Chapter 16: On Your Side
It had to have been a dream.
Rumplestiltskin woke feeling groggy and delirious. All he could remember were long nights of painful walking and a determination to return home. He shifted slightly, absently admiring how comfortable he felt. He hadn't been this comfortable in nearly a year. He sighed, gripping the warm blanket closer to him and began to drift back to sleep. He'd been having the most pleasant dream. He was home with Belle, and their son was healthy, bright, and perfect. He wanted to go back to that. And then he heard the distinct sound of a baby crying and a familiar voice shushing and cooing the fussy child. His eyes snapped open.
It wasn't a dream. He was home.
He rolled over to address Belle, but the pain in his leg hit him so suddenly that he couldn't help but gasp in shock. Worried, Belle looked up from nursing their son. When she saw that he was more or less fine, she offered him her best smile.
"Good morning," she whispered with her voice sounding hoarse. Her eyes were puffy still, and he wondered just how many tears she'd shed over him. He was still very weak, but he pushed himself out of bed and leaned against the wall where the bed rested. He regarded her warily, knowing all too well that their discussion from the night was not over.
"Good morning, sweetheart," he replied. It was hardly a good morning. Never mind that he was home with his family. The morning was only going to bring about more pain and humiliation. Word had managed to get back to the village of what he'd done. Now that he was here to confirm everyone's suspicions, things were only going to get worse. He recalled how people had treated him after word began to spread about his useless father. His family had been ostracized and cast out, and it was only the lowliest of lives that ever seemed to welcome his father into their midst, until they too turned on them.
Belle stood, careful not to jostle the baby and approached him slowly, as if he were a caged animal that might strike if alarmed. She settled on the bed, turning to sit snugly against her husband's side. They said nothing, instead opting to watch their child at her breast, feeding happily and unaware of the turmoil his parents were to face.
Rumplestiltskin lifted his hand and let it rest on Belle's thigh tentatively. He stroked his fingers up and down her leg, wishing he were better at comforting her. They'd been so new in their marriage that they hardly had time to truly get to know each other before he'd been swept off to war. Now he was back, and he felt as if he'd come home a stranger. He wasn't the man Belle had wed. She'd married the son of a coward. Now she was married to the coward himself, and his child was the 'son of'. He carried his curse to the battlefield intent on leaving it there, but instead he drug it back home and presented it for his son to bear instead. He did not deserve to be a father.
He sighed and looked away from Bae. He had no right to this life, he thought bitterly. He had done nothing to deserve a wife and child, and now he deserved them even less. Bae stirred and began to fuss, almost as if he could sense his father's sudden dark mood. Belle sighed heavily as she rocked him, whispering words of comfort that felt forced. Rumple watched as Belle cared for their son. The child responded to her voice eagerly as his whimpers soon died down as he listened to his mother speak. It came as a surprise to Rumplestiltskin to find he felt jealous of the bond between mother and son. He was absent for everything. He'd not seen her face when she discovered she was pregnant. He'd not watched her grow or her stomach expand as their child grew. He was not there to hold her hand as she cried in pain as she delivered their son into the world. Mother and son already had bonded deeply. It was clear. He felt he hardly knew the boy in his wife's arms, and to some extent he realized that despite their courtship and few months of marriage, he hardly knew her either.
Finally, Baelfire began to doze, and it was only then that Belle looked at her husband.
"What are we going to do?" She asked, and it did not surprise him that she didn't dance around the subject.
He shook his head and stared at his hands. "I don't know."
She stood and placed their son in his small basket then rounded on her husband. "Well, we don't have time to sit around and mope," she said, and her voice was hard. She'd clearly planned this conversation. It seemed that she knew what she wanted, and he only hoped that she still wanted him.
"I agree," he said softly, "But I must confess I hadn't planned anything after getting back to the two of you. I'm open to suggestions."
Belle sat heavily on the chair next to the basket. "Well we only have two options," she said matter-of-fact.
He raised an eyebrow, unsure of what those options could be. "And they are..." he prompted.
She gave him a look that suggested it should be obvious what their options were, but expounded anyway. "We can leave the village and start somewhere new," she began, "Or we can stay and deal with this as best we can."
There was silence for several moments before Rumple spoke, "There is a third option."
Belle raised her eyebrow. "I'd love to hear it."
"You could go to the village council and ask to grant you a divorce."
Belle's eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. "You want to divorce me?" She asked, her voice soft but full of hurt.
He shook his head. "I should think you would want to divorce me," he said gesturing between them with his hands. "I certainly wouldn't blame you for it. No one would."
Belle stood from her seat, and Rumplestiltskin winced in fear. Anger swirled around her like flames, and he hadn't seen such passion and ferocity in her eyes since their encounter with Wilmar at the beginning of their courtship. She approached him quickly, her face set in a hard scowl, and she leaned down to grasp his face in between her hands.
"Don't you ever suggest I leave you again," she growled, and he nodded silently. "I promised to be with you forever, and I do not care what you've done or what you will do. I am with you until the end. I am your wife and the mother of your child, and I will not abandon you."
She let go of his face and stepped back to look down at him. "You're a fool," she said before sighing heavily and sitting down on the bed. "But you're my fool." She moved her hand to pull back the blanket that covered him, staring down at the mutilated flesh of his leg. "You did this so you could be here, for us and with us. What sort of wife would I be if I left a man who gave up so much to come back to me?"
Rumplestiltskin shook his head. "I abandoned my brothers," he whispered, ashamed. "Everyone that rode out that day died. Except me." His head drooped, and the tears came. He hadn't had a chance to mourn the loss of all those who had gone out and had not come back. He wept hard as he began naming all the men who were killed by the ogres, listing their names and rank. He'd left all those men to die. "I wasn't worth saving. I'm not worth your kindness or your love. I'm a coward, and I deserve to rot for what I've-"
He was silenced by Belle's lips pressed hard against his. She tasted like salt from the tears they both shed, and his hatred for himself only grew with the knowledge that he made her weep so much. He wished he could wipe away her sadness the way he wiped away her tears, but no amount of apologies or kisses or remorse would ever banish the sorrow that had buried itself within them. They were tainted by Rumplestiltskin's actions, and their family now carried the stain of cowardice and desertion upon their backs.
"You may not be worth it to anyone else," she said, not bothering to use empty words for comfort. Belle despised empty words and only said what she knew to be true. It was a truth they both had to acknowledge, that no one would ever see his worth again. "But I see it. I see your worth. I see a man who deserves love. I see a man whom I don't fully understand, but I want to. But you can't push me away. We're going to be alone because of this, so we're going to have to hold onto each other. You can't push me away, and I can't keep you at arm's length. We have to be open and honest with each other. I'm not happy about what you've done, but I'm certainly not going to leave you when I know you did it for us. I can't harden my heart to something like that."
He gazed at her in awe. How had he managed to find someone as wonderful as Belle? She had every right to leave him, and he was certain she would be encouraged to; but here she was, gripping him tightly and declaring that she would not even consider divorce when he knew that any other woman would have slipped off in the night and not looked back. How did the cursed manage to be so blessed?
He lifted his hand to caress her cheek, and he was relieved when she leaned into the touch. She waited only a moment, so as not to make him think she was rejecting him, then stood. She grabbed her cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders while Rumplestiltskin watched her curiously from the bed. Lifting the basket that held their son, she moved it to the bed, smiling at the boy before lifting her eyes to Rumplestiltskin. "I'm going to fetch the doctor," she said, and he frowned.
"You're leg is damaged, and you walked who knows how far on it. It's probably damaged further, and you are not to move until I return. Do you understand?"
He was in no position to argue. He wouldn't have even if he disagreed with her, so he simply nodded. She seemed satisfied with his silence and leaned over the basket to press a kiss to Baelfire's head. "He should sleep for a while, but if he wakes, just hold him and bounce him gently. He likes it when he's sung to, so you might try that as well."
She walked around the bed and pressed a kiss to Rumplestiltskin's head before she was gone.
Rumplestiltskin looked down at the basket next to him. Baelfire lay sleeping inside with his tiny hands thrown haphazardly over his face. He had a small patch of hair, which was enough for Rumplestiltskin to see that he had inherited his mother's curls. It was a beautiful thing to see that part of her in his son, to know that this child was a product of their love and devotion to one another. It was a devotion Rumplestiltskin had sacrificed everything for, and as he watched his son sleep peacefully, he could not bring himself to regret it. No, this was worth everything.
He reached out with his left hand and gently touched his son's cheek. The baby stirred but did not wake. Instead Baelfire reached up to grab at the disturbance, and it amazed Rumplestiltskin to feel his son's strong grip. Baelfire slept on, unaware that he was holding onto his father's finger, and Rumplestiltskin cherished the moment. In this moment there was no sorrow or sadness. There was only a father with his son, and it was a tenderness that Rumplestiltskin was unfamiliar with. His father had not been gentle or kind and it always resonated with Rumplestiltskin that his father had never treated him much like a son. He cared, to be sure, but he hadn't cared enough to stay. But that was where he and his father differed. His father couldn't afford to stay. Rumplestiltskin couldn't afford to stay away.
He hoped his son would find the right balance. He hoped that someday, many years down the road when he had a child of his own, he would not have to make the same choices and mistakes that haunted his family. He hoped his son had a future that did not require him to run from something.
Finally, the boy awoke, blinking curiously up at his father. He did not cry or make a sound, but instead observed the man that sat above him. Rumple looked closely at his son, taking in the features he had not been able to see last night. He lifted his eyes to meet his son's, and his breath shook as he saw his own eyes staring back at him. Belle's hair and his eyes made for a beautiful child.
He reached over, careful of his leg which had not ceased throbbing since he awoke, and picked up the boy. Cradling him gently he brought his son to rest at his chest, bouncing the boy and cooing lightly at him. He smiled as the baby looked up at him with wide brown eyes, watching him with the purest innocence Rumplestiltskin had ever seen. He wished he could freeze time so that his tiny, perfect boy would never change and lose the innocence that he'd been born with. These brown eyes had not seen sorrow or poverty, war or death. These eyes had not wept for anything other than his supper, and those eyes had not seen the horrors the world had to offer. He wanted to protect those eyes that were so like his and to prevent those eyes from ever growing dark and cold from the harshness of the world, and it grieved him to know that he wished in vain.
It was some time later that Belle returned. Rumplestiltskin blinked in surprise when a woman dressed in black entered with her head covered in a scarf and a large leather satchel at her side. He vaguely knew who the doctor was, and it was not this woman. He glanced at Belle curiously and she explained.
"Rumple, this is Agda. The midwife. She delivered Bae and is going to look after you."
"Was the physician not available?" Rumple asked, wincing when Belle looked away, her eyes pained.
"He wouldn't come."
It was already beginning, Rumple thought idly, before Agda's pleasant voice rang through the air, "Yes, well, he was always an old codger. I may not be able to do all he does, but if I can bring a child into this world, I'm certain I can do most anything. I'd like to see that man do what I do at any rate."
Belle stifled a giggle, and Rumple watched as the two women worked together to prepare some medicine. It seemed Belle had made a friend in his absence.
Agda turned at last, holding a bowl in her hand and observed Rumplestiltskin stretched out on the bed, his son in his arms. "So, you're the Spinner?" She said with a laugh. "I've seen you before, but never close up." She turned back to Belle and grinned wickedly, "His leg may be useless, but at least he's handsome."
Rumple blushed, and Belle smiled, moving to the bed to take Bae from him. Bae whimpered at being disturbed, but Belle was quick to quiet the boy, giggling when she made him laugh. Agda watched her for a moment then asked, "He's feeding well?"
Belle nodded. "Yes. I haven't had a problem so far."
Agda was pleased. "Good." She turned back to Rumple. "Now, let's take a look at you." She pulled the cover back, her face showing no sign of revulsion at the mangled leg. Instead, she 'tsked' and gently touched the flesh. He hissed in pain, and she glanced up. "You did a number on yourself, I'll give you that."
Rumplestiltskin nodded meekly, not meeting her eyes. Adga sighed and gripped his chin. "Oh come, now. I've seen worse. We all know what happened, but the three of us have the advantage of knowing the whole story. I say I agree with those who think what you did was stupid, but I've seen how much my dear girl misses you, and I certainly can't begrudge a man who loves someone else enough to do this to himself. Though you might have been better to just cut the damn thing off. Would have healed better, at least."
Agda turned to grab a few more things out of her bag, and Rumple shot Belle an amused look. Belle smiled. "Agda's rather blunt when she needs to be."
"I'm always blunt, love," she said simply, pulling out a small knife. "You just don't need to hear it as much as others."
Agda turned and instructed Rumple to grip the bed sheets. He did, and without prompt or warning, she sliced a small incision into his leg. Rumple cried out, his eyes snapping shut from pain. After a moment, he peeked out of one eye to see Agda soaking up the blood with a rag. "It was swelling," she informed them, "Need to bleed you out a bit before we continue." Rumple nodded in understanding and watched her work, trying to stay as still as possible. Belle continued to hold Bae, fetching things out of the bag when instructed by Agda.
Finally, after rubbing some herbs and medicines on the leg and dressing the wound, she pulled out a book and handed it to Rumple. "This device will help you walk," she said simply. "I can have one made for you, if you'd like. I may not be the physician, but it doesn't take much to know that you will never truly walk again. Not without a limp. You'll need a stick, too. A sturdy one."
Rumple nodded, "I have one."
Agda nodded, seeming pleased. "Good. I'll make sure this brace gets made and delivered to you as fast as possible. For now, I suggest you stay in bed and not move your leg at all." She stood and began to clean up her mess. "I'll come check on you again soon."
She handed Belle a bowl and a couple vials. "Rub these on his leg every morning and night," she instructed before shaking a different vial, "And have him drink three drops of this in a cup of water if the pain becomes too great. He'll sleep like the dead."
Belle nodded in understanding and placed the vials on the table. She then escorted Agda out before returning inside. She offered Rumple a sad smile, and he beckoned her to him.
"She's something," he said as Belle sat at his side. Rumple took Bae from her arms, and Belle smiled as she watched them. Bae fell asleep a few minutes later, his father's gentle rocking enough to soothe him, and Rumple looked up with a sigh. "Perhaps we should leave," he said softly. "If only for his sake."
Belle glanced down. "I don't want to leave Papa," she admitted. "Not now, after his grandson is here."
"What does your father think of his son-in-law?"
Belle gave him a pitying stare. "He's upset. Worried. But he loves Baelfire dearly. He would be more willing to forgive this than if you were to take away his grandson."
Rumplestiltskin nodded and leaned his head back against the wall. He winced as his leg ached, and Belle looked on with sadness. How could she comfort him? She was in need of solace herself, but it was clear that her husband would sink to the depths of despair if she did not strive to keep them both afloat. It was almost easier to sink, she thought idly. It seemed easier to allow the grief and pain to swallow her and to wrap her in its bitter warmth, but she could not do that. Not now. This was no time for pity and misery. There were sheep to feed, wool to shear, chores to be done. A baby to raise. A husband to love. She couldn't succumb to her grief now. She would offer her comfort and take comfort where she could. They would have to share the comfort of their child, who offered more than he realized. She crawled onto the bed and curled back up against him, holding him as tightly as she could. He wrapped one arm around her waist, cradling her as gently as he cradled their child.
"Are we going to be okay?" She asked eventually, no longer able to keep silent. To be silent was to be a slave to her thoughts, and at present her thoughts were dark and uninviting.
Rumplestiltskin sighed. "I don't know."
"You know I'm not going to leave you, right?"
He hoped she wouldn't. He feared she would, someday. "I do," he said, in spite of his fear.
She nodded against his chest. "Good."
~000~
The door opened a few days later, causing Belle and Rumple to look up in surprise. Maurice entered tentatively, bringing a basket that carried the delicious smell of hot bread and meat. Belle rushed to meet her father, and he sat the basket down in exchange for his grandson. Wrapping the boy in his arms, he smiled at Bae as the child cooed at the familiar face of his grandfather. Rumple motioned for Belle, who rushed to help him stand. They managed to get a routine going in the past few days. Belle had pulled the spinning wheel closer and helped Rumple hobble from the bed to his seat. His leg would be propped up on a small bench while he sat and spun wool for hours. It was a relief, to do something familiar and productive. Soon they would have enough wool to send to market, and a semblance of normalcy was exactly what they both needed.
Belle helped Rumple stumble over to the bed, and he sat back with a groan, stretching his leg out in front of him. Maurice did not seem fazed by the bandage and mangled flesh that peeked out about his knee. He was a man of the sword himself, and he had seen much worse injuries in his time.
Something in Maurice filled with anger at seeing his daughter in such a position, and before either Belle or Rumple could speak, Maurice growled, "How could you do this to yourself? To Belle?"
Belle was quick to jump between them. "Papa!"
He seemed to calm down at his daughter's voice and sighed. "I'm sorry," he said, hanging his head. He opened his mouth to speak but Rumple interrupted.
"No, it's all right," he said, glancing at Maurice. "I've made Belle's life hard, and as her father, I'm sure this was the last thing you ever wanted for her. To be tied to the village coward." He sighed and shifted, struggling to stand. Belle rushed to help him, but he held his hand out to stop her. Leaning heavily on the walking stick he had, he stood and faced his father-in-law.
"You're one of the few people who understands both sides of this," he said, gesturing to his leg. "You've seen the horrors. You lost men; friends. You know that glory is more important to some than anything else." He turned slightly to rest his eyes on Belle. "But I couldn't leave her. Not for anything in the world. I know what I did was wrong. It grieves me to know that my family will bear my shame. But I could not abandon my wife. I would up everything for her."
Belle's eye brimmed with tears, and he looked away, feeling overcome with emotion. He risked a look at Maurice, whose face was still stern.
"I only want what's best for my daughter," Maurice said with a sigh, "And right now I'm not convinced that's you." Belle blanched, but Maurice continued, "As a former soldier, I cannot look upon what you did with anything less than contempt and disgust." Rumple winced at the words, but Maurice continued, "But as a fellow husband and father, I cannot look upon what you did with anything less than awe and understanding."
Both Belle and Rumple's eyes shot up to meet his with surprise. Maurice glanced down and smiled at his grandson. "I would do anything for my family," he said softly, "I resigned from the King's Army when I found out my wife was pregnant." He glanced up at Rumplestiltskin knowingly, "A true man would do anything for his family, and for that I cannot blame you." He stood tall and stepped toward Rumple, leaning down so they were face to face. "But know that if you ever do anything to hurt my daughter or grandson, I will make you wish the Ogre's had taken you."
Swallowing thickly, Rumplestiltskin nodded. "I would rather die than hurt her."
Maurice stood and looked at him sorrowfully. "You've already hurt her," he said despairingly. "See that you don't do it again."
He turned and handed Belle her son and gestured to the basket. "I have some work to do," he said gently, "But I wanted to make sure you three were all right. There's bread, meat, and cheese in here. It isn't much, but it was all I could do."
"It's wonderful, Papa. Thank you." He nodded and gave Belle a hug. She offered to walk him outside, and they slipped out the door. Maurice stood still for a moment before turning to Belle. She didn't give him a chance to speak.
"I know what I'm doing," she said firmly. "I chose him, and I will always choose him. Nothing anyone says will deter me."
"I know, my girl. But you know this will not be easy-"
"I'm well aware of the hardships we will face," She said with a huff, "I've already faced them, but this is my life. No one decides my fate but me, and I will not let the ignorance of others stand in the way of my happiness."
"And you're certain he's your happiness?" Maurice was nothing but concerned, and Belle could not fault him for it. She felt the same concern and the same desire to protect her son from the cruelness of this world as her father did for her.
"I've never been more certain of anything," she swore, and Maurice could say nothing else. He hugged his daughter once more. Placing a kiss on her cheek and smiling lovingly at Bae. Then he was gone. Belle returned inside, sagging against the door with a sigh.
"He had every right to say those things," Rumple said softly, "I hope you weren't too hard on him."
"I said what needed to be said," she replied, moving to sit next to Rumple who had returned to the bed. "He understands, but I wanted to make sure he understood me. I think he does."
"What did you say?" Rumple asked curiously.
"I told him, I'll tell you, and I'll tell anyone else who feels they have a right to know. It's my life. I'll decide what I do, and with whom I spend it."
He lifted a hand to rest on her knee. "You decide your own fate," he said. "And why you chose to share it with me, I'll never understand."
"You don't enjoy being questioned about your reasons for injuring yourself," she snapped, "And I don't want to be questioned about my reasons for choosing you. So let's just drop it."
He squeezed her knee. "I love you."
She sniffed as tears began to fall, and she brushed them away before they could fall onto her son. "And I love you."
"We'll get through this," he declared. "As long as you're on my side, I'll be able to take on anything that comes my way."
"I'm on your side, Rumple," Belle whispered, leaning closer to him. "I'm always on your side."
~000~
The next day Rumplestiltskin made his way down to Ebert's stall, basket in one hand and staff in the other. Agda had brought the brace for him, and though it was painful, squeezing his leg in an effort to keep it straight so that he could walk, he was grateful for it. Belle had tried to persuade him to let her go to the market but Rumple had insisted. It wasn't too far to Ebert's stall, and he wanted to get out of the house. At any rate, Baelfire was fussy, and it was no secret to either of them that Belle was better and soothing the grumpy boy than he was. Bae had grown to love his father, but the bond he shared with his mother was undeniable.
The trip was short, but he took his time, walking slowly as he adjusted to the strange sensation of having the brace. People pushed around him as they walked hurriedly from one stall to the next causing Rumple to trip and stumble on several occasions. Finally, he made it to Ebert's stall, where the man sat picking his teeth with a knife. Rumple offered up his basket expectantly, frowning when Ebert ignored him.
"I-I'm here to sell wool," Rumplestiltskin said softly. Ebert scoffed.
"I ain't buyin' today."
Rumplestiltskin blinked. "What?"
"You heard me, cripple," Ebert said, leaning forward with a snarl. "I ain't buyin'."
"But-but I have perfectly good wool," Rumple protested, holding out the basket for Ebert to see. The man growled and slapped the basket out of Rumplestiltskin's hands. The wool fell to the ground and came unwound. Rumple gaped at the mess then back at Ebert.
"I don't understand."
Ebert leaned over and poked his finger hard in Rumple's chest. "I ain't buying' from the likes of you," he said, leaning closer to Rumplestiltskin. "Yer a coward, and you ain't fit to take my money. And I ain't takin' yer wool!"
He stood back and pointed to the wool on the ground. "Take yer garbage and get outta my sight, ya good for nothin' coward."
Rumple, fighting back tears, bent down as best he could to pick up the wool. His leg throbbed, causing him to hiss in pain. Ebert offered no assistance, instead he pointed and laughed at Rumplestiltskin's struggle. "You shoulda done us all a favor and died," he hissed as Rumplestiltskin stood, clutching the basket in his arms. "Everyone would've been better off. 'Specially yer wife. She's gotta be ashamed of being stuck to the likes of you. Shame she can't leave ya. Doubt anyone else'd want her."
Rumplestiltskin glared and took a step forward, lifting his cane slightly. Ebert sensed the challenge and moved closer. "Oh what? You gonna come at me? I'd like to see you try, cripple." With that he pushed Rumplestiltskin, causing him to topple over onto his back and cry out in pain as his leg surged in agony. No one within sight of the incident offered to help, leaving Rumplestiltskin to struggle and stumble onto his feet. He grabbed the basket and limped back to his house, tears stinging his eyes the whole way.
When he made it inside, he was disappointed to find Belle waiting for him, cuddling with Baelfire and cooing patiently as he fussed tiredly. He was on the verge of sleep, and his cries were becoming softer. Belle looked up with heavy eyes when Rumple entered, her expression growing concerned as she saw the state her husband was in. Giving Bae a kiss, she gently laid him down as his grunts of discontent quickly turning to soft snores of sleep, and she rushed to her husband's side. "What happened?"
He brushed her off and threw the basket of wool onto the floor, sitting heavily at his spinning wheel. Belle was not so easily deterred, and she knelt at his feet, clasping his hand in hers. "What happened," she asked again, and Rumplestiltskin broke down. Clinging to her, he wept, but Belle remained silent, holding him tightly and rubbing her back with her hand. She was exhausted, but her men needed her, and she would not wish for sleep when they reached out to her for care.
"I'm here," she cooed just as she had for her son earlier. Rumple continued to cling to her, and Belle shifted, rising onto her knees so that she could hold him better.
"He wouldn't take the wool," he whispered bitterly as he moved away slightly. "He refused to buy it. He told me he would not buy from a coward who was better off dead. He shoved me down and said he pitied you for being stuck with me."
He could see the anger rise up in Belle's eyes as he spoke. She remained quiet, which was unusual for her. Normally she had no qualms about expressing her thoughts, but now she was silent. Rumplestiltskin didn't know which frightened him more.
She stood, collecting the wool that had fallen out of the basket. Picking it up, she pressed a quick kiss to his forehead. "Watch Bae," she ordered gently. "I'll be back in a minute."
She was out the door before he could protest.
-000-
Belle walked with purpose toward the end stall of the market. She'd dealt with Ebert a few times during Rumple's absence, and while the man disgusted her, she held no fear of him and was determined to give him a piece of her mind. Her husband had worked hard to spin this wool and she would sell it. She stormed up to the stall and slammed the basket down on the counter. "And what was wrong with the wool?" She asked, not attempting to hide her fury.
Ebert, fool that he was, did not take her anger to heart. "I told yer husband that I ain't buying his shite today."
Belle placed her hands on her hips. "You always buy our wool," she declared. "If the Ogre's continue to advance, you won't be able to travel and trade. And if you're stuck with only us to provide your wool, what then?"
Ebert shrugged. "Then I guess I'd buy if I had no other choice."
Belle smirked. "That's where you're wrong," she said. "If you don't buy now, while the wool is good, what makes you think I'd willingly sell to you when you have no one else to turn to? Especially after how you treated my husband."
"Did the cripple run home and beg you to come back on his behalf?" Ebert sneered.
"He didn't say a word," Belle said. "I know what a basket full of wool means. It means that you've chosen today to show off your disgusting, ignorant contempt for others."
Ebert glared. "You best watch yourself, girl," he hissed, "Or I'll-"
"You'll what?" Belle countered immediately. "You aren't going to strike me. They'd have you in chains in a minute. You can cuss me and call me all the names you want, but I have good wool to sell and you're going to pay us for it and let me get back to my sick son, or I'll spread word that you're a lying, cheating scam of a merchant who refuses to buy from the poor wife of a lame man. Do you think people would want to support a man who would rather see a child starve than to get over his own prejudice and give me what we both know is worth at least twenty shillings? People may not care for my husband now, but they sure as hell pity me. And pity is something I can work with."
He growled, not liking the fact that a woman had dared speak to him in such a manner. He was about to retort, but a crowd was growing, and it was no secret that Belle had a mind of her own and would not hesitate to use her words against him. Grumbling and snarling, he counted out twenty shillings and handed them to her. She paused a moment and said, "I think," she mused aloud, "That for wasting both my and my husband's valuable time, I should be compensated. Five more shillings should do it."
She stood firm, and the crowd was growing. Desperate to get rid of her, Ebert shoved five more shillings in her hand. She smiled and picked up her basket, dumping the wool out onto the counter. "Pleasure doing business," she said with false cheer, turning on her heel and walking briskly past the crowd and back home.
When she returned, Bae was still asleep, and Rumple was standing over his small basket, watching the boy carefully. He looked up when Belle entered like a whirlwind. She glanced around until she saw him, threw down the empty basket and slammed the money onto the table. She stalked up to her husband and grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him down roughly so that his lips crashed onto hers. He was taken aback by her ferocity, but could not hide his approval and gathered her into his arms as best he could as she moved her mouth against his. When they broke away, breathless and chests heaving, Rumple gave her a curious look. "What was that about?"
She took a deep breath and kissed him again. "We shouldn't be having any more trouble from Ebert," she said hotly, pulling him closer to her so she could rest her head against his chest.
"I'd love to know what you said."
He felt her shake her head. "Doesn't matter what I said," she replied. "I told him what he needed to hear, and now I'll do the same for you." She raised her head and smiled at him gently, though her eyes still burned hot. "You are my husband. I am your wife. I am not stuck with you and I do not pity either of us. If anyone has a problem with that, they can go to the Ogres."
Rumplestiltskin smiled widely, then pulled her close for another kiss. She held onto him tightly, and he suddenly felt the complete assurance that no matter what happened to him, he could always could on Belle to be on his side.
Author's Notes:
Ugh! I'm so sorry this took so long to get up tonight. My Internet has been acting up all evening. But I persevered and voila! The damn thing is posted! Hooray!
I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you so much for all your kind words about the previous one!
Also, a special thank you to Sirensong24 and my husband for looking over this for me!
Chapter 17 will be up Feb. 7!
Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of its characters. Agda belongs to me.