𝑶𝑪𝑬𝑨𝑵 𝑬𝒀𝑬𝑺 - Rumplestiltskin [1]

FIFTY SIX

56|SLEEPING CURSE

"Remember to breathe, dearie." Rumpel chuckled as he entered the main part of the store, finding her sat in a corner reading a book, random junk piled around her. "Are you comfy?"

"Very." She replied quickly, tucking her knees closer to her chest. "I'm going to kill Snow when she returns. She had the audacity to be angry at me for falling in love when she was the one who locked an innocent man up."

"Innocent?" He smirked at her choice of words and kneeled in front of her, lifting her head to face him. "The only reason I'm upset they locked me up is because my beautiful wife was searching for me thinking I had abandoned her."

"I jumped lands looking for you." Celeste added, putting her book down and grabbing his tie, pulling him in closer to her face. "I think you owe me."

"Gold." Regina popped her head into the room and glanced at the pair, rolling her eyes at their position.

The pair followed the woman back into the back room, Rumpel sitting down in the chair while Celeste stood behind him, her hand rubbing his shoulder.

"Henry? Are you all right?" Charming ran over to the boy as he gasped awake.

"Did you see her? Did you tell them?" Rumpel bombarded him with questions.

"No, I didn't get the chance. Something happened." Henry answered, stammering as he spoke as if he was in pain. "She got sucked out of there. And something's wrong."

"Henry?" Regina stared at her son with worry, slowly pulling up his sleeve to reveal a large burn up his arm.

"Oh no." Celeste leaned her head on Rumpels, her heart breaking as she watched the boy groan in pain.

"Here, let me take care of this." Rumpel sighed, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. He waved his hand over the burn and healed it.

"What caused this?" Regina finally asked, sitting down in the chair and holding her son's hand.

"When you venture deeper into the netherworld instead of away, there are risks." He explained with a small shrug. "Someone woke Aurora before her soul was ready to return. The violence of that act tore her away and injured Henry. We're lucky it wasn't worse. He's gonna need some time to recover before he can be sent back."

"Out of the question."

"Not a chance in hell." Charming argued with Regina's agreement. "We'd be monsters to even consider risking his life again."

"For the pain." Celeste winked at the boy, passing him a mug of hot chocolate as he sat up.

"Careful with your tone, Charming." Rumpel warned the man, standing up with him to seem intimidating. "I understand your concern for the boy, but I know Cora. Without our help, Snow and Emma will soon be dead. And then a true monster will be on her way to Storybrooke."

"Aurora is gone." Regina stood up to talk with the men while Celeste sat beside Henry with her own hot chocolate, pouring cinnamon on it as well. "Why do we need to send Henry back to that fiery inferno with no one there to receive our message?"

"Because someone will be there!" Celeste gasped, fanning her mouth as the hot liquid burned her lip. Charming caught on, his eyes lighting up with realisation.

"Who?"

"Snow." Charming answered.

"That's an awfully bug assumption." Regina shot him down while checking on her son.

"No, no, it's not. She was there once before." He reminded her. "She can go back. She can find a way, she will. I know it. And I'll be waiting."

"You're going to this netherworld?" The Mayor stated mockingly, crossing her arms with a smug look.

"Well, I've faced you. How bad could it be?" Charming replied as a snide remark.

"It's not as simple as that." Rumpel inputted, leaning on his cane as he glanced down at the weak boy. "You can't get there. You haven't been under a sleeping curse."

"Well, then put me under one."

"If we do that, there's a chance you might never waken up." He continued to warn the determined man.

"Sure, I will." Charming said full of hope. "When I see her, she'll kiss me. And I'll be fine. Now put me under. I've spent far too much time looking for my wife. It is time to bring her home."

"Oh, please let me do it." Celeste begged, staring up at her husband with puppy dog eyes.