Chapter Twelve: Opened Eyes

"True friends stab you in the front."

~Ocsar Wilde

James took a deep breath after leaving mother superior's office. Or was she the Blue Fairy now with their memories reawakened? Without fairy dust, she seemed to be as powerless as the rest of them. James took the books he had received from Rumplestiltskin to her, but they didn't seem to do much good. She didn't have any more information on them other than to be careful with magic; for even good magic could be misused for evil purposes. He barely understood the books to begin with and without a magical bone in his body, he couldn't even fathom on how to use them.

"Another deal down the drain," he muttered and tossed the books in the cabin of his truck. All he wanted was his family back together and they could start to get back home where they belong.

He looked up at the sky and noticed the dark clouds over head. He knew rain clouds and even storm clouds when he saw them, but these were in a category all their own. Something didn't feel right and with all the magic hoarding villains in this town, he wasn't going to let his guard down. He hopped in his truck and got to the bus stop for Henry before the sky opened up. He turned the truck off and waited for the bus to start unloading.

The boy bounded out of the bus and then nearly jumped into the truck, "You would never guess what I found out today!"

"What's that?" James smiled at Henry's enthusiasm. The boy could brighten anyone's day.

"I think I found out who Donovan is," Henry smiled again and brought out a text from the school library, "I was doing some reading on some different cultures for a project and ran across this."

He opened the book across the others that were between the two of them.

"Henry, I had a talk with-" James started, but then looked down on the page. There on the opened page was a large picture of a dark devil, reaching out of what looked like a volcano. The eyes holding the bright colors of flames and large wings enveloping the sky while countless sprits and ghosts circled the form. Under the picture was a name printed in large characters.

"Chernabog," James read and nodded. He already knew this because of Rumplestiltskin. He was right. He was really hoping that he was just overreacting. But now that there was some literature on the subject, he really didn't like how the dark stranger, and now confirmed devil, hadn't been heard from in quite a while.

"Yeah, creepy picture right?" Henry put the book back on his lap as James started the truck, "It says here that he is the Slavic God of Death or the 'Black God'. Not much is known of the deity, but he is, like all others of the dark realm, devious, dangerous and manipulative. He collects souls to survive in his forms. If given a source of power, he will strive to reign over all who oppose him and will take control of others through his pieces of hidden power…"

"I hate it when Rumplestiltskin is right," James hummed and turned his truck away from their apartment, "I think a visit to the Dark One is in order."

James pulled up to the old Victorian home and got out to look it over. It was still in one piece and without the sight or sound of Donovan in the past week, seemed to be safe for the moment. Henry jumped out to the sidewalk and looked over the bed of the truck at James.

"So what are we doing here, gramps?"

"Making sure that an alliance is still strong," James muttered and took a deep breath before he climbed the steps to the door.

He knocked and waited for the tell tale sounds of cane against the floor. Instead he heard the shuffling of feet and an unknown face opened the door instead.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

"I was looking for Gold," James said with a frown on his face. He heard Henry gasp behind him, "I wanted to go over a few things with him."

"He's having breakfast at the moment," the man said and began to shut the door.

"Baelfire, it's okay," Rumplestiltskin walked from the kitchen and motioned toward the door, "They are allies, if not friends."

Baelfire shrugged and let the two visitors in, "By all means then."

James nodded to the new man and Henry smiled at him as he passed behind his grandfather. Rumplestiltskin ushered them into the sitting room and they made themselves comfortable. Baelfire sat in another chair to his father's side when Henry took a seat next to James on the couch.

"What do I owe the visit?" Rumplestiltskin asked and looked over the Charmings.

"I haven't heard from our mutual interest in a while," James said and eyed Baelfire carefully, unsure what he can say in front of him, "It seems a bit too quiet and too easy for him to just up and disappear, don't you think?"

"Oh, he's not gone, just biding his time," Rumplestiltskin said and looked toward Baelfire, "Would you mind getting some tea for us and the Charmings, Bae?"

"Sure," Baelfire said with a sigh and got off the chair and went toward the kitchen.

"I'll go with him," Henry smiled and nearly skipped after the man.

"Well, now that they are out of earshot," Rumplestiltskin said with a sigh, "How is that light magic coming?"

"Not very forth coming without fairy dust," James growled, "Who is he?"

"My son."

"Your…" James frowned and tilted his head at the man, "You had a son back home… how did he get here?"

"He came here far before you were born. Right after I became the dark one and I lost him to this world."

"How is that possible?"

"Time has no bearing on magic," Rumplestiltskin supplied as an answer, "What was only fifteen years for him was over three hundred for me."

"That would mean that he was put in this world when we already were here," James shook his head to try and understand it.

"Don't try to figure it out, Charming. It will only cause a very large headache," Rumplestiltskin rolled his eyes, "He showed up a few days ago."

James paused for a moment and then his frown increased, "Don't you find that a little too convenient for a certain black god."

"You've been doing your research," Rumplestiltskin smirked, "Tell me, where did you find it? He's been a very hard figure to track down in literary terms."

"Henry found that out today from the school library," James said with a flip of his hand as Rumplestiltskin nodded in what looked like acceptance. Apparently one place he very rarely ventured, "Look, I know what it's like to lose a child and you want to believe that the first one that comes along is them, but what if it isn't?"

"The first one that did come along wasn't my Bae," Rumplestiltskin said with a warning tone, "Found out that one pretty quickly."

"I just find it strange that when Chernabog turns quiet, a long lost son shows up and earns back his father's trust. It's something, as a person from the outside looking in, that I would be very wary of."

Rumplestiltskin looked a bit conflicted for a moment before he turned back to a calm, blank face, "My son is back with me. Don't make the mistake in thinking that I don't care about the devil breathing down my neck. It makes me that much more aware of it."

"I know you want your son… I can see it clearly," James tried to reason, "But I am keeping my part of the deal, Rumplestiltskin. I want to keep you in one piece and Chernabog from hurting my people. That includes Belle."

Rumplestiltskin sat up a little straighter and his eyes flicked back and forth before they settled on the prince again, "I appreciate your worry, Charming. But of all the people that you would have to worry about, Baelfire is not one of them when it concerns me."

"Has he asked about the dagger yet?" James asked bluntly.

"How would you…?"

"Who do you think I would go to for information on light magic?" James asked with a tilt of his head.

"I hate fairies," Rumplestiltskin grumbled and shook his head, "I raised my son to be a good man. He was a better one than I even at the age of thirteen. You have no reason to fear that he-"

"The text said that Chernabog could control others or even be manipulative," James whispered harshly as he heard Henry talk to the man in the other room, "Even great men are brought down with their good intentions when evil sneaks in and blurs the boundaries."

"Are you saying that Chernabog brought my son back to me?" Rumplestiltskin asked with an unconvinced smile on his face, "Why would that devil try to bring me happiness that he knew I was searching for all along?"

"To know that it would be an even greater pain when he took it away from you," James hissed as he leaned forward, "I know how evil works too, Rumplestiltskin. I've been fighting it for a very long time."

"So have I, Charming. Longer than you know," Rumplestiltskin hissed back under his breath.

Baelfire and Henry came back into the sitting room with tea tray in hand. Henry held a smile on his face which fell a little at the sight of his grandfather's stiff posture and Rumplestiltskin's leering stare.

"Anything going on?" Baelfire asked and shifted his eyes from one man to another.

"The Charmings were just leaving," Rumplestiltskin stood from his chair and looked at the tea, "It looks like we will be having that tea to ourselves, instead."

"Oh," Baelfire knew that something happened between the two men. He could feel the restraint that his father was practicing pouring off of him in waves.

"It was lovely of you to stop by and check on us, Charming, but you don't want to get caught out in that storm approaching, now do you?" Rumplestiltskin walked toward the door and held out a hand for Charming and Henry to follow him.

"Don't really see it happening any other way at this point," James sighed and held out a hand to Henry who took it as a sign to follow him. James turned back to Rumplestiltskin before he stepped out the door, "Just make sure that you stay dry when the storm hits."

"I plan on it," Rumplestiltskin flashed him a smile and shut the door behind him.

James and Henry ran toward the truck and got in before the first of the rain began to splash down.

"What was that about?" Henry asked.

"A very stubborn man coming to a realization about something he may not be ready for," James said as he turned the key and drove toward the apartment.

"That's his son," Henry said as he beamed.

"Is that what that man told you?" James asked, his hands gripping the wheel.

"No, I remember his face from the book. He was a lot younger, but it was him," Henry nodded.

"What did you two talk about?"

"Family," Henry shrugged and turned to look at his grandfather, "… and how weird and wonderful they could be."

"You're telling me, kid."

"So, what did he say that you didn't like?" Baelfire asked and put the tea tray down between the two of them, now settled in the study.

"What made you think that…" Rumplestiltskin's voice dropped off by the look on Baelfire's face. He took a breath and shook his head when he knew that Baelfire wouldn't just let it drop, "He was wondering if you were really my son, and if you weren't if it was blinding me about the subject at hand."

"What's that?"

Rumplestiltskin lifted a small cup from a set that he didn't use too often and sipped from it before he continued, "There are other evils in the world than me, Bae. Some much greater."

"I know that," Baelfire nodded and sipped from his own cup.

"There is a very dangerous one that has come back for me," Rumplestiltskin explained and looked into his cup, "He wants to collect."

"So you owe him something," Baelfire said knowingly.

"I owe him nothing, for I didn't make a deal with him," Rumplestiltskin looked into the distance, his eyes glazing over just slightly, "When I took the blade and became the Dark One, I did so to gain enough power to protect us. I didn't know and was not told that I would also become indebted to something far more devious and dark than my soul would ever be. I was tricked, as were all the other souls that fell to the blade."

"There is something that controls the dagger?" Baelfire asked and tried to understand.

"No, something that created it," Rumplestiltskin said in finality, "Now it wants to collect a heavy price that I refuse to pay. Especially now that you are back here with me. I will do anything to stop this devil from taking everything that I love again."

"Will it go away with the blade should the blade be destroyed?" Baelfire asked and his eyes subconsciously floated to the hallway that led to the secret door.

"I don't believe so," Rumplestiltskin shook his head, "The blade is part of him, but he is not part of the blade. I know he would like to keep it if possible, but I am sure that he has a good idea of what to do should the blade be destroyed. He is also sure that I won't destroy it until I have a good idea on how to rid myself and this place of him for good. He has been a scourge of this existence long enough."

"Do you hear yourself? My father?" Baelfire pointed to him and smirked a little with the shake of his head when Rumplestiltskin finally looked at him, "You are starting to sound like a hero with all that talk of taking out the evil and saving a land that isn't even his."

"Don't be silly, Bae," Rumplestiltskin smirked back and leaned back into his chair, "I am stuck here until the curse is completely broken and I really don't need the competition for darkest magic."

Baelfire smirked wider and knew that his father was trying to play it off. He was a good man below all those shadows and he would do anything to bring that man back.

"In all honesty, I just want it to be safe for you and Belle. He will use you two against me. He already knows about Belle and it may be only a little time before he knows about you as well. I will not allow for something to threaten you. It will not stand."

"I'll be careful," Baelfire nodded.

"Good, and now that is settled," Rumplestiltskin stood and put the cup back on the tray, "I am going to pay a visit to the spinning wheel. Some more research and experimenting are needed before we can totally discount the villain in our midst."

"What is his name?" Baelfire asked and looked over his shoulder as his father began to walk out of the room.

"Chernabog, the Dark God," Rumplestiltskin growled out the name, "Don't go looking for him. He is mine to handle. Just be on your toes, Bae."

Baelfire nodded and looked back at his tea. When his father's footsteps were out of hearing range and the back kitchen door closed, Baelfire stood and stepped toward the hidden door.

He held a staring contest with the door. His mind was at war with his heart. He knew that he should walk away. He should tell his father about the plan of two other men, one of which he knew should hate him. Then his heart pulls him closer to the door. He wanted to take the blade, the dagger and break it over the fires of Hell. He wanted to destroy it so that it would never harm another being, another life. He wanted to save his father.

"… why don't I ever have the answer?" he asked himself and his feet still refused to move. He closed his eyes and thought and prayed hard for an answer. Does he go against his father's wishes and take the one thing that could be both his undoing and salvation? Or does he tell of the plan of other mortal men? Surely Donovan, being a light magic holder, would have something to protect them should they need it against Chernabog.

A single gust of air pushed against his back and made him take a step forward. He opened his eyes as the door opened on its own. He looked over his shoulder toward where his father had left to go spin in the basement.

"Don't worry… he will not know a single thing…" a voice whispered through Baelfire's mind. He took a breath and nodded in agreement. His feet began to travel down the stairs and toward the dagger that would save his father.

"He will be saved by your hand," the voice chanted in his mind, "He will be saved. The town will be saved. The world…"

"I don't care about the world, or even about this town," Baelfire stepped into the dark room beneath the basement. He walked to where he felt the magic barrier before. It lowered before him and he didn't know if that was his father's doing or another source. He reached forward and grabbed the hilt of the dagger, "As long as he is free of this."

A/N: Merry Christmas to everyone! I hope you had a great and happy holiday. Here is my gift to you, two chapters! Please enjoy and review. That would be the best gift for me. Until later, dearies!