Summary: Mr. Gold is freed like he knew he would be and he as drawn to the hospital, down to the basement where he found her. A/U

Disclaimer: I own nothing of the show or the characters.

Rating: T+

Pairing: Belle/Rumpelstiltskin

Note: a time shifts happen.

FINDING BELLE:

TWO WEEKS LATER:

Gold stood behind the counter in his shop feeling the extent of his injury; the gunshot wound. His shoulder was still immobilized due to the caution of Dr. Whale who thought it best not to over exert his still healing muscles, tendons, and the artery wall. What the good Doctor didn't know was that Gold could heal this wound in an instant if he chose. If he concentrated long enough he could tap into the magic of the other world, break through the barrier, and draw on the magical energy of their home like a life line. But that concentration took time, took a level of effort he could not spare. Besides magic wasn't supposed to exist in this world and he had expended enough already magically stealing the queens heart. If he hadn't done that then his wound would be healed by now.

Rumpelstiltskin closed his eyes envisioning a world where he and Belle could live and not have to be bothered by the pettiness of others. In the land of fairy tales they would be able to live together, he could truly love her the way he wanted. In this world he was just a pale shadow of who he used to be. Belle had fallen in love with who he had used to be, but she was becoming attached to who he was now. This world was very confusing and he was more than eager to leave it. The traveling mirror called to him, urged him to step through to once again be immersed in magic, to let it crash over him. It was so tempting. He needed the magic to heal, to be coming strong again, but he wouldn't leave Belle. Not now. Not ever. Just then he little bell over the door jingled as it opened revealing Emma Swan as she walked through. "It's about time you showed up."

"Is this some sort of sick joke?" Emma demanded dropping the box on the glass counter. It made the glass rattle and Gold to close his eyes with a wince. Emma had no time for games as she opened the lid to reveal the contents of the box; a heart, a very human looking heart.

"No," Gold shook his head, "This is a way for you to defeat Regina." He looked at the heart feeling not an ounce of remorse for taking it from her chest. When Gold had removed it, he had half expected it to be black; rotten to the core. She had let bitterness and revenge eat her alive. Rumpelstiltskin could remember a time when Regina had been an innocent girl full of life, full of goodness. To think a girl like that could have turned out so evil. If it wasn't so laughable he might actually feel sorry for her.

"This is not funny Gold!" Emma shouted. The irresistible urge to break something was welling up inside of her.

"You wanted a way to stop Regina," Gold pointed out. "This is the only way." A sigh escaped him, "A lot of people need you to break this curse. Living in this world is not for us. We don't belong in a land without magic." Rumpelstiltskin spoke, sincerity coloring his tone.

"You sound like Henry and August." Emma scoffed. Still, the deep niggling feeling ate at her. They were telling her the truth. More than that, she did want to believe, it was just hard when they lived in reality. Fairy tales were for children. Henry had been trying for months since she had come to Storybrooke to get her to believe she was some sort of hero and since August had arrived he had been getting her to try and see the world in a new way, through new eyes. They were succeeded, but the heart was a little more for her to take. Gold seemed to go to the extreme. "What am I supposed to do with this? Drive a steak through it?"

"Overly dramatic, but effective I guess," He answered with a shrug. Gold reached out and closed the lid of the box to stifle the thump thump of the Queens heart. The sound was starting to annoy him. "What magic I had gained I used getting this for you. I do believe 'Thank You' is in order." With a light shove, Gold pushed the box back towards Emma.

"This doesn't help me." Emma snapped throwing her hands up in exasperation.

"Do what you want Sheriff." Gold rolled his eyes. "I fulfilled my part of our bargain. You asked for help, I gave it to you. It was you who failed to specify the lengths I should go to." He shrugged again adding, "Kill her. Leave her. It's up to you."

"I can't just kill her!" Emma shouted even though the idea had occurred to her after she opened the box and Gold ad told her it was Regina's heart.

"Sure you can." Gold leaned foreword, "Remember she killed your young man; Graham."

Emma balled her hands into fists. "Graham died of a heart attack." She growled going on the defensive at the mere mention of Graham's name. He had been the first man that had made her feel like she had a chance at staying in one place, and then he died.

Gold held up his right hand, "Believe what you will dearie. Either way, Regina did have a hand in his untimely death, so to speak." The bell jingled again with Belle coming through the door wearing a playful grin. She didn't break stride as she saw Sheriff Swan and her smile never wavered.

Emma glanced back at Belle knowing that she should probably leave now. Taking a step towards the box, Emma once again held it in her hands hearing the light beat of the heart. It nearly made her shudder in disgust. "Thanks for the advice Mr. Gold."

Belle's grin widened at Emma's words. "He gave you free advice…. Wow. He never does that." She taunted him.

"I have been known to offer my wisdom to those who need it." He glared playfully at Belle. She dissolved into a fit of giggles that warmed his heart. Having her back made being in this world all the more tolerable until it was time for them to go home.

"For a price," Belle mimicked him through her giggles. Gold only cocked his head to the side and smirked at her. She loved when he watched her, smirked at her. Everything about him made her happy.

Emma walked past Belle, muttered, "Have a nice afternoon." before she left the pawn shop to get on with the rest of her day.

Gold let Emma go; Belle was coming closer to him. All he could focus on was her. "You seem to be in a good mood dearie." He wrapped her up in his arms kissing her forehead lovingly.

"I have something to tell you." Belle smiled broadly, but found she couldn't find the words to convey the news. In stead she took his right hand and placed his palm low on her abdomen willing him to feel what she was feeling, to know what she knew was in side of her.

Rumpelstiltskin felt momentarily confused as Belle took his hand placing it on her abdomen. He was about to pull his right hand away when he felt it, a tiny spark of life growing inside of her. "Oh, Belle…" His voice was little more than a whisper. Gold couldn't believe it.

"I know your son can't be replaced, but…" Belle started to speak, but he cut her off, kissing her so passionately. She tangled her hands in his hair holding him close, letting him control the kiss.

"My son will always be apart of me, apart of my heart." Gold spoke, wanting her to know how happy he was, "But this child, with you… is more than I even dreamed I would have again." He leaned his forehead to hers, "We're going to be a family."

"You're happy?" Belle questioned. She had envisioned the worst, but hoped for the best. This, his reaction, was the best she had ever hoped for. He was happy that she was carrying his, their, child. They would be a family. It made her think of what his son would think of that. "Would your son be happy for us?"

Rumpelstiltskin cupped her cheek, smiling gently. "Bae, his name was Bae, I think he would be very happy." At least that is what he hoped. Bae had been lost to him for centuries. Sadness settled in him, marring this joyous occasion.

Belle felt the sorrow in him. "What is it?" So many thought careened in her mind at what had made him so suddenly sad. "Tell me please." Taking a step back from him she gave him room to breathe, to pull his thoughts together. It was about his son, that alone should make her move slowly, to take it easy and let him talk when he was ready.

Rumpelstiltskin placed his right hand over his heart, "I told you I lost him, but the truth of it is I was too cowardly to follow him." Pain tore at his heart letting the anguish flood his eyes. "The blood fairy gave my son a way to bring us to this world, a world without magic, to lift my curse. All he wanted was his father." Gold looked at her seeing a reflection of his pain in her eyes. Holding out his hand, Rumpelstiltskin waited for her to place her hand in his.

Belle, without thinking, without hesitation, took his hand. "I forgive you." She whispered knowing that was what he needed to hear. He started to shake his head, to deny her words but Belle said again, "I forgive you and Bae would forgive you." As he had done to her, she kissed his forehead lovingly.

Once again, Gold placed his hand over Belle's lower abdomen feeling the tiny spark of life growing inside of his True Love. He had a chance at a family again. He had a chance to get it right. "Tell me you love me." Gold smiled, once again happy with his life, with Belle, with everything.

Belle felt tears gather in her eyes, spill down her cheeks. "I love you."

"I will spend eternity protecting you and our child. Not even the Evil Queen will harm our family now." Rumpelstiltskin vowed. "We should go home; the traveling mirror should still be connected to this world. We can…"

"You would leave now, even though just two weeks ago said we would stay." Belle was confused, thrilled to think of going home, but to ensure their safety the Evil Queen had to be taken out of play.

"You, our child… You're my responsibility. I have to get you to safety. Regina will…"

"Can't hurt us. If I'm not mistaken you stole the Queens heart." Belle wrinkled her nose with the look of shock cross her love's face.

"You weren't supposed to know about that dearie." Gold looked away. He had done that to Regina in a fit of rage. It had been necessary at the time and now it would turn the tables in Emma's favor.

"Regina thinks you still have her heart, that makes us safe for now." Belle reasoned. "Emma will have what she needs to finally win and then we can go home."

"Yes, home. But, Emma is only meant to break the curse not send us home. Everyone in town will regain their memories, but a huge magical event will be able to send us back to the Fairy Tale world." Gold explained.

"What about the traveling mirror?" Belle asked.

"It would only have enough power for three, maybe four trips, not enough for the whole town." Gold informed once again placing her hand against Belle's abdomen. That was where his child was growing, even now, within her.

"Then how are we going to go home?" Belle wondered. She didn't want her child born in a place with no magic. This was not how their story would end; not here.

Gold could tell her, but Belle had enough to digest as it was. "Right now, I'm not certain dearie." He lied and it made him sick. How could he tell her that when their child was born, enough magic would be released to magically transport the entire town back to the Fairy Tale world? Rumpelstiltskin was of the dark, always would be. Belle was pure light and his balance in this life. Their child, just like Emma, would be a product of great magic. "Emma still has to break this curse holding the town in slumber of false memories. We have time."

FIVE MONTHS PASS BY:

Rumpelstiltskin lay in his bed with Belle reclined against a pile of pillows. His lips rained down gentle kisses to her swollen belly where their child was growing as he thought about what to do with Emma. Today had been a most frustrating day with Emma at the center of it. He thought they had her convince when he gave her the Queens heart in a box. But, that hadn't done it. Something else had to be done, a drastic measure. "Sheriff Swan is beginning to annoy me." Gold growled nuzzling Belle's abdomen.

"What happening now?" Belle asked she untangled her fingers from Rumpelstiltskin's hair as he sat up to look down at her. Gold left his hand over her stomach, but his eyes were staring at the wall working out a way to get Emma back on track to break the curse. "Do you want me to talk to her?" She asked gaining his attention this time.

"No, she won't listen to anything we have to say." Gold sighed. "That idiot Jefferson kidnapped her just to force her to make hat work." Had it not been for the Mad Hatter, Emma would have come around sooner. Now she had been pushed back rather than going foreword. Not to mention Regina had been working on her own, deadlier than ever to others choosing to leave Gold and Belle alone. Finally the Queen had learned her lesson in regards to him and what lengths he would go to just to protect his true love and now the very health of his unborn child.

"What will it take?" Belle wondered placing her hand over his. Her pinkie rubbed over the light blue stone set into a gold ring that graced his right ring finger. After they had been shot Gage had vanished into thin air, the town had grown more hectic as well. Happening around them, Mary-Margaret was being framed for murder and evidence was piling up against her. The stranger, August had been poking around town and around her and Rumpelstiltskin for some reason. Some how Belle knew these events were not drastic enough to make Emma a believer.

"Unfortunately, this next move does lie with us. It is Regina's to make, however long it takes her to make it." Gold answered turning from Belle to sit on the edge of the bed facing the fireplace. "We have time for the curse to be broken, but not a lot left." Gently her hand rubbed his shoulder. He smiled at her over his shoulder. Rumpelstiltskin opened the drawer in the night stand where a small velvet box rested. Since they had worked a spell to break his curse, to give her magic, it had bound them heart and soul and made them closer than any husband and wife ever could be. Still, he wanted everyone to know she was his; that he loved her more than anything. Pulling the box out, he turned handing it to her.

Belle looked at the box, taking it on gut reaction. He watched her intently as she fumbled opening the box even though she knew what to expect. The lid opened slowly revealing a gold band with a light blue stone set in the center. It matched the one he wore on his right finger. Belle looked at him, to the ring, and then back to him. "Is this…?" She watched as Gold took the ring from his right finger and placed it on his left ring finger. Gently taking the box from her shaking hands, he pulled the ring out and slid it on her finger. Joy overwhelmed her, bringing tears to her eyes.

"We are already bound closer than any husband and wife could be," Rumpelstiltskin kissed the band, the back of her hand, "But, I want this to be a symbol of…" He had said he loved her many times, but now, the words stuck in his throat. "You are the most precious person in my life. I want everyone to know you're my life, my reason for living, my wife." Easing into her, Gold kissed her sweetly.

Belle felt her heart skip a beat. "Is this how all happy endings are?" She ran the tips of her fingers down his face while her tears fell down her cheeks.

"Oh, my love, our happy ending hasn't even begun. We have a long life to live, to love." Gold kissed her tears away smiling at her. "There is no need to cry."

"I'm a wreck and I can't help but cry…" More tears fell, she couldn't stop them. "I'm pregnant and emotional."

"I think you look radiant, gorgeous…" He kissed her forehead. Belle glowed with an internal light when she was with him in the Dark Castle, but now, she was radiant.

"Flattery works keep going." Belle chuckled stealing another kiss from him. "You're not telling me something. What is it?" Cupping his face, Belle urged him to look at her. She knew he's been resisting telling her something for months, ever since she told him they were going to have a child.

"I told you I didn't know how we were going to go home, that the curse ending wouldn't send us home. It's true Emma ends the curse, but…" Rumpelstiltskin looked away from Belle, "That's not true. I do know." Pulling away from her, he stood up and paced. "When you bring our child into this world, the magic released with shatter the boundary between our worlds," He answered. Though, he would still have to make the finale move to ensure his plan succeeded.

"Oh," Belle fell quiet dropping her hand to her abdomen. "No pressure then." Her life had changed so much upon meeting him. He had saved her from a marriage that would have killed her spirit. He helped her to see through the skin and into the heart of the man hidden in the dark. Belle hadn't known the life she would have had without him. She doubted she would have known true love, true happiness without him. The child she carried, his child, was a product of pure magic from the binding spell they had done to give him back his infinite powers. As with everything else that happened to them, she found she could handle it all.

Across town Regina sat in her study trying to figure out a way to get back at Gold, but try as she might, there was no way she could strike at him. All of his attention would be focused on Belle and the child she carried. He wouldn't let any harm come to them. They would be protected. In the months since losing her heart Regina had seen the curse begin to weaken even though Emma still wasn't a believer. It was only a matter of time; time Regina didn't have. She looked at the bowl of apples she kept on the table. An idea was forming. Now all she had to do was find a way to get it to work. She would have to find another way to bring the poisonous apple that she had used on Snow White into this world; a land without magic. Regina, the Evil Queen, still possessed the hat that belonged to Jefferson, but she would have to wait for the right time, for the Mad Hatter to make a grand reappearance.