Author's note: In honor of Once day, I decided to post this up early. Enjoy!
Mr. Gold returned back into the room after a while and ate with them for a little bit then presumed back to work. Surprisingly no one came into the shop today. They both devoured whatever was on their plates: scones, muffins, bagels, donuts, cakes, tarts and Danishes. They got full and started to slouch in their chairs.
Belle with her mouth full of strawberry short cake and sleepy eyes calls to Mr. Gold who has a scone in his hand while he writes down some calculations in a catalog, "Rum-Rumple, help us eat this!"
Mr. Gold looked up noticing Ruby was leaning back over the chair slowly losing consciousness and moved his attention to Belle, a much more pleasant sight. Her face is full of food and she looks like she is about to pass out any minutes now. And she still looks so beautiful and perfect, thought Mr. Gold. "Sweetheart, you are going to spoil your lunch."
Belle groans and swallows her shortcake. "Don't worry. I can still eat lunch later!"
"Well I am not eating for a week. I can't move," groans Ruby feeling the world spin.
Belle laughed but stops because her stomach is too full to jump around. She groaned and grinned trying not to laugh so hard. Mr. Gold chuckled as he watched his wife being adorable as ever. Belle noticed him laughing at her and smiled back at his cute, sexy laugh.
After a while Ruby got up and cleaned up whatever mess they had left. She put on her jacket and took the basket with her. "Thanks for spending breakfast with me, Belle."
"You're welcome, and thank you for the food. Those were all delicious. Tell Granny I said that." Belle hugged Ruby and Ruby had to crouch because of her heels.
"Oh and you too Mr. Gold," said Ruby over Belle's head. "Thanks for the table and chairs you summoned for us." Ruby put up a smile. It wasn't hard to be nice to the Dark One, it was just difficult predicting what he would do.
"No problem, dearie, couldn't let you two eat without proper furniture," Mr. Gold said with a smile but he didn't look up from his paperwork. Belle assumed something must be wrong.
"Oh, I almost forgot, Ella and I might go out to the beach at two. Do you think you can make it?" asked Ruby grabbing Belle's hands. Ruby gave her the puppy dog eyes and adorable pout.
Belle chuckled then stopped to look at Mr. Gold through the corner of her eye. He was still focused on his paperwork. "Oh, well, uh. I have plans here. I'll try though," answered Belle, feeling guilty for making her husband the third wheel.
Ruby saw Belle's look at Mr. Gold. She smiled and said, "Ah, I got it. Try not to break anything! Bye!" Ruby dashed out the door before Belle can react.
Belle sighed, "We really need to work on being more discrete about what we do in our relationship." She picked up the coat and placed it on the rack.
"Well we could, sweetheart, but everyone in this town likes to interrupt us before we start," said Mr. Gold smiling to himself, writing and signing some paperwork.
"You need help with that?" Belle suggested walking over. She leaned against the counter in front of him, feeling her stomach ache.
Mr. Gold took noticed and thought it would be better if she rested. "No, sweetheart, I don't need your help."
Belle felt a little annoyed, she didn't want to be useless. She needed to do something. She didn't want to sit around and let the world go by, she's been doing that for barely 30 years in Storybrooke. "Well I would like to help."
"No, thank you, Belle. I have everything under control. Business is slow anyway. Why don't you go for a walk?"
Belle sighed. I'd rather spend time with you she wanted to say but instead said, "All right. I will go now. Be back soon." She leaned over the counter and kissed his lips then hopped back on her heels. She grabbed her coat and walked out the door.
Mr. Gold was already missing her.
Granny's Diner
"It's hot. Why do you have your coat?" asked Ruby as she gave Belle her usual iced tea with lemon.
Belle was at Granny's at the counter. She walked around the town to walk off the food she just had and then rested at Granny's. She didn't want to return back to Mr. Gold yet. She figured she wait a little more then go back to work.
"Because it was cold when I left," she answered. Belle stared at her iced tea watching the water slide down the outside of the cup. She was deep in thought and Ruby took notice.
"Hey, what's up? Is something wrong?" asked Ruby. She pretended to wipe down a hard-to-get-out spot on the counter when Granny glanced over at Ruby from time to time.
"Do you think I should reopen the library?"
Ruby stopped. "Where's this coming from? I thought you liked co-owning the pawn shop? Oh, no. Did you two have a fight?"
"Oh, heavens no. Nothing like that," clarified Belle. Although, she wasn't sure herself. "I do love working with him, I just want to do more for this town. I miss the times where we were adventurous and fighting off villains."
"Belle, are you sure about that? I mean we just defeated Zelena. You've been hanging around Snow and David too much."
"Well that's the problem; I don't see them as often."
"I don't know if a just married woman should be complaining about that," said Ruby, trying to make the conversation lighter.
Ruby succeeded in making Belle blush and return to her bubbly self. But Belle had to continue, "Emma, David and Mary Margaret always came to Rumple or me when they needed help. It was always a pleasure but now they don't do it as much and I miss that."
"You miss being the hero, huh?" said a voice behind her. Belle turned around and saw Henry. He was a lot taller than when they last been together.
"Hey, Henry," Belle said, giving him a hug. He hugged back, letting his step-grandmother hold him. "What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for my mom, Regina," Henry said as he got up on the seat next to her. Ruby left to grab him his hot cocoa with cinnamon. "Oh, by the way, what do I call you now? Grandma? Grand Belle?"
Belle laughed, "Oh, right. I am married to your grandfather now. I guess you can call me Nana or just Belle."
"Cool," Henry smiled. He got the cocoa and thanked Ruby.
"So, Madam Mayor is coming soon?" asked Ruby.
"Yeah since she isn't the mayor anymore she has more time for me," Henry says.
Belle stopped drinking her iced tea. "Wait, what?" asked Belle.
"Yeah, she didn't want the job anymore and now Snow is because she is the one who enacted the second curse."
Belle asked, "Snow is mayor now? While she has the baby to look after?"
"Yeah, David is mainly helping out with Elsa and Emma so it's all Snow and my baby uncle, Neal, in office," Henry answered. Henry felt a little pain saying Neal out loud. Even though he called his father, dad, and his real name was Baelfire, just saying the name brought back nostalgic painful memories.
Belle zones out, speechless, and then smiles brightly, showing all her teeth. "I," she paused to finish the last of her iced tea, "I know what to do. Come on, Ruby!" Belle grabs her coat and rushes out the door.
"W-wait! Belle!" Ruby cries out the door throwing off her apron, and chases after Belle.
Henry turns his head towards the door, listening to Ruby dangle her keys, and yells, "Was it something I said?"
Pawn Shop
Mr. Gold is back at the shop and he still hasn't heard a word from Belle. He called her cell phone then her phone went off in the backroom. She left her phone with her purse on the bed. Mr. Gold was starting to sweat, hoping nothing bad happened to her. He frantically looked for his keys, grabbed them and hurried out the door. He locked the door from the outside and didn't realize Charming was trying to get his attention.
"Gold. Gold? Gold!" yelled Charming as he shook Mr. Gold on the shoulders.
He stared at Charming, awoke from his distress, and then returned to normal, "Sorry, we're closed. I have to find Belle. She hasn't been back yet from her break."
"That's why I am here. Belle told me to tell you to come to the town hall. She said she will meet you there. She has something she wants to tell you."
"Wait, you were with her today?" asked Mr. Gold glaring at who might be his potential target.
"No, I was helping Elsa when Belle gave me a call through Snow's cell." Charming whipped out his phone and showed Mr. Gold the contact history.
Mr. Gold sneered at the phone. "Why can't she tell me herself here?" asked Mr. Gold in disbelief.
"I don't know she just told me to tell you that. Apparently everyone else is going to be there so wanna carpool?"
"Tempting. But no I will drive myself." He kept his hands crossed like he used to with his cane.
"Suit yourself." Charming puts away his phone and trots to his car. He opens the door and says, "See you there."
Mr. Gold watches the prince ride off into the distance.
"What can that girl be up to?"
Town Hall Meeting
Mr. Gold arrived and sat way in the back closest to the door. He witnessed the most popular Storybrooke residents were all in the front rows. Henry was sitting next to Regina reading her some comic books. Emma was sitting next to Hook and Elsa. Apparently this is more important than finding her sister. Ruby was sitting on the other side with Archie. Mr. Gold tried to make out what she had leaning up against the chairs in front of her, it looked like a neon pink poster board. Snow White was making a big speech about something important but Mr. Gold didn't bother to listen. He kept scanning the room but no Belle. He waited until she would be pop out of nowhere and kiss his cheek to surprise him. But no sign of that happening, the doors were closed and no Belle present. Mr. Gold was slowly going mad until Snow White announced:
"…Mrs. Belle Gold!" cried Snow White. The crowd went wild everyone stood up and clapped their hands while Mr. Gold sat down in confusion. He got up to see past Dr. Whale.
Mr. Gold froze looking to see where Belle was. "Wait what? What's going on?"
"Congratulations, Mr. Gold, you're wife is the new mayor," said Dr. Whale turning around to face Mr. Gold.
"What?" Mr. Gold stared and covered his ears when the crowd howled louder when Belle finally presented herself. He saw his wife, gorgeous as ever in her yellow suit, who knows where she got it from. She began to speak when the crowd settled down and Grumpy was finished:
"Thank you everyone for your support and even though this is temporary, I promise to take care of this town to the fullest."
Everyone was smiling and cheering except for one: Gold.
Mr. Gold was not happy.
Mr. Gold was scared.
.
