Once Upon A Time ~ Book 1

Chapter 66 - The Dark Castle

Mary Margaret sat alone in Granny's Diner, near by David sat alone reading a book.
"Oh, you got the book." said Mary Margaret noticing the book Anna Karenina in his hands.
He looked up at her. "Yeah. Yeah, just started it." he smiled. "It's great. Can't wait to see how it ends."
Mary Margaret opened her mouth to day something but Ruby walked towards them. "I can push the tables together if you guys........" she started pouring her some coffee.
"Oh, no, we're not together." Mary Margaret said quickly.
"No, no, it's....." he said at the same time.
Ruby's darted between them and she smiled.
Emma walked into the Diner and smiled at Mary Margaret. "Hey, David." she said.
"Hey." he said.
Emma sat down opposite Mary Margaret. "Mary Margaret. So, how's your day going?"
"Henry's fine." she replyed.
"That's not what I asked you."
Mary Margaret tilted her head and looked at her disbelievingly.
"You sure?" Emma asked.
"Really. He's his normal self. Regina won't keep you separated forever. When people are supposed to be together, they will find a way." she glanced at David and he looked up at her and smiled.
"Yeah." sais Emma. "S, hashish normal self. He's fine, he's happy?"
"Yes."
Emma looked down at the table disappointed.
"No!" Mary Margaret said in realisation. "He misses you. A lot. Trust me, I'm with him, like, six hours a day."
"Six hours?" said a voice from behind them.
They turned to see Ashley handing her baby ti Granny at the counter. "You take newborns? Cause I would love six hours off." she said.
"Ashley! I didn't even recognise you." said Mary Margaret.
Ashley took a chair from a table and carried it to theirs. "Baby on the outside?" she said and sat down.
"How's it going?" asked Emma.
She sighed. "I mean, the baby's great."
They glanced at Granny who was rocking the baby in her arms by the counter.
"But we really haven't had any time to do the whole getting married thing. So that's been rough, and Sean's been working double shifts at the cannery."
"Well, he has to work." said Mary Margaret.
"Oh Valentine's day? Yeah. He couldn't get out of it."
"I'm sorry, that sucks." said Emma.
Ruby walked over to them and left Ashley a take away coffee on the table. "It doesn't have to." she said. "Come out with me. Let's have a girls night...... We can all go, Mary Margaret. Emma, too, if you leave the badge at home."
"I'm not really in the party mood. But you guys can all go and have fun." said Emma.
Mary Margaret kicked her under the table and glared at her.
Ruby smiled and walked back to the counter.
Suddenly Rmma's phone vibrated on the table. She picked it up and read the message.
"What's that?" asked Mary Margaret.
"It's the station. Something's up." she stood up and left the diner.

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Mr. Gold walked up the steps to his large, beautiful, antique house. He reached the front door with coloured glass in the window, which was ajare. He peered inside then pushed the door, gently open. He stepped inside and picked up a gun that lay on the counter next to the door. He looked around then stepped into the music room, his gun held up. He looked around the room filled with antiques, instruments and books.
Then suddenly he held the creek of a floorboard behind him. He turned on his heal to see Emma standing in the doorway, holding up a gun too. He held his yo ready to fire, but then just looked at her. "Sherif Swan."
"Your neighbours saw your front door open. They called it in." she explained.
"It appears I've been robbed."
"Funny how that keeps happening to you." said said still holding up the gun.
"Yeah, well, I'm a difficult man to love." he held the gun down.

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The double doors opened in Rumplestiltskin's Dark Castle. He walked into the room followed by Belle. Once they were inside the room the doors shut behind them.
"Where are you taking me?" asked Belle, looking around the large, beautifuly decorated room.
"Let's call it you're room." Rumplestiltskin said.

He led her down through the castle to the dungeons. He then waved his hand and a door opened to reveal a small, dark, stone cell.
"My room?" she said repolsivly.
"Well, it sounds nicer than dungeon." he pushed her inside and chuckled as he shut the door and locked it up. He chuckled gleefully again.
"You can't just leave me in here!" she shouted, pounding her fists on the door. "Hello? Hello?"

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Belle walked through the room and carrying a tray of tea and savoury. She walked towards Rumplestiltskin who sat at a long wooden table.
"You will serve me my meals and you will clean the Dark Castle." he said.
"I understand." she said pouring the tea.
"You will dust my collection and launder my clothing."
"Yes." she nodded.
"You will fetch me fresh straw when I'm spinning at the wheel."
"Got it." she picked up the cup of tea.
"Oh, and you will skin the children I hunt, for their pelts."
Belle dropped the cup of tea onto the carpet floor, her face full of fear.
"That one was a quip." he said. "Not serious."
She sighed and chuckled a little in relief. "Right." she bent down to pick up the cup. "Oh, my......" she said looking at the cup. "I'm so sorry, but it's chipped." she held up the cup.
Rumplestiltskin glared at her.
"You.....you can hardly see it."
"Well it's just a cup."
She nodded in relief again and stood up.

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"Sherif Swan, you can go now. I know exactly what was taken and who did it." said Mr. Gold. "I've got it from here."
"No, you don't." said Emma stepping closer to him. "This was a robbery. A public menace. And if you don't tell me what you know, I will have to arrest you for obstruction of justice..... I have a feeling you don't want to be behind bars."
"Indeed not.......... Alright, his name is Moe French, he sells flowers. He recently defaulted on a loan. A short time ago, we had a little disagreement over collateral."
"Okay. I'll go get him, check him out."
"I'm sure you will. Assuming I don't find him......." he laughed. "Let's just say, bad things tend to happen to bad people."
"Is that a threat?"
"Observation."
Emma pulled on her at and walked out of the house.
"Gold luck." he said as she left.

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Belle stood on a ladder, pulling and tugging at the curtains that hung over the large, narrow windows. She had dressed from her pale yellow gown to a blue maiden's dress with white frills and lase by the lining.
Rumplestiltskin sat by his spining wheel at the other end of the room, spining the straw to gold.
"Why do you spin so much?" asked Belle, watching him.
He stopped and glanced at her for a second.
"Sorry, it's just, you've spun straw into more gold than you could ever spend."
"I like to watch the wheel." he said continuing to spin. "Helps me forget."
"Forget what?"
He stopping spining for a moment. "I guess it worked." he chuckled and turned around to look at her.
She laughed and tugged at the curtains again.
Rumplestiltskin stood up and walked towards her. "What are you doing?"
"Opening these. It's almost spring, we should let some light in." she kept tugging at them. "What did you do, nail them down?" she said looking down at him.
"Yeah."
She rowled her eyes and gave them one strong tug, suddenly the curtains fell to the ground and Belle lost her grip of the ladder and fell down too. Rumplestiltskin caught her in his outstretched arms and the pale, bright light shone on them from outside. They looked into one another's eyes for a moment.
"Thank you." said Belle.
Rumplestiltskin looked at her, a little shocked and let her down quickly.
She stumbled a little. "Thank you."
"It was no matter."
"I'll......put the curtains back up." she said smiling ashe walked away.
He turned back to her and stared out of the window at the snowy mountains in the distance. "Ahhh.... There's no need. I'll get used to it."
Belle smiled as he walked back to his spinning wheel, his face enlightened.