Summary: When a dragon egg unexpectedly hatches Belle decides to raise the dragon until he is old enough to survive on his own. This story takes place in an AU at the Dark Castle prior to the events of "Skin Deep".
Rumplestiltskin's tower was the only room in the Dark Castle which Belle rarely cleaned and the only cleaning she was allowed to do was dust the bookshelves and sweep the floor, everything else was off limits. He kept some unusual things in the tower, things he used to create his spells and potions, and every time Belle entered she found something new to captivate her attention. Today was no exception.
Belle bustled into the gloomy tower with her duster and broom in hand. As she passed Rumplestiltskin's workbench an unfamiliar object caught her eye. It glinted in the sunlight that shone through the high windows. She stopped to examine it, carefully leaning over the table so to avoid knocking anything off. The object was round and looked to be made of stone; the deep crimson surface was as smooth as polished glass. It was the strangest looking rock Belle had ever seen and possibly the largest, it being as long as a tea tray and twice as wide as her hand. She stared quizzically at it for several long seconds before remembering what she was there for. Turning away from the table Belle decided to conquer the dusting bookshelves first.
As she walked away the stone began to quiver, gently at first but growing more violent each second until it rolled off the workbench hitting the ground with a dull thud. Belle was startled by the noise and quickly turned to see what had fallen. Seeing that it was the stone she ran over and bent down to pick it up but before she could lay a finger on it the polished surface creaked and cracked and she suddenly realized that the stone was not a stone but an egg. Belle drew back her hand watching in stunned silence as the creature inside clawed its way out. The egg rattled once more as the shell finally gave way, splitting down the middle to reveal its contents. Belle yelped in surprise as the creature unfurling itself, its small scaly red body about the size of a cat with wings of approximately the same length as its body. Belle gasped as she stared down at the newly hatched baby dragon before her.
"Hello there," she whispered as she sat on her knees in front of it. The dragon gave a soft chirp as it stared inquisitively up at her with wide yellow eyes. He stumbled forward as he attempted to appear fierce to this possible threat, wings spread wide and his jagged teeth bared. His tiny growls elicited a giggle from Belle. She held out her hand to it, "It's alright, I won't harm you."
He clumsily approached her, his talons sliding on the stone floor causing his legs to nearly go out from under him. "Careful," Belle gently chided it. After inspecting her outstretched hand the dragon trilled happily as it nuzzled her palm. Belle was transfixed by the creature, it was the first time she'd ever seen a real dragon. Then it occurred to her, Rumplestiltskin had a dragon egg which could only mean trouble.
She watched the little dragon dance about in front of her, desperate for attention, and made up her mind –she had to hide her new friend until she discovered what Rumplestiltskin had in store for him. Belle slowly got to her feet and cautiously scooped the dragon into her arms. She was afraid it would object to being held but once in her embrace, he seemed perfectly content. Grabbing her broom and duster Belle left the tower and headed to her room to find a hiding place for the dragon.
As Rumplestiltskin entered the tower he instantly sensed that something was amiss in his sanctuary. Rushing over to his workbench he found the remains of the dragon egg on the floor and let out a loud frustrated groan. He had only possessed the egg for a few days and the thing was already more trouble than it was worth. Now somewhere in his castle there was a dragon on the loose. He suddenly thought of Belle and the danger she would be in if she stumbled upon it first. The thought spurred him into action. Spinning on his heel, Rumplestiltskin raced back down the stairs to being his search.
He paused in the corridor as he pondered where a dragon might go. Most likely in search of food, it would surely be starving. He materialized in the kitchen, nearly giving Belle a heart attack when he unexpectedly appeared in front of her.
"Rumplestiltskin what are you doing?" she cried as she fought to calm her racing heart.
"Uh," he stared blankly at her. He didn't want to alarm her with news of a rogue dragon. Looking down he noticed that she was holding a tray of assorted food items. "I could ask you the same. What are you doing with that?"
Belle's cheeks flushed as she stared down at the tray as well hoping not to appear suspicious. "It's my lunch. I was um taking it to the library."
"Yes well carry on dearie." Rumple waved her on dismissively, too preoccupied with scanning the room for the lost dragon to care about her answer. Belle noticed his inattentiveness but decided not to ask what was bothering him since she was in a hurry to get back to her room and feed the hungry little creature hiding there.
Rumplestiltskin waited until his maid had scurried from the kitchen to resume his hunt. Finding no trace of the beast in there, he took to prowling the hallways.
Once safely shut in her room Belle relaxed. The dragon was sitting in the middle of the rug patiently waiting for her return. She laughed as it began to prance around her, flapping its wide wings, excited by the prospect of food. Setting the tray on the floor Belle let the dragon pick what it wanted from the selection. She wasn't entirely sure what he would eat so she had grabbed a variety of things –fruit, vegetables, and what little meat she could sneak without seeming suspicious. Of course he went straight for the meat.
Belle seated herself on the floor after he had finished and moved the tray aside as the dragon bounced into her lap. He jumped playfully at her face, attempting to nuzzle under her chin. His strength was deceiving for such a small thing. He easily managed to knock Belle over onto her back. She squealed in delight at the friendliness of a creature she had always been told was deadly.
He had been on his way to the dungeons when his heightened senses picked up Belle's muffled cries. Rumplestiltskin's heart dropped when he guessed the reason for them. In the blink of an eye was outside her bedroom door. He could hear her much clearer now as she shrieked for her assailant to stop whatever he was doing to her.
Flinging the door open he found his missing menace hovering above Belle's face as she lie on the floor attempting to shove it away. "Get away from her!" he roared, raising a hand that sent the creature flying across the room. It hit the wall with a forceful smack before falling to the ground in a crumpled heap.
Belle jumped to her feet and made to run to the little dragon's aid but Rumplestiltskin caught her arm and held her in place, "Stay back."
"Why did you do that? You might have hurt him." Belle cried as she tore herself from his grip. She knelt next to the poor creature and pulled it into her arms, cradling it like a baby. Rumplestiltskin stared at her, shocked by the girl's reaction.
"I-I thought you were being attacked," he stammered.
Belle glared at him, "He wasn't attacking me he was playing."
"Playing? Dragons do not play dearie." Rumple scoffed. "Where did you find it?"
"In your tower. He hatched while I was cleaning. But I want to know what were you doing with a dragon egg?" Belle fixed him with a scrutinizing gaze.
Rumplestiltskin smirked, "That my dear is none of your concern."
"Well it is now. What were you planning to do with it?"
He returned her glare but felt strangely compelled to explain himself to this woman. "I received the egg as payment during a recent deal. I had planned to trade it for some things I require." Rumplestiltskin stepped closer to Belle as the young dragon stirred in her arms. "You were not supposed to hatch for another week." The dragon hissed at Rumplestiltskin as he waved his finger in its face. He yanked back his hand and gave it a disdainful look.
Belle stroked the dragon's smooth scaly head, quieting it. "So what do you plan to do with him now?"
His eyes narrowed as he realized what she was playing at. Without its true mother around the dragon must have imprinted on Belle and his little housekeeper had obviously grown attached to the creature in the hour she'd known it. "Slay it?" Rumplestiltskin suggested in a half mocking tone. He reached out to take the dragon from her but she pulled away and retreated to the other end of the room.
"Don't you dare Rumplestiltskin!" Belle hugged the dragon closer to her, protecting it from the Dark One. "Phineas is just a baby; he's done nothing to deserve that fate."
Rumplestiltskin had started to move towards Belle with every intention of wrenching the dragon from her when he stopped in his tracks. "Phineas? Oh no. No! That is a dragon, a slayer of men not a pet!"
"Well we can't just send him out into the wilderness alone, he'll not be able to fend for himself." Belle continued to skirt around the edge of her bedroom, happy to keep herself at a distance from Rumplestiltskin. "Please, let me take care of him, I can –"
Rumplestiltskin let out a harsh incredulous laugh, "What? Train him? Does the lady think herself a dragon whisper now?"
Belle blushed slightly, "No," she protested, "but he seems to like me. At least let me try. Please? If it doesn't work then you can –"
"Dispose of him as I see fit?" Rumplestiltskin followed her movements turning with her every time she slid along the wall toward the door. "Perhaps Maleficent would like a new playmate," he muttered.
Belle shook her head. "How about you return him to his home? Surely his mother is looking for him."
The mischievous smirk dropped from Rumplestiltskin's lips. Like Belle the egg had been snatched from its home but unlike her its family had not been spared. The mother had been slain by a band of knights trying to rid their land of the destructive beast and the eggs stolen by greedy men looking to make a profit on these valuable prizes. Belle saw the remorseful look in his greyish eyes and realized returning Phineas was not a possibility. She glanced down at the helpless creature she was clutching desperately to her chest.
"Then he needs a mother and I will be more than willing to fill that role," Belle stated firmly. "Beside I would have thought you of all people would enjoy owning a dragon."
He could tell that Belle was not backing down and as she continued to gaze at him with her shining blue eyes his will began to relent. "Yes well, I've never been one to keep pets. You can keep him for now but when I say it's time for him to go he goes. Understood?"
Belle nodded eagerly as a wide grin broke out across her face. "Yes. Thank you, thank you so much." She put down the dragon and pulled her master in for a brief hug. As she pulled back she noticed there was a bit more color to Rumplestiltskin's pale cheeks than normal which only made her smile wider.
"Yes, well, I should get back to my uh work." He slowly backed out of the bedroom wringing his hands nervously until he was out of sight.
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