Once Upon A Time
Rumpelstiltskin could conjure the clothes to fit him. Dagian wasn't so luckily and scrambled to get her clothes on.
She didn't have time to lace up the back of her dress so she just threw a shawl around her shoulders and pulled it around her body and raced out the door.
"What's happened?" she asked a nearby villager who just stared at her in terror and didn't answer her.
Her husband and son were standing side by side across from a man that she recognized as one of the soldiers who had spit on her once and called Bae illegitimate when she walked down the street with him as a baby.
"Gods no," she looked at her husband, "Rumpelstiltskin-."
He ignored her and looked at the man, continuing some sort of conversation that the both of them had been having before she arrived, "Well I suppose it won't happen again…"
"It won't," Baelfire assured him.
Rumpelstiltskin got a gleam in his eye that she recognized he got when someone had walked right into one of his traps, he raised his finger dramatically and pointed to Bae's knee, "What's that?"
Dagian craned her neck to see her son had been injured and shot an angry glare at the man. Had he hurt their son? No it wouldn't be intentional. Not really. She noticed that he'd done his best to avoid them at all costs.
And whatever happened, the man was going to pay for it.
"Rumpelstiltskin-," she said, "Wait-."
"It's nothing," Bae defended.
"Nothing," the man repeated and looked to her for help. She wouldn't be able to give it though. The last time she tried to help someone; he'd lifted his hand and stopped her in her tracks with his magic until he was done.
Rumpelstiltskin raised his hand and made some sort of sound that cut both their protests off, "Don't. Bother."
"Stop!" Dagian pleaded as the man disappeared in a flash of purple smoke and what was left was a snail.
He walked forward, ignoring his son's pleading. She didn't understand why Bae even bothered anymore. He should know by now that Rumpelstiltskin wasn't going to listen to him.
A sickening crunch signified that the now turned man was dead and she put her hand over her mouth. She'd seen him hurt people that he felt had wronged him constantly but it never ceased to terrify her.
How much of this was the dark curse and how much of it was actually her husband's anger taking over? IT was a question that always plagued her and one that he would never answer.
Everyone scrambled away she watched as Rumpelstiltskin pulled her son to his side and started walking back to the house.
Her boy looked to her for help and she closed her eyes. He wouldn't listen to his son, what made her son think he'd listen to her?
Present Day
Dagian watched the nurse wheel in the contraption that this world called an 'ultrasound' and put a hand on her stomach protectively.
Her husband noticed her movement and eyed the nurse suspiciously, "Is that safe?"
"Of course sir," the nurse said nervously. She treated Mr. Gold as much as anyone else, "I've done this plenty of times.
Dagian noticed that his hand was on her shoulder but she couldn't tell if it was for protection or he was just demonstrating his dominance over her but she pulled away slightly and hoped it was the former.
She winced at the cold gel that was put on her stomach and when her husband glared at the nurse Dagian thought he might launch himself across the bed and strangle her.
"I'm fine," she said and put a reassuring hand on his wrist, "I'm fine."
Although she knew that he hardly cared about her. As long as he got his new kid out of the deal she knew he'd probably throw her to the curb when it was born.
If they weren't separated by then. She wondered if Emma would break this curse by the time the baby was born. If she did then Dagian was packing up and taking off into the world. She wasn't going to let him have this baby after what he did to Bae and she wasn't sticking around for him to enact whatever vengeance plan he had for her either.
The nurse put the…device? What was that thing? On her stomach and turned on the monitor. Dagian instinctively intertwined her hand in her husband's and looked up at him.
Maybe it wasn't a good idea to leave him. He'd find her. IF anyone could do it then it would be him.
And if they went back then it'd mean that he'd have his magic back and he wouldn't hesitate to hurt her. She knew he was probably just WAITING for it.
A couple of seconds passed and the nurse pointed to what was obviously a head, "That's the head."
Dagian wanted to say something smart but a look of awe from her husband silenced her. He exhaled a little and the look was also accompanied by both love and devotion.
She'd seen the exact same look when he held Bae for the first time.
"Are you ready?" the nurse asked.
Dagian felt her emotions start to surface but she choked them back and nodded, "Show us."
The nurse moved the device and a couple of seconds passed, "It's a girl."
Dagian let out a small gasp and tightened her grip on her husband's hand, "Really?"
The nurse nodded, "There's her leg and there's her other leg-."
Next to Dagian, Rumpelstiltskin smiled radiantly and for the first time since she could remember looked blissfully happy as he knelt down beside her face and rested his hand on the crown of her hair. Her heart melted slightly at the joy on his face and the tears in his eyes when he kissed her, "We're having a girl."
She smiled and nodded. After Rumpelstiltskin had told her that he couldn't have children then she'd all but given up on the idea of ever becoming a mother again. And while there was a part of her that feared he was lying, there was a part of her; a very small part, what wished it had happened.
Things would've been a lot different.
Gold looked up to the nurse, "Give us a few minutes please."
It wasn't until looking at his unborn daughter had sunk in, that Gold finally realized the severity of what he'd put his wife through these past 28 years.
He'd given her false memories and had sex with her while she didn't know who she was and he did. He was aware that it was wrong when he'd done it.
It had been a moment of weakness. He didn't hate Dagian when it happened. By then he had settled down in a life of contentment with her and he was willing to just make it like that.
But one night, eight months after their arrival here the nightmares hit. Dagian had woken him up from them. His throat hurt from screaming and he was shaking and the images of his boy slipping into parts unknown still played clearly.
She held his hand while he settled down. And then she offered him comfort and he obliged her. And when it was done he was so racked with guilt that he couldn't look at himself in the mirror for the next four months.
She didn't understand what was happening at the time. She thought they were married for fifteen years. And he couldn't exactly explain it without sounding insane.
And then it just…became easier and easier after that. He justified it by saying that this was just another chance. She was just as innocent as she was when they got married. It was just what she always wanted. He'd kept her safe and happy and gave her everything she wanted.
But she wasn't going to see it that way and with good reason.
It occurred to him that he didn't want her to be scared of him; he didn't want her to fear what he'd do to her. He wanted to try this again; he wanted to win her back.
He wanted to atone for what he did to her. And not just the sex. Everything. The mental, the emotional…she would probably leave him and she would probably hate him but he could win her back. He had to at least try. They were going to have a daughter now; this wasn't just about them anymore. He had to try for her.
Dagian smiled gently and rubbed her stomach as they drove back, "I've always wanted a girl."
It was true. After Bae had been born she had said she wanted a girl next. Now that was possible. Maybe it was fortune smiling on them. Maybe it was a good sign.
They could work through it. They were on the same level on everything now. She wasn't forced to be anywhere she didn't want to be. They could work on their marriage.
Oh gods, what had he done? This was his wife. She wasn't supposed to be scared of him or hating him.
HE pulled over to the side of the road and drew a shuddering breath.
She looked at him, "What?"
"I'm sorry," he whispered, his eyes filling up with tears, "I'm so sorry for everything I've done to you."
He didn't expect her to forgive him, but he wanted her to at least know.
Her eyes filled with tears and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He returned the embrace and buried his face in her neck.
"I don't want to play this little game anymore," He whispered to her. It was pointless really. What was the point of pretending everything was fine, "I won't…harm you or throw you out or make your life miserable if you tell me."
"DO you give me your word?"
"Yes."
"You've broken it before." She accused and he felt that burden that he carried on his chest every day become even heavier.
"Not this time."
She pulled back and looked like she was weighing her options, "I remember."
And there it was. Blunt. To the point. No swelling music or fanfare. She remembered. That was it.
He nodded and restarted the car.
"What happens now?" she asked.
He sighed, "I suppose we'll figure that out. We have a lot to talk about."
