Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time or any of the characters and storylines in the show. This is just a fanwork made for fun.
Anonymous prompted: Miss French is the most powerful person in Storybrooke. She also be a single mother, but leaves everything about her kid up to her live-in nanny Mr. Gold.
She had always done everything completely alone. She became powerful alone. She bought a large, beautiful house alone. She gave birth completely alone. But if there was one thing Belle French wasn't doing alone was raise her son.
When little Gideon completed his sixth month of life and she had to return to her work, Belle had interviewed many nannies but, only one of them made her feel secure about leaving her precious baby boy at home. Mr. Gold was a simple man, who worked as butler to the mayor, but who was willing to leave Fiona's house as fast as he could. He had a troubled past that included the tragic death of a wife and a son during a car crash, and he was very good with kids. Everything she could wish for.
Belle had hired him for about a year and a half now, and Gideon was very well cared while she was working. So very well care that whenever she arrived home and found her baby boy playing with his toys alongside with Gold on the living room's carpet, she felt a little jealous. But her problem in fact, had begun when one night, during dinner Gideon had said something that no one was expecting.
"Papa!"
She blinked and coughed, choking with her lemonade. "What did you say, sweetheart?"
Gideon turned to Gold who was sat in the other side of the table, clapping his chubby hands joyfully as the happy toddler he had always been.
"Papa!"
Mr. Gold's cheeks turned bright red. "I - I'm sorry Miss French, I've been trying to make him stop saying that, but the word just seemed to stick."
She didn't know what to say or how to react. Gideon never had a father. Some years ago, she had decided that she wanted a child and, as she didn't have anyone to play the part of the father, she had gone to many doctors and made many appointments, before she finally got pregnant with the help of a sperm donor. She never thought that someday she wouldn't be enough for her son, that he might want a father, she just thought how much she didn't want to be alone anymore. But now, looking between him and Gold she felt tears plucking him her eyes as she questioned if he had done the right thing.
That man, who had so sweetly taken care of her baby when she was not around, was taking a part in her son's life that she didn't imagine that he would. Gold was raising him as much as she was, he was Gideon's constant companion, he took pictures of every single new thing that the boy did and most import, he seemed to love him as much as she did.
"Miss French?" Gold called. "Miss French, I'm sorry! I promise I will correct this and you will never ever hear him say that again."
"No, it's alright, Mr. Gold." She breathed. "I just - " the words to complete the sentence didn't come up to mind.
Standing up, Gold walked towards her, taking the seat by her side and rubbing her back gently. It was her first contact with a man in a long time, she always kept away from people, making sure that nobody would touch her. The only one she ever allowed to cradle in the warmth of her arms was her baby.
"I think I'm lonely." Belle whispered. "Have you ever felt lonely, Mr. Gold?"
"All the time, before I became Gideon's nanny. Now I have him and I have you." At these words, she looked up, realising for the first time how handsome Gold was. His long grey hair, seeming to be soft and good to ran a hand through, his brown eyes kind and full of a sadness that she would never know. "You can talk to me whenever you want."
"Mama!" Gideon called and she picked him from his baby chair, inhaling his scent as she hugged him close.
"Thank you, Mr. Gold. I think I would like that." Placing a hand on his thigh, she asked: "Would you like to share a bottle of wine with me after I put this wee one to sleep?"
"I would love to, Miss French."
A smile filled her lips, her heart a little lighter. "Please, call me Belle."
"Alright, Belle. Why don't you go upstairs to put him in bed while I wash the dishes? Then we can be lonely together."
She nodded, standing up, with Gideon in her arms, the high heels she always used, making her look a little taller than her petite form was. The black dress she was wearing too serious for someone so young.
"Then we can be lonely together." Belle repeated as she climbed the stairs, thinking about what that night had reserved for her.
Author's Note: I hope you guys enjoyed reading it. My apologize if there is something wrong with my writing. English is not my first language.
So, I take prompts, and if you want me to write you something, my askbox on tumblr (also imgilmoregirl) is always open as it is if you have any questions for me, anon or not.