A/N: This chapter took me a long time to write up. Honestly, I've been working on it for the past couple of weeks straight. Hopefully it proves to be worth the wait. Also, I'd like to take this moment to thank the reviewers: Grace5231973, orthankg1, Fairy Demon26, and beverlie4055.
"Welcome to Castle 'Stiltskin," Rumpel announced as he flung open the doors and beckoned their guests inside. Emma matched his pace, but Ingrid and Elsa dragged their feet. Elsa was probably wary about entering the Dark One's private home, but Ingrid might simply be jealous. "Or should I say...welcome back, Ice Queen?"
"Snow Queen," Ingrid responded coldly. At the moment, she lingered outside and stretched one foot over the threshold, cautiously tapping the floor. Emma cocked her head. Perhaps she was paranoid about invisible fire walls. When it was proven safe enough, she swept inside like she owned the place.
"You've been here before?" Emma inquired. It wasn't a big surprise, really, since practically everyone in the Enchanted Forest struck a deal with Rumpel at some point. Ingrid's frosty blue eyes rolled over the hall and slowly singled out Emma.
"Yes, once. It was a very long time ago, back when I still had my sisters. My normal ones." She said it with such disdain. Ingrid reserved a small smile for Emma and Elsa, but neither one was quick to return it.
"I've been here, too," Anna exclaimed in her incessantly chipper voice.
She strode into the hall with two gigantic suitcases, as if she planned on staying for a month. When she dropped the suitcases, one of them landed on Rumpel's toe and he yelped, hopping backwards. Anna never noticed; she was far too absorbed in studying every detail, even going as far as to twirl in place in the middle of the hall, like Maria ready to sing about how the hills were alive with the sound of music.
"Has it really been thirty years? Not that you're old or I'm old or anything rude like that," Anna rambled on in front of Rumpelstiltskin. It didn't help that he was already sensitive about the gray streaks in his hair and his fingers brushed them aside now. "This place hasn't changed much, though maybe a little dustier than I remember. He-hem. Have you ever considered hiring a maid?"
"Depends. Are you applying for the job?" Rumpel offered her one of his sly grins and Anna backed up straight into Elsa. "Relax, dearie. It's a joke. The last maid I had in this castle, I happened to fall in love with." Of course, that disturbed Anna even more and she slipped behind Elsa.
"Is that how you two met?" she asked, glancing back and forth between Emma and Rumpel.
"No...ah..." Rumpel sputtered. He gave Emma a sideways look.
"I wasn't his maid. I was the savior that broke this twenty-eight-year long curse that sent everyone to a different world. And the one that got drunk enough to the point of agreeing to marriage." Anna formed a silent O with her lips.
"Anyhow," Rumpel said, clapping his hands together. He called out for everyone else in the castle to come down to greet the guests. Bae and Henry appeared, each carrying a baby. Mary played with Henry's nose while Isabelle tugged and frosted Bae's hair. She seemed to think it was funny, too. Ariel was nowhere in sight, but Emma figured it was time for her daily swim down near the market. "Bae, Henry, this is Elsa, Anna, and Ingrid. These are my sons and the masters of the castle in my absence. Anything they say goes."
"Can we make it snow so hard that I can slide off the roof?" Henry asked, bouncing with excitement. Emma quickly scooped up Mary before she threw up all over the kid.
"Anything goes, except for that," she said. Henry's excitement dimmed. "Cheer up, kid. They can give you a year's worth of ice cream in two seconds flat." His bright smile returned.
The sound of running feet reached their ears and down the stairs raced Goldie, tail wagging a mile a minute when she spotted Rumpel and Emma. Ingrid and Elsa froze in place as the dog bounded forward to sniff at their feet. Anna got right down on her knees to pat the dog.
"What is this creature doing here?" Ingrid demanded, holding her skirts away from Goldie's paws. She gave a startled cry when the dog leaped up to plant its paws on her belly. Goldie barked once and Ingrid stumbled back, so quickly that Emma could swear she was about to fall on her butt. Apparently, dogs weren't very common in the Enchanted Forest, unless you counted the wolves.
"Ah, yes, this is Goldie. Our family pet and guard. Don't let her warm greeting and adorable features fool you. One toe out of line and she becomes your worst nightmare," Rumpel warned. Nonetheless, Anna continued to stroke Goldie's fur until she rolled onto her back for a belly rub. It took a fresh dog treat, conjured by Rumpel's hand, to make Goldie give their guests some space. Some guard dog.
"And this must be the little snow princess," Ingrid said, gliding over to Bae and Isabelle. What gave it away? Emma thought. The snowflakes in Bae's hair, maybe?
Bae must have inherited his father's judge of character and paranoia, for he averted his gaze and passed Isabelle to the rightful arms of her father. Rumpel cradled her close to his chest and kissed that tiny, cold hand. Meanwhile, Ingrid looked slightly offended.
"You don't trust me?" Rumpel and Bae exchanged doubtful looks. "How can I help your precious daughter if I can't be near her?"
"My family is the most important thing in this world to me. I don't entrust their lives to just anyone. Consider this a test run," Rumpel remarked. He glanced at his wife for support and she did not fail to give it; deal or no deal, she did not yet fully trust Ingrid, either, especially with someone like their daughter. "Dinner will be served at seven. In the meantime, feel free to peruse."
He spun on his heel and headed for the kitchen, leaving everyone following reluctantly behind. It was what he did when situations became too personal or awkward for his liking. However, Bae hurried to keep up with him, bent his head low, and said: "Thanks for leaving me to babysit, by the way."
Rumpel genuinely felt remorseful about that and he hoped Bae could read it in his eyes. He knew some small part of Bae still resented those centuries they spent apart and seeing him raise two newborn girls did not ease that pain.
"As I said, I only trust the lives of my family, including my children, in the hands of certain people. You would make a good role model for the girls," Rumpel said. Bae seemed to accept it. "Also, I'll make sure Ingrid gives you the Leaning Tower of Ice Cream after dinner, if it'll help," he promised. There was nothing more comforting in times of woe than ice cream.
Behind them, Henry strolled along with Anna, whose head swiveled like a bobblehead doll as she tried to take in everything.
"Oh, I wish Olaf had come with us," she said.
"Who's Olaf?" Henry asked. Elsa and Anna shared fond expressions, followed by a small laugh.
"Olaf is a talking snowman that I once brought to life," Elsa explained. To Anna, she said: "Next time, I'll give him a stronger cloud of snow to follow him everywhere he goes, so that he can accompany us." Anna happily embraced her sister. Meanwhile, Henry remembered the argument he had with Bae about the possibility of talking snowmen and he raced up to his side to poke him in the back. When Bae turned around, Henry was smug.
"I told you so."
...
Even if Rumpel had guests in his castle, he took comfort in the solitude of the kitchen. He was surprisingly eager to prepare dinner the old-fashioned way, sans magic. Part of it was because Bae was unsure if Ariel would be joining them this evening. When the mermaid took her daily swim, she often visited her family under the sea and there was no telling when she'd be back.
So he may have jumped the gun, took entire control of the kitchen, and started making crab cakes for dinner.
The aroma of baking bread filled the entire kitchen as a dozen rolls turned brown over the fire. Fresh vegetables were lumped together on a cutting board and Rumpel went to work chopping them up for a salad. He had Henry and Bae take a stroll to the seashore and catch a few crabs. They carried a bucket full of them into the kitchen just as he finished mincing the carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, and onions. He wiped the moisture from his eyes with his sleeve.
"Onions getting to you?" Bae asked, handing his father a tissue. Rumpel gladly accepted it and dried his eyes.
"No, I woke up this morning and decided that the kitchen was the perfect place to finally release my bottled emotions," he said sarcastically. The sting in his eye and the heat of the kitchen must be making him grumpy.
"I could have told you it was past time for that. In fact, I hear Archie is still practicing," Bae replied.
"Ha, ha." He showed them where they could set down the bucket of crabs while Rumpel put on a pot to boil over the fire. Bae gazed down at the crabs almost sympathetically. Ever since he met Ariel, he had sworn off seafood completely. "Don't worry. This is only half of our dinner. I'll serve chicken, too." He heard Bae's sigh of relief over the crackle of the flames.
"Ooh, can I help you drop the crabs in?" Henry asked. He sounded much too enthusiastic about that part, all the while peering into the bucket of crabs. Bae shifted uncomfortably. He may as well be wearing a T-shirt: Save the Crabs!
"Thanks, Henry, but you've helped me plenty already. I'm sure you have a slew of questions for our guests, so why not give them a grand tour before dinner?" Bae and Henry started out of the room to do just that, with Henry running slightly ahead. "Don't show them my closet, library, or bathroom!" he called after them. The closet was filled with his prized leather outfits, the library was where he mixed potions and spun, and he had left the bathroom a tad messy this morning.
"Show them the closet, library, and bathroom? Got it," Bae yelled back. Rumpel scowled. He was thankful he had Bae bury the dagger deep within the earth near their old home. There was no telling what Ingrid might do yet and he didn't wish for her to be tempted with such power.
"Good evening, little crabs," he cooed over the bucket. "Who wants to go into the pot of boiling water first? Eenie-meanie-minie-you! I shall call you...Jerry." One by one, he plopped the crabs in the pot, until the bucket was empty. After that, he tossed the vegetables into a bowl, mixing them all together in one colorful salad.
He stopped again when he heard something scrape the bucket. To his surprise, there was one little crab left. He could have sworn he had gotten them all.
"What is this?" Rumpel used a pair of tongs to lift the crab out of the bucket. He held it close to his face, inspecting it. The crab was redder than the rest and significantly smaller. It almost wasn't worth cooking him, especially since there were enough crabs in the pot to satisfy everyone. Just then, the crab shot out its claw and caught his nose. Rumpel howled and dropped the tongs, but the crab still swing from his nose.
"Aahh-ooh-ahh! Get off, get off, get off!" He danced around and shook, hoping to throw off the crab. He tried pulling it off with his hands, but those claws only pinched him tighter. Rumpel sank to his knees, fumbled for the tongs, and used those to pry the crab away from his face. It flew through the air and landed on the table. Rumpel rubbed his throbbing nose, the warmth of his own blood coating his fingers.
"You little beast," he snarled. There was no way he would let that crab go free now. He set his sights on it and picked up a sharp knife. Then he crept up to the table, with the knife behind his back, as if the crab would discover his intentions and bolt. It sat there calmly, snapping its claws, and daring him to do it. "Stay still now. It'll be over before you know it."
Thwock!
He brought down the knife, but it stabbed the table. The crab had moved at the last second. Now it scurried off, dodging plates, bowls, utensils, and glasses. It was fast for a small creature. Thwock, thwock, thwock, thwock! Time and again, Rumpel hit the table instead of the crab.
"Come here, sea monster, so I can eat you!" he growled.
The crab paused in front of a bag of flour. Before he could think it through, Rumpel raised the knife above his head, aimed for the crab, and swung the knife like a baseball bat. He hit the bag of flour and it burst open. White powder exploded over the table and his face. He even coughed up a flume of powder.
Somehow, the crab landed on the floor. Maybe this one knew how to leap off tables and stick it. Instinctively, Rumpel grabbed the bucket, spilling the sea water everywhere, and chased after the crab. Several times he slammed the bucket down-slam! slam! slam! slam!-but he narrowly missed and failed to trap the crab.
"Get...in...the...bucket!" he screeched every time he brought the bucket down. Eventually he lost sight of the crab altogether and crouched there on the floor, bucket in hand, waiting to strike.
He heard something snap behind him and he rotated to see the evil crab sitting in one spot, snapping its claws. All he needed was one good strike.
"Hi-ya!" He flung the bucket at the crab, but it missed by a mile and ricocheted off the wall. The effort was so powerful that Rumpel toppled on his belly. The crab hurried off across the floor and Rumpel started to follow it, slithering on his belly like a snake. A familiar pair of legs blocked his way. He tilted his head back to stare up at Emma.
"I know I should learn not to ask this, being married to you, but what the hell are you doing? Did you stick your face in a blender?" She bounced Isabelle in her arms and his little girl followed it up with a firm gah!
For a moment, he saw himself through their eyes: bloody nose, sliding on his belly, his face and hair covered in flour, an angry look twisting his lips. In the next instant, he decided there was too much at stake, starting with his pride. That crab had threatened him and now he had to get even.
"Ah! Just the person I wanted to see! Quick, Izzy, get the crab! Freeze him!" He searched around for the crab, hoping to point it out to her, but he lost it again. Every time he tried to crawl around Emma's legs, she moved to block his path again. "Darling, I love dancing with you, but this is not the time! That crabs needs to go into the boiling pot of Crab Hell and pay for pinching my nose off! I know he did it on purpose!"
"Okay, the lack of sleep during our journey last night has obviously impaired your judgement and priorities. I told you to sleep on the way home."
"I would have, but someone objected to the scenic route. And I'll have you know that my judgement and priorities are better than ever. In fact, my first priority is to destroy that crab!"
"Take the baby," Emma demanded, already dropping Isabelle into his lap. His little girl patted his nose and cheek, leaving handprints among the flour. "You're off kitchen duty. Go take a nap." She hoisted him up by the collar and led him out the door.
"But-" Emma slammed the door before he could get a word in. "My nose still hurts," he complained. Isabelle squeezed it and he winced. "Thank you, Isabelle. You and that crab would have made good friends."
...
The dinner went about as smoothly as Rumpel expected it to go, which was not very smooth at all.
For one thing, they started dinner later than he wished since Ingrid insisted there were dirty paw prints and dog hairs on her dress, even after Rumpel claimed that she could wear that white dress down the aisle. Then Ariel rushed in and sat right down at the table, with her hair still dripping from her swim. Apart from that, any form of conversation consisted of a few short exchanges here and there, mostly about how good the food and wine was. Otherwise, they were stuck with tense, long silences, gawking at each other and scraping the food off their plates.
Even the babies seemed quieter than usual, sitting in high-chairs on opposite sides of the table. They had to do it that way, because if Isabelle ever got upset during dinner, Mary would get cold and her food would become frozen, even when Emma or Rumpel brought the spoons to their mouths.
"It's very quiet," Anna stated the obvious. She glanced around, but no one agreed or disagreed. Eventually her eyes stopped on Rumpel at the head of the table, but he pretended not to notice. Why was she staring, though? "You know, you haven't changed that much, other than your face. Not that there's anything wrong with your face. It looks good. Just...different than I remember. No strange, scaly golden skin. And you still have a thing for leather."
"And you're still Chatty Cathy," he remarked. Anna's face twisted in confusion. He forgot that the lingo of Storybrooke was unfamiliar to those who never visited it, yet he found it amusing that he knew something she didn't know.
"My name is Anna, not Cathy," she reminded him. He had the urge to giggle. I know something you don't know, he sang in his head. "Or did you forget about me after all this time? I haven't forgotten you." She made it sound a little cooler than anything else she said before. As if she would like to forget him completely.
"Dearie, I couldn't forget you if I played bobbing for apples in a bucket full of forgetful potion," he tossed back. More confusion on Anna's end.
"Excuse me? Bobbing for what? What are you talking about? And what's that supposed to mean-that you can't forget me? Are you saying...I'm annoying?"
"Ding, ding, ding, ding," Rumpel trilled. Anna shook her head, unable to make any sense of it. Before she could mouth off a reply, Elsa clasped her hand on the table. Unspoken communication ensued between them and Anna quieted down.
"So, how long have you two been married?" Elsa asked more politely. It did not slip their notice that she quickly changed the subject.
"A little more than a year now," Emma said. Tenderly, Rumpel took her hand and kissed it, just to prove his affection for her. Anna stared at them like she had observed a three-headed creature. "We've had some rough patches, but I think we're fairly happy now." Emma admired their children while Rumpel admired her. After everything they've been through, they deserved it, didn't they?
"Rough patches?" Ingrid inquired. Rumpel, Emma, and Bae tensed up. "Oh, you must mean raising...four children, one of whom possesses magic? I can see how that might take a toll on such an early relationship." She wagged her finger, counting the the girls, Henry, and Bae.
"No," Rumpel snapped. "Our children have been our blessing, every one of them. By rough patches, we mean...well, why rip open old wounds, right?"
Ingrid remained unsatisfied with her curiosity. So she glanced toward Henry for assistance. The knowledge was too great to keep hidden for long, especially since it translated to a once-in-a-lifetime adventure in his book. After all, he was still a little boy and keeping secrets wasn't his strong suit.
"Let's see...Emma married him when she was drunk...their honeymoon ended with Rumpel falling off a cliff-"
"On purpose," Emma added under her breath. Ingrid, Elsa, and Anna wore matching expressions of bafflement while Rumpel pretended to be fascinated with feeding Mary a spoonful of baby peas, airplane-style. They were all thinking the same thing: normal people didn't just take a walk off cliffs.
"They broke up for a little while and he had to serenade her," Henry continued. Rumpel lowered his head when he recalled the experience of singing outside Emma's window. He had done it with his heart, but singing wasn't something he was very comfortable doing. Luckily Elsa, Anna, and Ingrid had no clue about karaoke. "Then Emma broke the curse and she realized that she was married to Rumpelstiltskin."
Ingrid snorted.
"It wasn't a bad thing," Emma objected. "Just unusual. In my world, Rumpelstiltskin was a fairy tale character, someone who wasn't real, so I was a little surprised to find out I was Mrs. Rumpelstiltskin. I always pictured someone much smaller...and potentially split in half."
Rumpel squirmed in his seat. His height was a delicate subject, but at least he was in one piece. There were certain times in the past where his rage had gotten the best of him and he threw a temper tantrum, but he never got so angry that he split himself in two.
"And then," Henry went on loudly, regaining their attention, "they found out that Bae was my biological dad." Emma let her head fall into her hand in disbelief. Rumpel shared in her exasperation. Why did they have to bring that up? It seemed everyone gaped at her and Bae, whose fork had clattered noisily on his plate.
"Excuse me?" Ingrid spoke first, her voice a little smaller than usual as she struggled to understand what Henry just said.
"You're Henry's father?" Anna asked, shaking her head. Bae nodded stiffly.
"Aren't you...Rumpelstiltskin's son?" Elsa pointed out. Her finger swerved between Bae, Rumpel, and Emma, forming a triangle in the air. Now you understand why it's awkward, Rumpel thought, but could not bring himself to say it aloud. It was best to let that elephant in the room stay in its corner. "Emma, you're married to Rumpelstiltskin...but you also reproduced with Bae?"
"It's complicated," Bae muttered.
"Understatement," Rumpel added.
"I met him when I was eighteen," Emma explained, pointing to Bae. "I didn't know anything about his background, including the fact that Rumpelstiltskin was his father. Trust me; if he told me at that time I would have thought he was crazy. He left me before I even knew I was pregnant with Henry. After Henry was born, I gave him up because I didn't think I could give him his best chance. On my 28th birthday, Henry found me and brought me back to Storybrooke, the town where everyone lived during the curse. I met Rumpel, though I knew him as Mr. Gold back then, we got married, and...here we are."
Under the table, Rumpel squeezed Emma's hand.
"Well, it's fortunate that you three are comfortable enough with your romantic history to enjoy dinner in the same room," Ingrid stated, forcing a smile. Emma, Bae, and Rumpel gave each other shy glances and bent their heads to stare at their plates instead. Comfortable. Right, he thought. Some things were better left unsaid.
"If you think that's complicated, you should see the rest of our family tree," Henry said. Here we go, Rumpel inwardly moaned. "Rumpel, Snow, and Charming are my grandparents. Since Emma's married to Rumpel, I guess that kind of makes her my mom and my grandmom. The Evil Queen Regina adopted me, but she was also Snow's stepmom, which makes her both my mom and my great-grandmom. That also means that Snow is my stepsister as well as my grandmother..."
"Okay, kid, I think they get the point. Very complicated," Bae said, patting Henry on the shoulder. Currently, Ingrid, Elsa, and Anna's mouths hung open impolitely. It took a while for Emma to wrap her mind around it, too. Trying to sort through their family tree would give anyone a decent headache.
"Yeah, well...she's a mermaid," Emma said, rapidly changing the subject as she pointed her fork toward Ariel. The mermaid didn't seem to mind the sudden spotlight since she offered a warm smile to their guests. Emma made a mental note to make it up to Ariel later on and perhaps Bae, too, considering the way he glared at her. "Just think: if someone spills water on her legs, she'll pop a tail. Let's talk about that and also be grateful we're not eating fish sticks for dinner."
Fortunately, most of the crab cakes had been devoured before Ariel reached the table. The rest were stored on a tray, hidden under a silver lid, out of respect for the mermaid.
Whenever Ariel attended dinner with them, Emma warned Rumpel not to serve anything that remotely resembled fish or any other sea creature, no matter how amusing he thought it would be. Emma wouldn't be able to stand causing the girl such distress when she came from the sea in the first place. So tonight their dinner also consisted of ham, chicken, and vegetable soup. And, if Henry got his way, the dessert would be mile-high ice cream.
"I've never met a mermaid with legs before," Anna gushed, "but then it's probably hard to recognize one, right?" She even peeked under the tablecloth to ensure that Ariel still had human legs.
"It's not that hard, actually," Ariel replied with a hint of a blush. "When I first got my legs, it took me a whole day before I learned how to use them. You can do so much with them-running, dancing, swimming...It was half of an afternoon on the beach before I figured out they could bend. Look at them now!"
To everyone's amazement, Ariel lifted one leg up and wiggled her toes. She nearly hit Bae in the face.
"Yeah, they're lovely," he said and gently urged her to put her leg down before someone got hurt.
"If you're from under the water, how can you speak so well? Forgive me, but until today I never knew mermaids shared our language above water," Elsa said.
"Most mermaids don't, unless they surface and observe the humans from time to time. Some of us, like my father, believe it's dangerous to surface at all. I always loved exploring and watching the people on the beaches and ships, so I know several languages. I guess that's another reason I'm not too close to my sisters back home. Half the time, they can't even understand me!"
"I know the feeling," Ingrid said. Rumpel grumbled under his breath and Emma tilted her head. Most likely, Ariel had meant that as a joke. It was on the tip of her tongue to demand the story of Ingrid's relationship with her sisters, but Rumpel squeezed her hand again and subtly shook his head.
"Ooh, and look what I've learned since I became fascinated with the humans," Ariel exclaimed. The moment she picked up a fork, Emma and Henry knew where this was going. Only Henry burst into giggles. Bae recognized it, too, since he reached out for her hand.
"Ariel, uh, we talked about this, remember? Forks aren't really used for-"
Too late. Ariel ignored him completely and stuck the fork deep in her bright red hair, guiding it like a comb and dragging it through the tangled, damp strands. Elsa and Ingrid didn't know what to think, so they sat there watching the mermaid cluelessly. "Do you want to try?"
"No, thank you," Elsa and Ingrid declined, flipping their own white hair over their shoulders. At the same time, however, Anna shouted: "Yes!" Her sister and aunt gave her incredulous stares. "What? She's teaching us about her understanding of the world and her way of life! It'd be rude to say no."
Anna followed Ariel's example, cleaned off her fork with her napkin, and wove the fork through her red hair.
"If our girls grow up and brush their hair with forks," Rumpel whispered in Emma's ear, "I'm blaming those two." As it was, the girls weren't as noisy as usual, probably because they were absorbed by their strange new guests.
"This is what dinner is like in our place," Emma responded back. It was never dull in their castle, that was for sure. Of course, that was before Isabelle made it snow. Anna nudged her sister in the ribs.
"Do you want to-?"
"No."
"Okay." Anna tried her best not to look disappointed or hurt from Elsa's curt tone. Sadly, she could only sit still in silence for a minute. "Doesn't the food get cold?" Anna said.
"More often than you think," Bae replied, cupping his hands around his plate to keep the snow from falling on his food. "See, Papa, this is why it wouldn't hurt to have a microwave on hand."
"The crab cakes aren't cold yet," Rumpel said and lifted the lid off a tray filled with crab cakes. Everyone stopped and stared as they noticed something else on that tray that should not be there. A live crab, scuttling about over the crab cakes. The silver lid dropped from Rumpel's hand and clanged loudly on the table. "You."
Just like that, Rumpel lunged over the table, swiping plates and glasses off of it to pull the tray of crab cakes toward him. The crab crawled off the tray and Rumpel jumped up from his seat to pursue it with a mad glint in his eye. It took both Emma and Bae to yank him back down into his seat before he could copy the crab and crawl across the table. The crab escaped into Ariel's lap and she draped a napkin over it to hide it. That didn't stop Rumpel from struggling and shouting insults at the poor creature.
Ingrid offered Emma a pitiful look.
"How many children did you say you had?" It was almost drowned out by Rumpel's shouts.
"Come out, you coward! Face me like a real crab!"
...
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine," Emma sang softly as she walked the bedroom floor with Isabelle cradled in her arms. It was her turn to put Isabelle to sleep while Rumpel handled Mary. For some reason, the song that usually worked with Mary failed with Isabelle. The baby fidgeted and whimpered, inches shy of wailing. "Calm down, Isabelle. Please? Mama's tired."
A gentle knock on the bedroom door distracted her. It was Elsa, offering a polite bow of the head and awaiting an invitation. Emma jerked her chin, encouraging her to step inside.
"How is she?" Elsa inquired, motioning to Isabelle. She glided close and the baby quieted down for a moment to stare at the stranger in her bedroom.
"She's fussy, but then she's always been more difficult to put to bed than Mary. You watch-she'll be the one pulling all-nighters and watching scary movies when she's a teenager."
Elsa tilted her head, her icy blue eyes clouded with confusion. Emma temporarily forgot that Elsa did not understand everything that Emma knew in the real world. She also didn't mention that Isabelle was becoming increasingly difficult to calm down ever since they took Mary out of the bedroom. Emma hoped it wasn't out of loneliness for her sister or a broken heart that these snow storms were becoming so frequent.
"Mind if I try something?" Elsa asked, letting her hand hover in the air. Emma hesitated. She didn't know Elsa very well and therefore did not know the extent of her power. However, Isabelle began to moan again. If it helped to soothe her, it might be worth it.
"Okay. Go for it," Emma said, though she held Isabelle all the while. She began to understand her mother's strong sense of attachment in the face of the unknown.
"Don't worry. It's harmless. I promise not to turn her into a baby ice statue, if that's what you're thinking," Elsa reassured her. She must have noticed Emma's anxiousness. Slowly, Elsa approached Isabelle and let her fingers bloom from her palm. "Hello there, little one. You're a very beautiful ice princess. I'm an ice princess, too. Technically, queen. Here, watch."
Elsa waved her hand over her palm and a glittering ball of dust swirled there. White, powdery snow. Elsa blew on the snowflakes and they floated over Isabelle's nose, cheeks, and eyelashes. Instead of a shrill cry, Isabelle giggled. Emma's eyebrows rose. Just like that, it felt a few degrees warmer in that room. Elsa threw her hands in the air and dozens of snowflakes sparkled in the air, drifting around Isabelle's head. The baby reached out with her hand-not to catch the snowflakes, but to seize Elsa's hand. It surprised both Elsa and Emma.
"She likes you," Emma said. That was saying something, considering the fact that Isabelle was a lot shyer than Mary, especially around strangers. It took Isabelle a few visits to warm up to Jefferson, until he played peek-a-boo with his hat. Isabelle forever tried to steal it. Rumpel didn't even mind it, so long as Jefferson didn't play peek-a-boo to the point of shipping their daughter to another world. Now you see her...now you don't.
"Perhaps she understands that we're alike. It's comforting to know someone else with this kind of power. Other than my aunt, of course," Elsa replied, looking quite content herself.
"What's your take on the Snow Queen? Should I be concerned about her?" Emma dared to ask. She felt that Elsa would give her an honest opinion, due to her outrage at Ingrid after being released from the urn. Elsa tried to smile, but it was weak.
"Ingrid is...lonely and desperate. She was trapped in the urn before me and when she was released, she wanted to help me control my power. Now I believe she intended to heighten it, unleash it, and convince me to join her side. Once she even attempted to turn me against Anna because Anna did not share the power that we did. Perhaps the deal I made with her will appease her, but in the meantime you'll want to be careful with Ingrid. She can help Isabelle, but she can also harbor resentment for those who are not like her."
Emma nodded, taking it all in. Something terrible must have happened to Ingrid to make her fear being used or misunderstood by "normal" people. She even lost any love she felt for her biological sisters. Emma had to wonder if they were the reason that Ingrid ended up in that urn in the first place, simply because they were afraid of what Ingrid was capable of.
"Goodnight, Emma," Elsa said and headed for the door.
"Wait," Emma called after her. There was something she had been meaning to say to Elsa ever since they left Arendelle, if only she could find the words. "I'm sorry about your captivity in the urn and potentially using you to get through to the Snow Queen. It wasn't right." Surprisingly, there was no anger in Elsa's eyes.
"I forgive you," she said, holding her chin high like the Queen she was. "A mother will go to any lengths to protect her child." For an instant, Elsa's eyes became distant, as if she was consumed by a powerful thought.
"What is it?" Emma asked. Elsa became alert once more and shook her head.
"Oh, I was reminiscing. My parents went to great lengths to help me as well. Long ago, when I was still a little girl, they visited Rumpelstiltskin to find a way to help my powers. They died in a storm at sea on the way back."
"I'm so sorry," Emma said and sincerely meant it. Her heart ached for Elsa, even more so when Elsa struggled to remain strong about it. She knew better than anyone how painful it was to lose a mother and father, but Emma thought it must have been more painful for Elsa, who had known them for some time before their deaths.
"Not to worry. I am fortunate to have Anna. I don't know what I would do without her...or how unstable my magic would be. She tells me that she's lucky to have a sister like me, but I think the same about her every day. She had been my guidance, my strength, and my anchor." Emma couldn't help but smile when she heard Elsa talk about Anna so passionately.
"I know how you feel...about Anna and losing your parents. The Evil Queen cast a curse over this world and my parents were forced to send me through a wardrobe to a land without magic, to give me my best chance. I didn't see them again for 28 years. I always assumed they abandoned me on the side of the road. Now I'm getting to know them again. When I was growing up, though...I had Neal-I mean, Bae-for a little while, but then no one until Henry showed up to find me. He was the one that believed in me from the start. Then all at once I'm the savior, the product of true love, with magical powers, and Rumpelstiltskin is my husband. It's...it's..."
"It's overwhelming," Elsa finished for her. She returned to Emma's side and hesitantly took her hand. "I've learned that magic is often that way the first time you wield it. It consumes you until you're not sure whether you're using magic or the magic is using you. It thrives on your emotions and you start to fear whether you will hurt those you love. Believe me; you need your loved ones to support you or you'll end up alone. Your husband, your children, your parents...cherish them."
"You're right," Emma said, lowering Isabelle into her crib. At last, the baby was starting to snooze. "It is comforting to know someone who understands."
...
After putting Isabelle to bed, she went to check on Henry. Right as she reached his door, it flew away from her hand and out slipped Rumpel.
"Is he asleep?" she whispered, just in case. Henry was a very light smile. Rumpel left Henry's door cracked open and stepped aside for her.
"No, of course not. You should know your boy by now; he's waiting patiently for you." That was just like Henry. Thankfully, she never disappointed him. "Mary fell asleep after I read Goldilocks and the Three Bears for the umpteenth time. Every time I said Goldie's name, she ran in and riled Mary up again. What about our little snowflake?"
"Finally sound asleep. I had a little help from Elsa," she said. A surprised expression crossed his face, as if he hadn't expected Emma to get along with their guests this soon.
"I'll be careful not to wake her when I kiss her goodnight. Isabelle, not Elsa."
"Our marriage might be in trouble if you meant Elsa," she said, only half-teasingly. Rumpel rubbed her shoulders, easing the tension in them, and she was helpless to relax under his magic touch.
"I'll admit, she's pretty, but she's much too cold for my taste. Same with the Snow Queen. I like my women warmer and friendlier. I imagine that spooning with Elsa or the Snow Queen is no different than hugging a snowman. Besides, there's only one woman that holds my heart in her hands, both day and night." He cupped Emma's chin and kissed her fully on the mouth. It was very warm, indeed. "Don't be jealous."
"I'm not jealous!" she protested. Not really.
"M-hm," he murmured, with a silly, knowing smile.
"Go see your daughter already," she said, before that smirk of his got the better of her. Elegantly, he bowed before her and swept down the hall. "And don't wake her!"
Rumpel gave a little wave of his hand. Well, if he did wake Isabelle, everyone in the castle would know it. In the meantime, Emma edged Henry's door open and crept inside. There was really no need; Henry sat up in bed the minute she did. He probably heard everything that passed between her and Rumpel.
"You're still awake. How will you have any energy to beat Charming at swordfighting tomorrow?" she asked.
"I beat him last time, though I have a feeling he let me win. I'm thinking of telling him to stop going easy on me. If I'm going to be a good knight, I want to beat him because I'm better at fighting, not because he let me win." Emma nodded approvingly. Henry sounded very wise and mature in that moment, a reminder of how old he was growing. "Hey, can I show you how I swordfight?"
"One day, maybe. Right now, your father and I have our hands full with the girls, especially Isabelle. Until everything settles down, I think I should stay close to home." Henry mumbled a half-hearted okay. "How about if you and Charming train in the courtyard tomorrow instead of the forest? That way, I can watch you as much as I want and also keep an eye on the girls."
"That's great," Henry exclaimed, his excitement returning. He started to sit up, but Emma urged him back down on his pillow.
"So, what do you think of our three new guests?"
"Anna's awkward, loud, and funny," he said with a half-smile. Emma could only think of Anna's cheerful rambling and her eagerness to mirror Ariel in brushing her hair with a fork. She was definitely one of a kind. "Elsa's like a queen: all quiet, calm, and strong. I think it'll take some time to get to know her. And the Snow Queen...I don't know if I like her yet. She doesn't seem as nice or trustworthy as the other two."
Emma didn't blame Henry for thinking that way. Ever since she met Ingrid, she only saw her smile once or twice. Not to mention that her affinity for the cold matched her personality. She was reserved, cool in tone, and even a little severe in manner. Emma would give her the benefit of the doubt, for now.
"How long will they be here?" Henry asked.
"Well, Elsa made a deal with Ingrid to visit on occasion, so she and Anna will probably come and go. Ingrid will stay here until she can teach Isabelle how to control her power when she's a little older. Right now, she's here as a precaution, mostly to calm Isabelle if she ever gets out of hand. You've seen what she can do."
"Are you afraid of her?" For a moment, Emma wasn't sure if he meant Isabelle or Ingrid. Perhaps both.
"No. Of course not," she answered. "Look at everything we've been through so far. We'll get through this, too. Now get some sleep or you'll fall asleep in the middle of your swordfight with Charming." Apparently Henry thought that was amusing since he offered a short laugh.
She kissed him on the forehead, tucked extra blankets around him, and wished him goodnight.
...
When Emma returned to her bedroom, she didn't find her husband in bed waiting up for her, even with a good book he may have borrowed from Belle, like he sometimes did. Instead, she heard the sound of running water coming from the bathroom and she went to investigate. The tub was full. Rumpel had drawn himself a bath and he was now relaxing in it.
"With the excitement of welcoming three people into our castle, I thought you would've fallen asleep by now," she said, striding into the bathroom. Rumpel lifted an eyelid and let it close again.
"I couldn't sleep. Not with guests in my castle, but that's my old paranoid side stirring up again. So I decided I was in the mood for a soothing, hot bath. The draft is much chillier than usual, thanks to three women in this castle sharing the same frigid power," he complained with a shiver. The drop in termperature hadn't escaped her notice.
"Mind if I join you?" she asked politely. She couldn't help but envy the warmth of the water swirling around his body.
"At this point in our relationship, do you even need to ask?" That was his obnoxious way of extending the invitation.
Emma gladly stripped off her clothes and slid down in front of him, his legs curling around her hips. The water felt every bit as warm and soothing as she hoped it would be-and she moaned in bliss. Her head tilted back until it rested on his shoulder and his arms wrapped around her waist under the water, cradling her close. All of a sudden, he had a washcloth in his hand and began to rub it in gentle circles over her bare skin. Now she didn't know whether her moans were a result of the warm water or his touch on her back, her belly, her thighs.
"That feels wonderful," she admitted, enjoying the comfort of his arms around her. The cloth worked its way inside her thighs, underneath, back up to her breasts. For every inch he stroked with the cloth, his mouth tended to her cheeks, the lobes of her ears, her shoulders. It filled her with such ecstasy, she nearly forgot everything she wanted to say to him. "Do you...think...Isabelle will be alright now?"
"With Ingrid here?" He nipped the spot between her shoulder and neck, making her cry out with pleasure. Meanwhile, the cloth massaged her breast and she leaned into his touch. "Isabelle will be fine. It's past time we had some peace of mind. Besides, I shall be here guarding the castle."
"You give your word?" She felt better knowing he was here to provide the utmost protection.
"Of course. You have my word. Ease your mind, relax your muscles...there you go. Leave the worrying part to me," he whispered in her ear. It was impossible not to find peace when his touch was so pleasing. She hadn't felt that calm in a while and she welcomed it, if only temporarily.
After their bath, Rumpel climbed out first so she could savor the last bit of warmth. He conjured two towels and helped Emma dry off. With a wave of his hand, they were fully dressed in their nightwear. He scooped her up into his arms and carried her back to bed, tucking the woolen blankets tightly around her.
"Sleep well, Emma. I'll be on my guard," he vowed, with a chaste kiss on her brow and the comfort of his arms around her waist. She fell into sound sleep once her head hit the pillow.
...
It took a great deal of waiting, but Ingrid was the patient type. She reclined in the bed in the spare guest room Rumpel had provided her, with her hands folded neatly over her bosom, staring up unseeingly at the vaulted ceiling. In time, the rest of the castle fell silent and the shadows stretched from the window across the floor.
With careful precision, Ingrid unfolded her hands and rose from the bed. She opened her door, cringing when it creaked, and stepped into the hallway. Her head turned left and right, checking both ends of the hall, but there was no one in sight.
Ingrid made sure to close her bedroom door behind before she carried on down the hall.
"Where do you think you're going?" Out of nowhere, a door burst open and Rumpel stuck his head out.
"Good evening, Rumpelstiltskin. I'm only going for a late night walk to stretch my legs and ease my mind," she replied, her voice blessedly calm. Rumpel narrowed his eyes. "I might look for a midnight snack."
"Ah, so that's your game. Infiltrate our castle so you can binge on our food. Jealous of my cooking, dearie?" Ingrid's lips tightened in a hard line.
"I have no reason to be jealous of you. As for you my...game, as you call it? Yes, that is my evil scheme in the making: to ravenously devour every ounce of your family's food so you can waste your magic regenerating the supply in the morning. I'd better get to it."
Ingrid started to walk away, all the while sensing Rumpel's suspicious stare burning into her back. She waited to hear the sound of that bedroom door closing. It did, but she was surprised to hear his footsteps behind her. Sometimes Rumpel could be silent on his feet, so this meant he wanted her to know he was following.
"What are you doing?" she asked, whirling around. He stopped short a foot or so from her body.
"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm escorting you to the kitchen so you can get your snack and promptly return to your guest room," he stated. At least he didn't deny it.
"Escorting? You're following me."
"You say tomato, I say to-mah-to." Ingrid cocked her head to the side. She didn't like it when he whipped out those odd phrases from that other world; she never understood what he was saying. She supposed he knew that and took advantage of it.
"Perhaps you should entertain your wife instead. I'm sure she's lonely without your company. Though, now that I think about it, you two are very quiet in that room." Her lips turned upward, forming a smug half-smile. Did their passion end with their honeymoon and the conception of their little girls? Was he not as impressive as the rumors claimed?
"That's because our room is soundproof. I can make Emma scream loud and long enough to wake the dead, but you would never hear it. In any case, Emma is sleeping," he said matter-of-factly. Suddenly, the door of his bedroom opened again and a sleepy-looking Emma with tousled hair filled the doorway.
"Rumpel? Come back to bed," she moaned, holding out her hand. Rumpel glanced from Ingrid to Emma, weighing his options. Finally, he gave in to his selfish desires and took Emma's hand.
"Don't eat all of my food," Rumpel warned. "Or I'll stick you in the kitchen tomorrow to replace everything you've eaten-without magic." Emma dragged him back into their bedroom and closed the door. Ingrid was glad she could not hear what was going on in that bedroom.
She continued to make her way down the hall, with slow steps and skirts whispering on the floor, like she was a bride walking down the aisle. She passed Isabelle's room and descended the grand stairs. Just in case the imp was listening. He always was a bit paranoid. At the bottom of the steps, Ingrid's hand gave a little swish and she vanished into thin air, reappearing in the middle of Isabelle's room.
The baby was asleep and so the air was a little warmer than Ingrid would have liked. If Isabelle truly did possess the same gift, then she would only begin to show signs of her power in times of great distress, anger, fear, or simply extreme happiness. Ingrid was only there to restrain it for now.
She approached the baby's crib and observed it as she might a unique specimen. Noticeably smaller than her sister and lacking the bright golden curls. Quieter, too, until she fell into a fit. Alone now, thanks to her power, and inevitably doomed to become a stranger to her sister. In many ways, Isabelle reminded Ingrid of herself. The child could make an even better sister to her than Emma. Certainly better than her real sisters, who could never understand her power.
Ingrid reached into the crib to touch the baby's cool pale cheek. Isabelle began to stir; Ingrid caressed harder. At last, those tiny black lashes fluttered and two dark eyes stared up at her curiously. That face regained a burst of red and scrunched up, as if to wail, but Ingrid put a finger to her lips. With her other hand, she summoned a few snowflakes, letting them drift over Isabelle's head.
Isabelle no longer wanted to wail. Instead, she reached up for the glittering flakes. A shriek of happiness erupted from her throat and that was all it took to make the window burst open with a fresh flurry of snow and icy wind. It did not bother Ingrid or the baby.
Ingrid held out her hand. With amazing clarity, the baby stopped playing with the snowflakes and touched Ingrid's palm. Yes, Ingrid thought, smiling proudly at the child, as if it was her own. See how alike we are? You are not alone.
"Good girl," Ingrid praised softly as the wind rustled her gown. She bent to kiss the baby's cheek and whispered, "let it go."
...