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shadowedoracle · 5 years

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An Unconventional Gift

Happy Rumbelle Christmas in July! This is my RCIJ gift for the lovely @moonlight91. I’m sorry you had to put up with me and my poor communication when my life and health overtook me in the last month. Also I’m sorry I drifted over into the next day -- I’ve no idea what timezone you’re in but I’m sure it’s well in Sunday wherever you are.

I hope you enjoy your gift. This what happens when I come up with a new idea so you have a complete gift and write it all at the last minute. I enjoyed working on it even if it wasn’t my initial idea and is perhaps quite different to what you were expecting from your prompt. I’m planning on posting my initial idea too at some point so if you have any interest in seeing that I’ll hopefully post the prologue and first chapter soon.

Summary: Rumple brings a baby back to the Dark Castle.

Enchanted Forest AU and canon-divergent.

Prompt: Fairytale Murder

Rating: G

Notes: Fluffy and but also angsty because that’s what apparently happens when I decide to try to write fluff.

Also because I decided to write this new idea at totally the last minute please let me know if you see any typos because I haven’t obsessively been through this as many times as I normally would before posting.

Warnings: Depression (not in any real depth or detail but it is there).

[AO3]

“And then I reached into her chest and do you want to know what happened next?”

There was a high pitched giggle that was answered by a happy little burble.

“Do you? Yes of course you do.” The high voice trilled. “You’re going to be the baddest and most evil of sorcerers when you grow up.” A scaled green-grey scaled hand reached into a carry basket and tickled light haired baby’s stomach. “Yes, you are. You are, you are.” An excited shriek echoed through the large hall.

Rumplestiltskin grinned at the baby. “Yes. You are and I’ll teach you all there is to know. It’s actually quite simple. You see, little one, the thing you have to remember is people turn to me in times of need, out of desperation, for things they can or won’t do for themselves. It’s amazing what people will ask an evil sorcerer to do for them. You just have to know how to extract the right price for your services. You will want to remember that for yourself later.”

The baby stared back at the sorcerer solemnly, then gave a little twitch of her head which, if you squinted at it carefully enough, you could just about interpret as a nod. The sorcerer’s grin widened and was answered by a small, almost wry, quirk of the lips from the baby. Could babies have a wry sense of humour?

Then again this one seemed to be one of those children who was born an adult in all but body. Her intense blue eyes gleamed with intelligence as if she was in fact taking copious mental notes. If she could have held a pen she surely would have been taking actual notes. She would surely grow up to be a scholar of great renown. Or would have if she had been born into a world that readily allowed women to become scholars.

The sorcerer, snorted to himself, that was of course, a stupid a narrow minded view. Not that he expected anything less from the fools of this land any more. He’d been alive for centuries and how much had changed? Precious little. Women, rich and poor still, died in childbirth and far too many infants never lived to adulthood. The lands were still mostly ruled by the same noble families, mostly by men (although there were notable exceptions), the poor were still expected to give their lives in the battles the noble families fought between each other and occasionally existential threats such as ogres.

Which really reinforced to him how little had changed -- they were still fighting ogres wars of all things. He had always believed when he had been called up to fight them that they would finally have stopped the ogres in their tracks once and for all. Of course he’d been a naive fool back then and now understood something of the harsh barrenness of many of the ogres’ lands and the complicated nature of ogre politics. They weren’t nice and fluffy creatures (then again neither was he) but they weren’t all the rampaging senseless villains most humans believed them to be.

Well all humans he’d ever met in fact except perhaps the one living in his castle. He didn’t think he’d met another person in his life who so much as considered that perhaps not all ogres were monsters. Some would have mistaken such compassion for softness but then only one who had never clashed minds with Belle would have ever have thought her soft. She was gentle in many ways but soft implied that she was weak and malleable and his Belle was neither of those things.

She also wasn’t his Belle. She might have come with him as part of a deal and have been his maid (although with the all the Castle’s self-cleaning spells and other spells to provide food and drink she was barely even that at times) but she most certainly wasn’t his in the way he sometimes wished she could be. She would never look at him that way. If he was a better man he could have released her from her deal with him and let her go out into the world and find the happiness she deserved. But he was still a monster, a selfish one at that, and he couldn’t bear to lose the light she had brought back into his life.

He knew one day he would find his son but that seemed a long way off most days. Before her there had been so many times when he wouldn’t rise from his bed for weeks when the despair over the loss of Baelfire consumed him. But with Belle here even the darkest days were easier. Having someone who would smile at him and even if she was not able to fix his problems somehow made those days less unrelentingly terrible.

She also would not allow him to mope and feel sorry for himself for too long. The first time he had fallen into one of his dark spells after she’d arrived and holed himself up in his chambers, she had waited three days before hammering on his door and then barging her way into his inner sanctum when he didn’t respond. He supposed he could have used magic to lock his door but he’d been so startled it hadn’t ever occurred to him. He’d never bothered with any locks, magical or otherwise until he given her her own suite of rooms and wanted to make sure she’d feel safe from anyone, including him.

Even that first time Belle hadn’t asked him any questions and just taken one look at his pathetic form and walked out. He’d assumed that she wouldn’t be back -- who would after looking at his matted and wild hair, his crumpled night shirt and his twisted bedsheets from his nightmares? He sincerely wished the legend that the Dark One didn’t need sleep was in fact correct when the nightmares over took him. But his little maid had surprised him. She’d returned less than five minutes later with a glass of water and a book. She’d placed the water on his bedside and after looking around his room and discovering that he had no chairs in the room sat down beside him on his bed and began to read to him.

He supposed if he were a better man he would have summoned a chair for her but he wasn’t one. If this was to be the only way he would ever have Belle in his bed he would not pass up the opportunity. So he had lain there entranced by the sound of Belle’s voice and the tale of the hero Gideon. She had read to him for hours and while the heavy feeling in his heart and his limbs was still there somehow it wasn’t quite as bad as it had been before.

Hours later she laid down the book looked him in the eyes. She had smiled somewhat sadly at him and he felt a stab of guilt at idea he someone made his little Belle feel sad. But before he could apologize and grovel for her forgiveness, she had stood up an informed him in no uncertain terms that she didn’t think he’d eaten in at least three days (he hadn’t but hadn’t really noticed) and that she expected him downstairs for dinner. Since he could think of no way to reply to that or how to argue with the fierce and stubborn creature that was his maid he’d acquiesced.

Ever since then whenever he’d have one of his episodes she’d come to his room and read, sometimes out loud to him and other times silently to herself. Either way she would always sit next to him keeping him company. Sometimes she’d absent-mindedly reach out and stroke his hair and it was all he could do not to purr. He would have liked it if she touched him like that out of true affection and not pity but he couldn’t stop in taking comfort from them. They were a soothing balm for his ancient dark and misshapen soul.

She never asked him any questions during those times -- which was a good thing as he didn’t trust himself to answer them without soaking her shoulder in tears. She simply was there and all she seemed to expect was that he managed to magic himself from bed at least once a day to appear for a meal that she’d make with her own rudimentary cooking skills. Some of the concoctions she’d laid in front of him tasted truly terrible he had to admit. But the idea that she cared about him enough to try to make him a chocolate cake was to him a far sweeter gift than her simply instructing the castle to make one for her (and not just because she’d gotten the salt and sugar confused).

No his little maid was kind and compassionate towards him and he had found himself slowly opening himself up to her in a way he hadn’t to anyone ever before. Not even with Milah. Belle might have just been his maid and gradually becoming, dare he hope a friendly companion? He couldn’t hope to yet have met the bar for a friend yet but she was a constant in his life that even a year ago he never would have believed possible. Now he was about to change both their lives. He just hoped that she would be pleased and not mad at him about it. Maybe he ought to have consulted her first?

A loud wailing broke though his reverie. He looked back to the baby and took in the red screwed up little face.

“Hush now. Little one. Hush. What’s wrong now? I’m sure it’s nothing we can’t fix.”

He reached into the basket and stroked her cheek. She took a big breath and for a moment it seemed like that was all that would be needed to calm her. But then she let out an even louder cry and it seemed that that hope would be in vain. He sighed and took the tiny little one into his arms, sniffing her slightly as he did so. That wasn’t the issue it seemed.

She was lighter than Bae had ever been to hold even though he thought from some of the other signs that she must be at least a month or two old by now. Of course he hadn’t arrived home until weeks after Bae’s birth but he was certain Bae had never been this tiny even as a newborn. His anger stirred as he felt how thin the babe was in his arms.

A quick thought later and a leather bottle appeared in his hand and he shifted the baby in his arms slightly and tilted the bottle so that the teat was in front of its mouth. He hoped that the nipple shaped object in front of it would be enough for the babe to work the rest out but apparently he had slightly over-estimated its intelligence at this stage at least. He shook head, amused at his own stupidity and gently opened the baby’s mouth and placed the bottle’s nipple inside. For a moment she seemed confused but then she gave an experimental little twitch of her mouth and her whole being seemed to relax as she began to drink more enthusiastically.

“That’s it. Drink up little one. There’s more where that came from. Infinitely more, in fact. Now I should go back to telling you your story where was I? I was telling you about how I murdered that women who wanted to harm you. Yes? Now I had dispatched the first two and the final was one was choking on my magic when I reached into her chest and I out her heart.”

There was a crash from behind him and the large doors to the Great Hall flew open and Belle came rushing into the room.

“Rumplestiltskin, I didn’t realize you were back already. Do you want your tea now or later? And what was that noise just now? I could have sworn I heard a baby crying but...”

She trailed off as the sorcerer turned towards her and she caught sight of the small bundle in his arms. His generally soft and good natured maid’s countenance took on a much sterner and frosty appearance as she glared at him.

“And where, pray tell, did that come from?” She tapped the heel of her foot against the floor while he tried to remember how to make his mouth work.

“It’s not what you think, Belle.”

“And what precisely is it that you think I think?” Her stony expression almost made him cringe before he reminded himself sternly that he was the Dark One and he did not cringe to before his maid no matter how much her liked her or how sharply he could feel the points of the her stare piercing into his skin.

“Well… You probably think I broke my promise I made to you after that whole, er, um, incident with Jack and Jill’s baby. But I didn’t. I swear.”

“Then where exactly did it come from? It didn’t just appear out of thin air.”

He gave a nervous little giggle, “No, no, of course not my dear… I mean, dearie. I was getting to that. You see there was this village that called on me to help it deal with a problem it was having. The town’s babies had all gone missing from their cribs overnight. Their parents woke up pleased at first with a good night’s rest because of not having been awakened in the night to discover they had all gone. So I was called by some of the parents to help them find their children.”

“For a price.”

He rolled his eyes. “Well of course for a price. The Dark One doesn’t do anything for free and he most certainly does not do good deeds. But you needn’t worry about the price, it was just some gold the families offered up. Nothing more, er, exotic, this time.”

“Then how did you get her”, a quick nod of that beautiful head towards the bundle in its arms, “if not as the price?”

“I’m getting to that bit. Now I can see you’re not in the mood for the clever little bit of magic I did to find the children right now. But it was a particularly good piece of magic to find them so quickly, if I do say so myself.”

His maid didn’t look the least bit impressed with that.

He swallowed hard. “Right. Anyway, so I tracked the children to a cave in the middle of the Infinite Forest. A trio of those gnats who call themselves ‘Fairy Godmothers’ had taken them in the hopes of using their blood to enhance their powers. They weren’t the first ones, just the first time they’d branched out to taking a whole village. Which was foolish if they’d hoped to go unnoticed but it seems from what I found there they’d done enough experiments to ascertain that this would likely have worked. Well… I’m dark but I’m not like that.

“I dealt with the fairies then returned the rest to their homes but this one was well left over, nobody claimed her or even knew whose she was. I tried to track her parents with magic but there was no trace of them. There’s only one reason for those that particular spell to fail -- if they’re dead. So she’s an orphan, see.”

Belle’s face had softened during his explanation and while she still looked serious she looked more like her usual self. He became aware that the sucking on the bottle had stopped too. He removed the bottle from the girl’s lips and vanished the bottle.

“And so what are you planning on doing with her now?”

He gulped and stared down at baby to give himself courage.

“Well it seems that she needs a home.” He glanced back up at Belle but she seemed to be more focused on the baby in his arms. That was good. Maybe she wouldn’t be too mad about this after all.

“And well, I was, er, wondering if you wanted her.”

Belle’s eyes snapped back up to his face. She looked at him, startled.

“Me?”

He suddenly wondered if perhaps this was a bad idea and that maybe he should have asked her whether she wanted a child before bringing one back for her. She’d never wanted her marriage to Gaston perhaps she hadn’t wanted children either. It would hurt to give this child up if she didn’t want her. In less than a day he’d become rather fond of the little one. But he could hardly keep her if Belle didn’t want her, he wasn’t a fit and proper person for such a task on his own.

“Well… That is if you, um… If you want to of course. It’s just you seemed quite fond of that one baby but gave up on marriage and all that life to come here with me. We agreed that I wasn’t to take any as part of deals any more but I thought this might be, um, a mutually agreeable way for you to get that chance.”

“Rumple...”

“It’s fine if you don’t want to.” He hurried to add. “I’m very good at finding homes for babies.”

“Rumple...”

“I have experience doing it.”

“Rumple!”

“And I wouldn’t hold it against you in the least...”

“Rumplestiltskin! Will you let me get a word in?”

“Oh, right of course.” He swallowed hard of over the dryness of his throat and unconsciously ran a finger over the forehead of the baby.

Belle smiled at him slightly and took a few steps closer to him and the baby.

“Are you sure about this?” She reached out a hand towards him but stopped just short of touching the baby.

“Yes, yes of course.”

“You won’t mind a child running around the place all the time?”

“Why I mind that? Would I have suggested this idea, if I didn’t mean it?”

She shrugged. “You might not have fully thought this through.”

Well he hadn’t but that didn’t mean he was going to regret it if she wanted this.

“Does she have a name?” Her hand grazed the baby’s head as she said it.

“Does that mean you want to keep her?”

She smiled softly her gaze now fully on the baby. “Yes. Yes I want to raise this child with you Rumple.”

He opened his mouth but no sound came out. When she phrased it like that it made it sound like she would be letting him do more help her out every so often. Almost like she would let him help parent the child, almost like they were a couple. He was sure she didn’t meant the latter but perhaps this meant she viewed him as a friend of sorts now? He felt a dampness that felt suspiciously like tears begin to well up in the corner of his eyes. She held out her arms to him and he wordlessly transferred the baby into her waiting arms.

“Why, hello little one.” She smiled one of the most radiant smiles he’d ever seen down at the babe in her arms and she was answered with small little smile. “You’re beautiful aren’t you? What’s your name? Rumple, you didn’t tell me if she had a name yet.”

He didn’t think he could reply, he wasn’t sure he’d seen a more beautiful sight since he’d lost Bae. He swallowed a few times to force the emotions he was feeling down enough so he could answer Belle’s question.

“Yes… Well at least I assume it’s hers it might not be I guess. It was sewn into the blanket I found her in but I suppose that blanket could have belonged to another child first…”

She nodded, “Well let’s assume that it was probably her name then unless it’s truly dreadful.”

He shook his head, “it’s Alice.”

“Alice? That’s a good name. I think it suits her don’t you think?”

He nodded the sight of Belle cooing down at the baby was too much for him to trust himself with words right now.

“Well. Then I guess we’ll have to make a place for you to live, little Alice. We didn’t have much time to prepare but let’s see what the castle can rummage up for us shall we?”

He cleared his throat, “I um, might have taken the liberty of preparing the room next to yours as a nursery. At least until you decide how you want to decorate it of course.”

She smiled at him. “Well let’s start there shall we Alice?”

As she reached the doorway she turned and looked back at him and said, “Oh and Rumple, just so you know, this wasn’t the only way I could have had a child and remained faithful to our deal.”

He nodded wondering what her point was. He supposed she could have found herself some young man in town to get her with child. It didn’t quite seem Belle’s style somehow but perhaps he’d been wrong. She rolled her eyes slightly and he watched the slight crinkles form at the sides of them as smiled at him.

“Just the next time you decide you want to raise a child with me Rumple, perhaps consult me first? We could try the traditional route of acquiring one. I hear it’s a lot of fun.”

And with that she breezed out of the room while he stood gaping after her.

#Rumbelle Christmas in July #Moonlight91 #Rumbelle Christmas in July 2019 #RCIJ #RCIJ 2019 #OUAT #OUAT Fan Fiction #Rumplestiltskin #Enchanted Forest Belle #Rumbelle #Rumbelle Fan Fiction #Alice #My Fan Fiction #Fic: An Unconventional Gift

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boushh2187 · 5 years

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Returning Home - RCIJ 2019

Title: Returning Home

By: boushh2187

Gift for @pissedoffatouat

Prompt: post3x11, no resurrection, Belle deals

Word Count: 2,350

Rating: G

Author’s Note: I hope you enjoy this @pissedoffatouat. I had a good time writing it. I have an idea for a sequel but I thought it might stray from what you wanted. If you want an extension of this in the future let me know. :)

Summary: Belle travels back to the Dark Castle after having lost Rumple. Post 3x11 AU.

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The night was warm for the time of year in The Enchanted Forest. The moon was bright in the clear sky. Everything seemed calm and quiet. Crickets chirped in the background. Robin’s band of merry men were gathered around a crackling fire on the outskirts of Snow White and Prince Charming’s castle. Little Roland’s voice carried through the air as he laughed at Little John’s jokes.

Belle smiled as she watched them from afar. They seemed happy, even though the Enchanted Forest always seemed to be filled with adventure and danger. Belle was likely embarking on a dangerous path herself. She had borrowed Philippe from the stable. The brown and white gelding was her favorite of the horses here, and reminded her of her own Philippe from her childhood. She had managed to avoid the stable boys and saddled him up herself. She had enough provisions for the journey as well.

She walked quietly from the stable with the horse at her side. She was going to come close to the group by the fire, but there was no other way. The path was that way and she had no other choice unless she wanted to go through the dense forest at night. She knew she could leave during the early hours of the morning, but she didn’t want to risk some of the early risers of their group of friends. Sometimes she felt that they probably wouldn’t notice if she left. They were often caught up in their own drama, as Rumple used to call it. She chuckled at that. She and Rumple had more than their fair share of drama too. Belle sighed and stroked Philippe’s neck, and busied herself with checking his bridle. She had a long journey ahead of her and she couldn’t afford the tears at the moment. There would be plenty to come no doubt, just as there were when Rumple first took down Peter Pan and vanished into a white light.

There was a rustling sound behind her and Belle put her head down and attempted to move away with Philippe blocking her from view. “Belle?” a familiar voice called out. Belle swore under her breath. It wasn’t like her, but she was frustrated at being found out. She looked briefly behind her and caught a glimpse of an overly large figure. “Belle?” the figure called again. Belle sighed and turned around.

“Hi Neal,” she said, and looked up. The extra height was accounted for by Roland, Robin’s son, who was sitting on Neal’s shoulder and pulling at the tree twigs above. “Hi Roland.” She smiled as she watched the boy for a moment.

“Where are you going at this time of night?” Neal asked. He put Roland down and gave him a little nudge. “Head back to your Papa, Roland. I have to talk to Belle for a second.” Roland ran off towards the jovial group by the fire. It was well past his bedtime, Belle noted.

“Neal, there’s just someplace I have to go, and I don’t want anyone to stop me.”

“Where do you have to go so urgently that it can’t wait until morning?”

“It can wait, but I didn’t want anyone trying to talk me out of my decision.”

Neal looked at her expectantly, and indicated that she elaborate. Belle sighed. This was Rumple’s son. She couldn’t lie to him about this.

“I’m going to the Dark Castle.”

“What? Why?”

“The Dark Castle?” a new voice repeated. Robin came up to them, and put his hands on his hips.

“Yes. I just… I just want to visit. Long ago I was making my way back to that castle… back to Rumple, before Regina took me prisoner and kept me captive for over 28 years. I just want to finish the journey I started back then.”

Neal was shaking his head, and Robin stepped forward. He put a hand on her shoulder. “Belle, that castle is locked up tight. We lived there for a while. It was a good shelter for us when we needed it, but suddenly it closed itself off to us little by little. It was like there was a presence there that didn’t want us anymore. We lost complete access to it and were forced to leave. I’m afraid going there would be nothing more than viewing the castle from afar.”

“I agree with Robin. I don’t know if it’s worth that trip, Belle. We don’t know what dangers are out there. Ogres are about, and I know I don’t have to tell you how dangerous they are.”

“I understand your concerns, both of you. I have some magic with me that can protect me from ogres, trust me. And that castle… that castle knows me. Maybe it locked you out, but it might still let me in.” She was fairly confident that she was correct.

“Well if your mind's made up, then I’m going with you,” Neal said.

“Neal, I can take care of myself. I can go on my own and reminisce, and then I’ll return. You don’t have to worry.”

“Maybe I want to reminisce too.”

“Neal, you barely stayed at that castle, from what you told me.”

“I know, but my father’s things were all still there when I was there last. I’m sure you’re going because you want to feel closer to him too.”

Belle looked down and nodded slightly. She had other reasons for going as well, but she wasn’t going to reveal those reasons just yet.

“OK, well so do I. Let’s go together. It’ll be like a road trip.” Neal grinned.

“I don’t know what this road trip is, but I can help you on your journey and make sure that you arrive safely,” Robin added. Belle began to protest. “I won’t take no for an answer, Belle. You helped me when I needed it most. I want to return the favor.”

Belle smiled, “Thank you. Thank you both.”

“So let’s leave in the morning then, yes?” Robin suggested.

Belle nodded and led Philippe back to the stable.

“Maybe this will be good for both of us, Belle,” Neal suggested, as they walked together. Perhaps he was right… especially if her other suspicions turned out to be true.

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The trip to the castle was long and not without incident. They met up with a rogue group of ogres that blocked their way. However, Belle’s temporary shrinking powder helped with that. She didn’t want to permanently hurt them, and she wasn’t sure negotiating with them would be fruitful at this time. Neal and Robin were good companions. They were both capable and kept up good spirits for the journey.

Within a few days they were standing before the castle. The surrounding grounds were quiet. Nothing seemed to be amiss, though the castle and the grounds did seem to be a little worse for wear in some areas. It had likely stood vacant for all of the years they had been away in Storybrooke. Belle began to walk closer to the main entrance, and she heard Robin and Neal draw their weapons. Robin’s bow always struck true, and she heard that Neal was a good fighter with his bade.

She stood before the large doorway. The breeze swept her hair out of her face, and the capes of the three companions billowed slightly. Belle could hear Robin and Neal breathing quickly in anticipation. Yet nothing had happened yet. No one stormed out of the castle, nor did the door open.

Belle stepped another foot closer and kept on moving towards the doors. Just as they had done countless times before they opened just as she reached them. She walked through the doorway and into the Dark Castle for the first time in more than 30 years. She sighed deeply in relief.

“I can’t believe it,” Neal said.

“She must still have a connection to this place,” Robin mused. “But we must keep our guard up, just in case.”

“Just in case,” Neal agreed.

Belle heard their conversation as they followed behind her. They were on their guard, as was she, truth be told. There was no telling if someone hostile had taken residence there, or if there was another reason for the castle to force Robin and friends out.

They explored the castle without encountering anyone. Room to room they went. Belle felt at home in this place, even if it was home to the darkness. She stood up on the ladder and opened up the curtains in the great room, just as she had done long ago. They were dusty, and she sneezed.

“This place could use a good clean,” she said with a laugh.

“Yes, we weren’t much for cleaning, I’m afraid,” Robin said. He moved on to a nearby room, while Neal stayed behind.

“You know I fell from this ladder once,” Belle said, as she climbed back down.

“Were you hurt?” Neal asked.

“Oh no. Luckily, Rumple was there to catch me. It was one of the first times I saw him for who he was, and not what the darkness made him.”

“You know, it wasn’t just the darkness though. He had a rough life. I knew that. We both did.”

“Very different from mine,” Belle said, as she stepped up to the large spinning wheel in the room. “Though all of us lost family…”

“We used to spin and sell the wool,” Neal continued. It was a good trade, and he was very good at it. If only we could have moved somewhere and found someone who would have found it useful, and didn’t think my father was a coward.”

Belle smiled, “He would spin wool and spin the straw into gold here, as well.” He said it helped him forget. I guess it must have helped him forget the hardships, and the heartache of losing you. He used to spin, quite a lot, really”

“Must have been his comfort zone.”

“Reading is mine. He’d spin, and I would read to him sometimes. I’d sit on this settee and read, and listen to the wheel. It was comforting.”

Belle went and sat down at the wheel, and nudged it to spin it slightly. “I kissed him here, you know.”

“TMI, Belle,” Neal said, amused.

Belle laughed. Perhaps it was, but it helped to talk to someone about her time here. Most people thought she must have been miserable. And at first she was, but she soon wasn’t afraid of Rumple, or the situation, and butted heads with him when he gave in to the darkness, and tried to sway him away from it. She often succeeded, if she did say so herself.

“I kissed him here, and he began to change. It was true love’s kiss, you know. It would have broken the curse.”

“What happened,” Neal asked, as he sat on the nearby settee.

“Rumple fought it. He was afraid I suppose. Maybe the darkness fought it, told him to resist. He also thought he needed it to find you. He was never willing enough to give it up, not when he thought he needed it.”

“Like an addiction.”

“I suppose, but the darkness… I think it’s more like a parasite living inside of him, with its own mind. It’s so powerful… powerful enough to exert influence on someone, if I had to guess. Perhaps the magic and power were the addiction… but the darkness… the darkness was feeding into it for its own purpose.”

“Like a drug pusher.”

“Yes, I think so.” Belle sighed, softly.

“He was a hero in the end.”

“Yes, he was. It doesn’t make me miss him any less. I finally found him again, and we barely had any time. Spent half that time arguing… and making up… and arguing again… and making up again.” She said with a laugh. Her eyes had teared up. She wiped the tears. She knew that Neal noticed and didn’t say anything.

Robin came back in the room. I think those were the last rooms. We’ve gone through this entire place today. It will be dark soon. We should make camp.

“I’m sleeping in here,” Belle announced.

“In this room?” Neal asked, incredulously.

“Belle it’s probably safer outside. We could get locked in here if the castle has a mind to it,” Robin said.

“I don’t think we will. I want to go to my old room.”

“Which one was that?” Robin asked.

Neal laughed. “I think it’s the one with all the books. Am I right?”

Belle smiled. “Yes, it was Rumple’s gift to me. A room filled with books. Enough for a lifetime. I loved it. It was very thoughtful for a man everyone thought was a monster.”

“There are many rooms here, Robin. We could spend the night and head out in the morning.”

“I’m going to stay,” Belle announced. Before either of the men could protest, she continued, “You’re both welcome to stay as well, but Robin I know you want to get back to Roland.”

“I do. Little John is a good man, but I want to be there for my son as much as I can.”

“Of course,” Belle said.

“I’m staying with you,” Neal said, his hands up to fend off any protest. “My papa would want me to, and I want to… at least until you’re ready to head back.”

Belle didn’t think she would be heading back any time soon, but she stepped forward and hugged Neal. “Thank you.” Then she hugged Robin. “Let’s get a good night’s rest before we see you out tomorrow.”

The three of them made a good team, and having Neal with her here would help. He was the only one who could come close to understanding how she was feeling after losing Rumple. And he had the added pain of being separated from his own family. Perhaps they could find a way to get him back to them, and find a way to heal their wounds from having lost Rumple. She didn’t think she could ever truly get over his loss, but this was a start.

#pisseoffatouat #rumbelle christmas in july #rumbelle fanfic #rumbelle fics #rcij 2019 #rumbelle #my stuff #my fics

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ryik-the-writer · 5 years

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Rumbelle fic: A Sitting Deal

A Sitting Deal 6/6

A03 Link

Rating: T+

Summary: With the threat of a rent increase being held over her head, Lacey E. French makes a deal with Mr. Gold to babysit his three-year-old son. Soon however the town troublemaker finds herself getting close to her landlord and son…which just can’t be good!

Note: for my Rumbelle Secret Santa recipient…@of-princes-and-savages, based off the prompt: Hey, who’s kid is this

Lacey began ripping off her clothes as soon as she entered her apartment, releasing a new curse as each item hit the floor.

“Mother everlasting son of a bitch!” she howled as she turned the shower to the hottest level, welcoming the burn.

She scrubbed her skin hard, taking deep breaths to ease away her wracking sobs.

What was she going to do? She was falling hard for the Golds and it was the most unnatural feeling in the world. Lacey wasn’t supposed to fall prey to domesticity. She wasn’t supposed to rearrange her life for other people!

Yet the very idea of doing just that was possessing her. How bad would it be really? To be a friend and companion to a trifling landlord and his heart-stealing little boy?

She was being ridiculous, she thought. Gold says a few nice words and his kid learns her name and she melts? What the hell!

“This is so damn stupid!” Lacey groaned as she collapsed into her bed in nothing but a towel.

There had to be a way for her to wrap her head around all of this, to come up with a plan. She could just quit, but the idea of not seeing that curly-haired heartthrob every day was too painful to think of at the moment.

And Lacey E. French was no quitter, at least not anymore…

The shadow of the past sprang forth an idea for the confused barfly. It was a long-shot, and would probably end in a thorough smackdown, but it was the only shot she had.

With a truckload of hesitation, she called the one person who could help her sort through her most recent pile of wreckage.

“Hello?”

Lacey gulped at the familiar accent. “Belle?”

There was a brief pause and Lacey expected a tone dial to follow, but instead she heard a slight strangled noise.

“Oh my gosh Lacey!” Belle cried. “I…how are you?”

Lacey released a wet laugh, grateful for her twin’s invitation.

“Um, that’s complicated Belle. How about we start with you?”

“Okay,” Belle replied, sounding positively giddy.

Lacey listened somberly as Belle relayed her job as a grad assistant, her rough edged but soft-hearted fiancé, and of course wedding plans.

“I’m sending out wedding invintations later this week. Nick wanted me to have this grand wedding, but I know he hates big to-dos. I said I would be just fine going to the courthouse and then our favorite bar afterwards, but he said his colleagues would string him up over the physics department if he denied them this.”

Lacey chuckled. “I like this guy,”

“You’ll love him. He reminds me of you in a way.”

Lacey frowned. She certainly hoped the man holding her sister’s heart wasn’t a thing like her.

“Now,” Belle continued. “Let’s here about you. How’s old Storybrooke?”

Lacey scoffed. “Same as ever, though Granny added spaghetti to her menu for some reason.”

“Wow, it’s really come up,” Belle joked. “How about you? Will you be bringing a date to my wedding?”

Lacey blushed at the very idea of being serious enough with Gold that he would come to such an affair with her. Although she’d imagined him and Bae both would look just charming in a tux—

“Son of a bitch!”

“Lace?” Belle gasped.

Lacey groaned. “Belle, I’m in real shit here.”

She quickly relayed to her sister the weeks happenings, her deal with Gold, her time with Bae, and her strange uncertain feelings she didn’t know what to do with.

“Whoa.” Belle sighed on the line. “That’s…different.”

“It’s fucking stupid is what it is!” Lacey returned. “I don’t get it! I have one conversation with the guy and share some animal crackers with his kid and suddenly I’m a pig-tailed lamebrain!”

“Did you really put your hair in pigtails?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Lacey barked. “Tell me what to do! What the fuck’s wrong with me?”

“Sounds like to me Lacey that you’re in love,” Belle teased. “Or more like falling in it.”

Lacey covered her mouth to keep from screaming, the words sounding more terrifying now that they were out in the open.

“I can’t do that Belle,” Lacey sobbed. “I can’t be…that!”

“What, happy?”

“In love, or whatever this shit is!” Lacey yelled. “I’m not right for them! I’ll drag them down with me! I’ll hurt Gold and Bae someway…I don’t want to do that!”

“Lacey calm down,” Belle soothed. “Please.”

Lacey took a moment to breathe, the light tint of static over the phone soothing her back into place.

“It’s okay to be afraid,” Belle coached. “It’s okay to not be ready for this. But it’s not like you have to marry him.”

“Oh god!”

“Hush, let me finish. You don’t have to jump into something you’re not ready for. If Gold’s really as decent as you say he is, he’ll understand! Just talk to him. Let him know how you feel and that you want to take this slow.”

“But Belle…” Lacey cried, her heart pounding. “He deserves so much better than me. I pay my rent in change and my first job since high school has been a half-ass babysitter!”

“Well…maybe we can open you up a checking account, and babysitting is a damn good gig,” Belle encouraged. “And as for you not being good enough for them…”

Lacey held her breath at the long pause Belle took, wondering if she was about to hang up on her and leave her to stew in her own disaster.

“I know what you did for me,” Belle said at last. “I know you didn’t go to college so that I could.”

Lacey’s blood went cold. “The fuck how?” she hissed. She thought she had covered her tracks!

“You’re careless Lace,” Belle pointed out non-accusingly. “You set your acceptance letter on fire, but you didn’t stick around to see if it burned. I found a piece of it left, and I put two and two together.”

Lacey groaned. Classic Lacey move.

“And while we’re on the subject,” Belle voice cracked. “I’m so sorry.”

Lacey blinked. “For what? You did great, and you’re doing exactly what you wanted to.”

“But you didn’t,” Belle stressed. “I should have pushed you to go to school, to do what you wanted. We could have split the money and taken out loans to make up the difference. But I was so selfish, and I thought you just weren’t ready but when you never mentioned Mum’s trust, I figured it out.”

“You were never selfish Belle,” Lacey promised. “You’re kind of right, I wasn’t ready, not really. And you were always destined to do something with your life, to leave this place. You didn’t need to wait around for me to do the same.”

“I would have gladly waited,” Belle said. “But you can’t keep stalling. You deserve to be happy.”

Lacey closed her eyes, feeling a comforting numbness seep into her bones. For so long she had been holding herself back, and now she needed to take a leap.

“I’m scared,” Lacey laughed.

“That’s okay,” Belle consoled. “No matter what happens it will happen because you were in control. And if by some one in a million chance it doesn’t work out, you know where to find me.”

Lacey nodded, wishing her sister were in front of her so that she could hold her.

“Thanks Belle,” Lacey said, the words coming deep from her heart.

“You got it sis,” Belle returned. “Now just what are we going to do?”

Lacey licked her lip, thinking over her options. She’d never been good a planning, and it wasn’t until now that hesitation appeared in her dictionary.

Maybe things would work out if she winged it after all?

“I’ve gotta make a blue print,” Lacey said as she jumped up to find clothes.

“What?”

“Call you tomorrow bye!”

“Lacey wa—”

Lacey hung up on her beloved sister and prepared to meet her fate.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

He shouldn’t have tried to kiss her? What the hell had he been thinking.

Gold had bathed and clothed Bae and taken him upstairs for a story before bed. The boy had longed fallen asleep in his lap, but Gold had yet to leave the rocking chair.

He’d been fearing the worst when he first hired Lacey. He kept closing the shop early just to check in on her and catch her in the act, but he had been woefully shocked to find that—while she had created chaos—it was less damaging than he had expected.

She actually bonded with Bae and did so in her own unique way. It made him proud of her in that moment, proud in his own decision to entrust his son to her.

But his admiration of Lacey French had begun long before they made their deal. Long before he’d even taken in Bae at that.

She hated him as a landlord like any other of his tenants, but she didn’t gripe or moan. She pushed through, even if he had a jar of pennies by the time he got her rent. She’d wink at him when they passed each other in the streets but never expanded on the low-key flirting. She held her self with the upmost confidence and could look men twice her size in the eye without hesitation.

Yet all this time she had been carrying a deep self-loathing. Why hadn’t he seen that she was so sad?

Because he was a cold-hearted bastard. It was a simple but true answer. He hadn’t really cared for anyone, and Milah’s abrupt departure had him wondering why he should try.

But Lacey had changed that somehow, pulled the withered remains out into the light to rejuvenate.

He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what he felt for her, but if his want to kiss her early today was any indication, it was bordering on passion that her rushing out meant she did not want to receive.

Gold kissed Bae’s curls and carefully laid him in his bed. What kind of young woman wanted an old man with a kid? She was too young, too free to be tied down to such a commitment.

He decided as he took off his tie that he’d talk to her about it tomorrow. She’d probably feel uncomfortable and quit, but he’d swallow his hurt and pay her well before she left. He’d even offer to cash in a favor with a colleague from the nearest university to get her in so she could follow her dream.

He’d hate to see her go and lose the small spark of friendship they’d manage to create, but she deserved to take back the happiness she put on hold.

Maybe one day when she was done with her degree she’d teach him to play pool, or she’d come by his shop and just talk.

Or maybe he’d get use to being alone forever.

Just as he was undoing his belt, the doorbell wailed throughout the house. Gold held his breath, counting down and sighing deeply when his son did not begin hollering.

He grabbed his cane and swore to ram it down the throat of whoever was there. He had it poised to kill when he opened the door and found Lacey standing on his front step.

“Lacey,” he breathed, his heart picking up a beat. “It’s late what are you doing here?”

“We need to talk,” she stated simply, pushing past him.

Gold swallowed and closed the door behind him. “What’s going on Lacey—”

“I like you,” she blurted out, only a second of hesitation following her proclamation. “And hell, I like your kid. I don’t know why and I don’t know what to do about it, but I don’t want to act like I don’t feel it.”

Gold watched her fidget and tried to figure out if he was dreaming or not.

“And…years from now when I’m playing dinosaurs with Bae and I tell him about his mom, I want him to know that she was a total idiot because the second he was in my arms it felt impossible to ever let him go.”

Gold blinked, her words filling his chest with a suffocating tightness.

“Look,” she said as she hastily wiped her eyes. “I don’t know what the hell is going on, or what I really feel right now. Maybe I’m just being crazy or some shit but I…just wanted you to know how I felt so that we can get any bullshit that might happen over with.”

Gold stared at her for the longest time, his mouth slightly gaped.

“What!” Lacey cried. “So help me I will punch you in the ribs if you don’t—”

She watched him step closer—slow and careful as to not startle her. When there was only a gap between them, Lacey knew what he was about to do. He was hesitating, just like her. He was uncertain too, not wanting to push something that wasn’t ready to go forward. But he was awaiting her permission as well, and Lacey gave it to her by edging up on her toes and bringing her lips to him.

His were soft, the small bristled of unshaved hair rubbing comfortingly against her cheek. Her hand reached up to his shoulder, slowing rubbing it back and forth. The hand he placed around her waist was lighter, almost afraid.

When they pulled back Lacey was struck with just how brown his eyes were, and the faint scar on his lip that she hadn’t noticed before.

His eyes searched over her like he couldn’t believe what was happening. He had Lacey French in his arms and…she liked him. She actually like him!

“We need to be slow,” he husked.

“Yeah,” Lacey agreed with an excited gulp. “Figure this thing out,”

Gold nodded and for while they stayed comfortably in close proximity, catching whiffs of each other.

But Lacey French wasn’t one to stay still for long.

“Wanna have sex?”

Gold actively flinched, and Lacey waited rather patiently for his response.

“I…” he hesitated, trying to wrap his mind around the audacity that was Lacey French.

Finally, he just stopped thinking and took Lacey’s hand.

“Yes, I believe I do,”

Lacey smirked. “Great,” she began pulling him up the stairs. “Bedroom?”

“First door on your right.”

Lacey bit back an ecstatic smirk.

“Got it, gocha.”

Yes!

#rumbelle christmas in july #rumbelle christmas in july 2019 #rcij #rcij 2019 #of-princes-and-savages #rumbelle fic #rumbelle #golden lace #baelfire #lacey #lacey french #mr. gold #ryik's fics

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rcij4jackabelle73 · 5 years

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Dear @jackabelle73

Firstly, I am so sorry for not being able to send as many weekly anon messages as I had planned. I had lost track of time but I tried to make it up during the past few days.

Second, I am deeply honoured to be your RCIJ this 2019. I hope I did justice to your wonderful prompt. I had many scenarios when it came to the word 'country' but then I accidentally watched the Parent Trap and found myself wanting Belle and Rumple to spend a week in a place like that. (If you need a more visual look, the vineyard in the movie is what I imagined while writing this story.)

Hope it lives up to expectations!

- @wierdogal

Summary: Robert Gold needed to get away from the office. Belle French needed inspiration for her new book. Enter a vineyard, some very helpful family and friends -- and maybe Belle's new book might just mirror reality more than it is fiction.

On AO3

#rumbelle christmas in july #jackabelle73 #rcij 2019 #rcij

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prissyhalliwell · 5 years

Note

Ho ho ho from Santa! Your gift is complete! Just needs a little proofreading and editing here and there. Turned out that the one scene I had left to write ended up getting above itself and turning into two scenes, but it is all done now. I can't wait for Saturday! Hope you're well :-) ~ Santa

I can’t wait! I’m also in the editing stage so hopefully I finish tonight. I can definitely sympathize on the one scene turning into two. It happens pretty frequently to me!

#RCIJ 2019

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mareyshelley · 3 years

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For Your Consideration

Here we are again. Thank you to everyone who nominated and voted for me last year! I hope you’ll consider doing the same this year. If you do, here’s my suggestions for the fics that are eligible this year, for your consideration:

In Lovelier Colours - Best Kink (bloodplay) and Best Horror. Vampire AU where an out of touch vampire!Gold tries to help Belle navigate her way through her new life.

The Deepest Roots - Best AU Belle and Best Creature AU. Written for 2019's RSS. Belle’s a witch and stumbles upon a strange man who lives in a well.

Lipstick Kisses - Best Golden Lace and Best Lacey. Lacey’s plans to distance herself from Gold don’t go as smoothly as she’d hoped.

Endless - Best Historical AU and Best Supernatural. Victorian vampire AU with a masquerade, an aloof Gold, a curious Belle, and a crumbling old manor with an interesting library.

With Rue and Beauty - Best Dark Castle and Best Dark One Belle calls upon the Dark One, months after the Ogres War killed her parents, just to finally meet him for herself.

The Black Veil - Best Mr. Gold and Best Supernatural. My October fic for 2020. Belle and Gold form a supernatural rivalry after a series of misunderstandings.

A Faint Reflection - Best Wish!Rumple. The reunion Wish!Belle and Wish!Rumple deserved, with a little help from some unknown friends.

The Best Offer - Best Movie AU and Best RCIJ. Written for 2020's RCIJ, inspired by the film of the same name. An esteemed auctioneer meets an elusive and enigmatic young heiress.

I’d also be really grateful if you considered me for Best Author. Happy TEAs, everyone! 🖤

#rumbelle #the espenson awards #rumbelle fic #teas 2021 #my fics

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teaespensonawards · 4 years

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Nominations - 1.20.20

The last of the nominations have come in! Here’s the final partial installment.

(Turns out this is hella long, so let’s put it under a read-more!)

Precious Moments, by @jackabelle73 (FLUFF - FAMILY)

Belle's water breaks at a party, by @lotus0kid (FLUFF - FAMILY)

Family Portrait, by @emospritelet (FLUFF - FAMILY)

A Christmas Present for Mama, by @shadowedoracle (FLUFF - FAMILY)

Forgiveness by the Firelight, by belleyonce (FLUFF - COMFORT)

A Life for a Life, by @paradigmparadoxical (FLUFF - COMFORT)

Belle notices she's going gray, by @lotus0kid (FLUFF - COMFORT)

Between Present and Past, by @whitesheepcbd-blog (FLUFF - FIX-IT)

A Step Forward, by evelyn6 (FLUFF - FIX-IT)

The Awakening, by @joylee56 (FLUFF - REUNION)

Babysitting Debacle, by @ryik-the-writer (FLUFF - BEST CHILD FIC)

The Mayor's Chair, by @worryinglyinnocent (FLUFF - BEST CHILD FIC)

A Christmas Present for Mama by @shadowedoracle (FLUFF - BEST CHILD FIC)

In the Blood, by megara_bee (SMUT - KINK)

The Wedding Night by megara-bee (SMUT - BEST FIRST TIME)

The Heart of a Hero, by @mrs-stiltskin (SMUT - BEST AFTERLIFE SMUT)

Seeing Red, by @killingkueen (SMUT - PWP)

One for the Road, by @mrs-stiltskin (SMUT - PWP)

Parent Teacher Conference, by @timelordthirteen (SMUT - PWP)

Cogs, by @maplesyrupao3 (ANGST - WHY?)

The Long Road, by @thestraggletag (ANGST - WHY?)

We'll Have to Muddle Through Somehow, by @thatravenclawbitch (ANGST - DEATH)

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, by @justanoutlawfic (ANGST - OOPS)

Of Comic Books and Sushi, by @worryinglyinnocent (ROMANCE - BEST DATE)

The Attorneys Paralegal, by wandering_willow (ROMANCE - BEST DATE)

The Alphabet Romance by zhanice (ROMANCE - BEST HAMBURGER DATE)

Lava Java, by @betweenpaperpages (ROMANCE - BEST COURTSHIP)

Best Failed Date Ever, by @barpurplewrites (ROMANCE - BEST FIRST MEETING)

A Match Made in Heaven, by @worryinglyinnocent (ROMANCE - BEST FIRST MEETING)

Forward Post, by @worryinglyinnocent (ROMANCE - BEST FIRST MEETING)

The Quill, by @paradigmparadoxical (ROMANCE - BEST FIRST MEETING)

Love Unsought, by @killingkueen (BEST ONE-SHOT)

Come Together, by @thatravenclawbitch (BEST ONE-SHOT)

Why Not?, by @betweenpaperpages (BEST ONE-SHOT)

Quoth the Dark One, by @barpurplewrites (BEST DRABBLE)

In Death, by @timelordthirteen (BEST DRABBLE)

It All Ends Well, by @worryinglyinnocent (BEST POST-EP FIC)

Our Better Decisions, by @theoneandonlylittlebird (BEST POST-EP FIC)

Quoth the Dark One, by @barpurplewrites (BEST COMEDY FIC)

Elevated Hearts, by @b-does-the-write-thing (BEST MOVIE AU)

I Gave You My Heart, by @ishtarelisheba (BEST MOVIE AU)

A New Life, by DJL (BEST MOVIE AU)

The Library Beneath the Clocktower, by @eirian-houpe (BEST BOOK AU)

Around the World in 80 Days (More or Less), by megara_bee (BEST BOOK AU)

Storybrooke Hyperion Teaching Hospital, by @wierdogal (BEST TV SHOW AU)

Penny for Your Thoughts, by @nothingeverlost (BEST TV SHOW AU)

I Must Be Warmer Now, by @ifishouldvanish (BEST AU INSPIRED BY OTHER MEDIA)

Bellissima, by @standbyyourmantis (BEST AU INSPIRED BY OTHER MEDIA)

Storybrooke Marblelympics, by @kelyon (BEST AU INSPIRED BY OTHER MEDIA)

Once Upon a Time in the West, by @joylee56 (BEST HISTORICAL AU)

Fools Rush In, by @worryinglyinnocent (BEST HISTORICAL AU)

Endless, by @mareyshelley (BEST HISTORICAL AU)

A Face for Radio, by @b-does-the-write-thing (BEST AU)

Young Miss, by @nothingeverlost (BEST AU)

In All Things, by @timelordthirteen (BEST AU)

The Champion, by @lotus0kid (BEST AU)

A Sharp and Glorious Thorn, by @thatravenclawbitch (BEST AU!OUAT)

Heartstrings, by dragonbat (BEST AU!OUAT)

The Floofy!verse, by @woodelf68 (BEST SERIES)

The Gingerbread Verse, by @mrs-stiltskin (BEST SERIES)

How Do You Sleep?, by @ifishouldvanish (BEST NOVEL LENGTH FIC)

Writing Our Own Stories, by @wierdogal (BEST NOVEL LENGTH FIC)

The Founder of the Feast, by @lotus0kid (BEST HOLIDAY FIC)

Alabama, Arkansas, by @timelordthirteen (BEST HOLIDAY FIC)

Murder at the Moonlight Inn, by @maplesyrupao3 (BEST HOLIDAY FIC)

I Gave You My Heart, by @ishtarelisheba (BEST HOLIDAY FIC)

Relative Earth, by @maplesyrupao3 (BEST REMIX)

Through the Vortex, by @wierdogal (BEST CROSSOVER FIC)

Something Quite Wonderful, by @spottytonguedog (BEST CROSSOVER FIC)

The Sounding Sea, by @mareyshelley (BEST DARK CASTLE)

Are You All Right?, by jenigweve (BEST DARK CASTLE)

A Wanted Storm, by @maplesyrupao3 (BEST DARK CASTLE)

Flying High, by @ryik-the-writer (BEST STORYBROOKE)

The Moment of Truth, by @leni-ba (BEST STORYBROOKE)

Car Kicking Reduces Stress, by @wierdogal (BEST STORYBROOKE)

The City That Never Sleeps, by @peacehopeandrats (BEST TRAVEL)

Going Back to the Great Wide Somewhere, by @wierdogal (BEST TRAVEL)

A Blind Love, by @lotus0kid (BEST TRAVEL)

True Love, by DJL (BEST MISSING YEARS FIC)

Leaving Storybrooke, by @peacehopeandrats (BEST MISSING YEARS FIC)

How Do You Sleep?, by @ifishouldvanish (BEST ARGUMENT (ANGST))

Nighthawks, Morningbirds, by @ifishouldvanish (BEST GOLDEN LACE)

I Must Be Warmer Now, by @ifishouldvanish (BEST GOLDEN LACE)

Lipstick Kisses, by @mareyshelley (BEST GOLDEN LACE)

Opening Lines, by @emospritelet (BEST WOVEN LACE)

In From the Cold, by @mrs-stiltskin (BEST WOVEN LACE)

Killing Time, by @timelordthirteen (BEST WOVEN BEAUTY)

The Awakening, by @joylee56 (BEST WOVEN BEAUTY)

The World Didn't End, by @timelordthirteen (BEST WOVEN BEAUTY)

Fragments of the Past, Glimpses of Tomorrow, by @wierdogal (BEST BACKGROUND SWANFIRE)

Partners Beyond the Grave, by @wierdogal (BEST AFTERLIFE FIC)

The Heart of a Hero, by @mrs-stiltskin (BEST AFTERLIFE FIC)

Everyone Needs a Hobby, by @woodelf68 (BEST CRACK!FIC)

Pop!, by @barpurplewrites (BEST CRACK!FIC)

Storybrooke Marblelympics, by @kelyon (BEST CRACK!FIC)

Opening Lines, by @emospritelet (BEST DRAMA)

Heartstrings, by dragonbat (BEST DRAMA)

Lack of Reflection, by @barpurplewrites (BEST SUPERNATURAL)

A Safe Place, by @lotus0kid (BEST SUPERNATURAL)

How Soon is Now?, by @nerdrumple (BEST SUPERNATURAL)

Imp Mansion, by @gwenore (BEST SUPERNATURAL)

Endless, by @mareyshelley (BEST SUPERNATURAL)

Nephila, by @kelyon (BEST CREATURE AU)

The Deepest Roots, by @mareyshelley (BEST CREATURE AU)

The Pharaoh and His, Priestess, by @wierdogal (BEST CREATURE AU)

An Unknown Road, by @lotus0kid (BEST UNEXPECTED TWIST)

A Real Hero, by @lotus0kid (BEST UNEXPECTED TWIST)

The Image of Her, by @mareyshelley (BEST UNEXPECTED TWIST)

Fragments of the Past, Glimpses of Tomorrow, by @wierdogal (BEST BOBBY SQUARED)

Battles and Skirmishes, by @thatravenclawbitch (BEST TROPE)

The Golden Veil, by @maplesyrupao3 (BEST TROPE)

Wrong Room, Dr. Rush, by @theoneandonlylittlebird (BEST TROPE)

The Good Alpha, by @cannibalisticshadows (BEST TROPE)

Witness Protection, by @eirian-houpe (BEST RSS)

The Long Road, by @thestraggletag (BEST RSS)

He Thought it Said "SATAN”, by @idesignedthefjords (BEST RSS)

Home For Christmas, by @boushh2187 (BEST RSS)

This Rough Magic, by @0ceanofdarkness (BEST RSS)

Year Walk, by @nerdrumple (BEST RSS)

The Deepest Roots, by @mareyshelley (BEST RSS)

Teach Us Something Please, by @b-does-the-write-thing (BEST RCIJ)

The Runaway Ringmaster, by @lotus0kid (BEST RCIJ)

The Deal, by @thestraggletag (BEST RCIJ)

Love in the Highlands, by @worryinglyinnocent (MONTHLY RUMBELLE (NON-SMUT))

Number Twenty-Six, by @worryinglyinnocent (MONTHLY RUMBELLE (NON-SMUT))

Behind the Mask, by @worryinglyinnocent (MONTHLY RUMBELLE (SMUT))

Real Life and Fantasy, by @worryinglyinnocent (MONTHLY RUMBELLE (SMUT))

Nephila, by @kelyon (RUMBELLE MONSTERFUCKERS BALL)

In a Dreaming Place, by @sieben9 (RUMBELLE BIG BANG)

Spin Me a Tale, by @ifishouldvanish (BEST BELLE)

Human Nature, by @thestraggletag (BEST BELLE)

The Plus One, by @joylee56 (BEST DARK ONE!BELLE)

The Spinner in Chains, by @mrs-stiltskin (BEST DARK ONE!BELLE)

The Runaway Ringmaster, by @lotus0kid (BEST AU BELLE)

Honourable Members, by @emospritelet (BEST AU BELLE)

Command Me to Be Well, by @magnoliatattoo (BEST LACEY)

Lipstick Kisses, by @mareyshelley (BEST LACEY)

Doppelganger, by @celticheartedfangirl (BEST DETECTIVE WEAVER)

First, do no harm, by @iatethebiscuit (BEST DETECTIVE WEAVER)

En Pointe, by @thatravenclawbitch (BEST DETECTIVE WEAVER)

Killing Time, by @timelordthirteen (BEST DETECTIVE WEAVER)

Soul Deep, by @barpurplewrites (BEST DARK ONE)

Kiss, by @nerdrumple (BEST DARK ONE)

Blind Faith, by @maplesyrupao3 (BEST MR. GOLD)

How Soon Is Now?, by @nerdrumple (BEST AU!GOLD/RUMPLE

Neverland, by @emospritelet (BEST AU!GOLD/RUMPLE)

The Plus One, by @joylee56 (BEST SPINNER!RUMPLE)

Finding Home, by @thecompletebookworm (BEST SPINNER!RUMPLE)

Number Twenty-Six, by @worryinglyinnocent (BEST WOOBIE!RUMPLE)

Human Nature, by @thestraggletag (BEST WOOBIE!RUMPLE)

Under Dark Skies, by @mareyshelley (BEST WISH!RUMPLE)

Bae and the Bear and the Bow, by @wierdogal (BEST BAELFIRE/NEAL)

Flying High, by @ryik-the-writer (BEST BAELFIRE/NEAL)

Best Beloveds, by @woodelf68 (BEST GIDEON)

Put Me In, Coach, by @mariequitecontrarie (BEST GIDEON)

Accidental Magic, by @woodelf68 (BEST OC RUMBELLE CHILD)

Fine Print, by @prissyhalliwell (BEST RUMBELLE FIC)

More Precious Than Silver, by @bad-faery (BEST RUMBELLE FIC)

If Only for a Moment, by @ifishouldvanish (BEST ANYELLE)

Questions and Kisses, by @worryinglyinnocent (BEST ANYELLE)

Hatched, by @maplesyrupao3 (BEST ANYELLE)

Lacey has concerns about Danny's suits, by @lotus0kid (BEST ANYEM)

Come back to me, by @virgidearie (BEST FAN ART)

Rumbelle with Baby Gideon, by @cocoadrops (BEST FAN ART)

The Library, by @virgidearie (BEST FAN ART)

Rumbelle Family Seasonal Doodle, by @cocoadrops (BEST FAN ART)

Belle with a bouquet of Rumples, by @staypee (BEST FAN ART)

Take Me Away, by @nropay (BEST COVER ART)

Telephone speech from 2x16, by @agentsphilinda (BEST GRAPHIC ART (GIFS))

Have You Ever Been in Love?, by @timelordthirteen (BEST GRAPHIC ART (GIFS))

RumMARBeLle Date, by @wayamy (BEST AU IN ART)

2019 Goop!Rumple, by @dekujin (BEST AU IN ART)

Rumbelle with Baby Gideon, by @cocoadrops (BEST FLUFF ART)

Rumbelle with Santa Hats, by @cocoadrops (BEST FLUFF ART)

I miss you - We miss you too, son, by @virgidearie (BEST ANGSTY ART)

Because of course he kept her bones, by @staypee (BEST COMIC/GRAPHIC NOVEL)

Real Inside Rumple holding Belle back, by @dekujin (BEST DARK ONE FORM)

Take Me Away illustrations, by @nropay (BEST USE OF COLOR)

(BEST ARTIST) @jenitosam @ripperblackstaff @rumpledspinster @timelordthirteen

(BEST AUTHOR) @mareyshelley @b-does-the-write-thing @of-princes-and-savages @barpurplewrites @wierdogal @maplesyrupao3

(BEST NEW AUTHOR) @kelyon @shadowedoracle

(LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD) @emospritelet @timelordthirteen @desperatemurph @ifishouldvanish

And the Newbie Spotlight will be announced when the winners are after voting is over.

CONGRATULATIONS, EVERYONE!!

(Mod Note: Again, please let me know if there are any errors.)

#The Espenson Awards #Rumbelle #Rumbelle fic #Rumbelle art #Rumplestiltskin #Belle French #Anyelle #Anyem

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emospritelet · 5 years

Text

Masterlist Day 2019

Behold, my masterlist of Rumbelle variations boinking and angsting their way through various scenarios!

I checked all the links the other day so they should work. If any don’t, please let me know, as they seem to have a tendency to break or send you to the wrong fic. Under the cut because - well, because there are a lot

Multi-chapter Masterlist

One-Shots

Multi-chapter Masterlist

All fic links are to AO3, and you may need an AO3 account to read some of them, as I have them locked down due to unprotected fics being scooped from that site without consent

The Long Game - Rumbelle. Winner of TEAs for Best AU and Best FIc in 2014. Gold and Belle have known and loved one another in a hundred lives, and he’s spent the past seven lifetimes searching for her. Humour, angst, and plenty of smut. COMPLETE - rated E

Bound For All Eternity - Rumbelle. Remix of The Long Game and TEA winner of Best Remix in 2015. Belle meets Gold when she’s 16, with all the awkwardness that entails. WIP - rated E

Playing to Win - Rumbelle. Series of one-shots from the Long Game verse, based on prompts received. Most of them are smutty. WIP - rated E

Homecoming - Ogilvelle. Winner of Best Anyelle in TEAs 2019. AU in the Long Game verse, set in 1905. Mr Ogilvy has been looking for his lost love for centuries, and has been giving up all hope of finding her. That is, until he receives a visit from a young woman in search of a job as governess. WIP - rated M (for now)

Penance - Rumbelle. Winner of Best Barely Legal Belle in the TEAs 2017. Teacher!Gold and Student!Belle begin an illicit relationship following an encounter in his office. One of the angstiest things I have ever written. COMPLETE - rated E

Knowledge is Power - Rumbelle. Set after 5x12. Belle’s emails with ‘the Oxford professor’ turn out to be very helpful, and she starts to develop a relationship with him. COMPLETE - rated E

The Stranger - My first Ivelle fic and TEA winner for Best Ivelle in 2016. Colonel Ives arrives in the town of Storybrooke, and gets the attention of the local librarian. COMPLETE - rated E

Buried Treasure - Golden Lace fic. Lacey tries to take Mr Gold’s mind off his lost love. I fully intended this to be PWP, but it turned angsty :( COMPLETE - rated E

Neverland - Rumbelle. Mr Gold is Belle’s English teacher, and also works as an escort. She unknowingly hires him for her first time. COMPLETE - rated E

Pixie Dust - Rumbelle. Remix of Neverland and winner of Best Remix in the TEAs 2017. Belle is unhappily married to Gaston and discovers he has been unfaithful. Ruby suggests hiring an escort. COMPLETE - rated E

The Course of True Love - Rumbelle. Angsty version of how the fight scene in 6:04 might have gone. Also a kind of fix-it fic, in the end. Winner of Best Angst: Hurts So Good in the TEAs 2017. COMPLETE - rated E

Outsider - Rumbelle. Winner of Best AU in the TEAs 2018. Belle is running from her past, when she stumbles into Storybrooke, and its most infamous resident COMPLETE - rated E

Tiger Lilies - Winner of Best Anyelle fic in the TEAs 2017. Golden Lace/Rushacey fic set in the Neverland verse. Lacey has a complicated relationship with her college professor Dr Rush, and decides to hire an escort that looks like him to work out some of her frustrations. COMPLETE - rated E

Vermillion - Rushbelle. series of one-shots based on prompts for the Tiger Lilies verse. WIP - rated E

Waiting Game - Golden Lace. Winner of Best Angst: Oops! in the TEAs 2018. Lacey is Neal’s college friend, and ends up sleeping with Mr Gold when he comes to visit Neal one day. The whole thing gets angsty due to a misunderstanding, but it’s resolved :) COMPLETE - rated E

Empty Corridors - Golden Lace. Winner of Best Golden Lace Fic in the TEAs 2018. Lacey has a bad relationship with her father, and it only gets worse after she hears about the offer he once made Gold. Unable to make rent, she takes matters into her own hands. But is Gold as ruthless as the town thinks? COMPLETE - rated E

Sacrifice - Rumbelle. Winner of Best AU!OUAT in the TEAs 2018. A new curse has stolen everyone’s memories, Gideon has been de-aged and Belle lives in a tiny house in the crappy part of town, unable to make rent. When her landlord Mr Gold threatens to evict her, she offers the only thing of value she has. COMPLETE - rated E

Cuckoo’s Flight - Rumbelle. Dr Hopper releases Belle from the asylum, and she meets Storybrooke’s notorious landlord at the Rabbit Hole. Season 1 AU. COMPLETE - rated E

Tis The Season - including Rumbelle, Golden Lace, Rushaceyrush, Dwarf Star, Swan Queen, Swanfire, Swanfirequeen, Wooden Swan, Floof Family, Malcolm x Fiona, Red Cricket, Brave Warrior, Dragon Queen. Mostly fluffy ficlets with a festive theme. COMPLETE - most ficlets rated T, some rated E

Crystal Tears - Rumbelle. With the ogres approaching her lands and her father betrayed by his own men, Belle must get away to safety. With the help of Graham, her father’s Master of the Hunt, she flees the castle in the midst of a storm, finding her way to the Dark Castle, and its strange inhabitant… WIP - rated M

Sparks - Rumbelle. Series of Dark Castle one-shots. Belle and Rumple adopt a baby dragon. WIP - rated E

Dark Heart - Rumbelle. Winner of Best AU and Best Mr Gold in the TEAs 2019. After a brief affair with Mr Gold and a bitter break-up almost two years ago, Belle returns to Storybrooke to visit her sick father. But there is a secret that she has been keeping. COMPLETE - rated E

Twisted Fate - Rumbelle. Remix of Dark Heart in which Belle manages to tell Gold she’s pregnant about seven months in. She’s wary and hostile, and he doesn’t know how to make things better, but he’s determined to try for the sake of their child. WIP - rated E

Kiss of Life - Rumbelle. Hospital AU slow burn fic. Winner of Best Storybrooke in TEAs 2019. Belle moves to Storybrooke and gets a job helping out at the hospital, where she develops a crush on Dr Gold. COMPLETE - rated E

Things Left Unsaid - Woven Lace. Winner of Best Woven Lace in TEAs 2019. Weaver takes Lacey in to save her from the streets, which leads to a one-night stand and a surprise pregnancy. Three and a half years later, Lacey asks for a divorce, but all is not what it seems. WIP - rated E

Opening Lines - Woven Lace. Prequel to Things Left Unsaid. Detective Weaver’s world changes forever when a young woman bumps into him after witnessing a murder. Friends to lovers with eventual smut. COMPLETE - rated E

Closing the Circle - Rumbelle. Winner of Best Smut: Kink and Best AU!Gold/Rumple in TEAs 2019. Belle, Mulan and Aurora have an interest in supernatural creatures, so what happens when they travel to Storybrooke to interact with the creatures that live there? In Belle’s case, mostly hot sex with ancient vampire Mr Gold. WIP - rated E

Sugar and Spice - Woven Lace. It’s Christmas Eve and Lacey’s oven isn’t working, so she asks her neighbour if she can cook Christmas dinner at his for them both. Snark, sass and eventual smut. COMPLETE - rated E

Goodbye Kiss - Woven Beauty. Detective Weaver has been in love with Belle French almost from the first moment he met her, but never thought his feelings might be returned. Christmas fluff and smut. COMPLETE - rated E

I.O.U. - Golden Lace. Lacey is desperate for cash, and tries to sell some debts to Mr Gold. Sass and sex ensue. COMPLETE - rated E

Honourable Members - Sutherelle. Belle French is an ambitious and feisty new MP and Prime Minister is equally irritated and fascinated by her. COMPLETE - rated E

Key to the Cell - Dark Castle Rumbelle. Belle doesn’t want the marriage her father has arranged for her, and seeks help from an old book, and the Dark One. WIP - rated M (for now)

One-Shots

Most fic links are to AO3

Last Man Standing - Golden Lace. Gold and Lacey are both escorts, each thinking the other is their client for the evening. Just smut, really - rated E

A New Chapter - Rumbelle Secret Santa 2014. Belle gets Rumple a special Christmas present, and tries something new - rated E

Made to Measure - Rumbelle RCIJ 2016. Fashion designer!Gold makes actress!Belle a dress for the premiere of her film. Lots of sexual tension and eventual smut - rated E

Ever After - written upon seeing the promo for the FTL AU in 4X21 and 4X22. Lady Belle unlaces Sir Rumple from his leather pants - rated E

A Taste of Freedom - Ivelle - written for Rumbelle Order in the Court. Smutty one-shot where Belle is Ives’s defence attorney in a murder case - rated E

Nothing But The Truth - Rumbelle. Thus far my only Dark Castle Rumbelle smut fic. Belle makes a deal with her master that has unexpected consequences for them both - rated E

Valley of Water - Rumbelle. Written for the Rumbelle Summer Vacation event. Rumple, Belle and baby Gideon visit the Lake District. Fluff and smut - rated E

Number 9 - Rumbelle. Winner of Best Smut: PWP in the TEAs 2018. Post season six finale fic. Belle wants the stamina to keep up with the Dark One, so asks Rumple to make a potion. Smutty smut! - rated E

Wolf’s Time - Rumbelle. Winner of Best Spinner!Rumple in the TEAs 2018. Rumbelle Revelry fic. Spinner!Rumple meets Witch!Belle - rated E

Midwinter’s Kiss - Rumbelle. Belle has been looking forward to the Midwinter Festival in the Dark Castle, but things get even more exciting when Rumple takes her on a trip to Arendelle - rated E

Small World verse (WovenRushBelle, Woven Lace, Golden Lace, Woven Golden Lace) - rated E

Love and Trust - WovenRushBelle. Rush and Belle are in a committed relationship but Belle has always wanted a threesome, so Rush asks his best friend…

Small World - Woven Lace. Weaver meets a girl called Lacey in Roni’s, and she’s just his type…

Turn Left - Golden Lace. Lacey returns to Storybrooke and decides to sleep with the pawnbroker she’s been trading sarcastic comments with

Off Duty - Woven Lace. Lacey’s loser boyfriend is arrested and jailed, and when she meets the detective responsible in Roni’s bar, sparks fly - rated E

Bravery Will Follow - Rumbelle. Reunion smut set post 2x01 - rated E

Drinking to Forget (Woven Lace) Winner of Best Series and Best Detective Weaver in the TEAs 2018 - rated E

Sex and Violence - Detective Weaver goes to Roni’s bar for a drink, and bumps into a girl called Lacey. There follows banter, UST, and a lot of smut

Round Two - Weaver is teased by Alice and he and Lacey have another night of hot smut at his place

Probable Cause - Lacey dresses up for Halloween and she and Weaver indulge in tricks and treats!

Damaged But Not Broken - Weaver gets a new partner, and Lacey finds an interesting trinket at Alice’s place

Smoke and Mirrors - Weaver and French investigate a murder, and his feelings for Lacey grow deeper

Almost Like Family - it’s Christmas, and Weaver and Lacey have fun with eggnog before being interrupted by Alice and French

Living Arrangements - Weaver begins to realise the depths of his feelings for Lacey, and makes an important decision

Rude Awakening - Rumple has his memories back, but reacts very badly to seeing someone who is the image of his dead wife.

Lost and Found - Lacey waits for Weaver to wake up so she can yell at him. Alice guides Rumple to the truth about his lost love.

Full Circle - Rumple takes Belle to Storybrooke to try to find a way to restore her knowledge of their old life and tries to keep her at arm’s length. Belle has other ideas.

The Return - Rumple returns Belle’s memories at the wishing well

Honeymoon Series (Rumbelle) - COMPLETE - rated E

1. Newlyweds - Rumple and Belle’s wedding night, with a little angst, lots of smut, and Hook making Moe French very uncomfortable

2. Something Blue - the morning after the wedding night, and the diners at Granny’s take an interest in the newlyweds.

3. Cabin Fever - Belle tells Rumple that she found him attractive in his EF persona, and the Charmings happen upon the happy couple while on a walk in the woods. Winner of TEA for Best Smut: Comedy 2015

4. The Many Uses Of Magic - Rumple shows Belle a useful spell, and Hook grosses out the occupants at Granny’s diner and gets a punch on the nose for his troubles

5. Red Velvet - Rumbelle roleplay - the Dark One’s maid has a problem that only he can help her with

6. Shadows at Midnight - Rumple has a flashback to his imprisonment with Zelena, and Belle is there to help him. Starts of angsty, ends up smutty

7. Light and Shadow - Rumple takes Belle on a boat ride, with a little help from Lumiere

Erotic Destiny series (Rushbelle) - all smutty. TEA winner for Best Rushbelle and Smut: Best Anyelle 2015 - rated E

1. Power Play - Belle is determined to have the last word with Dr Rush, for once

2. Curious - Belle gives Rush a surprise

3. Control - Rush has been avoiding Belle since the ‘incident’, so she seeks him out

4. Personal Matters - waking up in bed with Rush leads to an argument. Then smut.

5. Direct Orders - Belle and Rush have been fighting at work, and Young orders them to get some rest

6. Before the Storm - surprisingly just smut, no fighting

7. Third Party Evidence - Colonel Young finds out Rush and Belle are having sex

8. Open To Interpretation - Young tries to talk some sense into Belle. It does not go well

9. Going Down - clue’s in the title *winks*

10. Green Eyes - Belle gets a handsome friend to come aboard Destiny, and Rush is jealous

11. Silence - Rush is being distant, and Belle tries to find out why.

12. Only in Your Head - when Belle is stranded on an alien plant, Rush resorts to drastic action in an attempt to save her.

Rushbelle one-shots

Fragile - Rushbelle. Rush is still mourning the loss of his wife when he meets a stranger in a bar who has her own grief. Please read the tags on this one - rated E

Pleasure in Grief - Rush is insensitive, and Belle is upset with him. Smut ensues - rated E

Three’s Company - TEA winner for Best Threesome 2015 - RushBelleRush smut on Destiny - rated E

Hunger - Rush is infected with a vampiric parasite that wants Belle’s blood even more than he wants her body - rated E

Look Back in Anger - Rushbelle fic written for The Great Rumbelle Blow Off. Lieutenant Belle French decides to channel her irritation with Rush into sucking him off - rated E

Open Fire - follow up to Look Back in Anger. Fuck or die fic where Lt French and Dr Rush are trapped on a planet in a rainstorm and seek shelter - and a way to keep warm - rated E

Extracurricular series - RumBelleRush teacher/student/teacher smut - rated E

1. A Shift in Focus - Prof!Rush fucks Student!Belle in his car

2. Crossing The Line - Prof!Gold goes down on Student!Belle in his office and later fucks her in his apartment.

3. Secret Affairs - the morning after, Belle has to deal with a suspicious Ruby and later goes to Rush’s office to arrange a date that evening, with smutty results.

4. Unrequited - Gold accidentally sexts Rush, much to Belle’s amusement. She helps him feel better in his office. Erotic art then appears around the university featuring Gold and Rush, and Rush trolls Gold, meaning Belle has to punish him with a public blowjob

5. San Francisco - RumBelleRush threesome smut! TEA winner of Best Threesome 2016

6. Fire and Ice - More RumBelleRush threesome smut, wherein they’re snowed in at a hotel, and make use of a sauna, shower and Gold’s bedroom for sexy times. TEA winner of Best Threesome 2017

7. Peaches and Longing - threesome smut in a hotel, following their car breaking down on a road trip. Winner of Best Threesome 2018.

#masterlist day 2019 #rumbelle #rushbelle #anyelle #ogilvelle #golden lace #woven lace #ivelle #sutherelle

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abovethemists · 5 years

Text

One shots!

Tagged by @ryik-the-writer

List your five longest one-shot fics on AO3 (not chaptered works or series) with the word count, fandom, year, and comments/kudos/bookmarks. One-shots are the short stories to fandom’s books and a distinctly different process in my experience.

No Satisfaction - 8,714 words. Rumbelle. Written for RCIJ 2018. Belle and Gold try to have a little alone time on their first night out after their baby is born, but are thwarted at every turn. A truly silly fic. Comments: 30 / Kudos: 74 / Bookmarks: 12

The Curious Incident of the Pug and Barney Thomson - 8,280 words. Barnelle. Written for RCIJ 2015, this is my only Barnelle story about Barney turning in to a werepug. Yes, you read that right. This is by far my crackiest fic. Comments: 15 / Kudos: 49 / Bookmarks: 6

Come Together - 6,508 words. Rumbelle. Written in 2019. Post season 6 smut where Rumple and Belle are having some intimacy issues after the events of 6A/B. I set out to write smut, but had a lot of unresolved feelings about what happened in canon. Comments: 18 / Kudos: 86 / Bookmarks: 7

Take Me Lost, Make Me Found - 5,516 words. Rumbelle. Written in 2018. A runaway bride AU where they do it in a barn. Comments: 27 / Kudos: 127 / Bookmarks: 14

Sharing is Caring - 5,237 words. Rushacey. Written in 2017. Super contrived Rushacey bed sharing that was a birthday gift for @timelordthirteen. Comments: 22 / Kudos: 69 / Bookmarks: 7

I don’t actually write a lot of one shots because I find endings difficult and I’d rather just drag it out for ten chapters and abandon it than keep something self contained, but here we are.

Tagging @timelordthirteen, @rufeepeach, @prissyhalliwell and anyone else who wants to play.

#rumbelle fic #anyelle #tag game #one shots

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jenitosam · 5 years

Note

Santa here! I don’t have much I can say about the story without giving anything away, so why don’t you tell me a little more about you? How’d you get involved in the Rumbelle fandom? I always love hearing how people fell down this rabbit’s hole!

Hi Santa! I’ve been into Rumbelle since the start :D I was really excited for the show before it even came out since the premise sounded similar to an original story I made when I was a kid. I liked the first few episodes, but then Skin Deep happened and I immediately fell in love XD My whole family liked Rumbelle too and we used to watch OUAT together every week back then. I started following all the Rumbelle blogs here and got back into reading fic thanks to all the amazing content!

Rumbelle also got me drawing more regularly! Can you believe I used to draw only stick figures before? XP I would doodle them everywhere and I even started a stick figure collection of all my favorite fics. Rumbelle is the sole reason my art has progressed beyond that XD

#rcij 2019 #Anonymous

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evilsnowswan · 5 years

Note

Sorry Santa's writing late! Last week was... crowded, but I pushed hard all yesterday and your fic is now like 99.3% done! 100% after some polishing. To answer your questions, the weather in Colorado was very changeable. Now I'm home where summer is really sinking in. I love the green trees, but the humidity is pretty merciless here. Can't say I'm as big a fan as I once was.

Hey Santa! Wow! Now I can’t wait for reveal day. I’m sure I’ll love it! :)

I made some progress on my gift but it’s far from done, unfortunately.

We’ve been hit by a heatwave over here. In the US you guys got AC everywhere, but that’s not a thing here, so last week we were suffering in the low 100s with no AC whatsoever. Work was a nightmare. It’s not like you can show up in your bikini. And that probably wouldn’t have been enough. Thank God for the weekend. Highschool reunion today and trip to the lake tomorrow.

#anonymous #replies #summer santa 19 #rumbelle christmas in july #rcij 2019

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jackabelle73 · 5 years

Text

The Other Fork in the Path

Fandom: OUaT/Rumbelle

Rating: Teen

Word Count: ~3,090

Summary: An alternate ending to a scene in 1x21, “An Apple Red as Blood.”

A/N: This is an RCIJ 2019 fic for @boushh2187. Their prompt was: daring escape, adventure, reunion, banter. I considered several other ideas to fill the prompt, but it matched so nicely with an idea that I had from a long time ago but never wrote, that I just had to go with this. @boushh2187, I had great fun being your Santa, and I hope I answered the prompt in the way you hoped.

AO3 link

Jackabelle’s Rumbelle Fanfic Masterlist

* * *

Tap, tap, tap on the pawn shop floor.

The thud of Regina’s shoes told him she was approaching again, but Rumple didn’t look up from the ledger where he was pretending to take inventory. She was becoming more desperate by the moment, and he relished every second of it. He’d always known, back in the Enchanted Forest, that he was the one pulling her strings. She may have thought she was in charge for the past twenty-eight years, but that was only a function of the curse, and the decades spent under her thumb were a price he’d been more than willing to pay. It would all be worth it, when the curse broke and he was able to leave Storybrooke, and he could finally, finally, search for his boy.

“I want to strike a new deal,” Regina said, clearly expecting him to agree. After all, he was the Dark One, and everyone knew the Dark One couldn’t resist a deal. “One where I can get rid of Emma without shattering the curse.”

“Unfortunately for you, a negotiation requires two interested parties. And… I’m already planning a trip.” He smirked at her before turning his back on her again, moving to the other counter to take pointless notes in another book.

“I’ll give you anything.”

The plaintive note in her voice was clear, even without turning to see her expression. For a single beat of his darkened heart, he almost felt sorry for her. For all her flaws, and all of her treacherous deeds -- some of which he had driven her to commit -- she loved Henry. He had no doubt of that. He knew how much it hurt to lose a son, and he wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

The Darkness whispered to him that it wouldn’t be a bad thing to have Regina in his debt. She might be useful to him again, in the future. Anything could happen once the curse broke. He could figure out a way to guarantee that Regina kept Henry, while at the same time ensuring that Miss Swan would still be able to break the curse. The queen’s plea for her son triggered sympathy in even his cold, empty heart.

All you’ll have, is an empty heart and a chipped cup.

Belle’s voice, from so long ago, played unbidden in his head. Her last words to him from nearly three decades ago. The last words she would ever say to him. The only woman who’d ever loved him had died a terrifying death, and the woman who stood behind him now had been all too gleeful to deliver that news to him.

His grip on the pen tightened before he turned to her, with no sympathy left as he took his turn delivering bad news to her.

“Oh… you no longer have anything that I want, dearie.”

He smiled at her stricken expression, and continued his charade of documenting the shop’s contents. His next words made his pen stop moving.

“That’s not true. I do have something you want. Something you want very much.”

He abandoned all pretense of working to study her. She was trying to keep her expression neutral, but he knew her well. The light in her eyes, the smile trying to lift the corners of her mouth… she believed she had a bargaining chip against him, but he couldn’t imagine what that could be. And no bargaining chip was worth jeopardizing his chance to find Bae, so he answered her in a bored, dismissive tone.

“I find that hard to believe. And since you have nothing to offer me, this conversation is over.” He strolled casually toward the back room, and reached the curtain before her voice stopped him again.

“Do you want to take the chance of missing out on a reunion with the only person you’ve ever loved?”

He paused, standing with his back to her for a long moment. He finally turned with slow deliberation. “The only person I’ve ever loved, has been beyond my reach for centuries. And if he’s beyond my reach, he’s definitely beyond yours.”

She let herself smile this time, a slow curve of the lips that told him she really did have something he wanted.

“Ahh… but we’re not talking about the same person.” She smirked at his shock, as the only possible answer occurred to him. But it wasn’t possible… was it? “When you’re ready to deal, you know where to find me.” She sauntered out, satisfied that she’d gotten the upper hand.

The bell was still vibrating as he made his way into the back room and lowered himself to the cot, weight braced on his cane.

All these years of the curse, of not remembering Belle… and all the time since his memories returned and his heart ached every time he thought of her, of her bright smile and constant questions about his travels, the way she didn’t hesitate to be near him… and the way she’d kissed him. He could still feel her lips on his, could still smell her scent like roses in sunlight… all that time, and he’d never considered the possibility of Belle still being alive.

It made sense, once he considered it with cold-blooded logic from Regina’s point of view. She knew she needed a trump card to play against him, should their deal not work in her favor. And letting him believe Belle had died, while keeping her alive all these years, to flaunt before him at the opportune moment, was one hell of a trump card. The strategist in him admired Regina’s advance planning, while at the same time he burned with rage at all the years lost with Belle.

It didn’t matter now, he told himself firmly. What mattered was that Belle was alive, and she had to be somewhere here, in Storybrooke. Regina would want to keep her close. So he just needed to figure out where she was, and go get her.

Belle wasn’t one of the town’s citizens, living a double life with cursed memories all these years. He felt sure of that. Even with Mr. Gold’s cursed memories, he’d recognized the value of knowing everything he could about the townspeople who rented from him and brought items to the shop to pawn. He knew everyone who lived in this town, which meant that Belle was hidden somewhere.

At Regina’s home? Could there be a secret basement or locked room at her residence? He dismissed the thought almost immediately. Regina would want plausible deniability if Belle were ever discovered, and keeping a young woman prisoner in her home was difficult to deny.

He rose from the cot, moving quickly to a shelf where he pulled down a map of Storybrooke and skimmed over it, looking for any place where a woman could be contained for a long period without arousing suspicion.

The hospital. His eyes landed on it, and his finger jabbed the paper second later. That was it. The hospital. David Nolan had been in a hospital bed for twenty-eight years before Emma’s arrival weakened the curse enough to wake him. He didn’t know of any other coma patients, though.

After a moment of thinking, the obvious answer occurred to him. The hospital basement housed an asylum. His anger at Regina surged anew at the idea of Belle -- kind, brave, generous Belle -- being declared insane and locked in a cell. Regina would pay for this… after he rescued the young woman who’d done nothing but love him.

He locked the shop and drove to the hospital, nearly hitting several residents along the way. He parked in the no-parking zone in front of the doors, knowing that no one would dare mess with his car, and proceeded through the hallways, ignoring the staff who spoke to him. He knew the layout of the hospital, because he’d made it his business to know this town. The keypad that protected entry to the basement stymied him for only a moment. He tried Regina’s birthday, and when that didn’t work, he tried Henry’s birthday, and was rewarded with a click as the door unlocked.

He proceeded down the stairs, making no attempt to be quiet, and saw when the nurse at the desk registered his approach. She reached for the phone and was dialing frantically when his cane came down, smashing the device into uselessness and narrowly missing her fingers. He jabbed his cane at her face next, forcing her to scoot back in her rolling chair to avoid injury. He moved behind the desk and continued to move her back, till she was against the wall with no where else to go.

“You have a young woman here, with brown hair and beautiful blue eyes.” He spoke softly, taking her wide eyes and panting breaths as proof that there was no need to yell. “You’re going to tell me which cell she’s in, and give me the keys to open that cell, or I will beat you to a pulp right here, and take great pleasure in doing it.”

The nurse reached to her belt, pulling off a ring of keys which she held up. The keys rattled against each other in her grip. “Second cell on the right.”

“Thank you,” he mocked, taking the keys and releasing her from his glare.

“I’ll be calling the mayor about this!” she called after him as he walked away.

“Please do,” he answered without turning around. “I have a few choice things I would like to say to her.”

He lifted the flap in the second door on the right, to peek in before attempting to open it. The interior was dim, with only a little light coming in from one narrow, stingy window placed high in the wall, but there was enough light to see a petite figure hunched over on a bare bench. Long tangled hair covered her face, but he didn’t need to see her face to be sure.

It was her. Alive and only a few feet away from him. He couldn’t find the right key fast enough.

He pushed the door open, Belle lifted her head, and he saw her face for the first time in almost three decades. He hardly had time to register her plain hospital gown and bare feet before her eyes widened in fear and she scrambled back, retreating to the corner of the thin mat that served as her bed.

“Who are you?” she asked, eyes darting to the open door behind him.

Of course, she wouldn’t associate the scaly, leather-clad Dark One from the Enchanted Forest with the man in an expensive suit she saw now. He needed to be careful not to frighten her further; it was clear she’d already been traumatized by her experience under the curse.

“My name is Mr. Gold, and I’ve come to help you. I’m going to take you away from this place.”

Once again, her eyes darted to the open door behind him, before she asked, “Why would you do that?”

“We knew each other once, a long time ago. Do you remember living in the Dark Castle?”

“Castle?” she asked, in a tone that suggested that maybe he was the one who belonged in the asylum.

“What do you remember?” he asked gently.

She shook her head. “Nothing. There’s nothing before… this.” She waved at her cell.

The woman who’d longed to travel the realms had spent decades in a 10x10 cell. He wanted to scream at the unfairness of it, wanted to punish himself somehow because it was her association with him that had led to this, but he kept his voice calm for her.

“I’m so sorry you’ve been held here for so long. If I’d known you were here, I would have come for you sooner. I’m here now, so what do you say we get out of here?” He stood aside, leaving a clear path to the open door, and waved a hand, inviting her to step through.

She didn’t move from her spot in the corner, though she glanced at the hallway before looking back at him. He wanted so badly to hold her, but kept his distance.

“Why should I trust you? How do I know that this isn’t a trick, that you won’t take me somewhere else even worse?”

He turned back to her but was careful not to block the doorway. “How shall I prove my sincerity to you?” he asked.

She thought about it for a moment before answering. “If we knew each other before this, then you must know my name.”

“Yes.” He smiled in relief that her first question was so easy. He knew that not all of them would be, that he would have to tell her about how they met, and how they’d parted ways. He wasn’t looking forward to answering those questions, but this one was simple. “Your name is Belle.”

“Belle,” she repeated, trying out the single syllable. “Belle.”

“Yes. In one of the languages in this realm, it means beautiful.”

“What else do you know about me?” she asked.

His breath caught in his throat for a moment, as his voice froze with too much to say. How could he possibly summarize her in a few words?

She was waiting, so he forced himself to start speaking. “You are… one of the kindest, most compassionate people I’ve ever known.”

From her expression, she was unimpressed. Of course… his words sounded trite. He commanded himself to focus. He needed specifics. What made Belle, Belle?

“You love to read, any book you can get your hands on really,” he said, warming to his topic. “You loved the library at my… home, where I lived before this. Your favorite book was called Her Handsome Hero.”

She mouthed the words of the book title to herself.

“You wanted to travel, to explore, and have adventures like the heroes in your books.”

“Did I ever do those things?” she asked.

“Not yet,” he admitted. “There’s still time, though. Come with me, and I’ll do everything I can to help you realize your dreams, whatever they may be.”

He extended a hand to her, and held his breath.

She bit her lip in thought, a gesture so familiar that he wanted to cry.

“Can you help me remember who I am?” she asked.

“I’ll do everything I can,” he assured her. Still she hesitated, curled so small in the corner of this chilly cell that was all she could remember, looking between his outstretched hand and the open door. He took his coat off, realizing that he should have offered it to her sooner, and held it out to her, careful not to get too close. “Please, take it. You must be cold.”

She took it, hesitant, but slipped her arms into the sleeves and wrapped the coat tightly around herself.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said, and searched for what else to say, to convince her. “You told me once, when faced with a situation that frightened you, that you decided to do the brave thing, and hope that bravery would follow. Take my hand, Belle, and let your bravery follow you out this door. I will never harm you; I give you my word.”

A door slammed in the hall, and she flinched. Regina’s raised voice carried to them, and Belle came to life, scrambling off the bed and grabbing his hand.

“Let’s go,” she said, breathless with terror.

“Here,” he said quickly, and maneuvered them to the wall next to the open door. At her questioning look, he whispered, “Just stay quiet, and trust me.” He pressed himself against the wall, trying to make himself as compact as possible, and saw her doing the same. He adjusted his grip on his cane, getting ready.

“Where is she? You said they didn’t leave, there’s only one way out of here, how hard can it be?” Regina’s voice grew louder as she approached the door and stomped into the cell. She was barely inside before Rumple brought the handle of his cane down on her head, and she crumpled to the floor.

“Let’s go,” he said to Belle, and they stepped over Regina’s legs to exit the cell. The nurse stood against the opposite wall, eyes wide on him. “You. Walk into that cell willingly, or you can join her on the floor.”

He pointed his cane at her to make sure she understood, and the nurse nearly tripped over Regina’s body trying to get in the cell.

Rumple shoved the former queen’s legs out of the way, none too gently, and asked Belle, “Would you like the honors?”

She stared at him for a moment, before she understood. She used both hands to pull the heavy door closed, sealing her captors inside, and backed away, as if she could hardly believe what she’d just done.

“Belle.” He held his hand out to her once again. “Come with me. I promise that your life from this point on, will be so much better.”

“Thank you, Mr. Gold,” she said softly as she slid her fingers into his.

“I have another name that you can call me, if you wish,” he offered as he led her to the stairs. “However, it’s going to take some explaining. Several things will take explaining, but I promise I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

They went through the door at the top of the stairs, and emerged into the hospital hallway where staff and patients hurried by in both directions.

Belle shaded her eyes at the sunlight coming through the windows, and looked at the scene before them with wonder.

“I have questions,” she said.

“Of course you do.” Curious, inquisitive Belle was still in there somewhere, and he couldn’t be more glad. “Which question would you like answered first?”

She looked past the people who were starting to stare at them, and out the windows. “Where are we? What is this place called?”

He ignored the people as well, and led her to the windows to get a better look outside.

“Belle, I would like to officially welcome you to the town of Storybrooke.”

“Storybrooke.” She smiled, the first genuine smile he’d seen from her since the day she’d walked into the castle’s Great Hall with a basket of straw. “Sounds like something from a fairytale.”

He chuckled, drawing her attention from the windows where she was drinking in the view of the outside.

“Sweetheart… you have no idea how right you are.”

* * *

#rumbelle christmas in july #boushh2187 #ouat #rumbelle fic #jackabelle writes #ouat s1 fic #ouat s1 au #rumbelle reunion

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boushh2187 · 5 years

Note

An escape story, got it! I’ll let that simmer a bit & see what my brain comes up with. A couple more questions... do you prefer Rumple’s or Belle’s POV? Any favorites or absolute no’s for side characters or side pairings? —RCIJ Santa

Hi again, Santa! I have no preference on POV. :) I’m not much of a fan of Hook or the CS pairing so I wouldn’t care much for them. Hopefully you’ll have fun with the prompt and it isn’t too difficult. I look forward to what you come up with!

#rcij 2019 #replies to rcij santa #Anonymous

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ryik-the-writer · 5 years

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Rumbelle fic: A Sitting Deal

A Sitting Deal 4/6

A03 Link

Rating: T+

Note: for my Rumbelle Secret Santa recipient…@of-princes-and-savages, based off the prompt: Hey, who’s kid is this

Lacey was positively pissed when she woke up on time the next morning. She had hoped she would have slept in late and Gold would give up on her.

Yet Lacey found herself trudging to Gold’s house, her hair unwashed, her clothes unfitting. She shot dirty looks at passersby and hoped Gold would tell her to scram when she rung the doorbell.

He didn’t.

“Do come in,” he insisted as he held the door open.

Lacey groaned as she obeyed, noticing with a snort that the expansive mess she and Bae had caused yesterday had been cleared away.

She followed Gold into the kitchen where Baelfire was munching on dry cereal. His eyes widened when he saw her.

“Bwasy!” he sang, holding his pudgy arms out to her.

Both Lacey and Gold stopped in their tracks.

“I…I thought you said he couldn’t speak yet.”

“He can’t…” Gold breathed, the corner of his mouth twitching in an almost proud smile.

“Well then…congrats?” Lacey shrugged, trying to wrap her head around the idea that a kid she hadn’t known for a full twenty-four hours would waste his first word on her.

Gold nodded with a hum and began cleaning his son off.

“I wanted to apologize for yesterday,” he said suddenly.

Lacey blinked. No one ever apologized to her.

“As you should,” she stated, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint what he was apologizing for.

“I shouldn’t have pried the way I did,” Gold said. “Your business and decisions are your own, and I have no right to weigh in on them.”

“Ah,” Lacey said, nodding, but felt empty. Though what he said had stung, it had felt nice to have someone see her potential and remind her of it.

Now he wouldn’t bring it up again. He didn’t care.

“But I stand by what I said,” he added. “You can do something amazing with your life.”

Lacey shrugged, desperate to shrug off the mixed feelings Gold was making her feel.

“And I also thought of what you said,” Gold added, bringing Lacey back to present.

“Oh?” she pressed.

“I have been rather rigorous with Bae’s schedule,” he said as he unlatched Bae from his chair. “If you’re willing, I’d like you to take him to the park for a few hours after lunch, long enough for him to tire himself for his nap.”

Lacey choked a bit. He’d actually listened to her.

“Um, yeah of cou—” she gasped when Baelfire suddenly ran into her leg, just as he had at the bar. She met his little pools of chocolate as he met her blue ones.

“Bwasy!” His little hands stretched up her leg, like a kitten still learning the ways of the world.

Lacey twitched at the knowledge of what he wanted.

Gold sensed her hesitation and came up behind Bae to lift him up.

“Hold out your arms,” he instructed. “Now place one under his bottom…yes that’s it. Now the other around his shoulders.”

Lacey obeyed, her heart pounding as this tiny creature nestled himself in her arms, wrapping those pudgy, softer-than-silk arms around her neck.

She could smell cereal on his breath and count every eyelash he had.

“Bwasy,” he said again.

“Yeah.” Lacey swallowed. What the hell was she feeling?

Gold chuckled knowingly and placed his hand on Lacey’s to guide it to the center of Bae’s back.

He stopped when Lacey’s eyes shot up to his.

And could only stare.

Lacey French was trouble in human form. She stayed out too late and drank too much and had not held down a functional job until now. Yet with his little boy in her arms, there was this strange and beautiful vulnerability to her. And though there was panic in her eyes, her posture was poised, professional almost.

He swallowed.

And Lacey looked away, swerving to sit Bae on top of the counter.

“So uh…you’ll be back by five?”

Gold blinked. Right.

“Yes, I’ll call you if anything changes,” he said, straightening his lapels and falling back into his overly professional persona. “Good day.”

“Same to you.”

“Make sure he at least does his phonics cards.”

“Uh huh,” Lacey nodded as she willed the aggravating blush on her cheeks to fade. She listened as the tell-all sound of the door closure signaled his departure.

With a groan she collapsed against the counter. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” She recalled that she was in the presence of a post-toddler and glanced at him, the smirking boy staring at her like she was a god.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Lacey decided to take their lunch with them to the park. Bae had been strangely clingy to her most of the morning to the point where even actual educational television wouldn’t distract him.

She wasn’t angry, or even frustrated with is new-found likeness for her. It was just so odd to have a tiny person actively seek her out. Lacey had sworn since early tweenhood that she would never have children or anything to do with them.

She scoffed at the irony as she loaded Bae and a bag of supplies onto a stroller she had found in a closet.

“Belle would shit her pants if she could see me now,” she said out loud, then chastised herself for conversing with a three-year-old.

As they reached the park entrance Bae began to get antsy, excited for familiar surroundings.

Lacey released him and laughed as he made a stumbling tumble to the sand box.

“Dork!” she called after him. Lugging the stroller to the nearest bench. “And don’t get kidnapped!”

“Lacey?”

The woman in question looked up and struggled to recall the tired blonde in front of her who was pushing a little girl only a year or so older than Bae.

“Um…hi?” Lacey greeted uneasily, glancing on and off at Bae just in case this was part of a kidnapping plan.

The woman laughed wetly and took the space on the bench. “You haven’t changed a bit. You still look exactly as you did in high school.”

That one word filled Lacey’s mind with memories of a time so long ago. Chaotic lunches with her friends. Unwarranted fights with her frustrated teachers. Sideways smiles at her sister as they parted ways down the hall.

And then Ashley Boyd. The trailer park queen who thought she was the next Paris Hilton.

Lacey had been snarky, but Ashley had been downright cruel. Belle had coached her sister how to stand her ground against the blonde tyrant, but it did little to settle her into humbleness.

That is until the day her father dropped a stepmother and two stepsisters on her. She was no longer daddy’s little girl and her new sisters made her life at school an absolute nightmare.

She only seemed to spiral further when she fell pregnant and left just before graduation season. The queen was finally dethroned and the rest of Storybrooke High’s year was much quieter for it.

However, Lacey would give her credit where it was due. Becoming a young mother strengthened her. She took some night classes while she was pregnant and soon began running the local daycare.

She’d made something of her life, which filled Lacey with a grainy bitterness.

“It’s good to see you,” Lacey said half-truthfully.

“You too,” Ashley returned with a warped smile. She released her daughter from the confinement of her stroller and sat back as she ran to join Baelfire in the sandbox.

“Well look at him,” Ashley mused. “He’s absolutely adorable.”

“He’s not mine,” Lacey pointed out quickly.

“Oh, I know who’s he is,” Ashely concluded.

Lacey glanced at Bae and then back at Boyd, her stomach turning when she saw the darkness in her eyes. She had the sudden urge to snatch up Bae and run, but Lacey French ran from no one, especially not ex-bullies.

“Is that supposed to mean something?” Lacey growled, locking eyes with Ashley when she shot back around.

She shrugged so casually Lacey wanted to wrap her hands around her throat.

“Mr. Gold wanted to enroll him in my daycare,” Ashely said, her voice chirpy like she was talking about a recent vacation. “I told him not a chance in hell.”

Lacey wrinkled her nose and looked at Bae as he filled a discarded bucket with sand. Though her experience with children was slim to none, she could confidently say Bae was the most well-behaved toddler in existence.

“Why?” Lacey pressed. “It’s not like he couldn’t have paid the fees or anything.”

“I have the trust of every yoga and soccer mom in Storybrooke,” Ashley relayed. “If I let Gold or his sprawn anywhere near their children, I’d lose that trust without a second thought.”

Lacey flinched, gripping the underside of the bench for dear life. “Bae’s three. Whatever beef you have with Gold shouldn’t interfere with you giving him the same respect you give any other brat in this town.”

“I don’t expect you to understand because you’re not a parent,” Ashely said. “But those who associate with that man sink, and they don’t even have time to hold their breaths.”

Lacey rolled her eyes. “Why the hell are you bothering me?”

“Consider this a warning from someone who almost ended up just like you,” Ashley said, her smirk triumpth. “Gold is toxic, and no matter what you do his kid is going to end up just like him,”

“You’re wrong,” Lacey fought, losing her temper fast. “Gold might be a dick, but he cares about his kid,”

“Don’t let the paycheck blind you,” Ashely scoffed. “He’s a snake, and he will ruin your life if you keep your distance,”

Lacey jumped up, twirling her fingers in her belt loops. “Well, Ashely,” Lacey breathed, biting her inner cheek. “I’m more than capable of ruining my own life, so being around Gold will hardly give me damage points.” She turned towards the sandbox and whistled, earning Bae’s attention.

“Come on kiddo,” she called out, her breath catching when Bae emerged from the sand and came toddling after her, his tiny legs barely carrying him.

She picked him up, and for once the motion of swinging him onto her hip was second nature.

“The next time you want to strike up a conversation,” Lacey growled at Ashley. “Stick to the weather.”

She grumbled fantasies of taking Ashley’s face through a meat grinder as she hazardously pushed Bae in his stroller. When she glanced down she found the boy to be otherwise unfazed.

Why did she feel so strange around this little boy? Why did she suddenly feel this need to hold him, and protect him from bitches like Ashley Boyd?

Lacey scoffed in denial as she lugged Bae’s stroller up the stairs, jumbling her curses so that he wouldn’t catch on.

This was just part of the job. She was protective of her ward because she was getting paid to, nothing more.

She nodded at this thought comfortably as she undid Bae from the stroller. But the second he was free, he launched himself into her arms.

“Bwasy!” he cheered, nuzzling his face into her bosom.

“Geez kid,” Lacey groaned pushing him away just enough to give them some space. “I’m having a crisis here!”

Bae laughed gleefully, his tiny baby teeth gleaming.

“Oh come on.” She groaned. How was he so damn cute?

The boy babbled has he reached out a hand to paw at her cheek, his soft fingers pressing into her smooth cheekbone.

Lacey followed his hand as it wondered over her face. What was he trying to do? Was this something all kids did? Was he feeling her out to suffocate her later?

His fingers made a dangerous path over her mouth and Lacey took hold of his hand before they could venture past her lips.

She glared at him, hoping to deter his strange toddler affection. No one liked her except drunk slobs. Kids were supposed to avoid her at all cost.

Yet this one was staring at her like she had just given him the moon, and she hadn’t even given him lunch yet!

“Kid…” Lacey sighed, looking at the tiny hand clutched in her own.

“Bwasy.” Bae responded.

Lacey’s throat tightened. He was too cute, too good for Storybrooke and all his its self-righteous heathens.

She laughed tightly. “Damn it kid,” she chocked as she brought the tiny fingers to her lips.

“Miss French?”

With a horrified gasp she dropped Bae’s hand, turning to find Gold at the kitchen entryway, staring at her like a ghost just walked through his door.

#rumbelle christmas in july #rumbelle christmas in july 2019 #rcij #rcij 2019 #of-princes-and-savages #rumbelle fic #rumbelle #golden lace #baelfire #lacey #lacey french #mr. gold #ryik's fics

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