Board Thread:Rant and Rave/@comment-31592902-20170630182255/@comment-28162607-20170716220431

What is interesting about RumBbelle (I could go on for days about them because A&E appear to have accidentally made a perfect example of an abusive relationship) is that Belle felt the need to stay in order to redeem Rumple.

2x01

R: I'm still a monster

B: That's exactly the reason I have to stay.

Belle admitted to staying because she feels the need to fix Rumple. It is part of Belle's personality; she is an optimist, she sees the good in everyone. And has read multiple romance novels which may tend to romanticise a woman 'fixing' an abusive man.

Which is (part of) why the relationship is so toxic; she takes responsibility for his actions.

For a while in 5B/6A it did seem like the writers knew that they were doing and would have Belle triumph and leave her abuser, but alas, it didn't