"Rum, let's go! Easter service starts in 20 minutes we're going to be late!" Belle stomped her foot, folding her arms over her pale yellow cardigan while tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear.

"I don't even know why we're doing this! We don't celebrate Easter," Rumplestiltskin grumbled coming down the stairs, dressed as always in an immaculate, perfectly fitting black suit. This one had a subtle pin stripe and at the insistence of Belle had allowed for a lighter shade of purple for his tie and pocket square, his only difference to the spring weather.

"We never had Easter to celebrate back home, I don't really understand it honestly... I mean the hiding of the eggs by rabbits because this Jesus fellow rose from the dead...doesn't seem terribly obvious, does it?" Belle sighed slipping her arm into the crook of Rumplestiltskin's.

"Very little about this world is obvious my dear and what is, is never what it seems," his lips tightened as he opened the passenger door to the recently purchased Mercedes GL-63 and helped her in.

"Are you ever going to get over this negative connotation you give everything?" Belle pulled down the visor mirror to check her makeup, setting her bag at her feet.

"Probably not my dear," he answered as he started the engine and began backing out of the driveway.

Belle frowned, narrowing her eyes at him but was quiet.

Rumplestiltskin reached for her hand as they started down the road toward the other side of town, she easily gave it to him and their fingers entwined as they drove.

"You did load the ice chests and picnic baskets didn't you?" she asked suddenly as they pulled into the driveway of a large craftsman house painted a dark shade of chocolate with beige trim.

"Yes, you reminded me a hundred times, and wrote a note for me in the steam on the mirror from your 45 minute shower this morning... I installed those exhaust fans for a reason you know," he answered a bit bitingly.

Belle wasn't phased, "Yes, but I like leaving notes for you that way, it makes me feel like I can do magic too," she giggled and leaned across the center console to kiss his cheek.

"Plus, if you didn't fuss over me so, I would have just loaded them myself and I wouldn't have had to pester you," she added as he came around to help her out, "I'm not a china doll, I'm not going to break or spontaneously go into labor getting out or into a car."

Rumplestiltskin looked at her dubiously, "I'm not risking it."

"Of course you're not," Belle rolled her eyes resting one hand on her protruding 7 month pregnant middle.

Rumplestiltskin gave a curt nod of affirmation and took her arm as they started toward the house. Not that they made it very far.

"GRANDPA!" a towheaded 3 almost 4 year old burst through the front door and down the steps to collide into Rumplestiltskin's legs, wrapping herself around one of them like a vine.

"Madeline Grace! ...Neal, your daughter escaped again!" Emma appeared in the doorway arms full of some kind of dress.

Belle stifled a giggle by covering her mouth with her hand, "Good morning Emma," she met the taller woman on the porch.

"How is it that your kid is an angel and just in there reading her storybook and playing with her dolls while my hellion escaped two parents, the child gates and the deadbolt lock of the front door...and all without her clothes," Emma demanded, clearly flustered even as she warmly embraced her mother-in-law and kissed her cheek.

Belle looked back to Rum who was playfully struggling to walk with the aforementioned hellion clad in only pink Batman underoos and mismatched socks, attached to his good leg.

"I believe this one belongs to you?" Rumplestiltskin fought down his smile as he handed Belle his cane and proceeded to pry Maddy off his leg, sweeping her up into his arms.

"Letting your child run around without her cape? Tsk, what parents you are!" Rumplestiltskin reached behind Maddy and with a short shake of his hand soon had magicked a bright pink cape with the letter M proudly on the back, which he tied around Maddy's neck. "There, a proper hero indeed."

Maddy's ecstatic delight was expressed in clapping hands and a dramatic hug as she launched herself toward her grandpa and hugged him around the neck, "OH, Papa...It's the goodest thing eber, eber! I lub it!" she squealed and squished her Grandpa's cheeks between her chubby hands so she could look deeply into his eyes and nod his head in time with her's as she expressed her deep and important love.

Emma gave him a dirty glare, "Thanks Grandpa, now I won't get her out of that for a month..."

Rumplestiltskin grinned, not at all ashamed at what he had done. He set Maddy down and she skidded off, "There's a good girl Maddy, Papa loves you, now run along, hm?" he gave her a pat on her rear as she scurried off.

"Heeeennnnnrrrrryyyy!" she could be heard screaming as her footsteps pattered through the house.

"Hey Pop," Neal had finally made his way to the porch, "Em, why do you have my dad and Belle out here, Belle should really probably be sitting down..." Neal kissed Belle on the cheek, "You're glowing mamma." He in turn embraced his dad.

Emma's jaw was hanging to the ground, "Excuse me?"

Neal blinked then tilted his head at his wife, "What?"

"Did you not hear the part where your daughter escaped while I was trying to dress her?" Emma lifted the pile of pink and frills in her arms, "And I called for you?"

Neal scratched his head, "Guess not, Henry and I were hiding Easter eggs in the backyard for after church."

"Don't want to do this bloody bit...can't trust those damn fairies...don't care if they are nuns now too or not, still not doing…" Belle sharply elbowed Rumplestiltskin as he muttered under his breath, "Enough. And watch your language around the kids," she quietly chastised.

Not that Neal and Emma were really listening anyway.

"You never listen, we aren't even hunting eggs here! We're going over to my parents, remember? I told you this yesterday, and the day before...and last week! Those eggs that you hid? Those were supposed to go with us! Now you're telling me they are hidden in our backyard? Really?"

Neal scratched his head again as he thought, hand going to rest on the back of his neck, "I guess, I just thought..."

Emma growled at him, stomped her foot and headed back into the house.

Belle and Rumplestiltskin finally brought the gazes they had let wander as to appear they weren't standing witness to the domestic drama, fall back to Neal. They were both smiling ridiculously falsely.

"She was like this with Maddy too, I don't remember it happening this soon though..." Neal started.

"Careful my boy..." Rumplestiltskin warned his son.

Neal was confused for a moment then his eyes fell on Belle, "Right, yes...sorry... forget I said that!" he grinned sheepishly.

Belle arched an eyebrow, "Oh sweetie, she's only 2 months along...you've got a long ride ahead of you still."

Neal's shoulders dropped, "I know, she just seems a lot moodier..."

Rumplestiltskin pushed Belle through the front door while drawing his hand across his throat in a "shut-up now motion" for his son. He wondered sometimes about his son, for someone so bright he was also completely daft.


"Did you notice how our daughter just jumped and ran to us, because she missed us so much she couldn't stand it?" Belle said loudly as they entered the library directly to left as they came out of the foyer.

Ariana Rose was 5 years old and completely wrapped up in her book The Little Prince. She was a replica of her mother, even to the love and advanced level of reading. Long auburn curls, her father's keen dark brown eyes and and heart stopping smile. When little Ana was wrapped up in her books she was gone to the world, at least to the world currently around her.

Finally though Ana lowered her book and looked up to her parents. That bright, dazzling, wide smile of her father split her face and she dropped her book and bolted to the waiting arms of her daddy.

"Daddy," she hugged his neck as Rumplestiltskin held her tight, nose in her curls.

"My baby girl," he held her slightly away from him, "Look at you, I swear you grew while I was gone!"

Ana rolled her eyes, much like her mother, "Daddy you were just gone one," she held up one finger, "night! I didn't grow! Did I mommy?"

Belle accepted her daughter from her father's arms to carefully balance her on her hip, "I don't know..." she tipped her head left and right, "Maybe a little bit my little tea cup..."

Ana rolled her eyes and fidgeted to be put down, "Are we ready to go yet? I've been dressed and waiting...Oh!" she stopped her impatient hopping from foot to foot to stand stalk still.

"Do you like my dress Daddy?" she smoothed down her dress for her father. She wore a pale yellow dress that went to her knees and was stiffened with crinolines under to bell out, it had little puffed sleeves and and the bodice was embroidered with tiny pink flowers. With white tights and little white patent leather shoes with bows on top never had Ana ever looked more like her mother.

"I absolutely adore it my dear, you are beautiful!" Rumplestiltskin offered her his hand so she could hang onto it as she spun a circle for him.

Belle bent to awkwardly pick up her daughters dropped book, "And so very smart...baby isn't this a little advanced for you?"

Ana shrugged, "The pictures are pretty and of some of it isn't..."

Belle sighed, they were going to be in trouble with her when she was older. Her father's incredible intellect and understanding and her mother's understanding and love of reading and analytical side.

"Okay, let's get this circus on the road shall we?" Emma came down the stairs with Maddy in her arms, now fully clothed in her frilly pink Easter dress that while the right size was twice the size of her. She also wore her pink M cape proudly. Nothing could be done about the wild blond curls.

Neal followed Emma down fixing his tie, "Henry, did you get the car seats in Gramps car?" he called down toward the open front door.

Henry popped through the door, "Yeah, all taken care of!" he met his mother at the bottom of the stairs and took Maddy from her, "Hey Ana, wanna help me get Maddy in the car?"

Ana loved her Uncle Henry more than just about anyone in the whole world, aside from her daddy, and quickly let go of her mom's hand a raced to his side, "Yep, can I sit by you?" she looked up at him with adoring eyes.

"Sure, come on..." he looked at his parents and grandparents and grinned, "I'm really glad we're doing this you know...this is good."

Rumplestiltskin stood next to Belle glowing with baby #2 in her cobalt blue shift dress and yellow cardigan, arm around her waist, a family both restored and new, he didn't really know about celebrating this Easter being good, but being with his family...well that was good.

Neal buttoned the last button on his dress vest, tucking his tie into place smiled after his son, his daughter and little sister then to his wife at his side, she also glowed with the barely noticeable new life, dressed in her Easter best, a white eyelet dress with her red leather jacket over top. This was a family carved from wreckage and rebuilt with love and trust.

Spring was surely about new beginnings and hope after a very long winter.


"I wanna walk like you...talk like you...doobie doodbie doobie do!" Maddy was singing at the top of her lungs from her carseat in the back row of the SUV with matching flailing arms and legs as she danced when the adults began to get in the car.

Ana was in her booster seat in the middle looking at Maddy with an expression so like her father's that it was almost painful, arms folded. Her eyes were narrowed, her lips pursed and the thoughts the child must have been thinking! She was not amused as she attempted to dodge limbs. She had her hands over her ears.

Henry, as promised was next to Ana, earbuds in and oblivious to the chaos next to him.

"She has your singing voice Emma," Rumplestiltskin remarked dryly.

Emma gave him a hard sidelong glare, "No, I pretty sure she get's the tone deafness from Neal's side of the family," she snapped back climbing into the second row seat behind Rumplestiltskin. There was no true malice in the words, quite the contrary she was very fond of her father-in-law, but barbs was how they showed that love.

"Hey now!" Neal piped in attempting to getting in the back seat next to Emma, "That wasn't very nice sweetheart, I thought you liked it when I sang to you! ...and no ma'am, you ride in the front..." he tried to push Belle to the front passenger seat.

"No, I insist, I'm going to ride with Emma and the kids, you navigate with your father..." Belle waved her hand and pushed herself into the back with Neal still protesting.

"I wanna walk like you...talk like you..doobie doodbie doobie do!" Maddy continued to belt, chubby legs and arms still dancing away.

Ana leaned forward to whisper to her mother loudly, hands still over her ears, "Doesn't she know any more words? Or at least another song!"

Emma choked on a laugh which came out rather like a snort, eyes rolling heavenward.

Rumplestiltskin began to back the SUV out of the driveway, the radio kicking on.

Livin' easy
Lovin' free
Season ticket on a one way ride
Askin' nothin'
Leave me be
Takin' everythin' in my stride
Don't need reason
Don't need rhyme
Ain't nothin' that I'd rather do
Goin' down
Party time

Belle's eyes widened, "Rumplestiltskin!" she shrieked as she realized what song was playing.

Henry took out his headphones and grinned. In the front seat the other two Stiltskin men just grinned and put on their sunglasses. It was going to be a good day.


*Highway to Hell by AC/DC
*OUAT characters not mine, no profit being made, just for fun.

There might be more chapters later, with the Charmings ...and whoever else decides to show up :)