"The ogres are coming for Prince Gaston! Quick, call the Ogre Slayer!" a woman screamed.

Her head was shattering with fear such that she could not perform the simple task needed to call the Ogre Slayer.

In any case, she fainted the next second, and an ogre stepped on her chest and killed her.

Three of them had grabbed the seller with horribly ugly teeth and started tossing him among themselves while another woman whispered, "Ogre Slayer. Ogre Slayer. Ogre Slayer."

Rumplestiltskin and Baelfire stepped out of thin air with a woman grabbing onto the tail of Baelfire's red roan while astride her own. There was a hole in the air, which showed a different part of their country. The hole sealed up as Rumplestiltskin's white horse stood proud. Although Baelfire's horse was proud as well, he wasn't as proud as the Ogre Slayer's.

The Ogre Slayer wasted no time using his light magic against the ogres. It was too late to save the ugly-toothed seller, whose last words were despairingly of, "My gauntlet!"

Baelfire was trying to slit the throat of another ogre, as he did not have light magic. However, as he did, another ogre came behind him, yanked him off the horse, tearing his ankles out of the stirrups, and flung him far, far away.

The red roan gave a frightened whinny, raised on his hind legs, and struck the ogre with a death blow to its nose. The ogre was dead as the hoof shoved his nose into his brain. The ogre fell to the ground, breaking a hole in the table behind him and causing some items to jump off while others became buried below his heavy body.

Rumple finished aiming his light magic at other ogres, knowing if he did not kill them all, they would destroy everything in their path and murder Prince Gaston. The woman who had followed them in the portal was watching him with a crooked, awe-filled smile even as she cantered her horse worriedly after Baelfire.

When he was done with the seventy-five ogres, Rumple galloped his white horse for the mountain. By this time, Baelfire's limp head was in Belle's lap.

Rumple gazed down upon Baelfire and flinched. Both of his feet were missing, having been separated when the ogre pulled him out of the saddle. There was a gash from his shin up to his heart. A deep gash that showed tendons and arteries. A gash that unveiled his broken ribs. His ribs which should be hidden beneath flesh but were not.

Rumple's stomach roiled. He sank to his knees, turned his head, and retched.

Belle's eyes were large with concern. "I'm sorry, I—"

"Papa," moaned Baelfire, trying to open his eyes. "Is that you?"

Hot tears coarsed down Rumple's cheeks. He did not turn toward his son. He did not want his son to know he was crying. "Yes," he replied in as soft of a voice as he could muster. As happy a voice as he could find.

It wasn't much, but he dearly wanted to send his son off with a proper goodbye. Because Rumple knew there was nothing he could do for Bae.

"I love you, Papa," Bae murmured.

Rumple swallowed his tears as best as he could then told himself it was okay if he bawled since Baelfire couldn't open his eyes all the way anyway. Crouching close, he whispered in Baelfire's ear while grabbing his hands lovingly, "Does it hurt?"

"Not really." Rumple risked a glance in the direction of the bright red organ. It was beating noticeably. Rumple knew this organ had kept his son alive for thirty-one years. He leaned down and kissed his son on the forehead, sorrow hovering over him with the ghastly menace of a ghost.

"I wish…" Rumple said with tears shining in his eyes. He swallowed a thick lump. "I wish…I'd been man enough to save you."

"Papa," berated Baelfire as Belle held him securely, "there was nothing you could have done. You needed to save the prince. All those people. If you had shielded me, those people would have died. I wanted to be a hero…just like you. You've fought valiantly for many years. I tried to do it too…I'm sorry, I failed. I'm not as much of a hero as you."

"Oh, Bae," Rumple murmured. "You were perfect. Always." Squeezing his hand, Rumple confessed, "I could not have possibly loved you any more. I loved you exactly the way you are. And I was always so proud…to have you for a son."

Baelfire twitched his neck. "Thank you, Papa. Thank you for being a great example for me. I only wish…" Blood crusted at his knee. "I only wish I could live long enough to watch you find true love. Because Mom didn't really love you."

"She never did," answered Rumple sadly. "Though I loved her. Thought she was the greatest woman ever…and to have her tell me she never loved me…it was the greatest pain a man could bear. Up until this point." Clutching his son's hand against his cheek, Rumple murmured, "There will never be any pain as deep as this pain."

"I know, Papa."

"It was worth having a son. The pain of losing you. Because…it shows me how much I can love."

"I hope someday you have a wonderful…" Baelfire stopped then shuddered. "Papa…it's time."

Rumple kissed his hand.

"Thanks, Papa, for teaching me how to be a hero."

Rumple's eyes were wet for days. He could not leave his son's resting place for a week, even when he was summoned.

Belle would leave to bring him food or water, but such was his dazed mood that he didn't notice he was even eating.

At the end of the seven-day period, he shook himself out of the stupor. Looking at Belle, he said, "Well, my lass, my mourning period has lasted long enough. Time to rejoin the living. Thank you for taking care of me."

She beamed with rosy cheeks. "You're welcome!" Hitting his chest playfully, she asserted, "We couldn't let our dear Ogre Slayer expire from malnutrition, could we?"

"No," he studied her face. "There's something more to it than that."

Her heart fluttered. "Yes. You're handsome."

He blushed. But he did not feel it was appropriate to snatch her up and rampage her. If she really wanted him, she'd have to wait until the shock of his son's death had worn off and he morphed into his next stage.

"So," she uttered conversationally, gazing up at him, "I was wondering what you know of fairies?"

"More than I'd like. My mother was one."

She nodded. "Ah. Because I was curious. I've seen a fairy who looked exhausted go by an apple tray and suddenly perk up?"

"Apples rejuvenate fairies," he explained. "The scent of it makes their bones replenish themselves."

"Ah. That makes perfect sense," she decided.

They mounted their horses and resumed their adventure.