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Gold turned off the engine to his Cadillac, and pulled the keys out of the ignition. His salmon house looked more inviting in recent months than the 28 years because he knew Belle was there waiting from him. Before it was an over stated bachelor pad, more a place to house his personal antique collection, but now it felt like a home.
Things had changed since he'd gotten back from Neverland, with new thirst for life with Belle, and with the forgiveness of his son. He had been so certain he would die, or have to commit an unthinkable crime to continue his life, that he had been able to have it all for the first time in his life.
So he had embraced it, and if there was one thing he was certain of now, it was that he never wanted to let go of Belle. In between the first desperate kisses they had shared in the back room of his shop, as they shared their joy and relief that they were together again, he had whispered, "come back and live with me."
Several months earlier, after their near break up, she had gone to live in the apartment above the library; to give them time to get to know each other. But after the events of the past week, knowing that time was precious and he didn't want to wait for his happy ending, and he couldn't have it without her.
Belle had pulled away, a moment of surprise on her face, they had already spent months living together in another life, in another land. But this was different, this was to be their new beginning together.
But the moment passed, as she smiled, and nodded, and resumed kissing with a renewed passion.
So now she was there, with him, sharing their space and living a domestic life he had always longed for and dreamt about, things were almost complete, or as complete as he deserved anyway.
Gold let himself into his house, or their house rather, and looked for signs of Belle. She was usually finished in the library before he finished at the shop, and she'd be home reading or waiting for him to arrive back so they could prepare dinner together.
But he couldn't see any sign of her in the kitchen, or the living room. "Belle?" he called, as he took off his coat and scarf, dropping the keys onto the telephone table.
The lights had been switched on, but she wasn't in any of the downstairs rooms. Trying to ignore the worry that was starting to gnaw at him, he went upstairs to check their bedroom.
Relief washed over him when he pushed open the bedroom door to see her laying face down on the bed, her face hidden in the crook of her folded arms.
But that relief was short lived, as he noticed the way her shoes had been abandoned by the side of the bed, not set away with the rest of her shoes like she usually done. Also there was the tense posture of her shoulder's, he knew she was upset.
His brow creased in worry as he called out gently, "sweetheart?" He sat beside her on the bed, causing it to dip slightly under his weight. She didn't reply to him, and he reached out to brush away the auburn hair from her face, "Belle?" he asked softly.
There was a muffled sniff, and she buried her face deeper into her arms.
"What's the matter?" He asked, trying to puzzle out what had happened. If someone had, done, or said anything to her, make no doubt he'd kill them.
"Nothing." She said into the sleeves of her jumper, and there was another sniff.
"Has something happened? Has someone done anything to you?" Rumple asked, a dangerous edge coming to his voice.
Belle pushed herself up to look at him finally, her face was red and puffy, she looked like she had been crying a while, her mascara had run and her eyeliner was smudged under her eyes.
He reached out to brush away some of the wetness from her cheeks, "then why are you crying sweetheart?" The niggling doubt he thought he had banished returned, telling him that this was it, she really wanted to leave him and go.
Belle looked uncomfortable, averted her eyes from his. "It's nothing..."
Gold let go of a deep breath, "it's clearly not nothing."
Belle sighed and pushed herself up onto the bed to sit beside him, shoulders hunched over as she rubbed the skin on the back of her hand. "I was late..." She said carefully, but quickly added, "but today I'm not, if you see what I mean..."
He didn't understand what she was talking about, "late for what?"
She gave him a pointed look, her eyebrows raising for a second.
The seconds stretched out until it dawned on him; that kind of late.
Oh.
But she wasn't late now.
Oh...
She was looking at him, trying to read the emotions playing through his face. She was waiting for some kind of verbal response, rather than just a shocked look she was currently seeing.
"I..." He began but hesitated, really not sure what reaction she was hoping for. Was she crying because she thought she was pregnant or she wasn't?
"I know we haven't really talked about this..." Belle said biting her lip, the lipstick she had worn this morning already worn off, "but I was kind of excited when I thought I was..."
Rumple tried to keep his excitement in check, he had thought about this, but hadn't dared hope this was what Belle wanted as well. "What are you saying?" He had to be clear on this, he had to hear the words so there was no misunderstanding leading to an even bigger crushing disappointment.
Belle let go of the bottom lip she had been worrying, a new kind of determination over taking her, like she was about to say something she had been thinking about for a while. "I'm saying, I want us to have a baby." There, it was out in the open now, she was watching him to gauge his reaction.
It was obvious, a smile broke across her lover's face. "Sweetheart, I want a family with you," he reached across to take her hands between his. "Nothing else would make me happier in the world."
Belle started smiling herself, a wide grin to match his. "Really?"
"Of course!" He leaned across to place a kiss on her lips. "You'd be a wonderful mother Belle."
Belle laughed nervously, "I wasn't sure what you'd think about it, maybe you didn't want any more kids or something."
"How could I not want children with you Belle..." he said gently, and his hand crept up to thread his fingers through the hair at the back of her head. He pulled her closer to him, and to his lips so he could kiss her slowly, their lips pressing together softly. He broke the kiss for a moment, "I love you, I want a new future with you and everything that brings with it."
Her eyes met his for a second, sharing the depth of their love, and she went back in for the kiss, deepening it and tasting him as her hands come up touch his hair.
When they parted a few minutes later, breathless and still clinging to each other. "So this means we can start trying for a baby, properly?"
"Yes," Rumple whispered, and she folded under his chin neatly clinging to the lapels of his jacket. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders holding her there, playing with the curls with his fingers.
He really was the happiest man in the world at this moment, and he could only get happier.
***
As happy as they were in their decision to start a family, Belle did not immediately become pregnant. There would be a few days every month where Belle would become tense and preoccupied, but when Rumple asked what was wrong she'd just smile and say nothing.
Then when she found out she wasn't pregnant, there was an inevitable sadness to her that weighed on her. He tried to talk to her and reassure her she wasn't alone in this. She told him she was being unreasonable for wanting things to happen instantly, it was going to take time and she knew that.
It pained him to see her upset, and there was little he could do to comfort her, telling her things would happen in their own time sounded hollow and clichéd.
It was officially the last day of opening for the shop before the Christmas and New Years closing, and the rents had been collected for the month. Gold intended to spend the next week with Belles, indulging her in every way possible. Apart from the day Neal said he'd drop by with Henry to exchange presents, it was just the two of them sequestered away from the Maine snow and inhabitants of Storybrooke.
He searched for the keys in his pocket, and opened the front door Belle had decorated with a festive wreath at some point. He had never put up Christmas decorations, his cursed persona felt no need for such festive displays, but Belle had asked him if she could put some up, and he would never tell her no for anything she desired.
When he let himself in to the front hall, he could see she had been busy in his absence. He was trying to think of a word to describe it, but gaudy was all that came to mind. There was tinsel in a multitude of colours everywhere; around the stair banisters, doorways, and antique picture frames. The ceiling was strung with foil streamers, and there were little toy elves and a Santa stuck to the mirror glass. He hated elves, always had, and he never wanted to be reminded of that deal with old Nick ever again.
He took his eyes away from the decorations ruining his tasteful home decor. If this is how she wanted the house for the next two weeks, who was he to deny his lady.
"Belle?" He called, and found her in the living room, which was similarly decorated as he'd seen the rest of the house. Except this room had a huge tree opposite the fireplace, and he tried not to think about pine needles dropping on his oriental rugs.
Belle was humming to herself, she had already put fairy lights and tinsel on, and was now hanging bright coloured baubles on the branches of the dark green pine tree. "Oh good, you're in time to help me," she beamed at him and beckoned him over.
The smell of fresh cut pine was overwhelming, and he closed the space between them so he could wrap his arms around her waist from behind, and took a deep breath of hair.
"Do you like the decorations?" She asked him, as she reached up on tip toes to hang a red glass ball.
"They are lovely dear," he said more than a little distracted letting his nose brush up behind her ear.
Belle paused in her decorating of the tree and she turned in his arms to face him, a smile playing on her red painted lips. "I have some good news about your present..." she paused, taking the time to swallow and let her face fall into something a bit more serious. "...and some bad news."
Gold's brow furrowed as he looked down at her, "oh?" and he waited for her to explain further.
The twitch to the corner of her lips gave away that she may not be as serious as she was trying to seem. "Well if I tell you it means you getting your present early..." she drew her finger down over the edge of his purple silk tie, avoiding his eye contact as she teased him.
"Belle..." he warned, trying not to be impatient.
"Well..." She finally smiled properly and leaned back against his arms and he held her against him tightly. "The bad news is, you're going to have to clear out that spare room in the next few months and find somewhere else to store your stock overflow."
His mouth opened to ask her why, but then it dawned on him what she might be trying to say.
Belle mercifully put him out of his suffering, "...because the good news is, we're going to have a baby."
A grin slowly spread out on his face, "really?"
Belle's expression mirrored his, and she nodded excitedly at him.
"Oh, that's wonderful Belle," he told her before hugging her close, hands spreading over her back as held her for dear life. He was going to have a chance to be a father again, with the woman he loved more than anything. "Belle, I love you," just in case she had forgotten, "and our baby," his voice cracked on the last word, and he was glad she was pressed against him so she wouldn't be able to see the tears building in his eyes.
But she knew about them anyway, she just let her hands rub up over his back, and she soothed circles there. "I love you too, Rumple," she whispered into his neck.
Gold took a deep breath, and pulled back slightly to look into her clear blue eyes. He loved her, and their new baby so much already, he had no words for it. He leaned down the short distance to press his lips softly to hers, and she responded in kind, letting her lips part slightly.
He breathed in everything about her with the scent of the pine tree, cupping her face gently to try and draw out the moment. Her hands glided up to touch his hair, until they had to pause to take a breath.
Belle's long lashes fluttered open and she looked up at him, "now Papa, if you think you can distract me so you don't have to help me finish the tree," she patted him on his stubbly cheek, "you are mistaken." She bent down to pick up a few more gold and blue glass baubles, and handed him one. "I am in a delicate condition after all," she teased him.
"Yes, dearest," he said with a smile, and he looked for a spare spot in the already over decorated tree. He was already liking Christmas more than he ever had, even the gaudy decorations that clashed with his furniture.