The song in this chapter is from 'The Prince of Egypt' and is meant to be the song Rumple sang to Fayetta in the previous chapter. Just an FYI for you all, also I'm so glad that everyone is enjoy this!

Chapter Five~

Mrs. Lorewood couldn't believe that Aria was willing to work for Mr. Gold the horrible menace of the town. Before she could try and talk her out of it they had already shaken hands and the man was heading out the front door with a self-satisfying smirk on his face. Yet Aria suddenly raced after him calling to him,

"Wait!" making him stop on the sidewalk to look over at her before he got into his car. On the stairs of the orphanage, Aria fumbled with her hands as she said,

"So you'll somehow take care of the fact we can't pay now—right?"

"Of course dearie, I'll go right to Madam Mayor's office and explain the situation though she won't be too pleased I dare say. Then I expect you at the shop when I return to start your first day of work." he replied so that she nodded and said,

"If we go now I can start work now." causing him to raise an eyebrow and say with a hand on his chest,

"So eager are we dearie?" rolling her eyes at him, Aria went back into the orphanage for her shoes, purse and keys before shutting the front door. Finding Mr. Gold waiting for her, Aria went over to the passenger side of the car which he opened the door for her. Smiling in thanks, she got in and waited for him to join her in the car so that once both in and the car on they drove off.

"What did dear Mrs. Lorewood have to say about you leaving for work with me?" Mr. Gold wondered so that Aria scoffed saying,

"She said something along the lines of 'the man is El Diablo in the flesh'." which made Mr. Gold laugh outright causing his whole face to light up which Aria found—nice. He didn't look as frightening when he smiled like that. Upon turning onto Main Street he asked her,

"Aren't you worried about what people will say if they see you in my car with me driving?"

"Hell I could care a less, I'll tell them the truth and then let them decide if they believe me or not." Aria told him honestly as they stopped behind the shop so that as the two got out Aria followed him as he unlocked the back door. Entering the back room for the first time, Aria remembered she had to call Dr. Thatcher and let him know so asked if she could use Mr. Gold's office phone. When he agreed she thanked him and began calling as he went to open up shop. After explaining that she had to quit because she found another job, though not saying where until the man asked her a million questions, Aria begged for Dr. Thatcher to keep her secret.

"I will, but only because it should be yours to tell." he said before hanging up allowing Aria to leave the back room and enter the front of the shop to find Mr. Gold behind the counter counting the money left in the register.

"So—what should I do?" she wondered so that he shrugged saying,

"You can start by dusting the place before I'll show you how to catalogue the inventory." nodding, Aria picked up the duster and began humming as she began her task.

"What are you doing?" he asked so that she stopped saying,

"Sorry if I'm disturbing you." only to her surprise Mr. Gold smiled at her saying,

"Not at all dearie, I just never heard you humming before." laughing, Aria explained,

"There is a reason I'm named after a piece of music Mr. Gold. My aunt tells me that when I was a baby I tried to sing a whole song."

"Really now? How talented indeed, what a rare feet to find nowadays." Mr. Gold said so that she looked over at him with a face that only caused him to chuckle which in turned made her smile. After a moment of silence he said suddenly,

"Sing something." stopping what she was doing, Aria turned to him wondering if she had heard right and blinking was shocked when he said it again,

"Sing something."

"Um—what should I sing?" she wondered so that Mr. Gold was pleased that she didn't say 'no' rather instead was agreeing to though wearily.

"Anything you wish." he said with a wave of his hand so that Aria thought for a moment before starting to sing,

"Hush now my baby, be still love don't cry, sleep as your rocked by the stream, sleep and remember my last lullaby, so I'll be with you when you dream." when she finished she glanced over at Mr. Gold who was frozen stiff in place so that she felt fear for him as she started over towards him asking,

"Are you ok?" when he didn't reply yet instead looked down and away from her, Aria put a gentle hand on his shoulder watching as his head snapped up to look up at her.

"Are you ok Mr. Gold?" she asked again softer now as he asked,

"How—where did you hear that song?" hearing the strain in his voice and pain, Aria dug around in her head before saying,

"Someone sang it to me once." when she looked back over at him the light in Mr. Gold's eyes was bright enough to—for a moment—turn his eyes to almost a yellowish color. Seeing this Aria dropped her hand yet he took her wrist before she could pull her arm back completely. Holding her wrist in his hand, Mr. Gold studied her face as the flicker of memory had vanish back into the very deepest darkest part of her soul. Seeing this he smiled weakly before bringing her wrist to his lips and planting a gentle kiss to the inside.

"I'll be in the back dearie." he hushed before lowering her wrist and letting go started into the back of the shop leaving Aria staring at his back in sheer confusion and slight wonder. Did—he just kiss her wrist? Confused out of her mind Aria followed him into the back room where she found him sitting at the work bench polishing something so that as she entered he asked her,

"Shouldn't you be working?"

"What was that about?" Aria asked near demanding making his head snap up to glare at her as he said,

"Nothing whatsoever, now please go back to work Ms. North."

"No, no not until you tell me what the hell that was about!" Aria said her voice rising since she hated being toyed with and she was damn sure that's what he was doing. Narrowing his eyes at her, Mr. Gold stood slowing spreading his hands on the work bench as he leered at her,

"I don't think you understand the meaning of 'leave' dearie."

"I'm not afraid of you Mr. Gold, now what—" Aria never got to finish because he moved so suddenly and violently that the item he was polishing, a vase, fell to the ground and he tripped causing him to fall also. Gasping, she went over and bent down beside him saying,

"Are you ok Mr. Gold?" seeing him holding his bad leg, Aria bit her lower lip before without saying a word put her arm under his and helped him to stand. Maneuvering him over to the chair she helped him into it before sitting on the floor to pick up the pieces of the vase. Watching her from the chair silently shaking out of fright, Mr. Gold said nothing when she put all the bigger pieces on the work bench and then swept whatever smaller pieces she couldn't pick up. When she was all finished Aria moved towards the door saying softly,

"I'm sorry Mr. Gold." only before she left he called,

"Ms. North come here." turning around to face him as he motioned for her to move over to him, Aria went to stand next to him so that noticing his cane she picked it up and gave it to him. Taking it from her, Mr. Gold said with a tight voice,

"I apologize for my rash actions and tone of voice Ms. North, I had no right to scare you."

"And I was just plain stupid for breaking your vase." she added making him chuckle without any emotion so that Aria looked at the clock to see it was almost lunch time and following her gaze, Mr. Gold waved a dismissive hand at the door. Understanding what he meant, Aria sighed before doing something that would make her second guess herself for the rest of the day—she bent down and kissed his cheek before she left the shop. When he heard the front door bell chime before said door close, Mr. Gold allowed himself to raise a hand to the cheek she had kissed before closing his eyes. Meanwhile Aria was running as fast as she could going nowhere in mind, just running. When she finally stopped she found herself on a trail where she spotted a figure who turned. It was Mary-Margaret the school teacher, and Henry's teacher as well. When she smiled at her and stopped to say hi, Aria smiled thinking that a chat with Mary-Margaret would hopefully cheer her up—and make her forget what the she had done.