3
Easter Surprises
On Easter morning, Belle and Rumple woke up early so they could put out the Easter baskets for Henry, Rhee, and Carina. Rhee would be over later for hers, as she and Bae usually had their own Easter morning breakfast together, and Rumple didn't want to disrupt their routine. He hoped Percy would make an appearance before Carina woke up, so he forwent the "costume" he'd put together over a week ago and began hiding eggs for the scavenger hunt instead. The scavenger hunt would be for the kids this year, but last year he'd done one for Belle with chocolate Rumple bunnies. This year, though, they'd have the real one.
Easter morning breakfast was simple-cinnamon rolls, Easter egg bread-a sweet bread braided with colored hardboiled eggs in the center like a nest, glazed with vanilla glaze and more sprinkles, coffee and cocoa.
Belle had made the rolls the night before, so all she had to do was bake them.
"We should have something for our guests too, Rumple," she said.
"You mean Percy?" he queried.
"No, Archie and Henry."
"Henry will eat your cinnamon rolls, and if Archie wants something more substantial than cinnamon rolls and Easter bread, I'll make some bacon and eggs."
Since Belle had a big dinner to prepare he wanted to keep the other two meals simple.
Belle giggled. "I think he wants something from Godiva."
"Like their chocolate torte? I have that for dessert," Rumple replied slyly. "We can have the cocoa for breakfast. Unless you want me to get the chocolate filled croissants?"
The therapist had been to the shop several times since his arrival and Belle suspected it was for more than just to satisfy his sweet tooth.
"Let's have the cocoa." Belle was grinning. "And I think he may not want to go home for a while."
"Oh? Well, he hasn't had a vacation in almost thirty years, so I think he deserves a long one."
"A little birdie told me he bought three boxes of chocolates his first trip there and left one behind."
Rumple raised an eyebrow. "Deliberately? Hmmm . . . . there's only one reason why a man would do that, dearie."
"Yes..and it was for Sharon! You know...that charming lady making Carina's blanket?"
"Yes, I remember." Rumple's eyes twinkled. "Now, Belle, are you playing matchmaker again? You belong in Fiddler on the Roof, dearie!" he teased.
"They're both single and the same age...why not?"
"Well . . . because you know where we come from. Wouldn't that be a bit of a problem?"
"Maybe, maybe not if it's true love...and Sharon has been happier since then."
He spread his hands. "Far be it for me to argue with that. If it's meant to be, it will be." Rumple said. He placed a large gold foil Godiva egg on the living room table with a tag that read To Archie-from your former landlord. "Wait till he opens this. It's the Godiva egg surprise," he giggled. "It has five other kinds of chocolate inside it."
"Oh my! Tell me you have one for me!"
"Now, now, dearie!" he smirked playfully. "I never kiss and tell!"
"Well...just for that...I may eat your surprise myself," she huffed.
"Oh? Maybe your surprise is waiting for you to find it?" He countered.
"Another hunt?" Her eyes lit up.
"Just for you . . . and the first clue is with something I wear everyday," he singsonged.
She thought for a moment. "Now Rumple there are a few things I could think of...and some require me to uncover a few...layers..."
She blushed.
He smirked. "Not THAT, dearie! We have guests-and children! You can uncover that later. THIS is something everyone can see."
"Your shoes?"
"Freezing cold!" he shivered. "Darling, you sometimes help me with it in the morning."
"Your coat!"
"Getting warmer. Carina likes to eat it when I hold her." He cleared his throat meaningfully.
"Your tie?"
"You're on fire!" he cheered.
"You got me a chocolate tie?"
"Umm . . . not exactly. Why don't you go look in the bedroom?"
"Okay...are you coming?"
"Yes, I want to see your face when you find it." His eyes glowed.
"And knowing you, you will make me work for it," she grinned. "Not that I'm complaining."
Rumple hummed as he followed her into the bedroom. Given the clue, he figured he knew where she would look first . . .right where he wanted her to . . . in his closet.
Belle opened his closet door her hand on her hip as she recalled his clues in her mind and immediately began her search with his designer tie collection.
There in the center of his tie box was a nest of Ferragamos-with a marshmallow blue bird sitting on top of a multicolored foil egg! "Salutations!" it chirped in her husband's voice, hopping off the egg. "Inside is a treasure, but only one of three!"
"Oh!" She unwrapped the egg slowly, excited to uncover what was hidden inside.
The chocolate Godiva eggs split in half-revealing a parchment note, written in her husband's graceful script.
She smiled as she bit into one of the eggs and read the next clue.
This entitles you to candlelit dinner for two, but only if you figure how a chick keeps warm without you.
"Chicks have wings...and feathers..."
"And if they're just born?" the bluebird cheeped. "What would you do?"
"It would need its mama," she said.
But that was not the correct answer the bluebird sought. She began to pace while she recalled all the knowledge she learned about birds from her books.
The most important thing was warmth.
If a baby bird got chilled, it would die.
Then she recalled the clue was supposed to lead to a candlelit dinner also.
And food meant the kitchen.
She headed toward the kitchen.
"Food and warmth..."
She glanced over at the stove.
The oven was not yet lit.
She opened the door and peered inside.
In a bundt pan was a second chick, a gold one, sitting on yet another multicolored foil egg. "You found me!" it sang. "But I'm no good scrambled!" It hopped onto the oven door and began strutting up and down, whistling "Easter Parade".
She took the egg and started to unwrap it thinking that her husband had surpassed himself with this new challenge, wondering what surprise awaited her this time.
And Easter Parade was one of her favorite movies.
"I could hardly wait to keep our date on this lovely Easter morning..." she sang.
Inside this egg was a gift card for Bookish Bistro, a favorite restaurant of theirs where the theme was a different book each time you went. And another clue as well.
She read the parchment, beaming.
"Seek me high, seek me low, sometimes where birds aren't wont to go . . .hidden safely in a lair . . .where a furry protector stares."
Belle did not have to ponder the final clues for long. "BItty!" she exclaimed and immediately headed towards the cat's bed.
Concealed in the bedding was a final egg with multicolored foil. She unwrapped it slowly, smiling to herself, wondering what treasure it held.
In it was a small scroll, which when unrolled read: "Spring has sprung, now fun has begun . . . a garden of delights waits to be hatched . . ."
"Ohh you tease!" she laughed.
She had a small container garden right beside the back porch.
She raced outside. "What did you get me, what did you get me?"
She'd always loved surprises and his were the best ones. She reached inside and pulled out a beautiful golden pendant in the shape of a heart with a large blue diamond in the center. Attached to the chain was a final scroll.
It read-In books you adore, read one more, to find a golden treasure, in the tale of an egg.
"And I know just the book!"
She returned to the living room and took down her copy of Aesop's Fables, a first edition that Rumple had spared no expense to procure for her as a gift shortly after their arrival in New York. The moment she opened it, the book glowed with a brilliant white light and a large Godiva egg wrapped in foil rose from the pages.
Though she was excited, she still took her time unveiling the final piece of this intricate puzzle her husband created for her and the moment she peeled away the final piece, the egg divided into two pieces and out from them flew a dove.
"Congratulations, sweetheart! You've found the final clue and my gift to you this Easter Day my darling Belle is a little sightseeing around New York...as any feathered friend you wish to be!" it announced in her husband's voice.
"Oh, this is perfect!" she cried and threw her arms around him. "I've been dreaming about this from the day Bae told me that he was able to fly as a swan! Which bird should I choose?"
"It's your choice," he said softly.
"What bird would you choose?"
She already knew what form she felt best suited him but suspected he thought she would choose a species more delicate like the birds from her surprise eggs.
'This is a gift for you, Belle. I'll be happy in any form."
"There's only one type of bird I feel that would be perfect for this trip...and it suits you. She pointed at the calendar on the wall, purchased from a fundraiser to support the troops. "Eagles!"
"You . . . want to be an eagle?" he stammered. "I thought you'd choose a mourning dove or a mockingbird."
"No. The eagle is the symbol of our nation...and today is a day when many people don't have loved ones to celebrate Easter with because they're overseas. Seeing the eagle in flight gives them hope. And you are my eagle...no matter what we've faced in our lives, you come back stronger than ever."
He cupped her face in his hands. "You always believe in me . . . even when didn't believe in myself. Eagles it is. A symbol of hope and courage for those who need it. Happy Easter, dearheart!" He kissed her passionately.
He opened his mouth to speak and then a familiar wail responded instead. "I think our sleeping beauty is awake," he said with a rueful grin. "We'll have to do so after breakfast. Besides, I'm not sure Percy won't show up soon."
"All right but I can't wait!"
"I know. Neither can I."
Then they heard a noise in the yard. Belle raced over to the window to see a large hole near her container garden. Percy climbed out with a small basket draped over his arm.
"Oh! Am I late?" he cried worriedly.
"No . . . you're right on time," Rumple said, waving. "Come in, quickly. We have nosy neighbors here in the city."
"I'm sorry about the mess." Percy gestured to the hole.
"Rumple will handle it," Belle reassured him and hurried off to fetch Carina before she screamed the walls down, and she would've done it.
Rumple waved a hand and the hole quickly vanished. "There! Now let's go into the den. Belle should be out shortly with Carina."
Just then there came the sound of a door opening, and Henry came out in his pajamas. "Mr. Gold? Are Rhee and Bae here? Is there time for breakfast?" He froze when he saw the rabbit in the den. "Whoa! It's the White Rabbit!"
"Hello," Percy greeted and bowed.
"You must be 's told me about you." The rabbit set his basket down and held out his hand.
Henry shook it. "That's right. How did you come here?"
"Oh, I...ahhh...made a bit of mess with my portal in the yard..." he answered sheepishly. "But I'm here to make a little girl's Easter a joyous one."
Henry smiled. "That's great! I'm sure Carina will be surprised." He went to stand beside a blue basket with an index card with his name on it. He was eager to see what was in it, but decided to wait so he could see Carina with her "Easter bunny".
"I heard a noise outside and..." Archie trailed off when he spotted the white rabbit in the room.
He blinked several times. "Henry...am I... hallucinating or is there a white rabbit in here?"
"Nope. That's Percy from Wonderland."
"OH, hello."
Belle entered the room carrying her daughter. The moment Carina saw the white rabbit, she squealed with delight and held out her arms.
"Aww! How cute!" Henry grinned.
"Look who Papa brought for you sweetheart, the Easter Bunny himself!"
They waited eagerly to see what Percy would do.
"May I hold her, Mrs. Gold?"
Belle went to hand him Carina.
Just before she could she recoiled in shock. The rabbit had turned to chocolate!
"Carina! Oh Carina, what have you done?" she moaned.
Carina giggled and patted the now life sized chocolate bunny.
"Oh my gosh!" Henry exclaimed, wide-eyed. "Can you change him back, Mr. Gold?"
Rumple sighed. "I really need to find a way to keep her from doing that." He examined the chocolate rabbit. "It's a good thing I developed a potion for this-but I hope I have enough." He went to get it from his study where he kept all his magical apparatus hidden behind a secret door.
Sensing her papa was upset with her, Carina started to cry.
Henry blinked, then went and touched the rabbit. "He's solid chocolate!" Then he looked at the baby, who had huge tears running down her chubby cheeks. "Why's she crying? She didn't know any better."
"It's all right, sweetie, it's all right," Belle crooned.
"Maybe she thinks we're all upset with her," Archie mused aloud.
"Archie, how can a baby think that? I mean-she's a baby. Is she really that sensitive?" Henry wanted to know. He made a goofy face at Carina.
"Henry, children are more intuitive than you think," the therapist explained. "When Regina first adopted you she was still learning how to take care of a child and when she was frustrated you would often start crying yourself."
"I did? So she's crying because she thinks Mr. Gold is mad at her?"
"Yes."
"Mad at who?" asked Rumple as he came into the room holding a green and blue glass bottle. "I'm not mad at anyone."
"Carina feels you're upset with her," Archie told him.
Rumple shook his head. "Oh, no, I'm not upset with her-I'm upset with me. For not warning Percy and for not figuring out how to corral this wild power of hers till she's old enough to control it herself."
"You'll figure it out. You always do," Belle soothed. "We didn't think this would happen...not after the last time."
He went over to his daughter and said, "Hey, sweetie, don't cry. Look, Papa has a potion to make it all better! See?" he showed her the bottle and gently wiped away the tears with a finger. His baby was as sensitive as he had been as a child, easily roused to tears or laughter.
"Magical babies tend to have magical mistakes," he said philosophically. Then he held out his arms. "Carina, would you like to help Papa?"
She smiled softly, wriggling in her mother's embrace. "I think that means yes," she giggled.
Rumple took his daughter in one arm, and let her grasp the bottle in her chubby fist. "There, now we'll count to three. One . . . two . . . three!" he called and then together the two magicians poured the potion over the chocolate bunny. As the potion shimmered down the rabbit, he changed back into a real live bunny again.
"W...What happened?" he murmured. "Did I faint?"
"Sorry, Percy! Forgot to warn you-my true love baby is fixated with chocolate and has a chocolate touch." Rumple apologized. "She . . . err . . . turned you into chocolate for a few minutes but . . . then I changed you back."
To their surprise the rabbit simply laughed. "Better chocolate than stone!"
"Maybe she thought you were a vanilla bunny," Henry said helpfully.
"She meant no harm. Now before the Red Queen changed she would have turned me to stone without a thought having been taught to do so by the Queen of Hearts. I do not miss Cora. She nearly destroyed our land."
"She's why Archie and I are here," Henry said quietly. Then he said, "Hey, Mr. Gold. What if you made Percy a brown rabbit? The Carina won't think he's vanilla. I mean, just for a little while?"
*then
"I suppose I can. if Percy agrees."
"I don't see any harm in it."
Rumple waved a hand and the white rabbit's pure as snow fur became a dark chocolate brown. "There!"
Carina clapped excitedly and squealed.
"Now, dearie, no turning him to chocolate," Rumple lectured softly. "He's already that." The baby held out her arms again. This time Rumple handed her to Percy.
"Wait until you see what I have for you little one," he said softly, reminding him of his own children at home in Wonderland.
Carina's hand touched his nose. Then she looked expectantly back at her parents. Rumple giggled. "She wants to play the face game, Belle." He said to his wife. "Nose!" he called.
Carina then touched his eye, which the rabbit shut.
"Eye!" Henry called. "But don't poke."
Then she grabbed an ear.
"Ear!" Belle called. "Now don't pull."
The baby was puzzled. She touched her ear, then touched the rabbit's ear, looking confused.
"Your mama means not to pull my ear," Percy said gently.
"Gently, dearie," Rumple instructed. Then he pointed. "Big ear. Little ear," he indicated the baby's ear.
Carina smiled. Then she stroked Percy's cheek.
"That's right, sweetie. Cheek," Belle encouraged.
Carina touched her own cheek. Then she touched the rabbit's again, liking the soft velvet fur.
"Furry," Henry said helpfully. Then he pointed to the rabbit's mouth. "What's that?"
She opened her own mouth slowly then closed it.
"Good! And what do you do with your mouth?" Henry asked, figuring she would try and eat or talk with it.
Instead she kissed Percy-right on his mouth!
"How cute!" Archie praised.
"Oh dearie dearie dear!" Rumple giggled. "Looks like she wasn't asleep last time we were kissing in the kitchen, Belle."
"Little pitchers have big ears..and big eyes!" Archie joked.
"They do," Belle agreed. "But we kiss her all the time, Rumple. So . . ."
"There's nothing curiouser and nothing that mimics like a baby," Percy laughed. "Thank you, darling."
"Except for Alice," Percy laughed again.
"True," snickered Rumple. "She was curiouser than a cat."
"Those days are behind her now. She has a family in England."
"And there's nothing more important than that," the former Dark One stated.
Percy reached into his basket and handed the baby a small plush bunny that resembled him made by one of the Red Queen's seamstresses. "This is to keep you company when I leave."
Carina hugged it, clearly delighted. Her eyes crinkled and shone just like her parents.
Then she frowned and touched Percy's brown fur. Then shook the white plush rabbit and wrinkled her brow. Obviously she wanted to know why her toy wasn't brown like the Easter bunny.
"Rumple, would you mind...?"
"No. Ah, Carina, already you know your colors! Or at least two colors!" he said proudly. Then he changed the toy's fur to match the living one's. "There, how's that, sweetheart?"
Carina blew him a kiss.
Henry laughed.
"I can see her chasing all the little boys in school, trying to kiss them," Archie chuckled.
"Speaking of kissing Doctor Hopper is there something you want to tell us?" Belle asked with a smirk.
Henry gaped. "You kissed somebody?"
"No, no not yet...I..." The doctor blushed. "How did you know Belle?"
"My wife always knows about matters of the heart. Sometimes before YOU're eve sure!"
"Well ahhh she did invite me to her place this afternoon..."
"Just for a short visit..." he added nervously.
"If your Papa has his way sweetheart you won't be dating for a long time," Belle said to her daughter.
"Not unless the boys want to become new decorations in the garden," he muttered.
"Percy have you had breakfast yet?"
"Just a glass of carrot juice. I . . . err . . din't want to be late," he replied sheepishly.
"You can have breakfast with us then. Bae and Rhee should be here soon."
As if on cue, Rumple's cell rang. "Papa, we're on our way. Hope you saved me a cinnamon roll. I kinda burnt my French toast."
"We have plenty. Just come on over. There's a surprise," Rumple told him.
"He's on his way," he told the rest of them.
Belle laughed. "Did he burn breakfast again?"
Rumple nodded. "Got it in one."
"Well we have plenty. I'm curious to see how he reacts to our guest."
"Me too. He . . . didn't have much contact with magical creatures before he left the forest. He never wanted to," Rumple said. "And I wonder what Rhee will think also."
"Rhee's his granddaughter," Henry explained as he led the way into the kitchen. His nose told him that the cinnamon rolls were ready.
"I'm looking forward to meeting them."
Henry's mouth was watering, but he sat down and waited for the others before serving himself a cinnamon roll and some cocoa.
Bae and Rhee arrived a short time late, both of them stunned to see a large rabbit sitting in the kitchen with the others. Bae knew his father associated with many magical creatures but never imagined one of them was from Alice in Wonderland. "The March Hare, Papa?"
"Actually, he's the White Rabbit, Percy. But he . . . err . . . ended up with a makeover because of your baby sister."
"Uh oh..did he make him a giant chocolate bunny?"
"I'm afraid so!' Rumple groaned.
"She wanted dark chocolate, not white!' Henry laughed.
"Henry!" Archie cried.
Rhee started laughing. "It's like people fighting over what's better-Reeses or Hershey's."
Percy reached into his basket and handed her a large white egg.
"Thank you," she said, and wondered if she was supposed to eat it.
"It's not this Hersheys you speak of but I hope you'll like it."
"Is it chocolate?" she queried.
"Yes, Wonderland's finest in a shell from the Mallow Marsh."
"Wow! That's cool!" Rhee said.
Bae looked at her. "You gonna share some with me, swanmay?"
"Let's make a deal,' she retorted cheekily.
"What!" he objected. "I'm your dad! You don't make deals with your dad!"
"Oh? Don't you, Baelfire?" his father quizzed.
"Papa, that was . . . it was different!" his son tried to cover.
"Was it? I don't believe so."
"It wasn't for chocolate!" Bae declared stubbornly.
Rhee rolled her eyes. "Dad, a deal's a deal. Remember who taught me that?"
Bae flushed red as a sunset. "I don't believe this! You're throwing my own words back in my face."
"She should. You tried to deal me out of you doing a week's worth of chores."
"It didn't work," his son grumbled. "Not really." He sighed. Then he looked at his daughter. "Okay, you give me two pieces and you can stay up till ten on Friday."
"Dad, you want me to give you two for the price of one?" Rhee shook her head.
"Uh . . . okay. You can stay up Friday and Saturday," he amended.
"How about you take me and Henry to the movies on Friday, and we go shopping on Saturday," she countered.
"Shopping where?" he queried.
"Barnes & Noble. Chinatown. Little Italy."
Bae groaned. "Last time we went there you nearly made that Chinese vendor cry."
Rhee shrugged. "He deserved it. He was trying to rip me off. Trying to sell me a fake marble statue made in Taiwan, not Beijing. Besides, we promised Henry to take him on a tour of the city. You kill two birds with one stone."
"And a cheat deserves what they get," Rumple added.
"Yeah like my grandpa," Bae muttered. Then he extended his hand. "Okay, swanmay. You've got a deal."
Rhee shook it. Then she added with a familiar smirk. "And nobody breaks deals with me, Dad!"
"Yeah, you're a chip off the old teacup," he said ruefully. "And God help the vendors in downtown Manhattan."
Rumple laughed. "Did you expect anything less Bae?"
"No. She's your granddaughter," his son commented. "It runs in the family."
"Yeah, Dad. And don't forget, you're HIS son," she pointed out. "I know all the rumors about the bargain you made with your faculty director."
"My students talk too much," he grumbled.
"I'm almost afraid to ask," Belle laughed.
"Dad's faculty director, Mr. Andrews, is known for never letting his professors get paid at the top of the pay scale. Except when he hired Dad. Dad spent over an hour in his office, arguing with him about how much he was worth . . .and he made a deal that he would teach on a trial basis for a month, to prove he really was worth every penny."
"So he thought I was kidding, I proved him wrong, and . . ." Bae began.
"Dad's one of the highest paid staff at the university!" Rhee crowed. "And they say that Prof Spinner can out deal the devil himself."
"Like I said, my students talk too much. And they're not too fond of Andrews. He's kind of a grim sort."
"Looks like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?" Percy chortled. He took a cinnamon bun also.
Bae sighed and cut into the sweet bread. "Oh, I missed this! Grandma Lir used to make this," he said and spread a piece with butter, peeling the hardboiled egg and eating it also.
Rhee took a cinnamon bun and some cocoa, saying, "See, it was a fortunate coincidence you burnt the French toast, Dad. Otherwise we'd be too full to eat these." She bit into one, sighing with bliss.
"Umm . . . right, good one, Rhee," her father agreed, though actually he'd gotten distracted playing Candy Crush and forgot about the toast on the griddle.
"This is for you, Henry," Percy held out another egg like Rhee's.
"Thanks." He looked at Archie. "If you want, I can share with you."
"No, that's okay," Archie began, and then Belle said, "That's not necessary, Henry. Because he has his own egg."
She brought in the Godiva egg and laughed as the therapist's eyes went round.
"Oh my! You didn't have to do this, Belle!"
"There's more inside," Rumple told him. "Five new truffle eggs—limited editions."
Archie looked like he had died and gone to heaven. "Thank you, Rumple! Thanks, Belle!" Then he shyly removed a small envelope from his pocket. "I . . . err . . . didn't really know what to get you so—I got you gift cards to Godiva."
He handed a card to Belle and a card to Bae also. "Happy Easter!"
They both thanked him and he gave Henry one also.
After breakfast, Henry and Rhee opened their baskets, which were filled with books, puzzles, and in Henry's case a baseball cap with the Empire State building on it, and Rhee had a pretty scarf with tiny rabbits on it. Like her dad, she loved scarves.
While they were doing the scavenger hunt, and finding Godiva eggs, and searching for the "prize egg" which contained $25, Belle carried a special pie into the kitchen. "This is one of your presents, Rumple. I made your favorite meat pie."
Rumple's eyes lit. "I think I'll eat this for breakfast," he said and hugged his wife. "Did you make it yourself, Belle?"
"I did. I hope it tastes okay."
He cut a slice and the aroma was amazing. "Mmm!" he said after he had taken a bite. "Scrumptious!"
"The rest of your surprise is dessert," she said mysteriously.
Bae went and picked up the Easter flowers he'd gotten and brought them over to Belle. They were in a teapot shaped like an Easter bonnet. "These are for you, Mama. Happy Easter!"
"Oh, Bae! They're lovely!" she said. "I'm going to put them right on the table as a centerpiece."
Beaming, she did so.
Bae went and retrieved a long wrappd box and said, "This for you, Papa. I figured one weekend you could do this."
Rumple unwrapped the box to find a new classy Ferragamo with gold sheaves of wheat on a navy blue ground. "Bae, that's amazing!"
"I tried to find straw, but wheat was the best I could do." Then he said, "Look, there's more."
Rumple looked in the box and found two tickets for the Broadway production of Phantom of the Opera. "I always wanted to see that play," he exclaimed.
"I figured you and Belle could go one night—and I'll watch Carina." He offered generously.
"Bae, you shouldn't have!" Belle cried, touched by his generosity.
"Sure I should. Everyone needs a night out. Especially with a new baby. I know Sorcha and I appreciated any time someone could watch Rhee and let us spend some time alone."
"We'll treasure this," Rumple assured him.
Bae then pulled another envelope out of his other pocket and handed it to Archie. "Papa told me you'd be staying awhile and so . . . I figured you might like to take someone for dinner at the View." He winked as Archie blushed.
"Thank you, Bae!" he stammered, clutching the envelope with the gift card in it and wondering if he would ever have the nerve to ask out a certain lady.
Carina looked at Bae and went to grab his sleeve.
"Don't worry, bugaboo. I didn't forget," he said, and he pulled out a little doll, dressed like a princess.
Carina squealed and hugged it. It was a ragdoll, so she could hug it and chew on it to her heart's content.
"I have something for Henry too, but I'll give it to him later," Bae told Archie.
The therapist nodded and thought that this had been a wonderful Easter so far, and there was still the dinner to be had, and a stroll over to St. Patrick's also. He was also excited to go shopping in downtown Manhattan and experience all the local cuisine and culture he had read about while flying here. But the reality far eclipsed what he'd read in the brochures.
"Well, I must be going back to my family now," Percy said regretfully. "But I will have some wonderful stories to tell, Mr. Gold. "
He drew a circle on the wall of the kitchen and a portal formed and he hopped into it, waving goodbye as he did so.
The last glimpse he had was of Belle, Rumple, Bae, and Archie waving goodbye, and Carina blowing him a kiss.
"Bye, Easter bunny!" Belle called, and had Carina wave.
As the portal snapped shut, Rumple groaned. "Oh no!"
"What is it?" asked his son.
"I must be getting old . . . I forgot to change Percy's coat back to white!" Rumple said, chagrined.
"Rumple, they have mages there who can do so," Belle soothed. "It was an honest mistake."
"Hey, it could be worse, Papa. He could have been pink!" Bae said. "Like the year I decided to dress up as the Easter bunny to hide Rhee's basket, and the only costume that fit me was a pink bunny one!" He shook his head. "And for years she never let me forget it!"
Rumple gave a wicked chuckle. "Ahh, Bae. The things we do for our children!"
Bae swallowed, thinking that the man before him had done more for his child than anyone he'd ever known. And he was never so grateful for that than now.
A/N: Hope you'll forgive the delay, meant to get this written sooner but was too busy. Happy belated Easter!