Belle lay next to Rumple that night, unable to sleep. She listened to the steady sound of his breathing and stared at the time on the clock. She didn't know why, but she felt uneasy, like something ominous was coming for her, but she didn't know what. Rolling over and propping herself up on her elbow, she looked over at him. The man looked so angelic while he slept, it made her smile.
"Rumple," she whispered softly. He didn't move; his breathing didn't change. She tried again, to the same response. She considered giving up, but didn't want to be alone and nervous all night. She poked him, but he remained in a sleep that couldn't rouse the dead. Deciding to try one last tactic, she screamed softly, trying to sound as afraid as possible.
It worked. Rumple shot out of bed like a cannon, looking frantically around the room. She didn't know where the gun came from; he seemed to have pulled it out of thin air. He flipped the light on in a fluid motion, and their eyes met.
"Are you okay?" He asked her, gun still pointed in the opposite direction. Belle felt immediately guilty, she hadn't thought a small scream would illicit this type of reaction.
"Yeah...but since you're awake...can we talk?" She was looking at him so earnestly; he couldn't help but give in. Setting the gun back in the table side drawer and turning the light back off, he climbed back into bed and pulled her close to him.
"Bad dream?" He asked, smoothing her hair down.
"I have a bad feeling," she said softly, enjoying the feel of his hand in her hair. "Like something is going to happen."
"Nothing is going to happen," he told her reassuringly. "Everything is going to be alright."
She sighed and tried to feel comforted, but she couldn't. "How can you tell?"
"I won't let anything else happen to you," he told her softly. "I will keep you safe."
"You can't always protect me," she said back, twisting up so she could see him. "Seriously. Emma has been trying to teach me to protect myself, but I never take it seriously because I think you will just protect me. You can't always though, it's too much work."
"Keeping you safe is a full time job," he teased. "You worry too much dearie. No harm will come to you in Storybrooke as long as I am Mr. Isabelle French."
Belle cracked a smile hearing him refer to himself by her maiden name. "Maybe you're right."
"Of course I am. Lay down, sleep. You have an early morning ahead of you."
Belle snuggled into him, deciding she'd sleep better if he had his arms wrapped around her. He breathed in her hair, which was pressed up against his nose, feeling comfortable again.
"My dear?" He said softly.
"Yes?"
"Don't ever wake me up like that, ever again." He growled. She smiled in the dark.
"Deal."
They fell silent once again, and Belle drifted into an uneasy sleep. The dream was vivid and bright, and didn't make any sense at all, and when she was startled awake by her alarm clock, she was covered in sweat.
The sun was just peeking into the room, and Belle was surprised that Rumple was still in bed. His eyes were open and full of concern as she sat up, running her hands through her hair.
"Sleep well, sweet?" He asked her, sitting up with her.
"Well enough," she said, getting out and heading towards the bathroom. She planned on taking a quick shower, but when the hot water hit her skin she found herself just standing there enjoying it. She finally got out and ran a dryer through her hair. It looked well that day, so she left it down, not anticipating a long day at the station. A pair of khaki shorts and a yellow t-shirt tucked in, with a brown belt and white tennis shoes and she was ready to go. She took the stairs two at a time and met him at the front door, in a suit with a matching yellow tie. He smiled when he saw her.
"Great minds think alike," he commented as she straightened his tie. "Let me drive you to work today."
She kissed him slowly, enjoying this moment. They had so few, where everything felt perfect, and he was so sweet. She savored it, enjoying the feel of his skin on hers.
"I'd be delighted, Mr. Gold," she told him, linking her arm through his.
"Well then, let's go, Mrs. Gold," he led her out and locked up behind him. He opened her car door for her, which delighted her. He chucked as he headed to the driver's side. It really took so little to make her happy.
He dropped her off in front of the station, kissing her goodbye, and they parted. Emma was already waiting for her, sitting at Belle's desk in jeans and a t-shirt, looking serious.
"What's going on?" Belle asked, wondering what could be going wrong now.
"Nothing. It's so quiet here," Emma told her, her frown deepening.
"That's...a good thing, right?" Belle asked.
"Of course. I'm just not sure what to do now."
"Answer phone calls and hope nothing else goes wrong." Belle suggested.
Belle and Emma spent the rest of the day getting caught up on paper work, which had been neglected in the weeks since Kathryn's disappearance. It took them well into the night, and they weren't even half done when Emma finally cut Belle loose.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Emma told her as Belle headed out. Belle smiled and told her to try and get home soon, and then took off. She walked past the pawn shop, but it was locked up, so Rumple must be home already. She began to take her short cut home but was met by Rumple halfway through. He looked mad.
"Hey!" She didn't think he saw her until she was practically on top of him.
"Belle." His tone oozed of surprise. He was clutching something in his hand. "What are you doing here?"
"Coming home," she told him, her eyes fixed on the paper in his hands. "What's that?"
He wasn't quick enough for her; she had pried it out of his hand before he could tuck it away somewhere out of reach. Un-wrinkling it, she saw a picture of the same dagger she had saw in a book before, the one with his name written on it.
"What's this?" She asked him, feeling a little fearful. "Where did you get it?"
"I think Mr. Booth is trying to kill me," he told her in a moment of vulnerability. Belle felt even more frightened than before, because of how genuinely afraid Rumple seemed to be.
"He can't be..." she whispered, and just as he had been doing earlier, she clutched the paper hard in her hands, as if crumpling it would take back the words he had just said. "Let's...let's go home."
Rumple allowed her to take him back home, remaining silent the entire time. Belle's mind was racing. Bae...August...this was Rumple's son. Surely he wasn't trying to kill him. Rumple was reading too much into this. Another darker thought wondered if maybe he was right. She needed to keep him safe, but she didn't know how. That was Rumple's job; she never imagined the shoe would be on the other foot. Belle tucked the paper into her pocket and they climbed into bed together, both silent. She laid flat on her back and he put his head on the crook between her neck and arm, a rare moment where she held him. She didn't know what to say, so she said nothing, instead playing with his hair absently until he fell asleep. She drifted off not much longer after.
She woke suddenly in the middle of the night to the realization he was no longer next to her. In a panic she sat up, and in the dark she could see him sitting on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. Scooting over, she sat directly behind him, letting her legs dangle on either side of him, and rested her head on his back. He sighed deeply, feeling the warmth of her behind him.
"I didn't mean to wake you," he told her softly. She shook her head, still pressed against his back.
"You didn't," she lied. She moved back a little, and sat on her knees so she could kiss his neck. He sighed and seemed to relax a little. Encouraged, she kissed him again, behind the ear. He twisted around so he was facing her, and his mouth founds her with a ferocity that almost scared her. She gave in, pulling him closer to her, feeling that he could never be close enough, that she could never have enough of him if she spent six lifetimes with him.
Belle woke up the next morning tangled up in sheets. It took a minute to detangle herself and get out of bed. She saw the evidence of last night all over the room. Pillows, clothing, and the comforter were scattered about the usually tidy room. Rumple was almost totally dressed and ready for the day.
"You turned off the alarm," she accused, wrapping the sheet around her.
"You needed sleep," he informed her. He was trying to maintain a serious facial expression, but she saw a smirk creeping up.
"Yeah. Someone keeps me up all night," she grumbled, but kissed his cheek anyway. She went into the bathroom to attempt to detangle her hair before showering, and when she came out he was gone. She left her hair down again, and decided on jeans, a blue shirt, and white tennis shoes.
At the station nothing was going on. Emma was still working on paperwork, but seemed to have gone home to change and shower.
"I'll take a stack of that," Belle offered.
"Go for it," Emma smiled, and scooted a coffee at her. "It's gonna be a long day."
It was a long day, but Belle was pleased when they got everything completely caught up, even it was a little after ten that night. As they were walking out Emma's phone rang. She answered it and had a quick conversation and hung up. Belle felt her phone buzz in her pocket, and as she reached for it, she asked, "Who was that?"
"Oh, August. We had plans, but he had to cancel," she responded lightly.
"Why?" Belle felt that familiar feeling of dread creeping back in.
"He didn't say," Emma frowned. "Just that he had something he needed to take care of."
Belle looked down at her phone to see a message from Rumple. All it said was, "I love you." That was enough. The feeling of dread was replaced with full on fear.
"I...need to get home," she told Emma, trying to sound normal, but Emma looked at her strangely.
"Everything alright?"
"Yeah..." Belle turned and began running hard and fast, desperate to make it home.
"Isabelle!" Emma yelled after her, but it was too late, Belle wasn't turning back for anyone. She reached their home and turned the handle, but it was locked. No one was home. She stood there frantic for a moment. Where could they be? They weren't in the graveyard; she had just crossed through it. She saw the woods out of the corner of her eye, and feeling of fear swelled in her. They were somewhere in there? She'd never find him in time. Deciding to try, she began running towards the woods, and without a second to stop and think it through, she plunged in. She didn't see the Mercedes parked on the side of the road, the woman smiling inside as she ran in, or she may have stopped.
All she could hear was the sound of her own feet flying through the forest floor, leaves crunching under her feet, and her own breathing. She zigzagged through the trees, inhaling deeply, wishing she had some talent for finding people.
Then the sound of male voices, angry, drifted into her ears, and she changed course quickly. She saw them before they saw her, Rumple facing August, two hands on his cane. August's back was to the edge of a cliff, and he had something in his hand, silver and gleaming. He had Rumples dagger. Belle tried to fight back the hysterical scream as August raised it over Rumple, who didn't seem to be doing anything to protect himself. With a last burst of energy, she ran past Rumple and slammed into August, who was completely caught off guard. They fell back and began rolling down the cliff. The wind was knocked out of both of them but something was in Belle's hand that hadn't been there before.
She slammed to a stop in water. It was cold, and felt like a million knives stabbing her. She kicked off the bottom and her head broke the surface. She didn't see August anywhere as she swam for the shore, continuing to clutch whatever it was she holding. When she reached the bank she looked down. She was holding Rumple's dagger. She could hear crunching of feet coming from somewhere, so Belle jumped up and looked for a hiding spot. She saw a tree not too far off with a small hole, and ran for it, putting the dagger inside the hole just at the base, and covered it with a nearby rock. It didn't look out of place. She walked back and waited, as the crunching got closer. She expected to see August. Instead she saw Regina walk out, a large man with dark hair at her side. She recognized him from her earlier days, the Black Knight.
"Little Miss Belle," Regina said quietly. "What are you doing out here...all alone?" She was smiling like a cat who had finally caught a difficult mouse. Belle held her ground, determined to show no fear, as she had done the last time Regina had trapped her.
"Thought I'd take a walk," Belle told her lightly. Regina just grinned wider and stepped closer to her.
"Where is that little imp? Surely he wouldn't let his little wife walk about the forest...all alone? I would think our dear Rumple had more sense than that. There are dangerous things in here."
She knew. Belle's heart was racing, Regina knew Belle remembered. Belle dug her feet in. There was no point in pretending any further. "Is there something I can do for you, your majesty?"
Regina's smile stretched even wider. "Where is it?"
Belle's breathing slowed down. Regina was looking for Rumple's dagger too? Was she the one who had told August where to find it? Belle thanked every God she could think of silently that she had ended up with it.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Belle said, lifting her chin up defiantly.
"Mr. Booth doesn't have it," Regina hissed, inches from Belle. "That means you must. Where is it?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Belle matched her tone.
"Tell me or I'll..." Regina trailed off.
"Kill me first," Belle told her, and then spat in her face. Rage crossed Regina's face.
"With. Pleasure."
Blackness overtook her. She didn't dream, she didn't know how much time passed, if any at all, but she knew she wasn't dead when she began to come out of the haze. Bright lights were the first thing she saw, and the face of a blonde man, and a dark haired woman.
"Where am I?" She asked, confused. She didn't recognize either of these people.
"Isabelle," the woman said, looking down at her with concern. Isabelle? That didn't seem right.
"Who are you?" Belle asked, still confused. The woman smiled for a moment before concern was on her features again, and Belle didn't trust her. Something about her seemed familiar.
"It seems like short term memory loss," the blonde man told the dark haired woman.
"I found her collapsed in the woods," she told him.
"It's most likely not permanent," he continued as if Belle wasn't there. The door flung open and she saw a man come in, his face contorted with rage.
"OUT!" He ordered, and the blonde haired man scurried out, looking scared. Obviously this man carried some kind of weight around here, to kick out a doctor. "What did you do?" He bellowed at the dark haired woman, who looked surprised at the hate seeping out of every pore of the man.
"I saved your wife," she told him innocently. "She had collapsed in the woods. Really Mr. Gold, you shouldn't let her just wander around like that. You know she had a...delicate...condition."
Delicate? Belle didn't feel delicate? And did she say wife? Had she married this man? Could she marry such a frightening man? She looked up at him, searching his face for any semblance of memory, but nothing was surfacing.
"Get. Out." He said. The woman opened her mouth to respond, but he cut her off. "Please."
It was such an odd thing to say, and Belle was certain she would not comply, but to her surprise the woman walked out. The man called Mr. Gold turned to her, his rage melting into fear and concern.
"Belle, I'm so sorry," he started, sitting on the edge of her bed and taking her hand. She withdrew it, uncertain. He looked as though she had slapped him, and she didn't know what to say, how to tell him. Luckily, the doctor came back in.
"Mr. Gold...your wife is suffering from memory loss."
Mr. Gold stared at him like he had lost his mind. "Memory loss?" He repeated.
"It's likely to be short term, but I can't say for certain. There's something else you need to know."
Rumple looked to his wife, who seemed so lost, and out of the glass room to see Regina standing there, clearly enjoying this.
"What else do I need to know?" He growled, contemplating killing them both.
"She's pregnant."