His hands were wrapped around the delicate china's white walls. The warmth radiated from the hot tea into the shimmering gold green skin. How could she stand to touch the texture of his flesh at all? Golden eyes stared at the amber fluid that rippled from slight tremors of his hands. It wasn't possible to tell her all the details, the losses and weaknesses he had as a man. He could tell her why he couldn't let his power go. Not until he had killed that simpering queen. What had he been thinking, teaching her so much? Had he learned nothing after creating the mother's power base?

"I told you once there was a son. He was very dear to me, and in an attempt to protect him, as well as make him proud of me I suppose, I took on this curse. I became the 'Dark One' deliberately and on purpose."

Hurrying through the last sentence so he wouldn't be stopped by her stunned intake of breath, he did pause now to look at her. There was a small 'v' between her brows as they reached toward her hair and each other in shocked stern thought. The bright blue eyes were glued to him and her lips were still parted from her gasp.

"Aye, love. No one placed this spell on me. I took it by force with my own hands… well to be honest there wasn't much a fight for it…" his voice faded out as his mind went back to that night.

He had taken that dagger into the woods, just as he had been told, and totally against his character. He called out that old name into the night and got just what he asked for. The dark figure had appeared from nowhere. After a brief conversation he then was plunging the blade through the cloaked mans chest to pierce a withered excuse for a heart. The previous dark wizard had been so willing to die, to end it all.

"But Rumple, You no longer have your son…" the small nudge to continue brought him back to the here and now.

"No. I lost him because of the curse as it turned out."

Confusion painted her sweet face and as she went to speak the thousand questions he knew she would, of this subject, he held up his hand.

"That's all another story for another day dearest."

The red lips shut as he stopped her before she could start, however they quirked at the corners when he used that little term of endearment. Had she smiled when he called her 'love'? Too distracted by his memories he hadn't noticed.

"After I lost him, the power was all I had. It became my driving force, and I spent centuries striking deals to build more. Not just magical power, mind you, I collected favors and treasures. Not long after I left my small village and roamed the land, building this castle to house and protect my prizes. "

Utterly wrapped up in his story she hardly blinked, causing a quirk of his own lips.

"Occasionally I'd get tired of doing all the leg work in my plans, and I would take on a servant or apprentice of sorts. With time I'd become overwhelmed with their lack of ability or dullness and they would meet a sad fate or disappear from me before they could…"

Her eyebrows lifted again, causing him to snort and point at himself "Dark One. Not warm and fuzzy employer." Surprise caught him when she laughed at joke.

Blinking to clear the sentiment he continued with the story. "Until one day I found a woman, married to a page that had a desire for power that could almost rival my own. I started small and was pleasantly surprised at her ability to pick up skills. It was uncanny, after only seeing things once or twice she could perform a spell. She learned the ancient languages swiftly and was soon translating some of my older tomes in her spare time. At first I was wildly impressed, but I quickly grew wary that she was never going to be content as a servant, or errand runner. After a few years we parted ways, I wasn't going to teach her all my secrets, not that she could ever hope to overpower me. "

"The queen? But I thought she married the King…" Belle asked as she leaned so far forward, Rumple was sure she would fall face first off the table if not for her foot on his chair.

"Close. It was her mother. After I bored of Cora and went about my own way, I always kept a precautionary eye on her. She never taught her daughter a bit of magic. In fact she used it indiscriminately against the girl to control her. Regina was a pretty girl, with a spirit that desired freedom more than anything, perhaps because she could never have it due to her mother." He shrugged his shoulders." Have you heard how the queen became married to the King?"

Nodding her head she told him of the horse running with the young princess upon his back, and the queen saving her.

"Exactly. However Regina didn't want to be queen, she knew that was just another cage to hold her from her freedom, though a much prettier version. The girl had fallen in love with a poor stable boy, and wanted nothing of the King."

"Cora wouldn't allow the loss of power as the queen's mother to happen though. She used magic to keep her daughter at the palace, her cunning to find out why she didn't want to be queen from a trusting and naive princess, and eventually killed her daughter's true love."

The deepest gasp yet echoed around the stone room.

"Oh it's worse than that Belle. She ripped out his heart and crumpled it to dust right in front of the daughter she claimed to love."

"No!" Horror dripped from the whispered word as tears gathered in her eyes.

Tilting his head to regard her he spoke again. "Evil isn't born dearest. It's made."

Wiping the glittering drops from her face, she continued to stare at him. "How could one do such a thing?"

His shoulders lifted and fell. "It's really not that hard. Just takes a certain magic and the conviction…"

Belle had straightened her back pulling herself away from him. "You?... You can do that?!"

Maybe now she would understand just how evil he was… And then she would leave… Why did he even try? Alas, It was too late to stop telling the story now.

"Who do think taught her? That isn't a spell you just find in a book."

Blue eyes darted from one to the other of his own. Searching for the joke that wasn't there, more than likely. She would be searching a long time if so. 'Go ahead now. RUN!' he thought to her. Silence lay heavily in the room as the two regarded each other. He wasn't about to go on until she said something. Time had no meaning in a normal day with her, now if felt like eternity and mere seconds all at once.

"You can do that?"

He bobbed his head up and down to the affirmative.

"Do you?"

This time he lifted a shoulder in a half shrug."I have before. Though it's been a long time."

"When was the last time?" She was looking away from him, at her folded hands in her lap. Her foot however was still setting next to his leg, on his chair.

"Time doesn't hold much meaning to the immortal, or evil. I suppose it's been some years though."

"So before I came here with you?" Now she glanced up at him, asking more than that one question he was sure.

Sighing as he brought his fingers up to pinch the bridge of his nose against a head ache he answered the bigger question. "Belle, I have behaved in a markedly less evil manner since I started sharing your company." He kept his eyes closed waiting to hear her leave. Why did he keep expecting something of her only to have it turned around on him.

Laughter that was all too similar to holy bells ringing filled the air. He opened one eye and peered through his fingers at her. "And what, pray tell, is so comical about that?" the demand lost something when clouded by his confusion.

She stifled her beautiful peal and placed a hand in front of her lips, in an attempt to gain composure. "I don't know. I supposed I was relieved."

"I'm hardly away from the castle anymore; I sit and spin almost all day." He motioned to the wooden wheel in the corner surrounded by straw and gold line. "Frankly I'm surprised people haven't forgotten all about me."

"Their terror must have been great to still fear one that never is seen making trouble." Grinning she leaned back toward him.

Again he blinked rapidly and tilted his head regarding her. " Are… Are you actually joking about this?"

His only answer was a grin dancing across her face. She was insane…. That was the only answer for this.

"Any way… where was I… Oh, oh yes. I watched the new queen carefully after that day. Broken hearts are the easiest for evil to leech into. As powerful as her mother had been, it was only a small guess that she would be gifted as well. Her disposition was more pliable it seemed; she wasn't power or wealth seeking. Revenge was however a secret wish growing within her."

He wrapped both hands back around the cup, taking another sip of tea he frowned. It had grown tepid, damn. He didn't notice until the tea pot was pouring more into his cup that Belle had seen the small face he had pulled. To keep her arm from brushing his he pulled his second hand from the cup to cough and clear his throat. Clearly she didn't buy the rouse.

"I appeared to her one day and dangled the promise of revenge in front of her. It took coaxing, and leaving small tidbits here and there, but eventually the fish was hooked. She took to it even better than her mother, and had this amusing way of rationalizing things until that last day, when I asked her to take a life. Don't go gasping again! It was an animal!" He cut his eyes at her growing a little irritated at her continued surprise.

Having the good grace to look chastised she sat up a little straighter, grasped her hands on her knee and looked down at the table.

"It took some cajoling but eventually she was at my beck and call, wanting to learn more, be more, and have more power. Once she had it though, she became more of a hassle then a help. Began to plot her own simple paths, and it was soon clear she wanted to have more than me. Again I parted with an apprentice but that was the last time I took one. I'd learned my lesson, anyone skilled or smart enough to meet my satisfaction, would eventually grow foolish enough to think themselves enough to take me on. "

Realization crossed her face. "The queen is as powerful as you?"

Laughing he shook his head. "The silly girl let the power and her freedom from killing her husband, cloud her judgment. As I am now, she couldn't hope to out power me. The fact she keeps trying to has created this odd relationship we have, bargaining back and forth and trying to kill each other." Her shoulders relaxed."But you see that's our problem Belle. If I give up my power, she would be the most powerful in the land. She'd be holding all the puppet strings. And that wouldn't be enough. She'd come for you as surely as my name is Rumplestiltskin."

"But why? She'd have nothing to fear from you any longer." Her eyes brightened and looked stern.

"Because she could, love. It would be the ultimate win over me. Plus she can't stand for anyone to be truly happy." He shook his head. "I'm evil, but I don't want to watch the world burn to a cinder. She does. Do you really want her unchecked? At least I help the do gooders every once in a while. Keep the game on playable terms, as it were."

Chapter 2 done and rather quick :D. Rumple is trying to persuade Belle that his way is the right way. Oh when will he learn? I think the next chapter will have her turning his mind. Thank you again for the reviews! They really do encourage me and help me think of new ideas.