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They were ten miles away from the village before they came to a halt in a clearing. The horses were as out of breath as Belle.“They weren’t very friendly.”Phillip swung down from his horse as Mulan scanned the area with her piercing eyes.“Of course, not Belle, they thought that we were pulling the old Dragonheart con.”Belle eased herself out of the saddle and petted her horse as she recalled the story of the dragon and the knight who had worked together to con villages and towns out of reward money.“I thought that was just a story.”Mulan snorted; “It is but based on fact. I can offer you the names of a dozen honourless heroes who run that con with various beasts.”Belle puzzled it over as they set up camp. There was surely enough evil in the world without running such a dishonest scheme. What was the point of pretending to defeat a beast?
Where’s the gold, dearie?
She scowled at the memory of Rumple’s words. He was right; the Dragonheart con offered a shortcut to fame and fortune, the only risk was getting mobbed to death by irate villagers who discovered the deception. Belle knew enough of the world to understand the common folk wouldn’t risk killing the conman in case he was a member of the nobility. Her own father came down hard on that sort of thing.She was quiet as Mulan and Phillip softly spoke of their plans. The world wasn’t as black and white as her books made it out to be. She’d grown up sheltered, privileged and protected. Until she met Gaston it was easy for her to believe that the world was exactly like a story book. Even after she saw the darkness within him, she’d tried to convince herself that he was the exception rather than the rule. In a way seeing the man behind the beast had given her hope that there was good in everything. She snorted softly to herself. There was good in Rumple, their kiss had proven he was under a curse most dark, but instead of embracing his freedom he had clung to his power.“Belle?”Phillip’s voice pulled her from her thoughts.“We’ll be heading to a small town in the morning. Mulan knows the owner of the tavern there, we’ll be able to rest the horses and prepare for our journey. Will you be travelling with us?”She’d not given much thought to where she would go next. The tavern would at least be a comfortable place to make a plan.“Yes, as far as the town at least, if that is alright?”Phillip smiled at her; “Of course it is. You freed me from that curse Belle, you can travel with us as long as you need to.”They settled down for the night but sleep evaded Belle. The hunt for the Yaoguai and then rescuing Phillip had consumed her thoughts, but now she had nothing to distract her, her mind turned back to Rumple. He wasn’t a beast, oh he pranced and twittered and made unsettling quips, but that was him playing the part the world expected of him. She knew about playing a part. How often had she had to be the perfect princess? She hated it, but it was necessary to pretend to be something you were not in order to survive in the world.
Or to get what you want, dearie.
Belle rolled on to her back and stared at the stars visible through the trees. What was it Rumple wanted? Power, he’d made that very clear. Why? He all those magical items and that did nothing but gather dust. There were more spools of gold in the Dark Castle than he could ever spend, even if he lived another hundred lifetimes. He was feared by all, because of his precious power.Rumple’s power caused him more problems than anything else. Regina wouldn’t have talked her into trying True Love’s Kiss if he hadn’t been the feared Dark One. Those at the top of the pile were always being pecked at by those just below. Her teeth worried at her bottom lip. Would Rumple’s enemies have let him be had she broken his curse? The obvious answer left her sick to her stomach. He would have been mocked and ridiculed at the very least. It was far to easy to contemplate the worst, Regina was not known for being charitable. Gods above, no wonder Rumple had panicked so badly. She’d only been thinking of saving him from his curse, of being the hero. She sat up and hugged her knees. This was why all the stories finished with a kiss. There were consequences to being a hero, and not one story she could think of ever dealt with them. What happened after the prince rescued the princess? What happened after the dragon was slayed? She was damn sure that they didn’t all live happily ever after.The bitterness of that thought shocked her. She had always believed in a happy ending. She’d thought by going with Rumple she had ensured her peoples happy ending, but had she? Yes, the ogres were gone, but what of the rebuilding? What of the harvest? Why hadn’t she tried to negotiate those into her deal with Rumple? She wanted to scream at herself but choked the feeling back so as not to wake Mulan and Phillip. She’d been living her life by stories, and no matter how enthralling and well written they were, they were not real life. She couldn’t look at her life like it was a story.Belle pinched the bridge of her nose and rubbed at her eyes. It had been a long few days and she needed to sleep. Come the morrow she would try and look at her problem with a clear mind. She lay back down and pulled her blanket tight around herself.“I’m sorry Rumple.” -o0o- Rumple shivered. Someone had whispered his name. He waited, but the whisper was not repeated. Shame, he could have done with a nice desperate soul. Spinning wasn’t distracting him as well as it usually did. The wheel reminded him far too much of the feeling of Belle’s soft lips against his, and then he thought of the desperate panic that had engulfed him as his curse began to break.He dug his claws into his legs and pushed himself to his feet. There were still shards of glass and splinters of wood scattered around the great hall. The price of the magic he had used to repair the place. Tiny little pieces that reminded him of what he could have lost and what he could have gained. Another piece of glass crunched under his boot as he walked to the plinth that held the chipped cup.He loved Belle. He couldn’t deny that to himself. Belle loved him. Oh, he had tried very heard to convince himself that it was a trick, some twisted spell of Regina’s designed to rob him of his power. He couldn’t hold on to that idea for long, no one had the power to fake True Love’s Kiss. The simple truth was the Belle loved him.True Love. One of the few things that could break his curse, and the only one he had never sought to protect himself against. Why waste the energy? He was a difficult man to love before he became the Dark One, now his looks made love impossible, never mind his lack of morals and mocking attitude. The debacle with Cora had proved how unloveable he was. Yet Belle loved him, truly.Rumple carefully lifted the cup from the plinth and ran his thumb over the chip. He had True Love and he had driven her away. Typical when you considered his history, he always pushed away what was important and clung to power.Holding the cup in one hand he reached into his chest with the other and pulled out his heart. The coal black lump had changed. Before there had been one glowing red spot, his love for Baelfire, beating at the centre of all that darkness. Now there was a second red spot, his love for Belle, pulsing bright and strong. His curse loathed those two red parts, it writhed and hissed at the very feel of them, but after nigh on three hundred years he was skilled at quelling the angry voices. These days they bothered him no more that the chattering magpies that flocked around the castle.With a heavy sigh he replaced his heart and put the cup back on the plinth. Bae would want him to embrace Belle’s love and let his curse be broken. If he did that, he wouldn’t be able to find Bae. Or would he? His curse would be broken, but he’d still have magic. At least he thought he would. It wasn’t widely understood, but anyone could learn magic, it helped to have a natural aptitude for it, but it wasn’t essential. He might not be as powerful, but after all his long years of study he should still have magic.And that was what was scaring him, wasn’t it? Regina took swipes at him now, what would she do if his power decreased? And she wasn’t the only one who would scent weakness and move in for the kill. His list of enemies was lengthy after all. His seer powers were being frustratingly unhelpful. True Love apparently interfered with them, he certainly hadn’t seen Belle coming.One thing for sure was that he had been right to cast a protection spell around Belle before she had left the castle. Regina had already made one attempt to capture her. The queen had not been happy to find her carriage and hired thugs flung into the Infinite Forest. She’d not been stuck there for long, of course, but her temporary relocation had impressed upon her that Belle was no easy target.It wouldn’t take Regina long to come up with a better plan. His love for Belle was a weakness that far too many people knew about, he needed to find a way to protect himself against True Love’s Kiss. He wouldn’t put it past Regina to find a way to weaponized Belle’s kiss against him. Not that Belle was ever likely to willingly kiss him again. He gave the chipped cup on last sad look before he turned and headed up to the library. -o0o- The ride to the tavern took most of the morning. Belle was quiet for the trip. Her mind was spinning as she tried to work out why Rumple would cling to his power. She felt sure that there was more to it than simply keeping his place at the top of the pile. It wasn’t until they came into town and saw children playing around the well that it struck her.
‘There was a child, my son. I lost him.’
She had taken that to mean the boy was dead, but Rumple corrected her when she interrupted his remembrance. Rumple’s son was lost. She was sure that if the boy was in this realm than Rumple would have been able to find him in a snap, so that probably meant the boy was elsewhere. She knew of realm jumpers, why had Rumple not used one of them to bring his son home? Were the realms that magic could not go to? She shuddered as she thought of the Black Fairy, Rumple’s own mother, could she have his son? The fairy had no qualms about stealing children.
‘Desperate souls can always make a deal, dearie.’
Rumple would have made a deal with his mother to get his son back if it had been an option, Belle was certain of that. She’d seen how much he loathed his mother, but she had also witnessed the deep love and sadness he felt for his son.Belle dismounted in a daze. Had she almost cost Rumple his chance to save his son? Bits and pieces that she had gleaned from Rumple and his visitors during her stay at the Dark Castle began to fall into place. The talk of a curse to end all curses, the mentions of a land without magic, Rumple’s odd deals. She couldn’t see the whole pattern, but Regina and her step-daughter were key somehow.“Belle? We’re going to get something to eat, are you coming?”Mulan and Phillip were waiting by the door of the tavern. Belle couldn’t face their company at the moment.“I need to take a walk, stretch out after the ride.”Phillip accepted her words at face value and walked into the tavern. Mulan lingered for a moment, Belle tried to smile reassuringly, but the gesture felt wrong on her face. She gave Mulan a wave and headed back towards the well. There were less people around now, most had probably gone inside for the midday meal.Belle stared at her face in the reflection of the water. How Rumple must hate her. They may have shared True Love’s Kiss, but she couldn’t see how his feelings for her would have survived. She had come so close to robbing him of his chance to find his son.“Someone is looking for you, missy.”Rough hands grabbed her, pinning her arms to her sides and crushing the breath from her. Before she could struggle a cloud of ruddy smoke engulfed her and her attacker. She stumbled forward and caught herself on the edge of the well. The man was gone. Turning around she spotted a large snail on the ground. Even had she not recognized the smoke of Rumple’s magic; the transformation of her attacker would have told her who had helped her. She couldn’t help but laugh. Rumple had cast a protection charm on her, he might not love her any more, but he still cared enough to ensure her safety.“Thank you, Rumple.” -o0o- Rumple frowned at the tingle of magic. With a snap of his fingers the only mirror he was willing to use appeared in his hand. “Show me.”He didn’t need to say her name, the mirror knew who he wanted to see. The reflection of his face shimmered and was replaced with the sight of Belle carefully picking up a large snail. He snorted to himself as she placed her former attacker out of harm’s way.“Always so tender hearted.”This one had gotten close. Belle would have worked out by now that he had placed a protection on her. He leaned closer to the mirror and examined her face. She didn’t look angry, or upset, in fact she was smiling as she made her way into a tavern. He’d not been sure how she would react when she found out about the spell. He’d half expected her to be furious, but she looked content enough. It was the best way he had of showing his regret for his reaction to her kiss. He was a beast, but not a completely heartless one.He put the mirror down. He could spend all day looking at Belle, but he needed to work. So far, his search was fruitless. True Love’s Kiss was the ultimate cure-all, and unblockable apparently. It made sense, why would anyone want to prevent True Love’s Kiss? He’d been hoping that some witch or wizard in the past had felt malevolent enough to devise a solution, but no such luck.There was one passing reference to a fruit that could block True Love’s Kiss, but sine the book gave him neither name, or description it wasn’t much help. It did mention location, not that the name would have been much help to anyone else, Lagertha’s Tor hadn’t been called that for the last couple of hundred years. It would appear he had a trip to Aggerton to plan.The wards around the castle shivered. Rumple groaned, Regina had awful timing, now he would have to listen to her latest rant about Snow White before he could make his trip. A wave of his hand sent the mirror to his vault. The last thing he wanted was for Regina to notice it, she’d always had a knack for mirror magic.By the time Regina stormed into the great hall Rumple was lounging in his chair.“How delightful of you to barge in Regina. You look bilious, has something disagreed with you?”Regina glared at him; “It’s not nice to attack your friends, Rumple.”He cocked his head to one side; “Surely that’s the sort of thing your mother should have taught you as a child? Still, better to learn it later than not at all.”Her glare increased, and she stomped over to him and jabbed her finger in his face; “Did you believe I wouldn’t recognize your magic? Is that mere chit of a girl so important to you that you would risk my wrath?”He batted her hand away and leant forward so his face was scant inches from hers; “Your wrath is nothing to me, I am the Dark One and you would do well to remember that, dearie.”Regina tried to out stare him, the silly woman had never learned that he didn’t need to blink. Her eyelids fluttered, and she stepped back with a huff.“Honestly Rumple you’re acting as if I want to harm the girl. I want to help her, after you threw her out, she’d not going to have many people welcoming her with open arms. I’ve heard talk that her father wants to subject her to a cleansing, and you know how free the clerics are with their whips.”Rumple examined his claws feigning disinterest in Regina’s attempt at the gentle approach. “I don’t know what gossip you’ve been listening too, but I hope you didn’t pay too much for it. I have not thrown Belle out, she made a deal with me and you know those don’t get broken.”He watched as Regina’s eyes narrowed. Let her think that Belle roaming the countryside, breaking curses and saving people was some how part of one of his schemes. Fretting over that would keep her out of his hair for a while. He stood up making it clear that this visit was over, but before Regina swept out, he added.“Just remember how short my temper is when people try to take what’s mine, dearie.”With a mocking curtsey Regina left. Rumple paced as he considered what she had said about the plans Belle’s father was making. Sir Maurice might well consider his daughter tainted by her association with him. Regina was likely lying, but handing Belle over to the clerics sounded plausible. His protection spell would keep Belle from harm, unless her father manipulated Belle’s love for him and convinced her a cleansing was necessary.“Damn it!”He needed to talk to Belle. The thought of seeing her face to face again made him shiver. He’d treated her so poorly, how could he face her? Coward that he was he didn’t dare. He knew he’d be too tempted to grovel at her feet and beg her forgiveness, which good, tender-hearted Belle might grant him with a kiss. That thought stopped him in his tracks. He’d been looking for a way to prevent Belle’s kiss from being used against him, it hadn’t occurred to him that the same protection would allow him to have a relationship with her. He could keep his curse and embrace his True Love. Would it be possible? Sharp claws tapped against the table top as he considered. It all depended on Belle’s feelings, and he’d only know those if he spoke to her. True Love was not easy to snuff out, but just because they shared it didn’t mean that she would want to be with him.The first step was discovering if this fruit was real, in a swirl of smoke Rumple transported himself to Aggerton. -o0o- Belle had to work her way through a press of bodies to reach the table Phillip and Mulan had found.“Feeling better after your walk?”Belle smiled at Mulan; “Much better, and hungry.”She helped herself to a glass of wine from the jug on the table while Phillip beckoned on of the staff. They placed an order and were warned there might be a bit of a wait. The tavern was crowded for a lunchtime, and Belle couldn’t understand why until she spotted a bard tuning a fiddle on the small stage. Wandering bards were both entertainment and sources of news. Belle had not seen one in years, the ogre war had kept them away from Avonlea, and the thought of one singing for their supper at the Dark Castle made her giggle.She felt sure she would have remembered had she seen this bard before. Her white blonde hair was cropped close to the sides of her head, and the long top was styled and tinted with pink. “I’m glad we’re here for on of Alecia’s shows, she’s very good.”Belle drew her eyes from the bard at Mulan’s comment.“She’s a regular here?”Mulan nodded as she sipped her drink; “Oh yes, comes around about once every three months, unless she’s had an adventure of her own. Those always make for interesting songs.”“How long since she was last here?”“About six months.”Belle grinned and settled in for a good show. The crowd cheered when Alecia began to play. Belle recognized the tune, a classic ballad about Briar Rose and her battle against Maleficent. Having been kidnapped by the dragon shifter and her cronies Belle didn’t think the song did justice to how fearsome Maleficent actually was. The crowd was singing along with the chorus, but Belle noticed that Phillip was quiet and frowning. Perhaps he’d had a run in with Maleficent. His face relaxed it to a warm smile as the next song began. Belle hadn’t heard this one before and was intrigued by the tale of a woman who had disguised herself as a man to join the army. She caught Mulan rolled her eyes and raise her glass in a salute to Alecia. There was a story there, but the noise was too loud for Belle to ask.The next song was another new one to Belle and it took her by surprise. It hadn’t occurred to her that bards would sing of her deal with Rumple. Would anyone every sing about her love for the beast? Would they say that he had corrupted her, or bewitched her? Would she be portrayed as evil and dark as they claimed Rumple to be? She wasn’t as worried about that as she once would have been. Stories and songs weren’t real life, her and Rumple would know the truth of their tale, and the rest of the world would think what they wanted.Their food arrived, and Belle tucked into the hearty stew with gusto. Halfway through her bowl a song caught her attention and she stopped eating. “Oh, we can learn to love again; One bite and we can learn to love again; We’re true as we are, one bite and we’ll be right again.”Belle blinked as the song ended. The noise of the crowd showing their appreciation for Alecia was a dull roar in her ears. The couple in the song had True Love and had taken a bite of something to protect themselves from breaking a curse one of them was under. The situation was so similar to hers and Rumple’s. She had fallen in love with the Dark One and if he wanted to keep his curse then why would she want to change that? If they could find whatever the couple had used to block the magic of True Love’s Kiss, then they could be together. If he still wanted her, the protection spell he had cast on her proved that he still cared for her, but maybe she had shaken his trust too much for him to consider allowing her back into his life.Belle rolled her eyes at herself. She was making plans based on a ballad, had she not learned her lesson about living her life by songs and stories? She focused on finishing her stew and only raised her eyes from her bowl when a someone approached their table.Mulan rose and hugged Alecia; “Good to see you again.”“And you my friend. Been keeping out of trouble?”Mulan shrugged; “Trouble keeps finding me.”The bard laughed and nodded to Phillip and Belle; “It’s one way to make new friends.”Mulan made the introductions and Belle found herself fixed by a curious stare.“I hear Avonlea in your voice, you wouldn’t happen to be the Belle, would you?”Belle shook her head; “It’s a common name.”Alecia shrugged; “Shame another verse to the ballad of the Beauty and the Beast would have been fun to write.”Belle kept her thoughts on that to herself but gave into her curiosity and asked; “I’ve never heard the song about the unicorn before.”Alecia joined them and accepted a glass of wine; “Not surprising, it’s a new one. I met the couple it’s about a few months ago.”So, the was a couple behind the song. Belle bit her lip as she considered what to ask next. Phillip spoke first; “Why would anyone want to stay cursed?”“She didn’t consider being a unicorn by day and a human by night to be a curse. Said it gave her a freedom that she’d never had before.”Phillip huffed a laugh and shook his head. He clearly couldn’t comprehend the choice, but then again, his experience as a cursed creature hadn’t been a positive one.Mulan posed a question that Belle had been considering; “And are they really True Love?”Alecia nodded; “Oh yes, her lover used Pixie Dust to find her.”That answered that question, Pixie Dust was a certain way to find one’s True Love. There was only one thing Belle needed to know now.“And what was it they bite into to block True Love’s Kiss?”Alecia shook her head; “That I do not know. They wouldn’t tell me anything about it. And for good reason, could you imagine what that sort of power would do in the wrong hands.”Rumple’s name hung unspoken in the air. Belle wondered what her companions would say if they knew who she really was, if they knew who she loved. She trusted them, but not that much. Rumple’s reputation was such that people were not inclined to believe anything but the worst about him. Belle listened as Mulan and Alecia exchanged news. A plan was forming in her mind, if she was going to return to Rumple having a peace offering would be helpful. She asked a passing barmaid for another jug of wine, perhaps Alecia would reveal more details after a little more wine. -o0o- Rumple was not in a good mood. He’d sensed the magic in Aggerton the moment he’d arrived. He’d not had need to visit this place in a very long time, and this magic was new. And vexing, very vexing. He couldn’t find a way into the chamber under the tor, and he was sure that what he was looking for was housed within. It had better be, he was going to be very upset if there turned out to be a damn enchanted sword or singing harp in there. His mood was not helped by the unicorn prowling around. He’d never been overly fond of the creatures, they always looked like they were up to something. He hissed at it and it cantered away with a snort.He spent another fruitless twenty minutes attempting to penetrate the magic shield and had been about to throw a fireball at it in frustration when he sensed someone approaching.“You can’t enter alone.”He swivelled on his heel and glared at the woman who was stood at the edge of the clearing stroking the mane of the unicorn. The sneaky beast had been up to something after all.“And why is that, dearie?”“You have to enter with your True Love. This had to be a decision you make together.”Rumple laughed at the simplicity of the shield; “So True Love protects the very thing that will block the power of its kiss?”The woman nodded.“And I don’t suppose it is possible to send anyone else in to retrieve said item?”A shake of her head confirmed what he’d suspected. He rubbed his fingers across his thumb. From some reason the woman smiled more at his gesture.“Where did this come from?”He had rushed blindly at an opportunity that appeared too good to be true once before. He wasn’t about to make the same mistake again.“It was born of need. Sprouted from the desire to love without altering.”That wasn’t much of an answer, but at least there was no mention of fairies. “And what is the price? There is always a price for magic.”“The power of True Love’s Kiss is lost to you forever, best be careful not to get hit by a sleeping curse or the like.”Well, there were other ways to wake someone from that, and ways to prevent it from taking hold. As prices went it didn’t seem onerous. He raised his eyebrows at the woman and waited for the other shoe to drop.Annoyingly the woman just smiled and kept stroking the mane of the unicorn. He looked more closely at the beast and a slow smile spread over his face. Now he took the time to see he could spot the tell-tale signs of a curse.“You’ve eaten the fruit, you and your unicorn.”She returned his smile; “Go to your love, be honest when you tell her of Lagertha’s Fruit. Any deception and you will not be able to enter the chamber.”Ah, there was that other shoe he’d been waiting for. Despite popular opinion Rumple did not lie. The truth was just more flexible than most people thought. He was about to offer something in trade for her help, but his magic flashed through him and transported him away. -o0o- Belle had gotten no more direct details out of Alecia, but she had found out the route she had travelled, so she had a starting point. She’d decided to head up to her room to wash up and probably have a nap. The wine had gone to her head a little and the heavy stew had made her feel sleepy. She made her way up the stairs and edged along the crowded balcony. The press of people up here made it slow going, apparently Alecia’s appearance was considered a holiday and many folks had taken advantage of the break in routine.“Excuse me.”Trying to get past a large loud group had pressed her right against the banister. One of the group pushed her and she heard the wood groan as it splintered and gave way. She didn’t scream as she fell backwards, but several people in the bar did. Belle closed her eyes and braced for an unpleasant landing.It didn’t come. Instead there was a grunt and a familiar scent as she was caught.“This is a becoming a bad habit of yours.”Belle opened her eyes and found herself looking at Rumple. He looked as stunned as he had when she had fallen from the ladder in the Dark Castle, but the was a tiny smile tugging at his mouth.“You know how clumsy I am.”The sounds of shocked gasps and shouts from the customers and staff finally made Belle look around. Apparently, Rumple had cleared a circle around him, and from the looks of it done so quite dramatically. She raised an eyebrow at him and he shrugged in response. “Would you mind if we went somewhere quieter?”He was still holding her in his arms, and there were more than a few swords being drawn as people decided to attempt to rescue her from his embrace. They didn’t realise that Belle was right where she wanted to be.“I’ll go with you.”He smiled at the echo of their deal in her words and smoke wrapped around them.Phillip sat down heavily and blew out a breath. Mulan was calmly pouring another glass of wine.“Did you know who she really was?”Mulan shrugged; “I suspected, but her story was none of my business.”She reached across the table and gave Alecia a sharp poke. The bard blinked away the glazed look that she’d been wearing.“What was that for?”“I can see you writing a new verse. How about you don’t? They’ll have enough worries without your song bringing them more.”Alecia opened her mouth to complain but Mulan’s stern look made her close it again. She reached for a glass of wine and laughed; “It would make a terrible ballad, for who would believe the beast could love the beauty?”Phillip spluttered; “You think he loves her?”Mulan and Alecia rolled their eyes at him and both wondered privately how the man could be so blind. The Dark One had appeared out of thin air, swept two dozen people aside with magic and caught Belle, before disappearing again, still holding her as a groom held his bride. No matter how unbelievable it might be, there was love there. -o0o- Rumple carefully set Belle on her feet once they materialised in the clearing at the foot of the tor. He suddenly felt very nervous. He never expected his magic to decide that if would need him to be present to save her from harm. He probably should have been more specific when he cast the spell, but he’d thought of her fall from the ladder while working the magic. He looked at her and noted how well she looked in her travelling leathers.“How, erm, how have you been?”Belle smirk at him; “Like you don’t know. You’ve been keeping an eye on me. Why?”Rumple swallowed, and half turned, damn it they weren’t at home, he could seek the solace of his spinning wheel. His fingers were twitching, and he found he couldn’t look directly at Belle. He’d never seen her legs before, not that he was really seeing them now, but their shape was a lot clearer in those trousers than under her skirts. She was shifting to catch his eye and waiting for an answer.“Well, a deal is a deal, you promised me forever, so you’re still technically under the same protection as anything I trade for.”He winced at his clumsy words and then again when Belle huffed and turned away from him. He reached out to stop her but found that she had only walked as far as a fallen log. She sat down primly and fixed him with a hard look.“Rumple. I need you to be honest with me. I understand that it is difficult and terrifying, but I’m willing to try if you are.”Rumple let his hand drop to his side. Belle looked as nervous as he felt. He took a deep breath and tried to decide where to begin. Words, normally the tools he wielded so well, failed him. He moved to kneel at Belle’s feet and reached into his chest to draw out his heart.Belle gasped at his actions, or at the sight of the coal black lump in his hand. He tried to reassure her.“It only stings a bit. See these red parts?”Belle nodded.“There used to only be one. Now there is one for you and the other, for my son. His name is Baelfire.”Belle took his hands in hers. He flinched a little, having someone else’s hands that close to his heart was unnerving, but he stilled himself. She wasn’t trying to take his heart, in one way she’d already done that, she was offering him comfort.“You lost your son?”He gave her a tight nod.“And you need your power to find him again?”He looked up at her in wonder. She’d worked it out. Oh, she was a smart one his Belle. “Yes.”Her hand squeezed around his making him gasp at the pressure that place on his heart.“I’m so sorry, Rumple. I only thought of being a hero and breaking your curse. I should have asked why you carried it without looking for a way out. I shouldn’t have listened to Regina. I swear to you I had no idea who she was, but I should have been suspicious of such advice from a stranger.”He wanted so badly to kiss her hand, but he restrained himself and altered his grip on his heart, so he could caress her fingers instead.“I know, Belle. I’m sorry for doubting you, for thinking the worst of you. I was a fool and a coward.”She leaned forward and pressed her forehead to his. Forgiveness and acceptance radiated from her gesture. The feelings that had been strangers to him for so long almost overwhelmed him, but Rumple knew there was more for him to confess.“I don’t think you’re going to like what I have to do to find him again.”Belle frowned slightly; “Can you tell me?”With his heart in their hands he told her all of it. He was right Belle wasn’t happy about it, but she never took her hands from his, nor did she interrupt until he had finished.“Is there no other way?”“I’ve searched for three hundred years Belle. This is the only way.”She took a deep breath and nodded at his heart in their hands; “Could you put this back where it belongs?”His did so and wondering if this was where she told him she wanted nothing more to do with him. He wouldn’t blame her; the Dark Curse was a step too far for anyone. Belle surprised him by reaching for his hands again once his heart was back in his chest.“I know this is going to sound strange since my love of stories made me so foolish, but I’ve heard a song that tells of something that can block the magic of True Love’s Kiss. If it is real and we could find it, we could be together and you’d keep your curse so you can find your son. I want to be with you Rumple, if you want me, but I don’t want to get caught up in a moment and accidentally kiss you.”Rumple couldn’t have stopped the grin that bloomed on his face if he’d been paid; “You think you might want to kiss me, again, after everything I’ve told you?”Belle gave him a smouldering look that sent shivers down his spine; “I want to kiss you right now, but I won’t take away your chance to find your son.”Even in the giddy thrill of Belle’s desire for him, the words of the woman came back to him, he needed to be honest.“Belle. The thing, it’s called Lagertha’s Fruit, and it’s in there,” – he pointed at the tor, - “we have to go in together to get it, and I’m happy to do that if you want but before we try you should know the price…”“Let me guess, If we were hit by any other curse we wouldn’t be able to use True Love’s Kiss to break it?”Her intelligence once again impressed him; “Yes. And there is one more thing,” - this was going to be the hardest to admit, but he had to, - “If you kissed me now and broke my curse, there is a chance I’d still have my magic, but I’d probably be weaker, and I’ve many enemies.”Belle’s teeth worried at her bottom lip as she thought about everything Rumple had told her about his son and the nature of his curse.“Would it be dark magic?”Rumple sagged as he considered her question. He shifted himself from his knees to sit cross legged at her feet but kept hold of her hand, stroking his thumb over her fingers.“I’m not sure. Dark magic is what I can access now because of the curse, but I suppose I would have a choice as to what I could reach for if it was broken. It might take me a while to learn how to use light magic, but I suppose I could?”“Baelfire wanted to find a way to break your curse. What if we did the brave thing and did just that, might that give us another way to find him?”She’d spoken of them as a couple, as an ‘us’. Rumple had been alone for so very long that the heady feeling of having someone by his side, on his side left him dizzy.“I’m not very good at bravery, Belle.”“Neither am I, but I know doing the brave thing means bravery will follow.”She’d said this to him before, before he sent her out for straw and she’d met Regina. He’d thought she was naïve, that it was nothing but a silly fairy tale someone told a child. Now he believed her words, believed that it was possible to be scared and do the brave thing.“Belle, kiss me.”Her eyes went wide; “You’re sure?”“No, but I’m being brave.”She took his face in her hands and gently pressed her lips to his. He felt the magic of True Love start to fight his curse. He whimpered as Belle pulled back.“It’s working, kiss me again.”His world was nothing but her red lips and soft words. He caught the back of her head in his hands and pulled her down to him. Their lips met again, and his curse howled. His fingers tightened in her hair and he whispered against her mouth; “Please don’t stop!”The curse was fighting hard, screaming at him to shove her away and crush her for trying to attack him. Rumple’s limbs were shaking with the conflicting urges to push and pull. Belle lurched from her position on the log and pushed him to the ground, blanketing his body with hers as she slipped her tongue into his mouth. Rumple groaned at the sensation and clamped his arms around her back.True Love’s Kiss is normally marked by a ripple of magic. The shockwave that erupted from Belle and Rumple was felt across the entire realm. Curses were broken all over the land. A genie was freed from a mirror. A princess woke from an enchanted sleep. A whole village burst free from a snow globe. People staggered and wept as their stolen hearts were returned to them. A thousand-year-old tree dropped its leaves and turned back into the sorcerer it had once been.And in the clearing by Lagertha’s Tor a spinner took his first free breath in almost three centuries. Rumple smiled up at Belle.“It worked. Do you still want me, looking like this?”Belle hummed, a playful smile on her lips; “Yes. This is the man I saw behind the beast.”Rumple was about to kiss her again when a green light flashed over the clearing. The terror of memory flooded him, that light never brought anything good, it only stole love and hope. He jerked up right clutching Belle to his chest. The blinding light faded, and Belle was still in his arms. Rumple relaxed only to tense again when he realised they were no longer along. “Papa?”At the far edge of the clearing a unicorn and her lover watched the former Dark One and his True Love reunite with his lost son. The sun dipped below the horizon and with a sigh the unicorn shifted into a human. She wrapped an arm around her lover and rested her head on her shoulder.“They look happy.”“Yeah. Not going to be easy for they.”“They are going to need friends.”Lagertha turned her head and kissed Aethel; “They will have them my love. We have always been there for him, and we will be there for them.”