This story is inspired by the prompt "dark! Belle, light! Rumple" for a monthly Rumbelling

Disclaimer: only the plot is mine!

James Gold's Third Film in a Row Bombs on Opening Weekend!

Rumplestiltskin, or James Gold as he was known to the wider world cause it wasn't such a mouthful, looked down at the paper and sighed. He knew he shouldn't read reviews, especially recently, because they just led to heartache, but he couldn't help himself. He always thought that the film he was doing would be the one that would get him back on top, but so far, no luck. Maybe it had been a mistake firing his agent, even if she was the most immoral woman he'd ever met. Maybe…

"Well, well, well, if it isn't, the best actor in the whole world!" commented a voice. The person speaking seemed glad to see him, but he couldn't say he felt the same about her. "Belle French," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he put down the paper. "Speak of the devil! I was just thinking about you. What do you want?"

"I don't want anything," Belle replied, sitting down and smoothing out the folds in her black skirt and pulling her black jacket closer to her. "I just wanted to see how you were doing. Just because we had a silly fight and parted ways, that doesn't mean I don't care about you. I saw the review of your latest movie. It was absolutely brutal. You know if I had been helping you pick out roles, you wouldn't be scraping the bottom of the barrel, now would you?" She put a hand on his arm and he pulled it away.

"It wasn't a silly fight," he corrected. "You are immoral, you are corrupt! You are evil! And I don't want anything like that associated with my name. I told you that before. I haven't forgotten what you did last time you and I talked. Your actions nearly cost me a friendship!"

"Oh, come on!" Belle cried and sat down next to him. "It was an honest mistake! If I hadn't stopped him David Nolan from getting the role in that movie, he would have gone off to Cancun for six months and then who would you have talked to at night when you couldn't sleep? I did it for you and I have yet to hear a 'Thank you'."

"Why should I thank you?" Rumple cried. "No one should have to thank the person who is ruining their lives! What happened with David was just one of the sketchy things you've done. Do I need to name an more?"

"I think that it's a bit of a stretch to say I'm 'ruining your life' isn't it?" Belle asked. "What have I done that's been so bad? You've always benefitted. I'm your agent and you need me now. With your last movie being the flop that it was, not to mention all the other mistakes you've made, you need someone who can do effective damage control and convince people you're still a worthwhile draw. Being your own agent isn't working!"

"Exactly, I know that," Rumple nodded. "That's why I'm going to get an agent who is better than you! Who can make a good deal and maintain the highest ethical standards!"

This made Belle chuckle, her big blue eyes sparkling. "Happy hunting. And when that doesn't work out for you, you remember my number, right?"

"Yes," Rumple frowned. "666, how could I forget?"

She just smiled and strode off, and then he rushed home to look in the phone book, make a list, and start interviewing agents.

It was much harder than he thought to find an agent who had all the qualities he wanted. He even began to wonder if Belle was right. He had to have the opinion of someone he trusted, so the next time he saw his therapist, he asked him.

"Should I take Belle back, Doctor Hopper?" he questioned. "She's been hinting that she wouldn't mind us being a team again, but…I don't know. Remember that movie that I told her I really wanted so she kidnapped all my competition and then blackmailed the director? That was uncomfortable, let me tell you."

"I know it was," Dr. Hopper sighed. "I remember that conversation. You were even thinking of firing her back then too. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try and find someone else, if that's what you're comfortable with."

"It is!" Rumple replied. "I'm going to find someone good and moral and they will launch my comeback!"

Over the next few days, he continued to interview potential agents until he finally found one he liked: someone good, trustworthy, and who didn't have a shifty bone in her body. Her name was Snow White.

"So you're really good at what you do?" Rumple asked.

"Oh, yes, of course!" Snow gave him a big smile. "I just love this town and everything in it. We'll find a way to get things back on track for you!" She paused. "Now tell me…how do you feel about children?"

"I love children!" Rumple cried. "Why?"

"Well, I also do publicity for a local children's hospital and I was thinking that maybe they could name a wing after you," Snow replied. "What do you think about that?"

"Of course," Rumple nodded. "When are we going to have the naming ceremony?"

"Sometime next month," Snow told him. "I think this'll be a really good thing for you."

"Yes," Rumple smiled and reached out to take her hand. "Me too."

"So…things seem to be going well with that new agent of yours, right?" Belle said to Rumple as she held the paper in front of him. "Congratulations on getting that new wing of the hospital named after you."

"Thank you," Rumple told her. "I hope this is a lesson to you that you can get publicity without being horrible or shifty. You can make a positive impact in the world."

"Well, I've always thought that," Belle replied. "It's just not as fun to do it the moral way, is it? But I suppose that if you want to spend time in hospitals being hugged by germ-covered sick children instead of joining me at the most exclusive table at Bernardo's in celebration of your success, that's your right."

"Exactly!" Rumple nodded. "It's my right! I'm gonna do good, and sleep at night with a clear conscience!"

"Good for you!" Belle patted his cheek and made a face. "I am so proud! Of course while you sleep with a good conscience, I'll be at home rolling in giant piles of money, but to each his own, I suppose."

"Yes," Rumple nodded. "To each his own."

Although Snow had promised that she would be at Rumple's apartment to pick him up with a car and take him to the hospital wing dedication ceremony at ten in the morning, by ten-thirty, she still wasn't there.

"I don't know," Rumple told David, who'd come to give him moral support. "Should I go? Or should I wait? There has to be some reason why Snow isn't here yet. There has to be. But at the same time, I don't want to be late. That wouldn't be good, would it?"

"No," David shook his head and got up from the sofa. "I'll take you. Let's go."

But just as they were about to leave, there was a knock on the door. "Hi," Snow said, running through the door. She seemed flustered and out of breath. "So sorry I'm late. I was going on my meals on wheels delivery route when I swerved to avoid a pigeon. Then, oatmeal got all over the stuffed animals for the toy drive. So I had to go home and wash the bears off, make more oatmeal, and then drop Mrs. Holland's breakfast."

"That is so nice that you swerved to avoid a pigeon," Rumple told her. "My old agent would have swerved to hit the pigeon. Or Mrs. Holland."

"Thank you," Snow smiled. "But enough about me. I was late, so we better get moving if we want to make it to the hospital on time. Let me go bring the car to the front of the building." She left the room and Rumple started to follow, but David stopped him.

"Are you sure you want this woman to be your agent? I know she's nice and moral, but if you want to come out on top, you need someone who's got the nerve to drive a hard bargain. Anyone else will get you nowhere."

"Thanks for your opinion," Rumple told him. "But you're wrong."

When they got to the hospital and Snow set up things with the administrator, Rumple was left standing alone, tensing as Belle approached him. "What are you doing here?" He asked. "What do you want?"

"I think that should be obvious," Belle told him. "I hear you're on your way to being successful and I want to support you." She smirked when she saw Snow. "From the looks of that one, you'll need all the support you can get."

Then everyone, the camera crew and reporters who'd come to capture the event, along with Belle and Snow, sat down as the woman responsible for running the ceremony came to the front of the room along with some of the children in the hospital.

"Hello everyone," she said with smile. "Today, it's my pleasure to welcome you to the opening day of the James Gold Pediatric Care Ward," she said and handed Rumple some scissors so he could cut the ribbon that was across the hallway that led to the ward. Then, they had him hug one of the children, but unfortunately, it was a child that didn't want to be touched. He bit him and kicked him.

Several photographers snapped pictures and reporters made notes before the child ran off and Snow tried to calm everyone down.

"Don't worry too much," Belle told him after. "I'm sure no one will write anything too nasty. And if they do, you know I can deal with it. Twist a few arms," She cradled his face with one of her hands. "Anything for you."

"I'll be fine," Rumple snapped and stepped away. "Not everyone likes to be touched. I understand. But they can hardly think that I did something to that boy."

"Oh, they could," Belle nodded. "I've seen it happen." She handed him her number. "You'll need this," she said. "Trust me."

Just as Belle had predicted, the papers made a big stink about what had happened, claiming that Rumple had done something to hurt the boy and that's why he'd been kicked and bitten.

"I did no such thing!" Rumple complained to Snow. "Did you know that something like this would happen before the ceremony? Did it even occur to you?"

"Oh, my god, stop!" Snow cried. "Everyone's being so mean about this when I meant well! Why does this happen to every client I have? Why? I'm a good person! I don't deserve to be punished!"

"Well, that doesn't matter," Rumple told her. "What's done is done. Now just find some way to fix it!"

"I'll try, I promise," Snow assured him. "And I…I'm really sorry, I swear!"

She ran out of the apartment, looking very flustered, and when she was gone, David just shook his head. "You shouldn't have sent her. She has many good qualities but I don't know if playing hardball is one of them. You know what I'm gonna tell you that you should do."

"Yes," Rumple nodded. "I can see it on your face right now."

"Belle's been calling all day trying to woo you back ever since that article came out," David sighed. "Why don't you go in the kitchen and see the flowers she sent."

Rumple froze. "She sent me flowers? She's that desperate to take me back? If she weren't so shifty, I'd be flattered. If only directors were as enthusiastic as she is."

"Yeah," David nodded. "I know, right? Now, I'm not just telling you about Belle because I genuinely think it would be good for you. The boy's parents believe whatever lie he's telling them and they're threatening to sue! They hired a really notorious lawyer called The Hammer to represent them. He's a real shark. Without someone ruthless on your side, you won't have a chance."

"Oh, okay," Rumple nodded. "Maybe I will call Belle after all."

When Belle found him at the coffee shop, he was sitting at a table looking very forlorn and covered in mud and trash.

"Oh, look at you," she said. "What's happened? No, don't tell me, I can guess."

"People were throwing trash at me," Rumple told her. "Spitting! Calling me the most awful names. And any time they could, cars would splash mud at me on purpose! And did you hear that boy from the hospital and his parents are threatening to sue me? They hired some fancy, hot-shot lawyer that everyone calls 'The Hammer'. David says he's gonna squish me like a bug!"

"Why do you think I'm here?" Belle asked, a smile curving her lips. "I can help you. I can make it so that boy and his family will be on their knees and apologizing before you even get in front of a judge." She looked away from him again. "Or I would…if it were necessary."

"Why isn't it necessary?" Rumple asked, a desperate look in his dark eyes as he pulled Belle closer. "What's going on? Tell me, please!"

"Oh, relax and I will!" Belle told him and pulled herself free. "You're much too jittery and nervous all the time. I don't know where that comes from. The reason why they dropped the case is that that Hammer and I go way back. I know where all the bodies are buried." She paused and said thoughtfully, "Usually that's just a metaphor. Anyway, he saw that I was representing you, and do you know what he did so he wouldn't have to face me?"

"What?" Rumple asked, even though he was afraid to find out the answer.

"He decided to off the boy!" Belle smiled. "Isn't that lucky? Now that the boy is gone and Mr. Hammer won't pursue the case against us cause his clients are too busy grieving, you're free! Isn't that wonderful?"

Rumple raised an eyebrow. "Aside from the fact that a young boy had to die for this good fortune to come upon me, I suppose it's not bad. And…are you sure you didn't have anything to do with that boy's death and it was all the Hammer's doing?"

"Yes," Belle nodded. "I swear it." She pulled a contract out of her purse and put it in front of him. "Now, if you'll just sign this, I'll be your agent again and we can put this whole mess behind us."

Rumple put the pen on the line and then narrowed his eyes at her. "If I sign this, you promise that you won't lie to me? Or do anything unnecessarily shady?"

"Yes," Belle promised. "I'll be just like that Snow White, only competent, I swear. I'll only do naughty things when I have to, when you're livelihood is at risk. Cause this mess should show you that you can't be nice all the time. Can you live with that?"

"Yes," Rumple nodded signed the contract after a moment of thinking. "I think I can live with that."

The End