A/N: When I watched Witch Hunt, I was floored when I saw they had the flying monkey nearly take Roland because I wrote this before I saw the episode. And I know now that her eyes are blue not green.
Chapter Ten
Emma held Rose in her arms as she played with Rose's tiny fingers and Snow White sat next to her. Henry and Baelfire were talking at the dining table while Belle moved the cart with a tray with food and a tea pot on top and Rumplestiltskin sat at the head of the dining table with his feet on the table. Belle glared at him as he giggled then sat up and she placed the tray on the table.
"Tea's ready," Belle said as they came to the dining table and sat down. Emma placed Rose in the basket when she picked up one of the sandwiches off the tray and nibbled on the ham and cheese sandwich.
"Where's the dagger?" Charming asked.
"It's in here," Rumplestiltskin said as he pointed with his hand at the shoebox and Baelfire slid the shoebox to Charming. Charming opened the lid when he removed the dagger and held the dagger in his right hand.
"Why didn't it vanish with your father?" Snow asked and Rumplestiltskin sipped on the tea in the chipped, china cup.
"I pulled it out," he said then placed the chipped, china cup on the table.
"Why?" Emma asked.
"Because it's my dagger, Dearie," he said and pressed his fingers together.
"Would it have vanished if you had...If you had died?" Henry asked.
"Yes, Henry, it would."
"And the Wicked Witch wants it so she can control you," Charming said and Rumplestiltskin saw the doubt in his eyes.
"Having doubts, Dearie?"
"I have a few."
"Charming," Snow said with a shocked look on her face.
"It's alright," Rumplestiltskin said, holding his hand up. "If you must know, she and I do have a history."
"You used to work together?" Charming asked.
"No," Rumplestiltskin said with a shake of his head. "We had a deal."
"What sort of deal?" Emma asked.
"She came to me and asked if I would make a love potion for her."
"Who did she want to make fall in love with her?" Belle asked.
"Well, she lived in OZ, Darling. Who do you think it was?" he asked with a smile.
"She wanted the Wizard to fall in love with her," Henry said and Rumplestiltskin nodded his head.
"And what would she give you if you gave her the potion?" Snow asked.
"It was simple, really," he said and sat up in the high back chair. "She would give me her sister's silver slippers."
"I thought they were ruby slippers," Emma said.
"That's only in the movie, Mom. In the story, the slippers were silver," Henry said and Rumplestiltskin nodded his head.
"What did you want with silver slippers?" Bae asked.
"They weren't for me," Rumplestiltskin said. "They were for Regina."
"What?" Emma asked.
"She had heard about the slippers and wanted them."
"So she came to see you," Belle said.
"Yes," Rumplestiltskin said with a small smile.
"What did she have to give you in return for the slippers?" Charming asked.
"She would leave me alone," he said then sighed. "Guess that was a fool's dream."
"So that's why Regina was concerned when she found out about the attack on your castle," Charming said and Rumplestiltskin nodded his head.
"How did you get the slippers?" Belle asked.
"It's simple really," he said with a small giggle. "I snuck into Regina's bedroom, borrowed a pair of her slippers and turned them into a duplicate version."
"That was sneaky," Charming said.
"But why does the Witch want your dagger?" Emma asked.
"She blames me for what happened when she tried to use the potion," Rumplestiltskin said then took another sip of tea. "A potion like that is very sensitive. If the user's emotions are too high, the potion pinpoints on the emotions that are highest and…"
"The potion changes into something else?" Belle asked.
"Yes," he said with a nod of his head. "You see, Dearies, she was always the jealous type. If someone had something she wanted, or they liked or loved someone she did, the jealousy bubbled to the surface and she acted on her jealous natures. The day she went to use the potion was around the time Regina was visiting OZ and the Witch saw Regina at a ball the Wizard held to celebrate the first day of Spring. She saw the Wizard chatting with Regina and seeing both of them laughing and playfully flirting caused her jealousy to over flow. Not only that, but she saw that Regina was wearing the silver slippers."
"But they weren't the real slippers," Snow said.
"It didn't matter, Dearie."
"She must have been really ticked off," Emma said.
"Yes, she was. And in her rage, she shattered the vial with the potion. When she did that…"
"She turned green and ugly?" Henry asked.
"It is true her eyes, nails and skin turned green, but she was still beautiful."
"Then what did she do?" Emma asked.
"She attacked Regina, but the Wizard stopped her. Before she left, the Witch vowed to get even with not only her, but me."
"How do you know all this?" Charming asked.
"The Witch came and told me," Rumplestiltskin said then sighed. "Then she slapped me."
""I would have kicked you in the…," Emma said then stopped when Baelfire nudged at her and they looked at Henry. He just smiled at them and Emma rolled her eyes.
"What worries me is, if she couldn't get hold of the dagger, would she go after Regina?" Snow said and Rumplestiltskin sighed, folding his arms over his chest.
Robin Hood watched Regina as she paced back and forth and her eyes flared with anger. She knew there were people who didn't like her or Rumplestiltskin, but what was coming was more dangerous than the two of them combined. She had told Robin about the Wicked Witch and told him that she would leave so he and Roland wouldn't be in danger.
"Don't be silly, Reg," he had said and she was beginning to like his nickname for her. "You're my wife."
"But you and Roland are in danger," she had told him.
"I can protect him…and you."
"I can protect myself," she said then kissed him.
"Then we have nothing to worry about."
"You don't know the Witch," she had said then started pacing. He sharpened his dagger when he noticed Roland was missing and frowned.
"Reg, where is Roland?" he asked as she stopped pacing and looked around, trying to find her step-son.
"I don't know," she said when she headed for the trees and Robin got off the log he was sitting on and followed her.
Roland knew he shouldn't go into the forest without his papa or his new mama as he walked by the trees and giggled. He loved playing hiding games with them or the other men and could find Little John in matter of seconds. The big man always stood behind a thin tree and would act surprised when Roland found him. Roland searched the leaf litter for bugs or pretty leaves so he could show Regina when he heard a screeching sound and stood still. He looked around as he tried not to cry when something screeched above him and he slowly looked up.
"Oh," he said with wide eyes as several, green fur monkeys with green feather wings sat on the branches above him and he smiled. Suddenly the flying monkeys jumped to the ground as they surrounded him and Roland backed up toward the tree, tears trickling down his cheeks.
"Where is he?" Regina asked as they ran by the trees when a loud scream filled the air and they ran faster. A few minutes later they found Roland with his back pressed against a tree and the flying monkeys screeched, moving toward him. "Roland!"
"Mama…Papa…help me!" he screamed when the flying monkeys turned and screeched and hissed at them.
"Leave my son alone!" Regina said when a blue light floated around her hands and she launched fire balls at the flying monkeys. The flying monkeys screeched then flew into the air as she fired more fire balls at them and Robin ran to Roland, picking him up. He ran as Regina watched him then fired a few more fire balls then ran to catch up with them. The flying monkeys followed them as the flying monkeys soared by the trees then stopped when arrows sailed through the air and several flying monkeys fell dead to the ground with arrows sticking out of their chests.
"Hurry," Little John shouted as they ran to the men when the flying monkeys flew away and Robin held Roland in his arms. Roland was sobbing as he looked at Regina and she sighed, turned and started walking away.
"Where are you going?" Robin asked as she turned and he walked to her, giving her a hurt look.
"I'm sorry," she said when he pulled her into a one arm hug and kissed her lips.
"Don't be," he said as she sighed then an angry looked came over her face and she growled.
"Let's go," she said as she headed for the trees and Robin walked behind her.
"Where are we going?" he asked and adjusted his hold on Roland.
"Rumplestiltskin's castle," she said and stormed down the dirt path.
Rumplestiltskin held the dagger in his hands as he sat with his feet on the dining table and the light shimmered off the silver blade. The others were discussing what they were going to do about the Wicked Witch, but he barely listened and moved his fingers over the silver blade. RUMPLESTILTSKIN was etched in a scrolling script across the silver blade as he thought back to when he first saw his name appearing and how his heart thumped hard and fast in his chest. He wasn't sure what he had done, but the power filling him made him feeling like he could conquer the world.
"You were a fool," he thought when the large doors burst open and Regina, Robin Hood, Roland and Robin's men stormed in the room.
"What is the meaning of this?" Rumplestiltskin demanded when he placed the dagger on the table and Regina walked to him. He saw the anger in her eyes as he frowned and folded his arms over his chest.
"Green monkeys tried to hurt me," Roland said as he ran to Rumplestiltskin and wrapped his arms around his knees. Rumplestiltskin picked him up when Roland wrapped his arms around his neck and placed his head on his shoulder.
"No tears, Dearie," he said and gently rubbed his back. "You're safe now."
"You were attacked by green monkeys?" Snow asked as she walked closer and Regina nodded.
"Then she did come after you," Charming said as Rumplestiltskin sat down and placed Roland on his lap.
"This is your fault," Regina said as she glared at Rumplestiltskin and he sighed, rolling his eyes.
"I wasn't the one who was flirting," he said, wagging a finger at her.
"You made the potion!"
"Yes, I did, but I warned her about what would happen if she let her emotions run amok."
"Look," Robin said as he walked closer then stood by the high back chair and stroked the top of Roland's head. "We can go back and forth all day. The truth of the matter is she's after the both of you."
"And what do you suggest we do?" Regina asked.
"We could hide them," Belle said.
"And where do you suggest we hide?" Rumplestiltskin asked.
"We could take you back to the other world," Henry said and he gave Henry a shocked look.
"I am not leaving my son or husband," Regina said and Rumplestiltskin looked at Belle.
"And I'm not leaving Belle or my family," Rumplestiltskin said.
"Then what do we do?" Snow asked.
"It's simple," Rumplestiltskin said as he stood up with Roland in his arms. "We give her what she wants."
"No," Belle gasped.
"We're not giving her your dagger," Bae said.
"I wasn't talking about the dagger," Rumplestiltskin said then sighed and walked to Regina, handing Roland to her. "I'm talking about me."
The stars twinkled in the dark sky as Rumplestiltskin walked by the trees and was wearing a black shirt with shiny black scales and frayed cuffs and the shirt was open at the top. He was also wearing a silver/gray scaled vest that was closed by griffon head or eagle head claps. The black leather coat had large cuffs with large silver buttons and the high collar draped over his shoulders and down the front of the coat in a large crocodile scale pattern. The last thing he wore was a black leather pirate boots and the black leather pirate boots came up to the top of his knees. He had said his good-byes and had given Belle an enchanted mirror so she could watch over him and he folded his arms over his stomach.
"All you have to do is say my name and I'll appear in the glass," he said as he showed her how the enchanted mirror worked and she held the enchanted mirror to her chest.
"I still don't see why you have to do this," Belle said with tears in her eyes. "There has to be another way."
"No," he said as he held her and she placed her head on his shoulder. "I have to do this."
"But…but the others will think…"
"I don't care what the others think," he growled then moved her back to look deeply into her eyes. "Only what you think."
"I think you're making a mistake."
"If I am then you can tease me for all of eternity," he said and she gave him a sad smile.
"Come back to me," she said and he kissed her lips then held her head in his hands.
"Always," he whispered, giving her a smile.
The air was cool as he walked by the trees when he stopped and listened to the forest. The wind blew through the trees while small creatures skittered through the leaf litter and an owl hooted somewhere in the dark. His heart thumped in his chest as he sighed and looked up at the stars.
"Where are you?!" he called out. "Answer me!"
"There is no need to shout," a female's voice said as a fire erupted in the fire circle in front of him and he looked at the woman standing on the other side of the fire circle. She was dressed in a dark green gown with matching shoes and a dark green witch's hat was arched to one side on her head. Her hair was blonde, but her eyes were an icy blue or green color. Even with green skin, he admitted she was pretty and the Wicked Witch gave him a smile. "Hello, Darling."
"I'm not your darling," he growled when something pushed at his legs and he looked down to see green fur monkeys with green feather wings on their backs. "Call off your "pets" before I turn them into fur rugs."
"Still the same old Dark One," she said as she walked around the fire circle and stood in front of him. "Where is your dagger?"
"You're not getting it," he said and she glared at him.
"Give me the dagger or I will destroy everyone you love."
"No need to get angry, Dearie," he said and folded his arms over his chest.
"Give me the dagger!"
"I've got something better in mind."
"I'm listening."
"I'm yours," he said and her eyes widened.
"You…you're mine?"
"Yes, leave my family alone and I'll go with you…willingly."
"This is a trick."
"No tricks," he said and she walked around him. He felt like a prized bull being inspected at market when she moved back and smiled.
"Come," she said as the fire died and a green smoke floated around them. Sighing, he followed her into the green smoke as the flying monkeys scampered around them and the green smoke grew thicker. When the green smoke cleared, they had vanished and the clouds moved slowly across the moon.