Chapter Text
Bella had never liked cell phones. It always seemed strange to her that she could communicate with people through a little box. It was not magic but technology but she still found it unsettling. Which is why she didn’t have her cell phone on her when Emma first tried to get in touch with her. She had left it in the library when she went over to Rumple’s shop to peruse the hidden library in the back of the shop.
Rumple had amassed quite a collection of magical tomes and texts. She had been spending an hour a day, her lunch break, going over them trying to find a way to remove this lack of memory curse or something to bring Rumple back to her. She knew in her heart that he was not dead just lost to her and she had to find him. Bae had been concerned about her obsession at first but once she could prove that it was possible, he joined her in the hunt and now had vanished while helping which didn’t sit well with Belle.
She sighed, put the book back in the bookshelf, and restored the spells that Rumple had put on the trove of text. She stretched carefully and double-checked all the locks on the shop before she went out the front door making sure it locked behind her. As she crossed from the shop to the library, she thought she had seen something out of the corner of her eye. Considering the flying monkey problem, she hurried over to the library door occasionally glancing over her shoulder to see if she saw anything else sneaking up on her. She shuttered slightly. This was not a way to live. The whole town was scared of its own shadow at this point. Paranoia was the emotion of the day.
She put the key in the lock and turned it. Checking behind her, she quickly opened and closed the door. She flipped the sign to open and went back to librarian’s desk. Until she got behind the desk she didn’t really feel safe. She noticed that her cell phone was illuminated so she touch the glass, input her code, and found out that she had about half a dozen missed messages along with several voice mails. Most were from Emma, which was strange so she went to the oldest voice mail from her.
“Ummm Belle, I really don’t know a pleasant way to tell you this and I had really hoped you would have picked up. We found Gold in the woods, but I need to tell you that …” The message cut off but it didn’t really matter since Belle had dropped the phone at the words “We found Gold in the woods” and she was out the door before she heard any more of the message.
“We found Gold in the woods” the words set her legs into motion towards the woods. They had found him. He was alive. Her heart sang at the very thought that he was here with her again.
She traveled the trail that she had seen Emma and Charming take out of the town with Regina and Hook. After a bit she slowed down and took account of where she was. The forest seemed quieter than usual. There was some bird song but it was faint. She could feel a light breeze play across her face. She sat down on a fallen tree and tried to figure out which way to go next. A strangled scream ringing through the woods gave her a direction to go.
She ran quickly through the woods thanks the powers that she had decided to wear a pair of practical boots rather than the mules she was thinking about wearing this morning.
She broke into a clearing to see a man, his back towards her, on all fours panting and mumbling to himself, “No room. No room. Can’t find a way out. Let me out! Let me go?” The “o” in go turned almost into an inhuman howl. She stopped and stared. She knew that back. She had hugged it so many times. She took a cautious step towards the man and stepped firmly on a twig. The sound of the twig breaking was like a gunshot that seemed to reverberate through out the forest.
The man’s head snapped around and she saw her Rumple but not her Rumple. The snarl on his face was inhuman. He quickly leapt to his feet was on her before she could move. He grabbed her hand roughly and pulled her towards him.
He looked at her and she could swear that she could see some recognition in his eyes. He took his other hand and gently stroked her face, “Belle?” It was both a question and a plea.
“Yes Rumple. It’s me. I am here with you.”
That only seem to agitate him more, “No, no, no. Can’t be here. Mustn’t be here.” He gasped in pain and let go of her. He dropped to his knees clutching his head, “No, no, no. Too much. Too many voices. Mustn’t harm her. Must protect. Run must run…..Noooooooo.”
Belle heard a crash and saw Emma come through the thicket into the clearing. Her gun was drawn but down.
Rumple grabbed at Belle’s knees and hung on like she was an anchor. “Oh Belle, I love you. I need you. I need…” His voice trailed out to an almost inhuman whine.
Emma looked at Belle and said,” Do you think you can get him to go with us?”
“I don’t know,” She placed her hand on Rumple’s head, “Rumple can you get up for me?”
He looked up and her and nodded. He stood up and rocked a little back and forth. Belle was worried he was going to bolt again. She took his hand in hers. He looked at it.
“Can you come with me?”
That apparently was the wrong question. He ripped his hand from hers and turned to flee only to be met with the butt of Emma’s gun. He went down like a sack of wet cement.
“What did you do that for?” Belle dropped to her knees and rolled Rumple over so she could cradle his head in her lap.
“He was going to run again and I am tired chasing him through these woods.”
“That was a little harsh.”
“I figured it was better than shooting him.”
Charming came running into the clearing with his sword drawn, “Are you all right?”
Belle looked daggers at Emma, “Some of us are.”
“I’m sorry Belle. It was a judgment call.”
Charming looked at the insensate man on the ground, “May be we should get him to the hospital?”
Emma holstered her gun and helped Charming get Rumple in a fireman’s carry across his back.
They worked their was back into town. Belle’s brain was going a mile a minute. What had happened to Rumple? They put Rumple in the back of David’s truck and wrapped him in a horse blanket that was in the back. Belle elected to ride with him. Emma joined David in the cab.
“What happened back there?” asked David.
“Gold ran. I chased. Belle was there with him when I arrived and he was ready to bolt again.”
“So you hit him over the head?”
Emma shrugged.
They arrived at the hospital. David went in and got a team with a gurney to come out and get Gold. He quietly told Dr. Whale that Rumplestilskin needed to be restrained because he was a flight risk. Whale nodded and followed the team out.
Belle was separated from Rumple as they processed him through in take. Snow came to the hospital and sat with her waiting for when she could see her lover again.
Dr. Whale finally came into the waiting room. He looked a little stunned.
Belle stood up quickly almost knocking the tea out of Snow’s hands, “Well Doctor?”
He ran his hand from his hair, “Belle, it’s not good. First off I had to sedate him rather heavily. He came to and was doing everything possible to leave. Also he has been…”his voice trailed off.
“Has been what?” asked Snow.
Dr. Whale seemed to be mulling over the right words.
Belle was having none of it, “Has been what?” she said through clenched teeth.
“Tortured,” came the reply.
Belle could feel the tears coming to her eyes. She pulled herself back into herself. No time for this now. She could cry later, “I want to see him.”
“I don’t think..” Whale started to say and he stopped seeing the look of determination on Belle’s face and the pleading look on Snow’s. He sighed, “All right but remember he has been sedated and he need time to rest and heal.”
Belle nodded and followed Dr. Whale to a private room.