{39}

413 16 0
                                    

I woke up to see Rumple was not in the bed beside me. I sighed and got up, knowing he was probably off doing something he shouldn't be doing.

I rubbed my eyes, which were still red and puffy. Ever since Emma had told me not to come around I'd been crying. That had been three days ago. I also hadn't heard from Regina, and no one had seen her.

I walked into the kitchen to see he wasn't there either. I pulled on my coat over my nightgown and walked outside. The car was gone too.

I closed the door back and went to sit down at the table. I supposed I would confront him when he got back-whenever that was.

Just as I thought that, the door opened and he walked in, looking excited about something.

"Rumple? What's going on?" I asked him, standing up.

"I found a way. A way to cross the town line, Claire!" He said and I smiled.

I walked over and hugged him. "That's amazing! Now you can find your son." I told him.

"Now we can find him. I want you to come with me." He told me.

"Rumple, what if I lose my memories? What if I'm not immune? I'm afraid." I told him and he nodded. "I know, but I also know that you can cross the line. I'm sure of it. Just as Miss Swan and Henry can, so can you." He told me and I nodded.

"Okay, I'll try." I told him.

"Have you talked to them?" He asked me and I turned away. "No, and they haven't reached out to me. I'm obviously not wanted." I told him, wiping my years before he could see them.

"If they think that, then they don't deserve you, okay? Don't worry about them anymore."

I forced myself to nod, hoping he would just drop the topic. He seemed to notice I didn't want to talk about it because he gave me a smile before walking back to the room.

I sighed and wiped my eyes once more before following him.

~~~~

The next day, I was in Rumples shop watching as he pulled something from his safe.

It was a shawl of some sort.

"What's that?" I asked him and he held up a bottle with a blue potion inside.

"This potion will allow me to keep my memories when I cross the line. I just have to pour it on the thing I hold most dear." He told me, setting the bottle down and gesturing to the shawl.

"This shawl is all I have left of Baelfire." He told me and I smiled. "Soon you'll have much more. I'm so happy for you, Rumple." I told him, pulling him into a hug. "For us, Claire. We're going on this journey together." He reminded me and I smiled. "Yes we are."

I pulled away as my phone rang. "Hello?" I asked and heard Henry's voice. "Aunt Claire?"

I smiled as I heard his voice. I missed my nephew. "Henry? Is something wrong?" I asked him. "Yes, you're not here. Today's Archie's funeral. You should be here, Aunt Claire. It doesn't matter what my mom says." He told me and I sighed.

"I'll come, Henry. But I'm sorry if I don't say hello. I need to give your mom and your grandparents a little time to cool off first okay?" I told him. "Okay." He said, then hung up the call.

I turned to Rumple. "I have to go." I told him, giving him a kiss before walking out.

I headed to the cemetery and watched from afar as Snow made a speech. I wished we could have justice for Archie, real justice. I knew Regina wasn't responsible for this, which meant his real killer was walking free.

GoldWhere stories live. Discover now