Emma wordlessly opened the door.

Mr. Gold looked into the room and saw her.

"Is this Belle?"

Mr. Gold nodded, speech evading him.

He walked over and held out his hand. "Belle," his voice cracked. He began

again, "Belle, come with me."

She looked up into his face. Emma walked around Mr. Gold and knelt by her. "Belle, do you know this man?" she asked gently.

Belle looked straight into his eyes, frowning. Then she nodded slowly, "Yes, I know him."

Mr. Gold half-sobbed, half-laughed in relief and helped her up.

"Just what is going on here?" a stern, familiar voice demanded.

Mr. Gold's head snapped toward the voice and in seconds he was lunging toward her. Emma was ready for it though, and grabbed him, "Don't do something you'll really regret," she insisted.

Mr. Gold relaxed, his palms held out to Emma showing he held his peace.

He turned to Regina. "Nothing but the routine release of an inmate." He smiled, "You'll see that the paperwork is all in order."

"I'm sure it is," Regina replied through gritted teeth. "But I won't have it."

Now Mr. Gold laughed, "Oh yes, you will. And you know it. So PLEASE, move aside."

Regina glared, but let them pass.

Mr. Gold supported Belle as they exited, but before they went through the door, he turned to the mayor. "Another Happy Ending. Seems to happen a lot here lately." He leaned in to whisper in her face, "This is your curse after all, though not quite what you expected." He laughed, "All magic, after all, comes with a price. I suppose yours is to end up alone!"

He turned then and left her, going home with Belle.

Three days later . . .

For three days he stood by her, sat by her. She hadn't really awakened. The nurse he'd hired, HIS nurse, said it would be a few days for the sedatives to completely wear off. He'd insisted only on candlelight in her room. He wanted her to wake to something familiar.

Then at 8:15pm that night, her eyes opened. Completely.

"Rumpelstilskin?"

He could have wept with relief. "Yes. You still know me?"

"I'd know you anywhere." She sat up. "The question is where am I?"

"Why," he answered in surprise, "you're in my house."

"No castle here?" She smiled.

"I like to think of it as one."

Belle nodded, "Something though is terribly different." She looked steadily at Mr. Gold, "I suppose we have a lot to talk about."

So he told her everything.

One Hour Later . . .

"But you,' he insisted. "Why do you remember?"

Belle looked thoughtful. "It must have been the kiss. Our kiss had magic, curse breaking magic. I suppose you weren't the only one affected by it."

He shook his head, "But that was not my magic."

"Not the Dark One's?" She leaned close to him. "The GOOD magic!"

He shook his head, "There is no good magic that could overcome a curse."

"Really? Everything you have told me shows that everyone has had one Happy Ending after another. Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Jiminy Cricket? They have all resisted. You found me. The only one that makes no sense is Snow White." She thought then, eyes brightening, "but that is only a matter of time." She was almost laughing, "She can't win! Look at how much she's lost in just a short period. Her Storybrooke is nearly gone. She has no power!"

He said slowly, "You say that Happy Endings, love is the magic that will break this curse. Our 'Happy Endings?'" He considered, "but not all have 'hooked up' as they say here."

"Romantic love isn't the only love," Belle replied. "Why there is eros, for sure, but also caritas." She got out of the bed and stood by him.

"Can you believe this?" she looked up into his eyes, the same way she had by the wheel before their kiss.

"I," his voice cracked as it had in the asylum ward, "I believe that I want you, if that is what you are asking."

Belle shook her head, "Can you believe that love will triumph? You have no power to lose since love is the stronger power."

She stepped closer, "Are you willing?"

He looked at her in awe, "Willing to what?"

She laughed, "To test that theory. Rumpelstilskin, will you kiss me?"

He had replayed this moment in his mind for years, what he would have done differently. He was not going to let anything stop him now. He never wanted to feel like that again.

"Yes!" And he kissed her again, and again, and again.

Reunited . . .

They lay facing each other and said everything that needed to be said after that terrible night. Belle had been right. He had not lost one ounce of power after their kisses. Rather, he was stronger than he had ever been before.

Belled touched his face, "You had the answer, you know, when you told the Queen that the price of her curse was to be alone. Let's find all of the others with a Happy Ending, most of the town by now, unite ourselves with Emma, and put an end to this!"

"Yes," he agreed. "An end to this Storybrooke. It's run its course. Rather tedious really." Belle laughed. He clasped her hand. "In the morning, let the finale begin!"

She burst out with a sound of joy and kissed him again. "Tomorrow, and within weeks, we'll be home!"

Three weeks later . . .

So it was that Regina woke one morning to a silent town. She searched, growing more anxious by the minute and hysterical within an hour.

She ended up running to Mr. Gold's house where there was a note for her.

"All magic comes with a price, Your Majesty. Welcome to Storybrooke!"

And Regina let out a primal scream that nobody heard.

And they all lived Happily Ever After...

Not without struggles, or wars, or illness, or death. But now they had alliances, new friends, family, support . . .

They lived with love.

The End