Author's Note: Hello, dearies! I hope you're all enjoying the story. I want to give you all a fair warning for the upcoming chapters. These are going to be pretty dark. I've tried to put it off as long as I can because I wanted the sweetness to last, but I don't want the story to be stuck in the sweet cycle because it's not what I have planned for it. There will be a lot of angsty scenes and one chapter will have scenes of torture and death, but there will be absolutely no non-con or dub-con in any way, shape, or form. I will put warnings at the very top of the chapters with trigger warnings

"I'm on my own here, and
No-one's left to be the hero.
This fairy tale's gone wrong as
Night will fall, my heart will die alone."

We Are The Fallen - "I Am Only One"

Regina smiled darkly after the imp left. She picked up his cup and looked at it fondly. The burdock root had worked. Just a small shaving of it consumed had the power to create such a sense of paranoia, entire villages had been wiped out by one person who'd consumed in the past.

He should've known better than to accept food or drink from an enemy. He should have known better than to fool her- or attempt to.

Regina had known the booklet The Dark One had given to her was glamoured moments after she finished reading the entry. She knew from stories of the Pain - Eater's powers, yet those entries seemed rather vague and contradictory to what she had heard. It had taken her many attempts to view the original, but it was worth it.

The Dark One may have also covered his mirrors, but hearing was just as good as vision.

Regina had heard his encounters with his lovely little housekeeper. In a way, she was almost grateful the mirros were covered, not wanting to see the sickening looks of love between the two. It hurt her more than it sickened her, honestly. The hole in her heart and soul seemed to be ripping open more and more each day. The two people she loved in life...Daniel, her father- both gone.

As crafty as Rumplestiltskin might be, Regina was, too. She'd heard him reveal to Verna- or whatever her name was- that she was a Pain Eater. That the young woman was apparently just as strong as Pierduta...if not more. The Dark One's housekeeper had a quality Pierduta didn't have- the housekeeper was light. Nothing but pure light.

For a moment, her heart twisted as she saw the only two rings she'd ever wore. The ring Daniel had given her before he'd died. The ring she treasured more than anything in life, now.

Then she saw the dark opal ring on her index finger. She frowned and held back tears, feeling herself become pulled deeper into an unspeakable sadness. She looked up at a mirror across from her, tears streaming down her face. With no thought at all, she flung the cup to the mirror, falling to the floor and sobbing as the glass and porcelain broke, mirroring what she was- shattered.

The visit with the Queen had left Rumplestiltskin feeling incredibly hostile and paranoid. He couldn't be in the same room with Belle. He needed his power.

"She wants it all. Every last drop of it. You mean nothing to her...your son means nothing to her...only where she can feed matters."

"Love? Don't delude yourself. You know the monster...the demon you are. You know the darkness that consumes you incessantly. You aren't deserving of love."

"What kind of woman in her right mind would willingly bed a beast?"

The thoughts hounded him continually. The wouldn't give him a moment's rest. Rumplestiltskin felt himself being filled with an immense paranoia with Belle.

"Rumplestiltskin?" Belle asked softly, approaching him from behind.

He jumped, startled, then turned around.

"Are you well?" she asked, her face worried.

"Ah, she's luring you into a trap. Sneaky little bitch. Don't tell me you're going to be stupid enough to take the bait."

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Rumplestiltskin screamed clamping his hands over his head and shaking.

Belle gasped and ran toward him, fearful of what he might do to himself.

He felt her hands on his wrists, trying to soothe him

"You fool. She's playing with you as a cat plays with its prey before delivering the death strike. Foolish monster.

"NO!" Rumplestiltskin screamed, pushing Belle away from him, his breath heavy as his head throbbed.

Belle bit back tears. His madness was hurting her as much as it was hurting him and it was more than she could bear.

"Please. Let me-" she began, only to have him interrupt her.

"Let you...what? Hmm, dearie? Play your lovely little game? Twine me about in your hands as if I'm a piece of yarn?" he sneered.

"What are you takling about?" Belle asked, shaking her head in confusion.

"Oh, how beautiful the liars always turn out to be. Demons in disguise, wingless butterflies," he tittered darkly, the paranoia gripping him completely.

"Rumplestiltskin...I don't know what you're saying."

"You know damn well what I'm saying! Let you take the 'pain' away? Power, you mean, dearie. Damnable leech!" he screamed at her. Belle stood in shocked silence, tears streaming down her face.

"Always playing the hero. Allow me to let you in on the cold truth, Princess. This is -no- fairytale."

Belle shook with fear, Rumplestiltskin pacing the room.

"My power means more to me than you ever will."

Belle gasped sharply, her heart dropping to her stomach. She could feel her heart open and bleed freely, but the physical pain was absolutely nothing to the emotional pain.

She said nothing to him as she walked to him. Absolutely nothing.

Belle looked him straight in the eyes. With all her strength, she drew her hand back and slapped him, his face turning sharply to the right and remaining there.

"You are a fool, Rumplestiltskin. A cowardly fool," she whispered before turning her back to him and leaving. He heard the heavy doors of the Castle open and slam heavily.

She was gone.

"RED!" a voice screamed in the distance.

Red looked up immediately and saw a young man running, his brow covered in sweat.

"What's happened?" she asked, running to meet him.

"The Queen. Her men are attacking. They're within five miles of camp," he said, taking deep breaths.

Red gasped fearfully and looked around at the people of the camp. Most of them were still in the process of loading their goods and possessions.

The information the Huntsman had left alerted Red that the Queen was planning an attack against any camps she found. She immediately told everyone to begin packing their goods and prepare to journey elsewhere. She hadn't expected it to happen so soon. She'd taken great pains to find a safe place for these people and couldn't let them be hurt.

"How long do we have?" she asked, checking and mentally making notes of the people who were there and who weren't.

"Barely enough time to have everyone taken to the ridge until the danger passes."

A sudden realization hit Red as she finished taking count of the camp members. Anger and rage filled her.

"Go help the others. Now," she said.

The young man rushed off to the far side of the camp, leaving Red alone at the edge of the forest. She sniffed the air deeply, the scent of betrayal confirming her suspicions.

"Jiminy," she whispered, hearing his footsteps behind her.

"What's wrong, Red?"

"Is everyone prepared to leave?" she asked, not facing him.

"Yes."

"Take them away. Now."

"What about you, Red?" he asked, sensing something wrong.

"I'll be there later. I need to take care of this," she said darkly.

"I'm staying with you," Jiminy said.

Red turned, fighting tears.

"No. This is my fault, Jiminy. Please."

"I'm not leaving," Jiminy said.

Red turned around and put her hands on his face.

"Please."

Jiminy stood, flexing and unflexing his jaw.

"You promise me. You promise me you will come back," he said, bringing her into his arms tightly. Red nodded against him, her tears finally falling.

"I love you," Jiminy said to her, stroking her hair.

"I love you," she smiled, watching as he ran to the direction of the horses to finish the evacuation.

She felt so alone.

Belle's sadness and hurt was quickly replaced by an overwhelming numbness. She felt like a ghost as she wandered through to woods, not knowing where to go. She could never return to her father. He'd never accept her.

She realized how alone she was in the world as she sat against a tree. Until the Dark One...she'd never had a friend.

She felt movement in her body and gently placed a hand on her stomach.

"It's going to be all right, little one," she said to the growing child in her womb. The child began to settle as Belle hummed a lullaby, the numbness being replaced with grief.

She was going to tell him when he'd returned. Two months had gone by since that night, and she knew what was happening. She's been overjoyed and imagined how Rumplestiltskin would take the news.

Silently crying, she had to face the truth.

He didn't want her. Or their child.

The camp had cleared. Red prepared herself for the battle to come. She removed her cloak when she heard a familair voice behind her.

"Now love, your grandmother would kill me if she found out I let you do this alone."

Startled, Red turned around and saw the old woman of the camp- the woman who convinced Jiminy to take her to the waterfall.

"What are you doing? You need to leave!" Red exclaimed, moving to the old woman.

"Hush love. You're forgetting that wolves fight together, aren't you?" the woman said with a wolfish smile.

Red gasped, her face riddled with confusion and unanswered questions.

"Now, now. There will be time to explain later," the old woman said, untying her cloak.

Red nodded, still confused. Nevertheless, they were both prepared.

Cue cliffhanger...now!