An Empty Heart

Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to Once Upon A Time fan Robin Link, who passed away today. I knew her as FoxfireOUAT on the IMDb boards for the show and even though I didn’t know her personally, I’m going to miss talking to her and her friendly and upbeat posts. My heart and deepest condolences go out to her family and friends. R.I.P.

            A few weeks after Belle had left; Rumpelstiltskin was sitting at the wheel and spinning straw. The door suddenly opened and the Evil Queen Regina walked in like she owned the place. She went straight to making a cup of tea.

            “Flimsy locks. I have a deal to discuss. A certain…mermaid,” she said to him.

            “I’m not dealing today,” he told her, both feeling and sounding frustrated.

            “Are you angry with me? What is it this time?”

            “You’re little deception failed. You’ll never be more powerful than me. You can keep trying, dearie, but you’re never going to beat me.”

            “Oh. Is this about that girl I met on the road? Hm?” she asked allowing herself a smirk before turning away. “What was her name? Margie? Verna?”

            "Belle."

            “Right. Well, you can rest assured I had nothing to do with that tragedy.”

            Rumpelstiltskin stopped spinning and turned to walk over to Regina who now had the teacup in her hand and was licking the spoon.

            “What tragedy?” he asked carefully, trying not to allow himself to think that something horrible had happened to Belle.

            “You don’t know?” Regina asked in disbelief. “Well, after she got home, her fiancé had gone missing. And after her stay here " her association with you " no one would want her, of course. Her father shunned her, cut her off, shut her out.” She seemed to take a perverse pleasure out of causing him pain.

            “So she needs…a home,” he said, his voice breaking with hope.

            “He was cruel to her. He locked her in a tower and sent in clerics to cleanse her soul with scourges and flaying. After a while, she threw herself off the tower. She died,” Regina told him bluntly, but still taking even more pleasure in causing him to hurt. Yet, he was doing everything he could not to believe her.

            “You’re lying.”

            “Am I?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

            “We’re done,” Rumpelstiltskin said, wanting nothing more than to get Regina out so he could be alone. He opened the double doors for her with the use of his magic and walked over to it, indicating that she should leave him.

 Regina let out a little sigh. “Fine.” She set the teacup down. “I have other calls to make.” Regina ran her fingers along the length of the table and rubbed them together a bit. “Hm. Place is looking dusty, Rumpel. You should get a new girl,” she told him before walking out, twisting the knife of pain in deeper. Rumpelstiltskin felt his head dropping down as the door closed behind her.

            As soon as he was alone, Rumpelstiltskin walked over to one of the armoires and took out the teacup Belle had chipped the first night she was here.  He then walked over to a pedestal with a goblet on top and carefully replaced it with the cup. He could feel the tears starting to form and he allowed himself to release a small sob as he mourned for his lost love. Rumpelstiltskin had not been looking for love when he made the deal with Belle’s father, Sir Maurice to save their little town. He was actually looking forward to the idea of having a noble lady be the caretaker of his estate. But, he had fallen in love with her despite himself.

Rumpelstiltskin couldn’t help but wonder what it would have been like to allow himself to be transformed by his kiss, breaking his own dark curse. When she had first tried it, he had been the most angry he had ever been in his life. But not at Belle. Never would he direct his anger towards her. The real blame lied with Regina, who had manipulated Belle in a poor attempt to become more powerful than him. Yet, he had kept his dark power and lost Belle. And now, he was all alone. There was nothing left here for him.

Rumpelstiltskin didn’t know how long he allowed himself to cry, but when the tears finally stopped, he could feel nothing. His heart was empty and he had lost everyone he had ever loved. His first wife, their son Bae, and now Belle. A strange calm and resolve came over him. Being the Dark One allowed him access to magic that was both beautiful and terrible. Rumpelstiltskin just needed the right materials and someone he could fool into thinking that he was on their side, which wasn’t hard for him to do at all. But if he wanted someone to cast the spell that would take everyone in their world to a land without magic where he might find Bae, that caster would have to be almost as powerful as him. The only person who fit that bill was Regina. However, Rumpelstiltskin had more than enough time to make the spell and to convince Regina that this spell was something she could use in her vendetta against Snow White. He would do it.           

Author's Note

Please read and review, like always.

Reviews

[Timeless-Chan]

Hmmm rumple had some tricks up his sleeve it seems and I don't know if they are all good onesO.o Great chapter! keep it up!

[FantasyLover24601]

Thanks! I hope to have something by tomorrow.

[Timeless-Chan]

yay!:D

[FantasyLover24601]

And you're right about Rumpel! The tricks he pulled on the show were always for his own benefit, whether it was in the short run or the long run.

[Timeless-Chan]

Ba! it sounds like the human race:P lol but i cant wait to see what he's going to do next!

[FantasyLover24601]

You might have to wait a bit. I'm thinking of doing the next couple of chapters from the points of view of other characters who had some bearing on the overall story before going back to Belle and Rumpelstiltskin.

[Timeless-Chan]

alright! I shall be waiting then!

[Yheela]

Very exciting.
I hope you wont stop here ... Ô_^

[Rhianne Ney]

It was great... but since I haven't watched it yet and there's no hope that I will be able to watch it I'll just depend on what you have written here... hope you keep me updated (:
I have written a story that is mixing fairy tale characters in one plot... I was still debating if I'll post it or not... I am still measuring standards... (:
If you'll agree maybe I'll post it... (:

[FantasyLover24601]

I would love to read it! And thank you for the review!

[Rhianne Ney]

your welcome...I posted it.. um it's the new book on my profile 'Happily ever after!' please read it

[FantasyLover24601]

Will do!