Real Inside

by Dekujin

Belle French is forced to move back to Storybrooke when her ill father grows even worse for wear. Determined to help him, she ends up taking a night time shift as a security guard for Storybrooke's 'Fantasy Family Fun Center-Avonlea'. However, the quiet empty building holds more secrets than she could ever imagine as a mechanical monster lurks in it's darkened hallways…

26. Chapter 26

'BEEEEEP-'

Despite the continuous droning of the van's alarm against his auditory sensors he couldn't hear it at all-far too lost to what his eyes were currently witnessing.

'BEEEEEP-'

Even the faint cries that his beloved tried to softly stifle behind gloves now seeping a brilliant red fell deaf upon him too.

'BEEEEEP-'

Worst of all he couldn't find any ability to move an inch forward or to utter a single word. He could seemingly do nothing nor think nothing in the blank space that overtook his mechanical consciousness.

'BEEEEEP-'

Except one thing did manage to push its way through his overwhelming shock as within an urge sprung up in Rumplestiltskin to look down at his hands. No matter how much he didn't want to his body forcibly complied with his programming's instinctive instructions, causing his glowing gaze to shift then to the shaky limbs raising themselves up. With an unsteady stare-the background becoming a dark and white blur in his vision, he saw that his right hand was clean before his amber eyes drifted to the other. It was there that his inner horror surfaced across his silicone features upon a terrible sight.

Coating the tips of his dark metal claws and segmented fingers...

Was the same fresh blood dripping from Belle's arm to the frozen ground.

'BEEEEEP-'

Sheer terror twisted its way through his parts as the animatronic began to reach up with his other hand towards his mouth in fear of what awaited him. Time felt so slow in those passing seconds, halting altogether as the entire world around grew far more bleak. Though he needed to know the truth he desperately didn't want to look at the results he would find-didn't want to believe. All he wanted and could hope for was that everything happening right now was a fault in his code or a horrific set of images that assailed him in the depths of sleep mode… Better yet, that he'd 'wake up' and find himself still on the couch tucked beside his beloved safe and sound, finding that he hadn't just...

He had to look though when he sensed his thumb brush against his lips and the two deadly rows of dagger like teeth hidden behind them. Then sure enough when he pulled his hand back it was as he knew it would be.

For greeting him was another horrific smear of crimson coating his thumb too.

'BEEEEEP-'

Glancing up through the snow gliding down the gravity of it all near sent him staggering upon seeing his beloved with both her hands still clamped over her own mouth while her ruined coat sleeve continued to grow damper at the violent rips he'd caused. Against the noise building in his skull he could now hear those muffled gasps of hers as she laid against the van that wailed up alongside her. Regardless the action was not enough to conceal the rivulets slipping between those covered fingers or the agonizing pain flooding her eyes afresh with tears.

H-How... How had everything ended up like this-what had he... He'd been... They had…

They'd been kissing as unbelievable as that was-they'd been truly kissing each other without hesitation-without regret... And then-then…

The alarm within the vehicle-it had suddenly gone off-frightening him horribly in the process! He had recoiled because of it and in doing so-oh-no-no-no-no-W-What... What had he done in that moment to her! He'd… He'd…

Rumplestiltskin's trembling limbs began to betray how little he was coping inside upon facing what had occurred in his momentary panic. 'Had I-had I really clawed her-like-like that? Had I-I-I bit her? Torn open her flesh in my sudden movements-after I kissed her… After I was telling her… That I… I loved…'

The truth was there as always though, forcing the mechanical being to look upon the fate he now knew for certain that he could never escape. This time it was looming back in the form of the spilt blood coating his fearsome claws and awful inhuman teeth in another layer to add to the rusting horrors he'd already committed. Perhaps even worse than this was how he stood staring in horror while the one he loved now barely stood as that very liquid was draining from her form.

How ironic was it that the color she'd once caused him to find so beautiful without knowing now mocked him of the promises he could not keep.

Promises now making him pay the price of his ignorance in the most terrible way-

'BEEEEE-EEE-EEEE-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-'

What happened next happened so quickly that Rumplestiltskin flinched back as in an alarming instant the steady beeping of the van changed. Without any warning at all it escalated into something far louder and far more menacing than he'd ever heard before in his existence.

The sheer ferocity of the sound caused him to fling up both his jittery hands in an attempt to fend off the agonizing bleating by clamping them tight against the sides of his head. Pressing them over his sensors did nothing to alleviate the horrible noise as it continued to rip straight through his unwinding mind. A mere second ago he'd been capable of thought-of some reasoning through the surmounting guilt of what he'd just done... Now he could think of nothing other than how he wished to break through his hull to tear out any wiring or conduit that would help stop this... This awful ring-this-this-

He didn't know what this was-though he knew right away that it wasn't the van nor the alarm of Avonlea's security system. This pitch and force was-it was undeniably different! Something never he'd never heard ever-since he had awoken on the stage for the first time, yet a part of him also knew it had to be something he'd known once-

The air piercing shrill was so loud the mechanical man couldn't hear the soft pleading of the bloodied beauty shambling forward through the small drifts of snow that had built up that early morning. Once more she was reaching out for him too, but this time with a half stained glove that couldn't steady itself from its tremulous state. That very terrible red upon them became all that Rumplestiltskin's eyes could focus on as it swarmed his entire vision. Audibly his visual mechanics flickered and popped within their sockets while unbeknownst to her a sudden flashing of that same colored light assaulted him in rotating waves in time with the violent screeching.

Together the sheer volume and visuals caused him to stumble back through the snow and almost collide into his spinning wheel from further confusion as-

('-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH-WARNING-WARNIN-G-G-S-S-S-SECU-CU-RI-RI-TY-BRE-H-LL-PER-EL-AC-TE-THE-MME-EA-EA-')

He couldn't understand what was happening or why it was-couldn't begin to fathom the reasoning either! On top of it everything that was the machine within that metal form near felt it was being torn apart-torn in two-from facing the vows he couldn't keep and the horrid darkness that was surging upwards to claim him. What he'd done to Belle, his dearest Belle-he'd hurt her-no-he promised he'd never hurt her-never hurt anyone ever again! But he had-he'd done this-tore through her skin with his claws and split open her lip with his awful teeth despite his love for her! He'd spilled her blood all over the-the-floor-flo-for-forty-fo-no-no-no!

Feeble cries began to slip forth from Rumplestiltskin's plated throat, knowing now that the precipice of a fault was coming close at hand. From the glitches and unfurling code he could feel it dragging him closer to the edge, seeking to devour him as always in his despair. His mechanical mind held firm enough though to allow him to face the human woman as she continued forward in her attempt to reach him regardless of the snow, blood, or pain trying to impede her.

"Ru-Rum… P-Please... I'm not-I-I'm not... That i-injured! I got… I got scared a moment... B-but I'm okay..." Belle pleaded, her strained voice somehow breaking through the hellish things accumulating within his jerking head let alone past her bloodied lips. Both of those aliens eyes of Rumplestiltskin's flickered then, jumping from their whole size to eerie pinpoint dots in the black voids they floated in. His self control was failing from glimpsing her trying to speak only to choke and splatter her once pristine coat with more of her life's essence. "It's not that b-bad… It's not... P-Please, d-don't… Rum… Please-Rum-don't let it take you-stay-stay here with me... I'm not going to run from you... Not because of this... You-you didn't mean… T-To hurt me... I know you didn't..."

Clearly those anguished eyes of hers could see what was already happening to him through his own, yet it was not-it was not or could ever be right-what he'd done-done-done-what he'd done to her… What he could still do... What was rising up bit by bit-byte by byte-bite-like he'd done long ago to that child-like he'd almost done to the man who broke inside Avonlea-like he'd-he'd-

He hurt her-his love-his light-he'd broken his word-he'd broken his promises again-breaking-broken-all of it-just like him-just as he knew it would happen.

It was too late to escape from what lay waste inside now, and that fact made itself clear when the warnings of the protocol came roaring to life.

( D*R#-01-A: ATTEMPTING TO ESTABLISH A CONNECTION. CRITICAL ERROR. 01-A OPERATING SYSTEM COMPROMISED. CORE COMPROMISED. ALL SYSTEMS COMPROMISED. ZOSO|PROTOCOL ENGAGED. DAG:ER IMPLEMENTING.)

Knowing this he tried his best to avoid the lapse into the dark fit running errant through his body, scrabbling at his few grips of sanity left to him as he tugged at his hair. Regardless his programming, systematic order, and thoughts continued to come undone while the young woman dared to approach closer-now a couple of feet away. Enough of Rumplestiltskin remained intact to see her as his failing mind couldn't help but long for her to stretch out those arms and hold him despite his wretchedness... Despite the awful violence he'd inflicted upon her of all people. Once more his wicked filthy hands begged to cross the distance over to hers too- to the ones that fit his so perfectly... They went as far as lifting themselves up in shaky pleas asking her forgiveness-that she might pull him back to her and he might help her with the pain she suffered by them.

With every step of hers forward though the more his vision corroded into other scenes now determined on claiming every scrap of his sight.

More dread filled his hull when the briefest of flashes from that red light assailing him had him seeing something beyond strange. It was like someone else was standing in her place before Belle jumped back in with the falling flakes and glitches overriding his sight. There the mechanical man remained statue still as he immediately found himself in another flicker once more, understanding that within them he was no longer looking upon Avonlea's back parking lot. Instead it was somewhere inside-some building or perhaps a facility of some sort that he didn't recognize in the least bit-except how could he see this if he didn't?

What had caught his attention far more than his unknown surroundings was how this other person in this other world-too blurry to make out anything defining beyond the human like shape, was... Yes, they were holding out their hand like she had been.

W-Were… Were they trying to help him? Then again was he truly here in this scene-was this someone else's data? But what could this be though other than… A memory? Was this a bit of him lost from days he couldn't recall and had been forced to forget? Or was this anything real-anything true… At all?

Actual or not, a facade or fact, he tried to reach for them in return without true thought or reason-perhaps in hopes anyone might free him from this blaring frightening world, and yet by doing that he found that former hope wasn't the case.

They weren't… No, they were not trying to help him like she always did.

No-no-never for him-never to help him-never-never-never-

Focusing his unwinding mind he found he could sense a latent fear about them without recognizing that human, their out stretched hands trembling like the entire world was quaking beneath their feet. Now in the moment he understood what they signified, even if he didn't know why or how. They were obviously meant to try and keep something at bay… Or back-keep it away, but... What were they so clearly afraid of? What had them cowering in utter terror that he could sense it without comprehending this scene at all?

Before Rumplestiltskin could think of crying out to them in his own fearful confusion to ask them this-to find answers in this unplaceable scene…

That unknown person taking Belle's spot was in the next instant no longer standing.

Shock shot across his features as he watched them be launched into the air, twisting and turning all the while like a rag doll than a human body with the sound of breaking bones. In the blink of an eye and a flicker of something metal the ceiling tiles dented from the overwhelming force that tossed that figure straight into them, sendings a shower of sparks and glass raining down from the shattered bulb. Then just as quick the human was flung harshly to the ground yards away with a sickening crunch where they were forced to choke miserably for air, pathetically crawling and squirming like they were unable to get to their feet again. While he was forced to watch this stranger struggle to escape, writhing there like a broken worm, another layer of indescribable emotions unlike any Rumplestiltskin had ever experienced rushed over him in powerful torrents.

And along with it an array of distinct noises echoed through the high pitched ringing going on...

Of fluids dripping onto metal tiles and the shrill screaming of many wounded creatures calling out in kind.

Altogether the array of sights and sounds were becoming too much of a catastrophic symphony swirling about for him to handle, winding themselves further into his conflicted data. The wailing of the red lights, the mass of cries that never ended in his skull, the continuous breaking-cracking-the sloshing of liquid spattering all and everything within its reach-he just wanted it to end! He didn't want to hear or see this-didn't want to believe he had any part in it! He didn't have anything to do with this-so why-why-why him! Yet, this was in his head, in his very fiber, circuits, and parts-no-it was not him-no not him-not him, still-it was becoming clearer he knew these things didn't he? Knew them all too well-he knew them-he knew-

In the depths he also knew it had a name-this chaos-this madness-this-

That forgotten name he knew and didn't shook his core with a terror unlike any other, but what was that name? Without being able to recall it and also feeling he could scream it to the heavens with the merest memory made his metal maw ache and his gears grind in longing for something he didn't understand. Worse than that, beneath the surface he could sense the force of it all-this weight-this power-pressing against his pounding plates and near tearing his cords apart to break free… To break out...

Thrashing, coiling, and calling-calling-calling for...

"For... For... Forty-four-forty-four-FORTY-FOUR-FORTY-FOUR-"

Right as the chanting began to slip past his golden green lips a familar hand was suddenly pressing against him which wrenched him free of the horrible scene. One of his faltering eyes flickered back to its normal size, seeing up close that it was no stranger of this other world touching him-it couldn't be… Instead, it was...

Belle... Standing right before him was his wonderful beautiful friend who was still trying to bring him back to her and that snowy parking lot all this time. Through the ferocity of sounds he noticed how she looked at him with fearful teary eyes while that vibrant red dripping down her jaw already stained near every bit of the top of her coat and the scarf looped about her neck. Like how it had stained him, his hands, his... Rumplestiltskin's vision looked down to find that one of her own trembling hands was pressing against him-a mirror image before everything had gone so wrong. Except she'd coiled it into a fist to spare his vest the touch of blood-yes, his dearest was touching him right beneath the new cravat she'd had kindly gotten him-and-and-

What a lovely cravat it was…

Without logic or purpose in the moment his mind focused only on this of all things as the flashing lights and other world fell far quieter in their intensity... Like a haze surrounding him that her presence seemed to fend back.

Truth be told he still couldn't believe she'd been so thoughtful to give such a wonderful thing to him along with all the other things she'd had. Between this, the new clothes,his missing spinning wheel, and the... Kiss... They were all gifts which he'd never be able to repay her for no matter how long he existed. All he could do in turn was promise from the depths of his parts to take care of them-with all his might he would not allow her compassion to be gifted in vain as he'd cherish each memory they would hold and had held...

Of course he realized that this too was promise he could not keep as he was managing to reach upwards to touch that hand and draw back to her side far from this awful fault.

For his glowing gaze revealed that there was fresh specs of blood now lacing it too...

Lacing his new cravat in small tainted spatters.

Just like the one he'd ruined before-the one he'd been given to by Marco all those years ago...

Like everything that crossed his path...

Like her.

And unable to stop it now his mind gave way from the immeasurable pain overloading his entire form as all thought and control splintered into pieces-a fact that echoed in the inhuman screeching that instantly began to pour forth from his vocal box.

Somehow in the next split second he was moving, scrambling back from the young woman he'd betrayed as his limbs popped loudly from his servos becoming strained by the his programing's attempt at control over his body. Abruptly snow was in his face a moment to swallow up his cries-his footing having slipped in his monstrous speed, but then it wasn't also snow-it was a paneled metal ground that became another blur when he was back onto his feet. Before he knew it he was then at what had to be the back door of Avonlea all while a pained voice called to him from so far away and yet not, begging him to come back.

B-Back-back-back-the back door-yes-he needed to get back inside-inside-inside! No-that was wrong-wasn't he trying to get out-get out-get out-got to get out-no-no-he-he didn't know anymore!

All he knew as that he had to hide-to flee from the rising visions and all that blood seeping in that he felt he was about to drown without needing to breathe at all.

It was as the faulting machine managed to get pass the ajar door that the red flashing assailing his mind erupted in greater waves. Such tormenting figments had him staggering when he stood behind the slab of metal. It was then a loud popping sound erupted from his body, causing him to violently fall against it, ripping free another shocked screech from him as it slammed closed.

(D^ #-01-A: HAS FORMED A CONNECTION. ERROR. CRITICAL ERROR. ZOSO|PROTOCOL BREACHED. INTERFERENCE 44./OH LITTLE RABBIT. YOU TRY TO RUN AND RUN. BUT YOU CAN'T ESCAPE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE./DAG:ER RESTRICTING ALL PHYSICAL SYSTEMS. SERVOS LOCKING. )

The fit he was enduring was going too far for the protocols liking-made evident by how his legs creaked as they began to twist themselves into unnatural positions in order to stop him.

Rumplestiltskin floundered desperately as he sunk to the ground, attempting to move, to get further into the darkness, to break away, yet he couldn't. Against the back door of Avonlea he slumped while his eyes clattered within their sockets from the world around him constantly shifting in fragmented jumps into this 'other' that kept pulling him back in. Once more the hallway he knew so well was torn away to place him down the one he could not recognize from where or when. It was the same as outside, for in place of the concrete walls and checkered tiles were cold looking steel walls and floors of the same nature that seemed to stretch on and on forever beneath the blaring lights.

Yet, as his own screaming alongside the loud alarm that didn't exist cut through the air he managed to hear something break through this scene once more, pounding against the door behind him. Truth was he more so felt it as it rattled hard enough it jostled his heavy form from the force. Through the fault he had enough reasoning left within his processors to figure out it had to be his beloved's fists slamming into the metal that barred her from entering.

"Rumple!" That voice with its unforgettable accent bellowed as the insanity tried to further consume his sensors. "Rumplestiltskin! Let me in-I'm all right-I'm going to be okay! I'm not that h-hurt-so please stop this! L-Let me help you! Let me in!"

Hearing such heart wrenching words from her-the one creature he wished to make smile always, brought some sense back to himself if only a little. Muffling his ongoing cries Rumplestiltskin tried to fight against the mechanisms and visions that had taken control of his body. However, it was utter agony to force himself a mere inch forward. Every single one of his joints felt like they were near breaking as he kept snapping his hinged jaw open and closed in the struggle to free himself-a struggle he all too quickly realized he was going to loose.

"RUMPLE! Please! Why aren't you letting me in! Stop this! You can't-you c-can't be by yourself like this! You can't keep me out here-Rum-ple-let-m-lp-u…"

Just as he was about to call back to her in desperation and fear any and all words of his own cut short within his plated throat.

For it was then he noticed that everything within his head… Had begun to fade away altogether. The sound of his beloved's voice calling out, the pounding on the door though it continued to shake against him, and the once horribly deafening alarm alongside the static in his mind… All now lay eerily silent.

Looking ahead into that foreign and unplaceable hallway the animatronic's two pinpoint eyes stared while the sudden darkness and then red light battered his constantly shifting vision. For a long few seconds nothing happened in this empty place-nothing at all… Then, in faint creeping echoes something began to filter through, so quiet at first he'd thought he heard nothing. Steadily it grew louder though as Rumplestiltskin remained trapped there on the floor in those passing moments with his fingers twitching uselessly at his sides. By straining his auditory sensors to their highest settings he could tell it was... Whatever it was-it was bouncing against the panels and floor in what seemed to be an off key beat. Yes, the sound was like something…

It was like something was headed his way.

Down the hall… Clacking-clattering-metal-mechanical... Like-

Without warning the silence was torn asunder once more from a glass shattering scream that tore through the hall before it died in the sound of something bashing into part of the wall further away. He flinched what little he could when the metal panel was then instantly spattered between the flickering lights in what he couldn't define from his unwinding vision. Then another similar struggle rung out closer-nothing to be seen except the flash of fleshy remains of something-or someone, too far lost in the shadows dropping to the floor in a heap. Then again… And again it occurred. In an endless loop if felt like he could only hear the bestial beating of the things against the walls and sounds of matter splattering upon dying cries as the whirling lights were being extinguished overhead. All the while the horror went on that something clattering in the looming darkness drew closer and closer to him, making his own golden green body clatter fiercely from sheer terror despite his inability to move.

Never had he seen something like this-this absolute nightmarish scene that he didn't want to see or hear either-he wanted it to go away-to be swallowed up by programming and code-to forget whatever obscenity this was. It remained before him though while whatever was approaching continued its slow stride down that horrible hallway, ringing against the metal like the chains of the damned from its uneven gait.

"BELLE... BE… LLE…" Rumplestiltskin tried to croak out in order to warn her away as he felt her presence behind the door, fearing for her safety while instinctively knowing his own was in extreme danger. In only broken sputters his voice came out-near drone like save for the desperate inflection haunting his words. "BELLE... RUN... RUN... AWAY... GET... AWAY... GET... OUT... GOT... OUT... FOR.. FOR... FORTY... FOUR..."

"No-no-no! Please-let me in! Let me help you Rum-don't shut me out! You're suffering a fit-I know you are-you can't go through it alone! I-I WON'T LEAVE YOU! NOT NOW-NOT EVER!" Belle's own broken voice joined in the rising choir of voices in his head while those tainted fists of hers battered against the door. But, it was not enough to bash through such hefty material, to break him free, to stop the bitter screams inside his head making his wires writhe violently within his shell.

All he could do was stiffen back against the door as if to conceal himself before this entity-not that it did anything to stop the mechanical man from hearing the thing in such looming abyss drawing nearer still. In fact his silicone face creased in pain as each of its steps now were practically assaulting his systems between the whirl of man made parts and the rhythmic beat of droplets pattering the ground.

"RUN... RUN BELLE... GET AWAY... IT'S COMING... IT'S COMING-IT'S-IT'S-IT'S-" His voice reached staggering high peaks, knowing that soon this thing would be emerging before him-to-to-to-

"PLEASE! YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF THERE! YOU HAVE TO LET ME IN! YOU'RE-YOU'RE BREAKING!" Belle screamed back in utter agony while practically slamming her entire body against the door from how it shook. Each ongoing cry near sounded like her throat was being torn apart in the overwhelming terror consuming her too-yet, he couldn't respond-it was far too late-too late for him-

Because, Rumplestiltskin knew he could not move at all despite every part of him begging him to run-to flee-to escape-to get out-out-out-out-out-out-he needed to get out-he had to GET OUT! Mockingly his body was stuck in place with his limbs twisted like broken twigs discarded by amused children, leaving him open and vulnerable for this thing to claim him too. With it more apparent than ever that he had no hope of surviving the last thing the animatronic could do was simply close his metal eyelids tight in knowledge that this was over-over-that he was going to fall-fall-fall into the awaiting void that had been calling all this time… That pure darkness… That never-ending nightmare…

It was then he could feel the thing standing right before him as he heard its own familar static wailing and clattering jaw over head…

All while hearing that unknown song of 'them' rising from that hollowness behind closed eyes-their broken limbs and bodies readying to drag him under-

Which near made him sing along in the sheer madness overtaking him only for him to open his mouth and-

('And where do you think you're going?')

The sudden voice startled him worse than anything had so far in this hellish world existing solely before his eyes. It was much too human and unlike any of the insane sounds that had been tormenting him in this fit, and also somehow terrifying from what it could possibly mean. Regardless, it took him a few moments to find the strength to open his eyelids again as that alone felt like a miracle to do with how his systems physically sparked within his hull. Frantically his coding was warning him that his body was about to shut down from the strenuous pull of him fighting it along with the protocol striving to take back control...

More so it was warning him that he should not see what he was seeing nor should hear what was to come.

What greeted him though as he slowly his glowing pinpoint eyes focused themselves once more was not a sight he was hoping to see at all, far from it. For while no thing-no monster he had imagined stood before him to tear him to pieces or do what it had done to those 'others' the world hadn't returned back to Avonlea like he'd silently begged.

For what stood there was not a what, only a who-a very unfamiliar who... No-at the same time it was also someone he...

All the broken pieces came back as he recognized it was the man without a face-a figure he'd seen before in other glimpses and also hadn't from the protocol's certain procedures that always ate it up to keep it from him.

Now in this moment of worlds merging he knew that person there all too well. Standing before him the man wore his typical plain dress clothes he always had in those far gone days, including that the old white lab coat of his and that… That-that-fucking purple tie-making him recognizable anywhere and no where at all. Instantly inside the mechanical man a swarm of unexplainable feelings rose up to see that looming figure looking down at him from the tilt of the void like glitches he had in place of any features. Perhaps worse was how that man stood there from his vantage point like a doctor examining an amusing specimen with the authority of a microscope lens... Like a god assessing its own bastardized creation from his self arranged pedestal.

The intense fear of before was torn away immediately with the rush of those feelings, but even then the animatronic's body continued to spark with powerful emotions to the point his jaw started to snap open and close in a worse ferocity than before.

What it was that was aching within his unfeeling body he couldn't comprehend, though it was more than frightening in its weight than the compulsion of terror he'd felt so far. The horror and fright had at least told him to do what he understood well enough-to run-to flee-while this... This asked for something nothing but full of rage and hate-for something darker and crueler than any act of cowardice he'd ever committed.

Meanwhile as if unaffected by the horrors lingering in the hallway behind him or his 'specimen's' lunging-to-to-to do what he himself didn't know, the faceless man continued to look down at him with his hands settled behind his back casually. It was then he 'tsked' at Rumplestiltskin in a manner that had the machine's apparent shock reach new heights while his jaw stilled its previous wild gnashing. What disturbed him truly was not this man's such uncaring displays of the gore and carnage that the thing in the darkness had caused, but the words that fell next from the man he knew and didn't.

Each word empty and uncaring while Rumplestiltskin's entire sense of self began to fall apart.

('Now... Look at the mess you've made.')

What…

Mess… This…

Mess… No… He…

He didn't do this… He didn't… That thing-that awful horrible thing did this… It wasn't… He could never do such a… That wasn't...

It was strange though, how suddenly his hands at his sides could find the strength to move somewhat as they forced themselves to rise up in jittery movements towards the man-to show him that his had nothing to do with him-to beg for help though he knew somehow that he wouldn't find it. The part of him needing that continued on though, wanting to have him understand that this was not anything he'd ever known-could never have done... But when he did, with his fingers twitching at such relief to be able to bend, he was left with a sight that had not been that way before and now was all that he could see-was all that it could be.

The blood…

Where had it come… From...

No… No… No…

It could have almost been remarkable if it wasn't just horrifically obscene with how much blood was pouring out of his upraised parts, draining now from his segmented joints in thick waves that covered the entirety of his clawless mechanical hands so that not one ounce of his coloring could show through. Looking down slowly he could see a tide of that same crimson pooling beneath him from where he sat too, inching towards his twisted barren legs and feet matted with what he could not begin to describe.

Everywhere that he looked in his brokenness was a wall of red-of red lights-red fluid-red building up behind his metal eyes as the horrible emotions within him reached new ferocious heights. Once more he couldn't make any form of sound to combat it all-couldn't utter a single word to unleash his returning terror and this... Awfulness... This vileness... Forcing its way into every nook and cranny of his inhuman body.

And when he thought that it could not get worse as he realized these things that weren't truly his own feelings were starting to take him over... Consuming him from the inside out...

This scene was able to reach new levels of horrid imaginings.

From the void of features on this unknown man's face a set of flickering white spots began to appear, slowly forming into two perfect pearly rows where a human mouth should reside.

Unnaturally the teeth curled back in an impossible way-as if they were smiling without lips while the rest of the figure remained frozen, simply glitching in and out as the world fluctuated in time. The hallway around them became bent and distorted within these steady beats-the air growing heavy in an oppressive weight that even the machine's unfeeling form could sense wished to crush him-to render him pieces. Underneath his feet Rumplestiltskin could sense another shift, for beneath them now was no longer those metal panels or the tiles of his home but a grand twisted stage as they rose up higher into the air with a great gush of air sending the man's clothing flying and blood beading and falling upwards to the sky from the force…

To a sky as black as the darkest night over this abhorrent scene-until he could see overhead in faint shadows what seemed to be a...

A mass with copious amount of cords dangling down into the surrounding darkness.

Rumplestiltskin gaze had been ensnared by this other worldly scene, only to return to the man as from that horrid mouth a new voice arose entirely. It was not at all the one of the faceless man he could barely recollect nor of anyone he recognized-the pure sound of it … It was indescribable in every sense-a voice and yet not anything a human let alone a machine like him could properly comprehend. From the magnitude of its volume, from its reverberation through everything and nothing, of the multitudes of different voices mingling together in broken silent shrieks somehow made words in this union of insanity that he could make out while he found his entire form shuddering due to its intensity.

Words… Words that he now knew he had heard once long ago in the depths of himself he feared so deeply.

/AN EYE FOR AN EYE. AND TEETH FOR TEETH. WILL GIVE YOU ALL SWEET UTTER RELIEF./

"-RUMPLESTILTSKIN!"

Then with a loud crack that tore through that world Rumplestiltskin's mind unraveled, but back this time, pulling him towards the light with the desolate call of his name-his name-who he was-not this-not this horror-not in this place-to Avonlea-to her-to the one he loved.

Yet, in doing so the spark had allowed the protocol's grip to snare his systems within their hold as the warnings of the inevitable blared through them-

(D^R#-01-A: CONNECTION DENIED. DAG:ER ACTIVATING ALL EMERGENCY RESTRICTIONS. IDENTIFIED CORE MALFUNCTION. DAG:ER AUTHORIZING MEMORY BANK REPAIR. REPAIR AUTHORIZED.)

And with it rose his mangled cry as his body and mind began to be torn asunder.

—

It had all happened so fast she'd nearly missed it.

For in the blink of an eye what had been a moment of utter happiness unlike any she'd dreamed of sharing with the one who had claimed her fragile heart…

Had crumbled and slipped right between her fingers like the blood that now freely fell from them.

Belle found those gloved digits slick between a mixture of crimson and snow, creating a conflicting collision of warm versus cold against her skin beneath. Any thoughts beyond that had been lost on her for a few moments from these sensations alongside the burning pain washing over her. It hadn't helped that her mouth had instantly filled with a mixture of saliva, mucus, and blood, causing her to choke for air as the tears raged at her bleary eyes, forcing themselves like a torrential flood over her eyelids. Sheer luck had managed to save her tongue from being cleaved off when Rumplestiltskin had recoiled. The inside of her lip had not been as fortunate as the young woman felt the long cut into her flesh gushing blood up and over.

Despite such shock at this unforeseen turn her senses swiftly returned with the freezing temperatures waking her back up... Only to finally look up and find her dearest friend starting to unwind before her eyes amidst the pure flakes continuing their descent.

It had been a while since she had seen him like this-with blood upon his claws, but it reminded her of just how terrifying his faults could be. The sweet amber eyes he had been staring at her with earlier wasted no time in changing into those frightening pinpoints that chilled her to the bone far quicker than the winter wind. Knowing now what was going to occur if she didn't find a way to stop him had her quickly pleading with him while pushing aside the pain coursing across her body. Her shouts for him against the alarm of her father's van were not enough to keep him with her though as he'd begun to chant and rave into the dark sky with stained lips... Calling out to this 'forty-four' that seemed intent on driving him to madness.

To think just seconds before they had been so close to one another, having bared their souls before kissing each other so truly and deeply on what had been such a magical night. And now...

The swell of desperation to have him back overwhelmed her which in turn had her trying to approach the mechanical man. Upon careful steps the wary night guard drew nearer to him without being further harmed, yet touching him had not been able to ground him for long from the fury that scorched his internal parts. No, as if frightened by something she could not see he had cried out and quickly fled from her touch just when she thought he was escaping the fault. And while she had wanted to remain near him she had to step back from the sudden horrific panic that had overtaken him least possibly be marred again. Guilt ridden she was forced to stand by and watch through her sobs as he threw himself forward, screaming all the while and almost toppling into his spinning wheel in his frantic plight to escape.

Such speed-there was no way she could keep up with him as he had barreled back inside Avonlea to hide in the only place she assumed he knew was safe through the ongoing errors. Still, she ran to try and stop him from getting too far just as the back door had slammed shut without any forewarning. Immediately Rumplestiltskin had cried out while Belle had startled hard enough a sharp pang shot through her bloodied mouth.

As she regained herself she realized there was too much noise going on to think properly on what to do next between her pained breathing, Rumple's cries, and the damn van continuing to whine behind her. There was also the worrying fact that the whole nearby neighborhood or Sheriff Graham of all people would end up here if she didn't quiet things down soon. So first thing first she hurried back to the vehicle, fumbling with keys and footing to stop the blasted alarm from causing any worse damage while a trail of blood splatters stained the snow behind her. Half a minute later she got it to stop-the crisp air above taking on a new almost… Haunting presence that was only disrupted by the small howl of wind alongside the breaking being inside the family fun center.

Thoughts ran through her mind a mile a minute, wishing to understand what had pushed him to this utter loss of self. It was the blood and violence of course. It had to have trigged bad memories to come rising up and claim him, something she could understand from her own bloodied and marred past. There was more to it though as she swore under her breath at the severe ache in her mouth and right arm. The guilt of hurting his friend-his emotions becoming too unstable-these were all good reasons, but it was also like something had…

Like something had awakened within him-this darker side digging its teeth in deeper than ever before.

After rushing back to the door with the little energy she had left from the rising snow dunes Belle desperately called and called for him, though it worked to no avail to avert him from his constant screeching. With this she knew she needed to reach him more than ever in order to bring him back, and so she grasped at the handle of the door to wrench it open and face him. However, the thing simply rattled uselessly in response, acting like she'd locked it up as it barred her from entering. Yet, she knew it couldn't be since she had no time or reason to when bringing him outside to show him his gift nor had he.

The worry of before grew ten fold which in turn had her pounding against it. No comprehensible reply returned to her with each swing, leaving her to batter her fist into the metal to the point it was starting to bruise.

Inside she faced the terrible suspicion that the fault had pulled him under too far at this point to be able to pinpoint reality despite how she could hear him there right against it sputtering and-

Wait... Against it... Oh-oh no!

The door slamming shut and him crying out as if it had frightened him made it clear now to Belle what had taken place. He-he'd fallen against it! That was why she couldn't get inside-his heavy metal frame had to be pressing into it, likely from his servos locking up from the fit! The blue eyed beauty could only pray then that barreling into the door itself might help her pry it back open for her to get inside-to draw him back from that dark portion of himself steadfast on destroying him. This reason alone gave her the strength to propel herself forward, knowing with every fiber of her being that she had to get in least something worse befall him than having harmed her without meaning to.

Shoving herself hard against the door the worn night guard managed to get it to slowly open if inch by inch. Yet, with each toss of herself against it she barely could bite back the wail of pain that lodged itself in her throat due to her mouth and torn up arm aching in misery from the merest movements. None of that she allowed to slow her down, and thanks to the adrenaline coursing through her as all that she focused on was getting past that damn door she was coming to loathe with every passing second while the one she loved lay trapped beyond it.

It was then in the rising silence between her ramming the door she realized she could hear nothing more at this point than his own screams which were unlike what she'd heard before. Quickly her own joined in without thought from her fear surmounting all else at hearing him experiencing such horror-like he was facing his end on that other side of that damn door.

'He's falling apart in there! And I-I can't get to him! I'm-I'm loosing someone again! And there's nothing I can do-no matter what I...'

"BELLE... RUN... RUN... AWAY... GET... AWAY... GOT... OUT... OUT... FOR.. FOR... FORTY... FOUR…"

Despite the animatronic's pleading with her she didn't obey, only went on begging at him more in hopes to reach him like she had minutes ago. Again her words fell from her lips useless, gory, and unable to protect her friend his ongoing spiral farther and farther away from her.

"RUN... RUN BELLE... GET AWAY... IT'S COMING... IT'S COMING-IT'S-IT'S-IT'S-"

That was when his hysterics grew ten fold, causing her to freeze there against the ice cold door as she listened to what could only be described as pure terror crackling through that electronic voice.

"-FOR-FORTY FOUR!"

Then just as swiftly as his voice thinned from the air a dead silence crashed down upon them.

"-RUMPLESTLTSKIN!"

Right before the ring of something large and metal toppled over, bashing itself into the ground with a mighty clatter that echoed out against the door and through Avonlea's halls.

The slab blocking her way gave with the last of her useable energy, opening far enough to allow her to try and slip past it. Getting through the small gap just about squeezed her hips and waist so hard that if felt like her ribs and organs were to be crushed in the process-blood spattering the floor and her scarf as she struggled to breathe. Yet, after floundering into the hall from her slick snow covered boots the very reason for why she couldn't merely open it laid before her eyes now adjusting to the thick darkness of the back hallway.

Sprawled on the ground was her impish and beloved mechanical man, and though he'd collapsed in silence to the checker tiles she knew he was the furthest from all right. Thrashing and convulsing Rumplestiltskin writhed in place with all his limbs looking almost like they were broken from the angles they were stuck in. His head of wiry hair too was jerking about spastically like that first fit she'd seen him endure those months ago behind the stage. Alone this sight had her out right sobbing while sparks shot from his neck in random spurts. Worst of all was how both his eyes rolled about in his skull, spinning without control as he remained so lost from reality in the after effects of his fault.

There was not a single thing stopping the human woman from falling on to her hands and knees in order to scramble towards him. Already she felt hot fresh tears leak down her ruddy wind whipped cheeks, not that she cared to stop them. They too were splattering across the floor and soon enough Rumplestiltskin's leather coat as she leaned over him, grasping with all her might at his lapels to turn him over.

"R-Rum… Rum… Please come back-come back! I'm here-the van has stopped! Please-please-please hear me!" Belle bellowed with a hand she couldn't stop from shaking nearing his flickering face. There was no immediate response-she wasn't sure he'd even noticed her from how his dots for eyes rolled to the top of their pitch black sockets. Hesitation paused her when she noticed the blood upon her once more, making her tear of both gloves off in order to cast them aside so she could cradle his chin. It was hard to hold him still with how his dangerous jaw snapped and jerked, especially with her right arm throbbing with each breath. Regardless she pulled her body as close to his side as possible though she was barely able to pin him down thanks to his clattering metal parts.

Whatever had happened in this fit it was clear now it was really bad-far worse to him mentally than anything she'd known he'd endured before. That fact brought up a fear in her unlike any she felt before too in all her time here.

She didn't want to believe it-wanted to against all reasoning and thought deny it from being true, but… He...

He was…

Scrunching her eyes closed tight a pained expressed creased her lovely face. 'He… He is getting worse. These faults are getting so much worse! It's like the further he pulls himself free of this place, of the rules placed within him, and towards the truth the further this broken side takes him too! Is it... Is it my fault? Have I been causing this to ultimately get worse-and I… I haven't done anything to help him really-I've done nothing-nothing to help him get this fixed! But can this... Can this be-'

"G-Gone… Gone-ds-g-t-t-ken… Can-t-t-top-st-it-" The animatronic in her arms croaked out then, surprising her enough she flinched against his cold form and leather. While his voice had seemed to return those spinning eyes and garbled sounds gave way he was very much trapped inside. It had her pressing closer instead of pulling her away like anyone else would have done at such a fearsome sight. "L-Lo-ing-all-all-all-slip… Sliped… Slipping… Can't… Get out… I can't... Find... A way out..."

Both blue glimmering eyes of Belle's opened wider as he continued to convulse in her arms-bare whimpers escaping the confines of his plated throat. Passed her stunned exterior her mind tried to understand what exactly had taken place in his systems and programming. 'Gone-slipping away? What is he talking about-is-it is-his memories! Did he remember something in the fault and is now being forced to forget it? Then is has to be true-ZOSO or whoever programmed him to be able to loose his memories-but why-why does he have to forget! 'What' is it that he has to forget!'

"Rumple, please hold on-come back to me! I'm here-I'm here! Just let them be taken away for now-don't fight it! You're only going to hurt worse if you try to fight it!" Belle declared, pressing both hands hard into the bottom of his jaw to not chance being bit in order to lean closer. "Listen to me-no matter what happens I'm not going to let you go! I'm all-all right-so you can't let this take you away from here-from me! Whatever you saw in your head wasn't real! Even if it had happened it's not happening right now-you're here-right here with me! This part that takes you over doesn't own you-it's not you! You're Rumple-the one and only Rumplestiltskin!"

At that the eerie pin points snapped towards her, his body almost stilling entirely if not for the flickers and spasms she could feel jerking his metal form. A bit of nervousness found its way into her belly to see those dots peer back at her, but it was a sign he was returning if he could focus that much on her. There was no way he was going to hurt her purposefully anyways-he never had in all their time together faults or not. With that belief reaffirmed she relaxed her strained muslces so she could draw closer and press her fore head against his.

Instantly she felt the inhuman chill of his faux skin, but didn't recoil from this touch as he didn't from hers. In fact she heard a soft sound crackle from his voice box at the contact that emboldened her hope that he was regaining control.

Forgetting a moment about the blood trailing down her mouth she brushed her nose against his metal one in relief, yet failed to notice a droplet form and fall to race down Rumplestiltskin's chin.

He on the other hand didn't, causing him to come to life as one of the glowing pin points flickered back into its normal massive size. She barely had time to focus on that important fact from the way he bucked up from the floor which almost sent her sprawling off of him with a yelp.

"No… No… I-I-I've-" Both those metal hands attempted to reach up to grab her, but they fell back to his sides like they were missing necessary functions. "G-Get away… Ahhhhh! I-I-don't c-come near me-you have-to-to-run-go! Not safe-not safe! I'm not safe!"

Ignoring Rumplestiltskin's demands Belle wrapped her arms as far about his chest they could go as he rapidly attempted to sit up. They both found the action alone appeared difficult for him to handle from the way his limbs wracked like the world was quaking beneath him.

It was clear he was going to push himself too far too soon in his rising fear, and so Belle tried to keep him held down long enough to gather herself in spite of how he struggled against her. "Rumple-It's okay-It's okay! I've g-got you! You're not going to hurt me-I know you won't!"

"But I did-you can't-no I can't-stop! Can't stop-my-myself-I-I'll hurt you again! I'll hurt anyone-anyone-in-my-way! I have to get out-get out-no-get in! I have to get inside!" The animatronic cried out, digging at the checkered tiles with those dangerous claws to pull himself deeper into the pitch black halls.

He didn't get far as the bend of his right arm gave out with loud pop-the sound of a servo loosing control, taking both of them down as they fell to their sides on the floor. She lost her breath for a moment at the impact, but that didn't deter her from clinging to him with all her remaining strength. Because if she let go now she knew for certain he would try to run away as fast as he could which she couldn't let happen-not after what he'd gone through. That mind made of data and code was too fragile from the fault and with his new found fears she herself feared it would cause him to recoil from far worse than he had in the past.

And she... She... Couldn't loose him-couldn't loose him to such regret and shame at what had been just been a terrible mishap. Never again did she want to go through having to loose another person she loved when she had the strength to try and stop it-to which she did, for she loved him unrequitedly despite all that had occurred. The moments before everything had gone wrong... When they'd shared their gifts, bared their souls to one another, and kissed so tenderly, everything had felt so very right within her world. It was like she'd finally realized he was the missing piece that filled the void within her just as she hoped she had nestled perfectly into the parts of him looking to be complete. No... In retrospect she'd known longer than that, but it wasn't until tonight that she'd been able to accept her true feelings by a little crude book that meant everything to her.

Yes, her heart still yearned for him in spite of this cruel twist to this story of theirs-despite the faults and fits-his inhumanness...

And because she loved him so much the torn beauty couldn't let him go though her precious life's blood kept racing down from her blanched skin.

As if sensing this resolve the animatronic who continued to try to pull away from her wailed loudly into the air. The cry rang in her ears-a sound so terribly burdened that her heart splintered through her ribs while his stained hands clenched together into coiled fists.

"Belle-get away-get away from me-run-run away-please! Please-don't let me have the chance to hurt you again." He begged without opening his maw to speak like he'd done those first few nights they'd spent together so nervous and unsure. It worried Belle more that she heard him stressing the joint of his jaw so tightly from grinding his teeth that the hinge sounded like it was going to break.

Refusing to release him the determined night guard clung to him around his back, her knuckles starting to turn white from such an unrelenting grip.

"No! I'm not leaving you, because I promised you that I wouldn't! I told you a while back that I wouldn't l-leave you just like you promised you wouldn't leave my side either!" Underneath her she felt him freeze as it seemed her words and the reminder of his promise struck him far harder than the chaos reigning within. "Through thick and thin that's how promises work work, and no matter what-vows or not, you're my closest friend in this en-entire world-someone more dear to me than you could ever k-know! And I can't... I wont loose you-I won't let you suffer this alone!"

"You... You c-can't do this! P-Promises or not! Look at me-look at-at-what I've done-w-what I've done to you! To-to-to-everything-everyone-nothing's safe-not from me!" He finally looked over his shoulder at her with one eye a tiny yellow dot while the other-huge and alien, peered at her with despair gleaming in its depth. "Let me go-a hospital-you need a hospital-a doctor-anyone-not me-not me-never me-never-hurt-hurt-I'll only hurt you-make you bleed! Bl-Blood-so much blood-everywhere... It's..."

"T-They're not that deep! I'm bleeding a bit-they're pretty good cuts I admit, but I-I will handle this-I'll heal in time! You're the one who just endured a fault-I thought you were breaking beyond repair there, and the way you cried out like you were seeing such terrible things... Worst of all I ran after you all while knowing there was nothing I could do to help you through it, but you're back-you came back to me-it hasn't taken you because you are so much stronger than this error." Her hoarse voice murmured against his shoulder while hot tears ran between the scales of the cold metal plate. "But, I was so scared for a minute-so scared I was going to loose you forever... That you were going to be lost in that part of you, but you didn't let it take you just like a few cuts won't take me away from you."

He tensed further through the flinches and spasms still rolling through his metal shell, yet he wasn't trying to free himself anymore.

Not that she thought he could manage to even if he had the will from the continual popping of his unresponsive joints.

"No... No... You don't get it... I'll kill you Belle-if no one stops me-if you don't leave! Y-You have to go-go and don't come back-don't ever come back here!" The desperate and haunted inflection of his more human like voice grew before face turning to the floor so that his mop of wild curls hid his features completely. "Stop-I need to be stopped... I-I don't want to do this-I don't want to hurt anyone anymore-you especially… When they said I should be scrapped all those years ago-I should've been... Everyone was right-monsters-like me have to re-removed... I need to be destroyed. I can't continue to be allowed to exist if it means I'll-"

"STOP! Stop saying those things! Don't you dare!" Belle out right bellowed, her fingers curling so tightly into his vest and chest to these claims that felt like they were tearing her insides apart.

H-How could he say such things! Just because he wasn't human physically and suffered things he couldn't control didn't mean that that he had no right to live! Metal or flesh-wires or veins-a soul or something entirely artificial-he deserved to be alive-had every right to exist... But because of the world's cruelty and his inability to fix himself... It just wasn't fair! This suffering-no person as good as him should have to go through it! So why... Why him... And why would someone make a machine that felt everything a human could and then abandon it to that would in turn face the anguish of living in a world not ready for such a creature. It wasn't his fault that he had severely damaged programing that had damned him from connecting to others from the moment he woke up!.

There was no point in focusing on these things that could not be changed, knowing this she loosened her tight grasp over where both hands rested. In the brief moment of silence overtaking the family fun center she noticed again that lack of a heart beat beneath her touch. In its place were the clinging and grinding of gears, but that didn't change her opinion at all as she forced her words to carry on for her.

"Don't say such things... You don't deserve that-I won't let you go until you realize it, and I certainly won't let you think I'll ever accept that happening! I'm not afraid, not of you! Break me-tear me apart-go ahead, but I know you won't. That's because you didn't mean to hurt me when the van frightened you. It was an accident that I wish I could have prevented from ever happening... I knew the alarm had a bad sensor and I didn't think of how it might-"

"No! No! Don't you get it! I'll do it again though-van or not-I'll get afraid-I'll get angry-I'll hurt you like like that man-like that boy! I'll hurt anyone or do so much worse! You know this, so you have to let me g-you have to forget about me-forget Belle-you can't save me! You can't fix me-I'm broken-so very broken!" His rotten looking teeth gnashed at the open air before he grounded them back together to contain the pain erupting from within. "And now I know I am missing my memories-they're stolen and taken from me-again-and again-and again with no answers or hope to ever understand! In that a-abhorrent darkness I know better though! Down there is just rot and decay, pouring and spurting from me-from deep inside me! I'm vile to the core, and the most terrifying thing is I don't know if I'm just a false facade over this evil thing lurking at the back of my mind!"

To hear the one she loved say such things... It hurt more deeply than Belle could ever say as it forced past reoccurrences to come rising up from their graves that sought to crush her under the weight of such misery. Once more she was faced with a being who'd rather accept rusting in sorrow and darkness than be beside others in fear of hurting them... Just like... But, this time in her life it was a machine who suffered through things she couldn't imagine-that no human being could. Never in existing had she had to imagine having to be forced to relive and then forget that which brought seemingly endless pain-to face these things in a body that would act against one's self under a program's protocol that took entire control. Such grief... Such heartache... It had her tears cascading down her cheeks despite having felt like she'd run dry, but she forced herself not to sob out loud in fear of hurting him further.

Fat and heavy they silently slid down her chin in place of his-after all, he couldn't cry like she could tell he would be if he had been capable of it.

Without any true thought the beauty released one of her hands before she laid it atop the side of his head, petting him gently as it was all she could think to do for now. No words or well meaning thoughts could soothe that which she didn't comprehend, however, there were things she could. He'd been alone so long without any companionship or humanity to care for him until that unforeseen collision of their lives that fateful night so long ago. Simply being there for him against his demands of her leaving was all that she could do right now to help ease what bit of his wounded spirit it could reach.

Of course he didn't take it that way-in fact he felt the opposite. As her fingers wound through the soft curled fibers he quickly recoiled like he feared she would impale herself upon him at the merest touch.

"NO! NO! NO! LET ME GO! DON'T TOUCH ME-I'LL HURT YOU! I'LL DO SOMETHING WORSE TO YOU! GO-LEAVE! BELLE!" Wrangled cries of the like began to erupt from him as he began to thrash again-metal clacking against the ground bouncing into the air. That tactic to make her pull away from him didn't phase her at all, but it was hard to hold onto him from his returning strength seeming to drive him to free himself from her. With another attempt he tried to get to his knees, pleading all the while, yet his servos failed him again as they collapsed back to the floor. Over and over he tried as the minutes passed with her refusing to give up or budge an inch.

Eventually his heartbreaking begging for her to destroy him, leave him, and protect herself began to die down from maniac pleads to solemn whispers. With the animatronic's flailing limbs stiffening at his side the loud noise of his parts hitting the ground also faded into the pervading nothingness. Together they laid there quietly-both struggling internally with most of her blood from her torn arm now crusted and smeared on the floor beneath them.

So as her hands trailed over faux locks within reach she listened to the faint parts within him scuffing, clattering, and tinkling-altogether they seemed to be slowing down alongside her own heart beat. As the dwindling seconds past both of their beats grew more and more slack as they laid there on the floor whose icy touch was seeping into her insides. Beyond the ajar door the wind was scratching at it as if to get in, allowing a few stray flakes to sneak in the gaps that danced along the hall. However, the tired and bleeding security guard paid no mind to the worsening chill, having numbed to these things beyond the warmth ebbing from the mechanical man's chest to her frozen fingers.

That was until he'd finally spoken after such a long span of silence that she realized the gears in his chest had near slowed to a halt.

"Please… B-Belle...Please… D-Don't let me go… I'm scared-I don't want to dis-disappear-I don't want to die." He whispered to her in a voice so terribly small and vulnerable that was unlike the impish companion she'd heard so many a night. "But I don't want anyone to get h-hurt because... Of me anymore-esp-especially not you... And... I-I don't want to be without you-I don't want to say goodbye... Though I know... I know I'm going to loose you forever, because in time you'll come to h-hate me... I'm sorry-I'm so sorry... I' don't want to loose my best friend-the woman I... I..."

With a quiet sniffle she bit back her tears so she could manage to speak without her voice croaking, her hand all the while drawing closer to the side of his face to caress the glittery fake flesh she'd come to find so beautiful. Was he so prepared for her to abandon him in spite of all she'd promised to him in their time together? To think he had been so damaged by the world that had forsaken him that his instinctual reaction was this clawed at her heart in a manner far worse than his physical ones ever could.

"You know I could never hate you... Rum... And you don't have to say goodbye-I refuse to just like I refuse to let this separate us. Do you not believe in my feelings for you that much? Have I ever-ever... Let you believe I never wanted to see you again through all we've gone through?"

Her questions hung heavy in the air as she finally peeled away from him enough to crawl sluggishly over his form. Right away she could feel how tired her body was becoming with the rise of adrenaline in her veins reaching its end. Yet, she was so very tired of not seeing him-of him withdrawing or hiding away the moment something went wrong. Tonight had been going so well in regards to them being open and honest with one another, and then of course this... No, this couldn't set him back because if it did she didn't know how far he would go in try to keep her at bay which a thought ready to shatter her heart to absolute pieces.

Naturally her dear Rumplestiltskin sensed the pressure of her weight against him shifting, but he did not move to force her away or draw her closer either. Moving into this position jostled her wounds, hurting her in the process, but the security guard didn't let that stop herself from lying right before him. Gently Belle's injured arm lifted towards him to find its way to him and over his shoulder. At this point face to face against his wishes she found that his inhuman eyes were completely normal now with their luminescence setting her features ablaze in a yellow glow.

Both sets of metal eyelids clamped tightly together though after they'd flickered about from her face in fear and found the four jagged lines half hidden behind the deep red remains of her coat sleeve. She winched at herself too, having not meant to cause him further pain by seeing the damage, and so she let her hand wander towards his chin that clamped to his upper jaw tightly.

"Please don't hide from me-you know that you didn't mean to-you cant hate yourself for th-"

"What I've done to you is un-unforgivable! A-And I want to promise it will never happen again, but I can't... Because I can't stop it-this thing in me... This part of my mind-its not getting better. I can't be beside you if I-if I can't stop this-and I don't know if I can-it takes me over so quickly, and I fear it asks me to do... Horrible-horrible things! It wants me to hurt people Belle-it wants blood-I can tell-it wants to hurt others! I can't remember but I know-I can 'feel' it... How can... I ever let myself be near-y-you ever again when this-this..."

There his electronic voice broke with a startling crackle as if unable to bear this weight imposed upon himself any longer.

"But without you... I'll truly turn to dust..."

And as they laid there with the bruised and battered beauty looking at him in sorrow the animatronic finally pressed himself towards her and began to weep out loud.

Immediately she responded to that released pain of his own, curling about him in order to be a barrier for him against the entire world. Inside her troubled mind she promised herself and him she would be-that she'd fight to the bitter end against anyone that meant him harm... No one would take him away from her! She was his knight, and more so she was his friend-no one would ever be allowed to hurt him...

She couldn't however... The one thing she couldn't do...

Inside of him… The faults… The fits… Broken bits and lost pieces.

No matter how much she wanted to or how hard she tried she couldn't stop the brokenness he experienced from hurting him or in turn driving him to hurt others.

The utter seriousness of what was happening dawned on her while he trembled in her arms like a terrified child. Once again she was faced with the knowledge of what needed to be done-only now more evident than ever. They needed to get him help-a repairman-a technician-someone who knew enough about robotics to do the job-they needed it really, really, bad or else they were never going to find the means to escape this continual cycling fate... Either of them. If they did not he would just go on fearing about harming another as this 'broken' part continued to fester within him to do just that, and she'd have to keep fearing of one day fulfilling her promise to him-that she would have to do whatever it took to stop him from doing something he could never live with.

But where could they even start looking to find a means to fix this when there was so much on the line? With the way Rumplestiltskin was-a being beyond all logic and technology known so far to man, there was a good likely hood that people would want to harm him or use them for their gain. While she was hopeful she wasn't naive enough to expect everyone would want to help them out of sheer kindness, and she couldn't risk it. As if that wasn't bad enough there was the entire fact they still didn't have an inkling to where he had truly come from or if he was made by this 'ZOSO' let alone who that man's actual identity was. To be honest with herself as she shook alongside the machine it was starting to feel like the whole world was set against them... Telling them at every turn that their tale was one to be of tragedy than a happy ever after.

Even then she refused to believe there was not a sliver hope in them finding a future free from the darkness ensnaring them both. Someway, though she didn't know how, they had to find the answers of his past, his true origins, of how they could repair him and in the end set things right.

When that was done... They could be happy with no worries to stop them from living their lives, right?

And he-her most special someone... Wouldn't have to hurt like this anymore.

There was still time-it wasn't too late for them to change this fate.

There just had to be.

Pressing her cheek against his chest she felt the warmth of his internal parts while the mechanical man's sniffling broke into a whimper at the act. The large metal hands over her shoulders kept moving behind her like they couldn't figure out if they should pull her close or pull her away. After what had occurred it was easy to figure he was holding himself back which she couldn't blame him for. Despite how she wanted him to hold her so badly-to ensure her he was going to not let her go she wanted him to not be overwhelmed in the fear of hurting her again.

"I don't know what it is like when you suffer-I wish more than anything that I could make it go away, but I can't... I can't on my own no matter how many books I read or things I study. In the end I... But, no matter what happens now I am right here beside you… With no intention on letting you go-so please… For right don't turn me away-let me hold you for as long as I am able to." She whispered to him just as she was about to kiss his chest before a painful throb to her lips reminded her she'd only harm his psyche further with the blood residing on them.

"Oh B-Belle… I'm… I'm so sorry… What I've done-to you is some-something I can't ever… Make up for-I can't… Ever make right… You shouldn't have to hold a monster... A m-monster that hurt you... W-Why though do you force yourself to stay-you're too good-too kind to something like me-" Rumplestiltskin began only for her to cut him off with bold fingers slipping over his lips.

Lifting her head back up she peered at his wide open eyes, her heated emotions boring into such anxiety riddled ones. "No more of that-not another word. I have already forgiven you, and you know just how much you mean to me. Before everything that happened I'd told you just that-r-remember how I said I wanted you by my side-that you fixed the missing parts of me that only you can. I meant every single word-no strings attached... S-So all I ask instead is that you stay with me, and that you won't let yourself doubt us-or this we share because I know you feel the same for me too... All I ask is that you don't pull away after this, because I know you're hurting too."

Her voice rang out in the open air overhead into the thick reaching shadows, though she found her throat suddenly hitching as Rumplestiltskin turned his face away, forcing her fingers to slip from him and her eyes from looking into his own. Worry seeped back up into her at this-not of being hurt in any physical sense, but of a possibility that would not be able to ever heal.

"You're already thinking staying away from me will be the right thing to do for both of us-I can tell, but it's not... You'll just break both of our hearts if you pull away! Running from me or the world won't solve this, and if you do you'll only be facing these faults on your own! Let me help you-as much as I can... You're not alone anymore-don't try to tell yourself that I am better off with out you. You know-you know that's not true!"

He remained quiet though like the gears in his mind were turning and whirling as the fear was compelling him to deny her. Urgency to have him give her some confirmation had her grasping his sleeve and tugging at him, trying her best not to seem as distraught as she was ultimately feeling inside.

"Rumple-please-promise me you won't try to run from me! I don't... I don't want to loose you just like how you don't want to loose-we don't have to say goodbye... And it's more than because I feel for you or care for you and that you are my friend.. It's because I... I..."

They were right there, laying upon the edge of her tongue-the truth she'd longed to admit to him. The warmth they brought was doing its best to combat the horrors and cold burrowing into her bones, compelling her to lay her heart out on the line once and for all for the one who'd taken it. For a moment it was so clear in her mind, everything she yearned for within her very grasp as she stared at the odd scaly mechanical and yet beautiful man she loved.

Yet, her bloodied mouth trembled as not a single sound came forth.

Even now... After everything...

She couldn't say it-no she had to say it! He had to know just how much he meant to her!

"I-I lo-"

Her eyes shimmering with brand new tears flung open in surprise when suddenly she felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder inches above her fresh wounds. The slight jostle made the sting bolt up her arm momentarily, but she didn't look at it when the sudden unhinged look Rumplestiltskin was giving towards her. There was no hostility or fury aimed at her, yet the tension of his parts was burning against her form-this uncontrolled emotion consuming him to the point he shook her shoulder gently.

"If I-I let you go I'll hurt you, and If I keep you close I'll hurt you t-too... W-What do I do then Belle? You claim I have a choice to make, but what choice do I make that is right! How d-do I protect you when anything I do will only cause you anguish in the end?!" His panic was rising with every syllable escaping his bared dagger like teeth as the tight hold upon her shoulder cemented her in place-no longer shaking her but exuding the sheer power contained within him. Even then the claws capping the end of those segmented digits did not dig down into her like she now knew they so easily could-like a knife through warm butter. "I care for you, s-so much so it frightens me a-as I've never cared for anything like I do you in my entire existence! Yet-yet-I couldn't even keep such a simple promise a-about your gifts! I already ruined one of them... The c-cravat you gave me... Ruined it with by shedding your blood after we had... Ki... Ki..."

The word for him would not come out either as his hand stilled shaking her, yet he didn't need to say more. On instinct her bleary eyes jumped to what he'd spoken of which was the gift she'd given him still tied about his neck and in one whole piece.

Running after him she'd noticed her own scarf had been ruined from the accident rather quickly while in this darkness it took her blue eyes a moment to notice the few blots of crimson that had settled into the delicate fabric of his golden cravat. For a long while she studied it in silence under his intense burning gaze. He was awaiting her judgement-like it would awaken her to some 'truth' that would cause her to recoil from him at last.

It didn't, but it affected her none the less.

Because it had been a lovely thing when she'd bought it for him, and ignoring the blood it still looked so right about him that she liked to think it had been made for only him in mind.

There was no denying the actuality before her as his words rang true... It was likely those stains would never fully come out of something so fragile-there was no undoing what had been done.

And knowing that she still forced herself to smile for him and for her-forced herself to bare this pain of this knowledge as she slowly reached her hands to it and his plated throat.

"T-That's not so bad... I told you we could just get you another one-not that there is much blood on it... P-Perhaps with a gentle wash it will be as good as new-"

As she'd been reaching for it her arm had brushed against his holding her enough so that her wound had been pressed into his sleeve. The action sent a flood of nerves rushing to her brain screaming in pain that near resulted in her own audible cry as she'd accidentally bit her lip in retaliation. Flinching back from him caused a chain reaction as he ripped his hand away, sparing her any more damage though it left her arms and body empty as he scuttled back with that inhuman speed. By the time he was on his boot clad feet she was pushing herself up off the floor with one arm, panting for breath to combat the hell rushing over her.

"Y-Your wou-wounds-B-Belle-you're still bleeding! It won't stop! You're going to-to-to loose too much blood-if you don't get-get help!" Rumplestiltskin's bellow echoed through the empty halls behind them, passing through her own head that was far too dizzy from the sudden motion of forcing herself to sit up.

She didn't want it to be true, however, he was right... Even the cut to her lip that had already began to swell up wasn't stopping after all this time when she briefly touched it to feel the sticky reside slipping past. While they were not so deep that she needed to fear bleeding out they weren't going to simply scab and heal without getting properly taken care of by a medical professional. The thought of having to go to the hospital now had her gut clenching in dread born from both past and future. She had no time for such a thing! Going to a doctor meant she would have to leave Rumplestiltskin in order to attend to the matter which likely meant that in that time he could fall victim to his doubts-to reject her entirely.

But she had no choice-she had to go-why-why-why-

Needing to get up to her feet and ensure she was fine enough for now Belle launched herself upwards on unsteady legs. The momentum continued to wage war against her body, causing her to sputter a bit as built up saliva clogged her throat that in turn ended up spattering on the ground in a spray of red fluid. Through blurry eyes she saw the alarming sight between her feet, plastered there like a mockery of everything the family fun center she'd loved as a child stood for.

Not a single apology could escape her for forcing him to see such a terrible thing as Rumplestiltskin swiftly slammed himself back into the wall. The loud ring of metal caught her off guard as Belle stared in wide eyed shock between the fallen strands of her auburn hair, utterly horrified of not only this, but how already his eyes were starting to roll about within his head mindlessly.

Yet, he seemed to sense this too as he held up a rattling hands towards her. The clear warning sign for her to not come any closer kept her back, though his head jerking about on its pivot elicited far greater worry.

'No-no-not another one! There is no way he can handle another fault right after that one! How will he be able to fight it-he barely has enough energy in his body to stave off the protocol's aftereffects!' These thoughts had Belle's mind recoiling with fear at the merest possibility of that happening.

"Y-You need to go though-a h-hospital-it'll only get worse the longer you stay here! For-both-both-both-can't stay-stay-not-not with me-stay-Belle-can't be with me-you have to go-go-go-before-before-for-for-four-four! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH- "

With a flash of leather and green gold metal her animatronic companion flung himself at the very wall behind him with a great mighty screech. There wasn't enough time in those hasty seconds to stop him from what she laid witness to-the repeating bashing of his metal skull against the concrete wall. Her mind told her to move towards him-to stop such violence, and yet she couldn't move a muscle. He'd done this when he'd chased after the man had broken in from the resulting fit, willing to render himself rubble just to stop himself.

"Rumplestiltskin! Stop! STOP IT!" The beauty called out, just about to launch forward and tackle him again right as he whipped back around. Both of his eyes still the large ones that gave her hope he would not falter even if they continued to spiral from the torment inside.

"No-I won't let it have me-not again! I AM ME! NOT THAT-THAT-THAT-FOR-FOR-AHHHHHHHHHH! Belle! You have to go-there's too much-too many! Too much! It's so loud-loud in here! It's going to try and take me-again-and again-breaking-me-every-bit-but-I. WONT. LET. IT!"

With that final cry the animatronic hurled himself head first one last time at the wall before he fell uselessly against it, slowly sinking to the ground as if his legs could no longer bear the burden of his heavy form. Desperately she wanted to hold him again to tell him it would be all right, but it was evident now doing so would not help at all-she'd given him strength but... His grief was too great, and with how she was covered in splatters of gore and bearing the wounds he'd inflicted by accident it was evident he would continue only to get worse.

Perhaps the most painful part of this all was this. That there was nothing more she could do for him now than to abandon him for the time being... To leave him to this darkness and pray he would return to her.

The thought made her want to scream until her vocals were rendered asunder at the unfairness of the world.

Instead she focused on how this was only temporary state-yes, as soon as she was fixed and cleaned up she would return straight to him to ensure his doubts would not come true! By then surely he-he would be better, and they could work this out-nothing had torn them apart yet and she wanted so badly to believe nothing else would.

By thinking of this she managed to take hold of the strength she needed to continue on.

"I have to leave now-I have to get to a hospital or things will only get worse. But, promise me you'll be here when I get back! No matter what I'm going to come right back here once I get this looked at and sorted out-that means you can't... Do anything drastic-don't you think for a second about hurting yourself any further! I'm okay, so I'm going to come right back here as soon as they patch me up-that is my promise! Now promise me!" Belle shouted towards the being that looked at her with enough consciousness left she could see him fighting to remain there with her from where he hunched over on the floor.

Where he kneeled he looked so very small-nothing at all like the dangerous thing he'd been just moments before. In his warm amber eyes she could see all his guilt swallowing him alive and whole as she stared at him, tears and snot all the while leaking down her face. Unclenching and clenching by his side his hand trembled before lifting up slowly, and to her surprise reaching out towards her in a manner that had her sob and reach back for him.

For a moment the tips of their fingers met, brushing just barely across one another-the closest to a goodbye that either of them could muster.

And then his fell away as he looked up at her with a strained look that she could tell meant he was holding himself by a thread.

"I promise Belle-I will be right here-I made you a promise a long time ago that I would always be here for you when you are! But... I-I am..." She didn't know what he was going to say, and she never would as he forced himself back up, using the wall as a means before he shouted at her one final time. "You don't need me-not me-not right now-not-not-e-b-but I will wait-wait here for you! I'll keep my promise to you! But you have to go! Go! GO!"

Then far faster than he should be able to move the one she loved so dearly tore off into the depths of the back hallway.

From where she stood she could hear the 'clacking' of his heels across the tiles alongside the clashing of his limbs fading into silence before she could call for him.

"I-I'll be back-I swear it-I will be back Rumplestiltskin!"

And then she too was barreling forward on unsteady feet, pushing herself to her nearing limit as she forced her way back out into the clawing cold. An icy gale welcomed her back into its embrace which awakened her from almost the otherworldly daze that had over taken her-like the shock one felt after waking up from a nightmare. Standing there she was left to look at the frozen world around her through her whipped about hair and billowing breath. Everything that had previously been a beautiful view shared between them now only looked dull and void of any beauty-just an endless sea of white intent on swallowing up the world.

And through it all the aged spinning wheel was still sitting out in the snow, slowly being claimed by the falling snow. Seeing it now as she trudged through the conditions-unable to find the strength to deal with the blood streaks she'd left behind, had her eyes stinging again with tears that threatened to become icicles hanging off her lashes. Again she was left to ask herself the same question she'd been since the van's alarm had stolen everything away from her... Why did this have to happen-why did it have to happen... Both guardians of Avonlea should have been finally pulling themselves free of the darkness and cage set before them, but now the dense bars were clamped tighter around them than ever before, crushing them with freedom right within their reach.

Thinking of it now... What she'd long for was selfish whim of hers even with its good intentions-that much she understood as she approached the large wheel to tenderly dust off the snow from the claw marked wood that had previously brought such great joy to her companion. Now the likelihood of Rumple ever leaving Avonlea to truly exist outside of its walls was looking less possible with each passing flake. After all, she didn't know if she would even return and find him willing to cooperate with her and let her help him after what had befallen them.

No! She couldn't let herself doubt him and his promise to her just moments ago-he said he would be here waiting for her, and that meant he was believing she would come back! So many times before he'd not thought she would return, so him saying he did believe...

For a moment the pain dissipated from her hear in realization of something that changed the way she viewed what had occurred.

The fault hadn't won then.

Whatever it was inside of Rumplestiltskin-it may have caused him pain and forced him to forget, but it didn't win.

He hadn't harmed her while he was breaking, and he hadn't lost faith in her though he doubted himself. That meant the their bond had become strong enough that despite having harmed her he still wished for her to return-would wait for her-would see her again.

And that gave her enough hope to push on against the numbing cold seeping into her boots and the low wind's icy tendrils to face what lay ahead.

He would be here when she got back...

And when she did come back-she would tell him-tell him everything she felt for him and let him know that he was never going to be alone again.

Renewed in a way that defied logic and the condition of her wounded body it wasn't long before Belle was hopping back up into the driver's seat of her father's van. Someway-somehow she'd gotten the spinning wheel in the back too-a feat she couldn't believe she'd accomplished in her state. However, the torn sleeve of her coat had ended up being ripped from the seams that had barely kept it place. In the end it made for a better makeshift bandage than a way to keep her warm, helping prevent the blood from dripping down onto the seat as she turned the engine on and set the vehicle into gear. With a groan from the immense cold the machinery came to life at her fingers will, thrusting forward through the snow that was just shallow enough she could make it onto the freshly snow plowed streets of the nearby neighborhoods.

Though icy and dangerous her eyes all the while couldn't help but keep looking back at Avonlea. Over and over they turned to the rear view mirror reflecting the door she had once again closed upon her dearest friend. It wasn't for long. That was the mantra that kept being repeated over and over in her mind-that fueled her forward to face the opposition her in way with the dawning of the new day.

And as she drove off in the direction of Storybrooke general hospital the world fell into a heavy silence. It wasn't long until faint sound of an engine disappeared into the far distance, as if the fading night was just any other night before she'd arrived to change the walls and halls of the family fun center.

All the while the thinning flakes had continued their way to the earth, speckling the crimson stained ground as if in an attempt to cover the horrid scene impressed there. Before long not a single inch of the carnage that had taken place was visible to any passerby's eye-just a pure layer of dazzling white encompassing the earth. And so with daybreak breaching the horizon it lit up Storybrooke that Christmas Eve morning in a grandiose display of golden hues-a warm welcome befitting the season. Everyone waking to the sight would look out their windows and front doors-filled with hope and joy for such a perfect touch to their holiday...

Everyone except the lone animatronic who stood in horror at the back window of Avonlea...

Watching as the blood he'd split across Avonlea's parking lot slowly began to seep right back up to the top.