Epilogue

Isabel sat up in the hospital bed with a sling on her right arm. Her father stood on one side and Mr. Gold on the other side of the bed. Isabel's father had been exiting his flower shop when the commotion started. He didn't even realize it was Isabel until he had reached for her arm to pull her to safety. Isabel also had been lucky that the mayor was a bad shot. The bullet graced her arm missing her heart all together.

"Can we have a moment?" Isabel said happy that she not only had Mr. Gold on her side now but her father as well.

Mr. French kissed her on the forehead and left the room.

Mr. Gold stood up and sat on the edge of Isabel's bed. She took a hold of his hand and squeezed. "I'll be ok you know. I never saw you so… worried before"

"Yes well, in the other world I could have taken you away from that spot with in a second before she had time to even pull the weapon out. I would have wrung her neck" he said imagining Regina getting what she deserved.

"It doesn't make you weak. It makes you human" Isabel said softly bringing him back down to earth.

"Human" Mr. Gold huffed a bit.

"I told her the truth. I'm not afraid, there have to be others in that place and I'm going to find them." She told him why Regina had tried to stop her in the first place.

"We'll find them" he commented. He loved her heroism "I will not let Regina stop us this time"

Isabel smiled loving his passion. "You never answered my question the other night"

"What is that my Dearie?" he looked a little puzzled trying to remember what her question had been.

"Do you love me?" Isabel asked with the sweetest smile.

"You made me a man. You broke me and put me back together. Belle… I love you" Mr. Gold said and for the first time in this life he truly felt human.

He leaned in and kissed her again. For a moment in time it was as if they were back at his palace just sitting by his spinning wheel.

The cracked and chipped tea cup sat in a glass case on the front counter. It not only represented their past life together now but proof that once broken can be mended and pieced back together. Under the cup was a small gold engraving that read:

True love's kiss can break any curse.

Author's note: I couldn't let you go without a little drama first. Thank you for reading my little snuff about Rumpel and Belle, I really enjoyed bringing them to life. I also love how people were so concerned about the cup. Be on the look out for a sequel... The Lost Ones.