Author's Notes: I do not own Once Upon A Time. So, here is a special Halloween Scenes From A Curse. Please let me know what you think and happy reading!
Gold drove home just as the sun set on Storybrooke. He could see his neighbors putting the finishing touches on their Halloween decorations.
He was unconcerned with such things. Belle, of course, made a big production of it as she did with all the celebrations in this land. She and Beatrice had spent a day carving pumpkins in the backyard and they were now proudly displayed on the steps of the pink house. Beyond making his family happy the decor had no significance. No one came to the Gold house to trick or treat despite Belle's best attempts, they were seemingly programmed by the Curse to stay as far away as possible. Tonight, Belle would take Beatrice trick or treating and he would stay home to read a book and drink his Scotch.
"Hi, Daddy."
He took a double take. Beatrice sat casually next to Lady in a Princess Belle gown, complete with a garish gold fabric and sparkly tulle touches.
"Hello, Beatrice. Is that your costume?"
"Uh-huh," she said as she continued coloring.
"Good. You're home," said Belle. He turned up just in time for her to sneeze loudly. Looking closer, her nose was red and she looked pale.
"What's the matter?"
"It's a cold," she coughed. "Probably the one Beatrice had last week."
"Well, you should go to bed. I'll bring you some tea."
"No, I need you to take Beatrice trick or treating."
"What?"
She frowned at him. "Was there something confusing about that?"
"Where's Pamela?"
"She wanted the night off to go to a party."
"Where's your father?"
"You're her father," Belle said sharply.
"I know that, but I can't leave you alone when you're ill."
"It's a cold, not the plague. I'll sit on the sofa and wait for you to come home."
"We don't have to..." said Beatrice.
Gold sighed. Some children threw tantrums when they didn't get what they wanted, but Beatrice just accepted defeat which only brought out Belle's ire when it was something she thought Beatrice ought to have. He could already feel Belle's eyes boring into him.
"No, sweetheart," said Gold. "We can go."
He was going trick or treating.
"What about my hair, Mommy?," asked Beatrice.
"I did your hair. I told you it's just like Princess Belle's."
She held up a page in the coloring book. "No, it's not."
"Your mother knows best," said Gold. "Come on. Let's get your coat."
The hair question settled, Gold set out with Beatrice her hand in the one not occupied by his cane.
"Why don't you put your coat on? It's chilly."
"I want people to see my dress."
"Yes, but you'll get cold."
"Princess Belle doesn't wear a coat."
"I'm sure she does."
"Why didn't you wear a costume?"
"I think people are frightened enough as it is, sweetheart," Gold nodded at some passing tenants as they scrambled away.
"You could be Beast."
Gold found himself dumbstruck as they continued on their way to the next house. It belonged to Mrs. Nolan, the former Princess Abigail.
"Mr. Gold," she said. "I didn't think the rent was due until tomorrow."
He tilted his head at the princess. She was generally one of the smarter plebs. For the sake of the gods, he had a child wearing a costume holding his hand.
"No, dearie," he said in a low voice, "we're here on quite another matter."
She looked down at the bowl of candy she held in her hands suddenly aware of Gold's real business. "Oh, right!"
"Trick or treat!," said Beatrice holding out her plastic jack-o-lantern.
"Yes, yes, of course," said Kathryn, proceeding to dump several large handfuls in the container.
They continued down the street and visited several more houses, all of the residents terrified by the sight of Mr. Gold. Beatrice made the turn down the sidewalk to the next house and Gold held her hand back.
"What, Daddy?"
"We're not visiting that house," he said, eyeing the former Baba Yaga as she passed out Apollo bars in angel wings. "I don't want you to take candy from that woman."
They seemed to have struck witches' road because Gold found he didn't approve of Beatrice taking candy from any of the people on it. In fact in the old land, he would have just as soon transformed them all into snails as have them look upon Beatrice.
Then they found themselves at Regina's house. Henry was too young to trick or treat of course, but his mother had him dressed up in a lion costume and watching everything from his stroller. The mayor herself was in her normal attire with a witch's hat. They were parked at the end of the walking path up to the house lest anyone think they could skip a visit with Mayor Mills.
She was passing out candy apples.
"You can't possibly be serious," said Gold.
Regina eyed Beatrice's costume. "You're one to talk."
"I needn't justify myself to you."
Beatrice, meanwhile, eyed the candy apples. "Trick or-"
Gold clapped his hand over her mouth before she could finish. Even if this world supposedly had no magic, there was no way he would let Beatrice engage with Regina in what was tantamount to a magical contract back in the Enchanted Forest.
Then there was the matter of the apples.
"Beatrice, what are our two most important rules?"
She sighed and looked defeated. "No apples."
"And?"
"No taking food from Mayor Mills."
Regina had the gall to look offended. "Seriously, Mr. Gold? Aren't you being a bit paranoid?"
"It's not paranoia if someone's done it before, dearie."
Regina narrowed her eyes, bracing for an argument. "I never would have had to do that if you would have stuck to the original terms of our deal-"
He scoffed. "I, in no way, violated our agreement. My so-called violations were never detailed in that agreement-"
"The intent was clear-"
"How many times must I tell you that intent is meaningless?"
Luckily, the sheriff arrived to save them from shouting at each other in a conversation that would be incomprehensible to all of cursed Storybrooke.
"Madame Mayor, Mr. Gold." Graham now turned to Beatrice and bowed slightly. "Your Highness. I didn't know we had any royalty visiting Storybrooke."
Beatrice giggled.
Gold snorted. "You'd be surprised, dearie."
"Where's Isabelle?," asked Graham.
"Yes, where is Mrs. Gold?," asked Regina. "I hope there's no trouble at home."
"She wasn't feeling well," Gold answered Graham.
"That's a shame. Tell her I hope she feels better."
"Yes, give Mrs. Gold my regards as well," said Regina.
Gold scoffed as he led Beatrice down the sidewalk. "Yes, my wife will no doubt be moved by your concern."
They took a turn down the street, getting them away from the witches and goblins that neighbored Regina and towards the apartments where Miss Blanchard lived. The teacher herself stood outside dressed as Dorothy.
"Mr. Gold, I thought tomorrow was-"
He sighed. "Indeed it is, but as you may have noticed Miss Blanchard, I am here on quite another matter."
She looked down. "Beatrice, I'm sorry! I didn't see you there! You look just like Princess Belle!"
"Doesn't she, though?," Gold muttered.
"Now, do you have something to say?"
"Trick or treat!," Beatrice cried, holding out her jack-o-lantern.
"That's it!," said Mary Margaret, giving her a handful of candies.
"Thank you."
Mary Margaret smiled and looked back up at Gold which stopped her smiling.
He grimaced. "I'll be back for the rent..."
They went down to pay special calls to Belle's uncles and soon enough, Beatrice complained that she was cold. Gold finally managed to wrangle her into her coat and then her legs were still cold and he declared it time to go home despite her protestations.
"Hey!," said Belle, meeting them in the foyer. She had changed into a robe and pajamas. "How was trick or treating?"
"My arm hurts."
Belle took the jack-o-lantern from her outstretched hand. "Wow. That is heavy! How did you get so much candy?"
Gold snorted as he took Beatrice's coat off. "I think my tenants were trying to pay their rent with it."
"Can I have some?," Beatrice asked Belle.
"Only after we check it, okay? And only five pieces tonight." She handed the bucket to Gold. "You handle that and I'll get her in the tub."
"I can take care of that. You need your rest."
She frowned at him. "It's not exactly that hard. Besides, I know you must want a rest. Come on, baby," she said taking Beatrice's hand and leading her upstairs.
"I want to wear my dress to bed."
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"Princess Belle wears her gown to bed."
"I can guarantee she doesn't."
Gold smiled to himself as he looked down at the bucket and now noticed the surprising number of boxes of raisins. He had no love for the holiday, but raisins? Was this some side effect of the Curse?
"Someone's getting their rent raised," he muttered as he went to the kitchen.