Free At Last

* Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to OUAT or below.
* Warning(s): Spoilers for Skin Deep
* Summary: Mr. Gold sees Belle for the first time.
* Notes: First public writing / fanfic EVER, and terribly intimidated by all the amazing Rum/Gold/Belle fic already out there - so pls be kind. :-) Already dreaming of the next ep. with Rum./Mr Gold & Belle, so idle thoughts brought me this…


He stood in the doorway, his anger twisting around his relief. She was real. She was here. And she was whole .

His eyes scanned the bare concrete cell. Of course, Regina wouldn't have dared to torture her as in the old way, not here in Storybrooke where there was so much for her to lose. But still… his eyes drifted back to Belle, her face tear-streaked and her look confused. A muscle twitched in his clenched jaw as he remembered there were more acceptable ways to torture a person these days.

"Come, lass," he said gruffly, turning his head away. She deserved more than stares and pity. "This isn't the place for you."

Belle cringed, her gaze darting between him, the open door and the ray of sunlight behind her. "They say I'm sick," she whispered, her voice coarse from disuse. She cleared it and spoke again, stronger this time, but still hesitantly. "Where am I supposed to go?"

Mr. Gold glanced back over his shoulder at Emma. Her disapproving frown spoke volumes, but thanks to a favor owed and a deal struck, she remained silent, even as a quirked eyebrow dared him to overstep the bounds of their careful agreement.

He looked back into the cell and shifted his weight to ease the pain in his leg. "Your father…," he began, and glanced down as he stifled his fury. Something deep inside him growled menacingly at the thought of her meekly returning to her father, but the suggestion was the sheriff's only request and it would have have been more trouble to argue it.

Belle shook her head. "No." Her pale hands balled into fists. "Never."

Mr. Gold nodded grimly even as his white-knuckled grip on his cane relaxed. He understood, even if no one else did.

He drew in a slow breath to steady himself before speaking.

"I have a spare guest house and need of an assistant." Behind him, he heard the sheriff cough uncomfortably and he allowed himself a small smile. If she thought this was awkward, he could only imagine her reaction to the truth of his history with Belle.

Belle caught the crook of his smile, and returned it with a weak one of her own, almost hidden from behind an unruly lock of brown hair. "Yes." She stared at the ground for a moment before raising her eyes to his again. "Yes, I would like that. To start over…" she trailed off, her gaze becoming slightly unfocused again, almost dream-like.

Mr. Gold held out a hand to her wordlessly. Belle unfolded herself from her crouch with that unmistakable grace that no amount of medication could hide, and came towards him, her bare feet silent on the cold floor. She tenatively placed her small soft hand in his, and then surprised him by turning his hand over, examining it almost absently before looking up at him with a sad smile.

"You must be my knight, then," she said, her blue eyes stealing his breath. "For rescuing me." There was the faintest trace of her old jesting in the statement and he felt something break inside of him.

He exhaled a heavy breath and smiled warmly at her. "Aye, a knight then." He offered his arm and together they walked out.


* Again, first time writer, so pls forgive any trespasses on protocol and all that.