A/N: Thanks for all the spectacular reviews you wonderful people!

~8~8~

Steam hissed a warningly low tweeting whistle in the eggshell blue ceramic kettle just as Belle finished nervously descending the stairs.

Navy blue flats, unlike the cheery bright azure shoes given to her in the Dark Castle, barely made a soft thump upon the wooden floor in her wary, exploratory trek of the house she should have known and yet knew was completely foreign. Everything was a novelty from the light fixtures to the radio in her alarm clock which she was absolutely mystified over.

After letting her senses align and readjust to the new land which did not feel new at all she slipped into and gray and black crisscrossed, sleveless dress that fell to her knees. The lovely young beauty had come across the modest dress whilst rummaging through the wardrobe for somthing decent to clothe herself in for the day. Such garb looked alien to her senses that were still used to floor length raiment and tunics and breeches, and yet she liked it.

Yes, it was her choice to don before deciding to journey through the home half her mind told her she should have already known intimately.

After dressing and finding the washroom, she began her exploration through the home, which lead her to the kitchen.

The kitchen or what had once been the larder in the Dark Castle looked very different, though in a way it looked just as it once did.

A small rather homey oval chestnut table sat in the very center of the room with a few flowers drooping slightly in a pink vase. Stainless steel appliances, both amazing and useful sat in their niches between the dark wood cabinets and the cupboards housing dried goods and clean cutlery.

Two French glass doors, draped with thin azure curtains, opened up to a path of gray flagstones winding somewhere behind the house.

Slowly inching into the room, Belle stared in wonderment of it all, her mind trying to fathom at least a hint of how such creations were made, or worked without the aid of magic.

"About time you awakened, Dearie." A familiar and yet foreign voice resounded from behind nearly making her jump in alarm. The accent was a tad exotic to her and yet one she readily placed.

Dull thuds emenated slowly from behind like some dangerous creatures with a slight injury preying upon her and waiting for the perfect moment to lunge. The hairs on the back of her neck and arms prickled upon their ends as she felt cold eyes pinioned upon her possessively.

With a brave, stout will suppressing her nervousness the beauty turned about slowly to face her master. If she was to live the rest of eternity with him, she needed to become used to his piercing stare, the lovely servant assured herself inwardly to bolster her wavering courage.

All thoughts of nervousness about her master dissipated as she looked upon him in abject shock. Her stunning cobalt eyes bulged with wonderment at his transformation from monster to man.

The Dark One looked different to say the least! No longer did he possess scaly gray-gold flesh that glittered like diamonds in fire and sun light, but instead normal slightly pallid skin. The high pitched falsetto and trill in his voice was replaced with an accent she found likable. Light brown hair fell a trifle longer than what most men wore it, and yet it became him in his own odd fashion.

A cane was now planted beside him on his left side which he leaned heavily upon. His left hand gripped the golden handle forged in the shape of a hawks rending beak, telling the beauty it was for use rather than extravagant ornament.

For the short time Belle had known her master, she witnessed him garb himself in the most gaudy of clothing looking akin to a mad jester with a penchant for tight, dark leather and dragon hide wear. Now he donned a dark pinstripe suit and mulled ruby tie looking very crisp without a seam out of place.

"It's not polite to gawk, Dearie." The magical fiend reprimanded and allowed a small chuckle to escape his lips, but it was bereft of its normal impish cackle. He flourished his free hand through the warm air. "I may have lost my debonair looks, but rest assured I am the same."

The beauty shook her russet curls as though coming out of a trance, for indeed it all seemed like a dream. Tilting her head down slightly she nodded to mask the pink tint that rose embarrassedly to her cheeks. "Forgive me; it's just a bit too much to take in all at once, Master."

Behind them the kettle upon the stove began to trill higher in its tune. The sound of boiling water rumbled faintly foretelling its readiness. Steam billowed copiously out of the spout alerting the pair it was ready to be used for tea.

Rumpelstiltskin limped lethargically to a chair, not caring about the hissing pot in the slightest. A pained grimace wrenched upon his weathered face as he eased down gently into his seat.

His free hand massaged his knee in small circles as though trying to relieve the agonizing misery lancing through the maimed limb.

There was vast pain there; she knew perceptively, a pain that had not bothered him in the Dark Castle. Part of her supposed it was perhaps his penance for allotting Regina the curse or was it something deeper?

Arching a brow slightly he stared at her simply standing in an entwined mixture of awe and curiosity in the middle of his kitchen. It must have been difficult for her trying to adjust and conform with two different worlds in her mind or so he surmised.

A small smile twitched upon the very border of his lips as he proffered his hand to the stove. "While there are many dazzling wonders in this land, Belle, tea nor breakfast will magically make itself."

"R-right. Sorry, Rum." The beauty stammered lamely, her mind forcing her to move on some instinct that amazed her. Yesterday she knew nothing of the new land or its devices and now she could instantly put a name to every item with only a little trouble.

Padding over to a white and blue striped porcelain cookie jar she quickly opened it and nabbed two tea packets. Happy that at least she was getting the hang of using her new thoughts without to much hassle, the lovely beauty began to search for cups. While one memory told her where they could have been, her true memory was conflicting with her making thing tougher as she sought basic utensils.

"Part of my thoughts tells me you are dressed up for something." Belle commented nervously in attempts to settle her roiling soul with the ease of driveling chatter to spirit her mind away from the cornucopia of thoughts spiraling about her head.

Rum nodded slowly, his face an unreadable mask behind the normal weathered skin of a human once more. "I own a shop in this land." He supplied easily though he had never before taken a step into such an establishment." It is a place where I make deals and sell goods in exchange for other trinkets. I'll be there on most days, not including weekends and back every night around five or six in the evening."

Planting his gold tipped cane between his legs, both hands curled over the handle like talons as the conniving monster watched his dutiful slave intensely; his mind involuntarily wandering. Despite all plans going accordingly, the fact still bothered him that for the next 28 years he would be without magic. Such time would be plenty for her to no doubt scheme a successful escape to be free from the clutches of her evil master.

For centuries he had formulated many plans and back up plots should things go amiss, but for his slave? He sneered inwardly at himself, cursing his foolish whims as his hands clamped tighter over the golden hawk handle in a vice.

Truth be told, Belle had been a spur of the moment indulgence on his part. Before he ventured from the Dark Castle that fateful day there had been no plan to procure any deal and yet that night he had returned home with a princess of some back realm kingdom, now his slave girl, who bravely traded her life, her very freedom, to him. And now…now he could think of no way to let her go. Belle, of course, had her uses, but possessing her was too much of a risk to let her ramble; her mind filled with truth and a few of his secrets.

Yes, procuring her had most definatly been a misstep; one he could not go back on. She was far too dangerous to let loose in the small town they now called home, meaning he simply had to deal with her.

"Let's make a few things clear here and now, Dearie." The magical monster glared darkly at her as she precociously handed him a steaming dark colored mug of tea. It was not his usual cup, and in his mind he made a mental note to order her to locate his chipped trinket for use.

Taking a tentative sip of the rich, heady brew he continued dangerously. "Your duties have not been altered, nor will they be. As specified before you will tend to your regular chores with the last day of the week as your own to do with as you see fit. You will never leave the confines of the house least I give you permission. No matter what your memories tell you or how this world is I am still your master."

Sliding into her seat on the opposite side of the table, Belle curled his finger about the warm mug. Hurt flashed in her cobalt orbs at his declaration. After those few months she was his slave did he still not trust her?

Looking down into the rippling brown liquid, she sighed deeply, her shoulders drooping lugubriously. "I know our deal, Rumpelstiltskin. I will not attempt to flee, you have my word."

"Your word is nothing to me." He scoffed callously and nursed another long draught of the strong, dark tea. Cruelty burned like hot crimson embers in his chestnut depths as his gaze narrowed upon her threateningly. "But I do not expect you to flee. If you do, dire consequences shall be swift and merciless; that is a promise."

Blood drained fearfully from Belle's lovely, yet morose features towards his admittance. Something akin to terror twirled in her belly as she forced herself to avert her azure eyes. Her throat felt dry despite the warm tea as fear crept upon her stoic heart. "You…you mean you'll kill me?"

"Not at all." The Dark One smiled thinly, his body practically radiating malice. "I do not break what I own, Belle; you've toiled for me long enough to at least surmise that. No…" He paused and hunched over the table, every word deadly serious. "If you run I will harm those you love. I will run your father into the ground; I will decimate any and everyone you've ever cared for. Their blood will be on your head. In this world I am an extremely wealthy man who controls most business in this shabby little town. Try to flee and I will make certain your father is stripped of everything he owns and is left to die on the streets a sick, crazy old man with nothing."

Silence reigned for a breathless moment as he let the words sink in before continuing in a low growl. "If that is not enough when I locate you I shall toss you into the insane asylum forever where all you'll ever see is four gray padded walls if I am feeling generous. Do not disobey or you shall wish you had run. Are we clear?"

Belle nodded tremulously; what more could she do in the face of such snarling threats? "Yes master."

Flicking his hand dismissingly in her direction, his attitude lightened as though he had not just threatened all she held dear. "Enough with that. Here my name is Ray or Mr. Gold if you prefer."

"Ray Gold." Belle tested the name sparingly upon her tongue as though it were some expensive wine. A hard fought grin played upon her beautiful face as she drained the last dregs of the tea. "I quite like that name."

Hiding a smile behind the rim of his cup, the magical fiend suppressed a glimmer of pleasure that she approved of the name. But why? Why did he garner a bit f enjoyment at her little fancy's?

"My name is Annabelle in this strange world." The lovely beauty remarked, simply to have something to say and rid her throat of the last remnants fear at his threats lodged in her esophagus and the shadows of her heart.

Rum allowed a small chuckle to slip from his throat. Leaning back in the wooden chair he regarded her curiously making a bit of fire mount in her cheeks though she could not tell why. Perhaps it was simply the fact that he was intimidating, but whenever he stared at her in that peculiar fashion she found fire tinting her cheeks in a merry glow.

Rum shrugged languidly as though her name was of no concern. "I know what it is, but I like Belle. It becomes you far better than Annabelle. No, you shall still be Belle."

For a moment she was taken aback that he had decided to keep calling her Belle. Names were valuable, as he sometimes said, which begged the question while he chose to keep calling her by his old name when he wished to be regarded in this land as Ray Gold.

He cleared his throat politely, nearly kindly, making her rouse from her inward train of thought meandering down its track of contemplation.

Pointing to the fridge with his ash wood cane he peered at her with a hint of amusement shadowing his human features. "Breakfast if you please, then you can start working on cleaning while I am gone for the day."

"Of course, master." Belle replied obediently.

Rising from her chair she forced her considerations into the back of her mind till a later moment when she could safety land from the whirlwind of it all.

Opening the fridge for the first time in search of eggs, Belle allowed her mind to focus on bacon, toast, eggs, and another cup of tea for the time being to sooth her owner.

Once settled and secure with thier new land, she hoped, she could figure out what her life would entail in their strange new world, living in a strange home, all with a strange master.