Author's Note: Many thanks to Leigh Ann (leighann415) for surprising me by writing "A New Start" as a Christmas present for me. It was her first, but hopefully not her last Rumbelle story. Wheels were turning for a sequel pretty quickly, and after some thinking about it, this resulted. We haven't seen Henry and Belle interact much on the show, so I thought I should do something about that, especially considering Henry's connection to Rumple! ;) Please do R&R!
"Thanks for walking me here," Belle said as she and Rumple reached the door to Storybrooke's library. She kissed him.
"My pleasure, dearie." Rumpelstiltskin bowed. It was clear that he may have left the Enchanted Forest, but the Enchanted Forest hadn't left him. "I'm sure you'll be the best librarian this town's ever seen, but if you should need anything, just give me a call at my shop." He pointed in the direction of his pawnshop.
Belle could only grin, resisting the urge to point out that she was the only librarian this town had seen. During the years when Storybrooke and its residents were victims of Regina's curse, this building had gone unused. With the curse now broken, things in Storybrooke were changing. Belle's life might have been the most drastically affected. Because she'd been locked in asylum for the duration of the curse, she hadn't even gotten to experience this new land as everyone else had. Only today she'd had her very first hamburger.
Now that she was finally free, Belle wanted to spend all of her time with Rumpelstiltskin. After all, they had quite a bit of lost time to make up for. But she was looking forward to her job in the library. Books had always been the thing she loved most. After saying goodbye to Rumple, Belle opened the door, and went into the old library.
Something about being in here just felt right. She'd spent most of her life (well, her life in the old land) reading about heroes, and longing to be a hero herself. She walked around the library, making sure that everything was organized as it should be. Once she was satisfied that the books were exactly where they belonged, Belle seated herself at the front desk and waited for patrons to arrive.
A few hours later, it was clear to Belle that in a town full of storybook characters, there isn't much need for a library. She sighed to herself, wondering if this job was a failure. Perhaps she should just close up now and see if Rumple was free. But just as the thought crossed her mind, she heard the front door open. In walked Henry, the mayor's adopted son, who risked his own life to prove that the curse was real.
"Hello, Henry." Belle didn't know him very well, but everyone in town knew who Henry Mills was. "What brings you here?"
Henry shrugged. "I thought I'd come check the place out." He placed his beloved storybook on the counter.
"What's this?" Belle asked, intrigued. On the cover were the words Once Upon a Time. It appeared to be a rather old book.
"It's my book of fairytales. You're in here." He picked the book back up and quickly flipped through the pages. Then he turned it back toward Belle, showing her a picture of herself and Rumpelstiltskin. Belle gasped at the resemblance. The drawing showed her in Rumple's arms after he caught her. Looking back on it now, that was the moment she'd fallen in love with the Dark One.
"Rumple told me that we were all in a book, but I didn't quite believe him until now." Belle couldn't take her eyes off the book.
Henry smiled. "Yeah, it is kind of hard believe. Even Emma thought I was crazy at first!"
There was something about this kid, Belle noticed. He wasn't at all what Belle had expected children in this new land to be like. Except for his clothing, he might have been right at home in the Enchanted Forest. But then, it made sense: his mother was from there. His grandparents were no less than Snow White and Prince Charming. No one knew who his father was, but it clearly didn't matter. "Well, obviously everyone knows now that you're not crazy!" Belle laughed.
Henry grinned. He was glad the curse was finally broken. Things in town certainly weren't perfect, with everyone so mad at Regina now, but at least people were free. The happy endings were coming back.
Belle felt strange sharing her feelings with a kid she barely knew, but once again, she felt a connection to him because he had roots in the Enchanted Forest. "Henry, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure," Henry said with a shrug.
"Well, ever since Regina's curse was broken, Rumple's been so nice to me, giving me new clothes to wear, a place to stay, this job...I just want to do something nice for him, to say thank you. But what can I get for the man who has, literally, everything?"
Henry laughed. "Mr. Gold doesn't need anything. You're his happy ending. Well, you and his son. But he's got to figure out how to find him first. That's why he came here." Henry spoke with authority. Clearly he knew all of this from reading his book countless times.
His answer surprised Belle. Even with all of Rumple's possessions, the things in his shop, there had be something he might want. But what Henry said made sense. Back in the old land, wealth didn't usually lead to happiness. In fact, it had been the pursuit of wealth and power that had turned Rumpelstiltskin into a monster in the first place. "I suppose you're right," Belle answered with a sigh. "But I was hoping to give him something, for all he's given me."
"You already have, Belle. True love. It's, like, the most powerful thing in the world!" He once again picked up his book and flipped to a page near the very end. He showed Belle another picture, this time a drawing of a baby wrapped in a blanket, with the name Emma embroidered on it. "See? My mom's the product of true love. That's how come she's the savior. That's how she broke the curse."
Suddenly, a memory flashed in Belle's mind. True love's kiss, the thing that had nearly turned Rumpelstiltskin back into the man he'd once been. How could she have forgotten that? Before she could think of what she was doing, Belle stood and leaned across the circulation desk. She pulled young Henry into a quick hug. "Thank you," she whispered.
"What for?" Henry asked in surprise. Grown-ups didn't usually act this way. At least, not most of the ones he knew.
Belle smiled at him. "For believing in fairytales," she said. All her life, Belle had wanted to be a real hero. She wasn't sure if she'd succeeded, or if she ever would. But she had no doubt that right in front of her stood a ten-year-old hero.
The End