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Pieces of a Broken Heart

Two pieces of hair and a bottle. He needed to know that it was real, that this wasn't in vain. Did

they have true love? And so, every night he sat in his garage, wanting to put the two pieces in the bottle

and see it glow. A picture of them together sits on the nightstand, her smile relaxing his tormented

thoughts. He could still smell her in their room when he slept, her perfume lingering in her clothes. But he was a coward. His hands shake as he drops one hair in the bottle. He goes to put the other hair in but can't. What if it didn't glow? What if she didn't truly love him? A tear rolls down his face. Today was their anniversary. Thirty years ago she promised him forever. Not even Emma, who had come in today could brake that, or otherwise change it.

He had tried a forgetting potion but that hadn't worked. She wouldn't want him to forget her, and doing that would be throwing her efforts down the drain. He had buried gifts around her grave with little notes of love. She was always so patient, forgiving the unforgivable and loving the unlovable. If only he could have protected her. He places his hand on his chest. If he killed himself now, nobody would shed a tear. The clock ticks, awaiting the final move when he crushes his own heart.

&/&

She had called so many times for him, but he had never answered. The queen had showed Belle her grave. Eventually, the queen gave up on the worst of the physical torch er. Scars wracked her body, and she was starving and weak. She had lost track of the years, so many of them had passed. Regina walks back into her cell.

"Looks like lover boy brought you another gift," she smiles evily. Belle keeps her head in between her knees. She couldn't sercome to her grief. Her sanity was wavering by the day as Regina brought her within feet of Rumple. She had watched him weep over her, beat up a few people over her, and raise rent over her. She was so close to him, and yet, so far. Rumple didn't know she was their, even as she called out to him. She screamed for him and he didn't even flinch. His eyes were empty. The queen would laugh. Last night, he had nearly committed suicide. The two hairs were their, all he had to do was put them together. She truly did love him but he still didn't believe it. All these years.

Regina walks out of the cell and Belle tearfully opens the gift. She reads the note, which is tear stained. His writing is beautiful, always so perfect.

My beautiful flower,

You always wanted me to be a good man. Always believed it. And yet, I remain the beast you never saw. I don't even know why I write these notes. You are dead. I only hope that somehow up in heaven the angels deliver to you these small gifts of love I waited to long to provide you. It hurts being immortal. So many holidays, so many years, without you. I want to die and will do so by my own hand soon. I can not survive without you in my life.

Belle sobs at this. She didn't want him to go, ever. He didn't know that she was alive and now, she would have to watch him die. She looks back down at the letter.

Darling, this is my last note to you. I love you, I love you, I love you. I can only hope, that the gods can somehow reunite us. But I am evil, and like I said before, I don't get a happy ending. Oh, Belle, you are so dear to my heart. Goodbye my love,

Rumpelstiltskin Gold.

&/&

Rumple sits at the docks, waiting for the clock to strike midnight. He had given Henry instructions on what to do about the curse. He holds the bottle and the two pieces of hair. The stars were beautiful tonight. If only he could show Belle. The clock strikes and tries to put the hair in the bottle. He growls as his hands shake and he shakes his head, throwing it into the water. He was a coward. He couldn't even do this for his sweet Belle. He puts his hand on his chest and pulls his heart out. He gasps with the pain. It was dark, only a few spots remained. And those small touches of love were supposed to be for Belle.

"That desperate are we?" Regina says behind him. He quickly places the heart back in his chest and stands up, leaning heavily on his cane.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you," he says. Regina smirks. She knew he would kill her eventually. That's why she brought the brat. She pushes Belle down on the deck, tied and gagged. Rumple looks over and lifts his cane to kill her. She backs away, taking a heart out of a bag. Belle's heart.

"How dare you!" he seethes. "You take the one thing that kept me from killing you all this time, the person who spared you life, and torcher her!" The queen rolls her eyes and starts to squeeze the heart.

"I have a deal to propose," she says. He looks at her, trying to buy time. If she crushed that heart...

"What is it dearie," he asks. "Better be good because before long, everyone in this town is going to be trying to kill you as I sit back and watch." He limps closer to the queen.

"You can have your Belle back," she says. "I just needed to make a few changes to her otherwise beautiful body." She squeezes the heart harder and Belle jerks, falling off deck. He goes after her as the queen grabs his arm.

"Lets just say you owe me a favor," she says. "For later." She hands him the heart and he sets it on deck, diving into the water. She would be dead soon if she wasn't already. He grabs her and pulls her on the deck. Her heart is bleak, dying as it is. He grabs it and pulls out his own heart. His is so black. Her heart stops beating and he rips them apart. He matches his dark heart with hers and shoves it into her chest. Everything is silent as he puts his heart back in. He shakes her.

"Belle!" he yells. "Come on! You promised me Belle! Don't break that promise!" She sits up, gasping for air and he puts her on her side as she vomits. He closes his eyes, and sighs. She was alive.

&/&

Belle screams, falling out of bed. Where was she? Where was the cell! Someone grabs her hand and she jerks back, tumbling into the dresser. A lamp falls and she hears something shatter. The man pulls her against him and struggles to move.

"Let me go!" she yells. "He will find me!"

"Stop fighting dearie!" a voice yells. She continues. She lifts her leg and he stumbles back.

"Don't touch me!" she yells. She looks down at the man as he gets up. She gasps as he steps into the light. "Rumple?" Silence passes between them and he shifts uncomfortably.

"Belle?" he whispers. She nods and sits down, the adrenaline gone. She was weak. She feels a hand on the side of her face and leans into it.

"I missed you," he chokes out. "I thought you were gone." She tearfully looks up at him.

"I am sorry," she says. "I should have never left you." He stands up and looks her up and down. What had the queen done? She grasps her chest, as if in pain. The darkness was going to take its toll until her other half had healed. "My heart," she whispers. "I feel different." He lifts her to her feet and presses his lips against hers. She leans heavily against him.

"I gave you half of mine. You were dying. I had no choice," he says. Why was she smiling?

"Well then," she says. "I guess I have a heart of gold." He looks down at her.

"I suppose you do," he whispers. She kisses him again and he holds her, reassuring himself that she was real. Twenty eight years had passed. So much time. He pulls away.

"Where did she keep you? Where were you?" he asks.

"Back in the asylum. Amongst other places." she starts to sob. "She made me watch you Rumple. I could have touched you..." she sniffs, pulling out a box beside the bed. She uncovers it, revealing letters and gifts. What had Regina done! "You would look straight at me and just stare. You were so blank!" she sobs. "I yelled and screamed and you would just turn away and leave me. Like I never existed." She covers her face with her hands. "I watched you nearly die," she whispers. Rumpelstiltskin scowls. How could he have believed her? That witch would pay! Belle looks up at him.

"No," she says. He looks down at her.

"What dearie?"

"I said no. You will not kill her."

"This is ridiculous!" he yells. "After everything you have been through and you wish to spare her? I will not let this stand! I can not let this stand!" he yells. She gets up and puts her arms around his neck.

"Promise me you won't kill her. Promise me and we can be together," she says. He sees her pleading eyes and relents. Killing her would be to nice of a punishment anyways. She drops her arms and sighs.

"I need to get dressed," she says. He stares at her. She pushes him a bit and he complies, going out of the room. Even her tears were beautiful.

&/&

Rumple gasps as Belle appears beside him. He had never seen her use magic before. She grins.

"Got ya," she says. "This heart is getting more useful by the hour," She tries to use more magic and he grabs her wrist. Somehow the other half of the heart was giving her magic.

"Really Belle?" he says. "I thought you would have known better by now." She frowns and teleports to the other side of the kitchen.

"My choice Rumple. Can't take it back now."

"Oh, yes I can," he says. He clamps a bracelet around her wrist. "This should keep it at bay," he says. She tries to teleport again but can't.

"Rumpelstiltskin! You take this thing off me!" she yells. He laughs.

"Give me a few weeks and I will."

"Magic isn't that bad! I can use it if I want to," she says. Rumple turns around.

"No, you can't." She pours herself a bowl of cereal and begins to eat. She had lost several pounds after being in the asylum for so long.

"Watch me.." she mumbles. Little did she know that magic would be the least of her problems in the coming future.