Shattered

by TwilightChild999

Rumpelstiltskin has a vision of his son's death two years before the dark curse is cast. Determined to change their path, he changes the nature of some of his deals, starting with his deal with Belle. But the dark curse feeds off his knowledge and throws a wrench in his plans. It incorporates his vision into their cursed reality to convince him that his son is already dead.

1. Prologue

This prologue is obscenely short, but the rest of the chapters are longer. I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of its characters.

#

"I need this birth to undo a curse," the Dark One said. "There's no one I'd love more completely than a child."

"You…you're certain of that. To use a child—"

Rumpelstiltskin's reptilian eyes hardened. "I'm certain because I've had one."

Belle's mouth fell open. It took a dozen rapid blinks before she snapped her jaw shut. Finally: "Had…you say you—"

The scorching pain he shuttered behind a mask of blankness with a hint of sneer made her heart clench until it wrung a film of tears from her.

"You understand your duties?" He ground out.

She nodded.

"You will not be required to sleep with me."

She blinked again. "Then how would—"

"Magic, dearie," he grinned and wiggled his fingers.

Belle swallowed a sudden burst of disappointment. "Why can't we do it the old-fashioned way?"

The shock of silence that followed made a blush burn its way up from her chest to her scalp.

"…what?" His voice was as bewildered as her stuttering heart.