The wedding was drawing nearer, and as Gold predicted, Emma and Neal quickly became overwhelmed. The constant preparations, appointments, meetings—it seemed every week Neal would call, begging him to watch Henry for a few hours. Gold didn't mind—it was better than being sent off to perform wedding errands. But even that relative peace didn't last long.
Neal and Emma had attempted to register for wedding gifts four times this week. Eventually, his son called him and requested that Gold just pop into Macy's with Emma's list and take care of it. It shouldn't last more than an hour.
"And Belle will help," Neal added and Gold carefully ignored the hinting tone in his son's voice. "Emma's sending her along to make sure I don't just have you register for Springsteen records, which I'll admit, is a possibility."
Gold carefully veiled his emotions (not that it made much difference, Neal could always see through him) and determined that he would be cordial, professional, and polite towards Belle French come Saturday. She was engaged. She was a mother. Whatever foolish fantasies he'd been harboring had no place in their relationship—it ought to be strictly business.
This plan was abruptly shattered when Belle brought her daughter.
"I'm so, so, sorry," Belle gasped, rushing towards him, holding a little girl's hand. "I couldn't get a sitter and my father was working…" Belle's daughter eyed Gold with a cool, blue gaze, looking unimpressed.
Gold cleared his throat. "That's all right," He said calmly. "I certainly don't mind—you must be Audrey." He smiled at the little girl, who continued to stare at him quizzically.
"Audrey," Belle said reprovingly. "Now—you know the rules."
"Look don't touch," Her daughter replied matter-of-factly, sticking a dignified thumb in her mouth. She eyed Gold cryptically and he smiled faintly at her withdrawn expression.
"All right, I have Emma's list, I believe you have Neal's," Belle began in a businesslike manner. "Should we divide and conquer?"
"That seems logical," Gold agreed, though slightly disappointed.
"Mm, no, I did promise Emma to make sure Neal wouldn't register for anything ridiculous," Belle retracted, her eyes sparkling a bit. "We'll just make the rounds together. That sound all right? Audrey?" She glanced at her daughter who shrugged her little shoulders.
"The first on the list," Gold cleared his throat. "Bar cart."
Belle laughed. "That sounds like an essential for Emma and Neal—I hear they met over drinks."
"It was coffee, but I know they are fond of scotch," Gold acknowledged. "Actually, I have a fine antique one I'd like to give Neal as a wedding present."
Belle dimpled. "That sounds like a fine idea. I'll cross it off the registry to make sure no one else gets one," She pulled out her iPhone and tapped it, her brow furrowing as she concentrated.
Gold continued to scan the list. "Most of these things they already have," He hummed in displeasure.
"Well, now's their chance to pick up finer sets," Belle said practically, picking up a colorful set of coffee mugs and scanning the bar codes. "Might as well while they still can."
Gold chuckled. "They don't seem to be much for cooking," He remarked, noting that the 'kitchen' section was woefully short. "Perhaps that's just as well."
"Neal once mentioned he'd be interested in learning," Belle remarked. "But I don't think it's quite on their list of priorities at the moment. They will need this." She withdrew an electric tea kettle that proudly boasted worked for instant coffee and hot chocolate as well. Gold smiled as he scanned the proffered item.
Audrey sighed in boredom, eyeing a blue vase interestedly. Gold smiled at Belle, inclining his head towards the girl.
"She looks more like you in person," He told her, earning a flush of pleasure.
"We share similar hobbies," Belle admitted. "Both big readers, aren't we, Audrey?"
The little girl nodded solemnly, eyeing Gold. "I like your cane," She decided.
"Thank you," Gold said genially. "I rather like it too."
Audrey eyed him further. "Do you have a million dollars?" She asked thoughtfully.
"Audrey," Belle admonished. "That's a rude thing to ask."
"He looks like he has a million dollars," Audrey returned, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"I don't have a million on me at the moment," Gold smothered the chuckles. "But by the time this wedding's through, I may keep some in my wallet, for convenience sake."
"Either way," Belle said slyly, examining a green vase. "I think you look like a million bucks."
He glanced at her to verify he'd heard correctly, but Belle was barreling forward, scanning a pricey knife set. She was flirtatious, this Belle. He could never seem to get a good read on her; her flirting was overt, yet subtle enough to be awkward if remarked upon.
Gold approached her, smiling a little as Audrey ignored her mother's command, inspecting a tall drinking glass, pretending it was a periscope.
"Your fiancé," Gold cleared his throat. "Audrey's father?"
Belle smiled slightly. "Yes—part of the reason we've had such a long engagement. He proposed to me when I found out I was pregnant, and we wanted to wait and get everything sorted and…well, life moves quickly when you're not looking." She scanned a crock pot thoughtfully and Gold's heart sank a little.
"That's very true," He said softly, pretending to examine a tea set. Neal and Emma weren't tea drinkers, that he knew of. Strictly coffee and hot chocolate.
"I think that's why I'm so excited to plan Emma's wedding," Belle finally smiled, perusing through a pile of neatly stacked dish towels. "Emma had an unplanned pregnancy too—but even when everything in her life changed, she got her happily ever after. She's with her true love, she has an amazing son…I guess I hope that will happen with me. Someday."
"Well, I suppose you're halfway there," Gold pointed out awkwardly. "You've got a pretty perfect daughter, by my estimation. Your…fiancé. All you're missing is a wedding."
Belle's expression became distant. She tapped her hand on one of the tables and cleared her throat.
"I suppose we're about done," She said cheerfully. "I think Neal and Emma will have a decent registry—I found a dinnerware set with 70's and 80's rockers' faces on the plates and glasses, they'll love that."
Gold chuckled. "That they will," He agreed.
XXXX
"I'm sorry we've been taking advantage of you like this," Emma said apologetically to Belle. "It's just been so crazy! I hate using you as my gopher."
Belle smiled. They were at their fourth dress shop—Emma still hadn't found the right wedding dress. But shopping with Emma was usually a bright affair, she'd spring for lunch, and although their dress styles differed, Belle understood and trusted Emma's sense of style. Nothing too fancy, too many frills and furbelows would give Emma hives—beachy was their best bet.
"I'm happy to be your gopher," Belle grinned. "Anything to make your special day easier. I know you've been stressed."
"I was less stressed at the beginning," Emma grumbled. "Before my mom decided to invite our entire congregation and her constant begging that we have the ceremony at our church. Neal and I have our heart set on the beach, is that so hard to accept?"
"Your parents just want what's best for you," Belle soothed. "It's easier for me—whenever Audrey decides to get married, hopefully twenty years from now, I'll have an easier time of letting her pick out the wedding of her dreams because that's my job. Nevertheless…I don't think moms can help daydreaming about their children's future, matchmaking and whatnot."
Emma smiled wryly. "I'll grant you that. Neal and I have had Henry betrothed to Jefferson's baby girl since my sixth month. Could you come back here and tie up the corset?"
Belle's lips twisted. "I thought you didn't want an overly complicated wedding dress."
"…yeah, you're right, nix the corset. I'm going to try on this one."
Belle giggled to herself, flopping open a book. Her thoughts wandered a little, as they usually did, and she cleared her throat.
"Hey, Emma," She kept her voice light and casual. "What does Neal's dad do?"
"For a living? Something business-y. Preferably far away from me."
Belle gave a half-smile. "I was just curious. He seems to be Neal's go-to man lately, so I've been spending a lot of time with him. He keeps to himself, doesn't he?"
"Yeah, I guess," Emma sighed. "You know me and him don't really get along…although I guess it's gotten a little better since Henry was born. I don't really know much about him, except my own personal experience and what Neal's told me."
"What has Neal told you?" Belle asked curiously.
"Ah, well, he's got some kind of business conglomerate empire or whatever—makes a boatload of cash, y'know, Neal was some kind of high society when I first met him as a teenager. Anyway, he and his wife weren't married for very long, she hightailed it to Paris when Neal was a toddler, and I think that kind of messed both of them up—in different ways."
"How so?" Belle said quietly, fingering the strap of her purse.
"Ah, well," Emma emerged, wearing a mermaid-style dress. "Neal's like me, a commitment-phobe with abandonment issues. The difference is, he compartmentalized his crap and ignored it, whereas I turned mine into a wall. Neither way is an effective emotion management technique. What do you think of this?"
Belle considered. "You're certainly slender enough for this style, but I'm not sure it's quite you."
"Yeah, I agree," Emma looked down at her feet. "It's too tight, for one thing. I need a little room to move, I've got two handsome men to dance with that night." She retreated into the dressing room.
Belle waited till she heard the rustling of another dress and cleared her throat. "And—Mr. Gold?"
"What about Mr. Gold?"
"About him and Neal, being messed up from his wife leaving them…"
The dressing room door cracked open and Emma stuck her head out. "Why are you so curious about Mr. Gold's damage?" She asked.
Belle shrugged. "You have to admit, the dynamics of your family are fascinating."
"I guess so," Emma said doubtfully, ducking back inside. "Well, from what I know, Gold kind of retreated into himself. Became a workaholic. He and Neal were pretty close when Neal was a kid, but once Neal hit adolescence, they started fighting more. Things got ugly, hurtful words were said. I guess Neal's mom really did a number on him."
"And Gold…never dated again?" Belle asked carefully.
"Eh, here and there. He got pretty close with some woman named Cora Mills, Neal thinks he was going to propose to her—but they ended it for some reason or another. Aside from that, I don't think he's interested in love. Would interfere with the 'affairs of state' you know." Emma's voice became faux lofty as she reopened the dresser drawer, this time clad in a lovely, simple, wedding dress that grazed her ankles.
"Oh, Emma," Belle breathed, standing up. "You look beautiful!"
"You think so?" Emma said shyly. "It's not very elaborate."
"It's perfect," Belle insisted. Emma's dress was almost Grecian, with silver threads intricately detailing the bust, but loose enough for a decent twirl. It was simple, airy, nothing overly formal, but still somehow a remnant of a fairytale. And Emma would look beautiful in it.
"I really think that's it," Belle urged. "If it feels right to you, of course."
"I think it does," Emma smiled, doing a little twirl. "I think I like it—a lot."
"Then let's not waste any time," Belle said firmly. "Let's get it and cross one more thing off our list!"
Emma obeyed, provided the measurements to the dressmaker, and approached the register to ensure it would be ready by her wedding date. Belle flicked through her iPhone thoughtfully, scrolling down, her brow furrowed.
"So," Emma glanced at Belle skeptically as she provided her phone number to the lady at the register. "You sure there's nothing else going on? Anything that's inspiring these snooping questions into Mr. Gold's private life?"
Belle blinked. "No, I was just curious. After all, it's because of you and Neal that I'm spending so much time with him."
"Uh huh," Emma said doubtfully. "Well, be careful around him. He's not a nice guy."
"First off, I'm engaged," Belle pointed out. "Secondly—he's going to be your father-in-law, and you can't deny he's been a big help to you and Neal these past few months."
"Yeah, but who knows how long your engagement's gonna last," Emma muttered under her breath. Unfortunately, Belle heard her.
"You're not one to talk about drawn out relationships, Emma," Belle retorted tartly. "And you've had your ups and downs too!"
"You're right, I'm sorry," Emma said immediately. "That was unfair. You're my friend, Belle, I should respect your choices in men and relationships…" She looked like she wanted to add something.
Belle sighed and gestured for her to continue.
"Even if I think the guy isn't worth it and you could do better."
"Emma!" Belle said outraged. "He's Audrey's father!"
"Yeah, and I get that, I get that deep desire to be with the father of your child," Emma collected her things and the two of them walked out of the dress shop. "But you do realize, Neal being Henry's father isn't the reason I'm marrying him?"
"I know that," Belle said, but her voice was a little faint.
"I'm madly in love with Neal," Emma said firmly. "I couldn't be happier that he is Henry's father—but if he wasn't, that wouldn't deter me. I'd still want to be with Neal for the rest of my life. Tell me something, Emma. If you didn't have Audrey—would you really be with Greg?"
Belle stopped short. Her gaze flickered and she took a deep breath, trying to collect her thoughts.
"I wouldn't trade anything in the world for Audrey," She finally answered.
"I know you wouldn't," Emma said patiently. "But you realize, that doesn't exactly answer my question?"
Belle chose not to answer and hailed a cab.