Gold lived on the very edge of town and so he had insisted that he wait for her to finish packing her things, he had even shut the shop early for her despite her protests. Gaston was working lunch that day, so she waited until she saw the raven haired teen pack an order into the back of his brownish-red pick-up truck and drive away. With Easter fast approaching the shop was reasonably busy and her father wouldn't notice her tiptoe in the back door. Belle was careful to avoid the creaky step as she climbed the stairs and turned right into the apartment then left to her bedroom. Belle pulled an old grey rucksack from under her defiled bed and filled it with only her best clothes, she didn't want Gold to look at her like she was some sort of vagrant. The military jacket that Ruby had bought was slipped on and the matching hat placed on top of her shoes and clothes in the bag. She had just enough room to wedge her college work down the side, her whole life fit into one bag. The bag was broken so she could only zip it half shut.

"It'll have to do." Belle told herself.

She had a small toiletries bag that she filled with what little make up she had and everything else she would need. The last thing Belle had to get was the novel that she had tried to sell to Gold, what seemed like forever ago. It had belonged to her mother, Belle could never leave it. She took one last look around the room, picked up her things and left.

She debated not leaving her father a note. Did he deserve one? Belle decided it was better to leave one, he was still her father and she didn't want him to think her dead or something. The note she left was short and simple nothing more than the bare minimum of information.

Papa,
I'm sorry but I couldn't tell you in person. I can't stay here, not after all that's happened.
Don't worry about me, I am fine.
Belle

Belle didn't know why she wrote 'don't worry about me' she doubted that he cared beyond where he was going to get his drinking money. As she set the small note down on the kitchen table Belle felt like a heavy weight had been lifted, the Albatross gone from her neck. She took another breath and then slowly made her way back down the stairs, only to her Moe taking to someone. She recognized the Irish accent straight away and decided to listen from the stairs, no one could see her there.

"Of course you can have her Killian."

"Has to be nine, I have a late night tour that I have to do later."

Killian Jones ran the Storybrooke sea tours, essentially for fifteen bucks you and all your friends could spend the day with Killian telling you the history of Storybrooke and then watch the fish through the glass panel in the ship. Belle found it stupid that people got drawn into that, she much preferred the land and her books thank-you-very-much.

"Sure Killian. Belle will be back by then, I will make sure she is here for you."

Belle almost cried hearing her father hand her out like some she was an object. She was a person.
She had to get out of there before she burst into tears or worse was seen. She charged out the back door and across the street to Gold's black Cadillac, seeing her Gold opened the door and let Belle sit in the passenger seat. He joined her in the car and turned to face her, seeing the tears in her eyes.

"Are you alright Belle?"

Gold though she looked like she needed a hug, and for a second he was going to but he couldn't bring himself to do it. 'Coward' he cursed silently himself.

"I'm fine, Nick." She turned to face him. "Thank you for this, its so selfless."

There was a voice at the back of his mind, something evil and dark that laughed and said 'if she only knew' but Gold did his best to hide that not only from her but from himself.

"I think I am getting the better end of the deal, dearie." Gold half smiled.

Memories of Killian, Gaston, her father and all the other men filled her mind. He could never know about them.

"I don't think that quite right, Nick."