Work Text:
“This is the costume you chose for Gideon?” Rumple asked, trying to hide a chuckle as he took the babe from Belle as she tightened her old green traveling cloak around her shoulders.
“He looks adorable! Emma had said it was customary for a baby’s first Halloween outfit to be a pumpkin.” Belle balked as she fastened the clasp around her neck.
“He’s adorable dear, but it’s a bit late to trick or treat isn’t it?” he glanced at his watch.
“Shouldn’t be too late for what I have planned.” Belle said mysteriously.
“Well, good, I suppose I’ll grab the carseat.”
Belle stopped him, lifting her cloak, “I have the wrap, he might sleep a bit better with that.”
“Oh fantastic, let me grab my costume and I’ll be ready.”
Rumple limped to their bedroom and opened their closet, happy to surprise Belle with his outfit. Something he hadn’t worn since their time at the Dark Castle. He snapped his fingers and he was dressed in his old tunic and leathers, his cloak around his shoulders. He frowned for a moment as he looked in the mirror, something was missing. He grabbed his old walking stick and came out to the living room where she was finishing getting Gideon in the wrap.
“How do I look?” He asked, swishing his cloak to the side.
She looked at him, her eyes widening, a soft gasp escaping her lips before she came closer smiling fondly, “Like my imp.”
Rumple wrapped his arms around her placing a kiss on her nose, “Now my dear, where are we going at this hour dressed in our old clothes?”
“It’s a surprise, but we’d better get going, we can walk, it won’t take us long to get there.” She helped him loop the diaper bag backpack over his shoulders, making sure the buckles were closed.
Rumple raised an eyebrow at his wife trying to think of all the places close enough to walk as they stepped out of the house and into the night.
Belle reached for her husband’s free hand as they walked along the dark street. Most trick or treaters were gone by now, unsurprising since it was almost midnight.
She was hoping that this would work, she felt the bulge in her pocket where the vials were that she’d placed before they left, the books she had read recommending the mixtures for the ritual that she had read about for this night.
“The graveyard?” Rumple’s voice sounded in confusion as they got closer to the hallowed ground.
“Most people call it a cemetery in this world, but yes.” Belle gave Rumple’s hand a reassuring squeeze.
“I know you’re all for holidays for Gideon, but this is a little much dearie.” Rumple’s brow furrowed as they walked onto the walking path that wound through the cemetery.
Belle smiled at the old name, “C’mon.”
Rumple felt his chest tighten slightly as they kept walking, he paused when he saw the bethel white stone that bore his son’s name feeling ice wash over him.
Belle noticed Rumple’s hesitation and she let him get his bearings for a moment before squeezing his hand again and leading him forward.
“I-I don’t think Gideon can get any candy here.” Rumple stuttered.
“We aren’t here for candy.”
Rumple glanced at her, his brow furrowed, unsure of why they would be here.
“Belle I-”
“Do you trust me?” Belle asked softly.
Rumple swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded, “Then come with me.” She squeezed his hand and led him closer to Baelfire’s grave.
When they reached the shadow of his headstone Belle helped Rumple slip the backpack from his shoulders placing it on the ground, cradling Gideon’s head while she did so.
She pulled one of the small vials out of her pocket unstoppering it, muttering to the night as she poured it on the ground around the headstone.
“Belle-?” Rumple didn’t know what to say, what to ask his wife as he watched her walking around the stone marker for his eldest son.
She reached into her pocket and pulled one of the other vials to pour something into the palm of her hand. The other dipped into the liquid and wiped a streak across his forehead, then her own, and then their infant sons.
Belle placed her hand on Rumple’s chest leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss him, as she did a flash of light tunneled around them.
He broke their kiss wrapping his arms around her, wanting to protect her and Gideon from whatever was happening, cradling her head and making sure the baby was between them.
“Papa?”
Belle watched as Rumple’s eyes widened at the voice, before he whirled around.
“Baelfire?” His voice rasped the name of his son that he loved more than words, and that he had lost.
Baelfire, Neal, smiled hesitantly, not sure what to make of the situation either. He had a glow around him, as if someone had traced his form with a sparkler.
“It worked.” Belle whispered.
They both turned to her, both faces flickering with worry, she smiled sheepishly as her gaze roved between the two of them.
“What have you done?” Rumple’s voice rose an octave in fear, thinking of all the repercussions for bringing back the dead, for stealing from Death, from any form of necromancy.
“Everything is alright, nothing bad is going to come from this, it’s Samhainn the division of the year between the dark half and the light, a celebration of the end of harvest, and at midnight at the start of Samhainn, the boundary between our world and the world of those who have died become weaker, and it lets spirits come and visit their families if the proper elements are in place. So, I wanted to see if it would work for you to see Baelfire, for all of us to visit one another.” As Belle explained quickly, she noticed both Rumple and Baelfire relax.
Rumple turned to Baelfire rushing to him in two strides before he wrapped his arms tightly around his son.
He felt Bae hesitate only a moment before he also wrapped his arms around his father, both of them squeezing tightly.
“My boy, my boy.” Rumple murmured, pressing kisses to Baelfire’s cheek, forehead, neck, anywhere he could. Baelfire’s form wasn’t completely solid, but it was closer than he was ever going to get again.
Baelfire felt tears welling in his eyes as he let himself be a boy again, let his father drown him with love, wanting to hold on to this moment as long as he could.
“It’s good to see you Bae.” His voice was thick with emotions, the tears welling in his eyes.
Belle smiled softly as the two men in her life greeted each other with such tenderness it made her heart ache. She grabbed the blanket from the backpack, shaking it out on the ground, before grabbing something else from the bag, before going over to Rumple and Baelfire.
Baelfire opened his arms to greet Belle with a hug, but Belle angled herself sideways before reaching up with one arm to hug him in return.
Baelfire’s brow furrowed in confusion as Belle beamed and looked to Rumple, who laughed and then looked up at his eldest son, before reaching for Belle's cloak and moving it to the side.
“Baelfire, this is your little brother, Gideon.”
Baelfire’s eyes widened and the glowing outline around him crackled, “I have a brother?” He whispered softly.
“You have a brother.” Belle murmured, gently undoing the cloth, taking Gideon out of his wrap, “Would you like to hold him?” She asked, gingerly offering the baby over.
Baelfire’s lips trembled as he nodded.
Belle smiled as she handed over Gideon to his older brother. His little face was scrunched, his brow was furrowed, but once Neal held him, Gideon’s eyes opened, he looked at the bright lights radiating around his older brother reaching for him with a sweet coo.
Rumple whimpered next to Belle as she wrapped him in her arms, “Let’s all sit down,” She gestured to the spread out blanket.
She helped Rumple lower himself to the ground as Baelfire gingerly sat with Gideon in his arms.
“Guess turning into a pumpkin at midnight was a real cautionary tale.” Baelfire chuckled, noting the little costume his baby brother was wearing.
“It’s a ritual of Samhainn to keep the fairies and evil spirits from taking you.” Belle murmured.
Baelfire laughed, “I wondered why you were wearing the clothes from the Dark Castle.”
Belle leaned against Rumplestiltskin as he and Baelfire talked, catching up, she added in some things here and there, but she wanted this time to be about them.
Baelfire shook his head in wonder, “This is so great, I’m so happy to see you both and be able to actually talk to you. How are you both doing? How’s Emma? How’s Henry?”
At that moment a low rumble began to sound through the night air, getting louder as it approached the cemetery.
Belle smiled softly, “You can find out for yourself.”