I do not own "Once Upon a Time". OR "Notting Hill" for that matter. (And there's a significant amount of NH in this first section.)
Chapter 11
The next morning, Belle sat up in bed staring at her phone. "Are you fucking kidding me?" she said out loud in an angry tone of voice. Nick moaned a bit and rolled over, awakened by Belle's words.
"What's wrong?" Nick asked as he moved in toward her and snuggled up against her shoulder.
"Ashley fucking Boyd." Belle said. "Commenting on the photos to Perez Hilton. I swear, she'll do anything to get her name in the press. Like she has any right to judge – this was a one-time occurrence for me when I was a young girl and really, really stupid, I'm sure half of the men in Hollywood have far worse shots of her, and she didn't even get paid for those, what's her excuse?" Nick sat up and grabbed the phone away from her. He looked at what she was reading and angrily tossed the phone aside.
"Sweetheart, why are you doing this? You're going to straighten all this out today, right?" Nick said.
"I hope." Belle said, a tone of defeat in her voice. "What is it with people and their obsession with breasts? I mean good lord, every other person in the world has them, what is the big deal about them?"
"Well I don't know. Let's see." Nick teased. He climbed on top of Belle and unbuttoned the pajama top she was wearing and glanced at her exposed breasts for a moment, then covered her back up. "You know you're right, I don't get what the fuss is all about." Belle couldn't help but giggle at him. She reached for him and pulled him into a kiss, then rolled over with him and snuggled up to him tightly.
"What do we do now, Nick? Am I supposed to just leave or what?" Belle asked.
"You tell me what you want, Belle." Nick said.
"I don't know what I want. I haven't heard from August Booth so I don't even know what's going on with the movie, Ashley Boyd is out there saying who knows what to anyone who will listen, I have to do this interview today that I'm terrified of, and despite all that I just – this past week should have been a nightmare for me with the photo leak and the bad press, but it hasn't been. It's been the best week of my life, it truly has. I don't want to be apart from you for four minutes, let alone four months."
"Sweetheart, look at it this way. You'll be leaving when we're still in the best phase of a relationship, with everything so new and wonderful. You won't be thinking about things that couples a few months into a relationship think about, like how I leave my clothes on the floor and you leave dirty dishes everywhere." Nick said.
"I do tend to do that, don't I? I'm sorry – I said I cook, I didn't say I clean up after myself all that well." Belle said.
"It's alright. Belle, it's only four months, right? We'll talk, won't we?" Nick said.
"I'll be in a different time zone. You'll be sleeping when I'm awake, you'll be working at the shop during any free moment I have, it'll be next to impossible." Belle said. "Nick, I've seen others try to do the long distance thing and it doesn't work. Eventually, one day you go without a call because there wasn't time. And then you go two days, and then three, and the next thing you know you've just – grown apart."
"That won't happen. Not for us." Nick said, and he started to kiss her when her phone began to ring. Belle reached across him for the phone, but Nick grabbed her arm. "They'll call back."
"Nick, I need to see who's calling." Belle said, and she pulled away from him and grabbed the phone. "Hello?" she said. She paused for a moment and listened. "Yes. Hi. Um – yeah, I'm fine. No, my – my publicist is meeting me this afternoon, we have a press conference scheduled, we're going to try and do damage control on this. Right. No, I understand. Of course that – that would be okay. Okay I'll see you then. Thank you." Belle ended the call and looked up at Nick. "That was August Booth."
"Well what's happening?" Nick asked.
"He – he was really nice about everything. He said he's been out of the country for the past few days, he hadn't even really been watching the news or checking his messages and apologized for not getting back to me. He wants to do an interview with me next week, he – he still wants me to do the film. He just wants to put a halt to any bad press before it even happens. But I'm doing the film. Nick, I'm still doing the film." Belle said excitedly.
"Oh sweetheart, that's fantastic." Nick said, and he gave her a kiss.
"Nick, he's leaving for Ireland tonight. He wants me to meet him there. On Monday." Belle said. "If I'm going to do an interview and be ready for it and adjust to the time zone – I'll probably have to leave tomorrow. I'm sorry."
"No, it's alright I – I knew you were leaving. It's okay. We'll be fine." Nick said, and he gave her a quick kiss.
"There's always Skype." Belle suggested.
"Yeah. Right, there's that." Nick said. "Come on let's – let's go have some breakfast."
"I'll cook." Belle said.
"I'll do the dishes – see, we're already learning to compromise." Nick said. Belle smiled at him as she got out of bed. Nick picked up his cane and followed. They ate breakfast in the kitchen this time instead of in bed.
"I'll miss this." Belle said, still wearing Nick's pajama top, with him wearing the bottom with no shirt.
"Me too." Nick said, taking a sip of coffee. They heard the doorbell ring as they were finishing.
"You expecting anyone?" Belle asked.
"No, but it could be Ruby, she stops by on her way to work sometimes and she often forgets her key." Nick said. He got up and ambled to the door. The second he opened it, about two dozen cameras flashed in his face. He stood there stunned for a moment, then slammed the door shut. A look of shock and panic came over his face as Belle appeared and moved toward him.
"Was it Ruby? Where is she?" Belle asked.
"Belle I -" he began, but Belle interrupted.
"You can let her in, she already knows about us." Belle said as she gently pushed Nick out of the way and moved toward the door.
"Belle, no, don't!" Nick shouted, just as she opened the door. The cameras flashed just as they dd when Nick opened the door. Belle gasped and quickly slammed the door shut, then leaned up against it.
"Oh my god. Nick they – they got pictures of you dressed like that? And me like – this." Belle said, and she looked down at herself. "Oh god. Shit." Belle rushed down the hall into Nick's room, and he followed behind her. Belle was already sitting on the bed talking on her cell phone when Nick entered the room. "I don't know, probably about twenty of them. No I don't know how they found me!" she screamed into the phone. "I don't know, just – just figure something out and call me back." Belle got off the phone and started to cry. Nick sat down next to her and put his arm around her.
"Sweetheart, it'll be alright." Nick said calmly.
"No it won't!" Belle shouted, and she pushed him away. "The photos were bad enough but this – how did they even find me here?"
"I don't know, Belle." Nick said. Belle looked up at him.
"Ruby. It had to be Ruby, she was the only one who knew." Belle said.
"Ruby wouldn't do that – she wouldn't go off and call the press on you, she would never do that." Nick said.
"Well then how in the hell did they get here? Did someone at TMZ just decide this morning, 'Hey, I know where Belle French is staying, she's in that apartment with the pink door out in SoHo!'" Belle shouted at him angrily as she stood up and paced around the room.
"Belle – calm down." Nick said, and he moved toward her.
"I have a good reputation, Nick! One of the best in Hollywood. I don't drink, I don't party, and I DON'T sleep around! They're always looking for a way to knock you down, especially someone like me who has managed to avoid any sort of scandal in the press. Well I guess that's all shot to hell now, isn't it?" Belle grabbed the outfit she was wearing when she had arrived several days before and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Nick sat down and sighed, the got up after a few minutes and changed into jeans and a button-down shirt. Nick's phone rang a few minutes after he had changed.
"Hello." Nick said as he answered the phone.
"Dad? What the hell is going on?" Bae asked on the other end.
"With what?" Nick asked.
"With the fact that I'm standing across the street from the apartment and there are about twenty-some people with cameras and video recorders standing outside!" Bae shouted at him. Nick sighed.
"Belle is here." he admitted. "And somehow they – found out."
"Belle. Belle French." Bae said, and he hung up the phone. Within moments he heard Bae's voice outside the door shouting at the paparazzi. Bae turned his key in the door and entered, having shoved his way through the crowd. He slammed the door and locked it. Nick limped out of his room to greet him, and Bae glared at him with anger. "Why is Belle French here?"
"She needed somewhere to go." Nick said. He went into the living room and sat down on the sofa. Bae followed and sat down next to him.
"And she picked here. Of all the places in the world she could go – THIS was the place she ended up." Bae said.
"Yes." Nick replied.
"And that's all she's doing here? Hiding out?" Bae asked.
"That was why she came here." Nick said.
"You didn't answer my question." Bae replied.
"I'm not a child, Bae. I have a right to a private life." Nick said.
"Let me guess. You made the mistake of opening that door, and now your 'private life' is going to be the cover story of every gossip website and trashy magazine out there." Bae said, just as Belle came out into the room, talking on the phone, wearing the dress that she arrived in.
"Yes, ring the doorbell three times in a row so that I'll know it's you. Okay. I'll see you in a bit." Belle said, and she hung up the phone. "What is he doing here?" Belle asked Nick.
"I stopped by to see if my dad wanted to go out for coffee this morning. What are YOU doing here?" Bae asked.
"Bae, I will not tolerate you being rude to Belle." Nick said.
"Why not? She was pretty fucking rude to you, don't you think? She strung you along, let you start to develop feelings for her, and then she flat out leaves you the minute you were no longer convenient. And then the minute she has a personal crisis she comes running back to you, probably with some lame sob story, and you fell for it. How close am I to the truth here?" Bae asked. Belle ran out of the room when he finished. Nick turned to Bae and looked at him with an aggravated glare.
"You know nothing, Bae. That was cruel and it was uncalled for and I am very ashamed of you right now." Nick said. He stood up and went to find Belle, who was in his room, sitting on the edge of his bed, once again in tears.
"He's right." Belle said as she looked up at him.
"No." Nick said, sitting down next to her. "He doesn't know the whole story, he only knows what he's seeing on television and reading on the Internet."
"Nick, I think you were right. We don't fit." Belle said.
"Belle, I'm pretty sure I was wrong about that now." Nick said, and he took her hand. "You just tell me what you want."
"I WANT for those parasites out there to be gone! I WANT for you to have never opened that damned door and for them to have never seen you – us in our – like we were!" Belle shouted. "Do you know what they're going to say about me, Nick? For God's sake, I have a boyfriend as far as they're concerned! I may as well call up Ashley and ask her for advice on how to maintain your career while still being seen as another typical Hollywood whore, because that's all people will think of me as now."
"Belle, this is ONE incident, and it will be out of people's minds as soon as another story breaks about someone else. It's not the end of the world by any means, put this into perspective, there are far worse things that could happen." Nick said.
"I know you're right. But you haven't been dealing with those people for half of your life like I have. They twist things just to sell magazines and they don't care who they hurt or how damaging their words are. Those pictures will be online, they'll follow me everywhere. Every event I attend, every project I do, every interview I give – I will regret this for the rest of my life!" A look of hurt came over Nick's face.
"Right. Well – I have to say that – I won't." Nick said.
"Nick, that's not what I meant." Belle said.
"Then what did you mean, Belle? If I asked you, right now, to open that door and tell those vultures out there that you and I are together and you're very happy about that – would you do it?" Nick asked. Before Belle could even answer, the doorbell rang three times. Belle stood up, not answering Nick's question. She picked up the script for her film that she had sitting on the nightstand. She walked down the hallway and grabbed her jacket and purse, which were hanging on the coat rack. She put her coat on, pulled her sunglasses out of her purse and put them on. Nick followed her as she did these things.
"I have to go. I'm sorry, Nick." she said. Belle opened the door. Two burly security guards ushered her through the crowd of photographers as Nick stood at the door and watched. The paparazzi followed Belle as she was whisked away in a limo. Nick remained standing at the door, and Bae walked up behind him.
"Dad, I'm sorry." Bae said as he put his hand on Nick's shoulder.
"She'll call. She just needs time." Nick said, hoping against hope that he was right.
About three weeks later, Nick was in his shop working. He hadn't heard from Belle at all. She did an interview to address the photos, both past and present. Nick watched it, even though he knew he shouldn't have. She stated that 'the gentleman' she was staying with (which is how she referred to him in the interview) was 'just a friend' and nothing more. His heart sank when he heard her say that.
It was a daily effort for Nick to even get out of bed and come to the shop. He missed her terribly. He wanted to call her but in all that they did for the week they spent together, exchanging cell phone numbers was not something that happened. Nick assumed she would contact him at the shop. But she didn't. He sat behind his spinning wheel lost in thought, trying his best to forget, when Regina entered.
"Nick. Are you busy?" Regina asked as she skulked over to the counter.
"Not really, but since it's you asking then yes – I am." Nick replied.
"I got a call from Albert Spencer recently. You know that he and I had a falling out some years ago, but he's not happy with the brokerage firm that's handling his assets right now and he's thinking about returning to Regal, but only under one condition – he'll only deal with you." Regina said.
"Well, that's too bad for you then, isn't it?" Nick replied.
"You won't even consider coming back for just one more deal. If it goes through Nick, the pay will be well worth it. All you have to do is come back as an independent contractor, work your magic and make the deal with Spencer, and then you can go back to your little shop and sit here all day at your spinning wheel moping because your movie star girlfriend dumped you." Regina said.
"I know how you work, dearie. One deal will turn into another, and then another. I think I'll pass." Nick said.
"You know, you may have everyone else fooled with this little facade of a world you've created for yourself, but I know who you really are, Nicholas Gold. You're tempted – I can see it in your eyes, even if you don't want to admit it. And eventually you'll give in. You always do. Call me when you decide to change your mind." Regina said, and she left.
Two months later . . . .
Emma saw Nick sitting alone at a table and waddled over to sit with him. They were at David and Mary Margaret's wedding reception. Emma sat down next to Nick, who was quietly watching the events by himself while drinking iced tea. "So this is the no-alcohol section, huh? I think it's just you and me." Emma said, as she carefully sat down.
"Yes, it appears so." Nick replied. "By the way – you look lovely." Emma smirked at him.
"I look like a helium balloon. I swear there are THREE kids in here, not just the one." Emma said. "I'm glad all of the bridal party crap is over – next time I agree to be in a wedding tell your son to time knocking me up better."
"If I recall what I learned as a lad in health class, I believe you needed to be present in that activity as well, so don't blame Bae." Nick said, and he took a sip of his tea.
"So – you surviving this okay?" Emma asked.
"Do I look like I'm enjoying myself?" Nick asked. "I'm here because I've known Mary Margaret since she was a girl, she's Ruby's best friend, and I suppose I like your brother well enough. If it were anyone else I wouldn't even have bothered to come."
"So I take it you haven't heard from Belle." Emma said.
"No." Nick replied.
"And you're not gonna try to get in touch with her at all?" Emma asked.
"Right. I'll send her a fucking fan letter." Nick retorted.
"I can't believe you spent a week with her and didn't bother to get her cell phone number." Emma said.
"We were busy." Nick said.
"Yeah, I really don't even want to know about that." Emma said, and she made a face. "You remember when I broke things off with Bae for a couple of months when we were first dating? Did I ever tell you what prompted all of that?" Emma asked.
"No, but I have a feeling you're going to whether I want to hear about it or not, so go on." Nick said.
"Bae and I were seeing each other for almost two months. Things were going really well – we were having fun, dating, just – well, you know, everything that goes along with that. One morning, totally out of the blue, I woke up and realized 'Holy shit, I'm in a fucking relationship!' and I just didn't know what to do. My past track record with relationships was a disaster. I really liked Bae, a lot – and that was the point when I kind of realized that – I didn't just like him. I loved him. So naturally – I bolted."
"Why?" Nick asked.
"Because I figured that, things were going great, I was falling in love, I was pretty sure he was falling in love, and – well, there was nothing left to do but fuck the whole thing up at that point, cause that's what I always did, so – why even bother?" Emma admitted.
"But you went back to him." Nick said.
"Eventually. With my tail between my legs. Nick, you know my entire life has been one long Lifetime movie that just doesn't seem to end. My mom and dad died when I was three, nobody wanted to adopt David and I both, we ended up separated and didn't find each other again until we were in our teens, and then of course there was my whole juvi record thing – I was just lucky that I had a parole officer who took me under her wing and mentored me. I had a pretty hard exterior, Bae had to work like hell to break through it." Emma said.
"Yeah, well he had lots of practice on me." Nick said. "Is there a point to this whole sorry saga or are the pregnancy hormones just making you more chatty than usual?"
"If we weren't at my brother's wedding I would so punch you in the face for that comment." Emma said. "I watched that interview with Belle – the one she did after the whole thing at your apartment. Nick, I make my living analyzing people, and trying to deduce whether or not they're telling the truth. When she said that you were just a friend, nothing more – she was lying her ass off."
"She's an actress, Emma. She's a professional liar, that's what she does." Nick said.
"No. A good actress gets into a role so much you can't TELL they're lying – you really believe that they're the person they're pretending to be. I've seen every one of Belle's movies – she is an amazingly good actress. But in her real life – she can't lie for shit. I bolted on Bae just when things were getting good, because I was scared shitless that I wouldn't be able to keep it that way."
"And you think Belle did the same thing?" Nick asked.
"How much did she tell you about her past relationship history?" Emma asked.
"Enough." Nick replied.
"Let me guess – rough upbringing, she never had anything that worked out right for her with men, tough facade but really insecure as hell. Am I getting warm?" Emma asked. "She's got what, a few more weeks of that shoot in Ireland? I'll bet you twenty bucks that within a month of the day that shoot is over she'll be on your doorstep the same way that I went groveling back to Bae."
"You? You groveled? I would have liked to have seen that." Nick said. "How come Bae never told me any of this?"
"Because I threatened to castrate him in his sleep if he ever said a word to anyone. I think he actually believed I'd do it." Emma said.
"I wouldn't doubt that you would." Nick said. "But, unfortunately, I think you're wrong about Belle. We're – too different. Too far apart from one another. Maybe if we had met in another life, things would be different for us, but – in this life – it's over."
"Hey, fine with me. If you want to sit and mope for the rest of your life, you go right ahead and do that." Emma said, and she looked up. "I think they're getting ready to throw the bouquet and garter, you want to move up to watch?"
"You're not going to try and catch the bouquet?" Nick asked.
"Yeah, that's my dream, to catch the bouquet at my brother's wedding while eight months pregnant. I really want to sit down with Henry and explain THAT photo to him someday." Emma remarked. "Besides, Ruby's gunning for it and I'd just get in her way."
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you say that." Nick said as he stood and offered Emma his hand to help her up.
"I told David to fling the garter directly in Bae's direction though." Emma said as they moved to a closer table to watch the activities. "Maybe it'll give him a clue." Nick and Emma sat down at a closer table. Nick breathed a sigh of relief when another random friend of Mary Margaret's caught the bouquet. Ruby would have started picking out china patterns if she'd have caught the thing, he thought to himself. Bae walked over to Nick and stood next to where he was sitting.
"You having a good time, Dad?" Bae asked him.
"Splendid." Nick remarked sarcastically.
"Hey! Pay attention!" Emma shouted at Bae as she glared at him. David had just removed Mary Margaret's garter and was getting ready to throw it.
"I know, I'll try to catch the damn garter if it'll make you happy." Bae said. Bae remained standing next to Nick. Emma rolled her eyes at him. David glanced over their way and deliberately aimed the garter toward Bae. Bae reached to catch it but missed – it landed right in Nick's lap. The room fell silent as everyone turned and stared at him as Nick looked down at the garter sitting in his lap in disbelief.
"Sorry." Bae whispered to Emma, who was staring at Nick. Everyone started chattering once again as David walked toward Nick.
"Wow – that was a surprise, huh? How about we get a picture?" David said to Nick. Nick stood up slowly – he took the garter and set it down on the table.
"I – I'm sorry but – I have to go. Congratulations to both of you, I'm sure you'll have a wonderful life together." Nick said. He turned and walked out of the room.
Nick removed his suit jacket and hung it on his coat hanger when he entered his apartment. If ever there was a night he needed a drink, this was it. He hadn't had a sip of anything stronger than coffee since his accident and swore to both of his children that he never would again. But he needed something tonight. Something to make him forget. He entered the kitchen and frantically searched the cupboards for any trace of an alcoholic beverage that Bae might have left behind by accident. He found nothing.
Watching David and Mary Margaret getting married and celebrating the start of their new life together was a blow that he wasn't ready for, and he didn't realize it until he was there. That should have been him. That should have been him with Belle. That was what he wanted – well, not necessarily the big wedding with all the frills, all of that was bullshit as far as he was concerned – he wanted the after. He loved Belle so much, and she had shut him out. He just didn't understand – what was the point of meeting her, of her coming into his life, of him falling so madly in love with her he could barely breathe when he thought about her if it was all for nothing? What was the point of anything if that was the case? He had spent the past seven and a half years reinventing his life and who he was, and he was told by everyone from his children to his therapist that things were going to be so much better for him now, and he actually believed them. And when he met Belle, everything they had been saying, it all made sense. And now it all just seemed so pointless. After all of this effort, all of his struggles to be a better man, what did he have to show for it? Nothing but an empty heart and a chipped cup.
After determining that there was no alcohol to be found in the apartment, Nick wandered into the living room. He ripped his tie off and tossed it on the chair, then plopped down on the sofa. He reached for his phone and dialed.
"Hello." the voice on the other end said.
"Regina. Is that offer to arrange a deal with Spencer still on the table? I'm ready to go back." Nick said.