The weekend had gone by quickly thanks to Gideon and Lilly spending the weekend at Rumpel's house. He was grateful for the company. They had sat talking on his patio most nights, planning the engagement party and future plans for their wedding. Lilly and Gideon were going to spend a couple nights at Maleficent's house. He understood that Lilly wanted to spend some time with her mother, but he was going to miss having the two of them around.
He was not happy that Gideon was avoiding his mother. At least Gideon was doing as his father had wished and had not told Belle the truth so Gideon could have his surprise announcement. After visiting his mother on Saturday, Gideon had returned to the house a little battered around the edges. It seemed the fieriness that Rumpel loved to see in Belle was simmering close to the surface and Gideon had witnessed it for the first time.
Rumpel studied the menu in Grannies diner, trying to decide what he wanted for his lunch. He was waiting for Ruby to come and serve him, so he could chat to her about Belle. He had avoided town all weekend. If they had needed anything, Gideon and Lilly had gone out to get it. Therefore, when he saw Ruby come out through the door from the kitchen, he was surprised to see the purple bruise on her cheek. She spotted him and stopped. They looked at each other.
Ruby made her way over to him and slid into the seat opposite him in the booth. "Hi."
"What happened to you?" Rumpel asked, indicating her cheek by pointing to his own.
"Yeah." Ruby fidgeted with her apron. "Belle came to see me on Saturday."
"Oh." Rumpel mumbled down at the table.
"She told me" He looked up from the table to Ruby as she spoke. "To keep my slutty hands off of her husband."
Rumpel closed his eyes in disappointment. "Sorry."
"I take it she still doesn't know?" Ruby asked, leaning forward onto the table.
"The party is this Friday. So, no." Rumpel informed her, grimacing at the bruise on Ruby's face. "I can't believe she hit you."
Ruby's eyes widened at his words. "I think beating your mother up has brought out the thug in her."
"Do you want me to heal it for you?" Rumpel suggested, waving his hand over his face to gesture his point.
"No, it fine." She told him and then added. "She might get the wrong idea if she sees the bruise is gone."
"But there isn't anything to get wrong." His voice got deep. "We haven't done anything."
Ruby smile at him. "Have you never heard that people in love are crazy?"
"I'm starting to think psychotic." He said, rubbing at his chest remembering the poking and shoving Belle had inflicted onto him. They laughed as the door to Grannies opened. Silence descended over Grannies as Belle walked in. Rumpel and Ruby both inwardly groaned, seeing the look on Belle's face when she spotted the two of them in the booth together.
"Oh, really!" Belle said loudly. "It's public now!"
Rumpel slipped out from the booth and Ruby followed him as he said to Belle. "Sweetheart, let's talk about this outside."
"No!" Belle said and pointed to Ruby. "I told you! Stay away from him!" Ruby held her hands up in surrender and walked off deeper into Grannies, getting away from the confrontation. Rumpel shook his head at her and grabbed Belle's wrist, dragging her whilst she protested out of Grannies and down the steps to the outside seating area. She tried to struggle against him, hitting his arm to get him to release his hold.
He pulled her close. Close enough so he could feel her breath on his face and growled at her. "Stop it!"
"Stop what?" Belle stared into his eyes. That fiery temper was there. He loved winding her to get the fire lit, so they would argue over nothing to take her to bed. Her temper made her possessive in bed, fighting to dominate him.
"I haven't done anything. Ruby hasn't done anything." He told her calmly, his eyes darting between her eyes and her lips. "You owe her an apology."
Belle laughed. "No, I don't. You two are going behind my back!"
"Sweetheart, I swear to you, I haven't done anything!" Rumpel pleaded with her, his fingers clenching her upper arms.
"You don't get to call me sweetheart again!" She said, her finger pointing at him in his face.
He could not help the smirk as he said. "You remember that when you find out. When you find out the truth. Then you will owe me." Rumpel edged his face closer to hers, his lips brushing against hers. "You will beg me to take you."
Belle was under his spell for a second and then yanked herself backwards, taking a step away from him. "No, I won't!"
With a knowing smile, he brushed passed her and left her standing outside Grannies. Rumpel walked the sidewalk in the direction of his next destination, now that his wife had rudely interrupted his lunch he had lost his appetite. He pushed open the door and was greeted by the sweet smell of flowers as he entered the establishment of his father in law.
Taking in the sight of the different colours on display, Rumpel knew that his father in law had come from the back room and was watching him. Rumpel let his gaze work its way around to his father in law, the man stood in the doorway to the back room with his arms crossed over his chest. He had never thought much of Belle's father. A man who had so easily allowed his daughter to be taken away from him, held no respect in Rumpel's eyes. The man had plenty of chances to come and fight for his daughter's freedom. Rumpel knew what was more important to Maurice, his kingdom.
"Hello, Maurice." Rumpel said clasping his hands in front of him and rocked on the balls of his feet.
"Whatever you want, I'm not interested." Maurice told Rumpel. "You just proved to my daughter, again, that you are the beast I told her you were." Rumpel closed his eyes at the man's words, not allowing them to get the better of his temper. If it was six years ago, he would have happily beaten the man with his cane. Oh wait, he already did that!
Smiling at the memory, Rumpel opened his eyes to stare at Maurice. "You are going to give me a bunch of Belle's favourite flowers. And I want a mix of carnations and hyacinths in another bunch."
"I don't have to serve you." Maurice stood his ground and puffed his chest out at Rumpel.
"Maurice," Rumpel step towards the man in front of him. "I don't care what you think of me. I could not give a damn. But, you're wrong. She changed me and now you've corrupted her against me. I will win her back because the truth is on my side. Now," Rumpel reached out to touch a flower that caught his eye. "If you want to be a part of our growing family, then get me the bunches I have asked for."
The man in front of Rumpel swallowed hard, evident by his adam's apple bobbing. "Belle's pregnant?"
Rumpel thought about it for a moment and let the man's question linger before saying. "Flowers."
The man mulled it over before disappearing into the back of the shop. Rumpel knew he should probably correct his father in law, but he let a small amount of darkness linger instead. Maurice had been interfering in Rumpel's business long enough. He could never get rid of the man, she would never forgive him if he did, but that did not mean he could not play mind games with him. In addition, if anyone asked, Rumpel did not lie to the man. Their family was growing, just not the way Maurice thought.
His father in law reappeared with the bunches that Rumpel had requested. Without saying anything, Rumpel took the bunches and left with the protests of payment following him out of the door before the door shut. As he said, he did not care about Maurice. The man was more of a coward than Rumpel ever was.
Ambling down the alleyway to the back of Grannies, Rumpel slipped in through the back door and edged to the opening to the seating area. He peered around the corner and spotted Belle in their usual booth, where he had sat earlier chatting to Ruby. The door to the kitchen opened and Ruby came out to gasp at Rumpel.
"Rumpel." She said, her eyes fleeting a look towards Belle before stepping out of sight.
"Sorry." Rumpel offered a bunch of flowers to Ruby.
Ruby took them and looked at them. "Aw… You didn't need to do this."
"It's not fair that you've been dragged into this." Rumpel glanced around the corner again, watching Belle slurping her ice tea. He loved watching her.
"How did she find out?" Ruby asked, as she smelt her flowers.
"Belle's father." He told her turning to look at her. "He told her that you were at the cabin when he delivered the roses and that you were supposedly making yourself at home. He always has a way of poisoning her against me."
Ruby pursed her lips. "You wait till he comes in for food."
Rumpel smiled at her and touched her shoulder as he turned to leave, going back out into the alleyway. Crossing the street, Rumpel headed over to the library and detoured himself up the stairs to Belle and Gideon's apartment. He waved his hand and unlocked the door, letting himself into her home.
Leaving the door open, Rumpel went over to the kitchen counter and laid the flowers on the counter. Rumpel took a piece of paper from her notebook she kept by the phone and her pen. He wrote out a note, telling his wife how she was the only one in his heart and that he was sorry she had the wrong impression. He left it beside the flowers and left her apartment, relocking the door behind him.