Chapter Three
"What's wrong?" Belle asked when she moved to see Rumplestiltskin's back and her eyes widened when she saw the bruise on his back. "Oh."
"What are you looking at, Dearies?" he asked.
"You have a large bruise on your back," Belle said as she barely placed the tips of her fingers on the bruise and he hissed, closing his eyes.
"Don't touch me," he growled and she moved her hand back. Even though he couldn't see her face, he knew she was about to cry and he sighed. "I'm sorry."
"How did this happen?" Belle asked as she looked at Baelfire and he frowned.
"Papa, what happened after the curse enveloped us?" Bae asked.
"I was holding onto you and Belle when something hit me," Rumplestiltskin said.
"Something attacked you?" Belle asked.
"I'm not sure."
"Well, someone or something punched you in the back," Bae asked and gently touched the bruise.
"AH!" Rumplestiltskin hissed and closed his eyes.
"Sorry."
"Is there something we can do for him?" Belle asked when Baelfire looked at the doors and sighed. He knew that Robin Hood and his men were downstairs, but he wasn't sure if his father would allow Friar Tuck to heal him.
"Belle, hold onto him," Bae said then got off the bed and left the room. A few minutes later he returned with Friar Tuck and the chubby friar was panting from running up the stairs.
"Who is this?" Rumplestiltskin asked.
"I am Friar Tuck," Tuck said with his hand out and they shook hands.
"Bae, do you mind explaining why there is a friar in my castle?" Rumplestiltskin asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"Didn't you tell him?" Tuck asked, looking at Baelfire.
"I was," Bae said then sighed and looked at his father. "You see, Papa, a lot of people were left homeless after Cora sealed off a chunk of the Enchanted Forest from the curse and they took over most of the abandoned buildings."
"Like my castle?" Rumplestiltskin asked with a sarcastic tone to his voice.
"Yes, and one of those people was Robin Hood," Bae said and Rumplestiltskin thought for a few seconds.
"He was the one who broke into the castle and took your wand," Belle reminded him and Rumplestiltskin growled.
"A thief is living in my castle?"
"Robin isn't a thief," Tuck said.
"Sorry, Friar, but he stole from me," Rumplestiltskin growled.
"If he did then he had a good reason."
"He stole it to save his wife," Belle said as she let Rumplestiltskin lean against her and placed an arm around him.
"Yes, he told me about that," Tuck said then looked at Rumplestiltskin. "You tortured him."
"No one steals from me," he grumbled and half closed his eyes.
"But you let him go."
"She let him go," he said and looked at Belle. "I wanted to kill him."
"But you didn't,"
"I went out with a bow and arrow, but when I found him…I missed."
"And why did you miss?" Tuck asked and Rumplestiltskin gave him a sad look.
"She was pregnant," he said then sighed. "I couldn't let his child go through life without their father."
"Interesting," Tuck said with a small smile. Like most people who lived in the Enchanted Forest, he knew about Rumplestiltskin and he folded his arms over his stomach. "I have heard about you, Rumplestiltskin. You are not the monster they say you are."
"No, I'm not," he said then smiled at Belle. Friar Tuck sweetly smiled at the looks they gave each other when he removed the leather pouch from his rope belt and placed the leather pouch on the night table.
"Right, let me see the damage," he said when Belle helped Rumplestiltskin sit up and Tuck carefully sat on the edge of the bed and turned Rumplestiltskin so he could look at his back. "Now that's nasty."
"What do you need us to do?" Bae asked.
"I need a bowl of water, some clean clothes and some wool padding if you have any," Tuck said and Bae left the room. He came back with what Tuck needed as Tuck stood up and looked at Belle. "I need him to lie on his stomach."
"Do you think you can move?" she asked Rumplestiltskin and he nodded his head. With a small groan, Rumplestiltskin laid on his stomach while sliding his arms under the pillow and turned his head so he face them. Belle removed his shoes and socks when she placed them on the floor and Rumplestiltskin smiled at her.
"Please move," Tuck said with a sad smile then looked at Rumplestiltskin. "I'm sorry, but this will hurt,"
"It already does, Dearie," Rumplestiltskin said with a sad smile and Tuck went to wash his hands. A few moments and several screams later, Tuck had tended to Rumplestiltskin's back as he tied the cloth wrapped around Rumplestiltskin's chest and waist then gave him something to bitter to drink. Rumplestiltskin glared at him as Friar Tuck patted his shoulder then stood up, looking at Baelfire and Belle.
"I will come back tomorrow to check on him. In the meantime, he needs to stay on his stomach and you have to make sure that there is no blood if he pees," Tuck said and Rumplestiltskin sighed.
"What does it mean if there is blood?" Belle asked.
"It means he's bleeding inside and that could be fatal," Tuck said then placed his hand on Rumplestiltskin's shoulder. "I will pray for you."
"Thank you," Rumplestiltskin sighed and closed his eyes. Baelfire led Friar Tuck out of the room while Belle sat on the edge of the bed and stroked Rumplestiltskin's hair. After closing the door, Baelfire walked to the bed and looked down at his father.
"What I don't understand is why something would attack you," Bae said with a frown on his face. Rumplestiltskin thought for a few minutes when he looked at the leather wristband and gently rubbed the soft leather.
"I think this is why," he said.
"You think the wristband was trying to prevent you from coming back here?" Belle asked,
"Yes."
"But why would it do that?" Bae asked.
"I don't know. All I know is something hit me and pulled you away from me."
"And you ended up in the cell because it was the last place you were before the curse was cast?" Belle asked.
"Yes," Rumplestiltskin sighed then closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. Belle gently rubbed his shoulder as she watched him sleep and Baelfire frowned, placing his hand on her shoulder.
Days passed while Rumplestiltskin healed and could sit up for short periods. He did find out he couldn't sleep on his stomach, but, with some support from a few pillows, he could sleep on his side. He also wondered if he was going to be able to stand or walk as he sighed and Belle placed the spoon she was using to feed him on the silver tray on his lap. Even though he could feed himself, she had insisted and he admitted that he liked the attention.
"Are you done?" she asked, wiping his lips with the cloth napkin.
"Yes," he said and looked at the food on the silver tray. She had made him some tea, which was in the chipped, china cup, some chicken with fresh vegetables, small potatoes and gravy and fresh bread sat on a small plate.
"Are you sure you're ok? You barely ate anything," she said and he saw the worry look in her eyes.
"I want to get up," he said in a quiet tone and she brushed the hair from his eyes.
"Are you sure?"
"I would like to try," he said with a sad look and she brushed the hair from his eyes.
Belle placed the silver tray on the floor while he moved the bedding back and she helped him moved his legs to the side of the bed. His feet dangled over the edge of the bed as she carefully placed her arm around him and gently helped him to his feet. Pain inched up his legs and back as he breathed through his nose then smiled at her.
"So far so good," he said and kissed her lips.
"Do you want to try walking?"
"Yes," he said with a nod of his head.
She slowly helped him walk around the room until he felt his balance returning and let go of her. She watched him when he walked to the wardrobe, opened the door and smiled at her.
"Want to help me get dressed?" he asked and she nodded her head, walking to him.
Baelfire and Robin Hood were talking over the supply list when Baelfire looked up and his eyes widened. Belle was holding onto Rumplestiltskin as they came down the stairs and Baelfire softly smiled at Rumplestiltskin's clothing.
Rumplestiltskin was wearing a black shirt with shiny black scales and frayed cuffs and the shirt was open at the top. Rumplestiltskin was also wearing a silver/gray scaled vest that was closed by griffon head or eagle head claps. The black leather coat had large cuffs with large silver buttons and the high collar draped over his shoulders and down the front of the coat in a large crocodile scale pattern. The leather wristband was tucked under the frayed sleeve and black leather gloves covered his hands. The last thing he wore was a black leather pirate boots and the black leather pirate boots came up to the top of his knees.
"Good morning, Papa," Bae said.
"Good morning," he said then looked at Robin and frowned. Before he could speak, Roland came running in the hallway and was covered head to toe in flour.
"Papa, watch what I can do!" Roland said as he shook and flour flew through the air. Rumplestiltskin pressed his lips together when Roland walked closer and looked up at him. "Who are you?"
"My name is Rumplestiltskin," Rumplestiltskin said then knelt down on his haunches and smiled at him. His back and legs hurt from having to support his weight, but he didn't mind and Roland slowly walked closer. "What is your name?"
"This is my son, Roland," Robin said and Rumplestiltskin slowly stood up.
"Where is his mother?"
"Mama is in the sky," Roland said as he pointed up. Rumplestiltskin felt his heart hurting as he arched his eyebrows up and sighed.
"You can stay," Rumplestilskin said then looked at Roland. "I think someone needs a bath."
"No bath!" Roland shouted as he ran off and a small cloud of flour followed close behind him. Smiling, Robin ran after his son and Belle walked closer, sliding her arms around Rumplestiltskin's right arm.
"That was nice," she said and he gave her a blank look.
"I can be nice, Dearie," he said and they headed for the dining hall.
Rumplestiltskin walked down the hallway while heading for his work shop when he felt like he was being followed and stopped. He listened to the sounds of the fire crackling on torches in the iron holders on the walls when he heard a small giggle and turned around, looking down. Roland had become his shadow as Rumplestiltskin smiled then knelt down on his haunches and Roland walked closer.
"And where do you think you're going?" Rumplestiltskin asked.
"I going with you," Roland said and Rumplestiltskin slowly stood up.
"No," he said with a shake of his head then sighed, seeing Roland's lower lip beginning to quiver. "No tears, Dearie."
"But, Mister Rumple….," he moaned and Rumplestiltskin tried hard not to laugh. He loved how Roland said his name when he reached down to pick Roland up and held him.
"Do you promise not to touch anything?" he asked and Roland nodded his head. Smiling, Rumplestiltskin headed down the hallway and Roland placed his cheek against Rumplestiltskin's shoulder.
Rumplestiltskin stood in the doorway while watching Robin Hood tuck his son in bed for a nap when Rumplestiltskin sighed and slowly walked away. He knew that Roland wasn't Baelfire or Henry, but it didn't stop his heart from hurting. He wondered what Henry was doing as he walked down the stairs and headed for the dining hall. He walked to the spinning wheel when he sat down and ran his fingers over the thin strands of straw and the spinning wheel. It had been a long time since he spun straw into gold as he closed his eyes and concentrated. He knew what he had to do to spin straw into gold when he opened his eyes and started the spinning wheel. He moved his fingers over the thin strands of straw and cleared his mind. He watched the thin strands of straw when he stopped the spinning wheel and picked up one of the thin strands of straw.
"What?" he asked as he looked at the thin strand of straw and noticed that the thin strand of straw hadn't changed into gold. He checked the rest of the thin strands, but the thin strands were just spun straw and he felt a cold chill moving up his spine. "No."
The doors opened as he tried again and Belle walked to him and stood behind him. She noticed the look in his eyes when she gently touched his shoulder and he stopped the spinning wheel, looking at her.
"Is there something wrong?" Belle asked.
"I can't…I can't spin," he said when she realized what he was talking about and she sat in front of him then rubbed the leather wristband, looking down.
Looking up, she moved closer as their lips met and he gently held her head in his hands. They deepened the kiss as he strung some her hair around his fingers and she slowly moved her hands up his shirt. Moving back, he looked deeply in her eyes as he smiled and she placed her hands on his shoulders.
"Did you want me for something?"
"Oh," she said when she remembered why she came in the room and a blush moved across her cheeks. "Snow White and Charming are here."