Notes: I don't own a thing - not the OUAT characters, locations, storylines, dialogue used from the show in the first paragraph… Not the songs used in any of the songfics - nothing! ...and now that we've got the obligatory disclaimer out of the way, I'm just going to go ahead and put this out there. If there's a fic out there with similar themes, dialogue, or whatever, then I'm sorry… I honestly haven't read any OUAT fanfiction (other than the occasional fic that you wouldn't necessarily discuss in polite conversation ^^' #drinkyotea #mindyourbusiness). Also, huge, huge thanks to the folks who transcribed the episodes at - you guys rock the house, and save me a ton of time from having to play scenes back over and over just to make sure I got the dialogue right. You guys are freaking heroes!
Now, sit back and enjoy!
Inspirations: "Back in Time" - Lyn (Moon Embracing the Sun soundtrack), recurring nightmare from HS, and S1E12 - Skin Deep.
The news of Belle's death hit him harder than he anticipated… in the space of a heartbeat, all of the wind was sucked out of the room. Rumpelstiltskin's head spun, and Regina just stood there grinning like the cat that ate the canary. "You're lying." The Dark One poured every ounce of his belief into those words - willing those two words to be true, negating everything he'd just been told. Regina's grin never faltered - she replied, "Am I?" It was more than Rumpelstiltskin was willing to bear in front of company. "We're done." He wanted her gone - this harbinger of doom was, in this moment, the most unwelcome person in the entire Enchanted Forest. Yet it didn't seem to bother Regina one bit, "Fine." She turned on her heels and began walking toward the double doors, calling behind her, "I have other calls to make." He watched as she ran a finger along the tabletop before pulling her hand up to examine her glove, "The place is looking dusty, Rumple. You should get a new girl." Everything in his being screamed at her to get the hell out of his home. Once he heard the doors slam shut, Rumpelstiltskin immediately went over to his armoire to hold the chipped teacup. He held it every day, cherishing it as a touchstone to still his troubled soul, a beacon of hope that symbolized that someone still cared for him… and would possibly return to him in time… Now, all hope was gone. He placed a light kiss on the porcelain of the teacup and walked over to the goblet he had on display. Removing it from its place of honor, Rumpelstiltskin carefully placed the teacup on top of the pedestal.
Blinking away the tears, he conjured himself a new bottle of brandy from his stores in the cellar. He slumped down in his chair and looked over at the teacup. He thought of the hands that had caressed it, thought of her voice, her worried expression as she told him she had chipped it. All too soon, however, the thoughts became too painful to bear. He turned up the bottle and downed half of its contents before lowering it from his lips.
Scourges… he thought to himself, flaying…
Rumpelstiltskin gulped down a few more mouthfuls of brandy. This stuff was disgusting, but it would help him forget… even if only for a little while.
...All to cleanse her soul…
...for being with me.
He screwed his eyes shut, trying to clear the image from his mind - a single tear streaking down his cheek. He took another drink, and blinked himself up to her empty room.
No matter how much he drank, no matter how many spells he cast or potions he concocted… he couldn't get the image out of his mind. Belle, tied up by her wrists, suspended against a wall… the sounds of harsh leather meeting flesh, and the sounds that were ripped from her throat. Sounds he had never heard her make while she was in his care… but ones that were conjured up to torture him all the same. All while men wearing red robes beat her simply for being his maid. The red robes must be to hide the bloodstains, Rumpelstiltskin sneered at the thought. He took another swig from the bottle and walked over to the window. He let the cool night air waft into the room - the air still smelled of roses in Belle's room, as he always made sure she had fresh flowers in her room He breathed the scent in deeply and looked out - every time his eyes closed, his mind continued to torture him with more images…
Belle being unchained and thrown into a cell… Belle's hands and legs shaking as she pulled herself up to stand… Belle looking out of her cell window, her face streaked with tears and filth...
His fingers clenched into fists as his brain continued… Belle closing her eyes as she hurls herself out of the window. He watches as she falls, hand extended up towards him - Belle whispers, "I loved you, Rumple." Rumpelstiltskin wanted nothing more than to rescue her in that moment… to catch her, rather than torture himself with the imagined visual of her broken body on the cobble-stoned courtyard below.
There's nothing I can do about it, he thought, not one damned thing… "I swear, Belle, I will have my revenge on your father for this," he growled, "He should have kept you safe… *I* should have kept you safe…" Roaring with rage, Rumpelstiltskin spun around and hurtled the bottle at the mirror on the wall. Both broke with a satisfying crunch. Staggering half from drink, half from exhaustion, the Dark One stumbled over to the bed and collapsed. He could still smell the scent of her on the pillow - the perfume that she adorned her body with every day… he curled up on Belle's bed, with his arms around her pillow, as if clutching her body close to him.
He began to dream…
"Father! Father, please!" The rattling of her chains nearly drowned out Belle's pleas. Her father had pronounced his decision - Belle had willingly gone with Rumplestiltskin to save them all, and he believed it was her plan all along. Her father declared that his precious daughter had been seduced by the Dark One, thus explaining why she had remained for so long at his castle… explaining why she wished to return to Rumpelstiltskin's castle. In his eyes, Belle was now defiled, having given herself over to that golden imp… and there was only one thing to do to those who had consorted with demons - she had to be cleansed. "You will be cleansed, Belle," her father explained, "These holy men have been charged with the task of driving the darkness out of you. However long it takes for you to return to your senses…" "No!" Belle screamed, struggling against the chains that held her wrists painfully above her head, "Father, don't do this!" "I'm sorry, my darling girl," her father apologized, "it's for your own good. Gentlemen, I leave you to your charge." Belle screamed for her father, begging for him to come back. Her answer came in the form of the thick iron door clanging shut, with her being locked in her cell with her soon-to-be tormentors, and his footsteps retreating down the stairs - to isolate himself from what was to come.
Belle felt the cold steel of a blade flat against her back, then heard the ripping of fabric as the back of her dress was cut open - exposing her back to the clergymen. A thick strip of cloth to be used as a gag was fastened behind her head. Belle began to panic and thrash against the chains. The clergymen began to pray for her soul, for mercy, and set about their work - their sourges, their whips, their cat-o-nine-tails bit into and marred her flesh. The intense pain stole Belle's breath for a brief moment before the screams began. Because of the gag, words were lost to her, and only her guttural screams served as an accompaniment to the beating she received - creating its own sick symphony of agony. "Ru-aaah!" She tried to scream his name despite the gag, "Rump-ahhhhh!" The men paused in their efforts, the lead cleric ordered for her gag to be lowered and speculated, "Perhaps she realizes that it's time to confess her sins…" Silence filled the room. Slowly, Belle took a few shuddering breaths. "Rumpelstiltskin," she whispered, "...R-r-rumpelstiltskin…" Tears and blood streaked their paths down her skin. Belle could hold on no longer… in a final effort, she screamed his name, "RUMPELSTILTSKIN!" Belle succumbed to her injuries and passed out from the pain.
Knowing that it was his Belle summoning him, Rumpelstiltskin appeared in a cloud of purple smoke. The sight of Belle, slumped over - despite being held up by the chains, battered and bloody was enough to make the Dark One see red. The clergymen screamed for others to rush to their aid before charging the golden man with the murderous glint in his eye. Rumpelstiltskin snarled at the men and locked eyes with his first victim. With a fling of his left arm, the cleric was launched out of the window. The screams lasted only a moment and were ignored as he set on the second cleric, stabbing him with his dagger. Gripping the handle, the Dark One twisted the blade before ripping it from the cleric's chest, causing the man to quickly bleed out. Soldiers had now arrived outside of the iron door, and had been fumbling with the keys the to cell. With a flourish of his hand, golden man reduced the men to dust and turned his attention back to the final cleric. This particular one, who appeared to be the one in charge, attempted to strike Rumpelstiltskin with his whip, but found himself being pulled toward the Dark One with his own whip. In the blink of an eye, the cleric was standing toe to toe with Rumpelstiltskin… and was now staring at his heart beating in the glittering goldenhand. The grinning imp mischievously taunted, "Well, would you take a look at that, dearie? Looks like you're the one with the darkness in your heart!" His derisive giggle sent a chill down the cleric's spine, as his attention was drawn to the deeply-blackened heart. "Y'know…" Rumpelstiltskin goaded, "I haven't seen this much darkness in a heart since, well, me! Would you like to come and work for me? You could be my apprentice!" He leaned in and whispered into the cleric's ear, "If you want to see *real* darkness, I believe I can help you with that…" With another sneering giggle, the cleric backed away from the Dark One. "I'm not the evil one here, Dark One," the cleric growled, "you are! I've been tasked by my holy faith to cleanse the world of darkness!" "There's just one thing they always forget to tell you," Rumpelstiltskin jeered, "you're not supposed to enjoy your work!" Smiling, he asked the cleric, "Tell me, something. Did you… enjoy… what you were doing to this poor girl? You can tell me - man to man… From one professional to another, it's okay to admit it." The cleric nodded his head. Rumpelstiltskin's face turned dark, and he growled, "I. Want. To. Hear. You. SAY IT!" The cleric opened his mouth and began to speak, however his response ended in a scream - the Dark One increased his already tight grip on the heart in his hand, and crushing it into ash. The cleric fell to the floor. Rumplestiltskin sneered, "That, dearie, is what happens when you touch my things." He threw the handful of ashes down on the cleric's body and finally turned his attention back toward Belle.
Rumpelstiltskin rushed to her side and immediately checked to see if Belle was still alive. He breathed a sigh of relief to discover that his Belle was still among the living. With a snap of his fingers, Belle's chains disappeared, and Rumpelstiltskin caught her in his waiting arms. As he held her close, they disappeared back to her room at his castle. Gingerly, he peeled the ruined clothing away from her body. Her skin was still a bloody, inflamed mess following the abuse it had withstood. In an instant, a basin appeared next to him. He magicked a clean cloth into his hands and began to wash her wounds. The Dark One inside of him contemplated using magic to cure her wounds, but for once, he wanted to be the man she saw in him and care for her, himself… I'll simply ask her when she wakes up… for now, I can do this small service for her...Carefully, Rumpelstiltskin cleaned her and tended her wounds. As he applied the bandages, he whispered in hushed tones, "It's alright now, dearie. They can't hurt you ever again." Applying the final bandage, he placed a tender kiss on the back of her head. Brushing her hair away from her face, he whispered softly into her ear, "I'm sorry that I wasn't there to protect you, Belle. I swear, that will never happen again."
He carefully laid down on the bed facing her, and began to gently stroke her hair. Rumpelstiltskin briefly recalled a time when he had soothed Bae in a similar way when a bad storm came through. He soon became lost in the sensation of feeling her next to him and barely registered that she'd begun to stir.
"Rumple…?"
"Hn?"
"Rumple?"
"Yes, dearie?"
Belle gasped and called out to him, "Rumple!"
Rumpelstiltskin sat straight up in Belle's bed. Her pillow had had its feathers removed and were scattered around the room Belle was nowhere to be seen… it had all been a dream…
He screamed - it sounded tortured and strangled with tears of grief and rage. He leapt off of the bed and proceeded to destroy all that he could place his hands on - the drapes, the bed linens, the furniture… When the room had finally been reduced to rags and splinters, Rumpelstiltskin slumped against a wall on the far side of the room, and buried his face into his hands, unable to hold back the tears any longer.