Note from the Beta: The reason this chapter took so long to post is all me. I took forever to actually read through and correct the chapter. Terribly sorry, dears. Forgive me?

The shadows cast on the wall appeared to dance at the weary-eyed librarian as she trudged up the steps. This had been the longest day, and at the same time, she could scarcely remember any of it. She peered at the figures on the wall, no doubt a result of her mental state, as they twisted and swayed, almost mockingly. They gave her a strange envy. The thought of floating away with them into nothingness was sublime. Sleep was calling her name, and she would give in to it finally; no foreboding bedroom could stop her this night.

Upstairs, the hall was slightly lit by the moonlight that crept through the window. As it happened, she saw herself, while passing, in an unsuspecting mirror. She'd forgotten its place there, and jumped upon noticing the reflection. A small part of her was still uneasy after encountering the ice queen's mirror. This one, however, couldn't possibly be anything like the foul thing she'd fallen prey to not so long ago. It's golden frame shimmered and sparkled even in the moonlight, and it seemed to radiate warmth the longer she inspected the object. It was divine. Something called her to reach out to it, and so she lightly brushed her fingertips along the edge of the frame. Suddenly her vision gave way to something else entirely.

Belle was on a balcony. Her hands tightly gripped the stone half wall as she peered downward. She would've been more afraid, had it not been for the smell of musty old paper that surrounded and comforted her. A warm breeze came through, seemingly wrapping itself around her body. There was another familiar presence . She believed it to be magic, but it wasn't dark. It felt... Almost pure. Not that she could be sure, she'd only ever known the power of the dark one.

The night sky was full of stars, like she'd never seen. Looking out, she gazed curiously at an endless maze, no, a labyrinth that extended in all directions. But somewhere, beyond that, she was able to admire the serene landscape; green fields, a grand array of forest, sparkling bodies of water, and tiny homes dotted all across the picture. High above all of that, was the most wondrous sight of all; a crystal moon.

It's light overwhelmed her sight. She blinked, and it was gone.

Once again, she stood in front of a golden mirror, in a darkened hallway. She shook the impossible thoughts from her mind, like a child after a strange dream. Her fatigue was getting the better of her.

Belle looked upon the mirror one last time, and for all its beauty, it couldn't make up for what she saw in the glass. Within was a tired old shell, and she hardly recognized it as herself. Her formerly neat walnut hair was now unkempt, half of it falling from its updo, and in desperate need of brushing. Smeared mascara from the night before mingled with the dark circles under her eyes, further asserting their existence. Dust, likely from the older books, had accumulated at the tips of her hair, and clung to clothing. Her features all seemed twisted, like the shadows on the walls, as if they weren't her own. An intense desire to cleanse herself now took priority.

A bath was in order.

Loose strands of hair swayed in the current, soaking up the water. After a while, they seemed to move perfectly in time with Belefonte's "One For My Baby', which was playing in the next room. She'd found quite an extensive collection of music hidden away, some of it mysterious and other worldly; which was usual for this house. She'd had no energy to pick through them all, but needed the noise to help keep herself awake, so she selected the first remotely familiar artist. The album had been titled "Belefonte Sings the Blues", which was appropriate enough.

Had it not been for her drowsiness, Belle would've been soaking comfortably with a book. Instead, she drifted in and out and consciousness until the record went static and she fought to step out of the gold-footed tub. She slipped into a silk robe and collapsed on the bed, forgetting her old clothes on the floor. A deep, dreamless sleep claimed her, her soul in a place where nothing ever hurt again.

Long after the sun had risen over the sleepy town, Belle remained tucked away for the majority of the morning. Birds chirped in the trees as the town went about their day, but nothing would wake the sleeping beauty. Time passed until the words that finally roused her blew in like the breeze.

Good morning, heartache

You old gloomy sight

Still between wake and sleep, she barely shifted at the words.

Good morning, heartache

Thought we said goodbye last night

It infiltrated her senses. She didn't want to hear anything.

I turned and tossed until it seemed you were gone

Daylight was the next intruder. Her mind and body fought to return to their safe, restful state, but she was slipping. The soft music gently caressed her ears, or was it her husband? Her mind, perhaps out of conditioning, told her that she smelled breakfast downstairs.

But here you are with the dawn

After a few moments of tosses and turns, there was a light tickle at her nose. Finally her eyes opened, expecting a scraggly haired man with a gentle smile. Instead, it all came back to her.

Wish I'd forget you

But you're here to stay

The bedroom, though clearly her own, wasn't immediately familiar. The curtains had been opened, not as she'd left them. She swung her feet over the bed and went to look out. Warm rays of sunlight kissed her skin. Birds chirped in the tree outside the window, and on the street below she watched Archie pass by with Pongo. The world was going on without her, just as she would imagine it when Regina had her locked away.

Clothes from the night before were now neatly folded by the door, contrasting dramatically with the disorganized pile in which she'd neglectfully left them. The place felt emptier. Belle looked all around, and found the reason. A coat, a scarf, a bottle of cologne, and the many trinkets that once filled the room were now gone. All of Rumpelstiltskin's things had disappeared. Before she could worry, she had the realization that she hadn't left the record playing. Or changed it.

It seems I met you

When my love went away

Cautiously and quietly, she tiptoed to the doorway. She followed the music, slow and distorted, to its source, stepping gently on the creaky floorboards. Beyond the bedroom, nothing had changed. Every strange object was in its place. The halls looked and felt as if they'd been untouched for years. There was only one thing off.

Now everyday I start by saying to you

The one other seemingly living soul there with her sat on a side table at the end of the hall. She stood still and stared at the oddity. Nothing else in the house stirred, only the thing that taunted her.

Good morning, heartache, what's new?

When she dared move closer, she was thankful that no unknown enchantment or magical trap revealed itself, and so she hastily picked up the needle from the record. But not before her assailant got the last word and the last laugh,

Stop haunting me now