Chapter Ten: A night of half-truths
"Rumplestiltskin? Why are you looking that ole fairytale up for, Belle?" Mrs. Potts asked, peering over Belle's shoulder.
They were in the library in front of the computer at the main desk, where Belle had been reading up on everything she could find about the Rumplestiltskin fairytale, trying to find some sort of clue as to where their dagger thief might be hiding.
Belle glanced back at Mrs. Potts, and shrugged, "You heard about the dagger being stolen right?"
Mrs. Potts nodded.
"Well, last night, this strange guy in a mask showed up at the museum, and he called himself Rumplestiltskin. Sheriff Gram, Deputy Swan and I think he might be the dagger thief," Belle explained, exiting out of the site she was currently on before logging off the computer.
Mrs. Potts snorted and patted Belle on the shoulder, "It's probably just another drunk or teen out messing with people, sweetie".
Belle shook her head and stood up, stretching. "No, believe me, there was something very strange about this man".
"If you say so Belle," Mrs. Potts said. The older woman motioned towards the staff-room and added, "Tomorrow I'm having a meeting with Mayor Mills to try and convince that mule of a woman to allow the library to do more children and teen clubs to increase interest, so you'll have the day off".
Belle smiled and nodded, "Alright, good luck with Mayor Mills, Mrs. Potts".
Mrs. Potts smiled, "Have a good night dear," she said.
Belle left the library and headed over down the street towards Mr. Gold's shop, where she could see that the lights were still on.
Overhead, the sky was beginning to darken, and the sun was slowly disappearing behind the horizon.
Suddenly, Belle's phone beeper as it received a text message.
Belle took her phone out of her pocket and checked it; the message was from Ruby.
Ruby: Wanna hang out? Me & Ariel at Grannies & just finished our last shift of the night. Got loads to tell you!
Belle quickly typed a reply.
Belle: Sure, but it'll be a few minutes before I get there, have to check on Mr. Gold. Hospital orders.
A ding from an incoming text message sounded almost instantly.
Ruby: If he tries anything call us, and Ariel will hold him down while I deball him!
Belle chuckled and shook her head, remembering that her friends didn't know that she and Mr. Gold had become friends.
She texted Ruby back and told her that she'd be fine and then promptly headed into Mr. Gold's shop, despite the closed sign.
The belle above the door jingled as she stepped inside, and to her surprise, she didn't hear Mr. Gold call out to her.
Intrigued and slightly worried for her friend, she went into the backroom where she found him sitting at an antique desk, writing—wait no, he was drawing!
Belle smiled mischievously and snuck up behind him. Then she leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Hey".
Mr. Gold shot up out of his chair so fast that Belle had to jump backwards to avoid being hit by the chair that went flying back as well.
Belle gave a startled yelp at this, then exclaimed, "I'm so sorry Mr. Gold, I didn't mean to scare you!"
He turned to face her, his eyes as wide as moons, and his mouth was hanging slightly open. A reddening blush crept across from his neck to his cheeks, and Belle thought he looked absolutely adorable.
"You didn't scare me," he said, beginning to relax, "You just startled me that's all".
"Mm-hm," Belle smiled, then added, "What were you drawing?"
He smiled, and it lit up his entire face, lessening the harsh lines around his mouth, and making him look his age of thirty-two years old, rather than make him look older as he usually did.
He shrugged, "Just some sketches".
Belle tilted her head to the side, "Can I see?" she asked.
Belle was genuinely curious she hadn't known that he liked to sketch. The things you learn when you bother to get to know someone, she thought.
He motioned towards the sketch-pad, "Be my guest," he said.
Belle beamed at him, and though he sounded indifferent to her request, she could see the fear in his eyes.
Mr. Gold stepped out of her way, and belle stepped forward to look at his sketches, and was surprised to find that he must've shut the sketch-pad when she'd startled him.
She picked up the sketch-book and thumbed through it. He'd drawn everything from little cartoonish chibi versions of the townspeople, to realistic drawings of crocodiles and other animals.
Belle looked up at him, "Mr. Gold, I didn't know you could draw this well, these are amazing!" she told him.
Mr. Gold looked up at her as well, having been staring at his shoes while she went through his drawings.
"You think so?" he asked, his eyes full of hope.
Belle nodded, and thumbed through it some more until she found the drawing he'd been working on.
It was a woman with fluffy hair wearing some sort of cloak, and was holding the Dark one's dagger up, so that one could almost see the name on the dagger. All around her were thick trees and what looked like the beginnings of mist or fog.
Mr. Gold rested his hand on her shoulder, peering down at the drawing.
"Where'd you get the idea for this? It's so detailed," Belle asked, looking back up at him.
He removed his hand from her shoulder and shrugged, staring down at his shoes again as if they were by far the most interesting thing in his shop.
Belle turned to face him, but not before closing the sketch-book and having placed it back onto the antique desk.
She reached out and cupped the side of his face in her hand, gently tilting his face up so that he was looking at her.
"It's ok," she soothed, "You can tell me".
"I-uh," he licked his lips nervously, leaning into her hand, his eyes half-closed. "I saw it in my dream last night. There was a-a woman with the dagger and she-uh, she uh was dancing the waltz by herself and when I approached her, she took the dagger out and . . ." he quietly trailed off, a far-away look coming into his eyes.
"And—?" Belle prompted gently, her thumb stroking the stumble along his jaw.
He pulled away from her suddenly, shaking himself. "We should hurry up and finish the check-up," he said as her phone began dinging repeatedly, "It sounds like your friends are paging you". He added with an amused smile.
X*X*X*X*
A few minutes later Belle found herself walking into Grannies where she was instantly greeted by Ruby and Ariel.
They pulled her over to one of the booths and the all slid into it, Ruby's face was bright, and Belle could tell that she had some very good news.
"What's up?" Belle asked when they were settled.
Ruby slapped her hands down on the table, her green eyes gleaming in excitement and sheer bliss, "Archie finally asked me out on a date!" she crowed in triumpth, earning an amused chuckle from her Grandmother who was cleaning up the restraunt.
Belle clasped her friend's hand, grinning, "That's awesome Rubes," she said, "When is your guys' date?"
"Next week at the movies," Ruby squealed, then she patted Ariel, whom she'd already shared the news with earlier, on the arm and added, "And Ariel has big news too!"
Ariel nodded her head enthuisiasticly and motioned with her hands as she said, "Well, you know how I sent my clothes designs to that one contest?"
Belle nodded, feeling her excitement return.
"Well, I won!" Ariel announced, and Ruby squealed.
"Ariel, that's great!" Belle cheered.
"Uh-uh, I'm not done," Ariel shushed her, and then said, "The prize was that my designs get created at this company for a month in Riverway, and they're paying for me to go there and meet with them, and you know what the best part is? I get to bring four friends!"
Belle and Ruby both squealed in their excitement, earning another amused chuckle from Ruby's grandmother.
Ariel's smile widened as she added, "I'm bringing you two, and then MM of course, and then I'm also bringing Emma, if she'll go".
The three of them spent the next hour discussing how they would spend the two days they would be spending in the nearby, but much larger town of Riverway.
XOXOXOX
Hope you guys liked this chapter, and here's just a hint for the next chapter, "While the girls are away, Rumplestiltskin will play". Plus in the upcoming chapters, Our dear Rumple and Belle meet something very "Wicked."