a/n: just a little fic I've been thinking about for awhile. My thoughts on what happened after Broken. I've tried to set it up more like an episode where flashbacks from Fairytale land exists. This particular one is split into 3 chapters. It is rated M due to chapter 2 and 3 for...well…things happening. Please let me know what you think and thank for you for reading!

Silence was something Gold was quite familiar with as it lingered between them. He was used to cold silence, the kind that leaves an everlasting chill to your bones. Fearful silence as he walked past those who had heard or witness his full power. Lonely silence from nights spent at his spinning wheel thinking of mistakes he had made in the past. But this warm silence, comforting silence, as Belle gripped his shoulders and promised she would stay with him, was something he felt weary of.

This had been a strange day so far. Gaining power and love was something that never coincided with each other but it seemed he had that now. Belle was happy, healthy, alive, and here. It was odd to Gold to have this feeling in over 28 years. Still, he feared he couldn't put down his guard yet. Something seemed off.

"You should probably hold me now, Rumplestiltskin," Belle suggested playfully.

Gold did not hesitate. What his lady wanted, his lady would get. He realized now as he held her how risky his move was to get rid of Regina and even though he knew if he had to do it again, he would use his powers. Next time, though, he would make sure to either let Belle know or be sneakier about it. He did not want to hurt Belle but he had to protect her. He let his cheek fall upon Belle's hair and took in a deep breath. This was something he would happily get used to.

"Ready to go home?" He asked.

"Home…"She slowly said, that little giggle of hers peaking through each letter. "Yes, I'm ready to have a home."

He took her small hand in his own. Passing over her wrist with his thumb he could feel her pulse's steady beat. It was an interesting melody that he played over in his head as they left the shop and headed home.

The streets were empty. Gold figured the townspeople were still frightened from the excitement the wraith had conjured up. He was disappointed that his hard work was all for nothing. He had risked losing Belle over something that just made these first few days of magic very difficult. But he did not want to show his worry to the already frighten woman at his hand.

Belle's mind seemed to be elsewhere. With each step her head was bobbing from one place to the other. Mostly her eyes were fixated on the streetlights.

"How did they make the fire stay in the glass containers before magic?" Belle quietly asked, stopping to look up into one.

The light hit the blue in Belle's eyes and made them burn with a bright flame. It was then that Gold knew that Belle was not frightened. She was delighted by everything she was seeing. It was beautiful seeing her take in everything with such fierce curiosity and bravery.

"I will explain everything to you in due time," Gold said as he lightly placed a hand on her lower back. "Every wonder you have I will answer for you."

"This world is so strange and beautiful," Belle whispered into the night air. "The odd moving carriages, the magic fire, the clothing…everything is so new. I'm happy you are here with me."

Belle twirled to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her skin was cold against his exposed flesh. He forgot how chilly the night air became this late in the season. Slipping off his suit jacket, he gave her a side-glance and a charming smile as he slid it over her shoulders. Returning the look, she pursed her lips into a flirty smile as she put her arms threw the sleeves before returning to her hold around his neck.

"Are you going to kiss me under the magic fire?" She delightedly shrugged.

"Yes, I'll even kiss you under this street light," Gold smiled, lightly brushing his nose against hers. "In fact, I'll kiss you under any light you'd like."

Bringing his lips to hers, he sucked in his breath as she kissed him back. Her soft lips tugged against his own. She tasted of sweet tea and felt like berries. It was truth he spoke to her. He would kiss her under every bridge, flashing sign, umbrella, roof, and open sky. This was a deal he had struck with himself that he did not intend to break.

Rumplestiltskin sat in the chair at the end of the table lightly suspending each piece of glass from the floor with the flick of his finger and gently setting it back in its place in the cabinet frame. Although he could easily fix the cabinet in moments, he felt a calming serenity inspecting each jagged edge and finding where it fit in the mess of his home. It had been weeks since he had made his decision and every moment he had to tell himself that it had been the right move. Here he was still sitting in his estate with all the power of the world in the palm of his hand. Yet he was stuck thinking of the berry lips that had briefly touched his own. He could swear that sometimes he could even taste them.

He hadn't left his home since her sudden departure. Perhaps he was waiting for her to return, but he only told himself that in his sleep. He knew if he had to he would choose his power over love again. There was little reason to try and accept anything that interfered with that. Long ago he had made a promise to never love even though this burning in his heart hurt worse than any fire could create.

Sighing, he picked up the last jagged edge and placed it strategically into the last empty space. With it's joining the glass shone for a moment and regenerated into what it had once been. Rising to his feet, he took a few strides over to what had once been the benefit of his rage and opened to see if anything on the inside had been damaged. It seemed everything was fine yet there was a little spot on the middle shelf that seemed empty.

Looking around the room he tried to find any sort of trinket that would fit in the spot. Every item he had bartered with or won through deals was on display. They were constant reminders of what he was and the power he had. Mementos that he liked to look at and recall what it took to get it. The lives he had ruined for his own benefit. That was when it caught his eyes.

He had managed to repair the tea set he had destroyed. This took him the good part of a week to place every small shard back into creating the tea set. Yet there was one cup that he never managed to fix. The only one he didn't destroy in his fit of madness.

"I'm sorry but…it's chipped."

Something he did not destroy and purposely kept for reasons he was reluctant to admit. Instead of repairing or destroying or even adding the teacup back to the set he picked it up and rubbed it lightly. It was so small, fragile and shone when held up to the sunlight leaking into the room. With a sad smile he turned and placed the teacup in the cabinet and shut the doors.

Then something strange happened. It was as if he heard someone shouting his name from afar. Turning, he noticed a small detail in the cleaning that he had overlooked. In his stupor for the past week, he had forgotten to protect himself. The long mirror was left uncovered. Regina could see everything he had been doing through the damned thing.

"You think you're uglier than you are, that's why you cover all the mirrors up…"

Good…he hoped she did see. He prayed she was watching every tedious little thing he had been doing since Belle left. Hours she must have watched him weaving gold and cleaning his mess. But the watching ends today.

He gripped the edges of the mirror and stared deep into the world behind him. Lips turned into a sneer but eyes deep in concentration, Rumplestiltskin let the sorceress get one last good look at him before the show's ending. No more mirrors, no more girl. No more lovesick pathetic man that she had turned him into be.

"You think you can just spy on me, don't you." He made each word clear, making sure nothing was left to speculation. "Nice try, Your Majesty, but you will never take my powers."

Backing away, he spied the curtain that had been left to gather dust. In one heavy throw, the mirror was covered. Rumplestiltskin was now safe to say and do whatever he please. Any evil plan for revenge he could plot and scheme as loud and as demonstrated as he liked. For hours he paced around his estate thinking of the most horrible ways of enacting revenge for turning his Belle against him. Finally settling down and sitting at his wheel, he began to concentrate on the final few details of a wicked scheme when the door burst open.

Luck should have it Regina came bustling in as if she owned the place.

"I have a deal to discuss…a certain mermaid…"

Rumplestiltskin suppressed his wicked smile. It was time to get even. She may have turned his Belle against him but he still had a few tricks up his sleeve...

The house was large and had too many silly rooms. This was Belle's description of his residence after the tour was near complete. They had taken a good hour going through each room and Gold explaining best he could the technology that Storybrooke had that their old world did not. Belle did not understand the point of a television when books were so much more beautiful, but she did enjoy the idea of a phone. She had picked it up a few times and yelled into it before Gold had to take it from her hands and put it back. With the promise they would play with it another day, they made their way to the kitchen. She kept opening the fridge and exclaiming how she felt if they were ever too warm, they had their own little icey land to cool them down. This was also when she learned about air conditioning and the heater.

He could tell that this was far too new for her and decided to end the tour short. Lastly, he led her to the bathroom. He quickly, and without much embarrassment, went over the point of the toilet and sink before moving on to his bath. He had a claw foot bathtub that could easily hold two people…which went through his mind for a moment before pushing it aside.

"I can run it for you if you'd like," Gold motioned towards it.

"If you would," Belle asked.

It had been a long day and he didn't bother to actually check the time. His wristwatch read 11:15, which seemed to be running fast. But the moon was high and Belle's eyes looked glazed. A nice warm bath is what she needed to rest her bones and help her absorb all she had learned that day.

"Well, then let get you settled then. I believe I have some old nightgowns in a box somewhere for when you are out of the bath…"

"You have everything, don't you?" Belle teased, giving him a light punch on the shoulder.

Gold gave a surprised laugh at her responses. Pretending to be offended, he put his hand to his heart.

"My lady, your words speak daggers."

"I must be more careful with what I say," Belle took his hand and gave it a soft kiss upon his knuckles.

He carefully knelt down, hissing only slightly when his knee gave him a pain, and began to explain the tub. He tried not to let the human pains he suffered show, especially around Belle. To this town, Rumplestiltskin was the all-powerful immortal danger. Mr. Gold was just a tax collecting man with a bad knee and stress. A sudden shoulder massage from Belle gave away many of the worry knots he had as they watched the tub fill. It was as if she did not even notice her hands gripping and kneading his tense shoulders as her eyes followed the running water. Taking it to his advantage, he sank into her fingers while trying to remain calm. He did not want to frighten the young girl.

"Seems like the tub is ready," He said, handing her a towel from the closet. "I'll just be in the next room if you should need me."

"I think I remember how to take a bath," She joking replied, "But…if I do need help, trust me, I will call."

Her sass was something he had certainly missed. Giving her one last glance, he closed the heavy door. After a good twenty minutes, he found the nightgown stashed away in an timeworn closet. It was long and made of mostly lace with a short satin slip underneath. Keeping his thoughts pure yet with a selfish heart, he knew which bedroom she would be sleeping in tonight. Taking the gown, he gave a hard knock on the bathroom.

"Are you finished?" He called.

A soft voice answered and he could hear her getting out of the tub. It took most of his self-control to not just enter the room and hold her in his arms. She was young and innocent in his mind. Something he did not want to devastate. So he opened the door just a crack and let the gown dangle on his fingertips for her to grab. Full of surprises this woman was, he let out a gasp when he felt her hand dance up his wrist. Droplets of water fell on his arm and her face popped up in the crack of the door. Clean and fresh from the bath, Belle's lips moved but his hearing was at a loss. Those crystal eyes memorized him.

"I said, thank you," Belle repeated.

"You…are ever so welcome," Gold stuttered.

When she came out minutes later he gave himself a few seconds to soak in her image. She was small and petite, yet a form of hip could be seen behind the lace. The gown was modest, as he felt she deserved. Never did he plan on creating her into a siren when she was a royalty to be worshiped. Still, desire was present in his bones while he managed to keep himself still.

"Do I look alright?" Belle asked, uncertainty in her eyes.

"Never ask me that question," Gold told her, offering his hand. "The answer will always be the same and you will become sick of hearing it. Now, come with me, I should show you where you will be sleeping."

The room was just down the hall from his own and was the only place not cluttered with antiques and mementos from the old world. The bed was large and in the middle of the room pushed up under the large window. It had white sheets with a simple blue quilt. The curtains were closed and it was the first thing that Belle fixed. She jumped onto the bed, speaking about the importance of moonlight. He heard little as he watched her shoulders that were bare besides a simple string holding the dress up. Her long brown hair was down her back and still damp from the bath. It had been years since he had seen a woman so free.

"Trust me, Rumplestiltskin, this will do wonders for us tonight," She said as she jumped off the bed and to the ground.

"It will do you wonders," He replied, trying not to hint at how badly he wished to stay.

"Right…"Belle said, looking down at the ground before back to him.

"It's for the best for now, Sweetheart," Gold said, trying to convince himself more so than her.

"No, you are right," She replied, "Good night, Rumplestiltskin."

Belle rose on her toes to give him a soft kiss on his cheek. He let out a small sigh and stroked her hair. This might be harder than he hoped.

"Goodnight, Belle." He whispered as he shut the door.

"Forget what?"

"I guess it worked."

The thoughts scrambled in his mind. Images from the past…his Belle's tears as he threw her into that cell. The way her lips curved as she cursed him. The emptiness he felt when he was told she was dead. It was a strange feeling knowing that she was here with him but it was something he knew was true. He was a careful man and made sure each move lead to exactly what he wanted.

He was lying in his bed after having changed into his navy satin pajamas. He kept looking out the window, thinking of what she had meant by saying moonlight was important. She had many funny little stories from her village he had heard about before. Silly tales about people living in the flowers and how fire learned to dance and truthfully, he enjoyed every one of them. It had been too long since he had sat and just listened to her speak. They had done it so many times in the past. Perhaps that is what they would do tomorrow, find a nice little spot out in the woods and just talk…

The scream interrupted his thoughts and had him shooting out of bed. He forgot the cane, letting the fire shoot up his leg as he ran down the hall. That was his Belle who had let out the call and he feared the worse. Images of Regina came to his mind and he cursed to himself for not setting up some sort of alarm system. When he threw open the door he found no intruder but just an embarrassed woman wiping a few tears from her eyes.

"I'm sorry," She sniffled and exhaled, "I didn't mean to wake you."

"No, no, no," He mumbled as he limped towards the bed, "Don't apologize. What happened?"

Belle looked away when Gold turned on the lamp. Technology certainly did confuse the girl but he knew this was not what caused the fear he saw hidden in her eyes. She scooted over and patted besides her for him to sit down. At first he hesitated but remembered this was not the same Time they had come from. Also, he was in his satin pajamas. There wasn't much modesty to hold back on. So, for the first time in years, he got into bed with a woman.

"Now, Sweetheart, tell me what troubles you," He soft asked as he awkwardly brushed the sheets with his fingertips.

"I have night terrors sometimes…" Belle sadly looked up into his eyes, those fierce blues melting away his protective covering. "Just memories…I don't want to talk about them now, though…not tonight."

There was no denying it… Belle was slowly bringing out a different side of him. Instead of leaving and letting her cry alone, he pulled her into his arms. She responded by burying her face into his pajama top and wrapping her arms around his neck. Years he had gone with his want to hold her and it had been so long he had waited for this embrace. Convinced she was gone he had let the want go. He had banished thoughts of love and passion. He played with love, knowing it was a curse that could not be defeated. He could remember toying with people's heart and caring little how they felt.

He would never play with Belle's heart. This he was sure of.

"Stay with me tonight," Belle whispered into his chest.

"Of course, my darling Belle." He gripped onto her tighter, letting his body rock her. The hours slowly passed, Gold having lost Belle long ago to sleep and exhaustion, and all he could do was smile into her hair. He sat up for hours getting used to the feeling of having another soul to care for. It had been so long since he had a lover. So long since he had someone to cherish. He wasn't even sure if he remembered how to be caring towards someone. But he was going to try.

The carriage took every rock, every stick, and every hole, with a shocking pull that made Belle's muscles scream. Her head was covered with a burlap sack, her hands tied above her with a rope strapped around a bar on the top of the carriage. Her feet were bound and a gag was in her mouth. No longer could she cry as the long journey had already taken up much of her tears. Death would not take her as her capturer deliberately promised her. After days of riding and her wrists starting to chafe against her restraints, she felt the horses stop. The hinges creaked as the iron door to her carriage was opened and she felt relief when the rope was let loose. She did not even protest when she was lifted over a guards shoulder and was blindly taken away.

Hearing the footsteps bouncing against the walls, she could not place the echo as being from her own home. This was a new place she had never been before. She was not welcoming it. After a flight of steps, she was lightly placed down onto the floor before the guard unbound her feet and removed the sack from her head and the gag from her mouth. It took a moment before her eyes could adjust to the darkened room. The room was black, as were the guard's armor and the sky overlooking a balcony. This was not good. The guard smiled at her as he released her hands. It was not wicked but compassionate.

The guard quickly turned when they heard the door fly open. Moments later, a woman in all black came striding into the room was staring directly towards her. Memories were rushing back she recalled this woman from the road. She had told her how to break the curse. She had put that thought in her head.

"You?" Belle gasped.

"Yes, me," The woman laughed. "Just the Queen."

Belle started to climb to her feet when a golden cage fell from the ceiling around her. It was a good 4 feet around and just a little taller than her and had bars distanced just enough to place a hand through. She was trapped. This woman, the Queen as she called herself, was circling the cage, her dark nails lightly hitting each bar as she made her way along, the look of hatred and disgust ever present in her gaze.

"What did I ever do to you?" Belle asked, still disorientated.

"Do to me?" The Queen questioned, reaching out and grabbing her by the dress towards the bars. The Monarch's breath was cold as it landed on her cheek. "It's what you did to ol' Rumplestiltskin. You made him love you. You are useful to me now, Child."

The Queen threw her back towards the center of the cage. Belle's hands scrapped as they hit the cold floor.

"So you have abducted me," Belle sorrowfully pulled her knees towards her chest as she stated the fact. "When will you kill me?"

"When I see most fit." The Queen smiled and turned to the guard. "What do you say Huntsman?"

The guard said nothing but removed his helmet. He had a soft bearded face that looked more like a wolf than a man. He simply nodded and looked straight ahead. His answer caused the Queen to laugh once again.

"We are on our way now to see your master," The Queen looked towards her, a wicked smile spreading across her face. "We have some news to bring to him. Something about an old servant girl of his flinging herself off of a tower."

Belle's eyes widen as The Queen left. The past few days had been a dizzy mess and she wasn't sure how to fix the situation. Burrowing her face into her knees she began to cry while knowing there was almost no way to get out of this cage and back to Rumplestiltskin. Within hours he would believe she was dead and he would never come looking for her. Then again, would he have come looking for her if he had known? Belle pondered the question as she wept, wishing she had never left her father's home. Then at least their hearts would have been broken, but safe.

"Your name is Belle, correct?" A voice asked her.

Belle scanned the room but found no one present. Great, now I'm hearing things, she thought. But once again she heard the voice, a deep yet calming voice beckoning her. She stood up and circled around before she found the source. In the mirror there was the face of a man, but no man standing in front of it.

"Yes…" She responded.

Gripping the bars, she looked into the mirror and the man's face. He looked tired with deep bags under his eyes and what looked like a permanent frown. His eyes were painted deep with kohl and he had a sharp beard that was not a design from her homelands. He must be one of the queen's advisors yet he looked almost kind.

"I am… was the Genie of Agrabah and must apologize for what the Queen has done to you. Do not think everyone in this castle is as cruel."

"I don't understand." She squinted her eyes towards the man.

The face in the mirror gave her a small supportive smile.

"I want to help you," The man said.

"I'm sorry…but I don't see how you can help me escape." Belle pointed out.

The man gave her a nod and the mirror filled with smoke. She called out for him to wait when the smoke cleared. The mirror did not reflect the dark room, but a room filled with light. A long table and a cabinet were in view. A man could be seen in the distance pacing back and forth. It only took her a few minutes to know where this room and who this man was.

"Rumplestiltskin!" She screamed, shaking the bars.

He turned, looking towards the mirror. She smiled, hoping he could see her back. But as he came closer she could see the anger and the rage in his face. He gripped the mirrors edges and peered into it, his eyes wide and dark. His hair was wild and his clothing looked worn and torn. The madness was still deep in him and although it frightened her, she had to hold back the excitement that blazed in her.

"You…you think you can just spy on me, don't you?" He pointed at the glass. "Nice try, Your Majesty, but you will never take my powers." With that, Rumplestiltskin backed away from the glass before throwing a heavy curtain over it. The fog resumed and the man's face appeared again.

"Could he hear me?" Belle asked, finally letting go of the bars.

The man shook his head.

"That was simple coincidence. I can only show you what is to be seen through the mirror."

Belle took a deep breath before looking back the Genie.

"I can bring you to him." He told her. "I can have you two meet one last time."

"Why would you help me?" Belle asked, running her hand through her hair.

"Because I know what it feels like to have the Queen take away true love," The man murmured, his face falling back into the frown. The look sent chills down Belle's spine.

The moonlight shone brightly through the window on the sleeping couple. The man whose heart was hardened from loss and the woman who survived years of imprisonment were wound tightly together in the night. Gold had one arm under her neck with his hand tangled in her loose hair. His other wrapped around her hip and that hand tucked safely under her. Belle's hand rested lightly on his skin where his pajama top had bunched up. Their knees were touching each other and their foreheads were pressed. They somehow managed to kick the blankets to the ground. They were hidden from the confusing world below where families cried as they searched for their lost loved ones. No pain would haunt them tonight. For the first time in their lives, they slept as peacefully as one would in the womb.

The moon was a tender mistress as Belle woke. She was hypnotized by how the moon left a light glow over her lover. Nothing sparkled or was golden...just a simple sleeping man holding the woman he loved as he dreamt. Curious Belle was as she felt the skin beneath her fingertips. Softly she brushed down his side and felt each smooth muscle and flesh there was to behold. She rested her hand on his exposed hipbone as his soft breath became a moan. With an inquiring smile she waited for Rumplestiltskin to wake. There was so much she wanted to see and touch in that moment that her breath caught when his eyes fluttered open.