Chapter 11
Weeks passed, but Nicholas continued to look at his father with distain. There was a hatred in his eyes that Rumple knew he deserved. His son wouldn't stay in the same room as him. He locked himself away in Belle's library and there, he waited, as if by some miracle she would return, but Belle remained where they had buried her. After that though, Rumple made sure he was with his family then, before the time came for the curse to be cast. When that time came, Rumple still hadn't made things right with his son, and he feared he never would. Everything moved too quickly, soon the plans he had set in motion were here, and the time for Regina's curse was fast approaching. That night, Rumple had to go to collect Cinderella's baby, he knew what was going to happen, and exiting his bedroom, he found Jefferson. The two men looked at each other and after a moment, they clasped hands in farewell.
"Good luck" whispered Jefferson, knowing that what awaited him was imprisonment until the curse could be cast.
"Same to you…I've written it into the curse for my children and Grace to remain with you. I know you will look after them" whispered Rumple feeling a heavy emotion inside at the thought of leaving his children. He knew he wouldn't see them again in this land. That twenty-eight years would pass before he remembered them or they him. So many things had to happen before he could see his children again. He would have to be imprisoned. He would have to get the Charming's to give him their daughters name. Then, once the curse was cast, the savior would have to come, and when he met her, he'd hear her name. Only then would he remember this life, his children, and Belle. He wouldn't even remember Belle until that day came. That felt wrong somehow even as he knew it was how it had to be. And yet, he wasn't worried for his children, he knew Jefferson would keep them safe as he left him standing there to say goodbye to his children.
He was leaving in the dead of night for a reason. He wanted to make it easier on them, easier than it would be if they were awake to see him leave. He knew Jefferson would explain things. That he would tell them everything and assure them that this separation was only for a little while. That didn't make leaving any easier than as Rumple stopped outside Annabelle's room. He stopped in the doorway, watching as she looked so peaceful amid her dreams before going in to say his goodbyes. She always looked so sweet when she slept, like she didn't have a care in the world. She had her hair in pigtails, her thumb in her mouth as she clutched her teddy bear, and watching her, Rumple was loath to leave her. He was reluctant to leave all his children, but he knew, if he didn't, they would only suffer. So, he only looked at his baby, and silently said his goodbye thinking as he did that, he saw so much of Belle in her. She was the image of her mother.
That was his thought as he brushed the hair from her eyes to kiss her temple.
"I love you, Annabelle…never forget that, dear one. Store that in your heart of hearts that papa will always love you" breathed Rumpelstiltskin looking down on her in that moment. Part of him wanted her to wake up then, but her eyes stayed shut. That look of peace remained on her face and Rumple hoped that peace would remain even after the curse was cast. He prayed that she would be alright even as he left her to her slumber. When he did, he only turned back once to have a last glimpse at his youngest daughter. Next, he went to Helena's room, where she was asleep just like her sister had been. She looked peaceful too though this was a different type of peace. It was like she had come to terms with everything around her and was preparing herself for whatever should come next. She reminded him of Belle in that moment, she had been that way too. Helena had gotten her mother strength and Rumple was glad for that as he kissed her goodbye as he had done with her sister. He knew when the curse was cast that she would need that strength to protect not just herself, but her siblings too. He was worried about her as he exited her room then the castle itself. Grace was waiting by Belle's grave for him, the look on her face saying clearly that she wasn't going to let him leave without saying goodbye to her. They shared a hug, their eyes lingering on Belle's headstone.
"Please, be careful, Uncle Rum…they couldn't bare it if they lost you too. They need you, all of them…even Nicholas, He just doesn't know it yet. You did say goodbye didn't you" exclaimed Grace the tears in her voice even as she didn't let them show in her eyes. She stepped away as he nodded, looking at him, and wondering if the next time she saw him if she would know who he was. She knew she wouldn't. That the curse would be cast, and he wouldn't know her or her him. That they would both be different people. It saddened her, even as she knew it was how it had to be, and with that knowledge, she hugged him again.
"I said my goodbyes…Nicholas wouldn't have wanted me to say goodbye, but he'll be alright. I know they all will…even you. You're all strong" said Rumple glancing back at the castle where his children slept knowing that if he looked at her, he might be tempted to try to say goodbye to his son, something he knew was beyond hope now, and besides, he didn't want to fight with his son tonight. Grace looked at him then knowing that he was right, knowing how the rift between Nicholas and him pained him.
"He'll come around…someday" whispered Grace taking his hand as a final goodbye. Grave started back towards the castle, but as she did, she could feel his eyes on her. She wasn't sure what he was doing until out of nowhere he called to her. It was the last thing she was expecting as she turned to look at him as he stood in the moonlit darkness next to Belle's grave.
"Tell Nicholas, while I'm away, he's to help Jefferson protect his sisters" said Rumple, looking not at her, but the headstone. Grace nodded before continuing on her way. She knew he wouldn't leave without saying goodbye to aunt Belle. And he didn't, he stood there for as long as he could. He looked down at her final resting place and he didn't know what to say. Goodbye just didn't feel good enough this time. That's why he stood there in silence. Only then did he place a kiss on the stone covering where his love lay, and he disappeared. Rumple pretended to be surprised by everything that followed, but he wasn't. He knew of it before even his capturers did. It had to go this way though, he knew that, as he let himself be captured by the Charming's, and put in a cell that even he couldn't escape from. For the curse to be cast, for him to find the information he needed to survive in the land without magic, he would need to be in this cell. He kept that in mind as his days in captivity went by one by one. He was where he needed to be, he kept telling himself that even when he longed for his children. Even when Jefferson snuck him the squid ink, he didn't think about using it, but hid it away where it could be useful when the time came. He was where he needed to be, the thought kept him in place as each day passed until the day came for him to get the information he sought.
Everything went just as they were supposed to, all he had to do was wait. Everyone was surprised that he didn't try to escape. That he didn't cause any trouble whatsoever. He sat in his cell, alone, often lost to his own thoughts. Thoughts of Belle, of his children, of a past that was much happier than the existence he had now. And then his thoughts went to his son. The one for whom this all was for and he felt hope. Hope that he might find his son and live to introduce him to his siblings. That was alone reason why he never escaped because he wanted to see his son again. He wanted to find Baelfire. His thoughts kept him in place more than anything else. His thoughts kept him there until the day the Charming's came. Snow White and Prince Charming. They acted like they had all the power here, but they didn't. Only Rumple knew that though as he looked at them through the bars of his cell.
"Give me her name" exclaimed Rumple, losing it just that once as he looked at Snow White through the bars, knowing as he did that it would be her to tell him what he needed to know.
"Missy…you know I'm right" whispered Rumple only to her this time, reaching a hand out through the bars to beckon her closer to get the name of her unborn daughter.
"Emma" said Snow White, looking him right in the eye in a way that others hadn't dared. The name filled his mind as if in the form of its own type of magic. That would be the name he heard when he regained his memories twenty-eight years from now. That would be who the savior was. Emma, Emma, Emma. He said the name as Charming rushed his wife away from his cell and as he did, Rumple couldn't help the impish laugh that left him. Because that was the name that would free his memories when they got to this new land. That name would make him remember and when the savior came, he would be the first to know. After that, Rumple was left to wait once more. He spent his days waiting then, his thoughts once again his only refuge. All that was left now was for Regina to cast her curse and take them into the unknown. As he waited, Rumple cherished his memories then, cherished them while he still had them until he breathed the air, and smelled the stale beauty that was magic. That was when he knew the curse had been cast.
When she did, he felt the magic in the air. He felt as it came closer and closer until he could see the black mist coming towards his cell. Rumple opened his arms wide to accept it, he closed his eyes, and when it claimed him, he breathed it into his lungs. As he did, he thought of Belle, of their children, and he hoped twenty-eight years would move quickly. He hoped he would see them again as everything around him went black.
