*THREE*

Belle cracked one sleepy eye open and yawned. Something had woken her, but for the life of her she couldn't recall what it had been. One thought permeated her sleep-addled brain…so warm, so content, and safe, and happy. She was sprawled across Rumpelstiltskin's bare chest. How she'd gotten there, she had no idea, but she couldn't find it in her to complain when the steady beat of his heart thrummed pleasantly beneath her ear and his warmth seeped into her every pore. She had nearly fallen prey to sleep once more when she heard that noise once again. It was coming from her sorcerer, a soft sound of distress that cut right through her chest to pierce her heart…her name, barely a whisper in the stillness of their bedchamber.

"Belle…no…don't go," he cried softly, his brows drawing together in a deep frown. "Please…don't leave."

She raised herself slightly, and moved to stroke her wrist along his jaw and brush his wayward curls away from his eyes. "Shh, Rumpel, I'm here," she murmured, her voice husky with drowsiness. He stilled immediately and his breathing gentled, his face sought the warmth of her skin. The last vestiges of slumber left her as his lips brushed against her palm, little tingles of awareness shooting from her hand to her sensitive nerve endings and settling in her lower belly. It was the same sensation she'd experienced yesterday when he'd kissed her, and she knew with the right provocation, the feeling would only intensify.

A purely wicked smile tilted the corners of her mouth as she lowered her lips to his. They brushed his in a feather-light kiss and he shifted beneath her. She held her breath, her eyes flying upwards to see if she'd awoken him. Nope, still asleep. Whew! She slid her hands up the sides of his long neck and into the soft waves of his hair, pausing just a moment to toy with his ears. His lips parted on a sigh of pure delight as her nails skimmed lightly over his nape and he arched beneath her. She bit down on her lip as she felt the lower half of his body begin to stir, her eyes darted between his closed eyes and his parted lips. Consequences be damned, she lowered her head and captured his bottom lip between her own, pressing, sliding, molding to him until she felt him respond. She was smiling, her passion-darkened eyes meeting his warm amber orbs as he gently gripped her upper arms and pushed her back far enough to put some much needed distance between them.

"Belle," he hissed, the only coherent word to pass his lips as she shifted against him again and his erection dug into her hip. "W-What are you doing!"

She pressed another kiss to the corner of his mouth. "Good morning," she whispered and moved to the other side of his mouth to give it equal attention. "I'm kissing you." Another kiss. "I thought it would be quite apparent what I was doing." She smiled up into his eyes before her little pink tongue snaked out to swipe across his bottom lip. His hands tightened around her upper arms and a whimper he wasn't able to muffle rose up in his throat as she nipped gently at his lower lip.

"Belle…you shouldn't, love," he said around a groan. Between her wriggling hips and her hot little mouth, he felt as if he was going to spontaneously combust from the heat pumping through his veins.

"Shouldn't what?" she asked innocently. "I'm just kissing you good morning." She sucked gently at his upper lip, her tongue running sinuously along the inside and he released her arms to wrap around her back, crushing her to his chest. "Our first morning together. I do believe I like waking in your arms," she said, all hint of playfulness leaving her tone. Her gaze was steady and he could see that she meant every word.

"We can't do this," he said, moving her off his chest to lay at his side. He propped himself on an elbow and studied her flushed features.

She ignored him and curled back into him, wrapping her arm around his waist. "Do what? Kiss? Touch? Enjoy one another?" she asked, her fingers traveling over the ridges of his spine.

"Kissing leads to much more, dearie. I won't do that to you when the future is so uncertain. If I-"

Belle reached up and covered his mouth with her hand. "Don't you say it, Rumpelstiltskin. Nothing bad is going to happen to you."

"If it does, at least I will know that I didn't take your innocence. You'll be able to find a good and decent husband and know that you're still a maiden, that you weren't defiled by a beast," he said, smoothing over her hair.

Belle sniffled and hid her face in the crook of his neck, her grip on him tightening. Her voice was barely a whisper when it came and he doubted he would have heard her had he not had the heightened senses that came part and parcel with his curse. "I will have no other. I am yours and yours alone."

He dipped his head and placed a lingering kiss to her temple before tipping her chin up to kiss her nose. "You deserve better."

"Rumpel…"

"I'm not discussing this with you now, Belle." His tone was one that didn't leave any room for argument, but he lay there for several moments, willing his body to cool and his heart to slow its rapid tattoo against his ribs. He wanted so much to share in her optimism, but what kind of future could she really have with him? Everyone he had ever loved had left him at some point in his extraordinarily long life and he didn't see how she could be any different. He'd drive her away too. His utmost concern now was to make certain she was protected, come what may. "Come, time to get up and prepare to leave. I want to make certain everything is ready when the moon rises."

Belle huffed a frustrated sigh and watched her imp rise from the bed. His shoulders were set with determination and she had to worry if he was determined to succeed with the spell to the point where she would lose him or if he would fight for what they could have together, if he would fight for her.

X*X*X*X*X

Belle placed the last plate in the draining board next to the sink and dried her hands on a dishtowel. She had set the kitchen to rights after breakfast. She didn't want to return home to a mess. The tightness in her stomach hadn't allowed her to eat much and Rumpelstiltskin had barely touched his own meal. Even the castle seemed to be holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. It was almost as if it had taken on its master's melancholy mood and Belle was helpless to do anything about it. Rumpel had been unusually quiet this morning after they'd dressed and come down to partake in their morning tea and the last meal they would have before going to aid the Charmings. Not one quip passed his lips and that in itself should have been cause for Belle to worry.

"I have your cloak, dearie," he said from the kitchen doorway, his features schooled into a stoic mask. "I doubt you'll need it once we're no longer this high in the mountains, but-" His voice trailed off, realizing his was rambling. What was is about this girl that caused his tongue to become twisted in knots and the eloquent words that ruled his life to become lost somewhere between his mind and his lips? "Are you ready?"

Belle kept her back to him and pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes to keep the tears at bay. They'd been threatening all morning. The more she thought about what they were about to do, the more her spirits crept into darkness. She knew he was doing this only because she had asked it of him. It was the right thing to do, the only thing to do to bring peace to the kingdom. But would the cost be too high for her to pay? She pasted a smile to her lips, one that nowhere matched the sadness in her eyes, and moved to his side, taking the cloak from him and draping it about her shoulders.

She followed him into the foyer and twined her hand with his left; their trunk grasped firmly in his right, and fought off the dizziness that overtook her as his magic propelled them forward into the ether. They reappeared in a cavernous room with high vaulted ceilings. Belle blinked against the sudden darkness, the interior reminding her more of the Dark Castle before she'd begun going from room to room letting in the light and banishing the heavy drapes that blocked it out so thoroughly. What little light filtered in, fell on a full war council assembled around a round oak table with intricate designs on its surface. It reminded her of Arthur's roundtable and she thought it was quite fitting under the circumstances.

They went unnoticed for a few moments before Snow's eyes met Belle's across the room and the princess laid her hand gently on Charming's arm to gain his attention.

Rumpelstiltskin took that as his cue to make himself known, his trademark giggle echoing through the room. He strode forward, Belle at his side with her hand firmly nestled in the crook of his elbow. "Well, dearie, it seems you have all your best and…not so brightest," he whispered in an aside to Belle, "assembled in one place. Pray tell, is there anyone left on the battlefield?"

The Blue Fairy drew herself up, clearly affronted by the presence of the Dark One. "What is HE doing here?"

Snow cast a warning glance in the fairy's direction as Belle's eyes narrowed on the tiny woman. Snow rose to her feet to approach the pair, but not before she called over her shoulder, "Rumpelstiltskin is here to help us. With a bit of luck and a lot of…magic, this will end tonight."

Rumpelstiltskin took note that the princess refrained from using the word dark to describe his magic and gave her a small bow. "Highness."

"Thank you for coming, Rumpelstiltskin." She turned her gaze to the petite brunette on his arm and cast her a friendly smile.

"May I present the lady Belle," he said proudly.

Belle dipped into a curtsey and returned Snow's smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness."

"Call me Snow, please. Charming tells me I have you to thank for gaining Rumpelstiltskin's assistance."

"I…I ah, struck a deal with Rumpel and…"

"That's right, dearie," he said, his amber eyes narrowing on the princess. "And don't think you can shirk the price of the magic simply because you owe Belle instead of me."

"Of course not," Snow said. "I welcome you. Whatever we can do to assist, don't hesitate to let us know. I—"

"You cannot seriously be considering asking for his help!" the fairy screeched indignantly. "No one has ever come out on the better end of a deal with the Dark One."

Red bared her teeth at Blue as she bounded lithely to her feet, her hands planted firmly on the round table as she leaned forward. "Yeah and I haven't seen where you've been all that helpful yourself. You hover there and shoot down every one of our ideas, claiming morality and good and I'm sick of it. Your goodness and light mentality isn't going to win us this war!"

Charming held up a hand and Red subsided, flopping back into her chair, her hands clenched into fists on the arm rests. "Fighting amongst ourselves isn't going to solve anything. The Dark One and his lady have agreed to help us and we are going to accept it."

"But at what cost?" the fairy hissed angrily.

"You don't need to worry about that, Blue. Snow and I will bear the cost, not you and not the kingdom," he said, steadfast in his refusal to quail before the fairy or any other member of the council.

Blue flew across the table and hovered mere inches before the prince's prominent nose, pointing one tiny finger at him. "You will rue the day you made a bargain with that demon. He will fail and you will lose everything and you will have no one to blame but yourself for not listening to me." With that she disappeared with a tiny pop.

Charming shook his head and breathed a heavy sigh. "Well that went as well as could be expected, I suppose."

"You knew when you asked me to come here that she was going to be opposed, Shepherd. You were delusional to think that the two of us could work together." He leaned close to Belle to whisper, "The fairies and I have never seen eye to eye."

"I can see why," she replied. She took in the face of each member of the council, sizing them up. "Snow, is that the only opposition we're faced with, or are there other members of your council who do not want us here?"

Snow shook her head. "No, we are all in agreement. This ends tonight."

Rumpelstiltskin eyed her skeptically, but eventually nodded. "And the preparations? Have they been completed?"

Charming dismissed the council with instructions to take up their assignments and prepare for battle. Only Red and one knight remained. Charming moved to Snow's side and wrapped a protective arm about her waist, pulling her into his side. "Everything is as you wished. If you'd like, I can take you there now."

Red grinned cheekily at the imp as he passed, not afraid of him in the least, and Belle was hard pressed to keep her own smile in check. "Hi," Red said, falling into step beside Belle. "I'm Red."

"Belle."

"So what are you doing with the imp?" she asked, straightforward in her manner as ever.

"Red!" Snow scolded. "You shouldn't ask such things. It isn't our business."

"Oh, come on, Snow, you have to admit to being curious," Red said, quirking a brow at the princess.

Belle chuckled softly, unused to being with women her own age. For entirely too long it had just been her and Rumpelstiltskin. She found herself enjoying the company of the other ladies no matter how frank and to the point they were in their questions. "It's fine, Snow. And as to your question…I'm with Rumpel because I want to be with him."

Snow and Red exchanged an uneasy look. But it was Snow who asked, "But I thought you said you made a deal with him so he would agree to help us. And Charming said before that you'd made a deal with him to save your people. Just how many deals have you made with him?"

"Oh it's true. He saved my kingdom in exchange for me becoming his caretaker. But that deal has been over for a while. He let me go, but wasn't expecting me to come back to him. I choose to be with him," Belle said, blushing prettily when Rumpelstiltskin, walking several paces ahead beside Charming and the knight, turned and winked at her.

Red lowered her voice. "I never thought I'd see the day someone fell for the Dark One."

Snow elbowed her in the ribs. "Red!"

"What?! Are you saying that thought didn't cross your mind? If you do, I won't believe you, Snow," she said defensively.

Snow shook her head at her dearest friend. "I think everyone has a True Love out there somewhere, even the Dark One, apparently."

Red snorted. "I never believed Granny before when she said that love was blind."

The three women laughed, but Belle wouldn't reveal anything more of her relationship with Rumpelstiltskin. How was she to explain it to her new friends when she didn't understand it herself? The only thing she was sure of was that she loved him more with every beat of her heart and that she never wanted to be parted from him. She pulled her cloak more securely about herself as they descended a set of stone stairs down into the dark dungeon to ward off the sudden chill that overtook her. Her eyes were able to adjust fairly quickly as she moved down the stairway thanks to the torches burning brightly at intervals along the walls, but the steady drip, drip of water was rather eerie in the quiet gloom. Just the sort of place Rumpel would be comfortable casting his spell.

They emerged into a circular room, stone floors and dank stone walls, cells surrounding them on all sides. "Well it's about time you got here! I've only been calling you for four days!" came a familiar voice off to her right.

"Jefferson!" she cried incredulously, rushing over to take his hands through the bars.

"Hatter! How do you get yourself into these predicaments?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, his hand flourishing dramatically as he leaned against the cell door and giggled. "And I was going to answer… eventually."

Jefferson glowered at the imp and planted his hand on his slim hips, his eyes wide and manic. "When? Before or after I found my head on the block?"

"What did you do, Jefferson?" Belle asked, arching a brow.

Charming stepped up behind her and gestured to the man occupying the cell. "He was captured leaving the queen's camp. They've a long well-known history together and we couldn't take the chance of him roaming free, so we invited him to stay for a while."

"I told you, I don't work for the queen! She has my Grace and I had no choice."

Belle reached out and clasped his hand in hers. He let her draw him closer to the bars and he looked down into her blue eyes with his cool gray ones, pleading her to believe him. "Tell me what happened, Jeff. We'll work this out somehow."

"She took my Grace! Kidnapped her directly from the forest while we were hunting mushrooms. You know I've been trying to teach her how to make a bit of money of her own and…"

"Yes, yes," Rumpelstiltskin said, waving a hand to urge him to get on with it. "Stick to the pertinent facts."

The hatter smirked at him before turning his attention back to Belle. "Regina said she would return Grace to me if I went to Wonderland to steal a certain item in her mother's possession."

The imp's eyes narrowed and his spine stiffened at the mention of Cora. "What item?"

Jefferson rolled his eyes. "I don't know, some kind of talisman or amulet. Why does that matter?"

"Details are always relevant, Hatter."

Belle rubbed the pad of her thumb soothingly over the milliner's knuckles. "It may be important, Jeff. What did the queen want?"

"It was an amulet, I believe. An ankh or an eye or—"

"The eye of Osiris?"

"That's it!" Jefferson exclaimed, snapping his fingers, a blinding smile full of pearly white teeth, blossoming on his handsome face.

"Then it's a damn good thing that the shepherd here detained you," the sorcerer said, quite disbelieving that the princeling had done something right for a change. Charming preened proudly as Snow cast her doe-eyed gaze in his direction. The imp rolled his eyes.

Snow tilted her head to the side and frowned, puzzled. "What's so special about this amulet?"

"The eye of Osiris in the hands of someone in Wonderland is harmless, a pretty bauble. But here…in this realm…the eye will magnify the magic of the wearer tenfold. With it in her possession, Regina could crush her enemies with a mere flick of her wrist," he said, a deep frown furrowing his brow. "That CANNOT happen."

"I should say not," Belle agreed. "But we can't leave Grace in Regina's care."

Rumpelstiltskin was quiet, his mind working furiously. "She has no doubt given care of the girl to her father, Prince Henry. He won't let any harm come to her, and after tonight's coup we should be able to reunite you with your daughter." He turned to Charming and leveled him with a steely glare. "Let him out."

Charming balked at his suggestion. "What? But what if he runs back to the Queen and—"

Belle turned up a brow at the hatter. "You wouldn't do that, would you Jeff? It would make Rumpel extremely unhappy if you thwarted his plans and we know how unpleasant that would be, don't we?"

Jefferson gulped audibly and furiously nodded his head. "You have my word to remain here until tomorrow if he can help me get Grace back."

Belle reached out her other hand and took Rumpelstiltskin's, her features soft with the warm loving look she reserved solely for him. "Rumpel?"

A flick of his wrist and the cell door sprang open, but he was quick to caution. "Best behavior, Hatter. Don't make me regret this."

Jefferson stepped out of the cell and shook Charming's hand, then Rumpelstiltskin's and finally took Belle's and dropped numerous kisses to her knuckles. Belle giggled. Rumpelstiltskin swatted him in the back of the head and growled, "Stop slobbering all over my Belle!"

The manic smile slipped from the hatter's lips, transforming into one of pure delight. "Well," he said, drawing out the word. "Your Belle? Does this mean you've finally admitted you love her?"

"Jefferson, dear, don't provoke him," Belle warned in an urgent whisper.

"Do you want to spend your time waiting for your daughter's return as a snail? And don't think I'll suffer a moment's remorse turning you into one," the Dark One hissed.

Jefferson dropped Belle's hand and threw up his own in a gesture of surrender. Red hooked her hand into the crook of his arm and pulled him along with her to the staircase that led to the upper levels. "Come along, handsome. You can get cleaned up and I'll show you to a guest chamber."

Snow hid a smile behind her hand and followed Charming and Rumpelstiltskin into the room they'd had prepared to the sorcerer's use. "We had it emptied and thoroughly cleaned as you'd requested. George used this room for torture," Snow said in a disquieted tone. The room was made of stone, floor to ceiling, and the green algae that was prevalent in the rest of the dungeon absent after the scrubbing. Bright daylight streamed in through the bar covered windows high in the walls, chasing away the shadows. Apparently George had wanted natural light for his tortures.

Rumpelstiltskin survey every inch of the room before declaring it adequate for his purposes. He set the trunk in one corner and opened it, rifling through it and unpacking what he had brought from his laboratory at the Dark Castle onto a rough-hewn wooden table that had been provided. He looked up at Charming and Snow with a wry quirk of his mouth. "What? You're still here? I thought you had a battle to plan."

Charming bowed up in irritation. "And just how are we supposed to know when the spell has been cast? Or if it's even successful?"

His eyes took on a manic gleam as he stared down the princeling, his voice chilling in its intensity. "Oh, believe me, Shepherd. You'll know. Just be ready to move."

Snow smiled weakly and nudged her booted foot into Charming's instep, making him wince. "Thank you again, Rumpelstiltskin. We'll leave you two to prepare, but we will leave Lancelot with you in case you are in need of anything."

"That won't be necessary. Belle and I will be just fine," he assured them.

"Wait…Lancelot?" Belle asked, her eyes settling on the knight lounging against the wall near the door. "Isn't it just a bit of bad taste to take on such a lofty name? And why would anyone want to be named after Arthur's fallen champion?"

Snow and Charming slipped from the room, knowing what was coming and having heard the story, decided to once again go over plans for battle before going out to the front lines to wait.

A slow smile curved the knight's mouth as he bowed gallantly to Belle. "Because I am Arthur's fallen champion."

Belle snorted. "That's not possible. Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot lived centuries ago."

Rumpelstiltskin tsked at her. "Dearie, we've had this discussion. With magic all things are possible aside from the basic laws that can never be broken."

Belle rolled her eyes at him as he turned his back on her and continued to lay out the items he'd need for the spell. She turned back to the knight, her hands planted firmly on her hips. "Alright, I'll give you that. So you're what? Immortal?"

"In a way," Lancelot answered. "I was cursed. When I embarked on the affair with Guin, it nearly destroyed Arthur and the kingdom. Merlin had maneuvered too many pawns across the chessboard of life to allow that to happen. Of course, he blamed Guin and I. Said it was lust that ruled us and blinded us to what was important. Arthur slipped into such a deep depression there was nothing could get through to him. I'm sure you know of the quest for the grail?" When Belle nodded, he continued. "I left in shame as did Guinevere, but not before Merlin had his revenge. He cursed us. He made certain Guin was banished from Camelot with the knowledge that she'd destroyed two good men. She died alone in a convent with the constant pain her betrayal had caused. Really it was the better of the two. She at least finally found peace. Merlin cursed me to walk the realms until I found true love. Only then can I find peace, grow old and find my final rest."

Belle felt bad that she couldn't find an ounce of sympathy for the man. If it was one thing she just couldn't abide, it was unfaithfulness. "Was she worth it?"

"No. I loved Arthur more. It was the loss of my king and dearest friend that hurt me the most. Guin I loved as my queen. It was a moment of weakness that was my downfall," he said, his tone full of the remorse he'd carried for centuries.

Rumpelstiltskin listened silently as he worked. Knowing the pain of an unfaithful wife and the betrayal of someone he'd loved long ago, he couldn't find it in him to feel sympathy for the man either. "So now you work as a paid mercenary without home or country. What brought you to the Charmings?"

Lancelot turned to face the sorcerer he'd heard so much about, studying the imp as he worked. "Surely you've heard of Snow's capture by King George several weeks ago?"

"I haven't," Belle said, pulling up a chair next to the worktable and taking the mortar and pestle from Rumpelstiltskin to help him prepare their ingredients. He spared her a small smile and continued with the next part of his preparations, pulling a small pewter cauldron from the trunk and waving a hand over it, enlarging it for his purposes.

"It was before Snow and little Red took this castle from the king. He'd had me capture Snow and bring her here. He cursed her with a potion. One that would render her barren."

Belle gasped. "No! Snow can't have children? Because of George?"

"She was cured with the waters of Lake Nostos, but the prince lost his mother in the process. Instead of using the curative waters to save her from the poisoned arrow she'd been struck with, she made me trick Snow into drinking it. I couldn't continue to be a knight for hire to such a man as George, so I switched sides. I've been with the Charmings ever since."

Belle nodded, working furiously with the pestle as she thought over all the knight had said.

Rumpel leaned a hip against the table and narrowed his gaze on the man. "And have you learned anything from being cursed by Merlin?"

"I've learned that love, true love, doesn't exist for everyone…least of all me. And I've learned to keep my distance from married women," he admitted with a rueful quirk of his lips.

Rumpelstiltskin studied the Lancelot, his penetrating stare making the knight more than a little uncomfortable. "Belle, dearie, would you fetch some water for me please?" he asked, handing her a pitcher. She quirked a brow, knowing all too well that he could have filled the vessel with a snap of his fingers. He simply wanted her out of the room for a few moments. Instead of arguing with him, she took the carafe and quietly left the room.

The mage moved closer to the knight, circling around behind him, sizing up his prey. "How much would it be worth to you to find your true love, hmm?"

"I'm not interested in your tricks, Spinner. You make your deals and spin your contracts just as adeptly as you spin straw into gold. No one has ever come out on the better end of a deal with you. I'm wise to you," Lancelot said.

Rumpelstiltskin giggled, the sound carrying out into the corridor. "I see my reputation precedes me. Lovely. But I can help you find your salvation," he taunted. He was confident a deal could be struck with the ancient knight. He'd yet to be wrong about a desperate soul.

"I don't believe she even exists," Lancelot said mournfully.

"Oh indeed she does. And she could be yours in exchange for oh…say…a simple favor," the dealmaker said silkily.

"A favor? What kind of favor?" the man asked; hope flaring to life within his chest.

"Do we have a deal, dearie? A favor to the Dark One in exchange for the guiding light to your twoo wuv?" he sing-songed. "A life of love…a woman to grow old with…and then the chance to go on to your final reward? Or shall you continue to walk the realms, century after century, life after life, watching all those you care for wither and die before your eyes while you remain unchanged? The pain of loss, regret, plaguing you for eternity?"

Dark chocolate orbs met amber as the knight thought it over, the sorcerer's words digging into his chest like claws and making him feel every sharp talon of loss and regret he'd lived with for over seven hundred years.

Rumpelstiltskin steepled his fingers beneath his chin, one brow arched in anticipation. "Tick tock, dearie. I don't have time to waste, y'know."

Lancelot sighed. What did he have to lose? It wasn't as if the mage could ask anything worse than some of the things he'd done in his past. "Deal," he said, holding out his hand to shake the green gold one of the sorcerer.

Rumpelstiltskin smiled with childlike glee. He reached forward and snatched the bronze circlet that rested about the knight's neck, ignoring his protests. "No, that was given to me by—"

"Arthur. Yes, yes, dearie, I realize that." With a wave of his hand and a few words from his spell clever lips, the circlet glowed brightly before returning to its normal dull hue. He handed it back to the knight. "Do not take it off. When you draw near your true love, it will grow hot against your skin. I suspect you'll find her sooner than you suspect."

Lancelot replaced the circlet about his neck and eyed the mage warily. "And this favor of yours?" he asked, wanting to know just what he'd gotten himself into with all due haste.

Rumpelstiltskin glanced at the door, checking to see that Belle was nowhere within hearing distance. "Don't worry, dearie, I assure you it's an easy one. As long as Belle resides in this castle you will watch over her. No harm is to come to her. I assure you, my wrath is not something you wish to experience."

Lancelot gaped at him with dawning realization. "You don't expect to succeed."

The imp's thin lips curled back over his ruined teeth in irritation. "Of course I will succeed. The only thing I am unsure of is what condition I will be in once I do. If I am unable to protect my little dearie, I want to make damn certain of her safety."

"That's it?" the knight asked incredulously.

"That's enough," Rumpelstiltskin said with a dry laugh. "You have no idea how willful and headstrong my lady can be. You'll be wishing I'd asked you to raid the Cave of Wonders instead."

X*X*X*X*X

"You should rest, Belle. We have several hours until nightfall. Can't do much until then," Rumpelstiltskin said as he put the finishing touches to the Dragon Pentagram he'd drawn on the stone floor in colored chalk. He'd already made her eat a light repast to keep up her strength, but she'd eaten little. He'd eaten nothing at all. Being the Dark One, there was little of mortal necessities that he needed, but he wouldn't let his girl do without. He looked over at the small cot he had conjured for her. "You need to keep up your strength for what we will be doing tonight. I don't want you collapsing in the middle of the spell."

"What about you?" she asked, hiding a yawn behind her hand.

"I'll be fine." He turned away from her and looked over the items spread out on the table, ready for his use. He didn't want to have to look down into her eyes, those infinite blue pools that seemed to see directly into his soul. He was scared that one day she'd see just how black it was and realize what a mistake she'd made by staying with him. He'd never be what she deserved and he wouldn't delude himself into thinking otherwise.

Belle took his hand and twined her fingers with his. "Lie down with me. You're going to be casting this spell, so if anyone needs rest, it's you," she reasoned gently, pulling him towards the cot.

He stumbled forward one step before he dug in his heels. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Belle frowned. "How could it not be a good idea to rest?"

"No, dearie, you misunderstand. I don't think it's a good idea to lie down with you," he said, giving her a pointed look.

"Pfft," she snorted, indignantly waving off his worry. She tugged on his hand again and managed to move him another two steps.

He pulled back, trying to free himself from her grasp. "Belle, I don't want the Charmings or any of their people to come down here to check on our progress and find me in bed with you," he insisted. "It's already damaging enough to your reputation that you live with me."

"Exactly, so why should it matter? Rumpel, I don't care what people think of us. I'm happy with you, I choose to be with you and everyone else's opinions be damned," she reprimanded as gently as she could, knowing that his sense of propriety was a sensitive subject with him. It should be with her as well, considering how she'd been raised. But she loved him and just because she didn't have his ring on her finger didn't mean that she was going to withhold herself from him. With this deal she might not be his wife, but just as good as one in her opinion. "Come on, Rumpel, it will do you good to rest before tonight."

"Belle," he whined half-heartedly. What the hell is wrong with me? I am the most powerful sorcerer in the realms and I am letting this little maiden lead me around by my…well, let's not go there.

But with Belle he could be himself. He didn't have to be the sarcastic, posturing "beast" that everyone had learned to fear, merely Rumpelstiltskin. The back of his knees hit the edge of the cot and he sank down onto it with an oomph. Belle wasted no time pushing against his shoulders until he was lying prone on the little bed, following him down and curling up against his side in the limited space.

Rumpelstiltskin laid stiffly beside her, his hands folded over his stomach, not daring to move. Of course, that wasn't good enough for Belle. She pried his fingers apart and draped his arm around her shoulders so she could press closer and lay her head on his chest, a small sigh of contentment escaping her parted lips. He pressed his face into her crown of chestnut curls and let her floral scent soothe him, his arm involuntarily tightening about her. As much as he enjoyed lying with her in his arms, the quiet left him open for his doubts to resurface and he couldn't help but worry. It made him wonder whether she only made the deal to have him cast the spell and bring peace to the kingdom or if she did truly want to be with him.

"Why would you want to be with me, Belle? I'm a monster and-"

Her fingertips pressed gently to his lips, but her cerulean eyes gleamed with steely determination…determination that she would succeed in making him understand just how wrong he was. She had to make him see himself as she saw him without revealing the love she held for him in her heart. He needed to see that for himself if he were to believe her when she finally spoke the words.

"You're not a monster, Rumpelstiltskin, and one day you're going to believe those words to be true," she smiled, brushing away the curls that had fallen over his eyes. "Have I ever lied to you?"

His eyes searched her face in the wan afternoon sunlight filtering in through the dungeon windows. "No…at least not that I'm aware."

"Then why would I start now? Why do I want to be with you? What do I see when I look at you? I see a man, not a monster. A man who struggles with himself every day to be more than what the world sees him to be."

"Belle," he murmured ruefully, still wallowing in disbelief.

"Shush," she scolded gently at the interruption. "Hear me out. When you brought me to the Dark Castle, I didn't know what to expect and I was terrified. You threw me in a dungeon and left me to cower in my fear. You could have sold me, traded me, tortured me, raped me—"

"I would never!" he said indignantly, staring at her in horror.

"I know that, Rumpel, but at the time I didn't. You have a fearsome reputation that I had to learn for myself wasn't true. And you didn't try to disabuse me of my fear either…until I chipped your cup. 'It's just a cup' you said…as if it meant little in the grand scheme of things. I was afraid you would punish me for damaging your things on my first day there. You showed me I was more than just a new acquisition."

"No, you were my greatest treasure. Hard to find someone who can make such a tasty cup of tea," he said in a poor attempt at a quip, the corner of his mouth twisting up into a sad smile. His grip tightened on her waist and he pulled her just a bit closer. He needed that closeness, that knowledge that she wouldn't run from him.

"Stop it," she said, leaning up just a bit to kiss the underside of his jaw. "Let me finish." When she had his full attention, she continued, her fingers twisting in the leather laces of his waistcoat nervously. "I see you, Rumpel. My third night in the dungeon, I was so homesick for my papa. Instead of doing some horrible action to stifle my cries, you gave me a pillow and showed me kindness. When you let the thief live because you didn't want his child to grow up without a father, you showed compassion. And the little boy you couldn't save in the village…" She bit down on her lower lip to stifle a sob as she remembered, tears shining brightly in her eyes. "His family blamed you because you couldn't save him and yet all I could see was the remorse you felt. A monster would never be able to feel as you do, Rumpel. A monster does not show kindness, nor does he feel compassion or remorse."

He smoothed his hand over the curls at her temple and trailed his knuckles over the curve of her jaw before resting it over her cheek, the pad of his thumb brushing lightly over her lower lip. "I've done so many horrible things. If you knew…if you could see the darkness…you wouldn't like me quite so well."

She looked up at him, capturing his gaze as she kissed his thumb. "I don't care who you were in the past or what you may have done. I know who you are now and tonight…when the spell is done…you'll know just how I truly feel about you, Rumpelstiltskin. The heart doesn't lie."

He felt his stomach clench at the mention of the spell, propelling his fears to the surface of his mind. She would be his, bound to him forever. And even if he did somehow eventually drive her away, she would never be free of him. A part of him would always be with her. "Belle, I won't hold you to your deal. You don't have to go through with it."

"My fate, Rumpelstiltskin, my choice. You are my choice. I will fulfill my part of the deal," she insisted. She smiled as her hand crept into the open collar of his shirt and his breath stuttered in his chest at the feel of her warm hand on his bare skin.

"I don't want you to stay because of a deal you made with me. I want…"

Belle nuzzled her nose in the crook of his neck and yawned, the low hum of desire in her belly manageable in her tiredness. "Our desires are aligned. You want me to remain with you because I truly want to, and I want you to keep me because you can't bear the thought of living without me, because you love me." She kissed the hollow of his throat and snuggled deeper into his embrace. "Perhaps by night's end we will both have what we want."

A/N: I had every intention of writing the spell into this chapter, but I got sidetracked by so many feels the fluff pirates came and made me write them all down. I really hope you're enjoying this as much as I am. Please continue to read and review. Your comments feed my muse better than a margarita with an amaretto shooter. Thank you all so much for favoriting and following. It means so much to me. xoxoxo

Thank you to all my awesome sauce reviewers! You guys rock! AquaJasmine23 (3 U! Thanks so much for brainstorming with me in the middle of the night!), MyraValhallah (you inspired me to add Jeffy to the mix), MagdalenaP, crazykat77 (oh hell no TLK), WintersBandit (so glad you're hooked!), Twyla Mercedes (LMAO I'd like to know too!), sheshe21 (sorry about the data on your phone lol), FaerieTales4ever (my awesome beta who I couldn't live without), RaziOUAT, and Techne (so glad you're loving it!)