Chapter Text
It was a Tuesday afternoon in Storybrooke and the cool breezy wind found itself blowing towards the direction of the town library, which stood tall, looking very much like it had aged a hundred years.
The library was always empty these days, save for the timid librarian who could be seen waltzing through the aisles of shelves in a graceful manner. Anyone who saw her would think her a content woman, for she always walked with a spring in her step and a smile on her lips. She would spend all her days trapped inside the library, immersed in a book or two, and only came out to have lunch at Granny’s. Once the day was through, she’d lock up and drive home.
Belle however felt entirely different. Most days she felt hollow inside, deep down she suspected it was because she missed him, but she was much too proud to admit it out loud. She had tried to convince herself that he was long gone but no matter how hard she tried, there was always a sliver of hope that he might come back to her someday.
That hope eventually faded over time though the small spark still remained rooted in her, and it was still there on that Tuesday afternoon when someone came crashing through the library door.
“They’re back! They’re back!”
Belle had just finished rearranging the shelves for the sixth time that week and had been so deep in thought about a book she’d read earlier that it startled her to hear the shrieks and yells in the library. She sprinted to the main entrance to see Leroy panting heavily, holding onto the main counter to keep balance.
When he saw her, his eyes widened and he laughed like a madman.
“Belle, they’re back! You have to come with me! Come on!” he wheezed as he pulled her with him out of the library.
“Leroy, who’s back?” she asked, alarmed at the sight of the dwarf who looked as though he was going to pass out any time soon.
“Snow and the others! I’m sure Rumplestiltskin is there too!”
Leroy continued to explain but Belle did not seem to have heard a single word he said after that. Her heart, she noticed, was beating very loudly in her chest and her hand moved towards her stomach almost protectively. Leroy was still talking when Belle took off, leaving him behind her.
She did not know where she was going and she didn’t need to. A large crowd of people had started to gather by Granny’s diner and she had a feeling they weren’t there for pleasure. She did not know what she was going to say or do but she knew she had to get there to see if it was true. She had been led on by false rumors too many times, and it was only common for that to happen in a small town like this.
She remembered just two weeks ago when the dwarves had told her they’d seen Emma and the others at the docks but it turned out Sneezy had gotten drunk and imagined the whole thing. She learned the hard way that the dwarves were really not a reliable source for any sort of information whatsoever.
She halted to a stop, her legs aching from running in her big shoes, and tried to get a peek of what was happening. Her small size served as an advantage as she moved through the crowd with ease, her eyes frantically looking for a familiar face.
The first thing she saw was Emma Swan’s red jacket and then her eyes began to focus on their faces. Emma, Regina, Henry, Snow…they were all hugging the other townsfolk. Her eyes found almost every face except for the one she was looking for the most. She spotted Killian Jones standing by himself in a corner and for a brief moment, their eyes met and she gasped. There seemed to be something off about him but she couldn’t place it.
Turning away from him quickly, she stepped closer towards them, hoping one of them might point her in the right direction. She wondered if maybe he was waiting for her at the shop, too afraid to face her in front of all these people. She laughed inwardly, thinking how the great and powerful Rumplestiltskin was afraid to face the small and timid Belle. Her feet moved towards the shop, eager to meet her favorite pair of brown eyes. She knew she was furious with him but she was also relieved that he was back, it lifted a huge load off her shoulders for she no longer needed to carry her beautiful secret by herself anymore.
“Belle!” she heard someone call and she turned to come face to face with Henry. He had strayed from both his mothers to come and see her. She smiled when she saw how much he’d grown since he’d been gone. She had missed him, almost as much as Rumple, for this boy had been the only one who had always looked out for her in a way. In fact, if it hadn’t been for Henry, she would’ve been halfway around the world by now, never knowing what fate would’ve befallen Rumple and the rest of them back when Hook had been the Dark One.
“Hey,” she said, reaching over to squeeze his shoulders. He looked rather grim and for a second, she was reminded a little of Rumplestiltskin. She began to notice that the older Henry grew, the more he resembled his grandfather. The way their eyebrows creased when they were curious, the small dimple on their cheek when they grinned and how they always spoke in a hushed tone with her.
“Is, uh, Rumple at the shop?” she asked, sounding out of breath and saw the boy’s face turn even more solemn. She felt fear creep up her skin as she looked towards the shop for any sign that her Rumple was there. The shop however looked as it always did, closed and abandoned. She turned back to Henry, her eyes stinging.
“Belle…Grandpa Gold is…h-h-he's-”
“Henry!”
Before Henry could finish, Regina interrupted him, coming to stand beside her son. Her hand was wrapped around Henry, as if she was protecting him from something. Emma joined the two of them shortly and suddenly they were all looking at her with…was it pity?
“Where’s Rumple?” she repeated loudly. She did not care if she sounded aggressive or cold to the newly arrived heroes. She just wanted to get to the truth, wanted to know where he was. She watched as their eyes traveled downwards to the small bump on her stomach.
“Y-you’re pregnant?” voiced Regina, surprised. The two women before Belle exchanged glances and it only angered her further. Her hands were trembling by her sides as she did all she could to contain her anger.
“What’s going on?” Charming appeared at that moment, followed by a whole crowd of people who wanted to see what was going on. He grew pale when he too saw that she was pregnant.
“Why won’t you tell me where he is?” Belle demanded rather violently and made the rest of them backtrack a little.
“Look, why don’t we discuss this somewhere quiet?” he asked and Belle nodded quickly, glaring at the nosy townsfolk who stood behind them, whispering something about Rumplestiltskin faintly.
She was tired of all the questions they were throwing at each other and she knew screaming at them would only annoy them further. So, she tagged along behind Charming and his family as they walked into the diner. They led her inside of Granny’s and she watched as Regina brought down the blinds. There was a strange silence in the diner, it was the kind you had in funerals when you were mourning for someone. It was only them now. Belle took in a deep breath when Snow sat her down in one of the booths and offered her a small smile.
Charming slid into the seat opposite her while Emma took a step behind her mother and whispered something to a very still Killian. They were all looking at her again with that sympathetic look and she hated it.
“Belle, Rumplestiltskin didn’t…make it back,” the prince muttered as he reached to take her hand in his. She pulled back and watched as he winced slightly. The words seemed to escape his lips in slow motion and she did not want to understand what it meant. This was a cruel joke they were playing on her, she decided.
How could he have not made it back? He always found a way before, hadn’t he?
“He sacrificed himself to save Henry and he wanted you to know that he loved you. There was no other option left and he offered himself in exchange for Henry’s life. He died a hero, Belle,” Charming continued, his eyes never meeting hers once throughout the entire conversation.
Belle didn’t realize she was crying until Charming asked if she needed a tissue. She dabbed away at the tears and stood up a little too fast. Her head spun and she grabbed onto the table to steady herself. Charming moved to help her but she pushed him off her without thinking.
She could not bear to look at any of them now, could not bring any of this to sense. She simply walked to the door, tears flowing free from her eyes. She heard them muttering behind her and pretended as if she couldn’t hear them. Belle knew it was rude of her to walk out there when it was obvious they weren’t done explaining but she found that she did not care one bit. They could take their sorry's back to the Underworld for all she cared.
She exited the diner and passed by the people there without a second glance. She did not know where she was going but she supposed anywhere was better than in there. Her thoughts were running wild and she could not control them anymore. Everything was happening too fast for her to comprehend. Nothing made sense to her at the time.
Her legs brought her to a stop and she hesitated a little before stepping into the dimly lit pawn shop. She was not surprised to see it was unlocked, after all, he had left it that way three months ago. She’d always thought he’d left it open for her, so she’d have one last reminder of him here. Maybe he’d known all along that he wouldn't have made it back hence leaving the shop unlocked, his antiques cluttered about from the night before he'd departed for the Underworld.
She moved to the back of the shop and settled onto the small bed in the corner. She sat there for a while, staring off into the distance until her eye caught sight of something she’d almost forgotten about. Moving to the cupboard, she staggered a little as she opened the door and took the small cup out.
It was their chipped cup and at first sight, it looked almost broken. There were rough cracks lining the walls of the cup as though someone had glued the pieces back together. She held it to her chest as she made her way back to the bed, her cheeks wet once more.
She curled herself there and placed a soft kiss on the cup. Belle fell asleep between the sheets, her hand never once letting go of the little chipped cup.