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Prompt for you: Henry meets Lacey at Granny's.

The world seemed to glare at them.

Gold noted this as he sat across from Lacey in their booth.

Of all the places to eat, she would want to eat here, where the glares came free. Both of the Lucas women glared at him as he held the door for Lacey, the former drunkard, Leroy, glared at him while he passed, his arm around Lacey's waist.

They even got the four pack package glare coming from the Charmings, Miss Swan and his own son.

Baelfire had made his thoughts on his father's decision clear.

"You haven't changed at all, have you?"

"You don't understand, Bae, I can't lose her again. If I must be this way to keep her at my side…I will do so."

"What do you think?" he was jerked from his thoughts from Belle's…no, Lacey's voice.

"I'm sorry, dearie, I lost track there for a moment. What was it you said?" he asked, forcing a grin.

Lacey rolled her eyes, clearly irritated by his lack of attention. "I said that I wanted to go drinking later tonight," she repeated, lazily toying with the straw stuck into the dry martini she'd ordered. She never drank water or even tea, he noted. Always alcohol. Always.

"Of course. Anything you want, dearie," he replied automatically, wishing he would bite his tongue. This isn't right. I should have her in the library, at home…places she would remember.

She was pleased by his reply and crossed her legs, her bare ankle rubbing against his good knee and sending shivers up his spine. He prayed that nobody could see the innocent little minx as she toyed with him.

How Belle would be able to live with herself after she remembered what she'd worn…how Belle would be able to live with him for letting this go on so long…

"Hey Mr. Gold!" he felt a mass plop down beside him.

He stiffened at his grandson's voice, turning to see the boy, currently fixated on drinking his hot chocolate.

"Hello, Henry," he curtly replied, looking to see that the Charming table was currently looking quite ruffled as Lacey curiously looked at Henry.

"Have you met Lacey, Henry?" he stiffly asked, shooting the boy a curt nod that clearly told him: "Do not try anything. Anything."

Henry looked over, shooting Lacey a shy smile. "No," he admitted, grinning.

The look on Lacey's face in that moment made his heart give a lunge. Belle. In that moment, she looked at the boy with such adoration, such kindness that each and everything about her spokeBelle to him.

Save for the earrings and dress, perhaps, but Belle.

"I'm Lacey," she informed with a little grin. "And you're Gold's grandson, right?" she asked, extending her hand for the boy to shake.

"Yup!" he proudly declared.

Proud to be the grandson of the Dark One..?

"I'm Henry, it's nice to meet you," he gave a shy grin as he took her hand, shaking it.

"Right," her head slumped to the side, her gaze shifting to meet Neal's glare. "Huh, seems your dad isn't too happy about me, huh?" she commented.

She said it with such a nonchalant tone that it made Rumple shudder. Did she care at all what anyone thought of her? She was such a free spirit, just like the Belle he had known. Not nearly as compassionate nor alike with some of her ways, but a few little things stood out to him.

"He'll get used to it," the boy assured, shooting her a confident beam.

Lacey only gave a nod, frowning lightly.

They fell into silence, the boy sipping his hot chocolate, not noticing the smudge of whipped cream that was on his nose as he placed his cup down. "So Bel-Lacey, do you like fairytales?" he asked out of the blue.

Gold immediately gripped the table, his mouth furling into a frown. He'd been so careful with Lacey, so very careful not to confuse her, not to scare her.

If this boy, his undoing, truly ruined everything…Gold almost smirked. Perhaps the blind hag meant the undoing of Lacey…

Lacey shrugged, looking off with a bored expression. "I don't read much," she admitted. "Fairytales, I mean, I prefer the realistic stuff," she glanced back to the boy, a smile spreading on her face as she caught sight of the whipped cream. "Hey there, ace, got a little somethin'…here, lemme get it," she leaned over, wiping the whipped cream off of his nose with a finger.

Henry flushed, abruptly standing. "Thanks, um…I'd better go back over, they'll get…m-mad!" he was beet red.

Gold knew the boy would fall for Belle without a second thought, but Lacey? He only smirked.

Lacey gave a laugh as he hurried off, grasping onto Gold's hand as she looked to him. "He's so cute!" she squealed, squeezing his hand.

"Quite a pester too," he added.

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Y'know, you'd be a great dad…you think you're uglier inside than you really are…that's why you always say such snide little remarks."

Gold blanched, his eyes no longer joking as he honed in on her expression. Perhaps the words were slightly different, but Belle had nearly said the same thing so long ago, back at the Dark Castle.

Little by little, she was breaking through.

When she did, he would be waiting for her with open arms.

He did owe the boy for stirring her, he supposed. His gaze shifted to the lad, leaving with his father. I won't kill him. I can't.

He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to think of some way, any way that he could avoid harming the boy.

"Gold, you ready?"

He glanced up to see Lacey standing beside him, hand outstretched.

He took it, nodding. "Of course, dear," he replied.

He would leave the thinking for another day.

Thanks for reading, dearie! Review if you wish to do so. :)