This just an itch I needed to scratch. I hope you like and if you wish please review!

The War Table had seen better days, certainly. It fit in rather well in the spacious dining-room at Granny's Bed and Breakfast, but the chairs that surrounded it were worn-out and in dire need of being re-upholstered and the wood had been polished one too many times, trying to mask the passage of time that hadn't really occurred. The room was light and airy, the wide windows letting in the morning sun and the warmth that came with it. The walls sported creamy stripped wallpaper that was just a bit worn-out, like everything else at the Inn, and there were knickknacks placed strategically all over the place, giving it a homey feeling.

The atmosphere was certainly not a war-like as it should have been, but the room was big enough and the place had been secure, so it'd have to do. There was Red, back to her original name and sporting her cape more out of fear than necessity, Grumpy reunited with his six comrades, still trying to recover that old camaraderie they had once shared. Jiminy Cricket stood close by, edging towards a seat near the werewolf, his body-language screaming his awkwardness in a way that made Charming bite back a smile. His wife was next to him, a serene presence solidly beside him, anchoring him to the moment, to sanity. His daughter, his little Emma now all grown-up, wearing pants and a leather jacket and sharpening his sword, trying to get a feel of the weapon she'd likely be using in the near future. Henry was forever by her side, a bright face full of questions and answers.

There were some new faces. Dr. Whale, real identity still unknown, sat uncomfortably by himself, not daring to meet anyone's eyes. The Blue Fairy vouched for him, though, so the monarchs had accepted his presence, knowing they needed all the people they could get. A grown-up Pinnochio sat stiffly next to him, magically unwooden. There were two more princes in their midst, sitting quietly and surveying the situation with careful eyes, and a woodsman with his two kids hovering protectively close to him, a wily girl little Henry eyed a bit too much and a clumsy boy.

"Well, if we are all present, I think this is a good time as any to start this meeting…" Charming sat up, looking every inch the king even in jeans and a flannel shirt, and everyone at once quieted down and took their places, bowing once again to the leadership of the false prince. Well, almost everyone, really.

"You didn't think to wait for me? I'm deeply hurt"

The mellifluous voice that for twenty-eight years had terrified everyone in the sleepy town of Storybrooke, Maine, was slightly more singsong-y, and a bit higher-pitched, but still unmistakable. It was with a mixture of apprehension, loathing and sheer terror that the people assembled turned towards the main door to gaze upon the placid countenance of the notorious Mr Gold, also known as the infamous Rumplestiltskin, the Deal Maker. He was dressed as he had been for the past three decades: an impeccable suit, a dark shirt, navy blue today, and a silk tie, flawlessly tied. He carried a cane, as it was his custom, but it was different that his usual one. The handle was round and the wood darker than usual, nearly black. It was thinner too, not the kind of cane one would lean heavily against, more like a gentleman's walking stick. And it was painfully clear that Gold did not need it.

Everyone knew what that meant.

"Rumplestiltskin" Snow's voice was firm and neutral "We weren't really expecting you"

He smiled, or rather smirked, glancing once around the room.

"So I gather. A bit foolish of you, really, discussing magic and the downfall of the Queen without me here"

He calmly stepped into the room, seating down in an unoccupied chair that seemed to have been waiting for him all along.

"Well, shall we get on with things?"

There was a pregnant pause, during which everyone looked to see what "the Charmings" would do. Emma seemed torn between anger and common sense, Snow was cautious but more welcoming and James was unreadable, as if made of stone. Finally it was the little Swan the one that broke the impasse.

"Are you here to con another of us into doing your dirty work for you?" she said aloud, one hand on the hilt of her father's sword and the other going discreetly to her hip, where her gun was. Gold gave her a mock-hurt look, even going as far as to place his right hand over his heart.

"You wound me, Sheriff" he said, his voice soft as always but with a slight manic undertone that hadn't been there before "I kept my promise. I said your boy would be fine and here he is, the wee lad, all smiles and health. I've never lied to any of the people in the room, and I dare anyone here to contradict my words"

No one did, of course, because the imp was annoyingly right, which didn't buy him any popularity points, not that he minded. He seemed perfectly at ease, even when the kitchen knives and baseball bats started showing up all around the room. He kept both his hands on his walking stick and the shadows of a smirk on his face, his gazed focused on the Charmings but every once in a while darting towards the Blue Fairy or Pinocchio.

"He's right, Rumplestiltskin never lies. It's in the book" Henry piped in, all smiles and ruffled hair, dispelling some of the tension in the room.

"Thank you, princeling, for the vote of confidence. And now that we have all assured yourselves of your complete and utter recovery I thought it was time to talk about the future of this little town"

James and Emma looked at the former pawnbroker suspiciously, but Snow seemed a bit more open-minded. The Blue Fairy, still and human-looking as for the past three decades, flitted on the sidelines, a frown in her face but never even attempting to open her mouth and give her two cents. All the better.

"Are you suggesting the possibility of an alliance against Regina?" Emma carefully worded her question, her eyes narrowed but her practicality showing in her restraint and her apparent willingness to hear him out.

"Indeed I am, dearie" he confirmed, a polite smile looking out of place on his face "She is, after all, our common enemy"

"I don't know, half the time you seem to be working with her" the tone had changed, no longer accusatory, just honest and straightforward. Bless the sheriff for deciding to set aside her unpleasant hot-headedness in favour of her much more palatable common sense.

"Oh, believe me, Miss Swan, when I say that Regina and I are the bitterest of enemies" he couldn't keep the dark rage from his voice, his brogue turning the words into poison "Now more than ever"

And even those who had never met Rumplestiltskin before instantly knew he was not lying. He meant it in the worst possible way, showing hatred like they would never be able to ever feel for another person in their entire lives. The moment ended, and whatever nasty emotion Gold had let cross his face was tucked away, as if it had never existed in the first place.

"So, we have to take your word for it that you will help us, no strings attached, just cause you don't happen to like the Queen?" Charming's voice was condescendingly sceptic, the remnants of the hypocritical and spineless David Nolan clinging to the more assertive and sure-footed prince, nothing time wouldn't eventually put to rights. Gold smiled, one of the old, impish quirks of the lips followed by a high-pitched giggle, the kind that set other people's teeth on edge.

"Oh, no, dearie" he replied, his tone wicked "All magic comes with a price, even the one I currently possess"

He raised his walking stick slightly, and the gesture was enough to convey the message that, even though he was, like the others, not back to his true, real self, he was in possession of an external source of power.

"What is keeping us from taking said magic from you?" Pinocchio intervened for the first time, all cautious and calculating. Gold barely spared a look at the overgrown puppet, casually swishing the walking stick his way and promptly freezing him in place.

"You don't honestly believe I haven't prepared for every possible eventuality, do you?" he asked, his tone mocking "You see, this is not my only source of magic but even if it were no one can use it but me. In your hands this wouldn't be any more useful than, say, a rusty old dagger"

The younger man narrowed his eyes, lips curling in a disgusted expression, but said nothing else, acknowledging defeat.

"Well?" James finally asked, more the leader now "What is your price?"

"Well, amnesty, for once, for all my past crimes, whatever those were. No more cells and dungeons, no petty attempts at revenge, no further recriminations… A clean slate, as it were" he paused, a shark-like grin on his face "And, of course, there is the matter of Miss Swan's… debt. A favour of my choosing, with no interferences from her beloved parents or any… Untimely hero. Oh, don't look so stricken, sheriff, it won't be as bad as you think. Downright honourable, compared to some of my past deals"

Another loud murmuring broke across the room, outraged voices pleading the Charmings not to even consider the ridiculous proposal. James looked, indeed, ready to tell the old imp where exactly he could shove his deal, and Emma was torn between her desire to increase their chances of taking on Regina and wining and her very well-founded mistrust of everything that came out of the pawnbroker's mouth. It was Snow who finally broke the impasse.

"You said 'for once'. That means you want something else from us. And, if you want any of us to trust you with our lives I'm afraid you'll have to do better than that"

There was no accusation in her voice, just like before when she had approached him for a deal in the depths of his dwarf-made prison. Of all the self-righteous "do-gooders" he had dealt with in his entire life Snow had been by far the one less prone to blame him for her bad decisions. He took a deep breath, looked once more around the room and finally his eyes settled on Charming.

"Charming, dearie, do you remember a certain conversation we had in the Infinite Forest once upon a time?"

It took a while for the newly-awakened King to recall the hazy memories of that particular adventure, and a bit more to get him to realize to which part of their conversation he might be referring to. It was the sudden glimpse of vulnerability in the imp's face that clued him in.

"You told me that you had loved, once" he paused, trying to see how it could possibly connect to their current conversation and all around everyone gasped in surprise and some in sudden revulsion "Did the Evil Queen kill her?"

Mr Gold- Rumplestiltskin- laughed, a bitter, unpleasant sound that sent shivers down the spines of many present. There was no mirth in his face, only a darkness lurking behind his eyes, on the edge of his curled lips.

"Not exactly, dearie. She told me she was dead. Made me believe it for over thirty years, my loss following me to this accursed reality by her own design. Spun a tale of torture, of alienation and suicide. But, as it turned out, that was all that it was. A tale. A fib. A lie"

The last word was snarled, finally the stoic and slightly amused façade of Gold/ Rumplestiltskin giving way to real emotion. The monster-turned-man gripped the walking stick tighter, the magic practically rolling off it in unpleasant waves. He looked every inch the dangerous monster they all remembered one way or the other and, for a second, every person in that room actually pitied Regina.

"You can only imagine my surprise when, just a few days ago, she walked into my shop, an amnesiac little thing willing to trust a stranger just because he could protect her from those who had seen fit to lock her up for over thirty years" he seemed almost detached, compared to his outburst seconds earlier, but the sight of his earlier rage still lingered in the minds of all present "I demand protection for her, as well, particularly should anything happen to me. She will not suffer a day more in this life, and you will all ensure that"

There was really no room for argument there, it was clear as day. Charming instinctively moved to stand even closer to Snow, his protective instincts urging him to get his wife and daughter safe and as far away as possible. But Snow and Emma both didn't look frightened. If anything, their expressions conveyed a certain form of primal understanding, and it was clear that they had both already decided what course of action to take. He folded, knowing better than to argue with Snow. She had been right to deal with Rumplestiltskin the last time, after all. And if it was indeed True Love that the imp shared with whatever creature could be prevailed upon to love him, then his loathing of the Queen was true and solid, and so was his willingness to help in exchange for protection. It was all they needed to know, and James could feel himself relaxing for the first time since he had gotten his memories back. He didn't trust the imp, but he did put his faith in the power of true love. If the creature was indeed under its thrall, then it would be trustworthy whenever his significant other was concerned.

"Well?" his daughter's voice cut through his thoughts and he felt warmth at the thought of her "Do we get to meet this… lucky girl? After all, we need to know who we are supposed to be protecting if we are ever to fulfil our end of the deal"

Mr Gold smiled, standing up and ignoring when most people breathed a sigh of relief at his imminent departure.

"Now that I know you're open to an accord I'll be sure to bring her with me next time. Shall we say in three days time, around tea time? We'll make an afternoon out of it"

He strolled out, his gait slow and languid, the walk of a man who had nothing to fear and no one to stop him. The silence that had suddenly descended upon the room at his departure lingered for a long while, everyone unknowingly thinking about the same thing before a tentative Ruby- Red- spelled it out.

"Who could possibly be Rumplestiltskin's True Love?"

Speculation ran high the following two days, with the town buzzing with the juiciest piece of gossip ever to hit both Storybrooke and the Fairy-tale World. The news had quickly trickled down from the highest levels of the War Council to the lowest members of the little town and former Enchanted Forest. It was the centre of the bawdiest jokes at the local pub, all those present taking bets to see if Rumplestiltskin's true love would have warts, a hooked nose or, and this was a rather popular opinion after some shots of tequila, tentacles. Emma had had to break up the party after it had gotten a little too merry (and on that note she had warned dear old Robin that if his men couldn't stay sober they would lose their bow-and-arrow privileges).

The Fairies downright refused to even discuss the possibility. Mother Superior, Blue, was in denial about the whole thing, pretty convinced Dark Ones could not feel true love. Some of the others murmured that maybe there was a witch out there somewhere capable of somehow feeling anything other than revulsion towards Rumplestiltskin and their hushed whispers carried phrases like "slim pickings" and "beggars can't be choosers". Emma felt a little more weary of the fairies after hearing all that, the exception being the unassuming and innocent Nova, who only spoke well of everyone.

James studiously refused to talk about it and whatever Henry knew he kept to himself. But Snow, Emma and some of the other girls couldn't help but ponder about it when they all got together for a "girly afternoon", one of Snow's attempts at spending more time with Emma and at the same time getting her acclimated to the new world she would, hopefully, be a part of one day with the help of her friends.

"I really can't picture it" Ashley- Cinderella- made a face as she helped Snow do the dishes "I mean, Emma, you don't know what he really looks like… It's not a pretty sight, let me tell you"

Snow couldn't help but agree, remembering the time when the Dark One had appeared suddenly inside his cell dangling from the ceiling, his smile showing his stained teeth and his wild hair framing his scaly face. She had had nightmares after that, of sharp claws and hideous cackles, and monsters that tried to take her unborn baby girl from her by unspeakable means.

Still, she recalled with vivid clarity all of her conversations with the imp and now that she thought about it they all had one common thread.

"I can't believe I've never noticed before, but Rumplestiltskin back then was obsessed with love. He called it a disease. Something that tore your dreams and destroyed you. And, at the same time, the most powerful thing in the world, and the most elusive. I must have met him after whoever he loved was taken from him and rumoured to be dead"

Red sighed, the more romantic of the bunch, and the only one from the Enchanted Forest never to have met the imp in person. She had a suspicion her Granny had known him back in the day, but she refused to talk about it.

"Well, it'd explain the constant drinking" Ella huffed "Still, it's hard enough to imagine that… creature in love, but to fathom someone loving him back?" the princess shuddered "Who could possibly do that? Some hideous witch, is my guess"

"Henry refuses to say anything, but I know she's in the book somewhere, so we have it narrowed down to fairy-tale characters. My current vote is for the sea-witch" Emma piped in, taking a sip of her hot chocolate with cinnamon. Red frowned.

"Well, that's… not so bad. If you look past the tentacles"

"… maybe he likes them?" Ella offered in jest, loving the fact that Emma, hardened sheriff and former bail-bondsperson, blushed.

"Ok, moving on. I'd go for the Blind Witch but apparently she's toast"

"How about a myth? Maybe it's Medusa. You know, it'd kinda explain how they got together, if she's never looked at him"

"There were a trio of old witches that predicted the future at the edges of the Dark Woods. Maybe it was one of them" Red ventured.

"Didn't they share one eye between them?" Snow grimaced "That's a pleasant image"

"Baba Yaga?" Emma ventured, having brushed up on European Folklore out of sheer necessity.

"That old crone?" Red shuddered "No better. Terribly bad-tempered too, and shrill"

Cinderella finished drying the last dish and loudly demanded a change of topic.

"It's gonna be bad enough actually meeting whoever-she-is, let's not waste any more time discussing Rumplestiltskin's sex life, if it's not too much to ask for"

"Hear, hear" Snow replied, pouring herself a glass of orange juice and swiftly turning towards Red to enquire about why she had been, as of late, spending so much time with the town's conscience all of a sudden.

The second time Mr Gold strolled into the makeshift War Room he was met with much less surprise but the same amount of distrust and trepidation. Everyone gave the imp enough breadth, treating him like some sort of toxic spill, which he didn't seem to mind. He was dressed impeccably, as always, his suit pressed, a purple striped shirt and a patterned matching tie and pocket handkerchief reminding Emma of that time she had hauled his ass to jail.

She rather enjoyed that memory.

He shed his overcoat, removed his sunglasses and took his seat, his movements unhurried, like he was not in the middle of a room full of people who didn't have his best interests at heart. He even thanked Granny politely when she all but smashed a tea-set for two on the table in front of the Deal Maker.

"Excellent service, Mrs Lucas, as always" he stretched his lips into a polite smile that caused the old woman's frown to deepen, relishing the reaction with a certain amount of glee only reflected deep in his eyes.

"Rumplestiltskin, I thought the purpose of this meeting was to meet your true love" Emma still stumbled over those two words, caught between having witnessed the power of true love and thinking the name unbearably corny "Where is she?"

"She got side-tracked, I'm afraid, but she should be here in just a moment"

As soon as those words were spoken the main doors of the dining room burst open, a figure hurrying to were the pawn broker sat, shedding a slightly oversized gentleman's coat at the same time. She had long chestnut hair with hints of red and glimpses of gold, curling around her shoulders and down her back and impressive blue eyes set against creamy skin. Though slightly underfed she was a lovely sight, dressed in what appeared to be a white man's shirt and black leggings, a wide dark brown belt cinching around her small waist, turning the shirt into an impromptu dress. Thick, old-style boots completed the improvised ensemble.

"I hope I'm not too late" the girl had a slight accent, and her voice was husky and full of warmth. She smiled at everyone in the room, red lips parting to reveal pearly white teeth in the most stunning smile imaginable. There was a bit of apprehension in her eyes, but also a hefty dose of bravery that showed as well in her posture, the way she carried herself. She discarded her coat on the back of the chair next to Gold's and placed both her hands on his shoulders. Emma noticed the Deal Maker relax immediately, and was surprised that she hadn't realized before he had been stiff and tense.

Her attention immediately returned to the new arrival the moment Whale- or whoever he really was- sputtered a clumsy greeting, eyes wide and clearly trying to take in as much of the beauty as he could. Other members of the council were gawking as well, some at the woman, some at the way she loosely draped her arms across the imp's shoulders.

"Excuse me" Emma tried to make her voice sound at once welcoming and authoritative but she stuttered a bit, surprise making her falter "Who are you?"

The girl looked at first confused, then a bit sheepish. Colour flooded her face, making her even more stunning than before, and gave an embarrassed smile.

"This is going to sound rather conceited but… I believe you know me as Beauty"

Everyone started talking at once, some whispering and others nearly shouting and it was up to James and Emma to instil some order, which took a while. Henry took advantage of his mother's distraction to step closer to the new arrival, his fairy-tale book clutched in both his hands.

"You are really like your picture" he said, smiling at her like she was the moon and stars "Is your name really Belle?"

The beauty nodded, performing a flawless curtsey even without the help of a proper gown. The kid bowed as best as he could in response. Around them people still talked amongst themselves, their faces displaying a variety of emotions ranging from disbelief and confusion to rage and disgust. The sheriff herself had to choke down her own incredulity when she caught up with her son and, unwilling to curtsey, settled for an awkward hand-shake with the brunette.

"You mean to say you're Beauty from Beauty and the Beast?" she asked, turning then to stare at Gold "I thought you were Rumplestiltskin"

The Pawn Broker shrugged.

"I appear to be both, dearie. I am sure many would agree that the word 'beast' can be safely applied to my person"

"He's both, just like the book. They fall in love, but the Queen tricks Beauty and the Beast drives her away. By the time he's sorry and wishes her to come back his love has been imprisoned in the Queen's Castle, and she tells the Dark One she's killed herself. The story ended there, and I wasn't sure if the Evil Queen hadn't killed her till a few days ago, when Mr Gold said he'd found you alive"

He motioned Belle to move closer and so she knelt before him so he could whisper into her ear:

"You were always one of my favourite princesses"

Belle laughed, delighted, and bowed her head in thanks.

"Why thank you, your Highness" she replied, rising "But I'm afraid I'm not a princess. Merely a Lady" she turned to the boy's mother "And you must be Sheriff Swan, the Saviour. It's an honour to meet you. Thank you for what you've done"

Everything about this Belle screamed of sincerity, and Emma could see how taken Henry was with her already so she let her guard down and tentatively smiled back.

"No problem" she replied cautiously "So… you're Rumplestiltskin's true love, huh?"

"Oh, come on, this is not fair!" Whale's voice sounded both whiny and honestly disbelieving "Rumplestiltskin terrorizes everyone in the Enchanted Forest for centuries, preys on people when they are at their lowest, creates the curse that brings us to Nowhere, USA and he gets magically bound forever to the hottest girl around?" he flayed his arms about, some of the men nodding along, casting rather inappropriate looks at the beauty clad in Mr Gold's shirt and little else "Meanwhile I got to spend the last twenty-eight years as the town creep even though everything should have guaranteed I'd be considered a catch"

He was ranting and raving now, talking nonsense about fairness and being sick of getting passed over and it took three members of the King's Guard to shove him back down on his seat and force him to be quiet. By then Belle had returned to Rumplestiltskin's side, sitting down and pouring a cup of tea, letting it steep before adding a twist of lemon and barely any sugar. Gold meanwhile poured another cup, sweetening it with a large spoonful of honey and adding a drop of milk. They proceeded then to trade cups, each sipping lightly and apparently approving of the final product. Seeing the stunned looks of everybody at the table Belle felt the need to elaborate:

"He can never get the amount of lemon right, and lets it steep too long. Drives him mad"

"Love, I do believe their incredulity has little to do with our tea arrangement"

"Then why are they staring at us like that?"

The imp smiled, an affectionate quirk of the lips that set everyone's teeth on edge, and traced the line of her jaw with a finger, his hand darting into her hair to capture one of her thick curls and gently tugging at it.

"You might not see me as a monster, dearie, but everybody else does. Monsters, beasts, they don't merit happy endings, or the love of brave and beautiful damsels"

Belle pursed her lips, sighing.

"Well, beautiful damsels are always such helpless ninnies in those stories we might as well toss them aside altogether. If we bound ourselves by the norms and rules of such nonsense we'd never accomplish anything. I much prefer this version of events to any fairy-tale… Evil Queen and all" she smiled, wistfully, and there was a sort of sad contentment in her smile "After all, it got me you"

It could have been a rather cheesy line but something about the delivery made it incredibly bittersweet, heart-wrenching even. People around them seemed to find it difficult to be repulsed by her roundabout undying declaration of love when they could see the pain behind it, the cost she had willingly paid. Gold remained impassive but Emma caught the imperceptive move of his right hand beneath the table, knowing intuitively he had intertwined it with Belle's left hand. She found it endearing against her better judgement, her common sense and her gag reflex.

"Oh, please" Whale, well, wailed "Is it really necessary to rub it in? The murderous bastard gets the beautiful girl in the end, we get it. Some fairy-tale"

"Somebody needs to gag the good doctor before something unpleasant happens"

It was all the warning needed. Three knights discreetly surrounded Dr Whale, looking meaningfully at him, the message clear: shut up or else.

"… as much out of place as the doctor's attitude is, he rather makes a good point, I'm afraid" James voice was that of a King's, authoritative, commanding attention and silence, but it softened before adding "Lady Belle, you claim to love a monster who imprisoned you in a castle, preying on you when you were at your weakest to trick you into giving up your life, and who turned you away and put you out of his mind for good"

There was a clanking noise as Belle let her silver spoon fall against the porcelain saucer in front of her. She rose, both hands on the table, her posture stiff and her eyes torn between anger and incredulity.

"That is not a fair assessment" her voice was strong, and every bit as commanding as Charming's "You are rather unjust, Majesty"

"My Lady, though I understand you may feel the need to defend Rumplestiltskin there is really no…"

A snort stopped him mid-sentence.

"You're not being unjust to him, you're being unjust to me" the beauty clarified, looking rather fierce "Do you really see me like such a helpless creature? A hopeless victim of someone's wiles and schemes? Is that really how you view my first honest act of bravery?" she was addressing everyone at the room by now, seeing in their eyes that they felt as James had said "You do me a great disservice, then, by robbing me of the one truly selfless deed I've ever done. I asked for Rumplestiltskin to be called. I chose to negotiate with him, after he had named his price. He made sure I understood the consequences of accepting the deal and by doing so I saved my village, everyone I loved and that, as a noblewoman, I was duty-bound to protect. I did the brave thing, by myself, out of my own free will, because no one decides my fate but me"

Her last words seemed to resonate across the room, echoing in the ears of everyone assembled. Belle was truly a sight to behold, standing tall and proud, every inch the aristocrat, every inch the warrior. There was no trace of the weak, confused girl they had expected her to be, some submissive fragile yet lovely creature that the Dark One had somehow tricked into believing herself in love with him. It was finally the trickster himself that broke the stunned silence with a resounding laugh, a booming sound full of amusement.

"Were you under the impression, dearie, that I'd ever love some weak-willed little princess, some pretty adornment for my side and my bed?" he chided the silent king, his smile wicked and full of pride "My little Belle is no such thing. She's my equal, a creature of steel and fire" his eyes were gleaming and the sight was fascinating "As well as suppleness and light"

And the voice of the Dark One was coated with a thick layer of love, the raw, primal one, the kind that wasn't built on deceit or ideals but on honest and true knowledge of the loved one. It was as clear as day both in the blue eyes of Belle, who remained standing her ground and in the darkness deep inside Gold, whose sole focus of attention was the brunette beside him, his gaze not possessive but adoring, almost helpless as he beheld her.

"Well, shit" Leroy's voice startled a few people out of their reverie "I guess it is true love then. Who would have thought?"

The beauty smiled, relieved, and suddenly she was back to being a gentle, finely-bred and kind-hearted lady. She sat down, picking up her cup.

"Well, I'm glad that's settled and we can move on" she said, polite and soft, deceptively so, they now knew. She had, unfortunately, spoken too soon.

"No, we can't" there was a new addition to the conversation as the Blue Fairy, still human-sized and dressed in sober clothes, stood up from her seat near Geppetto and close to the monarchs "Because as much as I know you believe what you say, child, it cannot be so. What you have with the Dark One called Rumplestiltskin cannot be True Love"

Emma Swan rolled her eyes, feeling a headache coming on. As much as she wished she wasn't so positively sure there was not a doubt in her mind that this Belle and Gold were the real deal… and the sooner people stopped questioning it the sooner she could go back to not thinking about what they being in love and mostly locked up all day in Gold's house heavily implied.

"Oh, this ought to be good" sarcasm dripped from every syllable of that sentence and Gold placed both his hands around the top of his cane, a subtle remainder of who the one with the power in the room was.

The Blue Fairy gave him a look of contempt before addressing the monarchs.

"No Dark One can really feel love. They are incapable of it, truly and simple, bound by the nature of the curse to feel only darkness and hatred, evilness and glee. No Dark One has ever loved, much less experienced true love. Such a thing is a magic too pure, too precious for them. It is known"

"Oh, and I'm sure this is a fact carefully drawn from meticulous observation of the behaviour of Dark Ones throughout centuries and not some mindless, prejudiced little lie spun by some unfair, judgemental wee fairy" the imp's voice was almost physically dripping with contempt. The former Mother Superior gave him an annoyingly condescending look, disdain disguised as pity.

"It is the way of magic, Rumplestiltskin, no matter how much you may wish it not to be so. Dark magic leaves no room for emotions other than greed, anger and wickedness"

"The Blue Fairy Lady is right, m'lady" Gretel wished to throttle his brother for making their father remember he had wrought them alone, sure the adults would stop talking about the important stuff in front of them. Meanwhile Hansel had gotten as close to Belle as possible, tugging at the edge of her shirt-dress to make her glance down at him "Rumplestiltskin has dark magic, and dark magic is very, very bad. He's a monster and if you're not careful one day he'll lock you in a room and try to eat you or something"

The affair of the Blind Witch seemed to have left its mark on the poor little boy and Belle, aware of some of the particulars, knelt down next to him and tried to think of the best way to reassure the boy she was safe and sound with the "Beast". Unfortunately said beast beat her to the punch.

"Been there, done that already, lad" he said flippantly, raising his eyebrows and grinning like a madman "Didn't exactly hear her complain"

"Rumplestiltskin!" Belle's outraged shout was accompanied by furious blushing, either from anger, embarrassment or both "He's a child. Behave"

The Dark One bowed his head in a superficial gesture of contrition. Belle frowned, gently grabbing a fistful of hair at the back of his head and tugging once, sharply, to make him raise her eyes to hers.

"You will be mindful of the children in the room" she said, her tone flat, and when he didn't immediately answer her she tugged more harshly, causing him to let out a sound between a yelp and a moan.

"Yes dearie, as you wish" he rasped, his eyes slightly glazed over in what an idiot would assume was pain and was, to the observant, languid pleasure. Belle smiled, her hand letting go of his hair to caress the nape of his neck fleetingly.

"Thank you" she crooned, looking both soft with affection and at the same time a bit wicked. Snow and Emma both swooned and shuddered.

"We need to incorporate booze to these meetings" the blonde discretely told her mother who answered with a resounding "Oh, yeah"

Belle, meanwhile, looked rather disappointedly at the Blue Fairy.

"So, Dark Ones cannot love, and neither can fairies" her voice was both firm and sad "Or dwarves, for that matter. What a depressing view of the world you have. It is fortunate you're mistaken"

Belle's gaze turned to Leroy- Grumpy- and she smiled, an encouraging gesture.

"Everyone is capable of love and deserving of it"

Grumpy looked pensive, casting a rather dirty look at the Blue Fairy, who had the grace to lower her gaze, looking elsewhere.

"That is a very nice sentiment, and I know young people can have a very idealistic, naïve view of the world, but I'm sorry to tell you, child, that…"

"Child? By my own calculations I am fifty-four years old. I grew up in a sieged city plagued by ogres, then moved to the castle of a Dark Magician and finally ended up the prisoner of an Evil Queen. Naïve is certainly not a word I'd use to describe myself" Belle rose again, looking pensive and hesitant before she sighed and, surprisingly, started undoing the buttons of her shirt "But if you need proof of my words, then by all means…" she undid the fourth button, letting the garment gape open to show her chest "Then here it is"

There were gasps all around the room, and a pained, chocked sound from Rumplestiltskin (as well as a questionable whistle from Whale, who everyone tried to ignore). The scar was silvery white and seemed to glow against the equally pale skin. It was a clean cut, a thin line that glimmered in a way that clearly marked it as an occurrence of magic.

"Did you know that the Evil Queen likes to collect hearts?" Belle's voice was soft but firm, and she ignored the pained sound Rumplestiltskin made as she spoke, a hand going to absent-mindedly caress his hair "It is a painful process. She literary plunges her hand into your chest and grabs a hold of it, wrenches it out… It is the most horrible feeling in the world, when her hands close around it. Like choking and being violated…" she closed her eyes, her faced pained.

"Dearie, please tell me she didn't…" Rumplestiltskin's voice was uncomfortably weak and hesitant. Belle's hand settled more firmly against the nape of his neck, trying to reassure him.

"I'll never forget the look on her face when she tried to pull my heart out and couldn't. She looked sick, and angry like never before. Kept saying that it wasn't possible, that she had done it a hundred times before without a problem. Soon she realized, though, that what she was holding was not my heart. I had given it away, you see, freely and truly, to Rumplestiltskin" she smiled down at her love, the softest sort of look about her face "And it seemed that, in turn, he had given his to me. And the Queen, no matter what she does and says, will never be more powerful than the Dark One"

She ran a hand lightly over the scar before buttoning the shirt back up.

"She toyed with the idea of leaving me in the floor to bleed to death, but decided against it before her anger could get the better of her. I was much more useful alive than dead, after all"

A silence stretched across the room, the Blue Fairy and the brunette noblewoman staring at each other, at an impasse. Finally, with as much dignity as she could muster, the Blue Fairy muttered a rather miffed "I see" and sat down, the matter dropped. The Dark One stood up, his face stony, and took hold of one of Belle's arms.

"I think we are through giving you explanations and answers. We'll give you some time to talk among yourselves and decide whether to accept an alliance or not. Meanwhile Belle and I will retire to the sunroom.

She followed him, concerned by his impassive countenance, and the moment they were gone the room filled with questions, objections and doubts. The meeting soon dissolved into chaos and, feeling a migraine coming on, Princess Emma slipped quietly out of the room, looking for the bathroom with the blessed medicine cabinet.

It was a coincidence she walked past the sunroom, really, but once she spotted the door ajar she couldn't resist the impulse to peek in. She saw Gold slumped over one of the big, antique armchairs, pale and anguished, Belle standing directly in front of him, allowing his trembling fingers to unbutton again her shirt. He traced his fingertips over the slightly-raised scar tissue, his eyes glued to her chest.

"This is my fault, all of it is my fault" he mumbled, hands going around her waist, squeezing gently "I'm so sorry, love. So very, very sorry"

Belle cradled his head in her hands, pressing it to the skin of her collarbone, carding her fingers through his hair.

"Shhh, darling, it's alright. I'm here, I'm fine. She couldn't hurt me, you made it impossible. You protected me without knowing it" she pressed a kiss to the crown of his hair, letting him hear his heart beat inside her "I'm here now, with you, safe, and I'll never leave you"

He clutched her closer, his lips skimming over the thin, shimmery line across her chest before darting out his tongue and swiping it across the scar, his hands simultaneously dropping to cup her ass as he pushed her hips against his, relief and desire making him dizzy.

"This is why you've been so reluctant to disrobe in front of me with the lights on" he murmured between nipping at the tops of her breasts, at the same time moving a hand to caress her inner thigh through her leggings. She rewarded him with a nod as an answer and by scraping her nails across his scalp, making him moan against the skin of her throat before hi bit down hard at the juncture between her shoulder and neck, eliciting a delightful little keen from her parted lips.

"Oh, Gods, Rum" she sighed, head thrown back, before gently tugging on his hair to raise his head, slanting her lips eagerly against his, her mouth opening at the barest graze of his tongue, devouring him as much as he did her. Reluctantly she pulled back, looking every bit the ravished beauty with her swollen lips and her hair mussed by his nimble hands.

"I love you" he whispered reverently "I don't deserve you, but I love you"

"I love you too" she answered, playfully avoiding him as he tried to kiss her again "Not here, darling. It's hardly appropriate"

"Propriety is overrated" he replied, voice husky, while tightening his arms around her and returning his lips to her neck, licking the red mark he had put there with languidly, looking like a contented jungle cat.

"Rum, no!" Belle laughed, smacking him on the chest before gently dislodging his arms from around her "I'll go fix my appearance in the bathroom and you better keep your hands to yourself till we're home or else"

The beauty turned to exit the room, unaware of the thrill that went through Gold hearing her talk about "their home". As she closed to door behind her she almost collided with a red-faced saviour trying to hide her mortified face underneath a curtain of hair.

"… I swear I wasn't trying to spy on you" the sheriff blurted out, awkwardness radiating off her in waves. There was a pregnant pause, Emma being too embarrassed to speak and Belle not quite knowing what to say.

"So… you're sure you love Rumplestiltskin, right?"

"Yes?"

"Positively sure?"

"Yes"

"Really?"

"Yes!" Belle chose to laugh, somehow something in the way the saviour asked managing to make the questions sound a lot less offensive "I appreciate the concern, and I understand where all the… scepticism is coming from. But I truly love him, without a shadow of a doubt or any form of coercion or

"Good, then" Emma moved to quickly get out of the way, but Belle's voice stopped her.

"Sheriff… Rumplestiltskin told me that you were close to the Queen's Huntsman" the woman's face took on a melancholic hue "During my… imprisonment, he and I grew fond of each other. He was very brotherly towards me, and seemed very lonely, and we kept each other company. He would get me furs to make me more comfortable, or sneak in books or food whenever he could. He introduced me to his wolf brother, and talked to me of this servitude to the Queen, and his wretchedness. Never once did I see him happy. The queen's hold on him hung like a heavy weight around his neck at all times. Rum said… He said you made him happy. He said he died free thanks to you. I… I wanted to express my gratitude. Thank you for setting him free, for allowing him to feel again"

A tear ran down the lady's face, and she quickly wiped it away, smiling ruefully.

"I'm sorry to bring back what must be painful memories but… I owed it to him to thank you. You saved him, in the end. You gave him back to his family, back to himself"

Emma let out a choked "You're welcome" before quickly scurrying back to the dining-room, where people still debated over whether to trust the imp and his lady or face the Queen on their own. Whale, in a corner, still ranted and raved about the utter unfairness of the universe to whoever cared to listen to him.

"Enough!" she shouted, taking her place beside her parents "I trust them. They're in, unless someone has a valid objection"

And, as everyone shook their heads, Henry smiled. Her mother was so the kickass princess he had imagined her to be.