Belle didn't leave that day. It was a pleasant surprise and a welcome one. After the others left, David returned briefly to collect Pongo, and they finally broke their embrace, he'd managed to bring her back into the front room and coaxed her into eating one of the sandwiches she'd made for them. He'd been dreading the moment she finished because part of him expected her to tell him that she had to get back to the library, but given the circumstances, she seemed just as uncomfortable with the thought of being alone over there as he was. He didn't know why Regina had killed Archie, what could have driven her to want him dead, but he wanted to protect Belle, to keep her safe as long as he could. So, when she found a book in the back room and made herself comfortable on the cot to read, he breathed a sigh of relief and pretended he didn't notice that their lunch date was growing by the hour. He pretended it was normal, something that she did all the time. When she finally moved to lay down and a few minutes later was asleep on that same cot, he pretended he wasn't pretending and lived into the dream that they shared this kind of life together again, the kind where she felt completely comfortable and safe so long as he was around, where her body felt secure enough to rest in his presence and his alone. It was a nice dream, a happy one…one that forced him to come back to the conclusion he'd had before she'd arrived for lunch. By the time she'd woken and nervously insisted that she needed to go back to the library, despite his assurances that she could stay as long as she wanted, he had a full-blown plan.

He was going to tell her about the dagger. Better yet. He was going to hide it with her. He used his time that night not to work on his spells, but to think it through, to plot the entire thing out. It was nerve-wracking. It was going to take a lot of thought and planning so that he could assure himself that she was safe while she did it, seeing as how their relationship was certainly common knowledge by now. She was going to need plans while he was away, exit strategies, protectors, champions of her own. He could arrange that. If he hid the dagger somewhere smart, he could make sure that was all in place. Somewhere smart…he knew where he was going to do it. The best hiding place was right under a person's nose, a blind spot, something so obvious no one would ever think he'd be that stupid to place it in plain sight. For Belle's sake, it was perfect, though.

He was at her side first thing the next day. He'd knocked on the doors, and he tried to ignore the circles under her eyes when she let him in. He kissed her neck and said that he needed something in the library and would be fine searching on his own, allowing her to get whatever work she wanted to get done without having to worry that she was alone. First and foremost, he did a scan for his spells, adding a few more precautions here and there so that he felt secure about her spending nights here alone in the future. Then he made sure, absolutely sure, that Regina was not hiding in the shadows. Magic was great. He trusted his magic, but he also trusted his eyes, and better yet, Belle could trust them too. Doing a magical search for her captor wouldn't appear nearly as comforting to her as a physical search would. It was the same principle as a parent looking under the bed and in the closet for the monsters that haunted their children at night. Certainly, the parents could say with certainty that there was nothing there, but the act of searching often calmed the children, and he knew this calmed Belle as well.

When he was satisfied that she had gotten the idea and knew she was safe and Regina was nowhere to be found, he investigated the perfect spot for his dagger. The clocktower. He looked the place over. It was dusty and dirty. It smelled of metal and oil, gears and grime. He didn't dare go up to the clock face. The clock hands were behind the glass, so he knew just how clear a sight it could be. The last thing he needed was someone to see movement, glance up, and spy him investigating. Leaving his dagger in this place, the center of town, was risky enough as it was; being spotted could be like installing a lighted sign.

But it would work. He was convinced of that. It was private enough but right in front of everyone that no one would assume it was there. And it was difficult enough to get to that it would give Belle plenty of time to run, if need be, but also public enough that she wouldn't have to run far or scream loud for help to come to her. A couple more precautions here and there, and he'd have a proper hiding place.

So long as she agreed to it.

Done with his investigation, he'd taken her to Granny's for lunch, guarding her, hyperaware of everyone on the street around them that possessed magic. They ordered their food to go, and Ruby informed her of the funeral for Archie that would be held at the end of the week as well as a time of remembrance the night before. Belle promised that she'd go before they gathered their order and went back to the shop to devour their burgers, a lunch they finally made it through without interruptions. And when they were finished, it was just as it was yesterday. She stayed. She found the book she'd begun yesterday and read only for a few minutes before finally conceding and laying back against the cot again. This time, she was asleep in no time. That was not surprising given the circles he'd noted under her eyes that morning. He'd laid a blanket over her for the afternoon and let her rest as his mind thought through his plan a hundred times.

Every scenario, every good ending, every bad ending, everything predictable and non-predictable. There were risks. The risks scared the hell out of him if only because he was aware that those risks almost all meant he'd lose her for good. But when he weighed his options and considered the chance of those risks, he was content they were minimal. And besides, a part of him wanted this. He wanted to share this secret with her and her alone. He wanted to include her in his plans and the most intimate parts of his life, those things that he hated just as much as those things he loved. He wanted to share it because he was coming to finally believe that she wanted to share it with him. Not because of power or because she was impressed or scared or vulnerable, but because she loved him. He wanted that love; he craved it almost as much as he craved the kind of life where she knew she was welcome in his shop to come and see him or just to take a nap when she didn't get enough sleep. This was the right thing to do.

Resolute in that thought, he sat down by her side that night and put a hand to her cheek to rouse her, then brushed his lips against her forehead. "Beautiful Belle…"

It took some time, but it was beautiful to him. He was pleased to see that being with him had pushed back whatever fears she'd had and allowed her to go that deep into sleep. Finally, her hand came up to cover his own, and she smiled at him with sleepy eyes as she found his gaze upon hers, looking perfectly content. That was what these past couple of days had been, what they'd used each other for in the wake of Archie's murder…they'd used each other to fight back the fear. Hopefully, by making this leap with her, that would continue.

"Would you like to go to dinner?" he asked gently.

She smiled and nodded in response before pushing herself up. This was it. The perfect moment, not to tell her, that would come later. But this was the time to ask her, to invite her into something he'd never invited anyone else into before, to see if she was willing to let him trust her with something he'd never trusted anyone with before. He'd never been so scared in his entire life, but if not now, then when? Certainly not at Granny's.

"Belle," he questioned, letting himself move closer to her. "There is something I have to ask you."

She paused for a moment with tired eyes, as if it took a minute for her brain to truly understand what he was asking before she placed her hand over the one he had on his knee.

"Ask."

He tried hard not to swallow so loud.

"There is something I must do tomorrow night, a task…I wondered if you would accompany me?"

A ghost of a smile lit up her face before vanishing again when she reached up to push his hair behind his ear. "What is it?"

"I can't tell you that now. But I promise, tomorrow night, I will," he assured her. "I want you to know…everything."

The ghostly smile revealed itself again a second later when she leaned forward to wrap her arms around him and whispered into his ear, "I'll be there."

He was so happy he nearly choked. But he managed to get a "thank you" out before closing his arms around her and burying his nose in her neck. Oh, he liked this. He liked having someone to count on and trust, someone to rely on, and someone who enjoyed being put in that situation. He hoped it never ended.

"Do I need to bring anything?" she asked as she pulled away, ever the eternal planner.

"Not a thing," he answered with a shake of his head. "We'll be staying close to home, here in town."

"I could make dinner for us afterward, at the apartment. You could stay the night…"

He felt a shudder of desire fling through him and a familiar strain at the implication of her words. Had "next time" arrived so quickly? And how was it possible to think of it as "quickly" when "last time" felt so long ago? He'd be a fool to pass up an offer like that.

"If you'll have me?" he accepted with a tease, one he hoped she'd remember.

The smile that crossed her face told him that she did remember, that she did understand the reference he'd made to the earliest days of their blooming relationship before he'd needlessly wrecked the entire thing. Forgiven and forgotten, that was what her gaze said as she reached for his hand.

"You are welcome in my home, and my life, any time," she muttered, making a reference of her own that had far bigger implications than he suspected even she realized. Honesty of the Heart…it could open doors magic couldn't.

So, something that I got from writing Rumple's side of the story that I didn't get from writing Belle's side was an understanding of certain plot elements in the story. One understanding I didn't expect was to suddenly get why the events, specifically the separation, at the end of 2x11 had to take place. First of all, let me state straight up that I am a Rumbeller, and I don't think that the amount of time Rumbelle spent apart is okay or that all those separations were necessary. However, the one that comes at 2x11, after writing what I did for 2x10, I understood why it had to happen. It's easy to see, or at least I hope it is, that Rumple is all in here. He is dangerously close to finding a happily ever after with Belle. And yes, I know that these 2x10 chapters are mostly of my own creation, but they were created based on evidence that I saw from the show. Even if these events, this trip, didn't take place right here, I feel confident that it happened. Rumple is trusting of Belle here, wholly and completely. He's immersed in her in a way he's never been with any other person, and I think that by the end of the 2x10 chapters, we'll get him to a place where I am hopeful that you'll see "yeah, if they didn't separate those two for the second half, it would have killed his character." Because I truly believe that what comes from ultimately trusting Belle is happiness and joy. And yes, Baelfire is still out there, but when I think about how 2B would have played out if Belle, our Belle, was in that plotline...I'm not saying things would have been perfect, but I think we would have seen a kinder, gentler, far more stable Rumple. And since Rumple and his grayness is the show's heart, it would have just killed the show off prematurely. I mean...judging from future seasons, it's debatable whether that would be better, but...I'll stop rambling now.

Thank you, Grace5231973 and Spunkymouse, for your reviews of the last chapter! It feels good knowing that there are still people out there reading and letting me ramble on and on potentially without making a lick of sense! I really liked getting to write this episode out, and all the little things that Rumple thinks about, those that you know are coming and those that you might not be expecting...I hope you are enjoying it too. Peace and Happy Reading!