Mr. Gold woke with a slight groan, his bad leg aching terribly. He sighed, swinging into a sitting position, ignoring his screaming leg, because things had to be done.
Taking some pain medication and changing out of his flannel pajamas into his suit, with a dark blue tie today, he carefully walked down the hall, tapping lightly on the door.
It was always lightly, but it didn't have to be, but it was the only way he could do so.
"Belle? Are you awake, my dear?"
It was habit, but it was a good habit, at least that's what he said, and he opened the door to his love's door.
"Oh good, you're up," he walked in, clutching painfully to his cane, brushing his girl's hair out of her face and kissed the top of her head. "We are going to Grannie's today, so you should take a shower."
She didn't respond.
"I'll get it started and find you some clothes. The green dress should be fine, or would you like anything else?"
She didn't respond.
"Of course not. I believe there is a special in pies, we can get the pecan, your favorite."
She didn't respond.
He turned to smile to Belle, where she sat by the window in the rocking chair he had moved into her room as the old one he had in there was stiff and didn't seem to fit for a princess. She was dressed in her long night gown, and her favorite necklace hung around her throat.
But it was her eyes that anyone would notice. They were glassy, not really looking at anything, just staring off into something that no one could see.
"Come now, Belle," Mr. Gold said sweetly, holding out his hand. "Let's get you to the bathroom. Today is a new day."
It was three months ago, give or take a few days and hours and minutes. Three months since Belle was saved from the horrible hospital.
Emma had came in, doing her white knight gig, and Mr. Gold for once didn't mind watching a Charming annoyingly act all high and mighty and as if they knew how everything must go.
Because with her on this, it went very smoothly.
Of course, he had used his favor for this, as soon as he found out where Belle was, thanks to Henry, the brave little boy, who accidentally went to the basement in the hospital after following his mother and found the sealed in girl. But Emma barely needed him to use it, she stormed in herself and protected the girl, from everyone except him, as he gave her a home, and was the only one who had known her before that would take her in.
Even her father wouldn't visit her, his shame to much for him to look.
The rescue should have been happy, but Regina was careful, making sure in case she would ever be found out. Belle was healthy, a few scars on her back from the flaying, her arms covered in dots from needles, but for the most part, healthy.
Except for her mind. It was gone, she didn't seem to have conscious thought, staring off into nothing. She could be led to do something, and would do so, but wouldn't stop until someone pulled her away again. There was few things she actually did on her own, get up in the mornings and sit in her chair, walk up the stairs at night when it was time to sleep, but otherwise, she was a puppet. Archie had strong hopes that she would one day recover her mind, the little things she did proved she would, but it would take much to long.
Mr. Gold was furious, going to Regina and asking her, please, to stay away from him and anything or anyone that had to do with him, making her grasp of Storybrooke infinitely smaller, all the land he owned now off limits for her. He would had rather asked her to jump off a bridge, please, but unfortunately, he would be pressing the deal a bit to far.
So he took care of Belle as best as he could, taking her around town, letting her sit with him in the shop, taking her to Grannie's for breakfast every morning. When he could not watch her, he let Emma or Mary Margaret watch her, sometimes let her sit with a book, which never opened in her lap, at Grannies, where Ruby and her doting grandmother would care for her and tried to get her to smile.
It never worked, but everyone seemed to be trying, from little Henry to gruff Leroy, and hopefully, eventually it would work.
"Belle, I do believe that's enough in the shower. You should come out now. Turn off the water," he called from outside the shower curtain, holding the towel for her.
She did what he said, opening the curtain to face him with her blank stare. He ignored her naked body, it wasn't as if he didn't appreciate her beauty, it just was he would rather have her mind. Draping the towel carefully around her, he carefully led her out of the shower, so she wouldn't slip.
"Get dressed, we'll be leaving in twenty minutes. Make sure to dry off, though, first, alright?"
She didn't respond, beginning to do as he instructed. He left the bathroom, giving her some privacy, as he walked down stairs and made sure everything was ready for them.
Her tennis shoes, with no heal so she wouldn't trip, the medicine that he had made Archie carefully research with him for the best choice for Belle, and a few other items that might be needed. It all went in a small bag that he had Belle carry around, it had a set in GPS tracker in case for some reason she got lost.
Always be careful.
He walked to the bathroom, where she stood, holding the ends of her frumpy jacket that she had slipped over her blue, he had decided the green one wouldn't be right for the day, dress, her hair still damp. She was staring at herself in the mirror, but not really, and he smiled sadly
"Come here darling," he picked up the hair brush and hair dryer he had gotten for her, standing carefully behind her. "Let me tend to this mess."
They sat at a booth next to the open door, so Belle could see outside to the street. Ruby was chatting to the two, more to Mr. Gold then Belle really, but making the occasional remark directed to the quiet girl. She had at first been nervous when he had started to come reguraly with Belle, but soon followed into a pattern of cheerful teasing, as she had noticed that Mr. Gold still talked to the girl, even though she never responded back.
"Are you coming to the fair, Mr. Gold? I'm sure Belle would love it."
"I'm afraid not," he crinkled his nose, sipping his coffee, black of course. "I have some work I need to catch up on, and to much walking for my tastes."
"Oh, come on then," she grinned, leaning slightly forward. Before, she would have gotten many stares with this position, but ever since she started to dress more modestly, the stares had withered away, except for the few appreciative glances as she was still quite a sight. "I heard it will be the best one ever! And Belle would love it, wouldn't you Belle? Sip your tea, dear."
Belle reached to her tea, and the two others weren't watching her carefully, and Belle gasped, the only sound she seemed to be able to make, as the hot water scorched her hand as she knocked the cup over, it rolling onto the ground and shattering.
"Oh no!" Ruby hurridly picked up the shards of glass, before something happened where Belle needed to walk, making sure to get ever one.
"What ever happened," Grannie fluttered over, before fluttering away to get something for Belle's hand, ignoring Mr. Gold, as she still didn't like him but now respected him at least for how he cared for Belle.
Mr. Gold took Belle's hand carefully, where it was turning red and blistering, getting his water and dipping a napkin in, wiping her hand as best as he could to cool the warm skin.
"Are you alright Belle? You gave me a nasty shock, maybe we should wait next time for the tea to cool."
She didn't respond.
"I'm so sorry," Ruby blabbered as Grannie came back, rubbing a cool salve on Belle's burned hand. "I didn't think, she hadn't touched anything yet, I just thought to nudge her."
"It's alright," Mr. Gold said, but wanted to ignore her. "She's fine, aren't you Belle. You're fine, you brave little thing."
She didn't respond.
"Nasty burn," Grannie said. "Luckily I'm prepared for this, when Ruby first started to work she got burned very much, kept some bandages and medicine just in case. You'll be fine, Belle."
She was one of the few that didn't have a hard time with speaking directly to Belle, who didn't have to remind themselves that it was alright to.
"Yes Belle, you'll be perfectly fine," he placed a kiss to her undamaged hand, glaring at any of the other customers who watched.
She didn't respond.
She sat in the park while he got them ice cream. He had turned away for a moment, to find Henry sitting next to her in his spot, chatting happily to her. He came closer, letting the young boy's words drift to him.
"There was this beetle in the classroom today," he said, spouting a nonsense story. "Everyone wanted to kill it, but Ms. Blanchard and I managed to trap it and bring it outside. I think you would've liked it, it was a weird color of green."
She didn't respond.
"Of course, it could've meant that it was poisonous, but luckily we didn't touch it, I think we might have squished it if we did."
She didn't respond.
"I think you're getting better," Mr. Gold's heart wrenched in his chest. "Some kids at school said you're a lost cause, but I think you'll get there. And you and Mr. Gold will get your happily ever after, and we can catch beetles together."
She didn't respond, but Mr. Gold did.
"Thank you Henry, but shouldn't you be heading home?"
The boy looked at him, smiling that smile that only children, and Belle when she once smiled, possessed.
"Yeah, but I wanted to stop by to see Belle. She's one of my best friends, and I haven't seen her in awhile."
"Well… that's awfully nice of you."
The boy was friends with a girl who didn't know how to live. He believed in fairy tales and knew the truth about the curse. And he was holding Belle's hand.
"I know. But I missed her, and she missed me to."
They were at home, sitting in the parlor as the sun set. Mr. Gold was watching her, she usually went to sleep as soon as the light went away. He sighed.
"Well Belle, today was a good day. I suppose it will be night soon."
She didn't respond.
"Goodnight Belle."
The sun set. He waited for her to lift herself up, which she did, and walk to the door, which she did, to go to sleep.
Which she didn't.
"Goodnight Rumpelstiltskin."
And then she was gone, and he was left there, shocked at the first words in three months, and couldn't help stop grinning and crying as his true love walked up the stairs and laid in bed, staring unseeingly towards the ceiling, the words already forgotten.
It was a sliver of hope, but that's all it was. This was a sign of getting better, but she could shatter, for she was chipped, and sliver of hopes often make the break worse in the end.