"What do you think we can do ?" Asked Henry to Rumplestiltskin.
He grinned. The situation was funny. It may be the first time someone asked him for advice. At least, for advice which had nothing to do with evil things.
"I don't really know. Do you have any ideas ?"
"No. I just... I just left Regina's castle after I learned that you decided to stop helping her pursuing her revenge. I just... I didn't really think about it, I just wanted it to stop so... I came here."
The sorcerer started as he heard him, really surprised. Because, as far as he knew it, in his version of the story, Henry was the one who stayed the longest time with the queen (in fact, he was the only one who stayed with her and who wanted it). In the end, he was even supposed to die, being the thing the queen loved most.
So, if he left her, it really meant that this was the end for the queen, and that Henry did think that his daughter could be saved.
Rumplestiltskin believed in it too, he remembered the Regina of the other version (the true version. It was still strange to think that). He remembered how happy and peaceful she seemed to be, and he remembered her relationship with her son.
Now that he was himself again, he wanted to do everything so his apprentice would be able to have this in this world. Or something close to it, he swore.
In fact, as he looked at Henry, something changed in him.
Before, he never really paid attention to him, in this version, or in the other one. He saw him as Cora's fiance, an obstacle for his story with the young woman, and he never really felt sympathy for him.
He never thought that the prince's life would be a hell, living with a woman without a heart, without being able to be loved by her.
He never had any thought about him, he never cared for him, never cared about the fact that he was more and more loosing his child. Just as Rumplestiltskin did himself with Bae, except that the roles were reversed.
And now...
Now he was seeing an old man, tired, exhausted, just wanting all of this to end.
And then, he realized what his actions cost to him, that what him and Cora did to Regina had consequences on him.
And the wizard felt guilty for this.
I am sorry.
"I'm sure we can fix it, said the sorcerer with a confidence he didn't have. She isn't lost."
"If a man like you succeeded to find redemption, then she surely can."
Rumplestiltskin nodded, knowing how badly seen he was by Regina's father, who was completely right.
"I don't think you can say that. I mean... I haven't find redemption yet, it's just... just a beginning now", the sorcerer admitted.
"But... you will help me, right ?"
"Of course."
"How do we proceed ?"
"By steps I guess. We can't stop her now, not if we want her to redeem herself."
"It has to be her decision, approved the man, I agree with that, indeed. We can't force her if we want her to realize she made mistakes."
"But it will take time, you know."
"Of course. I am ready to wait, if it can help my little girl to be on the good way again."
Rumplestiltskin smiled. He wished he had a father like this, instead of having, well... the father (if you could say that) he had.
And, if he wasn't wrong, Regina did know the chance she had. That she used to have, in fact.
"But, Henry continued, we can't let her continue to do her evil things. I mean... kill innocent people, or threaten them."
"That could be, in fact, a good beginning in our plan to stop her. We could, at first put a spoke in her wheel."
"You are a powerful wizard Rumplestiltskin. I never... I never liked you, as you certainly already know it."
"I'm not the one who will tell you that you should have trusted me before. I know that I am not, well... trustworthy."
"Indeed. But now, I think you can help my daughter. I don't know if you really changed, but today, for the first time, you tried to divert my daughter from the project you put her in."
"I will do everything I can in order to stop her. Don't worry, I am more powerful than her, it won't be that difficult for me."
"Why didn't you do that before ? Why did you... change your mind ? What happened ?"
"I almost lost the woman I love and I realized that if I didn't do the good thing, I would never be able to find my son, or to see him again."
Yes, things were really different now, as he was ready to tell almost everything about him to a man he barely knew and who could be in the end a traitor. But he didn't care, even if Regina learned this, it would change nothing. He was still more powerful than her, and she wouldn't be able to hurt Belle or Bae.
And if he wanted to be trusted by Henry, he had to tell him the truth.
The other man nodded his head, understanding.
"I guess I understand your reasons now. And then ?"
"We talk with her. We try to find a way to stop her, by talking to her. Maybe that with time, she will finally understand she has to stop."
"What if... what if she doesn't ?" Asked Henry, almost in a shy way, seeming to be uncertain.
"We stop her by using force. We take her magic from her, or find a way so she won't be able to hurt Snow White and her prince."
Henry nodded, again, listening carefully.
"I guess, he said with sadness, that, if the other things don't work, well... we won't have many other choices."
They both agreed on that.
Henry had no place to go, as the only one he had was at Regina's place.
So, Rumplestiltskin asked him if he wanted to stay at the castle. After all, it was the perfect place, it would be protected from Regina, and there, Rumplestiltskin would be able to ask anything about Regina to her dad.
(Even though he may already knew everything about her.)
And he accepted.
Rumplestiltskin just hoped that Belle would accept Henry's presence, as he didn't ask her for this.
(He knew her. She would).
§§§§
During this time, Belle was still at the tavern. After their conversation, Red left, in order to go to see Snow White (who was still hiding herself from the queen), and Belle was now alone. Half-sad, half-happy, as she hoped that her dad would finally accept her choices.
Plunged in her thoughts, she finally heard a voice she never heard before, and turned her head.
It was not a man, but a dwarf, talking with another one.
Belle looked at them, listening and not wanting to interrupt them.
The first one seemed to be lost, and the second looked like someone really, really strict. Belle immediately decided that she didn't like him.
"I don't know what is happening to me. I just... don't know what it is."
"It's nothing Dreamy, the other dwarf answered. You don't have to worry about this."
"But..."
"I already told you, it's nothing !"
Frozen, Dreamy looked at the other dwarf with astonishment, not seeming to be convinced by this answer.
"Excuse me ?"
Dreamy turned his head, seeing a young lady looking at him.
"I couldn't stop myself from listening to your conversation, I'm sorry, but... I didn't really understand your story. I am sorry if I am bothering you."
The dwarf sat down just in front of her, the other dwarfs talking with each other.
"Oh no, no, you're not. My name is Dreamy, he said, offering her his hand."
"And my name is Belle, she said, squeezing his hand. I'm happy to meet you."
"So am I."
"So tell me, Dreamy... what's your story ?"
"I... I met someone not a long time ago. A fairy. Her name is Nova, and we became friends, or something like that, and... I don't know."
"You don't know what you feel toward her ? Asked Belle, not hiding her smile."
"Yes !" Exclaimed Dreamy, happy that he found someone who completely understood him.
It was the first time it happened, oh of course, he had his brothers, but even them didn't know his feelings for Nova. Or, if they knew that he liked her, they had no idea of what he was feeling. They didn't understand him the way this Belle seemed to do.
He didn't know her since a long time (well, he talked to her for just some minutes, nothing more) but he felt as if she could help him realize what he was feeling. Unlike the dwarf with who he just talked, and who didn't seem to want to consider Dreamy' feeling as being something which mattered.
But her... she was different from everyone he ever met.
He talked to her then, told her how he felt or thought he felt toward Nova. She listened carefully, not interrupting him, seeming to take a real interest in what he was saying.
Dreamy said how strange it felt to be with Nova, but even though it was difficult for him to find words to describe, he was able to say that it was always good to talk with her, to be with her.
As he finished to talk, he saw Belle beginning to smile, and he frowned.
"What ? What are you thinking ?"
"Nothing... Just that... this is not that difficult, you know. To figure out what your situation is."
"And what is it ?" He asked, not knowing what would be the answer.
She looked at him in a strange way, not as if he was an idiot, but as if, well... the answer was very simple and that he was too blind or innocent to see it. Her smile was brilliant, and real.
"You're in love with her, of course !"
He started, stupefied.
Wait... love ?
"They say that dwarfs can't love."
Belle rolled her eyes, understanding why it took so much time for Dreamy to realize the truth.
"It's absurd. Everyone can love. Even dwarfs too. You know, if I am certain of it it's because... I fell in love with someone. A Beast. I saw the real him, behind the mask. The man he truly was."
"How did things end ?"
Dreamy felt happy as he saw Belle's smile grows larger.
"I broke his curse. He let me... he let me do this. He let me save him. And now we are happy, even though my dad still doesn't accept my choice. But I don't loose hope."
"Tell me Belle, what do you think I should do ?"
The young woman took his hands in hers.
"Go to see her, she said with determination, she asked you to meet her, right ? It's for a reason, for sure. She loves you."
"You think so ?"
There was hope in Dreamy' eyes, so much hope that Belle just smiled, and realized that the other dwarf was wrong. Of course that Dreamy was in love with Nova. It was so obvious.
"I am sure of that."
§§§§
It's a happy and relieved Belle who came back to the castle, more than she was after she talked with her dad.
As she entered into what she could now call her home, she smiled, seeing Rumplestiltskin just there and she ran into his arms, embracing him.
And again, her smile grew more larger than ever, as he replied to this. It felt so good, she realized, to be with him, but not as it was before.
Because now, he really trusted her, and she could thank the fact that he had this vision.
Now they were together. He wasn't perfect, of course, he wasn't entirely good, but he was trying to.
Belle started as she saw a man she didn't know who was just behind her lover.
"Hum... hello ? Who... who are you ?"
She walked in his direction, trying to figure out if she ever met him before.
"My name is Henry and I am Regina's father. She is the queen."
"Oh, I... I see. Why are you here ?"
Rumple was the one to answer.
"He is here to help us stop Regina. He doesn't want the queen to be evil any more, he cares for his daughter and just wants her to stop her revenge. So I proposed him to stay there, as the castle is big enough for all of us."
"And when Regina will stop or will be stopped, I will go, I promise", Henry added.
Belle gave Rumple an approving look. He was on the good way for redemption, she already knew it, but knowing that he wanted for real to help Regina to find her redemption and a happy ending (as it seemed to be his purpose too) showed how much he changed.
"I'm so proud of you Rumple."
"I guess it's a yes."
She laughed.
§§§§
"Tell me, he asked her as they were together, how was your day. Your encounter with your father, was it... good ? Or, at least, was it not that bad ?"
"It was a disaster, it's the only thing I can say. My father is not stupid, but he can be stubborn sometimes."
"As you are sometimes too."
She hit him a little on the arm, with a false furious air, rapidly replaced by a smile.
"Well... maybe that you're not wrong. But it doesn't change the fact that he doesn't want to accept me as I am, or you... well... as you are."
"He may not be wrong, said the former Dark One."
She took his hand.
"Hey, she told him, look at me. I know that he is not completely wrong, but I know you, okay ? I know that you want to change, and that you're changing. And I won't change my mind, despite my father's opinion."
And she kissed him, just to show him that she didn't care about what her father said.
"And then ?"
"Oh, nothing. I talked a little with Red."
Oh yes, Red. The wolf, if he goodly remembered, Snow White's best friend.
"Oh, I almost forgot it, Belle added then. I met someone, a man. Well, not exactly a man, a dwarf, and I tried to help him."
"About what ?"
"Well, he fell in love with a fairy and he wanted to know what he was feeling."
"Wait, asked Rumplestiltskin, freezing, did you say it was a fairy ?"
"Yes... Why ?"
Rumplestiltskin didn't really know what to say. He just had the feeling that a bad thing was going to happen, and he knew that Belle wouldn't like it.
Fairies weren't supposed to love, or to get a happy ending. They were the one who helped people getting one, that's all.
Nothing else, nothing more.
And in all the things which were about the fairies, it was one those that Rumple really despised, because he found it totally absurd.
Why people who talked about love and happy endings couldn't have it for them ? It made no sense !
Having an intuition, he told Belle that he had to check something. He went into his room, in order to look at the storybook Regina gave to him, and he found his answer.
Yes, Blue did separate Nova (if it was the fairy who was included in this story) from Dreamy. Whose name became then Grumpy (oh, yes, one of the seven dwarfs, he remembered it now) and turned into someone unhappy and bitter).
Oh, what a wonderful decision it was my dear Blue !
He came back to see Belle. He couldn't let this happen (apparently, Nova was on the list that they gave to him, the one with the people he was supposed to help getting a happy ending), and he didn't want Belle's new friend to be hurt. Because it would hurt Belle herself then and he really didn't want it to happen.
"Rumple, what's wrong ?"
Nothing, I just have to stop a fairy from doing a great mistake.
He smiled.
"Nothing, I... I have something important to do, right now. Hum... why don't you make Henry visit the castle while I am not here ?"
He then saw some disappointment in her eyes, as she understood that it was something he wanted to hide from her, as before.
"Rumple ?"
Oh yes, he remembered, no more liars. No more secrets.
If he wasn't wrong, it was because of things like that that the other him and the other Belle weren't together in the other world.
Okay. Right.
He sighed.
"The thing you have to know about the fairies, Belle, is that... they are not supposed to be involved in a relationship with someone."
She frowned.
"But... why ?"
"I don't know, I never understood the reason, but... it is the truth. And... I'm afraid that the Blue Fairy is going to do something against it, and I want to stop it."
The young woman nodded, a serious air on the face.
"I get it. I... I hope that she will listen to you."
And then, she embraced him, in order to gave him courage, and he smiled. She believed him ! She believed that he was telling her the truth !
"I hope this too, he told her, before leaving."
§§§§
Rumplestiltskin didn't really know the place where he was, as he wasn't used to go to the fairy's place. Which he knew, of course (he was Rumplestiltskin after all, he knew almost everything), but where he never went.
And here he was, just behind the Blue Fairy, who, some seconds after he arrived, turned back and looked at him. She frowned, and addressed him a little and nervous smile, not seeming well-assured to be with him.
"Hello Rumplestiltskin, she said, trying to stay calm, why are you here ?"
"I wanted to talk with you Blue. About something I learned not a long time ago."
"And what is it ?"
"The story of a dwarf, loving a fairy."
"Oh yes, answered Blue. I was going to make it stop."
"Don't do that, he replied."
She looked at him with surprise and astonishment.
"Why ? Why are you giving me orders ?"
"It's not... it's not an order, but an advice. You shouldn't do that Blue. It would be a terrible mistake."
"I still know what I am doing Rumplestiltskin, okay ? I don't need you to tell me what to do."
"I am sure of that, but the thing is that for this, you're wrong."
"Why do you even care about that ? You're not in charge of the fairies, if I am not wrong, right ?"
"Yes, it's true. But Belle... she cares about this dwarf, hum... Dreamy, if I goodly remember. She is the one who told him that what he felt was love."
"Dwarfs can't love. Just as fairies themselves."
"When you say that, Blue, do you mean that this is an inability, or an interdiction ? I would personally think that it's the second option."
"You have nothing to say about that, Rumplestiltskin."
"Why ? Because I know nothing about love ? Or because I am the former Dark One ?"
"You don't understand. If Nova goes with him, she will never be able to be a good fairy godmother."
"Oh, really ? I would have thought the contrary. Because, you see, Blue, I always found this extremely paradoxical. Because... you, the fairies, always keep talking about love as being one of the greatest things that exist, or about happy endings."
"And then ?"
"The strange thing is that, if fairies can't have this, how can they want other people to be able to have this ? I mean... don't you think that if Nova can't be with the one she loves, she will be sad, alone, and bitter ? And if it's thecase, how will she be able to help someone to get a happy ending, if she can't have one ? Will she want to do it ? And don't tell me that her job is her happy ending, okay ? And don't tell me either that it's the same for Dreamy, that searching for fairy dust is the only thing that will make him happy."
"I... I don't know. Maybe that... that you're not that wrong, she admitted"
Rumplestiltskin smiled.
"I was sure that we would finally agree on something."