XX

Belle yawned as she slowly came awake, a frown marring her smooth brow as she tried to identify the sound which had disturbed her. From the light coming in through the curtains, she knew it was close to dawn, and entirely too early for her to be awake. A quick glance over her shoulder through bleary eyes showed her beloved sound asleep, his nose buried in the soft curls gathered at her nape. The little fingers wrapped around her left arm tightened as Baelfire snuffled softly in his sleep, drawing her attention to him. His other hand was wrapped securely in the soft fur of his bear, which he'd brought with him when he'd crawled into bed with them.

She pulled her little son closer – without waking him – and softly kissed his smooth cheek, happiness washing over her. When Lucern had married the previous year, she'd been so ecstatic for him. Her brother had deserved every bit of the happiness Lyssa brought to his life. But she couldn't help but find herself feeling the sharp sting of jealousy. She'd wondered why she had never been able to find the same for herself.

A husband and children hadn't been as high on her list of priorities as her duty to her kingdom or the knowledge she sought in her books. Her father had despaired as well as she'd continued to grow older and hadn't found anyone she wanted with which to share her life. Thankfully, however, Maurice was more concerned with his children finding their own happily ever after than forcing them to marry to produce heirs.

Now, she often found herself thanking the gods for finally sending her not just a man who fed her soul with joy and love, but also a son … a son who accepted her as his mother even if she hadn't given birth to him herself. He needed her just as much as she did him. Bae and Rumpelstiltskin were her entire world, and she couldn't wait for them to marry and begin their lives together as husband and wife.

She smiled as soft lips brushed over her nape. "It's still early," she whispered. "Go back to sleep."

He made a soft sound of pleasure at the back of his throat as he nuzzled at her neck and caressed her belly through the thin nightdress she wore. "Then why aren't you sleeping, my princess," he purred contentedly.

She kept her voice whisper soft. "It seems our son is having trouble adjusting to our new home."

The spinner lifted his head and peered over her shoulder through the dim light in their room to see Baelfire nestled on Belle's other side. "Why didn't you wake me when he crawled into bed with us?"

"Because he's a sneaky little cherub, and I didn't even notice," she chuckled. "It's fine, my love. I don't want you to scold him for it. If he's feeling insecure and needs us in the night, I want him to know he's welcome in our bed."

Rumpelstiltskin pressed a lingering kiss to her cheek, his heart filled with love for the woman in his arms. "You're such a good mother, Belle."

"I'm trying, Rum. It's rather easy when we have such a wonderful little boy to call our own, yeah?"

He stretched and leaned up to squint at the ornate clock on the night table. It was already after six and they had quite the day ahead of them. If he went back to sleep now, it would just make him feel more tired and grumpy because of it. Several floors below, he could hear the castle stirring to life. "Would you like me to ring for tea?" he asked, his hand idly tracing her side.

"Mmm," she hummed. "That sounds lovely. Jefferson should be here soon so the two of you can get an early start." Her eyes followed him as he crossed the room to ring the bellpull. "Are you certain you don't want me to accompany you?"

He shook his head as he tied the sash of his dressing robe. "No, I want to do this on my own, dear one," he said with a grin. "I want to prove my competence."

"Rum, you don't have to prove anything to anyone," she protested.

"Perhaps I need to prove to myself I can do this."

Belle wrangled her arm away from Baelfire's fierce grip and propped herself up on her elbow. "You're going to do grand, my love."

Rumpelstiltskin's cheeks flushed a light shade of pink under her praise. "I shall try not to disappoint you."

"As if you could," she scoffed.

Bae rolled over, abandoning his bear to throw his arm around his mother's waist. "Mornin', Mama."

Belle leaned over and kissed his soft cheek. "Good morning, my angel. Did you sleep well?"

The boy nodded. "I had a bad dream, but it went away when I found you," he murmured, ducking his head against her shoulder. "Is that ok, Mama?"

"Of course, it is, darling. I think you had a bad dream because you're in a new place. Soon you'll see there's no monsters lurking in the shadows and be able to sleep in your own bed," she said gently.

He gave her a warm hug, happy she hadn't been angry with him for seeking them out in the night, and sat up to smile at his father. A soft knock sounded at the door and Rumpelstiltskin crossed the room to unlock the door.

Ruby managed a stiff curtsey as she entered the room. "M'lord," she acknowledged. She stopped midstride, nearly stumbling, her eyes wide as she took in the princess lounging in the middle of Rumpelstiltskin's bed. "Highness! Um … ah …" she stammered.

Belle chuckled. "Good morning, Ruby," she greeted, rising and reaching for her dressing robe. She ignored the girl's astonishment and moved to the sitting area to pour tea.

Bae hurried after her, rubbing his eyes. "Sticky buns!" he exclaimed, kneeling next to the coffee table and draping a linen napkin over his lap before reaching for one to put on his plate.

"Rumpel, darling, come have tea with us before you begin dressing," she called to him, stirring a measure of sugar and lemon into his cup. "Ruby, has Mr. Madsen arrived yet?"

"Yes, highness," she answered, clasping her hands before her as she awaited further instruction. "He was just arriving as I was on my way up. He's brought his daughter along as well."

"Oh, good. I was hoping he would. I think Grace will get along well with Bae." She smiled at her son. "Would you like some company on your ride with Thorrin this morning?"

"Is she nice?" the boy asked, picking apart his sticky bun, his fingers coated with cinnamon and sugar.

"She's very nice. And not much older than you are."

"I guess it would be alright, Mama," he nodded, looking to his father for his opinion.

Rumpelstiltskin took the cup Belle offered and sat down next to her on the settee. "It will be nice to make new friends, Bae." He sipped gingerly from his cup as his fingers curled idly in his beloved's long unbound locks.

Baelfire shrugged and finished off his pastry before asking to be excused. "Have fun today, Papa!" he chirped as he hurried to the door. He was looking forward to meeting the girl and wanted to dress and go downstairs. "See you at noon, Mama."

Ruby fidgeted, casting furtive glance at the princess. She had been more than a little surprised to answer the new lord's summons only to find Belle in bed with him. "Highness, if you wish, I could lay out your clothes for the day? Micah should be along soon to help m'lord dress."

"Where is Olivia?" Belle asked curiously as she plated a bun for her to share with Rumpelstiltskin. "I thought she would be serving me this morning."

"She's … um … otherwise occupied," the young maid hedged.

Belle hid a smile behind her hand as she stared at Ruby. "Uh oh. Who did Granny find her with … Merrick or Gawain? Oh, don't look at me like that," she chortled. "I know she fancies them both."

Ruby couldn't hide her smirk. "It was Gawain, I believe. Granny wasn't forthcoming with the 'who' of it all. She set Liv to scrubbing out all the hearths on the third floor. Figured she wouldn't be wanting to let the knight steal kisses if she was filthy and grimy."

Rumpelstiltskin chuckled around a bite of warm sticky bun. "Gaston will surely have to have words with Gawain this morning. I'm surprised we can't hear his guffaws from the floor below."

Ruby flushed bright red at the mention of Gaston. It didn't go unnoticed by Belle. She turned to Rumpelstiltskin and pressed a sticky kiss to his lips before rising to her feet. "I'm going to get dressed, darling. Jefferson will meet you in the foyer within the hour, I'm sure"

"Belle …" he murmured as he rose unsteadily and caught her hand. "Do you really think –"

Her hand rose to cup his stubbled cheek, her eyes soft as she met his gaze. "You're going to do fine, my love. Jefferson is a good man … if a bit eccentric. I think you'll get on quite well." She leaned up to brush her lips to his. "Relax and be yourself." He shivered as her cheek pressed to his and her warm breath fanned over the shell of his ear. "I'll be waiting for you."

He watched her go, feeling the confidence surge in his chest. He could do this … for her. A smile bloomed on his lips as he took up his cane and disappeared behind his dressing screen.

*.*.*

Rumpelstiltskin traversed the long corridors and various staircases leading from their tower suite, thankful Belle had insisted he continue to use his cane. His ankle was so much better than it had ever been since he'd injured it the first time, but so much disuse had weakened it. It would be a while before he could discard the cane for good. He reminded himself to hold his head high, mimicking the behavior of the nobles residing in Avonlea in the king's court instead of keeping it meekly lowered as was his habit.

Tension built in his shoulders as he nodded to yet another servant in passing. The sheer amount of 'm'lords' he'd heard that morning had the pressure building behind his eyes. Did it matter that he didn't want to be known to everyone as the lord of the manor? He just wanted to be Belle's husband and Baelfire's papa … just Rumpelstiltskin. But he would always do what was best for his family. As a lord, he was worthy to be the princess's husband. He gave himself a mental shake.

Belle would scold him if she could hear his thoughts. She had fallen in love with a peasant and in her heart, it was a peasant she would marry without a qualm. He couldn't help the smile which bloomed on his lips as he pictured her in his mind's eye. It didn't take a genius to know he'd merely existed before he'd met Belle. He hadn't truly begun to live until she'd so thoroughly claimed his heart.

"G'mornin' m'lord," a petite little blonde maid chirped as he came upon her in the main hall. She dipped into a curtsey and smiled warmly. "Mr. Madsen is in the blue salon."

"Thank you … ah –"

"Amelia, m'lord."

"Thank you, Amelia. It's going to take me a while to learn all of your names," he said apologetically. The girl pointed him in the right direction, executed a quick curtsey and returned to her dusting.

Jefferson Madsen, the estate manager, was nothing like what he'd expected when he entered the salon. He was young, somewhere in his mid-thirties, with an amiable smile and a ready handshake. "M'lord," he greeted. "Jefferson Madsen at your service."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Mad – "

"Please, call me Jefferson."

The spinner let go of the man's hand and nodded. "Alright," he agreed. "And since we'll be working together, feel free to call me Rumpelstiltskin."

Jefferson's lips spread wide in a Cheshire grin. "That's quite a mouthful. Your father not like you to give you such a tongue twister of a name?"

Rumpelstiltskin eyed the man, taking his measure and liking what he saw. "Actually, yeah. He was a right foul bastard," he said, wondering how Jefferson would take his bluntness.

He tilted his head to the side in surprise and then huffed a short laugh. "Mine was no prize either, to be honest. Which is why after my wife died, I made a vow to do everything in my limited power to make a good life for my daughter, Grace. She was rather excited to go riding this morning with your son."

"You met my Baelfire?"

Jefferson's grin widened. "Indeed. He's a charming little scamp. I'm sure he and my Grace will get along famously." He motioned towards the door with an elegant hand. "Shall we? I thought it would be good to have a look at your holdings and then tomorrow we will go over the books."

The earl followed the man as they made their way out into the courtyard where a small carriage awaited. Gaston stood nearby, ready to mount Storm and lead them off into the village. Once Rumpelstiltskin was seated, Jefferson took up the reins, the gentle mare stepping into a brisk trot.

Jefferson turned off the coast road leading up to the palace, the cobbles near the castle tapering off onto a well-maintained dirt track as it led into a small forest. "Dunsmore is quite prosperous," he said, noticing Rumpelstiltskin's wary searching gaze as his eyes strayed over and over again to the dense foliage. "We've no problems with bandits here. Though, I daresay, you could probably have no difficulty beating them off with that cane."

Rumpelstiltskin chose not to answer. He had never been the violent type; one of the reasons why he'd been such a pitiful specimen – at least in his own self-loathing opinion – to draft into the ogre war. However, he knew if his family were threatened, he would take up arms to protect them without a second thought. Madsen chose to take the long way around the village, pointing out crops of rich green tea, wheat, corn, and various root vegetables. Acres upon acres of bountiful crops flourishing under the morning sun.

"This is a farming village, more or less, though we do have a few fishermen who live here. Market day is especially busy as the outlying villages of Tannen and Lassiter flock to Dunsmore to sell their wares."

The spinner's gaze was enraptured by the bounty before him. "It seems our king brings prosperity to everything he touches."

"Actually, Dunsmore belongs to our princess. It is her good works which have so touched this land."

Rumpelstiltskin's brows shot up. "I knew of her works with the orphanage, but – "

Jefferson nodded, keeping his eyes on the road. "The old earl – King Maurice's younger brother – died when the twins were about sixteen. The king wanted to give the holding to our prince, but changed his mind. Instead he added it to Belle's dowry and taught her everything she needed to know about being it's mistress. She would spend part of each month here at Dunsmore castle to learn everything she could about being a landowner and benefactor to the village so she could help her future husband. She hired me as her estate manager not long after I'd moved here."

Rumpelstiltskin felt some of his tension and unease melt away, and he settled more comfortably against the fine leather seat of the carriage. Belle knew everything there was to know about Dunsmore, and it seemed Jefferson did too. He would have no trouble learning all he needed to know with them at his side.

Jefferson pointed the carriage in a new direction, bringing them down a lane filled with a multitude of colorful cottages, most with their own little vegetable patch and some with well-tended flower beds. The man pointed to a cottage with lavender and white wisteria growing on one side. "That's my home there," he said proudly. His smile turned wistful. "I still remember the day I brought my Alice home and carried her over the threshold."

Rumpelstiltskin's brow knitted in sympathy. "How long ago did you lose her? Belle mentioned it was just you and Grace."

Jefferson glanced over at the earl, his eyes growing misty. "Grace was three, so seven years this spring. We had an unexpectedly cold winter that year. It was nearing the beginning of March and it snowed, if you'd believe it. Quite uncommon in this region. My Alice had gone to help one of our neighbors with her first child. She fell ill a few days later; pneumonia the doctor said."

The earl nodded. "I'm terribly sorry for your loss," he said. He didn't even want to think of what he'd become if something happened to his Belle.

Jefferson urged the horse back into a trot and led them towards the center of town. "So, what of you. Rumor has it you were just a poor spinner before coming to work for our princess, and then by a twist of fate you saved her brother. Must've been quite a change for you."

Rumpelstiltskin huffed a short breathy laugh. "You don't know how much, my friend. Did you also happen to hear how she acquired me as her servant?"

"No. I don't think anyone knows that story," he said, casting the spinner a curious glance.

"Perhaps later, I might share that story with you," Rumpelstiltskin said as Madsen brought the carriage to a halt before the stables.

"I look forward to it. After I've shown you around a bit, we can indulge in some mead at the tavern."

Gaston dismounted beside them and tossed a coin to the stable lad to care for the carriage and his great black steed. "So where to first?" the knight asked, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

Jefferson tipped his hat at a passing blonde. "Good morning, Mrs. Olsen." The woman smiled and nodded, returning the greeting before continuing on her way. He squinted against the morning sun and led the men towards the apothecary. Next was the bakery, the milliner, the tailor – he skipped the seamstress shop and the orphanage, leaving that for Belle to show him when she ventured to town with her betrothed on a future trip.

"What's this shop?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, peering into a dark shop which was clearly vacant. It wasn't as well-maintained as the others and the windows were coated with grime.

Jefferson stopped and tilted his head to the side. "It was once a spinner's shop. It's been closed about five years now. The master spinner fell for a weaver's daughter in Lassiter and they married. Her dowry was a part of her father's business. His apprentices were shipped off to Avonlea to work for the king and no others showed interest in reopening the shop."

"But the craft can be taught," Rumpelstiltskin argued. "I'm sure there must be someone here in the village who would be willing to learn. More could be hired as apprentices, and others could be taught to weave. The thread, yarns and cloth made here could supply the tailor and seamstress shops, and …" He ducked his head and shook it ruefully. "I'm sorry, I just … I'm rather passionate about my former trade."

Gaston grinned and clapped Rumpelstiltskin on the back. "Sounds like you could have this place up and running within a month with your vast knowledge. You might want to think about it after the wedding."

Color tinged the spinner's cheeks at his friend's praise, but thankfully he could brush it off under the morning sun. The shop was definitely something he wanted to consider. As they continued on with the tour, the earl was introduced to more and more townspeople, who all greeted him warmly. He tried his best to hold his head high and meet them all eye to eye. It was nothing like his village in the Frontlands where everyone scorned him for the coward he was. Here they greeted him as their new liege lord and all with a smile of welcome. He was looking forward to getting to know them.

*.*.*

Belle sighed happily as she strolled through the castle, her arm linked with Ruby's. She'd missed her friend while she'd been away. It didn't take them long to find themselves in the kitchen. The princess loved spending time there, the cavernous room a hive of activity and warmth. Granny presented her cheek for Belle to kiss before the girl settled on a stool to have a cup of tea.

"How was your first night in the castle, m'girl? Did you sleep well?" the woman asked as she set to rolling out crusts for the tarts she was making.

Ruby snorted as she reached for a handful of dough from the large bowl on the worktable. "I'd say she slept well," she mumbled under her breath.

"What was that?" Granny asked as Belle flushed scarlet. "Speak up, girl. What've I told you about mumbling?"

Belle's azure eyes sparkled with mischief. "I believe she's referring to finding me in Rumpel's bed this morning." The old woman opened her mouth to scold the princess, but Belle cut her off. "It was nothing tawdry, Gran. Baelfire was with us."

"Well, he is your betrothed, m'girl. A betrothal is just as binding as a marriage, and you wouldn't be the first to have succumbed before the actual wedding," she said calmly, though she frowned in disapproval.

Belle suddenly felt as she had when she was eight and she and Lucern had been caught filching cookies from the cooling racks before dinner. "I'm still a maid, Gran," she assured the woman. "Rumpel is adamant about remaining … um … about us not doing that until our wedding night. He's an honorable man."

The earl went up several notches in the woman's estimation. "That's good to hear. At least I won't have to worry about your virtue while you're here," she snarked.

Belle reached for a hot cherry tart from the cooling rack, nearly moaning in bliss as the sweet fruit burst over her palate. No one in the kingdom made pastries as delicious as those which came from Granny's kitchen. "Oh, these are so good. Granny, as much as I love these, would you consider making some with peaches for Rum? He loves peaches." She giggled. "You should've seen him when he first came to Avonlea and was introduced to foods he'd never been exposed to in the Frontlands. I've never seen anyone eat so much fruit."

Ruby and her grandmother both joined in the laughter. "That couldn't have been good for his stomach," the younger Lucas stated as she spooned cherry filling onto the little rounds of dough.

Belle wrinkled her nose. "No, it wasn't." She sipped gingerly at her tea, her smile fading as she recalled how thin and malnourished her sweet spinner had been when he'd first come to live at the palace. It seemed everyone had been throwing food at him left and right, wanting to see his health improve. She gave herself a shake and changed the subject before Ruby or Granny could see her bout of melancholy. "So, Ruby, how was your evening?"

Her friend flushed a vivid pink and put more effort into her work. "It was nice," she hedged.

Granny snorted. "Just nice, eh? I'll be sure to tell Sir Gaston how little you enjoyed his company when next I see him."

Just as quickly as she'd blushed, the girl's face drained of color. "Gran, no! Um … I mean … that won't be necessary."

Belle giggled and poured more tea into her cup. "Does this mean you're a bit taken with Gaz?"

"Er …"

"She is indeed. Never seen her so tongue tied over a lad before. Marco was rather amused when I told him about her suitor."

Ruby smirked at her grandmother. "Grandpa finds everything amusing," she drawled in a dry tone. She cleaned her hands on a dish cloth and carried the sheet pan to the oven. She winked at Belle. "He's very, very nice … for a knight. He's not at all crass or brutish as I would have expected."

"Alright enough of this gossiping. If Belle wants peach tarts for her betrothed, you will have to go on out to the orchard to bring in some fresh fruit. I used the last jar of spiced peaches on that cobbler last week, if you'll remember," Granny said, going to the cupboard to fetch some baskets. "You may go with her, m'girl. It would do you good to take in the morning air … put a bit of color in your cheeks."

Belle eagerly took a basket and hooked it over her arm. Ruby took the other basket from her grandmother with a suspicious look. "You mean I don't have to be on kitchen duty this morning?"

"Go on … before I change my mind." She couldn't begrudge the girl time with her friend when Belle would only be a Dunsmore for a few days. She smiled to herself as the girl skipped out through the back door which led into the gardens, happy to see them enjoying themselves.

*.*.*

"Mama! Mama!" Bae called as he left the path to run through the cool green grass covering the verdant floor of the orchard. Thorrin wasn't far behind, and neither were Rumpelstiltskin and Gaston.

Belle dropped a handful of peaches into her basket and dropped to one knee to take him into her embrace, her arms wrapping around him as he hugged her tightly. "Hello, my darling boy. Did you have a good time on your ride?"

"I had so much fun!" he gushed. "But come see, Papa has a surprise for you."

She brushed her hands over her skirts and followed after him, happy to hear her love had returned. Her lips parted on a small gasp as she and Baelfire emerged from the trees into a small clearing where her betrothed awaited, leaning on his cane. Spread about his booted feet was a large blanket and atop it sat a huge wicker basket. He opened his arms to her, and she inwardly rejoiced to be reunited with him.

"My princess," he breathed as his nose nuzzled at the curls over the dainty shell of her ear. "I missed you today."

Belle brought her lips to his in a tender kiss despite their son's woeful groan. "I missed you as well, my love. How did it go with Jefferson? Please tell me you enjoyed yourself, at least."

"Mr. Madsen is a very likeable fellow. I look forward to working with him," he said, grinning as he urged her to sit down on the red, black and white tartan blanket. He gestured to the basket Baelfire was already rummaging through as he lowered himself down beside her. "When I returned and Mrs. Lucas told me you were picking fruit in the orchard … well, I thought you might enjoy a little picnic."

She leaned into his touch as he cupped her cheek and guided her face up to his, his lips feather light against hers. "It was a wonderful idea. I'm famished."

"It's after midday, highness. It's no wonder you're hungry," Ruby said from where she stood nearby with Gaston, her small hand wrapped securely within his.

Belle smiled, her eyes sparkling with deviltry. "Ruby, would you be so kind as to fetch us some mead? It seems whomever packed the basket didn't include anything to quench our thirst."

"But, Mama –"

Rumpelstiltskin clapped a hand over his son's mouth and smiled unrepentantly up at the pair. "Yes, and what's a picnic without something with which to wash it all down?" He smirked at the knight who seemed barely able to take his eyes off the pretty maid. "Gaston, you should go with her … er … to help her carry it back."

"That's a wonderful idea," Belle chimed.

Gaston bowed to them, winking at Belle as he straightened. "We shall return shortly, m'lady."

Rumpelstiltskin chuckled as the pair disappeared down the path and reached for the small wrapped box he'd slipped into the basket, setting it to the side for later.

"Papa, we have a full jug of mead in the basket," Baelfire said with a puzzled frown. "Why'd you send Gaz and Ruby back to the castle for more?"

Belle reached over and ruffled his curly hair. "Perhaps we just wanted to be alone for a moment to hear about your morning," she caviled evasively.

Thorrin took a bit of bread, cheese and a cluster of grapes from the basket and settled his back against a nearby plum tree, shaking his head at their antics. Baelfire ignored the food on his plate and launched into a fascinating tale of his ride with the estate manager's daughter. "Mama, there was so much water and sand on the beach. I've never seen so much. And Thor let me and Grace take off our boots and walk along the shore. Wet sand squishes between your toes, just like in that book we read last week about the man stranded on that island."

"Did you like her, Bae?" Belle asked, leaning back in Rumpelstiltskin's arms.

"She was nice," the boy said, finally picking a piece of roasted chicken to nibble on. "Grace said she would come back tomorrow with her papa. I'd like to go exploring with her. May I, Mama?"

"Of course, sweetling." She looked down at his rapidly emptying plate and smiled. "Would you like to pick some fruit now that you're done? Or would you like Thorrin to bring you back to the castle to play?"

After a moment to make up his mind, he decided to fill her basket with more peaches and set off with his friend. Belle sighed happily as she watched them go. Rumpelstiltskin pulled the box onto his lap as Belle chewed thoughtfully at her lip, her azure eyes flitting between his smile and the mysterious box.

"Go on, dearest; open it. I know your curiosity is piqued," he murmured teasingly as his finger traced the outline of her lips. The breath caught in her throat, her pulse quickening as her gaze drifted to his lips. He pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth, whispering, "You know you want to."

Belle took a deep breath to calm her heart as he pressed the box into her hands. Her fingers toyed with the bright blue ribbon for only a moment before it came loose and she was able to pull the top off of the box. Inside were a dozen or so lavishly decorated chocolates, each with a different flavor cream inside. Her favorites. She chose one carefully, raising it to her nose to take in the scent of chocolate, sugar and a hint of raspberries. He watched her as she brought it to her lips and took a bite, a small moan rising up from her throat.

Rumpelstiltskin's eyes darkened as he watched her face soften with pleasure. "I'd never tried anything like those before I came to Avonlea, y'know. There was nothing so rich to be found in my village."

Belle pressed the other half of the chocolate to his lips, the confection slipping past his teeth as he opened to her. Her skin tingled as her finger touched the tip of his tongue, his lips closing around her smooth flesh. He released it with a soft pop as her cheeks flushed a lovely shade of pink. He'd barely managed to swallow the silken chocolate treat before her lips crashed down on his, her hands curling in the ends of his long hair as her tongue met his.

"I love you, Rumpelstiltskin," she breathed against his warm mouth as she broke the kiss. "Two more weeks … I don't know how I'll bear it."

"Preferably with a chaperone," Ruby teased as she and Gaston returned and made themselves comfortable on the tartan blanket.

"It's hard to contain true love, sweetling," Gaston said, his eyes soft as he brushed a curl behind her ear.

Belle shared a conspiratorial look with her betrothed. Her mind whirled with possibilities. Her friend was going to be miserable when he was forced to return to Avonlea with them. Gaston would be deprived of the first bloom of love, mourning the loss of time he could be courting his little maid. How could she do that to him when he'd given her so many years of friendship and loyal service?

"Ruby, how would you like to spend the next two weeks with me in Avonlea?" she asked, convinced she'd made the right decision when the girl's face lit up with happiness and Gaston looked at her as if she'd just handed him the moon. "There are so many wedding preparations still, and I could use all the help I can get."

Gaston squeezed Ruby's hand as he shared her delight. It lasted all but a moment before her eyes became troubled. "I'll have to ask Granny, though. What if she says no?"

Rumpelstiltskin poured a cup of mead for his beloved and arched a brow. "Then we'll just have to persuade her, won't we?"

A/N: Next week is the wedding! I'm so excited! One more week and the wait will be over. Squeeeee! So hope you enjoyed the update, my darlings. See you next week :D

Hugs and love to all my reviewers this week: CLKit, ninewood, Twyla Mercedes, Wondermorena, jeananne64, lovepeacebubble121x, Witch Nova, Melstrife, smebcwb, Erik'sTrueAngel, AnneElliotsCat, Grace5231973, and orthankg1. Your support and kind words are greatly appreciated :D