Title: Atonement
Chapter Eleven: Sympathy for the Devil
Author: snarkysweetness
Rating: R
Characters: Emma, Snow, Charming, Rumpelstiltskin, Ruby, Archie, Belle, The Blue Fairy, & a Surprise Guest; Emma/August, Snow/Charming, Belle/Rumpelstiltskin, & Ruby/Archie.
Summary: Rumpelstiltskin comes to collect on his favor and someone lost is returned.
Warnings: Threats of violence.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Notes: Pissed off Charming is kind of sexy.
"James! This is insane, he can kill you!"
Snow chases after James but he ignores her, walking with purpose, his sword drawn, ready for a fight.
"CHARMING!"
Even Emma stops in her tracks. The tone in her mother's voice is frightening; it's the voice of a Queen. Emma has to remind herself that her mother is the rightful Queen and she'd been born to rule. A good thing to remember the night time she considered doing something stupid.
James turns and holds up a finger to silence them both.
"Not now. I'm okay with you running things and telling me what to do, but not now. He kidnapped Emma! And you, get back to bed, you just gave birth," he barks at Emma and while she respects that he's standing up for himself and for her, she isn't five years old and even if he is her father, she's not going to listen to him.
"I don't think so. Both of my kids are safe and I have a few things to settle with good ol' Rumpelstiltskin." She'd left Henry and Amelia with Granny, Geppetto, and Blue. Between the three of them; a wood carver, a fairy, and a mean old woman, Emma felt assured that they'd be safe.
"She's right, if you're going to insist on this, the three of us stand a better chance against him than just you."
Snow enters one of the many rooms in the corridor and emerges with two more swords.
"Emma."
"No thanks," Emma reaches for her gun holster and pulls out her service pistol. "The thing only has a few bullets left, but I'm a good shot."
Snow rolls her eyes.
"Fine."
Emma knows that being up and walking around is stupid but she follows them into the throne room, where Rumpelstiltskin waits near the window. He turns and holds his hands up, as if he's surrendering.
"I just want to talk, Princess." He nods in the direction of her parents. "Your Majesties, I wasn't expecting to see the entire royal family. However, I do see congratulations are in order," he said, motioning towards Emma's stomach.
"Shut up. What do you want," Emma asks, her gun still drawn.
James has his sword to Rumpelstiltskin's throat and her mother stands behind him, her sword pointed to the ground, watching.
"I'm here about that favor you owe me."
"You're delusional if you think I'm going to hand over my kid."
"Ah, now, dearie, I never mentioned the child. I said I came about the favor; you did make me a deal. Do you plan to honor it?"
Emma rolls her eyes, but she did give him her word.
"Okay, then. If you don't want my kid, what do you want?"
His answer shocks her.
"Forgiveness."
"Seriously?"
Just when Emma thinks her life can't get any weirder.
James presses the tip of sword into Rumpelstiltskin's neck.
"You expect us to believe you came here to ask for forgiveness?"
"Yes. You see, Emma and I have a deal, we don't lie to one another."
He meets Emma's eyes and she lowers her gun.
"Let him speak. And for God's sake, dad, drop the sword. These floors look like they're a pain in the ass to get blood out of."
Snow smirks and moves to her throne, laying her sword across her lap.
"James," Snow warns when he doesn't lower his sword.
He hesitates but finally lowers it, pissed off.
"If you make one move towards either of them, I will kill you."
"Of course, Your Majesty."
James moves back, standing in between Emma and Snow, ready to strike if necessary.
"So? You want me to forgive you? Why? Why does it matter if I do? And what am I forgiving you for? For creating the curse? Or how about giving it to Regina? Trying to take my kid? Almost letting Regina kill me? I can keep going, you know."
Emma feels a small wave of lightheadedness, but she's determined to keep her stance. She doesn't want anyone to see her as weak.
"I did all of that to try to get my son back, something I'm sure you're familiar with. I'd like you to forgive me for all of it and perhaps someday Belle will also consider forgiving me as well."
As if on cue, Belle appears in the doorway, out of his sight. Emma makes eye contact with her for a moment but she shakes her head, not wanting him to see her just yet. Ruby's hand is on her shoulder and Archie stands next to both of them, ready to shield them if necessary.
"If she didn't I wouldn't blame her."
"We all make mistakes, Miss Swan. My intentions were driven by love for my son and intention is everything, after all."
Emma glances towards her father and then her mother, trying to get their gauge on things. Snow gives Emma a shrug and James grips his sword, ready for a fight.
"And if I forgive you, we're even?" She turns back to Rumpelstiltskin. "And you'll turn over a new leaf? You'll stop trying to bargain for children and messing with everyone's lives? And your magical deals, they'll stop too?"
"Aye. I still hold great power, but I have no longer have interest in tricks or deals, the only magic I plan on using is against The Qu-Regina."
"And you'll fight with us? On our side? Without screwing us all over?"
"I will do anything to keep her safe."
Emma doesn't have to ask who the 'her' is.
She closes her eyes for a moment, to think, and because her entire body aches. She's both physically and mentally exhausted and she can't remember the last time she's slept. Not to mention, she'd just given birth just a few hours earlier.
She feels her father take her hand and she's grateful to have him there to keep her standing.
"Fine," Emma says after a moment, opening her eyes. She doesn't care about forgiving Rumpelstiltskin, not really, but she needs to do it for her sanity. She never got the chance to forgive August and it kills her every day. She knows she can't walk around carrying grudges, not anymore. It's exhausting.
And above all else, the thing she wants most is to be free of the threat of war and of Regina and to be able to raise her kids in safety. Emma Swan has had enough adventure for a lifetime.
The first step was to forgo holding a grudge against Rumpelstiltskin, especially since he could help them defeat Regina.
"I forgive you, I don't trust you, but I'm not going to hold a grudge against you. But I have one condition, you need to apologize.
"I'm-"
"Not to me. Belle is the person you need to apologize to, not me."
"I wouldn't mind an apology."
Belle's voice is stronger than Emma expects. Belle emerges from the doorway, her hand trembling, but the rest of her composed and steady.
Rumpelstiltskin turns and the look on his face is enough for Emma to feel that her decision was the right one to make. He clearly loves Belle and Emma understands the lengths a parent will go to for their child.
James pulls Emma into his chest and she leans against him, hoping this doesn't take much longer; she really wants that fucking nap.
"Belle," Rumpelstiltskin reaches out to touch her cheek but she pulls away from him.
"You kept me locked in a tower! And when I tried to love you, you cast me out like nothing! And then, when I came to you after Jefferson saved me from Regina, you didn't take me to a doctor or check to make sure I was okay, you went and released magic!
Because you can't control yourself when it comes to magic.
Then you tried to steal Emma's baby! And everything you did for centuries as the Dark One? I don't know how to forgive you.
I don't think you deserve forgiveness.
And most days I don't know why I love you."
"Belle, I'm sorry. The power corrupted me and I just wanted Bae back."
"Bae left because of your actions! Everything is on you. Don't you understand that? He couldn't bear to stay with you because of what you'd become and after he left you only got worse! Losing him should have made you a better man but it didn't!"
"Yes. I was a coward and I took the easy way out and then I let power consume me. And when I had the chance to start over with my boy, I made the wrong choice. I made a mistake! And I know that nothing I did makes it any better, but I just wanted him back!"
Emma thinks of August again and closes her eyes, wishing she'd had a chance to tell him that she didn't blame him for leaving. They'd been children and everyone makes mistakes. His mistake had been nothing compared to some of the evil things that occurred in the world.
She just wants him back so they can both try to make things right, but she knows that sometimes you just have to live with your choices and mistakes.
"But I love you and I swear to you, I will do everything in my power to make sure you know that and to make up for all of my sins. I don't expect you to believe me, but I'm going to try. I'm going to prove myself to you."
Belle closes her eyes with a sigh.
"Let him suffer a bit," Ruby growls, clearly not one for forgiveness.
"Ruby," Archie starts, but Rumpelstiltskin cuts him off.
"She's right, I don't deserve-I'm sorry."
He reaches his hand out towards her but pulls it back, knowing she doesn't want him. Stepping away from her, he turns to Emma.
"Your Majesty, I lost track of Regina somewhere near her castle, I assume she's going to be running things from there. She's got power but so do I. If you combine your forces with those of the other kingdoms, it won't be difficult to overthrow her. I'll return in the morning to discuss battle tactics if you want."
James squeezes Emma's shoulder. This is her decision to make.
"Fine. We need to find everyone first. There's a lot to do, we can use all the help we can get. Plus you'll know more about the curse and we have questions."
He gives her a nod and moves towards the door to leave, but Belle stops him, calling out.
"Wait."
He turns to Belle and she moves towards him and takes his face in her hands, kissing him. When she pulls away, there are tears on both of their faces.
"Belle?"
"I'm not forgiving you, not until you do something to prove to me that things are really going to be different from now on. But I love you, I see the man you can be, and I just pray you can actually be that man, because your child deserves for you to be the best man you can be."
"But Bae-"
"Not him," Belle tells him, staring into his eyes.
Ruby rolls her eyes and leads Archie to Snow, mumbling something about hormones making women stupid.
"You're-"
"Papa?"
The Blue Fairy appears with a small by a little older than Henry.
Rumpelstiltskin looks between the boy and Belle, completely overwhelmed.
"Is that his son?" Emma asks, at a loss.
"Apparently when Emma broke the curse, she brought back everyone from our world, even those who weren't in Storybrooke." The Blue Fairy pushes Bae forward with a smirk and he runs to his father, throwing his arms around his middle.
Emma turns away from their reunion and buries her face in her father's shirt and he places his hand on her back, keeping her against him. Emma can't bear to witness this anymore. It seems so unfair to her. She's the savior, so why does Rumpelstiltskin get to have everything handed back to him? Why should get Belle, his son, and a new kid to top it off?
She knows it's selfish because she has her parents and her kids, but she really wants August back too.
Emma feels herself start to drift off when a familiar voice snaps her out of it.
"Did I miss the party?"