Rumplestiltskin:
Everyone was there. They were sitting in a room Rumplestiltskin rarely used, a ballroom. A large round table had been rolled out into the center. Rumplestiltskin had, after a moment of decision, perched himself on top of his chair so he could look down at everyone. Next to him sat Belle.
Also at the table was Charming and Snow, Midas and Regina, the Blue Fairy, Sean and Cinderella, a dwarf named Grumpy, a cricket named Jiminy Cricket, and an older man introduced as Gepetto. The Charmings had brought most of the people with, reassuring him and Belle that they would be helpful.
Gepetto's son, which Belle seemed to know somehow, was in a room upstairs with Alexandra (Cinderella's daughter), Henry, and Emma.
"Why exactly are we here? The Blue Fairy said it was urgent?" Charming asked, immediately getting to the point. Belle glanced up at Rumplestiltskin before turning to the table.
"Rumplestiltskin has agreed to create a Dark Curse that will destroy this land and bring us to a place where none of us have happy endings. He, however, has the ability to create loopholes in this curse," Belle explained. The others nodded, but none looked overly happy.
"What exactly are you planning on doing?" Regina asked.
"Well, the only person who is to be happy is Anna, who will cast the curse. So she will be locked in a mental asylum where she's on happy drugs all the time. She'll be happy," Rumplestiltskin said with a malicious smirk. Regina's lips curled into a smile.
"What about Maleficent?" Belle asked, her voice hollow. Rumplestiltskin shook his head.
"We'll trap her in her dragon form, underground, where she is asleep and can't do anything," Rumplestiltskin said.
"What about the rest of us? What are our unhappy endings?" Charming asked. Rumplestiltskin shrugged. He had been working day and night outlining everything so it would be ready when they got there.
"Regina, you will be the mayor of the town. You'll have power over almost everything, but be incredibly lonely. I'm currently trying to see if I can find a way for Henry to escape to the real world without being cursed as well, but if I can't, he will be your son, but your adopted son. He will be trying to get away from you the whole time. Snow, you will be a lonely school teacher, Charming will in a serious relationship with Abigail, and Midas will be the owner of a local bar but who's daughter won't be near him anymore. Miserable, huh?" Rumplestiltskin asked, adding a giggle to the end of it.
"And you? What of you?" Grumpy asked.
"I'll be rich, the town monster who owns the town but who everyone hates. Belle will be my wife. Obviously, it won't be happy for her to have to live with me," Rumplestiltskin said, wishing the last part wasn't true. But he knew she would be miserable in the new world as well.
"Why are you so willing to do this? What aren't you telling us?" Snow asked.
"Where's Rose and Bae? And the newest who I've only heard about?" Regina asked. Belle's face lost color and emotion. She turned to Rumplestiltskin. It seemed he would have to explain it.
"We lost them. Maleficent tricked them and sent them to a world without magic. The world we are going to," Rumplestiltskin said slowly.
"You said you were going to try to protect Henry as well. Who else is going to escape the curse?" Regina asked.
"Emma. Emma will break the curse," Belle said, her façade slipping slightly.
"Why Emma?" Snow asked, anxious.
"Emma is the product of true love. True love can break all curses. Henry, I believe, if I remember correctly, is as well. If we can get both of them out there, the odds of the curse breaking sooner rather than later is higher," Rumplestiltskin explained, glad for something he could easily explain.
"What about my boy? Pinocchio? He was made from wood. Will the curse turn him back into wood?" Gepetto asked, instantly worried.
"More than likely. I don't know how I could get around that, unless you have something else that makes you happy," Rumplestiltskin said awkwardly.
"No. No, I won't let that happen," Belle said instantly, lurching to her feet. Rumplestiltskin stared down at her still.
"Oh? How are we going to get three children out of here? If that was the case, we'd just go ourselves," Rumplestiltskin asked Belle sarcastically. Belle's eyes flashed.
"If it weren't for that boy, no one would have known what Maleficent had done. That boy risked his life for me. I will NOT let him turn to wood!" Belle protested angrily. Rumplestiltskin's face remained neutral, up until the point Belle took off her shoe and threw it at him with as much force as she could manage.
Rumplestiltskin was easily able to dodge it. His eyes narrowed.
"What makes you think you can just throw things at me without being punished, dearie?" he hissed. Belle moved to take off the second shoe, only stopping once his hands gripped her arms tightly, restraining her. She looked as if she were debating on trying to spit on him. That in itself, just the look, infuriated him.
"And here I thought we were getting along so well," Rumplestiltskin said sarcastically, allowing the Dark One to slip into his actions. He was hurt beyond means that Belle had such little faith in him still. And he wasn't about to let that hurt show.
"Enough!" Charming shouted, standing quickly and drawing his sword. Rumplestiltskin giggled at his chivalrous act.
"As if that sword would stop me," he trilled.
"Stop acting like a child so I can get MY children back sooner," Belle finally spat at him.
"They're my children too," Rumplestiltskin snarled back at her.
"The children you scared off! Why do you think Bae took that bean and grew it? He spent MONTHs growing it. Because he hadn't seen enough to think you could change," Belle spat.
"If you do not stop talking I will lock you back in the dungeon once more and curse you to spend the time in the world without magic locked in the cell next to Anna's!" Rumplestiltskin finally shouted, absolutely furious.
Belle was silent for a moment. Her silence was cut short by the feel of metal on one of his wrists. Rumplestiltskin glanced down, alarmed.
A handcuff was encircling one of his wrists. The other part of it was on one of Belle's wrists. Belle was staring down at it with horror akin to his. Both glanced back at the table, where the Blue Fairy's wand was still in the air.
"What is this?" Rumplestiltskin asked angrily.
"It's magicked handcuffs. They won't come off until the two of you can truly get along. We don't have time for frivolous power struggles," the Blue Fairy chided.
Before even Rumplestiltskin's fury could react, Belle had lunged at the fairy. Consequently, Rumplestiltskin was drug after her.
"You BITCH! Uncuff me from this BASTARD IMMEDIATELY!" Belle roared.
"Belle! Belle, calm down," Snow tried. Belle was visibly shaking in anger. She was still glaring at the Blue Fairy.
"A magic tree. Sherwood Forest is rumored to have one or two left. If we find one and fashion it into a vessel, it should be able to transfer up to two children to the other world," Belle said shortly.
"Sherwood Forest?" Regina asked.
"I've never heard of this," The Blue Fairy said, but she didn't elaborate or continue with her words when Belle's dark glare hit her.
"That's where I got the tree I carved Pinocchio out of!" Gepetto exclaimed.
"I believe Sherwood Forest is in the kingdom next to mine, is it not?" King Midas asked. Belle nodded.
"It is. And I have some friends who can help us find a tree."
Bae:
The days were rolling by. Time seemed to move much faster in this new world than it did in his world. Much faster. He could feel the acceleration.
He had fought long and hard to get Lacey and Rose to stay at the orphanage with him. The people were not overly accommodating, but for the moment they humored him.
He lied, saying he had just turned sixteen. He wasn't sure when his birthday was in this world, but he made up a new one. One that made him seem older. At this age, they told him he would be able to get a job if he wanted. And he did want.
It wasn't too long after he got a job that Lacey and Rose were moved to a Girl's Group Home. Bae was told that if he made enough money he could move out of the orphanage. And that he could still visit his sisters.
So work he did. He worked and worked. He traded small amounts of the gold thread at a time to different places to not arouse suspicion. And he did save money.
It helped that Rose's hair had gold in it now. He made a deal with the people at the group home. They allowed him to take Rose out to get her haircut and promised they wouldn't cut it themselves.
So he had a constant supply of gold coming in. But gold wasn't worth as much as it was in his world. Everything was so different here.
Rose wasn't talking to him much. Or anyone else. The girl was depressed. She missed her Mama. So did Lacey. And oh…so did Bae. He missed her so much. Every night when he tried to close his eyes, all he saw was Rumplestiltskin ripping his Mama away from him, away from them as they fell through the blue hole.
The anger he felt from that was the one thing that fueled him more than anything else. He was reminded of it each and every day when he saw Rose's forlorn face. Rose should have had her mother there to raise her.
Still, he worked. Still, he saved.
And one day, he would have the money to support his family. After all, his father had ruined them. He would not have his sisters thinking all men were evil because the one man they had had in their life was not worth the dirt he walked on.
Belle:
Everyone retired to the rooms Rumplestiltskin designated for them, leaving her with Rumplestiltskin to stalk up to his magic room and do the best to get rid of the blasted handcuffs.
She was silent as she watched him work. Her previous anger was gone. Any time she got angry, the anger dissipated shortly.
Now, all she wanted was her children back. She had spent the last fourteen years of her life being defined by her children. Every moment, just shy of the few months she spent as Robin Hood, revolved entirely around her children, with them at her side. Now, they were no longer there.
"What are you thinking about?" Rumplestiltskin asked quietly. His soft tone threw her. He hadn't used that tone with her since they had lost the children. It was a tone he had reserved for Lacey and Rose.
"Who am I without them?" Belle found herself asking. The question threw Rumplestiltskin as well.
"Sorry?" he asked.
"I've only once been defined without them. And then I was defined by trying to find them. Who am I now?" Belle asked, feeling small with the words.
Rumplestiltskin's expression completely fell. He closed the distance between them and folded her into his arms. The gesture made her eyes fill with water.
"Don't give up," Rumplestiltskin soothed. Belle shook her head into his shoulder.
"A land without magic? What if something happens to them before we get there? How long will it take us?" Belle pleaded.
"Years. It could very well take us years. And they will be safe," Rumplestiltskin swore. Belle lifted her head from his shoulder, wanting to look at him.
He had been leaning down. To kiss her forehead? She wasn't sure exactly what. But somehow, their lips ended up brushing against each other, purely by accident. The handcuffs clicked off, falling to the ground. Belle glanced at him, eyes wide.
Rumplestiltskin's skin was looking….almost normal. Like it did before.
"What's happening?" Belle breathed, eyes wide. Rumplestiltskin's own eyes widened. He threw himself backwards, eyes staring at his hands. His skin turned back to the glittery greenish-gold hue it had been since he had came into her life the second time.
"Don't do that again!" Rumplestiltskin commanded, his voice rising slightly.
"Do what? I didn't do anything!" Belle protested loudly. Rumplestiltskin shook his head, eyes wide, almost…open. She could see a thousand emotions flickering through his eyes.
"You almost got rid of my magic, dearie. Your kiss almost destroyed our chances at getting the children back," Rumplestiltskin hissed.
"My kiss? I just lifted my head!" Belle said in disbelief. Rumplestiltskin shook his head.
"And didn't you kiss me before? Why is my kiss changing you now?" Belle added. Rumplestiltskin's face, had it been normal, would have lost color. It was an open book.
"You love me now," he said, his words a whisper.
"What? I don't love you," Belle said automatically. She didn't…right? He was horrible. He was the reason her children were gone.
No.
He wasn't. And she knew it. And while she found him utterly insufferable….no.
Where did it come from? Where did that odd feeling inside of her come from? It wasn't there before, not even when he was still human.
Her face must've explained all of her inner conflict. He cursed colorfully and spun.
But stopped.
Turned back around.
"I need a strand of your hair," he said. Before she could protest, he had appeared next to her and ripped a strand out. He dropped it into a beaker before pulling out a strand of his own hair and dropping it in there as well. He turned away from her, doing something she couldn't see.
He cursed again in a few minutes.
"True love. We have true love," he said.
"True love? I didn't think that really existed," Belle admitted.
"Of course it does. It's rare. That's why Emma and Henry can break the curse," Rumplestiltskin explained, turning around. The beaker in his hands was glowing. The two strands of hair were twirling around each other.
"What is that?" Belle asked cautiously.
"True love. I bottled it. I can use it for the curse to ensure the way to break it," Rumplestiltskin said, setting it on his shelf with the other full beakers.
"True love. So you love me?" Belle asked tentatively. Rumplestiltskin didn't respond, just as she had not.
"This is just great," Belle all but moaned into her hands.
"True love can break any curse," Rumplestiltskin told her.
"Like yours," Belle said, everything clicking. Rumplestiltskin's jaw stiffened.
"But I need my curse. I need it to get us to the land without magic," Rumplestiltskin told her.
Belle was silent as Rumplestiltskin began working on the curse more.
"True love. How ironic," Belle murmured to herself.
"Sorry?" Rumplestiltskin asked from the table.
"It's ironic. All we ever do is fight and argue and use violence against each other. Is that what true love is?" Belle asked. Rumplestiltskin shook his head.
"I don't know. I'm sure it manifests itself differently in different people. I never would have suspected it though," Rumplestiltskin stated.
"Does this speed up us getting the children back?" Belle asked, instantly excited. Rumplestiltskin nodded.
"Indeed it does. We may be able to finish within a year," Rumplestiltskin said with a smile.
The next day had them traipsing through the Sherwood Forest. Snow and Charming agreed to come with Rumplestiltskin and Belle. The others opted to stay at the Dark Castle.
They hadn't been in the forest long before an arrow hit the tree right above Belle's head. Belle immediately had an arrow ready on the bow she had brought on the little outing. She let the arrow fly through the air.
A curse was heard. And Belle's face lit up. She knew that curse. And she knew the curser.
"Little John, I hope for your sake that Hansel and Gretel aren't within hearing distance," Belle called out. She turned to the Charmings and Rumplestiltskin, both who appeared confused. Little John fell into sight, Hansel and Gretel trailing sheepishly behind him.
Also with him was Ruby, Gus, Lancelot and Graham.
"Belle!" Ruby squealed, rushing over to envelope Belle in a hug. The others did that, all but Little John of whom Belle was glaring at still. He held up his sleeve where the arrow had put a hole in it.
"You don't just shoot at people in the woods, Little John. Have you forgotten our signal?" Belle lectured him.
"I didn't think we'd see you again. After all, we thought we'd lost you," Little John said. His eyes drifted over to Rumplestiltskin.
"I guess asking if you got away from him isn't the best question," Little John asked drily. Belle shook her head.
"Where's Lacey? I can't wait to see how big she's gotten!" Ruby said excitedly. Her words caused Belle to stiffen.
"That's why we're here. Maleficent sent Bae, Rose, and Lacey to a land without magic. We need the last of the enchanted trees," Belle said awkwardly.
"WHAT?!" Ruby shouted, furious. Belle nodded.
"Please tell me there's some left!" Belle begged. Ruby turned to Little John.
He hesitated.
"There's one…only one left. And it's not a large one," he admitted. Belle's face darkened.
"What happened to the others?" she asked authoratively.
"We lost them. Someone pillaged the woods and chopped them down," Lancelot explained.
"Dearie, we're on a time restraint," Rumplestiltskin said, his hand gripping Belle's shoulder tightly. They were not on a time restraint, per se. He just wasn't happy with…with what, exactly? That was the big question. Belle ignored him.
"Take Charming with you and chop it down. I want to examine the woods quickly and then we will meet you there and Rumplestiltskin will transfer it back to the Dark Castle," Belle commanded. Everyone quickly did as she asked, except for Snow and Charming. Both stared at her, almost in awe.
"What?" Belle asked, confused. Snow shook her head.
"You're a completely different person around them," Snow said.
"I was their leader for a few months," Belle said dismissively.
"But you aren't anymore. Now why don't the two of you go with them and I'll walk Belle around the woods," Rumplestiltskin said possessively. The Charmings did as he asked – albeit unhappily. Belle spun on him.
"What was that?" she demanded.
"What was what?" Rumplestiltskin repeated blankly.
"That! You were acting like some jealous husband!" Belle all but shouted at him.
Only to realize her words.
"Technically, dearie, I am still your husband. And I would be lying if I said I wasn't jealous. Especially with how those men were looking at you," Rumplestiltskin said.
"They weren't looking at me any differently than they ever looked at me," Belle scoffed.
"I knew I was right to take you from them then," Rumplestiltskin said triumphantly.
"You're insufferable," Belle said, exasperated.
At that, Rumplestiltskin cracked a tiny, genuine smile.
"And yet, somehow, you still love me," he said, but his words held a bit of puzzlement. Belle shook her head.
"It's a mystery to me too," she admitted.
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I know it was short, and a whirlwind, but I felt guilty for not giving you anything!
It's been a stressful week and a half, what with finals and moving back home for the summer! Hopefully I'll get better at updating!
Let me know what you thought, and please bear with me through this!
Andi