Chapter 5:
Belle had been able to convince herself to go back home. It would just be easier, and besides, what reason did she have to go find Rumple? What would she even say to him? That she was sorry, that she loved him? They were true statements, but they didn't seem to suffice for the circumstances nor did they seem like they would fit the confident act she had tried so hard to portray.
The night was lonely and boring, again. Belle made herself a simple lunch meat sandwich for dinner and then retired to the parlor to try to read for the night, Chip was relaxed in front of the fire across the room. She flipped the book over a moment to read the front cover, it was a romance novel she and found in the library earlier in the day. She let out a heavy sigh, and then continued reading, "Is that what love is supposed to be?" She muttered almost bitterly, "Love is…Painful and love is-" Her eyes-that had drifted once again from the pages of the book- followed Chip as he suddenly got up from his warm spot in front of the fire and sniffed the air. The puppy continued to sniff-he had detected something- and tracked the smell until it led to an object in the corner of the room. The cane. The cane that Belle had tried so hard to ignore but couldn't bring herself to get rid of. Belle watched with interest as Chip sniffed the cane and then licked it before lying down right beside it. Before she could even realize it, Belle was on her feet with her voice stern and scolding, "Don't you dare start to chew-" She stopped her own sentence when she noticed that Chip was simply just curled up beside it. She eyed the puppy, and then nodded quizzically. "Okay, never mind…" Her voice was quiet, and her gaze lingered on Chip a moment before she returned to the couch and her book.
A few hours later, Belle got up to wash her teacup and put it in the washing machine. Looking at the clock, she saw that it was only nine at night. She didn't care, though, it was time for bed. It didn't matter how young the night was, she wasn't feeling well. A feeling had been in her stomach- turning and twisting for some reason- since earlier in the night. "Let's go night night, Chip!" She called. Granted she'd only had the dog for a couple of days, but already he was starting to learn his name. The jingle of the tags on his collar made her chuckle as he skidded into the kitchen. "Come on, let's go night night." She started up the stairs and went into her room. A bath didn't seem necessary tonight, she'd hardly done anything and she didn't feel like it, so she slipped out of her clothes and into her nightdress. Staring at herself in the vanity, she ran her fingers over the intricate white lace at the neckline of the pale blue silk gown. This was an old nightgown, the strings hanging off the arms proved it, from her time back in the Dark Castle. Was this the gown that- it was! The memory of the first time she and Rumple had made love filled her mind. "This is the dress I lost my innocence in, Chip." She closed her eyes, almost feeling the sensations of that night as the memory continued to play out in her mind. The feel of his lips tenderly trailing from her head and shoulders, down her neck, the way he'd spent so much extra time at her bosoms and then trailed to her stomach and below. His fingertips were tracing patterns on her bare body and she was squirming from the newness of these feelings, but enjoying the act more than she ever could've imagined. Then how he'd filled her and made her feel complete and tight, and then- the best part- how he had made sure to hold her so tightly as she went to sleep in his arms.
Chip barked, bringing Belle back to the present. "I don't know why I told you that, you're a puppy, you don't know or care what I'm saying." She blinked a few times; yes this had been that gown. As she crawled beneath the dark colored blankets with golden trim on the edges, she wished the memory could've lasted forever. She patted Chip's head before closing her eyes and turning the lights off with the clicker on the nightstand table. "Goodnight, boy."
That night, Belle did sleep a little easier than the prior night. She had still been restless and woken up many times, but she had managed to sleep longer and felt a little more rested this morning. She yawned, stretching her arms out and opening her eyes. "Chip, good morning, what do you want to do today?" She reached out to pat his back or head, but didn't feel him where he'd slept the last couple days. "Chip?" Belle was abruptly more alert than she'd been in a long time. He wasn't in his usual spot, where was he?" "Chip?" She repeated, her eyes darting frantically about the room as she slid her slippers on and got out of bed to explore the house. "Are you playing hide and seek with me?" She asked with a nervous laugh.
After she'd checked every inch of the house and had found no puppy anywhere, Belle sat at the kitchen table to think of places she could've missed. No, she'd checked everywhere! Where could this little puppy have gone? Her eyes gravitated to the front door and to her surprise, it was open just a crack- but enough for a 3 month old Dalmatian pup to get out of." She rushed upstairs to properly clothe herself and was out of the house within five minutes.
Of all the places in Storybrooke, where would Chip go? Archie's seemed like the logical conclusion- maybe Chip missed his family. Belle didn't want to go to Archie's house, though. "I've been there every day for a week." She reasoned quietly, but the real reason she didn't want to go was because she didn't want to admit to Archie that she'd lost Chip. She'd only owned him two days and she'd lost him. How irresponsible would that look? She couldn't keep track of one little dog, whilst Archie had had 101 in his home for three months. She could call him, but that still seemed awfully irresponsible. Before she knew it, she had pulled her cell phone out and was dialing Archie's number. It might have made her look negligent, but if Chip was there it would shorten her search and put her mind at ease. Archie answered on the second ring and hadn't had the chance to greet her before Belle blurted out, "Hi, Archie, its Belle. Is Chip at your house?"
"Chip?" Archie's voice was still drowsy, "No… I just woke up and took puppy count, he wasn't here? Did you lose him?" He realized the rhetorical question he'd asked and added to it soon, "Do you want me to go look for him with you?"
"No, I'll be fine. I just have no clue where to look! He's a puppy, there's nowhere in town he'd need to go." Her free hand squeezed her temples as she kept walking. "Thanks anyways."
"No problem. Let me know when you find him, please?"
"Of course." The phone was pushed back into Belle's coat pocket as her thoughts began. If I were a dog, where would I go? A terrifying thought suddenly hit her, what if he crossed the line? Her heart started racing faster than it had been as fear clutched at it. She immediately started toward the town line-that bloody place. So much happened there, and nothing good. She had been shot there, Rumple had killed Pan there, they'd all said goodbye to Emma and Henry there, her father had tried to send her over it, and she had sent Rumple over it. Yes, it would make sense that Chip would've crossed the wretched thing.
When she arrived at the line, she didn't see anything that indicated that a puppy was or had been anywhere near it. That still didn't eliminate the possibility that he'd crossed, though. Belle was torn on what to do next. She could just sit there and hope he came eventually, but on the other hand, he could be back home right now waiting for her. Yes, Chip could be curled up in a pile of blankets wondering where his new mama was. She had just turned to start to go back into the main part of town, when a loud-but not distressed- bark sounded from somewhere near. Instantly, she paused and listened carefully for another bark. A few seconds later, it happened, one came from within the woods. Belle felt her body stiffen and cringed. "You wouldn't dare." She seethed, storming off into the forest.
She had only traveled for a few minutes into the forest before she saw exactly what she'd expected to see. Rumple was there- in front of a tree- with Chip in his arms. Belle approached with caution, not knowing whether she'd make a quiet approach or one made in fury. She watched for a moment, keeping herself hidden, before making her presence known. She knew Rumplestiltskin was a man that would often do anything to get what he wanted, but this? She was appalled, and could feel herself glaring at him. He'd stolen her dog to get her to him, she knew it. The strangest thing was the fact that Chip didn't seem scared, but rather happy and safe as he cuddled Rumple's arms and chest before jumping to lick his face. It would've been an adorable sight-her true love and her puppy bonding-had things been different. As it was, it was all she could do to keep her anger and animosity form boiling over.
When she felt composed enough to speak without slapping him she, stepped forward slowly to reveal herself. "Rumplestiltskin!" She roared, "Give me my puppy!" The words after his name seemed laughable to Belle and not very threatening.
"Good morning to you too, dearie." He stood, keeping Chip in his arms, and bowed dramatically.
"I can't believe you!" Her face scrunched up as she reached for Chip-who was content licking Rumple's neck and being pat on the head by him. "Stealing my dog from me? Are you serious? What did you did? Did you show up in my house last night and steal him? Did you-"
"Your house." He wagged his free finger at her, "I believe you're mistaken there." He eyed her intently, and she did all she could to avoid contact with his reptilian eyes. She knew that if she looked into them at that exact moment she'd smile because, yes, she considered it their house still, and, If she looked into his eyes, there was a good chance she'd invite him to come home. That couldn't happen.
"Yes, my house!" She spat fiercely. "Did you sneak into it last night to steal my dog? Did you just poof him here? What did you do, I want to know. If you don't tell me, I'll go to Regina for a spell to protect him from randomly getting poofed places by my deranged husband whom I banished from town! Why are you, how are you back?" She was fuming now, but confused more than anything-especially when she'd heard herself bring back the questions she'd tried to get answered the other day. "Once Regina knows you're back, trust me, it'll get around. I'm being a lot nicer than anyone else in this town will be to you, if it gets back to the town that you're here… You'll be in trouble." She realized she was rambling now, and that her voice had grown softer and could feel herself getting choked up. She was about to cry. Belle had to physically force herself to swallow and not start bawling once more. Somehow, she managed to keep her voice demanding and strong, "Just give me my dog." She reached out for Chip again, and was surprised when Rumple didn't pull him away again. Instead, he shoved him into her arms.
"I didn't steal him." Belle was stunned by how soft his voice was. "He came to me." She involuntarily rolled her eyes as she grasped Chip-only coming in contact with Rumple's long nails and oddly textured flesh a second- and kissed the top of his furry head.
"Yeah right." Oh no, she'd done it. She had looked up into Rumple's eyes. She had seen all the memories they'd shared, and that look of pure love and admiration reserved only for her. She felt the anger starting to melt, and the desire to squeeze him in the tightest embrace the world had ever known start to rise to the surface.
"Believe what you want, Belle, it's the truth." He turned his back on her, and she saw some wisps of his curls hidden under the cloak.
"Why didn't you just poof me here? Why my dog? What does he have to do with anything?" She was past the want to cry-for now- and simply was raging and wanted answers. "It's me you want, it's me you ought to summon."
"As I've been saying," His voice took on a slight tone of annoyance, and he whipped back around and got disturbingly close to Belle. He stared down, making sure he had made eye contact with her and spoke slowly, "I didn't take your little puppy." He took a step back, and Belle let her breath come out. "It seems he doesn't hate me so much as you think he should-so much as you do."
"He's just a-" Her voice was hardly more than a quick breath, and she forced her eyes toward the ground to avoid direct contact to his eyes any longer than necessary. "Whatever you did to conjure my dog, don't do it again." She cuddled her face into Chip's fur. Why was she hanging around here? Why couldn't she bring herself to just leave? The tension was palpable between Rumple and Belle, and extremely uncomfortable, yet she didn't want to leave. "Come on, Chip let's go home." She kissed his ears as he licked her face. Belle managed to turn herself around and start towards home, when she head a low grumbled,
"Chip?" A deep, but quiet chuckle followed the name.
"Yes!" She lashed around, eyes cold. "What's so wrong with that?"
"Nothing, nothing at all." He murmured, he hadn't meant for her to hear him in the first place. Before she left, though, Belle dared to steal a quick peak at his mouth before he turned to go his own way-a sad smile had found its way on his lips. She had to mentally encourage herself, be strong, Belle, don't say anything, just go home. She had to use every ounce of vigor in her body to keep dragging herself forward, she couldn't look back.