Gold kept looking at his watch. It was 10:00pm and Belle had not yet arrived. It's not that he expected her at any set time, but the later it got the more nervous he became. Maybe he shouldn't have said what he had to Moe about marrying Belle and having babies with her. Granted, it was the truth, and he'd wanted Moe to know, but maybe it had been too soon. He knew that it probably sounded crazy to anyone but him and Belle.

He looked at his watch again… 10:05pm. Moe was probably listing every con of their relationship to Belle… he didn't even want to think about how many there were… the list could be endless. He had many faults and Belle really did deserve better. But he couldn't bear the thought of Belle with anyone else. They belonged together. He knew that as an absolute certainty. Even his deep self-doubt could not make him believe otherwise. He held on to that. He knew Belle felt the same.

10:10pm. He supposed he should change out of his suit. He removed his jacket and vest. Belle could remove the rest if she was so inclined. He chuckled. He could almost predict that she'd start loosening his tie as soon as she got close to him. She'd do it without even thinking.

He made himself a cup of tea and sat down on the living room sofa. The house was silent and his ears were focused on the door. He heard her before she even put the key in the lock. He wanted to jump up to greet her, but held himself back. He liked the idea of her letting herself in… as though she lived there.

The door opened and then closed softly. Her steps headed toward the living room. His eyes met hers as soon as she came into sight. His heart began to race. Would she ever not have that effect on him?

"Rum…" Her smile widened as she walked slowly over to him. She seated herself on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. He circled her waist with his. Their lips met in a tender kiss.

"I missed you." She brought one hand forward and began to loosen his tie.

He chuckled. "I missed you too, sweetheart."

She kissed him again through the smile that was playing at her lips. "Is something funny?"

He chuckled again. "I knew you'd start undressing me as soon as you got here."

Belle stopped what she was doing.

"Please don't stop, sweetheart. I've been looking forward to this." He loved teasing her.

She smiled and continued to remove his tie. "I guess I just want you to be comfortable. You can't relax when you're all dressed up."

He laughed. "Whatever you say, darling. I know it's difficult for you to keep your hands off of me."

She giggled. "I don't deny it. As handsome as you are in a suit, I much prefer you with no clothing."

He groaned. She knew exactly how to get to him. Every time he thought he was the one in control, she had a way of snatching it away from him… not that he minded. "I was going to ask you about your evening with your dad, but you're making it difficult for me, sweetheart." He was aroused already and he knew she could feel it.

"Yes, I want to tell you all about it… as soon as I finish making you more comfortable." She removed his tie and undid several of his shirt buttons. "OK. That's a little better. We can take care of the rest later." She leaned forward and kissed the part of his chest that she had exposed.

He raked his fingers through her hair while pulling her closer. She moaned quietly and his cock hardened further.

"OK, darling. I really do want to hear about your evening, but we can't continue like this." Belle ignored him and kept kissing him. He massaged her scalp. She moaned again and unbuttoned his shirt further so that she could put her lips on his nipples. He moaned and dug his fingers into her scalp. "Belle…"

She reached down to unbuckle his belt. "I think I need this now, Rum. We can talk later."

He didn't argue with her. By now he was too far gone to hold back. He let her remove his pants and boxers and then he held his breath while he waited for her to take his cock in her hand. She liked to take him in her hand and stroke him. She did it every time and the anticipation of waiting for her small soft hand to wrap around him made him ten times harder. He moaned and thrust involuntarily as soon as she touched him. "Belle…"

"You feel so good to me, Rum. Wild and out of control and hard to rein in." She bit his earlobe and he moaned again. "Belle…"

"I need you in me, Rum." She pulled her dress over her head and tossed it aside. The she removed her bra and panties and straddled him.

"Gold eagerly ran his hands all over her naked body."You're so beautiful, sweetheart." He was throbbing with desire for her. She leaned forward so he could take a nipple in his mouth. She whimpered.

He caressed her butt and then cupped it firmly in his hands. He groaned. It felt so perfect. Everything about her was perfect to him. He moved one hand between her legs and she pressed down hard and rubbed against it. She was dripping wet. "I'm going to touch you right where you want me to, sweetheart." He curled two fingers into her and settled his thumb on her clit. She cried out. He slowly stroked her while she writhed against him.

She whimpered into his ear. "I need you in me." She reached down to take his cock in her hands and he helped her lower herself onto him. He groaned at the sensations that he felt as her body enveloped him. Nothing felt better to him than being joined with her.

"I love you, Rum."

His heart was beating rapidly. "I love you too, Belle."

She held onto him tightly for a minute and then she began to ride him… she started out slowly, but quickly increased her pace with his assistance until they were both as out of control as they had been that morning.

He could tell she was close by the way her moans kept hitching with her breath. He helped her through the last stretch until she was crying out and her body was contracting around him. He thrust hard back into her and groaned loudly as he felt himself coming. They both collapsed together.

She squeezed him tightly and he brushed her hair aside so that he could kiss her forehead. "Do you feel better now, darling?"

She squeezed him again. "Yes. I needed to be close to you."

He was almost afraid to ask. "Does this mean your evening went well?"

She tried to stifle a giggle. "What makes you think it had anything to do with this evening? Maybe I just missed you."

It was his turn to chuckle. "There was more to it than that, darling. You were filled with emotions that needed expression. I can read you very well."

She kissed him. "OK, you got me. It went really well." Her smile was radiant.

Gold's heart skipped a couple of beats. He'd been so nervous. Maybe Moe hadn't brought up what he'd said. Maybe they hadn't discussed him at all.

"Something changed tonight between me and Dad… He listened to me and understood me. It was the first time I felt I could confide in him the way I've wanted to for a long time."

Gold stroked her hair. "I'm happy for you, sweetheart. I know how much you love your dad."

"I do. He's been a mother and father to me. It's been hard not being able to tell him certain things."

Gold had to ask. "You mean things about me and you?"

She kissed him. "Yes. He's been confronting you about our relationship. He's pretty much avoided discussing it with me. That's been bothering me a lot."

"I'm sorry, Belle." Gold felt bad. Maybe he should have realized it himself.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Rum. This is something we had to work out between the two of us. I decided that I was going to tell him everything and take my chances as to how he'd react."

Gold's stomach was flip flopping. He was terrified of what she may have said. "Everything?"

The look of horror on his face made her laugh outright. "Well, not everything… but enough for him to understand who I am and what I want."

When Gold didn't look mollified, Belle giggled and continued. "I think he's been under the impression that I'm vulnerable and easily influenced by you because of our age difference. He didn't see us as equal partners in our relationship."

"Yes, I was afraid he felt that way." Gold hugged her.

"Anyway, I put that to rest right away. I told him that I was the one who pursued you, not the other way around. I think that's the one thing that made him realize that he'd been lecturing you when he should have been discussing things with me."

Gold chuckled. "Yes… you were the pursuer, my dear. I was just a poor innocent without the wherewithal to resist."

Belle eyed him. "I'll agree with the part about you not being able to resist."

He laughed. "So true."

"I also told him that you've always been the perfect gentleman."

"Um…Belle," Gold was uncomfortable with this, "did you forget that he found you in my bed?" He swallowed. "Not to mention the condoms and all of the rather, uh, affectionate exchanges he's witnessed between us?"

"No, I didn't forget, but you have always been the perfect gentleman in the ways that count, Rum. I told him that you let me set the pace for the whole relationship and that you always put my needs and wants ahead of yours."

Gold could only imagine what Moe thought when she mentioned her needs and wants. "Do you think he wanted to hear that?"

"Not at first, but after he thought about it, I think it meant more to him than anything. He knows you care about me, but I don't think he realized how much. I could tell that it had an effect on him when I said it."

Gold was not expecting this. He could feel himself becoming emotional.

"He wanted to know just how serious we were and where our relationship was headed."

Gold's heart stopped. This was it. "What did you say?"

"I told him exactly how I felt about you and then I told him the same thing you did." She took his hand in hers. "He's OK with it, Rum."

Gold didn't ask. They both knew what she was saying. Gold felt the tears in his eyes. Belle brought his head down onto her chest and ran her fingers through his hair. "It's OK, Rum. I love you and you love me and the people we love are coming around."

He held her closer. He wasn't used to anyone caring so much about him. Even Moe was giving him a chance in spite of all his reservations.

"I just have to meet Neal now, Rum."

He felt her tensing. "What's wrong, Belle?" He looked up at her.

"I'm so nervous. I'm not sure he's going to like me." She had tears in her eyes.

"Oh, Belle." He stroked her hair. "I don't want you to be nervous. I know he's going to like you. Has anyone ever not liked you?"

"It's not the same, Rum. He's not meeting me as me… he's meeting me as the woman who's in a serious relationship with his father. They're two very different things."

Of course she was right and he wasn't sure what to say. "He may be a little thrown off at first, but he'll come around… a lot faster than your father did. You have to believe that."

"What if he thinks what other people think? That I have some ulterior motive for being with you?" It pained her to even suggest it.

"It won't take him long to see you for who you are, Belle. There's an honesty about you that people recognize. Neal's very perceptive." His heart was breaking. He didn't want her to worry about this.

"I'll try. I think I'm just overwrought tonight. This is the first time I've felt this nervous about Neal. I was only a little nervous before."

"You've had a very emotional night, sweetheart. I told you I could sense it earlier."

"You're right." She kissed him. Then she yawned. "I'm so tired, Rum."

"Of course you are. We should go to bed. I bet you'll feel much better in the morning." He took her hand and pulled her up from the couch. They made their way upstairs and into Gold's room. They got ready and then settled into bed together.

Gold kissed her head. "You get some sleep, darling. I'm not going to wake you in the morning. I have to go in to work early. I want you to stay here as long as you want."

"No shower together tomorrow?" Her voice was filled with disappointment.

His cock stirred. "Not tomorrow. But as often as possible. I promise." He needed to get that thought out of his mind if he wanted to get any sleep.

"OK. Good night, Rum. I love you."

"Good night, Belle." He watched her fall asleep within a minute. He followed suit and slept soundly until his internal clock woke him up at 5:00am. He never needed an alarm to wake him.

He glanced down to see Belle still sleeping peacefully with a smile on her lips. He felt better to see it.

He got quietly out of bed and headed to the shower. His mind went where he didn't want it to go. It was going to be another long day. He showered, shaved, got dressed and then stopped to kiss Belle good-bye. She sleepily opened her eyes and kissed him back.

"I'm leaving you a note on the kitchen counter. Make sure you read it."

"Ok, Rum. I'll see you for lunch." She closed her eyes again and dozed back off.

Gold spent a while in the kitchen eating breakfast and making lunches. He wanted Belle to relax this morning and not have to think about doing anything. He left her a note to let her know about the lunches and encouraging her to spend the morning in his house. He told her to make herself comfortable. Then he headed off to work.

He was happy to arrive extra early and to have the office to himself for a while. Mary Margaret checked in when she arrived and the day started to run its usual course. Gold thought about Belle and wondered if she'd decided to stay at the house. He pictured her getting out of bed and putting his pajama top on without buttoning it. He imagined her walking downstairs wearing just that and making herself a cup of tea. He could not get the image out of his head.

He heard the knock on his door and then Moe's voice. "Gold!" He knew it was coming.

"Come in, Moe."

Moe entered and sat down on the other side of Gold's desk. He sat there silently for a very long minute. "Belle and I had a heart to heart last night."

"I know." He wasn't going to hide anything from Moe.

"She spent the night with you?"

"Yes."

"Of course." Moe paused. "I have to apologize to you, Gold."

Gold wasn't sure he had heard correctly.

"I've been putting you through hell about Belle and I know now that you didn't deserve it."

Gold was not expecting this. "It was deserved, Moe. I'm sure I would have felt the same if I were you."

"No… I made assumptions about you and Belle that were unfair to both of you." He hesitated.

Gold could feel his heart racing.

"I just assumed that you were taking advantage of her youth and that she was innocently falling for your attentions. I never once considered that she was the one who had done the initiating and pursuing." He still looked unbelieving.

"I wasn't exactly an innocent party here, Moe. I felt the same things Belle did from the beginning. It's just that I didn't think it would be right to act on them at first."

Moe looked slightly relieved. "So you did take some active role?"

Gold chuckled. "We wouldn't be where we are now if I hadn't. Let's just say that I threw all caution to the wind, something I never do as you know."

"You liked her that much?"

"I knew I couldn't fight what we had. I told you several times that we had a special connection. I felt guilty about it at first, but Belle made me see things differently. I keep telling you that she's much wiser than her years. She has a way of getting to the heart of something and finding the truth in it."

"I know. And yet I never once gave her credit for that. I kept having conversations with you about the relationship as though you were the adult and she was still a child." Moe looked truly penitent. "I refused to see her as an adult woman who was making her own decisions about her life. I almost destroyed my relationship with her. We'd always been so close and yet I made it impossible for her to feel as though she could confide in me about you."

Gold felt his pain. "There's nothing worse than not knowing how to make things right between you and your child. I understand everything you're saying, Moe. I still have my issues with Neal."

"I knew you'd understand, but I feel as though I really let Belle down. She needed me and I refused to be there for her. I'm glad she had you, Gold. You were there for her when I wasn't."

Gold felt himself choking up. He did not want Moe to see the tears in his eyes. "I'm glad you were able to work things out with her. I know you both need one another."

"I think I was almost jealous of the two of you. I felt as though you were replacing me in her life. I let so many things get in the way of what's important. Anyway, Belle finally put me straight last night. She decided to confide in me whether I wanted to hear it or not. You're right about her being wise. It was the best thing she could have done. It finally woke me up."

"Belle is brave. If she thinks something's the right thing to do she goes for it. I admire that in her."

Moe chuckled now. "Yes, she's much wiser and braver than I am. She had to be nervous telling me what she did, but she didn't let it stop her."

Now Gold looked nervous.

"Listen, Gold. Belle told me that you've always been a perfect gentleman to her and that made me happier than anything she said all night."

"Moe…" Gold felt uncomfortable to think that Moe could be interpreting that statement the wrong way.

"I know, Gold. I know she didn't mean it the way you or I would." He guffawed. "That would be too much to hope for. Besides, I would have had to be blind to believe it."

Gold chuckled. He was glad Moe was finding it so amusing.

Then Moe got serious. "She explained that you always put her first before yourself. That means everything to me, Gold." Gold could have sworn he saw a tear in Moe's eye. "I told you a while back that you saw things in Belle that I didn't think anyone else would see and that made me happy for her… well, I don't think anyone else would put her first the way you have and that's what's most important. I realized last night that Belle has two people in her life now who care about her more than anything in the world and would do anything to make her happy. What more can a father want for his child?"

Gold was now having trouble holding back the tears. Why was he always so emotional when it came to Belle? "We both want the best for her. I've told you that from the beginning."

"Yes… you both told me a lot of things from the beginning, but I didn't want to listen. I've been incredibly stubborn." He shook his head. "I'm not promising that I won't have my moments, Gold – you know me – but I want the same things for Belle that she wants." He hesitated.

Gold stopped breathing.

"You're going to marry her." Moe stated it as a fact. "You're both so sure of it."

Gold felt a wave of relief. "We've both known it since we met."

Moe sighed. "But you haven't actually discussed it with her. You haven't proposed."

Gold chuckled. "That's the thing with me and Belle. We've had several discussions about it, but not in so many words. She's determined to meet Neal before we move forward."

Moe smiled. "My daughter is very wise, isn't she?"

"Yes." Gold smiled back.

"I wish you luck with Neal. I think he's going to have more reservations than you think."

Gold hid his concern. He had not forgotten what Belle had said about Neal not seeing her as herself, but rather as the young woman who was involved with his father. That had put a very different spin on things. "Neal is very fair, Moe. I don't think he'll be as difficult as you've been."

Moe laughed. "Probably not, but I don't expect it to be a cakewalk for you, old man. I just hope Belle doesn't get hurt. I can't bear the thought of anyone else having doubts about her."

Gold's heart sank. He could not bear that either. "Don't worry about it, Moe. I'll handle Neal." He sounded more confident than he felt. He was getting slightly worried himself.

"OK, then." Moe looked at him. "I'll let you get back to work." He stood up and extended his hand to Gold. They shook. Moe held on to his hand much longer than he normally would. Gold could sense he wanted to say something else. Gold could see him struggling.

"There will be plenty of time to say more later, Moe. Belle wants you to talk to her and I'm willing to hear you out about anything. I think I've proven that to you."

Gold could see the tears in Moe's eyes. "I know. Thank you." He turned and left. Gold felt the tears in his own eyes. He had not been this emotional in ages.

Gold somehow managed to get himself back together. He was anxious for Belle to finally meet Neal. He realized that he couldn't be at peace until that took place. He glanced at his watch several times. He was also anxious for Belle to arrive for lunch. She was the only one who seemed to be able to soothe him. All of his worries evaporated when he was with her.

Belle finally arrived after what seemed an eternity. He anxiously met her at the door, once again cutting short her conversation with Mary Margaret.

He locked the door behind them and then led her over to the sofa. "Let's get comfortable." He sat down and pulled her onto his lap. They kissed for several minutes. She giggled when they finally broke apart. "I guess you missed me."

"How could you tell?" He grinned at her.

She raked her fingers through his hair. "You needed to see me, didn't you?" She was as good at reading him as he was at reading her.

"Yes. Your dad and I had a long talk this morning." He stroked her hair.

She looked concerned.

"It was all good, sweetheart. He told me how happy he was that you had confided in him and how sorry he was that he hadn't been talking to you about us all along."

"I'm glad." She smiled. "I felt so much better last night after I told him everything. I've missed him so much, Rum."

He cradled her head against his chest. "I know, sweetheart. You and your dad need each other."

"What else did he say?" She glanced up at him.

"He talked about what a perfect gentleman I've been." He slipped his hand under her skirt and allowed it to slowly work its way up her thigh, stopping just short of her panties.

She whimpered. "You have, Rum."

He laughed. "We agreed that your definition of perfect gentleman was a little different than ours." He caressed her through the fabric of her panties and she clutched onto him and let out a gasp. "But we both liked your definition about me putting your needs ahead of mine." He slipped the fabric of her panties aside and began to stroke her clit. She whimpered and held onto him tighter.

He bent down to press his mouth against hers, slipping his tongue easily past her parted lips. She moaned and squirmed as he caressed her tongue with his, all the while teasing and cajoling her clit. His hand was wet with her juices. She arched her back and moaned into his mouth.

"Lie back, sweetheart. I want to taste you." He eased her onto the couch. "Let's get these out of the way." He pulled her panties down and off. "That's better." He leaned forward to lap up her juices with his tongue. She whimpered and cried quietly. "Rum, please. She sank her fingers into his head to try to direct him to where she needed him. "I know, sweetheart." When he sucked her clit into his mouth, she had to stifle a scream. She dug her fingers further into his skull. Gold cupped her butt in his hands and held her close as he sucked and licked her until she was begging for mercy. It took all of her self-control not to scream as he pushed her over the edge.

His cock was throbbing. Nothing aroused him more than seeing her excitement.

He lay down next to her on the couch and she immediately began to unzip his pants."I'm not sure this is a good idea, sweetheart. Someone's bound to knock on my door."

She ignored him and continued undressing him. He was too aroused to object. The thought of her hands on him made it impossible for him to resist. She took his cock in her hand and he moaned.

"I was wet for you all morning, Rum." She stroked him with her firm soft grip. "I found one of your pajama tops and wore it around the house. It was soft and silky and had your scent on it. It felt like your hands caressing me all morning."

She moved to position herself between his legs. "Belle…" She sucked the head of his cock into her mouth. He whimpered.

"Were you wearing anything else?" His voice was strained.

"No. I was completely naked except for your top. I didn't even button it. I imagined that you were watching my every move. I could see how much I was arousing you." She lowered her mouth on him again and began to suck and lick him. He moaned and grasped her head with his hands. He kept picturing her naked body under his pajama top. He thought about what it would be like to see her romping around half naked in his house every day. His cock was throbbing in her mouth. She quickened her pace and sucked him so expertly that he could no longer hold back. He groaned loudly and spurted his seed into her mouth. She lovingly licked up every last drop.

She grinned at him and he grinned back. "That was a rather naughty thing to do at my place of work, Miss French."

"I don't think I was naughty at all, Mr. Gold. I was trying to reciprocate for your gentlemanly attention to my needs."

Gold wanted to hold her and never let her go. She was just too adorable. He was, however, aware that they could be interrupted at any moment. "I think we should clean up, sweetheart. I don't think it's a good idea to stay like this." She agreed. Fortunately, Gold had a private bathroom that they both used to make themselves presentable again.

By now they were both starving. Belle set out the salads that Gold had made for them on the table.

"So you spent the whole morning at the house?" She had no idea how happy that made him.

"Yes." She bit her lower lip.

"So what did you think? Did you feel at home?" He watched her carefully.

"Yes… I did. I felt very comfortable there." She said it seriously and shyly.

His heart beat faster. There was so much he wanted to say to her. He looked deeply into her eyes.

They sat in silent communication with one another until Belle turned the conversation back to Moe. "What else did you and Dad discuss this morning?"

Gold chuckled. "I'm not sure how our previous conversation got so off track."

She giggled. "That was all your fault, Rum. I seem to recall that your hand somehow ended up under my skirt... through no fault of my own."

"I sensed that you needed it. Your body was calling out to me. You did admit that you were wet for me all morning, didn't you?" He tossed it back at her.

"Yes, but I didn't mention that until after our little encounter."

"I can't help the fact that we can converse without words." His eyes searched hers.

"Yes." She held his gaze.

"Do you know what I'm saying to you now, Belle?"

"Yes."

"That's what your dad and I discussed."

She bit her lip. "How did that go?"

"Surprisingly well. You worked wonders on him last night."

"He surprised me too. He really wants to be supportive of me, Rum. I know a lot of this is hard for him. He really doesn't understand it."

Gold chuckled. "I know. I think we're the only ones who can." He brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "We also discussed Neal again. Are you feeling better about meeting him?" Gold wanted to make sure she was OK even though he wasn't.

"Yes, I feel much better. I decided that I'm just going to be myself, Rum. I'm not good at pretending."

Gold was taken aback. "Why would you pretend?"

"I was worried that he might be uncomfortable if I was too affectionate with you. I can't change how you make me feel, Rum. I like hugging and touching and kissing you. It just comes naturally."

"Oh, sweetheart. Is that what's worrying you? I don't want you to change a thing about yourself. I always feel so much better when you touch me. I'm a little nervous too. I'm going to need as much affection as I can get. Come here." She moved over to sit on his lap again. "Don't ever think of changing anything about yourself unless it's something you want to do for yourself. I'm madly in love with the person you are." He kissed her cheek.

They cuddled for a while until Belle reluctantly moved to take her leave. "I've been here a long time, Rum. I should get going. I know you have work to do."

"I suppose." He hated to see her go. "I was thinking I'd pick you up at 7:00 tonight. Is that good for you?"

"Um… about tonight…" She gave him a guilty smile… "would you mind terribly if we went to Granny's instead of the seafood restaurant?"

"Nooo… but why?" Gold was caught off guard by her request.

"Dad asked me last night if we'd join him for dinner tonight at Granny's. He wants the three of us to be seen together. He wants everyone to know that he's completely behind us."

Gold felt teary-eyed again. "It's a great idea." He didn't think Moe had the sensitivity to come up with something like this. They were obviously learning a lot of new things about one another.

"It really is, Rum. Dad didn't handle the newspaper photos very well. He felt as though they were a terrible insult to the two of us. He wants to do something to help make it better."

"I agree with him completely about the photos and going out together… Your dad keeps surprising me, Belle."

"He was so proud of himself for thinking of this. He found a way to support my decisions and still be the protective dad. I love him all the more for it."

Gold now let the tears flow. There was something so beautiful about the love between Belle and her father… it warmed his heart to think that he was now a part of it.