Belle was walking up the stairs to deliver tea to Rumple, another duty that she continued with despite now being mistress of the Dark Castle, when she heard his voice arguing with what seemed to be nobody.
"NO ABSOLUTELY NOT! I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SAY! I WON'T HURT HER! NEVER!"
She stepped inside the laboratory to find Rumple clutching his head.
"Rumple!" she exclaimed setting the tea tray down immediately and stepping closer. He whipped around his eyes looking a little wild for a moment before they focused on her and he appeared to take several deep breaths.
"Belle!"
"What's going on?" she asked in confusion not seeing anybody in the room and knowing it would be impossible for anyone other than Rumple to simply disappear from inside the castle.
"Nothing. I'm...I'm fine Belle." He turned away and Belle's brow scrunched slightly.
"I thought we were being honest with each other?" Rumple sighed.
"Then more accurately it's nothing you need to worry yourself with."
"Rumple if something is causing you pain I'm always going to worry." Her husband sighed staring at her for a moment before finally leaning back against the laboratory table.
"Very well, you know when I took on the curse, I absorbed all the knowledge of the previous Dark Ones?" Belle nodded. They had gone into greater detail at one point about his curse.
"Yes I do."
"Well that wasn't the only thing that transferred over with the power. Not only did I get their knowledge. I got them."
"What do you mean?" Rumple sighed.
"I mean that I unfortunately have more than a few voices yammering in my head."
"So they have a consciousness?" asked Belle slightly perturbed at the pain having so many people in his mind must cause her husband.
"Yes, and they tend to give a less than delightful commentary at times. Normally I block them out or at least try to but some days they manage to hammer through. Usually during more emotional times.
"I see. Do they have any control over you?" Rumple tilted his head.
"I admit their voices served a certain influence in the early days of my curse when I was still learning to control it but they have long since ceased to have any say in my actions. Lately indeed they've been quite opposed."
"And what were they saying now?" asked Belle. Rumple looked uncomfortable not meeting her gaze as she took his hands.
"They were insisting that I kill you and take back the dagger. Truthfully, they've been calling for your blood for a while. You are my true love, the one thing powerful enough to combat the curse and it knows it. At the same time, it's also possessive of you now that we are bound. It doesn't know quite how to deal with that so calling for your death by my hand alone tends to be the default."
Belle knew she should really be more disturbed by this than she was but all she could really think about was the sympathy she felt for her poor Rumple who was having to deal with that maelstrom of conflicting emotions and demands not all of which were his own.
"And I take it your shouting was you telling them to shove off?" she said dryly. Rumple gave a soft laugh.
"More or less. Though in less polite terms. You aren't upset?" Belle raised an eyebrow in response.
"Why should I be upset about something that's a natural part of your curse? It's not like you actually want me dead."
"Of course not!" exclaimed Rumple.
"Then I don't see a problem," she said placing a hand on his cheek and giving him a quick kiss.
"You are far too good," murmured Rumple.
"So you say," replied Belle feeling Rumple still exaggerated her goodness at times.
OUAT
Rumple had once again been tormented by the voices in his head.
Kill her! Take back your dagger! She'll abuse it! You were a fool to give it up. You think she really loves you? Get rid of her and take what's yours!"
"NO ABSOLUTELY NOT! I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SAY! I WON'T HURT HER! NEVER!" Rumple had shouted in response the internal disagreement at last becoming external. Unfortunately, Belle had come up to join him at that precise moment catching him before he could hide the signs of madness.
And of course, despite all attempts to dissuade her she insisted on worrying over him. It was a strange feeling. To be cared for after all these years. His curse of course railed against it but with Belle nearby it was far easier to ignore.
She was a calming light in the midst of his storm of darkness. Something he could latch onto to stay sane and retain what was left of his humanity.
And so, he explained how the transfer of the curse of the Dark One also transferred the minds of the Dark Ones bringing back some rather horrible memories of those early days when the high of the magic and bloodlust was intoxicating. When he had given into the voices rather than taming them.
It had taken losing Bae before he finally got a hold on his curse and at last set into trying to control it rather than letting it control him, despite how it appeared at the outset.
It seemed love was the one emotion too powerful for even the curse of the Dark One to override. Be it love for a child or the true love that he shared with his Belle.
He waited for Belle to look disgusted or scared. To pull away upon hearing that there were voices in her husband's head demanding her death. Yet she did none of those things. Instead, she raised one of her brown brows in surprise.
"Why should I be upset about something that's a natural part of your curse? It's not like you actually want me dead."
"Of course not!" exclaimed Rumple desperate to reassure her. Belle, bless her, shrugged and placed a hand on his cheek.
"Then I don't see a problem." She briefly pressed her lips to his and Rumple sighed as she pulled away gazing at her in adoration.
"You are far too good."
"So you say." she replied though strangely she didn't sound as if she entirely believed it. Oh well that would be a discussion for another time. For now, he could think of other things to drive away the demons. He pulled her closer and seeing the way he lips quirked suggestively transported them to their room.
OUAT
While Pip and Grace had moved into the castle for their safety, Pip still went out on occasion not that she entirely needed to but Rumple knew it was the Wonderlandian wanderlust in her and his friend, yes, he could call her that now, was always careful not to mention capable of taking care of herself. Not that Jefferson hadn't been but Regina had had the benefit of leverage in that situation.
On one such occasion Pip returned slightly later than usual.
"What kept you?" he asked.
"Believe it or not, giving romance advice to a fairy." Rumple stilled in his spinning and Belle who had been reading by the fire set down her book.
"I beg your pardon I must have misheard you. It sounded like you said you were giving romance advice to a FAIRY." Belle said tilting her head.
"To put it more bluntly who are you and what the HELL have you done with the Pied Piper?" asked Rumple. Pip laughed coming to sit in one of the chairs by the fire and as usual swinging her legs over the arm.
"I'm as shocked as you."
"What happened?" asked Belle. Rumple also approached keen to know what had happened.
"Well, I was walking through the forest when I came across a little pink fairy. Oh she got all defensive but I'm not entirely certain the poor dear knows one end of a wand from the other. I was admittedly a bit intrigued as to what had a fairy sitting in a clearing, human sized sobbing so I asked and with a bit of prompting she told me that apparently, she'd fallen in love with a dwarf..."
"Dreamy!" exclaimed Belle and Rumple suddenly remembered her tale about giving advice to a dwarf in a tavern in love with a fairy.
"Yes, I think that was the name I do lose track. Anyway, apparently he decided against running off with her because the Blue Hag told him that Nova, the fairy, couldn't fulfill her dream to be a fairy godmother if they were together."
"Sounds like her typical prejudice not to mention irritating habit of messing with true love." muttered Rumple.
"Quite. Well, the poor fairy's been doing poorly and completely miserable because of this so I simply pointed out that true love is the most powerful force in the world and she shouldn't throw hers away. I also added that there were plenty of ways she could do good without having to be a fairy godmother and follow the rules that separate her from this Dreamy."
"Did she listen?" asked Belle.
"Well, she still seemed suspicious of me but quite amenable to the idea in the end. I've no idea if she'll actually act on it but it would be delightful if she does!" a smirk was spreading across Pips face.
"You didn't do that out of the kindness of your heart Pip what's the angle?" asked Rumple.
"I'd have thought you'd have figured it out. If she does leave it's one more thing to piss of Blue!"
"That's true. I can't imagine she'd be happy about a fairy defying her. Honestly, I swear that woman is the enemy of true love rather than the champion," scoffed Belle. Rumple wrapped an arm about his wife.
"That she is. Well played Pip."
"I do hope those two get a happy ending though. Dreamy seemed quite sweet really," said Belle.
"I suppose we shall have to see I..." suddenly Rumple frozen a vision flashing across his mind it wasn't entirely unfamiliar being of the world without magic but this time along with it he saw Jefferson looking through a telescope longingly. As soon as the vision had come it was gone.
"Rumple!" called Belle from his side.
"Rum!" exclaimed Pip who was now sitting up. He shook his head.
"I'm fine." He said a smile beginning to spread across his face.
"The Hell you are what happened?" asked Pip. Belle had her hands on his arm.
"I just had a vision," he said.
"Of what?" asked Belle appearing confused.
"Of Jefferson. It seems the Hatter will be joining us in the Land Without Magic." he proclaimed. Pip gasped.
"Rum. Truly?"
"I wouldn't joke about such a thing my old friend." Pips face split into a grin.
"I'm going to see him again. Grace will have her father back!" she lept out of the chair and Rumple found himself being hugged tightly by the woman.
"Indeed, you will." he replied patting her back before she pulled away and raced up the stairs to Grace's room.
"This is wonderful news!" said Belle beaming at him.
"I quite agree. It seems Bae isn't the only one we'll reunite with," said Rumple who now felt a great deal of relief knowing that he would see his old friend again. He'd been worried that the man was lost to them for good.
"Well, I say this calls for a toast," said Belle getting up and pouring them each a small glass of liquor from the sideboard.
"To reunions," said Belle.
"May they go smoothly," replied Rumple dryly as they raised their glasses and then drank.
Author's Note: So first off to address a comment someone left a reminder this story is covering series 1-3 so it will not include Gideon (I actually try and pretend anything after season 3 bar flashbacks doesn't exist). If a baby does come along at ANY point in this series it will not be named Gideon (I neither confirm or deny plans on that front). Thanks to everyone who has been reading if you like the story please leave a note below in the comments it means a lot!