The Alternative

Belle drops the tea cup as severe pain shoots all through her. "No. No! This can't be happening."

As Emma and Hook look on Belle is in the floor gathered in on herself and her stomach is expanding. "I knew the crocodile wouldn't give up that easily. I should have made sure he stayed in the underworld while we were there."

"He wouldn't do this...said he'd..." Belle is trying to speak between pants of pain filled breath. As Emma and Hook go to help her up and get her out of the diner there is a crash in the kitchen. As they are about to see what happened Granny comes barrelling out of the kitchen with her crossbow looking in all directions.

Eyes setting on Emma, "Why are you still here and not chasing that evil woman down?"

Emma is clearly confused but more concerned about Belle and getting her some place safe before Rumplestiltskin returns to do more harm. "There is no woman to chase but Belle needs help now."

"Doesn't matter where you take her if the Evil Queen is still after her then she will get her come hell or high water." Putting the crossbow down Granny approaches Belle. "Here, lets get you some place more comfortable." She almost all but lifts Belle off the floor and takes her to a room by her office. "My bed is more comfortable than those lumpy beds in the guest rooms and I know you don't like the hospital for good reason."

Emma is following and protesting the whole way. "No we can't do this here. Belle needs help and Gold is after the baby. He caused this so we need to get her to the fairies."

Bitter laughter is the reply she gets. After Granny gets Belle settled she turns to the supposed 'savior'. "You think I can't deliver a baby? It won't be the first time I've done it. As for Gold, he spent centuries looking for his first child so I doubt he'd hurt this one. I also know he wouldn't hurt Belle because if that were the case he would have done so long ago."

While retrieving towels, a blanket, water, and her own cell phone she continues staring at the clueless pair and says, "How many chances has he had to kill you and yet here you stand?"

"Not killing me has nothing to do with what he has done to the woman he supposedly loves." The pirate may have traded leather for denim but he won't give up any of his hatred for the man he hunted for centuries.

Emma steps in, "That is very true and Gold has hurt Belle; just look what he just did." While finishing pulling the comforter off the bed and getting up on it on her knees by Belle she looks to her boyfriend. "Killian, I think you should go to the convent and get Mother Superior."

Shaking her head while trying to comfort Belle; Granny just gives Emma an exasperated look. "I'm not going to argue with you because I don't have time to but I will remind you I came out of the kitchen looking for the Evil Queen. You aren't going to question why? You aren't going to ask what she did?"

Belle speaks up now because even though she did forgive Regina she fears the Evil Queen because that is the part of the other woman that kept her prisoner and abused her for decades. "What was she doing; following Rumple's bidding, again?"

"No she restrained me then after making you some tea she put a potion in it." Looking at her phone to keep track of time between contractions she thinks it may be a good idea to send out a text to Dr. Whale. "She boasted how that was going to finally and truly kill your love for the imp. She went on about even if he told you he had nothing to do with this that you would never believe him and this time you won't be coming back after you run from him."

Shaking her head as tears of emotional pain join the tears of physical pain already free flowing down her pale, sweaty face."Rumple...Rumple didn't do this? What have I done?" Trying to reach for her own phone that is on the night stand by the bed she only succeeds in knocking it to the floor as another contraction hits her.

Hook seeing the phone on the floor picks it up but before handing it to her asks, "Why are you trying to call anyone now while so occupied?"

Hissing a breath through clinched teeth Belle all but snarls, "Weren't you suppose to be going somewhere? Give me my dammed phone now Killian Jones or I'll feed your hook to you!"

Dropping the phone in her hand he looks at Emma, "Women in labor can be dangerous. I am SO glad you aren't with child right now."

If looks could kill he'd be dead a thousand times over easily. "Didn't I tell you to go get Mother Superior? LEAVE!"

While they are exchanging heated and angry looks Belle remembers she doesn't need a phone for what she wants. "Rumplestiltskin, Rumplestiltskin, Rumplestiltskin!" she almost screams.

"No need to shout Belle." Then he actually takes in the surroundings and what is happening. "How? How did this happen? Belle I promise I didn't do it. I would never do anything to hurt you or our baby."

Granny grouchily pushes the sorcerer to the head of the bed. "Men all the same! I don't care if you make up now or after the baby is born just stay the hell out of my way."

Never breaking eye contact with Belle and only bothering to reply to Granny by moving as she demanded Rumple slowly reaches a hand out toward Belle afraid she will reject even non-magical touch from him. Just as he is about to apologize both for scaring her in the library and for threatening her with the aging powder she speaks up, "I know you didn't do this and I am willing to let you stay but you can not touch the baby once he is born. Agreed?"

Nodding quickly he says, "I agree. I won't do anything without your permission first Belle. I am so very sorry we have come to this."

"Fine; dandy; he's staying now can you please pay attention to what you are suppose to be doing and bring this babe into the world already?" Granny says as she is checking to see how close Belle is to being ready to actually deliver the child.

Just then the Blue Fairy all but bursts into the room upon seeing Rumple she grabs her wand. "Dark One leave this place. No one wants you here."

Belle shakes her head. "I called him Blue; he stays."

Tilting her head to look Belle over like she is insane she reaches out with her wand and magic starts flowing. For once Rumple doesn't stop it because he sees it is a spell of unraveling. This means that any spell that was cast on either Belle or the baby will be undone. "The Dark One didn't cast any charm or spell on you to make you want this? How is that possible that you would allow an abomination like him near you without being com pulsed to do so?"

Just as she is about to respond to that rather odd stated question a pain like none she has ever felt before in her life goes through her and Belle is left unable to speak; only scream at the top of her lungs as the pain seems to mount even higher when she thought it not possible.

Rumple having never witness a birth other than sheep is at a loss as to what to do to try to help. He was already reaching for her hand but now he doesn't hesitate and grabs her hand holding it in both of his. "You can squeeze my hand so hard you crush it for all I care just know I am here. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Granny speaks up then, "You could use that damp cloth to wipe the sweat off her face and just be there for her. Really that is all anyone can do."

"I'm here sweetheart. I won't leave unless you tell me to." Rubbing soothing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb he takes the cloth and dabs her already soaked face. "I wish I could ease your pain."

Two deep breaths through her mouth the Belle almost smiles at him. That alone makes the two broken fingers from her crushing grip worth it. "You just being here helps. I don't understand why I've been this way and not actually talked or listened to you. We can't work this out if I keep taking the easy route and running."

Shaking his head, "Belle, that isn't all your fault. I should have told you sooner than I did about being the Dark One again. I should have spoken about the land of untold stories sooner and I shouldn't have let my fear drive my actions of trapping you on that ship."

Before she can reply another pain hits her with so much force it takes her breath away. Granny speaks up from where she is at the foot of the bed, "Belle you need to push now. This wee one is ready to meet the world."

Everything seems to freeze from that moment until the moment they hear the thin but very loud cry of a baby. "It's a girl!" Granny exclaims totally unaware they were lead to believe they were to have a son. "She's beautiful and certainly has a healthy set of lungs."

In unison both Rumple and Belle ask, "She?"

Handing the now clean and swaddled baby to Belle the older lady nods. "Yes, a healthy little girl. Why are you two looking so confused?"

"Maybe because I told them I was their son." a voice calls from the window. "Playing the both of you was so very, very easy given your history I didn't even have to work at it."

Belle shakes her head; she just can't believe someone would do that. Why would someone enter her dreams just to lie to her? she thinks. Out loud she asks, "Who are you?"

Before the person can answer Rumple is finally able to speak. "M-Mother? B-but, why?"

Throwing her head back and laughing the black fairy drops the glamor she was using. "For power of course. Why else would I go to such lengths over just another baby?"

Belle clutches their baby girl even closer to her chest. "Why this baby? Why now?"

Eying the Blue Fairy and then Emma she sends out magic in all directions. "Simple, losing one child broke his heart but losing a second would break him. I need him broken so I can finally take back MY power."

"He's the Dark One. His power came from a curse not you." Looking at Rumple then back at the fairy she begins to see small rivulets of magic flowing off of him to her. As it continues he begins to shake and falls to his knees. "STOP IT! You're hurting him! Please, don't hurt him."

Waving a hand to speed the flow up the fairy looks Belle over. "What does it matter to you? You can't stand his magic and you don't truly love him." Looking Rumple over she sees how physically week his heart is. "I was going to just simply take back the magic he was born with and spare his life but I could do him the mercy of ending his life with his magic."

"No I can't allow this." the Blue fairy states as she is finally free of the immobilization and places herself between the two disrupting the flow of magic. "You have gone too far. When I banished you all those centuries ago I should have imprisoned you."

Looking the other fairy over she asks, "What does it matter to you? You didn't care about him when he was a helpless child abandoned by both parents. You stood by and did nothing while he dealt away his second born to save the life of his first son. You ignored his pleas for help when that same son was to be sent to an unwinnable war."

Looking at Rumple then back to the other fairy. "I admit I made mistakes but I had thought it for the best. He is only half fairy so he would never have been satisfied with a life surrounded by us. I had thought with his heritage he couldn't even become the Dark One and then thought he could resist the pull after he did. Later I thought he was so twisted up with the demon that no humanity was left but I was wrong and it's taken me far too long to see it."

Hook hadn't been in the room when the black fairy made her entrance so he wasn't frozen like the others. He listened to all this but has had enough. "Now you're defending the crocodile. Why the bloody hell would you do that? I brought you here to drive him away and force him to never return."

Looking him over with disgust the black fairy curls her lip. "You would do well to stay out of this; it doesn't concern you human." With those words she flicks her hand and next thing he knows he's standing in the middle of the woods surrounding the town.

Emma bulled her way through it but managed to get the spell holding her off of her and is now free. Rising from the bed and standing shoulder to shoulder with Blue she raises her hands calling her magic. "I would suggest you give it up already and leave."

Laughter dancing in her eyes, "You've got fire. I like that and that is why I won't kill you; for now."

Just then Regina appears in the room, "Your pirate called and said you needed help. What's going on?"

Before anyone else can say a thing an energy wave hits the three of them. "How do you hero types ever win if all you do is talk during a fight?"

Emma and Regina throw magic right back at her while Blue is mumbling something.

"NO! You will not trap me again Ruel Ghorm I bested you before and will do so again even if you are week enough to have to rely on puny humans for help." Waving her hand she summoned the baby out of Belle's arms and is now holding her. "You always had a soft spot for babies so I know you wouldn't dare put this one in harms way even if she is the spawn of the Dark One."

From the bed all Belle can do is scream and beside her all Rumple can do is seethe due to the combination of the immobilization and the power drain she was performing. He knows what Blue was chanting and is terrified she will finish it even if it means trapping their newborn daughter along with that thing that spawned him. Willing strength as much as he can all he can do now is speak softly. "Emma, please save the baby. Don't let Ruel Ghorm trap her too." The amount of energy it took just to do that little bit is enough to knock him out.

With a wave of her hand the black fairy unweaves the enchantment coming toward her. Holding the baby even closer to her she says, "Do tell Rumple good luck in finding another child for me will you?" With another wave of her hand she is tiny and flying out the window with her granddaughter.

When she is out of the town's boundary the spell on Belle falls away. "No, this can't be happening. I lost my baby. I lost Rumple and I did it all myself."

Blue is hovering over them. "You haven't lost anyone yet. Your beast is still here and I will cast a locator to track the black fairy."

"Hey Belle, if her locator doesn't work I know there was a globe that can be used to find the baby. That's how Gold found Neal and how he located Henry after he was kidnapped." Emma says this while kneeling next to Rumple and checking him over.

When Emma touches his shoulder Gold jerks so hard he hits his head on the nightstand cutting his brow. "Easy Rumple, Emma was just trying to help you." Belle says as she tries to reach for him.

Drawing away from her seeking hands and pushing himself against the wall Rumple raises his hands like he's ready to fend off a blow. Everyone is puzzled by this but then Granny realizes what might be happening. "That fairy stunned him, tried to drain him, and knocked him out. He may have been dreaming so he may think he's still being attacked. I'd use caution if I were you and try not to get too close."

Even after the months out of that blasted cage every time he closes his eyes for longer than a few seconds he is right back there. On the floor, powerless, unable to stop her from touching him, taunting him, hitting him...then he's back at the town line. "Please, don't do this. Don't make me do this."

With that Belle knows beyond a doubt he's still trapped in some nightmare of some sort. She rises from the bed amid loud protests that she ignores and slowly approaches him. Assuming it is Zelena she says, "Rumple, she isn't here. You are safe. Please..."

"Belle, PLEASE!" Rumple almost screams over what Belle is saying. Then in a small voice, "I love you; please go. Run far away." All the events are running through his mind so quickly he can't keep up but some happen over and over. Belle in the cellar trying to get him to leave with her and not listening to his warning, Belle at the town line angry and hurt, Belle on the floor of the pawn shop with him refusing to leave even though the danger is so great, and finally Belle walking away from him at the well.

Looking around at the others in the room she doesn't really want to have an audience to try to talk Rumple through this but she doesn't think they will simply leave them be either. "Could you at least step back and give us some space, please?"

Regina steps forward instead of back and Belle gives her a dirty look for it. Raising her hands in a gesture of surrender Regina says, "I only want to help. I can see magic still surrounding him and you as well. I will unravel it and then leave if that is alright with you."

Nodding Belle scoots to the side a little thinking she was in the way sitting between them. "Okay then, I'll just go to the diner." Emma says as she starts to back out of the room. Looking up she notices her love still standing there, "Killian, come on. Leave them be for now."

The spells are now unraveled and a small glowing mass in Regina's hand. She looks at it for a moment trying to decide what to do with it and then closes her hand around it banishing it off to no one knows where. "I would suggest you hurry and get him to snap out of it because I doubt the blue glow bug will be in any big hurry to locate your child." With that she is gone in a plume of smoke.

"Another child, again, I let another child down by letting her go and she wasn't even a day old." Rumple says as he begins to snap out of it somewhat on his own. Suddenly he turns and hit the wall with such force Belle is shocked there isn't a hole in the wall.

Pulling his arm back and cradling his now bloody fist in her small hands Belle looks up at him. "Doing that won't get our daughter back. I'm sorry I let that dream world play with my mind and I didn't listen to you."

Shaking his head to try to clear it he closes his eyes. "Why would you listen to me? I promised you honesty when I pulled that blasted sword from the stone and then when it counted I lied to you. Then when you came back instead of telling the whole truth right then I let myself fall into your arms and just kept my mouth shut."

Rising from the floor he bends down and picks Belle up. "Rumple, you shouldn't be carrying me. Don't hurt yourself."

"Don't worry about me." Sitting her down back on the bed he straightens. "I will find our daughter...we have a daughter. I promise you I will find her and bring her back to you."

"You mean us, right? She needs her father too." Belle says as she looks him over; really looks him over for once. She doesn't like what she sees; the pain, resignation, fear, doubt...it's her fault. She doesn't say anything though cause she fears that would just make it worse. "Go get whatever that was you used to find Henry and Neal. I'm coming with you."

Starting to protest but then realizing it would be futile he doesn't even leave the spot he's standing. Summoning the globe was easy. Using his blood to locate their daughter was easy. However, upon seeing the location he knows that the journey will be anything but easy. "Belle she has taken her to a very dangerous place. The place where fairies originally came from. I really wish you would just stay here and recover."

Shaking her head she looks at the globe. "I think i recognize that place from one of my books. I am going with you and you can't stop me." Standing from the bed she takes a step and then falters. "Maybe I should eat something first." she laughs.

Six months later:

Just as Belle is pulling the turkey out of the oven the doorbell sounds. "Rumple, can you get that? I have my hands full at the moment."

"Of course, why didn't you ask me to get that out of the oven?" shaking his head at the determined stubborn streak in his true love.

Opening the door with Rose balanced on his hip he finds almost the entirety of their extended family all waiting for entry each holding a dish or dessert of some sort. "You sure we shouldn't have had this meal at the diner?" David asks as he walks through the door holding a casserole dish almost overflowing with green bean casserole.

Laughing Henry asks, "Where would be the fun in that Gramps? Here we all have to sit next to each other at the same table."

Extending his empty arm to give the teen a half hug, "You have a point Henry. Besides, I don't think Widow Lucas would appreciate it if there were a magical accident when this small hurricane is done eating and possibly has a little gas."

"I thought colic was bad when Neal had it but little Rose here proved me very wrong." Snow says as she approaches arms extended ready to hold the little one.

One by one everyone files in until the last three people. They pause because they are unsure of their welcome even though this day is all about family. "If us being here will cause any problems we can just go to my house." Emma says as she nervously shifts from one foot to the other beside Killian.

"I too will leave if it causes any discomfort." Mother Superior says as she looks Rumple in the eyes.

Shaking his head he waves them all in. "Honestly, you wouldn't be you if you weren't actively trying to keep me from finding my child or you'd make me more suspicious of you than I usually am." Emma walks on into the kitchen carrying the pies but watching over her shoulder in case the wily sorcerer changes his mind but hears something that shocks her to a total standstill making her almost drop what she is carrying. Turning completely back around she has to see it to believe it but sure enough both Rumple and the fairy are laughing together and the shocker that makes her drop the pies is Rumple has his arm around the Blue fairy's shoulders while they are walking the rest of the way in.

Stopping in front of Emma they both look her over in unison. "Are you alright, dearie?" he asks as he makes a jester and the desserts are restored then placed on the side table with the other food.

"I I I I..." with that her eyes roll all the way back in her head and she falls but before she has a chance to hit her head or land in the floor Rumple caught her and is now standing in his foyer with his arms full of Savior.

"Think maybe we gave her a small shock." Blue asks as she waves her wand over the unconscious woman to check her for injury.

Packing her to the couch and laying her down he shakes his head. "I don't see where that could cause this. Might make her do her usual yelling and asking 'what the hell?' but not this."

Killian comes back in to see Emma laying on the couch. He runs straight to Rumple, "What did you do to her crocodile?"

Blue steps between them before the pirate can do something stupid. "He did nothing to warrant this." indicating Emma as she speaks.

Snow comes in to see what all the fuss is and shakes her head. "I told her not to skip breakfast and I also suggested she eat a snack." Heaving a sigh, "clearly she didn't do either."

Receiving puzzled looks from everyone she shakes her head. "I promised I wouldn't say anything to anyone. I haven't even said anything to David because Emma wants to announce it herself."

A groan sounds from the couch. "Could you guys go talk about me somewhere else, please? My head is killing me." Trying to sit up she is hit with a dizzy spell and is forced to lay back again. "Okay mom. I give; you win. I should have eaten something."

"What is going on Swan?" Killian asks as he kneels by the couch.

Shaking her head then immediately realizing it was a mistake to do that she laughs. "I had it all planned out how I was going to tell everyone after the meal but looks like i spoiled that." Taking a deep breath and looking into his eyes she takes his hand and lays it on her stomach. "Killian, I'm pregnant. We're going to have a baby."

No sooner than the word is out of her mouth and before anyone can say anything there is a high pitched, childish squeal. "BABY!" Rose squeals.

Belle rushes out of the kitchen to Snow's side. "Rose said her first word and I missed it." she says with tears in her eyes.

"I don't think you did cause loud as she said it I'm sure you heard it in the kitchen." Henry says laughing as he still has his ears covered. "They may have heard her all the way to Boston." For that last bit he is rewarded by Violet with a sharp elbow to the ribs.

Shaking her head Blue says, "Well to be a part of this bunch she'd have to do something to stick out." Tapping the little one on the nose she continues, "it would be nice though if you don't try to break the sound barrier." On that note everyone laughs and heads to the table for Thanksgiving dinner.

I wish I could say '...and they all lived happily ever after.' and while they all live happily this is still Storybrooke which means there is no end to the adventures and disasters that seem to hit them on nearly a weekly basis. They all thought this year was full with Dark Ones, multiple trips out of this realm, vengeful gods, and just general chaos then they may or may not be ready for what hits them with Emma and Hook's baby.

The End?