Chapter Two: A Father and a Son
He could already sense the magic in the air, and with the strength to knock out any oder. He was familiar with it, but it would pass, as he figured, the closer he rode into the civilized portion of the town.
The sound of a school bell made Bae almost fall off his moped, for he was startled that much. As the children came pouring out, Bae spotted a boy with his teacher still in the classroom. The woman looked familiar to him, but he shook it off. He might know her, but after a few minutes, he continued his way downtown, where he came upon Granny's Bed and Breakfast.
The boy stumbled in, where he found Red at the counter talking with Granny.
"Hey, shouldn't you be in school?" Red said, eyeing him suspiciously.
"No..." Bae spat back and cleared his both. "I've come looking for someone."
Red's head jerked back in shock. This one had an attitude!
"You're cute," Red said. "Anything I can get you?"
"Son," Granny chimed in. "I'll give you what you need..." Red walked back to her business, disappointed that her grandma ruined her moment...again.
When Granny returned, she handed him a map to the town.
"Start on the end, work your way. Shouldn't take long," the old woman told him. Bae looked up at her, knowing that he knew her. She knew he knew her, and so she smiled, winking at the boy.
"You haven't changed much. Still strong and hard headed I see," she added. "You know what, here..." Granny mixed up an iced tea, dropping a hint of mint inside, pouring the contents into a plastic cup.
"On the house."
Bae took a sip, thanking her, and walking out of the shop.
"Okay, you so know him!" Red called her grandmother out, but Granny just smiled and continued on with her work, hearing the bell as Bae walked out, turning on his moped and driving off again after looking at the map.
He knew exactly where to stop, but he thought long and hard about what to say as he rode along. This clearly had the potential to not end well.
The little bell rang to Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop, but there was no Mr. Gold. Mr. Gold's absence was just fine for the moment, for Bae found everything around told its own tale, and his eyes had already stuck to his kickball. That old kickball he used to hit along the side of the house. Sometimes, his father would yell at him for it; however, with no one else to play with, Bae found that he hadn't any other choice.
He walked slowly towards the ball, knowing he could easily reach it from where his father probably set it. Baelfire felt the cloth of the ball, smiling at the memories he had with it. Proceeding to look around at everything in the shop, he wondered exactly how many old things this Mr. Gold kept. The name couldn't have been more obvious to the boy.
"Pardon my rudeness," a voice sounded, coming from the back. "I'll be out in a moment." Bae froze.
That was definitely his father! He had no idea what to do. Everything he dreamt he would say fled from his mind. Just the sound of his father's voice was comforting yet a rude awakening. He was here, he was ready, or so he thought, and he told himself over and over that he had to do this.
Taking a deep breath, Baelfire ceased to look at anything else in the shop, except the knives, just in case...Speaking of knives, where was that old dagger Rumpelstiltskin always-
"Can I help you?" Mr. Gold's voice sounded.
Bae was turned around, shutting his eyes tightly, wondering if he should just turn around and say nothing, or if he should say one of those things he'd been longing to say. What if he started simple?
"Yes," Bae replied, putting his hood down. "You can help me understand."
Mr. Gold's face altered in confusion. Then, Baelfire turned around, revealing that same look of a teenage boy, that brown hair with a curl at the bottom, as Rumpel's did, and that face of innocence, though his eyes were the most intensifying feature. Mr. Gold nearly dropped to his knees, placing both hands on the glass in front of him to catch his balance.
Bae heard Rumpel sigh, forcefully and in a shocked state, unsure of what to say.
"Bae...is that really you?" Rumpel stuttered, looking the boy in the eyes. They were silent, and Baelfire stared at his father, still feeling a heavy loss in his life, and a resentment that never left him.
"Baelfire...I've been looking everywhere for you..." Rumpel said, but Bae found that too generic for him to say. If he wanted Bae back in his life, he'd have to do a whole hell of a lot better than that.
His eyes held a darkness, and Rumpel saw that, but the shock prevented him from deciphering the meaning of that darkness.
Bae's eyes squinted slightly, he took into ball in his hands and as he looked at it, an idea came into his mind.
"Prove it," he said quickly, and then he rushed out the door. Rumpelstiltskin was forced abruptly from his awakening moment, the realization that Bae was actually there set in rather briskly.
Rumpelstiltskin hit the table.
"Wait!" he yelled. "BAE!" He ran out the door after his son, noticing he ran into the woods, carrying the ball. If his father really wanted him back, he'd have to chase him down...as a start. He needed time.