Belle's legs seemed to move of their own accord as they carried her out of the castle and down the mountain. She was baffled by Rumple's strange behavior.
Why tell her that her kingdom was safe? She knew that much and trusted him to keep his bargain. Except he had also mentioned "her choice."
But what choice was that?
"I expect I'll never see you again." The words rang over and over again in her head the resigned and sad tone of his voice tugging at her heart. He expected her to leave him. And then it hit her...
No. Rumple didn't just expect her to leave him. He was giving her the choice. The chance to go back home and still have her kingdom protected. He must have known she'd never leave if it would come at the cost of her kingdom, not that that had been the sole reason for her staying for a while if she were being honest, so he'd assured her there would be no consequences for leaving.
For a moment Belle considered it. She did miss her father terribly and it would be wonderful to see him again. Once the choice would have been clear. And yet now...her thoughts strayed back to Rumplestiltskin. To their tea time talks and nights by the fire. To cleaning while she listened to the sound of him spinning. To his morbid jokes and the way, he let her speak her mind, the impressed genuine smile he'd give when she made a particular point. It occurred to her that she'd felt freer in the past several months in Rumplestiltskin's castle than she had in her fathers, not to mention a good deal happier. Rumple made her happier.
She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt if she left, she'd never see him again. Could she stand that? Could she stand to lose him. More importantly perhaps why was it that she was so unwilling to lose him. Something inside her said it was more than friendship. If she returned home, she'd likely also lose Jefferson, Alice, and Grace and while she disliked the idea it didn't fill her with the same ache that the thought of losing Rumple did.
Belle's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of hooves she glanced behind and saw a jet-black carriage was coming up behind her.
OUAT
Rumple watched Belle's green cloaked figure until it was nothing more than a speck in the distance. His heart, or what was left of it, was already aching and she'd only just left.
He desperately wanted to believe that Pip was right and that she would come back but how could he? He knew what he was a coward and a monster. Belle might not yet have seen the former but surely no matter what she said, when given the opportunity to leave and have a normal life she'd realize how wrong she was.
Who would pick him when someone like her could have a hundred handsome young men like Gaston worshipping at her feet?
"But she didn't want Gaston," said a comforting voice that sounded strangely like his childhood friend Rowena. She had often said he didn't give himself enough credit though he figured she might be a bit biased. Odd duck that she was they'd been friends for so long he figured she might have just been deluding herself.
"Yes maybe not Gaston, but there are plenty of nice men out there with a brain in their head who would treat her well." He argued aloud.
"Yes, who could ever want you. She's beautiful and pure, something like that won't want to be corrupted by darkness," scoffed Nimue. Unlike Row's voice this one unfortunately had something of a consciousness.
"We could more...forcibly corrupt her...or could have if you weren't such a sentimental fool," added Zoso and Rumple scowled at the most perverted of his predecessors.
"She deserves to go free and live her own life," he said firmly gripping the workbench.
"And that's what will make our darling girl return. She'll see that secret side of you," some of Jefferson's words came back to Rumple echoing in his mind in the Hatter's jovial tone.
"Oh don't delude yourself she'll leave and never return," snarled another one of his predecessors.
"It's better anyway you don't need her. You only need us," Nimue crooned.
"ENOUGH!" shouted Rumple.
"She's gone. She may or may not come back but it WILL be her choice."
Granted he didn't entirely think the voices were entirely wrong about the unlikelihood of her choosing to return to him. But a part of him, a part he had buried for a long time, didn't want to give up on the shred of hope Rowena and the Hatter's voices offered.
Resigned to the fact that he was not going to get any work done Rumple moved to the window in his tower and took up a position that gave him a good vantage point of the entrance to the castle. If...IF she came back, he'd see her immediately. Not caring how pathetic it sounded he whispered.
"Please come back..."
OUAT
Belle stepped to the side of the road hoping the carriage would pass by. Unfortunately, it pulled to a stop. The door opened and women with black hair, dressed in regal red and black garments leaned out smiling. It might have been made to look friendly but Belle detected something almost predatory about the way the woman looked at her.
"I'm sorry did my carriage splash you?" she asked.
"No, I'm fine," said Belle with a curtsy before beginning to move on however she was stopped as the woman got out of her carriage calling to her guards.
"You know, I'm tired of riding. Let me stretch my legs and walk with you for a spell."
Unable to say no to someone so very clearly above her in status Belle gave a polite smile as the woman began to walk alongside her one hand on a black parasol in the shape of a spiderweb.
"You carry very little."
"I don't want to be slowed down." said Belle. True enough. Whatever her choice though she was leaning more and more towards the Dark Castle she didn't want to be weighed down.
"Mm. You're running from someone." The woman laughed and it sounded cold. "The question is, master or lover?" Belle chose not to answer the woman wasn't correct in her guess about her running but she wasn't willing to give up too much information.
"Oh. Master and lover." Hoping to shake her Belle paused.
"I might take a rest. You—you go on ahead." The woman however ignored her swinging an arm about Belle's shoulders and propelling her on.
"So, if I'm right, you love your employer, but you're leaving him." Belle was soon figuring that evading wasn't getting her ANYWHERE and more likely than not the woman probably already guessed she worked for Rumplestiltskin given the road they were on. So she decided to give up a small amount of information.
"I do love him. But there's an evil that's taken root inside of him." And it was true she realized it as she said the words. Belle did love Rumple, those stirring feelings she had been getting every time they were in close proximity. It was love. And she loved him even with his darkness. Yet he had himself admitted it was a burden. Surely one he would be happier without.
"Sounds like a curse to me, and all curses can be broken. A kiss born of True Love would do it." Belle stopped dead. True love. Could that be the answer? The woman laughed.
"Oh, child, no. I would never suggest a young woman to kiss a man who held her captive. What kind of message is that?"
"Right."
"Besides, if he loves you, he would've let you go. And if he doesn't love you, well then, the kiss won't even work."
"Well, he did let me go." said Belle aloud more to herself.
"Yes, but no kiss happened." said the woman. Belle turned to her. She emanated the same aura of magic that Rumple did and a part of her was quite certain she couldn't trust her. But a curse being broken by true loves kiss was an objective fact, wasn't it?
"And a kiss—a kiss is enough?"
"True love's kiss will break any curse." said the woman leaning in. By now they had nearly reached the village.
"Well, I shall leave you. Thank you for the company," said the woman. Belle curtsied and then practically ran into the village to get the straw.
She had made her choice. Belle loved Rumplestiltskin and she was going to return to him. She'd break his curse and free him of his burden. She would be his hero. Because surely the woman was right about one thing. Rumple letting her go indicated that he loved her. Alice's words from many months ago echoed in Belle's head.
"Oh it's about more than just words, I think you know a man loves you when he does something truly extraordinary. Something with some real weight that shows you how much you mean to him."
Rumple NEVER broke deals and yet he had released Belle from her end of the deal she had made with him. It HAD to be a sign he loved her. Well, she was going to find out for sure once she got back to the castle. Once she had the straw, she began the trek back hurrying as fast as she could towards her home and her love.
Author's Note: So, a few things different here upon reflection canon Belle does sound a bit too much like her love for Rumple is conditional on him no longer having that darkness. That isn't really the case but that's kind of how it comes off so I've altered the dialogue a bit. She's already spoken with him about how it's a burden so she's making the jump in logic he would want it broken. She loves him as is but can see the toll that being the dark one takes so her thought is just break the curse. Belle's also a little more skeptical about the woman in the black carriage but she sees the information about TLK just as a piece of fairly common information. I also found it interesting to explore what was going through Rumple's head while he waited. In case it isn't clear the voices of the Dark Ones actually are the Dark ones talking while when I mention voices like Jefferson's or Rowena's is more Rumple's own consciousness using the voices of someone close to him as a counter to the dark ones. If you like the story please leave a note in the comments below. Until next week (no exclamation point because I'm not looking forward to writing that one)
