Hey guys, hope you like the new chapter. I'm back in school and now I have to start taking five classes, otherwise I lose some of my scholarship money. Totally sucks, but I've been so busy with homework and probably will continue to be, but I'll continue to update. It just might be sporadic. Please be patient.

Thank you so much for everyone reading. I really appreciate it. You guys keep me writing.

Moving on to guilty girls and mysterious men...

Belle was sitting in her little apartment on the floor, her knees touching the coffee table, staring at the pictures she had taken from the ledger she had found in Gold's desk drawer.

She stared intently at the name Kieran Hook, and the phone number written next to the name.

If she called, would anyone actually answer? Was this really Hook's phone number? Could she really prove a stronger connection between Gold and Hook? She wasn't sure. Yes, Gold had the names and numbers in his desk, but she didn't know how often he might change those contacts. Mason was an intelligent man. If he had any inkling that anyone was onto him, he wouldn't just keep valuable information for just anyone to find.

Then again, he probably didn't let many people stay inside his office unattended.

Belle grabbed the cell phone she was given by the station, one that wouldn't show any ID and couldn't be traced back to her. She held her breath as she dialed the number for Kieran Hook.

The phone rang three times before a man answered.

"Hello?' the voice asked, suspiciously.

Belle tried to mask her accent, hoping she wouldn't be detected, and finally spoke. "Is this Kieran Hook?" She sounded silly to herself, trying to speak in an American accent instead of her Australian one.

The man didn't respond for a moment. "Who is this? How did you get this number?" He sounded like he had an English accent of some sort, something familiar, but she couldn't place where she had heard it before.

Belle swallowed, her heart beating out of her chest. "That doesn't matter," she said, mysteriously. "Just answer the question, please." She hoped by asking nicely that the man would comply.

Apparently not, though. "I don't know who you are, so why would I answer any of your questions?" the man scoffed. "Besides, this number only belongs to one person and you definitely do not sound anything like him."

"Is the 'he' you speak of Mr. Gold?" Belle waited for a reply, sweat beading on her forehead in anticipation.

However, the man chose not to answer her question. He hung the phone up instead.

Belle sat on her floor, covered in kitten fur, listening to the dial tone. She couldn't say she was surprised by his dismissal, but it didn't help her any.

She didn't know what she had been expecting. Did she really think that Hook would answer, confessing all his secrets to her? Of course not, but she did have something she didn't have before: a voice. A voice that Captain Mills might be able to pinpoint on a suspect, one which they still did not have.

Belle sighed in frustration. This was so difficult. How was her team supposed to track down Hook and Gold, get them to confess to their crimes, if none of them even knew who Hook was? Mason Gold was already a challenge, despite knowing his identity. Of course, Gold had never been caught doing anything illegal, so this case was proving daunting.

Belle paused, thinking of Mason. She thought of their conversation yesterday, where he was honest about his divorce. Belle hadn't even been able to tell him about her lack of dating experience. Her lack of honesty still made her feel irrationally guilty. She hated lying to Mason, but that was all she seemed able to do lately. It didn't help that she also remembered their kiss. She had kissed him to distract him while Ruby showed up to cause an even larger distraction while she searched his office.

However, Belle had the feeling that she didn't just kiss him to distract him, but because she really just wanted to place her lips upon Mason Gold. Her heart gave a little flutter at the feelings he inspired in her. The feelings of passion and adventure. She couldn't deny her real crush on the man. She had one from the moment she met him at Granny's diner. She still had one even after knowing that he was a suspect in a crime organization.

She was stuck between wanting to do the right thing and wanting to follow her heart. The two had always aligned before, but now that they didn't, she was terrified.

She folded her arms onto the table, resting her head in them. What was she going to do? All she knew, was that she better find out soon, otherwise her life was going to get even more complicated.

Belle arrived at the precinct the following morning, anxiously awaiting to tell Captain Mills her information from the phone call with the mysterious Englishman.

When she sat down at her desk across from Ruby, both girls received a shock when Emma came limping into the building, a cast on her leg and a crutch underneath her right arm.

Ruby stood up in her seat. "What happened?"

Emma shook her head, grunting as she leaned against Ruby's desk. "I got shot in the leg last night."

"Should you be at work?" Belle asked, worry over her face.

Emma snorted. "Probably not, but I needed to inform the Captain about what happened last night. You girls should it hear it as well."

The three made their way to Regina's office, settling in once Regina opened the door. Emma hated sitting down, her restless energy making the injury even more difficult to handle.

"You should really be at home, Lieutenant," Regina remarked. "Getting some rest."

Emma shook her head. "I'll be fine. It's just my shin. Besides, you need to know what I discovered."

Regina nodded, "Go on, even though you could have just called," she muttered, as Belle and Ruby stood standing to let Emma sit. Belle kept shifting from side to side in her heels.

"I went to the movie theater, and was expecting to see Jefferson meeting with new members, or something like that. That's what the hidden mic David left behind indicated would happen. Instead, another man showed up. I couldn't make out his face clearly. His baseball cap kept getting in the way, but I ended up chasing him down the street after he bolted from the theater. He shot me, as you can guess. I couldn't catch him. When I called for help, the closest police officer on duty arrived, but he wasn't able to find the culprit at that point. Besides, my shin was hurting like a bitch. I needed to get to the hospital."

"It's all right, Swan," Regina said, when she noticed how disappointed the Lieutenant sounded. "Was there anything else you noticed of the man?"

Emma nodded. "His height. He stood, probably around, 6' feet or so. His accent as well. It was...English, I believe. What specific English accent I wouldn't be able to say, but he was most assuredly not American."

At the mention of the man's accent, Belle's head shot up. "Uh, Captain?"

Regina nodded in her direction to speak.

Belle cleared her throat. "I called the number for Hook in Gold's ledger. A man answered. He had some sort of English accent, as well. The cell you gave me recorded the conversation, so I can show you. Maybe it's the same man."

Before Belle pushed play on the recorder, Regina spoke. "See if you recognize the voice, Lieutenant."

Emma nodded, before listening intently to the conversation. Once they finished listening to the recording, Emma nodded again. "It sounds like him." She furrowed her brow. "The strange thing is that his voice sounds familiar to me, and not just the accent, but his specific voice. The tone and everything. I just can't place it."

Belle nodded, agreeing with Emma. "I thought the same thing when I first heard his voice as well."

Regina frowned. "That is strange. We can run his voice through our data base of potential men who could be Hook and see if the voice matches."

"Do you think it really is Hook?" Ruby asked. "This man could be anyone, from what we know."

Captain Mills sighed in frustration. "I know, but it's the only lead we have so far. We have to take it."

All the women agreed.

Moe was tending to some business in the office of his flower shop when he heard the bells above the door chime, letting him know a customer arrived. He brushed his hands together, hoping to make a sale.

When he rounded the corner, he gave a little squeak at the sight of Mason Gold, standing confidently inside the small space. The image of the powerful man standing next to bouquet after bouquet of colorful flowers would have been humorous, but the smirk on his face did not instill happy emotions inside Moe.

"Mr. Gold," he nodded his head, trying not to look away in fear. "What, uh, are you doing here?"

The other man's smirk just deepened. He rubbed the top of his cane. The picture of nonchalance. "I wanted to check in on you, Mr. Nelson." For a moment, Gold almost said French, instead of the man's fake name. Knowing Moe's true identity, in any other case, would have delighted him, but he didn't want to reveal his connection to Belle to her father. He didn't need Moe mentioning to his daughter that his new client knew him. Belle could just stay in the dark for a while. Everything was better that way. Easier, if he admitted it to himself.

Gold continued speaking, "I wanted to make sure you were collecting the money to repay your loan in the future."

Moe nodded quickly, trying not to pass out. "I am. With the new advertising, I've been able to bring in more customers. Thank you for that."

Gold waved a hand. "It's no problem, as long as you pay me back that is." The glint in his eyes made Moe feel even more lightheaded. He hoped and prayed he wouldn't faint. He also hoped he wouldn't have a bowel movement at that time. "Remember, Mr. Nelson. You have four months left to get me your five thousand dollars."

Moe kept nodding his head, hoping he was reassuring the intimidating man. By the doubtful look on Gold's face, Moe didn't think he was succeeding.

Gold didn't really check in with his clients all that much until the time came around for him to receive his money, but with 'Mr. Nelson,' Gold felt a little bit of sympathy. Mostly for Belle really. He received the impression that she carried a lot of the weight for her father. He didn't want Belle to have to suffer, so for her sake, he hoped that Moe would be able to pay him back.

Gold glanced around at the shop, taking in all the sights and smells of floral arrangements. He looked back at Moe, who was quivering in his pants. "Is your daughter around, Mr. Nelson?"

Moe's head jerked, startled by the question. "Uh, no. She has the day off," he said, remembering that Belle was undercover on some mission. She hadn't told him what, exactly, and he knew not to ask questions in her line of work. He was proud of himself for not slipping up.

Gold frowned, disappointed. "That's a shame. I was hoping for more advice on what type of flowers to get the woman I'm dating. Since she's not here, I guess I'll have to make do on my own."

"Well, you can get anything in the store. I'm sure you can afford pretty much whatever she would like," Moe chuckled, nervously.

Gold smirked. "That is true." He pointed at a small bundle of red roses. He remembered the time before when he came into the flower shop and Belle had mentioned that roses where her favorite flower. He had gotten her yellow roses, since she had said that they symbolically meant the start of a new relationship. He knew that red meant passion and desire.

He didn't know how far they were into their relationship, that getting her red roses would be appropriate, but, if he admitted, he wanted to pick up the pace a little. After their kiss in his office, he wanted to explore the passionate side to their relationship more. If that meant getting her red roses to signify that, then he would proudly leave this store and say to hell with it. He was a man who was smitten with his girlfriend. He would get her red roses, for sure, he nodded to himself.

As he paid for the flowers, he lifted up his credit card, showing it to Moe. "Take it as a small favor. A little step in reaching your goal. Call it a discount."

Moe tried to laugh at Gold's joke, but a twenty dollar bundle of flowers wasn't going to help him much in reaching five thousand dollars. Truthfully, he had only accumulated one thousand dollars in the past two months. He wasn't sure if he would be able to reach his goal of four thousand dollars within four months. Of course, he wasn't going to say that to Mr. Gold.

Gold nodded his head when he finished paying for the flowers, backing away. For a man that walked with a cane, Moe was impressed that he seemed so at ease walking backwards. "I really hope you repay your loan on time, Mr. Nelson. For everyone's sake."

With those words, Gold left the flower shop, leaving a quivering Moe behind.

Belle and Ruby left the precinct for lunch, heading to a small sandwich place down the street.

Once they were seated, and eating their sandwiches, a BLT for Ruby and a turkey sub for Belle, the two girls turned to gossip.

"Jesus, Belle. You're never gonna guess what happened with that Victor guy I've been seeing." She stuffed her face full of bread, bacon, and tomato.

"What?" Belle wiped her mouth with her napkin.

"I went over to his house last night, thinking I would surprise him with a little after dinner delight, and found him in bed with some blonde bitch named Ella. Seriously, I cannot believe he cheated on me!" Ruby exclaimed, a piece of her lettuce flying from her mouth.

Belle raised her eyebrows. "Sorry. But I have to ask...you clarified that you guys were going to be exclusive, right?"

Ruby shot her the stink eye. "Did it matter? You don't see other women when you got all this." She waved a hand down her body.

Belle giggled, shaking her head. "Oh, Ruby. What would I do without you?"

Ruby shrugged. "Probably become a nun, for all I know."

Belle gasped, pretending to be insulted. "I would not. I don't want to be a nun."

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "You sure? Your virgin ways claim otherwise."

Belle rolled her eyes. "Enough with the virgin comments."

Ruby held up her hands in surrender. "Ok, ok. So how are things going with Gold? I was impressed that you were able to search his office without him detecting you. What did you two talk about until I showed up to save the day and distract him?"

Belle felt her face heat. "Oh, I, um...kmished him," she mumbled.

Ruby put her hand behind her ear. "I'm sorry, what was that? You kmished him?"

Belle sighed, slumping in defeat. "I kissed him," she stated clearly. An elderly woman at a nearby table glanced up at Belle's words.

"Good for you, honey," the lady stated, winking.

Belle ducked her head, avoiding the woman's eyes. Ruby chuckled at the woman's words, turning her own eyes back on her best friend. "So you kissed him," Ruby repeated. "Was it any good? From the noises you were making the first time I caught you two playing tonsil hockey, I'd assumed a second kiss wouldn't be unwelcome."

Belle sighed, placing a hand over her eyes. "You're right, Ruby. Kissing Mason is...amazing. I felt guilty for enjoying the kiss so much, since this is all supposed to be pretend until he trusts me enough to disclose any serious information. But I also feel guilty for thinking this dating thing between us is fake. For Mason it isn't. For myself...I don't know what I'm doing."

Ruby looked at her best friend with sympathy. "What exactly is bothering you?"

"I really like him," Belle stated, subdued. "I don't feel right lying to him. Yet I know I have to, in order to get the job done. I feel like my emotions for Mason will get in the way of succeeding. I don't want to disappoint the Captain, but I don't want to disappoint Mason either. I don't want either one to feel betrayed by me."

Ruby just stared at Belle for a moment, processing. "Holy shit, you're in deep. And you guys haven't even slept together yet."

"Ruby, not helping."

"Sorry," Ruby said, sheepishly. "Anyway, are you going to take yourself off the case? Having actual feelings for Gold is probably not a good idea."

Belle shook her head. "Well, it wasn't like I planned to feel this way. Should I quit the investigation?"

Ruby paused, thinking. "No," she finally said. "You're the only one of us that can get close enough to Gold to catch him in the act of committing some illegal affair." She reached across the table and grabbed Belle's hand. "I know you have feelings for him, and that you feel guilty, but think of the greater good. You'll be catching the bad guy, Belle. Need I remind you he is the prime suspect in leading one of Boston's largest organized crime units? If he's innocent, after all this is done, you can really be with him. Until then, you're just going to have to push your feelings aside."

Belle frowned. "All right. I guess there is no other choice."

Ruby nodded, finishing her sandwich. "Yep. Now cheer up. I'll buy us donuts, if you smile for me."

Belle smiled tightly, knowing that Ruby rarely offered to buy food. Belle usually had to chock up the change.

As they left the building, Belle couldn't help but think of her words. No other choice. Well, she did have another choice, one which involved going against her team and choosing Mason in the end. However, once the idea crossed her mind, she quickly shoved it away. Good little detectives did not think like that.

Killian stared in awe as he entered Gold's penthouse. One large glass wall covered a huge expanse of the room, overlooking the Charles River. Black leather chairs sat prominently in the living room.

Killian whistled as he sat down on the couch that was as soft as butter. "You have it good here, old man. I never imagined I'd actually be able to step foot inside a place like this."

Gold smiled as he sat down across from Killian, settling his cane on the arm of the chair. "Well, I'm glad you're impressed." He picked up a manila folder that had been resting on the glass coffee table, and handed it to Killian.

The younger man reached out hesitantly to grab the paper. "What's this?"

Gold leaned forward in his seat, pointing at the folder. "That is your first assignment."

Killian slowly opened the folder and pulled out a list of names. He flipped the paper over, but only saw white. He frowned, glancing up at Gold. "It's just a list of names."

Gold nodded, looking smug. "Exactly. Those are a list of men and women who couldn't handle this life. The life I offered them. I don't want you turning into them. If I really am going to be able to call you my protégée, then I need to make sure you will not betray my loyalty." He reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out another piece of paper. He snapped it open. "This is a detailed account of a transaction that I am conducting with a man I know in Colombia. He is sending a particular package to Mexico, which, after it is sent here to Boston, I need you to go retrieve it for me."

Killian frowned. "No offense, old man, but that sounds like drug trafficking. You can get in serious trouble dealing with that shit."

Gold snorted. "Do you think I do not know that, Mr. Jones? My contact is a highly intelligent man, who is great at disguising the truth. He can easily get past any security system."

"Then why do you need me for this? Why can't your contact just deliver the package to you directly?"

Gold chuckled. "Oh, young Killian. There is so much you need to learn. My contact can never be seen going anywhere near me. I have eyes and ears on me at all times. I am one of the richest and most discussed lawyers in the great city of Boston, after all. I need you to meet my contact and retrieve the package for me. I'll tell you where to keep it in the meantime until I have use of it. This is a test, young Killian. I need to see if you'll crack under the pressure or not."

Killian knew that picking up a box of drugs would not be easy. He knew he could get in serious trouble if he went down that road. But underneath his fear, he was more worried about Mr. Gold being disappointed in him. He wanted to make the older man proud. He was going to make sure he didn't mess up.

He nodded, resolved to do the job. "All right," he said, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

Gold smirked. "Great." He handed over a small piece of paper with an address written down. "That is where you'll be meeting my contact. For his protection, I will not tell you his name. He will probably keep his identity closed to you somehow. Other than that, have fun tomorrow." Gold tapped Killian on the back as he stood.

The older man laughed at the sight of Killian's face. The boy was picking up a package of drugs tomorrow and all his new boss could say was 'have fun.' Killian wasn't sure if he would be having 'fun' or not, but he did know that after tomorrow, his life would be changed forever.

As Belle and Ruby walked into the elevator to head to their level and back to work, Killian stepped in beside them.

Ruby gave the man an appreciative glance, while Belle rolled her eyes at her friends antics.

Killian nodded at the two of them. "Good day, girls. How are the two most beautiful assistants in the entire precinct doing today?"

Ruby snorted, crossing her arms. "If you want to charm us, just keep your mouth shut. Your voice is completely ruining your good looks."

Killian looked affronted, while Belle held her hand in front of her mouth, keeping her giggles quiet. The dark-haired man tried to laugh off the insult. "Good one...what was your name again?" he asked, snarkily.

Ruby scowled. "Ruby." She shook her head. "Jackass," she muttered under her breath.

Belle received the same uncomfortable feeling she did the first time she had spoken to Killian. It seemed to Belle that Ruby didn't like him either.

While everyone in the elevator stayed quiet, Belle studied Killian out of the corner of her eye. He definitely was handsome, but there was something off about him. Belle couldn't place her finger on it. When the elevator reached their floor, Killian stepped out, nodding at them.

"I really hope you don't have a good day, Ruby," he said, saluting at her.

Ruby just rolled her eyes, stepping out of the elevator as well.

Just as Belle was making her way back to her desk, she had a realization. Killian's voice sounded so familiar. Obviously, she had spoken to him before, but now, it was like she was having deja vu.

She sat down, laying her hands on her desk, eyebrows furrowed.

"You ok?" Ruby asked, placing a stick of gum into her mouth.

Belle nodded, still confused. "Yeah, I just..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "Killian's voice-"

"Is not as sexy as you would think?" Ruby cut her off.

Belle paused. "What? No, that's not what I'm talking about. His voice sounds so familiar, but I can't place where I might have heard it before. It actually sounds like..." She trailed off, again.

Ruby stared expectantly at Belle, waiting for her to finish. "Like what, Belle? You're leaving me hanging here."

Belle lowered her voice, leaning across her desk towards Ruby. "Remember when I called the number for Hook that was in Gold's ledger, and both Emma and myself thought the man on the phone sounded familiar?"

Ruby nodded, waiting, still chewing her gum.

"Well, this might sound crazy, but Killian sounds exactly like the man on the phone."

Ruby's eyes widened. "Huh," she shrugged. "Could be a coincidence."

Belle nodded, leaning back. "I know, but how many coincidences do we have in our line of work?"

Ruby pondered for a moment. "Do you think we should mention this to the Captain?"

Belle sighed. "I guess so. I just feel silly. I mean, Killian's a detective. This is absurd right?"

Ruby pointed at her. "Well, technically he was demoted. Emma mentioned how he lost his job as a detective and now works behind a desk. I don't think he's allowed to work in the field anymore."

Belle still hesitated, not wanting to accuse a man, someone who worked in the precinct nonetheless, just because his voice sounded like a supposed criminal.

Ruby waved a hand at her. "Just tell her, Belle. What's the harm in it?"

Belle nodded, standing up. "You're right. I'll say something." She then began to head towards Captain Mills' office.

Emma groaned as she sat down on Neal's lumpy couch. "I hate this stupid cast," she mumbled, propping her leg onto a coffee table. "Getting shot in the shin sucks."

Neal chuckled, sitting down next to her and holding out a beer. "You'll be all right, Swan. You're tough as nails, and prickly as a rose."

Emma scrunched her nose. "Prickly as a rose? What the hell?"

Neal laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know. It sounded cute."

Emma lightly punched his shoulder. "Yeah, because being compared to thorns on a rose is so flattering."

Neal couldn't stop laughing. As both of them began to sober from the giggles, Neal heard a knock at his door.

He patted Emma's non-broken leg as he stood up to see who was knocking. He assumed it was more solicitors. Those annoying bible thumpers were really starting to drive him crazy. When he opened the door, he received the surprise of his life.

Daddy dearest was standing on his threshold.

When Neal began to shut the door, Gold reached out his cane, trapping it in between the door and the wall. Neal huffed, as he glanced back uncertainly. He didn't want Emma seeing his dad or worse, meeting him. He called out to Emma. "Hey, I'll be right back, ok?"

"Sure. Who's at the door?"

Neal winced. "I'll, uh, tell you in a minute." He quickly rushed his father into the hallway of his apartment building. He turned on his dad, pissed. "What are you doing here?"

Gold looked pained. "Son, I needed to tell you something."

Neal shook his head. "Well, then hurry this along. I have company."

Gold looked toward his closed door. "Is it a girlfriend?"

Neal folded his arms across his chest. "Yes, and that's all I'm saying. You're not going to meet her."

Gold almost wanted to smirk. Those words were almost the same ones he had said to Killian about Belle. He reigned in his expression, being serious. "Neal, listen. I have had a lot of changes in my life lately. One being the divorce from your mom. The other is that I have begun dating someone."

Neal tried not to grimace. "What's your point?"

"My point is, this new woman has had me thinking about life. She said something to me the other day about why I would ever marry for reasons other than love." He shrugged. "I couldn't give her a good reason. Truthfully, I don't know why I married your mother."

Neal scoffed. "Coming over here, dad, and saying that you never loved mom is not making my opinion of you any higher."

Gold held up his hands. "I know, but what I wanted to say, is that you were always the one thing in my life that I have loved more than anything else."

Neal shook his head. "Yes," he said, sarcastically, "because that explains why you let me get sent to jail."

Gold flinched. "There are... things I cannot tell you about myself, for your own protection. But what you need to know is that I did that for your benefit. I didn't enjoy seeing my son go to jail, but I cannot tell you why I did it. All I can say, is that I never wanted you to end up like me."

Neal just stared at his father, not comprehending what he meant. "I don't understand," he murmured. He couldn't keep as much of his anger at seeing the sincerity on his father's face. He still didn't forgive his father for anything, though.

Gold smiled, a sad little twitch. "And I hope you never will." With those words, he left his son, staring in confusion after him.

Neal went back into his apartment, but instead of sitting next to Emma, he remained standing.

"Who was it?" Emma asked, turning the TV down.

Neal shook his head, confused. "My father."

Emma's eyes widened. "Oh, wow. Why not invite him in?"

Neal couldn't look Emma in the face. "I never want you to meet him."

Emma's brows furrowed. "Neal-"

He cut her off. "No, Emma. I don't need a reason. Just trust me that never meeting my father will be the best thing that will happen to you."

"How come? Neal, just tell me."

Neal scrubbed his hands over his face. "My father is like a leech. He sucks the good out of you. He did it with my mom. He did it with me. He can't help but lie and keep secrets." Neal let out a laugh, not one out of amusement, but one out of pity. "And God save the girl he's dating. She'll be screwed like the rest of us."

Belle heard a knock on her door, just as she sat down to watch an episode of Supernatural. She couldn't help herself: those Winchester boys were too handsome for their own good.

She frowned in confusion, not sure who could be here at eight p.m. She knew it wasn't Ruby. Her best friend just barged in, no matter where she went.

Belle nudged Eyre out of her way, the little kitten continuing to lick her paws.

As Belle slowly opened the door, she saw red. Mason was standing close to her threshold with a bouquet of red roses.

Belle smiled, tilting her head to the side. "Are those for me?"

Gold smirked, holding the flowers out to her. "Well, I don't remember any other woman I happen to be dating mentioning she loves red roses."

Belle pretended to scowl. "So there's other women you're dating?"

Gold leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Just you, sweetheart."

Belle felt her heart flutter at the endearing nickname. The first time he had called her 'sweetheart' was when they had kissed in his office. That thought also made her heart flutter, and maybe somewhere lower on her body as well, though she wasn't going to mention that to Mason.

She took the flowers, nodding her head to let him inside. "I'll put these in a vase," she said, walking towards her kitchen. "You can sit down if you want."

As Gold made his way towards her living room, Belle's heart stopped for a moment, remembering that she had a folder of his profile on her coffee table. Thankfully, it was closed. She hoped he wouldn't go snooping.

She shook her head at the idea. Of course he wouldn't snoop. She was the one to do that, she thought, bitterly.

You're doing what you have to, she told herself. If that meant deceiving Mason Gold and sneaking around his office, then so be it. She just wasn't happy with herself.

She took a deep breath as she stepped in the living room, Mason situated comfortably on her couch, though he was eying Eyre, who was painstakingly close to scratching his pant leg. He kept subtly moving his leg farther from the kitten, but she just kept on moving closer.

Belle giggled, scooping the cat into her arms. "I think she likes you."

Gold smiled, a look of relief on his face when Belle moved the kitten away. "Do I have her approval then?"

Belle looked questionably at Eyre. The kitten just stared back, licking her nose. Belle laughed as she brought the cat into her room, shutting the door. "I'm not sure. She is pretty picky."

"Well then I'll have to do a better job in the future," he said, as she sat down next to him. "Impressing a cat was always what I wanted to achieve in life."

Belle laughed, shaking her head. She glanced at her coffee table, seeing the closed folder on the wood. She tried to keep her breathing even. If Gold asked about it, she didn't know what she was going to say. Suffice it to say, the conversation probably wouldn't go over well.

"Thank you for the flowers," Belle said, changing the topic.

Gold smiled, taking her hand in between his. "My pleasure. I went to see you at work today and you weren't there." So he lied a little. So he hadn't gone to see Belle, but her father. So it was all a technicality.

Belle gulped, keeping her face neutral. "Yeah, I was on a lunch break."

He frowned. "At three in the afternoon? You're father said you had the day off?"

Belle's eyes widened, slightly. She coughed, covering her mouth. "Uh, yeah. I did, but then I came in later. I also didn't have time to eat, so I happened to go out around that time. We were pretty busy earlier in the day and that was my only chance to get away from the commotion of the flower shop."

Gold chuckled, squeezing her hand. "I believe you, Belle. You don't need to defend your actions."

Belle laughed, her voice coming out strained. "Thanks. Your trust means a lot." Even though he doesn't have yours. Belle wanted to tell her brain to shut up.

"So why did you come over tonight?" Belle asked, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear.

Gold's smile faded and a jaded glint came into his eyes. "I...went to see someone earlier tonight. I needed to get some of my burdens off my back."

Belle's eyes softened. "Who? Of course, you don't have to tell me."

Gold sighed. "Since I've been in such an honest mood lately, why not share a little of the things I've fucked up in my life?"

Belle's eyes widened. "I don't think I've ever heard you swear before."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Belle," he said, softly.

Belle bit her lip, thinking. "I would like to." She wasn't sure if he would confess to his crimes, but she doubted it. They were still fairly early into their relationship.

"I went to see my...son," he finally managed to say.

"I didn't know you had a son." Belle wasn't sure how to take that news. She figured, since he had been married, there might be children. It was just different hearing him say it aloud.

"Well, now you'll know how I ruined our relationship. He went to jail for stealing some expensive watches quite a few years ago, and I didn't help him like he wanted me to."

Belle laid her head on his shoulder. "What exactly happened?"

"He thought, with me being a lawyer, I would defend him when he went to trial." He paused, a strained expression covering his face. "I didn't. I let him go to jail."

Belle lifted her head, frowning. "Why?" she asked, softly.

Gold shook his head, his mind coming out of a fog. "Because I thought jail would teach him not to make the same mistakes. It thankfully worked. He's never committed a crime since. He just despises me now."

Belle looked at him with sympathy, rubbing his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I hope you two make amends someday. I don't like seeing you hurting." Belle just hoped she would never have to see that face when she finally brought him in. She wanted to shake her head in disgust at herself.

Gold shrugged. "Well, hopefully in good time," he smiled, sadly.

Belle looked at him for a moment, thinking of what she wanted to do. He had been so open to her about his failed marriage and his strained relationship with his son. Belle wanted to be honest with him for once. She was tired of lying. She knew she couldn't tell him she was a detective, but there was something else she could admit.

"Mason, there's something I should have told you yesterday."

Gold raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound good." He looked around the room. "This isn't the part where you tell me you're married is it?" He winked, causing her to blush.

Belle shook her head, smiling. "No. There's something else I needed to tell you." She took a deep breath, preparing herself. "Yesterday, when you asked me about my past relationships, I lied."

Gold tensed, waiting.

Belle plunged forward. "I lied because I was so embarrassed to tell you the truth, but since we're moving farther into our relationship, you should know. My past relationship status is fairly, well, nonexistent."

"You haven't dated in a while?" Gold asked, curiously.

Belle shook her head. "No. I mean, I haven't dated. Period. I'm actually still a...virgin." She knew her face had to be a startling shade of red. She peeked up into Mason's face, not wanting to see his expression.

Gold raised his eyebrows, taking the information in.

"Does that bother you?" Belle asked, hesitantly, wringing her hands.

Gold snapped out of his thoughts, and looked at Belle compassionately. He squeezed her shoulder. "No, sweetheart, that doesn't bother me. I was just surprised. You're so beautiful that I'm somewhat shocked you haven't had men flinging themselves at you." Gold shook his head, ruefully. "If I'm being completely honest, I like your innocence. It's what attracted me to you in the first place." Gold lifted his head proudly. "And I'm a grown enough adult to care for you no matter what sexual experience you've had or hadn't have."

Belle giggled at his puffed out chest, his antics. She laid a hand on his chest. "Thank you for understanding. I just was so concerned with school growing up, and now work, that it just never happened. You don't think I'm weird, do you?"

Gold chuckled. "No. I think you're adorable," he kissed her cheek, "and sweet," he pecked her lips, "and sexy," he rumbled as he placed a kiss on her neck.

Belle was breathless, sighing into his touch. Just as she moved her hands into his hair, her cell-phone rang, causing them both to jump.

Gold winced as she accidently tugged on his hair.

"Sorry," Belle said. "I'll turn it off." But as she reached for her cell, and saw the caller, she knew she needed to answer. "Uh, sorry again. I need to take this."

Gold waved a hand in her direction. "Don't mind me," he said, strained.

Belle quickly walked into her kitchen, and answered the call, keeping her voice low.

"Detective French?"

Belle gulped. "Captain Mills?" she whispered.

"I looked into Mr. Jones' voice with that of the man on the call you recorded and I found a match. Their voices are practically identical, but since Jones is not a suspect, there is difficult evidence linking them. It wouldn't make sense anyway. Killian Jones works for the Organized Crime Unit. This just doesn't add up."

Belle had a startling reality placed upon her. "What if we have a mole?" She glanced towards her living room door, hoping and praying Gold wouldn't be able to hear her. "Like how I'm going undercover. What if Gold has someone working in the precinct? Someone we would never suspect?"

Regina mused. "Hmm, interesting theory, and one worth looking into. I thought I would call and let you know about the match. See you at work tomorrow, French." Regina hung up the phone, while Belle sighed in relief.

She quickly placed her cell on the counter and made her way back to the lion's den.

Gold was still sitting on her couch, flipping through his own phone.

"Sorry about that. It was my dad. He needed to know the combination to our safe at the shop. He's always forgetting it."

Gold smiled, tucking his phone away. "That's all right. But you trust me enough, telling me that you and your father have a safe in the flower shop?"

Belle paused, thinking. "Well, it's not like I have any reason to worry. You're not a criminal."

She gauged his reaction, seeing if his face would give anything away. She just needed a little confirmation that he wasn't innocent.

His face remained neutral, expect for the tightening of the skin around his lips. "Right. I'm not a criminal," he said, even though both knew he was lying.

Hmm, so truths are coming out. When will the actual colossal, humongous, truth come out though? Well, I guess you're gonna just have to stick around.

Upcoming: Belle and Gold move farther into their relationship, Killian becomes a suspect, and Neal tries to figure out what his dad is hiding.