Author's note: Hi everybody! Thank you so much to my lovely readers, followers and reviewers. Some of the theories you guys have given me sound quite interesting, thanks for sharing them with me!

Well, here's chapter three. I admit, I kind of rushed many of the scenes in this chapter, as I really wanted the focus to be on Rumple and Belle's reunion. I wanted it to be sad, but hopeful, as Belle still doesn't remember anything.

Hope you enjoy it.

~..~..~..~..

Rumple breathed a sigh of relief as they drove out of Boston.

The flight from New York hadn't been as bad as the flight there, now that Rumple knew what to expect, however he was left with no great desire to fly on a plane again.

"We're almost home," Henry announced happily from the back seat of the car. This had been the coolest quest ever. He'd helped Mr. Gold find his son, who turned out to be his own father...

He had a father.

And he was coming to visit! Mr. Gold had got the text just as they'd landed in Boston: Neal and Tamara had booked their flights for the following day, had given notice at their work, and were just waiting for their weekly payment so they could pay the rent, and then, with luck, they'll be in Storybrooke by tomorrow afternoon!

"I still can't believe that my dad was a lost boy." Henry was finally able to gush everything he'd been forced to keep secret on the plane.

"Yes," Rumple murmured thoughtfully. "That was most unexpected. Especially as the Blue Fairy claimed the magic bean she gave him took him to a land without magic."

"But," Henry mused, "Neverland is full of magic."

"Exactly," Rumple felt a growl enter his voice. The Blue Fairy had lied to his son.

"Maybe Neverland is like a stopover between worlds?" Emma suggested.

"Did you stopover there when you came here from the enchanted forest?" Rumple asked her.

Emma's silence was all the answer Rumple needed.

'I think I need to have a chat with a little fairy when I get back,' Rumple thought as he drove.

~..~..~..~..

"We're home!" Henry announced as he opened the door to his mom's apartment.

"You're back!" Mary-Margret greeted happily, wrapping her grandson in a hug as Emma and Mr. Gold entered the room.

"Thank you, Gold," David said sincerely, "for taking care of my family."

"My deals are always honoured." Rumple answered guardedly. Looking around the room, he was surprised to see the Blue Fairy standing in the background.

"What is she doing here?" Rumple demanded. "No, never mind," he added before anyone could answer. "You're just the fairy I wanted to see."

"She was helping us to try and stop Regina and Cora from getting your dagger," Snow explained quickly as Henry and Emma dumped their bags on the couch. "With you gone, Blue was the only person left who had magic that could help us."

Rumple tore his eyes away from the fairy responsible for sending his son away to land on Snow White.

"And?" He whispered.

Snow took a breath. "With Blue's help, we were able to get the knife first-" she began.

"Give it to me," Rumple demanded.

"But then, Regina ripped out Snow's heart." Charming finished.

"What?" Henry and Emma demanded together

As Snow and Charming attempted to explain the events of the afternoon to an increasingly anxious Rumplestiltskin, no one noticed Blue's eyes being drawn to land on Henry's school bag...

She smiled.

"Cora has my dagger?" Rumple began to panic.

"But she doesn't know you're here yet," Snow was quick to reassure him. "You just need to lay low until we can get it back for you."

"She'll know soon," Rumple whispered, clutching his cane with both hands.

After a moment's thought, Rumple slowly brought his gaze up to meet David's.

"And Belle?" He asked. "Is she alright at least?"

"She fine," Charming assured him. "But she still doesn't remember anything, so she's still at the hospital. It's the only place familiar to her, so she's more comfortable there."

Nodding, Rumple turned for the door.

"You had better hope, for all our sakes, that we get the dagger back," Rumple told the room. "There's no telling what Cora will do, with the power of the Dark One at her command. I'd be a slave."

"We'll get your dagger back," Emma promised.

Rumple remembered the fairy in the room, and pointed his cane at her.

"You and I still need to have a little chat," he told her. "About that bean you gave my son."

"But not now," Blue stated calmly.

"No," Rumple agreed. "I have more important things to do first."

~..~..~..~..

Belle was reading the book Ruby had given her, in her hospital room, when she heard a knock at the door.

Looking around, Belle recognised the man who had visited her, a couple of days ago, trying to give her a chipped cup.

"Hey," he breathed.

"You," Belle whispered, and the man hesitated in the doorway like a timid dog.

"I apologise for scaring you, the last time I was here," the man said softly. "I just wanted to help you get your memory back. But I pushed you too hard, and I'm sorry."

Belle eyed the man who still stood in the doorway. This was the man who had healed her and held fire...

Maybe he could give her the answers no one else would give her.

"Can I come in?"

Cautiously, Belle nodded.

The man entered slowly, aided by a gold topped cane.

"Who are you?" Belle asked as he sat down opposite her.

The man swallowed.

"My name is Rumplestiltskin," he answered slowly. "But, most people here call me Mr. Gold."

"You were with me on the road," Belle stated.

"Yes," Mr. Gold nodded. "I was."

Belle was silent, now that the man she'd wanted to see was right in front of her, she was afraid to ask what she wanted to.

"I'm sorry I haven't come to see you, lately" Mr. Gold told her. "I've been out of town, searching for my son. I just got back. I was afraid that if I did come to see you," he added apologetically, "it would make you even more afraid of me."

Belle sat up straighter in her chair.

"Can I ask you something, Mr. Gold?" She put forward.

"You can ask me anything, Belle."

"Why do people keep calling me that?" She demanded angrily.

"Because that's your name," Mr. Gold's voice was still soft.

But Belle shook her head.

"No one's ever called me that before," she mumbled, shaking slightly.

"Then what have they called you?" Mr. Gold asked.

Thinking for a moment, Belle sighed before shaking her head in confusion.

"Nothing," she answered weakly. "I'm nothing. I don't know anything."

"Well, if you don't know your name," Rumple tried to keep Belle focused on the bright side, not wanting to see her upset, "Isn't it possible that your name could be Belle? You do need to have a name, you know."

Belle covered her eyes with one hand, before taking a deep breath. When Rumple was able to see her eyes again, he was saddened to see tears of confusion and frustration welling up in her eyes.

He held his cane tightly in both hands, resisting, the urge to reach out to her, difficult as it was. He didn't want to scare her again.

Sighing, Belle returned her gaze to the man before her, remembering her original question.

"When we were on the road," Belle began, her eyes searching Mr. Gold's desperately for an answer, "I was injured and you healed me."

"Yes, I did," Mr. Gold admitted.

Belle gasped. This was the first time someone other than Greg Mandel had confirmed what she'd seen.

"And then," she continued slowly. "You had a ball of fire in your hand."

"Yes, I did." Mr. Gold confirmed again.

"I'm not crazy?" Belle mumbled hopefully.

"No," Mr. Gold was quick to tell her. "You're perfectly sound of mind."

"But then," Belle shook her head in confusion. "How was that possible, what you did?"

Mr. Gold hung his head.

"I don't want to scare you again-"

"I won't get scared," Belle insisted. "I just want to know the truth."

"It's a long story..."

"I've got nothing better to do."

Mr. Gold smiled.

"Then I'll give you the condensed version, as best as I can."

Belle adjusted her position in her chair, ready for the story.

"Everyone in this town, Belle," Mr. Gold began carefully, "doesn't belong in this world."

"What do you mean?"

"We come from a different world. A world with magic."

"Magic?"

"The same magic that allowed me to heal you on the road," Mr. Gold gestured to Belle's shoulder.

"And to hold fire in your hand," Belle breathed.

Rumple nodded.

"Storybrooke, is the only place where magic exists in this world," Mr. Gold continued. "That's why it's so important for us to keep our town hidden from outsiders. Otherwise we could have tourist buses driving up the main street."

"But," Belle stammered, not understanding. "If none of us are from here, then how did we get here?"

"The Evil Queen of our homeland, Regina," Mr. Gold explained slowly, "used a curse that I had created, to take us all from our home to this place," he gestured out the window.

"Why?" Belle asked, still appearing skittish.

"Why did she bring us here, or why did I create the curse that did?" Mr. Gold clarified.

"Both."

Smiling, Mr. Gold took a breath.

"I had lost my son many years before," Mr. Gold began. "He had fallen through a portal to this place, and I spent years trying to find him, until I found the curse that would take me to the land where he'd escaped to."

"Here?"

Mr. Gold nodded.

"Now, while I had found the curse, I couldn't cast it myself," he continued. "Regina, however, could. She wanted to separate her enemies from the things they loved, and so it was she who cast the curse and brought us all to this place, where time was frozen and magic was gone from our lives."

Mr. Gold took another breath.

"Until," he continued, "after twenty eight years, Emma Swan, the child of Snow White and Prince Charming, arrived. Having been sent to this world before the curse struck, she'd been saved, and it was she who came and broke the curse."

"Everyone in town then remembered who they had been, remembered our homeland. Including you, Belle." Mr. Gold studied Belle's face, hoping to see a flicker of remembrance, understanding...something.

"But, there was a problem. Anyone who had tried to leave Storybrooke while the curse was active, ended up having an accident. No one could leave. Now that the curse is broken, anyone who crosses losses the memory of who they were in our homeland, and their cursed self becomes their only self."

"But," Belle insisted, "you just said that you were out of town, looking for your son."

"Yes," Mr. Gold nodded. "When the curse broke, I brought magic to this place. And I used it to create a talisman for myself, to allow me to cross the town line, and keep my memory."

Belle frowned slightly as she regarded the man before her.

"When I went to the line to test it on myself, you were with me, Belle," Mr. Gold informed her slowly. "That's how you got on the road, that night."

"And," Belle said hesitantly, "I got hurt."

Mr. Gold nodded. "An enemy of mine, Hook, had followed us there," he explained. "And when my talisman worked, he shot you in the shoulder, causing you to fall across the town line and lose your memories."

"So, what I saw on the road that night," Belle whispered. "Was real?"

"Yes." Mr. Gold told her. "It was real. Magic is real."

Belle swallowed nervously.

"But," Belle's voice shook. "Sh-she told me that what I saw came from the medicine I was taking."

"Who?"

"Ruby," Belle answered slowly. "She said she was my friend."

"She is," Mr. Gold said pensively. "Ruby's your best friend, here."

"Then why wouldn't she tell me the truth?" Belle demanded.

"I can ask her if you like?"

"No." Belle was determined to get the truth, one way or the other. "Either you're lying to me, or Ruby is."

"Everything I've told you is the truth, Belle," Mr. Gold said earnestly, keeping his voice soft and low, as if he were trying to calm a skittish horse.

"Then prove it," Belle demanded. "Show me."

Mr. Gold shook his head.

"Last time I tried, you became terrified," he stammered slightly.

"Show me," Belle insisted in a firmer voice. "Please."

Raising one hand slowly, Mr. Gold flicked his wrist, and in a puff of purple smoke, a long stemmed rose appeared in his hand.

Belle gasped.

"Here," Mr. Gold offered the rose to her. "If you'll have it?"

Timidly, Belle reached out to take the rose in hand.

"Thank you," she whispered slowly, staring at the rose in wonder.

"What you saw, and everything I've told you, was true," Mr. Gold told her earnestly. "You're not crazy, darling."

Belle took her eyes off the rose in her hand to meet Mr. Gold's eyes.

"Darling?" She repeated.

Mr. Gold closed his eyes. He'd gone too far, he knew it.

"You..." Belle breathed, her eyes becoming anxious, "You said I was with you when you were testing your...talisman?"

Mr. Gold nodded. "Yes."

"So...we knew each other? Before?" Belle asked. A mixture of fear, hope and confusion in her eyes.

Mr. Gold nodded again. "Yes," he whispered.

Belle appeared to be wrestling with herself before taking a breath.

"How did we know each other?" She asked.

Mr. Gold closed his eyes.

"I don't want to scare you again," he whispered.

"Tell me," Belle insisted. "Please. I want the truth."

Mr. Gold raised his eyes to Belle's again, smiling sadly.

"We love each other," he told her gently, fearful of her reaction, but unwilling to lie to her.

Belle began to breathe hard, and she looked down at the rose in her hands.

"But," she sobbed, "I don't know you. I don't even remember you."

"I know you don't remember," Rumple tried to soothe with his words, as he was afraid she would panic at his touch. "And I'm not going to try and force you to." He smiled reassuringly. "The last thing I want to do now, is to make you afraid of me."

Belle watched the man's face as he appeared to get his thoughts in order.

"After I found my son," Mr. Gold began carefully, "I nearly died. And one of my biggest fears was that I would never see you again, Belle."

"But now I can see you," he whispered, smiling. "And I'm so grateful for that. And I promise Belle," he vowed sincerely, "I will help you get your memories back. But I'll help you find yourself in your own time. This time, I won't push you."

Mr. Gold took a deep breath before exhaling.

"Magic can't fix everything," he whispered. "No matter how much I may want it to."

There was silence for a few moments as Rumple allowed Belle time to try and absorb all the information she'd been given.

But Rumple knew there was still once last thing he had to tell her.

"Belle," he whispered, taking her hand gingerly, and felt relief when she didn't pull away.

"I know you've had to take in a lot of information," Rumple began slowly, "and I don't want to overwhelm you, but there's something very important you need to know."

Belle eyed him warily.

"What?"

Rumple took a breath. "You know I can do magic," he told her and she nodded, glancing at the rose in her hand. "Well, I'm not the only one."

Belle's eyes widened.

"Regina and her mother Cora can do magic too," Rumple told her, keeping his voice soft and holding her gaze. "And they have something very precious of mine, which they could use to make me a slave."

"What is it?" Belle asked, curious.

"A dagger," Rumple told her simply.

"A dagger?" Belle repeated, sounding sceptical.

"It's magic," Rumple explained.

Belle closed her eyes, frowning, and Rumple realised that it was time for him to leave.

"And I think that's enough information for you for today, Belle." He told her gently as he stood up slowly. "I don't want to overwhelm you."

Rumple had just made it to the door when he heard a chair shift.

"Mr Gold?"

He turned to see that Belle had stood up, holding her rose to her chest.

Belle cleared her throat.

"Will you come back tomorrow?" She asked timidly. "If you can," she amended.

Mr. Gold turned back into the room, one hand still on the door. Hope filled his eyes.

"You want me to come back?"

Belle averted her gaze awkwardly at the intensity of his eyes.

"I...have more questions," she replied.

"Of course you do," Rumple smiled. "And I promise to answer all of them as best as I can."

"So, see you tomorrow, then?" Belle asked.

Mr. Gold nodded.

"See you tomorrow."

'I hope,' he added to himself as he walked out the door.

~..~..~..~..

Rumple reached his shop as night fell. He knew that the best way for him to stay safe from Cora's control was to not allow Cora to know he was back in town.

But he knew that that wouldn't last long. He had the night, at least, to prepare.

It had been a risk, seeing Belle. Rumple knew that. But he still had needed to see her. He was glad that he was able to at least let her know the truth, and that he cared about her.

He smiled to himself as he remembered how she had accepted the rose he offered her.

Rumple hoped he still had a chance with his son. Maybe he still had a chance with Belle?

There was just one thing that could get in the way of that, however...

Hurrying into his office, Rumple began gathering the things he needed.

He would stay up all night if he had to...he was not going to allow Cora to enslave him.

It was time to work some magic.

~..~..~..~..

Blue hurried up the steps of the Storybrooke convent, where she and the other fairies lived.

"Everyone!" She called out as she passed. "Meet in the dining hall, I have news!"

After a few minutes of waiting, every fairy in Storybrooke was assembled.

Blue stood at the head of the dining room, gazing out over the faces of her fellow fairies. Magical beings trapped in a world without magic.

"I bring bad news," Blue began. "As you know, Regina and her mother, Cora are in Storybrooke and they seek to continue their reign of darkness, even in this world. And today, I learnt how they are going to achieve their goal: by gaining control of the Dark One himself."

A ripple of fear spread throughout the hall, as the fairies began whispering fearfully to each other.

"But worry not," Blue continued, and a hush fell quickly, "for I also bring good news. The preparations we made before the curse was cast upon our world have come to fruition." Blue held up the object she had been hiding in her sleeve since she was at the Charming's home.

The gathered fairies gave a collective gasp at the sight of the glowing, blue, fairy wand that their leader held up.

"Our lost sister has come through for us, and has sent us our first sign of hope. Hope for our people to regain our power and defeat the evil that is amongst us. Soon," Blue continued with a smile, "our lost sister will return to us, and with her, our wands and our magic. Then, we will have the power to uphold the greater good, as we have always done."

Blue smiled as cheers of relief echoed through the hall, before turning her gaze to her wand.

It still fit her hand perfectly.

Unable to resist the temptation, Blue waved her wand across the dining table, creating a beautiful spread of food, complete with table cloth, napkins and candlesticks.

Blue sighed with relief as the other fairies applauded happily.

She had her power back.

~..~..~..~..

Author's note: So, what do you think?

I've always thought that, while generally a good person, the Blue Fairy liked her power just as much as the other magicians did, and I was sure that she would have been missing her fairy wand lately.

The Blue fairy was one of the first people to realise that magic had arrived in Storybrooke in episode 1, so I figured she'd be able to sense it. So, I also thought that she would know her own wand anywhere, even hidden in Henry's bag...

Though, I don't kow how a wand would have made it through airport security, so that's why I started the chapter after they landed.

But most importantly: what did you think of the Rumbelle reunion? I knew Belle would be still wary of Rumple, but I thought her curious nature and her desire for answers would be what would allow Rumple to talk to her. And, after seeing how his son lectured him on using magic to fix everything, I figured Rumple would be a lot more gentle, and instead try for 'honesty of the heart', rather than magic.

Next chapter: Neal and Tamara arrive, and Cora and Regina realise that Rumple's back in town.