A/N: This fic is dedicated to (and written for) Left-Handed Lemon because she just started watching OUAT and said that the hamburger date would make a good fic, and I completely agreed...so this happened. It ended up WAY longer than I planned and there's a little bit of angst I didn't plan on either. Ah, well.

Anyway, the fic begins right where the almost hamburger date is cut off, and the second part begins at the end of Queen of Hearts when Rumple taunts Regina (I included some quotes from the episode to help).

Also, Rumple's POV just sort of...happened? Usually I do Belle's, but Rumple's just sort of naturally came out this time.

So yeah. Hope you like it, Cat! :D

"Where is she now?"

"With them."

Rumplestiltskin sighed, looking across the table at Belle. It seemed that every time they were about to have a single moment of peace, it was always interrupted. However, the idea of Cora anywhere near Belle nearly made him sick.

"We need to go to my shop," Rumple decided, looking up at Regina. He nodded toward the door. "Wait for me outside. I'll be there in a moment."

Without another word Regina turned and walked away, innocent customers stiffening as she walked by. Rumple clenched his jaw as he watched her leave, hating Cora more than ever for causing this disruption. "Belle…" he began, as he turned back toward her, unable to find the words to convey how sorry he was.

"It's okay, Rumple." She covered his hand with her own and smiled at him. "The town needs you."

He couldn't help but smile in return at the look in her eyes, like he was her hero. Perhaps, one day, he could actually live up to that. "Let's hope I can help." He stood and grabbed his cane, Belle shooting straight to her feet at the same time. Rumple paused and held out a staying hand. "No, Belle. Don't leave because of me; you can stay and eat."

Her eyes lit up with amusement. "This wasn't about hamburgers, Rumple. It was about being with you." She offered him an apologetic smile, as if this were her fault. "We'll try again after all of this is over."

He nodded. "Perhaps next time we should try somewhere less…" He turned his head to see Granny shooting a glare at him. "…crowded."

"Perhaps that would be best," Belle agreed with a chuckle. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently, her gaze morphing from teasing to serious. "I'll see you soon, Rumple, and be careful." She began to step away from him at first, but then, with a steely determination in her eyes, drew close again and placed a delicate kiss on his cheek, smiling as she drew away.

Rumple smiled at her, feeling as if he could do just about anything if she believed in him. "I will. Don't worry, I won't let Cora anywhere near this town." Then, with a quiet sigh, he turned and walked out of Granny's, every fiber of his being wishing that he were still at that table with Belle.

"Maybe one day, they'll even invite you to dinner."

Regina gave Rumplestiltskin a watery, murderous glare and then stormed out of the shop. Rumple sighed, unaffected by her tiny tantrum. He had only spoken the truth, after all. As good as she was, it was doubtful that the Savior would ever forgive Regina for all she had done.

Rumple looked around at his shop, pleased to see it empty once more. Finally, he could have a moment to breathe again. With everyone gone to celebrate, perhaps he could finally finish that date with Belle.

Rumple reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He flipped it open and navigated to the first contact on his list, clicking Belle's name and bringing the phone to his ear.

It was only while the call was ringing that Rumple realized that Belle could have heard about what had happened at the well. Ruby could have told her by now that he had nearly killed Emma and Mary Margaret in his attempt to stop Cora from coming through the portal .

He gripped his cane a little tighter as the other line continued to ring. Was she too upset at him to answer? What if she did answer and told him that this mistake was the last straw?

"Rumple?" Belle's voice sounded unsure and confused.

Rumple silently sighed with relief at the lack of disappointment in her voice and he even smiled at her puzzled tone. She was still getting used to the concept of cell phones. "Belle! How are you?"

"I'm fine. Is everything…okay?"

"Miss Swan and Mary Margaret made it back through the portal." He wondered if she caught the bit of surprise that saturated his tone. He still couldn't quite believe that they had bested Cora, but if anyone could, it would be the Savior.

Belle sighed with relief. "Good."

Rumple cleared his throat, suddenly feeling a little warm. He realized that he didn't quite know how to ask her if she wanted to resume their date. "Belle," he began after an uncomfortable pause, "I was wondering if you wanted to try the hamburgers again." He grit his teeth after he said it. It just sounded so…stupid.

As if she could read his expression, Belle giggled with amusement. "I would love that. Granny's? or…"

"No no, we wouldn't get much peace there. I thought that I could pick them up and we could eat at my house. If you want," he added quickly, certainly not wanting to force her into anything. The hamburgers had been her idea, after all.

"I'd like that."

Rumple smiled to himself. "I'll pick you up in a few minutes. The library?"

"Yes."

"Okay. I'll see you soon."

Belle was silent for a moment. "…Goodbye?"

Rumple chuckled at her uncertainty, and Belle joined in after a moment. "It is a bit strange at first, isn't it?" he said, though, because of the curse, he couldn't really remember the first time he had used a cell phone. "You'll get used to it."

"I hope so," she said, her voice still light with laughter.

"Bye, Belle."

"Goodbye, Rumple."

He hung up and placed his phone back in his pocket. With a sigh and a small smile he walked out the back of the shop, simultaneously excited and anxious about this date. He had to tell Belle the mistake he had made; he had promised himself that he wouldn't keep anything from her anymore. The time for lying was over.

Rumple parked the car on the curb right in front of the library entrance. Though it wasn't technically a parking spot, he'd like to see David or Emma try to give him a ticket.

He got out of the car and walked to the entrance of the library, noticing that most of the windows were now free of the wooden boards that had covered them for twenty-eight years. The mental image of Belle, her expression set and determined, trying to pry the wood from the window made Rumple smile. She was so dedicated to this library. Nevertheless, he made a quick mental note to ask her if he could help at all with cleaning up the place. No doubt it was a tremendous job for a single person.

With a shake of his head to clear his thoughts, Rumple pulled the door open and walked into the dim library. Carts filled to their capacity with books were scattered all around the front desk. Beyond that, endless shelves full of all different sorts of books stretched to the back wall of the library. In the midst of it all, Belle was nowhere to be seen.

Rumple strode forward quietly, walking into the heart of the towering shelves of books. A light flickered above him as he scanned the nearest titles. He had read many of these books, and knew of practically all of them. Twenty-eight years had been a long time to wait, and he had done plenty of reading in his spare time.

He spotted a splash of color ahead amidst the stark white of the tiled floor. As he poked his head down an adjacent aisle, he finally found Belle. She sat on the ground, her skirt fanning out around her, a thick book in her lap. She propped her head up with her hand as her elbow rested on her knee. Her red lips moved silently as she read, delicate eyebrows slowly furrowing closer and closer together.

"Is it a good one?" Rumple asked quietly, hoping he wouldn't terribly startle her.

Belle jumped a little, the book in her lap closing with a snap. However, she only grinned up at Rumple. "Yes, it is." She held up the hardback volume, showing off The Tale of King Arthur and His Knights written in flowing golden script on the cover. "King Arthur was in our world, wasn't he? You went to Camelot once to make a deal."

"So I did. Many of our stories somehow made it to this world, though most of them only as simple fairytales." He reached out a hand to help her up.

Belle took his hand with a smile, holding the book to her chest as he pulled her up. "Thank you," she said as she stood on her feet. "What about our story?"

He held onto her hand as they walked toward the front of the library. "It depends on which version you find. The most popular one has a much happier ending than ours did, and there's much more singing in involved."

Belle laughed. "Do you mean a…movie?"

"Yes." He looked over at her, smiling. "I don't suppose you've seen one, have you?"

"No." She shook her head. "But I have read about them."

"We'll watch one some time." He looked over the hundreds of books on the carts that weren't shelved yet. "Do you need any help with this?" he asked as he gestured to the carts. "Or with the library at all?"

She squeezed his hand. "Thank you for asking, but I think I can handle it. Besides, I just love doing it. Being around this many books…sometimes it makes me think I'm back in your castle." She grinned at the nearest cart of books, though her mind seemed to be far away, perhaps remembering a time when she was his maid and they were both too afraid too admit what they felt for each other.

Rumple held the library door open for her, finally releasing her hand. "Does it make you happy?"

Belle cocked her head at him, raising an eyebrow in question as they paused on the sidewalk next to his car.

"To think of the Dark Castle," Rumple explained.

Her lips curved into a small smile. "It does, but…" She bit her lip and looked up at the darkening sky for a moment, as if searching for the right words to say. "When I was at the Dark Castle with you, I felt like I was home, more than I had ever felt living with my father. But then I realized that it wasn't the castle that was my home." She rested her hand on top of his as he clutched his cane. Her bright blue eyes shone with happiness; could it be that she was so happy to be with him? "You're my home, Rumple, and though I might miss the Dark Castle sometimes,

I like how things are now."

You're my home. Rumplestiltskin, the immortal Dark One, felt himself being reduced to merely a melted heart by that simple phrase. No one had relied on him and trusted him this much in hundreds of years. Not since Bae…

"I discovered my home in you too, Belle. Thank you for that."

For a moment (or perhaps it was several) they just stared at each other. No words needed to be spoken because their looks of gratitude and love said it all.

Guilt crept into Rumplestiltskin's mind and ruined the precious moment. He still hadn't told her about what had happened at the well, but he didn't want to ruin this. Would she still be able to look at him the same way if he told her?

He decided to put it off. Now wasn't the time. "We don't want the hamburgers to get cold," he said instead with a smile.

He was never allowed a single moment of complete happiness, was he?

Rumple opened the door to his house, gesturing for Belle to walk inside first. He followed her in and closed the door behind him, balancing two rather large take out containers from Granny's in his hand.

"Do you want me to carry one?" Belle asked, giggling as the top box nearly fell to the ground.

Rumple gripped his cane to steady himself. "That might be the best option."

She took the top container, smiling all the while. She seemed to be truly excited for this date, and it was beginning to rub off on Rumple as he pushed his worries to the back of his mind and began to just enjoy her presence.

"Follow me." He walked to the kitchen and set his container on the counter. Guilty thoughts began seeping back into his head soon enough as he was only too aware that the last time they had stood in this room, Belle had left because of his cowardice.

Would she do the same again when he told her what he had done?

"Rumple? Is something wrong?"

Though Belle sounded concerned, he caught the fearful note in her voice. Perhaps she, too, was afraid that their relationship would be thrown backwards in its progress once more.

Rumple sighed. This time he would have the courage to tell her the truth, no matter what it might bring. "Belle." He looked up, his heart squeezing at the sight of her worried eyes. His fingers twitched at his side as he longed to wrap his arm around her and tell her that everything would be all right.

But it wouldn't be all right. It might never be all right, because he was still a monster.

"There's something I have to tell you."

She placed her food on the counter as well, nodding slowly. She swallowed nervously, raising her eyebrows.

He opened his mouth, wondering at what words to say. Lies and half-truths flooded his mind first, but he pushed them hastily to the side. This time, Belle would get nothing but the truth.

"I could have killed Emma and Mary Margaret." He sighed as the words left his mouth and he deliberately stared down at his hands growing white as they tightly gripped his cane. "And I almost did. I was trying to prevent Cora from coming through. I didn't think they had a chance of beating her to the portal, so I set a spell on it. Anyone who came through would die, and I was sure it would be Cora. Then Henry came and convinced Regina to absorb the magic, and as soon as it was gone, Emma and Mary Margaret climbed out." He shook his head. "I was so bent on preventing Cora from coming here that I forgot there's such a thing as faith." A greater sigh pushed itself from his chest as he forced himself to look up at Belle. She wasn't turning away yet, merely watching, waiting. "That's the truth, Belle."

To his surprise, her eyes softened. "Thank you for being honest with me, Rumple. And even though I don't approve of what you did, I know you were doing what you thought was best." She took a step around the counter separating them, never dropping her gaze. "You're not the man you once were. You just need to have more faith in the light." She shook her head as she came to face him. "You've been in darkness for so long that you've forgotten how to trust in goodness."

Rumple nodded. "But I'm trying, Belle. Truly, I am." He clenched his jaw, trying to discern the look in her eyes. He needed her so much, and he wasn't sure what he would do if she left him for good. "With my curse, it's so hard to choose to do good. And being a coward…it's always been in my nature. But you, Belle." He reached out and took her hand in his. "I didn't even know I could be a good man with this curse until I met you. You see the good in me even when no one else can."

"And I always will." Belle smiled, pressing his hand. "Even though you've made a mistake, I don't see a coward before me now, Rumplestiltskin. I see a man who's brave enough to tell me the truth and admit when he's wrong."

Rumple felt his eyes sting with oncoming tears. Even when everyone else looked at him as a coward, Belle still believed in him. He didn't know how to convey how much her words- how much she meant to him. "I love you, Belle," was all he knew to say, and he hoped that it was enough.

Belle jumped into his embrace, throwing her arms around his neck. "I love you too, Rumple," she murmured in his ear.

And for one moment, Rumplestiltskin could forget about the world. For one moment, all that mattered was that Belle still loved him. And it was enough.

"I'll never know how you have so much forgiveness for me," he confessed, still holding her tight.

Belle kissed his cheek as she drew away, though stayed close enough to remain in his grasp. "I love you," she repeated.

Rumple grinned at her, happier than he could ever remember. However, he noticed the takeout box from Granny's out of the corner of his eye and chuckled. "Well, so much for eating dinner while it was warm."

Belle rolled her eyes at him, though a smile twitched at the corners of her lips. "Really, Rumple, I might not know much, but I do know that there is a magical machine called a microwave that can fix that." She started to laugh and Rumple soon joined in.

She was the only one who could truly make him laugh.

Rumple walked into the kitchen from the back door, bowing as he gestured outside. "Your dinner awaits, my lady."

Belle beamed at him, eyes shining with excitement. He offered her his arm and she hooked it through hers, their shoulders brushing as they walked only a few steps outside before they reached a large blue blanket spread out over the grass. A lit candle on a stand sat in the middle between two plates filled with hamburgers and french fries and two glasses full of iced tea.

"Rumple!" Belle exclaimed in amazement, drawing closer to his side. "It looks amazing."

He smiled over at her, committing her overjoyed expression to memory. He loved the way she loved such simple things. "I know how you love picnics."

Belle broke away from him and picked one of the two places on either end of the blanket, smoothing out her skirt as she sat down. Rumple stood in front of the plate opposite her and used his cane to help lower himself to the ground, setting the crutch aside once he stretched out his legs.

"Like I said before," Rumple began, grabbing the bottle of ketchup that sat next to the candle in order to demonstrate. He took off the top bun of the hamburger and poured a good portion of ketchup onto it. "Ketchup makes everything taste better." He held out the bottle to her, watching as she mirrored his actions with a smile.

Belle grabbed the burger in both her hands. "Well, it's finally time to try one."

Rumple bit back laughter at the eagerness of her expression. He watched her as she examined the specimen in her hands and then slowly took a small bite. Her eyes went wide as she swallowed, a grin breaking out on her face. "It's so good!" She quickly took another bite, still smiling as she chewed.

"I knew you'd like it." Rumple grinned at her and then took a bite of his own hamburger. Not bad, he thought, since he had never actually had a Granny's burger either.

"You remembered," Belle said with a short laugh, holding up her glass of iced tea before taking a sip.

"Of course." Rumples tiltskin found that he couldn't stop smiling. He was glad- overjoyed, really- that she liked it all so much. He hoped that it was everything she had thought it would be.

"We should do this more often."

Rumple chuckled. "The hamburgers?"

"Well, they are wonderful," Belle said with a laugh, "but what I meant was just being together like this, without anything or anyone else in our way."

Rumple nodded. He would certainly enjoy that too. "I agree. So let's hope that Storybrooke doesn't develop a nasty habit for harboring trouble."

Belle giggled. "Yes, let's hope." She raised her glass in the air. "To Storybrooke's future. And…" An almost shy smile lit up her expression. "To ours."

Rumple lifted his glass of iced tea as well and nodded. A genuine smile easily came to his lips, like it always did when he was around her. "To us."

Us. It was a beautiful word.