Author's note - I was genuinely shocked at the response to the teaser for this fic ... the amount of people who have started following it is amazing - thank you so much ! I hope you enjoy this chapter if you have the time take a moment to review - it always makes me smile and I reply personally to every review - (this chapter comes to you mainly from a delayed train from London to my home 2hrs late!) Anyway without further ado
Day 1 : A Partridge in a pear tree -
The next day Gold woke up and stretched. Belle had fallen asleep on the chaise lounge last night whilst reading and had been so soundly in a dream world that he couldn't bear to move her. Therefore instead of wake her he gently put a blanket over her and put the book that had fallen out of her hand on the side table. This had one advantage it meant as he went to shower he could start to properly think through his madcap plan. He was going to have to put limits on it. Not financial limits or creative limits but he was going to have to tailor in the quantity of things and stretch the time scale a bit . The song suggested that by the end of the festive period the woman in question had 12 partridges in pear trees and more gold rings then she could shake a stick at. No he would give a gift linked creatively to each line of the song, once, heaven forbid he end up with 40 maids a milking ! He also knew that the twelve days didn't theoretically start until Christmas day but it was only five days until Christmas and frankly he couldn't wait to put the plan into action.
Having put on his clothes for the day his first thoughts were to breakfast. After all, even for the town's most feared resident there was no working on an empty stomach. As he walked into the kitchen he hit the kettle . He then put some coffee in a mug for her (how she could drink the bitter black stuff he didn't know) and some tea in the closest cup for him, black with a little honey. He carried on preparing breakfast and as the French toast started frying he heard the pad of bare feet on the stone flags of the kitchen. He turned to see his beautiful Belle bleary eyed in the doorway. It took all his strength not to go over and snog her senseless as she looked sleepily at him with her hair mussed and her clothes in casual disarray. Belle didn't do mornings. Instead of ravishing her there and then he walked towards her with the coffee he had made for her and a plate of French toast putting them by her place at their table. It still gave him shivers down his spine whenever he thought of them together, coexisting as a couple. Her influence had crept into the house as she had become more comfortable there. Sunflowers and roses sat in vases in various places around the house. The curtains which he normally never bothered to open were flung back letting the light flood in and play with the highlights in her hair. They finished their breakfast in companionable silence . After a few minutes Belle got up and went to change. He washed the dishes letting his idea flourish. The day outside was bright and warm for the time of year almost like the hazy end of the summer and in no time at all he was at the door locking it behind them.
"You look distracted love, farthing for your thoughts?" Belle's voice bought him down to earth from his reverie and he smiled down at her. "Nothing dearie, just thinking how the day is much nicer with you by my side" . This was of course a kind of lie but it was so small a lie compared to his past dealings that he felt not a twinge of guilt. Finally they reached the spot where he dropped Belle off each morning, the library. "Here we are love I'll be back to pick you up at four" he leant down and kissed Belle on the cheek . "I love you Eli. have a nice day at the shop and for heaven's sake dust some of the shelves today I could barely see the bits and pieces for the dust last time I was there". With that they parted and he walked not towards the shop but towards Granny's diner at the centre of town. He entered the establishment to see that it had been fully decked out for the festive season. In fact it looked like one of the fairies had been sick all over it. He caught the sight of Ruby and the young Dr in the corner and smirked Belle would be pleased to hear about this and he made a mental note to tell her. Henry sat with Emma in another booth and Mary Margaret was halfway through one of Granny's now famous gingerbread mochas in another. Finally he reached the counter, Granny had her back to him so he rapped his cane gently on it startling her. "Mr Gold! What can I do for you ?" she inquired. Gold hadn't set foot in the diner for months and the last time he did it was to threaten someone, so she was intrigued. "I wondered if you had any of your wonderful pear tarts around ?" This made her even more intrigued it was rare for Mr Gold to consume anything that was not microwave cooked unless it was cheese and wine. "Of course Mr Gold. How many can I get for you ?" Granny stammered . "Two please, here's for your trouble" Gold said placing a note on the counter as he picked up the baked goods and moved swiftly out of the door. "Well" said Granny looking from the door to the counter and then up at Ruby "I never thought I'd see the day!".
Gold reached the shop and went quickly to his work area putting the pastries down on top of it. He sat on the bench and got out his soft brush, leather pad and the thin beaten metal between sheets of paper. He lifted it gently and began to manipulate it. Anyone who looked through the window would have seen something that really resembled magic in this land which lacked it. The thin sheet of metal glowed in the half-light of the shop, it ducked and dived through the dust and the history that permeated the air. Finally he deposited the sheet on top of the tart and brushed off the excess. The process was repeated for the other tart and finally he stood back to study his handy work. The two desserts sat on the counter looking like pieces of jewellery as the gold leaf he had applied glinted in the light. He put them in the fridge and set out from his shop again to some different stores around the town picking up little pieces here and there. Finally having picked up the most important things he made his way back to the kitchen out the back of the antique shop and started to cook.
It had been years since he had had occasion to cook properly but he found that it was one of those skills that once learnt you never forgot. So he had, in what amounted to but a short time, put the partridge in the oven and prepped the veg. He was now very involved in making stock to finish off what he hoped would be an at least passable dinner and thinking about how he could finish the last part of his scheme in time. It was at that moment that the bell of the shop door rung. Swearing under his breath he put the lid on the stock pot and made his way toward the shop entrance. Standing there in the centre of the shop was Henry with red cheeks and bright eyes from his journey. "Well hello Henry. What can I do for you ?" Gold asked feeling a little less irked on the sight of his young visitor who, beside Belle, was the only person he really liked in Storybrooke. "I wanted to know if you're up to what I think you're up to and if you are can I help?" he looked up at Gold with a grin set on his face so infectious it was hard to say no. He had thought Belle's big puppy dog eyes were the deadliest weapon but he was beginning to have second thoughts. "What is it you think I'm up to young man?" he asked trying to keep his tone even and mask the excitement he was feeling. " Well you bought two pear tarts from Granny's earlier and Archie told me he saw you walking this way with two partridges in your hands and " here he paused for effect and Gold chuckled the boy was starting to sound like Sherlock Holmes. "And Belle is obsessed with the song the twelve days of Christmas , she drives everyone to near distraction humming and whistling it around the library. So I can only conclude you are planning a meal based on the first day of the song - the partridge in the pear tree. You've got the pears and are, by the smell, well into cooking the partridge, now the only thing your missing is the pear tree. Or" he added as an afterthought "any tree at all". "You're a smart boy Henry yes that is the plan, but I'm afraid you can't ..." He stopped as an idea entered his head "Henry you know that present your step-mother bought you for your birthday?" The boy looked at him with uncertainty and then in a second Gold knew he had caught on as the familiar grin started to break across his face.
It was a few hours later when Gold went to pick Belle up from work and they had reached home. Unlocking the door he and Belle entered the old Victorian property. She hung up her coat and purse on the hat stand and continued through to the sitting room. He followed her and watched as she went to pick up the book she had fallen asleep over the previous night, he stopped her by reaching out and grabbing it before she was able to. Quickly she turned giving him an irritated questioning look to which he almost relented. "You can't read now love you have to go and get ready we're going out tonight" . "What Eli? I'm really sleepy, the Mayor was in today and she just picked holes in all the hard work we've all been doing at the library and it took all my effort not to be unpleasant and ..." She stopped abruptly and looked up at him (he made a mental note to have words with the Mayor later) he smiled and took her hand. "Come on love have a bath and relax a little, you've been working so hard recently, you need some time off". She let him lead her to the bathroom and she smiled as she noticed the Christmas scented bubble bath on the ledge. "I'll knock on the door if you're not out in an hour" he said and with that left her to soak. As predicted he had to go and knock on the door an hour later as she had not emerged from the tub , but now they were on their way to the place he had planned to spend the evening . In the boot was dinner. It had all turned out just fine despite the stock boiling dangerously low at several points.
They arrived at a quiet spot in the woods. Having helped Belle out of the car and collected the basket from the boot he took her hand and led her along the dirt track in front of them. "Where on earth are we going?" He didn't respond to her too caught up in anticipating her reaction. Finally they walked around the turn in the track and that opened to their destination. Belle stopped dead in the middle of the path and Gold all but fell over her leaning heavily on his cane to prevent all his work being for naught. "A tree house ?" Belle giggled. "Yes love a tree house now up the stairs you go so I can pass you this basket. " Belle scrambled easily up the ladder and reached back down to grab the basket from him as he unsteadily made his own way up to the top. Finally he reached the tree house and stood as he watched Belle taking in the space. He had got Henry to decorate it for him earlier and the boy had done a good job. "It's beautiful Eli. So cosy and comfortable." Gold filled a couple of bowls with the soup he had made and eased himself on to the floor making sure to avoid the bad habit of sitting on his bad knee. "The soup I made will get cold love come down here and join me" he urged gently. "You made this ?" she asked in surprise coming to join him on the rug. She looked around quizzically "spoons?". He groaned "I knew I'd forgotten something ! I'll go back and get them it won't take me long". "No Eli, don't worry " with that said she raised the bowl to her lips and sipped at the contents. A moment later she looked up at him smiling "this is really good, what's in it?" "Partridge" the giggle that peeled forth warmed his heart and he too lifted the bowl he held to his lips.
Later they were sitting talking about everything and nothing letting the good bread and soup start on its road to digestion. The twilight had descended into darkness. They had lit some candles an hour or so back and now the interior of the tree house was bathed in dancing orange light. Belle's stomach suddenly grumbled. "It must be time for dessert " she suggested . Gold responded quickly by pulling out the pear tarts covered in gold leaf and passing one to the beautiful woman opposite him. "Wow" she remarked "Granny's really gone upmarket!" He smiled back at her "I think I nearly gave the poor woman a heart attack earlier, I'm not know for going in there . Let alone to buy baked goods. The gold leaf however, is my addition." She continued to look in awe at the dessert in her hands he didn't speak but apparently the look on his face was enough.
They had finally finished the meal and were languishing in each others company as the moths and fireflies danced around the slowly descending flames. "This has been a lovely evening sweetheart but we both have work tomorrow. We should probably head back" Belle spoke with a sigh and a look of regret in her eyes . She got up from the rug and lent down to pull him up . As he reached a standing position he didn't let go of her hand but pulled her gently towards one side of the tree house. "Eli...?" "Just humor me, take that postcard off the wall." She looked at him hesitantly but reached out and pulled the postcard off of the wall . He watched as she read the back of it and smiled as she looked up at him in shock. "You bought this for me?" "No" he reasoned "I bargained to gain this for you. But yes it is yours". Suddenly her arms were around him, her lips on his and his brain gave up trying to think at all. Henry had driven a hard bargain and to his displeasure had had to involve Regina in it as well but it was all worth it to see Belle happy like this. After a moment of happy silence the couple packed up the remnants of their repast and made their way from the tree house. An hour later they had reached home and were curled up together in bed. Belle once again fell asleep whilst reading and he whilst deep in thought. Today had gone brilliantly and tomorrow well that was another day .
Author's second note - Whilst I have really tried hard to iron out spelling and grammatical issues I'm sorry if a few are still there :S Hope the next chapter will be a little longer. Best wishes - Ethlena
