Emma arrived home and slept till almost noon the next day. She danced so much that her feet hurt. Partner after partner, waltz after waltz, Emma didn't even know half of the steps; she just paid attention to the other women around her. The men realized she wasn't paying attention to them as much as they would like. Emma thought they'd get angry but she realized soon enough that they thought it made her mysterious…and they were curious about her past.

Emma told them nothing. There were already those that were looking at her and whispering. She didn't know if that was because she was mysterious or because the rumor was getting around that Rumpelstiltskin got it on with some poor unfortunate woman.

Rumpelstiltskin didn't really much care about the journey back. When Emma went to climb in the carriage, eh just waved his hand and transported all of them home.

"You were the apple of my eye, dear," he told her, "Papa's very proud."

Emma let out a yawn as he helped her back down, "I'm going to sleep till the curse comes, don't wake me."

"Emma?"

Emma had turned, she was eager to get out of the corset and dress, curl up in her bed and go to sleep.

He fiddled with his hands and looked down, "I'm very very sorry…for the pain my curse caused you."

Emma looked down as well; she tried to focus on everything but him, "You don't have to have her cast it, you know."

"All this work for nothing, though."

"You could find another way."

"There is no other way," he told her, "The beans are gone. I was in the process of negotiating with the giants until Prince James ruined that. Now the spell keeps me from being able to touch the beanstalk, much less climb up it. The beans are gone, no portal can access a land without magic…and if I just refuse to let the curse rip us to a new land…you'd disappear. You…as you are…would never happen. "

Emma thought about their adventure tonight…with the…good food and the dancing and how happy she'd been just…enjoying her birthright even for a night. The words were out of her mouth before she could think about them, "Would that be so bad?"

He looked hurt that he would suggest such a thing, "Yes!"

She blinked; he cleared his throat and turned away, "Goodnight Emma."

Could it be that…he LIKED her? As a person? As the broken thing that she was even though he regretted making her go down the path that turned her out that way? Stupid Rumpelstiltskin, make up your mind.

Emma slipped into her bed and slept…thankfully a dreamless sleep. Not about Neal, not about Henry or her parents. …and when she awoke the next morning, her feet and legs were sore from the shoes. Belle was already dressed and gone. Emma changed as well and was thankful for the simpler clothing. She'd looked beautiful last night, way more pretty than she ever thought she could look…but she was almost satisfied she didn't have to do it THAT much.

"You're awake," Belle exclaimed when she found her in the dining hall, the Dark One was nowhere to be seen, Belle had made herself quite comfortable with a book in her hands, "Are you hungry?"

"Not really." Emma plopped in the chair across from her, "Where's Rumpelstiltskin?"

"He was in a mood today; he grumbled he was going to be away for three days and not to wait up for him," Belle shrugged, "Did it not go well last night?"

"It went perfectly," Emma looked forward to three days of resting. She and Belle picked up after themselves, they could probably get most of the cleaning done in a day before the came back.

"What was it like?" Belle asked.

"Big. Fancy…lots of colors."

"Anyone well known?"

"George and Midas are the only ones I know," she said and then thought, "Well…I saw Princess Abigail a ways off but I didn't get to talk to her."

"They say she lost her true love."

"I'm sure she'll get him back," Emma rubbed her own feet.

"We didn't get invited to those sorts of things…I mean we had our balls but…we were minor nobility, it was never so big as something like that."

"Well next time, ask rumple and he can take you."

Belle blushed, "I could never."

"Why not?"

"A man of his class would never take his maid."

"You're a lady; your father gained the title of lord for his services as a knight."

"I gave that up when I became a maid, that's how it works here," Belle explained, not for the first time.

Emma looked down. Her title was taken away too, though not willingly given up like Belle's was.

"Everyone would think I was his paramour," she told Emma, "And he'd hate that. Once a man asked if he could have a turn at me and Rumple ripped his tongue out…with magic so it wasn't painful just…traumatizing. I don't think he'd want…people to think that about me. He wouldn't want them to think about it with you either, that's why he told them you were his daughter."

Emma blushed, "He doesn't care that much about me."

"He does, you're his son's child's mother, that makes you as good as family to him."

"He told you this, did he?"

"He didn't have to," Belle told her, "When he brought you here, he gave you the best room he could; he gave you a variety of clothes and made sure you ate and were taken care of. He took you to a ball and told them you were his. Me…I was with him for days before he gave me a couple of changes of clothes…I slept in the dungeon until you came along and let me have your room too. He…respects you."

"He feels guilty for what he's about to put me through," Emma told her, refusing to believe that it was true.

"He doesn't respond that way if he only felt guilt," Belle told her, "When he likes people, he gives them things. You got a room."

"You got a library," Emma pointed out, "He's in love with you."

Belle blinked and stuttered, "N-no he's not. That thing inside him won't let him."

"Of course he is!" Emma protested, "Trust me. I know. He loves you more than anything…maybe except his son."

"Did he say so?"

"He doesn't have to," Emma told her, though she didn't use her future as reference. Just his general behavior was enough, "I see it in his eyes. I see it in the way he stutters and looks nervous and escapes the room when it gets to be too much.

"He couldn't, not as much as I lov-," Belle blushed, "Or do you see it too?"

"I see the way you two look at each other, maybe it's not there yet…the love you two will have but it's getting there."

Belle smiled a bit, more confidant, "Really?"

Emma bit her lip, "Belle?"

"Hm?"

She was messing up her own history but she didn't….she couldn't willingly put Belle through what Belle was about to go through. Belle had only been at the Dark Castle for about 3 months at least. She'd been here for a month before Emma came and a month after…her time was getting short, "Belle, don't leave…don't ever leave."

"I can't, I made a deal."

"No matter what. Even if he gets angry and sends you away…don't leave. Stay here. He won't mean it."

"Why?" Belle asked, her mace pale, "What happens?"

"Nothing you want to be a part of," Emma told her. If Emma had to, she'd go down there and save the yaoguai. She could fight Regina just fine where Belle couldn't, "I can't tell you…because of things but…please don't, Belle."

Belle looked confused but nodded, "Okay."

Emma settled back down and was satisfied by that for now, she figured she might have to intervene if the time came when he did send her away but for now she was satisfied.

Emma pulled her feet under her, "The ball was amazing."

"Tell me more."

"I've never seen so many people in all my life and I went to their other engagement party."

"Did you see Prince James?"

"No, ne- never came down," she had sort of wanted to see her father again but that hadn't happened, "The food was weird though."

"How so?"

She made a face, "They served eel heart and duck tongue."

"Duck tongue is a delicacy! We never got it enough as she should have"

Emma made more of a sour face. Those poor little quacking ducks, "I don't know you anymore."

"Better than goat spleen!" Belle argued before Emma started telling her more about what the engagement party had, "That's just barbaric."