She returned to the veranda, slightly nervous. Where would they end up and how long would they stay? She was sure Rumplestiltskin wouldn't allow her to stay away from the castle too long, but even he might lose track of time. She recalled watching him spinning when she was younger and how oblivious he was to the outside world. How long would he spin at a time? Hours? Days?
Belle jumped as Rumplestiltskin appeared at her side, noting her basket of food. "First a spy, then an adviser and now a little thief?" he tutted, shaking his head with mock disapproval.
"You're the one that has influenced me," she pointedly informed him. Belle wouldn't tell him, but she was quite glad to be in Rumplestiltskin's company again. She enjoyed speaking with Snow, Abigail, and Regina, but it was much too proper. Rumplestiltskin knew about things that intrigued Belle. He had a vault of knowledge and stories inside of his head that she had barely begun to understand.
Most importantly to Belle, he didn't mind her seemingly "odd" ways one bit. He never seemed to think she was too imaginative nor unladylike.
Rumplestiltskin only clucked in disapproval. "A princess thief," he mused.
"At least I'm not a murderer," she speculated.
"Yet," he held a finger up, a grin on his face.
Belle gasped, slapping a hand upon her chest. "Me? Why Rumplestiltskin, if you think I'd ever…"
"'Twas but a quip, dearie!" he crooned before she could sputter at him. He hopped around from her side to stand before her. "Now then, shall we be off, milady?" he swooped into a grand bow, skillfully snatching a dessert pastry from her basket as he straightened.
Belle huffed, nodding. "As long as you don't steal anything else," she shot him a scolding look as he munched innocently on the pastry, protectively drawing the basket closer to her hip.
"You may just decide to vomit that lovely feast after this, my dear," he warned, extending his hand to her.
"If I do, it'd be awfully nice of you if you'd hold my hair," she commented, taking his hand. She firmly clasped onto it, enjoying the contact. His skin felt normal. Not gritty, slimy, or repulsive as others seemed to think. In the tales, the Dark One was described as the most disgusting of creatures, eating infants for dinner and puppies for brunch. She was used to his appearance by now and quite liked it. He wasn't disgusting at all, but instead, as comforting as a warm blanket by the fire on a cold winter's evening.
Most importantly to Belle, he was normal.
He smirked at the unsureness that crossed her face as she waited to tumble elsewhere with him. He looked upward, mentally sorting through various villages to visit, the expansive map of the Enchanted Forest completely memorized within his mind.
He recalled a village that wasn't too far from the castle itself. The village was small and poor, but safe enough for Belle to wander through. He'd accompany her, of course, but he could feel that a deal was waiting for him there. There was always a tingling in the back of his mind that told him this, one that was often more irritating than helpful.
They were there in an instant, traveling with magic was easy for Rumplestiltskin, like being hit by a soft gust of wind.
For Belle, however, it was much more traumatic. Her eyes slammed shut as soon as he had sent them away from the castle with his magic and her stomach tumbled as they fell into a downward spiral. The whole process took only a few moments, but for Belle, it had felt as if they'd just been sucked into a spinning hole for days and spat out.
They appeared in a plume of purple smoke in the middle of the small town, Rumplestiltskin barely managing to pluck the basket full of warm food from Belle before she fell to her knees, chest heaving as she attempted to calm herself. "T-That's how it felt the first two times?!" she gasped, eyes wide.
"Yes. That's how it feels each time. You will grow accustomed to it soon," he smartly remarked with a soft snicker at the way she teeter-tottered about upon her feet.
"Come," he ordered, taking her hand and leading her to a rotting bench nearby. He only had to internally mutter a spell and wave a hand for the rotten wood to form into strong cedar. Belle sat, looking a bit green faced as she trembled.
"It didn't feel that b-bad though…" she tried to reason.
"You were unconscious the first time and hysterical the next, it didn't mean anything to you in those moments," he sighed. "Now hush and place your head between your legs," he commanded, frowning. "Do so until the nausea fades."
Belle nodded quickly, throwing her head down in a swift movement. Rumplestiltskin took a seat beside her, crossing his legs. "Do you wish to talk about what just happened?" he awkwardly questioned. The child must've been quite scarred from the occurrence at the ball. It was all she had been talking about the past week, anyway.
Belle shook her head , indicating that she had no desire to even think of it. She looked quite comical wearing such an elaborate hairstyle in her current position, even more so in her gown, still making her appear quite elaborate despite her cloak. .
"You seem to forget the locket, little princess," he smirked, reaching back to pinch the hem of her hood. He drew the cowl over her head, giggling gleefully at her groan of irritation.
"I don't care," she sat up, adjusting the cowl. "I should have known he wouldn't…dance…" her voice grew soft as tears welled up in her weary eyes.
"None of that, none of that," Rumplestiltskin softly spoke, standing before her. "We shall have a grand ball at the Dark Castle, my lady," he promised.
Her eyes brightened at that. "Really?" she questioned. "Will we have guests?" the frown on her face had now formed into a inquisitive, hopeful smile.
"Of course not," he replied with a disgusted sneer. "Do you really wish for me to call upon your little princess friends?" he questioned.
Belle frowned, shrugging. She could only take so much of Snow at a time. The girl was a beautiful thing with a beautiful personality and Belle loved her dearly, but she could wear her out quite easily with her deep, sincere words about love. "So be it. We will throw the greatest ball that…we have ever seen!" she grinned at her own quip. "Don't you get it? We are the only ones that know so we're the only ones that will be impressed!" she explained to Rumplestiltskin with a face-splitting beam..
Her knight had to hide a smirk behind his hand as he nodded. "Of course, of course. Now then, let us be off." he handed her the basket of food, conjuring his scaled cloak upon himself with a simple gesture of his hand. He strode further into the dimly lit town, assuring that Belle could keep up with his long strides.
Belle did not realize that the villagers were currently cowering in their small huts after spotting the spinner of deals in their streets. She figured they were all huddled in by their fireplaces at the moment with their families. She smiled, oblivious to the odd silence in the small village.
Rumplestiltskin, however, heard plenty of noise. Wishes.
I wish for more bread.
I wish for a new dolly.
I wish for a new wife.
I wish for Papa to be happy.
I need more coin.
Belle's wish was always the clearest in his head, though he'd never inform the girl that he knew.
I wish I could live at the Dark Castle.
The thought alarmed him. Had her father truly driven her so far away that she wished to live with him? Had she not seen the beast inside of him, turning on her in a moment's notice?
None of the wishes from these townspeople appealed to him. They were too bland for his liking. He'd settle for escorting Belle from house to house.
Belle walked to the first hut pausing at the door. She peered behind her shoulder, up to Rumplestiltskin. The look on her face was one of hesitation.
He nodded to her, indicating that she was safe to knock. Belle did so, timidly tapping at the door.
Rumplestiltskin snorted, stepping to her side so he could properly bang on the door. This earned him a dirty look from Belle. "Now they certainly won't answer," she huffed, spinning on her heel.
He followed her, a delighted smirk on his face. Making her huff and puff about was quite amusing to him. He had been successful in distracting her from her previous grief, which left him feeling rather happy himself.
Happy until a particularly interesting deal whittled it's way into his mind.
I don't want him. I wanted a girl. A baby girl. If only someone take him. Please, I want a girl. How can I rid of him?
He spun around, eyes thinning as he spotting the particular hut containing the pleading woman. He was quite disgusted that a mother could despise her child so much for being the wrong sex, but a deal was a deal, no matter the context.
He just needed an excuse now. Perhaps he could irritate his princess into dismissing him?
Sounded easy enough.
Rumplestiltskin quickly fell into step with Belle as she peered around, looking for a hut that looked to contain a more accepting person. He quickly moved, moving to snatch a chocolate pastry.
Belle's hand whipped out and slapped his hand, shocking him into halting.
He stared down at her, eyes wide.
She stared up at him, a pointed scowl on her face. "Rumplestiltskin," she scolded. "If you keep this up, I'll have to send you away until you can behave yourself," she threatened.
He frowned, wondering how she felt being the first to slap at the Dark One without being killed or turned into a an insect. She was too special to be punished. "I do have a deal to make, dearie," he casually mentioned.
"Oh!" her eyes widened in realization. "A deal," she repeated, as if the words were foreign. "You can go. I'll be fine on my own. I'm going to get rid of this food if it's the last thing I do," she smiled up at him, forgetting her past disdain.
"I wouldn't put it past you," he agreed, the edges of his mouth twitching into a slight smile. "I'll return shortly," he promised before vanishing before her eyes.
Belle gave a happy huff, shaking her head before strolling along the torch lit paths of the small town. She anxiously peered towards each hut, hopeful to see some sign of welcoming. Did people really fear Rumplestiltskin so much? She had assumed he was the reason the town was so quiet. Normally, villages were bustling with life, even at night.
Belle kept walking until a rather odd looking hut caught her eye. The hut was rectangular, with a big window looking in upon a balding, middle-aged man who appeared to be working with some gears and cogs that were inside of a wooden box.
Belle smiled, happy to know that there was at least one person unafraid of Rumplestiltskin and walked to the door, tentatively knocking.
She was delighted to hear an accented voice call out, "Oh, just a moment! I've got to fin-BLAST IT!"
Belle cringed at the crash, eyes wide as she heard more ruckus and curses coming from the inside of the large hut. The door opened and Belle narrowly avoided being tripped as a red fox and gray cat came darting out from the building.
The man appeared, wiping his brow with a huff. "I apologize for that. They always meddle with me, those two," he looked off, watching the odd duo scamper out of sight.
Belle quite liked the man already. He had kind eyes that twinkled when he smiled at her. "My name is Belle." she told him. "I brought a big basket of food to share with your town, but nobody seems to, well...want to answer their doors." she admitted piteously.
"You'll find that the people in this village are easily startled." he told her, eying her basket with a hearty chuckle. "If you want to rid of that food, I am sure I could eat it all myself."
Belle frowned, shaking her head. "I wished to share it with everyone," she informed him.
"Ah, yes, yes, of course. What a kind child you are," he shook his head, a wistful glint in his eyes as he stepped back. "Now come in, come in! I will show you the hospitality you deserve! My neighbors could learn a thing or two."
"Thank you." Belle followed the man inside of the hut, blinking at the mess. Papers, schematics, and various pieces of wood and gears lay everywhere.
The man only laughed at her wide eyed reaction, shaking his head. "I do apologize for the mess. I am an inventor when I am not wood crafting," he informed.
"I've never met an inventor before," Belle informed the man. "I do have a question though, Mister…" she trailed off, unsure what to call the man.
"My name is Giuseppe, but please, call me Gepetto," he told her, bowing his head to her as he led her into the room she assumed was his workshop. Belle immediately spotted the device that was knocked over by the fox and cat, the wooden box he had been working on when she had peered into the window.
"You have a question?" Gepetto kindly asked.
Belle quite liked Mister Gepetto's accent. It was warm and friendly, washing away any possible fear of the man. "Have you invented anything?" she queried.
The man cleared his throat, looking off. "Ah, no…I've certainly tried though," he told her, a bit of a disheartened smile crossing his lips.
Belle picked up the box after sitting her basket on the floor to the side, placing the wooden invention back on the large work bench in front of the large window she had peered into.
Upon closer examination, Belle realized that the box was upside down. She flipped it over, surprised to see a clock head. "You make clocks?" she asked, looking over to him.
"Ah, yes. It's what I am best at. Here," he motioned for her to sit on the stool before his workbench as he opened a cabinet full of clocks and carvings of all sorts. He pulled one from the top shelf, a wall clock made of gray wood.
Belle made a delighted noise upon seeing the ash colored clock, surprised that her new friend would've been able to locate such a tree. "Where did you find the wood for this?" she questioned, gingerly taking the clock as he extended it to her. Such a sort of wood was extremely rare in this area of the land.
Well, she did suppose that she probably was miles and miles away from her home. Perhaps the trees were common here.
"Careful now," he cautioned, leaving his hands on the clock as she held it to be sure that she wouldn't drop the device. Belle examined it more closely, Gepetto slowly removing his hands as she showed the ability to manage its weight. It had been carved to look like a castle, with such detail that Belle could've stared at it for hours, picking out each thing little person and object.
"This is an engagement present for the king himself. I'm hoping he'll note my skill," the older man informed Belle, a confident smile on his face.
Belle nodded ecstatically, beaming up at him."Oh yes, he certainly will be impressed!" Belle praised, releasing the clock as Gepetto took it to place it on the work bench, pushing the clock in the making aside.
"And on each hour, this happens," He told Belle, nudging the long hand to the very top of the clock. He closely watched Belle for her reaction as the show began. A little wooden knight suddenly appeared, popping out from the front doors of the castle and guard had appeared out besides a small golden bell, which began to ring. Belle gasped in delight as a large wooden dragon broke out from the top of the castle. She practically squealed when the dragon's wings flapped back and forth. The knight was pulled back into the castle, only to appear right before the dragon with a sword. The wooden knight thrust his sword into, or rather against, the dragon, making the dragon sink back into the castle. A horn trumpeted from within the device, signaling the knight's victory.
Belle never knew such stories could be told by clocks. The one she had just witnessed was just like the books Mama used to read her, about knights saving their beloved from dragons, or protecting their homeland. Some were true, but Mama had always informed the child that the true stories were often given some false details to make it interesting for those with little interest for history.
Belle applauded as she looked up to Gepetto, her eyes twinkling with an astonished sort of gleam. "That was amazing! The king will love it, for sure!" she cried.
Gepetto gave a thankful chuckle, nodding. He gave a mock bow, as if he were on the stage of a finished performance."Good, good. It's good to know someone understands my work!" he told the girl, plucking the clock from his workbench and returning it to his cabinet.
Belle hopped to her feet, walking over with him so she could examine the other clocks. Each one had a different story waiting to be told. She saw houses, cottages, towns, big castles, small castles, and even a stable. "Why haven't you sold any of these?" she questioned Gepetto as he closed the doors to the cabinet.
"Nobody in this village can afford them," he sighed, a frown on his lips."The closest town that may have a possible sale is a week's journey away." the man seemed very weary, almost as if he had the weight of the world upon his shoulders.
No, the weight of the world on his heart. Belle saw the sadness in his eyes.
"If I only had a son, I could do all these things," he told her, eyes now full of despair.
"Why don't you have a son?" Belle questioned gently. She didn't want to seem pestering or nosy, but she was quite curious.
"My wife could not have children," Gepetto sighed. "She died very early from illness."
"I'm sorry," Belle quickly told the man, reaching out to take his hand, which was extremely calloused from years of wood work.
Gepetto placed his free hand atop her small ones, patting them with a nod. "I will have a son one day, even if I must make him on my own," he assured her, a smile creeping along his face.
"I'm sure you will," she agreed. She would have to ask Rumplestiltskin if he could help the poor man. "I must be on my way, Mister Gepetto," she told him. Her locket seemed very warm against her chest, making her wonder if Rumplestiltskin was somehow alerting her that he was back. Perhaps she was just imagining it. "Could I rely on you to pass out this food?" she asked as she took the shawl full of food out from the basket, tying it together to form a bag.
"Of course. I was only joking when I said I could eat it all," he beamed at the girl. "Thank you, little Belle," he patted her atop the head, his lovely eyes even lovelier now when he looked at her. "You have made a lonely man a bit less hopeless."
You're not the only lonely man I'm helping. Belle smiled at the thought, pulling her hood back up with one hand as she looped the other through her basket. "No, thank you for showing me your clock!" she curtsied to Gepetto before walking with him to the door. She paused and looked back, a beam on her face. "I really do hope we meet again someday. Perhaps you'll have a son by then!"
"I would have him marry you!" Gepetto called with a hearty chuckle.
Belle laughed and waved before heading back onto the streets. She walked until she spotted the very new cedar bench, which stood out quite a bit in the drab town. She saw Rumplestiltskin perched atop it, a bundle squirming beside him on the seat.
If Belle knew one thing about Rumplestiltskin, she knew that he was quite odd at times. The man often perched on seats, determined upon making nobles wretch at the impropriety of the act. Belle thought it was quite a funny sight to see, for he reminded her of some sort of bird when he did this.
He also liked to be occupied. When he wasn't doing anything, Rumple often fumbled with his fingers, drumming them together or entertaining them with a random object. Because of that, Belle found herself often wringing her hands around him, feeling restless herself.
And finally from this sight Belle knew that he was up to no good. He was pretending to ignore the bundle besides him, but she knew he was aware. When the bundle gave a cry, his eyes flicked to observe her.
She gave a loud gasp, swooping over at once and uncovering the bundle to find an squalling infant of all things. "W-What is this?!" she softly screeched, not wanting to make the baby cry any harder. Belle had never held an infant before, but the thing was crying rather loudly. She picked it up as she did her kittens and rocked it as she'd seen other women do, pleading with it in a soft voice.
"A baby," he answered smartly, a jittery giggle escaping his lips.
"I know that," she huffed, staring down at the child. The baby had big brown eyes that appeared almost knowledgeable to Belle. At first, the girl questioned if all babies came from Rumplestiltskin, but she almost smacked herself for the thought. Babies came from pregnant women, not her knight. The thought was funny to her, even if it wasn't true. The image of Rumplestiltskin tip toeing into houses with a swaddled babe in his arms made her snicker. Where did he get them though? "Who did you take it from?" she questioned, gently sitting beside Rumplestiltskin so she could have an easier time of holding the infant.
"He would've had a wretched life had I not saved him," he informed her.
"How could you know?" she asked, frowning. Belle shifted the baby to one arm so she give her other hand its grasping little hands. He seemed quite pleased with himself once her hand was in his grasp , his eyes twinkling as he squeezed at her fingers. Belle marveled at the sight. The baby's tiny little fingers would be as big as hers one day.
Rumplestiltskin attempted to make a disgusted face, but he couldn't. Seeing Belle with the infant was a memory that he would come to cherish as much as seeing Bae take his first steps. The sudden wonder in her eyes was a lovely sight to see. "I obviously know quite a few things, dearie," he reprimanded, hopping to his feet. "Now, if you'll allow me to take him to his new family, I'll be on my way."
Belle frowned, shaking her head as she protectively clutched the child closer to her. "No. I'm coming too. You're not nice to him, poor little Alfred," she tutted down at the baby.
She'd named it? Already? Rumplestiltskin sighed softly, running a hand over his face. She had already attached herself to the thing. Removing him from her would be difficult for him, mainly so for his heart. He wasn't sure how he could bear to see Belle look upset twice in one night. "It's just a baby," he heard the imp answer to her, his body shrugging.
"No," she frowned, glaring at him, "he's Alfred."
"What kind of name is that? It's not unique at all," Rumple countered, sneering down at the girl.
Belle tilted her chin up at him, her eyes fiery. "It's a name I picked out. If you don't like it, that's just a downright shame. All that matters is that he likes it," she looked down at the gurgling baby, her frown forming into a wide smile. "You love your name, huh Alfred?" the baby cooed up at her, expertly grasping a piece of her hair and tugging it.
"Yes, and now Alfred has decided to murder you for naming him that," Rumplestiltskin murmured, grabbing the baby's wrist between two fingers and removing it from Belle's hair. The baby suddenly gave a wavering whimper at Rumplestiltskin's cold action, but Belle was quick to take the baby's wrist away from Rumple's fingers.
"Be gentle!" she scolded, frowning up at Rumple. "He's not an object, he's a baby…" she murmured, gently rubbing Alfred's little wrist.
Rumplestiltskin watched, rigid. He had never let himself get attached to the infants he often traded off, but Belle had suckered him into this. He was gentle this time in holding the baby's wrist, waiting for Belle to be pleased with his actions. "Good," she huffed and he retracted his hand, grateful to be freed of his lesson. He knew how to handle babies. He had Baelfire, after all. It had been over three-hundred years, yes, but he hadn't forgotten. He'd only grown a bit colder.
She smiled, content with herself. The smile faded as she remembered poor Mister Gepetto. "Rumplestiltskin, could we give the baby to Mister Gepetto?" she asked, assuming that he must've known who the man was.
"Who..?" he asked stiffly, his eyes thinning.
"Mister Gepetto the inventor," she informed him. "All he wants is a son."
"No," he quickly answered, pausing once he saw the forlorn look on her face. "Worry not, little one, he'll have his chance eventually. Right now the man is more concerned with his work."
"You really do know everything, don't you?" Belle asked, a fond smile playing at her lips.
"Of course," he waved a hand dismissively. "Now, Belle. I'd like you to understand a bit more of what I do," he told the girl. "If you're expecting that you'll be helping me one day, it's best to know what I do. This is only one deal, but trust me, dearie, deals come in all forms and sizes." he told her, extending a hand to her.
"Alfred won't get sick, will he?" she asked, having been too concentrated on the baby to really hear Rumplestiltskin's words.
Rumplestiltskin grit his teeth. What was this blustering swell in his chest? Jealousy? Jealous of a baby? He was disgusted with himself, but it was true. He had good reason, of course. At least, he told himself he had good reason. He'd been working on his last little speech throughout the week, trying to find a gentle way to explain to Belle that she would most likely see many, many deals in her lifetime, mostly involving him as the deal maker. "He's a baby, he won't even notice." Rumple sighed, impatiently grabbing Belle's hand himself and sending their little misfit family off quite a few miles away, to another town.
This town was very small, but in better condition than the previous one. Belle was able to fight through the nausea this time, mainly because she was concerned for baby Alfred. The baby didn't seem to notice the trip at all.
"And now we give him to his new family," Rumple informed her, briskly leading her towards a hut off to the side.
"My baby?! We're sending him off to some family that we don't even know?" Belle gaped, frowning.
That made him stop. "Your baby?" he turned on his heel, eye twitching as Belle nodded.
"Yes. I'm adopting him, Rumple," she promptly informed, a frown on her lips.
"Belle, he's not yours to take, nor should you ever speak like that. Never, ever keep an item that should be used to deal." he hissed, turning and resuming his brisk walk.
"They'll take care of him…right?" she asked, her voice quivering.
He stopped again, not out of astonishment, but out of pity. Her voice had been full of unsureness and grief as she had questioned him. He looked back at her, offering a toothy smile, baring his stained, brownish teeth. "Of course. I wouldn't pick anything but the best," he assured her.
He was lying, but he wouldn't let her know that. The people wishing for a child seemed nice enough to him.
He didn't even bother knocking, opening the door and striding forward, keeping Belle mostly hidden from view behind him.
Belle saw a woman in bed, facing away from them and a man sitting at her side, face in his hands.
"Looking for a little something to brighten your little lives?" Rumple jeered, ignoring the sharp look Belle gave him from behind.
The man looked up, eyes wide. "You came," he breathlessly spoke. The woman, who Belle assumed was his wife, slowly rose to sit up, now facing Rumplestiltskin.
She reminded Belle of how Mama had looked before she had died. Pale and thin. So skin she reminded Belle of a skeleton. This woman had no illness though. She was very, very sad. The girl read it in her eyes.
"What do you want from us?" the woman's voice was airy and soft, like a wisp of wind.
"I only require a piece of hair from each of you," he produced two vials from thin air, a giddy smile on his face.
"We'll do it," the woman quickly answered before her husband could protest, grasping onto a strand of her straw colored hair and plucking it from her head, extending it to Rumple. He gave a gleeful little giggle as swept it away and placed it in one vial, the other vial floating midair as he capped the other. He reminded Belle of a child who had just obtained a new toy.
With a snap, the bottled hair was gone, back in the Dark Castle, Belle assumed.
Rumple looked to the man, a sneer on his lips. "I haven't got all day."
The man seemed unsure, looking to his wife, who nodded to him earnestly. He quickly yanked a strand of dark hair from his head and handed it to Rumplestiltskin, who bottled and capped it, making it vanish as the other had.
He motioned for Belle to step out from behind him with the child. "The deal is concluded, enjoy your little bundle of...tears," he told the two with a sneering grin.
With a shake of her head at his quip, Belle approached the bedridden woman, hesitantly extending Alfred to her. Both seemed surprised to see her with Rumplestiltskin. The man looked at her with a sudden sort of expression that Belle couldn't quite place. Something that reminded her of urgency and panic.
The woman took him immediately, smiling down at the child. "Is it…a boy or a girl?" she asked Belle, not looking away from the child.
"He's a boy and his name is Alfred," Belle informed her with a wavering smile, scared that she would ignore the name and choose a different one.
"Alfred…" the woman repeated softly. She looked up to Belle with a gracious smile. Belle thought it was almost funny how a smile could make such a sickly person appear so healthy and bright in seconds. "Hello, Alfred," she softly cooed at the child.
Belle stood still where she was, watching the woman break out of her sickly shell, little by little as she carefully touched the child's face.
Rumplestiltskin watched the child with mild fascination as she peered at the new mother and babe, almost with an envious stare. The woman had just lost her previous infant the night before, right after birthing the thing.
Belle wouldn't know this. She would only know that he had done a good thing. He wanted the child to think this, needed her to, even. That way, she'd never question him. She'd never try to abandon him with the claim of him dealing in things considered to be "wrong."
Things had been going smoothly and in Rumplestiltskin's opinion, the night had been becoming lovely.
Had.
The husband of the grieving mother had been shifting his gaze between the infamous Dark One and the girl accompanying him with a disgusted frown on his face.
Rumplestiltskin had walked over, placing his hand on Belle's small shoulder. "It's time to go, little one," he crooned in a low voice, feeling actual guilt for removing her from the infant she had fallen in love with in the past few minutes. One day.
Belle turned and looked up to him, nodding with a tight lipped smile, filled to the brim with sadness. She looked to the mother one last time, trying to find proper words of farewell. "Um, please take good care of him. He'll grow up to be really brave and smart, I know it," she affirmed.
The mother nodded, smiling. "Thank you," she earnestly replied with a glimmer in her eyes.
With that, Rumple had started to lead Belle from the room, his hand still on her shoulder to keep her from looking back or stopping. Looking back was never good, never.
He was about to open the door when the idiot husband decided to speak. "You really are a monster." he bravely stated.
His voice sounding quite angry to Belle. So angry that it made her feel a pang of fear. Fear for the man.
How could this man insult Rumplestiltskin after he had just given him a son?
Rumplestiltskin stopped completely, a soft little "Nee hee…" slipping from his lips as his fingers flew to twiddle together at his stomach. He sounded delighted and Belle didn't quite understand why.
"You've gone that low to not only take a girl, but a child as some sort of slave? Some sort of…of…maid?" the man's voice had been loud, but it was now faltering.
"Jacob, stop!" the woman gaped at her husband, shocked that he had spoken up against the Dark One of all beings.
Rumplestiltskin had spun on his heel and was standing before the man called Jacob before Belle could react. "I'm offended, really," Rumplestiltskin mocked, placing a flared hand over his chest. "Of all the things you wanted, I gave you a child...and now you've decided to critique me?" he gave few clucks of disapproval, pacing before Jacob.
The man said nothing, watching the beastly man pace before him, a wild sort of fear in his eyes as he watched the most powerful being in this land stride to and fro.
Rumplestiltskin paused before the man and turned, his face inches from the trembling farmer's. "I should take that child back for what you did. Perhaps I'll take all of your future children as well while I'm at it?" he cocked his head in questioning, giving a large smile.
The man trembled visibly, stuttering to speak. "Y-You had no problem taking someone else's child…" Jacob nodded to Alfred, his wife clutching their new child to her, eyes clenched shut as if she was wishing for his mouth to shut. Belle wanted to comfort the woman, but she saw no way to do so from where she was.
"The child was unwanted. Would you prefer I take it back to be thrown out?" Rumplestiltskin queried with a snarl.
The man quickly fumbled to change subjects. Sadly, he spotted Belle once again. The girl's cloak had slipped from her shoulders, barely hanging from her arms. Belle had been too absorbed with the current situation to care, but Jacob spotted the bruising skin on her shoulder in the candle light. Five bruises, actually. As if someone had grabbed her. "Look, you've even hurt her!" he cried, dodging to the side and moving to stand before Belle.
Belle stared up at him, wordless and glued to her spot. She wished he would stop. She wished he would shut his mouth. Belle didn't understand why this man had become so defensive. Her knight was not a bad man, but a good man with a rather iffy temper. She wasn't his servant, nor his slave. But this man, Jacob. He seemed determined to make Rumplestiltskin furious. She thought Rumple might attack the man right there for pointing out her arm, but he hadn't seemed to absorb what the man said.
He had looked down at her with sympathetic eyes, ignoring the whimpers of fear from his wife. "Do you need a home? We'll take you," he told her. Belle glanced to Rumplestiltskin, eyes pleading for help.
He did nothing, but instead, he seemed interested now.
Belle was offended by his interest. He was her knight, supposed to protect her whenever she was scared. Now she had to stand alone while he watched her as if she was in a play. "N-No," she heard herself reply in a quiet voice. "I'm fine where I am,"
Rumplestiltskin gave a giggle, practically bouncing with glee. Belle wondered if he'd start chanting, "I told you so, told you so, told you so!"
His joy faded when Jacob touched her arm. "You don't have to lie. I'm sure I can find someone that can help. There's the Blue Fai-"
Rumplestiltskin's hand shot out before he could finish, spinning Jacob around to face him with his unseen magic, his other hand shooting out and clenching around the young man's neck in a swift movement. Jacob's eyes bulged, a cry of fear escaping his lips followed by gurgling.
"Stop, please! He doesn't know when to hold his tongue!" the woman screeched, sitting up. Alfred had begun to fuss in her arms, a cry escaping his lips.
Belle stood, frozen to the ground. Hadn't her knight remembered her presence? Was he always this ruthless? The man had overstepped his boundaries, but did he deserve death?
Belle's feet refused to move, making it all the worse when Jacob's wife directed her frantic pleading to Belle as she tried to calm the crying baby. "Stop him, please!" she cried. "My child needs a father!"
Belle nodded, more to herself to affirm that she was capable of this. She moved to Rumplestiltskin's side and placed her hand on his arm.
Rumplestiltskin had been quite interested in the various colors the man's face had been shifting between when he felt the tentative touch. He jerked his head to the side to see Belle staring up at him, her blue eyes wide and full of fear.
Fear.
The same fear that had resided in Baelfire's eyes as he realized that Rumplestiltskin wasn't joining him. All because of the Blue Fairy.
This man had dared to tell Belle about the fiendish fairy. Rumplestiltskin would not waste magic on this sniveling fool. It felt much better to squeeze the life out of someone of no worth, anyway. This foolish man deserved death for uttering the wicked fairy's name to the girl. He deserved it for touching Belle, for even acting as if she was in danger.
Did he not?
Then it hit him.
He was the one that deserved death.
He had hurt Belle.
It all clicked in place at once. He recalled gripping onto her shoulder as her father had informed her that he would not be able to stay at the ball. He recalled her flinching lightly.
He recalled the man's words.
His mind went blank, a searing white rage cutting deep into his heart. He had forgotten everything else in the room, including Belle herself. He no longer saw the cowering Jacob struggling before him, but himself.
Belle could've made a speech, telling Rumplestiltskin that he was better than this, but instead, her words were quite childish. "Please, Rumplestiltskin. I want to go home."
He released the man almost immediately, eyes blank and nostrils flared.
Belle avoided looking at Jacob, who was on the floor, trying to catch his breath. She looked to the woman and Alfred instead. "Please take care of Alfred for me," she spoke, hoping that it read as sincere to the woman. She couldn't very well apologize for Rumplestiltskin's behavior. He wasn't a child, though sometimes she did question the thought.
Belle looked up to see that the "child" in question was staring off, breathing quite heavily. It reminded Belle of the wild horses brought to the stables at the castle. The horses were brought in to be broken, but before they were, they always looked about, wild eyed and flared nostrils snorting.
Belle took Rumplestiltskin's hand, gently tugging him along and out of the house. She assumed he was angry at the man, not himself.
Once they were out in the village once more, Rumplestiltskin snapped his arm away from her hand, eyes dark and dull.
"Why are you so upset?" she gently asked, wide eyed. She was not accustomed to this sort of destructive behavior from him.
He said nothing, but turned on a heel, briskly walking away from her.
Belle stood in shock. He would really leave her alone like this? She shifted her cloak back up, pausing when her eyes saw the bruising marks on her shoulder. "Oh…" she breathed, looking up to see that her knight was out of the village, walking towards the tree line nearby. Now she had a rather good idea what he was upset about. Jacob had mentioned her shoulder to him. Perhaps it had just sunk in? Belle hitched her skirts up so she could properly run after him, her heart pounding with trepidation.
He turned, hearing her rapid footfalls, his mouth twisting into a scowl as he stopped, clasping his hands behind his back.
His face was still blank to her, and this terrified Belle. No sign of the impish jester or the kind man, but instead an emotionless man.
"Stop it this instant," she commanded, her voice firm. "If this is because I've got a few little marks on my arm, I'm going to have to shake some sense into you," she could've joked to make it all better, or smiled, but this would not do. Belle was quite seriously about shaking him.
After a few moments, he finally spoke. His voice was strangled and stiff, making her fidget. "I hurt you," was all he uttered, mouth twisting into a disgusted frown and his gaze hollow.
"So?" she asked. "I've hurt myself plenty of times, tripping and scraping my knee or jabbing myself when sewing."
"Those were accidents," he hissed. "I hurt you, Belle. I hadn't even realized I had until that fool pointed it out."
Belle blinked, taken aback by the sudden emotion in his voice. She caught a flash of the Rumplestiltskin she knew in his eyes as he shook his head. It may have been the side she didn't much like, the side that argued with her, but it was better than nothing. "I hurt you. This was no accident. I hurt you because of my own petty anger. You shouldn't even be around me, Belle. I could do worse than that to you!"
"You hurt him worse than me…" she softly spoke, nearly afraid to point it out due to the reaction her words could bring.
Rumplestiltskin snorted, mouth forming into a silent snarl. "He deserved that. He attempted to make me up as some...villain to you."
Belle shook her head, biting her lip. "You're not a villain. You didn't mean to hurt me. It was just an accident, even if you think it wasn't."
He said nothing, but his heavy breathing had slowed.
Belle had no way to make it seem right that he had hurt her nor that it was fine that he was a danger to her at times. She wasn't about to let him convince her to leave that easily, though. "Well you did leave some bruises." she agreed. "So please, apologize." she boldly directed.
He seemed taken aback by this. "What?" he stiffly asked, his frown fading.
"Just do it, you'll see!" she insisted, her shoulders slumping down with impatience.
"I'm…sorry," he spoke the words as if they were molten lava. Belle knew he had only apologized once before to her, when he had mocked her story. By the looks of it, Rumplestiltskin was not one to apologize often to anyone, not even himself.
"I accept your apology, Rumplestiltskin," she said, beaming up at him. "See? Now you can't brood because I've forgiven you. And you aren't a danger to me, Rumplestiltskin. You're my knight. As your princess, I must remind you when you're stepping out of line. I won't fail at that." she assured, hoping to comfort him.
The words were so sweet that Rumplestiltskin wished the grab the girl and whisk her away to the Dark Castle, where she would never have to live with any pain again. Instead, she'd have every little thing she wanted, spoiled rotten and content. He could give her eternal life, a library full of every single book in the world.
Anything.
"Can I please go back now?" she asked. "I would like to go to bed," she sighed, looking a bit sad and quite exhausted.
"I haven't made your night worse, have I?" he questioned, offering his hand to her.
"Of course not! Why, I suppose that was a bit scary back there, I'll admit, but it's all worked out now," she smiled. "I had a lot of fun. I met Gepetto and Alfred and even though that man tried to scare me off, I didn't run," she reflected proudly, taking his hand with ease.
"Good," was all he said before they toppled through the world between worlds that had them standing back in Belle's bedroom in mere seconds.
Belle gave a content, sigh, happy to be back in her room. She walked to the mirror, unpinning her hair. It felt lovely to have hair free and messy again.
She turned to see Rumple standing in the same spot that he had arrived, unmoving.
"Rumplestiltskin, as the princess of the Dark Castle, I command you to stop fretting," she strode over to him, her chin dutifully tilted upward.
He frowned, huffing. "I suppose I can't decline an order," he rolled his eyes as she began to turn, making Belle give a sputter of anger.
The girl walked over to the small table off to the side of the room where her breakfast had been earlier, pleased to see that Nanny had left her yardstick.
Belle assumed that her nursemaid had been in her room, working on a new day dress for Belle while the girl had been at the ball. Nanny always made Belle the best dresses and the thought of a new one excited her very much.
She picked up the yardstick, a devilish grin crossing her face as she turned to Rumplestiltskin, holding the stick at him with a menacing grin.
Rumplestiltskin's eyes widened, mock shock crossing his face. "A princess that also handles the sword? That's unheard of!"
"Not anymore," she hissed, raising an eyebrow. "Now then, do you vow to stop worrying?" she asked.
"And if I don't?" he challenged.
"Off goes your head!" Belle made a swishing motion to the side with her stick.
Rumplestiltskin grinned as he magicked himself clone of the yardstick she held, pulling the "sword" back in a flourish. He was quite relieved that Belle had so easily forgiven him. Not only from causing her pain, but from the incident with the pathetic man and his silly accusations.
Of course, he couldn't know that Belle would be in her bed after he left, silently staring at the ceiling while confusion plagued her chest. It was wrong of him to hurt the man, but she hadn't told him so. Belle felt terrible for this. She should have scolded him, but in that moment, her beloved knight had seemed terrifying to her.
She wouldn't have such thoughts until later. For now, the confusion was forced back by her pure joy of clashing her yardstick against Rumplestiltskin's as the two fought.
She kicked off her formal shoes, leaving them forgotten beside the fire as she she turned to parry a strike from Rumplestiltskin.
She feigned a strike to his side, only to quickly revert her aim and stab him in the gut. Rumplestiltskin was letting her win, of course, and he intended for it to be quite the performance.
He gave a howl of agony, glad that he had muted her room at Leopold's castle with a charm after visiting her the first time. Rumplestiltskin clutched his side, swaying side to side before clattering down to the floor like a pile of fallen blocks.
Belle gave a cackle, strolling over to poke him in the side with her stick. "It appears I've killed you. I suppose we're even now, even though you didn't quite kill me."
"You can't kill the Dark One, I'm afraid," one of his hands shot out, grabbing her ankle and giving it a firm tug. Belle felt a momentary flash of fear as she toppled down to the ground.
Toppled to the ground after he had conjured some cushions, of course. Belle gaped at him, giving a huff as she sat up, staring at the variously colored cushions with a frown. "That's no fair!" she complained, pushing her cloak off and throwing it at him.
Rumple easily dodged the flying cloak, smirking. "Yes, yes. You'll find that I often cheat," he crooned at her, giving a cackle.
"You can't die?" Belle questioned, making herself comfortable on the cushions.
"Not easily." he replied, sitting before her, cross legged.
Belle frowned, slowly tilting her head to the side. "So your powers as the Dark One keep you alive?" she interrogated.
"Yes," he recalled his depression after Baelfire was gone, before he thought to find him. He lingered for a long while before the attempted to kill himself, drinking the strongest of poisons.
He had fallen ill within the hour, retching and trembling. Misery came, but death never followed. He woke the next morning,
His heart was dead, but his body thrived.
"And you'll live forever?" Belle carefully arranged her mother's dress around her to ensure it wouldn't crinkle.
"Yes," he repeated, almost appearing to be bored.
Belle frowned at this, huffing softly. She no longer felt like interrogating him at the moment. "I'm not saying goodnight to papa." she announced.
He looked up at her from braiding three of her ribbons that had fallen from her bed together. "Really now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes," she nodding, a determined frown on her face. "Is it terrible of me to do this?" she hesitantly questioned.
"Of course not. If you let me have my way, he'd be a little rat scurrying about the kitchens," he wasn't exactly joking, but the gape on her face made her add the comment: "Just a quip."
Belle gave a relieved sigh, nodding. "Good," she stood, looking over to her door. She imagined papa in his room, reading or sleeping. She felt extremely guilty for ignoring him, but he had made her cry quite a bit. She wasn't sure she'd be able to even look at him without tearing up. She would have to face him the next morning when they leaved the castle.
Rumplestiltskin stood before her, frowning lightly. "You will be fine," he assured her. "I'm sure he'll sleep the entire journey," a mischievous grin crossed his lips.
Belle quickly shook her head, eyes widening. "N-No! I'll face him on my own if I must. Nanny will be with me, anyway." she couldn't help but laugh at Rumplestiltskin's idea. Did he really intend to use magic to make papa sleep?
"You're brave, Belle," he solemnly told her in a serious tone, which didn't last long. "Now, off to bed!" he called before bursting up into smoke.
Belle only smiled, shaking her head with a laugh. "I'm brave," she told herself before preparing for bed.
The next morning had gone by in a flurry, Nanny going this way and that in her room as they both packed her chest. Papa had already headed down to thank the king, not having packed much.
That entire morning a sickly feeling had settled into her stomach, one of fear. She couldn't forget the ferocity she had witnessed from Rumplestiltskin the previous night against Jacob. He had almost…killed the man. Rumplestiltskin was Belle's best friend, her closest companion. She wanted to resume caring for him so very much, but she couldn't shake the feeling of fear from her chest.
Was her knight always this way? Had he hurt other people too? He had placed his hands upon Jacob's neck without a second thought. She tried to ignore the thoughts, but she was almost afraid to see Rumplestiltskin after this. She had forgotten everything during their sword fight the previous night, but the realization of the previous events hit her so hard that night in bed that she almost wanted to cry.
She shook the thoughts from her head and dispelled the fear in her chest. It was her knight. If he ever did such a thing again, she'd scold him. Surely she could make him stop if she truly wanted, could she not?
Belle wore her travel cloak over one of her more comfortable day dresses, her hair pulled into a braid. She headed down to the main hall on her own, surprised to see both Snow and Regina waiting for her there.
Snow ran to Belle, tearfully hugging her as tightly as she could. Belle found herself tearing up too. She would miss playing with the girl. Snow hadn't judged her creativity while playing at all. "We must write to each other!" Snow sniffled.
Belle pulled back, nodding. "We will," she promised. Perhaps Belle had felt negatively about Snow White after their first meeting, but the girl was simply in love with the idea of love. It made her both serene and extremely excitable. Perhaps one day, the two would level out. Belle would truly miss her friend, but did look forward to having someone to write letters to.
Snow and Belle spoke a small while longer, promising to write about their entire lives to each other each time. Belle's life would certainly seem bland, as Rumplestiltskin occupied most of it anymore.
Snow eventually bounced away, leaving Belle and Regina alone, save for the servants walking about, still cleaning up from the remnants of the ball.
"Thank you, Belle," Regina told the girl, speaking with earnest.
Belle blinked, frowning. She hadn't done that much to help the woman. She had suggested she find another way, but she wasn't sure what that way would be. She shrugged off the slight unsureness she felt about her advice, a smile on her face. "I hope you find happiness, Regina," Belle sincerely told her.
"I do too," she replied, quickly leaning down to hug the girl.
Belle was pleasantly surprised by this, not taking Regina to be the sort to be so affectionate. "I hope you find happiness too, Belle," she whispered in the girl's ear.
They parted, Regina wearing a wavering smile. "Perhaps we'll meet again one day,"
"I hope we do," Belle sincerely did hope this. She had a feeling that Regina would've been a very nice friend to have. She almost wanted to ask if she could write to her too, but Belle knew she'd be much too busy with preparations.
She left on her own, heading out to the courtyard. She spotted papa speaking to their carriage driver and was quite thankful for this because she was able to slip inside the carriage without him noticing. Belle sat comfortably, fidgeting as she waited for papa and Nanny to come.
Nanny did eventually enter, handing Belle a book she'd never seen before. "This was on your bed, little one. You really should keep all your books in one place," she tutted before getting herself comfortable beside Belle, tilting her head downward in preparation for a nap.
Belle frowned, reading the cover. The Dark One: The Spinner of Deals.
Her eyes widened on reflex, mouth forming into a tight. She slowly opened the cover, surprised to see a few words scrawled inside the cover.
This is what we will be reading together next, dearie. No peeking.
-R
After Belle read the words, the ink completely vanished. Belle frowned at the book, assuming that Rumplestiltskin had used some sort of magic quill to make it disappear after being read.
She tried to contain her astonishment as two more words appeared.
Sweet dreams.
Belle furrowed her brow. What did he mean by…
She yawned, her eyelids growing heavy.
Oh, so he didn't intend to put papa to sleep, but rather, put me to sleep.
She frowned, knowing she'd be quite more displeased if she wasn't currently sinking down onto her side, eyes drifting shut.
Her last thoughts before falling into a peaceful slumber were of ways to punish her knight for cheating this way.
"I told you, dearie. I always cheat."
Belle would never figure out if she had imagined his voice in her head that time.
Her last thoughts before falling into a peaceful slumber were of ways to punish her knight for cheating this way.
Aah, good old Gepetto! And drama! Poor Belle and Rumple. It seems they both have demons to face.
Anyway, I have a very important question for you all. Belle's getting a bit older here and I was wondering if you guys have any scenarios you would like to see her and Rumple go through? Any fairytale characters you want her to meet?
Thank you SO much for reading and supporting me. I get a bit teary eyed at your reviews and follows. It makes me feel so happy!