Chapter 44: Overboard

Rumple and Belle sat side by side on the chaise reading the page once more. Belle gripped Rumple's arm in her hands, and rested her chin on his shoulder, reading silently along with him.

The Elder Tree is believed to hold magical properties, among which include: Healing fatal wounds, mixing the leaves to create varying potions to cure such ailments as hysteria, scarlet fever, the consumption, and others. It also contains magical properties to allow transportation to other worlds, even those some sorcerers believe to be void of magic.

However the Elder Tree, is rare, and there have only been a few accounts of sighting such a tree. They are ancient, believed to have once been prosperous in previous centuries, though the belief of their magic caused most of the supposed trees to be cut down in an attempt to harvest their magic.

The Elder Tree is believed to have grown in the West.

Belle waited a moment, then glanced at Rumple. "Have you ever heard of this tree?"

Rumple shook his head, curly hair swaying back and forth. "No," he said softly, "There's still so much about magic I don't know."

"Do you think it's worth going after?" Belle asked, toying with the sleeve of her husband's shirt.

"It's about as solid a plan as the curse," Rumple reasoned, "More so, I'd wager, since we wouldn't be relying on anyone but ourselves."

"How would we even use the tree?" Belle asked, "The book only says that it can be used, but not how."

Shrugging, Rumple flipped through a few pages, looking for any additional information. For a book that had spent so much time on some truly bland subjects, it was quite lacking on the one subject that truly mattered.

"I suppose we find a way to harvest the magic," Rumple guessed. "I really haven't a clue."

Belle turned, her face lit up with excitement. "So we're going to go after it?"

Belle's question was met with silence. She watched as Rumplestiltskin regarded the page for a long while. She could tell he was torn; the curse was well underway, but this prevented anyone else from being hurt by their mission to reunite with their son. It was true they didn't know what to do with the tree, but they equally had no idea if the curse would pay off in the long run. Twenty-eight years was a long time to wait for a child who might arrive and somehow break the curse. There was too much risk, and Belle knew Rumple understood that.

Finally, he answered her, his voice soft and uncertain. "Yes. We'll go after it."

Letting out a squeal, Belle flung her arms around Rumple, thanking him as she squeezed him in her excitement. He laughed and pulled her onto his lap holding her tightly as she wiggled and bounced in her happiness.

"But I'm not giving up on the curse."

Belle sobered instantly. "But I thought-"

Rumple held up a hand to silence her. "Regina's involved," he explained. "When it was just us, there would have been no issue with dropping the curse and moving onto a new plan. But now that a third party has been introduced – a dangerous one at that – I can't just renege on the deal. I'll have to play it carefully, but work will still have to be done to show the Queen I'm making progress."

On his lap, Belle seemed to deflate, her dismay shadowing her features as she listened. Feeling guilt at her reaction, Rumple gently ran his hand over her thigh. "But we are most certainly going to go after this tree."

That made Belle's features brighten once more, though they didn't hold the same exuberance she'd previously expressed. Rumple understood that Belle had secretly hoped all aspects of the curse would be abandoned if she succeeded. It had been Rumple's intention too, until he'd been unable to delay any longer. They were still a long time away from finding their son, but perhaps this tree might speed up the process. Regardless, he had a reputation and a deal to maintain. And while he was perfectly fine with breaking this one deal, he wasn't interested in doing it until he and Belle were safely on their way to a world in which Regina couldn't follow. The curse would be left unfinished, and as much as Rumple was struggling to put the pieces together, he felt secure that Regina would not be able to finish the work he started.

"In fact," Rumple said, lifting Belle and standing to his feet, "We'll leave first thing in the morning."

"Tomorrow!"

Placing his wife on the floor, Rumplestiltskin said, "The sooner we find it, the sooner we get to Bae."

She clapped her hands together in excitement bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. "This is so exciting!" Belle exclaimed, "We're going to find Bae!"

Smiling, Rumple ushered his wife toward the door. "And you have preparations to make," he said matter-of-fact, "Go pack. There's a trunk in your room that will hold everything you put in it no matter weight or size."

Belle glanced back with a raised brow, but Rumple continued to move her toward the door. "Go on," he said, "The sooner you're ready, the sooner we'll be on our way. "

"And what are you doing while I pack?" Belle asked, turning and crossing her arms playfully.

"Making my own preparations," he said, tapping her nose with his finger. "Now off with you."

She laughed and spun, rushing out the door and toward her bedroom to begin packing for their trip. Once she was gone, Rumple shut the door, locked it, then slid to the floor with a weary sigh.

~000~

Rumplestiltskin was worried. He couldn't deny that he was elated that Belle had found something else. He'd known she would, and it was a relief to know he'd been right. However, now there were many things to take into consideration. What if the tree turned out to be only a myth? It was highly unlikely that it was untrue, but they were going to be traveling through forests looking for one tree out of thousands. He had no idea how they were going to find the tree, and even then, what would they do if they discovered it? Pull it out of the ground and bring it back to the castle? Rumple shook his head at the silly thought, though he could come up with no other option.

Additionally, he was uncertain about what to do with the curse, and the events he'd orchestrated that would lead to its eventual casting. Snow White and her Prince were in each other's thoughts now, something that Regina was displeased with. Rumple had assured her it was all part of the plan; if she wanted Snow to suffer the most, Snow needed to have everything she'd ever wanted before it was all ripped from her. It had bought him time, but Regina was not a patient woman.

There was also the issue of the child. Should he somehow try to encourage the two lovers to have a child, in the event the curse was still needed? Rumple pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes and whimpered. The child was key to the curse, to finding his own son, but there was the problem of ensuring that the child was created. Rumplestiltskin let out a groan. There were so many things that could go wrong, it was hard to keep track.

No doubt Regina would stop at nothing until Snow White was defeated and her happiness stripped form her. It pained Rumple to think he would be abandoning the girl to a lifetime of running from her stepmother, which he was certain would happen should this tree actually work. Regina was relentless, like her mother apparently had been. Rumple shivered as he thought of the woman who had captured the attention and lust of the previous Dark One. She had to have been truly be wicked in order to make a Dark One of Zoso's nature enraptured, and Rumplestiltskin felt a moment's relief that some memories were more difficult to access than others. He didn't want to think of his predecessor and this vicious woman together.

Cringing again, Rumple turned his thoughts back to the problem at hand. Belle had found a way, and now the plan he'd been so careful to unfold was about to be completely shelved. He felt sick, and fear began to grow at the thought that this was just a massive waste of time. Shaking his head, Rumple rebuked those thoughts. The last time he'd doubted his family, he'd lost them. He would trust in Belle, trust that this tree would be their way. Everything else would have to sort itself out in time.

Standing to his feet, Rumple moved over to the work bench and cleared off some space before producing a large map of the realm. He summoned the botany book to him, then began to map out a path they would follow in their search for the Elder Tree.

It would require a few weeks' worth of travel, and Rumple used a mirror to locate several inns in which they could stay, and marked them on the map. If the slight information in the book was anything to go by, it would take several days to reach the west lands, and then who knew how long to locate the particular tree. They'd have to work quickly, as Rumple didn't want to waste time traipsing through the woods, but now that he at least had a plan in the works, he felt relieved.

It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, he recalled the spinsters who raised him saying. But stranger things had happened, Rumple reasoned. All the more reason to believe the tree would be found.

~000~

That night as Belle slept, Rumple found himself wide awake with a new set of fears: Once they made it to the world, what would become of them? Rumple reasoned that they would have to take some things with them on the journey, though he hardly knew what. Gold would be a must. He assumed the new world would use gold as a currency, though he wasn't positive in that. It was maddening, not knowing anything about where he was going, and it terrified him to think that he would be walking into a new world without magic or a clue. His powers would be gone, which would restore his old wound. That was something he did not look forward to, but it was a small price to pay for finding his boy.

Belle stirred at his side, and he looked down to see her blinking up at him sleepily.

"What's wrong?" She asked, voice thick from her half-awakened state. Rumple leaned over and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"Nothing," he whispered, "Go back to sleep, dearest. We have a long road ahead of us."

Belle shook her head and pushed herself up to a seated position.

"You're worrying," she said through a yawn, "What's wrong?"

With a shake of his head, Rumple replied, "Just worrying in general," he said, and it wasn't entirely untrue. "Overthinking things, as usual."

Belle offered a look of understanding and hugged him. "We'll figure it all out in time," she said reassuringly, "I'll carry you and you'll carry me, remember?"

Rumple nodded. "I do."

Belle pulled him they were lying down. "Then get some sleep," she chided gently, "We have a long road ahead of us."

With a small chuckle, Rumple agreed, and though sleep didn't come easily, it eventually came.

~000~

The next morning, Rumple readied the carriage while Belle hauled the trunk down the stairs and out the door. It was heavy, filled with things she thought they might need. She'd never gone on such a journey before, and as such had no idea what to pack. She'd over prepared, figuring it was best to be safe rather than sorry.

Once the horses were set, Rumple stepped back for a moment, observing the open carriage. They would be traveling for quite some time, and the open wagon would not do. Belle would need privacy, warmth, and comfort, none of which the current carriage offered. With a wave of his hand the carriage transformed into an elaborate stagecoach, fit for a queen. The red metal had stretched and rearranged itself so that they were completely surrounded. The door contained a large round window with a bright, patterned curtain that could be pulled down for total privacy. The seats on the inside were cushioned and widened so that they would rest more comfortably as they traveled the long, bumpy roads. Additionally, Rumple had added small floating candles on the inside, powered by the same magic that governed the sconces inside the castle. It was as comfortable as he could make it, and he hoped it would meet with Belle's approval.

Turing, Rumple jumped, surprised to see Belle standing before him, her hair disheveled and face glistening with sweat. She looked tired but thrilled and asked as she pointed to the stagecoach, "Is that ours?"

Rumple nodded and stepped forward to lift the trunk off the ground. He grunted at the weight and dropped it. "What the devil is in here?"

Belle shrugged. "Clothing for both of us. A couple bags of gold. Some food and a few flasks of water." She nodded to the basked on her arm, "This has some additional food as well."

"It feels as though you stuffed this thing full of rocks."

Belle flushed. "I may have also packed a couple books."

Giving her a dry look, Rumple asked, "How many is 'a couple'?"

"Twelve?"

Rumple blanched. "Why are you bringing twelve books?"

"Because I don't know how long we'll be gone," she stated, "And I'd like to be able to pass the time."

"We're going to be looking for a tree," Rumple said, "You can't look if you're reading."

"You said it would take several days to get anywhere near where the tree might be," she countered, "And when we stop for the night, we won't be looking." She huffed and crossed her arms, "I'm not unpacking my books, so there's no point in arguing."

"We're not arguing!" Rumple declared instantly, then paused. "Are we?"

Belle laughed and pressed a kiss to his nose. "No, we're not." She brushed past him and motioned to the carriage, "Let's go!"

With a roll of his eyes, Rumple lifted the trunk and strapped it down to the top of the stagecoach. Once it was secured, he hopped inside, shut the door, and sat back.

"So where did we get this," Belle asked, gesturing to the coach. Rumple smirked. Of course she would question the appearance of their vehicle.

"I transformed it from the old one," he explained.

Belle raised a brow at him, but said nothing. She still didn't quite approve of magic – or rather, his abundant use of it - but she seemed to be more lenient these days. Magic was a part of their life, and while Belle was vocal about her reluctance to use magic for so many things, she'd also relented and admitted that it had its uses. She was fond of the kitchen and the fact that none of the food seemed to go bad. She liked the convenience of hot water, and the ease of not having to manually light a fire every time she entered a room. Magic had its uses, and Belle had found the few she valued, and had kept it at that. While Rumple was better about using his magic so thoughtlessly, he was still quite liberal in his use. He understood the price that had to be paid, and he had long ago decided that he would pay it. Once they made it to the new world, his magic would be stripped from him anyway, so it hardly mattered if he allowed himself to enjoy it while it lasted.

It was still strange to think about, becoming a normal man again. Rumple equally dreaded and anticipated it, and hoped that when the day came for him to relinquish his curse, he would be able to do it without hesitation.

"Are you ready?" He asked and she nodded. Rumple waved his hand and the horses, who had been snorting and stamping their feet impatiently, began to move. They were on their way. Belle peaked out of the window to watch the towering castle that had been her home disappear as they rode farther away from it. She sighed, slumped back against her seat and looked at Rumple.

"Here we go," she said softly. He nodded in response.

"May this outing fare us better than the previous one."

Belle stifled a giggle as she thought back to the fiasco with the thief. She was grateful for what had happened that day. The man had saved his love, and she and Rumplestiltskin had started to mend their own marriage. It had been quite a fruitful outing, though not in the way Rumplestiltskin had originally planned.

"So how long do you think it will take?" Belle asked at length, the silence quickly making her drowsy, "To find the tree?"

Rumplestiltskin shrugged. "It will be some time, I imagine," Rumple said, "We must go west, but we don't know how far west. We'll make some inquiries, but we must be careful about that. The Elder Tree is legend, but people may still believe in it. If anyone suspected our purpose, they may try to lead us astray."

"And take it for themselves," Belle added and Rumplestiltskin nodded.

"Exactly."

They rode for several hours. Much of that time was spent talking about the past year, and everything that had led up to the present. It amazed Belle how little she had truly known her husband, whereas he could see right through her. He opened up and told her more about his childhood and the spinsters who raised him. Belle vaguely remembered the women, who died when she was just a small girl. Rumple spoke of them fondly, and Belle wondered what had happened between her and Rumple that they'd never truly sat down and gotten to know each other.

When she voiced her question, Rumple shook his head, at a loss as well. "I've no idea, to be honest," he said, "So much has happened; there never really was time for us to truly know one another. Between getting married, the war, Bae…..we've not had much time to ourselves."

"I'm glad, despite the circumstances, that we have that chance now," Belle said, moving off the seat to sit by her husband. She curled up against his side and he didn't hesitate to wrap his arm around her. She snuggled against him and sighed contentedly.

"I'm glad for it, too," Rumple whispered, tracing his darkened nails up and down Belle's arm.

Silence settled over them again and Rumple sank down into the seat to let his head rest atop Belle's. Summoning a blanket, he covered them with it and felt Belle hum contentedly against him.

They would not find the tree today; it would be a few days before they reached the realm in which the tree was rumored to grow. Until then, he would rest. He felt Belle's arm slide over his stomach, squeezing him tightly, and he smiled as his eyes slipped shut.

~000~

The carriage jerked to a stop, causing Belle and Rumple to lurch forward, waking them roughly. Belle sat up, her neck and back stiff from the bent position, and glanced at Rumple who twisted side to side, his back popping with a crack that made Belle cringe.

Pushing open the door, Rumple stepped out of the carriage, then turned and held his hand out for Belle. Discarding the blanket to the opposite bench, she took his hand and stepped down. She stumbled upon landing and Rumple steadied her with a hand on the waist. She glanced up at her husband through hooded lids and felt a sudden longing to kiss him.

A cough pulled her out of her lustful thoughts and she glanced over to see a young man standing next to the horses, who whinnied and neighed in protest at the presence of a stranger. Belle swallowed thickly, feeling her cheeks flush and stepped back from her husband. Rumple let her go without comment and stepped forward to the young man, speaking to him in hushed tones.

With her husband distracted, Belle took a moment to take in her surroundings. They were at an inn, small, rustic, but charming. She could smell meat roasting over a fire somewhere close by, and her stomach growled approvingly. It was nearing nightfall, indicating they had been riding for most of the day, and had clearly slept through lunch.

Curious as to why they were stopping here, Belle stepped forward to try to listen to Rumple's conversation with the other man. She arrived a moment too late, as Rumple turned around, almost colliding with her. He rocked on the balls of his feet and stepped back, giving his wife a dry look and said neutrally, "We will stay here tonight. Gather your things."

Belle felt the sting of his coldness, but instead of allowing her feelings to be hurt, she took a moment to consider what he was doing. It was part of his act, not to show affection toward her in front of others. It was that misguided desire to protect her. He was playing the part of the Dark One, which meant that he would show her no explicit kindness in front of others. It was something he had taken great pains to convince her of two years ago when Regina began showing up and other associates Rumple had made began to visit. He had insisted she not be a doting wife to him then, and informed her that in those moments he would not be her husband. He was the Dark One, and he had a role to play, one in which a lovely young wife did not fit. Belle hated having to pretend in such a manner, but the thought of someone trying to use her love for her husband – or his love for her – against them made her sick. So she begrudgingly kept her opinion to herself and played the part that was required of her.

It was more upsetting today for some reason, but Belle knew it best not to cause a scene. Trying to not let the act bother her, Belle turned and grabbed the baskets she had prepared for their journey. Rumple took the heavier one and motioned with a tilt of his head to follow him inside. Belle obeyed silently, staring at the ground as she walked. It occurred to her too late to pull up her hood so her face might be hidden, but she did it anyway, deciding it might be best to remain as unseen as possible.

The main room of the inn, which doubled as a mess hall, was half full of people. The boisterous men and women silenced as Rumplestiltskin entered, and Belle was secretly grateful now that she'd hidden her face. She could see looks of shock and fear on the faces of otherwise rough looking men, and the women all seemed to shake with fright. Belle fought back a laugh. Her husband wasn't that fearsome, was he?

Rumple approached a nervous looking woman and produced a small pouch out of thin air. He tilted it upside down, causing the woman to scramble to cup her hands to catch the gold that came pouring out.

"Your best room," he said tightly.

The woman gaped, her eyes large as saucers as she stared at the number of coins she held. It was more than enough for the best room, and she shoved the gold into her pockets, which caused the fabric to stretch under the weight. "Come with me," she instructed.

"It's the best room in the inn," the woman said as she led Rumple and Belle up the stairs. "And anything you want at all, just say the word and I'll personally see that it's done."

She reached the door, then paused and pointed at Belle. "Would the lady like a room of her own?" She asked nervously. Belle opened her mouth, but Rumple spoke up first.

"That won't be necessary," Rumple said in the same dark tone he'd been using since they arrived. "She will remain with me."

The woman's cheeks heated and she nodded in an exaggerated manner. "Yes, of course. Of course. Well, I'll leave you to it. Come down for dinner if you wish!"

She brushed past them at that, and practically ran down the stairs away from them. When the woman was out of sight Rumple pushed the door open and stepped inside. Belle followed. After she entered, Rumple pushed the door shut and locked it, then pulled Belle into his arms and bent over to rest his head against her shoulder. "I despise dealing with others."

Belle recalled their conversation in which he admitted to hating being this way, cold and fearsome, but he was playing a role that required him to embrace those parts of him. He was playing the role that was expected of him, she realized. When people saw the Dark One, they expected someone terrifying. Rumple was only giving them what they wanted. He could have been a bit more cordial though, she thought, and poked Rumple's chest hard.

"You could have been a little nicer," she said anyway. She felt him smile against her shoulder and straightened up.

"The Dark One isn't nice," he said, wrinkling his nose in disgust at the word. Belle giggled in spite of herself, and whacked him gently on the arm.

"Be nice to me then," she said with just a hint of firmness. "That woman probably things I'm your whore now."

"You must forgive me," Rumple said horrified, taking her hands in his. "I did not think of that."

Unable to resist, Belle rolled her eyes, though there was no real annoyance there. "It's all right," she said with a small laugh, "Just don't make a habit of it."

Nodding, Rumple turned away to sit on the bed where he began unlacing his boots. "I am sorry," he repeated, "I only do this to protect you."

Belle moved and knelt at Rumple's feet. Picking at the laces on his other boot, she asked, "I feel like I've heard this conversation before…" Rumple looked away guiltily. Belle patted his leg. "I'm glad you want to protect me," she said gently, "But what do you think you need to protect me from?"

With a shrug, Rumple responded, "Everyone. Everything."

Belle dropped the laces and raised herself up to cup Rumple's face in her hands. He stopped working at his boot and looked at her, eyes wild and worried. Belle offered him a comforting smile. "I can take care of myself," she said, "And if I can't, I know you'll protect me." She traced her fingers over his lips. "But don't try to protect me so much that you risk shutting me out."

"I'm doing it again then, aren't I? Going overboard."

"You're driving yourself mad with worry," Belle corrected, "I know you're going to worry no matter what, but don't lose yourself to fear. Have faith," she said, letting her hand fall to rest over his heart. "We're going to be all right. You have the power to prevent anything bad from happening to me. But you have to stop waiting for something bad to happen or else you're going to drive us both mad."

"I do tend to worry…"

"Yes you do."

They fell into silence again, and Rumple leaned forward to press his forehead against hers. He let out a ragged sigh, and Belle felt the urge swell up in her to take care of her husband. He spent all his time fretting over her, that it was rare that she got to take care of him. She rubbed his back gently, enjoying the shudder that ran over him when her nails lightly tickled his sides.

"Belle…"

Hearing her name breathed in such a loving way caused the desire she'd felt earlier to rise up within her again. Deciding that she was perfectly safe to act upon her feelings, Belle shifted and captured Rumplestiltskin's lips with her own. He sighed deeply, the gesture soothing his overworked nerves, and he pulled her up to sit on his lap. Once she was there, he let himself fall back onto the bed, pulling Belle over him, and wound his arms around her tightly as he brought his lips back to hers.

Belle smiled against him, and Rumple moved his hands away to entwine his fingers with hers. He twisted and played with the gold band on her finger, the magic it contained keeping him safe from the power of True Love's Kiss.

The thought of what could happen between them should have been frightening, but Rumplestiltskin found it anything but. There was something arousing about the thought that Belle could render him powerless in a matter of moments. He relished the feeling, the trust he bore for his wife. She could break his curse, but willingly chose not to. He liked it, in some strange way, the power she had over him.

But more than that, he was amazed that after everything, she could still love him. And not just that, but she now loved him truly. She had finally accepted him as he was, loved him in spite of it all, and it was more than Rumple could have ever hoped for: to be accepted completely and truly. It was a sublime feeling.

"Belle," he sighed against her lips, wanting so much to tell her of the depth of his love and gratitude, but found himself lacking the vocabulary to voice his feelings. Instead he wound his arms around her and kissed her harder, hoping that she would understand. When she brushed her fingers over his cheek and whispered a soft, "I love you," he knew she did.

Author's Notes:

Only one person got it right! It's the tree from the show that is turned into a wardrobe. (Though that doesn't mean that we will be getting a wardrobe in this story.)

I looked around, but the kind of tree is never mentioned on the show. They just basically say, "Look it's a magical tree let's use it!" So I did some research on tree symbolism and chose the Elder Tree because it represents: "new life, renewal" (and also the fairy realm, but that's not really relevant to what I needed.)

Also, I'd like to apologize for not updating sooner. I was out of town visiting family, and then discovered the Nashville Comic Con was happening, so I went to that (and got to sit through three separate Star Trek panels and it was totally amazing!)

Chapter 45 will be up either Friday, October 3 or Saturday, October 4.

What did you guys think of the premier? Personally I thought it was awesome! I've never seen Frozen, but Anna was just fantastic! (And the Rumbelle scenes were everything I could have ever wanted!)

As always, thank you for your kind words! I know I don't answer people's reviews, and for that I am sorry, I just don't have time. But I do read every single one, and they always make my day brighter. You guys really are wonderful and I'm so grateful to have such amazing readers. Thank you. :-)

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