Belle had hurried home from her business in town. She didn't quite know what had put the spring in her step today of all days but it was there. She’d gotten all she needed to pick up, straw got delivered now which still amused her. But she would bake, cook dinner, probably read for a while. They’d found a strange domestic routine for themselves since she moved in. One that suited them both quite nicely, and Belle found that she was happier in those few months than she had probably ever been. Content, respected, even challenged to be all that she could be. And perhaps most importantly, Belle was loved.
Though when she got home she didn’t find him in any of the immediately obvious places she’d normally look. He’d been just a little bit quieter than usual the last day or so hence the idea to bake, just a little something she could do until she figured out what was wrong with him. She knew the cues well by now and something was.
By the time she found him spinning, door ajar as if waiting for her, she knew it was more than some baking on her part would fix. She hated to see him like that, almost defeated or something, but not quite the word she’d use for it. He was spinning to forget…
Putting the basket by the door, Belle was thankful at least he had not shut her out of his world again and stepped inside the room. Gold thread glistened in the sunlight from the open door and for a moment reminded Belle of the old days back home.
“Rumple I’m back” she confirmed, stepping over to where he sat at the spinning wheel and sitting down beside him, again, bringing back memories. But she wasn’t going to accidently take his power from him. In this world she couldn’t. They’d proved it often enough. “And we need to talk don’t we? I know that look, I’ve seen that look once before, and spinning, well we both know why you’re doing that.” Her hand reached out to grasp at his, her forehead crinkled in worry. “What’s happened love?” she asked him, suddenly worried the seal had done something terrible, taken Emma, taken any of them. Or brought someone like that Cora they talked about.
Whatever it had done, they’d get through. Belle would help him through, she would never stop fighting for him.