Chapter Three

Confirmations

A/AN: I'm sorry that I haven't updated, but I was trying to see where they were going with the cannon first. I now know which direction I want to take this. I hope to have this finished before the finale. Some of it won't stay on target with the cannon.

After leaveing the mansion, Ruby made a trip to Clark's Grocery and bought every single brand of home pregnancy tests that she could find. The dwarf gave her a quizzical glance but didn't say anything as he rang up her purchases.

"Not a word of this! Do you understand!?" Ruby warned the dwarf in her most threatening voice before grabbing the bag and making her way back to the Victorian. All Ruby needed was for someone to suspect that she was pregnant and then it would all be over. Granny would kill her.

She parked the car, turning off the ignition. She walked up the steps to the salmon colored parsonage after shoving the keys in her pocket. She shoved open the door, walking back up the stairs.

"Belle I'm back!" she called out before reaching her bedroom. Belle was leaning against the headboard while staring out the window aimlessly. Belle trained her eyes on the window, watching the trees blow softly.

"I got five different kinds of tests just to be sure." Ruby supplied, setting on the edge of the bed with the bag in hand.

"Thanks Ruby..." Belle spoke in a small voice, breaking her concentration. She took the bag from the wolf girl's hand. Ruby helped her out of bed, leading her to the bathroom. She allowed Belle to close the door, giving her some privacy.

Belle read the directions before peeing on five of the sticks to utilize her confirmation. After a torturous minute of waiting, all five pregnancy tests confirmed her suspicions. She was going to be a mother. Her hands shook as she stared at the door. Ruby didn't have time to react before the beauty flung herself into her arms. She sobbed uncontrollably, and She didn't need to ask. She already knew the answer.

X

"Are we going to find her or stay holed up in here all day?" Ursula complained referring to the cabin the three of them were currently hiding out in.

"Patience dearie…It's going to take accurate planning if we want to succeed." Rumplestiltskin admonished leaning against his gold tipped cane.

"I thought you already had this whole thing planned out." Cruella cut in, clearly irritated by the whole endeavor.

"Yeah Rumple…This better not have been a ploy just to get you back to your old stomping ground. We're here to see the author and demand he change our fates. We're not here to mingle and piddle with enacting useless revenge on a bunch of people you betrayed." Ursula warned with a sharpened glance.

Rumplestiltskin felt his eyebrow twitch and his temper rise at their impulsiveness, but he wouldn't allow himself to crack under the pressure. He needed them as much as they needed him to make the plan work. He had to get Belle back at all costs.

"We will go free Maleficent when the town goes to sleep which should be in just a few hours. The town tends to be heavily guarded during the day, and I can't have us running into any of the heroes. We have to be careful." he cautioned, his gaze sharpening, silencing them from questioning him any further.

"It seems like you've gone soft Rumple...Is the Dark One really that afraid of a few so called heroes?" Ursula taunted, a smirk gracing her lips.

"She has a point darling...The all powerful Rumplestiltskin really has fallen off his pedestal." Cruella teased taking a long sip of her gin. They didn't notice his eyebrow twitch angrily until they were both being held in the air, gasping for breath. Ursula positioned her hand in the air to loosen his magic. She fell to the ground and snapped her fingers, freeing Cruella.

"Remember this Rumplestiltskin...We are not pawns in your little game. Some of us are far older and wiser than you. I know all the tricks of your trade, and I will use them against you if you threaten me again. You work for us now as far as I'm concerned." Ursula bared her teeth at him before a large tentacle wrapped around his throat.

"Good point dearie..." Rumplestiltskin choked out before she let him go causing him to fall in a heap.

"Let's go Cruella." Ursula remarked before they disappeared in a fog of emerald smoke.

Rumplestiltskin picked himself off the ground. He pulled himself into a chair, regaining his composure, "Well I guess if you're not going to heed my warning, then I need to make sure I'm one step ahead of you." he said to himself before smoking away in a crimson haze.

~X~

"Are you sure this is the place darling?" Cruella inquired to her accomplice standing inside the darkened library.

"I'm certain...I can sense her magic here but there's something keeping me from her. I'm going to need your help to break it." Ursula retorted, and Cruella nodded as she took her hand. They combined their energies, breaking the barrier that was keeping Maleficent inside.

"It shouldn't be much longer now." Ursula announced proudly whisking them away to the inner dungeon she resided in. A haunting apparition cornered them hissing angrily.

"Chill out Mal...We're going to get you out of here." Ursula returned pulling an enchanted mirror from her pocket and holding it in front of Maleficent. Black smoke surrounded her, transforming her into her true form.

"It's good to have you back darling. We come bearing gifts." Cruella smirked, snapping her fingers. In an instant a staff with a dragon sitting atop it appeared.

"What a relief it is to be free of this place after being imprisoned for so long. You have no idea what I've been through dears." Maleficent lamented as she took the staff from Cruella.

"You can tell us all about it later Mal. Let's get out of here." Ursula commanded before transporting them back to the cabin.

"Where did he go!?" inquired Ursula angrily storming through the cabin.

"Where did who go?" Maleficent questioned the pair who were scanning the room puzzledly.

"Rumplestiltskin..." Ursula growled angrily, breaking an expensive vase and lamp with one of her tentacles.

"My dears we don't need Rumple's help, he would only get in the way. We are a much more powerful force without him." Maleficent grinned draping her arms around their shoulders.

"It looks like the Queen's of Darkness are back in business." Cruella cackled, rubbing her hands together sinisterly.

~X~

Rumplestiltskin snarled his nose at the Evil Queen's vault. He could sense its strong magical aura emitting deep within the vault among Regina's other concoctions and enchantments. It had a distinct flavor and taste of its own-the sweetest of all magic he thought. He pushed back the barrier with a bit of grit because he was out of practice, but he knew his power would return eventually. He opened the door, scouring the halls until he found it. He smirked when he found the star patterned drum.

He hesitated before picking it up, his mind going back to the night she'd banished him. He sucked in a deep breath, squeezing the drum tightly. He never wanted it to come to this, but he needed the dagger if he was going to have any chance at a happy ending. The original plan to take Hook's heart had been dismantled, but being away in New York the past six weeks made him realize that he would need to go a different route. He cringed in pain, placing his hand over his heart. Time was running out for him, and he needed to act fast if he wanted to change his fate.

"I'm sorry Belle..." he muttered before magicking himself back to their estate. He stared at the blackened windows, illuminated by moonlight. He made sure that he arrived at the house late because he what happened next would have to be done in secret. He took a staggering breath before transporting himself inside the house.

He watched the beauty snoring softly in her trundle bed. He longed to slip in bed beside her and thread his fingers through her thick curls like old times but those times were gone. He sensed its presence immediately. He knew without a doubt that the dagger was hidden here in this room. He took a deep breath, pulling the chest that sealed the dagger from underneath her bed. He unfastened the clasp that held it shut. He picked up the heavy metal object hidden inside the cloth but when he touched the metal, he flinched back in pain. He cursed under his breath, flinging the dagger across the room. He noticed the beauty stirring from her sleep by his careless disturbance. He snapped his fingers, whisking himself away daggerless.

Belle ran her fingers through her hair warily, wiping sleep from her eyes. She turned on the bedside lamp, placing her feet on the floor. She gasped when she noticed the dagger a few feet from her bed. She picked it up, running her fingers over the worn edges. She could see a faint blood stain on the metal, reflected in the light. She trembled knowing immediately what had taken place. Rumplestiltskin had tried to steal the dagger.

There was no way she was going back to sleep knowing that Rumple had been in her room. In half an hour the sun would rise. She threw on a warm sweatshirt and track pants, including her walking shoes and made her way out the door. She needed to go for a walk.

She lived only twenty minutes from town, and she jogged briskly. Granny's would be open in half an hour, and she thought a cup of tea might refresh her. She was surprised when she noticed Will walking towards her, probably on his way to work.

"Hello hussler." Will greeted the beauty who's face lit up when she noticed his presence.

"Will! You're up rather early!" She pointed out, but he shrugged.

"I was on my way to work, but why don't we stop by the diner for a cup of coffee first?" Will explained, and Belle smiled when he offered her his arm.

"That sounds lovely." she complied causing the knave's face to light up. It would take her mind off Rumple for the time. They walked in the direction of Granny's unaware of the pair of eyes watching them.

X

Rumplestiltskin scoured every edge of his shop trying to find some sort of evidence as to why his dagger had rejected him, but he couldn't find anything. Part of him wanted to find his beloved and demand she tell him why but just as he was about to act upon those thoughts, he seen her walk by his shop and stop by the window. He watched her from the back room, taking in her frazzled appearance. She looked tired but her cheeks were still beautifully kissed by the rising sun.

She looked extremely radiant for some reason this morning, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He thought of dispelling his presence until the man he'd seen her kissing two nights ago appeared before them. She smiled at him and laughed when he said something to her just like she would at one of his old quips. He couldn't make out their conversation but he wanted to do nothing more than crush the stranger's heart when he gave the beauty a quick hug and offered her his arm which she took. He watched them pass his shop, headed in the direction of Granny's Diner as they continued to converse jubilantly. He felt his heart fall at the realization that his Belle just didn't want him anymore. If she was happy then why was he wasting his time trying to salvage his miserable existence?

"Perhaps I should have wasted away back in New York." he muttered, but he stopped himself. If there was any chance of him winning her back, then he couldn't interfere with her affairs. He had to be discreet with his plans if he wanted this to work, but he knew that in the end it was up to her whether he lived or died. She had no idea that she was the very key to his existence and if she didn't cooperate then he would surely perish. He took a staggering breath before magicking himself away again, his heart heavy with grief.

~X~

Belle sat adjacent to Will inside a booth at Granny's. She watched him shovel a syrupy bite of pancakes into his mouth. She sipped on her sweet tea opting to skip breakfast because of her weak stomach.

"So are you busy tonight?" she inquired breaking the silence. He dabbed his mouth with a napkin before speaking.

"Of course not...What did you have in mind?" he asked, and Belle could sense his eagerness.

"How would you like to come over? I could make us dinner." she encouraged, resting her chin on both hands smiling radiantly at him. He sucked in a deep breath swearing that her smile put the moon and stars to shame.

"Aye that would be lovely miss French." he smiled, and Belle felt her heart flutter at his acceptance. Tonight she would make sure that she wasn't alone. She was vulnerable, and she didn't like feeling so many emotions at once. She hadn't even dispelled her secret yet, but she would tonight. She would tell him everything.

A/AN: As you guys can see I'm taking this a bit of a different route from the show. I had Cruella and Ursula raise Maleficent without the need of her ashes. This will be a bit AU but there will still be scenes from the show in the upcoming chapters. Review please!