He couldn't shake the nightmare he'd had. How Belle managed to do it night after night, day after day, baffled him. She had eventually fallen back to sleep, her arms had stilled around him, and she'd drifted off while she held him. Ordinarily, he'd have been mesmerized, he might have felt honored or blessed to have her there with him, but all he could focus on was the fact that it meant he couldn't leave without waking her. He'd wanted to get up and pace. He'd wanted to get up and go down to the basement, pretend like there was something he could do other than just wait for the Savior to return or for August to show up and give him his answers. But there was nothing. Nothing he could do except stay in Belle's grasp until the sun rose and he had an excuse to get up and leave her.

She was frustrated when he left for work. She asked him about town again, about going with him. He had been a bit short with her, telling her just as he always did that things still weren't safe, and he'd take her when they were. When he arrived, he was almost relieved to see that things seemed to have descended into more chaos overnight. That meant he hadn't lied to Belle, not entirely. And it also meant that he'd bought himself time, more time to bring her to the town as he'd promised, but the more he thought about it, the more he let his mind wander through plan after plan after plan, the more he was convinced it might not ever happen, not as he'd wanted it to.

He tried to focus, tried to concentrate on other things, tried to tell himself to wait for Emma like the Seer said, or break whatever spell August had protected himself with as the Dark Ones suggested. But, each time, the image of Baelfire calling out for him as he slid into the portal flashed in front of his eyes. Every time it happened, it drove him closer and closer to the edge.

He pulled out an old trunk, one that he hadn't used since before the Curse broke. It was the trunk that he stored Baelfire's things in. He took it out into the main room and opened it up, peering inside at the items he'd managed to find in his store that belonged to his son; some clothes, a pair of shoes, the ball August had brought to his attention, and Bae's old shawl. It wasn't much. But it might just be enough.

In the back of the shop, he found a black bag, one that he'd crafted in the Enchanted Forest for moments like this, for plans he needed to make and create. It was the black bag that contained all his spells, mostly simple ones that were common and he wanted to have on hand, but at the behest of the Seer, he'd made a few others that were complex. He didn't need the complex ones. Just something simple. He opened the bag, and his eyes drifted toward a tracking potion.

Perhaps he didn't need to find August or take Emma with him. Perhaps he could do this, strike out on his own, go find his boy. Gold would have been able to navigate the world without a problem. It was only now that he had his memories of who he was and the understanding that in all his time, he'd never left Storybrooke that he was suddenly uneasy about going. But if this was for Baelfire, if this was to finally get his son back, he'd do it. And…

Suddenly a gold vase on this table winked at him in the sunlight; a gold vase he remembered from another time, from his castle, something that Belle had once shinned up and set aside for storage. Belle. What was he going to do with Belle? He'd take her with him. That was how he'd keep his promise. It might not be Storybrooke that she would see, but it was the world, a new world. It was something far bigger and brighter than Storybrooke. Of course, he'd have to tell her where he was taking her and why he was taking her, but at least they'd be together. At least he'd know that she'd be safe, at least she'd be-

Cold. It was cold. The air was chilly and thin as it should be in the middle of Winter, but the space around them was smokey. The smoke rose from the ground, from a cart down the street. The ground was covered not with pavement or dirt but rather concrete. There was a trash can close by and tall buildings that reached impressively into the sky, but his focus was on the person, a man who had just fallen to the ground from above and started running. There was knowledge in him, things that he knew but could not see. One of those facts was that there were two people with him. One of them was a woman, though he couldn't actually see her face, only perceive that her presence was familiar. Another of those facts, the one far more important, was that the man running away from him was Baelfire. It was his son.

A different feeling suddenly reached up through his body and pulled him free of the vision, a feeling of importance and urgency. He recognized it. He'd had the feeling a dozen times over when he'd been in his castle and knew that it had nothing to do with the Seer.

Someone was on his property. And he knew who.

The bell to the shop rang as Former Mayor Mills entered. Rage from the last few nights of Belle waking up screaming and in tears tore through him, and he moved to go out and meet her, but as he listened to her rummaging through his front room, he stopped himself.

What the fuck she was doing here was unknown. He was curious, but his urge to kill in Belle's name was stronger. However, when he thought of what had happened that first night she'd come back and he'd tried to kill the woman, he tried to reel himself in. His urge to kill was stronger than his curiosity. His desire to go home and be with Belle was stronger than his urge to kill. So really, he could either give in to his curiosity to keep from killing her and go home to Belle an honest man. Or kill the woman.

Belle.

He chose Belle. Belle over Regina. It didn't hurt nearly as much as when he chose Belle over Baelfire.

He took a deep breath, and when he finally passed through the curtain, he found Regina tearing through some books he had behind the counter, casting them aside when she didn't like what she saw. She was looking for a book. He smirked as he watched her, and she seemed oblivious in her search. It had been nearly a week, and so far, Regina hadn't shown an ounce of power, not a bit of magic, to try and regain her control of this place even though with everyone in a panic and Snow White gone it would have been so simple.

What were the chances she hadn't tried because she hadn't mastered getting her magic back?

After the Wraith, she'd have to be truly desperate enough to step foot inside his shop. Or else certain that he had what she needed to make it worth it. What she needed was magic. Why did he have a feeling he knew exactly which book she was after.

"The library's beneath the clock tower," he pointed out, forcing her to look up at him. Her nostrils flared in irritation, but he had a feeling that wasn't because of him, even after what happened between them. Still, he did like to twist daggers. "You closed it, remember? When you still had power."

"I need the book. I need to get my son back," she insisted as he realized he still held the vase in his hand and moved across the room to set it down for a good polish before taking it home to Belle.

"Which book?" he questioned, knowing good and well what she was talking about. He just wanted the satisfaction of knowing she was going to squirm for this. "Ah. So, it's come down to that, eh? You need your mommy's help?"

When he turned, she was right behind him. She slammed her hands down upon the counter between them and stood with hunched shoulders.

"Give me the book."

He smirked. He was tempted to give it to her. That was surprising. Minutes ago, when she'd first come in, he was certain that he would have been all too happy to force her to leave here empty-handed, and yet now that he was watching her, the vein in her forehead pulsing, eyes dark and desperate for magic that he possessed…yes, he saw all too clearly how doing this could backfire. He saw how it could make her miserable. But Regina wasn't a priority. Watching her suffer wasn't a priority. He had other things to do. Belle was enough of a distraction on her own he couldn't let himself also be led astray by watching Regina gag on her own desperation. And him? Well…

"Do you really need the smell of the written word to get the magic flowing again, love? Maybe if you relaxed, it would just happen."

"I don't have time. It worked once; I know I can do it. I just… I just need a shortcut back."

"Yeah, well, I don't have time, either. Leave. Please," he snarled.

He felt it before she did. Or perhaps he should say he felt a lack of something where a feeling should be. Nothing. No stir of magic, nothing in the air to force her to comply, to ancient magic that forced her out the door at his behest. Fuck. He'd made that deal so that he'd have power over her when he had none. With magic back, it appeared there was a loophole he hadn't quite planned for. And if the little smirk blooming over her face was any indication, she knew it too.

"Well, how about that. Your 'pleases' have lost their punch."

"Well, the fact remains, jumpstarting your magic is not in my best interest."

"You know what else isn't in your best interest? Having everyone know the Enchanted Forest still exists. Knowing that you and I are keeping that little secret. You're up to something. And it doesn't involve going back home."

Suddenly Regina's hand crept out to the trunk he'd pulled free, the one with so many of his truly personal items inside. She moved to open it, and he slammed his hand down over the top of it. He would have done that even if it wasn't his and Baelfire's things. He hated the way she was here, hated the way she was snooping, the way she thought she had some form of control over them. He hated that when Belle woke up screaming at night it meant she did have some control on her left. But he was going somewhere. He was going to leave Storybrooke and take Belle with him tonight if he had to. So, what the hell did he care if Regina wanted to turn herself into a glutton for magic?

With a wave, he summoned the book the book he'd once given to Cora and then to Regina back into his hand. Regina inhaled as though even the smell of it could help her. Oh, this really wasn't going to be pretty. He almost wanted to stay another day or so just to watch the fun he was sure it would cause. He couldn't kill the bitch, but he could have his fun in other ways. But for Belle's sake, it was best if they left.

"Careful, dearie. These are straight-up spells; rough in the system."

She grabbed the book out of his hands almost viciously. "I don't care if they turn me green. I'm getting my son back."

"Oh my…" he laughed, unable to contain himself at the irony of that statement. With a sister who actually had turned green with envy over the fact that she'd never be her, Regina had no idea just how plausible that statement was.

"What?" Regina demanded, turning to look at him with a sneer. He hadn't meant to have her hear him, but she had. Now that he had her attention, he wasn't going to tell her about Zelena, that little bit of knowledge he preferred to keep to himself especially knowing that the Queen wasn't above blackmail herself, but what was it he'd just realized. He couldn't kill her, but he could have fun in his own ways. Mostly by striking her where it would hurt the most.

"It's just, holding that…I told you once you didn't look like her, but now…now I can see it," he grinned.

Regina didn't see the humor that he did. She sneered, clutched the book to her tighter, and left.

There you go! One official 2x02 scene promised and delivered! And I hope that you can sort of see what I was talking about with the last chapter driving him in this one. You can see he's a bit frantic here. He walks into the shop without knowing where Bae is or when Emma will be back and doesn't even seem to care about finding August. He's in that mindset of "that's it, I'm just going to take Belle and go." Never mind he doesn't know where he's going, or he doesn't know the outside world, or that Belle has no knowledge of Baelfire. He's just done with the waiting. And of course, Regina coming in doesn't help things. Honestly, the most difficult aspect of this scene was keeping him in the backroom long enough because really...another oversight by the writers. Regina storms into the shop, starts destroying it, and Rumple, the one who has magic and a reason to hate her terribly, just sort of lets her do it while he keeps shinning his vase? I had to have him really stop and think through his options in the back to keep that bit on track.

Thank you to MerlockVonBaron for your review of the last chapter! I appreciate it as we keep chugging along with 2x02 and really start to make that Belle vs. Bae problem he's got going on a bit more prominent! Peace and Happy Reading!