Hey everyone. Y'all seemed to be good with the idea of flashbacks in this story, so I'm going to start using them.

Disclaimer: I still don't own any of this.

Chapter 4 Progress and Questions

"Good news, Mr. Gold," the doctor said. "I just ran another test on Belle's brain function and it is looking really good. She's improving."

"Really?" Rumple asked.

"Yes," the doctor replied. "Quite rapidly, at that."

Rumple smiled for the first time in days. "Good."

The doctor nodded, then left.

"Hear that, darling?" Rumple said to Belle. "You're getting better."

He took her hand in his and kissed it.

He sighed. "It'll be alright, dear."

They sat silently for a moment, then suddenly Rumple felt movement on his hand. Belle's fingers moved.

"Belle," he breathed, shocked. "Doctor!" he called. "Nurse! She moved! Belle's fingers moved!"

The doctor rushed back in.

"That may have just been an involuntary movement," he explained "But I'll give her a more thorough exam anyway. If you could just step out and we'll get the tests done."

"Of course," Rumple said and stepped out. While he was at the hospital, he usually didn't want to leave Belle's side. But he was so over the moon that her finger moved that he would let the doctors do their jobs without too much of a hassle.

Rumple's heart was pounding in the excited way, and that sensation brought him back to the last time his heart pounded with nervous excitement.

It was just more than two years since the curse had broken. Rumple and Belle had been dating ever since the curse broke. It was a lovely spring evening and he was talking a walk with Belle.

"Well, Rumple," Belle began. "You cook me dinner yourself and now you take me on a romantic walk around town? I'm impressed."

Rumple chuckled. "You deserve the best, Belle."

Belle giggled. "I love you, Rumple."

"I love you, too, Belle," Rumple replied.

Belle took Rumple's arm and put it around her shoulders as she nestled next to him as they walked. They walked in blissful silence for a bit before Belle spoke up.

"Are we going to the library?" she asked, taking in the surroundings and recognizing them as the neighborhood the library is in.

"Yes we are," Rumple replied.

"Why?"

"You'll see," Rumple replied. "Belle, what do you think of marriage?"

Belle looked surprised. "I don't know," she said. "I want to be with you forever and I will love you forever, but I don't need a ring to prove that." She shrugged. "I know you were married before and you had a family before, so I always assumed you were not looking to get married again. Which is fine; marriage doesn't prove that we love each other. We know in our hearts that we're in love and that is enough."

"You're wrong, dear," Rumple said as he opened the door to the library and followed Belle inside. "I wasn't looking to be married when we first met, but I am not that monster anymore. If you still think I do not want to be married, you are wrong. I love you so much, Belle."

"Rumple…" Belle said, tearing up and starting to guess at where this was heading.

Rumple took her hand and led her to the middle of the library, where he had set up many candles and flowers in beautiful shades of yellow like the gown she wore when they first met, pale blue like the dress she often wore at Rumple's castle, and bright blue like her eyes.

He put his hand on her face and wiped away a tear with his thumb. "Belle," he began again. "For so long I didn't think myself worthy of love like yours. You brought a light, a joy, into my world that I had not experienced before. Your love changed me from beast to human, from coward to a man who will fight for what he wants. And I want you, Belle. I need you in my life forever. So please, my beautiful Belle, please do me the honor of being my wife."

He struggled to get down on one knee, moaning slightly as he put his weight on his bad leg. Once he was on one knee, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a box containing the ring with the blue stone.

"Belle French, will you marry me?"

Belle laughed with joy and nodded. "Yes," she said. "Yes. Of course!" She put on the ring.

She then went to her knees so she was level with him and passionately kissed him.

Caught off guard a bit, Rumple fell onto his back, and Belle fell on top of him. They both were laughing with excitement and pure joy as they continued to kiss.

Rumple's mind brought him back to the present moment. He stood outside the hospital room, looking in at the doctors working on Belle.

He sighed. "I need you, Belle," he said softly as he looked at her, unmoving.

-OUAT-

Neal walked into Emma's office at the police station and went right up to her desk.

"You didn't talk to me after you kicked me out of here yesterday," he said.

Emma looked up. "Some people knock before entering a room, you know."

Neal shrugged. "You know I've never been one for rules." He gave her that smile that used to make her go weak in the knees, but now just sent a stab of pain through her heart.

"Don't smile," she said sternly. "Sit."

Neal wiped away his grin and sat down.

"So August told you to stay away?" Emma asked. Neal nodded. "And you listened. I thought you weren't much for rules."

"That's not fair," Neal said. "You know him. He has a way of making you believe what he is saying, of making you believe that what he says is the absolute truth. He made it seem like he couldn't tell a lie."

"Well he is Pinocchio," Emma said.

Neal's eyes widened. "So the people here are actually fairy tale characters? Who are you?"

"I am the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming," Emma said.

"Wow," Neal said in a light tone. "And for twenty eight years, no one here knew?"

Emma nodded. "Henry was the one who figured it out."

Neal smiled a bit. "So he's a smart kid, huh? Figuring out the truth when no one else did."

Emma nodded. "Yeah, he's a good kid. Which is why I am not just going to let you see him whenever you want. I'm his mother-"

"I'm his father!" Neal interjected.

"I know," Emma said. "But I have to protect him."

"From me?"

Emma nodded. "You abandoned me, how do I know you won't do the same with him?"

"I left to protect you!" Neal said. "To help you! How many times do I have to say it before you understand?"

"It isn't just up to me," Emma said. "Emma's adoptive mother, Regina, gets a say too."

"I can't believe you gave him up for adoption." There was a lot of anger but even more hurt in his voice.

"I was eighteen years old, Neal," Emma said, on the defensive. "I was in jail. You were gone."

"But you know how bad the system is, Em!" Neal said. "You and I have both been in it. Being a kid in the system is the worst way to grow up. You let our child go through that?"

"No," Emma said. "The jail set me up with someone to adopt him. I never met her until I came here, but she got him when he was three weeks old."

"You abandoned him," Neal said. "I didn't even know about him. But you, you knew someone else would raise him and you know how bad that could go sometimes. And you're worried I'll abandon him? You already did." He got up and stormed out.

"Neal!" Emma called angrily. She got up and followed him. "Neal! You can't just say that and leave, that isn't fair!"

He ignored her and peeled out of the parking lot.

Sighing, Emma recalled a specific day from her past.

"Tallahassee, here we come!" Neal said excitedly as he pulled out of the motel parking lot.

Emma smiled. "I can't wait for the sun and the beaches. It rains too much in Portland."

"You can have anything you want in Tallahassee," Neal said. "We can stay there, instead of always running. We can have a house, or an apartment, or a cardboard box for all I care. We can have a home."

Emma's smile softened as Neal's words sunk in. "A home," she said. "I don't think I've ever had one before."

"Me neither," Neal said. "But me and you, babe, we're gonna have one."

Emma smiled again and took his hand that wasn't on the steering wheel. "I'd like that."

"Me too," Neal said. "And who knows, maybe one day we can get that house with the white picket fence, and we can get married and have a few kids and a dog."

"Whoa, slow down, Neal," Emma said.

He looked at her funny. "What, am I driving too fast?'

"No," Emma said. "Just..getting married and having kids and a dog. That's a lot."

"What's wrong with a lot?" Neal said. "For a couple kids like us who grew up with nothing, that seems pretty damn good." He chuckled.

Emma shrugged. "I've never had a mother or a good role model in my life. I wouldn't know how to be a good wife or mother."

"Well," Neal said. "I can't ever imagine being unhappy with you, so I don't think you'll be a bad wife. Besides, we make a great team! We haven't been caught yet."

Emma smiled and shook her head. "I thought the point of this was to be less Bonnie and Clyde and more Brady Bunch?"

Neal chuckled. "Look, Em, I know the idea of this happening is scary. And I'm not saying we do it right now, I'm just throwing it out as a possibility. But if it ever does happen, we'll do it together. I'll have your back and you'll have mine. We'll be good parents because we have each other."

Emma looked at him. "So, whatever happens in Tallahassee, we're in it together?"

Neal gave her hand a squeeze. "We're in it together."

-OUAT-

There was a knock on Snow's door. Roads in town were still being cleared of ice and debris from the storm, so Snow declared a delayed opening of the school for the day. Charming and Emma went to work at normal time, though, and Henry was with Regina, so Snow was home alone.

Snow opened the door. "May I help you?" she asked to the man standing in front of her. He was facing away from the door, so she only saw the back of him.

"Snow," the man said. He turned. "I was hoping for Emma, but you'll do."

"Hook," Snow said.

Before she could do anything, though, Hook swiftly reached into his bag, pulled out some sleeping powder, and threw it in Snow's face. She crumpled to the ground.

"My, my," Hook said. "It is quite rude to fall asleep when you have a guest."

-OUAT-

The bells on the diner door rang as Archie walked in.

"Archie," Ruby said happily. "Hey." She stepped out from behind the counter and kissed him hello. "I'll go get Granny. Have a seat."

The diner was empty of all people but Ruby, Archie, and Granny, who was in the kitchen but could see Ruby and Archie through the window.

Archie nervously sat down in a booth and waited until Ruby returned.

"Please Granny don't have the crossbow," he muttered to himself as he saw the women coming towards him. He got up when they got closer and greeted Granny. "Hello."

"Archie," she said, sitting down in the booth. Archie went in on the other side and Ruby sat beside him. Archie put his arm around Ruby's shoulders.

"So, Granny," Ruby began. "Thanks for meeting with us."

Granny nodded.

"We appreciate it," the younger woman added.

"Are you feeling better?" Granny asked.

Ruby was confused for a moment, then remembered that Granny thought she was sick when she missed work the other day. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine now."

"Because you've been acting oddly for a few days now," Granny began, turning her attention to Archie but still talking to Ruby. She gave Archie a mean stare. "And if it is his fault, you need to tell me. I can't remember the last time you called out from work. You haven't been alright."

"Granny, I told you, I'm fine now," Ruby said. "I promise."

"If I may," Archie spoke up. "I just want to say that I love Ruby, and I would never do anything that would hurt her. She is the best part of my world and I love everything about her, everything she is, and everything she will be."

He looked down at Ruby, who beamed brightly back up at him. Then she turned to Granny and spoke.

"Speaking of things I'm going to be," Ruby said. "Archie came today so we could tell you something. We're getting married and I'm pregnant. So, I'm going to be Archie's wife and we're going to be parents."

Granny nodded slowly. "I see."

Ruby and Archie exchanged a look. "Are you okay with this?" Ruby asked. "I mean, I'm getting married and I'm going to have a baby. That's kind of a big thing."

"It is," Granny agreed.

"Well, are you happy?" Ruby asked. "Are you excited?"

Archie could hear the fear in Ruby's voice; she thought that Granny didn't approve of this and was angry. Archie thought he knew what was going on though.

"Granny," he began. "We know this is a lot to take in. You might be a little bit in shock now, right?"

Granny nodded. "You're all grown up, now, Ruby."

"And that's a good thing," Ruby said, with a hint of a question in her voice. All she wanted was her grandmother's approval.

"Yes, yes, of course!" Granny said. She smiled. "I always knew the day would come when you would tell me you're getting married or having a baby. I didn't think it would be on the same day, but still. I knew this day would come but I never really prepared for it."

"But you're happy, right?" Ruby asked.

"Absolutely!" Granny said. She got out of the booth and held her arms open for a hug. Ruby got out of the booth and happily obliged hr grandmother, hugging her warmly. "Congratulations, Ruby."

"Thank you," Ruby said, smiling.

"You too, Archie," Granny said

Archie grinned and got out of the booth, then gave Granny a hug.

"You're a good man," Granny admitted. "You're the kind of man I wanted to be Ruby's husband and father of her children."

Archie smiled while blushing a bit. "Thank you."

Granny pulled back from the hug. "But if you ever hurt her or my great-grandchild, just know I still have the crossbow and I never miss."

Archie's eyes widened.

"Granny!" Ruby scolded. She turned to Archie. "She's joking."

"Okay," Archie said, still a little scared about the crossbow.

Granny went back into the booth, prompting Archie and Ruby to do the same.

"I suppose you have some questions?" Granny asked.

Ruby and Archie both nodded.

"How does my being a wolf affect this?" Ruby asked. "What happens if I turn?"

"You're pregnancy will be just like a human one," Granny said. "So it is safe to find a doctor, because it won't be unlike anything they've seen before."

Ruby nodded and breathed a sigh of relief.

"As for turning," Granny said. "I've heard things. I've heard that if a woman doesn't turn while she's pregnant, the wolf gene will be dormant in her child."

Ruby gasped and Archie looked surprised.

"How can that be true?" Ruby asked. "Has anyone ever found out for sure?"

"I don't know," Granny said. "All I know is that that is a theory. I used to know a wolf who was studying the wolf gene. She was going to test it but never got the chance."

"Why didn't she get the chance to test it?" Archie asked.

"Her village killed her," Granny said.

Ruby and Archie exchanged a concerned look.

The bells above the door to the diner rang as a customer walked in.

"I'll get this one," Granny said. "You two should talk. But, Ruby, the lunch rush is going to start soon, so I'm going to need you back soon."

Ruby nodded.

"And, really, congratulations," Granny said. She turned to go help the customer.

"This changes things," Ruby said to her fiancé.

"Does it?" Archie asked. "I thought you accepted that the baby will be a wolf."

"That was before this," Ruby replied.

Archie was about to respond, but the bells above the door rang again and another customer came in. Ruby got up.

"Look, there isn't a full moon tonight, or for another few days," Ruby said. "We've got some time to figure this out, okay? We can talk tonight when we get home."

"Okay," Archie said. He got up and gave Ruby a quick kiss. "Have a good day at work, Ruby."

"You too, babe."

-OUAT-

Snow woke up to darkness. Her hands were tied behind her back and she thought she was tied to a chair. She could feel something covering her eyes, but couldn't get it off.

"Hook!" Snow yelled.

"You called?" Hook said, removing the blindfold from Snow's eyes and showing himself to her.

"Untie me."

Hook smirked. "Cute," he said. "But no. You see, I have a qualm with your daughter, and since she has eluded me since I've been in this charming little town, so I decided to go for the next best thing."

"Stay away from Emma," Snow said. "Hook, you stay away from my daughter!"

"Or what?" Hook asked. "What can you do if you're tied up?"

Snow gave him a mean glare.

"Look, Snow, I don't have anything against you," Hook said. "And usually I like to keep my vengeance between me and the one who wronged me, but special circumstances call for special measures."

"How did you even get here?" Snow asked.

Hook laughed. "Wouldn't you like to know." Snow held her stare. "I don't know," he said. "All I know is that I just could enter town. Something drew me here, and I'm guessing it was your daughter Emma. Or that crocodile, Rumplestiltskin. Oh how I'd love to skin them both…but I've got to start somewhere."

He put the blindfold back over the Snow's eyes. Snow could hear his footsteps as he left the room.

"Hook!" she yelled. "Where are you going?!"

He stopped. "Why, I'm going Swan hunting," he said simply, then left.

Snow heard a door close and knew she was alone.

Where am I? she asked herself. I have to get out, I have to warn Emma. But where am I?

Snow tried to use her old skills and figure out where she was. She slowed her breathing, so it was so quiet she couldn't hear it and so slight that she didn't move. She closed her eyes in concentration.

Then she felt it.

The room was rocking. It was slight, only barely noticeable, but it was there.

Of course, she thought to herself. I'm on his ship.

-OUAT-

Rumple was at his usual seat, beside Belle's bed. He had taken to reading to her, which was what she was doing right then.

He looked up from the book and at his fiancée. "Belle, I know you hate when I interrupt books with my commentary, but I must say this Harry Potter truly does not know magic," he said. "At least, not the real magic that we know. Used to know. I must say, though, that you would love this Hermione character. I'm seeing why Henry suggested this book. Aside from the magical inaccuracies, it is a pretty gripping tale."

He was about to delve back into the novel when there was a knock on the door.

Rumple looked up. "Doctor," he said. He stood and put the book down on the chair. "Did the test results come back?"

The doctor nodded. "Yes, Mr. Gold, and I would like to discuss the results with you."

Rumple nodded. "Well, are they good?"

"Yes," the doctor said. "But also no. The good news is that her brain function is nearing normal at a much faster rate than I would have predicted. By the looks of these tests, she should be awake already."

"Why isn't she?" Rumple asked.

The doctor shook his head. "That is the bad news. We don't know."

"How can you not know?!"

"Mr. Gold," the doctor said. "I understand this is frustrating. The movement in her fingers this morning was most likely her brain trying to get back into regular function, which is a good sign. Usually, whole body function follows, but not yet for Belle."

"Can you tell when she'll awaken?" Rumple asked.

The doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry. Like I said, the tests show that she should be awake already. The science of comas is complicated enough, but when you throw in results like this, the best we can do is keep her stable and hope."

Rumple seemed to accept this. "Thank you," he said to the doctor, who then turned and left.

"Well, Belle," Rumple began, turning his attention back to Belle. "We shall hope."

He went to sit down and picked up the book.

"Magic," Rumple said softly to himself. He looked from the book, to Belle, then back to the book. "I could use magic."

"For what?" came a voice from the doorway.

Rumple looked up and saw Ruby standing in the doorway holding a bag from the diner.

"Nothing," Rumple replied. He held up the book. "I was just reading out loud to her."

"Ah," Ruby said, recognition showing on her face. "That's a good one. I particularly like Lupin."

"I haven't gotten to him, yet," Rumple said.

"Oh," Ruby said. "Sorry." She held up the bag. "I figured I'd stop by and bring you dinner, maybe stay with Belle a bit so you can go catch a shower or something."

"Catch a shower?"

"You know what I mean," Ruby said. "You need to take care of yourself. It is great that you don't want to leave her here, but at some point you have to. Have you even slept in a real bed the past few nights?"

"I'm fine," Rumple said.

"At least eat dinner," Ruby said. "Real food, not whatever you can get from the nearest vending machine. And I figured you were tired, so I got coffee, too."

Rumple gratefully took the bag. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Ruby said. "Look, I know you have…complicated relationships with pretty much everyone in town and everyone was really pissed at you when the curse first broke."

"No need to be subtle, Ruby," Rumple said sarcastically.

"That being said," Ruby continued. "You've proven to be good for Belle. She's a good person and she deserves to be with someone who is good. You gave up magic for her, and I can only guess how hard that was. She'll pull through, you have to believe that. She couldn't wait to be married to you, so she isn't going to let a coma stop her."

Rumple laughed. "Yes, Belle is a determined one."

Ruby smiled and nodded in agreement.

"But what are you doing here?" Rumple asked. "Really? I imagine you would want to go home to Dr. Hopper after a long day at the diner, yet you're here."

"What, I can't visit Belle?"

Rumple gave her a look.

Ruby sighed. "Not that it is any of your business," she began. "But I've got a lot on my mind today. I wanted to have some time to think before going home and talking about it with Archie. I don't want to fight with him."

"I didn't think Dr. Hopper was ever one to fight," Rumple said.

"I don't want a disagreement with him," Ruby said. "I just want to clear my head and have something be simple for once."

"This is simple?" Rumple asked.

"That isn't what I meant," Ruby said. "I just…I need time to think and usually when I need to think about something I'll talk it over with Belle or Snow, but Snow isn't answering her phone and I figured you could use a break anyway, so…"

"Well, since you're here," Rumple said. "I can tell you what the doctor said. Her tests show that she should be awake by now, but for some reason she isn't."

"Why not?" Ruby asked.

"No one knows," Rumple replied. After a moment, he spoke again. "You know what, I think I'll go take that walk. I think I saw a table outside that I could eat at."

"Okay," Ruby said.

Rumple left and walked down the hall. He looked calm, like simply a man going on a walk. But in his head, his mind was racing.

She should be awake, he thought. Why isn't she awake? If medicine can't wake her…maybe magic can.

Thus concludes chapter four. Please leave a review!