Rumple was awoken by William poking his face from different angles and asking if he was awake yet.
"Well, I certainly am now." He said with a small smile.
"Good morning, da- Mr. Rumpelstiltskin!" the boy said excitedly.
He furrowed his brow a bit. "A good morning to you."
"The Captain made breakfast," he said quickly, his cheeks going scarlet, before dashing into the kitchen.
"That doesn't bode well," he sighed. When he came in, the kids sat at the table as Killian served eggs and sausage. William was putting down a plate for Rumple when he noticed Rumple looking at him. He dropped his eyes and rushed back to his seat. "Thank you, Dearie."
William didn't say anything in return. Rumple sat himself down, staring rather hopefully at the plate. Killian came around and gave Rumple food before sitting down himself.
"All slept easily, I trust?" Rumple asked. There were two "yes's from Killian and Audrey, but only a nod from William."Good, good..."
"Though I doubt that chair was very comfortable," Killian said, "There is an empty bed room beside Audrey's."
"You can have it yourself, Captain. I'll be fine. This breakfast looks and smells fine indeed."
"Thank you," he smiled. "Emma showed me how,"
"Who's Emma?" Asked the children in unison.
"A...eh, lady friend back home," Hook said.
"A pretty lady friend?" Asked William.
"Yes, very much," Killian said through a breath of laughter.
"I wanna meet her!"
"Perhaps someday you will," he shrugged.
"Can someday be today?" William asked.
"'Fraid not," Hook said.
"Please?" he begged.
"We cannot, I'm sorry," he said.
"Okay," he said sadly.
"I'm sorry, lad."
"Mister Rumpelstiltskin, do you have a lady?" Audrey asked.
"Indeed I do," he smiled.
"wot's she like?" Asked William.
"Sweet, caring, kind, beautiful," he said, "Her name is Belle."
"Can I meet her?"
"'Fraid she's in the same place as Emma, Dearie,"
"Oh." He sulked briefly. William finished his food and left quickly, without a word to anyone else. Killian finished next, and followed. William went to his room and locked the door before Killian could enter.
He tapped at the door politely. "Mister William?"
William didn't answer; he sat on his bed and sat Tristan in front of him. And he began talking to the doll. Killian listened intently at the door.
"I can't believe I nearly called him dad, Tristan. I like him, though. He could be a dad. He tried to give me my mummy back. He does magick, Tristan! I could have a dad who did magick!" He told the bear quietly.
Surely, he doesn't want- oh, God
"He's nice, and he has a nice lady, too! It would be perfect."
"Somethin' wrong, Captain Tight-pants?" Rumple asked from the top of the stairs.
"Oh, erm... Nothing, Snake-Skin." He said awkwardly.
"Ye sure?"
"Aye, aye,"
"Alright then, and I told Audrey you'd play dress up with her," Rumple said, smiling wickedly.
"Oh, aye?"
"Yes, best get to it. She's waiting," he said, moving towards William's door.
"You owe me, Croc." Hook warned.
"Move along," he said, giving that annoying giggle. Killian marched downstairs. Rumple knocked on the door and William went silent within the room.
"Yeah?"
"May I come in?" Rumple asked. He got up, unlocked the door, and raced back to his bed. "Did you enjoy yer breakfast?"
William nodded, staring at the doll in his hands.
"And, er, what's Tristan's story, eh?" he asked. "Is he a knight? A hero? A sorcerer?" He grinned.
"Yeah! A sorcerer!" William smiled at Rumple briefly.
"Ooh, a powerful one?"
"Very much!"
"Oh, he must be!" He laughed. William smiled, staring out the window into the backyard. "Are you okay, Dearie?"
"Hm?" He said, looking back at the bear.
"Is there something you need to say?"
"Nah," he shrugged.
He cocked an eyebrow. William kept his eyes downcast.
"I know what happened yesterday must still be burning." He said. "But something else is on your mind."
"No its not," the boy said quickly.
"And it's weighing quite heavily…"
"Nu-uh!" He said.
"Well," he said, "if you're so suuuuuuuure..."
"Canyoubemydad?" The boy asked quickly, so fast Rumple barely understood him.
"Hmm?" he said, hoping he had misunderstood the boy. William said it again, desperately. Rumple's face went pale. William realized his mistake immediately and ran out of the room, on the verge of tears again. Rumple followed him urgently, but the boy was hiding under the table again. "William!"
He stayed where was, remaining as quiet as possible. "William, you do not want that,"
"Why not?" He asked aloud, revealing his location.
He walked over to him. "Because I am the last person who should be a father."
"Whyyy?"
"I am a horrible lizard sorcerer with no soul." He said simply.
"But you helped me and you're nice and you let me mum come back for a moment and you've got a sweet lady and- pleeeease?" William begged.
"You don't want this. Believe me." Rumple said.
"But, yes I do!"
"You don't know what you're saying." He sighed.
"Yeah-huh!" the boy argued.
"Believe me, you don't."
William stood and ran away in tears, into his mother's room. Rumple sighed deeply and kicked the leg of the table, toppling it. Then he heard a loud thump and a cry downstairs. He flashed over to its source, leaving a red glow in his wake. William lay under the hole in the ceiling, his once again bloody hands clutching one leg...with the knee bent in a slightly odd angle.
"Oh, Dear, Dearie!" Rumple exclaimed, falling to his knees beside him. William had tears rushing down his face. He put his hand over the apparently broken joint and a violet light seemed to emanate from it as his knee bent back into place. William whimpered. The cracking sound of the bones rejoining was sickening. He produced a kerchief from his pocket and took the boy's hand, opening it to examine the lacerations. William whimpered again and tried to pull his hand away, unwilling to meet Rumple's eyes.
"Let me see yer hand! Let me fix it!"
"No! You hurt me!" the small boy shouted back at Rumple.
"No, I didn't, now let me fix it!"
"Yeah-huh!" he argued, trying and failing to escape.
"I WILL HOLD YOU DOWN IF NEED BE!" Rumple shouted. William jumped, startled by the outburst, and new tears sparkled in his eyes. "Damn!" Muttered Rumple as he set back to work, pulling splinters of wood and bits of glass from the heel of the child's hand. William flinched and whimpered several times as Rumple worked.
When the last splinter was gone, Rumple worked another healing charm, and William reluctantly sat through it. When the cuts were sealed, Rumple turned to question William, who was too afraid to run this time.
"Now, ye want to tell me what the hell that was all about, eh?!"
"No..." He said quietly.
"That's not an option, Dearie!" he snapped, making William jump again. "What exactly did you think you'd accomplish, huh?!"
"I don't know..." the boy whimpered.
"Because you weren't thinking!"
"I'm sorry!" He exclaimed.
"You've only hurt yourself, boy! Why?" he demanded.
"I didn't mean to!" He cried, trying to pull away again, this time out of fear rather than anger. Rumple caught the subtle transition and suddenly jerked backward, seeming more pitying than angered. The boy was less perceptive of that, however, and thought Rumple was even more angry with him.
"I... I just..." He fumbled, trying to find the words. Without warning, he drew the boy close in his arms and kissed his head. William was alarmed at first, but soon returned the embrace. Rumple might've cried, but would not let himself.
Killian, having seen the whole thing, retreated back to Audrey's room, deciding that it was for the best. He continued helping Audrey put on her pink tutu. He assumed Rumple didn't agree with Will's wish for Rumple to be his 'father.'
But much to the contrary, with a vague uncertainty, Rumple asked: "Do you really want me to be your father?" William nodded slowly. "Then…perhaps…I will try,"
Killian was then lead out of an upstairs room by Audrey, who wore a tutu and a pair of beads. Killian, however, had been dressed in a swishy skirt, several pairs of beads and bracelets, a sparkly crown, and an excessive amount of blush on. Rumple applauded with a grandiose flourish. William just burst out laughing.
"Beautiful!" Rumple cheered, "Simply beautiful!" Audrey beamed, proud of her work. Killian looked as though he might combust.
"Aww, it's okay, you look nice!" William assured, hugging him round the legs.
"Thank you,"
William stepped away and looked back up at Rumpelstiltskin. He smiled down at him. Killian found a purple frilly apron and made dinner with it on, with Audrey and William's help preparing the meal. Rumple giggled as he watched them work. Dinner was served and the conversation never left the subject of Killian's attire.
"He has certainly got the legs for that skirt!" Rumple quipped, making the children giggle wildly and Killian go scarlet. "Though I must say you're not quite well enough endowed for that bodice,"
"Really, now," Killian said, rolling his eyes.
"I speak naught but the truth," Rumple teased.
"Oh, honestly," he grumbled.
"I tease. Of course."
"Yeah, right," Killian rolled his eyes playfully as he began to clean up the table.
"I'll help!" Chirped William.
"Thank you," Killian said, handing him two plates to take to the sink.
"Dinner was fine indeed," said Rumple.
"Thank you," Killian smiled, "but I couldn't have done it without your help,"
She blushed and curtseyed. He smiled down at her and continued helping William do the dishes. They were done soon enough and Will and Audrey sat in the living room playing with Tristan and Audrey's dolls.
Rumple watched as though viewing a play in a theatre. William kept making Tristan "cast spells" upon the other dolls and Audrey made them ribbit or fly around. Audrey declared that naught but true love's kiss could save them, and kept bringing the "cursed" dolls to Killian. He kissed them on the head and handed them back. But William would place another and another "curse" on them, that he declared love could not dissipate.
"Well, then how do I cure them?" She asked.
"You must find another sorcerer! And make a deal!"
She looked at Rumple expectantly. Rumple rose from his seat and play-acted his usual guise. "Ah, but Dearie! There's always a price! And that price is... A dance! A dance with the prettiest princess in the land," he smiled.
She jumped up and ran over to him. He bowed ostentatiously and stooped down to take her hands. She took his and giggled. He promenaded her proudly around the living room and twirled her around, eliciting plenty of delighted squeals and giggles. William giggled at the two of them. Once it was over, she brought the arm load of dolls to him.
He conjured a few mere fireworks to shower over them and handed them back. She thanked him and ran back to William, who yawned. "But now, I'll... Lock them away in a tower guarded by a... A...er... A..." He yawned loudly, his eyes beginning to droop.
Rumple scooped him up in his arms. "I think this is one slumber that true love's kiss can't wake," he laughed. William snuggled against Rumple's chest. Audrey scooped up her dolls and ran upstairs to her room. Rumple carried the boy to his bed and laid him down against the pillow and laid Tristan beside him. "Rest well, child."
He smiled a bit and closed his eyes. "You too," he mumbled. He tucked him into the blankets and kissed his forehead, and the boy was snoring softly within minutes. Rumple walked softly back to his chair.
"Are you sure you would not like the bed?" Killian asked, stepping out of Audrey's room.
"I'll be fine." He assured.
"Alright," Killian shrugged, going to the sofa.
"Well, I said ye could have the bed!"
"I don't want it," he sighed.
"Why not?" He wondered.
Killian paused. "Emma's not there,"
"...ah. I see. Good night." Rumple inclined his head and went to his chair. Killian closed his eyes but Rumple remained awake.