16.

He was different in this land without magic, but Belle didn't think she minded. Gone were the wild, reptilian eyes, replaced by softer brown ones that she'd seen in the moments when his curse had nearly given under to light of True Love. The golden scales had receded and soft, human skin replaced them. The sharp, high pitched giggle she had become accustomed to was nowhere to be heard, but instead she found a low chuckle in its place, quiet and reserved rather than showy. She had no doubt that Rumplestiltskin had secured a kind of power in this place, but it was different, and she thought she might be okay with that.

While she knew that he hadn't told her everything, he had been surprisingly open with her. It likely helped that Bae was there to shoot him a few well-aimed glares when he started to stumble around a subject he would have much rather ignored. His enemy's name was Magnus and he was an ancient cleric. While Rumple thought he had likely been born a man like any other, he had somehow prolonged his existence over a millenia, devoting his existence to the destruction of the Dark One's Curse and the man or woman buried beneath it.

Belle hadn't heard his name before, but she thought she knew who he was. Rumple had faced off with a sorcerer once that had nearly ended him, even with the full power of the Dark One at his disposal. He's returned to the Dark Castle in a terrible state. He had been covered in blood and writhing from the pain caused by the pure light magic that had been forced into him. He had nearly died laid out on the rug in the Great Hall. She had been able to help him, thankfully, and he had been back to his sarcastic, irritating self just a couple of days later, but it had taught Belle a lesson that she hadn't been keen on learning: immortality didn't necessarily mean that one couldn't be killed.

They had stayed up for hours while questions and answers were tossed around and caught. Emma had found her proof - or at least enough to openly entertain the idea of magic and other worlds - and loosed question after question. Rumple had answered most of them, though some only with a not-so-gentle nudge from his son.

Watching them made Belle smile. When she had lived and worked in the Dark Castle she had found a chest in a room set apart from everything else. In it had been filled with items that hardly belonged in a grand castle: ragged clothes that looked like they were meant for a child, a patchwork leather ball, and an old walking stick with markings notched into it. She had never gotten a clear answer as to what it all really meant, but she had guessed. Seeing him interacting with the son he had lost - lost, not dead, and he had at least told her that much - kept a smile lingering on her lips. They bickered a bit and Baelfire didn't take any of his attempts to sidestep issues when Emma asked questions. All in all, she rather liked the man beneath the monster.

Emma's questions were finally lost to the need to sleep after such a busy day sometime after midnight and she and Bae went upstairs to bed. Belle remained on the couch, quietly watching the man that she loved as his dark brown eyes remained transfixed on the dying embers in the fireplace. He didn't say anything for several long moments, but finally let loose a long sigh. "I've put you in the middle of quite a mess, haven't I?"

Belle leaned forward from her place on the couch. "It sounds like you're right there in it too," she answered carefully. She wasn't quite sure what he was getting at. Perhaps he didn't want her to stand with him. Maybe he thought she would be in the way.

"Yes, well, I didn't expect to drag those I care about with me down this particular path. He's already tried to use Bae against me. If he ever found out who you are or... or what you mean to me..." He ducked his head, seemingly aware of what he'd let slip and Belle felt her cheeks heat.

"Well, I do think that one kidnapping is quite enough for a lifetime," she answered after a moment, trying to lighten the mood.

Instead he only frowned. "I shouldn't have let you go," he whispered. He didn't quite meet her eyes as he spoke and Belle stood slowly, afraid to spook him any further back into his shell.

She must have moved too carefully, because he startled as she knelt down next to the chair, her hand going to his. "Letting me go was right, but it was the throwing me out that might have been handled a bit better."

Rumplestiltskin's dark eyes flickered to meet her own. "I know," he whispered."I was a fool and a..." He swallowed hard and the word coward hung between them.

"I was coming back," Belle assured him and squeezed his hand. "Regina caught me on the way."

"She told me you were dead. If I'd known, Belle, please believe me that nothing in the worlds could have stopped me."

This was their first real moment alone together since she'd regained her memories and Belle hadn't realized how ready to burst he must have been by that point. He took hold of her hands as he spoke, a kind of desperation shining through those dark eyes that never would have made it through back home. He was waiting - terrified, she realized - for something. What, she wasn't quite sure. "I know," she murmured and he seemed to relax a little. She reached a hand up tentatively to his face and while he stiffened, he didn't pull away. The tips of her fingers rested there for a moment as she tilted her head, studying this face she had only caught glimpses of. "You look so different," she laughed after a moment, realizing that she had gotten caught up in her own thoughts.

That pulled a small smile from him. "I suppose I do."

"I like it," Belle murmured shyly. "I always knew there was a man beneath the beast."

His expression darkened and he looked away then, pulling his hand from hers. "You've always wanted to see the best, my dear, but that doesn't always make it so."

"And you never do see the best in yourself," she countered and gently turned his face back towards her. For all the power he hid behind, she thought Rumplestiltskin might be a little more fragile than anyone really suspected. He had been told he was a monster, so he had played the part, using it as a wall to keep those that might hurt him out. She just had to prove to him she wouldn't hurt him. It might take time, but she loved him. She knew that now.

Rumplestiltskin snorted softly, but she didn't let him argue before she stood from her place and kissed him. It happened so quickly that she wasn't quite sure she had given herself permission to do so, but he didn't squirm away this time. There was no violent push back, no raging fear of losing his power that he clung to do desperately. Instead he hesitantly kissed her back, his hand coming to the side of her face as she leaned further into the kiss from the awkward angle, laughing as she lost her balance and all but toppled into his lap. She found herself sitting on the armrest of his chair, both of them laughing softly.

"I'm not leaving again, Rumple," she promised after a moment. "You can't make me this time. Not if you truly do love me."

"I do," he promised softly and Belle felt her heart leap a little.

"Then it's settled. We'll face this together."

She waited and he nodded. A smile broke out and she leaned down to press a kiss to his cheek. "I like this."

His brows knit together. "Facing terrible danger down?"

Belle giggled. "Being able to kiss you."

Rumple smiled for her. "I could certainly get used to it."

"You should," she informed him and pressed another kiss to his lips. "I'm not going anywhere." A yawn caught her by surprise and offered him a smile. "Except maybe to bed."

"That may be best." He stood, offering her his arm and she took it readily. She wanted little more than to stay with him that night, curled into his arms as a constant reminder that they had finally been reunited, but he had always been a gentleman in that respect. He walked her to the room she had been staying in and stopped at the door. Her own upbringing stopped the request that he stay in her throat, but it didn't stop her from tipping up on her now bare toes and kissing him once more. He returned it readily and when they finally broke they were breathless. "Goodnight," he whispered, sounding very much like he were forcing himself to say it. He pressed a kiss to the back of her hand and turned to limp down the hall.

"Rumple?" she called after him in a hushed whisper. He paused and turned, and she was quite certain that she had never felt about anyone as she did him. "I love you."

He smiled. "And I love you."

"Goodnight," she said quickly as she slipped into her room. There would be time to work through the emotions that being so close to him again brought crashing in. There would be time for everything now that she had found him again.

August shifted nervously where he stood. He'd received the location to his phone from a number he didn't recognize, but he was fairly certain he knew where it had come from. Magnus had made it clear to him what was expected: he was to act as a double agent of sorts and bring back any and all information that the Dark One let slip. He had tried to tell the crazy man that Gold would see it coming, but that didn't seem to bother the cleric. He was just a pawn to be used and tossed away.

"Good to see you came alone."

The author jumped at the sudden voice in the dark woods. It was late and he had already been waiting a good half hour after the text had said to be there. He would have given up earlier if his and his father's lives weren't on the line. The further he sunk into this mess, the more certain he was becoming that he might never get out of it.

"I know how to read between the lines," August answered after a moment, turning to face the Dark One.

Rumplestiltskin stood dressed as if he were going to a court case rather than attending a secret meeting in the woods well after midnight. A lazy smile stretched his thin lips and he nodded at him. "I take it you met Soren and Silas after I did."

August grimaced as his hand went up to the lingering black eye he sported. "Yeah. Swell guys."

"I'm keeping an eye on your father as I said I would," Rumplestiltskin assured him and August felt a little relieved.

"Is there no way just to get him out of here?"

"Not until the curse breaks."

"And Emma can't do that until she's twenty-eight," he sighed and his eyes scanned the area. "Listen, I don't like being a part of all this, but she's innocent."

"And why would I wish to harm the dear little savior?" the Dark One drawled.

August shrugged. "Don't know. I only heard a little bit of the conversation, but it sounds like Magnus wants to use her to break the curse early. I just... My papa told me to make sure she was safe and I haven't exactly lived up to that. I just want to make sure she's safe."

A frown twitched Rumplestiltskin's thin lips downward, but he waved it off. "Don't you have enough to concern yourself about, dearie? Don't forget that you and I have a deal, and I've held up my end this far."

"He knows you're awake."

The Dark One snorted. "He suspects."

"He wants me to work as a double agent for him. I told him you'd see that though."

"And right you are."

August didn't like that at all. Neither of these powerful men cared anything for him. He was very likely to get crushed between their struggle for power in Storybrooke.

"You'll have to be exceptionally clever to make sure he provides you with useful information."

"What if he doesn't?"

"You've already proven to be resourceful. Just keep yourself alive and I'll hold my end up."

August wasn't sure how he'd managed to prove resourceful. He felt like he'd managed to do just the opposite. "What should I tell him then?"

"That he should watch his steps carefully," Rumplestiltskin said darkly and turned, leaving the younger man alone in the woods.

Well, mostly alone. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he heard the leaves behind him rustle and one of Magnus' favourite twins slung an arm around his shoulder. "Well played, Puppet," Soren greeted.

"Now Magnus will know for certain," his brother agreed from August's other side,

The author swallowed hard, but didn't say anything. He didn't think it would do them any good. Rumplestiltskin was a force to be reckoned with, and he couldn't help but to hope that Magnus found himself on the losing end of things. At least he trusted the Dark One to keep his end of the bargain.

Bae hadn't meant to wait up for him, but he couldn't sleep after everything that had happened that day and Emma was already dead to the world. He'd left her in their room, snoring softly, and found that his papa was nowhere in the house. The cadillac was missing from its spot and he had found his cell phone on the kitchen counter. He didn't like it one bit, and it was hardly a smart move after he had been jumped outside the shop.

It was nearly three in the morning before he heard the lock on the back door shift. Baelfire startled awake from where he had dozed off and was halfway up as his papa slipped in.

Rumplestiltskin blinked at him in the shadows. "Bae, what are you doing up at this hour?"

"Asks the man that's sneaking back into his own house at three am," his son answered a little flippantly. There was something about the whole situation that wasn't setting right and his father wasn't installing confidence.

"I'm hardly sneaking anywhere," the older man said defensively.

"Papa, what's going on?"

Rumplestiltskin purses his lips. "What makes you think there's something going on?"

"You won't give me a straight answer," Bae pointed out firmly.

His papa seemed to weigh that a moment and finally his lips quirked up a bit in a defeated smile. "You were always far too clever," he murmured.

Despite the situation, Bae found himself smiling a little too. "I just know you too well. C'mon, I can't help you if you don't tell me."

A sigh escaped him and his father motioned towards the sitting room. He sank heavily into the chair Bae had been perched in and the late hour seemed to catch up to him all at once. "I'll tell you, but I need your word you'll let me handle it."

"Papa-"

"Your word, Baelfire, or I'll simple handle it anyway and you won't know till it's done."

It was Bae's turn to sigh. It wasn't an idle threat. "Fine. You have it."

Rumplestiltskin slouched a bit in his chair. "I was meeting with August and there's something that I'll need to handle before the idea gets out of hand."

"What did August say?"

"Magnus seems to know that Emma is here."

Bae waited for something further, and when it didn't come he wasn't sure if it was his sleep deprived brain that wasn't picking up on something obvious or his father's that was missing the fact that it wasn't. Finally, he decided it didn't matter since they both came out with the same result. "Okay?"

"He'll know as I do that there's a good chance that she can't break the curse until she comes of age. He wouldn't want to wait once I'm dead."

The casualness with which his papa spoke about a man murdering him hit Bae hard. "He's not going to-"

"That's beside the point right now," Rumplestiltskin cut him off. "There's only one way to guarantee that the curse could be broken without waiting."

"You're still not saying what that is," Bae pointed out uncomfortably.

A frown tugged his father's lips. "He's going to sacrifice Emma's life to send everyone home."

Bae felt like he had been plunged into an icy lake. If he hadn't already been sitting he was certain the world would have tilted and dropped him straight to the floor. "He's going to... Would that...?"

"Yes," his papa answered quietly.

He felt sick. "You didn't... I mean, please tell me you didn't mean to use that to break it and come find me," he finally managed to get out.

"No. The intention was always to have Emma break it through belief. That was actually a safety put in to keep Regina from killing her."

"Oh," Bae breathed out. "Okay."

Rumplestiltskin's hand on his startled him. "I will fix this, Bae," he swore, but his son didn't really hear him.

"I have to get her out of here. How could I have been so stupid? She should never have come here."

He stood, moving like a ghost, even as his papa stumbled after him. He ignored his protests, his reminders that he'd promised to let him handle it. He never would have given his word if he had known Emma's life was in danger. Finally he spun on his father when he hit the top step to the second floor. "Not like you've ever gone back on something before," he snapped.

Rumplestiltskin stopped where he was, knuckles going white as he gripped his cane with one hand and the railing with another. "Bae," he whispered and looked like he might fall over. The haunted look that filled his eyes nearly made Baelfire stop, but he didn't dare. He could apologize after he'd handled this fiasco. When Emma was safe.

He forced himself to turn and pushed the door to their room open. Emma was curled up and sleeping just as soundly as she had been when he had gone downstairs. She stirred and sat up slowly when he made no effort to enter quietly and, even though he couldn't see her face well in the dark, he knew she was glaring. "Are you drunk? Seriously, some of us are trying to sleep."

"Get up. We're leaving."

His eyes were adjusting a little better in the dark and he could see her blink at him. "What the hell? You finally get me to believe in all of this crap and now you want to leave just like that?" She looked past him and for a moment he thought she might have murdered his father if she had half the chance. "What did you do?"

"It's not his fault," Bae answered hastily when he saw his papa lingering at the door and looking a bit lost. Maybe he'd need to apologize before he got her out of there. He definitely needed to remember to promise to come back, not that that would do any good to quell his father's paranoia. "Magnus is after you."

"That's not exactly what I said," Rumplestiltskin said tightly from the door.

"Okay, he might come after you."

"Why me?"

"It's… complicated," Bae answered roughly and he was already stuffing her clothes - both the ones that she had brought with her and the ones that she'd gotten since they'd been in Storybrooke - into a bag. "I'll explain in the way."

"No, I'm not going anywhere," Emma growled stubbornly. "And stop packing. Your freaking your dad out." She motioned towards Rumplestiltskin. "He's not going anywhere. He gets like this. Neal, we're not going anywhere. We're here to help your dad."

"Right, and I'll come back, but I'm going to drive you down to Boston. Maybe further. Can he get there, Papa? He can't leave, can he?"

"He's not going to hurt Emma," his papa murmured softly.

"Yeah, because I'm getting her out of here before he can."

"Stop being stupid," the blonde snapped and chunked a pillow at him, hitting him in the side of the face. "I'm not going anywhere, do you hear me? If you're not going to tell me what's going on, go away. I'm sleeping and you're obviously not. Go take a walk around the block or something."

"Bae," his father called as he took a hesitant step in, "I will handle this. I swear to you. Please… don't go."

"See, he said he'll handle it. You said you trusted him. No one's dying and everyone's happy." Emma flopped back to the bed dramatically and pulled the comforter up over her head.

Bae stood still between them for a long moment, a new sweater of Emma's hanging dumbly from his hand. He looked back to his papa who nodded and motioned for him to follow. His movements were stiff, afraid, but Bae forced himself to do as he was told. He followed quietly out of the room and shut the door behind him, feeling the knot in his chest clench as he followed Rumplestiltskin down the stairs. By the time that they reached the bottom he moved past him and into the kitchen, pulling a bottle of his father's scotch from a cabinet and poured two glasses without saying a word. When he was done, he handed the extra to his papa, knocked his back, and poured another one even as it burned all the way down.

"I won't let him hurt her, you must believe me."

He looked back to where his papa stood with muted terror in his eyes and he pulled in a deep breath. "I know. I just… I can't lose either of you now. I just… can't."

"Either?" Rumplestiltskin asked in a small voice and Bae rolled his eyes.

"Either," he confirmed and took another long drink from his glass.

Rumplestiltskin nodded and sipped at his own. "I have some business at the convent that I've put off since you came to town. I'll take care of it tomorrow and handle Magnus."

"Papa, you can't-"

"Of course I can. He's not ready to end this now that he knows I'm awake. It's a game to him and he has to prove himself more powerful than I am."

"What will you do then?"

His papa shrugged. "The truth should do nicely to knock him off the scent."

"And what's that?"

The first real smile since he'd slipped through the door that night touched his father's lips and he poured himself another glass.

While he knew that morning had not come any earlier than it always did, it certainly felt like it. Rumplestiltskin was a morning person by necessity and many, many long years of practice. As the Dark One in the Enchanted Forest, he often didn't sleep, but there he had had his curse to sustain that habit. There in the Land Without Magic, he had no such luxury. At least he didn't have the hang over that his son might be fighting that morning.

The cadillac pulled up in front of the convent and Rumplestiltskin saw several of the so-called nuns scurrying inside. The Blue Fairy stood alone on the porch, her frown set deeply as if she'd known he was coming, but there was no way that she would. She waited, not bothering to say a word until he had limped his way up the stairs. He waved an envelope in the air. "Your paperwork for the lease renewal. I fear I had some personal issues to handle, so it's a bit late."

Blue crossed her arms and continued to glare.

"Shall I accept this as your notice then, Madame Superior?" Rumplestiltskin asked easily.

"I think we both know you're not here for the paperwork, Mr Gold," she snapped and her gaze swiveled to the sheriff car parked just in front of where his own vehicle was. "Your pet is harassing my nuns."

"He's hardly my pet. Perhaps he's simply found a new lead. You can hardly blame the man for doing his job."

"Last I heard the culprit to the robbery had been caught."

"Didn't you hear? I was attacked outside my shop just before Christmas. It reopened the case."

Blue's frown deepened and Rumplestiltskin's smile broadened. She reached forward and snatched the papers from him. "If that will be all?"

"Not quite," he answered easily and pulled a smaller envelope out of the inside pocket of his jacket. "It's come to my attention that there's a gentleman living on premise that hasn't been put on the lease. Now, I'm within my rights to evict you all and move on." He paused a moment and watched her pale a bit before continuing. "Though I'm feeling generous today. I've written up a bit of paperwork for him here and all he'll need to do is sign it and we'll be well in our way."

Blue studied him for a long moment. "If you're referring to Mr Dawson, I'm afraid he can't see. You'll have to have his lawyer take a look at it."

"My, a blind groundskeeper that can afford to keep a lawyer on retainer. What an oddity."

"Not to worry, Mother Superior," a voice that Rumplestiltskin very much recognized sounded from behind him. He turned to see Caiden standing in a business suit with a briefcase in hand and his mind flashed back to just before Bae had arrived. It hadn't been Peter Kurtz in Mr Gold's shop, not really, but Caiden. The boy had always been good at what he did, even if a bit less ruthless than Magnus. "Mr Dawson just spoke to the sheriff. I'm happy to sit with he and Mr Gold to take a look over the paperwork."

Blue sighed heavily. "As you wish. I'll have this filled out for you shortly, Mr Gold. Good day."

Rumplestiltskin nodded as she turned on heel and stalked back into the convent. Caiden stood waiting with a small smile playing on his lips. "This way," he motioned and the older man limped after him. "It was certainly clever to send the sheriff here to make sure nothing would happen when you arrived, though unnecessary."

"Three attempts on my life in the last few weeks. I hardly find any measures I take to be unnecessary," Rumplestiltskin answered smoothly.

Caiden smirked. "It might be easier if we drop the charade now. At least while we speak."

Dark brown eyes studied the young cleric for a moment and he snorted. "I'm not here for my enjoyment. I'd rather like to get on with this."

His guide nodded slowly and they continued on in silence. It was cold that morning, but at least the winds had died down. Caiden led him out into the graveyard of all places where Magnus stood as if looking at one of the graves. His old enemy straightened as he approached and Rumplestiltskin paused a few yards back, cane positioned in front of him, and he waited.

After a moment Magnus turned sightless, damaged eyes on him. Once they had been as pale as Caiden's, but that was before Rumplestiltskin had stolen his sight from him. Now they were milky white and useless in this land without magic. As the Dark One shifted and felt his bad ankle twinge, he thought of what a pair they made in this world. Two of the most powerful sorcerers that the Enchanted Forest had ever witnessed were reduced to cripples. Well, they did still have their minds, and Rumplestiltskin had always known that was where most of his power lay anyway.

"I understand you've found yourself," Magnus boomed, and even without magic his voice seemed to shake the ground.

"Rumours do spread in this place," he chuckled and took a step closer.

"To what do I owe this visit, Dark One?" Magnus asked and Rumplestiltskin quirked an eyebrow. Straight and to the point. Interesting. He was used to a bit more banter back and forth, but with the late night he'd had before he wasn't going to complain. Down to business.

"Officially, you're living on my property without my permission. You will need to fill these out and agree to the terms." He stepped forward to hand him the documents and leaned in so that if Graham were to pass by in his questionings he wouldn't hear them. "Unofficially, this is your one warning Magnus. My family - both directly and indirectly - are off limits, do you understand me?"

The cleric smiled and Rumplestiltskin resisted the urge to reach out and clobber him with his cane. "And why do you believe that?"

"Because this is between you and me," he answered dangerously. "You dragged them into it. Now you're going to leave them out of it."

The smile broadened. "And what do I get out of it?"

"I don't destroy everyone that you hold dear and strip you of what little this curse has provided to you," Rumplestiltskin answered lowly and waved towards the envelope. "Take a look at my terms - or have Caiden read them to you for all I care - but you'll find that there really is only one option."

"And if I choose not to agree to your terms?"

"Then you'll find out just how much power I truly have in this little town. When you're ready to make that deal, you know where I am."

Magnus snorted as Rumplestiltskin turned and limped off. He might be obstinate now, but it wouldn't last, he knew, not with all the strings he could pull. He had done his research and had been waiting for the moment that he needed to put it to use. He had to make sure Bae knew Emma was safe there or they would leave. If Bae left he might never come back, and Rumplestiltskin would be trapped in this crazy little world without his magic and without his son. That simply wasn't an option.

He didn't expect Magnus to give simply in threat of course. That afternoon Graham would arrest Soren and Silas. He would identify them personally and Marco could back him up - his agreement to do that had put him under the sheriff's protection as well - in that. Those two wouldn't be slipping through as Magnus had managed to do and he would be down a pair of eager thugs. Then he would see what he was dealing with and Magnus would strike a deal. Rumplestiltskin hadn't been fool enough to try to deal for his own safety - that would only have encouraged Magnus to break the deal later - but he could bring the battle into focus between the two of them by hitting him on the closest thing he had to family. One by one he'd pick off those damn clerics until their master gave his word and meant it. One by one he'd tear down his perfect little army. He couldn't get all of them, he knew, but he could find enough that it wouldn't be worth it for Magnus to focus on anyone but him.

TBC

Notes: Well, Texas is finally getting at least something like winter this week. We had snow (that didn't stick) today and ice (that did) on Monday. Now if we could just get snow that would stick. I keep joking that my friends up in New England need to send some of their craziness our way. We'd be happy to take their piles of snow :D

You guys know what happens Sunday? Rumple's back! At least he'll get some screen time as the big bad this season!

Next time - Rumple and Belle get a proper date while Magnus plans his retaliation.