Belle stared at the chipped cup as she tipped the spout of the teapot into it. Why does he still keep that cup? And drink out of it every day, nonetheless?

She walked to the end of the long table and handed Rumplestiltskin the teacup with a smile.

"Thank you," he said with that mischievous grin of his, always giving off the impression that he knew more than you did.

Good deal, she registered in her mind. He was in a good mood, which meant he must have had a good deal. And good deals usually meant hardship for whoever he had struck the deal with.

"What's wrong, dearie?"

Belle realized he must have seen her change in facial expression and turned around quickly. She began pouring herself a cup of tea, still facing away from him, before she answered. She knew it would be no good to lie to him, even if she had wanted to.

"I was wondering where you were this morning." She took her tea and sat on the side of the table, like she usually did.

Though she didn't look at him, she could tell by his creaking chair that he had leaned forward. "Didn't I tell you never to ask me where I go?"

She finally turned to face him staring at her. "You're the one who asked what was wrong."

Rumplestiltskin shrugged, clearly unaffected by her statement. "True enough." He settled back down into his chair. "Has the library presented a more formidable challenge for cleaning?"

Belle smiled, catching the meaning behind his words, though he would never say them. Are you enjoying the library? "I love all the books." She looked down at her cup and swirled around its contents. "I can travel the world while sitting in one room." Something made her want to look at him again and she did, seeing that he had that strange look on his face where it seemed like he was trying to figure her out, but couldn't. Like she was some creature he was studying, or a specimen.

She probably should have found it creepy, but she didn't. In fact, it was comical. He seemed to know so little about human nature. Or maybe it was just her.

"That wasn't what I asked." He paused and squinted at her. "And why are you smiling again?"

"Why shouldn't I smile when I'm happy?"

His expression quickly changed to confused surprise. "You're happy...here? With me?"

"Well, it's not the life I dreamed I'd have, but I have books and good company. I do miss my family, but that's all I really need."

"You find me good company?" he asked with a disbelieving tone.

"Why shouldn't I?"

"I'm...You called me a beast, a monster."

She remembered it well, and she had meant it whole-heartedly. But things had changed, especially after he had spared the thief. "You've changed since then."

"Nonsense. You've been reading too much again." He took another sip of his tea, finishing it off. He pushed his chair away from the table and stood up, pressing his hands together.

"Fetch your cloak, dearie."

Belle glanced down at the half-full cup in her hands, and then trained her gaze on him again. "Am I going somewhere?" She never went anywhere; she hadn't even been outside the castle grounds since they had chased that thief.

He replied matter-of-factly to her confused expression. "We are going to town to get some straw."

That confused her even more. "Why am I coming with you?"

"Because you need to know how to get it in the event you go alone."

Alone? He would let her go alone? But instead of voicing that thought she teased him like she normally did. "I think you just want the company."

"And I think you should get your cloak before I accidentally set the library on fire."

She smirked as she took his empty teacup and placed it back on the tray. "You wouldn't do that."

"Oh, you don't think so, dearie?" he said with a giggle as a glowing fireball appeared in his palm

Belle rolled her eyes, unimpressed. She knew he would never even dream of harming the library. As she left the room with the tea tray, her mind went back to what she had told Rumplestiltskin- that she was happy here. She hadn't been lying, though she hadn't mentioned that it was much more because of him than because of the books.

A couple minutes later saw the odd pair traveling down the dirt road leading to town. Belle had restrained from asking him why they were walking instead of taking the carriage, but now the silence was killing her. They hadn't spoken a word and it felt strange.

"So you've been spinning a lot, then," Belle said, deciding to say something. "More forgetting."

"Yes, I suppose," he answered quietly.

"I still don't know anything about your past."

"And you won't." It wasn't harsh, but still very soft. "I told you, I'm a difficult man to love. That's all you need to know."

Belle thought of a dozen things she could say in response to that, all of them having to do with the fact that she did love him. But how she loved him? That was a different question entirely, one that she didn't want to think about right now.

Instead, she decided to push further than she ever had before. "Did you lose someone?" In her ears, her voice sounded so quiet it might not have even carried over to him.

He made no reaction at first, just kept his head down. "More than someone."

Belle finally began to see why he was such an enemy of love. If he had lost all that he had loved, it must have affected him greatly.

"I'm sorry." She ventured even further and placed a hand on his arm. "I really am."

He shrank away from her touch. "You don't understand," he muttered.

"Maybe I don't, but I could." She stuck to his arm persistently, and he didn't shake her off. "It doesn't do any good to keep it pent up inside, you know. It just makes it hurt more."

"It doesn't hurt," he countered in what Belle knew was a straight lie. "I told you, I forgot."

"You just don't want to admit that I'm right."

He sneered up at her, his eyes narrowing. "I could still turn you into a toad, you know."

He always threatened that; it was like their inside joke. Belle smiled. "But you won't."

"Perhaps not. It would be too troublesome to replace you."

"Are you saying I do a good job?" she asked, trying to coax him into saying something positive.

What she wasn't expecting was a truthful answer. He turned his head to look at her. "You do, in fact." His gaze turned skeptical. "Why would you work hard for me when I took everything away from you?"

Belle had to think about his question, as she had never really considered it. "It's just the good thing to do."

"Ah, that's why I don't understand. I don't know anything about being good."

"Yes you do," she countered quickly, "or have you already forgotten that you spared a man's life?"

His gaze hardened. "I told you, I missed," he grumbled in a meager defense.

Belle shook her head. "Why can't you just admit that there's still good in you?"

"Despite what you hope, dearie, I'll never be good. Might as well give up now."

"No." She wasn't sure why the word had come out with such force. "I'll never give up, because I will always believe in you."