EPILOGUE

TWO YEARS LATER

Belle settled her feet on the footrest, crossed her legs at her ankles and cleared her throat, preparing to read aloud to her husband and son as they spun the wool that had been shorn off the sheep. Their selection of books was far smaller, and their lives were far simpler, compared to how they used to live at the castle. But she wouldn't trade her blessed life for a million books and fancy frocks.

"It soft, papa!" Baelfire giggled as he petted the fluff of wool.

Rumpelstiltskin hummed, feeding the line through the spindle. Opening his legs, he coaxed his son in between his knees and showed Baelfire how to spin.

Belle rubbed her belly, which was once more swollen with child. Another month, and Baelfire's new little brother or sister would be here. This pregnancy had been far easier than her previous one had been. There had been no power-hungry queen to manipulate and control them. Since the day of the siege, no one had heard from Queen Snow White or King David again. Oh, there were rumors upon rumors. Rumpelstiltskin figured that they went into hiding and would remain so unless their fortune improved. But for the rest of their days, they would never know peace or happiness, they would be on the run, and despised by everyone they encountered. Last Belle heard, the clerics took in Baby Emma and raised her as their own. Regina Mills claimed the throne and though she was a hard woman, she was a fair ruler. Encouraged by Sir Haemisch, she had given Rumpelstiltskin a full pardon.

Once reunited, Ruby and Sir Haemisch traveled the countryside, connecting with other werewolves. The last time Belle had seen her old friend, it had been from a distance, and Ruby was in her wolf form. To her astonishment, Sir Haemisch was now a werewolf too. According to Granny, he had wanted to join Ruby's pack and allowed her to bite him. The peculiar couple took many orphaned children under their wings, some of whom also joined their pack.

"Mama, look!" Baelfire held up a frazzled piece of wool, that would be no use to her husband.

Belle nodded and waved, wiggling her fingers at them. "Good job, Bae!"

Their son grinned from ear to ear. He was a beautiful boy; wide brown eyes dominated his tiny face and a crop of unruly curls sprung from his scalp. Granny had been right; the clerics attempts to make their child dark had failed. Their boy was innately good. Belle often pondered if it had in fact been Queen Snow White's darkness that the cleric's sensed, rather than her child's.

Belle shifted in her chair, making a face when the babe jabbed a foot into her spine.

She, Rumpelstiltskin, and Baelfire had stayed with her father a few weeks, until they got on their feet. Then Queen Regina gifted them with a small piece of land, small compared to most properties, but nestled near the woods. Perfect for building a cottage. The cottage that they had dreamed about and discussed so often during their nights at the castle, had become a reality. They kept a small flock of sheep, and Rumpelstiltskin spun wool for them to sell.

It was a hard, but simple life. It's perfect. Belle smiled to herself. Rumpelstiltskin had never been happier and reveled in the life of sheepherding. His days were full of working with the sheep and spinning; hers were full of household chores and cooking. Their shared the responsibility of raising Baelfire. Bone-tired, they fell into each's arms at night, alternating between cuddling and making love.

She hadn't realized that her lids had grown thick and heavy and she was close to dozing, until she heard her husband cry out. "Gods! Belle!"

Belle flung her book aside and squirmed to the edge of the seat. Her eyes bulged at the sight of a strand of shimmering gold hanging from her son's fingers.

"He – he was playing with a piece of straw from his doll." Rumpelstiltskin lifted the boy into his arms and carried him to where Belle was near the hearth. Plucking the strand of gold from Baelfire, her husband shrugged helplessly. "He wanted to feed it through and I didn't see the harm in it."

Baelfire never had showed any symptom of his father's curse. He was like every other boy in the neighboring village. Two autumns had lapsed since their boy's birth, not once had magic manifested in him.

Until now.

"Rumple?" Belle cupped her son's cheek and shook her head. "What...how?"

Baelfire reached over and tweaked his father's nose. It was something he had done as an infant and continued to do it as a joke.

Rumpelstiltskin brought his son's hand to his lips and kissed it. "Bae has magic after all." His hand sought Belle's hand and shared a desperate look with her that only she could comprehend. "We must keep this to ourselves."

"Of course. Absolutely." Belle nodded and dropped a kiss in the midst of their boy's messy curls.

They would hide it for as long as they could. She couldn't bear to watch her son go through what his father did. It would be for Baelfire's own good, until he was old enough to manage the curse and magic on his own. Because she and Rumpelstiltskin kissed him thousands of times, and True Love's Kiss had not broken this curse.

Only the gods knew if anyone could break it.