The moon waned in the distance faintly seen due to being covered by the smog of a new darkness that had over taken her land. Her fingers glided in between each page searching with a fervor for an answer. The men were in the other room with their voices raised in reaction to the stress that they faced. Her sapphire hued eyes glanced only briefly into the other room where the fire was the only light against the aged walls. She nibbled on her bottom lip for a moment pondering on interrupting their conversation. Her heart skipped a much needed beat as she came upon the page she had been looking for. Belle had been through every one of the books in the Palace hundreds of times, and yet when she had needed to reference something it had taken her hours to find what she needed.

The young woman relaxed for a minute of relief as she slumped forward unto the table, her eyes devoured the literature as though they had never laid themselves upon the words. Her thoughts were interrupted by screams of her people burning and being tortured by the Ogres. The smell of crisped flesh lingered across the lands. Her father had failed to protect them, and her betrothed had never stood a chance. The Kingdom had been cursed by an unknown force, and the economy had slowly crashed. Without treasure troves of gold no one would come to their aid. She had agreed to marry the man her father had picked out for her only to save her Kingdom, but never for love. Love was a word she had constantly read about, but had never had the chance to live.

Chills shivered up her spine leaving a lasting impression upon her soul. She would never forget the feeling of helplessness that overcame her. A dark and twisted sadness that nearly took her breath away. Belle knew if she had asked permission from the King, her father, she would be denied. He did not believe a woman should be on the battlefield, even if he had raised her to defend herself. She was all that he had left. She was his beauty in this dark world. A father’s love. The Castle fell silent after the screams ceased to echo in the night. She lowered her head in silence and asked for strength from her mother who had long passed. With an agile hand she slammed the book shut that had captivated her as a child.

“Rumpelstilskin, I summon thee!” She screamed at the top of her lungs cutting through the silence with a painful knife. She knew from her studies that all magic came with a price, but she hoped he would be merciful. Her fingers grasped the silk of her golden gown as though she was bracing herself for dark magic. Her eyes swelled up with tears, she just wanted it to be over. She wanted the suffering to stop. She wanted the screams to cease and people to laugh again. Her throat went dry as her words were lost to her. The grief was overwhelming. She had cried a thousand tears for every lost soul.

“Belle!” He father came running into the room knocking over things along the way. His usual calm demeanor twisted in torture as he stared at his daughter. Everyone across the land knew of Rumpelstilskin, but the majority that dealt with him seemed to meet unfortunate ends. In her time it was like making a deal with the devil. She sat still as Gustave came flying into the room.

“The clouds have thickened above and now there is lightning and thunder! The moon is gone!” He growled obviously losing control of the situation, “What have you done Belle?”

She stood up with closed fists before both of the men that she had trusted to protect her. For a moment her eyes narrowed as they accused her of being a witch and summoning the devil himself to worsen their problems.

“I take full responsibility of whatever deal he wishes to make. I am doing what I have to do in order to save our people,” Her voice raised in an almost fury as she continued, “Our people are burning! Children are withered against their mothers in ashes. You are so concerned with protecting yourselves and me that you failed to protect the very people we are responsible for,” She slammed her fist into the solid oak table. The books quivered against the kinetic force of her fist. She opened the window and welcomed in the rain, “I am no longer a child and if this is to be my Kingdom I will protect it. I have already been the dutiful daughter and agreed to marry Gustave.”

Gustave took the hint and left the room to the two who needed each other and yet could never trust one another. Her father sat down next to her and motioned for her to sit down next to him. They had at one time been closer than maple on the summer trees. She frowned, slightly embarrassed for the scene she had caused, and yet she knew she had done the right thing.

“I am sorry my sweet Belle, I know you wanted to marry for love,” His features contorted with a painful memory, “But look at it this way… when that person dies you will not have a hole that can never be filled.” His tired eyes gazed upon the dark horizon, “I loved your mother more than life, and if I did not have you I would have died with her. My precious Belle,” He smiled and wrapped her up in his arms. Her anger faded as she cried softly against his chest. He was her father, and she loved him.

“I understand Papa. I miss her too. I can still remember the smell of roses that seemed to follow her where ever she went. The people loved her,” Her fingers gently braced themselves against his chest to push herself away.

“You also carry the smell of roses Belle. That is why you were always called the French Rose growing up. Our people need us Princess Belle. You will make a fine Queen, just like your mother.” He choked on his words for a moment before putting on a mask of courage and bravery. Belle smiled sweetly and followed her father into the other room where his generals frantically scattered all over the map that laid on the oak hued table.

“Your Highness, and Princess Belle. We heard that you have summoned the Dark One….” The lead general paused for a moment obviously trying to select his words carefully, “Should we set more guards up outside?”

Before her father could speak Belle took her rightful place as a leader and spoke up.

“No. My father had nothing to do with it. I, as your future Queen, made the call to summon him. He is our only hope. Our people die all across the land because of these wars. No price for his protection is too much at this point. We have to fight darkness with darkness.”

“Well where is he then? I thought he came as soon as his name was spoken?” Another guard begged. She could see the desperation in their eyes as she looked around the room. She knew at that moment in time that whatever price she had to pay would be worth it.

Belle wondered the same thing as her gaze intently focused on the door, where was he? She did not know the kind of power he possessed, just what she had read in books, and that had failed to capture his true abilities. She had summoned the living Devil himself into her life. The screams of her people kept her committed to her resolve, and the cries for death only became louder. The anticipation might as well have been the death of her.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Sounded the large wooden door, a sound that terrified all within the room and though they scrambled toward the entrance, behind them within the sill sat the man Belle had requested to see, grinning, chuckling silently to himself and watching as they scurried to the door frightened by what awaited them from the other side. He thrusted his index finger forward to create one final bang on the door.

Perhaps the entertainment value they were providing would alone be the price he sought to assist them in a war they were losing as he had not felt this much pleasure in messing with people in quite some time. Rumpel leaned back against the glass of the window as the king ordered his men to open the door, his eyes wandered over to the man Belle was set to wed, amused by the idea that this man assumed he stood a chance by unsheathing his sword. As the guards removed the large board that locked the two doors together and slowly pulled them open each person including the guards stood back, surprised by the sight of no one standing there.

“Isnt it funny where I should be is not where I am?” He hopped off of the window sill and walked over to the King’s chair to be seated, as he sat a smile crossed his lips. “Ah, There we go.” A soft giggle escaped his lips as everyone turned to face the man they had sought out in need of assistance.

Gaston cautiously approached Rumpel with his sword pointed, weary of what the imp’s intentions were. “I believe you send me a message, something about, Help! Help us! Save us! we’re dying! Can you save us?!” Rumpel stood from the King’s chair and forced the sword from Gaston’s hang with a flicker of his hand then walked by the man who seemed to experience more fear since losing his weapon.

“The answer is….Yes, I can” He stated while approaching the king. “For a price”

The King, whom had assumed the negotiations were taken care of looked at Rumpel surprised by the answer the Imp had given them. “You were promised Gold” He kept his eyes on Rumpel as the Dark one walked around him.

“Ah, yes well you see..I make gold.” He stepped back infront of the King and smiled with sinister intent. “What I want is something nearest and dearest to your heart.” He pointed over to Belle. “My price, is her.” Gaston stepped infront of Belle to protect her from whatever the dark one had instore.

Before the king could answer Gaston stepped infront of Belle and glared “No! She and I are engaged!”

“Well I wasn’t looking for love, I’m looking for a caretaker for my large estate” He approached Belle and gently placed his hand over her cheek “Someone who can heed my every request” Gaston slapped the imps hand away from his fiancés face and clenched his fists, ready to fight for the woman he wanted to spend his life with. Rumpel stepped back and grinned then turned to face the King. “It’s her or no deal, what do you say?”

Angered by the options given, the King seen no way he would be victorious in the war and was not about to lose his daughter to what he seen as nothing more than a monster. He pointed to the door and ordered Rumpel to exit his castle, he wanted nothing to do with such an atrocious offer and cared not if his Kingdom fell, his only motive was to keep his daughter protected.

Rumpel shrugged and walked toward the door, though as he reached the thresh hold he turned his gaze back to the King. “Good luck in your little war, you’ll need it” It was easy for him to tell desperation and knew that with in time as the enemies drew closer, the King would eventually accept his deal or fall like the other Kingdom’s had. He turned to face the exit and waved back at everyone as he stepped out the door and into the hallway.

A cold wind filtered through the room as if the hand of death itself had invited itself in. Belle continued to stay focused on the door. She bite down on her bottom lip as the very wind in her lungs suspended all function. “Isn’t it funny where I should be is not where I am?” A voice mocked them from behind, “Ah, There we go.”

Belle turned around to face the one that she had summoned. He sat in her father's chair as if he was the King of this game. Her eyes fell upon the future that she had brought upon herself. She knew all magic came with a price, but the creature before her carried a dark aura that she instantly came to regret. His mannerisms were of another world. He was animated, fluid with his words, and a curious creature to be seen. Instead of fear she peered from behind Gaston with a curious gaze. He looked like the creature that she had seen in the book. Belle had no idea how long he had been weaving his nightmares upon the planet, but she knew he was not one to trifle with. His eyes twinkled with humor about the situation. The sounds of the screaming children did not seem to bother him, but it continued to reach into the depths of her heart and squeeze the very pulse that kept her alive. Her lips parted as if she was going to introduce herself and tell him that she was the one who had summoned him, but before she could respond both Gaston and her father had harsh words for him. He laughed at every blow they threw at him, and it became obvious to Belle that this was just a game that he had played for a very long time.

Belle gasped as Gaston threw his blade in Rumplestilskin’s direction. She worried for his life in that moment, but Rumple showed restraint. The young woman breathed a slow and deep sigh of relief. She did not want any more bloodshed on this eve, after all, that was why she had summoned him, to save the soils from the crimson gold. Her mind wandered for a moment as they tried to barter with gold. It wasn’t until Rumple mentioned that she was the price that her attention returned to reality. She blinked in shock as a cold wave rushed through her. Her hand gently rested on the oak war table in order to steady her reeling thoughts and emotions.

“No! She and I are engaged!” Gaston stepped in between them hoping to alter the deal, but Belle had spent her entire childhood learning, reading, analyzing, memorizing, and teaching the children about the legends. She strongly believed that every mystical creature in her books was based on a dark reality. Her fingers shook as she reached out to touch Gaston on his shoulder. He brushed her aside. A sharp pain stung deep within her heart, but it had been an arranged marriage. She knew there was no changing the Dark One’s mind. Once he had proposed his deal it was either take it or leave it.

“Well I wasn’t looking for love, I’m looking for a caretaker for my large estate” He closed the distance between them and the air ceased to move. For a moment her world became very dark. She could feel the darkness and black magic radiating from him. She stared into his eyes for a moment, almost transfixed on him. His fingers were scaly, but warm, as they gently brushed her cheek. A soft rose pink hue flushed upon her otherwise pale check bones. “Someone who can heed my every request” She could have stayed in that moment, but his touch was interrupted by her promised Gaston.

The imp just laughed at Gaston as if he was nothing but a fly. Gaston rolled his fists into balls and pulled Belle possessively against him so hard it took her breath away. Her eyes searched Gaston’s face for any sign that he actually cared about her, and she saw nothing but anger, it was obvious to her he was simply protecting his property. Slowly her sapphire eyes narrowed as she placed an open palm on his chest and forced herself out of his arms. She opened her mouth once more to object to not being heard, but it was Rumpel this time that interrupted her.

“It’s her or no deal, what do you say?” His gaze was intensely focused on the King. She did not understand why it was her life for the price, but she accepted the terms. This time it was her father who crushed Belle behind him in order to defend her. She let out a loud sigh that only Rumpel seemed to notice. Belle was tired of being ignored and growled from behind her raging father. He was going to let all of them die, her included, but not agreeing to Rumpel’s terms. She cursed him under her breathe.

“Good luck in your little war, you’ll need it,” Rumpel said while spinning on his heel and heading out the door, from which he did not come. The Ogres threw their voices into the wind. Belle pushed her father out of the way and ran to the door way.

“RUMPELSTILSKIN! I summon thee!” She screamed at him from behind. A sharp knife cut through her heart and the air between them charged up and crackled. She could literally see the dark magic entangling itself with her own aura. Her eyes widened as he turned around, “Now I have your attention Rumpelstilskin. I summoned you, not them. I studied you as a child and knew you were my only hope. A deal is a deal. I am the one who asked for it so I must be the one to honor it. I will be with you forever, but in return you must save my family and friends. Otherwise our deal is null and void.” She folded her arms across her chest meeting his gaze without fear for the first time. Belle had the courage her fiancé and father did not. She would serve the Dark One for the pay-off of her Kingdom.

“Belle!” Both her father and Gaston shouted from behind her. She turned to face them and patted both of them gently on the face.

“Father, I must do what I must do. Magic always comes with a price, you need not look further than a book to see that truth. I love you Papa. We will see each other in the next life. I promise.” She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and then the King did something no one had ever seen him do. He allowed tears to fall. She frowned and wiped the tears away before addressing Gaston, “You and I never loved one another. We were only to wed because my Kingdom needed your gold. We no longer have to pay Rumpelstilskin all of our gold. The gold is my fathers to keep. Our contract is null and void, but I must honor this one. I do wish you nothing but the happiest of happiness. May you find love Gaston and may you love like there is no tomorrow, because for some of us there may not be.”

He stared at her dumbfounded by her choice of words. She had never spoken against him before because her duty required her to be a faithful future Queen, but she was no longer his. She slid the engagement ring into his palm and closed his hand. A satisfied smile danced across her otherwise silent features. She walked without another word to Rumpelstilskin who seemed to be satisfied.

“Forever.” Was the only word she muttered to him as he cast a spell to teleport them to some unknown place. A purple haze danced from their feet to their heads and within minutes they were gone to another land. The sky cleared and the smell of decay ceased. The sun came out again and the people rejoiced. Belle had saved her Kingdom. Her father collapsed from heart break.

---

She woke up to the sound of dripping water and the smell of damp moss. Her body ached as it cringed against the stone bed that she had been sleeping on. Her dress was wet and her hair entangled. She had gone from a Princess to a servant. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness and for reality to set in. She heard him laughing in the distance, but the only light allowed in the dark room were from the cracks of the door. She pulled herself up against the damp wall and rested her head in between her knees.

So this was the new beginning of her life, now what?

"You promised! You said we could always be together! You're a coward Poppa, a coward!" Baelfire screamed, clutched tightly to his father's hand, desperately struggling to pull the man he cared so dearly for into the swirling green vortez with him. Rumpel fought hard against his son's attempts, frightened for what lied ahead on the other side, even the powers he posessed could not mask the fears he was experiencing.

Rumpel reluctantly released the grip that held his son above the edge of the portal, even with the gravity that fought against his strength he had managed to maintain hold until the fear defeated his emotions. The portal accomplished what it had set out to take then closed immediately after Baelfire had fallen inside leaving behind a prophecy that had finally come to pass.

"Bae!" He shouted while crawling within the crater that had been left from the vortex' wrath. "BAE!!!" He tried so hard to dig within the hole, hoping that his son was merely buried by the deposits of soil but after minutes of finding nothing that sudden empty feeling of loss devoured the fear he'd experienced just moments before his son disappeared. His eyes filled with tears, body weakened with sorrow that forced the grief stricken imp to collapse against the wall of the hole.

"I'm Sorry Bae...I-I'm so sorry Bae" He whispered and buried his face within the palms of his hands to allow the sadness to pour from within his very soul out into the open.

___________________________The Present______________________________

Delighted by the outcome of the agreed negotiations, he stood outside the door of the chamber that housed his new 'item' and what a fitting place for such royalty to spend each waking morning for the remainder of her days upon earth. Sure he was aware that this new accommodation wasn't what she was use to, the dampness created by the holes within the cracks of the windows that allowed moisture to pass through, the walls, covered with mold that carried an odor too unpleasant for anyone to withstand and the color, gray, depressing, void of anything positive.

His eyes swelled with delight, a giggle passed his lips, he could hardly contain himself. Oh the fun he was going to have from that point forward. He was almost certain his new found guest would get use to her new arrangements and if she didn't? Tough. Rumpelstiltskin stepped away from the large wooden door of the cell but made sure he had tripped the lock to allow her access to his castle before he left. How long would it take her to figure out she wasn't completely imprisoned within her cell? Who cared, he enjoyed toying with her, after all he was a beast right?

Rumpel walked down the hallway that lead to the living quarters of his castle and trailed an index finger along the wall with each step taken and because of the length he had allowed his finger nails to grow, the nail from his index finger pressed against the wall created a loud scratching sound that could be heard from Belle's location.

When he reached his destination he briefly scanned the room and all that laid displayed across the areas of his living quarters. He admired the vast array of items he managed to collect over the years but there was one thing he noticed that made him feel slightly disappointed; The lack of care that had been shown to his precious collection. It was then he truly knew the intentions he had for his captive guest. Though he wanted his castle to be cleaned, he decided it was not time to burden Belle with chores just yet but rather grant her the time to let the emotions she was feeling pass as she had endured such a drastic change to her life.

He sighed heavily, the delightful emotions he'd felt subsided just as quickly as the came once his eyes drifted over to the wheel he often used to create gold. Memories from past experiences haunted him and continuously played through his mind and though they were but simple memories they reminded him of the mistakes he had made with his life, mistakes he so desperately wished he could have changed but even with the knowledge he carried of magic, no spell existed that would grant him the ability to travel back into the past and change such outcomes.

Instead, the wheel would be his only comfort to help sooth his broken soul. Rumpel walked over to the spinning wheel and sat. He grabbed some straw and put it in the place needed then gave the wheel a slight turn. His eyes followed the movement of the large wooden object as fine threads of gold took form from on the opposite side. The memories which haunted him soon started to fade.

Rumpel glanced down at the basket beneath the wheel that was used to collect the threads of gold, he shrugged and continued to turn the wheel until the straw had been used up and the basket filled. With nothing left to craft he stood to his feet and calmly approached his chair that was on the other side of the room, though Rumpel wondered how much time Belle needed before she would discover that her cell had not been locked. He did feel lonely and despite the fact that he would never admit it, he looked forward to the moment he and his new captive 'friend' would finally interact.

"I'm not so sure why she's afraid, I'm not that bad am I? " He sat down within his chair and crossed the right leg over his left. "Well..." A smirk crossed his lips "..At least I never locked her door"

His elbows came to rest on the arms of the chair, he locked his fingers together and patiently waited for the moment Belle would exit her cell and through exploration would find her way down to the living quarters where Rumpel remained, at least social interaction would be much better than hearing nothing but the sound of his foot tapping against the marble floor.

The young captive woman slowly extended her legs away from her chest. Her senses tingled as she tried to hear what her captive was doing. She had agreed to their deal because it had saved her people, but what cost would she pay? She cringed when his fingers ran against the wall creating a haunting scratch throughout the castle. He was toying with her, and Belle knew it. She bit down on her bottom lip preventing herself from cursing him. A small groan of pain escaped from her mouth. She had clenched her jaw so hard that her teeth left imprints on her otherwise tenderly soft lips. Her fingers began to shake in both fear and anger. She clutched the corn silk hem of her dress as she brought it to her lips. She would not let him see the pain she was in emotionally or physically. With a shake in her knees she dabbed the blood away and stood up.

The door was made of solid oak and did not appear to be conditioned with magic. She ran her finger tips along the grain of the wood trying to see if anything would zap her into unconsciousness. Rumpelstilskin was notorious for his trickster ways, and Belle did not want to fall victim unknowingly. To her surprise the door creaked ever so slightly. She blinked in surprise and quickly pulled it shut. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest. She placed her palm on her forehead as if she had done something stupid. She was now a slave to his every whim, but what whims did this Beast have? Had he left the door open to trick her? Or had he meant to close it and merely forgot? No, her features reflected her thoughts, Rumpelstilskin never made mistakes. He always had a plan for his devious ways.

Belle took a moment to gather her thoughts and courage. Slowly her fingers entangled themselves around the cold steel of the door hinge. With one deep breath she pushed the door open. The world that opened to her was strange and foreign. She could hear Rumpelstilskin laughing to himself in the distance. The scene was straight out of a horror movie. A rather large rat ran across her pathway. She covered her mouth to drown out a small yelp that had passed. She was not usually afraid of rodent because she spent a lot of time working with the poor which seemed to be diseased by them.

---The Past--- 

Horse carriages trotted along the well beaten gravel roads throughout the Kingdom. Belle had managed to escape her afternoon studies to come see what normal people got to do with their days. Her father Sir Maurice had been caught up with a growing war and that had given Belle her chance to escape his overprotective eyes. She had paid one of the servant girls for her tattered cloak. Belle was known throughout the Kingdom from behind the doors. After her mother was killed by Ogres while tending to the wounded on the battlefield, Belle had been hidden away from the world. She was a near spitting image of her mother and any of the elders would have thought that they were seeing a ghost if she crossed their path. It was not her intention to stir trouble or cause fear, but only to see what was happening in the Kingdom that was supposed to be hers.

“Out of my way!” A man yelled as he whipped the horses on the carriage. The carriage sped by so fast that it splattered mud all over the children that had been playing on the sidelines. One of them let out a small cry, “Stop your whining filthy child. Or I’ll put you in the dungeon like I put your father in there.” The man sped off towards the castle once more fading into the crowd that seemed to fill in after him.

A child sat on the ground staring after the cart. He cried and held his knee tightly to his chest. Belle’s heart broke into a million pieces. Why was there a man in prison? She had no idea. The child was covered in dirt and rags. His face looked completely defeated as tears mixed in with the dirt leaving small trails of clean behind. Belle sighed and lowered herself to one knee next to the child. Her face was hidden to the child, concealed by a hood made from the same cloth that clung to his malnourished body.

“Child, where are your parents?” Her voice was calming and slow.

“I--…. Do not have any anymore,” The young boy choked out between his cries.

“I thought that man said your father was still alive?” Belle questioned, slight surprised by the child’s response.

“He is probably dead. The Guards take anyone who looks at them the wrong way or speaks against them. No one has ever returned from the King’s palace. I’m on my own.”

She winced at his response. Was this the world her father had tried to shield her from? Or was this the world as it truly was? Belle opened her purse that lay against her hip. She pulled out some herbs that she had gathered from the medicine shop in the Palace. Slowly she tore at the bloodied rags and exposed his knee. It was gashed and gashed deep. She knew without medical care this child would die on the streets never to see his father again. She placed the enchanted herbal formula within the wound and watched the flesh mend itself before their eyes.

“What… how did you do that?” The boy blinked while looking at her shadowed face.

“Magic.” She replied.

“Magic? I thought it was banned in the Kingdom? They say the Queen used magic to save the lives of men, but in the end she was not strong enough to survive. The King outlawed it, because he blames it for her death.” The boy said in one breath.

“Killed?” Belle blinked in surprise. How much more had her father kept from her? It suddenly made sense as to why she was never allowed to read any of the occult books. “No child,” Her voice was whispered, “Not all magic is evil. The magic I just used on you is a long forgotten art. Magic can heal. It is the person behind the magic that corrupts it.”

“All magic comes with a price.” He said.

“Where did you hear that?” Belle asked with an urgent tone. Her mother had always told her that. The boy stood up and smiled innocently.

“There is a man, well he is not really a man anymore… so let us just call him a monster.” He paused to make sure that he had her attention, “I cannot say his name because I am not ready to pay a price.”

Belle arched an auburn brown eye brow. The world around them seemed to fade as if this moment in time had been written in the stars for centuries. She nodded and took out a scroll from her side satchel and an inked quill. The boy smiled and wrote down the name of the mysterious figure.

“If you have any books where you are from you should read about him. Everyone knows about him, but none of us dare speak his name.” He frowned as his stomach growled.

“What do you normally eat child? You are skin and bones.” Belle pointed to his loose shirt that barely clung to him.

“Rats.” He said without hesitation, “Just rats.”

“What?!” Belle almost fell over and her heart sank. She quickly handed the child a coin so that he could buy some real food, “Here take this and find some real food. I will look for your father.” She said with her typical determination as she slid the scroll into her satchel and disappeared for the Palace without looking back, and had she looked back she might have fainted.

A dark haze consumed the boy as his body transformed into a beautiful woman in her thirties. She was forever timeless and forever young. She stared contently at the back of Belle. Her elegant hand reached for Belle only to be stopped by reality.

“Go my daughter, free this world. You must do what I failed at. Summon him, and pay the price.” She whispered and faded into the sunlight.

----The Present---- 

After taking a moment to recover from the rat and flood of memories she slowly crept up the long staircase. Rumpelstilskin never made mistakes, he was waiting for her. She could feel it in her bones. Her footsteps softly echoed throughout the halls. It was too silent for her liking. Once in the main hall she noticed the place was completely filthy. Years, if not hundreds of years of regret seemed to be staring back at her. She knew about the legendary Rumpelstilskin from her books, but what kind of man was he to leave his Palace like this? A pang of pity stabbed in her gut. She passed a long mirror that was covered with a dark royal drape. A curious Belle lifted the drape to stare at her own reflection. She never knew if anything was body trapped or not, so she moved slowly. Her reflection stared back at her. Her gown was torn, dirty, and blood stained. She shook her head as pieces of brown hair fell across her shoulders. She looked like the street rat child that she had seen, and no longer a Princess. This was her future with an uncertain Beast.

She hastily pulled her long brown hair into a knot at the base of her neck. She tried to straighten the wrinkles out of her gown. He may have changed her title, but he would never take her dignity. Belle straightened her back and held her head high while covering the mirror back up with the drape. She could still hear him laughing in the distance. His voice was haunting and calling for her in the most sinister of manners. She felt that if she did not keep her head on her shoulders her soul could be lost to the devil himself.

She found the kitchen tucked away in a corner of the maze that was known as the Dark One’s Palace. It was covered in dust and it looked as though it had not been used in years. Belle took a moment to ponder about what someone like Rumpelstilskin would eat? A chill ran up her spine, because her book reading hauntingly reminded her: Children. She shook her head trying to shake the thought of him skinning children and cooking them over a cauldron.

“Don’t be silly Belle, that is just a legend,” She told herself while slowly opening the pantry. Covered in dust he had everything. There were jars of eyeballs, various blood types, bones, and creatures. She screamed and fell backwards on her butt in shock. Her heart raced beneath her palm which had instantly gone to her chest, “What the f—.”

She was not sure if this was some kind of sick and twisted joke that he was playing on her… or if this was what he really ate. She growled and stood back up. He was not going to get the best of her, no matter what. She feverously banged around in the pantry until she found some herbs that she recognized. They were not magical and were not tied to any type of living create, besides a normal plant. She let out a simple sigh of relief and put the tea in a pot upon the fire. Belle rolled her eyes when she noticed it was an actual cauldron. Once again, she wondered if this was Rumpelstilskin’s way of messing with her. Surely he knew the stories that people told about him.

The tea was done and waiting for her. She stood on the tip of her toes to reach within the dirt laden cupboards. A cup fell from the cupboard and hit the stone floor with a shattering sound. She gulped and allowed her gaze to follow the cup’s path. It was too late, it was now chipped. Belle’s features tormented themselves for a moment. She did not know how he would react to her breaking his precious cup, but she knew Rumpelstilskin valued his things. She would simply fess up, and maybe he would be so disgusted with her that he would let her go, or kill her and end her uncertain life. She placed two cups, one of which was now chipped, and a hot pot of tea on an old fashioned silver platter and entered the room where he was.

He was tapping his foot against the marble floor as if he had been waiting for her to appear, but Belle quickly brushed aside the notion that he had been waiting for her. She had a habit of being a hopeless romantic, lost in her thoughts and books, but this was not the time, nor the man to being romanticizing about. A flush brushed her high cheek bones as she set down the tray and offered him the chipped cup. It was full of hot and relaxing tea. She hoped either he would strike her down, or the tea would calm him enough to make him merciful.

“I can see why you wanted me here. This place looks like it hasn’t been touched in centuries. I will get to work as soon as you have your…” She looked at the window which was covered in the same royal drape as the mirror had been. She was really surprised to see that he only wanted the light of a fire to light his entire Palace. Darkness was all that she could see from the cracks of cloth, “Nightly tea.” She paused as her eyes captured his within the endless sapphire depths of hers, her words were sincere and would test the kind of man he truly was, “I am sorry about your cup. I forgot to tell you before we made our deal that I am a clutz,” She broke the gaze and looked down at her shoeless feet. This was the first time she had noticed that her feet were cold.

Patiently he waited, the silence that haunted the living area was muffled by the faint cries of those that have fallen victim to the imp's wrath and each item he had kept on display had it's own voice to share with him the painful events each individual had suffered. A burden he happily carried, a burden that came as a price for choosing the path of darkness. Being the dark one had It's perks but with each perk came a terrible flaw and every decision he made tore him apart from within.



He needed this power, an addictive source that gave him everything; freedom, courage, It freed him of the fears this world once threw at him. A coward no more and everyone would know it. Not a single man would ever cross the Dark One and force him to make a choice he refused, all would kneel before him and experience the same emotions he once felt before discovering the dagger and accepting It's power for his own. Rumpel gazed at one particular object that rested above a shelf on his wall, a sword that he had taken as a souvenir from the very soldier that once forced him to kiss his boot in-front of Rumpel's son. This sword spoke out with the voice of the soldier, cursing violently, offensively, unforgiving of his life lost at the hands of the dark one. A restless soul that lingered beside it's belonging as many others did, awaiting the day that Rumpelstiltskin would fall.



"Well, perhaps I would not have killed you if you had just said please" He giggled and stood to his feet, often he questioned whether the whispers he heard were simply his imagination or if it were apart of the curse he took upon himself when he stabbed the previous man who carried this very burden.



The creaking sound of a door opening quickly distracted him from everything else he had been feeling, he turned to face the doorway and stared down the hall that lead toward the stairs into the basement which housed the cell that Belle had been placed in. He grinned and skipped happily back over to his chair, he could hardly wait for her arrival into his quarters but knew that if he revealed his excitement it would lead her to believe he was a different man than many thought him to be.



Disappointment overshadowed excitement when the sound of the cell door shutting echoed down the hallway, he wondered if she was toying with him or if she was still frightened. "Come on out dearie, I wont bite....yet" He shouted then listened closely for any signs of a response from his captive 'guest'



Again the door slowly opened and her exit from the room was confirmed when he heard the sound of footsteps but the steps he noticed did not appear to be closing in on his location, instead it sounded as if she was going in a different direction. Was she trying to escape? Perhaps leaving her door unlocked was not his brightest idea. Though her screams of terror relieved his fears of escape as he then knew were she had wondered off to.



"I guess she found my little gift. Nehaha..." He rested his elbows on the arms of his chair then locked his fingers within one another. If the surprises he left inside the kitchen did not make her believe he was a monster, a beast to fear then nothing would. Rumpel had a reputation to uphold and if in fact she believed kindness was shown for leaving her cell unlocked then perhaps her discovery would change her mind.



Finally her arrival caught his attention as she walked in carrying a tray full of tea. Rumpel stood to his feet and walked over to the large table that was in the center of the room, he slid out a chair and sat down. He could tell by her behavior that she was indeed nervous, especially when handing him a cup she had chipped while trying to prepare the drink.



Rumpel arched an eyebrow and wondered why she was being so apologetic over such a small object "Well It's just a cup." He took a sip of the tea in the chipped cup she had handed him, his eyes drifted from the cup over to where she was. "Why did you come here? Despite our deal, why did you decide to sacrifice your happiness to come here and serve me?" He wondered why she was so quick to make such a drastic change since others in her situation would have likely sacrificed their kingdom to avoid having to spend a life time away from their home.



"You could have just as easily said no, but you didn't, why?" Rumpel continued to question, though he was aware it was more or less a forced decision and yet surprisingly she had already began to live up to their deal by serving him tea. It was difficult for him to show trust for anyone but something about her was different. The innocent aura she carried with her was comforting, sure she was clutzy, likely stupid for giving up everything she had but the way she carried herself was something that he never experienced with anyone else. Perhaps in time, she would earn his trust but he has been deceived before. 

For a moment her eyes locked with his and she held her breath. He was a monster, and yet his presence set her on edge in all of the wrong ways. She managed a small smile and turned her head before he could see the flush that moved across her high cheek bones. Her fingers began to fidget with whatever she could get her hands on. She stooped down and lifted the edge of a rug up. One could see the outline of a clean solid oak floor underneath. Belle arched a brow as she ran a finger along the dust and compared it to the clean edges. She assumed that he had no cleaned the place since he had moved in. The sound a crackling fire brought the only sound and light in the room. You could have heard a pin drop in that moment. She turned around to face him after having a moment to analyze the task ahead of her and gather her thoughts. He had been watching her every move and it was painfully obvious that he was trying not to appear interested.

"Well it's just a cup." He sipped casually on the chipped cup while watching her, "Why did you come here? Despite our deal, why did you decide to sacrifice your happiness to come here and serve me?"

She smiled weakly and polished the antique iron of the chair that sat across the table from him. Her hands were tiny and otherwise considered weak, but what she lacked in physical power she made up for with determination and compassion. The iron came to life after being neglected for hundreds of years. She brushed a stray strand of chocolate hued hair behind her ear and out of her icy hued eyes.

"You could have just as easily said no, but you didn't, why?" His eyes seemed to shimmer momentarily with concern and curiosity. Was there more to the beast than met the eye?

“I heard a story long ago,” She paused while folding the napkin cloths she had brought to clean up any spilt tea, “A story as a child that my mother told me of a man with great power. The others of the castle said that you were the devil himself, but my mother said you were a tortured man,” She gulped afraid that she may have crossed into a dangerous territory as something unfamiliar passed between them. A chill ran up her spine and she braced for some kind of curse as her fingers dug into the cold iron. When the magic did not come to ravage her she stepped back from the chair. She was cautious with her next words, “My mother was different from the rest. She believed in magic, but always told me it would come with a price. I met a child in the town square one day and he told me to summon you to save my people. And the rest is History. The question is… why did you want me? You could have had anything my Kingdom had to offer?”

Belle locked her eyes with his once more. For a moment she forgot her place and challenged him to answer her, but it did not take long for her to remember that the man who sat before her, drinking the tea she had prepared, now by all legal and magical means owned her. She shook her head and placed the napkin on the sterling silver tray cursing herself under her breath for being so ignorant.

“I’m sorry Rumplestilskin. You have your reasons, and probably just wanted someone to clean this place. I apologize for my curiosity. A never ending curse of my own it would seem,” She managed another weak smile and walked towards the window. Suddenly she just wanted to open the window and let the light in. The room smelt of hay, musk, and burning wood. The tension between them was unspoken, but there, “As for why I came, my mother was my hero. She sacrificed her life trying to save our people, and for a while it worked. The ogres were appeased with her blood, but within ten years they came for me. A foolish legend, but a legend they obviously believed. My mother was very powerful in the ways of white magic, but would never give herself away to the darkness that could have saved her. She would have never called your name. I, however, do not believe calling your name will be my descent into darkness. After all, I am nothing more than your servant girl,” She laughed at the irony of the situation, “I gave up my life to save my people. I do not want to be remembered as the girl who died to being raped by ogres and did nothing for her people. No, I want to be remembered as the girl who stood up for what she believed in and was able to succeed while the men bickered between themselves.” Her voice reflected a bitter tone.

She moved a ladder over to the window. The curtains were nailed down as if to keep out any light and love from his life. She needed some fresh air before she fainted. It was all too much for her. She slowly climbed the ladder trying to pull her gown up to prevent herself from tripping on it. The yellow silk was now brown and torn and tattered. She had cast her ballroom heels aside the night that she had arrived. Rumpelstilskin was a man who liked to play games, and she would be his mouse for the rest of her life. Her face contorted to a look of distrust while she tugged and yanked on the curtains. A loud thump at the door distracted her from her thoughts and made her loose her feet. Belle let out a loud scream which only encouraged the unwanted guest to knock more frantically. She went flying backwards off of the ladder and only hoped she did not land on his spinning wheel or she would never live to see the next day.

Before she knew it she was hitting something hard, but it was not the floor or his wheel. Her arms wrapped around his neck while her face buried against his shoulder. Her breath was hot as she struggled to regain her composure from the fall. Her fingers entangled themselves within the curly ends of his unkempt hair. They brushed against his crocodile like skin. He had lost himself so much that he had taken on the appearance of his soul. Slowly Belle lifted her head to meet his gaze. The icy hued orbs locked with his otherworldly eyes. Her lips were mere centimeters from his and they could practically taste one another. She was not sure what had possessed her but she leaned in even closer as if she was going to kiss him, but before Belle or Rumpelstilskin could react another loud thud crashed on the door. A man’s voice could be heard shouting from the other side of the heavy door. She shook her head and slid down his body thanking him under her breath and apologizing at the same time. Belle picked up the ladder and set it to the side. Her gaze wandered to the door once more.

“Gaston?” Belle blinked recognizing the voice, “What in the hell is he doing here?” She spat the words as if her tongue carried the venom of a snake. She was not in need of rescuing.

He walked over to where she was kneeling and sat on the edge of the table to watch her as she cleaned up the mess she had made when she dropped the small fragile teacup and spilled the drink that had been inside, a drink which had originally been made for him. Rumpel carefully listened to the story she started to speak, he then understood why she had chosen to sacrifice the existence of freedom and the joys that came with it to live within his castle under his rules. Truly, someone whom could give up so much was a person that deserved his trust. Never before had he ever met someone that could make him feel the emotions he had been feeling after her arrival, sure there were those that did capture his heart but none that gave him the feelings he had at that point, this was far different than anything he ever assumed existed but such new found emotions were hard to place, he had heard of true love through stories told by those he met over the years but there was no way true love could ever happen to this 'monster'.

"Your mother, she seemed like such a wise woman. All magic does come at a price dearie, but there was one thing she got wrong that others told right; I am a devil, a beast and a monster, so you better watch out" He said with a slight giggle at the end which indicated that he was merely joking with her, not about how he felt about himself but the 'warning' which he had given. Her mother had been right, he suffered greatly, pain he could never shake. The word tortured felt watered down compared to what he carried with him on the inside.

"The question is… why did you want me? You could have had anything my Kingdom had to offer?”

Hesitation was shown through the timing of his response to Belle, the truth would simply label him as something different than what many had viewed him as and what she likely still saw deep down, he wanted to share his reasonings with her but decided deception was better than the truth; "You're right, I needed a house keeper dearie, my castle was dirty and judging by how well you have livened the place up, I'd say I was wise in the choice I made, wouldn't you?" He stood up from the edge of the table and kneeled down to one knee. "Missed a spot" He pressed the base of his thumb over a tiny spot of tea that she had over looked on the floor and rubbed it dry. A smirk graced his lips as he returned to standing position.

It was not difficult to tell that Belle still felt nervous around the Dark One, she revealed this by the consistent apologizing and shakey hands, he held out his hand to assist her back to her feet, if she were going to maintain his house she needed to rid herself of the fear she still carried deep inside. Though everything she had revealed showed that fear wasn't her strongest suit, through her sweet natured personality lied a courageous woman who would do anything for the good of her people and perhaps thats why he refused to share the truth about himself, yes he was starting to trust her but if she had known how cowardly he was she might've viewed him in a different light. It did feel as though others had more courage than he.

"What are you doing?" Rumpel asked when he noticed Belle walking from the table over to a ladder next to the large windows that were covered by curtains that had been nailed down tightly to seal out any light from the outside world. He walked over to where the curtain was that she was trying so desperately to remove. She had given the curtain a final tug then lost her footing on the ladder which caused her to fall along with the curtain and in what seemed like an unthinkable reaction he held out his arms frantically to allow Bell to safely land within them. Rumpel ignored the sounds that were coming from the door outside of his castle as his focus was the woman whom had captured his moment and his train of thought. Lost he was within the blue irisis of her eyes and the scent of her breath.

Bang! Bang! It was the final sound that snapped him back into reality, he sat Belle down and tugged at his shirt to straighten it. "It Uh-well, It seems that you're fine." He waved her off and tried to act as if nothing had happened. Rumpel quickly turned away from her and walked out of the room, down the hallway toward the door that someone appeared to have been pounding on relentlessly then with a wave of his hand the door opened to reveal the man Belle had previously been set to wed before he had interfered with such plans.

"I'm here to get my Belle back, come and get me beast!" Gaston ordered.

Rumpel grinned, delighted by the sudden challenge but knew he would easily do away with his new enemy. "With pleasure" he said and just as he exited the door he found himself cuffed by two guards that appeared from the opposite sides of the door, guards that were not from Belle's castle but rather Regina's. He gritted his teeth, angered by the sudden deception, his eyes locked onto Gaston with a look that could pierce a hole straight through the Prince's skull.

"Congratulations, you have just signed your own death." He thrusted his hands forward to cast a spell but to his surprise, nothing happened. The guards grabbed Rumpels arms to restrain him and he looked back to see Belle's location and noticed she was standing not too far from the door, shocked by the event that was taking place.

"You...." His eyes narrowed, Belle had deceived him, or so he thought, there he was, captured by Regina's guards that were lead by the man he had stolen Belle from. It wasn't hard to piece the puzzles together. "...You did this! YOU DID THIS!" He shouted "I TRUSTED YOU AND YOU TOYED WITH MY HEART!" He struggled to break free against the strength of Regina's guards. "I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN YOU COULD NEVER LOVE ME! NO ONE CAN EVER LOVE ME! YOU BROKE OUR DEAL! YOU WERE IN THIS WITH REGINA THE WHOLE TIME WEREN'T YOU?!!" One of the guards wrapped a piece of cloth around Rumpel's mouth to keep him from speaking any further.

Gaston stepped infront of Rumpel which blocked his view of Belle and smiled "Yes, you can thank Belle for this, do you really think she could have ever loved a creature like yourself? Ha! You must be far more delusional than rumored. Thanks to Belle and her negotiation with the Queen, our land is safe, the war is won, she and I can finally be married and we can all be rid of the beast once and for all. Guards take him away!"

The guards lead Rumpel over to a nearby wagon with a cage then opened it and tossed him inside, he tried to shout but found that the gag had muffled his words. Once the wagon took off, he locked eyes with Belle and a single tear streamed down his right cheek, he maintained contact until Belle had went out of view.

Belle had been known in her Kingdom for being an honest woman. She was a woman who could hold her head high and her people loved her. She could have had their loyalty and held the crown for years to come, but none of that mattered anymore. She had already begun to give her heart to the monster who had taken her from her life. For some reason it felt as if he knew what she needed where she had not. She reached out for Rumpelstilskin as he approached the door. Something did not feel right. Her hands quivered against gravity in fear for what might be on the other side of the door.

“Rumple, wait!” She yelled after him, but because she had not used his full name he did not notice. She had failed to summon him to her and he was more intent on ridding them of their distraction. She followed him slowly and afraid for what tricks Gaston might have. His Kingdom was notorious for playing dirty in war and for that reason her father had decided it would be best for Belle to marry him to unite the Kingdoms. Maurice thought if Belle was the bride of the Kingdoms then Gaston’s forces might have helped to quell the ogre threat, but instead Belle had been the savior.

Rumpelstilskin had done a few things for her Kingdom after she had left. He had taken the time to attend to his maid’s affairs. He stayed up long nights creating gold and plotting while she slept. Gaston stood in all of his arrogance in front of the two.

"I'm here to get my Belle back, come and get me beast!" He spat in the direction of Rumpelstilskin and Belle’s stomach turned at the thought of being his. She had never wanted to marry Gaston. The family was corrupt and stood for everything she did not believe in, but these were thoughts that did not seem logical considering the company she kept. She reached once more for Rumpelstilskin, but failed to capture his attention. He was intent on ending Gaston’s threat. Belle let out a loud gasp when the sound of metal hitting his wrists interrupted his rage.

"Congratulations, you have just signed your own death." He moved his hands forward as if to cast a spell but nothing happened. She blinked at him as his gaze met hers. She was completely dumbfounded and began to frantically try to decode the situation in hopes that she could figure out a solution. He did not deserve this. "You...." He hissed at her while pointing an accusing finger in her direction. His eyes were narrowed and blazing with anger. A chill went up her spine as she stood motionless and lost in his gaze. The look of complete betrayal crossed his face, "...You did this! YOU DID THIS!" He screamed almost hysterical, "I TRUSTED YOU AND YOU TOYED WITH MY HEART!" He threw his body forward in attempt to get to her. She thought he was going to kill her in that moment, "I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN YOU COULD NEVER LOVE ME! NO ONE CAN EVER LOVE ME! YOU BROKE OUR DEAL! YOU WERE IN THIS WITH REGINA THE WHOLE TIME WEREN'T YOU?!!"

Before Belle could respond to defend herself Gaston stepped in front of her blocking her tears and outrage from Rumpelstilskin. The guards gagged him so that he could no longer reach out to Belle through his words. Instead Gaston’s words severed the tie between Beauty and the Beast.

"Yes, you can thank Belle for this, do you really think she could have ever loved a creature like yourself? Ha! You must be far more delusional than rumored. Thanks to Belle and her negotiation with the Queen, our land is safe, the war is won, she and I can finally be married and we can all be rid of the beast once and for all. Guards take him away!" The guards hauled him off into a cage and took him before Belle could run after him. They had never had the conversation of love, but now she found herself wondering if that is what it had been. Her next words would affirm it. His eyes spoke words he could not as they locked with hers. Her features were traumatized and frantic as she thought she saw a single tear fall down his face.

“RUMPELSTILSKIN!” She screamed in horror and to her dismay nothing happened, “RUMPELSTILSKIN!” She screamed again, “RUMPELSTILSKIN I SUMMON YOU!” Her voice was hysterical as she fell to her knees. The tears began to fall against her cheeks… slowly at first and then torrential.

“You are too late dearest Belle. We have taken him to the Forgotten Forest. No one will ever find him and he will never hurt anyone again. You included. Now darling, why don’t you stand up, compose yourself and act like my Queen.” His voice mocked her as he extended his hand down to her.

The rage she felt within the tormented regions of her heart quickly transferred itself into her hand. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it so hard that she broke all of the fragile bones of the Prince's dainty hand. He let out a loud scream and back handed her with his free hand into unconsciousness.

“Stupid wrench.” He said while trying to stabilize his hand. He motioned for Regina’s men to bring Belle to his Palace.

The carriage slowly made it’s way through the busy Kingdom that Gaston called home. The people rejoiced thinking that their Prince had saved the Princess Belle from the mean Devil. Rumpelstilskin’s legend followed him wherever he went. Some of the people looked upon the carriage with joy and some looked upon it with fear. They knew if Rumpelstilskin ever escaped his prison he would come for Gaston and Belle. The people were under the impression that Belle had come willingly. She had not. Belle rubbed her head slowly coming to. She straightened up in the carriage and noticed she had been chained to the door frame. It was not Gaston in front of her, but a guard. The coward could not even stand to ride with her. She hissed at the guard who merely laughed at her. She would have his head. Belle narrowed her eyes coldly in his direction. He threw a dress at her and motioned for her to get dressed.

“Remove your eyes from your head and then I will get dressed,” She spat in his direction. He shook his head at her.

“I have been ordered to keep an eye on you. So undress.” He said calmly.

“Your Prince will have your head if you watch me undress.” Her voice shook.

“No, mi’lady. He ordered me to watch.” The guard grinned from underneath his helmet. Belle blinked for a moment, but knew those words were most likely true. The family he came from were known to embarrass their war prisoners and to allow their guards to rape them as a method of control and payment. A chill went up her spine. Slowly Belle undressed trying to cover herself with her arms and cloth while doing so. The guard yanked her old gown away and made her redress defenselessly. Rumpelstilskin would have killed him dead there for touching his property.

She pulled her hair back into a high bun and touched her face with some makeup that had been provided for her. She looked as if she had come straight out of a fairytale. The gown that adorned her womanly curves was one of red silk and black lace. The guard moaned a moan of acceptance--her beauty pleased him. She had satisfied his requirements. Resentfully she stepped out of the carriage. Gaston’s eyes seemed to be mocking her with laughter as he motioned with his broken hand for her to take his arm. She paused for a moment wondering if she should break his arm where he stood, but Belle would buy her time until she could find a way to escape. The sound of people cheering meant nothing to her. She posed a fake smile and followed her “loved” Prince into his Palace. He planted a harsh and horrible kiss on her lips before they descended behind the doors. His kiss left her lips bleeding and bruised. He was not the man that she had wanted to kiss on that day.

“What has possessed you Gaston?” She asked, “You were never like this when we were together! You never said a harsh word or raised a hand to me.” Her gloved hand gently touched the spot on her face that his hand had connected with. He laughed and poured them both a glass of wine. He handed her the glass and she hesitated to take it.

“Oh please Belle. Would I have gone through all of this trouble if I was simply going to poison you?” He laughed while keeping his eyes connected with hers. Gaston raised his glass in her direction and began to drink it.

“I don’t know you anymore Gaston.” She growled chugging the wine and throwing the glass at his head.

He quickly dodged the glass and turned on her like a fire burning wild in the forest. His breath was labored and smelt of alcohol as he pushed her against the cold stone walls. His fingers feverishly ran along her body. A knock at the door interrupted him bringing his attention back to the court affairs.

“Sir, your father would like to have a word with you.” One of the guards said cautiously.

“Tell him I will be there shortly, if you could not tell I was busy trying to give him a Grandson.” He muttered against Belle's neck. The guard coughed as if to clear his throat.

“He said it was urgent your highness.”

“Very well,” Gaston whined, “I’ll be there within 30 minutes.” The guard nodded and shut the door behind them. Belle stared at him dumbfounded and heated. He had touched her without her permission. The man who had never made an advance towards her was suddenly interested. The situation made no sense. He laughed again and drank some more wine, “Belle, Rumpelstilskin.” He paused saying the devil’s name slowly, “Oh right I have imprisoned him so he can’t come for you. Well he sent riches to your father to help pay for the damage that the Ogres had done. He took care of your affairs while he had you locked away.” He raised his glass to her, “You are now the Richest Princess in all of the realms. My Kingdom will use that money wisely. And while you are miserable and fat from being pregnant I will be off paying for whores with your money.” He put the glass down and practically danced off into the next room as though he had just won the lottery. His last words haunted her, “Nothing you can do about it. The Evil Queen helped me arrange it all. He is in the lost forest and no one will look for him. No one loves him and the world is better off without him.”

Belle slumped against the cold stone once more and slid down to her knees. Rumpelstilskin had been taking care of her people the entire time? Her heart strings twisted in misery, he thought she had betrayed him. A look of determination came across her face. Her father knew that look well. Ever since Belle was a little girl she would fight for what she believed in. That was why she would have made a great Queen. She grabbed an idle butter knife and waited for Gaston to leave.

--In the Throne Room--

A fire cackled in the distance as Gaston entered the room. His father’s advisers had gathered and seemed to be worried about something or another. Gaston laughed and continued to drink from his wine cup like a spoiled pompous child. His father raised his head up from his map to meet his son. He quickly closed the distance between them and slapped the wine glass from his hand. The glass splattered and hit the ground with an echo.

“You fool. What have you done!?” His father yelled. Gaston looked at his father dumbfounded to his actions, “You asked the Evil Queen for her help? You challenged Rumpelstilskin? Are you mad?”

“Relax Father. I have Rumpelstilskin somewhere safe. He can’t harm us and the Queen would protect us anyways.”

“My foolish excuse of a child. The Queen won’t protect you from the Dark One. She will be too busy protecting herself.” He shook his fist at his son, “We stand to lose our entire Kingdom now. And to make matters worse Belle’s father has heard about his daughter.”

“Well shouldn’t he be thankful? We can join the realms and defeat any magic users that come our way. After all with all of the money he gave Maurice we could buy all of the magic.”

“You cannot buy the magic that the Dark One has. He is the strongest man in the land. Maurice is coming for his daughter. He does not believe that we have kept her unharmed. He should be arriving within the hour. There is word that he has people working within the castle to gather information. If he finds out what you are up to the entire Kingdom will burn. He has the money at this time, we do not.”

Gaston sat in his father’s throne and shook his head. He ordered a guard to kill his father and the guard complied. The room fell silent in complete shock. Gaston was a mastermind and seemed as though he had lost his mind. A man ran into the room his breath labored as he hunched over bracing himself against the table.

“Your Highness,” The man paused for a moment while looking at the now dead and bleeding King. He cleared his throat obviously not wanting to get involved in the family drama. The news that he brought might kill him anyways, “Princess Belle… she has escaped.”

“HOW?” He growled, but before the man could answer the Castle herald announced the arrival of King Maurice.

---Outside the Castle---

Belle clung to her cloak hoping to conceal her identity. She was still in her new gown and it was holding her back. She bent over and tore at the long silk tearing it to her knees. It would have been scandalous in her time, but she had to get to Rumple. An old woman stopped Belle in her tracks and peered within her soul. Belle nearly ran into her and gasped.

“Hello Belle,” The woman whispered only loud enough for the two to hear, “I am an old friend and a deal is a deal. Consider my contract fulfilled. Now follow your heart. True love always finds a way.” She handed Belle a magical key and smiled before fading into the crowd. Belle blinked. Yes. She could finally admit. She loved him. It was this new found realization that pushed her, that drove her to near insanity. She looked around for a horse. A white horse nudged her from behind as if it had been waiting for her.

Get on. – A voice whispered, - I will take you to him, the rest is up to you.

Belle did not hesitate nor did she question. The fact that she was hearing voices did not bother her, what bothered her was the entire fucked up situation. The horse trotted against the rough terrain until she reached the edge of the Lost Forest. The horse stopped and pulled it’s head back in distrust. Belle frowned and slid off of the horse. She gently patted the horse and thanked him. The rest of the journey would be up to her. The sound of screaming men echoed from behind her. It was dark and she could see their torches. They were coming for her. Her eyes widened as she looked at the horse one last time. It was nervous and magical. If captured it would surely be abused and used.

“GO!” She screamed and slapped it on the behind encouraging it to run for it’s life. The horse jumped and ran away from all humanoid figures. Belle found herself wishing that she knew magic and could simply kill her followers, but she was helpless and just wanted to get to Rumpelstilskin. The guards were heartless and guided by dark magic. They would die to catch her and would never stop. Belle paused to gather her thoughts and make a decision. She could either throw herself into the unknown and face Rumpelstilskin or face the Queen’s notorious guard. His words seared at her heart. She loved him and would rather die by him than to go on without him knowing she loved him.

Without another thought she threw herself into the dark forest trusting her heart to guide her. She weaved between the trees her gown and legs being cut by the thick thorns that covered the forest floor. Creatures of the darkest magic and darkest night screamed and devoured one another out of sight. Something protected Belle. It was the key that the sweet old woman had given her. She could not see it but the key had enveloped her in a shroud of white magic. Nothing evil could touch her within this forest, nothing but the Queen’s Guard or Rumpelstilskin. People always got lost in this forest or died from starvation. No one in their right mind would go into the forest willingly. The guards stopped at the edge and scratched their heads in disbelief. They figured she would come out on their own or die from being lost. The guards made camp and decided to wait until dawn to see what outcome would come from the young foolish girl’s actions.

Somehow, someway, by a one in a million chance she came upon a clearing. The forest fell silent as fate lay in front of her. The key began to glow and vibrate against her chest. She slowly took the necklace off of her neck and eyed the key. It told her he was there, waiting. She wondered if she would face the beast, or the man. Belle took a gulp, said a prayer, and entered the fortress.

The bugs that crept on the stone walls scattered throughout the room when she entered. They had been kind enough to give him his spinning wheel and tons of hay. The room was lit up by a small flickering flame in the corner. It went out when she entered the room. Belle knew he knew she had come, but she did not know what dark magic he was preforming, and then she remembered he could not preform magic. She relaxed a bit. The key in her hand began to glow again opening the room to her vision. She still couldn’t see Rumpelstilskin. It was now or never.

“Rumpelstilskin. I had nothing to do with the Evil Queen’s plans. I did meet her on the road when you sent me out for hay. She tried to tell me to leave you, but I came back.” Belle tried to plead her case. Her voice was full of desperation. She needed hi to understand. She felt a force push her body against the cobblestone floor. She let out a loud gasp as the air had been knocked out of her. A dark force that she could only imagine was his anger, but how was he conducting magic? She blinked as a physical force descended upon her. It was a dark panther straight from Hell. Belle had read about them in her books, but had never expected to see one. Then again suddenly her life was abnormal, “Damnit Evil Queen.” She knew then that it was a spell that the Queen had enacted to protect Rumpelstilskin from being saved, “Why the hell can’t she just let people be happy!” Belle screamed.

The cat went into a corner and the snarling coming from the creature about made Belle piss herself. The look came. The look of determination that had freed her from the Palace and most of her childhood. She had come for him, not for the damn cat. She groaned and pushed herself off of the stone slowly. Her body screamed in pain and the wound the cat had left on her burned. The magic was trying to entangle itself in her life force. The key fizzled and the light faded. Belle cursed under her breath. She had not come this far to fail him.

“I will not give up.” Belle screamed throwing herself into the shadows on top of the cat, “You will not keep me from him. I LOVE HIM!” She screamed like a mad woman and shoved a butter knife into the cat’s heart. The cat let out a loud scream and fell into ashes of agony and rage. Belle stood up slowly trying to gather her balance and thoughts. The room was a bit shaky as the magic had begun to run Regina’s planned course. The naïve princess had managed to defeat the cat with the power of love and a butter knife, but Regina may have just accomplished her goal. It would be up to Rumpelstilskin if Belle would survive.

She wrapped her fingers around the steel bar that held him prisoner. Slowly and sickly she slid the key into the lock and unlocked him. He would have been able to see everything that happened in the shadows. She did not know where he was but felt around cautiously until she felt his face. Belle froze in place running her fingers along his cheek. The scales of the crocodile still remained.

“Rumple,” She whispered bringing his chained hands into hers. She unlocked the magical shackles that bound him, “I love you Rumple. I have loved you before I was born.” She sobbed, “I had no idea Gaston was coming and he did horrible things to me. The Queen’s men are on their way…” Her voice trailed off, “I don’t have much time…” She winced as the venom of the black magic burned away her flesh, “I love you. Please know that and you are the last person I want to see hurt. I would die to protect you..” She fell into the hay and the light flickered back on. Regina had accomplished her goal and put Belle out of commission and practically crippled Rumpelstilskin. Belle’s cheeks were tear stained and her makeup was smudged from her struggle with her emotions and the cat.

The guards had decided to follow her after Regina had sent them the word that Belle had managed to reach Rumpelstilskin. Their yelling and stomping could be heard outside of the fortress, but now Rumpelstilskin was unbound. He had options. He could kill them all if he so desired, including Belle who laid helpless at his feet almost dead from the dark magic now in her blood stream.

Silently he sat within the confines of the dungeons cell, caged like a rabid animal within shackles that prevented him from use of his dark powers. Through the mistreatment performed by the guards when they escorted him to what he assumed would be his forever home, he had chosen not to fight or put up any sort of struggle. His heart had been too crumbled to allow such to occur. In his eyes he was nothing more than an empty shell. Belle had ripped out his entire soul and trampled it onto the ground.

As he sat on the ground within the shadows, back faced against the cell doors, he did only what his mind allowed, he stared deeply at a crack within one of the walls and watched the movements of roaches as they scurried in and out of the holes that lead to somewhere. Some of the insects even crawled across his body yet he cared very little and made no decision to brush them away. Betrayal was all he could think about during his time within that cold place, betrayed by the one person his heart felt would never bring harm. 


The more he thought about what had come to pass, the more tears fell from his darkened eyes, emotions he had not felt even when Milah left him or when Cora decided magic was more important than love. These emotions were far different and caused pain to every ounce of his being, especially within his heart. Not once did he ever imagine the woman who had seem so genuine, so trustworthy could betray him as she did, the good she had convinced him to instill within his soul seemed like nothing more than fictitious words spoken from a liar.



He thought back to the moment right before that knock sounded upon his castle door, shortly after she had fallen from the window sill, their hands entwined, eyes locked upon one another and lustful intent that flowed through his mind, the will to want to share a kiss with the woman that had stolen his heart was strong. He desired nothing more than a simple touch of her lips.






But all of that, every blissful moment, every smile shared, joke told, stories spoken and love granted, everything, faded within an instance upon the arrival of Belle's fiance as well as the Dark One's capture. No one had ever been able to have this great of effect on him, not even Cora who he cared so deeply for. Obviously Regina discovered a way to truly crush the man within the beast without actually destroying him. Regina had won, toyed with the one weakness even he never thought he had; Love.



There Rumpel was broken by his own choices, the choices that lead him to where he was. The choice to give a single woman everything he was but he no longer knew who he was and he knew if he were to ever be freed from his captures should he want to be freed, he would never allow himself to love another again.



"Rumpelstiltskin" A voice had called out, a familiar voice he knew from his past though he chose to remain seated and positioned where he had been for the entire time he was there.



"You need to know something, Belle had nothing to do with your capture. She is innocent in all of this. Regina had you set up. It was her that told Gaston to convince you that this plot was all Belle's idea. Regina wanted to see you suffer and by the looks of it, she succeeded. Belle is on her way, please trust me when I say this, Belle cares dearly for you. Look past your own assumptions and you will see what your heart truly wants"






Those words spoken but never acknowledged seemed to cease. He knew who it was that had came to see him, the only person he ever trusted, the words she said opened his eyes. Everything that person had stated made sense as this seemed like something only Regina could come up with. He slowly stood to his feet but kept his eyes locked onto the wall. He truly wanted to believe what had been told but even through the soft words, his heart still ached and it felt difficult to repair what had been completely shattered.



"You think you have defeated me?!" Rumpel shouted and looked around, "Do you think by trying to hurt me from within that you could stop me?!" He continued and focused his attention on the ceiling that dripped with water from within cracks that failed to seal any dampness or moisture out. "You've only slowed me down dearie and when I get out of these shackles, I'm going to put you through the same torture that you have left me to bare! You have cost me the one thing that ever meant anything to me, well guess what QUEENY, I'm going to tear out your heart and crush it right in front of you!"



He struggled against the cuffs and tried to pull them apart but the strength and magic that these restraints contained was too much. The thoughts of amputation also crossed his mind, he looked around for a sharp enough rock that could potentially do the trick. The anger he felt had greatly increased and the only thought that was flooding his mind was the death of his advesary; Regina. He would not stop until her body laid by his feet and the dust from her heart covered her from head to toe.



He paused when he heard footsteps approaching from the distance, a sly sinister grin played over his lips, he hoped the person coming would have been Regina as this would make his job much easier but instead the image of Belle became clear. The grin faded and immediately he slipped back into the shadows of the cell where he could not be seen.



“Rumpelstilskin. I had nothing to do with the Evil Queen’s plans. I did meet her on the road when you sent me out for hay. She tried to tell me to leave you, but I came back.” Belle tried to plead her case.



“Why the hell can’t she just let people be happy!” Belle screamed.



After she spoke those final words Rumpel burst from within the darkness and grabbed tightly onto the cell bars that prevented him from getting close to Belle. His anger was visibly noticeable as the eyes, cold and icy locked onto Belles, not even a smile or a show of warmth present for the appearance of the woman he loved.






"She's not going to be happy either after what I do to her. Dont even THINK about trying to stop me with your pathetic words of good this or nice that. It's foolish talk like that which put me into this cell. If I ever get out of here I'm killing her and your precious fiance!!" He smiled sadistically and took a few steps back only to find himself unlocked but before he could react he seen Belle being attacked by what appeared to be a beast cooked up by one of the Evil Queen's spells.
 


He kicked the cell door open just as the shackles fell to the ground and stepped outside of the cage just as Belle collapsed to the ground from her battle and victory with one of Regina;s animals. Rumpel scowled in anger and grabbed the head of the cat then ripped it forcefully from it's body and tossed the head toward the wall. He turned his focus to the woman whom still had his anger but also had his remorse and knelt by her side "Belle..." He whispered and scooped her up into his arms. He placed his right hand over her chest and closed his eyes to focus his energy on a certain area within her body, this spell he was using would heal whatever wounds the Regina's animal had caused and remove any poison created by it.
 


It wasn't long after that he heard people approaching, likely guards sent by the Queen herself, a choice they would regret. "Send my regards to the queen" He said to himself then carefully placed Belle on the ground. He formed a large ball of fire within the palm of his hand and tossed it down the hallway that lead out of the dungeon. The hall grew very bright and screams of agony came moments later, if that did not send Regina a message then he would gladly deliver one to her personally. 

--In the Darkness of Belle’s mind—

“Belle,” A familiar voice called out from the shadows before stepping into the light. Her mother stood in all of her regal glory with a sweet and knowing smile on her face. A long and flowing purple dress clung to her otherwise fragile figure. Her hair was tied in a tight bun and she looked as radiant as she had the day she died.

“Am I dead?” Belle whispered while staring blankly at the apparition of her mother.

“No dearest, you are not dead,” Her mother paused and closed the distance between them. She placed an elegantly gloved hand on Belle’s chest where her heart continued to beat. Her features changed into a loving expression, “I see you managed to summon the Dark One.”

“How did you know?” Belle said a bit surprised.

“I was the street rat. If I had been willing to pay the price I could have summoned him to save me from the Ogres…” Her mother watched Belle’s face, searching for understanding, only finding pain.

“Mother! You could have saved us and you could have stopped the hole in my heart!!?” Belle screamed her fists enclosed with a sudden burst of regret and rage. The looks that she had received from some of the Elders had not been kind. Princess Belle had held all of the weight of her Kingdom on her shoulders. She had been thrown at Gaston without her own desires because her mother was gone. Everything Belle had suffered had been because her mother had been too cowardly to summon the dark one? Belle stepped back from her mother, ready for a fight. All of the years of loneliness exposed. The raw emotion unchanging.

“Belle!” Her mother scolded her, “Do not allow your rage to consume you, you are better than that.” She gently ran her hand along her daughter’s cheek brushing away a few tears, “I know you will never get over losing me Belle. Rumpelstiltskin did come to me. He might not remember it, but he did come. His shadow came. When he reached out for me I saw your future,” She paused as if she was afraid to tell her daughter, “True love Belle. When you find it, you never let it go. I was not willing to pay the price, because darkness would have tainted my magic. You are able to withstand his darkness and even change it. He is your true love. You will awaken, you will lose him again, and you will find him again. The cycle repeats so enjoy the moments you have.”

Her mother faded back into the darkness a twinkle of hope in her blue eyes. The hope every mother has that their child will be ok in the world without them.

--Reality--

She could feel the heat rising around her as the air seemed to stand still at Rumpelstiltskin’s beckoning call. The fireballs that he had sent whirled past her crumbled body and into the hallway. Belle heard the screams of the men while lost in another realm of time. She was aware of what was going on. She had felt him pick her up and whisper her name. Oh how magically sweet the sound of her name sounded from his lips. How hot and bothered she felt inside when his breath touched her ear. She had felt him heal her wounds and seek revenge. The young woman did not understand the history between Regina and Rumpelstiltskin, but she believed it to be a very bitter and angry one. Normally she would have been one to oppose such harsh measures, but this was one moment in their relationship that she could justify. Belle let out a small groan completely unheard by Rumple as he continued to rage in the direction of the screams. He was completely consumed with his hatred for Regina Mills and dark magic.

Belle slowly opened her icy hued eyes and saw the beast for the man he was. His breathing was a bit labored and he looked mentally unstable. The smell of burning flesh lingered in the air as reality began to set in for her, it was a smell that she would not soon forget. She sat up slowly and touched her arm where the panther had cut her. The wound was completely gone and her flesh returned. He had saved her. She felt a small pang of remorse touch the depths of her heart, oh how she had misunderstood her poor mother. She understood what her mother was talking about now. The man was broken, powerful, but broken. He could not see the truth in his actions and he did not believe in a second chance of life. When he looked in the mirror it was simply the beast, a monster, completely unable of feeling and understanding. A strange thing happened, Belle smiled. People were dying in the other room, and she was smiling. He had shown her that there was still a man inside and that regardless of his past she could always love him. Her mother had seen her future, and now Belle saw it. She vowed never to abandon him, because he was her true love.

She stood up and wrapped her arms around him from behind. Belle’s arms tightened begging him for his attention. Her head snuggled against his back hoping to melt away his rage and bring him back to reality. He had saved her, and now he had his chance to be with her. A moment she could have treasured, but Gaston and Regina were still a threat. His pulse lowered and his demeanor changed. His rage subsided from her touch for that moment. She slowly turned him to face her gaze. Her eyes overwhelmed with emotion as his connected with hers. She entangled her fingers in his still warm hands. The magical force that had exploded from within his hands lingered. She winced but smiled through it. She wanted to tell him everything and beg him not to leave her. She wanted to return to his castle and live out her days, but deep down she knew that would never happen. Her mother had warned her that she would lose Rumple many times. Belle frowned remembering that her father had gone to confront Gaston.

“Rumple… we need to return to Gaston’s Kingdom,” She searched his face hoping that he did not take her words wrong, “My father heard about your capture and my own. He went to confront Gaston. By taking me it broke my deal with you… but I did not break it.” She frowned and placed his hand on her heart, the beat was frantic, “I promised you forever, and I meant it. I will always find you and keep our deal. I wish we could return home and spend forever wrapped in eachother’s arms, but we can’t… not yet.” She kissed his cheek hoping to save the best for last. Belle pulled him through the hallway being careful not to step on the ashes of the men he had killed, “Wait… Rumple… you can transport us!”

---In Gaston’s Kingdom---

“Your highness, please stop.” A warm female voice called for Maurice.

“I do not have time to stop!” He turned around to see a woman looking up at him. Her features were tired and it looked as though she had been through a lot for the day. A mutual understanding transpired between the two, “Very well madam. How can I help you?” He was impatient because he knew Belle was in danger, but Belle would have never turned the woman away.

“It is about your daughter. She has escaped to go free Rumpelstiltskin.” The woman said in a matter-of-fact manner.

“What?! Has she gone mad? He thinks that she was the one that threw him in there!” Her father panicked and the elderly woman pressed a finger against his lip to hush him, and like a baby he melted. Her eyes were very serious as she continued.

“Summon him when you reach Gaston, and have some faith in your daughter. She may not be a powerful sorceress like your wife was, but she is her mother’s daughter.”

He understood exactly what the mysterious woman was talking about. Belle had always been brave and determined. She had not allowed the set roles of women define her character or her abilities. Her mother would have been proud. The woman began to disappear into the crowd of people.

“Wait! Madam! What is your name?” He called out to her. She turned around one last time and smiled an enchanting smile.

“I’m Mrs. Potts. I raised Rumpelstiltskin before he became a beast.” She said before fading into the crowd. She was nothing more than a Guardian angel now, but who was she protecting?

---In Gaston’s throne room---

“I know you have her Gaston, where is she?” Sir Maurice said his tone rather impatient and distasteful. Gaston smiled innocently and folded one leg over the other. He had little time to fool with the arrogant spoiled man child.

“I do have your precious Belle, but the question is… what price are you willing to pay for her? If you could allow her to make a deal with the dark one than surely you can make a deal with me?” Gaston raised up off of the throne and nibbled on an apple that had been sitting in a gold bowl next to him. He was smug and knew that he had all of the pieces in this chess game. Rumpelstiltskin had taken care of Belle’s Kingdom while he held her captive, and Maurice was now the richest King in all of the land.

“Belle is priceless to me Gaston. You can have my entire Kingdom, just give me my daughter.” Maurice plead. Gaston nearly fell over with laughter. Gaston knew that Belle had escaped, but here her father was offering the entire Kingdom Belle had sacrificed herself for. Gaston pulled out his sword and back Maurice into a corner. The edge of his sword about to slice his throat. His dark eyes narrowed as he watched the pulse frantically beat in his neck.

“How tragic. Belle gave everything up and you’re willing to give it up to get her back. I doubt she would be happy with this arrangement.” He grinned.

“Rumpelstiltskin, I summon thee,” Was all that Maurice said. His eyes narrowed with confidence as Gaston removed his sword once more. He held his gut and hunched over with laughter.

“Do you really think your sweet little Belle would be capable of freeing him? Even if she did he would kill her for betraying him. Regina told me that Rumpelstiltskin hates betrayal. And if you summon him he will probably kill you for bringing such a bitch into this world.”

“How dare you Gaston.” Maurice spat in his face, the ultimate disrespect of the time. He would not even bother to raise a sword.

The air in the room stood still as if frozen as Belle and Rumpelstiltskin appeared silently and instantly. Belle removed herself from Rumpelstiltskin. She had thrown herself on him when they had both heard his name. Belle’s love for Rumpelstiltskin had allowed her to hear the same summon that he had. She grinned when she realized where they were. It was time for Rumpelstiltskin to play, and she would not stop him from whatever terror he was going to inflict on a man that had nearly raped her and tried to take her Kingdom.

Rumpelstiltskin

“Rumple… we need to return to Gaston’s Kingdom,” She searched his face hoping that he did not take her words wrong,



That was all the confirmation the dark one needed, he was about to rain down the wrath of God on the pretentious prick for nearly costing him a life with the woman he had fallen in love with over the months that they shared with one another. His heart was broken, scarred by the lessons of past love, life and the betrayals of the ones he allowed himself to trust. It was time to express that pain onto a man whom assisted in trying to hammer the nail into his already battered coffin.



It was hard to express forgiveness to Belle for what had happened outside of his castle but her words proved true despite the sketchy feeling that had inched its way into his emotions. The explanation that was given both by Belle and the woman he had known all his life made sense. Regina was capable of attempting such to separate the two and Rumpel was bound and determined to extract a far worse vengeance upon the dear Queen than what she tried with him.



“Rumpelstiltskin, I summon thee,” Was all that Maurice said. His eyes narrowed with confidence as Gaston removed his sword once more. He held his gut and hunched over with laughter.



“Rumpelstiltskin, I summon thee,” echoed in his ears, the call for assistance had been made but unfortunately the answer would not be what one would expect as sinister intent invaded his thoughts, revenge, suffering, death; Those three words were like the sound of music all of which he intended to make come true. Gaston had harmed him not to mention he harmed Belle even worse and just by the look in her eyes he was made aware that the crazed Prince had likely done more to the love of his life than meets the eye.



The Dark one scooped the Princess up into his arms but avoided eye contact. His eyes slowly lowered until they came to a complete close and he concentrated on the exact location he wanted to arrive in and soon after a cloud of purple smoke engulfed the pair and sent them into the throne room where Gaston and Maurice stood but far enough back that would prevent them from being noticed.



“Do you really think your sweet little Belle would be capable of freeing him?” Gaston said with confidence.



“Well I would sure hope not because it would be a shame if the Dark one was unleashed, Nnneeh” Rumpelstiltskin stepped from within the Shadows with Belle by his side and approached both men with his eyes primarily on the man guilty of a crime worse than someone attempting to break a deal.



Gaston was startled to see that Belle had managed to successfully free Rumpelstiltskin from his imprisonment and quickly he rushed to unsheathe his sword from within its encasement. It was at that moment Gaston wished he had not paired up with Regina to try and take down the psychotic imp but he knew that if he revealed his fear to the Dark one that it would give the angered beast the advantage before the fight even began.



“Leave this castle and we can forget that little matter ever happened” Gaston ordered with the hopes that Rumpel would spare his life and just leave with Belle, never to return.



Hope was all he had, hope a word that would soon fail the foolish Prince. Rumpel, a man most known for his wit and quick Responses grinned sadistically and locked his hand around Gaston’s throat. He could feel the artery in Gaston’s neck, throbbing rapidly in rhythm with his heart, his atoms apple lifted up and dropped when he swallowed from fear. Rumpel’s nails broke layers of Gaston’s flesh as they buried further into his neck when his grip tightened, blood seeped from the fresh wounds and rolled passed the imps fingertips, down the sides of his neck. The warmth of the crimson liquid spilling onto his dark green fingers was exhilarating, he wanted more, he needed more and with Belle watching on it made what he had instore for the Prince that much more exciting.



“P-Please don’t kill me” Gaston pleaded between choked coughs.



“Oh I’m not going to kill you just yet. I want you to experience the same pain that you forced Belle to feel when you ripped her away from me. I want you to experience the pain she felt when she had to endure every harsh word I said to her because of you. You made me believe she had betrayed me. You are going to feel all of that pain” With his right hand clenched firmly around the Prince’s neck, his left hand impaled his chest and grabbed hold of the man’s beating heart, the waves of blood that caused the muscle to pulsate increased as the heart beat faster than it had before Rumpel had laid claim.



“Nnnneheheh” Rumpel tilted his head to the side, his lips curled into a smile to express that no mercy would befall the deceptive Prince for the choices he made and with one swift motion he pulled his arm from within Gaston’s chest, bringing his heart with him. He released the grip on Gaston’s throat and blood trickled down the dark imp’s fingers. The Prince, weakened by nearly choking to death and the loss of his heart fell to his knees gasping for oxygen.



“Let’s see how much Belle truly loved you, shall we?” He inquired and tossed the Prince’s heart from one hand to the other like it was a ball and each time the heart made impact with the palms of Rumpel’s hands was pure torture to Gaston. He glanced back to Belle as if he was awaiting approval but chose not to acknowledge a response then tossed the heart over into his left hand and took the index and middle of his right fingers to pinch the top left part of Gaston’s heart just enough for a firm grip of the area he was targeting then pulled with enough pressure that the layer he held gave away and peeled back into a four inch strip of muscle tissue, blood spewed from the fresh wound that the Dark one had created. Gaston screamed in agony and rolled around on the floor, clutching his chest.



“She loves me” He said when he finished peeling back the first strip. “She loves me not” a second strip of muscle was peeled back from the heart and all the Prince could think to do was die at that moment, he welcomed it. He wanted the pain to stop, it was too much.



“She loves me” A third strip was peeled away which sent blood flying everywhere, even covering the imps shirt. Oh how grand this moment felt, stripping away the very organ that Gaston had tried to emotionally strip from him and Belle, now Gaston was feeling the same pain that Rumpel had felt when he was carried off in the wagon toward what he assumed would be his final home; The prison beneath the castle..

“She loves me no---“ He had just peeled the fourth strip about halfway down and the pain became too much, the Prince had given in to the torture and passed. Disappointed by his show of weakness for passing before he could finish, Rumpel squeezed the heart into dust and sprinkled it across Gaston’s chest then shrugged his shoulders. “Well I guess she didn’t love you after all, Nnneh.”


Appeased by Gaston’s slaying, Rumpel ignored Maurice who looked petrified and disgusted by what he witnessed take place and the Dark one turned his focus to the woman he had long since fought to acquire and then keep. He had no idea if she approved of the methods he took but the event had already taken place and the man who Belle was once set to wed was gone.

The atmosphere in the room changed drastically as Belle looked upon Gaston. A feeling of excitement and pride overcame her. She was proud that she had overcome the odds and stood with the odds in her favor. Belle did not realize the hell that she was about to unleash on the world by allowing Rumpelstiltskin to be free. She had no idea what he was truly capable of because she had been trying to teach him to be a man again. Her time spent in his Palace had been one without too much trouble. He had made jokes and planted things to scare her. She thought that perhaps, just maybe, the legends were simply legends. The beast was just a front, or so she thought. She removed her body from his and stepped back while Rumple made his grand entrance. Belle smirked as her father stood on the other side of the room trying to regain his composure.

Her gown had been ravished by the elements and stained with her own blood from the attack of the magical being that Regina had sent. Her hair was in every direction and her father’s eyes met hers. He was distraught and ran to his daughter. Maurice wrapped his arms around Belle and kissed his daughter’s forehead as if he was never going to see her again. It had been months since they had been around one another. Belle had given up her family and her life to protect them. She smiled and wrapped her arms around her father sobbing softly in his shoulder like she had as a little girl.

--In the past.--

It was a chilly fall day in the month of September. The fires in the distance kept the people warm, but they also attracted the Ogres. The Ogres had returned unable to be quenched of their thirst for human blood. Belle sat in a room with her mother as her mother changed from her long yellow ball gown and into some normal peasant’s clothes. Belle smiled sweetly at her mother, who was her hero.

“What are you smiling about Belle?” Her mother said. Her voice was as sweet as the nectar that the summer bees created.

“You momma, you’re so beautiful. I hope someday I’m as pretty as you.” Belle said while tieing her mother’s hair into a tight braid around the nape of her neck. Her mother’s hand gently covered Belle’s hand and she smiled at her daughter from the mirror.

“You are your own person Belle. You are beautiful too. Never forget that you are your own person. Never let anyone define you and never give up on what is right and true.” Her mother’s words seemed to be heavy as her gaze went from happy to serious, “Never forget my words Belle.”

“I will never forget your words momma,” Belle was an inquisitive and intelligent child. She could feel the emotions of people around her and she knew something was not right, “Mom,” Belle’s voice reflected her maturity as she continued, “Are you alright?”

“Yes darling I am fine.” Her mother said hurriedly as she gathered her bow and arrows. She stopped to pinch her daughter’s cheek adoringly, “Do not tell your father that I have left. He has his hands full with Gaston’s family.”

“Yuck,” Belle made a funny face. She was aware that her father and mother were arguing because they did not agree on the subject of arranged marriage. Her mother wanted Belle to find her true love and follow that path instead of following the path of Royals. Her mother had once had to make a tough decision about love or loyalty, and she choose love. Her mother smiled at Belle’s distaste.

“Let me show you something Belle,” Her mother disappeared into the other room and returned with a book. She blew the dust off of the cover and exposed the title The Fae. “You will understand this book someday, but for now you should read it. There is magic in you Belle.” The Queen poked her daughter in the nose and stopped to take a good look at her one last time, “I love you Belle. Remember don’t tell your father that I have left.”

“I love you too mother.” Belle nodded and curled up in the window to read her mother’s book. Little did she realize the book was about her mother.

The Queen smiled one last time before disappearing. She closed the door lightly behind her to avoid startling her daughter. Her hand rested on her chest a moment while she took a deep breath. She knew she would not be returning, and for that reason Maurice could not know she had left. She looked down the hall in his direction where he was entertaining Gaston’s family in the hopes of making a business arrangement for their daughter’s hand in the future.

“I love you Maurice. I am so sorry.” A single tear fell as the Queen in Gold disappeared into the shadows of the city.

Her men were dying daily on the battlefield and she wanted to leave Belle with something to believe in. She would not let her daughter live in a world of suffering and even if it bought her daughter a little time, she would die for it. The smell of decaying men was unmistakable. The landscape had been ravaged and transformed into a nearly barren wasteland. Where her people lived the sun no longer shined. The smog from the fires and burning corpses had consumed the night sky. Queen Fée stopped at the end of the war line.

“What the… Your majesty?!” A man screamed in near fright as the Queen appeared next to him.

She smiled a warm and reassuring smile at the man. Within the palm of her fingers a blazing white light began to form. She knew the man, and he knew her secret. He had been a kind friend. Fée found herself wishing that Belle would someday have a friend who would die for her like Sir Tuteur. He frowned knowing what she intended to do. Tuteur stepped back and laid his sword down. His eyes were dark as he looked down at the blood stained dirt.

“Don’t tell me you plan on using it Fee.” His voice was dangerous and he turned her to face him. His eyes searched hers and his features softened as the tears quietly fell from her eyes.

“I have to Tuteur.” She placed a loving and gentle hand on his face before wrapping him up in an intense hug. He had been her best friend, and she could only hope in the next life he would remember her.

“I.. can’t… “ His voice cracked as his men paused. He was the Leader of the French Army and had gone to the field so his King would not have to. He had hope to spare Fee the pain of losing her husband, but the Ogres had been too much for a mere man to handle, no matter how good he had been at battle. In a moment of weakness he wrapped his arms around his beloved friend, “I can’t let you go… how ill I survive this life knowing what you did?”

She pulled away and searched his eyes for some kind of option... some kind of escape from this cruel fate. If anyone would know the answer it was him. She shook her head and put her hands at her side. She had once been a very magical being. She had once been one of the most powerful faeries in the realms. She knew Tinkerbell and Blue. She happened to be Blue’s sister and one of the reasons Blue was so bitter about Fae and love. Her wings were lost, but her wisdom was not. She had lived the life of a Fairy and she had lived the life of a Queen. She would die a hero and give her daughter a fighting chance.

“Protect my daughter. Teach her to fight for what is right. Do not let her lose herself to the way of this world.” She begged the man who had been her confident and a huge part of her life.

He closed his eyes for a moment and took in the reality of the situation. He raised his hands at his troops signaling for them to pack up their things and head back home. It did not take long before it was just the two of them standing together. A bitter and cold wind crossed between the two of them. He opened his eyes and just stared into the icy blue depths of hers. There had been times where he had thought about kidnapping her and taking her to Wonderland to escape this fate.

He knew it was coming, and he was secretly in love with her. He bowed to his Queen and turned his back before mounting his horse. He would never see her alive again. As the horse sped off into the horizon the tears fell from his eyes. He would have to be the one to tell the King. The King would most likely kill him for abandoning Fee, but it did not matter anymore. Fate would have their children cross paths far into the future. He had abandoned his own child to join the French Guard.

She frowned and clenched her fists turning to face the war line. The Golden Queen closed her eyes focusing on the energies of hope and love to harness the white blaze that had formed in her hand earlier. She shoved the force through an invisible force field breaking the barrier between her people and the Ogres. She had placed it months before hoping to keep them out, but every now and then an Ogre had managed to break through. It only took one Ogre to kill 100 men.

Belle sat in her room turning the pages of her book. It was a love story about a beautiful woman who had fallen in love with a French Prince. Belle loved love stories. She smiled while chewing on some bread from dinner. The howl of Ogres tore her from her fairy tale and caused Belle to look out of the window she had been sitting in. The skies were crimson red instead of black. Someone had broken the force field. Her young eyes widened as she set the book down and ran down to the hall to her father.

“Papa! Something is wrong. The sky is bleeding!” She exclaimed while trying to catch her breath.

“What do you mean Belle?” Her father looked alarmed while Gaston’s father simply sat in the chair next to him.

“The sky… it is bleeding! Something is wrong!” Belle was now hysterical, “Mother is gone!”

“WHAT!?” Her father rushed past his daughter and searched the castle for his beloved wife. He found a man who had been spending a lot of time with Fee as of late. He grabbed the beggar by the throat, “What dark magic have you used?!”

“Me? But I am nothing more than a humble beggar.” The man hissed at the King, “Your wife did it, not me.”

“Blasphemy! I should throw you to the Ogres for such words!” He tossed the old man against the wall. The old man stood up slowly coughing and recovering from Maurice’s grip. He pointed a crooked finger at the King.

“The only way you can save her is to use this enchantment, but be careful. All magic comes with a price.” He paused hiding a shiny dagger that had fallen out of his pants.

Belle noticed the dagger and was about to say something to warn her father, but before she could her father invited the spirit of the Dagger to the battle field.

“Very well.” Maurice uttered the words on the scroll and the old man disappeared.

--On the battlefield—

She laid dying on the battlefield. Her blood spilt from every possible place on her ravaged body. The Ogres had nearly ripped her from limb to limb and if it had not been for her fae blood she would have been scattered all over the lands. Her fairy death spell had worked. It was an ancient and forbidden dark spell that the Fae used to give their life for others. She winced as a dark spirit approached her. The pure evil that radiated from it threatened to extinguish her flame quickly.

“Who are you?” She whispered.

“I am the shadow of the Dagger. If you call out Rumpelstiltskin he can save you.” The shadow hovered above her.

“I will not give my life into the dark arts. Be gone spirit.” She said.

“Well your daughter is his true love your majesty. He is a dark and twisted soul, but she is his for eternity.” The spirit teased Fee by touching her arm and letting her see Belle’s future, “You can stop it by calling for him. You will save your people and save her from a lot of pain.”

“All magic comes with a price spirit. I can see her future is not an easy one but you underestimate my Belle.” The woman smiled as she was dying and remembered Belle’s life from the time she was a child to now. She would be with her in spirit always, “I would never deny Belle her true love. No matter how hard her future is. She is good enough and strong enough to survive it.”

As the Golden Queen’s light finally faded into another world the Spirit disappeared. He had tried to warn her, but in the end her mother knew best. She had given her life for her people and for Belle to have her true love. Belle would be the hero in the end.

The young girl sat in her room crying hysterically into her pillow. Her entire world had been transformed. She had been exposed to the raw feeling of loss before her 12th birthday. She had so many memories that she now had to learn to cope with. How does one bury a past that once meant so much? Life was so fleeting and uncertain. It was always disappearing with little to no warning. She had thought her mother was stronger, how did the Ogres kill her so easily? The knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts and her mother’s beloved Knight appeared in her doorway.

“Belle…” His voice was weak as she threw her arms around him and cried. He had been the last one to see her mother alive. He responded by holding her tight and letting her cry, “I have to leave Belle. Your father will blame me.” He crouched on one knee and searched the little girls tear soaked eyes, “You are your mother’s daughter. Do not let your father design your fate. Be strong my sweet Belle. I am truly sorry for your loss.” He handed Belle a bundle of books, “Try reading. Your mother used to read to escape the stress of the Kingdom. Maybe her old books will give you peace.” He kissed her forehead and disappeared never to be seen again. He would live a life as a master thief. His regret for allowing Fee to give her life would haunt him for all of eternity.

The Kingdom celebrated her mother’s death and buried her with the greatest honors of all. She had bought them years of peace. Ironically it was around the time that her arranged marriage was going to take place to Gaston that fate stuck its nose in her business once more. The Ogres had regrouped and their numbers were unsurpressable. Fate always had a way of bringing true love together, for better or for worse. Her mother had given up her wings for her father, and Belle had given up her Kingdom for Rumple.

--Reality—

She felt safe now that she was in her father’s arms and the man she loved was going to take her honor back. Gaston had nearly raped her and had her father not stormed the castle when he had Belle would have lost her innocence. She frowned and turned to face Rumple and Gaston. She shook her head in distaste when Gaston told Rumple that they could leave. They would never be safe. Gaston was as corrupt as a human soul could be. He longed for money and power, both things Rumple had. Her father pushed his way in front of his precious daughter. He was ready to die for her if he had to. Belle let out a loud gasp as soon as she saw the smirk befall Rumple’s face. She knew then that Gaston would suffer a very ill fate, but nothing could have prepared her for the reality of the man she loved. Her books had always said that Rumpelstiltskin was not a man to be messed with and anyone who had messed with his deals had always suffered a tragic fate. His kindness for her had made her wonder the truth about the stories, but here he was in all of his sinister glory proving her wrong.

“Rumple..” She whispered but her father blocked her out.

As he tore Gaston’s heart from his chest Belle felt physically ill. If she had been Regina the sight would have delighted her, but she was not, she was Belle. The young Princess could not help herself and she threw up in the corner of the room. The sight had been too much for her. She hated Gaston with all of her heart, but the fate that Rumple had given him could have never been realized in her mind if she had not seen it firsthand. Rumple toyed with Gaston as if he was a mouse. The symbol that she held so dear was beating in his hands. A heart, the heart was able to love and bless the world, but Gaston’s was black. She was not sure if it was because Rumple was using dark magic or if Gaston had truly been that evil. She fell to her knees and buried her head in her hands bawling her eyes out. The man she loved was a monster. As he sprinkled the ashes of Gaston’s heart and told him that she had never loved him she frowned. He was right. She never loved Gaston. She now knew what love was. Love was painful and beautiful at the same time. She loved a beast and the man behind the beast.

“Seize him!” Maurice’s guard grabbed Rumple and chained him in the same magical chains that Regina had used with Gaston. She had played both sides of the field. It was Regina who had whispered into Maurice’s ear to tell him of Rumple and Belle. She wanted them separated. She had seen how much Belle loved Rumple, and it soured her soul. If Regina could not have her happy ending, neither could Rumpelstiltskin.

“What?” Belle blinked and looked up from her despair as the man she loved was shackled, “Father no!” She screamed and threw herself onto Rumple. Gaston’s wet blood imprinted from Rumple unto Belle.

“Look at you Belle. You’re covered in Gaston’s blood because of him! He is a monster!” Her father was frantic and stern.

“Father, he saved the Kingdom and has paid all of your affairs. You have not had to suffer because of Rumple.” She pleaded.

“He took you Belle. I have suffered plenty.” He motioned for his guards to take Rumple.

“No!” Belle screamed and took a vial of poison out of her pocket.

“Belle…” Maurice said her name slowly and carefully, “What is that…?”

“It is poison. I will take it and you will watch me die the most violent of deaths.” She looked at Rumple, “You BOTH will.”
 
“Belle, don’t do it. Is he really worth throwing your life away for?” Her father once more pleaded.

She stopped and leaned against Rumple. She stood inbetween the two men and paused to look her father dead in the eyes. She remembered her mother’s legacy and what her mother had given up for her. Her mother had died so that Belle could meet her true love. Most people fought a lifetime to find the right person only to end up with the wrong person. She frowned at her father and the more she stared at him the deeper her frown got. Her mother had paid the ultimate price.

“It is my fate to decide. Mother would have wanted me to have the choice that you never gave me. She died believing that a woman decides her own fate.” Her words were cold as her heart had already begun to distant itself from her selfish father.

“I am sorry Belle.” Her father motioned for the guards to let go of Rumple, “I rather go on living knowing you chose your fate rather than being the reason you never got the chance.” He frowned.

“Thank you papa.” She turned around not making eye contact with the man she had almost given her life for after the murder he had committed. Her fingers eagerly tugged at the chains and she released him. Belle threw the potion on the floor and it tore away the Dwarven marble. Belle had not been bluffing. She could have not imagined her life without Rumple, “I choose forever. I honor my deal because of love now, not because of heroics.” She said while leaving the room it was the last time she would see her father until Storybrooke.

The travel back to Rumple’s castle was a silent one. She had asked him if they could return by horseback instead of magic. The truth of the matter was that she had seen enough of his magic to last her a lifetime. All of the horror stories had been true. He smelt of Gaston’s blood as she rode by his side. He was leading the way back and the silence was awkward between them, but she really did not know what to say to him. With a wave of his hand the doors opened welcoming them home. Home would have been a happy term. Their relationship was completely different now and they would eventually need to talk about it. He had not expressed his love directly to her and she was not sure if he was protecting her as his property or as his lover. She glanced over at him, longing to touch him, but afraid. Belle dismounted on the horse and went ahead of him. She paused in the door way noticing the mess of his things scattered across the floor. The reminder of his capture and technically her capture was too much. She turned back to face him. Her features were distraught and tired. She was still his servant and this room would have to be cleaned.

“I will draw you a bath. You need to get that blood off of you.” She disappeared into the castle to run his bath water. The warm water was welcoming to Belle and she would have killed to get into it herself and melt into the forgiving waves of liquid. She wanted to forget what she had saw. Did he really kill Gaston so brutally for her? Or was it just his nature. Belle removed a curtain from the mirror that was in the bathroom. Rumple had covered every mirror in the house, but Belle needed to see her own reflection to make sure she was still in one piece. The blood on her face only reminded her. She quickly scrubbed the blood off and would tend to her clothing later. Right now she needed to help her keeper.

The woman who had unknowingly captured his heart reappeared in the foyer. She managed a weak smile and took his hand leading him to the bathroom. Belle did not meet his gaze as she undid his shirt and tossed it aside. Her fingers were warm against his crocodile like skin. She wanted to kiss him, but held back. She turned her back to him waiting for him to undress and get into the water. She knew despite his magic he was probably in some form of physical pain from their adventure. She waited until she heard him in the water and turned to face him. She avoided looking down into the clear water and focused on his face. Her hands dipped a piece of cloth into the water and wiped away the blood on his face gently. Oh how she loved this tortured man.

“Rumple… we need to talk.” She paused looking him in the eyes for the first time since they had left his cage to face Gaston. Belle gulped afraid of him, and he could see her torment and fear.

Rumpelstiltskin Mr. Gold

The Past 

The guards who carried the package to be delivered to Gaston’s kingdom was heard talking amongst themselves and laughing. Their words were not understood, mere muffles due to the distance that separated both he and the men who sat up front conversing with one another but the laughter both shared was distinct. They were talking about him, mocking him, making jokes with one another about how the Dark One had finally been caged and removed from societies land. At least that was what he assumed.



His eyes locked onto a piece of straw that was partially beneath his left foot and bent upright from the weight being applied to the opposite side. The straw helped him reflect back on the moment Belle had sat down next to him while he span the wheel, a task he often did when wanting to forget about painful memories. A woman so genuine, so full of love. How could she have betrayed the man whom had given her his heart without truly acknowledging that she had it. The stories he shared with her, stories not another soul had heard until her.



“You promised me a Story Rumpelstiltskin” Belle inquired, lowering herself next to him and placing her hand on the wheel to prevent it from moving any further so that she could gain his full attention.



Rumpel shifted his body to the right slightly to grant her the attention she sought from him. “I did?” He tried to play off like he could not recall ever making such a promise but his efforts proved futile and it was obvious she would not quit until she was given the tale she worked so hard to get. It was an adorable trait, a trait that lifted his lips into a faint smile.



“There’s nothing to tell really, He’s no longer with me” was all he could manage to share to avoid feeling the emotions that often consumed him when thinking about his son.



He watched as the lone strand of straw dance against the wind, flicker back and fourth, eager to escape the grasp his foot had on it. A tear fell from the corner of his left eye then rolled down the side of his face leaving a small wet trail in it’s path. The droplet came to a brief stop at the edge of his jawline before falling freely toward the floor of the wagon the imp was caged within. The tear impacted the the tip of the straw which split away a smaller portion of the object that had been almost detached from it’s host.



His heart suffered from the betrayal his love had brought upon him and of all the things that could have been inside the wagon with him, a piece of straw that only made what he was feeling that much worse. A man who had been feared by all within the Enchanted Forest had finally been crippled by a woman, a woman that found a way through the wall he had built to protect himself from emotional harm. She had managed to completely topple that wall to steal his heart and his trust only to trample it only minutes prior to that very moment where he sits.



Rumpel reached down and removed the strand of straw from beneath his foot and brought it to eyelevel to study closer. His eyes lowered until they were completely closed, a deep sigh passed through his lips which triggered more tears to fall from within his eyes.



“Ah, You’re back. Good! I was uh, nearly out of straw.” He said while turning completely around to greet Belle as approached him carrying a basket filled with the hay Rumpel had sent her out to get with the assumption that she would just run away and never return but there she was, honoring the agreement she had made with the Dark one at her father’s castle before relocating and making his home her new place of residents with knowledge of consequences that would follow in the form of never having the chance to ever see the ones she loved again.



His eyes opened to the sight of that single piece of straw and out of sheer anger he tossed the object between the cage bars and crossed his arms over his chest. He wanted to rest his eyes before encountering the fate Belle, Gaston and apparently the Queen had decided for him but the neighing and trotting sounds the horses made proved such a task to be difficult not to mention the cage bouncing whenever the wheels hit a rock or a small bump in the road. Was this truly his price to pay for negotiating with Belle’s father? for allowing himself to fall inlove with her? If his past had not made it clear that true love was not in his future then Belle’s betrayal certainly did.



“Not long now oh scary Dark One and you’ll be at your new home. Ha! Ha! Ha!” One of the guards shouted back with a mocking tone in his voice.



Though Rumpel found nothing the man said amused and chose not to acknowledge his taunts but it was when the two went back to talking amongst themselves that irritated the imp. He leaned forward and locked his hands around the cage bars. “Know this and know it to be true. No matter what happens, I’m making it my mission to hunt the two of you down and kill you both. But! Should you die before I can accomplish that mission, I’ll follow you to the depths of Hell put you through a worse torment than you could ever imagine.”



His words brought fright to one of the guards while the other started laughing and kicked at the cage to force Rumpel back to where he was sitting. “You will not have time to do any of that where you’re going Dark One” The guard said, his words simply causing the imp to smile as Rumpel returned to the place he was seated before confronting the two men.

Reality 

Gaston was deceased, life taken by the very one who he tried to destroy from within. Blood covered nearly half of the dark imp’s body from his head where streams of blood trickled down to his chest, clothing soaked with the crimson liquid that had been released out of a once beating heart that belonged to the crazed Prince. Oh what a joyful moment it was, vengeance had never felt so great and now he had a souvenir to wear that would remind him of the moment he ‘stripped’ away the very existence of Gaston.



No longer would Belle have to suffer under the terror of the man even Rumpel could tell frightened her. No longer would she have to endure being unhappy even if the event that unfolded might have traumatized her. It was worth every second of the torture inflicted on the Prince to know that Belle never had to be away from him again. A happy ending was instore for both individuals. Finally Rumpel could have the woman he cared so dearly for, finally he could have Belle forever. That was assuming of course she still wanted him after what he done to her former.



“Seize him!” Maurice’s guard grabbed Rumple and chained him in the same magical chains that Regina had used.



His thoughts of finally getting his happy ending with Belle then appeared short lived when Rumpel found himself bound again in the very shackles that kept him trapped inside the dungeon beneath the castle itself. He started to speak as anger befell his very essence and the idea of taking Maurice’s life seemed oh so pleasurable at that moment. The man he had struck a deal with going back on his word, preventing him from being with Belle, filled the dark one with a rage worse than Gaston’s attempts at breaking them apart.



“Let me tell you so---“ He was cut off when Belle stepped infront of her father and pleaded her case, begging that Rumpel be freed from the chains that bound him from both using magic and getting close enough to touch his dearest Belle. After her case had been made she approached Rumpel and removed the chains from around his wrists and just as soon as the steel links and cuffs collided with the floor the imp’s eyes were turned to Maurice. The urge to end him was great then just as he was about to make his move, something Belle said prevented him from striking.



“I choose forever. I honor my deal because of love now, not because of heroics.”



“You….Love…Me?” He said softly, almost surprised by what she had spoken, Words he never expected would flow through those beautiful rose colored lips. He assumed it, hoped it but he was never fully sure she felt the same way about him as he did her. However, before he was given an answer Belle had pulled him out of the room and lead away from the castle to journey back to the place she had grown to call home since their deal was made.



After what felt like forever they finally arrived back to the Dark One’s castle, he reflected back on the moment right before his capture outside his door when Gaston had confronted him and the chains were placed upon his wrists. Rumpel glanced up to the door and sighed heavily but was quick to shake away the terrible thoughts. He turned to Belle and smiled “Let’s go inside shall we?” With the use of his magic he opened the large double doors and stepped to the side to allow Belle to enter first and then followed right behind her. They were home, he and his beloved Belle were back to the place he wanted to spend the rest of his eternal life in.



“I will draw you a bath. You need to get that blood off of you.” She disappeared into the castle to run his bath water.



“But of course” He said with a nod and bowed graciously to her even though he had been covered in blood and did not look the part of a gentleman, at least he could act the part. Rumpel waited patiently out in the living quarters for her to inform him of when the water was ready. A nice warm relaxing bath was exactly what he needed, it was what she needed after the stressful events the two endured, separated for what seemed like a eternity even though it had been a short while.



When she returned to let him know that the water was ready Rumpel followed right behind her into the bathing area, her hand entwined with his, pulling at his arm to lead him to the location of the tub. A faint warmth fell over his cheeks, had his skin not been green his face would have likely been beet red. It was not enough that she lead him into the bathroom by the hand It was when she started to undress him that the real feeling of nervousness overcame the man so many feared throughout the land. When the last article of clothing had been removed he slid into the tub and slowly lowered himself down while letting out a relaxing sigh. The waters which had been clear almost immediately turned red when the blood of the one he had killed started to break loose and mix with the water.



He tilted his head back and let it come to rest against the tubs outer ring. He smiled when she pressed the cloth against his face and trailed it down his jawline. Rumpel was not use to being taken care of in this type of manner as Belle’s job was simply to attend to the house hold chores, not tend to his personal needs but he could not complain he was enjoying every moment.



“Rumple… we need to talk.” She paused looking him in the eyes for the first time since they had left his cage to face Gaston. Belle gulped afraid of him, and he could see her torment and fear.



“Yes, Yes we do. Belle, before you say anything. Let me ask you this. When you told your father that you honored your deal out of love, did you mean it? Do you really love me or was it just said to convince your father to free me?” He turned his head to the side so that his eyes could meet the gaze of hers. What she mentioned to her father were words that he had trouble forgetting and wanted to know for sure if she meant everything she said. He wanted to express himself to her but feared rejection if she did not share the same feelings toward him as he did her.

Belle let out a soft sigh of relief as the water turned blood red. Normally she would be repulsed considering she had just watched Rumpelstiltskin gruesomely murder her ex-fiancée, but given what laid beneath the gentle water she was glad. Belle was still his servant and even though it had not been her duty to take care of him or watch over him something had changed about their relationship. Her father could have taken her home and tossed Rumpelstiltskin away from the world where he would harm no one ever again, but she had made her choice. Belle had defied her father, an action that usually met a beating during their time, but Rumple meant everything to her. She knew somewhere deep down that there was a damaged man that was capable of great things.

“Yes, Yes we do. Belle, before you say anything. Let me ask you this. When you told your father that you honored your deal out of love, did you mean it? Do you really love me or was it just said to convince your father to free me?” His voice came off as though he was tormented with his own thoughts. It took her off guard because she was not thinking about love at the moment. At this very moment she was trying to avert her eyes away from his lower regions. She handed him the wash cloth and went over to the mirror. Her eyes were heavy and it was easy to tell that their little adventure had taken quite the toll on her. She did not answer him right away because she still feared him. He was gentle in the way he was looking at her, but she had to be sure of her feelings. After what he had done to Gaston, she had to be sure before she said anything rash.

--In the Past--

She was coming of age and suitors had been coming from all across the lands to attempt to win her hand in marriage. It was a man’s world and Belle had little choice but to play politics with the royalty from other lands. Most of the people that had come for her 21st birthday celebration were there because they wanted to be, but a sad affair was the fact that she did not want to be at her own party. Belle would have been perfectly content cuddling up with a good book. There had been whispers throughout the court that the Ogres were regrouping and Belle longed for an escape from the bitter reality that lay ahead of her. A knock tore her from her book and her stunningly blue eyes peered up at her visitor. A handmaiden slipped into the room carrying a dress made from the finest silks across the lands. A weak smile formed across the young woman’s face. The woman was the same age as Belle and yet she looked as though she lived lifetimes away.

Belle gently sat down her book on the window’s ledge and closed the distance between herself and the girl. She smiled sweetly and took the gown from the woman who had her hands full. The handmaiden let a sigh of relief out and sat down all of the other objects that she had brought. The finest soaps, make up, jewels, and Belle’s crown. Belle watched the woman curiously as she seemed so out of place.

“There you go your Majesty. It should all be here. Your father wishes for you to be ready within the next few hours. As soon as night falls the ball begins.” She stated as professionally as she could. Belle simply looked at the girl for a moment. She noticed the girl was rather frail and her clothes were nothing more than rags. A rather large scar was across her face.

“Tell me dear, how old are you? What is your name?” Belle’s tone was kind.

“I am seventeen years on this planet, your majesty. My name is Marie from Prince Gaston’s Kingdom.” The girl curtsied while trying to keep her hair covered over the obvious disfigurement that she had suffered. Belle winced and wondered what horror could have befallen such a young girl. She closed the distance between them and smiled sweetly once more.

“What happened to your face if I may ask?” Belle was curious now and her curiosity was obvious to young Marie.

“I dare not say your majesty… my entire family would be killed if I spoke ill of ---“ The girl paused because there was apparent fear in her eyes and voice. She sat down on Belle’s bed and started to cry, “No one will ever love me and my family will never ascend the torture that we now endure,” The tears did not stop and Belle felt her heart drop into her stomach. She frowned and rushed to the girl’s side gently wrapping her arm around her shoulder. Marie flinched obviously afraid of Royals and of a physical connection.

“I am not going to hurt you Marie. I don’t believe in violence. There is always more to love than appearances. Appearances can be misleading and lies, but you can never disregard what is in someone's heart.” Belle smiled, “Here let me help you.” Belle began to dig through her closet until she found a basic and comfortable dress. It was Belle’s favorite dress, but the girl held such misfortune that Belle was more than ready to give it away.

“I couldn’t!” The girl’s eyes widened.

“You can and you will. You have been mistreated and I would like you to stay with my Kingdom as a person, not a slave.” She frowned. Belle was always a passionate woman and her mother would have been proud. “Now give me the name of the monster that did this to you so that I can purchase your freedom.”

“…Prince Gaston did this. He raped me and my sisters. Our father owed his father some money for taxes and he took us for payment. My family is too poor to pay his price.” She choked out inbetween tears and half shocked that she had said anything.

“Prince Gaston….” Belle whispered to herself. She knew him very well. Her father had been trying to arrange her marriage into Gaston’s family the day her mother disappeared. He had gone back on that deal at the time because of her mother’s death, but Belle was well aware that the man still sought her hand, “Well then. Why don’t you help me get ready.” Belle clapped her hands and a new handmaiden appeared. The look of surprise on her face was priceless because Belle never summoned people, but for the occasion she made the exception, “Bring this money to Gaston and tell him Marie is now mine.” The maiden bowed her head and disappeared, “Problem solved. Now if you don’t mind I would love for you to style my hair. It has been a long time since I’ve had someone around to do that.” Belle smiled and sat infront of her vanity mirror that she almost never used.

“I would love that..” Marie smiled, “Do you think you could help me get my family out of that Kingdom and into this one?”
“Yes,” Belle’s tone was calm yet stern, “I will save your family.”

“Thank you.” Was all that the girl said as she went to town curling and playing with Belle’s hair. She could not believe she was tending to a Princess in such a close manner, and yet it felt like the moments she used to have with her sisters, before Gaston.

--In the Throne room—

“Well Maurice have you thought about our old deal?” Gaston’s father said while casually eating an apple from Maurice’s table. People weaved in and out of the room trying to prepare for the ball. It was a huge occasion, “Belle can’t stay single much longer Maurice. You know that. You do not want her dying an old hag do you? She reads too many books and needs to join the real world.”

“I am well aware of the ways of our time, but I am trying to honor my wife’s memory.” Maurice sighed while signing paper work needed for the guest list.

“Well you won’t be honoring her if Belle dies alone without children.” He spit a few of the seeds out of the apple.

“I will consider your proposal.” Maurice sighed. He was getting noticeably irritated.

“That is all I ask. Gaston will be here this evening.” The King said before taking his leave.

--Gaston’s Palace—

“How did it go father?” Gaston casually asked while sharpening his war blade. The Kingdom that he was going to rule was one that lusted for blood. He was ruthless but would play Prince Charming until he had Belle where she needed to be, in his bedroom.

“I think we are making progress, but not as much as I would like.” The King frowned while heading into his secret room. A room with dark arts and the scrolls made from nightmares. He waved his hand over a crystal ball and summoned a long forgotten face.

“Ah you are calling upon me?” A woman’s voice whispered, “You must be desperate.”

“I need you to step up the invasion with the Ogres, Amara.” He said impatiently.

“Do you have what I need?” She said back without hesitation, “You do. Alright. Your Ogre war will begin tonight, but if you do not deliver on your part of the deal I will rain hell’s fire upon you. I will warn you, be careful with this girl. Her future is still being revealed to me, but if your son can win her it will benefit both of us. The one who is destined to be her true love is more powerful than anyone alive, including myself.” She disappeared into the shadows of the crystal her laugh haunting the room.

“What have you done father?” Gaston stood in the door way.

“I have done what was needed to secure our power for generations to come. Now ready yourself for the ball. You need to be on your best behavior to win Belle. She is a bookworm and loved by her people. She won’t be as easy as your bar wenches.” He warned.

“Don’t worry father. The horses are ready. It won’t take long before she is falling into my arms… they always do.” Gaston stated with a cocky smirk while turning to leave the room.

--The Hour of the Ball—

“Wow, Belle you look beautiful.” Marie stated without hesitation.

“Thank you Marie, I feel beautiful.” Belle twirled in the mirror. The golden dress captured her womanly curves. The crown of silver lay justly upon her head. She frowned at her reflection.

“What is wrong? You don’t like it?” Marie questioned.

“No, I love it… I just look like my mother.” Belle’s voice cracked.

“Ah the Golden Queen. I have heard of her. She was very loved.” Marie smiled at Belle’s reflection.

Belle nodded. She knew her mother had been one of the most notorious heroes in all of the land. Belle had always wanted to live up to her mother’s expectations but something about the night bothered her. There was a darkness hovering over her heart. She did not want her husband to be selected for her. She wanted to pick the man she loved. Marie would never understand because peasants were allowed to marry who they wanted. Belle envied her handmaiden. She managed a weak smile and turned towards the door. It was going to be a long walk, a dreaded walk, but a walk that she was required to take.

The room was filled with laughter and the sound of glasses clanking against one another. People were celebrating for Belle and they knew this would be an important night. Silence fell across the room as she appeared above the foyer on top of the stairs. She was never one for theatrics or for appearances, but she was a beauty. The whispers carried throughout the room about how beautiful the beauty Belle was. Her beauty would be praised across all of the lands for years to come, but they would never know just how beautiful her heart was. The trumpets roared.

“Welcome Princess Belle of Avonlea, daughter of King Maurice and the late Queen Fee.” A tall and rather obnoxious man introduced Belle to the Royal and high society members of the land. A chill ran up her spine because she did not know what to do. This was not the type of life that she wanted. Suddenly she wanted to disappear and return to her room to finish her book. Someone in the audience coughed and it shook Belle to the core. She smiled and curtsied. The music began to play again. She felt like a fool but followed the red carpet to the bottom of the stairs. Soon Belle was thrown into the masquerade of men who wished to have her hand. They covered their faces with masks and twirled her throughout the room. The room was spinning and she lost track of who was wearing what mask. At the end of the evening she was supposed to select the best dancer and at this point she was just going to point to someone and claim they had the best moves.

A man’s long fingers entangled with hers as he pulled her against his body. She blinked from behind her Golden mask at the man who had caught her attention. In the sea of men she had found one who had held her in such an awkward manner that it was noticeable. She arched a brow as he looked her dead in the eyes. Her light sapphire eyes sparkled while his green crocodile eyes seemed to be amused. He was not normal and for a moment she thought she must have fallen asleep and was having a nightmare from her book. He felt so right, and yet so wrong.

“Hello,” She whispered against him. When he touched her it was as if time had stopped. The room no longer seemed to spin because everyone around them had stopped. Little did she realize he had used magic to freeze everyone so that he could have the moment with her.

--Reality—

Belle began to wash the blood from her face. It was not long before the tears started to fall down from her eyes. Her heart was broken in all of the tenderest of places. She had officially cast her family to the side to be with him, and yet he was such a violent man. Was he a man or was he a beast? She sighed loudly and looked into the bloody waters before her. He could see her torment once more. He was waiting for an answer and she had known it all along. There was no fighting it. Belle untied her hair and allowed it to cascade down her shoulders. It was matted with Gaston’s blood because she had held him when her father was going to kill him. Belle had been willing to die for Rumple. She stared straight at her reflection. She could feel his eyes burning on her. She knew he wanted his answer. He probably had not expected Belle to take care of him, but damnit, she loved him. She turned to face him her eyes glowing with passion and desire. Slowly Belle untied her gown and allowed it to fall to her feet. She climbed into the other side of the bath tub and stared into his face. Belle smiled and reached for his hand. Her fingers entwined in his as she crawled into his lap. Once she was comfortably in his lap she ran a gentle hand along his jawline.

“I love you Rumpelstiltskin. I have loved you since the beginning of time. I believe there is a good man in you, a man that loves me too… or at least I hope so otherwise everything I have done has made me a fool.” She frowned and grabbed his face in between her hands and pulled him into a kiss. It was true love’s kiss. A feverish need overtook her as her gentleness soon turned to passion. He was the first man that she had kissed. The feel of his lips against hers was nearly unbearable. The world seemed to ignite on fire as their lips pressed. Each time she kissed him a star exploded in her mind. He was taking her breath away, and she was taking his power away, unknowingly. Somewhere in the Heaven’s the stars were shifting as the entire fate of the Enchanted Forest had changed from that one kiss. Life would forever be changed for the both of them, “I don’t want to be your servant anymore. I want to change our deal. I want to be your lover… I want to be your everything, because you are my heart beat. I can’t live without you… I can’t live a lie anymore. I love you Rumple.” She said while consuming him with more passion, "I will never give up on you."


Mr. Gold Rumpelstiltskin