He had failed.
Drawing a short breath Rumplestiltskin lowered his gaze to his wife's now empty arms. They were still folded into a loose cradling position, to hold the baby who had been there just seconds earlier.
Before he had come and like that, with a poof of blue smoke and darkness had taken their child away.
"You promised." Belle's voice shook with sobs that racked her entire chest.
"Belle I-" The words fell off of Rumple's mouth. There was nothing he could say to make her feel better, nothing he could promise or a deal he could weave, it was done -done for good.
"You said he wouldn't be able to take her-our baby."
"Belle I'm sorry, I really thought-"
"No-you promised, you promised it would be all right." She attempted to pull herself up to stand but collapsed, too weak from the labour her body had endured for the last thirteen hours. With a sob she fell back into the hospital bed, blue eyes welling with tears. "How could you Rumple? You promised."
A pain overcame his entire body, whether from seeing his wife so broken or for the child they had lost he didn't know.
"Yes and I'll get her back I promise Belle, I promise..." His voice shook with the same coward's tremble he always got when he had failed her. He wasn't the Dark One now, just the same coward who had injured himself on the battlefield.
"No-your promises mean nothing. You told me you had fixed it. Now our daughter is gone, with Hades."
He went to reach for her, but she jerked away like a wounded animal. "No-don't you touch me, not until you fix what you've done. Not until you bring back our daughter."
"Belle I don't know if I can-"
"You will. Or I swear to God Rumplestilkson I will hunt down that dagger of yours and drive it straight through your black heart."
She had never spoken to him like that, despite all his sins. He had really messed up this time, perhaps beyond repair. He hadn't even known their child for five minutes before he had failed her, just like how he had done to Bellfire.
"Belle please." His voice cracked. "Don't do this to me, not now."
"No, you're getting her back Rumple. Then we'll talk."
Get her back, she said it as if it were easy, as if it were possible...
No one could rescue a person from hell, yet Rumple had a feeling he would die trying.
