Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time. Or Mr. Gold. If I did... well, let's not talk about it.

So, just as a reassurance to those of you who like this story, I have it all planned out. It shouldn't take more than 10 chapters to tell, and I already am working on #6. My beta reader has a lot on her plate, and so far has only been able to do about a chapter a week.

So, I don't want to turn the chapter introduction to my own personal blog, but I wanted to mention this. I downloaded an ebook the other day called "Rumpelstiltskin" by Leila Bryce Sin. I was looking for some official fairy-tale based stories, and this one was erotic. I was intrigued, but ultimately dissapointed. This is how it went, and I'm paraphrasing:

(traditional retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin story. Girl's father tells the king that she can spin straw into gold. He puts her in the tower. She cries. Rumpel shows. This is where it deviates)

Rumpelstiltskin: I'll spin the straw into gold for you... for sex.
Girl: Oh ok, but you ugly. Can you fix that?
Rumpelstiltskin: Sure. (changes into a Fabio lookalike)
Girl: Awesome. I'll hit that.

(proceed with full book of poorly written and run of the mill smut. I am fairly certain that the girl ended up with Rumpel at the end of the book and not the king, but at that point I didn't really care. I actually only skimmed over the love scenes, so disappointed was I with Rumpel's selling out.)

My point, actually, is that Rumpelstiltskin and all of his mythological cohorts are actually public domain. If any of you aspiring writers want to actually write 'fanfiction', you can sell it for money as long as you don't touch on the "Once Upon A Time" aspect to the character. I don't think you could do worse than Ms. Sin. And the popularity of ebooks really opens up the market to publishing that way for fairly cheap.

This is like the happiest place on earth. It makes me want to vomit.

Anna was in the kitchen of her apartment, baking bread. Which was actually pretty therapeutic. Baking required more muscle work than most people would appreciate, and pounding her fists into the moist dough on the counter was really helping to relieve some tension.

This is for my stupid dad. Punch.

This is for the stupid school application office. Punch.

My stupid boss. Punch punch.

She paused. The last wasn't really fair. Mr. Gold hadn't really done anything except tell her he could only give her part time hours at his shop. It wasn't his fault that there wasn't anyone else in town hiring. There were a limited amount of jobs to go around, and no one ever left Storybrooke. If you ever asked any of them why, they'd simply reply, "Why would you want to?"

She could sure use the paycheck, though. Punch.

Anna scooped up the bulk of the dough and placed it in a bowl, tossing a towel over it and putting it into the oven. It would rise in there and maybe be ready to bake when she got back from her lunch with her dad. She wasn't looking forward to it. He kept bugging her to go on a date with this business partner of his named Gaston. Kept hinting that if they managed to hit it off, it would be really good for the future of the family company. Like she owed him something. He'd kicked her out at the age of 18 after she'd graduated and didn't get accepted into any of the colleges she'd applied for. Said that if she didn't go to school she had to at least earn a living.

The tension between her and her father wouldn't have been quite so frustrating if it didn't seem like she was the only person in the whole town that seemed to suffer setbacks when it came to life plans. Everyone in town thought of Storybrooke as the place that dreams came true. People here found their true loves. Their dream jobs. Everything always worked out for the best. For everyone except Anna.

As a result, she didn't have anyone she could be completely open with . It was hard to have close friends to share your hardships with when nobody but her seemed to have any hardships. Watching the evening news here was like seeing a horror movie. It seemed unfathomable that those kinds of things went on in the real world. But it was one of the reasons Anna wanted to leave Storybrooke. Other places seemed more... believable to her.

She got her keys and headed out towards her car. It was an old 1985 Volvo. Not pretty, but it still ran strong, and was really all she could afford on her salary. It ate gas like nobody's business, but luckily nothing was far from anything else in this town.

Anna parked in front of Granny's diner and went inside, scanning the tables for her dad.

"Annabelle!"

She noticed him waving her down from the corner and went over.

"Hello, dad." She sat down.

"Hi, sweetheart. How's your day going? How's work?" He flipped the menu open, scanning the selections. Like they ever changed.

"Just great." It was a response she'd learned was the best one over the years.

"That's really great. So - have you had a chance to give that nice Gaston fellow a call?"

Anna groaned inwardly. She knew he was going to bring this up. "Not yet." She avoided his eyes, and scanned her own menu.

"C'mon, Belle, I think he's a good guy. He's got a good business head on his shoulders... he's financially secure. He could take care of you." Her dad was the only one to call her Belle these days. It was a throwback to her childhood, but the nickname always unsettled her. Everyone else just knew her as Anna.

She stared at him sharply. "I thought you wanted me to take care of myself. I thought that's why you kicked me out as soon as I graduated."

The older man sighed. "Not this argument again, Belle. I only want what's best for you."

"And I suppose it wouldn't hurt if Gaston-with-the-great-business-sense decided to sign on with your company? Don't you think you can get him to do that without me dating him?"

He was silent. "He's been mentioning taking on an internship at a company in Augusta..."

"I knew it."

"...now hear me out, Belle."

"Stop calling me that."

Mr. French looked wounded for a moment. He didn't understand why his daughter was being so difficult. Anna closed her eyes and tried to compose herself.

Just get through this lunch. Change the subject.

"I'm sorry, Dad. Can we just talk about something else for awhile?"

"Alright."

The rest of the time passed with somewhat uncomfortable conversation. She finally pretended that she had forgotten she had to go to work, and had to finish lunch early. Lie or not, Mr. French looked as relieved as she was to end the meal. She even drove off towards Mr. Gold's shop instead of her home to complete the illusion.

She was going to turn around and drive back home after a few minutes, but then reconsidered. She didn't really feel like going home yet. She might not have to work, but she could still stop by. As a customer. Not that she could afford much of anything Mr. Gold had for sale, but she loved to look at the merchandise anyways. Most of the items in his shop had an... otherworldly feel to them. Like they were all very important to someone, somewhere.

She parked in the empty lot in front of the store and went inside, the bell jingling slightly.

"Don't get up, it's just me." She called out. She always felt a little badly when she would come in and shortly thereafter see him limping up to the counter, having dragged himself away from whatever task at hand he was performing to greet a customer. So she'd made a habit of announcing herself whenever the store was empty.

The assumption was a bit premature this time, however, because Regina Mills strode out of the back room, followed by Mr. Gold.

Anna gasped. "Oh... I'm sorry, Ms. Mills. I didn't see a car out front. I didn't think anyone else was here."

The woman smiled. "That's alright, Anna. Mr. Gold and I just had some... business to discuss."

To her surprise, Anna felt a sinking feeling in her gut at Regina's words and flinched. Then froze. She hoped neither of the two had noticed that. She smiled widely at the tall woman.

"I didn't mean to interrupt. I'm actually not even working today, I was just stopping by. I can...come back later." She finished lamely.

"No need. I was just leaving."

Anna let her eyes stray past Regina to the shorter man standing a few feet back from her. He was watching her intently, missing nothing about the interaction. She quickly shifted her gaze back to the woman.

"So you, uh, walked?"

"Biked, actually. It's out back." A pause, waiting for some kind of response from Anna, who had initiated the conversation. She couldn't think of one to give. "Well... I've got to be going now. Have a good day Anna. Mr. Gold." Regina swept past her and walked out of the shop, the bell jangling again.

Anna had turned to watch her go, and was reluctant to turn back, knowing he would still be standing there, probably watching. That man was so observant of people, it was scary.

She reluctantly turned to face her boss, only to find that he was mere inches away from her, instead of across the room, as she'd supposed. Anna stifled a gasp.

How on earth can he be so quiet when he needs a cane to just get around!

"Delightful to see you, Anna. Is there anything I can do for you today?" He smiled.

"No." She took a deep breath. "I just felt like coming by and looking around. Maybe looking at the books a little more closely." She shifted her gaze. "I can't really go through them as much as I'd like while on the clock. You don't mind, do you?"

Another smile. "Of course not". His eyes flicked downward, then back up to her face. "Take your time. I'll just be in the back. Let me know if you need anything." He turned to go.

"So, what did Ms. Mills want?" Anna inwardly cursed herself for asking, but she was honestly curious.

"Well, it's something that needs to be kept quiet, but the truth is she recently became engaged to Sydney Glass. She was looking for a gift for him. Something special." His answer relaxed the knot of tension that had appeared in her gut, and Mr. Gold grinned, as if he knew her thoughts.

"I see. Well, that's wonderful. Will she be announcing it soon?"

"Next week in the paper, I believe. I'm sure Mr. Glass will be doing his best to ensure it's the front page story."

Anna nodded. So little of sensation happened in this town, that she had no doubt Sydney would get his wish. She glanced back towards the worktable in the corner.

"Still restoring that first edition Dostoyevsky?"

He nodded "Slow work. A very precious treasure. Wouldn't want to ruin it by moving too quickly. Wouldn't you agree?"

She nodded again absently, thinking of nothing else to say. She had been rather tongue tied this whole visit. He turned and made his way to the table occupied by the antique volume. Anna went towards the bookshelves, taking in a deep breath and settling her nerves. She let her eyes scan the titles on the shelf, without really seeing them.

She didn't know why seeing Regina here had unsettled her. Especially the thought of her being here specifically to see Mr. Gold. She had thought the older woman was dating the newspaper's editor-in-chief. That thought was more than confirmed, now. If Mr. Gold were to date, Anna was sure it would be someone similar to Regina. Elegant. Learned. They would have made a good match.

However, she couldn't picture Mr. Gold as anything more than just hers... her boss.

Anna shook her head again. Definitely time to focus on something else. She selected a slim leather-bound volume of Japanese folktales, and began to read.

No one came into the shop for awhile, and Anna was left to peruse the books on the shelf in peace. She had gone to her favorite spot to sit in the store; a small ornate rug with yellow tassels that looked Persian. She'd seen nicer rugs in her day, but something about this one just struck a chord with her. She'd have bought it from Mr. Gold long ago if she could have afforded to. However, she was glad he let her sit on it – and, well... if when she organized things the best place for it turned out to be tucked in a corner behind the shelves that's just how things were in a shop this small with so many items.

She was so engrossed in her story that it didn't even register for a moment when the bell rang. She wasn't working anyway, right? She wasn't even going to acknowledge the newcomer until a deep voice sounded at her from above.

"Belle! Sitting down on the job, are we?" Anna looked up into the face of Gaston, her father's business partner.

"Oh. H-Hello, Gaston. What... are you doing here?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Your father told me you were working tonight. Thought I would stop by and see you."

Anna flinched inwardly. It was fortunate she'd decided to head over to the shop anyways, or she would have been caught in the lie she'd spouted to get away from her father.

"I'm just... taking a break." She glanced back at the table where Mr. Gold was working on the book. He glanced up at her, then away, continuing with what he was doing. Looks like he was leaving her to deal with her would-be suitor. That was fine. Gaston held out a hand to her, but she ignored it, hauling herself to her feet and brushing herself off.

Gaston pulled back his hand and sighed. "Belle, do you mind if we talk outside?"

"Don't call me that." She bristled.

Gaston frowned. "Your dad calls you that when he talks about you, and I'm around him so much..."

"Everyone else calls me Anna."

He pursed his lips. "Alright. Anna. Talk outside?" He seemed to have lost the edge of his charming demeanor. He switched his gaze to Mr. Gold at the table. "What do you say, Gold. Can you spare her for a few minutes?"

Mr. Gold glanced up and she flinched at his cold expression. "I believe she said she was on her break. If she wants to go outside with you, she's free to do so. Does it appear as though I own her?" his eyes flicked over to her, then back down to his work. Anna shivered.

Gaston narrowed his eyes at the man who was no longer even paying attention. He took her hand and began to pull her toward the door. "This will only take a minute...Anna."

"Okay." she agreed hesitantly. She chewed on her bottom lip as she allowed herself to be led outside. She didn't really want to talk alone with Gaston, but it seemed inevitable that she would have to.

She squinted at the brightness that greeted her as she walked out the door. Gaston led her a little further away from the storefront, out of view of the windows. He turned to face her.

"Now, Bel... Anna." He smiled widely. "Anna. How would you like to go out to dinner with me?" He sounded like he was offering her a brand new car. She just blinked up at him.

"Why?"

He sputtered for a moment. "Well why not? We're both young, single people. I'm a good family friend."

"A business partner."

"And Mr. French thinks that we would get along well." He frowned. "I value the opinion of your father. As his daughter, you should too."

Anna gaped up at him. Did he just seriously say that?

"My relationship with my father is none of your business!"

"Please, Belle."

"Anna!"

"Please... just give me a chance. Your father is worried about you."

"Worried about me? Why?" She looked at him skeptically.

"You... you don't go out like normal girls. You haven't seriously dated anyone. Ever. It's not healthy."

"What... you...what..." Anna was so angry she couldn't even form a complete thought.

Oblivious to her anger, Gaston pulled her closer, grasping both her hands in his and laying a kiss on them. "Listen... Anna. Just give me a chance."

Anna snatched her hands out of his grasp, placing them at her sides. She glared at him. "I'm not interested, Gaston." The facade of charm completely fell away from him, now. Gaston was not a man used to being turned down.

"There is something wrong with you... Anna. Everyone in this town is happy. Fulfilled. Except you."

Anna gasped. She was beyond upset at this jerk, but his words hit that place deep in her soul that had been gnawing at her for as long as she could remember.

He stepped forward and Anna retreated. "You try to cover it up by not talking about yourself. But everyone can tell. You're in the happiest town in the world and still you're miserable."

"Shut up!"

"And I'm trying to give you a chance to change things and you won't even try."

"JUST SHUT UP AND GO AWAY!" She screamed at him, her hands at her eyes trying to hold back the tears that were spilling out against her will.

She heard the door of the shop open behind her, and the quick rap of a cane against the ground as her boss limped towards them.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" When Anna looked up, Mr. Gold was standing between her and Gaston, glaring up at him.

The taller man stepped back, and composed his features. "Nothing that concerns you. We were having a discussion and Anna just overreacted to some things we were talking about."

"Oh really? Well that's fascinating that you don't think that you coming onto my property and harassing my employee counts as my business. I wonder if the Sheriff shares your philosophy on life." His eyes burned, starring at the man in front of him.

Gaston's eyes flicked from side to side, suddenly unsure. "I am not trying to cause any trouble. This is just a misunderstanding."

"I suggest you leave. And don't make the mistake of finding your way here again."

Gaston glared at Mr. Gold, but turned around and got in his car without another word, speeding out of the lot.

Anna was still trying to get her crying under control. It was embarrassing to have been so caught off guard by simple words. The figure of Mr. Gold suddenly filled her vision as he stood in front of her. He lifted a hand to her hair and turned her face up towards his.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded silently.

"What did he say to you?"

"N-nothing. It's fine. It's nothing." She sniffed. "I'm going to go." She turned away, towards her car.

"Anna..."

"What?"

"You can't leave."

She turned back towards him, wondering at his choice of words.

He stepped towards her. "...not in this condition. You should come back inside."

Anna felt hesitant. All she wanted to do right now was to get out of this place. This town. But for some reason when the man who was, for now, serving as her protector put his hand to her arm to lead her inside, she let him.