Yikes it been a frightening long time since I've updated this, so sorry about that! But here's another chapter that hopefully makes up for the almost year absence. I really hope to finish this, I even have the next chapter almost completely written. I know it's long overdue, but I hope you like the chapter. Thank you soo much for the reviews, follows, and favorites. Also I'm looking for a beta if anyone could help me with that, I'm hoping to cut down on all the mistakes I make. Thanks.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouat

oOo

"Belle," he said panicking at the sight of her. She wasn't responsive. His unusual scaly skin became even stranger, turning pale. For a few seconds he stood frozen, not knowing what he should do, or what he could do.

"Sweetheart please, please wake up!" he pleaded as his fingers raced over her cheek, but her eyes didn't open. He grimaced.

Belle felt so delicate cradled in his arms. As he looked down at her pale face, he was reminded of a different moment. The moment when he knew she was more than just another deal to him.

Belle had been standing oh so precariously on the little ledge of the ladder. She had fallen, but he had caught her. He'd looked at her with mystification as she thanked him for saving her life. Belle's fall from the curtains had frightened him. His lithe arms had immediately went to saving her body from being broken on the floor before him. Rumple was so afraid to lose her to death; it was one thing he could never let happen.

He had saved her then and he would save her now. He would always protect her.

Rumple soon shook off his stupor and holstered her up higher in his arms marching through the front doors of the castle. Once inside the huge doors shut behind him with a thunderous clang. With only a thought Rumple's magic brought them both up to her room. Dark purple clouds surrounded them and then disappeared just as quick. The room was dark; the curtains were drawn, but it hadn't been by Belle's doing.

It had been a surprise but a pleasant one when he removed her from the dungeon giving her a proper room. Belle first undertaking was opening the dark, thick curtains shrouding the room. Once she could actually see it she couldn't believe how extravagant the room was. It was gorgeous. It was, much to her amazement, was furnished with smooth cream furnishing and beautiful blue accents all around. It stole Belle's breathe. He remembered how she had spun around to face him with a delighted look on her face. His Belle had thrown her hands around his neck and pulled him into a tight hold. He remembered smiling as he went to bed that night, and the light she brought in. But that light had been gone for too long, snuffed out by his fear and cowardliness. He was left in darkness as soon as she stepped across his property line.

Rumple angrily closed the curtains, shortly after she was gone. It was one of the few times he ventured in her room, but he had missed her so much it hurt. Every one of her smiles he remembered and counted, he recalled every word in the several times they fought, and remembered every time she made him feel something he hadn't in a long time; happiness. Unfortunately she took that joy with her when she left. Now he was just a miserable monster with an empty heart.

Rumple withdrew to her bedroom just to be surrounded by her again, but it was only painful. Her scent mocked him as it clung to where she no longer was. The rumpled bedspread had an imprint where she had sat and probably cried on it, but worst of all the curtains were open. Light flooded in; a cruel reminder of the time he held her, and the times she brought brightness in his dreary life of solitude. So he shut the curtains blocking out any light that sought to creep in. He left her room in a rush to his spinning wheel; in a hurry to forget. Yet, there was no use in forgetting anymore because she was in his arm again, and was depending on him to help her.

Rumple hurried over to the bed. The covers and sheets rolled themselves back under his command. He placed her carefully in the bed, and was about to put the covers over her, but stopped when he realized her shoes were still on. Rumple sat down on the edge of the bed by her feet and lifted her foot in his lap. He tilted it to get a better grasp on the small buckle. The shoe slipped off easily and Rumple put it on the ground to move on to the other one. After he got the other one off, she still had knee-high stockings on. With timid hands he pushed back the dress just enough to find the top of her stockings just below her knee and remove them one at a time. Without realizing it he started rubbing her now bare feet. Her skin was soft and delicate. Once he saw what he was doing he immediately stopped and got up. He thought about taking off her dress himself, but thought better and chose rather to use magic. Purple surrounded her and then she was in light, loose fitting white nightdress. Even though it was thin it was still modest going down to just below her elbows and all the way to her toes.

Once he got her all settled in he used his own hands to bring up the covers. Her auburn hair was strewed across the pillow her head tilted away from his view. Rumple placed a scaly hand on her forehead. Much to his dismay she was hot to the touch. A fever had taken hold.

He hands hovered over her body ready to call his magic to scan her body; to find out what was wrong with her. But he didn't get the chance when suddenly Belle's eyes shot open and she gasped.

"Rumple," she breathed in relief. Despite the situation he gave her a slight smile. He nodded.

"Yes Belle I'm right here." She grasped his scaly hand with one small, pale one. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"I…, I don't feel good." She trembled with a pained face. He grimaced.

"I know." He said, raising his hand to stroke her sweaty forehead. "You're burning up, Belle." He told her worried. "I'm going to use magic to look for what causing you sickness." Her eyes immediately went wide.

"No!" She shouted sternly. Rumple was taken back by this and frowned. He could see why she would object to something that would help her.

"Belle I promise it won't hurt."

"Don't." she insisted. He couldn't understand why she was so adamant about this, but he wasn't going to give up either.

"I need to know what wrong, Belle." He defended. "I can't help you if…, if I don't know what's wrong." Belle could see the need and desperation in his eyes, but she couldn't let him find out. She didn't want him to discover the poisoned running threw her blood, and the failing organs that clenched inside her. It would him destroy him if he found out she was dying. There was nothing he could do about it.

"I'm fine, I'll be better in the morning." She lied.

He seemed to back down but did tell her he was going to make something to bring down her fever; to which she reluctantly accepted.

He walked out to make a cure for her fever in his tower and also grabbed a bowl of a water and a cloth to wash her damp forehead. Once he had collected all the things he needed, which took longer than he would've liked, he took the stairs two at a time and raced back to her room.

Rumple saw that she must have fell back asleep.

He stayed by her side while she rested, fervently trying to cool her body tempt with a damp cloth. He needed to wake her up so she could take the fever tonic. "Belle…" he whispered her name. He tried shaking her shoulder. After calling her name a couple of times she woke up in a haze. She was just lucid enough that he could get her to drink the tonic. But he knew she wouldn't remember much.

Every second she slept, her eyes closed tightly he worried. He was in complete disarray. He tried to put all the puzzle pieces together but nothing made sense. Belle had been missing for months when she suddenly shows up at his door with guards who wanted to hurt her. He had so many questions. What had she done during those months away from him? Who were those guards and why did they want to take her? And most importantly why was she so near to death? He knew she said she was fine but it certainly didn't seem like it.

The following day was when she finally woke up enough to know what was happening around her, which wasn't much. Rumple sat quietly next to her as he had every minute as she slept. It took a second for him to discover that she was awake. She turned her head to the side to get a better look at him.

"Rumple I…," she started to say as she tried to sit up.

"Shh," he hushed her. Rumple pushed her shoulder gently, laying her back down on the bed. "You need you rest, Belle."

"No!" she protested. She sat up despite the stern glare Rumple was giving her. She would not be intimidated by him. "I have to tell you…" this got his attention. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed, closer to her. He looked at her inquisitively, with the tilt of his head.

"What? What do you have to tell me?" He asked curiously. Her mouth opened but nothing came out. His brown eyes bore into her blue ones. She wanted to tell him everything she had planned to tell him when she started to run back. However the worry and doubt began to set in. Belle realized just how rash and driven by her heart rather than her mind her decision to turn back had been. What if he hated her after? What if Regina found out and killed her father?

"I, I," she stumbled. "I don't know what to say." She said lamely. He leaned away from her not expecting that. He'd never seen Belle at such a loss for words.

"Try." He spoke a little too harshly and he could tell she closed up. He let out a sigh. He grabbed her hand and tried to soothe her. When she didn't say anything he was disappointed. When she said she had something to tell him he thought she would clear up what happened. For a while neither of them said anything. They fell into an awkward silence. It was Belle to break the ice first.

"Thank you for saving me," she spoke softly and sincerely. If she couldn't tell him anything else she wanted to know she was truly and deeply thankful for saving her, and not just for saving her now but saving her from a life that she had never wanted. She never desired to rule, or have a loveless marriage. He had saved her from all of that. He shook his head and opened his mouth, but was beat when Belle stopped him shaking her head adamantly. "Don't say it was no matter, because it wasn't."

"I wasn't going to" she looked over to see a slowly growing smirk. She tilted her head with a curious look. "Because your life matters to me." Rumple said sincerely staring straight into her misty cerulean eyes. "Your life matters to me too." His head spun back towards her and his heart swelled. He smiled at her before all the pain from earlier came rushing back.

If his life mattered to her why would she do what she did? He hung his head. Why had she say all those painful things? Her words came back to him. 'I didn't come back to you.' She told him. 'You thought I loved you… I don't.' She spat. He remembered he asked her why she was saying this. 'Because it's true,' she answered him. 'I remember crying myself to sleep every night.' His heart broke when she said that. If he was less of a coward, if he wasn't scared of what he'd discover, he would've asked her about everything that happened between them. However all he did was get up from the bed, staring dismally at the floor. She saw his smile fall, and his eyes darken. Belle frowned. She studied him, wondering what he could be thinking about. He had placed his hands clasped behind his back. She knew she was seeing him in a rare moment of vulnerability. With shoulders slumped he looked tired and worn. She wasn't use to this side of him. Belle remembered the first time she saw him. At first she was curious. Rumple had magically just appeared. He made a group of rough, proud men quake in their boots. They had always defined what she could and couldn't do but Rumple had given her a choice right from the beginning. He had given her a chance to be a hero. Rumple had such a powerful and commanding air, but now he looked like he could barely lift his head. Her heart ached for him. She almost didn't want to know, but she couldn't not ask.

"What's wrong, Rumple?" she said as softly as she could, not to startle him. Nevertheless it did. He looked up at her like a wounded animal. However, like only the Dark One could, he quickly placed a look of indifference upon his face. He had put his armor back on.

"I'm quite alright," he said coolly, almost adding a 'dearie' but not having it in him. He sighed. "You should get some rest." He told her turning away towards the door.

"Where are you going?" She asked quietly, but he didn't turn around. He couldn't let her see his face expression. It had become dark. While he had a lot of questions for Belle, he had quite a few for the two guards in the dungeons. They had waited for her and then forcefully tried to take her away from the castle; away from him.

"Rumple please, don't…," she said helplessly searching for words. She knew she had to leave soon. She couldn't stay. Belle knew she couldn't save herself; no one could, but she could save her father. She had to warn them before Regina found out that she had disobeyed her; that she couldn't just leave Rumple like that, in despair and alone. She was going to leave eventually but she wanted to spend as much time by Rumple's side as she could.

"Don't go." She said. Rumple turned slightly. His face was hidden from her, his hair hung loosely in front of it.

"Go to sleep." he commanded her, she grew silent. He frowned. She finally spoke up, but it was a quiet 'ok'. He heard her shift down in bed and pull the covers over her body. He walked over to the bed surprising Belle.

"Belle you need your rest, I just want you to get better." He said trying to soothe her, even daring to stroke her hair away from her face. She nodded.

"Could you-," she faltered. He gave her an encouraging look as she didn't finish right away.

"Would you stay?" She rushed out. "I mean just until I fall asleep." She added timidly. Belle was worried he's say no, but he didn't giving her a slight nod. He slid over to the shock of Rumple who almost had a heart attack. He looked at the empty space she created fearfully. Rumple a bit reluctantly sat on the bed over the covers. Belle giggled at his rigid form. If only people saw the great Dark One like this; nervously sitting on a bed to keep a woman from feeling scared and lonely.

Her eyes closed rather quickly, but not before slipping her hand in his. She looked peaceful sleeping beside the monster. He couldn't imagine how. Nevertheless once she fell asleep he carefully got out of the bed and slipped outside the room to have a friendly chat with two prisoners.

oOo

He used magic to slam the cell doors open, startling the prisoners. He stalked into the room, like a predator. His hands were pressed together under his chin. Rumple gave the two guards a menacing stare. He was rewarded with looks of pure terror from them. With the dungeon being so dim they could barely make out his figure, but they could see his angry eyes clearly. The dungeon was depressing. The walls and floor had dark crimson stains. Black shackles hung from the ceiling dangling dangerously. The guards were both captured by the shackles. Their wrist were painfully red, and their eyes were dark with fear. They would receive no mercy from the Dark One for laying their hands on his maid, and they knew it. Rumple tapped his fingers against each other, thinking about the best way to get what he wanted. He eyes lit up when he came up with a seamless plan. The perfect way to get the information he wanted. The older of the two guards squinted his eyes as Rumpelstiltskin stepped closer.

"What are you going to do with us," he spat.

"Usually," he started, "I would revel in the opportunity to burn and fillet the skin of your bones as you wept and begged for death." He said his teeth gritted together, and darkness danced in his brown eyes. Though his words sounded as if they would be spared of a cruel torture, they knew his reputation. They knew the Dark One wouldn't hold back with pain. They wondered just what he was going to do to them. "However I need information a tad quicker then torture would afford me. So I guess it's your lucky day." The prisoners didn't look relieved, but Rumple was smiling with glee. "So this is how it's going to work. Whoever tells me who their working for and why you tried to take Belle away first gets to live. Whoever doesn't… well dies," he says with a maniac giggle. "And just to make sure you guys don't try anything funny and hatch a clever plan, you guys get your own cells." He turns around leaving, "So you better get talking" he says in leaving "time is of the essence!" he added with one last laugh. Once outside his magic brings one of the guards to the other cell. He knew it wouldn't be long when one would give up the other and start talking.

oOo

He went as fast as he could, pushing the horses. The guard traveled through heavy woods and uneven paths with a rough hand. The wheels teetered against the rock and dirt of the rood. The horses whinnied as they felt the crack of the whip. They spend up and took a sharp right as the roads led them home, back to the Queen's castle. As soon as he saw the beast come out of his fortress he got out of there as fast as he could. His queen would not be happy that her enemy Rumpelstiltskin had taken the girl and her guards.

Sweat rolled down from the guard's brow. The Evil Queen wasn't the forgiving type.

He wondered what would become of him when he returned with an empty carriage. He had heard twisty and tangled tales of the punishments for failing her; painful poisons, having your heart ripped out and crushed before your very eyes, and the most painful one being choked by huge magically grown vines. He heard tales how she would restrict your limbs with the vines and then wrap one around your throat until you couldn't breathe. The guard shuttered. He knew he couldn't run away. No matter where he went Regina would find him. Maybe she would be merciful…

The guard didn't have much longer to find out when he reached the long road leading into the Queen's Castle. The horses skittered to a stop and the carriage halted with a jolt. He eyes scanned up the tall castle to a narrow window where she was waiting. The Evil Queen stood clothed in dark luscious silk tailored to fit her body with a tight smile as she saw her mindless minion return.

oOo

Rumple was quite happy with himself as he walked away from the dungeon. A smug grin graced his lips. He would soon get answers from the quivering fools. He would find out what happed to his Belle. The very Belle that was back under his roof preciously sleeping upstairs; safe and soun- Rumple's eyes widened.

An intruder! Someone was in his tower. Rumple magic'd away, but not to his workroom. He thought of Belle's room, only to find the sheets devastatingly empty. His heart panicked!

Yay! Another chapter done. Please tell me what you thought!