Mr. Gold couldn't fathom why he had been called down to the police station by Sheriff Swan. Sure, they didn't really get along, but he had done nothing wrong...recently.
"Come on in, Mr. Gold," Emma said right before he knocked without looking up.
There was a young woman in the office with her with a satisfied smile on her face lighting up her face as Emma told her something.
Mr. Gold was stunned to see her, he thought she was dead! Was it possible this was all about her? But she kept her head down, and her hair hung in her face; he couldn't be sure it was her at all. She just sat there playing with something in her hands; it was as if she didn't even see him.
"Mr. Gold, what do you know about the psych ward beneath the hospital?" she questioned. Mr. Gold was quite shocked. Regina had been keeping a psych ward secret from him?
He couldn't believe it, no wait, he could. Typical Regina.
"I was not aware there was a psych ward beneath the hospital," he answered in his usual even tone, it wouldn't do to let her know his shock.
The girl looked up at his voice, as if it were familiar. He saw her face; it looked so much like Belle! But it couldn't be, Belle was dead.
"But you know Regina," Emma stated.
"So do you, if I'm not mistaken."
"I'm having a hard time believing you know nothing."
"Regina and I are in no way buddy -buddy. And after all, this is her town," he attempted to explain to the sheriff, unsuccessfully.
"I'm failing to see your point, Mr. Gold."
"And I'm failing to see yours, sheriff."
"I fail to see both of yours!" a third voice chimed in from the girl, tired of being ignored.
"It's quite simple; Regina and I are not friends. I'm sure there are things about this town she is aware of that I am not," Gold explained in simpler words.
"Well yeah, I get that; I just can't see your point."
"You, dearie, are making the least sense out of all of us," Me Gold informed her, hoping that this was all a joke on him and that this girl who looked so much like Belle wasn't crazy. Emma just smiled, knowing where this conversation was going.
"It actually makes the most sense, if you think about it," she smiled.
Gold looked between the smiling women, one grinning and one smirking.
"Sharif Swan, may I ask what the two of you find so humorous?"
"She's blind, Gold. She can't see anything," Emma explained to him, putting him out of his confusion. Gold's heart fell. Even if Belle was alive, this certainly wasn't her; she wasn't blind. Regina had just put a look alike here just to torment him.
"Well that's unfortunate," he replied, not sounding sorry at all. He refused to have anything to do with this temptation Regina had thrown in his path.
Sheriff Swan glared at him, noting his insincerity. "Yeah, it is. That's all the questions I have for you today, you can leave if you like," she said turning back to the paper work on her desk.
"Sheriff Swan? Where will this lady be staying not that she's out of the ward? You know Regina will want to have her locked up again," Mr. Gold asked, his turn for some questions.
"She will be with me," she replied not looking up at him. She was finished with him. And Mr. Gold took this as his queue to leave.
"Mr. Gold?" the girl asked as he was about to exit the room.
"Yes Dearie?" he answered, still having a soft place in his heart for this girl. After all, she did look just like his True Love.
"Do you know where I'd be safe from her? The mayor, I mean," she asked timidly. Oh how she reminded him of his Belle!
"You would be safe with me," he found himself saying softly.
There was a sharp intake of breath from the Sheriff. "With you? You are one of the last people I would place her with! She's staying with me."
"But isn't it getting a little crowded at Ms. Blanchard's now?"
"There will be room!" Emma insisted stubbornly.
"But Regina would have more trouble getting to her through me than through you. She would be safer with me, and I would have more time to look after a blind person than you with your job," Gold stated calmly, even though he really wanted her to stay with him. He would do everything to protect this girl in honor of Belle's memory, to protect her like he couldn't protect Belle.
"Mr. Gold, she was just released from a psyche ward. I doubt the best thing for her is to be living with you," Emma said.
"Why don't you let her decide? It's her freedom, she should get to choose what she does with it," Gold countered. It was quite cruel what he was doing, but he enjoyed it. Either the Sheriff could risk losing her to him, or she would admit that the girl was not quite sound of mind.
"Fine," she growled at him. "Belle, what do you think?" Emma asked her.
"I'll go with Mr. Gold, Emma. You and Mary Margaret can't keep a constant eye on me with your jobs," Belle said softly.
Gold couldn't believe it. Her name was Belle? It just wasn't possible; could it be she was really still alive? And that she wanted to stay with him? He could feel his heart beat faster and he felt like he couldn't breathe.
He went over and took her hand to lead her out. Her hand was small and soft, just like he remembered it. And finally he could see what she had been fiddling with; a piece of porcelain. It looked a lot like it had come from one of his teacups, but Gold knew that wasn't possible. Unless she really was Belle, his Belle.
He led her out to his car, holding her hand the entire time. Neither of them seemed to want to let go, plus it was quite necessary for Belle.
He gently shut her in the passenger seat, and once settled she reached to fasten her seatbelt. He could see she had ridden in a car before. He got in the driver's side, and they rode all the way to his home in silence. Occasionally he would steal peeks at her as if to make sure she was real. Each time he saw she was sitting in the car beside him, his heart lifted.
When they reached his home, he couldn't wait to show Belle around. She would live in comfort here and want for nothing. But before he could open his door Belle said quietly, "Thank you, Rumpelstiltskin."