Belle had been taking knitting lessons from Granny for several months now. She can't quite say what started the interest in knitting, but she found she enjoyed having something to do with her hands. That is, when she wasn't reading. And it was the latter that ultimately meant her progress with knitting was slow and…well…just slow. She couldn't even say it was "steady" progress, as it seemed some days she managed to get things just about right and other days she was an unmitigated disaster.

Granny had taken to threatening her with the crossbow for every bad stitch she made. Belle just rolled her eyes at her. She'd heard much worse from governesses back in their land over her rather pathetic embroidery. You'll never amount to anything Belle, dear. Funny how after all these years, she could still hear the old woman's voice so strongly in her ears.

Well, fancy that, Miss Steen. She had grown up, instead, to be the true love of the Dark One. Who'd have seen that one coming? Certainly not Belle herself, though it did seem rather appropriate for the "odd" girl everyone in the village knew her as. Poor Rumplestiltskin really had no idea what he had been taking on when he named her as his price.

"What are you laughing at?" Belle heard the voice of her love before she saw him, really. She stuck her head out from behind the computer. Letting out a slight squeak, she shoved the knitting she had been doing beneath the counter. It seemed almost everyone in town was aware of her lessons with Granny, but Granny had let them know under no uncertain terms that Rumplestiltskin was not allowed to know. And anyone who let him know would face the crossbow.

Belle really did love the old woman and her crossbow. Her lessons had become as much life lessons as they were knitting ones. Maybe someday she'd ask to learn the crossbow, though she was sure Rumplestiltskin would end up casting protection spells over the whole town to make sure no one was hit accidentally.

"Oh, nothing. Just a book I was reading." She bit her lip and wrinkled her nose at him.

He smiled, and leaned over the counter to try to get a look at the title, as he so often did. He was ever so fond of Belle's voracious appetite for reading (among other things), but he found her ability to read nearly anything rather strange. One moment he'd find her reading some light romance novel Ruby had given her (I hope you don't expect me to act like this, dear) and the next some huge tome on the war strategy of the Holy Roman Empire (Magic really is so much easier).

She saw him glance down at her obviously empty hands and to distract him, she leaned up and gave him a quick kiss. "What brings you here, love?" She loved calling him that. Ever since their near break-up and their subsequent reconciliation they had grown closer. She still lived alone above the library, but she found herself coming home later and later from his house every night and crawling into bed feeling far too lonely. Once the library opened, though, she couldn't complain about the ease with which she could get to work.

"I thought I might take the pretty librarian out to lunch." He presented her with a flower and she took it with a slight curtsey, always reminded of the first flower he ever gave her back in their land. He took her out to lunch at least a few times a week, insisting she turn the library over to her assistant, and accompany him for a short break. They usually ended up in Granny's, but if the weather was nice, she was often able to persuade him to have a picnic in the park. This particular day was chilly, the cool winter winds starting to blow down from Canada and even though she knew he could use magic to create a beautiful summer day within a bubble, she preferred to enjoy the late fall weather.

"Well, of course," she said with a smile, shoving her knitting further under the desk with her foot. Lunch did sound lovely and she had plenty of time to work on that later, when Rumplestiltskin was holed up in his pawn shop and guaranteed not to show up.

Lunch had been a quiet affair thus far with no interruptions. It was rare for Rumplestiltskin and Belle to be left alone so long, which is why it was no surprise when Grumpy came in and wandered over to the pair.

"Hey Belle, how's your…" Belle jumped up and quickly clamped a hand over the dwarf's mouth, giving an awkward smile to her love.

She dragged him off quickly. "It's fine. Just…don't talk about it front of him."

When she took her hand off his mouth, he spoke again. "What's with you sister?"

"Later, Dreamy, ok?" Belle heard him grumble his "new" name as he usually did, but she would always think of the gruff dwarf as Dreamy. Hidden somewhere, deep beneath his crankiness, was the sweet dwarf who wanted nothing more than to woo a fairy turned nun. He'd get up his nerve someday, she was sure of it.

"What was that about?" Rumplestiltskin asked her when she returned to the table.

"Nothing." She smiled sweetly at him and quickly changed the subject. The wonderful thing about Rumplestiltskin was that he always let her.

Belle looked up from her knitting, relieved to find the person entering the library wasn't Rumplestiltskin but was instead Grumpy. She figured her love would be busy at the pawn shop for the afternoon, as he usually was. She never had quite figured out what he did there as there never seemed to be anyone else in the shop unless they tried to have a nice private time together. Then everyone showed up. But otherwise it seemed he was always alone, fiddling with one mechanical thing or another.

"What on earth is going on?" Grumpy asked and Belle just rolled her eyes. He wasn't much for beating around the bush. She supposed that was why he was her friend. He was honest and forthright to a fault, something she really appreciated in people.

"This is what's going on." Belle held up the bit she was working on.

Grumpy just stared at it for a moment. "So? You're knitting. We established that."

"No, Grumpy." She sounded exasperated as she took both ends and held them apart. What was in between those two ends was really anyone's guess. It was a misshapen lump of knitted something, with colors ending suddenly and being replaced with similar colors, as if she had tried to match them up and hadn't quite managed to find exactly what she wanted. One section was much wider than the rest. "I'm knitting it for Rumple."

"I see."

"So I can't have him knowing his Solstice present now can I?"

Grumpy shook his head. "Obviously not?"

"Exactly." She smiled and set the twisted mess back on her lap.

"What is it?"

Belle flinched and stared down at the mess on her lap. "It's a scarf. Rumple never seems to dress warm enough for this weather so I thought he could use one." The Winter Solstice Giving was all about handmade objects. Belle had never been much for making things and so every year it was a real struggle to come up with something she could make with her own two hands for those she loved . "I know it's not perfect but…"

"He'll love it," Grumpy quickly said. And he knew he was right too. He didn't quite understand what Belle saw in him, but the one thing he knew was that man was stupidly in love with her.

"Are you kidding me? That man would wear a fairy wings and a tutu if she asked him to."

Ruby scoffed at Grumpy's words. "No way. Have you seen the way he dresses in this world? He's far too dignified to wear that lump of whatever it is she's making for him."

"It's a scarf."

"That's what she said it is. But have you seen it?" Ruby was no expert knitter, but she'd seen plenty of beautifully knit things that Granny had made. The fact that the woman was teaching Belle and Belle was still this bad after all these months really said something. "I'm not very crafty Grumpy, but I had to ask her what she was making."

"I had to too."

"She looked like I'd shot her puppy when I asked. I felt really bad about it."

"You said it sister," Grumpy replied with. They were silent for a moment.

"I really can't figure out how she's still so bad at it." Ruby shook her head.

"I think she keeps getting distracted," Grumpy muttered.

"Distracted…by?" Ruby leaned across the counter to hear the dwarf's words.

"Well books…and things…" He trailed off, looking distinctly uncomfortable.

"Things?" Ruby cocked her head slightly to the side.

"Yeah you know…things…" He wiggled his eyebrows slightly and Ruby drew back with a grimace.

"Oh don't put images like that in my head."

Grumpy grinned. "So do you want to make a bet? Twenty bucks says he comes through the door wearing that scarf the day after the Winter Solstice."

Ruby brightened up. "You're on!"

Belle was finally done with Rumplestiltskin's present. It had taken several weeks complete it but as she held it out, all nearly six feet of it, she felt quite proud of what she had done. Sure it was a little lopsided here and there…okay, more than a little lopsided in some places, but it was done. And it resembled a scarf…sort of.

She wrapped it lovingly in tissue paper and put it in the box she intended to give him at dinner that night. He was picking her up at the library after he was done at the pawn shop that day. She told him the Winter Solstice was special to her people and so he had planned dinner and an evening alone at his house for the two of them. She was looking so very forward to their time alone. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy all the activity at Granny's and the chance to see all the people who had become her friends, but they never were allowed to enjoy themselves without someone interrupting them.

So a special date night at Rumplestiltskin's house? It sounded perfect.

He picked her up that evening just as planned, getting out of his car and escorting her out the door and to the passenger side of the vehicle. Belle smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek as he opened her door for her. She settled happily into the car as he shut the door and came around to the other side.

She presented the beautifully wrapped scarf after dinner. Rumplestiltskin had settled them in the living room on the couch and she had leaned against him, pulling a blanket up over them both and cuddling into his side. It was one of her favorite places to be and she'd nearly drifted off to sleep, the crackle of the fire making her eyes heavy and the contentedness of being held in her love's arms making her so relaxed she almost missed the rest of the evening.

He took the present with a surprised look. "It's Winter Solstice, Rumple," she explained to him and when his eyes crinkled slightly at the edges, she continued. "In my part of the world, we celebrate the passing of one season into the next. At home we had parties, great feasts, dances. We decorated the entire estate and village with candles and greenery and the whole town turned out. It was sort of the last hurrah before winter really set in."

"I'm sure it was lovely to behold."

Belle smiled. "Well, I'm sure you wouldn't have enjoyed it. But still, you deserve something."

His eyes slid downward, away from hers, and he clasped his hands together. "I got you nothing."

She put one hand over his and ducked her head down, so that he was forced to meet her eyes. "You got me you. That's good enough for me." She was pleased to see his mouth turn up in a small smile before he leaned forward and pressed a light kiss to her mouth.

"I should have at least gotten you candles and some greenery. Unfortunately, you're out of luck with the dancing." He tapped his leg with a rueful grin.

"Well, I guess you're just lucky that I don't need any of that. Now open your present." She nodded excitedly at him.

He started to carefully pluck at the tape on the sides of the present, getting a finger between the folds and slowly pulling the tape away. Belle's face crumpled in impatience and she grabbed it out of his hands, ripping it open before handing it back to him.

Rumplestiltskin simply cocked an eyebrow at her and smirked, finishing the job she had so hastily begun.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly, her nose wrinkling slightly. "I never was very patient with people opening gifts."

"I see that." He finally finished removing all the wrapping paper and opened the box, pulling the material out and holding it up.

"It's a scarf." Belle smiled brightly despite his somewhat quizzical look. His fingers ran lightly over the knitted material and she watched him smile as he removed a few of her long hairs from it.

"Sorry…I shed." He smiled fully then and stood, wrapping the scarf around his neck. Parts of it hung down oddly, but overall, Belle was quite proud of her work. "Not bad for my first knitting project!"

"This was your first? I'd never have known it." Belle narrowed her eyes. She was sure, somehow, that he was lying, but he looked so completely guileless that she just ended up smiling.

She stood and smoothed the scarf down his shoulders and then used it to pull him in for a kiss. "I'm so glad you like it."

"My dear, I'll wear with pride anything you make me." He reached down and squeezed her hand with his, bringing it up to his lips and pressing a soft kiss to the back of it.

Rumplestiltskin often told Belle how he was the luckiest man alive. It was times like these that made Belle realize she was the luckiest woman in the world.

Ruby stood behind the counter at Granny's, eyes on the door. Grumpy sat on one of the stools, also staring at the door. Gathered in around them were Mary Margaret, David, and Granny.

"If he wears it tomorrow instead of today, do I still win?" Grumpy asked.

"Oh good one, Leroy!" Mary Margaret exclaimed. She had gone the way of Grumpy with her bet

"I'm all for that," David added. He had sided with Grumpy too. The pot was now up to $240 with three people rooting for Rumplestiltskin to appear wearing Belle's sad excuse for a scarf and nine people figuring he was too dignified to do so.

"No," Ruby decided." The bet was that he would wear it the day after Winter Solstice. So it's today or never."

Mary Margaret groaned.

David held up a hand. "Guys, take heart. I know this guy. He would do anything for her, including wear that monstrosity."

Happy came running into the diner. "They're coming."

The whole group quieted down and tried to look like they were just doing their usual things. Ruby grabbed a rag and wiped down the counter. She leaned over to Mary Margaret and whispered. "Order something."

"Oh…right…just bring me the special?"

"Sure thing," Ruby said brightly and turned away, her head still turned toward the door as she walked slowly away, her heels clicking on the ground the only sound in the diner. "Guys, talk," she hissed at everyone.

The diner burst into noise just moments before Belle walked in the door. Rumplestiltskin was right behind her, having held the door open for her and allowing her to go in ahead of him.

And then Rumplestiltskin entered.

Ruby groaned.

Mary Margaret let out a little "Oh" at the same time David quietly said "Yes!"

Grumpy leaned forward and looked at Ruby. "Pay up, sister."

"I can't believe I lost!" Ruby lamented as Rumplestiltskin carefully unwound the ridiculous scarf and draped it over the back of the booth the couple was sliding into.

Written for the Winter gift exchange at the rumpel_belle LJ community