Thank you guys so much for all your support throughout my writing progress. It means a lot to me. Thank you especially for sending all those inspiring reviews. :) I hope you guys enjoy the last chapter. :)

Dear Guest, thank you for clarifying. And thank you also for your kind words. :)

Chapter 10 in which Jolie gets bad news.

The ninth morning:

At some degree Jolie had always known that she was just a makeshift to him. It explained so much. Why he had been so smitten with her from the start. His guilt. His reluctance to have sex with her. Everything.

So now she sat in the car while Dustin drove her home, trying to hold back tears. Her arms crossed, she stared out of the tilted window, hoping this ride would soon be over and she'd be in the sanctuary of her own tiny apartment.

He hadn't returned home after he fled last night. She shouldn't take it so hard. She shouldn't have kissed him. She should've never told him her real name. How unprofessional.

She wished she'd be somebody else.

She wished she could be somebody he could love instead of being the reminder of what he had lost.

She wished she could be more professional about it.

Jolie straightened up in the back seat of the car. Tonight she'd be professional. She'd be what he wanted her to be. She'd be a companion. She'd be a friend.

First rule of business: The client's needs always came first.

She just wished she wouldn't be in love with him.

Jolie bit her lip. Her clutch vibrated on her lap and she flinched. Hope flared up. A call from Noah? And quickly died. He didn't have the number. Could she act any more ridiculous? She got the cell out and accepted the call.

Of course it was Bernadette.

"How do you feel about role playing as a french maid tonight?" Bernadette asked without any form of greeting.

Jolie's heartbeat quickened up. "Did Noah suggest something like that?" Maybe she had been wrong, maybe he wanted her.

"No, the request was made by Thomas Redford. He enjoyed your last session so much, he's been asking for you since last week."

Jolie swallowed hard. "I'm sorry, I can't. Gold wants me exclusively."

"Oh, darling, didn't he tell you?"

Jolie dug her fingers into the seat cushion. "Tell me what?"

"He had to chancel all your appointments because of a business trip. He called yesterday."

It felt like all the was being pressed out of her lungs. Her stomach clenched. "Oh."

"Didn't he tell you?"

"I'm sure he was just too busy," Jolie pressed out, trying to carry her fake smile over with her voice.

"Are you alright, Jolie?" Bernadette asked.

"I'm just …" Jolie took a breath. "I'm just a little surprised." And heart broken and miserable. "That's all. I think I'll take today off, if that's okay?"

"Of course it is, sweetie." Bernadette's voice was soft now. "Don't take it to personal, yes? Things like that happen. I call you tomorrow."

"Thanks Bernadette."

They ended the phone call.

Business trip … He was avoiding her and she was almost grateful for that. Otherwise she might've told him she loved him. Otherwise she might've begged him to love her too. As if any of this had anything to do with her.

o0o

She refused to cry when she got home. Once she'd start, she wasn't sure if she could stop. This was so stupid. She was so stupid.

She missed him so much. She wished she had somebody to talk to, but she could only think of him. How was it possible that this stranger, this client had become a friend to her in not more than a week? And how come she already loved him more than any of her boyfriends she'd had?

So she took another shower and changed into some comfortable jeans and a t-shirt. Then she got a box of strawberry cheesecake out of the fridge, took a spoon and sat down at the tiny desk next to her only bookshelf that was almost bursting under the tons of books she had piled on it.

Jolie switched on her old laptop and checked her bank account if she could afford to buy a new pair of shoes. Shoes could certainly make her feel better.

When she saw the amount on her account, she almost dropped the spoon on her keyboard.

"What the …?"

10.000 Dollar. Noah Gold had transferred 10.000 dollar to her account. And her debts were paid of.

She was free. She sobbed. Tears finally started falling. She was free. From her debt, from him. Just. Free.

Energy filled her body. How dare he?

Now that she was rich, she decided to take a cab to his place.

o0o

This was so stupid. What the hell was she doing here? She should drive back home. He wasn't even here. His car was gone. Maybe he really had a business trip. Jolie got out of the cab anyway.

She walked up the drive with quick steps, her chin held high. This was impulsive and stupid and she should leave right now.

Jolie turned around on the heel of her flats and then stopped when memories rushed through her.

Her father, her village. Her name. The Dark One and his proposal. How he caught her after she fell. How sweet he could be. How lost he seemed. All the freedom he granted her. How he let her go. Their first kiss. How he pushed her away. Monsters. Mulan. Philip. The evil queen.

Rumplestiltskin. Rumplestiltskin. Rumplestiltskin.

How much she loved him. She started crying. Relief, sadness, happiness, confusion. Everything was so overwhelming.

And he had known who she was. And he had loved her the whole time. Belle sobbed.

She remembered now. And he loved her.

She walked to the porch and sat down. She'd wait for him to come home. And he'd better hurry.

She wiped her tears away and smiled after all. He loved her.

Suddenly purple smoke was forming around her, like a wave it build up and up and came closer and closer until it surrounded her. She held her breath. The air was electrical. Goose bumps ran over her body. Something changed in the atmosphere. Something arrived. She had felt this energy around the Dark castle. Magic. Magic was here.

Belle shivered.

Slowly, the smoke faded away. Still she could hear the car before she could see it.

It just had to be him.

She stood up when the car drove up to the house. It stopped on the middle of the drive and she walked towards him. Inside it she could see him sit, his hands clenched around the staring wheel.

"Rumplestiltskin," she mouthed, her steps quickened up. She was crying. Still or again? She didn't know.

He got out of the car and as soon as he stood, she wrapped her arms around him, making him stumble back against the car while she pressed against him, burying her face in his neck. He stiffened under her touch at first, then he exhaled and the tension left his body slowly.

"Rumplestiltskin," she whispered. It was him. It was really him. And he had loved her all along. "I love you so much."

He sobbed. They were both such cry babies. She loved him so much. He must've been in such turmoil with her next to him and yet not remembering.

"I'm so sorry," he uttered. His hands caressed her back tenderly. "I'm so sorry.""

She pressed herself into him. "It's okay. I'm here now." They wouldn't be parted again. She wouldn't allow it.

She kissed his ear. His neck. His chin. His lips.

"Belle," he sighed. His eyes fell shut. She kissed his lips again. It felt different from the last time she had kissed him. It felt even better. This time she knew he loved her too. She nibbled on his bottom lip. He sighed again and wrapped his arms around her waist.

She traced his lips with her tongue before she tasted him. Home. She lost herself in their kiss until it wasn't enough any more, so she started to pull at his clothes. He was wearing that damned coat again.

He groaned when she bucked her hips against him. She could feel his cock stir in his trousers. She needed him naked. She needed him inside her. She attacked his neck with her lips and his hands moved to her ass, cupping it firmly. She felt her panties getting soaked by her fluids. She wished she'd be wearing one of her work outfits. Then she could just pull up her dress and have him fuck her right there on his car. Gosh, she needed him.

"Please, Rumple," she purred and pushed his coat over his shoulders.

"Belle." He sounded breathless.

He let go of her ass to slip out of the coat. She made up for the loss of contact by kissing him again. The coat dropped to the floor and his hands returned to her body. They roamed over her back, the sides of her breasts and back to her ass.

She felt him hard against her thighs. She wished they'd already be naked. She started pushing at his suit, before she gave up and sneaked a hand between their bodies to cup his cock through his trousers. He groaned into her mouth and broke apart. His hands moved to her hips and pushed her away.

"Belle!" he gasped. "We need to –"

"I need you." She kissed him. "I love you."

His grip weakened and she massaged his cock.

"I want you," she purred. "Please."

"Not here," he begged.

She had almost forgotten that they were outside. He was probably right. She kissed him quickly and let go of him to pick up his coat and the cane he had dropped when she had tackled him earlier.

She handed him the cane, but wrapped the coat over her arm.

Her love teared up again. "I love you," he said.

"I love you too." Another kiss. She took him by the hand and together they hurried inside.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Belle turned to face him and cradled his face with her hands. This time her kiss was gentle.

"I love you," she said. Saying it felt fantastic. Kissing him felt fantastic. She smiled and kissed him again. Under her lips, his mouth curled into a smile too.

"Belle," he mumbled. His hands went to her hips and his thumbs stroked the little line of exposed skin between her jeans and her shirt.

"Belle, Belle, Belle …" He kept mumbling her name while she kissed his throat and took of his tie.

Eager, she pressed her hips into his. He groaned again. Together they struggled with their clothes. Messy kisses, fumbling hands. Eager, desperate for each other. This was crazy. Desperate. But real. She needed it to be real. He was Rumplestiltskin and she was Belle and they were in love. This was exactly right.

His pants dropped and she stroked his cock. Hard and hot in her hand. She couldn't wait for him to fill her up again.

Her shirt and his were already laying on the ground, together with her bra. He bend forward and kissed her breasts, sucked on her nipples. She keened. She needed him so much. Reluctantly she let go of him to open her jeans as quickly as possible.

He helped her to pull the jeans down her legs together with her panties. She almost fell over when she tried to step out of them with her shoes still on. He grabbed her arm and pulled her up and against him, his cock hot against her thigh. She needed him now! One his hands found its way between her legs and gently stroked over her pussy.

"Yes!" she hissed when his finger entered her. His thumb stroked over her clit and her knees went weak. She head to support herself by holding on to his shoulders. When he withdrew his finger she moaned at the loss.

He kissed her deeply and she pulled him with her to the floor. He bumped his head and she wanted to apologize, but he sealed her mouth with another kiss. His suit was probably getting crinkled judging by the way they were rolling over their clothes.

She straddled him and his cock brushed against her wet folds. They both groaned. His hands dug into her hips. She kissed him and snuck a hand between them to line him up at her entrance before she slowly lowered herself on him, taking her time. She watched his face and everything was bliss. His eyes where closed, his mouth slightly opened and his brows were furrowed in concentration.

"Belle," he gasped.

He was so completely hers. She loved him. He filled her and it felt fantastic. If felt even better when she started moving. She bent forward to kiss him and his cock brushed against her clit while she rode him. She quickened her pace, she would take her sweet time with him once they made it into bed. She came before him, but he followed close behind.

She collapsed on him. When she wanted to lift her weight off him, his hands on her shoulder blades held her back.

"Not yet," he mumbled and kissed the crown of her hair.

She kissed his collar bone. "I'm too heavy."

"I love you so much, Belle."

Maybe she could stay like this a little longer.

o0o

Next morning she woke up in his bed. Before she opened her eyes, she could already smell the tea. She smiled and looked to find Rumple sitting at the corner of the bed, holding two mugs of tea. Unfortunately he was already dressed.

And he looked unhappy. Her smile faded and she sat up.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm so sorry, Belle," he said.

She frowned. "For what?"

"Using you." He handed her the tea.

"You didn't use me." She made sure to brush her fingers over his when she took the mug from him.

"I took you while you had no recollection of who I was." His voice was confidant but again, he had it all wrong.

"If you want to speak about taking, I was clearly in charge in that situation."

"You weren't you, you were …"

"Jolie."

"And I took advantage of you. I paid you."

She shook her head. "I slept with you because I love you."

"Belle …"

"When you told me about, well, me … that broke my heart."

He avoided her gaze. "I'm sorry."

She put the mug on the nightstand so she could reach for him with both hands. "Stop apologizing." She ran her hands over his arms. He needed to stop punishing himself if they wanted to have a chance together.

He shrugged. "I don't know what else to do."

"Just …" She sighed. They were still in such a mess. "Just love me."

He looked at her again, open and vulnerable. "I do."

"I love you too." She swallowed. He would make her cry again. "Now come back to bed."

"What about the tea?"

He was adorable. "Don't care." She took the mug from him and placed it next to hers on the nightstand. She kissed him then. She would kiss him a thousand times.

The End