Prince Neal.
She felt her own eyes flood with tears as her heart sped up in excitement and sorrow. They'd named him for Neal. After everything that had happened they gave their son Neal's name. She was speechless. But no matter what she was feeling, she imagined that it was nothing like what was going through his mind right now! Mary Margaret had looked right at him when she announced it, and he'd immediately closed his eyes, trying to contain the flood of emotions that she knew he'd been feeling but tried desperately to hide from the world. And for good reason. Others had stared and looked at him for a moment after the announcement, looking like they were expecting him to break into tears. But as much as she knew he wanted to, he wouldn't. He was always going to be her Rumpelstiltskin, always going to put on a good face and pretend he was emotionless to the world around him, to everyone in the diner…except for her.
By the time she slipped forward and slipped her hand into his the stares and looks had passed as applause built around them. She didn't think he heard it, didn't really think he could see what was in front of him, or even feel her next to him. He was too worked up for something like that, and as great an honor as they'd just bestowed upon his son, on her best friend, she knew that this was the last place he needed to be in the wake of the announcement. So once the applause faded, once people went back to their drinks, and after Emma picked herself up and left to meet Hook out front, she rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand gently and gave a small encouraging squeeze. "Take a walk with me?" she requested.
But it wasn't a request for either of them. He needed to get away from here and now that Emma was back and everything was the way it should be, now that the baby had been named, there was no reason for them to be there anymore. So he let her tug on his hand and pulled him to his feet. Hook and Emma were out front, having a conversation she didn't think they needed to interrupt so she chose to lead him to the side door, to go through the ally, but found David's hand on her arm pulling her to a stop and Rumple as well, seeing as how his hand felt welded to her own at the moment.
"Um..." David sighed and looked at her, glanced over her shoulder at Rumpelstiltskin, then quickly looked back at her with uncomfortable guilty eyes. "Things in the Enchanted Forest got a little...tense," he finally admitted. "But I want you to know that what we did, we thought it was for the best, but we...I probably could've handled it better and I want you to know that I am grateful, for you and especially for Neal. I...we," he amended again quickly, making a motion over his shoulder to Mary Margaret talking with a few others as she held her son close. "We wouldn't be here, in Storybrooke, safe again with Emma and Henry again if it wasn't for Neal so...I just wanted to say that I'm sorry...if I was...less than princely, during the last year."
If he'd been less than princely. There was no if in her mind. Put simply David, even Snow at certain times, had seemed so against the two of them they felt like the were at war. They'd fought, Neal and David had screamed at each other over their differences of opinion...but it didn't matter anymore. The warm hand holding tightly to hers told her that. It was in the past, it had happened, friends didn't always have to get along perfectly, and the desperation she felt from Rumple to leave this place as soon as possible pushed her to do what she believed was the right thing. They loved Neal. Whether he'd always seen eye to eye with the royals or not Neal had loved them, she was certain of that. He would have loved to hear these words, to be the one to respond to them...but now he couldn't. And if her words could put this entire saga to rest, close this chapter on their lives, and get Rumple out of here sooner, then so be it.
"We understood," she muttered, swallowing her own pride, a thick lump in her throat with the words. "We understood why you felt the way you felt, we just hoped that you understood our side of it too."
"We didn't, probably not like we thought we did at least," David admitted, which nearly made her smile because she thought that truth took more courage to admit than giving his apology. "But..." David turned his back and glanced around the diner, Ruby, Mary Margaret, the dwarves, Henry, even Emma outside, she couldn't see his eyes but she felt as though he was glancing at each one and when he finally turned back to her his eyes shined with something like gratitude. "I think I do now...thank you for that."
She knew there were tears in her eyes. But she also knew that if there were tears in her eyes then he would be at a breaking point, the pressure on her hand told her that much. So while she wanted desperately to reach forward and hug David, to right all the wrongs they'd committed in the past year, she knew she didn't have the time-he didn't have the time. Who said it all needed to be rewritten now, anyway? With any luck there would be plenty of time for that...in the future.
So instead she reached out, took his hand and offered an assuring squeeze and a gentle smile, then with a nod released David and turned back to the man she knew was barely keeping it together after that conversation, after hearing them name their prince after his son. Quickly she resumed her task again, thread her arm through his elbow, and with a final wave to Ruby in the back, led him out the side door, through the ally, and down the street to the pawn shop...but David had used up too much time and as they came closer she could see the tears swimming in his eyes and knew he'd never make it across the street in time. So she pulled out the keys to the library and let them into her closer building.
He released her hand immediately and ventured off into one of the reading rooms while she turned on the lights. He'd cried in front of her before, so she knew that if he'd wanted her around he would have stayed by her side or grabbed for her instead of releasing her. The fact that he'd left told her he just needed a bit of time alone, to process what he'd heard, to take it in and not feel so overwhelmed. So she took her time, unnecessarily lighting the entire floor instead of just the room he'd disappeared into in order to give him a moment to collect himself before going after him.
When she found him he was in the back room, his shoulders were slumped as he supported himself against the back of a chair, and his knuckles were white, just barely keeping a grip on this reality, the one without his son. She leaned against the door jam as she watched him for a minute. He was still, perfectly silent, but looked defeated, small, and tired. He looked every bit the two hundred years that Neal had once told her he was. After all he'd been through, all that had happened to him, who would have thought it would be that name that broke him?
"Are you alright?" she asked after a moment, breaking his silent vigil.
He nodded, but it wasn't confident, it was like he was trying to convince himself that he was alright. But he didn't have to be, she didn't expect him to be "alright" after he'd lost his son! This reaction, these feelings, she'd known they were there, known that he was covering them up this morning, last night even, but honored his desire to deal with them in his own time. It wasn't on his own time, not after what had happened at the diner, but this moment had been inevitable.
After another moment of silence he shook his head and she watched the fingers on the chairs back tighten impossibly again. "I didn't expect…"
She swallowed and nodded, knowing exactly what he was thinking. "Neither did I," she sighed. She understood the purpose of a naming ceremony, and she was happy about what had happened, really she was, it was an amazing honor, something Neal would have been immensely proud of! But she did wish that they'd thought to warn him, to let him know that it was coming when they'd invited him so it didn't feel like a punch to his gut. She wished she'd known so she could have prepared to handle this when it came. She knew he didn't want to talk about it, to think about it, but he was going to have to whether he wanted to or not. It was better he talk about it with her than anyone else. He'd be more comfortable that way.
"But they're right," she began gently, pushing away from the wall and moving over toward him slowly, hoping he wouldn't spook and push her away like he would have in the past. "He is a hero. It's an honor. I think he'd realize that, I think he'd be happy about it."
He nodded, then finally glanced up at her. The look in his eyes; it was shocking! It nearly made her stumble, fall over, want to leave the room! Jealousy. He'd never looked at her like that before, not once! Why on earth would that be the emotion on his face at a time like this? But the emotion faded fast, giving way to the soft gaze that she knew better than any other...sadness. "I think you spent more time with him since I found him than I did," he explained finally, looking away from her. She didn't know what prompted it. Her eyes? The small misstep she'd made? Or maybe it was the tears in her eyes.
She was crying. She was the one crying! For him? Yes…maybe…partially. It was tragic, it was, because she knew that it was the truth. She was crying for Neal, for herself, for what they had and would never have again. She could remember now, she knew everything that had happened in the Enchanted Forest, what they'd gone through, what he'd done for her, the strange relationship that had developed between them in the few months they'd been together. He was right, she had spent more time with him than he had. They'd had the chance to bond in a way that father and son never would. And it was terribly unfair! But, maybe, because of that she'd been wrong this morning, in thinking he needed to talk about it. Maybe it was her that needed to talk, needed him to listen to the stories she'd tell of his son, because really, at the end of the day...she'd lost her best friend and missed him more than she ever thought possible.
She moved around him and sat on the end of the table, trying to swallow her tears so he couldn't see or hear them. He'd understand, but at the moment there was no need to rub salt into his wounds, she needed to soothe them on her own, knowing that what she was about to say would be painful enough. But she wanted him to know, to understand his son, the man that he was. Just as she'd once wanted his son to understand his father.
"He was a good man, Rumple," she admitted, unable to keep her tears from rolling off her cheeks. "He wasn't perfect, he had his flaws, but he was loyal to those that gained his respect. Your son was good and I don't know what I would have done without him. He took care of me when there was no one else to do it, when I couldn't even bring myself to do it. He gave me hope when I had nothing to believe in. He gave me you. And that is a debt that I will never be able to repay. And he did love you. He loved you so much more than he wanted to admit sometimes. But it was good and pure and layered. He was one of the best people I've ever known and I will always miss him, but I'll also always be thankful for him. Always."
She sniffed and wished that she hadn't as she quickly made a motion to wipe her tears away before they could do more harm than good. She felt like she should apologize, say that she was sorry for getting to know him better than he had, but she just couldn't. It would dishonor everything that Neal had done for her and it wouldn't be right. Someday she'd tell him the entire story, someday he'd be ready to hear it and visit his son's grave, but until then they would just have to accept what had happened in all its unfairness.
She heard him move from behind her and for a second she held her breath, wondering if it had been too much, if he hadn't been ready for it and he'd leave her there. But he didn't. Of course he didn't. He moved in front of her and took the hands that she had set in her lap. He held them tightly in his own. For the longest time he didn't look at her, just held her hands, rubbed the backs of them, played with her fingers, and finally kissed her palms. There was something on his mind, something holding his concentration, but she didn't ask what it was, didn't dare impose any more on him than she already had. She just waited. Waited until his grip softened, until he finally raised his eyes and she could see the tears pooled there, until he reached forward, pushed her hair back, and kissed her forehead and she felt guilt flare in her chest. It was unfair enough as it was, the fact that he was comforting her nearly made her want to break down into tears again. How had this happened?! How had the world turned upside-down so fast without her noticing?!
"Belle," he whispered softly after a moment, his voice raw and harsh in her ears, his forehead resting against her own. No. She was wrong. The world wasn't upside-down, it was just balanced for once. He wasn't holding her up, they were holding each other up in the wake of their mutual loss. "Marry me?" he asked softly.
She smiled finally, his remark chasing her despair away. "You already asked me that-"
"No, no," he interrupted, shaking his head a bit. "Marry me…now?"
She pulled away from him a bit, looking him dead in the eye. "Now?" she questioned. Had she heard him right? Yes. She had. Her clarification wasn't necessary, she could see the request in his eyes. She'd heard right.
"Now," he confirmed with desperate eyes, "tonight."
It took her breath away, surprised her, and confused her! Now? Now?! He'd said soon this afternoon but this was…soon! "But-but why? Why now? Why so suddenly-"
"I don't want to wait," he explained quickly. "Every time we're together something happens that threatens to tear us apart and my son…Baelfire didn't sacrifice his life, didn't give us this opportunity so we could squander it by waiting longer than necessary." Suddenly he tangled their fingers together, held her hands secure in his own again, a ball of flesh and bone so tightly knit together she couldn't tell where she ended and he began. "I love you. I want to marry you. I'm ready now," he muttered a second later, "if you are too then-"
"Yes!" she burst out, the word leaving her body on an excited amazed sigh. She nodded when he looked her over with something like excitement and disbelief. It was hard for her to believe too, but he was right! Neal would want this, they'd talked about it enough for her to know, if it made her happy then Neal would want it. "Yes," she whispered again then leaned forward and kissed him again. It wasn't something she needed to think about or question for herself, she'd been ready to marry him for longer than either of them knew. She'd marry him tonight, now, in this very room, if only….
She pulled away, her eyes glancing out the windows into the darkness and catching the time on a wall clock. "There are details," she reminded him. They'd promised to love each other for the rest of their lives already, and she'd happily do it again now, but if he wanted a real marriage, a legal one, then they'd need more than just each other. "There are things that need done," she went on. "People, announcements, at this hour-"
"I'll take care of all that…" he assured her, shaking his head as if the details she'd mentioned were nothing. After what they'd been through in this relationship, maybe they were. "Marry me," he insisted again, as if worried she'd changed her mind. She hadn't. Not at all.
"What do you need me to do?" she asked happily.
"Prepare your vows?" he suggested. "Meet me in an hour? I'll do the rest."
"Where?"
"The well," he responded without a moment of hesitation, as if he'd planned or hoped for it all along. "The place we first kissed after the curse broke, after you came back to me. Give me a chance to make a promise to you there that I'll keep for the rest of our lives."
She smiled, because she liked when he referred to them in the plural, as if they were an inseparable pair, connected. It would be their life, from here on out. Or rather from there and onward. "In an hour then," she confirmed.
He smiled, beamed really, then gave her a swift kiss and left before she could even really wrap her mind around what had just happened. Married. Married! Tonight. Now…in one hour. The realization made her hop off the table she'd been sitting on as nervous energy urged her to move. An hour didn't give her a lot of time to do much of anything. Prepare vows. That was all he'd told her to do, but it wasn't enough. She didn't know what he had in mind and she didn't really care, but she wanted something traditional, something familiar about a wedding. Maybe it was her or maybe it was Lacey's fashion sense but she didn't want to marry him in a black skirt and green sweater. She wanted something a bit more formal. It was one of the rare occasions that Lacey came in handy. The girl could make an outfit out of anything, sewing machine or not for any occasion…even for a wedding.
She didn't have a lot of clothes left in the apartment, but she had just enough. She fumbled quickly through her closet looking for anything that would be appropriate to wear to a wedding, or rather for her own. Originally she'd been looking for white but expanded her search to cream and off white as she went reminding herself that she couldn't be fussy. She found one skirt that was solid white as well as one clean shirt…well, mostly a shirt. It was mesh, meant to be worn over something colored. She searched drawer after drawer but didn't find anything that she liked to put under it. Nothing appropriate that would satisfy Lacey. She was about to give up when suddenly a thought dawned on her. She didn't need to wear something under it, just over it. And she knew exactly what that was…or Lacey did at least. Before she left she grabbed her only pair of white shoes, or rather the only pair that had white on them. They weren't completely white, they had a deep navy blue, nearly black on them but she didn't particularly care. He wouldn't be looking at her feet, he wouldn't notice, no one besides Lacey would.
She placed the clothes she had gathered together in a bag and practically ran across the street to the pawn shop, half expecting to find him inside. But he wasn't and she was perfectly alright with not running into him until he was ready to meet her. She had to find Ruby but there was something she wanted first, something she had glanced at while working there over the past week or so. She unlocked one of the jewelry cases, reached in, and pulled out a strand of pearls that she'd been admiring, or would have admired if he hadn't been gone. They were beautiful, she'd known that even when he was gone, and she would have stared at them all night if she wasn't in such a hurry. But she was, and she could admire them later.
Remembering her time she locked the case, grabbed her bag with the dagger in it, and double checked to make sure the door was secure, before practically running into Granny's. "Ruby!" she called racing up to her.
"Hey!" Ruby smiled, looking her over happily. "I'm so happy you came back. There's something I have to talk to you about-"
"There's something I have to talk to you about too!" she smiled happily. "It's about me and Rumple and-
"Oh, if you're looking for your boyfriend you just missed him, he came in here and left with-"
She shook her head, trying to find words, to hurry them along, trying to tell her too much at once. "He's not my boyfriend, not anymore. That white coat you have, the one in your closet, can I borrow it?!"
The girl looked her over suspiciously, shocked even as she tried to sort through what she'd just said. "Yeah, why?"
She glanced around her, knowing that people were looking at her, knowing what they would think if they found out, knowing more than a few of them would like to join them if they knew and yanked on Ruby's arm, dragging her through the diner to the inn. "I'll tell you on the way to your room." It wasn't that she didn't want people there…but at the same time it was. She didn't want people there. It wasn't anything against them, the wonderful people she now called friends, but the truth of the matter was that what was happening had nothing to do with them and everything to do with her and Rumpelstiltskin. She wanted it to be just as private as their life had turned out
Ruby was surprised when she found out and she couldn't really blame her. She was still trying to put it all together! "You got engaged yesterday, less than twenty-four hours ago, and now you're getting married in an hour?!"
"Forty-two minutes," she corrected, conscious of the time. Ruby was shocked and stunned, but silently fulfilled her request as she walked over to her closet and pulled out the white coat she owned.
"It'll be a little long on you," she warned, "but if you roll the sleeves a bit it shouldn't be a problem. It's a bit chilly tonight anyway." She nodded as she took it from her, smiling at the girls unique non-judgmental understanding, and promising to return the borrowed item later.
"Thank you," she smiled looking it over. She had no idea what she would do without Ruby in her life. Here, the Enchanted Forest...she was essential! "Oh!" she gasped, remember their encounter. "You had something you needed to talk to me about?"
Ruby's eyes went wide for a moment and she opened her mouth as if looking for the words...then smiled and shook her head. "It's nothing that can't wait until after you're married," she excused. "Which is in...forty-one minutes now..." Her stomach tightened at the reminder. She had no idea what Ruby wanted to talk about and she wished she could stay and pry it out of her. She wished there was time to talk to her more to explain what happened with him yesterday and tonight, to catch up like they used to! But she'd have to wait until later. If Ruby said it could wait then it could wait and Rumple...she wouldn't leave him standing at the alter waiting for her. Ruby understood she had to go she had to-
"Belle!" Ruby called before she could dash out of the room. "Wait," she watched as Ruby went back to her closet and dug around a bit more before finally pulling out a box and setting it on her bed. She fumbled through a drawer before tossing something wrapped in plastic at her. "White hose," she explained, "to keep you warm. They're new, just keep them and call it a wedding gift. And whether you've got forty minutes or forty hours every bride needs a veil. This is supposed to go with the jacket and I imagine it should do fine for such short notice," she added opening up the box and handing her a beautiful white hat with a cream colored ribbon. "It's not exactly traditional, but-"
"Neither are we," she smiled, tears coming to her eyes as she looked the items over. She was right, more than right! Lacey had already put everything together for her in her mind and it would be perfect. Beautiful. She reached up and hugged Ruby tight. "I'd ask you to come but-"
"I get it," she squeezed back. "Just promise we'll talk later. You'll tell me all about it and we'll talk about...stuff."
She nodded before pulling away. "I will," she promised her friend as they shared smiles. This was good. Really good. But Ruby's smile...it wasn't as happy as she'd thought it would be. Certainly not as happy as it had been days ago. It was a sad smile. "Are...are you sure you're alright?" she questioned looking her over. "Things seem-"
"Things are fine and you are going to be late! Go!" Ruby yelled after a moment, her smile becoming instantly happy and excited again, reassuring her without words that whatever it was really could wait. "Hurry up, you don't want to leave the Dark One waiting at the alter!" she was racing down the stairs before she heard the last words. She couldn't invite Ruby, she wouldn't invite anyone else, but there was already one person that she'd promised a spot to, one person she did want there.
"Father!" she yelled crashing once more into the beautiful smelling flower shop, happy to find it unlocked. "Papa!"
"Belle?" he called, walking out of the back in a gesture that reminded her so much of Rumpelstiltskin it almost made her laugh. But she couldn't, there wasn't enough time to laugh.
"It's tonight," she informed him. "We decided. It's tonight!"
"Tonight?" he asked looking her over, noting the white garments in her hands. "Now?"
She nodded, beaming. "Now."
So there you had it. I told you it would be a special conversation to encourage them to get married quickly. And I'm sorry this chapter is so long. Initially it was much shorter but it was one that originally hadn't divided well and now...well, now if I could I'd split it in half because Ruby leaving in season 5 has given me something to edit into this chapter but...I'm sure it's fine as it is. If ya'll think it's too busy these days I'll separate it out, no problem. Just let me know. Also...so I told you I'd explain a little more about the wedding. This quick spur of the moment thing also gives the reason for why no one was there but...to be honest I liked it that way. Yes, I know, I know, people hated that no one was invited but me...I thought it was perfect. I mean, imagine for a moment Rumpelstiltskin, Dark One, recluse, standing in front of everyone declaring his love for Belle the way he did at their wedding...I doubt he would have been comfortable doing that. And even though Belle wants a normal life she's also made it clear that she wants him to be happy and making him uncomfortable with a big wedding...I just don't see her doing that. So, honestly, this way or that way I think it would have been small like it was and really...I'm kinda okay with that.
Thank you to Onlyinyourdreams, Meredith Pechta, Katido, Jeffsgoldenbloom, Raizen Yusuke, Grace5231973, and Deweymay for your reviews they have been a pleasure to read! I'm so happy ya'll loved this fiction as much as I do and went on this journey with me. And now, without further ado...the conclusion. Peace and Happy Reading!
