Summary: What If Belle stayed…

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Once Upon A Time.

Rating: K

Pairing: Rumpelstiltskin and Belle

WHAT IF:

Belle lingered near the window looking out at the mountains beyond the castle walls where she now lived in the Dark Castle. Sitting at the wheel Rumpelstiltskin was spinning straw into gold. The tension between them was so thick it could be cut with a knife. A few weeks ago she had kissed him and nearly broken his curse where he reacted badly. Then, Rumpelstiltskin tried to send her away. Belle refused to leave. Now he barely spoke to her, barely looked at her. It was killing her inside. In the days that had slipped by Belle hadn't figured out a way to make things right between them. Everything she had said haunted her every night. She could hear it all being said again. Belle cried so many times in the past nights that she had lost track. Would it have been better had she left? Maybe it would have, but it would have been a far worse fate for her. If she stayed then she could eventually make it right between them. Belle closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the cold glass.

Rumpelstiltskin sat at his wheel spinning straw into gold trying to forget all that had happened the last few weeks between him and Belle. She claimed he had an empty heart, though now she probably thought he had no heart at all. But that wasn't true. Rumpelstiltskin had a heart and it was breaking every day they stayed like this. He couldn't find a way to fix things. Every time he thought of the right words to use, he would look at her and she would have this heart broken expression and it stopped him dead in his tracks. This was torturing him more than anything ever had. Belle was upset and there was no way he could fix it. Rumpelstiltskin was the man who could fix anything. Late at night as he paced the castle he would hear her crying echoing on the stone walls to rattle around inside his head. Just knowing she was crying haunted him. He stopped spinning then to turn and look at her as she looked at him. The pain between them faded a fraction, then Belle looked away, and the knife in his heart twisted again sharply.

NIGHTFALL:

Belle had slipped out of the castle into the night bathing in the moon light, letting the cool night air soothe her ravaged soul. Tonight was the first night in weeks that she hadn't cried as she replayed their conversation in her cell. She was out of tears, out of sorrow. Just beyond the gates was her freedom. She could go home, she could return to her family. Belle looked up at the castle imaging that he was up there watching her. She just wanted everything between them to be alright again.

"You could just leave."

Belle turned to see a fairy glowing an ethereal blue descending from the sky. "No, I can't." She answered taking a step back. The thought of leaving now scared her.

"Yes you can," The blue Fairy took on a normal human size. "You can walk right out of those gates and never look back."

"But that's not what I want." Belle said gazing at the Castle again. "I'm happy here." She was happy, even if nothing was the same right now.

"I can feel your sadness and your heart break."

"I've had a fight with him, every one fights." Belle snapped. "I'm not leaving and that's final." She crossed her arms conveying her annoyance with the uninvited guest.

"If you need me just ask the night and I'll help you." There was nothing more for the Blue Fairy to do here. The girl didn't want to leave and she couldn't make her.

"I won't..." Belle shook her head. Then like the magic that breathed life into this world the fairy was gone. She actually breathed a sigh of relief at being alone again. Funny how, as of late, she valued her solitude.

"What did that vile creature want?" Rumpelstiltskin had seen Belle slip out of the castle; he had followed her, and had heard the last thing Belle had said. He missed the conversation.

"Oh," Belle turned still annoyed, "So, you're talking to me now is that it?"

"Belle..." Rumpelstiltskin stopped seeing a range of emotion fly through her eyes. The last emotion was need. She needed him to talk to her again, just as he needed to hear her voice directed at him.

"What?" Belle shook her head. She was forcing anger into her eyes to protect her heart.

"Are you alright?" He asked not knowing what to say at that moment. The need in her eyes had switched to anger. Rumpelstiltskin couldn't blame her. He had frightened her when all she had done was kiss him to try and end his curse.

Belle nearly snapped asking if he really cared, but that would be hurtful and she wasn't that cruel. "I'm tired," she lied walking past him to go back into the castle but he pulled her to a stop turning her to look at him. In his eyes she could see her own pain reflected back at her.

"I'm sorry..." He forced those two words out with terrible difficulty keeping his hands gripping her upper arms. "There... I said it first." he knew to keep her close, he would have to be the first to buckle, to give in, and make things right.

Belle was at a loss for words he was staring at her, through her, and she could do nothing but stare at him. "You... wait... what? I... uhhh..." Belle stumbled with her words. She couldn't think of anything to say. He knew how to throw her off balance.

Rumpelstiltskin let Belle go and stepped away from her. "You were right, I was afraid, but not for the reasons you think, until I can make my plan work, I ask that you trust me." For now that was all he needed, her trust.

"Trust you?" Belle questioned shaking her head. "How am I to trust you when you don't trust me and you never tell me the truth." Belle accused. "I'm tired of your half truths."

"I trust you," Rumpelstiltskin answered, "I don't tell you the whole truth to protect you…"

"I can protect myself." Belle interrupted.

Rumpelstiltskin scowled at the landscape before him and continued with what he was going to say. "When I said my magic means more, I lied, you know that dearie, but it's for a good reason that I am keeping my powers." he turned to her to see she wasn't wearing an angry expression anymore. Part of him was relieved while the other part of him was apprehensive at what she could say next. He sensed that they would be alright. "I tried sending you away to keep you from harms way." Even that was a lie, he knew it. Rumpelstiltskin wanted Belle away from him so the Queen couldn't use her against him again.

"I'm not leaving even if you lie to me to protect me, though I would hope you would trust me to be honest with me," Belle said again. "I made my choice to be here." She turned and took a few steps towards the castle with a smile on her face. Soon enough things between them would be alright. Her smile widened.

Rumpelstiltskin shook his head at Belle, "You can stop smiling now dearie." he scolded playfully. Not everything had been resolved but he could feel the tension dying away after weeks. Belle was content with him again and he was making new plans that would hopefully go unnoticed by Belle until he was ready to tell her about everything. Of course, he many never be ready.

Without turning Belle shook her head saying, "No," as she walked back into the castle. Things between them were going to get back to normal, about as normal it is used to be. Belle was ready to sleep now that some of the pain was pushed past them. She wouldn't bring up the kiss just yet, she couldn't, and she knew he wasn't ready. Truth was she wasn't ready to talk about what happened between them that night either.