"I hurt you…" Belle breathed sadly before her knees gave out, and she slipped from his arms to the ground.

The sting, the way she'd stared at him…she'd cut him in the cave, and she'd just now realized it. Whether it was the dying magic or the cut or even the squeeze of her arm that had brought her back to her senses, he didn't care. All that mattered to him was that she was back. But the guilt...her guilt brought her down, literally, to the lowest she could be, just as he'd feared. Oh, but heaven help him, he'd never been more relieved than he was now. Because this was his Belle. His Belle was good. And kind. She was thoughtful and intellectual. He hadn't a clue what the hell had triggered this entire episode that had caused her to be so unlike herself. But now she was the woman he loved again. Her mind was clearing. Now, he could get some answers and, with any luck, set things right again. Because angry as he had been a few moments ago, seeing her guilty tears eating her up inside hurt more than his anger.

He joined her on the ground in less than a heartbeat and eased his hands over her so that she might uncrumple. "I'm so sorry, Rumple," she whispered quickly.

"It's okay," he cooed, reaching for her hand. He tried to meet her gaze, but she avoided it. Yes, this was his Belle. But it was a side of her that few had probably ever seen. The beaten down and ashamed side. He really did much prefer her confidence to this. Which was how he knew that no matter what she said or how she explained all this away, he was already going to forgive her. The anger would likely remain for a while. But the Dark One Curse had clearly left at least enough red in his heart that he couldn't bear to see her in this state.

"When I…when I found that mirror…something came over me like a-like a spell!" she babbled. "And it-and it spoke to me, made me believe all these horrible things and…it said to me that…the dagger you gave me is fake!"

Fuck. She didn't know what she was saying. At least she didn't know the meaning of it. But he did. He could understand that she wasn't wrong about the spell that had come over her and that the mirror had done exactly as it was constructed to do until the magic was set free. It was designed to make people see the worst in themselves. Which meant that it wasn't the mirror that had told her the dagger she possessed was a fake, it was herself. Likely the most minuscule, ugliest part of herself that she kept hidden even from him. But it meant that there was at least a small piece of her that suspected correctly what he'd done. She knew. She just didn't know that she knew.

And, fortunately, she didn't need to know that. He could work with this situation. His plans could be salvaged.

"I assure you, nothing that mirror told you is true," he muttered, glancing at the false dagger she'd still managed to wield quite masterfully if the sting on his neck had any say. "It was imbued with the darkest of magic. I know you would never wrong me!"

He moved to try and clear the tears from her cheek, but she flinched at his touch. That was new. He didn't think she'd ever even done that at the castle.

"I have wronged you," she choked out. "I've kept a terrible secret from you. I'm the reason that Anna's missing. I didn't want anyone to know until I can make things right and save Anna, but I couldn't…I failed! And all I managed to do was…abuse the dagger and take advantage of you…my True Love!"

There it was. The darkness and despair he'd felt coming from her ever since she'd found the card with Anna's necklace on it, ever since this had all begun, that was the source of it. He didn't understand it yet, didn't know exactly what had happened or when or why she believed it, but he was going to. Now that she'd told him he would work every last detail out of her because he knew what she didn't…it wasn't true. He knew why Anna was missing, and it was because Ingrid had left all of Arendelle frozen, including Anna. He'd seen that himself! Belle wasn't part of why she was missing.

But as far as Belle was concerned, the burden was hers. And he couldn't unburden her until he understood more.

"I…I don't even know if…if I deserve to be with you anymore."

"No, no, no!" he reacted quickly, reaching forward and drawing her closer to him even as her body went unusually stiff in his arms. No. Whatever had happened, however angry he was that it had gotten to this, he didn't want to lose her. Not to her own dark thoughts, not to her secrets, not to burdens, no matter if they were real or imagined.

She'd loved him through his dark thoughts and secrets, his burdens. He wasn't about to let her go because he couldn't return the favor.

"You were only doing what you believed was right."

"You…you forgive me?" she questioned in a small voice that he was certain would have had the power to shatter that mirror, let alone his heart. Fuck, he knew that he would. He knew he already had. He knew he was still angry, but it was softening with every sob.

"Of course, I forgive you," he whispered.

Her tears turned to sobs as she finally melted into him and let him hold her. The Dark Ones hissed and berated and raged in his head. He didn't care if it was the stupidest thing he'd ever done. There were so few people in the world he loved now, and maybe only one that loved him. He wasn't going to let her go over one mistake he was confident he had set her up never to commit again. But just for good measure…

"Thank you for telling me everything," he whispered to her. Because if there ever was anyone who learned their lesson the first time around, it was Belle, and even she would know that she had told him far from "everything."

"Thank you for understanding," she whispered back. "I never should have kept a secret from you, especially because I know you'd never keep one from me."

It was almost as if she knew the game she was playing with words like that. But he knew that she didn't, knew that she was just trying to justify it all in her head. His had already done the justifying. He wouldn't keep secrets from her unless there was a good reason to. Given what was at stake if he told her, he'd say he had good reason to keep her in the dark. And it wasn't as if he was planning on keeping her in the dark forever. He'd tell her, one day, when it made sense to tell her. But it wasn't his secrets that were the problem now.

"I love you, Rumple," she cried into his shoulder so that he held her tighter. His secrets weren't the problem now, hers were.

"And I love you too," he promised. She needed that promise now, just as she needed to be held, but minutes later when she finally stopped crying but kept trying to hold him impossibly tighter, he knew that he needed to be able to stretch his legs a little. He knew that their conversation had to be longer than it was and the floor, in front of the open blinds was no place to have that longer conversation.

"Can you stand?"

She took a deep breath before her grip on him eased a bit. "Maybe," she muttered into his neck. "My head hurts and the room is…moving."

He nodded in understanding. Mortals coming down from exposure to as much magic as she'd been exposed to, especially a curse made of Dark Magic, could cause some side effects. He'd get her healed and back on her feet in no time. But not here.

"Hold on to me," he ordered. Her grip tightened slightly before he pulled her safely into his arms, picked her up, and carried her into the back room. He set her on the cot and left her to get comfortable so that he could get her a blanket. While doing the housekeeping, he used his magic to summon the fake dagger from out front back into her bag. Whether or not it should stay, there was a discussion to be had later, but for now, that was where he wanted it.

With a gesture, she finally removed her coat and scarf, then allowed him to sit next to her and bundle the pair of them up all so that he could gather her into his arms, support her against his chest, and put a kiss to her temple that contained magic that would seek out the last of the Dark Magic that clung to her, overpower it, and dissolve it. With a Curse that strong, even his own magic would take a while, and she'd likely feel a little chilly as it worked, but he was hoping the blanket and his body heat would trick her. And hell, he didn't half mind the excuse to hold her in his arms and just be at ease with her, amazed that this was the way it had ended instead of what he'd spent the last hour fearing.

"Tell me what happened," he asked when they finally settled. "Tell me when you met Anna and what happened between the two of you to give you the idea that you are the reason she's missing."

Belle nodded. She took a deep breath and let it out on a sigh. Then, with another nod she opened her mouth.

"A long time ago, before I met you, when my mother died…"

Nothing too spectacular about this chapter to report. More or less exactly what we saw on the show! Hope I did it justice.

Thank you, Rsbeall12 and Grace5231973, for your reviews. I'm really interested to hear what you'll think about tomorrow's chapter. It's finally got a little bit more substance! Peace and Happy Reading!