Finding You Always

Wide Awake, Pt 2

Finding You Always

Chapter 27: Wide Awake Pt. 2

The bell to his shop door chimed, but Rumple didn't have to turn around to know who had come into his shop.

"A family reunited truly warms my heart," Rumple mused.

"A lot sooner than you predicted," Charming said, gauging his reaction. He only smirked.

"The future is never set in stone, especially when you're dealing with magic like true love," Rumple replied, as his gaze rested on young Emma.

"I saw but one path the future could have taken when I made that prediction. And here we are," Rumple added.

"Why didn't we go back when the curse broke?" Snow asked first.

"Things are a little more complicated than that, dearie, and if you remember, I never said breaking the curse meant returning to our land," Rumple replied.

"By complicated, you mean that you made sure that even if our memories were restored early, time would remain frozen until Emma is twenty-eight," Charming said.

"It's good to see that all those knocks to the head you've taken haven't done too much brain damage," Rumple teased. David rolled his eyes.

"Why? Why is it so important that time is stopped...that we don't age?" He asked.

"That's my business. Enjoy your extended youth. Just know that I need time and I'd rather not be too old when the time I'm waiting for comes around," he replied vaguely.

"But you're immortal," Snow said.

"Not without magic, I'm not," he replied, clearly uncomfortable with that.

Snow and Charming glanced at each other, exchanging a long glance. He tilted his head, ever so slightly at her subtle nod, but she kept her gaze steady, as if urging him to go one. He supposed the imp would find out soon anyway, if he didn't already know. It wasn't something Snow would be able to hide in a few months.

"As impressive as your ability to communicate with your eyes is, I'm a busy man, so please just ask what you came to ask," Rumple said impatiently.

"If time is not moving then how was it possible for Ella to have her baby all the sudden...and how could it be possible for...Snow to be pregnant?" Charming asked begrudgingly. Snow didn't like the smile that spread across the imp's face. It was the same look he had when she was pregnant with Emma.

"Well...congratulations are in order. You certainly didn't waste any time," he said, directing the last remark to Charming.

"With true love, all things are possible, but even in your cursed states, you'd need a bit of help. I'd gather you're not completely unaware of a couple people in town that shouldn't be there," Rumple said.

"Dr. Sakura..." Charming guessed.

"Actually, I'd be more worried about his sister, as she is a student of magic," Rumple replied.

"His sister?" David asked.

"Yes...petite, dark hair, of Asian descent," Rumple described, as Snow's eyes widened.

"I've seen her," she said.

"You have?" David asked. She nodded.

"About a month ago, at the diner. She accidentally knocked over my drink and insisted on getting me a new one," Snow said.

"One drop of the true love potion she harvested from the two of you would have ensured that your womb would not remain frozen in time like the rest of your body. The same holds true for Ms. Boyd," he said.