Hey everyone.
Important please read- I want to finish before Sunday when OUAT comes back on, because I feel like once the show comes back on I feel like this will be weird considering how different it will be from the show. So I've planned out the key things that I want to happen, and there will only be a few chapters left. But thank you all for reading, and helping me survive Hiatus. J
This chapter is the longest one, and probably the cheesiest, so sorry for being sappy. :) Still I hope you like. Please Review what you think but don't be too harsh. I honestly don't think I have to say that because all your revise have been so encouraging. Thank you for that. So without further ado…
Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own OUAT or the fabulous characters.
"Uh. Well. You see," he spluttered. He stopped talking, deciding if he should tell her that he was the man in her shop who ran out. That he had followed her ever since. He could chose the cowardly way and not tell her, he thought. No, he wasn't going to lie, not anymore. She didn't deserve it. "Belle I walked in you shop one day, I didn't know it was yours. But then I saw you. I just couldn't talk to you so I ran out."
"That was you?" he nodded.
"After that I started following you."
"Why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you come up to me?" she said in confusion with a bit of irritation. She had been there for months hoping to find him, and he had the chance to talk to her anytime he wanted. Why didn't he?
"I was scared!" he shouted loud enough for people to send him glares of annoyance.
"Scared of what?" she yelled back. He stared at her but didn't answers. "What were you scared of?"
"Rejection." He barked out. "I've been given up, passed off, and abandoned my whole life, Belle. My father, my wife. Even after I spent 300 years searching for him, my son didn't want to come back to me. He only came back because of Emma-"
"Rumple it was very hard for him, you're not the only one who lived 300 years, but he did loved you."
"I know he did." He said in a whisper. "I was so heartbroken when he didn't want to talk to me. I had added him to the list of people I disappointed, and then you," he looked everywhere but her. "You finally saw the monster," she opened her mouth to apologize, to say something but he didn't let her "and then left." their voices aroused the attention of the manager who was notified of their disruptive discussion.
"Sir," Rumple looked at the manager. "ma'am," the manager now addressed them both. "Would you please keep your voices down, you're disturbing the other patrons." Rumple got up from the table and waked passed Belle.
"I was just leaving anyways." Belle turned around to see him step out of the café with his cane in one hand and the tea in the other. She thought about going after him. She stood in the café deciding until finally she ran out, but by the time she got out she had no way to know where he was. So Belle found herself going sadly to her shop. She had a lot of quiet time to think about his words. She had abandoned him. Standing in her shop she cried and slowly sank to the floor. The whole situation was terrible, she loved him and wanted to be with him, but she couldn't condone what he did. But maybe she could forgive him, and maybe he would forgive her for abandoning him. With the flicker of hope she picked herself off the ground, she took a deep breath, and straightened out her clothes. She pick up her phone and went through her contact to find his new number that he had given her outside the hospital. She selected 'Rumple' and put the phone up to her ear. She anxiously awaited holding her breath as the phone rang.
Belle placed her hand over her stomach. She looked down at her stomach and whispered, "We will be a family little one." She waited hoping after each ring that his voice would fill her ear, but as each ring came she lost hope. The ringing stopped as she stood up straighter. His voice came through the phone, but it was only to tell her to leave a voicemail after the beep. She sighed but didn't end the call.
"A long time ago there was a girl, a very lonely girl who dreamed of true love and adventure. But she was destined for a life with neither," she paused. "Until a man came and took her away, a kind man." She emphasize man, hoping he would know that she really regretted calling him a beast at the town line. "A man who had seen centuries of heartbreak and pain, but showed her kindness. They brought out the best in each other, and they fell in love. They had many trials but they overcame them. However," she said with a shaky voice, "one trial they couldn't overcome, and she sent him away. Even when they promised to be together forever. The girl realized what she had done, banishing him for forever, and went to find her love, and she did. Rumple I came here for you and I love you. I hope you still love me. If you do please come back to me."
Belle only had to wait till the next morning to get her answer, when she heard a knock.
"Hi," She said as she widely opened the door for him. Belle looked like she had rushed to the door. Rumple took a double take at her appearance. He had never seen her so disheveled. Her hair was up in a messy bun with small pieces failing down. He felt the urge to gently move it behind her ear and then rub his thumb over her cheek, but he didn't. He also noticed she was in lose grey yoga pants. Along with her comfortable pants she wore a big t-shirt. Even though her attire was odd for her, Rumple still thought she was beautiful. After he got over her appearance he gave her a small smile.
"Good Morning Belle." He greeted. "I got your message." She returned his smile, he did love her. With a giggle she realized she had yet to let him in.
"Sorry. Please come in," she stepped back to let Rumple walk in the door. He stepped in with the tap of his cane and a moving box under his arm. She noticed the box and scrunched her eyebrows.
"Is that all you have?" she felt regret for what she did to him. Leaving him with nothing and nowhere to go.
"No, the rest of my stuff is at my apartment."
"Oh," she said in a small voice, before making up her mind on what to say next. "I am sorry." He frowned at her before walking further into her apartment. He set his box down on a kitchen counter before turning around to face her. "I'm sorry," she repeated. "I promised to stay with you forever, I promised to love and cherish you for the rest of our days. In sickness and health, for better or worse. I'm sorry that I didn't, couldn't do that."
"We could have had that Belle, we could have had our happy ending."
"Not like that Rumple. Not with one where you were killing people to gain power."
"I was trying to free myself from the dagger. Zelena controlled me with it, you controlled me with it-"
"I know, and I'm sorry for what I did. I was so caught up in regret with what happened to Anna because of me. I wanted so badly to fix it. I'm sorry I used It." she took a deep breath before continuing it. "But you didn't just use the hat to make sure the dagger couldn't control you, you did it to have power and magic in this world." She emphasized. "If it was just about getting rid of the dagger you could have told me. I would have helped you. No it was power since you felt the need to go behind my back."
"If I had told you the truth about the dagger-"
"I understand why you couldn't let anyone have the real one. I wouldn't want anyone controlling me. I don't think anybody should have that power over someone else," Belle said with conviction. "I didn't want the dagger, you just kept pushing it back into my hands. You could have told me."
"No I couldn't have." He said angrily. I couldn't tell you about the dagger or Zelena," he said firmly before adding, "You would've left me." She took a step forward. He looked like he wanted to run but he stood firmly in his place.
"You really think that." Belle looked him right in the eye with a disappointed look on her face. "You thought I would leave you? When I made the deal to live with you at the Dark Castle I knew about all the terrible things you did, but I didn't run away I fell in love with you." His heart stopped, hearing the sincerity in her voice. "I didn't leave you at the Dark Castle, you told me to go." Even though it was years ago he still regretted it, he regretted a lot of things. "Yes, I walked out of you shop after you threatened Regina, but I came back. I didn't run, even after I found out what happened to your wife." Belle let her message sink in before she continued. "The only time left you was when you kept secrets from me, when you couldn't be honest with me." She said referring to the time when she saw him practicing magic in his basement. She took a step forward, so close to touching him. He opened his mouth to talk but nothing came out. Belle saw his struggle and slowly reached out pry one hand from his cane. He let her take his hand and curl her small fingers around it. He lowered his eyes to their joined hand. A small gesture but it reminded him she was here, his wife, his beautiful Belle was reaching out to him.
"I was afraid of losing you," he admitted not looking up at her face. "I let my fear blind me. After killing Zelena I felt guilty for lying to you about it. I got scared that I would lose you just like I did Bae" she squeezed his hand harder at his confession. "When Bae was gone all I had left was my magic, for 300 years it was my deals and magic. I've become dependent on it. Belle I would be a wreck if I dint have you, but at the fear of losing you I went back to it. And then seeing the opportunity with the hat, something that no other dark one had done, it was too tempting. I was willing to do whatever I had to do to gain more magic."
"Even hurting the town and the people in it."
"The town," he scoffed, letting go of her hand. "The town doesn't care anything for me." he gave her time to dispute it, but she couldn't.
"But that doesn't mean you have to hurt them."
"Belle it's who I am, a beast."
"No, no it isn't. A beast wouldn't have showed me kindness and love. A beast wouldn't have sacrificed his life to save the ones he loved."
"A man wouldn't have lied to you and hurt you." He countered.
"We all make mistake, Rumple," she took his hand. "We learn from our mistakes and strive to be the best version of ourselves. We may not always achieve that, but at least we try." He looked at her and dropped his cane to take her other hand. They both were silent for a while before Rumple spoke up.
"Will you give me another chance to bring out the goodness that you see in me?"
"Only if you forgive me for banishing you-"
"I know why you did it Belle-"
"There were other ways. I didn't have to use the dagger to command you to cross the line."
"Belle- She held up her hand cutting him off. She placed her hands on his face. Stroking it with her thumbs. "Also let me help you. We promised to be together forever. We both have broken that, but I don't want to break it again. So let me in, don't hide what your feeling and going through."
"I will try Belle." She smiled, and hugged him. He didn't let go of her, but only pressed her closer to him. They stood in her apartment embrace in one another for a while. Nothing mattered, but what was going on in the small room. They both had tears streaming down there faces and when she pulled back he saw her beautiful smile. Rumple leaned in place his lips over her tear stained ones. Belle almost collapsed with relieve and happiness but Rumple held her up. He pulled back rubbing away her tears with his thumb before choosing to kiss them away. He peppered her face with small kisses as he neared her mouth he felt her smile under his lips. He rested his forehead against hers.
"I don't know why you keep coming back to me" he whispered.
"Because I love you Rumple even the dark parts of you." she pulled back so he could see the truth in her eyes. "I fell in love with you because I saw the way you hurt but persevere. The way you love but are afraid to. I fell in love with your heart, your soul, and your mind. I fell in love with the darkness of your eyes and the light in your smile." He kissed her again passionately.
"You Belle are my strength. Always have been, always will."
"I'm not your weakness?" she said with a smile.
"Never, sweetheart." She closed her eyes and signed. She had missed hearing him call her 'sweetheart'. She would never get tired of his term of endearment when it fell from his lips. He kissed her nose.
"Rumple, there is something that I need to tell you," he tilted his head.
"Rumple you're going to- Ahhh". She cried out in pain.
"Belle!" his eyes were wide in worry and fear. As she was double over she looked him in the eye.
"The baby, "she said in a labored breath. He froze, his eyes went wide, and he stumbled backwards.
"I'm going to be a papa." Rumple said quietly in disbelief. Belle gave a little nod struggling through the pain. He fell out of his shock and rushed back to her. He place one hand on her tentative hand on her stomach. Belle shuttered with another wave of pain. Her knees gave out but he held her against him. "Belle, Belle," he shouted. "Sweetheart, stay with me."
Thank you everybody so much for reading. Like I said this will (hopefully) completed before OUAT comes back on.