Chapter Thirteen
Regina walked down the hallway when she came to the door to the nursery and she opened the door. She was shocked that Belle had allowed her, Roland and Robin to stay at the castle and Regina had put Roland to bed a few hours ago. She wanted to check on him when she walked in the nursery and the torches in the iron holders flared. Belle had explained that the castle was still enchanted and Regina walked to the child size bed.
The nursery had soft blue walls and ceiling and her heels clicked on the hard wood floor. A stone fireplace was to the back of the room and large windows were on either side of the fireplace. A blue carpet was under the bed with blue silk bedding and duvet and dark blue curtains framed the windows. Bookcases with children's books were against the walls and fantasy paintings hung between the bookcases. Child size furniture and wooden toys decorated the room and crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling on gold chains.
Regina noticed the bed was empty when she looked to see Roland standing near the window as she walked to him and knelt down. He was wearing a soft blue fleece nightshirt that used to belong to Baelfire and Roland was holding onto a green velvet dragon.
"What are you doing up?" she asked when Roland turned to her and she saw the tears rolling down his cheeks. Her heart hurt as she gently pulled him into her arms and held him. "What's wrong?"
"I had a bad dream," Roland said and she picked him up, walking to the rocking chair near the window. Sitting down, she held him in her lap and he placed his head against her chest.
"What was it about?"
"The Bad Lady was chasing me and shouting she was going to eat me," he said as she kissed the top of his head and moved the rocking chair back and forth. Shushing him, she stroked his back and placed her cheek against the top of his head. "Why does the Bad Lady want to hurt us?"
"Do you remember the story I told about OZ?"
'Yes, there was a nice wizard and he lives in a green castle," Roland said with a smile.
"Well, the Wizard is a friend of mine and, one day, he was holding a party. I was thrilled when he invited me, but I had a tiny problem. I didn't have shoes to go with my dress."
"What did the dress look like?"
"It was dark blue with sliver around the bottom and at the neck."
"Did you get shoes?"
"Yes, but I had to go see Mister Rumple and asked him if he could get me a special pair of silver shoes."
"Why were they special?"
"They were magic," she said with a smile.
"Did he get them for you?"
"No, because they belonged to someone else," Regina said and he looked at her with an angry look on his face.
"But taking something that belongs to someone else is bad."
"I know and so did Mister Rumple."
'What did he do?"
"He took a pair of my shoes and made them silver. He thought I didn't know that he had, but I did," she said and Roland giggled. "Now, the Bad Lady had also gone to see Mister Rumple and asked him for a favor. She wanted him to make her something that would make the Wizard fall in love with her."
"Did Mister Rumple do that?"
"Belle told me that he did, but what he made only worked if the Bad Lady let love into her heart."
"What happened?"
"She came to the ball and became very angry."
"Why?"
"She saw the Wizard and I were talking and laughing and she didn't like that. In fact, she was so mad that she broke the bottle Mister Rumple had given her."
"Did she cry?"
"Oh she did more than cry. She got so mad that she came over and wanted to hit me."
"But that's not nice."
"No, it's not. What made it worse was the thing that Mister Rumple gave her had turned her green."
"She did look silly," Roland said with a giggle.
"Yes, but she didn't think so."
"Did Papa stop her from hitting you?"
"No, I didn't know Papa then. The Wizard stopped her, but she said that she would come back to hurt me," she said and Roland sighed, snuggling closer.
"Is that why she's mad at Mister Rumple?" he asked, looking up at her.
"Yes, she blamed him for turning her green."
"But she did it not him."
"I know," she said and kissed the top of his head.
"I want Mister Rumple to come home," he said as he closed his eyes and placed his thumb in his mouth. Regina gently moved the rocking chair back and forth while Roland drifted off to sleep and she looked out the window.
"I want him to come home, too," she whispered.
The bedroom door opened while the Wicked Witch walked to the bed and looked down at Rumplestiltskin. He was lying on his back with his hands folded neatly on his chest and his chest rose and fell in a soft motion. She had let him regain his strength over the last four days, but she notice that he still looked ill.
"What is wrong with you?" she asked when she reached over to touch his hair, but his eyes snapped open and he glared at her.
"What do you want?" he asked with a grumble to his voice and rubbed his face with his hands.
"It's time to get up," she said then walked to the door and left the room. Rumplestiltskin looked at the canopy over his head when he sighed and sat up. He felt bone tired as he placed the pillows behind him and Bunfin hopped off the headboard and sat in his lap.
"Good morning," Rumplestiltskin said as he stroked the top of the small monkey's head then leaned back on the pillows and Bunfin looked at him.
Bunfin never had a friend before, but this nearly furless, tailless one was friendly and treated it nicely. Bunfin did find it funny that its friend only had fur on his head and he didn't seem to mind when Bunfin groom his fur.
Bunfin was never able to groom anyone in its troop and the stronger members of its troop hurt or screeched if Bunfin tried. Even the green, nearly furless, tailless one treated Bunfin badly. Bunfin had accidentally pulled on her fur once and she screeched, pulling its wings off.
The pain nearly killed Bunfin, but Bunfin survived and looked at its nearly furless, tailless friend.
Bunfin often heard its nearly furless, tailless friend call out "Belle" in his sleep and Bunfin wondered if that was his mate.
Would Belle treat Bunfin nicely, too?
Bunfin also knew that its nearly furless, tailless friend was ill.
When Bunfin would cuddle on his chest, it could hear the wheezing of his breathing and his life giver wasn't beating correctly.
"Now, now, Dearie, what's with the sad face?" Rumplestiltskin asked when he picked the small monkey up and held Bunfin in his arms. "I'm alright."
With a small grunt, Rumplestiltskin got out of bed when he headed for the dressing screen and Bunfin made soft noises, placing its head against its nearly furless, tailless friend's chest.
"Belle, are you in here?" Emma asked while knocking on the door and entered the room. She had never been in Rumplestiltskin's bed chambers before as her eyes widened and she smiled. She saw Belle standing in front of the fireplace when she walked closer and stood next to her. "Hey, are you alright?"
"I think so," Belle said softly as she looked at the fire and Emma pressed her lips together.
"We'll get him back," she said as Belle turned to look at her and sadly smiled.
"I know, but he's…," Belle said then burst into tears and Emma hugged her. Emma hushed her as she patted her back then Belle calmed down and wiped her eyes with the handkerchief she had in her hands. "Sorry."
"No, it's ok," Emma said with a small smile.
"I just wish we knew where they are."
"Bae thinks they might be in OZ."
"Has anyone gone to check?"
"Charming…uh…my dad is sending some men."
"How long will that take?"
"I don't know," Emma sighed when Henry, Regina and Baelfire came in the room and Baelfire had the shoebox in his hands.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I think we have a problem," Bae said as he walked closer and they looked at him. "I was telling Roland the story about how my father saved the children during the war and wanted to show him the dagger. When I went to get it, I saw this."
Emma and Belle watched as he removed the silver blade dagger from the shoebox and the light danced on the silver blade. Only the "t", "s", "k", "i" and "n" were on the silver blade as Emma frowned and Belle felt her stomach churning.
"Where's the rest of his name?" Emma asked.
"We don't know."
"There has to be a reason for it to disappear," Belle said.
"Yes, there is a reason," Regina said as she walked to them then looked at the dagger. "His power's fading,"
"How is that possible?" Bae asked.
"That, I don't know," she said then sighed.
"What will happen if all the letters fade away?" Henry asked.
"He could either lose his powers or…die," Regina said when Belle's eyes rolled into her head and she slid to the floor.
"Belle?!" Bae shouted as Emma held her and Belle slowly closed her eyes.
Emma watched Baelfire passing back and forth in front of the door that led to Rumplestiltskin's bed chambers. Robin had gone to Charming's castle for help and Snow had sent their healer to examine Belle. The door opened as the healer walked to Baelfire and he saw the look in the healer's eyes.
"How is she?" he asked.
"She's fine, but I think she needs to stay in bed for a few days," the healer said.
"What's wrong with her?" Emma asked.
"Stress, mostly," the healer said then looked at Emma. "Are you Emma?"
"Yes," she said with a nod of her head.
"She wanted to talk to you," he said as Emma went in the room and closed the door behind her. Belle was sitting under the bedding with the pillows tucked behind her back and she looked like she had been crying.
"Hey," Emma said as she walked closer and sat on the edge of the bed. "You ok?"
"Yes," Belle said with a nod of her head and softly smiled. "I'm sorry that I fainted."
"Hey, I was shocked, too,' Emma said and growled. "Regina is an idiot."
"Do you think Rumple's going to die?" Belle asked.
"No," Emma said and patted her hand.
"He nearly died when Hook poisoned him."
"He told you about that?"
"Yes," Belle said and sighed. "I remember the phone call he made when he thought he was dying."
"But he survived that, didn't he?"
"Yes."
"And what about when he killed his dad? He didn't die then."
"That's because I kissed him."
"Then he isn't going to die now," Emma said with a smile.
"I hope you're right," Belle said and Emma noticed the look on her face.
"Is there something you're trying to tell me?"
"Can you keep a secret?" Belle asked as Emma nodded and Belle pressed her lips together,
The door opened as Rumplestiltskin walked in the room and the Wicked Witch sat on the throne. He was wearing a cream color shirt with puffy sleeves, a dark green leather vest, dark green leather trousers and black leather boots that ended at his knees. Bunfin sat on his left shoulder as the small monkey held onto the top of his ear and the Wicked Witch got off the throne, walking to him.
"Now that you're rested, I think it's time for us to destroy Regina," she said as she walked around him and Rumplestiltskin looked straight ahead.
"Do you know where she is?" he asked and she glared at him.
"No," she said then looked at the flying monkeys and the flying monkeys huddled in fear near the wall. "It appears she has gone into hiding."
"She is good at hiding," he said, folding his hands in front of him.
"Yes, she is."
"What would you say if I told you I know where she is?" he asked as she grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled him to her, causing Bunfin to screech and run down his back then hide underneath one of the chairs.
"Do you know where she is?!" she demanded and he brushed her hands. He knelt down when the small monkey ran to him and he picked the small monkey up, holding the small monkey in his arms.
"Of course I do," he said then giggled.
"Where is she?" she demanded and he placed the small monkey on his right shoulder.
"She's at my castle," he said with a smug look on his face and she growled, balling her hands into fists.
"And why is she there?" she asked with a cold tone to her voice and stood face to face with him.
"It's quite simple," he said and titled his head to one side. "It's a trap."
"For her or for me?" she asked and he giggled.
"For her," he said and she locked eyes with him.
"Come," she said as the flying monkeys scampered to her and she glared at him. "If you are lying to me, I will kill not only you, but …"
"Yes, yes," he said then rolled his eyes. "Let's get on with it."
Growling, the Wicked Witch waved her hand as the green fog appeared and she stormed in the green fog, the flying monkeys scampering after her. Sighing, Rumplestiltskin stroked the top of the small monkey's head then walked in the green fog and the green fog faded away.