This takes place when Baelfire was a kid. One-shot.

Warning: This fic has spoilers for "Nasty Habits"!


Bealfire quietly drew at the table, thinking of adventure. His papa walked in smiling. Oh no. That usual meant he had a gift for him. He gave the knife to him and said something that he didn't hear. "Why would he think I wanted this?" He shoved it off the table and onto the floor. "Bae, just tell me what you want and I'll give it to you."

Bae got up and walked toward the two chairs, in front of the fireplace. "I want to see the world beyond these four walls; I can't stay here forever!" The Dark One smiled. "Well, that's easy to fix." Bae looked up, hopefully. "I'll build you a castle. One that will shadow the countryside." Rumple placed his hand on the side of his son's head. "That's not what I meant." Rumple giggled. "Of course it wasn't, Bae...Now, why don't you finish your drawing while I make us supper?" Rumple gave his son a gentle push towards the table.

Rumple kept his cloak on, as if he had to be ready to leave. He started cutting vegetables and meat up to make a stew, Bae's favorite. Baelfire refused to eat anything, once. It scared the Dark One half to death. Bae wouldn't eat anything prepared with magic and refused anything fancier then stew. Rumple shook his head. His boy was a stubborn one. Rumple saw nothing wrong with magic; it made their live so much easier. He could set up wards, so no one could get in and his boy could stay safe.

Rumple turned to Baelfire, to see him biting his nails. "Bae, what are you doing?" Rumple asked, worried. Bae pulled his thumb out of his mouth. "It's nothing." Rumple sighed and set the two bowls on the table. Bae used to tell him everything. Now they hardly spoke. It worried him. Bae was slipping away from him. Whenever Bae bit his nails, it meant he was stressed. Rumple thought he'd broken Bae of this habit, but obviously not. Rumple took Bae's hand away from the boy's mouth and into his larger hand.

"Talk to me, son. What's bothering you?"

"I told you; it's nothing."

"Habits don't randomly come back, Bae."

Rumple rubbed his thumb across the back of his boy's hand. What happened to that sweet baby boy, that would always try to help him with his work instead of playing, like he was told. Rumple felt a familiar tug of magic which meant someone was calling him. He sighed and stood. "By the time I get back, I want you to have eaten everything in that bowl and be in bed. Understand, Bae?"

"Yes, Papa." Rumple smiled. "That's my boy." Then, he disappeared.


Bae crawled into bed quietly. He hadn't eaten much; just enough to get by. He put the stew that he didn't eat in Rumple's bowl. He wouldn't know the difference, right? Bae brought his thumb up to his mouth and fell asleep chewing his nails.


Rumple appeared in the hovel. The person that summoned him was a king. Rumple smirked. He'd scared everyone when he appeared, sitting on the thone. At least he got a gift for Bae. He would love this one; Rumple was sure of it. He walked over to the table and inspected his own bowl. There was more in it. He was sure.

He sighed. Tomorrow, he would make sure Bae had at least one serving, even if he had to force him to eat the food. Rumpelstiltskin wouldn't let anyone hurt Baelfire, even if it was Bae himself. He climbed the latter up to his son's room. When the Dark One saw his boy, he pulled a chair next to the head of the bed and sat down. He put his hand on his son's head, then he noticed Bae's hand next to his mouth, with the nails bleeding. "Oh, Bae..." The Dark One whispered. He cast a healing spell. What Bae doesn't know won't hurt him.


Bae climbed down on the latter. "Morning, Bae." Rumpelstiltskin smiled brightly. "Morning, Papa." He mumbled. "Bae, I have something for you; I was thinking, only a king should live in a castle. So, why don't you try this on for size?" He pulled out, from behind his back, a golden crown. Bae's mouth dropped. "I knew you would love it! Here, put it on." He moved to put it on top of Bae's head but he backed away. "I don't want it..."

Rumpelstilkin giggled. "Of course you do, Bae. Now, come here-"

"No...I told you. I don't want it!"

He slammed the crown onto the table. "Then what do you want? I've tried everything. I want you to come back to me, son. Just humor me, please?" Bae shook his head. "I just want to see the world. To be free. Is that too much to ask?" Rumpelstilkin grapped Bae's shoulders, calmly. He sighed. "Bae," He brushed Bae's hair back with his hand. "my sweet boy, I shouldn't have yelled but I want you to listen. I've started making a castle for us to live in and we are going to. I'm worried about you, Bae...You only deserve the best."

"But what if I don't want the best?"

Rumpelstilskin stood up to his full height. "You don't have a choice in the matter, Bae."

Rumpelstilskin had a nasty habit of getting his way.


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