Victor sighed as he looked at the test results in his hand for the third time. They hadn't changed since the first time he'd looked at them. Not that he'd expected them to, but it had been a long night, with two major traumas and one minor trauma with amnesiac complications, he wasn't entirely sure he wasn't simply hallucinating from exhaustion.

He set down the printout and rubbed his temples, trying to stem off the massive headache he knew was coming. He knew the lengths a man would go to for family, he had tested that boundary and passed far over it himself, and his situation was nothing like this. This situation... This was going to require some very careful, delicate handling, and if he was being brutally honest with himself, Victor knew that in two lifetimes, one thing he had never gained was tact. Discretion, certainly, but tact had never been among his skills, there or here. What he did have, however, was intellect, and a fair grasp of strategy even when his brain was muzzy from lack of sleep and the breakdown of adrenaline. What was needed here, he decided, was backup. He did not need his hospital destroyed in a fit of rage, after all.

He reached for the phone sitting on his desk with one final sigh, before he settled his mantle of professionalism over himself as he dialed the familiar number for the sheriff's station. And then set the handset back down before the first ring was complete. He really must be muzzy-headed; both the sheriff and her deputy were already here at the hospital! He shook his head and placed the test results into the appropriate patient folder, then headed for the ER.

James raised an eyebrow as he heard a polite cough from behind him. "If I might have a word, your Highness?" Dr. Whale said softly, a concerned look on his face.

"What's this about, Whale?" David frowned, glancing around him, "If you're offering again to not treat the outsider..."

"No, I've already been overruled on that discussion," Whale frowned, "This is regarding another patient, and I fear it requires a certain level of discretion, and may require your presence as an officer of the law in order to keep the peace."

So this was about something else, then. David nodded, shifting gears. "Where?"

"The nurse's station has a small office," Whale led him in that direction, "we should have enough privacy there."

David reached over to Emma, touching her arm to get her attention. "I'll be right back," he said, "Whale wants to talk about something."

"That's fine," she nodded, "I was going to have a little chat with the pirate anyway, which will probably go better without a whole committee," she added, glaring around her at everyone who was suddenly stepping forward.

"Just be careful," David nodded.

She rolled her eyes, but nodded back, and he headed after Whale, trying to guess what this could possibly be about.

Once they were inside the small office, David closed the door behind them and turned on the doctor. "Alright," he said shortly, "what's this all about, and why the need for secrecy?"

"It has to do with the Dark One," Whale sighed, "or more precisely, how he might react to the result of certain necessary tests we had to perform on..." he glanced down at the paper, "Belle, they said her name is?"

"Belle, yes," David nodded, "is there something wrong with her? Besides having been shot in the shoulder, of course, and losing her memory."

"Well, I don't know about "wrong with her" but there is another underlying condition which I'm guessing he was not aware of," Whale shook his head. "I have to tell him - since she has no memory, he's presently the one in charge of decisions regarding her care, but he...may not react well, given the circumstances."

"Oh for the gods' sakes, man, just spit it out!" David rolled his eyes, "You're giving me a headache with your rambling."

"Well it's given me a headache already, it's only fair to share the pain," Whale glared back at him, "in plain language, the girl is pregnant."

David blinked, slightly taken aback by the thought. Then he shook his head slowly. "You realize he's going to go ballistic when he finds out," he pointed out.

"Why do you think I want a member of the town's small but courageous law enforcement community with me when I break the news?"

"Buttering me up isn't going to make me any happier about this, Whale," David glared.

"No, I suppose not," Whale sighed, "either way, however, the news needs to be given, and I'm sure you realize it must be done very discreetly."

"She'd be even more of a target than she clearly already is," David nodded, "and the last thing this town needs is Rumplestiltskin going on a murderous rampage."

"Precisely," Whale nodded.

"Well then, we'd better get to it, before we find some reason not to," David sighed, "come on."

The two men had just stepped out of the elevator and into the second-floor ward where Belle had been placed when screams rang out. They both broke into a run, heading for her room, but the screams quickly stopped, followed by a very shaken-looking Rumpelstiltskin, who backed out of the room with a haunted expression on his face.

"What happened?" David asked, grabbing Rumpel's arm to steady him.

"I thought... It should have worked," Rumpel shook his head, "There's no magic more powerful..."

David closed his eyes and shook his head, knowing what had happened. "It doesn't work that way," he said softly, "it has to be mutual. Or at least, there has to be some amount of feeling on her part or it won't mean anything and it won't work."

"What are you talking about?" Rumpel gave him a shocked look. "How would you know anything about magic?"

"I may not know much about magic, but I've been in your situation," David pointed out, "after you helped Snow forget about me. Just...take my word for it, the kiss might work, but it won't work until she has a reason for it to.

"Speaking of reasons," Rumpelstiltskin raised an eyebrow, clearly coming back to himself, "for what reason are you and the good doctor up on this floor at this time of night?" He frowned, looking between the two other men.

"It's nothing bad," David said quickly.

"If it's nothing bad then why is he..." Rumpel gestured at Whale, "Looking like he swallowed poison, and why are you here at all?" His frown deepened, "It has to do with Belle, doesn't it?"

"There are certain tests...standard when we admit a woman of...of around miss Belle's age..." Whale hesitated, "especially if the young woman is not able to speak for herself for whatever reason. They're simply a precaution, but sometimes..."

"Out with it, man!" Rumpelstiltskin's cane came down on the floor sharply. "I'm not going to rip your arm off!"

David's eyes watched the older man carefully. Hopefully he wouldn't get turned into something small and crushable if he had to grab and restrain him.

Whale cleared his throat. "One of those tests came up positive. It seems that congratulations are in order... Belle is..."

"Pregnant?" Rumpel finished the statement in a very soft voice. David could see that his hands were gripping the cane as though it was the only thing keeping him upright, and his face was sheet-white even with the dim lighting of the hospital at night.

"Sit," David grabbed a nearby chair and placed it behind Gold, who sat almost automatically.

"How long?" Rumpel asked finally, "Did she...could she have known?"

"It's unlikely she knew," Whale shook his head, "It's impossible to know for sure, of course, but given the hCG levels, it's likely that she's only just over a month along. Certainly no more than six weeks."

That got a snort out of Rumpel. "Well no, considering that before that time she was locked up in a cell under this very establishment," he pointed out.

"We'll need to perform further tests, of course," Whale said, "and I'll start her on a prenatal regimen right away..."

"Of course," Rumpel agreed, "and I trust that we can rely upon your discretion? This was...unplanned, and as tonight's events have made abundantly clear, I am not a man without enemies. If they were to learn of the situation..."

"Absolutely," David said quickly.

"I have no intention of breaking doctor-patient confidentiality," Whale got an affronted look on his face.

"I don't even want any of your nurses knowing," Rumpel shook his head, "This is kept between the three of us unless and until I say anything different."

"Don't you mean the four of us?" David pointed out, "She's involved in this too."

"No," Rumpel said firmly, "not yet. She doesn't know who I am, Charming. She doesn't even know who she is! She has been through enough fear, this is hardly the time to be adding to that fear with worries over a pregnancy."

"I understand," David nodded, "You'll have to tell her eventually, though."

"I know," he agreed, "but with any luck we will have sorted out a way to fix this situation before that becomes necessary."

"Of course," David agreed. "Even without this bit of news, though, it might be a good idea if I post a guard by her room."

"I appreciate the offer," Rumpel nodded thoughtfully, "but I do wonder what it is going to cost me."

"This is for the good of the whole town," David disagreed, "besides, I know Ruby, for one, will be only too glad to stand watch. You aren't the only person in Storybrooke who cares about Belle." He could see that Rumpelstiltskin was overwhelmed, although he was clearly trying to hide it. "Just think about it," he got to his feet, "you have my number."

"Indeed," Rumpel looked at him carefully.

"I had better get some rest," Whale stood as well, "tonight has been a long night, and tomorrow won't be any shorter. You're welcome to stay here in the family and visitor room tonight, since I suspect you don't want to leave her alone here?"

"I need little sleep," Rumpel shrugged, "but thank you for the offer, Doctor. I think it best you both go now. There will be less talk that way."

"I'll send Ruby by in the morning," David nodded, placing a reassuring hand on the other man's shoulder, "She'd want to come in any case, so it won't raise any red flags."

Rumpelstiltskin didn't move or say anything more, his mind clearly already busy with plotting how to handle this latest crisis, so David carefully took his hand away and both he and Whale left. David glanced back toward Belle's room as they were getting on the elevator, and saw Rumpel walking slowly inside to stand at her bedside, but he didn't say anything. He had done what he needed to do, and said what needed to be said, for this night, anyway, and he very much wanted to get back to his wife and daughter and (soon please) his own home and their bed.

Rum wasn't even quite sure how he had gotten from the visitor lounge to Belle's room, but as he came more to himself again he found himself sitting at her bedside, his hand clutching hers desperately, the soft sighs of her sleeping breath echoing inside him like a prayer. When she was like this he could almost forget...almost tell himself that they were at home, rather than in the hospital...but no, he couldn't lie to himself, not anymore. Belle would never put up with such a thing.

"I'm sorry for frightening you earlier, Sweetheart," he said softly, his thumb rubbing over her knuckles, "I should have known you would be startled, being woken to a strange man's face looming over you, but I just...I had to try darling, I'm sure you understand." He reached his other hand over to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, then trailed his fingers down her cheek and over her neck, careful not to go anywhere near the bandage on her shoulder. "I won't leave you here alone," he said firmly, "I'll stay until you're well again. I can...my journey across the town line can wait a little while more." He didn't like it - he had waited so long already, and his heart ached to be with Bae again, but...Bae would understand.

She shifted a little in her sleep and he froze, hardly daring to breathe until she had settled again, although his hand never loosened its grip on hers. "Doctor Whale had news for us, Sweetheart," he told her, smiling as he remembered, "You're to be a mother! I know this wasn't in our plans, we were supposed to be taking this slowly, properly, but...you'll make a wonderful mother, I'm sure of it," he added, "a far better mother than I am a father. I swear to you though, Belle, I will not let any harm come to your or our child. If anyone so much as touches you again..." He trailed off. "I know, I know," he half-laughed, half-sobbed, "I'm supposed to be a better man. No doubt you will hold me to that even more firmly now, with a little one to be a good role model for. I'll do my best, Belle, I promise. It won't be easy but I'll do my very best."

He could feel exhaustion creeping over him suddenly, and he ached to crawl onto the tiny hospital bed alongside his love, to hold her safe while she slept, but he knew that would only upset and confuse her when she woke, and he didn't want to risk upsetting her... He shifted his chair a little closer, his hand moving inexorably over to stroke her still-flat stomach, imagining that he could feel the tiny life stirring within. A new son...or a daughter... Yes, a daughter with Belle's dark curls and bright eyes and hopefully little enough of him not to mar her with his own unfortunate looks. He smiled at the thought, then frowned. A daughter - or son - he would keep safe, starting this very moment. He said a few soft words and made an obscure gesture, feeling wards go up around the room that would alert him should anyone enter. That done, he felt a sense of relief sweep over him, along with the sudden weight of all the day's events. He laid his head down on the bed next to Belle and closed his eyes. Just for a moment, he assured himself; just for the briefest moment, then he would resume his vigil.

Between closing his eyes and opening them again, he was fast asleep.