Once Upon A Fan

By Teresa Martin

Mr. Gold was still holding the cup.

And he could not care less that Sheriff Swan was staring, or asking questions. Constantly. He mostly ignored her, or gave a little quip that anyone could easily translate into 'shut up.'

He held the cup in his hand.

This was his reminder that Belle was right. He would regret sending her away forever. He wasn' t worried about the charges. He'd buy Mr. French off. Give him back his truck, forgive all the debts. Everyone had a price and would bargain with anything to get it. Even with assault charges.

'Would you like me to pour tea into it?' Sheriff Swan asked sarcastically. He didn't answer. 'That's what it's for isn' t it?' she persisted.

'If you wouldn't mind,' he requested, still looking at the cup, much to her apparent surprise.

'Ohh kaaaay,' she said slowly and pushed the button on the electric kettle. 'Earl Grey or Darjeeling?'

'You have those?' he smiled absently, almost as in a reverie.

'No! I don't,' and she laughed shaking her head and pulled out Limpton Tea. 'This isn't the Queen's Royal chamber.'

O little she knew, Gold thought.

She walked over holding out her hand, 'Ok, give me the cup.'

'Can't you just pour it in?'

'Oh, for crying out loud. Just give me the damn cup! It's not like I have a pot to steep it in.'

Gold almost told her to forget it. Forget everything, but he felt that he couldn't not give the cup to Emma. 'But you'll give it back? 'He demanded.

She frowned. 'Of course I will. Why wouldn't I?

'No matter,' he replied nonchalantly.

Gold pushed his hand though the bars and handed her the cup, a little too reluctantly. She shook her head and took it. Immediately she dropped it with a cry. Gold stood up cursing at her through the bars.

'Chill, chill,' Emma backed away, more than a little taken aback. 'It's not broken. Or not broken any more than it was,' she muttered as sucked her thumb which had turned red.

'Why?' he screamed, his face contorted demonically grasping both fists on the bars. 'Why did you drop it?'

'Because it was scalding hot, that's why!' she shouted back.

'Give it back!' he demanded. 'GIVE IT BACK!'

'Ok. Ok.' She touched it with a finger. Not hot anymore. 'Have it. Have it.' She gave it back. 'No tea for you!' she chuckled shakily, as she rummaged in her desk. 'Where the hell is the aloe?' Finding it, she rubbed a generous portion on her hand. She warily turned her eyes to Mr. Gold who had fallen silent again and was clearly working to gain his composure.

She looked away when she heard the rat- ta- tat of small feet. Henry was back.

'Henry,' she sighed. 'Please tell me you didn't run away from your mother.'

'No, Emma,' he answered. ' Mom told me to come back!' He was grinning from ear-to ear. 'Just a moment ago Mom stopped at the ice-cream store because I had forgotten to bring the cone for Mr. Gold.'

Emma chuckled, 'Yes, we did forget didn't we?' Emma shook her head looking at Mr. Gold,

'How thoughtful,' he remarked, taking the cone from Emma.

He began to lick the cone. ' Aw, good,' he smiled, 'no poison!'

But Emma did not hear this for she saw that Henry had something behind his back and was grinning ear-to ear. 'What do you have Henry?' a small smile creeping onto her face.

Henry pulled it out triumphantly. A red rose. Gold dropped the cone, but Emma didn't notice, 'For you, Emma,' he said. 'Happy Valentine s day!'

Emma took it. 'Thank you, Henry. You bought this?'

'No, Mom did. She bought two and gave one to me. I'm not into roses. I'm 10! And a boy.' He rolled his eyes.

Emma smiled. 'The other was for her Valentine?'

'No,' Henry laughed. 'She always takes a rose, every week or so.'

'Oh, for her Father's grave?'

'No, and this is really weird. She takes it to a patient in the mental ward of the hospital!'

Emma frowned, 'Your mother knows someone there?'

He shrugged, 'I guess, she never said who, but she said she likes to give it.' He leaned in conspiratorially, 'My mother never does anything without a reason, maybe we should find out who it is.'

'Maybe we should,' Emma murmured thoughtfully.

'Yes,' interrupted Mr. Gold who they had not noticed watching the whole exchange. 'We should.' He was on his feet looking hungrily at the rose.

Emma smiled, 'Would that count as my favor to you?'

Gold hesitated, but then made up his mind, 'Yes, but only if you are successful.'

'A deal then.' Emma smiled.

'And once made it cannot be broken,' he warned, 'or else...'

'Yeah, yeah. I know. I'll do it. Shouldn't be too hard.'

'Do it now!' Mr. Gold demanded.

'I'm guarding YOU now!' Emma protested.

'No. Now.' His eyes held hers.

'I really will be free of the debt I owe you?' Emma asked.

Mr. Gold smiled brittily, 'I never go back on a deal.'

'Alright then. I'll get back up and start looking.'

'Clever girl,' Mr. Gold said then went back to holding the cup.

Chapter Two

Emma wordlessly opened the door.

Gold looked into the room and saw her.

'Is this Belle?'

Gold nodded, speech evading him.

He walked over and held out his hand. 'Belle,' his voice cracked. He began

again, 'Belle, come with me.'

She looked up into his face. Emma walked around Gold and knelt by her. 'Belle, do you know this man?'

she asked gently.

Belle looked straight into his eyes, frowning. Then she nodded slowly, 'Yes, I know him.'

Gold half-sobbed, half-laughed in relief and helped her up.

'Just what is going on here?' a stern, familiar voice demanded.

Gold head snapped toward the voice and in seconds was lunging toward her. Emma was ready for it though and grabbed him, 'Don't do something you'll really regret,' she insisted.

Gold relaxed, his palms held out to Emma showing he held his peace.

He turned to Regina. 'Nothing but the routine release of an inmate.' He smiled, 'You'll see that the paperwork is all in order.'

'I'm sure it is,' Regina replied through gritted teeth. 'But I won't have it.'

Now Gold laughed, 'Oh yes, you will. And you know it. So PLEASE, move aside.'

Regina glared, but let them pass.

Gold supported Belle as they exited, but before they went through the door, he turned to her. 'Another Happy Ending. Seems to happen a lot here lately.' He leaned in to whisper in her face, 'This is your curse after all, though not quite what you expected.' He laughed, 'All magic, after all, comes with a price. I suppose yours is to see Storybrooke fall apart!'

He turned then and left her, going home with Belle.

***

For three days he stood by her, sat by her. She hadn't really awakened. The nurse he'd hired, HIS nurse, said it would be a few days for the sedatives to completely wear off. He'd insisted only on candlelight in her room. He wanted her to wake to something familiar.

Then at 8:15pm that night, her the eyes opened. Completely.

'Rumplestilskin?'

He could have wept with relief. 'Yes. You still know me?'

'I'd know you anywhere.' She sat up. 'The question is where am I?'

'Why,' he answered in surprise, 'you're in my house.'

'No castle here?' She smiled.

'I like to think of it as one.'

Belle nodded, 'I suppose we have a lot to talk about.'

***

He told her everything.

'But you,' he insisted 'Why do you know?'

Belle looked thoughtful. 'It must have been the kiss. Our kiss gave you the magic, but I suppose it went both ways, yours came to me.'

He shook his head, 'That was not my magic.'

'Wasn't it?' She leaned close to him. 'The GOOD magic?'

He shook his head, 'There is no good magic that could overcome her, the curse.'

'Really? Everything you have told me shows that everyone has had one Happy Ending after another. Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Jiminy Cricket? They have all resisted. The only one that makes no sense is Snow White.' She thought then, eyes brightening, 'but that is only a matter of time.' She was almost laughing, 'She can't win! Look at how much she's lost in just a short period. Storybrooke is nearly gone. She has no power!'

He said slowly, 'So this means that the real magic will defeat her is love. Our "Happy Endings?" He considered, 'but not all have "hooked up" as they say here.'

'Romantic love isn't the only love,' Belle replied. 'Why there is eros, for sure, but also caritas.' She got out of the bed and stood by him.

'Can you believe this?' she looked up into his eyes, the same way she had by the wheel before their kiss.

'I,' his voice cracked as it had in the assylum ward, 'I believe that I want you more than my power, if that is what you are asking.'

Belle shook her head, 'No, you don't love me more than your power for there is none to be lost. Love is the true power.'

She stepped closer, 'Are you willing?'

He looked at her in awe, 'Willing to what?'

She laughed, 'To test that theory. Rumplestilskin, will you kiss me?'

He had replayed this moment in his mind for years, how he would have done it all differently. He was not going to let anything stop him now. He never wanted to feel like that again.

'Yes!' And he kissed her again, and again, and again.

***

They lay facing each other and said everything that needed to be said after that terrible night. Belle had been right. He had not lost one ounce of power after their kisses. Rather, he was stronger than he had ever been before.

Belled touched his face, 'You had the answer, you know, when you told the Queen that the price of her curse was to be alone. Let's find all of the others with a Happy Ending, most of the town by now, and put an end to this!'

'Yes,' he agreed. 'An end to this Storybrooke. It's run its course. Rather tedious really.' Belle laughed. He clasped her hand. 'In the morning, let the finale begin!'

She burst out with a sound of joy and kissed him again. 'Tomorrow, and within weeks, we'll be home!'

***

So it was within a few weeks that Regina woke one morning to a silent town. She searched, growing more anxious by the minute and hysterical within an hour.

She ended up running to Mr. Gold's house where there was a note for her.

'All magic comes with a price, Your Majesty. Welcome to Storybrooke!'

Regina dropped the note and let out a primal scream that nobody heard.

***

And they all lived Happily Ever After...not without struggles, or wars, or illness, or death. But now they had alliances, new friends, family, and support.

They lived with love.

Click for Appendix