Story 1: Her Thunder and Lightning

Author: MoonStarDutchess

Spanish Version by Rinoax

Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time and gain nothing but writing practice with my tinkering.

AN: This is cross-posted on my account over at a03. MoonStarDutchess

The wind blew hard enough to slam the rain against the windows, making noises more akin to hail than mere raindrops. Belle had all the lamps in her room turned on: the ones on each side of her bed, one beside the door and one that sat on her dresser. The room was draped in a creepy blue tint, and the light cast jagged shadows much like the ones she saw during her time in the asylum.

The only difference was the smell. The asylum felt cold and smelled moldy. This room smelled of lavender —Rumpelstiltskin said it would help her sleep — and was much warmer than her previous residence. She pulled the blankets over her as thunder exploded and shook the house. Or was she the one shaking?

She hadn't heard storms like this when she was in the hospital. Every noise had been dulled to perfection and without the capability to cause some, she might've gone mad. She even got to the point when she would look forward to the occasional click when Regina lifted the tiny latch in the door to peer in on her.

She jumped when another crack of thunder sounded and sat straight in her bed. Her eyes gazed around the room, looking for someone, even though she knew if anyone were there, it would be Rum. She was safe here. Rum was right down the hall, and she knew he'd go through hell to keep anyone from getting her and taking her back.

She kept repeating that she was safe, a mantra that she whispered every time she woke with nightmares, or couldn't sleep, or this old house creaked on its foundation. A storm was new and the same mantra should've worked. But it didn't. Her shoulders tightened when lightning flashed outside her window and yet another clap of thunder jarred the house.

She clutched the covers and took deep breaths, trying to keep her panic under control. She used every technique that Doctor Hopper suggested to use when she felt an attack coming on. Nothing worked. Why wasn't it working?

When the lights flickered then went out, Belle screamed and grabbed her head, the thunder drowning out her voice. She needed Rum, but that meant she had to venture into the hallway where it was pitch black. It was either face the darkness and find Rumple or sit alone in the room, surrounded by four walls and hugged by her fear instead of him.

She inhaled and exhaled several times before throwing the covers off her. She didn't bother putting on her slippers, she wouldn't know where they were in the dark anyway, and carefully made her way to the wall where she knew the door was located. She felt around until she found the knob and turned it, revealing the dark hallway. She took another deep breath, her heart beat increasing to the point she could hear the thumps in her ears and feel her pulse in her neck without having to touch it.

Do the brave thing and bravery will follow.

That'd been her motto and she wanted to follow it, but there was a difference between that time and now. It was much easier to be brave if others were at risk. It was just her now, so she had to reach inside herself and—she jumped when more thunder yelled at her, as if forcing her out into the darkness.

The first step was always the hardest. She remembered her mother saying that so long ago.

She took a step, going from a carpeted floor onto a hardwood one. It was cold and the chill went from the bottom of her feet, all the way up her leg. She gripped the side of the wall and slid her hands along it as she made her way down the long hallway to the master bedroom. Lightning flashed, showing the sparse items in the hallway for just a moment, as if assisting her in navigation. She could picture thunder and lightning fighting against each other.

Thunder, the one that could do her less harm, wanted to scare her. Lightning, a natural occurrence that could kill her, assisted her. Thunder and lightning was so much like Rumple. Rum never wanted to hurt her, but there were times that he still scared her (she'd never tell him that). He could hurt her but only had once, in the heat of anger when he'd gripped her too hard.

That thought gave her the courage to continue the journey toward her own thunder and lightning. She paused, waited for the lightning flash, and navigated around the furniture she'd saw just moments before. The thunder wasn't so scary now that she could focus on the guidance the lightning gave her.

She arrived at her destination and reached for the knob, the lightning flashed and gave her enough time to reach down and grab the handle. She turned it and the door squeaked open.

"Rumpelstiltskin," she said and cursed as the thunder cracked when she spoke. It was an annoying interrupter. He didn't move and it puzzled her as to how he slept through this when Rum back in their old world rarely slept. Perhaps it was more of his humanity poking through. He was more Mister Gold than The Dark One. She had no idea of what pre-Dark One Rumple was like, but she knew Rum didn't have a high opinion of his old self.

She walked over to his bed and crawled upon the soft mattress. "Rumpelstiltskin?" she said and placed a hand on his shoulder. She heard a groan and he sat up.

"Belle?" He reached toward his bedside table.

"The magic light balls ran out of oil," she said.

She couldn't make out his face but could still feel his eyes on her. He reached up and touched her cheek. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head. "I was terrified."

Something sparked in his hand then flew across the room. Her gaze followed it and rested on an old-fashioned oil lamp that came to life with a tiny flame then adjusted on its own. Her eyes went back to Rum.

"I'll be sure to get you some of those lamps first thing in the morning. You can take that one to your room if —"

"Can I stay here with you?" He looked surprised for a moment then his expression turned to one of wonder. She looked down at her lap and fisted her hand in his blankets this time. "It's cold in there and I couldn't sleep. The room reminded me of that place, and your bed is really big and I thought you might get lonely so I came."

Part of that was a lie. She was the one who was scared and lonely, and from the way he smiled at her, she could tell he knew that as well.

"Of course you can."

She got under the covers with him and watched as he slowly lay back down. She sighed and moved to rest on her side. When her eyes closed, she heard the thunder yelling its protest. On the second clap, she opened her eyes and looked at Rumple.

His eyes were shut and he was lying on his back. His body appeared stiff, like someone had starched it, and he seemed so far from her even though he was less than a foot away. She shivered as cool air hit her bare arms and knew of only one way to warm them. Well, not the only way, but the best way.

Do the brave thing.

She moved closer to him and rested her head on his chest. His eyes flew open and he looked down at her. She slid her arm around his stomach. "You looked cold."

"I was, dearie. Quite cold." He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer. She snuggled her face against his warm pajamas as blankets came up around them. They both relaxed.

Brave thing.

"Rumple, can you turn off the lights?"

They went out in an instant and she cuddled closer to him, feeling loved and protected by her own personal thunder and lightning.