Precious Little Things and Fairy Wings
Etude No. 3 in E Major, Op. 10, "Tristesse": Lento ma non troppo
The door to Granny's Diner swung open, the bell above signaling a new customer had entered, no one seemed to pay much mind to the new guest as everyone was trying to figure out where The Royal Family, the Evil Queen, and the Dark One disappeared too. The only person seeming to actually know something, the one who put a protective boundary around the town, was saying nothing but this wasn't because she didn't want to say anything but more having no information to share. After all, Belle didn't even know where they went only that they had to find and save the young prince.
The new guest looked around for an empty seat but spotted someone who he had wanted to talk to for such a long time. Moe French stalled his steps, Belle's words echoing in his mind after the incident in the mines. He deserved them and he knew he did but he had come to perhaps talk and after he got the full story from his own source he saw something a bit clearer in what had happened. He owed his daughter and apology and so much more. 'Do the brave thing, and bravery will follow,' his wife's voice rang in his head. Taking a deep he moved again to the booth she was sitting at.
"Is this seat taken?" Moe's deep voice asked.
Belle looked up and Moe was taken aback the fact that he had to stare straight in her eyes reminding him of his beloved wife but to see such sadness in them, sadness he hadn't been around to take away like he did when she was just a little girl upset because she wanted to chase dragons and the like.
Staring up at her father, Belle noticed Ruby in the corner of her eye moving towards them, threating to throw her father out no doubt.
"No, please." Belle said gesturing to the empty seat across from her. She saw Ruby stop knowing her dear friend's wolf hearing was enough to know that Belle was allowing her father to sit with her. She knew she would have to explain to Ruby later why she allowed him to sit with her and in truth the biggest reason was that she missed him so much.
"You seem so sad little flower," Moe was the first to speak.
"I miss him," Belle replied knowing he would understand whom she was talking about. She didn't want to say his name; the pain would be more than she could bear.
They sat there for a few minutes more in silence before Belle asked if her father would like something to drink as she signaled Ruby over.
"What can I get for you Mr. French?" Ruby asked, there was a taste of arsenic in her voice to the man that nearly pushed her close friend over the town line.
"Just coffee please, black." He replied looking up at the wolf girl.
Ruby nodded and left to get the order.
"Belle," Moe stopped as he tried to formulate the words he wanted to say. "I'm so sorry little flower, I'm so sorry." The tears making themselves present in his eyes were enough for Belle to know that her father was, he was sorry for being a coward, for not being the father he was when she was so young and naïve of the world.
"I, a friend of mine told me what happened to you, that you weren't with Rumpelstiltskin," he stopped for a moment as he saw Belle slightly pull herself into a tense shell after he said the name, "you were being held captive by the Queen."
Ruby came back with Moe's coffee placing it down, wanting nothing more than to hold Belle and tell her if she wanted her father gone she would gladly kick him out and insure he never came near her again. Glancing once more at her friend, she saw a small smile on Belle's lips and she quietly walked away to the counter at a spot where she could keep an eye on the father and daughter.
"She made me watch," Belle started in a quiet voice not sure if she should continue, it was something she hadn't even told Rumple. Taking a deep breath she looked into her father's eyes and continued, "She made me watch through one of her mirrors as she told him that you had caused my death." Her voice quivered but her eyes stayed focused on her fathers.
For the first time everything made sense to him, when they were cursed, Gold had beat him saying it was Moe's fault that he had someone's love and now he realized Gold must have not been effected by the curse or at least remembered Belle to come after him in revenge, something he wanted to do himself for so long.
"Oh my flower, I'm so sorry." Moe's voice quivered equally. "I wanted to speak with you because I've had some time to think, a lot actually." He stalled wondering if they should speak somewhere private but knowing that Ruby Lucas would follow them out in a heartbeat and most likely bash his brains out of his skull quickly deterred that idea.
"I was so afraid that I would lose the last part of your mother I still had and I'm not sure I could have bared that." He swallowed a lump that began to form in his throat. "I never told you that dark magic is what took your mother away from us and I didn't want that to happen to you either," Moe placed his hand on top of his daughters slightly fearful she would retract herself from him, as he deserved. "But, I have come to realize that your mother would be very angry with me if she knew I was holding you back from love, from your dreams."
Belle felt warm tears fall down her cheeks, her father never spoke about her mother, and if he did it had been quick words. She had learned early on never to ask about the woman who had given her life because she never wanted to see her father in any pain that was present in his eyes.
"What was she like, mama I mean?" Belle asked her voice full of curiosity for the woman she had never met.
Moe chuckled as if he were reliving memories from so long ago. "Beautiful, she was so beautiful, you have her eyes little flower. She was always outgoing and never one to hold back on what she had to say or who to say it to."
Belle smiled for once her mind no longer on the future but on the past that she knew nothing about. "I was reminded by Lumière not to long ago that you and Rum-him mirror your mother and I in many ways."
"Lumière's here?" Belle went off topic wondering how she never knew her godfather was here in Storybrooke wanting to see him.
Moe nodded a bit as he drank his coffee. "He is, he owns a business not to far from mine," he says after finishing his sip.
"You were saying that we mirror, how?" she asked her curiosity sated on her godfather.
"Mostly the fact that many people did not want us to be. We had been told over and over that I wasn't good enough for your mother."
About to once again ask for more information on her mother, Belle and Moe were interrupted by Ruby, "Belle, Leroy just called and said 'something's fishy going on at the beach' and hung up quickly."
Nodding to Ruby with thanks Belle apologized to her father who only smiled and told her she needed to attend her duties and promised to pick up their conversation when she had time. Belle smiled back and hugged her father for the first time since the incident at the mines, a real hug full of gratitude and love.
Moe walked down the sidewalk heading towards his shop; reaching in his pocket for the keys he opened it ready to start a new day with a brighter look at the future. Stopping as he realized he wasn't alone he looked up at the counter to see none other than the Blue Fairy.
"Reul Ghorm" was all Moe said not looking at the woman or really paying much attention to her nor wanting to.
"She doesn't need to know about Tinkerbell," was all the fairy said, her voice leaning towards warning.
Moe glared at her causing the fairy to stand back a bit, afraid of the monster within him. "You wanted nothing to do with her and when I called you to help to at least protect her you did nothing. When Tinkerbelle was pushed through that portal you had no sorrow for losing one of your own, former or not, while I mourned and had to raise my daughter alone!" His voice increased in volume. "I will tell her everything, but not all at once, I don't think I could do that to my little flower. However, I will not hold back the things you yourself have done when it comes to terms of Tink and I." his voice made the statement that it was final and there would be no more discussion on the matter.