It only took three hours of being in Gold's house Saturday to remind Belle why she liked living alone. Privacy. The quiet. One would think, in a house as large as his, she would have been able to find an area of the house that no one was using; but that was not the case. It had been fun at first; waking up next to him, eating breakfast with his son, but then she had found a room that wasn't being used, some kind of lounge, and had curled up with her computer to do some work and suddenly everyone wanted to be in that room.

It started with Bernard asking if she wanted anything, which she declined and he left. Then Bae decided it would be the perfect area to build a giant Lego fortress. Finally, Gold had come in to see if she needed anything. Which she didn't. So she left, trying to find a more secluded room, thinking they wouldn't find her, but they did.

This pattern held into four different rooms until Belle snapped at Bernard. "Bernard. I am a grown woman. If I need something I will ask you for it."

He smiled at her and she expected him to leave, but instead he came inside the room and shut the door. Belle couldn't help but sigh. She knew he meant well, but this was too much. Did they want Bae to go back to the Orphanage?

"There hasn't been a woman in this house for many, many years." He sat opposite of her in a high back, black, leather chair.

"I can see why," Belle responded dryly, not really grasping the meaning behind Bernard's words. Bernard smiled patiently as Belle continued, "It's impossible to get any kind of space around here."

"If you ever tell Rush I told you this I will cheerfully deny it and then sneak into your room in the middle of the night and kill you," Bernard began seriously, "But there has not been a woman in this house for a long, long time. I'm not counting girls who came back here with him for a night because he was lonely and they thought he was dumb enough to keep them around. You, Belle, are the first woman he's asked to stay here, who told him no. You also happen to be the first woman I've ever seen him love. So you'll have to excuse the male excitement that you're here, we simply don't want you to leave."

Belle settled back in her chair, her mind focused on one part of that statement. "He loves me?"

"You didn't hear that from me. He'll tell you, in his own time I imagine." Bernard got up; surveying the room she was holed up in. It was tiny and sparsely decorated. In fact, the only things in it were the two chairs they occupied and a small, round coffee table that had been stacked with an odd assortment of books before Belle took over. The books were now on the floor and her things were on the table.

She nodded at Bernard. "I understand...but...don't tell him where I am for a while. I really need to work. I want to keep Bae here; then we can work on keeping me here."

"Sensible plan, the grey haired man told her. He shut the door behind him and Belle finally had some peace. She could live here, if the men would be willing to disappear for a while. It wasn't like anything was going to happen to her. She had taken five bullets to the chest the night before; if that didn't ease their worries she wasn't sure what would.

Belle had finally started going through Regina's file. At first it was normal stuff. Regina had been born to parent's Henry and Cora and lived on an Estate. She was an Equestrian rider, and only child. She had been engaged to a man named Daniel when she was in her early twenties before he died in what Belle considered to be mysterious circumstances. The man's body had been found in Regina's family barn by her mother Cora with his heart ripped out. Police had never identified the killer or located the heart. That creeped Belle out a little. Who ripped out a man's heart?

After that it seemed Regina lost it a little. She went to college and got a degree in Political Science. She married a wealthy widower, Leopold Snow, and shortly after her parent's divorced. There was a wedding picture of Regina and Leopold clipped in the file which Bell took out to get a good look at. Her first thought was how miserable Regina looked. Regina was young and beautiful and wasn't trying to hide her contempt for the elderly gentleman standing next to her. Why marry him, if she clearly disliked him?

The answer was in the next set of documents. Money. Regina stood to gain a lot of money from the marriage, even more if he died...which he did, a year later. The circumstances surrounding his death were even stranger than Daniel's. He had been bitten by very rare, very poisonous snakes. How Gold had managed to get a copy of the police and autopsy report Belle would never know, but she was grateful for it. Regina had given a statement that her late husband kept the things as pets and they must have escaped in the middle of the night.

Convenient, in Belle's opinion. Even more convenient that Regina just happened to be spending the evening with her father. Her alibi was airtight and the case officially closed just a week after his death. None of it felt right to Belle. Two men romantically linked to Regina, both dead. Regina was either extremely unlucky in love or a black widow. Belle would have been more willing to believe the former were it not for how both men died.

So, as far as Belle was concerned, Regina was responsible for the deaths of at least one innocent man, possibly two. She wasn't willing to pin Daniel's murder on Regina just yet, but she was certain Regina had some hand in Leopold's death; even if she hadn't slipped the snakes personally into his bed.

After that Regina laid low for a while. There were documents showing her buying a car but not much else. Regina didn't surface again until her father, Henry, turned up dead. Like Daniel, his heart had also been ripped out. Unlike Daniel's case, there was a suspect; Regina's mothers, Cora, fingerprints and DNA were all over the crime scene. The police had been unable to locate Cora after an initial interview with the woman. It seemed Cora had simply vanished off the face of the planet.

After those disturbing events, Regina did what any grieving daughter in her situation would do. She ran for Mayor. Outside of her degree in Political Science, Regina had no experience in politics, yet she ran for Mayor and won by a landslide. Belle would have been fourteen when this happened. She racked her brain, trying to remember anything about the election but nothing came to mind. This wasn't entirely surprising; a Mayoral race would have been as exciting to a fourteen year old as spending a weekend reading an encyclopedia.

Belle stumbled on a series of e-mails that made her shoot out of her chair in shock and horror. She grabbed them and went on a hunt for Gold, determined to know the meaning behind them. In her hands were an exchange between Regina Mills and the late Graham Hunter discussing very intimate and personal details. Things lovers would discuss, not a Mayor and her best detective; and while they never came outright and admitted anything, Belle was intelligent enough to read between the lines.

She found Gold in his bedroom getting dressed. He looked as casual as he ever did, in nice pants and a deep purple dress shirt, the top button undone. His hair was in his eyes as he laced up his shoes.

"Are you leaving?" She asked him, forgetting why she was there for a moment.

"Ah, Belle," he smiled and straightened out, fixing the buttons on his cuffs. She was taken aback by how attractive he looked standing there, a smile playing on his lips. "Yes. I'm going into the office for a while."

"Oh." She was disappointed for some reason, which was ridiculous considering just an hour earlier she would have done anything to get him to leave her alone.

"Will you be all right?" He stepped forward. She nodded shaking the thought of her disappointment. She didn't need him here. In fact, him being gone would allow her to go visit her father and ask him about Regina's election. Surely her father must remember some of it?

"Yeah. I still have a lot of work to do. I wanted to ask you about these," she held the e-mails out for him. He took them from her and skimmed them before looking back up at her.

"Does something about them confuse you?"

"No. I don't think so? Were they sleeping together?" Belle asked.

"Yes." His tone was so matter of fact she didn't bother questioning it.

"That's not very ethical!" Belle exclaimed. She wondered, should she go back and read the police report, if she would find that Graham had been the lead investigator in Leopold's death.

"Well, no, but when have politicians ever been very ethical?" He challenged as he walked to his closet. He pulled out two ties, one a lighter purple and one black and held them up for her inspection. She pointed towards the black one.

"Never, I suppose. Was he doing this while he was dating Emma?" Belle wasn't sure if she should share this information or not. One of the perks of dating a man who knew what everyone was really thinking was that she always got the truth.

"Emma was why Graham broke it off with Regina," Gold told her, tying his tie with quick fingers. Belle was sure he had done it a million times before and did not require her help, but there was something sexy about helping a man straighten his tie. She stepped over to him, smiling a little when he paused. She lifted her hand and pulled the knot up slowly, making sure it was completely centered. His mouth was open slightly and his eyes were dark.

"So he didn't cheat on Emma?" She asked, smoothing her hands down his shirt.

Gold cleared his throat. "No, but Regina was exceptionally furious. She doesn't like to share her toys."

Belle stepped away, going to the closet to get the jacket that matched his pants. "I can see that." She handed him the jacket, sitting on the edge of his bed to watch him put it on.

"Have you found anything useful?" He asked her, joining her on the bed for a moment. His hand brushed over hers and she grabbed it before he could pull away, lacing their fingers together.

"No, nothing useful in proving she's Vincent's client. But I will."

He leaned over and kissed her. Belle would have gladly kept him there and helped him out of the clothing she had helped him put on moments before, but he was having none of it. "I'll be home late tonight."

She nodded; chewing on her bottom lip. "That's fine. I'm going to visit my Dad in a little while." She hoped he didn't think she was asking permission when she was really telling him her plans. He wasn't controlling, but after last night she could see him freaking out about her going anywhere alone.

She didn't need to worry. His brow furrowed for a moment and he asked, "Your Dad?"

"Yeah, my Dad," she repeated, wondering what about that was confusing to him.

"Isn't he dead?" Gold had never once heard Belle mention her father. She had spoken at length about her mother, but never her father. He had assumed her father was not in the picture, either through death or him abandoning Belle.

"No? Why would you think that?"

"You never mentioned him so I made some assumptions that were clearly wrong."

"Oh. It's okay," she assured him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I know this is terrible, but sometimes when I was a girl I wished he had died and my Mother had lived."

"Why?" Gold pressed his cheek on her head, squeezing her hand.

"He was...sorry, he is a drunk and when I younger a lot of responsibility fell on me, like how rent was going to be paid or how I would eat for a week. It made me angry."

"A Father's job is to protect his children," Gold ground out, angry with the man. It explained some things about Belle though, like her reluctance to accept anything given to her, or her unwillingness to give up her independence and live with him on a more permanent basis. She had probably grown up providing everything for herself. He liked that quality and hated it all at once. She didn't need him to do anything for her, but he wanted to give her things. He wanted to give her everything, but that would have to wait. He decided to start small, get her comfortable accepting small things before he offered her himself and everything that came with it.

"He took my Mother's death hard," Belle continued on, unable to hear his internal dialogue.

"That is no excuse."

She shrugged. "Well, no, probably not, but it's over now. I turned out all right, although I'm not sure how he would feel about this..." She pointed between the two of them, indicating their relationship. Gold scowled and stood up.

"Well I don't approve of how he treated you as a young girl. He may not like me, but I will never treat you poorly."

She followed him, their hands still linked. "It's not you; I think it would be the age difference. Once he realized who you are and how much you are worth I think he'd like you a lot better."

"Charming," Gold muttered dryly. He pulled his hand from hers and kissed her again, holding her close. "Just be safe, when you leave."

"I will look both ways before crossing the street," she promised. He pulled her away from him so he could look at her seriously.

"Garrett's death will not have gone unnoticed," he warned her. "And they may not think you did it, but they will know someone protecting you will. You have a target painted on your back."

"That's nothing new. I promise to be careful. I'll be waiting for you when you get home." She kissed him enthusiastically, putting several vivid images of what exactly would be waiting for him when he arrived.

"I look forward to it," he told her honestly.

Once he was gone, Belle made her way back to the room she had commandeered. Regina's file was spread out over the table and her laptop. Belle wasn't ready to visit her Dad yet, so she delved back in.

It seemed early into Regina's career as Mayor she had gone into many offices and pulled people out. There were newspaper clippings praising how she was cleaning up the city. Super Villains had all but disappeared and the Heroes were gone. Spencer Albert was promoted from a low level Prosecuting Attorney to District Attorney. Belle rifled through the paperwork, trying to find an explanation for that there didn't seem to be one. That was enough to confirm Belles suspicions that Spencer's motives were not in Storybrooke's best interests. What would he have owed Regina for that promotion?

Belle sat back, her mind whirring. It was obvious to her that Spencer had removed Bae from Gold's household because someone had ordered him to. After reading partway through Regina's file she had to surmise that Regina had been the one to order him to do it. Why? What did Regina get out of it?

She was trying to reconcile that with what had happened the day before. Garrett had tried to murder her after screaming at her for having a file on Regina. The hit had been ordered hours after she had overrode a failed appeal to keep Bae in the orphanage. All those events were not coincidence. Was it possible that Regina had ordered Belle's death after Belle indirectly defied her? Had Belle suddenly become a threat to whatever plan Regina was working towards?

It felt absurd. Belle was suggesting, even if it were just a thought, that Regina worked for the Glass Family. If Regina did, and had ordered the hit on Belle, it meant she was high up.

Belle shook her head and stood up. She wanted to run all this by Gold. He would know; he had to.

She found herself back up in his room to rifle through her suitcase for something more suitable to wear to see her father. It had been over a year since they last had contact and she didn't want to look like she was making a lot of money. He was bound to ask to borrow it anyway, but if she showed up in a designer suit he would ask for more than she was willing to give him.

Gold had offered her several drawers and had made closet space for her clothing but she had yet to accept it. It felt like moving in, and she hadn't decided if that was what she wanted. She wasn't even entirely sure she loved him. Moving in was a huge step and their relationship was still new. Brand new, really. She had a sneaking suspicion that if she put her things in a drawer he'd never let her take them out. Bernard's words stayed with her, that Gold loved her. She almost wished he would tell her.

She shook her head, coming out of her romantic daydreams of Gold. She pulled out a pair of faded blue jeans and a half sleeved, blue, cotton ribbed shirt. She took a look in the mirror, decided she looked more like a freshman in college than an Assistant District Attorney which was the effect she was going for. Let her father see her as a girl. She pulled her hair in a messy ponytail and slipped on a pair of flats and then was out. She found the BMW, ignoring the fact that it was the cheapest car in the garage. She passed by several Italian sports cars that had be worth well over a half a million dollars. Even the car Bernard drove Gold around in daily was worth more than the BMW. It was a testament to how much money Gold Corp seemed to be worth and Gold, by extension.

She put those thoughts out of her mind. It reminded her of the gap between them, which made her a little uncomfortable. He was certainly allowed to do whatever he wanted with his money. She couldn't imagine having a garage of cars worth somewhere around three million dollars. Belle had been a little outraged when she had first agreed to pay fifteen hundred dollars a month in rent for her one bedroom, fifth floor walkup.

Her father's apartment was located in the sketchier part of town. It was late afternoon, a perfectly safe time to be walking through East Storybrooke, but it wouldn't be once the sun set. She hoped his car wasn't too much of a target but wasn't willing to park it far away and force herself to walk through the dangerous streets in the dark. Just because she couldn't die didn't mean she couldn't be harmed if some half-brained idiot got a bad idea.

The building smelled like urine and rotting trash. The walls were stained yellow and it seemed like every five steps she took something crunched under her feet. The stairs were covered in shards of broken glass and something sticky. She was certain she would have to throw her shoes away after today.

Her father was on the second floor much to Belle's relief. She wanted out of the stairwells and hallways and in somewhere that smelled less rank. She knocked on his door and then let herself in.

"Dad?" She called. His apartment wasn't much better than the hallways, but it smelled cleaner. "Dad!" He had to be home, the idea he would leave his door unlocked in such a shitty neighborhood was unfathomable to her. She peeked into the kitchen and quickly backed out when she saw the ant and roach infestation in the sink.

He seemed to have no possessions outside of a very small television sitting on a metal cart and one brown chair. She walked down the hall, looking into the bathroom. The tub was covered in a yellow film and the sink covered in dark hair. She felt sick as she made her way to the back bedroom. Clothes covered every inch of the filthy carpet except for the mattress on the floor. Her father wasn't in it. He had apparently left without locking the front door.

She was disappointed she had wasted her time coming down here when he wasn't even around. She would have called but he was constantly changing his phone number. She was walking down the hall when she heard the front door slam open.

"FRENCH!" A loud, male voice shouted. She stepped into the living room and found three large men holding crowbars waiting.

"He's not here," she said, trying to squash her fear.

"Where is?" The largest man barked at her.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. They exchanged a look between them before circling around her.

"I don't believe you," the large man told her, eyeing her like meat. She held her ground, refusing to show fear.

"That's too bad."

"You his lady?"

She scoffed. "I'm his daughter."

The three men laughed when she said that, one whistling slightly. "How lucky for us. Your Daddy owes our boss a lot of money. We're here for collateral. How much do you think he'd pay to get his daughter back?"

"Well considering he has no money, I'd say nothing," she snapped, her eyes darting around for an escape. Her only saving grace was her ability to heal, if they did decide to attack her. She wasn't sure if she could break free from three of them.

"You look familiar..." One of the men was eyeing her warily.

"You ain't never seen her before," the large one snapped, "She don't seem like a pole dancer."

"Nah, I know where I seen her. She's that lawyer they're always talkin' 'bout on the TV. Hell on heels!"

They stopped circling her when they realized just who they were looking at. It didn't bode well for her. How much would Gold pay to get her back? Millions, she surmised, before he killed them all.

"So French ain't so useless," the big one was practically undressing her with his eyes. Her phone was in her back jean pocket. She put her hands in her back pockets, feigning nervousness as the turned the screen on and held down what she hoped was the two. She had made Gold's phone number the two on her speed dial after she had learned of Graham's death. Three was her office and one was her voice mail and she only had one shot at this. If they figured out she was trying to call for help they'd stop taunting her and do much worse, she was certain of that.

Gold's cell phone was vibrating in his jacket pocket at the worst possible moment. He was discussing prospects with potential investors and didn't have time for whatever frivolous caller was on the other line. Still, blame the social media age they lived in, he pulled it out slightly to see who called and was surprised to see Belle's name on his screen.

"Excuse me," he said, bowing out for a moment, leaning on his cane a little too theatrically, but no one noticed. He was a busy man, he was sure they'd understand, and if not there were always plenty more bored, wealthy men looking to invest in the newest gadget.

"Belle?" He asked quickly. There was no answer and for a moment he thought she had accidentally pocket dialed him until he heard the voices talking.

"She's probably worth a hard million," one voice was saying.

"Ain't she got some billionaire boyfriend?" Another muffled voice asked.

"We could ask ransom; let her pay off her Daddies debts."

"I know a way she could pay off her father's debts..."

Gold's blood was boiling in his blood. He didn't know if Belle was okay or if she had intentionally called him. All he knew was that if they touched a hair on her head he'd kill them all.

"Excuse me gentlemen, emergency," he dismissed them from his office, not bothering to wait until they were out of ear shot to bark at Serena, "Get me Moe French's address now!"

He used his work phone to dial Bernard, unwilling to hang up on Belle. "Where are you?"

"Downstairs, like I always am," Bernard responded.

"Belle is in trouble. Do you have my suit?"

"I do, but sir, I'm supposed to pick your son up in twenty minutes from the doctors."

"Then you better get it up here quick.

Serena had Moe French's address jotted down on a sticky note and Bernard had his suit for him within five minutes. Nothing had changed on Belle's end, the men were still trying to decide what to do with her and Belle wasn't saying anything. Gold got into his suit and walked out of his office, using his ability to prevent anyone from seeing him. It was one of the better parts of his ability. He had locked the door on the inside to keep anyone from trying to surprise him.

He was in the sky heading towards East Storybrooke in moments. Belle was conscious, he had heard her voice, still muffled, advising the men to let her go. He'd be there in less than five minutes if everything went well.

Belle was certain she had called her office and was now leaving the dumbest message ever recorded. These were three of the stupidest men she'd ever had the misfortune to encounter. She was confident they were going to kidnap her and even more confident it would take her twenty minutes to escape. She was currently sitting in her father's brown chair listening to them debate what to do with her. She sighed softly and tucked her legs under her, stealing a glance at the door. She had hoped that Gold would come bursting through the door, kicking ass and melting brains. He was going to kill her when he got her back and discovered she'd allowed the three stooges to take her hostage in the first place.

"If I may?" She interjected, interrupting their conversation. "Have you considered the ramifications of kidnaping the Assistant District Attorney?"

They stared at her blankly and she fought an eye roll. "You'll be fucked, if you kidnap me," she explained. "If you think Sheriff Swan won't hunt you down and David Nolan won't prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law, you're crazy."

"They'd have to find us," the large one informed her.

"Yeah, and how hard could that be. Disappearing from the law requires subtlety, something I very much doubt any of you possess."

"If you come after us, we'll kill your father."

Belle sighed. There was that. Her father was the reason she was in this mess to begin with. He clearly owed money to a local loan shark and now she was going to be forced to pay his debt.

"How much does he owe you?" She asked them, bracing herself.

"Fifty grand."

Well. She could never afford that. She couldn't imagine what he could need fifty grand for, unless his gambling had gotten much worse since she had last seen him.

While she was thinking they had gone back to arguing about what to do with her. She opened her mouth to ask who their boss was when the front door of her father's apartment slammed open and Gold walked in, fully dressed at the Trickster. She couldn't help but smile even if she was slightly ashamed that this was the second time he was rescuing her in twenty four hours.

"Oh shit," the large one said.

"Oh shit indeed," Gold smiled grotesquely at them. She was still beaming until she realized what he was doing to them. He was choking all three, his smile still in place as the clawed at invisible hands on their throat.

"No, wait, don't kill them!" She jumped up and grabbed his arm. He looked down at her unsurprised.

"What would you have me do?"

"Tell me who their boss is and then erase their memories!" She begged. "Don't kill them."

"Develop a friendship with them, did you?" He grumbled, poking around their brains to find the information Belle wanted.

"No, but they don't deserve to die."

Gold sighed and did as she asked, taking a small measure of satisfaction when their bodies fell hard on the floor. He had decided, after removing the memory of Belle from their brains, to let them sleep it off for a while. "Happy, my dear?"

"Yes." She kissed his cheek through his mask.

"I used to get a lot a more work done before I met you," he teased her as her looked around the space he was in distastefully.

"I believe that. I'm sorry for calling you out of work."

He waved her off. "It's no matter. Your safety is paramount. Where is Mr. French?"

"I don't know. He wasn't here when I got here, and I bumped into his friends on my way out. He owes fifty thousand dollars."

Gold pressed his lips into a hard line. He had heard that little piece of information while searching for their employers names, and the look on Belle's face told him that she was trying to figure out how to pay it.

"Yes, to a Mr. Jack Afar."

Belle relaxed visibly at the name. She knew Mr. Afar's name and he was small potatoes. Dangerous, sure, those kinds of men always were, but he didn't have the same dangerous quality that a member of the Glass Family would have. Mr. Afar would let her pay him back for her father.

"Can we visit him?"

"Do you have fifty thousand dollars lying around, Belle?" Gold asked her, knowing that she didn't. He felt bad instantly when she hung her head. She shouldn't have to worry about these things. Her father didn't deserve the consideration, in his opinion. "Let me take care of it." Fifty thousand dollars, in the scheme of things, wasn't a lot of money, especially if it kept Belle a little safer.

"I can't ask you to do that," she said quickly, her eyes cast downward.

"You didn't," he told her as he took his costume off. He was dressed underneath in his dress pants and purple shirt. "I have the money. It's a small price to pay to keep you safe and happy."

"Rush-" she started, but he cut her off.

"It's been decided. Let's go see Mr. Afar. And a bank. I somehow doubt he accepts credit, and you can't trust these types with a check."

She followed him out and then the way to car. She handed him the key and slid into the passenger seat. She hated everything about this, hated that he'd had to come down and rescue her and that now he was paying off her father's debt. They didn't say anything as he drove to the bank, she was too humiliated and he seemed to be deep in thought. When they got there he pulled his phone out and called, asking for the manager and informing the man that he would be in in a moment to withdraw fifty thousand dollars and he would like it waiting for him. This didn't appear to be an unusual request for the manager because Gold was off the phone a moment later.

"He's used to me. I don't like to be kept waiting."

She nodded, still looking down at her hands. He leaned over and hooked his hand under her chin so she had to look at him. "Hey, don't be so upset."

"You shouldn't do this," she murmured. He wanted to pull her into his lap and kiss her silly. She looked so ashamed in that moment that it was hard to fight the urge, but it was more important to make her understand.

"Why shouldn't I? What's the point of wealth if you don't take care of the people important to you? You are important to me. Your safety is important, and most of all, your happiness."

"I'll pay you back..." She started but he waved her off.

"Consider this a gift. All I ask, in return, is that you convince your father to go into some sort of rehab program so we don't have a repeat performance."

"You keep trying to give me so much," she told him, "But I don't have anything to give to you."

He felt like she had slapped him with her words. Could she honestly feel that she had given him nothing? In their relationship she gave him so much more.

"Don't be absurd. You have given me more than you presently are aware of. Now. Let's not fret over this any longer. If your father wishes to pay me back once he is sober I am sure I can find a job for him, but this is not your debt."

She nodded, feeling slightly better about the situation. If she could find her father and get him into a program, he could work his debt off, a solution she was perfectly agreeable too.

Gold was about to step out of the car when she reached for him, stopping him. "Your cane."

He swore softly. "Damnable thing."

"Here, I'll help you." She got out quickly and feigned helping him out. He rested his hand on her shoulder and they walked together, him limping the entire time.

The bank manager was waiting for them the moment they came in. The manager fussed over Gold, seemingly horrified when Gold mentioned he had broken his cane. Gold brushed him off and followed the man into his office. Gold handed Belle the bundle of bills as he spoke with the banker about transferring some money around. She was trying not to stare at the bills in front of her but she had never seen so much money at once.

Before they left Gold asked for a brief case and Belle was certain the banker gave Gold his own case.

"They like you here," she commented as they went back out to the car.

"They like my money," he corrected. "Open the glove box for me, will you?"

She opened it when she was in the car, startled when she saw a gun lying on top of the registration and insurance information. His hand was held out so she handed it to him.

"You put a gun in my car?"

"I put a gun in your car," he agreed, secretly pleased she was referring to it as her car.

"Why?" Why would she need that to drive around?

"For moments like this." He was driving to Afar's shop, a front for what he was really doing. "You know you could have him arrested for this."

The thought hadn't previously crossed her mind until he brought it up. "Let's pay him first. I don't want my father to owe him when Afar gets out."

"Ah, yes, let's throw my money away before you have Ms. Swan arrest him."

She looked over at him, stricken. "I'm so sorry-"

"Belle, I am merely teasing you. I would have suggested the same thing. It makes no sense to allow a lackey to step in and demand payment."

"You're sure?"

"Completely sure. Unless you'll reconsider and allow me to do things my way..."

"I can't condone murder, Rush," she snapped. He gave a mock sigh.

"Of course not, how foolish of me." He was still teasing her. He was happy, happy despite the serious events going on around them because he was with her. He would take rescuing her every day if it meant he got to be with her.

"Why are you smiling like that?" She interrupted his thoughts. He looked over at her serious face and smiled a little wider.

"I enjoy your company," he told her, squeezing her hand as he pulled into the parking lot.

"Shall we continue pretending your leg bothers you?" She asked, rubbing her hands nervously on her jeans.

"For now. Let him think he has the upper hand." Gold rolled up his pant leg to reveal an empty gun holster. He had put it on that morning in case one of his investors got any bright ideas. The men he had been speaking with had mob ties, but he wasn't supposed to know that. He had planned on accepting their money, but dating Belle was giving him second thoughts. What if he could be the Hero? Didn't Bae and Belle deserve that from him? He didn't know how to go about it, how to be the Hero in his own story.

She met him on the side of his car and helped him out again once the gun was hidden. He could use his mind to kill Afar if things got out of hand, but the gun would be useful for intimidation.

The butcher shop was empty. Belle rang the bell on the counter and waited. A Middle Eastern man with a heavy beard came from the back. "Can I help you?" She was surprised he had no accent.

"We're here for Mr. Afar," he said smoothly, "We're interested in a business proposition."

She looked the man in the eyes, her face betraying no fear. It was something she had mastered as a trial lawyer.

"Come," the man indicated, allowing them behind the counter and into the back. She had expected to see meat. Instead she found a room that was very clearly set up to do business transactions. A tall, slender man was sitting at a table looking through some paperwork. He looked up and got to his feet when he saw them, prompting two burly men to come forward. Their presence was a warning.

"Mr. Gold!" Afar said, a smile twisting over his sharp features. Belle wanted to recoil, everything about the man screamed snake, from his beady black eyes, pointed nose, and the thin goatee on his defined chin. "Long time, no see."

Belle looked at Gold sharply. They knew each other? Gold did not seem concerned that Belle was suddenly in investigative mode. His dealings with Afar were buried so deep it would take her two hundred years to uncover them.

"Indeed."

"And who is this?" His eyes were on Belle, and like when the meat bags he had sent to collect her father had looked at her, she felt a little violated. "Could it be Belle French?"

His eyes were sharp and on Gold's face again. He was distrustful now. "What is she doing here?"

"She's with me." Gold said with finality. Afar's features distorted grotesquely for a moment.

"Look at you, you snake," he told Gold softly, "Turning an ADA. You must tell me how you did it; I'm having difficulty with a certain...Senator's daughter."

Belle felt her skin crawl at the idea he was trying to break a woman. Gold's head snapped to the left and his eyes narrowed for a moment. It happened so fast she wasn't sure she saw it because the next moment he was stepping forward. "I'm here to clear up a debt."

"Oh?" Afar walked back to his desk and took a seat.

"Moe French," Gold placed the brief case onto the desk and clicked it open.

"You want to clear up Moe French's gambling debts?" Afar asked him disbelievingly.

"I wouldn't be down here with fifty thousand dollars in a brief case if I didn't," Gold snapped. Afar's eyes slid to Belle again.

"She must mean a great deal to you," Afar commented as he counted the bundles.

"It is in my best interest to keep her happy," Gold ground out. He was staring at Afar intently and Belle was wondering what he could hear.

"If I were you, I would never let her out of my bedroom." Afar snapped the case shut. "Consider Mr. French's debt settled."

"You will not do business with him again," Gold instructed. Afar's eyes narrowed momentarily but he backed down, apparently unwilling to go up against Gold.

"Fine, fine," he waved them off. "If he comes to see me I shall send him packing."

"If he comes to see you, you will send him to me."

"Yes, yes." Afar nodded at Gold, clearly dismissing them. Gold gripped Belle's shoulder painfully, steering her out to the car. He didn't speak to her again until they were on the road, driving away.

"He has a man locked in there," Gold told her. He knew Belle would be on the phone immediately with Emma Swan to have the man locked up.

"What? Who?" She asked, horrified.

"I don't know, his thoughts didn't specify. Did you not hear the man making noise in there?"

"No, I didn't," she confessed. "I'll call Emma and send them down there."

Gold nodded and listened as Belle called a Judge she was familiar with, granting Emma a search warrant and then called Emma and explained her suspicions. Emma didn't seem to argue with her once Belle told her the warrant would be waiting for her and that she needed to search carefully and to call her once they were done.

Gold sat outside his building for most of the conversation, listening to his girl in action. She was impressive, especially when she wanted something.

"Are you going back to work?" She asked him once she was done making calls.

"Yes. I will be home even later now."

"I'm sorry for dragging you into all this," she apologized, turning in her seat to face him.

"Don't be," he took a hand, pressing a kiss to her palm. "I want to be a part of your life."

"You are." She leaned over and kissed him briefly, wanting to allow him to get back to work. She still needed to call Vincent and confront her about Regina and follow up with Emma on this new Afar case, and let David know what was going on with it all.

"I will see you tonight," he promised, getting out. She got into the driver's seat at the same time but when she looked up to wave good-bye he had disappeared. There was no way for him to get inside so fast, but he was gone.

She sighed and headed back to his home.

She waited until she was safe in Gold's home, locked in his bedroom, to call Vincent. "Vincent," the woman's voice clipped from the other line.

"Tell me, why does Regina Mills want Gold's son in a home?" Belle wasn't beating around the bush.

"Excuse me?" Vincent snapped.

"I'm just trying to figure out what Regina has to gain from all this," Belle said cheerfully.

"I have no idea what you're going on about French," Vincent sounded more composed now, but it didn't matter. Her second of hesitation was all the confirmation Belle needed.

"It would be tragic if someone went poking around in the Mayor's affairs," Belle said lightly. "Who knows what someone might find, but I'll warrant a guess it's not all on the up and up. What do you think?"

"Are you threatening Ms. Mills?" Vincent asked dangerously.

"Merely making an observation," she smiled, even though she knew the other woman couldn't see her. Belle knew the message would be passed along. "Have a nice day."

Belle made a quick call to David, telling him about Afar and then collected her file on Regina, bringing it up to his room to continue browsing. She had just opened it when he phone buzzed.

"French," she said, propping the phone between her ear and shoulder so she could keep reading.

"Ms. French, just what do you think you are playing at?" Regina Mills demanded from the other end. Belle dropped her papers in surprise.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what you're referencing," Belle told her. Vincent was fast.

"Are you really considering conducting an investigation into this office?"

Belle laughed. "Oh, no, Regina, your lawyer is confused. I'm not interested in the sins of the Mayor's office; although I'm sure there is enough to keep The Daily Mirror in print forever. I'm interested in you." Regina's call confirmed that she was Vincent's mysterious client.

"Excuse me?" Regina's rage was palpable through the phone.

"You know what interests me," Belle continued, her tone light as if they were discussing the weather instead of making subtle threats and accusations. "Are the odds of a fiancé, husband, and father all dying around a person. What would a thorough investigation into those deaths reveal?"

"You are playing a dangerous game, Ms. French. You don't know who you are up against."

"Oh I think I have a pretty clear picture on the type of person you are, Mayor Mills."

"If you go up against me I will destroy you, if it is the last thing I do."

"Is that a threat?" Belle asked idly.

"It's a promise."

"Then I suggest you abandon your suit against Gold, and we can pretend none of this ever happened."

There was a tense pause on Regina's end. "We shall see."

"So we shall," Belle agreed. Regina hung up after her words and Belle tossed the phone away from her on the bed. She felt drained.

She didn't have long to relax before her phone was ringing again. "You need to get down here," Emma Swan was telling her.

"Down where?" Belle asked, getting up and grabbing her keys.

"Storybrooke General. We found a man locked up."

So. Gold had been right. It shouldn't have surprised her as much as it did.

"I'm on my way."

She sped to the hospital as fast as she could and met Emma and Archie in the lobby.

"What's going on?" Belle asked, looking at their grim faces.

"His name is Allen Pali and he's been a missing person for over a month," Emma said grimly.

"Have you contacted family?"

"He doesn't seem to have any," Archie told her.

"Everyone does," Belle insisted.

"He's not talking," Archie told her, "But you're welcome to try."

Mary Margaret was walking in, clearly looking for a story, so Archie and Belle left together to see Allen Pali.

Allen had to be Belle's age but he looked older somehow. He was tan and his hair was dark and thick. He was clearly a good looking man.

"Mr. Pali, my name is Belle French. I'm the Assistant District Attorney and I need to ask you a question. Just one question."

He nodded, his eyes focused on her face. "Is there someone I can call and let know you're here?"

"Layla Sandslow," he croaked out. Belle paused at the name, her mind racing. She didn't know Layla but she did know Stanley Sandslow, a very well respected Senator she herself had voted for. She was remembering Afar's comment to Mr. Gold earlier about trying to break a Senator's daughter. Was that what he was referring to? Layla?

"Allen...was Mr. Afar interested in Ms. Sandslow?"

Allen nodded.

"I'll call her for you."

Archie followed Belle out. "This is like a soap opera. Afar kept Pali locked up so he had a shot at his girlfriend?"

"Welcome to Storybrooke," Belle sighed, calling a contact down at the station for Layla's phone number. Calling the actual woman herself was awful; the woman was hysterical when Belle informed her of the circumstances.

She hadn't intended to stay at the hospital to wait for the woman. It was dark and getting late. She wanted to see Afar and gloat a little before going home to put on something sexy and wait for Gold.

Instead she camped out at Allen's side in the hospital and began several games of hangman with him as Emma questioned him about the last month and Archie took quiet notes.

Layla and Allen's reunion was touching. They both broke down, although Belle would have argued that Layla was already broken down when she arrived. Emma, Archie, and Belle removed themselves from the scene out of respect for the pair.

"Want to meet me in the station tomorrow?" Emma asked, referring to Afar.

"Yeah, around noon. I still need to deal with my custody case."

"Call me when you get to the station."

Belle nodded and left. She was exhausted and ready for a solid eight hours of sleep.

When she got home she immediately went back to Gold's room. Regina's file was still there but he wasn't. She put on clothes to sleep in, pausing when she saw his closet open. There was still space for her things.

"Fuck it," she decided, grabbing her suits and dresses and hanging them in his closet. She folded the rest of her things and put them in drawers and slipped her suitcases under his bed before crawling in. She tossed the file onto the floor and closed her eyes.

She woke up to strong arms wrapping around her. She rolled over to bury her face in his chest. "I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"For what my love?" He asked, pulling her closer.

"I was gonna get sexy and do things to you...but I am too tired."

He chuckled. "Another night. Go back to sleep."

"I put my things in drawers."

"I saw that."

"It doesn't mean I'm staying."

"I understand. Just for the time being."

She snuggled in, happy he was home. "Rush?"

"Yes?"

"I love you, too."