Rumple was gone. And much to her amazement, he didn't use magic to do it. Instead of vanishing in smoke as was his typical custom, she watched in amazement as he left the elevator and turned toward the door. A moment later sunlight flooded the front room before she heard the sound of the door closing.

He'd gone. Simply walked away. And her…

She put her hand to her stomach and felt the still flat pane. She let out a sigh of relief. It hadn't been long ago that she'd been excited to see a small bump that would be the first outward sign of her son, the one that was due any day now according to her books. But now she was just as thrilled that she didn't feel it. Rapunzel might actually-

Her breath caught in her throat as she suddenly came to her senses. She wasn't here alone. "Rapunzel," she breathed remembering. "Rapunzel?!"

She tore out of the elevator, her heart racing when she didn't call back and the library was silent. No. No, no, no, she had to be here! She'd just been here and if Rumple had done something to her, then she'd never forgive-

Her heart stopped as she came to the table filled with books. She was there, right where she said she'd be. Her head was on the table, resting just over her arm which was at an odd position. Her eyes were closed.

No.

"Rapunzel?! Rapunzel! Please!" She ran to her and gave her a little shake.

She was breathing.

"Rapunzel…Rapunzel wake up, please wake up."

Her eyes fluttered. She looked up at her from her place, looking utterly confused before-

Rapunzel snapped up. She took in a deep breath and began looking around as if to find someone.

"It's okay!" she breathed putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. It was…it was Rumple! But you're okay! I was…I was so afraid he-"

"I'm…I'm fine!" Rapunzel reassured her feeling her body and shaking out her arm as if checking for breaks or injury. "I'm fine, I don't even remember, but…" suddenly her eyes went wide and she looked over at her. She looked at her stomach, the one she was still holding with her hand and then grabbed her other one. "You're not…he didn't…"

"No!" she breathed shaking her head. "He didn't…almost but…"

Suddenly she found it difficult to breath as the incident began to come back to her. He hadn't. He'd had the dust. He'd looked her in the eye. He'd told her the truth.

He hadn't used the dust.

"Um…okay," Rapunzel suddenly looked around the library then grabbed her hand and forced her to her feet. "It's really quiet, Emma and Killian aren't back…it's not safe here, we really should go where there are more people and call Emma, try to track someone down."

"The diner," she quickly instructed as Rapunzel pulled her out of the library, but not before looking both ways out the door first. "I don't want to be far from here."

Rapunzel listened, and they walked down the street, huddled together as if bracing themselves against a coming wind or storm. People stared at them, but she didn't care. The diner was like a breath of fresh air. Though it wasn't exactly crowded, it was filled with just enough people, enough chatter that she realized just how isolated she'd been these last few days. Hook's ship, Rapunzel, Flynn, Emma…she really had been entirely consumed.

"You two look like you've seen a ghost? Bed bugs been biting?" Granny inquired as Rapunzel helped her over to a stool and she sat down.

"Something like that…" Rapunzel answered.

She was shaking. She didn't realize she'd been shaking. Why was she shaking? Why did the tips of her fingers feel numb?

"Can I get you some tea?" Granny asked.

Tea. Tea would be welcome. Her mother always did tell her that a good cup of tea could warm her to her bones.

She nodded in Granny's direction.

"Actually, can I have a soda? Something sugary? I'm feeling a bit…out of it," Rapunzel requested.

"Coming right up," Granny answered as Rapunzel played with her phone.

"I feel so odd. Like I could go right back to sleep again…Emma!" she piqued as she looked over and expected to find Rapunzel on the phone with Emma. But her heart fell the moment that she saw her shake her head. "When you get this give me a call back, something just happened and we're at Granny's. Call us back."

The moment she hung up she watched as she pressed a few more buttons and held the phone to her ear again. Granny came over and delivered her soda and she took a long drawn out sip through the straw before rolling her eyes. "Flynn!" she finally gasped. "Hey, listen, everything is alright, but I want you to call me back when you get this. I have to catch you up on some things. Thanks." She hung up and set the phone aside before looking her over. "You doing okay."

No, not really, but she'd be better as soon as Granny got back with her-

The door to the diner opened and she was relieved to see Emma stride inside with Killian behind her and her phone in her hand. "Hey! I got your message. What's going on? What happened?"

"He came to the library," she exclaimed before Rapunzel could explain. "I thought you were going to use the squid ink-"

"We did, he fought it off before we could get the dagger or the Shears," Emma explained. "We ran into…complications," she muttered glancing at Killian.

She felt fire spark inside her again. "Complications"? She had nearly lost her baby because of complications?!

"Yeah, well so did we. One minute I'm looking up books and the next Belle is waking me up," Rapunzel explained calmly.

"It was Rumple!" she stated with a deep breath. "He must have known you were there and put you to sleep. He came after me."

"The dust?"

"He didn't use it. He was going to but…" breath invaded her lungs. Feeling returned to fingers and an unexplainable feeling of calm spread through her. "But he didn't," she muttered quietly. "He didn't do it."

"Why not?" Emma questioned.

She opened her mouth but jumped as a harsh ring tone cut through the diner. She looked over her shoulder and saw it was Rapunzel's cell phone. "It's Flynn," Rapunzel stated. She reached out and squeezed her elbow. "You gonna be okay for a few minutes?" She nodded. Rapunzel took her drink and her cell phone and disappeared into the back toward the bathrooms. She looked back at Emma.

"I…I know I should be relieved…" she explained with a deep breath

"Well, no one's gonna blame you for still worrying," Emma finished. "Gold did the right thing today. That doesn't mean he'll do the same tomorrow."

"Emma's right," Killian added. "And we have to make sure that he can't use that magic on you, and we will."

"Here you go," Granny interrupted coming over to them. "One cup of chamomile. It soothes the soul."

"Thanks, Granny," Emma said she walked away.

"Aye, love. Drink up. Helps calm the nerves," Killian smiled.

Nerves. Was that what she was feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Excuse us, love," Killian commented pulling on Emma's elbow so they could talk away from her.

That wasn't a problem. Though they still hadn't explained what complications kept them and nearly took her son away she was still hung up on a single word.

Nearly.

Rumpelstiltskin had nearly taken her son. And while she couldn't quite identify what she was feeling right now she wondered if it was what everyone thought it was as she took a sip of her tea. Nerves? Fear? Worry? Emma was right…he had done the right thing today. But that didn't mean he always would. In fact, it had never meant that. He did one good thing, and then followed it up with something cruel. Killian was right and so was Rapunzel…so long as he had that dust, she wasn't safe.

"Oh!" her breath caught in her chest and she felt a smirk spread across her face as she felt something flutter inside of her. It was nothing big. A small tiny movement just below her belly button that forced her hand to press there. Her smirk transformed into a smile as she realized…it was her baby, her son. She'd felt him move within her, just a small squirm, barely more than the flutter of butterfly wings. But it was movement a small reminder he was still there, healthy and ignorant right beneath her heart where he belonged for the next few months. The joy she felt at that one small movement was so incredible! It was overwhelming enough to chase away the images of what had just happened, the fear that she felt, the confusion and turmoil...

She turned to find Rapunzel and tell her something good had finally-

"Ah!" She nearly jumped in surprise and braced herself against the counter when she felt him move again. That one was not a squirm. It was more a kick and-

Against her hand, the one on her belly she felt something else, something more than movement…growth! A small bump. Then a bigger bump.

She felt her teacup fall from her hand and heard it shatter on the floor as she realized…

No!

"Belle?" Emma shouted from across the room. "What is it? Are you okay?"

No. No, she was clearly not okay! Her stomach was swelling and…Rumple had made the wrong choice! "The tea," she explained. He hadn't wanted to do this to her face so he'd put the dust in her tea somehow and-

Suddenly she didn't care as she let out a gasp and felt the skin across her belly stretch uncomfortably. So much so that she thought it would split open.

"No! No!" she exclaimed reaching out to help support the weight she suddenly felt on her back and dropping against her hips. "No! This can't…this can't be happening!" she cried. "Please no!" she gasped as she felt a sudden pain below her belly button, like a cramp but…but worse. So much worse! "No!"


There goes Rapunzel, and there's the scene we saw. This chapter kind of reminds me of a filler chapter, though it very clearly isn't. And if it feels choppy and short, like we're moving too quickly from one thing to another, it's meant to feel that way. I wanted to write it so the reader would feel like there are a million things happening at once and it's hard to keep track of it all, just as Belle would feel.

Big thank yous to Grace5231973, Fox24, and Teresa Martin on the last chapter. Lots of interesting conversations springing up over the last chapter and I enjoyed every single one of them. Not much last now! Congrats, you are three chapters away from reading the toughest of the Moment's Fictions! Kudos to you! Peace and Happy Reading!