Once Upon a Time © ABC.
An: This is obviously a Rumbelle AU. I'm gonna post this chapter and see if anyone actually wants to read this. Review if you do, ignore if you don't, you guys know how it's played. Also, any OC-ness will be explained in later chapters.
1
She barely breathes as she opens the door to her cottage. In the other room, her husband sleeps soundly, unaware of her intentions. A shiver runs through her.
He'll kill her if he finds her.
She remembers when her father married her off to Gaston. She thought the world of him then. She thought he would be kind and gentle, everything she had ever read about. Love is supposed to be the most wonderful thing in the world. That's what her books told her. Then the time came for them to consummate their wedding.
He was cruel to her. He's been cruel to her ever since. She can't stay here a minute longer, not with this beast for a husband. She wraps her cloak tighter around her and slips out into the night.
She hopes no one will recognize her. She cut her hair, her brown chestnut curls now coming to just beneath her chin. Her dresses and aprons have been traded for trousers and peasant's shirts. She doesn't exactly look like a boy, but no longer does she look like Belle.
Especially not with the fresh scar that runs the length of her face, from the corner of her left eye to the left corner of her mouth. Her father hasn't seen that yet. She hasn't been outside since it happened. Until now.
She walks quietly down the lane until she reaches the city limits. Then she runs, pack bouncing on her back, cloak flaring out behind her. She flees like the hellhounds are after her, and she doesn't stop until spots start to dance in front of her eyes. She leans over, takes a few deep breaths, and takes off again as soon as she's able.
If she can make it until the next night, she might just be free.
/-/
Not too far away from Belle's village, just outside of the Dark Castle, Rumplestilskin finds himself facing a rather unusual predicament. The Blue Faerie is in front of him, blocking his access to his home, and worse yet – she has his dagger.
Oh, not on her, of course; she was at least smart enough to ditch it somewhere safe before confronting him. He can also tell she hasn't accessed its magick – he feels no compulsion to obey her. Still, he doesn't know where it is, and until he does, he can't kill her. He bares his teeth in a snarl.
"What are you doing, dearie?"
"Asking for a deal." the faerie responds. "I have something you want."
"Something you stole, more like." he bites out.
She smiles. "You should have hid it better, Dark One."
"It's been 200 years; I think I hid it pretty well." he retorts. "Enough of the chit-chat – what kind of deal are you after?"
"I will give you back your dagger – after you make a journey for me."
He blinks. "A journey?"
"Yes. I want you to travel from here to wherever you choose. You have to be traveling though, and you can't do it with magick – you have to walk there like everyone else. And the journey has to take three months. After that, I will find you and give you back the dagger."
He scowls. She's thought this one over carefully. "And I'll gut you with it."
"Perhaps." She smiles. "Do we have a deal, Rumplestilskin?"
He doesn't like the way she says his name. He doesn't like the slight sneer, the way she looks at him like he's worthless. He'd rather be feared than distained – or both.
No doubt she's hoping he'll learn something on this little journey. After all, isn't that the reason faeries meddle – to teach life lessons to unwilling victims? Still, she never specified that in the deal. He smiles. She's not as good as she thinks after all. She also never specified what he's allowed to do while he travels. "We have a deal, dearie." With that he picks a direction at random and sets off.
This might just be fun. At the very least, he'll show her why no one screws with the Dark One.
The Blue Faerie watches him go, a satisfied smile on her face. By now Belle is on the move, and soon the two will cross paths. The faerie knows what Belle is capable of. She, if anyone, can tame the Dark One just long enough.
Rumplestilskin will never get back his dagger. Not if the faerie's plan goes exactly as she wants. He'll either be free – or dead.