52
'Twas the Night
When the children returned from the skating party and found out what had gone on in their absence, they were furious. That anyone had dared to attack their father was cause for immediate concern, but that it had been as a result of Arachne's lies was worse than anything.
"I'm going to get Steady and ride over there and pin that lying wretch's hair to a pole!" Jack growled, running upstairs and getting his practice spear.
"I'll help!" Ray said stoutly. "I'll beat up Bentley while you pin her down, Jack."
Rafe got all cold and hard then went and took down his bow from the wall.
Elaina was ready to spit fire. "That lying little banshee! Somebody ought to slap her tongue right out of her head!"
"I'm getting my sword," Bae growled, then did so.
"And my crook," Rennie scowled, grabbing it from its place by the back door. "A few good whacks ought to teach her how to tell the truth."
"I have a wooden spoon," Ivy added. "How dare she tell lies and nearly get Papa taken away by those—those torturers?" She brandished a long wooden spoon like a knife.
"I'll magic her scurvy ass!" Finn said hotly.
"Me too! I'll make her croak like a frog!" Ariel snarled.
Jasmine waved around one of the clothes beaters they used for laundry, and said, "I'll make her run like a rabbit! Right out of Valley Way into the next kingdom."
"This is all my fault," Aurora groaned. "She did this to get back at me for beating her in the spinning contest."
"No, Rory. She did it because she's a jealous hag who can't stand the fact that she can't have whatever she wants," Archie disagreed.
"She brought this on herself, Aurora," Jeff said. "You didn't have anything to do with it. I'd like to beat her myself, the little wench."
Phillip and Nick came downstairs wearing their wooden swords. "Let's go, Bae. Let's give it to those cowardly Millers!"
"Yes!" cried Nora and June, they had knitting needles plucked from Rum's knitting basket.
Belle stared at her offspring, who looked like they were going to hunt down a murderer, and said, "I know you're angry about this, kids, I am too, but why don't you all calm down and listen to your father first?"
"No! Let's have a Miller bashing party!" Tom yelled, coming out riding Puss wearing his armor and carrying one of his toothpick spears.
"Yeah! I'm gonna beat nasty old 'Rachne's butt good!" Clary cried, coming into the hall with Ivy's broom in her small fist, and a scowl on her face that could have done an Amazon proud. "Nobody hurts my papa!"
"You go, Clary!" Bae chuckled. "Whack that stupid bitch!"
"Baelfire!" Rumple snapped. "Watch your mouth."
"Sorry, Papa. But what she did makes me mad enough to beat her, and I don't hit girls."
"Same here, but I'd take her over my knee," agreed Charming.
"Me too," Snow said, her eyes flashing. "What she did is a crime, Rum!"
"Exactly. And that's the reason you all are going to settle down and stop threatening to lynch the Millers," Rumple said sharply. "Clary, dearie, go and put the broom away."
"Aww, but Papa! I wanna beat her butt!" Clary pouted.
"I can do that myself, Clary," Rumple said, trying not to laugh. "Now put it away."
Clary heaved a sigh and then marched back into the kitchen, dragging the broom.
"Looks like you rubbed off on her, Alice," Belle snickered.
"Maybe. But her ma isn't any coward either, Belle," Alice said loyally.
Groaning, the rest of the children laid down their weapons.
"So what are you going to do about her, Papa?" asked Elaina.
"I'm going to speak with her father tomorrow, and also Magistrate Henry. I'll make sure Rufus knows what he'll be facing if he doesn't bring his daughter to heel quicker than a blink," Rumple informed them.
"You mean, you'll take him to court?" asked Peter.
"You really think that'll work?" Rafe wanted to know.
"Usually when money's involved, people listen to you and act accordingly," his father replied. "And I know Rufus. He's a miser, he won't want to pay me a penny over a law suit that could be avoided."
"I still think we ought to tie her hair to a pole and drag her round the square by it," Jack lamented.
"Yeah, and take turns whacking her with brooms," Nick said wistfully. "Her and Bernard."
"Boys, stop it! I want no vendettas here, this is supposed to be the season of giving," Rumple frowned at them.
"But Papa, we are giving," Jack said stubbornly. "Giving her what she deserves."
"You let me handle this, Jack Gold. Or else Arachne won't be the only child unhappy on solstice morning," Rumple warned. "Clear?"
"Yes, sir," Jack sighed. Then he brightened as a thought occurred to him. "Even if she doesn't get in trouble from her papa, Santa will make sure she gets exactly what she deserves. A nice willow switch."
"That's up to Santa," said Belle, though she fully agreed with them.
"All right, now it's getting late, so all of you get changed and go to sleep," Rumple said. He looked at the four friends. "Ruby, Archie, James, and Ray, you can sleep over if you want. There are extra blankets and pillows in the linen closet, the kids will show you where they are."
"You can borrow a nightgown from me," Kristen said to Ruby.
"I've got an extra pair of pants and a shirt for you, Archie," Finn offered.
"Same here," Bae said to James.
"Me too," Jack told Ray. "Let me get you a pillow."
Then they all trooped upstairs, still angry over the incident, but willing to let Rum handle it.
Rumple sighed, then busied himself writing notes to all the parents and sending them to their doors with an invisible wind sprite, letting them know their kids would be spending the night.
Page~*~*~*~*~Break
The next morning found Rumple down in the village, knocking loudly on the Miller's front door. The house was quite large, with big windows facing the front and greenery decorating the walk and a huge wreath with a stuffed partridge in the middle of it hung on the door. Rumple thought his decorations were much more tasteful, but he supposed he was rather biased, considering.
He raised his gloved hand to knock again when the door was opened by a small teenaged girl dressed in a maid's black dress, white apron, and mobcap. "Morning, sir! How may I—ohh you be Master Gold, ain'tcha? The sorcerer on the hill!"
"That's right, dearie. Aren't you Polly Pearson's daughter?"
"Uh huh, sir. Name's Molly," she bobbed a quick curtsey. "I be working for the Millers through the solstice. Come in, sir. 'Tis cold as a witch's heart out there."
As Rumple entered the house, Molly shut the door behind him, then said, "You'll be wanting to see Master Miller, aye? I'll fetch him quicker than a blink, sir."
"Thank you, Molly," he called as the girl scurried away.
Soon the big frame of Rufus Miller, with his shock of red hair, arrived in the hallway, wearing a festive tunic of solstice green over his leather breeches and big black boots. "Hello, Gold. What brings you here? Do you need more flour or corn? I have a new grindstone, one of the new ones they make in the king's city. It has metal points on it, so it can grind twice as fine. Care to try it?"
"I'm fine right now, Rufus," Rumple began.
"Dad! Bentley pushed me into a wall!" Bernard yelled from the other room.
"Ben, knock it off, y'hear?" Rufus snapped. "Or else you can stay home and forget that little trip with your friends."
"Okay, Dad!" came Bentley's voice. "You're such a tattletale, Bernie."
"I am not."
"Kids!" Rufus sighed. "Well, you know how it is, right, Gold?"
"I do, Rufus. Actually I've come here to discuss something one of your children did to me. Would you mind if we spoke privately?"
"Sure, come this way," Rufus took Rumple into his office and shut the door. Then he leaned on his desk and said, "So, what's one of my boys done now? Gods, tell me they didn't wreck your castle or anything like that. I told them after Mischief Night to stay away, Gold."
"Rufus, I don't know if your sons were involved, but Arachne sure was," Rumple said.
"Arachne?" he repeated, as if the idea of his daughter in trouble were a foreign concept to him.
Rumplestiltskin told him about the witch hunters and how Arachne had slandered him, almost resulting in his capture and torture. "Rufus, I know she has a history with my daughter Aurora over that spinning contest, but this is taking jealousy and revenge or whatever too far. You know me, you know I was under a curse, but that was broken years ago. Have I ever threatened true harm to anyone without them first starting something with me or my family?"
Rufus shook his head. "No. You're one of the most even tempered sorcerers I've ever seen. Even when you turned Arachne into a spider that time, it wasn't for very long, and she came out of it okay. I . . . I did talk with her after that, told her she never shoulda tried to hit you. But she has some temper, that gal does. Gets it from her grandma, I think. But I can't believe she'd . . . uh . . . do that . . ."
"I'm not lying, Rufus. That witch hunter had me trapped with a Net of Binding. It could have ended badly if I hadn't gotten him to release me, and he told me Arachne had accused me of witching all of you and her with dark magic. That's a serious charge, Rufus, even here where we don't have bloody witch hunters. I know my reputation's not the greatest due to the Dark One's curse, but it has improved since Belle married me and I'd like to keep it that way."
"I understand, Gold."
"I came here to talk to you first before I filed a complaint of slander with the magistrate," Rumple informed him.
"Aww, Gold, don't do that!" Rufus protested. "We can settle it between us. I'll talk to her again, I promise."
Rumple sighed. "Rufus, if I were you, I'd do more than just talk to her this time. This wasn't any schoolgirl prank here, this could have had serious consequences for me and my family. You have to impress on her the stupidity of her actions. Now, I'm not going to tell you how to discipline your daughter, but if it were me—"
"—she'd be getting a good spanking, aye?" Rufus finished.
"In about two seconds," the sorcerer answered.
"I've never done that," the miller admitted. "Oh, I've walloped my boys once in a while when they've gotten too out of line, but she's my little girl, Gold. I don't think I could . . ."
"Look, Rufus, you don't have to take my advice. I know it's hard sometimes to discipline kids, and I'm not one to cut a switch and beat mine, despite what you might think. In fact, I don't even use a switch, just my hand. And I spank them rarely, only if they've truly earned it. I only spanked one of my girls, and that was for throwing a shoe at my head, and I hated doing that, but it was necessary. Do you understand where I'm coming from, Rufus?"
"Yeah, Gold, I hear you. I'm sorry she's caused you so much grief. She can be a royal pain sometimes, don't think I don't know it, but she's my little girl, and I love her. Gods, what a mess!" He ran his hands through his hair. "How about we make a deal, okay? I'll . . . uh . . . let you grind up your wheat and corn free of charge for . . . uh . . . a year in repayment and you don't go to the magistrate with your accusation. And I'll have Arachne apologize to you. Sound good?"
Rumple considered. Finally he nodded. "All right. I'd rather not be at odds with my neighbors, if I can help it. But Rufus, you have to do something about her, now while you still can, because if you leave it too long, she'll grow up to be impossible . . . as bad as Regina of the Enchanted Forest, just on a smaller scale."
Rufus winced. "Hells, Gold . . .!"
"If you can't discipline her, maybe your wife could?"
"Margie? She's like a slice of bread, Gold. Kids can walk all over her."
"Give her some consequences, Rufus. If you can't turn her over your knee, fine, but do something. Don't let this go. Think of it as for her own good, because that's what discipline is," Rumple offered.
Rufus sighed deeply. "Okay, Gold. I'll try."
"Do more than try, Miller. Do it."
"Too bad you couldn't—"
Rumple held up his hands. "No, Miller. Just . . . no. I'm angry enough now to do it, but . . . no. She's your daughter, and it's your job as a parent. I have enough with my own kids."
"Yeah, you're right. Don't know how the hell you do it, Gold."
"Some days I wonder that myself, Miller. Oh, and I've told my children to stay away from yours for the foreseeable future. Do me a favor and tell yours that, because we don't need a war here, and that's what we'll have unless we nip it in the bud now."
"Will do, Gold. And thanks . . . for not coming down here and turning all of us into slugs."
Rumple snorted. "I don't do that, Rufus. Not anymore. Remember what I said, though. And have a happy solstice." He turned and started to leave the office.
"You too, Gold," the miller called as he left. Then he put his head in his hands and groaned. "Dammit, girl! Now look what you've cost me!"
Page~*~*~*~*~Break
Things settled down once Rumplestiltskin had talked with the head of the Miller household, and Arachne did apologize to him . . . with a note sent round by Molly.
Belle frowned. "She ought to have come up here and said so to your face, Rum."
"I'll take what I can get, dearie. This is better than nothing. Maybe she was embarrassed to talk to me."
"Humph!" Belle snorted. "I'd be embarrassed to have a daughter like her. Hopefully her father finally grew a pair and taught her some respect for her elders."
Rumple chuckled. "We'll see, won't we?"
Just then Tom and Gingy rushed into the parlor, both of them riding Puss. "Papa, we need your help!" his son called.
Puss sprang up on Rum's lap, so Tom could talk to him without shouting himself hoarse.
"What's wrong?" Rumple queried.
"Nothing's really wrong, Papa. Except I was worried about Gingy."
"What's the problem?" Rumple asked the gingerbread boy.
"Uh . . . Tom was afraid I could fall while I was riding Puss and break something . . . like an arm or a leg. I don't think it'd hurt much, since I'm, you know, a cookie, but . . ." Gingy answered.
"But it'd be terrible, Papa! He'd be mended. So I was wondering if you could, uh, cast a spell to uh, make him more like a person? Not change him, but . . . preserve him?" Tom asked.
"Hmm . . . yes, I could. I just need to take a look through one of my spellbooks first," Rum acknowledged. "Follow me to the study, boys, and then we can see."
So Puss and the two small boys raced up the stairs and waited for Rumple in his study.
Ariel happened to be going by with Finn, and both musicians stared. "Tom, you're in trouble? And Gingy?"
Finn looked shocked as well. "That happens . . . like once in a blue moon. What for?"
"Nothing!" Tom called back. "Papa needs to look up a spell for Gingy, that's all."
"Oh," Ariel chuckled. "Is that all?"
"I should have known better. Tom hardly ever is," Finn said, then they continued downstairs to practice for the holiday concert coming up on Wednesday.
Rum soon came up the stairs and entered his study. He unlocked his cabinet and took out two spellbooks and sat down and leafed through them. Like his daughter Ivy, he had a photographic memory, and soon he recalled where he had seen the preserving spell and flipped to the correct page. He spent a few moments studying the spell, then nodded once and shut the books and locked them back up.
"Come up here, Gingy," he said.
Puss sprang to his desk, then sat down and washed her face while Tom and Gingy slid down to the desktop. "Did you find one?" asked Tom.
"I did." Rumple said. "Now come stand over here, Gingy."
The cookie walked over to stand before him. "Will it hurt?"
"No. Though it might feel a bit . . . prickly," the sorcerer said. Then he stretched a hand over the gingerbread boy and spoke two words in the language of magic. Purple sparks drifted down over Gingy and were absorbed into his gingerbread body. "There! How's that feel?"
Gingy spun about. "I feel . . . great!" He tapped his foot on the desk.
"Good. You should be able to jump all over now and not worry about losing a foot or a hand," Rumple said.
"Yay! Thanks, Papa," Tom said gratefully. "Come on, Gingy! We've got some mice to catch. They were eating Ivy's solstice desserts in the pantry."
Gingy climbed back on Puss. "Let's get 'em!"
Tom climbed back atop the cat and gripped her collar. "Puss, let's hunt some mice," he told the cat, who licked her lips and then sprang off the desk and out the door.
"Good hunting, you three!" called the sorcerer as Puss's tail vanished through the doorway.
Page~*~*~*~*~Break
The night of the holiday concert arrived, and the Golds were among the first to arrive at the school auditorium where the concert was held. Since they practically took up three rows, they were given special seating so they could all sit together and see everything happening on the stage.
The fairies and children had decorated the auditorium to look like a winter scene, with paper snowflakes and glittering lights high up in the ceiling, and the curtain was a shimmering gauzy blue and the seats were changed to match, of soft blue glittery fabric. The programs were dusted with glitter and the words done in sharp blue ink with snowflakes drawn on them.
As soon as everyone was seated, Lyra flew out, she was halfway between her true size and human size, with great gauzy wings that glittered in the footlights, wearing a fantastically sparkling white and blue gown and twinkling shoes, her hair dusted with fairy glitter and her pointed ears had snowflake earrings in them.
"Welcome to this year's holiday concert!" she announced. "We have many talented individuals playing for you tonight, and singing as well. Please be courteous and refrain from throwing anything or screaming until the end of the concert, if you please. On your program are the names of all the performers and the pieces they will be performing, if you need a reference. And now, may I present our first piece, called "Midnight Star" performed by Finn Gold on the flute, and accompanied by Andrea Mason on the piano."
As she spoke, the curtain drew back to reveal a stage decorated to resemble a winter forest, and on one side under some blue lights was a baby grand piano with a girl dressed in a white robe and slippers, with gold hair, sort of like an angel, seated at it.
She rose and curtseyed gracefully to the audience, just as Finn came on stage from the left.
He was wearing soft velvet, all white, tunic, shirt, half-cloak, and breeches with white half-boots, that glimmered with fairy glitter. He bowed, coming to sit on what was a snow-covered log in the center. He waved to his family before taking up his familiar rosewood flute, his sandy hair gleaming like gilt under the lights.
"Look, Mama! There's Finn!" Clary shrilled, almost jumping off her seat.
"I see him, snippet. Now sit down and watch, he's going to play a song for us," Belle said, gently pulling the little girl down to sit beside her.
Andrea struck the opening notes on the piano, and after a few heartbeats, Finn began to play along.
The girl playing the piano was very good, she played with the sprightly air the piece called for, but Finn's flute eclipsed her.
He made the flute sing and conjure images in everyone's mind of the wind through the trees, and the stars shining down, and the serenity of the night.
He held the audience spellbound from the moment his fingers played the first chords to the end of the piece.
When the last note had died away, people started clapping enthusiastically.
Both performers rose and took their accolades, then the curtain closed long enough for Lyra to announce the next song, this one was a vocal piece, the traditional carol called Santa Claus is Coming to Town.
"Lead vocals are sung by Kerri Blue and Ariel Avonlea Gold," Lyra announced.
Ariel was dressed similarly to Andrea, in a soft white robe with a golden cord belt, and the simple clothing made her fiery hair stand out even more as she stood on stage in the center of seven girls who comprised the chorus.
"Yay! Ariel!" Clary cheered, and was hushed by her father.
Several people sitting nearby chuckled, then all grew still as Andrea began playing accompaniment on the piano and Ariel started singing, along with Kerri and the rest of the chorus.
Ariel's voice was pure and clear, like a ship's bell, she sang without the aid of any amplification, for she needed none. Everyone in the audience, even those in the back row, could hear her beautifully. Her rendition of the old tune made people laugh and start clapping their hands even before the song was over.
By the time the last notes had died away, the audience was applauding the young mermaid-turned-human, in awe of her voice.
The next few sets were part of a larger chorus and band, where Ariel sang and Finn played along with several others, with Lyra directing. It was great fun, as the pieces they did encouraged the audience to sing with them, and the audience did.
When they were finally over, they had solos again, this time one with Finn and Ariel alone called Heart of Winter, a haunting song about a girl who lost her way in a snowy wood and was found by a handsome prince, the heir to the Snow Kingdom and how he fell in love with common Abby Hart, the spinner's daughter.
The piece was quite tricky, with lots of trills and runs on the flute, and high notes, but Ariel and Finn played beautifully, making everyone gasp and clap and cry at the end, as the lovers parted.
That received a standing ovation, and someone shouted, "Them two are bards for sure!"
"Aye, like we didn't already know it!" laughed someone else.
Finn and Ariel bowed, flushed with praise and the response of the audience.
Several more songs followed, most of which Finn was playing in, some with others on different instruments, and some accompanied by Ariel or another singer.
But the last song was one he played alone, just an instrumental, the finale for the concert, and also one he had written himself.
By then he was feeling tired, but he managed to grab a drink backstage that somehow revived him, as it was hot cocoa, and thus when he played for the final time, he did so with all of the mystery and beauty the piece called for, his fingers dancing over his flute, the notes swirling in the air.
The audience, including the Gold family, remained captivated until he released them, the last note echoing in the air. When it was over, people were frozen, tears drying upon their cheeks they didn't even remember crying.
After a moment, Finn rose, and bowed.
Then the audience sprang to life, clapping and yelling, and Elaina, Ivy, and the other girls threw white and blue roses on stage.
"Way to go, maestro!" yelled Bae, clapping loudly.
Clary was standing on her seat, screaming almost in Belle's ear, "Yay, Finn! Play it again!"
Finn was grinning, and he waved again, before trying to go off stage, but the crowd called him back.
So back he came, and played another short piece before taking his last bow.
Then Lyra joined him, saying over the tumult, "Thank you, everyone! Finn is my star performer, as I'm sure you can see why. And that last song was composed by him as well."
Then all the other performers came out on the stage to get their share of applause and flowers, giving them one final bow before the curtain came down and Lyra declared this concert was at an end and thanked all her performers for their hard work.
So many people were congratulating Finn, Ariel, and all the other kids who had performed in the concert, that at first Rumple and his family couldn't even get to them.
But gradually the frenzy died down and Rumple managed to slip through the knot of people and embrace Ariel, saying, "You were brilliant, my lovely girl! My gods, you made me cry with that last song, and I never do that. Your voice is the finest I've ever heard, dearie, and then some."
Ariel hugged him back, happy tears in her eyes. "I'm so glad you liked it, Papa! At first I was so nervous I almost threw up, but Finn told me to just pretend everybody was naked, and then I was okay."
Rumple laughed, then handed her to Belle, who hugged her and exclaimed, "You were wonderful, Ari! You sang like a professional, sweetie, and this was your first concert too!"
Finn was busy shaking the hand of Geppetto, who was saying, "You play that flute belissimo, Finn! Good enough to make an angel weep, I tell you, eh, Pinocchio?"
Pinocchio nodded. "Yeah, you really are good. Could you teach me, sometime?"
"I will, just as soon as I feel up to it," Finn said. "I just need a little break, okay? Before my fingers become glued to my flute."
People chuckled at that statement, and then Finn turned, his green eyes glowing, and saw his father standing there. He ran over to the sorcerer and Rum hugged him, almost picking him up off the ground. "Oh, Papa! It was so much work, but it was all worth it."
"You did incredible, lad! Taliesin himself couldn't have played better," Rum praised. "That last piece, did you know there wasn't a dry eye in the house?"
"And I didn't even need my magic," Finn laughed.
"You're a true bard, son," Belle said, coming up and hugging him also. "And your new baby brothers or sisters think so too," she smiled, indicating her now huge middle.
Finn crouched and felt along her stomach, saying, "Hey, kids! How was that?"
He was rewarded with a sharp kick or punch in response. "Whoa! Take it easy! Before you pop out of Mom before you're ready!" He looked up at Belle. "Are they always that . . . jumpy?"
"Only when they get excited," his mother said, smiling.
Just then Bae and Rafe came up and they grabbed Finn and put him on their shoulders, yelling, "Maestro, you rule!"
Then they marched out of the auditorium with him, singing snatches of holiday carols.
Behind him, Ariel was receiving similar treatment from Aurora, Rennie, and Elaina.
It was the muscians' finest hour.
Page~*~*~*~*~Break
The holiday concert was the beginning of the festivities at the Dark Castle.
The next day was December 22nd, and to celebrate, the kids and the adults, even Belle, had one massive snow war with each other. They divided into teams, one had Rumple and Belle as captains and the other had Jeff and Alice.
They built a snow fort and took turns trying to storm each other's walls, and though Rumple didn't use his magic for that, he did use it to make the snow harder and therefore easier to make snowballs from. Bae had the brilliant idea of using Phillip and Clary, both of whom were on Rum's team, to crawl through the snow and attack Jeff's team from behind.
They had a sneak attack and took out Alice, Elaina, and Nora, which caused Jeff to nearly surrender. "You're sneakier than a dragon looking for dinner, Rum!" Jeff cried, shaking his fist at the sorcerer.
He tried the same thing with Kristen, but she only tagged Belle before Finn saw her and nailed her in the head with a snowball.
In the end it came down to Rumple and Jeff, each of whom was a champion snowball thrower.
But finally, Rum managed to hit Jeff on the arm and win the war.
As they all went back to the castle to get warmed up, Jeff groused, "Hey, what's with me being all covered with snow, Rum, and you look like you just walked out of some fashion magazine?"
Belle eyed her husband, who was virtually untouched by any particle of snow and said mischievously, "Why I do believe you're right, Jeff." She sidled up to him, a hand behind her back.
"What's that have to do with anything?" Rumple asked with a smug grin. "Are you cold, dearie?" He smiled at Belle.
"A little," she admitted.
"This'll warm you up," her husband said, and he took her in his arms and went to kiss her.
Belle allowed him to lose himself in her kiss . . . just as she shoved the snowball in her hand down the back of his shirt.
"Ahh! My gods, Belle!" he yelped, jerking out of her embrace. "That was cruel!" he cried, shaking his shirt until all the snow fell out.
"No, that was brilliant!" Jefferson hooted, then he tossed a snowball right in his friend's face. "Here, buddy! Here's an early solstice gift!"
"So, you want to play rough, do you, Jeff?" Rum mock-growled as he wiped snow off his face.
"Rum, hey, remember, I'm your friend—" Jeff said, slowly backing away. He made a dash for the kitchen door, but never made it.
About twenty snowballs suddenly flew through the air and buried him, leaving only his head showing.
"You were saying?" his friend smirked.
"Rum! It was a joke!"
"And he who laughs last, laughs best, Jeff!"
"Okay, now get me out of here! Rum! Hey, where the hell are you going?" Jeff shouted as his best friend walked away and entered the castle. "Hey! Rumplestiltskin! Come back here, dammit! You want me to freeze my ass off?"
Rumple let him stew for a few minutes, then came back outside and banished the snow. "It's a little cold out here, huh, Hatter?"
"Oh, real funny!" Jeff said, brushing himself off. "That's the last time I have a snowball fight with you!"
"Those words sound familiar. You said that last year," Rum sniggered, then he followed Jefferson inside.
Page~*~*~*~Break
That night was the first holiday dinner, followed by the gift exchange between the siblings, Jeff, Alice, Belle, and Rumple. The four adults exchanged gifts with each other, with each couple getting a gift for the other one, and also for each other. The children exchanged gifts with one of their siblings, so no one had to kill themselves making seventeen gifts.
And all the children got one big gift for their parents and for Jeff and Alice.
For dinner that night was a huge standing rib roast basted with basil, garlic, and sage, lying on a bed of crackling fried onions. It was surrounded by roasted potatoes and carrots.
There was also creamed spinach, corn, and bacon wrapped shrimp on skewers. By each child's plate was a chocolate shaped sleigh. Everyone had a glass of sparkling cider, except Alice and Jeff also had a shot of whiskey.
Beside Gingy's place was a plate full of gumdrops, lemon suckers, and taffy, since the cookie could only eat certain types of candy.
For dessert there were ice cream sundaes, solstice cookies, eggnog, and cocoa with peppermint candy straws.
Then came the gift exchange, with each child handing a gift to the other one, and the adults as well.
"We figured you could use this, Belle," Jeff announced and handed her a package wrapped up with a bunch of soft blankets tied with a pretty bow.
Belle unwrapped it to find a beautiful mobile, with unicorns, teacups, spinning wheels, and purple hearts. "Oh, this is gorgeous, Jeff! This will go perfectly in the nursery! Thanks so much, Alice!"
"I picked out the designs," her friend laughed.
"Hey, I helped!" objected Jeff.
"You did a great job, buddy!" Rumple clapped him on the shoulder. "Now, see what we got you."
Jeff opened the gaily wrapped package to reveal . . . "A cuckoo clock! Hey, I always wanted one! Alice, look at this. When you turn the hands to twelve o'clock it opens and a little . . . dragon comes out?"
They gasped as a small dragon popped out, breathing fake fire, instead of the usual bird.
"It's a dragon cuckoo clock!" Rum laughed.
"That's so neat!" Alice grinned.
Belle's gift from Rumple was a swansdown cloak, woven of the finest wool the Shepherds produced, in an ivory color accented by a rose in purple on the clasp, with the swansdown on the inside.
"Oh! It's amazing, Rum!" she cried, then she gave him his gift, which was a magic potion book called Rare Elixirs and Antidotes.
"I can really use this, Belle. Thanks, sweetheart," he said, kissing her.
Then he looked over at Jeff and Alice.
Alice had given Jeff a new sword, and he and the boys were exclaiming over it for a little bit, before Jeff recalled something and pulled Alice beneath the kissing bough in the hall.
Then he kissed her, long and deeply.
All the children snickered.
Jeff ignored them and said, "That was one present from me. And here's the other one." He quickly knelt in front of her. "Alice, will you marry me?"
Alice almost fell over. "Good gods! You . . . you're proposing?"
"Sure am, sweetheart," Jeff said, holding out the ring.
"Then I accept!" Alice cried, then Jeff slid the ring on her finger and kissed her again.
The kids laughed and cheered.
"When are you getting married, Uncle Jeff?" asked Phillip curiously.
"Oh, not for awhile yet, Phil. Like maybe this May?" Jeff said. "We need time to plan the wedding."
"And time for the twins to get born so Belle can be my matron-of-honor," Alice said, showing her the ring.
"Oh, it's lovely, Alice!" Belle squealed. "When did you pick it out, Jeff?"
"I took him down to Jared's when you two were sewing some baby clothes," Rumple smirked. "I see you went with my suggestion, Hatter."
"Hell, yeah. What do I know about jewelry, Rum? You're the one who likes all that fancy stuff, Gold."
"Shut up, Jeff! You make me sound like a pansy-ass," his friend growled.
"If the shoe fits . . ." Jeff began, then ducked Rumple's smack on the ear.
Page~*~*~*~*~Break
From the children, Rumple and Belle got a weekend to the same cottage at the seashore they'd spent their honeymoon at that summer, just them alone and no children allowed. Jeff and Alice got the same, only on a different weekend.
Then finally the night of December 24th was here, and Rumple, Jeff, Belle, and Alice made plans to put their gifts for the children beneath the tree before going to bed that night, once all the children were asleep.
Little did they know that two of their brood was also making plans . . . to sneak down and peek at Santa when he came down the chimney in the parlor and went to put the presents beneath the tree.
"First we gotta put out the milk an' cookies," Phillip said to Clary. He got the cup that the Avonleas always used, with the holly around the rim and the gold handle, and filled it with goat's milk.
Clary got the plate which said For Santa From the Golds and put one of each kind of cookie they'd made on it. "Now you gotta write the note, Phil," she reminded.
Phillip got a red crayon and some parchment and wrote, in his best printing:
Dear Santa,
These are for you. Just don't eat Gingy by mistake!
Happy Solstice!
Love,
Phillip and Clary Gold
He put the note right by the cup of milk and the plate, so it would be easily seen.
Then they scampered upstairs to sleep . . . or so thought their parents and doting uncle and soon-to-be aunt.
Page~*~*~*~*~Break
Phillip managed to sleep for an hour or so, then he woke and kept himself awake by pinching himself until he heard the clock downstairs chime eleven o'clock. He then slipped from his bed and snuck into Clary's room and shook her awake.
"C'mon! It's time to go down and hide!" he hissed.
Yawning, Clary got up and they tiptoed downstairs and found everything quiet, with small mageglobes burning in the hall and the sitting room. They slipped behind the small sofa in the sitting room just as footsteps walked across the floor.
Gasping, Clary and Phillip peeked out from behind the sofa, eager to catch a glimpse of the elusive jolly old man in the red suit.
To their delight, they did see a man in a red suit putting packages beneath the tree. He had a long white beard and a hat and black boots, just like in the stories.
"Where's the reindeer?" Clary hissed to her brother.
"Outside, duh!"
"Oh. But . . ." she frowned. "How come he's not fat?"
Phillip shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe he went on a diet."
"On the holiday?" Clary scowled.
"Well, if he eats all the cookies kids leave, he won't be able to fit through the chimney if he's already fat," Phillip pointed out. "So maybe that's how he gets like that."
"Oh." Clary nodded, thinking that made some sense.
The two watched, almost trembling with delight, as Santa put prettily wrapped packages beneath the tree. Then they heard more footsteps and suddenly Belle appeared next to the tree, her arms filled with some more presents.
"Here. I got these," she whispered, and Santa took them from her and put them beneath the tree.
"That's the last of them, right?" he asked her.
"Uh huh." Belle stood and admired the way the tree glowed in the light of the mageglobes.
"Wow! Look at all the presents!" Phillip murmured.
"And some of them are ours!" Clary grinned. Then she gasped. "Look, Phil! Mama . . . Mama's kissing Santa!"
"What?" Phillip almost fell on the floor as he saw Belle, his pregnant mother, actually kissing Santa Claus! "Gods, Clary! What do we do?"
"Do? They're grown-ups, Phillip. Grown-ups kiss each other all the time."
"Yeah, if they're married!" Phillip cried, scandalized. "And Mom's married to Papa, not Santa!"
"Look, they've stopped," his sister whispered. "I think it's okay if Mama kisses Santa, Phil. I mean, he's old. And maybe it's like when she kisses Unca Jeff."
"She ain't never kissed Uncle Jeff like that!"
"Maybe she was showing Santa how to do it. For when he gets married."
"Huh? Who's he marrying?"
"I dunno. Maybe he ought to marry Granny? They're both old and stuff."
"If he's kissing Mom like that, he really needs a wife," Phillip whispered in her ear. "Before Papa sees and hexes his butt off."
Clary put a hand over her mouth to smother her giggles. "Maybe we need to leave another note."
"We gotta wait till they leave," her brother reminded her.
They waited till Santa and Belle left the room, but by then they were sleepy, since it seemed to take forever for them to walk away. Phillip started nodding off and decided he'd just put his head down and rest for a minute.
Clary yawned and followed suit, and before they knew it, they were fast asleep, curled behind the sofa, with visions of sugarplums and cookies dancing in their heads as well as Granny in a white wedding dress walking Santa down the aisle.
Page~*~*~*~*~Break
"Damn! This thing itches!" Rumple said as he pulled the fake beard and wig off his head in their bedroom upstairs. "I can't believe you actually made me wear this, Belle."
"Oh, quit your grousing, Rum! It was just in case one of the kids happened to sneak down and see," his wife said. "Besides, I kept my end of the bargain. You got a kiss out of it."
"I ought to get five kisses," he grumbled, pulling off the red suit, which he'd worn over his clothes. "I almost roasted in this thing!" He placed the suit in the back of his armoire.
Belle came up behind him and hugged him. "I love you, Rum."
He turned around and cupped her face in his hands. "Love you too, dearie."
Then they kissed again, even more deeply than before.
They broke off when they heard the sound of sleigh bells jingling and the scrape of a boot as it came down the chimney.
"Well, he's arrived right on time," Rumple smirked. "Shall we go and say hello?"
"You mean . . . you actually have met him?" Belle gasped.
"Yes. A few times. Come, I'm sure he'd like to meet you, dearie," said her husband.
He helped Belle into the magic chair and then limped along down the stairs, using his dragon-headed cane.
Together, they walked over to the tree and waited there.
They saw two black boots sticking out of the fireplace, and then with a pop! a fat man with a long white beard and hair wearing a red suit was in the room. He brushed himself off, the soot vanishing like magic from his clothing and the air, then turned and read the note beside the cookies and milk.
He let out a soft belly laugh, and put the note down.
"Hello, Santa. What did my children write now that's so funny?" Rumple asked.
Santa turned around, lowering his magic sack to the floor, and smiled at the sorcerer. "Well, hello again, Rumple! You mean you didn't read the note Phillip and Clary left?"
"I didn't really have time," he admitted.
"They asked me not to eat Gingy," Santa chuckled.
"Oh, yes. Gingy's our gingerbread boy come to life. Ivy . . . magicked him by mistake," Rumple explained.
"Was it?" queried Santa. "The solstice magic doesn't make mistakes, Rumple. I think Tom needed a friend."
"Very true," the sorcerer acknowledged. "You'd know best, wouldn't you? Santa, I'd like you to meet my wife—"
"Belle Avonlea!" exclaimed the old man. "Why, I left you a rose bush one year, if I remember right. When you were twelve."
"That's right!" Belle cried. "It was just after my mother had passed away and I wanted something . . . to remember her by. And when I woke up solstice morning, there was a rosebush with some soil wrapped with a big green bow under my tree! I still have that bush, it's out in the arbor. And the roses from it smell beautiful."
"They were your mother's favorite. Purple Damask, I believe. Congratulations on your marriage, Belle! And on your two new babies! You'll have some fun with them." He winked at her.
"Do you know what they are then, Santa?" she asked.
"Well, I may be able to figure that out. But I figure you'd want to be surprised," Santa said, then he took a cookie and ate it. "Mmm. Chocolate spice! One of my favorites! Yours too, Rumple, if I recall."
"You do. I think you probably remember almost everything about my childhood, once you started coming to my house."
"I remember leaving you a fuzzy green blanket one year. Along with a chocolate cat."
"Yes. We were freezing that year. And I was hungry," Rumple recalled.
"Another year I left you a stuffed kitten."
"Holding a box of various buttons. I gave the kitten to Ivy when she was a baby. And then she gave it to Clary, who still has it. She calls it Mopsy," Rumple said.
"And the buttons?" asked Belle.
"I used them to make a vest for Jeff," her husband replied.
"But you made the best use of the one gift I didn't give you, Rumplestiltskin."
"What was that?"
"The gift of love. Even though you were denied it by your own parents, you learned how to love and to share that love with your own children, and now with Belle also. And that is the greatest gift of all, and the hope of the solstice season. You should be proud of yourself, my fellow magician."
Rumple blushed. "Umm . . . well . . ."
Santa chuckled again, and ate two cookies and drank the milk. Then he walked over to the tree and began putting presents beneath it. When the sack was empty, he paused and said, "Hmm . . . I'm missing one. Now what . . . ah, yes, I remember now!"
"Whose are you missing?" asked Belle.
"Ivy's. Because I need to go and fetch him."
"Him? What is it, another pet?" asked Rumple.
Santa put a finger aside of his nose and winked. "No. It's Myrnin. Her wish for this year is to see him again. So I need to fetch him here. Poor boy, he needs a break anyhow. War is no good for children, makes them grow up too fast."
"That's a war he shouldn't be fighting," Rumple frowned.
Santa nodded sadly. "But his father . . . ahh . . . he values his youngest too little, I fear."
"So you'll bring him to us then?" asked Belle.
"Yes. It's here he has his heart," answered Santa. "And here he can mend somewhat from the horrors of the war."
"We'll do what we can to help him," Rumple said.
Santa ate another cookie. "I figured as much. You are to him what Mary Hatter was to you so long ago. The last light in a dark place." Then he snapped his fingers. "Ah! Mustn't forget the animals." He reached into his sack again and pulled out a large jar of honey with Baron's name on it, a gigantic meaty bone for Rajah, a smaller one for Rowan, a whole mackerel for Puss, a bunch of carrots and sugar lumps for Rogue, Flicker, and Steady, and a bottle of honeyed water for Sweetheart.
After he had placed the presents for the animals, he paused, then looked towards the sofa, and said quietly, "You might want to put Clary and Phillip back in bed, they'll get stiff sleeping on the floor like that."
Belle blinked. "What? But they already are in bed."
"Look behind the sofa," Santa said simply.
Rumple did, and saw his youngest two asleep. "What on earth? Oh . . . they were trying to get a look at you. Jeff and I tried that once, only we fell asleep too."
"Of course you did. The solstice magic won't let children stay up to see me. Part of my mystique. It's only when you're an adult that you can see and speak with me. An adult who believes, that is."
"Then someone who doesn't believe can't see you?" Belle clarified.
"No. I might as well not exist to them. Regina, for instance. She never believed in me, not even as a child. Her mother forbade it. But Snow believes, and so I can leave gifts for her."
"I have a question for you," Rumple said. "Have you found that your influence can help a child to grow up to be a good person?"
"Well, that depends on the person. Some people have good childhoods and yet can turn out to be awful people as adults. And the reverse is true as well. Or they simply stay the same as both children and adults. Take James Hook, for instance. He ended up on my Naughty list more than once as a child, and as a man, well you would know what he's like better than I would."
"A thieving, murdering scoundrel," Rumple growled. "What about Milah?"
"She was normally a good child, only made the Naughty list twice as an older child, but she made some poor decisions as an adult, and those decisions marked out her life path. She could change, indeed even Hook could change, but they have to want it. And, sadly, they don't. They like what they've become. Pirates, freebooters, buccaneers. And thus, they've chosen their own destiny. As have you, Rumple. You need not blame yourself for what Milah has become, she did it to herself."
"How did you know . . .?" Rumple asked, shocked.
"The solstice magic lets me know certain things sometimes. Like it did just now."
"I . . . for a long time I did blame myself. I thought I could have done something differently . . .made her choose us . . . but I was wrong."
"Yes. In the end, the choice was always hers, and she chose Hook over her family. She might accuse you of forcing her into that decision, but that's not so. You didn't drive her away, she left on her own. That being so, to blame yourself for her choice is foolish."
"Yes. I see that now." He bent and picked up Clary in his arms, setting her on the sofa. Then he picked up Phillip and did the same thing, covering them with an afghan.
"May the joys of the solstice be upon you, Rumplestiltskin and Belle Gold. Now, I must be going. I have a few more houses here in Valley Way to visit."
"Like the Millers?" Rumple asked shrewdly.
Santa nodded. "Yes, though some in that house will not be too pleased with my visit. And I must bring Myrnin back here. Farewell for now!" he called, then he whooshed up the chimney with his now empty sack.
In a few moments he was back, and Belle said, "Goodness, have you gone and returned so fast?"
"No. I . . . err . . . have a small problem," Santa said, looking rather embarrassed. "My reindeer, as you know, have a spell cast over them which enables them to fly. But . . . the spell has never lasted me the whole night. It has just faded, and now my reindeer are earthbound. Which will slow me down incredibly. I was wondering, Rumple, if I might have the loan of your mare to fetch Myrnin?"
"I can do better than that, Santa," said Rumple. "I've been . . . experimenting with a few things this past week in my lab. One of them is a magic feed corn. It will give an animal the ability to fly for a period of twenty-four hours. I have no idea why I felt like making that, but nevertheless, I have."
"And do you have some of this to test?" asked Santa eagerly.
"Yes, I happen to have a small bag."
"How fortunate!" Belle said.
"That's the solstice magic at work, putting those things I need in my path," Santa said, smiling.
"Let me summon it for you," Rumple said, then he did so.
The bag zoomed into his hand, and he handed it to Santa. "This should be enough for you to enchant your deer for the rest of the night."
"Magic feed corn," Santa murmured. "I should have thought of this before. Might I have the recipe, Rumple?"
The sorcerer snapped his fingers and the paper with the magical spell appeared in his hand. "Here you go. I've found it works best on corn rather than wheat or hay. Most animals enjoy corn anyhow."
"Thank you, Rumple. As one archmagus to another, I salute you," Santa said. "May the blessings of the solstice be upon you and yours!"
He disappeared up the chimney again, and this time didn't return.
Rumple and Belle waited up for Santa to bring Myrnin back, sitting on the sofa on either side of the sleeping children.
In about twenty minutes, they heard a sharp tapping at the castle doors. Rumple moved then and opened the door.
Myrnin stood there on the steps, his bow on his back, his face painted with zigzag lightning patterns, wearing the outfit and mail of an elven ranger, looking somewhat shocked. "Rum? Some strange man in a red suit came and said he was there to take me to Ivy for her solstice gift, so I went with him. I was intending to come home—I mean, to your castle—as soon as I got leave, but to hell with that now . . ."
"This is your home too, lad. I told you that last time I saw you," Rumple said.
"I . . . must have forgotten. I'm so tired, Rum . . . so sick of fighting . . . it never ends . . ." the boy said wearily, sounding far older than his fourteen years.
"For now it has, lad. Welcome back, Myrnin." Rumple stepped back to let Myrnin enter the castle.
Myrnin crossed the threshold, stumbling a little, and fell into Rum's arms, exhausted, but knowing that he had come home again at last.
