A/N: Thank you all for the great reviews, follows and favorites! Keep them coming!
Chapter Two
Once again, it was rent day, and Rose was ready to play her little game with Mr. Gold.
She watched out her window and smiled when Mr Gold pulled up next to her house. With a sly smile, Rose patted her pant pocket where she had put a one dollar bill to give him for rent.
When Mr Gold started to make his way to the door, Rose ran her fingers through her hair.
Soon Mr Gold was tapping on her door.
"Good day Mr Gold." Rose smiled at him. Mr Gold lost his breath. Rose had a lovely smile. She always had.
"Good day Miss French. Where's Dillon? Has he already left for baseball practice?" Mr. Gold asked.
"Oh, he wanted to go a little early. Big game with the other Storybrooke team coming up." Rose kept her smile on her face as she talked to him.
Mr. Gold smiled. "Well I had better get going." Mr. Gold said in a whisper. He began to leave when Rose stepped out on her porch.
"Are you forgetting something?" she asked. Mr Gold looked over at her, confused. Then he remembered why he was at Rose's home.
"Oh yes, rent."
Rose giggled and she pulled the dollar out of her pocket and handed it to him.
Mr. Gold looked at the dollar.
"I'm sorry, it's all I have." She placed it in his hand. Mr. Gold kept his eyes on the dollar.
"A dollar is still money," he finally said. He looked up and met Rose's eyes. She blushed at him as she held her hand back out to him.
Mr. Gold was confused and looked down at her hand.
"Thought I would save you a trip to the bank." Rose told him. Mr. Gold had to laugh. "I was wondering when you would ask me about that." He placed the dollar back in her hand.
"I do need to know, are you only taking pity on me?" Rose asked with worry in her voice.
She had feelings for Mr Gold, and if he was taking pity on her, Rose would be hurt. She already felt something grabbing her heart when Mr Gold did not answer her right away. He seemed taken aback with what she said.
Mr. Gold slowly let out the breath he was holding in when Rose asked if he was taking pity on her.
If only he could tell her the truth, about how she lived with him once in another land, with magic. Where he was the Dark One, and she was his true love, but that he foolishly pushed her away. He loved her.
Or that Dillon was really his long-lost son Baelfire.
Rose would just laugh in his face and call him crazy. He did not know what to tell her. Mr. Gold looked Rose in the eyes. She was holding back tears and seemed to be getting angry.
"I have the money in my bank, So if you are taking pity on me, I don't want it. I shall pay my rent in full." Rose told him, getting ready to head back inside with a broken heart.
"No, I'm not taking pity on you. I would never do that."
Rose smiled at him and let a tear fall down. Mr Gold stepped closer to her and wipe the tears off her check that started to fall.
"Why are you crying?" he asked her.
"I don't know. Something deep down inside of me wants to cry," Rose answered him. Mr. Gold smiled as Rose grabbed his hand. "I've made tea, please come and have a cup with me?" she asked.
Mr. Gold knew he should say no; he had rent to collect from others. However, he wanted to be near Rose for a little longer.
Nodding his head, he let Rose lead him inside.
Regina sat in her car that she had parked not far from Rose's home. She watched Mr. Gold as he went inside with her. She held a tight grip on her steering wheel, grinding her teeth.
This was not supposed to happen! She thought she had made the curse to keep Mr. Gold away from his true love and his son.
Driving away fast, Regina started to make a plan to pull him away from the both of them.
Rose could not keep the smile off her face as she worked. She had a little skip in her steps today.
She let out giggles when Mr. Green asked her why she was happy. She did not know how to tell him or anyone about her feeling for Mr. Gold, and she now knew he too had feeling for her.
Today she planned on bringing lunch to his shop and eating with him.
As she entered his shop, the small little bell above the door rang. The mayor, Regina, was talking with Mr. Gold.
Regina turned and smiled at Rose, who just stood near the door with a take-out-bag from Granny's Diner.
"Miss French, what a lovely surprise. We were just speaking about you." Regina said and then looked at the take out bag. "How cute. Bring Mr. Gold some lunch." Regina began to walk to the door and stopped, looking down at Rose, smirked at her, then left the shop.
Rose, with worried eyes, looked over at Mr. Gold. "Anything I should know about?" she asked him as she walked over and sat the bag down on the front counter.
"Someone saw me go inside of your place last night and there is now a rumor going around that you did not have the rent money, and paid with your body." Mr. Gold did not look at Rose in the eyes as he told her. "The mayor was in here telling me how bad that will make me look. Being one of the most powerful people in town." Mr Gold slowly twirled his cane with his fingers.
"Oh," was all Rose could say as she began to pull out the two sandwiches she got them for lunch and the cherry pie.
"I got us some lunch. That is if you want to share it with me?" Rose asked him.
Mr. Gold looked up at her surprise. He then nodded his head. "Lunch with you does sounds nice. But don't you care about what I just told you? How would Dillon feel if word got to him?" Mr Gold asked her.
"I am worried. Rumors do spread around fast around this town. But I will talk to him and let him know what happened. We did just have tea." Rose handed Mr Gold a sandwich. "It's chicken, I hope that is OK?"
Mr Gold nodded his head. "You are the most remarkable woman I know."
Rose blushed as she took a bite of her sandwich.
Dillon arrived home from school and slammed the front door.
"What have I've told you about slamming that door, Dillon!" Rose yelled from the kitchen.
"Sorry mom." Dillon threw his bag on a chair and headed into the kitchen. "Smells good. What are you making for dinner?" Dillon asked, walking over to a pot on the stove to smell whatever was inside
"Just spaghetti and meatballs." Rose answered her son.
"My favorite!" Dillon smiled at her.
"How was school?" Rose asked.
Dillon looked down to the floor.
"Honey, what happened?"
"There was a rumor going around that you are sleeping with Mr Gold." Dillon told her. "I told everyone that it's not true."
Rose walked over to her boy. "Do you believe it?" She asked.
Dillon shook his head no. "Is it? I mean its not big deal to me if you are. I like Mr Gold a lot." Dillon said.
Rose blushed a little. "I also like him and no, we are not sleeping with each other. He came over the other night for rent and I asked him inside for a cup a tea. Someone saw him enter and started the rumor." Rose told him.
Dillon looked up with a smile. "I'm glad you like him, Mom."
Rose went back to cooking dinner. "Go start your homework," she told him.
Dillon went to his bag and opened it, pulling out his math book and notebook and laid down on the floor to start.
Soon someone was knocking on their door.
"I got it mom!" Dillon yelled as he stood up and rushed over to the door.
It was Mr Gold.
"Hi, Mr Gold!" Dillon smiled at him.
"Hello Dillon, I found this box of old baseball cards and thought you might like them." Mr Gold said. "There in the back seat of my car, why don't you go fetch them." He pointed to his car.
"Wow, really?" Dillon walked past him and rushed to the car as Rose walked over to the front door. She smiled bright when she looked at Mr Gold.
"Miss French I hope it's OK with you that I gave him some old baseball cards?" he asked her.
Rose rolled her eyes at him. "Please call me Rose, and yes, that's fine with me. But he better do his homework still before he looks at all them."
Dillon was walking up the steps with the box. "Don't worry Mom, I'll get my math done. Do you think Mr Gold could stay for dinner?" Dillon looked up at my Mr Gold. "My mom makes the best spaghetti!"
Rose smiled. "I don't mind at all, that's if Mr. Gold would like to." She looked at him. Mr Gold smiled back. He could not say no to her.
Dillon looked up at him with his big brown eyes. "Spaghetti does sounds good."
"Alright!" Dillon about jumped up and down making both Mr Gold and Rose laugh.
Mr Gold had a seat down in the living-room, where Dillon had his Math down on the floor.
Dillon set his box of cards down and went back to this homework.
"So what type of math are you working on?" Mr Gold asked.
"Its algebra, very hard," Dillon answered him.
"I was always good in math, if you would like some help?" Mr Gold offered him.
"That would be great."
Rose stood in the doorway leading into the living-room from the kitchen. She could not stop the big smile across her face as she watched Mr Gold help her son with his math homework.
It touched her heart seeing them together. Something she wanted to see more of.
"Are you really going to let your only daughter sleep around with the town's most hateful man?" Miss Gulch stood in front of Moe with her hands on her hips.
"I don't care what she does, I don't speck to her," Moe answered her.
"You need to step back into her life! She is running around wild and who knows what will happen to
the boy? Do you really want the state to step-in and take him?" Miss Gulch told him.
Moe looked down. "I told her she should not take in a baby as her own. She should have left him with other people who could raise him better."
"I know a family that would take him in still." Miss Gulch told Moe. "Talk to Rose, she needs her father back in her life. You don't want to see her knocked up with Mr Gold's baby."
Moe gasped. "No, I would not want that. I'll call her later. Good day Miss Gulch."
Miss Gulch walked down the street till she saw Regina waiting for her. "Did you speak to him?" Regina asked.
"Yes I did and he will talk to Rose," Miss Gulch told her.
"Good, and thank you. I know you like to make sure we live in a good clean town." Regina smiled at Miss Gulch. "We don't want a little slut running around on the streets."
Dillon was walking home when Barrie stopped him. Barrie was a year-older then Dillon and played on the other Storybrooke baseball team.
"On your way to see your new Daddy?" Barrie tease him. Dillon said nothing and just walked past him. "Hey! I was talking to you!" Barrie grabbed Dillon by his bag and pulled him down. "No one walks away from me!" Barrie yelled at him.
"Leave me alone." Dillon yelled back as he stood up.
Barrie, a known bully in school, laughed at Dillon and pushed him again. "You going to run to your new daddy? What good would that do when he can't even walk without his cane?"
That made Dillon mad. Dillon punched Barrie in the eye.
"You are going to wish you had never done that!" Barrie yelled, jumping on Dillon and starting to punch him in his face.
Mary Margaret rushed over to the boys and pulled Barrie off of Dillon. "Both of you in the office now!" she ordered them.
Dillon had a swollen eye, bloody nose and a cut on his lip. He sat down in a chair as Mary Margaret got an ice pack for both the boys.
"Dillon, You're mother is being called and Barrie, we are calling Mr and Mrs Beaumont , I'm sure they will be pleased getting another call this week." Mary Margaret told them. Barrie said nothing, he was use to getting into fights. But Dillon looked scared. He never got into fights. Nevertheless, he did not like the way Barrie made fun of Mr Gold.
Wendy Beaumont rushed into the office. "Oh Barrie, why do you keep on getting into fights?" She knelt down next to him. Barrie looked away. "What am I doing wrong. Me and Ron are giving you a good home." Wendy held back her tears.
"You are not my mother." Barrie told her, stilling looking away.
"I want to be if you just let me in."
Mary Margaret felt bad for Wendy, She was trying so hard to raise Barrie. "Mrs Beaumont, if I could speak with you." Mary Margaret held a door open and led Wendy inside.
Barrie looked over at Dillon. "This is not over. We have the game on Saturday, and I won't forget about you punching me in my eye."
Soon Wendy walked out the room. "We can go home." She held her hand down for Barrie to take, but he just brushed it aside and walked in front of her.
Rose was walking in the office when Barrie walked past her. Wendy gave Rose a small smile. "I'm sorry about my boy." Wendy told her. Rose had noticed the swollen eye and wondered if her son did that to Barrie.
"I'm not your boy!" Barrie yelled at Wendy and stomped off. Wendy looked down at her hands. "I don't know what I can do."
Rose grabbed Wendy's hand. "Just be there for him," Rose told her then walked away.
She gasped when she saw Dillon's face.
"Oh Dillon, what on earth happened?"
"Dillon punched Barrie in the eye and then Barrie beat him up," Mary Margaret told her.
"He was making fun of Mr Gold," Dillon said. Both women looked over at him. "I did not like what he was saying about how Mr Gold walks around with a cane. I'm sorry, I did not mean to hurt him." Dillon had tears falling from his eyes.
"You and Mr Gold have been with each other a lot." Mary Margaret looked at her friend.
Rose nodded her head. "Yes and both me and Dillon do care about him," Rose told her. "I"d better get Dillon home."
Word got to Mr Gold about Dillon's fight. He began to think that it may be better if he stayed away from Rose and Dillon for a while.
To him, it would seem like a long time, but not to Rose and Dillon. It would feel like a day.
"What good would that do." he said to himself, not knowing what he could do. He wanted to be near them. He loved Belle and he loved her as Rose, who was taking care of his son.
Mr Gold walked around his shop, thinking.
It was the big Storybrooke baseball game. Mr Gold would never get sick of watching the same baseball game over and over. His son was playing, and that was all that mattered to him.
He sat next to Rose, cheering along with her.
Unknown to both of them, Rose's father Moe was also at the game. He did not like seeing Mr Gold close to his daughter. He was a fool to kick her out. He should have just made her give the baby back over to Mother Superior, and that was what he was planning on doing now. Rose needed help.
Barrie, still angry about his black eye, had something planned for Dillon when he ran to 2nd base, where he was at.
When Dillon started to run for 2nd Barrie tripped Dillon then kicked him in the side.
"Bet daddy loved seeing that!" Barrie smirked at him. Dillon grabbed his side and held back from crying.
"You are just jealous," Dillon said between his teeth.
"Jealous of what?" Barrie was about to smack him again when his coach came rushing over with Dillon's coach.
"Barrie, you are done! Go sit out this game," His coach yelled at him.
"I really don't care," Barrie looked back down at Dillon, "and I'm not sorry."
Dillon's coach helped him up. "Are you alright?" he asked.
Dillon nodded his head. "Yea, just a little sore. But I can still play."
"That's good." His coach patted his back. "Take it easy."
Everyone started to clap for Dillon when he stayed on the base.
Rose, who was standing up, slowly sat down. Mr Gold grabbed her hands. "He looks OK," he told her.
Rose nodded. "That's the same boy who beat Dillon up at school," Rose told him.
"Yea I heard about that."
Rose looked over at Wendy Beaumont, who was worried.
"Poor Wendy, she has been trying so hard with Barrie. But he won't open up to her," Rose told him. Mr Gold looked over at Wendy as well.
Wendy...Yes he knew her. Wendy Darling in their land, who was like a mother to Peter Pan. Mr Gold looked to where Barrie was sitting out. Barrie was Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up.
Dillon walked in the middle of Mr Gold and his mother. "Mr Gold can we go get some ice cream?" Dillon asked him.
Mr Gold smiled. "If its OK with your mother." Mr Gold smiled at Rose. She was about to answer when Moe stepped up to them.
"Father?" Rose looked at him, confused. Mr Gold placed his hand on Dillon's shoulder. "What are you doing here?" Rose asked.
"I need to talk with you." Moe looked at Mr Gold. "Alone."
Rose looked at Mr Gold. "We will meet you by my car." Mr Gold told her, walking Dillon away.
Rose crossed her arms and looked at her father.
"What do you need?" she asked.
"I'm just worried about you," Moe said.
"Worried? Well, that's a shocker, you did not worry when you kicked me and Dillon on to the street," Belle snapped at him.
"I know, I was wrong then. But I want to make things right with you now. I want to help you. You don't need to be sleeping with Mr Gold to get money. Come back home with me," Moe told her.
Rose got angry. "I'm not sleeping with Mr Gold. He's a good friend to me and Dillon!" she yelled at him.
"Look, I should have done this 14 years ago. I found a family more than willing to take Dillon in as their son. Let them, Rose, and come home. You can still make something of your life," Moe said.
"What did you just say? How dare you go out and find a new family for my son! You have no right to tell me how I can live my life." Belle held her hand back from slapping him.
"You should have never taken the poor woman's baby." Moe pointed a finger at Belle. "She only gave you Dillon sine you were the only one willing to help her in her time of need. You should have told her before she died to leave the baby with a better family."
Tears filled Rose's eyes as she listened to her father.
"And now you are opening your legs for the lowest person in town! What would happen if you had his baby? I'm sure he would leave you and then you would have to worry about a baby and a teenager. Rose, do as I say. Give up Dillon come back home with me." Moe held out his hand for Rose to take, but she just looked at it.
"Stay out of my life!" Rose stormed off away from her father.
Mr Gold had Dillon sat in the car as he waited for Rose to come over. He had a bad feeling about Moe and did not want Dillon to see or hear anything.
Mr Gold could tell something made Rose upset when she reached the car. Her eyes were red. "Everything OK?" Mr Gold asked, wishing he could hold her in his arms.
Rose shook her head. "Can we talk later, when Dillon's not around?" she asked Mr Gold.
"Sure." He went and opened the door and let Rose sit down. As he walked to the driver-side door, he noticed Moe was giving him the death stare. Mr Gold just looked back him and then got in his car and drove off.
Belle sat in her cell looking at the wall, lost in her thoughts. Baelfire sat next to her.
"Belle, are you well?" he asked her. Belle blinked her eyes and looked at the young boy who shared the cell with her. "Yes, Baelfire, I'm fine. I was just thinking." She told him.
"About your love?" Baelfire asked her.
Belle nodded her head. She had only told Baelfire the reason why the queen had her locked up, was for the person she loved and that the Queen wanted them apart. She did not want to tell him any more.
"Belle, when will you tell me more about him?" Baelfire asked. "It could maybe help talking about him."
"I don't know. He is a man whom a lot of people hate." Belle said to him.
"My papa was a man everyone feared. He was a coward still, even when he became so dark. That was how we got separated. I asked papa if I found a way to break his curse that he would let the power go. When I did, my papa was a coward and broke our deal. I believe the reason why the Queen has me locked up was to make sure we never found each other." Baelfire told Belle, who looked shocked.
"You're father, was his name Rumpelstiltskin?" she asked him
Baelfire nodded his head. "Yes"
"Oh Bae," Belle reached for him and gave him a hug.
"The man whom I love, and the man the Queen is keeping me from is your father," she told him.
Baelfire looked at Belle.
"You...You love my papa?" he asked.
"With all my heart. We are true love, but the Queen, she tricked me. When I kissed your father for the first time his curse was breaking, but he pushed me away and when I told him about the Queen...I've never seen him that angry." Tears filled her eyes. "Soon after that he let me go. After some time apart I was planning on going back to him to make things right. However, the Queen got to me."
Baelfire hugged Belle.
"We will be together with my papa again soon. We will find a way to break out of here."
Belle nodded her head. "Yes, we will be with him again soon."
"And be a family!" Baelfire smiled at her and Belle smiled back.
"Yes, a family."
"Belle, can you tell me how you and my father met and fell in love?" Bae asked, sitting down and pulling his knees up to his chin, ready for the story.
Belle began her story how her father made a deal with Rumpelstiltskin. Bae listened to every word and started to cry at the end.
He wiped his tears away. "I'm sorry Belle." Bae wrapped his arms around Belle and gave her an hug. Belle hugged him back.
She was happy to be getting to know Rumpelstiltskin's son and would do anything to bring them back together.