Welcome, one and all, to my very first Rumbelle fic!

I know I'm not the first nor will I be the last to try and fill the aching void that is hiatus hell with my own take of Belle's adventures in Storybrooke after Rumple and crew head off to Neverland. Here you will find what I would like to see happen, and maybe it will help pass the time until we get to see the real thing! I don't know exactly how long this will be, but I have an outline so don't be afraid of me dropping it.

This chapter includes a scene that's a strong T, but I don't think it qualifies as M, but be warned! Or...excited, if you're like me. ;)

Enjoy!

~Andi

Every day that they were gone, every day that she didn't know what was happening, if they were okay, if Henry was okay, gnawed at her very existence. She took walks to the harbor every evening, looking out to see if she could spot a pirate ship in the distance.

Every day she hoped and prayed she would see it.

Every day she feared that she would, and Rumple wouldn't be on it.

Belle pushed that thought out of her mind with conviction. If there was one thing she knew about prophesies was that they were never set in stone. She learned that from him. Rumple would return to her, she had to trust in that, and they could finally be a family.

She watched the sunset over the ocean like she did almost every evening, and sat tiredly down on a bench. It was getting harder to get around, and Ruby and Granny had been nagging her about taking her walks alone. She desired the solitude though, something Anton seemed to truly understand as due to compromise, he now followed her on her walks but kept a distance and left her alone, except on the days she was feeling chatty.

"You okay, Belle?" the gentle giant asked softly.

Belle smiled up at him and motioned for him to join her on the bench. Since Rumple and the rest left, Anton, Leroy and the other dwarfs had practically adopted her. Ruby joked that their loyalty and protectiveness was beginning to rival that of their feelings toward Snow, and that was saying something.

"I'm fine, Anton, just a little tired."

"Should I carry you back?"

Belle chuckled. "No, thank you. I'll manage after a quick rest."

The first few days after literally all of the town leaders left on their journey to save Henry were hectic at best. Mad chaos more realistically.

Belle valiantly fought back her tears as she ran back into town. Breaking down and crying now would do exactly no one any good. She could let herself cry later, when she was alone, and buried against a pillow.

She refused to even allow the passing thought that her goodbye to Rumple was the last one. After all they'd been through, all the separations, all the fights and misunderstandings and way more cases of amnesia than any couple should ever have to deal with, there was no way they would end this way.

She was upset that she hadn't gotten to go with them, but the look in Rumple's eyes when he asked her to stay and handed her the spell told her that he needed her to listen to him for once.

The rolled up piece of paper burned in her hand, heavy with its importance. She knew, knew because she knew Rumple that it was about more than just keeping her here and safe, he knew that she was capable of helping the town. He trusted her.

And she was proud, proud of that trust and of Rumple, who when the Charmings were ready to tally ho and start a journey, only Rumple stopped to think of the town.

She flew into the diner, gasping for breath. It was packed, and the beer was flowing; everyone was celebrating. They had every reason to.

Leroy spotted her from across the room and made his way over to her, followed by Ruby.

"Hey sister…" he hesitated, giving her a sideways look. "Lacey?"

Belle simply grinned at them and shook her head.

"Belle!" Ruby exclaimed, enveloping her in a hug. "You're back!"

Belle laughed. "Yes I am, finally."

Leroy patted her arm. "We're glad. That Lacey…just wasn't you."

Belle frowned. She was going to have to do a lot of thinking about what she'd been through as Lacey, but now was not the time.

Granny appeared from behind the counter, two mugs of beer in her hands. She offered one to Belle. "Have you seen Emma, Snow and David?"

Belle sighed, accepted the beer and took a grateful sip. Never before in her life had alcohol been more than a social beverage, and it made her wonder that she was so anxious for some now to simply calm her nerves.

She raised her voice to try and get the attention of everyone in the noisy room. "Um, everyone?" her small stature didn't help in getting her voice to carry.

After a sharp whistle, Granny bellowed above the din. "HEY EVERYBODY, LISTEN UP!"

All heads turned toward their direction, and Belle stifled a flash of anxiety and lifted her chin. "Henry has been kidnapped."

Everyone gasped. "Regina?" Leroy assumed.

"No, those strangers, the ones who started all of this, Tamara and Greg. They took Henry into a portal. Rum…Mr. Gold, Emma, David, Snow White and Regina have all gone with Hook in his ship to find and rescue Henry."

For a long beat, everyone was silent, and then suddenly everyone was talking at once.

"They all just LEFT?"

"What about the town?"

"What do we do?"

"How long will they be gone?"

"Who will protect us?

"What if more strangers come?"

That last question, though she didn't catch who asked it, was one Belle could at least answer. "Mr. Gold gave me this," she held up the paper. "He said that it's a spell that will protect us from outsiders," she looked to Ruby, handing over the paper. "It just needs to be read."

Ruby held up her hands, refusing to take it. "Whoa, he gave it to you, sweetie."

Belle furrowed her brow. "B…but it's magic. I don't know how to do magic."

"You think I do?"

"Maybe we should get it to Mother Superior," Leroy suggested.

Belle tensed automatically. From the time she lived with Rumplestiltskin in his castle he'd told her over and over to never trust a fairy. He never gave her a straight reason for it, and she knew that her own distrust was unfounded, but it was one of those things he was just always so adamant about that it got into her subconscious. Besides, where was this so-called all-powerful fairy right now? What was she doing while their world was ending? While they were waiting for Hook's ship to sail back into port, Regina and the Charmings had a chance to fill her and Rumple in on what stopped the trigger. And it was Emma and Regina, no help from Blue.

"No, Ruby is right," Belle pulled the slip back to her chest. "He gave it to me. I should read it."

Belle unrolled the paper and read its contents. It instructed the spell-caster to walk to the town line and blow the words of the spell off the page. Easy as that. She rolled her eyes at the hastily scribbled note on the bottom:

Not too close to the line, Dearie, we don't want any more accidents.

Belle, Ruby, Anton and the dwarfs walked to the line. Belle was immensely grateful for their support. In all honesty, the thought of casting a spell both terrified her and intrigued her.

She stood by the line, (but still a safe distance) and held the slip of paper before her. For just a moment she allowed her eyes to follow the road into the distance. What she wouldn't give to be able to cross that stupid line and see more of this wondrous and frightening world she found herself in. But instead she puckered her lips, feeling a little silly, and blew at the seemingly nonsensical words like a birthday candle. The black letters lifted off the paper and dissipated. She felt the power of it pulsate from her body and watched it ripple through the air.

"I guess that's it," she said.

"Good job, Belle," Ruby placed a hand on her shoulder.

Worn and lonely, Belle made her way to Rumple's shop that night. She could have gone to her apartment above the library, or to Rumple's house, but his house was a little far to walk to at night and her apartment was just too…empty.

At least in his shop she was surrounded by him in the form of his things. She declined Ruby's offer to stay with them, claiming she wanted to be alone, but in truth it was the last thing she wanted. The simple fact was that as much as she cared for the wolf girl, it wasn't her company she wanted.

She fell tiredly onto the small bed pushed into the corner of the backroom, presumably for nights when the busy shop owner worked too late and decided just to sleep there.

The moment her head hit the pillow she was overwhelmed by the smell of him. She buried her nose in further, wishing more than anything that it was his neck she was nuzzling.

The tears that she had heroically kept at bay all day long finally spilled. The brave face she'd held when she walked away from him at the ship so that she didn't upset him more than he already was fell. Alone and undisturbed, Belle sobbed into the pillow.

She couldn't help but be reminded of the last time she wept lying in a bed; it was during the time she first lived at the Dark Castle. Back then he'd come to her to complain about the noise, but looking back she recognized that look on his face, because it was the same one he wore any time she cried, like he would give anything, do anything, just to take away her tears. But he wasn't coming this time.

Her sobs wracked her body, making her shake and nearly hyperventilate. It wasn't even the separation. She could handle being away from him, though it certainly wasn't preferable. And it wasn't even just the worry, though that was a huge part of it. It was that they had to be separated now. Those last few moments when they thought their world was truly ending were burned into her mind, barely letting any other thought in.

They'd held each other, crying for Bae, crying for each other, crying for the fact that they'd missed their second chance at being together. The earth beneath them shook with increasing intensity and he held her even tighter.

"I love you, Belle," he whispered. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too," she said, pressing her lips to the side of his neck.

Her memories of Belle and Lacey were now intertwined, both as real as the other. She knew what she'd done as Lacey, though at that moment she could scarcely bother to feel ashamed. She also knew that Lacey and Rumple had done what she and he had never done. She honestly barely remembered it; they'd both been extremely drunk when he took her back to his home. They'd tumbled into his bed, tearing off each other's clothes and coming together more like animals than lovers.

She knew that if they had time to dwell on it Rumple would be sick with guilt, though it was obviously not a one-sided affair. But with those foggy memories in mind, Belle realized that she didn't want to die without really feeling what it was like to be with him.

She moved her lips, gently nipping at the skin of his neck, tracing the tiny marks she made with her tongue. Rumple's hands began to move as well, travelling from her shoulders, to her hips and back again, covering every inch of space in between.

"Rumple," she sighed, capturing his lips and pouring every ounce of passion and love she possessed into her kiss.

He threaded his fingers into her hair, pulling it from its messy ponytail, and bit down lightly on her bottom lip, making her moan approvingly.

The ground shook again, and Belle used the motion to push Rumple backward until his legs bumped up against the bed. When she gave a second, gentle push, he pulled away, looking at her with the most endearing expression of wonder and confusion.

Belle smiled, though she was sure it didn't quite reach her eyes, not when she thought this was the last time she'd ever get to be with him, and encouraged him to sit before straddling his lap.

"Belle…" he breathed.

"Please, Rumple," she whimpered. "I need you…"

Clearly he needed no more persuasion and attacked her mouth, seeking out her tongue with his own. His kiss was rough, almost violent, but Belle knew that it was the pain he was in fueling it, and she responded with equal ardor.

The hideous dress Lacey had decided to don that morning was difficult to get off skin-tight as it was, and once it was over her head she waded it up with distaste and threw it as far as she could. Rumple noticed her angered reaction to the dress, and continued to whisper her name, her real name in her ear like a prayer.

His hands were everywhere, trying to map her out and touch every inch while he still could, and she did the same, wishing with all her heart that she had a lifetime to learn him and not a few minutes.

Hot tears fell upon her skin as he kissed and licked his way down her body and she gasped in both heartbreak and pleasure.

Never in her entire life had she felt so loved, so cherished, so wanted. And it just made her cry all the more because it was about to end. But at least they had this.

When he entered her it was rough and trembling, and she wrapped her limbs around him tightly. If she was going to die it would be as close to the man she loved as humanly possible.

She clawed at his back, heedless of the blood she was drawing, and he bit down hard on her shoulder. Their rhythm was fast and shaky and full of desperation, regret, but most of all love.

"Belle," he whispered. "My Belle. My beautiful, brave, selfless Belle."

"I love you, Rumple," she breathed heavily.

"Say it again."

"I love you."

He chuckled deeply. "Yes, love, that, but I want to hear you say my name."

She kissed his damp brow and pulled his earlobe between her teeth. "I love you, Rumplestiltskin."

The rumbling of the earth reached its crescendo as they did, and they lay tangled together, holding each other as tightly as they could. But just when they thought it was truly the end, the rumbling stopped.

The vines that had been creeping toward them receded, and all was still.

"What happened?" Belle whispered.

Rumple stood up and looked out the window. "I'm not sure…"

They got dressed hurriedly, and when she frowned at the pile of black fabric that was her dress, he went to a closet and pulled out one of her coats instead; a long trench coat that she could wear as a dress.

"Well, at least I didn't have to traverse other lands in nothing but a trench coat," Belle chuckled wetly to herself, grasping at straws to divert her mind, picturing the awkward conversation with Emma and Snow about her lack of clothing. When Rumple came back, he would find that funny. Despite their differences, they shared the same weird sense of humor.

She let that be her thought as she drifted off, of his wicked chuckle at jokes only they thought funny. She tried not to think of his hands, of his lips, of everything she ached for. Lonely and exhausted, she fell into a restless sleep.