A/N: I am team Rumbelle. That being said, canonically, there was something else going on I felt I needed to address. So some very minor Belle/Will here and no plans to put it anyplace else.

Chapter Four

"I didn't recognize the number, so I let it ring to voicemail," Belle said as she passed her phone to Emma.

Emma studied the display. "That's a Manhattan area code," she said at once. "I can do a trace when I get back to my computer to tell you more details, but my guess would be that it's a pay phone." She smiled wryly. "There are still a few of them left, though they're getting scarcer."

Belle nodded nervously. "Why wouldn't he use his own phone?" she asked, sounding like she was dreading the answer.

Emma shrugged. "Could be a lot of reasons, I guess. Maybe it broke. Or he couldn't find a place to charge it. Or he lost it, or it was stolen." She took in the expression on Belle's face. "Hey. Whatever happened to his phone, at least you know that, as of two hours ago, he was alive and in New York."

"Just… play the message, Emma," Belle said, twisting her fingers.

The look on her face was starting to make Emma nervous, too. "Okay," she said, lightly brushing the touch screen with one finger.

"Belle…" The voice was unmistakably Gold's, but there was a note of desperation in it that tore at Emma's heart. "Pl-please don't erase this until you've heard it. I'm sorry." The words were tumbling out, as though he feared that if he paused for breath, she was going to stop listening. "I wasn't going to call. I didn't want to upset you needlessly. I didn't—I-I don't want to hurt you anymore than I already have. But I fear that if I'm silent now and you find out too late, then my intentions will be for naught. Six weeks ago…" There was a long pause. "I was admitted to a hospital here with a heart attack. But that's not what it was…"

As Emma listened to the rest of what Gold was saying, her eyes grew wide and she instinctively wrapped an arm around Belle's shoulders. She wasn't sure if she was only imagining the gasps and sudden intakes of breath from the others in the room.

"…I don't know whether the curse on the town line is still in force or whether you've come up with a way to counter it," Gold continued. I shouldn't be surprised if you don't want to see me again. But if you can… if you'll do me this one favor…" His voice broke and Emma closed her eyes in unconscious sympathy, as he seemed to choke out the next words, "…oh, I want to see you once more, Belle. Before it's too late." He was sobbing now, his words coming in ragged gasps. "I'll be in front of the New York Public Library every day, for as long as I'm able, hoping that you'll be there. I love you, Belle. I'm sorry I hurt you. Good-bye."

There was a long silence, as Emma passed the phone back to Belle. "I don't know about my superpower," Emma said slowly. "But my gut tells me this is legit. And Belle, Gold had to know you'd come to us with this. He might let his walls down around you," Emma continued, "but…"

She turned to Regina. "No offense, Regina, but, I just don't see him showing this much… vulnerability to the rest of us, if he wasn't way past caring about image. So." She took a deep breath. "Is there a way that we can go and come back?"

Regina hesitated. "The Snow Queen's scroll got her inside Storybrooke during the curse. It might work now. But," she took a breath, "there's something else we have to consider. In the middle of all of those tears and apologies, Rumple mentioned something else: his condition might be curable if he returns here. So, I think we need to decide now whether we want him back."

"Wait," Emma blinked. "What? How is this even a question?"

"Do I need to remind you that he almost murdered your boyfriend in cold blood? He imprisoned the fairies in the hat and we still can't figure out how to free them. He was ready to take the two of you," she pointed to Belle and Henry, "over the town line and leave the rest of us to kill each other under the Snow Queen's curse. I'm not sure letting him back into town is necessarily a good thing."

"I do still have his dagger," Belle pointed out quietly. "I don't want to have to use it, but if I must, I can."

Regina raised an eyebrow. "So, you've made your choice, then."

"Have I?" Belle asked. "I… I don't know that I have. But I think I owe it to myself to find out. He's dying and he wants to see me. If there's a way to leave town and come back, then I really think I should. As for the rest, we'll… figure it out as we go."

"We?" Regina repeated.

Belle turned to Emma. "You've lived in New York. You'll take me?"

Emma nodded. "Uh… yeah. Sure." She turned to Regina. "So… the scroll?"

Regina considered. "It's currently in my vault. I'll examine it and see if I can ascertain whether the magic that let her pass through the Dark Curse's cloaking spells is still extant."

"Assuming it is," August spoke up, "I'm coming with you."

Emma and Belle turned as one. "You?" Belle asked.

"Why?" This from Emma.

August took a deep breath. "Because," he said firmly, "I owe him."

Regina frowned. "I don't think that's something he can hold you to from where he is. In fact, I'm fairly certain you can consider that debt forgiven. Whatever it is."

August shook his head. "Pretty sure it doesn't work that way. But if anyone's curious about the details," his lips twitched, "I think I want to keep the suspense going for a bit. At least, until you're so anxious to know that you realize that the only way I'll divulge them is if I can go with you. Once we meet up with Mr. Gold in Manhattan, I'll share it all."

"And here I thought this town was done with making deals," Regina quipped.

Emma took a deep breath. "Okay. Assuming the scroll's magic checks out, we'll leave in the morning. Meet in front of Granny's. We'll get some food for the road."

"I know of a couple of decent hotels," August said. "Nothing too fancy, but the price is reasonable and they're clean. How about I call one of them and reserve us two rooms for a week? By then, we should have some idea about what to do for the… long term."

Emma and Belle exchanged a look. Belle nodded slowly. "A week should be enough time," she agreed.

"Okay," Emma said. She looked at August. "Do it."

"Emma?" Belle asked, "Will there be room in your car if I wanted to bring along a few things for Rumple? I… banished him with nothing but the clothes on his back. Even if, in the end, we don't bring him home with us, I'd like to make sure he has a bit more."

"Are you still mad at him?"

Belle sighed. "I don't know what I am. I just know I need to see him again before I'll find out."

"There should be room. We're only packing for a week."

Belle nodded. "I'll see you at Granny's tomorrow. If the scroll will work."

"So, if the scroll works, I'll be leaving in the morning. It's just for a week," Belle concluded apologetically.

Will Scarlet smiled. "Nah, 't'isn't. But that's all right."

"You think…" Belle shook her head. "Oh, no. No. I'm going to see Rumple because he may be dying and he's asking for me. And, if something here in town can save him, then there's a good chance he'll come back with us. But after the way he tricked me, lied to me…"

"You still love 'im."

Belle sighed. "That's… not the point. I can't trust him. Not after this. Even if I do still…" Her breath caught and she looked away. "I'm so sorry, Will."

"Don't be, love," Will was still smiling. "I went into this knowing I were the rebound lad. I hoped that maybe I could change your mind, but I spot now that's not gonna 'appen. But that's okay. You love him. He needs you. Go ter him."

"I…"

Will shook his head. "One spot of advice, though. Friend to friend. Belle… lovers are… they're like 'ouses, they are."

Belle raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Houses," she repeated, not certain she'd heard right.

"Yeah. Some is almost perfect just as-is. Maybe there's a loose step needs tightening or a room could do wiv a fresh coat o' paint. But on the 'ole? Just about perfect. Ah, but then, there's them what need a lot more work. Leaky roof, buckling floors, shaky foundation. Some of it ya can fix, some ya can't. But it's a hard job."

Belle tried to smile. "You… sound like you're trying to tell me about Rumple."

"Do I?" Will asked, a trifle too innocently. "I thought 'e was yer chipped cup. Actually," he continued, his tone turning strangely serious, "I didn't want to talk about houses exactly. I wanted to talk about the kinds of people who go looking for the fixer-uppers. Now, there's some as would ask why they'd go looking for those, when there are so many other houses out there, what don't need the same kind o' work. Well. Some of 'em, the ones what want to do the fixin', they love the 'ouse. They want to get it set so they can live in it. Ah, but some? Some just love the fixin'. Once the repairs are done, they sell it for more'n they paid and move on to another. And then there're some what'll buy a cottage, thinkin' if they put enough work into it, they can turn it into a castle. Course they can't. They can make it a lovely cottage, sure, but it'll always be a cottage. They need to realize that it's not the cottage's fault it can't be a castle. Ain't even necessarily a bad thing. Cottages is cozy. But if all the while you're fixin' up the cottage, you're hexpectin' it to turn out to be a castle, well, sooner or later you start acting like it's the cottage's fault that it's not what you want, when it never pretended to be anything else."

"Now, just hold on one minute," Belle retorted. "Rumple did pretend. That was the whole problem."

Will sighed. "Nah, Belle. The whole problem is that you still think I'm talking about 'ouses. Even when I up and tell you I'm talking about the ones what do the fixing." He smiled. "You like fixing, Belle. Dark Ones. Yaoguais what used ter be princes. Dev'lishly 'andsome sneak thieves. But when yer fixin's done, you move on ter the next one what needs fixin'. Or if the fixin' don't get done, you get upset that it ain't. 'N'en, since a bloke ain't a house, an' since a bloke 'as feelin's, well, 'e wants yer t'be 'appy, don't 'e? So, 'e tries to be what you want. But it ain't 'im. But 'e tries. But then when you think you've done it an' 'e's changed, cor, that's when you start thinkin', well yer work's done, ain't it? And you want somethin' else t'fix, don't you?" He shook his head. "Belle, if you're lookin' for a prince charmin', you don't go about finding one in dark castles or sneaking out of someone's back door in the dead of night. Odds are, any bloke you find in those places is going to be exactly the type a body'd expect t'find there. And if that's where you plant yourself looking for that special someone…" Will shrugged. "Maybe you need to figure out why. And I don't just mean why you fall for them. I mean why, once you've fallen for them, you start trying to change them."

Belle's jaw dropped slightly. "Have… have I been doing that with you?"

Will gave her an easy smile. "Ah, I don' mind it that much. Never 'ad more'n one fork at a time so I don't mind knowin' that when I got two, the small one's for salad. Earning a few honest dollars ain't too bad neither. But that don't mean I don't check for unlocked doors and open windows when I walk down the street at night. And if I find any? I s'pose I might just go in and see if there's anything laying about. Acos, at t'end of t'day, I'm still the same 'andsome thief I was when you said I might keep comp'ny wiv you. And I won't pretend I'm anything other." He shook his head. "It'd be nice if you could learn to love that wivout changing it. But the problem with that is, if you could do that? You'd never have taken up with me in the first place. You'd still be with the Dark One." He smiled sadly. "Where I imagine you're going to be. But that's okay, Belle. Like I said. I'm just the rebound bloke."

Belle stood there for a long moment, feeling like she was about to cry. She didn't want to believe in the picture Will was painting of her motivations, even as too many of his words rang so uncomfortably true in her mind. She was grateful that he was being so understanding about her need to go to New York. And there was a hard lump in her throat that would not go down, because for all his flaws and for all his crimes, when Will had encountered her walking down Main Street in tears on that horrible night, he'd actually left off cutting the burglar alarm wire on the Three Bears Spa's door and taken her to the Rabbit Hole for a drink and an understanding shoulder. He'd gotten her to talk and helped her get through that night and the nights that followed it. He was a good man, for all his flaws. He was right, though. She didn't truly love him. She'd thought that she might, in time. She wanted to. But…

"I'm so sorry, Will," she whispered. "You don't deserve this."

"Eh," Will said with a cheeky smile, "I reckon I don't deserve half of what life hands me. You take care of yourself, Belle."

"You, too." She reached out for him and he hugged her, but it wasn't a lovers' embrace, so much as a parting hug between friends.

"'Ey," Will said hoarsely. "I'll be fine, I will. You know me. Lands on me feet. Always."

Regina called Emma later that evening to inform her that the Snow Queen's scroll seemed to be functioning the way it was supposed to and Emma dutifully passed the news on to Belle and August. Even so, she felt her heart start to pound as her yellow bug approached the town line the next morning.

Once past it, she made a U-turn back the way they'd come. In the front passenger seat, August glanced sharply at her. "Forgot something?"

Emma shook her head. "Just checking." She sighed with relief as the Welcome to Storybrooke sign came suddenly into view. "It works," she said, making another U-turn. "Now, let's go find Gold."