Disclaimer, I own nothing from Once. If i did, I probably wouldnt be on this site... just saying..
A/N: its been a while since ive written, and its reflected here. Ive had this floating around my head for a little while, thought id give it a share! first Rumbelle story. Reviews are loved
The boat needed repair. That much, at least, was certain. What was also certain was that they needed to get out of port as quickly as possible, for the castle guards had been alerted to their presence and were most certainly on their way to capture the infamous Captain Villeneuve.
The Chimera was a vessel for cowards. For those who were running, from their past, from their dreams, their memories, whatever haunts them. It was a place where a person could begin anew, with a new name and life. Captain Villeneuve was perfect to captain such a ship, for she too was running from her past, caught in between forgetting and treasuring her memories of a broken heart. Instead of deciding whether to remember or forget, she decided to focus on the practicalities at hand, namely getting out of port, as soon as possible.
"im afraid the djinn has since moved captain" her first mate informed her sorrowfully, "He is the only way, it is said that he can grant even the most unholy of requests"
The captain frowned, surveying the damage. They needed to get to Agrabah before their cargo spoiled, money was running low, and they couldn't afford to bribe all of the castle guards, certainly not at the price the Queen of Snowland had on their heads, lord knows what the Chimera did to piss her off directly. The damage was too extensive to be fixed quickly by the ships carpenter, only magic could save them.
"There is no one else with magic Sinbad?" she asked, sweat beaded her neck, anyone but the Dark One would do, no matter the price. But her mate only shook his head sorrowfully.
"Its Him, or the sultans prison ships back to the enchanted forest"
Captain Villeneuve bit her lip, she owed a life debt to Sinbad, and her next words would only add to that debt.
"Sinbad, I –" what she was about to ask was so unfair, she loathed to ask of it from her best friend "I cant do it, I will fail my ship, my crew, because I cant confront him. Not again. Please friend, I will give you my blessing to contact him if you face him, I will pay his price, but I just cant-" tears of frustration welled up in her eyes. As captain of a ship of cowards, she was indeed the largest of them all.
Sinbad, though not understanding his captain's fears, accepted them. "I will contact him milady, as soon as possible, we may have some things in the cargo that may interest him" he leaned over and gave the captain a squeeze on the shoulder, his eyes held not the resentment, anger, or shame they should have at her request, instead they were filled with understanding. Sinbad, her dearest friend, understood that they all had their demons on this ship, and accepted her for hers, even if he couldn't understand them.
The call went out, and the Dark One's arrival was imminent, for desperate souls had called upon him.
"Well, well that looks certainly troublesome" his voice rang out with a giggle. The captain hid in her quarters, her face pressed up against the keyhole, desperately hoping, for what however she wasn't sure.
"It is, which is why we ask for you Dark One, we need a repair, and fair winds to see us swiftly out of port, we have several things in the hold that may interest you. Potions ingredients, rare and hard to come by."
Sinbad was nothing if not a charming speaker. He spoke to the Dark One as if they were old friends; unfortunately the good captain knew it would only hinder things with the feared Dark One.
"Do you now? And how is it that you know of my potion needs?" he trilled, his high-pitched voice held a dangerous undertone that the captain knew well.
"Our captain knows many things sir" was Sinbad's humble response. Captain Villeneuve held her breath, cursing his choice of words.
"Our captain?" a high pitched giggled echoed across the boat "You mean you are not the captain of this vessel?"
"first mate"
"You mean to tell me, that the captain, who is responsible for this ship, will not even face me? That your captain would let you pay the price for this vessel to leave these shores unharmed. Would you stand by your captain if I asked for your first-born child, or perhaps your most treasured memory? Your first laugh, your last years, or even your life as forfeit? Would you pay that price for your hidden captain?" his voice, his giggled was laced with malice.
The captain, hiding in her quarters like the coward she knew she was, was hurt by his cruel words. Would the Dark One truly take him as payment for a simple boat repair, was the price the same for fixing a boat as it was the end a war and a kingdom of suffering? More importantly, did the Dark One make a habit of taking people as his price?
Gathering bravery before it could flee, focusing on her sudden anger for the man's treatment of Sinbad, emerged from her quarters before Sinbad had the chance to answer.
"Enough Rumpelstiltskin." She wished she felt as strong as her voice sounded.
The man froze, his back tensing. He turned slowly, all the mocking disappearing from his face as he turned to the captain. She wasn't aware of him moving but suddenly he was in front of her, examining her face, his eyes widened with disbelief, with the most curious look on his face, the look of hope. His hands danced over her shoulders and her face, hovering near her skin but never touching.
"you- I was told you jumped from a tower" he finally whispered, one of his hands settling on her shoulder, the other grazing her cheek lightly. His touch set off a flurry of emotions in her that she didn't quite want to understand. Her heart panged with an aching longing
"I did. Well, I fell from a tower at least." She affirmed his story, her voice reduced to a whisper by his mere presence.
"I was told you died- Belle… I- if I had known…" his eyes were wide, shining with anguish.
"well… I think I did die actually. For a few moments, and then Sinbad found me, nursed me back to health. We've been travelling together since."
Rumpelstiltskin's lips twitched in what would have been a pained smile, and he removed his hands from her and took a polite step back to examine the two. "Good." His tone back to business, "So you finally get to see the world then? With someone else."
The captain, Belle, could only nod, feeling the loss of his hands upon her. Oh how she longed for him, how much she missed him, it was a sweet kind of pain that gripped her in his presence. So caught up in his absence she almost missed what he said.
After all they had gone through, after her previous proclamation of love, he truly believed she found someone else?
He waved his hand, the ship was pulling together, she was becoming seaworthy again, and Rumpelstiltskin wasn't looking at her.
"And the price?" Sinbad asked warily.
Rumpelstiltskin sneered at the sailor, before slumping his shoulders in defeat "a gift of goodwill for your captain. I wish you two well."
"Sinbad, I believe your wife and the rest of the crew is waiting for you at the inn. Why don't you tell them we set sail in a half hour." Her voice was steely, the voice of a leader, and the voice of a very pissed off Belle.
How dare he think that she would, that she could, replace the love they shared so easily. He watched Sinbad depart the ship, before turning to Belle.
"Rumpelstiltskin, you stupid, stupid man. Do you really think that my love for you was so shallow that I would replace it with the first man I saw? Sinbad is a good friend of mine, a friend I owe a great debt to, but a friend he is. As mad as you may think me, I love you and nothing will ever change that" she huffed out.
He had that strange look on his face, the look of confusion, disbelief that was reserved only for her. "Belle- I… its been a long time since ive done anything like this." He looked deeply uncomfortable in this situation, unsure how to react.
Belle, despite her attempts to distract herself from her memories with the ship, still had spent a great deal of time thinking of him, of them.
"Rum, I know that your power means a lot to you, it was wrong of me to assume that you wanted to be an ordinary man, because you truly are extraordinary. I was just being foolish and naïve; I know that now. And who am I really, compared to the great and terrible man that is Rumpelstiltskin, who has lived a hundred lives, who has seen the world, and the most powerful wielder of magic in all the realms. I was just a caretaker. A foolish girl. I know that, and I didn't want to be a foolish girl anymore, so I ran away from my kingdom, my throne, led others to believe that I was dead, and somehow found my way into this ship full of misfits, of people running too. I am seeing the world, which is supposed to make me happy" Belle was blushing by the end of her words, feeling like the foolish caretaker she used to be again.
His face was pained and heartbroken as he hesitantly reached up to touch her cheek again. Seeing her turn her face into his palm something broke inside of him and he pulled her into a tight hug.
"Oh Belle, my darling Belle, no. You were always too good for me; you are the most unique and special being I have ever met. Belle, I lied, truly. My power isn't more important than you, but I still need it. I have been searching for something for such a long time, centuries. Something precious that I need my magic for. But never doubt Belle, that I lied." He clung to her like a man drowning, his body trembling, never before had he been so upfront about anything.
And Belle, his darling Belle clutched him just as fiercely, her body shaking from silent sobs. How long had it been since she had felt so free, so complete, so right than she did in his arms.
Neither knew how long then held each other, how long they cried with each other, each relieving themselves of their fears and demons they held about each other. They were together, and they were free again to love. Dimly they became aware of the crew around them, preparing to set sail, of the boat being jerked from the dock.
"Rum, all magic comes at a price, what is the price for our timely escape from port, truly? I wont let you pay it for me." Belle was stubborn on this point.
"Tea, with you. And a token of my affection if you'll have it" Rumpelstiltskin waved his hand away at her protest "Let me speak Belle. You've made a life here, you're seeing the world, and I wont take that away from you. But know, the world is a dangerous place, and I would never forgive myself if something happened to you again. If you need me, ever, for anything just say my name and ill be here. If you have a bad dream or are in mortal threat. And know that you'll always have a home, with me, if you wish it." He held out a gold bracelet, made of the finest spun gold.
"Rumpelstiltskin, only if you make a promise to me" she held her wrist out of his reach.
"Anything" he responded immediately, his hopeful eyes never leaving hers
"You'll visit? You'll make an effort? And you'll come to me whenever you need me?" A smile lit his face, a true smile, and a smile that was reserved only for her.
"Of course Belle, always."
With the bracelet clasped around her wrist, a warm comfort, Captain Villeneuve, formally Belle of Avonlea, turned to the most feared creature in all the realms, her true love and beamed. "How about that tea then Rum?"
He threw his head back and laughed, a joyful laugh that shook his whole body, which came from deep within, a hearty laugh that shocked nearly all of the deck hands into stillness. "Indeed, tea. And perhaps we can have a talk about you being a pirate? You know dearest, pirates are surely the worst sort of people" he straightened as the captain hooked her arm through his, leading him to her cabin and navigation room.
"I hardly think we are pirates Rum, we are much like you, we make deals that fall in our favour. Simple, humble deal makers"
The crew of the Chimera stared at each other in bewilderment at their strange captain, a woman who they all knew was strange, continued to surprise them. They tried not to openly stare at the unlikely couple, chatting like long lost friends, all noting that somehow, they fit together seamlessly.
The crew of the Chimera was witnessing true love.