Betrayal and Ashes
A/AN: THIS CONTAINS A MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH AND IT DOESN'T HAVE A HAPPY ENDING. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
The alarm clock blared loudly in her ears. Belle clumsily knocked it off of the nightstand and onto the floor. She heard her husband mumble something incoherently beside her. She gasped when she felt two willowy arms wrap themselves around her from behind and pull her into a secure embrace. She sighed pleasurably when she felt his warm lips feathering her collarbone with kisses.
"Rumple we have to get up..." she objected, leaning further into his embrace.
"All I need is fifteen minutes." he interjected between kisses. She stifled back a moan when she felt his nimble fingers tracing obsolete patterns along her bare skin.
"I have to open the library within an hour. I'm supposed read to the children at Storybrooke Elementary today." she objected as his fingers dipped into places that made her writhe with pleasure.
"Fine, but tonight you owe me, sweetheart." he hummed in her ear, leaning over to place a searing kiss against her lips. She groaned, feeling her arousal dissipate as he rolled out of bed to ready himself for the day. The babe in her stomach gave a swift kick against her abdomen. She was curvy and pregnant and ready to pop. Her third trimester had just begun, but she often wondered if she would make it full term. She observed her husband donning on one of his lavish Armani suits. Today he wore a verdant silk shirt accompanied by an emerald tie. She adored how he took pride in putting himself together each morning. She scooted out of bed, grabbing her cotton robe from off the closet door. He snaked his arm around her waist, bidding her closer.
"What's gotten into you this morning, Rumple?" she chortled, gazing amorously into his sable depths.
"I just want to tell you how much I love you and that I hope you have a wonderful day." he professed. His gaze seemed heavy this morning, and she felt like he was concealing something.
"Are you sure everything is okay?" she inquired, reaching up to stroke the stubble along his jawline. He clasped her hand to his cheek, holding it there momentarily, placing a fragile kiss against her palm.
"Certainly, It appears it's going to be an ordinary day from my perspective." he shrugged, bending down to place an endearing kiss against her bump.
"I'll see you both after work." he vowed, placing an errant curl behind her ear. She nodded, giving him another kiss before he departed. Belle pulled the robe tightly around her petite frame as she watched him descend the stairs. An ominous feeling permeated the air, and she shuddered at the gooseflesh which prickled the back of her neck.
She attempted to shake off the gnawing presence by showering and dressing quickly. She didn't bother with washing her hair, opting for a messy updo instead. She settled on a rouge turtleneck and dark maternity jeans for the day. She slipped her feet into her black flats before making her way to the library. The air was chilled today but not unpleasant. The pregnancy had sent her into a fit of hot flashes, so she welcomed the frigid temperatures. Autumn had descended upon Storybrooke, transforming the leaves into vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges. The usual busy streets were eerily silent this morning, but she shrugged it off as being merely a coincidence. She pulled a set of keys from her pocket, jamming the silver one her husband gifted her with all those years ago into the lock. She turned the knob, bearing all of her weight against the door to push it open. It tended to be stubborn at times. As she made her way into the foyer, she was startled to see Regina, Emma, Killian, Snow, and Charming standing in an uneven circle as if they were awaiting her arrival.
"Um, the library doesn't open for another fifteen minutes. Care to explain to me what's going on here?" she said curtly, diverting her attention between the assembly of 'heroes'. She'd had little to do with the band of ingrates since she'd awoken from the sleeping curse. Her husband wasted no time in telling her how they'd sold her out to Hyde, and she had a feeling nothing good would come from this gathering.
Regina was the first to speak. "We've found a way home to the Enchanted Forest." the mayor reported, but Belle sensed there was an underlying meaning behind it.
"Excellent, when are we leaving?" the beauty returned, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.
"In the morning, and we'd like you to come with us, but there are a few stipulations." Regina supplied, etching closer to the librarian. Belle stammered backwards as the other woman's heels clicked against the tile.
"And what are these stipulations?" Belle countered, her eyes narrowing at the evil queen who's metamorphosis hadn't really stuck. The beauty felt her breath hitch in her throat as the mayor plunged her hand into her chest cavity, procuring her enchanted red heart.
"I only need to borrow this temporarily to make sure you complete your task." she added, placing the organ securely in an ornate wooden box. She stared at the other four participants, her iolite orbs casting daggers at them.
"When my husband finds out about this he'll-"
"Do absolutely nothing." Emma interjected, severing Belle's comment before she could finish. The savior sauntered towards her, unsheathing an object from her holster. Belle gasped once she noticed the dagger with her husband's name scrawled across it.
"I don't understand." Belle retorted helplessly, glancing quizzically between the two women.
"This dagger has been heavily doused in dream shade. You're going to plunge this dagger through his heart while he's sleeping tonight. We can't risk taking someone as vile as Rumpelstiltskin back to the Enchanted Forest with us. My sister is going to be more than enough for any of us to manage." Regina stated, and Belle could see the menacing look behind her eyes. Ever since she'd reabsorbed her Evil Queen counterpart, she'd been more distorted than usual.
"How can you ask me to do something so despicable? We're having a child together! Are you so cruel to allow our daughter to live without her father?" she tested. Snow White came to stand beside the other women.
"Belle, I know this may be hard for you to understand, but you'll both be better off without him. Your child will be spared from ever being influenced by his darkness." she chimed in with a sickeningly sweet smile.
"You can all burn in hell for this! I'll never forgive any of you!" she seethed, earning a cold hard slap across her face from her former captor.
"It's too bad you won't remember a thing." Regina smirked, flourishing her hand in front of the librarian's face, causing her to slump lifelessly to the ground. Emma conspicuously placed the dagger in Belle's handbag.
"How does this exactly work?" Snow inquired, squinting her nose at the Dark One's wife.
"When Belle awakes, she'll believe she passed out from a terrible migraine. She'll decide to call it a day and close up early. When she arrives home, she'll lie down for the evening. After she awakes, she'll notice Gold sleeping soundly beside her and go in for the kill. He'll never see it coming. I'll slip Belle a forget me potion just as I will Henry, and she'll remember her dear old Dark One no more." she returned, a satisfying smirk playing upon her lacquered lips.
"I'm elated we're finally executing the crocodile. My only complaint is that I'm not the one who gets to pierce his heart." Killian chimed in.
"Belle is the only one who's able to complete this mission. You're too much of a dimwit and have had way too many close calls with the dark one, guyliner." Regina taunted, earning a scowl from the former pirate.
"We better go before she wakes up. I really wish there was another way." David sighed guiltily.
"Well there isn't, and don't fret Charming. We're all doing everyone a justice by ridding the world of his miserable existence. He won't be missed. That's for sure." the Evil Queen added, making her way out of the library. The others followed suit, leaving the beauty in solitude.
Belle was awoken several hours later with a distinct pounding in her head. She groaned as she forced herself to set up. She managed to pull herself up by angling her body against a bookshelf. She immediately locked up the library to head home and collapse on her downy comforter.
Rumplestiltskin pushed the key into the lock and turned it. He opened the door of his expansive Victorian mansion, taking time to place his coat on the rack. He stepped out of his expensive loafers, closing the door behind him.
"Belle?" he called as he neared the stairs. When she didn't reply, he climbed them. He looked in the library first, but she wasn't there. He felt himself begin to panic until he opened their bedroom door. He smiled when he found his beauty wrapped up in their downy comforter.
He removed his dress shirt and slacks and climbed into bed with her. She muttered incoherently when he spooned himself against her. He inhaled the scent of her flowery perfume which still faintly permeated her nape.
She sighed contently, snuggling into him. He relished the body heat she emitted and the peace that washed over him by just being in her presence. He closed his eyes, drifting into unconsciousness, lulled to sleep by the serenity she brought him.
He wasn't sure how much time had passed when he opened his eyes to be met by her beautiful smile. "Sleep well Rumple?" she inquired, stifling back a yawn. He could tell that she had just woken up too by the slight grogginess in her voice.
"Yes, it was the best sleep I ever had." he smiled, leaning in to brush a kiss against her petal soft lips.
She snuggled closer to him, tangling her bare legs around his. She cupped his face in her hands, drawing her lips to his. She kissed him lovingly, hoping that he could feel all the love she held for him in that moment.
"I love you Rumplestiltskin, and I promise you that I'll never stop loving you no matter what. We will always be together." she assured him, touching the side of his face tenderly.
"Forever..." he whispered taking her hand and placing it over his beating heart.
"Forever..." she repeated before they lost themselves in another passionate kiss, followed by a night of marital bliss. They slept soundly beside each other, unaware of the chaos which would ensue. Belle gasped for breath, her hand flying to her breast. Miles away the Evil Queen held her heart, and was about to command her to execute the darkest deed she'd ever commit. She rolled out of bed, unconsciously reaching inside her handbag for the poisoned dagger. She pulled the blade from her purse, tears streaming in rivulets from eyes. All the events from the day came rushing back to her, leaving her mind in a disarray. She crawled back into bed and straddled him. She grasped the knife in both hands, haphazardly raised above her head.
"I'm so sorry, Rumple..." she sobbed as she drove the blade into his chest. His eyes flew open to gaze questionably at her. He weakly raised his hand up to caress her face lovingly.
"They have my heart! They made me do this! I never-" she bawled, clinging to him desperately. She removed the dagger from his breast, flinging it aimlessly across the room. He framed her face with his hands, his breathing stifling as each second passed.
"I love you Belle...not your fault...leave Storybrooke...take her far far away from here...tell her papa loves her." he pleaded as his breathing labored.
"I love you too, so very much!" she returned, crushing her lips against his, stealing away his final breath. She prostrated herself across his body, clinging to him desperately until the first light of dawn filtered through the window pane. She placed a searing kiss against his deadened lips before making her way out of the bedroom. Her legs felt wobbly as she went through the motions of getting ready for the day. She put on her best attire before making her way into the basement to retrieve his talisman. Belle precariously unweaved the spells which concealed the dagger. As she lifted the knife from its hiding place, she noted his name had vanished from the blade. She smirked deviously to herself as she kissed her smooth alabaster skin with the metal. Having no heart made it easy to complete her transition from the light to darkness. A satisfied smirk painted her lips as she watched her name etch across the blade. The curse was hers to wield and control, and it felt like home as she heard his voice resonate inside her head. They could be together forever this way. The curse would ensure they never parted as she made her way out of the salmon parsonage. The soft timbre of his voice led her to sweet revenge, and she spared no mercy. Their blood stained her hands, and her beloved purred in satisfaction as she swiftly executed each kill until she was the only one left standing. She felt a swift kick against her abdomen, and she sighed, placing her hand over her protruding stomach.
"Mommy sent all the bad people away, and no one will ever be able to hurt you my sweet." she vowed before leaving the town in ashes.
A/AN: I feel super guilty for writing this, and I'm really sorry...Don't judge me!