A/N: My editing takes a long time. I was sooo procrastinating this and for that I apologize. Now that I am back for the summer, I shall post more. I promise. Once again (no horrible pun intended), this fanfic probably doesn't match what is happening now, but eh, it's here. This is what I wanted to happen when Belle was in the hospital. Enjoy!

Emotion

"RUMPELSTILTSKIN!"

The shout was enough to deafen anyone within three miles, everyone heard her plain as day. It was Belle, sitting up in the hospital bed and in the most worry she'd ever experienced. Ruby dashed into the room, hoping nothing was wrong, but there was Belle, and she looked miserable and worried to almost her literal death.

"Ruby..." she whispered, before her lips spread wide and she began to cry. Ruby gasped.

"You remember!" she exclaimed, but Belle wasn't too happy about any of this. Ruby sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"Oh, honey, it's all right. It's okay," Ruby tried to console the girl, but nothing seemed to be working.

"I pushed him...how could I?" Belle exclaimed, making Ruby flinch at the volume of her voice.

"He...I was the only one who believed in him!" Belle then remembered Hook. "HOOK!" Belle stood up, ripping the tape from her IV. Ruby grabbed her wrist.

"Where are you going?" Ruby demanded. "You can't leave."

"Yes I can," Belle challenged that, and she made her way out of the room, tearing off the gown to reveal her tank top and blue skirt, her eyes narrowed. It didn't take long to find Hook, but Ruby was hot on her heels, and people were staring.

"You BASTARD!" Belle punched him in the ribs the moment she entered, waking Hook from his deep slumber. Ruby told her earlier that Rumpel left town with Emma and Henry, whoever they were. He was looking for his son, and how could she blame him for that?

"You shot me!" Belle exclaimed, but Hook was just coming around. She punched him again, this time though a crack and shift took place beneath her fist, and Ruby held Belle back as she called for Dr. Whale. Hook grunted in pain.

"You, you're a bold one, aren't ya?" Hook joked, but the laughing hurt once again. Ruby took Belle out of the room at once, leading her away from the staring crowd.

"How do you remember?" Ruby demanded, but Belle jerked away, the tears still flowing down her cheeks, and very rapidly.

"I don't know..." she confessed before collapsing into her friend's embrace. Ruby held the girl for a few moments before standing her back up.

"You don't have to stay here anymore, you know that right?" Ruby said. "You can come back with me...to Granny's." However, Belle shook her head.

"I can't!" she exclaimed. "I have a greater obligation and a lot to make up for. Leave me. I'll visit you tomorrow, Ruby. I promise." Ruby wasn't about to do such, but Belle was persistent. Her thoughts were too dangerous for everyone around her, including Ruby. As much as Belle wanted to be around people, none of them were him. None were Rumpelstiltskin.

Belle never did visit Ruby as she said she would. No, she waited for Rumpel to come back, no matter how long it took. Belle found his hidden house key, remembering where he told her he'd hidden it, in case she'd ever want to come in. After opening the door, she made her way into the guest room where she grasped the pillow and sheets. When she couldn't stand it in there, she found his room, where she sat on the bed and cried for a while. A very, very long while, until she put herself to work...

Missing him was worse than anything, especially since Hook shot her across the town line. She hated Hook for that, and hate was a strong word for Belle. All she wanted was for Rumpelstiltskin to come home and find her there. It was the one place she actually felt safe.

Later that day, there was a knock at Rumpel's door, but when Belle went to the window to see who it was, she didn't like what she saw. It was Regina, probably checking to see if Gold was really gone. She didn't answer the door, afraid Regina would break into the house. Belle had been kept by that witch long enough.

Behind her, a car pulled up, which Belle immediately recognized. It was Rumpelstiltskin and another man was with him. Could that be? No way! Bae? Belle tried to see better, but it was hard when the three met on the porch.

"What can I do for you, Regina?" Gold asked. She hadn't any idea as to what had already occurred.

"Who is that exactly?" Regina demanded, staring at Bae.

"None of your concern, leave my property or I'll have you arrested for trespassing," Rumpel warned. This other man placed a hand on Rumpel's shoulder, and he turned back, remembering their agreement.

No harm to Regina, she left quietly. He'd done enough already.

"I'm sorry," Rumpel said when he closed the door. "That's Regina, she's worse than I'll ever be I can promise you that. Takes after her mother."

"Papa, what is all this?" the man asked. So, it was his son after all. Belle could see the resemblance clearer from the top of the stairs.

"Let's just say I had a castle once upon a time, shall we?" Rumpel supposed.

As they looked around, Rumpel noticed the house was vastly cleaner than how he'd left it. Just to be sure he wasn't going crazy, he checked his back room. He came back in a frenzy. Everything had been alphabetized.

"What's wrong?" Bae asked.

"Someone suspiciously cleaned my house," Rumpel replied, looking at Bae, who put his hands up .

"Did you see my apartment?" Bae replied. "I did no such thing."

"Of course not, you had no key."

They walked around some more, but there was no one to be found. Rumpel and Bae searched the entire first floor before ascending the stairs.

"Do I even want to know what's in that pawn shop?" Bae asked, nearly sighing.

"Probably not." Rumpel showed him around the next floor, and Belle fled the scene before they ascended the stairs.

What was she going to do now? She couldn't hide very easily here, and Rumpel was with his son. She just decided to hid under Rumpel's bed.

"That's my room," Rumpel said, and she felt both of them walking on the wooden floor. She grew nervous, and when she grew nervous, her nose itched. But she dared not scratch it! But there was just so much dust...

It grew to be too much and she sneezed. Rumpel turned around, placing an arm in front of his son.

"What else is here Papa?" Bae asked.

"Nothing as far as I left it," Rumpel replied. "But I'm about to find out."

Belle knew she'd better just turn herself in. It was better than being whacked with the cane like some animal he probably thought was creeping around his house.

"Rumpelstiltskin!" she exclaimed, crawling out from under the bed and biting her lower lip to keep it from quivering as she stood up. Her eyes held fear, but Gold at once dropped his guard.

"Belle...you remember?" Rumpel asked. Belle stood up and crashed herself clumsily into him, leaving Bae in a stupor. She sighed deeply as he wrapped his free arm around her.

"Who's Belle?" Bae had to ask. Rumpel turned back to his son.

"The one person in this town who still loves me. Hook shot her over the town line," Rumpel explained, turning back to her, asking how she remembered. Belle was just as clueless as he, but that phone call triggered something. She was still happy to finally meet Baelfire, even if the circumstances hadn't been the greatest.

Bae seemed rather confused to Belle, until Rumpel had to tell her they'd just met after their long separation. The whole time, it was Belle who clung to Rumpel like the child around here. The rest of her tears hit his suit, but he couldn't care less.

"I am so...so sorry," Belle said over his shoulder. Bae's thoughts swirled like hurricanes on a shore. She was apologizing to his father about something? Something seemed very wrong here. Maybe there was still some good left in the Dark One. No, that cannot be, not for Bae. Belle thought to excuse herself from the two, telling them she'd stay in the guest room, but Rumpel wouldn't allow that.

"Bae, I would like you to take the guest room," Rumpelstiltskin said. "If you'll stay here, with me." Bae only nodded, blinking slowly once before going out to car to grab the things he carried back to Storybrooke. It was either here or with Emma and Henry, but they had their own problems at the moment. Not that Rumpel didn't have any of his own.

Rumpel turned back to Belle.

"Do you wish to stay as well, sweetheart?" he asked, though it sounded more like a plea to her. Belle nodded, a sorrowful expression covering her face.

"I didn't mean to frighten ye," he replied.

"I know," Belle said. "it's just, well, I'd been her for a while. I didn't expect Regina to show up."

"I will not let her bother you, you know that," he said. Belle shut her eyes for a moment and nodded again, preferring not to speak, for she was still choked with tears in the back of her throat.

Rumpel suggested she stay with him in his room since Bae was also staying. Before the girl even had the chance to move an inch, her bottom lip gave out and a gasp escaped her rosebud lips. More tears followed. Rumpelstiltskin came closer.

"If you don't want to, that's okay. That's okay, I'm not going to force you to-"

"No," Belle cried, clutching to him again. "I want to...I want to stay with you."

"Belle, why are you crying then?" he asked, trying to get her to face him. "Sweetheart, please, why are you upset?"

"I just m-missed you, a-and the way I l-l-left th-things I-I-I just couldn't-" But Rumpel hushed her to prevent her from choking herself. They sat down on the bed as he held her, waiting for her to cease her crying.

When Bae found his way back upstairs, he looked in to see them still together. His father looked up at him, gesturing with a nod he was welcome to the guest room to get comfortable.

"Belle," Rumpelstiltskin grasped her closer to him. "Please stop crying." But, she showed no sign of ceasing, and so to solve this conflict, Rumpel stroked through her hair. When she finally sat up, the light glimmered across her face, and she sparkled from all her tears.

Slowly, he brought his lips to hers, weary because of what happened last time. No need to worry, though. Belle was far more accepting this time. Bae had crept his way unnoticed in front of the door to see the two locked in a kiss, and he almost couldn't believe his eyes. Shaking his head, Bae wandered down to the kitchen to see what kind of things his father had been eating these days. Anything to distract him from that.

The only alcohol consisted of a few bottles of fine wine, aged properly enough. After closing that cabinet, Bae sat down for cheese and crackers, waiting for those two to finish their moments with the bottle of wine...

The three sat around the table later that evening. It was nice to have Belle there with Rumpelstiltskin as all of them talked for a long while. There were conflicts to mend and questions to be answered.

"I just made the wrong choice," Rumpel told Bae about what happened when he was 14. Belle took his hand, refocusing his attention.

"And you...all I can say is I'm sorry over and over, but I know it will never be enough," he said. Belle smiled, she seemed to forgive him, and Bae noticed that. This Belle, whoever she was exactly, had forgiven him for a treacherous thing, though Bae hadn't a clear idea as to what that thing was. His father hadn't spoken of it yet.

"Now that Cora's gone, what's gonna happen?" Bae asked Belle turned to Rumpelstiltskin, worried.

"I didn't kill her!" Rumpel defended himself straight away. "I had nothing to do with it! It was Snow's choice."

"It's true," Bae said, and Belle turned to him. "Snow White could have easily let him die. She chose to take Cora's life for my father's."

Rather than bother Belle with all the complicated details, Rumpel shot a smile at Bae for helping defend him. Sometimes, his word alone wasn't enough for Belle to be convinced.

After all their discussion, Rumpel wanted to know more about Bae's life. When he told his father he was engaged, his eyebrows shot up. From the way he'd seen Emma, he wasn't sure he liked this new arrangement. Nonetheless, he listened to what Bae had to say and took in everything he could.

Bae's yawn signified he had a long enough day and was overdue for some rest. After he went to bed, Belle and Rumpel sat alone by the fire. Belle latched to Rumpelstiltskin again. He just held her to his chest for a while.

"Can we go upstairs...please?" Belle requested. "I'd be much more comfortable."

"All right," Rumpel said, complying. "Whatever you want." As they made their way up the stairs, they could hear Bae sound asleep and snoring away. Belle shut the door to the guest room, for as soon as he'd entered the room it seemed, he nearly passed out from exhaustion.

Gold let her into the bedroom and she sat on the bed as soon as he closed the door.

"Are you, comfortable?" Rumpel asked, and she nodded, inviting him to lay next to her atop the covers.

"I'm sorry I never asked," she began. "I hope you're okay with me...here..."

"Belle," Rumpel sighed in a sort of relief and lightness. "I don't mind at all. I love you. Sweetheart, you are never a burden."

Belle slid one arm over his chest.

"Thank you, Rumpelstiltskin," she replied as she put her head to rest on his left shoulder. He turned his head to look at her before bringing his head down to her reach upwards to him. Another kiss.

Moments after that kiss came another. Belle had missed him a lot, but he pulled away.

"Belle, I don't think we should-" Belle locked him in another kiss.

"Rumpel, please," she begged of him. "I need this. I need you tonight."

"Belle, sweetheart, I don't know if-" Another trapped kiss, but this time she flung herself over him, letting her hair hang down.

"Please." They kissed again, and he brought his hand around to her back and waist.

"I cannot bring myself to refuse you anymore tonight," Rumpelstiltskin confessed. He brought her down, just an inch away...

"This time, you refuse me. If you don't want any of this, please, just tell me so I can stop hurting you," Rumpelstiltskin said. Belle nodded, a sorrow in her eyes, but her lust brought her to his lips seconds later.

A smile graced Belle's lips.

"You are not an ugly man," she whispered in his ear, remembering what he'd told her on the phone that sparked her memory.

"Yes I am, Belle," he contradicted, but she wouldn't have any of it from him tonight. She stripped him of his coat and laid her hands atop the soft cloth, resting her left hand where his wound from Hook would have been.

She stole another kiss, wanting so much to drop the conversation, but nothing was ever that easy with Rumpelstiltskin.

"I love you," she said, knowing that would shut him up for a few moments as she fell next to him to get rid of her sweatshirt. He rolled up his sleeves and watched as she unbuttoned his vest and shirt, a smile of almost mocking led her to look up again.

"Hm, somehow I remember this," she stroked his bare chest. "a little more...glittering gold."

The joke came to him too, as calmly as she'd told him. He kissed her forehead, taking off his vest completely and emptying his pockets before settling next to her again.

"Well," Rumpel reminded her dramatically. "I know how much you detest magic, but if you like, I can try and-"

"No thanks," she interrupted, so unlike her persona to do such. His eyes narrowed.

"So I was ugly then," he tried to prove her wrong.

"No, you drove me crazy," Belle contradicted. "The way your skin just showed enough in that skinned vest and that ridiculous red undershirt you still loved, even after it wore infinite holes."

"You-you liked that?" he asked astounded, nearly dumbstruck. Belle nodded, turning herself back over on top of him.

"And now, I can see more..." she paused purposely for her own effect, even though he knew where she was going with that. "And I still like it."

A sigh escaped quickly through his nose, his top row of teeth told of his satisfaction within her answer. This time, it was he who stole the kiss just waiting on the tips of her lips. By her own choice, Belle lifted her undershirt and set it aside, drawing herself closer to Rumpelstiltskin. He touched her warm, bare skin, noting that was most likely at least part of the reason she'd taken it off in the first place.

Already Belle couldn't get enough of how they were as it was. She stole many more kisses before settling beside him.

"Is this what it would be like?" she wondered as he drew her closer, missing her form against his, completing his puzzle.

"Is it what?" he asked.

"If I-theoretically, if I stayed, is this what it would be like?" She stared up at the ceiling.

"Sweetheart," Rumpel said softly as he drew an arm around her delicate waistline. He kissed her neck longingly and soft as he had spoken. "I would never tell you not to lie next to me." He could feel her smile again, and it warmed him to his own core.

"I'll be honest," Belle said with a yawn. "When I came here, I was going to clean the entire house, cook, and then...then strip everything from you while I told you how much I missed you."

"Heh, I think I like this better," Rumpelstiltskin replied. In his for once honesty, that was how he truly felt. "Just us, here, like this." She nodded in agreement as he scaled her body under the covers to admire her beauty.

"Thank you, Rumpel, for helping me find myself," she said quietly. She turned her form and found her final resting place right next to him.

"Thank you, Belle, for another chance, however many this makes."

"I lost count around nine since I got here," she smiled, seeing he recognized her fooling around, though ironically, there was truth in what she spoke. She sighed with a smile.

"And that is why I love you."