From that day, Rumplestiltskin was a man (monster?) obsessed. The spinning wheel sat, not gathering dust (as Belle kept a meticulously tidy castle), but unused as Rumple spent his days pacing the floors, consulting books, ruminating aloud. Belle helped, with the research. As much as she had accepted her fate as a glorified housekeeper, she appreciated this new challenge and the fact that Rumple allowed her in on his planning.

He must trust me. She realised suddenly one day, as she brought him a cup of tea, oddly enough he had specified that the chipped cup would suffice.

He took it from her with a small smile of thanks and went back to staring at a list of ideas he had thought to try in an effort to reach a version of his son, in another reality.

After some more time staring, his frustration at their lack of progress grew exponentially and he snarled aloud, leaping to his feet. He looked as though he was about to throw the cup in anger and defeat, shattering completely.

Belle winced and braced herself for the shattering of china. It's only a cup, she reiterated his own words to herself, better that than someone's bones.

Rumple stopped himself, positioned to throw the cup and he suddenly felt foolish as he stamped his foot angrily once, then sat back down again and she noticed that he now cradled the chipped mug as though it were precious.

Now that he was calmer, shaking his head in something like despair, she dared to approach him, gently walking up behind him and placing both hands on his shoulders.

The man/monster tensed up very briefly and the relaxed into her touch.

'There, there.' She said softly, allowing her hands to knead his flesh soothingly. When he didn't object she increased the pressure, until his breath faltered and his eyes closed in relaxation and pleasure.

'You've made such progress already.' she reminded him.

Rumple nodded, his eyes still closed, although Belle couldn't see his face she could feel the tension melting from his body.

She stopped when his breathing was fully relaxed again and both felt an acute sense of loss when the touch was broken.

'Could you put this away safely for me, dearie?' Rumple asked, handing her the teacup, then lifting the offending parchment to calmly look at his options once more.

This became a ritual over the coming weeks. She brought him tea, then soothing touch whenever the pressure got too much for Rumplestiltskin. He didn't seem to trust himself with 'their' cup anymore, although Belle had no idea why he would want to keep something already broken safe.

Then one day, weeks later, he had his solution. His eureka moment. He suddenly twirled on the spot and exclaimed in utter exhilaration, shocking Belle so much she almost dropped another piece of crockery.

He didn't stop twirling until he reached her, sweeping her up into his arms, spinning her round and round, laughing with a mirth that became contagious.

He brushed a stray tendril of her chestnut curls from her eyes, and looked down upon her in his arms.

'Oh, Belle' he whispered hoarsely but excitedly. 'It can be done'

She giggled softly, smiling up at him, his exhilaration contagious, when he caught himself and carefully placed her down back on his own two feet.

She stepped towards the object he had enchanted, fittingly a globe that he could previously use to track down anyone in this world. Now, he informed her, when activated and spun, it would transport the spinner to another reality.

One of the problems was, it wouldn't lead him directly to Bae. He would find himself beside another version of his enchanted forest neighbours, in their world or another entirely, and he would have to search in the mere hope of finding his son. After a

day, the globe still in this world would spin again, moving him on to the next.

There was no guarantee that his travels through dimensions would lead him to what he sought, but it was the closest he had come to a plan in all this time.

As for how he could get back to this world... he wasn't sure if he ever could. He glanced at Belle and felt a brief flicker of regret at this flaw in the plan, but chose to ignore it.

'Are you leaving right away?' Belle asked softly. He almost wondered if she was echoing his internal sentiments.

'No' he shook his head 'I'll need some days to prepare'. Belle smiled a sad little smile, recognising that sooner rather than later she would be alone in the Dark One's castle, without the Dark One himself for company.

He may choose to release her of course, but somehow that thought didn't make her feel any less lonely.

Rumplestiltskin has been prepared to go and find his son from the second he let Bae him and instantly realised his mistake. These extra days weren't preparation to search. They were preparation for the pain he would feel leaving Belle behind.

He half-contemplated asking her, commanding her even, to accompany him to these other worlds. But the man inside the monster prevented him from taking Belle away from the reality she belonged in. While he had said he would keep her imprisoned forever, he knew he could release her back to her old life if he chose to. But he didn't think he could take her away from all she knew without even the option to return her to happiness.

He approached his study, where Belle had been quietly dusting. He swallowed bitterly. He had to say his goodbyes.

As he opened the door he felt a sense of apprehension. He saw why - the enchanted globe was spinning wildly, out of control.

Belle was nowhere to be seen. All that remained was a rag she had been dusting with.

Rumplestiltskin closed his eyes in realisation and despair. He cursed his housemaid's thoroughness. She had cleaned the enchanted globe for him. He had cursed himself for not informing her that the object was now activated, ready to transport the spinner to another reality.

She was gone. His Belle was gone. He had just started to come to terms with saying goodbye.

Now that opportunity had been ripped away, just as his son had been, due to his surprising lack of foresight, considering he now possessed the gift to see the future.

The globe stilled to a halt, where it should remain until it spun Belle into the next random reality.

He steeled himself to spin it once more, in an effort to follow her. But there was next to no chance they would end up in the same dimension. The odds would be astronomical.

But perhaps if they remained in the cycle for long enough, for ever, he would find his son and he would also find her. He gritted his teeth and spun, felt himself falling, falling through time and space and eternity.

He now was a man (monster?) on two missions. Find Baelfire. Find Belle.