11

All in the Family

"Rumple, Marie called while I was in Victoria's Secret. She's having a bit of trouble finding a babysitter and wants to know if it's okay to bring Gisella with her."

"Her daughter, right?" Rumple clarified. And also Belle's niece, though she didn't know it yet. "You tell her it's fine."

"Yes...you don't remember her? You met Marie the day you met me but she looked different then and you gave her a little doll for Gisella. She still has it."

"That's right . . .now I do," he smirked. "She gave me a compliment . . .she said I looked good in my leather pants. Shocked me to blazes."

"Well, you do..." Belle purred. "But even better out of them..."

And Belle wasn't in the least bit surprised her friend dressed her husband in leather pants for the manhood intervention. She wanted to see them in him since the curse broke and she remembered him.

"You will be finding a pair on this shopping trip..."

"You want Papa to go in leather to the dance, Mama?" Bae gasped. "He might start a riot!"

"No...those for home..'

"Oh! Because for a moment there I wasn't sure . . .and he'd get kicked out for making all those girls try to rip his clothes off like he was Steven Tyler or something."

I'm the only one who will be ripping his clothes off...thank you very much Baelfire...his mother thought.

"Anyone who laid his hands on him would lose them...quickly.."

"Grrr! You're like a she wolf, Mama!" Bae laughed.

"No, just a bit possessive when it comes to your father."

She finished off her Cinnabons and stood up. "Now let's get my boys ready for the big dance."

"So where are we going?" Bae asked.

"There," Rumple pointed to a store called Georgio's Formal Wear, with a tasteful display of tuxes in the window.

"Where Don Corleone shops, right, Papa?"

Rumple shook his head. "If you don't quit being a smartass, Bae, I'm going to get you pinstripes and a paisley tie and make you wear them."

Belle giggled. She enjoyed watching her husband and son tease each other. She rubbed her belly and smiled. "That's what you have to look forward to my sweetheart...they're crazy but I love them."

She decided to go into the store with them...just in case she had to play referee.

"Fight nice..dearies!" she teased.

"HE started it!" Rumple insisted, pointing at Bae.

"Not my fault! I'm not the one who goes around making offers people can't refuse," Bae shot back impudently.

"Do I have to put you both in corners?"

"No!" they chorused.

"Better. Because I will do it and you both know it...remember I did it at the Dark Castle."

She couldn't even remember what their fight was about. All she knew was that she'd gotten tired of listening to them and swatted both their backsides with her broom and ordered them into the corners, both of them shocked.

"I'm the master of this castle, dearie!" Rumple had protested, gaping at her.

"Right now you're acting like an ass. And a child...both of you." She glared at him. "So, if you wish to act like a child, you should be punished like one. Corner!"

Bae was laughing until she gave him the Look.

Then an ashamed Dark One and his equally repentant son actually obeyed her.

Back then she didn't understand why but now it was perfectly clear. They were starting to become a family then.

"C'mon, let's see what kinda suits they got so I can pick one to impress Andi," Bae said, and walked into the store.

"I'm going to wait to see what your suit looks like before I pick up my dress, Rumple."

"Okay, dearie." He followed his son into the shop.

A sales clerk with a nametag that read Vito came up to them. "Sirs, how may I assist you today?"

"My son and I are here to find a suit for a dance we're attending-me as a chaperone and him as his first formal affair." Rumple told him.

Vito nodded. "Ah, very good. And is there a particular style or designer you had in mind?"

"I'm partial to Armain and Dolce and Gabbana," answered Rumple.

"Right this way, sir. Both you and your son would be looking at a Slim Line . . .and we could do any tailoring you need on the premises." Vito offered.

"That won't be necessary. I . . .used to be in the business, I can do alterations," Rumple told him. "But thanks for offering."

"Is there somewhere I can sit down, please?" Belle asked softly.

"Of course, madam," the Italian man gestured gracefully and indicated an area where there were comfortably upholstered chairs and a small table. Beside that was a buffet with cups, a coffee pot, and creamer along with a plate of biscotti. "Please, have some coffee and biscotti while you wait."

"Wonderful..." she murmured, thankful the baby wasn't protesting over the biscotti since it was a favorite food of hers.

Vito gestured to neat rows of suits hanging on the wall. "These are some of our most popular styles. He indicated a suit in a deep blue color. "This is our Midnight Ensemble by Armani. It had a tailored jacket which has a relaxed fit through the shoulders for ease of movement . . ." He showed them a few other styles in various colors and then said, "Our fitting rooms are here." He handed them both a key. "When you've finished, just leave the suits on these racks here, so we can put them away."

Rumple examined the Midnight Ensemble and took it and two others to try on. The pants were a bit long, but then they always were until he hemmed them, but overall the suits fit him like a glove. He went and asked Belle which one she preferred.

"The Midnight Ensemble Rumple," she answered.

"That was my choice too," he said. "But I just wanted to be sure."

He went back and hung the other two on the rack and then gave Vito the suit and Vito then showed him some ties and shirts. Rumple picked out a silk shirt in a slightly lighter shade to accompany the suit, then asked Belle to choose a tie for him so she wasn't sitting there bored.

Meanwhile, Bae was trying to choose from the array of suits and after ten minutes just picked random ones and went to try them on.

"Papa, how's this one?" he asked when he emerged from the fitting room with the first suit on-a seal brown Armani. He had paired it with a red shirt.

Belle scowled.

Rumple shook his head. "No. The color makes you look sallow. Try again, Bae."

Bae nodded and went to try on the next one, a pearl gray with a white shirt with a jacket with tails.

Rumple took one look at it and made a slashing motion with his hand across his throat. "Gods, no . . ."

Sighing, Bae went back into the fitting room again.

The next one was a buff colored one with the same white shirt.

"Too big through the shoulders."

The next one was a traditional black. "Nope. Looks like you're attending a funeral, not a dance."

By now Bae was starting to get frustrated. "Papa, you haven't liked a single one of these!"

"Hey. It takes time to find the right one, Bae. Now try again." Rumple urged.

The fifth suit was light blue with white pants and the jacket had etched swirls in it. "How about this? It's blue."

Belle groaned.

Rumple almost choked. "No! just NO!"

"Why not?"

"You look like a reject from American Bandstand. Now take it off."

A disgruntled Bae did so.

"Maybe I ought to help him?" Rumple looked at Belle. "His taste in suits is worse than Milah's taste in skirts."

"At this rate, we'll be here all night!" Belle complained. "Please...do something!"

"All right. Relax." Rumple soothed. He got up and went to look at the suits in Bae's size. From them he selected three possible ones. One was a charcoal gray with a ruby red shirt, one was a navy blue Dolce and Gabbana with a pearl gray shirt and the last was an Armani that was an indigo color with a deep purple shirt. "Bae, try these on," he called at the fitting room door.

Bae opened the door in his boxers and scowled. "I'm not five, Papa! I don't need you to pick out stuff!"

"Son . . .you've never bought formal wear and it can be a bit . . .daunting. So just try these on . . . unless you want to be here all night."

"Okay! Jeeze Louise!" Bae groaned and took the three new choices.

The first one he tried on was the charcoal gray suit with the red shirt. "Is this better, godfather?" he mocked as he came and stood there for Rumple to inspect him.

"It's better than the last three you showed me," Rumple said. "Belle, what do you think?"

She shook her head.

"I just don't think they're his colors..."

"Okay. Go try on the next one."

Bae stomped back into the dressing room.

The next one was the navy Dolce and Gabbana with the pearl gray shirt. "Okay. What about this?"

"Hmmm . . ." Rumple said. "Turn around for me."

Bae did. "Want me to walk for ya too?"

"Baelfire, quit the attitude!" his father snapped. "Now, mister!"

"But you're being a pain in the butt!"

"I'm trying to help you," Rumple said exasperatedly. "Face me." He cocked his head. "Not bad. The jacket would need a few tucks though. Belle?"

"I think it's perfect."

"I can hem it, it's a little long." Rumple observed.

"That's cause I haven't got my growth spurt yet," Bae said.

"One minute." Rumple said. "Stand up straight, don't slump." Bae did and he adjusted the jacket, making it fall forward in a neat line. "How's that?"

"Very nice. I like it," Belle approved.

"Now, we'll get this one, but I want you to try on the other one too, for a backup. If that looks good, we'll buy both of them," his father said.

"Papa, I'm not a clothes horse!"

"You just do what I said. Now get! Or do you want me to come and help you?" Rumple threatened.

"Hell, no!" muttered his son, and beat a hasty retreat.

He emerged a few moments later with the Armani in the indigo shade with the deep purple shirt. "Well?"

"Very nice," approved Rumple. "That color brings out the highlights in your hair." Bae's hair was dark with blue highlights.

"Only YOU would notice that," his son grumbled.

The suit did look wonderful on her son but Belle still wanted all of them to be matching for the dance.

Then Rumple leaned forward and asked, "Do you like it, Bae?"

"Yeah. And the other one," Bae agreed. His head was spinning still but he would never admit it . . . and he trusted his father and mother's judgment when it came to formal wear.

"Okay. Take it off and we'll go pick out ties. Belle, did you pick out one for me?"

"What do you think of this one?"

She handed him an Armani midnight blue silk tie with purple abstract patterns on it.

"Lovely!" he said. "I'll take it."

"Now..for my dress..."

While she was window shopping a few weeks earlier she passed a store owned by the former dark fairy Maleficent only the curse had taken her powers away and she was now a fashion designer named Mallory Raven.

Her specialty was vintage clothing and Belle spotted a dress in the window she intended to buy to wear on one of their evenings out but once she saw what the boys would be wearing to the dance, the dress she wanted was perfect.

It was an exact replica of one worn by the late Princess Diana and she knew the original was on display and longed to have one of her own. It was a midnight blue strapless gown with layers of tuelle netting and a fishtail skirt with silver stars.

The former fairy had recreated it so that other women could feel like a princess wearing it.

"Let's see it, Mama," Bae urged. He had picked out a simple navy and silver striped tie to go with his first suit and a dark blue one to go with the other and Rumple had paid for everything with the Black Amex.

"We need to go to Mallory's shop to pick it up and she may need to make some...adjustments now."

When they arrived at the shop, the former fairy embraced the young woman.

"I haven't had a chance to congratulate you on the blessed event," she said softly.

She glanced over at Rumple. "And I must say...your aura has never been so bright Rumple."

She took a garment bag off the rack and unzipped it, handing the dress to Belle. I wasn't certain how far along you are so I made some adjustments to make the dress more comfortable for you and the baby."

"It's beautiful. I'll go try it on now!"

She only hoped her husband liked it.

She was on pins and needles when she stepped out of the dressing room in the gown.

Bae whistled. "Mama! You look like you came outta Buckingham Palace!"

Rumple was speechless for an instant. But his eyes betrayed how much he liked the sight of his wife in the gown.

"You look . . .amazing, dearie! Simply fabulous!"

She smiled. It was the same look he had in his eyes the day she'd fallen off the ladder in the Dark Castle.

Though at the time he was trying to pretend it was nothing.

"It fits perfectly. Thank you, Mallory."

"Rumple you look absolutely smitten," the fairy joked.

"He looks like he's been hit over the head with a board," Bae grinned.

"Or struck with Cupid's Arrow," Mallory added.

"And I can't wait to see YOUR expression, Bae, when you see Andi in HER gown," Rumple said.

"Ill just...go change so this doesn't get wrinkled..." Belle stammered, the heat from her husband's eyes making her body temperature rise and her heart beat faster.

"Good idea. Because I think you're giving him some wicked ones," Bae snickered.

Rumple glared at him. "Baelfire Gold, did I hear you volunteer to scrub the toilet with a toothbrush?

Mallory fanned herself.

"You're bonded," she murmured.

"We are," Rumple replied.

"I've never seen a bound couple give off such..." She blushed.

"No, Papa," Bae said quickly. Then he looked at Mallory. "Like what? They've always been like this. Even before we came here, in the Dark Castle."

"I've never been around them together before,"And their aura is hot enough to burn down a forest, she thought with a wicked smile.

Belle returned with the dress carefully stored back in the garment bag. "Thank you again, Mallory."

"You're quite welcome...and may I suggest keeping a bucket of ice water handy?" she teased.

"Ahhh...why?"

"Ask your husband, dear."

"Rumple, do you have any idea what she means by that?'

Bae rolled his eyes. "Probably has something to do with you two being rabbits!"

"Teenagers! Can't live with them and can't skin them!" Rumple coughed. He was sure he knew what Mallory meant but he wasn't about to discuss that here.

"All right, now it's near supper time and we ought to be getting back home," Gold announced. "Let's go."

"Papa, you didn't get your leather."

"I can do that another time. Or order a pair made."

They all piled back in the Cadillac and headed home. Rumple made soup and grilled chicken sandwiches for dinner. Belle had hers with Jalpenos and mayo and Rumple put BBQ sauce and Russian dressing on his. Bae ate his with cheese and coleslaw. They also had curly fries and vegetables.

Marie would be coming at six, so they had time to go for a brisk walk with Major and spoke with Archie, who asked how the suit was coming with Ashley Boyd.

"It's getting there, though she's putting up a fuss," Gold snorted.

Page~*~*~*~Break

"We goin to see Mr. Rumple and Auntie Belle?"

Marie smiled at her daughter. "We certainly are, Gisella. And he's gonna fix my leg up so I can dance again."

"You gonna be ballerina like me?"

Gisella was wearing one of her blue tutus and holding the doll Rumple had given her. She named it Rose.

"I hope so."

"Yay!"

Gisella mad a mad dash for the house with her mother struggling to keep up with her. "AUNTIE BELLE, MR RUMPLE, WE HERE!"

Major barked when he heard an unfamiliar car pull up in the driveway. "Major, stay!" Gold ordered, as he didn't want the dog to scare the child that would be coming into the house. Major would never hurt a child, but he was a large dog and looked intimidating.

The little girl saw the dog coming out of the house. "Ooohhh doggie!"

"Gisella, easy! Let him get used to you first!" Marie scolded.

"But I wanna pet 'im!" she protested.

"It's okay," Rumple said. "Major, sit!"

The dog sat and wagged his tail.

"Now you can pet him, dearie!"

"See..lookit his tail. He's 'cited an' wants me to pet him."

"All right, Gisella if Rumple says it's okay."

The shepherd grinned at her.

"Go ahead. Major loves kids."

Gisella pet the dog gently. "Ohh...you have soft fur. Mommy, I wanna doggie!"

"Ummm...maybe soon."

She glanced over at Rumple. "She's a bit excitable."

"She's a little girl. They're all like that. Would you like to play with Major? Bae, come out here and watch Major with Gisella."

"Hello, Gisella," Belle said softly.

"Hi, Auntie Belle! Lookit...he likes me!"

Major was licking her face.

She threw her arms around him and hugged him. "I like doggie kisses. You wanna play fetch?"

"He likes to play with his Frisbee," Bae said, coming out of the house with it. "I'm Bae."

"M'Gisella." The little girl held put her hand.

Bae took it, "Pleased to meet you." He snapped his fingers at his dog. "Ready, Maj?" Then he sent the Frisbee soaring across the yard.

"Get it Major...get it boy!" Gisella cheered

Major sprang after it, leaping into the air and snatching it in his mouth.

The dog landed on the ground and trotted back to Bae with the Frisbee.

"Good boy!" Bae praised and Major gave him the Frisbee.

Gisella jumped up and down excitedly. "Lemme try!"

Bae smiled and handed her the Frisbee. "Here you go," he said.

Gisella took the Frisbee and threw it. "Go get it, Major!" she hollered.

The big dog happily ran after the blue disc and brought it back to her.

"Looks like those two get along like a house on fire," Rumple said. "Come inside, Marie."

"Gisella, Mommy will be back. You stay with Bae. Okay?"

"Kay!"

Marie followed Rumple into the house. "Is there anything I need to do?" she asked him.

"You need to come sit down here on the sofa and put your feet up," he instructed. "I need you to relax. Belle, would you mind getting her some tea? The kava, please."

"I'll be right back," Belle said, patting Marie's shoulder.

Marie sighed happily, propping her feet up. "Those shoes I have to wear are murder on my feet."

"You ought to invest in different one then," Rumple said. "They probably made your leg worse." He indicated his Gucci loafers. "It's why I wear these. They have terrific support, and since I'm on my feet all day at my shop, they're just what I need."

"Dick I work for won't allow it."

She wouldn't however wear them when she wasn't working.

Rumple shook his head. "Maybe after I fix your leg, you can get out of there." He gently removed her shoe. Then he sat down with her foot in his lap. "Now, I said you needed to relax . . .and drinking that tea will help . . .but so will a very light massage. I'm going to use magic to heal you, but relaxation will help me heal you without a lot of discomfort." He began to gently massage her foot and leg. "Hope you're not ticklish, dearie."

"Mmm...can't remember the last time I enjoyed a man touching me below the waist..." she murmured.

Belle nearly spit out her tea she was laughing so hard.

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "This is purely platonic, you know." His fingers expertly kneaded and rubbed, loosening all the muscles in her foot and leg.

"Soo..doesn't mean I can't enjoy it..."

"Good then . . .that means you'll relax better," he chuckled. He continued massaging for another ten minutes, while she sipped her stress tea.

"Mmmm hmmm...and have a few dirty thoughts...involving a beach...and a nice ass in leather..."

Belle giggled. "You are so lucky I love you otherwise you'd be missing a few limbs."

"I know he's yours, honey, but damn...he needs to make himself a twin!"

"Hold that thought, dearie. I want you to close your eyes and imagine yourself relaxing on that beach now," Rumple murmured. "Okay . . .now I need you to breathe with me . . .one . . . two . . . three . . . four . . . five . . ."

"Okay...must not think of best friends's husband...gimme that guy who plays Caspian in Voyage of the Dawn Treader...mmmm..that's it..."

When he was sure she was in a light trance, he set his hands on the scarred leg. "Okay, you'll feel some heat when I start to heal you, and you could feel a wee bit of pain too, though I'll try and make it as little as possible . . ." He lowered his head and concentrated, calling upon his healing magic.

White light flowed from his hands and enveloped her leg.

He sent his magic deep within her, in slow pulses, first assessing the damage, then slowly healing what was torn and ripped.

She reached for Belle's hand when she felt a slight pain her leg.

"You're okay, Marie..." Belle soothed.

He mended thoroughly, not caring that it took longer than when he was the Dark One. The white magic he possessed was just as powerful, but it was not flashy or quick. And it worked with the patient's natural healing ability. He concentrated harder, and the light brightened. He numbed most of the nerve endings as he healed, but he couldn't totally shut them down.

Marie thought of the beach, Ben Barnes, and felt her sister holding her hand.

Rumple healed all that had been twisted and broken, restoring the muscles and movement to the leg and at last it was finished. The white light died and he removed his hands from her leg. "It's done, Marie. How do you feel?"

She opened her eyes. "Better...much better." She rose slowly and stepped out into the middle of the room, assuming a ballerina's pose. Though she was shaky from lack of practice, the steps did not hurt her leg as they once did.

"If you do exercises for twenty minutes a day, that'll strengthen those muscles and you'll be dancing again in no time," Rumple told her.

"I will...thank you Rumple."

"You're welcome, dearie. Would you and Gisella like to stay for dessert?" he asked. After a healing like that, he was famished.

"Of course. I'm off today."

"Belle, let's have some brownie sundaes," he suggested.

She grinned knowing how much they all loved them. "Marie, you're in for a treat."

Rumple went and got the brownies while Belle got the ice cream, hot fudge sauce, whipped cream, and cherries.

"I'd better go hustle that daughter of mine up."

Each sundae had a brownie base, a scoop of either chocolate or cookies and cream ice cream, was drizzled with hot fudge and had whipped cream and a cherry on top.

When Marie came back in the house with her daughter in tow, both of them were nearly drooling at the sight of the delicious desserts.

"Oooh...looks good, Mommy!"

"They're the best!" Bae said. "And you made mine with extra hot fudge, right, Papa?"

"I did. Now go wash up. You smell like a dog," Rumple said.

"You wanna share, Bae?" Gisella asked

"Uh, okay," he agreed, then went to wash his hands. He knew he could always have seconds if he wanted.

The little girl smiled. "I like him. He's really nice, Mommy an' he let me an Major play fetch."

The shepherd had gone to drink some water and was now lying beside the table, gnawing one of his pig ear treats.

Everyone took a sundae, except for Bae and Gisella, who shared one, and dug in. As Rumple ate his, he wondered when Marie would tell Belle about their true relationship to each other.

The sundaes were accompanied by coffee for the adults and chocolate milk for Bae and Gisella.

Marie, though she loved her dessert was having a difficult time trying to finish it. She knew she had to finally tell Belle the truth especially now that Gisella met the rest of her family and adored them.

"Is your leg bothering you, Marie?" Belle asked worriedly.

"Ummm...no. I'm...just thinking," she mumbled.

She glanced over at Rumple. She wasn't sure how to break the news to Belle gently, not wanting to upset her or the baby.

"Belle, do you remember once that you told me you wished you had siblings growing up?" Rumple began.

"Well...I've always thought of Marie as one...why?"

"Because . . ." he slanted a glance at his guest.

"I...I am your sister, Belle..." Marie croaked.

"What?" Belle gasped. "But...how, Marie?"

Marie sighed. "We...we have the same father...Moe doesn't know...my mother never told him...and I didn't want to tell you because I thought you'd hate me."

Bae froze with his spoon halfway to his mouth.

"You mean...she's my real auntie?" Gissela asked her mother.

"Yes," Marie whispered.

"I...I always thought it could be possible...we look a lot alike but...but I never said anything..." Belle stammered.

"You believe me?"

"I saw a resemblance the first time we met," Rumple said. "But I wasn't sure if it was a coincidence or not, so I didn't say anything."

"Of course I believe you!" Belle cried, throwing her arms around her. "No matter what you've always been honest with me, Marie and you were there for me while I was growing up when no one else was."

"I know it was wrong of Moe and my mother to..."

Nor would this have been the first time a husband had strayed when his wife was pregnant, Rumple thought.

"It was but it's not your fault, Marie...or mine. But you have to tell Papa."

"Grandpa's gonna pass out," Bae predicted.

"It was hard enough tell you!"

"You have to...not just for yourself but for Gisella too."

"Moe would love to meet his granddaughter," Rumple said. "He already spoils Bae rotten."

"He's seen her...just as my daughter...not his grandchild and he does treat her well. I...I don't want that to change."

Rumple leaned forward slightly. "It shouldn't. If he could accept me as Belle's husband and Bae as his grandson then he should be able to accept you and Gisella. You're his blood kin, after all."

"All right...I'll try."

Gisella was smiling at Bae." "Zat means yous my cousin so So's I can come over and play with you all the time."

Bae seemed happy with his newfound relatives. "You sure can." He agreed. He had always wanted some more relatives, like other kids in his village.

Gisella jumped down from her chair and ran over to Rumple hugging his legs. "Yous my uncle now too!"

His eyes twinkled and he picked her up and set her on his lap. "That's right, dearie. And I'm so glad you're happy about that."

"Uh-huh. I still gots the dolly you made me. See? " She held it up.

"Lovely, dearie."

"But I gots a question for you. How come you don't have scaly skin anymore? Mommy says you did and had pants that your butt looked good in."

"Marie!" Belle cried, glaring at her sister. "Did you say that about my husband's...butt around her!"

"It slipped out and she has super hearing! I swear."

Bae spit out his chocolate milk because he was laughing so hard.

"Yous not sposta swear Mommy cause then I gotta put the Dove in your mouth."

Rumple was chuckling too. "Out of the mouths of babes."

"Probably tastes better than Ivory," Bae muttered.

"Little pitchers have big ears and bigger mouths, Marie." Belle scolded.

"Shall I tell you why I don't have my scales anymore?" Rumple asked Gisella.

"UH-huh."

"You see, back when your mommy first met me, I was under a curse, and was an imp known as the Dark One . . . a very powerful dark sorcerer . . .and my leather pants were . . . uh . . .part of my costume, because they looked good with my golden scales. But when I married your Auntie Belle, there, True Love broke my curse and now I'm a white magician and my true self again. So no more scales, dearie."

"She kiss ya like in the movies?"

"Yes, she did," he laughed. That and much more, he thought with a smirk.

"Ooohhh so's you're like Beauty an' the Beast only you don't look like a beast."

"They called him a beast once," Bae said softly. "And I used to punch the boys out that said it."

"I'd kick 'em in the nuts!" the little girl declared.

"Gisella!" Marie cried.

Bae winced. Then he started laughing.

"Ain't that what you hadta do to that Gaston jerk when he tried to kiss ya?" her daughter asked.

"Yes...well...ummm."

"He smells...an he's gross too. One time I saw him scratch his nuts an' spit on the sidewalk!"

Bae almost fell on the floor. "So that's where Etienne the Evil Dick gets it!"

Gisella made a face. "Ewww. He's gross too."

"And a snot. He thinks he's all that, but he's a lying scumbag," Bae sneered. "He tried to get me expelled by saying I cheated on my chemistry test."

"He called me bastard. What's a bastard?" Gisella asked.

"Uh . . ." Bae looked at Rumple.

"It's a bad word, Gisella. Do you want me to get out the Dove?" he mother asked.

"No...no! Don't wanna taste Dove. It sucks."

"Nothing sucks worse than Ivory," Bae disagreed.

"I don't wanna taste anymore soap. Ewww."

"Yeah me neither," her cousin agreed.

"I'm glad to see them getting along," Belle said to Marie. "I'm still a bit in shock Marie but I'm not angry with you. I could never be."

"I should go see Moe. I'm still nervous though..."

"You'll do fine," Belle encouraged.

"I don't wanna leave. Wanna stay here with Uncle Rumple, Auntie Belle, and Bae!" Gisella protested.

She jumped off her uncle's lap and stomped her little foot. "YOu mean!"

"Gisella Alexandra, don't you dare throw a tantrum or you'll be going in the corner," Marie said firmly.

She looked up at her uncle. "You tell her I not 'llowed to go in the corner."

"She's your mama, dearie. And that means what she says goes." Rumple said quietly. "So you'd better listen."

"Okay..." she said sadly.

"But listen . . . you can visit here whenever you want on the weekend . . .and come up to our cabin too," he said.

"I can?"

"Yes. You and your mom can," Rumple told her.

"We can do all kinds of things at the cabin. Like fish and walk through the woods, and feed the deer," Bae said. "Once a fawn ate out of my hand."

"It did? I wanna do that...maybe it was Bambi!"

"Maybe. And Major loves it up there."

Marie pulled belle aside. "Sometimes I look at her and wonder how an ass like Gaston could've produced someone as good as she is."

"She's more you than him, Marie."

"Okay...Gisella we need to get going. Auntie Belle and Uncle Rumple will see you soon, okay?"

"Kay." The little girl jumped onto Rumple's lap again. "I see you soon, kay?"

"Okay, little one," he said, and kissed her cheek.

She jumped down and hugged Belle's legs. "I see you too, kay?'

"All right, Gisella." She kissed the little girl's forehead. Then the excited toddler ran up to Bae. "Gimme five!"

He slapped her palm gently. "Be good, imp. I'll see you soon!"

Marie picked her daughter up and carried her out to the car and they drove off.

"Cool!" Bae exclaimed. "Now I've got an aunt and a cousin. And if that jerkoff Etienne calls her a bastard when I'm around I'm gonna kick his nuts so far down his throat he'll have to become Plasticman in order to have kids!"

"As much as my better judgment wants to tell you not to, he would deserve it and so does his father," Belle said angrily.

"They always have, dearie." Rumple agreed.

"Oh damn..Rumple look at the time! We'll be late for our appointment!"

"Okay, let's go, dearie. It's a good thing Dr. Jo has evening hours on Tuesday."

"As busy as we were...it was the latest I could get!"

"Have fun!" Bae waved as they ran out the door.

Fortunately they were not late and when they arrived there were already several other women waiting to be seen.

Belle signed her name on the clipboard, filled out some paperwork, and then she and Rumple sat down in the waiting room until they were called.

One of the women glanced over at them and smiled.

"Now that is a real husband," she said to her companion.

"Yeah, mine wouldn't even come with me to see the sonograms. He made me go to all my appointments alone. I was lucky he came to the hospital in time when I was in labor."

"Mine was passed out drunk!"

"And then he had the nerve to go around and act like HE did all the work!" the other woman snorted.

"Hmph...all he did was donate the sperm...WE DO ALL THE WORK!"

"Well this is the last one I'm having from him and if he doesn't shape up, I'm shipping him out!"

"Good for you! I told mine that if he wanted another son he could have it!"

"I still can't believe those men had the nerve to kidnap Mr. Gold because he's acting like a real husband instead of a first class asshole."

"I can. They're all jealous and they think with their peckers instead of their brains."

"And half the time those don't work either!"

"Tell me about it."

"First appointment?" the first one, named Laura asked Rumple and Belle.

"Yes. Since I found out," Belle said.

"Well don't be nervous, sweetie. At least you have him here..." Laura said.

"I wouldn't let her come without me." Rumple said. "This is our baby and I want to be there for everything."

"Those assholes shoulda left you alone instead of taking you to that dive the Foxtrot!"

"Well, they got their asses handed to them, now didn't they?" Rumple said. "Hopefully they've learned their lesson."

"Mrs. Gold?" the nurse called out.

Belle rose and Rumple followed.

She was still a bit nervous but she had her husband at her side and that was all that mattered.

The nurse led her down a small hallway and into an exam room. "You won't have to wear a gown this time, since the doctor will just want to talk with you and do a blood test to confirm your pregnancy. Dr. Ferrara will be in shortly." She gestured to two chairs beside the exam table.

"Thank goodness for that." This visit was more pleasant than her last but she still didn;t want to be up on that table again.

After about five minutes the door opened and Dr. Jo came in. "Hello, Belle and Rumple. How are you?"

"We're fine, Doctor...just had quite a busy day," Belle said with a laugh.

"Me too," she smiled. "But after this you can go home and rest." She took a blood pressure cuff off the wall and said, "Let me just get a few vitals, Belle, and then we'll talk about what you can expect during the pregnancy."

"All right. As long as one of them isn't a group of insane men trying to kidnap my husband again, I'll be fine."

The doctor frowned. "When I heard about that I wanted to take my scalpel and castrate a few of them! Jackasses! There is NOTHING wrong with a man experiencing his bonded's symptoms. Thank God they didn't try that with mine, they'd have been eunuchs!"

"Well a few of them are going to be taken to the cleaners in a divorce if Rumple is representing their wives..."

"Good! Do it!" Dr. Jo said. After determining Belle's blood pressure was normal and taking her weight and listening to her heart, the doctor said, "I give all my OB patients this same packet when they first come for a visit. It has some literature about pregnancy and sample of prenatal vitamins you'll need to start taking as well." She handed Belle the packet in a small pink bag. "I've also provided a pamphlet for you, Rumple that details what you can expect too, my husband helped me put it together."

"Thank you," Rumple took the pamphlet. "That's very kind of you."

"My husband insisted. He didn't want you to feel like you were the only man who'd ever gone through this before. And actually, bonded couples aren't the only ones who have. " Dr. Jo told him.

"We're read that nonmagical ones have," Belle said.

"Yes. It's just that you're a little different because of the bond. You'll experience a bit more because of it. Now, I'll be taking a blood test to determine how far along you are, and I'd like to examine your first response test also."

Belle retrieved the test strip from her purse and handed it to the doctor in a plastic bag.

She took it and put it on the counter. "Okay, we'll do the blood test first, and my lab techs will have the results in a few days." She pulled on gloves and gently drew a vial of blood from Belle's arm.

A nurse came in with a laptop and took down the vitals and put them into the computer and another took the vial of blood down to the lab.

The doctor leaned on the counter and said, "So, I like to divide this discussion into two parts. Do's and don'ts. We'll start with the Do's first. Do get at least 8 hours of sleep per night, more if you feel you need to. As the baby grows, you'll feel more need to sleep during the day. That's normal, and you should take naps if possible. The same goes for you, Rumple. If you're tired, Belle will also feel tired, and that's not good. So you should both concentrate on getting enough sleep."

"Well ahhh...we've been having some trouble with that..."

"Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep?"

"Staying asleep. I ahhh...have to have the air conditioner on...and he stretches out.

"And I'm freezing and she's roasting."

"He never gives us enough room!"

"Ah. My husband always claimed I was shoving him out the door, I was so restless. Well, there's actually a simple solution to that. Enlarge the bed, either with magic or by getting a new mattress. I recommend a sleep number one, it can be adjusted on both sides to the preferences of the person sleeping in it. And there's a spell you can cast called Climate that will keep the temperature right for each of you."

"It won't drain him?" Belle asked

"No. It's a low level spell. The second thing after sleep you should do is nutrition. We have classes on pregnancy nutrition which you might want to consider. Taking the prenatal vitamins is important. You should also eat lots of lean protein, like chicken, fish, and lean pork. Beans are also. Lots of green vegetables and also dairy, such as Greek yogurt and skim milk or coconut milk. Some cheese is good also. Whole grains are good, and you should try and avoid a lot of processed food and fried foods, most of which probably don't agree with you anyhow."

"Not anymore."

"There are certain things you absolutely should NOT eat. Any raw meat or fish. No sushi, no steak tartare, no shark or swordfish or fish with lots of mercury. Canned tuna is fine, in moderation, and salmon is good as well."

"You should also try and limit the amount of sweets you eat. Try substituting sugar free ones . . .and eating fruit instead. Do try and avoid sugary soft drinks and juices from concentrate."

"You should gain from 25-30 pounds during your pregnancy, Belle. That's normal. Anything more and it means you're eating too much."

"Ummm...we both have a weakness for ice cream..."

"That's fine in moderation. But there are ice creams out there that have less calories and sugar. Still, if you have to have some, don't eat the whole carton. I know that's hard because your hormones are screaming you're starving, but you'll thank me later. Eating too much sugar can lead to gestational diabetes, which we'll test you for a bit later."

Belle smirked at her husband and pointed a finger at him, indicating him as the guilty party.

Rumple flushed. "I didn't even realize I did that!"

Dr. Jo laughed. "Don't feel bad. Andy ate a whole pint of cherries once and then blueberries. Until I put a lock on the cellar."

"Rumple ate my ice cream though he hated it before."

"Hormones, dear. They change your tastebuds. It's why sometimes you like odd combinations of food. That brings us to exercise. Like I said before, exercise is important for both of you. The better shape you're in, Belle, the easier time of it you'll have during delivery. Walking is good exercise and so is aerobics. There are certain exercises you shouldn't do when expecting, but there are pregnancy aerobic programs out there you can join or try. But if time's a constraint, just walking a little each day is fine for both of you."

"School will be out soon so I should have more time."

"Good. Even fifteen minutes a day is good. Speaking of school, since you teach I would recommend you get a DPT vaccine as soon as possible. That's diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus. Those diseases are dangerous if you acquire them because they can damage a fetus in the womb. And anyone who works with the public needs vaccinations."

Belle glanced over at Rumple. That would also mean he did too.

"Me also?" he frowned. "As a magician I'm immune to most diseases."

"I know. You'd be immune to two of those three, but pertussis is so deadly to a fetus I'd recommend you get it as well, just in case."

Belle took his hands in hers. "We have to think of the baby..."

"Yes, of course. I just . . . don't like needles." Rumple sighed.

"I hate them," the doctor replied. "But I know how to give them so they don't hurt. I can give you yours, Rumple."

"Thank you. It's not so much the pain I worry about. It's the fact that they're sticking something in me. I feel like a lab rat."

"Yes, well, when you come for your next visit in a week, I'll have them ready for you." Dr. Jo assured them. "If you have any questions, just call the office and ask. They can page me if you need to speak to me directly. Either of you."

"Thank you so much," Belle said gratefully.

"Anytime and I'll see you next week. We'll call with the lab results before then. Good night! And get some sleep!"

Belle and Rumple left the office clutching their packets, smiling.