The sun was nearly down by the time they gathered the shawl and left the shop together. He was nervous as they went, and he paused to lock the shop, suddenly aware that if he miscalculated, if his magic failed him, then this might be the last time he'd do it again with Belle by his side. Gold surely wouldn't care for her. That man had no weakness inside of him for her to chip away at, no desire, no hope, no care for any kind of future that was brighter than-

Her hand came down over the one he held on to his cane. His thoughts stilled, and he looked up to find her smile, gentle and constant as it ever was. He sighed as he looked her over, knowing he didn't deserve a smile like that, and yet he had it. As if she'd known he needed it, she'd given it. She moved her hand up his arm, safely into the crook of his elbow. He handed the shawl to her, and together they walked arm in arm down the street to his car when they got in and began their journey with a newfound sense of confidence and peace.

He wasn't panicked anymore, at least not as he had been before. She was his failsafe. He was wrong. If all this failed, she'd get through to Gold. She'd bring him back. If anyone could do it, then she would. Why she stayed with him after all this time, why she refused to give up on him was beyond his sensibilities, beyond logic. But he was glad he had that kind of loyalty. He wanted desperately to understand it, to replicate it for her. He was loyal to her. He wanted to believe he'd tried and succeeded today, and yet part of him doubted, part of him continually checked his rearview mirror, expecting to find a vision of Zoso or Nimue in the back, not sure if he wanted them there or not.

For them to be there meant that he was weak, that he doubted his Curse, questioning his magic, relying on her. For them to not be there meant…

It was dark when the orange line and the "Now Leaving Storybrooke" sign came into view. He pulled off to the side, nearly the same place he'd stopped the night before with Smee, and turned off the car, but…he didn't get out. His mind was busy again, but not in the way that it should be for this.

Now there was something else on his mind, something that he couldn't get rid of, something that he had to know now, just in case all of this failed. He reached down and grabbed the shawl off the seat between them, where she'd placed it earlier.

"This would have been lost if it wasn't for you, Belle." But that wasn't the remarkable thing about today. It wasn't what he wanted to talk about. "I would have been lost," he corrected. "After everything you've learned about me, after everything I've done, why haven't you given up on me?"

Finally, he dared a glance over at her. He didn't see sadness or disappointment in her eyes. Only a smile on her face and a hopeful look in her eyes. She reached across the seat and took her hand in his own, staring down at the interlaced fingers he'd only once dreamed about. Her hand in his…it was quite the sight.

"I learned a long time ago that when you find something that's worth fighting for…you never give up!"

Something worth fighting for. He was worth fighting for to someone; to her. As he'd fought for Bae and even fought and failed with Milah…she was fighting for him? He was her battle. That was at once the most tragic and beautiful thing he'd ever heard in all his life. But before he could reply or wipe the tears out of his eyes, she pushed herself closer to him, wrapped her arms around him as best he could, and lay her head against him. He held her tight, perhaps tighter than he usually did with the threat of the line staring them down. If by chance this failed, holding her at the end of it was one hell of a last memory to make.

But they couldn't stay forever, and all too soon, he slid out of the car and pulled her with him. She carried the shawl, and he was unsure when he'd given it to her but certain he didn't care. There was no one else he would ever dare to trust it with. At the town line, he removed the cap from the vial of liquid he had, some of the last of this magic. If this failed…

He wouldn't think of it like that. He had to put those thoughts aside. Magic out there worked on belief. He needed to believe in this, in his magic. Right now, it was a good thing that the Dark Ones weren't with them.

She held out the shawl for him, and he poured the potion over it and tossed the vial away. Predictably, it glowed in her hands the same way that Smee's hat and Smee and all the magic in all of his experiments had, the same way he would in just a few short moments. He glanced at her as she held it out for him, then lowered his head to allow her to place it over his shoulders easily. It was more scarf than shawl on him, but that was all right. In that world, it would blend in better that way.

Belle sighed as she looked him over and tugged on either end of it as if making sure, absolutely positive, it was still in place and wouldn't fall. "Okay," she nodded with a smile.

Okay.

Now or never.

"Here we go," he whispered, summoning up his courage.

He held on to her hand until the last possible second, giving it a final squeeze before he stared down at the line and separated himself from her, for her own safety. But her face, her smile, her words were what he kept squarely in the forefront of his memory as he closed his eyes and took that step into the bigger world.

Cane first. One foot. And then the other.

It felt like nothing he'd ever experienced before, not even when he became the Dark One. There was a surge of power, the feeling of walking through a thick fluid barrier, like a waterfall of syrup or molasses. He felt drained. The pain in his ankle intensified. He couldn't remember using that much magic to placate it since he'd gotten magic back, but now, he realized how much magic he'd had there. There was a tingling sensation throughout his body as if someone had doused him in rubbing alcohol or the curse was prodding, searching for something inside of him. His magic, his energy, his memories…

Those he held onto tightly. He replayed his favorite images in his head over and over again. Holding Baelfire for the first time, waking up next to Belle the morning after she'd returned, spinning with his aunts, teaching his boy to spin, telling Belle he'd solved the problem of the town line, Bae's cheeky grin, Belle's calming smile, the feel of his boy in his arms as the war raged just beyond their door, the feel of Belle's hand in his own, two distinct voices one his boy's and one his lover's whispered in his head at the same time "I love you."

And then it was over. He opened his eyes and realized that the curtain of energy that had been draped over him was gone. The sensation in his body had ceased. The pain in his ankle remained. He turned, his eyes glancing down to be sure he was over the line before he looked back up at the woman beside him, waiting on the other side for him, for confirmation of failure or success. He let a smile slide across his face as he pointed at her.

"Belle," he identified. One single word that she knew the importance of as she laughed, and happiness bloomed over her face. She took a step closer to the line, but he met her there, reaching his hand over for her so that she'd keep her distance.

"It worked!"

"It did, it did!" He was happy. So, so happy! He should have crossed back over, but he was enjoying this too much, basking in the knowledge that it was done, that he was on the other side of his last true barrier to Baelfire. And the smile on her face, the way she held his hand…she knew it too.

"Now you can find your son," she sighed, echoing his thoughts.

Yes. From here, he needed Emma. He needed to get to August, flush him out somehow, get his son's location, and then the pair of them would be on their way. And if there was one thing he could change about all this, one thing he could do differently…

"Belle, I so wish you were coming with me!" If he had the potion, he would have taken her. Despite what he'd told her this morning, even though part of him knew it wouldn't go over well with Bae. If he could have taken her, he would have. He would have asked her, and she would have said yes.

"As do I, but…it doesn't matter," she muttered, shaking her head.

His stomach clenched. Words like that were uncommon for her to say, not without meaning something. There was a thought behind that…what was it?

"Why not?

"Because you'll find him, and when you do…I'll be here waiting for you when you get back."

He smiled. If that meant what he thought it did, then…she was coming home? Back home to live with him? It could just be nothing, utter romantic language that he knew existed in romance novels, a promise that she'd wait by the phone and come storming into his shop the second he was home. But Belle…Belle was different. Words meant something for her. To be waiting when he returned home was commitment and loyalty, and for her, he knew what that meant. She was coming home. She was going to live with him again. If he'd asked her to come with him, she would have said yes. And he had the feeling that when he came home if he asked her something else…she'd say yes.

Joy overwhelmed him. He took a step forward, intending to greet her on the other side with a kiss like they'd share the day he came home, the first of many he hoped would come tonight.

And then the sound of a gunshot rang out in the air.

Well, welcome to the end. I really hope that you enjoyed this story! The next story in The Dark One Chronicles is The Chronicles of the Dark One: Family Bonds. It covers everything from season 2B beginning with Belle crossing the town line in "The Outsider" and ending with Rumple leaving for Neverland in "...And Straight on 'Til Morning". You can find it simply by heading over to my profile.

Of course, if you liked what you read please review! I love getting those wonderful little gems in my inbox and communicating with the people reading on a personal level. And if you want to read more (and review more), please check out any of the other fictions in the Chronicles. For more information on The Dark One Chronicles, the Moments Series, upcoming fictions, posting and publishing dates, or a reading order check out my profile for updates. Peace and Happy Reading!