Rumple has a very vivid dream, and an unusual visitor, while the Heroes learn what happened to Baelfire's corpse. And the consequences for their children.
Portland, Maine - very early
It was only three in the morning, but Angus Gold, the man formerly known a Rumpelstiltskin, climbed out of bed wearily, as he headed to the toilet, as he did so often these days at his hour.
It was at times like this that he missed being The Dark One, as the ageing process gradually took hold of his body, especially his bladder. Still, he'd already lived not just decades, but centuries more than any man alive, bar Merlin himself, so it was an indignity he was prepared to put up with. Especially as it came with the benefit of no longer being under the terrible curse of the darkness; and he now had a beautiful and healthy son and wife, who was also six months pregnant. He finally had a life. But he couldn't help missing all the advantages that came with power.
Two minutes later, having relieved himself and washing, he silently left the bathroom, cautious not to wake Belle, who needed all her sleep right now.
But it was when he was about to return to their bedroom, that he heard a noise. Downstairs!
Burglars?
Cursing himself for no longer being able to incinerate an enemy on sight, even though he couldn't do anything in a land with no magi anyway, he quickly tiptoed back into the bedroom to get the small handgun he'd taped to the underside of one of his side table drawers.
He may be an old coward, but he was still going to protect his family at any cost!
Fortunately, Belle was sleeping soundly, so he extracted the weapon as quietly as he could, before creeping out onto the landing, and cautiously heading down the stairs, removing the safety catch as he reached the bottom.
To his great relief, there was only silence. Feeling a little less nervous, he walked towards the kitchen, gun raised, clicking the light switch as he entered.
Nothing.
Breathing once again as his nerves calmed, he clicked the safety catch back on the weapon, leaving ait next to the sink as he took a glass off the rack to get some water. Quaffing it back quickly, he put the glass down on the drainer, before turning to go back up, collecting the handgun.
It was in that moment he saw him! A man, standing in the doorway!
"Hello papa!"
Petrified, his jaw plunged in complete shock, the gun falling out of his hand, onto the floor.
"BAE?"
Scared beyond belief at the unbelievable sight of his long-dead son, Rumple nearly had a heart-attack. But the man in the kitchen rushed to him, catching him before his legs gave way.
"This is impossible! You're dead!" But he still felt strong, solid arms embrace him. "Is it really you?"
The younger man pulled back, giving him a sad smile. He seemed even younger than when he'd seen him in Storybrooke forest for the last time. Before he'd died.
"Yeah, it's me papa. But yes, I'm dead."
"So, this is some sort of dream?"
"Of sorts, yes. Let's face it, you would have had a real heart attack if I hadn't been, wouldn't you?"
"That's putting it mildly, my boy. But you seem so…real?" He continued to hug him, desperate not to let go. "If this is a dream, I don't want to wake up."
"Well I hope you do some time, because it's way too early for you to join me where I am." He grinned down at him. "And I still need you here to take care of Henry. And my brother and sister."
He sniffled, finally calming himself. "So all of this is in my mind? It's not real?"
"It may be going on in your mind, but it doesn't make it any less real, papa. I needed to talk to you urgently, so they let me use this way to get to you."
"They? You mean…the gods?"
He nodded. "Zeus in particular. Something's happened."
"Has this got anything to do with your body being removed from the grave?"
"It was never buried, but yes it has."
"Where is it now?"
"In another realm, and another time, completely. I don't want you to go searching for it. Because if you do, you'll have to become the Dark One again. And after everything you've achieved, it would be bad for the rest of our family if you did that. You need to stay away from Storybrooke."
"But I still need to know what's become of your remains, Bae? I can't just leave it!"
"You have to! This is a fight between the gods right now, and Zeus is not only involved, but pissed! Basically, as I understand it, a demi-god came through time just after I was killed, and tried to use the DNA from my body, to change history for their benefit, wiping out Henry in the process. This is all to do with Henry's and our family's future path, and way above the Dark One or Merlin's, pay grade. Even they couldn't handle it."
"So, who is this demi-god? This demon, capable of such a thing?"
"Apophos, God of Chaos. He was allied to Hades till the Olympian Crystal destroyed him. He controls an army of demons and wants revenge against Olympus for not avenging Hades' destruction by a mere human. Zeus already has this in hand, and wouldn't tell me all the details, but I was tipped off that there's others down here who they're protecting too. Youngsters who'll change the world eventually."
Rumple shook his head in disbelief. "So, you're saying there's nothing I can do?"
"Papa, listen to me?" Baelfire's face became serious. "Even if you went back to Storybrooke, and got all your powers back, what then? My body's not there, and nobody there is responsible for what happened. Then you'd have to jump realms. And time jump too? For what purpose? You can't punish a god, but Zeus can! Leave this be, and enjoy the rest of your life. I'm in a better place now, and you can be too, if you let it happen."
"Bae, I hardly think, with my past I'll get into the better place anyway." He gave him a sad smile. "After all the countless people I killed? The thousands whose lives I ruined?"
"Zeus himself spoke to me about that. You do realise that the crimes of the Dark One, are the Dark One's, not yours? When you finally get to the Celestial Court you'll only be judged on your life as Rumpelstiltskin and Angus Gold. So, provided you don't screw it up by actually allowing yourself become the Dark One all over again, there's every chance after some time in purgatory you'll spend eternity with me, Belle and everyone else you want to be with."
"You can't be serious?"
"Completely. Though you might want to get that tumour sorted out fairly quick? I'd like Gideon and my sister, when she gets here, to get a decent amount of time with their father before you shuffle off this mortal coil."
"Tumour? And I don't recall Belle or myself being told the sex of your future sibling?"
"You haven't been." Baelfire gave him a beaming smile. "So, you might want to keep that bit to yourself? But as for the tumour, go see a doctor!"
"Anything else? Any other insights from heaven, or the gods, I need to know about?"
"Not for the moment. Though I happen to know Henry's going to be here tomorrow? One of Robin Hood's wives and one of their daughters, Honour, will be joining him. If that little girl wants to help you, let her."
"Help me?" He frowned. "bae, she's barely eight! And unless you haven't realised by now, I'm not in Storybrooke anymore, but Portland. A hundred and sixty miles away? There's no magic here."
"I know. But remember what I said. She's a very special girl, that one! Still, I must be off. Sorry I can't stay, papa. But we'll have all the time we need, one day."
"No Bae, wait? Even if I'm only dreaming all this, I don't want to let you go anytime soon. Can't I at least get you a coffee? A whisky?"
"Must admit, the chance of a taste of scotch after all this time sounds like heaven, but whisky at three thirty in the morning? I never drank like that, even when I was alive! No papa, it's fine. Sorry, but I don't have any choice in the matter, and you need to sleep."
"No, please don't go yet? Please don't. I need you here. I need-"
"Shush papa, shush! We'll be together one day. When the time's right."
"Bae, I-" But grey mist seemed to instantly surround him, as his son disappeared from view.
Storybrooke Convent – late that afternoon
"Merlin's unconscious? Like, in a coma, or what?"
"Self-induced, Emma. He last did this a few years ago. It's how we communicates with the gods."
Emma and Robin had arrived at the convent a few minutes earlier, desperate to speak to the Sorcerer. After witnessing Neal's body being kidnapped by some sort of time traveller in the dream catcher, she believed he was probably the only one who could help. But Reul Ghorm seemed unusually calm.
"How long will he be out for? Did he say?"
"I'm not sure. He's only been gone a few hours, and time works differently in the afterlife. When he last did it, he woke four days later. One can never tell."
"Four days? We haven't got four days! Do you really want the Dark One coming back?"
"I'm sure he's aware. But these things take time. That's why my colleagues and I remain close by. We insert an IV drip into him and maintain his physical body in the meantime."
"Emma, I'm sure Reul and the rest of them are doing their best for him," Robin tried to be positive, given the circumstances. "But if there's no way to reach him, maybe Henry and Marian will have some success in Portland. They may be able to persuade Gold from coming."
"That's a big maybe! If Gold does come back, there's no dagger to contain him!"
Emma stopped, all heads turning as the door suddenly opened, one of the fairies bursting through, no longer dressed in her nuns costume but in a glittering silvery dress.
"Silvermist?" Blue frowned at her. "I distinctly said we were not to be dist-"
"MERLIN'S AWAKE!" She cut in. "And he needs to see you now!"
Portland, Maine – noon
Henry and Marian sat at the long garden table, Honour at one end, under the dome of the huge conservatory, at the new home of his paternal grandparents. After all the usual pleasantries had been exchanged, the two men cut to the chase.
"Grandpa, today was supposed to be the day we reburied my dad. You know why we're here, don't you?"
"Aye, lad. You want to stop me going back to Storybrooke to find out what happened to your father's body? At any cost?"
"Yeah, just that..." Henry gave him a sad smile, nodding, and in that moment, his face reminded Rumple so much of the young man's father. "And I asked Marian to come join me, because she's better at persuasion, than I am."
"Don't exaggerate, Henry!" Marian tapped his arm. "You're starting to sound like your mother!"
"He's right though, isn't he?" Belle sat down, grinning at her, having finished serving. "From the moment you arrived in Storybrooke, Marian, you've been making waves. Unlike most of us, nobody's got a bad word to say about you. Take it as a compliment."
"Well…thanks, I guess. Anyway, this isn't about me. Angus, you need to know we've got half the town trying to figure what happened to your son's body? They're interviewing everyone who's still around and they've even got Merlin involved. I don't understand these things, but apparently he has a way of connecting with the gods themselves, to try and speak to Baelfire himself!"
Rumple listened, before finally, nodding. "I understand all that. And for the record, I already made a decision this morning not to return. I was…persuaded, not to. Probably by the only one who could stop me going back."
Henry looked up at Belle, who put her hands up. "Definitely not me! I've been telling him all week, to leave it to all of you! And then he-" But she was interrupted by the sound of a glass hitting and shattering on the tile floor, Gideon having accidentally made it tumble from the table.
"Dammit! Sorry mum!" He'd already jumped down from his chair, seeing the three large broken fragments near his chair. "I'll pick it up. Sorry, I – AAGH! SHIT!"
It all happened so fast, that Belle didn't even have a chance to tell him to leave it, while she got a dustpan and brush. Instead, the boy brought his clearly bloodstained hand up to the table, having accidentally sliced into the flesh. "OW, THAT HURTS!"
Rumple was already on his feet, moving around to him. "Hold still, and step away from the glass, my boy!"
"Sorry papa, it just slipped out of my hand!"
"It's only a glass lad, it happens. Your skin's more important! Belle, would you mind?" But he looked up to see his wife was already on her feet, opening the medicine cabinet to get plasters and wipes. It was at times like this he remembered how the Dark One would have been able to heal it in seconds, while making the flowing blood appear, and repairing the glass to new. "Thank you."
Marian was also on her feet, coming close. "Ooh, it's sliced into the thumb joint. Gideon, hold still, while your mum gets a dressing and something to wipe it?"
"Yeah, it's kinda starting to sting quite a bit!" the boy tried to be brave, by which time Belle was by his side with a little first aid box, Marian stepping back to get out of their way, as Rumple retrieved the dustpan and brush for the glass. "Go gentle mum, please? It really hurts!"
"Of course darling, but hold still! I need to check there's no glass in the cut first. It's quite deep. Then I'll disinfect it, and wipe away the blood. Be brave."
In all the fussing around, no one had noticed that Marian's daughter was already on her feet, until she appeared by Gideon's side, looking at the cut hand. "You're poorly, Giddy. Let me help?"
Marian looked down at her. "Aw, Honny my darling, that's very sweet, but unfortunately magic doesn't work out here, otherwise his own papa would have done that! Step back so Belle can clean him up and put a plaster on? He'll feel better soon. Step Back, so she can-"
But Honour wasn't even listening. Instead, she'd already raised her open right palm over Gideon's, hovering an inch above. Belle stopped opening a wipe for the wound, jaw dropping, as a soft yellowish light appeared from the young girl's palm, moving onto her boy's hand. Gideon remained still, equally astonished, feeling a deep heat enter him.
It was over in less than ten seconds.
"Better now?" She looked up at him, giving him a shy smile.
"Yeah…" Gideon turned his hand to look at both sides. Although the blood still remained, drying, the cut, the wound itself, had completely healed. "Er, much better. That's great. Thanks, Honny."
All four adults stood looking down at her, transfixed. Especially Rumple! How the hell did a seven-year-old use magic, in a land with no magic?
"Honour, my dear girl, have you ever used your magic outside of Storybrooke before?"
"Why yes, Mr. Gold, sir." She looked at him like he was a confused old man. "We just came from Mr. Merlin's Unseen University, in Scotland. They have lots of magic there."
Henry gave his little sister a wry grin. "No Honny, what my grandpa means, is have you ever used your magic somewhere where there isn't any magic, like here, before?"
"Erm…" She looked up to her mother for help, not quite understanding the question.
"Last year we were sailing in the Caribbean, on the Jolly Roger, Angus…" Marian explained. "One of Killian's crew, Joseph Jagger, fell from high up in the rigging, onto the deck. He was nearly killed. Honour here, and her best friend Elizabeth Jones, were able to save him, together. They do everything together. They even gave him back the sight in his left eye! And he hadn't seen out of it for years!"
Rumple's mind went back to his dream. And what Bae had said to him about the Locksley girl. About her being 'very special'? The former Dark One looked at her in something resembling awe.
"Young lady, you have an extraordinary gift. One of many, I'm sure. But you need to be very careful that only those people you want to know about it, do so." He looked up at Marian. "So, nobody takes advantage of it, or you."
But Honour was too distracted, not listening to his last words, just staring up at him. But it was what she said next that really threw him!
"You're poorly too, Mr. Gold, sir! I can feel it."
"You can just call me Angus, dear." He gave her a warm smile. The girl really did seem to have her younger mother's kindly nature. "And I'm fine, I assure you."
"No, I can feel it!" Honour moved closer, raising her arms. "Let me? Please?"
He was about to gently dismiss the girl's odd little effort to do something for him, when he remembered another of Bae's last remarks.
"If that little girl wants to help you, let her!"
"Very well, as you asked so nicely."
Without another word, he lowered himself onto one knee, and Honour cupped her warm hands over Rumple's ears. He instantly felt the background noise diminish, replaced by an odd light 'whooshing', with a white noise, similar to his headphones. Closing his eyes, a whole raft of soft, rainbow-like colours flew under his eyelids. It wasn't unpleasant, and felt rather…relaxing. So much so that, after less than half a minute or so, he felt a loss when the small hands released him.
"There. You had something bad in your head! Should be better now."
Baelfire's words came to him.
"You might want to get that tumour sorted out fairly quick?"
Rumple raised his eyes to see everyone staring at him. "Thank you once again, dear. You know, last night I had an unusual dream? And in that dream, a very special person came to see me, in my kitchen. Someone I hadn't seen for a long time. And he told me about you coming here, young Honour. And how you were very special. And my Bae's rarely wrong about people!"
"Bae?" Henry's ears pricked up. "Dad?"
"Yes Henry. I have something rather interesting to tell you all. But first, let's eat?"
Mifflin Street - later that evening
Emma, Killian and the Locksley's were gathered around the table.
"The Sorcerer's saying we can do nothing?" Regina was horrified. "Unless he's forgotten, we have the imminent threat of a Dark One coming back, without the means of controlling him? We can't just sit back, and do nothing!"
Robin nodded. "Though Merlin was rather insistent. Apparently, the one we saw stealing Neal's body wasn't a man, but a god. A god, who's seriously pissed off Zeus! He said they believe the reason this god, Apophos, did it was partly in revenge for what happened to Hades, but more importantly, also to stop Honour and Henry ever being born."
"Even more reason for us to do something! And what have my children got to do with it?"
"Our children, Regina." Emma added, unnecessarily. "And I happen to agree with you; but Merlin insists even he can't deal with this one. It involves a fight between gods, time travel, and we don't know when, or where in time the body even went. I asked Merlin what Henry has to do with any of this, but he said he couldn't tell me, because of all that changing the future, bullshit! All he'll say is that Henry, Honour and Lizzy have a major say in it!"
"Elizabeth too? So this has all got to do with Honour being this 'Golden Child'? This healer he talked about? This future peacemaker, and uniter of the magic and non-magical worlds?"
Emma nodded. "Yeah. It seems some people, or gods, want to stop whatever's going to happen in the future, from happening. But something we did learn from Merlin…" Emma looked across at Robin who now had a quirky grin. "It seems Honour isn't actually the Golden Child."
"She isn't? But I thought…"
"It now appears she's going to be the mother of the future Golden Child," Robin added. "And Elizabeth will be the mother too, by all accounts. Between them, they'll create the future unifier of the magical and non-magical worlds. The vanquisher of darkness, the one to bring peace. They won't even say whether it'll be a boy or a girl, but it's all in the stars, apparently."
"And Henry?"
"Merlin was being very coy about Henry, but his future line's important to this too. So basically, if this Apophus can use Neal's body in an earlier time, he can stop him meeting Emma, her going on to having Henry, Hope and Lizzy, and so on…"
"So this god is trying to screw things for our families completely, so darkness can continue unchecked?"
"Yeah. It's complicated. It appears since Rumple renounced it, the Dark One can't escape, because it's being held somewhere outside of magic. The demons thought Neal's body disappearing would be a trigger to bring the Dark One back."
"So we sit and wait while our children's very existence is threatened?"
"Something like that. Though apparently, according to Merlin there's almost no chance of that happening. Apparently they already know where Apophus will reappear. He said there'll be a little reception committee to meet him."
"All this just to stop our future great-grandchild being born?" Regina shook her head in disbelief.
"Yup. It would appear the Golden Child is the biggest threat Lucifer and the demons have ever faced."
As they all sat considering if there was anything they could do in the meantime, Regina's cell phone rang. It was her future daughter-in-law.
"Hello Ella, how are you, dear? I was just-" But she was cut off by the stressed voice on the other end.
"Regina? Have you heard from Henry yet? He said he'd be heading back from Portland by now. I just tried to all him but I'm getting no answer."
"No dear. Marian said they'd be back no later than seven. I'm sure they'll-" Ella she cut her off again.
"My water's just broke at Grace Hatter's. She said she'll take me to the hospital. Sorry, I don't mean to panic, but I'm six weeks early, Regina? I'm frightened!"
"Stay there, my darling, I'm coming over right now!" Regina was already on her feet. "My magic will be quicker than a car! Give me a moment and try not to worry." She ended the call.
"Ella?" Emma guessed, also now standing. "Problem?"
Regina nodded. "Looks like she's one into premature labour. I'm heading over there."
"I'm coming with you. This is my grandchild too!"
~oOo~