:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
Chapter 25:
Darkness surrounded her, a darkness so thick that she could not see two inches in front of her. She couldn't see her hands, but she knew they existed. Slowly her fingers felt along the floor that she sat on, crawling a bit forward as she looked around the room blindly.
Looking up when she heard a noise, swallowing thickly. "Whose there?" she asked into the darkness.
The sound of a light clicking on made her look up at it, at the figure standing there. Squinting a bit, she sat up a little. "Papa?" she asked.
Pushing herself to stand up, she moved to walk towards her father. Reaching out, one hand came in contact with a wall next to her. The darkness lifted a bit, showing she was in a hallway. A hallway of the castle she'd grown up in at Avonlea. Looking back to her father in confusion, she walked up towards him, reaching out for him, but she couldn't quite reach him. "Papa?" she asked again.
Maurice turned his face to look at her, making her stop in her tracks. "What has that monster done to you my girl?" he asked, his eyes bearing through her.
She froze against the wall of the hallway, shaking her head. "He's done nothing. What are you talking about Papa?"
"He's corrupt you! The Dark One has blackened your heart and will only continue to do so."
At his words her resolve strengthened and she shook her head. "I love him Papa! Can't you see that? Why don't you want me to be happy? I love him and he loves me, he's my true love.."
Looking at her, Maurice scoffed. "True love? You think he loves you Belle? You are so foolish my girl. He'll leave you, just like everyone else leaves you in the end."
Shaking her head, slowly Belle backed up a little from her father. "Thats not true..." she muttered. As she backed up she hit a solid mass, making her turn around and look up at what she'd ran into, rather who she ran into.
Looking up she met the eyes of her husband and it made her soften a bit and smile. "Rumplestiltskin..." she whispered. It wasn't the Rumplestiltskin from Storybrooke, but rather the one from the Enchanted Forest. Sometimes she missed him like this, the man she'd fallen in love with, greyish skin with gold specs and all. And she'd certainly missed those leathers he walked around the castle in.
But he looked down at her almost coldly in a way that he'd once looked at her before they'd been together, before they married.
"Go." was all he said.
Her face scrunched in confusion as she shook her head. "Go? What...what are you talking about, love?" she asked, confused.
But his face was impassible, stone almost. "I don't want you anymore, dearie."
When he spoke the words, she glanced around. Her father was gone and suddenly they were in a dungeon, one that looked oddly enough like one from the Dark Castle. Looking down, she wore her blue dress that she'd used to wear around the castle. Looking back up at him, confusion obvious in her face.
"Rumple...what...what are you talking about? Go? Go where?"
Rumplestiltskins hands folded in front of him as he stared at her. "It's quite simple really. My power means more to me than you." he stated flatly, his voice not faltering.
Her heart caught in her throat at the words he said and she shook her head. "No...no it doesn't."
"But it does. So go. Get out of my house."
His words were harsh and it made her grit her teeth, tears well up in her eyes.
"Rumple..." she whispered as she took a step back. "You can't mean it...you love me! You love Elsa!"
Rumplestiltskin shook his head a bit, stepping up to her as his eyes bore into hers. "Go, dearie. I have no more need of you."
His words were so cold it caused her to swallow thickly, shaking her head at him. "Rumple...but I love you..."
"Ah, dearie, I am afraid in this case love is not enough."
Turning her head away as tears welled up in her eyes. Was he really telling her to leave him? No, she could not. She'd vowed never to leave him, she'd spent so long trying to teach him that he was worthy of her love. "You just think no one could love you. You don't think that I could love you. But I do. I really do Rumple, I've loved you for so long and I will love you until the end of my days.."
Once she finished speaking his hands moved, grabbing her shoulders hard, his nails digging into her skin and making her cry out softly. Closing her eyes halfway, still looking up at him and shaking her head. "I love you.." she whispered slowly.
As she felt his fingers dig into her skin she was sure his nails broke into the skin, sure she could feel her blood dribbling down her arms. Closing her eyes and shaking her head. "Rumple..." she whimpered, tears starting to move down her cheeks slowly.
She could feel him shaking her even though she couldn't see him. But she could hear his voice. "I don't need you anymore, Belle. My power means more to me than you!" he insisted, his voice getting louder.
"Belle! Belle, open your eyes Belle!" Rumplestiltskin's voice broke through her head.
Her eyes closed tighter, letting out a whimper. "Rumple...please..." she whined.
"Dearest, I'm right here, wake up."
When she opened her eyes, tears were streaming down her cheeks and she looked up into her husbands face, into his brown eyes, his human face. Her blue eyes searched his as tears slipped down her cheeks.
"There we are. Good gods Belle are you alright?" he asked, worried about her.
Slowly she pushed to sit up and his hands slipped from her shoulders. One hand rubbed the back of her neck as he sat beside her in their bed. She shivered a bit, realizing that she was naked as the sheets slipped from her skin. Pulling them up to hug them to her chest, she looked around their room.
Their room. The one in Storybrooke, in the land without magic that now only had magic within the town lines, the land Rumplestiltskin worked so hard to get to.
Looking over at Rumplestiltskin she saw the concern in his face as he looked over his wife. Her resolve crumbled and she moved her arms to hug him tightly around his neck, hiding her face into his shoulder. She felt the sheet drop when she hugged him, his chest pressed up against hers. The feeling of his skin so close to hers was oddly comforting, feeling his warmth making her feel safe.
She let out a small cry against his shoulder, gripping him, her fingers moving up to delve into his hair tightly. She held him almost as though she were afraid he'd disappear from her arms.
Without hesitation he moved his arms around her, hugging her close and rubbing her back. "Shh, shh dearest, its okay, I'm right here. I'll not allow a thing to hurt you. It was just a dream." he said, pressing a kiss to her temple slowly. He'd never seen her so scared or upset before and it made him wonder just what happened in her dream.
Sniffling slowly as she curled up against his chest. What time was it even? Was it still night, or did the night turn into day? Looking up, she glanced to the window to see the darkness still out and then looked at the clock. It wasn't even 3AM yet.
Slowly she looked up at his face, swallowing and sniffing before she spoke. "I love you Rumplestiltskin...gods I love you so much..." she whispered, leaning to place a deep kiss on his lips, letting her eyes fall closed and tilting her head to one side.
He returned her kiss, moving his hands up to cup her face before he leaned back from the kiss. His thumbs rubbed her cheeks slowly, wiping away her tears as he looked into her eyes. "It was just a dream my Belle. You want to tell me about it?"
Swallowing as she looked up at him, her eyes meeting his and shaking her head. "Do you love me?" she asked rather than answering his question. She had to know, she had to have that reassurance.
"Of course I love you. I'll always love you dearest. You, Elsa, our baby and Baelfire are my life. Why would you ask such a thing?" he asked as he brushed her hair behind her ear to get it out of her face.
"You...you told me to go. You...said your power means more to you than me. You hurt me..." she muttered slowly, looking down and moving closer to hug him around his waist, to hug close to him.
"Oh dearest.." he whispered, moving his arms around her shoulders and holding her so close to his chest. Kissing the top of her head, closing his eyes halfway. "I could never make you leave. You are my heart, Belle. Without you...surely I would die. You are what keeps me alive. Without that...without that the curse would surely take over my body, without you I would die my Belle." he whispered.
Belle nodded against him, hiding her face in the side of his neck as her fingers slid up his back.
He held her like that for a while, rubbing her back, placing small kisses on the top of his head. Once she settled down a bit, he decided to breach the topic again. "What was it about? You can tell me..."
Sniffling slowly before she nodded, her eyes looking at his neck as she cuddled close to him. "I was in the dark...alone. And then Papa was there. He told me you darkened my heart, and that you...that you didn't love me." she said, biting her bottom lip. "And...and you were there. You as in how you were in the Enchanted Forest. You told me to go...you told me...that your power means more to you than me..." she said, turning her eyes up to look at him. "Does it?"
"Of course it doesn't. You are my power. With you by my side I am more powerful than I ever was in the hundreds of years I'd lived before meeting you." he said. Leaning back to look at her, he gave her a soft smile. "Never doubt my love for you. You're my wife, the mother of my children, my other half. I still have no clue why you would choose me to be with, but I am glad it is. You have the purest heart of anyone I know."
Belle nodded, leaning forward to kiss him just softly, letting her lips linger on his as her eyes closed halfway. Pressing her forehead into his as she looked into his eyes. "I love you Rumple..." she whispered.
"As I love you." he said. Moving his hands to rub her arms, brushing his nose against hers and smiling. "Lets go back to sleep, hm?"
She nodded again to him as he laid back. Shifting to lay on her side, she cuddled up close to him, resting her head on his chest and closing her eyes just halfway. Running her fingers along his chest, she drew small patters on his skin with her fingertips. Looking up at his face as her fingers moved, her chin resting on his chest lightly.
And she knew she should tell him. There were no secrets between them. "Rumple..." she said slowly.
Looking down at her at her voice and nodding. "Yes dearest?"
"My heart...you said it was the purest of anyone you know...?" she asked. When he nodded, her eyes looked down, keeping her chin on his chest though. "It's not. And before you argue with me, its not." she said. Raising her eyes to meet his, she bit her bottom lip slowly. "When...when Cora ripped my heart out I saw it. Theres blackness there Rumple...my heart...it isn't that pure.."
He watched her as she spoke, thinking about it. He hadn't seen her heart when Cora had brought it into the room and replaced it. "Are you certain?"
"I am.." she said. Shifting to sit up, leaning on one of her hands. Reaching to take his hand and she rest it on her chest in the middle of her breasts. "See for yourself. I trust you above everyone else. You've never hurt me and you never will."
Looking at her chest he swallowed thickly. Her not wearing a shirt wasn't helping matters as his eyes roamed over her breasts for a moment. Looking back up at her face, he saw the sincerity within them. Taking in a breath before he pushed his hand into her chest, his fingers wrapping around her heart and pulling it out. He did it as gently as he knew how, gentler than he'd ever taken a heart out.
When he pulled her heart out he sat up, looking into the sparkling red organ that pulsed within his hand. And then he saw it, the bit of darkness that clouded within the sparkling redness.
"Cora said...Cora said that blackness would spread. Will it? Will my heart go completely dark?" she asked, fearful as she looked up at her husbands face.
Rumplestiltskin shook his head. "Oh no Belle, I shall not let it. You will be okay." he said, looking up at her.
But she shook her head, reaching to rest her hands on either sides of his neck. "You can't stop it Rumple..."
"I will not be the cause of blackening your heart." he said, looking up into her eyes.
"You're not the cause. Its me. Its my fault. My decisions, not yours. But me loving you? That does not blacken my heart. Love cannot blacken your heart..." she told him.
"Indeed not." he began as he pushed her heart back into her chest. Looking up at her face, he gave her a small smile and nod. "You are the light left in my heart, Belle. I don't need to look at it to know that. Without you I would truly become dust. Lost in the blackness. I barely got over losing Bae...to lose you...I'd not survive the darkness. You see, love, the Dark One cannot die...but Rumplestiltskin can."
His words made her stare at him for several moments. He hadn't quite told her that part yet. "You can die? Truly?" she asked in a worried voice. She did not want to see him die.
"I can. If I die...the curse of the Dark One will overtake my body. The darkness will be all that is left..." he said. Reaching up to take her hands, taking them from his neck and kissing her palms slowly. "I do need to find a way to protect you should that happen. Should I lose against the Dark One Curse I would not see you hurt."
Belle leaned to kiss him, shaking her head slowly as they broke apart. "You won't lose. We'll be okay." she said. Laying back, gently pulling him to lay with her as she snuggled up into his side.
Rumplestiltskin laid down close to his wife, shifting onto his side and pulling her to spoon against her back. His arms went around her as he held her tight, kissing the back of her head. "It's okay my love. We'll be okay." he whispered.
Cuddling back into him and holding onto him, her fingers intertwining with his as she let her eyes fall closed for a second time that night. She was assuredly not going to get much sleep, but it would be something.
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
Storybrooke: A Few Days Later
Belle practically ran into the shop, the bell jingling above the doorway as she did. Walking up to her husband who stood behind the counter, she looked up at him. "What is it? What couldn't you tell me over the phone?" she asked.
But he just smiled to her, leaning against the counter. "I did it. I can leave." he said simply with a smile on her face.
And Belle couldn't help but smile as she looked at him. "You can cross the town line?" she asked excitedly. This would be wonderful, it would mean so much for her husband, for their family.
"Indeed I can." he said as he stood up a bit straighter. Reaching to take a clear looking potion from his case, holding it up in front of her. "When I pour this potion onto the object I hold most dear it becomes a talisman. That talisman will allow me to cross the town line with my memories intact."
Instantly her face filled with pride, a pride in her husband. She knew he'd figure it out. "Thats wonderful! I knew you could do it!" she said, her hands reaching out to hold onto his, gripping it a little. "What will you enchant?" she asked curiously.
Taking his hand back from her, slowly slipping the wedding ring off of his finger, holding it up for her to view. He'd lost everything he had of his son when they'd come to the land without magic. And besides his children, it was his wife that meant the most to him.
A smile spread over her lips as she nodded. "Your wedding ring? Why Rumplestiltskin I did not realize how sentimental you were." she teased. Stepping around the counter, she moved to hug him tightly, her arms moving around his waist. Leaning and kissing his cheek as she nodded to him. "I'm so proud of you my love. I believed in you. So. When does your journey begin?" she asked.
"Tonight. I will leave tonight."
Nodding slowly, Belle stepped back to lean against the counter. "Alright then. Well, after dinner I'll have Graham watch Elsa for the night and we'll be off. I mean, I'll see you to the town line."
"Good." Rumplestiltskin said, reaching out to run his fingers through her hair. "I'll miss you. Can I trust your brother to keep you safe in my absence?"
Belle chuckled, rolling her eyes. "Of course. Besides, I can take pretty good care of myself too you know." she said. Shifting to lean back against the counter, moving so she stood in front of him. Reaching up, she played with his tie, looking up at his face. "But I will miss you terribly. You won't be gone long, will you?" she asked.
"Oh no, I could not bare to leave you for too long." he said. Moving his hands down and resting one over her stomach, feeling the small baby bump there. "I will not miss this pregnancy. I promise you. I will be there for our childs birth. I'll be back before you can miss me."
Shaking her head as she ran her fingers down his tie, looking up at his face. "I doubt that. I'll miss you the moment you leave. I hate sleeping without you."
"Ah, as do I." he said, rubbing her small baby bump. She was only a little over three months pregnant, but it was the best thing in the world seeing her slowly swell with his child.
Leaning forward, Belle kissed him slowly, letting her eyes close as she hugged close to him, slipping her hands up to wrap around his neck. She would miss him whether he was gone for a few months, a few weeks or even a few days. But she hoped it wouldn't be too long.
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
Storybrooke: Later That Night
They'd gotten Graham to watch Elsa after dinner and had gotten into Rumplestiltskins cadillac and drove towards the town line. When he parked just by the town line, he shifted in his seat, looking towards her. "After...after everything you've learned about me...after everything I've done...why haven't you given up on me?" he asked, looking up at her face as he reached to rest one hand on the side of her neck, needing that physical contact.
She gave him a small smile, reaching up to rest her hand on his wrist. "I learned a long time ago that when you find something thats worth fighting for, you never give up."
Returning her smile, he moved to take her hand, kissing the back of it gently before he moved to get out of the car. Walking around to her side, he opened her door and offered her his hand.
As she took his hand she stepped out of the car, smiling up at him and leaning to kiss him softly. "Always the gentlemen." she said happily.
"I do try." he said, closing the car door and offering her his arm.
She thread her arm through his, slowly walking up to the spray painted line on the road, stopping just in front of it. Once they stopped Rumplestiltskin took his hand back, slipping his ring off and handing it to Belle to hold. Reaching into his pocket, taking the vial with the potion in it and slowly pouring it over the golden band he wore every day, the symbol of his union to Belle.
The object glowed blue as the potion infused itself with it before returning to its normal color. Tossing the potion bottle to one side before Belle moved to slip the ring on his finger, giving him a reassuring smile and a kiss on his cheek.
He smiled back at her and nodded. "Well...here we go." he said. Looking over at the town line and gathering all the courage he knew how to. Slowly starting to step over the line, feeling the magic envelop him making him shudder slowly and his eyes close as he drew in a deep breath.
It was an awkward feeling, the feeling of having his magic stripped from him. But his memories were not. Slowly turning around, he looked up at Belle who stared at him with hopeful eyes. Pointing towards her slowly before he spoke. "Belle..." he simply said.
The sound of her name made her smile happily, laughing a bit. "It worked! You've done it! Now...now you can finally find our son." she said.
As he stepped towards the line, she reached to take his hand but was careful not to step over the line. With a smile, she looked up at his face.
"Oh Belle...I do wish you were coming with me on my journey..."
"As do I. But it doesn't matter. No matter where you go I'll always be with you. And when you find our son, you'll bring him home...and I'll be here waiting for you. Me, Elsa and our baby."
He smiled to her, stepping closer to the line and lightly bringing her closer, so the line was in-between them. "I love you." he said.
"As I love you."
Slowly she leaned towards him, about to kiss him when the gunfire filled the air. A single shot rang out in the darkness, the bullet slamming into the back of Belle's shoulder, causing her to cry out. Stumbling forward, across the line, the wave of magic going through her as she stumbled into Rumplestiltskin's arms.
"Belle?!" he said frantically as he lowered her to the ground, laying her on her back and looking down at her. "Belle!" he called.
She looked up at him with those same blue eyes he'd come to love, shocked, filled with fear and pain. Her mouth dropped open as she gasped and cried out. "Who...who's Belle?!" she asked, frantic and confused. "Mr. Gold?" she asked, looking around the darkness.
He'd never thought words could hurt so much as hers did in that moment. "No...no no no no no.." he cried, slowly shifting to move her back over the town line.
"Fear not, she'll live. She'll just have no idea who you are."
When he heard the voice, he looked up. Seeing Hook standing there a rage filled him like no other. "YOU! What you've done cannot be undone!" Rumplestiltskin said frantically. He'd just lost his wife, his entire world, forever. The town line would cause someone to lose their real memories forever.
And instantly his heart sank, his heart felt the loss of her instantly. She was his whole heart, and he just lost her.
"Now you know how it feels!" Hook yelled, gripping the gun. Watching as Rumplestiltskin shifted over the town line and laid Belle down, Hook opened his arms. "Go ahead crocodile, do your worst!"
"Oh I intend to." Rumplestiltskin said in a dangerous voice. Sitting up on his knees, his hand held up and a ball of fire formed within them. He was angry, and his magic felt like it was bubbling over. He was about to throw it when he heard a car. Looking up, he had to think quickly. Putting the fire out, he grabbed Belle and rolled with her out of the way, glancing up in time to see the car slam into Hook.
When the car had crashed, Rumplestiltskin sat up, looking down at Belle. "Oh Belle...oh Belle...love.."
She looked up at him, shaking her head as she slowly sat up. "Mr. Gold..what are you doing? Who is Belle? Get away from me! Where is Jefferson!?" she asked. Letting out a small yell at the pain in her shoulder, she reached up to grab ahold of it.
But Rumplestiltskin took her arm. "Shh, here here, let me." he said. Slowly waving his hand over her shoulder, healing the bullet wound in her skin.
It only seemed to scare her, she stared up at him wide eyed as she gasped. "What...how...how did you do that?!" she asked frantically.
"Shh its nothing to be afraid of, its okay." he said in an attempt to reassure her.
But she only shook her head, scrambling back away from him. "What are you!?" she yelled. She was in hysterics now, she had no idea how she'd gotten to the town line with Mr. Gold of all people.
They were only barely aware of the sirens, but David Nolan ran over, looking at them. "Are you okay?!" he asked, helping Rumplestiltskin stand up and back away from Belle.
Rumplestiltskin looked up at David with a desperation no one had ever seen in the eyes of the Dark One. "She crossed the town line, she doesn't remember..." he said, almost pleadingly, to the other man.
In a moment Mary Margaret was knelt down next to Belle, helping her sit up.
"Did you see his face?" Hooks voice broke through, sitting up even as in pain he was. "His one true love, gone in an instant!" he laughed. "Just like Milah, Crocodile! When you took her from me!"
The sound of Hooks voice sent Rumplestiltskin's blood to boil. Turning on him, he grabbed his cane and walked towards Hook, a murderous gleam in his eye. "But you took her first." he proclaimed before kicking the pirate hard in the face. It felt so, so good to take his anger out, to let the anger go.
Anger fueled his power, fueled the power of the Dark One. And every fiber of his being wanted to kill the man who had taken the one woman he loved away from him.
Quickly he moved on top of Hook, pressing his cane into Hooks neck hard.
"Gold! Are you insane! You can't do that!" Emma said, kneeling next to him along with David, trying to pull Rumplestiltskin off of Hook.
"I can if you let me." Rumplestiltskin snarled, glaring down into Hooks face. He wanted to kill the man with his bare hands, everything told him to.
"You don't want her to see this Gold." Emma reminded him.
The reminder of Belle being near him made him shake his head. "She doesn't remember!" he snapped.
"Yeah well murder is a very bad first impression." Emma countered.
It was David's voice that somewhat broke through to him. "What would Belle want you to do?" David asked.
And he knew his Belle would want him to stop. Slowly he pulled himself to stand up, looking at the ambulance as it came down the street. And then he glanced over, seeing her, seeing his Belle walk towards it. Watching his wife walk away from him, knowing she didn't remember him, even know who he really was to her. She would never know, he had lost her forever.
He had never thought he'd face losing her, losing one of the few people that meant the world to him. For so long she was his rock, the one true light in his life. And it looked like that light was just snuffed out. Sure, she would be alive, but she would not be his.
She didn't even know her real name. In this cursed mindset her name was Lacey Stan, and she was married to Jefferson Stan. Would he be forced to watch her happy from afar for the rest of their lives? And would he lose their two children in the process?
Losing his sweet Elsa would crush him entirely, he was sure of it. He had meant what he said to Belle; without her he truly would become dust.
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
A/N: Fin! :-). A bit of a cliffhanger, yeah, but its alright I'll keep going.
I hope ya'll enjoyed it! Let me know! This chapter was buzzing in my head so viciously I just had to get it out.
I'm hoping to get a chapter out for my other story Coward this week, too. I believe I've started it, but we'll see. My finals week is right around the corner, and I'm going to attempt to stay up to date with my stories.
As always, read & review!