This is a REALLY long chapter, but I felt it worked better as one long chapter vs. two chapters.

I do not own "Once Upon a Time."

Chapter 18

"Ashley Boyd. I see." Nick said, as he stood up and walked toward the counter.

"So I take it Belle has mentioned me." Ashley said.

"Oh, yes. That she has." Nick replied.

"Listen, I really need to talk to her. I've left about ten messages with her manager and she won't return my calls so I thought maybe if I came here she might be here, or if she wasn't you could talk to her and ask her to call me." Ashley's voice was trembling as she spoke.

"Miss Boyd, I'm very sorry but – I really don't think that Belle will want to see you." Nick said. "I will gladly tell her that you were here, but – I doubt it will do much good." Ashley's phone rang and she excused herself to take the call and stepped over to the other end of the shop. Nick couldn't help but overhear what she was saying, as her voice began to rise and get angrier the longer she spoke.

"I told you Sean, you are NOT taking my daughter out of this country and I meant it! If you want to spend time with your little French bimbo I don't give a damn, but Alex stays with ME! Well I don't give a shit what you have scheduled over there next week, the court says you're not going, you're not going. Fine – I'm a bitch, fine. You better be there, IN court next Wednesday, and you'd better be there WITH my daughter because I will send every cop in fucking Europe after you if you're not. Is Alex there with you now? I want to talk to her. You let me talk to her, dammit! Sean!" Ashley threw her phone down in anger and began to cry. She noticed Nick trying to pretend that he didn't hear her. "I'm sorry. I just – I really need to talk to Belle."

"Custody issues?" Nick asked. Ashley nodded. "I've been there with my ex-wife myself. It works out eventually. How old is your daughter?"

"Eight." Ashley replied. "My ex-husband met some French model at a party and he thinks he's in love with her and she's going back to Paris for eight months and he's decided to follow her and take MY daughter with him. He has primary physical custody because – he says I'm an unfit mother, and apparently the courts agree with him." Ashley took a deep breath. "I haven't always made the best choices in my life. But I'm trying to do better now, and – well, I filed an injunction with the court to stop him from taking her. I've just – I've burned a lot of bridges and I really don't have many friends left. Belle and I were friends once and – well, people like her, they'll listen to her. I read your story about the two of you and I thought – well, maybe if I tried, we could be friends again. I just want to be a good mom to my little girl." Nick sensed the sincerity in her voice and began to feel sorry for her.

"Tell you what. I'll give Belle a call and ask her to come by, she's at my apartment, it's only a few blocks round the corner." Nick said. He walked back to his desk and picked up the phone. "Hey. Can you come over to the store, sweetheart? I know we just had lunch but – I just want to see you. Yes I do miss you that much. Alright. See you in a bit, love." Nick hung up the phone. "She's on her way. You know, Belle can be a very forgiving person if you're sincere."

"I'm not sure how forgiving she'll be with me. I wasn't a very good friend to her." Ashley said.

"Belle filled me in on quite a bit. We've all made choices that we regret." Nick said. Ashley sniffled a bit as she tried to stifle her crying. "Here, I have some tissues."

"Thank you." Ashley said. Nick grabbed a box of Kleenex that was sitting on his desk. As he walked toward the counter, he wasn't paying careful attention to the boxes he had laying about behind it, and he lost his footing and tripped. His cane fell from his grip and, unable to regain his footing, he began to fall. His head slammed hard and scraped against the edge of the counter, and he fell to the floor. "Oh my god!" Ashley screamed as she rushed toward his side. Blood was gushing from Nick's forehead, and he wasn't moving. Panicked, Ashley immediately checked for a pulse and if he was breathing. "Oh thank god, you're alive."

Belle entered the shop as Ashley was kneeling at Nick's side. "Oh my god, Nick!" she screamed as she rushed to his side. "What are you doing here? What did you do to him?" Belle shouted at Ashley, shoving her aside.

"I – I didn't do anything, it wasn't my fault, it was an accident, I was just -" Ashley began, and she started to cry.

"Nothing is ever your fault! Did you call an ambulance?" Belle asked.

"No, I -" Ashley started.

"Well then call for one, for god's sake!" Belle shouted. She knelt at Nick's side. He was unconscious and motionless, with blood streaming from his left temple. "Nick – sweetheart, wake up, please." Belle begged, but he remained unresponsive. Belle quickly checked his pulse – it was a bit slow but steady, and he was breathing.

"The ambulance is on its way. Belle I -" Ashley began.

"Shut up!" Belle screamed at her. "There are towels in the back room, if you want to do something useful go get them!" Ashley scurried into the back room. "Nick – please, please wake up." Belle pleaded as she gently touched his face. Nick began to groan and flutter his eyes a bit. "Nick? Can you hear me?" Belle asked, as tears fell down her cheek. Nick blinked his eyes open as he struggled to focus on her.

"Belle." he whispered quietly.

"I'm here." she said, and she squeezed his hand. Ashley brought out the towels and handed them to Belle. Belle began to dab Nick's temple with them to stop the bleeding. He grimaced in pain at her touch. "Just lie still. You'll be alright." she said.

"What happened?" Nick asked, appearing very dazed and disoriented.

"I don't know." Belle said. "You hit your head, love. You're bleeding. There's an ambulance on the way, everything will be fine."

"Belle I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." Ashley said, her voice trembling. Belle ignored her as she heard the ambulance sirens approaching.

Belle paced nervously in the room, alone. Several people recognized her when they arrived at the hospital, and she asked to be taken to a room where she could wait. They whisked Nick away on a gurney as soon as the arrived at the emergency room, and the hospital staff was kind enough to find a patient room for her to wait in instead of the main public area. They told her that they needed to run some tests and they would bring Nick to the room when they were done. She realized with embarrassment when she arrived at the hospital that she had neither Bae nor Ruby's phone number in her phone; she always used Nick's phone to contact Ruby, and she never called Bae. Fortunately, one of the police officers present knew Emma and was able to contact her. Nick was awake the entire ride to the hospital. He was alert but still a bit disoriented; he couldn't recall what had happened and he didn't even remember calling her to come to the shop. She watched the clock nervously – what was taking so long?

She perked up when the door opened, only to find Bae entering the room. "What the hell happened?" Bae asked.

"I – I don't know." Belle said. "I – Nick and I had just had lunch, I went back to the apartment to study my script. It had barely been an hour and he called me and asked me to come to the shop. When I got there, he was lying on the floor. He wasn't moving and he was bleeding so much and Ashley was kneeling beside him and -"

"Ashley? Who the hell is Ashley?" Bae asked.

"Ashley Boyd, she's a -"

"Okay, yeah, I know who Ashley Boyd is. So what, this whole thing is a result of some bullshit feud between you and your ex-friend that my dad got caught in the middle of?" Bae asked.

"I don't know what she was doing there." Belle said.

"Did you call Ruby?" Bae asked.

"No I – I don't have either of your phone numbers, the policeman is the one who got in touch with Emma to call you." Belle said.

"Yeah, you're not very good at exchanging phone numbers, are you?" Bae remarked sarcastically. "Is my dad okay? Where is he?"

"I – he woke up, he was awake in the ambulance but he didn't remember what had happened. He was a bit out of it. They took him to do a CT scan I think, they said they'd bring him to this room when they were done." The door to the room opened as she said that, and both Belle and Bae were relieved to see Nick being wheeled into the room in a wheelchair. He was sitting up and wearing a hospital gown. An IV was attached to the back of the chair and he had a sizable bandage on his left temple. "Oh sweetheart." Belle said, rushing to his side. He looked up at her and smiled; she grabbed his hand and he squeezed it tightly. "Is he alright?" Belle asked the nurse as she gently ran her fingers through his hair.

"He's doing fine. The doctor will be in to talk to you in a bit." the nurse replied. "Let's get him into bed for now."

"Where's my cane?" Nick asked as he looked around the room.

"I left it at the shop. I'm sorry, I wasn't even thinking." Belle said.

"Here, Dad – hang on to me, let me help you." Bae said. Nick stood up slowly and Bae steadied him as he helped him into the bed. Belle carefully propped several pillows behind him and covered him with a blanket once he was settled in bed. The nurse situated his IV on a stand and left the room after she was done. Belle then sat down next to him on the edge of the bed.

"Oh, my poor baby. How are you feeling?" she asked, touching his cheek gently.

"I'm alright." Nick said. "My head just hurts really bad."

"Do you remember what happened, dad?" Bae asked.

"It's all jumbled, I – not really, it's all kind of a blur. Last thing I really remember was our lunch." Nick said as he looked up at Belle.

"It's okay. It'll come back." Belle said. "You don't worry about what happened, we'll talk about it later. I just want you to rest sweetheart, you look so tired." Belle said. She gave him a quick kiss on the lips just as a doctor entered the room.

"Hi I'm – Belle French." the doctor said.

"Excuse me?" Belle said, looking up at him.

"You – you're Belle French." the doctor said.

"Yes. Are you the doctor who took care of Nick?" Belle asked.

"Yeah I'm – I'm Dr. Glass. I was stitching up Mr. Gold's wound and he was telling me that Belle French was his girlfriend and I just figured, he has a concussion, he's probably confused but – I guess not." he said.

"He said he doesn't remember what happened." Bae said. "I'm Bae Gold, I'm his son."

"Well, your father has a concussion – short term memory loss is common. His CT looks fine, nothing that concerns me. He had to get seven stitches and he'll probably have a pretty killer headache for a few days but I'm not worried, he'll be just fine." the doctor said.

"Seven, is that all? He was bleeding so much." Belle said.

"Sometimes the amount of blood seems worse than what the injury is. It wasn't really that big of a cut, but it went pretty deep. He'll probably always have a small scar there." Dr. Glass said.

"Good, I needed something to match the ones on my leg." Nick remarked.

"You feeling any better, Mr. Gold?" the doctor asked.

"Tired. My head still really hurts." Nick replied softly.

"That's normal. Listen, I want to keep him here for about four or five hours just to be on the safe side for observation, but after that I'll release him as long as there's someone who can stay with him for the next forty-eight hours, he can't be left alone. Any kind of post-concussive signs will show up within that time." the doctor said.

"He can stay with me." Bae said. Nick looked up at him.

"Belle will take care of me." Nick said.

"Of course I will." Belle said, and she gave Nick a quick kiss on the cheek. "Do I have to wake him up every few hours?"

"Actually, it's better for him just to sleep without disruption if possible. He'll probably sleep quite a bit over the next day – he should start to feel and act more like himself by tomorrow. I'll send you home with after care instructions and as long as he doesn't show any post-concussive signs within the first couple of days, he can start to resume normal activities as he's ready. What does he do for a living?"

"Spinning." Nick said.

"He's a craftsman. He owns a shop, he makes rugs and tapestries and things like that – he does spinning and weaving." Belle said.

"That sounds like it takes quite a bit of concentration, it might be a few days before he's ready to go back to that. I wouldn't even let him try until his headache is completely gone." the doctor said. "Just use your best discretion. As long as there are no other complications that arise, just make a follow-up appointment with his regular doctor in about ten days for a check-up and to get the stitches removed."

"Thank you." Bae said, and the doctor left the room. "Dad – why don't you come stay with me and Ruby, I'll take some time off of work, I'll take care of you."

"I think he would be more comfortable in his own bed." Belle said.

"What do you know about taking care of someone who's been injured or sick? Oh let me guess, you played a nurse or some bullshit like that in a movie, so you're pretty much an expert, right?" Bae snipped at her.

"My mother had cancer. I took care of her when I was a girl." Belle said with an angry tone in her voice.

"Please stop." Nick said, putting his right hand against his temple and grimacing in pain. "Stop fighting." Belle glared at Bae and Bae looked down and sighed.

"I'm gonna go lock up the shop and get your cane and a change of clothes for you. I'll be back in a few hours to pick you up and take you home." Bae said, and he stomped out the door in frustration.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to fight with him at all but – I'm tired of him treating me like shit." Belle said. "You should get some rest, alright?" Belle gave Nick another quick kiss on the cheek.

"He's jealous of you." Nick said.

"What? Why?" Belle asked.

"He thinks I don't need him anymore. That's what all of this has been about." Nick said. "He's always taken care of me, ever since the accident. But now – now I have you. I think he feels like I've abandoned him again – just like when he was a boy."

"No, he's gonna be okay Ruby, don't worry. He needs to rest; why don't you stop by tomorrow morning instead? I'll be there in a bit to help you finish. Okay – bye." Bae said. He ended his phone call, then sat down on the sofa in Nick's living room. He covered his face with his hands and quietly began to sob. Belle came out of the bedroom and approached him quietly. She sat down next to him on the sofa. Bae sat up and took a deep breath.

"He's sleeping." Belle said. "He's starting to remember what happened – he said he remembers Ashley being in the store and talking to her but he said it's still kind of a blur. But that's good, right? That he's remembering?"

"Yeah." Bae replied.

"He's worried about the store. He said he has a tapestry on the loom that he's almost done with and wanted to ship tomorrow. He said the details are on his desk; he was wondering if you or Ruby can call one of his students to come and finish it." Belle said.

"I'll take care of it. Thanks." Bae said. Belle reached out and touched Bae on the shoulder.

"He'll be fine." Belle said. Bae sighed and began to talk, his voice trembling at times.

"I was just twenty years old almost eight years ago. I was a – pretty smart-ass little prick back then. My mom used to call me "NJ" – short for "Nick Junior". I hated that. I hated being compared to my dad – mostly because I barely knew the man, and what I did know – well, I didn't like all that much. I was in college and I honestly hadn't spoken to him in about five months. He sent me money and that's all I cared about – I didn't give a shit." Bae said.

"I got a phone call about 1 a.m. one day telling me that there was an accident and my dad was in the hospital and they needed a family member there. They said they couldn't locate my mom and my number was in his cell phone and the picture he had to ID me in his phone looked like I might be his kid, so they tried it. I was – totally not prepared for what I walked into that night. The man that was lying in that bed – he didn't even look like my dad. His face was all swollen and bruised, and there were tubes and machines everywhere and his leg – it was just – it didn't even look like a leg. They had to do surgery right away if there was even going to be a chance to avoid amputation. Even after the surgery, they were worried about a pretty deep laceration on his upper thigh developing an infection, so there was still risk for amputation; it wasn't until about ten days after the surgery that they could be sure that was no longer a risk factor. They kept him sedated for several days because they thought the pain would be too much for him to handle. When he started coming around, they still had him pretty drugged up. I don't really think he fully understood the magnitude of what had happened to him for at least three weeks."

"He needed to go to rehab and have another surgery and then rehab again and he needed constant care. I dropped out of school for a year to make sure that he got it. He was – really angry the first several months. Mean, nasty – telling me to go to hell, dismissing me whenever I visited. His doctor suggested counseling and of course he was completely against that as well, but – well given the fact that he couldn't walk he really didn't get a vote no matter how much he yelled. We did sessions together and the first few he just sat there glaring at me; although at the first session he did tell Dr. Hopper to go fuck himself, so that was something."

"It took a while, but – after listening to me bitch and moan for several months once a week about what a piece of shit father he was he eventually started to open up. And once he did – for the first time in my life – I actually had a dad. Not just some guy that showed up every few months and threw expensive shit at me – an actual father. And once he had spent enough time away from the booze and the money and all of the Wall Street bullshit – he was a pretty decent guy. Still a bit crabby and a smartass and he still has a short fuse, but I think that's always been with him and always will be."

"The day he opened the store – he told me he loved me. I was 22 years old, and that was the first time, ever, that my father told me he loved me. He said he was proud of me. He thanked me for all I did for him, and that he'd probably be dead if it weren't for me standing by him, even when he was being a jackass. It was shortly after that he sold his apartment and he moved in with me. We were trying to make up for all the years we missed out on. Made it even more difficult during the times when he had Ruby, the three of us in this cramped apartment and I'd be on the couch whenever she was there but – I didn't mind. Ruby was lucky – she at least got some of her youth with a real father. Everything was good. We were a family – a real, fucking family. And then you showed up and put him on a damn emotional roller-coaster. I told him from the start – don't get involved, don't get attached, and for god's sake, don't fall in love with her, there is NO WAY that shit will work out in the end, not with some fucking movie star, what the hell was he thinking? And he ignored every damn thing I said. He fell for you hard. I thought he'd be okay that first time you left, that was kind of his call anyway, but that second time when you bolted on him – I thought I was gonna lose him to all of that crap again. Came pretty close too. I'm sure he's told you all about it." Bae said.

"He did. And he knows how sorry I am." Belle said, fighting back tears.

"So then you show up again with your damn 'chipped cup' tapestry and sappy speech and he goes running off to fucking Hollywood with you. And that's when it hit me – he doesn't need me anymore. I had a beautiful girl who was in love with me, and a kid that's absolutely amazing, and fucked that all up because here I was, a grown man upset because I had to share my daddy with someone that wasn't part of my family. I couldn't figure out what the hell was in this for you. My dad doesn't have money, fame, power, none of that shit. He's just a guy who owns a store, what the hell would a movie star like Belle French want with him? I figured you were going through some bullshit starlet phase of trying to live with the 'regular people' or something, and that eventually you'd take off again once you got bored. And then all the crap happened with Regina and everything and I was sure that was it, you'd be gone. But you're not going anywhere, are you?"

"No." Belle said.

"You really do love him then." Bae said.

"I can't imagine my life without him." Belle said. She reached out for Bae and pulled him into a hug, both of them crying.

"I don't have to start calling you mom now, do I?" Bae asked. Belle laughed a bit.

"No. Belle is fine." Belle said. "You know – you can stay here if you want but – I think you should go home."

"I don't really have one of those right now." Bae said.

"Yes you do. With Emma and Henry. It's not too late. It's never too late. If you've learned anything from your father and I – you should have at least learned that." Belle said.

"You're right." Bae said. "You'll um – you'll call me if anything happens, right?" Belle sighed.

"I still don't have your phone number." Belle admitted. "I'll be right back." Belle went into the bedroom and then came out a minute later.

"He still sleeping?" Bae asked.

"Yeah, he's out; snoring a bit. I hope he sleeps through the night, the doctor said that's best." Belle said. "Here – put your number in my phone." Belle said as she handed him her cell phone.

"You do the same." Bae said, and he took his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Belle. "Take good care of him." Bae said.

"I always will." Belle replied, and she gave Bae another hug.

Emma opened the door to her apartment to find Bae standing there. "Is Nick okay?" Emma asked, concerned.

"Yeah. He's home – with Belle. He's a little banged up but he'll be fine." Bae said. "Can I come in?"

"Henry's already sleeping." Emma said.

"I didn't come here to see Henry. I came here to see you." Bae admitted.

"Bae, it's getting late and -"

"Please." Bae said. Emma sighed and let him into the apartment. They went into the living room and sat down together on the sofa. "I've been a real jackass lately." Bae admitted.

"Yeah you have." Emma agreed.

"I had a long talk with Belle and – Emma, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for acting like an immature brat, and for arguing with you, and for just making life so fucking miserable for everyone for the last few months. I miss you. I love you. I want to come home." Bae admitted, his voice trembling. "I'll do counseling, I'll cook dinner every night for the next three months, whatever you want baby, just please – let me come home." Emma tried to remain her usual stoic self, but ended up sniffling back tears.

"Do you know how fucking much you hurt me, Bae? Do you?" Emma asked. Bae nodded.

"I'm sorry." Bae said, tears streaming down his cheeks. "It'll never happen again, I swear." Emma hesitated for a moment.

"Okay." she finally whispered.

"Okay? Really, I – I can stay?" Bae asked, surprised.

"You want it in writing?" Emma asked.

"No. I mean yeah. I mean – god, I love you so much." Bae said, and he pulled Emma into a kiss.

"Come on – let's go to bed." Emma said, and she stood up and took his hand, and he followed her. "By the way – you get the next three months worth of middle of the night feedings and diaper changes and general crying fits, it's your turn to deal with that shit."

"Okay." Bae said, and he put his arm around her and kissed her on the cheek as they walked toward the bedroom together.

The next morning, Nick opened his eyes and focused; the room was spinning a bit at first, but then it stopped. His head still ached but not as badly as the day before. He turned to his left and saw Belle sitting up in bed next to him, deeply engrossed in the book she was reading. Nick rolled over on his side and reached for her.

"Hey." Belle said. She closed her book and set it on the nightstand and took Nick into her arms. He nestled close to her and rested his head carefully on her shoulder. Belle kissed the top of his head softly. "How are you feeling?" Belle asked.

"Better." Nick replied quietly. "The headache isn't as bad – less pounding, just kind of throbbing. What time is it?" Nick asked.

"A little after ten." Belle said.

"Who's taking care of the shop?" he asked.

"Bae and Ruby went and cleaned up last night, and Jefferson will be there to open and Ruby is going in to help him finish the inventory, don't worry, it's all taken care of." Belle said. "You need to eat something, you haven't had anything since lunch yesterday."

"I'm not really hungry." Nick replied.

"Doesn't matter, you need to eat. Let me go make something for you, I'll be right back." Belle released Nick from her arms, and went into the kitchen to make him breakfast. She came back into the room several minutes later with a tray. "Can you sit up?" Belle asked.

"Yeah." Nick replied.

"Here, let me help you." Belle said. She set his tray down on the edge of the bed, helped him into a sitting position, and set the tray in front of him. "It's just toast and some juice, I thought something simple would be best until you're feeling better." Belle said. She climbed into the bed and sat close to him as he ate.

"Thank you." Nick said, and he slowly ate his breakfast. "I remember what happened."

"That's good, sweetheart." Belle said.

"Ashley came into the shop. She was looking for you." Nick said.

"Did she do this to you? Did she hurt you?" Belle asked.

"No, of course not. Belle, I – I wasn't watching where I was walking and I – I tripped. Just like you and Ruby were worried I would, you were right and I should have listened to you. I tried to catch myself but – well when you only have one leg that's worth a damn it's kind of hard to do. I guess I hit my head when I fell because the next thing I remember is waking up with you there." Nick said.

"So Ashley didn't have anything to do with this?" Belle asked.

"Other than the fact that she happened to be in the store at the time, no. Actually, it was probably a good thing she was there, I probably would have tripped and fell regardless only I wouldn't have called you to come to the shop and I'd have been alone and who knows how long I would have been lying there, I may have bled to death." Nick said.

"Well – what did she want?" Belle asked.

"She just wants to talk to you. I think you should call her." Nick said.

"I don't think so." Belle said. "Here, let me take that." Belle picked up Nick's tray and took it out into the kitchen. She was on her way back to the bedroom when the apartment door opened and Ruby entered. "Ruby – hi, are you here to see your dad?" Belle asked.

"Yeah. Is he okay?" Ruby asked. "Graham and I were upstate for the day, by the time I got home Bae said he was already sleeping but I wanted to come see him, I was so worried."

"He's alright. He just had breakfast, come on, you can go say hello." Belle said. Ruby nervously followed Belle into the bedroom. Nick was still sitting up in bed. "You have a visitor." Belle said, and Ruby moved toward Nick and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Daddy." Ruby said, biting her lip and fighting back tears.

"Ruby – hey sweetheart." Nick said, and reached for her hand and squeezed it.

"Oh, Daddy." Ruby said, and she started to cry. Nick pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly.

"Hey. None of that. I'm alright." Nick said as he stroked her hair. "You're gonna take care of my shop for me, right? You'll help Jefferson until I can get back." Ruby sat up and wiped her tears away.

"I will. I helped Bae clean it up last night – there was so much blood and – I wanted to come see you but I got home late and Bae said you were sleeping and to wait until today and I was so scared because you got hurt again and -" Ruby stammered.

"It's not like that, love. Just a little accident, it's not like before, alright? I'll be fine." Nick said.

"I – I can make you some chocolate chip cookies. Will that make you feel better?" Ruby asked.

"I'd like that, sweetheart, that would be very nice. Now you go get to the shop, alright? Come here, give me another hug." Nick said, and Ruby hugged him carefully as Nick gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back at the shop in a couple of days."

"You'll be back when I say you'll be back." Belle chimed in; she had been sitting on the other side of the bed watching the entire exchange.

"Or whenever my caretaker here tells me I can go back." Nick joked.

"I love you Daddy." Ruby said.

"I love you too, sweetheart." Nick said, and Ruby left the room. Nick sighed after she was gone.

"What was that about, I've never seen her like that, not even when Graham was hurt." Belle said.

"Ruby was only fourteen years old when I had my accident. Bae stupidly brought her in to see me at the hospital barely a week after – honestly, I don't even remember it at all, I was so hopped up on painkillers at the time, but – Ruby remembers it all too well, and I guess she had nightmares for months. She's always been a very sensitive girl. Anyway, I didn't see her for over a year after that because Milah kept her away from me, she said I traumatized her and was unfit to be around her. Once I finished with rehab I got visitation and she stayed with me every couple of weeks until I was given shared custody of her. She was fifteen by then and – well, I still wasn't walking all that well, I was using a walker at that point, not a cane, and it was very hard on her to watch me go through that. She became very clingy and I couldn't get her to go anywhere, she was afraid to leave me for any amount of time if Bae wasn't home, it was a fight to get her to go to school. It got even worse when she was sixteen and I had my final surgery that ended up being far more complicated than it was supposed to be. I was only supposed to be in the hospital for two days but I ended up getting an infection and was there for a week. Despite being quite possibly the shittiest parent ever, Ruby still loved me. She was a beautiful young woman who on the inside was nothing more than a little girl who wanted her father." Nick paused for a moment. "Of course once I had fully recovered and started putting the shop together she turned into a teenage hellion and had every boy within a thirty mile radius sniffing around her like wolves, and there was much less pity and a whole lot of attitude toward me once she figured out that when her little boyfriends came around my cane had other uses besides helping me to walk."

"You didn't do anything to those boys. Did you?" Belle asked, not really sure of what his answer would be.

"Well, I didn't hurt them. A quick poke in the chest and a shove against the wall is sometimes all you need to get your point across." Nick said, and he reached for his cane and started to get up out of bed.

"What are you doing?" Belle asked, and she moved to his other side.

"Getting up." Nick said.

"You're supposed to be resting." Belle said.

"Am I not permitted to use the bathroom?" Nick asked.

"Well, you haven't been out of bed since you got home, I'm going with you." Belle said.

"Sweetheart, I do love you very much but I'm not really sure we're at that point yet in our relationship where I'm comfortable with you watching me take a piss." Nick said.

"I'll stand outside the door." Belle said.

"Am I permitted a shower or is that out of the question?" Nick asked.

"Only if you let me help you. That is non-negotiable." Belle said. "And you can't get your bandage wet, I'll have to wash your hair for you."

"I suppose I can live with that." Nick said, and he gave her a quick kiss. Belle helped Nick down the hall. He was able to shower with Belle's assistance, and afterward he changed into a fresh set of pajamas and Belle got him settled back in bed. "Are you going to hover like this for the rest of the day?" Nick asked as Belle snuggled up next to him.

"Yes. And tomorrow, the doctor said you were to be watched for forty-eight hours." Belle said.

"Belle, I'm fine, love. No need to worry." Nick said.

"Are you serious? Nick, you scared the wits out of me yesterday. You were bleeding and you weren't waking up and I just kept thinking what if – I was so scared I was going to lose you." Belle said, her voice trembling as she cuddled closer to Nick.

"I'm sorry. I'll try to be less clumsy next time, alright?" Nick said, and he wrapped his arms around her. "I'll put neon hazard tape on the shop floor, will that make you feel better?" Belle laughed a bit.

"Okay." Belle replied, and she gave him a quick kiss. "Is your headache gone?"

"Not gone. Much better though." Nick said. "So are you going to call Ashley?"

"Sure. When we get the news that hell has frozen over, I'll be right on that." Belle said.

"Belle – I got the impression that the girl sincerely needs a friend right now, and I think you might be the only person she can turn to." Nick said. "You were friends once, right?" Belle sat up a bit.

"Nick, you know what she did to me." Belle said.

"That was a long time ago. People can change, Belle." Nick said.

"People like Ashley don't change." Belle said.

"I did." Nick responded. "And trust me – if you compare what I used to be like to Ashley, she'll come off looking like a fucking saint." Belle remained quiet. "Belle – she really seemed sincere."

"She's an actress. She may be a bitch and a tramp, but she's a damn good actress, I will give her that." Belle said.

"She wasn't acting." Nick said.

"And you know this how?" Belle asked.

"Let's just say – I'm pretty good at recognizing a desperate soul." Nick said. "What's the harm in calling her? Invite her over – talk to her."

"And if this is just some bullshit stunt she's pulling? Will you shove her out the door with your cane for me?"

"Well, I don't shove women, dear. But I will let you borrow it if you'd like to do it yourself." Nick said, and Belle giggled a bit as she kissed him.

Two days later . . . .

Belle opened the door at the apartment; Ashley was standing outside. "Hi." Ashley said.

"Come on in." Belle said in a monotone voice. Ashley followed Belle out into the living room. Nick was sitting up on the sofa. He picked up his cane and stood to greet her.

"Miss Boyd – very nice to see you again." Nick said politely.

"Hi – how are you feeling?" Ashley asked.

"I'm alright. I do apologize if I frightened you with my mishap in the store; I'm usually not that clumsy." Nick said.

"Well, I'm just glad you're okay." Ashley said.

"I have a pretty hard head, I'll be fine." Nick said, and he turned to Belle. "I'm gonna go lie down for a bit." Belle moved close to him and gave him a couple of quick kisses. "Be nice. Listen to what the girl has to say before you try to kill her." Nick whispered in her ear, then he turned and limped out of the room.

"He – seems really nice." Ashley said awkwardly.

"You plan to try and steal him from me too?" Belle remarked.

"Of course not, no." Ashley said. There were several moments of awkward silence before Belle spoke again.

"Well, let's sit down, I suppose. Get this over with." Belle said. Belle sat down on the sofa and Ashley sat in the chair across from her. "So is this some sort of twelve step apology tour that you're required to do?"

"I did – just get out of rehab two months ago. I got too deep into the drinking and partying and stuff and – I checked myself into a center in Arizona. I've been doing good – I haven't had a drink or anything since." Ashley said.

"I'm surprised People Magazine hasn't run a front page story on it." Belle quipped.

"I've kept it quiet. Nobody knew except my attorney and my manager and Sean." Ashley said. "I haven't seen Alex in almost four months though – my attorney got me supervised visits and Sean is trying to block them and now he's trying to take Alex out of the country for eight months." Ashley started to cry. "Belle, I – I'm trying to change, I really am. I want to be a good mom to Alex and try to get my life together."

"Well that's all fine, Ashley – but what do you want from me? You want me to just forgive everything you've done to me and be best friends again?" Belle asked.

"I don't expect you to do that. I just – after reading all about you and your boyfriend and his past and how you guys are making things work, I thought – if anybody that I've hurt could give me a chance to prove that I've changed – it would be you." Ashley said. "I, um – we were friends, and I betrayed you – and I'm really sorry. I don't really have an excuse for any of it. I was – selfish, and mean, and I really don't know what the hell I was thinking back then, I just – everything always worked out so perfect for you. I was jealous."

"Jealous? Ashley, you and I started from the same place, nobody knew either of us from a hole in the ground before River's Road, and you were far more outgoing than I, you were the one who would drag me off to do things, I'd have been happy sitting at the apartment reading a book. And you're a far better actress than I am, I won't deny you that, and every damn reviewer of the show would agree from all the articles I've read." Belle said.

"That's only because you were basically playing yourself – the good girl. I was the one with the naughty streak in her, and you kept me in check – just like real life." Ashley said. "I've gone to see a lot of your movies – you're very good."

"Oh god, please don't tell me your favorite is November Rain." Belle said.

"Oh hell no, that was a piece of shit, how in the world did you get talked into doing that?" Ashley asked. "Belle – I don't know if we can be friends again like we were before, and I know that it's my fault if we can't. I just thought I'd ask if – maybe we could try." Belle doesn't say a word. "It's okay – thanks for hearing me out anyway. I'll go." Ashley started to stand up.

"Ashley, wait – do you have any pictures of Alex?" Belle asked.

"How many do you want to see?" Ashley said, smiling a bit. She reached into her purse and took out her wallet – it was filled with photos of Alex from infancy to present day. Ashley moved next to Belle on the sofa. "This one was taken just six months ago – we were at Disney, obviously." It was a photo of Alex with Cinderella.

"She likes Cinderella huh?" Belle asked.

"Yeah, that's her favorite." Ashley said. "Mine too, I guess – I always related to her, you've met my stepsisters, you know what bitches they are."

"Have you approached either of them recently?" Belle asked.

"I tried. They pretty much told me to go fuck myself. Can't really say that I blame them." Ashley said.

"Alex favors Sean quite a bit, doesn't she?" Belle said.

"Yeah. That whole paternity test thing was crap by the way – I always knew whose she was and – well, there's not really any doubt now." Ashley said.

"There's still a bit of you in her – she has your nose. And your smile." Belle said. "She's a beautiful little girl."

"Belle, if I lose her I don't know what I'm gonna do." Ashley said, and she started to cry. "I don't want my little girl to grow up thinking that her mother didn't want her. I want things to be good with us while she's still young – the older she gets, the more distant we'll get and – well I don't even want to think about what that'll be like. I want to be a real mother to her, not some lady that shows up every few months with presents and takes her to Disneyland. Belle if you could – my court date is next Wednesday, if you could come, just – having a friend there, or even if we're not friends yet, just – someone who's there to support me – it'll look really good for me. The judge won't let Sean take her out of the country and take her away from me. I don't want my little girl calling that French bimbo 'mommy'." Belle thought about it for a moment.

"What time are you supposed to be in court?" Belle asked.

"Eleven." Ashley said.

"Nick has a doctor appointment at 8:30 that day for a checkup and to get his stitches out – but that shouldn't take long. It's here in New York, right?" Belle asked.

"Yeah – I actually bought an apartment here after I got out of rehab – I wanted to get out of Hollywood for awhile." Ashley said. "Would you really come?"

"If I find out that any of this is just some bullshit you're pulling -"

"It's not, I swear. I'll even give you the number of my therapist – I'll give him permission to talk to you and tell you anything if that's what it'll take for you to believe me, here." Ashley said, and she pulled a business card out of her wallet and handed it to Belle.

"You see Dr. Hopper?" Belle asked.

"Yeah – why?" Ashley asked.

"Nick and I go to him, he's wonderful." Belle said.

"You're in counseling? Already, I – I thought you guys seemed good, I've never seen you look this happy." Ashley said.

"Oh, we're fine. Nick's been through a lot and – well, our lives are so different, and getting here was a difficult path and we both made some mistakes so – we just don't want anything to mess this up. It's kind of a preventative measure thing. It's been good though. If you ever get into another relationship that you think might work out I highly recommend it." Belle said. "Do you have the address for the courthouse?"

"Yeah." Ashley said. "Um – do you have anything to write it on?"

"Here, just put it in my phone in the notes." Belle said, and she handed Ashley her cell phone. "Put your number in there too."

"Thank you so much, Belle." Ashley said as she entered the information into Belle's phone. "I – I'm in New York now, at least for a while – maybe we can go to lunch sometime?"

"I think we could do that." Belle said.

"Right. And you promise me, she won't suspect a thing, it'll be a total surprise, right? Okay then – just make sure it's perfect. I want everything to be perfect." Nick said to someone on the phone, and then he ended the call.

"Perfect for what?" Belle asked as she entered the room.

"Um – just checking on the renovation plans, I've been a bit out of the loop, wanted to make sure everything was still going as scheduled." Nick said. Belle climbed onto the bed with him.

"I told you everything was being taken care of. You just can't stand not being in control, can you?" Belle asked as she snuggled next to him.

"Not particularly. I didn't hear any sound of physical altercations or screaming out there, so I'm assuming you don't need me to help you hide the body then." Nick joked. Belle laughed a bit.

"It was fine." Belle said.

"So this means that I was – what? What's that word I'm looking for? Oh yes – I was RIGHT, wasn't I?" Nick asked. "See, it does happen on occasion, Belle."

"Shut up." Belle said, and she kissed him on the neck. Nick wrapped his arms around her and grabbed her, pulling Belle on top of him. He pulled her close and kissed her on the lips. Belle stopped him after a few moments. "You're supposed to be resting."

"I am fine." Nick said, and Belle moved back to his side. "I'm going back to the shop tomorrow."

"I didn't say you could go back." Belle said.

"I didn't ask your permission, love. I'm fine. My headache has been gone since yesterday afternoon, and I'm not going to lay in bed and do nothing any longer, I have work to do." Nick insisted. "If you want to come along with me and babysit, you're welcome to, but I have jobs to finish before we leave and I intend to get them done."

"You're sure you're up for a full day of work?" Belle asked.

"We'll see. I promise if I start getting a headache or not feeling well I'll go home, alright?" Nick said.

"Okay. And I think I will come with you to the shop." Belle said.

"Good – I'll put you to work doing inventory." Nick said.

"Do I get paid? I mean that's a lot of work." Belle said.

"Well – if you do a good job – you get to sleep with the boss, how does that sound?" Nick asked, and he gave her several kisses up and down her neck.

"Sounds like sexual harassment to me, I should probably contact my attorney about this." Belle joked.

"So – you gonna tell me how things went with Ashley or will I have to wait for the Oprah interview to learn the details?" Nick asked.

"You were right – she's trying to turn her life around, she knows she's done some pretty bad things, and I believe she's sincere. She's seeing Dr. Hopper." Belle said.

"Really? He has quite the celebrity client list, doesn't he?" Nick said.

"I told her I'd be there next Wednesday for her court date to support her. It's at eleven, right after your doctor appointment, so – do you want to go?" Belle asked.

"Will it be a media circus?" Nick asked.

"Oh, I suspect it will be." Belle said. "But since you're the one who encouraged me to reach out to her, I think the least you can do is be there to watch all of this unfold."

"I suppose I can endure it, I'll have to get used to this sort of thing anyway." Nick said. "So – any chance of you renewing your friendship with her?"

"I don't know. I haven't ruled it out. We were pretty good friends before and – I don't really have many of those, they're hard to come by in Hollywood." Belle said. "You know, I probably wouldn't even have considered it an option if I didn't know about your past and how far you've come."

"I'm really glad you didn't know me back then, Belle – you really wouldn't have liked me very much." Nick said. Belle gave him several soft kisses on the lips. "I'm really glad you and Bae are working things out, too. It was breaking my heart, the two of you not getting on well. It seems that my little whack on the head knocked some sense into HIM."

"Well, I wasn't exactly trying, either, just – avoiding him, and that didn't do either of us any good. But – we do both love you, so – it's about time we started getting to know one another." Belle said.

"I'm glad he's coming to California with us – it'll be good for him and Emma. And I'm so happy they're back together." Nick said. "I understand you had a part in that as well."

"I just gave him some advice, and he chose to listen." Belle said. "You know, this is really nice. Being part of a family. It was always just me and my mum and dad and then after my mum died, just me and papa – I never had any of this."

"Well it's a fairly new concept for me, too – love, family – all of this. Never thought I'd have any of it. Didn't even know that I wanted it. Now I can't imagine being without it." Nick said. He pulled her into another kiss. "You know – it's been almost four days since we've - you know."

"Are you sure you're feeling up for that?" Belle asked.

"Sweetheart, I've been up for it since you climbed onto the bed, you just haven't noticed." Nick teased. Belle carefully slid her hand down his leg and toward his crotch.

"So casual chit chat turns you on then." Belle said.

"When it's been four days? You walking into the room turns me on." Nick said. "Four days seems like four months when you've finally found the person you've spent over fifty years looking for."

"It's not like I went anywhere Nick, I've been here the entire time, and you were sleeping for over half of it." Belle said.

"It's still four days that I didn't have all of you." Nick climbed on top of Belle and began to run his tongue up and down her neck. "I love you so much. My beautiful Belle." Belle reached up and touched his cheek as he smiled at her.

"Don't you ever scare me again like you did the other day. You promised me forever and intend to hold you to that." Belle said.

"Forever is what you shall have, my love. That deal has been struck – and it will never be broken." Nick said, and they dissolved into one another's arms, kissing the entire time.