a/n: There is no Dark One dagger in this fic. Rumplestiltskin (or any of the past Dark Ones) cannot be controlled by anyone.
That night after Rumplestiltskin left her, Belle slept peacefully, completely unaware of the small confession he had bestowed upon her before retreating. She still dreamt, only this time her dreams were free of nightmares for the first time in days, but they were also full of things she never expected.
She found herself sitting in the back of little pawnshop Rumplestiltskin owned, the one she had only had a quick glance at during her first days at the castle. Mr. Gold's pawnshop it was called. Rumplestiltskin was there too-no, his name was Mr. Gold. That was what he insisted on being called when they were in the shop just as a precaution if a customer were to walk in. Why he didn't want to use his real name, she had no idea. She thought it was silly, but she did as he wished without question.
Mr. Gold walked over to her and handed her a small porcelain cup, which was white with a quaint blue design on it. It looked familiar, but she brushed it off as having seen it around the shop. It looked very expensive, an antique, but was filled with fresh hot and steamy tea nonetheless. Gold held an identical cup as well, only his had a chip in it. Why would he drink out of a cup with a chip in it? Wasn't he worried about cutting his lip? She tried to express concern, but no words would come out of her mouth no matter how hard she tried to force them.
"Thank you," Belle said with ease, smiling up at him as she carefully took her cup from him. That was weird.
"No matter," he replied, taking a seat next to her on the small makeshift cot in the corner. He was sitting very close to her-up against her really. It took her by surprise, but she did not object.
Taking a sip of the tea, Belle couldn't help but let her eyes roam over Rumple, taking in how absolutely gorgeous he was in that pinstriped suit. She didn't know which she preferred more, the suits or the silks. He pulled both off very well.
A blush crept up on her cheeks as her mind wandered to a place it probably shouldn't have. It was not okay to think of him like that. Or was it? Something was different. It was in the air, she could tell. What was it though?
Sitting his cup down on the little table next to the cot, Gold all of sudden reached over and took Belle's hand in his.
At first Belle was startled by the action, but the confused look on his face made her remember…this was normal. She had allowed him touches like this many times.
"Belle, I must apologize," he said, taking his other hand and caressing her cheek. He was also leaning in toward her.
"Apologize? For what?" she asked, unsure of what he was referring to. She couldn't recall him ever doing anything wrong. All she remembered was the lovely time they shared when she came to visit him at the shop. Wait…no…that wasn't right-the lovely time they shared in the castle. This was the first time he had allowed her in the shop.
"I'm sorry," he said again, not answering her question. Something was off. The way he was talking was unusual. He usually dodged questions, but rarely blatantly ignored them. "I'm sorry," he said again. Still, he was moving even closer. What was happening? Something really was not right…no it was right…she knew it the moment his lips came in to contact with hers.
Whatever he was apologizing for, she didn't care about it anymore. Instantly she sunk into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and closing the remaining distance between them. This was nice, but what had possessed him to do it? They had never kissed before. No wait…yes they had…a few times…how could she forget? His kisses had always been so wonderful, including this one, WOW.
Belle completely lost her train of thought as she pretty much melted into him, letting him deepen the kiss by parting her lips for him. His hand came up to snake in her hair and she could feel her heartbeat quicken and a tingling sensation throughout her body. It felt like she was on fire and all she wanted was more! More...had they done more before? It was all fuzzy. She couldn't remember. Yet, she wasn't going to reject if this were to move in that intimate direction.
"Rumple…" she breathed out as she broke from him and panted for breath.
"Gold…I told you," he said, moving to trail kisses along her jaw. "You must call me Gold..."
"Gold…right…" It was so hard to concentrate when he was lavishing her like this, let alone remember the formalities. His name was Rumple; he was her Rumple and in an intimate moment like this that is what she wanted to call him. If anyone were to walk in on them now, she doubted they would care too much about his name. They would be more embarrassed about the interruption.
His hands began to move down to her thighs and it then occured to her that she was wearing a short dress, a very short dress. That wasn't like her. She didn't own anything like that. No wait she did...several of them. How could she forget? She picked them out herself even though at first she was a little shy about wearing them. But Rumple loved them; he loved everything she wore.
And now his hand was creeping up underneath it. Things were heating up so fast and she didn't know what to think. At first she wanted to push him away-they had never done things like this. She was sure of it now. Why did he all of a sudden think it was acceptable? It wasn't! No, she was changing her mind. It was... Maybe they had been this intimate before. It was all so fuzzy she couldn't be sure. One thing she was sure about though-this did feel right and she quickly pushed away any notion that involved asking him to stop. She wanted this and she wanted it bad. Her whole body felt like it was about to explode; she couldn't handle the anticipation for whatever was about to come.
She whimpered then when he chose to pull back and halt everything that he was doing. Why did he stop? She didn't want him to stop!
Gold smiled warmly at her. He looked just as flush as she felt. Gently he took a hold of her hand again and brought it up to his lips without ever taking his eyes off her. "I love you, Belle," he crooned softly. "Nothing will ever change that."
Love…love…love…he loved her…that was new…wait no it wasn't…or was it? She closed her eyes and brought his free hand up to her face and opened her mouth ready to repeat the words back to him when…
Her eyes popped open to fresh sunlight beaming in through her bedroom window and landing directly on her face. Belle sat up suddenly, her heart racing as she glanced around the room. She was in her bedroom, lying in her bed, not the little pawnshop. There had been no intimate touches or loving words. It had all been a dream. Belle sighed and flopped back down on her pillow, cradling her head in her hand. It was aching-not too much though-definitely not as much as it had been on the nights she had had nightmares.
At least that dream wasn't a nightmare-far from it-but Belle was not going to deny that it might had scared her just as much. How could she have had a dream like that? Of Rumple doing those things to her while she allowed it and even liked it. Gods what was wrong with her? By no means did she feel any of those sorts of feelings toward Rumplestiltskin and he certainly didn't feel them for her. They were barely even friends. But it did seem that even now, her body was betraying her. Just the thought of what he was about to do to her in that dream caused her face to heat up and a tingling sensation to erupt in her lower belly.
No, this was only attraction. That was all it was. There was no denying he was handsome. She had already admitted that to herself a while back. But love? No, certainly not.
Trying to move her thoughts on to another subject, she tried to remember coming to bed last night, but honestly she couldn't. The last thing she recalled was confronting Rumplestiltskin in his laboratory and how it had gone so much better than she thought it would have. But still, how did she get here? Had she fallen asleep next to him? Did he carry her down here? No…that was silly…but it was possible he magically transported her to her room.
Or perhaps…yes perhaps the entire thing had been a dream. Not just the pawnshop scene. She had been suffering from a lot of nightmares and being confronted by Rumplestiltskin's demon side was the main focus of many of them. And that was exactly what had supposedly happened to her last night. She couldn't even be sure he was home yet. And by how high the sun was hanging in the sky she deduced he probably wasn't. There was no way he would ever allow her to sleep this late. It had to be close to lunch time if not past. But then she remembered: he had told her to take the day off.
The time in the lab had felt real…and it was much different than any nightmare she had experienced before. Her nightmares had yet to contain any pleasantries of any kind, yet after their initial encounter in the hall he had appeared remorseful and she could honestly say she had enjoyed spending time with him despite his appearance. He looked like a beast, but he acted like the man she had come to…like. Yes like was the word-as much as she could like someone like him. No, it couldn't be love, there was just no possible way.
Gods, what if she had a husband? And she was having dreams and thoughts like this? She would feel horrible for betraying him like this! For some reason though, she felt like she wasn't married although she couldn't know for sure. She still could not remember anything about her past. And with no memories was it even possible she could fall for Rumplestiltskin or anyone for that matter? If she got them back, which she was still optimistic that one day she would, it could change those feelings couldn't it? What she was feeling could not be real.
Belle sighed. It really was late and she needed to rise and stop worrying about these things that may or may not be so. She never slept this late. It was surprising Baelfire had not come bursting in the room complaining about hunger.
She pulled the blanket back and slung her feet over the side of the bed and that's when she noticed it: the tea stain that strung down the front of her nightgown. So her midnight adventure wasn't a dream. She had bumped into Rumplestiltskin in the middle of the night and been terrified beyond all means, but then facing her greatest fear and conquering it had eliminated the terror. She was no longer afraid of Rumplestiltskin and she was excited to wake up and go find him. After days away, she was ready to spend more time with him. Maybe by now he had transformed back into a human.
Belle let out a loud yawn. Her headache had subsided and she did feel refreshed. It was the first good night's sleep she had had in a while. And in the back of her mind she kept telling herself it was because Rumple was home, but she didn't want to believe it. She must have fallen asleep in the lab and he sent her here with magic. He had never been keen on entering her room without her permission. Of course he would use magic.
She stood and walked over to her wardrobe to dress for the day. Passing the mirror she caught glimpse of the tea stain again. She would have to try and get that out soon so it wouldn't set-that was if it hadn't already. The sun was shining for the first time in over a week, it would be a great day to do laundry and she would finally get to go outside just like she had hoped for ever since Rumple had granted her the freedom.
Yes, she knew Rumple had insisted she take the day off, but honestly she had no idea what to do with herself. She had slept in-very late in fact-and that was good enough for her. Staying busy helped keep her mind off all her troubles anyway.
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"Bonjour, madamoiselle," the familiar French voice greeted as Belle entered the Main Hall. "I see you have finally emerged."
Belle smiled at the fire. "Yes, I'm sorry, I had no intention of sleeping so late."
"Very unusual for you. I'd say you had us all a bit worried, but the Master refused to allow you to be disturbed."
Rumplestiltskin was home; Belle's smile grew. Her doubts were completely gone now about whether or not the encounter was a dream. "Where is the Master…I mean Rumplestiltskin?" It was rare for her to call him Master, but it just slipped out. She much preferred to call him by his name, even more so a nickname.
"Why, still up in his laboratory. He has not emerged since last night. I fear something may be troubling him."
The smile on Belle's face disappeared at those words and she instinctively looked up toward the direction of the laboratory tower. Was he upset with her? Was he still upset with himself? She was certain they had made amends…maybe he was avoiding her just like she feared. Or maybe he was still wallowing in self-loathing for breaking his promise to her. That was the last thing she wanted.
Perhaps she had gone too far when she visited him last night. She had taken more liberties than she ever thought she would have, such as reaching out to stroke his cheek. Maybe they had been unwelcome and he had just done well to contain his true feelings.
"Belle!" exclaimed another familiar voice and suddenly she felt herself being bombarded with a tight embrace as little Baelfire gripped tightly to her waist. She steadied herself on her feet and giggled just a little at the overjoyed little boy as she wrapped her arms around him in return.
"Well good morning to you too, Baelfire, or I guess I should say afternoon."
Bae clung to her even tighter, burying his face in her light blue dress as if he was suppressing tears. "I was so worried about you. I thought you were sick or hurt or that Papa had…" He froze mid sentence and quickly changed his wording. "Or worse…"
Belle knew exactly what the boy was thinking but she didn't dwell on it. She reached down and tilted his face up to look at her and she smiled softly at him. "Well as you can see I'm just fine. I just needed some rest. I've been working hard these past few days. We both have."
Bae calmed now that he could clearly see there was nothing wrong with Belle. He squeezed her one last time and finally pulled away. "Did Lumiere tell you? Papa's home! He came back last night!" The boy spoke eagerly. There was no denying he had missed his father and was happy he was back. Belle also got the feeling he was implying that she had missed him too. And she had…
"Yes, I know," she gave as her answer not wanting to go into great detail about what had happened the night before. It would upset Baelfire if he knew she had encountered Rumplestiltskin while he was the beast.
Then it hit her…maybe that was Rumple's reason for not coming down. Maybe he still had not turned back to a human.
Bae's face fell suddenly. "He won't come out of the lab though. I went up there and tried to convince him, but he refused." The smile suddenly returned as his face lit up with an idea. "Hey, Belle! Maybe you could go up there and see him! I'm sure he would like that and he might even come down if you ask him."
"Oh, um…" Belle hesitated. Would he really want to see her? All reasons she could concoct pointed to no. He was locking himself up there for a reason and she couldn't help believe that it was because of her. "Maybe later…right now I'm a bit hungry." She added that last bit to change the subject before Bae could object. "I was thinking we could spend the day doing laundry since the sun is finally shining and then perhaps we could have a picnic by the lake? Enjoy the nice weather?"
At the sound of picnic, Bae seemed to brighten again and forget about his woes having to do with his father. "I would love that!"
"Great! You go upstairs and collect all the laundry in your's and your father's room-I'll worry about my own and any of the supplies we might need."
"I hope you were not planning on asking me to prepare hot water," Lumiere interjected with dread in his voice.
Belle laughed. "No, I think we can manage quite well without it, thank you. Nothing too messy this time." The tea stain would definitely need to be cleaned with cold water.
Lumiere let out a sigh of relief. Belle always marveled at all the things the little fire demon could do. It was funny to her that he grumbled so much about preparing hot water. Surely that didn't take much effort? Not like moving the castle? But what did she know about it…nothing really. She turned back to Bae. "Grab your clothes and meet me back here. We'll wash the clothes and then hang them out to dry before we relax."
"Don't you want to eat first?" Bae inquired. "You said you were hungry."
"I am, but not terribly. Let's work up our appetites first and then we can enjoy ourselves."
Bae didn't disagree and he ran off to do as he was told.
Belle walked to the washroom and collected a basin for water, two washing bats, and detergent. Leaving the things in the Main Hall, she also brought down her dirty clothes and waited for Bae to join her by the door.
It wasn't long before he came trudging in, his hands so full of clothes it was a wonder he could see where he was going. It appeared he was struggling so Belle quickly rushed over to help him. Together, the two of them worked to get everything outside, Belle of course having to pause to take in the fresh air and feel the sun as it beamed down onto her skin. Thank the gods the rain had passed, but it did leave a little nip in the air and they were forced to wear their cloaks outside to remain comfortable.
"Look Belle, it's that scarecrow!" Bae said suddenly as he stopped what he was doing and pointed out toward the field at something off in the distance.
Belle glanced up and sure enough, there was the Mad Hatter hopping in their direction with that crooked smile on his face and that top hat on his head. So he hadn't disappeared after all. She wondered if he'd been staying around the castle all this time. Surely though he would have had to take shelter from the storm. What was she thinking? He was a scarecrow, meant to be outside. He didn't need to hide from the weather.
"Yes, it is. The Mad Hatter is his name, well it's the name I gave him."
"So you know him?" Bae seemed intrigued as he went back to work.
Belle nodded her head, scrubbing the stain on her nightdress. Luckily it was coming out. "I found him stuck in a bush and I rescued him. Ever since then he won't leave me alone."
"He was stuck in the castle too!"
"Yes, it does seem he has a knack for getting stuck in places." Belle smiled up at the Hatter as he came right next to them. "Hello, my dear friend. Care to help us with the laundry?"
The Hatter jumped up and down as a sign to show he agreed.
"Great, we are almost done washing, you can help us hang the clothes out to dry." The Hatter had the ability to get to places neither Belle nor Baelfire could reach. He would be a great help at stringing clothes lines up from the top of the castle.
After Bae and Belle finished up, the three of them worked together to string up several clothes lines. They clipped the clothes on them before the Hatter took a hold of one end of the rope, hopped to the top of the castle, and wrapped it around a turret so the clothes would be completely basked in the sunlight.
Belle and Bae tied the other end off on some nearby trees. "Quit pulling so hard Hatter!" Bae exclaimed as he tried to secure the line. The Hatter slacked up on the rope some, unaware of how much he had been tugging on it.
There was no place to tie off the last line of clothes, but the Mad Hatter solved that, grabbing onto Belle's end after he had secured the other on the castle. He hopped out toward the lake, stopping when all the clothes were suspended in the air and just stood there holding it.
"I think he likes doing the laundry," Bae commented.
"Yes, I agree," Belle said.
"What do you think he is? A demon maybe?"
Belle tilted her head as she continued to look at the scarecrow. "I don't know, but if he is-I think he's the good kind." Her gaze turned to the castle and she smiled contently unable to stop herself from thinking of Rumple. "After all he brought me here."
Belle never would have been appreciative of that when she first arrived to the Dark Castle, but her attitude was changing. Baelfire was a delightful boy that she had quickly grown fond of and was beginning to think of like her own son. Lumiere was a good friend and Rumplestiltskin...well it had taken her a lot longer to warm up to him after everything he had done. But once she saw behind the mask, behind the rough exterior, she could see his true colors. He tried to play it off, but he was nothing but kind to her. And so unsure of himself too-that he also tried to hide. But when she was around she noticed it. More feelings she was trying to ignore surfaced again; she just was not ready to face them.
She wondered why he insisted on keeping her here-she would not tell anyone about Baelfire. And again, that was something else that she didn't understand. Why did he not want anyone to know about his son? Was he just trying to uphold his image? Did he think it would make him look weak? So many questions...no answers.
Belle reached down and took Bae's hand. "Ready for our picnic?"
"Yes!" Bae said, squeezing her hand and dragging her back inside to the kitchen so they could gather everything they needed.
Belle went over to the cupboard and began to pull out food, while Bae found utensils and a basket to put everything in.
"Can we still bake cookies tonight like you promised?" Bae asked.
"Certainly," Belle replied, glancing back in the cupboard to make sure they had everything they needed to do so. There was almost everything-flour, baking soda, salt, eggs, but they were missing the two most important things: chocolate chips and sugar. Belle sighed and looked at Bae apologetically. "Except we are short the ingredients we need."
Bae's frowned and he sighed.
Belle walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't be sad. I'll inform your father that we are out so he can pick the ingredients up next time he goes shopping. We'll still make cookies, I promise. It just won't be tonight."
Bae nodded and smiled at Belle. "You're right."
"Now, all we need now is a blanket. Go upstairs a find one and I'll meet you outside."
"I know just the one!" Without hesitation Bae sprinted out of the room, leaving Belle to finish up.
As Belle prepared the sandwiches in the kitchen she felt a pang of guilt. Perhaps she should go upstairs and talk to Rumplestiltskin. After all she had thought he agreed to not avoid her, but that seemed to be exactly what he was doing. Yes, she should confront him, she thought. This going back on his word was not going to become a habit of his. She would see to that.
Taking her apron off, she laid it down, ran her hands through her hair a few times, and straightened her dress before she made her way up the stairs to the lab. She was a little nervous, but not as much as she had been before and for different reasons too. Taking a deep breath she knocked lightly on the door and pushed it open before Rumple could reply. "Rumple?" she called out as she looked around for him. She spotted him easily, sitting in the exact same position as the night before, slumped over, spinning at the wheel. He paused and looked up at her, with a small smile on his face-his human face. He had transformed back! But when? And why didn't he come down then? "Belle…" he said softly. "I see you are awake and looking refreshed."
Belle nodded and stepped all the way into the room. She remained by the door with her hands crossed in front of her. "Yes, I slept well last night. Although-I didn't mean to sleep in so late! I'm so sorry! I should have woken and prepared breakfast and lunch…"
She was rambling and Rumplestiltskin waved a hand to cut her off. "No need for apologies. If you recall, I gave you the day off to do with as you pleased."
"Oh, yes," Belle said with relief. She began to bite her bottom lip. What should she say? Should she talk about the night before? Ask him how she got to her room? Ask him what he was doing and why he wouldn't come out of the lab? She didn't want to upset him…
"Something on your mind my dear?" he asked. She knew she was fidgeting nervously as she stood there.
"Well yes…um…Bae and I just finished the laundry…"
"Laundry?!" Rumple perked up in his seat then, standing to abandon his spinning wheel in favor of Belle. Belle watched him carefully as he inched toward her, using his cane that had appeared out of nowhere. She wasn't afraid. No not this time. But he also was human again and far less intimidating…but oh so handsome.
Handsome…even though he was still wearing his tattered clothes from his journey and still smelled like burnt iron…so handsome. Her gaze wandered down to his lips and images of her dream started flashing in her mind. All she could think of in that moment was how those lips had felt against hers and how those hands had been so venturous with her body. He wasn't spinning anymore, but she wanted to be that wheel. Her cheeks instantly reddened and she averted her eyes. Hopefully in the lack of light he wouldn't notice her blush. What was wrong with her?
"I thought I told you to take the day off! Why on earth were you doing laundry?" he demanded to know.
"Because it needed to be done!" she explained. "And I was content sleeping in-I was so exhausted. It didn't feel right to take the whole day…" What was she saying? She worked hard, very hard, why wouldn't it feel right? No, that was a lie and she knew he knew it. He was standing right in front of her now, slumped over slightly leaning toward her, scrutinizing her every move and word. "Well it's just that…" She stumbled over her words. "While I appreciate the offer, I don't have anything to do except clean…" It wasn't like she had any belongings, or hobbies. She couldn't even think of any hobbies she would care to do. It was so weird to not know who one was or what one liked, but she was beginning to grow used to it. Right now she was nobody, nobody except for Rumple's maid and she wasn't sure that would ever change. It had been months now and she didn't have even one hint as to who she was.
Rumplestiltskin narrowed his eyes at her and had his finger at his chin like he was thinking hard about what she said. Oh it was moments like these where she wished she could know what was going through his head. He was so mysterious.
It didn't appear he was going to say anything though, so she decided to break the silence and extend an offer. "Like I was saying…Baelfire and I have finished the laundry and we were planning on having a picnic down by the lake. I…we were hoping you would join us." Baelfire had no idea what she was doing, but she knew he would love spending time with his father.
Rumple seemed to snap out of his daze then. He straightened and turned to walk back toward his spinning wheel, putting that mask back on Belle knew all too well. "Appreciate the sentiment my dear, but I'm afraid I'm much too busy for such frivolities. But please, be my guest and enjoy yourselves."
Belle frowned. Busy? He wasn't busy! He was spinning and he had been doing that all night. He was just moping and she knew it! She took a step toward him a leaned over trying to see his face. "But don't you want to spend time with your son?" And me… "You've been away and Baelfire missed you. You would certainly raise his spirits if you came."
He paused and Belle could only wonder once again what he was thinking. She had brought up the subject of being missed again, only this time it was by his son and not her. Was he pondering the truth still? "It would make me happy too…" she added, trying to reinforce what she had told him the night before.
Rumplestiltskin closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'll see both you and the boy soon enough, right now I must clean up after my journey."
Belle nodded, not willing to argue that one-he did still smell. But it was funny how he demanded she have every meal with him, unless it interfered with his plans, but he refused when she only requests it of him. "Very well then, good afternoon Rumplestiltskin." She spoke a little more formally than she would have liked but as she turned to leave he stopped her to add one more thing.
"Oh Belle, see to it Lumiere prepares hot water for my bath."
"Of course," Belle replied trying her best not to snicker. She knew the fire demon was not going to be happy about that, but she couldn't help but think it funny.
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"ENCORE?! But what did he do with the water he had me prepare last night?!" Lumiere's thick accent echoed throughout the room as Belle told him the news, struggling to keep a straight face.
"I suppose he let it go to waste," Belle replied with her best guess. He had holed himself up in the room all night after the unexpected encounter with her. Apparently he was too busy with self pity to worry about cleaning up. That was certainly odd for him. He always made sure he was clean and pristine, making sure he always fit the image he desperately wanted to uphold, even when he was only around her and Bae. It once again made Belle worry what he was so concerned about.
"Waste?! I work and I slave all day long, at least he could have the courtesy to use the water I prepare or at least offer a bit of merci! Moving the castle is hard enough!"
Belle still had to resist the urge to chuckle. She didn't know why it seemed so funny, but Lumiere was making a bigger deal about this then he probably should have. Although, she could sympathize with him. Working so hard and never getting so much as a thank you was frustrating. It hit her then that she knew that too. Belle had done a tremendous amount around the castle and Rumplestiltskin had yet to thank her either. Well he might act like a gentleman, but he certainly he needed to be taught some manners. "Well, if it's any consolation, you do a wonderful job. I know you prepare hot water for my room as well-thank you."
Those words seemed to excite the fire a little and Belle could see a smile on his phantom face as he flared up. "Je vous en prie, madamaisolle," he replied. "I'm not accustomed to receiving thanks-I do appreciate it."
Belle nodded and turned her head as Bae came sprinting into the room, his arms full. "I have the blanket Belle! I'm ready for our picnic."
"Great!" Belle walked over to the table and picked up the basket she had filled with food. "Let's go." As she followed Baelfire out the door, the little wheel above it set to green, she waved to Lumiere, promising to visit more with him later.
A thought occurred to her as she stepped out onto the ground. The wheel was green-meaning the door would lead to wherever the castle was standing, but the night before, when Rumple returned home, she remembered it had been set to black. That was the one color that she still had no idea about. It was yet another secret of Rumple's. Even when she had tried to turn the knob, the door wouldn't budge. Only he could open it. Gods there were so many mysteries surrounding this place. Maybe one day Rumplestiltskin would open up to her. She hoped so.
The Hatter was right where they left him, still holding the clothes as happy and carefree as ever. Belle gave him a small wave.
"What about this spot?" Bae asked as he ran excitedly over to a clear spot in the grass near the bank side.
"That's perfect," Belle agreed as she came up next to him. Sitting the basket down, she took one end of the blanket and helped Bae spread it out evenly so they could sit on it.
Settling down, Belle pulled out the sandwiches and fruit. The two of them began to eat and enjoy each other's company while also relishing in the lovely weather. Hopefully it would last, but some clouds resting in the sky behind the mountains told Belle otherwise. Well at least they were able to have this break, even if it was meant to be cut short.
Everything looked so refreshed after having so much rain and the water was so crystal clear and inviting as very tiny waves splashed upon the bank near where they were sitting. If it wasn't chilly outside and if she knew how to swim, Belle might have suggested taking a dip.
But that didn't stop her from slipping her shoes off and putting her feet in once she was finished eating. Bae joined her not too long after.
The water was cold, but not as cold as she had imagined. And it was very relaxing. "I've never felt so peaceful before," she said contently.
"You seem happy Belle," Bae noted, "the happiest since you've came here."
"I suppose I am. I have to admit it's not as bad living here as much as I thought it would be. I only wish…" She paused and looked out toward the lake. "I only wish that I could at least remember who I am. Or something about my past life. I hate not knowing."
Bae looked at her sympathetically. "Has my father tried anything to help you get your memories back?"
Belle shook her head. "He doesn't seem to care at all and I don't feel comfortable asking. I doubt there's anything he could do anyway."
"I think he would help you-if you just asked. Do you want me to ask?"
Belle turned her head and looked at the boy. "No-but thank you for the offer. Rumplestiltskin knows I don't remember anything. If he wanted to help he would-unless he wanted to make a deal. And in that case, I have nothing to offer him. I've already promised him a lifetime or more of servitude."
Belle knew Bae agreed by the look on his face and there was a moment of awkward silence between them. Maybe this was good time for her to bring up what she really wanted to talk about. They were outside and away from Rumplestiltskin's prying ears-or so she hoped. She wasn't sure how he would feel about her asking Bae about him. This was the best chance she had.
Belle twisted a cup of water in her hand as she forced herself to open her mouth. "Bae I was wondering if we could talk about your father." Over her months at the castle, they had breached the subject here or there, but she had never really gotten too much information out of him.
"What about him?"
"I wanted to know why he is the way he is."
Bae shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know-why is anyone the way they are?"
"Oh-that's not what I meant-I meant, why does he change into…you know…" She wasn't sure how to word it. She didn't want to call Rumplestiltskin a monster or a beast and offend Bae, but she also didn't quite believe that was the proper thing to call him either even without taking Bae's feelings into account. "I don't know much about wizards, was he born with the ability to change?"
Bae frowned and averted his gaze out toward the water. The storm was getting closer. The sun was beginning to disappear behind them, but they could still see some sunbeams in breaks in the clouds. "No. He's that way because of me."
Belle's mouth fell open in shock. All the answers she had prepared herself for-that had not been one of them. "Because of you? I don't understand…"
After taking a deep breath, Bae begun telling his story. "My father wasn't born like that. He didn't even have magic-not to my knowledge anyway. Not until he took on the curse-the curse of the Dark One."
Belle recalled Rumple also went by that name; she had never realized it was a curse though.
"And he had to take on that curse because of me. The ogres were attacking the nearby village in massive numbers, more than the army could handle. And it was well known that everyone that went off to war was sure to die and eventually…eventually the age of the boys-and even the girls-they forced to fight became younger and younger and one day it reached thirteen. It happened when it was a week until my thirteenth birthday…"
"Wait…" Belle interrupted him, stopping his tale. "Thirteen? They haven't drafted children into this Ogre War, at least not that I know of." Was there was something she was missing? She had been locked in the castle for a while and Rumplestiltskin rarely talked about current events. She knew about the Ogre War that was in progress, she even remembered seeing the war ship before stumbling upon the castle. She hadn't realized it was that bad out there-nor that they were forcing children to fight in battle. How could they do such a thing? Children that young would not stand a chance against an ogre! If that were true then that would explain why Rumple wanted to keep Bae a secret.
Bae cocked an eyebrow at her, confused for a minute until it hit him. "Oh…oh! No, I should have been clearer. I'm not talking about the current Ogre War."
Okay, that cleared up the issues…no wait, no it didn't. "How could it not be this Ogre War? You're still only twelve and the last Ogre War was…" She paused trying to remember the details. Funny how she could remember history, but nothing about herself. Her eyes widened in shock. "…over two hundred years ago!"
"Yeah that sounds about right-but I don't pay much attention to time anymore."
"But then that would mean you and Rumplestiltskin are both over two hundred years old!"
Bae nodded.
"But it doesn't make any sense! You're still a child!" Belle was more confused than ever.
"I don't age-I just assume it has something to do with my father's curse."
Belle highly doubted that. There was more to this story than what met the eye and Baelfire probably had no idea what it was. If she wanted to find out she knew that would only come from Rumple or Lumiere. "I still don't understand..." He still acted like a twelve year old might act. It was strange. Even if his body didn't age Belle assumed he would mature like an adult after living for such an extended period of time.
"I can't explain it-I still feel twelve not two hundred and whatever I am. It even feels like my birthday is a few days away, but I know it's really not. I guess I still feel the same as the day my father became the Dark One. That's why I think it has to do with his curse."
Something was definitely fishy about this and Belle was going to try and figure it out, but now that the initial shock had passed, she still wanted to know more about Rumple's curse. Sitting her cup down next to her, she pulled her feet out of the water. "I'm sorry I interrupted-I was just taken aback by that-but I would love for you to tell me more-about what happened to you and your father."
Bae smiled at her, brushing off her apology. "Well like I was saying, it was a few days before my birthday and they were going to come and take me. I wanted to fight, but my father refused to lose me. I don't blame him-I was all he had. My mother died when I was very young and he never sought love again. So, he looked into everything he could-trying to find any loophole that would rescue me from my fate. We even tried to run one night, but were caught and drug back to our village. That same night, though, my father met a man who told him of the Dark One and how he could help us. I didn't think it was a good idea-no good stories had ever come from making a deal with him, but my father was insistent and wouldn't take no for an answer. So, we followed the man's advice and summoned the Dark One. He was eager to give us what we wanted, to save me from the Ogre Wars. My Papa was so happy that he didn't even think before he signed that creature's contract. And so I was saved…but then it came time for the Dark One to claim his price."
Belle listened to the boy's story intently, taking in each and every word. "What was his price?"
Bae frowned and his eyes met Belle's. "Me."
Belle gasped. "So what did your father do?"
"He begged and pleaded with the Dark One-offered him anything, but he wouldn't have it. There was nothing else the Dark One wanted, nothing else my father could give-we didn't really have anything at the time. We lived in a little cottage that was falling apart and could barely afford to eat. I thought I was doomed to this fate as I stood there watching my father grovel at the wizard's feet, but then he did something neither of us expected. I don't know why he did it-why he made the offer-but he offered my father another deal-a deal that resulted in Papa taking on the curse, becoming the Dark One himself-all to save me. I don't really understand how he did it, something to do with magic, but he did it all to save me."
Belle looked at the boy in awe. She almost couldn't believe it. A father doing something like that just to save his only son. "Th…that was a really brave thing for him to do. He must love you very much." Still now she continued to see Rumple in a different light.
Those words did not seem to comfort Bae. He fiddled with a a string on his pants as he stared down into his lap. "I guess it was brave-becoming the Dark One to save me, but it wasn't worth it."
"What?" Belle said as she creased her eyebrows.
"He may have saved me, but I lost him, the real him. I see glimpses of him every once in a while-more so since you've come to the castle." Bae flashed a weak smile at Belle. "But I'm afraid one day he'll be gone forever."
Belle's heart felt like it was breaking. She actually regretted bringing the subject up now, even though it did enlighten her. "And by gone-you mean…transformed into the bea…man I met my first day here?"
Bae nodded. "Yes, that is the form he takes when he's purely the Dark One. When he looks human, he acts more like my father, but the Dark One is still there, just dormant I guess. He's darker when he takes that form and he does horrible things, things where even I can't convince him to stop." A few tears pooled in the sides of Bae's eyes.
Belle instantly scooted closer to him and wrapped an arm around the boy. "It's okay, you don't have to tell me what those are." A combination of how upset Bae was and the stories she had heard of the Dark One were all she needed to imagine what events he was referring to. The Dark One was known to make unfair deals, collect first borns, and even kill. The thought that this little boy had to put up with such for so long disheartened Belle.
Bae curled up in Belle's arms and sniffled a couple times. "He's always been able to control it, mostly, changing back and forth, but recently I can tell it's getting harder and harder. I tried to convince him to stop, but he won't. Or maybe he can't, I don't know." Bae clung tightly to Belle. "I don't want to lose him Belle! I love Papa so much and I just want him the way he was before!"
"I know sweetie," she replied gently stroking his back and trying to soothe him.
Bae tilted his head to look up at her. "Do you think you could help him? Find a way to break the curse?"
"I…uh…" She didn't look or feel too hopeful. What the hell could she do?
"Please? You're the only other one who's ever known about him, maybe we could work together and figure it out."
Belle smiled reassuringly and nodded. "I'm willing to try, but I don't know how much I can do."
Bae beamed and hugged her again. "Oh thank you Belle, and don't worry, I know you can find a way."
He was so optimistic. Belle did not want to remind him that she knew nothing of magic or curses. But she didn't want to break his heart, but she would try just like she promised. The thought of the darkness consuming Rumple didn't sit well with her either. She didn't know the man he was before, but she had seen the man behind the mask and she was quite fond of him.
Belle continued to hold Bae, trying to soothe him the best she could. After all this was her fault, ruining their wonderful time by bringing up such a difficult subject.
A few drops of water fell from above and Belle glanced up to confirm what she was already suspecting: rain.
Quickly she let go of Bae and hopped to her feet. "Hurry Bae, we have to get the clothes back inside!"
Bae clambered to his feet and rushed over to untie the lines from the trees while Belle grabbed the laundry basket and the Hatter freed the clothes from the castle.
Belle and Bae made it back inside just in time with all their things, including the pile of clean clothes when the sky broke loose, pouring rain harder than it ever had before. So much for the sunny weather, Belle thought to herself as she closed the door behind her.
At least they didn't get drenched, for that they were both grateful, although the same couldn't be said for the Hatter. He would be all right, Belle knew. He had been through much worse she was sure of.
Belle looked over at Bae, whose mood had seemingly improved. She smiled at him and started to say, "Well, let's get all these clothes put away," when she was interrupted by Rumplestiltskin's voice bellowing through the hallways as he came storming in the room.
"BELLE WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE!?"