Previously:

"This is not your battle to fight," she whispered. He opened his mouth to protest and she continued, "You lost the right to fight for me when you pushed me away."

He shook his head and put his hand on her cheek, "That was the biggest mistake of my life."

In that moment, Belle forgot everything. She forgot there were other people watching and that their relationship was probably the most complicated one to have ever existed. To her, it was just her and the man she loved, and she did what was the most natural thing for anyone in that situation; she kissed him.

When their lips met, she felt like her whole body was on fire. He returned the gesture, but seemed to think better of it. He stiffened and put his hand on her cheek and pulled away all too quickly. "Not now, love," he whispered in her ear. He kissed her cheek and stood up. Belle's throat closed and she found it hard to breathe. He didn't want her, she thought.

Mr. Gold cleared his throat. The others had been staring open-mouthed at the pair of them. Felicia looked like she was about to go into cardiac arrest. John's jaw was slack and he looked at a loss for any thought. Blake's chin had receded into his neck and his eye's bugged out. The group fidgeted awkwardly after they realized they had been staring. "I was on my way into town," he finally announced. "Perhaps while I'm there I could pick up some clothing for these two, and maybe a hot meal?" They all nodded in agreement, still too dumbfounded to speak. Mr. Gold took one last fleeting look at Belle before he walked out the front door.

It was silent for a few minutes, before Blake asked, "What was that?" He looked to Belle for answers.

She blushed, and responded meekly, "Sorry."

"No need to apologize," Blake clarified. "It's just… You and Mr. Gold? I never would have guessed anyone would… I mean…" He trailed off awkwardly.

She narrowed her eyes. "What are you saying," she asked disdainfully.

"I think what Blake meant to say is that it's strange to see Mr. Gold like that when everyone in town is so afraid of him," John added.

"Why?" Belle asked awkwardly.

"He owns half the town," Blake noted. "And he's dangerously powerful. I don't mean to judge, but he doesn't have the best reputation here… or there," he added. "And isn't he a little too old for you?"

Belle's eyebrows turned inward, "That's rich, coming from you. Who are YOU to judge someone by their reputation? On top of that, why do you have to put limits on love? Who gets to set rules telling me who to love? No one decides my fate but me!"

The boys went silent, but Felicia was not satisfied. "What reputation did he have in the other world, Blake?" Felicia asked.

"Leave it alone," Belle commanded definitively. As tired as she was she stood up to face Felicia, and the other girl mimicked the action.

"No," Felicia countered. "Sorry, but I care for you. You're the only one who got me through that awful place, and I will not willingly stand by and let you get hurt." The girls stared daggers at one another. Neither one was willing to back down.

"Belle," John injected cautiously. "Mr. Gold was released from prison not too long ago for kidnapping your father and beating him with a cane, just for stealing from his shop."

"What did he steal from R – Gold?" Belle asked interested.

"I asked Moe about it, and he said something about a tea set. Does it really matter?" John asked.

Belle didn't respond. At his explanation, she had collapsed back on the couch. "A tea set…" she repeated in barely a whisper. Her mind flashed back to the chipped cup he insisted she serve him tea in and at the same time insisted it was only a cup. Her mind flashed back to a million cherished memories in the Dark Castle that she had kept at bay until now. Tears filled her eyes and she buried her face in her hands. He kept it! After all this time, he kept it. Not only that, but he had cherished it. He was willing to fight for it – for her.

Her head snapped up and she took a sharp intake of breath. "He's not going to get us clothes!" she exclaimed.

"What?" Blake reeled. "How did you go from a tea set to that?"

"He kept it!" Belle stated as if that settled it. "I have to stop him." She stood up and staggered to the door.

"Why?" Felicia asked annoyed. "Where is he going?"

"He's going after Regina," Belle replied instantly.

"How do you know?" Felicia retorted.

"Because I know him!" Belle responded in an exasperated tone.

"And you want to protect him?" John asked.

Belle opened her mouth to respond, but Blake beat her to it. "She's protecting Regina," Blake sighed.

"What?" Felicia exclaimed.

"Can we discuss this in the car?" Belle asked in a real hurry now. They all followed her to the car. John hopped in the driver's seat and started the engine. They piled in and John took off, but to Belle, it felt like they weren't even moving.

Rumpelstiltskin tried his best to walk out of that house calmly. He had to get out of there before Belle convinced him to stay. One more look, one more touch, one more kiss, and he would have stayed there forever, but he knew he would never be happy while Regina still stood in the way.

He moved quicker than his bad leg would allow. By the time he had reached Regina's house, it was screaming in pain. He ignored it. Most of the people had evacuated Regina's yard by now. A few still angry stragglers had remained, among who stood the esteemed sheriff and her newly found family. He ignored Emma's shouts at him. His ears were pounding with his own pulse. If he stopped now, he would take his anger out on her, and he was saving it for Regina. Unfortunately, Emma was a meddler, and she did what she was best at, she meddled.

"Gold! Stop!" she yelled again. When he still ignored her and reached the steps to Regina's door, Emma jumped in his path.

"What the hell?" she exclaimed, putting a hand on his shoulder. "What the hell?" she repeated.

He shook his head, "Out of the way, Ms. Swan." He, more nimbly than she expected, stepped around her and pounded on the door.

"Regina!" he pounded on the door. "Come out, please." He stood back and smiled as he knew she would have to come to the door now.

Emma rolled her eyes, "That's not going to work." She ate her own words, though, when not two seconds after she said it, Regina appeared at the door.

"What do YOU want?" she asked acidly. "Thanks for the magic, by the way. That could come in handy later."

"There won't be a later for you, your Majesty," he growled.

Regina recoiled. She looked truly frightened. "I can't understand why you would be angry with me of all people, considering you've remembered the whole time…"

Rumpelstiltskin shut her up by lifting his cane and pointing it at her, "Really, Mayor Mills? You can't think of any reason why I would like to destroy your very soul?"

She kept her composure, and she defiantly stared Rumpelstiltskin in the eyes. Finally, she seemed to remember her atrocity. Her face fell and she went bleach white. She looked down at the fire in Mr. Gold's eyes. "I – I didn't," she stuttered.

" Didn't think I'd ever find out? Did you?" Gold asked. "And now what Regina? What awful fate do you think I have in store for you now that I do know?" Regina looked truly terrified now. Even though she was trying to hide it, Rumpelstiltskin could see right through it and he couldn't help himself, he smiled. But before he could act upon his triumph, he stopped dead in his tracks.

A/N: Thank you for reading as always. I'm already working on the next chapter. Thanks for the lovely reviews and follows and favorites and all that jazz. ;D

So what did you think of the newest OUAT episode? Did you guys love it as much as I did. I love Neal and Emma. I'm a big fan of Swanfire if you know what I mean ;D

As an obligatory post-note, I'd just like to add that I don't own any of the characters. They belong to ABC.