𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑹𝒀𝑻𝑯𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑰 𝑾𝑨𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑫 - Rumplestiltskin [3]

TWO

2|FORGIVENESS IN DEATH

Three month earlier

Her hands rubbed her swollen stomach, a smile on her lips as she imagined what her daughter would look like. Would she take her mother's eyes or her father's? Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by her phone ringing, "Whaley Boy" lighting up her screen.

"Bella, I need you to come to the hospital." Victor Frankenstein spoke down the phone with a rushed tone. "It's your father."

"I'm on my way." She quickly waved her hand, appearing in Victor's office. "What's happened?"

"Jesus, Bel." Victor jumped in fright, holding his hand over his heart as he stood up to greet her properly. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

"Sorry, Whaley." Celeste quickly followed him down the hospital halls, Victor explaining the situation as they walked. "Why does he want to see me?"

"I don't know." He answered honestly. "I think he might be a little out of it from the medication."

Celeste sighed, closing her eyes briefly to find a moment of peace before pushing open the hospital room door, finding a frail man lying in a clean white bed. Her words got stuck in her throat, eyes widening as she looked over the dying man. Even when he was severely ill when she was young he had never looked so old and weak.

"Why did you call me here?" She asked, walking further into the room to stand beside the bed.

"You always were an ungrateful daughter." Her father snapped at her, coughing up blood into his handkerchief. "Can't a father ask for his daughter on his deathbed?"

"And you were always an ungrateful father." Celeste scoffed. "I guess we have one thing in common."

"Ungrateful?" He yelled, his voice going hoarse as he spoke. "I gave you everything!"

"I gave my life to the Dark One in exchange for your kingdom." She snapped, shocked at his argument.

"And then you spread your legs and bore him a daughter." John, the once powerful king, spat back. "You couldn't even give the Dark One an heir. Just as pathetic as your mother."

Celeste felt the angry rise inside her, hands itching to attack him, make him regret his words. But instead she let out a breathy chuckle, refusing to let him see how his words got under his skin.

"The Western Kingdom was nothing until I took over all those many years ago. And since then, it's still thriving without you on the thrown." A smirk pulled at her lips as she watched the power he thought he had vanish from his eyes. "Maybe all the kingdom needed was a woman on the thrown so my daughter will make a great Queen."

"Over my dead body will I let the offspring of the Dark One have my thrown."

"That won't be too hard." She glanced over at the heart monitor, watching his weak heart beat. "Have fun in the Underworld."

Celeste turned her back on the pathetic excuse of a man, her eyes gently closing, tears gathering in her eyes. She let out a shaky breath, looking forwards at the man standing outside the room, a single tear gracing her cheek.

"No, I won't let this be how we end things." She turned back around. "I don't deserve this. Your granddaughter doesn't deserve this."

"I have no grandchild." He coughed, his body jolting in pain.

"Did you ever love me?" The tears weld up in her ocean blue eyes. "I am your daughter, I am your own flesh and blood. I did everything you ever asked of me. So please, tell me. Did you ever love me?"

"Celeste." Her father said slowly. "My love for you will always be overshadowed by my need for you to be better. I gave you so much potential and you wasted them. I made you to be better than me. But you disappointed me. You became just like me."

"I will never be like you."

"You fell for a powerful sorcerer, you are no better than me." John reached for her, grabbing her hand and pulling her close as his voice went hoarse. "How many times has he promised love and chose power? Don't be like me. Be the leader I taught you to be. It might not have been love in your eyes, but you will understand when your daughter gets older."

"Goodbye, father." She closed the door behind her, refusing to let him see her as she fell to her knees. Gentle arms wrapped around her body, a soothing voice calming her breathing. The familiar sound of the heart monitor flat lining filled her ears.

"Come on, let's get you off the floor." Victor released his hold on her carefully, helping her off the floor. "Rumplestiltskin will have my head if he finds out I let his pregnant wife sit on the floor."

"Always so worried about your own life." Celeste chuckled, wiping away her tears off her cheeks. "Thank you for calling me. I didn't realise I needed that."

"Of course."