Hands On Me

A/N: I meant to have this up Friday, but I didn't want it to be over! But alas, this is the last installment of "Hands On Me." I have greatly enjoyed writing this and I really want to thank you all for sticking along by me through all of this! Please do me a favor and read the A/N at the end of this chapter for more info on future stories and my life and art. Now enjoy this last chapter! I hope it's a good enough ending!

Chapter 26

He sat in one of his cushioned chairs across the room, just watching. She was curled up in the blankets, his pillow flush against her body as she hugged it because he was there. He frowned in thought, drumming his fingers against his lap. It was six in the morning, the time he usually got up for work. But today his shop would be closed. Today he would be busy with other things. In an hour, she would have to get up and ready to leave to the hospital. He wanted to be happy for her; he honestly did. She was getting something she'd wanted since she was a little girl. And yet…yet all he could be was selfish.

Though Mr. Gold could be quite appealing, he was not traditionally attractive by any means. He was of the older generation, more than twice Natasha's age. His hair was longer and shaggier than it ought to be and he had plenty of stress lines to mar his face. He also had a limp, a bum leg. He could not physically keep up with Natasha, who was only the ripe, tender age of 21. Her being blind was an advantage to him. She didn't have the ability to judge him based on his looks. She was going solely off of his personality and the way he treated her. Who was to say she wouldn't find him appealing enough to continue to love him afterwards? Not to mention what she might think should there ever be a time he reverts back to his old appearance.

Then again, he had been a right arse, hadn't he?

He sighed, glancing at the clock. He had to wake her up in five minutes. Perhaps this was a discussion that would be better served having with her, rather than with himself. He was only getting antsier at the idea of her surgery, the more he thought about it. Hauling himself up from the chair, he slowly made his way towards the bed. He couldn't wait until he had his powers back. Everything would be so much easier. Pushing these thoughts aside, he gently rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Dove, it's time to get up," he said softly and she began to stir.

She took a deep breath, preparing herself for entering the hospital. She hated hospitals. They were too big. But today she had to be in one because today was her day. She was nervous –most people were before surgery. She didn't know if it would work or not or what would happen to her afterwards. Would she feel different? Would she act different? She let out her breath, letting her shoulders sag as she tried to relax. God, she really hated hospitals.

"Are you nervous?" her boyfriend whispered from beside her. She felt him squeeze her hand in reassurance and so she turned her face towards him, offering a small smile. She nodded.

"Wouldn't anyone be?" she asked the rhetorical question. He simply brought her hand up to his lips and then they entered the hospital.

"Would you prefer to put this off? To wait until another time comes so you can better prepare yourself?" he suggested and though his tone seemed casual, she caught the hint of anxiety behind it. Her brow furrowed and she opened her mouth to speak, but voices drifting from nearby caught her attention instead.

"Henry…you were right about the curse. I should have believed you. I'm sorry," Emma's voice cried in very apparent distress. Natasha's brow furrowed and she turned to face Gold as he ushered her by.

"What's wrong with Henry?" she asked, the worry clear in her voice. Mr. Gold paused to talk to a nurse, who directed them to the room they were supposed to go to.

"He's in a coma," he said softly, once they had entered the room. Natasha's mouth dropped open in shock and she slowly sat on the edge of the bed, unsure of what to say.

"What…what happened?" she asked softly, her voice coming out hoarse as she fought back the tears. Henry and she had never been close; they had never had the opportunity. But for as long as she could remember, Henry was always popping around the town and talking to everyone and occasionally coming to watch her paint. He was interested by it, and once he had gotten a hold of his book he had been even more interested by it. She, of course, didn't realize this. She just knew that he was a sweet boy and no one deserved this. As sad as she was, she could only begin to imagine how Regina might feel, or even Emma, who had grown so close to the kid over the last several months.

"They're not really sure," Mr. Gold said. It was only half a lie. The doctors had no idea what was going on; Regina and Emma certainly did. They had come by the evening before to discuss it with him. He smirked slightly at the plan that he had formed since that discussion. It was going to be perfect, he knew.

"I…I hope he'll be ok," Natasha said, interrupting his thoughts. He took her hand and squeezed it again.

"I'm sure everything will turn out to be ok. Now, Dr. Whale will be in in a few moments. Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Mr. Gold asked and Natasha's brow rose at the topic change.

"Yes," she said with a nod. "I'm absolutely positive." Mr. Gold had to fight from grinding his teeth. He wanted so much to tell her that he didn't want her to do this, but how? A thought began to form.

"You're not pregnant, are you, dove?" he asked as coolly as he could. "Surgery would not be good for a baby and I have realized that we are not always the best at keeping up with protection, for which I am sorry." He wasn't really sorry. He hadn't even just realized it, but had planned it from the start. Any guilty part of him for it was pushed aside as he tried to set his sights forward. Natasha just frowned at him, as if he already knew what she was about to say.

"I'm infertile," she said simply. His brow rose at that. It was something he wasn't expecting and in that moment, his entire plan went to shit. "I know I'm adopted, but I can't have children. Just like my mom." She shrugged, as if the idea didn't bother her in the slightest.

Mr. Gold felt his heart begin to race. Everything he had done for her, with her, had been for naught. He had a choice now. He could stay, could love and cherish her the way she ought to be, or he could leave before he was in too deep. Was he already there? He ground his teeth together at the thought. After his wife had left him, he had sworn up and down that he would not allow himself that weakness anymore. But he was still here, wasn't he?

"Why are you so adamant about my not getting this surgery?" Natasha interrupted his thoughts. He looked down at her, frowning slightly as he weighed the consequences of being honest. Finally making up his mind, he figured now was as good a time as any.

"I'm afraid that perhaps you will think less of me when you actually see what I look like," he admitted honestly. Yes, he was already in too deep.

She laughed at his words, standing up to be at his level. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, shaking her head at him. In that moment he realized that she would love him no matter what. She didn't have to say it for him to hear it, but he still wanted her to.

"Don't be silly," she whispered, kissing him softly just once. "You could be as ugly as an ogre and I'd still love you all the same."

"Promise?" he couldn't help but utter and she just nodded, kissing him again. He felt so foolish –like a school boy with his first crush. But he knew it was okay for now. They were alone and no one could see them. If he was to give himself to her, then he should give all of himself, right? But is that what he wanted?

"I promise," she said and he smiled.

The moment was interrupted by a knock on the door. He had just enough time to pull away from her before it opened and in strolled Dr. Whale. He raised an eyebrow at them, noticing that even though they weren't touching they were still obviously close together. Not to mention the fact that Mr. Gold was even there for her at all. The look he sent the doctor's way, however, kept Whale from saying anything. He turned to Natasha with a smile, even if she couldn't see it. Yet.

"Miss Berry, are you ready?" he asked and with a calm smile, she nodded.

Mr. Gold ground his teeth together. He couldn't believe that everything he had thought was a lie. Natasha was supposed to be his link to ultimate power. Despite how powerful he was as the Dark One, there were still certain things he couldn't do. And he had been promised a way to overcome that, to be able to access every bit of his magic. As long as he kept everything together as it was supposed to play out, she would have been it. And he had, hadn't he?

Born of royal blood; cursed by a bond torn by pride,
a tie to power will she be.
Raised a commoner; a great talent held inside,
a change to your fate will set you free.
Lay with her the night she gains her rights,
and a babe of immaculate power shall you see.

She had been of royal blood; that was set. And Maleficent had cursed her, as she was want to do. Aurora's family was not the first to slight her; and they certainly hadn't been the last. Natasha's parents had made the mistake of not inviting her to their wedding –thinking it would ruin their spectacular event– especially considering the fact that she was a distant cousin of the king's. Apparently. She had shown up anyhow, promising destruction of everything they would ever hold dear. So it came to be that the economy of the kingdom went south and when the queen had her baby, the daughter was missing one of the most important senses. It meant that they would need the ever powerful Rumpelstiltskin to help them get their kingdom together, allowing him the chance to take the babe and put her with a common family. That had been all set, too.

Then, of course, there was the matter of sleeping with her. In this world, the age of 21 was when every right was given to you. By that age, you could now own a house, smoke, drive, and drink. Even in the fairytale world was it the age in which a woman could finally own land and make her own decisions; that is, if she wasn't married. He had seen to that, bedding her on the night of her 21st. He had continued to sleep with her, most of it without protection, and it seemed that she wasn't getting pregnant. She would have told him if she was, he knew. And now he had learned that she couldn't get pregnant. It was as if everything he had learned was a lie.

Everything the Blue Fairy had told him…he snorted. He should have known. But what had been her purpose for it? Did it even matter anymore? Perhaps he was overthinking this. He had spent countless years on Natasha, or Leah as she had been known, and now what did he have? Her. He had her. With or without the ultimate power, he had a woman who loved him more than anything. She had promised. She was good at keeping his promises. Perhaps he should take the Blue Fairy's prediction with a grain of salt and simply take what he could get. Had that been her intended purpose all along? To…make him happy? But what would that accomplish? Was her meaning for selfish gains or…was it because that was simply her job? He continued to grind his teeth in irritation. It was the most he could do in this world to express the agitation and rage he was feeling.

He quickened his pace to the library, knowing he didn't have much longer until Emma would come up from the fight with Maleficent herself. Carefully, and quietly, he slipped inside. Regina was there, hovering over the elevator and ready to let Emma up when it was time. She hadn't heard him come in. She had worry on her face, and he knew she wondered if her son would be saved. But he had bigger matters to attend to.

"Hello, my dear," he purred and she whipped around, surprise written all over her face.

"Gold," she said simply, turning to face him completely. He took a few steps forward, approaching her. She crossed her arms in defiance. He smirked. She would hardly see this coming.

"It seems," he began, subtly lifting his cane, "that we still have a score to settle…" And then he swung it.

Natasha groaned as she came to. Her head was aching a little and the area around her eyes was a little sore, but for the most part she seemed fine. Mr. Gold still stood from the chair he was in, setting the egg down on it, and approached her bed to check that she was fine. She opened her eyes and at first, all there was was darkness. Then the edges of her vision began to blur and slowly, but surely, she found herself staring up at the white gauze that crossed over her eyes. Her brow furrowed.

"The surgery went well," Mr. Gold said simply, recalling what Dr. Whale had told her before Henry's vitals had begun to go. "Are you feeling alright?" She nodded.

"A…a little nauseous, and a little sore, but ok," she said weakly, her voice a little hoarse. She smiled up at him and he just nodded, but with the bandages she still couldn't see.

"When the nurses are not quite so busy, I'll have them come in here to fix the drip," he said. Her smile fell into a frown.

"Why are they busy?" she asked, wondering if it had anything to do with Henry. Mr. Gold picked up her hand and rubbed soothing circles into the back of it. She had just had major surgery and thus would not be able to handle the news, so he figured she could wait to hear it.

"There's no need to worry about it now," he said gently. "Why don't we take those bandages off, ok? I'll be gentle, I promise." Carefully, he unwrapped the gauze around her head. There were stiches above and below her eyes, where they had to make incisions, and the skin around it was very raw, but Mr. Gold still thought she looked beautiful. And when this thought crossed his mind, he realized he was lost on her. She was already his weakness. He smiled at her.

Her vision blurred slightly at the sudden change, her mind still adjusting to the fact that she could see, and then finally everything cleared. She blinked a few times, which hurt, but she ignored it. She looked around, her mouth open as she drank in the stark white walls and the stark white bed. Everything was white, it seemed. And then her new gaze settled on Mr. Gold. She studied his features, drinking in the sight of him and trying to remember every little bit about him. Sure, she had had a good idea of what he looked like from the times he had let her touch him, but it wasn't nearly as good as actually seeing him. He looked worried at first and then she smiled. And the worry slowly seeped from his expression and he was smiling back.

"You're beautiful," she breathed, unsure of what else to say. His smile grew and he reached out for her then, gently cupping her face and kissing her gently.

"No, you are," he said softly. Perhaps he was out of character, but again it didn't matter. It was just them. He could relax, could let his guard down, and could give her everything she deserved –the love and adoration he owed her. It was why when she nuzzled her nose against his, he didn't pull away. She smiled wide at him and kissed him again.

"Oh, this is wonderful!" she said in excitement, her eyes darting everywhere as she looked out the window and tried to see everything beyond it. If she hadn't been hooked up to an IV, she would have climbed out of the bed and tried to leave to see it up close. It was like…magic, almost. Mr. Gold grinned at her childish excitement and curiosity at a world she could finally see. She turned to him and grinned.

A moment later, they felt it. It was as if a light breeze had passed through. It didn't affect him. He already knew. But he watched a frown mar her pretty features for a moment as everything came rushing to her. And then she turned to look at him and a grin spread wide across her face.

"Rumpelstiltskin…?" she asked and he just nodded. She threw her arms out around his neck, pulling him down for a hug. "Oh, it is you! Oh god, I thought I'd lost you!" He laughed.

"I've been right here, Leah," he whispered gently, hugging her back and breathing in her scent. He missed his; missed her. He was glad that she was back, that she remembered. She pulled away and smiled at him.

"I love you," she said and he smirked at her.

"I love you too, my dove." He let the words pass through his lips for the first time and watched as her entire face lit up. She had waited too long to hear those words and he only wished he could have told them to her sooner. But with nothing to stop him, he was going to have her. She was his. It was as simple as that. And no amount of magic would change that.

He remembered then, of course, about the egg, and turned and hurried to the chair. He opened it up and took the vile out, slipping it into his pocket. Then he turned to his beloved, who was watching him with a raised eyebrow. She was confused and eyeing him curiously. She seemed elated, however, at the prospect of being able to do just that.

"You did promise I'd get my sight in the next world," she teased and he nodded, smirking once more.

"That I did," he said. "And you doubted me…"

"I'll never doubt you again," she promised.

"Good," he said. "And I am very sorry for this, but I must go." Her eyes widened in fear and he took a few steps closer, taking her hands in his again. "There is simply something that I have to do. I'll be bringing magic to this world. But I will be back and I won't leave you again."

"Promise?" she whispered. He offered her a smile, a real smile, one that only she would ever be privy to, and nodded.

"I promise," he whispered back and then he kissed her.

I know, there was no more Fairytale Land in this chapter, but there was no more back story to tell! I also know that this was a bit short, but it was just finishing the story line and tying up a few loose ends. I still hope you really enjoyed this! Also, I apologize for the blatant lie that is this eye surgery. Because she totally wouldn't be able to have the bandages off same-day. And I know the timeline with Emma and Regina talking to Mr. Gold vs. doing their thing was a little off, so I apologize for that. But it was necessary so…yeah. And I'm also sorry that Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold was a bit out of character in his dealings with Natasha/Leah, but that was because I was trying to convey his finally giving in and admitting that he loved her. Hope you enjoyed it anyhow.

Unfortunately, there will be no more of this story. Now, that is not to say that there won't be a sequel! However, if there ever IS a sequel, then that won't happen until well into the second season. We need to see where that goes for me to really come up with much, don't we? ;) I don't promise a sequel, though, so don't hate me if it never happens. However, there will be plenty of other stories that I will be writing!

For instance, I am still writing "Under the Sea." Please look into that and tell me what you think! Also, and I mentioned this yesterday, I wrote a one-shot called "Good Morning, Mr. Gold" and would appreciate more feedback on that. I might write more Rumbelle in the future, be they other one-shots or else an actual story. I do have a story in mind for that if my portrayal of Belle becomes good enough so go help me on that! Aside from that, I will soon be posting a story called "From Monster to Man," a story with yet another OC that I am co-authoring with a friend (superfreak330) that will be quite awesome. And after that…well…there's going to be a lot more Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold love after that!

Just so you all know, I will basically be an avid Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold writer and so you should favorite/alert me as an author if you'd like to continue to read more of my stuff in the future! Check out my profile for more details on upcoming stories, story ideas, and current stories. I promise I'll be having a lot in store for you guys within the next year. :)

Other than that, I still have yet to receive ANY submissions for my art contest! I am very sad! Come on, you guys! Any art will do. Really! I just want to be popular and loved! Show me how awesome my work is. Fanart it, guys! Pleeeeeease? You'll get one-shots! And the chance to be a character in a story! You know you want to do it! So do it!

And speaking of doing things, go and review this! Right now! Go! Go! Tell me how awesome this story was and how much you enjoyed it.

Thank you all very much for sticking with me through this. It was a fun ride and I am so glad that I wrote this! I enjoyed this every step of the way. :)

Now stop reading this awfully long author's note and review please. Kthx.