In this chapter, the people of Storybrooke try to something to confirm the fate of Mr Gold. Back in the TARDIS, some explanations are given and an offer that Rumple could never refuse.
Note: There's a part/scene in this that is Killian centric...but it's more of a comparison of what Bae and Henry went through as boys with regards to losing their fathers.
Chapter 4
It had been Henry's idea.
Emma wasn't so sure about going through with it but Henry's pleas were heart breaking. Her son had argued that they only did find a tie and a handkerchief. Those weren't concrete evidences that his grandfather was dead.
He could have slipped or had a bloody nose and managed to hitchhike with someone. He could also be somewhere in the forest, still trying to find shelter or anything to eat.
"It couldn't hurt to try, mom," pleaded Henry as they all talked it over at the loft. "If it doesn't bring us any bad news then at least we know for sure."
The boy had a point. Right now they were only assuming that Gold was dead. But to get real concrete proof of what had really happened to him, they needed one particular magical item at the shop.
And if they needed to get into the shop, they were going to have to talk to Belle.
Normally it wouldn't be a problem to Emma but she worried about Belle. The woman has lost the love of her life twice. She might have hated the man at some point recently...but the break down she saw when she had told the woman that Gold was presumed dead was something she did not want to see a repeat of.
Technically that was already a repeat of what she saw when Gold had killed himself to stop Pan. A third was she didn't want to impose upon Belle.
"We could just go in there and steal it," said Regina turning towards Killian and David. "You're a former thief anyway, I'm sure you can pick a lock. Join forces with the pirate and your bandit of a mother, Belle wouldn't even notice it gone."
"Mom!" reprimanded Henry and Regina at least had the decency to look sheepish.
"It's a giant globe Regina, I doubt Belle would not notice it," spoke up Mary Margaret. "Besides, she has every right to know that we're trying to really figure out if Gold really is alive or not."
"Fine! You go ahead and give her hope only to have it crushed right in front of you," mumbled Regina.
Emma had to wince at that. Those words didn't just ring true for Belle in the sense of Rumplestiltskin. It rang true for Regina and what she could have had with Robin, only for her and Killian to take away.
She turned to Henry who had his head bowed down. It also rang true for him.
With a sigh she decided for all of them and they all headed to the pawnshop only to stop dead in their tracks when they saw Belle had the globe out already.
She was studying it intently and had not even notice their arrival until Regina cleared her throat. "It only works with blood magic, Belle."
That was when Emma noticed that Belle's finger had small drops of blood on it. She had tried using the globe already.
Henry moved forward and stood beside her. He offered her a small reassuring smile but it looked forced to Emma as it must have felt to her son.
It seemed that everyone took a deep breath as Henry pricked his finger and let the blood drip to the globe. It pulsed with a faint light...but nothing happened.
Emma turned to Belle. She was ready to comfort a grieving widow but no she just looked at the globe, sighed and closed her eyes as tears began to fall once again.
"Thank you for trying Henry," whispered Belle. She offered the teen a small smile and gave his shoulder a soft squeeze before wiping her tears away and going to the back.
Emma turned to everyone else. It was clear that she wanted to be alone and she nodded to her parents and Killian who left the shop. Regina placed a hand on Henry's shoulder who seemed to be still focused on the globe.
"Let's go home Henry," began Regina but the boy wouldn't budge.
"Maybe he's in a different realm," began Henry, turning to his adoptive mother. His eyes were tearing up already and Regina just hugged him. "Maybe that's why it's not working."
"We found you in Neverland with that globe, Henry," began Emma but Henry just shook away from Regina and ran outside. She turned to Regina who shook her head.
"We both know where he went," said Regina and Emma looked away because the two of them have been finding Henry at the cemetery on too many occasions recently. "I'll watch him."
"I'll-" Emma stopped. She had no idea what she was going to do. Belle needed her time and from experience, she would want to be alone. So when Regina left the shop, she kept the globe and tried to hide some other things that had a lot of meaning for both Gold and Belle.
Well at least that was Emma thought of doing but when she couldn't find the cup then it meant Belle had it. She was about to just leave as well when her eyes landed on the old ball that she had seen Gold studying during her first few months as Sheriff, back when the curse was yet to be broken.
The ball that belonged to Baelfire….or to her, Neal Cassidy.
She swallowed as she slowly picked up the ball. Neal was gone...just like Gold was gone to Belle. Both were gone to Henry.
She hugged the ball and let the tears fall.
It wasn't fair...that was what she told Henry, that doesn't make it hurt less.
Rumple groaned.
His entire body hurt but he'd live…well live as long he could. His sudden predicament all came crashing down on him and he wished he'd just lose consciousness again so he wouldn't have to face the Land Without Magic.
"Rise and shine old boy! I'm older than you and I've been standing for hours," came the voice and Rumple blinked open his eyes in surprise.
The voice sounded like his own, a hint of an accent and there was only one person who could be older than him.
Just as the room focused an olderly man was standing over him, a broad smile on his face and suddenly the memory came back.
He had woken up earlier, taking a stroll in the all too familiar place only to collpase as he reached the TARDIS doors.
"Doctor?" whispered Rumple as he tried to focus on the man in front of him. Rumple could remember all the faces the Doctor had worn, this wasn't one of them. Just because he was in the TARDIS doesn't mean it was the Doctor that came to his rescue.
It could be that other Timelord who the Doctor had warned him before.
"Rum!"
Rumple jolted in surprise as a young woman suddenly appeared on the other side of the bed and as Rumple focused he saw the familiar face of Clara Oswald smiling down at him.
Nope, definitely the Doctor then.
"Clara?" he asked turning to her then to the older man. "Doctor?"
"That must have been really a bump if you're not thinking like usual," came the Doctor's reply.
"It's just...too unbelievable to be true," came Rumple's reply as he tried to sit-up.
"Says the fairy tale character," replied Clara. She let him sit up properly before hugging him tight, which made the sorcerer fall back on the bed with a groan.
"Gently, Clara," reprimanded the Doctor. "You may be small but I can attest you're still heavy."
Clara released him and glared at the Doctor. "Oy! Speak for yourself. You look as thin as paper but that is so not the case."
"Oh I need to learn that story," said Rumple with a smile. "You can stop bickering now. Only the two of you can do that."
The two smiled and were relieved that their friend was ok. "How are you feeling?" asked Clara as the Doctor pushed the chair she had sat on earlier, closer to the bed.
"A bit sore but I'll live," replied Rumple as he turned to the Doctor who had leaned against Clara's chair, his elbow resting on the head of it and propping his head up. "How did you find me?"
"The TARDIS sent us to the outskirts of the forest in Maine," replied Clara. "We actually didn't know it was you. She just took off."
Rumple turned to the Doctor who nodded. "Thank you."
The lights brightened a little in response and Rumple had to smile.
"Looks like she still like you Rum," said the Doctor with a smile. "Unlike someone else in this room."
"Hey she likes me now," argued Clara. The lights once again responded and Clara just glared at the general direction of the console room.
Rumple chuckled slightly. It was nice to see the two again, especially the Doctor. The man, well the alien, had been a big part of his life and it looked like the Doctor had saved him again.
"New regeneration?" asked Rumple as he caught the Doctor's eyes. "You sound Scottish. Amy's influence?"
The Doctor shrugged. "Or you, who knows? Never been to Glasgow that much."
"My cursed-persona is from there." replied Rumple, as he turned to Clara. "Did you get my email then? I made sure of the year."
"I did," replied Clara with a smile. "Who knew the Dark One was computer savvy?"
"Yes well I had 28 years of using the thing," replied Rumple. "And I didn't even realize that I was updating my laptop until the day Emma Swan arrived and then I woke up."
"How about a phone?" asked Clara and Rumple winced.
"I had one, but it was flip one so don't even-" but Clara was already laughing and Rumple resisted the urge to glare at her or throw a pillow at her-
Then a pillow appeared and smacked Clara at the back of her head.
"Hey!" shouted Clara and was just about to retort when she saw the surprised and terrified look Rumple was aiming at her.
"I did that?" he gasped as he turned sharply to the Doctor. "I still have magic?" The Doctor nodded and Rumple immediately tried to sit up. "No you have to stay away from me! I can't-"
"Easy Rum," said the Doctor, standing immediately by his side and pushing the man back down on the bed. "That little problem has been dealt with."
"What?" asked Rumple in disbelief. He closed his eyes and concentrated and sure enough, his mind was silent. There were no voices. He opened his eyes and looked at the Doctor. "How?"
"Timelord technology plus your energy," said the Doctor and Rumple looked confused as Clara cleared her throat. "Your special energy, Rum. You know."
"Special what?" asked Rumple. "I don't understand."
"Oh honestly, just say magic and it'll keep the explanation short," groaned Clara as the Doctor glared.
"You used my magic?" asked Rumple as his eyes widened even more.
The Doctor sighed seeing as it was faster of an explanation. "Yes, I redirected your magic to help maintain the neural block I had put up." He paused to let his words sink in. "From what you've told me before, Rum, your curse manifests itself in the form of voices in your head, am I correct?"
Rumple nodded, once again trying to listen if there were any other voices in his thoughts.
"Well timelords have that kind of technology and I just used that technology plus regeneration energy and your-" he paused as though willing himself to say the next word. "-magic to keep the block in place."
He pointed to the man's chest. "The regeneration energy was mostly for your heart so I had to find a source to make sure the block stays put and that's where your energy comes in."
"Magic." voiced out Clara much to the Doctor's glare.
"So my curse has been broken?" asked Rumple, his voice hopeful but the Doctor shook his head.
"I just stopped it from coming out," said the Doctor apologetically. "You might get a headache if we go somewhere where your kind of energy-"
"Magic."
"Would you like to explain," countered the Doctor.
"Rum's confused enough already," argued Clara. "Don't make it worse."
"Fine," conceded the Doctor. "Like I said, before I was rudely interrupted." He said that pointedly to Clara. "If we go somewhere where magic is strongly harnessed, the curse might put up a fight to be heard."
Rumple nodded slowly. His curse wasn't broken, that would explain why he still had magic, but at least his own thoughts were his own for the time being.
"What did you do with my heart?" asked Rumple.
"It's still black though," explained the Doctor. "When you were outside Storybrooke, your blackened heart manifested into something that resembled into a heart condition. Your heart became weak and you actually suffered a heart attack. That was why I used some stored up regeneration energy on you."
"He's not sure if, as you grow healthier, that it'll go back to being red." added Clara. "We were hoping you might answer that."
"I honestly have no idea," replied Rum. "The reason why it's turning black is because the curse is eating away at my humanity."
"But I thought you made sure that price was handled?" asked the Doctor.
"Yes but-," he swallowed as fresh tears began to form at his eyes. He couldn't...it was just too fresh and it still hurt to even just think about his son, knowing what has happened and how everything he had done was just wasted because he let him go.
Clara's hand found his own and he turned to the younger woman. "You don't have to tell us now, Rum." She turned to the Doctor. "You should be getting some rest. Not being interrogated by two people who you have not seen for such a long time."
Rum swallowed his gratitude but it would be better to just have everything out in the open. "No, it's ok." He turned to the Doctor. "For the better part of the last year, I shared my mind with my son."
"You found him," said Clara happily. "That's-"
"I don't think it is Clara," said the Doctor, without turning to her, his eyes focused on Rumple.
"It isn't," Rum confirmed and figured that he really needed to start from the very beginning. "I think it's better if I just start after the curse was cast."
Killian didn't know why but he found himself standing right in front of Baelfire's grave just after he had watched Regina shuffle Henry to her car and drive off.
He had been standing by since the failed attempt at the shop and had stood away because he knew that in a manner of moments, Henry would be standing right in front of his father's grave, just as Emma and Regina had been finding him for the past few days.
The Charmings were still debating whether to put a stone next to Baelfire's for Rumplestiltskin. Despite the man having done a lot of horrible things, some directed at them, the Dark One still had killed himself to save everyone from Pan.
It wasn't because the town would probably destroy the thing...but mainly because of what it would do to Belle.
Right now, Belle didn't have a place beside the shop to remind her of her loss. That was why she spend her time there and not at the library or at their home. She was staying at the shop like how Henry kept dropping by her father's grave.
It was their only way to remind themselves of what they had lost.
Killian eyed Baelfire's name on the stone. It wasn't his real name of course...but it had the same impact.
He didn't know why he felt like this. The Crocodile was someone he wanted dead for centuries...could it be because it wasn't by his hand that the man had died? No, he had buried that before they had gone to Neverland.
Sure he still hated the man...especially with recent events.
He couldn't really blame the man for what Zelena had him do. The witch had his dagger and from experience, he knew what that meant.
He actually even owed the Dark One some debt especially with that stupid time travel fiasco that he and Emma had endured. If it wasn't for the Dark One, they wouldn't have been able to fix what they had changed in the past.
"You're the last person I would think to see here."
He turned to see David standing next to him. Killian was surprised that he hadn't heard the king walk by but he buried the thought and went back to looking at the headstone.
"We've decided to…" he trailed off but Killian already understood what he intended. "Everyone is ok with it...for Belle's sake."
"You think it'll help, mate?" asked Killian, his tone not really mocking or anything...just resigned. "Because I don't think anything will help her at this point."
"Her and Henry," added David. "Maybe even Regina."
They stood there just looking at the grave, both not knowing why they felt what they felt. Rumplestiltskin was a complicated man to know, and to form any coherent conclusions about. There was always more to him than what he wanted people to see. Belle had always voiced that out.
"Rumplestiltskin may be dead but at least that means that the Dark One has also been killed," said Killian and David just glared at him.
"You know what Killian," began David. "There will always be some other way. Right now," he paused and turned back to Neal's name. "All I can think about is how I let my grandson lose the other side of his family."
Killian made to reply but David turned and left, leaving the previous pirate to turn back to the headstone.
You tore apart my family.
That day on his ship wasn't Killian's proudest moment. Nor was it when they had reached the shores of Neverland.
Thank you... For reminding me what I'm all about—killing your father!
And Rumplestiltskin was dead...by his own hand or not...it didn't give him the satisfaction he had thought he would when he had given Baelfire to Pan back in Neverland.
Just like it didn't when he himself witness the man stab himself on Main Street.
No all it gave him was an image of a boy crying over his father...the image of both Henry and a young Baelfire, mixing together.
Rumple was asleep again.
For the Doctor it was sort of a reassurance, that his friend was getting some rest. From the story he had just heard, Rum needed a breather, a year worth of not having to think about anything.
Clara had finally agreed to be dropped off at her flat upon seeing Rum's peaceful form. She had just shut the door and the TARDIS had taken off to float idly in the time vortex.
The Doctor took one look at the hall heading towards the infirmary then clenched his fists and pounded the console hard.
He should have helped. He should have been there. Damn all, Rum shouldn't have gone through all of that.
The Doctor had been asking himself if he was a good man or not since his new regeneration but that was him. Rumplestiltskin was a whole different story. He was a good man. A good man fighting a losing battle against the Darkness, but never giving up.
He didn't deserve being enslaved by that witch, losing the people he loved...he didn't deserve being banished without anything but the clothes on his back.
He brought his fists hard on the console again. And again.
It was a repeat on when Missy had tricked him with the coordinates of Gallifrey, only to find empty space.
It wasn't fair. Another hit to the console. It wasn't damn fair. Again. It wasn't-
"Doctor?"
The Doctor lifted his head in time to see Rumple stagger into the console room. He looked to be half-asleep and a little uneven on his feet, but still stood there, slightly worried. "Are you ok?"
The Doctor smiled as he shook his head, a small smile playing on his face. "I should be the one asking you that."
"I'm not the one trying to destroy the console," replied Rum quickly, telling the Doctor that the man was fast approaching wakefulness. Perks of being immortal, he guessed, not needing much sleep.
"Did you do something to my leg?" he asked all of a sudden as he climbed the last few steps to be on the same level as the Doctor. "It doesn't hurt at all anymore."
"Yes well regeneration energy trumps magic," replied the Doctor, wincing a bit at how easily he had said the 'M' word. Rumple noticed of course and offered the timelord a smug smile. "I'm not going to make a habit of saying that."
"I wouldn't bet on that, Doctor," replied Rum with a smile.
"Is that a yes then?"
The Doctor and Clara had both voiced out that they wanted to have Rum around after he ended his tale with Belle banishing him from Storybrooke.
The Doctor has offered the same thing to Rumple numerous times through the years but he had always declined. Always saying that he needed to focus on getting back to his family.
"I don't know Doctor," began Rumple as he sat on one of the steps leading the upper levels of the console room. "It's not that I don't appreciate your offer. It's just-"
"You want to see if maybe you can enter Storybrooke with whatever we did to your curse," finished the Doctor. Again, it was about his family. This man was never selfish or thinking about himself. It was always for his family. With a heavy sigh, he nodded.
"Ok," replied the Doctor. "I'll try and find a way." Rum's head shot up and his eyes couldn't hide the hope the younger man had tried to put away. "Don't get your hopes up. That amount of energy isn't easy to get past."
The Doctor did a few more things on the console and pulled down a lever. "And we need to pick-up Clara because no way and I going to let you go without giving her a chance to say goodbye."