Chapter 49: From Where We Started

Rumple appeared in a dark room with vaulted ceilings, the walls, ceiling, and floor as black as the soul who resided therein. He stepped forward cautiously, glancing around to see if he were being spied upon. Regina wasn't as sneaky as all that, but she liked to pretend to have the upper hand at times.

While he waited for her to arrive, he took the opportunity to look around the room. It was clearly a private space, meant for her alone. Near the large fireplace were two armchairs, but other than that, there was no indication that anyone save the queen herself was welcome in this room. Walking around, Rumple idly ran his fingers over her possessions, a small hand mirror, comb, and bottles of what Rumplestiltskin supposed was perfume. There was a tea tray on a smaller table to his right, but only one cup and saucer were laid out.

It was apparent that Regina didn't entertain much.

"Can I help you?"

Rumplestiltskin turned around slowly, brow raising at the sight of an elderly man dressed in fine, black attire. He was dressed too properly to be a mere servant though he carried himself with a faux air of stern submissiveness. It was immediately clear to Rumplestiltskin who this man was, and he suddenly know how to turn his meeting with Regina in his favor.

"I have urgent business to discuss with the Queen," Rumplestiltskin said with a dramatic wave of his hand, "If you would be so kind as to fetch her for me."

"There will be no fetching required, Rumplestiltskin," Regina's voice ricocheted around the walls, "I'm right here."

She appeared just beside the man, whose lips turned up in a warm smile, though his eyes remained dark with sorrow. Rumple watched as Regina touched the man's shoulder and whispered something to him. The man nodded, then with another curt nod toward Rumplestiltskin he turned and exited the room.

When he was gone, Regina looked up, smirking with blood red lips. Her dark eyes shone with delightful wickedness and she stepped forward gracefully, the long train of her cape flaring out behind her steps.

"What can I do for you, Rumplestiltskin?" She asked, emphasizing the latter half his name as a reminder of the run-in she'd had with Belle. She seemed delighted that she'd managed to ruffle the girl's feathers. Had it not been that he was about to ruin the queen's life, he may have made a snide remark on the subject. But his wife and son were waiting for him, and he wanted to waste as little time here as possible. So he swallowed his nasty comeback and instead got straight to the point.

"We need to talk, Regina."

She perked up, bearing her teeth in a smile that was entirely predatory. "About the curse?"

Grimly, Rumple nodded. "Yes, about the curse."

Suddenly more obliging, Regina motioned for Rumple to sit in the second armchair by the fire. Taking the other seat, she smoothed out the wrinkles from her outfit and waited for Rumplestiltskin to join her. When he remained standing, she frowned, and pulled herself to sit up straighter, shoulder snapped back and chin held high. "What news do you have for me?" Her tone was now less appeasing. It amazed Rumplestiltskin how quickly her mood shifted. She did not control herself as well as she might like to think, and that would be her downfall in this. Rumplestiltskin could read her like a book.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to renege our arrangement." It was blunt, entirely unlike the character he'd created over the past couple years, but he was about to but the façade of the Dark One to rest; there was no point in pretending anymore when he had nothing here to lose.

Regina shot out of her seat and in his face in an instant. "What?"

"You heard me, dearie," Rumplestiltskin said, lifting a hand and, using one finger, gently pushed her away from him. "I no longer have need of your services. Therefore, I've no need to finish, nor give you, the curse."

"How dare you!" Regina shouted, stomping forward, "You can't just promise me the world and then take it back on a whim!"

Making a face, Rumple said, "Actually, that's exactly what I'm doing."

"You can't!" Fire lit up the tips of her fingers, and she held her hand out to him, flames flickering as wildly as her anger. "You are going to give me that curse."

"Afraid not."

She stepped closer and lifted her hand to him, the ball of fire in her hand dangerously close to him. "I beg to differ. I want that curse, and I always get what I want." She paused and smirked, though Rumplestiltskin could see the panicked desperation behind the false display of confidence, "Even if I have to kill you to get it. I will have my happy ending."

Before she could act, Rumplestiltskin lifted his own hand and gripped hers in a hard, unrelenting grasp. The fire she held burned him but he resisted crying out, needing to prove a point. Regina panicked at the hard grip on her, and struggled to pull her hand away. At length, her fire subsided, and only then did Rumplestiltskin let go, shaking his hand just slightly to allow his magic to heal the throbbing wound.

"You're going to have to try a lot harder than that to kill me, dearie," Rumplestiltskin sneered, stepping forward menacingly. Regina stepped back, eyes wide in fear. Rumple stopped his progression and spoke again, "You were a means to an end, dearie," he began, "One I never wanted to use, but when I thought I had no other choice, I came to you. Now I no longer have need of your…..services. You're useless to me now."

With that the angry, belligerent queen seemed to vanish right before Rumplestiltskin's eyes. He watched as her confidence and self-assertion deflated, until all that was left of the enraged royal was a scared and confused little girl. Her wide eyes filled with tears and she spoke with a tone that was softer and more honest than he'd ever heard her. "That's not fair."

"Life's not fair, dearie," Rumple said, not allowing himself to fall for her little display. He was certain she was hurt, but her pain was nothing compared to the pain he had once promised to let her unleash on the world. This way, only one soul was hurt. It was better than condemning thousands to live a cursed existence when they'd done nothing to deserve having their lives uprooted. One person's happiness in exchange for an entire realm's seemed a reasonable price to pay, though Rumplestiltskin knew he would bear the guilt of this encounter for many years to come. "I'm sorry it had to be this way." He was honest in that, he realized. For all that he didn't care for her, for all that she was a cruel and terrible person, Rumple also understood the corruptive power of magic. He'd allowed it to take away his happiness once.

But he'd learned his lesson. He doubted Regina could be made to see reason.

"No you're not," she snapped. Then, as changing as the tide, the rage and anger from before manifested itself again, turning the sad little girl into the bitter queen, and she stepped forward with a blaze of indignant wrath, causing Rumplestiltskin to step back in surprise.

"Give me the curse," she said, thrusting out her hand expectantly, "I'll finish it. I'll cast it. You're useless to me."

"You don't want that, dearie."

"Don't tell me what I want!" Regina yelled, "You have no idea what it is I want! Now give me the curse!"

Rumple produced the scroll and waved it in front of her. "If you truly want it, I'll give it to you," he said, "But you'll have to pay the price to cast it."

"I don't care what the price is!" Regina roared, "I already agreed to it! Just give me the curse!"

She reached for it, but Rumple stepped back, pulling his hand just out of reach of her long-nailed grip. "You say that," he said, "But I can't imagine you truly mean it."

Regina huffed, magic once more swirling at her fingertips. "What's the price, then?" She demanded, "Your deal was that I cast it regardless of the price, so why do you suddenly care whether or not it affects me?"

"Because my wife believes it only fair that you know the cost of your potential actions."

"Wife?" Regina raised a brow at the term, her face twisted in a manner that suggested she could hardly imagine anyone would ever want such a man as himself for a husband. But Regina didn't know Belle.

"The woman you were so callous to on your last visit to my castle," Rumplestiltskin explained, "Which didn't exactly endear you to me any, by the way."

Rolling her eyes, Regina let the subject drop. Rumplestiltskin's wife was of little importance to the matter at hand for her, so she crossed her arms and asked, "What is the price for casting the curse, since you seem to suddenly care so much about it?"

"The heart of the thing you love most."

Her head flew back as laughter spewed from her lips. It was dry and harsh, and left a foul bitterness in the air. When her laughter ceased, she lowered her eyes to Rumplestiltskin and hissed, "The thing I love most is dead because of Snow White!"

"Is there no one else you truly love?" Rumple asked in a mimicking tone. He watched as Regina continued to glare, and he knew the moment she realized what he meant by the way her face fell and her shoulders slumped. All fire and rage snuffed out of her in an instant and she sank to the ground, all pride and certainty forgotten.

"Get out," she hissed at length, "And take you worthless curse with you."

Rumple nodded and turned, halting only when Regina spoke up once more. "My mother was right you know," she said, her voice breaking as she tried to fight away her tears, "The Dark One can't be trusted."

Giggling impishly, Rumple spun around. "She's probably right, but I've never met your mother."

Regina started, "But you said-"

"I said what I needed to say, dearie," he said, his voice losing all luster and pitch, "And for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"Why did you do this?" She asked, "Why use me and then forsake me? Why were you like everyone else?"

Rumple hesitated a moment before answering, "Becausethe world is a cruel place," he said at length, "And I'm not a good man. Not yet, at least."

"Get out."

With a final bow, Rumplestiltskin vanished, leaving a despondent Regina in her solitude.

~000~

Belle stood in her bedchamber, looking wistfully over everything she possessed. It wasn't difficult to decide what to take with her. They had no idea where they were going or how long it would be until they could settle down in the new world, so it was best to be prepared for anything. Thankfully Rumplestiltskin had used magic on the bag so that it would hold as much as she needed. She packed carefully though, uncertain if the magic would hold once they arrived in the new world. A few dresses, plenty of undergarments, stockings, and a pair of sturdy boots would be enough. She added a thick cloak as well, and decided that would have to do for the present. She paused a moment, then dug through her wardrobe and pulled out the old, tattered blue dress that Rumple had made for her during their courtship. Smiling softly at the now-ragged dress, she folded it carefully and placed it in the bag as well. It was a sentimental piece, but one she had no desire to leave behind.

She packed some clothing for Rumplestiltskin as well, leaving behind all the ridiculous costumes in favor of simple breeches, boots, silk shirts and some vests. They needed to be practical. When she was satisfied with that, she picked up another back and placed a few trinkets and books inside. She had struggled the most with deciding which books to take, but ultimately had chosen her eight favorites, as well as one of the tomes that Rumplestiltskin had written. She added Bae's shawl, and a couple trinkets she had left of her father, as well as the herbs and medicines Agda had gifted her.

Next she wandered into the kitchen and packed another bag full of food. Several flasks of water, one of wine, some bread, cheese, and dried fruits filled the basket. She added some salted meat, uncertain of how much food to pack, then pulled the meat back out of the bag. She would make up for that with plenty of gold, and they could purchase food when they needed it, instead of lugging around so many bags. At any rate, Belle thought as she returned to Bae's room and retrieved Rumple's old staff, Rumple would not be able to do much heavy lifting once they stepped through.

It was a sad thought, knowing that her husband would once again become a lame man. He would manage, as he always had, but the sorrow she felt was not lifted by that thought. She wished, of all the things that they were about to lose, that his mobility would not be one of them. That True Love's kiss could heal wounds as well as curses.

She gripped the staff, fingers running over the markings etched therein as a reminder of how Bae had grown over the years. Belle smiled as she imagined Bae, probably taller than both her and Rumplestiltskin at this point. Belle's father had been a tall man, and the way Bae had always grown made Belle certain that soon she would be looking up to her son.

Solemn but satisfied, Belle lifted the bag and moved to the great hall, where she filled three small purses with gold thread. She added some more to the bag of food just to be safe, and then wrapped a long thread of it around her wrist, tying it in a knot. That would have to be enough she decided, and with one last look around the room, she left, heading up to Rumple's work room to wait for him there.

With that settled, she moved back to the work room where the tree resided. The portal within had held strong, which honestly surprised Belle. She stood before the tree, dropping the two bags on the ground next to a third bag which contained a few of her personal, treasured belongings. Among them were Bae's shawl, a few books, and the old dress Rumple had made during their courtship. It was old and tattered, but special, and Belle hadn't been able to part with it.

With their few belongings packed for their journey, all that was left was to wait or Rumple.

~000~

Belle entered the work room, surprised to see Rumplestiltskin sitting in the armchair she frequented, rolling a scroll in his hands. Frowning, Belle lowered the bags to the ground and stepped forward. Her heels echoed on the stone floor, causing Rumple to look up from his pensive thoughts.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hey," Belle replied, moving to sit on Rumple's lap. He welcomed her into his arms, and didn't protest when she pulled the scroll out of his hands. She opened it, brow furrowing when she couldn't read the words written on it. She stared for a long time at it and Rumple watched as she observed the curse that would have ruined so many lives.

"How did she take it?"

Rumplestiltskin shrugged. "Not well."

At Belle's dry gaze, Rumple elaborated, "She threatened to kill me. So I told her the truth."

"And?" Belle prompted.

Rumple took the scroll from Belle, and let a burst of magic shoot out from his hand. When the purple smoke cleared, all that remained in Rumplestiltskin's hand was ash. "And no one will be getting cursed anytime soon. At least not by anything my hands have touched."

Slumping against Rumple, Belle sighed, "Good."

They sat for several minutes, and in their silence, Rumple allowed himself a moment to glance about the room. Among all the rooms in the castle, this had been the one in which they'd spent the most time. They'd grown in this room, both individually and together, and Rumple could see the sorrow in Belle's eyes to be leaving it all behind. No matter what they said about willingness to sacrifice everything to reunite with their son, there was still a slight reluctance to leave behind their home.

But home was with Bae, and that was what kept them both going.

Moving Belle off his lap, Rumple stood and took Belle's hand. She smiled up at him nervously, and for a brief moment, he felt young again, as if he were a mere peasant standing in front of her father's house, anticipating a good night kiss.

"Are you ready?" He asked softly.

"I am," she said, then reached up to run her fingers through Rumple's curly hair. "It's going to be strange," she mused, "Seeing you as a regular man again."

With a chuckle, Rumple captured her hand in his and brought it down for a kiss. "Don't tell me you're going to miss this," he said with a wide gesture to himself.

Belle shrugged. "I think I might a little," she admitted, "There's something….appealing about you like this. Though, it will be nice to see the man I fell in love with."

"He's always been in here," Rumple said, pressing their joined hands to his chest, "He just lost sight of himself for a while."

"I think we both lost sight," Belle said, "But I think we've also come a long way from where we started."

"Indeed we have," Rumple agreed.

Belle glanced down at their hands, still pressed to Rumple's chest. She leaned forward, resting her head against their hands and asked, "What do you think this world will be like?"

She felt Rumple shrug. "I've no idea. But there's only one way to find out."

Belle nodded and moved to pick up the bags. Rumple followed, grabbing the closest one, grunting under its weight. "What on earth did you pack?" He asked, aghast.

"Necessities," Belle said meekly, her cheeks warming when Rumple opened the bag and peered inside, seeing the books she packed inside. He glanced at her with a wry grin, then turned and moved over to the shelf that contained numerous potions. He picked up a vial that Belle recognized as True Love and slipped it inside as well.

"You never know," he shrugged. Could come in handy one day.

"What about the rest of this stuff," Belle asked. "What will become of it?"

Rumplestilstkin waved his hand, and before Belle's eyes the room became barren. "Locked away in the vault below the basement of the castle," Rumple explained, "Unreachable to anyone but myself."

"Then it's safe for the girls? Should they ever come?"

"It is."

"Then let's go," Belle said, picking up two bags. "I've packed clothing, food, gold. We shouldn't want for anything for a while." She paused, then handed Rumplestiltskin his staff. "Just in case."

"Clever wife," Rumple praised quietly, "You think of everything."

"I know it's going to be a major adjustment," Belle said softly, gesturing to the staff, "But you won't have to go through it alone."

"You'll carry me," Rumple whispered, their promise on the forefront of his mind.

"Yes," Belle said, "I will."

"I love you, Belle," Rumple said.

"I love you too."

Cradling the stick under his arm, he pulled Belle to him and pressed his lips to hers. She melted into his embrace, allowing herself to be swept up in his love and held him tightly. When at last they separated, Belle was crying. Rumple wiped them all away silently, and pressed one last kiss to her lips.

Stepping back, he waved his hand over himself. Whereas before he looked ferocious in spikes and dragon hide, now he looked slightly more normal in a simple silk shirt and dark waistcoat. Belle smiled appreciatively at him, and he smirked before waving his hand once more, the dagger with his name appearing a moment later.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, "I'd forgotten all about the dagger!"

"Good," he said, "That was my goal. If anyone had known to take this, we would have been in great trouble."

"Thankfully you won't need it after this," Belle said with a relieved sigh, "You'll be free."

Rumple nodded. "Aye," he said, "I can't say I'll miss being bound to it."

Belle approached him and ran a finger down the flat of the blade. Rumple shivered in response. "I'll be glad to be rid of it too," she agreed. "So many changes all at once."

"But it will be worth it," Rumple said.

"It will."

Sheathing the dagger, Rumple gripped his walking staff, hoisted up his bag and took Belle's hand.

"It's time," he said.

Belle squeezed his hand firmly and nodded. "Let's go find Bae."

They both took a breath, then stepped through the portal. The swirling glow of the portal radiated brightly, then dimmed until there was nothing but a large hole. The candles extinguished, and the magic that buzzed through the walls settled, waiting for the day when someone would step through its doors and bring life inside once again.

Author's Notes:

And all that's left is the epilogue!

Thank you everyone who has been with me on this journey. It was last week that marked one year that I've been posting this story, and I can hardly believe it. What a year it's been!

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