A/N: I have so many other stories going but this popped into my head the other night and I fell in love and just had to start it and give it to you guys. Though the main focus will be Rumbelle, I promise a strong presence of Snowing, Frankenwolf, Swanfire and others. Enjoy and let me know what you think if you feel so inclined. 3

Chapter One: The Calm Before the Storm

The day it happened was like any other. A normal day in Storybrooke Maine. Well, about as normal as one got living amongst the most infamous fairytale characters of our time. But that is neither here nor there.

Living on the coast had its perks. There was often sunshine to go along with the glorious bit of ocean and scenery but today a thick fog had rolled in from the banks of the Atlantic, causing the sky to darken into a dull, elephant-skin grey. The rain hung heavy in the air, not quite falling but misting with the eminent intent of a long storm. Needless to say most of the town's citizens had taken to the indoors and the couple our story begins with was no exception.

At the end of Main Street, on the corner, passed the pharmacy and across from the clock tower, set a small antiques store, a pawnshop, if you will. With walls of pale sea blue and two big white trimmed windows, there was really nothing that set it apart from the other businesses on the street. Above the strong, glossy red door hung a sign, not lighted or neon, simply plastic and moving slowly in the breeze. It read: Mr. Gold, Pawnbroker and Antiques Dealer.

Where the outside was ordinary, the inside was a different story. The walls were patterned with wallpaper, in desperate need of updating, and large thick framed oil paintings. Objects were here and there, stacked in corners, leaning against walls or gathering dust in the back room. The more special items were locked under the glass of multiple display cases but they all had one thing in common, all items were old and all were for sale. That is the thing about antique shops, everything had its price and Mr. Gold's was no different.

The man himself was seated behind a large display counter on the back wall of the shop. His work spread out before him in a haphazard mess; it was barely seven in the morning and no one ever came in before noon. He pulled a wide but thin box out from under the glass and set it on top of the counter, flicking open the latches and inspecting the contents. From his suit jacket pocket he pulled a small eye glass to inspect the glittering jewels within the small square compartments of the box. It wasn't enough. With a groan, he opened the side drawer and removed his glasses.

"I hate getting older." He grumbled as he slid them on, over the small bump towards the top of his nose and blinked until everything cleared. That was better, the jewels were now clear and he could work without delay.

"You're not old." A soft voice said as the beaded curtain to the back was pushed aside with a rush of twinkling plastic.

He removed the glasses and looked up, his face breaking into an automatic smile. On the rare occasion that Mr. Gold did smile, he looked years younger, he even felt younger. And his first reason to smile in over three hundred years was the beauty currently leaning on the counter draped in his crumpled silk shirt.

Belle French was perfect in every way, well at least to Mr. Gold. Small of stature yet curvy, strong willed yet brilliant. She was the town librarian and had a kind heart that reflected in her sky blue eyes. But most importantly, she was his. Not a possession like the items in his shop, but his in the way that she brought him lunch daily, called just for the sake of saying 'I love you' and at night burrowed under his arm with a smile on her face. Pushing away from the end of the counter, she padded across the cold floor on the balls of her feet towards him. As she crossed her arms under her breasts for warmth, the purple fabric of his shirt raised just enough to flash the tops of her thighs and the edges of her lacy boy shorts. Mr. Gold felt his mouth run dry as he set his glasses down on the counter and appreciated the view.

Belle saw the slight worry lines on his forehead and smiled gently. "Don't worry. Have you seen outside? No one is coming in, and certainly not this early." She stooped gently to brush her lips across his cheek in good morning and frowned slightly. "Why are you awake?"

Gold rubbed his eyes and looked back to his work on the counter with a sigh. "Couldn't sleep. I apologize if I woke you."

"Apologize for letting me wake up alone," she smiled and gave him another peck. "Come back to bed, its freezing."

The storm last night had caused them both to agree that they would rather wait out the night in the back bedroom of the shop than drive home in the ghastly weather. Though the arrangements in the back couldn't hold a candle to their California king complete with Egyptian cotton in their humble home on the outskirts of town, they had made due and the smaller bed called for an inordinate amount of cuddling. The offer to return was tempting, that was for sure. But once awake and dressed for the day Gold seldom went back to bed. In fact, he rarely slept at all, unless sick or otherwise forced to by the woman on his shoulder who was worried about his well being. With another small smile he reached up and pulled her down into his lap, chuckling deeply when she issued a small squeak. He adjusted her comfortably, hitching her thighs across his knees and let her lean against him, playfully caressing her ticklish spots. She threw her head back and laughed, face beaming and curls bouncing, as she put her arms around his neck for balance and he took the chance to kiss her properly.

Turning back to the box in front of them, he raised the levels of it, revealing more compartments housing all sorts of beautiful trinkets and baubles. Belle saw them glimmering in the dull lamps of the shop and gasped slightly. "Did these just come in?"

He nodded, "Yes. From all the way across the Atlantic. I was just inspecting some of them and getting ready to price them before they go under the counter. Take a look." He kissed her shoulder twice through the fabric of his shirt.

Tucking her hair behind her ears, Belle leaned up a bit and curiously ran her fingers over the edges of the box. Skipping the necklaces and the earrings that lay at the bottom and heading towards the top compartment, stopping, he noticed, at the drawer that housed the rings. He watched her intently, part of him forgetting the basic mechanics of breathing. With a bite of her lip she moved some aside and finally paused, slowly lifting a thin white gold band.

"It's beautiful," she whispered as she held it closer to her face between her index finger and her thumb.

Mr. Gold's weary heart had never beat faster. He swallowed the lump in his throat hard as he reached around her with the arm that was not encircled about her waist and took the metal from her. "That it is," he paused, waiting for her to flatten her hand, "But, it would look even better on." He slid the band over her ring finger on her left hand and they both admired the sapphire triplet in the light of the desk lamp.

"Hmmm," he sighed, resting his chin on her shoulder and saying gently into the softness of her hair, "Much better than inside that dusty old box. In fact, it's so perfect I don't think you should ever take it off."

Belle paused. Heart pounding in her ears as the blood rushed to her cheeks and she turned quickly enough to make him jump backwards. With wide eyes, she looked at the man and searched his face as to what was inside his mind. His brown eyes gave away nothing and she looked from the ring before cupping his cheek, her finger tips lightly bushing the morning stubble on his jaw.

"You don't mean…" she whispered, the shop suddenly very small and private as her thoughts came together.

"Aye, I do. If…if you'll have me?" he smiled and bowed his head a little. A gesture and a phrase both said in another time, another place but still held the same emotions.

Her face tightened, trying to control her happiness as her eyes shone with tears just on the brim of falling. She smiled and nodded rapidly as she put her arms back around his shoulders and said breathlessly, "Yes. Yes, of course you…you…yes!"

He laughed as she fought for her composure and he pulled her down, closing the gap between their lips. She shivered and moved her hands to his hair, pulling it back from his face and closing her eyes. Their noses brushed as he pulled her bottom lip between his own, sucking gently and putting his hands under the edge of her makeshift night gown. Gentle but calloused hands caressed her back and she broke out in goose bumps, whimpering softly against his mouth. She made up her mind that they were going back to bed if she had to drag him; Belle pulled back with a smile and blissfully lidded eyes.

She opened her mouth but was cut off as a loud boom shook the area around them as well as everything within the shop. Mr. Gold gripped her tightly and looked around as the knickknacks clanked together and swayed on their respective shelves before the noise died off. It wasn't thunder, much too loud for merely thunder. An earthquake perhaps, but such a thing had never happened in the little town before. Just as everything in the shop stopped moving, it happened again. A shattering explosion this time shook the building and Belle slipped from his lap, grabbing the counter before he covered her, getting as low to the ground as they could.

In a disaster, the pawn shop was not a good choice of places to run for cover. Paintings fell with loud thuds, the old grandfather clock in the corner toppled and Belle buried her face in Gold's chest as the glass unicorn mobile came crashing down beside them. He held onto her tightly, refusing to move until the danger had passed. The distant trembling of the earth quake could be heard as it moved away from their corner of town and he slowly rose to inspect the damage.

Broken items littered the store, glass here and splintered wood there, all worthless junk. They both were safe and that was more important that then things on display. Leaning down, letting most of his weight balance on his good leg, Gold picked up Belle and set her on the counter top; her lack of proper clothing now a nuisance allowing all her precious skin to be exposed to the ruble on the ground.

"R-rumple…" she breathed as he released her and picked up his fallen cane. She turned on the countertop and watched as he walked to the door. With a twinkle of the bell at the top, he flung it opened and looked outside.

The sky had turned a sickening green that swirled and twisted above them as the wind picked up speed. Leaves and discarded items blew down the street as the stop light swayed on the electric line. Gold threw up his arm and shielded his face as a crack of lightening ripped open from the clouds and came crashing down somewhere in the center of town.

"Rumple!"

His attention was drawn back to Belle as she started to get down and run to him but he put up a hand to stop her. With a snap of his fingers, she was engulfed in royal purple smoke that tickled her body and surrounded her protectively and once it dissipated she was fully dressed. She usually pleaded with him to avoid the use of magic in simple tasks but now was not the time.

Her running shoes hit the hardwood with a squeak as she jumped from the counter and ran to his side, looking out into the street over his shoulder.

"What's happening?" her eyes wide as she asked.

"I don't know. Get back inside." He shut the door with a firm slam and moved her back into the safety of the shop. "Go to the back. Grab the rucksack off of the sitting chair, the green one with the gold trim. Hurry."

She did as he asked without question. Hurrying through the beaded curtain once more and tying her hair back out of the way as she ran. Gold leaned against the counter and gritted his teeth. Magic had indeed returned to Storybrooke but only a select few could control it with that kind of magnitude. He wasn't behind it and with the Queen of Hearts dead that left only one option.

He shoved away from the counter and strode to the large painting behind his personal work area. Ripping it from the wall, he tossed it aside and worked on opening the large safe that it reviled. The door behind him banged open and the bell rattled so hard it finally fell to the floor, the poor thing had survived 28 years of abuse from disgruntled citizens, seemed fitting that it would break now.

"Dad!"

Mr. Gold spun around as Baelfire, otherwise known in this world as Neal Cassady, fell inside the shop and used all the force he had to slam the door closed against the wind from outside. Pressing his back to it, his breath came fast and he searched the room, eyes narrowing on his father.

Neal strode forward, adjusting his dark grey peacoat and running a hand through his dark hair before pointing at Gold himself.

"Tell me this wasn't you. Tell me!" his voice was angry but Gold saw it, the blind, desperate hope that his father was still trying to change, that he wasn't the one currently trying to destroy an entire town.

Gold shook his head and gave Neal and gentle look, "It's not me son."

The relief on Neal's face was painfully evident. The bond between father and son was getting stronger every day but there was still a lot of healing left. The accusation caused his chest to ache but Mr. Gold understood, he had promised Neal to stop dark magic and to cut back on magic in general, for his one and only son, he certainly was trying.

Belle returned with the bag. She had put on a jacket and blew wisps of her hair out of her eyes as she returned to Gold's side. He took it from her gently and hastily set to working on opening the safe in front of him, turning from Baelfire.

"Bae, what's going on?" Belle asked, taking in his disheveled appearance.

"A…a storm. But it's not just any storm it's like…"

"Magic." Gold mumbled as he popped the safe and started putting the contents in the bag.

Neal nodded and continued, "It's like the town is splitting open. Cracks have popped up in every street, giant and swallowing anything in their path, the biggest one is under the clock tower. Buildings are coming down; we have to get out of here." He had been around magic his entire life but even now he was struggling to describe the chaos that had broken out outside the pawn shop.

Gold stopped and put his hand on the wall, starring at the ground. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. Belle moved to his side and put a hand on his shoulder, asking without words what was wrong.

"Pop, if it's not you then it's…" Neal looked to Belle then back to his father.

"Regina." Gold growled again as he removed a long item from the safe wrapped in a cloth. He dropped the item and the bag to the ground as another tremor shook the shop. He grabbed Belle and braced them both. The tremor lasted longer than any of the others and he cast worried eyes to his son as screams could be heard from down the street.

He gripped his cane and went to pick up the bag but Belle beat him to it. She knew that wrapped inside the ordinary looking cloth was something precious, something neither of them could afford to lose. Letting out a shaky breath, she clutched the dagger of the dark one to her chest and gave him a reassuring nod.

"The curse is imploding on itself. It may have been already broken but now it is being destroyed." He looked to Belle, "Storybrooke is being destroyed."

Belle looked hopeful for a split second as she covered his hand with her own. "You mean we're going home?"

"If we survive…" Her hand tightened around his as another shock rattled the roof.

Neal threw his hands into the air and resisted the urge to point at his father again, he had to hurry, he had a son to find, people in this town he cared about. There had to be something they could do. "Why now? Why did she choose now to destroy the curse? You made it, didn't you?"

Gold held up his hand and looked back to his son, "Yes, I made it. I do not know why she chose now, but the curse can be destroyed in almost the same way it was broken." Almost a year ago, Emma Swan had broken the curse with true love. She had awoken each of them from 28 years of personal hell and now Gold was certain she had no part in its destruction.

"The curse will break, if the savior dies." He whispered as he looked at his only son.

Neal's eyes grew wide; he turned on his heel without another word and shot out the door. The talking was done, time was up and Regina had to be stopped. Gold held open the bag and allowed Belle to drop the dagger inside. He pulled the tie and tied it tight, handing it to her. She threw the rucksack across her shoulders, she would protect it no matter what and that was the reason he entrusted it to her.

"Belle, I need you to run down to the diner. Alert the others. Find Ruby, Hopper, anyone you think might be able to help." He gripped her shoulders gently, memorizing the features of her worried face.

"Aren't you coming with me?" She blurted as his words sunk in.

He shook his head and picked up his cane, releasing her. "No, someone has to stop Regina. I-…" He stopped midway to the door once he realized Belle wasn't following.

"No," She said firmly. His Belle was many things but firm was not one of them, at least not like this. "No. I'm not going. I will not…I will not lose you AGAIN because of her!" She shook her head over and over and used her hair to hide the fact that a few silent tears had escaped her strong resolve. He threw down his cane and hurried to her as fast as his leg would allow, wrapping her in a tight embrace and burying his face in her hair.

He inhaled deeply and held her as she shook. He wanted to promise that everything would be fine, they would make it out of Storybrooke, that the queen had kept them apart for the last time, but Belle was too smart for empty words that could easily turn into broken promises.

With a hand behind her head he whispered quickly into her hair, allowing her to cling to the front of his suit. "Belle, I need you to do this. The curse is unpredictable, protect the dagger, find the others and anything that we may need." She continued to shake her head and he shook her.

"BELLE…" He looked her in the eyes and his heart ached. At that moment she threw herself forward and captured his mouth, sliding her small fingers into his hair and holding on for dear life. He parted his lips and held her closer as he tasted her tears. His heart broke into a million pieces at the thought of losing her for good this time. Releasing her, he shoved her out the door before he changed his mind, "GO!"

With one last look, she wiped her eyes and ran outside into the storm. Gold let out a yell of agony and whirled on point, bringing his cane smashing down on the glass of the counter to his right. Damn Regina, damn the curse, damn the magic. All magic came with a price and he was going to find the queen and force her to pay up.