amicustenebris | PSL - For Archie, Set After 4a

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PSL - For Archie, Set After 4a

With a kind of numbness that he hadn't felt since he cast Belle out of his castle and destroyed half his collection, Rumpelstiltskin made his way to civilization the very same night he was sent away. Once he hit the interstate it was not long before someone pulled over to offer help to the hobbling man, who looked like he'd wandered from a wreck. The stranger said they'd seen an abandoned car down the way a bit and offered to get him into town to call a tow truck.

He took advantage of his good fortune and was quickly able to access food, an ATM, a cane, and finally a place to collapse and eventually rent a car the following morning. He had thoughts of what he would have to do to figure out a way back over the town line. He understood the magic at work there, knew he could only go back in if summoned back in. But already the scheming began. Belle didn't understand his motivations, and he'd been incapable of correctly explaining. That was all there was to it. Part of him believed if he could say it right, if he could make sense of it all himself -- if he could just convince her that all she'd seen never meant he didn't love her? Then he could fix everything. Then he could be home with his wife, able to visit his son, able to walk and use magic.

He tried to call her from the phone in the motel. No answer. He tried a few times. There was an answer once. He couldn't speak.

Gold haunted that little hamlet outside of Ogunquit for a few days, with limited access to the internet or contact, just hoping he'd find some loophole that'd let him back in, afraid to wander out too far lest he lose his chance.

As far as he knew, Belle never caught on that he was calling. If she did, then she was patient. She stayed on the line longer than she needed. Spoke, and waited. Spoke. Then said goodbye. He couldn't work out why he could never say anything back, or even beg forgiveness. He kept doing it, knowing he couldn't stop himself crying afterward, knowing it was going to hurt every time, because he'd gotten so used to hearing her in the morning when she woke. And now when he called just to hear her it came with apprehension, certainty he'd hear that litany of accusations all over again, but he needed to. Maybe if he did speak, if he did let her know it was him, and he allowed it to happen, she might see he was sincere. She would forgive him. Remember she loved him. He would hand her the dagger and be her slave, be everything Zelena wanted him to be for her if that was what it took.

But he couldn't even bring himself to do that. It took him days to figure out why. That was when he headed south.

His rental car died just inside of Vermont. There were questions about his license. He switched to travel by bus from there -- crowded (good that he was traveling light), slow as sin -- he saw far more of the state than he really ever cared to. It felt ridiculously long for where he was headed, given how short a trip it had been by plane, but he didn't know if he could handle flying again. Not alone.

In Manhattan, the first place that he tried was Neal's old apartment, of course, and he did not expect to find it occupied -- by the Queen's married beau and his family, no less. They offered to leave it to him, which he declined. After a cursory search of the place, he found one or two familiar baubles, things his son held onto from his childhood all these years, somehow, things from their world, and he pocketed those, feeling an uncomfortable tightness that told him to get away, and he left as quickly as his legs could carry him.

Marion seemed especially keen to convince him to stay, at least until he found better accommodations.

He didn't trust it. He got away.

Crossing out into the evening air, he felt a rush of pent emotion and memory. Unkind words said in this very place. Hook's attack and his near death.

Then his actual death.

Then Neal's.

He went numb.

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"Right now, going anywhere at all feels like the wrong thing to do immediately." And not just as he sat down and realized even sitting upright through muscle strength felt like a chore. "But I wouldn't be against formulating a plan. And since that plan may involve staying a few more days, I don't see the good it will do to make it harder on either of us."

"I'm open to suggestions. I paid several days in advance since I wasn't sure how much longer I'd be out here if you just want to stay." He gestured to the kitchen. "Breakfast is included downstairs and we can throw together basic things to eat for lunch and dinner. Regardless of where we go, I'll still need to take Pongo out for walks which could be spotted by Marian or whoever she actually is."

"Being seen around means we haven't run for it, which means she won't head for Storybrooke." Gold shrugs. "If she is watching. Pay attention to what Pongo is doing when you're out and about." A pause. "...Don't let him eat anything you aren't giving directly to him."

"What about Robin? He's living with someone he thinks is his wife."

And then another thought occurred to him.

"...If Marian's been replaced, how likely is it she's still alive?"

"I don't think the one we met here was ever her." He did take into consideration, at least for a moment, whether Robin Hood was in danger. But less out of any genuine concern for him as much as it was for the child that was already there. "He won't be in danger unless she for some reason thinks Regina knows what is going on. So all of this stays between us."

"So she's either still in the Enchanted Forest or dead."

He grimaced. He really, really didn't like the idea of keeping Robin in the dark, but in this case that ignorance might be keeping him safe. Besides, what could the four of them possibly do against someone who still possessed magic when the best they'd have on their side was a chance that Blue's spell might save Archie if he took a fatal blow? (One reason he'd dismissed the idea of leaving Storybrooke behind was because of that very reason. He'd been an unaging, practically immortal cricket in the Enchanted Forest. How strong would Blue's spell be outside of Storybrooke? If he kept miraculously surviving and never got older, people were going to notice.)

"I don't like this but I'm not seeing any alternatives as far as Robin goes." He studied Gold's posture carefully. "And as much as I don't like the idea of you being left alone when I take Pongo on walks, you do need to rest. Your body's been through a lot."

Edited 2023-05-20 15:04 (UTC)

"Oh, I'm fairly certain she's quite dead," he said matter-of-factly. "One of many faceless unfortunates whom the crown executed. Until, we thought, Miss Swan traveled in time and saved a stranger in need, bringing them back with her."

All the while, he was working it out in his head that killing Zelena must have somehow triggered the spell she had been trying to cast. Somehow granting her this second chance.

"She won't try to come to me again, at least I don't think. ...I suppose you'll know if I was wrong if you come back here and there's a dead woman on the floor."

He'd been afraid that'd be Gold's answer on the matter, but there'd still been some hope that it wouldn't be. Gold was likely right, but when they all finally returned to the Enchanted Forest, maybe things would work out.

"I really hope that doesn't have to happen," Archie said, shifting slightly uncomfortably. "Killing in self-defense I understand, but you'd be going against someone with a lot of magic without any yourself. And if you did win, it's not like Storybrooke where it's relatively easy to move a dead body without people noticing something's off." He paused, tilting his head a bit as another thought occurred to him. "...Gold, I have a strange question: If you were in...Marian's...position here and hunting someone who typically has magic but doesn't, would you be worried about being seen by any of the people who were born in this world?"

His fingertips buzzed again.

"I don't think she has magic. None she could use." Much the same as him. "Whatever disguise she has on herself she likely created before Emma found her and brought her to Storybrooke." Gold would still consider anything he did self-defense at this point. And pregnant or not, he was putting her down if he saw her again.

Archie's question didn't surprise him, but he spared himself a moment to gather his thoughts carefully before answering.

"She either believes that you wouldn't believe me, or she doesn't care. Given how the dog was reacting -- again. Don't let him eat anything you don't hand him yourself. And if you see her, let go of the leash."

"I don't think I could do that," Archie said bluntly. "Not unless she actually attacked me. Whoever she is, she's pregnant, and that child had no choice in having her for a mother."

He didn't like thinking about the babies that died from starvation or other horrible ways because of one of his parents' cons in either world. He didn't want to kill anybody else.

"I will not be affording the same courtesy." He didn't sound especially happy with his conclusion, but in his head at this point, it was nothing short of the truth.

Archie didn't argue the point. He could tell from the tone of Gold's voice that he didn't like the idea of killing an innocent child but, ultimately, it was up to Gold on how to handle "Marian" if she caught him alone.

Pongo hopped up on the bed beside Gold, lying down beside him well within petting reach.

"Why the maids haven't complained about paw prints on the bedspreads, I'll never know," Archie said dryly.

Pongo tossed his head smugly and gave a quiet woof to not disturb the neighbors.

"That's your answer for everything."

Gold did at last afford the pooch some attention. Almost testing, but he could definitely feel him properly again. "Whether it's humans on the linens or dogs they have to wash them regardless."

City noise drew his attention to the window.

"Henry was absolutely dead set on doing every little thing when we came down here." Of course, anxious about seeing his son again and potentially losing his memories if a good strong gale caught that scarf had stopped Gold from being more than distantly accommodating.

But then he didn't know the boy was his grandson yet.

Pongo's tail thumped the bed contentedly. Dalmatian fur tended to be rather coarse save when they were puppies, but most people didn't seem to mind it with Pongo.

"That doesn't surprise me. Until he went to meet Emma, he'd never left Storybrooke," Archie pointed out. "Of course he'd want to try every little thing. A whole world beyond the town line. All of us had Cursed memories, but Henry had to grow up in a small town where time had essentially stopped for everyone but him."

Which explained why he'd believed so deeply in the Curse when everyone else didn't: He could clearly see the effects in classmates becoming more and more distant former classmates as they repeated the same year of schooling and summer vacation endlessly while he alone moved on. Ashley Boyd -- Cinderella -- had been pregnant for twenty-eight years, and no other pregnancies had occurred, not even accidentally due to miserable people trying to find some solace wherever they thought they could. Henry was a smart kid. Once he was old enough to start noticing things, the evidence of the Curse had been everywhere but he hadn't been able to make sense of it until Mary Margaret had given him the book.

Edited 2023-05-20 20:15 (UTC)

He wasn't wrong, and Gold was sure there had to be some residual guilt on the Doctor's part, just because while it was all going on, he was being paid to essentially convince Henry that he was insane. The Dark One had little reason to reveal himself then; the notion that he had been awake since Emma Swann said her name in front of him had to be kept secret.

"Honestly, I wish I had paid more attention when he was here," he admitted. "He was very excited about pizza and hot dogs."

Residual guilt? One of the demons that haunted his nightmares was his guilt over doing just that to poor Henry. Even when he hadn't believed in the Curse, he'd felt horrible for what he'd done on Regina's behalf all because he was too much of a coward to stand up for what was right.

Honestly, he hoped that when he fell asleep that he full-on crashed. True, the two were in separate beds, but Archie felt very self-conscious about how sometimes Pongo would have to wake him up from the nightmares of everything he'd done, everything that had happened to him, and so on. Having Gold see him clinging to Pongo would be incredibly awkward.

"Well, maybe someday you all can come back to visit so he can see the big city," Archie assured him. "You won't have to worry about losing your memories, after all." He chuckled. "Besides, if it's a family trip, you'll still have a way back. I doubt Regina or Emma would forget the scroll so everyone could go home when they'd had enough of NYC."

"...You think that is how they'll think of me, when I go back?"

The question comes out soft, a little surprised and skeptical.

"Immediately, when you go back? Probably not," Archie said. "But as time goes on and things get sorted out, I could see it potentially happening. It won't be a fast process, but it's not impossible."

Well, it suggested he had something, didn't he? If nothing else was going to be recouped, he had his little patch of land. He had his magic. His son's grave. And his grandchild.

And Belle?

Gold frowned.

"I suppose someone should feel optimistic about that."

"Storybrooke's a small place, Gold. You'd run into them sooner or later even if you made the decision to just stick to your magic. Why not try even if it's only to make it easier on yourself when that happens?"

"You have a very ... rose-colored view of how this all pans out."

Because now he was catastrophizing in his head. He would never find the sorcerer's hat again. And at least one person who did not want him in Storybrooke knows where the dagger is. Plus one person dead set on getting back in there who might stop at nothing to find it.

"I know Henry quite well despite..." He shook his head. "If no one else, I think Henry would want to have you back because there's been so much loss in his family. After all, you didn't just lose a son: He lost a father he barely had time to get to know.

"And the main thing Emma and Regina can agree on is they love Henry more than anything else in the world. Even if they're not wholly on board with the idea, the fact Emma gave me the scroll after I told her what I was planning to do means she's willing to give you that second chance to be a part of their family."

"And with what caveats? That's the question."

Because he could see them trying to contain what elements they felt obligated to allow. How many eyes would he have to tolerate being on him?

All of it felt constraining now in a way it hadn't before. It was why the hat had been necessary to begin with.

"Dark Ones probably never respond well to being caged."

"I'm not a mindreader or a seer. Based on past behavior and what I know about current events, I can confidently say at least some people are willing to give you a chance. I can't tell you what specific lines they'll set up because you did break their trust and you'll have to earn it back on their terms, not yours."

He took a deep breath. Even without his powers, Gold still had a lot of power that Archie didn't. The second they crossed the town line, Gold wouldn't need him anymore and could freely retaliate against anything he said to him.

But, then again, he'd also pushed back against Regina when he'd had everything to lose under the Curse. True, it'd taken him far too long to do so, but it was a start. He needed to keep going.

"And to be very, very honest with you, if you don't at least listen to that deal, you will be the biggest idiot in the history of the Enchanted Forest."

Gold was not an un-vengeful person, but thankfully for Archie, he wasn't the sort to exercise that over name-calling and simple argument -- especially one he implicitly agreed to take part in. His face darkened.

"There is only one person back there that I ever asked to trust me. The rest of you are foolish for assuming anything beyond that."

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