Three Months Later...

"Good morning, sweetheart."

Gods, she loved waking up to the sound of her husband's voice in her ear. She stretched her arms high above her head, her back sliding over his chest. He took the opportunity to capture her waist and hold her firmly against him while his mouth teased her shoulder, the curve of her neck, and finally her lips. He always kissed her like it was the first and last time.

"Good morning," she replied sleepily and kissed him back, weaving her fingers through his hair. If they weren't careful, they would spend hours in this bed, exploring each other's bodies and finding new ways to experience pleasure.

His fingertips brushed her thigh and she knew he was thinking along the same lines. Each time they made love, he was so gentle with her, as if she might break apart in his hands. It was both sweet and frustrating.

"Don't forget your session with Archie this morning," she reminded him.

He already missed two of his appointments because they had woken in a good mood. Belle remembered the calls she made to Archie, explaining how it was partly her fault that he was a no-show. The one time Rumpel overheard her call, he felt guilty.

He really was trying to solve his issues. Not just for her and Bae, but for himself. It was obviously working since he no longer required candlelight to fall asleep at night. Staying asleep was a different story. He still woke in a cold sweat after dreaming of that storm cellar and she was forced to convince him that he was safe.

"I know," he answered and began to nuzzle her neck. It wasn't helpful, but Belle leaned back into her pillow, exposing more of her throat for him. "We have time."

An hour, to be exact.

Belle surrendered and shifted underneath him, wrapping her legs around his waist. Rumpel's kisses trailed down her throat and between the valley of her breasts. It was when he reached her stomach that she moaned. Part of it was pleasure...until a twinge of discomfort squirmed through her belly. She moaned again, squeezing her eyes shut to ward off the sudden sensation of nausea.

"You don't usually moan this much this early," Rumpel teased, pressing a long kiss to her belly. His lips parted and his tongue briefly tasted her skin. Clearly, he misinterpreted the source of her moans. "I must be doing something right today."

Belle barely heard him. Her blood pounded through her ears and sweat rolled down the nape of her neck. Her skin grew uncomfortably hot. Bile rose up her throat and she knew she was going to lose the minimal contents of her stomach any second.

"Hon..." She croaked and the feeling of being sick increased.

Before he could ask what was wrong, she shoved him back on the bed. Scrambling off the bed, her knee accidentally collided with his nose. As he rolled away from her and cursed loudly, she dashed for the bathroom. She skidded across the tiled floor and just reached the toilet bowl before tossing her head forward and emptying her stomach.

She didn't hear her husband come into the bathroom, his nose twitching like a rabbit's. However, she felt it when he scooped the hair off her neck, holding it back so she wouldn't get anything stuck in it.

"Thank you," she gasped and flushed the gruesome contents in the toilet. She leaned back against the wall and sucked in cool, deep breaths. "Must be a stomach bug. It'll pass."

Rumpel slowly released her hair, letting it fall around her shoulders. He gave her one of his doe-eyed looks, warning her that he was seriously considering staying home. She was surprised he didn't already have Archie on the phone, a thermometer in hand, and soup at the ready.

"If you want me to stay-" He started, but she held up her hand. She knew this was coming.

"Rumpel, I will live. Go see Archie. When you get back, I'll be here. If it makes you feel better, you can spoil me then." He looked unsure, torn between standing and sitting with her on the bathroom floor. Lifting her into his arms, he carried her back to the bedroom and made sure she was comfortable.

"I'll be back in an hour," he told her, though she was well aware of it. Knowing him, he would risk the soreness of his bad leg to return to her side as quickly as possible once he was done with Archie. "You know you can call me if you need anything."

She placed her hand over his heart.

"I know. You're always good to me." He covered her hand with his own.

"I'm simply returning the favor. You would do the same if it were me." He was right. Aside from carrying him to bed, she would devote every ounce of her attention and energy to him if he fell ill. He leaned down to kiss her, but she stopped him with a finger to his lips.

"Trust me when I say you won't want to kiss me right now. Not after I threw up." He settled for kissing her on the cheek. He quietly got dressed for the day, donning one of his magnificent suits, and kissed her once more before heading downstairs.

She fell asleep before he even slipped out the door.

...

"How is Belle today?"

That was how Archie usually started off their sessions. A polite question regarding Belle or Bae. An ice-breaker to get him talking before they delved into the heart of his insecurities. Rumpel supposed he should be thankful Archie didn't insist on talking about the weather.

"Belle is...not feeling well," he said. His cane bobbed between his legs, the end of it thumping on the carpet. It was a sign that he was anxious and Archie recognized it well by now. Instead of perching on the edge of Archie's couch, with a box of tissues half an arm's length away, what he wanted most was to be by Belle's side. "She thinks it's a stomach bug."

Archie clasped his hands over his lap. There was never a notepad to be seen. Archie felt it made his patients unnecessarily nervous when they heard the scratching of pen on paper without ever knowing what was being written.

"Do you agree?" Rumpel frowned throughtfully. The doctor had picked up on some dose of skepticism.

"What else could it be? She's not..." Pregnant. That word refused to get anywhere near his tongue. That was always a sore subject that he preferred not to linger over. "She can't have children."

Archie knew that. Slowly but surely, they were uncovering the events of the past year, from Zelena's control over him to Belle's price for reviving him from the vault.

"Because she paid the price to bring you back," Archie stated, nodding understandably. It wasn't a question, so he chose not to answer. He let go of the cane and played with his wedding ring, twisting it around on his finger. "Do you blame her for that?"

Rumpel's head shot up in alarm. What kind of question was that?

"No, of course not! Nothing she does will ever make me resent her. I'm blessed to even have her as my wife," he cried vehemently. Every night he told Belle he loved her before they fell asleep. She was one of the best things to ever happen to him, even if she was barren. "I feel guilty that she had to pay such a price."

Archie leaned forward in his chair. That meant they were getting somewhere.

"Why do you feel that way?" Rumpel fidgeted with his ring even more. A tired sigh escaped his mouth.

"You should be able to put two and two together," he snapped. Archie did not wince or take offense from the bitterness in Rumpel's tone.

"I want you to tell me," Archie insisted. "More importantly, I think you need to hear it for yourself." Everything fell silent between them. Archie stared at Rumpel, waiting for an answer. Rumpel chewed on the inside of his cheek, choosing his words carefully.

"If it wasn't for my...death, she wouldn't have had to pay that awful price in the first place. It wasn't her fault. I took away her ability to bear children. No one else."

As much as he tried to contain his emotions, the warmth of tears threatened to well up behind his eyelids. Archie pushed the box of tissues closer, but flinched back when Rumpel looked like he would throw the box of tissues in his face.

"You consider it your fault," Archie continued. Rumpel's jaw locked in place, his teeth gritted behind his lips. The guilt ate away at his heart. "You're forgetting the sacrifice you made. It was a brave thing you did, but even brave actions have consequences. Belle saved you like you saved her and Bae."

She had been returning the favor. Rumpel tilted his head down and his hair fell over his eyes. He often fixated on the bad more than the good. Over the past three months, Archie had been helping him see that.

"I understand. Belle is the bravest person I've ever had the fortune to meet. Even if she can't have children, I still love her and Bae with all my heart." That would never change, no matter what tragedy struck.

"Enough to die for them," Archie added. "You proved that with the sacrifice you made in their name. You're letting the bad overshadow the good again. You're a much different man than you were in the Enchanted Forest. Think back to the way you used to be. Would your old self have made that sacrifice?"

Fresh denial sprouted on the tip of his tongue, but he shoved it back down. This wasn't the place for denial. He knew better than anyone the dark, miserable, lonely man he had been when living in the Enchanted Forest. Things were different here. Here he had Belle and Bae.

"No," he admitted. "That imp was a coward. He would have been too weak to make such a selfless sacrifice, too selfish to surrender his power even if it meant holding on to those he loved."

"Exactly. You've come a long way. You've made mistakes in the past, you've acknowledged them, and now you're trying to fix them. Be proud of your accomplishments and take it one step at a time." Archie's eyes glanced toward the clock on his desk. "I know it's early, but I think you would benefit more from being with Belle today."

Rumpel silently thanked the gods and jumped straight off the couch.

"Thank you," he sincerely told Archie. Once he was out the door, he practically ran back to Belle.

...

Belle didn't show any more symptoms of a stomach bug for the rest of the day. The nausea passed by midmorning and she returned to her upbeat self in no time. She even got out of bed to make some lunch for the two of them, singing under her breath all the while. They began to think it was nothing more than an upset stomach that came and went.

Or so they thought.

The next morning, Belle hardly had time to open her eyes before she was up and running for the bathroom, the door ricocheting off the wall as she crashed through it. Without raising his head from the pillow, Rumpel heard the sound of her heaving.

For the rest of the afternoon, he advised her to relax in bed with a book and avoid consuming too much of her energy. He cooked her meals and brought them to her in bed, along with plenty of fluids and extra pillows. Just as before, Belle felt better by midmorning, without a single complaint of nausea.

He never witnessed a stomach bug like it.

When Rumpel woke the morning after that, he reached for Belle and was disappointed to find a cold, empty mattress. Not again, he thought sullenly. What sort of stomach bug is this? Unless there was some other matter at work here. If it wasn't a simple stomach bug...

No, it couldn't be. He kicked that thought out of his head before it could properly present itself.

It was impossible. Wasn't it? Yet the more he gave thought to it, the more the pieces clicked together. Was it just false hope? Rolling out of bed, he went to the bathroom and found Belle with her forehead pressed to the side of the bowl, her skin white as a ghost.

"This nausea keeps coming back," she murmured from beneath her curtain of dark hair. Every morning, he noted.

Kneeling down by her side, he brushed back her hair and tucked it behind her ear. What would Belle think of his newfound theory? Would she believe it?

"Belle, sweetheart, I don't think this is a stomach bug." Even as he said it, his voice trembled. Belle's blue eyes widened as she puzzled it out.

"What else could it be?" Here goes nothing.

"Morning sickness," he said hesitantly. Belle's hand curled into a fist over her stomach and he wondered if she was going to be sick again. What if they weren't so cursed after all? What if...?

"Morning sickness. As in...?" His only response was a sheepish look, his eyelids blinking rapidly. Belle closed her eyes. Even someone as hopeful as her had limits. If they were wrong, it would be too painful to endure. "Rumpel, you know that isn't possible."

Rumpel caught Belle's hand over her stomach.

"Because of the price you paid to bring me back. That was in the Enchanted Forest. Belle, magic is different in this land. What if...the price you paid does not continue to have effect on you here?"

For the briefest of moments, Belle's eyes lit up.

"That would be a miracle." He shrugged.

"Stranger things have happened." There were always loopholes in contracts and deals, if one was clever enough to find them. Belle remained doubtful. "Why don't we pay a visit to Whale and confirm it? Even if it's not true, we'll still need to find out the reason you're not feeling well."

Belle considered it silently and then nodded. He helped Belle off the floor. When she was steady enough on her feet, she took his face into her hands.

"Promise me you won't get your hopes up." It would be painful for both of them to be reminded that Belle could not bear children. Somehow, Rumpel would be cut deeper by it. If he got his hopes up, he might fall hard afterwards. He would retreat to a place in his mind where even Belle might not be able to reach him.

"I promise."

...

Rumpel couldn't stop moving.

As they waited impatiently for Whale to return with the results, he was completely restless. He couldn't stay sitting for more than three minutes. Then he would startle Belle by leaping to his feet and pacing like a caged animal. One time he took a stroll down the hall to get a cup of the sludge that passed for coffee from the machine.

Finally, Belle grabbed ahold of his arm and yanked him down into the chair.

"Rumpel, do us both a favor and sit down," she whispered. His fingers cupped his knee, which was jerking violently thanks to his tapping foot. Instantly, he got the urge to pace again, but one stony look from Belle thwarted it.

"Sorry, dear. I just can't stop thinking about it." There was no need to define what it was. Belle understood. The miracle that would remain unmentioned, even in their thoughts. Don't get your hopes up, he repeated to himself time and again.

"I know. Neither can I," she said.

He took a long look at Belle and began to recognize her growing distress. She brought a book everywhere she went, but this one was face-down in her lap more often than it was in front of her face, as if her mind simply could not concentrate on it. Her knuckle constantly flew to her lip, her gaze far-off.

"If Whale isn't in sight in five minutes, I'm going to invade the nurses' station, pick up one of those phones, and inform everyone in the hospital about that atrocious accent of his. I might even imitate it for my own entertainment." Belle perked up in her chair, her mind feasting on this new information.

"Whale has an accent? Where did it go?"

"Apparently, out the window," he muttered. Ever since crossing to Storybrooke via the curse, Whale never once spoke with an accent. It was one of the town's biggest mysteries, at least for those who knew he had an accent in the first place.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. It was a common phrase among people whenever Rumpel decided to pop up, but it entered his head again when a blinding streak of white filled his vision. Whale stood before them, professionally dressed in a white lab coat even though his Ph.D. came from a curse. Dressing the part doesn't mean you qualify as a doctor. There's a popular annual celebration devoted to people pretending to be something they're not. It's called Halloween.

Rumpel expected Whale to be grim-faced and bearing the bad news that it was only a common illness that plagued Belle's system, not an unborn child. It was a surprise when Whale flashed a full-toothed grin, specifically at Belle. Knowing the way Whale tended to think around women, Rumpel leaned over and protectively, possessively, placed an arm around Belle.

"Congratulations. You are, without a doubt, pregnant," the doctor announced. Rumpel's cane clattered to the floor, causing everyone within hearing distance to look up. Belle's mouth was hanging open in a most unladylike way.

"I'm sorry. Could you repeat that once more?" She asked softly. Rumpel could tell it was difficult for her to process what Whale was telling them. He felt the same way.

"You. Are. Pregnant," Whale said slowly. When Belle kept blinking dizzily at him, he added: "You're going to have a child. You should both be happy." Whale tipped his head and left them to absorb the good news in private.

Happy was the understatement of the century. They were overjoyed, relieved, excited, shocked, and scared all at once. When Rumpel put his hand to his chest, he could feel his heart thudding hard. Belle squeezed his hand to the point of aching, but he didn't care. He squeezed back. It was the only thing keeping him upright in that chair; otherwise, he thought he might faint.

"Rumpel...we're going to have a child," Belle said wondrously, a smile stretched wide across her face. It started to dim only when new concern filled her eyes. "This means we'll never be able to return to the Enchanted Forest. Not until our child is born, at least. If the price took effect again, who knows what could happen to the child I'm carrying?"

He shuddered at the thought. Returning to the Dark Castle one day would be nice, but not if it meant Belle would lose this child. He brought her hand to his lips.

"I'll stay with you. For me, home is wherever you and Bae are," he vowed. A thought struck him abruptly. There was something he'd been meaning to tell Belle. "Recently Bae told me that he, Emma, and Henry are planning to stay here in Storybrooke. They're happy here and they have hopes of being a real family. Snow and Charming will stay for their daughter. As long as you and I are together, I can be happy in this land."

He scooted closer to Belle and put his hand over her belly. It brought a new wave of warm tears to his eyes to imagine that there was a child growing inside her at this very instant. It had seemed impossible that morning, but now it filled him with hope for the future. Belle held his hand there and he knew she had the same bright outlook.

After everything they had been through, it was the least they deserved.

"As long as we're together."

...

The End.

I hope everyone enjoyed reading this short story and I am thankful for all the kind reviews I received along the way. (-;