Summary: Belle sneaks out of the Dark Castle for some fresh air and runs into some trouble in the forest.
A/N: Inspired by Belle's escape from Disney's Beauty and the Beast.
Belle stared out her bedroom window at the green forest that lay beyond the Dark Castle's walls. Rumplestiltskin had brought her to his home in the middle of winter and now spring was quickly turning into summer. She never imagined how much she would miss the outdoors. Belle longed to be outside in the fresh air enjoying the warm sunshine. The cold, unforgiving walls of the castle depressed her which is why she formulated a plan of escape. She wasn't running away just try to escape the gloomy fortress to explore the estate she was brought here to look after, to get a change of scenery. She decided that the best time to enact this plan would be to sneak out in the evening when Rumplestiltskin locked himself away in his tower for the night with his potions and spells.
On the eve of her escape Belle paced around her room going over the plan in her mind as she listened for the clacking of Rumplestiltskin's boots in the passageway. Every night since he had given her these new accommodations he would pass by her room before heading to the tower. He would pause just outside the door listening for signs of Belle inside. She wasn't sure what he wanted or expected to hear but she assumed it was for his own peace of mind rather than to frighten her. Of course tonight was different. Tonight his strange ritual did cause her alarm because this time she had something to hide.
The footsteps came later than usual which only added to Belle's anxiety but as usual he lingered on the other side of the door for a minute then continued on his way. When she was sure he had gone Belle let out a sigh of relief. She didn't like sneaking around behind Rumplestiltskin's back and she knew asking him to let her go was out of the question, but if she had to remain cooped up for much longer she might go insane. Belle waited a few more minutes to ensure him time to get settled into his work before pulling on her cloak and leaving her room.
As quietly as she could Belle made her way down to the kitchen. Rumplestiltskin ensured that all the doors in and out of the castle were locked tightly but Belle had stumbled upon a service entrance that had been missed. She wouldn't have found it either had she not been trying to find the source of a particularly nasty draft one winter day. The door was small and set back into a dark alcove which had been piled up with empty crates and barrels. The fact that the Dark One had missed it was a testament to how often he ventured into this part of his home. Belle thanked her lucky stars when she discovered its existence, deciding not to tell Rumplestiltskin about it in case she needed a quick escape. Now it was the only thing that lay between her and freedom.
Her hand rested on the latch as she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Slowly she pulled the door open and stepped into the cool night air. Belle stood just outside the door waiting for the Dark One to swoop down on her but to her surprise nothing happened. Now all she needed to do was make it through the main gate which was held in place by an enormous steel bolt. It took all her strength but she managed to slide the bolt far enough to crack open the gate and slip through.
Everything felt so surreal. Belle never imagined she'd see the outside world again, that she'd get to experience it again. Even at night the sweet smell of flowers lingered on the breeze. She walked along the clearest path she could find in the moonlight, glancing over her shoulder every so often at the looming fortress behind her. The night was still for the most part, now and then an owl would hoot far off in the distant or some other creature would call out from the trees but Belle was not the least bit afraid. She'd spent much of her childhood playing the woods of her family's estate.
Belle didn't know where she was going or how long she had been gone. Eventually she came to a large clearing in the forest, one that would have made a lovely spot for a picnic on a warm summer afternoon. She had stopped in the middle of it, lost in her daydream of lazy summer days when the sound of a twig snapping brought her back to reality. Belle peered into the darkness around the line of trees as a second branch cracked. "Hello? Is- is someone there?" She tried to keep her voice calm as she called out. "Rumplestiltskin is that you?" A chorus of angry snarls answered her as four sets of yellow eyes greeted her from the shadows. Belle couldn't have screamed if she had wanted to, fear paralyzed her entire body.
Slowly the wolves crept towards her, surrounding their prey. Belle finally willed her feet to move. She spun around to run back the way she had come but found a fifth wolf blocking her path. It snapped it jaws as she skidded to a halt. Belle backed away looking around for anything that she could use to defend herself but she found nothing. Belle was frantically searching for an escape when she stumbled over a large stone protruding from the dirt. As she hit the ground the leader of the pack sprang forward. She watched in terror as the wolf sailed through the air. But the beast never made it to its target. Mid leap the wolf was suddenly thrown backwards as if swatted by an invisible hand. It yelped as it landed somewhere in the distance. Belle sat stunned by the odd phenomenon when she felt a presence behind her. Glancing around she found Rumplestiltskin standing over her, his hand still raised and a murderous look in his eye.
Silently he reached out his hand and helped Belle to her feet. More wolves were gathering but after what happened to their leader many of them sat at a safe distance judging whether it would be wise to risk another attack. A few others remained in the clearing, poised to strike. They gnashed their teeth as they darted forward circling Rumplestiltskin and Belle. It was impossible to watch them all in the faint moonlight. One of the braver wolves strode out of the circle and took a flying leap at his victims. Rumplestiltskin caught the movement out of the corner of his eye but only had a second to react. Belle suddenly found herself pulled tight against him, one arm wrapped securely around her waist the other raised in defense as a reddish purple cloud engulfed them. The wolf leaped through the fog clawing at the empty space where his dinner had been standing.
The instant they materialized an earsplitting howl filled the great hall as Belle was flung from Rumplestiltskin's embrace. Her head was spinning and it took her a moment to grasp what was wrong. She looked around to see where her savior had gone and found him standing across the room holding his arm. Belle rushed to Rumplestiltskin's side when she realized that the sleeve he was clutching was torn and bloody. They had vanished quickly from the forest but not quickly enough – the daring wolf had caught Rumplestiltskin before they had fully dissolved and had left several deep cuts across his forearm as it leapt through the magical mist.
"Get back!" He roared when Belle tried to inspect his wound. She was startled by his tone but not deterred. Rumplestiltskin shrank away from Belle's hand as she reached for his arm again. "Let me help you," she begged.
"I don't need your help, I have magic." He turned his back on her as he examined his appendage. "Go. Now." he ordered her angrily. Belle sensed there was more than anger behind his words, betrayal.
"You might have magic but I'm your caretaker and I'm going to help." Belle could feel tears stinging her eyes. "I'm not leaving."
He turned on his heel coming face to face with Belle, "You are indeed my caretaker. What you are not is my nurse." Rumplestiltskin lifted his hand over his wound ready to magically heal himself but Belle stopped him. "Wait! You should at least clean it first."
He frowned at her in confusion, "What?" Belle didn't reply instead she guided him over to his chair at the dining table. "Wait here and don't do anything." Rumplestiltskin watched her leave and wondered what the foolish girl was up to. Belle returned moments later carrying a large bowl of warm water, some cloths, and a few small glass vials. She placed all of these items on the table then pulled up another chair next to his. He watched her curiously as she added the contents of two vials into the bowl then soaked one of the cloths in it.
"Arm." Belle demanded softly as she pointed to the armrest of his chair. Hesitantly Rumplestiltskin laid his arm out across it. She stared intently at the bloody shredded silk of his shirt for several seconds before deciding, to his horror, to rip his sleeve open completely exposing his forearm up to his elbow. The gashes were deeper than Belle imagined and she had to choke down a sob at the sight because she knew that she was the reason for them.
"This isn't necessary." He griped. Belle shook her head, "I don't care. I caused this so I'm going to fix it." She wrung the excess water out of the cloth then gently patted it over the wounds. A searing pain shot through his limb causing Rumplestiltskin to jerk back with a strangled cry. "What is in that?"
"Medicine, now hold still." She took his arm and placed it back on the armrest so that she could continue her work.
"It stings." He couldn't remember the last time he'd needed to use medicine or the last time someone had wanted to take care of him. Magic could cure whatever ailed him.
"Only for a second. It will stop if you hold still and let me finish," Belle scolded. Rumplestiltskin gripped the chair tightly until his knuckles turned white, hissing in agony with each new application. Belle rolled her eyes at him. It wasn't long before he grew tired of this torture. He stood up from his chair and walked to the other side of the table ignoring Belle's protests. "That's quite enough dearie, I can take it from here." Before Belle could convince him otherwise, Rumplestiltskin waved his hand over the gashes mending both his arm and his sleeve.
"Now, as for you," he growled through clenched teeth as he strode back around the table. "Trying to run away will do you no good. Our deal was for you to stay here forever. And last I checked forever hasn't occurred yet." He leaned over her placing both hands on either side of Belle's chair trapping her in the seat, a menacing gleam in his grey-gold eyes.
She sank further into the chair hoping to avoid his piercing gaze. "I wasn't trying to run away."
"Oh really! Then just what, exactly, were you doing? Heading to the market?" He straightened, waving his hands about wildly to mock her.
"No. I only wanted to go out, to see something other than the inside of this castle just for a bit. I've been cooped up inside for so long, I missed the outdoors. I know I shouldn't have left but I didn't think you would notice if I slipped out while you were up in the tower. Honestly, I was trying to get back when, when the wolves attacked." Belle's voice was barely audible as she remembered how helpless and afraid she had felt. "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to break our deal." Belle looked him squarely in the eye desperate to find forgiveness.
Rumplestiltskin stared down at the bold creature before him, his dark expression betraying nothing as the girl searched his eyes. He knew he should be furious at Belle's disobedience but all he felt was relief- relieved that she was safe, relieved that she wasn't leaving him.
"How did you know that I had gone?" Belle asked quietly.
She expected to him to speak harshly but his voice was calm and even, "Something felt amiss. I went to look for you and noticed that the gate was unlocked so I could only assume…"
"If you thought I had run away, why not leave me to the wolves and be rid of me?"
Rumplestiltskin laughed, "And let a perfectly good housekeeper go to waste?"
Belle tore her eyes away from him to stare down at her hands. They were stained red with his blood, blood that had been spilt protecting her. "You saved my life. You didn't have to but you did. Thank you."
The impish grin he'd been wearing fell from his lips as her words sank in. Before he spoke again he quickly turned away so that Belle could not see his face. "I may be cruel but I am not heartless." He glanced over his shoulder and caught Belle gazing at him like he was a puzzle she couldn't quite solve. "Did you ever consider that maybe I had my own punishment in mind for you?" he questioned with false malice, slipping back into his jesting tone.
Belle didn't understand him sometimes. One minute he was opening up and letting her in, then closed off and brooding in the next. Right now he seemed truly conflicted- torn between wanting to frighten her and wanting to soothe her. She'd never seen him truly angry, never witness the full wrath of the Dark One but she thought for sure that she was going to see it now.
"So what will my punishment be?" Belle asked as she held her head high, ready to take whatever punishment he deemed appropriate. Rumplestiltskin whirled about, mouth open ready to unleash some clever quip but changed his mind upon seeing the state of the girl in front of him. She wore a brave face but exhaustion mixed with apprehension showed in her eyes, her dress was creased and muddy, her hands streaked with red. "I'll, uh, decide in the morning."
Belle's eyes followed him as he strode through the doors, throwing them open with a wave of his hand. She sat in the hall for several minutes in stunned silence before gathering up the bowl and vials and heading to her room.
The next morning Rumplestiltskin sat at his spinning wheel paying no attention to Belle as she entered the great hall carrying a tray full of breakfast items. She busied herself with setting out his meal before summoning enough courage to speak. "Have you decided my punishment?"
"Punishment, dearie? What punishment?" he inquired without taking his eyes of the wheel. Belle blinked at him, her brow knit in confusion. Was this one of his games? "Last night you –"
Dropping the thread from his fingers Rumplestiltskin twisted sideways on his wooden stool to face Belle, "Last night I spent all my time working on a new potion in the tower while you spent the evening in your room reading."
They stared across the room at each other, his head cocked to the side daring her to contradict him. Belle nodded slowly as a smile tugged at her lips when she realized what he was doing, "Yes, my room. That's exactly where I was."
Rumplestiltskin bowed his head then returned to his spinning. He wore a sly grin of his own as he silently watched Belle resume her chores.
End