The Best Tea Cup is Chipped Book 1

Walking and Waiting

Belle's legs seemed to move of their own accord as they carried her out of the castle and down the mountain. She was baffled by Rumple's strange behavior.

Why tell her that her kingdom was safe? She knew that much and trusted him to keep his bargain. Except he had also mentioned "her choice."

But what choice was that?

"I expect I'll never see you again." The words rang over and over again in her head the resigned and sad tone of his voice tugging at her heart. He expected her to leave him. And then it hit her...

No. Rumple didn't just expect her to leave him. He was giving her the choice. The chance to go back home and still have her kingdom protected. He must have known she'd never leave if it would come at the cost of her kingdom, not that that had been the sole reason for her staying for a while if she were being honest, so he'd assured her there would be no consequences for leaving.

For a moment Belle considered it. She did miss her father terribly and it would be wonderful to see him again. Once the choice would have been clear. And yet now...her thoughts strayed back to Rumplestiltskin. To their tea time talks and nights by the fire. To cleaning while she listened to the sound of him spinning. To his morbid jokes and the way, he let her speak her mind, the impressed genuine smile he'd give when she made a particular point. It occurred to her that she'd felt freer in the past several months in Rumplestiltskin's castle than she had in her fathers, not to mention a good deal happier. Rumple made her happier.

She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt if she left, she'd never see him again. Could she stand that? Could she stand to lose him. More importantly perhaps why was it that she was so unwilling to lose him. Something inside her said it was more than friendship. If she returned home, she'd likely also lose Jefferson, Alice, and Grace and while she disliked the idea it didn't fill her with the same ache that the thought of losing Rumple did.

Belle's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of hooves she glanced behind and saw a jet-black carriage was coming up behind her.

OUAT

Rumple watched Belle's green cloaked figure until it was nothing more than a speck in the distance. His heart, or what was left of it, was already aching and she'd only just left.

He desperately wanted to believe that Pip was right and that she would come back but how could he? He knew what he was a coward and a monster. Belle might not yet have seen the former but surely no matter what she said, when given the opportunity to leave and have a normal life she'd realize how wrong she was.

Who would pick him when someone like her could have a hundred handsome young men like Gaston worshipping at her feet?

"But she didn't want Gaston," said a comforting voice that sounded strangely like his childhood friend Rowena. She had often said he didn't give himself enough credit though he figured she might be a bit biased. Odd duck that she was they'd been friends for so long he figured she might have just been deluding herself.

"Yes maybe not Gaston, but there are plenty of nice men out there with a brain in their head who would treat her well." He argued aloud.

"Yes, who could ever want you. She's beautiful and pure, something like that won't want to be corrupted by darkness," scoffed Nimue. Unlike Row's voice this one unfortunately had something of a consciousness.

"We could more...forcibly corrupt her...or could have if you weren't such a sentimental fool," added Zoso and Rumple scowled at the most perverted of his predecessors.

"She deserves to go free and live her own life," he said firmly gripping the workbench.

"And that's what will make our darling girl return. She'll see that secret side of you," some of Jefferson's words came back to Rumple echoing in his mind in the Hatter's jovial tone.