Forget Me Not

By: RosexKnight

Prompt from panchibust: After sending rumple away, Belle goes to Arendelle to stay with Elsa and Anna. When rumple finds out he goes there and begs them, at their feet, to help him get Belle back.

Chapter One

It had been three weeks, seven days, and two and a half hours since Belle had used the dagger. Had pushed her so-called true love over Storybrooke's town line. And had realized there was no way she could stay there. The very sidewalk was soaked with memories. She couldn't even bare to go back to the house.

Luckily, she didn't have to, and she soon found herself in the chilly land of Arendelle.

"Are you sure? I mean not that you won't be welcomed here because you will but I mean you're leaving behind your entire life." Anna had said when Belle asked to join them. She'd already had a suitcase packed…why let it go to waste, right?

"I'm sure." Belle said, trying to keep her voice light. "I've always wanted to see the world. I can't do that here, so…Why not start in Arendelle?"

She knew Anna could tell something was wrong, but Belle never told her that the dark sorcerer she'd told her to stay away from all those years ago was now her…ex? She honestly had no idea. She just knew that she couldn't stay here.

"Belle…" Emma said, giving her a look that was far too much like pity for Belle's taste. She looked as though she was going to say something more, but Killian put his hand on her shoulder.

Belle had never thought in a million years Killian would be the one to understand. To understand the loss of Love because of Rumpelstiltskin. The Dark One. The Spinner. The Crocodile. How morbidly ironic.

She put on a strong face as she told the others goodbye, getting small trinkets to remember them by, even hugging Killian and Regina. It wasn't really goodbye, she'd assured them. She'd be back when she found a way. This was so she could follow her dream. See the sights. Visit her papa. Deep down, Belle knew she was never coming back, and maybe Emma, Killian, Regina, and Henry, the ones that had hugged her longest, knew that too.

It was for the best.

She spent most of her time in the Arendelle library. It was dusty, and needed some tender love and care. So Belle dove into it, cataloging and cleaning and fixing it up. But the whole process had only taken her about a week, and she could only be distracted by skating with Anna and building snowmen with Elsa and ice sculpting with Kristoff for so long before loneliness set in and she was missing Storybrooke and reminded that the Enchanted Forest was only a ship's journey away...It wouldn't even take her a day to be home again. But nothing felt like home anymore. Not even the thought of going back to The Dark Castle.

She had the rest of her life ahead of her. What was she going to do?

Luckily, the tears only came at night. She was given her own room with a view of the fjord that was perfect to read by. But when the sun went down and darkness overtook things the bed felt too big and far too cold despite the down blankets and bright fire. Her chest hurt, the gaping void inside lulling into a dull ache that she never seemed to be able to shake.

Belle stopped sleeping. When she slept, she dreamt, and she saw images of The Dark Castle and Storybrooke and the town line and...

"Belle?"

Anna's voice snapped her out of her daze. For a moment she forgot where she was, but blinked, composing herself. She closed the book in her hands and gave the red-head a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Yes Anna?"

"It...Dinner's ready." Anna said, moving inside to sit beside Belle on the windowsill. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine. I mean, no offense but you look like you haven't slept in days. Not that you don't still look pretty but you're sort of pale and stuff…" Anna's voice trailed off as Belle looked away from the girl, out the window. A look came over her. One of sadness that Anna had found there too much. "Belle what is it?"

"Nothing." Belle said, too quickly, moving to get up, but it was clear that Anna was not letting it go by the firm look she was giving. Belle sighed. "Let's just say some true love is not as easy as what you and Kristoff have."

"You think that was easy? I nearly became a living ice sculpture. Though come to think of it Kristoff would have probably liked that. I swear that man and ice it's kinda weird." Anna shook her head, clearing her throat to stop her rambling. "I didn't know you had found true love."

Belle let out a weak laugh. Found. Hadn't that been in her vows? She glanced to Anna, then shook her head. "I found it but then I…it was lost. And…"

Her voice caught in her throat, and Anna moved, hugging the brunette. "Easy. It's alright Belle. You just have to find it again. There are plenty of eligible bachelors here. Elsa and I can hold a ball and—"

Belle shook her head. "I can't. It's still too much to think about. I just want the…pain to stop.

"You could…" Anna cut herself off when she saw the look of hope flash in Belle's eyes. "No. It's silly. And dumb. Too easy."

"Anna what can I do?" Belle pressed, the dull ache in her chest growing worse. She was tired, lonely, and desperate for any relief she could get. "Please. You don't understand it's…it's unbearable."

The Arendelle princess bit her lip, then sighed. "You could forget." She offered. "We could ask Grandpabi to take the memories of your true love. Make it like it would never happened. But Belle it's too much. You've seen what happened in Storybrooke. Nothing ever comes good of this. Nothing comes out of forgetting."

The brunette blinked, sitting back on the wall, considering the window. Yes, The Snow Queen's hurt had come from her family forgetting her. Yes magic always came with a price. But Rumpelstiltskin was gone. And he wasn't coming back. And she wasn't sure how much longer she could go on with that thought in her mind.

"When can we leave?"