𝑶𝑪𝑬𝑨𝑵 𝑬𝒀𝑬𝑺 - Rumplestiltskin [1]

SIXTY TWO

62|DREAM CATCHER

"Rumpel?" Celeste skipped into the store excitedly with a basket on her arm. "I baked!"

"Oh, well, that looks delicious." Rumpel complimented her as he looked at all the small cakes and slices she had made. "Thank you very much, Cel."

"There are sandwiches in there somewhere." She chuckled, beginning to take things out for them to eat as the door bell rang.

"Ah! Nothing warms the heart more than a family reunion." He greeted the family as they walked into the store. "You have your mother's chin, Ms. Swan."

"We know that you killed him." Emma stated with a straight face, ignoring Rumpels playful behaviour.

"And your father's tact." Rumpel added more quietly.

"Someone's dead?" Celeste questioned, putting down the cakes to face them all.

"Dr. Hopper." Emma informed them gravely.

"Why on Earth would you think I had anything to do with that?" He said, offended by her harsh and sudden accusation.

"Because all the evidence points to Regina." She explained to him, raising her voice.

"And she has no alibi, does she?" Celeste sighed as she realised what had happened, saddened by the loss of an old friend.

"It's a frame job."

"It wouldn't be the first time you used someone to try to hurt her." Snow White inputted.

"Nice to see your memory's still intact, dearie." Rumpel smiled at the woman with a slight chuckle. "But this time I'm afraid I'm gonna have to disappoint you. It wasn't me."

"Why should we believe you?" Charming crossed his arms over his chest, refusing to believe the man.

"Because he has been with me the past few nights. The night after the welcome home party I stumbled here and then last night I didn't get much sleep." Celeste winked at Emma, hinting to her. "So I can clear him."

"I can prove it. Ask the witness." He added on to her spiel.

"Noone was there."

"Well, that's not strictly true, now, is it?" Rumpel hinted to her, knowing she would click on. They pair went back to their lunch, discussing last night while the family went to collect Pongo, the only witness.

"He is so sweet." Celeste cooed at the dog, sitting cross-legged on the bed.

"Hey, hey, boy, good boy, good boy." He called the dog over, kneeling to pet his head.

"I didn't know you were such a dog person." The doctor chuckled teasingly, ignoring the family watching them.

"Well, a long time ago, in another life, I got to know a sheep dog or two." Rumpel dragged her hand over to pat the Dalmatian.

"That's fascinating, but unless you speak dog, how is Pongo gonna tell us anything?" Emma asked sarcastically, watching the pair with the dog.

"Through magic, of course." He answered as if the question was dumb. "It won't allow us to communicate. But it will allow us to extract his memories."

"Extract?" Charming asked curiously, not liking the choice of wording.

"You don't have to worry. He won't feel a thing." Rumpel reassured them.

"Why should we trust you? Couldn't you just as easily use magic to fool us?" Emma asked accusingly, not trusting the man.

"Because I'm not going to be the one using magic." He snapped back at her and raised her finger to point at her. "You are."

"Me?" She paused, confused at his logic. "How?"

"You have it within you." Rumpelstiltskin smirked and turned to grab a dream catcher from a cupboard. "You told me so yourself. You witnessed it, didn't you?"

"Emma, you don't have to do this." Snow White said to her daughter warily.

"If it tells us something about Archie's death, then so be it." Emma reassured her mother with her determination.

"Do you know what this is?" Rumpel held up the dream catcher for everyone to see.

"A dream catcher."

"Well, it's capable of catching so much more." He chuckled and held it over Pongo's head, stroking the feathers down the dogs fur causing it to glow yellow.

"What is that?" Celeste asked with amazement, leaning on to his shoulder to get a better look.

"Memories." Rumpel replied to her before stepping closer to the blonde Sheriff. "Now, Ms. Swan, you show us how."

"How? It's just a jumble."

"Will it and we shall all see." Emma held the dream catcher with both hands and stared deeply into the yellow glow.

"I thought you were going to kill Pongo, I was about to kill you." Celeste whispered into her husband's ear, wrapping her arms around him and resting her chin on his shoulder, watching Emma.

"I can't."

"Yes, you can." Rumpelstiltskin said to her, trying to help her unlock this deep power.

"Emma, you're doing it." Charming looked at his daughter with surprise.

"Regina." Everyone watched as Archie let Regina into his office before she strangled him to death before their eyes. "You were right all along."

"I'm sorry, Emma."