This is the first fanfiction I've ever written. I wrote it four months ago and first posted it on tumblr. I'm still dipping my toes in fanfiction writing and I've finally decided to post this here to "test the grounds", so to speak. :)

This is based on a dream I had. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time.

Belle was at the clock tower looking out. She seemed to be thinking very hard about a lot of things, particularly trying to remember anything from her past.

She heard the thump of a cane and she knew exactly who it was. Him. The man who healed her wound. The one who saved her from a speeding car. The man who spoke nothing but kindness to her and who is so desperate to help her get her memories back. He is so desperate to help her but she pushed him away and shattered his most precious chipped cup.

He stopped beside her and they shared a few moments of comfortable silence. He was the first one who broke it.

"I thought I might find you here."

She looked at him. His hair was a little messy and there were bags forming under his eyes. He looked so tired and gloomy. But the one thing that caught her attention was his eyes. Beautiful brown eyes and so mesmerizing. It looked so familiar. She could get lost in those eyes. She wished she could remember who this man is. After he poured his heart out in that phone call weeks ago, she knew that what she had with this man was special.

"I know you don't know me and I'm not here to force you again to remember me. I really am sorry for what I did. I was just really desperate—"

"—to get me back." She finished for him.

"Yes. I want you to know that everything I said about my feelings for you were indeed true. I want to help you remember and get your life back but only if you want me to."

At that instant, she knew that this man's intentions for her were genuine. The way he spoke those words with full tone of honesty stirred something deep inside her.

Belle smiled and said, "Yes, I want you to help me."

Her answer caught him off-guard. He expected her to turn him down, to scream at him and tell him to never see her again. Just the thought of never seeing his beautiful Belle ever again made his stomach churn. He instantly vanished the thought out of his mind and instead focused on the beauty in front of him.

"You do?" He asked incredulously.

"I do. I have this feeling deep inside me telling me that I should trust you. I feel safe when you're around. Does that sound crazy?"

Mr. Gold cannot help but remember what he promised her…

"You're real. You're alive. She did this to you?"

"I was told you'd protect me."

Tears threatened to roll down his cheeks then he hugged her, "Yes—yes, I'll protect you."

"No, not at all." He said after the flashback cleared. He smiled the first genuine smile he ever had in weeks. He knew right then that he has a chance of getting his Belle back and he won't stop until he does. After all, Belle did the same for him and now it's his time to prove to everyone that he deserves her. He won't be afraid anymore.

"There's also something else…" She said after a moment.

"Yes?" He asked.

"I believe that everything you said on the phone were real—" She paused, "I don't know how but I have a feeling that—" She doesn't know how to say it especially to this man. She doesn't even understand why she feels the way she feels. That's why she went to the clock tower in the first place, to hide behind prying eyes and clear her confused mind.

He smiled at her and said, "Hey, you can tell me anything."

She closed the gap between them and hugged him. He was surprised at first but he pulled her close. That's the moment he realized how much he missed his Belle. He made a vow to himself to never let her go again and to always keep her safe. He wished the moment would last forever.

"Is that sentence over?" He asked, still not pulling away from her.

Belle giggled and she looked up at him, "No."

"I have this feeling that—" Yes, she will tell him. He has to know. She needs to tell him if they want this to work. They need to be honest with one another, "—I still love you."

He smiled and said, "and I you."

Sorry for any mistakes. English is my second language. Thanks for reading and please review! :)