Chapter 4 : Conversations.

There is spoilers about the 6B.

Rumplestiltskin never liked fairies. Well, in fact, it's not true. Since they day he lost his son, he began to hate them, all of them.

Because of one.

Reul Gorn.

The Blue Fairy.

Who was someone good, most of the time. Who could be selfish or seem to be, for example when she took her wings to Tinkerbell.

(Luckily, it didn't happen, and wouldn't.)

The former Dark One's hatred made no sense, in fact, she just tried to help him. Help both of them. He had been the one who acted badly.

He was the one who made the mistake that triggered everything.

He was the one who abandoned his son.

Now, without his dark powers, and without all the voices, he could think more clearly than before, and he finally recognized that he had been wrong.

It wasn't her fault.

(Not for that, in fact.)

But he wasn't the one who came first to talk.

She did.

And it was a surprise for the sorcerer, something he didn't expect.

"Hello Rumplestiltskin."

"Reul Gorn… I didn't know you would come there."

"I have been told that something changed in you… I came here to see it by myself."

"And so… tell me Reul Gorn. What do you see now ?"

She smiled. She was the only one, with Belle and Regina who could really defy him, and he was glad now that she could be on his side.

"Someone who decided to do what should have been done centuries ago. Someone who did the right choice, and became the one he was supposed to be. Someone who has still some darkness in him, but who is fighting them. I'm proud of you Rumplestiltskin."

"Are you proud of yourself too ? He asked."

She looked at him with surprise.

"About what ?"

"Are you the one who sent me Belle ?"

"No ! Of course no, I did nothing about that !"

"Alright, I guess I can trust you."

"You changed for her, right ?"

"Yes, in fact… she changed me."

"Sure, she did. You're really different. And you still have your power, she said with surprise."

"True, but it's not my magic, it's white magic. Someone helped me about that, he said, thinking about Henry."

"Maybe, but… it's how things should be."

Rumple frowned.

"What ?"

Blue sighed.

"I have… something to tell you. A long time ago, after you were born, I met your mother. Her name was Fiona and when I met her, you were just a baby."

"You never told me anything about that."

"I couldn't. I was with Tiger Lily, who was your fairy god-mother, and we were there to tell Fiona that… you were the next Savior."

Rumplestiltskin's eyes opened wide with surprise.

"I am… what ?"

Emma was supposed to be the Savior, before the story was changed, so… how…

"It's the truth, but there was a prophecy coming with it. You were supposed to die, during the Great Battle, against a terrible villain, and your mother… she couldn't accept it. So she tried to protect you, but… by doing it, she darkened her heart, and… I banished her."

The sorcerer stayed silent and frozen, not being able to believe it.

"She didn't abandon me, he finally whispered. She never wanted to let me."

"No, she didn't. But… I… just couldn't let her do what she wanted to. She was searching for the person who was supposed to kill you. But, by doing this… she became the villain. She became the one who should kill you."

"Why did I never become the Savior ? He asked."

"She… cut you from your destiny. With magic. Rumplestiltskin, she didn't want you to die, she… loved you."

Rumple looked at her with anger.

"And then, tell me, Blue… Why did you do nothing ?"

Blue sighed with culpability.

"Me and Tiger Lily… well, me especially… we made a great mistake. We let you with your father, we… I didn't see how angry he was of loosing his wife."

"That's why he always hated me, he said. That's why he left me."

"I guess you are right, I… I am sorry Rumplestiltskin. I truly am."

He looked at her. He could have been angry at her, and also hate her, try to kill her.

He didn't.

She tried to do the good thing, she had been wrong, that's true, but as himself when he became the Dark One. And she came to tell him what she did, so… yeah, he could forgive her.

(Himself he needed to be forgiven for many things.)

"I forgive you Blue, he said."

And he meant it.

§§§§

Belle had a sight of exasperation. Her father came to see her, and if at first she had been glad he did, then, she realized he was there for one purpose.

He wanted to convince her that she was wrong.

And she didn't agree with him, of course.

Maurice thought that she was cursed, even though he saw that the former Dark One changed, the thing is that he still didn't trust him.

(And Belle could accept that, that he didn't believe in him. But she couldn't stand the fact that he thought that her choices were wrong.)

He was sure that the sorcerer put a spell on her, it was the only explanation he found.

"Father, how can't you understand that I am in love with him ?"

"Because you can't ! No one can love this man. Not after all the terrible things he did."

"He changed, right ? He is not the same man any more, he allowed me to save me, he let me love him. And I don't want to leave him."

"You're not yourself Belle, it's the only explanation."

"Why don't you believe in me ?"

"I believe in you Belle, of course, you're my daughter and I love you. But… you can't stay with him."

"And then what ? What do I do exactly ? I am not a prisoner any more, I can see you when I want to, and our people is safe. Tell me, how bad can my situation be ?"

"This man is a monster !"

"He is the one I love. Sorry father, but I didn't chose."

"He killed Gaston !"

A great silence appeared, and Belle had a sad smile, not seeming surprised.

"I know, she answered. He told me. And I know it's a terrible thing, but… you have to accept it father. Gaston… was not a good man. We both know it."

"You accept that the man you're in love with is a murderer ? Her father said, disgusted."

"Just as Gaston himself, and you can't deny the fact that Rumple saved people. Listen, father, if you still think I am not myself, call the fairies. Ask them to examine me, right ? And if you don't want to tell me other things, please, go."

"Belle, I…"

"Go, okay ? You don't want to see me being furious, and I don't want to either," she whispered.

Maurice sighed, gave a sad look to his daughter, and left.

Belle sat down on a chair, and sighed too.

"So, said a voice. It wasn't that bad, right ?"

Belle looked at the woman next to her, and smiled. She was in a tavern, it was the place she chose when her father asked to talk to her, as he didn't want to go in the "Light" Castle.

"I guess so, she said to Red."

The woman sat next to her. After Rumplestiltskin decided to let her go outside, she met the young wolf, and became friend with her. They understood each other, in a way, both wanting adventures and love, and many other things.

Red didn't tell her she was Snow White's best friend, not wanting her to become a future target for the Evil Queen (who she already was), and she talked with her for hours, happy she found someone who, just like Snow, didn't judge her for who she was.

"Your father still doesn't accept you ?"

"Oh, he accepts me, but not the one I love."

Red didn't know that this one was the former Dark One, in fact, they didn't know each other enough to tell the other that sort of things. She just knew that… things were complicated.

"He will, with time… my grand-ma herself needed time before she accepted the wolf in me. But now that I control it, things are better."

"I hope you're right Red… because I don't know myself what to do."

§§§§

Regina was furious now.

"I can't believe this damn imp decided not to be my ally any more, she said. He is the one who taught me magic, who showed me power and told me I should pursue my revenge. And now, what ? He just stops ! With no reason."

"There must be one, my dear, said her father, Henry."

She sighed.

"Yes, maybe daddy, but… I don't see which one."

"What did he tell you, exactly ?"

"Oh, nothing important… that I should stop trying to get revenge, that it was vain, and futile, and… other things that I don't remember."

Regina didn't see the hope in her father's eyes, too taken by her desire to kill Snow White.

"I will do everything so she will never be happy. I will kill her, destroy everything she has."

Henry sighed, trying not to lose hope as he saw his dear and loved daughter being that way. He saw her eyes full of anger, hatred.

And pain.

Her pain was the thing that made her become this heartless (or seemed to be) woman who wanted to do nothing but kill someone whose bad action had just been to do a mistake. A fatal mistake for Regina, of course, but it was not more than that.

Henry was looking at her. He was tired of this, all of this, and he was more and more realizing that she would never give up, no matter the cost.

She already lost her innocence, her kindness, all these things that made her so different from Cora, and it killed him to see that his wife finally succeeded. She made Regina become just like her, and Henry couldn't stand it any more.

The other culprit of the story was Rumplestiltskin, and also himself, of course. Him, her father, should have protected her from Cora, from the darkness, from these things that made her fall into the dark.

But he failed.

That was also for this reason that he was still there. Because of his culpability, because of what he did (or to be more true, what he didn't), and because there was still a hope in him that everything wasn't definitely spoil.

He loved his daughter, of course, and he wanted her to realize she acted wrong, but he couldn't force her. So, he just stayed, waiting for a redemption that would never happen.

Understanding that Rumplestiltskin wouldn't help her any more, he had a sight of relief.

This man was seen as one of the worst people of all the realms, and if him didn't want to help Regina to pursue her revenge, well… it meant that things were really changing.

And so would he.

"Regina, he said to his daughter who looked at him, you know that I love you."

"Yes, she answered with a smile. I know."

"And you know too that I really tried to show you this, that I tried to protect you from your mother, and that I completely failed. And I am sorry for that."

Regina gave him a tender look.

"Daddy, it's not your fault, right ? It's Snow White's ; she is the one who did all these things."

"No, you're wrong."

Regina looked at him with surprise ; it was the first time he dared to contradict her.

"What ?"

"Your mother and Rumplestiltskin are the responsible. They are the one you should hate, your mother, especially. Snow White is innocent, and did nothing wrong. What she did was a mistake, and yes, after what she did, your fiance died and you had to marry this king. But don't blame her."

"Daddy, what's the point ? Why do you tell me this ?"

"Because I can't accept it any more ! I can't accept to see you fall more and more ! I don't want you to be hated by anyone and then be left alone, just fighting for revenge. I don't want to lose you, but more than that, I don't want you to lose yourself."

"What are doing daddy ?"

"I'm leaving my dear. I can't stand it, I'm sorry, but I'm tired of waiting for you to make the good choice."

And he left, indeed.

"Daddy, the queen asked, you're sure of your choice ?"

"Yes my dear… I am."