Author's Note: This is written with great respect, love and gratitude for the talents of Robert Carlyle and Emilie de Ravin. I do not own the OUAT characters. Happy RumBelle Birthday! I hope this lifts the spirits of RumBellers.

Warnings: I know some authors have been harassed by some CaptainSwan/Hook fans for the author's depictions of CS/Hook in their *RumBelle* fics that did not even tag CS nor Hook, so just a heads up, this is not a CaptainSwan/Hook love letter. This is a RumBelle fic. Also, a mild warning that in this chapter, certain bodily functions are mentioned.

Thank you very much to Snapegirlkmf for helping to proof this chapter.

Belle of Many Names

A month and a half had passed, and Belle had continued to try on different names. Some names were from the baby book, and Rumple and Belle would sit together to decide which to try next: Gwendolyn, Heather, Iris, Jennifer, Katerina. When they came to the L section of the book, upon seeing the name Lacey, both of them inexplicably cringed with distaste, opting to open the book to a random page and pick the name Rina instead. There were some names from television or movies: Tabitha, which means doe, appealed to Rumple as his 'Belle of Many Names' was a doe eyed beauty, and if they were to have a daughter, he hoped she would have Belle's enchanting eyes... then came Jasmine, Nala, Mulan, which made him smirk with irony when Belle suggested it, and Clarice. Belle quite liked Clarice after finding an old video tape of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" which she found in Rumple's shop. Seeing Rudolph's girlfriend, Clarice, liked him for being different, despite everyone else shunning him for his difference impacted Belle greatly. Though it was a children's story, she admired the strong female role model, being willing to go against the popular crowd, wanting to be there for the lonely being who needed her, regardless of how unworthy the others might think him to be. As they snuggled on the couch, Rumple found himself watching Belle, who was Gabrielle at the time, view the program with such joyful wonder in her eyes. Christmas had been months past, a lovely memory for him, but a blankness for Belle, and yet in that moment sitting quietly on the couch, they were both truly happy.

She breathed in his scent, laying her head upon his chest, feeling her heart flutter at the sensation of his arms around her. She couldn't imagine feeling more content than she was in that moment. He mindlessly toyed with the curls of her hair, enjoying the warmth of her body nestled against him under the amethyst purple and sapphire blue patchwork throw...the same throw that cocooned them during much of the previous holiday season...the same one that he had attempted to wrap around her, only to be rebuffed, after he found her waiting on his doorstep in the cold to confront him with the news of her pregnancy, which terrified her so much at the time. He sighed, thinking of how far they'd come since that day almost two months previous.

During a late morning cuddle on the couch, while drinking tea, which they hoped would keep her stomach calm enough to hold down breakfast, Belle and Rumple perused the book of baby names for the next candidate to try.

"Rumple, I think I'd like to try this one...", pointing her delicate finger under the name printed on the page, and he tensed slightly, and she continued with some hesitation, "Moraine. Spanish for brown-haired, which our daughter would likely be, French for pregnant mother, and well, I am, and I'd be the one trying it out. It's also Latin for star of the sea, so it reminds me of our lovely day at the shore."

He was silent for a moment, and she questioned, "You don't like it?"

"No, it's not that. I just hadn't heard that name in a very, very long time and my mind drifted."

"To?"

"To a girl that Bae grew up with. Her name was spelled slightly different...it had two R's. But I couldn't help thinking of Morraine. She was born a few days before Bae, though I didn't know her then. At a young age, Morraine and Bae became fast friends. Her parents were the rare people who didn't judge Bae for having me as a father. They were good people, and young Morraine was a testament to their values. They didn't have much...eventually none of us did, but they were a strong, hardworking family.", Belle stroked his hand as she saw that he is being bombarded with memories.

In a soft voice, she offered, "I can pick another name, if it bothers you."

"No need. Morraine was something special. She was an old soul, wise beyond her years, compassionate, yet pragmatic with a fierceness to be reckoned with. I always thought of her as the daughter that I didn't have. If I'm honest, in the latter years prior to losing Bae, I assumed one day she'd be family...eventually. Bae was quite smitten with her, though he'd never admit it, and one look at the way the lass looked at him, it was plain as the nose on your face that she was over the moon for him as well. You know, I think we should consider her name. Perhaps as a middle name. That way, Bae won't be put off by hearing it regularly, but still, it would serve as a tribute to a quite extraordinary girl."

Belle's eyes were glassy, touched by the emotion of his reminiscence, and she smiled, "I like that idea very much. I think we'd be fortunate if our daughter could have some of her qualities."

"There's a good chance of that. You share some of those qualities. You're the strongest, most independent thinking woman I know."

She felt something flutter inside her, as he didn't seem to be comparing her to her previous self, but stating it in the present. She wasn't sure how accurate the statement was, since she didn't think of herself that way, but she could see he believed it. Having someone believe in her was an amazing feeling, and as she reflected on her life that she remembers, short though it may be, she found herself acknowledging that she'd grown a lot in that time...and not just in terms of her abdomen that was home to their child. She'd done things she didn't think she could and learned so much about who she was in the present without her memories. She didn't feel like an intruder in this home or in the life of her former self. She'd been feeling more and more comfortable in her own skin, like she belonged. Indeed, her changing names had become less about finding herself, and more about finding a name for their daughter, should they have a girl. Plus, it was a fun game, like trying new hairstyles without the commitment to a bad hair cut. Before they went to bed that night, she had switched her name to Danika as she assumed Rumple would not feel comfortable sharing his bed with her named the same as Bae's former sweetheart. However, she really liked Moraine as a possible middle name for their daughter. As Belle drifted to sleep, she mused on the realization that they spent much more time looking for girl names. They had discussed some names for boys...Vincent, being her favorite so far, but she couldn't ignore the feeling that they would have a girl.

Three weeks ago, Belle finally was able to bring herself to let Rumple help her during and after bouts of morning sickness, which was still a misnomer as it happened at any point in the day. As peculiar as it seemed, Belle letting Rumple assist her during the unpleasantness was a huge leap of trust for her. Allowing him be present when she felt her most disgusting and unappealing was a sign that the trusted him not to judge her. Rumple holding her hair and rubbing her back during her expelling and being at the ready with a cool damp wash rag when she was done had been a great comfort. After the first few times of him following her into the bathroom during her mad dash to get there, he made a command decision that he didn't want her rushing, risking a fall. Hence, he had small plastic trash cans placed throughout the house, so that she was never far from one. He was by her side to help anytime she needed, and then he'd take care of the contents, either by magic or the traditional method, depending on the situation. As unpleasant as such events generally were, it had been a great break through for their relationship in regards to trust issues, and they got through it, as much as possible, together.

It was strange to realize how much relationships are facilitated by getting used having someone else aware of one's bodily functions. Rumple had his own challenge in that area. A couple of days after Belle had started sleeping in his bed, he would, as often happens in the morning, have part of his body awaken before he did. In the initial passing days, it did not serve as a major problem because if he were lying on his side, spooned with Belle, he kept a pillow in between them, thus he could easily role over and discreetly go to the the bathroom, waiting for the contrary appendage to lose its alertness, or he'd have to occasionally handle the situation another way. He hadn't wanted Belle to see his physiological state, partly out of concern about making her uncomfortable or possibly fearful, and partly because he was private by nature. Though this was Belle, it felt as though they were starting over, and he was not ready to have a conversation about the rebellious behavior of his manhood. His efforts in decorum had worked well until the morning he awoke with her head resting on his chest, and the blanket beyond her looking like a distant mountain range in some artistic landscape. He couldn't move or he'd wake her, and she'd open her eyes to the sight of the protruding blanket. He tried to think of things that would make it retreat, without him needing to move to the bathroom. However, Belle felt so warm and enticing draped over him that none of his typical arousal killing thoughts worked. He wasn't inclined to use magic to handle the issue, because doing so could cause other problems later. Hence, he was stuck...then he felt Belle move ever so slightly, and then her body stiffen. That's when he knew she had seen it. He started thinking of what to say, but then to his surprise, he felt her body relax, heard her sigh contently, nuzzle her head against his chest for a moment, and then rolled over, allowing him to slip away to the bathroom. When he returned, she simply stretched, yawned and gave him a sleepy smile as she always did in the morning...and that was how they handled it whenever he'd awaken to being pinned down by Belle...nothing out of the ordinary. That said, he was never quite sure if she would remember seeing it, as he sometimes would sometimes talk to her when she first woke up, but later wouldn't remember what was said, since her body had been still too much in the sleep state.

On those days when Belle was awake enough, she did recall what she had seen, but chose not to mention it. Couples didn't have to tell each other everything, what would they talk about in twenty years if they told each other everything, she reasoned...besides, she wanted to think about what she had seen on her own, for the time being. In the early days of waking to that sight, she had the unmistakeable emotion of intimidation running through her being. It wasn't that Rumple himself intimidated her, but rather sex in general. Among other things, she feared it would hurt. She tried to convince herself that she needn't worry about a painful experience. Obviously, her and Rumple had engaged sexually before...and hopefully, enough so that pain was no longer an issue. However, she just wasn't certain of that. Instinctively, she knew Rumple would be gentle with her, not hurt nor humiliate her. It was simply the unknowns of the experience that made her uneasy. As time went by, she continued to wake up to the sight of the blanket monument, and she began to muse about how strange it must be to have part of one's anatomy, seemingly running amok. The information in her pregnancy books had made her curious about the physiology related to reproduction and human sexuality. Between various books at the library and articles on the Internet, which she found via the laptop Rumple had given her, she had unearthed a great deal of fascinating information. Despite the fact that she was still frightened about what giving birth would involve, she decided she was very glad that she had been born female. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to walk around with that, risking that it may decide to stand at attention at some poorly timed moment. She mostly kept her curiosity to herself, with the exception of the night she and Rumple had been watching the movie, "Indian Summer". In the movie, a flashback scene of adolescents at summer camp involved a boy, who had to conceal changes to his anatomy whenever he'd be around a particular girl. As they watched the scene, she could feel Rumplestiltskin's body tensing and noticed from the corner of her eye that his face was turning shades of crimson. The boy's unfortunate remedy for his condition was to tape his unruly body part down, which proved to be a bad choice, as the next time that he saw the girl, there was the sound of ripping tape. Rumple flinched beside her as the sound erupted from the television speaker.

Without thinking, she said, "That seemed painful."

To which he coughed out, "Indeed.", and shifted in his seat.

More and more recently, Belle, who was Jessica by that time after watching "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", had been curious and even entranced by the tented fabric of the blanket or occasionally his pajama pants when the blanket had been kicked off over night. On occasion, she woke up to no tenting at all as he slept, and she became curious about the difference in those days versus others. Telling herself it was merely a scientific curiosity, she had started the habit of tenderly rubbing his stomach, just below his bellybutton and watching the changes. Two days ago, the tenting was at full attention, then slowly retreated, so Belle, or rather Isobel that day, again lovely stroked underneath Rumple's navel to see the the fabric take shape as it had before. At some point during the days of her conducting her experiments, she started to realize perhaps she'd be ready soon to take their relationship to the next level. She had read books and watched movies...and stumbled upon the occasional soap opera that added to her imaginings of how she might go about seducing the father of her child. She even had this reoccurring fantasy about them making love in a frozen cave under a pelt. She adored Rumple for so many reasons, and he was affecting her greatly with his voice, scent, body and touch, as well as who he was as a person. She knew from the baby books that pregnant women often go through a time when they are more aroused than usual. Of course, she had no basis of comparison, as all she could remember was being pregnant, but she was feeling intense yearnings the more she was around Rumple.

Now late March, Belle, who is still Isobel, is twelve weeks pregnant and showing, yet thanks to winter clothing, it's not obvious to the residents of Storybrooke. Rumple keeps to himself just how much it worries him, thinking about the day that her pregnancy is common knowledge to the town, especially to his enemies. However, Belle knows he is worried, and he wants to keep her mind at ease. She observes that he is not as difficult to figure out as he seems to think he is.

In the Mayor's office, Cora paces like an agitated cat in front of Regina's desk. All their attempts to find Rumple's dagger have been fruitless to date. Regina rubs her temples while she watches her mother. Watching the elder woman, Regina muses on how much her mother has determined so much of her life and drives. Cora never likes to be out of control, and though Regina is as anxious as her mother to claim the dagger and have Rumplestiltskin rid her of the vermin existence of the Charming family, who stands between her and a complete, unfettered reunion with her son, Henry, she can't deny a small part of her enjoys watching her mother squirm with something she wants just out of reach. Regina smirks at the realization, surprised by herself awareness and thinks, "Hmm, I guess those sessions with the cricket weren't a complete waste."

Regina is broken out of her thoughts, at the sound of Cora stamping her foot, looking out the window. Rising from her seat, Regina peers out the window to see Rumple and Belle leisurely walking down the sidewalk, seemingly oblivious to the whole world. Cora fumes, though she never actually loved the man, demon or whatever, merely playing on his desperation for love to get what she wanted, it angers her to see him with someone else. She wonders how the little wallflower would react, if she knew about their past, of course she would embellish the details a bit to make certain that girl would go running back to whatever rock she crawled out from.

Cora sucks in a breath and then says with derision, "That's what he's going for these days? Never saw him going for a plain Jane...Doe."

Regina raises her eyebrow, looking at her mother. While she's never been very impressed with the little bookworm, Belle is far from 'plain'. Seeing this side of her mother amuses her.

"Honestly, he looks ridiculous going around with her.", Cora rants, "When is that little munchkin going to join the other members of the Lollipop Guild?!"

"That's right, I heard Rumple and Anton use the same tailor.", Regina mocks dryly, as Cora pins her with a glare, and then to appease her mother, Regina says, "Mother, if it will make you happy, we can make Rumple kill her or have her be our slave and then kill her."

"As delightful as that prospect is, we need the damn dagger first!", Cora scowls.

"Actually, what we need is a distraction that will rip dear Rumple's world apart.", and Regina's straight white teeth bare in a self satisfied grin, and with a snap of her fingers, a matchbook from The Rabbit's Hole appears, as she recalls a sheriff, who she knows who'd like a piece of Rumple's treat.

Rumple's whole body bristles as he feels Cora and Regina watching them, and he tries to pretend that nothing unusual is happening.

"Is everything alright, Rumple?"

"Yes, darling, perfectly fine. Just keep walking, this is a bad part of town.", and Rumple vows that no matter what the witches are plotting, they will fail miserably. He will do anything to protect Belle and their child. Later that day, he spends several hours working in the basement mixing potions.

The next morning, Rumple awakes feeling Belle softly stroking her fingers over his pajama top, just below his bellybutton. He bites his lip attempting not to move or make a sound, assuming she must be doing this in her sleep. She stops, and he concentrates on things that will make his manhood retreat. His moment of success in this endeavor is short lived as she again starts to rub what is his favorite spot...indeed, before the shooting, Belle had discovered how that spot practically made him purr like a happy kitten. "Is she doing this on purpose?", he wonders, and then he sees her reflection at the bottom of the dresser mirror and realizes, "Belle's awake, and she's... " Unsure how he wants to respond to this new development, he closes his eyes and decides to just let Belle play, as he enjoys the divine agony of this sensation, very aware that he will need to handle his condition later in the bathroom.

Later that morning, Dr. Lumière calls suggesting that an external ultrasound on Belle may be viable. Rumple feeling the desire for privacy and feeling protective, worrying what Belle's hate driven father, Moe, Regina, Cora or Hook would do if they knew of Belle's condition, refuses to allow this procedure take place in the hospital or Dr. Lumière's office. Instead, Rumple magically transports the necessary equipment, Dr. Lumière, and the ultrasound technician to their house.

"Monsieur Gold and Mademoiselle French, may I introduire you to Monsieur Win Cogsworth, my ultrasound technicien.", Lumière croons with his heavy accent.

The portly balding mustached man's blue eyes glared at Dr. Lumière, as he contradicts the introduction with an aristocratic sneer, "I am Doctor Winchester Cogsworth...educated at the finest schools. While you were tending farmers and milkmaids, and fraternizing with your cretinous ilk, in my realm, I was Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the most prestigious hospital in the realm. Nobles begged me to cut into their chests. Now, thanks to this infernal curse, I'm a technician. Gods, father and mother would be beside themselves, if they knew. So let's dispense with your witless drivel."

"Honnêtement, Win that is no way to behave in front of this enchanteur flower of womanhood that is Belle.", Dr. Lumière says and bows before Belle with a roguish glint in his eyes.

Rumplestiltskin is not sure which one he'd rather turn into a snail first, the puffed up aristocrat or the man who keeps shamelessly flirting with Belle, despite his assurances that his wife would turn him into flambé if he so much as thought about playing around with another woman.

"My apologizes Mr. Gold and Miss French, it's the occupational hazard of working with that paraffin headed pea brain.", says Cogsworth as Lumière smirks condescendingly.

Though still annoyed at the man's rudeness, Rumple finds himself empathizing with Cogsworth's outrage at being an underling to the prattering Lumière.

Belle graciously extends her hand to Cogworth, "It's alright Doctor Cogsworth. We all have our moments of frustration. You may call me Belle.", hoping to smooth things over quickly, as she has drank a lot of water in preparation for the ultrasound, and her bladder is so full it feels like her teeth are floating.

The man actually seems to blush, taking Belle's hand graciously, "It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Belle."

As always, Rumple marvels at Belle's affect on people.

Getting everything set up in the library of Rumple's home, Belle reclines on a chaise lounge. Belle adjusts her clothing enough to expose her belly, and Cogsworth squirts some ultrasound gel that's been heated for her comfort. The gel feels strange and gooey on her abdomen. Rumple stands behind Belle, holding her a hand feeling uneasy about this process, as well as the way she is exposed, even if it's just her stomach. It seems improper to him. He looks at the screen with skepticism, as this scientific hogwash, as he sees it, seems like an inferior cousin to magic. That said, part of him wishes they were doing things the old way, before he had magic and before science invaded their lives. He can't help wanting this to be just him and her...and a midwife eventually. Something without the price of magic and far more intimate than machines with strange lights, buttons and screens. Though there is the desire to use magic to ease Belle throughout the pregnancy and delivery, he can't be sure of how magic will behave in this land, and he doesn't want to take unneeded risks with Belle and their child. As it is, he's had to use magic to protect Belle from his enemies, and likely will need to again...the thought puts a knot in his stomach as he worries about the impact of even protective magic on Belle and the baby, and his mind reels constantly, trying to think ahead of those who might wish to harm Belle.

Doctor Cogsworth, for all is gruffness at the initial stages of this visit, is a consummate professional and seems genuinely concerned about Belle's well being. Rumple is drawn from his thoughts as he hears Cogsworth's voice.

"Ah ha, there's the little lovely."

Rumple and Belle's attentions are drawn to the black and white imagery on the screen. Initially, it just looks like static and moving blobs, then Cogsworth shifts the transducer just a bit lower and to the right, and there is an image of a little being that takes their breath way. The little person inside Belle seems to be frolicking as though she's in a swimming pool. Of course scientifically, it's too early to see on this ultrasound the gender of their baby, and yet they still feel they know that they will have a daughter. Now, the image is becoming blurry and hard to see, not because of a problem with the machine nor the position of the transducer in relation to their child, but because Rumple and Belle both have tears in their eyes, obscuring their vision. Cogsworth smiles and clicks a button to print a picture, knowing that neither one of them can see very well at the moment. Over the next several minutes, he prints out a few more pictures for the emotionally overwhelmed, beaming parents to keep. Rumple and Belle hold each other's hands even more tightly, as they both breathe rapidly, and Rumple, who is standing behind the rise of the chaise lounge, strokes her hair and bends down to kiss her head, leaving her hair damp from his tears. She looks up at him and her blue tearful eyes greet his, and they both seem to be saying the same thing, "I can not wait to meet our child. I love her already."

Later, after much discussion, Dr. Lumière draws some blood from Belle to test her levels to confirm that she is in good health, even without always keeping her food down. Rumple casts a spell to ensure that Belle's blood cannot be used maliciously, as he did with the blood samples at the hospital after the shooting. Blood magic is quite powerful, and in the wrong hands with bad intentions can be devastating. The cotton swab with Belle's blood is magically transported to a container in the basement, as he plans to later discuss with her the use of her blood in possible protection potions for her.

When the visit is through, Rumple casts a spell to restrict the Cogsworth's ability to communicate what he knows of Belle's condition. He'll seem perfectly normal, able to communicate on a myriad of topics, but when it comes to Belle, mum's the word, unless talking to Rumple or Belle. Rumple had cast a similar spell on Nurse Potts and Dr. Lumière on the day of that chaotic hospital visit, as well as on Dr Whale and Nurse Agnes the day Belle informed Rumple of her pregnancy.

As they prepare to leave, the two men start bickering again, and Dr. Lumière accidentally on purpose steps on Dr. Cogsworth's foot.

A moment later, Cogsworth leans into Rumple and says conspiratorially, "Once your progeny is produced, can you please turn him into a frog?...or a ball of wax?"

"Tempting thought."

"Rumple.", Belle looks at him sternly with folded arms.

"Not that I would do it, sweetheart.", and she rolls her eyes at his overly placating tone.

As the men and their equipment magically disappear in a swirl of purple smoke, Belle says to Rumple, "I think Dr. Cogsworth's lonely. Do we know any women he would get on with?"

"Widow Lucus?"

"You think they'd hit it off?"

"Probably not, but it would be fun watching the fights."

"Rumple", she says with a faux reprimand. This is the second time she has done this today, sounding just like Belle used to prior to the shooting or often speaking in his head after the shooting.

Meanwhile, a dirty and disheveled, Hook sits at the end of the bar at the Rabbit's Hole, drinking himself into a stupor, recalling his failed attempt to track Rumple in New York. In a city of over eight million people, it really was a fool's errand to think he could find the Crocodile before he returned to Storybrooke, but Hook was desperate after Cora and Regina double crossed him. He had no problem with them killing whom ever they wanted, just as long as he got to skin his Crocodile. Out of his element, overwhelmed by the crowds, tall buildings and noise, Hook's reliance of drink grew. In Central Park, he would tell passersby that he was looking for a man in a nice suit with and gold cane, which earned him strange looks and no answers. A nearby drag queen chimed in, "You may want to lower your standards. Girl friend, your look is so last year.", after he made a derogatory comment back to her, she promptly punched him. If Hook were a different sort of person, perhaps he would have learned a lesson: Always be respectful of a woman in size 12 spiked heels. Of course, if he were a different person, he would know to treat people with respect and wouldn't have made the crude comment in the first place, thus never needing to learn that lesson. As his desperation grew, the more he drank, eventually awakening in an alley after being urinated on by a fellow lover of 'the drink'.

Now, at the Rabbit's Hole, Hook drunkenly leers at a payphone which he thinks is a woman. He fumes over his failed attempts to kill Rumple, who he views as an inferior. "I will not be bested by that weakly runt!", remembering how frail Rumplestiltskin looked centuries ago. "He was nothing but an annoying little insect, clinging to a walking stick asking for his wife back." He smirks and belches, remembering the lame spinner falling in the mere effort to get on the ship. "Stupid little gimp! He got what he deserved!" He's determined that he's not going to be beaten by some 'cripple with magic' and reaffirms that he doesn't care who he has to kidnap, torture or kill to get his revenge and show the 'Crocodile' once and for all, that he is more of man then some pathetic freak, who fell ass backwards into magic..."Of course, he would fall ass backwards, weak little snot", he chuckles to himself, earning a raised eyebrow from the bartender. Hook's alcohol soaked brain twists and turns as he considers the possibility of blowing up the whole damn town and letting them all fry..."That would show the Dark One, but good!" Somewhere in his drink addled mind, he realizes that he would likely die in the endeavor, so he tables the idea to think of something else. However, leaves it as an option, if he should be able to figure out a means of escape before the town incinerates everyone. As Hook thinks about the idea of annihilating the town's residents, he feels a mild pull of regret thinking of Emma Swan. "Damn! She would have been a good ride once I got her pinned down or plied her with enough rum to get her to stop flapping her jaw at me. If I time it right, maybe I can still take the slag for the ride of her life, before the town goes up in flames...and if not, eh, what good is she if the dried up harpy won't service me?"

Over the next two days, Rumple spends hours working in the basement on various potions, often with Belle sitting watching, occasionally venturing to ask a question about his choice of ingredients or process. He welcomes her company and questions, because unlike Cora, it's Belle's intellectual curiosity driving the inquiries, not a thirst for power. Though he is not officially teaching Belle magic, rather two people sharing a common point of interest, he has taught her more than Emma. The irony is not lost on him that Emma, the Savior, has shown no real interest in learning to control her powers. Having Belle as a comparison, he feels a bit like a teacher having given a gold star to the wrong student. Belle, with or without amnesia, always has a voracious thirst for knowledge, while Emma...well, he still hadn't been able to get a bead on her. Though in reality neither is his student, and there is more at stake then a spelling bee, Emma reminds him of the student who drifts through their schooling with loads of potential, yet never makes the effort to use it. That realization is starting to bother him greatly, and he decides it needs to remedied soon. This is not some fantasy world where happy endings are just handed to you, and villains merely faded into the background by the sheer existence of so called heroes, who never have to get their hands dirty. Cora is a malevolent force with which to be reckoned and teamed up with Regina, she is just that much worse.

The next morning, Belle's typical ravenous curiosity to know all things is yet again focused on the morning state of Rumple's appendage. Staring at the mountainous fabric, she refrains from touching him there or baring the point of her curiosity, reasoning that though obviously she had seen it prior to losing her memory, it's not appropriate to investigate further without invitation. Rumple watches her from between his lashes, as his eyes are almost closed...closed just enough to give the illusion that he is unaware of Belle's preoccupation. She amuses him with her now daily routine, as well as making him frustratedly aroused. A devilish smirk forms on his face, as an idea of giving Belle a taste of her own medicine emerges. He lets out a loud yawn, and she quickly flips to her side, not wanting to be caught with her hand in the cookie jar as it were. He mumbles incoherently as though asleep, while he roles over wrapping himself around her, sloppily kissing her neck and pressing her curiosity fully against the back of her, while his muscles are tensed and ready to pull away quickly, should she show any signs that his contact is unwelcome. The sensation of Rumple's body takes her by surprise as it is a very different feeling without a pillow in between them. She lets out a small gasp while simultaneously, instinctively arching her hips back towards Rumple. She wonders how he manages to make her feel on fire without the use of flame. He instantly realizes his attempt to frustrate Belle is also frustrating himself further, but decides to suffer through it. His arm wraps around her waist snuggling her close to him, as his hand just barely grazes the bottom of her breast, coming to rest under her bosom. For effect, he deliberately snores in Belle's ear a few times as a wee bit of pay back for her mischievous experiments of late, and surprisingly enough, they eventually drift back to sleep.

Later that day, Belle and Rumplestiltskin go to the Sheriff's Office and interrupt a discussion between Emma and Baelfire, whom she calls Neal. Belle notices Rumple get a misty look in his eyes, gazing upon his son. It all still seems unreal to him that he's finally found Bae, despite Emma's initial lie that she had lost Bae during her pursuit in New York. Rumple's still uncertain how he feels about that lie, essentially breaking their deal, and almost costing him centuries' worth of efforts to find his son. He had put so much effort into that one goal, even pushing away Belle, as he was so incredibly focused. He still has nagging regrets over his failure to include Belle in his plans, always wondering 'what if' he had her by his side throughout their remaining time in the Enchanted Forest. He could have saved her much pain at Regina's and Hook's hands...and her pain and his efforts could have been all for naught due to Emma's lie.

"What is it, Gold?", Emma's voice tinged with annoyance at being interrupted in a private moment.

Rumple drops three heavy ancient texts on her desk and replies in a commanding tone, "Read these. Read them thoroughly...and call me when you're done or before, if you have any questions."

"Why? What are they?", questions Emma.

"Texts to give you a proper foundation in magic.", Rumple explains.

"Magic?! Papa, no. I don't want her mixed up in that.", interjects Baelfire.

"These books deal with white magic, son. It's not as though they will turn her into a succubus.", seeing that his son is still unconvinced, and a bit offended by the succubus comment, Rumple adds, "Emma is a product of true love...she has magic. And whether you like it or not, she needs to learn to control her powers."

"I have powers, isn't that enough. Why do I have to read the 'War and Peace' of magical texts? Can't I just go with it?"

"Of course you can 'go with it', if you don't mind blowing a hole in the wall by accident or being magically impotent when Cora and Regina strike."

"I handled Cora before."

"You're special. That kept Cora from ripping out your heart that day.", says Rumple as Bae's eyes go wide at this news of what Emma faced before his arrival in Storybrooke, and Rumple continues, "However, merely being special, without any training, won't help you if Cora and Regina come after you in other ways...and possibly come after those we love.", shifting his eyes from her to his son and back to her to make the point.

Uneasy with the implication of her feelings towards Neal, she focuses on the two women mentioned. "Hey, I was right about Regina not killing Archie. You can give me that."

"Indeed, instead you accused me of exterminating him. Yet the good Doctor Hopper is alive and well...thanks to Belle freeing him before his dissection on Hook's ship, I might add."

As Emma's face reddens, and she tries to think of a viable come back, Rumple in a professorial tone says, "Drop your assumptions, dearie and start dealing in facts...or you'll be a sitting swan waiting for Cora to pluck. There are no lines that Cora won't cross...I know her. And now that she again has Regina towing the line, and you have what she wants; Henry...you and others will be in their cross hairs. You can distrust me all you want, but I'm your best hope of learning what you need to know. You trusted me enough to play along with Belle to protect our child, and we appreciate that...so trust me now, when I say, I am the one who can train you to go up against them, should the need arise...and it will. I have no interest in creating a dark mage, merely helping you reach your abilities. Now, read these and get back to me with any questions, and we will start your formal training soon."

Seeing the resignation on Emma's face, as well as an overwhelmed look in her eyes, he doesn't wait for a response, "Good day, you two. Bae come by the house when you can for a visit", and he offers his arm to Belle and leads her out of the office. He regrets being terse with Bae, but he knows that Emma and Bae have much to discuss and lingering won't help matters.

That night, Rumple forgoes working in the basement, as he and Belle opt to watch a movie both lying on the couch together. Part of the way through the movie, he begins to kiss and lick her neck, rolling her slightly under him. As she sighs and moves fully engaged in the electricity that seems to be coursing through them, his hands roam over the fabric covering her torso, completely aware of what spots were, and apparently still are, Belle's favorites, eliciting a pleasured sound from her lips.

At which point, he sits up and says, "You know, we're going to lose the plot of the movie if we keep this up."

"What?!", she responses in a dazed tone.

"There's a complicated subplot here.", gesturing towards the television, "We'll be totally lost if we don't focus now."

He notices that she looks a bit like she wants to throw something at him, and he bites his cheek to keep from laughing. She studies his features wondering if he is doing this on purpose, "He wouldn't...would he?", and then in a tone of disgruntlement replies, "Okay, fine." As they resume watching the movie, he has to turn his face away to hide the smirk that he isn't able to keep from appearing on his face.

The next morning, March 25th, Rumple and Belle go out for a stroll. They enter a quaint children's clothing and toy shop, where the storefront is painted in pastel versions of primary colors. Upon their arrival, they say to the shopkeeper that they are looking for gifts for Belle's friend, whose name is not mentioned. The elderly shopkeeper mentally tries to run down the list of people she knows who would have babies. Though Rumple and Belle are aware that the merchant finds this odd, they continue to peruse the store items. There are mobiles of various themes hanging from display cribs.

Belle gasps excitedly, "Rumple look!"

Motioning commandingly to the shopkeeper, he declares, "Wrap this up.", pointing to an intricately carved mobile of blue and black butterflies, and then adds, "Get a large bag. This won't be our only purchase."

Rumple and Belle keep the talking to a minimum, not wanting to alert the shopkeeper to Belle's condition, hence most of their communication consists of nods and facial expressions. Belle giggles at the sight of a plush lavender elephant with bits of purple yarn sticking out the top of its head and a bunny-like tail made out of the same purple yarn. She lovingly strokes her hand over a red onesie with hearts and puppies embroidered on it. They come upon a small wooden horse with wheels, and Rumple can see in Belle's eyes that she is imagining their child playing with it. He also ponders taking up wood working again, in order to create some toys for their child, as Belle has taken an interest in knitting, with his help, in order to provide some special items of clothing and toys, created by her hands. After they conclude their shopping and pay for their purchases, Rumple magically transports the bags home, as it would not do for them to be seen carrying these items around town.

Upon arriving home, Belle notices something odd as they climb the porch steps. All the window shades in the house are pulled closed. That is not how the shades were when they left earlier that morning. Rumple doesn't bother closing the shades, as he had cast a spell sometime ago that would prevent anyone but him or Belle from looking inside.

"Why are the shades down?"

He shrugs, with the barest hint of a dimple betraying the smirk that he is fighting to keep from his face. "I don't know. How about you open the door, and we'll see?"

Certain he's up to something...which then she chuckles inwardly as she wonders, "When is he not up to something?", she turns the knob opening the door.

She is greeted by sights and sounds that leave her befuddled and awestruck. As her eyes attempt to take in all that she is seeing, she hears "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" by Burl Ives playing from the stereo speakers. From her stunned position in the doorway, she spies a Christmas tree nearly reaching the ceiling of the parlor decorated with ornaments of blue, red, purple, silver and gold. She looks at Rumple unable to form words.

"Merry Re-Christmas!", he croons with his rich accent thicker than usual.

Her eyelids blink rapidly, as she tries to wrap her mind around what is happening, and her iolite eyes sparkle with emotion. "You...why...um..."

He chuckles warmly, pleased that he has so successfully surprised her. "You don't remember the holidays, but I do, and that hardly seems fair, considering you're giving me the greatest gift possible...our child, who came into existence about that time."

With no words seeming adequate for what she is feeling, Belle reaches up threading her fingers through his hair while she pulls him down towards her, meeting his lips with a passionate all consuming kiss. Their lips and tongues tangle in a hearts fueled dance. He pulls away out of breath and speaking into her mouth that still has the barest of contact, "We could put on quite a show for the neighborhood, but there's more to be seen and experienced inside."

She nods against him and on shaky legs she steps across the threshold with Rumple just behind her. As she makes it fully across, she is aware of a new sensation, "It's...it's snowing!...In the house, it's snowing!"

"Is it?...I hadn't noticed."

She gives him a sideways glance of mock annoyance, but can't hold the expression as she is too astonished, feeling the snowflakes falling from the ceiling tickling her skin. The flakes feel cold, but curiously not too cold.

"This is a special snow. It won't melt and mess the floor, won't effect the temperature of the room nor cause us to slip, and when we're done with it, it's gone.", he explains proudly.

She notices the scent of pine and cinnamon in the room, and on the end table are two mugs of hot chocolate with cinnamon sticks and whipped cream awaiting them. There are boughs of holly and pine, including pine-cones, decorating the doorways and stair railing...all of it glistening from the magical snow.

"Was it like this before...you know, during the holidays I don't remember."

"Not quite. I was a bit cantankerous about over the top decorating for the season, but to your credit, you mostly ignored me and did what you wanted anyway."

She giggles at the thought of the holiday battle of wills that must have occurred, and he continues, "I have left some ornaments available so we can add them to the tree without you over taxing yourself or the wee one."

She is completely amazed by the things Rumple does for her. It's truly wondrous how cherished she feels. Her eyes try to absorb all that is in the room. Looking at the tree, she notices that upon the purple velvet and chiffon Christmas tree skirt, surrounded by packages in vibrant wrappings, are train tracks encircling the tree, and upon the moving train are figurines of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, complete with a flashing red nose, and Clarice, the long lashed, wide eyed doe with a red and white bow upon her head. Then at the far end of the room, she notices three stockings, but the one that stands out the most is pink and has a panda bear embroidered on it...knowing that stocking is for their unborn child, the sight of which makes her heart pound with adoration for the man standing beside her.

Breathlessly she says, "Rumple, thank you so much...for...for all of this...for making things so wonderful!", she wraps her arms around him, tears of joy dampening his jacket.

Holding her tightly to him, kissing the top of her head, he replies, "I would do anything for you, my Belle of many names.", as the snow continues to fall making their house a sparkling wonderland.

Author's Note: Well, Rumple and Belle are getting more intimate both emotionally and physically, and they got the first glimpse of their baby. Thoughts? BTW, anybody who knows me knows I hated the Lacey plot on OUAT, so I won't be embracing that plot, rather giving a nod to it in the next chapter, but with a very different outcome.

I had to take the opportunity to feature Rudolph references, since the character of Clarice in my other stories is partly inspired by how Rudolph's Clarice treated him with acceptance and fought for him. Belle's use of other names is winding down, as she is more accepting of who she is...after all, the name Isobel is close to Belle.

In this chapter, there were a lot of references to other TV shows and movies, beyond OUAT and Disney's "Beauty and the Beast", I wonder how many readers caught them. Anybody recognize something familiar about the elephant mentioned in the shop scene? Also, anybody catch what character, besides BatB's Cogsworth, my Cogsworth was based on?...here's a hint, it's another character played by David Ogden Stiers, who is the voice of Cogsworth in the BatB movie. Anyway, happy RumBelle anniversary and merry Re-Christmas! ;-) I hope everyone has a great Valentine's Day this weekend!
Please review this fic...guest reviews are fine. You don't need a FFnet account; I just like to read people's thoughts on my stories.