So I know I haven't updated in a while, my internet has been on the fritz. I hope anyone who's been following hasn't lost interest! To make up for it, I have some actual RUMBELLE in this chapter! Hope you like it!

Thanks for reading!


"Belle, I wish you'd take it easy…"

"I am taking it easy," Belle said with a good-natured roll of the eyes at Ruby. "Dusting is hardly strenuous work. And I promise that I'm not climbing on anything."

She was trying to bring Rumple's shop into some semblance of order. Perhaps he wouldn't appreciate her rearranging all of his things, but she'd gotten the house nice and tidy (and baby-proofed with the help of Ashley) and the library was in good hands with some teenage girls running it during the day and well, darn it, the shop was a disaster.

"It's true," Grace said, placing a globe she'd just finished cleaning back on a shelf. "I won't let her."

"See?" Belle stuck her tongue out at Ruby.

"Hey look!" Jefferson leapt up from where he was sitting on the floor, holding something up triumphantly. "Look what I found!"

"It's a fork," Ruby dead-panned.

"No…I traded a mermaid for this, it's a dinglehopper."

Belle scrunched her face up at the obvious fork. "And just what does a dinglehopper do?"

"No idea," the hatter shrugged and tossed the item over his shoulder so dismissively that Belle laughed too hard to scold him for throwing things.

"Oh my…Belle, what the hell are these things?!" Ruby exclaimed, nudging something on the floor.

Belle scrunched up her nose at the two terrifying puppets. "I moved them down there because they frightened Grace and quite frankly I couldn't stand to look at them anymore. I had to dust those awful things far too often for my preference at the Dark Castle."

Jefferson leaned over to look at them. "Uh, you know that those are people, right?"

Ruby frowned. "Well, they're puppet people…"

"No, I mean they're people. Or at least, they used to be, a long time ago."

Ruby took several slow steps away from the puppets, eyes wide in horror, as were Belle's and Grace's.

"Are you sure?" Belle whispered. "Rumple turned people into puppets and…kept them?"

Jefferson shrugged, unconcerned. "Nah, way I heard it is someone else did it and Rumple hung on to them because…well, he's Rumple and he likes creepy things."

Belle carefully picked up each puppet and placed them back on the counter, reluctantly patting them each on the head and murmuring an apology. "I wonder if he ever tried changing them back."

"Doubt it," Jefferson scoffed.

With a decisive nod, Belle ventured into the backroom and emerged with a small box.

"What's that?" Grace asked.

"Something Rumple showed me," she opened the box to reveal a golden flower.

"Uh, be careful with that, Ding Dong, even the old grouch never liked using that thing!" Jefferson warned.

"I know, I know," Belle said. "But Rumple said it's only dangerous if misused. I'd never try using it on myself, I know better than that," she paused, and then glared at him. "And call me Ding Dong one more time and I'll find a much nastier spell to use on YOU."

"You're actually going to use a spell?" Ruby asked, surprised. "I thought the town cloaking thing was a one-time deal."

"I can do this," Belle said a little defensively. "If I can change them back, how could that be anything but a good thing?"

"Good point," Jefferson nodded. "Go for it, Ring-a-Ding."

Belle shot him another glare and stood close to the puppets, moving other objects off the counter and out of the way, all except a vase she figured couldn't be harmed.

"How does it work?" Grace asked.

"I have to sing a special song," Belle explained. She swallowed her worry, convinced that she was doing the right thing, and maybe Rumple would even be proud of her for it, and began to sing softly.

"Flower gleam and glow,

Let your power shine,

Make the clock reverse,

Bring back what once was mine.

Heal what has been hurt,

Change the fate's design,

Save what has been lost,

Bring back what once was mine,

What once was mine."

"What a lovely singing voice," Jefferson chirped.

"Nothing happened," Ruby said.

Belle stared at the puppets sadly; alas they did not change. She was just about to turn away when those behind her gasped.

"Belle!" Grace exclaimed. "What's happening to that rose?"

Belle looked up again and saw that the rose in the vase on the counter was glowing and twitching.

"I don't know!" Belle backed away in fear. "I don't know what I did!"

"Hide!" Ruby yelled, pulling Belle behind the opposite counter just as a flash of light filled the space.

A dull moaning caused them all to peek out.

Belle stifled a shriek behind her hand. There was a man sitting on the counter where a rose once stood.

"Ugh," he groaned, sitting up and rubbing his head. "What the devil…"

"GASTON?!" Belle screamed, coming out of hiding, staring in horror.

"Belle!" Gaston lit up in a smile. "Belle, you're alright! Did the beast harm you?"

"You know this guy?" Ruby asked, eyeing his clothes. "Who is he? Why was he a rose?"

Belle just stood speechless, jaw hanging open.

Gaston was still sitting there, looking confused. "Where am I? The last thing I remember was challenging the beast…"

"That son of a…" Belle muttered and looked at Ruby and Jefferson. "He told me it was a woman selling roses…he gave that one to me and I…" her hands flew to her mouth and she looked down, only then realizing that Gaston's pants were cut short.

So were his legs.

"What are you staring at?" Gaston asked. "Belle, what is going on? Where are…" he tried to get off the counter, only to collapse to the floor. "What…what happened?! My legs! MY LEGS!"

Ruby stared at Belle in questioning horror.

"I cut the stem…" Belle whimpered.

While Gaston continued to wail, Jefferson picked the box up containing the flower and thrust it at Belle. "Here, try this again! Anything is better than that howling!"

Belle shook herself and knelt beside Gaston as best she could in her condition, Jefferson rushing to assist. "C…calm down, Gaston…I'm going to help you…just hold on," she sang the song again quickly, hoping against hope that it would work. When the light dissipated again, Gaston's two stumps were replaced by whole legs, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Gaston touched his legs, face white. "They…they're back…how…"

"I'm sorry, Gaston," Belle said. "But it's alright now, you're going to be fine."

"So who is he?" Ruby asked again.

Gaston flew to his feet, stumbling in the process and reaching for a sword that wasn't there. "I am the lady's betrothed!"

Now Ruby, Jefferson and Grace were really staring at Belle.

"Betrothed?" Ruby asked, drawing out the word in disbelief…and disapproval.

"It was an arranged marriage," Belle droned then directed her next words at Gaston. "One that I never wanted, and one that is no longer happening."

"No, Belle," Gaston said, trying for chivalrous. "I will defeat the beast, and you will see that I am the man who should have you. You don't have to fear him any longer!"

"What beast is he talking about?" Grace asked while Ruby was staring at Gaston in disgust and Jefferson was trying his hardest not to laugh.

"I think he means Rumple," Belle answered. "Gaston, listen, there are things you should know…"

"I need a sword!" Gaston exclaimed, ignoring her. "Beast! Where are you? Show yourself! Fight like a man!"

"He isn't here," Belle said, starting to wish she'd left him as a rose.

"Then we can escape!" Gaston grinned, obviously thinking he was quite ingenious. "The old monster doesn't know that I have outsmarted his silly little spell."

"You outsmarted?" Ruby asked.

"I can take you back to your father, and return to kill the beast!"

"You're not killing anyone," Belle said. "Please just listen…"

"Where is my sword?!"

"Buddy," Ruby propped her hands on her hips. "No way in hell am I letting you have a freaking weapon. And if you so much as go near Rumplestiltskin I'll throw your ass in jail if he doesn't turn you back into a flower."

Gaston frowned at her, as if seeing her for the first time. "And just who do you think you are, woman, to speak to me in such a manner?"

Belle clinched her fists, moving slightly in front of Ruby to prevent her from lunging at the brute. "She's the sheriff. Gaston, you really need to sit down and listen to us, things have happened while you were under that spell, a long time has passed and…"

"Belle!" Gaston exclaimed suddenly, and Belle realized he was looking below her breasts for the first time at her round belly. "You…you…"

"Yes, Gaston," Belle said, holding her belly protectively. "I'm having a baby."

"How is that even possible? I haven't even had you yet!"

"Wow…" Jefferson whispered, turning away and losing his battle with hysterics. Even Grace raised her eyebrows.

"Real winner your father picked," Ruby murmured.

"You're telling me," Belle said. "No, Gaston, it isn't yours."

"Then whose?! Who is the cad?! I will dismember him for ruining my beloved!"

"You're not. Dismembering. Anyone." Ruby reminded, keeping one hand close to her cuffs.

Finally Belle just smiled, a dangerous smile that anyone who knew her would know meant trouble, and sighed in defeat. "My husband, Gaston. It was my husband. Rumplestiltskin," no matter that Rumple wasn't exactly her husband, she just thought it might get through Gaston thick skull better this way.

What color that had returned to Gaston's face drained away and he gaped at her like a fish. "This cannot be…that beast…he defiled you!"

"Oh no, he did no such thing. In fact if anyone defiled anyone, I probably defiled him. And then he defiled me back, over…and over…"

Grace was all but squealing with laughter, her face red as a tomato, and Jefferson and Ruby had to lean against one another for support.

Gaston floundered for something to say, finally sputtering his words. "I am sorry this has happened to you, Belle, but I can no longer have you as my wife if the beast's seed is within you. But I will avenge what has been taken from me!"

"Okay, Gaston. Just remember, you can't go around swinging swords here. You'll get arrested."

"I will avenge!" with that final declaration, Gaston charged out the door.

Belle watched him go, then stuck her head out the door to yell after him. "Find my father! He works at the flower shop. I'm sure he can help you, he works wonders with roses!"

The four watched out the window as Gaston dodged a car, screaming in fear and surprise, then ran through town, eyes wide in confusion.

"Thanks, Belle," Ruby drawled. "Now I'm probably going to have to go wrangle him up before he hurts himself."

"I really think he would have been better off as a rose," Belle sighed. "I'm sorry, Ruby. If you catch him, take him to my father. It was his fault I was engaged to the buffoon to start with."

Jefferson, who was still laughing, slung an arm over her shoulder. "I gotta say, Ting-a-Ling, you're a saucy lady when you get the notion. I love it!"

Belle narrowed her eyes. "This saucy lady is going to burn your hat if you don't stop calling me names."


Ruby left to collect Gaston, and Belle and Grace set to righting the mess he made.

"Ah," Belle gasped, a hand flying to her lower back.

"Are you okay, Belle?"

"Fine, sweetie," Belle said breathlessly. "This little one is playing kickball with my spine I think," she winced again when a crashing sound came from the backroom. "Jefferson! What are you doing in there?"

"LOOK!" he exclaimed, prancing like a child back into the shop. "I found something REALLY fun this time!"

"Not another dingle berry."

"It's dinglehopper and no, see?" he handed Belle an ornate hand mirror, which she took carefully, surprised by its weight.

"It's beautiful," she said, glancing at her reflection and grimacing at the dark circles under her eyes.

"It's a magic mirror," Jefferson explained excitedly. "You can ask it to show you anyone you want to see, watch," he took it back and looked into the glass. "Show me Ruby."

He leaned over so Belle and Grace could see too, and they watched as the reflection rippled like water and changed to an image of Ruby hauling a petrified and uncooperative Gaston into jail.

"We can spy on people!" he said gleefully.

"No you dinglehopper!" Belle snatched it back. "We can use it to see if Rumple and the others are okay!"

"Or that."

Belle held the mirror in both hands, heart pounding with hope. "Show me Rumplestiltskin…please."

She watched her reflection ripple, and it was taking so long Belle began to panic that it couldn't find him. Finally the image cleared, but it confused her. Instead of showing Rumple, it showed a half-image of someone's torso walking through the woods.

"What is this?" Belle asked. Jefferson shrugged.

"What the…" the voice came through the mirror, making all three of them jump.

"Uh, Emma? I think something's going on with that mirror you found."

There was a jostling, and suddenly Emma's face came into view, and she pulled what must have been a mirror of her own out of a bag, promptly yelping and throwing it down.

"Shit! There was a freaking face in it!"

"Wait!" Belle called into the mirror, hoping they could hear her, too. "Emma!"

A hand reached down, and the other mirror was picked back up by David. "Holy…Belle?! Is that you?!"

"David!" she exclaimed. "Is everyone alright? Have you found Henry? Where is…" she trailed off when David's face flew away and the other mirror was being snatched out of his hands. Belle let out an elated sob when her true love's face came into view.

"Belle?!"

"Rumple!" she cried. "You're alright!"

Rumple grinned, pride unmistakable in his eyes. "You little imp, I was hoping you'd find that mirror. I was kicking myself for never telling you about it."

"I wouldn't have known," Belle admitted. "Jefferson found it."

"Jefferson?"

"Rumple, my darling!" Jefferson exclaimed, bumping Belle's head aside with his own so he could see. "I'm looking after your beautiful Belle," he paused and looked at Belle. "That's redundant, isn't it?"

"Jefferson, what in blazes are you doing there?"

"He's been quite helpful," Belle said. "Except of course when he was being unhelpful. So has Grace."

"You know Jefferson?" Emma asked, only her eyes making it into view.

"Emma!" Jefferson cried happily. "Guess what? I'm on the town council now!"

"What?!" exclaimed three women's voices from the other end.

Belle pushed Jefferson's face out of the way. "Hush you. Rumple, what's going on? Have you found Henry?"

"Not yet, sweetheart," Rumple said. "Things here are…difficult. We're doing everything we can, but we will find him."

Belle nodded, trying to hold back the tears in her eyes, but knowing with the way her hormones were, there was no chance. "I know you will, love. You'll find him and bring him home."

Rumplestiltskin looked sad, but his eyes shone with love. "Yes, Belle, we'll be home soon. Is everything there okay? Those people Tamara and Greg work for, have they tried to get in?"

"I don't think so," Belle said. "I enacted the cloaking spell, just like you said."

"Among other spells," Jefferson said.

"Other spells?" Rumple asked.

"Just one!" Belle said quickly. "And if you'll forgive me for that, I'll forgive you for turning Gaston into a rose."

Rumple's eyes widened, and from somewhere behind him, someone was chuckling. "Oh no, you didn't turn him back?"

"I'm afraid so. I regret it already."

"It's alright, dearest. I'm proud of you for taking care of things."

"She's taken care of a lot of things," Jefferson said, butting into view again. "She's a hell of a mayor."

"Mayor?!" came about five or six different voices.

Belle bit her lower lip bashfully. "Someone had to do it."

She could hear Regina spouting off in the background while Emma and what sounded like Hook laughed at her dispense, but all she could pay attention to was the pride, love, and poorly concealed desire written all over Rumple's face. Apparently leadership was a turn-on for him.

"That's my girl," he said, and coming from anyone else it would have sounded condescending to Belle, but not the way he said it, like he couldn't believe she was his love. "And everything is all right? You look tired."

She shrugged. "I've just been busy, is all."

He smiled. "Well, tired or no, I believe you're more beautiful than I've ever seen you. Mayor-ship agrees with you."

From the corner of her eye she saw Jefferson sending her pointed looks toward her belly, but she waved him off. "I miss you, Rumple. I miss you so much."

"I miss you too, sweetheart, more than I can say," someone behind him made a gagging noise that was quickly cut off by an audible smack. "Thank you, Charming," he mumbled to the side before moving, assumedly to distance himself from the others.

"Be careful, Rumple," Belle said. "Promise me you'll do everything you can to come home safely."

He sighed, his face drawn. "Belle, we talked about this, I don't…"

"No!" she snapped, and he jumped at her fervor. "You don't know what will happen, Rumplestiltskin. You need to come home. If you keep thinking that way, you won't try your hardest to make it. And you have to make it, damn it!" she was crying in earnest now, and she hated that she was yelling at him during what was possibly the only chance they'd get to speak again, but she couldn't help it. "If you don't come home alive, I will find a fucking resurrection spell, and bring you back to life only so I can kill you myself!"

"Whoa…" came Emma's voice while Rumple merely sat in stunned silence. "Lacey must have given her a new vocabulary."

"I'm sorry," Belle said, both to Rumple and to Grace who had a hand over her mouth though her eyes danced. "I'm sorry, Rumple, I didn't mean that."

"I know, love, I know. And I promise, Belle, I promise that I will do everything possible to get home to you. I love you."

"I love you too."

Rumple looked up suddenly, hearing something Belle could not. "I have to go now. Sweetheart, I can't promise you that I'll be able to talk to you again, but I'll keep my promise, as best as I can."

"I understand."

"Hatter," he snapped, and Belle moved the mirror slightly so Jefferson could be seen.

"Yes, dear?"

Rumple rolled his eyes. "Watch over her."

Jefferson saluted him. "Already on it, boss. So 's a bunch a dwarfs, a former giant, a cricket a couple of wolves. We got your girl."

Rumple smiled, and Belle was surprised by how genuine it was. He moved his eyes back to her, and with them said everything he felt in his heart, and would save to say when they didn't have such an audience.

"See you soon," Belle simply said.

"See you soon," he sighed, a pained expression on his face as he passed the mirror off to David, who glanced at Belle then away again.

"David?" Belle said quietly. "Is he still there?"

David looked back down at her. "He walked away. He has to cloak our camp. I don't think we're alone out here."

Belle gulped. "Be careful, all of you. David? Is anyone else around you?"

Seeming to pick up on her tone of voice, David looked around and took a few steps away. "No, they're all on alert. Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine…just…he thinks that there is a prophecy that Henry will…be the end of him."

"I know," he said solemnly. "He told me. But I don't buy it. Those prophecies are always worded funny."

Belle half-smiled. "I know. He knows too, he's just scared. But David…can you do something for me?" he nodded. "If there's any way…if there's anything you can do…can you just try and make sure he comes home?"

He smiled. "I'll do all I can to bring everyone home, Belle."

"I know you will. I just…"

"Belle? What's going on? You can tell me."

"Please don't tell him, David, he'll only worry more, promise me you won't."

"You have my word."

"I…I don't want his child to be fatherless."

David's eyes widened. "You…"

She nodded, biting her lip. "Yeah."

David straightened, and Belle could see the resolve in his eyes. She knew that once he accepted a mission, he would fulfill it no matter what. And she knew that he, more than anyone else, would want to prevent a child from growing up without its father. "Belle, I'll do everything I can, I promise. I have to tell you that my daughter and grandson come first," Belle nodded quickly. "But I'll make sure that old bastard doesn't die on you."

He said 'old bastard' with surprising fondness, and Belle felt glad that she told him. "And please don't tell him."

"I won't. I wouldn't miss seeing the look on his face when he gets home!" he looked off. "Okay, I better go. Be careful, Belle, and thanks for looking after the town."

She smiled. "You're welcome. Now go find that boy and bring everyone home."

David nodded and slid the mirror back into a bag, and then Belle was looking at her own reflection again.

"Why didn't you want to tell Rumple about the kid?" Jefferson asked. "Seems to me that would set a fire under him to get back."

"Like I told David, it would only make him worry, and he might lose focus on what he's doing. The most important thing right now is finding Henry, and that's where I want his focus to stay."

Jefferson laid a hand on her shoulder. "You're a good woman, Belle. He doesn't deserve you."

"I know," she said dismissively. "But no one gets to decide that but me. Now come on, I am starving and since you promised Rumple to take care of me you can buy me lunch."

Jefferson sputtered in mock-indignation. "You have control over all of Gold's riches and you want me to buy you things?!"

Belle stuck her nose in the air and took the hand of Grace, who mimicked her and they walked out of the shop leaving Jefferson to sigh and follow along.

Once he got outside, however, he leapt forward in horror as Belle bent over, crying out in pain.

"Belle?!" Grace screamed. "Papa! What's wrong with her?"

"Is the baby coming?" Jefferson asked, holding her up.

"It's too early!" she cried. "I'm only at seven months!"

Grace was crying, and Belle was losing color and panting heavily. "Something's wrong," she said, her voice taking on an uncharacteristic level of panic. "Something's wrong!"

Jefferson didn't hesitate, he hooked one arm under Belle's legs and one across her back and swept her up, then ran as fast as he could.


Bum bum bum! Will Belle and the baby be okay?! This is the point where the screen goes black and the guy says, "In three weeks from tonight..." Haha! Kidding! It won't be long till my next update, I promise, in fact there's only one or two more left of this one. Thanks again for reading!