Attempted fix at the missing 'Mr. Gold's through out this chapter. Hopefully I've got them all fixed now.
Mr. Gold woke with a start, lifting himself from his shop floor he groaned outwardly, placing his hand upon the top of his head. He had caught himself on the cabinet whilst lifting something from his lower cupboards.
"Of all the things to think about when you're unconscious..." Mr. Gold ruffled his hair to set some form of order before grabbing onto the cane that laid by his side, slowly hoisting himself to his feet.
"Bad dreams Gold?" Mr. Gold inwardly sighed at the voice which echoed through his shop.
"You'd know all about bad dream wouldn't you Regina." Now at his feet, Mr. Gold looked the town mayor in the eye, watching her flickering smuggish expression. "Do what do I owe the pleasure your majesty."
"Henry's sick.. I-" Before she could even finish she was cut off
"If he's sick go to the pharmacy. This is no matter for me." sauntering past the evil queen, Mr. Gold pushed open the door to his shop and made his way down the street turning to Granny's. He paused a moment after entering the establishment a large crowd had gathered around a somewhat unfamiliar female. Shoving off to the side, Mr. Gold beckoned Ruby from behind the counter. "What's going on in here?"
"This girl stumbled in from the woods, no one really knows where she's come from..." Ruby looked from Mr. Gold to the crowd.
"She's the girl that lives in the woods?" Mr. Gold knitted his brow together, he had talked with the woman often back when he entered the woods often. She guarded the spot where his life was burried.
"You know her?" Ruby gave him a quizzing look.
"Partially, talked to her before, she lives in the woods. 'Scuse me dear." He pushed up from the counter making his way over, the crowd had dissipated mostly leaving only Emma and Henry with the black haired maiden. "Henry? I've just had your mother round talking about you being sick" The small boy looked up hurriedly before looking down somewhat guilty. "Keep your lies small if you're going to sneak out aye? Morning Miss swan." Mr. Gold addressed Emma politely.
"Mr. Gold, if you don't mind, I'm trying to-" Emma was cut off by the girl opposite her.
"Mr. Gold?" The girl turned swiftly in her seat, her debris mattered hair, catching lightly against her face as her deep white-blue eyes stared up at the man.
"Hello Clara. What're you doing in story-" Clara once again cut off a sentence.
"I remember..." Clara stared hardly towards Mr. Gold, who tilted his head gently to the side. Ignoring Henry's yammering to Emma about the curse.
"Remember what deary...?" he inquired.
"Who I am... Who you are." Clara moved from her seat before rushing out of the diner, pausing to look left and right before running off in what appeared to be the direction to Mr. Gold's shop.
"The hell was all that about?" Emma called to Mr. Gold as he turned his attention to her.
"It's the curse Emma! She remember's passed the curse!" Henry called futilely
"I assure you Miss. Swan..." Mr. Gold focused his attention on her "I truly have no idea what she was talking about" With a confused ridden expression stuck on his face Mr. Gold said his goodbyes to the both of them before hurrying out the shop, his expression soon turning to one much more serious. He hurried back to his shop, shutting the door and locking it behind him focusing on the woman who sat on the chair in the corner of his shop.
"You're here." Clara raked her fingers through her hair pushing it back.
"Well I do live here deary.. You on the other hand.." He adjusted his stance slightly leaning his weight on his cane. "Who are you Clara?"
"I.. Don't know" Mr. Gold knitted his brow together.
"What on earth do you mean you don't know?" He stared at the woman with an expression of confused irritation.
"I've never said my name before, I've never even spoke this, this language before, these words... I don't understand it sir." Clara stood from her seat pacing the shop slightly
"Sir?" Mr. Gold asked with honest interest.
"I've always addressed you as sir..." Clara paused in her steps, looking at her hands with the utmost scrutiny.
"No ones called me sir outside of this life time..." Mr. Gold turned watching her every move.
"Oh I did sir... You just never understood me. I followed orders blindly."
"Damn it, who are you." Mr. Gold sneered becoming rather irritated.
"I don't know my name, I can't pronounce it, there's only been one word from my.. Past or what ever it was, and that took me weeks to get the hang of" Clara looked to Mr. Gold somewhat sorrowfully.
"Oh really?" Mr. Gold rocked his jaw sceptically "and what word would that be deary?" He fixed her with a look of annoyance.
"B-Bae..." Clara struggled, seeming unable to control her tongue properly. Mr. Golds expression dropped as he listened.
"Bae..." He tilted his head, slowly encroaching upon her.
"Bael...F-Fire.. Baelfire.." Clara struggled and drew out before she was struck to the wall by Mr. Gold's cane.
"HOW do you know of Baelfire? Hm!? How do you know!" Mr. Gold watched her intimidated features as she pushed at him.
"S-sir please, I told you.. I've never left your side.." Mr. Gold stepped back only to bring his cane round harshly hitting her upon the shoulder sending her straight to the floor with a harsh whine.
"Liar!" Mr. Gold lifted his cane once more only to pause watching her struggle to move, or lift herself. "You usually use both your arms to get up you bumbling idiot."
"F-forgive me sir. My right arm's not all that useful..." Her shall had slipped somewhat from her shoulders, revealing the vainish crawling of scars that began at her shoulder and ran the length of her right arm. Mr. Gold looked upon her with some form of sympathy placing his cane back down against the floor.
"Just get out of here." He walked away from her as she lifted herself to her feet.
"I can't do that sir..." Mr. Gold paused in his steps, turning slowly to face her.
"Excuse me?" He eye'd her carefully watching her.
"I made a promise a long time ago... Not to leave your side." Mr. Gold snorted gently.
"Funny how we suddenly remember things. Get out" Mr. Gold rounded the counter.
"I will not." Clara stood firm earning herself another look from Mr. Gold.
"Suit yourself. Don't complain when the authorities come and take you away." He sauntered into his back office.
"Then don't complain when I come running straight back." Clara called to him before retaking her seat next to his door.
Mr. Gold took a seat in his office, pretending not to notice her existence. He was honestly curious as to if she would remain in his shop, even after threat of getting a higher authority involved. Mr. Gold remained in his study the full night through, somewhat forgetting about the girl currently curled up on a chair in the corner of his shop. Only when he took a wander to the other side of his shop did he notice her. Pausing in his tracks, he shifted his weight to his cane as he watched her sound asleep. She seemed a strong woman intent on her will. He ventured closer to the sleeping girl moving his body down slightly to get more onto eye level, looking over her pale features. He didn't recognise her, reaching forward he gently stroked a piece of hair from her face, her stunning almost soulless blue eyes snapping open to stare straight through him.
"You're eyes are strikingly beautiful... Hauntingly familiar..." The eyes reminded him of then, yet where from he couldn't place, he then turned his attention to his hand against her hair, and her reaction. She had not uttered a word or seemed startled. She had not shoved him away for his closeness to her, like she had before in the woods. He moved his hand around a lock of hair pressing his thumb to it, the texture was smooth, somewhat familiar.
"I'm afraid my hair isn't in it's best condition.." Calmly the woman finally addressed him. Mr. Gold released the strand, leaning back into his original position.
"Then we should get you into a bath.." His eyes flickered over her form. He may not approve of her here, but he could at least be hospitable. He nodded towards the back Clara recognising it as a sign to follow. Rising from her chair she quietly crept along behind him waiting outside the bathroom as he ran the water. Clara scrunched her nose up. "You look disapproving?"
"Never really been a liker of baths..." Clara chuckled slightly.
"Well I'm afraid I don't own a shower." Mr. Gold shook his head.
"What's a shower..." Clara tilted her head as Mr. Gold looked at her with disbelief.
"What's a.. What's a shower? Dear me girl have you been living under a rock?" Mr. Gold's eye's flickered about her person.
"A tree... Actually..." Clara looked down at the ground shiftily.
"You truly lived in those woods didn't you..." Some form of pity washed over Mr. Gold as he watched the girl.
"Yes... Yes I did in this land... A little time in the other land also... Before.." Clara trailed off quietly as Mr. Gold stopped the water.
"There.. In you get clean yourself up, etcetera, etcetera." Mr. Gold strode passed Clara who had a somewhat confused look on her face.
"You're not to stay with me?" Mr. Gold halted in his tracks turning around to look at her severely confused.
"What?..." He looked away from her a moment utterly baffled before looking back at her. "You'd want me too?" He tilted his head.
"You usually did.." This only proved to confuse him more.
"I have no idea who you are lady but I have never stayed around a woman when she's bathing... I've spied on one, but that was one time and it certainly wasn't you." Mr. Gold's confused expression turned rather stern.
"Well.." Clara's expression dropped as she ducked into the bathroom closing the door swiftly before muttering under her breath "Probably because I wasn't a woman..." Mr. Gold stared at the door a while longer as her last comment slipped passed his ears.
"You were definitely something.. Woman or no..." Shaking his head the man strode away from his bathroom, still minorly confused. Clara looked upon the bath, shuddering inwardly.
"I can't believe I'm willingly doing this..." She shrugged the shall from her shoulders and unbuttoned her simple dress letting it fall to the floor, she approached the bath tub, looking down into it's clear waters, Clara gasped looking at the water. She saw herself, her real self, her ears pointed towards the ceiling, her muzzle strong and proud, her fur looked disastrous though. The Arsealen of the water tilted her head as Clara tilted hers a small smile gracing her face. "I will make him remember us..." She said as she guided her hand towards the dog in the water "...me" her finger tip tapped the waters surface blurring away her true image to show the woman she'd become, this frightened her more so. "I-I ... I look like one of them, one of the Belle's..." She inwardly shuddered once more before removing the last of her clothes, climbing into the water, squeaking at it's warmth, it actually wasn't that bad.
Mr. Gold sighed, looking up at the ceiling. She'd been hours in that bathroom with no sign of movement. Finally at wits end, he huffed getting up from his chair and sauntering up stairs lightly knocking on the door, a light sigh was his answer.
"Are you quite alright in there or have you drowned?" He received no answer with a small sigh he knocked again. "May I come in?"
"Yes, yes..." Clara drawled. Mr. Gold steadily opened the door to find a rather Sleepy Clara with her arms folded over the side of the bath, still fully submerged in the water.
"Oh come now.. That water must be cold by now.. Did you fall asleep in it?" He tilted his head keeping his distance from her.
"It's actually rather warm.. Yes, I think I fell asleep..." Clara gave a light yawn opening her eyes to watch him.
"You didn't even wash your hair did you?" Mr. Gold sighed looking at the incompetent woman who shook her head.
"No, I don't think I did.." Clara nuzzled into her arm. Mr. Gold gave an audible sigh before shrugging off his jacket, rolling up his sleeves and shutting the bathroom door.
"Women.." He snatched a brush from the top of the medicine cabinet before grabbing the small stool he kept in the bath room dragging it to the side of the bath. "Turn around. We'll see if we can get you looking at least half decent." Clara gave a murmur of disapproval.
"Fine..." She swivelled herself around a bit to quick, almost spilling the water over the side all over Mr. Gold who hissed at her before staring at the back of the woman's head. She was like a child. Mr. Gold gave a small sigh before he brought the brush gently through her hair, trying not to hurt her as it snagged in the matted hair many times, many times again he had to pause to remove bits of broken twig or foliage from her hair.
"Sorry... If I hurt you" He mumbled quietly as he finally managed to get his brush through one section of the hair.
"It's quite alright sir.. Don't mind me" Clara chuckled lightly before remaining silent. Mr. Gold didn't question her, continuing with his task of sorting out her excuse for hair. After a few more toiling minutes of brushing and pulling he deemed his work to be finished, he stood giving her hair one last brush through, it was smooth and slid easily through his finger tips.
"There.. You could even pass off as a woman now." Mr. Gold glanced down, Clara's right arm catching his eye. "What happened there, with your arm... If you don't mind me asking."
"It was a cruel joke by children..." Clara answered simply. She turned herself around, which Mr. Gold was not prepared for. Lifting his arm to shield his eye from looking at the naked woman in front of him he stumbled back, tripping over the stool. "Oh! Mr. Gold!" Clara threw herself out the bath, grabbing her dress from the floor and wrapping it around herself, she held it to her body with her left arm as she hoisted and helped him up with the other. "I'm so sorry, I forgot about this body of mine, I know I don't look like I used to, it's hard getting the hang of being a belle" All of Mr. Gold's movement stopped.
"Being a Belle?" Mr. Gold, hoisted himself into a sitting position, once again looking over her now covered body. "You know of Belle too? What do you mean being a Belle?" Clara tilted her head.
"That's what you always called her so I assumed that's what she was, the things that look like this... What's that other word you used... A Woman?" Mr. Gold slid himself around to focus on her properly.
"You're very lost within your mind aren't you... Belle... Was a name. Like Clara, or Gold not a generalised term." He watched as Clara placed a hand over her lips thinking heavily on his words, her lips raised into a small smile before she steadily broke into a laugh.
"All this time I thought.. " She broke into a full laugh, pressing her hand fully over her mouth. "How ridiculous... She was the only thing, the only woman we were ever really around long enough for me to.. To really take notice of other than the she-devils"
"She-devils?" Mr. Gold, who now stood by the bathroom door watched her carefully as he gestured her to follow him.
"Oh I don't know their names... I never bothered to learn them, let alone learn how to speak them here. One of them happens to be the mayor though.." Clara followed him from the bathroom back down into his shop still clutching her dress to her person.
"So let me see. You know of me, and my past, and my past before that. You know my son, my love, my affairs, you weren't able to speak in the enchanted forest, yet you can here. You can't pronounce certain names because of it, including your own and you absolutely refuse point blank to leave my side again. Correct?" Mr. Gold opened one of his far cabinets pulling out a dress and pushing it towards her.
"Correct..." Clara moved herself into the back room where she re dressed herself before walking back out to meet Mr. Gold tugging lightly at the seams.