He had never been a man of great virtue. He had known Milah since his youth and there was only one thing on his mind when it came to her. They were young, barely adults, when they started sleeping together. They'd sneak off in the darkness of night to their place in the woods where they could be alone. About a year later they began their nightly escapades, she found out she was pregnant. Her father insisted that he marry Milah because after he took her innocence and it would make her an outcast of the town if he didn't marry her. Within the month, they wed and they were happy, until she lost the baby. Milah became depressed and nothing he did could fill the hole that was in her heart. Their newly married bliss had vanished and they began growing apart. It wasn't until right before he left for the Ogar's War that they had finally starting finding happiness once again. He believed that when he came back that they would finally be able to start a family. Little did he realize that their family was growing, even before he left. When the Seer told him that his wife was already with child, he did what he thought was right so he could return to his wife and newborn son. However, the joy that he experienced the moment he saw Milah with their son, had disappeared so quickly when she handed Bae to him and left their house. He loved that child more than anything. And, at that moment, he realized how much more he loved his son than his wife. He knew it would only be a matter of time before their marriage would disintegrate.
When his marriage ended and his son lost, he thought he had no more room for love in his life, only lust. Through his centuries of life, he had fancied many women, and many him. However, he surprised himself that out of all the deals he made, he never asked for a woman. Companionship would have been nice, but really what he really enjoyed was satisfaction. Then one night, he discovered Cora. He knew she was a feisty little thing, and that's what drew him to her. She was beautiful, and like him, wanted revenge on someone that had done her wrong. That night was the first time, since his young adult life, that he had opened up his heart to someone. He fell in love with her. He didn't care she was betrothed to another man. He'd appear in her chambers every night he wasn't away on business and lie next to her. Before they would get into bed, he slowly undressed her; kissing her neck and shoulders as he slid off her gown. He would rub his hands along her entire body feeling every inch of her before lying in bed with her. He loved the way Cora would run her hand down his chest after unlacing his shirt and vest. He savored the moment when she ran her hands along his shoulders and upper arms as she stripped him of his clothing. It felt incredible when her hands were at his waist teasing him as she slid her fingers along the inside of his pants. When he was finally free of his clothing, he would make love to her, and he experienced a feeling that he never had with Milah. He couldn't have enough of her. He wanted nothing more than to please her. That was until she broke his heart. Then, he saw her with that beautiful baby girl, and the thought began to cross his mind that she might be his. Though that was an answer he'd never find out, he wasn't sure it was an answer he wanted to know. He was fairly certain that she wasn't his, but back then, he wished she were. However, as time went on and his life began to change, he realized how relieved he was that as far as he knew, she wasn't his. Belle accepted Bea with open arms. However, accepting a child you had with your ex-wife and trying to explain your love child with the woman that was trying to kill you are completely different things. He knew that would be a stretch, even for Belle. 'Maybe that's one of those little things I don't tell her. Then again, maybe me being honest with her about everything will show her that I really am a changed man.' he said to himself as he tried to run every scenario though his head of how Belle could react to this information. The only conclusion he came to was that he'd just wait and see, and only at the right time he'd bring it up. Though, he wished that it would be something he'd never have to tell her.
After Cora, there were other women. However, none of them were more than a one-night stand. Eventually, he lost track of all the maidens he made harlots. He learned that no matter how many times a woman would ask him for another night, he couldn't stand having sex with the same woman more than once. He knew any more than that they would feel there was a potential for a relationship, something he clearly never wanted. He knew those women only wanted to be with him because of the things he could give them. None of them truly loved him. He was the Dark One, after all. He was unlovable.
No matter how many times he ran the day he met Belle through his head, he could not figure out what made him ask for her in the deal with her father. Maybe he really was lonely. Though it was something he didn't want to believe in at the time, maybe it was love at first sight. The only thing he was certain of was that the moment she fell of that ladder into his arms he knew he never wanted to let her go. He no longer wanted to be the man the he was. He wanted to be kind to her, give her anything she wanted, and show her that he loved her. He used to love being a man with ultimate freedom, with no responsibilities, and no one to think of but himself. But, somehow, Belle changed all of that and, surprisingly, he didn't mind.
Every time he thought of their first kiss, he wanted to kick himself for pushing her away, for letting her go. He let his old selfish ways get in the way of the one thing he truly wanted...her. For years, he tortured himself after Regina told him that Belle was dead, running that day through his head over and over again wishing he actually could change what happened. He wished that he would have held her as close to him as possible, ran his fingers through her hair, kissed her more passionately than she ever knew possible, and carried her into his chambers where he would have shown her in the greatest way he knew how just how much he loved her.
There were no words to express the happiness he felt when she walked into his shop 28 years after the curse had been cast. He was in shock the moment he saw her as he fought back tears, not wanting to startle her because he knew she had no idea who he was. 'This time,' he thought, 'This time I could show her, tell her, how much I loved her.' He wanted to be the gentleman she deserved to be with. Not only was he planning on being her lover, but the thought also crossed through his mind so many times, over that 28-year span, that he wanted more than that. He wanted her to be his wife. However, he needed to make sure she felt the same way and that the time was right before he asked her, no matter how long it would take. They had been apart for so long, she didn't leave on the best of terms, and he wasn't sure if her feelings for him had vanished. But, the moment she called out his name on their way to the well, he felt his heart stop. He could tell by the sound of her voice that she still loved him. And when she confirmed her love for him, he was happier than the first time he laid eyes on his son. And when he kissed her, it felt like time had stood still, that they were the only two people in the world, and nothing else mattered.
Then, once again, he fell into old habits. She made him promise that he wouldn't kill Regina. And, of course, he let the Dark One in him play with words so he technically wouldn't break his promise to Belle, but he still deceived her. She left him again. And when she came back, he knew that he needed to stop giving into the darkness and just love her. But, giving into temptation is what he did best. But, when she came back, she wanted to help him. He hadn't given up on him. She wanted to guide him, help him become a better man. He never told her how much it meant to him that she came back to his shop that day. When she took their cup gently in her hands and told him that the reason she had to stay was to help him find himself, the good man that she knew he could be. No one had ever had as much faith in him as Belle did. His sweet, precious, little Belle. He kept thinking, 'How could I have done this to her? After everything she has done for me, after how much she loved me, why did I keep hurting her?' The only reason that he could ever come up with was that he was a selfish imp. He loved her more than anything; he always had. But when it came to showing her, he couldn't.
When she found it in her heart to forgive him once again, he insisted that she live with him. Though he knew his reason for wanting her in his bed was selfish, he was shocked that she wanted the same thing. She showed no sign of hesitation when she climbed into his bed their first night together. He remembered it like it was yesterday. Her delicate, white skin exposed through her satin slip and her flowing curly brown hair lying on her shoulders. He had never seen a more beautiful woman in his life. And then she kissed him so passionately that, for a second, he forgot where he was. Her soft lips were against his and her scent of vanilla with a slight hint of musk only made him want her more. She became completely irresistible. But, he fought those urges with every fiber of his being and he slowly pulled away because he didn't want to rush her into anything. He told himself that this time things would be different. He was going to be a complete and total gentleman with her. However, that quickly changed when she ran her hand through his hair and kissed him again. She then gently pulled him on top of her. He loved the feeling of her warm body under his. It was a feeling he could never get enough of. After he made love to her for the first time, as she slept on his chest, he realized that the feeling he had when he was with her was unlike any other he had with the other women in his life. With Belle, it was deep, powerful, and loving. Never in his life had he felt such a need to be close with a woman after he had been with her. It was as though they now had this bond that could never be broken. And he knew, as he watched his sleeping beauty in his arms that he wanted to be with her forever.
Then, once again, magic made her leave. Though she moved out of his home and into the apartment for the caretaker of the library, at least this time she understood and supported him. She knew how important it was for him to find his son and she wanted to help. He was shocked how supportive she became of his quest to find his long lost son. He began seeing her in a whole new light. If she wanted to be with him, and he with her, bring his son back would make her a mother. He continued to ask himself, 'Maybe Belle wanted to start a family of their own.' When he first began to think about it, before he left for New York, he smiled at the thought, but the more the thought about it, the more concerned he became. That was something he didn't believe he ready to take on again. Maybe that is why he kept pushing her away...fear. He knew deep down that he had always been a coward. And, once again, he let that get in his way of true happiness. 'I want a family with her. I want to be with her, and I want to make her happy.' is all he could repeatedly tell himself. If he weren't under this spell, he'd be hitting all of the glass casing in his shop with his cane, screaming that at the top of his lungs, angry at himself for not believing that he could have that with her.
He reminisced briefly of them discussing his plan on the way to Granny's for their date where he introduced her to one of his favorite meals, a hamburger and fries. He couldn't have been more upset when Regina barged in and brought up Cora. It had taken years for him to forget about her, and the second Regina mentioned her name, it was like pouring salt in a fresh wound. He tried to hide his true emotions as Regina told him they needed to work together to defeat her. He needed to protect Belle, and he would do so by any means necessary. All he wanted was to be with Belle and find his son, but it seemed his life was too complicated for that.
'So, of course, after years of being apart from her, it only made sense that she'd want to kill him.' he thought sarcastically to himself. Not only did he have to deal with Belle being shot and losing all memory of him, but that crazy bitch had a plan to become the Dark One herself. He thought back on the days he spent going to the hospital to see Belle, or Lacey rather. Hook was right; the feeling that you've lost someone forever was horrible. But what made it worse was that he could still see her, but it wasn't the woman he loved. Every time he went to see her and she didn't remember, it broke his heart. It felt like his heart had been torn apart when he kissed her while she was sleeping to see if True Love's kiss could break the spell and she screamed, and when she through their tea cup across the room, smashing it into pieces. He never wanted anyone to see how vulnerable he was. But the pain that he suffered caused him to always question why he let himself fall in love with her in the first place. Love had brought him pain in the past, but it was nothing compared to this. Those lonely nights of returning to his home alone laying in bed, holding on to her pillow just to smell her, before crying himself to sleep were the worst nights of his life. He never told that to anyone, not even Belle. If he ever told her, he knew how horrible she would feel knowing that she hurt him that much and it wasn't even her fault.
Oh...but, then there was Lacey. Though something deep down told him it wasn't right, he loved how he could be his devilish self around her. God, he could never get that bad girl image out of his head. Since he had lost hope that she would ever be Belle again, he convinced himself that it was all right to form a relationship with her. And that night that he beat the living hell out of the sheriff, they had sex like he never had before in his life. Though it was, for lack of better words, amazing, it didn't feel like it did when he was with Belle. It felt like there was something missing. He could never love Lacey the same way he loved Belle. But, when she drank the potion Leroy gave him, that look she gave him made it so easy to forget how he felt about Lacey. And when she kissed him...he couldn't even describe how much passion and emotion went through them. Though, at the time, he thought they were going to die, it was one of his favorite memories with her.
After he finally found his son, of course, he had to go Neverland to face his father. One of his biggest secrets was finally exposed. He had been able to hide the fact for so long that he was the son of Peter Pan. He didn't know why he hated his father more on that trip: was it because the thought he'd have to die in order to save his grandson, was it because his father abandoned him, or was it because this trip separated him from Belle, again, and he didn't know if he'd ever return to her? Though all three reasons had a lot of emotion tied to them, he knew it was being apart from Belle that angered him the most. That's why he continuously had visions of her while he was in Neverland. He needed her to always be by his side. He needed her strength, her courage, and her love to conquer anything he needed to take on in Neverland, especially facing his father. Every time he tried to block Belle from his mind, it only made his desire to be with her stronger. That's when he knew that he wanted to be with her, that he needed her in his life...forever. This was the first time he admitted to himself that he wanted to start over and have a family with her, and at this point, he believed he would have told her how he felt, that he would have told her everything. Realizing this made him fight even harder to return to her, to find another way to defeat his father without dying. While he was in Neverland, he never would have thought that he would become a coward once again and never tell Belle that is what he truly wanted. If he could have, he would have kicked himself for not being honest with her from the beginning. But, love has only ever brought him pain and made him weak. He promised himself that he would never let that feeling get in the way again of what he wanted. Though, with Belle, things were different. She made him stronger; her love wasn't a weakness. He saw that now. He yelled in his head, 'Why the hell did it take you so long to realize it!?'
Then there was the whole situation with Zelena. One of his biggest regrets in life was taking her on as his student. He knew it was his feelings for Cora that caused him to even think of the idea. He always wanted more power, and Zelena was extremely powerful. If he wouldn't have been so blinded by her power, maybe he would have seen that her feelings for him were strong than that of admiration for her teacher. The crazy witch fell in love with him. So, of course it was his ultimate betrayal that he chose Regina over her. Regina never had those feeling for him, nor did he ever have them for her. So why would he have any reason to think that Zelena would? If he had known then what he knew now, he would have put a stop to that then. Maybe she would have taken rejection better than betrayal. Then again, it was Zelena, so probably not. Ever since she returned, he thought about his time with her, constantly. He thought about everything he could have done differently, what he could have changed, but it no longer mattered. She was back in his life, and there was nothing he could do about it. Regina had locked her up in the psych ward at the hospital, which gave him some comfort. But, now, he wasn't the only one in danger anymore. Belle was out there, on her own without his protection. She was a strong woman, he knew that, but he would feel so much better knowing that he was there to protect her. How that he was in for what he would call it "a magically induced coma" and he no longer had his magic, he didn't have a way to protect the woman he loved more than anything. Once he got out of this, he still knew spells, so he would imagine he could still practice some magic, but not to the same extent that he had in the past. He'd figure out a way to protect her from Zelena and from anyone else that might want to harm her.
He'd been under this preservation spell now for at least a week. He wasn't quite sure what kind of preservation spell the Apprentice had put him under. From what he knew, when one was under a preservation spell, they were put into a sleep-like state. However, he could still think, feel, and hear everything that was happening. While he tried to figure out how he could be a better man and the husband he wanted to be, he knew Belle hardly ever left his side. Regina was kind enough to use her magic to transport him to the cot in the back room of his shop. The floor was starting to do a number on his back. He knew Belle couldn't have been comfortable either. From what he could tell, she was sleeping on a pile of blankets and pillows on the floor next to his cot. Every day, she would say good morning to him and kiss him in the middle of the forehead. A little while after she had woken up, based on the noise from the whistling kettle, he could tell she would make tea. She'd then drink her tea while she told him what her plans were for the day. He heard the bell in the front of the shop ring when she left to get breakfast at Granny's. Usually, when she left, he would fall back to sleep for a while, until he heard the bell ring again. Most of the time, she would come back alone. A few times though, someone was with her, usually Henry, who wanted to check up on his grandpa. It was still hard from him to grasp that his young grandson now held the title as Author. He knew Henry was growing up fast and he had been raised right, he had a conscious, and he couldn't think of a better person to take on that position. His heart, much like his birth mother's, was always in the right place. He wanted to do what was right and help anyone he could. This was one of the many reasons why he felt reassured that he would get out of this alive. Belle believed that he would emerge from his slumber as a good man. He could feel it in his heart that he was no longer evil. He only felt pure love for his wife. And with Henry fighting for him as well, he knew people would start to trust him. Undoubtedly, people would begin to ask him about the Dark One's curse, considering he was the only one who had firsthand experience with it. They would need his help to free Emma. This was his shot to finally be a hero. He just needed to keep himself strong enough until someone undid the preservation spell.
His favorite part of the day was in the mid afternoon when Belle would snuggle up next to him, place her head on his chest, listening to his heart while she placed her hand further down his chest and let it rise and fall with every breath he took, as she drifted off to sleep. He would just breathe in her scent and wish she would never leave. All he wanted to do was kiss the top of her head, run his fingers through her hair and down her back, and tell her how much he loved her. But, right now, the simple things he enjoyed were no longer that simple. He didn't even know if she'd allow him to touch her like that again. After everything that he did to her, could she truly forgive him? Based on the last conversation had with her, he knew she wasn't lying about what she said. It was his fault for not believing her that being with his is what she actually wanted.
Then he paused for a minute. Maybe he could fix his marriage and get his power back. With all the talk that the curse is now out of him and his heart is white, no one would suspect that he would still be trying to regain his power. He thought about how his last plan failed and everything he did wrong. Maybe, this time, he would need to at least talk to Belle about his desire to get his power back. However, on the other hand, she might not understand. His power is what got him into this mess to begin with. Belle surely would think that he loved his power more than her. He did love his power, but he loved her too. He really did. He didn't know how to live without his power, but, on the other hand, he didn't want to live without her. There had to be a way to get both things: power and love. Magic always comes with a price. Maybe dark magic wasn't the answer. Maybe...he could figure out how to get light magic. Light magic, at times, seemed to be more powerful than dark magic. That is what he needed to get. The only problem he had to figure out was how to get light magic. He knew how to conquer dark magic. However, light magic was extremely different. One of the many things that he was curious about was if he'd still be able to see the future. Though he knew very well that the future is never as it seemed, he needed to know what could come of him and with Belle. But, that would have to wait until he was awakened.
Before he could figure out anything else, he knew he first had to have a long awaited conversation with Belle. That conversation, he knew, would be far from easy. Both of them had so much emotion building up inside of them. Both were angry, hurt, and confused. He didn't know where the conversation would lead them. He knew the likely three options that would come from that conversation: she would forgive him and be back in his arms, she would never want to see him again, or they would end up somewhere in between. Out of those options, he certainly liked the first the best. What he wouldn't do to have her back with him in their house, in their room, in their bed. All he wanted to do was wrap his arms around and never let her go. To have her body pressed up against his all night. He so missed the feeling of her bare skin against his…but he quickly brought himself back to reality, knowing very well that she might not want the same. He couldn't expect her to go back to where they were before she made him leave town. He'd be lucky if she would even agree to have lunch with him. A man could dream, right?
Belle's lips on his was the first feeling he sensed as he awoke, and the first thing he saw were her beautiful blue eyes. He smiled and could only manage to say one word, "Belle." She smiled at him the way she always had. That smile made him melt, as she ran her hand slowly down the side of his face. He always loved her, but now with the darkness gone from his life, he loved her so much more. She handed him a small bottle with a green potion in it. "Drink this, Rumple. It will give you strength for a while. At least until we figure out a more permanent solution."
He slowly drank the potion and smiled back at her, "Thank you." She shook her head, not completely sure what he was thanking her for. "You were always here for me, every day and every night. You could have just left me here, but you didn't. You made sure I was cared for, and even though I was asleep, you made sure I felt loved. Why didn't you leave me?"
"When you find something worth fighting for, you never give up. I will always fight for you." she replied with nothing but love in her eyes. "I never stopped loving you."
"Oh, sweetheart. And I love you too. I'm so sorry...for everything."
"I know that wasn't you, Rumple. It was the curse. I always knew that, deep down, you were a good man, and I'm sorry that I doubted you."
"If I were you, I would have doubted me too. I should have fought harder to stay out of the darkness."
She took his hands in hers, "Rumple, you've fought harder than anyone that I know. You controlled the dark curse longer than any other Dark One before you. You need to realize just how strong you are."
"I think you're giving me too much credit, sweetheart." He looked around and noticed that Regina, Henry, Hook, the Charmings, and the Apprentice were with them. "I didn't realize we had an audience." Rumple said with a smile.
Regina smirked and put her arm around her son. "I think we should leave these two alone for a bit. I feel they have a lot to talk about." Regina and Henry left and Hook closely followed.
Snow White and David stayed behind for a moment with the Apprentice. Snow put her hand on Belle's shoulder, "We'll be at the mayor's office. When you're ready, meet us there. We have a lot to figure out."
Belle nodded. "Of course. I just need some time with my husband. We'll be there in a bit."
Rumple couldn't believe it. She was still referring to him as her husband. And she still referred to them as "we". That must mean something, or maybe it was just out of habit.
As David and Snow left, the Apprentice made sure that his assistance wasn't needed. "Belle, I can stay in the front of the shop for awhile, if you'd like. Keep a close watch on things. Or be able to help if you need it."
Belle smiled and gently placed her hand on his arm. "We'll be alright. I know where you all are. I'll make sure to call if I need anything." The Apprentice slowly exited the back room of the shop, watching them until he was out of sight.
Rumple waited until he heard the bell above the front door ring before he spoke, "Belle, I…I don't know where to begin."
"An explanation would be nice. Why didn't you tell me what your plan was? I'm your wife. You should be able to come to me about anything, good or bad."
"I had to separate myself from the dagger. After everything that Zelena put me through, I had to make sure that no one could do that to me ever again. Even the woman I love most, who I know would never hurt me, even used it against me. Though I know you would never have me hurt anyone, it is too much of a temptation to have. I want my free will back, Belle. I don't want anyone else to be able to control what I do. Just as you chose your own fate, I want to make sure that I'm fully in control of mine. Not to mention, I never want to harm you. Zelena wanted me to kill you once, who's to say that someone else wouldn't order me to kill you too. I couldn't risk that Belle."
"Though that may be a few reasons why you wanted to separate yourself from the dagger. Be honest with me, Rumple. That wasn't the main reason, was it?"
He reluctantly shook his head 'no'. "You're right. If I were able to separate myself from the power of the dagger, it would have made me the most powerful wizard of them all. No one would have been able to stop me. I'd no longer have my biggest weakness. I'd be all powerful." He could sense the pain in Belle's face. "And now, you no longer want anything to do with me."
Belle looked into his eyes. "That's not true. I just don't understand why I was never enough for you. Why my love for you didn't make you happy. I knew the man you were, Rumple. I knew what I was getting. But, you never let me in, you shut me out."
Rumple ran his hand over the side of his wife's face and whipped away the tear that fell from her eye with his thumb. "I should have believed that you really did love me as much as you did. I was too blinded by wanting power to really see how much you loved me. And I know that I should have shown you more just how much I love you. I've loved you from the moment that I saw you, Belle. And I'll never stop loving you."
"And no matter what, I will always love you. But we need to fix this Rumple, before anything further can happen between us. A lot has happened since you left."
"I understand. And what about Will?"
Belle shook her head. "Will was very much of a rebound. He's a nice guy, but I never had feelings for him like I do for you. But, I did believe he was trustworthy enough to tell my biggest secret."
Rumple was puzzled. "I didn't know you had a secret, Belle. I thought you told me everything?"
"We'll it would have been difficult for me to tell you my secret when you left. I had no idea where you were, or even how to reach you."
"Well, you did actually. I just didn't want you to know it was me."
Belle was confused. "What are you talking about?"
"That professor that you reached out to for a translation, that was me. It was the only way I could think of to make sure that I could get back into Storybrooke."
"I guess you've done worse things. I shouldn't be too mad at you for that. But, then again, you lied to get back here. So, how do I know I can trust you?"
"I'll prove it to you that I can be, that I am a different man. You just need to have patience with me. But, if we're still married, could you tell me the secret that you told your boyfriend?"
"I'm not sure right now is the best time. We already have a lot that we need to work out. This is going to make things a lot more complicated."
"We can do whatever you want. You said you wanted to see the world, then let's go see the world. Or if you want to see the world, I'll be waiting for you when you get back."
"Though that does sound nice, I think that would be hard to do right now. Seeing the world might have to wait for awhile."
"I know we need to find Emma. But that shouldn't take too long. We can leave right after that. And we have the spell that will allow us to come back whenever we want."
"Rumple, there is a much bigger reason that I can't leave Storybrooke."
Concern came across his face. "Belle, are you sick? I can have Regina make a potion to fix just about anything."
Belle smiled. "No, it's nothing like that." She slowly took his hand and placed his palm on her stomach.
He was confused at first, but then he quickly felt a small presence of magic. "Belle, are you…?"
She nodded, and simply responded, "Yes."
"Is it…?"
Belle quickly cut him off. "Yours? Yes. You're the only man that I've ever been with, Rumple. And if you ever question how much I love you, just remember that."
Rumple's eyes began to fill with tears as he sat up and gently took his wife's face in his hands. He looked deep into her eyes making sure that she would be all right with what he was going to do next. Once he could tell she wanted the same thing, he pulled her face towards his and kissed her like he hadn't in a very long time. He slowly pulled away from her and nothing could wipe the smile off of his face. "Belle, sweetheart. I'm so happy right now. We're going to have a baby."
Belle smiled, relieved that he was just as excited about the baby as she was. "I told you my secret was going to make things more complicated."
Rumple shook his head. "My dearest, Belle. I doesn't have to be. We will figure this out. You have my word; you and our baby are my first priority from this moment on. You shall have whatever you want, whatever you need. The only thing that concerns me is that now, without my power, I have no way to protect the two of you."
Belle questioned him, "Are you making a deal with me, Rumplestiltskin?"
"I am. And you know that I never go back on a deal."
"What's my price to pay? What do you want out of all of this?"
"Sweetheart, I want nothing from you. All I ask is that we try to work this out. I will try to be the best husband and father that I can possibly be. And I understand that this will take time, but I'd like to be as much a part of your pregnancy and our child's life as you'd let me. I missed so much of Bea's life. I don't want to go through same thing with our child."
Belle gently placed her hand on his. "I want you to be a part of this. You should be a part of your child's life. I have no doubt that you'll be a great father. I saw how much you loved your son and how dedicated you were to finding him. It's our relationship that we need to figure out."
"I guess we'll take it one day at a time, love."
Belle smiled. "Yeah, I guess it will have to be. But we should probably meet the others. They're really going to need our help to get Emma back."
"You may need to fill me in a few things."
Belle got up off the cot. "Shall we?"
"Actually, why don't I meet you over there. I would like to freshen up first. I'll just need a few minutes."
"Ok. Do you need help? I mean…"
He cut her off. "No, I'm fine sweetheart. Thank you though."
She nodded and started to leave the back room before Rumple stopped her. "Belle, can I ask you one last question before you leave?"
"Sure, Rumple. What is it?"
He slowly stood up and walked towards her. "Do you still consider yourself my wife?"
Belle thought for a moment, trying to figure out an answer to this complicated question. "I guess so. But after everything that happened while you were gone…"
Rumple kissed her forehead and Belle closed her eyes, never finishing her sentence. Rumple addressed the situation for her. "I'm not worried about our past, Belle. Only our future."
Relieved that he wasn't upset with her for her relationship with Will, she answered his question. "In my eyes, we still are."
His grin went from ear to ear. "You better get going. They are going to start worrying about you. I'll be along shortly."
Belle sweetly smiled at him as she left his sight.
He walked over to the wardrobe where he kept and extra suit. He quickly changed his clothes, trying to process everything that Belle just told him. She still loved him, still thought of herself as his wife, and above everything else, they were having a child together. He was going to be a father again. There was one thing that he was not certain of, now that he was going to be responsible for two lives he needed to have power. Though Belle was strong and could fend for herself when she needed to, the baby would be helpless. He knew he needed to do whatever it would take to always protect their child. He couldn't help but to smile every time that he thought of that. He always thought the happiest day of his life would have been the day he married Belle. But finding out he was going to be a father, again, made him even happier.
He grabbed his cane and walked toward the front of his shop. He stopped and looked in the mirror and straightened his tie. As his looked as his reflection, he smirked. "I need my dark magic back", he stated to himself. "Now, all I have to do is figure out how to get it back from Ms. Swan." He exited the shop and slowly shut the door behind him. He knew the only thing left to do was get the others in on his plan to get his power back without them knowing. He'd need to make them pawns in his plan, just like he always had.