Note: This takes place about a year and a bit before chapter one. This is where Belle and Mr. Gold get to know one another on that fateful day - the Great Elevator Fiasco! Enjoy.

It was that time of year when the weather was unpredictable and fowl – an in between state where the dry hot summer shifts into the wet and cold Maine winter. The nearly freezing rain beat heavily upon the windows of the library, a constant spattering and howling which only amplified throughout the space as the day wore on. If Belle concentrated hard enough, she could swear it sounded just like the applause from a crowd and she smiled to herself as she sat at her circulation desk updating the Library's computer systems.

Normally Saturday's were a busy day for the Storybrooke Public Library, however it would appear that the bad weather had convinced the citizens of her small town to lock themselves away within the warm comforts of their homes, and so she decided that now was the best time to catch up on some extra work that had started to pile up.

A loud crash of lightening had the lights flickering momentarily, and Belle glanced upwards in a brief moment of nervousness before hastily pressing the save button on her work. She was nearly done with the online catalogue and did not want to lose all her hard work due to forgetfulness. This of course left the archives that needed sorting through, and then she was all caught up for the month. For that task she needed to go into the basement and so she was saving that particular job for when Henry Mill's came by for his shift to cover the front desk, which he had insisted on doing even when Belle had called to tell him that due to the weather he didn't need to cover for her that day. He was of course determined to come in, his eagerness making her smile, and so she insisted that in return she would drive him home after closing.

The doors opened emitting the howling wind and ice cold rain, and Belle let out a sound of amusement.

That boy sure is enthusiastic, she thought while checking the time on her computer.

"Well aren't you overly punctual. Don't forget to remind me to put that in my reference letter for you." Belle laughed as she continued typing and finished up her second to last entry.

"Well, I'll be sure to do so."

Belle started at the familiar brogue and quickly looked up from her computer and into the face of Mr. Gold. A brief flicker of amusement graced his lips at Belle's flushed face and he slowly gave his black umbrella one final shake before crossing over to her desk.

Belle fought the urge to purse her lips in displeasure at the man who tried to evict her Father from both his flower shop and his home the previous year within the same week, and instead flashed him a well practiced smile – usually reserved for the Mayor. Or the Mayor's Mother…as well as the Mayor's half sister…

You are at work, be professional Belle!

"Mr. Gold, how may I be of assistance?"

Mr. Gold raised a single brow at her curtness but did not comment. His dark eyes scanned the library stacks while he removed black leather gloves, a small frown forming between his eyebrows.

"Archives?"

Belle suppressed a sigh as she motioned to a section behind Gold,

"Archives start in Section Z -780, and then continues into the basement." She replied briskly while folding her hands on top of the desk and flashing another sickly sweet smile. "Most recent are up here. The older they get, the lower below ground they are."

Without another word he nodded his head and twitched the corners of his mouth into what she assumed was an attempt at a civil smile before heading off toward the back of the Library, his cane and umbrella planting simultaneously on the yellow and white linoleum and creating a clicking echo throughout the otherwise empty Library.

Belle watched his retreating form for a moment before rolling her eyes and returning to her work.

Mr. Gold; landlord, Pawnbroker and all around malevolent bully, was not an imposing figure by any means with his smaller stature and elegant gait, despite his obvious limp. However he was not a man to be trifled with, and though Belle was loath to admit it out loud, he was very much the most powerful man in town, probably more powerful than one Regina Mills, Mayor and fellow sadist (though she herself would believe otherwise). Belle didn't doubt that if he could, he would probably try to own your soul, and wasn't that a frightening thought.

It wasn't too long before the door opened once more and in walked Henry Mills, a long colorful scarf wrapped once around his neck and a friendly smile on his face.

"Hey Miss. French!" he greeted brightly while unwrapping his scarf and shaking the water from his jacket.

Belle grinned and leaned forward onto her elbows, immediately relieved to see a more friendly face,

"Henry, you are a God send! And thank you for coming in even in this weather."

"I'd rather be here than at home. Grandma Mills dropped by unexpectedly this morning and Mom has been in one of her moods all day."

Henry rolled his eyes playfully as he came around to the back of the circulation desk.

"Well thank you all the same. Now, there's not too much that needs to be done, except maybe putting back a few books that were dropped off this morning. I'll be down in the basement working on the Archives, they need some major attention so if you need me just give the downstairs phone a ring, alright?"

Belle finished with her instructions as Henry settled into Belle's seat, his backpack shoved into the space below the desk and his wet jacket hung up on the coat rack.

"Aye aye captain." Henry joked while giving Belle a mock salute and spinning around in the chair.

With one final smile, Belle gathered a few of the items that needed to be reshelved in the basement archives and headed over to the elevator, where, much to Belle's disappointment, Mr. Gold was also waiting, his cane and umbrella resting on the floor between his feet. With an inaudible sigh Belle stepped beside Mr. Gold and waited patiently for the old elevator to arrive, while also trying to balance the stack of books in her arms.

Mr. Gold gave Belle a sidelong glance but looked away when Belle's eyes met his own.

"Do you need help with those?"

"I can manage." Belle replied abruptly while shifting the books over to her other arm to relieve the strain. She could see Mr. Gold smirk in the reflection on the elevator doors and Belle pursed her lips in irritation. Thankfully the elevator doors opened with a bright ding and Belle stepped in first and then attempted to push the circular button for the basement with her elbow. Again Mr. Gold smirked and reached over to press the button with a dramatic press of his long index finger, his brown eyes meeting her own smugly.

God she hated this man.

It was an almost snug fit inside the elevator but thankfully there was enough space between herself and Mr. Gold to give her the freedom to completely ignore him and instead study the four buttons on the elevator dash with an intensity befitting a clockmaker. The lights in the elevator sputtered for a moment as the ancient elevator slowly moved past floor two, and Belle was about to let out a sigh of relief as they neared the basement level when the elevator lurched to a sudden grinding stop pitching both Belle and Mr. Gold into each other, her books hitting the floor with a heavy thump and his cane and umbrella also dropping to the floor. It took Belle a moment to register the hands on the tops of her arms holding her upright, but when she did she immediately recoiled with a shrug of her shoulders releasing his grip.

Mr. Gold didn't seem to notice Belle's disdainful expression, and instead looked upwards at the ceiling lights with a frown.

"Is this a regular occurrence, Miss. French?" Mr. Gold quipped dryly while pushing the button to the basement level with a bit of force, as if the machine had merely forgotten its destination. "Well, at least the lights still work…"

The moment the words left Mr. Gold's mouth, the lights audibly fizzled then flickered out and was quickly replaced with the deep red glow of the emergency spotlight.

"Bugger…" Belle cursed under her breath and giving Mr. Gold a frightful look to which he infuriatingly shrugged off and moved to press the red emergency call button. As he calmly tried to issue a verbal response from the operators who did not seem to exist at the moment, Belle scrambled to pull out her cell phone and attempted to find a signal in their small metal box.

"I can't get a signal…"

"And it appears the emergency dispatcher has fallen asleep on the job." Mr. Gold muttered under his breath while clenching his jaw angrily. Belle could feel the panic rising up from her stomach and into her throat as she lifted the cellphone high into the air in a vain attempt to gain some sort of signal, and her hands began to shake in her desperation. She did not do well in tight spaces.

"Just relax, Miss. French, everything will be fine…"

"I am relaxed, don't tell me how to feel!" Belle snapped as she began to tap furiously on the surface of her phone. "Why can I never get a signal in this bloody building?"

Without warning her phone was snatched out of her hands and she let out a yelp of distress as Gold opened up her call log and typed in the emergency line.

"I told you, I can't find a signal…"

"You can always access emergency services, regardless of battery strength or distorted signal. It's a safety precaution, Dearie." Was Mr. Gold's placid reply as he pushed the speaker button and let Belle hear the almost soothing sounds of ringing while giving her another of his smug expressions.

"Emergency services, how may I direct your call?" a woman's almost bored voice asked through the bit of cell phone static.

"There appears to be an issue with the elevator at Storybrooke Public Library," Mr. Gold's voice was almost congenial and soothing as he gave the details of their little debacle and Belle immediately let out a long breath of relief as she rested against the wall of the elevator.

Everything is going to be alright, Mr. Gold nearly owns the whole town, and we will be helped out straight away. Perhaps being stuck in the elevator with him of all people was a good thing…

Belle's optimistic thoughts were cut short when the operator announced that with the storm, rescue could take a few hours to arrive.

"What?" Belle squeaked as she stood at attention, and noticing that for the first time Mr. Gold started to look just a little bit distressed as well.

"Do you realize who you're talking to?" Mr. Gold seethed into the phone and removing it from speaker and placing it upon his ear.

Belle found herself nodding fervently in agreement, Yes yes, Mr. Gold is not to be trifled with, expedite the rescue! She began to chant in her head as she leaned onto Mr. Gold's arm in an attempt to hear the other side of the conversation.

Her heart sank however when Mr. Gold clenched his jaw one final time, the muscle pulsating below his ear, before snarling a remark on the incompetence of the Storybrooke Emergency services and angrily pressing the end button on the phone.

Belle stared at Mr. Gold with wide worried eyes and awaited his conclusion.

"It may be a few hours." He sighed as he thrust the phone back into Belle's hands.

Great. A few hours stuck in a metal box with the 'Monster' of Storybrooke. The perfect Saturday indeed…

Notes:

So this little edition to the story is dedicated to AdorkableAlyssa, who wished for another chapter and agreed that the elevator scene would be a very good start! This is only part one, part two is in progress. Also thanks to anyone who read this and for that small few who added it to their favourites, you all are just the sweetest things and I adore you dearly ;).