AN So I had this thought of what it would be like for Belle once she is returned to the land of the living, if she remembered her past like so many believe she will. My first thought was I bet it's going to be weird to see cell phones, and washing machines. And then I thought, in this world women wear pants… and in Ruby's case, she wears much less. Now that would be fun to write about. Anyways this is the beginning of my drabble story.

Disclaimer: ABC owns OUaT. If I owned it we wouldn't be waiting weeks at a time for a new episode, and it would center around Belle and Rumpel…. I wish I owned it.

Mysterious Attraction

She had been released from the prison that held her captive for twenty-eight years. Finally, she was free to walk in the streets with the sunshine warming her face and a bounce in her step as she looked around the town. Beside her, one arm around her waist, and the other grasping his cane to support his bad leg, walked the man responsible for her release.

It hadn't taken long before old Regina realized she was heading to a battle she couldn't win, at least not as long as a certain pawnbroker kept stacking the deck against her. In return for his removal from the game, he would win back something he longed for since the day he had refused her love and thrown her out in their past life.

Within three days time, Belle, or Rebecca in public, was brought out of the hospital with a clean bill of health and given a room with her liberator. Whether it was her association with Rumpelstiltskin, or pure luck, Belle's memory was completely intact. Rum, or Reymis Gold as he was known here, said he believed the queen left her memory so that she could be declared insane in this world, but that was just a speculation.

Belle personally didn't care how she remembered her old life with her lover, just that she did. Although there were days such as now that she wished she had some of the false memories that seemed to assist in the fellow fairytale creatures everyday lives in the current world they inhibited.

Across the street from the odd couple, walked a tall brunette with bright red heels, shorts and a midriff bearing white shirt. Catcalls followed the girl as she sashayed toward the red car on the curb in front of her grandmother's diner.

Catching her gaze, Belle felt her entire face burn as she quickly averted her eyes to the road in front of her. Seemingly oblivious to the exchange, Mr. Gold turned to his true love.

"Why don't we go to the diner for lunch?" He said smiling kindly at her before finally noticing the unnatural color coming into her face as she tried to avoid eye contact with him. "Love, what's wrong?"

Glancing once more across the street, Belle hesitated her steps before coming to a complete stop. "I don't understand this world at all." She said shaking her head in frustration her blush receding as her embarrassment turned into irritation.

"Love, perhaps we shouldn't discuss this here?" Gold asked looking around for any eavesdroppers on this private conversation.

"Yes, I know it's just…" Belle gestured across the street where Ruby was pulling away from the curb. "Why is everything so different? It wouldn't be that annoying if it were a few things, but it's everything! Food, and the way people speak and especially the way people dress!"

"I mean, why do the women here dress in nothing but their…. Unmentionables." Her voice trailed off as a chuckle interrupted her tirade. Releasing Belle, Gold held his hand towards his mouth trying to disguise his laughter as clearing his throat. Trying to regain his composure, he pushed forward leading them to the diner.

They entered the establishment and seated themselves in the vacated booth near the back of the room, Mr. Gold's usual spot. Finally calming down, Gold met Belle's current glare with a small smile, trying to be of comfort.

"I'm glad this is so humorous to you," Belle muttered before bringing the menu up to hide her from his line of sight. Gold pushed down the top of the menu and brought his hand under Belle's chin, making her meet his gaze.

"I've spent entirely too long without your company for you to hide now," he said taking the menu from her hands. "Besides, I know what to get."

"How does this not bother you?" Belle asked abruptly. "You couldn't look at me for a week when I was gardening, but now you don't even seem to notice girls walking around half-naked."

Gold smiled again recalling that day, one of the many he had repressed when his Belle had been taken from him.

He, being Rumpelstiltskin the imp and not the feared lame man he was now, had just returned from yet another deal of desperate souls longing for purpose in this miserable life and was quite exhausted. As of late, Belle had been serving him tea and reading aloud while he spun at night, having an insatiable need to show friendship to the monster, and he was quite looking forward to her company. He entered his dark manor, the doors opening for him with the wave of his hand, and looked about the main room. Not spotting his housemaid, he searched through the house becoming less tired and more irritated as she had still not shown herself to him.

"Belle!" Rumpelstiltskin called out in the dark hall, listening for any response. Hearing none, he rushed toward the door convinced that the girl had finally come to her senses and run away from the frightening monster. The rage that consumed him as he ran out the Dark Castle's entrance toward the main road ceased when he heard a light voice singing behind him.

Rumpel turned in time to see his maid rising from a pile of weeds, what once, years ago, used to be a garden, he was sure. Relief flooded him as he tried to regain a indifferent expression and walked towards her, stopping short when he took stock of her attire. One of his old shirts, old enough to have memories of a destitute village and an even poorer wool merchant, hung from her small frame, a pair of loose britches tied around her waist.

Belle looked up from the arduous task of cleaning out the gardens to meet the gaze of her master, smiling slightly at him before he looked away nervously, face a warmer color than the usual gray.

"Is something wrong?" She asked tentatively wondering if perhaps he was upset at her shirking her usual chores for gardening. "I'm sorry that I'm not working inside, but it's really a beautiful day today, and I just couldn't stay in. The chores are all don-"

"It's not that," Rumpel muttered still not meeting her gaze gesturing to her attire with his hand. "Was your dress too difficult to work in?"

Belle looked down at her clothing, her face taking on a light shade of pink before clearing her throat. Over the past week, she had been comfortable being alone, and took the liberty of wearing less confining materials, immediately noticing a difference in the time it took to do her chores. She'd been a proper lady all of ten years, the fifteen before then being spent on the wharf helping her father with his boat as a poor merchant. Her childhood spent playing with the village children and swimming in the water of the sea for many years, taking no thought ofmodesty. Afterwards, ten years of nobility reprimanded her for allowing a man that was not her husband to see her legs so clearly. It had occured to her that if he had a son, then surely he'd seen more than an outline of legs before by a woman, but that thought was quickly stifled by Rumpel clearing his throat still, awaiting an answer to his question.

"Yes, sorry. I didn't mean to take your clothes without asking, but it really is much easier to move this way," Belle said, finally regaining her confidence. "I hope it's not to forward to ask this, but I really do prefer to work dressed like this."

Rumpel looked her in the eye, his expression unreadable as he contemplated the nature of her request.

"After all, you're not looking for love, just a caretaker of this rather large estate."

A grimace broke over Rumpel's face before he dismissed it by walking back into his home. He stopped in the door way calling over his shoulder, "Do what you wish dearie, I'm going to rest for a bit."

"Reymis… are you even listening anymore?"

Blinking Gold returned to the present world, finding himself once again sitting with his love in a small diner in a cursed world and shook his head.

"Yes, well…" He cleared his throat which was suddenly dry as he met Belle's gaze across the table. She seemed to have an almost triumphant air to her expression. Rumpel raised his hand toward the young African American who had taken over Ruby's shift earlier, Tia, Tina… something of that nature, before meeting Belle's eye confidently.

"One gets used to it I suppose," he grinned, "but I've always preferred mystery in women."