#wizzygold

September

Belle stood still and inhaled deeply. She never felt more at home than when she wandered through the edges of Hogwarts' infamous Forbidden Forest. Although she respected and obeyed many of the rules the magic school set, Belle could never really bring herself to follow the ones concerning the forest. It was the one place where she could be herself, where she wouldn't have to worry about inadvertently using Legilimency and read someone's mind.

Belle started to walk, sighing as she remembered, as she left Ravenclaw Tower, bumping into Zelena West in the hall earlier that day and reading every thought that went through her head. They were petty and hateful, just as she always was when she spoke out loud. Negativity was a challenge for Belle to block.

But, if she was being honest with herself, trying not to Legilimency was a constant challenge. And she was only relieved whenever she was around non-human creatures.

Shaking her head, Belle quickened her pace. The sound of crunching leaves and a soft breeze rustling the trees comforted and calmed her. Her pace slowed once more as she took the time to enjoy the scenery.

She stopped at the outer edge of a clearing. She could see the herd of thestrals gathered together in a tight circle. It wasn’t a particularly unusual sight, so Belle didn’t worry about it at first. She checked her bag to make sure that she had the treats she was going to give the them. Nodding in satisfaction, she closed her bag and continued walking. When Belle reached further into the clearing, she stopped in her tracks.

Standing in the middle of thestrals, petting them and apparently talking to them, was an even stranger creature then any she had ever seen in her nearly seven years at Hogwarts. It looked like a man, only she could tell immediately that it wasn’t. It had greenish gold scales, crimped hair that reached its neck and wore what looked like dragon hide. It was so otherworldly, Belle thought she was seeing things.

Belle rummaged through her bag until she pulled out a beloved copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. She flipped through the pages, trying to find something about the weird creature. She sighed audibly in frustration when she couldn’t find what she was looking for.

The sound made the thestrals and the creature freeze and turn their attention towards her. She ignored them as she continued to search through the book.

Belle finally took notice of the stiff and still silence. Slowly, she looked up from her perusing and stared straight into the reptilian eyes of the creature. Her breath caught in her throat and in her shock, she dropped her book. Neither she nor the creature noticed as they continued to hold each other’s gaze.

“What is a human like you doing, wandering the forest unescorted?” it hissed.

Belle felt her eyes widen. She wasn’t sure what she expected, but it was certainly wasn’t hearing it speak in perfect English.

She gulped, trying to wet her suddenly dry throat. She could feel herself shake under its unrelenting gaze.

“I-I…” she stammered.

“What, dearie? What are you doing here?” it asked.

Something about the way he called her “dearie” irritated Belle. Her fear temporarily disappeared, and she stood up a little bit taller, pulled her shoulders back and tilted her chin up.

“I could ask you the same thing,” she replied.

The creature giggled and gave her a crocodile grin. It was disconcerting, but she wasn’t about to let it know that.

Belle felt something nudge her leg as it tried to get at her bag. She broke her gaze with the creature and looked down to see a baby thestral nip where the slices of meat lay hidden. With a small smile, Belle reached into her bag and pulled a piece of meat. She held her hand out towards the thestral, who sniffed around her hand before snapping the treat from her.

When she returned her attention back to the creature, it gave her an odd look.

“What?” she asked.

“How can you see them?” he wondered.

Belle shrugged. It wasn’t something she particularly liked talking or reminiscing about to anyone, let alone with a stranger.

“What are you?” she diverted the conversation.

The creature’s lips lifted in a creepy smile and he giggled. “What do you think I am?”

Belle narrowed her eyes, studying the creature closely. There was something familiar about his appearance, but she couldn’t place it.

“Are you some sort of poltergeist?” she asked.

“I am most certainly not!” the creature scoffed, clearly offended. “Poltergeists are crass and obnoxious. I am neither.”

“Then what are you?” Belle repeated the question.

“I am not a ‘what’ I am a ‘who’” he replied haughtily. The creature then took a step back, bowing with a great flourish. “I am an imp. And, I have a name, thank you very much.”

Belle gave it a blank look. Imp?

“What’s your name?” she asked.

“Rumplestiltskin, at your service,” he replied, bowing deeper.

Belle giggled and curtsied. “My name is Belle.”

January

Belle trudged through the snow, shivering as she went. To keep her mind off the cold, she thought back to the months she spent sneaking off to the edge of the forest, like she was now, to meet with Rumplestiltskin.

They spent every free moment she could spare together. Their time was spent wandering through the edge of the Forest with the thestral herd, and talked about a great many things. What she loved most about their talks together was the fact that she didn’t have to worry about accidently reading his mind. She could relax and really enjoy herself and her surroundings. It was the first time since she started Hogwarts that Belle felt like she had a friend.

She had come to learn a great deal about him, and other imps as well. She learned that while they were like poltergeists by the fact that they also cause mischief and mayhem, they had more magical powers that were often used to grant desires. But, as Rumplestiltskin would constantly emphasize, they always demanded a price.

Though he never said it outright, she figured out that imps were once human, much like werewolves. Rumplestiltskin had even made passing comments about how he wished he could be human. But how they became imps remained a mystery to her until she had stumbled upon a book that clearly should’ve been in the Restricted Section. It large and rectangular with a black leather cover. It didn’t have a title written anywhere, thus piquing Belle’s curiosity. As she opened the book and thumbed through a few pages, a gnawing feeling of déjà vu filled her when a crude sketch of what looked exactly like Rumplestiltskin came forth. Memories of the sketch hit her like a ton of bricks as she read the inscription next to the picture:

Like werewolves, the Imp was once human. Unlike werewolves, the curse is passed from one single holder to another by power of a crooked dagger once belonging to Merlin. Merlin had used the silver-infused dagger to contain the witch Nimue’s increasing dark magic. While it did lock and control most of her magic, it instead manifested itself in a physical transformation of the witch. She came to look like a human-like crocodile, all green-gold scales and slitted eyes. Nimue was killed two hundred years later by a wizard called Gordon by use of her dagger and thus inherited her dark magic. Through the centuries, the magic of the dagger was transferred from witch or wizard to another, changing and diluting with each older. The last known Imp is Rumplestiltskin, a Squib who allegedly was protecting his young son from being forcibly enlisted during a time of war. He killed his predecessor Zoso and used the magic to stop the war. Nothing else is known or written about Rumplestitskin since…

Belle felt her eyes widen and her jaw slack open in shock as she read on. When Belle had finished reading the last sentence, she snapped the book shut and ran out of the library to the Forbidden Forest. She had to confront Rumplestiltskin.

She finally arrived at the clearing where the thestrals huddled together, searching through the snow for something to eat. Belle looked around frantically for the imp.

“What is a tiny, frail thing like you doing out in this weather?” the familiar, high-pitched voice of Rumplestiltskin said behind her.

Belle jumped and turned to see a bemused Rumplestiltskin. His expression changed as he saw the look on her face.

“What is it, Belle?” he asked softly.

Belle wet her lips. “I know who you are now. And how you became an imp.” She answered.

Rumplestiltskin’s eyes widened. “What did you say?”

Belle took a small step closer to him. The snow started to fall faster and the wind picked up speed. She began shivering profusely as she pulled out the book and held it out to him. He hesitantly took it through her, skimming through the pages as she had before when he landed on the page about his origins.

“How did you…where did you….” He started to ask.

“I was getting some reference books for Potions when I found it,” Belle replied. “If you turn the page, there’s something I think you might be interested in.”

Rumplestiltskin gave her a curious look, but did as she asked. She saw his eyes move back and forth as he read the page.

When he looked up again, she saw in full force the human he once was.

“Does this mean what I think it means?” he wondered.

Belle nodded. “The ingredients are easy to get, except for a few of the rare herbs. But I think Professor Mills will have it in her private inventory,” she said. “But only if you want to be human again.”

Belle and Rumplestiltskin looked at each other for a long, frozen moment. Finally, he nodded.

“Do it.”

May

The potion took months and months to brew. Belle felt like it wouldn’t have taken as long if Professor Mills was more trustworthy of her students. It was difficult to find a way into the private storage, but thanks to Rumplestiltskin’s magic, she was able to get it. She made the potion in the hollowed trunk of a giant tree that the imp inhabited. When she was in classes, he would add to the cauldron and stir it when needed.

In the time it took to make the potion, Rumplestiltskin offered to teach her how to better control her Legilimency. She jumped at the chance, and found his methods to be effective.

It was a warm spring day when the potion was finally completed.

Belle gave it one last stir before setting down the spoon. Her stomach fluttered as she turned to him.

“It’s ready.” She said.

Rumplestiltskin stared at her for a moment before nodding. She nodded in return and returned her attention to the potion.

She ladled out some of it into a small glass vial and handed it to Rumplestiltskin. In turn he passed the dagger to her. Belle ladled some more of the potion and poured it on the dagger. When it started to hiss and steam, Rumplestiltskin drank from the vial.

He started to cough profusely, clutching his throat. His skin started to become smoother and pink while his hair straightened and his eyes rounded and became brown. The dagger melted into the ground with only the hilt left behind.

Rumplestiltskin lay on the ground for a long time. Slowly, Belle approached him. She rested a gentle hand on his shoulder. He sat right up, looking at her with soft brown eyes.

“Rumplestiltskin?” she asked.

He looked down at his hands. Then he started moving his hands over his body and face to make sure it was real. Then he turned to Belle and smiled.

“It’s me.” He said triumphantly.

“Sorry Rum, I was miles away. How are you?” she began brightly. 

Rum smiled, a genuine, happy smile the likes of which she saw so rarely - and even more rarely at this time of a morning. 

“I’m very well, thank you.” He paused. “Sorry I’ve been so… incommunicado,” he began again, hesitantly. “After Robin’s arrival things got a bit complicated.”

“I’m going to guess that these complicated things are linked to Robin’s social media revelations and Zelena’s arrest last night.”

Rum nodded. “Yes.”

He obediently kept his mouth closed whilst Belle ran the shaver over his two-day stubble, then spoke again.

“Robin had been considering making that post for some time but it was seeing Graham’s video that tipped the balance. He would have made that post without consulting me, but he wanted to suggest that we pressed charges. Now that the time had come to expose her for the awful human being we all know her to be, and there was more than one of us involved, and we had some degree of video evidence, we had less fears of not being taken seriously.”

“Is that why you’ve never tried to do anything to stop her before?” Belle asked. Rum nodded. 

“Well, the fact I work with her means I can’t exactly get a restraining order,” he pointed out. “But yes, I didn’t think that my complaints would be handled seriously. But multiple victims, well, the police are more likely to listen to that.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Belle asked gently as she began to sponge the base onto his face. She appreciated that it was a difficult task that he had been performing for the past couple of days, but surely he could tell her what was going on, so that she could make him feel better and assuage his fears. She had managed to do it before when Zelena had got him down.

“I wanted to,” Rum admitted. “But we were advised not to make any mention of the proceedings until they had actually brought her in for questioning, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to explain what was going on without telling you everything. I thought keeping quiet would be better for everyone.” He gave a sigh. “But now it’s over. At least, the first part of it is over. It’s been a bit complicated, what with Robin’s allegations dating back a few years and taking place in a different state. But things are moving in the right direction.”

It wasn’t over, by any manner or means. There would still be a long and complicated investigation into Zelena’s offences and Rum would not be able to put it all behind him and forget about it for a while, but at least things had started to look up. Idly Belle wondered if they would now link her to Claire as well. 

"I'm just glad that you're all right," she said. Rum nodded.

"I'm fine. I think I feel better now than I've done for a while. Even though I know this is just the beginning of it all, there's a sense of relief."

"Something's being done," Belle agreed. "Zelena's behind bars."

"I doubt she'll stay there for long, but hopefully the experience will have shaken her enough." He gave a little smirk at the corner of his mouth. "I have to say, although I normally avoid it like the plague, I'm very intrigued to know what the world of Twitter is saying about these latest developments."

Belle continued to sponge the green paint over his face with a giggle. "I don't know, I've been keeping a low profile. I saw Robin's post last night and I saw the reaction that was beginning to boil up around it, and I thought it might be better just to keep a low profile." If she was being honest, Belle hadn't returned to Tumblr's shores after her deluge of hateful messages the previous afternoon, but now that she knew Zelena was not in a position to be trolling her for the immediate future, she thought that she should be safe to take a peek. 

"I do wonder what kind of things Aurelius and Leo have been bombarded with." Rum shrugged. "Then again, does anyone else know of the arrest?"

"Ruby saw it from her bedroom window and was most annoyed not to have been filming it," Belle mused lightly. "That's how I know myself. I'm sure that even if she herself does not disseminate the news, someone else in the diner or immediate environs will have done. Zelena's not exactly subtle, even when she's being put in a police cruiser in handcuffs."

Rum gave a sigh. "I would have paid good money to have been a fly on the wall at the station, but I guess we'll just have to content ourselves to using our imaginations."

"If her reaction to the security guards at the airport when we came to rescue you the other week was anything to go by then any footage of her arrest is sure to be Internet gold dust."

Belle sat back against the counter, waiting for Rum's make-up to dry, and she checked her phone. She didn't need to go as far as Twitter, her news feed was showing a grainy picture of Zelena being carted away in handcuffs with various sensationalist headlines. When she finally got to Tumblr, she saw that the usual communities she frequented had started an impromptu celebration complete with several video links to myriad different versions of the Wizard of Oz and 'Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead'. 

Mulan, bless her, was doing her utmost to try and calm people down and remind them that Zelena being arrested was just the first step in a very long legal process and even though she was currently languishing in a cell, it was unlikely that she was going to remain there forever and she might not even be charged once the police's preliminary reports had been made. She was, in the main, being ignored, and Belle couldn't say she blamed the rest of the site for their jubilation, especially if she had not been Zelena's only target of anonymous (and slightly less anonymous, if the trolling blogs were anything to go by) aggression. 

Rum was also on his phone, searching with a little less finesse and a lot more concentration than Belle. 

"We're in luck," he said, holding out his phone and showing her a trending Youtube video that had obviously been taken by someone outside the diner watching Zelena's arrest. It was only a few seconds, but it was long enough for them to hear Zelena telling the two police officers exactly what she thought of them and of her arrest in no uncertain terms.

Belle smiled. Whatever happened, that was enough to make her day better. And the fact that she had seen Rum, and he was happy, and she didn't need to worry that he was pulling away. And she'd be seeing him again later, to take his make-up off, and again after that to watch the show in their usual Star Force date. She was glad that they wouldn't have to cancel yet another one, having already missed two thanks to Comic-Con and Rum's trip to England. 

"You could have at least told me that you were ok," she admonished. "Ruby and I had almost begun to believe that Robin and Zelena were working together and he'd kidnapped you and taken you to Hawaii."

Rum raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Belle didn't reply and Rum chuckled. "Oh Belle. I'm sorry I worried you. I just didn't want to get you involved in the whole thing, in case it blew up spectacularly in our faces. I didn't want to get my hopes up."

"I know. I understand. But next time, at least let me know that you're not stuck in a basement in Honolulu. I've had to rescue you twice already, I don't want to make it into a full-time occupation. Make-up artist, social media representative..."

"Personal superhero," Rum added. Belle blushed at the epithet. "Sometimes I still can't believe how much you do for me. I don't know how I can repay you."

Belle pretended to ponder. 

"I think a kiss is sufficient demonstration of your gratitude," she said. 

"That is something I can definitely provide." He took her hand and pulled her off the counter towards him. "We can always call it rehearsals for next week."

Belle didn't resist as Rum pulled her down into his lap, wrapping his arms around her and slanting his mouth over hers. In that moment, she didn't even care if she smeared Rum's make-up. For all their stolen kisses, this was the closest they had ever been, and Belle felt that there was something different about this kiss. Rum was more relaxed, more eager than he had ever been, and she couldn't help but smile against his mouth at the boost in confidence that knowing he was free from Zelena's claws had brought him. 

Eventually, she pulled away with some reluctance. 

"It's not that I don't want to stay doing this for the next three hours," she said, "but we've got work to do."

Rum nodded, running his thumb over her lips. 

"Don't worry, you're not smudged," he said as she brought her own fingertips to her mouth and glanced over her shoulder in the mirror. "I just can't get over how soft your lips are."

Belle smiled and pressed a kiss to his forehead before carefully brushing on the sparkling layer of make-up that formed his scales. It would be their little secret, this moment between them in the make-up room. They fell into silence for a little while. 

"Star Force date tonight?" Rum asked. 

"Of course," Belle said. "Unless you've got other plans."

"Belle, it's well known that I'm a hermit. I never have other plans. Last minute auditions on the other side of the Atlantic notwithstanding."

"That was, by its very nature, last minute and therefore unplanned."

"In that case no, I have no other plans. Although I was wondering..."

Belle raised an eyebrow at him in the mirror. 

"You've been very accommodating for these past few weeks and I can't deny that I like your cooking." 

Belle gave a snort. "You haven't been coming over long enough. I've exhausted all the dishes that I can actually make and we'll be having take-out for the rest of the run."

"I see no problem with that. But at the same time, I think it's time that I returned the favour. Only if you want, of course, I mean, I'm quite happy to come to yours like normal..."

"No, no." Belle patted his shoulder to stop his nervous gabbling. The confidence she had praised inwardly seemed to be waning a bit, and she needed a second to process what he was actually saying. He was inviting her over to his apartment for their Star Force date. He was going to cook for her. 

Somehow, this felt far more momentous than him coming over to her and Mulan's place. They had been doing that before they crossed the bridge into a romantic relationship, and as she had said to Ruby, the Star Force date was not really a date in that sense of the word. But Belle had never been to Rum’s apartment, and in a way, moving the action there made it more like an actual date. She realised that her heart was pounding at the thought, wondering if perhaps something might come of this. There was no chance of accidental interruption from a roommate, after all, and it would be late into the evening once the show had finished. 

"I'd really like that," she said hastily, realising that she had not actually given Rum an answer and he was looking at her expectantly. The grin he gave her in response was almost schoolboyish in its shy enthusiasm. 

"Great," he said. "You're not allergic to seafood, are you?"

Belle shook her head. "You've seen me devour prawn wontons like they're going out of fashion on more than one occasion," she pointed out. 

"Ah yes. I know. Just wanted to check."

"And you're very sweet for doing so. I would kiss you again, but you're not dry enough yet. I'll store it up for later."

If he hadn't been covered in several layers of paint, Belle knew that Rum would have gone a delicate shade of pink. 

It was going to be a busy day in the studio with a great mixture of scenes being filmed, some simultaneously on different sets, and Belle and Rum did not have much more time alone together before the other make-up artists and cast-members began arriving. 

"Well, you certainly seem a lot perkier than you did yesterday," Ruby commented once Rum had left to pick up his costume and was out of earshot. Belle just grinned, making no mention of the evening's plans. Well, not yet at least. Whilst most of her was incredibly excited about what might happen, a small part of her was nervous. It was a long time since she done anything in that vein, and despite them coming close but no cigar on Monday, she was still a little bit worried about how she might measure up. If they even got that far; she might be jumping to conclusions. 

"Everything's turning out very nicely," she said to Ruby. "I think now that Zelena's out of the picture, we should have a very pleasant end to filming."

Ruby raised an eyebrow, and for a long time she looked like she was going to say something but then shook her head with a smile, seeming to think better of it. 

"Well, as long as you're happy, both of you."

Belle nodded. Everything else aside, she was very happy. 

X

It was one of the busiest days that Belle had known on the set, but the part of the day that she had been anticipating the most had yet to arrive. Zippy was not due into the make-up room until the early afternoon, having completed her tour of the rest of the studio and been treated to lunch with Graham. Belle found herself pacing nervously up and down the room whilst she waited; ignoring Ruby and Ariel's perplexed expressions as they put the finishing touches to the make-up on two of the other alien hostiles. 

"I would ask you why you're so wound up, but I don't think you're going to tell me," Ruby observed dryly, and Belle rolled her eyes. "Relax, it'll be fine, whatever it is that you're worried about. Just take deep breaths and think of Gold covered in chocolate sauce."

One of the alien extras choked on a mouthful of coffee, causing Ariel to be showered in the hot beverage. She made a face at her friend, plucking at her top where it was wet and stained. 

"Thanks, Ruby," she muttered. 

It was at that point that the door to the make-up room opened and Graham came in, accompanied by an excited young woman with short dark hair.

"And here's the last point on our tour, hair and make-up. Ariel, Ruby, Belle; this is Andrea."

"Hi!" Andrea shook hands eagerly with all three make-up artists, and the two extras for good measure before they got up to go to the set. She didn't show any recognition on meeting Belle, and the older woman wasn't sure whether to be pleased or disappointed. In the end, it was probably for the best. That might have engendered some awkward explanations to Graham, even though Ruby and Ariel were no strangers to her online life. She waved Andrea over to her chair and tucked in paper towel around her collar; she was already in her costume of a light camo jacket and combat trousers. She would be playing one of the alien hostiles trying to take over the Aurora, and Belle had elected to keep her make-up and hair simple so that she would not need too much time in the make-up chair when she could be exploring the rest of the set and watching filming going on: base and powder, dark eyeliner, and a small stencil painted on her left cheek to tie her in to the rest of the hostiles with more intricate patterns. Her hair was just spiked up with hairspray, although the amount that Belle used to make it stick caused more than a few coughs in the room. Ruby opened the door to let the fumes out. 

The chatter between the group flowed easily, Andrea enthusing about everything she had seen throughout the day, and Graham lamenting that he hadn't been doing any documentary filming: apparently he'd come across Lance, David, Sean, Mary Margaret and Elsa trying to make a human pyramid in a break between scenes and he was very annoyed that no-one had captured the moment for posterity. He was still describing the scene when Ruby made him be quiet so that she could trim his beard properly without his chin moving around all the time. The AD came to give them a five minute warning, and they began to make their way to the set together. Andrea hung back a little, evidently wanting to speak to Belle alone. 

"Bookworm-with-a-brush?" she asked tentatively. Belle nodded.

"Zippysilver?"

"Yep. I thought I recognised you from your videos, but I didn't want to say anything back there."

Belle smiled. "Thanks. I'm trying to remain anonymous for as long as possible."

"Don't worry, I won't say anything online," Andrea assured her. "I just wanted to check." She laughed. "It's really weird, meeting someone you've spoken to so often but have never actually met before."

"I know what you mean." Belle thought back to her first Skype meeting with Mulan when she had been looking to move to Storybrooke. "But it's nice to meet you nonetheless."

"Likewise."

They had reached the main green screen where most of the day's filming would be taking place; the set was dressed as the brig but Belle knew that the panels would soon be moved to create various other corridors and areas of the Aurora Borealis. The rest of the main cast were already there, gathered in a holding cell that would look very impressive once it had a CGI wall and didn't look like the actors could just walk out of the back of it, along with some of the stunt team and Cara, who was examining all the marks on the floor and checking camera angles. She waved as she saw Belle and Andrea coming over.

"Hello, Andrea. Ready for the main event?"

The younger woman nodded enthusiastically. 

"Well, remember, like we rehearsed this morning, all you have to do is walk up to the mark, look over at Rum and Mary, and then when I shout "cue" you fall forwards onto the crashmat. Dove will catch you so you don't hurt yourself."

Dove, the studio's stunt co-ordinator, was a very tall and imposing man currently crouching out of sight of the cameras. As terrifying as he looked, especially at full height, he was a gentle giant and had been making sure the cast and crew didn't injure themselves in no-doubt amusing ways for as long as the show had been airing. He waved from his position on the floor, and the rest of the cast and crew moved to their marks. Belle took up her usual place, out of the way behind the cameras. She always enjoyed watching filming; she liked to be able to match up the view from behind the scenes with the view that she saw on the screen when she watched the show, seeing the way that everything came together with the special effects to create something visually stunning where before there had been green screen and crashmats. This particular scene was going to be the crew's escape from the brig to retake their ship, with Stiltskin and Officer Snow creating a distraction so that Officer Tink could stun their captor - Andrea. The distraction involved Stiltskin faking a fit, and Belle had to hide a smile at the sight of Rum rolling around on the floor whilst Mary panicked above him. 

Andrea played her part perfectly, and David and Lance began a spontaneous round of applause for her after Cara had yelled cut and Dove had put their guest back on her feet. 

Graham gave Rum a hand off the floor and Belle came over to retouch his face.

"Sometimes I wonder if anyone remembers that I'm a classically trained actor," he muttered. Belle just laughed and pressed a kiss to his forehead, his lips still being too wet from the paint.  Although not normally demonstrative on set, she didn't think that anyone would notice.

It was then she spotted Andrea watching them with an amused smile, and Belle gave a hasty cough, moving away from Rum to let them reset for the next take.

Andrea was still wearing her little smirk when they finished the second take and the crew began to redress the set for the next scene. Belle raised her eyes as she came over, praying that she wouldn't get an interrogation.  

"Come on, let's get you de-aliened, then you can come back and watch the rest of the filming." 

Andrea accepted this with good grace and she and Belle made their way back to the make-up room. 

"So," she said eventually. "The rumours are true about you and Rum then? I'd had this strange little feeling ever since Comic-Con, but the pictures were too blurry for me to really be able to tell that it was you." 

There was a hint of mischievousness in the younger woman's eyes and Belle gave a slightly sheepish nod. 

"Yeah, we've been going out for a few weeks now. We weren't together at Comic-Con though, that was just two friends looking out for each other."

Andrea smiled. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. But all the same, I'm really glad. Especially after all that stuff happening with Zelena. I think you'll make a good couple." She paused. "It's strange because I've never met you before, but I still feel like I know all about you." 

"Yeah, Tumblr will do that."

"Still, it's been nice to meet you in the flesh, Bookworm."

"You too, Zippy."

Once Andrea had been unmade up and returned to Graham's chaperoning, Belle found herself alone in the make-up room. It couldn't be denied - people from Tumblr were going to recognise her once she had made her small-screen debut. Some were recognising her already, but had blessedly kept quiet about it. 

Not for the first time, Belle considered a subtle break with fandom, without fanfare, just slipping quietly away, and leaving people to draw their own conclusions once the episode aired. On the other hand, she loved Tumblr. She loved the community that she had become a part of, and the friends - like Mulan and Jefferson - that she had made before she had ever become involved in Star Force. It would be a shame to have to leave it all behind. She wondered if she would be able to get away with it - not denying that she was Belle French, make-up artist and girlfriend of Rum Gold, one-time Star Force actress, but not acknowledging it either. 

No, that wouldn't work. It would make life awkward at best. 

Sitting in the make-up chair, Belle pondered. She was going to come clean - not that her subterfuge was all that deceptive; she had never actively lied, just omitted a few details to protect the identities of her friends and colleagues. 

A video maybe. Like her make-up tutorials. She could make a quick video explaining who she was and that she really wanted to stay on Tumblr as part of the fandom, queue it up, and wait a few days to gauge the reaction. She could get Mulan to report back for her, and that would enable her next steps. 

Might be a good idea to set up a new blog that was still completely anonymous, just in case. She could create herself a brand-new personality of a sixty-three year old spinster with seven cats living in Tunbridge Wells. Then again, perhaps that was taking it slightly too far. She had a few weeks to work out what she was going to do; they hadn't finished filming the finale yet, after all. 

Putting her online anonymity and the forthcoming lack thereof to the back of her mind, she found her thoughts directed back to the here and now, or more specifically the immediate future. The Star Force date. Tonight. A date with Rum, in his apartment, and the possibility of something more. Was it the right time? Ruby and Mulan had already pointed out to her, unnecessarily often, that she didn't have a lot of time to take things to the next level, but at the same time, she really didn't want to rush it. 

Still...

She couldn't panic. Ruby would probably never forgive her for panicking at the prospect of a date. But she could ask for advice. Ruby was not the best person to ask for advice when it came to these sort of matters, Mulan would be at work, so of easily available confidantes, that left Jefferson. 

She dialled his number before she could second guess herself. 

"Hello Poppet. How's things?"

"Very good. Things are extremely good, Jefferson."

"I'm glad to hear it. May I ask why you're calling me at four in the afternoon whilst you're at work? Not that it's not lovely to hear from you at any time, but it's slightly unusual."

"I've got a date, Jeff."

"Congratulations!" There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Although, that's not exactly news, is it? You and Rum have been together for a few weeks. Is there anything special about this particular date?"

"I think this might be *the* date, you know."

"Aha." Jefferson sounded far too wise and all-knowing for his own good. "The third date."

She supposed it was their third official date, not counting the Star Force dates at her apartment. 

"Yeah. And I may or may not be slightly nervous. Should I put my toothbrush and pyjamas in my handbag or will that scare him off?"

"Poppet, if it gets to toothbrush stage, you will not be needing the pyjamas. Trust me. Besides, if the aforelisted items are in your bag, he won't see them to be scared off, will he?"

"True enough." She paused, wondering if anyone thought her strange for confiding these fears in Jefferson instead of any of her female friends, but Jefferson was her oldest friend aside from Will, and she'd helped him enough during his courting of Grace's stepmother. 

"It always pays to be prepared," Jefferson said sagely. "Besides, if it doesn't happen, then you haven't lost anything, have you?"

"No." Other than time with Rum in an intimate capacity, Belle thought to herself. She realised that she was going to be a little disappointed if nothing happened now that she was all anticipation.

"Whatever happens, Belle, just relax and enjoy it. I may only have met him once when escaping from an airport, but Rum's a good man, and he's good for you."

"He's not good for my blood pressure," Belle said, and she went on to tell Jefferson about the past couple of days. Her friend just chuckled on the other end of the phone.

"All right, I'll give you that," he said once he'd managed to compose himself. "But when you're with him, you're happier than I've ever seen you. Possibly because you've been moping about after him for so long."

Belle gave a snort. "I have not been moping!"

"You know what I mean. Still, enjoy your date. Absolutely do not let me know the details. Grace is already looking at me strangely from the kitchen."

Belle rolled her eyes unseen. "Thanks for the pep talk, Jeff."

"Any time, Poppet. Give my love to Mulan."

"Will do."

They said their goodbyes and Belle hung up, prevented from doing a happy little dance in her chair by the arrival of some of the cast from the set, their filming having finished. She jumped up out of the seat to allow Rum to sit down, and she gave him a broad smile in the mirror. He quirked an eyebrow. 

"You seem very happy."

"Just excited," Belle replied. 

"I shall try not to disappoint."

Belle couldn't stop grinning as she took his make-up off. No matter what happened, it was going to be a good date. She was sure of it. 

X

She was still a little nervous when she knocked on Rum's apartment door, but it was a good nervousness, an anticipatory thrill rather than any kind of fear. Rum opened the door wide and waved her inside. Belle couldn't say that it was the most casual she had ever seen him, because she mostly saw him in battered jeans and dressing gown of a morning, but it was the most casual she had ever seen him outside of the studios; knowing that he preferred to wear his tailoring as armour, it made her happy to see him now in sharp, dark blue jeans and a white shirt. He was relaxed and comfortable in his own home, and she had been invited into that domain. She took a look around as Rum led her into the small open plan living area. It was much smaller than her and Mulan's apartment, and she couldn't see any touches that really made it a home. It seemed rather bleak, melancholy almost. Then again, she supposed that to Rum it wasn't really a home, just a place to live whilst he was filming Star Force. She wondered what his actual home looked like, and where it was. Scotland, she supposed, but then she wasn't sure. He had lived with Milah in Scotland, but ever since then she had never known him have a base of operations anywhere; he moved around wherever the work took him. 

"Dinner's almost ready," Rum said from the kitchen before bringing over a glass of wine from the bottle of rosé she had brought with her. "What are you thinking about?" he asked, tilting his head on one side as he tried to read her expression. 

"Home," Belle said, trying to be purposefully vague. She settled herself on the sofa, smoothing down the fabric of her skirt, suddenly unaccountably conscious of what she looked like, what she was wearing. She'd never been this nervous or self-aware before a date, much less a regular Star Force date, and she wondered if it was really just the change of setting that was causing the difference or if there was something else in the air. 

"Yeah." Rum sat down beside her and looked around the apartment; completely fit for purpose but with blank walls and bare shelves, nothing with any personality. "It's not exactly cosy, but it's here, and close to the studio."

Belle looked at him, taking a sip of her wine to try and relax her. "Where is home for you, then?"

Rum sighed. "I don't really know." He wasn't looking at her, staring over her shoulder out of the window at the darkening sky. "I have a house in Scotland; I inherited it from my aunts, and I sometimes live there when I'm between jobs. The rest of the time it's rented out as a holiday home. I've got a very capable property agent and housekeeper who look after it for me, but I'm so rarely there that I'm not sure it's home anymore. Still, it's where I grew up and where I always end up coming back to, so I suppose that counts for something." 

He turned to face her properly. "What about you? You must be pretty settled in Storybrooke now."

Belle nodded. "Yeah, but it's not the same really. I've got a roommate, and as much as I love living with Mulan, I'm going to want to get my own place at some point. I've only been here since the start of Star Force, I was in Boston before then. But now I'm pretty established with the studio so I've got roots here, this is where I'll be for the foreseeable future."

It was there on the table between them now, although it had not been said in as many words. The separation was inevitable, but how long that separation would last was a different matter. If Rum had no particularly strong bond to Scotland, then maybe he would find his home in a place where he did have a stronger bond. A place like Storybrooke, perhaps. Belle shook herself mentally. She was getting ahead of herself, and that wouldn't do when this might well be an incredibly enjoyable evening; she didn't want anything to mar that. 

"Do you ever think about going back to Australia?" Rum asked presently. 

Belle shook her head. 

"No. My dad's there, but I've got no other family there, and I'm in contact with him regularly enough. Australia hasn't been my home for a long time."

The kitchen timer began to bleep, saving them from going down that route of conversation any further, and Rum went over to serve their food; pasta with prawns in a creamy tomato sauce. 

"Oh Rum, this is really good!" Belle exclaimed after a few bites. Rum chuckled. 

"There's no need to sound so surprised, you know."

Belle reached across and batted his arm playfully. "I don't mean it like that, silly." 

"I know. I'm very glad you like it. Had I known that was the reaction I was going to get I would have done it sooner."

Belle knew better than to ask "why didn't you" and just clinked her wine glass against his. 

"Well, you're a very good cook," she said instead. 

Rum shuffled in his seat; he looked like he was about to blush. "I do my best. I like cooking, but usually I'm too knackered to start making a meal from scratch by the time I get home from the set."

“I suppose that is a great advantage to having a chef for a roommate,” Belle conceded. “Mulan’s speciality is desserts so we’re never short of those, but she’s really good at everything, and there’s usually something in the fridge whenever I get in.” She paused. “We don’t exactly work sociable hours, either of us, but we get on well. Maybe the fact we don’t see each other as often as some other roommates has been the key to harmony.”

Rum shrugged. “Possibly. Although I don’t think it would be hard not to get along with you.”

“You don’t know the half of my weird habits yet,” Belle replied with a grin, taking another large mouthful of pasta.

“It takes a lot to shock me,” Rum assured her. He glanced over at the clock on the microwave and gestured towards the sofa. “It’s almost time. Shall we finish in the other room? I know you don’t like to miss any of the opening credits.”

“They’re part of the programme!” Belle protested as she took her plate over to the sofa and balanced it on her knees; Rum followed her and then went back for the wine and the cheesecake that would be their dessert.

“I’m no pastry chef,” he said apologetically as he put the container down. “It’s Granny’s finest.”

Belle just laughed, still occupied with her first course, and they fell into a comfortable silence as the all too familiar theme music began to play.

“I like this episode,” Belle said presently once the show was underway. “Archie said that it was a nightmare getting the lighting right, but it was a really interesting premise. You liked it too, if I remember.”

“I did, it was a departure from the norm. And I got a week without the contacts in, which is always a blessing in my opinion.”

The episode in question took part in the main on an alien ship which had asked for help from the Aurora Borealis; the aliens in question were extremely photosensitive and their ship very dark – leading to an exasperated lighting crew trying to make the set as dark as possible but still able to see the actors, and all the main cast wearing night vision goggles for most of the shoot.

“I did enjoy working with Ursula,” Rum said. “I’d not worked with her before but Cara’s directed her a few times and along with Ella the three of them have been known to be a force to be reckoned with.”

“Personally I think Ursula alone is a force to be reckoned with,” Belle said, remembering the guest actress and her sharp sense of humour. “It had some nice Laceskin moments in there as well,” she continued. If Rum was surprised by the contraction of the names then he didn’t show it; he had been exposed to the fandom in dribs and drabs for long enough to know most of the intricacies of shipping. “Even though we don’t see her or hear her voice, you can see the love there when Stiltskin’s talking to her back at Force Base over the radio.” She glanced over at Rum. It was no secret that she was his image of Lacey, and she had to wonder. “And then there’s the moment with the newborn Imperial when we get a nice glimpse of Stiltskin as a possible father.”

Rum gave a soft huff of laughter.

“I sometimes think that you read too much into these things, but then I remember you saying that you have to take what crumbs you can get.”

“Oh, we take them and we run with them,” Belle affirmed. “There will be a bunch of Daddystiltskin fics after tonight, you can take it from me.”

“Will you be writing any of those?” Rum asked, amused.

“Are you kidding? Of course I am. I’ve already written two where Stiltskin and Lacey have kids. If there’s one thing a fandom always loves, it’s the possibility of future generations, especially for a character like Stiltskin’s. Showing that there’s a squidgy side under his prickly personality.”

Rum just snorted and they fell into silence for the rest of the episode. He switched the TV off after the final credits rolled and the ads started, and he turned to Belle. 

"So..."

"Now what shall we do?" Belle asked. She'd kicked her shoes off and curled her feet up under her on the sofa, and she was in no hurry to uncurl and get up to leave. It didn't look like Rum was in any hurry to get rid of her either, his arm still around her shoulders where they had fallen into the cosy position during the show. 

"Well, the night is still young, I suppose," Rum said. There was a guardedness in his voice, and Belle was unable to read him. His eyes were still deep and unfathomable, but she thought - she hoped - she could see the desire in them.

"Neither of us are working tomorrow," Belle added. 

There was a pregnant pause, both of them unconsciously leaning in, until Belle took the initiative, closing the gap between them and slanting her mouth over Rum's, carding her fingers into his hair and feeling his arms come around her. His lips were soft and pliant beneath hers, opening eagerly for her. She wasn't sure who initiated her scrambling into his lap; it was probably her but he was more than willing to help, pulling her in close as they continued to kiss: lazily, with no desire to stop, but still with that hot hunger bubbling just below the surface. 

Rum's hands were languid, a little hesitant as they gradually moved down her back to hold her waist, and Belle decided to take the initiative, kissing her way down his jaw towards his ear and back again. She felt him squeeze her waist as she nibbled on his bottom lip, and she willed him to move his hands down further. She was practically devouring him, after all, she didn't think that there could be much doubt as to her intentions. 

"I want you to touch me," she whispered in his ear, taking one of his hands and placing it on her bare thigh where her skirt had ridden up. "Do you want to touch me?"

"Oh God, Belle, yes."

His fingers slipped below the hem of her skirt and pressed needily into her thigh as he leaned in to steal another kiss. There was more urgency now, more desperation and heady anticipation, and Rum's eyes were bright and wild as Belle pulled away, her heart pounding in her chest. This was it. 

"Bedroom?" he suggested tentatively, his voice so full of hope tinged with nerves that all Belle could do was grin and kiss him again. 

"I guess it's a good job I brought my toothbrush," she mused when she let him up for air again. 

Rum raised an eyebrow. 

"You brought your toothbrush?"

"You never know what might happen."

For a moment, Belle thought that she'd scared him off, but then he shook his head with a chuckle, pulling her in closer against his chest.

Belle beamed athim and linked her arm with his. More than a little stunned, they startedwalking towards the beach. Part of Rush felt like he was still back in thelobby, slack-jawed that he had been wrong, and that Belle had turned up fortheir arranged date.

“So did you….” Belle started.

“How did you…” Rush started at the same moment. Belle laughed and Rush found himselfsmiling like a fool at her. “After you.”

“Did you enjoythe afternoon lectures?” Belle asked.

Rush snorted. “Wasteof time. Part of the equation displayed had it’s parameters backwards, none ofthe fools even noticed. Not to mention the topic …” He trailed off, suddenlyaware that insulting his colleagues probably wouldn’t endear him to Belle, sheseemed like a nice person who probably saw the best in everyone. A change ofsubject was in order. “How did you get away from Felger?”

“He has thehots for Doctor Carter so was easily distracted,” Belle explained easily. Shecocked her head thoughtfully. “Actually is it Doctor Carter, or Major Carter? I’mnever sure.”

“I know who youmean,” Rush said, as they reached the sea front and the changing huts. Regretfullyhe let go of Belle’s arm. “I’ll …”

“See you in amoment,” Belle finished, before laughing once more.

Rush nodded,and watched her enter a hut before picking one of his own. Belle laughed a lot,he was getting rather addicted to the sound and her smile was beautiful. Hisswim shorts were still in the bag from the store. Rush quickly disposed of hisshoes and socks, before pulling off his jeans and white button down shirt. He shovedthem in the bag, exchanging them for the shorts. He wrinkled his nose at thepattern.

Perhaps hewould be better off leaving his boxer shorts on, they were a solid dark grey.However, he didn’t know how well they would stay on in water, and that would bemuch more embarrassing than wearing these ridiculous swimming trunks. Swiftlyhe finished changing and self-consciously stepped out of the changing hut.

Belle waswaiting for him by the lockers, wearing the blue suit. His mouth dried, she lookedincredible and he felt even more self conscious. It wasn’t only his ridiculoustrunks, there was his pasty white skin from too long at a whiteboard, and notenough time outside. He had no muscles to speak of, a diet of coffee and cigarettesdidn’t exactly build the best physique. Everywhere he looked, there wereexamples of much younger men, who would be a better match for her.

She took hisbag from him and pushed it into the locker, along with her clothes. Belle thentook his hand. “Come on.”

Rush didn’tneed the instruction, he would follow her wherever she wanted to go. Shestumbled a little on the uneven sand, as they walked to the shore. The waveswere crashing against the beach, the surf was up and there were a lot ofsurfers on boards. The beach suddenly felt very crowded.

Belle let go ofhis hand and waded into the water. She turned and beckoned to him. Automatically,Rush waded into the water after her, when he reached her the water was halfwayup his chest. It wasn’t that cold, it lapped comfortably against his skin.Belle put her hand on his arm, he could feel her treading water, whereas he wasstill standing on the bottom, the sand oozing strangely between his toes.

“So Doctor Rush…”

“Nick please,”Rush blurted out.

Hadn’t healready told her that? He was so bad at this. Belle smiled, those adorabledimples showing in her cheeks again. She bit her lip and looked up at himthrough her eyelashes.

“Alright Nick,why were you buying a swimsuit?” Belle asked, she poked him playfully in thechest.

Rush laughednervously. “I didn’t have one.”

“I knew it,”Belle crowed. “I thought that was the answer.” She looked around, and thenpointed to a buoy some distance behind them. She raised an eyebrow. “Race you?”

Before he couldreply, Belle launched herself forward, her sleek body cutting through the waveswith ease. Rush stood there awkwardly for a moment before he strode forward. Hewalked until the sea was up to his neck and then he started to splash. All hehad to do was make it to the buoy, that really shouldn’t be a problem.

Except it was.He’d barely moved, just far enough that he couldn’t touch the bottom any longerand he went under. He thrashed, choked and spluttered. A moment later he felt astrong hand on his arm, holding him steady above the waves. Rush looked intoBelle’s concerned eyes.

“Nick can youswim?” Belle asked worriedly.

“That would bea no,” Rush admitted, feeling his cheeks burn with embarrassment.

He’d neverlearned as a child and as an adult it hadn’t been a priority. He had noparticular fear of the water, not yet anyway. The acute embarrassment he wasnow feeling was enough to put him off for life. It’s just swimming didn’texactly look difficult, he knew the mechanics and the theory, it should beeasy. However, it wasn’t, he couldn’t get his body to coordinate.

“Why didn’t yousay something?” Belle scolded kindly.

She placed ahand on the back of his head, her touch was feather light, cool against hisheated skin. Rush leant into her hand, unconsciously seeking more of her touch.

“That’s right,lean back, let yourself float,” Belle instructed.

Rush tried,ignoring the rising panic and urge to thrash, when he felt himself sinking. Hejerked feeling Belle’s other hand against his back. He took a shaky breath andtried to relax. A moment later he realized that he was doing it, he wasfloating.

Belle beamed athim. “Ok start kicking your legs and sit up. I’ve got you.”

She kept a firmgrip on his arm. Rush did as she said and then found himself treading water. Helooked at her in amazement. “Thank you.”

“No problem,”Belle said quietly. “So are you going to the dinner tonight?”

“Not if I canhelp it,” Rush said abruptly.

Belle’s facefell. “Oh .. ok .. it’s just I wondered if you’d like to go together?”

Rush blinkedand mentally smacked himself around the head. “Yes I would .. like that I mean.”He frowned as a thought came to him. “Isn’t there designated seating?”

You see, Belle, these people, dlaks in their language, they had powerful magic, one that allowed them to change shapes. They could appear as large wolves or bears or even lions or they could assume the shape of a human. And the shape they took influenced them.

Humans are a peculiar race. They are capable of such extremes in their emotions. They can hate desperately and they can love deeply. They can shake with fury or stay as tranquil as a surface of a lake. They are capable of immense courage but also of the worst cowardice. This duality of extremes is both their strength and their weakness.

When dlaks started assuming human shapes, they took on their emotions as well. They came to know the highs and lows of the human condition and it changed them.

It might be that the gods didn't like the mingling of the two races beyond what had been meant. It might be their own magic rebelled against them but whatever the reason, a sickness fell upon the tribe.

They called it Darkening. Those who took a human shape often caught it first. It made them more angry, more feral, more dangerous. Gone was the nobility of their original forms. More and more of them started feeling resentment for having to watch over someone weaker than them. Ironically, it was because they took on the characteristics of those they resented.

But although so many of them lost their hearts to the anger and darkness, there were some who didn't. They were those whose hearts remained devoted to their duty and it was this devotion that allowed them to remain as they were.

Alas, it wasn't enough. For now they had not only to protect their charges from the usual dangers but also from their Dark brethren. The numbers of dlaks started dwindling, many of them dying because of conflicts within the tribe. After some years, they started to take spouses from among humans, in an effort to stave off their extinction. The children born of these unions kept the shapeshifting magic of their dlak ancestors but they were even more susceptible to Darkening because of their human side.

The final blow came when the Realms broke apart. The wild magic released at the time touched everyone and everything magical. The older generation of dlaks got stuck in their animal shapes while the younger ones, the ones with human blood could only change into animals when the moon was the brightest."

"It's the werewolves, right?" Belle asked excitedly. "They are the dlaks with human blood."

Her mother nodded.

"Yes, they are."

"Are they all bad now? Darkened?"

"No, Belle. What you are born as doesn't make you bad. It's the actions you take that decide what kind of person you are. Some werewolves are cruel and evil but so are some humans. There are still dlaks who remember the past and what they were supposed to do and they keep doing that. Secretly, of course, because few humans are inclined to listen to what they deem to be beasts. But you must remember, it's the heart of the person that is important."

~~~~~~~

It's the heart of the person that is important.

Belle repeated her mother's words every time the moon grew full and bright and they left the castle together, shedding their human shapes and running across Marshlands, keeping watch over the land under their protection.

She understood why the story of her ancestors had kept her so riveted as a child, before she grew into her heritage. It was the truth in that story that had called to her, the truth about herself. And she was determined to heed the warning in that story as well, to guard her heart against the sickness of Darkening. She was born to protect those weaker than her, not to oppress them and she would do so until her dying breath.

~~~~~~~

"There was another attack last night. A small hamlet on the western border."

Belle pressed herself against the wall next to her father's office. She had been looking for her mother, there was a group of traveling merchants in the town and they had wanted to look at their wares.

"Are they certain it wasn't an animal of some kind?"

"The survivors all spoke of a black wolf larger than any they had seen before."

"Belle and I have brown furs."

"I know. But it's clear it's one of your kind."

Belle winced at the bitterness in her father's tone. She had been feeling for a while that her father was unhappy about his wife's and daughter's true identities. She knew her parents had married with full knowledge of who they were but the years since then had changed her father's acceptance.

"I'll take care of it, then," her mother said and walked out, passing by Belle's hiding place without a glance in her direction.  Belle clutched the pendant that helped her control herself and hid her true form from magicians closer to her heart and watched her mother leave. She didn't know it would be the last time she saw her mother alive.

~~~~~~~

Belle stood by her father in her mourning dress, her eyes dry although there was a tell-tale redness and swelling around them. She was more than a grieving daughter here. She was also the daughter of the lord and as such had an image to portray.

Death happened, even violent death. Lady Collette had gone out to see about helping a hamlet and had been attacked by some animal which had killed her. That was the story told, that was the story that would be believed.

Belle took a deep breath to commit her mother's scent to memory one last time. And with that scent she took in another one, the one belonging to her mother's killer. One of their kind, if only by a technicality of common ancestry.

She would carry that scent with her for the rest of her days and if given the chance, she would carry out the justice for her mother. In the meantime, she was now the sole protector of Marshlands. Maybe she was too young but her mother taught her well and she would carry out that duty in a way that would make her mother proud.

The pendant seemed to burn where it touched her skin.

~~~~~~~

The ogre's skin was very tough. Belle raked her claws across its leg but they barely left any scratches. She jumped back, snarling and pacing around her enemy. She would have preferred to use her teeth, her jaws were strong enough to bite through an aged oak but the ogre was clutching a large club and if she stayed in one place too long, it would be able to hit her.

She had been so foolish, thinking that she would be able to pit her extraordinary strength against the ogres and win. She would fell this one eventually, all she had to do was wait for a moment of distraction and she would be able to bring it down but that tactic was time consuming.

The ogres were too numerous to defeat like this. Belle admitted that failure to herself even as she leapt, taking advantage of a far-off sound that got the ogre's attention. She buried her teeth into its neck, tearing through the tough hide easily enough. The smell of the ogre's blood was unpleasant, one she came to associate with a magical influence on the being.

She decided not to lick herself clean but started running towards a nearby river instead. She would clean herself, sneak back into the castle and hope that someone else could come up with a plan. Her power alone wouldn't be enough.

~~~~~~~

II. The Man of Determination

Rumplestiltskin didn't know what to make of his new maid. She was clever, quick in both mind and body. She picked up the basic house-keeping tasks well enough, even if her meat was usually undercooked. She scoured the entirety of the castle within the first week and then settled in like she had always belonged there.

The most puzzling thing about her was the feel of magic that followed her like a cloud. He was able to track its source to a pendant she wore around her neck and he was impressed with how old and powerful the enchantment was.

He asked her about it once but all she said was it had been a gift from her mother. He would catch her looking at it at times, her face frozen in a peculiar mask of grief and regret before she would shake herself off and go about her tasks as if nothing had happened.

He didn't know why the sight of her looking like that made him uncomfortable. She was a hired help, capable but ultimately replaceable. He shouldn't let her troubles bother him. He shouldn't.

And yet he did.

~~~~~~~

The winter was letting its grasp on the mountains go very slowly. While Rumplestiltskin could have easily magicked away the snow and turn the castle and its grounds into a permanent garden, he preferred the picture of inhospitability the harsh weather provided.

Only the most desperate and determined found their way to him in the depth of winter, braving the elements to seek his help. Rumplestiltskin liked dealing with those people. They tended to keep the bargains they made, too desperate for his deliverance to try and cheat him.

Belle usually made herself scarce during those times. She loved the library he had given her - although he had played it off as nothing unusual - and she spent a lot of time in there, perusing the books. She would only emerge to prepare the meals and as his dealings rarely ran that long, she almost never came into contact with other people.

One of the requests he heard concerned a large black wolf that was terrorizing villages on the borders of King George's and Queen Regina's lands. It wasn't the first time he had heard of it. The beast was savage, killing for fun instead of need.

It was most likely a solitary werewolf and Rumplestiltskin expected it to run afoul one of the other packs eventually. The werewolves preferred to deal with such matters on their own and they wouldn't appreciate his involvement.

But one of the villages had offered an old sword as a part of the reward. Durandal wasn't exactly Excalibur but it also wasn't a sword to be sneered at. It was a good bargain and Rumplestiltskin liked those the best.

~~~~~~~

The moonlit forest was quiet around him. Too quiet.

Rumplestiltskin sighed.

"Come out, come out, dearie. This is not a game of hide and seek."

The crunching of twigs under heavy paws was deliberately loud. A large black wolf stalked out of its hiding place with a confidence that would look strange on an animal. But there was intelligence in the wolf's glowing eyes and Rumplestiltskin knew his guess was correct.

A werewolf. The beast stopped a few metres away from him and then sat down on its haunches. It looked him over cautiously, its nostrils flaring as it took in his scent. He could see its quickly hidden flinch.

"You don't like the scent of magic, do you?"

A low growl came from within the beast's throat and its body coiled like a spring. Rumplestiltskin was fascinated. The werewolf knew him to be dangerous. It disliked the smell of him and yet it was getting ready to attack. Admirable, really.

The werewolf jumped, clearing the distance between them easily. Rumplestiltskin stepped aside quickly, the snap of the wolf's jaws echoing in his ears. An ordinary human would have been done for.

"Come now, dearie, don't make this more difficult than it has to be. If I don't kill you, one of the packs will. You're close to Anita's territory and she's really protective of it."

The werewolf snarled at him and lunged again. Rumplestiltskin sighed and prepared to cast a quick spell, one that would cleave the beast in two. Quick, although not very clean. He realized too late that the first wolf was only a distraction.

The jaws that latched onto his right shoulder missed his throat only by chance. The weight of the other beast, helped by the momentum of its jump, drove him to the ground. Rumplestiltskin said a word that he would never utter in Belle's company and transported himself away on instinct.

Two. There were two of those damn beasts.

He hated it when he was wrong.

~~~~~~~

Rumplestiltskin briefly wondered what was the first thing to pass through Belle's mind when he appeared in the castle's foyer, his cape, shirt and vest torn and blood welling from the wound in his shoulder.

He saw her drop the broom. He saw her wide eyes looking him over. He saw her lift her skirts and run across the marble floor to get to him. He saw her mouth open to ask a question but as she took a breath to do so, she paused.

She stared at him and then she took another breath, more deliberate one and then her eyes hardened.

"Who did this?" she asked, her voice more akin to a growl than speech.

"What's wrong?"

"Who did this to you? Where are they?" Belle asked again and looked around as if expecting his assailant to be in the castle with them.

"Really, dearie, there's no need to get so worked up. It's just a scratch."

"You could have died, Rumple!" she shouted and he jumped in surprise. "You were attacked by a dlak, weren't you? I recognize the scent, I could never forget it."

"You... recognize the scent?" he asked and she slapped a hand across her mouth, as if to push the words back. "How exactly do you recognize the scent of a werewolf?"

She stared at him for a long moment before she lowered her hand.

"Let me treat your wound and I'll tell you."

~~~~~~~

"My mother comes from a long line of werewolves. Or dlaks, as we prefer to be called."

Belle's hands were steady as they cleaned the wound and dressed it. Rumplestiltskin could have easily healed it with a wave of his hand but why waste the magic when Belle obviously knew what to do. Not to mention how pleasant her careful and gentle touches felt.

"There are two types of the dlaks. Those who suffer from Darkening and those who don't. Darkening is a sickness of the heart. It turns a dlak into a savage beast that enjoys killing. The dlaks like my mother, like me, we are supposed to protect everyone from them. The dlak that attacked you, I recognized its scent because I smelt it all over my mother's corpse."

Rumplestiltskin didn't say anything. Belle, too, kept quiet as she deftly wrapped the bandages around his shoulder. She tied the ends and smoothed them out and still kept quiet. Until she let out the tiniest sob and leaned her head against his freshly bandaged shoulder. Rumplestiltskin did his best not to flinch away. She couldn't be seeking comfort from him, could she?

"Did you kill it?" she asked, her voice muffled.

"Them," he corrected her. "There were two of them and no, they took me by surprise and I instinctively-" he almost said 'ran away' before changing it to, "retreated."

"Good. I'm glad you got away."

"I'm not so easily killed, dearie," he reminded her. "And I'll be going back to finish them off. A deal is a deal."

He missed her warmth as soon as she lifted her head from his shoulder.

"Fine, but I'm coming with you."

~~~~~~~

III. The Two of Justice

Three hundred years of living and Rumplestiltskin was still learning new things. The latest thing he learned was that when Belle made up her mind to do something, there was no power in the land to change her mind.

"Those beasts killed my mother. I am going."

When he tried to argue about her safety, she simply took off her pendant and walked over to the window. The change was immediate. The werewolf had the same intelligence in her eyes as the other two but her manner was less threatening. She padded over to him and nudged at his hand and he sighed and transported them back to the forest.

Belle ran around the place a few times, sniffing at the ground. She looked back at him and nodded her head in the direction of the river. Rumplestiltskin followed her, trusting that her senses wouldn't lead them astray.

So that was the purpose of the pendant. He should be happy about solving the mystery but he was more concerned about Belle's reaction. She could be stubborn and resolute but this drive she was displaying, it was worrying.

He knew what it was to long for revenge, to return ten-fold the suffering others heaped upon a person. He knew how it could twist and turn a heart. Belle shouldn't be feeling that burning, she shouldn't crave the empty satisfaction of vengeance.

She stopped suddenly and her entire body tensed. He came to a stop next to her, his eyes falling on two shapes several metres away.

The beasts were nearly identical. Black and large, their eyes glowing in the moonlight, they were a fearsome sight. Belle crouched down a bit, her fur standing up along her spine and a steady low growl coming from her throat. She wasn't nearly as big as the two wolves in front of them but she was ready to fight.

One of the wolves took a step forward and Belle moved in front of Rumplestiltskin, the growling getting more intense. She was protecting him! He could do away with the beasts with a snap of his fingers and yet she was putting herself in the harm's way, for him.

"Don't worry, my dear," he spoke to her in a low voice, the endearment slipping out naturally. "They can't hurt me."

She glanced at him and let out a snuffing noise before focusing her attention back to the two werewolves. He reached down to pat her back and she tensed even more.

"Peace. Do you know which one killed your mother?"

She nodded and let out a whine, glaring at the beast on the right.

"You take him then and I'll take care of the other."

She let out a soft bark and then she jumped, bowling the wolf on the right straight over. Its partner turned to help but Rumplestiltskin gestured with his hand and the wolf found itself across the clearing at his feet.

"Let them solve their issues."

The wolf howled and lunged at him and this time Rumplestiltskin didn't play around. He stepped aside from the attack and snapped his fingers. The beast landed heavily on the ground and didn't move again. Rumplestiltskin turned his attention to the more savage fight going on behind him.

Belle was at a disadvantage in size but she made up for that with her ferocity. She and the other wolf circled each other, lunging and snapping in turns. Both of them were bleeding from small wounds, although Belle's were more visible because of her brown fur. The wolf had several strings of drool hanging from its mouth, its eyes wide and feverish.

Belle appeared calm by comparison. Her eyes were focused and she let out a whine now and then, which was answered by the wolf. She was trying to talk to the other wolf but it was ignoring her. She let out a last whine, sounding almost pitiful and then she pressed herself down, looking beaten.

Rumplestiltskin was about to interfere because it looked like Belle was giving up but then he paused. While Belle's entire body was giving off submission vibes, her eyes were just as steely and determined as before. The werewolf didn't realize that, though, and relaxed, secure in its victory. And it was in that moment of inattention that Belle moved.

She sprang forward, her jaw locking onto the wolf's throat and she tossed her head to the side, tearing out skin and veins. The wolf shuddered and collapsed on its side, small tremors passing through its body as its blood flowed freely out.

Belle opened her maw and spat out the blood in a very human-like motion. She looked down at the dying wolf and sniffed it once before turning her head up and letting out a howl that echoed through the forest.

When the echoes ran out, she looked down and then turned away, padding over to Rumplestiltskin, her ears drooping down. She nudged at his hand, asking him to comfort her again and he did, patting her head.

"The revenge's not as sweet as they say, is it, dearie?"

She shook her head and he crouched down so they were eye-to-eye.

"Let's go home."

~~~~~~~

They ended up in his trophy room, sitting on the rug in front of the fire. Belle, still in her wolf form, had her head and front paws spread across his legs. They sat quietly until the sun rose and Belle changed back. A young woman laying sprawled across his lap was less innocent than a werewolf doing it but Rumplestiltskin suppressed his instinct to get away from such an intimate situation.

"I tried to talk him down. I tried to tell him he should give himself up to authorities but he was too far gone. All he could talk about was how sweet it was to kill things. That's what he called his victims - things."

"You have done the best you could, my dear," Rumplestiltskin told her and she nodded.

"I know. It's like my mother always said. It's the heart of the person that is important and there wasn't enough heart left in him to save him."

"Your mother was a wise woman."

"Yes, she was."

"She would be proud of you."

Belle was quiet for a while, her face turned away from him.

"Thank you, for saying that," she said at last. He nodded, even though she couldn't see him.

"Why don't you get some sleep, dearie?" he suggested. "It has been a long night."

She straightened up and turned around, balancing herself on his thighs and her face was suddenly very close to his. She looked into his eyes for what seemed an eternity and then she smiled, a soft, gentle thing that lit up her entire face. She leaned forward, her lips fluttering against his cheek for the shortest of moments before they were gone.

"Your heart is good, Rumplestiltskin. I'm glad to be here with you."

She was long gone by the time he found the words to say.