"ABSOLUTELY NOT RUMPLE!" exclaimed Belle. She stood across from her husband in the great hall. Rumple shook his head.

"There's no other way Belle."

"No other way for you to have access to Snow White and Charming than to get yourself captured and imprisoned?" scoffed Belle. The idea was preposterous.

"I have to side with Belle on this one Rum. Setting aside the fact that I loath the idea of letting those jumped up so called heroes even think they are getting one up on you it seems a bit convoluted." said Alice who had been observing the exchange between them. Rumple had just revealed that he planned to let the royals capture him over the deal with Cinderella's baby.

"The Charming's will not be as likely to consult with me if they still see me as a credible threat." explained Rumple. Belle shook her head.

"I don't care, there must be another way besides putting yourself behind bars!"

"Belle this is for Bae, it's simply what must be done as unsavory as it may seem."

"I know it's for Bae! That's the whole reason for this curse but I simply can't accept this particular route," snapped Belle.

"Curse a realm fine, let your husband go to prison now there's a deal breaker," quipped Alice and Belle rolled her eyes at her friend's sarcasm.

"I've got it entirely planned out there's no point switching tactics now," said Rumple. Trying to think of an argument to dissuade him Belle said.

"What about us? Alice, Grace, and I? We'll be sitting ducks if you are in prison. Your enemies could swoop down at any time between your imprisonment and the time the curse hits."

"Not to mention that I doubt you can rely on the heroes to treat you well as a prisoner despite having helped them on multiple occasions." scoffed Alice.

"You'll all be fine if you stay within the castle walls, I'll arrange for food to be delivered. It shouldn't be more than a few months," scoffed Rumple.

"You're impossible," said Belle with a glare.

"Do you expect me to give up on Bae at this point?" snapped Rumple.

"No but you're the cleverest man I know I expect you to come up with a solution that takes the rest of your family into account!" snapped Belle before turning on her heel and storming out and up to the library.

She knew Rumple had a point and that his plan might be the only way. But it didn't sit well with her. Belle sighed. She needed to find another way.

After a while she head footsteps and saw Rumple come up the steps to the library.

"Belle." he said softly.

"I don't want to lose you Rumple. I'll already have to go 28 years of separation. Must I lose you before that time?" she asked tearfully as Rumple pulled her into his arms.

"It's the only way Belle. The only way I know of at least." Belle sighed she didn't want to accept it but she feared she might have to.

"The key word being the only way YOU know of," said a familiar voice and they turned to see Alice enter the library. "Normally I wouldn't disturb you two but I happened to have a rather brilliant idea."

"What is it?" asked Belle eagerly. Alice twirled her pipe between her slender fingers.

"Well it just so happens that back when the dear Snowflake was first starting out I gave her a bit of help escaping some guards and with some tips on knife work for survival. In short she's sort of in my debt to a degree. At the very least she has a more positive view of me despite my reputation. I say I make a little trip up to their castle and heavily suggest they consult with you regarding stopping the curse as you know even without song my voice alone can carry some persuasion."

"So you'll go convince them to come and see Rumple so he can get the Savior's name without needing to get captured!" said Belle excitedly.

"Precisely. It might not work in which case we can default to Rum's more unfortunate plan but I have faith in my capabilities."

"Well, considering I have no desire to be locked up there's hardly any harm in trying," said Rumple after staring at Alice pensively. The blond clapped her hands together.

"Excellent then if you'll provide me with the proper attire and a way for them to get to and from here without a several days journey given Snow's condition, I'll be off tomorrow! Who doesn't love a chance to manipulate some royals?"

"I feel like I should have taken more offense to that than I did," chuckled Belle and Rumple snickered.

OUAT

Pip was sent off to Snow White's castle with a magic coin that would transport the one holding it and anyone touching them to their desired location. Pip herself already carried a bracelet of similar power though she used it sparingly.

Personally, Rumple wasn't entirely sure this would work out but figured there was no harm in at least letting Pip try. After all one didn't want to be confined to a musty cell if they could help it.

While they waited for Pip to return, he and Belle brewed some potions in his laboratory Belle really was getting quite good, able to brew without needing supervision. They'd decided it would be wise to have a series of potions ready made to get carried over.

Rumple was working on a series of healing potions, along with a few more, explosive ones, while Belle brewed a transportation potion that when smashed at the user's feet would transport them to the destination of their choosing.

"Rumple?"

"Yes?" he said.

"I was wondering something." said Belle. Rumple glanced at her.

"You know you are free to ask me anything Belle. It might not be easy but there are no secrets between us." It was true. Being open was tricky for him but he was doing his best to try and be open with his wife. He didn't want to risk losing her.

"Well, I was cleaning the other day and I came across a picture, it was of Alice. Or at least I thought it was. The thing is the picture was handdrawn and she was dressed in clothes that were more akin to a lowborn peasant than the more, adventurous traveler's gear she tends to wear. She also was possibly a little older if I had to guess."

"Ah yes, that's not Pip. That Rowena."

"Rowena?" asked Belle. Rumple paused making sure his potion was set before turning to look at Belle who had done likewise.

"Rowena is Pip's ancestor. Rowena was my childhood friend. She was the only person willing to spend time with the son of a coward growing up, and even after I hobbled myself, she was the only one to stand by me."

"So she understood why you crushed your leg. She recognized you did it to be with your son." said Belle.

"Yes, she did," he chuckled. "I remember she once gave Milah quite the tongue lashing over her behavior regarding Bae and myself. Row was like an Aunt to Bae, her daughter Morraine was his best friend. She also lost her husband in the war."

"So she found Milah cavetching about you being alive, on top of being an absent mother intolerable?" guessed Belle. Rumple nodded thinking back on those days before he became the Dark One.

"What happened after you took on the curse?" she asked. Rumple shrugged.

"Shockingly Ro remained my friend, I saved Morraine when I brought all the children home from the ogre war so she was quite grateful I'd imagine," he sighed. "Even after I lost Bae she refused to condemn me. We saw each other less often then but I was by her side when she died of old age."

"She sounds like a wonderful woman," said Belle giving him a tender smile. Rumple nodded; his heart filled with warmth at the reminder of his old friend.

"She was the second most remarkable woman I ever met. Like a sister really. Mind you when Pip turned up centuries later looking like her doppelganger I nearly had a heart attack." Belle laughed.

"It seems her family still stands by you after all these years."

"So it seems," said Rumple he paused.

"You know when she was dying, she said that I wouldn't be alone forever, that I would find the love of others beyond Bae someday. I never thought I'd believe it till now."

"You really need to start listening to the women in your life more often," chuckled Belle. Rumple laughed warmly.

"That I do."

OUAT

Belle had enjoyed hearing the tale of Rowena. It made her happy to hear that Rumple had at least known one person other than Bae that didn't look at him with hatred. And she had immense respect for any woman that had told that tramp Milah off. Mind you if time travel magic worked, she'd likely do the same.

Alice returned to them later that day and she waited with baited breath hoping against hope her friend had been successful. Alice walked in still wearing the elegant ice blue and white ballgown with white gloves her hair piled in a mess of curls on her head. She'd dressed up for her royal audience. She gave a twirl and then a bow.

"Well I wouldn't count our chickens before they've hatched BUT I do believe I've successfully managed to talk our monarchs into a visit."

"You did!" said Belle excitedly. Alice shrugged.

"Well it took a bit of persuasion. But after I rather emphatically reminded them both of the danger to not only their kingdom and their unborn child, and the fact that the only person who could guarantee a chance of safety was Rum...well they became more agreeable. Or at least they became scared and desperate enough to come for a visit. They mentioned stopping by in two days."

Belle practically threw herself at her friend, hugging the blond tightly.

"Oh thank you!"

"Well if anyone had a chance it would be Pip," chuckled Rumple. As Belle and Alice pulled apart alice added.

"Oh and I also have some lovely news on the subject of that dwarf and fairy."

"Really?" asked Belle curiously.

"Yes, I ran into them at the castle. Apparently Nova did end up going back and convincing her dwarf to be with her."

"I bet the blue bug didn't like that," sneered Rumple. "Did she take the fairies wings?"

"No not yet at least," apparently since dreamy here was friends with Snow White the pair told her all about how they were in love and she was so taken with the idea that the blue hag couldn't take away the girl's wings without looking bad!" laughed Alice.

"That's rather ingenious," said Belle.

"I would not have expected such cunning from a dwarf. At least if it were intentional," said Rumple thoughtfully.

"Intentional or not I'm just pleased it's one more thing to bother the blue bug." said Alice grinning. "There's also quite a bit of gossip about the woman in the yellow dress who crashed Princess Ella's ball with the Dark One. You seem to have made quite the mark." Belle blushed slightly and Rumple giggled.

"Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go change into something a bit more casual. This dress is gorgeous but I prefer to be able to walk without carrying my skirt." Alice headed up the stairs and Belle turned to beam at Rumple.

"That's that solved then!"

"Not so fast, we have to wait and see if they really do come and if they end up making a deal."

"Well, I'm going to stay hopeful," said Belle with a huff and Rumple chuckled.

"I'd expect nothing less."

OUAT

The day of the expected arrival of Snow White and Charming arrived and everything had been perfectly laid out in terms of how everyone was to act. In fact even Grace was going to get in on the action. They were all to be seated in the area by the fire of the Great Hall. Currently Pip was sitting legs swung over the arm of one of the chairs rolling her pipe between her fingers.

Grace sat on the settee a book of magic on her lap that Rumple was helping her with from his perch of the arm of the settee, she wore the gold charm bracelet she'd gotten from Rumple recently. It was created from his gold and had a pipe, a book, a spinning wheel, and a top hat hanging from it. All she need do now was tap the spinning wheel charm thrice and it would summon him. An extra precaution added since the Blue Fairy's attack.

Belle was the last to join them. He looked up as he heard her footsteps coming down the stairs and felt himself go speechless. Of course she was always lovely but today she truly looked majestic. Like the princess she was born.

Unlike her usual casual dresses, she wore a long, emerald green velvet gown with sparkles at the neck line and bell sleeves. Her hair also normally either down or simply pulled back was piled on her head elegantly. He understood immediately what she was doing. They were going to be dealing with royalty. People she was once on the same level with and while she may have technically taken a step down in marrying him, she wasn't going to look it.

"I think Snow White may have to cede her title of fairest of them all." he said as he took her hand and led her to sit next to Grace.

"As charming as always," replied Belle with a laugh as she picked up her own book.

"Uncle Rumple, what does this mean?" asked Grace and Rumple looked down to the passage she was pointing to and began to explain.

Time passed as they continued their various pursuits until the doors to the Great Hall swung open.

"Rumplestiltskin we're here..."

"Ah, ah, ah, dearie in a moment," said Rumple holding up a hand. "You can finish the passage, Grace." His goddaughter did so though he noticed with some pleasure that Grace actually read two more paragraphs before closing the book.

"Snow White and Prince Charming," he said turning at last to look at them.

"Who is she?" asked Charming nodding to Grace and Rumple immediately knew he thought Grace was a prisoner.

"My daughter, Gracelyn Hatter." said Pip from her seat. Grace stood up and curtsied.

"Your majesties."

"Are you alright?" asked Snow White. Rumplestiltskin snickered at the confused look on Grace's face.

"Of course." Then she turned to Rumplestitlskin. "Wait, they aren't going to try and "save me" are they?"

"No of course not your Ladyship, your mother wouldn't be very happy about it."

"Then we can finish our book later Uncle Rumple?"

"Certainly," he replied holding back the urge to burst into laughter at the looks of pure shock on the royal's faces. Grace gave another curtsy and then scampered off up the stairs.

"I think I should be going too, I don't believe this deal requires my expertise," said Pip getting out of her chair, she gave a curt nod of her head. "Your majesties, I'm glad you took my advice." The followed her daughter. Then it was Belle's turn she stood and walked round to stand next to Rumple a smile on her face.

"Welcome to the Dark Castle your majesties," she said.

"Belle!" exclaimed Snow White.

"I see you remember me your majesty," said Belle and Rumple watched on as his wife took a step forward.

"The word around the forest was you'd been killed by the Dark One! What are you doing here."

"Please give me a little credit, if I wanted to murder maidens, I'd have been more subtle than to choose a royal and let people know about it," scoffed Rumple.

"Not helping," said Belle with a slight smile before turning back to Snow.

"My father has been spreading that misconception for quite some time. In fact, he originally did so while working with Regina."

"But why?" asked Charming.

"Because we had a disagreement over my choice in true love. He refuses to believe I can make my own decisions and respect said choice. Until that changes there can be no reconciliation." replied Belle with a sad shrug. Rumple felt a pang of sorrow and anger.

Belle had sent several letters to Maurice in the interim since her rescue all of which had gone unanswered. He truly felt this alone was a testament to her good heart. That she bore no grudge against the man after what he had done. Then again if she were the type to hold grudges, he'd probably never have gotten a second chance.

"I'm sorry to hear that but what does the Dark One have to do with that?" asked Snow. Belle laughed.

"Haven't you guessed?" feeling it was time for him to interject Rumple stepped forward taking Belle's hand.

"Perhaps we should have a proper introduction. Your majesties. This is my wife, Lady Belle of the Dark Castle."

"HE'S your true love!?" the couple exclaimed.

"But Blue has mentioned the Dark One can't love." said Snow. At this Belle and Rumple scoffed in unison.

"I'm sure she's said a lot of things dearie," said Rumple.

"That doesn't mean that everything she believes is true. No spell can create love. My love for Rumplestiltskin is as true as the one you hold for your Charming. And just like your Charming he would go to any lengths for me." said Belle firmly giving Rumple's hand a squeeze.

"But...he's the Dark One," said Snow.

"Eloquently put your Majesty," said Rumple.

"Wait! Your flicker of light amidst an ocean of darkness!" said Charming suddenly.

"Someone got sentimental," said Belle teasingly.

"I thought you were dead. And it's not like it isn't true," said Rumple with a slight smile. He turned back to the royals, "But I don't believe my love life is what you came to discuss. You're here about the Queen's threat." The two monarchs seemed to shake themselves out of their shock.

"Tell us what you know," demanded Snow and Rumple shared an eyeroll with Belle.

"That isn't how this works dearie. It's never something for nothing." The couple glanced at Belle as if for help but she simply said.

"He's not wrong. Everything comes with a price. Though you can feel free to ask what it is before you decide."

"What do you want?" said Charming sharply.

"Oh tense are we," said Rumple teasingly. "Don't worry it's nothing to great. Simply the name of your unborn child."

"Absolutely not!" said Charming but Snow overrode him.

"Deal! Now what do you know?"

"Ah. The Queen has created a powerful curse. And it's coming. Soon you'll all be in a prison, just like me, only worse! Your prison-all of our prisons—will be time. And time will stop. And we will be trapped, someplace horrible, where everything we hold dear, everything we love will be ripped from us while we suffer for all eternity, while the Queen celebrates, victorious at last! ...No more happy endings." The couple appeared horrified however Belle's face was a mask of indifference. This wasn't news to her after all."

"How can we stop her? What can we do?" asked Snow. Rumple shrugged.

"We can't. There's nothing any of us can do."

"That's all you have?" snapped Charming.

"You might want to listen to his wording your majesty. He said there's nothing that any of US can do." said Belle pointedly.

"Then who can stop her?" asked Snow.

"Now you're asking the right question. The answer is that little thing growing inside your belly." he gestured to her pregnant waist and Charming pulled his sword.

"Come any closer and I'll cut that hand of."

"I'd rather you didn't blood is rather difficult to get out of the carpet," said Belle casually from the side. Rumple giggled and gave a look of mock fright before continuing while the Charming's appeared a bit perturbed by the morbid humor.

"Tk, tk, tk, tk, tk. The infant is our only hope. Get the child to safety. Get the child to safety and on its—twenty-eighth birthday, the child will return. The child will find you—and the final battle will begin!" he gave a cackle for effect.

"We've heard all we need, let's go," said Charming and he began to lead Snow out.

"We had a deal! Tell me the name!" snapped Rumple and the doors to the Great Hall that had been open shut trapping the royals in. Belle stepped up to his side as the Charming's shot her a look that clearly indicated they expected her to reason with him.

"Let us out!" said Charming.

"Belle surely you can't let him keep us here."

"But he isn't. Not really. You made a deal Snow and once you honor it you are free to leave. It's your own lack of integrity keeping your here." said Belle coldly.

"Yes, tell me her name and you can leave," said Rumple.

"It's a boy," said Charming and Rumple laughed.

"Don't lie to a seer boy. You know I'm right missy. What's the girl's name going to be?" he asked Snow White who appeared conflicted but at last said.

"Emma. Her name will be Emma."

"Emma. What a lovely name." He snapped his fingers and the doors to the Great Hall opened. "I wish you luck for all our sakes."

"Take care," said Belle simply.

"Goodbye Belle," said Snow White before the couple turned and left swiftly.

"Well how do you like that? Not even a thank you," scoffed Rumple. Though he wasn't surprised.

"That really was nasty of them to try and get out of their end of the bargain. I knew Snow couldn't keep a secret but I didn't think she'd go back on her word. It seems she hasn't changed completely from the spoiled child I knew."

"The entitlement of heroes. They think they are entitled to be given everything for free because they are "good" and get their knickers in a twist when that turns out not to be the case." scoffed Rumple.

"Well in that case being good is overrated." scoffed Belle.

"Careful talk like that and people will think you've gone oer to the dark side." said Rumple.

"I think they may believe that simply based on my choice of husband. But I mean it. I'm always going to strive to be a good person. But I've realized by now there's room for some grey area. Anyone claiming to be fully good is selling something and even then, it doesn't entitle you to free assistance." replied Belle with a shrug.

"I'm not sure that would go down very well at a meeting of heroes but I do believe you just made me fall even more deeply in love with you." said Rumple Belle laughed and drew closer pressing a brief kiss to his lips.

"Hmmm. I certainly can't complain about that."

Author's Note: So we get the backstory on Rowena and Snow and Charming visit! It always bugged me how entitled the heroes could be and how they tried to originally back out of the deal in the show not to mention they had Rumple someone that helped them in worse conditions than Regina. So they will be getting called out on occasion. Also the reason for Rumple being able to ask three things is just because 3 generally a significant number. (Also, Belle's green dress is pretty much the one she wears in Camelot.) We've got one chapter to go in this book! If you like the story please leave a note in the comments! Until next week!