Chapter Nineteen: New Territory

The father and son paid a visit to the hospitals laboratory where they gathered a few bowls and grinders. Rumpelstiltskin returned to the house, gathering a few things that would need to be mixed into the compound to stop Regina. When he entered the lab again, Bae was observing something in a microscope with one of the other doctors.

"Bae," his father called, and the boy immediately came back to their set up. He handed the boy a few crystals, placing the rest in the bowl.

"Crush them in the bowl, grind 'em up good," Rumpel instructed, but when Bae reached for the grinder, his father refused him.

"Why would I use magic for something like this?" Bae asked. "It can easily be done with the-"

"Bae, if you're in shackles, I want you to be able to break free of them," Rumpel interrupted. Though Bae thought there wasn't really a need, he satisfied his father in crushing the crystals in his hands to dust and then dropping them into the bowl.

"Happy?" Bae asked. "It wasn't that hard."

"Good. Good, I was just making sure," Rumpel replied. "The magic making you weak at all?"

Bae shook his head as he continued to grind the remaining crystals with the grinder, as everyone else did.

"After your done with that, I'll have something for you to add it in." Rumpelstiltskin had one of Belle's large cooking pots, and he began taking various things he gathered from the house and placing them into the pot.

"Bae," he called to his son, who was almost finished grinding the crystals. "I need water. Pure water." Bae knew that meant he had to use his magic again. He felt odd, knowing that all it took were a few thoughts and words in an extinct language to make anything he wanted. Well, anything material that is.

His father told him when he'd conjured enough, and then he saw his father quickly slice up a few roots and add them to the mix. Then, Baelfire dumped the crystal powder into the mix. Rumpelstiltskin didn't know how to describe that Bae mix the ingredients, so he thought just to let Bae try and he'd guide his son if there was something seriously wrong. Bae shrugged, and shut his eyes for this one, thinking that if he looked, it would only distract him.

He began to think of simply swirling them together until they became one, but Rumpel quickly corrected him.

"Think um...think more calm and...think of fire." Bae thought that sounded very strange, but he did as he was told. Rumpel observed the contents and the very fact Bae somehow got fire to dance atop water. He could see the crystals glowing in the pot like little lava pellets for the water was becoming extremely hot.

"Blue fire, Bae. Blue fire," he said next, and the color of the flame changed a few moments later. "Okay stop."

Rumpelstiltskin took the Dark One's dagger and dipped it into the mixture, causing steam to rise from the pot. The knife was cold as ice. Baelfire opened his eyes.

"What's that?" he asked his father, staring at the knife which shone bright with a silver tint and glistening of melted silver crystal pellets all around the blade. Rumpelstiltskin took out the vile of Regina's blood, placing some on the tip of the blade. Then, he dumped half of it into the pot to dye it red.

"Bae this is going to be strange, but I need you to do exactly as I say. Keep your eyes open please."

Without another word, Baelfire turned to the pot.

"Stare into the pot and think about it being full of blood. All of it. Imagine the whole thing is blood. Regina's blood."

Bae felt too sickened to imagine that, and Rumpelstiltskin could tell.

"Okay, think about blood in general," he tried that. Bae bit his lower lip, held out his hand towards the pot and let the purple emit from his hand.

The entire pot turned to blood. Rumpel took the vile again, adding a little more of Regina's blood, causing the entire pot to boil for a few moments. When it calmed, Rumpel explained himself.

"Now, I'm going to dip the dagger into her blood and soon, we will have the perfect weapon against Regina. I'm sorry to put you through that son," Rumpel confessed. "I knew you wouldn't conjure an entire pot of blood without some sort of price on your mind. I've taught you well."

"It's just too strange Papa," Bae told Mr. Gold. "That's a lot of blood and I don't think I've ever seen so much of it in one place." Bae turned his head away as his father's hand withdrew the dagger from the pot.

"It's not blood anymore," Rumpel told him, and sure enough, when the boy turned his head back, all that remained was a pot of water with a repulsive oder.

"Yeah, I wouldn't drink that," Rumpel said, and then Bae saw the dagger of the Dark One.

"Why would I use that knife? Maybe my name just hasn't appeared yet. I could kill myself!" Bae panicked.

Rumpelstiltskin reassured him that there was nothing to worry about. His name would never appear on this dagger and Bae couldn't take Regina's power, he could only strip her of it. The magic would leave Regina forever and she would be powerless. The pellets of the melted crushed crystals still glistened on the dagger in all different colors.

The pawn shop owner handed the dagger over to his son, who took it wearily.

"All you have to do is keep that safe, don't let Regina see it, and be sure to stab her anywhere but her head or her heart," Rumpel told him.

"Why?"

"That could kill her."

"I thought you wanted her dead."

"Do you?" Rumpel asked. That was good point. Bae didn't have any reason to wish death upon anyone. Giving into the urge to kill someone was to heed to the darkness, and that could be treading dangerous waters. The boy shook his head, understanding the point his father was trying to make.

"Why can't you do this?" Bae asked.

"Because she doesn't know you have magic. She's kidnapped you before, she'll do it again."

"Not if you don't fight, she'll suspect something for sure," Bae argued.

"If she does she still can't tell which one of us has the magic. I've had it for so many years I'm sure the essence has yet to wear off, and you've always had it around you," Rumpel told his son.

"All right, but if worst comes to worst...I'm throwing Emma the dagger."

"Emma?"

"She's the savior right?" Bae asked. "Well she has yet to save me, not that she'll have to, but just in case..."

"If she's not within reach, I want you to toss it to me," Rumpel told him.

"All right, deal," Baelfire said with a smirk on his face.

"You mock me, Bae!" Rumpel replied with a laugh as he spoke.

A howl ripped through the air, and seconds later, Doc came scrambling into the room.

"I hope you're ready," Doc panted. "I think she's returned."

Bae and his father threw each other a glance before rushing out the doors of the hospital, looking out onto Storybrooke. Emma, Ruby, David, Snow, Grumpy, and Dopey stood around as well.

"Well?" Mr. Gold asked. "Did anyone see her?"

Bae held the knife's handle as it rested within a sheath at his side, hidden in his brown cloak.

"No, but I can smell her. She's about a mile out. Probably in the forrest," Ruby walked over to the two. "You know, I see the relation now. You're both stubborn." Bae smirked.

"If we don't want to leave this place in ruin, I suggest we take this to the woodland," Grumpy said.

The others agreed while Bae walked over to Emma for a moment, whispering what he might end up doing if he couldn't reach Regina despite his father's advice. He also told her to stab Regina anywhere she pleased. If he wasn't killing, then the weight was not upon his conscious. The savior nodded in understanding.

Red nudged Bae.

"You ready?" she asked.

"As ready as I can be," he answered.

"Well come on, we're sitting ducks around her," David said, drawing his sword.

He led the walk out into the woods. Snow followed at once. Mr. Gold hesitated to come but he knew he had to if this plan was going to work. For once, he knew how it felt to be everyone else: walking into the presence of someone with magic when he himself possessed none. It was a helpless feeling of dread.

"No way you're walking," Ruby said, laying on her stomach after she hit her head against Baelfire's side. "Hop on and hold on. You'll need your strength for later."

Bae cautiously mounted onto the wolf, finding she was fairly large and that he was a good height off the ground. His father walked beside him, thinking about what he'd gotten himself into.

The curse...all to get his son back. His magic, all to get his son back. All the hardships, just to get his son back. Now, he had Bae, but there was still something unsettling inside of him. Great danger is all that seemed to follow Regina. Mr. Gold played the defensive... the majority of the time. Entirely, the situation was a paradox. Bae had always loathed his father's magic, now he owns it. Rumpelstiltskin, he felt sorrow upon losing his magic. His power was pretty much gone...especially around here now that magic has returned.

Without Regina or himself having magic, there was nothing too exciting. Everyone would have a happily ever after. Perhaps that is what Bae saw in this world, and he wanted it sooner than everyone else. He wanted to be with his father.

Everything swirled inside of Mr. Gold's head, and Bae glanced to his father, not knowing what to say so he sat silent on the wolf, finding it strange to be riding Ruby. Grasping deep into her fur, he clasped tighter.

"I've got a bad feeling," Bae whispered, leaning forward towards her ear.

"You feel it too?" she whispered, glancing to see if Rumpel was paying attention. Clearly he was not. Perfect.

"Hang on kid. I'm gonna pick up the pace. This group is a pile of sitting geese."

Baelfire grasped Ruby's fur tighter, making sure everything was in place, and when she felt he was secure, she darted suddenly past Rumpel and then even David. Rumpelstiltskin snapped out of his thoughts, thinking to shout to Ruby about what she thought she was doing. However, that would only tell Regina where they were...

"Where are you going?" ...and David beat him to the question.

Ruby glanced back, telling Bae to remain silent.

"We're wide out in the open," Ruby said simply and then darted off again. Rumpelstiltskin admired his son atop the wolf as she took off while the others stood confused as to what she meant.

Ruby ran, jumping over countless logs and maneuvering through the sticks and amongst the stones.

"What about the others?" Bae asked.

"They'll catch up. Don't worry, we're close, but she's up to something. We have to catch her before she can enact another enchantment!" Ruby exclaimed.

Bae held on tight, facing forward as he felt Ruby's body shift as she jumped and whenever she took a sharp corner. His balance was remarkable, better than he thought it would be at the very least, and Ruby was impressed he was still hanging on.

She stopped suddenly, telling Bae she knew Regina was just up ahead, and as she weaved silently through the trees, the boy tried to spot her. It wasn't too difficult, for she was the only thing clothed in black in the middle of the forest. She seemed leaned over a large fire, where there was also a large pit surrounded with stones. A book at her side, the Evil Queen was obviously doing something with magic.

Bae found he could sense her magic, and how powerful it was!

"I can feel her power," Bae whispered. "She's gonna be tough to stop."

"Well, she is a queen. We better think of something quick before the others catch up," Ruby replied. Bae nodded.

"I have an idea."