Dead Heart
Rumple was falling; he knew he would have to crash eventually. He felt the panic swelling inside him as his latest nightmare subsided.
Somehow he managed to make it downstairs without alerting Belle.
The scotch he poured went more on the floor than in his tumbler but he barely noticed. All he knew is that he needed to get his control back. He felt those eyes watching again in the shadows. She was near he knew that, watching waiting to take his will away again. When would this end? When would he stop shaking?
He fell into the chair and accepted the meager comfort it gave him. It was only a matter of time when she would take this from him. Force him to undress, eat her meat pies, use the dagger on his body, and he was helpless to stop it.
Rumple wanted to vomit as he stood again to pace and try and shake this discomfort off. She was gone wasn't she? He made sure of that. Rumple glanced over to his desk. But someone else knew his secret. He went over and unlocked the drawer and pulled the note from it.
He read it again hoping that it might divulge who his blackmailer was.
I know what you are hiding. Meet me at you former residence of the past year at 2pm so we can discuss the error of your ways.
The cellar, the cage he had lived in during his time with Zelena, he knew that too well. Only a cruel person would plan to meet there. But he went, and waited. But no one came. So who could this person be?
He felt her again, staring, smiling so wickedly at him. When would she stop this and make herself known, or was she going to play with him like she did while he was her captive?
Rumple was pacing now, ready to bolt. His head filling with images of the past year, the darkness, the feeling of light again muddled with agony. He was going cold; he was still dead he knew it. Just as he was ready to call her out from the shadows he felt warmth envelope him from behind.
"Shh dearest, I'm here, you're home. She's gone, and we're safe." Belle snuggled herself closer and kissed his neck. He felt her more than heard her "Let's get you upstairs and tomorrow we'll call Archie about the hallucinations and panic attacks."
He felt her leading him upstairs, talking about safety, love, doctors, magic.
As she brought him to the bed, she took both the note and the drink away.
Rumple watched Belle as she set the drink at the nightstand and read the note. He felt fear build up in him, waiting for Belle's harsh words. He wanted to tell her everything, but he wasn't certain that she wasn't the hallucination.
Instead she looked at him with confusion. "Rumple, who did you write this too?"
