A/N: WELCOME to one and all.

So…

This is a lot sooner than any of you expected I'm sure.

I'll tell you why.

I had just finished Storybrooke's Tale of Beauty and the Beast. I seriously had just typed the words "The End." And I don't know what happened. It's like … I don't know, but my roommates decided after a few hours and a bag of Cadbury eggs that it was post partum depression (and for those that have had that I don't mean to make light, I just… it was awful!) I literally could not get myself to do anything. It truly was awful.

So this had to be started immediately. I won't be as regular, mind, especially with finals coming up. But… I had to open this up pronto. :)

I know I didn't post for a while, but here goes.

BY THE WAY. If you haven't read Storybrooke's Tale of Beauty and the Beast, you might be a tad confused- you see, they have kids and kids don't make sense unless you get where they came from. Right? Right… SO I recommend that as a read- I'm pretty sure it's a decent read. It has over 1100 reviews and counting.

OH so you mean you came here to read something other than an author's note? Right!

Well here goes! Do enjoy!

~: Belle :~

"Can't I stay up?" the golden haired child asked as Belle stroked the brush through the child's curls. She must have gotten such thick curls from Belle herself, because taming them was just as hard as taming her own hair. "Please Mama?"

"No Persephone," Belle told her gently. "Not tonight."

"I promise I'll just watch!" Persephone insisted, bouncing a bit. "Ember and Pearce get to stay up with Papa all the time."

"That's because they're learning your Papa's trade," Belle told her, "And when you're seven, you can start training too." She put the brush down. It was hopeless. Her hair would do what it wanted to, just as Belle's did. Of course, Sephie had golden hair, which was already rather long for her young age, but Belle couldn't bear to cut it. It was far too adorable. Of course, the fact that Persephone had golden locks was something people who didn't know of the circumstances raised eyebrows about, since neither she nor Rumpelstiltskin had blonde hair. Those who knew, however, knew that Belle had taken sick during her pregnancy with Persephone, and Rumpelstiltskin had gone far and wide for a cure. It had been a scary time.

"That's so long from now!" complained Persephone as she turned to face her, tears welling in her big eyes.

Belle kissed her forehead, "Not tonight Sephie. Let's get you into bed."

Little Sephie harrumphed, obeying angrily, and climbed into bed. She glared at her mother from under her sheets, her face furrowed and her arms crossed on her chest. The sight wanted to make Belle laugh, but she contained it.

"How about," Belle said with a smile as she sat next to Sephie, "I tell you a story."

Sephie pretended she was still not talking to her.

"I can tell you the one about Snow White and how she met Grumpy," Belle said, tilting her head to look into Sephie's blue eyes. "Or how about I tell you the one where Hansel and Gretel found their father?"

"No," Sephie told her.

"No, huh?" Belle considered thoughtfully. "Well, how does the story of Sir Fredrick and his love Kathryn?"

"No," the four year old repeated.

"What do you want to hear then?" Belle asked.

"Tell me the story of Beauty and the Beast," Sephie demanded.

Belle suppressed a smile, "You know that one though."

"It's my very favorite," Sephie asserted.

"How about I tell you the beginning, and I'll tell you more tomorrow night?" Belle smiled.

Sephie nodded, her anger waning.

"But you have to lie down," Belle told her, brushing curls from her face. Sephie wriggled into a laying position, and looked up at her mother expectantly.

"There once was a girl who lived with her papa-."

"No, no, Mama! You have to start it off Once Upon a Time!" Sephie explained.

Belle nodded for her benefit, "Of course! What was I thinking?"

Sephie giggled, before waiting, anticipating the story she already knew.

"Once Upon A Time,

Belle stood at her father's side, clutching her book. It was a book she had hoped would prove useful for this battle plan, but it had fallen short. A military tactics book, it had been made for defenses against other men, not for ogres. And ogres would be far more detrimental to their town than anything men could do.

A messenger knight strode into the room- the doors swung shut and locked behind him with a large barricade- there was no risking anything anymore. They'd defeated only one band of ogres, and that had left their castle stronghold in shambles, not to mention their town. Oh their town. The castle was sheltering so many people because their homes were unsuitable to live in, but they were in the caves below, safe from ogres if they came. Ogres could not fit into the tunnels, and even they could not pound away at the foundations. They were far too strong.

"Sir, there's news from the battlefield," the messenger knight said, and everyone in the room caught their breathe, "Ovenly has fallen."

Ovenly- their last chance of hope, the last large city between them and the ogre hoard. If Ovenly had fallen, what chance did they have? And it meant they would not have any back up troops from Ovenly- poor Gaston, his cousin had resided there. What had happened to him she could only guess.

"Oh my gods," her papa's voice was full of despair.

"If only he had come," Gaston muttered bitterly.

"Well he didn't did he?" snapped her father, pacing over to his chair. Belle put her useless book on the war table, her eyes following her only parent. He sat in his chair, slouching defeatedly, "Ogres are not men."

"We have to do something," Gaston paced before him angrily, "We have to stop them."

Belle went to put herself between Papa and Gaston. Two angry, corner men would not do well to fight each other at a moment like this.

"They are unstoppable," her papa sighed as Belle knelt before him.

She had to install hope in the room, "He could be on his way right now Papa," she reminded him.

He patted her hand, "It's too late my girl, it's just- too late."

There was a great knock on the door. Another- a third.

Belle's heart rose, hope filling her for the first time in weeks. He was here. He had come. "It's him, it has to be him."

Her father was still skeptical, but he could not hide the hope from his voice, "How could he get past the walls?" he wanted to know, striding forward. Belle followed eagerly, wanting a look at their salvation, "Open it," he ordered the door guards. Gaston grasped his sword hilt.

The room held it's breathe as the double doors swung open.

To Belle's despair no one was there. The corridor was entirely empty, void of anything but broken castle bits and leaves that had blown in.

"Ah that was a bit of a letdown," an unfamiliar voice sent Belle whirling around. In her seat sat a man, thin, taunt as a bow and yet relaxed as a cat, eyes dancing as he surveyed the room.

This was the infamous Rumpelstiltskin.

He was holding a tower- the tower that symbolized their town in his hands. He'd taken it off of the war table. Gaston drew his sword, pointing it at him. "You sent me a message- something about um "Help. Help. We're dying- Can you save us?" He stood fluidly, glowering at Gaston and his sword, "Well the answer is-," he slapped Gaston's sword away, "yes I can." He tossed the tower to one of the council men, "Yes I can protect your little town. For a price," his voice lilted in a slippery way.

"We sent you a promise of gold."

"Well you see I uh I make gold," he shrugged, and Belle was fascinated by his hands as he moved them. "What I want is something a bit more special. My price- is her."

"Mama," Sephie interrupted, and Belle was jarred back to reality by the beautiful tinkling voice of hers, "Why did Papa want you?"

Belle smiled softly, "I'm not quite sure- I think he had some plot for me in his mind, but in reality? I think he was lonely."

"Why was Papa lonely?"

The question hurt Belle's heart- to think Rumpelstiltskin was so lonely for all those years- if only she had come sooner… "You see, dear one, he wasn't the nicest person in those days. He made deals with a lot of people, and they got mad at him for it later."

"How come?" there was a little crease in her brow. Belle wanted to smooth it away.

Belle bit her lip, "They weren't very nice deals."

"But he doesn't do that now, does he?" Sephie was all concern, her big blue eyes bright with worry.

"No, no, he's in King James' employ now," Even if he does dabble in the black market more often than I would like. "Now do you want to hear the rest of the story or not?"

"I do, I do!" Sephie exclaimed eagerly.

Belle feigned forgetfulness, tapping a finger to her chin, "Ok, where were we?"

"Papa wanted you." Oh how she adored her children and their wonderful wording.

She smiled, "Ah yes,

To Belle's complete surprise he pointed at her. The dangerous Dark One, known throughout the lands as a devious trickster that should only be called upon in the most dire of need, was pointing to her. Taken aback, she stood frozen, until Gaston's arm swooped around her annoyingly.

"No," Papa said immediately.

"The young lady is engaged - to me," Gaston said in an arrogant tone.

Rumpelstiltskin snorted, "I wasn't asking if she was engaged. I'm not looking for love. I'm looking for a caretaker-," he turned to them, "for my rather large estate. It's her or no deal."

Her Papa would not have it, "Get out. Leave!"

Rumpelstiltskin smiled, "As you wish."

Gaston pushed her back, and it awoke her to what was happening. Their town's one chance at salvation was walking out of the door, and no one was stopping him. How could this be happening?

"No wait!" she called, pushing her way past Gaston to face their town's hope, "I will go with him."

"I forbid it," growled Gaston.

"No," her Papa moaned.

She whirled on Gaston, indignant. How could he be thinking of anything else? This was their home they were talking about. "No one decides my fate but me. I shall go."

She looked into Rumpelstiltskin's face, and it was absolutely delighted, "Its forever dearie."

She swallowed, "My family, my friends- they will all live?"

He nodded his inclination, "You have my word."

"You have mine. I will go- with you- forever," Belle told him. The words felt so final.

The grin that split his face was almost terrifying, if it hadn't been so childlike, "Deal!" he giggled, an eerie noise that crept up her spine. She swallowed again. This was for her town.

Her papa was there, "Belle, Belle you cannot do this. Belle please you can't go with this-," he glowered over her shoulder at Rumpelstiltskin, "Beast."

She looked up at him- oh how she would miss his face, "Father, Gaston," she looked to her fiancé, and bit her lip. Their wedding had been in a month. He would have to find a new wife, "it's been decided."

He was behind her- she could feel it, him leering over her shoulder, "You know, she's right. The deal is struck." He was grinning broadly, "Oh, congratulations on your little war." He giggled again-

Belle stopped herself, to smile at a lightly sleeping Sephie. Her rosy cheeks were warm as Belle brushed stray golden hair away. She had her Papa's chin, she thought.

"What are you doing here?" she asked quietly.

He was baffled, but he should have learned by now she knew when he was present and when he wasn't.

"Mothering has given you eyes in the back of your head," she heard him grumble, and she smiled, blowing out the lantern at Sephie's bedside.

"No," she whispered as she stood, making her way to him as he pushed himself off the doorframe, "I just know when you're near."

"Don't give me that," he told her, "You still startle me." But he took her into his arms all the same.

"You never show it," she smiled, kissing him lightly.

"How's the wee one?" He wasn't talking about Sephie, nor their two other children, who had probably been sent to bed if he was down here. He was talking about their newest, the littlest of their lot.

"He's sleeping," she curled into his form tiredly, "I hope it stays that way."

"To bed?" he asked her.

"To bed," she agreed.

"To sleep?" he sounded reluctant at that thought.

She smiled up at him, suddenly not quite so tired anymore. His eyes danced wickedly in the moonlight. Those same eyes that had first caught her attention all those years ago. She would love those eyes forever, because no matter how far she looked, she could never really find the bottom.

"Not to sleep," he decided with a devilish smile, before whisking her away as he had that very first night. Except this time, she was a much more willing participant.

A/N: My very first drabble I've ever written. Ever.

What did you think?

Also. I need ideas on what to name the Dark Castle's newest member. He's a boy. No I can't name him Baelfire. It wouldn't be fair to Rumple. HOWEVER. All other ideas are open to me. Please send them my way!

Love you Dearies!