Author's Note: This the re-upload of the the previous chapter because it has come to my attention that there was a typo in the last one and that was grating on my nerves. Therefore, it needed to be fixed! Here you go! Again, if you see any please please please PLEASE let me know and I'll fix it.
Disclaimer: Well obviously I don't own Once Upon A Time else this would be the ending.
How long had she been in this room? This asylum? Young Rose had no idea as she pondered on those thoughts whilst sitting on her cot with her knees held tightly against her chest. Her chestnut curls were a right mess and her clothes felt dirty and harsh against her soft skin. Like many times before, Rose let loose a long sigh and unfolded her legs to get up and pace a bit in her cell to stretch her legs for a bit. She looked up to the three rectangular windows that lined the ceiling of that wall and longed to be able to peer outside of it and see some semblance of life. Something other than these padded walls that resonated misery and solitude.
A creak.
Rose looked to her door and saw the lid covering the viewing window on her door lift and was met with the smirking face of the Mayor. Like always, Rose felt a twinge of fear go down her spine as well as a deep resentment for her though she could not explain the resentment in the slightest. Only that she knew that there was something about this woman, something she did that Rose could not ever forgive. If only she knew what!
"Here to check on me again?" She said, not bothering to hide the frustration and cold tone in her voice.
Regina could only smirk more when met with that tone. God how she loved to torment her little prisoner, especially when Regina could see the resentment in the young girl's eyes. The delicious part was that the young thing had no recollection why! "You know I care for your well-being. Your father asks about you often."
"Then why did he send me here?" She all but shouted, feeling the tears pooling at her eyes but refusing to let them fall. "Why have I been locked up here?"
"Tsk tsk, you know why dear. You started to believe in a world that didn't exist. Started acting out and growing frantic. You even started to harm yourself just to get his attention. He only wanted to help you." The lies rolled off of her tongue with absolute ease that Regina almost believed them herself. Almost.
Frustration curled Rose's lips into a sneer and she approached the door slowly. "But I didn't do this to myself! Do you really think I'm capable of doing this," she drew up her sleeves and lifted her shirt high enough to expose her stomach, "to myself?" Long, angry burn and knife scars ran down her arms like veins, only stopping just a little before her wrist. There was more on her stomach and crisscrossed each other in such a frantic and random manner that Rose was sure she was struggling with all her might when it happened. Her wrists and ankles also bore deep scars as if she had been bound by something and she had struggled like hell to get out of them.
Regina kept her face set in an expression of pity and knowing, shaking her head once. "You did do it Rose. Your father had to pin you to the floor to stop you from doing it anymore."
"But I don't remember doing this! I know there isn't a fantasy world and I know I'm not Belle!" She hollered, tears slowly starting to stream down her face. "Please just…just let me go. Let me go I promise I won't act out again."
"I'm sorry sweetling, but until you admit that you did those to yourself and truly believe what you're saying – because I can see it in your eyes that you still believe it – you're going to have to stay in here." She slowly began to close the lid then, trying to bite back her sadistic giggles as she heard Rose cry out in protest. She turned her back on the door and smirked as she walked back, her heels echoing across the halls as she did. She looked to the nurse as she passed at the desk, "Your patient is acting out again. Sedate her."
"Yes ma'am." The elderly nurse said as she began to prepare the sedative.
Back in the room, Rose pounded on the door for a few seconds before collapsing in front of it in a heap of tears. She covered her face and sobbed into her palms as she shook her head in denial. This was wrong! This was so wrong! So what if she believed in her young mind that she was Belle? Isn't that what little girls were supposed to do? Pretend that they were Princesses and act out the stories? How was that a reason to lock her in a damn insane asylum for years? Ok sure so she was 15 years old at the time and maybe a little too old for fantasies, but she always had an overactive imagination! And the scars, Rose couldn't bring herself to believe that she did this to herself. She just couldn't! They were so angry, so deep and so many and a person as gentle as she could in no way shape or form do this much damage onto others let alone herself. "Why? Why did you do this to me father?"
The door opened and Belle looked up with fear to see the nurse there with the needle that put her into a sleep she couldn't force herself to wake up from. "No! No please don't! I'll be good I promise!" She had crawled to the farthest corner of the room and curled up into a ball, trying to shield herself away from the nurse.
"Struggling only makes it worse Rose you know that." Already the nurse had Rose pinned down and pressed the needle point into her thigh.
Regina stood in the middle of the stairs, a Cheshire grin on her face as she listened to Belle's whimpers and cries fade away into silence.
That had been months ago and still Rose's predicament had not changed. Every now and then Regina would come to visit but Rose didn't make a big deal out of it. She would only stare at the woman with a look of defeat and anger, but said nothing more.
Now she lay on her side, her mind wandering to the fantasies she used to have as a child that became more prominent in her teen years. Just as the supposed reason she was said to be put in here, Rose saw herself as Belle but not in the way that Disney movie portrayed it. No, in Rose's fantasy Belle was a princess and was the most beautiful one in the kingdom. She was smart, wise, and analytical and often-times the one her father would go to for advice. Gaston was still the handsome brute, but he ended up being her fiancé because of an arranged marriage and a member of her father's court. In her fantasies she imagined that the kingdom was in the midst of a war and they were losing badly. Ogres…right…that's what Rose pictured them to be. Nasty, ugly, sadistic, murderous ogres. It seemed fitting.
Now, Rose had no idea how she had come up with this, but there existed a creature more fearsome than any in the land with the power to save her kingdom from the terrors of their enemy. She made it so that that great being able to help them was the fabled creature Rumpelstiltskin. Again, breaking the rules of Disney fairy tales but Rose always liked to make her own stories and making Rumpelstiltskin the Beast in her version of Beauty and the Beast seemed much more appealing to her than some spoiled pretty-boy prince turned animal.
Rumpelstiltskin, as he was fabled to do, had made a deal with her father the King. He would protect the kingdom and grant it peace and keeping Belle forever was his price. Her father had immediately rejected the idea followed by her fiancé, but Belle knew that she had to do this for her kingdom, for her people and their safety.
She had stopped him from leaving and told him that she would go with him. Her father could only make a sound of anguish while Gaston haughtily stated that he forbade it. What was he? Her owner? Her Belle would feel anger and annoyance at the brute but would calmly tell them that she decided her own fate, no one else. Just like that, the deal was struck and she belonged to Rumpelstiltskin forever.
While in his grand castle working as his caretaker, she had grown to see past the green-gold lizard like texture face of the beast that kept her there. She saw him, truly saw him and the tender, loving and caring heart that he kept locked away from the rest of the world. Somewhere along the quips, quick glances, slightest of touches and laughter they had fallen in love.
Yes…this was Rose's fantasy but she could never get past what happened after her Belle would realize that she and Rumple were in love. Her brow furrowed as she tried to reach into her imagination to come up with the happy ending she knew she should have but was interrupted when she heard her door open. What? Lunch wasn't due for another hour or so. She turned and looked up to see a man she had not seen in her room before.
"Come to me." He commanded gently as he reached out to her. Rose reached for his hand and allowed him to help her up, her grey-blue eyes lit up with confusion. "Who are you?" She asked, "Why are you doing this?"
"My name is Jefferson and I need your help to do something that I can't." Jefferson gently held her arms as he spoke, looking directly into her eyes. "There's a man, his name is Mr. Gold. Find him. All you have to do is tell him where you've been and that Regina locked you up."
Rose's head was reeling from the words he was telling her combined with the shock of the possibility of being able to leave. It was all so much at once and she was having a hard time processing anything. "Huh wha – wait…what?"
"It's very important. Mr. Gold is going to protect you but you have to tell him that Regina locked you up. He's going to know what to do. Do you understand?" Jefferson was frantic, desperate and angered all at once. Regina had jipped him out of the deal once again and this time he was going to make sure that she paid for it and what better way to hurt Regina than to unleash the fury of the most powerful man in the world – or rather Storybrooke - on her? Yes Jefferson had known for some time due to his spying on the people of Storybrooke that Regina kept Belle locked up in the basement of the hospital. He never once said anything before because, well frankly, he didn't care. But now that Regina had tricked him once more and he knew that Emma was a believer now the curse would be broken and everyone would remember. His Grace…his Grace would be his once more. And Rumpelstiltskin would return to his former glory and unleash a fury so great unto Regina for what she did to Belle. He was sure of it.
Rose could only nod to Jefferson and stutter out, "Y-yes I-I have to find Mr. Gold." She was in shock at the important bit of news. She was free. She was free to leave her room! Free to finally roam the town once more!
"Remember. Find Mr. Gold. Be sure to tell him that Regina did this to you." Jefferson repeated once more, stressing out Regina's name and looking to her urgently. Rose nodded once more to assure the man that she heard what he was saying despite her shocked state. He nodded to her and gently pushed her out the door. "Then go. Quickly."
Rose forced herself to move and took the first step out of her room after 10 years.
Mr. Gold, or rather Rumpelstiltskin, was a very patient man for he knew that patience and meticulous planning would always win the day and it had indeed done that. After so many years of waiting and waiting, he finally had the means to bring magic back into the world. Finally be able to have the power of the Dark One once more and be the most powerful being in the land. It was so close…so close he could almost taste it.
In the office of his shop, he opened the golden egg he had Prince James throw into the belly of Maleficent. Inside was the small bottle containing the purple potion of True Love. He picked it up gently and examined it, his lips turning up into a small smile as he did so. Yes…so close.
Rose had wandered the streets for some time looking around her in awe. So much had changed since she last remembered. The shops looked considerably larger, but then again it had been so long since she had been out of her room and had grown so used to the small 8x4 cell she had lived in.
She looked upon the town with a soft smile before she remembered that she had to find Mr. Gold. Jefferson said that he would protect her and for some unknown reason Rose believed him. What if her father found her out and about, free from her cell? What if Regina did? A tremor of fear raced down her spine. They would immediately throw her back into that dreaded cell and there was no way she was going to let that happen again.
She passed by Granny's and looked up to see the sign that said Mr. Gold's Pawnshop.
'That must be it.' She told herself and pressed on, her hospital shoes already soaked from the puddles on the streets and her feet were so wet and freezing. She paid no attention to it and pressed on. She put her hand on the door and pushed open, the sound of the bell ringing out across the shop.
Gold heard the bell ring and immediately pocketed the potion into his pocket and grabbed the golden egg to hide in a chest on the desk behind him. 'Damn it all who is it now?'
Rose looked about in awe of the many things she found in the shop. Puppets, old clocks, globe models, and trinkets of all sorts. If she wasn't afraid of any of the two afore mentioned people finding her, she would have fed her curiosity and looked upon everything and studied every detail.
She looked past the counter and saw the curtain that could leave into another room. "Hello?" She called out shyly, making her way back there. She entered to see a man with his back to her and slowly approached him. "Excuse me, are you Mr. Gold?"
Gold sighed and forced himself to remain calm as he began to turn around. "Yes I am but I'm afraid the shop's closed." The last word died on his lips as he stared at the fair face of a maiden he thought he'd never see again. 'Belle? My Belle? No…it's not possible.' His world crashed around him and he stood stone still for but a few seconds as he stared at her.
Rose looked to the man, confused by the expression on his face. He looked so lost, so shocked and so…heartbroken. Not only that, but she was in shock as well for the man before her was practically Rumpelstiltskin from her fantasies. In fact, if she didn't know any better, she would say that he is Rumpelstiltskin!
She shoved those thoughts aside and looked to him, "I was uh, ta-told to find you and to tell you that Regina locked me up." Rose hated the way she stuttered but quickly masked her embarrassment with the resentment she felt for Regina as she let the name fall from her lips, leaving a bad taste in her mouth.
Gold could only stare at her, all sorts of emotions tearing through his heart. Joy, confusion, agony, regret, guilt and so much more all jumbled together and sending him through a mental tornado. It was her…it was his Belle! No it couldn't be. Couldn't possibly be his Beauty. She had to be a ghost, an apparition of sorts. A trick. His Belle was dead.
But still he takes note of her disheveled form and sees her solidly standing there, staring at him with confused eyes. Can it be true? Can she truly be here? Alive? Gold was barely registering anything she was saying, only taking utter joy in the soft sound of her lilting accent and gentle voice. He began to approach her slowly, slow and dragging as if he were a zombie.
Rose could see that the man was obviously going through something and her presence was what was causing it. Not only that, but she felt, somewhere deep inside her, that she's been waiting for this moment just as much as she imagined him to be as well. That this moment, right here, was the unexplainable one she craved for on long lonely nights in that cell. Some nights she yearned for it so much that at one point it even brought her to tears and made her hug herself as she rocked back and forth on her cot. There were some nights she felt as if there was truly someone out there waiting for her that she'd look up to the windows of her cell and sob. "Come for me." She would cry to herself, "Come for me. Find me. Save me from this place. Hold me again…please." She'd foolishly believed that her voice could be carried away by the wind and sob to it. "I need you. Please…take me away from here."
Yanking herself back to the present, Rose looked to the man and gulped down the nervous lump in her throat. "Does that…that mean anything to you?" My God he looked like he was about to cry and it pulled on her heart strings.
"You're real?" He breathed out as he reached out to gently grasp her shoulder, needing to assure himself that this was not some sort of dream and that it was really her in front him. When he felt her small, solid shoulder in his hand he nearly collapsed to his knees from relief and joy, lame leg be damned! "You're alive?" His voice cracked and he stepped back to look at her, finally truly seeing her bedraggled appearance. "She did this to you?" White-hot rage coursed through his veins as he had images of his Belle locked up somewhere dark and dank and in such poor wear by the hands of that wretched cretin! Rumpelstiltskin was never one for outright violence but right now the notion of marching right up to that smug face of that wench Regina and literally tearing her apart limb from limb seemed very, very appealing.
But aside from those murderous thoughts, his eyes took in her appearance and his heart broke all over again. Her chestnut ringlet hair that was usually so lustrous and smooth now looked something akin to straw. Her clothes were ratted and filthy and he could see that her feet and pants were soaked from the puddles outside. And her eyes…her beautiful…cerulean eyes that would make the clouds and sun in the sky wish to dwell within them were now faded to a dull gray. There was no life in them. My God Belle…what has happened to you? What did Regina do to you?
At his touch, something registered in Rose's mind. A distant memory…fuzzy but she could very vaguely see the man standing before her, only it wasn't him. He was different but like the man in her fuzzy memory, his touch was also quite hesitant. Terrified. As if the mere touch of him would send her running or something of the like. It was just a glimpse, so short and quick that Rose had no time to even register it. So she only pushed it aside and looked up to Mr. Gold with a hint of hesitancy. "I was told you'd protect me."
Oh Dear God…it was her. His Belle, his sweet, loving, compassionate Belle. "Oh yes." He practically sobbed out as he took her into his arms, holding her tight and sobbing softly into her neck. "Yes I'll protect you." He'd protect her with his very life, with every fiber of his being and with every inch of his soul. He had lost her once and he'd be truly damned if he were to ever lose her again. He had told her to leave once before and every day after that he had regretted it more than anything in the world, right up there with losing Baelfire. No, never again. He would never again let his Belle walk out of his life.
Unexplainable heavenly warmth flooded Rose and once again she was struck with that familiar feeling of having waiting for this moment. His arms felt familiar and his scent brought with it a strong sense of nostalgia. Who was this man truly and why did Rose have a feeling that she knew him from another time? Another fuzzy memory raced through her mind of her falling from a high place and these seemingly same arms caught her and held her with such strength. Now more confused than ever, she shook her head and pulled back to look up at him. "I'm, I'm sorry. Do, do I know you?" The haunted look on his face, the tears glistening in his eyes and falling down his cheeks, Rose regretted pulling away from him nearly instantly. It was like not being able to touch her was torture for him, like all he wanted to do was hold her and never let her go.
Oh how astute young Rose was.
Pain stabbed Gold in the heart when he remembered Regina's damned curse. Of course she would not know who he was and what history they shared and he was somewhat thankful for it. She did not remember how cruel he had been to her; she would not remember how he had shaken her and yelled in her face. Young Belle before him would not be able to recall how he had tossed her love aside like the coward he was and told her that his ridiculous power meant more to him than she did. Even to this day, recalling that those slanderous lies spilled forth from his very mouth left a horrendous taste in his mouth and increased his self-loathing.
He swallowed his sobs and looked to her. "No. But you will." He stated with such promise and determination. Emma was a believer now and she was sure to break the curse soon. Belle would remember him then and he only hoped that she still felt for him as she said she did all those years ago. That fear still lingered within him at her memories coming back. What if she was still angry with him? What if she resented him for throwing her out and into the cruel arms of her supposedly loving father? The very thought shook him to his core. He wouldn't be able to take her rejection. No no no that would just destroy him.
Rose could see that something was clearly tearing away at the man and it made her heart scream with compassion for him. What could have possibly happened so tragic to him that her mere presence seemed to undo him? Wanting to comfort him, she reached out, hesitant at first and gently grabbed hold of his arm. "Alright. Thank you." What else could she possibly say? What could she possibly say that could offer any form of comfort to him? Rose wished she knew that way she could stop that look on his face that was practically breaking her heart.
Gold looked to her, resisting the urge to hold her in his arms once more and nodded. "There is no need." Rose smiled at him once more and was about to say something when a wave of dizziness washed over her and she stumbled backwards, bringing her hand up to her forehead. "Whoah…" She mumbled softly, latching onto Gold's arm as she tumbled backwards. Gold held onto her, worry evident in his eyes as he steadied her, taking a step forward and ready to catch her if she fell.
"Are you alright?" He put his hand up to her forehead and could feel a fever coming on. "You're starting to get warm." He looked down to see that her feet was soaking wet and she was no doubt about to come down with a fever. "Come on, we need to get you out of these wet clothes. My car is right outside; I'll take you to my home."
Rose could only nod as she leaned on Gold's good side and together they made their way towards his car. The world was spinning slightly and she felt hot and cold at the same time. Oddly enough, she was finding much comfort in his arms and the worry he clearly had for her touched her on a level that she thought ludicrous. She just met this man for goodness sakes! How could every little action he do affect her so much? It must be because she was locked up for so long she told herself. She had been bereft of another's touch or voices save for Regina and the occasional nurses. Yes, that was it.
"Here, careful now." He helped her into the passenger seat of his car, gritting his teeth against the pain it caused in his bad leg. Once she was settled in he moved to the driver's seat and immediately sped away towards his house. The drive was quiet and he glanced over at Belle every now and then to make sure that she was still conscious and well. She was and continuously staring out the window with weakened wonder, amazed at the sights she was seeing. God where did Regina keep her? How long had she been there for her to find simple trees so wonderful? Oh but then again, this was Belle and she was the type of girl who found wonder in even the smallest of things. It was one of her attributes that he loved most about her. His Belle, always able to find the light in the darkest places she was.
Rose looked over at him and stared at the man helping her with curiosity. He did know her but apparently she didn't know him yet according to what he said earlier. "Jefferson said you would protect me. Why did he know that?" She asked softly, her voice already sounding a bit rough.
Jefferson? The Mad Hatter? Oh yes Gold knew him well back in the days when he was better known as Rumpelstiltskin and he glanced curiously at her. "Jefferson? How do you know that name?"
"He's the one who let me out. He told me to find you and that you would protect me. Why did he know that? Do you know him?"
Gold wanted to thank the man right now if he could, but he also knew that he was in debt to the Hatter. Being indebted to someone was not a feeling that the great trickster enjoyed, but he forced himself to abide with it for Belle's sake. Jefferson had let Belle go free and for that he was to make sure that Jefferson received his debt payment in full. "Yes I know of him." He was silent for a moment longer as he contemplated on a way to answer her question without giving too much away. "Let's just say that you are someone quite…precious to me. Jefferson knew that I'd do anything to make sure you were safe." His voice was soft and broken in some spaces as he spoke.
Rose's eyes widened slightly at the sincerity and passion in Gold's voice. "Precious to you? If that's so then why don't I remember you?"
Gold's lips turned into a feral snarl and his eyes darkened with rage. "Regina. She did something to you and now you have forgotten. I promise you my dear that I'll take care of it. She will get her due." Although part of his anger was unjust. It was, after all, his curse that Regina had used in order to make all of this happen. Of course he never would have allowed this to happen if he knew that Belle was still alive. Another slam of guilt and self-hatred hit him and he tightened his grip on his steering wheel so much that it made his leather gloves squeak with protest.
There was so much anger in his voice and the look on his face was so frightening that Roes felt a twinge of fear, but inside knew that this man would bring no harm to her. She didn't know how and was rather uncomfortable with why she did, but Mr. Gold would never lift a finger to harm her.
They arrived at his manor a few minutes later and Rose was still feeling pretty weak, but had gained back enough energy to be able to walk a bit more on her own. "I'm alright." She assured Gold as he stood by her with his arm outstretched, ready to catch her if she fell. He hurried up the steps and opened the door for her, ushering her inside. She looked around the grand and majestic house with awe and looked to him, "This is your house? It's beautiful." Again that smile lit up her face and her eyes sparkled like the Northern star. It was enough to make Gold's heart spin rapidly and he could only give her a small smile in return. God how he missed that smile of hers.
"It's a roof over my head." He shrugged, "Thank you dearie." He motioned up the stairs and helped her up slowly. "I have a guest room up there where you can get dry, bathe, change and rest."
She looked to him with an arched brow and a slight smile on her lips. "Do you keep women clothing up there Mr. Gold?"
He only smirked in return, "I might have something up there that I have collected."
She was not expecting that answer and giggled softly, the melodious sound taking the breath away from him. "I can only imagine the poor girl from whom you took it from."
"I wouldn't worry about that." He whispered softly as they reached her door. He pushed it open to reveal a rather lavish room with a four-poster bed in its center. The soft yellow curtains were pulled back to show the mahogany headboard bearing intricate carvings – of what she could see behind the small hill of satin pillows – of a vine with roses that crisscrossed to and fro. The footboard adored the same rose pattern as well. The room seemed as if it were made for her with the yellows, blues and whites that filled it. The bed itself was layered with sheets of gold and sky blue and varying pillows of the same colors. Her eyes widened and she gasped as she looked around and soaked up everything she saw. The last thing to catch her eye was the deep, cherry wood floors and how the darkness of the floors only made the brighter colors in the room stand out. Simply put, it was beautiful. "Some guest room…" And it seemed very familiar, as if she had been here before. Her brow furrowed with confusion as she tried to place the memory.
Gold chuckled softly at the awe upon her face. This room was precisely the way her room had been when they had lived together in his castle. It was one of the rather munificent gifts he had bestowed upon her when he had realized that his little caretaker was meaning more to him than he had intended. She seemed to recognize it but at the same time confused as to why. That gave him pause and he felt iron grips squeeze his heart. Did she remember? Oh God if she did…
Clearing his throat to grab her attention, he motioned to a door in the room with his cane. "The bathroom is through there and over there," he pointed to the mahogany dresser next to the large windows that no doubt led to a balcony, "is where you'll find your clothes. The bathroom should hold essentials for you." He looked to her then, hesitant to leave her alone but knew that he couldn't very well help her undress and bathe. No matter how deliciously tempting that sounded. Almost as instantly as that thought came, Gold banished it to the recesses of his mind. He berated himself for daring to think such lustful thoughts about the young girl. God it didn't matter what life he was in, he was still and truly a monster.
Belle gave him a thankful look as she took her hands in his and squeezed them tightly. "Thank you. For everything." Did he just look afraid then? Then, without thinking, she leaned forward and placed a friendly kiss upon his cheek hoping that would dispel whatever silly fear he seemed to have around her. What threat could she possibly pose to him? Another rush went through her and yet another fuzzy memory surfaced to her conscious.
A genuine smile on a blurry male face that normally bore an expression of manic, teasing and mockery. A soft giggle from him as well and with such warmth in his onyx eyes.
She blinked twice before pulling back and ducking her head shyly, her cheeks now sporting a rosy blush. "I uhm…I should go bathe now."
"Yes right. I'll be up with tea and soup soon." He managed to say after he remembered how to talk. He stepped out of the room and gently shut the door behind him, staring at the air before him as he registered what had just happened before slowly making his way back down the stairs.
Rose looked to the door for a few moments, biting her lower lip as she did so and wondered why in the world such a simple act of kindness stirred such strange emotions within her. Shaking it away, she began to strip her clothes off and gently laying them across the footboard of the bed. She then proceeded to the bathroom and gasped once again at the sight of it. It was gold and white and there were red roses painted along the walls and tiles of the room. A shower had taken up an entire corner of it with a tub beside it with jet tubes within them.
Man did Mr. Gold know how to live! Though, she wondered why he would go to such extremes for a guest bedroom. It seemed an awful lot of personal touches had gone into this for it to simply accommodate a guest. Mysterious and puzzling indeed was the man who had taken her under his wing. She found herself more intrigued by him by the second and made a mental note to ask him a few questions later when he came back up. But for right now, that hot shower was really sounding amazing right now.
In the kitchens below, Gold was surprised at how easily his hands were able to brew the tea and make the chicken noodle soup considering how they were shaking a great deal. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Belle was very much alive and for the most part healthy. Did she really endure the tortures that Regina told him? Or was that all some sick plan of hers to weaken him and defeat him? He dreaded to think that they were both correct because if so…Mr. French deserved more than the beating he had given him that night in the lodge. Much, much more.
He looked to the tea and soup on the silver tray and couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of the situation. The Master was bringing the Servant tea and soup. But then again, Rumpelstiltskin had stopped seeing Belle as his servant long before that fateful day when she had kissed him and he had tossed her so carelessly into the dungeons.
He sat back in his chair and groaned into his hand, moving it up to grip his forehead. Guilt and regret slammed into him and washed over him like ice water as he thought back to that night. He never should have let her go. Never should have told her that his power had meant more to her than she ever would. Lies. Every last bit of it was lies and her departing words had been right. He was left with nothing more than an empty heart and a chipped cup.
He remembered the kiss she had given him earlier and his hand moved to graze his fingertips over his cheek, the spot still burning from her lips. His eyes fluttered shut as he recalled that glorious moment and smiled softly. Her taking his hands into hers was enough to steal his breath and make his heart race, to have her kiss his cheek would have nearly made him faint had he not forced himself to stay awake. Ludicrous…he was the Dark One and though he may not possess the great and terrifying power of the Dark One he was still a feared and respected man! A man known to be cold with his deals, uncaring to the welfare of others and sought out only for the benefit of himself.
Oh how the heads of the people of Storybrooke would reel if they knew that a simple smile from one woman was enough to render the man, the beast defenseless. Even now Gold looked up to the ceiling and imagined Belle in the shower with the steam of the hot water filling the room. Desire and Lust raced through him so quickly it left him winded and he couldn't help but groan softly as he felt a certain part of his anatomy twitch to life after so long. It hurt but the pain was welcomed as Gold shut his eyes and forced his body to calm down. Belle…beautiful, beautiful Belle was in his house and currently taking a shower in a room not too far from him. She was well within his reach…
"Rumple old boy get a hold of yourself." He chastised himself as he picked up the silver tray and balanced it on one hand as he made his way back up the stairs.
Belle stepped out of the shower with a refreshed sigh and slicked her hair back before wrapping the soft emerald towel around her body. She opened the door to the bathroom to let the steam out and shivered at the cold air that met her body. She already felt better than before, but still a bit dizzy. She made her way to the closet and opened it up to find a single, blue dress inside. "How odd…" She pulled it out and proceeded to put it on, slipping it on as if it were hers. She smoothed out the fabric on her bodice and turned to look at herself in the mirror of the vanity table next to the bed. It fit her like a glove and Rose couldn't shake off the feeling that this dress was hers. There was no way it could be hers for Rose couldn't recall having ever worn it, but she just knew it was. Just as she knew that Mr. Gold was sure to protect her.
"This is getting stranger and stranger by the second. I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone." She muttered to herself as she used the towel to dry her hair and sat down at the vanity table beside her bed, picking up a brush to comb out her chestnut hair. As she did so, she noticed that the short white sleeves left her arms bare and therefore her scars were very much visible. She frowned then, setting the brush down and trying to tug down the sleeves so as to hide it. She immediately felt silly for doing so because there was no way such short sleeves would be able to hide her entire arm.
She felt self-conscious as she hugged herself and rubbed her arms. 'God I hope he doesn't stare at me or is repulsed by me.' Now that was odd indeed. What did she care if he was disturbed by them or not? What did his opinion matter? Even as she told herself this she knew that for some reason she cared about how she looked in his presence. Like some teen girl wanting to look good for her crush. Rose shook her head at the ludicrousness of it and went back to brushing her hair. "Silly thought. Rose stop thinking so much."
A knock on the door made her turn. "Are you decent?" He asked through the door, making Rose giggle a bit before nodding.
"I am. You're safe to come in Mr. Gold." She continued to brush her hair even as he entered the room. The smell of the soup and tea hit her and instantly her stomach began to growl. "Oh Mr. Gold, it smells delicious!"
Gold paused as he entered the room and saw her wearing the blue dress she would always wear when she had worked for him. It caused a surge of happy and equally painful memories and he couldn't help but smile at the sight of it. "I uhm…I brought you this." He set the tray on the bed and made sure it wouldn't tip over before looking to her again. When he did though he noticed the long and angry scars on her arms as well as the heavy scars about her wrists and his brow furrowed with shock and concern. "Where…where did you get those?"
Rose noticed the way he looked at her scars and she immediately felt self-conscious, ducking her head and refusing to meet his eyes as she fiddled with her skirt. "O-oh these? Uhm…I was told I did them to myself. But honestly I don't remember."
Gold had made his way to her side of the bed and was now sitting on it, gently reaching out to grab hold of her arm and hold it up to his face. Oh he knew…he knew exactly where these came from and that knowledge served to boil his blood once again.
'Maurice I'll kill you.'
But even as his mind raced with murderous thoughts, he could not help but feel guilt consume him as he imagined his poor Belle locked up in a tower and being tortured like this. He could hear her screams in his mind as they pressed the hot iron to her skin and flayed her flesh. Had she screamed for him? Had she called out his name in hopes of him coming to rescue her only to be met with cold disappointment?
"How…how many more do you have?" He asked quietly, his voice squeaking softly as he fought back his own tears once more. Oh the pain she must have endured…
Rose was confused and touched by the concern and care he showed for her and could only shy away from his gaze. "O-on my stomach. There are more, and around my ankles too."
"Oh God…" The words fell from his lips in a hushed whisper as he shut his eyes and brought her arm to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on them as he did so. "Oh my dear girl…I'm so sorry." His eyes were shut tight as guilt and pain wracked him like ping pong paddles and he hung his head as he did so. God how did he ever let this happen to her?
Rose could see that her scars pained him and she felt her heart go out to him. A part of her nearly melted at the kiss he gave her and she wondered just how precious she was to him. A shiver had raced up her arm as she felt his cold lips press against her scarred flesh and her eyelids fluttered for a moment as she felt it go down her spine. Something had begun to churn at her center and it made her squirm just a tad. "I-it's alright. It's not like you did it."
Oh how wrong she was. If only she knew…if only she remembered. He may not have been the one to put the hot metal to her flesh, but he might as well have. He opened his eyes to look at her and sniffed, blinking away his tears and nodding before letting her arm go. "Here." He turned around and dragged the tray towards him and brought the cup of tea to her. "Drink this. It will help make you feel better."
Rose took the cup and sipped it, happy to see that it was chamomile tea with honey and milk. Her favorite. "This is my favorite. How did you know?"
His only response was a shrug along with a half smile. No matter what name she went by or what memories she believed to be her life, she was still his Belle and she had always loved to drink this sort of tea at the end of each night.
Rose studied him for a few moments before taking another sip and gently setting it down on her lap. "You told me that I was someone precious to you. Just how…precious am I?" She was hesitant in asking, but she couldn't take it anymore. The fuzzy memories, the way his touches affected her, his continuing show of concern and care for her…she just had to know. "Were we…" she gulped, a rosy hue adorning her cheeks and she suddenly found her tea cup much more interesting. "Were we lovers?" The last word died on her lips, but it was loud enough so that Gold could hear her.
That last question gave him such a start that he nearly dropped the soup as he was bringing it to her. His eyes widened and a slight blush came to his cheeks as well as he took a moment to try and remember to breathe. He shut his eyes for a moment and gulped down the lump forming in his throat, willing himself to remain calm and composed. As both Gold and Rumpelstiltskin he was known for never panicking or losing control of his temper. But when it came to Belle, all bets were off. The woman just seemed to have a special ability to rattle him unlike any other.
He cleared his throat and looked to her and replaced the tea in her lap with the soup bowl. "Not…not exactly."
Her eyes widened a bit then as she looked to him, not paying any attention at all to the soup. "Then…were we in love?"
Damn this woman and her insufferable need to question everything! Always the curious one she was, but Gold loved that about her. He let out a shaky sigh as he met her eyes. "I don't think I should be telling you this yet. You need to rest and regain your strength."
"I'm fine really. Please tell me?" She took the bowl and set it on the vanity table and turned to fully face him, her eyes pleading him.
His brow furrowed, "Why is it you need to know?"
"Be-because!" The bravery she felt before at asking the questions now faded beneath his look and she brought a spoonful of soup to her lips, delighting in the feel of the delicious broth running down her throat. She gulped back a lump and spoke softly, refusing to meet his gaze. "Because whenever you're near…and when you touch me…my heart races."
That gave Gold pause and he felt his own heart race at her words. He made her heart race? If only she knew what she did to him! If she knew the rush and warm sensation he felt whenever he saw her near and touched her. His head was reeling at this information and not for the first time around her, he had no idea what to say.
Rose listened on to his silence and that, alone, answered her question. But she could also tell that it made him extremely uncomfortable. Even though her mind was racing with a thousand and one questions, she didn't want to push him. It tore at her, but she opted to change the subject just so he would stop fidgeting. She looked out the window as she sipped her soup, "It's beautiful here, much better than that cell."
Thankful for the change of subject, he looked to her then. "Did Regina tell you why you were put in there?"
A haunted look came over her eyes then as she focused on her soup. She was silent for a moment, contemplating on how she would word this. How was she to tell him this? The truth she supposed…what else was there? She wasn't entirely adept at lying. "She told me that I was put there by my father. Because I started to…to believe in another world. That I was someone else in another place." She gulped and mentally prepared herself for his jests and mockery.
On the contrary, that only made Gold's eye widen and he leaned in more, desperate to hear the rest. "Another place? How do you mean?" Could it possibly be that she did remember? Was she able to resist the effects of the curse? So many questions befuddled him but one was the most complex and confusing of the rest.
How?
He could see that she was hesitant, probably afraid that he would mock her but she was so wrong. Hearing this gave him hope. "You can tell me. I give you my word that I will not mock you dearie."
Dearie. There was that little pet name again. Another surge of memories and Rose had already become so used to them that now she expected it, especially when he was near. The fuzzy memories were starting to become a little clearer, but there was a sinister voice inside her head telling her that these were lies. Her imagination running wild and nothing more, and yet she felt as if the voice was lying. It couldn't be simply that if they happened so frequently and in between such short time spans.
Biting her lower lip nervously, she decided to trust him and continued on with her tale. She told him of how she believed herself to be the princess Belle and of the deal made to save her kingdom. She told Gold of how she made the beast to really be Rumpelstiltskin and how the two of them gradually fell in love. She looked to him then, exceedingly embarrassed but oddly feeling relieved that she was able to tell someone who seemed to genuinely be interested in hearing it. "I have only been able to imagine it that far, beyond that it just turns into a blur and for the life of me I can't figure it out. It's my story; you would think I'd be able to do so."
Gold listened silently to her tale, his hope and anxiety growing with each word she spoke, but he kept his face stoic and only nodded here and there to let her know that he was listening. She told their tale; spoke of their story and with such clarity that he wondered how she had ever seen that as a fantasy and not a reality. That must have been the reason Regina kept her locked up in this world. Her so-called fantasy was actually their reality and he knew that Regina knew that if he was aware of Belle being alive then the Queen would be in trouble. Alive and capable of resisting the curse? That would've signed the death sentence for the all-mighty Evil Queen once and for all. She was right because as his hope for Belle to recover her memories grew, so did his rage at Regina. That wretched, evil soul! Gold had plans for her and by the end of it the emptiness in her heart would be nothing but something akin to a pricked finger upon a thorn after he was through with her.
"That…that is what she told you?" He breathed out; unaware that he was hardly breathing the entire time.
Rose looked to him with puzzlement. Did he actually believe her? "Y-yes and she's not wrong. I did believe I was Belle and…" she tilted her head then as she looked to him in a new light. "To be honest, you look just like Rumpelstiltskin from my fantasies. Amazingly like him actually. You do not have his skin tone, his sandy, curly hair or his eye color…but I swear you must have been plucked right out of my mind. It's rather…unnerving."
Gold stood from his seat then, limping over to the window with his hand over his mouth. He stared outside, searching his mind for a way to respond to this calmly. He could try and convince her that it was memories she spoke of and not a fantasy. Try and explain to her Regina's curse and what it did to everyone. The trouble was how to do it for it was obvious that it had been burned into her mind that it was a dream and nothing more.
As he stood pondering, Rose looked up to him and was now a little more than confused at how long he was thinking about it. "You don't really believe that do you? I mean, it was a fairy tale I made up as a kid. Right?" Why was she evening questioning it? Of course it was a fantasy! There could be no other explanation. Then again, a part of her felt that no it wasn't and that it was actually her true memories trying to push through…something. But that was impossible right? There was no such thing as magic and beasts and such. Right?
Unable to linger on that anymore, she turned to look at him and slowly rose to her feet. She ran her hands over the fabric of her dress and looked to him. "Mr. Gold? Is this…is this dress mine?"
He spoke softly, unable to face her as he kept his gaze locked outside the window. His tone was almost as if he were in a trance, not entirely there at the moment. "It's a spare you had made."
Unbeknownst to the two of them that at the hospital right now, Henry was pronounced dead. Emma and Regina were there; both in tears and agonizing over the death of the boy they called their son. Regina could only stay back, her tears pouring down her face as her mind screamed out in rejection over and over again.
Emma did not sob, but tears fell down her face rapidly as she approached the bedside of her son whom she had barely enough time to be with. He was pale, deathly pale and there was no sign of that brilliant smile she was so accustomed to seeing on his face. Her lower lip trembled as she reached a shaky hand up to brush aside the boy's chestnut hair. "Henry." Her voice shook and cracked as she forced herself not to sob. She pushed his hair aside and leaned forward, whispering softly to him. "I love you Henry."
With that she placed a tender kiss upon his forehead. As she did so, there was a great gush of wind and the tingly feeling of magic was high in the air and spread out across the town. Everywhere the citizens walked, they all paused as the illusions of the curse faded away and to be replaced with the right memories.
Everyone was waking up.
The wave had hit the home of Mr. Gold and just as it did, Rose stopped and stared down as a sudden gush of memories surged to her mind. She remembered everything. Everything from her childhood in Avonlea, the fantasy which wasn't a fantasy and then the Queen tricking her, Rumple's rejection and then him casting her out. She remembered her father thinking her to be mad when she told him of her care for Rumple and remembered how he had her locked up in the tower and "treated" her for her "madness."
Gold pulled out of his thoughts when he didn't hear Belle answer. What he saw somewhat frightened him. She was staring down at the carpet with wide eyes. "Dearie? Dearie what's wrong?"
Rose…no…Belle paid no attention to him as her memories came surging back to her. She remembered being locked up in that tower and then suddenly the Queen appeared to her. She said that she would take Belle away from here and in her desperation, Belle agreed. That was when Belle had been locked up in the dungeons of the Queen's palace and was forced to watch through a mirror how Regina lied to Rumpelstiltskin and told him of her death. She watched in agony as Rumple wailed and cried with a sound that no human could ever make.
"No!" She had cried out as Regina stood outside her cell, laughing with glee at the pain she was causing. "No Rumple! I'm here! I'm alive! Rumple!" She banged her small, bruised and bloodied fists on the glass in an effort to somehow capture his attention. To let him know that it was all lies.
"It's no use dearie." She said with a smug tone, mocking the nickname that Rumpelstiltskin used for everyone. She smirked smugly and crossed her arms over her chest. "He can't hear you."
Belle sobbed against the mirror, her hands pressed against the glass and watched through blurry eyes as her love sobbed and mourned her loss. She turned angry eyes to Regina, "Why? Why did you do this?"
"Oh it's simply really." Regina replied as she flicked her hand carelessly, "To prove a point." She crouched down slightly and practically growled at the poor girl. "Love is weakness. A poison and a disease and I have proven that it can make even the most so-called powerful man nothing more than a simpering weakling." Regina had left Belle then, laughing as she did so. "Enjoy your new home Belle!"
"Dearie?" He had a grip of her arms now, shaking her gently to try and break her out of whatever trance she was in. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she tilted her head slightly to the side, a sound between a sob and a sigh falling from her lips.
"I remember."
Gold's heart practically leaped up to his throat as heard those words. He stayed stone still, the corner of his lips twitching as he listened to her.
"I remember everything." Her eyes began to turn glassy as tears formed and she reached out shaky hands towards him, gently grazing her fingers against his cheeks. "Oh Rum…" She sniffed and her lower lip trembled as she held back her sobs.
Immediately when he felt her touch upon his face, he leaned into her hand and reached up to place his hand over hers. "Belle." He whispered softly, locking his gaze unto hers. "Is it…?"
Belle nodded feverishly, smiling and made a sound that was a mix between a sob and a laugh. "Yes it's me. Rumpelstiltskin you impossible man you." She stepped closer to him, their bodies barely an inch apart now. "I love you."
A loose sob came out of his lips in a short gasp as he wrapped his arms around her and practically crushed her small frame to his, leaning heavily on his good leg to alleviate the pain in his other. But that pain didn't matter now. "Yes. Yes, and I love you too Belle." He finally confessed his voice cracking as he did so. He blinked back his tears and only rocked her gently from side to side. "My Belle…my beautiful Belle. Can you ever forgive me?"
Belle laughed softly as she pulled back and wiped her tears and leaned up to kiss away his. "I'll make you a deal." She smiled impishly at him and giggled when she saw the surprised look on his face and put her finger to his lips. "I'll forgive you if you tell me right now that you were lying when you said that your power meant more to you than I ever did."
Rumpelstiltskin laughed softly at her proposal and brought his arms tightly around her waist. "Deal." He took a moment then to gaze into her eyes, looking over every part of her and in awe of just how perfect she was. All at once it seemed the luster in her hair had returned, there was the slightest rose hue to her cheeks and her eyes now glowed with that lovely cerulean color he adored. How could a being as perfect and beautiful as her ever fall in love with a man like him? Granted he didn't have the grisly appearance of the Dark One in this world, but even so.
He finally settled to cup her cheek and whispered softly to her, "I was lying when I told you that. I only said that to…" his lower lip trembled, "oh God Belle you were right. I was a coward. I just couldn't bring myself to believe that a woman like you could ever bring yourself to love a monster like me."
Her heart soared as she heard him speak the words she knew that were lurking all along in his heart. Belle wrinkled her nose at his choice of words and wrapped her arms tightly around his middle. "See that's where you're wrong. I didn't fall in love with a monster. I fell in love with a foolish, lonely man."
Rumple could only laugh and agree with her. He was a foolish and lonely man. "I was, but now I have you and I'm never going to let you go again. If you'll have me."
"Of course I'll have you. You already have me."
Rumple thought his heart would explode through his chest.
"Here, let me help you with that." Emma said as she helped Henry put on the shirt he had come in with.
Henry laughed as he pushed his mom's hands away. "I'm alright really." When he finished putting on the shirt he looked to her with a soft expression of criticism. "So it took me nearly dying for you to actually believe?" His tone held no malice as he spoke to her.
Emma shrunk a bit and gave an apologetic look. "Sorry kid. But hey, you're alive now right?"
Henry rolled his eyes and hopped off of the bed and faced Emma. "Right. Speaking of which, where did the Evil Queen go?" He looked around, surprised to see that the woman he had called his mother for so long was nowhere in sight.
Emma scoffed, "Hiding if she's smart." It was then that Emma noticed that even though she had broken the curse, everyone was still in Storybrooke. "Henry, I don't understand. If I broke the curse then why aren't they back where they belong?"
That also had Henry very confused and he noticed the nurses and Dr. Whale still hanging about. "I don't know." They met each other's gaze and shrugged. "Maybe there's more to it?"
"Maybe." A sudden idea came to her as she gathered her coat. "And I know just who to ask." She began to walk out the doors followed by Henry. "Sneaky slimy little imp. I have a bone to pick with him anyway."
Henry followed after her, having to jog to keep up with her long and fast strides. "Who are you talking about?"
Emma kicked open the doors to the hospital and headed towards her yellow beetle. "Rumpelstiltskin."
Emma wasn't the only one who was headed to find Rumpelstiltskin. In fact Mr. French, or King Maurice rather, was already at Gold's pawn shop. "Rumpelstiltskin! Where are you?" Maurice had checked the basement of the hospital first, remembering from his false life that he had agreed with the Mayor, Evil Queen, to send his daughter into the asylum for her mental health. It wasn't a far cry from what he did to her in their kingdom, but it was just as bad and left Maurice with a hole in his heart just as it did before.
When he saw that her cell was empty he just knew that that beast was to blame. He had captured his daughter yet again! Time had passed and the injuries that Mr. Gold gave him were now healed. They were in a land of no magic therefore Maurice had nothing to fear. Take away the magic and power of the Dark One and Rumpelstiltskin was nothing more than a wiry, thin thing of a man whom Maurice firmly believed he'd have no problem throwing to the ground.
When he found no sign of his daughter or the beast in his shop, he knew the next place to look was the beast's large house near the edge of town. He stormed outside and got into his car, practically speeding down the streets towards Gold's house. He would get his daughter back. He would get her back and show her that this infatuation she had for the beast was nothing more than a dire sickness and he would finally find a way to cure her once and for all.
Author's Note: So yes reviews? I'd love the feedback!