I do not own 'Once Upon a Time'.
Chapter 6
"I don't know if I can do this, Nick." Belle said, pacing back and forth in his store.
"Just stay calm and rational and you'll be fine." Nick said.
"Thank you for letting me do this here after the store closed – I didn't want to do this anywhere public, the last thing I want is a scene." Belle said.
"It's fine." Nick said, and he heard a knock on the door. Belle went to open it.
"Belle – I was wondering if this was the right place, what is this?" Leroy asked as he stepped into the shop, looking around.
"It's Nick's shop. You remember Nick." Belle said. Nick stood behind the counter and glowered at him.
"Yeah. Belle if you want to talk about yesterday, let's go somewhere else – we can go to my hotel or yours and -"
"This is fine." Belle said. "And I want Nick here." Belle walked over to the counter. "I have something to show you." she said, picking up some paper that she had sitting there. She presented the paper to Leroy. He glanced at it, then looked up at her.
"What's this?" Leroy asked.
"Sides. From August Booth's new script." Belle said. "Did you really think I wouldn't find out?"
"Belle – listen, just let me explain –" Leroy began.
"No – you listen to me. I trusted you. I believed that you had my best interest at heart. But you didn't. You just wanted your money. How many other films were there, Leroy? How many other offers did I receive that you said no to without even asking?" Belle said, her voice beginning to tremble.
"Look – Belle this business is cutthroat, you know that. If you make one wrong move, then –" Leroy began.
"It's MY wrong move to make!" Belle shouted at him. "Nobody decides my fate but ME!" Belle took a deep breath to try and calm down. "You're fired." she said.
"Belle, come on – let's go somewhere else and talk about this." Leroy said, putting his hand on her arm. Nick reached his cane over the counter and shoved him back with it.
"Take your hands off of her." Nick said., moving toward him. He wrapped his arm around Belle and continued to point his cane at Leroy, who backed away a bit.
"You're gonna be sorry for this, sister. I made your fucking career, do you think you would have even gotten any auditions at all if it weren't for me? Who the hell were you? Some stupid little girl from Australia who just stumbled into a moment of good luck by nothing more than chance, because it sure as hell wasn't talent. You have a ninety percent likeability rating in the public's eye, Belle – ninety fucking percent! Do you think that you did that on your own? You didn't have enough talent to get where you are in this industry without sleeping your way there, and since that wasn't something you'd do you needed ME to actually convince people to hire you." Belle started to tremble and cry during Leroy's tirade, and Nick, filled with anger, dropped his cane, lunged for Leroy and shoved him against the door.
"You get out of my shop. Or would you like me to throw you out?" Nick asked, holding onto Leroy by the collar.
"Nick – stop, please." Belle said, pulling Nick away from Leroy. She picked up his cane and handed it back to him. Leroy brushed himself off and opened the door a crack.
"You think this guy is gonna help your career? You just sit back and watch your popularity numbers drop if you go out on the town with the crypt keeper here. The public will think you're two steps away from a Britney Spears meltdown, they'll be expecting you to shave your head next." Leroy said. "Don't forget – I know lots of people in Hollywood and one word from me and you won't be able to get a spot on Celebrity Rehab, which I'm assuming you'll need after whatever the hell this little personal crisis is ends. We'll see how interested August Booth is in you then." Leroy said smugly.
"Get out!" Nick screamed, and Belle held him back. Leroy stormed out of the shop, slamming the door behind him. Nick walked over to the door and locked it. Belle broke down in tears. Nick went back to her side and wrapped his arms around her, and she melted into him. "It's alright, sweetheart. It'll be alright." he whispered tenderly. "Come on – let's go sit." Nick led her to his back room where he had some furniture, and he sat down with her on a sofa. Belle continued to cling tightly to Nick. He kept his arms around her, and rubbed his hand up and down her back. "Shhhh. It'll be alright."
"I'm such an idiot." Belle finally said.
"No – Belle, no. You're not an idiot. He's just an ass. I know men like that, I have my whole life. The only way they know how to bring themselves up is to bring others down." Nick said.
"Is that what you were like? When you worked on Wall Street?" Belle asked, looking up at him.
"Unfortunately, yes. I was just lucky enough to realize it and stop. Most don't." Nick said. "Let me make you some nice warm tea, alright? It'll help calm you down." Nick walked over to the coffee maker and got some water boiling. He has a small teacup set in his kitchen area and took one of the cups out. When the tea was ready, he took it to Belle and sat down next to her. "Here – this will help."
"Thank you." Belle said, taking the cup from him. Nick sat back on the sofa, and Belle leaned up against him, halfway sitting in his lap, as she drank her tea. Nick ran his fingers through her hair gently while she did so.
"Feel better?" Nick asked as she finished her tea.
"Yes." she said. "Well, I don't have an agent anymore. You interested in the job?" Belle asked jokingly.
"Sweetheart, I wouldn't have the first clue what to do, and I'd probably scare half of Hollywood – you know, being the crypt keeper and all." Nick joked. Belle laughed.
"Well good. More of you for me." Belle said, reaching up to kiss him. "Could be worse, he could have called you Rumpelstiltskin." she teased.
"That's true." Nick said.
"You sure I can't call you Rumple? I mean, you do kind of look like a Rumple sometimes, I don't know why."
"You call me whatever you like, love." Nick said. Belle pushed him back on the sofa and climbed on top of him. She began to kiss him up and down his neck, and Nick closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Oh, Belle." he whispered. Belle completely forgot that she was still holding the empty teacup in her hand until it slipped onto the floor and she heard a tiny crash.
"Oh, crap. I'm sorry." Belle said, she sat up and reached down to pick the teacup off the floor. "I broke it – it's chipped."
"It's just a cup." Nick said, taking it from her hand and setting it down on the end table. "Now – where were we?" Nick asked, and he pulled her back into his arms, but she pushed him away.
"No – I really can't Nick, I'm sorry. I told you – I don't want this to get complicated." she said.
"Sweetheart, it's already pretty complicated." Nick said.
"Nick, I just don't want to do anything impulsive right now. These past few weeks have been so – unexpected. But wonderful. Nick – anytime I've tried to have anything normal with someone – normal – it's never turned out very well. And if this is going to go anywhere beyond what it is right now – I just want to make sure it's – right." Belle said. "Do you understand?"
"Yeah." Nick replied.
"Besides if um – if this is going to get – complicated – I'd prefer it not happen on the sofa in the back room of your shop."
"Fair enough." Nick said. Belle kissed him on the lips. "My apartment's only a few blocks away. Just saying." Belle laughed a bit.
"I really should go. I have to go shopping tomorrow, I need something to wear for my audition." Belle said. "You want to come with me?"
"Shopping? You want me to go shopping with you?" Nick asked.
"Yeah, on Fifth Avenue. Why not? It'll be fun."
"For whom?" Nick asked.
"Please. I want you to help me pick out what I'm going to wear, it's important to me." Belle said.
"So shopping's not complicated?" Nick asked.
"No." Belle said.
"I'd beg to differ – I've seen my daughter's credit card bills. They're pretty complicated." Nick said. Belle smiled.
"I'll be here tomorrow around ten. I'll see you then." Belle said. She gave him one more quick kiss on the lips, then left. Nick sighed and sat back down on the sofa. He picked up the chipped teacup and looked at it, running his fingers around its rim.
Bae entered the apartment later that night and found Nick lying back on the sofa, his hands clasped behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. "Dad? You okay?" Bae asked.
"You were right, Bae. Things are about to get complicated." Nick said, not moving. "They almost did tonight, but – she wasn't ready. Bae, I'm pretty sure that within the next few days one of two things is going to happen – she's going to want to take this relationship to the next level, or she's going to leave town and I'll never see her again. And I'm not sure if I can handle either of those things." Nick said, sitting up.
"You love her, huh?" Bae asked.
"Oh, yeah. That I do." Nick said. "I know it hasn't been very long, but – when did you know you were in love with Emma?" Bae smiled.
"I still remember the first time I saw her – I was walking across campus and she was sitting on a bench reading. I just couldn't get over how pretty she was – I went and sat next to her, fed her some lame pick-up line, and she told me to go to hell. Never even looked up from her book. And uh – yeah, I've pretty much been in love with her ever since."
"Very romantic." Nick joked. "I think I fell in love with Belle the minute she walked into my store – I just didn't know that's what it was. Of course I didn't know WHO she was, either but – that was probably for the best. I've never seen her as a 'movie star' or a 'celebrity' or whatnot – she's just Belle."
"You think she loves you?" Bae asked.
"I think she's guarded – she's trusted the wrong people quite a bit. I think she's scared that if she lets her guard down too much she'll get hurt." Nick said. "I still haven't told her – about everything that happened. I'm gonna have to do that before this goes any further, aren't I?"
"That's probably a good idea." Bae replied.
"Bae, I – I've never done this before. When I was a lad in Scotland I had a couple of girlfriends but it was all boyish nonsense, nothing that was serious enough to last. And then I came to the states, fooled around a bit when I was in school, got my job, met your mother and – well you pretty much know the story from there. Love was never really in the picture for me. I never did the whole dating and dinners and talking until all hours of the night and romantic walks in the park stuff – not until Belle. It's different with her. It's – it's like magic – the most powerful magic you can imagine." Nick said. "I'd go anywhere with her, do anything for her – she's got me going bloody shopping with her on Fifth Avenue tomorrow and I'm actually looking forward to it, what kind of crap is that?" Bae laughed.
"That – that sounds like love." Bae said. "Dad – I'm really glad that you've found someone, but I just – I just wish it was someone else. What are you gonna do when she leaves? And you know she's going to leave eventually. What if she asked you to go with her to LA or Australia or wherever it is that she's going next?"
"Bae, I think I'd follow that girl to the fucking moon if she asked me to." Nick said.
"And what she doesn't ask? What if she decides not to let her guard down? You're not gonna go get shit-faced and wrap your car around a tree again, are you?" Bae asked.
"No – no, I won't do that I promise, and you know I haven't had a drink in almost seven years. I guess I'll just – go back to work and – try to forget her and – be miserable for the rest of my life." Nick said.
"Well, what do you think?" Belle asked, stepping out of the dressing room to show off the outfit she's wearing.
"It's nice. You look beautiful." Nick said.
"That's what you said about the last six." Belle said.
"Belle, honestly, you could come out here wearing a potato sack and you'd look lovely. I don't know why you want my opinion – in my limited experience with women and this sort of thing, the minute they ask for your opinion, if you give it honestly, they get angry with you, and I really don't want that. So it all looks good as far as I'm concerned."
"I won't get angry." Belle said, facing him and putting her arms around him. She kissed him on the nose. "Be honest – which one did you like best?" Nick sighed.
"The yellow one." Nick said.
"You've got to be kidding." Belle said, pulling away from him. "The yellow one, seriously? Nobody wears yellow to an audition with an Oscar-winning director."
"Then why did you try it on?" Nick asked.
"I wanted to see how I looked in it." Belle said.
"Oh, good god. I know what you're doing here – this is a test, isn't it?" Nick asked.
"Yes – that's exactly what this is. I'm getting the blue one." Belle said. "Here – hold my purse while I change." Nick sighed as he sat down on a bench outside of the dressing room, wondering if this test was even passable, when he heard a voice.
"Now this is something I never expected to see – Nicholas Gold sitting outside of a dressing room at Saks holding a purse." Regina said. Nick looked up at her.
"Fancy meeting you here, Regina. Did you decide to take a holiday and let Satan have his realm back?" Nick quipped.
"Funny." Regina said. "So what's all this – did your daughter talk you into tagging along on a shopping spree? Although it kind of surprises me that she'd be here – I expected her to be more of a Hot Topic type of girl."
"I have no idea what that is but it sounds insulting, so please don't make ill-mannered comments about my Ruby." Nick said.
"Actually, I take that back – it can't be Ruby, where would she get the money for a Ferragamo handbag?" Regina asked, looking down at the purse he's holding.
"Let me go pay for these – then we have to go look at shoes." Belle said as she approached Nick and reached for her handbag.
"Belle French – well isn't this interesting. I'm Regina Mills – I enjoy your work. I just happened to run into Nick here – we used to work together." Regina said, extending her hand to Belle.
"Hi." Belle said curtly, reluctantly shaking her hand.
"So how on earth do you know Nick Gold?" Regina asked.
"She's taking classes from me – at my shop." Nick said.
"Really? And do you go shopping and do purse holding duty with all of your students, or just the famous ones?" Regina asked.
"I'll go check out – meet me at the shoe department when you're done." Belle said.
"Oh, we're done." Nick said. "I'll be right there." Belle walked away, and Nick turned to Regina.
"I saw you leaving your shop with a brunette when I was there last week, but I couldn't make out who it was. I'm impressed Nick – definitely a step up from Milah. Does she know?" Regina asked.
"You mind your own fucking business." Nick said.
"Let's see, she's how old – mid-twenties or so and you're – well – let's just say you're older than that." Regina said. "So how long before I see the two of you on the cover of the Enquirer? Does your new little girlfriend know everything about – well, everything?"
"Like I said before – we're done." Nick said, and he turned to leave.
"I'll take that as a 'no'." Regina said to herself, smiling as Nick walked away.