A/N: This second part of the trial was rather difficult for me to write and I'm sorry that it is so long. I had a lot of help writers Snapekmf and NicoleMuenchSeidel. Especially, NicoleMuenchSeidel with writing Belle's testimony.
Chapter Five: Crucible
At this point, Henry realized this could go either way, but there was a stronger possibility that his adoptive mother would lose this case. She would be punished for what she did to all the people of this whole town. A small part of him actually felt sorry for her, but his anger and sympathy for the people, including his biological family, overpowered his pity for Regina. How could she do this and love him as she claimed she did? He didn't know what to think anymore or how to feel anymore.
The buzzing that shook his pocket momentarily distracted him. He slipped his hand in his pocket and eased out his cell phone that Mr. Gold gave him and read the screen.
"Dogs are great. How's the trial?"
Ava and Nicholas, who were too scared to testify against Regina, offered to babysit Mr. Gold and Belle's new beagles, and Rumple had given Henry a phone so that the kids could let him know if anything happened with the dogs.
"It's hard to tell, but," he paused moving his finger before the 'm' and the 'r', but after about a minute typed, "Regina's not looking too good right now."
"Sorry Henry," appeared on the screen.
"Thanks," he typed. Why did he have to be caught between Regina and Emma? It wasn't fair! Regina had raised him for ten years, and Emma had just started to let him into her heart.
As if his thoughts could summon, her Henry heard his mom being called, and he looked up following her with his eyes as she walked to the stand.
~Page Break~
Emma sat down and placed her hand on the book of magic, and Rumple swore her in.
"Miss Swan, will you explain to the court how you met Henry?" Rumple questioned.
"Henry had come to me saying he needed my help. He had explained the curse and that Regina had cast it on the residents of Storybrooke, telling me that they were fairytale characters trapped here," Emma replied.
She briefly glanced at Henry recalling the shock and guilty feelings she felt when she realized that this whole time Henry had been telling them truth. She felt so horrible for not believing him, but it had seemed so crazy. She had fallen into a rabbit hole of insanity, and she was Alice trying to find her way home, but what seemed to be a mad idea turned out to be true.
She quickly glanced away and back to Mr. Gold. Taking a deep breath she continued, "I admit I didn't believe him at first and started to think that he might just have an active imagination, but as Dr. Hopper said I knew I shouldn't crush his belief system so I went along with it."
"It took me a long time to believe him despite all that had happened, until Regina tried to use the apple turnover that put him in the coma."
"You mean the Sleeping Curse, dearie?" Mr. Gold asked just to confirm it for the jury.
"Yes," Emma replied. "She intended it for me, but Henry had eaten it to prove the curse was real." She tried to keep her voice formal sounding, but her tone held an edge of guilt as she remembered how Henry had almost died, and as much as she wanted to put all the blame on Regina, Emma knew she was partly to blame for not believing him in the first place.
Mr. Gold, holding his hands behind his back, began to pace in front of the stand as if he was thinking over her words. He paused midstride, and looking at her, asked his next question. "Miss Swan, did Miss Mills threaten you for any reason?"
Regina pursed her lips as she anticipated Emma's answer. The so-called threatening was to protect herself and her son from this invader, who thought she could swoop in steal Henry from her. She gave up Henry a long time go and had no right to him, but all the sudden she wants to be a mother to him?! It wouldn't matter though, because she still 'threatened' Princess Emma and that wouldn't be in her favor.
"When I first arrived she had me evicted from Granny's Inn, because of my past indiscretions, and she also had me framed for stealing Henry's medical records, even though I asked Dr. Hopper if I could take a look at them," she explained to Mr. Gold and the jury.
"Did he let you have the records?" Rumple asked
"Yes," she replied. "He gave them to me knowing already why I wanted them."
"Was it not that much longer after that Sheriff Humbert showed at your door with an arrest warrant?" Gold asked.
"Yes," Emma answered.
"So it seems before you showed up a lot of the folks here were victims of Regina's tyranny," Gold said.
"Miss Swan, you're sheriff of this town. Could you explain to this court how you obtained this position?" Mr. Gold asked.
Emma took a deep breath, sparing a glance for Spencer, who was sneering, and she frowned. This answer was tricky one, because if she gave away too many details it would give away the fact that Mr. Gold helped her to win by making it look like she had saved Regina. Ironically, her honesty about it being a setup was the very thing that got her the job as Sheriff and was the thing Gold was getting at.
"After Graham had died…" Her eyes flickered to Regina for a moment, but quickly returned her attention back to Gold and the jury.
"As deputy, I believed it was natural for me to take his place, but Regina came to me explaining that as mayor she could appoint a candidate," Emma continued and there was a murmur of disgust throughout the court room. She also could have sworn she saw a few eyes glaring and voices saying 'shocking. Of course she wanted to appoint someone else! Someone she could control easily.'
"And who did she appoint?" Rumple's lip twitched upward ever so slightly, but his expression remained neutral.
"Sydney Glass, the editor of newspaper," Emma said.
"Interesting, considering he's only a reporter and has no police experience, but then again, he does work for Miss Mills," Rumple said with a sneer matching Spencer's. Regina rolled her eyes.
Mr. Gold, would you please leave your personal comments in your thoughts," Judge Aesop insisted and Rumple nodded, though reluctantly.
"How did the election turnout Miss Swan?"
"I won."
"And how did you win, Miss Swan?"
Emma ran her tongue along her lips mentally rehearsing how she would answer the question without trying to make herself look guilty.
"I had saved Regina's life when we both got caught in a fire at her office," Emma answered.
Just as she about to explain the rest of what happened she was interrupted by an angry exclamation. "A fire that you admitted was a setup by your own lawyer!" Regina stood with her palms pressed hard against the table top and was glaring menacingly at Emma as if she could kill her with just her eyes.
"Miss Mills, I have told you before, this case isn't about Mr. Gold! Now would you please sit down or I'll have you removed from this court room," the judge reminded Regina pointing his finger downward to her seat.
Reluctantly, she sat down, still staring at Emma with a disgruntled expression.
"Please continue to answer the question, Miss Swan," the judge said.
"Yes, it's true that it was setup, but I had admitted to that," Emma said, realizing how weak the argument sounded while at the same time, trying to resist the urge to roll her eyes at the same time. "I chose to win this election fair and square, and I believe that's what the people of Storybrooke responded to, my honesty."
"So not only did you save Regina's life, but when you learned it was a setup you told the truth about it even at the risk of losing the chance to win the election," Gold recited making sure the jury heard him.
"Yes," Emma replied, slightly hesitant. "I felt it wasn't right for me to win that way, so I told them knowing I probably wouldn't win."
"Miss Swan, why did Henry come to you?" Mr. Gold asked, sending the questioning in a slightly different direction.
"Because I was the only one who could break the curse Regina cast upon everyone," Emma answered. 'Upon'? Now she was starting to sound like someone out of a Jane Austen novel!
"Why else, dearie? Your honest opinion."
"Well based on the time I have spent with him and watched him with Regina I think he was trying to understand why I gave him up and if I was worth it," Emma said. She blushed as she realized those were her own feelings when it came to Mary Margaret and David.
"And was that because Regina wasn't a good mother or just mere curiosity?" Gold asked.
"Um maybe both. I mean, Regina seems good when it comes to the practical stuff, but I think she struggled with showing affection," Emma answered.
"How would she know?! She has hasn't been here since the beginning, like I have, and she wasn't raised by her parents, so how would she know a mother's affection? I had a mother she didn't!"
"Miss Mills, I have warned you multiple times, and you will be held in contempt if you do not sit down and stop these outbursts," Judge Aesop warned. "This is the last time I will warn."
She may have had a mother, but Cora never knew how to be a real mother, Rumple thought, and shivered at the thought that he was almost going to run away with Cora and start a family. That would have been the worst mistake of his life and her walking away, as much as it broke his heart, was a blessing in disguise. Though, if he had raised Regina then maybe she wouldn't have been such a spoiled brat.
"Continue please," the judge said.
Emma swallowed back her emotions. "Regina is right I wasn't raised by my mother, but I do know people. I have also gotten to know Henry and Regina, and from what I can tell, Regina loved Henry, but she was over protective. She was also very controlling, and I don't think he would have tried to find me if Henry didn't feel so trapped by her."
Regina's lips were making a thin line across and her body trembled in rage as she thought how she wanted to kill Emma. What right did Emma have to say such things, just because she interacted with people doesn't mean she knows anything.
"Henry was also the one who warned me about what happened to Graham was caused by Regina, but my rational mind told me otherwise. I was more prone to believe it was natural causes."
Emma forced herself to look at Gold and the jury, but at the corner of her eye she could see Regina itching to defend herself while Spencer gave her warning glowers.
"What made you change your mind, besides realizing it was true Regina was the one to bring us all here and choose a darker path?" Rumple asked.
"Before I found out the truth about all this, I had seen Graham coming out the window of Regina's house late at night. So, it was pretty obvious the only thing could mean, and I admitted to my suspicion when he tried to explain himself," Emma said.
Rumple questioned, "Did he deny the allegations?"
Emma said, "No, but I told him it didn't matter anymore. I also couldn't believe he would be doing this while Henry was there. That's the thing that bothered me the most. As much as it hurt, because I did like him, I was more disgusted that they were conducting this secret relationship with Henry in the house as well." There was subtle crack in Emma's voice as she spoke, and only Rumple who was close enough could hear it.
"Miss Swan, I believe since you were still unsure about this you had asked for Sheriff Humbert's autopsy?" Gold asked.
"Yes, I did," Emma said.
"Your honor, do I have permission to retrieve Dr. Whale's X-ray of the autopsy?" Rumple asked Judge Aesop, and he nodded.
"Dr. Whale, could you present to the court the autopsy of Mr. Humbert?" Rumple looked across room at Whale who was already standing up. Whale handed Rumple a yellow envelope and quickly returned to his seat. Rumple removed the X-Ray and pictures of the body.
He showed an X-Ray of the inside of Graham's chest to Emma and asked, "Ms. Swan, do you recognize whose X-ray's these are?"
She nodded.
"What are these pictures of?" Gold asked her.
She swallowed and answered, "They are X-Rays of Mr. Humbert's chest."
"Right," Mr. Gold said. "Now what do you see where his heart should be?"
Emma had seen X-Ray, but she struggled with comprehending that there was not image of a heart. She hadn't thought about what happened to Graham until this trial had come, and she and Gold looked at it deciding that would help them win the case, though Gold seemed pretty confident.
"There's nothing there," Emma said.
"Nothing where?" Gold asked.
"There's nothing where his heart should be," Emma said.
Gold showed it to the jury to examine, row by row, until they all saw the absence of where the heart should be.
"Now of course, there's no evidence on this that proves Regina is responsible, but we all know Miss Mills specialty was tearing out hearts," Gold said.
"And guess who taught me how?" Regina muttered under her breath.
"But even if we can't prove this was her work from what you have told us, she was having an affair with Mr. Humbert, is that correct?" Gold asked Emma. He brought it up again for emphasis.
"Yes," Emma replied. "From what I saw and Graham's response when I found him coming out of Regina's house made it pretty clear they were." The temptation to be sarcastic was there, but Gold was just repeating to make it clear to the jury what was going on.
"And his new found friendship between you and Mr. Humbert wasn't something Miss Mills was fond of, I take it?" Rumple suggested.
"No, I don't think she liked that Graham trusted me," Emma replied.
"I also believe that because Mr. Humbert appointed you as deputy, it made sense that the role of Sheriff would automatically go to you. But Miss Mills intended to appoint another candidate because she didn't think you were the best choice, and yet her candidate had no law enforcement experience what so ever? And that was only because she didn't want you to be Sheriff, interesting," Gold said.
Then he asked, "When you promised to leave wasn't this around the same time the defendant offered an Apple Turnover that turned out to be cursed with the Sleeping Curse?"
Emma answered, "Yes."
"What ended up happening, Miss Swan?"
The feelings of guilt rose up in her heart again, but she kept her voice cool. "Henry ate it intending to prove that it was, in fact, infected with the curse."
Regina wanted to shout that she had no idea Henry would eat the turnover. No matter what, Regina would never sacrifice him for anything. She was nothing like Cora…Or was she? She had made people think Henry was losing his mind and that he was making stuff just to protect her secret to get her revenge. "Damn you, mother! Even with you dead, I am still making the same mistakes with my own child."
"Your witness, Spencer," Gold said.
"Miss Swan, you say that my client tried to poison you, but wasn't this right before you tried to kidnap her son and take him back with you without her consent?" Spencer jumped right into the questioning, and Rumple rolled his eyes.
"Yes, it was. I had made an irrational decision, because I feared for how Henry was being treated. It was not one of my greater moments, but I also returned him when he pointed out how I was making a mistake. I'm aware that could hurt me, but I haven't done anything like it since," Emma said.
"Funny, considering that in your younger years you had previous run ins with the law. I believe you had Henry while in jail for thievery," Spencer said as he looked at the file of background information that lay in his briefcase on the table where he and Regina were seated.
"Yes, I did commit a crime in my youth, but I believe I have done enough to redeem myself," Emma said.
"I see, and you mentioned the election for Sheriff that you won a few months ago. How did you win that? I believe you admitted to it earlier that was a set up. The fire you supposedly save my client from," he said.
"Yes, I admitted it was a set-up, but also confessed during the debate, and I was more than willing to accept that I wouldn't win against Mr. Glass because of how I got there." Emma was well aware how Spencer was trying to get the jury to question her integrity, but was determined to not let the man fluster her.
"Mr. Spencer, maybe I'm not fit to be Henry's mother anymore than Regina because of some indiscretions in my past, but this isn't about that is it? It's about what Regina did to these people, and maybe that includes determining if Regina's one redeeming quality would be raising Henry, but it doesn't matter if I'm fit or not. What matters here is what Regina did as Mayor and Queen."
Hearing her voice as she spoke these words to Spencer made her realized how pissed she really was about all this. How a part of her blamed Regina for her life being turned upside down, and that the reason she never got the chance to grow up with these people, with her parents raising her, was because of Regina. She was alone for the longest time because of her, and she wanted justice as much as the other residents of Storybrooke did.
"No further questions," Spencer said.
"For my next witness, I would like to call Henry Mills to the stand," Gold announced.
Mary Margaret gave Henry an encouraging smile and David gave him the thumbs up while he made his way to the stand. The pathway there felt a lot longer than it looked, but in a way he was also taking his time to get up there. Mr. Gold said he was a key witness, but made sure to ask if he was willing to testify against his adoptive mother. Henry hesitated, but he also recalled how Regina had lied to him, and how she had made it seem as if he was making it all up, just a kid with an active imagination.
He was shaking the whole time as he was sworn in, realizing it was a lot easier to watch than to actually be the one on the stand. His testimony, that's what Emma and Mr. Gold referred to this as, would help decide his adoptive mother's fate, and thinking about that made him made him slightly ill. But as he looked around at all these people whose lives Regina had ruined, including his real family's lives, he sat a little higher in his chair and stilled his body.
"Henry, you don't need to be nervous," Rumple said in tone he only reserved for Henry. It was tone he had often used with Baelfire. "Pretend as if it's just you and me."
Henry nodded, and despite Mr. Gold's reputation, and Henry not knowing who Mr. Gold had been in the Enchanted Forest, he oddly enough wasn't intimated by the gentlemen. At this moment, his eyes didn't hold the coldness that Mr. Spencer's, and sometimes Regina, had, making it easier for Henry to be honest with him.
As Rumple held the boy's gaze, he noted that there was something familiar in the boy's eyes that intrigued him, but he couldn't place what it was. Maybe it was because he was Miss Swan's son, and he had her stubborn determination, but it was the color. They didn't have that grayish-blue coloring. They were brown. It was probably the boy's father's eye color, but why did they give him a feeling of familiarity?
"Henry, tell me, from what you can recall, what were things like with Regina, before you found out her role in all this?" He spoke to Henry as if he wasn't just some kid, but a young man.
"She was pretty good, took care of me when I was sick and stuff," he said shrugging.
"Did you love her?" Mr. Gold asked.
"Yes, but I don't know if I can forgive her for all the horrible things she did," Henry admitted.
Everyone seemed to be looking at Regina after Henry said that. She felt her chest tighten and her heart squeeze, and she grimaced. Henry saying he couldn't forgive her was too much, but she couldn't let herself get emotional enough to inspire an outburst. She had already been warned by the judge several times, and George's murderous glares were getting rather annoying.
"Why do you say that?" Gold asked, and Regina glared at Rumple clearly with a look clearly meant to mean I hate you right now.
"Because it's one thing to make bad choices, but it's another when those choices cause damage to others. And she lied to me to too, just to make me think I was imagining all the stuff about the other world," Henry replied. His voice rose sounding angrier than he realized.
Regina's cheeks flushed a deep crimson, but also managed a smirk as she caught Rumple's brief flinch. She wasn't the only guilty one here, but Rumple wasn't the one on trial, so unfortunately pointing that out right now wasn't allowed. She could not wait until it was hers and Spencer's turn to call witnesses. They may not have been able to call Gold to the stand, as he was the one prosecuting, but she could point out he wasn't so innocent when.
Next Gold asked, "Now Henry, once you had your suspicions, knew who she was and implied to her that you knew, how did she treat you?"
"She sent me to Dr. Hopper telling me it was for my own good. She would get mad if I showed interest in fairytales telling me they were silly stories. She also didn't let me hang out with my friends as much, like Grace," Henry answered.
"Your friends and why do you think that is?" Gold asked.
"I guess she was afraid I would convince them of who they were, but I don't think I could have, though," Henry admitted.
"Why not?" Rumple asked.
"Because in this world the belief that magic doesn't exist and fairytales aren't real is really strong. So was the dark curse," Henry answered.
"But you were right, and your mother made everyone think you were crazy because of it. She implied you that you needed an actual therapist to convince you. What kind of mother does that?"
Gold looked at the jury. "You have heard both from Dr. Hopper and his 'patient', who turned out to be right and is only 10 years old, that he had basically been told he was crazy by the woman who claimed to be his mother."
Rumple went to sit down, and Spencer stood up as Judge Aesop asked if he would like to cross examine the boy.
"Young man, how old are you?" This was Spencer's first question to Henry.
"10," Henry answered.
"So, you're still considered a child, but old enough to read chapter books?" Spencer said and behind his back Rumple arched his brow wondering what Spencer was getting at.
"I guess," Henry muttered.
"Old enough not to believe in make believe stories in children's books?" Spencer continued. "In this world, anyway, most parents consider fairytales about happy endings and magic to be for children, so wouldn't you say it makes sense for people to assume at your age not to believe in those stories?"
He was trying to corner him, get him to admit that it wasn't a surprise no one believed him. Thinking the boy needed help he was about to object, but just as Rumple opened his mouth to call out Henry responded.
"True, your Highness, you're King George right? You are the father of my grandfather's twin right?" Henry's lip twitched ever so slightly into a smile as King George looked at boy irritated by the question he probably already knew the answer too.
"Yes," George's tone was falsely polite.
"My grandpa had a twin brother that you raised, because my great grandparents couldn't raise both or they would lose their farm, so you were given his brother."
George looked at Henry as if to ask what his point for sharing that knew this was. But Henry just shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, was just curious if it was true, but anyway, yes, in this world maybe, but you're not from here.
The only reason you all thought that way was because of the curse. It gave you false memories, so you would think like the other people here, but in the back of your mind you knew the truth. You just couldn't recall it to the front of your memories. Wouldn't it mean it doesn't count really than? My adoptive mom knew the truth, but the only reason she called me crazy was because she was worried that maybe I could do it, that I could convince everyone of the truth."
Gold chuckled, not only was Spencer scowling about not getting the boy, but Henry sounded just like a lawyer arguing a case.
In a resigned tone he said, "No further questions."
He sat down looking like a child that had just been scolded.
"Mr. Gold, do you have any more witnesses?" Judge Aesop asked as he tried to hide the smirk finding this rather enjoyable. Aesop never liked King George and wanted him to be dethroned. He almost felt bad when the man's wife had passed on to the Immortal Realms, but the old man's cruelty and selfness took away any sympathy he felt for George.
"Yes, I would like to call my final witness, Miss Belle French," announced Mr. Gold, and there was a collective murmur as a pretty brunette revealed herself from the back of the courtroom.
No one knew what Regina had done to Belle, but just like everyone else she was clearly a victim of the witch's wrath. Emma had to admit she was curious in way what Regina had done to Belle, because from she could tell Belle was terrified of Regina, but also angry. Maybe just as, if not more, angry as Mary Margaret and herself. It obviously had a lot to do with the apparent relationship with Gold. Emma didn't get it, but she noted Gold was different around Belle. When she was around he was civil, at times almost nice, and it was a bit weird. Then again, he was nice to Henry.
Regina turned to look behind her and took a great intake of breath. There was the little mouse Belle, her bargaining chip against Gold. She was going to be a witness against her.
"Great that's what I need the little brat to whine in front of the court. Thank you Jefferson," she thought pursing her lips.
Belle, like Henry, trembled as she took the stand and was sworn in by Emma Swan. She and Rumple had practiced this, but it was different when she was actually in front of everybody, including Regina. Belle's heart was palpitating, but she would be brave and not run from this. She would give her testimony, Rumple would protect her, and she would get justice. She may have asked Rumple not to kill Regina, but that didn't mean she didn't want justice. This request for him not to kill Regina wasn't for Regina's sake, but for Rumple's. He had confessed he had killed before to protect himself in Baelfire. Belle knew, without him defending himself that the demon within him prayed on his fear, and she didn't want him to go through that again.
She fidgeted in her seat trying to get comfortable as all eyes stared at her. She held her wrist to calm the tremors in her hand
Rumple looked at Belle with a formal expression, not showing any emotion at her presence on the stand, but when he was looking at her, Rumple gave her a quick encouraging smile.
"Miss French, please tell the court where you met the defendant?" He first asked her.
Belle swallowed before she spoke. "I met her while I was traveling, and she gave me advice on the current dilemma she suspected I was having."
She tried to avoid, without making it obvious that she was, that it was Rumple she was trying to set free. It was no one's business but theirs and it could risk implicating Rumple, affecting the case because he was the lawyer prosecuting Regina.
"Was her 'advice' helpful, did it work?" Rumple next asked.
The memory of the last time he saw Belle before the curse, and he thought she was working with Regina still lingered pulling at his heart strings. He would have dreams about that night and in some of them he had let Belle break his curse, but in others he would dream he turned into the monster everyone thought he was and Belle would run in fear.
Maurice slipped in just as Rumple asked Belle about the advice Regina gave her. His cane slowed him down as he trudged up to an empty seat and he hissed as the pain seized his leg while he sat down.
"No, it backfired," she answered.
"And the second time you saw her what happened?"
"She had me captured, because I was unable to do what she asked. She had imprisoned me in her dungeon and then downstairs in the basement of the hospital." Belle's voice was beginning to tremble too, and she was beginning to lose control of the tears that she had kept bottled up. She wiped her eyes with her palms where the tears were slipping through, as if her eyes were just watery.
Rumple avoided eye contact with Belle, because if he looked her in the eye he would fall apart. Seeing her cry like that hurt him to the core, but he was a lawyer, and as much as he just wanted to hold her and give her his shoulder to cry on, he had to keep his distance emotionally. He clenched his fists tight at his sides biting his lip.
"Can you describe your imprisonment?" Inside he felt an anxious fluttery sensation that was not out of excitement, but of trepidation at what she was about to share. Belle had not told him the details of over her imprisonment, trying to avoid that conversation for as long as possible, until last night. She had shared the horrors she had gone through knowing that she would have to share some of them for the court today, but still it seemed she was holding back something.
It still made him shiver to think about what she told him, and he could feel the power the surging through him as his fingers itched to strike Regina for what she did to beloved. Belle asked him not to go after Regina and let the trial give them justice, but as he recalled what Belle had told him images of sending the Angel of Death after Regina came back to him.
Maurice shook his head wondering, "Belle, why did you let this happen to yourself? If only you had listened to me then none of this would have happened. If you hadn't gone with the Dark One then you wouldn't have gotten mixed up in this."
He couldn't understand her nor could accept that this woman was his little girl. He pitied her and wished he could have kept her safe locked away. If she had just married Gaston none of this would have happened and she wouldn't have been allowed to make such an ignorant and foolish decision that got her into this situation in the first place.
"She would um taunt me about how no…. no one was coming to rescue me…. That I was forgotten…Alone."
Belle slowly lifted head, her eyes still glistening from crying. Belle felt as if everyone was staring at her, pitying her, and seeing her naked to the world. But she couldn't stop talking as all that she went through came tumbling out once again as when she had told Rumple the night before.
She heaved a great shuttering sigh as she continued. "She told me I was foolish and that I would die in this cell. Sometimes she would let the guards… whip me." As if in a trance, her eyes widened getting lost in the memories. "I could feel the blood. It was dripping down my back. The rope…was digging into my skin as it… cut my flesh."
She looked down at her hands and she noticed them for the first time, the tremor in them. She didn't want to talk about this anymore wanting to crawl under the covers and hide for the rest of her life.
There was a deafening quietly in this already silent room, as Belle's words lingered in the air like stabbing knives into the hearts and minds of the trial attendees. Emma was internally enraged, as she glared at Regina, thinking in disgust, "What you did to my parents was bad enough, but how could you let this poor, innocent woman, who did nothing to you, be sexually assaulted. This proves you have no soul." This woman had not only hurt her and her parents, but all these other people, innocent people. She looked at Henry's whose face had gone white from shock.
In Emma's peripheral vision she could see that despite his efforts to maintain his professional mask, Gold's face was flushing several shades of a deep crimson, and his fingers were gripping his gold handled cane, so tightly now that his knuckles were the color of bone. She had recalled Valentine's Day and Mr. Gold's treatment of Moe French. Was it possible that Belle's father was partially responsible for her suffering under the hands of Regina? She looked behind her to see the older gentlemen sitting in the back, but couldn't read if he was horrified about what happened to his daughter or if he was ashamed of her. If Mr. French was involved she wished she had stopped to get a cup of coffee, taken her squad car to get the oil changed before take a leisurely drive up to the cabin.
She realized she could no longer look at Regina, the woman known as the Evil Queen in the other world, or Regina's head would literally blow up. She returned her attention back to Belle, who continued to struggle to spill all the horrific details of her trauma, and the Sheriff and Savior of Storybrooke cringed. She knew her own mother's suffering by Regina's need to target her for revenge, but Belle experienced the brunt of Regina's wrath. She had experience the worse kind of manifestation of Regina's vengeance…with exception of course being those who Regina actually had slaughtered and killed. Then again she mused, "What was worse, a quick death or slow, cruel torture?" She realized she didn't know what that was, because both were horrible and cruel.
Belle's throat felt dry and her mouth felt full of cotton as she croaked out the words, "Sometimes…like now, I can still feel their hot breath on my face and their rough hands touching my skin…digging his fingernails into my upper thigh as a tried to break free."
She stared blankly putting her hands on the table top and started to drag her across leaving indents in the wood as she looked at what she could no longer see. Her face red she looked down afraid to look anyone, even Rumple, in the eye. It was easier to hide her face in her hands than showing it. Everyone probably thought she should have just stayed in her father's palace and not gone with Rumple. They probably thought she was stupid for making herself a target falling choosing to go with him and letting her fall in love with him.
Her tone became flat as she could hold back the rest of the tears that threatened to fall once again.
"It was always a relief when they got bored of using me as their plaything….or if Regina actually asked them to stop 'teasing me'." For a moment her gaze met Regina's cold, dark and she let the composure tried to keep slip as she bitterly spat out the words 'teasing me'.
The irony of those two words echoed in Belle thought's, because even after she caught on to Regina's 'teasing' game to frighten her, she could never be sure if they wouldn't fully rape her. She was forever grateful that it never got that far, but there was always that fear in the back of her mind. She was constantly living in terror every time they would come.
Henry squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. He had always wanted to be treated as adult, for his thoughts not to protected by adult issues, but hearing this about the woman who raised him allowing this to be done to an innocent, he shouldn't hear it. It was confirmed by granny, who was sitting a few seats away looking worried and agitated seeming as if she wanted to clamp her hands over his ears. In past, heck just an hour ago, he would roll his eyes at the idea of being 'babied', but now despite not fully understanding what it really meant to be raped he knew he was too young to hear this. He was not ready to hear this. He actually appreciated the older woman's gesture at wanting to protect him from adult topics, while the revulsion bubbling up inside him for his adoptive mother.
"I'm so sorry Belle, but you need to tell the court what else you remember." Rumple felt as his heart was shattering at each revelation Belle uttered.
He sounded more like her boyfriend at the moment than the lawyer he was supposed to be, but the brief slip in his tone gave her courage. "She would ….um, taunt me about how no one was coming to rescue me and that I was forgotten." Belle noticed Rumple's body flinch almost imperceptibly, and to her dismay, she knew that he blamed himself.
The knowledge of Rumple's feelings of guilt mad her nerve endings seem to spark and itch, as it was her own father…the person who should have protected, who first put her in harm's way by wanting the clerics to cleanse her, permitting all the brutality that such a ritual entailed, and then after her escape, he colluded with Regina to facilitate her capture resulting in years of horrific abuse.
"Regina, told me I was foolish, and I would die in this cell. Sometimes she would let the guard's whip me…."
Belle swallowed hard, as the salty taste of her tears burned her throat, and then she added bitterly, "and I can still feel the blood on my back."
She hated remembering all this in front of everybody, but if it helped to punish Regina, it was enough to compensate for the shame she felt at this moment.
"Thank you for sharing that Miss French. Now did any of your loved ones actually know of your imprisonment?" Gold asked.
"I learned that my father knew as he conspired to work claiming he wanted to protect me after the fact," she answered bitterly.
"Basically, she tortured you by allowing physical violence to be done to you and with taunts that caused you emotional pain as well?"
Belle nodded knowing that if she actually spoke she would fall apart and the tears would fall again. She hated remembering all this in front of everybody, but if it helped to punish Regina it was enough to compensate for the shame she felt at this moment.
"May I step out, your honor?" Belle asked the judge.
"Of course, Miss French, but you'll need to return for cross examination," Judge Aesop replied.
"Thank you," she said.
Henry felt even more sickened by what he saw and heard happened to this innocent woman. The only crime Belle ever committed was having compassion for someone who was seen as a beast. He turned away when he caught Regina looking back at him. Her expression may have been sorrowful, but it was starting to lose any meaning to him.
Once she was out of the council chamber, Belle ran outside. Clutching her stomach she began to heave out chunks of whatever food she ate this morning and bile. For two minutes, she was retched, eventually having the dry heaves, while her eyes began to water, hadn't even heard Rumple approach. Belle slumped on the grass and he put his arms around her as she cried burying her face in his shirt. He lightly cradled his fingers through auburn curls and spoke softly. "I'm sorry, so sorry this happened to you. I shouldn't have let you go."
They stayed like that for a little longer, because this was what she needed Rumple's comforting embrace, to sooth her shattered heart.
She sighed and finally spoke. "I guess, I need to go back. To face what comes next."
"Yes, unfortunately, but I know you can handle it," Rumple replied. "You are made of a lot tougher stuff then these people give you credit for."
"I hope so, but either way, I have no choice," Belle said.
She eased out of his embrace and pulled herself up wiping the remaining tears off her face. "You are too, you know," Belle said before she reentered the building.
He sighed shaking his head. Speaking to himself he thought, "I don't know about that. If I was strong why did I let the Dark One corrupt me?"
"You weren't corrupted, at least not completely," Belle said as he walked back into building.
Rumple frowned looking at her in bewilderment.
"Isn't that what you just said, that 'why did I let the Dark One corrupt me?'" Belle mimicked his expression of bewilderment.
"Well, I do wonder that, but I didn't say it out loud, I just thought it," Belle told her.
"Oh, well I guess I know you well enough to know what you would be thinking," Belle said shrugging.
Rumple furrowed his brow, not sure if he believed that. She had repeated exactly what he had said, so no matter how well she knew him there was no way she could know his exact thought, but he would worry about that later. He had more important matters such as winning this case.
Belle strode back into the courthouse with grim determination, ignoring the stares as she approached the bench yet again. Rumple quietly filed in after and sat down.
"Miss French are you alright?" The Judge asked his forehead creased in concern.
"Yes sir. I just needed some time, but I'm feeling better," Belle answered.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
Belle nodded, and he addressed Spencer. "Your witness, Mr. Spencer."
"I hope you are well to answer my questions, Miss French," Spencer said in a condescending tone.
"I'm perfectly fine Mr. Spencer cross examine a way," she said.
"There's no doubt you were um tortured, but what I'm curious about why Regina would go after you. Yes, you are a noble, but you had no personal connections to my client nor did you do anything to her directly or indirectly, so why?" Spencer began.
"She and Rumplestiltskin were enemies, and I'm guessing she knew that I was his caretaker. So I'm guessing she wanted to use me to get to Rumple," Belle said.
"She used you by giving you advice? Well then, what exactly was this advice?" He asked.
Belle's cheeks flushed. "She um….about how true love's kiss can break curses."
Spencer arched his brow. "True love's kiss, for whom?"
Her cheeks flushed an even deeper red. "Rumple."
"Really, your captor? You wanted to administer true love's kiss to the Dark One?" He sounded as if he found it amusing, giving Belle the urge to want to smack the man. "Yes, Mr. Spencer," she said her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
Rumple tensed keeping a steady gaze on Spencer and Belle as he guessed where Spencer was going with this.
"Some would argue you have Stockholm Syndrome for loving your capture," Spencer pointed out.
"And some don't know our situation. Stockholm Syndrome involves kidnapping, which is what Regina did, by the way, and Rumple never kidnapped me. Father objected to Rumple's offer of me as a price, but I chose to go with him to save my people…and to get out of an arranged marriage, which I was forced into. The only thing Rumple ever did to me was putting me in the dungeon for a period of time, but he even gave me a pillow….and soon a more comfortable sleeping place, as well as a library, which was treating me better than my would-be husband would have. Sometimes Rumple yelled at me, but I yelled back, and he accepted that. We all know that Regina would have killed a servant for yelling at her…or looking at her sideways…or breathing too loud when Regina was in a bad mood, which was most times, but there was no violence from Rumple towards me. This trial is about Regina, not Rumple, and if you want to talk Stockholm Syndrome, then maybe you should talk to Sydney Glass about his relationship with Regina," Belle said her voice now shaky not from crying, but from a burst of anger at Spencer's accusatory tone.
"Sounds like a dream come true, Miss French. Did you know why Regina and Rumplestiltskin were enemies?" Spencer asked.
"I know Rumple was Regina's teacher," Belle answered.
"Did you know he taught her how to rip out hearts, like how she ripped out Sheriff Humbert's?" He asked.
"No, but I thought, as Miss Swan said earlier, this case was about Regina casting the dark curse on the people of the Enchanted Forest," Belle said.
"Yes, it is, of course. The Dark Curse that your lover designed for Regina I believe," Spencer said.
"Again yes, you're not wrong Mr. Spencer, and maybe Rumple gave the curse to Regina, and possibly knew she would use it, but she made the choice herself and could have walked away, but she didn't. She cast the curse herself, and I have no idea why, but she did. I am on this stand, because Regina chose to torture me and had me live terror for years, as she repeatedly chose to abuse me, all because Rumple is one of those she blames for her bad choices. Yes, I know he encouraged but Regina needs to learn to take responsibility for her own mistakes. Now, if you want to ask me about my connection to Regina, but my relationship with Rumple is off limits," Belle said.
"What's the matter, Miss French, do you have something to hide about your relationship with the Dark One?" Spencer asked.
"Objection!" Rumple exclaimed in an authoritarian tone. "Defense counsel is badgering the witness. This line of questioning is not relevant, neither Miss French nor myself are on trial here. The Defendant here is Miss Mills, and Miss French's earlier testimony about how she grievously suffered for years at Miss Mills hands and from her lack of humanity makes it quite clear why she is the one on trial."
"Sustained," Judge Aesop declared, "Mr. Spencer, I suggest you tread very carefully, I have no patience for any of your shenanigans after your client's repeated outbursts."
Spencer nodded. "Fine then, I have one more question. Miss French, why would you trust a complete stranger you just met on the road?"
"I hadn't left home until Rumple came to claim me, and I was confused. I had these feelings I didn't understand, but he was still the Dark One so I questioned myself. But Regina had acted kind towards me and I didn't know who she was, so I didn't realize it was an act. Since my mother died when I was a child I hadn't been lucky enough to have another female to talk about such experiences as falling in love, so it was nice and helped to have another older woman to talk to. It was obviously ignorant of me to trust her, but I wanted to save the man I fell in love with. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that I trusted too quickly," Belle said.
"No further questions, your honor," Spencer said.
"We will take a short recess and Mr. Spencer will call his on his first witness," the Judge said.
Everyone left the court to get fresh air, some food, or use the facilities.
~Page Break~
Belle was too shaken up to eat anything and her mouth was incredibly dry, so she got a water from the vending machine and chose to sit by herself on one of the benches outside the courtroom. Rumple was still in court room preparing himself when he cross examined the two witness' Spencer was going to call, Sydney Glass and Regina. No one except Sydney wanted to defend Regina, and Rumple said he suspected Sydney was still in love with Regina, despite what she did too him or that maybe he wasn't as brave as the others about finally standing up to her.
"Look, I'm sorry if I judged your relationship with Mr. Gold," Emma said as she sat down beside Belle, "and I'm sorry about what you went through. It wasn't fair of Regina to do that to you just because of who you love."
"I doubt Regina cared about being fair to anyone other than herself," Belle replied.
"You're probably right," Emma agreed.
After a moment of silence Belle said, "I'm sorry you lost your family because of her. Rumple told me she's the reason your parents had to send you here to this world and that you broke the curse."
Emma's cheeks flushed. "Yeah well, if Henry hadn't brought me here and hadn't sacrificed himself I don't think I would have been able to break the curse."
"He seems to be a very brave young man and very heroic," Belle said looking over at Henry who was trying to get a coke from the vending machine.
"Yeah he's pretty tough having to put up with me and Regina," she laughed. "But you were pretty brave too after what you have been through."
"Thank you but we all have been through all a lot and you saved us so we owe you a debt of gratitude," Belle said.
Emma's cheeks were red and warm now. "Uh thanks, but like I said my son brought me here."
'Well either way you both saved us from the Dark Curse," Belle said.
Quickly changing the subject Emma said, "You know, Gold seems to be a different person when you are around. I mean he's still not a people person, but he's nicer."
"I know he seems cold and mean as you put it, but underneath he is a kind and loving person. He just is trying to protect his heart," Belle replied.
"You really do see someone different than we do," Emma sounding rather amazed.
"We really should go back in so we can let that bastard King George takes his turn," Belle said standing up.
Emma followed her in and slowly everyone else made their way back into the court room. Rumple turned and mouthed 'sorry' to Belle that he didn't come out to be with her and she shrugged mouthing 'good luck' to him.
She was relieved to no longer be on the stand and could once again just watch, granted she was still worried King George find a way for Regina to get out of losing this case. Of course, she also reminded herself the whole jury probably wanted to put Regina on a pyre right now, so Belle's fears were probably unfounded.
~Page Break~
Once everyone was inside including the judge Spencer called his first witness.
"Mr. Glass, how well do you know my client?"
"Very well she and I were friends back in our world and here I have helped her in my situations," Sydney answered.
"You were also there when she married King Leopold, is that correct?' Spencer asked.
"Yes, the King had rubbed my lamp, so I was his servant at the time when he was married to Regina," he replied.
"Was she happy in her marriage to the King?" Spencer asked.
Gold rolled his eyes at the simple that were being asked of the former Genie. It was the best way to make his relationship with Regina simple, because after all the man was Regina's little pet, who could just as much expose her as everyone else here has been doing. Unfortunately, the man was still clinging to hope that Regina would love him back, so he was more than willing to testify in her defense.
"She was terribly unhappy and had no friends or family to talk. Her mother was absent and she couldn't seek an audience with her father without an escort. She also didn't want to seem ungrateful to her new family. After all Princess Snow had sabotaged her chance at freedom since she didn't love King Leo and the marriage was arranged by her mother," Sydney explained.
Snow just stared at Sydney and back at Regina as he spoke. She didn't know for sure if it was all an exaggeration so Regina might still garner some sympathy from the jury, or if it was possibly how she really felt. She wanted to be Regina's, but she could never understand Regina's situation at the time. Even now she was never arranged to marry anyone, not by her father, nor did Regina see fit it arrange her marriage. Ironically, forcing Snow to marry a complete stranger she hated would have been a perfect and simpler way for Regina to get revenge on Snow. But when Sydney mentioned that Snow had tried to sabotage Regina's chances of escape, which was a slap in face to the Princess. She had never intended to hurt Regina or Daniel she just was hurt that Regina hadn't wanted to be her mother. Besides the fact, she had only told Cora, because she wanted her and Regina to have a good relationship, but maybe that had been stupid, a childish hope.
"Yes, arrange marriages are quite unfair since often times the young woman has no choice in the matter and you were only trying to spare her of that fate," Spencer said.
"Yes, I had grown fond of her and all I wanted was to make this innocent woman happy," Sydney said.
Gold smirked finding it rather amusing and pathetic the picture of poor innocent Regina he was trying to paint.
Spencer's next question was, "Why do you think Miss Mills, put you up for candidacy for Sheriff?"
"Because as Editor at the Daily Mirror I pay attention and see what's going on in this town. I may not have any political experience as Mr. Gold pointed out, but I know the in's and out's of this town. And Mayor Mills could always trust to not betray her. She is a wonderful Mayor and mother to her son, very protective of the boy."
"No further questions," Spencer said, knowing that was all he could have Glass say. Glass was a weak witness for the defensive and Gold would recognize the bullshit that he and Glass were pulling out of there asses.
"Mr. Gold would you like to cross examine the witness?" Judge Aesop inquired.
Gold stood up unbuttoning his jacket as he of the courtroom was starting to get to him.
"Mr. Glass, you say you were 'fond' of the defendant, so would you say you'd doing anything for her?" Gold began.
Sydney said, "Yes, of course."
Regina buried her face in her hands, the smile that momentarily gave her hope because Glass' testimony had faded, knowing where Rumple was getting out.
"Even murder the King for her?" Gold said.
Sydney's face turned bright red as he recalled how he had volunteered to sick the poisonous snakes on the King who had given him a home and freedom.
"You are very lucky you aren't the one on trial Mr. Glass, because murder would put you jail for quite a long time," Gold reminded.
Snow clenched her fists as she felt the pangs of anger for the first time since her father's death. This was the man who murdered her father! He had been set free by her father and this is how he repaid him? By killing him just because he fell in love with Regina. She wished Sydney was the one on trial, because at the moment she was willing to set aside her lack of desire for revenge. Mary Margaret felt the pressure of David's hand as he grasped hers gently squeezing it and she smiled up at him leaning on her husband for support.
"I'm sure I don't need to bring up the things you know really means 'you have been able to dig up dirt' on the town's folk. Not a good way to make you popular amongst the people who would have voted for you if you had won the role of Sheriff," Gold said.
"Well we all have to make money somehow," Sydney said laughing nervously.
"Oh and if I recall correctly, that despite your affections for her the defendant you were more than willingly to get dirt on her when we were trying to expose Regina," Gold reminded him.
"Yes, well, I was a bit disgruntled," he said.
Rumple smiled knowing that Sydney could point out that he really was an ally of Regina's and had only pretended to help implicate her, so Miss Swan would look bad. He may not be the one on trial, but revealing that would make his beloved Regina look bad.
"I also find it rather strange that you were a prisoner of Regina's, but yet, you are willing to help her. She still treats you horribly, but still you defend her. Again, another irony since the defendant's lawyer had accused one of my witness' of Stockholm syndrome and yet, you yourself could be suffering from that as well," Gold said and once again Glass' cheeks were bright red.
"No further questions," Gold finally said.
Glass scurried away thankful that Gold was done questioning him feeling as if he were being cornered by the cat and he was the canary. At corner of his eye Regina was glaring at him with a murderous stare.
"For my next witness I would like to call Regina Mills to the stand," Spencer announced.
As Regina made her way to the stand holding her head high she could hear the hissing whispers and could see glares that matched her own. No one was mouthing 'good luck' to her, giving her a thumbs up, or staring at her piteously. She had never realized how alone she truly was until this moment.
"Stand tall Regina; don't let these fools scare you, so you can fail again! You are a Queen, not some peasant girl, but my daughter. The wife of a King. You better not disappoint me again, because I worked hard to get you such a position of power, and if you give that up just because they made you feel guilty, than you are just as weak as your father."
She could hear her mother's voice and she desperately wanted to shut the bitch up, but part of her was ashamed at how her mother would be so disappointed in her. Regina had failed as Cora's daughter. Cora had been furious that Regina didn't want what she wanted for her, and Daniel had paid the price for Regina being such a disappoint to Cora. If only Snow hadn't told Cora, then she and Daniel would be happily married living on a farm raising horses.
"Miss Mills, you have been accused of quite a lot today. Do you consider yourself guilty?" Spencer said.
"I'm guilty, but I am also a victim. I was manipulated by mother who wanted was best for me, but I rejected my mother's plans. She prayed on a little girl's ignorance and killed the man I loved, so she could control me," Regina said trying to sound sympathetic.
Spencer said, "So if it hadn't been for your mother, then you wouldn't have made such desperate choices?"
"Yes, my mother killed Daniel so I had no one, but if Snow hadn't been so selfish and told my mother, then she never would have found out about us," Regina said.
Spencer glowered at her.
"Of course, she was only a naïve child at the time, so what do you expect," Regina quickly added. She blamed Snow, but she couldn't so easily blame Mary Margaret in court or it would look bad.
"Now, I believe you took magic lessons after your mother's disappearance to protect yourself, is that correct?" Spencer questioned her.
"Yes, I wanted to learn because my mother had been taught magic," Regina answered.
Spencer asked, "And who was your teacher?"
"Rumplestiltskin," she answered.
"And he was the one who taught you how rip out hearts, and he some other such tricks?" He asked her.
Again she nodded.
"So the only reason you know magic so well and are so powerful is because Rumplestiltskin gave you a helping hand, and your mother motivated it," Spencer said addressing the jury.
"Your witness, Mr. Gold," Spencer said and sat down.
"Regina, did I threaten you if you didn't learn magic?" Gold asked
"No, but you were a forceful teacher. Pushing me to learn the craft," she said.
"That's probably true since magic is a difficult craft, but did I convince you to come to me or even summon me?"
"No, I just found my mother's Grimoire," she admitted.
"There's no doubt your mother was a controlling woman," Gold said.
"You know that very well, don't you Rumple," she spoke to him soft enough for only him to hear.
He ignored her and continued. "But did you have to go after Snow White, who clearly had made a mistake when she told Cora? You said yourself she was just a child at the time."
"Maybe but she should have known better," Regina argued.
"Known better about what? That you can't tell Cora without her using it against you? Not to try helping a mother and daughter reconnect?" Gold smiled as Regina's face turned crimson, and she was beginning to look flustered.
"She should have known my relationship with my mother was none of her business," she snapped.
"Ah," he said in a disbelieving tone.
"What about everyone else here? Should they have known better then to cross you?" Rumple asked.
"Yes," she said. "They should have just cooperated with me, and they wouldn't have been punished."
"What about Miss French? Did you throw her in the dungeon, force attempted rape on her, and have her whipped was that for not cooperating with you?" His voice began to rise in barely controlled rage.
"She was supposed to break your curse! The stupid naïve bitch couldn't even do that right," Regina seethed, "She deserved what she got."
"You know as well as I do that Belle not being able to break my curse wasn't her fault," Rumple replied.
"Mr. Gold, Miss Mills," Judge Aesop said in a warning tone.
"I'm sorry, your honor," Rumple said taking several deep breaths. He was losing control of his professional demeanor, letting his anger get the best of him as he questioned Regina.
"Maybe it wasn't true love between you two, or maybe you are too cowardly to give up your power as much as I am," she said, ignoring the Judge's warning. There was a triumphant gleeful look in her eyes as she watched Rumple lose his cool. "You could have saved her from me if you hadn't thrown her out in first place. Of course, I think she was just plain stupid for agreeing to become your caretaker in the first place, let alone love you. She deserved what she got."
"No one deserves what you did to Belle! No-one. She never did anything to you to be treated in such a way," Rumple said. The metal from the top his cane was digging into his palm of his hand, as his other hand clenched in a fist at his side as he tried to keep his magic from blasting her into oblivion.
Her lip curled. "I can't believe you thought she would even team up with anyway. There is no way I would ally with someone as stupid as her, but even if I did team up with her and even if she did what I wanted, I would have done it anyway. The girl was asking for it. She warranted her own abuse I would enjoy it either way."
Regina shifted her gaze passed Rumple to meet Belle's eyes as she sat in the back of the room. The former Queen taunted, "After all, if your own father considers you to be such trash that he was willing to participate in your capture…and by extension the abuse by which I am accused, then there must be something wrong with you. My reputation was well known. He's just as responsible for your whippings and daily sexual assaults by my guards as much I am….even more so, he's your father. Father's should protect their daughter's, not serve them up to be victimized. So how much of a wretched piece of filth he must think of you do that? Hmmm, dear? That's must be why true love's kiss didn't work. You're just…inherently unlovable."
There was a murmur of disgust from everyone in the room that Sir Maurice had allied with Regina, supposedly to protect his child.
"The man was coward," Granny Lucas said.
"How do we know Regina's not lying to save her own skin," a man said.
"I'm not so sure that she is," a woman with dirty blonde. "I think he blamed Belle for Colette's death, but he treated his daughter as if she were a burden he had to bear. He wanted to marry her off as quick as possible, so enter the pig Gaston. He was of noble blood, so he was worthy to be the one to own Belle."
The blonde woman spoke with a combination of disgust of Maurice and Gaston. "I never knew that. They looked as if they were such a happy loving pair," another woman, who lived on Sir Maurice's estate.
"Oh, they put up a good front, because of submissive and sweet Belle was to her father she pretended along with her father's rules that in public they were a happy family. Belle would do anything to please him, even if it meant she had to be in an unhappy marriage. I can't really blame her for jumping at the opportunity to escape the marriage. Sir Maurice was furious, which is probably after the clerics failed he sent Regina after the sweet girl. Of course, it could also be that she was supposedly pregnant with the Dark One's child, at least that's the rumor, but unless the child was born during the curse, and taken from her mother I highly doubt it," blonde continued.
The other woman said, "So that's why he had her cleansed by the clerics?"
The blonde woman nodded in confirmation.
"Poor girl. Belle was so sweet and kind, and always have of others before herself. I remember seeing her reading to the children at the orphanage and she would actually take the time to listen to them. She would always provide food and clean water to all of us peasants. She would have been a much better leader than Sir Maurice and Gaston put together," the other woman said.
"Ssshhh, you two you can talk about this after the trial," Granny Lucas hissed at the two woman, putting her finger to her lips. It was an interesting bit of gossip and gave her more reason to hate Sir Maurice as much as Regina, but hearing this trial was too important.
"Miss Mills, you are once again in danger of being held in contempt," Judge Aesop once again found himself reiterating his warning to Regina.
Regina still ignored the Judge as she told Rumple Belle's sufferings under her father. "That wasn't the only thing his knightship did to his daughter. You remember what I told you, Rumple? I told you a less detailed version of the events of her cleansing. The clerics, first, they'll wash away your sin by pouring ice water on you, scrubbing away your sins, then they'll strip you naked and whip you with a lash leaving you with your back bleeding. They'll do this several times, but if you confess your sins they will continue with the flaying. They'll peel off pieces of your skin one by claiming it as a way of rebirth, removing your old skin, so new skin can grow. They'll leave you in the dungeons until you confess what you did…Or in her case what sin she let happen to her."
"Miss Mills, please cease this outlandish behavior this instant! I have warned you multiple times. Now, do not continue your words of provocation towards Mr. Gold," Judge demanded, standing up in his seat looking down threateningly at Regina.
She smiled mocking as she captured Rumple's attention and rage with her wicked words. Despite the presence of the Judge and Regina's lawyer, who was completely red face, it was only her and Rumple in the room.
"They'll do this process over and over and over again until she admits to her sins, ignoring her cries of agony. They probably told her father it was for her own good, and that her spirit couldn't be set free in the spirit world, unless she confessed her sin…. that she let you taint her! When that didn't work and he found his precious daughter had escaped her confinement, Moe over there, contacted me. He told me had I to protect his daughter and help her learn the errors of her sin. I'm not the only guilty one here. You also taught me everything I know and let Belle being taken to be 'cleansed' by her father and allowing me to take her. You and Maurice are responsible for Belle's suffering. You both abandoned her. So before you judge me I suggest you look at daddy dearest first."
Regina finally became silently after that sneering in satisfaction and the Judge realized there was nothing more to be done. She had stopped of her own accord. He couldn't even blame Rumplestiltskin for wanting to burn the witch, but there had to be some civility in his court room.
Rumple was seething as his hand heated up ready to throw a fireball, but at the corner of his eye, he saw the Judge, Emma, the rest of Storybrooke, and….Belle sitting in the back, deathly pale and once again frighteningly close to falling apart. He sighed, letting the fireball fizz out. He would give the Judge and jury the pleasure of punishing Regina, for now.
"Yes, that undeserving bastard that claims to be Belle's father, should be held accountable, as well as me, but how did you know who Belle's father was?" He tried to continue question her as if he didn't want to cast her into the pits of the Underworld right this very moment.
"He came to me knowing I was the daughter of Cora, and that I could teach Belle lessons in purity and who the proper people to associate with were. He asked me to purify his daughter, and I tried too. But she was a hopeless case her father screwed up making his daughter weak, vulnerable Old Moe made it too easy for me to break her. Actually…."
Her lip curled into a menacing grin and she reminded them once again that Maurice was guilty, but also adding more salt to the wound by pointing out Belle's love for Rumple was because she was drawn to controlling men. "That's probably why she was so easily seduced by you, Rumple. You're the Dark One, and oh so intimidating and oh so controlling."
"Either way Moe was failure as a parent. He even believed his daughter was pregnant with your child. What were his exact words, oh yes, 'Belle is probably carrying the demon's spawn and you need to remove the seed before it grows.'"
Rumple gripped the metal at the top of his cane, so tightly, just to control his rattling hand. Belle, in back of the court room, was frozen to her seat caught between wanting to leave and feeling like she had to stay and hear this. Hearing this was punishment for abandoning her responsibility to her father, Gaston, and allowing herself to be tortured. A small voice told her none of this was her own fault, because all these people made their own choices, but another voice said if she had listened to her father none of this would have happened.
Sir Maurice was sitting in the back, his face red, and glaring at the defendant and Mr. Gold with pure hatred. He thought to himself, "They don't know how hard it is and how shameful it would for me to have daughter be tainted by the Dark One.
Gold said, "No further questions."
Spencer was massaging his temple, not even bothering to look at Regina as he knew full well how this case was going to turn out.
The realization hit how she sounded just like her mother who had always complained how others had put her out. Regina recalled a conversation with her father when she was a little girl how she should never be arrogant enough to think she wasn't at fault on some level. It was the first time she had ever recalled the conversation with her father.
Regina had stepped down feeling rather small as she sat in her plastic chair, and the two lawyers made their final statements. Spencer went first.
~Page Break~
"Regina Mills has no doubt committed many crimes in her life. She had tortured people, she has used the Sleeping Curse, and she trapped you all here. But Regina is as much a victim as you all are of her. She had a controlling, desperate mother, who would do anything for daughter, even if her daughter didn't want it. Regina Mills was pushed by Cora Mills for her desires for herself and her daughter. Regina even learned magic to prove herself worthy of her mother. So this woman may have made bad choices, but if someone had reached out and protected her from her mother maybe, just maybe she wouldn't have made those bad choices," Spencer said to the jury.
It was Rumple's turn, and in the back, Belle with fascination. She had watched him the whole and was riveted and even found it rather sexy, but of course now wasn't a good time for that. She was excited to hear Rumple's final words before the jury made their final decision.
"Choices, Regina made a choice! Yes, as I said before, her mother had a hand in shaping who Regina. You could argue that I myself had a part to play in this woman's motivations to become who she is, but neither I nor her mother told her blame a child for her lover's death or to cast the Dark Curse. Regina chose to let her anger control and no one told her to do the things she did. Regina was a victim of manipulation, but was she manipulated so much she didn't have free-will to make her own choices? I don't think so, because she knew what she was doing."
The jury was only gone for five minutes to deliberate before they came back with their decision. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath and the air was still with anticipation as the jury members trickled back in. They sat down one by one, and Regina twiddled her thumbs as she waited. One of the Faeries gave the judge the paper that said and their decision and he nodded in acceptance. "What do you say?" He asked.
"We find the defendant, Regina Mills, guilty of all crimes," she announced reading the piece of paper.
"Miss Swan, please escort Miss Mills to my chambers immediately, and Miss Mills don't try anything, because escaping this building and your punishment will result physically severe consequences," the Judge ordered.
The people of Storybrooke, in a surprising manner, approached Rumple shaking his hand warmly. The congratulated him and thanked for getting justice for them, but Henry had stayed back wanting to leave as he still felt sick and a bit tired. Mary Margaret and David agreed to take him home to the place she had once shared with Emma. Henry of course wasn't the only one who slipped out quietly. Spencer didn't care to watch Gold be congratulated or to hear what Regina's punishment would be.
It took Belle quite a while to get to Rumple, but when she jumped into his arms not caring who was watching.
"You were brilliant up there, Rumple, and I couldn't be prouder," she said as she kissed him sweetly.
He turned crimson as he spoke. "Thank you, my love, and thank you for testifying. I know how hard it was for you and I'm proud of you for that."
"No matter how scared I was I knew I had it do it or I would feel guilty for not standing up to her. It was the right thing to do. Having you there also really helped," she replied.
"Good, I'm glad," he said. "Now let's get out of here before anyone else chooses to speak with me."
The couple slipped out quietly feeling as light as woodland spirits and drove back to Rumple's Victorian.