Note: I'm introducing a new pairing! And oh dear, it's got a sort-of OC in it… I am a big Alice in Wonderland fan, and I really like Hatter/Alice, so naturally, my little brain had to get whirring as to how I could transfer that to OUAT and the adorable Jefferson. So, without further ado, meet my OUAT/Cake'verse Alice…
Tara Castle, mentioned here in passing, is the 'Storybrooke-ified' name I give to Rapunzel – Tara comes from the Irish for 'high place'.
Teacake
"Are you going to drink that tea or just let it steep till it's ruined because you're distracted by your lover's underwear?"
Gold transferred his gaze from Belle to Ruby and gave the latter a withering glare. Ruby merely smiled sweetly in return and suppressed a laugh as Belle reached round and pulled her trouser waistband an inch higher to cover the top of her knickers.
"Stop gawping," she said without turning her attention from the coffee machine. "Nothing to see here."
It was a Tuesday, and Ruby was enjoying the banter that she never usually got to see. She had swapped shifts with Emma – Henry's school was closed due to a rather unfortunate sewage leak – and was party to the Tuesday morning routine that had formed in the first few weeks after Belle and Gold became an established couple. Gold worked late on Monday evenings; Belle would go over to the law office after her shift at Granny's ended, they'd spend the night together, and Gold would give Belle a lift to work the next morning, staying in the café until he had to go to his own work at nine.
Ruby was witnessing it for the first time, and her comments aside, she couldn't help but smile at the simple domesticity of the scene. Gold had hooked his cane over the top of the cake display and was leaning on the counter with his tea, watching Belle as she went about her usual early Tuesday morning tasks. Ruby pushed a spare takeaway cup along the counter towards Gold and he dropped the teabag into it.
"So," she began brightly. "What colour do you think Emma will dress us in to be her bridesmaids?"
"Yellow polka dots," muttered Gold. "On a lime green background."
"Don't be silly," came Belle's voice from under the coffee machine – it had been playing up for a couple of days now and she was determined to fix it without having to call Granny for back-up. She emerged and put her hands on her hips. "You're just sour because you were caught ogling."
"I wasn't ogling," Gold refuted. "I was merely… appreciating the view."
Ruby raised her eyebrows.
"So that's what the kids are calling it these days." She turned to Belle. "Is it always like this on a Tuesday morning?"
"Pretty much."
Ruby sighed wistfully. "I miss out on so much when I have a lie in. Never mind, I'll just have to make up for lost time now."
Before she could do so, however, the café door opened, and a blast of cold air heralded the arrival of another customer. Ruby looked up as a young blonde woman in a light blue coat was practically blown into the café on a gust of wind from the precinct entrance.
"Hello," she said breathlessly, trying to smooth her hair back into place and look professional. "Can you help me? I'm looking for Guildhall Law; I'm starting temp there today and I don't want to be late. This place is like a rabbit warren."
Ruby laughed as Gold pointed at the door she'd just entered through.
"Just over the way," he said.
"Oh thank God, I thought I was going to be late." She came towards the counter.
"So, who are you temping for?" Ruby asked. "We like to keep an eye on our regular customers… I mean our valued neighbours."
"It's just a secretarial role," the woman said. "Another girl from my agency did maternity cover there last year, but she refused to go back again – something about being terrified of Mr Gold – so I was drafted in as cover at the last minute. Could I have a cup of tea please?"
"English Breakfast?" Belle asked. The woman nodded and opened her mouth to speak again before closing it and leaning in over the counter.
"Do you, erm, do you know much about them?" she asked Ruby, her eyes flickering over to the solicitors' offices.
Ruby bit back a grin.
"Quite a bit." She glanced over the new arrival's shoulder at Gold and winked. "We have… inside sources."
"So, what are they like?" the blonde asked as Belle brought her tea over. "I'm Alice, by the way."
"Ruby. They're… Well, we've heard some interesting stories over the years."
"I heard some horror stories from Tara," Alice said conspiratorially.
"Well, they're probably all true." Ruby's voice was remarkably cheerful at the prospect. "And yes, before you ask, Mr Glass and Ms Mills are in a relationship. Some of the time."
"It's hardly a relationship," Gold mused. "More like friends with benefits. Actually, better make that enemies with benefits."
"To be honest, I'm more worried about Mr Gold," Alice murmured. "Tara said he throws things."
"Oh, he does," said Gold airily, hiding his smile in his cup. "He's a right terror."
"So I've heard." Alice gave another worried glance across at her new workplace. "Oh dear, I'm not looking forward to this."
"You'll be fine," said Ruby. "Now Ashley's back from maternity she takes care of all Mr Gold's tantrums. But if you're working for Ms Mills, well, Her Majesty's a different kettle of fish entirely."
"Oh no… Does she throw things too?"
"Only at Mr Glass," Gold said drily. "Might help if you're handy with a Hoover though. She has a predilection for using expensive, highly fragile objects as missiles."
"Stop it, both you." Belle came over to the counter. "You're scaring the poor girl. I'm Belle, and I'm sure you'll get on fine, Alice. They aren't all as black as they're painted."
Alice did not seem at all mollified by this, and the door opened at that moment to admit another customer.
"It's cold enough to freeze the you-know-whats off a brass monkey out there!" Jefferson rushed into the café and closed the door again quickly, holding his hat on with one hand.
"Morning, Jefferson," Gold called from the counter.
"Good morning, Mr Milliner," Ruby said. "We don't often see you in here unless you've had a shock and need a camomile tea."
"I have a shock, it's bloody freezing outside. Morning, Gold, see you pre-empted my idea of getting stoked up on tea before the day begins."
"Oh no…" Alice looked at Gold with an expression just short of 'mute terror'. "Gold… As in…"
Gold nodded and Alice buried her head in her hands.
"Did I miss something?" Jefferson asked, adding his teabag to the growing collection on the counter. Gold ignored the question and went straight into introductions.
"Jefferson, this is Alice, she's your new temp secretary. Alice, this is Jefferson Milliner; you'll be working for him."
Alice removed her face from her hands and looked up at Jefferson, who removed his hat with an absurdly chivalrous flourish and held out his hand.
"Pleased to meet you, Alice," he said.
Alice shook his hand, and as their eyes met, she smiled for the first time since she entered the café.
Ruby had never been witness to what Granny called a 'time stands still and everything goes wibbly' moment before, but she was fairly sure that she had just seen one. Jefferson returned Alice's smile and they stayed looking at each other for a fraction of a second too long. Alice broke the gaze with a nervous giggle, only then realising that she was still holding Jefferson's hand. They broke away suddenly, each taking half a step backwards, unable to meet the other's eyes.
"Yes, well, I, erm, the tea will be getting cold, and we really don't want to be late…" Jefferson began. Gold stepped into the breach.
"Why don't you take Miss…"
"Kingsleigh," Alice provided.
"Why don't you take Miss Kingsleigh over to the office and get her settled in," Gold suggested.
"Yes, an excellent idea." Jefferson gestured to the door. "Shall we, Alice?"
"Certainly. I'm so sorry, I'm new round here and I got lost…"
As they left the café to brave the cold again, Gold twisted round to plant both elbows on the counter.
"Well, if you wanted proof that love at first sight exists, that was it," he said.
"He'll have asked her out by the end of the week," Ruby agreed.
"Ah, but is dallying with one's secretary really wise?" Belle asked. "He might angst about that for a while. I say it'll be a month of tiptoeing round each other at least."
Ruby looked at Gold.
"Well, you know him the best. What do you think?"
"Hmm." Gold seemed to be giving the matter serious consideration. "Jefferson is generally an impulsive soul…" here Ruby grinned "…except," he added, and her face fell, "when Grace is in any way involved, in which case he is always generally cautious. I'll put in a bet for two weeks and a day."
"You're on." Ruby paused. "What does the winner get?"
"Tea," Gold said, draining his cup and unhooking his cane. "Now, I think I've given them enough time alone, and I too will be late if I don't get going." He leaned over the counter to kiss Belle. "See you later, love."
"Don't you dare scare Alice into leaving after less than a day!"Belle called after him as he left the café.
"There's true love at stake! Would I dream of such a thing?"
"Hmm."
The café door closed again and Ruby gave a squeal of delight. "Oh, I love it when we see people get together in our café. First you, now Jefferson."
"Don't forget that you and Archie also met under this roof," Belle added.
Ruby nodded. "Now all we need to do is find some rich widower for Granny and we'd be sorted." She paused. "Do you think she'd like Marco?"
Belle rolled her eyes and Ruby laughed, looking out of the window at the gale beyond. The wind of change was blowing, and love was blossoming in the precinct again.