The next morning in Storybrooke came rather quickly for the Gold residence. Ben stepped out of his room, rubbing his eye before he walked over to the door to the guest room and poked his head into the door, trying to be quiet and stealthy. The door creaked a bit, though inside, Mal was sleeping soundly before Ben then nodded and he gently shut the door to let her stay asleep so that he wouldn't disturb her. He then yawned and went over to the kitchen before flinching a bit once he saw that his mother was already up and in there, seeming to be sitting and waiting for something.
"Ben?" Belle greeted softly and wearily. "I didn't hear you get up."
"I didn't hear you get up either..." Ben said softly. "I woke up before my alarm."
Belle nodded before her maternal instincts told her that something was eating her son up deep inside somehow. "...Benny, what's wrong?" she then asked.
"Nothing... It's okay..." Ben said before he walked over and decided to sit with his mother. "Well... Something, I guess."
"Care to share?" Belle asked her son delicately.
"Well... I was just thinking... Especially since I'm the son of Rumplestiltskin..." Ben started to say.
"Oh, Ben. You're not worried that your father will go back to the way he used to be, are you?" Belle asked, almost as though she could feel the same feeling.
"What? No! Nothing like that..." Ben replied with a sheepish chuckle as he shook his head before sighing and trying to explain himself to her. "I guess... I'm just thinking about... Well... The other descendants."
"Oh?" Belle asked. "Like your friend Mal?"
"Yeah... She's the daughter of Maleficent... Ever since Day 1, people have been judging her as bad news, but maybe there's more to her than that," Ben replied softly. "I just feel like the descendants of the villains in The Enchanted Forest should be given a chance at a better life. Every time I see them or run into them in the hallway, I feel like they've been abandoned."
"Well... It isn't easy... With the children of our sworn enemies living among us, Benjamin." Belle replied gently.
"I know and I understand, but I feel like they deserve a chance. Besides, not everybody's like their parents," Ben defended. "Like... You found the man behind the beast in Dad even though he was once known as The Dark One... You guys had me... You believed that true love could break his curse."
"Yes, well, that didn't work out too well for me..." Belle replied softly as she sighed. "He threw me in the dungeon after I tried to kiss him to bring him back to his old self... All because I listened to a rather dark and greedy woman."
"Well, Mom, that was in the past and you should learn to let the past go, even if it hurts," Ben then said. "I think I know what I have to do for the descendants of Storybrooke. I'm going to try to befriend and help out the villain kids in this town so that they don't have to follow their parents' paths. They told us that everything was waiting for us and that everything was set in stone, but now I feel like they need a different ending. Sometimes you just have to find stuff like that on your own."
Belle looked a little thoughtful, but still a bit unsure.
"I just think that it might be good for everybody, but I'll take it one step at a time with the others, especially since we don't know who Jay or Carlos' parents are yet when they thought they were on the son of Baron and Baroness von Hellman or Abdel Shahryār. Besides... Abdel is a lot more inferior than Dad based on our cursed memories."
"...And who was he?" Belle then asked about Jay's alleged father in Storybrooke who actually never existed in The Enchanted Forest.
"Supposedly he runs a more rundown shop compared to Dad's and he would have Jay go out and steal things for him to compete with Dad's business," Ben explained. "The point is, I'm going to help them. Jay, Carlos, Mal, and since she was my best friend since first grade, Evie too."
Belle paused as she thought a lot about what her teenage son just said before she sighed. "Well... Ben, I won't stand in your way if that's what you want to do, but I just want you to be careful," she soon said gently. "But I just want to give you some personal advice I used to give myself when I was around your age."
Ben then looked curious as he stayed silent so that his mother could continue her thought from there.
"No one decides your fate except for you," Belle then said as she reached out and gently stroked her son's brunette hair that matched her own. "I'm a little unsure about this villain kids program you're talking about... But... I won't stand in your way if that's really what you would want."
"Thanks, Mom," Ben said with a small smile. "Parental support was all that I wanted to hear once I came up with this idea."
Belle smiled back a little before they both then suddenly looked over as the door cracked open and they were met with a certain someone.
Rumple stumbled into the kitchen before seeing his lover and son before he nodded his head at them in greeting. "Hey."
"Hey," Belle nodded her head. "What are you doing?" she then asked.
"I was, uh, gonna make you breakfast." Rumple replied, though he seemed to make up that answer.
Ben couldn't help but feel like that was a lie due to his father's delivery in answering the question.
"No. I-In the basement," Belle clarified. "I saw you practicing magic."
"You did?" Ben asked his mother.
"Yes, I did," Belle nodded at him. "He was spinning his wheel and making gold."
"Right... Because he's Rumplestiltskin..." Ben then said with his own nod.
"Want some breakfast?" Rumple asked, trying to change the subject as he went deep into the kitchen.
"No, we need to talk about this." Belle told him as he tried to dodge her question.
Rumple sighed in response. "It was just a couple of spells. Nothing to be concerned about." he then said.
Belle firmly frowned in response. "Okay, then be honest with me. Why did you bring magic here?" she then demanded.
"I've told you. Magic is power." Rumple reminded as Ben decided to get himself some apple juice with his breakfast.
"Why do you need it? Tell me." Belle then asked.
Rumple glanced at his lover, then decided to stay silent as he got out of Ben's way in the fridge before he bowed his head down low from Belle's gaze.
"You don't need power, Rumple. You need courage... To let your family in." Belle soon said before suddenly leaving.
Rumple and Ben watched her go before they then looked back at each other.
"...I'll still have some breakfast if you'll make it?" Ben smiled sheepishly.
Rumple chuckled a little. "All right... What would you like since you're up early enough for a homemade breakfast on a school day?" he then asked.
"Homemade waffles on a school day? Score!" Ben replied.
"I'm sorry, but is that a yes?" Rumple then asked.
"Yeah, Dad. That sounds really good," Ben then nodded. "Maybe Mal would like to have some too. You remember Mal, right?" he then asked.
"Why, of course I remember your little girlfriend, Benjamin." Rumple replied with a smirk.
"We're just friends, Dad." Ben reminded before he began to blush.
"I'm sure you are," Rumple smirked. "Are you going to wake her up right now?"
"Uh... I don't think I should before her alarm goes off," Ben said sheepishly as he rubbed his arm. "She seems like the kind of girl who would probably brutalize you if you interrupted her sleep."
"Yes... Perhaps," Rumple chuckled then. "I suppose that comes with territory as the daughter of Maleficent."
"Yeah... Though maybe I can do something to change that?" Ben shrugged.
"Change that?" Rumple asked before he brought out a bowl and some milk to make some homemade waffles, seeing as they were both up and about. "Benjamin, you can't change who people come from, even if they wish they were never born or had different families. Nobody knows why they're born, they just are, and they should just learn to appreciate the lives they were given."
"No, Dad... Well... Sorta, but that's just it," Ben tried to explain himself. "I've had a dream about helping a girl in need with purple hair and that girl happens to be Mal Draconis and I'm going to help her out, daughter of Maleficent or not."
"Well... She, like many other villains, is guilty of an unspeakable crime." Rumple then nodded as he began to make the homemade waffles for his son and his son's personal guest.
"Yes, but their children are innocent," Ben defended. "Don't you think they deserve a shot at a normal life?"
Rumple looked a little soft and distant at first.
"...Dad?" Ben then prompted gently.
"...I suppose their children are innocent," Rumple replied softly. "...And you are very lucky you have me as your father and not your grandfather."
"...Your father?" Ben then guessed.
"Aye..." Rumple nodded before looking back at Ben. "My father was... He was a rather cruel man. He was too much of a coward to properly take care of me and refused to grow up and accept his responsibilities as my father," he then explained delicately. "So he left me in the care of a couple of kindly spinsters."
"Spinsters? Really?" Ben then asked.
"Haven't you ever wondered why Rumplestiltskin spins with a wheel all the time and nearly had a heart attack when King Stefan called a ban on all spinning wheels when Carabosse haunted his precious Aurora?" Rumple prompted with a small smirk.
"...That's interesting to know," Ben then said. "So your father was a villain too?"
"You could say that," Rumple replied with a grave nod. "So your grandfather abandoned me, then I accidentally abandoned another child... Your big brother. Baelfire. It was worse with what happened to his mother."
"His mother?" Ben soon asked out of confusion.
"...Yes," Rumple replied with a sigh after hesitating a bit. "You see, long before I knew you or your mother, I was married to another woman named Milah. We were happy for a while... Until The Ogre Wars started. I was a bit of a coward because I was too scared to die and wanted to go back home, especially since she was pregnant with your brother," he then explained tenderly. "She mentioned how she was saddled with 'the village coward' and I shouldn't have left when I did because I could've died a hero instead of coming back home as a coward."
Ben firmly frowned as he thought that was very wrong and unfair of Milah.
"Your brother's mother was a very complicated woman," Rumple sighed. "And it got worse when I had lost her."
"You lost her?" Ben asked.
Rumple wordlessly nodded in response.
"...She was taken by pirates and then... They killed her." Rumple then said.
"Oh, my gosh..." Ben gasped and cupped his mouth. "I'm so sorry, Dad... That must've been really rough."
"...Yes." Rumple nodded as he spoke softer than usual.
"Dad... I'm so sorry..." Ben then said.
"Aye... Then I had to go and lose your brother..." Rumple replied. "I've spent 28 years trying to look for him too and that's mostly why I agreed to Regina casting The Dark Curse. I don't know where he is in this world, but I'm going to find him, reunite with him, and then hopefully make amends somehow."
"...Well, Dad, I hope you can find my brother then," Ben said softly. "Maybe I could talk to him and meet him with you?" he then asked hopefully.
"We'll just have to see, okay?" Rumple then replied. "Just be patient until I find my own solution."
"...All right, fair enough," Ben said softly. "...How about I help you make breakfast?"
Rumple smiled a bit at that. "Sure. All right," he then nodded. "Help yourself."
Ben smiled back as he then decided to help out his father with making breakfast for themselves as well as Mal.
Some time had passed and soon, breakfast was ready and was starting to be served.
"Did I fall asleep in Granny's Diner or something?" Mal's voice murmured as she rubbed her eye, stepping over with a yawn. "Oh, wow... You guys made waffles on a school day? Score!"
"That's exactly what I said!" Ben laughed a little at her reaction.
Mal smirked a little bit. "Sure it is, Prince Beast~" she then said playfully.
Ben shrugged in response with a sheepish face.
"Help yourself, Miss Draconis," Rumple told the girl. "Just step and eat lively though. You two should be going over to school very soon and I'll see you after school for work, Benjamin."
"Yes, Dad. Of course." Ben nodded.
Mal chuckled a little at how the father and son behaved around each other. She soon saw a bowl of strawberries and decided to have those with her waffles as she went to sit down with the Gold family before she looked around and saw that a certain someone was missing. "Hey, uh... Where's Mrs. G?" she then asked.
"Mrs. G?" Rumple asked out of confusion until he realized what she had meant by that. "Oh. You mean Belle."
"Yeah. Where is she?" Mal nodded and then asked again.
"I'm afraid she won't be having breakfast with us. I'll check on her a little later though," Rumple explained as they soon began to eat together. "I suppose that's my fault though."
"...Did something happen before I woke up?" Mal asked Ben as she began to fork one of her waffles before biting off a piece.
"It's a little complicated, Mal," Ben replied. "I'll tell you more a little later, okay?"
"...Well, okay," Mal said before nodding.
The two soon continued their breakfast before they headed outside to get ready to go to school.
Mal shivered slightly as there was a cold breeze in the air before Ben noticed that and took off his jacket to give to her. "Oh, you don't have do that, Ben." she then said.
"I don't mind, Mal. Besides, you look a little cold today." Ben replied with a small smile.
"Well... Thanks, Ben," Mal said with a nod. "You're very sweet."
Ben smiled at that as they soon continued to walk off together. Amalie was also shown and looked over at the two before she sighed to herself, though mostly looking in Ben's direction as she almost looked like she had hearts in her eyes like she was struck by The God of Love himself. She then took out her notebook and began to write with a pink glitter pen and wrote down their names together and even did it in the school library.
"Amalie and Benjamin Gold~" Amalie sighed to herself as she wrote those two names in her notebook with a dreamy look in her eyes.
"Shh!" The school librarian hissed from her desk since she heard talking. "No talking in the library! It simply isn't done!"
"Sorry, Mrs. Monocolao!" Amalie replied.
The school librarian nodded sternly as she began to do some computer work... Or at least tried to.
"Heh... Amalie and Benny~" Amalie continued hopefully.
"It's hopeless, you know..." A voice said beside Amalie, prompting the blonde girl to look over to see a certain boy. "He won't love you back."
"What are you talking about, Zevon?" Amalie shrugged at the boy. "I feel a great love connection around Ben. I'm never really wrong when it comes to love being in the air and I always had a special sense for that sort of thing."
"Have you now?" Zevon smirked. "Has Ben ever told you anything about loving you or even giving you roses?"
Amalie opened her mouth before pouting in slight defeat.
"Now you and me... We have something in common," Zevon replied. "We both love certain people who are too distracted with other people... Though no one knows how I truly feel about a certain someone~"
"Aren't you crazy obsessed and in love with Mal Draconis?" Amalie asked, tilting her head.
"That's not the point!" Zevon retorted. "The point is that we could work together to get what we want and who we most desire... You and Ben Gold and me and Mal Draconis."
"...I don't know..." Amalie said, a bit unsure.
"Just trust me, Blondie," Zevon said as he put his arm around Amalie suddenly. "Who are you gonna listen to? Me or your friend who thinks she's the center of the universe or something?"
Amalie paused thoughtfully before she then glanced over toward Scarlett and Magda who looked like they were about to hang out with Diana. She then looked over and shrugged. "I guess I could trust you." she then said to the rather wicked boy.
"Brilliant!" Zevon grinned before he gave her a scrap of paper. "Call this number if you think you're officially ready to join the dark side. After all, you don't know who you're the descendant of just yet, so this would be very good for you."
"It would?" Amalie then asked.
"Oh, yes... Just trust me," Zevon nodded. "I'm the son of a very powerful and majestic sorceress who almost conquered her square of where the adults came from in The Enchanted Forest... Even though an egomaniac emperor that she turned into a llama rose above her and took her down with a painful and humiliating defeat." he then added darkly.
"Oh, your mother's Yzma?" Amalie asked before giggling. "I heard she was turned into a cat... Do you think she knows Puss in Boots or The Cheshire Cat? I just love cats... My Aunt Adalaide had a very fluffy and warm cat named Duchess who had the most adorable-"
"Yes, yes, that's all well and good," Zevon groaned and rolled his eyes at her little tangent. "Just remember what we agreed upon, Blondie. Don't mess this up for me."
"You mean us, right?" Amalie then asked.
"Right. Us. Whatever. See ya." Zevon nodded before he dashed off suddenly.
Amalie blinked as he left before she checked the scrap of paper. "That must be his cell number," she then said as she took out her cell phone and began to add the number to her phone. "I better add this to my contacts list..." she then sighed. "Oh, Ben... I wish you could see how I feel about you."
Meanwhile, in the mine of Storybrooke, Doug was grunting and struggling with his own pic-axe as he began to swing back and forth with his father and the other dwarves were mining against a wall with Leroy supervising while David helped out too as Dee Dee and Henry watched this.
"Keep swinging, dwarves!" Leroy ordered the others.
Henry smiled, watching his grandfather in action as Dee Dee watched her hopefully honorary family due to Leroy acting as her father figure get to work.
"So you see, Dee Dee, fairy dust comes from good fairies, which is created from diamonds that are mined by we dwarves and is crushed into dust." Leroy soon educated his surrogate daughter.
"Ooh... Ahh~..." Dee Dee replied as she looked on.
"Yes... The dust is collected by the fairies," Leroy nodded. "Its magic powers the world. Fairies use the dust for good, such as immobilizing an enemy or transforming a person back to their original form."
"Does The Sugarplum Fairy do that too?" Dee Dee then asked before taking out her certain doll. "Like for The Nutcracker Prince and Clara?"
"Uh... Well... I don't know for sure, but I'm sure that she does." Leroy replied.
"Hmm..." Dee Dee paused thoughtfully.
Eventually, Ruby arrived at the scene with a little basket, acting more like her true self as Red Riding Hood. "Did they find any fairy dust yet?" she then asked the kids.
"No, not yet, but they will." Dee Dee replied.
"Uh-huh. And when they do, we'll figure out a way to get Mary Margaret, Evie, and my mom back." Henry added with a nod.
Ruby smiled before she gave the two kids their basket.
"Thanks, Ruby." Dee Dee said.
"No problem," Ruby nodded. "I'll be back later with lunch."
"Oh, by the way... Ruby?" Dee Dee soon prompted.
Ruby stopped in her tracks before looking over. "Yes?" she then asked.
"Is Kiara adopted?" Dee Dee asked.
"...Kiara?" Ruby replied. "Why do you ask that?"
"Well, she doesn't look a lot like you or Granny... But she's in your family," Dee Dee explained softly. "Is she adopted like Henry was adopted by Mayor Mills?"
"...It's a long story. I'll tell you later, okay?" Ruby replied.
"Why not now?" Dee Dee asked.
"It's okay, Dee Dee," Henry spoke up maturely. "Ruby can tell you the story later."
"Thank you, Henry." Ruby said with a small smile.
"Oh. Okay." Dee Dee then said, deciding to respect Ruby and Granny's privacy even though she was insatiably curious.
"You're welcome," Henry soon told Ruby. "See you at lunch."
"See you at lunch." Ruby nodded before she then walked off, leaving the mine after the two kids were given their current food.
Dee Dee soon looked at Henry. "I just wanted to know is all." she then said.
"I know, but Ruby might be busy," Henry replied. "We'll find out later, okay?"
"So... You don't know either?" Dee Dee then asked, tilting her head.
"No, not really... I mean... I've seen Kiara in my storybook, but as far as I know, Red Riding Hood doesn't have a sister or a cousin with her when she goes to see her grandmother," Henry replied. "We'll probably find out later since this is a town of secrets after all."
"Oh... Okay..." Dee Dee then said.
"Let's just eat and watch Grandpa and the dwarves work, okay?" Henry then suggested.
"Okay." Dee Dee nodded as she put her nutcracker doll away and soon decided to eat with her best friend.
David continued to help out before he got annoyed and frustrated. "I hate mine dust," he then said before looking at the grumpy dwarf among the six others and Doug. "Leroy. If you find anything, I'll be at the sheriff's station."
"You taking over as sheriff?" Leroy guessed.
"Stepping in until Emma gets back." David nodded.
"Is that legal?" Dee Dee piped up.
"Huh? Well, yeah... Of course it's legal," David replied. "It's not like I'm breaking the law or anything."
"I dunno... That sounds a little suspicious..." Dee Dee said warily.
"You have nothing to worry about, Dee Dee." David reassured.
"He's right, Diamond," Leroy then added tenderly. "You just sit there and look pretty while your Papa Leroy shows Dougie and the other dwarves what to do."
Dee Dee then giggled with a small smile.
"Looks like we're all in good hands then." David then said.
"Yeah! Keep swinging, Dougie!" Dee Dee nodded as she looked over at the teenage dwarf. "Ooh... Dougie doesn't look like he's having very much fun being a dwarf like you guys."
"Well, uh, of course he is," Leroy replied. "He just needs to get the hang of it like his old man. He'll adapt, that's all."
"Does Doug wanna be a dwarf like you guys?" Henry asked Leroy.
"Well, sure, of course he does," Leroy shrugged as he answered that question. "It's in his blood."
"What do you mean by that?" Dee Dee asked.
"Well, ya know 'cuz he's a dwarf," Leroy replied. "Watchy and Bossy, the other dwarves in The Enchanted Forest told me after I was hatched."
"Hatched?" Dee Dee and Henry asked out of confusion.
"Yeah," Leroy said before he then continued on. "Dwarves don't fall in love, dwarves don't get married, and dwarves don't have children. Why do you think we were hatched from eggs? And we work and we like it and even whistle while we do it. We mine the diamonds that get crushed into dust, that give light to the world."
"Dwarves come from eggs?" Henry asked.
"Well, of course." Leroy nodded.
"If there are no female dwarves and they come from eggs, then who hatches the eggs?" Dee Dee asked.
"Uh... Whoever's in charge when your egg comes into the mine." Leroy explained.
"Where do the eggs come from?" Dee Dee then asked.
"And how do they get into the mines?" Henry added.
Leroy began to look a little flustered before he groaned and shook his head, slowly getting frustrated, but did his best not to lose his temper in front of the kids. "...Okay, no more questions," he then said. "I gotta get back to work and that means you too, Doug!"
Doug groaned a bit as he didn't seem to enjoy being the descendant of a dwarf. Dopey looked over before smiling and gently patting his son on the back in comfort. Doug smiled back, appreciating that, but he still didn't seem to like his new job so far due to his bloodline before going back to work as suggested.
"So Ben, what do you do when not in school or your father's shop?" Mal asked the boy she was walking downtown with, exploring the various sights of Storybrooke.
"Oh, well, uh, out of both of those, I guess you could say I just explore Storybrooke," Ben shrugged. "Before I found out she was my mother, I used to go to Mr. French's flower shop and get a rose to send to her once a week."
"Right... Because you'd be too young to go down to the psych ward of the hospital without adult supervision," Mal then said before nodding. "Well, that at least sounds really noble of you."
"I try my best anyway," Ben shrugged bashfully with a small smile. "My father raised me to be a gentleman after all."
"I see..." Mal nodded before looking over as she spotted a certain man headed right into Game of Thorns of all coincidences. "Hey, Ben. Check that out." she then pointed out.
"Huh?" Ben asked as he looked where she pointed and saw what she saw. "What's my dad doing there?"
"Only one way to find out." Mal smirked out of determination.
"What? You mean like... Spying on him?" Ben asked in concern.
"Yeah! It'll be an adventure," Mal smirked. "Besides, it's not wrong to spy on someone if it's your dad."
"I don't think that's how that works." Ben replied with a shrug.
"Aw, have a sense of adventure!" Mal rolled her emerald eyes before she walked right across the street into the flower shop without Ben since he was chickening out.
"Mal! Wait!" Ben cried out, but there was no stopping the purple-haired girl before he sighed and shook his head. "One of these days I'm gonna stop chasing this girl." he then told himself before he then followed her.
Soon, Ben and Mal were both at the front door of the flower shop after it was about to close once Rumple went into it. They then shushed each other before they caught the door before it closed, then they went to look inside to see what the man was doing at the flower shop and he appeared to have a handmade poster with him.
"I was wondering if you'd heard from your daughter?" Rumple asked Mr. French, handing him the poster.
"Daughter?" Mal whispered to herself.
"No way..." Ben added as he also whispered.
"Is this some kind of cruel joke?" Mr. French scoffed at the other man. "I wouldn't have made this flyer if I knew where she was. The only reason she's missing is because of the deal I made with you. I'd held out. I hoped she might have survived such a wicked trade." he then added as Ben and Mal listened in.
"And she has." Rumple defended.
Mr. French looked a bit firm. "Why hasn't she come looking for me?" he then demanded.
"Oh, she did," Rumple replied. "She even made a flyer like this one."
"Well, let me guess; you took care of it by throwing it in the trash?" Mr. French retorted with a scoff.
"I don't expect you to help me. I just want to know she's safe." Rumple defended as strongly as possible.
"And now, thanks to you, neither one of us knows where she is. You're a monster, Rumplestiltskin," Mr. French glared. "I always knew there was a reason why I preferred your boy. He is a lot like my Belle before you poisoned her mind."
Rumple looked a bit cold and strict in response.
"Lotus, help me out in the back, please." Mr. French then began to say to a woman in the back.
"Yes, sir." The woman named Lotus replied before she went in the back with the man.
Rumple frowned stiffly and firmly, though he didn't even turn around, though he said something that startled Ben and Mal instantly like a couple of lowly mice caught by a more clever cat. "Well, are you going to come out and help a poor old man out or are you just going to keep eavesdropping like a couple of naughty children?" he then asked.
Ben and Mal looked at each other and they soon walked out to go and see the man before he slowly turned around to them.
"Hey, Dad." Ben smiled nervously.
"What's up?" Mal added.
"Benjamin, what have I told you about snooping?" Rumple asked a bit sternly.
"Sorry, Dad, but we just wanted to see what was going on," Ben explained softly and nervously. "It was Mal's idea actually."
"Oh, sure. Throw me under the bus." Mal rolled her eyes at that.
"I had a feeling it was, Miss Draconis," Rumple told Mal as he gripped the top of his cane's handle. "Such as when you decided to decorate the clock tower in toilet paper with those boys Jay and Carlos until you were told to clean up the mess with the help of Leroy the Janitor."
"Hey! I was a dopey little kid back then!" Mal defended. "That was a long time ago."
"...Quite," Rumple smirked. "Well, since you are sneaking around, you might as well know what's going on."
"Please explain." Ben replied.
"Well... After you two left after breakfast, I tried to get Ben's mother's attention, but she was gone when I checked her room," Rumple began to explain. "It appears that she's missing."
"Oh, my..." Ben frowned.
"Did someone kidnap her?" Mal added.
"I don't know, that's what I'm trying to find out and I need help," Rumple replied. "You two kids probably have something better to do than to help me out though." he then added a bit wearily.
Ben and Mal then looked at each other before they looked back at Rumple thoughtfully.
"We could probably help," Ben said. "That is, if Mal wants to help out."
"Eh... I got nothing better going on," Mal agreed with a shrug. "So I guess I might as well."
"Oh... Well, that's good to know," Rumple replied before he smiled a little bit. "Good to see young people helping old folks out a bit."
"Oh, Dad. You're not old." Ben replied with a small smile back.
"Aren't I?" Rumple chuckled. "Well, all right. Let's go somewhere else."
"Shouldn't we go to The Sheriff's station?" Mal suggested. "I mean... It's not like we have Sherlock Holmes or any of his descendants in this town..." she then looked around before looking slightly wide-eyed. "...Don't we?"
"No, that's a different world from The Enchanted Forest," Rumple reassured as he shook his head. "Going to the sheriff sounds like a good idea."
"All right. Let's go see Mr. Nolan then." Ben then said.
"Right... Let's go." Rumple nodded to his son and personal guest.
Ben and Mal nodded in agreement as they soon went with Rumple to go and see David about the situation.
Soon, they were at the Blanchard loft to go and see the man they needed to talk to.
"May I have a word, Sheriff?" Rumple asked the other man once he saw him.
"Uh, acting sheriff. And I'm already late on another busy day, cleaning up the mess you made." David replied.
"My apologies. That was a moment of poor judgment on my part," Rumple defended. "And it's not lost on me that I'm now here to ask for your help."
"Well, then it shouldn't be lost on you when I say no." David replied.
"Hear me out first. I'm here to report a missing person." Rumple replied.
David sighed out of exasperation and frustration in response.
"She left my home early this morning," Rumple then continued, ignoring that response. "Her name is Belle."
David looked suspicious. "Back in our land, you mentioned you loved someone once. Is-" he then began to wonder.
"Yes."
"You also said she died."
"I thought she had."
David then glanced over. "...Well, why don't you just use the tracking spell you gave me to find Jefferson?" he then asked.
"It only works if you have something the person owned," Rumple replied. "I-I don't."
"How can you be sure she's gone missing and not run away?" David then asked crossly.
"...I can't. Look, the townsfolk are less than sympathetic to my plight, but y-you're in the rather unique position to understand exactly what I'm going through besides Benjamin who is only a child after all," Rumple said rather delicately before pointing to a picture of Emma and Mary Margaret. "Will you help me?" he then asked, sounding a little broken on the inside as he felt really hopeful to get extra and professional help.
David looked hesitant before he then sighed and gave in. "All right. Let's get some work done." he then said.
"I knew you'd come along, Mr. Nolan." Ben smiled hopefully.
"Just don't say I didn't warn you," David replied. "Your father is a rather complicated man, Ben."
"You're just preaching to the choir about that, sir." Mal smirked a bit.
"Mal..." Ben whispered lowly in warning.
"No, no, it's all right, Benjamin," Rumple replied. "Your girlfriend makes a pretty good point."
Ben and Mal both blushed about Mal being called Ben's girlfriend.
"Oh, I know there's something between you two," Rumple then said to the two teenagers. "You could say that I'm invested in your future and know true love when I see it."
Ben and Mal just laughed nervously together.
"Ahem!" David cleared his throat. "I hate to interrupt this week's episode of Dawson's Creek, but we're on a tight schedule right now, Mr. Gold."
"Right then... Off we go." Rumple then nodded before he walked on ahead of the two kids.
"...What's Dawson's Creek?" Mal asked Ben as they followed the two adult men.
"Must be an old school thing from The Enchanted Forest." Ben shrugged as he walked beside her as they followed the two adult men.
Ben and Mal waited with Rumple from a distance, watching what was going on ahead of them as David decided to question one of the townspeople.
David soon finished his job and then rejoined Rumple, looking a bit exasperated over something. "Do you remember turning a butcher into a pig?" he then asked sharply.
Mal snorted and snickered at that question.
"Can't say that I do. Why?" Rumple replied nonchalantly.
"Well, he does. Apparently, it was his father," David then said before scoffing. "I'm beginning to understand why nobody wants to help you."
"W-Well has he seen my mother?" Ben asked hopefully.
"Afraid not." David replied.
"Okay, so what's next?" Rumple then asked.
"Granny's. We can see who else you terrorized there." David said before he began to lead the way.
"Mr. Nolan..." Ben frowned at what David just said.
"I'm sorry, Ben, but your father is a rather difficult man." David replied.
"Well, at least Ben didn't take after his dad like that," Mal shrugged before she took Ben's hand. "I like him the way he is."
Ben blushed before he looked back at the girl with a small smile. "Thanks, Mal. I like you the way you are too." he then said sheepishly.
The two teenagers then blushed together as they continued to follow David and Rumple on the way to the most popular diner in town.
"Erm... Look, uh... Benjamin? Can I ask you a question? A-About you and Mal?" Rumple soon spoke up to his teenage son, sounding a little sheepish. "H-H-How does that work?"
Mal blinked and blushed even more as Rumple suddenly dropped the metaphorical bomb like that.
"Are you asking your teenage son dating advice?" Ben asked, feeling awkward and uncomfortable about that question.
"Course not, no." Rumple replied sheepishly.
"...Well, there's nothing between us yet, but... Uh..." Ben paused bashfully as he thought very long and hard of how to answer his father's question. "Well... I'd like to think that a good relationship is built on honesty and trust."
Rumple looked a little thoughtful.
"I think that checks out too," David agreed. "That's how Mary Margaret and I did it anyway. Hard work, and being honest with one another."
"Well, I don't lie." Rumple defended.
"There's a difference between literal truth, and honesty of the heart," Ben advised his father. "Nothing taught me that more than this curse."
"Wow, Ben. That's very profound for your age." David remarked.
"I try, anyway." Ben shrugged in response.
"So where do we go now?" David then wondered.
Ben thought about it. "I might have a few ideas..." he then said as he glanced over in the direction of Granny's Diner.
Soon, they went right there to go and question a certain someone else.
"We'll be just a moment, Benjamin," Rumple told his son. "Hopefully Miss Lucas can give us some answers."
"I'm sure that she will," Ben replied. "I'll wait out here."
"I think I wanna order lunch for us." Mal suggested to Ben.
"Uh... Okay..." Ben replied.
"Anything you really want?" Mal asked.
Ben thought about it before shrugging a little bit. "Peanut butter and jelly sandwich?" he then replied.
"Does Benny want a PB&J and milky?" Mal smirked playfully, speaking in a cutesy voice just to tease him a little bit.
"...Very funny..." Ben blushed a little before crossing his arms.
"All right. I'll see what I can do." Mal then said as she went into the diner to order lunch for her and Ben.
David and Rumple nodded before they went into the diner. Ben then nodded his head before he took out his phone to check for any new messages. However, as he did that, someone suddenly ran into him, nearly knocking him down.
"Oh! Gosh, I'm so sorry..." A young woman's voice said.
"Oh, that's quite all right," Ben said before he looked over, seeing a girl who looked a bit older than him, but still younger than many of the adults. She had short dark brown hair with sky blue eyes with very fair skin and appeared to be dressed in a blue and white striped shirt with a dark blue skirt, brown sandals, and a wool-like red hat on her head. "Say... Are you new in Storybrooke or something? I don't think I've seen you before."
"It's not that important," The girl said to him before she looked around. "Are you gonna meet someone here or something?"
"Uh... No, I'm just waiting for my father," Ben replied. "He's inside right now asking for help."
"Oh. Okay then. Then this makes my job a bit easier." The girl then said before she brought out a frying pan.
"What job is that-" Ben began to ask before looking over. "Wait, what's that for?!" he then asked in concern.
However, rather than answering his question... WHACK! The girl suddenly knocked him out and began to drag his body away from the diner as quickly and diligently as she could as she was on her way to a certain location far away from Granny's Diner.
Meanwhile, Belle and Ben had been taken by two strangers who brought them into a certain place.
"Ben?" Belle asked softly.
"Mom! Thank goodness!" Ben cried out before the mother and son instantly hugged each other once they saw each other.
"Oh, my little Benny..." Belle whispered as she squeezed Ben a little before kissing his forehead. "Are you all right?"
"I'm okay, but are you okay?" Ben replied. "We were worried sick about you."
"I-I'm sorry... It's complicated right now..." Belle said as gently as she could.
"I'm just glad that you're okay," Ben said before looking at the two strangers as there appeared to be a bearded man beside the woman who had kidnapped him. "Who are you and what's going on around here?!" he then demanded as strongly as he could.
"W-What do you want from us?" Belle added.
"We're just a couple of people who procure hard-to-find objects." The man replied calmly.
"And you happen to be the objects." The woman added.
"So then w-who put you up to this?" Belle asked.
Soon, a certain man stepped into the light. "Belle?"
"Mr. French?" Ben blinked in surprise.
"Come now, Benjamin. Don't be so formal," Mr. French replied. "Call me 'Grandpa Moe'."
Belle looked emotional once she saw and realized that this was her long-lost father before they embraced each other.
"Oh. Oh, how I've missed you, Belle." Mr. French emotionally told his grown daughter.
"Father?" Belle asked in a crying voice.
"I'm so sorry this is how we had to be reunited," Mr. French said before hugging Ben next. "Please understand. I had no choice."
"But to kidnap us?" Ben then asked softly.
"After the curse broke, I searched all over for you and discovered The Dark One still had you and your son captive." Mr. French told both of them.
"He wasn't holding me captive," Belle insisted. "I chose to be with him."
"Are you saying you fell in love with him?" Mr. French then asked tenderly.
"We have a son together... But I fear our love may be over now." Belle replied.
"Mom, no..." Ben whispered softly.
"It must be," Mr. French said to his daughter. "Promise me you no longer love him, that you will never see him again."
"I'm not... I'm not a child." Belle replied.
"You don't understand what that man will do to you, what he's already done," Mr. French replied. "I'll love my grandson no matter the circumstances... But... Was he... Not planned?" he then whispered since Ben was born between Belle and Rumple and he had a very good idea that it was without Belle's consent.
"I'm not answering that question," Belle shook her head. "No, you don't understand. It's my life."
"That's right and I'll live my own life too," Ben added. "Whether I'm the son of Rumplestiltskin or not."
"...Then I don't have a choice. I'm sorry," Mr. French then said before looking up at the other two people in the room. "Do it."
"What? Father? Father, wh-what are you doing?!" Belle suddenly cried out as the two people came up behind her and Ben to take them away. "Stop!"
"Hey! Where are you taking us?!" Ben cried out. "Let us go right now!"
"Goodbye, Belle and Benjamin. I love you." Mr. French said softly then.
"Father!" Belle yelped at the urgency.
"You can't do this to us!" Ben added as they were taken suddenly.
Mr. French ignored his daughter and grandson's protests as they were still being taken to where they had to be taken.
Meanwhile, Ruby was being given a poster of the missing woman as Mal decided to order two plain cheeseburgers with fries and a soda to share with Ben. "Belle, huh? Sorry. Doesn't ring a bell." she then replied after she was giving details on what was going on.
"Ruby, listen to me. If you've come across her, you gotta tell me," David said to the younger woman. "I'll make sure nothing bad happens."
"Yeah, but what about him?" Ruby then asked, referring to Rumple.
"I've got him. Trust me." David reassured cautiously.
Ruby looked thoughtful before answering the question. "She was in earlier. She was looking for a job. I pointed her in the direction of the library." she then revealed.
"When do you think she went there?" Rumple soon asked.
"Don't know, but when you find her, give her this," Ruby replied before bringing out a scarf. "She left it in her booth."
"No, that's mine," Rumple replied. "She didn't have anything for the cold."
Ruby began to suddenly look determined. "...You sure you'll watch out for her?" she then asked.
"Yes. Why?" David replied curiously.
"I think... I think I... Can find her," Ruby soon explained. "Lately, since things changed, I've been, uh, a little more sensitive to odors."
Rumple looked curious as Mal was soon given her food. "What, you can smell her?" he then asked the woman dressed in red.
"I guess it's 'cuz of the wolf thing." Ruby replied.
"So wait... Red Riding Hood and The Big Bad Wolf are the same person?" Mal then asked.
"Apparently in this world, yeah." Ruby replied.
"...Then what's Kiara?" Mal asked.
Ruby looked over at her younger sister figure before sighing softly and looking back at the two adult men and teenage girl. "It's a long story," she then said. "Let's go and find Belle."
They soon stepped out of the diner together as Mal held a to-go bag filled with the hot food.
"Well, at least we have a better lead now," Rumple soon said. "Okay, Benjamin. Let's get back on the-" he then looked over before looking around to see that his son was missing. "Trail? ...Benjamin!" he then cried out.
"This sounds more serious than we thought." Mal frowned.
"All right..." Rumple then said before looking around. "...I'll have to go back to the house to get something of Benjamin's."
"Actually... You could use this," Mal said as she took off the dark blue with hints of a golden trim jacket she was wearing. "Ben let me wear this because I was starting to look cold. I just hope it doesn't smell too much like me, Ruby."
Ruby soon took the jacket and sniffed it. "...Well, luckily, since both Belle and Ben are gone, they should be very easy to track down." she then said.
"Good. Show us where to go." David then said.
"Got it." Ruby nodded as she then led the way with the other three following after her.
They soon continued to follow the scent as Ruby was ahead of them before she suddenly stopped and started to sneeze.
"Hey... Ruby, you okay?" Mal then asked. "What's wrong?"
"I had them, but I-I lost their trail," Ruby said as she sneezed suddenly as they ended up in a certain location. "Oh. It must be the flowers. I-I can't track them anymore. I'm sorry."
"Don't be. This is Belle's father's shop." Rumple replied before they then entered the shop.
Mr. French was sorting out some flowers before he looked over and saw that he had company. "You again. Out. This is a private establishment. You're not welcome." he then scoffed coldly.
"Where are Belle and Ben?" Rumple demanded.
Of course, Mr. French hesitated in answering that question.
"I won't let anything happen to them, Moe." David reassured.
"We're just worried." Rubby added softly.
"Don't be. They're safe," Mr. French replied. "So you can stop looking."
"Look, if I could just have the chance to talk to them." Rumple said as calmly as he could, though he was getting frustrated internally.
"You will destroy Belle like you destroy everything else and who knows what will happen to your son?" Mr. French retorted. "Well, I won't let that happen."
"What have you done with them?" Rumple glared.
"There's only one way to get them away from you." Mr. French glared back.
"What have you done with them?" Rumple demanded.
"I have to make her forget about you and it would probably be good for Benjamin to forget about you too, no matter the cost," Mr. French replied. "Even if it means they forget me, too."
"He's sending them across the town line." Mal realized with wide eyes.
"Where are you sending Belle and Ben across? You know we have patrols on the Storybrooke line to make sure no one crosses accidentally especially since we have no idea what it could do the descendants," David said to the other man as patiently and calmly as possible... At least compared to Rumple. "So how are you planning to pull it off?"
"Where?! Where are you sending them across?" Rumple growled and demanded as he used his cane for defense and weaponry. "Tell me where!"
"Stop it. You're gonna kill him," David said, stopping Rumple before he noticed something strange on Mr. French's hand. "You've been down in the mines. The tunnels. They lead out of town." he then noted and realized.
Rumple began to look horrified and concerned before he knew exactly where to go now.
In the mine, there was no Henry, Dee Dee, Doug, or any dwarves in sight as the strangers were putting Belle and Ben in a mine cart together, handcuffing them to the cart together, facing each other because of the two strangers.
"Please. Please, please stop," Belle begged and pleaded. "What are you doing?"
"Sending you on a little ride under the town line," The man replied. "Once you cross, you'll forget who you were in the other realm and who you loved."
"But don't worry... This should shine a little light and help you find the key," The woman added, giving the two a flashlight. "I left it at the bottom of the cart. Good luck."
"No, wait! We're begging you!" Belle panicked as the cart was starting to move. "Please don't! Don't do this! Please!"
However, it was too late as the cart was sent going down the tracks instantly.
"MOOOOOOM!" Ben cried out.
"Oh, Benny, dear!" Belle cried out as she tried to look for the key, though they accidentally dropped it out of the cart and it landed on the ground beside them and they were already leaving it, about to go over the town line.
Ben sniffled and hugged Belle right away, squeezing his tear-filled eyes shut as he began to brace himself for what was to come. However, the mine cart screeched and stopped and was suddenly pulled back by magic.
"What the huh?" Ben blinked as he noticed that.
"Stop! What's happening?!" Belle panicked as she noticed that with her son.
Rumple held out one of his hands, using magic to bring the mine cart back that had his lover and son inside of it as he was shown along with Mal, Mr. French, David, and Ruby, waiting to save Belle and Ben from what they had been through today.
"That is seriously... Wow." Ruby remarked at what she was witnessing.
Mal just did what any teenager would do in this situation: snap a picture of it to post onto Facebrooke. Soon, the cart came to a stop as Belle and Ben looked over to see that they were saved by Rumple.
"Dad..." Ben breathed in relief.
"Belle, Benjamin, are you all right?" Rumple asked his lover and son as he began to help them out of their struggle.
"I, uh, I think so." Belle replied.
"I'm just glad we made it out of that scrape with those... People." Ben said.
"What people?" Mal asked.
"I didn't recognize them," Ben replied. "I'm just glad that's all over."
"Do you remember who I am?" Rumple soon asked his lover.
"I do. Rumplestiltskin," Belle nodded at him. "I-I remember."
The two then hugged each other while Mr. French looked on a bit sadly as Ben and Mal were also hugging. However, suddenly, Belle broke out of the hug rather abruptly.
"What's wrong?" Rumple asked Belle out of concern.
"Thank you for what you just did, but that doesn't change that you're too cowardly to be honest with me." Belle soon told him.
"But, Belle, I-" Rumple began a bit softly.
"I tried to tell him that, Belle," Mr. French retorted. "Come with me, darling and bring your son with you."
"After what you just tried to do to me? You're no better, Father," Belle huffed in response. "You don't get to decide what I do or how I feel. I do. If either of you cared about me, you would've listened. I don't wanna see either of you again. Ever. Benjamin, come along," she then faced her teenage son. "I'll protect you and keep you safe from these monsters." she then began to walk away.
"No." Ben soon said.
Belle then stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder. "No?" she then asked.
"No," Ben repeated with a nod. "I won't go with you, Mom."
Mal and Ruby looked surprised at Ben's final answer to his mother.
"Benjamin, your father and grandfather are no good," Belle told her son. "You shouldn't let them pick your path for you."
"I know, Mom, and I won't let you pick my path either," Ben replied as strongly as possible as he stood his ground. "I won't let the other descendants follow the path that their parents laid out for them either and let them choose their own path. You're choosing your own path and so am I," he then added before he stepped over and took Mal's hand. "I want to be there for the villain kids who are being neglected and punished in school just because of their parents and I want them all to be given their own chance and that includes me. I might be the son of The Beast, but I'm also the son of The Beauty and I choose my own path and so will Mal and the other villain kids in Storybrooke."
Belle blinked with wide eyes, surprised at how profound and expressive her son was with what he was talking about.
"You can go do whatever you'd like... Whether you come back home to me and Dad. I might not condone what he did to you in the past or even right now, even my grandfather who always had a soft spot for me because I reminded him so much of you, but what you're choosing is too cruel for me to personally follow," Ben then continued strongly. "I'm going to stay with Dad and handle him as much as I can, but only because I want to help out my new friends in need. Because a friend in need is a friend indeed."
"...Ben, I... I had no idea that you felt this way." Belle said softly.
"Me neither... He must get that from your side of the family..." Rumple added with a bit of a weak smile and chuckle.
"I see..." Belle then said softly. "Well... I'm going to head out and take a break at least."
"And you may, you can do whatever makes you happy, as long as you don't force me to walk on the same path," Ben nodded. "I'm taking a stand for all of the villain kids in this town. Especially Mal."
Mal cracked a visible smile in response for a few seconds before then frowned again, though she did nod as she agreed heavily with Ben. Belle looked softly at her family one last time and soon walked away out of the mine once all of that was said and done. Ben heaved a sharp sigh, though he gently squeezed Mal's hand, at least proud of himself for getting that off of his chest.
"That was very nice, Ben," Mal said to the boy beside her. "You're really going to try to help the bad descendants get their chance?"
"I will... I've thought about this for a long time now after the curse was broken," Ben nodded in response. "And since they're your good friends like Evie is my good friend, I'll start with you, her, and of course, Jay and Carlos."
"I think that they would like that," Mal replied tenderly. "I just wonder how my mother will react whenever she comes back from wherever she went after Emma had to get an egg from her to unite my raven doll and Evie's dragon toy."
Rumple looked a little distant as he soon began to look like he knew something that Mal didn't know, but decided not to say anything for the purple-haired girl's sake.
"Benjamin, if you'd like, you could stay with me for a while?" Moe spoke up and offered to the boy who was his estranged grandson this whole time.
"Thanks, Mr. French-Grandpa... But I think I'll be fine just where I am," Ben replied. "Thank you for at least liking me regardless of who my father is at least."
"...You're welcome," Moe then said softly. "It was worth a shot to ask, right?"
"Yes, it was," Ben nodded before he then walked off with Mal. "Come on, Mal. Let's go get a burger and we can think of what to do with the descendants of Storybrooke."
"Sure thing," Mal replied as she watched Belle leaving further away as they left the mine and she soon saw the woman looking to the long closed clock tower/library in a bit of a forlorn expression before she looked thoughtful about something suddenly. "Hmm..."
"You okay, Mal?" Ben asked.
"Huh? Oh, yeah... I-I'm fine," Mal said with a small shrug. "I guess I was just thinking about things."
"Thinking, huh?" Ben asked. "Is it about your mother?"
Mal looked over softly before she then nodded.
"Well... Don't worry. You know you're welcome to stay with me and Dad and whenever she feels willing to again, Mom too." Ben replied before he smiled a little bit.
"Oh, yes. Be our guest, Miss Draconis." Rumple added with a nod as he firmly grasped the handle of his cane.
"Well, thank you both," Mal smiled at the boy she liked and his father. "I'll just try not to be too much of a burden."
"Never." Ben reassured as they left the mine together.
They soon left together as things seemed to end in a bit of a bittersweet sort of way, but hopefully, things would get better eventually.
Later that night, Ben agreed to have a special dinner date with his personal house guest, but she said that she wanted to take a walk before eating with him. Mal was soon getting ready to have some hamburgers with Ben before she took out what looked like a key and decided to sneak over to Granny's Inn to leave the key there for a special and personal reason before she then came back over to the Gold residence.
"Hey, Mal. Boy, you took quite a walk before dinner," Ben remarked. "You okay out there?"
"Yeah, I'm fine... I just needed some fresh air," Mal replied. "You ready to eat?"
"I've been ready," Ben chuckled. "Granny's has the best burgers."
"Yeah... She sure does..." Mal nodded before they began to take out the food in the doggy bag and got ready to have a little date together that night even if Rumple and Belle were a little on the rocks right now.
Ben then took out his glass of fruit juice. "Cheers." he then said.
"To a bright new future." Mal added, taking out her soda can before they clinked their drinks together.
And at that, Ben and Mal shared their drinks together and began to get ready to tuck into their burgers.
Amalie was looking through the window before she sighed to herself. She was a little heartbroken so she took out her phone and made a certain call. "Hello, Zevon? It's me... Blondie-I mean... Amalie... Let's talk, okay?" she then said on the other line as she began to walk away from the Gold residence.
Meanwhile, in a hidden location that appeared to be a beach, there was a man dressed in leather who was looking through a telescope next to a boy who greatly resembled him, even wearing eyeliner and black leather. However, they were suddenly interrupted by someone who had come to see them.
"Hello, Hook."
The adult male pirate turned around with the boy beside him, seeing the woman who stepped over. "Hello, Cora. You tell me you'd something important you needed to show me." he then greeted the woman in question.
Cora soon showed him a bottle that had magic in it.
"Sparkly dirt. Wonderful." The pirate boy huffed.
"Just the remains of a magical wardrobe, that can travel between worlds." Cora clarified.
"Is it enough to get us where we need to go?" Hook then asked the woman.
"Not quite, but it's a start." Cora replied.
Hook nodded. "We're almost ready to set sail. What's our port of destination?" he then asked.
"Storybrooke." Cora stated.
"Hmm... Curious name," Hook noted before he started to ask something else. "Is that where-"
"She is. And so is he." Cora nodded.
"Excellent. You'll be able to see your daughter and I can skin myself a crocodile," The pirate replied with a dark grin before he patted the head of the boy next to him rather eagerly. "And this time will be more different. Especially with the help of my most trusted partner and heir to The Jolly Roger: my son, Harry."
"Dad, when do we torment and destroy The Crocodile and any descendants that he has in this world?" Harry asked eagerly with a dark grin.
"Soon, my favorite and only son. Soon." Hook promised before he laughed darkly as his son joined him, being very similar to his father in behavior, looks, and overall, having the ways to be wicked just like his father before him.