So this is the first time I've stepped out of my Doctor Who comfort zone. Hello OUAT fandom! I have never published any OUAT fanfics I've written until now. I guess that when the writers try to sink your OTP it changes a person :P Anyway, this is just a quick fix for the finale which was absolutely devastating for Rumbelle and Outlaw queen. Enjoy!

Rumple looked down at the red line drawn on the road. He had found the author and stopped the other three for good. No longer would Ursula, Crueller or Maleficent be free to cause havoc. He wondered how Belle was doing. Was she happy where she was?

It didn't matter that the town line wasn't cursed anymore. The only thing that mattered was Belle's command for him never to return. He honoured that commandment and despite his nature, he didn't try to find a way around it.

Twigs snapped to his right and he saw Emma emerging from the trees behind the line. She was unaware that he could see her so he kept his eyes fixed in front of him. Emma's eyes widened in shock when she saw him and she stepped towards the middle of the road slowly.

Rumple closed his eyes and sighed. "How much have we lost in the pursuit of power? Villains and heroes alike have their flaws".

"Yeah they do," Emma replied quietly, still unaware that he could hear her.

When his eyes opened again there were tears in them. "Oh Belle...the only weakness I have is you. Can't you see that the greatest power in the world is true love, and I love you so much".

Emma frowned and looked down at the line on the road. He was standing on the very edge of the line. How did he know where it was?

Deciding against her better judgement, she placed a foot forward over the line and brought it back quickly.

"The line is broken, dearie," Rumple spoke and her head snapped up to see him watching her.

"Since when?"

"Since the author wrote it," he responded casually. "I took the liberty of asking him to write endings for each of my beloved heroes".

"What did you do?"

"Don't worry, dearie. I didn't come here wishing to cause anyone harm. I merely wished to pass on a message".

"Which is?"

"That the author has written all of your endings and he is not a fan of tragedies. You are all very happy".

"What about Regina and Robin?"

"I think you'll find that everything works out for the best".

"And you?"

Rumple threw his head back and laughed bitterly. "I'm a villain, dearie. As I've said before, villains don't get happy endings".

"So what about Belle, her happy ending was with you, wasn't it?" Emma asked curiously.

Rumple took a deep breath and looked down. "The author has assured me that her ending is also a good one. I know not if I am any part of it but I don't think I am". He reached for his left hand and pulled his wedding ring off his finger. "You'll have to reach through".

Emma cautiously reached through and took the ring. "Why are you giving this back?"

"It was a promise. I broke that promise one too many times. I want Belle to have this and to know that although we've spent our lives trying to find each other, I think that she deserves something more".

"This isn't a trick is it? It's not some sort of sneaky way of getting back into town?" Emma narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"No," Rumple shook his head. "I'm proving to her that if there is one thing I can keep, it's her commandment for me to stay away".

Emma nodded slowly. Her phone started ringing and she pulled it out to answer it. After a short conversation with someone Rumple could only guess was Hook, she hung up and turned back to him.

"I have to go back into town now," she gestured awkwardly in the direction of town.

"I understand," he nodded and she turned to leave. "Emma..."

"Yeah?"

He shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Don't tell Belle I'm here. I know that with everything I've done, especially to you, that I have no right to ask...but can you please just keep this a secret?"

Emma nodded. "You're alright, Gold".

"I tried to kill you," he laughed softly.

"But you're sorry for it whether you say it out loud or not. You're simply an addict. You can't blame an addict for the damage they cause".

"I think that in my case it's a little more severe than an addiction".

"Would you give it up, if you could?" Emma asked.

Rumple glanced down at the town line and sighed deeply. "I'd love to say that true love is the only power I wish to keep, but that would be another lie. The truth is that I love power. Before I became the dark one I was powerless. Your young man stole my wife from me and I was powerless to stop it".

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Then you cut off his hand".

"That was after I got my power. I only became the dark one to protect my son...but then the darkness took over and look where it's got me. My son is dead and my wife banished me".

"If you're trying to get me to feel sorry for you I'm afraid I'm finding it a little hard," Emma frowned. "But I do believe that even you deserve that happy ending Rumpelstiltskin. It may not matter now, but you did have good intentions to begin with".

"Corruption is my weakness".

"No, fear is your weakness. Your insecurity is what makes you weak. Did you really have to try and make yourself immortal? You trusted Belle with the dagger and no one was coming for you. Did you really not trust the woman you love with the one way of killing you?"

"I don't- I didn't"-

"You didn't think of that? No, because you're too blinded by the thought of power that you couldn't see. She loved you more than anyone else ever could. All she wanted was you".

Those last words reopened the partially healed wounds of Belle's last words to him and he winced. He was a stupid man, he'd admit it. His life was a competition between his addictions and it was only a matter of time until the more powerful one won. And win it did. He foolishly chose it above all others. Not even his addiction to the light his wife offered was enough to combat his need for security.

"I really have to go now," Emma turned again to leave and this time Rumple didn't stop her.

Xxx

After dealing with both Hook and Henry, Emma crossed the street to the library where Belle would undoubtedly be. When he entered however, the lights were off and sobbing could be heard through the darkness.

"Belle?" she called out cautiously.

"In here," the faint voice of the librarian drifted back to her.

Fumbling in the dark she found her way around the room until she could see Belle in a corner. A small candle was all she was using for light and Emma frowned before using her magic to turn the lights on around them.

Belle blinked up at her in the brightness and groaned. "It's far too bright in here".

"Come on," Emma put an arm under Belle's shoulder and tried to pull her up. "I'm not letting you waste your whole life sitting in the dark. You've barely left this place since..."

"Since my husband broke my heart and tried to kill the people I've come to call family?"

"Yeah that," Emma successfully pulled her up. "It's no life for you being stuck in here".

"But what's waiting out there?" Belle laughed bitterly. "My life is finished".

"No it's not. I have to tell everyone else later, but someone found the author. The author has written us all happy endings and I've been assured yours in among them".

"But my story has ended".

Emma sighed and reached into her pocket to pull out Rumple's ring. "I think it's only just beginning".

Belle's eyed widened as she quickly plucked the ring from Emma's fingers. "Where did you get this?"

"Where do you think I got it?"

"He's not back...?"

Emma shook her head. "The town line was broken by the author. Gold can't come back though because of your commandment".

"You've seen him?" Belle asked quietly.

Emma nodded. "Yeah, I saw him this morning. He told me not to tell you that he's there. He has no intention of re-entering Storybrooke because he wants you to start over. It was him that got the author to write our happy endings and to make sure that yours is good as well".

"He got the author to re-write my future?" Belle asked incredulously, sinking down the bookshelf behind her to sit on the floor again. "To re-write it so he's not in it?"

"I assume so," Emma shrugged. "Whatever the author wrote, it means that you're going to be happy".

Belle leapt up again and shook her head. "No! I can't be happy with anyone else!"

"Wait, what are you doing?" Emma asked, chasing her through the library and to the door.

"I'm so sorry Rumple," Belle whispered as she raced down the street.

"So you find out he wants you to be happy and you just forgive him like that?" Emma called after her.

Belle turned around with a smile on her face. "No. It's going to take a lot more than that for me to forgive him".

"Then why are you going to him?"

"Because he's giving up the two things that mean the most to him. He has no power out there yet he isn't coming back. He loves me yet he got the author to write my happy ending with or without him".

"Are you sure he's not just manipulating you again?"

Belle's face hardened. "I'm not quite as gullible as everyone thinks I am. I have seen the man behind that beast and I know that he still exists. I'm just ashamed of myself for giving up on him".

"But..." Emma trailed off as she watched Belle run towards Mr Gold's shop. "I will never understand the unbelievable amount of faith fairy-tale characters have in one another".

A soft laughed came from behind her and she turned to see Hook standing there with a smirk on his face. "Let's not forget that you're not immune either, Swan. It's not only fairy-tale characters that experience true love".

Emma rolled her eyes. "I know, but would you do that?"

"If it was you of course I would, love," he moved slyly towards her and snaked his arms around her waist. "Love does crazy things to a man and even crazier things to a woman".

"Shut up," she laughed before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his lips to hers.

Xxx

Belle approached the town line cautiously. She didn't want him to think that she was as excited about seeing him as she actually was. Hope welled inside her at the thought that maybe he had changed. It was a long shot and the foolishness of such a hope was all too familiar to her...but was it so impossible?

As she reached the edge of the forest she caught a glimpse of him standing at the town line and quickly ducked back into cover.

"I know you're there, dearie," his voice called through the silence and she shivered. She had missed that voice so much. "Come out. I presume you told Belle that I'm here even though you promised not to?"

Belle took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the line of trees. "Yes she did".

Rumple's eyes nearly bulged out of his head and he stepped back. "Belle".

"Rumple," she murmured softly.

"I didn't want you to know I was still here".

"Why not?"

"Because then you'd come here. I know you well enough to know that you don't just give up on people".

"I nearly did," she admitted quietly. "I still don't know if I can trust you".

"I know," he bowed his head, "but you don't have to. Go back to town and find that happy ending the author mapped out for you".

Belle shook her head and sucked in a deep breath. "My happy ending isn't back in town".

Rumple frowned at her. "Belle, I'm a villain. Everyone knows that villains like me don't get happiness, no matter who writes the story".

"Well I'm re-writing your ending," Belle stepped forward with determination in her voice.

"You don't want me. All I do is hurt people, Belle".

"Then from now on we're going to change that," she pulled out the dagger once again and Rumple's eyes widened at the sight of it.

"What are you doing?"

"Rumpelstiltskin," she spoke clearly. "I allow you back into Storybrooke under the condition that you never lie to me again and that you never use your magic unless you're helping someone".

"Belle," Rumple shook his head as the tears welled up in his eyes. "You don't want this".

"Welcome home, Rumpelstiltskin". With her final words he found his feet moving of their own accord over the line so that he could stand right in front of her.

"You really shouldn't have"-

"Stop it!" Belle put a finger to his lips and he quietened. "You vowed to me that you would always be with me. Stop trying to make things better when they're fine the way they are".

"I just wanted you to have a good life".

"I know. You wanted the best for us. But there is a line, Rumple. A line that must never be crossed again and I think you know what it is".

Rumple nodded. "I'm so sorry Belle," he whispered as silent tears fell down his cheeks. "I don't deserve the love you've given me".

"Yes you do," she came forward and cupped his cheek with her palm. "Everyone deserves to be loved at some stage in their life. You're time has come Rumpelstiltskin and I'm going to be there for you".

"Thank you," he murmured through his tears and pulled her into a hug. "I missed you so much".

"I missed you too," she whispered as she pulled away to look him in the eyes. "No more secrets, no more power".

Rumple nodded. "I love you Belle".

Belle smiled. "You see, I know you're telling the truth," she glanced down at the dagger, "because you can't lie to me anymore".

"I wouldn't want to anyway," he shook his head. "Too long have I allowed power to control my life. I'm not saying I can live without it and I know you're not going to make me...but I know that it has tainted me in a way that I will not recover from".

"Then let me help you, for real this time. I thought I didn't want to know you anymore, but the truth is that I just wanted to understand how I could help you. No matter how hard you try, you'll never quite get rid of me, Rumpelstiltskin".

"I don't want to," he smiled softly as their lips connected and he embraced his wife.

"I love you Rumple," Belle murmured from against his chest. "Take us home".

Rumple waved his hand and transported them back to their house. He didn't really care what the town would say and neither did she. True love had proved more powerful than even his worst sins. His days of darkness and deceit were over and his days light were just beginning.

So it's a little bit cheesy, but I've found that most fairy-tales are. Drop me a review to tell me what you thought of it and I'll be hanging on with the rest of you to see what happens in the second part of the season. :)