Fandom: Once Upon a time.

Pairing: Rumplestiltskin/Belle

Disclaimer: Characters are not mine.

Summary: On a walk around Storybrooke, Belle has a sudden reunion that brings forth revelations.

NA:/ Next Shortfic. of Missing moments and quotidian things series. I wasn't going to post it but, let's consider it a present for the new season. It's a sequel of Ripped hearts; Wells, hugs and encounters; Falling in the shower.

Easiest Target

Belle walked through the streets of the little town, the area still somewhat scrambled because of the magic Rumplestiltskin brought. Despite the destruction that still reigned in the streets, she was grateful to be in an open place. She'd seen a few brave residents roaming the roads to inspect damage. All were without escorts or guards that would protect them from a possible appearance by the queen. Although she looked like she was alone and risking danger, she had Rumplestiltskin. She knew he was watching for any soul who dare disturb her. How he did it was a mystery, but it made her feel safe—that was something she hadn't felt in a long time.

She sighed and relaxed while still watching every corner and every house in the town that was about to awake. She watched as a young woman with red streaks in her hair and barely covered by clothing exited at two-story house; a short chubby grey haired woman followed her. It seemed like they were sniffing the air around them, trying to smell if there were any dangers. She could understand why and admired the courage they had to take every single step forward.

She continued walking and discovered strange selling places. Through the window of one, she saw extravagant outfits; others had curious meals called ice cream, hamburger, and hotdogs. She even saw one with hundreds of fresh flowers that she'd only been able to read about in books.

There were so many new things and it would take years to see it all. However, if one wanted to see the largest collection of the most extravagant items, they'd only have to venture into Rumplestiltskin's shop. But not many had the courage to do so; and now, even less since the identity of Mister Gold was revealed. The only one with the courage was the savior who had ventured into the store numerous times without hesitation or fear.

Emma Swan, who broke the curse layer by layer, was the hope for the return of happy endings. Emma was the protagonist in this tale, but she knew Rumplestiltskin wasn't going to sit on his hands. She wasn't stupid and knew that, one way or another, he would get his revenge against the queen. She hoped when the moment came, she'd be able to remind him that he still had a soul, and that he shouldn't throw it away.

She stopped when the wind whipped around her, and reached down to hold her strange new dress in place, not used to having so much leg revealed. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. The hair on the back of her neck prickled and a shiver ran through her body. The freedom she felt was overwhelming. Then the feeling came to a crashing halt.

"Belle?" a voice said. She hadn't heard that voice in decades and especially not the affectionate tone it took on. The only thing she remembered was sorrow, disappointment, and repulsion. "It's really you, right?"

She remained silent, but her body tensed. She felt her insides shake as her nervousness increased. She struggled to keep out the memory of the last time she'd seen him. Back then, his face was contorted with hatred as he left her in a cage and at the nonexistent mercy of the queen.

No one had believed in her, not even the man who was supposed to.

The man moved around her, his footsteps pausing for a few seconds, hesitant, before starting again. Finally, he stopped in front of her. He watched her as if contemplating his actions. What she saw in his eyes was so much different from what she saw in Rumplestiltskin's eyes when he looked at her for the first time in so long.

"Belle," he whispered again and pulled her into a hug as if he had the right to touch her.

She didn't want to be confined. She'd been detained for too long and by people she didn't trust. Sometimes she was even strapped down, or medicated until she couldn't move. She was devastated that she didn't trust her father. That the bond they once had was broken into pieces.

"Where have you been? The beast said you were dead," he said. He pulled away and cupped her face in his hands.

She jerked away from him, taking a full step back. "He has a name Mister French, and you have no right to call him a beast."

She could tell her address hurt him, and she didn't care. She was too angry and too hurt to care. "Don't tell me you still think that…imagine that he—"

"I don't imagine anything. What I feel for him is real and has been all these years."

"Belle, he's a monster," the man yelled while waving his arms as if his gestures could recover her reason. "The queen said that she would help break the spell he put on you."

"There was no spell. It was only true love."

"I'm sure he did something. The creature is despicable and only brings misfortune and pain. He manipulates people at his will and takes away the ones they love most. Only for his selfish purposes."

"You should be grateful that he saved our kingdom. He didn't have to make you a deal. And now he is protecting me from the queen."

"Grateful? That demon almost killed me twice!"

She blinked in surprise but narrowed her eyes when he gripped her shoulders, holding her as if he thought she was going to faint upon hearing his news. "Twice?"

"The first time he almost threw me from our castle tower because he thought I killed you. The second time he nearly broke every bone in my body because of a wretched cup.''

She closed her eyes. Rumplestiltskin had warned her beforehand about what he had done and about the second incident with her father. She didn't condone the violence but understood his reasons. That cup had been everything to him. It was the only memory he had of the happiness he had of her. It was also a constant torture that he thought he deserved.

Her father's ignorance regarding the cup was hurtful. He didn't know what he'd done. Didn't understand that he'd hurt the man in the most painful way he could. It was a way far greater than the physical pain Rumplestiltskin inflicted on him. Nor did he understand that he'd been a target because of the queen's manipulations.

He couldn't see the real feelings behind the so-called monster. He would never be able to see that Rumplestiltskin would never hand her over to the claws of the enemy. Unlike him. Unlike her own father.

"Come back to your senses. He's an unstable monster. Having feelings for him won't bring anything good."

"What he did was drastic, but he had his reasons. He always has his reasons.

Do you know why he did what he did to you?" He shook his head. "Because he lost me. He felt guilty and broken because he thought he let his true love die. He thought all of that because of you. . . Mister French."

"Belle, please..." the man whispered, trying to fight his daughter's stubbornness. She pulled away, forcing him to release his grip again.

"That chipped cup was all he had left of me. You opened a wound and reminded him of the pain again. He never stopped loving me. He let me go because he thought I would be better with my family, away from him. He feared and doubted my affection towards him. Said I could never love him. But I do." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, hiding her tears. "You left me with the queen, and she locked me up. I know it's easy to be fooled by the queen's words, but you should have believed me over her. I never once gave you any reason to doubt me."

"He put you under a—"

"He didn't! Even after a while, you should've checked on me, but you ignored me. Pretended like I didn't exist. Rumplestiltskin's methods and judgments may not always be honorable, but he wouldn't have forsaken me or let anyone hurt me."

"Belle. . ." her father murmured weakly as he extended his hand in an attempted to bring his daughter closer. She started to step away but a hand grabbed the man's wrist and held it tightly.

"I do believe that is enough Mister French. I will not tolerate anymore of your actions."

Belle and Maurice turned toward the soothing, yet threatening, voice of a man that seemingly appeared from nowhere.

"I'm her father. . . Gold."

"Father or not, she's a grown woman, and you have no right to treat her this way. If you don't leave her be, I'll have to take action, and I know you would not like me to enforce my position for a third time." He gripped the man's wrist until a small, harmless pop sounded. He let go of him by jerking his arm down and away from his love.

Gold stepped away from him, wrapped his arm around Belle's waist, and pulled her closer. She gladly accepted the small gesture she knew was meant to console the wounds her father inflicted on her soul.

Belle took a deep breath, feeling safest in the arms of the man everyone called a monster. In a way, the evil he possessed was innocent when compared with others. No one was pure in any world no matter how much they thought they were. All had their faults and some great evil locked in their hearts; yet, unfortunately, everyone knew only how to point to the easiest target. To the one who looked like a monster in appearance.

A monster wouldn't warn people of consequences to their actions. He did. Anything bad that happened to them, though Rumplestiltskin's prices were steep, happened because they agreed to the deals without thinking. Without heeding his words of, "all magic comes with a price".

Her thoughts died when Rumplestiltskin's lips came to her ear, stroking it once before he whispered, "Are you okay?" She trembled at the affection that came with his words. Something only she could feel and see easily and something words couldn't describe. If people looked close enough, they could hear it in his voice, his gestures, and his gazes. But they wouldn't look because they couldn't see past what their minds told them. She felt so fortunate to be back with him and grateful to be able to share their feelings with each other.

She raised her hand and, ignoring the look of terror from her father, rested it on the scruffy chin of her beloved. She closed her eyes and let a few tears escape from under her lashes. The happiness and support she felt with him overwhelmed her, but the damage her father had done left an indelible scar on her heart.

Rumplestiltskin unashamedly kissed her forehead, and she let a small smile come to her face. "Do you want to go home?" he whispered with his lips still pressed against her forehead.

She nodded and allowed his hand to grip hers. He steered her away from her father and toward the home they shared.

"Belle." Her father's voice was full of distress. Both turned to face him, Gold with an expression of loathing and her countenance bespeaking of sadness. "I . . . If it's possible . . . I would like to hear everything I missed."

She felt a tad bit lighter when she saw the hope in his eyes. A small smile appeared on her lips. He was willing to listen to her and try to correct his mistakes. Perhaps with time they could be family again, and maybe he could even accept Rumplestiltskin. She doubted the sample of affection he showed helped her father see behind what he believed Rumplestiltskin to be, but it was a start.

Rumplestiltskin looked at her and then pulled her closer to him. He brushed his cheek against the top of her head affectionately, as if encouraging her to do what she wanted. He was giving his support and not trying to guide her into what he thought was right.

Belle kissed his cheek and looked back at her father. She nodded and he gave her a small smile in return.

Then they walked away from, for now, Mister French, and down the nearly deserted streets of Storybrooke.

End

NA: I hope you liked it and if you have time you could leave your toughts here. Mi not sure when I will finish writting the next one, but it's there in between books and papers for the uni.

Thanks Moonie for the betawork ;)