This chapter is in the future, about 9 months in the future.

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Belle awoke before sunrise with a dull ache in her back. she pulled herself up to sit on the side of the bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The past few months had been the happiest she had ever seen. Her love for Rumplestiltskin bloomed along with her body. Her hand rubbed the expanse of her swollen belly lovlingly. "Not long now little one" she whispered to him, thankfully he slept, along with his papa.

Belle turned and looked over her shoulder at the sleeping form beside her. He was completly covered from head to toe. She wondered just how he could breathe like that. She reached over to uncover his face only to discover a pair of greenish gold feet where a head should have been. Belle smiled and shook her head, she recovered his digits; upside down in the bed, of all things, he never ceased to make her smile.

She decided not to wake him, she could take care of morning chores herself then make them some breakfast and have it back up here before he awoke and they could watch the sunrise right in the room while they ate, perfect. Belle quietly slipped out of bed and after a few minutes in the bathing room to take care of a few neccesities, she was ready to go downstairs.

Belle wondered if there would be a sunrise at all as she walked out in to the early morning air, rain looked eminet on the horizon. Dark clouds hung low and the leaves on the surrounding trees seemed turned in, waiting for the down pour to begin. She started walking toward the stables when she heard a twig snap behind her . Belle looked around behind her just in time to have a familar nose bump her, looking for a morning treat. "Phillipe, good morning" she rubbed his face and neck as he nuzzled into her. As she rubbed and scratched the horse her mind drifted back to the day Rumple had gotten him for her.

Even after Rum had brought her home and healed the wounds inflected by Gaston, Belle was very tired. Her journey had took so much out of her. Rumple had kept a bed side vigial for those days, seeing to her every need. As she started to feel more like herself again she had recounted her undertaking to him. She started telling him how she had come across the horse and what a help he had been to her those few days, till she had been captured. Tears had welled up in her eyes as she told him how Philllipe had been abondened after she was taken, she hoped he had found his way back to the little shack she had found him at, but sadly she would never know.

After she got back on her feet, she had unpacked the many books Rumple had bought her from the village, filling the shelves in her library, she would read to him while they curled up by the fire, he would listen to her tell him of the daring adventures that the heros in her beloved books would face, many nights they would sleep in her library, naked in each others embrace, he would trace incantations across her expanding belly with his long tapered fingers, and as the winter drug on endlessly outside, thier love for each other grew.

One night in the spring, Rumple had asked her if she would dine under the stars with him,presenting her with a red rose, he knew she could refuse him nothing, she thought with a smile. She had put on one of the beautiful dresses the women had delivered from town for him, He seemed so pleased, like a child might be when she walked outside to the surprise that awaited her. A shake of a shaggy mane and a familar snort greeted Belle as she rushed to her equine friend, She had no idea how he had found the animal, but this was a man who could after all accomplish anything. After her reunioun with the horse, she flung herself into Rumple's waiting arms.

They spent the night in the stables. Eating,talking, exploring each other, he told her of his childhood, growing up with his grandfather in a poor village. His parents were killed when he was young and his grandfather taught him the only profession he knew, to be a spinner. Belle found out that the spinning wheel that was in the dinning hall was indeed his grandfather's wheel. His eyes had misted over when he spoke of the man's death by ogre's. Belle had pulled him close then, wishing she could soothe every pain he had ever experienced. She had clung to him that night as he held her, wispering to him about thier love as she surrendered her body and soul to him. Belle closed her eyes and leaned against the horse rembering that perfect night. He had not been gentle with her but almost feral when he lay her on her back, exploring her body inch by inch then suddenly flipping her over on her hands and knees only to boldly grab her hips, pulling her close and mounting her from behind, he had marked her neck then, branding her as his. The mixture of pleasure coupled with alittle pain filled her sences as he tangled his hands in her long hair, his lips pressed between her shoulder blades as he filled her, it made Belle shiver in the morning air, the things he did to her that night made her delierious with need .

A few raindrops started to fall as Belle walked past the stable on her way to the chicken coup, reminising. Her little hen had found a rooster and they had produced a fine brude of chicks and then more, making the need for a place to keep them all contained. Rumple had grumbled that the Castle was turning into a farm as he constructed her a place for her new animals. Belle smiled as she rounded the corner to see her little hen parading proudly through the yard with her latest clutch of babies.

Belle's smile faded as a sharp pain griped her back. She put her hand on Phillipe for support as she leaned over trying to control her breathing throught the contraction. It soon passed and she was able to gather a few eggs for breakfast before a good steady down pour began. On the way back Belle paused between the chicken coups and the stable, pain like she had never felt seized her back once more. She was doubled over, holding on to the horse when her water broke. "Oh gods, I've got to get back" she thought as she struggled toward the stables in the down pour. The rain started to fall quickly, comming down in stinging sheets as Belle stumbled along in the mud, almost losing her footing, the horse nudged her along and in a few minutes they were at the stable.

Belle took Phillipe in and put him in the stall when another pain exploded in her back, making her see stars of pain in her eyes as she prepared to make her way to the castle. The baby must have other plans she thought as she took a seat on her old stool, rubbing her taunt stomach waiting for the pain and pressure to pass.

She started to rise but cried out as another onslaught of torture hit her back. She slipped off the stool and scooted over to the straw bed and lay back, trying to stay calm and breathe. She felt like she needed to push, it was almost as if her body was taking over. the pain was blinding as she withered under the next contraction, they were back to back now, It was clear to her that she was obviously going no where, She called for him. "RUMPLESTILTSKIN!"

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Rumple awoke with a start and half a snort as he bolted up in the bed. he looked around startled, what had woke him? maybe it was because he was in the wrong spot, he seemed geniunely surprised to be sleeping backward in the bed. He looked around, Belle must be already up he thought as he got up and made his way to the bathing room, it wasn't quite sun rise. He wasn't sure what had roused him from sleep till he heard Belle's cry ringing in his head. Rumple came clawing his way out of the room in a panic, trying to find the mother of his child who was calling, NO, screaming his name in distress. He didn't even realize it was raining till his bare feet hit wet mud as he barreled out the doors of the castle, his mind sterring him toward the stable. "what is she doing out in the rain in her condition" he thought as her cry rung in his ears. Within seconds the cry wasn't only in his head but it was filling the stable as he rushed to her side.

"BELLE, what happened, why are you out here, Love?" Rumple pushed her sweaty hair back from her face as she grabbed his hand in a contraction of pain. "Rum he's comming, he's comming...now!" She gritted her teeth as her body took control, trying to push the baby down . Rumple's hands shook with nervousness as he got in frount of her realizing that there would be no time to get a mid wife, he would be in fact delivering the infant with Belle.

the contraction passed, allowing Belle to rest a moment before the next one came. She let out a short laugh amist the tears. "Whats so funny dearie" Rum said as he helped her to get more comfortable. "I was just thinking how perfect it is that he will be born in the same place he was concieved." Rum gave her alittle grin, "Well, thats no matter, but I just wish he'd have gave his father alittle warning before taking this route." Belle smiled but all too soon the sharp, blinding pain wracked her body with the urge to bear down.

"OH Rumple, I have to push, I can feel him" She all but screamed. Rum nervously helped Belle take off her soaking wet dress, he used it to wipe her face as she lay back exhausted, hoping it wouldn't last much longer, childbirth could be dangerous for both mother and baby. Rumple checked her and on her next contraction Rumple was surprised to see the baby's head crowning. "I can see him Belle" he cried, "he's almost here, push hard" Belle cried out through gritted teeth as she pushed with all her might. Stars shot behind her closed eyes as pain exploded through her body but still she pushed. As the sun burst over the horizon, a shrill cry rung through the stable and it wasn't Belle's.

"He's here Belle and he's perfect" Rumple held thier child up to Belle's awaiting arms as he tied off the cord and disposed of the afterbirth with a wave of his hand. The squirming baby waved his tiny fists in the air as Belle held him close. Rumple wrapped a magically warmed blanket around her and the baby. The new parents sat in disbelief at thier own little miracle wiggling in his mother's arms.

"When I went out here this morning, I thought I would just be bringing back eggs" Belle sat in thier bed now, holding a warm towel, waiting for Rumple to hand her the baby he was currently bathing. Once it was alright to move her, he took Belle and the baby to thier room for a much needed rest. Now that Belle was rested ,cleaning up was next on the list, only the baby objected, he didn't like being away from Belle. Rumple handed him over to his mother as she cuddled him in the blanket, he settled against her, going back to sleep. Belle and Rumplestiltskin sat on the bed watching thier son sleep, he had his father's features but his parents would discover later that he would indeed have Belle's deep blue eyes. "I want to name him Baelfire", Belle said,Rumple looked at her shocked, "What?"

"Baelfire, after your grandfather."

"Isn't that kind of a mouthful?" he joked.

"Like Rumplestiltskin isn't?"

"Can we call him Bae for short?" Rumple said as he leaned down and gently touched the dark hair of the child. "Yes, of course" Belle smiled at the gesture of love between father and son, Life couldn't have been any sweeter for the new family, they all finally had something and someone to live for, each other.

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I hope you all enjoyed this story. I want to thank everyone who helped me with ideas for this project and reviewed it.