Summary: A freak violent storms kicks up and brings a new face to Storybrooke
Disclaimer: I own nothing of OUAT
Rating: T+
Pairing: Rumplestiltskin and Belle
A VAMPIRE IN STORYBROOKE:
LAST NIGHT:
RUMPLESTILTSKIN AND BELLE
Belle watched Rumple walk inside the front door of his home as she regarded the thresh hold. She hadn't changed her mind; she was just preparing herself for what she was getting in to. His past was long, so many lives he had lived, and now he was going to tell her about them. Belle wanted to be brave, to be able to handle it, and she knew she could. She loved him. Taking a deep breath she stepped through the door going to Rumple's side. He took her hand and the warmth of his touch felt so right, so safe. "What do we do now?" Belle asked. She was hesitant to begin the conversation she knew they needed to have.
Rumplestiltskin smiled, bringing her hand up to kiss her knuckles. "I'll make us dinner and if you like, you can go up stairs and change." He offered and it was then he saw some of the tension leave her body. She was just as nervous as he was about the impending conversation they were going to have. The best place for him to start would be at the beginning, when he was human. Belle needed to know him as he was; when he was a coward scared of his own shadow. Smiling at her gently, Rumple motioned with his head to the stairs. Belle stole a quick kiss from him that made his heart swell with love for her. She raced up the stairs with Rumple calling after her, "I'll be in the kitchen!"
Ten minutes later Belle was back down stairs wearing a pair of Rumple's black silk sleep pants and a white camisole. Her hair was pulled back in a low pony tail. She leaned against the wall watching him standing at the stove moving food around in a skillet filling the kitchen with a divine smell that had her stomach growling. "Smells fantastic," Belle piped up gaining his attention. Rumple turned to her and smiled that gentle smile that had her going weak at the knees.
Rumple set aside the spatula to hold out his hand to Belle, "Dinner should be ready in a few minutes." He took her hand again pulling her in front of him so he could wrap his arms around her waist and rest his cheek against her temple. "I figured we could have breakfast again. I was craving an omelet." He tightened his hold for a second hugging her. "When I was human, I used to cook for my son Bae." Rumple mused. Cooking had been a release of sorts, a time for him to set the day aside.
Belle rested her arms over his being drawn in by his touch, by the sound of his voice, and by the smell of dinner. She had been fretting all day, worrying about what she had asked him to do for Mina; that she hadn't bothered to eat lunch at all. "In truth, I am starving. I sort of forgot to eat lunch." She confessed but then she fibbed, "I've been working so hard in the library, trying to get it ready." It wasn't until her talk with Mina, seeing her memories; that Belle finally took the step she needed and wanted to take. She wanted to know all about him; the good and the bad.
Rumple stepped away from Belle and she moved out of the way so he could serve up the omelet for them. Idly he asked, "How is the library coming?" Though, under her words he could sense there was more than she was telling him. Rumple let it go. There had been much he had kept from her in the days they were together. Tonight, and in the days to come, he was hoping to change that. He wanted her to know him. "I'm happy that you have the library to fill your days with." Rumple commented placing one plate on the center island for her and then he brought his over.
"There are so many books," Belle sighed in bliss. She loved to read. "Lately, I've been sitting around and reading when I should be working. They're just… there." Belle giggled and then took a bite of her food. The light fluffy eggs, the mix of cheddar cheese, and the chunks of ham and bacon tasted so good. Grasping her glass of ice tea Belle swallowed then chased it with a sip of her drink. "I want to thank you for what you did when you gave me the key."
"It was Ruby, who told me of you interest." Rumple replied, "Though, I think you knew that." He chuckled when she looked at him. She was surprised and that pleased him. Then he asked a question that he probably shouldn't, "When you came up to me this evening, was it because of Mina?" Rumple waited for her to speak.
Belle set down her fork and pushed her plate away from her, "Yes, I was talking with Mina this afternoon. She told me about her husband, about how he has done so many terrible things, and yet she loves him still. Strangely I pictured us in her tale." She said. "I know you have done things that could be construed as evil, but I love despite that." Belle set her hands, palm up, on the table between them. "I needed to talk to someone who wasn't from here, who didn't out right mistrust you because of who you are."
"She offered you her outside opinion?" Rumple asked keeping his voice neutral. He didn't want her to feel the need to hide anything from him just as he had hide things about his life from her. That had been a poor choice and he was paying the price for his now.
"Yes," Belle tapped the pads of her fingers on the table. "I chose to heed her words and not the words of my few friends because what she said made sense in ways I tried to deny because I'm naïve."
"Belle…" Rumplestiltskin was ready to argue with her but she cut him off.
"No, I am, and I realize that now." She held up her right hand to stop him from talking. "I'm trying to change you into this idea of a man that I think you should be, the kind of man that I could love completely and that's keeping me from seeing you as you are. It's keeping me from truly loving the man before me."
Rumplestiltskin felt his heart beat faster and faster. She was saying all the things he had wanted to hear fall from her lips. "I want to give up magic, I just…" He didn't know how to finish that declaration. How could he give up magic when it was ingrained into his soul now, when it flowed in his veins, and beat in time to his heart?
"Show me what it feels like," Belle slid off the stool and walked around the island to stand in front of him. "Show me how you feel." His hands slid up her arms to cup the side of her face where his thumbs caressed her cheeks. Even though she kept her eyes firmly locked with his she could see the purple glow around his hands and then she felt it, the rush, and the wave of feeling. Inside she felt so light, so weightless, and she felt she could do anything with just a thought. "Is this how you feel all the time?" She gasped bringing her hands up to close around his wrists keeping him against her.
Rumple dialed down the power slowly to bring Belle back to early gently. Magic was addictive and he was a slave to the need to use it every day. It had been a struggle not to cast small spells to prove to Belle that he didn't need his power, but he did. His magic had been a part of him for so long he didn't know what it would be like without it. "Yes, this is how I feel, what it feels like, and now you know why I can't stop." He answered drawing his hands away from her face letting the glow fade.
"Oh my god…" Belle had to fight to catch her breath. "That's… I don't know…" She was having trouble forming a coherent thought. The rapture of the small taste of magic she had gotten left her speechless. In and out she breathed trying to focus.
"I know," Rumple placed his hands on her waist pulling her to him so she stood between his parted knees. "When I was human, I could never hope to feel this good. I was always scared… even of my own shadow." He closed his eyes trying not to remember, but to have Belle understand he needed to remember. "I was the town coward and I accepted this." Rumple sighed still keeping his eyes closed. Then he felt her hands on his face drawing him in. His cheek rested over her heart and her arms draped over his shoulders rubbing up and down his back.
Belle fought back tears, "I never should have called you a coward," She kissed the top of his head holding him close. It seemed they were doing thing that inadvertently hurt the other without the intention of doing so. Her love was so tortured from his past and calling him a coward probably hadn't helped that. "I'm sorry…"
"No," Rumple pulled back clearing his throat, "You called me what I am. I told you Belle, I am a coward. I will take the easy way out every time." He admitted.
"You won't this time." Belle stated brushing his bangs away from his face. Lovingly Belle kissed his forehead. "Tell me about Bae." She stepped back from him and wiped away his silent tears. Belle had asked once before, but he hadn't answered her except to say that he had lost him.
Rumple drew in a ragged breath to steady himself. So many years had passed and yet taking about his son still made his heart break in sorrow and his soul twist from guilt. He cleared his throat, "After his mother… left… it was just Bae and me. I couldn't tell him that his mother left with pirates; that she left him without a second thought." Slowly a weight was being lifted from his shoulders as he talked to her. "I chose to tell him that his mother was dead."
"You lied to him?" Belle asked even though she knew he had been motivated out of love for his son and didn't want to hurt him anymore than he had to with the lie.
"I had to. Bae was eight at the time." Rumple fiddled with the tie holding the pants around Belle's hips. He needed something to do with his hands. "In that day and age, Bae knew about death, but I didn't think he could handle knowing that his mother just left him behind." Gold sighed, "I chose the lesser of two evils."
"You did the right thing," Belle said even though she knew he didn't need to hear it.
Gold felt his eyes fill with tears again as he looked to his right where a clock was mounted on the wall. It was already 10 pm. Time had slipped by unnoticed by him or Belle. Putting his hand on the edge of the island he levered himself up from the stool. "We should continue this in the morning." And then he added, "I'll sleep down here…"
"No you won't." Belle took his left hand while he grasped his cane in his right hand. "It's not like we haven't slept in the same bed before." She said leading him to the stairs. Being without his arms around her at night was on the one thing Belle missed the most about being in this house. During the night she knew she was safe so long as Rumplestiltskin held her close to his chest and she could hear his heart beating.
They stood on the second floor landing with Rumplestiltskin trying so hard to keep his breathing calm and even. Belle had already done so much for him today that he hadn't had wanted to push things between them to this point. Of course he wanted to hold her in his arms as they slept side by side, but he was resigned to the fact that he wouldn't have that for a long while. Until tonight. Belle pushed open the door and then turned to him pulling him inside with her.
Belle let go of his hand so she could go to the bed where she sat on the edge watching him stand frozen. "It's not like we haven't slept in the same bed before." She reasoned with him. "I want you to hold me tonight, please…" Belle moved back to sit against the headboard where she brought her knees up against her chest and wrapped her arms around her shins waiting for him to move. She hoped she hadn't pushed this too far too soon.
Rumple nodded and loosened the knot of his tie as he walked to where the bed was. Slowly he pulled the deep purple cloth over his head and dropped it in the chair. Belle avidly watched him as he changed clothes. He would have thought her modesty would have forced her to turn her head away, but her gaze never wavered from him. Once he was changed he walked around to the left side of the bed, moving aside the covers, he stretched out and waited for Belle. She had always let him settle, find the right position for his bum leg before she was snuggle into his side. Thoroughly settled he reached out his arm to her.
Belle pushed down the other half of the covers to cuddle against his side before she pulled the blankets up over both of them. She sighed deeply feeling content, safe. Sleeping alone had been hard since she had gotten used to being in the same bed with him after such a short time. There were nights Belle woke alone in bed at the Inn wishing for him as she had suffered alone another of her terrible nightmares. Tonight would not be the case, tonight she would have him wrapped around her. Belle just hoped she didn't dream. "Talk to me as I drift off." Belle mumbled her body shutting down quickly. He didn't answer her. Angling her head up she saw that his eyes were shut and his face was relaxed in sleep. She smiled and snuggled into his side pulling the comforter up, tucking the edge under her chin so she was cocooned in warmth.
THE NEXT AFTERNOON:
GOLD'S PAWN SHOP
Gold was in a chipper mood. Last night he and Belle had spent talking about his past and he felt that part of his burden had been lifted. Rumple was skirting the topic of how he became the dark one until he was certain that he could that particular tale without shocking her or pushing her further from him. This morning they had spent talking some more until she had to head to the Library for more work and he to his shop. They were planning to meet up at lunch so they could spend more time together. Right now he was going through what life had been like when he was human how he had spun sheep wool so he could sell it and how he had been teaching Bae the same trade. She had smiled her small wry smile obviously remembering the time she had asked him why he spun so much during their time at the Castle. It was shortly after that, that he had caught her when she had fallen off the ladder. Thinking about it, he could still feel her in his arms. It brought a smile to his face. Just then the bell over his door jingled drawing his attention where Belle was walking through the door. "Is it time for lunch?" He asked closing his ledger.
"It was…" She put her hands on her hips trying to muster up anger, but failing, "Two hours ago." She had spent the first hour with Ruby and then the second hour back in the Library until she had finally made up her mind to come see him to find out what had kept him. Though, she shouldn't have been surprised. When he was in his shop he was lost in his own little world.
"What?" Gold looked at the clock and instantly his good mood dipped to guilt. "I'm so sorry sweetheart. I… uhhh… lost track of time thinking about you." He admitted coming to her with an apologetic smile plastered to his lips. "Forgive me."
"Of course," She kissed him quickly. "I had lunch with Ruby while we made plans for the weekend." Belle looked outside not knowing what drew her attention suddenly. She moved to the door with him close behind her. The sky grew dark with a storm quickly covering the small town with ominous grey clouds that threatened to pelt them with heavy rain drops.
Rumple got an eerie tingle up his spine. "This doesn't look good," A loud thunder clap promptly followed his statement making him and Belle jump from the force. It was almost the same type of storm that brought the vampire here. What other creatures would show up?
"It's just a storm," Belle said not entirely believing her words. Another thunder clap deafened the town making Belle step back against Rumple. Rain and a dark sky she could handle, but ever since she was a small child she had an irrational fear of thunder and lightning.
In town Mina stood with Jefferson and Ruby when she felt something coming; a familiar presence pressing against her mind. And then she knew it. It was her love. But how? She wondered. That had been just a dream. Or had it? Mina wasn't so sure now. Then, the sky turned deadly, turned dark and ominous. He was truly coming to her. "My love…" Mina whispered. She turned from Jefferson and Ruby to head up the street, back to the spot where she had appeared. More thunder and lightning, with them the sense of his arrival grew more and more cemented in her heart. Her love was truly coming to her. They were so loud, so bright, that each time she jumped feeling the force of the sound vibrate along her skin. Other people scurried in doors, but not her, never her. Mina wouldn't run from what was coming. She couldn't. Another loud clap of thunder and a bright blinding flash of lightning had Mina closing her eyes and covering her ears. When she opened them a man she knew all too well stood in the center of the square wearing custom tailored red dragon armor. If her heart was alive it would have skipped a beat at the sight of him.
Dracula appeared in the town he had seen in Mina's blood memories. Time in their realm slipped by at a different pace for them. For him, he had been months without her and his mind had been ravaged with madness in her absence. His dream of her had been the spark that had him searching for ways to come to her. Then he sensed her, felt her dark soul calling to him. He turned and there she was standing in the middle of the road watching him with wide eyes. It was he who took the first steps towards her feeling a power in this land he hadn't felt before. More so his dark powers were heightened. With every step he took he banished more and more of his armor. Instead he chose to wear a midnight blue button up shirt that was open, a pair of scarred leather pants that he had worn many times, and knee high boots that blended so well with his pants. "Mina," He muttered hardly believing that he was seeing her again. Closer and closer he drew to her wanting to feel her in his arms again so badly. If he could breathe then he would be dragging in ragged breaths.
Mina shook off her initial shock and forced her feet to move, to go to him. Each step she took brought her closer to him. "Oh, my love…" Mina could almost feel his hands sliding over her waist, she could almost taste his lips ravishing hers, and she could almost feel the strands of his dark lock twining around her fingers. As they closed the distance she could see that half of his hair had been pulled back into an intricate braid while the rest tumbled over his shoulder to frame his pale, dead, skin. He looked much as he had on the night he had turned her in Dr. Seward's quarters. Instantly she was back there the moment he stood in front of her like a dark god. Mina could hardly believe it. Even though, for her, a day and night had gone by she couldn't believe she had been without him so long. Tentatively Mina touched his exposed chest. When her hand touched his flesh she laughed. "You are real…" Years ago she had found that she had adopted his accent and now, with him before her, she was sounding like herself again.
Dracula brought his hands to her face, "My most precious life." His voice wavered as he gently caressed her cheeks. "Mina…" Her hands slid up his chest, over his shoulders, and up into the longer locks of his hair that weren't restrained by the braid while he dropped his hands down to her waist, and then he gripped the back of her thighs. With his great strength Dracula picked her up where she wrapped her legs around his hips. It was Mina who fused her mouth to his, her fangs scrapping the inside of his bottom lip. She ravished his mouth with such passion that it brought him to his knees. He could care less that the storm had vanished, that the sun rained down upon them, that people were watching them. His wife was in his arms. Dracula was with Mina once more. It was where he belonged. She tasted of sanity, of love, of his life. He was so happy that he was back with her, feeling her against him.
Back at Gold's shop, Belle and Rumplestiltskin watched as a man in red armor appeared in the center of town. Then he turned and started to walk towards someone while in a haze that looked like sand being blown away in the wind, the armor faded to be replaced by regular clothes. Gold could sense the cold chill of darkness emanating from the new arrival. It was the same feeling he got from Mina; the feel of death.
"That must be her husband." Belle muttered recognizing the man from Mina's memory, on this version had no beard. He was clean shaven. She wanted to see where he was headed. Leaving Rumple's arms, Belle stepped outside into the sunlight just in time to see Mina down the street in the arms of her husband and they were kissing passionately. "Oh…" She mouthed turning to head back inside only to nearly collide with Rumple.
"You know him?" Gold asked oddly drawn to the sight before him. He couldn't take his eyes off of the two people in the middle of the street. Even Belle turned back to watch them. Why couldn't he take his eyes from them? It was maddening.
"That's Dracula, her husband and the man who made her the vampire that she is." Belle answered watching the passion unfold in front of her eyes. She was almost swept up in it. The raw powerful emotion seemed to fill the air spilling out into immediate area. She watched transfixed as Dracula sank down to the pavement while still kissing Mina. Belle felt her chest rise and fall harshly and her skin tingle. One vampire was alluring; two would make for an explosive mix of forbidden desire. Belle forced herself to turn away, to turn and look at the man she loved. He took her hand to pull her back inside his shop where she went with him willingly.
Down the street Mina had to force her mouth away from him. She untangled her fingers from his hair and cupped his face, "How did you get here?" She asked breathlessly. Maybe, since he had gotten here, they could return home in the same manner when the time came. But she sensed that would not be the case from the look in her love's eyes. He was never really good at hiding the truth from her since she had become a creature of the night like him. "What is it?"
Dracula looked up into his wife's face, "I did not give Igor the time to devise a way back with out a great storm." He pulled aside his sleeve to show Mina a bracelet, "I am not sure how this works, but I think Victor can figure it out, if he's here." He said. "I could not wait a moment longer to try and be with you again." Dracula cupped her face again. "My life is darkness when I'm not with you."
Mina smiled, kissed him, and held him close. "Just as mine would be hell without you." It stung that she couldn't go home with him yet. Mina wanted to return to her world, the castle where she had lived for so many years. She wanted to go back to where the rules of the world she understood. "We'll get home soon enough. All that matters to me is that you're with me." She brushed her hands over his forehead and over the top of his head to cradle the back of his neck. "We can survive here until we find a way back to our world." Mina smiled lovingly. "Until then, I would like to introduce you to my two friends I made."
"Oh, is that so." Dracula got back to his feet with Mina still in his arms, her legs wrapped around his waist. Now that he had her in his arms he couldn't put her down and he wouldn't even though he knew that Mina would prefer to walk. She was strong, she was independent, and she was all his. "I'm surprised you do not have the entire town wrapped around your little finger by now." He mused with a playful glint in his eyes. No one could refuse Mina once she put her mind to it.
"Give me a few days more." Mina joked enjoying the sound of his accent dancing over her senses. "You can put me down now." She said as they walked to the side walk where Jefferson and Ruby still stood. Mina only objected to being carried because she knew he expected it of her. In truth, right now, she was more than content to be carried by him. His touch was a drug more seductive that the pure sweet taste of blood. "But, I don't want you to." She kissed his forehead. Then suddenly she was put back on her feet. When she turned she was standing near Jefferson and Ruby. "Oh…" She smirked, "You remember the Mad Hatter?"
Dracula settled his gaze on the man he knew, "Ah, yes, Jefferson," He growled the name. "How good it is to see you again." Like the gentlemen he was, he offered his hand to Jefferson and the other man took it. "I understand that you fed my wife of your own free will."
"Yes, I did." Jefferson confirmed looking to Mina for some sort of signal that it was ok to talk about what happened between them last night. "When she came here she was starving and she needed a change of clothes, so I helped. I fed her." Jefferson clarified feeling like he was back in the Queen of Heart's court about to have his head taken off.
Dracula let go of Jefferson's hand. "Then I owe you a great debt." He said putting his arm around Mina's waist. "Thank you very much for feeding her." Because he was who he was, Dracula leaned down and kissing Mina on the forehead showing them how much he loved her.
Mina gained her husbands attention, "Then this lovely young woman is Ruby." She smiled warmly at her wolf friend. "She offered to fix me food and gave mea kind smile when I was all alone a few days ago." Mina told her husband. "Besides Jefferson and Victor, Ruby has been very kind to me."
"Ah," Dracula stepped from his wife's side taking Ruby's hand in his feeling the wild nature she tried to hide. "Yes, a wolf always befriends my wife. You are very special." In a sign of respect he brought her hand to his lips gently kissing her knuckles. Ruby reacted to his cold touch. "Forgive my dead skin; blood has not been on my mind lately." She took her hand back and stepped close to Jefferson. "You have nothing to fear little wolf, I will not drink blood in the middle of the day." He assured her.
Mina stepped in, "There are two other people I would like for you to meet." She could see Ruby was more than wary around her husband. The draw of power she knew the wolf could feel was beginning to scare her. Wolves showed a natural loyalty to her and her husband. But she refused to enforce such a metaphysical bond on Ruby. "Please?" Mina didn't want her husband to frighten Ruby anymore than she already was at the sight of her imposing Vampire Sire.
Dracula focused all his attention back to Mina, "Of course my love." He took her hand in his feeling the unique thrum of her skin pulse to life against his palm. "I'm intrigued as to what other kinds of friends you have made." Dracula smiled as they set off back down the street. It didn't pass his notice that people stared at him through parted blinds of shop windows. What sort of town had he ended up in? He just hoped that he could keep his bloody nature in check for Mina's sake. The way she held his hand, the way she leaned against him; it all told him that she liked this realm and liked these people.
