Lonely Hearts Fall The Hardest *Henry Mills Love Story*

Chapter Twenty-Eight ❤️❤️❤️

Nora lied there in the damp alley way next to Gold's shop for hours, her pale body limp and cold. The cut on her forehead had slowed in its bleeding, and dried blood had crusted along the side of her face. Her clothes had been soaked through by a puddle, and her lips slowly turning blue. There is a pretty purple bruise that acts as a halo to the cut and another on her temple when her head hit the ground. Her knees are both skinned and bruised from the cobble stone paired with the rough landing. In fewer words, she is pretty beat up. She could of spent another few hours out there, if Rumplestiltskin hadn't gone out to check on something. As he walked into the alley, the subtle splash of water could be heard underfoot. The older man scans the alley looking for anything out of place, only to notice Nora knocked out cold on the ground by the dumpster.

"Mabel!" He calls going to her, his eyes wide in fright. Had he lost another he cared for, so soon after losing the first? Her lips part in breath as Rumple pulls her into his arms, tears threatening his eyes. He should have gone to her as soon as he was freed, claimed her as his. But that fright in her eyes as he tried to bring her away with him, that terror and uncertainty she felt towards him. His dear Mabel no longer knew who he was. Rumple sucks in a uneasy breath as he pushes damp locks of hair from her cold face. He should have gone to her anyway, made her remember, maybe then he could protect her like he failed at doing so many years ago.

"Mabel..." He whispers again as Nora whimpers in her unconscious state, but it's not that, that pulls him from his daze but Henry's yell for him, from back inside the shop.

"Grandpa!?" Henry calls as he stands in the front room, not allowed to come in the back.

"One second, my boy!" He yells as he lets out his breath, gathering Nora in his arms and cradling her in his arms like he used to when she was a baby.

"I just wanted to know where this goes!" Henry yells as Rumple lays her down on the couch in the back, putting warm blankets over her and supporting her limp head with a pillow.

"Just set it down anyway, I need your help back here." He says as he feels Nora's forehead for a temperature, careful for her bruises and cut. It was normal, maybe a little cool. Henry came in brushing his hands on his pants before looking up. His eyes look over the scene in front of him. Nora, his girlfriend, bruised, bloody, and completely unconscious as Rumple, his grandfather and the dark one, stands at her bedside as he feels for her temperature.

"Nora?!" Henry gasps as he comes out of his initial shock, hurrying over to her side, and taking her hand in his. Rumple looks down at him confused. "I should have stayed with her, I knew she just got out of the hospital. This is all my fault." He says as Rumple shakes his head and places a hand on his shoulder.

"You couldn't of known, though I wasn't aware you knew Mab- Nora." Henry looks back at Ruple before running his free hand over Nora's cheek, even crusted with her own blood.

"I wasn't aware you knew Nora, Grandpa." Henry replies back trying not to be suspicious, as he rubs his thumb in circles on the back of her limp hand. Rumple crosses the room to a sink, wetting a small towel to clean her face with, with warm water. Henry kisses Nora's pale cheek forehead while Rumple's back is turned. He lets his lips linger softly over the bruise on her temple, pressing an ever so slight kiss to it before hearing the faucet turn off and he goes back to just holding her hand. Rumple looks over his Grandson wearily, well aware of his feelings towards the little girl he used to care for. He clears his throat as Henry looks back at him. Rumple hands him the towel silently, and he takes it from him just as silent, as he very gently, as if she would break with one single rough touch, cleaned the blood and dirt from her face. This was his fault. Henry thinks to himself as he finishes wiping the grime from her beautiful face. He had pushed her to the side since him and his mom started operation mongoose, and he was trying to help her. But in doing so he forgot another person that needed him just as much as his mother did, if not more at this point. He just had to tell Nora about operation Mongoose, maybe she could help to?! Rumple took the towel from him as he gently rests his hand on Henry's shoulder once again.