Snow balled her fists together and rested her head on it, shaking as she sat at the round table. She couldn't do it. She couldn't. As much as she knew Regina needed to pay for her evil deeds, for taking away her kingdom and killing gods only knew how many innocent people, Snow couldn't stomach the thought of killing the woman.
"Snow, are you okay?" she heard Charming ask, feeling his hand on her shoulder.
"I can't do it Charming. I just can't. We are no better than she is if we kill her," she whispered, her voice thick with tears. She wasn't meant to be a ruler if she couldn't kill this woman. Maybe she should have listened to Regina before the war started.
"But she needs to pay," he pointed out.
"I know, and we will make her, but I can't kill her Charming. Please," she begged. "Every time I look at her, I still see part of that woman who saved me."
Her husband sighed heavily. "Okay. We don't kill her. What do you want to happen to her instead?" he asked.
"Lock her up in the mines. The dwarves were building a cell there anyway for any prisoners we captured during the war," Snow explained. "It's the only thing I can think of. We can't let her go free… I know that."
Charming nodded slowly, before holding her close. "It'll be okay."
"I know. I know… I also want all prisoners of hers to be brought here. I can't imagine all of them deserve to be there."
Knowing Regina, most of them didn't deserve to be locked up.
"What about her father?" Charming asked as he sent the guards to do as she requested.
"He's welcome to stay here, if he wishes. He's done nothing wrong against me."
Charming nodded slowly. "If that's what you want."
"It is," she whispered, curling into him. "It is."
The guards arrived with Regina's former prisoners a day later, and Snow stared in horror when she saw not those who had killed or injured others, but innocent people. Families, children.
She pardoned them all. They had done nothing wrong. Well, a couple had stolen from Regina, but Snow understood they were starving, they had been desperate. As someone who had also been starving and desperate, she couldn't punish them for trying to survive.
Snow blinked, startled as a young woman was brought in next. She couldn't have been much older than herself.
"What is your name?" she asked, rising off her throne and going to the other woman.
"B-Belle. My name is B-Belle."
Her heart dropped into her stomach. She recognized the name. There was a small kingdom, well, more of a town, really, and her father had been close with its leader – Maurice.
"You're alive?" Snow asked.
"Alive? Of course I'm alive. Why wouldn't I be?"
Snow tilted her head. "Your father. When you didn't return, or contact him… he said you were dead.."
The brunette's eyes filled with tears. "Oh gods… o-oh gods. I have to contact him. I-is everyone okay?"
"Your town? Everyone is fine, Belle…"
Belle let out a sigh of relief. "Good. Good… why did you let me out?"
Snow smiled a little. "The war's over… Regina has lost. I'm taking back my kingdom and freeing her prisoners. None of you – at least so far – deserved to be locked up."
"It's over? You're free?"
Snow nodded. "I'm free, and so are you. You're free to stay here as long as you need to before you head off. I'll get you a carriage to take you where you need to go."
"Thank you Snow," Belle whispered, and Snow chuckled as she was brought in for a hug.
"You're welcome Belle. The nightmare is over. For both of us."
Four days later (and it had taken all the control she had not to scratch it into the wall like she'd been doing in Regina's cell), Belle smiled as she stood in front of the mirror in the room Snow and Charming had given her. She'd gotten more sleep in the last few days than she'd had in two years, and she was so grateful to them for freeing her and allowing her to stay until she felt well enough to travel.
"Snow?" she asked, knocking on the door to Snow's room. "Are you okay?"
Snow had taken ill the day before, and Belle was very concerned for her new friend.
"Oh, Belle…" the queen said, sitting up, "yes, I'm fine. Just perfect actually."
"Are you sure? James said you were ill."
"But in the best way possible."
Belle looked at her, confused. "I'm afraid I don't – " but the woman's eyes grew wide. "Oh… you don't mean you and James are…"
"Expecting a child."
Belle grinned. "Snow! I'm so excited for you!"
"Thank you… Charming and I are so excited we found out when we did… now that Regina's no longer a threat…"
Belle nodded seriously. "It's now safe to bring a child into the world."
Snow smiled. "That's exactly what I thought. Did you need something? You looked like you needed something when you came in."
"Oh. I'm ready to head off… it's time people know I'm alive."
"Of course. Just go down to the stables and tell the driver. They'll take you anywhere you need to go."
Belle smiled and squeezed the other woman's hand. "Thank you Snow. For everything."
"Come and visit sometimes, please?"
Belle smiled and nodded. "Of course Snow." She owed Snow her life. It would be rude to not visit. She didn't care what Rumpelstiltskin said about staying with him forever.
He was bad at forcing her to stay 'forever' anyway.
It didn't take long for her to get on the road, waving to Charming as he passed by the carriage.
The carriage came to an abrupt halt, and Bell frowned, sticking her head out the window.
"Excuse me, but why have we stopped?" she asked.
"This is as far as I dare go, Miss Belle. Rumpelstiltskin does not take kindly to strangers being on his land. I'm sorry," the driver said, looking at her solemnly.
"Oh. That's alright. I can walk," Belle replied, opening the door and stepping out carefully. "Thank you for taking me this far. I do appreciate it. Tell Snow and James I arrived safely."
The driver nodded. "Stay safe, Miss Belle."
She smiled at him as he started making his way back to Snow and James' palace, waving until she saw he was gone.
"I'm coming, Rumpel," she whispered, breaking into a run (thank the gods Snow had sensible shoes as well as beautiful high heels) to the castle.
"Rumpelstiltskin!" she shouted, banging on the door.
The imp appeared quickly, but stumbled back in disbelief.
"You… you can't be here. She said you were dead!"
'She'? Snow White had said her father was the one that said she was dead!
"Who?" she asked, staring at him and taking his arm. "Rumpel, it's me. I promise."
"Regina. She said you killed yourself. She said you jumped off a tower at your father's home."
Oh… that explained why her father thought she was dead, and where Snow heard it from.
"I didn't. She kidnapped me. I was trying to make my way back to you and she locked me away, I swear!" Belle explained. "Snow White freed me when she took down Regina!"
He put his hands on her cheeks. "She locked you up? For two years?!"
"Yes, but Rumpel. Snow locked her away. She's getting her punishment," Belle told him, pleading with him not to do anything stupid.
He looked furious, which Belle understood, but she kept up her pleading look. "Please. For me? I promise, I am absolutely fine. Snow White has given Regina a proper punishment. She now feels what I felt." Well, possibly worse, because according to Grumpy (she'd been thrilled to see him again!), Regina was locked in an underground cell, in the mines where he and the rest of the dwarfs worked. Belle, hadn't been in those types of conditions.
"Belle… I… I'll try. For you. I promise."
She smiled, tempted to kiss him, but didn't want to make the first move until he was comfortable with it. Breaking a curse was a big deal after all.
But even with the lack of a kiss, she could tell he'd changed. Because he was willing to try.
"So, what is the plan then?"
"Plan? I don't know what you mean, dearie," the imp replied, but Belle could see a mischievous grin forming.
"You're always working on something," Belle told him, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "So what's cooking in that mind of yours?"
"Something very precious to me."
Belle should have known. He was always obsessed with 'his things'.
"So, what is it?" she asked curiously. "A Looking Glass? A…talking wardrobe?"
"No no, dearie. Something far more precious than that," he said as they made their way inside the Dark Castle.
"Are you going to tell me?"
He let out that little giggle that had captured her heart the first time she heard it. "No."
Belle simply smiled and shook her head.
She knew one day, she would find out.