Rumple is reunited with a few more familiar faces, and then he and Belle are left to themselves.

Part Two

So, they walked, and they talked, and he didn't let go of their hands. He barely saw the scenery, he was so focused on their faces. Belle and Bae, both of them here, waiting for him, happy that he was here with them at last, if the way they gripped his hands was any indication. And he was just as happy never to let go of either of them. He was just…filled with such joy.

They talked, but they knew everything he could tell them anyway.

'We kept in touch,' Bae said, smiling.

'We've been watching over you, Rumple,' Belle said, wrapping her other hand around his.

'We know about the new curse. How many did that make?' Bae asked, grinning.

'Honestly, I've lost count,' Rumple said, with an amused smile. 'Ah, they've all been through enough to last ten lifetimes. I hope it gets a little easier now for all of them.'

'I think they're gonna be just fine, Papa,' Bae said quietly.

'Henry grew up so strong, Bae. Headstrong and stubborn, and fiercely protective, like you and me, and goodhearted, and brave. I didn't…have a very good relationship with him, I'm afraid. I think he just…reminded me too much of you, son, and it hurt too much. I couldn't really reach out to him, and he knew that. I'm sorry.'

'Don't be,' Bae said understandingly, and smiled. 'I know you cared for him, Papa, and I know he knew that too. Life took you different places, and that's ok. Your sacrifice saved him in the end, and you were gonna give up everything for him. He knows that.'

'I wanted to give him his family back. He deserves his happy ending, or his happy beginning,' Rumple said, smiling at Belle.

'Well, thanks to you, they all have that now,' she said. 'They all have a chance to build wonderful lives, and they will.'

'I hope they do,' Rumplestiltskin said.

'Gideon will too,' Belle told him.

'Is he ok?' Rumplestiltskin asked. 'I lost track of him when the curse hit. I know he wasn't caught up in it, thankfully, but I don't know where he ended up, if he knows that I made it back to you. I would've liked a moment to say goodbye.'

'We'll find a way to do it, Rumple,' Belle promised.

'I'm sorry that you didn't get to say goodbye either, Belle,' he said.

'Actually, I did,' she told him.

'How?'

'The dream realm,' she said, smiling.

'Of course: from when you were pregnant with him.'

She nodded. 'We only met there once,' she said. 'He needed me, and I was able to go to him.'

'Like you came to me, in my dream, after I was shot.'

'Yes. We were able to talk for a bit, and I held him. I think it gave him a little peace. He's doing really well, Rumple. He's happy studying and teaching. No romance yet, but he's got plenty of time.'

'Ah, I'd love to see him,' Rumple said, 'just for a moment, just to tell him I made it home.'

'We'll find a way, Papa,' Bae promised. 'Belle's told me all about my kid brother, you know. Sounds the complete opposite of me!'

'Gideon loves his books, like his mother, but he's like you in a lot of ways, Bae,' his father told him. 'He's brave, kind, wants to do right, just like you. You're more alike than you think.'

'I agree,' Belle said softly.

Bae smiled. 'Well, I look forward to meeting him one day, once he's led a long, full life, that is.'

They walked on and the scene opened up before them. Rumple saw a tree like the one in their garden at the Edge of Realms. Beside it, a blanket was spread on the grass, a picnic basket sitting to the side, reminding of long picnics with Belle. He suddenly felt hungry, which surprised him: he'd thought he'd have no need to eat once he was dead.

Belle chuckled, hearing his stomach rumble.

He smiled at her. 'I didn't think we'd need to eat.'

'We can do whatever we like,' Belle said.

'And I'm hungry too,' Bae announced. 'Come on: let's see what's in the basket.'

Rumplestiltskin laughed as his son slipped away and bent to open the basket.

'Ah, burgers,' he called, pleased.

Rumple looked at Belle and she smiled.

'Well, it's been a long time since you and I have had a hamburger together,' she murmured.

'Indeed it has,' he agreed. He raised their joined hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles.

She smiled, leaning into his side for the comfort of it, before kneeling on the edge of the blanket and setting about dishing out the food from the basket.

Rumple sat beside her, looking at her, his heart full of love for her.

She sent him a smile, her eyebrow raised, and he realised he was staring. He only smiled. She giggled.

'Are we going right back to that, then?' she asked softly.

'Right back to what?' he wondered, playing dumb.

'Back to you staring at me and distracting me from what I'm doing,' she said, 'and you knew well what I meant!'

He smiled. 'I did, and yes, we are, unless you have a problem with that?'

She shook her head, her cheeks pink. 'No, I don't have a problem with that at all.'

'Good,' he said, and smiled widely at her giggle.

He caught the smirk on his son's face, but Bae was wise enough to keep his thoughts to himself.

The three of them ate their burgers looking out over the landscape before them.

It looked very much like the view from the front of their house at the Edge of Realms, only the tranquil sea they'd looked out over there, was a lake here, and on the other side, more forest and snowy mountains rose.

'Do you like it?' Belle asked, leaning in a little, seeing that he was captivated by the view.

He turned to her with a smile. 'It's breathtaking,' he murmured, his eyes flicking over her.

'I meant the view,' she murmured under her breath, her lips twitching in amusement.

'That's breathtaking too,' he said softly. 'I'd be happy anywhere as long as there was you, you know.'

'Me too,' she said, raising a hand to stroke his cheek.

Bae was lying on the blanket, gazing up at the sky.

'Think I'd have liked the Edge of Realms,' he commented. 'Nice weather.'

'And it was quiet,' his father added. 'After the years in Storybrooke, and all the travelling, it was nice to settle somewhere.'

'It was,' Belle agreed.

'Well, you may not find it as quiet here, Papa,' his son observed.

'Why's that?'

'Because I'm not the only one who wanted to come see you.'

Rumplestiltskin frowned. 'What do you mean?'

'See, I told you he'd be here.'

'Alright, Elsie, how many times do you want me to say you were right?'

'Just one more.'

'Impossible woman!'

'You love me anyway.'

'Sometimes.'

Rumplestiltskin had heard the voices before he saw the women they belonged to, but he'd have known who they belonged to anywhere, even after hundreds of years.

He'd recognise them anywhere too, with their trailing shawls and scarves. Agnes, or Aggie, was the taller of the two, with straight brown hair, while Elspeth, or Elsie, was shorter with blonde curls. They looked exactly the same as when he'd first come to them as a boy.

'Well, my dear, it took you long enough,' Elsie said.

'And we saw you used your talent for spinning to make gold,' Aggie continued.

'And learned to be quite good at making deals too.'

'Yes, that was quite interesting.'

'And then there was the magic.'

'You lost your way a bit, lad.'

'But you found it again in the end.'

The two of them were standing a short distance away, smiling indulgently at him. He felt the same warmth he'd always felt around them, and he was, once again, overwhelmed. Belle rubbed his arm gently, and he took strength from that and got to his feet.

'Aggie… Elsie… It's really good to see you.'

'Aye, lad. It's really good to see you too.'

'We've been waiting a long time.'

'Yeah, I sort of took a detour.'

'No, dear.'

'You took the road you were meant to take.'

'Now come here and give us a hug.'

He did as he was bid and went to them, sweeping them into his arms and closing his eyes as they held him, murmuring to him, finishing each other's sentences as they always had.

'We're proud of you, dear.'

'We are.'

'You became a fine man.'

'A hero.'

'And now you're back with us.'

'And your beautiful wife and son.'

'Yes,' Rumplestiltskin murmured, feeling four times blessed to have Belle, Bae, and the women who'd been as mothers to him here with him in eternity. It was far more than he ever hoped for.

Behind him, Belle called out joyfully. 'Mother!'

Rumplestiltskin turned and saw the woman in the purple dress coming towards them. She was very like Belle, a little taller, but she had the same pointed chin, the same smile.

Rumplestiltskin had actually met Lady Colette once before, if 'met' was the correct term for using the Ale of Sinead to connect with the dead. They'd passed through Merida's kingdom in their hunt for a way to be rid of the dagger, and she'd given them some of the ale as a gift. Belle had wanted him to use it to talk to Bae, but he'd not wanted to make the trip back to Storybrooke and maybe run into trouble getting back. They'd passed through her home once and he'd insisted she use it at her mother's grave. She'd had a few minutes with her, and he and Gideon had gotten to meet her briefly.

'Hello, darling,' Colette greeted, hugging her daughter. 'Have I come at a good time?'

'Of course, Mother. Rumple's in the thick of reunions.' And Belle smiled over at him.

'Come and join the hug, Colette,' Elsie invited.

'The more the merrier,' Aggie added.

'You all know each other?' Rumple asked.

'We do.'

'We're all good friends.'

'Isn't that right, Colette?'

'It is,' she returned with a smile. 'Welcome home, Rumplestiltskin,' she murmured. 'My daughter's been looking forward to this day, as have we all.'

'Thank you, Lady Colette,' he said: 'it's wonderful to finally be home.'

'And rather overwhelming, I think,' she said, tilting her head in a way that reminded him of Belle. She shared her daughter's perceptiveness too.

'It is that,' he agreed quietly. 'I never expected…'

'I know, but such bravery and selflessness as you showed deserved a reward, especially because you did it without expectation of one. My Belle was always right about you: you are a good man, with a pure heart.'

'Thank you,' he said.

'Now, Baelfire, I hope you left us some food,' Aggie called.

'There's plenty left, Aunt Aggie. Aunt Elsie, Colette, come and eat.'

The three women went to sit on the blanket, chatting together. Rumplestiltskin watched Aggie and Elsie fuss over Bae, and Colette laugh at something his boy said.

He felt Belle by his side and turned to look at her, feeling overwhelmed with love and gratitude.

She smiled at him. She stepped into his arms and he held her to him.

'How are you feeling?' she asked sympathetically.

'I still can't believe it, Belle,' he confessed quietly. 'Is this all really real?'

'Does it feel real? Do I feel real?'

'Yes. It's just… Belle, I thought that my chance was gone, and…'

'And you'd accepted that it was, so all of this doesn't feel quite real: I understand, Rumple, but it really is real, and you really are home.'

'Just…don't let go?'

'Oh, don't worry, I am never letting you go again!' she vowed, hugging him tight.

0

There seemed to be plenty of food in the basket, more than there should have been, really. Rumplestiltskin remarked on it and Belle smiled.

'Well, Storybrooke and the magical realms weren't the only places where magic exists,' she said.

'Right,' he said, amazed.

She smiled. 'Don't worry,' she said softly: 'there are no prices to be paid here, Rumple. It's just…whatever we need will be there.'

'You're all I need,' he whispered.

'I'm here,' she whispered back, taking his hand.

He twined his fingers with hers. Her wedding ring glittered in the light. His own was back on his ring finger too. Weaver had favoured heavy silver jewellery, but all of that was gone now, and his ring was the only jewellery he wore. He'd missed it during the curse. He was never taking it off again.

'Belle, darling?'

'Mother,' Belle returned, tearing her eyes away from her husband.

Colette smiled. 'We're all going to leave you two in peace for a while,' she said.

'You really don't—'

'We really do,' Colette said, cutting across Rumplestiltskin's protest. 'You've been apart long enough,' she said gently. 'Go and spend some time together. We'll see you soon.'

'Thank you, Mother,' Belle said softly.

'Yes, thank you Lady Colette.'

'Oh, we shan't stand on ceremony, Rumplestiltskin,' she said with a smile. 'Call me Colette.'

'Colette, then,' he said, and smiled, 'and I'm just Rumple.'

'Well, I shall see you soon, Rumple,' she said, and smiled again.

Everyone stood up and they said their goodbyes.

'It was so good to see you, son,' Rumple said, hugging Bae tight.

Bae laughed. 'You'll see me again, Papa,' he promised. 'There's ways to get in touch here: Belle will show you. I'll be around, and we have forever now. I'm so glad you're here.'

'Me too, son, and I'll see you very soon, then.'

Bae grinned at him. 'I'll wait to hear from you.'

Rumplestiltskin laughed a bit. It rather amazed him that his son was so relaxed about the fact that he had not been subtle about his attraction to his wife, Bae's stepmother, and that Bae was perfectly ok with giving him space to act on that attraction. Well, if Bae had been watching them for years, he'd probably gotten used to how they were together.

'Thanks, son,' he said quietly.

'Not a problem. Just don't wanna walk in and see something I shouldn't.'

'Bae,' Rumplestiltskin grumbled.

His boy laughed lightly. 'Now, tell me it couldn't happen,' he challenged, and grinned again. He sobered then. 'Papa, I'm happy for you. I'm happy you found Belle and that she never gave up on you, that you never gave up on yourself because she made you stronger. You have an epic love story, and I'm happy for you both that you're finally back together. So, I'll see you soon, ok?'

Rumplestiltskin smiled, cupping his son's cheek. 'See you soon, son. Thank you.'

They hugged tightly and Bae stepped away.

Aggie and Elsie came and hugged him then, murmuring words of love and praise in his ears, one picking up where the other left off, and he blinked back tears as their warmth enveloped him again, as it had so many years ago. It was like he was a little boy again, being tucked into bed on a dark, cold night. He realised it would be like that with them forever now. How did he get so damn lucky?

Finally, his surrogate mothers pulled away. There were hugs from everyone for Belle as well, and then all Rumplestiltskin did was blink, and when he opened his eyes again, their visitors were gone.

Belle was standing in his eye line, so he had no fear that she'd gone with the others.

She smiled at him and turned. She looked over her shoulder; tilted her head a little.

'Aren't you coming?' she asked, looking him up and down.

He stepped forward at once, staring at her, knowing full well his desire would be obvious to her. Of course, she bit her lip, which was almost enough to send him falling to his knees before her like some kind of supplicant ready to worship her. Well, he was ready to worship her, really: he could spend eternity doing just that. The beauty of it was that he had that option. It still rather amazed him: he suspected it always would.

Belle stared back at him, her cheeks flushing. She turned back to face him, her face lifting so she could look into his eyes as he came nearer. She melted into him as he slipped his arms around her. She slid her hands up to his shoulders.

'I'm so glad you're home,' she said, her voice husky.

'Me too,' he murmured.

He watched her eyes as she leaned in, saw the love and faith and longing in them, and then his eyes flicked to her lips, and, almost before he knew it, he was kissing her. They had a lot of lost time to make up for.

Next time: Belle and Rumple spend time getting intimately reacquainted.

Note: I do have plans to write fics for Belle's meeting with Gideon and the family meeting with Colette. I have some stuff written for both fics: it's just a matter of finishing them up and posting them. It might not be for a while, but it'll happen at some point.