The next day, Katelyn went to visit her brother. She was outside his room when he heard a woman's voice and his from the inside. It sounded like they were arguing about something. Katelyn hesitated, but knocked on the door anyway.
The door opened revealing a light-skinned, tall woman with long black hair. She stared down at Katelyn.
"Can I help you?"
"I'm here to see Bae, uh, Neal."
"Considering how young you are, I'm not worried that you're another long lost love, but who are you?"
"Um, I'm his little sister."
"Oh…" the woman turned to call out, "Neal, your sister is here."
Neal walked to the door.
"Kate, what are you doing here? Is Papa okay? Your Mama?"
"They're fine. I just wanted to see what you were up to today and wanted to give you a tour." Katelyn looked at the woman. "But I can see you're busy so I'll come back later."
"Oh, Katelyn, this is my fiancée, Tamara. Tamara, my little sister, Katelyn."
Tamara stuck her hand out and Katelyn shook it.
"Nice to meet you, Katelyn." Tamara turned back to Neal. "Remember what I said. When you're ready…"
Tamara walked out of the room and down towards the diner.
"Must've been some fight."
"Yeah, I don't wanna talk about it."
"So, about that tour?"
"Maybe some other time, kiddo. I'm having a tough time convincing Tamara of the honest truth."
"What truth? Like the truth, truth? That you're from the Enchanted Forest?"
"Yeah, I tried to tell her and even showed her Henry's storybook."
"Are you crazy?! How can you be certain that once she believes that she's not going to call a news crew here and expose us all?!"
"I'm not sure of anything! She didn't believe me! I don't know if she ever will. She thought it was because of Emma, that I'm trying to push her away."
"Are you?"
"Yes…no! I don't know. I don't know what I want!"
"Do you still love Emma?"
"I'm not answering that. You need to go back to Papa. I'm glad you've met Tamara, but not like this. I was hoping for a nice dinner with Papa and you and maybe Belle if they'd figured out how to get her memory back."
Katelyn looked down. Neal recognized his error in mentioning Belle and her memory issue. He knelt down in front of her.
"I'm sorry, Kate. Have they made any progress?"
"No, I doubt the fairies are even trying to bring her back. They don't like Papa and didn't like the fact that he and Mama were together and they tried to kill me long ago while Mama was pregnant with me. Papa doesn't know that I know that though. I overheard him and Mama talking about it one night. The fairies want to destroy Papa and keep him and Mama apart. Even if it means she doesn't know who she is at all."
"I don't think that's true. Fairies are good beings."
Katelyn snorted.
"Yeah, who gave you the magic bean that started this mess in the first place?"
"She was doing what I wished for. I wanted Papa back to the way he was before the curse. I wanted my Papa back, the kind man, not the demon he'd become and still is today."
"He's not a demon! He's done nothing but try to find you because he needed you and then he found Mama and had me and that didn't stop him from looking. He made Regina to cast this curse to find you! It's always been you! He wanted nothing more than to apologize and make things right! He loves you so much! He always has loved you, maybe more than me."
"I don't think Papa has a favorite. He's not like that."
"Sometimes I think that's true though. He's always telling me that I need to be careful and that he doesn't wanna lose me because of you. I would've been locked in a tower if it weren't for Mama. She let me be myself."
"Everything he did was to protect you though he can be a little bit overprotective."
"A little bit?!"
"You're right, a lot."
"I still think you're the favorite because he loved you first."
"It doesn't work that way. Why don't you ask him?"
"How do I know he'll be truthful about it?"
"Has he lied to you before?"
"Yes, once."
"And I'm sure that he promised you that he'd never do it again though, hasn't he?"
Katelyn nodded.
"Then ask him. He has to be truthful because no one breaks deals with him, not even himself."
Katelyn smiled at Neal and hugged him.
"Thanks, big brother. I love you."
"I love you too, little sister. Go on. I gotta find Tamara and get her to believe the truth."
"Be careful, Neal. I may have just met her, but something is off."
"Like what?"
"I don't know, but there's something about her. Just be careful please. I'll see you later."
"Bye."
Katelyn poofed out and landed in the middle of the shop.
"Papa?"
"Back here, love. Give me a moment and I'll be right out."
Katelyn went over to the stool and climbed up on it as she waited for her father. She looked around the shop at everything. She noticed the gold egg that had held the true love potion in it when her father walked out.
"Hello, my darling, did you get to see your brother?"
"I did, but he was in the middle of something with his fiancé. He couldn't do a tour right now."
"Oh…she's here, in town?"
"Yes, and he's wanting to tell her the truth about everything."
"Is he insane?! He'll bring every news station, scientist, and mental health organization down on our heads!"
"He just wants her to know everything about him. He didn't want secrets between them. Papa, is Neal your favorite?"
Rumple looked at his daughter as the question caught him off guard.
"No, sweetheart, I couldn't choose between the two of you. I love you both entirely too much to make such a decision. You're both my favorites! What brought this on?"
"It just seems like he means more to you than me, like you love him more. You went through all this just to find him…"
"And I'd have done the same for you! A father's love is unconditional! At least, it should be. My father didn't care for me and I didn't want the same thing for you. I wanted both you and Bae so very much and I wanted you two to have everything I couldn't, but then the Ogres War happened and the Dark Curse and well, this is where we are. You both mean so much to me that losing either one of you would probably devastate me, that and losing your mother to death."
"How much longer is Mama going to stay in the hospital? Can't she come home and we try to help her remember?"
"We'll see what happens. At the moment, I'm trying to figure some things out. Do you want to go see what Henry's up to or stay with me?"
"I want to see Mama."
"Maybe later, but not right now."
"Does she know that you're still alive?"
"No, she doesn't."
"She needs to know."
"Katelyn, please, I'll tell her and I'll try to get her home to help bring her memory back, but I have to get some things in order first, okay?"
"Okay. Can I go home and get my book?"
"Yes, but come right back here, okay?"
"Yes, sir."
She poofed out of the shop, leaving her father concerned as to what to do with Henry and the prophecy surrounding him.
Katelyn poofed into her room and immediately felt like someone was watching her. She looked around, but saw no one. She grabbed her book off her nightstand and looked around once more before poofing back to the shop. Unbeknownst to her, the stranger that had come into town was watching her through her window.
She got back to the shop and went to the back to sit on the cot and read while her father worked on whatever spell he was working on. She was deep in a chapter when her father called to her.
She walked out into the main area and found him at one of the counters.
"Yes, Papa?"
"I'd like to go see if your brother is ready to talk to me. He's at the park with Henry. Would you like to tag along?"
"Yes!"
Rumple took his daughter's hand and poofed them to the outside of the park. Katelyn looked up at her father who hung back.
"Are you coming?"
"You go ahead. I'll wait here. You go and have fun with them."
"Okay, Papa!"
Katelyn took off towards the guys who were engrossed in a sword battle.
"Hey, guys!"
They stopped and looked at her, smiling.
"Need a 'damsel in distress?'" she asked.
Henry looked at his dad.
"Sure! More the merrier!" Neal exclaimed.
Katelyn climbed up on the table and sat like a helpless princess.
"Really, Kate? You wouldn't join in the battle?" Henry asked, teasing.
"You could handle this if you tried, Charming!" Katelyn retorted.
Henry laughed hard at that. Katelyn watched the guys as they 'battled,' each determined to win. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Regina approach her father. Her guard went up as the boys continued to sword fight. She kept one eye on the boys and the other on her father and the Evil Queen. Henry had almost had Neal pinned when she heard her father call her. That stopped everything.
"I didn't know you'd brought him here," Neal said.
"I didn't. He brought me. He wasn't going to try anything. He was watching us the whole time we were playing," Katelyn replied.
"Katelyn!" Rumple called again a little more forcefully.
"I gotta go. He sounds worried which isn't good," Katelyn said as she hugged both guys goodbye and ran to her father.
"What's wrong, Papa? Why do you sound worried?"
"Something Regina said has unsettled me. We're going to go get your mother and bring her home."
Katelyn turned and looked at her father with excitement.
"Really?! Wait, is she in danger?"
"I don't know yet, love, but I'm going to take the precautions to make sure no harm comes to her."
Katelyn took her father's hand and they poofed to just outside Belle's hospital room. Rumple knocked on the door.
Belle looked up from the magazine she was perusing and her eyes widened at the sight of the man in the doorway.
"Mr. Gold! You're….you're alive?!"
Rumple nodded with a small smile.
"Indeed, I am," he replied.
"Where's Katelyn?" she asked.
Katelyn came in behind him and ran over to her bed. She climbed up onto it with Belle and wrapped her arms around her. Rumple walked into the room and stood at the foot of her bed.
"I imagine my last phone call was a bit alarming."
"It was. Sounded as if you were on your deathbed."
"I'm really sorry if I startled you. I know that you have no memory of me, but my feelings for you are true. And I needed you to know that, in case…well, in case I died."
"I'm glad you're okay and I could tell your feelings were true."
"You could?" he asked curious.
"I have a sense about people. I can't explain how, but I could just tell."
Belle looked in her arms at the little girl who was snuggled against her. Rumple smiled at them. He was happy that this Belle hadn't rejected his daughter's love though she didn't remember her.
"So, you believe we know each other? That you know her?" he asked indicating Katelyn.
"I believe that whatever caused me to forget myself means that I have a past…and that past probably included you…and her."
"It did."
"When I, uh, when I was injured….this is going to sound crazy, but I remember you healing me."
"You've been through a lot: serious injury, all the drugs you've been on since you've been here. Once you remember who you are, it'll all become clear."
"Can you help me do that? Remember who I am?"
Katelyn looked up at her father.
"Only if you help me remember who I am."
"Sorry, what?"
"Belle, you always brought out the best in me. And right now I need that. So, yes, I will do everything I can to bring you back, for you and for me and for Katelyn."
"We can help each other," she said as she laid her hand on his folded ones.
"Yeah. Let's talk to someone about getting you out of here. You've been locked up long enough. Katelyn, come with me."
"But Papa…"
"Go with him. I'm not going anywhere," Belle said softly.
Katelyn looked up at her mother and nodded before removing herself and going down the hall with Rumple.
They made it to the nurses' station and Rumple began to badger the staff about Belle being discharged. They made him fill out all kinds of paperwork and Katelyn got antsy as she kept looking back to her mother's room. She sensed something was off.
"Papa, something isn't right. I'm going to go check on Mama."
Rumple apparently didn't hear her as he was engrossed in what papers he had to fill out and the outrageousness of the signings he had to do. Katelyn took off down the hall. She got outside her mother's room when she noticed Regina standing on the side of her mother's bed holding something in her hand to Belle. She flung her arm out before her mother could take whatever it was Regina was holding. Regina flew into the wall across the room.
"What the….?" Belle said as she leapt out of the bed and backed into the corner.
"Come out, little sorceress! I know it's you!" Regina called.
Katelyn stepped into the room with her arm out, still holding Regina against the wall. Regina sneered at the young girl. She should've known it wouldn't be that easy to get the drop on Belle with the child around.
"What were you planning on doing to her? Haven't you done enough?" Katelyn spat.
"Oh, I haven't even started well enough. I was just going to give her some memories though they might not have been the ones you and your father wanted to have."
Katelyn clenched her grip and Regina made a choking sound.
"Katelyn, stop!" Belle called.
"No, Mama, she tried to hurt you again! I'm not going to let her do it this time!"
Belle was shocked at the words that came out of the girl's mouth. She didn't know what to make of it all. She already suspected that she was the girl's mother, but to only have it confirmed made it more real, not to mention that she knew there was such thing as magic now and that her daughter was very powerful.
"Katelyn, sweetheart, I know you don't really want to hurt her. Please let her go. She can't hurt me right now."
Katelyn looked back at her mother and then at Regina again. She released her grip.
"Don't ever come near my family again!"
She waved her hand before another word was said and sent Regina away.
Belle came out of the corner and sat down on the bed. Katelyn walked over to her and put her hand on her mother's. Belle jerked away. Katelyn flinched and felt tears well in her eyes.
"I'm sorry you had to see that. She's dangerous and had taken you away from me once before. I couldn't let it happen again."
"I understand, but it's a lot to take in. I mean, I suspected that you were my daughter and that magic was real, but to have it all confirmed in one moment is a lot to take in."
"I know and I'm sorry. I didn't….I didn't mean for…."
Katelyn began to sob uncontrollably. Belle's heart broke. She hadn't meant to be harsh or mean when she jerked away from her or anything like that. She pulled the little girl into her lap and wrapped her arms around her. Katelyn buried her face into Belle's shoulder.
"I miss…the real…you…so much! It's so….hard!"
Belle felt herself start to cry with the girl. She now wanted so bad to take the girl's, her daughter, pain away. She wanted nothing more than to connect with her on a deeper level.
"Can you tell me about our relationship?"
Katelyn sniffed.
"You're the best…Mama. I love you so much. You've always been there except when Regina locked you away and told me and Papa that you were dead. It took a long time to find each other again. When we did, I never wanted to be separated from you again, but then Hook shot you and you lost your memories and now…I don't know if we'll ever get the true you back!"
Katelyn burst into tears again. Belle rocked her little girl back and forth. She may not know much about the girl in her arms, but she knew that she was telling the truth. She felt the love the little one had for her and she began to feel love for the girl she barely knew. Katelyn cried for a few minutes as Belle just held and rocked her. Softly, she began to hum a tune and realized that Katelyn had pulled out a necklace and was fidgeting with it.
"What's this?" she asked as she took the necklace from her.
"You gave it to me before you left to see your Papa, before Regina took you away. You told me that it was your Mama's and that you wanted me to keep it because as long as I had it, you were with me."
"I couldn't take you with me?"
"No, he didn't, and still doesn't, approve of your relationship with Papa and didn't want anything to do with me, but you were working on bringing him around when you disappeared."
Belle looked at the single pearl that hung on the necklace. She felt a flash go through her mind. She saw herself in a castle library with a young girl in her lap. As quick as it came, it was gone again. She looked at the pearl again, more closely. She got another flash of a man, at least it looked like a man, sitting at an antique spinning wheel as she sat on a sofa next to a fireplace. The man-creature looked at her and she saw Mr. Gold's features in him.
"Mama, are you okay?"
Belle looked at Katelyn.
"I think I just remembered something."
"What?"
"I remember a castle library and a green-gold man with black nails and a spinning wheel."
"You remembered the Enchanted Forest?! The Dark Castle?!" Katelyn exclaimed. She looked at the pearl and then to her mother. "It's the pearl! It has to be! Look hard at it! Focus and concentrate extremely hard on it! Maybe it'll unlock everything!"
Belle looked at her daughter as if she'd grown two heads, but thought it couldn't hurt to try, especially if it made the girl happy. She focused as hard as she could on the pearl. Flash after flash came and before she knew it, all the memories flooded in! Everything from her past, she remembered! She remembered her mother's death and her deal with Rumple and Katelyn's birth and Regina taking her all the way up until she was shot by Hook! She remembered!
Katelyn saw the recognition in her mother's eyes and she cried out and flung her arms around her mother's neck.
"You remember! You're back! I've missed you so much, Mama!"
Belle released the necklace to wrap her arms around her daughter. Her mind was still a bit fuzzy on what happened after the shooting, but she didn't care. She had her daughter back!
"Oh, my darling, I'm so sorry to have left you again!"
"It wasn't your fault, Mama. It was Hook's. I'm just glad you're back! I love you so much!"
"I love you too, sweetheart."
Belle hugged her daughter tightly. She looked to see Rumple come in the door. He was confused as to what was going on.
"Is everything alright?"
"Everything is fine, Rumplestiltskin."
"Good, I've signed all the paperwork for your discharge and…you just called me Rumplestiltskin."
Belle nodded as he looked at her again. Katelyn looked at her father and nodded with tears and a watery smile.
He felt his own tears begin to start as he sat down with his two girls and wrapped them both in his arms.
"Belle! You remember! How?"
They broke the embrace.
"It was my necklace, Papa. Apparently there was some magic in it that helped Mama remember everything. She did tell me that as long as I wore it that she'd always be with me."
"My darling Belle, do you have any idea the agony that this week has been?"
"No, but I do hope you'll fill me in on the way home. I'm ready to leave this hospital now."
Rumple chuckled.
"Yes, all you have to do is get dressed and get your things. Everything is signed and ready to go."
"How are we getting home? I don't think you drove here, did you?" Belle asked.
"No, he didn't. We can magic home, Mama."
"I don't like that idea. It always makes me feel woozy. Can you call Dove and have him bring the Cadillac?"
"Of course, sweetheart, whatever you want."
They helped Belle pack up the rest of what little items she had left in the room and went downstairs where Dove pulled the Cadillac up to the entrance. Rumple helped Belle into the car and shut the door. Dove had already loaded the bags into the trunk and gave the keys to Rumple.
"Call me if you need anything, Mr. Gold," Dove said.
"Thank you, Dove. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it," Rumple told him.
"Anytime, sir."
Dove walked off and Rumple got into the car with his wife and daughter and drove them home.
On the way, Katelyn told her mother of what had happened while she was in the hospital. Belle was quiet the whole time as she listened to her daughter. Her heart hurt that she wasn't there for Katelyn as she should've been through the whole mess.
Once home, they unloaded and took what stuff Belle had inside and set it out to be laundered and put away. Belle sat down on the couch and smiled, happy to be home. Katelyn curled up next to her and Rumple sat on the other side.
"I've missed so much. I hope you can forgive me for it."
"Mama, it wasn't your fault. It was that stupid pirate's! I'm glad Emma whacked him on the head with a fire extinguisher."
Belle chuckled.
"He certainly deserved it after shooting you and then to stab Papa! He deserved that and so much more!"
"Katelyn, calm down, love. I'm sure he's going to get what is coming to him," Rumple said.
"Yes and neither one of you are going to be doling out his punishment," Belle interjected.
Rumple and Katelyn protested at the same time, but Belle was having none of it.
"So, how much trouble am I in?" Katelyn asked warily.
"Let's not talk about it right now," Rumple said.
"Am I, at least, going to be able to go to Henry's party tomorrow night?"
"We'll see, love, because you are technically still grounded. One good deed doesn't take away all the dangerous stuff you put yourself in."
"But…Papa…"
"Not now."
"Rumple…"
"Belle…"
"She did what she thought was right."
"She nearly got herself killed in the process! She has no regard for her own safety!"
"As I recall, a certain Dark One can be the same way."
"We're not talking about me though, darling."
"Regardless, she was trying to protect her family the best way she knew how. I'm just glad no one got hurt in the process. I'm also glad you didn't kill Regina like I know you thought about doing. That was very mature of you."
"I just didn't want her hurting my family anymore. I was so tired of it all and then she tried to go after you again…I couldn't lose you like that."
"Wait, I must've missed this. When did all this happen?"
"It was while you were signing all the papers to get Mama discharged. Regina showed up with a matchbook that was charmed with cursed memories for Mama. A few seconds later and Mama would be a completely different person."
"And what did you do?"
"I may have flung her against the wall and nearly choked the life out of her."
"You what?! We don't need to make her more of an enemy!"
"I was protecting Mama! That's all I could think about! I could only see how much she hurt me and you and Mama these past years! I was tired of it and wanted to be rid of her for good, but Mama stopped me."
Rumple stopped as the tears fell down his daughter's face. Katelyn buried her face into her mother's chest. Belle stroked her daughter's hair gently. She hated when Katelyn and Rumple argued, especially over magic use. She looked at Rumple helplessly because she really didn't know what to say or do.
"I'm going to go fix us something to eat. I'm sure you're tired of all the hospital food."
Rumple got up and went into the kitchen to start cooking.
Belle sat her daughter up and wiped her tears away.
"Darling, look at me. Listen to me. Papa's worried that Regina might retaliate against you and me to get to him. He didn't want you to give her more to use against you. He loves you so much and doesn't want to lose you."
"I know, but I wish he wouldn't treat me as I'm a beginner in magic. I may have recently gotten my powers back, but I'm learning quickly how to use them again. I'm careful."
"Careful or not, he doesn't want you fighting any battles or unnecessarily putting yourself in danger."
"It was necessary! You were in danger!"
Belle raised a hand to silence her.
"I understand and he does too. He doesn't want you to be put in the middle of a battle that is not your responsibility."
"I was born into the middle of all this! How is it my fault?"
"It's no one's fault. It's how fate laid our cards out. We can't change that. All we can do is accept it and move on."
Katelyn looked down. She didn't like the fact that she really didn't have control over her own life. Should she ever die, she and fate would have a long discussion about injustice.
"Katelyn, Mama and Papa love you so much. We don't want you to have to fight or use magic. We want you to be a kid and enjoy being young. We both had to grow up with great responsibilities and we don't want that for you. Yes, magic is a big responsibility, but it's one you're learning wonderfully to control. We don't want you to think that you're responsible for protecting us or making sure we're well cared for. That's our job."
"But…we're family and that's what families do."
"Even so, it's too big a job for you to worry about at this moment."
"Okay, Mama."
Katelyn hugged Belle tightly.
"I've missed you so much."
"And I, you."
The smell of fresh garlic and cheese permeated the living room. Katelyn inhaled the scents and her mouth began to water and her stomach rumbled.
"Papa is making pizza!"
Belle chuckled at the childish glee her daughter portrayed.
"Well, let's see if he needs help cooking."
Later on, after lunch, they all sat in the study. Rumple was at his wheel, Belle was at her couch, and Katelyn was on the carpet reading a book. Rumple looked up from the wheel every few minutes to look over at Belle, making sure she was still there and that it all wasn't a dream.
"I have a thought," he stated breaking the silence.
Belle and Katelyn looked up from their books.
"Let's go out to dinner."
"Where, Papa?"
"Granny's?" Belle asked.
"No, it's too crowded and that's where everyone goes. Let's go to Le Garten."
"Rumple, are you sure?"
"Yes, we need a night out as a family. We haven't had much of that."
"There's no ulterior motive here, is there?"
"No, dearest, this is me wanting to spend time with my family. Maybe we could invite Bae and his fiancée."
"I thought you didn't care to meet Tamara because Neal still, what was it you said, 'carries a torch' for Emma."
"Katelyn Jane, I had better never hear something so vile come out of your mouth again!"
"Papa said it first," Katelyn grumbled as she shrugged and went back to reading her book.
"Regardless of who said what, it's not something you repeat," Belle scolded Katelyn and looked at Rumple who was trying to hold in his laughter, "And you! That's not something you say in front of our 8 year old!"
"8 and ¾! I'm almost 9!"
"Yes, dear, I'm sorry. This is not a laughing matter, Rumplestiltskin! What if she repeated that to Baelfire?"
Rumple went still and sobered at that thought.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I shall endeavor to watch what I say around our impressionable daughter."
"Thank you."
"So, what do we say to dinner?"
"I'm fine with it. Shouldn't you call Baelfire and see if he will come?"
"I'll leave Katelyn to do that."
"What he means is, Neal still isn't talking to him and he knows I can get him to come."
"Traitorous minx," Rumple mumbled and Katelyn giggled.
"Rumple!"
"It's true though, Belle! She can get him to do just about anything she wants him to! It's amazing the bond they have!"
"Very well. Kate, go call your brother and see if they'll join us."
"Okay, Mama."
Katelyn got up and ran to the other room to call Neal. He answered on the second ring.
"Hello?"
"Neal?"
"Kid? What's up? Everything okay?"
"Yeah, I was wondering if you'd come to dinner with us tonight."
"Does this include Papa?"
"Neal, please, he's trying. He wants you to bring Tamara. He wants a dinner with us together. Please say you'll come."
"I have Henry today-"
"Bring him with you! Please, big brother!"
Neal sighed as he knew his restraint was waning.
"Okay, kid, but any funny business with Papa and we're done. Got it?"
"Got it! I'll make sure he's on his best behavior!"
Neal laughed.
"I look forward to seeing that. Where are we going?"
"Le Garten. It's a French restaurant around the corner from the pawnshop. We're going to be there at 7."
"Okay, let us get ready and we'll meet you there."
"Thanks, big brother. I love you.
"Love you too, little sister."
Katelyn skipped down the hall to tell her parents the happy news. Now she just hoped everything ran smoothly tonight.
AN: Humblest apologies for the wait. It's been change after change for me. I hope it's to your liking!
