Warning: Gary is more than a bit of a jerk here. Nothing happens, but I wanted to be upfront.
I do not own Once Upon a Time

Chapter 7 A Limping Angel

It had been years since Ralph had celebrated Christmas. In Scotland it wasn't celebrated at all like in America, so in some ways he had never celebrated Christmas. His father wasn't exactly the generous type, and wouldn't have bestowed anything of value to his runt of a son. However, Ralph had lived in America long enough that he knew some of the traditions kept. There were no children to surprise on Christmas day, and the shanty looked hardly different than any other day, but Belle did light a few more candles than normal and she busied herself with making dinner a special event.

Ralph butchered the chicken, and Belle began work to roast it. Ralph had finished the chair he had been working on during the cold days, and they all sat down together to roasted chicken, molasses baked beans, creamed potatoes, and apple pie. Never had Ralph participated in such a feast, and when they bowed their heads to pray he thanked the Lord for leading him to the French family.

Belle had set beside the men's plates little gifts wrapped in leftover material from the winter clothing she had sewed for them. Inside each parcel was a scarf she had knitted. Her father's was out of a soft red yarn, just matching his suspenders, and Ralph's was a dark brown, matching his own pair.

Ralph had saved candy he had purchased when he had purchased the material for Belle's dress that he presented without careful wrapping. And speaking of the material for Belle's dress, she had completed it only days before and was wearing it for the first time that evening. She had made it with a tiny peter pan collar, small buttons went down for a few inches before the blouse fanned out with tiny pleats. It cinched at the waist, and she had her white apron covering the flowing skirt. The sleeves had the least bit of a poof and she looked even softer in the blue than she had in the brown. It sent warmth through him to see Belle in the gift he had presented, and he knew he had been smiling since the second he saw her in it.

Belle's father had given them each a bit of coin, with a light kiss on the forehead for Belle, and a pat on the back for Ralph. Ralph helped Belle with the dishes afterwards, and they ended the day softly singing carols together while Mr. French closed his eyes and puffed his pipe. Ralph had never been happy before, but he wondered if it was close to the feeling he felt that evening.

Belle had been correct. Gary was not the only young single man to pursue the lovely Miss Isabelle French-just the most persistent. The weeks that followed saw Sunday rides for Belle and lonely Sunday afternoons for Ralph. She was much more inclined to go with the young people when they didn't include Gary, and she even gave genuine smiles to the company. Still, she always seemed happy to get back, and never encouraged the continuation of any one man's attention. This confused Ralph, but he didn't complain.

What he did want to complain about, was the occasional dropping by of Gary Gaston. Though she had requested no more sleigh rides from him, he knew that her father wouldn't refuse his company, and so Ralph and Belle had to endure his rambling. For Belle's part, she gave only polite smiles and contributed to the conversation only when asked directly. Not that Gary required anyone-Ralph believed the man just came to hear himself talk and to look at Belle. It made Ralph tense the entire time, and he felt a strong desire to shield Belle from the man, for some reason. No matter that the man could land one blow and probably kill him, the man made Ralph uncomfortable, and therefore, he watched him with alertness whenever he came to call.

…

Belle was confused. Rupert Graham was a dear sweet boy. Had a farm full of horses and cattle that he helped his father raise. He had dark curly hair and soft blue eyes, but Belle found herself glad when the Sunday ride was over and she was once more listening to Ralph read, or she had pulled some sort of story of his previous travels.

'So what made you want to work for the railroad camp?' She had asked him one afternoon.

'Consistency.' He was going to stop there, but she gave him a look that requested he elaborate. He shrugged his shoulders, and ran his fingers through his hair, as he was apt to do when he was shy or uncomfortable. She didn't like making him feel uncomfortable, but she had a deep desire to know Ralph better.

'I-I left Scotland as a young man and came to 'The land of opportunity'.' His brown eyes sparkled a little, and she smiled as encouragement at his words. 'New York is a bit dirtier than Scotland, crowded and the jobs, well, they can be a bit hard to come by at times. I hoped that the entire country didn't look like that and so when I found an advertisement to work the railroad, it seemed the right sort of opportunity to make consistent money.'

'How long did you stay before…' Her eyes strayed down to his leg and she wanted to kick herself for bringing it up. One day her curiosity would get the best of her. She knew how self continuous he was about his leg. He didn't seem too bothered this time, thankfully, and even her father seemed interested in the conversation. He put down the wood he was whittling with and scratched the side of his head with this pipe and leaned forward a little to hear the answer. Ralph could sense the additional audience and squirmed a little in his seat.

'Two months.'

'Two months!' Her eyes went out to him with concern. 'How unfortunate. You barely got to travel!'

'Well, I did travel from New York to this part of the country, so it wasn't all for naught.' He smiled a little at her and met her eyes.

This was what she enjoyed. She enjoyed seeing the smiles he gave her, and the lengthening of conversation. While Rupert Graham was polite and kind, she always had a strange wish that it was Ralph that was at the reins instead of him.

However, Rupert was much to be preferred than Gary. How dare the man! After rejecting his offer to ride the week after they had gone together, he showed up less than a month later and made her serve him coffee for a whole afternoon. Her father didn't seem to be phased by this turn of events, only Ralph seemed to be just as uncomfortable as her. She was glad that at least one other person saw something under the facade he presented to her father. She was doubly glad that Ralph seemed to have a distaste for him, especially after Gary had insulted him so badly in her presence. Gary also talked down to him, if he spoke to Ralph at all. She was almost wishing for spring again, so that the young men would leave them and her alone. She sighed in relief as she saw the door close behind Gary, and she started clearing the coffee mugs.

'Now that wasn't so bad, was it Issy? Wouldn't have hurt you to try to talk to him more.'

'The man wouldn't like her to talk, might take away from him hearing his own beautiful voice.'

Belle snorted at Ralph's sarcastic remarks, she didn't think she had ever heard Ralph insert his own opinion in the presence of her father. The snort had caused her to drop the mug she held, and Ralph's eyes went up towards her. She had a feeling Ralph's words surprised himself. Papa squinted an amused look over at Ralph and Ralph's eyes just went wider in disbelief.

'Oh, I think I might have chipped your cup, Ralph!' She worried with the cup, the same cup they had pulled out of the chest. She had wrapped it carefully when they left home, as it had been her mother's. She sighed as another one of her mother's possessions had been damaged.

Ralph placed his hands over hers accidentally, but she didn't pull away as he helped her clean up the splattered coffee. They looked at each other suddenly, something unspoken written on Ralph's face that she couldn't comprehend.

'I'm sorry, I think I may be the one to blame for this.'

'It's okay. It's just a cup.'

Belle's eyes and shoulders must have betrayed her.

'But it isn't, is it?' He breathed.

Belle looked down at the small chip in the cup.

'It was mama's.' She confessed.

'Belle…'

'But.' She resolved. 'You can hardly tell it was chipped-still usable.'

She smiled up at Ralph, and he tried to smile back. Ralph always felt so down, Belle thought, and she didn't want to add to those feelings. It was just a cup-really. The real treasures were the memories that Belle had, and she wished she could reassure him.

'Besides, it serves you right to have to use a chipped cup after being so rude to such an honored guest.' She let her eyes sparkle with laughter, and it relieved her to see a sideways smirk grace his face. It was probably her favorite look of his. It was a brief moment, where the quiet, scared face he wore as a shield was peeled back to reveal what she thought was the real Ralph below.

…

Winter melted away slowly, and Ralph finally found himself again behind Belle's father, planting behind the rows of plowed field, sinking seeds into the cold, yet not frozen ground below. It had been a peaceful winter for them. Not marred by hunger or cold that penetrated too deeply. It could have been worse, he knew it could have been as he had experienced hungry winters himself, and knew Belle and her father must have gone through a rather daunting one the previous winter. However, here they were, embarking on a new season, each seed planted was a seed of hopeful success ahead.

Mr. French had made a new deal with him. He would receive twenty percent of the profit from the farm, and that filled him with more determination to make things successful. This wasn't just about survival anymore, though that was always at the forefront of all their minds, but it was about the future. The seeds he planted were investments in his very future.

He limped forward, learning to not stand quite straight, so as not to bend his knee too much. The pain would mostly find itself nestled in his back instead of in his leg, and for some reason that felt like a reasonable distraction. It was for that reason, so focused he was with Mr. French, and the ground below, and his own thoughts on what his perfect future looked like, that he didn't notice a horse had arrived, nor noticed its rider. He didn't notice until he heard Mr. French chuckle and glance towards the shanty off in the distance.

'Looks like Issy will have to think twice about that Mr. Gaston after all.'

A vice clamped down on his heart as he shot up, unaware of the shooting pain that ran up his leg. Ralph had always had a knack for running away from trouble. He ran away from his father, he ran away from the poverty of New York, and he tried to run away from what he foresaw as a disaster that destroyed his leg (for once he hadn't quite ran fast enough). This time, as the premonition presented itself he ignored the thoughts of what Mr. French might think of him, and walked, or rather limped pathetically towards what he felt certain was trouble.

…

Belle had been finishing the breakfast dishes when she heard the knock. Wiping her hands on her apron, she peaked out the door, and had to raise her head to meet the man who towered above her. Her heart sank. Not him. Why could the man not take no for an answer?

'Mr. Gary, what a surprise.' She couldn't allow herself to say 'pleasant'. She would be kind but she would not be dishonest. 'What brings you out this way?'

He smiled. It was a swagger of a smile that dripped with self assuredness as he pushed his way into the house, as if it were his own. He looked her up and down, and she suddenly felt self conscious as she could almost feel the analyzing look.

'Why you, you silly girl.' He laughed.

'Why don't I call Papa and Ralph, I know they'll want to see you.' She stumbled, trying to cover the anxiousness that she was suddenly feeling.

'I don't want to see them, I want to see you-and talk to you.'

'I-uh'

'Isabelle French, from the moment I saw you, you were the only girl for me. I want a wife. A wife who will care for me and sire the sons I want to have. I think you'll do the job admirably, as you're a strong little woman, and not at all bad to look at to boot.'

Belle colored at his strong statement, wondering at his impertinence after all the hints she had given of her disinterestedness.

'I-I.' His look made her feel so uneasy. His look told her that he thought he already knew the answer. She must tread carefully.

'I appreciate your honesty, now I would like to give you mine. I don't care for you as a wife should her husband, and I don't think we will make each other happy. I thank you for your proposal, but I'm afraid I must refuse.' There, she was frank but kind. He on the other hand stood stiff in disbelief at first, then his eyes darkened.

'Who has more to offer you than myself, you ungrateful woman?' He demanded his voice growing louder. 'Who else in this God-forsaken prairie could cause you to feel this 'care' you say you need to feel. Who is this man?'

'It's no one, I care for no one in that way, Mr. Gaston, which includes you, I'm afraid'

Suddenly he looked around the shanty, as if the very walls could tell him of this other man who he was certain had bewitched Isabelle into believing she had affections for them. His eyes fell to the third chair at the table.

'It's that stupid cripple isn't it?' He had gripped her wrist at some point during his speech, pointing her in the direction of the said third chair. As he spoke his grip got stronger and Belle winced in pain. 'Women always have a soft spot for wounded animals. That's all he is, Issy, a pet you think needs your help. He has nothing, he is nothing and no one.'

'How dare you say such words. Let go of me, you monster!' She spat out at him, there was no polite indifference anymore. He was hurting her, and she only had strong words at her disposal. He had brought her closer to the shanty wall, eyes wide and wild with anger and something else, something that made her shiver. Suddenly the wall hit her back, and she whimpered with as much fear as pain.

'I'll have you for my wife, make no mistake about that!'

'Help! Gary, stop! Get away, no!' She screamed.

The shanty door banged open and an angel disguised as a limping man brandishing his walking stick like a weapon walked in and covered the length of the shanty quicker than she thought possible. His own eyes wide with an emotion that Belle had never seen before, and his staff had hit Gary across the back before the oaf had completely turned to face her.

'How dare you treat Miss French in this manner?!' Ralph bellowed angrily-Belle had never seen anger in Ralph before and suddenly she was more than glad it wasn't directed at her. 'Get out of here and never come back.' Gary was looking at him stunned at the outburst and the feeling of stinging pain in his back. 'If you do, I will kill you.'

Gary lost some of his bewilderment and scoffed for a moment, but the icy glare that Ralph gave him almost made him step away from the skinny,but at that moment, angry and somehow intimidating man.

'Don't worry, cripple, she's all yours. Turns out I don't want damaged goods anyway.' He spat, and Ralph first went white then red. Belle was still breathing too hard to give any counter to the accusation, though it filled her with anger as well. Thankfully her father had followed behind Ralph a ways and had caught the end of the conversation.

'Mr. Gaston, you are welcome here no longer. Please see yourself out.'

Ralph kept his stony countenance until the second that Gary had left. He limped towards Belle and his face immediately softened.

'Are you hurt? Did he hurt you, Belle?' He had gripped her lightly at the shoulders scanning frantically to see if there were injuries. It was as if he caught himself and stepped back suddenly.

'Not-Not too much' Belle couldn't fight the sob from bubbling out and she wrapped her arms around Ralph's neck in an almost involuntary response. He had saved her from something that could have been truly terrible and despite the fear she discovered something very significant as she contemplated the events later that day. She was in love with Ralph Gold.

Author's note:Next week will see a bit of Ralph's perspective of what happened. Maybe the hug wasn't exactly 'proper' but I really wanted it, and this is fanfiction so...
I hope you enjoy this chapter!