Thank you for the reviews and Happy New Year wishes :) Grace5231973, tigger64, Mira SeverusSirius Black-Snape, Vacumatic, vanillaface, thedoctorsgirl42, jjxox8d, Monica Kyler,

AshRedDragon: answering to your question: yes

I do not own Once Upon a Time

Chapter 34 – Days 25 to 30: Family reunion

Rumpelstiltskin stared anxiously from behind the door's opening. There was a large mob outside. He was certain life had gone dead in the village, for everybody was concentrated around the healer's home. The cripple was not enjoying this at all.

"How in Earth are we getting outside?" he complained.

"Don't like the attention?" Prince James asked amused. The cripple turned around to face the man.

"I'm a poor spinner. Usually people don't even see me!" Prince James chuckled. He could understand the man perfectly well. Until some weeks ago, he was nothing more than a humble shepherd. A face in the mob without a name. Now he was Prince James, son of a king. A dragon slayer, and now, an ogre slayer too. In short, he was a hero.

"Let me go first. I'll handle this." Prince James got up and walked passed Rumpelstiltskin.

The cripple, the teenager and the healer heard great shouting outside. Prince James waved and thanked the people for their kind words in hope they would be satisfied and go back to their lives. But instead he was overloaded with gifts and cheering shouts. The prince had not foreseen this. He did the mistake in miscalculating the people's reaction and found himself trapped in their thankfulness. He tried to refuse the presents, knowing most of these peasants possessed little or nothing at all, but in vain. He tried to disperse the villagers telling them he had to return to his kingdom, but the mob would not let him leave. He had to stay for lunch and for dinner. A big party was being set up in his honor, with lots of food and drinks. Prince James was overwhelmed. Until some weeks ago, he was nothing more than a humble shepherd. Now, he was the local hero and main guest of the village's party.

Rumpelstiltskin peeked hesitantly from behind the door, wondering if Prince James was succeeding in getting rid of the people. But as doing so, somebody saw him and dragged him outside. He was frightened and wanted to hide back in the healer's home from embarrassment, for he was receiving the same treatment as the Prince. James laughed amused at the man's shyness.

"Now what?" The cripple turned to the prince, red from the unwanted attention. Prince James smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"Now we party."

It was only in the end of the day that the celebrations of the ogre's killing were ended. Baelfire watched the people tidy the improvised tables and tents. There had been a lot of food, drinks, music, dancing and laughing. But now the party was over. Tomorrow would be a regular working day again. Baelfire wandered in the progressive deserted streets and saw somebody had beheaded the ogre and put its head on a stick at the village's entrance as a price and warning. He still couldn't believe what had happened. He still couldn't believe his father had fought his fears and defied an ogre. He smiled at the thought, his heart filling with pride. But something was bothering him. He had heard people in the village talk and came to the quick conclusion it was needed more than just pure luck to survive an ogre attack. He wondered if his father somehow knew ways of defending himself from such a monster. Baelfire started connecting the dots. His father's irrational fear for the wars was understandable, now that he saw the ogre's size. But he could only have an idea of its monstrosity after seeing it himself. He started wondering if his father had already encountered ogres before. He couldn't stop wondering where Rumpelstiltskin got that wound on his left leg. Because he knew there had been an Ogre War many years ago. He stopped his train of thoughts when he finally found Prince James and his father sitting by a house, just outside the village.

"We spent the night in the forest here nearby, and when I woke up, I saw the ogre running in the woods. It didn't sense my escort luckily. I decided to follow it before it would hurt somebody." Baelfire heard Prince James tell his father as he approached. Rumpelstiltskin seeing the boy, gestured him to sit next to them.

"Guess you came just in time. That thing was going to smash me dead." Rumpelstiltskin replied. "I wonder how it got here."

"It must have somehow crossed over the frontiers unnoticed." Prince James said. "Hey, Baelfire. Did you enjoy the party?" The knight asked when he noticed the boy. The teenager wasn't able to hide a smile. Rumpelstiltskin looked with affection at his son. He had enjoyed seeing his son dancing, laughing and having fun with the locals.

"I noticed the girls wouldn't leave you alone." He said smirking and his son gave him a push in complain, redding a bit of embarrassment.

"Well, I must be going." Prince James said as he got up. "It's still a long journey to Leostille."

"Wait." Rumpelstiltskin suddenly got up. "You…Uh…You are going to King George's castle, right?" Prince James nodded, wondering why the man suddenly sounded so nervous. Baelfire listened expectantly. "Could you do me a favor?"

Rumpelstiltskin and Baelfire waved Prince James goodbye. They had sympathized with him from the moment they met him. He was nothing what they expected a prince to be like and yet he was everything they wished a prince would be. They admired him for his bravery but also for his humbleness and wished him all happiness in the world. The cripple stared at the darkening sky and could already see the Wolf's nose, the blue star in the sky.

"Guess we'll be staying another night here." He spoke more to himself, his thoughts already returning to Belle.

"Papa. When were the First Ogres Wars?" The boy innocently asked. His father was obviously caught in surprise, for he froze at the spot. There was an awkward silence.

"I don't know anymore, Bae. It were many years ago." He lied. His son frowned upset.

"You might as well tell me the truth now, because all I have to do is ask anybody." The teenager insisted, his tone not hiding his suspicion.

He needed to know his father's secrets about his past. Rumpelstiltskin always avoided talking about the wars and about his leg. Baelfire always had had a strange feeling about his father's silence in these matters. Rumpelstiltskin whether behaved awkward or he changed the subject too quickly, avoiding any chance in dwelling about it. But today, Baelfire saw and listened enough to figure out the two events were connected. He could see the struggle in his father's eyes. He remained silent, standing slightly bent, like if he was carrying a heavy weight on his back.

"Papa, please. I need to know." Baelfire pleaded softly.

Rumpelstiltskin sighed defeated. He had always known in his heart it was a matter of time, as the boy would grow up; he would one day connect the dots. He had avoided and delayed this moment, of course, as long as he could. But Baelfire had the right to know. The right to hear it from his father. Rumpelstiltskin sighed again, summoning the little courage he could find in him. He had no other choice but to confess his past crimes to his son, for the last thing he wanted was the teenager to hear it from somebody else.

"It was the year you were born." The cripple whispered, just loud enough for his son to hear.

"So…You were in the wars?" His father nodded.

"I run away… I had no other choice."

Another intense silence followed. The invisible weight on Rumpelstiltskin's back became heavier, as he curved even more, feeling small and embarrassed on front of his son.

"Did you hurt your leg during the wars?" Again, his father nodded. "How did you survive?"

"I told you already. I run away!"Rumpelstiltskin turned to his son. Baelfire stared back wide-eyed. He could see the pain in his father's dark eyes. He could see the guilt, the shame, the self-loathing. "Don't you see? Unless you are a well trained knight, the only way in surviving an ogre attack is running away!"

"But papa, today…"

"Today I was lucky!"

Father and son locked their gazes. Rumpelstiltskin believed he was being judged. He believed his son was considering his acts and choices in the past. He feared for his son's reaction. He feared he would be like his mother, unable to accept the coward that lived inside his core. But Baelfire did not see that. What he saw was the pain, the regret and the shame his father carried as a burden. The boy thought it was unfair. His father had self-punished, self-condemned for his choice. The choice to live. Today, after seeing the dead ogre, after seeing its massive size and body, Baelfire understood. He feared the monster, even thought it was dead. He realized today he would never have survived longer than two seconds in the Ogre's Wars. No child could ever stand a chance against the monsters. No untrained person could survive such beasts. Yet his father, despite his convictions, despite knowing he was chanceless, filled his heart with remorse and carried the guilt around with him during all these years. Baelfire rested his hand on his father's shoulder and smiled.

"Today you were brave."

Rumpelstiltskin and Baelfire walked vivacious, chatting happily. Soon they would reach Kriemont. However the cripple was worried about his father's reaction, he couldn't wait to see his mother, sister and nephews. He felt a renewed joy in his chest. After he told his son the truth, a huge weight was lifted of his shoulders and he felt like he didn't need to feel guilty anymore. He realized on that evening, all he had done the last 14 years, was wait for his son's forgiveness. He smiled proudly as he watched his son while he was telling some amusing tale. He was growing fast in length and becoming a handsome young man. But most of all, his son was becoming wiser, understandable and supportive. He carried with him a constant optimism that warmed his father's heart in challenging moments. Rumpelstitlskin felt blessed to have this boy as his son. Baelfire was his little bright light in his troubled world.

Meanwhile, in Kriemont, a middle aged woman was tiding the wash outside when she heard laughter in the distance. The voices sounded familiar, mostly one in particular. She took a few steps closer, her heart beating in a crazy anxiety. Since she heard the news, she had done nothing else but pray and wish to hear that voice one last time. She heard the voices again and was almost certain. She walked a few steps more, her heart beating faster in anticipation. When she saw the hobbling figure in the distance she felt all the strength leave her legs. For a few moments she couldn't breathe. For a few moments she actually thought she would die of happiness. Once the first wave of shock was gone she started running in the direction of the two figures in the distance. First stumbling a bit, and then strength returned to her short legs and a new adrenaline filled her heart as she raced down hill.

"Rumpel! Baelfire!" She screamed on top of her lungs, laughing and crying of pure joy.

"Thumbel!"Her brother shouted her pet name from the distance.

In the cottage nearby an old couple stared surprised at each other.

"Did you just hear that?" The old man said, as he got up, hope filling his heart. His wife stepped outside and put her rippled hands before her mouth. She gasped of joy and immediately tears sprung out of her eyes.

"He's alive! My boy is alive!" The old woman cried.

The old couple watched Thumbelina run to her brother. If Rumpelstiltskin could run, he would had the moment he saw his sister. She was fast, like he once had been, and came practically flying. Thumbelina came with such a speed, that when she jumped to hug her brother, she knocked him down, making him fell on his back. If he got hurt, there was no way of knowing, for brother and sister sat hugging tightly, laughing and crying of joy. Baelfire laughed a bit at the scene, fighting back his tears.

"Uncle Stiltskin! Baelfire!" Were the shouts of two boys a little older than Baelfire, who too came running in their direction. The teenager run to meet his cousins, hugs and friendly back pats were shared. A young woman watched the scene in the distance with a baby in her arms.

"I can't believe they are actually alive." She said smilingly and turned to her baby girl. "See little Ravenna. You're gonna meet uncle Stiltskin and Baelfire after all."

After the first joyful moments of reunion, Rumpelstiltskin and Baelfire finally reached the houses. Neighbors had heard the clamor and came outside to see what was going on. Everybody was surprised, but glad to see father and son had made it safe and sound out of Armithil.

"My boy, my only boy!" Rumpelstiltskin'mother cupped her son's face in her ancient hands and then almost suffocated him with her embrace, so desperate she was to hold her son in her arms. "And Baelfire, my dear love. Bless the gods you are well." She spoke between tears, while she caressed her grandson's face and hugged him tenderly.

"Hey pap." Rumpelstiltskin smiled shyly to his father. The old man, still not believing his son was standing before him, stared at him in shock.

"Don't you «hey» me, you fool!" He scolded in his typical manner. Rumpelstiltskin for a moment thought his father was going to hit him when he approached and was surprised, but happy and relieved, when his old man put his arms around him in a warm embrace. "Thank the gods you are alive!"

Personaly I thought this chapter was quite sweet :)

Still enjoying?

Please Review