Soon, it will be Christmas and a lot of work needed to be done.
"Rumford, did you call Neal yet ?"
"No, Milah, he was supposed to call me an hour ago" he answered gritting his teeth.
Rumford and Milah Gold, prepared their house for the guests. Their son, Neal who lived in Boston, invited some of his friends in Storybrook for the Holidays. It was a huge mansion, with plenty of guests room. Normally the married couple doesn't celebrate Christmas, but Neal wanted to come to announce something and he wanted his friends, his girlfriend and his family by his side during this week.
"Mr Gold, which room do you want me to arrange for your son and his girlfriend ?" Mrs Potts asked. She and her team was the house help. Normally they didn't clean a lot of rooms, because Rumford and Milah didn't use them, but they wanted every single room to be cleaned for this occasion.
"You can let him in his usual one." said Mr Gold, finishing his paper work.
"Hum, the one just next to yours ?" she asked unsure.
"Yes, the one just next to mine." he answered dryly.
"But I know that normally he comes alone, but he will be here with his girlfriend so I thought-"
Mr Gold cut off, "What did you think ?!"
"That he will be better for a room less closer than yours for their.. intimacy" she said calmly.
"Oh !" he came to realization and calmed down. "I'm sorry Mrs Potts I was a little pissed against... well you know," he gestured towards his papers "but, you're right, put him downstairs next to the library." he smiled briefly.
She nodded and left.
"So, little husband what-.. the fuck happened to you !" Milah just came into his office.
He lifted his head to look at her. "Oh yeah, I cut my hair" he said impartially and then went back to his work.
She was speechless, she approached him and caressed his hair. Rumford leaned a bit in her touch but try to stay indifferent. And then she leaned down to kiss his head gently and whispered in his ear. "If I was still interested in fucking you, I would have done it right now" she left his side and went to sit on the chair in front of him. Gold was watching her intensely. "Don't look at me like that" she winked at him and leaned forward on his desk, pushing her breasts. "You know what, next time, I will fuck Killian thinking about you."
He laughed, "Oh come on ! You ruined everything ! That poor guy, he still doesn't know what is he getting into, does he ?" he smirked.
"I didn't tell him everything, no" she smiled shyly.
"It's been awhile now, I think you should."
"Yes, but you know how... I am with honesty." she said fidgeting. "So, um, do you want me to call Neal, I really need to see with the cooker if he is coming tonight or tomorrow."
"I don't have any news, and sorry I'm still busy, it'll clean my mind to finish these shit, so call him please." he said, going back to work.
"Alright" she took his phone "How many guests we will have ?" she asked.
"Um, seven."
Milah dialed her son's number and put them speaker on.
"Hey dad !" she heard.
"Hello Neal, it's your mom" she said smiling tenderly. It's been a while since she heard her son.
"Oh, okay" his enthusiasm left. "How are you doing ?"
She sighed, "I'm fine, so as your dad, I'm calling you because I need to know if you'll come tonight or tomorrow ?"
She heard nothing for a few seconds.
"Um, I'll be there tonight with Emma and my best friend since she doesn't have a car for the moment."
"Neal ! You said that no one will bother us until Christmas !" she berated him.
"Okay mom you know what, give me dad." he said dryly.
"I put the speaker on ! He's actually listening !"
"Dad, does my friend bother you ?"
Gold looked up, sighed and said "No." I really need to finish my fucking work !
"So, my friend will come, even if you don't want to mom. Now I need to hang up, I'm driving."
Milad throwed the phone on the desk. "Why do you always have to be against me ?" she frowned.
Gold just finished signing his last paper, and then looked at her. "I'm not against you Milah" he said gently. " But, the fact that his best friend is coming along with him, doesn't bother me at all, I'm just happy he'll be there. You have your opinion, I have mine." He took her hand that was resting on the desk and slightly caressed her knuckles.
She brushed her hair nervously with her other hand and then put it on his. "What did I miss with him ?"
"You didn't miss anything Milah, I think... he's maybe just disappointed because we lied to him."
"I lied to him, and to you." she said taking a deep breath and wiping a tear. "He knows it, that's why he's mad at me and not at you."
"Have you already talked to him about it ?"
"Nop, everytime I tried, he just ran away." She said nothing for a couples of seconds and then "you know what, maybe it's time for me to be honest with everybody, I'm tired of pretending." She looked up at him. "I'm sorry I never loved you because, you would have been a perfect husband."
He smiled and leaned back in his chair. "Well, in front of the law, we are still married" he winked and she laughed. "So, no more pretending to be the perfect family in front of Neal's friends ?"
"No, I think... I should finally let you go" she smiled tenderly. "You helped me a lot through everything. You need to find someone that deserve you, you deserve it."
Gol sighed, "what I deserve is a fucking break !" he got up from his desk.
"Come on ! Don't give up on your love life !" She got up aswell and laughed.
"I'm not giving up" he said shaking his head, he stopped walking and turned around to look at her. "I wanted a family, and I have Neal, and even if it wasn't perfect between us-" he stopped talking when she raised an eyebrow, "okay, it really was a bad idea to be together, but you're still here keeping me company because you're too afraid to be serious with Killian, and I think I'm keeping you company aswell, and at first I didn't like the idea but now... you are a good company and a good friend, that's all I need right now." he sighed and kissed her forehead. "Now I'll stop talking about me because you know I don't like that, and I will take my fucking break." he smiled at her, and left.
The mansion was huge and Mrs. Potts didn't know where the couple was, she was looking for them, hopefully she would find Mr. Gold first, but of course it wasn't the case, she found Milah in the dining room.
"Mrs. Gold, your son his here, with his girlfriend and friend. They are waiting in the hall." she said.
Milah was drinking whisky, she put her glass down on the table and looked at Mrs. Pott. "Alright," she answered calmly. She looked at her glass, half empty, it was her third glass, then she grabbed it and finished it. "I'll need it, I think." she whispered to herself feeling the hot and spicy liquid down her throat.
After her conversation with her husband, she decided she will need some energy to see her son again, it's been three years since last saw him. At that time, she was emotionally in a really bad place. She wanted to have a real conversation, and she will have it during these Holidays.
Mrs. Pott cleared a throat, "do I have to call Mr. Gold ?"
"No, I'll do it, can you go checking the food ?"
"Yes, ma'am. I will tell you when it's ready," the older lady left.
"Thank you, dear." Milah started walking toward the hall, she stumbled a bit but she regained her balance. She took a deep breath, calm down Milah, you can do this, he is just your son, she thought.
When she, finally, entered the hall she saw two young lady, one of her was Emma, Neal's girlfriend, she knew her, but she never saw the other one.
"Um, Good evening." Milah said trying to be friendly while she approached them.
"Hey, ma'am, Neal's bringing our bags," said Emma. And just as she finished her sentence, Neal entered the hall with three suitcases.
Milah's eyes lit up when she saw her son, he was just like three years ago but he let his beard grow. He is perfect.
He put their bags down, "Mom" he just said. He didn't move to greet her. He was just standing there looking at her. Not even a hug or even just a sign.
Milah on her side was looking at him expectantly. She felt her tears coming, but she wouldn't cry. She was trying to think about something she could say, to break this awful silence between the four of them, but nothing came.
This silence was becoming really awkward, Emma was into a forcing smile, she tried to look at Neal but he was still looking at his mother sending knives to her. Her friend was looking outside, nobody dared to move.
And after was felt an hour, the doors of the living room opened to reveal Rumford Gold, he walked quickly toward them. Their savior.
"Neal !" he opened his arms offering a hug and Neal nearly jump on him.
At the same time everyone seemed to breathe again.
"I missed you dad !" Neal said.
"Careful I'm not that young anymore !" Gold said laughing. "Everything's okay ?" he asked when he let go of his son and looked at everybody.
Emma took the lead, kissed Rumford cheek, "Yes, everything's perfect, hun ! Can we eat ? I'm starving." she said quickly. Gold frowned when he looked at Emma and then glanced at Milah who seemed to regain her composure.
"Dad, this is Belle, Belle this is my dad." Neal said smiling.
Time seemed to stop again, The Rumford Gold, was standing between his son and a, lovely or ravishing or delightful or fuck it just the three of it, young lady. He was completely speechless.
"You're alright dad ?" Neal asked concern.
Rumford looked at his son, already regretting that his eyes weren't on that splendid person anymore. He cleared his throat "Yes I'm fine, sorry I was just, um, whatever." He, then, set his eyes back on that beautiful woman and turned toward her. "Are you Neal's best friend ?" he extended his hand, and Belle took it. Of course she is, your bloody idiot.
Belle had never been this uncomfortable. After an awful silence, now she's in front of the most charismatic, handsome, sexiest man she had seen in her life. "Yes, I am." she answered, her eyes glued to his.
After a few seconds she shook her head when she saw that he wasn't looking at her anymore, certainly because he heard Emma complaining behind them.
"Yes Emma, we can go into the dining room, it's almost ready. Leave your bags here, Dove will bring them to your rooms." said Gold.
He led the way toward the dining room, and let everyone got in, his eyes never left Belle's, so did hers.
Things needed to be said and fixed in the family everyone knew it, but what some of them might not know yet, it was also the beginning of something new.