I'm so sorry that this chapter has taken such a long time. I've been sick and in the hospital, but I'm better now, I don't know if this chapter is any good or not but here it goes...

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Rumple avoided the girl the next day. He was in no hurry to come face to face with her. she had made no move to enter the castle and although he had tried to ignore it, he worried that she had not eaten.

He tried to focus on the wheel before him but his thoughts wouldn't let him , no matter how hard he concentrated, they wondered back to the girl.

How had those injuries occured? He needed to know, then he thought to himself, why do I care? Some girl shows up in a rain storm and I'm suppost to feel blessed?

His thread was tangled again. "Bloody Hell" Rumple said as he angrily threw down the thread and stalked off toward the tower.

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Sweat trickled into Belle's eyes as she hacked at the overgrown shrubs, she hadn't been invited back in the castle. How exactly was she suppost to make him see her worth if he avoided her. She had worked all morning on the grounds and was getting hungry, she was glad for the eggs she had saved, the dead brush would make a fine fire and she had found a piece of metal hiding in the stable, perfect for cooking on.

The area where Belle had been working all morning was looking much better, she had even uncovered some small buds and hauled water to encourage thier growth she felt satisfied with what she had accomplished. She stood back and admired it, "Better."

Belle looked down and examined her dirty dress, she was glad she had not washed it but had opted to wear it one more day, but now, it had to be cleaned, Belle hauled the pail of water over the side of the stone well and sat it on the ground.

She looked at her reflection in the water as she pressed her fingers against her sore eye. It was getting better she thought but then her eyes wondered to her hair. she took off the rag and stared into the water shaking her head. She was a mess, well, there where ways to hide some of it. She stripped off her dress, plunging it into the water. After a few minutes of intense scrubbing, the dress looked better, if only she had some soap. what was she going to do? "Well it could be worse, I could be back with Gaston" that brightened her up a bit, but she needed to find a way to smoke him out of there, Belle thought as she looked at the large ominous castle.

"Think Belle think, what do all men desire?" Belle caught her reflection in the bucket again. "I can't imagine this face and hair are desirable, can you Belle?"

Belle hauled more water from the well. She started with her hair, she had been thinking of a way to hide the unsightliness and thought she might know how to hide most of it. with her hair wet and much cleaner she started braiding it, the damaged hair was long enough if she braided it down the side to hide it. the braid fell along her shoulder. She took a look in her watery mirror. "Not bad at all Belle" then something caught her eye. she could see the reflection of the tower in the bucket and he was watching her. Belle didn't look up for fear he would leave. she bit her bottom lip trying to work out in her mind what her next move ought to be. Cautious not to look up or give any sign she saw him, Belle began washing.

With Rumplestiltskin watching closely, Belle slowly pulled the shift off her upper body. She had torn a piece of her dress while she had been fighting dead shrubs and decided to turn it into a rag and now she squeezed the cool water over her shouders and breasts. it was cold and goose bumps rose on her flesh but it was refreshing as the water washed over her.

Belle had brought her stool with her for sitting on and as she finished with her shoulders and arms all the while praying he was still there, Belle took a seat on the stool and hiked up her shift. She slowly inspected her thighs as the cloth billowed wet around them. "This ought to have him licking the glass" she thought as she giggled imaging the scene. when Belle finished washing her legs she put her shift back on, she didn't want to risk looking at the window so she hurried back to her rooms in the stable. She was surprised to see a tray adorned with food, drink and even a candle along with a small note. It announced that he would be leaving for a few days . Belle sighed as she read the note, but the food she was grateful for. She looked up to the window in the tower, empty...

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Rumplestiltskin couldn't look away from the display of flesh below. It had been years since he had viewed a woman bathing and this one was awfully naked. She seemed intent upon her task as he raised his chin, vying for a better view.

Rumple inhaled deeply. He clenched his hand into a fist. Women were frightned of him, frightned of his appearance and what he was capable of, but this girl intrigued him, she showed no fear.

He had business that had come up recently and he would need to leave for a few days. The girl could stay untill he returned but Rumple had made up his mind, she was a distraction, it was best if she were gone. Perhaps she would be like a stray dog, if he left for a while and there was no food or company she would just wander away.

He made sure she had food and was aware he was leaving and retreated to the confines of his potion room for the night.

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Belle retched untill nothing came up. She was down on her hands and knees behind the stable in the rain. It had been an almost constant rain for over a week and with no fire Belle had been reduced to raw eggs. Rumplestiltskin showed no signs of returning, Belle had considered leaving but now she was too sick. She wiped her mouth off and managed to find her way back to her bed. She was too weak to haul water but it was just as well, if she had anything in her stomach it wouldn't stay there long. Belle tried to bury herself in the dry hay trying to get warm and still her shaking. Sometime in the night Belle woke up coughing. Her chest felt like fire. She tried to get up in a sitting position but it was no use, She closed her eyes as they glazed over with fever.

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The sun decided to shine once again the day Rumple strolled back to dark castle. He felt good, deals were especially advantageous when desperate souls were willing to bargin with him for thier deepest darkest desires.

All was strangly quiet as Rumple listened for signs that the girl was still about. He didn't hear the singing she had took recently to doing, good. Maybe his plan had worked. His elation was short lived as he caught sight of her lying unconscious as he entered the stable.

"GALE" Rumple shouted as he leant over her and shook her shoulders trying to get a response, Not even a moan greeted his ears, he felt for a pulse, it was weak. He scooped her up easily in his arms and used his magic to get them to his bedroom. He gently lay her in the bed but she showed no indication that she was waking. Rumple could feel the heat rolling off her body with the high fever. He needed to get it to come down if she was going to wake, he had some potions that would definatly help, he left to see what he had that would work.

When he returned she had come to but was delirious. He tried to get her to take a concoction that would ease pain but he didn't get much down before she began coughing, spitting it mostly back on him and fighting blindly. After a while What little medicine she did somehow manage to swallow seemed to calm her down somewhat.

Rumple sat on the side of the bed staring at the girl watching for signs of improvement. He wondered how long she had lay there, she was filthy and if it was possible she looked even paler. He decided that a bath and some clean clothes would make her more comfortable. First he undid her hair, she had kept it braided on the side to hide the area that was damaged, Rumple used his magic as he ran his fingers through her hair causing it to grow, the luxurious brown locks legnthened at his command to it's former beauty. Rumple smiled at his completed work, admiring the wavy hair that now framed her face and fell well below her shoulders. Her eye looked alot better but was still discolored a sickly yellow but most of the swelling had gone down. Rumple shrugged his shoulders, might as well he thought as he tendely touched her face with his long fingers, erasing any traces of bruising causing her face to retain most of it's former beauty, only her mishapen jaw remained. Rumple bit his bottom lip. It was probably a good thing she wasn't awake, if so this would have hurt a bit.

He rubbed his calloused thumb over her jaw line as magic knitted it back together properly, letting him look upon her true beauty for the first time. Even as sick as Belle was she was a breath taking beauty and all Rumple could do was stare.

Slowly Belle opened her eyes and Rumple's breath caught in his throat. as he stared into orbs that were the color of the sea. Her eyes fluttered a few times as she tried to regain her senses.

"Where, where am I?" She managed weakly.

"Your sick Gale, I came back to find you very ill, your in dark castle now." Rumple whispered to her as he felt her head, checking for fever. He reached for a cup of water and trying to raise her head he helped her take a sip. Belle was burning with thirst. Her throat felt as if it were on fire. She could have taken more but after a few drinks Rumple sat the cup on the table by the bed.

"Gale, your fever is still very high, I have a bath run, we need to get your fever down dearie, I need you to let me help you get in that bathtub. Trust me it will help you."Rumple tenderly picked her up and carried her to an adjacent room with a tub of cool water and rags and supplies to clean Belle up. Belle was in no position to argue.