A/N: Another prompt filled! To the reader who requested this scene from Edward Scissorhands… I did tweak the part a bit to fit in with the previous prompts but I hope you still like it! As for the second part you wanted, I couldn't find a way to make it fit within this one but I did add a short interlude to cover that after this one. Hope you like!

Edward Scissorhands

Guest Prompted: Scissor!Rum gets into a confrontation with Gaston. (Rated K+)

"Look at you! You're nothing but a freak of nature!"

For the last several minutes, this man had been following him as he walked on Main Street to meet Belle at Granny's Diner. There was a Christmas party and Belle forgot a plate of cookies she baked at her apartment by the library. He offered to get them—always willing to help his beloved Belle. He was fortunate that the door was unlocked so he could easily slip in and grab them. Of course, grabbing wasn't the right word for him. He had to balance the plate within the crook of his arms so the plate wouldn't shatter.

That was the problem about having scissors for hands… it made certain tasks difficult to do, but as long as he concentrated… he could do the simple and mundane tasks.

Though, it was proving to be challenging with this man following him and spatting horrible things at his back.

Both Belle and Papa Jeff told him that if anyone said mean things to him he should ignore it. There was no point in arguing over something as petty as words. It just meant that the person didn't understand him. And after living alone for some odd years… Rum didn't have much experience with bullies. Belle had been so kind, so nurturing that when she asked if he wanted to come down to her world, he had been eager to jump at the opportunity.

He assumed everyone would be like her.

In the beginning, there was some panic about him but that all ended when Belle took it upon herself to introduce him to the people she knew. Afterwards, the fears subsided and everyone gave him smiles and was quite friendly to him. Except for Regina Mills but she was like that to everyone and Belle told him not to take it personally. So he didn't.

However, this person was not like Belle's friends and he wasn't Mayor Mills. Rum didn't know this person, but he certainly knew Rum.

A past lesson about not talking to strangers from Papa Jeff entered his mind so he kept his mouth locked firmly together and continued his careful shuffling with the plate nestled to his chest. Belle was counting on him to return with the cookies and he wouldn't let her down.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!"

Rum continued his silent treatment, and then froze when the man suddenly appeared in front of him, his body swaying with an empty bottle in his hand. His breath was rancid and Rum stood there, petrified, not sure what to do. Papa Jeff and Belle never told him what to do in a situation like this. Instinctively, his body went rigid; his scale-like face went pale as the snow on the sidewalk, as he warily watched the other man.

"You're mute now? No… I've heard you speak. You're being rude man. All's I wants to do is have a little chat." His tone sounded sincere but there was something in his eyes… this glasslike glaze that sent chills down Rum's spine.

"E-Excuse me," Rum stammered, his voice cracking.

Placing his hand by his ear, the man lurched forward and Rum took a step back. "What was that? What did you say?"

"Excuse me," Rum said a little bit louder and now his teeth were chattering from the cold. All he wanted was to be by Belle's side again. He wished he was at the diner.

"Oops!" The man moved his arm and slapped the plate of cookies from Rum's grasp. Rum watched in horror as the plate collided with the concrete, breaking into a million tiny pieces, and the cookies landing all over the snowy ground. When his eyes shifted back to the man, he was grinning lopsidedly. "My mistake," he told Rum. "Oh well. It wouldn't have happened if you were holding it with your hands. But you can't."

Rum bit his quivering lip to keep from crying. Why was this person being so mean to him? Did he not realize how long it took Belle to bake those cookies? Now, no one can enjoy her delicious treat! Just imagining the look of disappointment on her face only made the back of his eyes burn.

"How pathetic!" he sneered. "They're just cookies. No need to cry over them like a baby. Unless you thought you could impress her or something, huh? Belle right?"

At the sound of her name, Rum let out a whimper as he wordlessly nodded. Belle was going to be upset.

"Unbelievable. You're a freak. Nothing more than a perverted looking man. Do you honestly think Belle could like someone like you when she could like someone like me?"

Rum didn't reply but the look on his face must have given him away as the other man barked in laughter. "You can't even touch her! So why would you even bother her?"

His words were slurring and Rum took another step back. But it didn't stop from hitting its target with those cruel words. And he was right… He couldn't touch Belle not without drawing blood. Memories of hurting Belle in his home when he had that nightmare came back and Rum felt a tear slid down his cheek. He never wanted to bring harm to her and he had taken great strides to ensure he wouldn't whenever his hands were too close to her, but sometimes… he wished he could hold her like a normal man can.

Like this man could.

"She doesn't need you. So why don't you go back to that mountain of yours. That's where you belong… away from all of us. Belle's better off without some monster breathing down her neck."

Monster?

He never saw himself as one, not that he ever had reason to. If anything, he saw himself as incomplete, which was how Papa Jeff described him. He wondered if he should correct the other man, but he was stumbling now and Rum feared he could cause himself harm. So he tried to do the right thing.

"You might need to lie down sir," Rum said and the man burst out laughing.

"You're kidding me, right?" Then without warning, he shoved Rum. Rum stumbled back but caught his balance as he stared at him in confusion. "Come now. Come on. Fight me. You want Belle so much then prove it!"

"I don't want to fight. I don't—"

Rum was cut off with another forceful push and this time… he did fall to the ground. Holding his hands out in front of him, Rum knew the other man was unstable but he didn't want to hurt him… not unless he had to. He hoped that the sight of his scissor fingers would deter him from trying to push him again. Instead, it had the opposite affect and the man grinned manically at him.

"That's right. Use those scissors of yours. Show me what you got!"

When Rum didn't react right away, the man grabbed the neck of his shirt and raised his fist in the air. A scream broke out and stopped the man from punching him. Before Rum knew it, Belle magically appeared at his side and she was pulling the man off of him.

"What are you doing Gaston?!" she shouted, jabbing him in the chest again. "My God! You're drunk…"

"Hey Belle… I was telling this freak to back off…"

"What—?" She turned to see Rum still sitting on the ground and the broken plate and cookies next to him. Then something clicked and she jerked back to look at Gaston. "You drunken fool. Why did you hurt him? He did nothing to you!"

"Hurt him? Belle! He hurt me!" Gaston lifted part of his sleeve to show a line of blood blossoming from his arm. "I was only defending myself!"

Rum's eyes widened in fear. He didn't hurt him! He didn't mean to! The man must have cut himself on one of his fingers when he knocked the plate from his hands.

"I'm sorry," Rum said and Gaston pointed at him triumphantly.

"You hear that Belle? He admits it!"

"You know what? How about I call Graham to escort you home?" Belle said instead, planting herself between the two men. "You need to cool off Gaston."

"Wha-?" Gaston stared at her incredulously. "Did you not hear what I said? Graham needs to arrest this son of a—"

"Don't you go there!" Belle snapped. "He did nothing! You, on the other hand, need to sober up. Go or else I will call the police."

"You're taking his side Belle?" Gaston continued hysterically. "Look at him! He's—"

"If you finish that statement, then I will knock you flat on your ass," Belle warned him, her blue eyes stone cold. "I don't know what you planned on gaining here Gaston by picking on Rum, but let me tell you this… you leave him alone or else."

"Belle—"

"No! Don't you dare say my name! Just leave Gaston."

If Rum had to describe how this Gaston looked right now, then he looked like one of those cartoon fishes in Papa Jeff's books. Stealing another look at him, Gaston narrowed his gaze. "This isn't over."

"Go Gaston!" Belle shouted and he slowly turned on his heel as he began to walk away. Letting out the air she was holding, Belle turned and helped Rum on his feet. "Are you okay Rum?" she asked tentatively, searching his face for any injuries.

"I'm fine Belle," he assured her. "But your cookies…"

She glanced down at the mess and sighed. "Well, at least it's a casualty I rather have instead of something happening to you." Tenderly, she cupped his left cheek and smiled. "I'm glad you're all right Rum. Now… how about we go back to that party?"

Guest Prompted: Belle tells Scissor!Rum she loves him. (Rated K)

It had been strenuous the last couple of days… ever since the accident involving Gaston but Belle was confident that the town would see that it had been in self-defense and welcome Rum back. Even Graham had agreed, although he had to keep quiet about it until the matter was investigated. At least Belle had him as one of her champions.

Rum was back safely inside his mansion on the mountain and the last thing he said to her was to go and be happy. How could she when he wasn't there beside her? Believe it or not, Rum had changed her life in so many ways.

He was her best friend.

He was…

She didn't know how it happened or when but it was something she felt all along and never realized it until now. She cared for him, yes… but this went beyond caring. This was something deeper and it wasn't until the moment that she feared she would never see him again that she discovered how far her feelings truly went.

She never told him…

Well, that had to be corrected.

Belle snuck out of Storybrooke and ran all the way up to the mountain. She had to see him! She had to tell him!

The gate was closed but Belle was able to push it open with the adrenaline running through her as she headed to the massive front door. It wasn't before long that she was racing up the stairs to the attic where she first found him… where she was hoping he would be there.

Sure enough, he was there… Standing in the center of the room, staring out at the gaping hole in the roof at the moonlight and stars, was Rum. His hair was still matted and unruly and his clothes had seen better days… and his hands… those beautiful scissor hands were catching the silver light and reflecting it back.

Belle let out a tiny sob, startling him. Yet, when those big, amber eyes widened in recognition… she knew she was where she belonged.

Smiling through tears, Belle approached him, her hand reaching to run through his hair. As soon as her fingers grazed his face, Rum shuddered and let out a soft sigh. Taking it as an invitation, Belle moved closer to him until she could wrap her arms around his neck. His scissor hands were away from her but as soon as she tucked her head underneath his chin, she whispered, "Hold me Rum. It's okay… please hold me."

Slowly and gently, his hands clasped behind her and she almost let out another sob at how he was finally touching her.

"I love you Rum."