Silent and peaceful was the night. Rumple lay in bed with his wives cuddled up on either side of him pretending to be asleep. Pretending because the sheer pressure Rumple's incessant thinking brought to the room prevented any actual slumber. To be honest he was in the sort of mood where his hands itched to tinker with something or simply to spin. Come the morning and he'd be essentially waving the only person he could have even considered calling a friend from the last three hundred years goodbye. For so long he'd insisted he didn't need friends, but Jefferson and that ridiculous blond doctor had wormed their way in. So there the Dark One lay lamenting the departure of the Hatter. Rumple couldn't help wondering just when he'd become quite so sensitive.

"Everything is going to be fine, Rumple." Belle told him quietly before placing a kiss to his bare chest.

"I didn't mean to keep you awake. Either of you."

Phria lifted her head then, her ears drooped slightly as they always did when tired and her white hair draped over one shoulder.

"We're more worried about you than a little lost sleep. Is it that Jefferson is leaving or that you're not going back to your realm?"

To his realm? Rumple hadn't had a single thought of returning to the Enchanted Forest since he'd found Bae had been summoned to Dreymyr. He had no beloved childhood memories or family he wanted to go back to. No, Rumple couldn't have cared less that he'd never again see the place of his birth. If he went back his curse would ensnare him again just as it had with the other Dark One who'd made it to Dreymyr, and that was the last thing he wanted.

"I don't want to go back." He promised before kissing their foreheads in turn. "My family is all here, why would I want to leave?"

The women pushed themselves up in an almost perfect unison; Belle always slept in a white chemise, while Phria had opted for an oversized shirt she'd stolen from Rumple shortly after she'd confessed her love to him. Both were so beautiful, his wives, his queens, his true loves.

Belle took one of his clawed hands into hers and brought it up to kiss while Phria crawled closer brushing her hand over his smooth chest as she worried her lip.

"You're so tense." Frankly, Rumple couldn't argue with the pantherian. "We could so do something about that."

He lifted an eyebrow as she smirked down at him then bent to kiss him. Soon Rumple was buried inside Belle while she road him, her eyes fluttered shut and mouth hung open in a silent moan. Meanwhile his claws dug into Phria's slender hips while he devoured her magnificent wet heat. Any lingering thoughts of Jefferson's departure had been thoroughly washed from his mind, cast away and forgotten about faster and more efficiently that his wheel could have ever hoped to achieve.

~X~

Morning found Bae tugging his father into a quiet alcove for a private conversation. Things had been going exceptionally well between the two of them as of late, but there were still many a pitfall to navigate, that was what had Rumple audibly swallow when he spotted the serious expression on his son's face.

"You're opening the portal today, right?"

Rumple nodded. "I'm certainly going to try. Is there a problem, son?"

Bae signed and stared at the floor a moment. While he had the body of a teenager, Bae had the eyes of a man who'd seen far too many dark things in his life.

"We've got a home here now, I like having sisters and, while it's still a bit odd, I like having Belle and Phria as my stepmothers. I don't want us to lose this home, with the Church and political climate that King Artem keeps going on about, we have enough problems." Concerned brown eyes peered up at his papa. "What I'm trying to say is: Are you sure opening that portal won't turn you back into who you were? What if it opens and the Darkness takes you back?"

For a moment Rumple stood there in a stunned silence. He'd not realized Bae worried so deeply about these things; then again, it was something that could damn them all and their new family. Having the worst part of his curse closed off in another realm had removed an incommodious weight from his shoulders.

"Bae, lad," he began while trying not to deflate. "I can't make that deal. I can't make it because I'm not sure it won't happen. I can't pretend to be brave like Belle or you, and I'm not a warrior like Phria. Maybe my curse will try to ensnare me again once the portal is open – I can't even be certain it will open. We can hope but reality is far more complicated than that and often cruel as you well know. I made you learn that far more viciously than you ever should have." Rumple took a calming breath while Bae stared at the floor as he did his best to shove past memories away. "Bae, all I can promise you is that, should that evil come for me again, I'll fight it. I was blind the first time and thought power would make everything better, but that was three hundred years ago and I know better now. I don't want to go back to the dark. I'm not strong but I'll fight it."

"None of this makes up for what you did back then, Papa. Belle goes on about second chances though and I just want you to know this is yours. If you go back to being that monster, I don't think I can give you a third. My sisters, they've never seen the real Dark One. They'll just see that monster as having killed their papa." That cut Rumple to the quick. He couldn't let that curse steal a father from yet more children. He refused to facilitate it further. "You promised me you'd be better, so be better."

Not knowing what else to do, Rumple nodded. He had his theories on the curse, what had happened and how connecting Dreymyr to the Enchanted Forest would affect him, but he'd been pretending he wasn't afraid. Having power staved off most of his fears, but no amount of power could prevent the curse latching back on if it chose to. 'Do the brave thing and bravery will follow', Belle had been saying that since the day they'd met, she'd learned it from her mother and ensured her own children knew it as well. It was a sentiment Bae had taken to heart and could see his papa had as well. However, wanting to do something and actually doing it were two very different things.

Rumple returned to the Arcane University with those thoughts still swirling around at the back of his brain. Birds chirped in the morning sun, people wandered the market and something in Mykel Ainsworth's research lab blew up startling numerous students. Nothing distracted Demeer, Jefferson or Rumple from their task though, they couldn't risk it. With the possible threat she posed, Ravavena had been placed in the Valkyrie training room with countless guards and enough wards that the room had stood a chance of keeping even Rumple in. To be perfectly honest, she'd traded one cell for a slightly nicer one.

When he entered he found Ravavena sat quietly on a bench staring at the flagstones while Jefferson fidgeted with his hat, and Demeer made little notes in a small book that was tucked away in his robes when he saw Rumple.

"I take it distance caused no issues?"

Demeer shook his head. "None at all. The collar hasn't activated once since you left, Rumpelstiltskin, I'd be intrigued to learn how you accomplished such a thing, as would Sebas Emmot. This realm has had the enslavement ritual almost as long as we've had myths of you and nobody has managed to alter it."

"I'm a unique sort, dearie." He mused as he walked to the blonde elf an stopped directly in front of her. "Stand up and turn around."

Rumple had put so much effort into not using a commanding tone with Belle after he'd learned how the collar worked, but with Ravavena he needed to ensure she couldn't find any loopholes; he was good at that so he supposed fellow demon lords were as well. Green gems glowed and had Ravavena up and turned in hardly two seconds. He'd not command her all the time, had no desire for slaves, but had to ensure this leash could be tugged on when needed. That was why he'd left her in Demeer's capable hands, he'd run several tests Rumple wouldn't have thought of during the night.

The collar Ravavena wore had a slightly different cut-out in the back to that of Belle's, hers had been circular and concentric, but Ravavena's altered one was more triangular; this was the only physical change to the enslavement ritual, but it had made a gigantic difference.

"You have an astounding talent for magic, my Lord, not that it wasn't expected."

Rumple just hummed as he inspected the sigil then had her turn back to face him. "As I'm sure you've noticed, your collar won't punish you for being too far away from me, but that is it. All other rules of the collar are still in place and if I command you to me, dearie, then you'll be pulled from wherever you are without care for what you're doing."

She nodded. "I understand."

"She gets it." Jefferson suddenly piped up. "Can we just go now?"

Yes, they'd kept Jefferson waiting much too long and it wasn't fair. So, quickly but carefully, they gathered up the ingredients and items they'd need for the spell then Rumple teleported them all to of Rutherford Tower where it had all begun. Shortly after regaining control of himself, Maurice had ordered a guard placed around the tower just in case any of Gaston's and Tvon's secret supporters got any ideas; thankfully nobody had and their visitors had consisted mostly of slimes.

After some quick words with the guard captain they'd all climbed the stairs to the top. Rumple nor Jefferson had particularly good memories of Rutherford Tower and they didn't wish to linger longer than was needed. Fortunately for them, much of the magic circle Tvon had used remained fairly intact so it wasn't that hard to recreate it. Though he couldn't really do anything to assist then, Jefferson lingered close by as though the portal could somehow open without him. For the most part Ravavena had been doing the same, but she slowly shuffled closer to the circle with her brow furrowed after about fifteen minutes.

"My Lord, this is Ivosanch's work." That had everybody pause and turn to face her as she began to loop around the circle only to point out other symbols. "And this is Halinox. And that is draconic. Somebody cobbled this together and probably thought they were smarter than they are."

She may have been his slave now, but she was also a defeated demon lord with a well of information in her head. Oh, Rumple would have to have her tell him everything once they were done – and if the spell didn't kill her; probably wouldn't but one could never be entirely sure.

"Aye, dearie, he wasn't all that smart. Actually wanted to be another demon lord and had no understanding that magic always comes with a price." That had her lift an eyebrow because only the blackest of souls actually wanted to become demon lords, and that was from somebody who was one.

"This should work but it needs a stabilizer – oh, that's me."

As realization dawned on the blonde, Jefferson actually felt bad for her. She was going to suffer through so much intense pain all so he could go home. Rumple had managed to build a life in Dreymyr and Jefferson wished him all the best, he honestly did, but Grace was his world. Still, Ravavena had agreed to help them of her own freewill and that was something to be respected, it was what had Jefferson approach her while Rumple and Demeer finished their preparations.

"Em, Ravavena?" She turned to face him. Remarkably beautiful she was when not covered in dirt or hidden behind knotted hair. Then again, all elves seemed to be exceptionally beautiful as a rule. Amicia would grow into a lovely young woman and Belle was stunning despite only being a half-elf. "Thank you for doing this. You don't know me or Grace, and I know you mostly wanted to get out of that prison, but thank you. I am grateful."

For a moment she simply stood there in shock. Nobody had thanked her for anything in so very long, so genuine gratitude caught her by surprise.

"You're em, you're welcome." Gray eyes glanced to the Dark One. People seemed aligned with him, the Grand Mage certainly was. So, if there was hope for him living in the light, maybe there was hope for her as well. "Friends call me Vena. At least they would if I had any."

The Hatter flashed her a smile, that scoundrel one all the girls loved. "Vena it is."

A few more moments passed, leaves danced on the breeze, slimes bounced about below and somewhere one of the guards gave a guttural laugh. Then a new moment began and it was time to open the portal. As Ravavena took her place and the two most powerful mages in Dreymyr began to cast, Jefferson felt nerves bubble up inside him. This was exactly what he'd wanted since the second that wretched demon lord wanna-be had pulled him into Dreymyr, what he still wanted, but part of him feared the portal wouldn't open. If it didn't open he'd never see his baby girl again.

Suddenly Ravavena dropped to the dusty floor and began to scream as she curled in on herself, a purple-black cloud like miasma formed around her then began to swirl in the centre of the magic circle. Part of Jefferson wanted to stop them causing the elf so much agony, but this had to happen. Faster, faster, faster the purple-black smoke swirled as the wind kicked up causing him to grip his top hat tighter. So this was what this spell looked like when cast properly. Haldor Tvon may have pieced it all together, but he'd lacked the power and resilience to use it properly. Rumple and Demeer though, they were masters of magic doing all of this to reunite Jefferson with Grace. He'd always known Rumple wasn't as two dimensional as most assumed, there had always been more to him than just evil, but Dreymyr had allowed Jefferson to see just how much kindness existed under the surface. When he had Grace in his arms again, he'd make sure to tell her of how it was all down to the Dark One and the inhabitants of a realm stranger than Wonderland.

Then, with a deafening clap akin to thunder, the portal roared to life with the strange smoke still circling around it like a vortex. Open. It opened! Jefferson could go home!

"That's my castle, I can feel it." Rumple shouted over the rushing, whirling sound. "You can use your hat from there."

Without warning Jefferson hugged Rumple from behind causing him to turn stiff. The elf continued to scream.

"Thank you. Thank you, Rumple."

"No need for that. Hurry up, Hatter, it won't stay open long."

If that was because the portal wasn't meant to be open or because Ravavena's heart could give out Jefferson didn't know.

"Shame you can't stay." Said Demeer. "I'm glad to have met you."

"I'd like to, it's nice here. But I have to be with Grace."

Something struck Rumple then, something he'd not thought about in quite some time. Unique eyes found Jefferson's dazzling blue ones.

"You should be prepared for the Dark Curse." That had Jefferson raise an eyebrow. "Regina has a curse to take everybody to a place without happy endings. Everybody ensnared in it will be separated from those they love and subjected to Regina's whims. You can't stop it, it will happen. Twenty-eight years. In twenty-eight years a Savior will come and the curse broken, but you and your daughter will be apart until then."

Jefferson paled. "How does she have something so monstrous?!" Rumple didn't point out it had come from him, too many complications while he held that portal open. "There's a way to escape it, right?"

Rumple shook his head. "No. It'll swallow just about everything up." Then he remembered what Demeer had said and wondered it maybe it was possible. "I'm going to pull through my things from my castle. I might be able to do the same with Grace. If you're both here the curse can't take you." He'd set all the wheels in motion for the Dark Curse but no longer needed it, the least he could do was offer Jefferson his own way out. "Tvon summoned Bae through use of my blood. It was an accident then but maybe you're blood can bring Grace to us."

Jefferson just stared. Beyond that portal was his home, but it sounded like Regina would steal it from him soon enough. Dreymyr wasn't a terrible place now the likes of Tvon had been defeated and the new bond of friendship he'd forged with Rumple would likely provide him and his daughter an extra layer of protection they'd lack in the Enchanted Forest or wherever Regina's curse dumped them.

Blue eyes locked on Rumple who'd started to struggle in holding the portal open. "Why would you do that for me?"

Rumple shrugged. "Not you, dearie. Grace. I've never met her but suspect she's often felt the way I made my boy feel. Lonely, like work and power are more important to us than they are. It's not true, but what other conclusion can a child make? You only want to find a place for the two of you to live peacefully, where Grace can thrive, and Regina is about to steal that away. That place can be here instead. Bae thought it needed to be a place with no magic, but it doesn't, it just needs to not be the Enchanted Forest. Everyone there always goes on about happily ever after but nobody actually gets one, not even the heroes, not really. My curse doesn't control me here, and here the Queen of Hearts nor anybody like-minded can force you to use that hat of yours."

"You could."

"Aye, but throwing a bit of gold at you is so much easier." Not a word drifted between them for a few seconds while wind, purple-black smoke and Ravavena's strangled cries hurtled around them. Demeer could feel the very foundations of Rutherford Tower start to vibrate as well; the portal would rip the whole place apart if it remained open much longer. "Tic tock, dearie. Are you going back or am I pulling Grace through?"

With a calming breath Jefferson nodded. "Pull her through."

Quickly Jefferson sliced open his finger on the pocket knife he always kept in his coat and let Rumple do what he needed with it. The process was uncomfortable and felt like a lifetime instead of only thirty seconds, but then little Grace tumbled through the portal and Jefferson snatched her up in his arms as Rumple turned his attention to pulling through as many artefacts and curios from his castle as was possible. Things landed in chaotic piles all around the tower until finally Ravavena lost consciousness and the portal snapped shut with another thunderous clap.

Everybody collapsed to the floor exhausted both physically and mentally. Had the elf's chest not risen and fallen, they'd have assumed her dead. Grace and Jefferson cried as he tried to explain what was happening and where they were; neither Rumple nor Demeer felt it appropriate to interfere.

His body might have hurt, but Rumple soon sent all of the items he'd sucked through to Dremyr off to his vault under the new Dark Castle.

Eventually Jefferson managed to look up from his beautiful daughter who he held so tight, tears streamed down his face like angry rivers and his cheeks had turned red.

"Thank you, Rumple."

Rumple waved him off, he'd never done well with praise. Instead he went to the single item he'd not removed to his vault; a familiar shape which glinted violently in the daylight. A clawed hand stretched out to snatch it up for this was the most important of the items he'd called to him. The Dark One had his dagger again.