This is my first time writing fanfiction. Please feel free to comment.


Mr. Gold sat in the back of his shop doing paperwork whilst the storm raged on outside. It is one of the worst storms Storybrooke Maine has seen in years. He hears the little bell on his door jingle in the front of his shop.

"Who in the hell is out in this storm?" Mr. Gold grumbles to himself as he grabs his cane and slowly walks out front. Standing in front of his door is a young woman, probably in her mid-twenties, long, auburn hair, and she was soaking wet and dripping water all over his floor. She looks up and gives him a nervous smile.

"I'm so sorry sir. I hope I'm not ruining your floor." She says and tries to hold her soaking wet clothes closer to herself so she doesn't get any more of his floor wet. Usually Mr. Gold does not tolerate anything sort of mischief in his shop. No touching any of his antiques unless you are buying it. No dragging dirt around. Standing in the doorway sopping wet is not excluded. For whatever reason, Mr. Gold did not want to kick this woman out of his shop.

"It's no matter." He says and puts both hands on his cane. "If you don't mind my asking, what were you doing out in this horrific storm?" Usually Mr. Gold doesn't give a damn what any of his customers are doing in their own lives, but for some reason he wanted to know more about this auburn haired beauty.

"Oh… Well I was on my way to get lunch. I'm new in town so I don't really know where everything is. I guess I misjudged how long the walk would be. So I thought I would only be out in the storm for a few minutes. I was wrong." She says with a little laugh. "But anyway. I saw the light in your shop was on and I needed to get out of that vicious storm. I'm so sorry about your floor." She says again and tucks some of her hair behind her ear.

"It really is no matter." He says and then notices her shivering a little. "Are you cold?"

"Oh… Umm..." The woman says not wanting to pester him anymore.

"Let me get you a towel." Mr. Gold says and walks in to the back of his shop. He looks around and finds a moderately sized towel and brings it out to her. "Here you go." "Thank you… Umm… I didn't quite catch your name sir." She says and wraps the towel around herself.

"I'm Mr. Gold." He says and offers her his right hand. "Belle. Belle French." She says and shakes his hand. Mr. Gold smiles at her name. "That is a beautiful name Ms. French." He says and walks behind the counter. Belle takes off her soaking wet jacket and puts it on the coat rack. Mr. Gold is mesmerized at the beautiful blue dress she is wearing with a small brown belt around her waist. He looks at her long, beautiful legs that look stunning with the reddish-brown heels she is wearing. She wraps the towel around herself again and looks around his shop.

"Like anything you see?" He asks with a slight smile on his face. "I love all of it." She says and runs her hand along the top of one of the cases. "As long as you're in here you might as well buy something." He says and shifts a little. "Oh I could never afford any of this stuff. I haven't got a job yet. And anyway, my rent is so high I can't go splurging on anything that I don't need." She says and Mr. Gold stiffens when she mentions rent.

"Where exactly do you live? If you don't mind my asking." He adds quickly so she doesn't get frightened from him. Belle smiles. "In building 5A, apartment number 14." She says not minding that he now knows where she lives. Mr. Gold makes a quick mental note to lower her rent since he practically owns the whole town.

Belle keeps looking around his shop and Mr. Gold gets more nervous the closer she gets to the counter he is standing behind. She smiles lightly at him and puts her hands on the counter.

"Thank you for the hospitality Mr. Gold but the storm seems to be letting up." She says and looks out the window. Mr. Gold hadn't even noticed the storm had stopped. "Indeed it has." He says and smiles a bit nervously at her.

"Well I am starving. I should be going. Will I see you around town Mr. Gold?" "Possibly." He says and she puts her coat back on. "Bye Mr. Gold. It was nice meeting you." She says with a smile and leaves, the little bell jingling when she shuts the door.

"Bye…" Mr. Gold says quietly after she has left. Mr. Gold picks up the towel she had used to dry itself and it smells like perfume and conditioner. He smiles and puts the towel on his desk and sits back down and tries to do paperwork, but he can't get Belle French off of his mind.