A/N: I was angry that we didn't see Belle baby-sitting Neal.

Chapter One

"Hush now," Belle said while holding Neal in her arms and he cried. She was surprised when Mary Margaret called and asked her to come over and babysit while Mary Margaret and David had a night out, but holding a baby in her arms caused a warm feeling to move through Belle.

"This might be good practice for when we have kids," she thought and smiled, thinking about having a baby with her husband. She wondered if it was too soon, but she hoped the idea of having children would help Rumplestiltskin heal from being resurrected after killing Pan, being Zelena's prisoner and losing his son. She gently rocked Neal, but the baby kept crying and she sighed, pressing her lips together.

"I need some help," she said softly and walked to the couch, sat down and removed the smart phone from her purse.

Gold's pawnshop

Rumplestiltskin looked at the dagger while the overhead light sparkled on the silver blade and he moved his fingers over the smooth surface. He knew he should have given Belle the real dagger back after he replaced it with the fake dagger he had given her, but he just couldn't part with it. For over three hundred year he never let anyone touch let alone use the dagger and the idea of someone doing it again caused a cold chill to move through him. The first person to use the dagger against him was Elsa's sister, Anna, but she did so to prevent him from hurting her.

"I do admit she had guts even if she was annoying," he said with a small smile. He wasn't angry that Belle had used the fake dagger to make him tell Elsa where Anna was, but it wasn't to hurt Elsa. If she had come with just Emma Swan or alone, he might have told her the truth. It was because Hook was with them and the old feelings he had for Hook still hurt even after all this time. Seeing Hook with Emma made his stomach churn and he thought it an insult to his son.

"How can she even look at that cockroach? After everything Bae did. After what Zelena did…," he thought.

Suddenly a flash of memory of Zelena filled his mind as he started shaking and the dagger fell to the floor with a small thud. He sank to the floor when he pulled his knees up and placed his head in his hands. He felt pain roaring through his body as she laughed and he closed his eyes, feeling tears rolling down his cheeks. He saw her face behind his eyes and could feel her touch as he grinded his teeth together to stop from screaming. He sobbed out a breath as the tears dribbled down his chin and splashed on his tie. He opened his eyes, but didn't see the pawnshop. He saw darkness and could feel the cold metal of the bars against his back. His heart slammed in his chest as he fought the fear of being caged and tilted his head back.

"Leave me alone!" he shouted when the memory faded and he reached over with a shaking hand, picking the dagger off the floor. With a small grunt, he got up when he placed the dagger back in the wall safe and closed the door. He wiped his eyes on the back of his hand when his smart phone buzzed and he picked the smart phone off the counter, looking at the screen. BELLE flashed on the screen when he composed himself, pushed the button and held the smart phone to his ear.

"Hello, Darling," he said then leaned against the display case and sniffed.

"Are you alright?" she asked when he mentally kicked himself and sighed.

"Yes," he lied and wondered how many lies he will have to tell before she learned the truth and leave him forever. "What is that sound?"

"I'm baby-sitting for Mary Margaret and David, but the baby won't stop crying. Please come and help me," she said and he smiled, shaking his head. He knew she didn't have as much experience with babies as he did and a quick flash of her hold their baby moved across his mind, making a cool shiver go up and down his spine.

"I'll be right there," he said, ending the call, placing the smart phone in his pocket and walked to the door. He locked the door then turned the sign around to read CLOSED and vanished in a puff of purple smoke. He had been to David and Mary Margaret's apartment back when the apartment belonged to Mary Margaret and Emma and smiled when Belle walked closer after the purple smoke cleared. She held Neal in her arms as he looked at the crying baby and held his arms out. "Give him to me."

Belle handed Neal to him as Rumplestiltskin held him in his arms and gently rocked him.

"Now, now, Dearie, what is all this fuss?" he asked when he gently lifted Neal to his shoulder and gently patted his back.

"Is he ill?" Belle asked and Rumplestiltskin smiled.

"No, I don't think so. Have you fed him?"

"Yes, he drank the whole bottle."

"Did you change his diaper?"

"Yes," she said with a nod of her head.

"Then he either misses his mama and papa or….," he said when Neal made a loud burp and something wet moved down Rumplestiltskin's shoulder and back. He remembered the feeling as he sighed and looked at Belle. "He needed burping."

"What happened?" Belle asked.

"He spit up on me," he said with a smile and moved Neal back, seeing the spit up dribbling down Neal's chin and neck.

"Oh," Belle said when she moved behind Rumplestiltskin and saw the spit up on the back of his suit jacket and some of the spit up was on the floor. "Take your jacket off and I'll clean it."

Rumplestiltskin placed Neal in the baby carrier which was sitting on the counter then removed his suit jacket and Belle noticed the wet spot on the back of his white shirt.

"The shirt's wet, too," she said as he sighed, removed his black silk tie with blue swirls then his shirt and undershirt and handed all the clothes to her. She held the clothing and the black silk tie in her arms as she looked at her husband and smiled. She remembered their wedding night and how shy he was about her seeing him naked and she admitted she liked feel of his smooth chest.

"Belle, there is a child present," he said with a stern look on his face like he knew what she was thinking and she blushed.

"Well, you're the one standing here with no shirt on," she teased and he gave her shocked look. Giggling while shaking his head, he snapped his fingers then was dressed in jeans, a black leather belt, a white t-shirt and brown slippers and she smiled. Neal looked at them, but wasn't happy about being sticky and started crying. The cry moved something in Rumplestiltskin when he picked Neal up, took the shirt from Belle and wiped Neal's face and neck. He handed her the shirt back then placed Neal against his shoulder and gently rubbed his back.

"Here now. It's alright. Papa's here," he whispered as he closed his eyes and Belle felt her heart hurting. She didn't want to correct him, but watched as he started pacing and hummed softly. She placed the clothes and the tie on the counter when she took her smart phone off the counter and recorded him pacing. Neal calmed down as Rumplestiltskin looked at him and smiled. "There. All better now."

"I think he needs a bath," Belle said and Rumplestiltskin gave Neal a silly look.

"Yes, he does smell like spoiled milk," he said and lifted Neal over his head while looking up at him. "Yes, you do!"

Neal squealed and wiggled in his hands and Rumplestiltskin lowered him until Neal's head rested against his shoulder. Belle put the smart phone on the counter as she walked to them and placed her hand on Rumplestiltskin's upper arm.

"Mary Margaret said the baby tub is in the bathroom," she said and he gave her a puzzled look.

"We're not going to bathe him in the sink?"

"No," Belle said as she picked the smart phone off the counter then they walked to the bedroom and headed for the bathroom. Rumplestiltskin looked at the plastic baby tub, bottles of baby bath, baby lotion, baby powder and baby shampoo, a plastic container with baby wipes and a tube of baby rash ointment, a yellow rubber duck, some diapers, some small washcloths and a blue hood bath towel and frowned.

"What is all this?" he asked.

"It's what we need to give him a bath."

"Are you serious? I used to bath my son in a bucket with just a cloth and some homemade soap," he said and Belle softly smiled.

"Hand him to me." she said and Rumplestiltskin handed Neal to her. She placed Neal on the counter then undid the snaps of the white sleeper with brown teddy bears printed on the sleeper and slid him out of the sleeper. Rumplestiltskin looked at the plastic diaper with blue ducks and he tilted his head to one side.

"What is that?" he asked, pointing at the diaper.

"That is a diaper."

"Where are the pins?"

"They don't need them "

"Then how do you take it off?" he asked and Belle tried not to laugh.

"Fill the tub and I'll take this off," she said and he scrunched up his nose and went to the bathtub and filled the baby bath tub with just enough water. He carried the baby bathtub back to the counter when he placed the baby bathtub down and she smiled at him. "Mary Margaret said to place the duck in the water. She told me the blue dot on the bottom will tell us if the water is too hot."

"I could just place my hand in the water," he said as she placed the yellow rubber duck in the water and he noticed she had covered a certain part of Neal's anatomy with a washcloth. Belle lifted the yellow rubber duck out of the water when she looked at the blue dot and smiled.

"You can put him in the bath," she said and Rumplestiltskin gently lifted Neal off the counter and smiled, placing Neal in the water. Neal squeaked as he patted the water with his tiny hands and Rumplestiltskin saw the plastic frog in the plastic box on top of the toilet. He reached over as he picked up the plastic frog and tapped the flipper against the tip of Neal's nose. Belle tried not to giggle as she used the smart phone to take photos them and Rumplestiltskin made little croaking noises. She watched her husband move the plastic frog away then move the plastic frog closer and Neal reached for the plastic frog,

"No, it's mine," Rumplestiltskin said and Neal frowned then smiled when Rumplestiltskin handed him the plastic frog. He giggled as Neal reached for him and he leaned closer, allowing him to tap the flipper on the tip of his nose. "Right, let's get you clean."

Belle watched as he placed the plastic frog on the counter then looked at the bottles of baby shampoo and baby bath when he picked up a small washcloth and read the label on the baby bath. He squirted some of the clean liquid on the wash cloth when he started washing Neal and smiled. Neal squealed and wiggled as he tickled Neal's small feet and Belle felt like crying with happy tears. She took some pictures then placed the smart phone on the counter and picked up the baby shampoo bottle.

"I think it's time to wash his hair," she said and he took the shampoo bottle out of her hand. He looked at the label then placed some of the gold liquid in his hand and Neal looked up at him. Smiling, Rumplestiltskin washed Neal's hair then rinsed his hair and Neal frowned.

'Oh, it wasn't that bad," Rumplestiltskin teased then gently lifted Neal out of the water and placed him on the hooded bath towel. Belle noticed how quickly Rumplestiltskin covered Neal with the towel as he gently rubbed him dry and Neal wiggled on the counter. "Are you part wiggle wart? I have never seen someone wiggle so much."

Belle smiled as Neal gurgled and Rumplestiltskin looked at the diapers.

"I know what to do next, but I don't know how these work," he admitted and she gently rubbed her husband's arm.

"Let me do it," Belle said as he moved to let her take over and he leaned against the top of the counter and his lower arms dangled down.

"Don't forget to cover, Dearie," he said with a smile and she ruffled his hair, making him frown. "Do you want to get peed on?'

"No, but I have changed him," she said and he handed her the tube of diaper cream after reading the label. He watched her place the diaper on Neal then dress him in the sleeper she found on the counter and Rumplestiltskin stood up. He picked Neal off the counter then headed for the door while Belle watched him and he sat on the bed, holding Neal in his arms.

"So, I guess it's story time," Rumplestiltskin said while looking down at Neal then his heart jumped when Neal reached up, touching his nose. Tears threatened to fall as Rumplestiltskin blinked his eyes a few times then smiled.

"What's wrong?" Belle asked as she walked to the bed and sat down next to him.

"He touched my nose just like Bae did when he was his age," Rumplestiltskin softly said and kissed Neal's tiny knuckles. Tears dribbled down her cheeks as he leaned against her and she placed her arm around her husband's waist.

"You know, it feels like we're playing house. You're the papa, I'm the mama and Neal is…," she said and he gave her a concerned look.

"You want to have a baby with me?" he asked and she nodded her head.

"Yes, but it's just…I don't think…It's too soon."

"Yes, it is," he said and looked at Neal looking up at them. "But it doesn't mean it will never happen."

"So you do want more children?"

"Yes," he said, but wondered if they ever would once she found out the truth. He sat up while adjusting his hold on Neal then leaned against the pillows and smiled. "Now, once upon a time…"

Belle listened to him tell the story of a little prince who befriends a spinner and helps the spinner save his son from a wicked witch. She knew Neal couldn't understand most of what he was saying, but she felt her heart hurting when Rumplestiltskin described the horrid things the witch did to the spinner. In the end, the spinner and the little prince rescued the spinner's son and destroyed the witch, but the spinner died. Before he died, the spinner told the little prince he would always watch over him and Belle wiped the tears from her eyes. Neal had fallen asleep before he told what the witch had done as Rumplestiltskin smiled down at him and held Neal against his chest.

"He fell asleep before I finished," he said and Belle brushed some hair behind her husband's ear.

"I'm glad he did," she said and he gave her a confused look. "Is what you told him what Zelena did to you?"

"Yes," Rumplestiltskin sighed and lowered his head. Belle felt anger bubbling inside her as he placed Neal on the mattress then wrapped his arms around her and she placed her cheek against his shoulder. He wanted to ask her if she would approve of him killing Zelena now that she knew, but kept silent. He watched as Belle moved his chin so he faced her and moved closer, smiling at him. He knew what she was trying to do, and had been trying to do since he brought magic back, and carefully kissed her. They moved back as she smiled and he brushed some hair out of her shiny blue eyes. "Are you ashamed of me?"

"No, you were her prisoner. What she did was cruel and vicious. I'm glad that she's gone."

"Some of the things I did I wanted to do. Like what I did to Hook," he said and she pressed her lips together. Emma had told her that he drowned Hook and she had to use mouth to mouth to revive Hook. "What I did to the outlaw's son, I regretted it and told him I didn't want to do it."

"You mean you did something to Robin Hood's son?"

"He had shot an arrow at me, but I stopped the arrow and pointed the arrow at his son. I didn't want to. She was making me do it so he'd give me Regina's heart. I would never hurt a child so why would I deny him his son even if I didn't have mine?" he asked and she saw the seriousness in his eyes.

"Have you talked to Robin since?"

"No," he said, shaking his head.

"I think you should," she said as he sighed, went to lie on his side and closed his eyes. She watched him drift off to sleep when she kissed his cheek, carefully got off the bed and walked to the bathroom, going inside and closed the door behind her.