Author's Note: This is written with great respect, love and gratitude for the talents of Robert Carlyle, Emilie de Ravin, all those involved in Once Upon A Time. I do not own the OUAT characters. Given that this fic was originally posted as a one-shot on Robert Carlyle's birthday, and today is his birthday again, I'm posting two chapters today...this is the first of 2. *Some violence in this chapter, but the person being attacked handles the situation quite well.*

The next day, during breakfast, Belle announces that she wants to try a new name, being supportive of her experiment, Rumple suggests Calista, which means 'most beautiful'. After a pleasant breakfast together, Rumplestiltskin excuses himself to work on 'something'. It occurs to Belle that she knows very little of his work. After reading for a couple of hours, her curiosity gets the best of her, and she goes looking for him.

Having searched throughout the house, only two options remain...attic or basement. Reaching the basement door, she hears a faint creaking and deduces that he must be down there. Opening the door, she consciously pushes out of her mind the thoughts of the Edgar Allan Poe stories that she had read days before. Taking a deep breath, she thinks, "It's a just a room, like any other in the house...Besides, beating hearts don't creak."

Her eyes meet a well lit room with a work table with bottles and a freestanding magnifying glass...the room also appears somewhat cluttered with antiques, like much of the rest of the house. She turns her head towards the source of the creaking to find Rumplestiltskin sitting at an old spinning wheel.

He looks up, "Hey."

Ringing her hands, she says shyly, "Hey...I wondered where you went. Is it alright for me to be here?"

With a small gentle smile, he replies, "Of course, Calista, this is your home too.", reminding himself of their agreed upon name.

She smiles appreciatively, relieved that she is not an intrusion. She watches a gold cord pool in a basket on the floor, and asks, "So what is this for?"

He shrugs, "I have a few projects that will be needing gold as an ingredient."

Stepping closer, she asks, "What kind of projects?"

He smiles at the hint of tenacity revealing itself within her, "I'm working on something to keep the town safe...I'll tell you more about that later. I also have in mind an ultimate curing elixir that I wish to create." He stops and studies her expression, sensing her attention has shifted focus.

"I thought you used straw, but you have wool in your hands.", as she thinks how much she likes the artistic quality of his hands.

"I simply need a medium to convert. I could even use water, but it could be quite messy, and an unnecessary expense of energy corralling molecules of water into an unbroken cord. It could be done...I have the magic to do such a thing, but what would be the point? That would just be showing off."

"So you can do that because you have magic, right? But an ordinary person like me couldn't.", her voice peppered with curiosity.

His eyes twinkle, "You are far from ordinary, my dear."

Blushing, she says, "Thank you...but you know what I mean. I'm nothing special. I couldn't do such a thing."

Uneasily, he questions, "Would you want to?"

"Well, the question is academic, since I never could, but I do wonder what it would be like."

He hesitates thinking of the last person he taught to spin gold. Cora had taken to magic like it was the air she breathed. Her own innate selfishness had propelled her into being an accomplished and ruthless sorceress. He doesn't wish to corrupt Belle, yet he wants to dispel her of the absurd notion that there is nothing special about her. As sunlight cascades in from the high windows illuminating Belle's gentle, guileless features, he makes his decision.

"You could do it...if you would like to try." Pulling over another stool and placing it in front of his own, he pats the seat, and says, "It's up to you, darling."

Belle's body tingles with excitement while her stomach flutters nervously. She wants to do it, yet fears showing him that she is a failure, if she can't do it. Deciding to do the brave thing, she purposely strides to the stool and takes the seat in front of him.

Whispering in her ear, slightly nuzzling his cheek into her hair, he instructs, "Don't think about trying to make gold."

Trying not to be distracted by the lovely feeling of his breath on her skin, perplexed she asks, "Isn't that what we're doing?"

Wrapping his right arm around her waist, aligning her body with his, he explains in a warm heavily accented tone, "Magic is about emotion. If you over think it, you block the natural flow of magic. Instead of thinking about gold, think about what's important to you. Magic and emotion are inherently connected. Where emotion is strongest, so too is magic."

He puts the sheep's triangle in her left hand, and the wool is drawn into the mechanism of the spinning wheel. His body is nestled against her has he guides her to begin turning the Great Wheel with her right hand. Quickly, she recognizes that this feels oddly similar to when they are in bed together, and he is snuggled behind her. She relaxes her body against him as her mind is fill with thoughts and emotions of what is most important to her in life.

He whispers excitedly in her ear, "Sweetheart, look!...You're doing it! Who says there's nothing special about you?"

A small squeal of delight escapes her lips, and she giggles as she continues to move the Great Wheel. After she spins approximately two yards of gold cord, he says, "We should stop now. I don't want to deplete your energy too much."

Turning to look at him, her brow furrows, and she says, "You can tell me the truth. Was that really you making the gold, just to make me feel better?"

"Honestly, that wasn't my doing. It was all you."

"Really?", she responds with a voice full of childlike excitement, and he nods. She throws her arms around his neck and plants an eager kiss upon his lips.

Pulling away slowly blushing at her boldness, she looks at the gold cord. Grabbing the cord, she frowns slightly, "Did I do it wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

Showing him the cord, she clarifies, "Look at what I spun, then look at what you spun before me. There's...there's something different about it."

Examining the cord, he realizes that she is right. Though the weight and texture are consistent throughout the length of the cord, there is a barely perceivable change in appearance where Belle had begun to spin after Rumple stopped spinning. Retrieving his scissors from a nearby shelf, he cuts the cord and takes it to the magnifying glass for closer inspection. Belle gets up and walks over to him, silently wondering what she did wrong.

Viewing the gold cord, Belle's section looks at though it is lit from within. Unable to contain herself, she asks, "Well? What's the problem?"

His eyes twinkle as a broad, proud smile spreads across his face, "No problem. No problem at all. In fact, I've decided to use your section of cord for my projects."

Astonished, she questions, "So you can actually use it for something? I helped?!"

"Indeed, you did."

After a moment, his own nature to look for dark clouds among the silver lining has him questioning whether he should have drawn Belle into magic's temptation. He knows the dangers of magic becoming an obsession.

He is pulled from his worrisome thoughts by Belle's soft voice, "Do we have green olives?"

He responds hesitantly in confusion, "Yes."

"With pimentos?", biting her bottom lip in anticipation.

"Yes, why?"

Feeling a bit embarrassed, she says, "Never mind. You'll make fun."

"Would I do such a thing?"

"Yes!", then as her resolve melts away under his gaze, she admits, "I have a craving for... pimentos stuffed olives in cream."

He does his best to keep from smirking, but fails miserably, and Belle turns to leave. She stops at the stairs, turning back to him, "Rumple, would you teach me more?"

Feeling that magic's temptation is already pulling at her, he answers uneasily, "If that's what you desire."

She beams excitedly, "Yes! I really want to learn. Next time, will you teach me to spin yarn?", and he looks at her a bit confused. She continues, "I want to make something for our baby.", and then she chews her bottom lip in thought, "Of course, I don't know how to knit...but I could learn, right?"

He smiles at her with surprise and delight painting his features, "Absolutely. You can learn to knit, and I'll help you."

Her expression is the picture of happiness. As she is about to turn to go upstairs, he asks, "What did you think about?"

Uncertain to what he's referring, she responds with a confused, "Hmm?"

"Before...when you were spinning the gold, what did you think about?"

Not sure what the right answer is, she gives the only one she has...the truth, "Uh...well, you said I should think about what is most important to me. So...I thought about you...and our baby...us, I mean our family. Is...is that okay?"

Leaning back on his work table, looking at her in awe, he feels as though the air has left his lungs from the swelling of his heart with love for her. "It's wonderful, darling. You were an excellent student."

"Great! Now, I really need those olives!", and she determinedly marches up the stairs.

Several minutes later, Rumpelstiltskin enters the kitchen where Belle has seated herself at the small table, having poured cream into a bowl, proceeding to open a jar of green pimentos stuffed olives. She happily uses a fork to deposit several olives into the bowl and then smashes them with the fork. He watches the process with rapt attention and bewildered curiosity. She gleefully stabs the olives with the fork and begins to eat them almost bouncing in her seat in her enjoyment of this strange snack.

Leaning against the wall, he clears his throat, "I could just get you a salt lick. That's probably all you taste in that concoction anyway."

She squints at him, then sticking her chin out, she declares, "It's quite tasty, and you're just jealous that you didn't think of it."

"There may be any number of things that I'm jealous of, but creating that culinary mess is not one of them...but enjoy your treat."

Smugly, she says, "Thank you...I will.", and she continues to eat. After a moment, she asks, "Did you come up here just to tease me or is there something you wanted?"

"I can do both."

She rolls her eyes and goes back to eating. He watches amused by her as she finishes the olives, yet still has the cream and olive juices in the bowl and is deciding how to proceed. Belle, keenly aware of his eyes upon her, decides if he's going to tease her anyway, she might as well be expedient. Thus she lifts the bowl to her mouth and drinks it down. A cheek splitting smile spreads across his face watching her defiance of propriety, and she delicately places the bowl back on the table, dabbing her lips with a napkin, giving him a self-satisfied grin that seems to dare him to comment.

Instead, he walks to the table, hooking his cane on a chair. He pulls from his pocket a gold necklace, as she looks at him questioningly, "I took a section of the gold that you spun, transformed it into a necklace and enchanted it."

"But why?", she doesn't wish to seem unappreciative, yet her curiosity gnaws at her.

"Another project that I had in mind for today was making you a necklace to offer some form of protection against magic that might be meant to harm you. Then when you spun your section of gold, I knew I had to uses it for this piece of jewelry. It seems to carry the essence of you within it...that will help protect you."

"So that little chain will keep me safe?"

Holding out the chain, he asks, "May I?", and she nods, lifting her hair out of the way, while he places it around her neck. Once the clasp is secure, he continues, "It will protect you for lower level spells completely. However, the magic that Regina and her mother use is very strong, so the necklace won't block a malicious magic entirely, but it will delay the effect long enough for me to do what I need, in order to stop it. It's a precaution, but I still don't want you taking any unnecessary risks."

Belle's stomach twists at the thought of what others might try to do to harm her and their baby. She is determined to will do whatever is required to protect the little life growing inside her. She is pulled from her thoughts by Rumpelstiltskin's phone buzzing.

Reaching for the device, he sees a text message from Emma that reads, "Neal's in town. Out with Henry now."

He sits at the table with Belle. His expression is grave. "Darling, you know how I said that I was working on something to protect the town.", and Belle nods. He continues, "Really, protecting the town is merely a side effect...what I want is to protect my family...from my father."

Belle's eyes grow wide, "Your father?...I don't understand." She recalls his story about his father abandoning him as a child, and she wonders how and why his father would be involved in trying to harm them so long after the tragic events of Rumple's childhood.

"When you were at the hospital reading fairytales, did you read the one about Peter Pan?"

She smiles, "Yes, it was rather fun."

"Lies. It's lies. It's my father, and he's sending people here. I have to stop them...and I believe my best chance at doing so is with your help."

Nervously, she asks, "What could I possibly do?"

"I've always known there was something special about you. It wasn't until today that I realized the extent of the unique...well, magic that is inherent in your lightness. Bel...Calista, I think you should cast the cloaking spell."

While Neal is out with Henry, Emma receives instructions from Rumplestiltskin, contacts Leroy, taking him to the mines, where they meet up with Belle and Rumplestiltskin.

Leroy says, gruffly, "I don't like doing this without the brothers."

Rumple counters, "We don't have time to make this a family event. Remember you weren't too keen on Greg Mendel...well, more of his ilk are coming, and you do not want to meet who they're working for."

Emma says to Leroy in a tone of pragmatism "Look, I'm no fan of Gold...no offense", Rumplestiltskin shrugs and Belle frowns, "but I believe him when he says something really bad is heading our way."

Belle interjects, "Please Leroy, for me? Rumple and I have talked about this, and it needs to be done."

Leroy's eyes soften towards Belle, "Alright, stand back. Cause rock's gonna fly.", the trio backs up as Leroy swings his pickaxe with all his might and shards of stone burst from the point of impact. He takes several more swings, the sweat beading on his face and dripping into his beard. Once satisfied that he's gone deep enough, he gives Belle a nod.

Belle breathlessly walks up to the crevice created by the pickaxe, a worried expression washes over her face, and as she opens the vial that Rumplestiltskin gave her before they left the house, she pauses, Leroy frowns and asks, "What is it?"

Breathing heavily, she looks at Leroy and says, "I've never cast a spell before.", and then looking at Rumplestiltskin, she says, "Maybe you should do this."

Adamantly, Rumplestiltskin shakes his head, "No, Belle, it should be you. You have it in you. You always have...and you proved as much earlier. Believe in yourself, as I believe in you."

Her heart warms at his words and faith in her, and she says a silent prayer that his faith in her is not misplaced. She desperately wants to be worthy of the trust which Rumple has bestowed upon her. She nods nervously, and then pours the crystalline contents of the vial into the crevice.

For a moment she stares at it, holding her breath, as nothing happens, and Leroy says, "You might want to believe a little harder."

Trying to remember what she had done earlier when she spun gold, she starts to think about Rumple, and their unborn child, and the life she wants to have with them. She knows he entrusted her with this task, because he believes she is the one who will succeed, and she trusts his instincts, and thinks, "I can do this.", feeling an energy oscillate through her. Instantaneously, form of lavender smoke and light arcs over their heads, making a sizzling sound. The form turns golden in color as it streams through the mines and shoots out the manhole cover in the middle of Main Street, startling passersby. The light becomes brighter and whiter as it propels into the atmosphere, finally spreading like a dome over all of Storybrooke.

As it crackles across the sky, Neal and Henry in the park watch in shock. Seemingly to himself, Neal says aloud, "What the Hell is that?!"

Henry mindlessly relies, "Magic?", as his father looks at him with a bit of annoyance. Neal groans thinking, "I just got here. Papa, what have you done now?"

Shortly after Belle and Rumplestiltskin arrive home, there is a persistent knock at the door. Rumplestiltskin opens the door to observing Neal and Henry at the door.

Gaspingly, he utters, "Bae?", and then with uncertainty, "Henry, what can I do for you?"

Rushing determinedly in, the elder says, "I told you, I go by Neal now.", and Henry says, "Hey, Mr...Gold?...Gramps?...GrampsGold?"

Still unsure what to make of Henry being his grandson...among other things, Rumple merely nods at the boy, before verbally addressing, Neal, "It's...it's good to see you, son."

"You wanna tell me what the Hell you've been up to this time?!"

Belle, standing unnoticed in the archway at the kitchen entrance, walks back to the center island where Rumple has his cell phone. She doesn't like the feeling she's getting from Neal. Looking through the contacts, she dials Emma's number.

Irritably, Emma answers, "What's up now, Gold?"

"Emma, it's Belle. Neal and Henry are here."

Emma groans, "Oh crap."

"Can you come over here quick? Neal's pretty agitated, and I don't know how to keep them from getting into an argument."

"You don't. Neal's got a boat load of anger with Gold's name on it. Don't try to intervene without backup. I'm a couple of blocks away. I'll be right there."

Belle can hear the sounds of discontent coming from the parlor. She knows that the relationship between Rumplestiltskin and his son is a complex one, yet she doesn't like hearing anybody speaking to Rumple so harshly, especially his own son.

Minutes later, Emma walks through the front door without knocking.

Neal confronts her, "You! Did you have a part in this?!"

Henry interjects, "Everybody stop yelling!"

Belle emerges, "I agree."

Warily, Neal asks, "Who's she?"

Rumple sighs, not wanting Belle upset, "If you'd calm down son, I'd tell you."

Neal rebuffs him, "I don't want to hear from you."

Annoyed, Belle asks, "Then why are you here?!"

Neal looks around to the others, "Again, who's she?"

Getting annoyed, Rumplestiltskin says, "She's Belle, and treat her with more respect than that. Your beef is with me."

"Belle? What like 'Beauty and the Beast' Belle?", then looking between the two of them, Neal processes the information, "Oh you've gotta be kidding me! You two?!"

"Hey!", Belle exclaims indignantly.

Emma interjects, "Neal just shut it and listen. Belle is...", and Emma refrains from saying 'your sibling's mother', knowing the pregnancy is still under wraps, opting to say, "...a nice person, and your father's...", thinking, 'what is she exactly?', "...um girlfriend."

Rumple cringes a bit at the reference that sounds more like a couple teens going steady, than the commitment that he feels for her.

Neal asks, "Emma are you involved in whatever that mushroom cloud of magic was?"

Emma huffs, "In a manner of speaking, yes."

Accusingly, Neal responds, "First you keep my kid from me...now this? Is there anything else you haven't told me?"

Snidely, Emma retorts, "We haven't discussed Global Warming. Now, either you can calm down, or we can talk about cell phones, and why I was in prison when Henry was born."

Neal opens his mouth to speak, but then closes it, knowing now is not the time to clarify that situation.

Impressed by Emma's handling of his son, Rumplestiltskin seizes the opportunity, saying calmly, "Bae, please sit down. It's vital that we talk."

Begrudgingly, Neal seats himself on the couch, and Henry sits next to him. Rumple sits in a wing-back chair adjacent to the couch, and Belle leans against the chair, unconsciously rubbing Rumple's shoulder. Emma opts to view the scene from a distance, standing in the archway between the parlor and the kitchen.

Rumplestiltskin says matter-of-factly, "Bae, a cloaking spell has been cast over Storybrooke. You can't leave."

Looking at his father in disbelief, Neal exclaims, "What do you mean, I can't leave?!"

Rumple hedges, "Well, in theory, the spell might let you leave...but that is uncertain. However what is certain is you would not be able to return."

Neal yells, "What?! You manipulative old man! Fine, Emma and I will just take Henry out of Storybrooke. We'll find a way.", and Belle glares at him forcing herself to remain silent.

Emma and Henry exclaim in unison, "No!"

Emma continues, "My family is here!"

Henry adds, "I don't want to leave everybody!"

Neal says angrily to his father, "You knew this would happen! You set the whole thing up! I knew you'd never change!"

Rumple explains, "It had to be done...and it's your ex-fiance, who could end up getting everybody killed or worse!"

Rolling his eyes, Neal asks, "What bull you trying to start now?"

Rumple growls, "She worked for Pan! I've neutralized her, but I'm sure she alerted him."

Neal's confused thoughts collide, "Pan? Tamara?" and then he responds, "What do you mean 'neutralized'? Did you...?"

Gritting his teeth, Rumple replies, "No, son, I did not kill her. I cast a spell to compel her and your duplicitous partner...or should I say 'lover', to have an overwhelming desire to go off and live together in the middle of nowhere, and erased all her memories of Storybrooke." and then in a grave tone, "I told you to stay away from Pan."

Emma shakes her head, "Pan?...Like Peter Pan? That's what this is all about...a boy in green tights?!"

Neal mumbling under his breath, "He's not what you expect."

As Rumple tenses, Belle leans down, whispering in his ear, "You have to tell him the rest. I know it hurts, but you can do it. I'm right here with you."

Reaching for her hand and kissing it, he nods, as Neal wonders about whatever intimate exchange just happened between his father and Belle.

Taking a breath to clear his head, Rumple begins, "Pan is more evil than I could ever be. He will take your beliefs and twist them to suit his own self purposes. He is the supreme grifter."

Henry asks, "How do you know him?"

With a sad, disdainful smile, Rumple answers, "Well, lad, as ashamed as I am to say it...he's my father."

All, except for Belle, who already knew the truth, are shocked and gaping at him. Incredulously, Emma questions, "How is that even possible?"

"He's older than he looks. All my life, my father was a grifter. He fleeced people out of their hard earned money. Sometimes he got caught and beaten for it, but he kept doing it. When I was a wee lad, all I wanted was us to be a family. He left me with two spinsters...who were the ones to teach me to spin. He told me that while I was there, he'd be looking for an honest job. And I believed him. I...I wanted so badly for it to be true. They told me the truth and said that I needed to get away and start a new life without him, cause he'd always be like that. Just some no account. They gave me a magic bean..." His eyes meet Neal's, then slides to the floor. "I didn't want to go without him...he was my papa. I told him about the bean,...and...and he wanted to sell it. That shoulda told me all I need to know, but I begged him to pick a place we could go to...to be a family. Going through that portal was a terrible mistake. It ripped my life apart. He chose Neverland...but adults don't belong in Neverland. There was a shadow, and it told him that I was the 'thing' that was holding him back from being a child. Pan's shadow grabbed me, and I begged...I begged me papa to help me, but he sent me away, so that he could become young again...and as I was being dragged through the sky like so much rubbish, I saw him transform into an adolescent version of himself. I didn't see him again until he tried to take you away." Looking back up at Neal, "I know you hated me for taking the choice out of your hands...but the risk...the risk, it was too great. And now, he wants something. I don't know what exactly, but from what Tamara said to me when she thought I was Mendell, it has something to do with Henry. So the town had to be seal off. Belle did it." Looking up with a soft smile, he continues, "She did it...just like I knew she could."

Belle strokes his hair as some tears stream down her cheeks at the thought of all the pain he's been through. Everyone sits silently, trying to process this new information. Out of the corner of her eye, through the window, Emma sees someone skulking around in the garage.

She stealthy slips out the backdoor of the kitchen. She makes her way to the front of Rumplestiltskin's three car garage and yanks open the door.

"Hook! What the Hell?!"

With a smirk, he replies, "Fancy meeting you here, Swan...it's a nocturnal dream come true."

She rolls her eyes wondering what woman falls for his lines. Knowing that Neal's mom abandon him for Hook, she can only surmise that quite a lot of alcohol was involved or she was dumb as a brick...or both. Growing up without her parents makes her guts twist in revulsion at Hook's part in Neal's abandonment.

She orders, "Get out of here. You've caused enough trouble."

"Sorry Swan, I can't do that. I will have my revenge against Rumplestiltskin. But...seeing as, he's busy at the moment, perhaps I can show you what a man can do with cuffs." He grabs her wrist, sliding his hook down her blouse and breathes, "You know I could be a good step dad for your boy.", as the hook pops two buttons open on her blouse.

Emma hisses, "I suppose you could...if I had a lobotomy.", and then her knee rams into his groin.

Falling in a heap groaning in pain, he asks, "Now, wha-cha have to go and do that for?"

Smirking Emma replies, "It's almost Valentine's Day...I thought I'd unite you with your true love...the floor!"

Hissing he says, "Cold Swan, very cold...but I know how to make it hot.", grabbing her ankle knocking her to the floor, he pounces on her, saying "Oh the things I love to do to a woman on her back!", and he reaches for the handcuffs on her belt. A moment later, he convulses as Emma uses her taser on him.

With teeth clenched, Emma says, "You're not worth a jail cell...and you'd probably slime your way out anyway...so here's the deal Hook, I'm going back inside the house, and you better be gone, by the time I come back out. And if you try anything with Gold or Belle, I'm letting Gold do his worst to you...and if you ever touch me again, I'm using my gun next time...then looking down at his pelvic area, she adds, "Though I may need to down grade to a peashooter."

Trying to reclaim his bravado, he says, "I can show you that you'd need a much larger caliber."

Shaking her head and walking to the door, she calls back, "Any man who says the things you do, must be compensating for a shortcoming."

Emma strides through the yard, hoping nobody in the house sees her through the window. Straightening out her hair and clothing, including re-buttoning her blouse, she fumes. Neal hadn't told her much about his family when they were together, but she's figured out some was of it was a lie, like his father being dead, and some of it was true...his mother had abandon him for some "cocky jerk", as he put it. "Sure, Neal's mom chose to go with the 'cocky jerk', but Hook seems cool with his role in ripping a family apart. What an ass!", she thinks, hurting for Neal, now knowing she left him as a small child. She recalls Neal telling her that he had a run in with his "step dad", after both his parents had supposedly died. The step dad in question, had told him that his mother planned to come back for him when he was older. "Older?", she thinks bitterly, "Yeah, lady, why stick around for the mothering part of motherhood?!" On their return to Storybrooke, having pushed Rumplestiltskin for some details, she was able to find out that Neal's mother left when he was seven, and Neal went through the portal when he was fourteen and a half years old. "How much older did she want? He could've married in a few years!"

It suddenly dawns on her that if Neal had not gone through the portal, he likely would have married somebody else. The thought gives her a gnawing sensation in her stomach. Though she tries to convince herself that it is solely because Henry would not exist, a part of her knows that she hates the idea of Neal being with someone else. She finds herself wishing she could taser that part of herself into submission, so she wouldn't have to think about it...and what it means.

As Emma enters the house, she notices that voices are much softer than when she arrived. From the archway, she can see that while she was outside, Rumplestiltskin has moved to sitting on the couch next to Neal, with Henry at Neal's other side. Belle, looking very emotional with her hand over her mouth, is still standing by the now vacated wing-back chair. Emma strains to hear what is being said.

Neal's eyes seem to search his father's face as if he is just now truly seeing him, "Why didn't you tell me Pan was your father?"

With glassy eyes and a shroud of shame covering his expression, Rumplestiltskin says, "Because I didn't want you to know I was as bad a father as he was. Because we're both the same; me and him. Because we both abandoned our sons.", and he hangs his head.

Neal recalls his life as Baelfire and countless times that his father was there for him...loving him, after his mother left. Something in his heart aches to realize that his father as a boy was deprived of the love of a parent. Trying to cough away the emotion choking his throat, Neal declares, "No, you're not the same. You came back for me, Papa."

Meeting his son's gaze, Rumplestiltskin looks at him with awe struck confusion, infused with immense gratitude, and the two men embrace and cry...both for the time lost and for the second chance they've been given.

Emma can barely process what she has just witnessed and quickly wipes a tear from her eye, as Belle walks over to her.

"Where were you?", Belle asks curiously.

"I just went out to check the parameters. All this 'evil Peter Pan wanting my son' stuff has me a bit jumpy. I'll need to talk to Gold later...but I can call or text him. It's...it's no big deal really.", trying to downplay her encounter with Hook.

Belle's instincts tell her that Emma is not being completely forthcoming, but she decides not to press it. Henry shifts uncomfortably on the couch and yawns, and then Belle yawns.

Emma chuckles, "It's contagious.", and then in her 'mom' tone, "Henry needs to get to bed early...it's a school night."

Neal says, "Yeah, I guess we should be going. We'll talk more later.", and then looking at Belle, he adds awkwardly, "Uh nice meeting you, Belle.", even though he hasn't taken much notice of her with all that has happened.

Belle nods shyly, "Good to meet you too, Bae."

Feeling a rather torn, looking between his son and Belle who is clearly exhausted from an eventful day, he says to Neal, "We'll talk soon, right?", and Neal answers, "Yes, papa.", and then he looks at Emma, wondering how after all these years she still makes it hard for him to remember to breathe.

Henry says quickly to Belle, "Before we go, when's the baby due?"

The room goes silent for a moment, and then Emma says, "Kid, how did you know?"

With an impish gleam in his eye, Henry replies, "I didn't know, until now."

Rumplestiltskin isn't sure whether to be amused, annoyed or impressed with his clever grandson.

Neal says, "Wait, so it's true?"

Before Belle or Rumple can respond, Emma says, "I don't think they are telling anyone yet. I saw the test results.", then directing a parental stare at Henry, she adds, "So no telling anybody."

Rolling his eyes, he says, "I'm the master mind of Operation Cobra. I know how to keep a secret. Besides, I guess her dad would go 'Psycho'", pantomiming as if holding a knife and stabbing, vocalizing, "...eek, eek, eek."

Belle silently mouths the word, "What?", Rumple says, "It's a movie." and Emma adamantly tells Belle, "Don't watch it! I had nightmares for a month."

Neal mumbles, "Yeah, I remember.", his memory suddenly flashing on the image of holding Emma and whispering in her ear when she'd awaken.

Rumplestiltskin smirks, "You were afraid of a movie, Sheriff Swan?"

"Hey, that thing freaked me out...come to think of it, so did that Norman Bates shirt you wore the day we met."

He narrows his gazes at her, recalling the one day he decided to break out of a rut and wear something that wasn't necessarily his style was the day people judged him the most. Admitting to himself that the gingham check shirt was hideous, he sighs as Emma, Henry and Neal bid he and Belle farewell.

Just before midnight, Rumplestiltskin leaves Belle sleeping in his bed and goes to his study. He pensively spins a pen on his desk.

"What are you feeling guilty about now?"

Looking at Vision Belle, standing by the window, in a tone of annoyance, he asks, "Who says I'm feeling guilty?"

"You usually call me here when something is bothering you."

"I didn't call you. You came on your own."

"Fine. I came on my own. Now, what's going on?"

"What do you think of things?"

"Things? Rumple darling, you do love to beat around the bush...but since I know to what things you're referring? It's alright that you taught me...well the other me, to spin gold and had her...uh, me cast the cloaking spell. I never would have thought that I could spin gold or cast a spell...but the other me, is trying to find her way and needs to know what she...we can do.", and then walking to his desk, she says, "You know you could have told me all that your father put you through. I would've like to have helped."

Still spinning the pen between his fingers, he says uneasily, "I know. I...I just couldn't then."

She sighs, smiling warmly, "I know. But I'm glad we know now. So...about the other thing you want to talk about."

Nervously, with an air of innocents, he says, "What other thing?"

She takes a seat on his desk, crosses her legs and smiles provocatively, as he looks even more uncomfortable, "That thing involving non-sleeping activities in bed...or perhaps other parts of the house." She leans in until her face, imaginary though it may be, is mere inches from his, and he swears he can feel her breath on his skin, saying, "I have something to tell you about that...You have to figure that one out for yourself."

In the background the clock chimes midnight, as he says in frustration, "What?!"

Straightening up and hopping off of the desk, she says, "It's a lesson of sorts. Just as the other me needs to learn who we are, you have to learn who we are, and what you believe about that. I can't just hand you the answer on a gold platter...that's not how this works."

Knowing she's right, but irritated just the same, he looks away, then a sad smile forms on his lips as he looks a the calendar indicating it's February twelfth, and says tentatively, "Hey...uh, happy birthday, Belle."

Her eyes shine as a hint of tears touch her lashes, and she replies, "Thank you, Rumple. ...and if I don't see you...well, like this, anytime soon, happy Valentine's Day. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart. Happy Valentine's Day."

She smiles, "It's our first together. I have a present for you.", then putting her hand on her belly looking down and back up, "...other than the little one."

"What?", he asks curiously.

Smugly, she says, "You'll have to wait and see.", and then her form evaporates from view, as he hears her say, "Now go to sleep. You need your rest."

He mutters back, "Bossy woman."

Author's Note: Hook was not intended to be in this chapter, rather I had him planned for a later chapter, but he decided to crash the party. But I think Emma handled him well. So what are your thoughts about Belle spinning? So Henry caught on to Belle's pregnancy...I just had to make Henry the clever kid that we knew, as opposed to the one who gave his heart to Pan. I know some of you wanted Vision Belle back, and she comes when she's called...or sometimes when she's not called. She'll return for a scene at the end of the next chapter also. The next chapter will include Belle's birthday and Valentine's day...this is a full scale romance alert. :)

BTW, I know some readers have been wondering about my other stories, and no, I have not abandon any of my stories. I've was quite ill most of the Winter and frustration over OUAT plots have made it even harder to write at times...but I'm working through it. "Seduction Within Love", "Strawberries, Chocolate & Bittersweet Things", "Metamorphosis Through Love" and "Journey of Twin Souls" are all still very much on my mind...it's just slow going, but I'm working at it. Also, last week, I added a fic for those of us hurting over OUAT RumBelle/NealBae plots. It's called, "The Gift of Love is Hope" /s/10250566/1/The-Gift-of-Love-is-Hope It's a one-shot (though I might add an epilogue or bonus scene later), but for now, it's just a one-shot...RumBelle is the main relationship with some DreamyGrumpyNova and some SwanFire...everybody gets happy endings, except Zelena who gets what she deserves.

Please review this chapter...guest reviews are fine. You don't need a FFnet account; I just like to read people's thoughts on my stories.