Title: "Demons in the Library"
Author: Kat Lee, the author formerly known as Pirate Turner
Rating: G
Summary: Things are not always what they seem - and especially not when the hero is Rumpelstiltskin.
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, names, codenames, places, items, fandoms, titles, and etc. are always © & TM their respective owners, not the author, and are used without permission. Any and all original characters and everything else is © & TM the author and may not be reproduced in any way without the author's express, written permission. The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: 244. That's the number of stories that were sitting on my hard drive collecting dust because I lack the energy and time to take care of them as I once did. My betaing pattern has always been to write, then type up if written on paper, the story, read it aloud to my beloved Jack and our children, editing as I go, and then finally format and post. Sadly, this part is simply taking too much of my time and energy, and my beloved Jack and I have too little time together in person these days to be able to keep up with my stories. So what to do? Give up writing? I actually considered it for a while, tried to make excuses to myself other than the large number of stories collecting cyber dust on my computer, as to why I lacked the energy and Muse to write new tales. And then, with the turn of the new year, I decided to stop running and face the problem. The problem is, quite frankly, that once one gets so bogged down in formatting and editing that writing is no longer a pleasure but the actual posting of those writings becomes a hassle and - egad! - work, it's time to cut something out, and that will never be the writing process. So, in short, yes, there will be mistakes in this tale. Yes, it's missing about half of the header information I usually include. But I wrote it for pleasure and am posting it in hopes of sharing that pleasure with others. Do with it as you will.

She hummed joyously as she walked quietly through her library, dusting the shelves and running her fingertips in awe over the volumes and volumes of books. There was such history in this place, and especially in the pages of the books that deserved more love than they'd ever before received.

She had always been able to feel the history radiating off of books. It was such a powerful, wonderful feeling. She'd once thought it to be like magic, but that was before she'd known the darkness that magic brought, the evil side of it. The "magic" of books wasn't at all like her beloved Rumpelstiltskin's magic. True, reading enabled the reader to do anything - as long as there was no limit to their imagination -, and by picking up the right story, a reader could be transported to magical lands they would otherwise never see. But there was no evil in books, only wonder.

Belle sighed, wishing her Rumpelstiltskin could know what it was like to be able to be strong and have unlimited power without the magic that darkened his heart and soul. It broke her heart to know it would never happen. She was sighing, completely unaware of the Beauty and the Beast romance novel her hand clutched, when something dropped down in front of her.

One look at the blue, fuzzy face with its gleaming, smiling fangs and glowing, yellow eyes sent Belle screaming and fleeing. The X-Man called Nightcrawler, who surely had his own stake in the whole Beauty and the Beast scene, swung down from the rafter by his long, pointed tail. He looked around him with a grin, then toward the front of the library as the door slammed shut. His friend should be pleased in one . . . two . . . three . . .

Rumpelstiltskin's thin lips quivered with a smile as Belle collided into him. He caught her, his strong hands gripping her thin shoulders with no more firmness than that which was necessary to do so, steadying her.

"DEMON!" she screeched, her beautiful face pale. "There's a Demon in the library!"

"Is there now, luv?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, finding it difficult not to let his smile slip into a full grown grin. He should have told the mutant "no", but his offer had been so tempting and had worked to send Belle directly back into his waiting arms.

"Get rid of it," Belle was pleading.

Rumpelstiltskin blinked. "Excuse me? You want me to use magic, dearie?"

"Yes! No!" His poor dear was clearly as terrified and befuddled as a startled lamb. "I don't know! Do whatever it takes! Just get rid of it!"

Rumpelstiltskin lifted her hand to his lips, gallantly bowed over it, and kissed it. "Your wish will always be my foremost desire to fulfill," he murmured in all seriousness and truth.

Then, he released her hand, turned around, and began to walk purposefully toward the library. He withdrew his sword from his cane, fully aware of the fear that continued contorting his cherished Belle's lovely face with every step he took. "Demon!" he called and put on a good show as he pushed open the swinging door with his blade's tip and struck out at the empty air. "I, the Dark One, command you! Be gone!"

Nightcrawler, his tail still hooked around a bookcase, remained hidden from Belle as he tumbled over in the air and guffawed. He saluted his old friend then, and bamfed away, leaving Rumpelstiltskin to call victoriously out to Belle, "All's clear, dearie!"

She rushed back into the library, found it truthfully empty of all wicked things, and tightly hugged her Prince. Rumpelstiltskin glowed in her praise. He knew it wouldn't last, no matter how much he wished it would, but he'd always love being his Belle's hero.

The End