Part Four

Chapter 43: Another Way

Belle peeked into the work room, and when she saw that Rumple was alone, she swept in, her skirts flowing around her as she rushed inside. Rumple turned at the sound of her heels clicking on the floor and smiled at her, the previous malice and impish aloofness he'd been feeling gone.

"How did it go?" Belle asked, coming to stand by her husband.

"You already know," he said teasingly as he pulled her into his arms. "You were at the door the entire time."

Belle felt her cheeks redden and she huffed. "She's going to cast the curse, and you won't even let me meet her. I can't help but be curious."

Frowning, Rumple squeezed her a little tighter. "There's a reason I won't let you meet her."

"She's dangerous," Belle repeated, having heard the same excuse over the past two years that Regina had been making bi-annual visits to the castle. Belle didn't like having the woman intrude on her space, but Rumple felt if he didn't welcome her, she would grow suspicious, and the last thing they needed was a suspicious Evil Queen, as she had been deemed by her victims.

"And she might see you as a potential weakness," Rumple explained, "She's on the warpath to ruin Snow White. If she thinks I'm impeding on that in any way, she may try to use you to get to me."

"I can handle the Evil Queen," Belle said defiantly, and Rumple couldn't help but kiss her.

"Oh, I know," he whispered against her lips. "Trust me, my love, I know."

They stayed together for a long moment, content in the peace and quiet in the wake of Regina's departure. She was a loud woman, her voice carrying far beyond the door of the workroom. Belle was convinced she could have heard the woman's screeching in the kitchens.

She eventually stepped back from her husband, producing a folded letter and holding it out for him. "I didn't spend all my time eavesdropping," she said with a smug smile, "I also collected your mail."

Rumple took the letter, asking as he unfolded it, "Who is it from?"

"A strange man with a hat," Belle said, crossing her arms. "He said he was an associate of yours."

Lifting the parchment to hide his smirk, Rumple read the letter, unable to help the impish laugh that escaped him at the report.

"What is it?" Belle asked, reaching out to take the letter. Rumple pulled it out of her grasp her took her hand instead, pulling her back to him and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"It's beginning," Rumple said triumphantly. Belle tried to hide her disappointment.

"What is?"

"My source confirms that Snow White and her future husband have been introduced...through most interesting circumstances."

"Who is he?" Belle asked curiously, as she moved away to pick up the most recent text she'd been studying. Even after hundreds of books, tomes, and stacks of parchment, she'd yet to find an alternative. It grieved her to know she had failed, and that pain was more piercing today with the news that the catalyst they'd been waiting for had finally occurred.

She flipped idly to the place marked by a ribbon, listening half-heartedly as Rumple spoke, "Prince James."

Belle's head shot up. "Wait," she said in surprise, "I thought you helped James' father secure a marriage between him and King Midas' daughter?"

Rumple smirked. He'd been worried that telling Belle about all his deals that would ultimately lead to the casting and breaking of the curse would upset her too much, but Belle had surprised him by taking everything in stride. He knew she was increasingly upset over not finding something else, but there was nothing to be done for that. She'd tried, and that was what mattered.

"Clever wife," he praised, "You're correct. It seems however, that fate has other plans."

"Then why secure a different marriage when it was just meant to be broken?"

"They'd have never met otherwise."

Belle paused. "Oh."

"You seemed worried, dearest."

Belle shrugged. "Doesn't this mean that you didn't keep your deal though? If you secured a marriage that wasn't meant to happen?"

"Oh I kept my end of the deal," Rumplestiltskin said, his signature Dark One laugh slipping out. Normally when he was alone with Belle, he let the act go, but after several years of playing the impish trickster, sometimes it was difficult to drop the act. "It's not my fault that outside forces broke off the agreement. My deal was with King George, and if this prince wants to run off with that bandit, then that's on him. I kept my deal."

"Technically it is your fault." She giggled as Rumple scowled. Ignoring him, she continued, "Besides, she's only a bandit because that queen of yours is a cruel, vengeful child."

"She's not my queen," Rumple responded tersely, "And of course she's being cruel. She's known as the Evil Queen now, which is hardly my doing."

"You're encouraging her." It wasn't a complaint or an accusation. It was a fact, one that Rumple accepted without difficulty.

"She's necessary," Rumple said plainly, "I am hardly encouraging her to slaughter entire villages in an effort to find the little princess."

Belle gasped, her hands covering her mouth. Rumple winced. That had been the one detail he had chosen to leave out. He knew Belle's feelings on such things – he shared them – but he needed Regina to walk this path. It wasn't a path he relished, and though he certainly didn't discourage her from her ways, he wasn't whispering the foul ideas in her ear either. He gave Belle a sympathetic look. "I know, sweetheart," he sighed, "I was appalled as well." And he had been. When Regina had bragged about the incident, it had taken every ounce of self-control Rumplestiltskin possessed not to lash out and rip her heart out and crush it in front of her eyes. Those people had been innocent, and while Rumple recognized the irony of being disgusted by Regina's actions while similarly planning to ruin the lives of families the world over, he wasn't killing them. After twenty-eight years, the curse was to break, and send everyone but himself and Belle home. It would be a temporary disturbance. What Regina was doing was evil.

And he was no better for not putting a stop to it, a small voice whispered, but he pushed it aside. He was nothing like Regina.

By the time he removed himself from his own dark thoughts, Belle had turned away and was seated at the work bench, nose buried in yet another spell book. Rumple sighed. He could tell she was angry, though he doubted her feelings were directed at him. It was the situation that was worthy of disgust; the circumstances surrounding this entire event were unpleasant and Rumple was sorry to put Belle through it all. But Rumple also knew he had too much to do to spend his time apologizing for his mistakes. He'd have a lifetime of that once he found his son. For now his time was better spent elsewhere.

He stepped forward and pressed a kiss to Belle's head. She didn't say anything, merely reached up and absently patted his cheek before turning the page of her book. With a soft smile, Rumple stepped away and left her to her work. After two years of failure, she continued to search through every book he presented to her, and her determination impressed Rumplestiltskin. She truly was an amazing woman.

With a shake of his head, he turned and silently exited the room. There would be time to admire his wife later, he thought. For now, he had to ensure a certain couple fell in love.

~000~

The days went on, and Rumple kept his eye close on Snow White and her prince – who'd apparently been dubbed 'Charming' by the bandit-princess. It was a delicate situation at best; Snow White and her prince were falling in love, but outside circumstances were making it hard for them to be together. Rumple watched, but did not interfere, afraid to do too much and upset the balance that had been struck. He didn't want to mess anything up, and teetered between letting fate handle things, and pushing them along himself.

He needed them in love, married, and with child. He felt like a voyeur intruding on their life, but their child was important – necessary – and he couldn't help but meddle just a little. It was harmless meddling, nothing major or invasive. At any rate, it wasn't as if he could make them fall in love. There were certain laws to magic, and making others fall in love was one of the few things magic could not do. A small part of him was glad of that. Some things needed to be off limits. The ability to control love would indeed be a powerful weapon, more powerful even than the essence of True Love.

But he was not in need of True Love. He glanced across the room to where Belle was sitting, flipping the page of her book with one hand and scribbling down notes with the other. He watched her a moment, the familiar warmth of his love for her filling him to the brim. He had True Love at his fingertips, a delightful and dangerous thing. The ring he wore kept the power Belle held over him at bay, but he had to admit it was tempting to just pull the ring off and kiss his wife. He was tired, he realized, and whereas before he'd been so afraid of a life without the magic he possessed, he was starting to look with longing toward a future where they could be a simple family again. No more magic, no more deals.

Of course he loved his power. It was a true gift, and something he had come to rely on heavily. But he recalled the cost of that power, and knew his son was worth more than all the power in the world. Just until I reach you, Bae, he thought wistfully, then I'll fulfill my end of our deal, as I should have done long ago. I promise.

He was drawn out of his thoughts by the sensation of being summoned. Someone wanted to see him, and he could practically feel the desperation crawling in his veins. He shut his eyes, shivering as the feeling rushed over him, and when he opened his eyes he saw Belle watching him carefully.

"You're being summoned."

She had quickly grown used to certain things regarding magic. She rarely used it, save for heating her water and lighting fires, but she was sensitive to its presence. Rumple was grateful for this, and hoped that should any of the enemies he made over time ever try anything, she would be sensitive to any magic they had and stay away. He then wondered briefly if she only recognized his magic through some sort of bond held together by their True Love. It was an interesting theory, one he'd very much like to test, but someone needed him, and he needed to go.

"I am, sweetheart," he acknowledged, stepping over to her and taking her hands in his, "But I'll be as quick as I can, I promise."

She nodded and tugged him down to her and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Be safe."

He grinned in that mischievous way that was purely the Dark One. "I always am." He disappeared a moment later, leaving Belle alone with her research.

~000~

Belle let her head drop to the desk with a thud. Groaning, she sat back up and stretched, wishing that magic were much easier to understand. "But I suppose if everyone could do it, it wouldn't be all that wondrous," she mused aloud. She stood, groaning again as her back popped.

She marked her place and shut the tome, deciding she would go stretch out on her chaise in the library and read something dull and easy to understand. She needed to give her mind a break, and a dull book sounded like just the thing. After over two years of constant searching and reading, Belle was tired. A small part of her wanted to never see a book ever again, but she banished that thought quickly. She never wanted to see a book on magic ever again. After so much time spent digging for something, and finding nothing useful, Belle just wanted to give up. She wouldn't, but her mind was full of strange ingredients, spells, and all the uses of unicorn blood.

Who knew it could do so much?

Deciding that she hadn't really enjoyed all her library had to offer, what with her position as official researcher, Belle decided to indulge for a few hours on a book that contained no hint of magic. She made her way to the library, noticing vaguely as she passed one of the large arched windows that it was growing dark. Rumple hadn't been gone a while, an hour at most but she sighed as she wished for his return. "Maybe if I'm desperate enough he'll show up," she said with a giggle. Rumple had explained to her that he could sense desperation when people summoned him, and it was the most desperate he felt the strongest. She shook her head dismissively. She wasn't going to summon her husband. He'd be home soon enough.

When she reached the library, she walked around the shelves, lazily trailing her fingers along the spines of books as she went. If there was one thing she was truly grateful for from this whole situation, it was her library. No amount of books would ever come close to easing the ache of losing her son, but she was so grateful that Rumple had taken the time to do this for her. It was the most romantic gesture, and she couldn't pick up a book without thinking of how much effort her husband had put into this room, just for her. She smiled at the thought of Bae's reaction to it too, and vowed that when they were a family again, she would make sure she and Bae had the largest library possible.

She skimmed some titles, finally settling on a book about botany. It was dull and uninteresting, and just the thing Belle needed to ease her aching mind. She had meant to take up gardening while here, but again, her plans had been upheaved by her decision to find an alternative to the Horrible Curse, as she called it. Maybe she could have a garden in this new world, where she could pass the time she would be unaware of elbow deep in dirt and flowers. That was a pleasant thought, and she made a mental note to mention it to Rumple.

It was a strange thought, knowing soon she would have no memory of this place, or of her life. As Rumple explored more of the curse, the more he told her, and it was a bit frightening to think that she would know her husband as someone else entirely. He would be a different man in this world; they would be different people, their current lives and memories locked away until some child grew up and came to save them all somehow.

It was disturbing to say the least, and filled Belle with anxiety to think about. Her stomach fluttered, and she felt momentarily sick. She shut her eyes and leaned back, forcing herself to think about something else, and at length her stomach settled to the point where she felt she might be alright.

Deciding the best course of action would be to read, she flipped open to the beginning and started to read. It truly was a boring book, and it eased Belle's mind to focus on the care of various plants. The author took care to write about the history, myths, and care of each plant and flower, and Belle found it oddly fascinating that so much could be said about the subject.

She read about the meaning of flowers, the uses of various leaves and bushes, and a lengthy essay on the 'science of the anatomy of plants differing by realm'. By the time she finished that particular piece, she was convinced someone had dedicated themselves far too completely to studying plant life.

But it gave her something to do, and therefore she wasn't going to complain.

Tired of reading about shrubbery, Belle flipped several pages until she came to a chapter dedicated to exotic plant life. "Well, maybe this will be more interesting," she said through a yawn.

She read several pages, eyes starting to slip shut when something caught her attention. She blinked and sat up, flipping back a page to read again. When she reached the last part, she leapt to her feet and held the book out in front of her. "Oh gods," she breathed, then said it again.

"Oh gods!"

She felt chills cover her, despite the warm eagerness that made her stomach twist and turn. She felt she might cry, but shook away the tears. She didn't want to get ahead of herself, and so she instead yelled, "Rumplestiltskin! I need you!"

~000~

Rumple appeared with a small puff of smoke, looking around in alarm. He relaxed momentarily when he saw Belle, safe and free from any harm. But she looked strange, a nervous energy radiating off her as she stared in awe down at a book she was holding. She'd called for him, and he'd sensed her urgency, but now she didn't even notice his presence. Something odd was going on.

He said her name, and she looked up, frantic and disheveled, and she rushed to him, shoving the book into his hands and motioning in a manner that reminded him of himself.

"Read," she demanded."

He quirked an eyebrow, then glanced down at the book in his hands. "Botany? Are you that bored?"

"Shut up and read." She pointed to a specific section, and Rumple bent his head to read. A few moments later, his head lifted, staring at Belle with disbelief, while she returned his gaze, full of hope and anticipation.

"Did I do it?"

He stared at her, then looked down and reread the page. When he looked up again, his eyes were full of tears and he threw the book down in favor of taking her into his arms and kissing her soundly.

"Belle," he smiled, cupping her face, her tears wetting his fingers. His own tears began to fall, but he paid them no mind. "My brilliant wife. You did it. You found another way."

Author's Notes:

Jefferson will not be making another appearance, unfortunately. But I wanted to at least mention him.

So, Belle has discovered another way in lieu of the Dark Curse! Now, we just did another time jump from the previous chapter, so it's basically taken her over two years to find this alternative route. Go Belle!

The next chapter may be delayed a day or so. I'm going out of town this weekend so I may not be able to update until Saturday or Sunday. We'll see.

If you want to read more of my Rumbelle fics, please feel free to visit my Tumblr page: woubazoid dot tumblr dot com. I don't think you have to be a member of Tumblr to view my page. (I hate how this site doesn't let you put links here. But whatever.)

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time. All rights belong to ABC, Adam Horowitz, and Eddy Kitsis.