his was enameled rather than jeweled. Neither throne looked feminine or masculine; the jeweled throne was made for the ruler of the kingdom, whether a king or a queen, while the enameled one was for the wife or husband of the current ruler.
The king sighed heavily. "What choice have we? Our daughter will die without his aid."
"But his prices…" The queen trailed off. Her husband knew as much as she did about the Dark One's prices. It was all only hearsay, and from one or two stories could have been dismissed as an over-exaggeration, but every source they heard from agreed. The Dark One's prices were said to be terrible, sometimes heartbreaking, to pay.
After a long moment of silence, the king stood up. "It is up to you, my Queen. If the choice were mine, I would summon the Dark One, and the price be damned. But you are Lanae's heir, and you must make this decision." He cleared his throat roughly. "I will be by Hazel's side if you need me."
As he strode across the room, the queen watched. She looked pained, near tears, but when she stood up, her voice was strong as she called after her husband. "Wait!" When he stopped and turned, she nodded and met his eyes, taking a few steps toward him. Then she called out, "Rumpelstiltskin!" in a loud voice.
Several moments went by, and the queen spoke much louder. "Rumpelstiltskin!"
"No need to shout!" came a mocking, almost sing-songy voice from behind her. In slightly more normal tones, the Dark One added, "I heard you the first time, dearie!"
The queen could see that her husband was every bit as startled as she was, even though he had been facing her and should have seen the Dark One appear behind her. When she turned, Rumpelstiltskin was lounging on her throne, with one leg draped almost elegantly over the armrest. He ignored the jeweled design on the back of the throne, instead watching the royal couple contemplatively.
As she took in the gold-tinted visage of the one she had summoned, the queen swallowed hard. His eyes were shrewd and knowing, in a way that tightened her gut. She wondered if he already knew what she was going to ask, and what he wanted for it.
Clearing her throat, the queen tried to remain composed. But there was a hint of nervousness she couldn't hide. She felt her husband's hand on her arm, and she gave a small breath of relief at knowing he was right there with her.
"My daughter, Hazel," the queen said, her voice smooth. "She is very ill. All of the doctors and healers in our kingdom are unable to save her." The queen's voice was bleak as she added, "If she is not healed soon, she will die."
"What do you expect me to do? I'm the Dark One, not a doctor." Rumpelstiltskin sounded vaguely amused by the unspoken request in the queen's words.
Here the queen's voice broke. She could no longer keep her grief and desperation hidden. "Please! You must know of some potion or spell, or some healer who can do what we ask!"
"Oh, I must, eh, dearie?" As he stood, Rumpelstiltskin held up his hand to stop the queen from responding to that. "Well, well, then. It would seem you haven't conferred with every healer in your kingdom." He spun out the word "every" into three syllables. He smirked as he said, "There is an, ah, enclave, if you will, of fauns living in the forest. Oh, I suppose that, technically speaking, they are outside the realm in which your subjects live, but according to the maps in your own possession, that part of the forest is also under your purview. Now, I don't imagine you could ever rule the fauns, or elicit taxes from them, but there is one young faun with a veritable talent for healing, and also an immense curiosity about humans. If you could convince him to help, he could heal your daughter."
"How can we find him?" the king asked, his voice raw.
"More importantly," added the queen, "how can we convince him?"
Rumpelstiltskin steepled his fingers and eyed the queen shrewdly. "He likes to try to observe men unseen. The village of Blue Forest lies closest to where the fauns have made their home. Find a lightning-split tree just inside the bounds of the forest – that is where he hides. And assuming you can persuade him to talk to you, simply tell him that you will do everything in your power to help him learn all about humans."
The queen wondered how difficult this was going to be. But she knew that she must try. Her voice shook a little when she asked, "And what is your price?"
"Nothing you can't afford to pay," the impish man insinuated. He let the silence stretch on, enjoying the looks on their faces as they tormented themselves with wild speculation.
"What I want is simple. And if you cannae save your child, why, then, you'll owe me naught." He gave a small giggle. "I want a small vial of the very potion the faun devises to save your daughter." At their expressions, he added, "Worry you not, dearies, just a wee sample for me will not affect the girl's recovery – so long as the faun agrees to heal her, the girl… will live." He gestured, and a contract and quill appeared in his hands. "Do we have an accord?"
As the queen reached for the quill, she gave her husband a relieved glance. Rumpelstiltskin giggled, almost inaudibly. He didn't know why he would one day want that potion, but he sensed that his use of it would be something this queen would regret, if she were still alive to see the result. In the long run, it wasn't as painless a price as she thought it would be.
"How will we –" the queen started, but Rumpelstiltskin cut her off.
"I shall return to collect my payment, dearie – you need do nothing more than convince the faun to leave his forests." He snickered, and the contract and quill disappeared as the king moved to take the quill, intending to sign alongside his wife. Deliberately ignoring the king as if to imply that the king was both powerless and meaningless, the impish little man took a few steps back, then vanished in a swirl of red smoke.
The queen grasped her husband's hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "Go to our daughter. But first, have them send for my huntswoman."
The king nodded. He had been irritated at first by the Dark One's obvious slight, but by the way his wife clung to his hand, she certainly didn't find her husband to be unimportant or meaningless. The king lifted their clasped hands. He planted a kiss on his wife's knuckles, then drew back, still holding her hand. His eyes held a gratitude that he could not find words to convey. He thought briefly of kneeling, but the queen had made it clear that she did not expect such groveling from the man she loved, so he simply bowed his head and turned to leave, dropping her hand almost reluctantly. If he had looked back, he would have seen the tears in the queen's eyes. She had made this deal as much for herself as for him, since Hazel was their only child, but also for the good of the kingdom as well, because the girl was the only true heir to the throne.
Lacey didn't know who that man was, but she was furious. Dismissed like that, like she was some kind of weak, delicate woman who should be shielded from everything unpleasant. She would have liked to see Gold hurt that man. How dare he, whoever he was, treat Mr. Gold that way?
As she approached Granny's, she saw Paige, the mute girl who had come to Gold the day before with that shoddy toy. There was a man with her, and Paige was carrying a car seat with a baby in it. Lacey felt herself start to strut.
"Well, if it isn't the town mute," she said derisively. The man with Paige blinked as though confused, but Paige simply raised an eyebrow.
Paige looked at Lacey's outfit – a far-too-short black skirt or dress, with a red blazer over top, black tights, and very high heels. She handed the car seat to Mike and signed, Take her inside, get us a booth. I'll be there in just a minute. When Mike looked back over at Lacey and then back to Paige again, she added, I can handle this. Go. Please.
Mike frowned, but he did as Paige asked.
Pulling out her ever-present notebook and pen, Paige wrote, What do you want, Lacey? She held up the notebook, but didn't hand it to Lacey.
"Oh, just thought I'd say hi," Lacey said, her tone of voice making it clear she was mocking Paige. She nodded her head toward Granny's. "So is that why you wanted to trade in that hideous toy? So you could get something new for your baby?" She gave a small snicker and looked Paige up and down. "Is the baby your, um, excuse for being fat?"
Paige blinked and marked out her first sentence to write something more. You're jealous!
When Lacey read that, she scoffed. "As if!"
Look at you. You're a beautiful girl, how can you possibly be so insecure? Is that why you dress like that? Paige had wanted to accuse Lacey of dressing like a slut, but she decided not to use that word after all.
After a moment, Lacey said, "Everyone talks about this Belle person like she was some kind of saint, and I just want to make sure everyone knows that I'm not some goody-two-shoes. From what I can tell, I'm pretty sure Belle never dressed this way. I guess she was too prudish to flaunt what she's got, and I'm not insecure – I'm sexy." She eyed Paige again. "Maybe you're the one who's insecure."
Believe me, I know you're not Belle. She was worth a hundred of you. She was a good person, deep down where it counts – if you were more like Belle, maybe you would have more confidence in yourself, and not dress like a slut. While Lacey read that note, Paige tried to calm her heart. She had gone there, had basically called Lacey a slut. She still knew she shouldn't have, but her temper was getting the best of her.
For a moment, Lacey's lips tightened in anger. Then she smiled coldly. "I'm thin, I'm sexy, and I'm with the powerful man in town. You're just jealous of me."
Paige wrote another note. She tore the page from her notebook and tossed it in Lacey's direction, then walked into the diner without looking back.
Lacey tried to catch the note, but it hit the ground anyway. When she had retrieved it, she read over it quickly, then crumpled it up. Smoothing it back out again, she re-read it, then shot a glare in the direction of the diner's door before dropping the paper back to the sidewalk and stalking on toward the pawn shop.
The last note, under all the scratched-out lines from the rest of their conversation, read, Nothing in this world, not love, money, or all my dreams coming true, could ever tempt me to be you for even a minute. Then the note blew across the street and into a storm drain.
Inside the diner, Mike asked, "What the hell was that? Wasn't that Belle? Why is she dressed like that?"
Paige raised her hands almost before Mike even spoke, but didn't sign right away. She was still fighting the traces of her temper. When Mike's questions stopped, Paige took a deep breath before signing. Yes, that was Belle. But a few weeks ago, she was shot by a pirate, and fell over the town line. She's forgotten her true self, and for a while, she was in the hospital with no memories at all. But now it seems like she got her memories back somehow, only it's her Curse-memories, not her real ones. She calls herself Lacey and dresses like a slut, and she seems to like the darkness in Mr. Gold. In fact, where Belle helped him be a better man, Lacey is making him worse.
Mike glowered. "Has he hurt you?"
Rolling her eyes, Paige signed, No! Why do you always assume he deliberately hurts me?
Still tense, Mike took a deep breath to try to calm himself. "I'm sorry, Paige. It's just – well, everything I heard about him back in our land, and everything I saw for myself, just makes me think of him as a bad man who does terrible, hurtful things to people. I know you say you've seen a different side of him, Paige, but I haven't. So it's hard for me to get around what I've seen, what I know." He cleared his throat and wrapped Paige's hands in his own so she couldn't interrupt him. Though he wanted to make eye contact, he was afraid of what he would see, so he only glanced once at Paige's eyes. "But I am sorry, truly. I spoke without thinking. It's just… well, I worry about you. If I could, I would keep you from every single harm that exists. So whenever I think of you being hurt, it kills me." With a slightly sheepish look on his face, he added, "And you know, by 'hurt' I don't just mean physically. I know you care about him, and that means he could say cruel things that would hurt you emotionally. And I'd protect you from that, too, if I could."
Tentatively, he finally met her eyes. There was no longer any anger there, so he ventured an apologetic half-smile.
Pulling her hands out of his, Paige replied, I know you want to protect me, Mike. But we've had this conversation before. Not only is it impossible to completely protect someone that way, but I don't want or need constant protection. I'm a big girl, I can handle things like that myself.
She started to sign to him the entire confrontation she'd just had with Lacey. When she was done, Mike laughed.
"You're right, you handled that pretty well." He saw the trace of guilt in her eyes, and added, "Sometimes people deserve to get a taste of your anger. And Lacey definitely deserved it!"
Paige smiled back at him. Just then, a waitress came out to take their order. When she left, Paige looked around the room. She had hoped Ruby would be working, but she didn't see her friend in the dining room. But then, a man at the counter caught her attention. It was the same man she had seen with Emma in Gold's shop, the man who had called Gold "Papa." That must be his son, Baelfire! Paige wanted to meet him, but she was nervous at the same time. Then it suddenly hit her that this man was Aurelia's half-brother. Mike, I'll be right back, she signed.
Following her gaze, Mike wondered why she was so interested in that man. He felt a brief flash of jealousy, but when he saw that Paige was a little bit nervous and scared, he realized that something else was going on here. "Who is he?"
I'll be right back, she repeated, not really having heard Mike's question. Without looking back at Mike, she stood and crossed the diner to perch on a stool next to the man.
Neal glanced at Paige. As soon as he realized that she wasn't anyone he knew, he turned his attention back to the waitress bringing him coffee.
"Are you sure I can't get you anything else?" she asked with a smile.
"Nah," Neal said, glancing at the clock. It wasn't long past six, but after what he had just seen his father doing, he knew he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. "It's too early in the morning for food." He managed a wry smile as he stirred the creamer into his coffee.
The waitress turned to Paige and asked, "What about you, hon? What can I get you?" The waitresses were all aware that Paige couldn't speak, but they also knew that Paige carried pen and paper with her, so if she needed something, she would be able to communicate.
Paige smiled politely and held up her hand to show that she didn't need anything at the moment. Then she pointed over to the table where Mike was checking on Aurelia. The waitress smiled back and said, "Oh, I'll tell Granny you brought the baby in!"
Neal didn't mean to eavesdrop, but when he heard something about a baby, he couldn't help but look over where Paige had pointed. He couldn't see the baby, but there was a car seat with a crocheted blanket over it that looked like it had blueberries on it, of all things. As he turned back, he caught Paige's eye, and gave her a half-smile.
Before he could turn away, Paige put a hand on his arm. He looked at her again, surprised. Not only by the fact that a complete stranger had touched him, but by the look in her eyes. "I'm sorry, did you need something?" he asked. When she licked her lips but didn't answer, he said, "Are you alright?"
Paige took a deep breath. She realized she had been examining his face, looking for any resemblance to his father. She didn't really see much, herself, but she supposed that if she got to know him better, she might be able to work it out. She couldn't help but wonder if he made similar facial expressions, or something like that. But she had kept him waiting long enough. She raised one hand to pat her throat, hoping the gesture would help him understand that she couldn't speak.
As she set her notebook on the counter and raised the pen, he gave a sharp intake of breath. "You're that girl, the one my father called." Remembering that Gold had called two women that day, he added, "The one who can't speak."
Paige nodded. Neal looked around at the car seat again. "Is that…" He broke off and swallowed hard. "Is that my sister?"
Biting her lip, Paige nodded again.
"Oh, my God," Neal moaned, looking stunned. Then he realized how Paige might take that and added, "I'm sorry, I mean, I didn't realize you were that close to your due date. Um… how old is she?"
About a week and a half. And I wasn't close to my due date. She was actually born about eleven weeks early. But she's doing much better than most preemies, because of magic. While Neal read that note, Paige looked toward the booth thoughtfully. When Neal looked up again, clearly not sure what to say, Paige wrote more. I just worry about it, you know? It's really because of magic that she's okay right now, and as I'm sure you're well aware, all magic comes with a price.
Paige blinked back a few tears. She hadn't fully realized that she was concerned about the magic involved in her daughter's miraculous health until just now. But what price would Aurelia have to pay?
"Yeah, I know," Neal replied, his face twisted into a grimace as he remembered the time when his father first became the Dark One. He hesitated for a moment, then added, "Listen, if there's anything I can do, I mean, to help… with anything… just, um, ask, you know?" He dropped his eyes for a moment. "I mean, I don't know how much longer I'll be here, but I'd like to help you, if I can."
Would you like to hold her? Paige wrote.
"Oh, uh, yeah, if that's okay," he answered.
Paige stood and gestured for him to follow her. Neal picked up his coffee and walked over to the booth. Paige was signing to Mike. This is Rumpelstiltskin's son, she told him. Baelfire.
Mike gave Paige a shocked look. He had never known that the Dark One had a son. But he stood and offered his hand. "I'm Mike, Paige's, ah, friend." He hesitated for a moment before adding, "Nice to meet you, um, Baelfire."
"Actually, it's Neal in this world. And I prefer that, really."
"Sorry," Mike said. "Neal. Of course."
Paige was still struggling a little with the straps that held Aurelia in the car seat. Mike leaned over to help, and Paige felt that her hands went even clumsier when they touched Mike's. She blushed slightly, and hoped that Mike hadn't noticed her awkwardness. When they got the baby unbuckled, Paige lifted her and gently placed her in Neal's arms. Mike murmured something about being careful with her head, but Neal didn't respond. He couldn't take his eyes off the tiny baby that was his half-sister.
Neal sat in his room, thinking. Paige seemed like a sweet girl, and her daughter was adorable, but it was still strange to think that, after all these years, he had a sister. He wished his father would come to his senses, and not screw up this kid's life, too. But from what he'd seen this morning, he didn't hold out much hope for that.
When a knock sounded at the door, he jumped, startled. He could hardly believe that it was after eight already – where had the past two hours gone?
He opened the door, surprised to see that it was Emma.
"I need to search your room, for real this time." Her face was set in a grim, determined expression. He grinned widely, amused to see her playing the cop.
"You want to tell me what this is about, Sheriff?" he asked playfully.
As she asked about Tamara, it took Neal several moments to realize that Emma still didn't trust his fiancée. That wasn't like him; usually, he could read Emma like a book. He hadn't realized just how much it had thrown him to meet his little half-sister.
The queen started to open her mouth, but closed it before she made a fool of herself. Anyone could see that the tree before her was the lightning-struck tree the Dark One had spoken of. It seemed strange to be out in the forest like this with no guards aside from her huntswoman. The two women were dressed alike; the breeches and short tunic that the huntswoman wore to do her job not only blended well with the forest around her, but it was far more practical than a gown or skirt.
Not letting the strangeness of the clothes bother her, the queen stared intently at the split tree ahead of her. The two had been hiding here more than half the night, and it had been a very long time since the queen had had a need to remain so still for so long. Her days of hunting as a youth were behind her, but she took care to stretch each muscle individually, and with the smallest motion she could manage.
When would the faun arrive? He had been here every day, or so the huntswoman had said. What if today, he decided to remain in the forest with his brethren? What if all of this was for naught?
Just as the queen opened her mouth again to ask how long they would wait for the faun to show, she felt the other woman squeeze her thigh. It was a warning gesture, an indication that the queen should remain silent. Though the huntswoman's eyes had never left the tree, her peripheral vision had caught the movement of the queen's mouth, and understood the intent. Barely moving her face, the woman met the queen's eyes, then flicked her gaze over to the split tree and back again. Blinking in confusion, the queen turned her own eyes to the tree.
For a long moment, she stared, seeing nothing and wondering why her huntswoman was acting so concerned. Then she had to swallow hard to stifle a gasp. The faun was already there! She hadn't seen him approach, and even now, he seemed to fade into the tree. The only parts that didn't quite blend in were his horns, which hadn't curled all the way around, but she could see that they would, eventually. How long had he been there?
The huntswoman had planned a distraction. Without telling them why, she had arranged for two of the farmers nearby to take a brief morning rest only a stone's throw from the stricken tree. She had asked them to bring a small meal and just talk for a while, and she had said that if she caught her quarry, there would be a gold piece in it for each of them. Though they were curious, they had known better than to ask what she was after. The two women could see them now, bantering as they approached the edge of the woods.
Though the sun was scarcely an hour past its rising, the farmers had been at work for hours already. They sat down gladly, stretching out their arms and legs in sweeping gestures that made the queen a little envious. She felt extremely cramped in the small hunter's blind that the huntswoman had slowly crafted over the span of a few weeks. Though the wait was worrisome given Hazel's condition, that caution had been necessary; too much change too quickly might easily have spooked the faun, causing him to find another hiding spot.
With a light touch on the queen's wrist, the huntswoman led her slowly, cautiously out of the blind, which seemed impossibly small. Both women took great care in placing their feet to make as little noise as humanly possible.
By the time they had come up behind the faun, the two men were speaking regretfully of the need to get back to work. The queen glanced at the huntswoman out of the corner of her eye. She was shocked to see a drawn bow in the other woman's hands. But before she could react, the faun heard them and spun to face them. His eyes were wide with terror, because the arrow was pointed directly between his eyes.
The queen felt her heart melt. He looked so young, and so scared! She put up a hand to push the bow aside. "Not like this," she said softly, her voice hoarse.
The instant that the arrow was no longer aimed at him, the faun bounded away on his goat-like legs. He paused by a large tree and looked back, panting. Before he could turn to go, the queen called out, "I will help you learn everything you want to know about humans!"
At the sound of her voice, the faun leaped sideways, behind the tree. At first, the queen thought he had simply kept running, putting as much distance as he could between himself and the two women who, as he would see it, had threatened him. Then she saw him edge out from behind the tree so he could see her, though he kept most of his body hidden from view.
"You… you will?" he asked. His voice was unlike that of any human; to the queen, it almost sounded like a young tree speaking, but it wasn't an unpleasant voice.
"I swear it, by everything I hold dear," she said solemnly.
He stepped out from behind the tree in a movement that reminded the queen of a bird checking for predators. "But… what be you wanting in return?"
The queen cleared her throat. "Only that you treat my daughter's illness. I… I have heard that fauns have different ways with medicine than humans, and no human doctor has been able to help her. Please!"
The faun made a motion as if he wanted to hide behind the tree again, but he remained in the open. "And what of your promise if I am having not the skills for the healing of your daughter?"
She didn't want to admit that the Dark One had sent her here – she imagined that even the fauns must have heard of Rumpelstiltskin's evil, and she very much feared that the faun would not help if he knew. So instead of telling him that she knew for a fact that he was quite capable of saving her daughter, she simply said, "I ask only that you try." She held out her hand and took slow, deliberate steps toward him, the way she would approach a skittish horse. "No matter the result, I will do everything in my power to help you learn whatever it is you wish to know."
The faun watched her advance, shying nervously now and then. But his curiosity won out, and when the queen got close enough, he reached out a shaking hand to hers, watching her face all the while. He could not see any dishonesty in her expression, but then again, he did not know humans well. Even so, he could see how glad she was to have him treat her daughter. As he took the human queen's hand, he found himself hoping that he wouldn't fail.
Paige was pleased by how well the doctor's visit had gone. Aurelia was in excellent health after her night away from the hospital, so Dr. Solano and Dr. Whale had no problem letting Paige keep her at home again. But both doctors had agreed that one or both of them needed to examine the baby daily, just to be sure. It was such an unprecedented situation that, in spite of the fact that magic had been involved, they felt it would be better to be overly cautious.
Mike had asked if he could sleep in his own bed tonight, pointing out that his bedroom was just on the other side of the wall from Paige's, and that he had a key to her side of the duplex. Paige hadn't really thought of it, but when Mike pointed out that he hadn't slept in his own bed in a few weeks, Paige felt a little bit guilty that he had stayed on her couch the night before.
The doctors had both frowned at the question, but given that he was still so close, they decided it would be alright. Dr. Solano openly admitted that he would feel better if someone were right there with Paige, but when Paige asked him to, he decided to allow it.
Now, Mike and Paige were trying to hook the carrier back into the base to make it a car seat again. Even though they had just done the same thing a little while ago, after leaving Granny's to come to the hospital, it was proving rather difficult. But suddenly, everything just clicked into place.
In a surprised voice, Mike said, "There we go! We got it!" He shot a big, goofy grin at Paige, who couldn't help but return the smile.
But she couldn't help herself. Thank you, Captain Obvious, she signed, her own smile widening into a grin every bit as goofy and self-pleased as Mike's.
Without even trying to keep a straight face, Mike saluted with a grandiose flourish. "At your service, Princess!"
Paige ducked her head in what Mike recognized as her way of laughing without making a sound. In what seemed like a very natural gesture, he took her hand and pulled her in close for a kiss.
The kiss took Paige very much by surprise. It took a moment before she relaxed into Mike's arms. But just as the kiss began to deepen, Mike pulled away suddenly. "Sorry," he said, his voice hoarse. He wouldn't meet Paige's eyes, and though she knew he was feeling awkward and uncomfortable, she wasn't quite sure why. Was it just that it had been so long since they had been this close? Because he still wasn't sure what he wanted in the long run? Or was there another reason?
Before she could ask, a horn tooted nearby, startling the both of them. Aurelia, though, slept through it. Paige was surprised.
When she turned, she saw Dr. Horne parking his car a few spaces over. Getting out of the passenger's side of the car was Lydia Grove, Ed's sister. Paige felt her stomach clench. No matter what anyone said, she still felt guilty over her own relief at discovering that it wasn't Mike that Cora had killed. Also, she knew how much she loved her brothers, so she could imagine the pain of losing one of them. The swan spell was bad enough, but if one of them actually died, it would be devastating for her.
Lydia's eyes were filled with grief, but she also looked nervous. "Princess," she said formally, dipping in a suggestion of a curtsey. "We're having a memorial service for my brother," she said, meeting Paige's eyes almost hesitantly. "I know it's short notice – like, really short, but I was hoping – that is, my brothers and I, well, we would like you to speak at the service. You were one of the most important people in Elrick's life, and when he found you again here… I know his interest in you was, well, maybe somewhat inappropriate, but if you're willing, I think it would ease his spirit if you spoke in his memory."
Paige blinked back tears. Of course, she signed. It's the least I can do. Horne translated.
"When is the service?" Mike asked.
Lydia flushed. "Well, like I said, it's really short notice and all, but… well, we've been asking everyone to meet at the graveside in about forty-five minutes." With only a quick glance at their reactions, she hurriedly added, "I'm so sorry, but my father decided we needed to have a service for him, and he wants to do it today. And then my brothers decided that our whole family should go out on the boat this afternoon for a memorial sail, and go to Ed's favorite spots along the coastline, and his favorite fishing spot, and that tiny little island he likes, so it pretty much has to be this morning."
Paige put a hand on Lydia's shoulder, and the girl finally stopped her rushed explanation. Then she pulled her hand back to sign, It's okay. It's your family's decision when to do this, and I'll be honored to be a part of it.
When Horne translated, Lydia's face brightened up in a relieved smile. "Thank you, Your Highness!"
Paige asked Horne to remind Lydia that the girl didn't have to be so formal, then told Mike she had a stop to make before they went to the graveyard. After a moment, Paige decided she had two stops to make.
The queen eyed the cup of medicine next to the faun's hand. It wasn't a particularly large cup, but if the contents tasted as bitter as they smelled, it would not be easy for anyone to drink the whole thing down.
"Is that all she will need, Doctor Nerean?" the queen asked.
Cleaning and organizing the instruments he had used in making the medicine, the faun replied quietly, "I am knowing as little of that as you are, good Queen. After the princess is drinking of this dose, I will be able for the telling of any further necessity." When the queen had first called him Doctor, he had insisted that the title was unnecessary, but she had refused to back down. If he was here to cure her daughter, he deserved the title. Nerean would have preferred that she wait to see if his medicine was effective, but in the long run, he supposed it didn't much matter what title humans might give him.
After she cleared her throat, the queen said, "May I take it to her?"
The faun nodded gravely. "Be sure she is drinking all of it," he instructed.
In Hazel's darkened bedchamber, the king waited with a small vial. Since the queen's hands proved steadier, she was the one who carefully poured out a sample of the medicine. But before she could turn to give the rest to her daughter, the Dark One appeared.
"I see you convinced the faun, dearie," he lilted cheerfully. He held out his hand to the queen, but she drew herself up.
"My husband has what you want, Dark One," she said, her voice haughtier than she intended because she was nervous. "I must give my daughter her medicine." Though she feared Rumpelstiltskin would be angry at her for making him acknowledge her husband, she turned her back and approached the bed, which looked too large for her daughter. Having been sickly since birth, Hazel was small for her age.
But Rumpelstiltskin just smirked. This queen had some backbone, and he rather sensed that it was a trait her descendants would carry, as well. He had a strange feeling that he would have dealings with her descendants, and it always amused him to find people who thought they could stand up to him. Very few people had managed that in the many years that had passed since he gained his powers, and those who did intrigued him.
The king managed to keep his expression steady as Rumpelstiltskin's gaze turned to him. Without a word, the king held up the small vial. When the impish little man merely held out his hand, the king refused to drop the vial into the waiting hand at first, but the growing irritation on the Dark One's face finally unnerved the king. But he placed the vial into the outstretched hand rather than dropping it, very nearly touching Rumpelstiltskin's skin in the process. Even when cowed, this king still had a backbone, as well. Perhaps the queen's descendants would be even more intriguing than Rumpelstiltskin was expecting.
With an unnerving giggle, the Dark One disappeared into the shadows of the darkened room.
Paige was nervous, not about actually speaking at the memorial service, but about the fact that she'd had almost no time to prepare. Ed's three siblings were there, with their father. Their mother had died about a year before the Dark Curse was enacted. Both of the older brothers had brought their wives, and the oldest had his two sons with him. The other brother didn't have any children, and Lydia was still unmarried.
The Blue family was also there, and Alexa, the daughter, had brought a large piece of plain blue cloth to cover the gravestone, since it bore the wrong name. She had forgotten to bring safety pins to hold the cloth there, but Lydia had found some hair pins in her purse that worked almost as well.
Dr. Horne and Mike stood with Paige, and even Miles, the bee-keeper, had shown up with his girlfriend Sammi, who was also the advertising agent for the Blueberry Farm. Paige wasn't sure of all the details, but Miles and Sammi had known each other in the world that was. The fact that Sammi turned out to be a direct descendant of King Rolph had pulled the two apart before they knew they were in love, but the moment they had met here, they realized it. The part that Paige knew sounded like a somewhat romantic story.
Fawn had offered to come even though she hadn't known Ed in either land, but Paige had asked her to watch Aurelia, instead. But before Paige could think about getting the service started, her attention was caught by another arrival, this one on foot. It was Marsha! The woman had been working at the Farm ever since Paige had released her, but by that time, Ed was already missing. She had never even met the young knight.
As she approached, Marsha eyed the assembled group nervously. She had a large, flattish package in her hands. "Sorry, the Blues told me about this. And about Ed. And I know I didn't know him, so if you want me to leave, that's okay. I just wanted to give this to his family." She looked around, not quite sure who to give it to.
Lydia stepped up. "What is it?" she asked.
"Oh, um, it's one of those sky lantern things," Marsha said, blushing. "Jane, uh, Mrs. Blue, she said that your brother loved the sea, that it was his favorite thing about being in Storybrooke, and I thought maybe you guys could light this and release it out over the water. Just, um, it would probably be best if you went out on the boat so you could make sure that nothing flammable is downwind, just in case. I mean, it only burns for about five minutes or so, so it shouldn't be a problem, but better safe than sorry, right?" She gave a nervous half-chuckle. "The one I tested in my kitchen worked great, and when I made this one, I picked shades of blue to represent the ocean. And maybe it doesn't matter, but I used blue candles, too."
"Wait," Lydia said, clearly surprised. "You made this?"
Marsha nodded. "Yeah, it's just some tissue paper pieces cut out and glued together in a kind of hot-air-balloon shape, and some plastic straws for the crosspieces that hold the candles – see, I notched it to hold the candles, and also here where the two straws cross. And the ring at the bottom here is some kind of light-weight wood. I mean, whatever embroidery hoops are made out of. I found a box full of broken and mismatched embroidery hoops at a yard sale, and the sign said they were free, so I took all of them, to use for crafting, and they work great for this since they're so light."
Paige was touched by Marsha's thoughtfulness, and she could see that Ed's family was, as well. She swallowed hard. There was still a part of her that wanted to tell Marsha to leave, because it was Marsha who had put the swan spell on her brothers. But she fought down her anger. It had no place here, especially when Marsha was being so generous. She truly did seem to be trying to learn how to interact with people in a positive way.
A few tears ran down Lydia's face. "Thank you," she whispered roughly. "This is beautiful."
"And it's easy to work, too," Marsha said. "Just have someone hold up the top of the balloon part, and light the little candles. Wait for the hot air to fill up the lantern, and then release it."
Looking at her family for approval, Lydia said, "We'll take this with us this afternoon." Her father was the first to nod, even though his face was as hard as stone. Paige supposed he must be the kind of man who didn't like to show emotion in public. She wondered if he ever showed it at home, either. The oldest brother's wife took the sky lantern from Lydia and walked it over to their car.
Paige raised her hands, and Mike stepped up, then back again. Dr. Horne had known Ed for longer back in the other world, so he was going to translate Paige's eulogy. But Paige wasn't quite ready to start just yet.
Speaking of your memorial sail for Ed, she signed, I stopped at Granny's on the way here and asked her to prepare a picnic lunch to take with you. It's all paid for; you just have to pick it up whenever you're ready for it.
Lydia and her family thanked Paige profusely, but Paige just waved it away and signed that she was ready to get started, if everyone else was. She figured it was the least she could do for the family.
As they walked toward the pawn shop, David and Mary Margaret found themselves passing the graveyard. It wasn't the fastest way to get to Gold's shop, but for some reason their steps had brought them here. Well, Mary Margaret knew it was more her steps; she had been thinking of Johanna this morning.
She thought about taking a moment to stop by the grave, but she decided that it could wait. Emma seemed really worried about Regina, and Mary Margaret knew that, if something really was wrong, she owed it to Regina to try and help. Suddenly she saw a group of people gathered around Archie's gravestone. Her stomach sank. Someone must have found out who had really died, and now the family could mourn. "David?" she said, almost hesitantly. "Let's go see who… who that is."
David took her hand and squeezed it without a word, and turned into the graveyard. As they got closer, Mary Margaret saw that Paige was among the group of mourners. "Oh, no," she whispered. She picked up her pace a little, scanning the rest of the people who had gathered. But she slowed down and sighed in relief just a moment later. Mike was there, near Paige. Mike was okay.
As they approached, Paige saw them. She stopped mid-sign and gestured to someone nearby, a man that Mary Margaret didn't recognize by name, though she thought he ran an assisted living facility for the elderly and those unable to care for themselves. Paige looked stern, but Mary Margaret couldn't imagine why.
The two met David and Mary Margaret about ten feet away from the group gathered at the graveside. Paige's hands moved in short, jerky motions, and she was clenching her jaw. Mary Margaret blinked, surprised at the anger on the mute girl's face.
"Paige is asking you for to be leaving this place. She says you are being not welcome here." The man translated, and though he spoke oddly, Mary Margaret didn't pay much attention to that.
"But why?" she asked. "I mean, who was it that… Cora really killed?"
"It was being Ed Grove, whom we all were knowing as Sir Elrick in our land, the faithful protector of Princess Eliza of the Blueberry Kingdom." The man seemed sorrowful, and it took Mary Margaret a moment to remember that Paige had been Princess Eliza.
"I'm so sorry," she said compassionately.
Paige signed again, her hand motions seeming harsh.
"She is feeling quite adamantly that you should for to be leaving now. She is telling me that you were not willing for the offering of any assistance in the discovery of the truth in this matter, and as such, she is wishing to not have your presence at the funeral services of one who was being muchly important to her."
Taken aback, Mary Margaret said, "But we told you – Cora was just too powerful. We had to worry about her, first."
The man translated again. "But after this Cora was being defeated, still you were doing of nothing. It was Paige, and Paige alone, who went asking for the help of the fairies." He paused while Paige signed again. His voice was slightly apologetic as he spoke. "She is also saying that you are being not the kind-hearted and muchly caring princess that she had always been hearing of you to be. And although I am believing that she is being somewhat overly emotional on this matter, I must also be adding that the lacking of assistance from you even after your first concerns were being taken care of, well, that is not the sort of action I would have been expecting of the famed Snow White, either. And so now we both are asking you to please be leaving this place, and let us be mourning privately for one whose life was being of importance to those of us who are being already gathered."
"But –" Mary Margaret started.
"Come on," David said, pulling her away. "We're not welcome here, and we have things we need to do, anyway." Mary Margaret looked back and forth between Paige and the man translating for her, surprised and confused to be treated this way. "Come on, let's go." David insisted.
She let David pull her away, but she kept looking back. Paige watched until they left the graveyard, and then the man took her arm and led her back to the grave.
"It's my fault," Mary Margaret said, tears in her eyes.
"No, it's not," David said. "Cora did this, not you."
"No, I mean… I darkened my heart, David. I should have helped her. And she's right, even after we defeated Cora… after I killed her. I should have done something to help. But I didn't, because of what I've done to myself."
David wanted to comfort her, to tell her that it wasn't her fault, that she was grieving, first for her mother and Johanna, and then for doing something she knew was wrong. But he knew that she wouldn't believe him. "The only thing we can do now is focus on helping Regina."
Her face still clouded with doubt, Mary Margaret said, "You're right. But I want to find some way to make it up to Paige, if I can. She deserves that."
"And you will find a way. Because that's who you are," David said reassuringly. He was pleased to see a small smile on his wife's face, even if it was a somewhat sad one.
Lacey had been distant since Gold arrived, and he wondered if something had happened. But he didn't want to pry – Lacey seemed like the type to get angry if he asked what was wrong before she was ready to talk, so he waited.
And it wasn't long before she spoke up. "So, you said that mute girl used to work for you, right?" Without waiting for an answer, she went on, "What exactly did she do for you?"
Gold was instantly wary. He hoped this conversation wasn't about to go the way he suspected it was. "She worked here in the shop, keeping everything clean. She dusted, tidied, cleaned the windows, mirrors, display cases. Janitorial duties, I suppose you could say."
Lacey looked closely at his face. She couldn't read him when he got like this, so she decided to ask the question that she most wanted to have him answer. "Did you sleep with her?" She gave a small frown at the thought.
Swallowing hard, Gold considered how to answer. After a moment, he decided that if Lacey was going to be blunt, so could he. "Yes, while she was working here."
Lacey nodded curtly, her expression dark. "So, if you get bored with me, are you going to go back to her?"
The corner of Gold's mouth lifted in a small, wry smile. "It was only sex, Lacey, and she's found love now." He wasn't sure that young Michael had truly come back to Paige, but the young man was back in town; Gold had seen him just the day before. "There's nothing to go back to." He turned away so Lacey couldn't see his face. After the way he had treated Paige, and had let Lacey treat her, he had no right to expect Paige to continue to care about him.
"So, what, you were just screwing her? For… fun?" Lacey seemed a bit skeptical about it. While she waited for an answer, she hopped up to sit on his work table.
Gold frowned. He didn't particularly care for that turn of phrase. "Well, I suppose you could put it that way." Moving closer to her, he added, "But I have you now, Lacey – whyever would I go back to her? You love me as I am."
"And she was just something to keep you warm at night," Lacey said, snickering suggestively. Gold would have turned away again, but Lacey pulled him in for a kiss. Just as their lips met, the bell over the shop door jangled, and Gold stepped away. Lacey lifted her glass to take a drink.
When David and Mary Margaret swept into the back room, Gold's lip twitched as he suppressed a snarl at David's asinine comment about interrupting a party.
Hazel looked up at the faun. His curling horns had seemed quite odd at first, but now she realized that he would look strange without them. The features of his face were very nearly human, but there was something just a little odd about his nose, and now that she was thinking of it, his ears looked more goat-like than human. The horns balanced out those small oddities.
"How be you feeling, Princess?" he asked.
She smiled. "I still feel weak and tired, but better. Like I'm finally starting to get well again."
Nerean returned the princess's smile. "And so you are," he replied.
"Will you stay?" Hazel asked. "I think I could get over just about any sickness if you were here to care for me."
Nerean blinked. He hadn't really given much thought to what he would do when this was over. He knew the other fauns would let him come back, but they had never understood his interest in humans. They would never be cruel; it wasn't their way. But he wondered if there might be a distance in the way they treated him, now that he had spent time among humans. Generally speaking, fauns preferred to leave the world of men to the humans who seemed to want to live there, so long as the humans left the fauns and their forests alone.
He supposed he could simply wander, and see many human places, but perhaps he would learn more by staying with one family, at least for a while. Humans led such short, hectic lives, and by staying in one place, he could observe the entire lifespan. And even after a few generations of this royal family, he could still wander the human world for a time, if he felt there was still more he wanted to learn.
"I am being not very familiar with human ways," he said, "but if the king and queen are wishing this also, then stay I shall."
Hazel's smile grew, and she said, "Oh, I am sure Mother will wish it, and Father, too." Her smile dimmed and she sagged back into her pillows a little bit.
Nerean placed his hand on the child's forehead, but her fever had not returned. "Be sleeping now, young Hazel," he said softly, hoping she would find his voice soothing. It occurred to him that he didn't even know if humans found his voice pleasing or grating. Perhaps once he knew these humans better, he could ask their thoughts on the matter. But he had heard that humans often told lies, for many different reasons. He wondered how true it was. He also wondered if he would be able to distinguish the difference between truth and lies. Human expressions were so very strange.
Paige was surprised that Mike had followed her into her side of the duplex after the memorial service. Not only that, but he had made her some tea while she fed Aurelia, and then helped to put the baby down for a nap. Now, Paige was sitting on her bed, leaning back on a pillow propped against the headboard, sipping her tea. Mike had made it very hot, so by the time Paige got to it, it was still quite warm. She noticed that he hadn't made a cup for himself, though.
He seemed to feel awkward, but he also acted like he didn't want to leave her alone right now, and Paige thought she knew what was prompting both of those feelings in him.
She sat her mug aside to sign, I'm okay, Mike. Ed – Elrick, he was very dear to me. He was like a brother to me, when I most needed that. But even though he's gone, and even though I'm sad, I'll be okay. You don't have to stay here if it makes you uncomfortable.
Mike swallowed. "Why would staying make me feel uncomfortable?" He wouldn't meet Paige's eyes, but when she raised her hands to sign again, he did watch to see what she had to say.
Because of who's been in this bed with me. I know you're thinking of that. And I think that's why you pulled away earlier, when you kissed me. Isn't it? She didn't look like she really needed the answer to that.
But Mike nodded. He tried to hide a shudder. Turning away and looking at the jewelry boxes and scattered knick-knacks on her dresser, he kept his mouth shut. He knew he was likely to say something hurtful otherwise. He reached out to pick up one small box, with no less than three clasps on the side. What could she possibly keep in here? And why would such a small box need to be so securely latched? He opened the three little clasps and saw a silver key inside. He couldn't imagine what it might unlock. Just as his finger brushed the silver, Paige snatched the box away. He hadn't noticed her coming up behind him.
Her eyes wide, Paige re-latched the box and carried it over to the nightstand by her bed. She sat it down, and signed, Did you touch it? When Mike nodded, she added, No one but me is supposed to touch that. She bit her lip, wondering why no one else was supposed to touch it.
"What is it? What does it do?" Mike asked. With a frown, he added, "Did he give it to you?"
She nodded. Mr. Gold gave it to me, and it lets me control my own dreams. Kind of like lucid dreaming, if you've ever heard of that. I choose what happens, but the reactions of anyone I choose to dream about are only my own interpretation of that person, not necessarily their true reactions in the waking world.
"Do you use it to have sex with him again?"
Paige gave him a defiant look. I've used it for that sometimes. But I've also used it to imagine you just holding me, loving me. The way you used to. Part of her wanted to add that she had failed at that, and had been forced to imagine him asleep so she wouldn't have to see the accusation in his eyes, but she had a feeling that this fight was already going to be bad enough. Once I even used it to see my brothers again, but when I woke up I couldn't stop crying. Her eyes were beginning to fill with tears now, partly at that memory, and partly because of the fight that was starting now.
"How can I be with you if I have to worry about you using this key to dream about Gold?" Mike's voice was soft, and that unsettled Paige a lot more than shouting would have.
If you were with me, I wouldn't need a way to relieve the tension.
"So you're saying that, if we were together, you wouldn't use this key at all?" When Paige didn't answer, Mike's lips thinned in anger. "So you would still use it."
Clenching her jaw, Paige signed, Not for sex. But he is my friend, and sometimes I would want to talk to him. And if Lacey is around for any length of time… Well, I can't talk to the man himself, not as he is now. Lacey thinks she can treat me like dirt, and I have no doubt that she would expect him to act the same. So those dreams might be the only way I can talk to the good man I know is in there. Her stomach tightened at the thought. She didn't want to lose Gold, because the dreams really just weren't the same.
Mike crossed his arms. "But how can I know that, Paige? How can I be sure you're not screwing him in those dreams?"
Even though it's been broken, I hate the Curse. You were never this insecure in the world that was. You used to understand that you are my one true love. And now? Now all you do is fight with me over your own insecurities.
"My insecurities? Paige, you've spent the past twenty-eight years cheating on me! How is that supposed to make me trust you?"
Yes, I remembered who you were to me, but you? You had no interest in me whatsoever. And at the time, I felt as though I was trapped in that situation. I spent those twenty-eight years trying to convince myself that I wasn't sleeping with him by choice, and I was doing a damn good job of it, until the savior showed up. By the time I realized that I was enjoying myself, you started pulling away. I can understand how it seems like cheating, and I can see that I've hurt you, but can't you even try to understand my side? When Mike just stood there, clenching his jaw in anger, Paige went on. I don't think I can marry you, Mike, even if you still wanted me to. Because I won't have you ruin our wedding night by pulling away like you did today.
"I can't help it, Paige. I was kissing you, and then I realized that you've kissed him, and I just… I can't. And I can't even begin to imagine having sex with you. I mean, if I'm… you know, doing something a certain way, and you tell me a different way, or something else you want me to do for you, I'll know who you were with when you realized you like that particular move, or position, or whatever. I can't stand the thought that I'm getting his sloppy seconds."
Paige walked over and slapped Mike. I am no one's sloppy seconds. That is disgusting, and besides, if you think that of me, then what am I getting with you? How many women have you slept with, Mike? I know you're not a virgin, but you never actually told me how many there were. So by kissing you, or sleeping with you, or whatever, I'm getting the "sloppy seconds" of how many other women?
Mike wouldn't meet her eyes.
How many, Mike? I've been with one man. Rumpelstiltskin. Mr. Gold. The Dark One. However you want to think of him. And I'm not asking for names – I doubt I'd know the women you've screwed. I just want to know how many were before me.
Shifting uncomfortably, Mike muttered, "Six. I've been with six other women. But they were all before I ever even met you."
So, is that supposed to make it okay? If you want me to "do something" a certain way, it's not supposed to matter what woman did it first, because you knew her before you met me? I'm supposed to just be okay with the fact that you've screwed other women? Even back in our world, when you told me I wouldn't be your first, I was jealous. But I guess even I'm more insecure after the Curse, because back then, I didn't let it bother me. Now, though – now it bugs the hell out of me. She could definitely understand his jealousy. But she was willing to work past that. Why couldn't he do the same? Besides, Mike, if we were together, I would hope that you'd think of it as "making love" instead of just "having sex." Because for me, that's what it would be. Having sex is just… well, sex. Like I had with Gold. Like you had with those other women. But making love is something special, it's more than just sex – it's a whole new level of intimacy. Just the thought of making love with you makes me kind of nervous. Like, butterflies-in-the-stomach nervous, but in the best possible way. Except that now… now part of me is afraid that you'll push me away, and that would hurt far more than anything Gold could ever do to me. Physically or emotionally. I would rather face down that angry mob again, alone, than have you push me away on our wedding night.
Mike swallowed hard, but didn't make any response.
That's why, if you're really serious about giving this another chance, if you really want us to have any kind of future together, we're going to have to do more than just kiss and make out a little. That's all we've done so far, and I'm not saying we have to go all the way, but we definitely have to go further than we have so far. But of course, that's only if you still want to try for happily ever after with me.
Mike turned away. "I'm going home," he said, his voice rough. "Text me if you need me, or knock on the wall." Without another word, he left Paige's bedroom.
She watched him go, and listened to him moving through her living room. He didn't slam the door behind him, but he shut it more firmly than he needed to. Why had she done that? She knew it was her own fault – she had brought up his jealousy. Maybe, if she had handled the situation more delicately… but then again, some of the things that were said, on both sides, were things that would have needed to be said eventually. Sighing, Paige picked up her mug of tea, but it was too cold to drink now. And for some reason, that was final straw. Paige started to cry, tears pouring down her face, but with very little sound.
Paige looked around. She could sense that this was one of Gold's dreams, but she didn't recognize this place. It looked like a cave, or a mine, but one end of the tunnel she was in was blocked off by strange-looking bars. Instead of being smooth metal, connected from top to bottom, they looked strange. If they were made of metal, it looked kind of rusty, or maybe just dirty. And most of the bars came to points anywhere between head and knee level, so they almost gave the impression of being slender, jagged fangs.
It was very cool down here, almost cold. She approached the bars and peered through, but even the darkest recess of the caged-off space was empty. The back and sides of the cell were rough stone with lots of little nooks, and most of them were so shadowed that Paige couldn't tell how deep they went.
Leaning closer, she grasped the bars. She still wasn't sure what they were made of, even while touching them, but they were cold. As she stared at the back wall, she started to see patterns of nooks, where a person could climb up the wall if he wanted to. In fact, the stone right around many of those particular nooks looked suspiciously smooth, as though they had been used for just that. Her eyes swept up to the ceiling of the cage. Some of the crags up there looked too smooth, as well. Blinking in surprise, she supposed that someone with sufficient strength and determination probably could manage to cling to the craggy rock overhead if he really wanted to. Or if he were bored enough. Being trapped in this dismal place would surely drive anyone to boredom.
There was a bleak feel to this place, and Paige's chest tightened. Even though she was outside the bars, she could easily imagine the trapped desperation that any unfortunate resident of this cell must feel. She wondered who had been kept here.
Hearing a noise behind her, she twisted her body to look, but there was no one there. Her hands, still wrapped around the bars, tightened reflexively. She gasped and jumped when a breath of warm air touched her knuckles. Turning back, she saw Rumpelstiltskin smirking impishly at her. Despite the dangerous look in his eyes, she felt relieved. Although now that she thought about it, the only person she'd ever seen in these dreams was Mr. Gold or Rumpelstiltskin, whichever guise he was wearing at the time. Unless, of course, that strange dream about the risqué masquerade counted, though she wasn't sure that he had truly been in her dream back then. Although as she thought about it, she began to really wonder. That dream had felt strangely different than her normal dreams, but at the time she had dismissed the feeling because she was uncomfortable with the subject matter, and her own reaction to it.
When Rumpelstiltskin ran the back of one finger across her knuckles, it jarred her back to the present. She expected him to ask what she had been thinking, but he whispered, "On your knees, dove." There was a darkness in his voice that mesmerized her.
As she complied, she asked, "Where are we?"
In a sing-song voice, he said, "This is the cell, your father's spell, summoned me from." When he spoke again, it was in a normal tone of voice. "You know, when I came to… taste your innocence." He smirked at Paige's blush. It embarrassed her a little to be reminded that he had used his mouth on her while she was paying her price, especially now that she realized that she had actually enjoyed it.
Now that she was kneeling, something felt different. She wasn't sure what her clothes had been like before, but now she was wearing a teal blue corset with two panels of embroidered silk on the front, though not in the center. They featured hibiscus flowers, and the corset wasn't quite the style that she was accustomed to. It brought her waist in more than normal, so that her hips flared out in a wasp-waist style. Even though she was still very obviously overweight, she had never seen her waist look quite so small. Teal garter straps extended from the bottom edge of the corset to support sheer white stockings, framing the place where her legs met. The strappy heeled sandals she wore matched the color of the corset. She was surprised to note that her breasts were not exposed. The corset lifted them up, and quite a lot showed, but her nipples were covered. Usually, he seemed to favor under-bust corsets. Of course, the mask "tattoo" he had etched on her upper left breast was very visible.
She felt Rumpelstiltskin's hand on the side of her head, and his pants were around his thighs. Despite the chill in the air, he was very obviously ready for her. She offered no resistance as he pulled her face against the bars and positioned his hips right in front of her. Since she didn't want to give him any reason to claim she thought of him as a monster, she willingly opened her mouth.
He began thrusting with no regard for her comfort, but Paige easily kept up with him. With the bars in the way, he couldn't go as deep as he would have otherwise, so this wasn't as bad as she had thought it might be.
"Oh! Oh, hell no!"
Paige managed to turn her head enough to see who had spoken. It was Emma, with a look of utter disgust on her face.
"I'm not seeing this," Emma muttered to herself, closing her eyes. "This is so not happening."
Paige blushed, deeply embarrassed. But then she realized that this was a dream. She could sense Rumpelstiltskin's emotions, confused as they were, but she couldn't sense anything from Emma. The blonde sheriff was only a figment of the dream, an element that Rumpelstiltskin had brought in to make things harder for Paige. So to prove that it wouldn't work, Paige reached her hand through the bars. She massaged his testicles, moaning as if it turned her on. Which she had to admit, at least to herself, that it kind of did, especially when he moaned with pleasure.
In fact, that brought him to orgasm. He let go of Paige's head, and she pulled a handkerchief out of the front of her corset to wipe her face off. Then she paused. That hadn't been there a moment ago. Had she made it appear, or did he?
But before she could work that out, he grasped her hair and pulled her upright. When he let go, she looked around, but the dream-version of Emma was gone.
Rumpelstiltskin reached around behind Paige, putting his hands on the backs of her thighs and lifting. She gasped a little in surprise and clung to the bars to keep her balance. He adjusted her position, pulling her legs through the gaps between the bars. It was almost too tight of a fit.
The next thing Paige knew, he was inside her, and part of her was almost amused. She was pretty sure that a position like this wouldn't be nearly so easy to achieve in real life. But she wrapped her legs around his hips and shifted her grip on the bars. Just as she started to really get into it, she heard another voice off to the side.
"Gross!"
This time, it was Ruby. Paige felt the rush of embarrassment again, but as before, she couldn't sense anything from the person watching. Although she had a sinking feeling that he would try this again, she refused to let it get to her. Besides, she was enjoying this position, even though it seemed somewhat impractical. Although, she reminded herself, the Dark One was known for exceptional strength. If this position could be pulled off in real life, he would be the one to do it.
She cried out, "Oh yes, please, Rumpelstiltskin, yes!" She tried to ignore the protests coming from the dream-Ruby. But as things got more intense, she was able to tune out her friend's voice.
Rumpelstiltskin came again, but Paige wasn't there yet. She was surprised when he pulled out and put her back on her feet. When she looked at him, she knew he was enjoying her confusion and her desire, but she wanted to know why he had stopped. She barely even noticed that the fake Ruby was now gone, too.
Before she could ask, he said, "Turn around," in a rough voice. He pulled on her arm at the same time, starting the motion. He grabbed her hips and pulled her back against the bars. "Bend over, dove," he ordered.
It wasn't easy in a corset, but she found a position that worked. It felt very humiliating, though. Her head was down, with her hands on the tunnel floor, and though her legs were bent slightly to make the position a little easier, she still felt like she was sticking her bottom up in the air in a very lewd fashion. Gravity pulled her breasts partway out of the corset, which was even more humiliating. She felt Rumpelstiltskin's hands shift a little bit forward, and then he was inside her again. He started with a fast, unrelenting pace, and Paige could feel her impending orgasm. But to her surprise, it never came.
She whimpered, unable to stop herself. It sounded pathetic and whining, and she hated it.
"No, dove," Rumpelstiltskin said. From his tone of voice, Paige could easily picture the self-satisfied, superior look on his face. "You don't get to come unless you do everything I tell you."
She opened her mouth to ask what he wanted, but she felt one of his hands slide along the back of her corset. He twined his fingers into the laces and pulled her into a more upright position, without ever losing his rhythm. Paige gasped at the sudden change in angle, though she knew that the main reason it felt so good was that her body was poised on the edge of orgasm. She could only assume that he was rigidly controlling the dream to keep her from going over that edge.
Though she knew she could fight to impose her own will over the dream, she was certain he would see that as an attack on him, an admission, of sorts, that he was a monster. So instead she asked, "What do you want me to do?" She noticed that her breasts hadn't fallen back into the corset as they had been before she'd bent over; her nipples were just barely showing along the top edge of the corset now.
She was still leaning forward some, and felt rather unbalanced, so she reached back to grasp the bars. Rumpelstiltskin caught her right hand with his, but let her left hand find a bar to clutch. He raised her hand to his mouth and licked her fingers, then guided her hand across her own body until she could touch the sweet spot.
Just then, Mike appeared. "What the hell?" he said angrily. Then he just folded his arms and watched, his face dark with anger and disgust.
Rumpelstiltskin's lips brushed against Paige's ear as he whispered, "Touch yourself, dove."
For just a breath, she hesitated, not sure she could do this in front of Mike. Because she was facing away from Rumpelstiltskin, she never noticed the surprised look on his face. So, telling herself that Mike was only a figment of the dream, as well, she closed her eyes and did as she was asked. It added a whole new dimension to the overwhelming sensations her body was feeling right now, and she couldn't suppress a gasp of pleasure.
"Look him in the eyes while you do it," Rumpelstiltskin directed.
Though a part of her was crying inside, Paige reluctantly opened her eyes. When Rumpelstiltskin told her to move her hand faster, she did so, but she could feel her blush deepen. The sense of pure loathing that she got from Mike was almost overwhelming, and she wanted to break down in tears.
With a significant tone in his voice, Rumpelstiltskin murmured, "Say my name, dove. Nice and loud, like you've done before."
As she opened her mouth, he gave a slightly deeper thrust, making her cry out wordlessly, instead. Then she moaned, "Oh, Rumpelstiltskin!" But either it wasn't loud enough for him, or he wanted to hear her say it again – whatever the reason, he changed the angle of his hips, which pushed her even closer to orgasm without bringing her over the edge, impossible as that seemed.
"God, Rumple, yes!" She was embarrassed that she had called him Rumple instead of his full name – she'd done it before and he hadn't seemed to mind, so she wasn't worried about his reaction. But it somehow seemed even more intimate. What would Mike think if he could hear it?
Her eyes had closed, and when she opened them again, Mike had an almost sarcastic look on his face. He was so angry with her, and so disgusted by what she was doing – and then it hit her. She could sense his emotions. Either Rumpelstiltskin was putting out an extra effort or… or that really was Mike, drawn into the dream somehow! But just as she realized that the seeming emanation of Mike was very different from the earlier two, he disappeared.
Continuing with the angle he had switched to, Rumpelstiltskin finally let Paige's overwhelmed body find release. She cried out louder than she ever had before, and when he let go, she sank into a heap on the floor, panting and even still moaning slightly. Her body twitched and writhed with the aftershocks of the long-awaited orgasm. Rumpelstiltskin just watched, smirking.
When Paige recovered, she sat up. She looked at him, her face sorrowful. "I'm so sorry, Rumple," she said, a tear running down her cheek. He looked confused, so she added, "I'm not the one you need. I can't do what Belle did, and I'm so, so sorry! I wish I could, I wish I was good enough. Please, you have to find a way to get the real Belle back! For your own sake, no one else's. You deserve Belle, and you need her. Please, get her back!"
He eyed her warily, as if not sure how to deal with her sudden compassion. He had sensed the moment when Paige realized it really was young Michael in the dream. He wasn't sure how that had happened, but even though he had figured it out almost right away, he hadn't been kind enough to stop then. After he forced her to do things she well knew her young man wouldn't want to see, and even after he had controlled her body so that she couldn't orgasm until he was ready for her to, how could she be apologizing? How could she still feel so strongly about his supposed goodness that she was willing to forgive him for the terrible things he had done?
Without speaking, he sent Paige out of the dream. For a long moment, he stood there, still staring at the spot where her tearful face had been. Then he stepped out of the dream himself, and back into his slumbering body at home.
A Few Notes:
This chapter takes place during the episode "Second Star to the Right." Once again, as far as I can tell, it takes place on the day following the previous episode.
With only one chapter left of Season 2, I'm interested to know what you would like to see in Season 3. Do you have a favorite character that you would like to see more often? Or perhaps see more of their backstory? For instance:
It was mentioned once that Muffet defeated the Red Death.
And it may not have been very clear to the reader, but after Ayala came to live at the Wolfsbane castle, there is a 3-year gap before she actually marries Tristan.
We know that there is a banshee associated with King Rolph's line, so how might that have affected Norah while she lived in poverty?
How did Felix's Uncle Damian find out that his family was directly descended from Rolph?
Or any other character whose backstory you are interested in!
Also, is there anything you'd like to see (or see more of) in Storybrooke?
Feel free to go back into older things, too - like the time in Chapter 11 when Mike went to Gold to demand that he stop "forcing" Paige, and Gold basically promised to stop sleeping with her if Mike started dating her. Paige doesn't know the details of their conversation, just that Mike went to Gold about making the sex stop. So is anyone interested in her reaction to finding out that Mike could have done something to stop what he was so very much against? Are there other things that have happened in the past (or more recently) that you'd like to see a reaction/consequence for?
And with the examples I have mentioned, please feel free to also tell me if you don't want to see that. A few of the listed items are things that I definitely want to explore eventually, but some of them I'm still considering whether or not I want to go there. So please, leave your opinions, or even just the name of your favorite character!
