The Dark One sighed as he settled into his bunk on the Jolly Roger. He, the Charmings, Emma, that dastardly pirate, and Queenie had only been on the boat for four days and he was already sick of the company.

He wished Belle was there. It was amazing at how heavy a void in his heart could feel- as though it were filled with many small stones as opposed to bottomless darkness. The void that was usually filled with her strength, her laugh, her intelligence, her beauty…was now replaced with a blanketing heaviness that made him physically ache.

Yet…there was a vague possibility he could still see her. Not communicate…but check up on her- make sure she was safe. Carefully, he swung his good leg over the edge of the bunk then eased his bad leg so that he was sitting. After looking around to make sure he was alone in the cabin, he rummaged through his sparse belongings, his fingers touching the cold metal of a very special mirror.

He brought it up, his reflection staring back at him. The Dark One almost cringed at the lines that gave his face a haggard, worn look, the dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep. But that was not the true purpose of this mirror and now was not a time to dwell on appearances.

"Show me…Show me Belle," he said slowly, his voice quiet, hardly daring to hope it would work. For a few seconds, he stared back at his reflection which was becoming more anxious. There was no knowing, truly, if this would actually work. His heart jumped into his throat with excitement as the mirror began to ripple and show his brown-haired, blue-eyed beauty. His breath hitched and he felt a smile grow on his face.

She was in the library, straightening up shelves of books. She really had done a wonder with the place; dust no longer lingered on the shelves and the main room even seemed lighter than he remembered it. She looked well enough- a little paler than he'd seen her and perhaps a bit thinner…but his Belle through and through.

After a few moments of watching her put away and organize hardback books, he was about to put the mirror down (though he could have watched for much longer) and give her some privacy until he saw her turn to greet someone at the door. He grew concerned as she took on a look of surprise. Maurice had just stepped into the library.

"Father…what are you doing here?" the sound came through grainy, as though from an old radio, but it was clear enough for Rumple.

"I…" Maurice walked hesitantly into the library before stopping in front of Belle. "Belle, sweetheart, I wanted to apologize. I hated to take away your memories; I just…didn't know what else to do." To his astonishment, Rumplestilskin found himself empathizing with her father. He seemed so lost, sad, and powerless to the situation. "Can you forgive me?"

Belle bit her bottom lip- an act that Rumple usually found endearing, though now it was due to her holding back tears- and nodded. Maurice gave a sigh of relief and held out his arms which Belle rushed into with a happy sob.

After a minute, the two broke apart.

"Do you still…love him?" Maurice asked cautiously, looking apprehensive as though he were fervently praying she'd changed her mind about the Dark One.

"Yes, Papa," Belle said firmly, grasping her father's hands in her own. "He isn't as dark as he seems. He's kind and caring- and he's been very good to me." Rumplestilskin couldn't help but smile a little, happy and a bit proud that Belle felt herself taken care of despite his absence.

"But look at the things he's done- he's murdered and pillaged… he took you away from me!" Maurice said, anger spilling over into his words like a cup overfilling with tea.

"He's been cursed with a dark power, Papa. And he didn't take me away from you- I chose to go with him to save our people. I chose it just as I chose to love him," Belle's words were stern but gentle. She knew her father wasn't ready to approve her relationship with a man feared worlds over, but she needed him to understand. "There is more to him than darkness- I've seen it. Despite what people say about him and what he's done in the past, he has goodness in his heart."

Maurice shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his eyebrows knitting together as though wondering how best to phrase his next words.

"I've heard people say…you're where he keeps his heart. Now I know it's true," his voice now shook slightly with excitement. "Belle, my girl, you can be the key to the Dark One's destruction!" Rumplestilskin bit back a scathing gasp at these words. The key to the Dark One's destruction, was she?

"Father, what are you talking about?" Belle asked, forcing her words out slowly lest they begin to waver.

"You are not the same daughter who left me so many years ago," Maurice gazed at her sadly. "My girl, I think you're under a curse and you just believe you love him even though it isn't true. That's why the Dark One trusts you with the secret of how to kill him. Don't you see, Belle? If you can break the curse you're under, we can kill Rumplestilskin and be like we were!"

It seemed impossible for Belle's eyes to grow any wider, her expression any more incredulous. "Father, no! I'm not under any curse- I really do love Rumplestilskin! And furthermore," she drew herself up, strengthened by indignation, "I don't know how to kill him- and even if I did, I would never want to!" She took a deep breath, the energy that had given her anger gone. Her shoulders fell and she looked tired, more forlorn than Rumple had seen her before. "Papa…I don't think things can ever go back to the way they were. We don't live in that kind of world anymore."

"I was afraid of that," Maurice's words trembled and he swallowed hard. "Then I'm afraid…that's how it has to be."

"That's how what has to be, Papa?" Belle's voice grew soft, a small bit of fear tingeing her words.

"If you are not the Dark One's destruction, my dear…" Maurice turned, beginning to leave, "then you are mine."

"Wait- Papa! What do you mean?" But just as Belle started to go after her father, there was the sound of the library door closing.

Rumple barely heard the door close as he stared at Belle's shaking frame. Though her lips were pressed together tightly, it did nothing to prevent small drops of water from landing on her cheeks. Rumplestilskin pressed his fingers to her cheek, wishing he could be there for her. She had stuck up for him…and received pain that should have been for him. The little stones that filled the void in his heart grew to boulders and weighed him down.

"Oh Belle," he murmured, moving his fingers across the mirror so that he could have been tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "I'm so sorry, my love." He felt the burn of tears prick his eyes as Belle, unable to take the sadness anymore, sank down to the floor with her face in her hands, and wept.

"I'm here, sweetheart," Rumple said brokenly to the mirror. "Don't cry, love, I'm here. I'm right here."

But he wasn't…not really. Not as much as he needed to be. His Belle was hurting and he couldn't be there for her. What made it worse was that this was his fault. His deal with her had torn her from her father- the only family she had.

"Belle," he whispered, trying to not let tears of his own spill over. "Belle, I'm here."

Belle suddenly lifted her head up, as though shocked.

"Rumple?" she called out hoarsely, tears still staining her cheeks. "Where are you?"

To be continued

A/N: Hey everybody! wingedauthoress here for another Rumbelle fanfiction. This one is dedicated to my cousin Eddy for getting rid of a spider that was just on my bed. Eddy, without you, my sleep would have been replaced with endless bouts of hyperventilation. I will thank you with baked goods in the morrow.

I decided to end the fic this way in case it didn't end up being...that good, haha. If enough people like it, I'll write a second chapter. Heck, if I decide I like it enough, I'll write a second chapter anyway.