"Do you know what you're asking?" Blue Fairy asked, looking at Rumple with wide eyes.
"I do. And I know it might be a long shot. But can we at least try?" Rumple asked back.
"Why is it so important to remember the year we lost? What could we possibly learn that is so monumental you would risk all of us?" Blue Fairy couldn't believe her ears. What was so bad about this curse other than forgetting a year? She didn't think the benefits outweighed the risks. She wasn't even sure she could do it; it had taken a lot of magic to turn Zelena into a young girl and replace her memories. There was no way of knowing if she could reverse it and what state the girl would be in afterwards.
"We need to know what we're up against. If there is more to this curse. How can you be perfectly fine without knowing what happened to yourself in the last year? Doesn't that bother you at all? Rumple tried to reason with her.
"Of course it bothers me. It bothers everyone but at the same time, if we reverse this curse, wouldn't we all end up back in the Enchanted Forest? Do you really want that? And what if we start right back in the beginning of that year. You wouldn't have Zelena or your unborn child. What if things don't turn out as they are now? Rumplestiltskin these are all very real scenarios. Are you prepared for the consequences of what you're asking of me?"
Although Rumple had been fully on board before, the Blue Fairy was making sense. There was no way of knowing exactly where they would end up if the curse were to be broken. Life was good right now, should he risk it all to remember a year? "I'm going to go talk it over with Regina and Belle and my son and I'll be back to let you know what decision we have decided."
"You should involve the town. It isn't just your lives on the line," Blue Fairy reminded him. She watched him get up and leave. She stared out the window as he walked down the sidewalk. She walked over to her spell books and started gathering information. If they came back and wanted her to go through with it, she needed to be prepared.
Rumple started walking back to his shop, pausing a few times here and there to think about the severity of things. What if the Blue Fairy was right and everything was altered? He wouldn't have his daughter as she was now and the unborn child Belle carried. Worse yet, they wouldn't even remember any of this. And they would be stuck in the Enchanted Forest for who knows how long. And if Zelena were restored to her formal self, would she be out for revenge again? That was more than likely.
Rumple was so deep in thought he didn't notice Regina standing outside his shop and he nearly knocked her over before he realized and stopped himself. "I was about to throw a fireball at you," she warned, taking a step or two back.
"Sorry," Rumple apologized. "I have a lot on my mind. The Blue Fairy gave me a lot to think about."
"The Blue Fairy? Why would you go talk to her?" Regina asked.
"We, that is Baelfire, Belle and I were discussing if maybe we return Zelena back to her adult state and get her to give us information about the curse."
Regina let out a laugh. "You really think she's just going to give it up to us? Do you remember she was ready to end me because she thought I stole her happily ever after? Which by the way, I am still waiting for so…Anyways I don't think she would just willingly give up that kind of information. And who is to say the Blue Fairy can even make that happen. What did she say?"
"She wasn't completely sure she could do it either. She gave me a lot to think about," Rumple replied.
"I don't know if it's such a good idea to try and hunt down our one year lost. You obviously know a bit of what happened given your bookworm's current delicate state. And same goes with Snow White. I haven't noticed anyone missing, have you? No one seems to have been killed during the missing time. I thought you liked how things were now, why risk that?" Regina responded.
"Maybe we should put it to a town vote. Gather as much information as we can and then, see what everyone else thinks," Rumple suggested.
"Rumple!" a familiar voice called out and they both turned to see Belle headed their way, Zelena was nowhere in sight. "Hello Regina. Did you talk to her? Did she say she would do it?"
"The Blue Fairy isn't sure she could do it even if we really wanted to. I was just discussing with Regina about possibly putting it to a town vote," Rumple explained. "Where's Zelena?"
"Playing ball with Henry and her brother. They said they would love to take her off my hands for a bit and I gladly accepted. Back to what you were saying though. She doesn't know if she could do it?"
Rumple nodded his head. "It took a lot of magic for her to replace her memories and age her down. She isn't so sure it's easily reversible," Rumple explained.
"And I think maybe we shouldn't play with fire, figuratively speaking of course," Regina said, making a fire ball appear in her palm and making it disappear almost as quickly. "No one died in the year we lost; no one seems to be completely out of sorts. If we reverse the curse we will all most likely land back in the Enchanted Forest without current events," she added, motioning to Belle's stomach.
"And Zelena will be back in Oz. But who is to say she won't cast the curse again or something far worse," Rumple replied. "But then again, maybe it could be different."
"I've only been a mother to her for a little over a day and a half but I do truly love her as my own. And this little one, with every kick I feel, I fall more madly in love. To risk that just to gain back the year we lost…. I don't think it's worth the risk," Belle spoke, a hand resting on her stomach.
"I wish we could remember our wedding," Rumple replied, placing his hand on her own and looking into her eyes.
"We can get married again. Here. With all our family and friends and make it just as beautiful," Belle reminded him. "Rumple, please."
He gave her hand a squeeze. "If you're content being a housewife," he said with a smirk.
"Blegh. Ok, I can only handle so much lovey dovey before I start going all Evil Queen again," Regina interrupted. "I guess it's settled then, I'll be going." She rolled her eyes at the couple before heading off in the direction of her office. She hadn't stopped by there yet but wanted to see what sort of state it was in.
"I'm content being a housewife if the Dark One can be content with domestic life too," Belle giggled. "Changing light bulbs, doing laundry, reading bedtime stories."
"Those are all easily down with just a flick of the wrist, dearie," Rumple reminded her. "Except the last one I will take my time and enjoy."
"Let's go see our girl," Belle told him, kissing his lips.
"Our kids," he corrected her. "You know, you have a son too." Rumple couldn't help but stifle a laugh when he said that.
"I highly doubt Baelfire will be calling me Mom any time soon. In fact that would be quite odd considering we're so close in age," Belle replied.
"I couldn't help myself," he said, ushering her along as they started to head to where the boys and Zelena were playing. They found them in the open field beyond the school grounds.
"Mama! Papa!" Zelena squealed when she saw them and tore off running to them at full speed. Rumple met her halfway and scooped her up, tossing her in the air and catching her as she screamed with delight. "Again, Papa! Again!"
Belle smiled watching the interaction between them and knowing they were making the right decision to keep things just as they were.
"What did the Blue Fairy say? When will she try?" Baelfire asked.
"It's been decided that it won't be happening," Rumple answered.
"By who? Who decided that?" Baelfire asked back.
Belle stepped forward. "We all did. Your father, Regina and I. Blue Fairy even said she had no way to know if she could reverse what she had done. There were just too many risks."
"Think of it Bae. Your sister, she would no longer exist as she does now. She would go back to that version of herself so full of hate and wanting revenge. Do you really want that for her? For us? Not to mention, we would all be stuck back in the Enchanted Forest. Belle wouldn't be with child…neither would Snow White and there would always be that constant fear hanging over us of this curse or something far worse Zelena might cook up. That isn't any sort of life. Not for any of us," Rumple tried to reason with his son and get him to see what they had decided was really the best option.
"Look at her Baelfire," Belle interrupted. "Look how sweet and carefree she is." Baelfire did as she asked; watching his young sister chasing some butterflies and giggling as she tried to catch one and jumped up as it flew just beyond her reach.
He sighed, nodding his head. "Ok fine." He knew he would not win this battle and the more he thought about it, he didn't want to change anything about his sister. She didn't have a worry or care in the world and she was going to grow up loved and cared for and he couldn't ask for anything more. He vowed to help her and nourish her into the bright young woman he knew she could be.
"Now that that's settled, would you be my best man?" Rumple asked his son, catching him completely off guard.
"Best man? As in, you're getting married? Aren't you already? I mean most likely?"
"True, we probably are but we cannot remember and I want Belle to have the wedding of her dreams," Rumple answered.
"Can we maybe postpone it so I'm not as big as a house for it?" Belle asked.
"You are so beautiful," Rumple told her, placing his arm around her. "But if you wanted to wait, we can. More time for planning."
Belle nodded. "Just until after the little one arrives and I can get back down to my normal weight."
"I still think you've never been more gorgeous," Rumple replied.
"You are getting old, maybe your eyesight is going." Belle laughed.
Rumple shook his head. "Fine then. After the baby comes we'll have the most perfect wedding and hopefully by then we will have a new house. We hardly fit behind the shop any more. Its time I got a proper family home for us."