The wagon bounced down the road. Jolting everyone that was in it. Rumpelstiltskin wished that they hadn't done what the plan was, he wished that they had left those that would slow them down at home but he also knew that that was unwise. Leaving Snow and the kids with little protection when they crossed the barrier was trouble waiting to happen.

Bringing them with them was trouble waiting to happen.

It was him and Snow in the bed of the wagon. The kids sat huddled in the corner. Alice was fussy, David was pale and quiet, Grace couldn't stop crying. NO one had fully explained to them what was going on, Rumpelstiltskin wasn't sure he could wrap his mind around it.

Baelfire drove the wagon. Charming was slumped next to him. Baelfire had to keep getting him to sit up before he fell off the wagon and under the wheels.

It made sense; Zelena was picking them off one by one. Jefferson did what she wanted now, he was taken out of the fight, now Charming was weak…and it'd all been a distraction to take Emma out of the equation too.

Now Red was alone, she was going to be next. Now all they had was his human son, a weak prince, a magicless dark one, two children, a baby, and a pregnant woman.

And Emma, who was too weak to move.

They were ripe for the taking.

He kept his gun close. He had plenty of ammo with him. Flying monkeys couldn't heal from that. Once they'd probably been people, he didn't care. He had a family to protect, a family that was heavily weakened.

What if Zelena turned Jefferson into one of them?

No, he was more valuable human and intact. The best possible human shield.

"Is Emma going to be okay?" Grace asked.

IT was possible that she lost too much blood, that her organs could shut down and she could pass before they got her to the fairies but he couldn't tell the child that.

"Your stepmother's a fighter," He promised, "Regina spent years trying to kill her, a little wound will be nothing."

But she felt so weak in his arms, so fragile…not unlike when she was a baby….

"We're approaching the barrier," Baelfire told them.

It would all be over after this. The moment they crossed it, the barrier would crumble, there would be no safe place to hide. He should've been smarter, he should've put it up a lot sooner, this wouldn't have happened. HE failed his little girl, he failed his family…

Belle paid the price last time. Bae paid it before that. Now it was Emma.

Snow kept her hand on Emma's. She was trying to be strong. She was doing well at holding the tears back. However, he could tell that she was frightened. She should be, she was making the same conclusions he was.

The way she was holding her belly wasn't giving him warm feelings either. He had noticed it since before they left. IT was to be expected. Her husband was attacked, now her daughter and they were heading for dangerous territory, it would make sense that she went into labor.

He kept his voice down, "How far apart are they?"

Snow looked up, she was very pale. She put her hand on her belly, "Not near far apart enough."

"Will you be alright?"

"I don't know," she whispered, "Can you stop them if you get the magic back?"

"Nothing can stop a baby when it's ready to arrive, dear."

She paled, "It's too early!"

"So was Emma. You have a history."

"I have a history of going into labor when I'm incredibly terrified, yes."

He looked down and cleared his throat at what he knew was a barb. Why not? He deserved it. It was his fault that she lost Emma the first time, "It's going to be okay."

"Is it?" she asked hesitantly, "So tell me…can the fairies protect my babies against Zelena?"

'

"No," he whispered, "But they can give Emma and I the ability to."

"What if they can't?"

"Oh, they can," he told her, "I'm the reason that your family was torn apart the first time. I won't let that happen again. You'll have all your children."

"You can't promise that."

She was right. He couldn't. But he would die before this family went through anymore loss.

"We're past the barrier," Baelfire told them.

Rumpelstiltskin's grip on his gun and his daughter tightened. He waited for the onslaught, he waited for the flying monkeys and he waited for the Technicolor witch to show up…

None of it happened

Instead, they were welcomed by the group of nuns on the road. He always thought the Blue Fairy had a bit of a pinched face. Like she smelled something bad, it only got worse when she looked at him. Now she looked like she smelled a room full of sewage and dead bodies, "We've been waiting for you."

"I'm sure," he muttered.

"Is this how you save us?" Blue demanded, "Running to your land and putting a barrier so no one can get in or out?"

Baelfire regarded the fairy with distrust on his face, "No one's going to be saving anything unless your lot help Emma,"

"What happened?"

"She's lost blood. Zelena forced Jefferson to stab her."

"Another of your students, no doubt," Blue raised an eyebrow.

He ignored her, "Zelena's going to win if you don't do what we both know needs to be done."

"Very well, I'll heal Emma," Blue said. But she didn't take any moves to do so. She kept an eye on him, "But for the rest…well…out with it. I want to hear you say the words."

He hated her, "I want my magic back."

"No."

"For a day."

"No."

"Zelena has Jefferson," Charming said with an unusual calm for him, "She had Jefferson hurt Emma. Rumpelstiltskin got Emma to wake up so she could heal herself. Emma cannot possibly do this alone, give him the magic."

Rumpelstiltskin tried not to look at him, if he did, he'd show how shocked he was that Charming was the one to stand up for him.

"Emma's magic is just enough; she's more powerful than Zelena."

"She might not have the stomach to do what it takes to stop the wicked witch," Rumpelstiltskin snapped.

The Blue Fairy raised an eyebrow, "And you? Will you have the stomach? Will you do what needs to be done if Jefferson's life or the others' lives are at stake?"

He didn't answer, he didn't know.

But it was Charming who stepped down, who stormed over to her, "My children are in danger, you can save them, you will save them. You've done little to help up until this point. It's time to fix that."

The Blue Fairy looked furious; Rumpelstiltskin couldn't help but feel some satisfaction in that.

Blue pulled out a wand, she walked over to see Emma in Rumpelstiltskin's arms and she waved the wand. Immediately more color bloomed in Emma's face. Her eyes flew open and she drew in a deeper breath.

Rumpelstiltskin let out a sob and kissed her forehead. She smiled weakly at him, Snow stroked her face. Emma reached out and touched her son's face, and Grace's. Charming took the hand that Snow was holding and kissed it.

Rumpelstiltskin felt the magic filling him next. He felt alive again, buzzing with electricity. Like he'd been sick and was suddenly well.

He forgot how good this felt. How natural…

But it wasn't. HE would lose it in 24 hours.

Emma sensed his magic was back. Her eyes grew, "What have you done?"

"I'm helping you," he promised, "You don't have to fight her by herself."

"Papa!" Emma cried, "Jefferson hurt me with your dagger! If he got to Zelena, she has it!"