Two chapters in two days! I am on a roll! Enjoy!

"Okay we've waited until the morning! Tell us how the date went!" demanded Emma.

As soon as Grace had left the mansion last night Henry and Belle were immediately bombarded by all of Henry's female relatives. They had waited up to shower him in questions about his date. Belle had managed to hold them off by promising that they would tell them everything the next morning. However the next morning she and Regina had woken up to a note from Henry stating that he had gotten up early to go to the stables with David before school started which meant that Belle was now their only source of information. As much as she could understand it she still despised him a little for bailing on her. Now she was sitting at Granny's as the women grilled her about last night.

"What exactly do you expect me to know?" she asked. "I tried to give them their space for the evening."

"Well did he open the door for her?" asked Snow excitedly. "Or pull out her chair for her?"

"Yes he was the perfect gentleman." Said Belle smiling.

"Of course he was," said Regina. "I've always raised him to respect the women around him."

"I actually have a really cute photo from last night," said Belle digging the Polaroid out of her purse. "He was helping her put her skates on at the rink."

Belle turned away as the women cooed over the small photo. Last night had ended on a bit tailspin for her and she was still reeling. Regina looked over to see Belle deep in thought. "Belle what are you thinking about?"

"Nothing important," she said snapping out of her reverie.

"There you go sucking at lying again." said Emma looking up from the photo.

"Is something bothering you Belle?" asked Snow.

Belle looked over the table at the three women. She could tell there was no use in lying they would see right through her. "Jefferson asked me out."

The three women looked at her in shock. And just like that Henry's date was put on the backburner.

"He asked you out on a date?" said Snow incredulously.

"What did you say?" asked Emma with her eyes wide.

"Would you like to go on a date with me?"

Belle stared at the Hatter in shock. She really hadn't seen this coming. However, they did have a good time that night and she did kind of want to get to know him better. Maybe they could be good together. She really wanted to say yes but when she looked into his eyes she knew that she couldn't.

"Jefferson I had such a good time with you tonight but I can't agree to go on a date with you."

"Oh," he said filled with disappointment.

"It's not you I promise!" she said quickly. "For some crazy reason I opened up with you faster than I have with anyone in my entire life and that was amazing. Honestly tonight was the most carefree I have been in weeks but the problem is that I am not carefree. I am actually drowning in emotional problems left over from my marriage. I'm still struggling to get over a man who betrayed me and quite possibly still sees me as his. And I still feel like I barely know who I am without him. I'm just… a mess. I would love to be able to say yes to you right now but the truth is… I'm just not ready yet."

She really hadn't planned to say all those things but they just poured out of her before she could stop them. She couldn't understand it. What was it about the man in front of her made her feel like she could just say anything?

Jefferson looked at the woman in front of him. Asking her out hadn't really been something he planned but when she was about to go inside he suddenly felt like he couldn't let her leave without taking the chance. He could see now that he had moved too quickly for her. The beautiful librarian looked genuinely overwhelmed at the idea of starting anything close to a romantic relationship.

"I understand," he said nodding his head. "I'm sorry if I put you on the spot."

"Oh please don't apologize," said Belle with a touch of embarrassment. "I'm actually flattered. You're the first man to actually ask before taking me out."

For a minute an awkward silence filled the air. Then Jefferson remembered something. "Do you remember when we were at the library and you said you owed me for staying?"

"Yes," she said with a small chuckle.

"Well I'd like to call in that debt," he said with a smile. "I completely understand that you're not ready to go out with me and I promise not to push you on that but I want you to know that I think you are very special. I don't see you as someone who could be just a fling for me. I actually think that we could have something truly amazing together and I'd hate to miss that chance. So is there any way that you could promise me that if there is a day when you are ready for something romantic that I will have an opportunity to throw my hat in the ring?"

Belle smiled at him. "I promise you'll be considered."

"I said no," answered Belle solemnly.

"Was he angry?" said Snow with concern in her eyes.

"No," she said wistfully. "He was actually very understanding and kind to me."

"You seem a little upset about turning him down," observed Regina.

"It's just… it was so nice being with him," said Belle. "He listened to me and we had fun together."

"Then why did you say no?" asked Snow.

"Because I wasn't ready," she said shrugging. "I wanted so badly to say yes but I just couldn't. Is that crazy?"

"Absolutely not!" said Emma firmly. "You had your heart broken Belle. It is completely understandable if you're not ready to put yourself out there yet."

Regina nodded her head in agreement. "You made the right choice for you and that's what important."

"Yeah," said Snow. "Plus when you are ready you'll know what to expect because you've already been on a date with him."

"It wasn't a date," said Belle earnestly.

"Well, did he pay the bill?" asked Snow.

"Yes but-"

"Did you both participate in a fun activity together?" asked Emma smirking.

"Well we ice skated but-"

"Did you talk about an emotional topic that you thought didn't bother you but that you actually really needed to get off your chest?" added Regina.

"Yes," said Belle quietly.

"IT WAS A DATE!" cried the three women in unison.

Belle just threw her head in her hands trying to hide her embarrassment. She hated that they were right. Luckily soon after Snow's cell phone pinged with a message from her husband.

"I just got a message from Charming. He said that he and Henry talked at the stables and he has all the details about Henry's date!" she said excitedly throwing money on the table. "I better meet him at home so I can hear everything!"

"Wait for me!" exclaimed Emma rushing after her mother.

Regina however stayed in her seat.

"Aren't you going to rush off to the loft too?" asked Belle.

"No," sighed Regina. "I have a date with Robin and Roland in the forest. I guess I have to wait for my darling son to open up to me himself."

She studied Belle from across the table. "Are you sure you're okay with your decision?"

"Yeah," said Belle after a moment. "Like you said I did what was right for me. And he understood."

"Well I don't say this often but I am here if you want to talk."

"I know," Said Belle with a smile. "You should head to your date."

When Regina left the diner she fully intended to make her way to the forest to meet up with her boyfriend. But as soon as she saw Jefferson making his way toward Granny's she knew there was something she had to do first.

"Hatter we need to have a conversation," she said stalking toward him.

Jefferson rolled his eyes as soon as he say the former approach him. "Regina! It's never a pleasure to see you! What do you want?"

"I want you to give Belle the space she asked for. Stay away from her Jefferson."

"Well look at you!" said Jefferson with a smirk, folding his arms across his chest. "All dressed up in big sister's clothes coming to warn me off."

"I'm serious Hatter." Said Regina with a straight face. "She might look tall and strong on the outside but if you force your way into her heart and then break it she will be destroyed."

"Of all the men in her life what makes you think that I'll be the one to destroy her?" questioned Jefferson.

"Because as I recall destroying young girls was something you had no problem doing for right amount of gold," growled Regina.

Jefferson dropped the sarcasm at the allusion to their history together. Tricking Regina in order to leave her hopeless for Rumpelstiltskin was one of the things he was most ashamed of.

"I am not that person anymore." He said firmly. "I changed for my daughter and you of all people should understand that."

"I do understand that which is why I am counting on you being a decent person for once and respecting what she needs. Give her the time she needs to heal properly."

"Belle told me everything she needed last night and I fully intend on giving her the time and space she requires. You don't have to warn me off." Said Jefferson solemnly.

"I better not," Said Regina. "Because you and I both know how I react to someone I care about being hurt."

In the forest Robin and Roland were very excited for Regina to come visit them at their camp, especially Robin. Marian might have accepted his feelings for Regina but she was still apprehensive about the queen spending time with their son. It took him days to convince her that Roland would be fine if he spent the day at the park with Regina.

"Are you excited about going to the park today, son?" he asked Roland.

"Yes!" exclaimed the small boy. "I can't wait to see 'Gina again. I missed her."

"I know you have," said Robin. Roland and Regina had become rather close during the missing year and he could see that his son sorely noticed her absence lately. "But before we can see her we still have chores to do around the camp, remember? You have to pick out the kindling for the fire. Try to stay close to camp, okay?"

"Okay," drawled the toddler before waddling off. Roland walked just south of the camp to pick up the kindling. He filled his arms with small branches as quickly as he could. He was starting to make his way back to the camp when he felt himself sink into the ground up to his knees. He cried out in shock as he struggled to lift his legs.

"Don't fight it dearie. You might break something."

Roland's eyes widened in fear as he saw Rumpelstiltskin come out from behind a tree. He tried to call out for his father but the dark wizard twisted his scarf around his mouth.

"Don't worry lad. I'm not going to hurt you," said Rumple kneeling down to the struggling boy's eye level. "In fact you're going to be very useful to me."

GASP! What does Rumpelstiltskin have planned for Roland? Stay tuned to find out!

I hope you enjoyed this. Please review and tell me so!