The monstrous cloud began to wash over her and she was able to see Emma's yellow bug driving off away from them and with tears building again in her sad eyes she omitted one final word before departing the world, "Rumple."
The journey itself was painless and quick. Belle had only blinked her eyes and she reopened them in a very familiar place. She let out an audible gasp and brought her hand to her mouth as her vision began to clear.
Rumple's castle. She was back where it had all began so very long ago.
"No, no no!" she cried out to no one.
A familiar voice called back. "Belle? Is that you?"
The woman turned quickly and saw Rumple's son standing before her. "Baelfire!" she called.
He rushed over to her, still a bit woozy from the trip. "What's the matter? Are you alright?" he did a once over and couldn't see anything visibly wrong with her. But then he remembered the event still so fresh in his mind.
Belle shook her head. "No, I'm not. Why here? Of all places, why here?" she asked aloud. "It's not like I don't miss him terribly enough already without having to be reminded of him everywhere I look."
"This place has strong ties for both of us which is why I think we were transported here when the curse lifted," Baelfire tried to come up with a logic explanation.
"Anywhere would have been better than here. This hurts too much," Belle replied in mostly a whisper, moving her hand over her heart. It ached so much and she felt as though it was broken in two pieces.
"It's going to be ok," Baelfire said, trying to reassure her. It hurt him to see her so upset and he had no way to truly comfort her.
"No, nothing is ever going to be ok again," Belle replied back, dashing off in the direction of the only room she could see herself being in; his room.
She hesitated outside the door for a few moments before gathering up the courage to enter the room.
Although she'd never set foot in it before, it felt like home to her. She walked over to the bed that rested up against the far wall. She picked up a pillow and held it up to her face and breathed in deeply before bursting into uncontrollable tears. It smelled just like him. She climbed into the bed and curled herself up into a ball, clutching the pillow as the tears continued to fall. All the memories came flooding to her head and she started to sob even harder, not caring to muffle her cries at all.
Baelfire had followed her, worried about her and as he stood outside the door, her wails became louder and louder. He touched the doorknob but then let go of it. Maybe what she needed was to be alone for right now. He figured he might go outside and see what kind of shape the world was in and if he could find anyone else nearby.
"Belle…. I'm going out for a while. But I will be back. I will find us some dinner," he called into the room. He waited but received no response. He sighed and headed back down the corridor and found his way outside.
Belle lay in the bed for hours it seemed. She didn't even budge when a knock sounded later on. It was Baelfire, back from his trip outdoors.
"Belle, can I please come in?" he asked.
"Ok," she called out loud enough for him to hear.
He opened the door, appearing with Ruby beside him. "Look who I found."
Belle mustered the tiniest smile for her dear friend and Ruby rushed right over to the bed and took Belle into her arms, hugging her tightly.
"Belle, oh Belle, I am so happy to see you. Do you need me to get you anything?" Ruby asked. "Baelfire brought some food and I was able to find some bread. Not sure how good it is but we can see."
Belle held on to Ruby a few seconds longer before letting go and pulling back. "No, I don't need anything and I'm not hungry."
"You have to eat. You must be starving, I know I was," Baelfire spoke.
Belle shook her head. "I don't want anything but thank you." She then turned her attention back to Ruby. "Have you found any others? Granny?"
Ruby shook her head. "No, I was alone when I opened my eyes and started to walk. I was off in the forest which makes sense on account of the wolf thing. I wandered for a good long while until I picked up a scent. I started following it and shortly after I heard some rustling and Baelfire emerged behind some trees. He brought me straight back here."
"You can go off and look for her if you want, I'll be fine here," Belle said, laying back down on the bed and grabbing onto the pillow she'd found comfort in for the few hours she was alone.
"I'm going to make you a plate of food and I'll leave it outside the door, ok?" Baelfire told her.
Belle simply nodded but didn't say anything else. She rolled over so her back was to her friends. She closed her eyes and let her memories flood her mind and for a little while, she was right back in his arms again and everything was as it should be.
Baelfire and Ruby walked out of the room, shutting the door and walking back into the main room. "I don't know what to do for her," he said.
"Heartbreak is one of the worst feelings a person can have. I should know," Ruby said, offering a small smile. "She'll get through this. It might take a very long time but she'll come through it. She just needs support right now. I can stay for as long as she needs."
"I appreciate that Ruby. I have nowhere to go but here and I couldn't leave her in this state even if I wanted to. Emma and Henry are gone and my father too. She's pretty much the only family I have left here."
"How about I light some candles and put them in the windows, maybe light the torches outside so if someone does come by, they'll know someone is here," Ruby suggested.
"Here, I'll come help you."
For the next hour the pair placed and lit candles into the windows that would be visible to someone outside if they got close enough and went outside to the outer edges of the castle and lit the torches. Ruby did a quick sniff of the air and she did catch a faint whiff of someone but couldn't quite make it out.
Baelfire, true to his word, fixed up a plate of food and a cup of water for Belle, placing it outside her door. He knocked softly, "The food is out here when you're ready Belle."
A while later he came by to check and the food hadn't even been touched. "Let me try," Ruby replied, picking up the tray and entering the room without knocking.
Ruby set the tray of food down on the nearest surface she could find and got to work, lighting a few candles to lighten up the room. She found Belle, still in the same spot she left her.
"I said I wasn't hungry," Belle spoke softly.
"Well you have to eat something and I will sit in here and wait until you do. I don't have anywhere else to be."
Belle didn't move. Ruby sighed and walked over and sat down on the edge of bed. "I can't begin to imagine what you are going through but I do know a little something about heartache. I know right now it feels like there is no escape and walls are closing in on you and you can't breathe but it will get better. Every day it will get just a tiny bit better. And sooner or later you'll find yourself not completely healed but enough to continue on. I can't bear to see you like this. When I….killed Peter… I was inconsolable. I had Snow to help me through that and now you have me to get you through this. Please let me know what I can do to help."
Belle turned to face her, still lying down. "You can go get my other half back. I feel broken inside, my heart hurts, my stomach hurts, everything hurts," Belle's words tumbled out faster than she could catch them. "I'm angry and scared and sad and lonely all at once. My head feels like its swirling."
Ruby lay down beside her friend and looked into her eyes. They were welling up with tears again. "Sweetie I know exactly how you feel. Maybe not completely but to an extent. The world feels like its ending but it will get better. It will. Now would you please eat at least something so I can tell Baelfire you did. You know, he's really worried about you."
"Why does he care so much?" Belle asked. She sat up slowly, clutching her head as she did.
"Emma and Henry are gone, so is…. his father. You are all the family he has left. He feels lonely too," Ruby explained.
"Oh goodness, I didn't even think about that, I've been so wrapped up in myself. Is he going to be ok?" Belle realized that although her world came crashing down, she wasn't the only one suffering.
"Maybe you two can be lonely together and get through this," Ruby said, sitting up as well. She got off the bed and walked over to the tray of food and brought it over.
"Maybe a bite or two," Belle replied, smelling the food and feeling her mouth start to salivate.
"I'll leave it here on the nightstand. Please eat. I'm going to go and see what Baelfire is up to," Ruby gave her one last look and then walked out of the room.
She headed back to the main room and Baelfire was sitting at the table, drinking from a cup.
"Well? Did you get her to eat?" he asked, when he looked up and saw Ruby.
"I think so?" she said, not very sure of herself. "I tried talking to her and getting her to see it will get better but I think it's going to take her a long time. I told her to eat and left the food on the nightstand. I'll go in later and check on her before bed."
Several hours later Ruby made good on her word and headed back to the bedroom. She walked to the bed and looked over at the nightstand. Untouched food. What could she do? She heard Belle breathing heavy and realized she was fast asleep. Ruby grabbed a quilt from the edge of the bed and put it over friend. She took the tray with her as she headed out, blowing out the candles on her way.
"Not a single bite," Baelfire observed when Ruby set the tray on the table. "What can we do? She has to eat."
"And she will. When she's hungry enough. She's in pain right now and nothing would taste good anyways. I'll try again in the morning before I head out for a bit. You should join me. Maybe we can find Granny or Snow and Charming. I caught a scent earlier but it was too far to make it out clearly."
"Someone should stay here and look after Belle," Baelfire responded.
"We can make sure we leave her food and water and let her know when we'll return. I think she'd much rather be on her own right now. She'll come out of that room when she's ready and no amount of begging and pleading is going to speed that up," Ruby told him.
The next morning Belle awoke to light starting to pour into the room. She felt the quilt around her and realized someone had come in and put it on her as she slept. She rolled over and looked at the nightstand which was now clear of the tray of food. She lay in bed for a few minutes before slowly sitting up. Her head ached and that was probably due to the lack of food in her stomach but it was still in knots and she knew she couldn't possibly eat anything just yet.
She swung her legs slowly over the edge of the bed and stood to her feet. She listened to see if she could hear anyone but the castle was very big and unless there was someone in the corridor nearest her, it was highly unlikely she would hear anyone.
She slowly opened the bedroom door and peered out, nearly kicking the tray of food left out on the floor. There was a note sitting next to the plate and she reached down to grab it and read it. Baelfire and Ruby had gone off to search for other Storybrooke residents and they would be back later. It also asked her to please eat at least something. Belle placed the note back down on the tray before picking it up and taking it back into the room with her.
She placed the tray down on the nightstand and reluctantly took a few bites of the bread provided. It didn't taste very good but Belle couldn't tell if that was because of the way she was feeling or if the bread was stale.
A little while later she decided she had enough of the room for a while and headed out into the corridor. She listened to hear if her friends had returned but nothing responded but the eerie quietness of an empty castle.
She headed to the library, grabbed a book off the nearest shelf, and sat on the floor. She looked at the cover for a long while, unwilling to actually open it to read. She set the book down on the floor and stood up, heading back downstairs to the main hall where she had spent much of her time here.
Everything in the room reminded her of him. His spindle and wheel in the corner, hay in a basket right beside it. And then she saw it and she rushed over to grasp it in her hands; her chipped cup. It was sitting on the mantle next to the red rose he had gotten her. She could hardly believe it was still as fresh as the day Rumple had given it to her nearly 30 years before. It was standing alone in a vase and the vase didn't appear to have any water in it.
She rubbed her fingers over the chip in the cup, remembering the day it happened and how this had been his most valued possession back in Storybrooke.
She was still in the room staring at the rose on the mantle when she heard voices approaching and the main doors to the castle opened. She placed the cup back when she found it and turned to see who it was.
Baelfire and Ruby walked in with Granny and Snow and Charming and Ariel and Eric. Belle mustered up a small smile when she saw the familiar faces. Snow rushed over to her and gave her a great big hug.
"It is so good to see you!" Snow said, squeezing her tightly. "I am so sorry for your loss. Bae and Ruby said you were having a rough time."
Belle nodded. "It is really good to see you all again. Where did you end up?" she asked, completely ignoring Snow's last comments.
"My father's summer castle which ironically isn't too far from here. A day's journey or so," Snow explained.
"Ruby found us out, we'd been wandering for most of yesterday and stopped to camp," Charming added.
Ruby touched the side of her nose. "I've got the power."
"We found Ariel and Eric close to the shore; Ariel had been turned back into a mermaid. But luckily that bracelet Regina gave her was nearby or she wouldn't have been able to come with us."
"Any sign of her?" Belle asked.
"Of Regina? No. I don't expect she'd be trying to find anyone right now and probably lying low for a while," Charming answered.
"After everything that has happened I think that might be best for her right now," Snow piped in.
"It really is great to see you all but I think I am going to lay back down for a bit. Please make yourselves at home. I guess this is our place now," she said gesturing to Baelfire, "And we have more room then we could ever need." Belle turned around and headed back to Rumple's bedroom, shutting the door and shutting out her friends in the process.
"See? I told you. She's not well. And I don't know what else to do. I tried to sympathize with her and let her know I had felt the way she did after Peter but she seems so distant I don't know if she really heard much," Ruby replied.
"Maybe all she needs is having people around who care about her and want to see her get better. I'm sure she feels completely alone right now," Snow said.
"She did say that earlier. She has a mix of feelings she's trying to deal with. I just wish I knew what would help her." Ruby turned to look in the direction Belle had gone.
"Time heals all wounds," Snow responded. "And it could take a while."
The days dragged on and on it seemed to Belle. She sunk into a deeper depression with each passing day, finally refusing to let anyone come in the room to see her. Ruby would wait outside the room for long periods of time and hear her crying and almost barge through the door to comfort her. Baelfire was the same way. If Ruby was not pacing the hallway, it was him.
Belle was hardly eating. They made sure to leave her three meals a day and would check to see later if anything had been touched before delivering the next. She was eating, very small amounts, but at least she was eating something. She was drinking water at too because each time they came to see, her cup was empty. A few times, one of them had been waiting by the door when Belle came out. She would grab the tray and not say a single word to them and shut the door again.
Finally nearly three months since they'd arrived back in the Enchanted Forest, Belle emerged from the room. Ruby and Baelfire had been visiting her, much to her disagreement but they ignored her calls to leave her alone. They started to take turns sleeping out in the hallway in case she decided to come out. Ruby had been waiting for her that night and had fallen asleep just outside the door. Belle crept over to her slowly, stepping around her.
Ruby stirred, rubbed her eyes and sat up. "Belle," she said with a smile.
"Hello," Belle spoke.
Once Ruby's eyes adjusted to the light she took a good long look at Belle and had to hold in a gasp. Belle had always been slim but even her dress now was hanging loosely on her. She had dark circles under both eyes and her face seemed thinner as well.
"I know I must look horrible but I needed to get out of there for a little bit," Belle could sense her friend's reaction and the shock was written clearly on her face even though she didn't say anything.
"Belle we're so worried about you. This isn't healthy. You need to come out of that room and come back to the land of the living. You need to be around people," Ruby gently scolded her.
"I know, I know. I'm sorry. But once I lay down in that bed, my head and body gets so heavy I just can't seem to find the energy to get back out. I feel like my head is up in the clouds somewhere and I feel so tired."
"You're depressed and with good reason but you can't keep going on like this. You need a proper meal, one where you eat the entire thing. And then several more of those. You need to go outside and get fresh air. Believe me, it will do you wonders."
"Where's Bae?" Belle asked.
"He went out to gather supplies and food with Charming. They've been staying here with us as well. Snow is so worried about you. We all are," Ruby answered.
"I don't mean to worry all of you. I just didn't feel like seeing anyone. I wanted to be alone with my memories and thoughts."
"I understand, believe me I do. Bae is going to be so happy so see you out of that room. Are you hungry?"
Belle nodded her head slowly. "Yeah I guess, maybe a little bit."
"Come on, I'll fix you up something while we wait for the boys to come back. Snow should be down here as well."
And sure enough Snow was standing and looking out the window, probably checking to see if the boys were coming back.
"Look who I found," Ruby announced.
Snow turned around and her face broke into a huge smile. "Belle," she walked over, embracing her friend. She frowned a little noticing her smaller frame. "You've lost so much weight."
Belle pulled back first. "I know, I can hardly believe it's gotten like this. Ruby is going to fix me something to eat."
"Here, come sit down," Snow led Belle over to a chair by the table. "Are you thirsty?"
Belle nodded. "Do you have anything?"
"I'll go get some water from the well. Be right back," Snow said, grabbing the pail by the door and opening the main doors. She closed them behind herself and headed to the doors that led outside. Once she was outside she headed to the back where the well was and filled the pail up. She grabbed the handle and started walking back towards the castle and in the distance she could just start to make out her husband and Baelfire and a third person. Maybe they had found another Storybrooke resident. Snow started to walk in their direction and as they got closer the third person started to come into view better until Snow stopped in her tracks, dropping the pail of water in the process.
It couldn't be. There was no way. They all saw him die in Storybrooke. But there he was standing next to his son, clear as day.
Charming saw this happen and he rushed ahead. "Snow!" he called out.
"Ch….Charming….who is that with Baelfire?" Snow asked pointing a shaky finger in their direction.
"We think we know what we saw in Storybrooke but it wasn't that way. Rumplestiltskin is alive!"
"How do you know that? It could be a trick. It could be Regina or someone worse. How can you know for sure?"
"Believe me, Baelfire almost killed him when he appeared in front of us. He proved himself."
"How, how did he prove it?" Snow was still in total disbelief.
"I should let him explain," Charming said turning towards the two who had almost reached them by then.
Snow took a protective stance in front of her husband, staring hard at the figure in front of her. "Are you sure Baelfire? Are you completely sure?" she asked, looking at the man.
Baelfire nodded. "It's him. Truly. I didn't believe it at first either. I almost killed him. I thought it was some sort of trick of Regina's or the curse."
"How did you figure it out?" she asked him.
"A portal opened up a few hours ago practically right in front of us. He fell out of it. I had a knife to his throat before I could even stop to think. Charming had to pull me off of him. I didn't believe it, we all saw him die. But…. Then he started to speak…. Started saying things only my real father would know, things from our past," Baelfire explained.
Rumple took a few steps forward. "The dagger didn't kill me but it did transport me to another realm. I didn't have much magic left and I couldn't find a way back here until just now. I've been trying every day to get back."
"But we saw you stab yourself and Peter Pan. How did that not kill you?"
"The enchantment I placed on the dagger worked. It saved me but I paid the price by being transferred to a world with very limited magic."
"What about your father?" Snow asked.
"He's gone. He's dead," Rumple answered. "For good."
Snow nodded her head. "Good, good. Mr. Gold…. Rumplestiltskin I'm very happy to see you and I hope you know that but you need to get into the castle right now. It's Belle…"
Rumple's face suddenly grew serious. "Belle? What about her? What's happened?"
"When she lost you and when she came back to this land she was a wreck. She's hardly eaten a thing, she keeps herself cooped up in that bedroom all day. She finally came out of the room today for the first time in months. She can't go on like this much longer…" Snow brought him up to speed with the situation as quickly as she could because as she spoke to him she had to run after him, still talking as he ran towards the castle.
"Papa, wait!" Baelfire ran after him. "Maybe we should ease her into this. She's in a very fragile state right now. I should go in first."
"She needs me Bae! I've been fighting every day to get back here. Trying to get word through that I was alive. It killed me. Belle needs me!" Rumple pushed ahead, past his son.
Baelfire caught up to him again. "I know she does, I know. But it's going to be a huge shock. Please just let me go in first and prepare her."
Rumple stopped just outside the main doors. "Alright son…I'll give you a minute but that's all."
Baelfire nodded his head and went through the main doors.
Ruby and Belle were both startled by the sudden entrance of Baelfire. "What's the rush? Is everything ok?" Ruby asked.
"Yes, everything is great. Ruby can you come over here a moment," Baelfire replied.
Ruby gave him a strange look but did as he asked. He leaned over and started whispering something in her ear. Her eyes grew as he spoke. "You're absolutely sure. Bae you have to be absolutely sure."
"I am. I told him I would come in first and try to prepare Belle a bit."
"Well you better hurry up, I can't believe you got him to stay back," Ruby replied. She stepped aside so he could reach Belle.
"Who? Who are you talking about?" Belle asked, standing up from the table.
"Belle, I have something to tell you and I know it's going to be hard to believe but it's true…." Baelfire began.
"Just tell me…." Belle replied.
"Belle…" came a voice she'd been longing to hear again. She looked past Baelfire and her eyes widened and she took a few steps backward, nearly falling into the chair she'd just gotten out of it.
"No… no… it can't be. Bae, what kind of trick is this? What are you trying to do?" tears started to fall from her eyes as she continued to stare at the man starting to walk towards her.
"It's him Belle, he's alive. It's him!" Baelfire told her.
Rumple continued walking closer to Belle. Tears starting to well up in his eyes as well. "Sweetheart…"
Belle looked at him with unease and doubt in her eyes. For three months this is all she had hoped for in the world and yet she still couldn't believe it. "How do I know it's really you? How?"
Rumple stopped just a few feet before her. "When you were staying here with me, and you were trying to take down those curtains. Do you remember? You asked me if I had nailed them shut. And you yanked them one last time and fell off the ladder….and I caught you. And in that moment Belle, I fell completely and madly in love with you."
That was all it took for Belle to throw herself into his arms and he wrapped his around her and held her tightly, kissing her neck, her cheek, anything he could. "Belle, oh Belle my darling I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."
Belle pulled back slightly. "Oh Rumple, it's really you," she said, kissing him passionately.
Rumple held her in the kiss until he couldn't breathe, pulling back only slightly to look at her. "My dear sweet girl, look at you…"
"I must look dreadful," Belle said, shying her eyes away from his gaze.
"When is the last time you had a good meal?" Rumple asked her.
Belle wouldn't meet his eyes and she shrugged.
"I remember this dress fitting a lot better the last time I saw you," he spoke.
"I couldn't do it without you. I didn't want to live in a world where you didn't exist," Belle responded softly.
"You never have to worry about that ever again. I'm never going to leave again, I promise," he took her in his arms again, holding her close to his chest.
"We'll leave you two alone," Snow said, "come on everyone. Let's go."
Ruby nodded, smiling at the couple and followed the others outside.
Once they were alone Rumple pulled Belle back so he could take a better look at her. He frowned when he saw her shrunken frame. "First things first, you need to eat something. Come on," he said, starting to lead her to the table.
"There's plenty of time for that later. You need to tell me how you survived…Rumple… you died in front of us all. You vanished. I lost you…."
"You will never lose me, Belle. I am so sorry for what I put you through. I put an enchantment on the dagger but I didn't even know if it was going to work. All magic comes with a price and this one stranded me in a land with very limited magic. I've been fighting every single day to get back to you. I finally figured it out and a portal was opened. I tried to find a loved one and it happened to find Bae and dropped me right near him."
Belle sat in the chair he pulled out for her, looking down at the plate of food before her. Her stomach growled but she could barely stand to take more than a bite or two. "Come on my dear, we need to get you back to normal." Rumple picked up a forkful of food and placed it in front of Belle's mouth. "Come on, love."
Belle hesitated a moment more before she reluctantly opened her mouth and allowed him to place the food in.
She chewed and swallowed and smiled at him. "Happy?"
"Keep eating," Rumple told her.
She took a few more bites on her own before insisting she was finished. "There is all the time in the world to eat, Rumple I just want to be with you right now."
He sighed, not wanting to fight just when they got back together. "Alright my dear, come here."
She stood up and sat down on his lap, looking deep into his eyes. "I love you Rumplestiltskin."
"And I love you, Belle," he said kissing her lips.