Once Upon A Time
It was one of those things that could change in an instant.
Dagian was sure that they would go to another land. They could be happy, they would be together, maybe with his powers gone, he could give her another child. Gods knew that they had a long way to go in their relationship before that happened though.
But now as she was staring at the swirling vortex, she was really starting to doubt Bae's faith that everything would be alright.
"My gods, boy!" Rumpelstiltskin said and started backing up, "It's like a tornado."
"We have to go through it!" Bae screamed above the wind.
"No, no! I don't think I can," Rumpelstiltskin argued and Dagian had reservations as well. She'd seen many things contributed to magic growing up. She'd seen her husband do amazing things with his powers but she had never seen anything like this.
"We must!" Baelfire screamed, "It's the only way."
Dagian didn't know if Rumpelstiltskin was truly afraid or if he realized that he was losing his power but the fear in his voice could've made it either reason, perhaps both, "No, no, no, no, no! IT's a trick! It'll tear us apart!"
"It's not!" Bae looked at her pleadingly, asking for help but Dagian didn't know what to do. This was their only chance and it wouldn't stay open forever but the force of this vortex that was pulling at her dress and heavy cloak terrified her. Going into the unknown based on the trust of a creature that just revealed itself seemed off to her.
But this was their only chance.
"It'll be okay," Bae continued, talking to his father, "I promise!"
She had to take a risk though. If not then she didn't know how much longer she could expect her son to endure as he watched his father to deteriorate, "Rumpelstiltskin," she put a hand on his shoulder, "For us. Please."
She would've pushed him, but as she prepared to the ground collapsed out from under them. Rumpelstiltskin collapsed on top of her, driving the air from her lungs. As she gasped for breath she could see that the only thing keeping her son in this world was the grip her husband had on his arm.
"We have to go through," Baelfire pleaded as Rumpelstiltskin pulled himself away from the vortex and used his knife as an anchor, "What are you doing? Papa! It won't stay open long! Let's go!"
"I can't!" Rumpelstiltskin yelled, "I can't."
Dagian struggled to push him off her but the way he landed on her leg had hurt it somehow
"Papa, please! It's the only way we can all be together."
"No Bae!" Rumpelstiltskin said, "I can't."
It was then that she watched her son's faith in their father shatter completely, "You coward!" he screamed, using the word that he had once sworn to her that he would never use, "You promised! Don't break our deal!"
"I have to!" Rumpelstiltskin said.
"No!" Dagian screamed and tried to move but she was trapped by her hurt leg and her husband's weight, "Don't! Rumpelstiltskin, no!"
And she watched him release her son.
A broken scream left her boy's throat as he screamed for his father and slid into the vortex. Rumpelstiltskin pulled himself off her and clung tighter to the knife and Dagian watched in horror as the vortex disappeared.
A moment of silence passed and Rumpelstiltskin looked up from his cowering. Reality sunk in.
"Bae?" he said a little too quietly, "Bae!"
And Dagian hated him as he stood and ran to the spot where Bae had disappeared.
Fear took Dagian. Her son was literally a world away. Trapped. Cut off from them.
Gods, she was never going to see him again.
"No," she whispered, "What did you do? What did you do?"
She ignored the pain in leg and a possible hurt rib when his elbow hit her when he fell. She didn't care. She lost control of her emotions and a seething hatred took hold of her.
"What did you do?" She slammed him as hard as she could, knocking him in the mud, "You let him go! You broke your word and you let him fall!"
She would've liked nothing more than to claw his eyes out, but he was stronger than she was and held onto her wrists.
Gods, she could kill him.
As soon as the anger took over, it was gone and she started sobbing.
Bae was gone, Bae was gone, Bae was gone, Bae was gone.
He shoved her off him and she let him. The sobs turned into hyperventilation.
Bae was in a completely different unrecognizable world all alone. She failed him.
Rumpelstiltskin reached for her, "I'm sorry."
"Don't touch me," she hissed.
She didn't look to see what his expression was. She didn't care if she hurt him. She didn't care if he knew that she hated him because it was over now. This farce of rebuilding their relationship was done, it would never have worked even with Bae there being their anchor. It certainly wasn't going to work now and she didn't care if he knew it. She no longer cared what he did to her. Frankly she was hoping that he'd snap her neck right there because death would be preferable to living with him after he put his power over their family.
He stood and she stared into the mud. She couldn't even look at him.
"I'll get him back," he told her but she knew he might as well be wishing for horses to be born from pigs because that had more of a chance happening. "I'll get the Rhuel Ghorim to bring him back….I'll talk to it…
She didn't even look up at him.
She heard him sigh, and he bent down and touched her hurt leg. The pain was replaced with relief but as soon as it was done she pulled away, "Go home Dagian. I'll be along shortly."
She stood and stumbled out of the pit.
She may be going home but she didn't guarantee that she'd still be there when he arrived.
Present Day
Dagian pulled her coat over her stomach and walked into the bakery. She'd left the house early this morning. She really didn't want to see her husband after he tried getting her on his side again last night.
Or as she should put it bluntly; attempting to seduce her to see his side of things. And she almost bought it. How could she be so stupid?
He wasn't going to be a husband to her, and she couldn't be a wife to him. They'd twisted a once loving relationship up so badly that it was hardly recognizable anymore.
And she hated him for what he did to her. She hated him for keeping her asleep for 28 years and then knocking her up while she believed that she was an abused girl who married him because she had no other choice.
An abused girl that lived in fear of her father. As if that wasn't spitting at her beloved father's memory then she didn't know what was.
And while there was a part of him that loathed him, there was a part of her that loved him to and she hate herself for it. Did he have that strong of a hold on her that she would want to try again just because he was wearing a human form now? He was still very much Rumpelstiltskin.
Mr. Barry looked up to see her and he looked confused, "Mrs. Gold? What are you doing here; I thought you had to be put on maternity leave."
"I did," she leaned over the counter, "I'm just angry at my husband and I thought that perhaps you have some bread I can punch."
"You mean knead?"
She smiled, "Same difference."
He gestured to the table and she grabbed a large handful and threw it on the table, "What did he do?"
"Secrets caught up with him," she said, "He doesn't understand why I don't like them and let's just say that we may be looking at the end of our marriage soon.
Mr. Barry plinked, "That's new. Usually when you're angry with him, you stay with him no matter what he does.'
"Things change," she shrugged and noticed he was favoring his bad hip, "You know sir, if you want to take a break I can manage the front for a while."
"Your husband would kill me."
She shrugged, "He doesn't have to know. I'll be fine. We're not busy during this time of the day; I can watch the front just fine.
He went to the back and she continued beating the dough angrily. She didn't know how much longer she could stay with him. He knew her better than anyone; he would use her weaknesses to get her back. Why? She doubted because he loved her, or if he did it was a twisted sort of love. No, he wanted her because she was nothing more than a possession to him and he wanted her by his side because losing her would mean he lost somehow and he couldn't very well have that.
Dawn heard the bell of the bakery ring and looked up to see little Henry Mills walk in. He was an odd one but she couldn't help but like him. After all, despite knowing he probably sounded insane, he stuck to his beliefs and stood up to Regina. And he was right.
She knew the kid couldn't help who his adopted mother was. Frankly she was quite surprised that the fairy tale world was ALL he obsessed over.
"Hello Henry," she said, "Mr. Barry's on his break."
Henry always tried to come in when Mr. Barry was there. Her boss felt just as bad for Henry as she did and often gave him things like sweets if he helped out here and there around the store.
Apparently he hadn't been here much since Emma came to town.
"I know," he sat on a chair that was by the register, "He said you might need help."
"He said no such thing," she said, "Is Emma working or something?"
The boy nodded, "She's busy with the Mrs. Nolan thing and so I don't get to see her much."
It was then that she slipped into Dawn's persona. For a quick while she forgot herself as she delved into this little part they played, "Well, my husband is busy with the Mrs. Nolan thing too and so I think I know how you're feeling," she grabbed a napkin and picked up a cookie with it, "I don't think I have anything for you to do."
"I know. Actually I came here for a different reason," he accepted the cookie from her and then put it on the counter, "If Mr. Gold was a fairy tale character who would he be?"
A small half smile lit her face and she shook her head, "Subtle Henry."
He tried to keep his eyes innocent, "It's just a question."
"Henry, there's no such thing as 'just a question' with you," she said and opened up the fridge in the back and grabbed some milk and a glass.
"Okay, but who would he be?"
"Honestly Henry, it's not one of the things we talk about at night."
"Then what do you talk about?" he asked curiously.
She forgot herself for a moment and laughed, "There's not usually a lot of talking going on at night."
"I didn't know you two were mad at each other."
She looked up and blushed. Oh boy, how easy it was to slip into the mindset that she'd had for 28 years, "I-um…well Henry…when we uh…when we do talk, we talk about a lot of things….that a kid would be bored by."
"Then who would you be?"
She shrugged, "I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yet, Henry."
"Well, you're not in my book…and my mom didn't exactly want me to read fairy tales when I was little."
"Yes well…fairy tales weren't exactly my forte either growing up," She placed the glass down in front of him, "MY childhood was a little more about survival."
"But your father wasn't abusive. Those memories aren't real."
Her eyes flickered, "Henry, don't."
"But-"
"Don't," she warned again.
He searched her eyes as if he saw something there and his eyes widened, "Do you remember?"
"Hush," she said quickly and smiled as her husband walked in the store, "Hi honey."
"He doesn't know?" Henry mouthed.
She shot him a glare but kept the smile on her face as her husband walked in. He took in the scene and her uneasy smile and instead of exposing her decided he wanted to play too. He walked across the room and kissed her.
"Slow day?" he asked and put a hand on her cheek.
"Slow day," she confirmed and sent a glare that told him exactly how hard she wanted to punch him.
He smiled and looked at Henry, "Hello Henry, how are you today?"
The boy looked at her quickly and she shook her head before her husband shot her a quizzical look.
"Have you found a way to get Mrs. Blanchard out of jail yet?"
"Not yet, but I have high hopes that it will be soon," he looked at her, "Things will change before you know it."
Dawn kept his gaze, "What are you doing here, honey?"
"Well I figured that I was done at the sheriff's station and I wanted to stop by and say hello. Oh, and to tell you to come home after work that you weren't cleared for because I have a surprise for you."
"I certainly will look forward to it."
"Wonderful," he said and turned, "Give my regards to your mother."
Henry nodded and waited till he was out the door before turning back to her, "You haven't told him?"
"He knows, but no one else can.," she warned, "That includes Emma. Because Regina finds out that we remember then she might…" Dawn thought of her baby that hidden by an oversized sweater, "Someone could get hurt."
"So I'm right?" he asked, his eyes becoming full of hope
"Yes child," she said watching her husband's retreating form and put a hand on his hand somewhat affectionately, "You've been right all along."
