Chapter Fifty—"Moment of Truth"

The next morning started off with politics, which bored Rumplestiltskin nearly to tears. He'd contemplated skipping the entire session—no one actually accomplished something in the initial politicking of a gathering like this—but he'd wanted to see the looks on the various royals' faces when Snow and Charming announced Emma's marriage to Bae. That, at least, had not been disappointing. Only Midas had looked even a little pleased by it; Francis had looked like he'd swallowed a dancing cat whole, and his eldest son didn't look much better. Leah and Hubert both looked absolutely horrified by the thought of a princess marrying a mere knight, even if said knight was a war hero and the son of a sorcerer. Philip and Aurora, on the other hand, looked a little less put out, but neither looked precisely what Rumplestiltskin would consider happy.

Many of the nobles looked equally upset—did the fools cherish hopes of marrying Emma themselves? If so, they didn't know Rumplestiltskin's daughter-in-law very well at all. His daughter in law. Huh. That was really going to take some getting used to.

But Rumplestiltskin had meant what he'd told Emma the previous evening. Although if someone had asked him a few years previously if he would have chosen Snow and Charming's daughter for his son, he would have answered a resounding no, Rumplestiltskin now understood that only Emma was going to make Baelfire happy. She was pigheaded, obnoxious, and entirely too brave, but he'd known that for a long time. Emma was more than just the mother of his grandson; she was the woman his son loved. And love rarely came from expected sources—look at him and Belle. No one could have ever imagined that Beauty would fall in love with the Beast, and now they were going to be married. Even if Bae had beaten him to the punch.

Having Belle by his side was the only thing that made that morning session bearable at all. She could read his irritation when it rose and sometimes a look from Belle was enough to keep Rumplestiltskin from saying something regrettable. The one time his mouth did run away from him, she was able to step in, smoothing over ruffled feathers and keeping things from exploding. They really did make a fantastic team, and when foolish monarchs needed smacking down, Belle was only too able to assist. This case had been one where a tongue-lashing was well deserved, too; King Francis had proposed banning all magic users from most areas of most kingdoms, restricting their movements to well-guarded enclaves where they 'couldn't harm anyone else'. Rumplestiltskin had, naturally, pointed out that Francis would have a hell of a time restraining every magic user in the world without their cooperation (because how to hold them, if not with magic?), but his tone had been perhaps a tad too antagonistic. Belle, however, had reminded everyone, with calm logic, that there was little rhyme or reason to who gained magic. Besides which, she said, having magic did not make one evil, and stuffing magic users into their own "camps" would be the height of injustice.

Snow and Charming, of course, agreed with her—it was hard not to, what with their daughter a budding sorceress and Regina sitting to Snow's right—and so did Midas, who had enough experience with helpful magic to know better. Francis, however, did seem stuck on the notion until Rumplestiltskin finally snapped again:

"And would you like your granddaughter in one of these camps you're determined to create, Your Majesty?"

That jerked Francis up short, and he looked offended. "Of course not."

"Well, then, when she grows into a sorceress, you'd best hope no one's started rounding up magic users, then," he replied with a sneer.

Most people at the table were aware that Rumplestiltskin could see the future, and that meant the barb dug deeper—and shut Francis up. Queen Leah seemed likely to reinvigorate the topic as a viable solution, but Belle got in before Aurora's mother could try.

"Would you send your healers there?" she asked reasonably. "Your midwives?"

"Obviously not," the first sleeping princess replied. "There would have to be a stringent process by which it was determined which magic users are useful to society and which are not."

The sweeping danger inherent in that statement was enough to strike Rumplestiltskin speechless for a moment—was he the only one whose cursed self had been a student of history in the Land Without Magic? Did these people not realize what they were proposing?

"Only if we get to do the same thing with politicians," Emma cut in with an acidic smile, and then her mother effectively ended the argument by calling for a recess. Snow's timing was excellent, too; while no one else could have managed to head off the brewing tempest, the fact that she was hosting the Grand Council allowed Snow to do so succinctly. That, and even Rumplestiltskin had to grudgingly admit that Snow's integrity and goodness were above reproach.

Surprisingly, Emma approached him as the council's participants wandered out into the courtyard, most heading for the buffet tables but others forming small knots of conversation. There was a definite buzz in the air, and a dangerous one; Francis' suggestion was gathering traction in some circles and absolutely polarizing others. Still reeling a little from the sheer audacity (and stupidity!) of the idea, Rumplestiltskin was glad to see that those who supported Leah were few in number, but the fact that they existed at all was unsettling.

"Who do they think they are, Nazis?" Emma demanded angrily, her eyes flashing.

"I don't think some of your parents' esteemed colleagues would understand the reference," Rumplestiltskin replied quietly, anger softening his voice and sharpening his focus.

Flashes of visions peppered across his consciousness as he spoke; something was going on here, and the future teetered on a dangerous precipice. Nothing terribly coherent came through, just bits and pieces of imagery, of fairies versus humans and all-out war erupting—No. That's what we're here to prevent, he told himself firmly, wrapping his mental hands around the visions and pushing them behind his walls. Telling what would be from what could be was still the hardest part of being a Seer, even after this many centuries. But Rumplestiltskin could not allow mere possibilities to cloud his mind. He already knew the stakes were unbelievably high. Otherwise he would not have come here in the first place.

"They can call it what they want. It's still locking people up because they think they're different," the savior snarled. "Who do they think would lock us all away, anyway?"

"The fairies, I expect." That was Regina, entering the conversation with a sneer. "Did you notice how satisfied Blue is looking over there? I wouldn't be surprised if she jumps on this one."

As a matter of fact, Rumplestiltskin hadn't noticed the senior fairy floating by Queen Leah's side, looking entirely too pleased with herself while she did so. Had she been behind that little proposal? Rumplestiltskin did not think Blue was quite that narrow-minded, but Ruel Ghorm had surprised him before. Sidelining all human magic users would force the rest of humanity to depend upon the fairies again, for everything from healing to curse breaking to the greater magics. Was that what Blue wanted? Rumplestiltskin thought he knew what her sister was after, but what if they were trying to accomplish the same sort of thing?

Danns wanted the fae back in the game, to provide a counterpoint to the fairies and restore her power of old. She wanted power, pure and simple, to regain her place as one of the most powerful beings in existence. To do that, Danns had to escape whatever plans Blue had in place, but she also wanted humanity to serve her, much as they once had, worshiping and fearing her all at once. She wanted a return to a world that was no more…but most of all, she wanted her freedom. But what if Blue was thinking along similar lines? She didn't want or need freedom, but what if Blue also wanted a return to the old days, where fairy and fae ruled supreme, and humans were nothing but pawns? If so, the first step was certainly to remove all human magic users from the equation.

Another vision flashed before his eyes, of Danns standing on a hilltop not far from here, fire burning in her eyes and magic arcing from her fingertips. Her shoulders were back and her chin was up as she faced down…what?

"There's no way they think that would work," Emma said, breaking into his thoughts.

Rumplestiltskin blinked his way free of the visions. Past or present? he wondered to himself. "They might at that," he murmured, forcing his mind back to the matter at hand.

"And we're supposed to let them?" Emma demanded. "I don't know about you two, but I have no intention of being sent off to some concentration camp."

"Of course we're not going to let them. Even if a strong majority here at the Grand Council wants to lock away all magic users, there are plenty of others who will vote against it. Like your parents."

"What if that isn't enough?" the Savior asked, frowning. "These people don't strike me as the types who really care what a vote tells them to do."

"Are you even listening, Rumple?" Regina demanded instead of answering Emma, her voice quiet but insistent. The Evil Queen looked a little concerned, even worried, and she was being careful not to let anyone overhear their conversation.

"Of course I am, dear," he replied, his voice equally soft. "I'm simply thinking instead of complaining."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Do you have any brilliant ideas, then, O Great Sorcerer?" she asked sarcastically.

"One or two." The nasty smile reared up of its own volition, and Rumplestiltskin turned to face Regina and Emma both. "But what we don't do, under any circumstances, is allow them to lock any humans away, no matter what reasons they claim to be doing so for."

"What are we going to do, go to war with the fairies?" Emma asked.

"If we must."

Regina shrugged. "They're easy enough to kill."

Emma looked at both of them like they were mad. "Look, maybe you two played villains for too long, but I don't think that killing fairies is the answer. Aren't we already neck deep in a war with the fae? We can't fight a war on two fronts, not even with the magical coalition you've built."

Yet a third vision swept through his mind, and Rumplestiltskin's smile grew trickier. "We won't have to. Ruel Ghorm, for all her many faults, knows that she can't hold me any more than she can hold her sister, and while I'm free, no one will be locking human magic users away."

"What, you're going to protect all of us?" Emma asked incredulously.

"Don't mistake me for a hero, Princess," Rumplestiltskin retorted immediately, not even slightly comfortable with that characterization. "I'm a practical man, and ensuring that humanity can look after itself is merely in my best interests."

"Of course it is," Regina replied, but the accompanying eye roll seemed automatic. She studied Rumplestiltskin carefully. "Are you positive that this power of yours is enough to keep Blue from holding onto you?"

"Short of putting Henry's heart into my chest, she has no way to control me," he replied tightly. "Trying something else didn't work terribly well for her sister."

No need to tell these two how powerful those bands Danns used on him were. Rumplestiltskin knew how to get around them now, and he suspected that Danns would not be so foolish as to try the same methods a third time. No, she'd come up with something far smarter—or she'd just outright kill him, forgoing the chance to recreate the Dark One in him and decide to do so in someone else. No, what Emma and Regina needed to hear was that he was with them, and Rumplestiltskin wouldn't leave them—and by extension, every other human magical user—hanging in the lurch. Rumplestiltskin had never had much of a reputation as a team player, but if there had ever been a time to change that, it was now.

"No offense, given that you're my father-in-law, now, but what's made you decide that working and playing well with others was suddenly in your best interest?" Emma asked. There really were times that she could read him far too well.

"Because I'm human," Rumplestiltskin answered bluntly. "Nasty old habits though I may have, that trumps everything else rather nicely. And I am an original power. If we're ever going to have a chance of finding any balance, of ending this war, we're going to all need that."

Emma and Regina exchanged a glance, but Rumplestiltskin knew it was only old habit. Both had been his adversaries. Both had been each other's enemies. But the three of them were the most powerful human magic users in the Enchanted Forest, and they had to work together. Somehow, doing so didn't seem as odious as it once would have, and Rumplestiltskin wondered if he was getting soft.

"Then how about a toast to freedom?" Regina asked, snagging a glass of wine off the tray of a nearby server. There was only a little irony in her voice, but it was the light in her eyes that made Rumplestiltskin smile. Regina had always been a closet idealist…and it was nice to see her going back to her roots.

It was nice to call the woman who had almost been his daughter an ally instead of an enemy, too, even if he would never tell her that. So, Rumplestiltskin took a glass of his own, raising it to meet Regina's and Emma's. Together, the three of them were far more powerful than they could ever be separately, and that would make the difference that mattered in the end. Three glasses clinked: the Evil Queen's, the Savior's, and the (former) Dark One's. They would stand together, against whatever came.

Rumplestiltskin's glass touched his lips, and he noticed too late that the wine tasted just a little bit wrong, with the sweet tang of dark magic underlying grapes and oak. He started to say something, but then the world went black.

He fell.

"What the—" Regina's voice rang out as a soft thud came from somewhere to Belle's left, followed by the clatter of a goblet hitting the floor.

Pausing in her conversation with Aurora, Belle turned idly to see what the noise was and what had gotten under Regina's skin this time. She was not expecting to see Rumplestiltskin crumbled to the ground with Emma kneeling beside him, limp and lifeless. Emma's eyes were wide and panicked, her expression confused. Regina stood over both of them, anger making her features harsh, her lips pressed together in a thin and rigid line.

"What the hell just happened?" Emma demanded while Belle stood transfixed, her mind refusing to believe what her eyes were reporting.

He wasn't moving. Rumplestiltskin wasn't moving. Belle's heart was trying to stop.

She wasn't sure that it hadn't.

"That's a sleeping curse," Regina replied as Belle's wooden legs started to carry her forward. The Evil Queen's voice was hollow, and her posture stiff; Emma looked up at her suspiciously.

"How do you know?"

"You might call me an expert on the subject," Regina replied dryly.

"You didn't…?"

"Didn't what?" Regina snapped, and then she seemed to suddenly understand what Emma meant, the same first thought that had occurred to Belle. The Evil Queen flushed with anger. "Why would I put Rumplestiltskin under a sleeping curse? What could that possibly gain me? When he wakes up, he'll be ready to murder whoever was responsible, and I'm not that stupid."

"Of course you're not," Emma replied as Belle finally made it over to stand next to Regina. "I just—"

"Came to a very logical conclusion," a third voice interjected primly, and Belle stumbled on her way to kneeling next to Rumplestiltskin, staring at the Blue Fairy. "Princess Emma has a very valid point. Queen Regina did propose the toast, and she is well known for using such horrible curses as weapons against her enemies."

The crowd was starting to press in on the four of them, and Belle noticed Snow and Charming pushing forward to the forefront of the mass of people. Baelfire was right on their heels, and he pushed past the Blue Fairy to drop to his knees at Belle's side as she pulled Rumplestiltskin's head into her lap. Emma rose and cleared the way for the pair of them, her eyes narrowed and watching her family's patron fairy distrustfully. Keeping half an eye on the brewing exchange, Belle took a deep breath and touched Rumplestiltskin's forehead. It was cold and clammy already, and he was not breathing. Oh, Rumple. Belle bit her lip.

Her heart was lodged so deeply in her throat that it was a miracle that Belle could breathe at all. Slowly, she looked up at Bae, watched him swallow hard. His brown eyes, so like Rumplestiltskin's, were huge and worried, and Belle was suddenly glad that Henry was not there. Henry would have taken this so badly—but Regina had said it was a sleeping curse. And at least that meant that whoever had dared do this to Rumplestiltskin had thought it would take him down, without ever understanding that Belle could save him. People always forget, she had told Emma months earlier. And some people did not accept their love at all.

"But as she says, she's not an idiot," Emma pointed out harshly, her eyes still on Blue.

"And Regina is the Evil Queen no longer," Snow spoke up, rising to her stepmother's defense. "Whoever is responsible for this, we all know it wasn't her."

"I would not be so sure about that, child," the Blue Fairy replied in that all-knowing, entirely-too-gentle tone she liked to use when she thought someone was being ridiculous. It made Belle grimace, and she thought she saw Emma start to roll her eyes. "As much as you want to believe in Queen Regina's innocence, Your Majesty, I do not think we can afford the luxury of making such assumptions. It is well known that the Black Fairy is seeking allies amongst humans, particularly those who have magic, and—"

"Oh, give me a break," Regina cut her off with a snort. "Your sister tried to kill me not too long ago, in case you've forgotten. And she—like you—wants my son's heart. There's nothing in the world that would make me ally with her." The Evil Queen gestured down at the still form between Belle and Baelfire. "And before you start throwing more accusations around, Blue, why don't we ask ourselves the important question? Why would someone want to put Rumplestiltskin under a sleeping curse, anyway?"

"That's a very good question," Belle spoke up, feeling cold. The satisfied look in the Blue Fairy's eyes had not wavered, even for a moment. Belle had always wanted to think that Rumple thought the worst of the Blue Fairy based solely on his long years of hating her—and blaming her, not without reason, for taking Bae away from him—but she was starting to realize that he might have been right all along.

If there is goodness or purity in her, it is so warped by her desire to do what is 'right' that even Blue has lost track of it, Belle thought to herself.

"Rumplestiltskin has many enemies," Blue started to point out, and Belle started to get a very sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Why don't we ask him?" Regina replied before Blue could continue.

"He's under a sleeping curse," someone else pointed out. Was that the Cyan Fairy? Belle wasn't sure. But her tone said that she thought Regina was a fool as well as being evil.

"Funny how that small problem can be solved by True Love's kiss," the Evil Queen shot back.

"Rumplestiltskin does not have a True Love," the same fairy retorted. "He could not."

Belle's head snapped up to glare at Cyan. "And why not? Because you don't think he's worthy?" she demanded. "Because of whatever pre-conceived notion you have of True Love? You know nothing about it."

"Child, Rumplestiltskin remains a creature of darkness," Cyan sneered. "Whatever you think you feel for him is a lie."

"Oh, is it?" Belle snapped, her patience at its limit. "Then call this a lie."

Bending over, she kissed Rumplestiltskin without a further word. As her lips touched his, brilliant golden light burst outwards from the pair, pure magic racing through the air. Even Belle felt the power surge moving through her, unaware as she usually was to magic. The whoosh made several people in the surrounding crowd step back, and Belle thought she heard the Blue Fairy whisper in shock. But she really didn't care. Her eyes were focused on Rumplestiltskin's face, just watching. Waiting. Hoping.

Belle knew it would have to work, but that didn't mean she wasn't afraid. Her True Love lay limp and helpless, not breathing, and—

Rumplestiltskin's eyes opened, his eyes met Belle's, and he smiled.

"Hey," Rumplestiltskin whispered, his voice only a little smug. "I knew you'd wake me."

Her heart started beating again like thunder in her ears. "Anytime," Belle whispered, leaning in to kiss him again.

This time, the surge of magic was not nearly so powerful, but she could still feel it rattling in her bones, running shivers down her spine. Rumplestiltskin's touch had always been able to light her soul on fire, but this was something else entirely. This was like the very first kiss they had shared, innocent and unknowing in its power. Or it was like the first kiss in Bremen, when she had thought he was dead and that no amount of hoping would bring him back, until suddenly Rumplestiltskin was there and she was no longer alone. Watching him collapse this time had not been so terrifying as the time in Storybrooke, or even when he'd vanished after killing Norco, but the relief burning through Belle was still akin to the world's best high.

"I love you," he told her, sitting up and kissing her a third time. Belle smiled against his lips, and then turned to look at the pair of fairies.

"You were saying?" she asked innocently.

The outraged expression on Blue's face was downright comical, and Cyan's mouth was actually hanging open. They weren't the only shocked ones in the crowd, but they were the two that mattered, and Belle could see several people openly staring. But the calculating gleam beside the astonishment in Blue's eyes was worrisome, wasn't it? She could feel Rumple tensing beside her, probably reading the same thing from the senior fairy. They rose together, hands intertwined, but it was Regina who dug the knife in deeper.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the Evil Queen smirked, her voice a mocking coo. "Did no one mention to you that they're True Love?"

Rumplestiltskin snickered softly, but even as Belle looked his way, all amusement left his face and his smile became predatory. Without releasing her hand, he prowled forward a step, malice dancing in his eyes. Much to Belle's surprise, however, he glanced at Regina, running his tongue over his lips contemplatively.

"That was your magic. Did you lose a sleeping curse, Regina, dear?" he asked.

Regina blinked. "Yes. Zelena took one from me the day we met. Back at my castle."

"Well, isn't that interesting," Rumplestiltskin replied, his voice going high pitched and reminiscent of the days when he'd been a demon. "And I wonder who picked that up when your lovely big sister died?"

"That's a damn good question," Regina said warily, and Belle watched the two of them exchange a significant glance. Rumple never liked to admit how close he and Regina were, but in many strange ways, those two were like family. Now that closeness showed, and Belle suppressed a smile as she saw the unspoken communication whipping between them.

No, Rumple didn't blame Regina. He knew her too well for that, and trusted her too much. Emma seemed to somehow tap into that same wavelength, or maybe she was just smart, because the savior stepped up next to Regina, her back straight and radiating power. The two sorceresses were both watching Rumplestiltskin for a cue, but Belle's fiancé had eyes only for the Blue Fairy. His brown eyes were dark with calculation and more than a little rage, and Belle could feel the barely restrained power quivering from the hand she still held.

"Isn't it just?" he asked softly, dangerously, his eyes still on the senior fairy.

"What trick is this?" Blue demanded, obviously having had enough of his glare. "You cannot possibly have a True Love. Your nature precludes such a thing from being possible. What unholy deal have you made, Rumplestiltskin?"

"No deal at all, dearie." His smile was slow. "Merely the most powerful magic in all the realms: True Love. And don't look so surprised. You of all people should know that my nature was never defined by my curse. But why is it that you're so angry to see me awake? Upset that your curse failed?"

"I would never—"

"Do be careful about what you say you would never do. You wouldn't want to lie, after all," Rumplestiltskin cut her off quietly. "I know fairy magic when I taste it, Ruel Ghorm, and that of an original power has a particular kick to it. You didn't hide your tracks well enough when you magic'd that sleeping curse into my drink."

"You did this?" It was Snow's shocked voice that filled the sudden silence, that interjected while Blue was clearly framing a response to Rumplestiltskin's accusations.

Briefly, Belle considered how very far their disjointed family had come when Snow White believed Rumplestiltskin—unfailingly and without hesitation—over the Blue Fairy, but that was what this war had done to them. Despite their differences, they had stood together for over a year now, stood against darkness and against all those who would take Henry's heart and use him for centuries. The Blue Fairy had once been the most trusted fairy in all the realms, had once been the patron fairy of Snow's family and the one Snow would turn to above all others for help. But no longer. Ever since they'd returned to the Enchanted Forest to find the fae coming out of hiding, the Blue Fairy had put her own agenda above helping others, and Belle could tell how much that infuriated Snow. Snow kept giving her chances…and Blue kept doing the same old thing.

"I do not expect you to understand, child," the Blue Fairy responded, squaring her shoulders majestically. "But I am doing what is right for our world."

"How is a sleeping curse right?" Snow demanded even as Regina laughed:

"Oh. That's rich. Even I never tried to claim I was after anything other than revenge."

Blue ignored Regina, saying loftily: "Such power cannot be left unchecked. Rumplestiltskin is…unpredictable, as are all humans. It is in your nature. But an original power cannot be unpredictable; we must personify order, and justice, and we must do what is right, regardless of the cost."

"Like taking a child's heart?" Belle couldn't stop herself from demanding, and it earned her a sneer from Blue.

"Even necessary actions are sometimes distasteful. I would make sure Henry does not suffer unnecessarily. And it is what must be done, regardless of our personal feelings, to maintain order in the Enchanted Forest."

"You don't need order, dearie," Rumplestiltskin drawled from Belle's side. "You need chaos. You need to give people the opportunity to screw their own lives up, free will, choice. The world's not what it used to be, and that's what being human is—the chance to decide your own fate. Being unpredictable, if you will. Not letting self-important fairies decide it for you."

"You will never understand," Blue snapped back at him. "And that is why you can never be trusted."

Power reared up, fast and strong. Even Belle felt the magic as Blue summoned it to her; the fairy's wand was suddenly in hand and her eyes were blazing with power. Emma shouted a warning, and Regina started to react, but Belle felt Rumplestiltskin's hand leave hers, and he stepped forward quickly, placing himself between Blue and the others as power sizzled into the air between them. Belle couldn't follow what happened in the next few moments, but she could feel the floor underneath her feet trembling madly, could sense the world tipping wildly on its axis. It was like a sudden cold front had swept into the room, bringing with it wind and thunder and—

Crack. The flash that came was much like lightning, only far more electric. Belle was momentarily blinded by the flare of magic, but when her vision cleared, Blue's wand was in Rumplestiltskin's left hand and the fairy was pressed against the wall, her eyes wide and shocked. Rumplestiltskin stood a few feet from her, his smile predatory and power still working in the air between them. Belle hadn't known that Blue could use magic without her wand, but clearly she was still fighting back…to no avail. They were both original powers, Belle knew, but not of the same type—and Rumplestiltskin had always been willing to fight dirty.

Belle knew more about Rumplestiltskin's power than anyone else, probably more than Rumplestiltskin himself, even. He understood it through experimentation and instinct, but she had done the research and shared it with him. Belle knew what Merlin had been, knew what role he had filled and the immense magic he had always been able to summon. She wasn't sure that the others in the crowd really understood that; judging from the shocked expressions on every face, none of them had expected Rumplestiltskin's magic to win out in the short, titanic battle they had just witnessed. But Belle could see as Blue's final barrier collapsed, could see the vicious way Rumplestiltskin's magic knocked Blue back and figuratively speaking, disarmed her. Like her sister, Blue clearly hadn't expected him to use his power so well, despite knowing what he was. She'd forgotten—she, who shouldn't forget—that Rumplestiltskin's most potent weapon had always been his mind.

Frantically, suddenly afraid—though Belle thought some of the panic was manufactured for the benefit of their audience—Blue looked at Snow and Charming.

"I told you he was dangerous. I told you he had to be stopped!"

"You told us he was working for the Black Fairy," Charming retorted, his voice cold enough to freeze a river of lava. "You lied to us."

"He may yet be. The ease of his escape—"

"Oh, there was nothing easy about that," Rumplestiltskin cut her off, his left hand still up to hold her pinned against the wall as Blue struggled uselessly.

"I can vouch for that," Emma spoke up immediately.

Belle studied the Blue Fairy's face over her True Love's shoulder contemplatively. Had she given in too easily? A sudden thought occurred to Belle, making her shiver. What if the Blue Fairy wanted to appear the victim here? Was that her game, to make Rumplestiltskin look like the monster and she the saint?

"Rumple," she said softly, hoping that her soft voice could cut through the fury she knew was dancing inside him. But the last thing Belle wanted to let happen was for Blue to manipulate everyone watching into thinking Rumplestiltskin was the evil one here, and she tried desperately to communicate that when he glanced over his shoulder at her.

A moment passed in silence; Belle hoped he got the message.

Rumplestiltskin cocked his head at Blue. "You don't believe that at all, do you?" he asked, his voice terrifyingly soft. "You know that she can't control me any more than you can."

"I know you must be stopped before you ruin everything."

"Don't like the idea of humans having someone to turn to other than you, dearie? That they might dare live outside whatever perfect little boundaries you've set for them?" he retorted, his voice sharp and mocking.

"She wanted me to kill you," David suddenly spoke up, making Belle's head snap around so quickly that her neck cracked.

"What?" she demanded, feeling her eyes go wide. Belle's heart hammered in her chest, but Rumple did not look surprised.

"Are you going to?" Rumplestiltskin asked the king, but there was no curiosity in the question; Belle sensed that it, too, was for the benefit of those watching.

"Of course not," David replied. His left hand was tight on Excalibur's hilt, but Belle could see that it wasn't Rumplestiltskin he felt threatened by.

"I'm glad to know I didn't hand Excalibur to the wrong man," Rumplestiltskin said softly, his eyes travelling back to Blue. "That's the thing about trust, you know. It has to be earned."

"And kept," Snow interjected, her eyes sad but her voice hard. "You never came here with any intention of working with us, did you? All you wanted was to get Rumplestiltskin out of the way."

"So you could lock the rest of us up," Regina picked up in a snarl. "What are you afraid we'll do, ruin your perfect little world? It's our world, too, fairy."

Blue stepped away from the wall, radiating power again as her helpless façade crumbled away. "I am doing what is necessary," she replied. "And if you will not help me, Snow, I will find those who will."

"Help you, dearie? I'm tempted to kill you," Rumplestiltskin said before Snow could reply, and Belle was unsurprised to see the dagger in his hand once more.

Circe's dagger had almost killed Blue once before, Belle knew, and something told her that the Black Fairy would not appear to save her sister this time. If Rumplestiltskin wanted to finish the job that Circe had started millennia earlier, no one could stop him. Furthermore, a quick glance around the room told Belle that no one would stop him, or at least no one who mattered would even try. Not even Snow and Charming looked sympathetic to the Blue Fairy's plight. Not anymore.

"You wouldn't—" Blue started, then cut herself off. "That isn't the real dagger. The real dagger is in my sister's possession."

Rumplestiltskin chuckled. "I suppose you missed when I took it back from her favorite pet," he sneered. "She can no longer summon it, but I can."

"You would not dare."

"And why not? Does your power pass on, or does it just vanish into the world the way Circe's did? I'd like to find out."

The courtyard was suddenly very quiet. Belle could hear people breathing.

"I wonder," Rumplestiltskin mused theatrically.

Belle knew him better than anyone alive, but even she couldn't tell if he meant to kill Blue or not.

"The power will transfer," Blue retorted tightly—but her expression was smug. "To a person of my choosing."

To the side, Cyan drew herself up proudly, and Belle saw Tinker Bell, standing near Regina on the edge of the crowd, grimace.

"Pity." The hard edge was back in Rumplestiltskin's voice, and if he was waiting for anyone to jump to Blue's defense, no one did so. "But I might just be willing to take my chances. Or to keep killing fairies until someone more reasonable inherits your power."

"You can't—" Cyan started.

"Shut up," Regina cut her off.

Every eye was still on Rumplestiltskin and Blue.

"You will find that killing me is far harder than you think," the senior fairy finally said.

"Yet we both know I can. A secondary power will do the trick quite nicely, though you're not going to find someone to do it for you, now are you?"

David crossed his arms. His position was clear.

Rumplestiltskin flicked the dagger slightly towards Blue, and she blanched.

"I'm only going to ask you this question once, Ruel Ghorm, so answer carefully," Rumplestiltskin continued. "Do you want to live?"

Blue's eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"

"To make a deal with you, of course," he replied with a smile laced with irony. "You stop this nonsense about eliminating human magic users, and you help people against the fae. Fairies can reach places humans cannot, and you know better than I do how many they've taken. You help those people. You stop your fairies from hiding while humans die at the hands of your cousins."

"Oh, is that all you want?"

"You want to live, you get to be what you're supposed to be," Rumplestiltskin said nastily. "And you stop trying to take Henry's heart. Forever." A beat of silence passed, and he cocked his head. "Do we have a deal?"

Blue glared.

"Yes," she finally grated out. "We have a deal."

That ended the Grand Council for the day; after Rumplestiltskin and Blue's impromptu face off, Belle waking Rumplestiltskin from a sleeping curse, and Blue's furious departure, no one had the stomach to attempt further politicking. Queen Leah slinked off after King Francis loudly accused her of backing Blue, and David had to break up that argument before it got out of hand. Snow cancelled the grand dinner planned for that evening, instead opting to let the buzz die down and the guests eat in their rooms. Of course, Rumplestiltskin and Belle hadn't been allowed that much privacy—they'd been dragged into a family dinner instead. Or he'd been dragged. Belle had seemed perfectly happy to attend.

Truth be told, Rumplestiltskin was not nearly as disgruntled by that as his grumbling would indicate. Having Snow and David back him instead of Blue had been as terrifying as it had been startling. He had their trust, Snow had said, although in not so many words. Apparently, he'd finally earned it, and kept it. This was such a far cry from the initial awkward days of their alliance in Neverland.

Even if the Charmings had been shocked by the definitive proof that he and Belle were True Love.

"They really don't remember, do they?" Belle said in response to his wry remark on that very subject.

"I doubt they'll forget now, sweetheart," he replied, kissing the top of her head. They lay curled up in bed together, now, exhausted but too keyed up to sleep. Hours had passed since the near-disaster with Blue, but adrenaline was still racing through his system.

Rumplestiltskin was glad that Snow had braved the potential scandal and not tried to give them separate quarters. They hadn't been engaged when they'd arrived at the Charmings' castle, after all, but Snow had politely ignored that. Rumplestiltskin didn't care what the gossips said, but under other circumstances, Snow might have. Now, of course, they were engaged, which certainly decreased the neigh sayers' ability to summon up sufficient outrage over the impropriety of unmarried lovers sharing a room, but he was still grateful. The Enchanted Forest was not Storybrooke, after all, and values were different here.

Belle giggled. "I guess not." Then she turned to look at him, her intelligent eyes not quite suspicious but certainly a little wary. "You said you knew that I'd wake you."

"Did you intend not to?" he asked playfully, earning himself a light swat on the chest.

"Of course not. But I do want to know if you knew that was coming."

Rumplestiltskin sighed. Belle really did know him too well.

"No," he replied honestly. "Not until I tasted the curse in the wine, anyway. By then it was too late. Oh, I knew that she'd try something, but I never expected Blue to be willing to dabble in such dark magic, even if she did steal it from Zelena. Who stole it from Regina."

"Good." Belle smiled, but still gave him a hard look. "If you ever do See something like that, I'd appreciate a little warning."

His snort of laughter surprised them both. "Cold blooded though I may be, my dear, but even I'd not willingly subject myself to a sleeping curse. That kind of ridiculous self-sacrificing choice is the kind of thing I leave for heroes to do. I'm hardly the type."

"You're hero enough for me," she replied, leaning in to kiss him and making magic sizzle through his system.

"Only you," Rumplestiltskin whispered against her lips, still not able to believe that this amazing woman had woken him from a sleeping curse. That she was going to marry him. After everything he had done, the fact that Belle stood by him could still take Rumplestiltskin's breath away.

"I love you," he whispered. He would never be able to say it enough times.

"And I you."

A/N: Extra long chapter to make up for the delay—and here are my questions for you! 1) Do you think Blue will keep her end of the deal and 2) What kind of fallout do you think there will be from Rumplestiltskin almost killing Blue?

Next up is Chapter Fifty-One: "Freedom of Choice", where Jafar and Rumplestilskin meet, Aladdin shows up at Snow's castle, and the Black Fairy learns something startling.