Hi! Welcome baaaack. Some nice fluffy fluff going on in this chapter. It won't all be like this though. Not sure how long this story will be. I mostly just wanted to write some sweet stuff that would fit into the overall plot of the show. I'd love to know what you think!

Oh I also wanted to address this… I'm not having Gold call Belle "Dearie". The reasoning, he seemed to only ever use the work in mocking, when he was messing with people, or demining them. It's not a term of endearment; it's an insult for people who are beneath him. He didn't call Belle dearie AT ALL during their happy time in the castle. It's because he liked her, he didn't think she was beneath him. She was his equal. (okay weird word placement rant over ENJOY!)

-Anna

Belle stood across the room. Her hair swept back, out of her face. She was unblinking, staring at him. Still clutching the cup, she took a step towards him.

He took a step back, "B-Belle?"

"It's me."

"I don't understand. What are you doing here?" He stammered.

"Well, I assumed you had something to do with this mess," she gestured around, "I figured I'd show up and ask you straight out. If you understood, I could ask you what the blue hell is going on. And if not, you could put me back in that loony-bin where I would obviously belong."

"But, you… you were…" She cut him off.

"Terrified?"

He exhaled a "Yes."

"If things line up the way I wanted them too. It would be best for Regina, and everyone else for that matter, to think that I was. I'm quite pleased things seem to be going according to plan."

"But, you're not? Scared of me?" He asked with such a hope in his voice, it made her sigh.

She smiled again, "Of course not."

Gold ran a hand over his face and through his hair. He squeezed his eyes shut. Partly in hope that he would open them and this would be a dream. Just another painful, horrid dream. When he opened them again and saw her standing there, her head cocked to the side slightly. Her eyes asking, 'are you okay?' He knew that if this was a dream he never, ever wanted to wake up.

He moved towards her then. Belle set the cup down on the coffee table and in two steps closed the distance between them. She threw her arms around his neck and pressed her face into his chest. His free hand wound tightly around her waist and he pressed his face into her hair.

"I can't believe you're here," He whispered.

"I can't either."

She pulled away slightly, still holding on tightly. She observed how his eyes had changed, that they were more human than before. But they still looked at her the same way, with a kind of reverence. When he looked at her like that, she felt wanted, safe, important.

"I thought you were dead," he breathed.

"I was, in a way. Can we talk?" she asked.

Gold nodded and led her over to the couch. She sat and curled her legs under her. When he had settled, setting his cane aside, she took his hands in hers.

"Tell me everything."

He regaled her with the curse. How Regina had managed to enact it, that it was all to get back at Snow White.

"No one was supposed to remember who they really are. Which is why I'm a little more than shocked that you are sitting here on my couch asking these questions," he said almost sarcastically.

She smirked, "Well it's not my fault you like to experiment with all things dangerous." He smiled at her and let out a small laugh.

She looked away for a moment, "Why did you think I was dead?"

He felt the words catch in his throat, but her warm hand squeezed his own in reassurance.

"The Queen, Regina, told me that after your father," he seethed the words out from between his teeth, "locked you away that you had… ended your own suffering."

As he spoke, Belle's eyebrows knit together and he mouth opened in confusion. Her eye closed and she shook her head slightly.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

She looked him square in the eyes, "Alright, I'm going to tell you. But you have to promise that you're not going to blaze out of here raising fire and brimstone in your wake. It would ruin everything that I've worked for, planned for."

He steeled himself and nodded.

Belle took a deep breath, "I haven't seen my father since I left his home with you. He didn't lock me away. I don't' know where you got that information, although I must say I have a pretty good idea. My father didn't lock me away Rum. The Queen did."

Belle had just told him that she wasn't frightened of him. But, had she believed that the look on his face was in anyway directed at her. She would have fled the room screaming. She grabbed his face with both hands, "Stop, there isn't anything you can do about it."

"The hell there isn't. I can grind her bones into some wonderful bread."

"Please," Belle whispered, desperate for him to understand.

"Explain to me what happened. Every detail," he growled.

She nodded. This time, it was he who took her hands in his. He slowly slid her hands off his face, reveling in the feel of her fingertips on his cheeks.

"After I left… I wandered around staying in a few different places. I guess I was headed home, but I don't remember much about that time. My thoughts were… otherwise occupied."

He gripped her hands tighter.

"One night, she just appeared, right in front of me. Next thing I knew I was in some dank dungeon tower. I heard whispers from the guards. About the curse, but I could never fully make it out. Then suddenly, it was different. I woke up not in a stone cell, but a padded one. My clothes were different. Even the air smelled different. It was all wrong."

"But I remembered the stone cell and the smell of air and tea and roses. I don't know why, but I did. So when Regina asked me, I told her the truth. I called her 'your majesty' and asked for my father… and for you… of course when the nurses heard that, it was all over. They gave me horrible 'medicines', telling me that they would help with my thoughts and bring me back to 'reality'. It didn't take me long after that to understand that I shouldn't talk about those kinds of things. Regina visited every so often and it became clear to me that she was behind my imprisonment."

"I'm so sorry. My Belle, I'm so so sorry," Gold choked out.

"It's not your fault. Rum, I know we didn't leave things in exactly a positive light. But, I knew, still know, deep down that if you knew I was in danger or in pain… you would have found me. You didn't know."

"I should have. I should have known she was lying to me."

"Shh, it's alright," she stroked his hair.

"How do you not hate me? No matter what you say, this is my fault. I took you from your home. I… I cast you out of mine."

"I was angry with you. So angry… you broke my heart. You were selfish and a coward. I wanted so badly to never think of you again. The Queen changed that. Why would she want me unless… unless you still wanted me, missed me. If you had meant what you said, that last day, I would have been just another face in the crowd to her. But, I wasn't. She wanted to use me to get to you. And well, I certainly couldn't let that happen. I hated your choices, but I forgave you for them a long time ago."

He couldn't look at her any longer. He stared at the wall. For just a moment, his own self-loathing for what he had done to Belle was out shown by his hatred of that woman.

And Belle, bless her, just sat there. She let everything sink in at his own pace. She rubbed circles with her thumbs over the tops of his hands, very slowly, and rested her head on his shoulder. To learn in one day what you have believed was truth for 30 years was all a lie that, what you dreamed about could actually become reality; the weight of it almost crushed him.

After a while Belle spoke, "I have to go."

His gaze was immediately on her, "No, please. I'm sorry; it's just a lot to take in. Do you have more questions?"

She smiled a sad smile, "I would love nothing more than to stay with you all night and let you stare at the wallpaper. But, if Granny were to find me missing in the morning, that might cause a stir."

He understood, "You have to keep up the façade"

"Yes," she spoke with conviction.

"I don't know what is harder. Believing you were terrified of me, or knowing you're not and not being able to do anything about it either way."

"I'll come back when I can, at night, when everyone else is asleep."

He nodded already dreading her absence. She rose from the couch. He stood up with her and held her hand. She started to move away and fear gripped him. What if he never saw her again? What if she couldn't come back. What if her plan failed and Regina discovered the truth?

Rumpelstiltskin was done with regrets.

"Belle," he said, pulling her arm slightly.

She turned, "Yes?"

He let go of her hand and cradled her face in his hands. A rosy blush covered her cheeks. He pulled her close and slowly pressed his lips into hers. They were soft and warm, exactly as he had remembered. Their lips moved together for a moment before he pulled away. No curse, no pain, just Belle and her radiant smile that was now spreading all over her face.

"I'll see you soon," she whispered.

It wouldn't be soon enough. He quivered a smile in response and slowly released her from his arms.

He watched her disappear with a wink into his basement. He heard the distinctive squeak of his storm cellar door open and shut.

Clever girl.