Saturday's were surprisingly very slow for French Bread's Pizza Parlor. The business usually got less than ten walk-ins and rarely any calls for delivery after 8:30.

It was because of this usual pace that Belle decided to leave early for a date with Mr. Gold. She had been using his car for deliveries for nearly two weeks, and subsequently unofficially dating him as well. Belle felt embarrassed to call their relationship that in such a way. Since he had lent her his car for the business, they had managed a few rendezvous but nothing longer than a twenty-minute lunch date in his shop.

Worse yet, their physical affection was starved. Other than the fiery kiss they shared on the night of the car explosion and a few quick pecks whist Belle was running off to deliver another order, they hadn't kissed at all!

She was determined to change that. She was going to Gold's shop at 7 and take them to a small casual Italian place just outside of Storybrooke. She would bury her phone if she had to so that they wouldn't get interrupted.

She brought her change of clothes with her to the restaurant and Merlin had promised enthusiastically he'd close up shop.

"Red or blue scarf?" Belle inquired as she finished getting ready.

"Red." Merlin suggested as he worked on inventory.

"No you will not!" Jefferson exclaimed as he jumped off the counter, snatching the offending cloth from Belle's hands. "Blue's the only color for you." He shot back to Merlin. "Do you want them to break up!?"

Merlin rolled his eyes and closed the refrigerator.

Belle giggled and tied the scarf around her neck. With it she wore a sky-blue blouse with a brown skirt and burgundy tights. She rarely got to dress up and it was one of the few outfits she owned that didn't have remnants of her work on it. She wanted to look good tonight, wanted to look like she belonged beside Mr. Gold rather than clashed against him. It always embarrassed her during the rare times they got to be in public together where she'd be in her work uniform and him in his well-tailored suit. He never said anything but Belle didn't want to him to be mocked because his girlfriend had flour on her shirt.

"What time is it?" she asked for the tenth time that hour.

"Not 7 yet." Merlin laughed. "We won't let you be late."

"I know I just…I really want things to go smooth tonight. We've been dating two weeks and we've hardly spent any time together."

"You know, you can have more time off it you want."

Belle sighed. "It's my family's business. I can't leave it in your hands."

"You work too much!" Jefferson called from the front of house. "I know it, your dad knows it, the whole town knows it!"

"I'm taking the night off, aren't I?" she called back to him, leaning on one of the ovens to slip on her heels.

"You look great." Merlin assured. "Why don't you go ahead and head out? We have one more carryout and then we're closing up shop for the night."

"Take an umbrella." Jefferson said as he finished sweeping the front. "Looks like a storm's coming in."

Belle felt worry twist in her gut. While she loved the rain, she hated thunder and lightning with a passion. She hoped it stayed calm until they at least got to the restaurant.

"Okay, see you guys Monday!" she yelled as she grabbed her purse and looked for the keys to Mr. Gold's Cadillac. Just as she found them, a sleek black car pulled up and a familiar figure stepped from the passenger seat.

"Gold!" Belle cheered, balancing herself in her heels so that she could wrap her arms around his neck and kiss his cheek.

"Thought I'd meet you halfway." He winked. "Second date and all."

She laughed and pecked his lips. "Yes it is."

"I'll see you on Monday, Mr. Gold." The towering driver of the car disclosed, nodding politely at Belle.

"Goodnight Dove."

The couple watched the tall man duck carefully back into the car and drive off.

"Ready to go?" Mr. Gold inquired as soon as he was gone.

"Oh yeah! Do you want to drive or-"

"Belle!" Merlin called out the door. "Hold tight a second!"

Belle felt a brief wave of panic roll through her. Mr. French and Will were off today, were they okay? Before the thoughts could get more sinister, Jefferson came trotting out with a pizza box, turning sheepishly to Mr. Gold.

"Hey Mr. Gold!" he greeted with a nervous chuckle. "Sorry about the whole attempting to burn you in the car thing two weeks back."

Mr. Gold smiled humorlessly at his apology. Belle had told him about how Will and Jefferson had been willing to set the former French Bread car alight after they jumped to the conclusion that Belle had killed him. Though he had found it a bit disturbing that the men who handled his food on many occasions were willing to commit cold-blooded murder, he was grateful Belle had such dedicated friends on her side.

"Jeff," Belle cut back in. "why is there a pizza in your hands?"

Jefferson smiled sheepishly. "Our carryout changed it to a delivery at the last minute."

"No!" Belle protested. "Not going to happen. I've been planning this all week and there is no way I'm wasting anymore time!"

"Belle, it's okay." Mr. Gold reassured gently.

"No it's not!" Belle interjected. "I can't keep doing this to you. I know you say you don't mind but eventually you will and then we're going to have a big mess on our hands!"

Gold clasped her dancing hands. "I made this deal with you Belle. Not just for your business, but so that I could see you every day, even if it's just for a moment."

"Yeah but…"

"And what was your affix to the deal? That I would ride along with you one in a while? Looks like today is that day."

Belle scoffed and pressed a kiss to her lips. "How did I get so lucky?"

Mr. Gold pulled from her lips, dazed. "I'm the lucky one."

"And I'm confused but oddly turned on."

Belle and Gold turned back to the forgotten Jefferson.

"What's the address?" Belle inquired as she took the pizza from him with a glower.

"It's that guest mansion on Madison Lane, the one that writer from Boston is renting for the summer. I forget his name…"

"Isaac Heller?" Belle gasped.

"Heller." Gold mused. "Why is that name so familiar?"

"He wrote that fantasy novel Heroes and Villains." Belle explained as she put the pizza in the insulation bag and buckled it carefully into the back seat. Overhead, a mass of dark clouds were rolling in. Thunder barked distantly and Belle a chill go up her spine.

"Ah!" Mr. Gold nodded as he turned the car and windshield wipers on. "I think Bae read it when it made the Times list. Don't remember him getting too excited about it however."

Belle waved a smirking Jefferson off and climbed into the driver's seat. "There wasn't much of it to get excited about." Belle sighed as she adjusted the heat.

Gold faked-scoffed and gave her an appalled glance. "Belle French bad-talking a book?" I never thought I'd see the day!"

Belle laughed and smacked his arm playfully. "It wasn't necessarily a bad book. It's just…what started out as a simple plot turned into a void of underdeveloped characters and plot holes that just went on forever."

"Sounds like an overcomplicated mess."

"Indeed."

As soon as he finished his sentence, fat droplets of rain began to pound against the windshield and Belle slowed her driving.

"Don't get nervous." Gold warned as the rain increased.

"I'm not, just don't distract me." Belle mumbled as she tried to navigate through the sheet was water. She clenched harder on the steering wheel, trying to keep her nervous feet steady.

"Belle, just turn over." Gold ordered after a moment. "I can't even tell if we're still in town."

"I can see the road." Belle protested, her heart beating just as loud as the rain. "We'll be fine."

"Belle please!" Gold pleaded.

Belle hesitated before easing on brakes and edging onto the side of the road. At least she thought it was the road. One second there was ground under the wheels and the next the Cadillac was flying off the side of the road.

Belle and Gold screamed as they flew down through the air, the only thing keeping them from flipping was the slick, muddy slope that they finally landed on, sliding through the trees until they finally crashed.

Belle?

Belle!

Belle didn't want to listen to the voice. All she wanted to do was sleep.

Belle please wake up!

Wait, was that Gold? Why did he sound so scared?

She forced herself to come out of the foggy darkness. She felt pain and cold all around her, but finding Gold was more important.

Her vision began to clear and the look of pain and horror on Mr. Gold's intensified.

"Oh Belle, thank God! Can you hear me sweetheart?"

She tried to nod her head or speak but she only had the strength to blink.

"Okay, don't move Belle. Just stay still and try to stay awake, I'm going to try and call for help."

She watched him struggle to get out of the car. The vehicle was nearly on its side and the door slammed in her face as he crawled out of the passenger seat.

Now in her silent aloneness, she could attempt to pull together where she was and what was happening. She was in the car—the car she crashed—and Mr. Gold was struggling to get help for that mistake. From what she could see through the rain-coated window, they were deep in the woods, far away from the town and help they needed.

She wanted to rise from her seat and help Mr. Gold, apologize for yet again inconveniencing him but she couldn't move.

She literally could not move.

She could blink and even felt her eye twitch but she couldn't lift her head from the steering wheel or move her arms or legs. She wasn't in pain or even very uncomfortable. She was just numb.

She could hear Mr. Gold's frantic voice just behind the car. He was okay and getting help. Knowing this kept her calm.

And helped her fall asleep when the painless cloud of exhaustion flooded her senses once more.