Rumplestiltskin's breathing deepened as he woke, he stretched feeling refreshed, He hadn't slept in an actual bed in a while, prefering the chair in his potions room more often than not out of convience.

Yesterday's events brought him to full consciousness as he whipped his head around to the young beauty asleep on the other side of the bed. Rumple quietly got up, not wanting to awaken the girl and stopping to get fresh clothes, he quickly got dressed and went down stairs.

Once there, Rumple made some tea and began his usual pacing back and forth in the main hall, trying to sort things out in his head.

"How did this become such a mess" he thought. He was inches from a clean get-a-way. She was suppost to have left, no longer his concern, and what happens? "I come back to find her almost dead, now I'm stuck playing nurse maid to a peasant girl of all things, the most feared sorcerer in all the realm ."

He had no time for this, he had much more pressing demands on his time without the burden of caring for someone, it only made you weak. "Once she gets her strength back, that is it, no matter what."

Rumple felt better having setteled that and just as he sat down in his favorite chair in the hall, a delicate rap at the door made him spring up, nearly knocking his tea out of his hand.

Belle cautiously opened the door to the room, looking around catching sight of him by the chair trying to look poised.

"May I" Belle asked before entering. "Yes, of course dearie come in, feeling better I see" Rumpel put on his nicest voice.

"Much sir, thank you" Belle answered, standing there in her night gown. Rumple couldn't help but stare at her, she was stunning, tousled hair and all, an awkard silence began to fill up the hall. Belle broke the quiet. "I have you to thank for everything" she said gesturing to her hair and face, "I'll never be able to repay you."

"I'm sure we can think of something my dear" Rumple said as he approached a chair at the table, pulling it out for her. "Are you hungry' he questioned her. "alittle." At that the table transformed into a banquet before Belle's eyes. Large plates of steaming food materalized before her eyes, fruits of every color, large golden apples, and ruby red pomgrantes, warm cakes with thick syrup made Belle's mouth water, cups full of wine, others full of cream Belle's eyes widened at the display before her.

"Eat up dearie, your going to need your stregnth" Rumple said as he took a seat at the head of the table. Belle didn't know what to eat first. She had never seen so much food, even in her father's kingdom. Gaston had thrown some very extravagant parties but she hadn't been allowed to induldge, Gaston had told her he didn't want people thinking she was a glutinous pig.

Shyly Belle put some fruit on her plate and selected a mug of fresh creamy milk, everything tasted divine. She had looked up to catch a glance of Rumplestilskin a few times. he was watching her intently which made her blush, knowing he had seen her so vunerable the night before. She could practially read his thoughts. "We can think of something to repay him with, she was going to need her stregnth?" Belle groaned at the thought.

Rumple chewed his food silently, thinking about giving Belle a bath the night before. Oh gods, that would forever be burnt into his memory no matter how many centuries he was kept alive by the dark power, It would fuel fantasies for the next hundred years atleast. maybe more.

Without warning Belle pushed her chair back from the table and rose. "done already?" Rumple said, watching Belle fidgit nervously.

"I couldn't find my dress" She began , glancing down at her night gown she was still wearing, making her suddenly feel very vunerable as she faced his gaze. "I burnt it" he answered. "It was a rag, torn and useless."

"I didnt have any others I'm afraid."

"What a pity" Rumpel laughed. "I would have took great pleasure in burning them too."

Belle could only look at him in shock.

"I'll have one delivered today, something decent." Belle blushed, she couldn't look him in the eyes. Instead her gaze scanned the room, anything to get off the topic of her lack of clothing. Her eyes fell on his spinning wheel. She walked over to it, running her hands over the worn wheel and on the spokes, turning it slowly, "I've never seen one of these."

"Never?" he asked her curious. He knew most peasants knew something of them, odd that she did not. "Would you like to see something?" he hoped to spark her interest. "Why, yes of course." Rumple took a seat behind the wheel, running the straw through it producing a fine golden thread, much to Belle's amazment. Rumple plucked it from the wheel and layed it in the girl's waiting hands. "It's lovely" Belle breathed, turning the gleaming strand over in her hand as she smiled up at the spinner. Belle suddenly felt alittle vunerable being so close to him, she started to hand the thread back but his hand caught hers , closing her hand with the thread still in it, "A gift" he said, smiling at her. Belle felt her heart do a flip flop in her chest.

She took the gift back to her room, well actually his room she thought to herself, although it didn't look like anyone had occupied it in a long time. Dust covered everything. But what the dust coated was very beautiful indeed. Trinkets of every kind decorated the fireplace mantle and dressers, music boxes and candleaberas, figurines and elegant jewelrey boxes, expertly crafted and carved, full of necklaces of rare pearls and crowns of gold. Rings embedded with precious stones, all covered, hiding thier true beauty and worth. Belle felt very tired as she climbed back into the large plush bed, she still wasn't well although taking the potions he had given her helped, she still felt weak so with heavy lids Belle climbed into bed and snuggling down into the covers she closed her eyes.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

"You fool, acting like some love sick boy, giving her gold of all things" Rumpel scolded himself for his foolish behavior as he stomped more than paced infrount of the fireplace, "GET AHOLD of yourself" he thought , his claws sinking into his palms causing blood to rise to the surface as he clenched his fists, enraged at himself. "Idiot, now you have to get dresses for her, what's next FLOWERS?" With his shoulders slumped in defeat he flopped down into his chair, perhaps he really didn't want her to go. He hated to admit she might indeed feel a void.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

The next day Belle started to feel like her old self again. She took advantage of the tub in the adjoining room. She didn't think he would mind. The hot water seemed to never end. Now that she felt better, she was going to start showing her worth. She had to convince him to let her stay. Yesterday she had discovered how he had fixed her hair and face. That had brought on a never ending parade of tears. No matter what she did for him and no matter what he expected, it wouldn't be enough.

Belle used the large silver brush to pull tangles out of her wet hair, letting it hang loose down her back. She emerged from the bathing room to find a dress layed out on the bed. A simple purple and white peasant dress. It was cut to the knee with white puffy sleves and a built in lace up bodice. She held it up to her body, a perfect fit. excitedly she put it on. It was a lovely color but there wasn't any shoes or under clothes to go with it, but that hardly mattered she thought as she made her way to the main hall.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

A small rap on the door of the hall woke Rumplestiltskin up from the chair he was occupying. He had been waiting for her. This morning he had appeared in the dress makers shop in the nearest village, making the poor woman faint at the sight of him. When he saw the dress in the window he knew at once what he wanted. the poor woman barely had time to think before he tossed her a golden thread with a sinister smile on his face. He took the dress and vanished leaving the stunned woman to wonder did she dream it all, staring at the only evidence the sorcerer had left gleaming in her hand.

Belle shyly entered the hall approaching the sorcerer who could only stare at the woman approaching him. She smiled down at him and bit her bottom lip when he didn't return the friendly gesture only looking at the dress. "It's beautiful" she breathed as she ran her fingers over the fabric, "Thank you so much." Rumple seemed to have lost his voice.

"Please sit" Rumple gestured to the adjacent chair. Belle took a seat. "I've been pondering something all night" he began. "I could use a caretaker for such a large estate. It would be alot to handle. Cooking, cleaning, doing the laundry that sort of thing."

"So if I become the caretaker, you would allow me to continue to stay in the stable?" Belle asked excitedly.

"Yes, what? no, not the stable of course not. You would be given a room." Rumple felt alittle taken back by her reaction. "The stable, really?"

"A room here?" Belle questioned. "that would be wonderful" Belle stood up and offered her hand to him, "It's a deal then?" Rum stood up and accepted the warm little hand being offered to him, "It's a deal."

"You can get started now, let's have some tea shall we?"

It wasn't long before Belle came back with a tray of tea and cakes. Rumple got up from his chair to move to the table as Belle came in and began walking to the table with her load. Before she got there she triped on the heavy rug and stumbled as the tray came crashing to the floor, porcelin shattered everywhere around Belle. She looked at the mess horrified then up at Rumple who crossed the distance in three strides. Belle cowered in fear that he was angry. She hid her face trying to protect herself from the blows that were sure to rain down upon her at any moment for her clumsiness. "Please don't hurt me" she cried as Rumple swept her up sitting her on the table. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry " she wailed as tears flowed down her face. she curled up in a knot to protect herself as Rumple checked her feet for cuts. "Are you alright?" Rumple was startled by her behavior, she acted as if he meant to hurt her somehow. "Shh, It's alright" he whispered as he pushed her hair back that hung down in frount of her hand covered face. "I'm not going to hurt you Gale, It was an accident. Look at me" He pleaded, trying to calm her, she was almost hysterical. Rumpel tried to gently pull her hands off her face, "I'm not going to hurt you" he said calmly. Slowly Belle let him remove her hands as tears continued to flow. "I'm sorry" she said, "It was an accident I swear it won't happen again." "I'm just glad your not hurt" Rumple said pulling her close. Belle leaned into him, satisfied that he meant her no harm. Rum kissed her forehead wiping the tears away from her eyes with his thumb. "It's alright dearie" he bent down and kissed her cheek as she sniffed, trying to regain her composure. "I'm sorry" she whispered , putting her arms around his neck as he plucked her off the table bridal style carring her over to the chair.

Rumple examined her feet again to reasure his self they were alright. "I was only afraid you had hurt yourself Gale, the tray was no matter" he said as he knelt in frount of her satisfied she was fine. Belle stared at her lap in shame that her first task had ended so badly. Rumple lifted her chin to look at him, "why would you think I would hurt you Gale, who has hurt you?" He searched her eyes for an explanation but found none she was willing to offer. Before he could stop his self he leant down and brushed his lips against hers. Belle closed her eyes at the contact, his lips were warm and soft and she pressed into him, kissing him back. It only lasted for a second, but time had ceased to move for either of them. Rumple looked alittle embarrased afterwards, not knowing exactly what to say. Belle broke the silence "You know if I had some shoes, I might not trip next time" She tried to smile. Rumple smiled at her, "I like you with no shoes."