Chapter 5

At the well, Belle and Rumpelstiltskin were about to leave. "So in this land is were the Blue Fairy sent your son?" Belle asked.

Rumpelstiltskin looked at his love. "Yes," he said. "I intend to find him."

Belle laid a hand on his cheek. She couldn't know that simple act made him come undone. "I'll help," she offered.

"I know," Rumpelstiltskin replied. "After I take care of Regina first."

"Whoa," Belle said. "Wait."

"What?"

"You don't have to hurt anyone any more, Rumpelstiltskin," Belle said. "Promise me that you won't harm anyone else again."

Rumpelstiltskin sighed knowing, at this moment and for days afterward, there wouldn't be anything there was he could, would, or will deny her. "I promise," he told her and then made a gesture with his head. "Come on. It's time to get you out of these rags. You've been in them long enough." He took her hand as they walked out of the forest.

When Rumpelstiltskin and Belle walked back to Gold's Pawnshop, Charming and Emma were waiting outside for them.

"Why do I have a feeling that we have you to thank that magic is in Storybrooke?" Charming asked.

"Because you're not stupid, Charming," Rumpelstiltskin returned.

"You risked my son's life," Emma said angrily.

"He's alright, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin replied, "or your father and Belle wouldn't have their memories back of the Enchanted Forest."

"But you still risked it," Emma replied.

"And I want to collect on that favor now," Rumpelstiltskin told her.

"Of course you do," Emma muttered.

"I want you to help me find my son, Baelfire," he replied.

"Fine," Emma said. "Since finding people is my specialty." She looked over at her father. "And apparently, my family's."

Charming and Emma turned the other way.

"Wait," they heard Belle say.

"Belle, what are you doing?" Rumpelstiltskin asked with quite a bit of surprise.

Belle turned to him. "There's more, isn't there?" she asked him. "Tell them."

"And what is this more?" Charming asked them curiously. He tilted his head just a tad.

Belle looked at Charming when Rumpelstiltskin stayed quiet. "The Enchanted Forest exists," she told them.

"Yeah," Charming replied. "I know. I've ridden through it several times. I met my true love in that forest as well as woke her from a curse."

"No," Belle said with a bit of enthusiasm thinking to explain in better terms. "It still exists."

Charming and Emma exchanged a look at each other. "Then why weren't we transported back?" Emma asked.

"My son," Rumpelstiltskin reminded them. "I need to find my son."

Emma and Charming exchanged another look. "If we find him, will we be transported back?" Charming asked.

"I may have created the curse," Rumpelstiltskin replied, "but all magic..."

"Comes with a price," Charming finished remembering the line that he had once told Cinderella.

"So the prince in you remembers that after all," Rumpelstiltskin replied pleased.

"And he remembers you quite well," Charming replied and then looked at Belle. He realized how protective he had been over Belle and how Belle didn't cower in Rumpelstiltskin's presence. He realized then who she was to him. He smiled then. "I thought you said your true love died."

"Regina locked me up," Belle told him.

"Of course, she did," Emma said not surprised by her statement. "Mr. Gold, I'm going to warn you, if you go after Regina, I'm going to have to lock you up."

"He won't be harming anyone," Belle promised them as she looked at the man in question. "He promised me."

Charming smiled then. "I like her," he said. "She fits you. I'll have to introduce to my wife... I'm sorry I didn't get your name."

"Belle," she said. "I'm Belle."

Emma closed her eyes as the movie she saw so long ago floated in her mind. She remembered the movie well. She didn't doubt that's who she is, but she wasn't about to comment on it.

"Snow will like you too," Charming said.

"I'd like that," Belle said.

Rumpelstiltskin sighed knowing that Belle would get along well with Snow and just about every woman in town. "There's one more thing about the curse you should know," he said. He looked at Emma before he continued, "Anyone who dies in Storybrooke isn't technically dead. They're just transported back to the Enchanted Forest with all their body parts and vital organs in place."

"Graham," Emma said when she realized who he was talking about.

With that one name uttered from his daughter lips, Charming had pushed Rumpelstiltskin up against the building.

"May I remind you about the last time we fought?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"You dare give Emma hope?" Charming asked with authority and ignoring his question.

"When have I lied to you, your highness?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

Charming still had him up against the building, but he didn't said answer.

Rumpelstiltskin sighed. "I suppose you remember when I told you I'm a fan of true love and what it creates," he said. "I need you, Charming, your daughter, and your grandson to get back home. Back to the Enchanted Forest."

"You know who is Henry's father, don't you?" Emma asked. She was the verge of tears, but she was determined to hold them back.

"Graham," Rumpelstiltskin answered with certainty. "When I brought Henry here to Storybrooke, I had a blood sample from him and a blood sample from you since Regina wanted to make sure you didn't have anything that she might need to worry about, and I was also able to obtain Graham's from the hospital. I ran my own paternity test. Sure enough, it was positive."

That was when Emma had lost the battle of holding back her tears. Even though, in her heart, she knew Henry was Graham's, it was too much for her to know that the paternity test had confirmed her thoughts. She didn't know how she was going to tell Henry any of this.

"Now, those tears are proof that Graham is your true love," Rumpelstiltskin replied. "And he's still alive, but he's in the Enchanted Forest."

"So he's been transported there?" Emma asked even though tears still streamed down her face.

"He has," Rumpelstiltskin replied. "Will you tell him to let me go so I can tell you the rest?" He indicated Charming.

Emma laid a hand on Charming's shoulder. "Let him go, Dad," she told him.

Charming looked over at his daughter. He saw, despite not raising her, she was a strong woman so much like her mother. In that very moment, he realized she was her mother's daughter. Because of the realization, he did as she commanded; he let Rumpelstiltskin go.

Rumpelstiltskin fell to the ground and choked a little bit before he stood up and straightened his appearance before continuing, "While he's been transported back to the Enchanted Forest, he doesn't have any his memories here of Storybrooke." He took a breath. "It's the price he had to pay for dieing."

"Yeah, I get that," Emma replied, "but be warned with or without your help, I will find them." She turned and walked to her father. They left without looking back.

Belle walked to him and laid her head down on his shoulder. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say this Graham is Emma's true love," Belle said.

"Good guess, dearie, and you'd be right," Rumpelstiltskin replied. "You should have seen her when I was trying to give her his things."

Belle looked up at him to give him a very curious look.

He guessed her thoughts and said, "He rented the apartment above my shop. It was either her or-"

"Regina," Belle finished.

"I know Emma keeps his jacket at the office," he said, "but I don't know what she did with the rest of his things."

"She probably kept them at home," Belle explained and then gave him a shy smile. "I'd have kept any reminders of you, but the one she'd consider most important would be at her place of work."

"It was his favorite jacket," he replied remembering how many times he had seen the former sheriff with that jacket.

"What exactly is your plan?" Belle asked suddenly.

"For us to get back home?" Rumpelstiltskin confirmed.

Belle nodded.

"I'll tell you while we get you out those rags," he told her.