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The Last Goodbye
by AKMB of Z-4F
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After casting the protective spell and making sure Storybrooke is safe once again, Belle walked through town without a destination. She let her feet lead the way while she allowed herself to be lost in her own thoughts. She felt numb. All of her feelings, sadness, anxiety, hopefulness, and longing—were so overwhelming and they were already starting to take a toll on her.
It has only been three hours since the gang aboard the Jolly Roger left for Neverland and she is already missing Rumple. She feels so incomplete. She wants to be on that ship. She wants to go help save Henry. She wants to be with him.
She didn't notice a stray tear fell from her eyes and she quickly wiped it away. When she looked up, she found herself in front of a pink house that she knew so well. She made her way to the front door and opened it. The creaking of the door filled a faint sound in the room then there was silence.
Belle sighed. You need to be strong, Belle. He wants you to be strong. He's doing the right thing. You need to be strong for all the people who were left behind. She thought to herself.
She made her way to the kitchen to make herself a nice cup of hot tea. As she entered the kitchen, on top of the dining table was her chipped cup with a rolled note placed inside of it. Belle stumbled forward and reached for the note. She opened it with trembling hands and read the note scrawled in a familiar handwriting.
I love you. Goodbye.
Her resolve shattered and she let her tears flow freely from her eyes. She clutched the note so hard; her knuckles turned white. She just had him back and now he was taken away from her again. It's all so unfair. How dare him to think that he would never come back!? That selfish bastard.
"I'll get you back, Rumple. True love always finds a way. I will find a way."
As she fixed the letter safely inside her pocket, dark array of clouds suddenly appeared inside the cup. Peeking closely, the clouds turned into a reflection. A woman familiar to her with blood-shot eyes, crumpled lips and like a person fresh from death came into view. Her reflection was distorted. In a matter of seconds, she watched herself being dragged inside the cup.
Screams filled the room and then came back to the usual setting as if nothing happened.
Rumplestiltskin does not have the slightest idea when or how he's going to die. All he knew was that he was going to die. The prophecy said that the boy, Henry, is his undoing and this is probably it. He was trying to magic his way out of the bonds that tied him to the tree but he can't. Greg and Tamara, the idiots, stripped his powers from him making him vulnerable and weak. He let his eyed wander in his surroundings that seemed like a forest, a dead forest.
"Hello, Rumplestiltskin."
He doesn't have to look up. He knew that voice anywhere. Well, he can't look up. Blood covers the side of his face and he knew that he may have a couple of broken ribs. He's so beaten up that a slight movement will absolutely make his body break down. His breathing is shallow but he likes it and you can't blame him. Three hundred years of immortality, he will miss being able to feel pain and seeing his own blood too.
"How have you been, Peter?" Rumplestiltskin choked out.
Peter Pan, leader of the lost boys and the most feared being in Neverland answered with sarcasm, "oh swell! I couldn't say the same about you though. But look at you, all grown up!"
"And you look the same."
"Oh Rumple, you were always the witty one—or should I call you, Adam?"
At this, Rumple tried his best to look up at Peter. He stuttered, "Ho—how did y—?"
"How did I know? Did you really think I wouldn't find out?" Peter gave him a satisfied grin, "you are the grandson of my sworn enemy."
"You know my grandfather?" Rumple asked.
"He didn't tell you?" Peter asked, his forhead wrinkled and is obviously clearly upset. He moved over to a huge rock a few feet in front of Rumple and sat down, "your grandfather and we were the best of friends a long time ago—until we fell in love with the same woman. We swore to each other that neither of us would go after her. He made me believe that our friendship meant more to him than a woman. I believed him—how silly of me to have believed him!"
"And then, what happened?" Rumplestiltskin asked, clearly interested to know the story.
Peter shook his head, "One day, he showed me a mirror saying it was a present from a very powerful sorcerer. He told me to stand in front of it. He said that whatever I want the most will reflect in the mirror. I guess, you figured out already what the reflection showed."
"Grandma." Rumple said, more to himself.
"Clever man!" Peter let out a laugh and continued, "what I didn't know is that your grandfather was planning on getting rid of me so that he can have Elizabeth all for himself."
Peter stood up and moved towards Rumple, "Your grandfather pushed me through the mirror and ever since then, I've been here in Neverland, in this wretched place. Trapped."
He was full of anger now. Rumple can see it in his eyes. Peter pulled out a knife and slowly started to bury the knife into Rumplestiltskin's chest. Rumple cried out in pain. He stopped, pulling the knife out. Fresh blood dripped from his new wound.
"Always so weak. Felix! Bring out the mirror!" Peter exclaimed in anger.
Felix, the blonde-haired lost boy, came into Rumple's view placing a full-length mirror a few feet in front of him, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. Peter then gestured him out. While Rumplestiltskin, still panting, looked up at the mirror and then back to Peter.
"I don't know how she did it, really. She must be pretty clever to have figured out how to communicate across realms. Pretty and intelligent? I would say you hit the jackpot here, Adam." Peter winked at him.
Rumple was confused. "Wha—?"
Peter tilted his head towards the mirror. Rumple looked at it and he felt his heart dropped.
"Belle." He said, barely a whisper.
Rumple didn't know how long it has been since the last time he saw her. Maybe three or four weeks? He lost count. She still looked the same. She is always his beautiful Belle—brown hair, beautiful blue eyes. The only difference is that the Belle in the mirror has blood-shot eyes, crumpled lips and like a person fresh from death. The vibrant glow she usually has was nowhere to be seen. She has her hand over her mouth and Rumplestiltskin watched her as her face turns from sad to mystified, clearly wondering about the clouds forming. He heard Belle's precious voice, but not with joy, but with a scream.
"Don't hurt her! Please! I'm here! I'm the one you want!" Rumplestiltskin pleaded, notcaring about the pain of the stab he just took from Peter.
Peter moved towards the mirror, blocking Rumple's view of Belle. He slowly traced Belle's face on the mirror, "She's very pretty, Adam. Why didn't you bring her here? We'll have a lot of fun!" He smirked and turned to face Rumple, "Do you want to see her? You know, make a final goodbye?"
Rumple tugged at the ropes that bound him to the tree. I left her in Storybrooke to protect her. Why can't she just let me protect her? Tears threaten to fall from his eyes. He feels so helpless. He tugged at the ropes again. It's no use.
Peter laughed at Rumple's attempts to break free. "Oh, Adam. You don't want to use up all your energy trying to break free. You should save it for your reunion with your one true love," he said mockingly.
He reached through the mirror and pulled Belle out of it.
"NO! Don't! Please!" Rumple shouted as he coughed out blood. It was too late. Belle was already out of the mirror portal.
Belle, shocked and scared tried to wiggle out from Peter's grasp. "Let me go! Let me go!"
"I'm going to give you time to say goodbye to him, okay?"
Peter pushed her down on the forest floor. She stood up and ran up to Rumplestiltskin. She hugged him real tight. "Oh sweetheart, I missed you so much!" She said as she sobbed. She placed her hands at the side of his face, urging him to look at her. She kissed him, not caring about how his blood soaked her hands.
"W-why, Belle? You shouldn't be here." Rumple choked out.
"I know. But since I'm already here, I'm going to get you out of here! You're a selfish bastard, you know that? You promised me forever and I'm holding you to it. You're in so much trouble when we get back to Storybrooke!"
She said it with utter determination. It took everything he have in him to smile, "Oh, Belle. I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry."
Belle kissed him again, "Shhh… it's okay. I'll get you out of here. I promise."
"Oh I highly doubt that, love," Peter said. "Now, I hate to break up this lovely emotional reunion of yours, but we're on the clock so…" he pushed Belle away and buried his hand right through Rumple's chest.
"NO!" Belle screamed through tears.
Peter pulled out his hand along with Rumple's heart, "Well, look at that! It isn't as black as I expected it to be."
Rumplestiltskin may have done a lot of irredeemable things in his past that will make his heart as black as coal but then there's Belle, his brief flicker of light amidst the ocean of darkness.
"No! Please! Please…" Belle pleaded Peter and tears start to fall from her eyes. She looked at Rumple. He look at her and mouthed the words I love you.