A/N: There are descriptions of whipping here, but they aren't that very bad I think; I tried to make it as much not-gore as possible. But, if it's not your thing, you can safely skip through those parts, it's not pivotal to read them. (Just bear in mind that just at the moment when the second whipping scene ends [in Ch3], there's an important dialogue there).
Despite the whipping and overall grim position they're in, there is some fluff and sweetness here. And with their love giving them motivation, their situation is more hopeful than it could first seem. I'm not saying more. :)

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Beta: the most wonderful NicoleMuenchSeidel

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Orange glow of the afternoon sun came through the bars, softly illuminating the murky dungeon. The light was faint, but bright enough to see clearly around. If someone was to be there, they would be able to make out the figure of a man that stood in the middle of the room, held up by the hefty chains. A prisoner. His arms were brought above his head by a metal chain, the wrists clasped tightly into a heavy shackles. His silhouette was hung over, the knees bent slightly, too tired to support the weight anymore, but forced to do just that; another pair of shackles fastened around the ankles made sure that man won't be able to move his legs an inch. His greenish-grey skin reflected rays of the shining sun, the beads of sweat glistening in the light. He was stripped down, clad only in a pair of old cotton pants, the only other thing clothing his body being a cuff made of dark leather, enclosing his wrist just below the right shackle. There were a goosebumps forming on his skin from the coldness of the dungeon, and a shiver run through man's body every now and then. The muscles of his arms and legs, pained after hours of being strained, twitched occasionally. The man long since has given up attempts to try to bring some relief for his limbs, every movement only causing more pain to the tensed muscles.

He was too tired to do anything than just breathe, and even that activity was coming with an effort. His head hung low, brown curly hair falling over his face, greasy and tangled from days of not taking care of it. His chin rested against his chest, as he was taking shallow breaths, trying to ignore the pain shooting through his strained muscles. With his eyes closed, he may have appeared to be sleeping, but even a simple rest was impossible for his aching body.

Though his face looked impassive, his mind was ridden with erratic thoughts; images of blue sparkling eyes and the sweetest of smiles, the image of plush lips approaching closer and closer to his…, image of tears and face stricken with heartbreak, image of a different face saying, "She died. She threw herself from the tower", the feeling of anger and despair at looking and not finding, the image of the same cruel face but throwing a blue liquid at him, the terrifying feeling of not being able to move, the echo of the dark laughter and the horrible words that followed, "I didn't lie, she truly is dead, as dead as one can be, and it's all because of you. And you will never be able to get her back; dead is dead, remember?" Heart squeezing painfully in a mixture of anguish, guilt and despair. Feeling of being dragged, the sight of bars, and then another bars and darkness and cold and the stench of mildew. Then fear; the unfading dread combined with the piercing emptiness, coming out right from the heart and spreading all within him, squeezing his insides and making him want to vomit.

He fought back tears, his body jerking for a second when he shook with the vivid nightmares. They invaded him day after day, but how many days exactly, he was not sure. He kept a count, but since he he's been put into the chains a few days back, his tired brain lost all coherent thought, and so all have blended into an one long day; full of hunting memories and heart-clenching sadness.

She was dead, she was forever gone… And he was imprisoned; trapped and not able to escape…

Suddenly the door opened with a loud screech and his head jerked up. He squinted his eyes at the woman that appeared in the doorway; she was clad in a stiff royal dress, as black as her heart, her dark hair combed high and a strong makeup underlining the cruel features of her face. Regina… Oh how he would like to kill her for all she has done; rip her heart out and crush it, make her pay…

The feeling of anger rose inside him, as he watched The Evil Queen step inside and look at him with a spark in her eye, a dark amusement surrounding her person. He prepared himself, stilling against the chains and clenching his jaw, ready to endure her another cruel mocking. She would laugh at him, threaten him, try to provoke him and laugh even more at his inability to move against the shackles, and eventually she would leave, just to come by the next day. He knew what she wanted from him, but he wasn't about to give it to her. He could endure this humiliation, until she would finally get bored and let him out, or would find another way to get from him what she wanted, and what he wasn't willing to give her.

He glared at her figure, ready to cast at her a dark joke, the attempt at humor the only thing that was left for him to do at the vile situation he was in. But just as he was opening his mouth, two guards followed Regina into the room, dragging a young woman with them; a woman yelling and kicking and trying to jerk herself away from their forceful arms; a woman with a voice of the most original accent, the one that was so familiar to him, and his heart made a silly hopeful loop upon hearing it now. But it couldn't be… It couldn't. She was dead. She was dead…

Men threw the woman inside, and she fell on her knees, the air escaping her lungs in a whimper. Then the door closed behind the leaving guards, and he focused his eyes at the woman on the ground, trying to make out her features, but her face was obscured from the view by the mess of chestnut curls. Apprehensively he watched Regina approach the woman and yank her upwards by pulling at her hair, the young woman crying out in pain.

And then he could see. It was her. Truly her.

Rumplestiltskin felt his heart stop in his chest, a flicker of hope building in him and a warm feeling spreading thorough him, the joy and relief upon seeing her alive overshadowing the current grim reality.

"Belle…" His voice cracked at that one word, and she looked up at him with big blue disbelieving eyes.

"Rumple!"

Regina's gleeful laugh could be heard in that moment, and the joy and relief escaped Rumplestiltskin as fast as they came, leaving him furious as he realized the truth.

"You lied to me!" He glared at Regina and jerked against the chains, cursing inwardly at the damned shackles that prevented him from going to Regina and snapping her neck.

"You… you vile witch! You told me she died! You… You told me…" His voice cracked, and he wasn't able to finish, having to swallow the sudden lump in his throat and blink back the tears that threatened to spill.

"Oh, of course I told you that, imp. Were you really thinking I was being sincere?" She laughed again, pushing Belle and he reflexively wanted to reach for her, to catch her. But he couldn't, and he watched with a heavy heart as she fell to the ground again, crying out in pain when her hands scratched against the hard ground and the uneven surface wounded her delicate skin.

The grim realization hit him, when he recalled the last months. Belle leaving the castle, Regina coming to him to tell him Belle had killed herself, his denial and desperate searching for any trace of Belle only to finally find not her but Regina. He was sure then that she had lied, but she ensured him she didn't, that Belle truly was dead. He didn't want to believe it, but as he sat lonely in the dark dungeon cell, alone with his thoughts, he finally gave up hope and believed in Regina's words… But now he understood. Belle was alive and fine all this time, Regina having to sabotage his efforts, until finally, just like an idiot, he fell into her trap. She told him this lie to shake him, to make him so desperate upon losing Belle, that in his searches he would become careless enough to walk right into Regina's snares. She thought he would be so weak, so desperate, that he wouldn't care anymore and just give her what she wanted. But he was stronger than she had thought, and now, when he finally knew the whole truth, she was going to pay for everything; for tricking him, for imprisoning him, for kidnapping his darling Belle. Just as soon as he is free…

"What do you want?" He spat out, tearing his eyes away from Belle and focusing his angry glare at Regina. He tried to appear threatening, didn't want to reveal any more weakness to her. It was pointless surely, she had to already know what Belle meant to him, otherwise she wouldn't have kidnapped her, or used her to trick him in the first place.

"You know exactly what I want, Rumplestiltskin." Her voice became serious now, the laugh dying, as she looked upon him with a cold stare. He responded with the same expression.

"And you know I won't give it to you, dearie. Why did you bring Belle here? She has nothing do to with any of this."

"Ah, see… here's where you are wrong. I have to say, I underestimated you. You have proved to have more resolve than I have anticipated, but my patience is already wearing thin. In a few days at most, you won't be so stubborn anymore." He looked at her in confusion, wondering what she could possibly have in mind. Would she threaten to kill Belle if he didn't give her what she wanted? Would she resolve to hurting her, unless he gives in? She could surely do that, and suddenly a blood-freezing fear surged through him.

But as he looked back at Regina's face, it became clear she had different plans. She waved a hand in the air, and after the crimson smoke has cleared, with a downing dread he noticed a long whip in her hand. Somewhere beside him he heard Belle's gasp, but his eyes were fixed at the thing in Regina's hands. He tried to keep his face impassive, to not let any emotion show there, but inside he was boiling. Was she going to use it to torture Belle? His darling, delicate Belle? He wouldn't have thought twice about giving Regina what she had wanted, even if it meant sacrificing his own soul. Belle's safety was the only thing that mattered to him right now.

But Regina surprised him once more, as she threw the whip at Belle, the girl barely catching it. He narrowed his eyes in confusion and as he looked over at Belle, she wore the matching expression. They both heard Regina's evil cackle as she moved closer to them.

"You see, Rumple. I could simply kill her, or torture her in front of you. I could send my guard to have fun with her, while you watch. But… I think I would enjoy more watching you being hurt, you paying for all the little tricks you pulled with me, trying to dissuade me from my quest of revenge." Her eyes were furious as she looked at him, and he felt a cold shiver run through his back. His heart beat like crazy, and his breath became shallow. This was not Regina he used to know. There was nothing in her of the kind woman he had first met all those years ago, a woman so afraid that she would end up in her mother's shoes. She had ended up much worse, it seemed.

She shoved Belle behind his back, and she herself retreated to the door, leaning against it and crossing her arms under her chest. He raced his mind for words, for something to say to try to dissuade Regina from doing it.

"Regina, please… You don't have to do it. You don't have to be so evil… You were once a good person, with a good heart."

"Shut up! You made me into this! It's all your work, and now you will see the seeds of it!" She yelled at him and then turned to Belle.

"Go on, hit him!" But Belle just stood there, hesitating and shaking in fear. Regina glowered at her, leaning forward as if she wanted to approach her.

"Do it, or I will take care of it myself, and believe me dear, it's gonna be much more unpleasant for him if I am going to do it." She hissed through the clenched teeth, and Belle gulped. She knew the Queen wasn't joking. There was no room to maneuver, no way to win. She had to do as the Queen commanded.

With a shaking hand she raised the whip and, holding up her breath, she made the first swing. Rumplestiltskin clenched his teeth to not make a sound as the first strike came.

Tears run down Belle's cheeks as she did another swing, and another. Her heart was breaking upon hurting her Rumple like that, and she tried to keep the strikes as light as possible, and to not hit the same place twice. But it only displeased Regina and she made few angry steps towards Belle.

"It seems I have to show you how to use it, after all!" Belle's eyes grew large, and Rumplestiltskin, quite immobile thus far, stirred and looked fearfully at the approaching Queen.

"No! Please…" Belle moved backwards, clutching the whip to her chest, and Regina stopped, glaring at her with her dark eyes.

"Then start hitting him, instead of patting!"

As Regina retreated back to the door, Belle took a deep breath, and tried to calm her shaking hands and racing heart.

Just days ago she was saying goodbye to Princess Aurora, Prince Phillip and a female warrior Mulan that accompanied them. Just days ago she stood on a hill, looking in the direction when she knew miles away lied the Dark Castle, and was saying into the air the promise for Rumple that she is coming back. And now she was here; kidnapped by the Evil Queen, locked in a dungeon with Rumplestiltskin, and forced to whip him. Her mind could barely wrap itself around it, and she had no time to think over the situation, of how Rumple came to be here and why couldn't he escape.

Hearing Regina's impatient reminder, she braced herself and took a swing. She hit harder this time, and Rumplestiltskin stirred, reflexively trying to run away from the heavy blow. Belle heard Regina cackle gleefully, and tears run down her face in a stream. She took another hard swing, and another, feeling within herself Rumple's pain; it pierced through her heart, squeezed her lungs and pulled at her stomach. She felt like she could throw up at any moment.

Rumplestiltskin still kept his jaws clenched and was determined to not give Regina the satisfaction of hearing him cry out. The pain was horrible, but his face stayed impassive, and he tried to bring up in his mind all the distracting thoughts he could think of, but with each strike they were fleeing his mind, and with each minute it was harder and harder for him to keep up the resolve. His skin stung where it came into contact with the whip, his tongue most likely bled from his biting down at it, his body shook from the pain, and he was so incredibly tired. He wished all this was just a nightmare, and he would open his eyes, just to see Belle's concerned face, her soft hand stroking his own and forcing him to drink down a cup of water; it had happened several times at the Dark Castle, when he attempted to sleep, only to be invaded by horrible nightmares and wake up with a scream. Waking up to Belle's lovely face wasn't that bad, and if he was being honest with himself; it was mostly the reason why he even attempted to sleep at all. He hated the fact that all this right now wasn't just another of his horrible dreams. He hated that he let himself fall into a trap. He hated that Regina dragged Belle into it. He hated himself for being a weak naïve idiot. He hated Regina for being such a cruel cold-hearted bitch. He hated all this.

With a heavy heart Belle took another swing, her arm hurting from all the exertion. The whip landed over a previous bleeding cut with a loud whizz, and Rumple cried out, not able to keep quiet anymore. Sobbing, Belle looked pleadingly at Regina, but woman just laughed and motioned for her to continue.

Moments following were a fuzzy for Rumplestiltskin. As if through the fog he heard Belle's ugly sobs, intertwined with the swish of the whip, and his cries of pain. He didn't know how much time had passed, his body convulsing in pain and heart beating franticly. He let the tears fell down his face freely, not caring anymore to keep up any remaining dignity.

Suddenly he heard footsteps, and the next thing he knew, a cool fingers wrapped around his chin and were raising it up, until he looked up into the Queen's cold black eyes. He tried to gather his resolve and glare at her, forcing the tears to not fall anymore and clenching his jaw to not cringe at the next strike. But it was lighter than the previous ones and then it stopped. Regina tore her eyes from him and glared at Belle.

"Did I tell you to stop?"

"N.. no…" Belle's voice was quivering when she answered, and his heart clenched for her. He could endure the torture, but she shouldn't have been here, she shouldn't have been forced to do it. He wanted to say something to Regina, to threaten her, but then a strike came and another one, and Regina smirked at him, seeing his resolve melting. Finally he gave up, letting his tears run again and casting his eyes down, hanging his head in defeat. Regina cackled gleefully upon seeing that, and waved an arm at Belle, telling her to stop.

"Now, now… That's the Dark One I enjoy watching." She lightly slapped his cheek in amusement, all the while laughing with a cruel mirth. He was too weak to even attempt to glare at her anymore, and could just hope she would leave soon. Her self-indulgent glee didn't last long fortunately, and after some more mocking, she walked over to the door. She stopped at the entrance and turned back to them, and as she waved her hand in the air, the magic opened the shackles and Rumplestiltskin fell down on the ground with a grunt, his limbs a numb mess.

"I will be back tomorrow, imp. I'm sure you gonna love what's to come." She laughed once more and turned around, leaving the cell and locking it with her magic, her dark laughter still audible for another long moment, becoming quieter and quieter, until it finally dissipated completely.

Belle dropped the whip at the floor, finally able to move, now when the Queen has left. She run to Rumplestiltskin, kneeling down next to him and cradling his head into her hands, mindful to not touch his wounded back.

"Rumple… Oh, Rumple… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" She wasn't able to keep her sobs inside, and she dissolved into a crying mess. He was weak, and bleeding, the wounds at his bare back angrily red and contrasting with his greenish skin, obviously being very painful, and it was all her doing. She had caused him all this pain, and she hated it, but she could do nothing to stop it. Her heart clenched painfully in her chest, taking away her breath, and she hiccuped, taking shallow breaths as she tried to catch the air. There were arms suddenly around her, a face nuzzling her hair, a firm body pressing against her.

"Shh, Belle… Don't cry. It's not your fault, it's not."

He tried to comfort her, while it should be her comforting him, and it only made her cry more. She felt his hands run lightly over her back, stroking into a slow calming circles. Belle put her hands around his neck, somewhere he wasn't hurt, and snuggled closer to him, resting her head against his heart. His heartbeat was fast, but it felt comforting at the same time. Despite the low temperature in the dungeon his body was warm, and she slid one hand down to his bare chest, feeling it wet from the sweat. Absentmindedly she moved her hand lower, running her fingers up and down his stomach, and she felt him stilling and holding up his breath. After a moment he relaxed again, and resumed whispering comforting words. Belle couldn't make them out through his stifled voice, but it didn't matter. Hearing his peculiar voice, feeling his hand gently but firmly stroking her back, feeling the heat of his body seep into her, feeling his chest raise and fall in the rhythm of his gradually slowing heartbeat, it was all calming and comforting, and eventually Belle found herself able to breathe more freely, as her tears dried off and the hiccups dissipated.

She placed a soft kiss right over his heart, before moving away a bit, just enough to look up into his face. It was covered in dust and there were light paths on his cheeks - the traces of his dried tears, and she imagined her own face looked quite alike. But though he was in pain, he looked at her with such gentleness and affection, that it melted her heart. He didn't seem able to let go of her, and his hands stayed at her sides, not letting her move any farther away. With disbelief shining through his overlarge amber eyes, he slowly touched her shoulders, her cheeks, her neck, and she let him. She herself couldn't quite keep her hands to herself, and settled them at his shoulders, idly digging her fingers in and massaging his tensed muscles.

"How did you get here, Rumple?" It pained her to talk, to break the suspended moment, this babble, wherein for a moment, they weren't in the Queen's horrible dungeon, but someplace else, where it was just him and her, and their sweet longing touches.

"It's a long story Belle." He sighed, moving forward to rest his forehead against hers. Before, he would have never dared to do any of those things; he has always tried to keep his distance from her, to not let her penetrate the barrier he put around his heart. But right now he didn't care about any of it; he was hurting and scared and lonely. He needed her more than ever, and it seemed that she too needed this closeness just as much as he did.

"She told me you're dead. I thought she lied, I went to look, to see for myself. I was careless, and I fell right into her trap…" His voice was a broken whisper as he told her that, and Belle had to try hard to not start crying again. The anger boiled in her; how that witch could do that to him? She should pay for it! She should pay…

Belle sighed, clearing her head from the dark thoughts, and buried her hands in Rumplestiltskin's hair. She has always imagined it to be a soft floof, but right now it was greasy and tangled. She didn't mind that though, and stroked her hands through it, scratching his scalp slowly, hoping he would like it. If his pleased little sigh was any indication, he did like it indeed.

"Belle… How did she capture you?" He asked in a hushed voice, moving away from her slightly, and she instantly missed the warmth of his breath against her face, even if it was rather unpleasant from days of not cleaning his teeth.

"She suddenly appeared in the woods, when I was on my way back to you. She had several soldiers with her and they grabbed me…" She gulped, remembering the horrific moment; the painful grasp of the men that hold her, being pushed into the cage, and the Evil Queen laughing at her pitiful screams…

"You… You were coming back to me?" He looked at her with big disbelieving eyes, and Belle smiled, the images of her capture dissipating from her mind in an instant.

"Of course I was, Rumple. I had enough time to think, and I realized… I didn't want to give up on you." She told him sincerely, feeling tears gather at her eyes, and she quickly wiped them away. His face stayed baffled for a moment, but then she saw something new blossoming there.

"Oh, Belle… You shouldn't have looked back, I don't deserve it." With his eyes cast down he looked so sad and small, and Belle's heart broke a little upon seeing him like this. She gently grasped his cheek in her hand and prompted him to raise his head, and when their eyes finally met, she gave him her warmest smile.

"I will never give up on you, Rumple. Just accept it." She flicked her finger across his nose playfully, and for a second got lost in his intense gaze, as the sadness dissipated from his eyes, to get replaced by a spark of hope, and a smile started stretching his lips before he could even think about wrestling it down.

"But, it's not a place for this conversation. We should talk when we come back home, safely."

He nodded in agreement, and for a moment they just looked at each other, before his face slowly fell down again and he sighed hopelessly.

"We will get out of here, Rumple, don't worry." She tried to comfort him, but he shook his head.

"I can't use magic, Belle… See, this cuff-" He rose his right hand and only now she noticed a black leathery cuff put around his wrist. "- It keeps away my magic. And without my magic, we won't be able to get out." He shook his head at her miserably.

"I am not able to take it off myself, but maybe you…"

Without hesitation Belle grabbed his hand into hers and reached for the cuff, but as she pulled, nothing happened. The bracelet was still exactly where it was, and Belle pulled harder, but still to no effect. She heard Rumplestiltskin's resigned sigh and looked up at him in confusion.

"She had to enchant it. You won't be able to take it off… No one will…" He looked tired and completely resigned, his eyes half-closed and his usually high pitched voice now low and hoarse. Belle grabbed his shoulders firmly and shook him, determination painting on her face.

"I won't give up, Rumple! And you can't give up either! We will find a way to get out. There HAS to be a way!" But he was barely hearing her, nodding at her numbly and moving down, until his head rested at her leather-clad lap, and he had barely the presence of mind to wonder why was she wearing pants. He stretched his heavy limbs, and then curled up against her, careful to keep his back away from the dirty ground.

With a sigh Belle lowered her hand to his head, petting him gently.

"I will free you, Rumple, I promise. I won't let this witch torment you any longer, I will find a way. You just have to hold on. You can't give up… You can't… I need you, you hear me? I love you, Rumple…" Few tears escaped her and run slowly down her cheeks as she said those words, but Rumplestiltskin didn't even stir. He was already sound asleep, the exhaustion taking the best of him, and not hearing anything of what she had just said.