2
The Plan
Henry tapped Bae on the arm and said, "Dad, can you please pass the tacos?"
Bae reached over into the middle of the table and picked up the plate of tacos and held them out to his son. "What's this, tiger? This is like the third taco you've eaten."
Henry took another one and put lettuce, cheese, and some mild hot sauce on it and put it on his plate next to some lasagna. "I don't know. I'm, uh, extra hungry or something."
Bae eyed his son. "Huh. Maybe you're getting a growth spurt or something."
Rumple nodded. "Could be, Bae. You did when you were around twelve or eleven, and isn't your birthday coming up in a few weeks, Henry?"
"Yeah. December 5th," Henry answered, then bit into his third taco. They were extra good tonight. He chewed and swallowed before asking his grandfather, "Am I gonna get to pick something from your shop too?"
"Do you really think I'm going to answer that, dearie?" Rumple smirked. "It's a surprise." He cut his chicken marsala and ate some. "Hey, this is actually pretty good, if I do say so myself."
"Alice taught you well," Belle smiled at him, eating her lasagna.
"She even taught me a few things, and that's like a miracle," Emma chuckled. "I'm making some maple rolls for Thanksgiving."
"I'm sure they'll be wonderful, Emma," Snow said.
"And probably better than the first time Snow tried to bake rolls for the dwarves," Charming said. "Grumpy told me they were kind of like . . . hockey pucks."
Snow glared at her husband and Regina, Alina, and Henry giggled. "Real nice, David. Is it my fault I wasn't allowed in the kitchen when I was growing up?"
"How come, Mommy?" asked Regina curiously.
"Because princesses usually didn't cook," Snow told her.
"Unless you were like me, who was so eccentric that I cooked with my best friend," Belle said. "Then again, that was because my father really didn't care what I was doing once I was out of his sight, and I took advantage of that fact to do what I wanted."
"Well, if it weren't for Alice, we'd still be eating Kraft and Hamburger Helper," remarked Emma.
"Or hamburgers," Bae admitted. "Or fajitas. I make a mean steak, pepper, and onion one."
"Where'd you learn to cook?" asked David.
"My adopted mom, Kristine," Bae answered. "She liked to cook, and she taught me, when she could get my butt into the kitchen, that is. I cooked more when I had my own apartment later on though. I can even make oatmeal cookies. And cranberry-orange relish. That was one of her favorite recipes for Thanksgiving."
"And you're making it this year, right?" Henry clarified.
"That's a yes," Bae nodded.
"I can't wait to taste it," David said. "That's one of my favorite things with turkey."
Regina suddenly dropped her fork with a clatter. "No, Daddy! We isn't havin' turkey for Thanksgiving!" she said, her lower lip trembling.
David groaned. "Why did I ever take her to see that dumb movie?"
"What've you got against eating turkey, Regina?" asked Bae, who was also looking forward to it.
"'Cause you have to kill a turkey an' it's mean an' nasty!" the toddler retorted.
"Yeah, but you have to kill a lot of—" Bae began, only to have Emma kick him under the table and shake her head at him. "Emma, I'm just saying—"
"Don't," his wife warned. "You can save that talk until she's grown up."
Bae shot her a frown. "Why? I knew about it when I was a little kid."
"That was different," Emma argued. "You had to, over there. It was like being in Little House on the Prairie. But if you tell her anything like that, Baelfire, she won't eat or something. So don't even go there."
"Okay, whatever," Bae said, rolling his eyes. Then he ate another helping of chicken.
"So we's not eatin any turkey," Regina declared, then she ate some more of her lasagna.
David just looked amused at that comment.
Page~*~*~*~*~Break
After dessert, Regina, Henry, and Alina went outside to talk in Alina's treehouse. Once they were all inside, Henry said, "Okay, Regina. So tell us how we're gonna save the turkeys."
"Well, in the movie, you needed the president to pardon the turkeys so's nobody ate them for Thanksgiving," the toddler said, delighted to be the one telling her older cousins something for once.
"Uh . . . well, what if we can't do that?" Alina said. "Thanksgiving's almost here and it'd take too long to write a letter to the White House or something."
"And I heard Mr. Fox has got over forty turkeys on his farm, and most of 'em are probably going to be somebody's dinner on Thanksgiving," Henry sighed.
Regina started crying. "Noo! We can't let the turkeys die!"
"How do they kill the turkeys anyway?" Alina wondered.
"Uh . . . I think . . . they chop off their heads with an axe or something," Henry speculated.
"Eeew!" Regina squealed. "That's so 'sgusting, Henry!"
Alina made a face. "You know, she's right. I never thought about it like that before . . . but it is gross."
"And I've read some other stuff online about how they force feed the turkeys and stuff." Henry grimaced. "And that's even grosser."
"Uh huh. And I've heard that people can get salmonella from turkey," Alina recalled.
"What's salmon-illa?" asked Regina.
Alina started giggling. "Not salmon-illa! Salmonella," she corrected the little girl. "It's this disease you can get from raw eggs and poultry. It can make you really sick and have to go to the hospital. Now that's disgusting!"
Regina's mouth opened in an "O". "See? I toldja we shouldn't eat turkey."
"Okay. So maybe we don't have turkey for Thanksgiving," Henry said. "But what about everyone else who's buying turkeys from Mr. Fox?"
"Hmm . . . that could be a problem," Alina frowned.
"We gots to save them, Alina!" Regina insisted.
"Yeah, I know, but even with our magic, it'd be almost impossible," Alina pointed out. "There are too many turkeys and not enough of us."
"Maybe we could ask Grace to help?" Henry suggested.
"That's still only three people," Alina sighed.
"I'll help!" Regina crowed.
"Okay, three and a half people," she amended.
"Uh . . . what about the Zimmerman twins? And Hans?"
"We'd have to ask them . . . and not when we're in school either. We don't want Snow knowing we're . . . uh . . . staging a protest," Alina said.
"Alina, what's that?" Regina wanted to know.
"A protest's like . . . uh . . . when you get a bunch of people together and they march up and down with signs for a cause . . . like saving the turkeys. And you have slogans and stuff and sometimes people get arrested, like at Woodstock," she told her cousin.
Regina looked alarmed. "Would Emma under arrest us?"
"Not if she doesn't find out," Henry replied. "Okay, so if we can get our friends to help us, we can . . umm . . . start Operation Save the Turkeys. I know! We can ask them tomorrow after school at karate class."
"That's a good idea! We have time before Bae comes in, we can ask them then," Alina said. "And if they agree, then what? We need to plan this out, Henry. We can't just rush in where angels fear to tread."
"Why? That's what I've always done," he objected.
Alina rolled her eyes. "And that's why a lot of your operations were shut down. We need a plan."
"Okay, Miss Smarty Pants. You come up with a plan to get all the turkeys out of Mr. Fox's yard and . . . uh . .. what do we do with 'em afterwards?" Henry asked.
"See, this is why you need to plan things out," Alina said.
"That's why you're here," Henry reminded.
"We need someplace that people can't just go and take the turkeys from once we move them off of Fox's farm," Alina said.
"Where? The woods?"
"No . . . anybody can come there. And how could we keep forty turkeys all together in the woods?" Alina shook her head. "Use your head!"
Before Henry could reply, Regina spoke up. "I know. We can take 'em to the fairies!"
"The fairies? In the convent?" Henry repeated.
"You know, that's a good idea," Alina said. "In olden days, the nuns used to offer sanctuary to anyone who asked it. And sanctuary was something nobody could break . . . even if you were a king. It was sacred."
"How do you know all this?" Henry asked.
"I read some books on the War of the Roses and the church," Alina replied. "So we can bring the turkeys there and ask for sanctuary from Mother Superior. And she has to grant it, because nobody ever turned someone away when they asked for it. So the turkeys will be safe there while we . . . uh . .. convince people to pardon them."
"How long will that take?" Henry wondered.
"I don't know. But we can worry about that later. For now, let's plan on talking to our friends before karate tomorrow," Alina said.
"I can give Grace one of my walkie talkies," Henry said. "That way I can keep in touch with her."
"I can keep in touch with you on my Nook," Alina said.
"How bout me?" Regina asked.
"Uh . . . I think Papa has another set of walkie talkies in his shop," she said. "I'll see tomorrow after school, and if he does I'll make a deal with him for them."
"Like what kind of deal?" Regina queried.
"Oh, you know. I'll . . . umm . . . help him cook for Thanksgiving or something," Alina said. "He usually takes chores in exchange for something I want in his shop . . . if it's not something magical. Then I can give one walkie-talkie to you, Regina, and call you on it when we're ready to begin Operation Turkey."
"And you can stay over my house or Alina's when we're ready to do it," Henry said. "We'll tell you when to ask Gramps and Gran, okay?"
Regina nodded. "'Kay, Henry!" She clapped her hands. "Now we're talkin'!"
Henry started laughing. "You know . . . I really love her like this!" he whispered to Alina.
Alina winked at him, then she hugged Regina. "You're too cute, little imp!"
Regina kissed Alina on the cheek. "I'm the baby—gotta love me!"
That brought another round of laughter from her cousins.
"Now you are, but what about when Auntie Belle has her babies?" Henry reminded her.
"Then I'll be their big cousin!" Regina stated. "Duh!"
"Yeah, Henry," Alina snickered. She gently shoved him.
He shoved her back. "Did your mom ever find out what she's having?"
"Uh . . . not yet. I think she can on her next doctor visit," Alina said. "If she wants to. But she might want to be surprised."
"Oh. I hope one's a boy. There's so many girls in this family," Henry said.
"You never know," Alina said.
Then they looked towards the patio, where Snow stood, calling them. "Regina! Honey, it's time to go home. I have to get up early tomorrow for work."
"Okay, Mommy!" Regina yelled back, then began to climb down the ladder of the treehouse.
Page~*~*~*~*~Break
Alina and Henry could hardly wait for the school day to be over. As today was Monday, Henry rode the bus home, since Bae was busy teaching a class and Emma was working at the station. He arrived home at Fire Mountain just in time to eat a snack, do his homework and change into his uniform before having karate with Bae and the rest of his friends.
As he arrived downstairs, taking the elevator down to the dojo, he met Grace and Alina at the front entrance, as Alice had dropped them off. "Hey, Henry," Grace waved at him as he hopped out of the elevator.
"Hey, Grace," he smiled at the blond girl. "Did Alina tell you yet?"
"Tell me what?" she asked, puzzled.
Henry drew her off to the side. "About Operation Save the Turkey."
"What's that about?" she asked, just as Eva and Nick came in, followed by Hans Mason.
Henry beckoned the Zimmerman twins and Hans over to a corner of the waiting room, next to the vending machines, and then he told them all about Operation Save the Turkey.
Eva and Nick looked wide-eyed at Baelfire's son. "But Henry . . ." Eva gasped. "Isn't taking the turkeys off Mr. Fox's farm sort of like stealing?"
"Nah," Hans disagreed. "Fox is a thief, he tried to cheat my dad when he went there once to get some hay for our goat, Maribel. My dad paid for a whole bale of hay and when we got home, we found it wasn't a full bale, part of it was missing, but Fox claimed we were lying and wouldn't give Dad his money back. So stealing from a thief ain't stealing, Eva, it's justice. Besides, I owe that little snot Ash Fox a punch in the eye for sneering at me and saying I was a horse's ass the other day. He thought I couldn't hear him, but he was wrong."
"Why'd he say that, Hans?" asked Nick curiously.
"Cause he was bragging about how many crows he shot in the woods and I called him a liar because he didn't shoot twenty of them like he said. I was there with my dad the day he claims he did, and he didn't even get one. So he's a liar and a snot and he needs a good beat down." Hans said.
"Taking the turkeys is better than beating him up," Henry said.
"Yeah, at least no turkeys will die," Grace said.
"I don't like Ash either," Nick said. "He called Eva and me foster care rejects, since we still can't find our dad. I think he got left behind in Fairy Tale Land. So we're still living with our Storybrooke parents."
"Did you bring your walkie talkies?" Alina asked Henry.
"Yup," Henry said, and he took a walkie talkie from his karate bag and handed it to Grace. "Did you find the other pair, Alina?"
"Right here," she unzipped her backpack and took one out and handed it to Eva. "Regina doesn't need one, since she'll be with us. But what about you, Hans?"
"You can IM me on my computer," the tall boy replied. "Here's my screenname," he scribbled it down on a piece of paper and gave it to Henry. "I just hope this works. Otherwise my ass is grass and my dad's the lawnmower."
"It will," Henry said confidently.
Just then Ashley, Bae's secretary called, "Guys, your class is starting in five minutes, better get in there."
"Thanks, Ashley!" Henry called, and they all trooped inside the main room of the dojo.
Page~*~*~*~*~Break
Gold residence:
That night, Rumple and Belle made their special cranberry chestnut stuffing for Thanksgiving. Alina helped by chopping up the chestnuts while Belle put the stuffing cubes into the big bowl and mixed them with the dried cranberries and chicken broth while Rumple cooked the onions, carrots, and celery in a pan with some butter.
Once the vegetables were soft, Rumple added them with the chestnuts to the bowl. Then he beat two eggs in another bowl.
Belle seasoned the stuffing with some sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and pinches of fresh parsley, rosemary, sage, and thyme. She added the beaten eggs. Then she mixed it all together, added a bit more broth, tasted it, and then said, "This is finished and it tastes wonderful!"
"Let me see, dearie," Rumple said, and put a spoon into the stuffing and tasted some as well. "Mmm! Perfect."
They put it into a large foil pan with a lid and froze it until Thanksgiving.
After they had cleaned up, and Alina had been given a kiss goodnight and tucked into bed, Rumple and Belle went to sleep as well. Rumple fell asleep to the scent of climbing roses and wisteria in his bedroom, but Belle remained awake for another hour, tossing and turning restlessly, since it was difficult for her to get comfortable now that she was so huge.
Finally she fell into a light doze . . . and dreamed she was flying through the air like some great winged bird, soaring high above the earth, surrounded by a glittering cloud of pixie dust, being summoned by some eager child to grant the deepest wish of her heart. . .
Rumple woke to an odd sensation. He glanced at the clock on his nightstand, and saw by the glowing purple numbers that it was only three AM. Yawning, he turned over and tucked his hand beneath his pillow, lying on his side and trying to fall back to sleep. He heard Belle's soft breathing beside him and reached a hand back to clasp hers in his.
As he did so, he felt the bed do a strange sudden dip.
"Huh? That almost felt like . . . I was flying," he muttered, and turned over and sat up, blinking.
Rubbing his eyes, he lit up the tip of his finger, because there wasn't enough light from the moon coming in the sliding doors of his balcony tonight.
Then he looked around.
Belle was sleeping beside him, half the covers kicked off, since she grew hot now during the night because of the babies. He reached over to draw the covers around her and it was then he noticed it.
The bed was floating about three feet in the air!
His eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"Okay, wake up, Rumple!" he ordered himself. "The bed is not flying through the air. It's a dream. Now wake the hell up!"
Suddenly, Belle sighed, and smiled in her sleep.
And the floating bed settled gently to the ground.
Rumple could swear he saw the sparkle of fairy dust as it did so.
No, he was dreaming. He had to be. No fairy would ever cross the threshold of his home.
Belle muttered something in her sleep.
"What was that, dearie?" Rumple asked tenderly, eager to focus on something besides the flying bed.
" . . . so lovely . . ." Belle said, her eyes fluttering open. She stared at Rumple, her blue eyes clouded with sleep. " . . . Rumple . . . I was flying . . . flying like a bird through the air . . ."
Rumple stroked her hair. "Go back to sleep, Belle. It was just a dream. Like the one I just had with the bed flying through the air."
Belle snuggled next to him, smiling, one hand cupped about her enormous abdomen.
Rumple sighed and settled back beneath the covers, curling up facing his wife, one hand resting atop hers on her belly. He allowed his magical light to go out and nestled into his pillow. As his eyes slowly drifted shut, he could almost swear he saw a faint glow in the air over Belle . . . like the last twinkling motes of fairy dust.
An instant later he was asleep, and when he woke the next morning, the only thing he noticed that was different was that the climbing roses on the trellis had all burst into bloom, despite the November chill.
Huh. Must be that fertilizer Grumpy put down, he mused, and then went into the master bathroom to shave and dress for work, pushing to the back of his mind the disturbing dream he'd had last night of the bed flying through the air and a cloud of pixie dust surrounding it.
A/N: Okay, Operation Save the Turkey has begun! And who knows where it will end! And will Rumple ever figure out just what is going on with Belle?
I have decided to post a Thanksgiving recipe for every chapter in this story, so check out Rumple's Recipe Corner at the end of each chapter for a new dish, dearies! And have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
Rumple's Recipe Corner:
Rumbelle Cranberry Chestnut Stuffing
6 cups torn bite-size pieces of day-old homemade-style white bread, lightly oven toasted
3 tablespoons butter
2 onions, diced
4 celery ribs, diced
1 carrot, diced
3 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaf
8 ounces presoaked dried cranberries
1 (10 ounce) jar peeled whole roasted chestnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 -3 cuplow sodium chicken broth or 1 cup vegetable stock or 1 cup giblet stock
2 largeeggs, beaten to blend
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1
Place bread cubes into a large bowl.
2
In a large skillet saute the onions, the celery, the sage, the thyme, and the rosemary, in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until the vegetables are softened about 5 minutes, add the chestnuts, cranberries stirring, for 1 minute.
3
Add the vegetable mixture to the bread, tossing the mixture well, stir in the parsley and salt and pepper to taste, add as much broth just to soften and let the stuffing cool.
4
Mix in eggs.
5
The stuffing may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. (To prevent bacterial growth do not stuff turkey cavities in advance.).
6
Makes enough to stuff a 12- to 14-pound turkey with extra to bake on the side.
7
Or bake covered in a well buttered 15 X 10 X 2-inch glass baking dish at 350 degrees for 30 minutes then remove foil for 15 minutes to crisp the top.