The next day Belle and Rumple spent the morning with breakfast and Good Morning Storybrooke. They felt like it was easier to get the truth out when they were full on breakfast and lunch and were wide awake. Also, if they ended up crying they could go ahead and sleep the night rather than mess up their whole sleep pattern. They were excuses but Archie wasn't there and he never told them when to start. Archie also wanted them to set up the boundaries so they would feel comfortable with the whole situation. Now it was lunch time and while Belle was busy reading a book on a love chair, Rumple was staring at the refrigerator and cupboards. It was only the second day and they had five more to go.
"I hope we have enough food."
"If not, we can always call Emma and ask her to bring some." Belle said from her spot.
They had told Emma about their 'homework' before they came up and asked her to make sure no one would bother them. Thankfully, to spare too much awkwardness, she understood and agreed. Since she still had magic, she placed a barrier around the house that would last for a week, so neither of them could leave. Now they just had to figure out how to spend their time before they starting telling the truth again. It was only the second day but Belle spent it reading, which wasn't a surprise, and Rumple spent it...at the moment, walking around. Belle wasn't sure if he was enjoying his fully healed leg, thanks to Hook, or if he was bored. She figured it was the latter since he didn't have his spinning wheel, but it wasn't something Emma would be able to bring to the mansion. And since he didn't have magic anymore, he couldn't spin straw into gold.
Belle knew that was the hardest part about all of this. She knew he was an addict and needed power. He admitted it many times before. But what she liked about that truth was that Rumple didn't want the power just for the feel of it. He told her how he needed it so he wouldn't be afraid. It didn't make him feel like a coward anymore and he wasn't afraid of someone forcing him to kiss their boot. That reason for the need of power made the Dark One seem more human. But he wasn't the Dark One anymore, and now he was brave. Emma and Merida made him that. If she was honest, she was jealous. After all the years she had tried to get Rumple to be brave, even without magic, it took his successor and a Scottish archer turned bear to do the trick. But she shouldn't be upset about that now. She got what she wanted. The man she loved was finally brave.
Belle closed the book and got up in a rather quick manner. Rumple passed her a glance from across the room as he was fiddling with the chess set, curious to what would make her get up in such a jolt. He watched her leave the room. Seeing that nothing was wrong with her he moved his attention back to the board game.
She couldn't be in the same room at the moment. Not after what she just discovered. Was Rumple being brave really wanted she wanted in the end? That was selfish...and low. She had once told Neal that she loved all parts of his father, even the ones that belonged to the Darkness. How could she possibly love him more now that he was brave? It made her feel sick, but it was the prior thought that made her leave the room.
Did she really still love him?
She wanted to agree and say that past events were blocking that belief but she wasn't really sure what to believe. Her mind was starting-
"Belle?"
Belle spun around to see Rumple standing in the doorway. Two things caught her eye. The only other time she had seen him so...relaxed, was on their honeymoon. In this very house. And the concern he had on his face.
"Yes?"
"Are you okay?"
"Yes. I'm fine." She placed the book she was still holding down on a table, trying to find something else to do.
"You just left rather quickly. I wasn't sure if you were hurt or not."
"Oh. No, um...I'm fine. Thank you though."
"Of course." He left back into the living room.
It was starting to feel like the old days. Back in the Dark Castle when it was just the two of them and no others. He would spend his day spinning gold or popping in and out on deals while she spent it cleaning or reading. Only one of those things remained now.
Archie had told them to remember 'how' they fell in love. And why. Belle remembered why, or at least she thought she did, but how? That question was trickier. She had read a few stories, even their own in this world, where two people who spent most of their time together in close quarters tend to fall in love. Perhaps it's because of the lack of others to fall in love with. It was ridiculous notion, but she realized perhaps that was how it was for them. Except they never had singing furniture and objects to keep them company. It was just her and him and the very few visitors that came to the castle. Did they really fall in love because they had no one else. Belle sat down again wondering. If she had known Will before Rumple, would she had fallen in love with him instead?
She got up in a jolt again. She was here alone with Rumple to fix their love and marriage. Not to think about the other men she missed out on. Apparently, sitting down today was not the best option. She kept thinking about things she shouldn't. So she walked back into the living room to check on Rumple. He was now seated in front of a small table where Belle recognized the chess set.
"Do you want to play?" He asked kindly.
"Sure." She sat down. Maybe focusing on a game would help get her mind off others thoughts.
They spent minutes playing. Apparently, Belle was better at it than Rumple had given her credit.
"How did you get so good? Wait, let me guess. You read it a book."
Belle laughed in a way she hadn't for a long time. "How did you know?"
They laughed and started a new game.
Yes. It definitely started to feel like old times. Where they didn't have magic, or villains, or heroes banging down their door for help. It was simple, peaceful, and quite nice. And she loved it. But did she still love the man that was sitting across from him? Of course she did. Apparently, even when you wanted to give up on True Love, it never gave up on you. So was she ready to continue loving Rumple, or had she given up when she forced him over the town line?
"Belle?"
The beauty looked up from the game pieces and into the eyes of the once powerful sorcerer.
"Are you okay?"
"Um, yeah. Sorry. I was just thinking...about something."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Um, not really."
"You know that's what we're here for, right?"
Belle pursed her lips. "I know. I just don't really want to talk about it right now. Maybe later."
"Alright."
They continued to play through two more games, making the score between them tied.
"How about we make this game interesting?"
Belle looked at Rumple. Even without magic, there were moments where Belle could see and hear the imp she fell in love with. With the way he worded the question, it was clear he wanted to make a deal.
"Like a deal?"
"Oh no dear." Dear, not dearie. She liked that a lot better. "I meant...how about when we make our move, we ask a question. When the other moves, they answer."
"Okay." Belle nodded her head yes. "What kind of questions?"
"What ever we want. I guess we could start off with some simple ones, and as the game progress, they become more..."
"Personal?"
Rumple gave his kindest smirk. If there was one. "Yes."
"Very well."
"Ladies first."
Belle thought for a moment. She wasn't really sure what questions were simple ones with their relationship, but there was one question she was wanting to ask after his battle with Hook.
"How did you win? Your fight with Hook." She moved her first pawn.
Rumple smirked and gave a small chuckle. He moved his knight. "You taught me well."
"What do you mean?"
"If you can't beat them...you knock them out." He took her first pawn.
Belle laughed. She wished she had seen it. She moved a rook. It was his turn to ask the question.
"What happened to Mr. Scrappy?"
Belle looked at him confused until she realized who he was talking about. "Um...gone. There's no need to worry." She freed her knight. "I never loved him."
Rumple's hand froze as he placed a pawn a space forward. "What do you mean?"
"I just..." He looked at her. "I didn't want to be lonely."
"What did your father say about...what happened? I'm sure he was thrilled."
"I didn't tell him anything. Although he had heard throughout town, I never talked to him. I couldn't face him."
"Couldn't bare listening to him say he was right?" She heard the imp again.
She ignored his question and asked her second. "How are you feeling without magic? I mean, after having it for hundreds of years...I'm sure it's not easy."
"No. Not really."
"I read that quitting a long addiction over night can cause health issues-"
"I don't need to see Doctor Whale." He retorted.
She looked at him before managing to take his bishop. Although she had learned how to play, she realized that he was going easy on her before. Now he was making moves she hadn't seen in the previous games. She had no doubt that as this game progressed and the questions got more personal, he wouldn't be holding back.
"I must say that I was surprised when I saw that you kept collecting rent. Why?"
"Actually, that was Mr. Dove. He was very kind to me while you were gone." Belle realized that the wording of that statement wasn't the best when Rumple looked up at her shocked. "No. Oh, no." She laughed. "What I meant was that he assured that no one would bother me. He said that since you were...gone, some people would try to take advantage of me or hurt me. He said even through you weren't here, he still owed you. May I ask how you met him?"
"Back home, I came across this man that was to be hanged for treason and theft. At the time I thought I might have some use for him. However, considering his stature and the fact that he got caught, I didn't think he would make a great spy."
Belle smiled. It was a little hard to imagine Rumple's big bodyguard acting like a ninja.
"So, I turned him into a dove. It was easier spying on others like that."
"What? Was he that bird that kept bringing messages to you?"
"That was his other job, yes."
Rumple looked at the game board. Half of her pieces were already out and she had lost three pawns, a rook, and a bishop. If she wasn't careful in her next moves, she could lose her Queen.
"What happened in New York?"
Rumple paused for a moment. He wasn't sure if he should, or wanted, to tell her the truth of what happened to him. But that was why they were here. Stuck in the same house and being forced to be brutally honest. Here went nothing.
"Well, I found my way to Bae's old apartment he owned there." Even though he was angry, he couldn't bare to tell her how he had to crawl to the forest edge to find a suitable walking stick and begged for a ride to the next town from a passing car. Or how he had to sell his cuff links and tie for some money. Thanks to his request before Regina had cast the curse, almost every piece of clothing he owned was of high value so he was given a lot for a few months rent.
"I managed live there for a few days-"
"Why just a few days?
"When I came home one day I found very unexpected visitors who broke in. Robin and his little family." He was closing in one her Queen.
Belle had forgotten how Robin had to leave town with his long lost wife and son to save Marian from dying. When she talked to Regina once shortly after that day, the mayor told her how she gave Robin enough money to last until they found a suitable living arrangement. When she heard about it, she suddenly felt sick after realizing that she banished Rumple with no money or cane. Honestly all he had was the clothes on his back.
"However, very shortly after seeing them..."
Rumple took a deep breath, bracing himself before telling Belle the truth. He knew she wouldn't want to hear and he didn't believe she should, no matter how angry he was with her. Why couldn't the truth be easy? Well maybe if you hadn't lied to her so many times and had always been truthful, this would be easy.
"I collapsed."
Belle froze. "What?" She whispered. Her Queen was gone. So was her knights.
"The doctors at the hospital Robin took me to said it was a heart attack. I knew better. It was the curse killing me. Back here in Storybrooke I was able to keep it at bay for a long time, but when I was outside of the magic, the curse started to speed up on me."
Belle felt her heart breaking. Rumple wasn't able to die. At least not unless someone, or himself, killed him. He was immortal. Right? When she realized she was losing, she tried to protect her king. She was running out of room.
"When I gained consciousness Robin and I made a deal. He would steal me some potion Zelena's monkey kept while he was deceiving Emma. He had tried to steal some for me before back in the Enchanted Forest but he had failed. This time he didn't. However, when it didn't work, it was when I realized that Marian was really Zelena."
If Belle was standing at the moment, she would have fell. To hear that he had to deal with the woman who locked him up for a year, killed his son, and most likely tortured him, while he was in the hospital made her want to throw up. All because she kicked him out of Storybrooke, by using the same dagger that controlled his freedom for that whole year. She had felt sick before after she came to her senses and realized what she had done, but to hear those words from Rumple...
"I guess I wasn't as 'healed' from the trauma as I had thought. When she got close to me again like before, I flat lined."
He didn't want to continue but he also couldn't. Belle had run out of the room at the last word, but he knew she wasn't leaving the house. He watched her face as he spoke and could see that she was close to throwing up. He watched her while he talked. While still re-imagining the events.
Following her into the bathroom, Rumple quickly stepped forward to catch her hair before it got in the way. He didn't like to see her like this but he couldn't control what her body did.
After her vomiting spell passed, they made their way back into the living room. Belle sat down on the couch while he fetched her some water, both ignoring the game. Even though Rumple was winning.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Forgive me if I thought you didn't care anymore."
Belle didn't say anything. How could she? She was at fault here.
The clock chimed and they realized that they had been playing for hours. They had missed lunch and it was time for dinner.
"Do you want to eat something?" Rumple asked her. He didn't think she would. He had only threw up once in his whole existence but he remembered feeling that any food he ate afterwards made him feel like he was going to throw it back up.
"I could try." She said.
She got up and headed towards the kitchen, figuring out what they would have. Before joining her Rumple made his way to the table and looked at the game. He had her in three moves, but he knocked his king down.
