~ A World of Magic and Miracles ~
Everyone in the family was expecting Maurice and Penelope to have a long engagement but they were all in for a shock when the couple announced over dinner one evening that they planned on getting married before they left Italy. With Gennie and Nutch's blessing she'd also invited Kyria's parents to stay at the villa a few days Kyria missed Sophia and Alessandro terribly and Penelope had been worried about them the entire time she was away with the financial crisis still going on. Alessandro was sad to report that the situation was still not improving.
"B...But, Papa...have you even decided where you're going to live yet?" Belle asked.
"We're going to live in Storybrooke," her father replied.
"Sandro, have you given the Grande Bretagne your notice?"
"Yes, Mum."
Archie's eyes widened. "Sandro...you're quitting?"
He nodded. "Archie, I don't feel confident living in Greece anymore. I know it's been my home since I was born...but I have to think of Sophie and Kyria." He glanced over at Regina. "Madam Mayor...I know this is bit sudden...but does your town take in outsiders?"
Gennie raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't it?"
"Oh ah, we're a bit of a tight knit community," Regina explained. "It's not that people aren't welcome in our town but we're trying to avoid the problems other towns have. Our crime rate is one of the lowest in Maine thanks to Emma, Jeff and their deputies." She nodded at Emma.
"That's understandable," Nutch murmured.
"Don't give this lump a swelled head Regina. He doesn't have any hats to fit it," Emma joked.
"And to answer your question Sandro, yes you are more than welcome to live in our town. I'm sure Rumple can find you a place."
"I certainly can dearies and if you wish, on the same street Archie and Marie live."
"Oh, that would be wonderful!" Sophia cried.
"This is great!" Kyria cried. "We're gonna live in your town and we're gonna be related, Sella!" She hugged her friend.
"These raviolis are amazing," Robin reached for the bowl and added two more spoonfuls to his plate.
"Eat up cara, there are plenty more," Gennie encouraged.
"I want some too!" Jason demanded. His father frowned at him.
"What do we say, Jase?"
"Can I have some more…please?"
"That's better."
"I think this kid is gonna be more Italian than American. I've been eating more here than I have anywhere else," Emma laughed. She'd always had a fondness for Italian food but once they got to Italy no other food seemed to satisfy her. "One of you HAS to make these raviolis when we get back home," she informed Archie and Rumple. "Would try myself but I can't cook worth a crap and neither can Jeff."
"I'm still learning," Regina admitted. She'd spent most of the curse trying to learn how to cook but she never felt she was quite up to Rumple and Archie's levels.
"You're a great cook Mom," Henry said diplomatically.
"Thank you, honey."
"I was thinking that we could all go to Sorrento before you leave. It's a lovely place….actually, it was where I was born." Gennie smiled wistfully.
"That sounds great Gennie." Snow was grateful that their hosts were willing to be tour guides for them in the final weeks of their visit. They had already seen so many of the beautiful places this world had to offer and loved every moment of it.
"Are we gonna visit the adventure rooms too, Dad?" Grace asked her father.
"Yep. We have a record to maintain," Jeff bragged.
"Well maybe this time we'll beat ya!" David said confidently.
"You're on!"
Everyone went to bed early for their trip to Sorrento but some of the beds were terribly crowded because their new pets insisted on sharing them with their masters and mistresses. Magic made herself comfortable on the pillow above Rumple's head.
Dearie, can't you sleep on the floor? He conjured a plush black velvet cat bed on the floor. There. Now isn't that comfortable.
I must protect you, my master.
Magic, I am quite capable of protecting myself. Now go on.
Fine. But if your dreams disturb you I will come right back up here.
I haven't had a nightmare in a while. There's been no reason to.
"Rumple if she wants to sleep here, let her sleep here. I don't mind," Belle said softly. Magic walked over to her side of the bed and brushed her back against Belle's arm. "You are such a sweetheart." Then she started giggling.
"And just what is so amusing?" Rumple demanded.
His wife grinned. "I'm trying to imagine you shifting into a cat….you'd be the most adorable one…"
He scowled. "Now why would ye be wanting me to be a cat?"
"Our son has to get his shifting abilities from somewhere. Don't tell me you never did."
"Oh, it was a long time ago after I became the Dark One in fact. Bae remembers it well and he made a sketch of it. It's in one of his notebooks. We were going for a walk in the forest as we always did because when I wasn't having to make deals with one silly sod after another I did try to spend as much time with my boy as I could doing the same things we used to do when I was just a humble spinner. The darkness didn't start to cause a wedge between us until I'd been the Dark One a century. We were walking through the forest when we found ourselves surrounded by a pack of wolves."
Belle shivered. Magic growled.
"I could have incinerated the lot of them with just a flick of my wrist but I'd given my son my word that I wouldn't resort to violence unless I absolutely needed to and teleported him to a safe distance while I spoke to the wolves as one of their own and learned why they'd been attacking people at random in the woods. Food was scarce in that portion of the forest with so many other predators lurking about. I made a deal with them. If they gave me their word that they would not harm another human being I would make certain they and the others in their pack would never go without a meal again. I also warned them that I would be watching and if they broke their deal with me, they would no longer be safe from their own predators."
"Did they honor your deal?"
He smiled. "They did mo chroi and so have their descendants. No animal has been hunting or has been hunted for food in that portion of the woods for centuries. Food comes to them whenever they wish it to."
Very clever, Master! Magic praised.
"Rumple, I'd like to go back to the Enchanted Forest to see the descendants of the pack…can we?"
He didn't tell her but he visited the pack himself in his wolf form once a year before the curse and started to again once they discovered the means to travel back the Enchanted Forest after the curse.
"I'm going to be paying them a visit this holiday season so yes, you can go with me. You have my scent so they won't harm you."
"As long as you haven't made some sort of truce with bats, I'm fine. I hate bats!"
Rumple giggled recalling another incident in the castle while she was still his chatelaine when she ran into his workshop during one of his experiments in sheer terror. It was the first time he'd ever seen the normally brave young woman so frightened.
"Rumple, get it out, get it out of here!" she cried, the hand holding the infamous Bordreaux Broom trembling. She'd tried chasing the thing out of the castle with her broom but it was daring enough to fly directly over to her and made itself comfortable on the handle until she dashed off in search of Rumple.
"Get what out dearie, and didn't your mother teach you how to knock?" he teased.
"Oh you…you…imp! Stop sitting there making jokes and help me!"
"I would if I knew what you were prattling on about."
"There's a bat in the castle!"
"Is that all? You mean you haven't chased it off with your broom? It hasn't failed you before."
"I…I hate bats….they can bite you and turn you into one of those….those things that feed off your blood and the blasted thing flew right over to me and made himself comfortable on the handle of my broom!"
Rumple stood up. "You cannot become Nosferatu by the bite of a bat, Belle. That's an old superstition. Now let me take care of this flying pest and then I'll enlighten you on the true origins of the undead."
They stalked down the hall and found the bat perched atop one of the torch holders. Belle swung her broom in an attempt to knock it off and missed. Rumple opened his mouth and the chatelaine stared at him in shock as he made a series of squeaks and the bat began to respond to him.
"You speak bat?" she asked incredulously. He didn't answer her and continued communicating with the bat and a window at the end of the hall opened. The bat squeaked at Rumple several times before it flew away.
"Do you want to tell me what that was?"
"I was merely asking him why he was here," he replied. "He's not the first creature to seek sanctuary in my castle. Many animals do, especially those who are feared and hated by humans because of their appearance or their nature and they feel they have nowhere else to go." He sighed. "There is nothing worse than feeling unwanted."
"Is that why he was here….seeking sanctuary?"
"He'll stay outside from now on, but yes. Now then, I believe I promised you I would enlighten you with the truth about Nosferatu."
"Thank you Rumple….I'm sorry if I behaved like a ninny but they do terrify me."
"Oh it's fine."
"…Well, he was a harmless bat but the ones in this world are creepy," Belle said after her husband reminded her of their nocturnal visitor that Bae named Blackie.
Tell your mate not to worry, Master. I will make certain no one harms her.
"Magic will look after us, won't ye dearie."
Magic purred in agreement.
They were going to be spending several days touring Sorrento and the island of Capri. The Pulcinellos owned a smaller home in Sorrento that they rarely used and everyone would be staying there while Angelo stayed behind at Villa Pulcinello to take care of the animals. They would still return home via Neverland Airlines but now that the mages knew how to create portals of their own it would be far easier for them to explore new lands than it ever had been before.
They started their tour on the streets, seeing as many stands on them as they had in other towns and villages they visited with thousands of souvenirs for sale as well as original items along with plenty of fruits and vegetables, especially lemons.
"Mommy, why're most of the places painted yellow?" Ellie asked.
"I don't know honey."
"One thing's for sure…there are a LOT of lemons here!" Robin laughed, indicating two lemon stands on either side of the cobbled street.
"That's because they're grown here, cara," Gennie explained. "You will not find lemons that will taste any better. And later on we can try some limoncello. I think you will enjoy it."
"I think we tried some when we were on our honeymoon, didn't we?" Archie inquired of his wife.
"Yes. They were sampling it at one of the restaurants we went to dinner at in Rome our last week here." Marie answered.
"There are many different kinds," Nutch spoke up.
The Golds were standing outside the Sorrento Cathedral, thinking that with its 20th century design it looked a bit out of place in the Renaissance themed village.
"Come inside with us and you'll see appearances can be deceiving, cara," Gennie said with a smile. The view inside was breathtaking. There were three naves separated by pillars with various Nativity scenes depicted on the ceilings and on the altar.
"Will they be holding Mass here today?" Rumple inquired of their hostess.
"We're a bit late for the morning Mass."
"Oh darn! I would have wanted to hear it!" Belle sighed.
"We'll have another chance honey," Gennie reassured her.
Emma had to sit down several times due to exhaustion. "Oh God, I really cannot wait to have this kid and I'm gonna have it in a tub of water like you did," she said to her mother and Regina.
Her parents had been asking her for months what they were going to name their child but Emma and Jeff wanted to surprise them. They were having a boy and decided his name was going to be Lewis Carroll David Hatter since Jeff's father's name was Lewis and Carroll in honor of Jeff's favorite writer and David for Emma's father.
"Well I hope you have a name for the poor child. I don't want to be having to ask!" Snow grouched.
Emma smiled. "Oh, he'll have a name…aww crap!" she said and clapped a hand over her mouth.
"Bit late now hon!" Jeff teased. She glared at him.
"We're having another grandson!" David murmured into his wife's ear. They would celebrate later when they were all alone. As far as the Pulcinellos knew the Charmings weren't Emma's parents. They wanted to keep it that way.
They decided to take a bit of a break in the Piazza Tasso. Suddenly Adriana spotted a horse drawn carriage travelling by. "Papa, I wanna go for a ride!" she cried.
"I think I'd like to too," Belle said with a smile.
"Why don't we all go for rides?" Regina suggested. She would have loved to have horse drawn carriages in Storybrooke park but it simply wasn't large enough to accommodate them.
Rumple stopped the coachman when he returned with his previous passengers and asked him how much he charged for a ride and where they would go. "We'd all like to go for a ride...if the horse is not too tired." He nodded at Archie. Archie motioned to his son and the toddler approached the horse. It lowered its head to allow him to pet it.
Hi! I'm Jonny. What's your name?
Ceasare, special child. I have not encountered one like you before who can speak to us as if you are a horse yourself.
I can talk to lotsa things…even insects 'cause my daddy usta be one and my little cousin can turn into a kitty and an otter. My other cousin can make you feel better if you don't feel good.
I sensed that the moment I saw all of you.
We wanna go for a ride but you're not too tired, are ya?
Oh no. I love giving people a tour of our beautiful village but there are some tourists who can be rude.
Does your master treat you good? I know some people treat horses like crap an it makes me really mad.
He treats me well so you need not worry.
"Mommy, he kinda looks like Diamond," Ellie spoke up. Diamond was Regina's horse.
"Yes, he does, sweetie."
Each child took turns petting Ceasar. His master chuckled. "He's gonna get a swelled head from all the attention," he joked.
No, I won't.
The Golds got into the carriage first while the others waited back at one of the cafés.
"You speak our language very well for Americans," the coachman, whose name was Paolo praised.
"We have an ear for languages," Rumple replied in Italian.
"Is this your first trip to Italy?"
"Yes and this country is absolutely beautiful, what we've seen of it," Belle murmured. "I simply can't decide which place has been my favorite yet."
"That's the idea Bella," Paolo said with a grin.
The triplets were enjoying the scenery from the comforts of their parents' arms and Bae's but several times Bobby attempted to wriggle off his brother's lap to do a little exploring of his own. Once Bae caught him trying to pull his ring off, he motioned to his father and Rumple quickly cast an enchantment to strengthen it. Bobby blew a raspberry in protest.
"Well Papa he's got our attitude for sure!"
"Oh aye."
Bobby stuck his tongue out at his father.
"Now dinna ye be sassing me ye wee imp!" Rumple shook his finger at his son and the baby shook his tiny one back, Valora and Victoria mimicking him with identical smirks on their faces. "And ye can just cut it out too!"
Belle and Adriana couldn't help giggling. Rumple gave the three infants his Disappointed Look. They immediately stopped, sensing their father was unhappy with them. When the carriage returned to the café, the Hatters were ready to go on their ride, Emma looking forward to the much needed rest.
Henry and Grace took dozens of pictures and videos on their phone to add to their diary with Paolo explaining some of the history behind the places they saw. Though he was speaking Italian, Henry used a spell that would translate his words to English for their audience back home. Emma was now on magic restriction from Rumple and Regina. She was grateful Jeff was less annoying with his Couvade Syndrome during this pregnancy than he was when she was carrying Maggie.
When it was the Charmings turn to take their ride Paolo was shocked when Neal insisted on sitting in the driver's seat beside him.
"If you don't mind…." David began.
"Oh, he's fine signore."
"Get a better view up here anyway," Neal huffed.
Snow smiled. Though her son was in fact a prince, he never put on airs or boasted about it as he once told Ellie when they got into one of their disagreements. Her son was the complete opposite of her prior to her mother's death. She'd been a spoiled brat, she was the first to admit it now and difficult with the servants whom she considered her inferiors but learned her lesson quickly prior to her mother's death.
The Hoppers were waiting for their turn to ride when Paolo returned along with Ellie, who insisted she wanted to ride in the coach with Jonny. Jonny, however, was being a bit mischievous and wanted to ride the horse.
"John Wayne Hopper, you're going to sit in this carriage with the rest of us," his father informed him sternly. "You can ride the horses when you get home."
"Yeah an I'm not sittin here by myself so get your butt back here!" Ellie crossed her arms over her chest.
"Umm Ellie, we're not married yet so why you actin like a wife?"
"Cause we're playin house an you're my husband and if ya don't get back here you're sleepin on the couch."
Their parents stared at each other with mouths agape. "Eleanor May!" Regina gasped.
"Oh and we all know where she got THAT from!" Archie grumbled to Marie.
"Works every time," Marie boasted.
"Tell me about it!" Robin grouched. "Or I get hung by my underwear from a tree."
"You deserved it for messing up our decorations!" Archie reminded him.
Paolo happily took each family on the same tour through the village though it was starting to get a bit crowded as time went on. It was dinnertime when everyone returned to the Pulcinello villa. Angelo was waiting for them outside shaking his head.
"What's wrong?" Nutch asked.
"One of the dogs has gone a bit….crazy!"
"Which one?" Rumple asked, concerned it was Major since he was the eldest of all of the dogs. The shepherd came out of the house and snorted.
Not me. That crazy poodle…running around here like he'd gotten into a drug dealer's stash. Seen enough stoned people working the K-9 unit to recognize the signs.
How did this happen?
He started playing with one of the cat's toys and it had catnip in it. Now that stuff is supposed to calm us down but you give it to a small dog like Pinkie and he will act as high as a cat on it.
Just then Pinkie raced out of the house and over to where Roland and Jason stood, barking excitedly. His fur was covered with marinara sauce, ground beef and spaghetti noodles.
"Pinkie…oh no what have you done!" Regina moaned.
"Made Beefaroni?" Jason joked. His parents frowned at him.
"He wrecked my kitchen, scared the bejesus out of all the cats, knocked the snake cages over, nearly made the frogs fly…oh oh…..it's indescribable!"
Regina turned to their hosts, ashamed. "We'll clean up the mess….I'm terribly sorry about all this."
The elderly couple burst into laughter. "We've seen worse but let's go have a look," Nutch quipped.
Their guests were horrified. Nearly every room in the villa was a mess from their pets' hijinx. While they were trying to clean up the living room first they heard Perdy whimpering in Jonny's bedroom. Pongo ran downstairs to the toddler and barked frantically.
"Huh? Why didn'cha tell us?" Jonny demanded of the Dalmatian.
"Pongo? What's wrong boy?" Archie inquired worriedly.
"Umm…Daddy….Perdy's havin puppies an she's havin em right now."
"What?! I mean I thought she might have been…."
"I'm going up to help her," Marie said.
"But…"
"This is a woman's job! Come on, Belle!"
"I'll get some towels," Gennie offered.
Zach slithered over to his master and hissed. Jonny's eyes widened. "Awww Zach, are you kiddin?"
"Now what?" Archie sighed.
"Ummm….Zara's havin babies too!"
"This a villa or a maternity ward?" Bae laughed.
"I wanna see!" Ellie exclaimed.
"Wait til she gets older and finds out just how hard giving birth is," Emma whispered to Regina. While the women and girls gathered upstairs in the boys' bedroom to give emotional support to Perdy and Zara the men and boys were forced to wait downstairs with a very nervous Dalmatian and garter snake, both of them wondering just how many babies they would be expecting.
How am I gonna find enough mice for eighty snakes!
I'm gonna have problems of my own if I have the fifteen puppies in that movie!
Keep calm….your masters will help you out, Major assured them.
Hah! Wait til YOUR mate has offspring and then we'll talk, Pongo snorted.
I'm past breeding age.
Upstairs the women made Perdy a comfortable bed on the floor and brought out the spare cage to put Zara in while she gave birth. Perdy began to deliver first, Zara an hour later.
"You're doing great Perdy…you too Zara!" Belle cheered.
I think….I'm almost done, Perdy panted.
So am I, Zara sent tiredly.
Fourteen puppies lay on the bed beside their mother. Marie held the fifteenth in her hands wrapped in a blanket. Perdy gazed up at her with sorrow filled eyes.
"Oh honey, I'm so sorry…" Marie croaked.
"What's wrong with it Mama? Why isn't it moving?"
Belle glanced over at her daughter and shook her head. "It….it's gone sweetie…"
"You mean it's dead?"
Belle nodded.
"Make it better Driana! You can do it!" Gisella pleaded.
"Sweetie, she can't bring back the dead….none of us can." Gennie murmured. "It's God's will."
"It's not dead…it can't be and SHE can make it better! C'mon Adriana, please…you gotta try!"
"Sella, stop talking nonsense!" Marie begged.
"No! I'm not gonna sit here and lie about who we are anymore. Miss Gennie, Adriana's got magic and she can make the puppy better! A lot of us have magic!"
"But that's not possible…"
"Do it Driana! Show her!" Maggie encouraged.
Adriana walked over to Marie and held out her hands. "I gotta try Mama. I can't let her die…" She turned to Gennie. "You can lock us up if you want but we're not bad….we just wanna help." She cupped the puppy in her hands and called on her healing magic, discovering that the dog's airway was being obstructed by inhaling some of the birthing fluid. Golden light surrounded both of them and moments later everyone saw and heard the puppy moving in the little girl's hands.
"Oh my…my goodness….." Gennie gasped, falling to her knees and crossing herself.
"Gennie, we're so sorry we didn't tell you the truth before….we thought maybe…you wouldn't understand…"
"Not understand miracles? Cara, what do you take me for?"
"But….but…"
"No 'buts' Belle. What does this faith teach us? To believe that miracles can occur anytime and anywhere and if God does not make them happen himself, he has his angels here on Earth do his will for him and your child, cara, without a doubt is one of those angels….one with the power to heal."
"The puppy wasn't dead," Adriana explained. "But it couldn't breathe cause it had water in its throat. So I just took the water away."
"And performed the miracle you were meant to do, little angel." Gennie patted her head affectionately.
"Gennie, you'd better brace yourself...because we're more than just magicians..." Regina began.
Belle carried the puppy over to the bed and laid it down next to its mother and siblings. Perdy licked her puppy's head and barked with joy.
"Maybe we'd better go downstairs and leave Perdy and Zara to care for their children." Gennie suggested. Zara hissed softly in agreement while she tended to the twelve baby garter snakes in the cage with her.
Adriana ran downstairs first and threw her arms around her father. "Papa…..Gennie knows who we are now…an she's okay with it…"
"Wait…what...! Mo astor, what happened!"
"Your daughter showed me her special gift…and saved one of Perdy's puppies," Gennie announced.
"How…?"
"You mean she….did….magic!" Bae gasped. "Rumplette!"
"I HAD to!" she cried. "The puppy was choking on water an I had to get rid of it or she was gonna die. I didn't want her to die so I saved her!"
"Gennie….did you see her…?" Nutch whispered.
His wife nodded. "She is a Healer, Nutch, one of His angels….here on Earth….just as we've always believed." Gennie brushed tears from her eyes. "I never thought I would ever see a true miracle but I have…I have!"
"Are all of you….?"
"Most of us…including Angelo." Rumple answered.
The chef bowed his head in shame.
"You? You Angelo?"
"I'm not a healer like they are….but…I am a magician who once served in the house of Pope Alexander VI but I assure you I did NOT participate in their crimes. I did not tell you because I feared…you would not understand…"
"Angelo, old friend, as I told the ladies, you should know Nutch and I believe in miracles, and angels….and you have been our angel since you came to live with us…keeping us company now that our children have moved away and our bellies full with your wonderful cooking."
"Papa…I'm tired now…." Adriana murmured.
"I know you are, mo astor." Rumple picked her up in his arms and carried her over to the sofa. Gennie unfolded the blanket he made for them and handed it to him.
"Is she all right?" Nutch inquired.
"She tires easily after using her magic since she's still so young," he explained. "She'll be all right once she gets some rest."
"Angelo, why don't you make us some tea?" Gennie suggested. "We have a lot to talk about."
The elderly couple listened with fascination as Rumple and Regina began to reveal the full truth of who they were and each mage was asked to show them some of their talents. The Pulcinellos enjoyed seeing the childrens' talents the most.
"These children have gifts that can change our world, make it a better place," Nutch said.
"That's what they're trying to do….one step at a time." Archie ruffled his eldest son's hair affectionately.
"Though we can understand your concerns for wanting to limit their uses of them."
"Right because we do not want them to abuse their magic. I've done that in the past and never want to do it again!" Regina insisted.
"That is why you were blessed in the Vatican cara," Gennie reminded her. "You've accepted responsibility for your mistakes in the past and God has forgiven you." Little Bobby was curled up on Gennie's lap in his cat form while she stroked his back. "He's going to be quite the charmer, aren't you?"
Bobby purred contentedly.
"I'm still shocked you two are cool with this….most people would freak out or want to sell us for experiments or something," Robin spoke up. Ellie screeched and buried her face in his chest. "M'not gonna be like that girl in The Shop, Daddy!"
"Anybody tries to get ya, I'll lasso em to a tree!" Jonny growled.
"Will your baby have magic too, Emma?"
"Oh I'm certain of it, Miss Gennie. What kind I don't know. Rumple will be able to tell sooner than I can since he's kind of our expert in magic. Whatever it is, the kid's gonna be told often enough it has to be used for good. There's too much evil in this world as it is."
"And everyone in your little town is a fairy tale character?"
"Not all of us but most are, yes."
"Oh, I'd love to meet them all."
"You will eventually since you'll be able to travel there without needing to take a plane," Angelo said to Gennie. "And I will be taking you to see your children from now on. Those long flights are tiresome."
The families were still reeling from the shock of encountering another couple willing to accept them as they were, especially one as set in their ways as the Pulcinellos but they were learning that there were far more open minded people in this world than they were aware of.
The next day they travelled to Capri to spend a few days at the beach. Unlike the beach they visited in Greece, this one was NOT clothing optional and the Pulcinellos suggested a boat ride through the Blue Grotto, named for the effect that occurred when the sunlight that passed through the underwater cavern and reflected on the water and illuminated the cave with a beautiful blue hue and the prices for the boat rides were not very expensive at all. They would keep watch over the babies along with Angelo.
Since the entrance to the cavern was so small, visitors were required to lie down in their boats.
"This is so cool!" Andi exclaimed. "I feel like I'm laying on a huge waterbed."
Bae chuckled. "Remember that old waterbed we stole from the furniture shop? Anyone else got near it, you laid the smackdown on them."
"I loved that bed…but YOU and Dickie broke it horsing around!"
"It was an accident but boy did you girls give us hell over it."
Once everyone was inside the cave, they were permitted to sit up again. In their boat, Rumple put his arm around Belle's shoulders and kissed her softly while their skipper sang a beautiful folk song. In Belle's mind she heard her husband's voice instead while he carded his fingers through her hair.
"We need to come back here again…just the two of us," she murmured.
"That can be arranged mo chroi…that can be arranged."
"I'm so glad we finally decided to come here….it's been a wonderful vacation….a honeymoon that was well worth the wait."
"Ti amo Bella mia…Ti amo..."
"I love your accent when you speak Italian."
He giggled. "Then ye dinna like my Scots one?"
"Ye ken better than that!" She poked his chest with her finger.
"Oww…ye need to cut your nails, sweetheart!"
"Oh, I'm sorry darling. I didn't realize they'd grown so long."
He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. "Ye can make it up to me later," he whispered.
She smiled seductively. "Are ye telling me ye'd like me to unwrap the Gold one tonight?" she whispered back.
"Aye."
"Can we go to the cabin and you can wear your Speedo?"
"Aye!"
"Then it's a date, Mr. Gold."
Archie and Marie were content to lie in each other's arms in their boat. "I wish I'd brought you here on our honeymoon," Archie said softly.
"I'm glad we came here for this one," Marie murmured and snuggled closer to him.
Jonny turned around and rolled his eyes. "Aww if you guys are gonna make out, I'll go ride with Ellie." His sister was in Alessandro and Sophia's boat with Kyria.
Marie sighed. "I think we need some time alone."
Her husband grinned. "It is Saturday night, my goddess."
"Mmmm…so it is…and we're overdue for a date night….our last one here." She raised her head and kissed him. "And I don't care where we go…I just want to be alone with you."
"I think I have just the place in mind."
After all, he did make a vow to her that he would make every dream of hers come true. It was taking time but he had plenty of time to do it.
Regina wanted to go back to her palace for the evening. Like Rumple, she had her palace remodeled so that it no longer held any traces of the Evil Queen and she renamed it Rocinante in honor of her beloved horse. Work began on the project the following Christmas and she'd just been informed that it was complete. Snow was overjoyed to see her former childhood home restored become a joyful place once again and the last door to close on the painful past.
"And there's an added bonus….a pool," Regina whispered. Her husband grinned.
"Oh, so you want to go skinny dipping?"
"Don't you?"
"You know I do." Robin pulled her onto his lap for a kiss. Regina smiled to herself knowing that her outlaw would make their evening very interesting indeed.
Though their intimacy was limited by Emma's condition, they were as excited to be alone as the other couples. "Whadda ya say we have a nice little game of poker?" she suggested slyly.
"Thought you didn't want me to gamble."
"I'm not gonna mind if you lose your shirt tonight…in fact….I'm gonna make sure you do," she cooed.
"You're on, hon. You're on!" he crowed. He would happily lose this game if it meant spending a few pleasant hours with his wife.
Snow also wanted to return to their palace for the evening knowing there was little chance they would be disturbed. Fall was setting in in the forest and David enjoyed taking her on moonlight walks and then spending the rest of the evening relaxing by the fireplace. They wanted to return to Greece and Italy again, only this time alone or just with their children.
"We'll make it our second honeymoon," David vowed.
"Next summer?" Snow asked hopefully.
"Next summer," he promised, sealing it with a kiss.
For their date night, Penelope would at last have the opportunity to see Maurice's palace at Avonlea. He also planned to visit the lake where the famed goddess Ninia resided, the same goddess who granted the wishes of his two precious daughters and sent them the men who would love them forever and give them the family they wanted. He recalled his own wish to her years before though he hadn't mentioned it to his daughters.
She'd pictured his world in her mind dozens of times since they met but it was much more beautiful than she imagined. He unrolled the blanket he brought with him and they sat beside the lake, soaking their feet in the warm water.
"Where is this goddess you've spoken of?"
"I have to summon her."
"How do you do that?"
Maurice took her hand in his. "Ninia for love I wished from thee. To this spot I return to ask you to bestow your blessing upon me," he chanted.
Penelope's eyes widened with amazement as a young woman with silvery blond hair rose from the water and smiled at them. "At last you have come back. I have waited so long Maurice Bordreaux," she said in an angelic voice.
"Are you…Ninia?" Penelope asked.
"I am." She smiled. "In your world I am known as Aphrodite or Venus." She laughed at the other woman's shocked expression. "Every culture has a goddess of love my dear." She turned to Maurice. "Now do you believe?"
"I do…and I'm sorry….I was a foolish lad," he said sheepishly.
"What does she mean, Maurice?"
"When I made my wish to her years ago she told me I would be thrice blessed in love. I called her a fool but she told me I would return one day a believer." He smiled. "I just never expected to find love in another land."
"True love transcends time and space Maurice and sooner or later it always finds you or in your case, it finds you again." She waved her hand and bright golden light surrounded the couple. "Not even death will part you now and I have given you the same blessing I have given your daughters…the lifespan of a sorcerer. This extends to your offspring as well Penelope."
"You mean….we'll live longer than most people?"
"Yes."
She pressed her hand to her heart. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Maurice wrapped his arms around his fiancée and kissed her softly. "Thank you my lady," he said to Ninia. The goddess nodded at them before she vanished.
They lay back on the blanket and gazed up at the stars, his arm around her shoulders. "I don't think I can wait another day to marry you," Maurice said softly.
"You want to elope? Won't your daughters be upset?"
He sighed. "They would be. Belle was upset with Marie when she and Archie were thinking about eloping and put a stop to it. I have no doubt they'd both give me a tongue lashing if I did it. I suppose we'll have to wait until we get back to Italy."
"It doesn't matter. I already feel like we're married," she confessed.
They would spent the rest of the night at Maurice's castle. He was worried that Penelope would feel out of place seeing portraits of Jeanette and Collette on the walls but she assured him that she didn't mind it at all. "They are you daughters' mothers. I can't ask you to take them down. Now, I wouldn't protest a bit if you asked me to take ones down of Vasili but I don't have any. He wasn't worthy of any memorial.
"But I am going to have your portrait done, darling," he vowed.
"I don't think I can sit that long!" she cried.
"Oh I think my grandson can find ways to entertain you since he is whom I'll asking to do it."
"He is a talented artist," she agreed. "Sometimes I still can't believe it….that you're all real…and more wonderful than the stories portray you."
"Your world has its wonders too but once in a while I enjoy coming back to my roots." He linked his arm through hers. "Shall we retire?"
"Maurice….the servants would be scandalized….we're not married yet! We'd get away with that in my world but not in this one!"
He smiled. "I'm the lord of this castle and I'll share my bedchamber with whomever I choose. And you are going to be my lady soon enough."
"Well…since you put it that way…."
The next day everyone returned from their private getaways to lounge on the beaches of Capri. The children made several sandcastles and forts while their parents took pictures and videos. The Scorpions challenged each other to a game of beach volleyball and for Gennie and Nutch, it was like spending time with their children and they'd practically adopted their American guests. They children wanted to take their pets but their parents wouldn't allow it since they had no idea what chaos they would cause.
"I shoulda wore a full suit!" Emma grouched, gesturing to her bikini. "People are probably looking at me wondering and thinking a whale got washed up."
"Anybody does that and I'll be sending their asses to Siberia!" Jeff threatened, thinking his wife looked amazing in her red bikini.
"Oh, you'll be feeling better once you have the baby," Regina reassured her.
"You certainly did!" Robin exclaimed. She tossed the magazine she was reading at him.
"Yeah….can't do a lot of stuff….makes date nights kinda….dull."
"Oh, I don't know. I think we managed just fine."
"I do NOT want to be hearing this stuff!" David snapped from his blanket.
"Then don't listen Dad!" Emma retorted.
"Well, I don't either," Snow huffed.
Emma rolled her eyes. "That's the problem going on vacation with the 'rents….no privacy."
"But they can still scold you no matter how old they are, isn't that right, cara?" Gennie giggled from underneath the umbrella chairs Archie set up for her and Nutch.
Snow grinned. "That's right."
Rumple, Belle and Adriana were searching for seashells along with the triplets. Belle had been looking at several sites online that gave her ideas for crafts to make with their cache and Rumple was even going to start selling them in his shop along with some other items he found when he attended an estate sale in the village. Rumple was having a difficult time keeping the triplets in their carriers, all of them eager to go swimming, Bobby pouting because he couldn't change into a cat or an otter. The Nolans and the Hoods were having an equally difficult time with Rum and Pearl with Rum wanting to fly like the birds he was seeing and Pearl wanting to swim with Bobby.
Later on Bae set up his easel and had everyone pose for his latest set of portraits. He planned to paint them once they returned to the villa. Henry and Grace had a small work area set up along the shoreline so that Grace could measure the amount of energy the tides were producing for her alternative energy project while Henry recorded a mini documentary that she would present to her science class in the fall.
"This could really work, Gracie," Henry praised.
"Yeah and you can have a career as a filmmaker too."
"I think I am gonna do that," he said. "Maybe even write my own movies."
"Well, you have a lot of background material to work with from our families."
He turned his camera to where the Golds were walking along the beach Rumple and Belle spread a blanket out and Adriana pulled her small craft box out of her mother's basket. "Mama, I wanna make sparkly seashells!" she cried.
"Okay, let's get the glitter and glue out and we'll make some."
Rumple pulled out a roll of gold chain he spun a few days earlier and set it down. "You can put them on these dearies and make necklaces," he suggested. "Or you can use some of my dyed leather cords."
"Perfect!" Belle exclaimed.
He sat back and watched all of them work with a small smile on his lips. Suddenly Valora snatched one of the seashells and tried to put it in her mouth. "Oh no you don't dearie!" he cried and summoned her pacifier and changed its shape to look like a seashell. "There you go."
Victoria scowled at him. He grabbed hers out of the basket and changed it to match her sister's. "Is that better my wee sprite?"
She lay her small head on his shoulder and drifted off to sleep.
Jonny, Gisella and Kyria were chasing their parents along with beach playing a game of cops and robbers. "Sella, Kyria, you tackle em and I'm gonna cuff em!"
"Gonna have to run faster than that, kid!" Alessandro taunted.
Marie and Sophia stuck their tongues out at the children. "Can't catch us!"
"Marie…over here!" Archie called out from behind a palm tree. The next thing he knew he was being tackled to the ground by his daughter.
"Hey Jonny, I got 'im!" she called out. "Okay you, on your feet!"
"Dangit! Caught again!" Archie groaned in his best John Wayne voice. Kyria caught up with her father and ordered him to march over to the others. Jonny grabbed several pairs of toy handcuffs out of the bag he was carrying and handcuffed both sets of parents.
"What's the charge, Sheriff?" Marie demanded.
"Public….indecency. No kissin on the beach!"
"Hey you, if I wanna kiss my man, I'm gonna kiss my man."
"Then you're goin to the clink doll."
"They may as well bust all of us then!" Jeff called out and grabbed Emma for a kiss.
"I'll just bust you but Emma gets a pass 'cause she's 'specting."
The two former thieves looked at each other and chuckled. "Oh if he only knew the scams we used to pull with me pretending to be pregnant!"
"Worked, didn't they…especially in the supermarket. You can stuff a lot of things down your shirt if they think you're having a kid," Kat said. It was one of the scams she and Robert would pull as well.
Jonny shook his finger at them. "You guys should be 'shamed of yourselves!"
"We were doin' it to survive kid," Robert argued.
"Tell me about it," Ewan sighed.
Two days before their departure everyone gathered on the back lawn at Villa Pulcinello. Maurice stood under an archway of Rumple's spun gold with a daughter on each arm wearing one of his finest white satin doublets and with black velvet breeches brought over from the Enchanted Forest. Per the bride's request, everyone was dressed as their Enchanted Forest counterpart and Gennie, Nutch, Angelo, Mariana and Egg were wearing original outfits Rumple made for them.
"Are you nervous, Papa?" Belle asked softly.
"Not at all, my girl. Not at all."
Gisella, Ellie, Adriana and Kyria waited behind them, each of them holding a basket of roses that they would toss along the lavender velvet carpet.
"Let's go get you married, Papa," Marie said with a smile. The trio marched up to the altar while Ewan played Greensleeves on his bagpipes. Maurice would have two men standing at his side as his best men, his sons-in-law. It was a bit of a break with tradition but it was his way of thanking the two men who brought such a wonderful woman into his life.
"It's time Mum," Alessandro said to his mother. Penelope's gown was a perfect replica of the gown worn by actress Annabelle Wallis as Jane Seymour in Season 3 of the Tudors with a bodice and underskirt of pale satin with gold embroidered roses with a matching overskirt. "You look so beautiful….like a queen."
"I feel like a queen honey," she murmured.
And at the altar her king waited.
Gisella, Kyria, Ellie, and Adriana marched ahead of her, tossing out white rose petals from the baskets they carried followed by Emma, Regina and Snow on the arms of their husbands. Sophia was being escorted by Baelfire.
As Penelope stepped out from underneath the archway, the small orchestra the Pulcinellos hired played "Henry Marries Jane Seymour" from the Tudors soundtrack.
"Who gives this woman in marriage?" Father Donato inquired.
"I do. Her son, Alessandro Palakas," he announced proudly and kissed her cheek before he placed her hand in Maurice's.
Like all of the other couples, Maurice and Penelope would speak their own vows during the ceremony, vows that they both stayed up late the night before writing out and committing to memory.
Maurice cleared his throat before he addressed his bride. "Penny, the day I met you was one of the best moments of my life, a complete surprise but I've come to expect them from this family." He laughed. "I never thought I would have the chance to love someone again and have someone love me….and be willing to accept me as I am, not easy to do for anyone." He reached out and caressed her cheek. "I don't know how many years we have left of this life but I promise you I will do my best to make those remaining years the best ones of our lives."
Penelope smiled and patted his hand gently. "For the longest time I thought I was happy just spending my time teaching my classes, researching old legends and spending time with my family….but at the end of the day I went back to any empty house. Then one day a handsome lord came along and swept me off my feet, showed me what I was missing in my life...someone to come home to at the end of the day. I'm nor from a noble house but from the moment we met you've made me feel like a queen and for the rest of our lives together, I'm going to love you more than any queen has ever loved her king."
Belle was in tears as she handed Penelope her ring. Rumple was smiling when he handed Maurice his.
"With this ring I give myself to you and no other," they said together.
Maurice took his bride into his arms and kissed her passionately. From her seat Adriana waved her small hand, showering them with white roses.
"That was a beautiful gesture bambina," Egg nodded in approval. The truth had been revealed to him and Mariana the day before but to everyone's surprise they had already suspected the truth, witnessing some of their magic without the families even being aware of it. Like the Pulcinellos, they were willing to accept them and would keep their secret safe from those who would want ti exploit them.
"It's your turn now Ellie. Do you remember how to do it?" Henry asked his little sister, bringing her forward. She nodded and blew into her palms. In the sky there was a small explosion followed by a series of fireworks in various colors and shapes including a heart with Maurice and Penelope's names inside it.
"Sweetie, that was wonderful!" Mariana cried.
Ellie nodded at Adriana. The two girls joined hands and concentrated forming a brilliant rainbow of fireworks with a smiley face.
Suddenly little Valora tugged on her father's arm. "What is it dearie?"
She pointed to the entrance to the garden where two shadowy figures stood. Rumple smiled softly and placed his hand on his wife's arm. "Come with me sweetheart."
"Is something wrong?"
"No, just something you need to see." He walked over to Archie and whispered in his ear. The therapist's eyes widened with shock.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Bring Marie with you."
"What is going on with you two?" Marie demanded of her husband as they were walking toward the garden entrance, stopping in her tracks when she spotted the shadowy figures.
"M….Mama?"
"Mama! Is it really you?" Belle sobbed.
The two figures held out their arms, their daughters hesitant, fearful that they would only be embracing empty air but the moment they felt their mothers' arms around them, they were taken back to their younger days full of wonderful memories of the ones that helped shape them into the women they were today.
"I've missed you so much," Belle wept into Collette's shoulder.
"I am so proud of you ma cherie," Jeanette murmured as she stroked Marie's hair.
"We're both proud of you," Colette added. "Our beautiful daughters…and the wonderful families you have."
"Why couldn't we see you before?"
"We've always been here ma Belle, watching over you."
"You should talk to Papa," Marie said.
Jeanette shook her head. "Your papa has finally moved on darling."
"And your mama and I can rest now knowing that his heart is in good hands," Collette added.
"I wish you didn't have to go…" Belle whispered.
"We live on in here cherie," Collette placed her hand over her daughter's heart, her essence fading away along with Jeanette's, their daughters clinging to them as tightly as they could, wanting to enjoy what moments they had left with them for as long as they could.
"Be good to our girls," Jeanette said to their husbands as she faded from sight.
"Always," Archie pledged and embraced his sobbing wife.
Rumple took his handkerchief out of his pocket and gently wiped the tears from his wife's eyes.
"I wish Papa could have seen them….just once," Belle sniffled.
"He couldn't sweetheart. They were only here long enough to see that you and your papa were happy. It's what they've always wanted," Rumple said wisely. "Come on mo chori. Your papa's waiting for you."
Maurice led his new bride onto the terrace and took her in his arms for their first dance as husband and wife to Frank Sinatra and Celine Dion singing "All The Way."
"This is the happiest I've seen my mum in years," Alessandro remarked to Archie while they watched the couple dancing together. "Kinda wished we'd introduced them sooner."
"So do I but if there's one thing I've learned it's that timing means everything. I guess Penny and Moe were not supposed to meet until now."
Penny laid her head on her husband's shoulder. "I wish my mum and dad could see this," she murmured.
"Oh, I think they can." Maurice raised his head and glanced up at the sky, knowing in his heart that both sets of parents were looking down on them, content with their childrens' choices of spouses.
They invited the other couples onto the terrace to share the next few dances with them. Adriana spotted Nutch and Gennie sitting in their seats, both of them tapping their feet in time with the music.
"Why aren't you dancing?" she asked.
"Oh cara, I can't anymore," Nutch confessed sadly. "My heart…"
"I can fix it," she cried.
"Oh honey we don't want you to exhaust yourself. We're fine just watching all of you dance."
"You sure? Cause I can try to fix it."
Nutch ruffled her hair affectionately. "I'm sure you can bambina but one miracle at a time, eh."
"Okay," she sighed. "Can I sit with you?"
"You sure can!" Though they couldn't dance anymore, they were content to watch the younger couples, recalling the glory days of their own youth when they could dance until the sun went down.
A few hours later Maurice and Penelope bid goodnight to their family and had Rumple open a portal to the Enchanted Forest. The couple would be spending their honeymoon back at Avonlea. Penelope was nervous about meeting Maurice's people but he assured her that she would win them over easily with her charm and intelligence.
Though they were going to miss their new Italian family, everyone was ready to return to Storybrooke two days later. Maurice and Penelope would not be back for another week or so. Angelo, Mariana, Egg and the Pulcinellos planned on visiting them in Storybrooke during the Christmas holiday after they went to see the couple's children. Regina sent a message ahead that a new family would be returning with them but the Palakas were not exactly strangers to the townspeople since Archie had been communicating with them for years. Lenore Phillips was looking forward to having new neighbors and another child to play with Hannah.
"We have some wonderful news for you as well," Tink announced once everyone was on the plane. "Wendy and Peter are expecting!"
"Marvelous!" Belle exclaimed. "Did they visit Ninia like my husband suggested.
"They certainly did and she gave them the fertility blessing."
Belle and Marie looked at each other burst into laughter.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, they'd better be ready for more than one bundle of joy, that's all," Marie said.
"You mean…oh my!"
"At least HE won't have this damned Couvade Syndrome," Jeff muttered.
Sparrowhawk snickered. "Actually he does!"
"Poor bastard."
Regina swatted her husband. "Watch it you or you'll be dangling from a tree in your underwear when we get home."
"May need a manhood intervention."
If looks could kill Jefferson Hatter would have been dead where he sat. He backed away from Rumple and Archie in terror. "Hey, relax you two. I was just jokin."
"Ye better be Hatter or ye know what ye'll be getting."
"Shall we send Majors Belle and Marie with the brooms as a reminder?" Belle demanded.
"Hatter for the love of God, why the hell did you have to bring that up!" David cried. "No more manhood interventions. We got our asses whipped the first time and…."
"And the second time was an epic fail if I remember correctly," Archie chuckled. "Word to the wise….forget it because I have a feeling Wendy would be as bad as our wives with the punishment."
"Okay, okay, I'll forget it!"
Emma shook her head. "And if you know what's good for you, Hatter, you'll be awake when I have this kid or we're gonna be having a repeat performance with the broom. Get me?"
He was determined to avoid that at all costs.
Months later
Rumple was closing up the shop for the day when the door swung open and Jeff and Emma staggered in clinging to each other and moaning in pain.
"Gold…" Emma panted.
Rumple slapped his forehead. "Not again!" he cried. "Where in the bloody hell is your father this time!?"
"Dunno….tried calling…got no answer! Ooooh can we hurry up before I have this kid in the middle of your shop!"
"Ye can just wait til we get to the hospital! I'm no' delivering the baby myself." He grabbed his keys off the rack and pulled out his cellphone. "Belle, I'm going to be late for dinner tonight since I have to play labor and delivery taxi driver…again!"
Belle laughed on the other end of the line. "I'll keep it warming in the oven for you."
"All right, come on ye lot!"
The couple climbed into the backseat. "Oh God it's worse than the last time…" Jeff cried.
"You act like YOU'RE the one havin the kid…..oh no….ummm…Rumple…you're gonna have to have the car cleaned…."
"What?!" he cried.
"My water broke!"
"Where's a rocket sleigh when I need one," Rumple muttered, slamming his foot down on the gas pedal. He arrived at the hospital a few minutes later. Two orderlies were waiting outside with wheelchairs for the expecting couple and as they were taking them down the hall to the delivery room he called David's cellphone.
"Oh, damn! Rumple, we'll be right over. Had a sewer backup at the house."
"Let Robin deal with it and get over here to see your grandchild be born!"
"How are doing, Emma?"
"Feeling great now," Emma murmured. Water births were quickly becoming popular in Storybrooke and Dr. Jo had her staff set up a special room for them that included a pool large enough to accommodate the couple and the attending medical staff.
Jeff nodded enthusiastically. "So much better than the last time."
"All right Emma, get ready to push!" Jo instructed.
Jeff clasped her hand in his. "Ready when you are hon."
Emma was finding her third delivery much easier than her first two, the combination of being in water and having her husband at her side lessening her pain.
"That's good Emma, very good! Just a few more. On three...one two three….PUSH!" Jo commanded.
She gave one final push and moments later Lewis David Carroll Hatter made his debut…with a rather shocking surprise for both of his parents.
"Oh my God! Where the heck did that come from!" one of the nurses exclaimed.
"Don't just sit there! Get me outta here!" Jeff screamed, dangling over a portal that suddenly appeared the moment his son was born. One of them reached for his hands and yanked him out of the hole while the others moved back to avoid getting pulled in themselves. As soon as mother and baby were transferred to a comfortable bed the portal vanished.
"Well Lew….I think we know what your talent's gonna be," she murmured.
Jeff stroked his son's head affectionately. "You're gonna see the world little man but can you please do that to someone else, not me!"
"There's our new grandbaby!" David announced from the doorway with Snow and Neal beside him.
"Oh look at him….he's beautiful Emma," Snow sobbed. The baby had his mother's eyes and a small patch of his father's hair.
"He almost sent his dad to who knows where," Emma laughed.
"What?" her parents gasped.
"He can make portals…made one right in the birthing pool and almost sucked his dad into it."
"Better have Rumple make him a bracelet or something or he'll send all of us off to Nowhereland if he's having a tantrum," David said.
"We'll help him keep his magic under control, Dad."
"Let's get a picture everyone!" Jo held up her cellphone. David stood on Jeff's side of the bed while Snow stood beside her daughter and Neal lay by his sister's feet.
"Well, you just finished your first journey, didn't you little wanderer," Jo said affectionately and tickled Lew under his chin.
"He's got a whole world out there he needs to see, don'cha, Lew?" Neal asked him. His nephew gave him a small smile.
Their quest to explore their new world had only just begun but they were determined to help make it a better place….one day, one miracle at a time.
Authors Notes: Another chapter in the Unexpected Saga has come to an end but look for the new Christmas story Sock Hop Surprises where we'll see how our favorite families are spending the holidays and meet a few new characters including Elsa and we'd both like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year – Snapegirlkmf & CJ Moliere