Their morning proceeded into what was becoming their "normal" routine. She showered, and he made her tea; he showered, and she made him coffee. They dressed in silence, this time without her giving any kind of commentary on what tie he'd chosen before they got into the car, and he drove them to town.

It would have been easy to lose his nerve once he got to town. But the way she cast a glance at the library idly, looking at it with love and yearning, he suddenly realized that this talk they had to have might benefit them both. She was made for that library. And he was made for the pawn shop. Marriage didn't mean giving up what was theirs; it just meant finding ways to come back together. They could easily discuss that. And while they were at it, if he could convince her to separate from the others a little bit, then it wouldn't hurt either. He wanted the Charming Clan far away from him as he worked his magic on this. He wanted everything to point to Ingrid in the end, and if Belle involved herself too much, everything might just fall apart.

He parked the car as usual and set out down the street with her, arm in arm, but in silence. The only noise between them was the sound of Belle's stomach, which made him stop at the pier to buy a small cup of French fries that they both pecked at as they walked.

"So?" she finally questioned, leaning up against one of the empty rails and picking out another fry. "Why did you want to talk to me? Does it have anything to do with why you didn't come to bed last night?"

He sighed and offered her a nod before swallowing. "As a matter of fact, it does."

"Well…did you, did you figure out about the urn's remnants?" she questioned interestedly. "How to store them safely? Is there a problem with them?"

He smiled at her assumption. "Do you really think I'd bring you outside to discuss something like that if there was a problem?" he questioned.

A conversation like that would have needed to be carried out indoors, in the privacy of their own shop. Not on a dock with people just milling around all too eager to get a look at Mr. Gold and the woman who tamed him. Whereas a conversation about their boundaries, not only with each other but with those who could potentially bring his entire plan to the ground before it ever got off the ground…that was something he wouldn't mind doing in public.

"No…the dust from the urn is being safely re-purposed so that very few will ever be able to be affected by its powers again. What I wanted to discuss with you is a bit more…personal."

"So…if it has nothing to do with yesterday? Or the urn-"

"Well, I never said that it had nothing to do with them at all! That urn and what happened yesterday…walking into our bedroom and seeing you asleep alone…it bothered me."

Beside him, Belle gave out a long, frustrated sigh, and he knew even before she spoke what the problem was: He wasn't being clear enough. "Tell me, Rumple. What's all this about?"

"It's about yesterday. It's about dropping everything every time someone comes to me for help. It's about giving up precious time I have with you to be in a basement fixing someone else's problem. It's about what we talked about that first day back when the power was out. And about what I said yesterday to Hook about a new leaf…"

She paused for a moment, chewing and swallowing the last fry as she stared down into the water, then finally-

"You're saying…you don't want to help the town anymore?" she questioned with a skeptical look on her face as if she wasn't sure she had made the correct assumption.

"Not exactly," he altered, even though that was precisely what he longed to do. He crumpled the paper cup he'd been holding for them into his hand and threw it away before offering his arm to her so they could walk some more. Boundaries. He needed to bring this back to boundaries.

"I don't think that it's about not helping if it's needed. I think it's about finding balance. I've been at the center of every major catastrophe and life-changing plot for this town since before it existed. I've done nothing but work since I lost my son, but now…Baelfire may be gone, but I still have you…and Henry, of course.

"And I think that if I ever want to have time with you, I need to create a bit of distance between myself and the lives of the people of this town. It's not 'not helping' it's just being less willing to jump right into the midst of trial and tribulation as I used to be. This time around, I want to focus on being a husband instead of being the Dark One."

He walked on with her, barely missing a step, but he would have been lying if he wasn't holding his breath, waiting for her to respond to his suggestion. Truly, he knew he'd had to present his proposal in just the right way to make it seem like he was honestly just looking into having some privacy from the others, which wasn't a lie. But he'd worried that her sense of honor and righteousness would keep her from truly accepting it until…

He saw her smile.

Not a big smile; it was just the raising of one corner of her mouth with a blush brightening across her cheeks. In this situation, a smile was a good thing.

"You know, there's uh…there's something I wanted to talk to you about as well."

It was his own heart that hitched at the words. When he considered the last few days, the thing that was bothering her…was she finally going to tell him?

"I'm listening," he muttered quietly.

"You know that I love working with you in the shop. And I know a couple of days ago I told you that I didn't want to open the library yet, but-"

"You are a woman of books and not antiques," he finished for her, feeling his chest begin to puff out in pride and excitement. He fought to contain it. It wasn't possible. It simply wasn't possible that she herself was about to bring up the one thing he'd been terribly nervous to bring up as well. Was it?

It was. When she glanced over at him, he could see the relief on her face that he'd guessed right. He hid his own relief, his own joy. It was like more than just the stars on the hat were aligning. Maybe his happy ending was possible after all. Maybe the Fates were rewarding him.

"I can't say that I'm surprised."

"Really?" she questioned.

"We all have our strengths. Mine has always lay in magic and secrets. Yours have always guided you back to research and books. I couldn't expect you to stay away from something like that for months on end as you'd planned. It's your sanctuary. Just as the shop is mine."

Boundaries. Good, healthy boundaries were within their grasp. It was a relief!

"Well…I wouldn't be leaving the pawn shop forever. I'll still help-"

"I never doubted you wouldn't."

"-and I'm not planning anything big. No grand opening like before. I really just want to get it started again and open it quietly in the next couple of days so people can come and go as they please-"

"A fairly good idea for a town that sees far too much excitement."

"-then I can come back and help you in the shop again."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from the woman I married."

Beside him Belle sighed in amazement. The grasp that she had on him even eased suggesting that she had been far more torn up about having this conversation than he had been. What a lucky man he was!

"So…you're sure you don't mind?" she questioned again, as if in disbelief.

"Belle…" he laughed. Mind…they'd have been having this exact same conversation even if she hadn't been the one to initiate it. He was thrilled. "I ran the shop for many years without you. I'm sure I can manage a few days on my own." When he looked over at her, he realized that she was beaming, absolutely giddy with excitement, and that was how he knew, even if he hadn't intended to have the same conversation with her, he still would have been happy to give her this. "I know how important this library is to you. You get it going again."

She shook her head as she let out another sigh of relief. "How am I so lucky to have ended up with such a wonderful husband?" she questioned.

Now, there was a thought that made him smile. She was a hero. In every way that mattered to him and the universe, she was a hero. Heroes always got their happy endings. So perhaps it wasn't the Fates conspiring to give him his happy ending after all. Maybe he was only a player in her story, and this was all to give her the happy ending she deserved. Either way, he'd take it.

"I'm the lucky one," he corrected, leaning over and kissing her then and there for everyone to see. Let them see. What did he care? When all was said and done, and he was free of the dagger, and they were just living their lives, just like everyone else, what would he care?

"You go tend your books," he insisted when he broke the kiss. He had work to do.

I know, I know, I keep saying it, but this is really another great chapter to be able to read from both perspectives. Belle has her reasons for opening the library, currently unbeknownst to her dear husband. And Rumple has his reasons for wanting her to open the library unbeknownst to her. It's really quite impressive how they are managing to play each other in this scene.

Thank you Rsbeall12 and Redboywilson999 for your reviews on the last chapter. As always, I am ever so grateful for those of you who are here and continuing to read this series! I hope that you are enjoying these chapters of double perspective as much as I am. We don't get this too often so it's nice to enjoy it while we can! Peace and Happy Reading!