Memory Lane

Rumpelstiltskin walked into the library and went straight to the card catalog. "Do you need something?" Belle asked, leaning against the desk.

"Actually yes," Rumpelstiltskin replied. "Do you have anything on Peter Pan?"

"Which version do you want?"

"The most accurate."

"Accurate is a relative term."

"I'm looking for something along the lines of Henry's book of fairy tales that turned out to be true."

"I haven't been through all these books, but so far I can't remember seeing anything like that. Why do you ask?"

"Do you remember Smee?"

"The man in the red hat?" Rumpelstiltskin nodded. "How could I forget?"

He removed a paper from his breast pocket and unfolded it, revealing the sketch of a teenager in a cloak. He smoothed the paper out on the desk as well as he could without smearing the drawing. "This boy is my son, and Smee has seen this boy. In Neverland."

"So why don't you question him?"

"I did. According to him, he hasn't spoken a word to the boy."

"Of course. Peter and his Lost Boys continually fought Hook and his pirates, though the reasons vary. The common version is that Peter cut off Hook's hand."

"Do any of the versions mention a boy fitting this description?"

"There's one version that comes to mind right now, actually. It mentions a Lost Boy the others haven't. There're no real descriptions, but I think it might help." She walked deeper into the library and returned several minutes later with a small, leather-bound book. "This should be it," she said.

He flipped through the book, searching for the illustrations, and then he spotted one of a black-haired Lost Boy seemingly engaged in an argument with the red-headed Peter Pan. The boy appeared to be about fourteen, but he was only seen in profile. Nonetheless, Rumpelstiltskin said, "That's him. That's Bae."

"Would you like to check out the book?"

"Yes, I would. Thank you."

Belle scrawled the due date on the inside front cover, slid the book back to him, and said, "I hope you find your son. I really do."

"Thank you, Belle." She smiled. He nodded to her and walked out.

OUAT

"I told you time and time again, this is no life," Bae snapped at Peter.

"So you wanna grow up," Peter replied.

"I don't want to be trapped. You've trapped us. We're stuck here, stuck as boys, just to amuse you and give you companionship."

"Where're you gonna go? The reason you're here is because your parents don't love you. They abandoned you, remember? You don't have any other options. You can't leave."

"Watch me."

OUAT

Bae snapped out of his thoughts and stared down the dusty village path, remembering something else.

OUAT

Bae slipped out of his father's house in the middle of the night, first checking to make sure Rumpelstiltskin was asleep, and then he walked over to Morraine's house and knocked on her window. Of course, she was already awake and was outside in a matter of a few minutes. "What're you doing out here?" she asked.

"I needed to get away for a while," Bae replied, "but I couldn't do it while he was awake."

She gripped his shoulders and looked him in the eye. "Everything's going to work out, Bae. You're going to be happy, and we're going to make sure that happens. That's a promise I intend to keep, no matter what."

"Even at cost to yourself? My father's dangerous now."

"He doesn't scare me. You know that."

"Just...be careful, alright?" Morraine nodded. "I should go now. I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to talk, but he'd have noticed by now, or he will in a little while."

"I know." She gave him a quick hug and watched him return to Rumpelstiltskin's house. "Whatever I can," she whispered, "I'll do."

OUAT

Morraine might not have known it, but Bae did catch that whisper, and it made him fear for her life. He took a deep breath and a sip of ale, and he wondered where she was now.

"Takin' a trip down memory lane?" Alec asked, sitting at the table across from Bae.

"Yeah," Bae replied.

"By that look, I'd guess you're thinking about a girl. That the reason for your crazy travel plans?"

"I made a promise, and I'm gonna keep it."

"Even at the cost of your life?"

"Yep. A promise needs to be kept, but the only one I trust with my promises is myself."

"That's the safest way to do it."

Bae glanced at the pouch around Alec's neck. "What's that?"

"Oh, this?" Alec asked, picking up the pouch and letting it fall again. "Nothin', really. Just some seeds for the fields."

"Planting season was months ago."

"These are for next year."

"Then you're six months ahead of everyone else, and certain types of seeds don't keep that long in this weather, with our pests."

"That's why I'm wearing them around my neck." Bae nodded and dropped the subject for the time being. He studied the rest of the village, going about its daily affairs as if the curse weren't broken, as if everything was as it had been before anyone had even heard of the Dark Curse.

As if he hadn't felt instinctively and magically that the curse was the making of the Dark One.

Bae pushed the thought aside. He could address that when he made good on his promise and found a way to the place called Storybrooke so he could confront his father on the subject. If it was true his father was there.

He took another sip of ale. The village going about its business, just like normal, just like the world was small and life was easy. He smiled, again very nostalgic.