Here it is, lovelies. Thank you all so much for your kind reviews, escpecially those of you who can't sign in! I had tons of fun writing this. I made a small little picture for this chapter, feel free to view it here . /a8e4d3aa8e54c5b4e7a1d2268899 b93d/tumblr_mk6i10j5uV1rx7ob2o1_

I own nothing but my fangirling heart, please, do enjoy dearie!


As soon as he saw her, he knew she was not like the other humans.

She would not regard him as the other she-humans did, who would let out horrific cries of fear upon seeing him and his brothers.

She would not even regard him as the he-humans did, who chased them with their pitchforks and roared at them.

She would regard him as a gentle soul, perhaps she'd even smile at him. The boy-wolf had heard her quiet sobs when he had wandered off on his own. The others of the pack were back at the arched rock they slept under, finishing the remainders of their previous hunt.

He often wandered away from the pack for the woods called to him, even in his sleep. The boy had no name, nor did he have a life in the human world. He was weaned from a she-wolf with his brothers. He knew he wasn't like them. He was a human. He had no fur, nor did he have sharp teeth. He simply adjusted. His skin grew thick and strong against the cold while his teeth grew strong enough to break through the thick hides of their kills.

In his mind, he was a wolf.

Often, when villagers saw a naked boy running with the wolves they either had to take a double-take or simply marveled at the sight, sure to tell all of their mates and family about the wolf-boy over their dinner or drink that night.

A few times, they attempted to take him from the pack as they mauled their livestock, but the boy always escaped and resumed helping his brothers. The boy couldn't kill the larger beasts with his teeth as the wolves did, but he could help by wringing the necks of the chickens or hares he found.

After each kill, the boy cried. He cried because he was taking something from nature. Nature had been his mother, his savior. Taking away from her, it made his heart ache.

A nudge or nip from his brothers would bring him back to reality as he wept over the corpses. They were understanding, his brothers. They would lick his tears and carry his kills in their jaws for him. In the end, they had to take from mother nature. They needed her creatures to survive. Even though he realized this, he still shed tears.

The humans saw him weep too. The weeping wolf-boy.

Some of them actually seemed to look upon him with some sort of respect after hearing the rumors. One girl had even given him a bundle of clothing when he had run into her as she was collecting berries.

"Wait here," she had commanded in her sweet voice.

The boy-wolf understood their words, the humans. He knew them, but he could not speak them.

The boy had no voice.

He waited for the girl to return. He liked her, the smell of her, the way her mouth curved into smile when she saw him.

She had returned with a bundle and handed it to him, refusing to look anywhere but his face, which he did not understand.

"If you wear these, mayhaps, some will not fear you," she had giggled after this, which he also did not understand.

The boy stared at the trousers and shirt in his hands, frowning. He gave the girl a long stare before running away, back to the arched rock. He struggled into the clothing, finally making sense of them after a few attempts. He didn't like the feeling of being restrained by the cloth. His skin felt suffocated and his movement was limited.

His brothers did not like it either, they gripped onto the cloth with their teeth and tore cloth from him with a shake of their heads.

The boy managed a growl, furling his lips and spitting with clenched teeth as he backed away from them, his precious gift now ruined.

He hadn't left them, though, even as angry as he was at them for ruining the girl's gift to him. He was curled between them that night as they slept, the clothing discarded. He later found better use for the clothing, using it for tug-of-war with the new pups to teach them how to share a kill by tearing it in two.

Now, he watched the girl approach his once-brother, Scarjaw. Scarjaw had been the brother of the pack leader, but had tried to fight the leader for his mate. The boy considered him Scarjaw due to the jagged scar running along the wolf's jaw. The boy did not know how the scar had found it's way there, but it looked to be from a human.

The boy crouched from his position behind the brush, observing her with keen interest. Scarjaw had been eating the last of a fresh kill had been growling at the girl as soon as she had first opened her mouth.

"I'm sorry," she had said, her voice soft. The boy liked her voice. Her accent was different from what he was accustomed to, so sweet that he imagined her voice lulling him off to sleep. He was confused by her words, though. The girl was apologizing, but why?

Scarjaw only growled in reply.

The girl frowned and took a pause before speaking again, "I know how it feels, you know."

Scarjaw growled louder at her, but resumed eating. He was wary, but not wanting to leave his kill. The boy suddenly felt a rush of sympathy for the girl. Was the girl an outcast like Scarjaw too?

"Oh hush!" she snapped, catching Scarjaw off guard with her scolding tone. The boy had to press a hand to his mouth to keep from giving a laugh. His laugh was an ugly thing, he thought. Low and guttural. He had no voice to add to it.

As the girl, whom he decided would now be called Chestnut by him due to the color of her hair, noticed the lone wolf had decided to quit his growling, she gave a sigh. "Thank you," she huffed, dusting snow from a nearby rock and perching atop it. "I'm a bit of a lone wolf too, you see," she explained with a sad glint in her eyes.

She said nothing more after that, but placed her chin upon her knuckles and fell into thought. Chestnut was an interesting girl, for sure,he thought. The boy wanted to come out, to smile at her and see if she would speak so kindly to him as she did to Scarjaw, but he had no clothing to wear. Surely she would run away at the sight of him. Her eyes were kind though and he knew she would smile back at him if he smiled at her. He'd never seen such interesting eyes. Hers were as blue as the pale winter sky, with black rims around them.

The boy was about to approach her when he heard the footfalls. He was rather surprised Scarjaw didn't notice. He had been the best hunter in their pack before his exile. The boy realized with a start that the leader had latched his mouth onto Scarjaw's left ear as they fought. He must've lost some hearing. The boy had been there as they fought, forced to join the circle around the two brothers as they spat and snarled at each other.

He knew that helping Scarjaw was forbidden, but if he didn't hurry, surely...

His thoughts were stolen from him as the crossbow bolt crossed through Scarjaw's head. The boy's eyes widened and he almost forgot himself, almost lunging forward to defend the girl and his former brother.

A brawny boy emerged with two men, all holding crossbows. The wolf-boy hated the mechanisms. Farmers had begun to purchase them and even craft them. The bolts had claimed a few of his brothers and injured the others. He was the one that was left to tug the bolts out of his brothers, usually resulting in a bite to his arm from his wounded brother due to their dislike of the pain.

The boy saw the crossbows as a form of cheating nature. Instead of taking a good kill with a bow and arrow, people stole them with these...contraptions.

He jumped as he heard a cry from Chestnut. Her eyes were wide as she quickly ran over to Scarjaw, throwing herself on his body. She buried her face into his fur and cried, the sight making the wolf-boy cry himself. He cried because he could feel Scarjaw's spirit crying with her, crying of happiness. The lone wolf expected a lonely, painful death, but here was this girl, crying over a wolf she didn't even know.

The brawny boy stomped over, glaring at Chestnut with a look that made the boy want to crush his throat and drain the life from him as slowly as he could. "I just saved you!" the boy hissed.

Chestnut sobbed before him, her eyes wide and full of anger. "He wasn't even hurting me!He wasn't even bothering anything!" she cried, so very brave, "Why would you do such a thing? Why are you even here?" the boy pondered how she could be so fearless. She-humans acted very weak, doing as their husbands directed. She-wolves on the other hand, weren't afraid to fight back.

The boy now decided she should also be called a she-wolf. Perhaps he could take her back with him. She could live with him and be free from these cruel humans.

"I was on my way to visit," the boy sneered. "I heard that thing growl at you! You're lucky I came when I did. You should thank me," he growled.

The newly dubbed she-wolf now said nothing, but stared at the boy in disbelief. She spun around and ran, as fast as she could. The boy reached for her as she ran past her, his hands skimming across the soft materials of her cloak. She didn't even notice him.

The boy knew he could've followed her, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. She surely would want to be alone, wouldn't she? He had other duties. He had to protect her. If these men followed her, they could do what they wished and resume laughing at her as they did now. The wolf-boy stared at the men as they resumed laughing. If they stepped foot in this direction, he would fight with everything he had for Chestnut.

They eventually grew weary of laughing and left, not even touching Scarjaw.

This was the ultimate sign of disrespect, to leave a kill. They could've skinned Scarjaw and removed his jagged teeth, but they refused.

The boy wondered if he should, to allow Scarjaw to rest easy, but the idea left as a lizard of all things appeared in an eruption of purple smoke.

He was a man, but his skin was scaly. The boy stared in awe at rather revolting man. He looked around, giving a growl as he noted the corpse of Scarjaw. The lizard's teeth were yellow and stained with brown, not fanged, but his eyes convinced the boy of his reptilian nature. A discolored, murky greenish yellow. His pupils were wild and large as he suddenly disappeared as quickly as he came in his odd smoke.

The boy was left, alone and rather shocked. His brothers hated lizards, but killed them during desperate times. The boy didn't like the slimy little things. They tasted sour and cold. Did the lizard man have cold blood too?

He pondered upon this as he remained crouched. The boy remained still for hours, guarding the body of Scarjaw and the trail the she-wolf had taken to get away from the men.

Part of the boy wished to seek Chestnut and be sure of her safety, but he knew his duty, to keep Scarjaw's body safe.

It was night when the lizard man returned. Even in the dark, the boy could tell it was him. The smell of the lizard man burned his nose, the smell of strong spices and smoke.

"Have a little guard dog on our hands, do we?" the lizard's voice made the boy shiver. It wasn't what he expected at all, not deep and gruesome, but high and nasally. The boy felt that he feared his actual voice more than the voice he imagined in his head.

The lizard seemed to sigh in annoyance and quickly extended a hand, jerking it back towards him as quickly as he had extended it. The boy stared in confusion before he felt himself being lifted by an invisible fist and thrown towards the lizard man. The boy was stuck in the air before the man, their eyes level.

The lizard man lifted a hand and the boy heard the snap of his fingers. He jumped as flames appeared on his hand. The man most certainly was not only a lizard, but magic. No man could hold fire on his hands with such ease.

Thanks to the flame, the boy could now see the man's odd eyes boring into his own. The man's breath smelled of odd herbs and smoke, just as he had smelled."What were you doing out here?" he demanded in a hiss, his pupils honed in on the boy's every facial feature, as if he expected to spot a twitch of his lips or a wince that would make him appear guilty.

He yelped as the man released the invisible grip on him, leaving the naked boy to fall into the snow with a thud. He quickly rolled over onto all fours, staring up at the man with wide eyes.

"What. Were. You. Doing. Near. Her?" the magic man repeated, his voice low

The boy felt tears pooling in his eyes as he tried to speak. He had to speak. If he didn't the man would kill him. "Protect," he tried to say, but nothing came out, only a faint whistling from his throat.

The man snarled down at him, lowering his flaming hand closer to the wolf-boy's face.

The boy jerked back as he felt the heat against his face, his eyes wide and brow furrowed. "PROTECT!!" he tried to scream, his mouth wide as he attempted the shout, but nothing happened, only a pathetic groaning noise from his throat.

The lizard man's face suddenly went from one of anger to one of amusement. "A cat's got the wolf's tongue?" he sneered, a cruel flicker in his eyes.

The boy stared up at him, slowly nodding.

The lizard's eyes were full of mirth as he snapped his fingers with his other hands.

And just like that, the boy's voice came out. "Protect! Protect! Protect!" he burst out. He jumped at his own voice, eyes wide. "Protect..." he repeated, touching his throat with his fingers.

The magic man only watched him with amusement.

"Why?" the boy asked. The magic man wouldn't just growl at him and then treat him without reason.

The man turned away, taking a few steps away from him. "Because now..." he spun on his heel to face the boy again, twirling his fingers to point at the boy as he went. "you owe me a debt."

The boy gave a bleary look, a frown forming on his lips. "T-That's not fair," he managed in a slow voice. He wasn't accustomed to forming words together at all.

"Well if it's not fair and you'd rather go running back to your little hounds, I'll just kill you," the words came so easily from the lizard's mouth that the boy was a bit disturbed. "Better yet, I'll just kill all of you, you and your little pack."

The boy couldn't be selfish any longer now that his pack was involved. His pack. He felt a swell of pride at the prospect of doing something in return for them. He stood a bit taller, staring at the lizard with what he hoped was confidence. "I-I...will do it." he shortly said.

The lizard man snorted for some reason unbeknownst to him, though the boy didn't quite realize how broken and poor his grammatical skills were. "The child, the girl here before, you," the man pointed a finger at the boy's forehead, causing the boy-wolf to look up in confusion at the finger, as if he expected the man to use his magic to harm him again. "You saw her, yes?"

The boy nodded. "She-wolf," he affirmed.

The man found something amusing about that, but the boy didn't understand why."Good," he removed his pointing finger and now clasped his hands behind his back as he took a few steps away before turning around to face the boy again. He really was like a lizard, the boy thought, always moving around. "The moment she walks into this forest, you will be at her side, protecting her."

The boy felt a wave of relief rattle through his nervous bones. He could do this, he could protect. Perhaps he wouldn't be able to hunt as much, but he would prefer protecting Chestnut. "How do I know?" he asked. He may have a connection with this forest, but to know when his Chestnut stepped foot into it? That was nearly impossible.

"We'll get to that," his question was pushed away with a dismissive wave of the magic man's hand. "First off, if you approach her in this state," he gestured to the boy's nudity, "I'll flay you alive and place your pelt in front of my fire."

"Don't have pelt," the boy answered. Once upon a time, he did have the clothing from the girl, but his brothers had destroyed it beyond wearing with their tug-o-war practices.

"Not my problem," the lizard shrugged, making the boy feel a tick of anger for his carelessness. The boy would have to sneak into the town and take clothing for himself. These people had stolen one of his former brothers, so it wouldn't be too terrible of him to steal from them.

"Hands," the scaled man ordered, nodding to him.

The boy hesitantly held his hands out, fingers twitching. The magic lizard simply waved a hand over his outstretched hands. The boy jumped as he felt a weight fall onto his outstretched hands and looked down to see a dagger in his hands. The small hilt was wrapped in dark leather and the blade itself started out smooth, but ended with a row of wicked looking teeth that reminded the boy of the saws he'd seen men use on trees.

A small amber jewel rested at the bottom of the flat hilt, it's color almost reminding him of Chestnut's hair.

"When she's in this area, you will know," the man finally spoke after giving the boy a moment to examine the dagger. "You will watch her, walk with her if you must, but you are her protection in this forest."


Rumplestiltskin watched as the boy slowly held the dagger in the proper manner, taking a testing swipe. Rumplestiltskin had seen glimpses of the future. Enough to know that this boy wouldn't be in his service in his adult years, but he would become a highly renowned and heartless killer. Quite literally, heartless.

Rumplestiltskin was a busy man, despite his time often spent watching over Belle. With the boy watching her, she would be less likely to fall into harm's way in these woods as she had been in the past few years. Rumplestiltskin did have his doubts of the boy's skills, but the boy was raised by wolves. He was sure to know a thing or two about killing. His sight into the future gave him the assurance that the boy would be worth the investment.

"Any person that threatens her, scares her or even causes the lightest of distress, you keep them away from her. Kill them. Do that, mutt, and your life and your pack will be safe." he told the boy.

"Mutt. I am Mutt?" the boy asked in his sluggish voice. Belle would surely be intent on shaping his speaking into something much better than it currently was.

Rumplestiltskin snorted before turning away. "Yes, you're nothing but a mutt," he sneered before disappearing in a haze of smoke.

The boy stared after him, clutching the dagger to himself. He would have to take it with him when he stole clothing to wear. He'd need a sheath too. "Mutt, Mutt, my name Mutt," he murmured to himself, a dim smile on his face. He had a name. A name. He had a purpose. "Mutt protects Cheh-sth-nut."


Belle stared out of the window in Papa's room, worrying at her lip as she watched the empty bridge leading to their little castle.

She was coming today. Lady Abbes.

Lady Gertrude Abbes was well known throughout the entire lands as the "wife whipper."

She would not whip wives, but make them. She whipped young girls into proper ladies and wives-to-be.

She was coming today to judge poor Belle. By studying the girl, learning her personality and hobbies, she would decide if Belle even had a chance of one day becoming a fine wife. Her purpose was to tell Lord Maurice who she felt the girl would have the best chance with.

Nanny was completely disgusted with Lord Maurice for sending for the woman. She even had overstepped her boundaries, directly telling him that he should know that Belle would be a perfect wife and mother when the time came for any man.

Belle had been forced to stand still as Nanny did this, going on to say that her mama would never do such a thing to the girl.

Papa dismissed Nanny in a stern tone, his eyes no longer kind, but fiery. Nanny walked past Belle, taking her by the arm and tugging her away with her.

"You are better than that, Belle. You mustn't listen to a thing she tells you. That woman reduced your own mama into tears in seconds. Told her to burn her books if she hoped to ever be accepted."

Belle could only nod mournfully, quite surprised to know that the woman had judged her mama well, making her about Nanny's age.

Belle wondered if the two had a past, perhaps an unwritten rivalry.

Either way, Belle knew she wouldn't appreciate Lady Abbes in the slightest.

Belle just didn't see the point in making a lifestyle out of forcing girls into a different shell. How could someone feel comfortable doing such a thing?

She intended to clutch very tightly onto her own shell. She was the odd little girl with her face in a book and her head in the clouds. Everyone in town knew this and so did she.

Her knight liked her fine the way she was and many others did too.

Belle currently sat upon Papa's window sill, struggling to make sense of her latest book, a collection of tales given by twenty-four men and women on a journey together. She had just given up and was about to head out into the hall to question the nearest guard with any knowledge of reading about it when she saw the rickety little carriage bouncing across their bridge. Belle frowned, quickly recoiling from the window as if the woman would spot her from afar.

"You're worrying an awful lot over one old bat, dearie."

Belle gave a relieved laugh, peering around her and batting at the air, hoping to catch her knight's arm or torso. "I don't want to be married off and I don't wish to be judged by her," she replied, placing a hand on her hip.

She was met by silence. Belle resumed her search, hands before her and grasping at the air. She turned at a light rustle to see that her book, left open, was floating.

She grinned, tip-toeing over and hoping to finally be the one to scare her knight, when he appeared at once, his hand out before her face, indicating that she might as well give up.

Belle gave an angry huff. He wasn't even looking in her direction, he was looking at the book! How did he knew she was there?

"The Miller's Tale?" his eyes were suddenly stern. "This is a tale for disgusting drunkards, not a..." he raised his voice a few octaves higher, flamboyantly twirling his fingers, "young noble lady such as yourself!" Belle gave an outraged laugh at his "prissy nobleman accent."

"You're the one that gave it to me," she reminded, her smile forming into a defiant little smirk.

"I did?" he frowned, trying to recollect ever choosing the book in particular. He never really did pay attention to what books he gave her, but instead chose a few at random from his personal library and send them to the little piles of books in her room.

"They're good stories," she insisted. "I don't even understand then parts that are supposed to be bad."

Rumplestiltskin frowned, studying the girl. Belle had a pathetic little expression on her face, a hopeful one. He was being a bad influence, but she was pouting. Pouting.

He was the feared Dark One, the man who could kill a another man with a simple flick of his pinkie. He was to feared and yet Belle's pathetic pouting, caused of a book of all things, had him defenseless.

He frowned, shaking his head as he tossed the book into the air, not even glancing as it erupted into a plume of deep purple smoke.

Belle's mouth twitched as she looked at him. "I suppose it was for the better," she glumly decided.

Rumplestiltskin only grinned. "Back in your room, dearie."

"Oh!" Belle blinked, surprised. "You really are a-"

"Belle!" she stiffened at Nanny's voice, quickly wheeling around to warn her knight to see that he was gone. She assumed he was still present, but invisible to sight. Perhaps he had left instead, bored with her current situation. Nanny appeared in the room, a few strands of her gray hair free from her bun. Belle smiled at the pinkness to her face. It meant that Nanny had most likely bounded up the stairs just to get Belle. Belle didn't smile because she found humor from her nursemaid having to run for her, but instead out of love for the woman.

"Nan, your hair," she pointed out, knowing that the woman wouldn't want to be seen with such messy hair before Lady Abbes.

"Right, right," the older woman huffed, quickly peering in the large mirror in Papa's room. She produced a few pins from a pocket in her apron and quickly corrected her bun.

Nan seemed to have everything in her pockets. Whenever Belle scraped an elbow or knee, Nanny had a cloth handy to tear and use as a bandage. Whenever Belle tore her dress, Nanny had her needle and thread ready to repair the tear.

"Now listen, you," the woman hissed as they briskly made their way down the hall. "That old witch will say anything to make you upset. Once you're upset, she'll turn her nose upward at your father and declare you unfit for anyone. You take those criticisms with a polite smile and nod. Your mama was lucky to stumble upon your papa. This woman ruined her confidence for years."

They paused at the top of the stairs, Nanny whirled the girl around, forcing her to look into her eyes. Belle was worried. She always saw herself as strong, but could she really stand up for herself?

Belle caught a tingly smell of sorts, one that made her want to sneeze. She hesitantly reached over, brushing her fingers against Rumplestiltskin's scaly coat. Oh. She blinked, turning to see nothing, as usual. She frowned, the urge to jab him in the side almost overwhelming. Surely he'd make a noise and reveal his presence to Nan. Belle always wondered how Nan would react to the man. The woman would probably hound after him for his rather offensive manners.

"You look for me each time she barks something at you, you hear?" she asked. "I'll be there for you."

Belle nodded, managing a shaky smile. "Thank you, Nan."

"I'll be here as well, you know.. If you'd like, I could simply turn her into a sniveling rat."

Belle snorted aloud, causing Nan to shoot a suspicious look in her direction.

"Erm, I was just imagining you and Lady Abbes facing off," she quickly excused.

"I'd have her on the ground in a second, lass." Nan gruffly muttered, leading her down the stairs.

"I didn't doubt that," Belle mused, smiling at the thought her her beloved Nan brawling for her sake.

Lady Abbes was a very thin, bony woman with a severe face. She didn't have kind eyes like Nanny, but bland ones with a subtle sharpness to them.

Those eyes picked out every little thing about Belle as she approached the woman. She had a nervous looking valet with her, carrying her chest and bags all at once, making Belle pity the boy.

Belle also noted that Papa was off to the side, his hands clasped behind his back. He gave Belle a curt nod, indicating that she could introduce herself.

Belle lifted her skirts as she curtsied, bowing her head. "How do you do, Lady Abbes? I am-"

"I know who you are," the woman snapped, interrupting Belle's soft greeting. "Slouching," she stepped forward and around Belle, grabbing the girl's shoulder with one hand flat against her back. Abbes pushed her back and pulled her shoulder back, forcing her to stand so straight that Belle felt like some sort of dignified rooster.

"You must speak up when greeting guests," she sharply dictated before releasing the girl and turning to Maurice. Her voice and composure changed completely, a welcoming smile on her face as she walked over to Papa. "Lord Maurice, it was very kind of you to invite me for dinner."

They broke into idle chat, Maurice stiffly replying to her overly-sweet compliments of their home. Belle's nose twitched in annoyance as she realized that Lady Abbes wasn't staying over, but had brought her chest just for dinner. The woman probably had a dress for each hour of the day.

She wanted to leave, to run off and find a quiet place to sit, but she had to stand. She had to clear Mama's past for Nan., so she stood, her hands clasped before her and back straight. She stared ahead, trying not to appear bored.

Belle and Papa exchanged a glance as Lady Abbes went on about how dreadfully bumpy her trip was, Belle trying hard not to laugh at the helpless look in Papa shot her when Gertrude was distracted.

"Ooh, Looord Maurice?" Nanny interjected with an overly-happy tone. "The King sent word to inform you that he'd like those battle drafts by tomorrow morn!"

Papa shot Belle's nursemaid a thankful look as he nodded. "Of course, I must get to work, then. I will see you at dinner, Lady Abbes."

Gertrude nodded, her jaw tightening. "I'll just spend the day with this one, won't I?" she murmured as he left, turning to look upon Belle with her hooded eyes.

Belle offered a kind smile, refusing to let herself be cruel to this woman. She had to be the nicest she could be. "Would you like a tour of the castle?" she primly asked, gesturing to their surroundings with one hand.

"Show her the dungeons first, then we need only push her in and pretend she's missing."

Belle had to fake a cough to hide her sputter, Rumplestiltskin's words both catching her off guard and making her want to giggle like a madwoman . She shot a glare off behind her, unsure of his location. Surely he knew how important this was to her. If he resumed speaking and following her, Lady Abbes would most likely assume Belle was insane.

"Yes, I would, thank you." Lady Abbes stiffly murmured, eying Belle with curiosity.

Belle set off with Lady Abbes, Nanny trailing behind them with a light scowl as Belle went about, showing Lady Abbes the various tapestries about the castle as well as the rooms.

As they walked, Lady Abbes was not very subtle in her questions to Belle, asking her of her experience in menial, wifely tasks. Belle answered truthfully to each question, which caused Nanny to give a stiff sigh from behind them a few times.

Belle found stitching to be useless, it was true. She also was not afraid to say she'd pick up the sword and fight for her husband if she had to.

During their walk, Lady Abbes corrected Belle, telling her not to wear a certain expression, or speak a certain way. The girl was growing frustrated, despite herself. People were supposed to marry because they loved someone for the way they were. If Belle was acting like some cordial ninny, she wouldn't be happy.

The thought made her voice grow duller and duller as she introduced each room.

More than once, she also heard an amused snort from her knight, indicating he had also decided to stroll with them.

By the end of their tour, Lady Abbes wore a weary expression. Belle had intended to kill her with kindness, and she may've done just that, even though her own soul felt quite weary.

Nanny and Lady Abbes had left her, Nan having offered to lead her to a guest room to rest in from her journey.

Belle trailed behind them, chewing on the inside of her cheek as moseyed about at a slow pace. Lady Abbes had already worn her down, leaving her to worry about what she'd tell Papa. Would she recommend a good husband for Belle? Or would she be trapped with someone like Gaston?

Belle desired to be left alone without marriage. She didn't want it.

Nanny disappeared in the room with Gertrude for a moment before emerging, walking over to Belle as quickly as her stout legs would carry her. For no apparent reason, the woman hugged Belle as snugly as she could, crushing the girl.

"You did so well, Belle, so well. Your mother would be proud," she assured, pulling back to cup the girl's cheeks in her hands and press a quick kiss to her forehead.

"I...I just tried to be as nice as I could, even when she corrected me," she mumbled, suddenly retracing each conversation she shared with Lady Abbes with the worry that she'd made some grave mistake.

"You were fine. Your mother wasn't much different, you know. She wasn't afraid to tell that woman just what she thought of her. If your Papa is a smart man, he'll realize that that woman will only give Snow White the highest of rankings in the marriage system." Nanny sighed, gently tucking a piece of Belle's hair behind her ear for her.

Belle felt a slight twinge of relief at Nanny's assurance. She knew the woman might be harsh on her personality, but the real test hadn't even come. The woman would really take note on Belle's etiquette and behavior during dinner.

She felt like she needed out to calm herself, she needed a walk. "I'm going for a walk, Nan," she informed her nursemaid, managing a smile.

"Fine, fine, don't go into those woods, Belle. Be back before dinner or I'll have your hides, you hear?" the older woman questioned, a fond glint in her eyes.

Belle nodded, a crooked grin on her face. "I hear you," she replied before hurrying off to her room.

She ran into her room, pausing to greet Lucy, Scrap and Bother before hauling on her moss-green winter cloak.

Spring was right around the corner and many were glad for it, but Belle liked the snow. She walked towards the snowy woods despite Nan's warning. Belle loved the forest too dearly to let it scare her off.

She thought of visiting her lone wolf's grave, or rather the sticks she had bound together in a cross and planted into the ground, but she decided she'd go wherever the path would take her. She had returned the day after to see if her poor wolf was still there, but it was gone. The snow didn't even have a drop of blood in it, as if it never happened.

Belle walked for a good while until she actually noticed the faint shuffling to the side. In fact, she'd heard it the moment she'd started to walk. Belle frowned and stopped, pausing for a long moment before walking again. This time, she took a single step and jerked to a quick halt, now able to clearly hear muffled footfalls behind her.

She turned, taking a long look at the trees around her before she finally spoke. "I know you're there, you might as well walk with me," she called, a knowing smirk on her face. She wasn't exactly sure who it was, but perhaps they were too shy to come out. She knew Rumplestiltskin, or at least she felt she did, enough to know he'd never hide himself unless he planned to scare her.

She didn't expect to see a boy at least two years younger than herself timidly stand from the bushes. It was a strange sight for her, one that sparked both curiosity and a slight fear. Curiosity because of the way he looked. The boy's hair was rather shaggy, but curly and a lovely shade of brown. His eyes were a murky blue color and his face was quite dirty. He wore the oddest choice of clothing, a tunic that was much too big and pants that didn't match the tunic in the slightest. He wore no shoes, but did wear a pelt over his tunic, a bear's pelt, it seemed. Belle would've laughed at the sight had it not been for the wicked looking dagger in his hand.

He looked at her with wide eyes, like a deer staring straight on at a bow and arrow, realizing it was about to die. This gave her enough reason to fear that he might attack her. Perhaps she'd be able to throw her hands up and block his stab.

She then remembered the simple word she'd have to utter. Rumplestiltskin. Surely he must've sensed her distress, but why wasn't he here?

She was considering calling his name when the boy spoke.

"Cheh-sth-nut," his voice was slow and low, making Belle feel a flash of pity for him. Did he have a problem speaking? Or was he simply pretending so she'd feel said pity.

"Beg pardon?" she gently asked, warily watching him lower the dagger to his side.

"Protect," he looked at her with desperate eyes. "Mutt protects Chethnut."

Belle stared blandly at the boy, who seemed to be seeking her confirmation, but she didn't quite understand.

"You're saying chestnut, yes?" she asked, rubbing her chin as she struggled to make sense of it all. "And mutt. Mutt as in dog...A dog must protect a tree?"

The boy frowned, clearly confused by her words. "No!" he abruptly shook his head. "Mutt," he pointed to himself, "Protects Chethnut," he pointed to her.

"You're to protect me?" Belle frowned, wondering how in the world the boy decided to protect her of all people.

"Lissard man," the boy earnestly insisted, trying to help her make sense of things.

"Lizard? Oh, of course," she huffed. Rumplestitlskin had put the poor boy up to this, without even asking for Belle's opinion. "I do run into trouble in the forest very often, but how did you know where to find me?"

The boy displayed his dagger to her as she stepped closer. She noted the gem in the bottom of the hilt. It was a lovely shade of amber, but it must've been magic, for the color seemed...different. It almost seemed to glimmer. What was Rumplestiltskin's price this time? Belle frowned, brought back from her thoughts as the boy drew it away.

"My name is Belle," she informed him, holding out her hand. She'd seen Papa do the same each time he met someone knew, unless it was a lady, of course.

The boy knelt down to sniff her hand with little reserve. If it had been Snow White or any other girl with "class", they most likely would've smacked the boy and shrieked, but Belle stood, watching him with wonder.

"Is your name really Mutt?" she asked. It wasn't that nice of a name, after all.

"Dunno," the boy shrugged and followed her as she resumed her walking. Belle noted his keenness to survey their surroundings. Even if he spoke to her or listened, his eyes were always trained elsewhere, watching the area around them.

"I'm sure you'll find a better name eventually," she assured, drawing her cloak closer around her. "I suppose Rumplestiltskin made a deal with you, but for what?" she carefully interrogated.

The boy only sighed, "For pack," he gestured off into the woods.

"Pack?" a burst of excitement rattled through Belle's chest. A wolf pack? This boy was a wolf-boy? "Wolves?"

The boy nodded, quite happily. "My pack," he proudly stated, jerking his thumb to point at himself.

Belle stopped in her tracks, looking over at the boy with a grin. "That's quite curious," she informed him before resuming her slow pace. "I think we'll get along just fine, Mutt."

The boy gave a smile that made Belle feel a sort motherly sense towards him. His smile was more of a baring of his teeth, but Belle found it endearing.

"I would like to make a deal with you, Mutt," she said, trying to sound as Rumplestiltskin did when he had offered little Alfred to the stupidly brave man Jacob and his wife, like she knew each and every detail of the world and was to be trusted for this. "I will allow you to walk with me when I visit the woods if you'll allow me to help you learn how to speak properly. I'm guessing you've only just started using your voice, haven't you?" she asked. Surely the boy had only needed to growl and such before with the wolves.

The boy seemed to think it over for a moment. Belle didn't know that he really had no choice but to protect her in these forests if he wanted to live, but she did know that it would help the boy associate with other humans better if his speaking improved. "'Kay," he decided, nodding.

"Okay," Belle nodded. "First off, chestnut is pronounced chest-nut," she looked over to him, a supportive little smile on her face. "Try it."

"Ches...thnut," he attempted, but gave an angry little grunt at the lisp.

"Chest-nut," she patiently replied.

"Chest...nut. Chestnut," he looked to her, eyes wide as he realized he'd done it.

"See? You can do it if you just keep trying!" she beamed over at her new friend, happy to see how quickly he caught on. "Your sentence was a bit broken before, but we can fix that too. Instead of saying 'Mutt protects Chestnut', try 'I protect Belle.'" she guided.

The boy nodded, not quite keen on replacing his name for her, but he would try. "I protect Belle," he said, his voice less slow and accent more prominent in his voice.

Belle smiled giving him a supportive pat on the arm. "See? You're very smart, Mutt. You'll have sentences down in no time."

"Yeah," he agreed, grinning.

Belle decided she'd need more preparation if she wanted to resume helping the boy and decided to move on to asking more about his supposed life with wolves. "You live with the wolves then? The ones that have been raiding livestock? My Papa said they'll start eating people if they keep harming them..." she trailed off, biting at her lip.

"No, no!" the boy quickly dissented. "Not hoo-mans, chickens. Deer gone," he explained motioning around them. "Crossbows take them."

Belle nodded, sighing. The advances in hunting weapons had allowed hunters to get a bit of a lead on their prey. This must've wiped them out for the wolves.

Belle fidgeted with her hands as she considered her next question. "Was there a wolf with your pack...erm, that was cast out?" she she asked, squinting lightly as she looked over to him.

The boy nodded, almost eagerly. "Scarjaw!" he smiled. "Saw you and him,"

Belle nodded, feeling a bit relieved to finally know the wolf's proper name. "Scarjaw," she repeated. "It was my fault," she admitted softly. The girl stopped at a fallen tree, dusting the snow from it so she could sit upon it. She cleared the space next to her and indicated for the boy to sit.

He did so, a frown on his face. "Not your fault," he sternly corrected. "Crossbow."

Belle shook her head, sucking on her cheek. "I was the one who distracted him, if he had been able to hear..."

The boy silenced her with an "Ah!" he looked at her, a new revelation in his mind. "Couldn't hear," he tapped his ear. "Pack...lee-dur fought him, bit his ear."

Belle's eyes widened, "That's terrible!" she exclaimed, shaking her head.

The boy nodded with a sad expression, gripping his dagger tightly in his hand. The two sat in silence, a rather comfortable one. The boy noted that the she-wolf enjoyed the woods as much as he did. She seemed to be listening to the silence as the boy often did when he wandered.

She finally perked up, standing and shooting a smile to him. "I think I'd better go back now. I've got a dinner to attend," she sighed, dusting her cloak off. "You take care of yourself out here, Mutt. I'll try and bring you some proper clothing next time," she looked upon his current attire, her lips quirking.

The boy grew a bit self conscious as he looked down upon himself. He'd snatched the first pieces of cloth he had found, even taking a bear pelt that was on the floor. Nobody had been in the hut, but the boy moved quickly, fearing the return of the owner of the hut.

Chesnut laughed, a tinkling noise that made him want to laugh too, but he didn't. She patted his shoulder, a sympathetic smile on her face. "I was only joking, you did a fine job," she assured.

The boy didn't understand how she could be so comfortable with him so quickly. He'd approached her with his dagger, surely she'd been scared. She was cautious, but after she made sense of him, she treated him with absolute kindness.

She even seemed to trust the lizard.

They walked together to the edge of the forest, working on his words as they went. By the time they had parted, the boy knew how to properly pronounce "leader" and a few other words he had misspoken previously.

Belle had scampered off, waving back at him as she went. She ran as quickly as she could towards the castle, knowing she was most likely late.

As soon as she stepped foot inside, she was whisked away by Nanny, who threw a blue dinner gown at her and commanded her to dress as if her life depended on it.

Belle was barely in time for dinner, her hair in a proper Avonlean up do. Belle was surprised to see that Papa had decided to join them for dinner, which was a rare thing. He and Belle exchanged a glance as Lady Abbes entered soon after. The woman wore a ridiculous hat upon her head, peacock feathers of all things jutting out of the horrific thing.

She stood, staring at Belle with her cold eyes. "A proper hostess rises when her guest enters," she snapped at the girl.

Belle stood at once, not allowing the sharp words to hurt her. She imagined she wore a suit of armor that deflected each word.

Lady Abbes watched the girl as she sat, a frown upon her face. Belle followed suit, looking to see that Papa hadn't even bothered to stand. Instead, he wore a strange look on his face, as if he was trying to decide something.

Belle sat in silence, refusing to give Lady Abbes anything more to jump on. The woman probably hated her even more for giving her a mouthful during her tour of the castle, but Nanny had seemed to enjoy it, at least. She picked at her mutton with her fork, a bit disgrunted.

"Don't play with your food," Lady Abbes scolded, giving her a hard stare. "A proper hostess should be speaking to her guest during dinner."

Frankly, Belle was done with this woman. "I'm sorry to tell you, Lady Abbes, but you aren't my mother," she spoke in a quivering voice. She had imagined saying it in a hard, strong tone, but even if she was standing up, she was scared of the woman.

Gertrude Abbes stared in mortification at the girl as she stared at the woman, her blue eyes brazen. "H-How dare you! Would you say such a thing to the Quee-"

"No, Lady Abbes," Belle easily interupted. "I've met the Queen-to-be and she actually likes me quite a bit. We were friends, even."

Abbes scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Telling tall-tales too. I had hopes for you, but you're just like your mother," at those words, Belle felt a surge of anger shoot through her very being. How dare she speak about mama. Belle was going to stand and give this woman a good piece of her mind when she felt a hand on her shoulder keep her down. She glanced to the behind her to see nothing at all.

Rumplestiltskin had been there in the nick of time to keep her from doing something so foolish. While he would've enjoyed watching the girl tell the hag off, it would ruin her. It would also give her sniveling father a chance to finally speak up for the girl.

Her sudden glance behind her was not unnoticed by Lady Abbes. "Look at you, looking off at nothing as if a man stood there! You'll need a miracle if you expect to-"

"Enough!" Belle jumped at Papa's voice, looking over to see that he was standing, both hands splayed out on the table and his shoulders slumped. "I'm apologize Lady Abbes, but I must ask you to leave."

Belle's eyes widened, mouth agape. She'd never heard Papa's voice so loud, not even with his men. His face was red and his jaws were set. Had it been the mention of Mama? Or did he now see why Nanny had advised not the bring Lady Abbes?

Lady Abbes seemed stricken, eyes wide. "W-What?! You can't possibly expect to call upon me and send me off!"

"I can," Maurice firmly assured, his eyes emotionless as he looked upon the woman. "I don't need you to tell me what my daughter will be able to achieve. I was a fool and for that I apologize, my girl," he looked to Belle, who only gave a heartfelt smile, nodding with teary eyes. "My daughter will be sought after by all for her genuine heart and beauty."

Belle felt ashamed for the tears pooling in her eyes, but Papa'd never said such kind things about her. Usually it was a comparison to Mama, but now Belle had no comparisons to fight over.

Lady Abbes only gave a dignified huff and stood, pushing her chair away form her and plucking her skirts up, wrenching them around so she could promptly storm out. "Don't expect such things, Lord Maurice! I'm sure many will love to hear-"

"I'm sure the king will love to hear of my disgust with you!" Maurice cut her off once more, sure to voice that he had much more power than she.

Lady Abbes left immediately, and as soon as Belle was sure of it, she ran to Papa, throwing her arms around him.

"Oof," Maurice huffed as she caught him off guard with the enthiasstic hug. He wrapped his arms around Belle, a bit shocked to realize how much taller she'd grown over the past few months. Had he been that absorbed with his charts and diagrams?

"Thank you, papa," she softly spoke, her eyes both full of tears and joy.

"Don't you cry, little one," he crooned, tilting her chin upwards so she would make eye contact with him. "I was wrong to send for her, Nan was right."

Nanny, who was sure to walk in after seeing the ruffled Abbes leave, gave a snort. "You'd best listen to me next time, lad," she shot, a smirk on her face.

Maurice chuckled, shaking his head. "Your Mama once told me about how terrible that woman was, I was hoping that she'd changed over the years,"

"Apparently not," Nanny huffed, shaking her head.

"She said I'd need a miracle, though," Belle mumbled, slowly stepping back from Papa.

"She was wrong, Belle, she was. We will find you a suitable husband on our own," Maurice vowed.

Belle looked between Papa and Nanny, her eyes hesitant.

Rumplestiltskin could read what her look said from the corner he lurked in, clear as day.

But I don't want a husband I don't even love.


And then my dream brotp of Belle and Graham happened. I really think they'd get along well! I really do hope you enjoyed, lovey! Next chapter Belle will meet another jerk, jerkier than Gaston!

Review if you desire to do so.

Thank you so much for reading, dearie 3