Another
By RosexKnight
Prompt by panchibust of Tumblr (Or Francine Bouchard here): Colette is alive in "Skin Deep," so when Belle returns home she tells her mother of her love for the dark one. Sometime later Colette goes to the dark castle and tells Rumple that Belle is going to marry another man and has to stop the wedding because she knows that he loves her daughter.
Chapter One ~ Homecoming
There was all but a cheering crowd when Belle stumbled wearily back into her father's castle, a guard on all sides of her and one more to announce her arrival. She felt as though she's barely blinked before her father was at her side with her mother. She felt tears sting her eyes easily as her parents embraced her.
"Belle..." Maurice breathed, holding her so tight she was almost uncomfortable. "I thought we'd never see you again."
Her mother's hands were stroking her hair, worrying the tangles and knots out, what few there were. "How did you manage to escape him?" She breathed.
Belle pulled away, and she could see the wear that her leave had taken on her parents. She shook her head, not wanting to think about it. Or her time with Rumpelstiltskin.
"The ogres?" She urged, changing the subject. "Our village?"
"Safer than they've ever been." Her papa assured. He glanced to her mother, who seemed to be studying her daughter and Belle wondered for a moment if she looked different. "You must be tired. Come, rest. You brought only a basket?"
"I was traveling light." The brunette said sheepishly.
"Right. Can't run if weighed down."
"I wasn't running. I...He let me go."
"Let you go?" Her mother echoed.
Belle nodded, and Colette blinked, seeming satisfied with whatever she saw in Her daughter's eyes. Maurice seemed less than convinced, but accepted her answer.
"A bath then. And a good dinner. And rest." He said, kissing her forehead, "You're back. That's what matters."
"Yes papa. Happy to be back too."
This time it was her mother's turn to accept her answer.
The maids had kept her room pristine, probably hoping for her return. When she went up a hot bath was already waiting for her, and Belle would have been lying if she said she didn't miss the feeling of others washing her hair for her. She stayed in until aha was wrinkly, then got out to wrap herself in a silk nightgown and settled into her bed. It was too early for sleep, but everyone seemed to object to rest. She'd just finished surveying her room when she bit her lip, longing for a book, and a knock at the door came.
Her mother entered "I hope you liked your bath."
"Of course." Belle said, hugging her mother tighter than she ever had as she came to sit beside her on the bed "I missed you..."
"We missed you too. He sent you away? Did you anger him?"
"No he...I...I don't wanna talk about it."
"Of course." Colette settled beside her on the bed, squeezing her hand as she brought a book out from behind her skirt. A worn blue cover surrounded the pages, and it had good trimming. "I thought you'd fancy a story."
Belle's face lit up. The book was one her mother had first read to her. The one that made her fall in love with books. Colette simply smiled and turned to the first page.
"Once upon a time..."
They lost track of time as Colette read to her daughter, and Belle could not remember the last time she'd been so at ease. Finally, halfway through the book, they lost their light, and only the candles flickered. Belle didn't care. She'd forgotten how much she'd missed her mother's voice and this book. Far off places, daring sword fights, a prince in disguise, true love...
"Tell me about him." Her mother said after a length of silence.
"What?" Belle asked, taken aback for a moment.
"The Dark One. Tell me about him. And the castle."
"Well...it was enormous. At least twice the size of ours. I never did get to clean every room, but most were empty anyway. His collection is displayed everywhere. So much magic and magical things you wouldn't believe! And the library. Mother the library! There were more books than I could read in a lifetime!"
"Did you make it through some?"
"I barely put a dent in it..."
"What about him?"
"He was..." Belle searched for the words. "Beastly. At first. But after a while he wasn't. He sort of grew used to me. Probably more than he wanted to and...we grew comfortable around each other."
"And you fell in love with him." Colette finished, nodding in understanding and laughing at her Daughter's shocked look. "Belle I'm still your mother. I can tell."
Her face turned red as Belle turned away shyly. "Is it..is love supposed to hurt so much?"
"Oh my dear..." Colette coaxed Belle to look at her, then hugged her when she saw the tears welling in her eyes, rocking her gently. "Yes it does. It hurts. But it's worth it."
"He didn't want me. He sent me away."
"Even those of True Love has some dark times."
Belle shook her head. "He's a man who makes wrong decisions."
"All men do. That's why they need women. You'll understand one day."
Something inside the younger woman broke, and Belle was reduced to a weeping child I her mother's arms. Colette held her tightly, cooing softly and stroking her hair ass her daughter broke down, not even bothering to fight the tears as they streamed down her face. Every tear she'd held back on her journey home. Every tear she'd been bottling up since he snapped and told her no one could love him. They all spilled over, and only quelled when Belle was too exhausted to do anything but sleep on Colette's shoulder.
As she tucked her daughter into bed, wiping away the wetness on her daughter's cheeks, Colette decided that she would never forgive Rumpelstiltskin.