Chapter 29: Discussions
Belle French gasped as she stared at Regina holding her father's living, breathing, heart. A lot of things went through the petite woman's mind at that moment. Was Moe okay? Was Regina a sociopath?
She couldn't speak though for awhile.
"Oh, close your mouth." Regina finally said. "You had to know it was coming. It doesn't hurt him, you know?"
Belle didn't pay any attention to her, "Papa?"
"Talk. Dumpty." Regina said.
Belle glared at her. Still not believing that Regina compared her father to the fry cook at that awful—can't believe it actually exist—waffle house in Storybrooke.
It was hard to believe that this was the same woman she had invited to tea the other day and they talked about whether or not sending Harry to a shrink would be a good idea.
Regina was adamantly against it. Stating that the bug was useless. Belle not so much. Jiminy had helped Rumple, if only a little bit.
But here Regina was, holding a beating heart in her hands and ready to crush it if Moe didn't give her the answers she wanted.
That was not the picture book of sanity. Then again, Belle knew she was involving herself with someone who wasn't exactly the sanest man himself.
Oh, Rumple.
The fight they had had in the hospital a couple hours ago, had been rather epic. Rumple had been intent on having her father prosecuted by the fullest extent of the law by non-Storybrooke society. While Belle had to admit, she was glad he hadn't resolved to killing her father like she expected, she didn't want him locked up in a world he knew nothing about. Which was why she begged Rumple to have mercy and try to have the case transferred back to Storybrooke.
It was one of the few times Rumple ever told her no.
"Why not?" She asked. "He'll still be facing charges. It will just be at home. You can watch over all of the proceedings."
"I'll have to watch over the proceedings." He said, "The only judge in that town, used to be a kangaroo."
"So, Archie used to be a cricket, but he helped you."
"That was the Blue Doxie's doing. Cricket used to be a man, but cried until he got his species changed. Now, that is someone with issues."
Belle glared at him. "Well, Papa can't stay here, Rumple. He knows nothing about this world."
This was the wrong thing to say. "And that's suppose to make me feel sorry for him? He decided to take my son over the line of the town. In a world that he wasn't familiar in. I think that has to account for something, Belle. Moe wasn't afraid of this world. I think he can very well handle prison."
He had a point and Belle hated to admit it. And by that point Regina decided to walk in, and, well, it was over at that point. And Belle just went to the cafeteria to wallow as she tried to figure out some scheme to get Rumple to let Moe go back to Storybrooke.
She really was never the best schemer and it didn't help that Regina decided to interrupt her mid plot and then, well, here she was watching Regina pull out her father's heart and calling him Dumpty.
Though, he did look a lot like that fry cook.
Belle sighed. "Regina, what do you really think you're going to do with that heart?"
"Find the truth." She said. "Who gave you the potion, Moe?"
Belle gulped as she looked at her father. She knew he had helped, but she didn't like to think about it. Much like she didn't like to think about the fact that he had taken her almost step son over town lines without and had shot at him when he realized that he wasn't Gaston.
She starred at Moe waiting to see how he responded.
Finally he spoke resigned as he stared at his heart before turning to Belle. "A woman. Her name was Alice. She used to work for you, Belle. As a nanny. For that thing you carried. Abomination. You need to get rid of it, honey."
"Enough." Regina said cutting him off. "There was never a nanny working for Belle, the woman was lying."
"Alice." He said. "Alice wouldn't lie. Such a sweet thing."
Regina rolled her eyes. "You're so gullible. And so hypocritical. You act like magic is the root of all evil, yet you had no problem using it to get out of town."
"It was for the greater good." Moe said. "I could've saved him if he was Gaston's. Now I know better. Now I know he needs to be destroyed."
"Shut up." Regina said. "You're not going to talk about destroying my brother again. Do you understand me."
Belle looked at Regina. "Brother? Regina."
"It doesn't matter." Regina said. "He's not coming back to town. He is gong to stay here and plead guilty and serve his sentence where he won't be bothering anyone in Storybrooke again. And if he does he'll forget about Harry."
"But truly…"
Regina cut her off. "I'm going to prove my point. Dumpty, I want you to answer one question for me."
"I told you my name' s not Dumpty it's Sir Moe of…"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. " Regina said. "I really don't care. You're a non-entity now."
"He is not a non-entity." Belle exclaimed.
"He no longer lives in Storybrooke. Therefore, he is no longer a concern of mine." Regina said.
"Regina…" Belle pleaded.
The Evil Queen shook her head. "No. Belle. I think Gold's going to agree with me too."
She sighed. And shook her head, but deep down she knew it was futile. Even a part of her agreed with Regina. What her father did was horrible, beyond horrible. And it upset her just the way he was looking at her.
But he was still her father, and he knew nothing of this world.
She couldn't cast him out into this world, she thought. That would just be cruel. It would lead him helpless.
But then again, her father had been planning to kill a child.
Sighing she turned to Regina and said, "Put his heart back in his body, I need some air."
Regina frowned. "I wanted to add it to my collection. It's nice and black."
"Whatever." Belle said. "Wait? Black."
Regina held up the heart. Sure enough, there was a large black spot oozing from it.
Belle gasped.
"Oh, it's not that dark." Regina said. "There is something interesting about Dumpty's heart. Something I just can't place, maybe I should have Gold take a look at it."
Moe gasped.
"Oh, stop doing that Dumpty." Regina said.
He automatically stopped.
"I forgot how fun this could be." The Evil Queen said.
"Regina." Belle warned.
Regina frowned. "You're no fun. I am going to take this with me though."
Belle looked at her, "Please, put it back in there. He can't survive."
"He'll be fine," Regina said. "Won't you Dumpty?"
"Fine." Moe said disgruntled before sliding back to unconsciousness.
Now, that he was no longer awake Belle could ask Regina what she was really thinking. "Why aren't you putting his heart back in his body, he could die."
"He won't, Belle." Regina said. "Surely, Gold told you how such magic work."
She shook her head. "I just know that people can't live without their hearts."
Regina sighed, "Relax. He can live just fine. My mother hasn't had a heart for years. It's just if you squeeze it into dust where there's an issue. There really is something off about his ticker though, I wasn't joking when I said I wanted Gold to look at it. Because whatever it is, I can't recognize it. "
"It's magic then." Belle said, "So, he might be innocent?"
"I doubt it, Bookworm." Regina said. "If he would've been magicked he would've felt remorse when talking about what he did to my brother. He didn't feel anything."
She sighed heavily.
"Leaving him here, would really be the best decision." Regina said. "Whoever helped him is dangerous. She had access to a memory preservation potion. You know how difficult such a potion is to brew."
Belle shook her head. "That's just it though, she could come to where he is and kill him."
"I highly doubt she'd care about him." Regina said. "He was used to get rid of my brother. That's all I know. And my brother is no longer going to be an issue in Storybrooke."
Belle gave her a skeptical look. "I'm sure Rumple will disagree with you. Storybrooke is Harry's home."
"Yes," Regina said. "But didn't Gold want to leave Storybrooke?"
Belle nodded her head. "Yes, but…"
"I think now would be a good time." Regina said.
Belle was shocked. "But I thought you said?"
"Something is obviously up." Regina said. "Last night proves that. I think we should look out in the best interest of Harry's safety, don't' you agree?"
Belle nodded. "But it wasn't suppose to be like this. And I don't want to leave my father alone?"
Regina rolled her eyes. "Your father won't be alone. He has his guards."
Belle sighed. "I want to talk to Rumple.
Only it turns out, Rumple wasn't that interested in talking to her. Oh, he did (eventually). But he was more focused on her father's heart.
He held it up and the air to examine it. It upset Belle how much it irked her. She trusted Rumple. She was going to marry him, yet having him hold an touch her father's heart, she couldn't help but feel the same fear that she had felt all those years ago when she was first met him.
He shook his head at her. "You really think I'd crush it?"
"I know you'd want to crush it." She replied.
"And I would if it wasn't for you." He said. "Well, that and I don't have the right to tear this heart in pieces. Only one person does."
"What?" Belle and Regina both said.
"Cora." Rumple said. "Seems like she already claimed Moe as her own."
"Well, that solves who Alice is. Really, Alice. Could my mother get a little more imaginative with those names?"
She thought she heard Rumple mumble something about Regina inheriting Cora's talent. But she couldn't pay attention. Instead, she was focused on what Rumple had said. "Cora has control of Pappa's heart? Is that even his heart?"
"Oh, it's Moe's heart." Rumple said. "Cora just is controlling the strings from far away."
"You can do that." Regina said. "I could've micromanaged away my vault?"
Rumple rolled his eyes. "No, it's different. You can't control their specific actions like you can when you take their heart. But a heart spell can cause someone to control someone's actions and moods. Which in effect is much like controlling them, albeit theirs not so much micromanaging."
"So, Papa is not doing this out of his free will?" Belle said feeling relief within her.
"No." Rumple said.
"But you just said?"
"Belle, he had to willingly agree at one point. It's just a reinforcement spell."
Belle felt that hope evaporate. "But…but you can get rid of the spell can't you?"
"He can't." Regina said instead of Gold. "That's the benefit of dark magic, it's almost impossible to remove. That's why true love's kiss in often the only antidote. Unless, of course, the caster decides to undue the curse or spell."
"Cora will reverse it." Belle said determined.
Rumple groaned.
"What?" Belle said. "I'll make her. My father is not going to be controlled by her."
Regina and Rumple looked at each other and started laughing. Really, Belle shouldn't have encouraged them to talk civilly. She was definitely out maneuvered.
And felt dumb and out of her realm. She could usually use books to catch up with Rumple. But with Regina there, she couldn't even attempt to catch up.
So, she just stood there feeling completely stupid and out of her league.
Where was a Charming when you needed them?
"Sorry, sweetheart." Rumple said trying to be comforting, "But you can't reason with Cora."
"Well, I am." Belle said. "I can't handle Papa being manipulated this way."
Even if the manipulation was weak at best.
Regina and Rumple looked at each other again.
"Will you stop doing that!" Belle said. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."
"You're not talking to Cora." Rumple said grabbing her arm suddenly.
Belle glared at him. "Don't tell you what I am and what I'm not going to do, Rumple. Like it or not, that man in there is my father. And I will not let Cora destroy him."
"She tried to kill my son." He said, "I won't let her kill you."
"I'll be fine." Belle said.
"You won't." Regina intervened. "My mother will kill you in less than five minutes."
"I'll prepare myself."
"With what, books? Cora is well read and she knows how to use magic. Dark magic."
Belle gulped. She hadn't tried any spells. She thought about it, but there was something about magic that scared her. Yeah, Belle who always tried to be brave was scared of something. Besides that, she had been locked up in a mental institute for twenty-eight years, so she really didn't have time for magic school.
However, she would do anything for family. Even Moe who had caused nothing but heartache for the past few years. Sighing she said, "Teach me."
"What?" Regina asked.
"Teach me magic." The brunette said. "So, that I can go back to town and get Cora to release control of my father."
Again, Rumple and Regina had to give each other a look.