Once Upon a Time does not belong to me. This has not been beta-read, and I really need a reviewer. Any critiques or comments are welcomed!

CHAPTER 4

Guardedly, Regina moved further into the room with icy calm and haughty grandeur. She knew by his very first word that the situation was precarious.

"What do you want from me now, Cora?" he ground out. His eyes burned unnaturally brightly. "Come to break my heart again? Or are you here begging me to take you back?"

Regina stopped at the foot of the bed. "I am not my mother," she said flatly through gritted teeth.

"Your mother?" he gasped. Peering up at her through squinted eyes, Rumplestiltskin frowned, a look of undisguised anger on his face. "Well, you're certainly not mine."

Belle was thoroughly shocked. Her face blanched white. "Was there," she began, then stopped to clear her throat, "was there a chance she could be?"

Gold gave her a long, cool look of near contempt. "I hardly think that's any of your business, dearie." He giggled in that insanity-laced, high-pitched nasally tone. "Who are you to question me anyway?"

Belle flushed a deep crimson. A thick, uncomfortable silence spread across the room. No one dared move as eyes were averted from Belle's obvious embarrassment.

Regina broke the silence. Arching a finely shaped brow, she tilted her head, trying to present a calm façade, but anyone who knew her could have seen the fine trembling in her hands and the slight rise of blood in her cheeks. "I knew you were my mother's teacher," she stated coolly, "but I was unaware that you and she were - involved."

Rumplestiltskin grinned enormously at Regina's attempt to appear unconcerned. "Oh, well, not really," he admitted, taking pity on the former Evil Queen, "not like that. Though, at one time, I had hoped that she and I would - " He shrugged.

Regina's shoulders settled faintly. She was more than a little relieved at this news. Then suddenly like a flaming arrow another, terrible thought struck her. "You aren't Zelena's father, are you?"

This one question caused gasps all around. Henry reached out to grip his mother by the arm, holding her upright against a possible positive answer. In a near faint, Belle staggered backward into Hook, who caught her easily.

A massive frown etched itself across his face. "Hell, no!" he thundered. "I told you. I never f- " - He took notice of young Henry and caught himself just in time. "I never took liberties with Cora. I treated her with honor and all the respect a man should offer to the woman he wishes to marry." He held Regina's eyes, nodding at Henry.

"Aye," Killian spoke up. He set Belle on her feet and moved them closer to the bed. "I've known you a long time. I've known you when you were the talented but humble spinner. I've known you when you were the Dark One, the crocodile, my enemy. And I've known you as Mr. Gold, the pawnbroker." He looked around at all the expectant faces. "You're clever and twisty with words, and you can strike a deal better than anyone. But you are neither a liar nor a -" He, too, glanced at young Henry. " - a man who mistreats women."

Rumplestiltskin acknowledged him with a curt nod.

There was a quick knocking sound at the door, and Dr. Archie Hopper stuck his head in the door. "Good morning," he called cheerily. "May I come in?" He walked gingerly into the overly crowded room.

Regina lay her arm across Henry's shoulders. "Let's go, Henry."

"Wait, Henry, boy," Rumplestiltskin called out. "I want you to stay. You're Bae's boy." His voice was choked with emotion.

Henry smiled softly, and he grasped his grandfather's hand. "It's okay, Grandpa Gold. I won't leave you. I'll just wait outside for a while."

"But, why? Why do you have to leave with Cora's girl?" The old man was getting agitated, gripping Henry's hand almost painfully.

"I'll, uh, just wait outside too," Killian added as he slipped outside the door.

"Good!" shouted Rumplestiltskin loudly at the pirate's back. The tears came, and he began to quake in fear. "You wouldn't leave me, would you, boy? Please? I lost my Bae." The tears were sliding down his cheeks, and his voice dropped to a sandpapery rasp. "I can't lose Bae's boy, too."

"No, Grandpa Gold," Henry reassured him. "I'll be back. I promise. Right now, Dr. Hopper needs to see you in private. I'll be right outside." He smiled encouragingly.

Reluctantly, the old man released the boy's hand and watched his grandson leave. His tears were wiped gently away by Belle. "Milady," he said softly, as he removed her hands, "you have no right to touch me so tenderly."

Belle's trembling hands clutched the wet tissue. "Rumple," she whispered in anguished tones, "don't you remember me? I'm Belle, your wife."

His mouth dropped open, and he blinked owlishly at her. "What?" The nasally tone of the Dark Imp was back. "No, no," he muttered shaking his head in denial, "no, no, no!"

Belle's clear blue eyes filled with tears. She covered her mouth with her hands, unable to speak.

Dr. Hopper slipped a gentle but firm hand beneath Belle's elbow. His other hand rested in the center of her back. Delicately, he turned her away from the bed and walked her out of the room. "Belle," he spoke clearly but softly, "you can't take this personally. He's confused. Let me speak with him. You go rest."

"Dr. Hopper," Belle began, "I feel so lost." Her blue eyes were swimming in tears. "Rumple and I have so much we need to discuss, so many issues to work out." She clutched him by the arms. "I banished him, Archie!" she whispered through an emotion choked throat. "How do we recover from that?"

Archie carefully removed his arms from her. He told her bluntly, "I don't know whether or not your marriage can be saved. And, honestly, that's not why I'm here. Right now, Mr. Gold needs my help to find himself again. Once he has recovered himself, then, if he wishes, I'll help the two of you work on your marriage."

Belle's mouth fell open, forming a perfect O.

"I'm sorry, Belle," Archie insisted placidly, "but I have to put the needs of my patient ahead of yours at the moment."

Unrestrained tears rolled down Belle's flawless cheeks, and she bit her lip until it bled. "I do understand, Archie," she murmured. "I only want what's best for him."

"I know you do, Belle," Archie responded quietly. Then, he re-entered the room and closed the door with a click.

"So, so, you're saying that, that," he stuttered, "that girl is my wife?"

Archie took a deep breath. He couldn't lie, but he didn't want to hurt the older man either. With a vague smile, Archie began a prevarication. "Well -"

"Aha!" Rumplestiltskin crowed. "Aha! You hesitated! I knew it! I knew it! Someone like that? My wife?" He snorted angrily. "She's of noble birth and far too beautiful to be matched with the likes of me!"

"Mr. Gold," Archie said, his tone composed and reasonable, "why would you say something like that? I can assure you that Belle loves you very much."

"But you hesitated!" he accused. "That means there's something you're not saying!" The older man's face was turning an alarming shade of red. "Does she only love me because I'm supposed to the rich and powerful? Hmm? Or was she after my magic?"

"No, no, nothing like that," Archie replied quickly. He pushed his glasses back up his nose. "I won't lie to you. You and Belle are having some trouble in your marriage," he conceded. "I'll tell you what I know. You'll have to get the rest of the story from Belle. I can't speak for her."

Rumplestiltskin crossed his hands over his chest as if to block the coming emotional blast. "I want the truth," he said. "And don't sugar coat it."

"I don't know what precipitated it, but rumor has it that you tried to harness the collective powers of all magical people in town. That you were pooling them together into the vortex of Merlin's magical hat - "

"But why?" Rumplestiltskin asked. "What could I possible achieve from that?"

Archie could practically see the wheels spinning behind Gold's eyes. He shifted on his seat beside the bed. "Mr. Gold, I haven't a single ounce of magic in me. I have absolutely no idea what you could have been up to. Again, you'll have to speak with Belle about this." He closed his lips tightly.

Knowing that he wouldn't get any more information from the doctor on this topic, Rumplestiltskin let it go. "Please, forgive my curiosity, Dr. Hopper, and do continue."

"Whatever it was, Belle was hurt and angry," Archie told him. "She was under the impression that you cared for your magic more that you loved her, so - " He took a deep breath, knowing this next part would be difficult. "- so, she used the Kris dagger to banish you from the town."

Rumplestiltskin's jaw dropped open. "You mean," he sputtered, "you mean to tell me that that delicate little flower had the ba-" He stopped short and began to laugh. "That dainty little woman had the temerity to exile the Dark One?" He laughed harder until fat tears of mirth rolled down his face.

Archie laughed too. "I'm glad to see you're taking this well," he remarked.

"Oh, I have nothing but admiration for the young woman," he admitted, wiping his eyes. "That still doesn't excuse the fact that she dumped me, now, does it, doctor?" His tone sobered into a dry coolness that did not bode well for his marriage. "I would imagine that's the equivalent of a divorce, wouldn't you, dearie? Abandoning me without even my walking cane? Without my wallet? With no way to return home?"

Rumplestiltskin waved a hand at Archie. "There's no need for you to comment, Dr. Hopper. I'm beginning to remember some events from my long life." He looked down at his arms, which he had again, refolded across his chest. "And do you know what I seem to remember the most?" He snorted. "One abandonment after another."

Archie's forehead crinkled in a frown. "Abandonment is a strong term, Mr. Gold," he commented neutrally.

"It's an accurate term as well," he retorted.

"I'm here to listen," Archie offered, "if you'd like."

Rumplestiltskin was silent for a long time. Then, without warning he lowered his crossed arms and heaved a sigh that must have originated in his toes. "Why not?" he muttered. 'Let's start with my mum, shall we?" he asked with false cheerfulness. "I remember her leaving. I was not quite five - I think. It was dark out. Papa wasn't there yet. She left our home - not that it was anything more than a hovel." He snorted. "Just walked out and never came back."

Archie waited patiently. "You never saw her again?" When Rumplestiltskin shook his head, Archie asked another question. "What about your father?"

Another horribly fake grin smeared across Rumplestiltskin's face. "Papa?" He chuckled darkly. "Papa came home three days later - at least I think it was three days later. He was barely sober and furious. He grabbed me up, and we ran. I can't remember all the places we went, surviving on whatever coins Papa made by cheating people."

"That must have been a difficult life for a small child."

"Yeah, well, it got worse." His forced smile was getting more and more difficult to maintain. "When I was around seven, eight, - I'm not sure - he sold me to three spinster sisters. That's right, Dr. Hopper. Sold me. Said it was for my own good, but it was really because he didn't want the responsibility of taking care of me." A real smile of affection softened his lips. "Ironically, he was actually right about that. Those ladies were good to me. They treated me as if I were really their son and taught me a trade." The smile faded. "As for my dear papa, let me just remind you that my father was Pan."

Archie shivered involuntarily at the name, and Rumplestiltskin nodded. "To make a long and horrible story short - " - he took a deep breath - " - My first wife Milah abandoned me just like my mother did. She left me and Bae to run away with that damned pirate." He held up three fingers. "Bae left me next." He held up a fourth finger. "That was my own fault. I am entirely to blame, and I'll admit it." Now he held up all five fingers of his right hand. "The next one to abandon me was Cora. I truly loved her, and I thought she loved me too. But on the night we were to run away together, she ripped her own heart out rather than allow it to love me."

Archie swallowed hard. "That's a terrible burden to carry. I'd like to try to help you lighten that load if you'd allow it."

Rumplestiltskin gave him a long, assessing look. "Maybe," he allowed, "but I don't know if I can accept another abandonment on top of all the others." He sighed and lowered his hand. "I just so tired, doctor, so damned tired of it all."

"That's quite understandable," Archie told him. "Maybe we could meet each Monday morning at nine? Try to talk through some of your past trauma?"

"Aye, I'll try," he answered. "After all, what more do I have to lose?"

Archie stood. "Mr. Gold, I know you probably won't believe this right now, but there are people in this town who love and care for you. Belle, to name one. Should I send her in?"

His brown eyes betrayed him as they filled with tears. "Yes," he whispered. "Just, just give me a few minutes to collect myself, yeah?"

"Of course." Archie walked to the door and closed it behind him.