The Dark Backward

Chapter Eleven

Inside the Charmings' loft…

When Henry, Tinker Bell, and Leroy returned, Belle and Will both joined them wanting to help them find Regina, and what might have happened to Emma and Killian. Mary Margaret quickly checked on her son to make sure he was okay and still asleep when she and David stood up from their bed after he had been comforting her, then they all made their way into the living area of the apartment where they could continue to talk quietly. From the looks on their friends' faces, the Prince and Princess could both see that anything they learned from Gold wasn't good.

The teenager among them was the first to speak quietly so he wouldn't wake up his uncle as he stated, "Just as you probably expected, Gold wasn't all that helpful. He denied he knew anything about either of my moms' and Hook's disappearances. It's possible he was telling the truth, but I got the sense he was lying about something."

Belle lowered her head sadly, then she responded, "Henry's right. I sensed it too. I've known Rumple's been lying to me for some time now… even before the night I forced him across the town line. I just couldn't ever admit I knew until that night, especially when I saw him nearly crush Killian's heart. I couldn't accept it anymore and now I can feel when he lies whenever he's around. Except for when he came to me disguised as Killian. I really should have known it was him."

Mary Margaret laid her hand comfortingly on the beauty's knee, then turned her head to look over at Tink when the Green Fairy continued to talk. However, while the conversation continued around her, Belle couldn't stop her mind from drifting back to the last night she had seen her husband until he returned to Storybrooke again six weeks later along with the Queens of Darkness' under his thumb.

Six weeks ago at the town line…

"Belle… what are you doing?" Gold fearfully asked her once he teleported them both out there upon her demand as she kept his dagger grasped firmly and raised within her hand.

"Finally facing the truth," she replied crossly despite her tears, while she turned to the line and slowly backed the man she loved towards it.

The Dark One pleaded with her when he answered, "No. Please… put the dagger down and let me explain."

The beauty curtly retorted, "No! It's my turn to talk. Do you remember the first time you saved my life?"

"You traded for me," she continued as Gold nodded that he did in fact remember. "I thought I… I saw something in you, something good. Well… I found that gauntlet today. And that's when I… I finally realized that all the signs I'd been seeing were correct."

"You'd never give up power for me, Rumple," Belle then said out of despair as her voice broke. "You never have. You never will."

The Dark One stuttered while he kept his eyes focused on the woman he loved and tried to move closer to her until he stepped back again once she raised his dagger higher in front of her as he responded, "Y… Y… you don't understand."

"No," she replied to him once again in frustration. "You told me that gauntlet could lead you to… to someone's weakness. To the thing they loved the most. Well… you know where it led me, Rumple? To the real dagger. Your true love is your power."

He finally spoke again more freely when he answered, "I like the power. But there's nothing wrong with power. Not when it means that… that I… that we… that we can have it all."

His wife shook her head as she responded sadly, "I just wanted you. I wanted to be chosen, not… I tried to be everything for you, Rumple. But I wasn't. And I… I lost my way trying to help you find yourself. Not anymore."

"Please, Belle," Gold pleaded with her again. "I… I… I'll make it up to you. I… I… I've changed once before. I can do it again."

"You've never changed," she replied with a dark chortle, shaking her head at his lies like before.

Her husband begged, "Please."

Belle then forced him back further as she cried, "No! It's too late."

"Once I… I saw the man behind the beast," she continued despairingly, being unable to hold back her sniffles. "Now there's only a beast."

"Rumplestiltskin… I command you… to leave Storybrooke," the beauty ordered him at last when she raised the dagger higher once more.

The Dark One quickly glanced back and saw how close he had come up to the town line and then begged her again saying, "Belle, no. Please. I won't be able to come back."

She began to cry as she answered, "I know."

"I… I… I don't want to lose you," he continued, drawing nearer and nearer while she kept backing him further out.

"You already have," Belle responded through her tears as they flowed even harder than they were moments ago.

Once the villain was finally forced back across the line and through the protection spell over the town, then watched as the woman he loved turn her back on him while she continued to sob, Gold pleaded fearfully, "Belle, please… I'm afraid. Belle! Belle! No! Belle! Belle, please!"

All of a sudden, Belle was pulled from her thoughts again when Mary Margaret noticed her mind had wondered off during their conversation, seeing a tear slip down her cheek from the corner of her eye, and she leaned in closely to the beauty as she whispered, "Belle… are you alright?"

"Yes… of course," the beauty immediately replied upon becoming startled when she finally heard her friend's voice. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drift off like that. Did I miss what you need me to do next for you to help us find them?"

"No," Mary Margaret answered her and took her hand into her own. "David and I are heading to Regina's house and vault to try to find her. Henry will stay here with Neal. You've already helped us plenty by talking to Gold for us."

The younger woman sighed sadly, then responded, "It didn't do us much good."

David looked over at her too as he replied, "You don't know that yet. We'll just have to wait and see. He may surprise us. Go home and get some sleep."

"All of you," the Prince quickly added when he turned to the others in the room with them.

"If you need anything… please don't hesitate to ask me," Belle whispered to the Prince and Princess before she followed Will and the others out, then said goodnight to everyone as they all left the apartment except for those who lived there.

After the others were all gone and he and Belle stepped outside onto the sidewalk outside of the borders of the white picket fence around the apartment building, the thief from Wonderland cleared his throat, then he nervously spoke out saying, "Belle… I um… there's been something I've been wanting to talk to you about. Something… I'll admit I've been a bit worried about talking to you about. Cause I've never really thought we've found the right time to."

She stopped walking so she could turn to face him and then questioned, "I think I know where this is going. And if I'm right, I will understand better than you think I would. You've been wanting to return to Wonderland. Am I right?"

"I think we both know we were never meant to be anything more than good friends," he answered with relief in his voice when he spoke again. "Believe me, I know what it's like to have a difficult time being in love with someone who's hurt you. The woman I love is still in Wonderland and while we're not together right now… I've always hoped we would be one day again. I still loved her back when she was the Evil Queen of Hearts. She's not anymore, but she's busy trying to regain the people's trust as their new Queen of Hearts. She needed some time apart from me is all. As for you and Gold…"

"I don't know what will happen between me and Rumple anymore," the beauty finished for him. "A part of me is holding onto the hope that he'll come to see the error of his ways and let go of his power for me. But I don't know if it's possible any longer. However, whether our love can withstand all this or not, I will still always love him."

Belle leaned in close to him and kissed him tenderly on his cheek before she continued sincerely, "I truly hope everything will work out between you and Anastasia, Will. And I couldn't be happier for you. You've been a good friend, whom I will always be grateful for and blessed to have had in my life when I needed you. Thank you."

He cleared his throat nervously again and then Will responded, "I'm happy to have met ya too. But don't worry… I won't be leaving right away. I want to be here to help our friends find the others first. And I want to make sure everything's goin' to be okay here in Storybrooke before I go. The Dark One isn't the only problem here. That dog hater and sorceress are trouble too."

"You have no idea," she replied, then put her arm through his while they continued to walk as he walked her home. "See you tomorrow?"

"You betcha," Will answered once they reached her house. "Goodnight, Belle."