This was no ordinary storm.
There was no natural force that could possibly wreak this much havoc.
Belle lay shivering, beneath layers of warm blankets, snuggled deep into her bed as if to hide from the savage force of nature tearing at the foundation of the Dark Castle. Open windows slammed on the brick of the walls as rain poured into the hallways outside of her room.
'What a fine mess this'll be tomorrow.' She thought darkly, pulling another blanket over her head.
And then the thunder boomed, echoing off of the ancient walls of rock surrounding the castle. Belle whimpered as lightning illuminated the room and crackled in the wet sky. Stone sized hail clattered against the aging roof and wind whipped its icy tendrils across all unprotected surfaces.
Rumpelstiltskin sat calmly at his wheel, ignorant of the monster tearing at his castle. Thunder rocked the castle, the fire sputtered in the fireplace, and the china shook in the cabinets above him. Yet the soft squeak of the door caused him to lift his gaze from the straw between his fingers.
Belle, shaking and dripping wet, was wrapped in a thick wool blanket and standing in the doorway, gazing down at the floor with great interest. She glanced up at him, eyes wide and frightened.
Without a word, she crossed the distance between the door and the spindle and settled down by his legs, wrapping the blanket tighter around her. She sighed quietly and whimpered once as the thunder shook the room, then rested her cheek on his thigh and closed her eyes.
Rumple froze, the straw slipping from his grasp as his hands shook, unsure of what to do.
Big blue eyes opened and stared up at him, flickers of fear reflected in the dim light. 'It's quite noisy, isn't it?" Belle muttered, blinking up at him with all the innocence of a child. She settled back against him, dozing as the sounds of the storm faded into the background.
Rumple sat motionless for the moments that followed, gazing at the woman now asleep; whose soft breath now tickled his leg.
Together, they rode out the storm.