*~*~*Collaboration between YoshiSkittlez, Tanderbolt, and I as Rumpelstiltskin, Robert Leland, and Belle*~*~*

"You freed Belle, you had to of known I'd go after Regina."

Mr. Gold lay back in his cell, the tiny cot of a bed providing little to no comfort for the older gentleman as another shooting pain came down on his back and across his chest, causing him to grit his teeth and suck in a painful breath. His skin was coated in a light sheen of sweat, and in previous request by the Storybrooke Sheriff his suit jacket had been removed prior to being locked in his cell, g Mr. Gold to claw open the first couple buttons of his dark blue dress shirt and loosen his tie in a futile attempt to try and feel cooler.

In the thousand or so years he had been alive, Rumpelstiltskin had never gone through so much pain, even dwarfing the time he broke his own leg to return to his bitch of a wife Milah and the light of his world, Baelfire. A quiet whimper came from the pawnbroker as he slumped down even further onto the bed, his head resting crudly against the cement wall corner of his cell, just inches now from lying flat on the bed. But he wouldn't give in; this pain was something he could endure, even if the corners of his vision had gone black and his lungs felt as if he were breathing through a coffee straw.

Robert was not in a great mood, and Gold's comments did not help. 

"I was hoping to arrest Regina right after I dropped off Belle. I had no idea she would be at your store. I also thought you were more of the type to make long terms plans for revenge. Someone your age must have some pretty impressive patience,"

Had he not been in so much pain, Mr. Gold might have chuckled at that remark. Instead, he shifted himself on the bed in hopes to find a more comfortable position to no avail and grunted in his discomfort, letting the sweat instead fall from his face and onto his silk shirt, too tired to even grumble about how impossible the stains would be to get out. 

He instead concentrated on his breathing, which was proving to become a steadily increasing demanding task. Part of him just wanted to give up; to give into what his body was screaming for and let his eyes flutter closed, but the moment he did, flashes of the smile on his daughter's face caused him to snap them back open. He had to stay awake...for Baelfire, his entire world.

"I've wanted her dead for a long, long time." He admitted with his lips curling up into a snarl, pushing past the pain though causing an increase in his already ragged breathing.

[i]Gods Belle, [b]hurry[/b]![/i]

Robert was still doing paperwork, not paying much attention to the pain Mr. Gold was in.

"You're not exactly helping your case here. I'm not very fond of either you or Regina, but I'm the sheriff of this town, and I am guided by the law, not by my personal judgements. You should be glad about that, I don't know what would have happened if I still had that curse on me."

Mr. Gold had a pretty good idea, but he held his tongue, mostly because it was taking every bit of strength he had to just keep awake [i]and[/i] he didn't feel like explaining how none of that would even matter in the next few minutes; provided of course that stupid cat did his job correctly. 

Thunder rolled in the distance; at first Mr. Gold believed that his hearing had started to act up on him but when it sounded again, closer this time, he made a last-stitch effort to sit up on the cot, a feeble smile tugging at his thin lips. He managed to get his shoulderblades to rest against the cold cement wall, craning his neck to look out the window to the right of Robert's desk but it was [i]just[/i] out of his view. However, all Robert had to do was look up, there was no way he could miss the sunlight the room held within it had been suddenly cut off.

Robert looked out the window and and saw a purple cloud heading towards him, it was wide and tall enough that he couldn't see the edges. It was moving fast, too fast to move away from. He said "What is that?" before reflexively covering his mouth with his arm.

"Magic..." Mr. Gold answered with a wolfish smile. He didn't need to see the immense purple cloud to know what the Sheriff was talking about, he could [i]feel[/i] it. Not even a handful of moments passed before the purple fog began seeping in through the cracks and seams of the Sheriff's department. Mr. Gold found himself standing with immaculate ease and grasped the bars of his cell, willing to get closer and inhaling the smoke with a deep breath as it overtook him and everything inside.

[i]Belle my angel, you did it![/i]

After the cloud hit, Robert found himself unable to continue his paperwork. Gold's words confirmed what he feared, magic had returned. He felt mentally and physically different, like the old Roland he remembered. He got up to look directly at Gold, and said "I guess I was stupid to think that I could ever get out of a deal I made with you. With the way things are going, maybe you'll end up regretting it as much as I do."

"No one breaks deals with me dearie." Mr. Gold replied as the purple smoke dissapated around him, seeming to cling to him a bit longer than anything else in the room. The staggering, haggared, sweaty man was gone, replaced with a man standing tall despite being locked away behind iron bars. His face looked and felt fresh and despite the disheveled appearance of his once ironed pristine clothing, he looked in even [i]more[/i] power than he had ever before.

The pain...the pain was gone...[i]everywhere[/i]! Albiet his leg but he of course was used to that before he had gotten his power. It had only been five years, but he swore that never again would he take the feeling of being a truly healthy man for granted. Was breathing always this wonderful?

"Let me go; I'll deal with Regina, and then you'll no longer have to answer to anyone but yourself." Mr. Gold said, his voice sounding dark, matching the nearly black color his eyes had melted into from the sheer exhileration of magic filling his veins once again after so long...the [i]power[/i].

"You know I can't do that." Gold was an enemy of Regina, releasing him would endanger her. The code of chivalry wouldn't allow him to do something like that. "Fortunately, the laws here require due process. You can leave as soon as your hearing is finished, shouldn't be any more than 48 hours." Robert had to attend to the evidence regarding Gold, he went into the other room to package the cane properly.

Mr. Gold outwardly scoffed, his blackened eyes rolling as he took two steps back away from the bars. Sure, he [i]could[/i] wait until the hearing...or he could even get in a phone call to the DA who happened to owe him a handful of favors...but Rumpelstiltskin was never known for his patience.

He raised his hand, feeling the magic flowing through his fingers, itching towards blowing the iron bars clean off the cement wall. His time being locked up was finished, and no one had the right to decide otherwise than himself. His eyes narrowed and began to pull the magic out from within his core when suddenly a gunshot caught his attention; the bullet skipping off the ground in the center of the room and spinning uselessly until it rolled into the wall on the left.

"Next time it will be between your eyes you filthy bastard!" Mo French had entered the Sheriff's office, reloading the 9mm pistol with the most unsteady hand Rumpelstiltskin had ever seen and raised it once more to point at Mr. Gold. It would have been worthy of a light chuckle if he hadn't been followed in by a group of ten or so other people, all eyes glaring daggers at The Dark One but still stayed back apprehensively, unsure exactly what it was that purple smoke had been all about. 

Half the town believed that it was magic, as stated by Mother Superior, the other half didn't know what to make of it and became mad with fear. Clearly, this was a small portion of that half.

Mr. Gold simply returned his hand to his side and walked back up to the barrier the metal bars provided, getting a good look at those who wished for his head on a spike before letting his eyes rest back on the town florist, a flickering smile playing across his lips. He wasn't sure whether to laugh or feel disappointed at their numbers, perhaps there were others still in the process of regaining their memories...or perhaps he only came second on their list; right underneath Regina.

"Mr. French! What can I do for you?"

XXX

[i]Thunder clapped and the wind howled as Maurice guided his horse that pulled the heavy cart of merchandise through the forest. The old man knew that he needed to find shelter and soon. There was honestly no way that he would be able to last through this storm if he stayed out any longer. He kept a hand on the horse's reins, and his other hand clasped tightly around a bag of gold coins. His white knuckles around that bag showed that the money was quite important to him...probably more so than life itself. 

He looked up around to see only dead trees, until the streaks of lightning illuminated a dilapitated castle nearby for a brief instant. He smirked to himself. Finally! Shelter! He guided his horse up the path, and with some struggling, they finally reached the castle. Maurice led his horse to the stable that was conveniently placed nearby. After that, he went to the front double doors and knocked, praying that someone would show the merchant mercy, at least until the storm let up. 

When there was no answer, he knocked again, this time more urgently but as the rain continued to fall and soak through to his bones, there was still no answer. Looking around his surroundings once more, he took note that the place hadn't looked touched in years; perhaps it was just his luck he had come across an abandoned castle? Maurice clapped his hands together, attempting to warm them the best he could with the bag of gold clutched still tightly in his right hand and tried the knob, finding it to turn with a bit of effort, feeling the rusty tumblers creak and threaten to break and pushed the door open. The door creaked loudly. If anyone [b]were[/b] inside, they would no doubt be alerted to his presence now.

Once inside, Maurice flipped his cloak's hood off of his head and he looked around. There was no light, except from the brief instances from the lightning. Everything in here was a wreck, and covered in dust. Nobody could have lived in a place like this! Not comfortably anyway.

With the assumption in mind, Maurice started to look for a place where he could sleep for the night. However, his search took a while, due to the grand size of the castle. In one of the rooms he stumbled into he took a quick inventory of the objects inside. A long, dark oak table, a spinning wheel, and ten or so pedestals showcasing various items. It was upon one of these pedestals that he spotted something quite...rare? Exquisite? Unique? Whatever the term...it was definitely something that would earn him a lot of money!

A pale pink rose, made out of from what he could tell, crystal. The soft glow that came from the inside of the crystal petals, with smaller white lights falling slowly and gently to the surface of the pedestals that the pink rose was placed on. The rare artifact also seemed to be shielded from the thin layer of dust by a glass large cylindrical lid.

Maurice walked up slowly to the artifact, almost like he was entranced by the glow, and he slowly and carefully removed the glass lid so he could get a better look at the glowing rose. 

"Lost are we?" The ominious silence of the Dining Hall was crudely interrupted by a sudden voice, followed immediately by a giggle. Maurice whipped his thick neck around in surprise to locate the source of the voice as his heart leapt into his throat in surprise. Suddenly, he felt the top of his white, clammy hand being swatted away and turned his neck once more and let out a quiet cry of surprise as he came face to face with a beast.

"We musn't touch what isn't ours, dearie! The consequences could be quite...unsettling..." Rumpelstiltskin chided, flashing the portly man a rather wicked smile through the darkness.

A streak of lightning flashed across the stormy sky, the light coming in through the thickly curtained windows to reveal the green and gold complexion of the monster of the castle. He looked human enough if it hadn't been for the obscure skin color and dead eyes; and that smile...teeth rotted and black, it was a wonder they were all still intact. Still, the tan silk shirt layered underneath a golden colored vest complimented by black leather pants and shoes would give someone reason to believe that he [b]was indeed[/b] human...and wealthy.

Maurice stumbled backwards a few steps after his hand was swatted away and while the beastly man in front of him spoke. He stuttered, snapping back to his senses, and trying to regain his composure, "Ah! My-My apologies! I-I thought this castle was abandoned,"

He slowly started backing away from the man in front of him, not quite sure if the person was more man or more of a beast. Could this person be reasoned with? Or would he just behave like a beast? But a darker part of his mind whispered plans and ideas in his head on how to get the rose from the beast.

He added as he took another step back, "I came in here for shelter from the storm,"

"Yes...that much is clear..." Rumpelstiltskin said in a bored tone, letting his dark eyes scan the merchant with great detail, seeming to size him up. Once he was satisfied, Rumpelstiltskin turned from the man and began walking away, snapping his fingers once and in turn, the candelabras in the room lit, illuminating the dark room with enough light that would be considered 'comfortable.' He turned back to face Maurice in a bit of a flourish, his hands dancing around a bit as if he didn't know what to do with them. 

"I suppose I could let you stay...for a price of course..." He said letting the child-like giddiness back into his voice, a small giggle coming straight afterwards as his still dark eyes glanced at the pouch the merchant was holding fast to.

Maurice blinked at the mention of the price. He was a merchant! He was an expert in trading! From what he could tell, the man may not ask him for the money...he looked wealthy as he is. But even so, the possibility was still there. He asked the man in a completely calm and negotiable manner, "What would you like in return? I am a merchant, and I have a wide variety of wares I can offer you,"

Rumpelstiltskin giggled for the third time that evening, his torso twisting on his hips side to side with the eagerness of a child just itching to open his birthday presents.

"I have no use for your wares...or your gold..." He assured the man, though his dark eyes lingered on the satchel in the man's hand for a moment longer. With a slight shake of his head, Rumpelstitlskin flourished his right arm into the air, a small cloud of purple smoke encasing the satchel and as the cloud of magic disappeared, so did the bag of coins. "...and neither will you." He added on, his voice dropping to a low snarl, the lit candles in the room flickering at The Dark Ones words.

"You intruded on the wrong castle dearie! And now, for your insolence, you will serve as my slave until I have no further use of you, but don't despair! I have quite a few spells and potions I'm eager to test out before we're through!" Rumpelstiltskin shouted with his arms waving in every-which direction, and though his voice level remained raised, he bantered between jovial and angry, as if unsure on which one to pick.

Maurice sputtered after the coins were taken and he said that he would be a slave, "Wh-Wh-Wha-WHAT?!" He started to beg, sweating profusely in fear at the man and at his predicament, "No! Please! I have six daughters waiting for me to come home! They need me!" 

Rumpelstiltskin let out a shrill "NYEAHH!" expressing his amusement.

"You should have thought of that before you entered The Dark Castle. [b]Everyone[/b] knows they don't leave here without something special to trade, and in your case, it's to be your freedom!"

Maurice interjected, now paling in realization about who the man was "Y-you're Rumpelstiltskin? But I had no idea that this was The Dark Castle to begin with! I'll leave immediately, that should render such a trade null!" 

"Mmmmm...." Rumpelstiltskin hummed, seeming to seriously consider the man's words. "No." He then said indefinitely and waved his hand once more, covering Maurice in a thick cloud of purple smoke and removed him from the Dining Hall. 

With a quiet huff, Rumpelstiltskin adjusted his golden colored vest and turned to head out himself, the candles extinguishing by magic as the grand double doors closed with a resounding thud as he made his way back to the tower where he would continue his evening unbothered.

The old man soon found himself shrouded in purple smoke and he soon found himself in a prison cell. He stumbled over to the bars and he clasped the cold metall in fists and he called "Please! Please, let me go! I'm sorry!" He cried, begged, and plead throughout the time that he was in the prison cell, but it seemed as though his cries fell on deaf ears. 

As the hours passed by, he felt his throat start to dry from dehydration, making it difficult for him to continue his cries. He was also starting to become desperate. He started to even consider trading one of his daughters away for his freedom. If Rumpelstiltskin was indeed a man, then a woman would certainly be something he was interested in...right? No...no he could never wish his fate on the jewels of his life, and so the idea was immediately dismissed.

XXXX

A complete day passed by before the thick wooden door of Maurice's cell creaked open, however there was no one on the recieving end of the dungeon, as if the door had been opened by magic.

Maurice blinked in surprise at the sound and the sight of the cell opening ever so slowly. He stood up shakily, and he cautiously looked out, as though expecting Rumpelstiltskin to pop out of nowhere, and cast some kind of spell on him. When he was sure enough, he stepped out of the cell, and planned on leaving the castle.

As soon as he reached the top of the staircase, there was a small tray laid out on a circular table with a couple slices of stale bread and a tankard of water.

He noticed the small tray, and he gently moved it to the side so he could try the door first. However, when he tried the door, he found that it was locked. He swore under his breath at that discovery. From what he had seen of this dungeon thus far, he doubted that there was any other exit. 

"Do that again and I'll skin you alive." The familair voice called out to the portly man, though it held no hints to whether he was joking or not. Rumpelstiltskin had, at some point, materialized himself sitting on the edge of the table next to the tray that Maruice had pushed away with little interest. 

Maurice jumped at the voice, and turned to face Rumpelstiltskin in shock and fear. How could he have not noticed The Dark One there before? Maurice asked in fear, "That's not the worse you intend to inflict on me, is it?"

"Now you're catching on dearie." Rumpelstiltskin giggled softly.

Tears started to well in Maurice's eyes as the gravity and despair of the situation started to become fully realized in his mind. He didn't dare to let them fall though. He soon gathered up the courage to request the imp, "Before you end up killing me, could you at least let me write to my daughters? At least let me say good-bye to them. This is a very small thing compared to what you intend to do to me,"

Rumpelstiltskin's dark eyes rolled at Maurice's pitiful pleas, feeling nauseated already and it wasn't even tea time.

"Yes yes yes, so long as the blubbering stops!" He said raising his hand to his head, attempting to rub away the rising headache. He flicked his opposite wrist, the tray of bread and water replaced with a blank piece of parchment and ink quill.

Maurice fell silent as the parchment and ink quill appeared. He went over to the table and he started hastily writing on the parchment, trying to make sure that his tears didn't land on the parchment and smudge the ink. He wrote of his plight, and how he would never return home. He wished his six daughters, all by name, the best in life, and to be happy.

When he finished, he set the ink quill back into the ink pot, to show Rumpelstiltskin that he finished writing the letter. 

Rumpelstilstksin hadn't moved from his perch atop the table, bending at his torso and neck to read over Maurice's words more out of boredom than of paranoia. 

"How nauseatingly romantic..."

When Maurice indicated that he was done he snatched the letter away from Maurice and with a flick of his wrist, the letter was folded, sealed, and then gone from the castle entirely.

"Now then, if you're done babbling like a child..."

Maurice chuckled bitterly "If you thought that was babbling, then you clearly know absolutely nothing,"

Rumpelstiltskin hopped off of the table, clearly unmoved by the merchant's words and began heading towards the Dining Hall when Maurice addressed him once more in an utterly serious tone.

"You don't know what it's like to have a daughter..."

The Dark One halted in his step, his back hunching over slightly as he kept it facing the merchant. A muscle in his cheek twitched and his blood began to boil hot under his skin. He turned slowly to face Maurice, the once jovial, childlike expression he held gone in an instant and replaced with nothing but malice.

"And that just goes to show that [b]clearly[/b] it is [b]you[/b] who knows nothing!" He breathed out through clenched teeth. Rumpelstiltskin's fingertips began to crackle, white spurts of what looked like electricity dancing around his hands until finally The Dark One waved his hand in Maurice's general direction. A trail of black smoke went from his fingertips to the merchant, covering him entirely and shrinking with the merchants body until all that was left was a rather large cockroach where Maruice had once been.

"Let's see if being the slimy little cockroach you are for a few days won't teach you a little something. Best hope I don't forget you're here or better yet - best hope that I don't [b]accidentally[/b] step on you." Rumpelstiltskin let out another giggle, but his heart wasn't into it, making it all the more frightning. He scoffed as he watched the cockroach scurry away, the snarl never leaving his lips until it was gone entirely.[/i]

XXX

"What are you waiting for? Shoot him!" One of the townspeople called behind Mo French.

"While he's still locked up!" Another one chimed it.

"No! Not until I find out the truth!" Mo yelled back at the townspeople cowering behind him, all of which seemed to have no regard whatsoever for the Sheriff who sat behind his desk. It was clear that the rules had changed.

Mo took a tentative step forward, testing the waters to see just how close he could get to the monster before it snapped. "My girl; what happened to my girl?" He asked, his lower lip quivering as he attempted to keep his tears at bay. "I know you did something! I know you were there! You have her locked up somewhere don't you? Just as you did in The Dark Castle, forever a prisoner because of [i]my[/i] mistakes!"

"Glad to see your memory is all there." Mr. Gold slightly mumbled, unblinking as he stared the barrel of the gun down, more interested in the tears that began streaming down the chubby man's cheeks.

As soon as he heard the gunshot, Robert dropped what he was doing and ran towards the direction of it. The mob was thick and hard to pass through, but his newfound strength helped him create a path. He saw Moe French holding a gun, and tackled him from behind, trying to wrestle him to the ground. Immediately the townspeople that had followed Mo French into the Sheriff's Department became outraged, shouting obscenities at the Sheriff, begging him to see reason behind their purpose there, some even going as far as pushing past the others to charge Robert themselves and pulling out their own concealed weapons.

Robert got his hand on the gun, but was immediately assaulted by almost a dozen townspeople. He was still on the ground with Mo, and the mob rained down stomps and kicks aimed at his head. Robert took the hits and rose to his knees, surviving the onslaught. The townsfolk had now managed to draw their weapons, swinging at Robert with knives and blunt objects while the pawnbroker watched with amusement behind bars. After the first hit, Robert realized that his life was in danger, and he had no other choice. A thunderous bang echoed through the police station, Robert had fired the gun. He didn't have a chance to aim because he too busy trying to block the attacks, and the bullet hit a target he didn't intend to.

Belle hurried back to the station once the fog cleared up. She wanted ton confront Mr. Gold about lying to her. However, the thought perished when she saw the mob bum-rushing into the station, all with weapons raised.

Mr. Gold's eyes snapped up from the pitiful fighting before him as he felt a new presence in the building, his suspicions only confirmed when he saw a glimpse of Belle's chestnut colored hair.

Despite the chaos once inside the Sheriff's station, she heard her father's voice amongst the crowd. She pushed her way through, until a bang ran through the air and a sharp pain went through her left shoulder. 

She widened her eyes at the pain and she screamed loudly as she fell to her knees while the crowd went silent. After she screamed she heard her father's voice call out to her. She couldn't hear him though. She lifted her hand off of her shoulder and saw blood on her hand. 

It took a moment before Mr. Gold could even register what had happened, his blackened eyes looking at the smoking gun being held in Robert Leland's grasp; Belle on the floor. He was sure she was crying out, but he heard nothing, a deafening ringing in his ears followed immediately by his mouth hanging slightly agape.

There was a loud [i]boom[/i] and the bars of his cell were blown completely off followed by large chunks of cement, all hurling towards the crowd of townspeople at an incredible speed but he did nothing to stop it. He immediately rushed to Belle's side, scooping her up to hold against him once on his knees, cradling her head into his chest.

"It's alright Belle, it's alright...I can stop this..." He cooed, his accent so thick he hardly even recognized it as his own voice; it had been [i]centuries[/i] since he [i]truly[/i] spoke with the dialect he was born with, something he just eased into no longer using that became his norm after becoming The Dark One.

The pain didn't seem to cease until Rumpelstiltskin reached her and held her close to him. Her ears rang, and whatever Rumpelstiltskin said was an auditory blur. Her vision grew hazy, as the sharp pain in her shoulder seemed to come back and she could only mumble "Rumpel..." before she passed out, her chest still rising and falling with every breath her body took.

"No, no no no!" Tears began to sting the corners of his eyes as he looked down on his beauty, feeling her lose consiousness in his arms. Quickly, he ran his hand over her shoulder where the most blood seemed to be pooling out of, feeling her injury by magic and reaching out with it until he no longer felt the presence of the bullet embedded into her flesh. He bent his neck down to kiss her cold, sweaty forehead delicately before scooping her up in his arms as he stood.

His eyes immediately happened on Robert, the tears gone and in their place nothing but detestation. He dared anyone from the watching crowd to do something, to say something to him, but especially daring for Robert to make some sort of comment about needing to get back into his cell. His nostrils flared when Mo opened his mouth to say something but then clamping it back shut immediately as he met the monsters black eyes.

There were a thousand thoughts flying through Robert's head at this moment, but he did not vocalize any of them. He stood up and backed away from the mob, keeping an eye on everyone involved and making his way to a secondary exit. Today had been a very bad day for him, and it was far from over.

Mr. Gold's right leg shook violently under the added weight as he stood to his full height, holding Belle closer to him still. He'd rather endure breaking a thousand bones again than to lose sight of Belle, even for a moment. He'd be back for his things later, now he needed to tend to the one of the two people that made living worthwhile. A cloud of purple smoke encased both Belle and Mr. Gold, vanishing beneath it until nothing was left but his cane and suit jacket, folded neatly on a nearby chair outside the cells.

XXX

[i]It had been a month since Maurice had left the six sisters, and it had only just been last week when Belle received the letter from her father. It was an understatement just to say that Belle and her older sisters were shocked to hear that their father was now The Dark One's slave, all because he intruded into his castle. 

Belle immediately headed out to go and find Rumpelstiltskin's castle herself, despite her sisters' warnings and pleads asking her to do otherwise. It had been a week of travelling until she finally reached The Dark Castle. When she saw the tall and ominous tower, she was sure that this was place she was looking for. 

She took in a few deep breaths, bracing herself for meeting with The Dark One, before she walked up to the large double doors and knocked on the door loudly and called for Rumpelstiltskin. The doors swung open almost immediately, allowing Belle entrance, and yet no one was there to have opened the door for her.

Belle entered cautiously, and she looked around warily. As she entered, and looked through the castle eventually finding a stone staircase that led downwards, she called "Hello...? Is anyone here...? ...Papa?"

Soon she found the dungeons, and she called after she heard movement, "Hello?" The sounds of movement grew louder, and a familiar voice answered, "Belle? Belle, is that you?!" Overwhelmed with joy, Belle rushed over to the cell and she called "Papa!" When she reached the cell, they held each others' hands, and Maurice asked in worry, "Belle! What are you doing here?!" His daughter answered, "I had to come find you, after reading that letter...!" 

Maurice shook his head and he said "Belle, no! Don't worry about me, you need to get out of here, before [b]he[/b] realizes that you're here!" Belle answered "But I can't just leave you here!"

"I think...you'll find...you can..." Rumpelstitlskin's voice cut in, the Imp seeming to appear out of nowhere as he stood out in the open behind the female. His green eyes scanned the newcomer over carefully, his brows furrowing in the slightest unsure what to make of her quite yet.

He was garbed in his usual brown dragon-hide jacket today, the sharp points and rigid fabric making the small man look all the more imposing as his eyes began to melt into a darker color as he continued to examine the female, his head tilting ever so slightly to the side in curiosity.

"Your father belongs to me now dearie, no one breaks a deal with me!" He chided with a smile.

Belle and Maurice widened their eyes at Rumpelstiltskin's presence. Maurice stared in fear, while Belle whirled to face him, almost standing in front of her father protectively. When he made his chastisement, she narrowed her gaze at him. 

Maurice spoke up, "Belle, please! Just leave! I don't want that...that [b]beast[/b] to do anything to you!"

Rumpelstiltskin placed a hand over his heart and let his jaw drop, exaggerating greatly that his feelings had been hurt.

Belle seemed to ignore her father as she said to Rumpelstiltskin "What if I took his place...Rumpelstiltskin," Maurice gasped at what Belle said and he shouted desperately in an attempty to protect her, "BELLE, NO! DON'T YOU [b]DARE[/b] SAY SUCH A THING!!!"

Rumpelstiltskin's fingers twitched at the female's request, his head tilting once more as he surveyed the beauty in front of him. Certainly he could get more work out of a woman than the portly merchant...males just never seemed to make good caretakers...or test subjects.

"You would do that?" Rumpelstiltskin asked her with genuine curiosity, unsure what to make of her request.

Belle answered his question seriously, "Yes, I would, in return for my father's freedom from his servitude to you," She kept her eyes on Rumpelstiltskin, as though trying to find any sign of any trickery or deceit on his part. Maurice begged once again, "Belle, stop! What about your sisters? What about Gaston?! Don't forsake them for my sake!" Belle turned to her father, and she said "I'll be alright, Papa. No one decides my fate, but me," 

Rumpelstiltskin's eyes bounced back and forth between father and daughter, his smile only growing wider and wider with each passing word.

"It's forever dearie..." Rumpelstiltskin reminded Belle, looking back at her with just as much intensity, almost daring her to back off.

Belle looked back to Rumpelstiltskin and she reaffirmed, showing that she wasn't backing down from this deal, "My father will be safe from you, correct?"

The Imp put his hand back over his heart, though this time without the mockery.

"You have my word." He promised with a slight bow.

Belle promised after he gave his word, "Then I shall stay here and take Father's place...forever,"

"DEAL! NYEAHH!" The Imp bounced up and down on the balls of his feet in excitement, flicking his wrist and letting the door of Maurice's cell open to give the merchant his freedom.

As soon as the cell door opened, Maurice stood up and he went over to Belle and he hugged her sadly, "Oh Belle...! No...!" Belle hugged back and she said sadly "Tell my sisters good-bye for me, alright Papa?" Maurice openly sobbed after Belle spoke, causing tears to fall from Belle's eyes as well. He seemed to be unwilling to let go of his daughter and lose her forever.

Rumpelstiltskin's fingers twitched again in anticipation. There were one too many people in his castle now. A small swirl of purple smoke slowly built up at Maruice's feet, the bag of gold he had confiscated the first day Maurice had come into his castle appearing once again.

"Unless you enjoyed your time as a cockroach, I suggest you go." He said, attempting to break up their sickening goodbye.

Maurice backed up when he saw the cloud of purple smoke. He had thought that the imp was going to try and turn him into a bug again, but instead the gold coins appeared at his feet. He nodded silently in response to Rumpelstiltskin's warning, and picked up the gold before he left the dungeons and castle, while Belle stayed in the dungeons. 

As soon as Maurice had gone, Rumpelstiltskin approached the woman, perhaps he should start using her name now that she was bound to him forever. 

"Here, let me show you to your room..." He let his green hand hold the small of her back before pushing her back into the cell that had been previously occupied by her father and shut the door quickly, trapping her inside with an echoing giggle.

Belle fell to the ground in the dungeon when he pushed her in. She heard his giggle, and she didn't bother screaming or shouting about how he couldn't just leave her there. She had expected that she would be in the dungeon, considering she said that she would take her father's place. 

She went to the small cot that was in the room and cried silently as the imp left.[/i]