I was disappointed in the writers for continuing to focus on and making drama for Belle and Rumple. I still like them together and at least respect the idea that we have one couple where all the problems aren't solved in forty minutes and they are instantly all starry eyed, but they are forgetting to show us the strength of this relationship that was responsible for making this one of the best received relationships in the show, enough so to upgrade Belle into a bigger character. I get tired when writers just focus on relationship drama in shows and forget other parts of it, so I wrote this chapter in hopes of incorporating what I liked about this couple in season 2 and how I think Belle not losing her memories might have affected the plot in the second season.
Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time. If I did I would try to spend more time on the plots and character development. The show has a lot of fun ideas, but just feels like a lot of stories aren't fully thought out or given attention they deserve to be fully satisfying.
Belle hoped that after Rumple survived his close brush with death that they could enjoy a measure of peace before the next crisis sprung up. She hoped that the measure of peace would last longer than a single day. Not even a half hour after her lunch with Baelfire she received a call from Rumple warning her about Regina's renewed wrath. It was true that Belle witnessed the Evil Queen swear vengeance against Mary Margaret before her mother's body was even, but she thought grief would have kept the former queen at bay for a time.
She should have realized that thought was at best naïve or at worst delusional. After all Regina's thirst for vengeance had been so great that it enabled her to enact a curse on a whole realm of innocent people just to condemn the one person she hated most. Someone with that much anger and hate in their heart wouldn't sit back and mourn while the people she held responsible for her mother's death still walked unpunished. In Regina's mind they were all responsible for Cora's demise. Belle couldn't exactly disagree with that sentiment. Baelfire or rather Neal said it himself, Rumple had arranged for the events that stripped Cora of her life in place of his own.
Belle was no more in love with that fact than Neal was, but Rumple's survival gave her such enormous amount of happiness that it tempered her anger at him for once again achieving his goal through the wrong means. In good conscious she couldn't condone what Rumple had done, but she also understood the threat Cora posed to all of them. Cora had been moments away from stabbing him with his dagger and taking his place as the Dark One. They came so close to death that day that it was pure chance they survived. Even Rumple had confessed that he hadn't expected that Mary Margaret would manipulate Regina's love for her mother to return Cora's cursed heart back to her. He took no pleasure in his former lover's death. The grief she saw within his eyes when he told her he was going to pay is respects to Cora were evidence enough of that.
It wouldn't matter to Regina though. Her rage would rule her and that made Regina very dangerous. Having been at the former queen's so called mercy Belle was familiar with ferocity of Regina's cruelty. She wouldn't wish it on anyone. She couldn't let anyone else suffer it if she could help it. While Rumple urged her to remain in the library where he had erected powerful magical defenses Belle told him in no uncertain terms that she was coming to the shop to help. Before the inevitable argument could break out she hung up the phone and ran straight to the shop. Needless to say he wasn't happy to see her.
"Don't," she told him.
It wouldn't be that easy. Rumple never made it easy. "You should have stayed where you were. I haven't even had time to erect new protection spells for the shop." Protection spells? That was right. After Hook broke into the shop he put protection spells on both the shop and her library so no one could get into the shop or harm her while he was away. The ones on the shop were broken? When did that happen?
Wait, she vaguely remembered him mentioning they were broken yesterday after the battle ended. Belle hadn't been paying attention. She was too preoccupied with proving to herself that he was alive and well, not that he minded. "The safest place you can be right now is in the library."
As always when danger emerged his first concern was her. Rumple's protective nature was one of his most defining traits. She loved him for it, but it could be tiresome at times. It wasn't that Belle didn't understand why he was so protective of her. Enough had happened to both of them that she couldn't blame him for wanting to make sure she was safe. At the same time he couldn't be so worried for her safety that he put her in a corner while he went out to solve the problem. That wasn't the type of relationship she wanted from him. She had enough of people making decisions for her in the past. Belle couldn't stand for Rumple to do that as her father had done before, even if he hadn't realized he was doing it.
"If the protection spells over the shop were undone than how can you be sure the ones on the library won't be undone as well?" Logic would be her weapon. Rumple respected intelligence and he valued logic. That was her best chance to get him to see past his own fears.
It was her best chance, but that didn't mean Rumple would simply bow down. Not without a fight. "In addition to the strongest protection spells I also placed a few that are directly tied to my life force. As long as I live those barriers will keep anyone or anything that means you harm out, even if I am in another state and without my magic." Just as she could use logic as a weapon Rumple could wield it just as well if not more so. This wasn't going to be easy.
"I'm safe with you," she argued. "We both know I'm not the person Regina swore revenge against yesterday." Belle was a pawn to use against Rumple. Until Regina was ready to go after him again Belle was safe. The person she hated most of all was Snow White. The princess turned bandit would always be her top priority.
"Mary Margaret might be the one Regina wants dead most, but she has no more love for me than she does her. While Regina cannot hope to best me in a direct confrontation she knows she can use you to get to me." She was his weakness. He didn't say that, but it is what he meant. Regina showed she wasn't above twisting their love to cause Rumple as much pain as she could. Her decades' long imprisonment was proof of that. "I need you to be safe. That is the best way you can help me right now."
No it wasn't it! She could help him so much more than that. Why couldn't he see that? Yes she could be used against him and act as a weakness, but she could also be his strength if he let her be. "I will be safe, but I can still help."
"Belle." Disappointment and frustration mixed together in his tone. In the old days he would have just used magic to whisk her away to her room and end the discussion. Now they were no longer master and servant. Rumple was trying hard to fight his instinct to send her away. She could see it written all over his face. He was making an effort for her. "What do you propose to do?" he challenged. At least this time there was no mockery behind it.
"Well, we need to warn David and Mary Margaret first."
"I was just about to do just that," Rumple said. "Fortunately that little task doesn't require two people."
He was right. It wouldn't take both of them to do that, but she could research a spell he could use to protect them or a spell to neutralize Regina's magic. Belle might not have been able to practice magic, but her research skills could still help her find spells. "I will do research here and help you find a spell."
Perplexed Rumple stared at her blankly as if she had declared she would fly to the moon and back. "Why would I need a spell?"
"To protect Mary Margaret or stop Regina," Belle replied.
"All I am planning to do is warn the Charmings. I have no intentions of getting involved in their little feud with her majesty."
She couldn't believe her ears. They had to help the Charming family. They couldn't just leave them to the wolves. They had been through too much together. When he left Storybrooke it was David and Mary Margaret who he entrusted her safety with. They helped her evade Cora and Regina when they were trying to get their hands on the dagger. Above all else they were good people. More importantly they were family through Henry. "How can you say you aren't involved? If you are going to warn them you need to help them."
"It is not our problem," he argued.
"Why warn them at all if you feel that way?"
He hesitated. That was never a good sign. He would often do that when he was planning on telling her something he wasn't sure she would agree with. Belle braced herself. "I am indebted to them for helping me save my life. In order to repay that debt I will warn them about Regina. After that my debt will be paid."
It was all she could do from shouting at him. In his mind using Mary Margaret to kill Cora and save his life could be repaid by warning them of Regina's ill intent, but not actually help them against it. What worried her is that if Rumple hadn't felt indebted to the Charming family he probably wouldn't have even bothered to warn them. What was the point of having all that power if he didn't use it for good? "No. Rumple, we have to help them. We can't let them fend for themselves. Regina is dangerous. We can't let her get away with hurting them."
"It doesn't concern us."
It didn't concern them? It mostly certainly did! How a man so intelligent could say something so stupid was beyond her. "Regina is a threat to all of us! The reason you called me was because you think she will come after me to hurt you. Stopping her is in our best interests as well as everyone else's."
He wanted to roll his eyes. She could tell, but he reframed from doing so. While Rumple found her bravery endearing he found some of heroic aspirations baffling at best and downright vexing at worst. Belle wondered if he had been offering his services for a price for so long that he simply could not remember that helping people for no other reason than it was the right thing to do. "I will deal with Regina when and if she comes after us not before. It serves no purpose to get involved needlessly. Nor is it wise to put yourself on Regina's radar if she is preoccupied with Mary Margaret. After everything we've been through we have earned our measure of peace. Let the Charmings deal with the Evil Queen."
"You've helped them before." He furrowed his brow, no doubt trying to piece together how she knew that. "Henry showed me his storybook. I read bits and pieces of Snow White and Prince Charming's story, but I know you helped them stop the Regina in our land many times."
"For a price," he countered.
Anger swelled within her belly. This man could be exhausting at times and incredibly pigheaded. "So if they offer you a deal you would help them?" Contempt dripped into her words. "You helped them when you needed them to make Regina so desperate that she would cast the curse to take us all here to find Neal, but when they need you and have nothing to offer you leave them to their fate?"
Rumple had the decency to look ashamed or as ashamed as he would allow himself to look on this subject. "If I help them we will be dragged into this feud. If I get involved Regina will attack either you or Bae to get back at me. Forgive me if I'm not sympathetic to the Charmings' troubles."
Bae. Neal. Of course! She was coming at this all wrong. Family was what drove Rumple. He would do anything to protect his family. She just needed to get him to see that his family extended much further than just Neal now. "What about Henry?" She watched his jaw tighten. Already he was processing the new information. "Rumple, you know Henry will get involved in this. He's your grandson. We have to help them for Henry's sake if nothing else." Ideally she would want to convince Rumple to help them because it was the right thing to do. She didn't have the time. The one thing she knew best about her Rumple was that he would go to any lengths to protect the people he loved. There was no doubt in her mind that he had fallen in love with boy after finding out he was Bae's son.
Something was wrong. His mood had darkened, but from anger as he was known for. It was….fear? "Rumple?"
"I can't help them." He spoke in such a small voice that her ears strained just to hear. Something was very wrong. "At least I can't help them the way you want me to," he told her. Any sign of weakness had faded without a trace. She was left wondering. "The only way I can foil Regina without fear of retaliation against you or Bae is if I kill her. If memory serves that was a path you did not want me to take."
That couldn't be the only way he could help. They couldn't kill Regina for Henry's sake alone if nothing else. Belle had no love for the queen, but she knew despite all the problems the poor boy had with Regina that he still loved her dearly the same way that Neal still loved Rumple. If Rumple could change then Regina could too. They owed her that chance for Henry. "We'll find another way."
"How can you be so certain of that?"
"If nothing else Rumpelstiltskin is resourceful. I trust you can find way that doesn't involve murder. You won't be alone. Working together we can solve this the right way."
"You have faith in me to do that?" he questioned. Doubt plagued him yet again. It saddened her heart to see how little faith he had in himself. He was flawed, but he could be a better man. She saw it in the way he acted around Henry before he knew the boy was his grandson.
"I have faith in you to be a better man." She drew him to her. Her hands found their way to his cheeks. Gently she started to caress them, drawing his loving gaze on her. Greedily Belle absorbed it and still couldn't get enough of it. "If we work together we can do this without anyone getting hurt. Let me be your strength."
A brisk laugh escaped his lips. "Oh, Belle. You have always been my strength, my courage. You have enough bravery for the both of us, enough to make even a coward brave." Her heart was sent aflutter. Belle was beginning to think his words would never lose their effect. Secretly she hoped they never did. Affection radiated from them, slowly engulfing them. The need to kiss him overpowered her and she consumed his lips. Belle loved they could now do this whenever they wanted without fear of rejection or curses breaking. They could express their love in a simple kiss. That meant the world to her.
It ended much too soon. Rumple felt the same way, if the wanting in his stare was any indication. They had a mission. They would have to wait for later to express their love more thoroughly later when they had more time. She was planning on making time. "I suppose you'll want to come with me to Mary Margaret and Miss Swan's place of residence." He willed himself away from her. He might have feared giving in to temptation. She was grateful he pulled away because she wasn't sure if she could resist herself.
"Yes. Of course I want to go with you, but…" This was a dangerous topic to approach. Belle hadn't figured a way to approach it. Her hopes were that by the end of the day when they went on their dinner date at his home that she would know what to do. Fate had other things in store for them. "I think I should call Neal." There were few things that could surprise Rumple. His son just happened to be one of the selected few. She hated being the one to cause him distress, but what else could they do, not call Neal? If Henry was in trouble he would want to know.
"Unfortunately I don't know how to contact Bae, through non magical means."
He didn't have Neal's number. The piece of paper residing in her pocket started burning. A wave of guilt washed over her. When Neal gave her his number she was so happy that he was offering just this little bit of him to her that she hadn't even considered that Rumple might not have it. He spent centuries trying to get back to his son, yet even with their reunion he was still no closer to it. No. That was wrong. Bae was thinking about their strained relationship. He still loved Rumple. That was a small, yet substantial victory. If only he would see that.
In the meantime she would have to be the bearer of bad news. Belle dreaded telling him, but she needed to. "I have his number."
She might as well have slapped by how taken aback he was. The familiar pain she saw glimpses of in the Dark Castle consumed his expression. "He gave you his number." A powerful urge to comfort him rose. She wanted to shield him from this and protect his heart. It hurt to know that she couldn't. "That's good. I'm happy that your lunch went so well then."
"Rumple…"
"You call him and then we'll leave." Before she could say another word he exited the room. It wasn't out of resentment or anger. It was some misbegotten notion that he would be intruding if he stayed in the room as she called his son. There would be a lot of work involved in repairing this family.