video.

[beltet]

Um. [ there's a girl in the video, in what looks like some kind of hospital gown, sweater, and coat. her brown hair is long and tangled, and she looks.. a little freaked out. (who can blame her?) she crosses her arms a little defensively across her chest, shifting from foot to foot and leaning down slightly to peer uncertainly in the mirror. ] I-- I guess this is a way to communicate? [ a short, slightly hoarse laugh. ] It's-- nostalgic, I guess. It makes me homesick-- magic, I mean. Not that I always.. approve, but..

[ she trails off, taking a ragged breath and leaning back, glancing away. ]

This is-- Canada? I-- I was in Storybrooke just a few minutes ago. [ a shudder, and she presses the heels of her palms to her eyes, shoulders hunching inward slightly, before offering another laugh, this one just a touch hysterical. ] I swear I'm going to start screaming if that was all some kind of-- hallucination. It's not-- It's not fair.

Comments

[beltet]

[ the comment prompts a brief, slightly rusty laugh, shaking her head. ]

I'm fine, I promise.

[ he still looks-- human. granted, he'd looked human two hours ago after bringing magic into storybrooke, as well, but.. maybe this means that there's no magic in this place? she's cautious about hoping for something like that, but.. she's so tired of curses.

there's a slightly awkward moment where she hesitates, arms still crossed loosely over her ribs-- but then she seems to relax again, reaching out to curl her arms around him in a fierce, trembling hug. ]

I'm so-- glad you're here, I was so worried.

[faustianism]

[There is magic. Even if he wasn't able to make any, this thing, this Core, that could bring people back from the dead; that, that was magic. Even something he could never do, had tried and failed. This place did it.

And when she wraps her arms around him, he can feel her tremble. Feel her shaking, just a bit, and in another moment, when he wraps his arms around her, the trembling is not just from her.]

I thought... I thought you were dead. [He whispers this, forgetting for a moment the fact that they were outside. That she was dressed in ratty clothes, that he might be seen showing the world what he cared about.]

[beltet]

[ she blinks, tipping her head back to peer up at him, expression faintly puzzled. ]

You said something like that in your shop back in Storybrooke, too. [ freeing one hand from around him, she reaches up, brushing his hair back with a fond, slightly teasing smile. ] No faith in me, my dear Mr Gold? I did all right for myself after I left. [ eventually. ]

I-- [ a pause, gaze dropping again to somewhere around his collarbones, fingers tightening in his jacket. ] I wondered about you a lot. As much as I hate your deals, I was still happy to hear people talk about them, because it meant you were fine.

[faustianism]

[Whoa whoa whoa wait. Hold up. What? Back at his shop? His shop in Storybrooke? What is she talking about? The shock on his face isn't hidden, not even a little. There was everything she said about when she left, and what Regina had told him ran through his mind. Going home, her father and what he did, being locked in the tower, throwing herself off it...

He'd never been able to go back there, after hearing about it. But back to the part that still had him in shock. He slowly extricated himself from her, just a little bit, holding her in front of him, both hands on her shoulders.]

When did you see my shop in Storybrooke?

[beltet]

[ she blinks at the question, puzzled. he ought to know that, they'd just-- come from it, hadn't they? ]

Just a bit ago, before arriving here. I still had my Storybrooke memories, but-- a man freed me from the ward and told me to find a Mr Gold. That you'd protect me.

[ she bites her lip, gaze sliding away slightly. ]

Then you-- took me to a well, and that's when the spell broke. I remembered everything, and you.. brought the magic to that world. Do you really not remember?

[faustianism]

I would have remembered that. [Yes, he would have remembered that that happened. Bringing magic back into the world? There was only one way to do that, and it was just a little convoluted. Several things needed to happen first.

Did Booth succeed, then? Did Emma believe? She had to have, for this to happen. This place negated the curse, freeing the magic in each of them, now, but. But.]

Has anyone explained the idea of timelines to you? That we are all taken from some point in time, but not from the same as everyone else. [He holds her by the shoulders, moving her so she would look into his eyes, not away.] Belle. Do you understand? You're from the future. Our future. We know now what happens, because you told me.

[Did she realize what this meant? Once again, he held the power over whoever from home came here. He would know what they did not.]

We will be together, here. [He moved his hands from her shoulders to her face, cupping her cheeks and tilting her head up to look at him. He smiled.] I will protect you. Nothing will hurt you, not while I'm here.

[beltet]

[ from the future? .. well, honestly, it's not even the strangest thing she's ever heard, so sure, why not.

she tips her head up willingly as he cups her face, her own fingers curling gently around his wrists. she can't help but return the smile, warm and loving and, god, happy. she can't even remember the last time she was happy. (maybe the moment she'd kissed him.)

but then she pauses, the smile fading slowly as she considers his words and what she knows about him. he always has to be a step (or three) ahead of everyone else, and that's-- fine, certainly, but not when it hurts other people. ]

.. Rumpelstiltskin. [ she turns her head slightly, brushing a brief kiss to his wrist, expression solemn when she meets his eyes. ] You won't hurt anyone over me, right? I mean.. you're different, now. Aren't you?

[faustianism]

[She did always know him... not best, but better then the rest. She knew when he could twist his words; everyone knew he was twisting his words, when they spoke to him. But they never knew what it was exactly what they were.]

What was done to you, Belle, is unforgivable. I won't let them get away with this, the ones that did this. They need to be punished for it, and I am the one who will grant them that.