BRAVER THAN YOU KNOW A/N-
"They say that dreams, dreams are memories. Memories of another life." Takes place a few nights after the events of 2x04. Slightly inspired by The Five People You Meet in Heaven.
CHAPTER 1—Memories
As the Dark One, Rumpelstiltskin had rarely needed sleep. When he did, in either world, he dreamed. These dreams were often nightmares, things that spinning had not—would not—allowed him to forget.
A few days ago were almost a living nightmare; he had nearly lost Belle again to the new curse. Now, after another tiring, unsuccessful day of magic, he made his way up to his room and soon surrendered to sleep.
Upon waking, he heard the creaking of the spinning wheel. After walking downstairs, he was surprised to find a woman on the far side of the living room, slowly spinning the wheel. She had short brown hair and wore a light blue dress.
When she stopped the wheel and turned around, Gold took a few steps back. He instantly recognized her face, even after three hundred years.
It took him a moment to find his voice. "Bonnie?"
She smiled. "Hi, Rumpel." She walked over and hugged him. "I missed you."
They had been best friends growing up in the Frontlands. She was the first to call him 'Rumpel', only using his full name when she was angry or annoyed with him, which was rare. She often stood up to the village bullies for him. He protected her the day another boy tried taking advantage of her. As the years went on and the friendship grew, so had his feelings for the girl. But before any such feelings could be expressed, Bonnie's parents had arranged a marriage for her with a man from a wealthy family in the next village and he found himself betrothed to another girl from their village, Milah. While he did care for Milah, he had to admit that he did not truly love her, not like he did Bonnie. Bonnie was there for the wedding; they had even danced together that night at the banquet that had followed. Not long after, she had to leave for her betrothed's village. Gods, he missed her.
He never saw her again. He learned a few years later, after returning from the Ogres War in disgrace, that she had died.
He held her close.
"How…?" he asked as he slowly pulled away. "I thought you—"
"Died, right. About two years after my wedding."
"What happened?"
She looked away for a moment. "There's nothing to tell, really."
Nothing? According to the rumor mill, her rich, drunken idiot husband had been responsible. Gold gently placed his hands on her shoulders. "Bonnie, please. The rumors that followed…"
"Are true. Jack was a drinker; he did not like to be wrong. I should have known better than to argue with him after he'd spent a long night at the tavern with his friends but the things they said when they came back to our house just made me so angry."
"What did they say?"
She took his hand and slowly led him to the couch. She took a deep breath as they sat down.
"They were talking about you."