So, without any proper excuse whatsoever, I've been painfully busy and unmotivated. I apologize for how long it's taken me to get this done. I'm even more pathetic because I didn't come up with a whole bunch to do this episode. Everything that happened kind of felt like it needed to. Thank the writer heavens that Emma is finally beginning to come around in the show.

Given that I missed them, I decided to come and see Belle and Rumplestiltskin again. So, without further ado, thanks for reading, thanks so much for your reviews, and I hope you enjoy. :)


"What're you up to now, Rumple?" Belle smirked as she leaned over the back of his favorite reading chair in their living room.

He said nothing, merely glancing up at her with a loving smirk before he looked back down at the legal document in his hands. Tilting her head to read it better, Belle found that it had to do with the case against Mary Margaret. Frowning, she looked from it to him a few times. Blue eyes narrowing merrily, she commented, "I know that look. What're you scheming up? What are you planning for her this time?"

Knowing exactly the 'her' of which Belle was referring, he merely smiled, "Whatever are you talking about, dearie?"

Coming around the front of the chair and pushing his feet to the side, she perched herself on his foot rest, and rested hers in his lap. She raised an eyebrow at him, "I'm talking about you, me, and our extreme…dislike of the Evil Queen. She called you yesterday. What does she want?"

She looked up at him expectantly, knowing he'd answer eventually. He always did. It had taken him about a month back in the enchanted world for him to inadvertently begin opening up to her. She'd purposely been low-key enough about asking about things that she doubted even his astute perception had noticed. Now that she thought back on it, she chalked it up to him being in love with her, just not quite realizing it.

Gold looked at her with a smile, allowing that self-serving part of himself to put up the illusion of a fight for itself. The rest of him just reveled in getting to stare completely shamelessly at her. He loved the way her eyes lit up when she was matching her wit against his. Also, he loved how when she asked him about his plots, she was never condemning, just curious. Her purpose in asking wasn't to judge the morality of it—he was pretty sure she'd accepted his for what it was—she just wanted to hear the cleverness of the plan.

"Well, dearie, she wants me on her side when it comes to Snow. I'm her lawyer, but Her Highness wants to ensure the object of her wrath goes down for everything."

Belle laughed, "She never did have a very good grasp of people, did she? Even after all this business with me, she still believes you're open for business to her."

Shrugging, he smirked at her astute assessment, "Power is the only currency she's willing to accept anymore. I'm supposed to be poor and soulless just like her, despite the fact she's pining for the man her mother stole from her."

Holding up her hand, Belle shuddered, "I don't want to know. Her heinous descent into evil can stay her affair. If you know it, you can exploit it." Shifting from the footrest to his lap, she smiled, "So my brilliant Rumple, what deviousness have you devised for her?"

He pressed a kiss to her cheek before stating with rather manic glee that had once been his trademark, "I play her and her hatreds for everything they're worth until Emma and the Huntsman have figured out how to break the curse or she figures it out and I can go back to despising her without mask. Snow might have to be incarcerated for a little bit, but it'll help our ends if Regina is lulled into thinking she's winning and I'm her friend. What do you think?"

Her face was amusingly pensive before she nodded, "It's simple, therefore hard to confuse. It's straightforward, therefore hard to mess up. And it's devious; therefore you'll execute it perfectly. Are you going to tell Emma about it?"

"No, she's got enough on her plate without worrying about more intrigue. It's not really her thing. Also, the Huntsman and I have…an understanding. If she gets anxious, he'll set her straight. He knows they can trust me."

"So the Curse… You made it; how's it broken?"

He chuckled, "Maleficent bought it from me before I'd quite gotten that far, love."

Sighing with mock exasperation, she shook her head, "You and your questionable business practices. It's no wonder you own a pawn shop here. You're shady characters the lot of you."

Glaring playfully, he asked, "Aye, really?"

"Aye. People warned me about hooligans like you. I'm rather glad I didn't listen. Anyhow, about the Curse. Emma is a tad busy at the moment. Henry has to tiptoe around his lovely adopted mother. And the Huntsman has to generally stick to the woods so Her Highness doesn't smite him with a fireball on the spot. Looks like I have a research project ahead of me."

"Do ye now?"

Kissing him lightly before bounding toward the library, she exclaimed, "Of course; someone in this impending marriage has to ensure your shady past transactions don't taint our reputation! Oh that means you're making supper, love."

Groaning, he glared at her, "Why exactly?"

Blue eyes shining with mischief, she stated, "One, because you love me. Two, because you're going to get hungry. Three, because I'm doing research. Four, because you love me."

"Dammit, I do hate it when you win arguments."

"So that explains you're cranky demeanor," she smirked, teasing dripping from her gushing tone. "I'd wondered why you were always rather cantankerous; it's because I always win."

Rolling his eyes as he made his way across the room to her, he demanded, "Hush," right before doing it for her by kissing her soundly.