Chapter Text
Sarah rubbed her red rimmed eyes as she tiredly hulled her little duffle bag out of the car. It was very late, and dark out. The bright light from the open car was hurting her eyes. She stood quietly as Belle and Rumpelstiltskin removed several shopping bags from the trunk; then followed them up the stairs of the beautiful, Victorian house.
Today had not really gone as she had planned. First she had fallen off that stupid ladder and had ended up in hospital. Then she had called The Dark One and made a deal with him. She had hoped the deal would solve all her worries and stress, but life was never that simple for her.
After talking to the Sheriff and Dr. Hopper, Rumpel had returned with a friend to ask her if she was ok with their plan to have her move into his home while they looked for a family for her. It was actually really neat that he had asked her for her thoughts on the solution; normally adults didn’t ask, they just assumed that because you were a kid that they could just make you do whatever they said. He also introduced her to Belle, his friend. She wondered if Belle was really just a friend, or if she was his ‘friend’. She suspected it was the latter by the way the two looked at each other. Belle was really pretty and super nice… if you didn’t get on her bad side, as Sarah now knew. It was odd to think of her and the imp as a couple, and yet the more time she spent with the two the more she could see that the two made a strange sort of sense.
After meeting Belle and hearing the adults’ plans for her, Sarah was feeling happy and hopeful for the future. Then she had heard the raised voices in the hallway. She would have recognized her father’s voice anywhere. She could hear the nurses trying to stop him from entering her room; the longer they blocked his way into her room, the louder and angrier his voice got.
Belle had held Sarah in her arms as the little girl curled into herself, frightened by the anger in the voice outside. Rumpel seeing her fear had left the room to try and talk to the voice, but apparently her father had not liked whatever it was The Dark One had said to him.
“You cannot stop me from seeing my daughter.”
Yes they can, yes they can. The Sheriff had promised me I didn’t have to see him yet. She reminded herself.
The Dark One’s voice was quiet and calm; too quiet for the people inside the hospital room to hear his reply.
“And you believe her? The child had always been a liar, making up stories to get her herself out of trouble.”
I am not lying. Believe me, I am not lying.
“I don’t care what the little bitch has said, she is coming home now.”
He has used the B word, he only called her the B word when she was in trouble; and he had said it in public. He was angry, she was in trouble; she could not go home with him, she was already in so much pain, she couldn’t take any more.
Sarah shut her eyes tightly and covered her ears against the voice that continued to spew such hateful words about her.
She felt the arms that surrounded her leave. Looking up at Belle, she saw a look of pure rage on the face of the woman beside her.
She couldn’t believe it; the pretty lady was mad. She was leaving her, heading to the door. She believed her father. Sarah felt her heart sink as the door closed.
Then the most amazing thing happened. The voice of the beauty that had been so kind and comforting before was now raised in something more than anger.
“How dare you!”
All of the other voices behind the door were silent as that once sweet voice lashed into the man who called himself her father. She ripped into him, calling the child an amazing girl and saying so many of the things that Sarah had always wanted to say to her father, but had always been too afraid to. The voices got further away, as Sarah could imagine the petite woman forcing the six foot man back with the sheer force of her voice.
Then they were back. Belle took the child in her arms once more and Rumpel sat in the chair beside the bed, explaining the plan for the rest of the day. She didn’t really hear him.
They fought for me! Was the surprising thought that went through her mind. They care… but no one cares. They don’t even know me. And that was the crux of the matter, wasn’t it? Would they still care when they knew who/what she really was?
After the incident with her father, the Doctor has come to sign her out of hospital. He had given her a cane to help her walk on her injured ankle, and medicine to take for the pain. The cane was an ugly thing with a cold metal shaft and flesh coloured padding on the handle and foot. Sarah hated it, but if it helped her walk then should she really complain? She looked at the Rumpel’s elegant, simple cane with envy.
Their first stop was Sarah’s home… well old home now. Sheriff Swan was already there with a tall, traditionally attractive man. She assured them that Mr. Smith was not home, and that they had permission to enter the place in his absence.
Probably went to the bar after getting kicked out of the hospital. She thought, uncharitably.
Stepping into her home, she heard a gasp from Belle. She looked around at the mould growing on the walls, the dishes in the sink, and the threadbare carpet, and hid her face in shame. She used to try to keep the house clean, but there was only so much one person could do. Eventually even she had given up, and this was the result.
She led the adults to her room, and smiled a little in pride that her room was clean. The smile didn’t last long as Belle started to look though her clothing, but finally gave up. Everything she owned was stained, ripped, or too big for her. She always bought stuff that was too big, because only the gods knew when she would get to the store again.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw a look pass between the adults before The Dark One started to talk.
“Do you have a bag to pack some stuff in?”
Without saying anything, she nodded her head, went under her bed, and pulled out a pretty brown and blue patterned duffle bag. It was one of her pride and joys, she had found it at the thrift store for only one dollar, so she was able to pay for it herself… with money she had found, but that still counted.
“Do not bother packing any clothing; just take anything that is sentimental to you.” When she cocked her head at him, he knew she didn’t quite understand. “Anything that is important to you. Anything you would miss if you left it behind.”
“I would miss not having clothes to wear.” She said petulantly. The Dark One laughed, then picked up one of her shirts off the bed, and sneered at it.
“These are not clothes dearie; these are rags. We will buy you proper stuff to wear.”
Sarah supposed she should be happy about that, but all she could hear was the children in the school yard making fun of her for what she wore. She knew her clothes were not the best, or the prettiest, but she had always tried her best.
Not letting the sting of his comment show, she moved around the room gathering the few things she considered her treasures: the Eeyore doll she had had since before she could remember, the book of old stories she liked to read, a picture frame she was very proud of making in school, and some knickknacks she had picked up over the years. It was not much, but it was all hers.
True to his word, they had taken her shopping to buy clothes and other essentials. She liked her new clothes just fine, but she was starting to worry about how much money they were spending on her. New clothes were expensive, and she had no idea how she was ever going to pay them back for it all.
Earlier today when she had first called The Dark One in the mirror, it had seemed like a fantasy that was not really real. Even when she had made the deal with the imp, all she had felt of an odd hope for a better future; a future she didn’t really believe she could have. Now standing in front of this large house, waiting for the owner to let her in, she began to wonder if she had traded the hell she knew for one she didn’t.
Her deal was for Rumpelstiltskin to find her a safe home, not to buys her clothes, defend her against her family, and let her stay with him.
What was all of this going to cost her? What did The Dark One want in return for all this?