A/N Hello Dearies! Thank you all for reviewing! This story is my dearest treasure at the moment, and I'm glad you are all enjoying it. I realize Sydney is confusing because of Sydney Glass, but when I wrote the story I was not thinking of that Sydney. No relation Mr. Glass at all ;) I changed the first names of most of the characters, just to make it more fun.
Please R&R and fall in love with the charming Sydney Gold ;)
"Wake up sleepy head!" Ruby cried, hitting Belle over the head with a pillow.
"Your boyfriend called you like three times. And your mom called ten. I answered the last one."
Belle sat straight up. "Why would you answer my mom's call? I've been screening them for the past week!"
Even though Belle is darling and kindhearted, everyone screens calls at some point. She sighed heavily and began pulling the covers over her air-mattress bed. "What did she say?"
"Not much." Ruby replied, blowing some bubbles with her gum and snapping them back into her mouth.
"She wanted to ask when you were coming to get your stuff."
Belle shuddered. She was dreading the day when she had to go back to her house where her whole family, and probably Gordon too, were waiting to reprimand her.
"I'll get it after work." Belle muttered, sitting on the edge of the mattress.
"Uh, hate to break it to you hon, but it's Sunday." Ruby said, placing a red manicured hand on her hip.
Belle stood up and looked at the clock on the wall. She was late for church.
Rushing to the closet she grabbed out her favorite skirt and top, and rushed into the bathroom. She pulled off her pajamas and shimmied into her skirt. She pulled her blouse on with one hand and grabbed her mascara with the other in a frenzy to get ready.
She tied her hair back in a bun, applied a layer of mascara and lipgloss, put on some flats and was out the door. She was within waking distance from the church, but it took a few minutes. When she was almost there she met Sydney, walking regally down the street with his cane in hand. "Hello, Love. Out for a morning stroll?" He asked, matching her pace. "No." She said breathlessly. "Late...for church..." She looked over at the dashing man whom she had fallen so very deeply in love with. "Oh. Church. Yes I forgot that's a...ahem, a traditional Sunday outing. I just remembered I have a meeting I must attend, but I shall see you later." Belle caught her breath. "Come with me." She said it quietly, gently, but pleadingly.
"Belle. You know I can't."
"Please." She begged, taking his hand.
His eyes brown eyes searched her lovely blue ones. His heart thumped in his chest. He didn't want to disappoint her, but he couldn't face all those people who were disgusted by him. He couldn't go into God's holy place after all the sins he'd committed in his life.
"I can't Belle. I'm sorry." He let go of her hand and walked away.
Belle sat in the pew, hands folded in her lap, trying not to let her mind wander.
While she listened to her father's sermon on forgiveness, she thought of all the people who still would not forgive Sydney for his past sins.
When church was over, it was announced that there would be coffee a donuts at Pastor French's.
She walked outside and slipped her cell out of her pocket. "Sydney?" "Yes, what is it Dear?" "You don't have to if you don't want to, but would you think about coming with me to my parent's house?" "Belle...you don't want me to go. Your family will treat you coldly if I'm there. If I'm not, they will hopefully treat you better."
"Sydney, listen to me. I love you and accept you. They, as my family, should accept you too. I need you there with me."
She heard a heavy sigh on the other side of the receiver.
"Oh my dear Belle. I suppose I'll go for you."
She smiled. "Thank you. Lets go over there together. I'll meet you here at the church as we can walk there together?" "Alright."
He arrived in ten minutes and waited outside for her.
She walked out of the church, biting her lip to keep from smiling like and idiot when she saw Sydney leaning up against his car, looking oh-so-very handsome.
She ran to him and threw her arms around his neck.
"Let's go and get this over with." He said half-jokingly.
She took his hand and they walked together across the street and down the sidewalk to the place she used to call home.
When they were at the door, Sydney placed a hand on her cheek and gently turned her face to his. He could see the fear in her eyes. It was his time to play the roll of comforter.
"Don't worry Belle. I'm here for you. If they say anything to hurt you, we'll leave."
"I'm not worried about me." She whispered. "I'm worried about how they're going to treat you."
"Don't worry about me Sweetheart. I'll be fine." He kissed her cheek.
"Now lets hurry and get this over with."
He raised his hand and knocked on the door.
Moe opened the door, his face lighting up. "Belle!" He exclaimed, giving her a hug.
"I've been meaning to call you. I don't agree with the ultimatum your mother gave you." He whispered.
Raising his volume a bit, he opened the door wider and said, "Come in, both of you." He patted Sydney on the back. "Welcome to my home Mr. Gold."
"Thank you for having me." Gold replied.
They were led into the kitchen where they were met by a room of chattering men and women who ceased talking the moment they walked in.
"Is that Pastor French's daughter?" One whispered. An old woman with blue hair replied that indeed it was.
"Then that can't possibly be..." "Mr. Gold." Another finished.
Belle hugged the women she knew and shook the hands of those she didn't.
"Everyone, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Sydney Gold."
"Mr. Gold, pleased to make your acquaintance." Sydney said, extending a hand to one after another of the French's guests.
He then moved to Belle's side and wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Oh my goodness!" One of the women exclaimed.
"It's true! Lori Anne down at the salon told me they were together, but I wouldn't believe her. Oh heaven help the poor child, stuck with that drunk."
"Oh yes. We know what he wants from her. Indeed we do." Said the blue haired woman.
"Um, I'm right here, you know." Gold said, hardly believing what he was hearing.
"We know you're here, and none of us like it. You should just stay away from Belle. Leave the innocent thing alone and go find some girl like Ruby to mess around with."
"Jennifer," Belle began flitting her eyes across the room in search of the voice to whom the hateful comment belonged. The woman stepped forward, but another put a hand on her shoulder. "Come now Jenny, we needn't make a scene." "Molly Lucas, you have no say in what I choose to speak about." Molly's eyes grew fiery. "Oh yes I do." She said, "Especially when you mention my granddaughter in such a hateful way."
Belle stood a little straighter, her heart beating quickly in her chest. "Enough!" All eyes were on her. She saw the worried look on her father's face and the angry one on her mother's. "I want all of you to listen to me." She brushed a curl away from her face and wetted her lips.
"I love Sydney. He is a wonderful man. I have forgiven all of his past mistakes, and embraced him for who he is. It isn't fair the way that all of you treat him. You want to be like Jesus, yet you shun people like Ruby and Sydney. It's wrong, and I will not stand for such forms of hypocrisy. If you don't accept him, then you aren't fulfilling the basic truths of your faith, and you are definitely not accepting me."
Gold tightened his grip on Belle when he heard some of the comments that her speech provoked. Moving quickly he took her to the corner of the room.
He kissed her cheek, her forehead and then her lips. They were both in their own world, forgetting that there was a room full of gossipy and judgmental women glaring at them through their mascara caked lashes. Granted, not all of them were that way, but many were.
"I love you Belle." He muttered, leaning his forehead against hers.
"And I love you."
Not too soon after that, Belle gathered the remainder of her things, and kissed her parents goodbye.
"Belle? May I speak with you?" He father asked, grabbing her elbow and pulling her to the side.
"I disagree with your mother. And I think it's fine for you to stay here and be with..." He coughed.
"Mr. Gold."
Belle smiled at her father. He had always been kind and loving. He was the reason she was the way that she is now.
"Daddy," she said gently. "It was time for me to leave anyway." He looked downcast. "You can't stay with Ruby forever." "No, not forever." She smiled dreamily, obviously thinking of marriage. "I'll eventually get married, and move in with my husband." "Gold?" "If he'll have me. I love him Dad." "Your mother will never forgive you." "She'll have to live with it." He sighed. "It's your decision Belle. But," he paused. "I-I can tell he really cares for you."
Belle smiled. "He does." Gold entered the room looking from Belle to the Pastor. He coughed nervously. "I hope I wasn't interrupting." He said. "I was just..looking for Belle." She took his arm. "I'm ready." She waved goodbye to her father and called a goodbye to her mother who was in the kitchen.
Belle's phone started ringing so she picked it up.
"Hey, it's Emily."
"Hey Em, what's up?" Belle asked, switching the phone to her other ear.
"Do you and Gold want to meet us at Molly's diner?" She asked, refferring to the diner that was a local favorite. Some called it Molly's, others called it Granny's.
"Sure thing. What time?"
"We're planning to head over in about ten minutes. We have Harry with us so you'll be able to meet him."
"Great, see you in ten."
Belle slid into the read leather booth next to Sydney and smiled at Emma and Nate .
"It's good to meet you Harry," She said, extending her hand to the cute eleven year old boy who sat across from her.
"It's nice to meet you too Ma'am, and Sir." He said, shaking Sydney's hand.
"The boy has good manners." Gold commented. Emma beamed. "That isn't really my doing," She began but was interrupted.
"What are earth are you doing with my son?" A tall, beautiful woman stood with both hands on her hips. She brushed a piece of her dark hair from her face.
"Your son?" Belle looked around the table, searching for an explination.
"She adopted Harry. Before Nate and I came back into his life."
"That's right." The woman said with a smile, baring freakishly white teeth against the dark red of her cherry lipstick.
"I adopted him, and I do not believe I gave you permission to take him out to lunch."
Everyone was so focused on Harry's adoptive mother, that no one noticed that Sydney was sinking lower and lower, as if he were going to hide under the table.
Suddenly, the woman noticed him. "Why if it isn't Sydney Gold, the old heartberaker himself."
"Regina Hills. Always a pleasure." Gold muttered.
"You act as though you aren't happy to see me." She said, pretending to be hurt.
"I think I should be the unhappy one. You aren't the one who was left." She smiled. "Funny to see I've quite picked myself up since then, you didn't think I'd be heartbroken forever. Yes I'm doing fairly well, considering I'm Mayor Hills and all."
"What on earth is she talking about ?" Belle inquired, turning to Sydney who was a strange greenish color.
"Mayor Hills and I were...together at one point."
Belle's eyes widened. "Why don't you join us for lunch?" Nate asked, trying to break the tension.
"That way, you can keep an eye on us, and Harry can stay for lunch."
"Yes I think I'll stay." Regina said, sliding in next to Belle.
"I have many stories to tell."
Gold wished he could crawl under a rock and disappear, for he knew the kind of stories she was going to be telling his Belle. And after those stories, well he can only pray he wouldn't lose her.