As a side note (nothing but kissing happened in the last chapter) I realized it was confusing after I wrote it. So I thought I'd point that out beforehand. Enjoy Dearies! -Jack

Chapter 3

"Good morning" Belle said with a smile, an unintelligible grunt came from her true love laying in the chaise lounge they fell asleep in. She pressed a kiss to his forehead and his eyes immediately shot open.

"What in gods name do you think you're doing?" His back was killing him and he was still half asleep, Belle gave an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes.

"Put some food in you, might help you wake up" She said sarcastically. All the memories from last night came flooding back and he felt blush on his gold flecked skin.

"S-sorry Belle" He shot her a sheepish smile, slowly getting up he wrapped his arms around the beautiful girl who had been standing there, arms crossed looking quite disappointed. "I didn't mean that you know, I just thought that what happened last night had been a dream." His voice took a lower tone than his impish pitch, not knowing what to do with himself he quickly removed himself from her and magicked himself to his workshop. I ruined it, I could've been happy but I ruined it all. He sat at the workbench and was absentmindedly pricking his hands with a pin. The wards on the castle alerted him that someone was entering or leaving. Belle ran out of the castle, I ruined it, I got mad at him. We could've been happy but I ruined it all. She wanted to get as far away as she could, so he could live without her. Rumpel saw the front doors open and the flash of auburn curls bouncing along the path, then he heard the howls, no, No, NO, NO! Booming into a full sprint he chased after her, flashes of silver in the trees surrounded them. Belle tripped on a fallen log and fell hard, he pushed himself harder, running faster than he thought he could. A wolf bounded out of the treeline aimed straight for Belle, his Belle. He hurdled the log and sent a bolt of magic through the wolf, another canine leaped from just beyond the trees sinking its claws deep in the sorcerers back, Rumpelstiltskin let out a low cry of pain and swung around batting the wolf out of the way with one strong sweep. Belle looked up at the sound of his yell, she had been prepared to die there with the wolves, he was throwing magic left and right when one of the hounds latched onto his arm and dug it's teeth into his wrist. He raised his non-injured hand and brought it down in one quick motion and a strong magic burst out from his center and into the forest knocking all the wolves dead. He teetered for a moment before collapsing from exhaustion and blood loss.

"Rumpel! Rumpel!" Belle crawled to his side and shook him awake, "C'mon, wake up!" Tears flowed freely down her face, his eyes fluttered open and she leaned down to embrace him.

"Good morning Belle" His words were weak, "You need to help me up"

"O-okay" she reluctantly said, grasping his rough, calloused hands and using her weight to pull him into a standing position. "Here" she motioned for him to put his arm around her, he did as she willed. "I'm sorry I got mad at you, I just- I didn't know whether you actually wanted me and I don't know what I was trying to accomplish" He chuckled to himself.

"You have no reason to apologize, dearie" her heart fell at the use of his generic title. "I- I didn't believe you would ever love me" Belle stopped abruptly and Rumpel almost face-planted from his momentum.

"I love you" was all she said. It was enough for him and the two walked back to their castle in silence.