I agree that the prosepcts of everyone walking around happy is a bit far-fetched. But I’m not sure how that leads to Belle’s death. Ok, having Belle and Rumpel walking around will be uncomfortable and dangerous, but so is having Snow and Charming walking around. Regina still hates them and Rumpel is on the loose and they always fall victim to his tricks. But, that doesn’t mean that one of them has to die. I’m not following your logic. 🙁
The writers brought Belle back into the story so that it would cause more tension. Her story in “Skin Deep” was supposed to end in death, but the writers found a way to bring her back into the main plot. Her very purpose it to cause tension and conflict. So yes, having them walking around intimidating people is probably exactly what the writers want.