A/N: Thanks so much for the good reviews! I'll try to update quickly, since I have most of the story arc worked out in my head. This chapter has more drama, less fluff. Keep coming back for more!
Six months laterAutumn had come again, Rumplestiltskin's favorite season. It had been the happiest spring and summer he and Baelfire could remember, thanks to Erik and Belle. They spent almost more time at their farm than they did at home. Erik and Belle's father, Maurice, was a widower and only had two children, so he often needed help running the farm and taking care of the sheep, so Bae and Rumplestiltskin helped out whenever they could. Maurice had quickly accepted Bae as another son, and liked Rumplestiltskin as well. They were the nicest people Rumplestiltskin had ever met, and he liked feeling like a part of a family. He was also falling more and more in love with Belle, and she seemed to be with him. He didn't want to rush things, however. His heart had never truly recovered after his disastrous marriage to Milah, and he was terrified of making another mistake like that.
One early morning in late October, Rumplestiltskin was wakened by the sound of Bae coughing. The coughing continued, and he got up and went to his son. "What's the matter, son?" he said sitting down on Bae's bed. "My throat hurts, and it's hard to breathe," Bae managed to say between coughs. Rumplestiltskin put his hand on his son's forehead. Sure enough, he had a fever.
He made Bae some tea and put a cool cloth on his head. By midmorning, the fever and coughing were no better. Rumplestiltskin was getting more and more worried, then he thought of Belle. She was always reading about home cures for fevers and ailments, and she knew almost as much as any doctor. Belle would probably know what to do. He walked to the farm, and the half-mile walk seemed to take an eternity, but the thought of Bae home sick, all alone, spurred him on. He finally got to the house and knocked on the door. Belle smiled when she saw who it was.
"Hello, what brings you here so early?"
"Bae's sick. I need your help, can you come, please?" Rumplestiltskin begged.
Belle didn't hesitate for a second. Grabbing her book of home remedies and her medicine bag from the shelf in the kitchen , she said, "Erik, you stay here. I don't want you around Bae if he's contagious!"
Maurice stood up from the kitchen table.
"I'll drive you back to your house," he said. "It'll be faster than walking back."
Rumplestiltskin and Belle climbed into the wagon alongside Maurice. In no time they were back at Rumplestiltskin's house. Belle went over to Baelfire, who was shivering even under the heavy blankets. She consulted her book for a minute while Rumplestiltskin sat quietly holding Bae's hand and waiting for her to tell him what to do.
"Rumple, Put some water on the fire. First thing, we need steam to help Bae clear his lungs out," she said finally. She took out the bag in which she kept her herbs and roots for remedies. She took out a few items and when the water was boiling, she brewed some tea and added them. Then she put in some honey and gave the mixture to Bae.
It was a long, long day. Rumplestiltskin and Belle stayed at Bae's bedside, keeping cool cloths on his head and giving him more of the tea. It was late evening when his fever finally broke, and his cough finally got better. All three of them were pretty much exhausted by then. Baelfire fell into a deep sleep, and Rumplestiltskin kissed him as he tucked him in. He was tired to his bones and as he looked at Belle, she looked just as tired.
"It's far too late for you to go home now," He told her. "You should stay here tonight."
"I'll stay as long as you and Bae need me."
"I'll sleep here by the fire. You take my bed," Rumplestiltskin offered.
"The bed's big enough for both of us," Belle replied. "You need your rest too. Come on, lie down."
They lay down on Rumplestiltskin's bed, and he put his arms around her.
"I don't know what we would have done if it hadn't been for you, Belle," he said. "I might have lost my boy, and without him, I would lose everything. I would have nothing to live for."
Belle put a finger on his lips. "Don't even think like that. You're not going to lose your son. He's going to be fine and so are you. "
They lay awake for a few hours, just in case Bae took a turn for the worse. Finally, the weariness overcame them, and they drifted to sleep, content in each other's arms.
By the next afternoon, Bae was well out of danger. His fever was gone, and although he was still coughing a little, he was feeling strong enough to sit up in his chair. Belle decided that it would be alright for her to back home, and after she made another pot of tea with the medicine for Bae and gave orders for him to stay inside for the next day or two, she left. Rumplestiltskin walked with her for a few minutes.
"Just keep him quiet for a couple days and he should be fine," she told him, "But I can come back if I need to."
"Thank you again for everything, Belle," Rumplestiltskin said.
Belle smiled and turned to go home. Suddenly she stopped, turned and walked back to him. Before he knew what was happening, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. She had kissed him before, but not like this. It was a long kiss full of emotion. When she stepped back, they were both a little breathless.
"See you soon," she whispered. He was too taken aback to say anything, and he merely nodded. She smiled at him again, and he watched her walk home until he couldn't see her anymore.
What do you think of Rumple and Belle as co-parents for Baelfire? Next installment coming up soon!
