Chapter Three.
Rumplestiltskin.
He had no choice but to go and Rumplestiltskin found himself standing on a hill overlooking Storybrooke. His knees gave way almost immediately, not quite ready to support him standing after he'd been knelt down on the hard ground for what looked like the better part of the day. The sky was dark, though it didn't look like they'd quite reached the earliest hours of morning yet. His rescuers gathered around him, and he forced himself to his feet again, ignoring the pain there, and snarled. "If you'd given me a moment more I could have had her close enough to snap her neck and been done will all of this!"
"Well next time we'll make sure your schedule permits a rescue attempt before we pull you out of the crazy woman's clutches," Regina quipped irritably.
"Rumple?"
The anger eased, if only a bit, at the sound of Belle's voice. It had been she who called to him and in her hand was his dagger. She held it so carefully, as if she wasn't quite sure what to do with it, but she'd summoned him well enough. Their eyes locked and she inched forward, the hesitation in her steps a harsh reminder of the last time he'd seen her, and worse, the time before that. She reached a hand out for him, just as she had in the cellar, and this time he was quicker to take it, meeting her in the middle and her arms were around his neck instantly.
He could feel tears through his tattered shirt and he returned the embrace, pulling her off her feet and holding her close. His rage rolled off of him, dissipating if only for a while and in that moment they were the only ones alive. Certainly the only ones that mattered. Every pain, every anguish that he'd felt tried to well up within him and he crushed it. Not here. Not in front of the rest of them. He could wait - he had to wait - until they were actually alone.
Belle didn't seem to want to let go, but she finally allowed him to set her back down to the hill on which they stood and she tried to smile through her tears as she pressed his dagger into his hands. "I believe this belongs to you."
Rumplestiltskin stared at her for a long moment before his fingers tightened around the hilt for the first time since he'd thrown it away to save Bae. "Thank you," he managed, voice cracking with emotion and he finally turned his dark eyes to those waiting. "Thank you."
Regina smirked. "Not something you hear every day."
Rumple cleared his throat. "Don't get used to it." His eyes flickered to Robin and recognition set in. "The thief."
"You two know each other?" Regina asked.
The outlaw gave a shrug. "Oh, I tried to steal from him, he tried to skin me alive, I did steal from him… he let me go."
"And you paid your debt to my son," Rumple answered, voice tight again.
Robin nodded solemnly. "My… condolences."
"Listen, standing out here may not be the best idea," Emma pointed out. "We pissed her off, but we didn't kill her. Let's get down, regroup, and we'll decide what to do in the morning." She motioned to the dagger. "You good with that thing?"
"Yes."
She nodded slowly, accepting it before she started down towards the town. Regina and Robin followed closely after and Charming paused behind them. "Rumplestiltskin…"
"While I appreciate the sentiment, don't," the smaller man cut him off. "Our focus needs to be on taking out Zelena."
Belle's hand caught his and he squeezed it. Wait. Please.
David pursed his lips, obviously weighing the idea of pushing the subject and deciding against it. Rumple watched as he slowly made his way after his daughter and the others.
"Rumple…"
"I need to go to my shop," he answered, voice still shaky. "There are things I'll need there to get everything started."
Her hand rested against the side of his face and he couldn't help but lean into the touch. "What you need is rest," she said softly and for just a moment arguing with her seemed futile. Her thumb ran across his sharp cheekbone gently, lulling him, but then he jerked away from it almost as if the touch burned. He couldn't stop. If he stopped, he would have to give in to the utter exhaustion, and if he did that there was no telling how far down he might spiral.
"No. I can rest later."
"There's no talking you out of this, is there?"
Well, he could always be grateful for how sensible she could be. "No."
"Then do you mind the company? I've… I've missed you."
His breath caught and he took her hand in his, trying to find words that wouldn't spill him over the edge. He needed to be steady. He needed to think. With the dagger in his own possession he was sure he'd find a way to destroy her. Not just kill her, but utterly wipe the realms of her so that she could never hurt another soul in the way she'd hurt Bae.
Belle squeezed his hand and it steadied him. He turned, finding her waiting for his response and he did the only thing that seemed sensible at the moment. Rumplestiltskin, for all his darkness, had let a little light in the day that he had finally admitted to himself just how much he loved her and every kiss they shared kept him from from drowning in it all. She was all he had left to keep him human, now that Bae was gone. "I've missed you too," he whispered when they finally broke. "More than I could ever say."
She smiled a shy little smile that he'd come to love the most from her. It was the one she shared when he opened up to her, when he was able to overcome the many, many years of carefully built walls and general distrust of everyone around him. She was patient with him, his Belle, and he knew he'd test her in the time to come. She would want him to share his demons, share his burdens and perhaps after a while he could, but for now he had a goal he needed to reach. He needed to kill the woman that had killed his son. He needed that more than anything else he could attain.
"Shall we?" he asked, breaking away once more from his murderous thoughts. She nodded and they were gone in a whisp of magic, landing in the lamp-lit street. People mulled around, but only a few and the clock read near to ten at night.
"Belle! You found him!"
They turned to see Ruby jogging up to them and Rumple squeezed her hand and released it. She'd understand, he knew that she would. The sheer emotions he was bottling now were bound to explode at just the wrong time and at someone that was at least mostly innocent. Ruby had never done wrong by him, as far as he could remember and he had no reason to wish to direct his pain at her.
"I'll be in in just a moment."
"Thank you," he said softly and moved across the street and towards the door to the shop. He didn't have a key on him, but that really didn't matter. He hadn't needed a key to get into his little pawn shop in quite some time now.
Rumplestiltskin's hand paused over the knob and he brushed off the feeling that prickled inside of him as exhaustion. Perhaps Belle was right. His senses were dulled and scattered, his magic setting off in strange directions. If he went to bed he might just be spent enough not to dream, or at least not to remember what he dreamt.
It took a moment for him to realize he was on his back nearly to where he'd started, lying on the pavement and looking up at the stars. His ears were ringing badly, but through it he could just make out Belle screaming his name. He shifted, feeling pain spiking through him, but his magic was already taking care of that. Slowly he began to sit up, but Belle's hands were pressing against his shoulders. "I'm fine, sweetheart," he managed, but when his gaze fell on the burning remains of his shop he wasn't quite so confident.
"Rumple? Are you alright?"
"Yes, dear," he assured her through the ringing. "It's alright. I'm alright."
"Damn," Ruby let out a low whistle and held up her phone. "Fire department's on their way. You need an ambulance?"
"No, I shouldn't think so."
"Maybe you should-"
"The last thing I need tonight is to be tossed into Whale's little hospital and poked and prodded at for as long as they try to keep me there. My magic will have me whole by morning, dear. I'm not so easy to kill as all of that."
Sirens sounded in the distance and he cringed. He'd have a headache, and as he made his way unsteadily to his feet and Belle never relinquished her grip, he was sure that wasn't all he was going to have. The entire front of the shop was in shambles, blown away by an explosion that could have only been caused by magic. From the holes in the facade he could see that the back looked mostly untouched, as if it had been directed at him and him alone. The things he'd been after though - potions and a few spell books - were likely decimated by the explosion.
"Zelena?" Belle voiced the thought he'd been trying to push down.
"It has one of her tantrums written all over it," he sighed, feeling every movement he made as he stretched his hand out and the flames subsided, shrinking back into themselves until they were gone entirely. The front of the shop shimmered with a protection spell. "I'll do damage control in the morning. The spell will keep until then without any trouble."
The people of Storybrooke had always been a curious sort and they'd started to poke their heads out with the sirens, but when the lights proved the trucks on the street they were filling in behind them. There was no fire left to put out, but the whole event was sure to be all over Granny's by the next morning. Not that the faceless pawn shop weren't obvious for all to see without the firetrucks having come. There were faces amongst the crowd that Rumple had thought he'd never see again and to have them staring past him at the wreckage was almost surreal. Belle was right. He really did need rest.
"Easy," she coaxed and he realized he'd listed to his left, body screaming in protest of the treatment he'd put it through. Magic worked different here. He had no fear of dying from the wounds, but they most certainly hurt.
"Would she have done the same to your house?"
"Likely so. That was blood magic, though. I should have known as soon as I felt it. I was… distracted."
"Mm. Rest."
"And perhaps a shower," Rumplestiltskin conceded, looking down at the tattered remains of his suit that he'd worn for… He really didn't want to think of how long he'd been in it. He pulled the jacket from his shoulders now and shook it, bits of debris falling to join the rest in the street. Now that he had a better view of himself he saw the places where blood had begun to seep through, the wounds not closed up quick enough to save the shirt - not that there was any saving it to begin with - and there were sections where the magic had caught hold of him, burning its way through the cloth and lighting his skin on fire. Those would take a bit longer to heal and could smart for a couple of days at least. He frowned. Zelena really was quite a child when she didn't get her way.
"Can you undo it? The spell on your house?"
"Of course, given time. I'm afraid I don't have it in me tonight."
"We could go to my old apartment. You know, over the library."
"Would you mind terribly?"
She frowned at him and he thought for a moment that she might pop him on the shoulder for the question. He was very glad she didn't and only wrapped an arm around his waist to steady him. "Of course not. It doesn't have much. All of my things… Well they all went directly to your house when we were brought back."
"You've been staying there?"
"And she's been taking care of your shop," Ruby piped in and Rumple felt a small, albeit real smile tug at his lips.
"I'll never find anything now," he teased softly.
Belle rolled her eyes and she and Ruby shared a look. The werewolf grinned toothily. "I'll make sure no one steals anything, Rumplestiltskin."
"They couldn't get through that protection spell if they wanted to."
"Could have used that half an hour ago."
He snorted, but couldn't find himself to agree out loud. He'd be able to pick up the pieces without too much trouble and most everything could be repaired with just a few spells. He'd smashed his way through the front of that poor little shop, leaving only shattered counters and merchandise in his wake enough times - even just since he'd brought magic into Storybrooke - that he knew how quickly things could be put right.
Belle offered thanks to Ruby for both of them and very slowly they started for the library beneath the clock tower.
Belle hadn't actually been in her old apartment since the new curse had brought them back. There were a few things there, but hardly what she kept at the three story pink house that she and Rumple had so briefly called home together. It was enough, though, as it provided them with a bed and a bath.
She'd busied herself with making sure there were sheets on the bed and picking up at the clutter while Rumple showered. Mostly it was to keep her mind off the worry and the questions. How long had he actually been down there? Had he also been affected by the curse and his memories wiped? What had Zelena done to him?
The water from the shower shut off and she froze, half bent to pick up a stray blouse that the curse had oh-so-kindly dropped at the foot of her bed instead of placing in the closet, or better yet, in the house. She liked that blouse. Very quietly she moved to the closet and put it inside. She could hear Rumple rustling around behind the closed door and her heart ached. She couldn't ask him the questions that were gnawing at her. She couldn't put him through that. He would come to her when he was ready, she reminded herself. As much as he needed to trust her, she needed to not be the one to push him. He needed support, not suffocation.
The stirring at stopped but he didn't exit. Belle waited a moment or two before she couldn't help herself any longer and wrapped her knuckles against the door. "Rumple?" Her chest clenched when he didn't answer and she pushed the door open a crack and steam poured out. "Rumple, are you okay?"
"Yeah," came the strained response from inside.
Belle couldn't bring herself to believe him and pushed it open a little wider. "Are you… sure?" The last word was lost as she found him leaning heavily against the wall, towel around his waist and she breathed out his name. "Rumple, what did she do to you?"
Glamour was what he called it. It was a spell that hid things that talented sorcerers didn't want seen. He must have been using a spell such as that when he'd come to them and in the hours since. He'd let it wash away with the water now and she could see not only the healing injuries from the blast, but also scars from where the witch must have refused to let him heal the wounds she inflicted. The burns and the gashes from the explosion mixed in with lines across his skin, some looking like she'd slammed him against that awful cage when she grew angry and there was one long one that made its way down his ribs that looked to be from a knife. His knife. She didn't even want to imagine what that would do to him. He was skinny now. Oh, he'd always been thin, but it looked like he hadn't eaten a full meal in… Well in quite some time at any rate. From what she knew of his curse it wouldn't have let him starve, but the signs still showed. The signs of torture.
He looked ready to snap at the intrusion, but he must have seen the tears welling in her eyes and reached out to her instead. "I'm alright, dear," he promised as she took his hand. He was trembling with the glamour gone and she wrapped her arms around him, careful to miss the burns and the cuts still healing.
"I shouldn't have left you," she found herself sobbing and tightened her grip.
"What do you mean, sweetheart?"
"Down there, in that terrible place. I shouldn't have left you."
She heard him sigh and he kissed the top of her head. "She'd have had me kill you, Belle. I'd rather die a thousand deaths than to lose you. I couldn't bear…." His voice cracked and he kissed her hair again. "Let me get dressed and we'll get that rest you were so eager for."
Belle wanted to offer him something, but she couldn't quite make her voice work. I'm here for you and It's going to be okay seemed like throw away comments, meant to put a bandaid over a gaping wound in which the person might bleed out from. His son was dead, he'd been held captive by the woman that had killed him, and she couldn't find the words to say to make it better. Perhaps there were none, but she'd always had trouble accepting that.
The bed wasn't nearly as comfortable as the one in the house - though she hardly thought it mattered enough to bring that over with his magic as he had the pyjamas he was wearing - and it was small, but Belle couldn't find it in her to complain about that. Rumple wrapped an arm around her almost instantly and she nestled down so that she fit perfectly against him. She didn't know when she drifted off amidst the scattered thoughts and the raging emotions that threaten to send her spiraling into a full-out cryfest, but she must have because when she woke to his strangled sounds he was curled on his opposite side of the mattress, shaking, and with his arms wrapped around himself. The noise he was making was truly horrible in the fact that it was so not like him. "Rumple," she whispered, fingers touching his arm.
A terrible scream ripping from his throat and his eyes were wild as he leapt from his place on the bed, halfway to his knees on it before he froze. Belle felt panic take hold and she crushed it. "Rumple, it's okay. You're with me. It's okay. She can't hurt you anymore." Her voice was soft but firm and it seemed to calm him some, though he didn't lie back down. He sat there, shaking and trying to breathe, but every few breaths she thought she could hear him muttering. Straining her ears, she finally heard Bae's name tumble from his lips and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders from the side. He leaned into her, breaths finally evening out, but there were tears streaming down his face in the darkness.
"Rumple… If you want to talk about it…"
A haunted sort of look flashed through those dark eyes and he shook his head, voice cracked and full of emotion as he spoke. "No…. No, I don't think I can."
"It might help."
"No, killing Zelena will help."
"Rumple-"
"No," he said more forcefully this time. "I will kill her for everything she's done. She took my boy, Belle. She took Bae. She can't live."
He wasn't asking for her blessing, but her understanding. He needed this, or at least he thought he did. She'd never been one for revenge and she'd always tried to steer him away from it as best as she could, but in that moment Belle didn't think she could. "Okay," she breathed.
"Okay?"
"As long as you promise me one thing."
"What's that?"
"That you won't lose yourself to it."
A hollow chuckle left him. "I'll try."
"Good," she murmured. "I'll be right there with you and if you need anything, you'll tell me, won't you?"
She felt a tremor run through him and he sniffed. "I just want my son."
And Belle's heart truly broke for him. "I know, Rumple. I know," was all she could say as he cried in her arms.
TBC
Notes: In the next chapter - Rumple visits Bae's grave and has an interesting conversation with Emma while Henry makes plans to figure out just what is going on in Storybrooke that everyone seems to afraid to tell him about.
