This is my first Once Upon a Time fanfiction. Rumbelle is most definitely my favorite and most shipped pairing, as he seems to love her with everything in him. I love this couple very much and ship them like crazy! If I can, I will try to update weekly before each new episode.

Hi everybody! Name's Bailey and I will be your author for the duration of this fanfiction :D

Time is a Figment

Magic is Coming

They had been together a mere five hours. And those were the happiest of his life. In this life. But they did not come without a price. And that was the price of love, of weakness…of vulnerability. He caught himself staring at her, far more often that he ought to have been. Every look, every smile, every little thing she did that she thought so insignificant…it made his heart stammer.

It certainly was an odd feeling.

A feeling he hadn't felt in twenty eight years.

She did seem rather hesitant in his presence though. Rather reluctant to come near. Even her lips touching his seemed awkward and so very out of place now. But, he supposed, that was how it would be for a while. He too had certain reservations about drawing close to her. It felt…odd. Coming to her was like coming to a flame to feel its warmth…but there was a distinct possibility of being burned.

He simply wanted to love and protect her.

Yet he was filled with a slight trepidation to do so.

He watched as she flitted about his shop, dusting here, polishing there. He simply couldn't understand it. His brow crinkled in confusion from his place behind the counter. Why would she still clean? She hadn't a reason to. She seemed nervous, apprehensive even. But why? She had him now, she had comfort, power, she could have anything and everything she ever desired, the world itself at her fingertips. Yet still she seemed hesitant.

He put his hands on her shoulders.

She jumped slightly and he frowned.

"Why the cleaning, dearie? Does my presence frighten you?" his voice was low and playful at her ear. She hadn't a reason to fear now, he would protect her, love her, hurt those who had tried to hurt her…she would be safe.

She batted at him and moved from him, standing on her toes to dust off a cabinet.

"It's far too dusty in here. You ought to be ashamed." was her playful reply.

She had been angry at him a mere two hours ago. Furious, even. And that was one of the worst moments in his life. In this life, in this world. He caught himself staring again, only this time it wasn't at her. It was for her. He moved the curtain aside yet again to gaze out his shop window, looking for her as the wind shrieked and the Wraith roamed. It was a mess outside, and Belle was somewhere in it.

It was his fault, he supposed.

Had he twisted her words? He couldn't recall. He supposed…he had. A bit. Only a little. He sat down by the fireplace again, in the back, waiting for her. Why did she have to look at him with such hurt in her brown eyes then? It wasn't as if it was a surprise. She shouldn't have expected anything less from him! Yet there she was, acting as if he had stabbed her in the heart and had done so on purpose.

He only wanted revenge.

All he wanted was to hurt, to hurt the people who had done this, to hurt the woman who had done this to her.

The woman who had kept his Belle from him for twenty-eight years.

Belle had made him beg.

He, Rumpelstiltskin, beg. Implore. Plead. She had made him beg her to stay and not leave him again. And unsuccessfully as well, he thought with an irritated frown. "Belle, I've changed." How filled with tears were her eyes. Tears and disbelief, and an anger that seemed to freeze what heart he had left. "Belle, I'm sorry. I really am." But what he really all that sorry?

He sighed, checking out the window another time before sitting again.

No.

No, he wasn't sorry in the slightest. He felt no sorrow, no remorse for what he had done. Setting the Wraith on Regina was the least he could have done to her, in his current state. He could use the magic of others, but not his own. Regina needed to be stopped. She needed to be stopped permanently. And yet…some foreign feeling in his chest kept nagging at him.

Guilt, if he could recall.

What he was feeling was guilt.

Rumpelstiltskin felt…guilty for what he had done.

And that certainly was an odd feeling to feel again.

They had reconciled a mere fifteen minutes ago. Fifteen minutes filled with doubt and trepidation on his part, filled with fear…and dare he say it, self-loathing. He was so upset with himself. He had allowed her to stay, he had gotten her hopes up, he had made her believe that he had and could actually change…that wasn't a good thing.

What she felt, he did not ask.

He wasn't quite sure he wanted to know just yet, if the rapid hammering of his heart was any consolation. Instead, he found himself staring at her again. At her brown hair in the firelight, her eyes so soft and so gentle as they looked at something held in her hands.

"You kept it."

He was gently startled from his gazing.

"My little chipped cup." Her laugh was soft and low. He said not a word, he simply took it from her grasp and set it up high.

High and safe, away from him.

"I cherish it the most out of everything in here." Belle smiled at him. How he loved to see her smile.

Her smile had faded, in time, as he next said,

"Which is why you have to leave."

She frowned, and he fought the urge to sigh in frustration.

Did she not understand? She had to leave, she couldn't be with him any longer. Five hours was enough with someone like him. He wasn't…good. He would not be her knight in shining armor, her Prince Charming, her…her hands were touching his face. They were warm. Her eyes were kind.

"Rumpelstiltskin."

Exactly.

Rumpelstiltskin. That was his name. He was Rumpelstiltskin, the Dark One, the one who had caused all of this turmoil. He was the Beast. He was evil. And she…she was so, so wonderful. She was so kind, so beautiful, such a good person…he couldn't. He could not have that kind of person around him without destroying them.

"I'm not…I'm still a monster, Belle."

She sighed. Her brown eyes were warm and in them flickered the fire. They were compassionate and kind, but stubborn. They were so very kind. He didn't like it. It didn't suit him to think such thoughts about somebody. He couldn't keep her here, he couldn't have her, not like this not while he was still a monster he would destroy her he would turn her into himself he would…her lips were on his lips.

No. He needed revenge, he need to kill Regina, he needed her to die, he needed to watch her die himself after he tortured her…the kiss deepened.

Belle…

She drew back and smiled faintly.

"That's exactly why I have to stay."

They sat down by the fireplace and talked for a few moments more.

A tremor passed through Storybrooke that night. A powerful one, one strong with magic and foreboding. Belle had been asleep. He himself had not. He couldn't sleep, not while he was still like this.

The magic was there, it was at his fingertips, but…

He was restless. He couldn't reach it, but he could feel it. His power was so close, but so very far from him. He wanted, no, he needed it back. To seek his revenge on Regina.

The sudden surge of power knocked him off balance. He had to clutch at a countertop to keep himself from falling to his knees. He closed his eyes, shaking. Without his powers, he was affected as any mortal would be. The magic was strong. So strong. And so malevolent. It could only belong to one person.

He snapped his eyes open.

Regina.

What had Emma done?

He moved to the window and looked outside. A dismal cloud of purple emanated from the sheriff's station. The Wraith, it was gone. Was it vanished? No. It was simply somewhere else. And The Queen…he could hear her laugh in his head.

"What is it?"

Belle had come downstairs. He moved to the back room. What would he do, how did this happen? He need to find Emma. Emma had done something, but what? "Rumpelstiltskin, what's happened?"

He turned to her. He would not let her see the fear on his face, the fear enveloping his heart. Would the Queen come for her now? Her power was back, she could very easily just come and take her away…

The fear was replaced by a swift and awesome anger.

She had her powers back, but how?

Why was he still like this, so weak, so mortal, so powerless?

So many questions….

He brushed impatiently back her to pace anxiously, thinking.

"Rumpelstiltskin!"

"Not in this world!" He turned and roared at her. "That is not what you call me here, ever." She held her ground, eyes annoyed. "Do not ever call me that unless I specifically say, do you understand me?" He moved to return to his pacing. Her hand at his hand stopped him. When he tried to shy away from her touch, she held on grimly.

"That is your name to me. In this world. Or the next." She said flatly. He looked at her and saw anger again. Anger and hurt. He narrowed his eyes at her stubbornness and wrenched his hand from her grasp.

"Magic." He spat venomously.

"What?" she looked confused. He would have laughed had the situation not been so dire.

"Magic is coming, dearie." He tilted her chin up to him with a finger. He chucked it and resumed his pacing. "And it will soon be coming for you, I'm afraid."

"The magic is already here." She remarked. She stalled his pacing again by grabbing his hand. "And I'm not afraid. I have you." She seemed determined. How naïve, he thought. He chuckled cruelly.

"You have a powerless old man."

"This is the old magic." He drew in close. "The evil magic. The magic that brought you here and the magic that made me what I am." His lips were dangerously close to hers. "The magic that will kill you." He whispered, staring into her eyes. He tried to invoke fear, to make her see what would happen if she stayed by his side.

"Your magic?" she whispered back. Her lips brushed his with the word.

"More or less. Only for some reason, I don't have it." He withdrew from her just as quickly as he had drawn close. She frowned. Another tremor rocked the store, and she fell against him. They tumbled to the floor.

"So you're mortal now." She stated in his arms.

"Not by choice." He retorted, moving to stand.

She wouldn't let him get up. And with her weight on his bad leg, he couldn't exactly move.

"Will your magic come back?" Belle asked.

"It may. But first I have to find our dear little Savior and ask her why she's aided her Majesty." He remarked. He lay back and stared at her on his chest. She smiled. She lay there with her arms folded, simply staring at him.

"What?"

"I hope you don't find her." Belle stated.

"It's for your protection."

"Not if you use it for evil."

"It's to keep you safe, Belle."

"I don't care."

"You don't care about being safe?"

"I care about keeping you human." She said. "I want you to see that you are not a monster, that you are so, so wonderful and that you are kind." She kissed him softly again. "I want you to see that someone loves you."

He looked at her in awe. This woman…would be the death of them both.

"Get ready dearie." He helped her up and held her tight in his arms. As tight as he did a mere five hours ago, when the Curse had broken and she had remembered him.

When they had remembered that they loved each other.

"Here comes the Queen."

I realize it could have been a bit longer, but hey. I have school. And it's only the first chapter. Hope it'll get longer eventually…anyways! Read, review, favorite, follow etcetera etcetera!