A New Beginning

Chapter Twenty Seven

Rumple slowly opens his eyes to the dim light of his small jail cell. He takes a moment to reacquaint himself with his surroundings, the cold stone walls and metal bars a stark reminder of his reality.

He sits up on the hard bed, rubbing his tired eyes and feeling the weariness in his bones. As his hand touches his face, he realizes he's grown stubble during the night.

He pushes himself off the bed, trying to shake off the grogginess from having slept in such an unfamiliar place. He turns to the small sink in the corner of his cell, splashes some cold water on his face, and tries to make himself presentable for Belle's visit.

As he's fixing his hair, he hears footsteps approaching his cell. Shortly after, the officer on duty appears at the bars, a key in his hand.

"Rumple" the officer says. "You have a visitor soon. Time to get ready."

The officer nods and moves away from the cell, giving Rumple a moment of privacy. Once the officer is out of sight, Rumple looks at his reflection in the mirror, taking in the weariness in his eyes and the tension in his features.

He straightens his shoulders, taking a deep breath. He tries to mentally prepare himself, repeating a mantra in his mind to toughen himself up.

"Don't show weakness," he quietly repeats to himself. "Don't let her see how much this is affecting you."

As Rumple is adjusting his shirt, the officer returns, his patience wearing thin.

"Hurry up!!," the officer snaps. "Your visitor's on the way."

Rumple glances up at the officer, irritation flickering in his eyes. But he restrains himself, schooling his expression into one of calmness.

"I'm almost done," he replies, his voice even. But as the officer's impatience begins to grate on him, he notices something absent.

"Where's the officer who interviewed me before?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

The officer shrugs, a look of mild annoyance on his face.

"Officer Nolan? He's not on duty today," he grunts. "Now hurry up. Your visitor's almost here."

Rumple suppresses a sigh, the officer's lack of warmth irritating him further. But he has no choice but to comply, so he quickly finishes tidying himself up before stepping back from the mirror.

"I'm ready," he assures the officer, his voice laced with a hint of sarcasm.

The officer gives him a cursory glance, satisfied that he's presentable enough, and steps aside to let him out of the cell.

"Follow me," the officer grunts, gesturing for Rumple to walk ahead of him.

"As if I have anywhere else to go," Rumple mutters under his breath as he follows the officer, his irritation growing with every step.

As they walk down the corridor, passing other cells and inmates, Rumple glances at the surroundings. He notices how some of the other inmates are looking at him, their gazes curious and assessing.

He straightens his shoulders, trying to appear unfazed by the attention. He doesn't want to give anyone any reason to think he's weak or vulnerable. He continues to walk, his mind racing with thoughts of Belle and how he's going to act infront of her.

They arrive at the visitors' area, a small room with plain walls and a few tables scattered about. The officer stops at the entrance and motions for Rumple to go inside.