13
Contrasts and Compromises
After the rather eventful early afternoon they'd had, the Golds decided to take it easy for the rest of the day. They went around and saw some more animals, especially the big cats, like a snow leopard, and a lion family with a new cub named Leo, though Henry declared that the male lion was nothing compared to his grandfather. "He was way bigger with this awesome dark brown mane and tail, and his claws were like the size of my hand."
Rumple glanced at his grandson. "I don't recall you examining my paws, dearie," he said softly.
"I was looking at them for a minute when you first jumped in front of me," Henry admitted. "And trust me, your claws were huge."
"You sure you're not exaggerating a wee bit?" the sorcerer queried.
"Nope. But the cub's really cute," Henry said, smiling as they watched the little lion climbing up and down a rock and playing with his mother's tail.
"Aww! I wanna play with him," said Regina.
"You can't, honey," Snow told her.
"How come?"
"Because that's a wild animal. Not like Nala."
"She's right, dearie. That cub wouldn't be at all happy with you if you pulled his tail," Rumple reminded her.
"Would he scratch me?" Regina asked, recalling that was what Nala had done to her the first time she'd done that.
"No, but his mama might decide to eat you for a snack," said Rumple.
"So just look at him, Regina," said David, ruffling her hair.
They went and saw some birds of prey, like merlins, goshawks, and peregrine falcons, which Bae said he liked the best for their swiftness and keen proud bearing. "I almost made the falcon a symbol for my dojo, but then I thought Fire Mountain sounded better than Fire Falcon."
Henry watched the proud raptors for a moment, then said, "Dad, did you always want to be a martial arts instructor?"
"Umm . . . not in the beginning, though I always liked karate. It wasn't until I went to Japan that I started really considering it as an option. Before . . . well, I wasn't sure what I really wanted to do. But then I met my instructor, Master Kitaro, and he taught me a lot more than just karate katas. He taught me how to work through my past, and how to release the harmful emotions and cultivate peace and serenity. He taught me the Way of the Peaceful Warrior."
Henry frowned. "The Way of the Peaceful Warrior?"
"I know, that sounds like an oxymoron, right?" Bae chuckled. "But see, being a martial arts master is all about discipline and control, it's also a study in contrasts. To be the best you've got to be both hard and soft, to stand tall like a rock and yet flow like a swift-moving stream, and to bend like a willow in the wind when necessary. Because those that bend can never be broken, and in peace is your greatest strength. And the best warriors don't go looking for a fight, but if a fight comes looking for them, they're ready and willing to kick some ass. And the greatest enemy isn't the one you face in the circle, but the one inside of you. D'you see what I mean?"
Henry nodded slowly. "First you have to face what you fear inside, right?"
"You got it, tiger. And sometimes, kid, that's the hardest battle of all," Bae said wisely. "But once you do, you can find your center, find your balance, and when you do, you can do just about anything you can dream. That was the most difficult test for me. Admitting that there were things in my past that I was . . . ashamed of, that I regretted, that I wished I could do over . . . and that acknowledging those emotions wasn't a weakness, the way I'd been taught. And that doesn't mean denying them, but accepting them. Good and bad, light and dark. All in balance." He touched his heart and said, "And you know the greatest strength of a warrior isn't here," he clenched a fist. "But here," he tapped his chest.
"Your heart," his son said.
"Right. And the heart of the greatest warrior . . . lies in his ability to love, forgive, and accept."
"That was hard for you, wasn't it?"
"Yes. But once I did that, I was at peace, my soul in balance, and all of my lessons in martial arts came easy to me. Finding you, finding your mom, finding my papa again, becoming part of a family, all of that brought balance back into my life after I lost my adopted parents and my mentor," Bae said.
"Master Kitaro's dead?" Henry asked in dismay.
"Yeah, I'm afraid so. He died soon after I returned to the States. A rare form of leukemia. I was his last student . . . and I never even knew he was sick," Bae said quietly. "His last words to me were to follow my heart and it would lead me home again. He was right. Because it brought me to you."
Smiling wistfully, Bae pointed to a white gyrfalcon standing on a branch. "See that falcon there? That was what Master Kitaro called me—hayabusa." He rolled up his sleeve and showed his son a tattoo on his bicep. "I got this after I learned he'd passed on, it's the character for falcon in Japanese. It was a way to remember him and what he taught me. And what I now teach my students."
"I wish I could have met him," Henry said sincerely.
"Me too," came Rumple's voice from behind them. He had been quietly listening the whole time to Bae's little speech.
Bae turned around and smiled at his father. "He'd have liked you, Papa. You too, Henry. He always told me that the greatest magic was the love of your family."
"He was right," Rumple said.
"Yeah," Bae nodded. He put an arm about Henry and another about Rumple. "Now how about we get some funnel cakes? I know I saw a stand on the map Emma had, and all of a sudden I'm craving them."
"You still like them? I remember you always did as a boy," Rumple said.
"Uh huh. And so did you, Papa."
"Me too," Henry said, and then they all looked at each other and smiled. "Let's go find some."
Then they heard a click . . . and looked up to see Belle standing there, taking a picture of them on her cell.
"What was that for, dearie?" Rumple asked her.
"A great photo opportunity," she replied impishly, and tucked her phone back in her purse.
Page~*~*~*~Break
The three Gold men found a funnel cake stand and happily indulged themselves, up to and including getting powdered sugar all over themselves.
Emma took one look at her husband and son and rolled her eyes. "God, just look at you two!"
"Mom, it's just a little powdered sugar," Henry said, trying to wipe it off his shirt unsuccessfully.
"Yeah, Emma. Relax," Bae said, his eyes sparkling as he dusted off his shirt.
"Unca Rumple . . . you're a wreck!" Regina declared.
Belle and Snow burst out laughing at the way the tiny child was frowning at her uncle.
Rumple just looked at her, wearing a slightly guilty expression while eating the rest of his funnel cake. "Is that a problem, dearie? It'll all come out in the wash."
"Or if I do this," Alina said, then she snapped her fingers three times and the powdered sugar on all three men vanished.
"Thanks!" Henry said.
"Not a problem," Alina replied, then she gestured with a flourish.
Bae started laughing.
"What's so funny?" his sister queried.
"You. With this," he repeated her gesture. "Like father, like daughter."
"That's my girl," her father said, and drew her to him in a hug.
Which prompted Regina to run over to Charming and hug him about the knees, saying, "Aren't I your girl, Daddy?"
"You sure are, princess," Charming laughed, and scooped her up into his arms.
"Now can we get something to eat? I'm hungry. I want chicken nuggets," Regina said.
"Okay. I think I can find some for you," said David, tweaking her nose. He had seen a booth selling all kinds of food, including chicken nuggets shaped like animals.
After they had all eaten some lunch, they watched a 3D movie based on the film Ice Age and watched the sea lions being fed. Snow stopped at the gift shop and bought everyone hats with an animal on them—a falcon for Bae, a lion for Rumple, a horse for Charming, a bluebird for herself, a cat for Alina, a monkey for Regina, a wolf for Emma, a tiger for Henry, and a lioness with a cub for Belle. On the back of them were the letters NYC.
They could wear them, she said, along with their T-shirts, tomorrow when they went to visit the Empire State Building.
Page~*~*~*~*~Break
That night, the Charmings decided to go out DelMonico's, using their free adult dinner pass, as Snow put it, which was a night exclusive to each couple where they would go to a different restaurant around the city to experience New York's fine dining and atmosphere. Gold gave them his Black Am Ex, and teasingly told them not to get into trouble using it, agreeing to watch Regina for them.
After Snow and Charming had left, each dressed to the nines, with Snow in a lovely Chanel dress that was made of watered silk that seemed to sparkle like pink ice, with a shawl of pure cashmere and sparkly Gucci heels, wearing a corsage of tiny pink roses and her gold snowflake necklace, and David in a fine black tux by Versacci, which he'd bought upon Gold's recommendation and borrowed a pair of Rumple's Gucci shoes, carrying a white box under his arm, which was a present for Snow, Emma, Bae, Henry and Alina also left.
The younger set were going to see a movie, some adventure flick that wasn't appropriate for children under ten, and having dinner at some Chinese place near the theater.
That left Rumple, Belle, and Regina to order from the Plaza's room service, which Rumple did as soon as Regina stated she was hungry, ordering her some macaroni and cheese and bread with butter and ice cream for dessert. Belle and Rumple opted to have crab legs, asparagus, and mushroom risotto along with some Old Bay biscuits and some sparkling Perrier soda.
Despite the rather long day, Regina was still chattering about the zoo, and after eating, wanted to watch a movie of her own, so Rumple agreed to rent a movie, and she chose to watch The Lion King 2. "But first, dearie, you need to get in pajamas," he told her.
"I'll help her," Belle said, and the two went into the bedroom to put them on and have Regina brush her teeth.
A few moments later, Belle emerged from the bedroom, looking slightly distressed.
"Something wrong, Belle?" her husband asked.
"Yes, but not with me, Rumple. It's Regina. I think she's coming down with a cold. She started sniffling and sneezing and she says her throat feels funny. Like it itches. And when I felt her forehead, it felt slightly warm," Belle told him.
"Oh, no. You take her temperature?"
"Yes. I found the cool touch thermometer Snow packed and used it, she's running a little fever, Rumple. One-oh-one," Belle told him. "But she doesn't act really sick."
"She's probably not. But we ought to give her some cold medicine, just in case, and maybe some tea," he said. "Did Snow bring some?"
"Yes, she packed some children's Tylenol, but when I tried to get her to take it, she went and hid under the bed," Belle sighed.
Rumple sighed, now he recalled David saying that sometimes Regina could be be a bear about taking medicine, even ones that weren't terrible tasting. "Okay. Let me see if I can get her out. Why don't you make some tea, sweetheart?"
"You aren't going to . . . magic her out, are you?" Belle asked. She disliked using magic on children.
"Only if I absolutely have to," her husband said, then he rose and went into the bedroom. "Regina, dearie, where are you?"
For a moment, she didn't answer, then a small voice came from under the queen sized bed. "I is over here, Unce Rumple. And I ain't takin' no 'sgusting medicine!"
Rumple sighed at the belligerent tone, then knelt and peered under the bed.
There was Regina, crouched in the middle of the floor, in her purple pajamas, sniffling into her hand.
"Dearie, if you come out, you can watch the movie I got for you," he persuaded.
She shook her head. "Nuh-uh," then she coughed slightly.
"Regina, you're all stuffed up. Now come here so I can give you some tea."
"Auntie Belle wants me to take yucky med'cine."
"That's because Auntie Belle doesn't want you to get really sick. If you come and take your medicine like a good girl, you can have those zebra cookies Mommy bought for you," her uncle said.
The child thought about it. She'd been pestering Snow to have a cookie since they'd got on the subway to go back to the hotel and Snow had told her she had to wait till after supper. But then she had wanted ice cream and she knew that she was only allowed one dessert. "Can I have two cookies?" she bargained.
"Yes, if you come out and let me give you a spoonful of Tylenol. Do we have a deal?"
"No! No med'cine!"
"Okay, but I guess that means you'll miss the movie and I'm going to have a cookie with my tea," he told her.
Regina gasped. "Unca Rumple! Those're my cookies! You can't eat them!"
"Why not? If you're not going to, someone should, before they get stale and then we have to throw them out," he said.
"No! You ain't doin' that!" she yelled, then she crawled out from under the bed and stood there, glaring at him. "Those're mine!"
"Really, dearie? Little girls who are sick don't get cookies."
"I ain't sick!"
"Come here and let me see."
She stomped over to him and when he went to feel her forehead, he picked her up in his arms. She squirmed. "No! Put me down!"
"Stop wriggling," he ordered, carrying her out of the bedroom.
He brought her to the couch and sat down with her. "Belle," he said.
Belle came with the small bottle of Tylenol and a spoon.
Regina took one look at it and shrieked. "No!"
Belle sighed. "Regina, please take this. It'll make you feel better."
"No."
"You wouldn't be . . . afraid to take your medicine, are you?" Rumple queried, winking at Belle.
"No!" the toddler snapped.
"How about if I take it?" Belle asked, and she pretended to take some.
"You want to be brave like Auntie Belle, right?" Rumple asked.
"Yeah."
"Then you take some next."
"No, you!"
"Okay, dearie," Rumple agreed, and Belle pretended to give him some. "See? Nothing to it. Now it's your turn."
Regina agreed, but when Belle went to give her the medicine, she clamped her teeth down on the spoon . . . and Tylenol went everywhere . . . all over herself, Belle, and Rumple.
"Hey!" Gold cried, staring down at his suit, now covered in sticky red droplets.
Regina scrambled free of his hold and threw herself down on the couch, howling and kicking her feet in a tantrum. "No-o-o! No medicine!"
Belle winced, for the child had a scream that could shatter glass. "Rumple, now what?" she asked, wiping her face with a towel.
Rumple scowled. "David did warn me." He looked at his niece, who was indulging in a full scale fit. "I think she's overtired."
"And sick. She needs that medicine," Belle said.
"And I need my hearing intact," her husband remarked. "Regina, stop this screeching!" he ordered firmly.
The child continued to kick and wail.
"Hmm. Let me try something else," Rumple said.
"Like what?"
"Just . . . play along with me," he told her. Then he said loudly, "Okay, dearie, you don't have to take your medicine."
Regina paused mid-yell. "I don't?" she lifted her face from the couch cushion.
"No. Because little girls that don't take medicine get a visit from Dr. Whale," Rumple continued.
Regina stared at him. "How come?"
"Because then they need to get a shot instead. Right here," he tapped her behind.
"No!" Regina yelped, putting a hand over her bottom. "I don't want no shots in my butt!"
"Oh, but you won't take your medicine, so . . ." Rumple pulled out his cell and pretended to dial a number. "Hello? Dr. Whale? This is Mr. Gold. Regina won't take her medicine, so now you'll have to come over and give her a shot. Right away."
"No! No shots!" the little girl wailed.
"If you take that teensy spoonful of medicine, I'll tell Uncle Rumple to call Dr. Whale back and cancel his visit," Belle told her.
Regina considered. Then she stubbornly shook her head. "No! He ain't here!" She buried her face in the couch cushion again.
"Now what?" Belle mouthed to her husband.
Rumple simulated a knock at the door. "Belle, I think he's here. I'm going to let him in." He went and walked to the door of the suite and opened it.
"No!" Regina gasped. "Unca Rumple, I don't want no shot!"
He glanced back at her over his shoulder. "Then will you take your medicine? Or shall I let Dr. Whale in?"
"No! I'll take it!"
"Is that a deal?" he asked.
She nodded.
"If you break it, you know what will happen," he warned.
"I'll be good!"
"Okay," he stuck his head out the door and pretended to tell Whale to leave. Then he shut the door and said softly, "Come now, dearie. Let's get this over with."
He returned to the couch and cuddled the child in his lap. "Ready, my brave girl?"
Regina sniffled and nodded.
"One. Two. Three," Belle counted. "Now open wide."
The child screwed her eyes closed and opened her mouth.
Belle popped the spoonful of medicine in. "Good job! Now swallow."
Regina did, and afterwards she opened her eyes and said, "I did it!"
"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" Belle asked.
"I was brave like you, right?" the little girl asked.
"You were," her aunt said. Then she looked at all of them ruefully. "But now we look like refugees from a paint convention."
Rumple clicked his cufflinks together and snapped his fingers. Purple mist encased all of them and their clothes were clean in a twinkling. "That better, dearie?"
Belle nodded, thanking God the ordeal was over. "You want some tea?"
"Yes," the sorcerer said.
"Me too! An' cookies!" Regina said. "I share some, Unca Rumple."
"That's very thoughtful of you, imp," he said.
So they all had tea and ate some of Regina's black and white zebra striped cookies, and she watched The Lion King 2 while sitting in Rumple's lap.
By the time the movie was over, she was drowsing in her uncle's arms, and so was he.
A sleepy Belle took a blanket and draped it around them, then grabbed another and snuggled under it next to them.
Within moments they were all asleep on the couch.
Emma unlocked the door to the suite half-an-hour later and walked in, saying, "Hey, guys, we're back. Anybody want some Milk Duds and popcorn?"
She glanced around, and saw the three asleep and smiled. "Bae, look at this."
Her husband came in, with Alina and Henry right after him. "Looks like I wasn't the only one a movie put to sleep."
"Yeah, and you were snoring right in my ear, Dad," Henry said indignantly.
"I don't snore," Bae objected. "That was the guy behind me."
"Sure it was," Emma smirked. "Just like the guy behind you ate all my Milk Duds."
"I had two!"
"Shh! You'll wake them up," Alina hissed.
Her brother smiled. Then he took out his cell and snapped another picture. "I can't wait till we get home and put these in an album. Wait till we show Alice and Jeff and Grace. They're going to laugh their heads off."
A/N: Thanks everyone for reviewing and reading! Next up, dinner with the Charmings and the Empire State Building.