Locked and Alone: Chapter 1
The sun was setting down over Storybrooke as Rumple entered his shop through the front door. The sign on the door clattered against the blind on the door when he was pushed it closed. 'Well, today could have gone better', he thought to himself, walking through the shop into the back of it. The day's events deeply troubled him. He opened a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of a scotch and a glass, before dropping into the chair behind his workbench.
As he poured himself a drink, Rumple pulled at his tie and threw it off to one side. The brown liquid went down soothe and he relished the burning sensation as he swallowed the contents of the glass whole. He placed the glass onto the table and perched his arm on the table, cradling his forehead in his hand.
"What did you do that for?", Rumple asked himself out load. He snatched the bottle up from the table and poured himself another drink, which he quickly devoured. His day had started with a plan. A plan where he was going to save his unborn son. A plan where Belle and he could go back to how it was. A plan for a future together. Then he broke it... again.
Rumple unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt and pulled the collars apart to allow himself to breathe more easily, as he leaned back into his chair. He ruined it. He was too consumed by getting control... getting power, that he thought he could manipulate everyone to his will. Except he didn't think things through. He didn't see all the possibilities.
He rubbed his hands through his short greying hair, slightly pulling on it between his fingers, as he cursed the Evil Queen for sabotaging his plan. And cursed himself for getting involved with her.
Truly, there was no one else to blame but himself. If he had not come up with some mad plan to hurry along Belle's pregnancy, then the Evil Queen would not have been able to do what she did to him. Did to Belle and him. The Evil Queen had pushed Belle into making a decision that Rumple will have to live with for the rest of his life.
Living with regret seemed to be Rumple's thing.
Rumple was disturbed from his musings by his phone chirping in his pocket. Glancing towards the grandfather clock, he pulled a face at the late hour and retrieve his phone from pocket. On the small screen, it read 'Belle'. His head dropped as he tossed the phone onto the table and reached for the bottle to pour another drink.
Any other time... Yes, he would have jumped at the chance to answer the phone to her. But too much had happened. Like they had said at the wishing well, they need to work together to get this sorted and to help Gideon. But she was not interested in 'them' anymore. He can't mend it anymore. She can't love him after this. Never love him anymore.
Rumple drew the glass to his lips, his eyes watching the phone buzzed on top of the workbench, dancing across the smooth oak workbench. It stopped after a couple of seconds. He closed his eyes. Then tossed the scotch into his mouth. He knew no matter how much he drank, it was not going to lessen the regret, the heartache, he was feeling. He'd gone too far. He knew that. And he had pushed her too far. Too far away from him that he could not reach her.
The phone called to him again. He glared at it. It taunted him. Belle's name kept flashing on and off on the screen. His head shook from side to side, but with a heavy sigh he gave in and snatched the phone up to answer it.
"Belle." He stated. Whether it was a telling off or some heartfelt plea with him, he wanted it to be over quickly.
A hesitant voice said, "Rum...ple."
Rumple's eyebrows knitted together at hearing her voice, her quiet little voice. His strong Belle seemed to be wavering and there nothing he could do to help her. "What's the matter, Belle? Are you okay?"
"I'm scared for him, Rumple. What have I done?" Belle said, her voice quivering. He was taken aback, drawing a sharp breath. He'd never heard her like this before. She wasn't her normal confidant self.
Yes, she had been cursing herself for wishing at the wishing well, but it seemed in the hour or so they had spent apart, she had given into the darkness that had always been encircling them.
"It's not your fault, Belle." He said sincerely. "This is all my doing. Don't worry, please, I will find a way to fix this and I'll make the Black Fairy… My mother, pay for this!"
There was silence for a moment. His brow furrowed. 'Belle', he thought to himself before closing his eyes in disbelief. He knew she was hurting. Yes, they had agreed to work together to help their son but she had also made it clear there was no going back. Her fiery spirit had ignited when he had suggested they go home together, so she had shouted at him. But when doesn't she shout at him? And where was he? Selfishly sitting in his shop drinking his woes away and feeling sorry for himself, because she had rebuke his invitation.
"Belle?" His voice was quiet. "Do you want me to come to you?"
"No, Rumple. No." Her voice was stern with her fiery passion.
"What do you want me to do, Belle?" He begged. Rumple never begged anyone... But her.
"I don't know. I don't know why I called you to be honest." She told him, but he knew she was crying. He could hear it, feel it.
He started to stand. "Sweetheart, where are you? I'll come to you and we can talk."
"Rumple, no." Belle insisted. Rumple stopped mid step as he was coming about the workbench. If he did not hear the faint whisper of his dagger in the safe, he would have thought she had it in her hand at that precise moment.
The thoughts he had been mulling over earlier came back to haunt him. He must have finally lost her. His one true love had given up on him. There was nothing in her voice that gave him hope she wanted him. He had killed it… Like so many other things in the past. All the light in his life was slowly dwindling away.
"Ok..." He mumbled down the phone to her. His gaze dropped to the floor, as the phone fell from his ear. Rumple closed the phone and tossed it back onto the workbench behind him.