After dinner, Rumplestiltskin retreated to his spinning wheel, He had been neglecting it as of late. An akward silence between Rumple and Belle began, Belle noticed Rumple hadn't spoke all through dinner. after cleaning up, Belle retired to her rooms. "Was this how it was going to be?" two ghosts drifting around in an enormous castle. Belle hoped not, she slipped off her dress and went to sit by the fire. She stared into the fireplace till the vision of flames began to blur from her tears.
Wearily she climbed into bed. At least they had talked, she would stay, he had said he would not touch her again, never. Belle closed her eyes, never was along time, Did that mean he wouldn't speak to her either? Belle pulled her blankets close. It made her feel secure. She always did that since she was a child. She never liked to sleep alone or even be alone for that matter, she was scared of the dark. Her father would sometimes provide someone, usually a maid for Belle. The maid would sleep on the floor during storms, that was the worst time for her, she hated storms as a child, she didn't have much use for them as a young woman either. But she was grown, she shouldn't have the same fears as an adult should she? She had hatred it when Rumple had been gone for two weeks. She hoped it wouldn't happen again. But now, he seemed out of her reach as well, she swallowed back tears, she was exhausted, sleep soon found her as she closed her heavy lids.
Several weeks had past since that night, but the akward silence seemed to remain. She cleaned, he hid in his tower. They shared silent meals, the air seemed thick around them. No more sitting around the fire place reading, she would retire to her bedroom, he would get lost in his spinning, trying to forget. It was like the last several months hadn't happened and they were starting at the beginning again.
Belle decided she would throw herself into her cleaning, and she did. She worked scrubbing floors and windows till she was so tired she fall asleep out of exhaustion, too tired to think about thier predicament.
One afternoon, Belle had been scrubbing the stairs. It was hot in the castle, sweat had soaked her hair and was dripping down her temples as she went about her task. She put the scrub brush in the water and swirled it around, the dirt rose to the surface."YUK," she procedded to take the water down stairs to throw it out on the grass.
She stood outside, letting the soft breeze blow through her. She took off her shoes, loving the feel of the grass between her toes, as she gazed off toward the woods. "If only that waterfall were washing all this filth off me." She closed her eyes, thinking of that beautiful pond and the cascading falls, she imagined wading through that cool water. "Why cant I?" She said aloud. "I can go where I like, right?" She left her bucket where it sat and walked to the woods. If Rumplestiltskin had released her and she stayed because of her own free will, then she needed no permission to go to that pond.
Soon enough, she came to the clearing, over looking the falls. Last time she had hid and Rumple had been down there while she watched, she blushed thinking about that day. But now, she had to find a way down. Rumple had probably used magic, but she was going to have to climb down.
It was easy going, she slid right down and soon she was there, beside that gorgeous pond. As she walked closer to the water fall, she could feel the spray from it, cold, clean water. She had to feel it for herself, she knew what she wanted. She put her shoes on the large rock that had served Rumple on his trip down here. She pulled off her dress, leaving her in only her thin shift. She hadn't thought to bring any kind of soap, but she didn't really care. She waded out into the pond.
She splashed the water on her face and arms, when she got used to it, she dipped down, feeling the water envelope her, washing away her hard day's work. She made her way over to the falls. She felt the rock wall behind it as the water washed over her hand. She thought about Rumplestiltskin. She imagined him here before her. She closed her eyes, picturing his gold tinged skin and eyes, swirling with color when he was happy. She thought about how he may have had an odd appearence but she could see the raw beauty that lay underneath. She rubbed her hand over the rock, pretending it was his chest and taunt stomach. She closed her eyes, thinking of what he had allowed her to see that day. She bit her lip, thinking of him, wishing he was here now, letting the water rush over them both. She wonder if he came here still. As her thoughts of that day filled her head, she didn't see the men approaching behind her, climbing down the ridge, silently...