Part 4 : Beginning of a plan.

One night, as he was taken by insomnia, deciding to go to the shop to pass time, Gold saw his grandson again.

He wasn't expecting that, as the other.

Apparently, Henry counted on the fact that there would be no one there so he could escape here. And the fact is that he hadn't been wrong, excepted for this night, it was the case. Gold smiled, admiring his grand-son's action.

Not asking him why he hadn't thought to do that (that is to say escape) before, which was a thing he hadn't tried before this night.

The answer was obvious, just simply because he hadn't reasons to do it before. But the fact that his father was alive changed things, and Henry may though that now, he wasn't alone any more.

(Because you couldn't say that Gold was really useful since the curse was there…

It was almost the contrary in fact.)

Henry was looking at him, with shining eyes, and Rumple realized that he wanted that to happen, that the father and the son were able to re-find each other.

(That was why he said nothing about Neal's visit to Fiona, and that unconsciously he let things be like this.)

He wanted this to happen that way, and that Henry became again the True Believer, and that he found a new time trust and hope.

Henry was his family, with Belle, Gideon, and Neal, of course. And them too, they were the only family Henry had, since all his family died.

And it had been since a long time, too long, that the situation didn't change, was like that, and as Henry, he couldn't stand it.

Then, he made his choice, and for the first time since almost forever, he did the good.

Henry immediately attacked.

"My father is alive, he said with a strong and confident voice. Gold didn't think to say the contrary.

- Yes.

- Why did you tell me nothing ?

- How did you run ? Replied Gold with another question.

- This is not a prison, I am not really watched, and Fiona established the barrier again, even me I couldn't go.

- How do you know that ?"

The wizard read the answer on the face full of culpability of the Author.

"You tried ? The other nodded his head.

- So it didn't work, he whispered, pensive. I told you nothing, for Neal, because of the curse. He forgot you, and even though you made your mother believe, I don't think it will work with him.

- I think it's the contrary, he knows magic exists, he just has to understand that it's here.

- You think you can do it. Henry's look came on him, full of will.

- I will make him believe. I succeeded with Emma, I did it with Regina and Hook in the rewritten story. For Emma…

- She finally believed, Gold said him. Henry's head, that was down before, looked up really rapidly.

- What ? How do you know that ?

- I saw her. And she talked to me. I don't know if she understood that before or after her death, but she knows that what you told her is true. Trust-me.

- You saw her ?

- Yes. As a ghost. She, and the other, they are still fighting, you know. For the town. And for you."

Henry's face finally animated, and he asked questions to his grand-father, to which he wasn't able to answer. As Henry was going to the hospital again, before they saw he was gone (as his purpose was, as Gold understood it, to talk with him), Gold said to him:

"You see Henry, if you, who really believes in magic, had difficulties to believe in the possibility of what I saw, tell me… how many times do you think you will need to make my son believe ?"

Henry answered nothing and left.

Gold turned back, and then made a false annoyed sight.

"Miss Swan I know you're here, you don't have to hide."

The Saviour appeared in the light. She was crying.

"How did you discover I was here ? I was in the dark, and…

- You're blue, Miss… your light is still visible, even in the dark. Emma nodded. Why were you here ?

- Because I was bored, and maybe I was hoping you would be here, as you're the only living to be able to see me.

- You heard us talk, I guess.

- Yes."

Emma was going to leave, she intended to, she said, as she heard enough. But, before leaving.

"Oh, and… Gold ? Thanks..."

Then she left, leaving the wizard with his insomnia.

§§§§

The wizard wasn't done with this, and at the morning, he had the surprise to see Regina come to visit him.

"Regina. I would voluntary say that I am happy to see you again, but as your presence here shouldn't be… what do you want ?

- Don't worry, I don't like it either, and I won't be long. I want us to talk about Henry.

- For which reason ?

- Emma told me you saw us, and that you told to Henry that we were here, as ghosts.

- What do you want me to do ?"

The face of the former Evil Queen became a little pensive, and full of a deep sadness.

"Not something difficult, just that you give him a message."

Gold immediately accepted.

With a less heavy heart, the witch came then to Gold's shop, where Neal was, wanting too to find useful objects (she already looked for it in her vault, without any success. Difficult to do it when you can't touch things.)

She then also looked at what there was, without a success, and she groaned, not being afraid to be heard, without forgetting the fact that there was no one except Neal. But, as she thought being tranquil and that she did take something in the end, being ready to leave, she heard something.

"Hey !" Say Neal by seeing a person with an object, ready to leave without buying it.

Regina turned back, and her face seemed to be familiar, for an instant. The object fall on the ground, and without knowing why, Regina began to run.

A thing she didn't expect, is that Neal would run after her.

After a moment, she finally remembered that she could just disappear without being seen, a thing she did, and Neal lost her trace.

The witch groaned again, the object she took was a fairy's wand, that she let fall on the ground, because of the surprise.

And then she realized a thing she didn't understand before.

Regina stopped, frozen, and a smile slowly came on her lips.

Neal saw her.

She then thought about the fact that they were advancing.

Not so much time after, she decided to call the other ghosts and made them go to Snow's and David's former place, now empty. The other were wondering why she made them go there, and became aware of her shining look.

"I may have good news for us.

- Without being pessimistic, Regina, I don't see what can be "good" for us in that moment."

Hook was the one who just talked, and he wasn't the only one to loose hope. In all of them, he found himself being pretty alone.

In fact, even if him and Emma were still friends, and that he was friend with his former parents-in-law, and a little with the former queen, well…

He was alone.

His former wife had been more and more close to Regina, and, as no one saw it coming, they finally ended together.

Apparently, sometimes, True Love wasn't enough.

And it wasn't eternal either.

Or maybe that between them, it hadn't been True Love…

He didn't know it, he didn't know any more.

Since Hook knew that Neal was alive, he didn't stop spying on him, almost permanently, trying not to be seen by him, even though he knew he couldn't see him.

He missed his friend, really, and it became almost obsessional, without understanding why.

(Snow and Charming, who understood, would have wanted to explain him why, but they knew that the pirate wouldn't have been receptive.)

"When I say that, pursued Regina, joined by Emma, it's about the curse and Henry. As you already know, Gold has the ability to see us.

- He won't help us, Emma said, but he won't try to stop us, and he will try to help Henry. And he told him that we were here, it would help him not to desperate.

- I send him a message through Gold, to say that we were here, that we loved him, and that we would try to make Neal believe him."

David stopped her.

"How could we do that ? That would be difficult with someone who would see us, as apparently he can't do that..."

Regina smiled.

And Hook hoped again.

"Does it mean that we were wrong ? He can see us ?"

There was both incredulity and hope in the ghost's voice, and he had a relieved sight when Regina nodded.

"Neal saw me, I don't know how he can, but he did. I was finally going to succeed to take an object that could have helped us, but…

- Wait a minute, said Emma with humour to her girlfriend, are you saying that you're were going to steal Rumplestiltskin ?

- Well… yes.

- And you almost succeeded… Said the pirate with a smile. Regina wouldn't have said the contrary.

- How can it be a good thing ? Asked Zelena.

- Our simple presence should make him understand that everything is not normal there, explained Regina. About magic, if he sees ghosts, it will make him have doubts. Well, I hope it."

Hook gave her a determined look.

"I will try to do it, to make him believe."

It will maybe advance things, he said to himself with hope.

Regina smiled to him.