A/N: Hello party people! I'm happy to be back in business working on this story once again. In this chapter we'll see the smallest of plot movements and a few much needed conversations. Oh and did I mention angst...
A funny foreboding preceded her entrance to the shop. If asked Rumpelstiltskin couldn't have exactly placed the feeling, but he could tell that it didn't bode well for either him or the fallen fairy. He'd been expecting her ever since Ches had made his reappearance but, she'd certainly taken her time in paying him a visit.
"It seems your little apprentice got his manners and nerve from you, Rumple," Mal snarled as she stormed through the front of his shop.
"It's always nice to see you too Maleficent," Rumpelstiltskin quipped. Walking around the glass counter, he leaned against it and awaited the berating he knew to be coming.
Completely unperturbed by his less than serious attitude, Maleficent fixed all of her ire into a single glare. "What are you going to do about your former apprentice?"
"I've had a fair few misguided apprentices, you'll have to be more specific."
"No, I won't."
Let it never be said that Maleficent wasn't as clever as she was formidable. When the woman decided on something, she couldn't be dissuaded. Unfortunately, this time she'd set herself on forcing him to deal with Cheshire.
"No you won't," the former imp relented. "I don't know what you want me to do though."
Maleficent crossed her arms and leaned toward him. "I want you to fix this mess. He's your bloody apprentice."
"Was," Rumple corrected softly. "He was my apprentice. That boy no longer exists."
"I think you might be surprised if you'd talk with him."
"I've already had a run in with the boy and he made his position against me fairly clear. I'll not be dissuading him from his path alone. That much is certain."
Despite his best attempts to keep his voice level, regret laced each syllable that fell from his mouth. Rumpelstiltskin had failed Cheshire in so many ways. He never should have allowed the boy to stay with him in the first place. He'd been weak and completely unable to push away the teen who looked so like his lost son. Their relationship had been doomed from its inception.
"Then find someone to help you," Maleficent ordered as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "He and those clerics are about to stir up a world of trouble for you and the rest of Storybrooke."
"I wasn't aware that you cared," Rumple quipped, feeling an odd since of deja vu as another angry woman warned him about the dangers of the town.
"I couldn't care less about you Dark One," Maleficent corrected with an icy glare. "The clerics can have you if they so choose, might do everyone some good."
"I'm hurt Maleficent, I'd thought we'd moved past all this."
"You were an alliance of convenience just as I was. Doesn't mean I've forgiven you, or that I ever will. You've spent some three hundred years making others miserable and you can deal with the enemies you've made without my help. Whatever the clerics have in store for you will be well met old friend."
Rumpelstiltskin nodded his understanding refusing to let himself feel the bite of her words. "Then why are you here."
"For the rest of this miserable town and for my daughter," Maleficent proclaimed leaning in to make sure her point hit home. "The clerics and that little apprentice of yours are targeting all those they deem to be dark. Cheshire claims he can set me free, so I can imagine what they have in mind. If memory serves, you've had experience with such experiments."
The Dark One's eyes narrowed as the fallen fairy spoke. He could accept her anger with a grain of salt, he'd earned Maleficent's ire, but he refused to be cowed by her. "I have a rather sharp memory dearie so do get to your point and allow your memories to lie in the past else they bring other unpleasant memories of that time to the surface."
Though he'd spoken calmly, he could see the moment his unspoken threat had landed at home for Maleficent.
"There are clerics in Storybrooke-"
"There have always been clerics in Storybrooke."
"Yes, but now there are more. Along with your little apprentice who rumor has it found himself a new master."
Despite himself, Rumpelstiltskin's heart stuttered at her implications. "Frollo's dead."
"So were you." The former fairy's eyes locked with Rumple's as she left a final warning. "Were I you, I'd see if I couldn't get through to my former apprentice. Lest his latest master order him to wreak havoc on all of Storybrooke. Including the spawn of the Dark One." Rumpelstiltskin's stomach dropped at the implication. And try though he might to hide his fear, the knowing smirk on Maleficent's face told him she could see right through him in this matter. "Hop to it Rumple, times a wasting."
With that Maleficent strode from the darkness of the Pawn Shop into the light of the street, leaving a seething and terrified Rumpelstiltskin in her wake.
After her conversation with Rumpelstiltskin, Regina felt confident that she could take on her darker half and finally win. Loathe though she was to admit it, the imp was right. Her darker impulses and her past would always be a part of her, and she couldn't shirk that, no matter how badly she might want to. If she wanted to defeat the Evil Queen, then she would have to accept the part of herself she liked the least.
Regardless of the person she'd finally become, her past remained mired in darkness and poor decisions. If she ever wanted to move forward in life, she had to accept that. The lesson Rumple had been driving into her head for the past several days finally made sense.
However, now that Regina wanted to face her, the Evil Queen couldn't be found. She'd searched the town and the woods and even asked for Zelena's reluctant assistance. All to no avail.
"Maybe she's just laying low for a while," Charming suggested as he and Regina sat together in Snow's apartment. "Waiting for her next big strike."
"Does that even sound like me Charming?" Regina chided. Leaning her head into her hands the mayor attempted to focus her thoughts. "If I had just successfully cursed you and Snow I would be gloating as loudly as possible. Laying low isn't my style."
Charming placed a comforting hand on her forearm. "But she's not you Regina," he protested.
"But she is. Rumpelstiltskin was right, she's a part of me – the worst parts – but still me."
"You talked with Gold about this?"
"He is the expert on all things magic."
"And on all things dark," Charming pointed out. "Are you sure you can trust what he told you? He did enter into an alliance with her."
"On the promise of leaving his family alone," said Regina with a shrug. "I'd have made the same deal if I thought I could get away with it. And considering all I've done to Belle in the past, I can't really blame him."
Charming remained unconvinced. "Still."
"Point is, he's right. If I want to defeat the Evil Queen, I have to accept that she is a part of who I was and who I am."
"But you're not that person anymore, you've changed," Charming protested.
"It's not that simple," Regina explained. The more she explored the idea the more she believed Rumple's assessment of her predicament. "I'm going to have to face the consequences of who I used to be for the rest of my life. It doesn't mean I'm not better it just means… that I can face my past with my head held high. I can face her knowing that I'm no longer that person and I can atone for those mistakes without feeling their weight. Because I'm better than I was and that has to matter."
Noticing the stupid grin that Charming shot at her, Regina became defensive. "What?" she asked a little too sharply.
Charming shook his head exasperatedly. "You've come a long way Regina. That's all."
Regina snorted. "I know, if someone had told me three years ago that I'd be plotting to save you and Snow from the Evil Queen, I'd have had them locked in the asylum."
The front door bursting open interrupted any response Charming might have had.
"Mom! Gramps!" An overly excited Henry exclaimed as he barged into the apartment. "I think I figured it out!" Slamming his book onto the island between them, Henry continued rambling. "I've been going over and over ways that might work to break a curse like this. But so far nothing I've come up with has been practical. But I think I've finally got the answer."
"Whoa, slow down there buddy," Charming finally interjected ending Henry's stream of irrelevant information. "What exactly have you figured out?"
Wide brown eyes looked up from the book and focused on the two adults. "How to break the curse on you and Grandma Snow," Henry gushed.
"Are you sure?" Regina asked even as Charming yelled "What?"
"I'm almost positive," answered Henry.
"Explain," Regina ordered.
Smiling from ear to ear, Henry obliged. "So I started wondering if my powers as the author could be the key to fixing this."
To the surprise of no one, Charming interrupted. "I thought the author couldn't actually change the story like that. Don't you need special ink and a new book for something like that?"
"You're right," continued the ever patient Henry. "As the author I can't actually change the story without breaking certain rules, like what Isaac did. Nothing he did stuck because it wasn't real. I can influence a story or place objects or obstacles in someone's path, but outside of the sorcerer's apprentice I can't control the actions of a person."
"Why would it work with the apprentice?" David asked as he looked over Henry's shoulder at the book.
"Because the sorcerer's magic – and that of his apprentice – are tied to the author. Real life can't be changed by pen and paper," Regina replied, fielding this question to keep them on subject. Turning to Henry, she restored their conversation. "So what are you thinking? Is there an object that can help us?"
"No."
Regina's throat tightened at her son's certainty. Her dismay must have shown because Henry quickly picked back up on his original thread.
"But I think there might be a place. I've been going around collecting the stories of everyone from the Land of Untold Stories. And I think that could be the key! That realm is a land of eternal middle. All curses and illnesses and what not are dormant there. It's almost as if they don't exist, but they still do. The Count's girlfriend, Charlette, didn't die from poison until she left."
"Which means the poison was still in her system while she was there," Regina finished. "But that just means it was dormant not that it could have been cured there."
"Right," Henry agreed, "but a curse is different. I talked with Belle and according to her Rumpelstiltskin still had his powers in the Land of Untold Stories, but he didn't look like he did in the Enchanted Forest. So his curse was still present, it just didn't manifest in the same way."
"And you think that could be the key for Snow and me?" Charming added finally catching up.
Henry's excitement became palpable as the adults caught on. "Yes! The curse would still be present, but it wouldn't manifest in the same manner. Both of you would be awake and if you shared True Love's Kiss then you could end the curse."
"Could this really work," David asked.
Regina quickly went over Henry's reasoning once again. He'd obviously put some thought and research into this idea of his and, in all truthfulness, it seemed to be a solid plan.
"I think it could," Regina answered.
David ruffled Henry's hair affectionately while laughing. "You're a genius kid!"
Regina allowed them a few moments of light heartedness before bringing them back down to earth. "The question now is how do we get there."
"A portal," said David as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"But how do we create a portal?" Henry asked while shooting a knowing smirk at Regina.
"We could get the sorcerer's wand from Rumple," Regina suggested.
"Yeah, but at what cost?" retorted Charming.
"Is there a cost too high?" Regina countered.
"Of course not!" said David holding his hands out placatingly. "But I'd rather not owe Rumpelstiltskin if I can help it. Is there another way?"
Fortunately, Henry had the answer once again. "Jefferson. Ches said that Ruby and Belle were trying to talk Jefferson into creating a new hat."
"Not possible," Regina began, but Henry cut her off before she could continue.
"Apparently it is. According to Ches all they need is for Rumpelstiltskin to jump start it."
"Which takes us back to square one," a crestfallen Charming remarked.
"Rumple may be our best chance either way," Regina pointed out in a soft voice. She could certainly understand Charming's apprehension, but she also knew he'd do anything to get Snow back.
"I know," Charming agreed. "I just don't like it."
"Well we have to go through Jefferson first anyway," said Regina as she stood from the bar stool. "And you'll have to deal with him because he won't deal with me. You handle the hatter. I'll handle Rumpelstiltskin."
Thankful for the momentary showing of good fortune, Charming, Henry, and Regina left the apartment to search for the resident mad hatter.
Walking along Main Street Belle contemplated her options. She could simply the slide the yellow envelope under the Pawn Shop door and turn away or she could do the brave thing and go inside to hand it to her ex-husband in person. She'd held onto the picture for days as she agonized over this decision. Regardless of what she chose, she had to do something today. Everything within her screamed to take the easy way out. That he didn't really deserve the sonogram picture in the first place. He'd never chosen them over his power, so why should she choose to share this with him?
Even as those thoughts crossed her mind, Belle knew them to be vindictive and yet she couldn't help them. Lately all she saw in Rumpelstiltskin was the beast she'd once so hoped to banish. Ever since the Underworld he'd proven himself to be the very man she'd hoped he'd left behind after the darkness had been removed. But the longer she clung to that hope, the longer she fooled herself into believing Rumpelstiltskin could ever change.
Ches's recent appearance and story seemed to be an adequate reason to keep any child far away from the Dark One. And Rumpelstiltskin's own parenting history had some rather impressive stains on it. Perhaps the man she'd thought she'd fallen in love with had never existed. Because here lately, nothing about Rumpelstiltskin seemed very lovable.
By the time Belle made it to the Pawn Shop, she'd decided to just slide the envelope under the door and leave. It was like she'd told Snow earlier in the week, she couldn't trust Rumple and with that loss of trust came a wish for distance. To her great dismay though, it seemed as if fate intervened against her. As she bent to take the easy way out the door swung open revealing the last person she wanted to see.
"Belle," Rumpelstiltskin sounded surprised to see her at his doorstep. "What… what're you doing here?"
Taking a deep breath, Belle righted herself and faced her former True Love. "I just wanted to drop this off for you," she said extending the envelope in her hand.
Fear and dismay crossed Rumple's features too quickly for him to hide. Had she been anyone else, she might not even have noticed. But she'd fought for every inch of this man's heart and thus knew him well enough to decipher his expressions with ease.
"Are those…" Rumple swallowed nervously and cast his gaze downwards, eyeing the yellow envelope with resignation. "Why don't you come inside for this chat." He said finally, stepping aside to allow her entrance.
Belle hesitated for several long moments as she tried to make up her mind. Walking into his shop would almost certainly lead to yet another fight between them. But she also couldn't reject his offer after seeing how distressed he'd been over a simple envelope. Whatever misconception he had needed to be cleared up in private. Bolstering her courage and guarding her heart, Belle walked into Rumple's shop.
Rumpelstiltskin walked behind the far counter using it as a physical barrier between the two of them. Despite his wish to discuss things in private, he obviously lacked hope in their ability to stay civil as well. Sighing heavily he finally looked up and met her eyes. Though he tried to hide his emotions behind the masks he wore so well, Belle could see the despair written plainly in his warm brown eyes. He didn't expect this to go well.
"Is that what I think it is?" He asked in a voice that attempted to be nonchalant but didn't quite make it.
"What do you think it is?" Belle responded curiously.
"You've not worn your ring in a long time," he said bracing himself on the counter and allowing her full view of the wedding ring still on his finger, "I'm surprised it's taken you this long." Rumple seemed to steel himself for his next words. "I want you to know that, that I'll… take care of you, both of you. Whatever you need. All you have to do is ask. And I'll cover any legal fees as well, you shouldn't have to worry about of that."
Completely confused and needing to end his rambling, Belle cut in. "What are you talking about?"
"You want a divorce," he muttered indicating the envelope in her hand once again.
The pieces clicked together at once, causing Belle to huff in exasperation. Of course he always thought of the worst outcome first. "That's not what this is, Rumple."
"It's not?"
"No."
"Then why…?"
Belle rolled her eyes in what she knew to be an unkind fashion, but one she couldn't help. "Our marriage has been over for a while now I think we can both agree on that. And I don't need your help, I've already been perfectly clear about that as well. I don't need legal documents to tell me it's over."
Rumple's face fell into something between disappointment and confusion. "What if you want to move on with someone else, then you'll need it to be official."
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Belle asserted, dismissing his concerns with an ease that felt wrong.
"I just want you to be happy."
"I just wish you'd thought of that sooner," Belle bit back.
Bowing his head in shame, Rumpelstiltskin nodded. "Me too," he replied so softly she almost missed it.
Desperately needing to change the subject, Belle pressed onward. "This is a picture of the sonogram I had earlier in the week."
"You had a sonogram?"
"I did. I thought… well I thought you might like a copy," she finished lamely, sliding the picture across the countertop.
Rumpelstiltskin pulled the sonogram from the envelope with utmost care. Watching his fingers delicately caress the first picture of their child pulled at something in Belle's heart that she hadn't felt in weeks. And the crooked grin that pulled at his features didn't help matters. Knowing she couldn't give in to these urges, Belle leaned over the counter as well and began pointing out the features of their child.
"See there," she asked as she trailed her finger across a small patch of white, "that's his head. And down here are his fingers and toes. According to Dr. Whale, he's perfectly healthy."
"He's strong," Rumple observed, "just like his mother."
For the first time that day, Belle allowed herself to embrace the moment. Here she was having a perfectly civil moment with the father of her child, her True Love. For a few short minutes the chasm between them seemed smaller and more manageable. As if maybe it could be breached one day. Leaning in close to the man who'd held her heart for so many years, Belle felt as if they might even be able to make this work.
If only Rumpelstiltskin would give up his power.
Reality slammed back to her like a freight train. The little voice in the back of her head reminded her that he couldn't be trusted. That the man she thought she loved didn't really exist. The man before her was little more than a beast in human clothing. Rumpelstiltskin had proven that time and time again.
"Yes well as your son, he'll have to be," she answered standing straight again and taking a couple of steps back. Being near to Rumple clouded her judgement and she couldn't allow that anymore. She had to think about more than just herself now.
"Belle," a crestfallen Rumpelstiltskin began.
But Belle didn't give him the chance to defend himself. "With all the enemies you've made, I'll be surprised if he even makes it to term without incident. Who knows what evil awaits him after that?"
"No one is going to hurt him Belle," Rumple promised, "I'll make certain of that."
"I'm sure you will," Belle spat, "and what cost will he pay for that? Are you going to trap him on a boat as well? Lock him away from everyone and everything?"
"Belle-"
"I really don't want to hear it Rumple."
Despite his reputation for being the fiercest and most powerful sorcerer in the world, at the moment, Rumpelstiltskin looked as if one more word from her might send him to pieces. As if she could save or destroy his very soul.
Hating herself for her cruel words, but unable to fault their truth, Belle spun on her heels and left Rumpelstiltskin to the trinkets and darkness of his pawn shop.
All in all it had been a pretty good day for Cheshire. He'd finally managed to cart all of the books the elementary kids had returned, he'd cleaned out the old storage room with only one or two mishaps, and he'd even had a pleasant lunch with Henry Mills. The teenage author was really starting to grow on him. Admittedly, Ches hadn't had a friend his own age (well at least the age he looked) in many years, if ever. He and Alice hadn't gotten on well enough, but then she'd gone and gotten involved with that thief and then the genie. Cheshire simply didn't have time for such drama in his life.
In direct contrast, Henry Mills provided a breath of fresh air. The teen's consistent optimism and cheeky humor melded well with Ches's jaded world view and snark. He'd have to be careful not to step on the toes of his newest friend whilst attempting to rid the world of its evils. Henry had a fair sense of right and wrong and had a good head on his shoulders. The teen might protest over some of the clerics work, but in the end, he'd see the truth. In the end, they all would.
The icing on the cake for Cheshire's day came in the form of an exceedingly distressed librarian who seemed hell bent on criticizing her husband. Which just so happened to be one of Ches's favorite past times.
"Hey there boss lady," he smiled as Belle flung her purse under the counter and sank heavily onto the circulation desk. "Got everything finished for today and I even tackled that stubborn storage room we've been intending to get to."
"Slow day?" she asked kindly though her attention was obviously focused elsewhere.
"Pretty much. The only highlight of the day was old Ms. Charles looking for a book on, and I quote, slightly smaller than abnormally sized footwear. Apparently, they're downsizing."
That comment earned him the slightest of chuckles from Belle. Despite her attempt to appear interested in his day, Cheshire could tell that she was lost in her own mind.
"What's up with you today boss lady?" he queried, not even needing to feign curiosity.
"It's nothing Ches," said Belle as she began pulling books from the drop off box.
"That's not a nothing kind of face," he protested.
Belle paused in her pointless pursuit of distraction to finally turn her full attention on her protégé. "You're too observant for your own good you know."
"So I've been told. By multiple sources in fact."
Having a rather decent idea of who had upset her, Cheshire tried once again to pry into her problems. "You don't have to talk to me about whatever it is bugging you Ms. Belle," he said gently. "But if you want someone to talk to..."
He almost had her, he could tell. She was so desperate to feel validated in her anger and so confused about the hatred that now marred every thought of her estranged husband. Belle considered herself to be so intelligent, it only made her that much easier to manipulate.
For the briefest moment, something shifted in her gaze. Something almost like suspicion before the charm he'd given her reminded her to trust him. Handy that, he thought before Belle jumped into her explanation.
"I had another row with Rumple," she admitted.
"What did he do this time?" Ches bemoaned, pulling himself up on the counter beside her.
"It's just…" Belle sighed. "I can't trust him and now, apparently, I can't even trust myself around him. We can't have anything close to a civil conversation, even when it involves the child we're about to bring into this world."
Belle's frustration only intensified as her rant continued. By the time she'd finished Ches could tell she'd worked herself into a proper indignant mood.
Fixing her with eyes that promised understanding and compassion, Cheshire continued his work. "You have every right not to trust him Belle! I'm more confused as to why you keep trying to make things work with him. All he's done is hurt you further."
"It's complicated," she insisted.
"Then uncomplicate it for me."
"I can't take his child away from him."
"And why is that?"
Her brows drew together at his question. "That would be cruel."
"Crueler than allowing the Dark One access to a child?" Ches argued. "I'm like the poster child for why that's a bad idea, Belle."
"Rumple…" she seemed to weigh her next words carefully. "Rumple's made a lot of mistakes. A lot. Of mistakes. But before Zelena, he was getting better. The witch and Baelfire's death changed him… I can't… he can't lose another child, Ches. It would destroy him."
Carefully Ches hire took one of her hands into his. "Belle," he began softly, hesitating slightly to add a little compassion to his words. "I know I'm biased here, so you're going to take everything I say with a grain of salt. I grew up in the Dark Castle," that wasn't a lie, "and it wasn't a good childhood. I've been around the Dark One as a kid and he has his charming moments. But he also has a ridiculous temper and he always has an agenda. When I got in the way of that agenda, he cursed me."
"But you weren't his child," Belle argued stubbornly. "I'm sorry, that was insensitive."
"No offense taken," Cheshire chuckled lightly. "I feel I might have gotten lucky in that respect. As protective as he could be over me, I can only imagine what he might do to his actual child."
"Rumple can be a bit misguided when it comes to protecting his family."
"A bit misguided doesn't do it justice Belle. He locked you up on a boat! He used to keep me confined to a specific wing of the Dark Castle for days when he felt like something was amiss. Just imagine what he would do to his child!"
Belle's heart and mind were at war behind her quiet façade. One more little push then.
"Just imagine what he did to poor Baelfire," Ches said planting the idea more firmly in her head. "Is there anything he wouldn't do to "protect" his family? Not to mention what he'd do to you if he thought you'd become a danger to the child."
That seemed to register with the bookworm.
"What do you mean?"
"Say for instance he knew about this little conversation," Ches supplied. "What do you think he'd do about it?"
"I don't think he'd…"
"What? You don't think he'd try to stop you? By any means necessary."
"He couldn't-"
"Because his moral compass is so good at directions?"
"He wouldn't hurt me."
"Not even if he thought you were the danger to his child?" Ches paused allowing that to sink in. "I heard a very intriguing story about the birth of Zelena's child. How the pregnancy was sped up by a vindictive Dark One. Doesn't take much imagination to see Rumpelstiltskin sinking to that level now does it."
Belle's eyes went wide at the implication, but some obstinate part of her still resisted. "He'd never hurt a child."
Cheshire laughed without any humor to color his tone. "You're not a child and if you go by that logic then neither was I. And I guess Baelfire wasn't either?"
He could tell the moment that he'd convinced her.
All in all it had been a bloody terrible day for Rumpelstiltskin. So far, he'd contended with Maleficent's warning and all its implications and then with an increasingly moody Belle. He'd been paid a visit by Thomas Herman, who'd insisted – with all the arrogance such royals were known for – that Gold's pawnshop must have some family heirloom or another. He'd only managed to get the obstinate boy to back down by threatening to turn him into something small and slime.
And just when he'd thought it couldn't get any worse, his least favorite cat sauntered through the shop door.
"I'm sorry, but we don't serve patrons who aren't up to date on their rabies shots," Rumpelstiltskin quipped at the sight of the arrogant young man.
Unnaturally white teeth shown through Cheshire's large smile. "Lucky for you, I'm up to date," the boy laughed. "I may even still have the paperwork somewhere if you'd like to check."
His old apprentice was nothing if not quick. Rumple had to give him that. "I'll take your word for it. Though I still must insist you leave."
"And hear I thought you'd be excited to reminisce a bit," Cheshire pouted.
"I've found it's usually best to leave the past were it lies. Keeps things from getting messy."
Cheshire strolled through the shop, looking in the large glass showcases and generally sticking his nose into anything he could. Much like a cat.
"I prefer things messy," he finally responded. "Keeps things from getting boring."
"Just as I'm sure you enjoy chasing mice and knocking things off countertops," Rumple quipped as his temper began getting the better of him.
Cheshire merely chuckled. "Calm down Dark One, I'm here to help."
The mischief which lurked in the teen's eyes said differently.
"I thought you were here to destroy me."
"Patience Rumple. We'll get to that in due time," the cat all but purred. "No, I'm here on behalf of that little wife of yours. Is she still your wife?"
Rumpelstiltskin felt the world shudder to a stop. "What have you done to Belle?"
"Me?" Ches simpered. "I haven't done anything. The question is, what've you done to her?" Malicious glee filled Cheshire at the discomfort Rumple couldn't hide. "She came into the library all wound up. Kept going on about how she couldn't trust you but that she was terrified of what you might do to the child or her. Seemed quite desperate."
"And I'm sure you helped assuage her fears, didn't you?"
Placing a hand to his chest, the teen put on an affronted expression. "I simply did my duty as both employee and friend. Reminisced with her, if you would. She seemed quite upset when she left. Last I saw her she was headed towards that old farmhouse on the edge of town. Friend of yours?"
As panic threatened to overwhelm Rumpelstiltskin, he didn't notice Cheshire slip a longer slender wand under his cloak. Belle couldn't be so foolish as to trust the witch, again could she?
"Well," Cheshire said, "I've done my part by giving you fair warning. Good luck."
Rumple hardly realized his former apprentice had left. His mind had whirred to life and began chasing the many paths this could potentially end in. Belle had been clear earlier that she still didn't trust him, but surely, she didn't equate a lack of trust to taking his child from him. She'd brought him a sonogram. That had to mean something.
Yet every path that he followed showed him losing his child all over again. A child he'd never even get the chance to know him. Belle meant to take their child and run as far from him as she could. Had it been only Belle, he would have let her. He had no right to keep her and she'd proven time and again that despite her best attempts she just couldn't love him.
But now she wanted to take his child as well.
Rumpelstiltskin's chest tightened even as an unbearable weight settled across his shoulders. He couldn't allow her to do that. He couldn't lose another child. One that he could do right by from the start and one that might perhaps love him unconditionally as Bae had done so many years ago.
She'd trusted the witch once again. It hurt to see that Belle trusted the woman who'd caused him so much pain over the man she'd once claimed as he true love. Yet here they stood, on opposite sides once again. This time though, Rumple knew he held the high ground. Belle had tried to run off to some gods forsaken land. A place where there would be no one and no help. And he'd once thought her so intelligent.
If he focused on his anger long enough, he might even be able to forget where he stood and who stood beside his wife. Leaning on that anger and nothing else, he snapped the bracelet he'd crafted onto Belle's wrist, ensuring he'd be able to find her – and more importantly their child – no matter where Belle went.
"You can't stop me from leaving," she spat as he released her arm and stepped back.
"I think I just did," he replied indicating the jewelry she now couldn't remove. "And I certainly don't regret it. What were you thinking Belle?"
"That anywhere is better than being near you."
Rumple couldn't quite mask his flinch at the harsh words. But he had to make her understand the danger she'd very nearly placed herself in. "You're so desperate to get away from me that you'd willingly put our child in danger?"
Belle rolled her eyes at his pleas. "I'm not the one who's a danger to my child."
"Yes," Rumple snapped as his anger rose, unbidden, to meet hers, "because the Enchanted Forest is the best place to have a baby. The world where few others live, and which hasn't even discovered penicillin yet. Not to mention that birthing a child in that world without help is practically a death sentence for mother and child. No danger at all."
"I would have figured it out," she replied stubbornly. Folding her arms across her chest and squaring her shoulders, she prepared for a fight that Rumpelstiltskin no longer had the will to wage.
"As long as I have a say in the matter you'll be in a land with actual doctors."
"You've lost any say you might once have had."
"How Belle?" he cried. How could he have lost it when all he'd done was what she wanted. He'd screwed up with Hyde, he could admit that. But in everything else, he'd done everything she'd asked. "Was it when I got Hades to break the contract or was it when I did everything in my power to wake you from your self-induced sleeping curse? When I changed everything about myself and became the man you always wanted and that still wasn't enough? Please explain it to me Belle."
"Your actions pushed me to those decisions, and you know it," she artfully evaded his point.
A long pregnant pause slid between them, filling the space with palpable tension. "You can't take this child from me Belle. I will fight you every step of the way in this."
"I almost won today," Belle affirmed anger coating every word. "And next time I will run so fast and so far, that you will never even set eyes on this child."
He couldn't help himself as the anger that had been building since their conversation earlier in the day boiled over. Belle knew just how much those words would sting. Intentionally keeping him from his own child, his second chance. The voices of the curse called for her blood as she dared to threaten him. And while Rumpelstiltskin might be accustomed to ignoring those voices, he couldn't stop the words that flew from his mouth. "Let me remind you dearie," the Dark One hissed, "that Rumpelstiltskin takes children. Not the other way around."
"Tell that to your first born," Zelena taunted from the side without hesitation.
Rage blinded Rumpelstiltskin as the woman who murdered his son dared to speak of Baelfire. Here in this house where she'd used the dagger to hurt and force humiliation on him so many times. "You do not get to speak," Rumpelstiltskin growled throwing up a hand to choke the horrid witch. He and his curse were in complete agreement that she at least deserved death.
Pain slammed into his chest as soon as her airway closed. White flashed across Rumpelstiltskin's vision as he let the witch go and stumbled back into the refrigerator. His hand shooting to his chest as he fell to the floor, pain blocking out almost everything else.
As if from a great distance away he heard voices speaking around him.
"Wh-what's happening?" Belle asked with something almost like concern ghosting through her voice.
"That is called a heart attack." Zelena explained smugly. "I think that he forgot that his little ticker only tocks thanks to me." The witch moved closer to him and Rumpelstiltskin felt his mind collapsing around him. All of the walls and blocks that he'd carefully crafted since his time with Zelena shattered. In their wake memories assaulted him. Memories of him on his knees at her feet, of being trapped in a cage, and locked away from the few who cared about him, of Baelfire dying slowly in his arms.
Zelena crouched in front of him leaning forward until their faces were centimeters apart. "See when I saved your life back in that New York hospital I didn't do it out of the kindness of my heart. We had a deal remember."
She was far too close, and he couldn't force his legs to stand. Horrifying recollections continued to hound him. Shadows of violation in this house danced around him even as the ghosts of unwanted hands clung to him. "So, whenever you hurt me," she laughed. "You're only hurting yourself."
It was too much to handle. Too much like before when he'd been helpless and unable to stop her from hurting him. Pain still blossomed in his chest, but now it was the memories keeping him on the ground. "Please don't," Rumpelstiltskin gasped without realizing the quiet plea had escaped. She'd spent a year torturing him, violating and degrading him at every turn. He couldn't take it again. His mind had taken him back to that cage and he'd yet to find his way back out. "Please stop... Don't, don't touch me," he stammered weakly, throwing his hands up in front of him in hopes of keep her at bay. Knowing it wouldn't be enough to keep the witch away. It never had been.
Zelena simply snorted, laughing in that dark quiet manner that always promised more pain. But before she could speak, Belle cut in. "Zelena, what's going on?"
She shouldn't be here, Rumpelstiltskin thought. Zelena would hurt her, he knew that to be a fact. She'd taunted him with the many ways she could force him to hurt Belle. She has to leave, he thought."Belle?" he muttered but his voice was too quiet to hear over Zelena's.
"He's having a heart attack because he attacked me, Belle," the witch was saying. Why was she talking to Belle like a friend? "When we were in New York we made a deal. His life for mine. That kind of contract strikes a specific magical toll. If he hurts me, he hurts himself."
As the two talked Rumpelstiltskin slowly managed to pull himself back to the present. Realization that he'd broken down completely in front of Zelena and Belle caused his face to burn in humiliation. Deciding he'd been shamed enough, the Dark One pulled himself to his feet. The pain was gone, but his rage had only grown. He'd never wanted Belle to see him like that, never wanted her to have any idea of all that Zelena had done to him. Of the many ways he'd betrayed her.
Both women turned to him as he stood. Refusing to look at his wife, Rumpelstiltskin focused all his being into the burning hatred he felt for his former student. "This isn't finished dearie," the Dark One promised danger mixing with exhaustion to make his tone less threatening than he'd hoped.
"I certainly hope not," Zelena answered brazenly.
With a wave of his hand and some colorful smoke, Rumpelstiltskin found himself once again back in his shop. Collapsing onto the cot in the back, his heart rate slowed as he regained his composure. Taking his head into his hands the Dark One was surprised to find tears streaming down his face and shame cut through him once more. Had he so completely lost control at the witch's home?
Rumpelstiltskin had known going there would be unpleasant, but he hadn't had a choice. For whatever reason Belle had chosen Zelena as her confidant in trying to escape from her estranged husband. Anyone else might have talked her into staying in Storybrooke where she would get the best possible care for her child instead of jumping into a realm that had never even heard of bacteria. But no, Zelena was rash enough to aid her. The witch probably also reveled in the knowledge that such actions would hurt her former teacher.
A desperate, inhuman groan escaped from him as he contemplated how to handle this latest offense. Zelena had to go. That much was for certain. He'd been on pens and needles since her return. Waiting for the moment that she attempted to reclaim his dagger. Rumpelstiltskin fully agreed with his curse in the thought that he would never be safe until Zelena was safely dead.
But how did he accomplish that without driving Belle even further from him? There was also now a child to consider. Zelena's was safe from him, he would never willfully hurt a child. But was his safe from her? He'd already lost Bae to that horrid woman, he refused to lose another. Yet acting against Zelena would almost certainly lead to Belle leaving him for good. Could he sacrifice his relationship with Belle for the sake of their child?
Rumpelstiltskin knew the answer to that question almost without hesitation. And it scared him to no end.
Belle stood in Zelena's kitchen completely bewildered by the scene that had just unfolded in front of her. Zelena had explained the magic behind Rumpelstiltskin's heart attack, but that didn't rationalize his reaction. He'd been terrified and completely cowed, pleading with the woman he despised the most.
Her husband hadn't told her about his meeting with Zelena in New York. And, not for the first time, Belle wondered if perhaps there was more about his relationship with the witch that he hadn't shared as well. Rumpelstiltskin had always been closed off, but he'd been so much worse after his time as a prisoner in the storm cellar of this very house. Belle had never asked for details about his experiences during the missing year and she knew that her husband had been more than happy about that. But she'd woken him from enough nightmares to know that it hadn't been pleasant.
Maybe if they'd talked back then, they wouldn't be in this current mess. Suddenly standing in Zelena's kitchen didn't feel like the right place to be anymore. The beauty knew that she couldn't face Rumpelstiltskin right now, but she also knew that being here was wrong. "I should go," she said in a quiet voice looking up at the former ruler of Oz.
"I'm sorry it didn't work, Belle," the witch offered walking over to the pregnant woman and placing a hand on her arm. "Truly. Between you, me, and the cat we'll find a way to stop him. I promise." Redeemed or not, Belle didn't like the sinister glint that flickered through Zelena's eyes or the hungry set of her mouth. Something about the situation felt off to the bookworm.
But she didn't say anything of that sort to Zelena. Instead she plastered the most grateful look she could onto her face and smiled. "Thank you Zelena. For all of your help."
"Of course."
"I'm sorry, it's been a long night. I think I'll head home and think through all of this tomorrow," the beauty proposed.
Zelena simply nodded. "If you need anything at all Belle. Feel free to stop by again."
The words sounded so sincere. Perhaps they were, but as Belle walked out the front door and into the night she knew that her time seeking help from the witch was over.
A/N: Thank you guys for reading and please let me know what you think in the reviews above or the comments below! Next up: Mal sees something she shouldn't, Rumple says something he shouldn't, Ches continues doing many things he shouldn't, and Zelena gets a rude awakening.
Thanks as always and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!
