Coming up: Gold and Belle grow closer.

Chapter Three

'You alright?' Belle asked, as he closed the door behind him.

He nodded. 'Yeah. She's as predictable as ever.'

'What does she want?'

'Money,' he said. 'She acts like she misses me, wants to sort things out and clear the air, and then she asks for money. I give her some, and then we're right back to the way things have always been, her spreading her venom, and nothing I do is enough.'

He looked very tired and her heart went out to him. She hugged him.

He held her, comforted.

He sighed. 'The thing is, I fall for it,' he said quietly.

'Oh, Tristan,' she murmured, cuddling closer.

He buried his face in her hair, shuddering.

'Sh,' she crooned, running her fingers through his hair. 'Sh, it's alright. I've got you: I've got you.'

He clung to her, his tears soaking her hair. 'I'm sorry,' he apologised.

'No, don't be sorry. I know exactly what it's like. God, I used to do the same with my father. He'd be nice to me for a change, and I knew - I knew - it was because he wanted something, wanted me to do something, wanted me to behave a certain way to make him look good, and I'd do what he wanted, because I just wanted him to love me, you know? But I'd feel so awful after, so much like a traitor to myself, and eventually, I started saying no, and then he'd be vicious, so, sometimes I'd say yes after all, but I hated myself for it. Then it came to a point where I asked myself which was more valuable to me: that I love myself or that he love me, and then it became easy to tell him no. Once I started doing that, I could look myself in the eye in the mirror and smile, and that felt so good, it was worth not having him in my life. So I understand what you're going through: I really do.'

He held her close. 'My poor Belle,' he murmured. 'You're so brave.'

She smiled. 'I always wanted to be brave, so I figured do the brave thing and bravery would follow.'

'And it did,' he said.

'Yeah, I guess it did.' She smiled. 'You don't have to deal with her alone, you know,' she said, looking up at him. 'I wish I'd had someone that I could turn to when I was trying to deal with my father. I know that you have Neal, but I'm here, if it helps.'

'It does, believe me. Neal doesn't know everything. I kept a lot of it from him. He knows that she likes to ridicule me every chance she gets, but he doesn't know that I…'

'It's ok,' she soothed: 'you don't have to say anything.'

'No, I want to,' he said. 'I know you understand. There was a time, more than one time, when I begged her to come back, even with the way she treated me. I think I loved her more than she loved me, and, for a long time, I just put up with her viciousness because I loved her. The reason she thinks she can just come to me and I'd take her back is because, until recently, it was true.'

He looked away. 'I know it's pathetic.'

'No,' she murmured: 'no, I think it's natural. You want to be loved by the people you love: you want to make them happy, to keep them with you. Sometimes we let people we love treat us badly because it's easier than realising they don't love us, or they're using us. It's hard to find the strength to let those kinds of relationships go.'

'Yeah,' he agreed, 'but then, like you said, you get to a point where you can't take it any more, or where you realise it's just not worth it any more.'

'You don't love her any more,' she realised. 'You said until recently you'd take her back, but not any more.'

'No,' he agreed.

'What changed?' she asked, smiling.

I fell in love with you, he thought.

'I just realised that I deserve better, you know?' he said.

Her smile widened. 'Yes, you do,' she agreed, and hugged him.

He held her close, wishing for so much, wishing for strength to get the words I love you out without choking on them.

Belle wanted to say those words too, but he was so vulnerable right now, she wasn't sure it was a good idea.

They both pulled back, neither saying anything of their true feelings.

'I'll go change,' he said. 'You take the bed, Belle: I can sleep on the chair.'

She shook her head. 'I'm not taking your bed from you, Tristan,' she said. 'I'll sleep on the chair.'

'Absolutely not,' he said. And he shot her a look that said not to even argue.

She didn't. 'Then we share,' she said, her heart beating fast.

'You'd…be alright with that?' he asked. God, he wanted her close to him, even though it would drive him crazy at the same time.

'Of course,' she said. 'It's a pretty big bed,' she added, turning and gesturing so he couldn't see her blush. She longed to sleep beside him, just have him close.

He should say no, insist she take the bed and he'd sleep on the chair, but he wasn't that much of a gentleman.

'You're sure?' he asked, his voice low.

'Yes,' she said, trying to keep her voice even. She managed to school her features and turned to him. 'Really, there's no sense in one of us being uncomfortable when the bed is big enough for us both to sleep comfortably in.' She tried to sound reasonable, while her heart was racing. Story of her life lately…

'Ok,' he said, nodding. He knew damn well it was a bad idea, but he silenced his conscience on this occasion. He could have her close to him and that was all that mattered.

He went to change, and, when he came back in, Belle was under the covers.

'Sorry,' she said, 'I should've checked which side you sleep on.'

'You're fine,' he said: 'I sleep on the right.' Belle had chosen the left.

'Ok, good,' she said. 'This bed is really comfortable,' she said, 'like lying on a cloud.'

He turned his head and smiled. 'Well, I hope you sleep well,' he said.

She leaned over and kissed his cheek. 'Night Tristan.'

'Good night Belle,' he murmured.

It took them a long while to fall asleep. They were each very aware of the other's presence, the person they had romantic feelings for lying just inches away. Still, they somehow managed to fall asleep in the end. Perhaps tiredness overcame them, or perhaps it was their awareness that the person beside them was someone they trusted, a friend, and whatever other complicated feelings were there, that friendship and trust allowed them to relax with each other.

0

Gold woke with a warm weight pressed to his side, his hand cupping something warm and soft, and something tickling his nose.

He opened his eyes and realised that the something tickling his nose was Belle's hair, the thing his hand was cupping was her bottom, and the weight pressed to his side was her body. They must have sought each other out in sleep.

He needed to do something about his hand. He'd been pretty forward in his sleep, waking with his hand resting comfortably, even confidently, on her bottom, her very lovely bottom…

Shit, he needed to put some distance between them. He could feel himself reacting to her.

He moved his hand away, bringing it up to her arm, just below her shoulder. There, that was somewhat more innocent.

Just when he was beginning to relax, she moved, cuddling closer, her fingers curling against his chest, her leg sliding over his. Luckily they were both wearing pyjama bottoms and t-shirts and no skin was on show.

Belle was warm and comfortable. This bed was amazing to sleep in, but it wasn't just the bed, she realised. She'd fallen asleep beside Tristan, and she'd woken up in his arms, her leg draped over his.

Oh, dear, this was a problem. How was she going to extricate herself without waking him? But his hand rubbing her arm told her he was already awake. She opened her eyes and looked up.

'Hey,' she murmured, moving her leg in what she hoped was a discrete way.

'Hey,' he returned, smiling.

She returned it. 'Sorry,' she apologised, 'must've wanted a cuddle in my sleep.'

'So must I,' he said.

'You don't mind?'

He shook his head. 'Do you?'

She shook her head. 'It's nice, the company.'

'Yeah,' he agreed.

'Fancy crepes for breakfast?' she asked, needing to put some distance between them fast.

'Sure. I'll-'

'Let me?' she requested.

He smiled. 'Can I help?'

She smiled. 'That'd be great.' She patted his chest and climbed out of the bed. 'Hey, where's the shirt you were wearing yesterday?'

'In the hamper, why?'

'Because girlfriends often wear their boyfriends' shirts,' she said.

'Oh,' he said, the thought of her wearing his shirt doing things to him that meant he wouldn't be getting out of bed just yet.

Belle found his shirt in the hamper and held it to her nose, inhaling his scent. She closed her eyes. It was like being in his arms again, heavenly, and she wondered if she could get away with stealing one of the shirts he'd worn and taking it away with her when she left.

She swapped her t-shirt for his shirt. It came to her knee, and she thought she could wear it without her pyjama bottoms and not offend Neal and Emma too much. She was conscious of Henry being in the house, though, and didn't want to go too far with this ruse and scar him for life. She decided wearing the pyjama bottoms would be better after all. Henry wouldn't see anything he shouldn't and Milah would still get the message she was meant to get.

Gold looked up when she appeared again. He hadn't gotten out of bed. She really wanted to go back and join him, but she knew if she did that, she'd kiss him for real, and she needed to work up the courage to tell him how she felt.

'I'll go get started on the crepes,' she said.

'Ok,' he returned. 'You look lovely, by the way,' he added: 'that shirt looks better on you than it does on me.'

She smiled. 'Oh, I don't know: it looks pretty great on you.'

She went out, her cheeks turning pink. Was he flirting with her? Would he guess she was flirting with him?

Gold had those same questions. This thing was getting very complicated, or maybe it wasn't very complicated at all. He had to let her know he wasn't pretending.

0

Belle found Emma, Neal, and Henry in the kitchen, debating what to have for breakfast. She realised she'd walked into an argument.

'Belle, can you please tell Neal that chocolate is not an acceptable breakfast food?' Emma requested.

'Well, I don't wanna cook anything,' he whined.

'I'd be happy with a pop tart,' Henry said plaintively. 'Then I could go play in the snow.' It had snowed in the night, a lovely blanket of white.

'You're not getting that crap, kid,' Emma said. 'And breakfast first; then snow.'

Henry made a face.

'How about I make us some crepes?' Belle suggested. 'Neal, I can even do some with chocolate chips? And how about a selection of berries for Henry? And maybe cinnamon for Emma?'

'Oh, my God, can you come live with us and make breakfast every morning?' Neal asked. 'Please, please, please?'

'Yeah, Belle, please?' Emma added.

Belle laughed. 'I take it that's a yes to crepes?'

Three heads nodded eagerly.

'Can I have a chocolate one too, Belle?' Henry asked.

'Of course you can,' she returned easily. 'We'll do a selection of toppings and everyone can pick what they want. Let me just grab the flour, eggs, and milk, and I'll whip us up a batter.'

She went to work.

'Papa still asleep?' Neal asked. He didn't fail to notice her blush.

'He'll be down in a minute, I think,' she said.

'That's his shirt, isn't it?' he asked, smiling.

She looked up at him. 'Why did you push us together, Neal?' she asked. 'Was it just about your mother?' She thought maybe it wasn't, but she wanted to be sure.

He shook his head. 'You like him, right? I mean really like him.'

She blushed. 'Is that…alright with you?' she asked nervously.

'I'm happy as long as he is, Belle,' he said.

'I wouldn't hurt him, Neal,' she said earnestly. 'I want to make him happy.'

He smiled fondly. 'Then I'm cool with it,' he said.

She smiled.

Milah appeared a few minutes later. Neal's eyes widened when he saw how put together she was. She'd gotten up early and was done up to the nines.

'Who are you tryna impress?' he demanded in a low voice.

'Mind your own business, Neal,' she hissed.

'It is my business,' he growled.

'Milah, you want some crepes for breakfast?' Emma asked, cutting through the tension between mother and son. 'Belle's cooking us some.'

'I'll have coffee,' Milah returned.

'It's no trouble,' Belle said, turning to offer the other woman a smile.

'Really,' Milah said coldly, 'I'm fine. I don't eat breakfast.' She'd noticed the little chit wearing Tristan's shirt.

'Well, I do,' Gold said, arriving in their midst, 'and crepes sound delicious.'

He skirted Milah and went to Belle, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her shoulder where his shirt had slid down. He wasn't going to hide these feelings any more.

'Good morning,' he murmured.

'Hey,' she greeted. She reached a hand up to stroke his cheek.

'I wondered where this went to,' he said, touching the shirt, acting as though they hadn't discussed her wearing it.

She shrugged. 'It smelled like you so I took it.' Which was true.

'And now it smells like you,' he said, squeezing her a bit and kissing her neck behind her ear, committing the little noise she made to memory. Oh, he was going to hell for sure, but he couldn't think how else to gauge how she felt about him, and let her know how he felt about her, than to push this little charade as far as she would let him.

'Tristan, behave,' she scolded, 'I've got crepes to make. You don't want your family to go hungry, do you?'

'Hmm, if I could have you to myself? Absolutely.'

She giggled adorably and blushed. 'Come on, help me with this,' she commanded. 'We're all hungry.'

'Oh, alright,' he said. 'What do you want me to do?'

'Get me down those skillets, please, and then sort out some toppings for the crepes. Neal will have chocolate chips, Henry will have some berries, and Emma would like cinnamon. Do whatever else you can think of and everyone can make them to order.'

'Yes, ma'am,' he said. He took the skillets she'd asked for down from the rack and set about opening cupboards to pull out everything he thought would work as a topping for crepes.

Soon, Belle had the first crepes cooking. The others were gathered around the table where the toppings were waiting for the crepes to eat them with.

'Ok, watch this,' Belle called, turning with a skillet in her hands. 'Hope I can do it right now.' She flicked the skillet, and the crepe jumped into the air, flipped over, and landed back in the skillet.

'Cool!' Henry cried. Emma, Neal, and Gold clapped. Belle laughed.

'Where'd you learn to do that?' Gold asked admiringly.

'My mum taught me. We used to make these every Sunday. Haven't done it in years, but' she shrugged 'I thought you all might like them.'

'I think they'll be delicious,' Gold said, coming and hugging her.

She cuddled into him, sighing when he stroked his fingers through her hair. She was falling more and more for him. Every moment they were together seemed to make her more and more sure that she was in love with him.

She served up a stack of crepes, managing to keep them warm and moist over a pan of steam, and everyone fell to. She kept cooking and soon had another stack ready, finishing off the batter.

'Come here,' Gold said, pulling her down into his lap. She settled there, deciding she wasn't going to fight this need to be close to him. She didn't care about doing this to keep Milah at bay any more: she was in love with this man, and she was going to find a way to let him know it.

'Man, I'm stuffed,' Neal announced.

'Good,' Gold said: 'more for the rest of us.' And, with Belle in his lap, he smeared a crepe with butter, lemon juice, and sugar, rolled it up, cut it in half, and offered it to Belle, who smiled and took a bite.

They ate the rest of their breakfast like that. One would prepare a crepe and feed it to the other. Milah, sipping her coffee, was furious. Tristan hadn't so much as looked in her direction. Well, if she couldn't get through to him, she'd have to do something about that girl.

0

Once breakfast had been eaten, Henry was no longer content to wait to play in the snow.

'Hold up, we gotta clean up,' his father insisted. 'Belle cooked, so we're cleaning.'

'I can do that,' Belle said. 'You take Henry out into the snow and have fun.'

Henry jumped up and down, pleased.

'Rules are rules, kid,' his mother said, deflating the boy's excitement.

'Aw.'

'The snow will still be there in twenty minutes, Henry,' she said.

'Really, I don't mind,' Belle said.

'I got an idea,' Neal announced: 'Papa, why don't you and Belle take Henry out in the snow and we'll catch up when we're done here? It's Christmas,' he said to Emma.

'Yeah, ok,' she relented.

'Yes!' Henry cried.

'Shall we, Belle?' Gold asked.

'That sounds lovely,' she said. 'Let me go get ready.' And she ran her hand down his arm.

He caught her hand and squeezed gently. 'Hurry back.'

She turned and smiled at him, and he let go of her hand.

Milah followed her out to the hall.

'I know what you're doing, you know,' she said quietly.

Belle turned as she reached the bottom of the stairs. 'What I'm doing? Sorry, I'm not following.'

'Oh, don't give me that,' Milah snarled. 'Your sugar and spice act won't work with me. You think I don't know what you're here for? You hit onto a good thing when my son introduced you to my husband, didn't you? Make him fall for you and marry you so you could get your hands on his money. It's the oldest trick in the book, sweetie, but let me-'

'Oh, no,' Belle said, cutting across the other woman sharply. 'No, I think you've got me confused with someone else, sweetie.' And Belle lifted her chin, ready to take this woman on.

'Everything alright here?' Gold asked, appearing in the hallway.

Belle smiled at him. 'Milah was just saying she might join us in the snow.'

'Really?' he asked.

Milah looked at him. 'Absolutely,' she bluffed, not willing to let the little tramp wrong foot her. 'Let me get my boots and I'll be down.'

Gold and Belle watched her go.

'If that woman has footwear appropriate for walking in the snow, I'm a monkey's uncle,' Gold remarked.

Belle giggled.

'She didn't say she'd join us, did she?'

'No, but she did all but call me a gold digger,' Belle returned, 'so I got a bit vindictive. Sorry.'

He smiled. 'Oh, don't apologise, please,' he said. 'This is going to be amusing.'

'Hey, Henry said the lake might be frozen enough for skating,' she said. 'What do you think?'

'Should be. The locals reckon so, anyway. I checked in town on my way through yesterday. Why?'

'Well, I brought my skates and I used to be pretty good at it.'

He smiled. 'I'm terrible, but I'd like to watch you. Will you show me your moves, Belle?' he asked cheekily.

She giggled. 'I'd love to.'

She stepped closer and reached up, kissing his cheek. He took her hand, caressing the back of it with his thumb.

'I'm so glad you're here,' he said.

'Me too,' she murmured. She could say it right now, say I'm in love with you, but she thought it might be even better to show him first. He was thinking the same thing.

0

Belle got ready, and she, Gold, Henry, and Milah went out into the snow. There was nothing like the crisp cold of a snowy scene to clear out the cobwebs, and Belle and Gold enjoyed themselves playing with Henry, throwing snowballs and setting about building a snow family.

Milah, however, was not enjoying herself, but she dared not leave, since Belle had thrown down the challenge. Her feet were frozen, and she tried to keep her chattering teeth silent, as she awkwardly helped with the snow family.

Gold was not fooled, but he was having too much fun with Belle and Henry to pay much attention to Milah. If she was cold, she could just go inside: he was done caring what she did.

'Having fun, Ma?' Neal asked, as he and Emma joined the group. 'Looks like Papa's having a blast.'

'We're all having a wonderful time,' she said, projecting false cheer.

Neal laughed. 'Yeah, you look like you are.' He leaned in a bit. 'Give it up,' he said, his voice low, 'he can't even see you any more. Why don't you do us all a favour and get back on your broomstick and leave?'

'Why are you so eager for me to leave?' she asked. 'Perhaps you're afraid I can get his attention after all, hmm?'

He smiled. 'Fine, stay. You wanna suffer the humiliation, be my guest. It's no more than you deserve after all. I'll just enjoy the show.' And Neal walked away to join his family.

The five of them worked on the snow family, and threw a few snowballs too. Finally, Gold decided he wanted some time alone with Belle.

'Want to take a walk with me?' he asked her.

'Of course,' she said, giving him her hand.

So, they left the group and followed the lakeshore.

'It's so beautiful out here, Tristan,' Belle murmured, after a period of companionable silence.

'It's even better with good company,' he said, smiling at her.

She smiled. 'And I've got the best company.'

'Me too.' He squeezed her hand. 'You know, you're an extraordinary person, Belle,' he said.

'Oh, I don't know about that,' she demurred, blushing.

'You're just gonna have to trust me, then,' he said.

She smiled.

'And I believe you agreed to let me watch you skate.'

'I did, didn't I? Lucky I brought these, then.' And she held up her skates. 'You're not allowed to laugh if I fall,' she said. 'I haven't done this in a while, so I'm rusty.'

But when she got onto the ice, the joy she was feeling made her graceful and light on her feet, and the memory of it came back almost immediately, so she glided on the ice like a pro.

Gold watched, entranced, as she spun and jumped, arms extended, one leg held aloft behind her. She was magnificent. He wanted to hold onto this moment forever.

'Wow,' Neal said, as he, Emma, and Henry joined them. Milah had had enough and gone back to the house. The others had seen Belle on the ice and come for a closer look. 'I didn't know she could do that,' Neal said, awed.

'She's amazing,' Emma remarked, staring at her friend.

'Yes, she is,' Gold agreed. She looked like an angel in her beige-coloured coat and hat. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

Belle turned and saw them all watching. She skated backwards over the ice, did another twirl, another jump, and then came skating back towards them. Gold held his hands out for her and she smiled at him, hugging him. Everyone else was clapping.

'That was the most incredible thing I've ever seen, Belle,' Gold murmured.

'Thank you,' she breathed, touched.

'I didn't know you could do that, Belle,' Neal said.

She shrugged. 'Mum taught me. Ballet, skating, crepes, and books, all things I learned to love through Mum. They're how I keep her with me.'

'Here, let me help you out of those, Belle,' Gold offered, and he helped her sit down on a fallen tree, beside which her boots were waiting. He unlaced her skates and she put her boots back on.

'So, who wants lunch?' Neal asked.

'I thought I'd stay a bit longer,' his father said. 'I'd like to walk a bit more in the snow.'

'I'll join you if you don't mind,' Belle said. 'It's so beautiful out here.'

He smiled. 'I was sort of hoping you would,' he said.

'Ok. We'll go back and get lunch started,' Neal said. 'We'll see you guys in about an hour.'

So, Belle and Gold took a path through the forest, while Emma, Neal, and Henry headed back towards the house, taking Belle's skates with them.

Belle slipped her hand into the crook of Gold's elbow as they walked and he smiled at her. It was so comfortable being alone with him. He felt the same way.

'I'm having such a wonderful time,' she said softly.

'So am I,' he replied. 'Can't remember a time when I was so happy.'

'Me neither,' she agreed.

They walked on, chatting about this and that, laughing together, enjoying the snowy scene and each other's company.

They were enjoying themselves so much that an hour slipped away without them noticing. Gold only realised what time it was when a text came from Neal to tell them lunch was nearly ready.

'We should head back, then,' Belle said softly.

He nodded. 'We can go this way,' he said, pointing to a path through the forest that sloped back down toward the house.

They soon reached an open slope, used by the locals for sledding.

'Careful here, Belle,' Gold advised: 'the snow gets pretty compacted and slippery when there's been sledding, and it looks like some people were out this morning. Here, take my hand and we'll take it slow.'

She did, and they did, but her foot slipped anyway and she couldn't keep herself upright.

'Belle!' Gold cried, holding tight to her hand. He couldn't pull her back, though, and he ended up sliding down the slope with her, both of them tumbling a bit, before he ended up on his back at the bottom of the slope with her on top of him.

Next time: Belle and Gold admit to feelings.