SMOKE AND ASHES
Devastated by Gold turning on her, Belle has stalwartly decided to stay by his side, to pursue the matter, to explain herself. She has learned from Jefferson (who is helping Gold manage his sudden devastating gastric and bodily symptoms) that she did (inadvertently) poison the man with her blood after an innocuous kitchen accident. Standing in Gold's bedroom unsure of what to do, Belle encounters a large, black cat who simply observes her. Hearing Gold groan, Belle makes a decision and removes her outer clothing as well as her mother's necklace (which affords her prodigious protection against Gold) and she lies down with the shivering man.
He awakens with her in his bed. She is afraid, but determined to make her case and he is forced to accept that what happened was, indeed, an accident. Belle learns that the accident has brought forth his traumatic memories of being held prisoner and tortured by the Fae and she is able to understand his reactions.
Finding the beautiful, brave woman in his bed arouses Gold's prurient interests and he pursues his physical desires (to the increasing delight and fascination of Belle), but they are interrupted by a highly anxious Jefferson (who is checking on Belle's welfare).
Gold asks Belle to fix him breakfast while he showers. Joining her in the kitchen, she tells him that she has met The Cat, yet another mysterious denizen of The House, and Belle comments on his granite and stainless steel kitchen.
Chapter 16
Apologies
"Your kitchen is cold," Belle told him.
"We can turn the heat up," he suggested.
And gave her a slow, sensual smile.
Belle considered. The man looked utterly delicious and she knew very well what he was referring to.
As tempting as the invitation was and it was quite tempting . . . Belle managed to glare at him, "No, I mean, everything is sterile and granite and steel and modern and not in a good way. A kitchen should be homey and inviting." She plated the food.
It is with you here. "You mean with chintz curtains, pillows, little throw rugs and all?" He pulled a disdainful face.
"Doesn't have to be that. But a kitchen should be inviting. People should feel comfortable gathering there. They should feel warm."
"And mine feels cold?" he asked her.
Belle hesitated, "Maybe some flowers or red dishcloths or . . ." she wasn't sure what else.
"Curtains, pillows, a little throw rug?" he suggested.
Belle stopped what she was doing. "I'm sorry. I really shouldn't be . . . I know it sounds like I'm criticizing. Your apartment is beautiful. It's very much a reflection of you. All the different layers of you – the cool, professional, the hard taskmaster, the secretly generous kind soul, and the deep, dark mysterious man," she said shyly and he helped her carry the food to the table.
She smiled at him as they sat down to eat. His breath caught in his throat.
He was so in over his head with her.
"I'll think about it, what you said," he managed to get out.
"Thank you, that's so sweet. Can I get you anything else to drink?" she asked him as they sat at his slate-topped table. "I figured you had dehydrated last night, as sick as you were."
"I'll need to be drinking water through-out the day, but I'm okay at the moment." Better than okay. I'm sitting here with you.
Belle looked around at the kitchen, taking in the little dining area they were sitting in and the posh place setting with the black china, the pewter chargers, the crystal goblets, the real silver cutlery, the linen napkins. "You know this is the swankest breakfast setting I've been presented with in a while," she told him.
"You've had more upscale breakfasts?" he asked.
"A few times. I've been at breakfasts with the crystal water glasses, and hand embroidered linen napkins and . . .and. . . stuff. Usually it would be a . . ." she looked up at him, a flash of emotion crossing her face. "It would an important breakfast," she finished lamely.
He began picking over the burnt bacon, the undercooked toast, the rubbery eggs and, good gods, what ever had she done to the coffee? "I'm sorry about this morning," he told her. Great, he was apologizing again.
Good. He told himself he needed to apologize again.
"For what?" she seemed genuinely puzzled.
"Uh, for. . . when I . . . we . . . were in bed. . . I kinda got carried away."
Belle shook her head, "You don't have to apologize for that. It was. . . it was. . . very nice." Nice?! It was awesome! One of the most intensely pleasurable experiences of her life. He could get carried away any time he wanted to!
"Why don't we have our coffee in the sun room?" It was nice, very nice?! That's all! It was some of his best moves. At the time he'd thought she was enjoying herself.
He led her out to the back of the apartment, to the area in front of the large windows that faced the mountains. Sitting on white-flecked burgundy marble tiles was a thick sheepskin rug. Set on the rug was a silver-toned glass-topped table, a small one flanked by two off-white linen upholstered armless chairs. He pulled back some thick black velvet curtains, leaving some thin burgundy sheers to filter the bright morning sun. They sat in the comfortable chairs.
It was a pleasant way to begin the morning.
He could see that she was not wearing her mother's necklace and reminded her, "You should probably put your mother's necklace back on. There are a lot of dark low-lifes around and, while not a common occurrence, there are a few that may venture to come out in the morning light."
"Dark low-lifes, huh?" she looked at him and he gave her chagrined smile. "I left it on Ashley's dress in your bedroom. I'll get it before I go," she told him.
They sat watching the interplay of light and shadow on the mountain behind the city and casting glances at each other, Gold realized that he was feeling very well, despite the brutal night before. This woman made him feel . . . right. He felt stronger and, there was this strange feeling. . . happiness? He had a brief image of sitting in his kitchen (with red dish cloths and frilly curtains) or in this sunroom and having coffee with this woman as part of a regular morning routine, having her smile at him over her cup, seeing her in the morning light, so fresh, so wholesome, so beautiful. It was perfect, well, except for the coffee.
Get a grip on yourself, Gold. You're sounding like a romantic schoolboy on his first crush.
Belle took a sip of her coffee. She had not seen Gold in anything except one of his suits and this jeans with a black tee-shirt attire was quite a different look for him. He looked good. Very good. She wondered what he might do if she got up and came over to sit in his lap. She'd like to spend time kissing him again and maybe. . . maybe he would do some of those magical things to her body again.
She wondered if her touch would produce the same feelings in him. Where would a man like to be touched?
Belle sighed. She was so stupid about these things.
Still he seemed patient with her inexperience. He might be willing to guide her, teach her what she would need to know to please him. She'd like to learn these things. Especially from him.
Lovecraft wandered in where they were sitting, trilling and purring loudly and rubbing around their chairs.
Gold watched the animal for a while. "He likes you?" Gold observed, obviously surprised at the cat's behavior.
Belle was petting the large animal, "Hello kitty."
"You're calling him 'kitty'?" he asked her, surprised. "Do you not realize that this cat is actually, almost certainly, a physical manifestation of some ancient primal power? It's not a cat."
"Do you think so? Well, he's still adorable. So soft and fluffy."
The cat locked eyes with her and after a moment, Belle looked up.
"Can he talk?"
Gold glanced at the cat. "Never has to me. Are you thinking he's talking with you?"
"Just a feeling. There's something he wants me to see before I leave." Belle looked up at Gold. "I have no idea." Very reluctantly she said, "I guess we need to be heading down to the shop. I'll have to stop by my apartment and change, but I'll get there as soon as I can," she told him.
"No hurry. I have to change too."
As they stood up, Belle couldn't resist. "I like this look on you. You look . . . relaxed," she told him. "I don't suppose you'd consider declaring this Casual Friday and showing up to your shop in jeans?"
He frowned at her, obviously disapproving of the idea, and then touched her cheek with a finger tracing down her face with the palm of his hand. "I'm not relaxed very often, I'll admit to that," he replied.
"Maybe we can think of some ways . . . " she paused, "to relax you."
There was a slight smile on his face, "Maybe we can," and his palm drifted down to her shoulder and he gently pulled her in.
She was already kissing him along his neck and chin and quickly his mouth found hers. His other hand tangled in her head. He managed to pull back, "Actually, Miss Belle, this doesn't exactly relax me." He was smiling at her.
"It is rather stimulating," she agreed, her hands clasped, one on his upper arm, the other on his shoulder.
Gold sighed and settled on kissing her forehead. "I guess I should go ahead and get my shop opened. I never know . . . who might be out there . . . desperate to make a deal."
Belle also sighed, "Of course. You need to be there for them."
They reluctantly stepped away from each other. He guided her back into the living room and seriously considered kissing her again but felt that if he put his hands on her one more time, he likely wouldn't have the strength to let her go. He stood there looking deeply into her sparkling blue eyes.
Belle took the moment to bask in his scrutiny. She knew his feelings for her were growing as were her feelings for him.
"I guess I'll go downstairs to change." She turned away and was about to leave when Lovecraft came padding into the room. He purred loudly and rubbed himself against Gold's and Belle's legs. Belle reached down to pet the cat again.
Lovecraft trilled an excited purr and then jumped up on the sofa.
Gold went to shoo the animal off, but the cat, instead of jumping on the floor, jumped onto one of the small tables – the small table that supported the plain wooden box. The cat landed on the box and the animal's fur stood up on end. He stood on the box, loudly meowing.
It was a large cat to begin with and all frizzed up, he was enormous. Gold shook his head and put his arms around the animal to lift it off. "You big lummox, off the furniture," he scolded the cat.
"What's in that box?" Belle asked.
Gold turned back to her, setting the cat back on the floor. "This box?" he asked her warily.
"That box," Belle repeated.
"Why do you ask?" he was being evasive.
"I can't explain it, but I feel something when I'm around this box. It feels like the Artifact's Room except . . . well . . . moreso," she explained.
Gold debated. The Box was kept in his apartment to keep what it contained safe. It was in a plain, but sturdy container locked with his most powerful wards.
Belle was waiting, her eyes locked onto him. "What's in the box?" she asked again.
Gold slowly went over to the box and waved his hand over it, opening the wards, then opening the box.
Belle warily peeked in.
She didn't know what she had been expecting.
"Bit of let down?" Gold said to her.
"It's just a scroll and some metal," she told him.
"I know," he responded.
"May I? May I touch them?" she asked.
"If you want to. It's very old. I don't think I need to caution you about how to handle old scrolls."
Belle nodded and carefully picked up the scroll unrolling it part way.
She studied it awhile. "This is interesting. I've seen another scroll very like this," she told him.
Gold went completely still.
There was a long moment.
"Say again."
"I've seen another one like this. It is quite unique. The bright colors, the drawings of supernatural creatures, very unlike other scrolls. Definitely not a church scroll, that's for sure."
Gold spoke very low and slowly, "Just where did you see another one like this?" he asked softly.
Belle replaced the scroll in the box. "There's a very old library near . . . near my family's home. When I was younger I'm afraid I spent a lot of time there. I was much more comfortable around all the books than I was around people. The library has an ancient texts section. A lot of scholars come to the library just to access some of the scrolls in the section. It's locked and you have to have special permission to get in there but. . . well I was such a frequent flyer, as it were, in the library that they did let me in the special sections from time to time."
Gold had not make any reply but was looking at and watching Belle closely. He didn't seem to be breathing.
Belle continued, "I remember seeing the other scroll. It was kept in a plain box like yours but it didn't have a piece of metal with it, it had a . . . what would you call it? . . . like the handle of a dagger or . . . a hilt."
Gold found himself sinking into this yellow velvet chair.
"You're sure the scroll you saw looked like this one," he motioned toward his box.
"Of yes, even the first couple of lines of the long poem are the same. I don't recognize the language so I can't be absolutely sure." She noticed he was sitting in his chair stock-still.
"Are you all right?" she asked him.
He didn't answer right away. "Belle, what would you say if I said it might be very, very important for me to get that scroll."
"I'd say it would be nearly impossible. The Scholar's Room in the library has guards. People are searched going in and out. That's assuming you could even get in. Only the most prestigious of scholars can get access and it can take months before permission is granted."
Gold gave her a slight smile. "Just where is this library, Belle?"
+ + + + Contrite
Gold had, at the last moment, reluctantly agreed to go down to his shop in his jeans and tee-shirt. He had warned Belle that if he missed out on a high-end estate sale because some will's executor judged him by his clothes and deemed him too low-class to handle their prime do-dads he would never again agree to such a silly request. He stood behind his counter clearly not comfortable without his usual Armani armor.
His apologies began early and went on for most of the day.
At first there was a delivery of chocolates from The Chocolate Fetish. It was a lovely decorated gift box, filled with a variety of milk and dark chocolate confections.
Belle looked at the beautiful decorated box and then looked at Gold.
"I . . . I had. . . I had already arranged for these to be delivered to you this morning as a way of thanking you for supper," he stammered.
"Thank you so much," Belle told him and risked a small kiss on his cheek. Belle selected one of the chocolates and offered him the box, "Please," she held it out for him to take one.
He did and chewed and swallowed it in one quick motion, watching her linger over her selection. Belle bit her selected candy in half and allowed the chocolate to melt in her mouth, swirling it around, savoring it before swallowing. She then placed the second half in her mouth and it, too, was allowed to melt before she swallowed it. Then she began licking her fingers to retrieve the shards of chocolate that had begun to melt before she had eaten the halves. Each finger. . . slowly into her mouth. . . her lips wrapped around each one, one at a time. Sometimes she would start by licking the finger before putting it into her mouth.
He blinked. Watching her eat chocolate was a most . . . stimulating experience.
Good lord! He was about to lose his grip on himself just watching her lick her own fingers. What if she were licking. . . . No! He couldn't go there.
Not the least bit relaxing.
Then Emma dropped by on her way out to work. She scanned Gold in his casual attire. "Nice look for you. I would have said that you couldn't improve on the Armani, but I would have been wrong. Fits in all the right places."
"Go away, Miss Swan," he told her.
Later some flowers were delivered; a huge bouquet of red roses, white tulips, blue cornflowers and deep blue hyacinths.
"I ordered these this morning," he explained. "I wanted to apologize again for doubting your innocence," Gold told her after calling her to the front of the shop to accept them. "And calling you names and threatening your life."
"These are lovely" Belle recognized some of the flowers as symbols of apology and knew the bouquet was his way of, yet again, apologizing for the violent outburst he'd had with her. "But you don't have to keep apologizing," Belle told him. "Thank you so much." She buried her nose in the bouquet, luxuriating in the olfactory experience.
It was Regina who dropped by the shop next. "Good lord, Gold. What were you thinking? You're barely presentable in a suit. Jeans and a tee-shirt make you look like some itinerant steel worker down on his luck. All you need is a crappy leather jacket."
"I'll keep that in mind," he told her, refusing to rise to her bait.
Later, in the afternoon, he called Belle up front again. There was a small wrapped box waiting for her.
"What is this?" she asked and opened it to find a new smartphone.
"I thought you could use it. I worry about you not being able to get in touch with anyone if you get into trouble. Everyone else in the building has one," he told her.
She looked sharply at him. Was this still part of his on-going apology?
"I've had it programmed with everyone's numbers. And you can get music stations and play games and all kinds of things on it."
"I can't afford this," Belle told him.
"It's taken care of," he let her know in his most implacable tone of voice. "I've gotten one for each of the tenants when they first came in if they couldn't afford one. You are no exception. And you had actually said it would be good if each of us had a way to contact others here in The House."
Belle could tell that he was not going to discuss this, argue with her, brook dissension, accept a refusal or consider alternatives.
"Thank you," she told him, unsure of anything else to say, and pocketed the phone.
Ruby came in next after finishing up her shift. She dropped by, ostensibly to see Belle but she stopped in her tracks when she came upon Gold who had his back to the front door while he was putting some antique medicinal bottles up on a shelf.
"Damn!" Ruby said.
He turned, "Everything all right, Miss MacTire?"
Ruby gaped at him. She was still staring.
"Ruby, my eyes are up here," he directed her.
"I'm not looking at your eyes," Ruby told him honestly. She went on through the door to the lobby. "That's the kind of sight that will get a girl go-ing. Dah-amm!"
Gold rubbed his head. A two-syllable damn. Not sure if his day was looking up or spiraling down.
The last gift came at the end of the day. It was another wrapped box, bigger than the small one the phone can come in.
Belle protested, knowing that it would not change matters. "I don't need more presents from you."
He said quietly, "This one is special."
She opened it. It was his copy of Pride and Prejudice.
She gasped. "I can't accept this! It's too valuable!"
"So are you," he told her and took her hands. "Belle, I was an idiot. I almost lost you. I can't tell you enough that I'm sorry."
"I've forgiven you," she told him, but then the thought occurred. "Of course, you've accepted my forgiveness," she said slowly, "but you haven't forgiven yourself."
He nearly smiled. "I forget that you are an Empath." He put his hands on her arms. "Please, you are very important to me. I can't believe I told you to get out. I threatened you. I called you a disrespectful name. You are meant to be here. The House wants you here. . . I. . . I want you here."
"But this gift. . ." she started.
"Should be in the hands of someone who appreciates it. It is one of the most valuable non-magical things I own." He shook his head, "It's still not enough."
Belle knew she wasn't going to win this. The man was beating himself up over his actions. Her eyes had filled with tears but she was concerned if he saw them that he would feel worse. Looking down at the precious volume, she asked him, "Don't we still have some dessert to eat?"
When he didn't answer right away, she peeked up at him. He was staring at her intently.
"We do. Why don't I bring up a pizza?" he asked.
"Sure." Belle picked up the valuable book and pressed it to her chest. "I want to take this upstairs."
"Go ahead. I'll be there about seven with food."
Belle leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. She went on up the stairs, carrying the book, the phone, the chocolates and the flowers.
Belle had some clean up to do in her apartment given the abruptness that things were ended the night before. She first put the treasured Jane Austin on the shelf in her closet. She put the chocolates on the kitchen counter (and allowed herself to eat another one of them). She split the flowers up to make one large bouquet which she set on the floor near the window and a small bouquet to put in the bedroom. She then cleaned up all the dishes she had left out overnight and then moved the small table back to the kitchen area. She found a light jazz channel on the phone's Pandora station.
She felt like the apartment was looking as good as her frugal furnishings would allow it to. As an after-thought, she brought several of the bed coverings out to the sofa. She knew she wasn't quite ready to have Mr. Gold in the bedroom, but she hoped that she might be able to sit with him awhile on the sofa. They could eat pizza there and feed each other the chocolate cake and maybe. . . maybe. . . they could touch each other and cuddle and get close – perhaps sit under the covering for awhile.
She checked. There was a little red wine left, enough for a glass each.
Gold showed up at seven, carrying a pizza, another bottle of red wine and another chocolate lava cake, all while carrying his cane. Belle greeted him with an opened-mouth kiss.
He maneuvered so that he could set down the pizza, wine, cake and cane while he settled his attentions on Belle, roughly kissing her. He stepped away and looked around. "You have a knack, my dearest. You apartment looks . . . warm, comfortable and inviting."
She had the grace to blush, "Please, come in and sit down. I've got us some plates. And I'll get us some glasses. Why'd you bring another cake?"
"The other one will have hardened. It's still edible, but part of the dining experience with lava cake is the savoring the liquid insides," he explained. Before filling his plate with pizza he returned to Belle's front door. She wouldn't have to know, she didn't need to know, but he was bloody well tired of interruptions. His actions only took a moment and then he came back to fill his plate with pizza.
Sitting on Belle's couch, he allowed Belle to fill two of her little ordinary juice glasses with the rich red wine he had brought with him. He took one of the glasses.
"I need to let you know that I've called an emergency meeting for the tenants of The House tomorrow morning at eight," he told her sipping some of the wine.
"Really?"
"Something important. You need to be there." He was looking her over. She had on a simple white top over the blue shirt.
"It has to do with what I told you about that other scroll, doesn't it?" she asked him.
"It does. We have something important to do."
"You won't tell me now?"
"Not now. It'll wait. Right now, I want to enjoy your company."
Belle took a gulp of her wine and she leaned over to the man. "I like how you smell," she told him. She placed her hands on his chest. "I like how you feel."
He was puzzled.
"You feel solid . . . and safe," she explained.
He leaned away from her, "Belle, you must know that I haven't always been . . . the nicest person."
"Well, I know you've lived a long, long time," she told him.
He shook his head, "I've done a lot of bad things," he began.
Belle put her finger over his mouth, "Are you still doing those things?" she asked him
He shook his head.
"Are you currently wanted for any criminal action? Anywhere?" she asked.
"I don't think so," he told her honestly. "But. . . " he hesitated.
She waited.
"Probably among some of the Fae and among some of the darker forces there are some entities with long memories that haven't forgiven me for some of the things I did a while ago."
"What have you done?" Belle was curious. And a little wary.
"I killed one of the Fae," he told her one of his darker secrets.
"Was this before or after they had kept you prisoner?"
"After," he acknowledged. "I took something from one of them and I killed the Fae to do it."
Belle sat quietly.
"I had just been released from their prison and I was doing everything I could do to protect myself, to prevent them from having enough power to put me back in one of their prisons. Their queen let me know she was very, very disappointed in my actions but she was in a forgiving mood and understood why I had done what I had done. But, of course, I was not to do any such thing again."
"So she let you go?" Belle was surprised but didn't say anything more. Had the queen really forgiven him or had their real power over the man waned and they didn't want him to know?
"She did. I have been careful ever since, well, at least around the Fae. I, at least, act obedient and docile when I have to interact with Those Bitches. But not all of them are as forgiving as their Queen. And then there are the Darker forces, well, I've gone up against them several times. They require frequent concerted efforts of strength and power to stop them from overwhelming us. It's actually my job here . . . with The House. I've done some pretty unpleasant things to them."
"But they've tried to do some pretty unpleasant things to you and your people," Belle noted. "Even since I've been here."
"It's a war," he agreed. "Belle, we stand in a Place between the Light and Dark Forces. It is older than good and evil, light and dark. It is the Balance Point. It is here so that one never exceeds the other, for one cannot exist without the other. The House welcomed me, felt that I was fit to be a part of this battle." He paused for a moment, "I've often thought that the Fae let me go because they felt I was the right one to fight this battle." He laughed, a tight, hard laugh, "I think the Queen let me go because they didn't have anyone else who was willing to take the job. Maybe she was even a little scared. Belle, right now, the Forces of Darkness are rising and," Gold smiled at Belle, "it's making the Forces of Good a little nervous. They want to be sure I'm getting the job done and, for the most part, they are all right with me using whatever means necessary to win."
"So, you're telling me that sometimes you have to be bad to be good?" Belle asked him.
Gold smirked, "I didn't say that . . . but, I like it. I don't do bad things just to do them. I used to be focused on my own survival which was the highest good I could think of. But now I'm focused, I hope, I think, on the greater good of . . . ."
Belle finished for him, "saving the world?"
"Yeah," he laughed at himself. "I meant to tell you about what a complete asshole I've been, an opportunist, a manipulator, but now I'm sounding noble." He turned to look closely at Belle. "Is this your empathy thing working on me?"
"I don't know!" Belle told him. "It's me being me.
He shook his head, "You are the empathy thing. You can't help it," he said kindly. "It's everything you say and do. It makes everyone around you want to do the right thing, be a better person."
She shook her head, "I just wanted to share some pizza and a chocolate cake with you."
"Ah yes," Gold turned his attention back to the food. "It did get rather heavy there for a while. Here," he handed her the plate of pizza. She leaned back into him and sat comfortably watching the traffic and the lights of the city through her window, listening to the soft music. He enjoyed her soft curves melting into his wiry frame. He enjoyed her gentle feminine fragrance, the silkiness of her curls against his cheek. He would allow his hand to trail up and down the smooth, cool skin of her arm.
Reluctantly Belle broke contact to bring the cake over. She placed it on a single plate with two forks. Leaning back into him, she placed the plate on her lap and used her fork to break into it.
"Ooohh," she exclaimed as the chocolate oozed out. She dipped her piece of cake into the liquid and popped it into her mouth. "Ooouah, ah, ah! Yes, yes!" her eyes had closed and an expression of ecstasy blossomed on her face. "This is sooo good," she told him.
He had been watching her. Damn, the woman looked like she was in the throes of passion. If chocolate could put that expression on her face, what would an orgasm do? He really wanted to find out.
"You have some," she had opened her eyes and guilelessly she scooped up a piece of the cake, complete with goo and offered it to him from her fingers.
He opened his mouth and took hold of her hand. He slowly took the cake from her fingers, lingering, sucking and licking her fingers which kept in his mouth. He'd locked eyes with her and, even as totally inexperienced as she was, there was no mistaking the sensual promise that lay deep in his darkened eyes. She momentarily drew back pulling her fingers from his mouth.
"I should probably tell you that I have designs on your person," he confessed, "dark designs," he promised.
Belle paused, then smiled, "I'm wondering if your designs on my person are anything like the designs I have on your person?"
Thanks to all my incredible and always helpful reviewers: RoxyMoron, thedoctorsgirl42, RaFire, juju0268, MyraValhallah, WikiSorcerer, karolprado, Robin4, cheesyteal'c, spacecats, deweymay, jewel415, Vampireguardian, emospritelet, Grace5231973, orthankg1, Chauchi, Aletta-Feather CharlotteAshmore (for Chapter 1) and to ajprincess who sent me a very nice pm.
OneMagician (who 'corrected' my 'smuch' term to the more correct 'smutch' – which is a better combination of the concept words). Special thanks.
Anne Andrews (Guest): I can't avoid some similarities with The Cheshire Cat but Lovecraft is more interactive (and less of an observer) than the Cheshire Cat was. I actually did consider if I needed to make the two more similar but Lovecraft is his own cat.
Erik'sTrueAngel (Guest): I thought I would get to it but things ran too long (once I put Gold in jeans, I had to keep him there for awhile and it extended the chapter). A little smut comes along in the next chapter.
NEXT: What all happens on Belle's sofa.
And (if it doesn't run too long) we'll get to the Tenants' Meeting and What Gold Proposes