After the curse was broken, there was no one guarding Belle in the tower where she had been. Not wanting to waste good luck, she escaped as fast as she could with some food she could find. She traveled several days until she made it to a town. This town wasn't that small, but it was big enough to have a bookstore.
Belle had always loved to read. Not for the joy of reading, but for the adventures she read about in far-away places. It was because of this she always wanted to travel, and as she became older reading about other places was a form of travel.
Inside the bookstore Belle browsed around, absent mindedly arranging the books on the shelves. The owner watched her for some time, and soon realized she was no threat, just an innocent woman.
"You know, you can come back tomorrow and continue with what you're doing. We open at eight," he said gruffly.
Belle beamed at this. And so she began working at the bookstore in the town Naltag.
Rumpelstiltskin couldn't find his son. He was finished with what he needed in town, and was ready to get back to the Dark Castle and put the towns' people at ease. After the curse had been broken and everyone returned to Fairytale Land, Rumpelstiltskin was held with a bit more respect for the part he played in it, but he was still feared, and it still made most people uncomfortable to be around him. After all, the Dark One was still the Dark One. But he had found Bae, and that's all that mattered to him.
Rumpelstiltskin passed the bookstore and then remembered, that's where Bae said he would be!
"Bae?" he called out opening the door.
"Coming!" his son's voice answered him. Rumpelstiltskin heard him bid goodbye to someone then come walking to the front.
"Ready Papa?" he asked.
"Ready Bae, let's go home."
Belle enjoyed talking with and telling stories to her young friend Bae. Like most kids, or in his case young adults, he was very interested in stories about the land without magic from the curse. Although Belle could tell much about what happened after Emma, the savior, had come, she had still talked with those who had been there firsthand. And Bae loved it.
This boy seemed to remind her of someone, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it. But still, the teen was impossible not to like. He was always curious, but polite and respectful.
"Bae, you remind me of someone. Is it possible I might know your mother or father?" she finally asked one day while he was in the store.
"No, my mother's probably dead by now and my father and I come from a far-away place," he replied, wishing the subject would change.
"Could I have seen your father around town?"
"Maybe, but I don't think so."
"Bae?" a voice called out. A voice Belle would never forget.
"Coming!" Bae jumped up and quickly bid Belle a goodbye, saying he had to go now.
After Bae left, Belle went into shock. She never thought she would hear that voice again, the voice of Rumpelstiltskin.