Chapter Thirteen: Betrayal

"You want to believe that there's one relationship in life that's beyond betrayal.

A relationship that's beyond that kind of hurt. And there isn't."

~Caleb Carr

Baelfire walked into the library and noticed a few buckets half filled with water dotted the floor of the reception area. He smiled and put his hands on his hips. If the empty shelves above one of the buckets were any indication, she will need to replace some titles. He chuckled light heartedly and heard what sounded like a hair dryer toward the back of the library.

"Belle? Are you here?" he called back a little louder than usual.

The hair dryer stopped and Belle came toward the front of the shop. Her face lit into a large smile when she saw who it was at her front desk.

"Bealfire," she greeted and was about to gesture for a hug, but felt that might have been asking a little too much in so little time. She instead put her hands and arms firmly at her side. She walked to the middle of the desk and held out her hands toward him, "What can I do for you? How can I help you?"

"Was… that a blow dryer I heard back there?" Baelfire chuckled again and nodded toward the back.

"Oh, yeah," Belle swiped some of her hair behind her ear, "I could never handle the thing when it came to my hair, but it's great when it comes to drying out books."

"How bad was it?"

"Just some reference and law books," she shrugged, "Not a big loss if I have to cut ties. I'm just glad that it didn't go after the first editions."

"Papa could just get them back to normal in a heartbeat."

"I'd much rather that I just did it myself," she rolled her eyes, "Better that it take longer and it be right than doing it quick and having to owe a foot."

"I know the feeling," Baelfire nodded, "We have more in common than I think."

Belle smiled with a giggle, "Maybe more than distaste of magic and loving your father?"

"Maybe," he paused and then looked her over. She would help him, he knew it. He ran a hand through his hair and made him look so much like the young boy that Rumplestiltskin had told her about, "I was wondering if you could help me with something."

"Oh?" she asked with a spark of excitement behind her eyes.

"Yeah, it's something that I have to show you, though," he pointed to the doors of the library, "Can you stay away from the library for a little bit?"

She looked around as if thinking it over and ended with a nod, "I think I can take an afternoon off."

"Great," he smiled.

She went to the back to her apartment, locked what she needed to, grabbed a jacket and walked back to the front of the library. He held out an arm for her and she looped her arms through his.

Outside the library was one of Gold's Mercedes and Baelfire shrugged, "He's trying to make up for birthdays missed."

"Ah," Belle sighed and ran her hand over the side of the hood, "I hope you know how to drive. I haven't had the opportunity yet."

"Don't worry, hop in," he opened the passenger door and closed it after she slid in.

"So," she said once he slid into the driver's seat, "Where are we going?"

"To meet a friend," he said and turned the engine over.

Belle smiled and felt like it was a guessing game like what she and Rumplestiltskin would play in her time in the Dark Castle. He was a lot like his father.

"Do I know this friend?" she asked as she watched the buildings pass them down Main Street.

"I don't think so," he shook his head, "He isn't much for connecting with a lot of people."

"A shut in?" she lifted her eyebrows, "Well, at least I will have something in common with him."

Soon the buildings disappeared and the forests began to flank each side of the car. Belle took a deep breath and then tried to keep her breathing even. They were getting dangerously close to the town border and she had flashbacks of the mine trying to flicker through her mind. She turned her head toward Baelfire whose eyes kept searching the road ahead of them.

"Where exactly is this friend, Baelfire?" Belle asked uneasily.

"He's close," Baelfire said more to himself than to her, "Don't worry. He's close."

After a few more minutes Belle saw the welcome sign of Storybrooke and two figures standing just before it. Belle put a hand out and covered one of Baelfire's as the car crept into a slow stop.

"Baelfire, get us out of here," Belle said in a warning tone, "You cannot trust that man. The one in black…"

"It's okay, Belle," he patted her hand and started to climb out of the car, "He's the friend. He's going to help, papa."

"No, Baelfire, you don't-" she tried to grab a hold of his jacket, but he was out of her grasp before she could. He closed his car door and she quickly climbed out of her side. She knew the monster in front of them, but he did not. She was not going to leave Rumplestiltskin's son in the hands of that devil. She nearly ran around the front of the car and stood between Baelfire and the two men. One not a man and the other she didn't recognize, "Baelfire, stay behind me."

"Nice to see you again, Beauty," Chernabog chuckled and looked her up and down, "A nice choice of clothing for today's events."

"What do you have planned?" she growled and glared at him from under her lashes, "What have you told him?"

"What he needed to hear," Chernabog said and made a flourish as if she had insulted him.

"You mean what he needed to hear from you to get him to help you," she corrected him and watched his movements.

"You are such a clever beauty, clever princess," he sneered and chuckled. He turned toward Hook and then looked back at her, "Does she remind you of anyone?"

"Not really," Hook walked toward her and tried to get a better look at her. She would take a step back toward Baelfire to shield him from the men in front of them. He looked into her eyes, "Ah… so that's it. The eyes. Same fire and determination to protect as Milah had. Nearly the same color, too."

"Milah?" Belle asked instantly and narrowed her eyes at the man closest to her. Her mind raced and it suddenly connected with the truth, "You're her lover?"

"Was is the word you were looking for," he reached out and felt a lock of her hair between his fingers. He watched her lips twist into a grimace and she pulled her hair away from his fingers.

"Don't you dare touch me," she spat at him and he chuckled gleefully.

"Definitely the same fighting spirit," he said with a laugh and went back to stand next to Chernabog.

Chernabog looked past Belle and toward Baelfire, "Did you bring the other piece of the puzzle?"

"I did," he nodded and brushed past Belle. He reached into his jacket and pulled out his father's dagger.

"Baelfire, no!" Belle grabbed his arm, "Don't you see? He is using you to get what he wants! He will destroy your father!"

"Belle, he is going to help papa," he smiled back at her a little amused.

"He is Chernabog!" she screamed and it made him pause for a moment, "He is the reason your father is cursed to begin with!"

"No, you're confused. This is Donovan. He uses light magic. He knows how to destroy the blade. He will protect us against Chernabog."

"That's right, boy," Chernabog nodded and held out his hand to him, "Now come, we will start on it."

"You are manipulating him, aren't you?" she snarled at Chernabog, "How could you twist a son's love for his father like this?"

He only smirked at her as Baelfire came closer.

"Don't you see, Belle?" Baelfire continued, "We can finally help free papa. He won't have to be dark anymore. He will be himself again."

Chernabog begins to reach for Baelfire, but before he could touch him, Belle launched herself between the two of them, "NO!"

Chernabog held up his hand to catch Belle in mid jump. He picked her up from the ground and held her in the air with her hands restrained behind her, "That isn't needed."

"You don't need to hold her," Baelfire shook his head, "She just doesn't understand. She will help."

"Oh, she will help, just not in the way you want her to," Hook said and looked closely at the beauty now dangling in mid air.

"What is happening?" Baelfire asked and held fast to the dagger in his hand. He looked between the light wizard and the pirate that kept stalking around Belle. They both looked proud, accomplished… evil. He shook his head as everything began to fall into place, "You… you said that you would be able to free him if I brought the dagger and Belle to you."

"Dear boy," Chernabog chuckled softly almost lovingly and eyed the blade, "I lied."

"What?"

"Whose voice do you think tricked your precious father in the first place?" Chernabog smiled knowingly and Hook paced around the area so that he was between Baelfire and the car.

"You are a smart boy, but too invested in your heart," Hook said in a tisk-tisk tone, "That always leads to heartbreak."

"Now with your help, I have both of his lights," Chernabog smiled and looked up at Belle who was struggling with all her strength to break the invisible bonds that held her aloft. He turned to Baelfire and nodded toward the blade, "Call him."

"What?" Baelfire asked in a hushed tone.

"Call him," Chernabog said slower and then twisted his hand. In the next moment Belle cried out in pain. She coughed against whatever was squeezing her and she bit her lip in an attempt to stop screaming.

"Don't Baelfire," she gasped, "Get out of here… warn him."

Another twist and she yelled again.

"She's running out of breath and time, boy," Chernabog warned him.

Baelfire looked from Belle to the dagger shining in his hand. He gritted his teeth and shut his eyes, "I can't let any more innocent people die because I didn't act."

Chernabog twisted his hand back and Belle could breath fully again.

She shook her head weakly and looked at Baelfire, "No… please…"

Baelfire held the blade above his head, "I call for the Dark One. Rumplestiltskin, I command thee to appear."

There was a slight rush of wind and Baelfire closed his eyes as he felt the presence of his father materialize behind him.

"This was a surprise."

The whole group turned to the Mercedes where Rumplestiltskin sat perched on the hood with a cane overlaid in his lap. He hopped off the car in his expensive suit and watched as Hook walked back toward the floating Belle. Chernabog smiled with a victorious smirk. He looked toward the man holding the blade and saw his that his own son held a tight grip on the blade.

"I don't know how you manage to do it," Rumplestiltskin looked at Chernabog and stopped to the side of Baelfire. He looked at the sight and saw the mix of emotions on Belle's face. She was relieved that he was there, but so scared that he was in more danger. This was true with the dagger in someone else's grasp. He turned back to the mastermind, "You take everything that I loved, and then when I finally get it back… you turn it against me."

"Call it a skill," Chernabog smiled and waved a hand to pull Baelfire next to him, "What do you think, Rumplestiltskin? A little much brining your boy into the mix?"

Rumplestiltskin stood still and watched both his movements and Hook's.

"Although, I knew that your lovely beauty would be a little too smart to get the dagger from you. Not much for magic, is she?"

"Neither is Bae," he answered that time, "At least that's the impression that I once had."

Baelfire cringed at the tone. That was fully Rumplestiltskin, the Dark One, not his father.

"What are you trying to do, hm?" Rumplestiltskin asked and folded his arms over his chest, "Going to have my child end me with the dagger? Or were you thinking of the good captain? I know he and I have grievances to still fight through."

"Grievances indeed," Hook's voice rumbled.

"Baelfire, hold him there," Chernabog turned to the boy-man next to him.

"No, I won't let you hurt him," Baelfire shook his head and was about to toss the blade, but felt another one against his back.

"You'd best think that through again, boy," Hook whispered into his ear from behind. Rumplestiltskin's body shifted and he took a step toward them where they held his son.

"You can kill me, but I will not let you take away my only family," Balefire hissed back at the pirate.

"I would never kill you," Hook chuckled as he released him and then turned to Belle, "But his whore… well, not much emotional attachment."

Hook nearly tore Belle from the air and held her tight against him. She screamed as she torn from the magic and into the arms of the pirate. His fingers dug into her arms as his hook kept a little more than delicate position over her wrist.

"Belle!" Rumplestiltskin yelled and took a running step forward before he caught himself.

"Don't do it, Baelfire!" she yelled and felt him grab both of her hands in one of his and his hook came up to her cheek, "Get out of here!"

Hook held his hook tight against her cheek and spoke into her opposite ear, "Even after everything that he has done to you and others… you still fight for him?"

"If you knew something of true love, you wouldn't question it," Belle said in a strangled, yet strong voice.

Hook sneered down at her and cut his hook into her pale cheek.

"No!" Rumplestiltskin tried to push forward, but the power of the blade kept him back. He looked at Baelfire who shook his head at his father.

"Bae… son, please," Rumplestiltskin said softly and both Hook and Chernabog turned toward him in surprise as it was the first time they heard the cursed soul beg for anything since getting his powers. Rumplestiltskin fell to his knees in his effort to get closer to Belle and Baelfire, "Take me…"

"What?" Baelfire asked with his grip white knuckled on the dagger. He watched his father closely. He would never have imagined that he would ever see his father on his knees again. He was begging. He was surrendering… for her.

"Rum, no…" Belle gasped and hissed from the deep gash on her cheek.

"Don't let them hurt her. I will give it willingly. Just, let me send her to a safe place," Rumplestiltskin tried to reason. When Baelfire turned to look at Belle and then back at Rumplestiltskin the confusion was easy to read in Bealfire's features. His son didn't understand. He turned to Chernabog, "Let me keep her safe and I will give you my soul."

"No…" Chernabog set his hand on Baelfire's shoulder and suddenly Baelfire couldn't feel his arms. They were now Chernabog's to control. Chernabog smiled and patted his head, "Hook and I want a little more than that."

"What do you mean?"

"I thought that I would just kill her," Hook said and ran his hook lightly over Belle's mouth and then her neck trailing the blood from her cheek after it, "Like you had killed Milah… but then, what is worse than your true love being there, but a stranger? To watch you kill her when all she sees is a stranger. A monster."

"Beautiful isn't it?" Chernabog chuckles darkly. He pats Baelfire's shoulder, "Keep him there."

"No! I won't do it!" Rumplestiltskin yelled and screamed as Hook held Belle by her hands and walked closer and closer to the border. Rumplestiltskin clawed at the ground, where he couldn't pass. He screamed and yelled like a mad man toward Belle and Hook. He looked up at Baelfire, "Bae! Please! Don't let them do this! Not to her! Belle! BELLE!"

Belle struggled against Hook's grip, but couldn't break free. Her eyes trailed back to Rumplestiltskin and tears began to flow. He couldn't hear her through his own roars of frustration and pain. He saw her lips move and he faintly read them say 'I love you' one more time. Baelfire watched and he felt his lip twitch. The first time that his father fought this hard for anything, and it was for her.

"Wait!" Baelfire yelled through the power that Chernabog had put over him. Hook stopped and looked back at Baelfire and Chernabog.

Chernabog stood in front of the boy and looked him in the eyes, "What?"

"If anyone throws her over the border, I will do it," he said to Chernabog's face.

"Why would I let you do that?" he chuckled.

"Because if I have seen anything today, it is that he loves her more than he ever loved me," Baelfire looked past Chernabog to his father and then to the black god once more. A single tear flowed down his cheek, "He never let go of his magic for me. Here he is giving everything up… for her. Let me be the one that separates that bond."

Chernabog studied his face for a moment, "You brought your father here to save her life, and you are going to help us destroy that which you saved?"

"I thought she was an innocent," he explained and gritted his teeth, "What kind of innocent steals a father from a son? I now see that he would choose her over me… every time."

Chernabog pats his hand on Baelfire's head once again and waves at Hook, "Let him do it."

Baelfire felt his arms and legs back under his control. He walked up to Hook and took both of Belle's hands in one of his as the other held the blade. He heard his father begin to beg once again behind him. Telling him that he was wrong- that he loved them both. He wanted them both happy and safe. Nothing seemed to break through as he looked at the woman in his hands.

"How could he ever love someone more than his son?" Balefire asked her face to face.

"He has never loved anyone more than you…" she whispered to him with tears beginning to run down her face and over her wound, "Never."

"Maybe it would be better to forget," Balefire dragged her to the edge and looked at the neon line he crossed only days ago.

"I don't want to forget…please."

"You weren't supposed to be part of our story," he growled a little and his hands dug into her arms.

"I understand that. So please, get to your father and go somewhere safe," she whispered to him and tried one more time, "I would rather die than to forget him. I would rather die, than watch him die. Please… He's lost so much. Don't let him lose you again."

Baelfire gritted his teeth one more time and punched against her stomach to keep her from talking. He pulled her back, ready for the toss and heard his father scream for her one more time. He closed his eyes, "I am sorry, papa."

Belle hit the ground face down and the blue light of the curse surrounded her body. Her head seemed to bob with the new sensation of magic flowing around her and she pushed herself up. She turned her body carefully and tried to crawl back toward the line. She only used one hand and arm as the other one seemed to be cradled around her middle. She gritted her teeth and just as her fingers brushed over the line, she collapsed.

"BELLE!" Rumplestiltskin screamed.

Baelfire looked over his shoulder and then told him, "Go to her, if you can."

Chernabog and Hook smiled at the sight and watched a broken Rumplestiltskin claw, crawl and eventually limp to the line. Baelfire stood back and watched as his father kept most of his body on the Storybrooke side of the line. He grabbed her hand that was just over the border and the light of the curse tried to push him back. With strength unknown to even him, he pulled her back over the line and into his arms.

"That was pretty impressive," Hook said to Baelfire and patted him on the back with his hand, "Ever think about going into piracy?"

Baelfire didn't move, didn't flinch, and just watched as his father curled over the unconscious woman in his arms.

"Belle? Belle?" Rumplestiltskin hugged her to him and ran a soft hand over her cheek. He pushed hair from her face and tried not to touch the new gash along her face. He tried to use magic to bring her to or fix any scratches or forming bruises, but it didn't work on her. He felt the despair of her loss sink into his bones and begin to settle once more. He leaned his forehead against hers as their noses touched, "Belle… dearest, please…"

In her arm curled around her middle he noticed something flashed up at him. He moved her arm just slightly and the dagger was wrapped gently in her hand. Rumplestiltskin looked at the dagger, knowing that power anywhere.

"How could he?" Chernabog noticed the shift in magic and turned Baelfire toward him. He looked over the man, but didn't see the dagger on his person, "You whelp! You gave him back the dagger!"

Rumplestiltskin looked up at Baelfire and understood. He saved her. He saved them both.

Baelfire was suddenly caught around the waist by Chernabog before Rumplestiltskin could process it. He held up a field over the man to keep him from being transported with Rumplestiltskin. Baelfire looked sadly back at his father and nodded.

"I am sorry, papa," he repeated.

"So am I," Rumplestiltskin said quietly.

"Go," Baelfire said quietly and the tried to turn on Chernabog to distract him, "GO!"

Rumplestiltskin held his hand over Belle's and took a deep breath. By the next second, they were both gone in a mist of purple magic.

"NO!" Chernabog cried to the sky and threw Baelfire from him, "NO!"

James sat in front of one of the station's computers and scanned through the pages of information that he could. There had to be more information. There had to be another way. If a black demi-god could jump worlds, than so could he. Henry sat in one of the chairs at the side of his desk, going through his book and a few that he had borrowed from the school library.

Suddenly there was a crash in the middle of the station and James was quick to pull Henry under his own body. He looked up and tried to peer through the open door to the now crushed deputy desk. He got up and put a hand out to tell Henry to stay down.

He walked out to the middle of the debris and found an unconscious Belle and a very weak and worried Rumplestiltskin. His tie was cut and bloodied from what looked like her cheek. His suit was dirty and unkempt. There was a dagger cupped by Belle's hand and his hand covered hers.

James knelt to the ground as he shouted over his shoulder, "Henry call for an ambulance!"

Henry nodded from the doorway and grabbed the phone.

James looked over Belle and then looked up at Rumplestiltskin, "What happened?"

Rumplestiltskin took deep breaths and it was only then that James noticed that he was crying.

"Gold!" James shouted at him and shook his head, "Rumplestiltskin!"

"Chernabog!" Rumplestiltskin roared and hugged Belle tighter, "You were right… you were right…"

"Henry!" James yelled back.

"They are on their way."

"This was the first place I could think of," Rumplestiltskin said softly, "Wanted to make sure she would be safe."

"We'll get you two looked at, don't worry," James checked over to his left and found a small first aid kit and brought out some gauze for Belle's face, "I will make sure that you will be okay. Chernabog did this on his own?"

"No, not on his own…" Rumplestiltskin shook his head.

"Then who else? Who would help him?" James asked and tried to clean the free flowing blood, "Your son?"

"Bae helped us get out of there. No, someone more despicable than me."

"Who?"

Henry came over with some water and tried to help his grandfather. Rumplestiltskin looked up at the boy and took a deep breath.

"Tell me, Henry," Rumplestiltskin said slowly as his tears receded, "What does that wonderful book of yours say about a Captain Hook?"

A/N: Okay, so I have been a super bad, bad author and haven't been updating like I should. It is horrible, I know. I will be updating the next couple of chapters shortly though, so please look forward to that. I just forgot over the excitement of the holidays. but I must, as all authors do, must let you stew of this somewhat of a cliffhanger for just a little while. I hope you have enjoyed the twist of events. And also, if interested, I am writing a red cricket fic as we speak- seriously I am writing the last few chapters in just the other computer window. I hope you will enjoy that one as well. And now, as always, until next chapter, dearies!