Part 21 Jefferson

A/N We're getting closer …unless the characters go off on their own again. Hang in there. LOL Then again …what will you do with yourself when this story is finished? HEEE!

The door to the kitchen opened and a disheveled Ven wandered in. She didn't say anything; or even notice there were people in there until she had rooted around in Gold's refrigerator and had several swallows of Coke. She blinked her eyes several times; bringing her brother and Belle in to focus. She polished off the first drink, grabbed another and sat down. "So. Emma. The sheriff?"

Both Gold and Belle looked astounded and Ven laughed. "Okay, my brain is not completely on, but it still works. What about Emma?"

She noted the peaceful glow that had descended over both Belle and her brother. She was glad for them. Everyone deserved to be happy; no matter who they were. Granted, this particular pairing was the ultimate example of opposites attract, but who was she to bitch? They were both radiating happiness, and Rumpel was actually smiling. It brought joy to her soul.

"Emma Swan is the key," Gold said. He didn't elaborate, so both Ven and Belle continued to stare at him. Were they supposed to know this already? They'd both been locked up for three decades. "She is the only one who can break the curse."

"Ahh …okay, that makes more sense," Ven said, nodding. "I assume there is a reason she is the chosen one?"

Gold's eyes flicked to Belle, but then he cleared his throat and continued. "When I created the curse, I added a single drop of True Love to the parchment. The child that resulted from that love can break the curse, but she must believe in it first."

Belle's head turned quickly to look at Rum. She didn't say anything, but the message in her eyes was clear. They would be talking about this later. Rumpel almost sighed. Better now than later, he guessed.

Ven had actually been struck dumb. She was staring at her brother as if he had grown another head. Belle tried to cover a laugh. "Ven?"

It took her several moments to get her head back together and when she spoke, it was to Rumpel. "You made a True Love potion? YOU? While you were flooded with all that dark power? Are you serious?"

He nodded. "From strands of her parent's hair."

"Okay, yeah, I understand the concept, but you?"

Belle didn't like her tone and began to get defensive. "Why not him? He was extremely powerful. If anyone could create it, he could."

Ven's attention went back to Belle. "Actually. No. He couldn't, Belle. You must understand what taking on the powers of the Dark One entailed."

Gold raised a hand, cutting her off and faced Belle. "I murdered someone for that power, Belle. It was inherently evil. Ven is right. That potion should have been beyond me. For all the power I had, there was nothing good about it. I'd never really thought about it."

"You were not evil, Rumpelstiltskin. You were not a monster. You were lonely; you had given up on love …"

He reached out and took her hand. "And yet, you managed to steal my heart anyway."

She smiled. "I said you'd given up, not that you were incapable."

Ven shifted in her chair. "Yes, soul mates have that effect on one another. Back to the potion."

"Soul mates?" Belle looked honestly confused.

Ven shook her head. "In the entire universe, in any realm, there is one undeniable constant. True love can break any curse. True love, in its purest form, is the bond between soul mates. That one person who fills a part of you that no one else can, or ever will. Finding your soul mate is very rare, Belle. Hold on tight."

Belle could hear the sadness in Ven's voice. "You sound like you speak from experience."

"Yeah. Long story. Another time, perhaps." She turned to her brother. "I assume you have this potion?"

"Well, not here in the house, obviously, but yes, it's safe and it's in this realm."

"I assume only Emma is capable of retrieving it?"

Gold nodded. "Right. Only the savior, and myself, can touch the bottle without destroying the contents."

"Okay. I'm also assuming she doesn't believe."

Gold sighed. "No. She doesn't. It's quite irritating, to be honest."

Belle looked from Ven to Gold and back. "If she won't believe, how do we break the curse? For that matter, why are we breaking the curse? Won't we go back to our realm? Will you have to go back to being the Dark One?"

He looked up from the table and into Belle's eyes. "I don't know. So much has changed, but Belle, I am the Dark One. The appearance is human, but the soul remains. As it is with everyone in Storybrooke."

When he averted his eyes, afraid she would no longer want anything to do with him; she grasped his hand, squeezing gently. He looked up, expecting to see pity, or pain and saw only love. "We'll deal with it when the time comes. We'll deal with it together. If I am your light, then I will shine inside you and you will not be consumed with the darkness ever again."

For the first time in more years than he could remember, Rumpelstiltskin felt hope. It was an odd emotion. Neither happy, nor sad, but lending itself to both. The desire for joy, mixed with the possibility of failure and therefore pain. He gripped her hand in his and nodded. "Together."

They sat there staring at one another for so long that Ven sighed in irritation. "So!" She said it so loudly that both of them jumped. "Emma? Curse? Belief? Break? Ideas?"

Gold stood up and took both his and Belle's plates to the sink. "It is going to have to be something big. Something that will make it impossible for her not to believe."

Ven nodded. "We can definitely make that happen. What makes you think she'll help us once she does believe?'

Rumpel smirked. "She hates Regina as much as we do. More, perhaps. Regina has her son."

Ven repeated something Rumpel himself had once said. "Never underestimate someone fighting for their child.'

He nodded. "Yes. Exactly."

"Ideas on how to go about this?"

Belle had been following the conversation just barely. "Let me get this straight. Regina, the mayor, is from our realm? And so is the sheriff?"

"Right," Ven said. "But Emma was sent here by her parents when she was a baby so she has no memory of our world."

"And her parents are …"

Ven grinned. "Snow White and Prince Charming."

"No, seriously."

Both Gold and Ven remained silent; allowing her to process the information.

Belle's eyes widened. "You are serious."

The siblings nodded in unison. Belle had not really noticed their similarity until now. While Ven was older and had a good 4" on her brother, they looked remarkably alike. Same hair, same eyes, same expressions. Belle looked at Gold. "I don't even want to know how you got Snow and Charming to give up DNA, but they're like us, right? They don't know one another, they haven't aged?"

"Right," Ven said. "Which makes talking to them about it impossible."

Gold stood up. "I have an idea."

"It's about time, bro."

He gave Ven a withering look. "There is one other person who remembers. And he has been seeking something precious to him for quite some time now. An attempt that has been thwarted by Regina at every turn. I know he used the last of his magic, but Ven, with you're magic …"

She nodded. "I'm with you. Jefferson, right?"

Belle held up a hand. "Wait. Who's Jefferson?"

Gold answered. "He's the Mad Hatter."