Mayor of Storybrooke

Belle shut the door to Mr. Gold's Antique Store and Pawn Shop and turned the sign to "Closed." This is one day I need some peace and quiet. She took a deep breath and looked carefully around the cluttered store before walking briskly into the back room office and sinking into a chair. The last forty-eight hours had been exhausting, but she had finally completed her task. She had successfully cloaked the town of Storybrooke, making it undetectable to outsiders. Following Rumple's instructions to the letter, Belle looked up words she didn't understand (of which there were many) and asked nearly every resident of Storybrooke for their help and advice. As a result, the process took much less time than if she had tried to do it alone. Storybrooke was hidden from the world once again.

I really should straighten the shop and do some dusting, she told herself. But all she wanted to do was take a hot bath, get a good book and go to bed. Probably not a good idea, since it's only noon. She smiled, told herself she'd have her reward later and returned to the main shop to make it presentable. She started putting away all the mugs and beer steins that had been taken out of the display case when the dwarves were looking for Sneezy's stein. She sighed, remembering all that had taken place since that day, starting with the moment she recalled who she really was. The memory of that first glimmer of awareness, the recognition of Rumplestiltskin as her True Love and the passionate kiss they shared as they clung to one another, believing their deaths to be near, had kept her going these past two lonely days and very lonely nights without her Rumple. She knew why she needed to stay, but now that task was finished, she felt abandoned and without purpose in Storybrooke.

The shop bell clanged and she turned while saying, "We're closed today for inventory."

"Seriously? You've got to come up with a better excuse than 'inventory' to keep me out!" It was Ruby, her best friend in Storybrooke, dressed in her usual provocative style. Today's outfit consisted of skinny jeans, an even skinnier red t-shirt, and red patent leather stilettos.

Belle shook her head. "Ruby, how can you work like that?"

"It's a gift," Ruby smirked. "Actually, Granny gave me the afternoon off to do some campaigning."

"Campaigning for what?" Belle had heard rumors in town that there would be a special election to appoint a new mayor and sheriff, to replace Regina and Emma, who were on their way to an unknown destination with Rumple, Snow and David. Rescuing Henry was an important mission, but it did leave rather a large hole in the town's leadership. Belle wondered out loud if Granny was running for mayor. She'd make a good one, Belle thought to herself.

"Oh, gosh no!" Ruby laughed merrily. "She's got her eye on the sheriff's job! Can't you just see her patrolling the town with her crossbow?"

Belle laughed along with Ruby as that picture sprang to her mind. "She'd be perfect! Tell her I'll help in any way I can," she promised. But she paused when Ruby began scrutinizing her, looking her up and down as if she was measuring her for something. "What is wrong with you?" she asked.

"You need to run for mayor."

Belle looked at Ruby in shock. "What? Are you out of your mind?"

"No, I don't believe I am, my friend. You just saved the entire town of Storybrooke from another episode of 'What Happens When Outsiders Come to Town.' People love you, you're smart and kind and, well, perfectly gifted with brains and temperament to be our mayor. I'm calling it now. Belle for Mayor!"

Belle took a minute, held up her hand to ask for quiet, and walked slowly around the shop. Could she do this? Tackling a job like the mayor would be much more difficult than defeating the Yaoguai or standing up to Rumplestiltskin in the Dark Castle, although both of those required bravery and an undeterred focus on the task at hand. Being mayor would give me something of my own, something I can do to help the people of this town, people who have been so good to me.

"Who else is running?" Belle wanted to get all the facts before proceeding with her decision.

Ruby grimaced. "That's another reason I want you to run. The other candidates are Old Mother Hubbard and Keith Nottingham."

"Old Mother Who?" Belle thought it was a joke, so she started laughing. Then she saw the look on Ruby's face.

"Old Mother Hubbard. She lost her job awhile back, and she's looking at the Mayor's Office as her ticket to a better life. She'll get a lot of the sympathy vote."

Belle tried to keep a straight face but was unsuccessful. Was she really thinking about running against Old Mother Hubbard? "Okay, who's the other guy?"

Ruby looked up quickly from a list she was making. "Belle, you might want to sit down for a minute while we talk about this." Belle pulled the chair out from the office, sat down quickly and leaned forward to hear what Ruby had to say. She had a bad feeling about it.

"Okay, first of all, we all know that when you were Lacey you made some, shall we say, interesting choices in dates." Belle gasped and buried her face in her hands. "Oh, so you remember him?" Belle nodded miserably. "Well, this guy, Keith, used to be a sheriff in the Enchanted Forest, and he is planning to run for mayor. He's already signed all the papers."

"Mayor? If he was a sheriff before, why doesn't he run for sheriff?"

"He doesn't want to run against Granny."

"But...but...he's got a problem with alcohol, that much I remember! And, he doesn't exactly lead a moral lifestyle. He'll flunk the character test for sure.

Ruby looked down. "Belle, he could say the same things about you." Belle turned away, ashamed. "Most of us know that you were cursed as Lacey, but what about the people who don't know you? All they saw was Lacey."

"Are you trying to discourage me or encourage me? It's getting kind of hard to tell." Belle's exhaustion was catching up with her and she regretted her sharp tone the moment the words left her mouth. "I'm sorry. I know you're on my side, Ruby."

Ruby gave her friend a hug. "Close the shop. Go home and think about it, but don't wait too long. Here are the forms to fill out. The deadline is at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow. The election is in one week."

"One week? Why is it so short?" Belle looked through the thick set of papers, already overwhelmed by this decision.

"We need a mayor. The town charter provides for a special election within one week after the resignation, death or firing of the mayor or sheriff. Belle, I know you're the best person for this job, but I know you. You need to know that this is the right thing to do. Now go home."

Belle gave Ruby another hug as they exited the shop. She locked the door and drove Rumple's black cadillac to his salmon colored home in the hills above the town. Today she was glad the drive was so long; it gave her a chance to wind down from her meeting with Ruby. As she walked into the house, she smiled. She'd spent the first two nights since Rumple left in her apartment over the library, but this morning had decided to move some things over to Rumple's house. She wanted to feel close to him and being in his house and in his bed certainly accomplished that. She dropped her purse on the table and walked straight into the bedroom, undressing as she walked. By the time she got to the bed, she could slip between the sheets, unencumbered by clothing of any kind. Bliss, she thought before falling fast asleep.

Belle awakened a few hours later with pangs of hunger forcing her out of bed. She threw on one of Rumple's many purple shirts and made herself a peanut butter sandwich, along with a banana and a cup of tea. One of the items she had brought over from the shop that morning was her chipped cup and she steeped her tea in that cup which reminded her of her early years with Rumple in the Dark Castle. Those few months were some of the happiest of her life, discovering the man inside of Rumplestiltskin and learning to love and appreciate him. Even though their journey of love had begun and ended very abruptly that time, she focused on the way Rumple looked at her, when he thought she wasn't looking, and on the way he made excuses to touch her. She sighed and looked at her phone, half expecting to see a message from Rumple, even though she knew it was impossible. But there was nothing. She sighed again. Don't start, Belle, she warned herself. She brought the food back to bed with her, grabbing the election papers and her journal on the way. She had to get started on her list of pros and cons. "Okay, Chip, what should I do?" she asked the little cup, then laughed at her own foolishness and got to work.

After a delicious dinner of chicken parmesan and white wine, delivered by Ruby with a knowing smirk but no other comment, Belle had made her decision. She dialed Ruby's number and, when Ruby answered after the first ring, told her "I'm in." She was pretty sure all the customers at Granny's and down all of Main Street, heard Ruby screaming. By the time she hung up, she had secured Ruby's promise to be her campaign manager, even though she was already working in that capacity for Granny. Granny was running unopposed, so that made Ruby's job a lot easier. Belle knew she wouldn't sleep well after her long nap just hours before, but she put on her softest nightgown, made a cup of chamomile tea, made a long to-do list in her journal and read for awhile before sleep claimed her once again. She dreamed of Rumple rescuing Henry and coming back to her unharmed, but she woke with tears on her cheeks and longing in her heart.

By the time she got to the shop the next morning, there was a small crowd waiting for her outside. Ruby, Dr. Whale (who seemed to be coerced by Ruby), Archie, Ashley, Sean and all of the dwarves were milling around, talking excitedly. "There she is!" Happy was the first to spot her and they all rushed over.

Belle laughed. "At least let me get inside," she said, as she unlocked the door and welcomed her friends into the shop. They made their way to the back office and pulled some chairs around the small work table.

"I call this meeting of the Belle for Mayor campaign to order," Ruby said, looking confident and proud of her best friend. "We need to divide up the jobs, so that everything gets done and no one feels overwhelmed, much less our candidate." She smiled at Belle and went on. "The first thing we need to do is get the word out, so who wants to be in charge of publicity?"

Archie raised his hand. "I have some ideas, but we need a strong slogan, something with a little kick." He looked around the room, pulled out a small white board from his briefcase, and stood with his marker, ready to write. "Okay, go!"

"Belle French: The Most Intelligent Choice for Mayor" Doc seemed proud of this one.

"Vote For Belle or Go To Hell." Grumpy scowled as he said it, but he winked at Belle. He was one of her dearest friends in Storybrooke and she knew he had her back. The others laughed and agreed it was maybe a little harsh.

"Belle is...Pretty...and...Smart." Bashful could barely get the words out, but he smiled shyly at Belle, and she rewarded him with a kiss on the cheek.

"Belle Will Make Storybrooke a Happy Place Again!" Happy practically shouted his, so great was his excitement. The others liked the positive spin on Belle's candidacy, but worried about the slogan being too long.

"How about, 'Return Happy Endings to Storybrooke?'" Ashley spoke quietly, but her tone was decisive. "We've had a lot of troubles here recently and I think people need to know that they still deserve to be happy. And that we can be happy here in Storybrooke."

Sean squeezed her hand and said, "It's perfect."

"Archie and Ashley, you work together on posters, flyers and … what else? We need something smaller to give away to people, to remind them to vote for Belle." The group fell silent.

"How about bookmarks?" Belle suggested with a grin. "That certainly seems appropriate." Everyone loved this idea and the rest of the morning was spent sharing ideas, dividing the work and recruiting more volunteers.

"It's a good thing this is a small town," Dr. Whale grumbled. "We don't need to raise a lot of money."

"It's not about the money," Belle reminded him gently. "Most people will make good choices if you simply present them with the truth. That's all we need to do."

Dr. Whale rolled his eyes and muttered to Ruby, "Oh, please..."

Ruby quieted him with a glance, smiled and replied quietly, "This is who she is and she's not going to change." And they got back to work.

The next day Belle was greeted by reporters when she went to open the shop. She had planned to split her days between the shop and the library, but now it seemed as if the campaign would be taking up most of her time. She had decided to train Ruby and Ashley to help out in both places, so that, if she got elected, Rumple's business wouldn't suffer and the people of Storybrooke would still have access to the books she loved. Ashley only wanted to work part time, because Alexandra was still so little, but she said she could work more as the little girl got older. Ruby was happy to help out when she wasn't needed at Granny's, but suggested that maybe Belle close down the shop while Rumple was gone. Belle wouldn't hear of it. "I want to show him I can do this, Ruby. He's depending on me!"

After her interview with the reporter from the Mirror, Belle resumed cataloging the steins and mugs from the previous day, called Ashley to confirm their meeting later at the library, and walked over to Granny's to get an iced tea. As she stepped out of the shop, a rough hand gripped her arm and pulled her into the alley.

"So, I hear you've decided to challenge me for mayor."

"Keith." Belle sighed. "Yes, I'm running as well." She tried to look confident but could well remember the last time she met him in an alley and what they were doing. "How are you feeling?"

"Dr. Whale patched me up pretty well, thanks for asking." Keith's tone was insincere and laced with sarcasm. "Your boyfriend practically killed me...the voters are not going to be pleased with that."

"Don't drag Rumple into this, Keith. This is between you and me, and electing the best mayor for Storybrooke."

Keith laughed rudely. "It's about public perception. I want the job and you are standing in my way. The people of Storybrooke have the right to know everything about you, not just what you want them to know."

"That's fine, Keith. I'm glad you're okay." Belle shook his hand off and walked away, but she could hear his laughter following her across the street as she walked to Granny's.

She sat in her usual booth and Ruby brought her an iced tea. "What's wrong, honey?"

Belle tried to smile but her eyes were sad. "I just talked to Keith. He's going to bring out all the sordid details of my past as Lacey, and he's even going to use Rumple and the beating incident."

"I was afraid of that." Ruby's eyes flashed with fire. "He'd better be careful come Wolf's Time."

"Ruby..." Belle warned. "Don't even joke about that."

Ruby sat down next to Belle and put her arm around her. "All we can do is present you as the best candidate and let the town decide. I know the Mirror is interviewing all three of you for the Special Election issue, and I'm sure you'll come out on top in the interview. Those other two are a couple of nitwits." At a look from Belle, she backtracked a little. "Okay, maybe Mother Hubbard isn't a complete nitwit, but she certainly shouldn't be mayor!"

Almost on cue, Archie, Sneezy and Dopey ran into the Diner. Spotting Belle and Ruby, they came over to their booth, waving some papers in the air. "Mother Hubbard's campaign flyers," Archie spoke first. "Just look at them."

The flyers showed a picture of a semi-attractive elderly woman embracing a scrawny dog. "Oh great, now she's going for the animal lovers too!" Ruby crumpled the flyer into a ball and threw it down in disgust.

"What do you mean?" Belle questioned. "It seems pretty innocent to me. She looks like a nice lady and her dog is so cute. I love dogs too."

The dwarves rolled their eyes, but Archie smiled with approval. "Remember to stay true to yourself, Belle. That's what matters."

As they left to do some more work on Belle's posters, Belle smiled at them and said to Ruby, "This town is amazing. Everyone is so supportive."

"Not everyone, Belle. I hope this election won't destroy your faith in people. Sometimes elections can get ugly. Politics seems to bring out the worst in people."

"Not in Storybrooke, Ruby." Belle looked confident as she practically skipped out of the diner with her iced tea. She finished the inventory and answered a few messages left on the answering machine at the shop. One was from Dr. Whale, who was calling to inform her of the debate scheduled for the three mayoral candidates the day before the election. She confirmed her participation and began making notes on what she wanted to say. This was going to be hard. She wasn't really much of a public speaker and had no idea what to tell people.

As the days went by, Archie and his committee finished the posters, flyers and bookmarks, and the dwarves were distributing them all over town. Keith and Mother Hubbard also had posters in prominent places, as well as flyers.

Mother Hubbard

Give this Mom a Chance!

Storybrooke's Next Mayor

Keith Nottingham

The Only Real Choice

Belle was still struggling with her speech the day of the debate. She had heard rumors that both of her opponents had strong backing among the townspeople, but she also had confidence in her team and their strategy. "If it's meant to be, then I'll win," she told Ruby philosophically. Secretly, though, she wanted the job very much, and hoped to have the opportunity to put some of her own ideas into practice. She and Ruby walked into the Town Hall, which was filled to capacity. Archie was giving the candidates some last minute advice, so Belle took her place with the others. Archie was the moderator, so had to remain neutral, at least until the close of the debate. Each candidate would be allowed two minutes to speak, and then there would be questions from the audience. Keith, Mother Hubbard and Belle sat in their chairs on the stage, the house lights dimmed and the stage lights came up full.

"The first candidate is Mother Hubbard," Archie said loudly, as he quieted the crowd. Mother Hubbard stepped up to the microphone.

"Hello. Most of you know me, but let me say again that my name is Mother Hubbard. I would like to be Mayor of Storybrooke because I know what it's like to fall on hard times, and I hope to make a difference for all of you who may be struggling right now. You all know my little dog, Sammy." Many of the townspeople smiled and nodded to one another. "Awhile back I lost my job and couldn't even afford to buy food for Sammy. Not even a bone. That was a terrible feeling and I think we should have some kind of system in place here in Storybrooke to help people in need. Thank you."

"Are there any questions from the audience?" Archie looked around the auditorium.

"I have a question," Belle spoke up. "Is that allowed?" Archie looked unsure but motioned Belle to go ahead, while Keith scowled in anger.

"Did you ever get another job?" Belle looked genuinely concerned, so Mother Hubbard answered.

"No, dear, but I'm still looking."

"Well, you have great ideas! I'm sure something will turn up." The people of Storybrooke looked at one another in astonishment. This was a most unusual debate. Archie cleared his throat and moved on.

"Keith Nottingham, your next candidate for Mayor."

Keith stepped up to the microphone with an insincere smile. "My name is Keith Nottingham and my background speaks for itself. I have experience with law enforcement, and will bring a strong presence to the mayor's office, something that has been lacking recently. My highest priority is the apprehension of criminals still on the loose. I might add that Ms. French here is supremely unqualified to be your mayor, as she is the known consort of Rumplestiltskin, who recently attempted to murder me with his cane."

As Keith finished speaking, a hush fell over the crowd. People looked at one another uneasily, shifting uncomfortably in their seats. No one spoke. They were all looking at Belle.

"Are there any questions?" Archie asked. Please let there be none, he thought. But there was one.

"Mr. Nottingham, I'm sure we are all very sorry for your recent injuries. Can you explain how you have been able to be up and around so quickly?" Belle spoke softly, but her voice carried throughout the hall.

Keith looked around nervously. "I can't explain it. One minute I was in traction in the hospital, and the next minute I was feeling fine. I have no explanation," he said abruptly.

Belle smiled. "That's what I thought," she said. "It's very strange how such a thing could happen so quickly, isn't it? It's almost like..." She didn't finish the sentence but every person in the hall finished it for her in his or her own mind. Magic.

Archie spoke quickly. "Thank you, Keith Nottingham. Our final candidate is Belle French."

Belle faced the townspeople with confidence. "Friends, I want this job. I believe I can be a good mayor. This town accepted me, helped me, gave me the opportunity to run the library and made me feel a part of things here. I just want to give something back. Rumplestiltskin trusted me to cloak the town and thankfully you all were willing to help me with that. Now Storybrooke is safe, thanks to you. I know we can work together, all of us," and with that she looked back at Mother Hubbard and Keith, "to make Storybrooke a place to which our leaders will be proud to return. In the meantime, it's up to us to make improvements where they are needed and to continue supporting and helping one another. Thank you."

As the voting started, Belle, Keith and Mother Hubbard stood together in the back of the hall. Both of the other candidates looked at Belle with a new respect, and complimented her on her speech. Belle was shocked that Keith had something positive to say, although it would be quite some time before he would acknowledge Belle as the winner of the debate.

Archie called for attention. "The new mayor of Storybrooke is...Belle French!"

After smiling to applause given her by the town, Belle turned to Mother Hubbard. "Mother Hubbard, I hope you will accept the position of town librarian. I know you'll do a great job. We have several part time employees and volunteers to help you. Please say yes."

"Thank you so much, Belle," Mother Hubbard said with tears in her eyes. "I'll try and do a good job for you and for the town."

Belle swallowed hard and turned to Keith. "Keith, we've certainly had our differences but I hope you will work with me for the good of the town." Keith seemed unable to speak, but he nodded vigorously, shook Belle's hand and walked away.

Back in the shop, Belle was straightening up the back room when she came across an ornate mirror, laying on a shelf. She picked it up, looked at her reflection intently and said with a smile, "I did it, Rumple. I'm the Mayor of Storybrooke."

Realms away, onboard the Jolly Roger, Rumplestiltskin gazed into an identical mirror and whispered, "Congratulations, sweetheart. I knew you could do it."