Belle moved through the village market chatting amiably with the people in the stalls. After much back and forth with Rumple she'd finally convinced him to let her go down to the village weekly to gather food for their meals. While normally he had the food delivered she'd really wanted a chance to get out and stretch her legs somewhere other than the castle.

The result of the discussion was that Belle would be able to go down to the market twice a month. Rumple would escort her and she was free to wander the village and market while he checked over matters in the village, as long as she agreed to where the slim golden bracelet around her wrist that Rumple had enchanted to track her movements.

He'd claimed it was so she wouldn't wander off but Belle suspected a different motivation. There was too much concern in his eyes as he spoke and they were well past the point of him suspecting her running. No she figured it was to avoid another disaster like the Queens of Darkness incident. The thought that he cared about her well being touched Belle.

Now she browsed happily sometimes buying sometimes simply talking. While they'd been a bit wary at first given who she worked for, the general respect the town held for Rumplestiltskin, combined with Belle's naturally friendly nature had lead to her gaining a decent report with most vendors and she normally ended her trips by reading to a group of children.

That said it didn't mean there weren't still some whispers as she overheard now while examining potatoes.

"THAT's the Dark One's maid? No way she's far to pretty."

"I imagine she earns her wages in other ways." Belle rolled her eyes at the lewd talk from the men who were clearly strangers.

"And I'd imagine you lot best shut yer traps before the Dark One shows up and takes yer tongues for talking that way," snapped Master Altair Williams who was passing. Belle remembered him as the man whose daughter Rumple had healed. The men paled slightly and swiftly moved away.

"Thank you," she said kindly. Altair snorted

"Idiots the lot of them." Belle was about to answer when something distracted her a cart load of wounded men was being rolled through the village.

"Wounded men from the Ogre wars." elaborated Master Williams.

"But Rumple got rid of them nearly a year ago," said Belle.

"True, but it takes more than a year to recover from a war. These lads must have been in some of the ogre camps."

"I see." Belle watched the parade of wounded men when suddenly a sandy-haired head caught her eye. She rushed forward and to her shock found herself staring down at her childhood friend Samuel.

Belle quickly stepped closer. Samuel looked feverish and there was what looked like a long cut on his leg.

"I wouldn't have too much hope for that one ma'am he was wounded by a magical weapon and I doubt he'll last even long enough to get to the campsite for treatment," said one of the men pushing the carts.

"Oh no!" gasped Belle. Brushing back some hair from the bloodied face of her old friend.

"Belle!" said a familiar voice and she turned to see Rumplestiltskin.

"I thought you were visiting the market not moping over sick strangers."

"He's not a stranger! He's my childhood friend!" exclaimed Belle her tone softened. "I was told he died early on in the ogre wars."

"Evidently they simply got the timing wrong." scoffed Rumple and Belle shot him a glare.

"Can't you do something?" she asked.

"Why should I? What do I stand to gain?" he countered and Belle was reminded of the fact that for all her friendship with him he generally operated in a rather pragmatic manner. She sighed.

"Nothing I suppose. But surely you can understand my dilemma? Long ago though it might have been didn't you ever have someone dear to you from childhood? A friend you couldn't bear to lose?"

Belle couldn't imagine that in 300 years there wasn't at least SOMEONE who Rumple had cared about before her, Jefferson, and the Piper.

OUAT

"Can't you do something?" Belle asked as she knelt next to the wounded man.

"Why should I? What do I stand to gain?" asked Rumple. There was a part of him that did want to help for Belle's sake but he had reputation to maintain. Not to mention that seeing the affection with which she treated the man caused some jealousy to rear inside him. The idea of the boy dying seemed far preferable.

"Nothing I suppose. But surely you can understand my dilemma? Long ago though it might have been didn't you ever have someone dear to you from childhood? A friend you couldn't bear to lose?"

Unbidden a memory from long ago came to the forefront of his mind. Rowena. His childhood friend and closest confidante. He'd been loath to part from her in any way save letting her life run it's natural course. Why did Belle always have to bring up those sorts of memories?

He pinched the bridge of his nose. He was going to regret this. He waved his hand and he, Belle, and the boy appeared in one of the unused guest rooms in the Dark castle.

"I won't save him but I also won't snuff out his life. I'll allow you tend to him and we'll leave the rest of it in the hands of fate." The smile that graced Belle's face and the tight hug she bestowed upon him made the choice worth it for Rumple. Tentatively he gently patted her back.

"Thank you! Oh thank you!" she exclaimed.

"Don't think this is an excuse to slack off. You're still expected to attend to your primary chores." he warned her as she pulled away.

"Of course."

"Then I'll leave you to it." Rumple then strode from the room heading for his tower.

OUAT

Belle was both touched and relieved by Rumple's decision. It was a fair enough compromise and she hoped she'd be up to the task to save Samuel. She also was almost 100% certain that the only reason Rumple had agreed had been for HER sake.

"Right then Samuel, let's see what we can do."

Fairly certain he wasn't going to die on the spot Belle left the room and hurried to the library where she pulled down every book she could find on healing and magical weapons. Once she'd brought those back she went to the kitchen and fetched both warm and cold water as well as rags and brought those too back to the guest room.

She laid a cold compress across his forehead to bring down the fever and then set to cleaning the wound in his leg. It was long and deep but didn't exactly bear any signs of magic that she could see. It had been crudely stitched so Belle got some needle and thread and set to sewing it up.

During the ogre wars she had volunteered in some of the hospitals where they would bring the wounded men and had picked up some basic healing skills. Once she'd sewn it up she swapped out another cold compress and then began to read.

She combed through every book she had a few mentioned wounds where the magic wasn't clearly visible but even those ones usually produced some sort of symptom such as unstoppable bleeding.

Belle took a break to cook dinner but only served Rumple choosing instead to simply snack on a sandwich. She hurried back upstairs and continued her care and research eventually falling asleep in her chair.

She woke the next morning and acted in much the same pattern taking care of primary chores like cooking and setting out the laundry but spending most of it cooped up and taking care of Samuel.

As she did so she reminisced about their childhood together. The way the two of them would constantly being getting into trouble. Usually involving him helping her to sneak out of the castle or avoid Princess lessons. He was happy to play swordfight with her as children or to sneak her books when she was grounded. With him she wasn't Princess Belle of Avalonea. She was just plain Belle and she enjoyed having that. He was like a brother to her.

Then he'd gone off to war and she'd thought she'd lost him. Well she wouldn't this time.

By day three Belle was getting desperate she was no closer to figuring out what was supposedly wrong with Samuel's leg. And then the universe finally seemed willing to grant her a reward for her hard work.

Belle had just begun to nod off when a weak voice caught her attention.

"Belle?" She looked up and saw Samuel's blue eyes staring back at her in slight confusion.

"Oh Samuel! Thank goodness you're awake! I was so worried!"

"Is it truly you?" he asked. She took his hand.

"Yes, it is truly me. And you're safe now. The ogres can't hurt you anymore."

"Where are we?" he asked looking around.

"We're in the Dark Castle?" she told him figuring it was better to be blunt and get the shock over with. Panic crossed Samuel's face.

"But that's the home of the Dark One! Are we his prisoners?"

"No! No!" said Belle trying to calm him. And it was true. Samuel was more or less a guest who would be on his way once he was well, and she was here of her own volition. While it might have once felt like imprisonment that feeling had long since dissipated like a spring thaw.

"I made a deal with him to save Avalonea from the ogres in exchange for becoming the caretaker of his castle. This is my home now." Samuel still looked quite nervous.

"But he's the Dark One!"

"And a man of his word. All the stories agree on that. Rumplestiltskin gave his word that he wouldn't harm you and he'll keep to it. If he wanted you dead he'd have done it already not let you get better." she added this last part without really thinking and only afterward realized how morbid it sounded. Rumple probably would have found it both true and humorous.

"We should try and escape as soon as we get a chance." said Samuel.

"Samuel there's no need for you to escape. You'll be on your way once you feel better but as for me. I made a deal with him and I intend to keep it. Have you ever known me to break my word?"

Samuel gave a rueful smile.

"No I suppose not."

"Now that foolish idea is laid to rest, can you tell me what you were injured with? The man the brought you said some sort of magical weapon was responsible for your injury but I can't seem to find anything to match it."

"Well, honestly it's all a bit foggy now. I can't remember how I was hurt."

You can't remember how you got that gash on your leg? Belle wasn't an expert but she liked to think that she was fairly good at reading people. Especially ones she knew and there was something off about the way Samuel spoke. He didn't meet her eyes and shifted awkwardly.

She shook her head. Surely she was just being paranoid. Rumple was rubbing off on her.

"Well now that your fever has broken perhaps you can get some proper rest and the fog will clear up." she said hopefully.

"Yes, maybe." he answered blandly. Something felt off but Belle pushed the feeling aside. This was Samuel. Her best friend. He was probably just nervous about the environment he found himself in.

She watched him lay back down to rest and then turned to leave the room. Once she'd closed the door behind her she nearly jumped out of her skin to find Rumplestiltksin standing near the doorframe.

"Is he dead yet?"

"No." said Belle shooting a slightly disapproving look at his callous tone.

"Pity. Although if I'd known it would take this long for him to die I'd have been more hesitant about extending my hospitality."

"He's not going to die. In fact his fever just broke." she replied somewhat smugly. The corner of Rumplestiltskin's mouth twitched upward.

"Thanks to your expert touch no doubt." Belle was going to make a sarcastic reply only to note that the words had been said without a hint of mockery. Did he truly believe in her that much?

"I'm going out on business and I shan't be back until first light."

"Then I'll see you tomorrow morning," she replied. He gave her a little bow and then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Belle went down to the kitchen to get some more water for Samuel. Hopefully he'd remember more when he woke up and she'd be able to heal him fully. She couldn't for the life of her though figure out why she kept getting such a suspicious feeling around him. Suddenly she heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Did you forget something Rumple?" she asked turning only to see that it was not Rumplestiltskin standing in the entrance to the kitchen.

It was Samuel.

Author's Note: Ok so this chapter is partially based on the OUAT comic Truth and Daggers. That said I've changed some elements (Rumple is supervising her trips to the market so that her going to town on her own in Skin Deep is a bigger deal), and I've probably paraphrased a lot of the dialogue as I'm going off the wikipedia summary of the story and don't actually have the comic dialogue to work off. A note about Rowena. That's my own addition. She'll come up again a bit later with a tad more explanation but she plays a bigger role with more elaboration in the Pied Piper centric story I plan to write after this series entitled Musical Maddness. Altair Williams is also the Enchanted Forest counterpart of Mr. Dove in Storybrooke who some of you may know as the man that Rumple employs to run errands and odd jobs. Altair means falcon. If you like the story please comment below! Until next time.