Dear precious readers, I deeply apologize for making you wait. I was struck with a horrible case of writer's block. My muse had flown away from me. I sincerely didn't want to make any of you wait. I sincerely, sincerely, sincerely apologize a thousand times over. But, I have gotten my muse back for the most part and I'll be finishing the story up in the next few days. I thank you all so very, very, very much for sticking with me and reading and giving me such amazing and uplifting reviews. You guys truly made me smile and boosted my confidence in my writing. I hope that with my next fic I post, when I do, you will enjoy it just as much as you have this one and I wish only to give you something enjoyable to read. You all are precious to me and I can't give you enough thanks. Thank you, thank you, thank you. And I love each and every one of you who read even just one chappie or all of them. Thank you. And again, I deeply apologize for making you wait an ungodly amount of time for a new update. I hope you can eventually forgive me.

Thank you guys from the bottom of my heart!

Warning: Will eventually contain mature material. Language. Lemons. Some spicy limes. Maybe full-blown things. ~_^

A Salvation Called Love

-Chapter 33-

-Failed Negotiations-

[Regina]

When Rumplestiltskin had walked a ways down the hallway once we'd made it up the stairs I pretended to close the door completely behind me and followed behind him. Before he'd arrived I'd given my one of my two main bodyguards orders to torture Annabelle while we were upstairs discussing the price of getting his lover back. When I was sure that he could get downstairs I followed behind Rumplestiltskin and brushed passed him when he stopped to wait for me in front of the massive staircase. I lead him to my study off to the right and closed the doors behind us after he'd stepped through them. I waved my hand at the number of chairs placed around the study and smiled. "Have a seat wherever."

He looked around for a few seconds before finally taking a seat in front of the small unlit fireplace. I took the seat in front of him and crossed one of my legs over my knee. His dark eyes glittered angrily at me as he spoke. "So, your Majesty, how about a deal?"

I watched him as he absently picked at the armrest of his chair. "I don't do deals, Rumplestiltskin. You should know that, since we do have a long history together."

Rumplestiltskin tsked at me. "'Fraid not, your Majesty. I spent my time hating you and avoiding you. We have no history together." He paused here and then grinned impishly. "Although…"

I narrowed my eyes at him and arched one of my brows. "Although what, Rumplestiltskin? I don't have all day. I have pressing matters that I need to attend to." A lie for the most part but he didn't need to know that."

"That's a lie, your Majesty, if I may be so bold as to state it as such." When I only stared at him he shrugged and gave a small giggle. "I was going to say that I know a deal you'd like more than anything."

That caught my interest. I leaned forward, propping my arms over the top of my crossed legs. "Oh? And what do I want more than anything, Rumplestiltskin? How do you know I don't want anything more than to watch you suffer for the rest of your miserable life?"

Rumplestiltskin's impish grin split his face and he stood with a grand flourish of his hands. "Why, your Majesty, you've wanted to be as powerful as me since the beginning. I can see it in your power hungry eyes, dearie. You can't hide such hunger from me. I'm a deal maker after all and I know what people want."

I slowly uncrossed my legs and stood up. I'd always been taller than Rumplestiltskin and at this moment I put that height to good use. I towered over him as he grinned up at me. I wanted nothing more than to smack that disgusting grin off his face. He infuriated me to no ends. "Fine then, deal maker. What deal do you have for the Queen today?"

Rumplestiltskin wiggles his eyebrows and waved his hands out away from his body. "My power for the girl's life and freedom."

I blinked slowly down at him as the meaning of his words sank in. He was offering me the power he coveted most for a simple woman. It sounded too good to be true. "What's the catch, Rumplestiltskin? There's always a catch to your deals."

His grin widened but he gave a small shrug. "This time there is no catch. I only want my lover back and for that I would give you the world if it were possible." He took a deep breath and turned away, walking over to one of my many bookcases and thumbed through a few of the books. "I've changed a lot in a short time, your Majesty. I'm not the same… man I was before. I don't just have my magic to covet now. I have that beautiful woman in your dungeons and a child yet to be born. What is magic to those things?"

I narrowed my eyes at him and propped a hand on a hip. "Then why didn't you give your magic up for your son?"

At the mention of his son, Rumplestiltskin froze and I watch his entire body tense and vibrate with hurt and anger. That's when I realized that he didn't know that the young man downstairs was his son. I grinned but stayed silent. "I was naïve back then. Still a young magical pup. Now, today, at this very moment I'm a changed man. If I could go back and give up my magic for my son I would do just that but I can't. So, I'm willing to sacrifice it all for that woman I love and my unborn child."

My grin grew as I moved up behind him and laid a hand gently on his shoulder. I was surprised when he didn't flinch away from me. The leather of his jacket was smooth and worn beneath my palm and it brought back memories of days long past when I myself wore leather. It had been too many years. "You do sound like a changed man, Rumplestiltskin. And…" I paused briefly to ensure I was right in my decision. "I will make the deal with you. Your powers for the woman and your unborn child." My grin grew behind his back as I spoke. I was lying. I wouldn't give this man that woman, nor the child. I was going to take his powers and then I was going to make him suffer. I was going to let him watch his lover die and then I planned on taking his very life.

Rumplestiltskin gave a small nod before turning around quickly and pressing his palm into the center of my chest. I stared down at him in surprise as his impish grin returned. "That one was a quip, dearie." Before I could say anything I felt something being ripped out of me. It felt like the very core of my body was being pulled away from me.

I stumbled back and tried to strike out with my power to hurt Rumplestiltskin but nothing came. I tried again and again before I gave a loud shriek of anger. "What have you done, you bastard?"

Rumplestiltskin's sharp giggly laughter echoed through the study as he slowly paced around me. He didn't have to touch me now. "I'm taking your magic, dearie. I'm stealing it from you like you would have done me except I have every intention of letting you live."

I gasped as there was a final sharp tug throughout my body and then I was empty. There was nothing inside of me, no magic, nothing. I gasped and felt my knees fall out from beneath me as I crumpled to the floor. I watched as my skin started to become wrinkled and peppered with massive age spots. My hair that fell around my face whitened and became limp. Soon I was nothing like my old self. I was wizened and elderly. Human. Magic-less. An absolute nobody. "Ru.. Rumple…"

Rumplestiltskin knelt down in front of me and grinned. His eyes were brighter than before and his skin held a nice golden flush. "Yes, Regina?"

I struggled to speak as my old voice gave out. "I… hate… you."

Rumplestiltskin gave a small cooing sound and moved to pick me up. I was as light as a feather and my weight was no bother to him as he gently sat me in one of my chairs, close to the fireplace. With a click of his fingers flame burst across the blackened logs and then he turned back to me. He then knelt in front of me and patted my leg. "Oh, don't worry, Regina, dearie. This old state will only last a few hours before you return back to your youthful self. I wouldn't want to give Henry a shock now would I? And speaking of Henry, I'd advise you to give full custody to his real mother, Miss Swan I believe."

I gave a small growl at him but it turned into a sharp cough and he just stood up and walked away. I called out to my guards but no one answered. I was left sitting in the chair in front of the fireplace unable to move. He'd taken everything from me now. I was nothing more than a shell. I felt tears start to roll down my wrinkled cheeks but I was too tired to attempt to brush them away. I could only wait until I wasn't old anymore. Damn that man.

[Rumplestiltskin]

The door leading down to the basement was open as I stepped up to it. I narrowed my eyes and slowly squeezed through the crack and made my way down the stairs. I could hear soft voices at the bottom but I wasn't sure who it was or what was going on. When I stepped off the bottom step all noise ceased so the sound of my leather pants swishing as I moved as very audible.

Sitting directly in front of me were both Ashley and the man that had been in the cell beside Annabelle. Ashley immediately saw me and stood up, rushing over to me with tears streaming down her face. That's when I saw Annabelle laying on the ground with her head in the young man's lap. She wasn't moving. I went to move towards her, worried but Ashley grabbed my arm quickly. Her voice was loud and thick with tears. "She's ok, Mr. Gold. She's ok, I promise! The ghost helped her. She almost dies. I don't know what really happened. It all happened so fast. She was being beat by the guard and I couldn't stop him and then when he almost killed her a ghost of a pretty lady appeared and bound the guard into the corner and then she saved Annabelle and the baby and she released Baelfire's memories and…"

I shushed her before she could continue because I was getting more confused as she spoke. What did she mean by a ghost and what did she mean by Baelfire. Baelfire was dead. I grabbed her arm sharply and jerked her forwards so that she would look me in the eyes. "Slow. Down. What is the meaning behind talking about ghosts and my dead son?" I shook her a little. "And how do you know his name?"

There was a soft rustle across the room as the young man slowly stood, cradling Annabelle in his arms against his chest. My eyes moved away from Ashley as he walked towards me. I narrowed my eyes at him but that didn't stop him as he walked. "Papa."

My anger boiled over and I snapped at the man. "I am not your father, boy. Why do you speak such things? My son has been dead for more years than I can count. And why the hell are you holding my lover? Put her down."

Ashley tugged on my arm and I growled jerking it way from her but she spoke quickly. "He's Baelfire. The ghost, she unlocked his memories. Regina had him all these years and took his memories of who he was away."

I frowned down at her. "What do you mean by ghost, dearie? You're speaking in riddles and I don't like it."

Baelfire walked forwards again and stopped beside Ashley. His voice was softer. "It was Belle. The woman you loved many years after I disappeared. She saved Annabelle's life and your baby's life."

I blinked up at this young man as he spoke and then I blinked down at Annabelle in his arms. There was blood covering her clothes and on her skin but I couldn't see any cuts or bruises. My frown deepened as I gently laid a hand against her cheek. At my touch Annabelle's eyes fluttered opened and tried to focus as she looked up at me. "Do… Dominic?"

Her voice made me realize I didn't look like the person she knew. I still looked like my old self. With a small though and a whisper of magic Rumplestiltskin's appearance disappeared until I looked like the man Annabelle was used to seeing. I gently traced my finger down her cheek and I could feel tears tugging at the corner of my eyes. "Annabelle. Love, are you alright? What the hell happened down here while I was upstairs?"

Annabelle gave a weak smile as she reached up and wrapped her fingers around my wrist, holding it. "I.. I think I saw Belle. She had bright blue eyes. And then… then I don't remember anything else. The guard, he beat me and I remember I was dying… I was floating and then I felt something warm enter me and then I didn't hurt anymore. And then you were just suddenly here in front of me."

At Annabelle's words I slowly turned to the corner where I heard muffled whimpers. The guard that Regina had sent down to torture Annabelle was trapped in the corner. He was as white as a ghost and there was a pool of wetness at his feet. I felt my anger pull at me and I flung out my power to him, wrapping it around him and shrinking his cowering form into a small pathetic snail. I slowly stalked towards him with every intention of squishing him beneath my boot, like I'd done before. I had no trouble killing anyone who hurt the woman I loved. Just as I was raising my boot to slam it down on the disgusting creature that was slithering forward in his own piss the young man called out to me. "Papa, don't! Not again! You don't have to repeat your actions like you did when I was younger. Let him live, even if as a snail."

Those words froze my foot in midair. My heart started racing and I scrunched my brows. Only one person would know about me squishing the people I turned into snails. I slowly lowered my foot and turned. I swallowed loudly and licked my suddenly dry lips. It couldn't be true. It just couldn't. That would mean that Bae had been alive all of these years, right beneath my nose. I took a small step forward and held my hand own. "Bae… Bae, is… how… is that really you?"

Annabelle gently tapped Baelfire and he put her down, making sure she could stand on her own before slowly moving towards me. I could see it now, that he looked like an older Bae. I didn't have anger judging my thoughts anymore. His eyes were the same dark brown and his hair was still the same chocolaty brown that curled and waved. When he stopped in front of me I had to lean my head back slightly because he was a lot taller than me. "Yes, papa, it's me. Belle… she… she gave me my memories back." He reached out and his large hand gently traced along my jaw and brushed against my hair. "You… you look older. But you also look healthier and happier than you were back then."

I felt a tear fall down my cheek and I knew it was him. It was my son, my Bae. I reached out and quickly wrapped my arms tightly around my son's waist, pulling him against me. I squeezed him as tight as I could and listened to his heart beat in his chest as he hugged me just as tightly back. "My son, my baby boy. You're back. You're here." I let the tears fall freely.

There was a gentle touch to my shoulder and I pulled back slightly, blinking through my tears at Annabelle's beautiful smile. "I love you, Dominic. I'm glad you're alright." She reached up and wiped at my tears before turning slightly to look up at my son. "I'm glad you're here, Bae, and I forgive you for kidnapping me. I know you didn't want to. I heard you. Thank you."

Bae gave a small nod before untangling himself from me so that Annabelle could take a turn at hugging me. While I wrapped my arms tightly around her he moved back and wrapped an arm around Ashley's waist. Both of them smiled at me and my lover's reunion. I was more happy than I had ever been. I had my family back. My son, the woman I loved with all my heart, and my unborn child. I had them all.