Ask Me No Questions

Summary: A fic based on the Rumple/Regina scenes by the water from 3X07. Because … oh my god. Just, oh my god, you guys. Golden Queen lives!

Regina's POV

"Do you really believe Belle can succeed?"

Regina doesn't know what makes her blurt it out. They've been waiting here in silence, in the mutual loathing and grudging respect of silence, which was just fine with her. There was no need, no cause for her to break the silence with a question.

Especially not a question about Belle.

But in any case, it's too late now.

"Yes I do," Rumplestiltskin says quickly – just a bit too quickly, she can't help but think.

"Are you sure it's not your feelings blinding you?" She sneers.

After all, she knows all too well that feelings can do that to a person.

Feelings … sensations…

Memories …

You could do so much, if you just let yourself …

I held you in my arms …

Regina, oh Regina, my wicked one …

"Or perhaps it's my feelings illuminating me," he says.

Some part of Regina wants to scream, or unleash a blast of magic at him, or better yet, just punch him in the face.

Instead …

"You really love her." He does. Of course he does. She's knows that, she's always known it. Known, and not cared. But it takes a lot of energy this … not-caring of hers. In fact, sometimes it takes so much, so very much, that she grows exhausted, and she wants to lay it down, this burden, this weight, this sinking feeling in her battered, blackened heart, this knowledge that she is unworthy and always will be –

"Is that jealousy?"

For an instant, that very same heart stops beating. For an instant, she forgets to breathe.

She never thought there would be moment like this. A moment where he asked her that sort of question. What she says next, her reaction, her body language … this could be the most humiliating, degrading moment in her life, if she lets it be. And considering the mother she had, that's saying something.

But then, the panic passes, and … she gives him (what she hopes is) a mildly incredulous look. "Of Belle? I think not."

"No no." That quickness in his voice again. Too quick.

Or perhaps not quick enough…

"Of having someone."

She has to give him credit, she supposes.

After all these years, he can still twist the knife in just the right way.

Regina thinks, briefly, of the man Tinkerbell lead her to, the man whose face she never saw, the man with the lion tattoo.

Who is he? And is he married, or dead, or even worse, someone who would hate the Evil Queen on sight, as so many already do?

Or he is still out there somewhere, as alone as she is, waiting, hoping for ….?

Then, Ariel returns, ending what just may have been the most awkward conversation of her life. Then, mercifully, it's back to business. The mermaid held up her end of the bargain, so she grants her the gift of walking on land whenever she likes. It's not exactly an altruistic gesture, but given who's she's been, what's she done, perhaps it could count as a good deed, of a sort?

And perhaps Henry will be pleased to know, when they finally rescue him, that Ariel has her happy ending. He always liked the story of The Little Mermaid, after all.

Of course, her altruism only goes so far.

But Rumple is in a more generous mood than her tonight, apparently, as he promises they will do their best to rescue this girl, the girl they will later learn is Wendy.

"When you return, tell Belle that I love and that she was right. I will see her again."

Of course she was. And of course he will. She will never see Daniel again, or her mother, or her father, but Rumplestiltskin and Belle … well, they'll just run into each other's arms in the end, won't they? Like in one of those goddamn slow-motion scenes on the beach from every crappy romantic movie ever, with violins playing and everything…

I hate you, Rumplestiltskin. I hate you so very much.

I mean nothing to you, less than nothing …

But I still need you. I still do.

To find Henry, to save him.

And yet, as they make there, and they press on and pretend their previous conversation never even occurred, some small part of her wonders what would have happened if she answered his question with a yes.

But then, he shouldn't have asked her in first place. He had no business asking, no right.

What is that old expression?

Oh yes, she remembers it now: Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies.

Rumplestiltskin's POV

"Do you really think Belle can succeed?"

Her question starts him out of his reverie. He's not quite sure where his mind was, but he was enjoying a moment of blissful blankness, of calm, of not thinking about much anything.

In fact, the only thing he really has to focus on at the moment is not allowing the faint but persistently distinct smell of apples from invading his personal space…

Regina always smelled like apples …

"Yes I do," Rumplestiltskin says quickly, resisting the urge to snap at her.

"Are you sure it's not your feelings blinding you?" She sneers.

He doesn't know what makes him say what he says next. Maybe it's the rolling or her eyes, or the curling of her lip. Maybe it's the hardness in her voice now, and the softness he used to hear there, when she would call out his name –

"Is that jealousy?"

He waits, for an instant. He thinks he is holding his breath.

In his mind, she screams No, no, never, never! and bursts into tears, and he holds her, and at first she pushes him away, but then she clings to him, sobbing like a child in his arms, and he tries to find the words to apologize, but they just won't come…

Or she laughs, long and loud and cruel, and then she turns into Cora, and says You were the only man I ever truly loved, says it with complete and utter sincerity, before plunging the dagger into his heart …

Or she whispers, so softly he has strain to hear, whispers, whispers Yes, yes, yes, damn you, yes, and then comes to him, and kisses him, and oh gods how she kisses him, and he forgets everything, everything…

She smells like apples. She tastes like apples. And she is his, not her mother's, or the king's, or even Daniel's, she is his, his Regina, his wicked one …

In reality, she merely favors him with a mildly incredulous look. "Of Belle?" She asks, almost laughing, as if the very notion is too ridiculous for words.

"I think not."

He has to give her credit, he supposes.

After all these years, she can still twist the knife in just the right way.

But then again, so can he.

"No, no. Of having someone."

The look on her face when he says that … well, it tells him he's won this round, at least.

He just has to try and brush aside the thought that it's a hollow victory…

He's not sure which of them is more relieved when Ariel returns with the box, so they can get back to business at last. He just knows it's about damn time that mermaid showed up.

"When you return, tell Belle that I love and that she was right. I will see her again."

He does not glance over at Regina as he says this.

And he certainly does not try to imagine the expression on her face. He neither knows nor cares what emotions she is displaying or attempting to hide at the moment.

They make their way back inland, and fall silent once again. They really should do their best now, he thinks, to keep idle conversation to a minimum.

Or perhaps just … idle questions. Pointless questions. Stupid, careless questions that he does not want to know the answers to.

What is that old expression?

Oh yes, he remembers it now: Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies.