It was early evening, when Rumald pulled up in front of the old picture house and knocked the gear selector into park. He had had a busy day. While he had been occupied with the old picture house and thwarting Cora's plans, he had nearly forgotten Christmas. If it had not been for Neal's phone call, the night before, Rumald would not have had any gifts for anyone. The trunk of the Cadillac was full of bags. A mad dash through the mall at Portland, buying the first thing his eye came upon. He had focused a lot of his time, getting gifts for Belle, as it would be there first together and he wanted to make it special, and Henry, buying the boy several books, computer games and some gadgets, which Rumald thought might interest him.
It was turning out to be a very expensive Christmas.
Opening his car door, a shiver ran through him as he exited the warmth of the car and stepped out into the cold evening air. The streets were quiet. The only sign of life was Marko's van, parked a few yards away from Rumald's car. Rounding the front of the Cadillac, Rumald crossed the sidewalk and pulled open the glass door, and entered the old picture house. It was quiet inside. A lot of the workers would have already gone home, celebrating a job done and the bonus they had earned, finishing the project well ahead of schedule. No doubt, many families in Storybrooke, would be having a luxurious Christmas, thanks to the doubled hourly rate and gracious bonus he had given them. He smiled to himself, knowing his cash would come back to him, in some form – rent, payments for loans or through one of his various businesses.
The smell of fresh paint made him take in a deep breath. The building had a whole new lease of life. The confectionary counter gleaned, free of the decades of dust that had covered the glass and the counter. Brand new carpet had been laid, replacing the dirty, dreary carpet, which must have been put down in the eighties. A metal sign had been hung on the wall, behind the counter, stating 'The Old Picture House', and was backlighted, catching the visitors eye as they entered. Casting his eye over the whole of the foyer, from the carpet to the painted walls, to the new ceiling tiles and then to the original lead windows behind him – Rumald loved everything.
Strolling through into the main room, his eyebrows pushed up his forehead, shallow lines creased into his brow, as he stopped just inside the room. The last time he had visited, the room was bare, the wooden dance floor was being laid, the stage area's floorboards were being replaced and the most of the walls had been painted, and the carpet had not arrived. He turned his head, taking it all in, as he slowly took a step forward, gradually increasing his pace to venture deeper into the room.
Marko was crouched down, up on the stage area, collecting his tools, stowing them into the large bag beside him on the stage. The click of Rumald's shoes on the wooden dance floor, caught Marko's attention and he peered over his shoulder before he stood up, picking up his tool bag.
"The contractor fitting the security system couldn't make it today." Marko informed as he walked off the stage and descended the stairs, walking to meet Rumald on the dancefloor. "I've arranged for him to come in on Monday morning. Dove's going to meet him here and let him in. Apart from that," He peered round the room. "Everything's done with only a few minor things to sort out, but I'll come in Saturday morning and take care of them."
"Thank you, Marko." Rumald told him, reaching into the inside pocket of his overcoat, withdrawing a thick white envelope to give to him. "I really appreciate what you do for me."
Marko nodded his head, acknowledging Rumald's rare recognition, and took the envelope, tucking it into his tool bag, saying to Rumald. "Merry Christmas, Mr Gold."
"Merry Christmas, Marko." A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, a rare thing he shared with anyone, who was not family or a dear friend.
"There's a few things I need to discuss with you about the rented properties, but that can wait until next week." Marko said as he started to walk by Rumald.
"Okay." Rumald shuffled round on the spot, watching Marko go. "I should be at the shop."
Marko partially turned back, continuing to walk towards the foyer, telling Rumald. "I'll come back in the afternoon. I've got some things to take care of in the morning."
"See you then." He called after Marko, who disappeared into the dark foyer.
Breathing in, Rumald pivoted round, taking another look around the room. Seeing the old picture house brought back to life, nearly made all the hassle and stress, and guilt, of the last couple of weeks' worth it. It had been a strenuous juggling act and he feared it was not over. Until he had a grasp of what Cora had planned for his son, there was no knowing when all this madness was going to end.
On his way out of the building, he turned off the lights in the main room, leaving on backlight for the sign, and locked up. Ducking back into his car, the Cadillac was warm and welcoming, and the car instantly started when he turned his key in the ignition. Rumald set off home, a slow smile crept onto his face, loving the idea of Belle waiting for him to come home. She had stayed over the last couple of nights. It felt so right for her to be there. Just her presence in his house, made it feel like a home. He had never experienced such a contented feeling before - not with Milah or with Cora. Which made him even more determined, stopping at nothing, to protect Belle and secure their future together.
Turning into his street, his eyes instantly went to her car, parked beside the kerb, in front of his house, surrounded in a spotlight from the street lamp above it. Just seeing her car parked there, made his heart constrict in his chest. Burning to get home and see her, wrap her up into his arms and kiss her, like he had not seen her in days.
The front end of the Cadillac bounced as he transitioned from the road and onto his driveway. Changing the gear selector into park, Rumald titled forward, peering up at the house, smiling at the thought of her waiting for him. He unlatched his door and climbed out, shutting the door after himself, and left the gifts in the trunk of his car, overwhelmed by his eagerness to see her. In less than ten seconds, he bounded across the sunken stepping stones in the front lawn, leaped up the steps of the porch two at time and was pushing open the front door, welcomed into the house with the pleasant smell of cooking.
Quietly, he closed the front door, leaning back to peer into the kitchen, but a confused look appeared on his face, when he saw various cardboard and plastic boxes on the kitchen counter, and some scattered on the floor near the kitchen island. It was then, his ears pricked to the Christmas music being played in the living room. Taking a few steps forward, looking through into the living room, the look on Rumald's face eased at seeing Belle, perched on a step ladder, daringly on her tiptoes, as she hooked a purple bauble onto the Christmas tree. He moved to stand in the opening and shouldered his weight against the edge of wall, admiring her from across the room. Once she had the bauble in place, she leant back, eyeing the placement of the ball, tilting her head to take in the other ornaments decorating the tree.
"What's all this?" Rumald asked.
She started, grasping at the ladder, and chuckled as she coiled herself to see him. "I didn't hear you come in." She looked back at the tree and smiled. "Well… You've been busy and I just thought it be nice to have some decorations up."
Pushing away from the wall, he ventured into the living room, gazing round at the different decorations she had put around the room. The length of the curtain pole was wrapped into gold tinsel, with the excess draped down at the ends of the pole. A cheap looking string of beads, hung in loops off the top of the antique sideboard in the corner, with some of the baubles, she had decorated the tree with, hanging off the beads. The two paintings and the large mirror, hung over the fireplace, had tinsel draped over the top of them.
His eye though, was caught by the stockings, which she had hung on the mantelpiece above the fireplace. Rumald had not seen them in years. The larger one was his, bought on a random shopping trip. The smaller one, with the clumsily placed stick on gems, big patch of glitter glued onto the fabric and a scrawled name onto the white cuff at the top of the stocking, was Neal's that he had made at school one year. He had been so proud, running to greet him at the school gate, frantically waving the white and red stocking through the air. They had hung it as soon as they had gotten home and had used it every Christmas after that… Until Cora had come into their lives.
"Everything alright?" Belle inquired, her voice startled him from his memory, finding her stood beside him. "Is it too much?"
"No, sweetheart, everything looks perfect." He smiled as he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her.
Her eyebrows were pushed together slightly, creasing a small line in the space between her brows, as she probed him. "What is it then?"
"I just…" Rumald paused, a small needle of guilt pricked at his heart. "Neal and I haven't really celebrated Christmas in quite some time. Seeing his stocking," He flung his hand towards the mantelpiece. "It brings back so many memories… and regrets."
"Oh…" She looked sad as she said. "Maybe we should take some of it down. I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable or upset either you or Neal."
"No, leave everything exactly where it is. I've spent too much time dwelling on the past and beating myself up for my mistakes." Moving his hands up to cup her face, he stroked his thumbs over her cheeks, telling her. "It's time to make some new memories." He smiled. "Together."
Hooking her arms around and up his back, Belle hauled him down and closer to her, latching her lips onto his. With a contented moan, he slipped a hand into her hair, cupping the back of her head, keeping her in place as he eagerly returned her kiss, slipping his tongue into her mouth. Progressing the sweet chastise kiss to something more. Rumald could feel her smiling against his lips as she titled her head, merging their lips together. Wrapping his other arm around her, compressing her into his chest, he then turned to walk them the short distance to the couch.
They fell together onto the couch, landing on top of large bags of tinsel, which cushioned their fall, but also startled Rumald. Pushing himself up, bracing himself above her, he ogled the vast quantities of tinsel spilling off the couch and was sticking out from underneath Belle. She giggled, touching a hand to his chest.
"What were you planning to do? Cover the whole house in tinsel?" He dryly asked.
"No!" Belle playfully smacked his chest. "But there's more rooms, than just your living room, we can decorate and I was thinking about doing something with the stairs."
His right eyebrow crooked at her as he spied down at her, studying her face. "You've put a lot of thought, sweetheart, into something, that's supposed to be spur of the moment."
"I've been considering it, the last couple of nights I stayed over." She confessed with the corners of her lips, turning up into a smirk.
Settling down onto her, his elbows taking his weight either side of her, Rumald smiled warmly down at her, hooking a strand of hair behind her ear. "You should've said, I would've come home sooner and helped."
"I wanted it to be a surprise." Her smile wavered. "Although, I wasn't sure, if you'd be happy about it."
"It most certainly was a surprise and I don't mind at all. Why would I mind, when the woman I love more than anything, is making herself at home in my house, by putting up decorations, making it more special for our first Christmas together?" He queried, but did not give her time to answer as he leant down and kissed her.
Whilst they were kissing, adjusting limbs, legs hooking around legs, his ears twitched hearing the distinct sound of the front door being unlatched. Yanking his lips away from Belle's, twisting to look into the foyer, Rumald hastily lifted Belle's leg off and pushed himself up from her. A gust of cold air drifted into the room, whilst someone in the entrance way, chuntered to themselves about the cold and some other things. Rumald quickened his step, moving swiftly to catch whoever had entered his house unannounced.
At the opening, Rumald baulked at seeing his son, who was removing his thick winter coat and had a large duffle bag at his feet and massive pull-along suit case beside him. He was not expecting to see his son until tomorrow, on Christmas Eve evening, when they were going to have dinner at the Nolan's. Another evening, he had been roped into attending.
"Neal?" He questioned.
Neal glimpsed up at his father as he fought to remove his coat, his arm was caught in one of the sleeves. "Hey dad!" He greeted with a cheerful smile, still struggling with his coat, and then frowned at his father's attire. "Are you going out?"
"No, I just came home." Absently, Rumald half pivoted, waving his hand at the living room. "I was just talking to Belle."
"Oh," Neal took a step, allowing him to view the living room. "Hey Belle!" He smiled at Belle, waving the hand that was trapped in his sleeve at her.
"I thought you weren't coming until tomorrow?" Rumald asked, grasping a hold of his son's arm to help free him.
Tensely, Neal flicked his gaze from his trapped hand to his father, which Rumald did not miss. "That was the plan, yes."
"Evidently," Rumald began to say, giving the sleeve a hard yank, freeing his son. "The plan has changed."
"Yeah and a lot of other things are going to be changing too." Neal told him, shrugging his eyebrows up his forehead as he spoke.
"What things?" Belle said, joining them, standing next to Rumald in the opening.
With his eyebrows pushing up his brow, creasing his forehead, Neal looked at her as he answered. "I'm moving back to Storybrooke."
"What? When? Why?" The words quickly tumbled out of Rumald's mouth, shocked by his son's news.
Neal turned his back to them and hung up his coat, telling them over his shoulder. "I've been thinking about it since I found out about Henry. It isn't enough, just seeing him at the weekends and some evenings, when I don't have to be in work early."
Rumald blinked his eyes, a few times. "What about work? Your apartment in Boston?"
"Things have been getting weirder and weirder at work, and today was just… Ridiculous." Neal said, struggling to find the best word to describe his day.
Belle's hand slipped into Rumald's, causing him to look down at the familiar contact, as she said. "What d'ya mean? Ridiculous?"
"Let me get a drink and I'll explain." Neal gestured to the kitchen as he said it, beginning to walk away from them and into the kitchen.
They looked at each other, no doubt in Rumald's mind, that the astonished look on Belle's face, was mirrored on his own. Traipsing after his son, they both stopped at the counter, separating the kitchen from the sitting area, and watched Neal dig around in the fridge.
"Do you guys want a drink?" His son asked, peering into the fridge.
"I'm fine, thanks." Belle was quick to reply.
Rumald began to remove his overcoat, saying. "I'll take a beer. I think I'm going to need it."
"Dad, if you'd been there, you would've probably knocked him flat on his ass." Neal claimed as he grabbed two bottles, chinking them together, and shoved the fridge door to, saying to them as he strolled away from it. "My boss's boss was trying to say, I'd been stealing documents and selling them to our competitor. I wasn't having that! Told him to shove the job up his ass!"
Rumald's eyes were blown wide open. Cora had put her plan for his son into play. If Neal had not already shocked him, announcing he was moving back to town, his blood would have been boiling and he would have been storming out of the house, ready to commence battle with her. He wanted to be angry, wanted to lose control and shed himself of his cool exterior. Except, Rumald found he was ecstatic about the news. Though, Cora had gone out of her way, trying to ruin their lives, she was unintentionally pushing them closer to Rumald.
"But what about your apartment?" Belle inquired.
Neal twisted the lid off one of the beers and held the neck of the bottle out to his father as he said. "That's the other thing." Rumald took the beer from his son. "I've been getting letters from the building association, regarding complaints against me and some of these instances were when I was in Storybrooke. They put a notice of eviction under my door this morning, which I was going to take care of tonight, when I got home, but… Fuck it."
"Wow… That's some coincidence." Belle said, pondering it out loud. "Evicted and possibly nearly fired in the same day."
"I've been thinking about moving back, fate just gave me a push." His son surmised, snapping the lid off his beer, and took a hearty gulp of his beer.
"Still… Don't you think that's rather strange, Rumald?" She probed him, squeezing his hand.
Rumald breathed in, awaken from his stupor, and looked at Belle before looking back and forth, between her and Neal. "Sometimes life is strange."
Frowning, she reluctantly agreed with him. "I supposed." But then smiled with her train of thought, veering to another path. "What a Christmas gift for Emma and Henry? I'm sure, they're going to be over the moon, when they find out."
"I don't know," Neal unwrapped a finger around his beer to point at Rumald. "My father doesn't look very happy." He said with a smirk of a smile pulling at the right side of his mouth.
"What?" Rumald darted his gaze from Neal to Belle, both giving him a questioning look. "I am! Course, I'm happy! Just a shock, that's all."
"It is unexpected news, Neal." Belle defended Rumald, letting go of his hand to slip her arm around his, hugging his arm close as she stepped closer, offering reassurance with her close proximity.
As Neal was swigging his beer, his eyes twinkling at his father, Rumald asked, taking part in the conversation. "Where're you going to stay? Here or with Emma?"
His son's head titled in thought before he gestured up to the ceiling. "I was hoping, I could stay here until I've spoken to Emma, but if that's a problem..."
Rumald shook his head and interrupted his son. "No, it's not a problem at all. I was just asking. This will always be your home, Neal." Wavering his hand, holding the beer bottle, he continued. "You can stay here as long as you like, or if you want, you can look through my portfolio and see if there's any vacant properties you like."
"Thanks, dad." Neal came around the corner of counter and hugged his father, in turn Belle let go of Rumald's arm as she watched them hug, then Neal patted Rumald's back before saying. "I better get my things upstairs and give Emma a call."
"Do you want some dinner? I was going to make pasta for your father and me." Belle asked as Neal started towards the foyer.
He paused to say. "Erm… Sure, that would be great. Thanks, Belle."
"I'll call you when it's done." She beamed a smile.
"Do you want a hand with your bags?" Rumald questioned, pointing to the suitcase and duffle bag behind Neal.
Neal shook his head. "Nah, I've got it, dad."
Still somewhat dumbfounded, Rumald observed his son, hefting his large duffle bag up and onto his shoulder, nearly spilling his beer, and dragged his suitcase behind him up the stairs. There was a loud thud as the suitcase climbed the stairs. He could not see his son anymore, but he stood there, staring off towards the stairs, envisioning his son ascending the stairs through the wall. The light touch to his arm, momentarily drew his attention, before he turned his head and looked at Belle beside him.
"Things are so peculiar at the minute." She commented, lowering her voice, so only he could hear her. "First, my job was being threatened and then I got informed a private invested has bought the library and took on my contact. Neal was about to be fired and kicked out of his home, and is moving back home… Very strange."
Pouting his lips and scrunching her brow in thought, Belle wandered away from him and back through into the living room. He had not told her yet, about buying the library and being her boss. The paperwork she had received, via the mayor's office, was from one of his lesser businesses. One he had used in the past to avoid tax and had no holdings to its name. If anyone was to look it up, his name would not be associate with it. Another secret he was keeping from her. Though eventually, he would have to tell her, Rumald was avoiding her reaction until things had calmed down. Belle would not be happy with him, but she would see that his heart was in the right place and he was trying to protect all of them. Right…?