A/N: Okay, I know this is another Christmas story way out of season, but I bought the 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' soundtrack and have it playing now and, well, it just seems to be infecting my brain. So I wish you luck wading through my snow-blanketed stories in your local heat wave! And also, this has nothing to do with my 'Virgin Belle' story. Same holiday, different way of things happening. Here's the link to the song that comes up:
www. /watch?v=8wgosPXVWUM
Mr. Gold sighed. It was midnight on Christmas Eve, a time when his old friend Chris usually dropped by with a lump of coal or three. Of course, that hadn't happened since the curse had been enacted. Chris North was now the jolly man on the corner who sold toys and candy. He had a couple dwarves working for him. For some reason, Chris was the only one in Storybrooke who didn't completely fear or hate Mr. Gold. Mainly because the man was not his landlord. Of course, Chris was spending the day with his family. He had invited Mr. Gold, but Gold had decided not to put a damper on his only friend's favorite holiday. He brushed his teeth and jumped into bed, turning out the light and trying to forget how lonely the holiday had been since She left and the curse was enacted.
The next morning, Mr. Gold awoke to a peculiar sound. It seemed to be music. Wrapping his bathrobe around him, he slowly traipsed down the stairs. During the night, his living room had undergone a strange transformation.
The entire room seemed to be covered in a sort of synthetic snow. False icicles hung from his ceiling. A tall pine tree was in the corner, decorated with fine threads of gold and odd ornaments. A CD player was beside it, playing the song he'd heard. A case was on top of it, portraying a reindeer with a red nose and a kind-looking snowman. On the back, a song called 'Silver and Gold' was circled. In fact, it appeared to be the song playing. Mr. Gold shook his head. Someone had a funny sense of humor. Looking over, he saw a gigantic box wrapped in red paper. The gold bow on top had a small note tucked into it,
She was wishing for Gold. Merry Christmas!
-Chris North
Mr. Gold was more than a little confused, but unwrapped the present. Pulling off the lid, he stumbled back. Inside the box, curled at the bottom, was his Belle, adorned in a shimmering silver dress. When the light hit her, she blearily opened her eyes. Looking up at him, she murmured,
"Rumplestiltskin?" He slowly walked forward, reaching down to help her up from her curled position. Their eyes met, deep brown and bright blue. She reached up and wrapped her arms around him. He held her tight to him, unwilling to ever let her go. And as he held her, he muttered,
"Silver and gold indeed."