"They're back!"

Belle jumped in surprise and looked up from her work to see her best friend leaning against the office doorway, gasping for breath as if she'd just run a marathon.

"What?" Belle asked bewilderedly. "Ruby, what's the matter? Is someone hurt? What's going on?"

"They're back!" Ruby repeated, shocked that her normally intelligent friend hadn't immediately caught on. Belle had been burning the candle at both ends for the past two weeks. Planning the upcoming fundraising event at the library while dealing with the everyday problems of Storybrooke was wearing her friend thin. Evidently Belle needed further elaboration. "Snow, Charming, the gang! They're back!"

Pushing back her chair and rushing around the desk, Belle wondered in a tentative voice, half afraid to ask, "Rumple, too?"

"Yes," Ruby answered, grabbing Belle's hand. "Rumple, too. They came in at the harbor. Leroy was out patrolling when it happened and sent a messenger running over to Granny's just a minute ago."

"Oh, my! Where are they headed? Rumple's going to think I'm at library at this time of day." Belle exclaimed as they hurried out of Town Hall and into the bright sunlit afternoon.

"Leroy's going to drag them to Granny's," Ruby answered as she pulled her friend toward her grandmother's diner.

They could already see a crowd forming in the streets as word spread that their beloved rulers…well, some beloved and some not…had returned to Storybrooke.

"Move away, move away," Ruby ordered as she pushed past a group standing on the sidewalk in front of the dinner. "Come on," she motioned for Belle, pushing the door open and disappearing inside.

Following Ruby's lead, Belle quickly pushed through the doors. Immediately, she saw a number of dwarfs clasping David on the shoulders while the others pulled Snow into heartfelt embraces. Scanning the room, she noticed Henry, healthy and happy despite his kidnapping, captured by Granny with no chance of escape anytime soon. But where was Rumple?

Noticing her for the first time, David pulled away from his wife and the dwarfs and tapped Belle on the shoulder. Looking up at her friend, she saw his head nod toward the corner of the diner. Three people were huddled in the corner, talking as if in deep conversation. Offering her thanks, she stepped away and started toward the small group.

Before she took a second step, Belle gasped in shock, "Baelfire!" She'd only met him once as Lacey, but there he was the standing before her, alive and well.

Belle didn't realize she'd said the name aloud until the man in question looked up and responded, "Well, I go by Neal now, but yes, I'm Baelfire. I take it you're Belle? I believe I met your alter ego before our little escapade."

"I thought you were dead?" Belle exclaimed, not realizing that the dinner had gone quiet.

"That's a long story better left for later," Neal replied.

Rumplestiltskin, deciding he'd heard enough chit-chat between the two, jumped into the conversation. "Tsk, tsk, darling. Throwing me over for my son now, are we? My heard is broken."

If Belle thought seeing the previously deceased Baelfire was shocking, it was nothing in comparison to her next surprise. Finally clasping eyes on her true love, Belle was left speechless at the imp standing before her. Gone were the expensive suit, perfect pocket square and fancy cane.

"Rumplestiltskin," Belle sobbed and ran into his outstretched arms, happy to see her lover once again no mater what his appearance.

"You fell in love with this?" Emma, the third of the little group asked Belle. "I could imagine you falling for him as Mr. Gold. He was a bastard, but he did have a certain style. But this?" Emma finished, waving her hands toward the Dark One.

"You better watch out, dearie," Rumple warned. Belle stepped back, but she immediately recognized the lack of malice in his voice. "You may be family, but I can still turn you into a slug."

"You can try," Emma smiled, daring the last man she ever though she'd consider family.

"Oh," he clapped his hands together happily, "is the student trying to surpass the master?"

"Enough you two," Neal warned. Turning to Belle, he retorted, "I try to evade magic most of my life and I end up with these two. They were like little kids bickering on the trip back. Henry was in seventh heaven."

Happy to have her love back in any form, Belle hugged Rumplestiltskin tightly in her arms once again.

"What, no kiss?" Rumplestiltskin asked.

"We can't! Not anymore. Not with you like this," Belle exclaimed, pulling out of his arms and gesturing to his current form.

"Oh, darling," Rumplestiltskin cooed, "I can assure you that we can definitely kiss. Just press your lips to mine. It's as simple as that."

"Stop that, Rumple!" Belle admonished. "You know exactly what I mean. Remember the last time? Well, I do and I don't wish a repeat of that event. You know what will happen!"

"Yes, I do know what will happen, Belle."

"Are you sure?" she asked, wiping back the tears that suddenly sprung from her eyes. Parroting the infamous words from their first meeting, she reminded him, "It's forever, dearie?"

"I'm ready, Belle," he answered honestly. Before he could convince his true love of his decision, they were interrupted by the excitement of Neal's and Emma's son.

"Belle," Henry boasted, having finally broken free of Granny's clutches, "you should have seen Grandpa. He was amazing! Zooming here, swooshing there, and sword fighting Peter Pan. He was even better than Gramps with the sword!"

"Don't let Charming here you say that," Rumplestiltskin laughed. "He doesn't care for people impinging on his abilities."

"Come on, son," Neal spoke. "Let's leave these two lovebirds alone. They've been apart long enough."

Looking up at his grandfather earnestly before leaving, Henry croaked, "Thanks, Grandpa, for saving me."

Even as Mr. Gold, Rumplestiltskin was unused to people showing affection to him in words or actions. So he was surprised at the surge of emotions running through him as Henry turned and hugged him tightly. The occupants of Granny's diner were even more shocked when the Dark One returned his grandson's hug and rested his head on top of the young boy's. "For you, Henry, anything."

"I'm glad you're my grandfather," Henry replied, reaching up and pecking his grandfather on the cheek.

Stepping back, Henry turned towards his parents, but his happiness quickly turned to worry at the shocked looks on everyone's faces. "What's going on?" A cry from Belle had Henry immediately turning back to his grandfather.

Rumplestiltskin was motionless, in shock as a light emitted from his body and a wave passed over the patrons of the diner. The light quickly receded and in the place of the bedeviled imp was stood the imposing Mr. Gold.

"What the hell just happened?" Neal exclaimed, voicing everyone's shock who just witnessed the little show.

"Ha!" Emma shrieked, trying to control her laughter. "I think Henry just stole Belle's thunder and gave your dad True Love's Kiss!"

"But how is that possible?" Neal spluttered in confusion.

Elbowing him in the side, Emma snickered, "You do remember our conversation about Henry and the apple turnover don't you? Now shut up, this is just getting interesting."

Belle stood looking gobsmacked, unable to believe what had just happened.

Henry, it seemed, was just as shocked as everyone else in the diner. Turning away from his grandfather, Henry approached Belle tentatively. "I'm sorry, Belle. I didn't mean to do it. I didn't know it would happen." Worried when Belle didn't respond to his apology, he continued, afraid she would hate him now, "I messed it up. This isn't how the fairytale is supposed to end. You're supposed to kiss the beast and turn him back into a human!"

"Henry," Rumplestiltskin acknowledged, his soft voice trying to comfort the young boy. "It's alright."

Snapping out of shock finally, Belle reach down pulled Henry into a hug. "Don't be sorry, Henry. We all know that books only tell half the story. Real life is so much better."

"So you're not angry with me," he asked, looking hesitantly between Belle and Rumplestiltskin. "I broke Grandpa's spell before you could."

"No, Henry. I once promised your grandfather once upon a time that I would go with him forever, and I meant it. In whatever shape or form, he's mine. And it doesn't matter who broke the curse." Looking up at Rumplestiltskin, her eyes full of love, Belle remembered, "The prophecy did say the boy would be your undoing."

"I guess it did," Rumple said, finally contributing to the conversation. Shaking his head, "I never imagined."

"Let's go, kid," Emma ordered as she pulled her son and Neal away the reunited couple. "Nothing to see, nothing to see. Go back to your regularly scheduled programming," she told the patrons of Granny's who were all just as engrossed in the show. "Let's leave them alone."

Pulling Belle into his arms, Rumplestiltskin repeated his words from earlier, "No kiss?"

Laughing, Belle twined her arms around his neck and answered, "I think you may have been kissed enough today, Rumplestiltskin."

"Never," he answered, lowering his head capturing her lips in a kiss worthy of any storybook.

They stayed locked in their embrace, a little bit of paradise found in the corner of Granny's Diner. It was only when Belle heard the sound of a wolf whistle that she reluctantly pulled away. "Be quiet, Charming," Rumplestiltskin responded, not having to even turn his head to know the perpetrator of the interruption.

Reaching down, Rumplestiltskin grasped his familiar ornate cane that materialized out of the blue. "Come on," he said, placing his left hand on the small of Belle's back. "Let's go home."

"How?" Belle spluttered. "Where did that cane come from? It wasn't there a minute ago."

Watching one of Belle's eyebrows disappear into her hairline, Rumplestiltskin responded. "You didn't think all my powers came from the Dark Curse, did you? I'm not nearly as powerful as I was, but I still have a few surprises up my sleeve," he answered as he opened the door for her magically, leaving everyone gasping in their wake as they exited the diner. Walking down the street he added, "And evidently you do, too. What is this I hear about you being mayor, now?"

Hoped you liked it. I've been away from writing for a good while. I've had a death in the family this past winter and it's just difficult to get back into writing. I do have a multi-chapter Belle fic planned out about her in Storybrooke after the gang leaves for Neverland. It's already outlined and partially written. I'll begin posting when it's completely done. Hopefully, before the new season starts.

I originally had planned for Neal to lean over and kiss his papa on the cheek, but the prophecy and Henry wouldn't leave me alone, so I decided to let him do it instead. Although I'm a die-hard Rumbelle fan, it would be hysterical if something like this actually did happen on the show.