As predicted, early afternoon the next day, Snow and Charming's allies and friends arrived at Avonlea Castle, most of them had been weary when Snow and Charming had told them that they were going to ask the Queen of Avonlea for help as a last resort.
They'd all heard the rumours that surrounded the Queen, that she was heartless, a shadow, never helping anyone in her town, she was supposedly so big headed and stubborn that she refused to marry and so have a king take the control and power from her.
Their opinion about the Queen wasn't changed upon their arrival but their opinion of the town did change, rumours had been that Avonlea was a horrible town, a poor town but this was far from the truth.
As they walked through the cobbled streets of Avonlea they found themselves in a happy, wealthy town, the streets were beautiful, lined with growing Roses and the smell of freshly baked goods filled the streets. Perhaps the Queen wouldn't be as bad as first thought.
Snow and Charming stood at the top of the large stone steps to the main entrance of the castle, eagerly waiting for their friends to join them. Meanwhile Belle was happily hiding away in her library.
She sat in her usual arm chair once again her nose buried in a book, she wasn't exactly excited to be having even more guests staying in her castle, she liked the quiet, liked the bubble she had created around her world, she didn't like the idea of these people coming in and disturbing that.
Sighing Belle closed her book and left it sit in her lap. She couldn't stop thinking about Rumpelstiltskin. She'd barely been in his presents for a total of an hour yet he was already under his skin. There was something about this new him that she couldn't quite put her finger on, he was like a breath of fresh air, like a flicker of colour in her boring grey world.
There was something about him that still attracted her to him, something in the way that he looked at her, something in the way that he looked, his green skin, dark brown almost black eyes. Yet he was still so charismatic, eccentric and had this way of making her laugh that no man ever did. She had to figure out what it was the happened to him to make him the man he'd become.
Belle wondered how Snow and Charming's friend's would react to the fact that she had made a deal to ensure they had the dark one on their side, she hoped they would judge her, judge him. She couldn't help the protectiveness that she felt over him, he was still the young man she'd grown so close to all those years ago.
"A piece of gold for your thoughts" the beauty almost jumped out of her skin, once again.
The very objects of her thoughts stood in front of her, wearing the same tight, brown, leather trousers but an emerald green, silk shirt with a gold trim and brown leather jacket also enlaced with gold thread, his hair crimpled just as it had been the day before and every time she had seen him, almost begging her to caress it's softness.
"You've got to stop doing that" Belle almost scolded him as she got out of her chair and smoothed down the dark green of her dress, it seemed that their clothes were coordinated.
"Why?" he asked her "I like seeing the look of surprise on your beautiful face" he muttered, he'd admired her face the moment she had set eyes on her all those years ago, to him she was more beautiful than any women he'd ever seen before and he was sure he would ever see.
"Sorry what?" Belle asked him, having heard what he said but wanted to make sure she was right.
"Nothing" Rumple shook his head as there came a soft knock at the door.
She decided in this moment that while they had a moment alone, perhaps to talk to him, to see if he was the man she used to meet under the bridge on Castle Street. "Rumpelstiltskin, I…I wondered if yo…." She began but the words just couldn't come out. It was almost like part of her didn't want to admit that he was the same man she'd once thought she'd loved.
There came another soft knock.
Belle took a deep breath to calm herself and took a step back from Rumplestiltskin before answering "Come in" she called.
The large wooden door swung open to reveal Mrs Potts, "Your new guests have arrived ma'am" she informed her.
"Mrs Potts, how many times have I told you to call me Belle" The Queen reminded her old governess.
"Of course Belle" Mrs Potts gave the women she'd known since she was a baby a small bow of the head before leaving the room.
Rumplestiltskin watched as Belle straightened her back and took a breath before muttering "Let the show begin" he wondered why a women like this would put on such a charade, such a show, why was she being someone she wasn't. Perhaps it was a mystery he just had to uncover.
…C\_'/….
"Wow" Red all but gasped as she, granny, the seven dwarfs, the blue fairy and Jiminy cricket walked through the grand entrance way of the castle, it was adorned with expensive painting, tapestries and vases of roses sat on every table or ledge they could.
"Don't stare girl" Granny hushed her granddaughter with a slight thwack to the chest.
"It is beautiful isn't it" Snow commented from her place where she walked beside Red.
"Uh huh" Red nodded just before Grumpy pushed his way through the crowd of people to the front.
"So is the Queen as heartless as they say?" Grumpy asked Snow.
"No" Snow assured the dwarf. "She's very different than rumours suggest"
"I heard that no one will marry her because she's really ugly and that's why she's so cold hearted" Grumpy piped up after a moment.
"That is definitely not the case" Charming assured Grumpy, earning a glare from Snow, was she jealous that he'd noticed Belle's good looks.
The large wooden doors at the top of the large staircase opened and out walked the Queen of Avonlea in all her glory. Her head held high and back straight, her finger gracefully running along the rail as she walked down the staircase.
"Welcome to Avonlea" she greeted them all with a smile, then noticed the shocked expressions on all of their face's.
"Your majesty" Granny bowed her head and the other members of the group followed.
Belle smiled at them all "Please call me Belle" she then motioned for them to follow her "We should really start discussing some sort of battle plan" she explained as she led them to the battle room "My council and Rumplestiltskin are waiting for us" she added as she walked up the stairs and her guests followed her.
"Excuse me" The Blue fairy flew to hover in front of Belle "Did you say Rumpelstiltskin?" she asked, anger almost gracing her features.
"Yes I did" Belle nodded.
"Why….why is he here?" Blue asked her voice once again full of anger.
Belle couldn't help the anger and protectiveness she felt over Rumpelstiltskin "He's here to help us" she almost growled at the fairy.
Blue shook her head at the Queen "No, he wouldn't be here unless….unless" realisation hit the fairy and Belle wanted nothing more than to pluck the wings right off of the annoying insect.
"You made a deal with him?" Grumpy asked Belle making the Queen turned to face him. "The rumours are true, only someone heartless would make a deal with such a monster" he continued.
For Belle that was the last straw "Rumpelstiltskin is not a monster!" she yelled at them her voice echoing but soon dissipated into deafening silence. "Now would you move out of my way!" She yelled at the blue fairy that was fluttering her wings annoyingly in front of her. Why couldn't people see the man he once was? She guessed that they just didn't know him how she did.
The blue fairy eyed the Queen wondering what type of enchantment that the Dark One had put on her, she decided not to fight with the infamous heartless Queen and so moved out of Belle's way.
The Queen sighed before continuing to lead the group up to the top of the stairs where she led them through the doors that opened out into the grand hall. Tapestry's adorned the walls, fine curtains framed the long windows that stretched from ceiling to floor. In the middle of the room was a long dining table. A large vase of Rose's where pilled in the middle of the table.
At the head of the table, with his feet resting on the table was none other than Rumplestiltskin. Him sitting there, like he was the lord of the manor brought a smile to Belle's lips, one that only the man in question noticed.
He jumped up from the chair he sat in and approached the Queen and her followers "It seems the cavalry has arrived" he let out a high pitched squeal at his own quip.
"Lets stop wasting time and get down to a plan?" Widow Lucas suggested. Being the only one from the group who seemed not fazed by the dark one.
Before anyone could respond the blue fairy fluttered to hover annoyingly in front of Rumplestiltskin "Before we begin I want to know….why would you help us defeat Regina, what's in it for you?" the fairy asked him.
Rumples eyes flickered for a moment to Belle before looking back at the fairy "I never break deals and I have a deal with Queen Belle that I will assist her and all of you fight Queen Regina" he explained, his voice raw and harsh. "Now unless you believe you do not need my help I would suggest you get out of my way" he told the annoying buzzing fairy that was fluttering in his face.
The blue fairy huffed before fluttering back to perch on one of the seven dwarf's shoulders.
"On with our plan for when she attacks" Charming suggested to break the tension that had overcome the group. Snow then led everyone to the dining table where maps and other papers were already laying sprawled across it.
…C\_'/….
Hours later, after a very awkward dinner everyone had retired to their rooms. Belle decided instead that she would retire to her beloved library.
She sat curled up in her favourite arm chair, the fire roaring beside her. She was reading one of her favourite books. On the table in front of Belle sat the tea set with the cup that had been chipped the day before, it made her think of Rumple, of how he kept glancing at her during the war meeting when he thought she wasn't looking.
How he'd spoken to the blue fairy of his deal with her with such loyalty and honesty. It made her think of how he was so similar to the man she'd known. Who'd held her hand as she told him of her fears of being Queen. How she'd listened as he spoke of the horrors of being sent to the front of the ogre wars. How they'd written their name in the concrete under the bridge. How they'd shared their first and only kiss not long after as the sun began to rise, showing the beginning of the new day, of the day that he would be sent to the front, the day they would be separated.
Meanwhile in his dark castle Rumple watched Belle through his floor length mirror and her mirror that hung above the fireplace in the library. After becoming the dark one, he'd discovered the magic of being able to watch others through mirrors and the first person he'd wanted to see had been Belle.
And he'd watched over her ever since. He'd watch her change into the cold hearted Queen that everyone had thought she was while also watched her keep the same sweet disposition that she'd always possessed.
He knew that if she ever found out that he'd been watching her for all these years that she would think it beyond creepy and wish to never see him again. Perhaps that would be best, if he let her go, released her of their deal, to never bother her again, perhaps wipe her memory of ever seeing him in the first place. But he couldn't help it he loved her, he could feel that there was still something between them and he just couldn't let that go.
The sound of the large wooden doors to his castle opening made Rumple turn on his feet, it seemed he had a visitor and he knew exactly who it was going to be. With a flamboyant snap of his fingers the floor length mirror he had been gazing upon was now covered with a large dust cover.
"I don't remember giving you an invitation dearie" he sneered as Queen Regina waltzed into his home in all her black leather glory.
Regina looked at the Imp for a moment, noting that she'd clearly interrupted something as he seemed rather flustered and there was a sizzle of magic in the air, like he'd snapped his fingers to vanish something. Then she noticed the mirror with the beige dust cover over it. "Spying on her again Rumple" she sighed as she walked towards him, a natural swagger to her hips.
Rumple flinched slightly at the mention of him spying on someone making the raven haired women realise she'd hit a nerve.
"I wonder if she even knows you exist" she almost cackled before speaking once more "What's her name Margie…Verna" she sniggered.
"Why are you here Regina?" Rumple spoke, trying to not show how her taunts hit a nerve with him.
"Cutting to the chase as usual" Regina sighed before her tone turned serious "I've heard word that Snow white and her band of merry men have made an alliance with the Queen of Avonlea, the Queen's promised to help them take back their kingdom" she explained.
Rumple turned to face away from his once apprentice "And what is this to do with me?" he asked.
"Word also says that the Queen came to you, if I discover that you are planning to help them bring me down, I want you to know I will destroy you along with the rest of them, if it's the last thing I do!"
The Dark one spun on his heels once more "Now why would I want to help them?" he asked her with a slight giggle.
"Consider this a warning" Regina almost growled before disappearing in a cloud of black feathers.
Once Regina was gone, a lump formed in Rumple's throat, perhaps it would be better for Belle's safety if he stayed away, he didn't even want to think what Regina would do to her if she discovered his feelings for her.
For now though, he didn't see the harm of watching Belle once again through the mirror. With a snap of his fingers the dust cover was gone and he was free to do so. A small smile appeared on his face as the reflection of himself morphed into an image of Belle curled up in an arm chair in her library, fast asleep with a book still on her lap.