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lenific · 7 years ago

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Memory Of You. Belle/Rumpelstiltskin. (flashfic collection)

Inspired by @rumbelleprompts. “Rumplestiltskin drinks a memory potion after he sends Belle to fetch straw in Skin Deep.”

@mariequitecontrarie asked 99 (back)

Belle pushed the door to the main hall open, a little disappointed to find it empty. She left the basket next to the lonely spinning wheel, and marched upstairs to the second most likely location to find Rumpelstiltskin.

He was indeed tinkering with an array of bottles at his work table.

“Hello, Rumple.” Belle said, grinning from ear to ear as she rushed toward him. “I’m back!”

His surprise wasn’t unexpected.

To be frozen into place, however, drug an alarmed squeak out of her.

Rumpelstiltskin stared at her, eyes coldly curious. “Now, now, dearie… Shouldn’t proper introductions come first?”

@thelonelyjournal-keeper asked 77 (numberless)

His first instinct was to neutralize the intruder, followed by a quick check of his wards in case the squeaking brunette was a distraction.

Numberless attacks had been made over the decades. and the knights and assassins responsible had been duly disposed of. However, there was always someone stupid enough to believe they could vanquish the Dark One.

But never a young girl armed with nothing but a smile.

Intrigued, he peered at her. “Who are you?”

@babybomberbo asked 20 (teeth)

The girl insisted to have returned solely to keep him company. She must be lying through her teeth. …Wasn’t she?

@joylee56 asked 12 (loud)

"I am not leaving. Do you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, dearie!"

@of-princes-and-savages asked 13 (record)

“For the record-” Belle strode unflinchingly into the cell “-we’ve done this before.”

@of-princes-and-savages asked 99 (regret)

Alone in her cell, her last sight of Rumpelstiltskin a sneering laugh as he locked her in, Belle reflected on her circumstances.

Within a day she'd come from being Rumpelstiltskin's maid (and maybe his friend), to a free woman returning home, and now a prisoner in the Dark Castle.

If that carriage hadn't crossed her way... If the traveling lady hadn't been bored enough to amuse herself with a chat with a stranger... If their conversation had taken any other path...

But Belle couldn't regret the advice that had brought her back, only that she hadn't arrived soon enough.

@nropay asked 74 (silent)

Rumpelstiltskin returned to check on the girl sooner than he’d originally planned. In his experience, prisoners were the loud sort, either begging for freedom or protesting their innocence.

The silent dungeon was an anomaly.

Fuming at the thought that her mysterious master might have filched the girl away, Rumpelstiltskin popped into the cell - and found her sleeping.

He stared.

The possibility that anyone could rest while at his mercy had never occurred to him.

@sygmarie4-w asked 82 (load)

"Nice tale, very nice. But aren't you missing the glaring hole in your story?" Rumpelstiltskin tilted his head in a parody of curiosity. "Why, dearie! Why would I need a maid at all?"

To his surprise the girl smiled at that. "I've often wondered the same. It's not like I found the castle in shambles, so obviously magic always dealt with the dusting, the meals, and the loads of laundry." She looked him in the eye. "I still believe you were lonely."

@of-princes-and-savages asked 96 (learned)

"Learned young ladies don't enjoy working as maids so much they run back to their jobs. So.. why are you here, Belle of Avonlea?"

He obviously dismissed her name as another deception. Just like he had dismissed everything Belle had told him. Having been ridiculed for mentioning that they had almost become friends - that he'd been fond enough of her that he'd set her free - Belle had no illusion that confessing her love, that she had come back for him, would get a better reception.

Still, she wouldn't lie.

"I decided I belong here."

@of-princes-and-savages asked 84 (applaud)

"I applaud your commitment to your tale, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin told her, playing with the stale piece of bread that was her breakfast leftovers. "A lesser storyteller would be doomed to plying their trade without a tongue - but you! Such a soulful recount. So vivid! No, no. Talent like that cannot be squandered." Breadcrumbs flew everywhere as a burst of magic teared through the larger piece. Rumpelstiltskin kept smiling cordially, but his eyes were hard. "Now, why don't you tell me who sent you?"

@betweenpaperpages asked 42 (look)

Belle groaned as she remembered the look on Rumpelstiltskin’s face before he had spirited himself away. Not only did he refuse to believe a word she said, but he’d convinced himself that she was a threat.

At least it couldn’t get worse.

@gypsy-belle asked 79 (jolly)

“Now you’ll tell me you were happy.” He sneered at the blatant impossibility. “A maid dancing through the Dark One’s hallways, breaking into some jolly tune or another out of sheer delight. Only a fool would believe that!”

Belle never wavered. “I don’t enjoy dancing by myself,” she said matter-of-factly, “you keep complaining that I’m tone-deaf though you’re not much better, and….” Her shoulders gave a little shrug. “I haven’t been unhappy here, Rumple. Not for a long time.”

@of-princes-and-savages asked 73 (object)

Rumpelstiltskin had planned to object to all her requests, but the girl's misery gave him pause. She had taken her banishment to the dungeons in stride, and hadn't complained over the tasteless meals. The news of the nonexistent library, however, made her eyes shine with unreleased tears.

"I didn't say you couldn't read at all," he groused, summoning the book in her basket. "Word of advice, though? Never expect handsome heroes outside fiction.

@annagingil asked 88 (quill)

“You still don’t believe me, do you?”

His distrustful glance was answer enough. Words were soft clay to him, easily malleable in obscuring the truth. Rumpelstiltskin relied on their meaning only when they were written down and signed.

… Well, then.

“Fine. Bring me paper and a quill, and I’ll write down everything I know about you. I know you still won’t believe me,” Belle said when he gave an amused snort, tickled by her attempt at trickery, “but at least you’ll see that I never contradict myself.”

@gypsy-belle asked 60 (toothbrush)

“You’re the most put-together prisoner I’ve seen.”

Having seen his treatment of actual prisoners, Belle considered herself a reluctantly received guest. “I’ll take that as a compliment, since I can only handle the basics.” A basin of clear water served to wash her face, brush her teeth, and keep her hair clean. “Any chance I can get my bathtub back?”

@still-searching47 asked 84 (zoom)

Intrigued despite himself, Rumpelstiltskin allowed the pull of curiosity to drag him down to the dungeons again and again.

Every conversation with the strange girl convinced him of her foolishness in pretending to have befriended the Dark One, but sometimes... Sometimes he wavered.

Affection could be contrived, and smiles couldn't be trusted, but often her attention would zoom in on the oddest details - "Oh, Rumple. You haven't eaten at all today, have you?" - and Rumpelstiltskin found himself wanting to believe that someone could care.

@annagingil asked 100 (stomach)

"What's so interesting about this book that you're reading it for the third time?" His fingernails tapped the leather cover, voice dripping with distaste. "I could barely stomach paging through it!"

Belle considered defending her favorite story, but experience said that Rumpelstiltskin would never share her love of it. Having once heard his arguments to dismiss the wholesome protagonist as a pipe dream, Belle decided to deflect. "Well, it's not as if I have other books to choose from."

"You like reading that much?"

Her smile was bittersweet, but at least he was rediscovering her. "Yes, Rumple. I really do."

@sygmarie4-w asked 22 (detect)

The girl's story couldn't be the truth, but he had yet to detect any deceit. Was she mad, then, or just spelled?

@still-searching47 asked 47. (accurate)

Rumpelstiltskin surveyed the broken vials and wasted ingredients. The potion had required the most accurate measure of pulverized dragon scales, but his mind had slipped.

This couldn't be allowed to continue. Something must be done about that girl before he destroyed his castle for thinking of her!

@gypsy-belle asked 97 (crabby)

Her small cell wasn’t an impressive setting for Rumpelstiltskin’s pacing, but what was a show of temper without an audience to be unsettled by it?

Too bad that Rumpelstiltskin forgot that, far from fearing the angry beast he meant to project, Belle was reminded of a crabby tomcat just chased away from clean pillows.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing the blood of nosy girls can’t solve.”

Even their ‘brief’ acquaintanceship would interpret her look as don’t be silly. “Can I help?” He snorted, but Belle had won this battle already. “Will you lose something if you let me try?”

@annagingil asked 60 (certain)

"It's been five days." Belle leaned back tiredly against the stone wall. She had only read, walked around her cell, and conversed with Rumpelstiltskin on his frequent visits. Yet, she was exhausted. "If you were still suspicious of my intentions, you'd already have made certain I regretted having come to you. So what are you planning to do with me?"

@mariequitecontrarie asked 17 (pinch)

"Just a pinch of this in your tea, and you'll forget all this trouble."

Belle glared. "No."

@still-searching47 asked 47. (fierce)

His laughter at the girl's claim of friendship was met with the fiercest little growl of annoyance. Rumpelstiltskin opened his mouth to send her away, but she broke into his personal space, grabbing his arm without hesitation, and he wondered whether she told the truth after all.

@ifeltyourheartbeat asked 32 (work)

Even without his memories, Rumpelstiltskin had listed her former duties accurately. His dire threat amounted to returning them to her.

Belle smiled, amused. "A little work won't scare me away, you know?"

@still-searching47 asked 47 (worthless)

"There was... a teacup here," Belle said, aware that Rumpelstiltskin grew suspicious the more she lingered by the cabinet. "A chipped one?"

Rumpelstiltskin snorted. "I'll never believe you if your imagination keeps running unchecked. I have rooms of treasure, why would I keep such a worthless thing?"

@joylee56 asked 63 (society)

"Novel experience or not," Rumpelstiltskin said, grinning from ear to ear, "I must admit it feels nice to have a society lady pour my tea."

Belle's smile didn't dim even when Rumpelstiltskin made no comment over the unblemished cup. "I'm glad you think so," she told him, "even if you only say that now that I'm not spilling any all over the place."

@of-princes-and-savages asked 76 (ethereal)

Her old rooms had been comfortable, but the furniture and decoration were kept simple as it fit a favored servant.

Now Belle stared in wonder.

The bookshelf was enough to endear her to her new accommodations, but the wide windows had stolen her breath. They were covered in an ethereal confection of lace, heavier curtains drawn back to allow the sunlight in.

It was a delightful contrast to the dungeons.

"Well. You like it?"

"Oh yes!"

@jackabelle73 asked 93 (eatable)

For someone whose first attempts at cookery had been labeled as 'barely eatable', it made Belle smile to watch Rumpelstiltskin smack his lips with relish.

"Not bad, not bad at all," he said, smiling openly. "It's getting ever harder to believe you. Why'd I ever miss on a hot meal, hmm?"

Instead of letting his disbelief affect her mood, Belle preened at his implied praise. "You're saying I'm a good cook."

Rumpelstiltskin smirked at her bald request for a compliment. "Weeeeell," he drawled, "I might ask for seconds, and that's all I'm saying."

@bookwormchocaholic asked 24 (baby)

"I admit, I'm growing fond of the idea of naming a smart grown-ups as the price for a deal rather than a squealing baby!"

32 (rings)

"A meager dozen of books and you appear late for breakfast, with dark rings under your eyes." Rumpelstiltskin clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "You get your famed library, and you'll never sleep again!"

@ishtarelisheba asked 63 (broken)

"Those are nailed down, you know."

Belle grinned and showed him the hammer.

"Hmph. I didn't bring you up here so you could fall off a ladder and get your leg broken. Come down, girl!"

"But the curtains...."

A simple wave of his hand, and sunlight poured into the room.

Rumpelstiltskin's nose twitched in distaste, but he shrugged. "I'll get used to it."

@dragonessdefiledarts asked 34 (complex)

His world should be narrowed to the complex web of favors and circumstances that needed only a subtle push to work to his advantage.

Instead his concentration was diverted by a blue-eyed girl.

Madness!

@white-throated-packrat asked 77 (knot)

Belle had experience in leading a man out of Rumpelstiltskin's dungeon, but where she had hurried Hood's bloodied form through the darkened hallways, now she hesitated before she cut through the knot around Gaston's wrists. "Swear it, Gaston," she repeated. "You mustn't come back."

His expression didn't waver, jaw clenched in stubbornness.

He hadn't said much since he'd returned to human form, but his glare declared he wasn't finished with Rumpelstiltskin.

"Fine," Belle muttered. "Be an idiot."

@joylee56 asked 85 (abusive)

“I wish Gaston the best.” Belle chuckled. “Any other bride will do.”

Rumpelstiltskin snorted. “Wishing that abusive oaf on someone else? That’s cruel.”

Belle shook her head. There was no love between her and Gaston, but she was familiar with his code of honor. “Impossible. He’d never raise a hand against a woman!”

Rumpelstiltskin glanced at her, amusement melting into a pensive stare. “Never have you been as convincing of your innocence,” he said, “as right now when you equal abuse to a beaten wife.”

@of-princes-and-savages asked 76 (shop)

"You're leaving now?"

"I am a busy man, Belle. Besides, I figured you'd enjoy a day alone. Browse the shops, spend my gold. Come back after you're done." He handed her a sizable bag, heavy with coins. His small smile was an exact replica of the one with which he'd sent her away 'to fetch straw' three months before. "Take whatever time you need."

Comprehension dawned. "You don't expect to ever see me again, do you?"

Prompt: sloppy

Rumpelstiltskin wasn’t worried about the sword’s edge at his throat. He actually felt a stirring of respect for the warrior who’d bested the Dark One. Magic would have flattened the woman, and he wouldn’t have felt any guilt at cheating. He was, however, curious as to how Belle would handle the situation.

“He’s not the creature you’re seeking!” she protested.

The woman inspected him, pausing tellingly at his eyes. A twist of her mouth betrayed she felt unsettled by the inhuman features, but her sword didn’t waver. “He looks it.”

Belle gasped in outrage. “You can’t judge by appearances only!”

The warrior was the stubborn type. “He must be its master, then.”

Rumpelstiltskin giggled.

The accusation didn’t faze him. If pressed, he could send something worse than a fire-breathing dog to the area. What amused him was the woman’s mistake in ignoring Belle’s mounting anger.

The girl might frown on morally ambiguous deals, but she loathed sloppy research. Assumptions pulled from thin air put that gimlet look in her eye that even the Dark One knew better than to invite.

“Now you’ve done it,” he sniggered, smirking at the woman.

She was instantly on her guard, but she expected that attack from the wrong direction. That it came as a sharp poke on her arm was definitely a shock.

“Stop this nonsense!” Belle ordered.

Rumpelstiltskin laughed a little harder this time.

His self-appointed maid, who called it a great victory to wrangle an enchanted broom into sweeping the rooms that actually needed it, pitted against a seasoned swordswoman.

The outcome should be laughably predictable.

However, Belle was the woman who had wandered into the Dark Castle and demanded to stay there.

She might not be familiar with weapons, and he suspected she disapproved of bloodletting, but Rumpelstiltskin still knew how he’d lay his bets.

@bookwormchocaholic asked 45 x2 (grateful)

One moment there was a young, handsome man kissing Belle’s hand, grateful for her part in returning him to human form; the next, a wisp of maroon-toned smoke stood in his place - and vanished.

“Rumple!” Belle cried, whirling on him.

Rumpelstiltskin laughed, though at least he gave her the courtesy of a response while he ignored Mulan’s attack. “His Highness seemed in a hurry to find his true love,” he said with affected feeling, complete with a hand clutched over his heart. “Shouldn’t I have sent him straight to her?”

@joylee56 asked 26 (bath)

"Mulan got hurt helping me-"

"Debatable," Rumpelstiltskin muttered, still irritated.

"-so the least I can do is offer her a meal, a bath and a bed."

@joylee56 asked 69 (own)

"Oh. You have your own rooms." For the first time, Mulan looked sheepish. "I heard..."

Belle rolled her eyes. Nobody had made a fuss about her living in the Dark Castle as Rumpelstiltskin's maid; but now that there was no memory of their deal, people were quick to spread rumors.

"It's not like that," she muttered, annoyed at the gossip - and even more that it was ungrounded.

Not yet.

@bookwormchocaholic asked 31 (drunk)

Rumpelstiltskin peered down at her, expression uncertain between a perplexed frown and a roar of laughter. He settled for throwing Mulan an accusing glare. "Why is my--- Why is Belle drunk?"

@of-princes-and-savages asked 99 (melted)

Having her relationship with Rumpelstiltskin reset had the occasional advantage.

This time her talent for languages hadn't any link with the Black Fairy, and so it hadn't been relegated along with the memories of that awful night. Instead Belle had been quizzed until Rumpelstiltskin was satisfied with her proficiency, and then installed in a corner of his laboratory. Her pile of scrolls never decreased, and Rumpelstiltskin snickered when she mentioned it.

"Grown bored already, dearie?"

There were texts rarely seen by human eyes. Hours that melted together in close company with Rumpelstiltskin.

Belle shook her head. "Not at all!"

@joylee56 asked 55 (coil)

Having Belle work in his laboratory was a mistake.

She liked to play with her hair, allowing the strands to coil around her finger just to release them to write a new sentence.

"I won't translate this faster because you're hovering, Rumple."

Rumpelstiltskin huffed, though he turned away. "Hovering? Bah! Whatever gave you such idea?"

@bookwormchocaholic asked 45 (grateful)

Queen Regina didn’t bother with the friendliness she’d faked before. “I suppose I should be grateful you’re a clever one,” she said, a twist to her mouth that suggested she wouldn’t be shocked to be proved wrong. “Just keep silent, girl. It’s for the best.”

@thelonelyjournal-keeper asked 88 (pickle)

Belle wasn't surprised at the order to keep to her rooms for the afternoon. Rumpelstiltskin had always shepherded her away from the public rooms when trouble was ahead. "Unsavory guests coming up?"

"Not at all! Charming fellow, actually. But he's run into quite the pickle and only the Dark One can help him." He grinned, eyes alight with mischief as his fingertips tapped together excitedly. "He's not fond of my deals though, so he'll kick up a fuss before he sees reason. Best keep his tantrum private, eh?"

@joylee56 asked 92 (fluttering)

Belle knew there had been an important accomplishment when Rumpelstiltskin waved her into his laboratory, bouncing on his feet with excitement, instead of grousing at the interruption.

"Tell me, Belle. What do you know of true love?"

Belle faltered, dreading that he'd learned about the queen's advice. "I've read about it," she said cautiously.

"In those perfect heroic tales? Bah! Fluttering eyelashes and pointless grand speeches." He presented her with a small bottle, a smug expression on his face as she gasped at the contents. "This, my dear, is the real deal."

@of-princes-and-savages asked 64 (knowing)

Knowing that her company wouldn't be appreciated today, Belle had claimed it was an excellent day to start a kitchen garden.

Rumpelstiltskin, obviously glad to be left alone, gave permission without protest.

He'd forgotten that she was aware of the significance of the date, and Belle wasn't telling. With such fragile trust between them, it was best that Rumpelstiltskin grieved his son in private.

@joylee56 asked 93 (weight)

The girl was usually an unobstructive presence in the background, but today her curiosity was a weight between his shoulders. "Fine," he allowed grouchily. "Ask your questions before you choke on them."

Belle didn't waste time in gratefulness. "Is it true their desert is as big as the Enchanted Forest?"

"Bigger," he responded. "Whole caravans have been lost - and more since their main landmark disappeared."

"Will you find Agrabah?"

"Gods, no!" He laughed. "But I'm in the habit of investigating odd portals. One that swallows a whole city qualifies, don't you think?"

@of-princes-and-savages asked 82(x2) (outstanding)

"Do you believe me now, Rumple, even a little?"

Rumpelstiltskin lifted his eyes from the bundle of dried plants he was sorting into twigs and leaves fit for his potions and those that would do for the kitchen. "A little?" He mimicked. "I wasn't aware you could believe in anything 'a little'."

Since he was being facetious rather than denying the possibility, Belle smiled good-naturedly. "You know what I mean."

"Not because you expressed yourself correctly, dearie." Still chuckling, he abandoned his work and ambled toward her. "Now, what were my options again? Ah, yes. That I'm harboring either the most outstanding actress in the Enchanted Forest-"

"A liar, you mean," Belle grumbled.

"-or a mind-wiped puppet shipped in by one of my maaaaaaany enemies. Hm." He hovered over her "Tough choice, isn't it?"

Belle craned her neck to look him in the eye. "I think you believe me," she told him.

Rumpelstiltskin shrugged. "Maaaaaaybe." He pressed thumb against forefinger. "But only a little!"

@beastlycheese asked 97 (pipe)

Belle had known that Rumpelstiltskin favored smoking. While laundering his shirts, she had often caught the scent of tobacco on the fabric, and occasionally the main hall had born a trace of the sharp smell when she returned from gardening outside.

Now that she worked in his laboratory, Rumpelstiltskin had dismissed any attempt to follow convention and spare a lady from the masculine habit.

To her surprise, Belle didn't mind.

There was an unexpected intimacy in it. She couldn't remember Rumpelstiltskin looking as comfortable as when he sank into his chair, pipe in hand.

She liked it.

@thedarkcheessmaster asked 47. (coat)

Rumpelstiltskin was comfortable in shirtsleeves while he worked in his laboratory. His thick coats, made with exotic leathers and trimmed expensively, were meant to impress outsiders, not keep him warm.

Belle, meanwhile, shivered despite her heavy shawl.

Grumbling, he clicked his fingers.

And fire roared into life.

Prompt: grateful

A chair appeared on the other side of Belle’s desk, and in the next instant Rumpelstiltskin was sitting on it, observing her. Familiar with his habit of disconcerting people just to tease them for their reaction, Belle kept her attention on her work.

It was also his habit not to stay ignored for long.

He coughed loudly, and Belle indulged him with a little sigh. “Yes?”

Rumpelstiltskin raised an eyebrow. “You have a funny way to show respect to the Dark One, dearie.”

“I am doing as you asked, as quickly as you insisted it needed to be done.” Belle replied, putting down her feather and stoppering the ink to avoid another accident. Her expression spoke of her annoyance at the interruption. “You’re the one distracting me.”

Rumpelstiltskin grinned. He was blamed for everything from colluding with the Evil Queen to the latest flood. Few bothered to check that he was actually guilty, and almost none dared to accuse him to his face.

Belle had yet to hesitate to call him out for any perceived wrongdoing. Seduction, Rumpelstiltskin remembered, had been the first item scratched from the list of possible reasons for her presence.

“You’ve been buried in that book since morning, and don’t think I haven’t noticed you’ve barely made progress. I thought you’d welcome the break.”

“It’s an older version of elvish.” Belle pursed her lips into a determined line. “I like the challenge.”

Rumpelstiltskin stared at her, gauging her sincerity. Then he snickered. “I’m starting to believe that you budged your way into my castle just for the chance to check out the books.”

Belle gave a soft laugh, her hand careful as she closed the old leather cover. “They are all very interesting. I already knew you have great literary taste, Rumpelstiltskin, but the texts you need for your work aren’t the least dull in comparison.”

“Hm. I’ve never been accused of literary tastes,” he mused, provoking another tinkle of laughter. “Children and lost travelers, yes. Books, no, never.”

The arch on Belle’s eyebrows was almost chiding, and there was a hint of exasperation in her smile, but there it stayed, a placid curve on her lips. “You should make it public, then.”

Rumpelstiltskin tilted his head. “Is that another hint to build that dream library of yours?”

Belle’s eyes lit up, but immediately after she was frowning. To his surprise, her final answer was a shake of her head. “I do miss having an endless pick of new novels to take with me to bed, but I think I like this arrangement better.”

Rumpelstiltskin eyed her with skepticism. “A desk and a chair in a corner of my laboratory, better than that marvel you’re so fond of describing?”

“It’s a very comfy chair,” Belle replied, grinning. Then her eyes softened and she reached over. Her fingers grazed the skin of his wrist before he recognized her intent and hastily moved away. The briefest pause. Belle continued as if nothing had happened. “I am grateful for any chance to discover new books, but it used to get lonely, all by myself in that library.” She nodded toward his work space, perhaps all of twenty paces away. “Yes. I like this arrangement better.”

Rumpelstiltskin rolled his eyes. “I put you here so I can keep an eye on you!”

The girl shrugged. “Regardless,” she said, her smile undimmed. “I’m still grateful for the company.”

@sygmarie4-w asked 59 (wiry)

Belle now understood who Rumpelstiltskin had been before the curse, but picturing him as that small, wiry man proved impossible. Even her fertile imagination stumbled at leaving out his magic-touched skin and odd eyes.

At last she gave up the attempt without a regret, reasoning that she'd fallen for the Rumpelstiltskin that was, not the man he had been.

@of-princes-and-savages asked 82 (outstanding)

"I've read about a land that welcomes unwanted boys-"

Rumpelstiltskin's face darkened. "Careful, dearie. Monster I might be, but I loved my son."

"Oh, I don't mean your Baelfire is there. But there's this entity that collects the boys, no matter their provenance. Isn't it outstanding?" Her voice grew excited. "It must be called to loneliness, not to magic!"

Rumpelstiltskin stared at her, speechless.

Belle reached for his hand. "I promise, Rumple. There's a bridge to the world without magic in Neverland."

@of-princes-and-savages asked 55x2 (walk)

Belle closed the heavy book with a grunt of annoyance. "I'm taking a break," she announced.

Rumpelstiltskin glanced up, brow arched in surprise. "From reading?"

Her answering look might as well have scoffed at the notion. "From reading the same books for the fifth time," she corrected, "and finding no new clues."

He'd warned her that looking for safe passage through Neverland was a fool's mission, but he didn't tease. "It's all there is on that cursed island, dearie." His voice tried for nonchalance. "If you find nothing, then it's hopeless indeed."

"I'm not giving up," Belle assured him. "But I am taking a walk to clear my head first."

Prompt: writer

"I don't think these books will help, Rumple," Belle said, a furrow between her brows that spoke of her skepticism.

In the last weeks Rumpelstiltskin had learned that where Belle adored fiction about impossible feats and even less likely heroes, she was a swift judge when a writer added any fancy to a history book.

"Hamelin is the last place Pan visited in the Enchanted Forest. There could be a clue in its history."

Belle looked unsure. "It's a collection of tall tales," she complained. "Look. Here they insist there's a way to control the Dark One. How can I trust anything else they say?"

Rumpelstiltskin struggled between the ingrained need to keep his secret and the even more mandatory need to leave no stone unturned when it came to the recovery of his son. The Dark Curse still needed at least another year before Regina would be in the right state of mind to cast it. On the other hand, Belle's idea could be enacted as soon as she proved it was viable - and as the days passed, that possibility seemed closer.

His dagger was safe, he reasoned at last. If Belle was a plant after all, fishing for the information that would finally allow her to return to her master, he would know for sure.

"Does it happen to mention how they would accomplish this?" he asked softly, aware that giving these news even that much attention proved their legitimacy.

Belle's eyes widened as she also realized this. "What? No." She closed her mouth with a snap and stared at him for a long moment. "They just say it can be done. That an old lord had found a way."

Rumpelstiltskin chuckled. "Oh, he didn't get to grow that old."

Belle inhaled sharply. "I... see."

"No, dearie, you really don't." He gentled his features. The girl looked shocked, not a hint of delight to have finally unearthed a clue as to his weakness. "Shall we leave it there?"

A flash of disappointment passed through her eyes, her thirst of knowledge truncated, but she reined it in and nodded. "Information on Neverland first," she agreed. Then she glanced at him hopefully. "You can tell me all about this once Baelfire is with us."

It was Rumpelstiltskin's turn to stare at her, though he was nodding in reaction at her easy smile before he put actual thought into it. He would have accepted her help on an alternate path to Bae even if he'd known for sure she was Cora in disguise. But the more time she let pass without betraying him, the more he was floored by the realization that her picturing of a future in the Dark Castle was honest. "Yes," he said, his voice slow as he stomped the wonder out of it. "I might at that."

@the-time-lady-sage asked 34 (warm)

Rumpelstiltskin should have been annoyed at the interruption, but the girl had already showed him the platter of cookies, still warm from the oven.

"We can't work all day," she said, smiling. "Want one?"

@of-princes-and-savages asked 55 (walk)

"A carriage bearing coffers of gold, running leisurely through Sherwood Forest." Rumpelstiltskin scoffed. "Might as well walk into a thieves' den!"

"We only need one thief."

"Robin Hood." He sniffed. "Unreliable fellow. You actually think he'll accept?"

Belle nodded. "I helped him reunite with his family. You tell me if that's not worth a favor."

@betweenpaperpages asked 76. (writer)

"Let's say I set you free, for argument's sake..." Rumpelstiltskin loomed closer, hooking a finger under her chin to tilt it up. "Such a clever girl. With that stubborn belief in goodness and selflessness. You're meant to play the hero, dearie; a real one. So why would you come back?"

"Because I'm the writer of my own story," Belle told him, "and no one - not even you - will tell me what role to play."

@joylee56 asked 37 (crowded)

The giant’s presence made the spacious main hall look crowded even with only two other people in it.

“So, we have a deal,” Rumpelstiltskin said, his voice a tense hiss.

Anton clutched the bean, but nodded anyway.

62 (rain)

"At least the rain is the same," Belle said, pulling the curtain to peek outside. The scenery of the street below fascinated her, even without people, with its smooth pavement and the bright lights that weren't doused by the downpour.

She'd read on electricity, but she still asked, "There really is no magic here?"

Rumpelstiltskin played with another vial. "Not until now."

#ar: memory of you

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