Storybrooke
Fifteen days prior to the Final Eclipse
Charming was quick to learn that maintaining law and order in their little town was not as easy as he thought now that everyone had their memories back and old grudges were resurrected, the most dangerous one being King George's against him and Snow. The king, now the DA Albert Spencer, felt he should oversee the town now that Regina seemed to be more interested in turning over a new leaf for her son and decided it was time to knock the shepherd prince off his pedestal. He found the perfect weapon in their resident shapeshifting diner waitress with a penchant for skimpy clothing. She was now the prime suspect in the murder of a mechanic named Billy since she was the last person to see him alive and it appeared that he had been attacked by an animal and there had been a full moon the night before and the red cloak that kept Ruby from turning had somehow gone missing. Fortunately he was able to prove Ruby's innocent and the town returned to normal, or at least as normal as it could be.
He was also struggling to take care of Henry and oversee the work in the mines that he hoped would finally help him bring Snow and Emma home. Henry was now having terrible nightmares, a side effect of the sleeping curse. He lit candles as he'd done with Snow, but nothing seemed to be helping and now he was getting burns from the fiery room he visited. Having no other choice, he'd decided to call Regina.
"You were quite right to call me."
"So, you can help? It was just a dream."
"Well, what you're describing's certainly not a dream."
"Then what was it?"
"A side effect."
"You know, it's remarkable you'd cast a curse you know so little about."
"My victims are not supposed to wake up. That's why I certainly never cared what happened to them after. Until now. We may need to talk to Gold. He might know more about this."
Rumple and Belle had just finished their magic lessons for the day when Regina, Charming and Henry arrived at the shop.
"We need your help Gold," Regina announced. Belle looked up from the book she was reading and glared at her nemesis.
"What have you done now?" she demanded angrily.
"Quiet bookworm!" she snapped.
"You might want to watch your tongue dearie. or you might lose it."
"Mr. Gold, please!" Henry pleaded and held out his burned arm. "How is this happening to me?"
Rumple gasped. "Where did you get that? Did you do this?" he demanded of Regina.
"No! He says…he says he got it in his nightmares. A burning room."
"Ah, I see. When people fall under a sleeping curse, the soul travels to a netherworld where it resides until awoken. Now this world is between life and death, and it's very real. However even when the curse is broken, sometimes in sleep, the victims find their way back to that world. Victims like you, Henry."
"This other world is tormenting my son every time he sleeps. I want you to give him something that will keep him from going there."
"Well, I'm afraid that's not possible. I can, however, provide you with something that will allow him to control his actions whilst in that world. And once one controls something, one no longer need fear it. I'm afraid your son did not inherit Prince Phillip's ability to control his dreams, but I suspect his daughter has. You may encounter her in this world Henry and others like her and they may offer you some comfort. But until then, you must wear this." Rumple held out his hand and a pendant appeared in it."
"A necklace?"
"You wear this while you're sleeping. Once you control the journey, the fear will stop. And then you can come and go as you please."
"Everything comes at a price with you. What do you want for this?" Regina demanded.
"For a house call? You couldn't afford it. But this is for Henry. This one is on me."
"Thank you, Mr. Gold."
"Call me Rumple, Henry."
In time he hoped the boy would learn to call him by another name, Grandpa.
Once Henry and the others left the shop Belle closed the book she was reading and glanced up at Rumple. "You told him he'd meet other victims of the curse in the Netherworld for a reason, didn't you?"
"Once again that intelligent mind of yours serves you well. Yes. As I said the daughter of Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora may have inherited her father's ability to control his dreams. Also, Aurora and Rose were both victims of the sleeping curse, but it has been broken. If Henry sees one of them in the Netherworld they may be able to tell him where Emma and Snow are and perhaps carry messages to them from this side." He picked up the book she was reading and placed it in a bag. "Once Emma returns we can begin our search for my son."
Belle placed her hand over his. "And Henry will meet his father."
The Enchanted Forest
Fifteen days prior to the Final Eclipse
After the group made camp Aurora took the travel storm token out of her bag and held it out. "We don't need the ashes from the wardrobe now. We can use this."
"We can't be certain it works," Emma argued.
"If she got it from an Ozian Guardian, it works." Mulan said.
"Then use it to find your daughter," Snow suggested. "Emma and I can get the wardrobe ashes from Cora and use them to get home."
"Aurora's right. We should use the token. Getting the ashes from Cora is far too risky. Look what she did to the people at the Haven," Phillip reminded them. "Do you know how these work, Mulan?"
"You need to be in an open field to throw it because it produces a storm that allows you to cross realms. The emperor used to barter for them from the Ozian royal family because he wanted to use them to come here and steal powerful magical items from the Dark One's castle."
"We can't let Cora get to Storybrooke," Snow said. "She gets to Storybrooke, she'll go after everyone there and you know Regina will side with her. If we take the ashes she can't go through. Please. We have to stop her."
"She's right," Emma said. "We can try the token to get home, but we have to get those ashes off Cora, so SHE can't follow us. And I can't figure out how people manage to steal from Gold without being torn to pieces. He beat the crap out of a guy for stealing a cup. A cup!"
"The emperor could, and I think I know where Cora might be hiding," Mulan added.
"Alright. We'll start looking in the morning."
"Aurora, if you see Henry you might be able to get a message to someone who could help us. Gold," Emma suggested.
"Gold! Emma, he double crossed you the last time you asked for his help," Snow protested.
"Well he'd better not this time. We can't count on Regina, but I think Gold doesn't want this woman in Storybrooke anymore than we do."
"He wouldn't," Snow murmured. "I used to hear Regina and Cora talking about him when Cora was still in the Enchanted Forest. It seems that she and Gold had something of a history and they fought a battle that Cora claims she won against him but I'm not so sure."
Aurora looked forward to her dreams now that she knew she would not be in it alone, but her fear returned when she found herself alone among the flames. Suddenly a young boy appeared, and the flames vanished.
"Hello?" she called out.
"It's okay. It's okay," he said softly when he approached her, a pendant around his neck. "Are you…Princess Aurora or Rose?"
"I am Aurora. Who are you and how do you know my daughter?"
"My name is Henry and Mr. Gold…ahhh Rumplestiltskin told me about you."
"Henry! Are you Emma's son?"
"Emma! My mom! Have you seen her? Have you seen Snow? Are they okay?" Henry asked frantically.
"They're fine. We have a way to get them back to you but there is someone we are trying to stop from following us. Her name is Cora and she's Regina's mother. Henry, we need you to talk to Rumplestiltskin…ask him if he knows a way we can use here to defeat her."
"I will. Can you give my mom and Mary Margaret a message from me?"
"I will sweetie. What would you like to tell them?"
"Tell them I can't wait for them to come home."
"I will. Thank you so much Henry."
Phillip watched his wife sleep, relieved when he didn't hear her crying out in fear. She awoke an hour later smiling.
"Aurora, my love, what is it? Have you seen Rose again?" he asked hopefully. She shook her head.
"No, but I did see Henry. He is going to talk to Rumplestiltskin for us, Emma and he can't wait for you to come home."
"Thank God. Hopefully he won't double cross us again."
"I don't think he will this time," Aurora said confidently and lay back down to sleep in Phillip's arms but this time instead of being trapped in the burning room, they found themselves in a remote corner of the forest, reliving their wonderful first meeting when she thought she was just a peasant girl being raised by three
Storybrooke
Fourteen days prior to the Final Eclipse
"Cora," A chill crept down Charming's spine at the mention of that name. He'd heard Snow speak of Regina's domineering mother and describe her as a woman far worse than her daughter. Having her in their town was the last thing any of them needed right now, especially Henry. Charming had no doubt Regina would ally with her mother if Cora promised her assistance in getting Henry back.
"I hope Mr. Gold can help keep her out of here because Mom doesn't need her trying to run her life again," Henry muttered. "She's trying so hard to be better for me and Cora's just gonna come in and try to turn her back into what SHE is but we gotta tell her."
"Let's talk to Gold first before we go to Regina," Charming suggested and pulled into the lot behind Rumple's shop and shut off the engine. When they walked in Rumple was behind the counter reading off a list of items from a ledger while Belle stood in front of one of the shelves looking at the items and confirming whether he had them on hand or not.
"Ah, Henry! It's good to see you lad. Is the necklace helping?"
"It is Gold but now we have another problem. Emma and Snow are trying to get back from the Enchanted Forest, but they've got someone coming after them, someone you know well."
"Oh, and who might that be, dearie?"
"Cora."
Rumple and Belle exchanged nervous glances.
"She's supposed to be dead!" Belle cried. "Didn't you tell me she was dead, Rumple?"
"I thought she was but if Emma and Snow White have seen her, she isn't. And trust me, you do not want that woman in this town or anywhere near Regina or your grandson. Unfortunately, I would be of little help to them from here. What they need is an Ozian Guardian and it just so happens there are two that would be able to intercept her before she reaches Storybrooke."
"What's an Ozian Guardian?" Henry inquired.
What you will one day become, Rumple thought. "Ozian Guardians are the most powerful mages in all the realms because they are the direct descendants of the Greek gods Hades and Persephone and the Ozian gods Lurline and Aramon, or they are bound to one by blood or marriage. They are responsible for maintaining the balance between darkness and light in all the realms and one of them was right under our noses in Storybrooke."
"Let me guess: you!" Charming said smartly.
"No, Archie."
"Archie?! Archie doesn't have magic!"
"Oh, but he does dearie, and Regina knows it. They had quite the battle at the town hall when she came for Henry. You do not anger an Ozian Guardian unless you want to and, please excuse my French Henry, have your ass handed to you on a platter. Archie could've killed Regina without breaking a sweat, but Henry is the only reason why he stayed his hand. I warned both her and Cora about not crossing paths with Ozian Guardians, but I would enjoy seeing that arrogant bitch Cora try to go up against Archie. Even though he is only married to a descendant of Hades and Persephone, he now has powers equal to hers and since Azkadellia Ozopov is no longer under a witch's control, she is once again the North Guardian." Rumple smiled at Henry. "Archie was like a father to you lad, so you forged a bond with him and now that you can control your dreams, you will be able to contact him through them."
"Archie has a wife? How? That's not in the book," Henry reminded them.
"Nor would it be yet."
"Wait a minute! Archie's in Storybrooke! I just saw him down at the diner. Cut the crap, Gold!" Charming growled.
"What you're seeing is a lifelike construct he created to take his place while he was in Oz freeing his wife from a witch's control. He will swap places with it when he's ready to come back, but he will have access to its memories as it has access to his. If you cannot reach him in the dream realm, have his construct deliver your message for you. Archie and Azkadellia Ozopov are our only chance of preventing Cora from coming here." Rumple frowned. "But if he is still suffering from magical drain we will have to find another way."
"My mom…she needs to know about Cora."
"Rumple is that a good idea?" Belle asked. "I don't think so. What if she sides with her?"
"Let me handle your mother Henry," Rumple suggested. "When you go to sleep tonight try to think about Archie and the pendant should help you find him. In the meantime, if you see Aurora instruct her to tell Emma and Snow White to go back to Snow's palace and look for my old cell. I have something in it that I saved for a rainy day. It's only a temporary solution but it may buy them time."
"Thank you, Mr. Gold."
"It's the least I can do, dearie."
Once they left the shop Belle turned to him, frowning. "What are you leaving out?"
"You know me too well, my sweetheart. Cora must come here. That is the will of the OZ."
"Why?"
"Because this is Regina's test to prove she is worthy of being Henry's guardian. She must resist the temptations her mother offers her."
"And if she can't?"
"Then I will do what must be done to save her soul. Had the fates decided differently, she would've been my child, not Prince Henry's and I have loved her like she was my child, Belle. I want my children back. One I fear may be lost to me forever, but I cannot lose both."
"What will you have to do?"
"Cora has to die, and she will die by my hand but not until she tells me what I've wanted to know for centuries, and please forgive me for this Belle."
"You need to know if she loved you."
He nodded.
"She may have broken your heart Rumple, but I will be the one to heal it. Ask her your question but I wouldn't expect an honest answer."
"Oh, I'm not sweetheart but I will lay out a trap for her that will make it impossible for her to lie. She will speak the truth before I take her black heart and crush it."
"…Grandpa, I'll be okay. You can go sleep in your room," Henry insisted. Charming had a candle ready to light on the nightstand the moment his grandson awoke, fearing his dreams would once again take him back to the burning room. Thankfully he'd been spared that terror the night before, but the former prince was taking no chances.
Archie, Henry thought before he closed his eyes to sleep.
Oz (The Outer Zone)
The Northern Island
The Dream Realm
Az looked up from the clay she was sculpting and scowled at her husband. "Quit moving the sheet! You're breaking my concentration!"
"So, take a break and come to bed," he said huskily. He lay bare chested on their makeshift bed with his amber pendant around his neck while the lower half of his body was covered only with a sheet that he kept moving while she worked to tempt her to do just that.
"I will…when I'm done and not before."
"Dellia," he groaned.
"It's not like I'm drawing you like one of those French girls! Sculpting requires more focus."
"I'm gonna get knots in my joints if I stay like this all day but then I'll just have you work them out for me."
Az giggled. "Oh, if Daddy, Mother and DG knew how we were spending our resting time…"
"Your mother would want to hang me in Central City square if she saw how we decorated this room. I can't promise it looks normal in the real world. And your father, well he did teach you how to sculpt clay. He didn't specify what you should make out of it." He glanced over at a table in the corner of the room showcasing the figures she'd already completed over the years, all of them in sensual poses inspired by the works of the famous artist Rodin.
Suddenly he tensed.
"Archie, what is it?"
"Someone's trying to contact me but it's not my construct or David." He got up and wrapped the sheet around him and grabbed the seeing globe but it kept sliding off while he tried to hold the globe to activate it.
"Need a little help, honey?" she cooed.
He smirked. "Maybe I'll just leave it off. Damn! Nothing! I can't think of anyone else I've formed a bond with that would try to contact me here…"
"Archie?!"
The seeing globe slipped out of his hand and shattered at the familiar voice behind him. Az stared at their unexpected guest.
"H…Henry!?"
Archie grabbed the sheet and wrapped it around him again, his face crimson before he turned around to face the boy that had been like a son to him. "Henry…what…what…are you doing here?"
When he first saw the image of where Archie was living in Oz Henry expected to find him sitting in front of a roaring fire reading a book, not standing stark naked in a room that looked like it belonged in old Haight-Ashbury with a beautiful woman clad only in a dress shirt and panties.
"So, it's true. You do have magic."
"Umm….yes…but how did you find out? Did your mother tell you?"
"No, Mr. Gold did. He sent me here to find you."
"He could've waited until I was decent! My God! Henry, I am so sorry! Goddess knows you've seen enough in your tender years to be scarred for life!"
"Ummm….I got here myself with this and I'm really sorry if I was ahhh…interrupting anything." Henry held up the pendant, blushing.
"Morpheus's pendant," Az murmured. "It gives the wearer the ability to control dreams. What's wrong, Henry? My cousin wouldn't have sent you unless there was something terribly wrong."
"We'd better get dressed first," Archie suggested. "Rumple would have my head and so would Regina if they found out we were talking to him running around half naked, or naked in my case! Umm…Henry, can you wait out in the hall while we make ourselves decent, please?"
"Okay." He stepped out into the hall, a beaded curtain the only door separating them.
Archie yanked on a pair of jeans and one of his dress shirts while Az put on a pair of his shorts. "Okay, you can come in now," he called out. "Henry, again I am so sorry you had to see me like that!"
"I walked in on Mom once by accident too so it's okay."
"Well, we don't want to make a habit of it." He gestured to one of the bean bag chairs. Once Henry sat down a hot cup of cocoa with cinnamon appeared in his hand.
"Cool! Did you do that?"
"I know its your favorite and it is cold here at the Northern Island."
"I don't understand…how do you have magic? Did you always have it?"
"It's a long story Henry and it started before the Dark Curse was cast…"
Henry was fascinated by this new story of the man that had been a father figure to him all his life, hearing how the former cricket conscience had been transformed into a powerful magical warrior that spent most of the curse in the OZ fighting to free the woman he loved from the possession of the Wicked Witch of the West until he was sent back to Storybrooke just before he was adopted by Regina.
"So, you were sent here to protect her, but you fell in love with her and married her?" he asked when he finished his cup.
"We're not married yet," Az clarified. "But I've been married to Archie in my heart for years and ten years ago, I sent him to Storybrooke to protect someone equally special."
"Who?"
"You Henry," Archie said softly. "She sent me to Storybrooke to protect you."
"Why? What's so special about me that you had to be separated from your true love for ten years?"
"You already have the answer, you just don't remember it. Look in your heart's memories. That's where the truth lies," Archie instructed.
"I don't know how!"
Az reached out and took his hands in hers. "Focus, honey. Go back to the day you went under the sleeping curse. You saw a woman…and she trusted you with some truths that were meant to be revealed at the proper time. That time is now. Remember who you are…."
He closed his eyes and concentrated and in his mind's eye he could see a beautiful woman with silvery blond hair standing before him.
You are the east guardian, the staff that summons the winds of change.
You are the son of Baelfire, grandson of Rumplestiltskin. The last of the Strogoff bloodline.
He opened his eyes to find a silver staff with a dragon's head hovering in front of him. He reached out his hand and grasped the handle.
"I am the East Guardian, keeper of the staff of air," he murmured. "I am the last of the Strogoff bloodline."
"Seeing this day finally come was worth the sacrifice we made," Archie said proudly and hugged him. "And now the will of the OZ will be spoken to you as it is to us."
"I have to find my father. He is the last missing piece of my grandfather's heart and only when we're united, will he be able to free himself from the Dark One. Archie, he sent me here because Storybrooke is in danger from Cora, Mom's mother. Emma and Mary Margaret are trying to stop her from getting there but we need your help."
"Oh, and I'd love to. We have a score to settle with that woman ourselves," Archie muttered. "But unfortunately, Henry, Dellia and I drained ourselves and each other fighting the witch and we're not fully recovered yet. We're in what you would call a magically induced coma. If you go to the Tower, you'll find us in one of our old prison domes shrunken to the size of ants and still asleep. We won't wake up until we're fully recovered, and we've already been asleep two days."
"Can't I help them?"
"Not until you're trained," Az said. "They will have to try to stop her themselves, but Rumple may be able to lock her out of Storybrooke from the other side."
"How?"
"By destroying the only possible portal she could come through, the wishing well because its opening in this world is Lake Nostos in the Enchanted Forest, Henry. Its waters come from the lake here at Finaqua, waters that have the power to return something that was lost," Az explained. "The lakes at Finaqua and Nostos went dry in the years that my sister had no knowledge of her identity because she is the South Guardian and the keeper of the chalice filled with the waters of rebirth. Now both lakes are restored and if Cora has something, even dead, that can make a portal, the lake will restore it."
"But they won't need to use beans, our travel storm tokens or anything else to make a portal once you're trained Henry. You will have the ability to make them yourself at will," Archie added. "And they can take you anywhere you want to go. Tell Emma and Snow to use the travel storm token we gave them. It will get them home but in a safer location. MacDonald's farm. Snow knows where it is."
"I don't want Cora in Storybrooke. Mom's trying so hard to be good and she'll just undo it!"
"That's why Emma and Snow have to succeed here. If not, that portal in Storybrooke has to be destroyed and Regina will have to help him do it."
"Mr. Gold….Grampa said he had something in his old cell that might help but it was only temporary. Do you know what he meant?"
"I don't but if that's where he told you to send them then do so but be warned Henry. There are times when the dark goddess Alemedia takes control and it might not be him speaking. It's easier for me to tell when the darkness is in control of a vessel because I had years of experience with it. Eventually you and Belle will be able to tell the difference too. Right now, he is in control but the closer he comes to breaking his curse, the more determined Alemedia will be to hold him. And she will strike out at the ones he loves most. That's why the one you're bonded to needs to get her act together!"
"I have a bondmate like you are to Az?"
"Yours is a little different Henry. Dellia and I are bound as lovers, but your bond is that of a parent to a child, the strongest bond there is."
"Its Emma isn't it?"
"No."
He smiled. "Mom!"
"You are the only person that can help her defeat the darkness within her so that she can earn the right to be your guardian. If she fails, the boy that was your decoy will be given his powers back and you'll no longer have yours since he already has a bondmate. The same will happen with Rumple but his decoy still has his powers because he's bound to my sister-in-law."
"Who was my decoy?"
"Jeb Cain," Archie and Az answered in unison.
"Rumple's is his father, Wyatt Cain, the human counterpart of the Tin Man," Az explained. "You should be going Henry. You're running out of time, but it was wonderful to finally meet you." She hugged him.
"You too Az."
Henry hugged Archie again. "Ummm…next time I come to see you, try not to be naked, okay?"
"Then warn me before you drop in!" he cried.
Henry laughed as he vanished from sight.
Archie walked over to the bed and sat down, sighing heavily. Az sat down beside him and laid her head on his shoulder. "Hell's breaking loose everywhere but we can't leave here. Not yet."
He lay down and took her in his arms, laying his hand on her belly. "And part of me doesn't want to. We can't lose her again, Dellia. We just can't. It nearly killed us the last time. This time it would."
"We won't," she vowed. "We've fought our battle against the darkness. It's their turn now and it's the will of the OZ that we only guide them toward the right paths to take."
The Enchanted Forest
The Dream Realm
It was a scene right out of Disney's Sleeping Beauty. Two lovers sat on a fallen tree stump at the top of a hill watching the sun rise, her head on his shoulder. Henry approached them slowly, not wanting to interrupt their special moment any sooner than he needed to, but he suddenly stepped on a twig and it snapped, alerting the man's attention.
"Stay here," he heard a voice similar to Archie's command the woman. She nodded.
"Please, I…I don't mean you any…Archie?" Henry gasped when he approached, a holster with a firearm clipped to his Dallas Cowboy pajama pants. "But…but I just left you back in Oz."
"You did. I'm his brother, Jasper but you can call me by my cursed name, David Molk." David held out his hand to the boy. "Beth…umm…Rose…it's fine. It's just Henry, Emma's son."
"Oh, I was looking for Rose or her mom. I need to get a message to my mom and Snow White."
"Mama and Papa are out for a walk, but you can tell me," Beth said softly. "How are you able to stop from going to the burning room like the rest of us? Can you control dreams too?"
"I can now. Beth, you have to tell your mom and mine that a way to stop Cora is in Rumplestiltskin's cell and they need to hurry. She's trying to get to Storybrooke."
"I'll tell her. Come on David!" The pair ran to a horse that was grazing by the lake. David climbed on and reached for Beth, pulling her onto the horse in front of him. "Henry, you should come with us too."
"Umm, I don't have a ride," he said sheepishly. I wish I had my bike, he thought.
Seconds later his bicycle appeared before him. He jumped on and raced after the pair on horseback. David and Beth were only riding a short distance when they spotted Aurora and Phillip walking back up the hill. The pair jumped off their horse and waited while Henry caught up to them in his bicycle.
"Aurora, tell Emma what you're looking for is in Rumplestiltskin's cell! Mary Margaret will know where to find it!" he said breathlessly.
"I will! Thank you, Henry. You are a very brave boy coming here like this."
"I'm running outta time. I gotta tell Mr. Gold another message but Archie suggested you use the token and have it take you to MacDonald's farm. Mary Margaret will know where it is."
Beth hugged her mother. "And that's where David and I will be waiting for you."
"And tell them again, I can't wait for them to come home."
"I will. Thank you again Henry."
The group waved at the boy as he vanished from sight.
Storybrooke
Fourteen days prior to the Final Eclipse
Rumple brushed tears from his eyes as he gazed down at the dragon's head staff Henry now held in his arms, the final proof that another piece of his broken heart would at last be restored to him; his precious Bae's son.
"He brought that out from his dream?" Charming inquired incredulously.
"He did indeed."
"But what does it mean?"
"What it means is that you and I share a grandson now, Charming. Henry is my son's child, the last of my bloodline."
Charming glared at him. "And how long were you gonna wait before you told us this?"
"I didn't know until recently but if you doubt me, ask Archie's construct. Archie's known the truth all along but only regained his memory of it when the curse was broken. Oh, stop looking like that Charming! Life in the OZ wasn't singing 'Over The Rainbow' or 'Follow The Yellow Brick Road'. It made him into the man he was meant to be, the Heart of the North Guardian and he's done his job well. Now it's our turn."
Henry awoke a few minutes later. "Grandpa! You're here!"
"You know I was Henry…" Charming began.
"He wasn't talking to you," Belle said softly and reached for Rumple's hand.
Henry reached out and took Rumple's other hand. "I am the East Guardian, keeper of the staff of air and we are going to find my father after we stop Cora from coming to Storybrooke! The portal is at the wishing well, Grandpa. Archie and Az said you need to destroy it and Emma and Mary Margaret will come out safely at MacDonald's farm."
"Henry, we will begin your magical training after I've had a chat with your mother and taken care of that portal. Charming, do not let our grandson out of your sight for one moment or you will be finding out what losing your charm feels like quickly. Do we understand each other, dearie?"
"You don't have to tell me how to protect MY grandson. I'm already doing it!" Charming snapped.
"No fighting you two!" Belle scolded.
"I would suggest going to MacDonald's farm and waiting there. I own it now that he's passed on and no one will bother you."
"Aurora and Phillip's daughter is supposed to be coming there too to wait for her parents," Henry informed Rumple. He grinned.
"Well Charming, you might want to hand the reins of law enforcement over to someone who actually has the experience now," he giggled.
"Now what are you talking about!" Charming grouched. Rumple now being part of his extended family was worse than having to deal with Regina. He hoped Snow didn't plan on inviting them over for Thanksgiving dinner because it would be like putting lions in a cage with a piece of a steak.
"Why Princess Rose's husband of course! The white knight in blue just like I Saw he would become. Archie's twin is a homicide inspector with the San Francisco police department. And I suspect he won't be traveling to Storybrooke alone. He'll bring his entire crew with him."
"I could use the help, especially now that Albert's determined to undermine me at every turn."
"Oh, don't worry. I'll take care of him," Rumple growled. "Anything that poses a threat to my grandson will be taken care of…quickly. Now if you'll excuse me, it's time I had a chat with Regina." Rumple flicked his wrist and he and Belle vanished.