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Chapter 10
Belle cried that night.
She cried until the pink glow of dawn peeked over the snowcapped mountains and the darkness of night faded into pastel morning.
When she was little girl her mother told her that the colors that came early in the morning were actually Aurora, Goddess of the dawn, as she ran across the night sky, bringing the day; and the beautiful hues that rose up from oblivion were her skirts flowing behind her.
Belle smiled at the memory.
But, despite it, her tears continued to flow onto the cold, stone floor where she had lain all night wallowing in her misery and grief that was too great to bear.
Rumplestiltskin had rejected her love, yet again, and Belle felt lower than the mud caked to his boots.
She traced the cracks in the floor, her frail body constantly racked with inhuman sobs, and all the while through her pain wondering where her True Love had fled to.
Cowardliness was his area of expertise, along with detachment and revenge.
Belle smiled a little at the thought of him hearing her say that, knowing it would make it him livid.
Maybe it would make him feel just a little bit of the anger she now felt…..
Belle wanted to die.
She wanted to seep down through the seams in the ancient stone and disappear forever.
It's not like he would miss her, or anyone for that matter...
This was not supposed to happen; this was not the love she had dreamed of.
"Belle the Brave." She whispered in a raspy croak.
"The girl who tried to tame the Beast" she hid her face behind her cold hands, "...and failed."
She rolled onto her back, the silk of her nightgown now damp against the stones, as her little hands clutched at the hole in her breast.
She could feel it.
A gaping wound, an open pit that matched the size of his fist, and it burned.
Belle clawed at her breast while she screamed his name, his wretched name, from the top of her lungs.
"Rumplestiltskin! Rumplestiltskin! Rumplestiltskin!"
Her voice cracked and wheezed; and she rolled onto her side.
"The legend says three times….."
But the legend proved false, and he didn't come.
He didn't find her.
After her tears had somewhat subsided, and she lay staring up at the ceiling lethargically, Belle drifted off into a disturbed sleep…..
She was in Midas' wood again, curled up on her soggy palate under her makeshift lean-to trying to stay warm and stop the bleeding from a deep gash in her foot.
It was so dark, not even the stars illuminated the wet ground underneath her.
But in the distance, in the trees, she saw something flicker.
Fast.
One minute there then it was gone.
Over and over again Belle saw the little light, only a flash, and she rubbed her tired eyes trying to make out what it was.
It was quick, and it seemed to be getting closer to her.
Another brief twinkle of metallic.
No…golden...
And Belle knew immediately what it was.
Who it was.
She wrapped her old cape tighter around her shoulders as if it would camouflage her from his all-seeing eyes.
"You know its pointless trying to sneak up on me!" she yelled into the night.
"When you glow in the dark!"
The flash stopped abruptly, and when Rumplestiltskin stepped from the darkness, her broken heart leapt in her chest.
Belle stood shakily and let her cover fall to the ground.
"You found me." she choked.
He smiled and began walking to her with long strides.
Belle wavered in her spot with wet hair plastered to her face and neck and mud inches thick on her hems.
"You found me in the darkness."
She mumbled, reaching out to him as if she wanted to see if he was real.
"No love." he whispered grasping her searching hand, "You found me."
Their fingers linked together and Rumplestiltskin pulled her to him.
She could feel the True Love radiating from him.
"Belle" he said softly.
"Get up."
And she did.