Disclaimer: All the characters belong to ABC, Disney, and the creators of OUAT.

Authors Note: Sorry this took so long! I have had a lot of term papers due recently and those took precedent. After that I got sick and I still am...which is why my editing is probably not the greatest this chappie.

Caution: This has also been edited minimally because my usual editor is not a Rumbelle fan.


Belle had refused Mary Margaret's offer to take her back to her apartment. As upset as Belle was, there was no way she was going to pull her friend from the handsome David Nolan that night. It would just make her feel worse if the sweet receptionist missed out on her chance with the man over her mistake.

However, she did accept her offer to give Ruby a call while she was taking a breather and trying to keep herself from going through on what she said earlier about vomiting. Belle was certain she'd fall over and die if she threw up as her first show.

Mary Margaret came back and handed Belle's cell phone back to her. "Ruby says she will be there when you get home and I called you a cab."

Belle tried to protest but Mary was having none of it.

"I'm not risky you out on your own and night like this."

She had her own sweet motherly way of demanding and Belle had to admit it was probably best.

The cab came quickly and Mary Margaret walked her outside to the curb. "I'll make an excuse to Regina for you don't worry."
Belle gently clasped her friend's hand as she sat in the cab. " You're the best Eminem." She said gratefully.
Mary smile softly and the pet name and patted her friend's hand.

"I know, just get some rest okay?"

With that they released each other and Mary shut the cab door for Belle.

This ride didn't take long and pretty soon Belle was pulling up in front of her apartment building. It wasn't the best neighborhood to live in, but Belle hadn't minded it. Living in a small apartment just felt cozy since she was by herself.

Outside the brick building stood Ruby, wearing a red woolen coat over her clothes to keep warm. The air had become chilly lately as the seasons began to change.

Unfortunately Belle had forgotten her coat at the gallery and stepped out of the cab with her arms wrapped around herself in a vain attempt to keep warm.

"You could've gone inside." Belle greeted her friend who put a warm and comforting arm around her. Belle had given Ruby the key awhile back after she had once locked herself out of the apartment. Since then Ruby had taken to just dropping in when she felt like and sometimes even cooking Belle dinner.

"I know, but the way Mary sounded made me think you'd probably have an escort."

Belle lived on the third floor of the building and they walked in silence up the stairs to her apartment, but once the front door was firmly shut behind her Ruby turned on her friend.

"Okay, now you get to tell me exactly what happened and I'll get the ice cream ready."

Ice cream, the traditional retreat for Belle and Ruby when something was bothering them, Belle managed a sad smile at that as she kicked off her heels and sank into a plush chair in the living room. The place was small when it was empty and TINY with all of Belle's possessions.

The cushy chair she was in face with kitchen and was close enough that Belle was able to carry on a conversation with Ruby without raising her voice.

She detailed everything about how stressed she was, how he'd said the paintings were bad, about her raising her voice and then finding out who her victim was.

"Ruby, I've worshiped this guy since high school and I told him he didn't understand his own painting!" She raked her fingers through her curls, which had become rather wild by now, cradling her head in her hands.

"You worshiped him how did you not know what he looked like?" Ruby asked, approaching the love seat next to the chair her distraught friend was currently dying in.

"He's notoriously reclusive" Belle responded, muffled by her hands and hair "Regina said he wasn't even coming tonight."

"Told ya she's a bitch." Ruby said calmly, digging into her own bowl of ice cream after placing Belle's of the coffee table between them.

Belle looked up at Ruby; eyes narrowed slightly "I doubt she planned this Rubes."

"Oh my dear sweet Aussie" Ruby sighed shaking her head "Sure she did…she hates all of you at her gallery. You and Mary are just too pretty and she wants to ruin you for it."

Belle snorted, "You're ridiculous."

"I know, but at least you're not about to cry now."

She noticed now that her hands had stopped shaking and she smiled. Ruby was good at making her feel better in her own crafty way. She hadn't even begun to reassure her about her flubbing with Gold and she was already feeling a little better.

"Now eat your ice cream" The chef demanded waving her silver spoon at her.

Belle picked up the bowl obediently and eating why Ruby continued her own version of a pep talk.

"About this Aiden Gold fellow…he probably doesn't care at all that you yelled at him. The guy is a freaking art genius from what you've told me. How could he be that down on his work?"

Ruby was making sense. Belle couldn't fathom why a man with that much talent and fame would speak so harshly of his work.

"I say, he likes people praising him and wanted to get a reaction to make him feel good."

Ruby was proud of her deduction, but it made something inside Belle hurt. This was an artist that she was completely devoted to. His work spoke to her on an insanely deep level and she'd always imagined that if she met him it would reflect his gorgeous paintings.

Not that he was some glory hound. She had never pictured that when she thought about her Aiden Gold. Then again Pablo Picasso was famously full of himself and she respected his work…just not in the same was she loved Gold.

"You're probably right." Belle spoke finally, taking a bite of her ice cream.

Ruby's pride deflated then, brow furrowing as she realized something was still wrong with her friend. "What is it?"

Belle shrugged "I guess that old saying is right…you shouldn't meet your heroes."

They women sat in silence for a few moments, each pretending to eat their ice cream. Ruby puts her bowl down with a little more force than needed, and jumps to her feet.
"We're going into slumber party mode. You get on your pajamas!"

Belle stared up at her friend, blue eyes filled with shock, but she remained in her seat. "What?"

"Slumber party I said! PJ's and girly movies! Hop to!" She clapped a few times to emphasize her point. Belle, without any other choice left to her, got up from her seat and headed off to the bedroom to change.

She shut the door behind her, leaning against it, a real grin actually spreading across her face then as she stood in the darkness of her room.

Belle might not have her hero, but she had her amazing friends….and maybe next time Eminem could come to the slumber party.

0000

Belle returned to work, feeling a little better about the whole situation. Ruby stayed with her for the whole night, distracting her from any thoughts of self-loathing at her actions.

Mary Margaret was seated at her usual desk when Belle arrived. The receptionist flashed her friend a smile, obviously relieved that Belle seemed in somewhat good spirits.

Belle set a disposable cup of coffee down on the desk, a small smile on her face. "Morning."

"For me?" Mary picked up the cup, drawing it nearer.

Belle nodded. "As a thank you for last night."

Mary looked touched by the gesture, but then again, with Mary Margaret any small kindness was always received warmly. "It was nothing! I was just trying to help."

Belle was about to protest when Regina poked her head from her office. Instead of a black dress she is in her usual business suit complete with her unsettling smile. "Ms. Blanchard, come here a moment."

It sounded like a request, probably because Belle was there. However, when the Director thought nobody else could hear, she was known to yell at her poor, sweet employee.

Mary Margaret instantly rose up from her seat and followed the dark woman into her office, shutting the door behind her.

Belle hoped that nothing bad was in store for her friend as she turned to leave, but something on the desk stopped her. Her slim fingers lifted up a manila folder clearly marked with the name "A. Gold".

She looked around the office, nobody was in sight and it couldn't hurt just to peek at the contents. It was wrong, she really shouldn't be looking through the files when she wasn't supposed to…but then again she had offended him. It would be bad business to let that go without some sort of apology.

After sufficiently convincing herself that flipping through Aiden Gold's information was logical and not stalking, Belle turned to the first page.

The file was mostly a record of all the paintings that had come through the Mills Gallery. She recognized most of them from, but several were ones that she hadn't ever seen before. The very last page of the file was an informational sheet with several numbers and addresses where Aiden could be contacted.

Oh dear.

Belle glanced back towards Regina's office. It had been a few minutes, and Mary Margaret was still in there. It wouldn't be wrong if she called and apologized for her behavior, would it? Of course not, it seemed the mature thing to do especially if they were going to continue doing business with Mr. Gold.

It had nothing to do with desperation for her favorite artist to not loathe her.

Belle went around the desk and sat down, checking again to see if Regina and Eminem were returning. Dialing in the number off the page, Belle lifted the phone to her ear.

'Just breathe.' She silently ordered, heart pounding as the phone rang.

There was a click on the other end as the receiver was picked up. "Hello?"

For a few seconds Belle held her breath, she recognized the voice and it was obviously the right number, but now she couldn't bring herself to speak.

An irritated sigh on the other end of the line snapped her out of it. " Hello, Mr. Gold?" Thankfully her voice wasn't shaking.

"Yes?" There was still impatience in his voice as he responded. Things were not starting well.

Belle opened her mouth to respond again, but halted when she saw Mary Margaret standing before her. When had she gotten there?

"What are you doing?" the receptionist asked, brow furrowed in confusion.

Belle couldn't answer, she had an aggravated artist to deal with first. "Yes, this is Belle French with the Mills Gallery. I was calling about what happened last night."

Mary's eyes widened then, instantly understanding what was going on. "What are you doing!?" She hissed quietly, but there was obvious horror in her tone.

"The show?"

Belle paused, chewing her lower lip anxiously. He hadn't recognized her voice over the phone, and why should he? She was being professional now. "Well…actually my yelling at you. I Just wanted to say how so-"

Click.

He hung up on her.

Belle pulled the phone back from her ear, staring at it in shock.

"What were you thinking? You can't just call him like that!" Mary's urgent voice seemed very far away.

"He hung up on me."

Mary continued chastising her, but Belle didn't hear a word of it as she clutched the phone in her hand. She had called to apologized, she had been perfectly polite, and he hung up on her before she could even finish!

Belle's blue eyes narrowed at the phone, as if she could somehow send the glare through the line to Aiden Gold. She angrily began to punch his number in again.

"Belle!" Mary's disbelief reached her ears now, but she didn't care. She was going to give this jerk a piece of her mind.

"Stop!" her friend attempted to snatch the phone away from her, but Belle rolled the chair away.

Next, Mary went for the phone to disconnect her, but she swatted her hand away before she could.

"Hello?" The man on the other end growled.

"You hung up on me. What kind of person hangs up on somebody when they are apologizing? That's not professional!"

Mary was cringing at Belle raised her voice, but it was too late now.

" And I suppose your performance last night was professional?" Aiden seemed rather calm in spite of the fact he was being shouted at.

"No, that's why I was calling to apologize." She snapped in reply.

"Well, Miss French was it? You made your opinion quite clear last night, don't bother changing it. You can tell Regina that you followed her orders and called me."

"Orders, but-"

She was cut off as Gold hung up again. Before she could dial again, Mary snatched the phone from Belle's hands.

"Are you crazy!"

Belle stood up from the chair, seething from the two "conversations" that just occurred. "He hung up on me! Twice!"

"He's an artist of course he hung up on you! They're all temperamental!" He shoulder sagged as the fight went out of her. "Oh God, he's going to start taking his stuff to another gallery…and Regina is going to say it's my fault."

"I called him."

"But I left his file out where any insane person could find it!" She sank into the chair that Belle vacated. "I'm going to lose my job."

The anger that was boiling through Belle gave way to guilt in that instant. Mary was right; she probably was going to get blamed for all this. For some reason the Director had it out for her and now she had something to truly hold against her, even if it was Belle who called.

"I'm so sorry Eminem, I didn't even think about that."

Mary Margaret shook her head, putting the phone back on her desk. "It's okay, it was going to happen sooner or later."

Belle couldn't stand her friend's defeated tone. She got the both of them into this mess and she was going to fix it.