Hello Dearies!

Sorry I've been taking sooo long I've been caught up and I'm taking a summer session :/

But, I'm sorry I left some of ya'll stranded!

I'm glad though that ya'll have stuck with this little story!

Once has come to an end.

Sadness until September.

But there will most def be some angsty/dark fanfic from me for a while!

I love my feedback sooo much ya'll seriously I truly take it into consideration and read every wonderful review.

All of ya'll should be Once writers!

Chapter 27

Rumplestiltskin pulled out all the stops when he explained the Dark curse to Regina.

He even went so far as to show her the future in which she would be living in….and winning.

Finally.

As he wove a blanket of magic before her that showed in full flesh exactly how miserable and weak Snow White would be, he couldn't help but see that bright sixteen year old smile bleeding through all the layers of maquillage and hate.

It made his mouth taste of iron.

If anyone dare to twist and warp his daughter the way he had done Regina over a decade ago he would not hesitate in ripping their heart out and crushing it to dust in front of them.

Or skin them alive….

Like he planned to do to Maurice….

"You have spoken true!" Regina beamed.

"I shall have my revenge."

Quickly Rumplestiltskin painted his usual wicked smirk across his face as he laughed out a squeaky, "Did you ever hear of me telling a lie my pet?!"

Regina rolled her eyes and gave him an accusing look.

"I'm not even going down that road with you."

He giggled and waved his hands around like a mad-man, even though his concentration was waning terribly and his mind was drifting to Belle, he struggled to stay in character.

"So dearie," he began as he took a seat on the edge of her bed, "bring me the curse and I shall tell you how to enact it properly since you lack the intelligence to do it yourself like a big girl."

Regina froze.

She didn't have the curse.

Maleficent did.

Rumple will skin her alive.

"Do we really need to do this now?"

She nervously fluffed the black lace collar of her gown .

He cocked his head and wrinkled his brow, "Yesssss." he hissed, "We need to do this now!"

Regina knew that tone.

He was agitated and anxious.

The Beast was right at the surface ready to leap out.

"Well I do hate to disappoint you Rumple but I have a rather pressing engagement to attend to at the moment, we'll have to continue this later."

She whipped around and grabbed the cathedral train of her gown as she stormed to the great double doors only to have them slam in her face; bolted with magic far greater than her own.

"I never did have much patience for liars your highness."

Regina stared at the sealed doors.

"Now, give me the Dark Curse."

His voice was deadly calm.

Regina ringed her hands nervously and turned to face him.

Why was she so afraid of him?

Because he was the Dark One and no one crosses the Dark One….

"I don't have it."

Her voice was a meek whisper; like a little mouse.

Only he could make her feel lower than dirt.

"Could you repeat that for me dearie?"

"I don't have it anymore."

"What do you mean you don't have it anymore?!"

"How dare you raise your voice to me you evil little imp!"

Within the blink of an eye Regina was being bound by magic as she rose higher and higher into the air.

Her struggle against it was pointless, just as it had been when her mother had used it on her flowering adolescent body.

"Now your majesty," he spat as he circled her suspended body wrapped tightly in his black magic, "How could you possibly lose this curse that I entrusted you with totally?"

"I didn't say I lost it!" she managed to choke out.

"Then what happened to it? It didn't just sprout legs and walk away did it dearie!"

Regina writhed and fought against the barriers that were crushing her.

"You told me to do it!"

He stopped and waved his hand making the invisible bonds even stronger before barking out, "What are you talking about?"

"Maleficent!"

Time passed sluggishly for Belle now that she was alone.

Rumplestiltskin had not attempted to connect with her through the mirror and she had begun to become a little worried.

She tried to keep her mind occupied by reading all night and sleeping most of the day, usually not rising before six or seven in the late evening.

She explored forgotten bedrooms and abandoned salons.

She wore his clothes just to keep his smell with her at all times.

She was besotted and proud of it.

After all, she was as good as his wife.

At night she always barricaded herself in his chambers, normally with a new novel plucked from the dusty shelves of the massive library he had gifted her so long ago.

She would curl into his bed or before a roaring fire on his many fur blankets and read until the sun peeked over the snow topped mountains.

She had no fear of anyone finding the castle and harming her for Rumplestiltskin had cloaked the entire Dark Castle before he left with a shielding spell.

No one would be able to trespass.

So there Belle was, alone in a larger than life castle with only one thing to do.

Wait.