Chapter 2: Condemned
Belle woke up with the early morning light streaming into her room. For a moment she had forgotten where she was, and realised she was staying in the mansion because Graham had rescued her last night. She decided she should make sure she rented a room at Granny's today so she wouldn't be a burden to anybody. She showered and dressed quickly, trying to put a little effort into her appearance so she would look like less of a wreck in front of Regina. She went silently down the stairs, finding Regina and Graham already dressed and drinking coffee.
"Good morning." Belle said nervously.
"Morning." Regina and Graham said in unison. She noted that Graham was dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt, so it must be his day off. Regina on the other hand, was dressed in a gorgeous dove grey skirt suit with a ruffled black blouse, her red painted nails providing an accent of colour.
"Would you like some breakfast?" Regina offered. Belle's stomach rumbled. She hadn't eaten a proper dinner the night before, and truth be told she was starving.
"I am a little hungry, but don't go to any trouble." She replied quietly.
"Nonsense, I was making scrambled eggs anyway, it's the same amount of effort for three people as it is for two." Belle nodded, and Regina got to work making the eggs. She moved around the kitchen with such elegance and grace, like a something out of a homemaking magazine. Graham was sitting quietly, reading the morning paper. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but didn't.
Regina dished up the breakfast and Belle tried to eat as carefully as she could even though she was so hungry. Regina left soon after, saying she had to get to the office early on Mondays. Belle and Graham sat in silence while they finished eating, for some reason feeling more awkward and less candid than the night before. Eventually Graham spoke. "Belle, if you were planning on going to your father's house today, I should really take you myself. The house isn't very safe and there is some protective gear you will need to wear."
Belle swallowed, more guilt washing over her. How bad had the house gotten that she would need to wear protection just to get inside? Her eyes began to well up and her lower chin wobbled. Graham stood up and went over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders, "You will get through this, Belle." He said quietly, his gaze intense. Belle stared up at him, realising that Graham was so close to her. She felt a strange course of electricity run through her, and felt how inappropriate it was. She hadn't ever had those feelings for anyone before, and the husband of the town Mayor was not someone she should be thinking of. Graham seemed to sense her unease and stepped away from her. Belle immediately jumped up and began washing dishes, feeling as though she should contribute something back to the people who had been so kind to her.
"Are you sure you don't mind coming with me today? I have to meet with the lawyer and the funeral home as well, it's a pretty awful way for you to spend your day off." Belle said, offering him the chance to back out of helping.
Graham smiled. "It's no trouble at all. Come on, we better get going."
The trip to the funeral parlour was brief, Belle deciding on a cremation since her father's body had degraded so much given the length of time it took him to be found. She picked out a simple box, knowing his remains would be buried with her mother and brother. She knew there would be no-one else at the funeral besides herself, and decided against music since her father hated it.
The trip to the Lawyer took longer, Belle not realising that Mr Gold was the only practicing solicitor in the town. "Ah, Miss French, come on in, I've been expecting you. Is the good Sherriff joining us as well? " Mr Gold drawled at her when they entered his shop.
Belle Swallowed. "It's fine if he stays. A second set of ears couldn't hurt, it's been a long week."
Graham agreed to stay, feeling somewhat responsible for Belle. He also wanted to make sure that Gold didn't pull anything, given the man could find a legal loophole just about anywhere. Gold placed the 'closed' sign at the font of his shop and hobbled over to them, retrieving Moe French's thick file.
Gold explained the process of probate and that her Father's debts would need to come out of the estate before everything could be closed up properly. Belle was shocked to realise how much debt her Father had accrued, Moe not really letting on how bad the situation had gotten. Once she had read all of the necessary clauses, Gold spoke again. "Miss French, you must also be aware of the fact that even though your father owned his home, it has now been condemned. The cost of demolition will be extensive. I'm willing to purchase the property off you, above market value, of course."
Belle blinked, not sure what to say. She knew Mr Gold had the upper hand. She was also painfully aware the only way to keep her father's property was to go into further debt to demolish the house, and then would never have the funds to rebuild anything. She wasn't willing to risk further debt, especially with her student loans and Gold would have known this.
Graham spoke first. "Why would you buy the house above market value?" He prompted.
"Easy there, Sherriff. There is nothing untoward about this transaction. As you can clearly see, Miss French does not have the funds to advertise to put the property on the market, and by law she would need to have the house demolished before selling the land. I'm merely offering a quick and painless alternative to that process."
Belle thought for another moment. Clearly Mr Gold did not need the house itself, but the house was built on an acre block, which was increasingly difficult to find so close to town. "It's the land you want, isn't it?" She asked.
"Very perceptive, Miss French. Yes, I intend to build a set of units on the land. The town population is increasing and I intend to take advantage of that." Gold sat back, leaning on his cane.
"So that's your plan, four times the value in rent for a fraction of the cost?" Graham huffed.
"Merely good business, Sherriff. As you can see I intend no harm on Miss French." Mr Gold and Graham entered into an intense stare before Belle decided to intervene. "Graham, Mr Gold is right. The cost of demolishing the house is almost the cost of the sale of the land, only I would need that money upfront, which I don't have. I need to be practical about this. At least this way I can start with a clean slate. I can't take on any more debt."
Gold grinned "Excellent choice, Miss French. Are you satisfied I haven't done anything untoward?"
"Yes, Mr Gold." Belle replied mechanically. Graham sat next to her, his eyes looking like a thunderstorm.
"There is only one other matter I wish to discuss with you, and that is the manor of your payment for my legal services. As you can see, even with me buying your property slightly above market value, only leaves you with approximately $1000 once probate passes. I assume you have costs for your father's funeral as well?" He said, of course knowing the answer. Belle swallowed. She couldn't believe she had forgotten about the legal fees and the conveyancing fees.
"What did you have in mind?" Belle asked cautiously.
Mr Gold leaned forward. "My standard retainer for closing an estate is $3000. However, in this case I may be able to come up with something a little more creative for you given your circumstances."
"I'm not taking a loan from you, Mr Gold, if that's what you are asking." Belle replied.
"That's true, Belle. Regina and I can always cover your legal fees, and you can pay us back in due course – with no strings." Graham offered, shooting a dangerous look at Mr Gold.
"Careful now Sherriff, you wouldn't want Madame Mayor getting jealous with the interest you are taking in this young girl?" Gold jeered, clearly enjoying himself.
"I can assure you, my wife has nothing to worry about. We are helping Belle out as a friend, that's all."
Belle again interjected, her face looking a little flushed. "Mr Gold, you did say there was an alternative, would you at least let me know what that option was?"
"Ah, yes, I was willing to give you the option of working off your debt." Graham visibly cringed. "Not like that, Sherriff, perfectly legal. You see, I have been without an assistant for a very long time, and I have a rather large collection of antiques and books that all need to be cleaned, sorted and catalogued. I estimate the work required to be the amount I am owed for my services."
Belle thought for a moment. She was uncomfortable with the prospect of being involved with Mr Gold, but there was no way she was going to borrow money off Graham. "Mr Gold, I think that seems fair, but I would like to see the collection before I agree, just to make sure the work is equal to the amount you say." She said confidently.
"Alright dearie, this way to the basement." Mr Gold motioned to the door at the back of the shop and they all followed him through to the darkened basement. Belle saw a rather expansive collection crammed into the space. There was a fine coating of dust on everything, the room clearly not having been touched in a long time. After a quick scan she realised that $3000 was approximately an average month's full time pay, which was about how long the collection would take to sort.
Belle took a deep breath. "Mr Gold, I agree to sort this space for you on the following conditions – I want to be included on your insurance if this is to be above board and I'll need you to purchase the necessary cleaning supplies. If anything requires restoration above my skill level you will have to hire a professional for those pieces. All going well I should be finished in three to four weeks."
Gold smiled, clearly impressed. Graham also lifted his eyebrows in amazement. Most people had rarely seen Belle speak assertively. "Very well dearie, consider your conditions met. Tell me, is there anything else before I draw up the contract?" Belle took another look around the room. "There is a hardcopy of Jane Eyre over on that shelf that was printed in the 1950s. If you were to give me that copy, I would consider us even."
Gold laughed, handing the book over to Belle. "Consider this your down payment. Now, if I can have the necessary paperwork completed by Friday, would you be able to start Monday?"
"Yes, of course I can." Belle replied, hoping her confidence wouldn't wear off before she left the room.
"Pleasure doing business with you, Miss French." Gold called after them as they left the shop.
Graham let out a slow sigh and cursed under his breath. "You handled yourself well in there Belle, are you ok?"
Belle took a deep breath. "I should have known Gold would have been planning to do something with my father's land. The fact he already did his research gave him the advantage."
Graham nodded. Belle seemed to be handling things too well for someone who had lost almost everything. He hadn't wanted to tell her that he had heard her crying last night, because truthfully he shouldn't have been listening. He guided Belle back into his car, noting how carefully she placed her new book in the backseat, and began to drive over to Belle's father's house. Graham had only told her a few things to prepare her for what she was about to see, but Belle had not been there in over two years and was bound to get a shock at the horrific site.
Belle gasped when they pulled up in front of the house. The door had been broken, possibly for them to get her father's body out. The plants in the yard had all died and were surrounded with shoes, empty pots and broken appliances. Police tape lined the perimeter of the house, and the porch roof looked like it had been leaking. Graham silently opened the trunk of his car and took out two disposable coverall suits and two masks. "We need to wear these as a precaution. They found a hole in the wall that contained asbestos." He said, handing the suit over to Belle.
Belle and Graham shrugged into the coveralls and mask. "This is going to be bad, isn't it?" She asked quietly. "I'm sorry Belle." Was his only reply.
When they entered the house Belle was in for a shock. She had never seen anything this bad, even on TV. They had to climb over knee deep garbage to even make it to the living room. The walls on one side were covered in black mould, and everything in the space was covered in dust. She saw rat droppings in the kitchen, and didn't want to dare open the fridge. Gingerly, she made it up the stairs to her old bedroom. The room had been packed to the ceiling with boxes, papers and useless junk. Belle knew that there wasn't anything of hers left, because she had taken her belongings with her when she first went to college.
Graham and Belle made it down the hallway to her brother's room, and she let out a gasp when she saw that the room had been completely untouched. Her little brother and her mother had died in a car accident when Belle was ten years old. Her brother Timothy had only been four at the time. The room had not changed in all these years, save the thick layer of dust. "Oh Belle." Graham said "This was Timothy's room, wasn't it?" The accident was the first one Graham had ever attended, being only eighteen at the time. It was in that moment when Graham truly learned what it was to be a cop and the horrors he would have to see. Even now Belle still looked like the young girl whose heart he broke when he told her that her mother and brother had died.
Belle nodded, tears forming in her eyes. The room demonstrated just how much pain her father had been in. Moe hadn't been able to touch anything in the room, even though the rest of the house was destroyed. Belle scanned the room, wondering what to do with everything. Surely she couldn't keep it all, it was twice the amount of stuff she owned and knew it wouldn't fit in her car. She saw a dusty, slightly worn bear sitting against the pillow of the single bed. "Oh, Blue Bear!" She gasped, reaching out for the small toy and hugging it. "Timothy slept with Blue Bear every night." Suddenly Belle was wracked with grief, and her tears came in thick sobs. Graham went over to her and hugged her tightly without hesitation. He continued to hold her until her crying stopped. "I'm-I'm sorry I lost control like that. I didn't want you to have to see any of this." She sniffed.
"Belle, you've been through absolute hell. I think you're being incredibly brave." He offered, finally releasing his hold on her.
"You really think so? Most of the time I don't feel brave at all." She said, her tears finally stopping. "I think I'm ready to go. I have everything worth saving." She said, holding up Blue Bear.
"Are you sure Belle?" Graham asked.
"Yes, I'm sure." She said firmly. As much as it would break her father's heart to see all of Timothy's possessions in landfill, she knew she couldn't take them all with her. They both left the house carefully to avoid falling over, shedding their coveralls in the skip bin outside. Graham found a plastic bag for Blue Bear given the fact he was so dusty.
The drive home was silent. Belle's thoughts were swimming around in her head. A week ago she was a university student, had an apartment with roommates, a waitressing job, and a father. This week she had graduated but had no home, no job and no father. The loneliness and sadness felt like it was eating her alive.
Graham was keeping his eyes intensely focussed on the road. It bothered him that he was feeling so fiercely protective of Belle. After all, they had barely been acquaintances when she left for university and they hadn't really spoken in two years. Belle had called him asking to check on her father, and he had been the one to tell her the last remaining member of her family had died. Something had changed in their relationship since Belle had returned, and he wasn't sure what it was. He knew that he and Regina were struggling, but that was no reason to start looking at other women, no matter what the temptation.
They returned home, both realising they needed a shower before doing anything else. The warm water felt cleansing, washing the awful morning away. Belle walked back into the kitchen after towel-drying her hair. Graham was already there in a fresh pair of jeans and a black cotton shirt, drinking a glass of juice.
"Hey, Graham, I was thinking. What if we go to Granny's for a late lunch? My treat. I can bring over my things and check into the inn so I can get out of your hair."
Graham reluctantly agreed. As much as he wanted to keep Belle around, he wasn't sure if his motivations were pure. It was probably best if Belle was at a safe distance from him. He helped her pack her car and then met her in town to have lunch, realising he was hungry as well. When they entered Granny's diner Ruby squealed and ran towards Belle, wrapping her arms around her.
"Oh, Belle, I've missed you so much!" Ruby yelled out "You need to keep in touch better, you don't even have Facebook on your phone!"
Belle laughed in spite of herself, not realising how much she had missed her friend until now. "I'm sorry Ruby, I guess I got caught up with everything."
"I'm just messing with you, I know you had a lot going on. By the way, I'm so sorry about your dad." Ruby's expression turned sincere.
"Thanks Ruby." Belle was now painfully aware the rest of the patrons in the diner were staring at her. Surely by now the gossip had gone through the town about the infamous Moe French who had virtually died buried alive in his hoard. Things like that generally caused a sensation, and the folks in town looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and pity.
"Ruby, why don't we grab a booth, keep the buzzards at bay." Graham offered, realising that standing in the middle of the room wasn't helping. Ruby quickly got the two seated, coming back with some menus and water. Belle promptly ordered a burger with an iced tea and Graham ordered the same. Over lunch Ruby was too busy to hang around, but offered to come back when the rush was over. Belle and Graham managed to have some restrained conversation at lunch, skirting around any difficult or emotional subjects given that anyone in the diner could listen in. Graham realised that even though Belle was going through an emotional time, she was still excellent company.
Towards the end of the meal, Granny herself came out to welcome Belle, and offered her a room to stay. "How long do you need it for, Belle?" The older woman asked.
"About a month." Belle replied. "I've got some work to complete for Mr Gold, and it should also take about that long to close dad's estate."
Granny huffed. "I hate to see you work for that odious snake, but you know how to handle yourself."
Graham and Belle nodded in agreement. "I'm also going to pay full price for my room, and I'm willing to do a couple of extra shifts here if you need me, but I don't want any favours."
"Same old Belle, not accepting help from anyone. Tell you what, how about you work here four nights a week as well as the Sunday shift, and we will consider it even. Does that sound fair?"
"More than fair, Granny Lucas." Belle replied.
"Good." Granny said with a little grunt. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it? You start tomorrow night." With that she walked off.
"You know Belle, you could have stayed with us." Graham offered again, secretly hoping she would accept his help, not really understanding why she meant so much to him.
"It's ok Graham. I need to do this on my own. You and Regina have done so much for me already. I don't know whether it's about penance or guilt, but working off my own debt and my room and board makes me feel like less of a dependent." Belle stirred her iced tea with her straw. "But man, this next month is probably going to suck."
Graham smiled and chucked in spite of himself. "You truly have done everything on your own, haven't you?"
Belle smiled. "To a fault."
"Just promise you won't be a stranger when you actually need help."
They finished lunch and Graham paid, much to Belle's dismay. Graham went to hug Belle goodbye, but realising they were in public he changed course and patted her on the shoulder instead. "Promise you'll come back every Sunday night for dinner. We insist."
"Bye Graham. Thank you for everything. I promise I'll be back on Sunday."
Belle spent the rest of the afternoon catching up with Ruby. It was so great to spend time with a true friend. Belle had forgotten that in life you needed real connections to people, not just one task after the other, which was how she had lived for so many years. One night back in Storybrooke with Ruby had felt like old times, the two of them having been friends for so long that it was impossible for them even to remember the day they met.
Author's note.
Thank you for all of the follows! I hope you all enjoy the story and the journey these three will embark on. It's going to be a little bit of a slow burn (but not too much!)
SukieWookie: Thanks for being the first to review! I'm glad you found the premise interesting as it's a little different to what's currently being written at the moment. Hopefully this will be one that you can enjoy to the end!
Much Love,
Lady Eowyn
