Redemption (a Rumbelle story)
Chapter One

Neverland

The magical music and feverish dancing filled the air on one side of the island. On the other side the night was deathly still. A solitary man stood in the moonlight, his face streaked with black marks and his heart blackened as well. His many horrible deeds hadn't turned it to coal, but the words of his son had.

Rumplestiltskin had no trouble admitting his own faults, at least to himself, and he had been truthful when telling Baelfire that he considered disposing of Henry to avoid the prophecy. Long ago, a seer had told him a boy would be his undoing, and that boy turned out to be his grandson Henry. Equally as true however, was his more recent decision to save the boy even at the cost of his own life. Nothing less would remove the burden of guilt he'd carried for ages since backing out of the deal with his son. He had watched Baelfire fall through a portal and out of his life, instead of going through it with him to a land without magic. But now, Bae's mind had been set against him the moment Pan devilishly planted the seed of doubt. Rumple knew Bae had many, many reasons to question his motives and intentions but had hoped his presence in Neverland would be proof his cause was a noble one.

There hadn't even been ample time to digest that his son was alive and standing before him. Soon after they returned to Storybrooke following their reunion in Manhattan, Rumple had been told Bae had been shot and fallen through another portal. He thought he lost his son for the second time, and this time forever.

But there Bae was standing before him in the Neverland forest. After determining he wasn't a vision, or a trick conjured up by Pan, father and son devised a plan to save Henry. But it took only a few words from a squid ink-incapacitated Pan, and Bae turned against his father and pressed a leaf coated in the same substance into Rumple's palm. As the immobilizing effect overtook his body, Rumple realized his son thought as little of him as everyone else; everyone save Belle. His heart clenched at the thought of her. Was she all right back in Storybrooke? How long would she mourn him before moving on with another man? Could he resist the urge to save himself and return to her? Now, the effects of the ink had subsided but Rumple remained still. He had some very tough decisions to make.

Storybrooke

Belle lingered for a long while before answering the door bell which had been ringing incessantly for ten minutes. It was hard to get up and tear herself from Rumple's bed. She took occupation of his house the day he left on the Jolly Roger. She doubted he would mind; would he even ever know? She buried her face into his pillow and inhaled his scent. They'd had such a short time to rediscover each other before being separated yet again. Those few days and nights were heavenly. He made love to her with a fierce sweetness only a man as contradictory as Rumple could. He was the most intense and frightening, yet tender and loving a man she could ever imagine. And now she had to face the prospect of going on without him. If he was successful in his quest, Henry would be saved and Baelfire's life would be honored. But Rumple would most likely die in the process and never return home.

When she finally answered the door her friend Ruby gave her a look of exasperation. "I'm trying to not be angry with you, Belle," she said, entering the house before being asked in. "Angry with me, why?" Belle asked, feeling it was she who should be angry for being dragged out of the bed and away from her memories. "You didn't tell anyone where you were going to be," Ruby chided. "After you enacted the cloaking spell to protect the town we thought you went back to Gold's shop."

"I came here instead," Belle replied, leading her friend into the living room where they both took seats. "I needed to be where he lived." Ruby nodded, "Let me guess, you were upstairs in his bed…" Belle blushed slightly. "That's right."

"Hey, I don't blame you," Ruby informed her. "I mean, I'm not sure I'll ever understand why you love that man, but it's clear you do really love him. And now he's gone away and…"

"And might not come back," Belle stated the hard truth out loud.

"That must make you angry."

Belle shook her head. "Not angry," she replied honestly. "But very sad. I understand how he feels about his son, and that this is the only way to honor his memory and make things right. But how do I move on without him?" A tear fell on her cheek as Ruby gave her a helpless smile and no answer.