A/N: Still don't own Once Upon A Time. If I did, I'd be writing for the show and payed for it l o l

It had taken Calder a week from the meeting with Regina to actually set up an appointment to visit the counselor's office. He had scoffed at the name, Hundred Acre Counseling Center, when it was repeated to him over the phone on his call to check out the place early in the week. It was no wonder that Calder hadn't taken notice of the counseling center, apart from the absolutely ridiculous name; it was one of the few properties in town he didn't own. That had to be reason enough for Regina to insist for Baelfire and himself to attend counseling. It was the only logical answer Calder could come up with, thus making it seem like Regina was playing some twisted game with him. Calder had decided to not play whatever sick game Regina was trying to force on him and deal with his son on his own terms with no outside help.

A few days had passed since the meeting with Regina, and Calder had conveniently forgotten about the appointment he had needed to make. He had been working on his latest, and probably favorite, refurbishing when the shop's phone started to ring. The annoying sound had pulled Calder out of his focus, much to his distaste, and got him to leave his work bench with the blue paint palette set to the side. The rhythmic sound of his cane as it hit the floor calmed the pawn shop owner enough to answer the phone and not lash out like he wanted to.

"Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop."

"Gold, what did I tell you about taking your son to counseling?"

"Are you keeping tabs on me, dearie? I'm flattered." Calder mentally patted himself on the back for that retort.

"Hardly. I was up at Hundred Acre's today with Henry for a follow-up session with Miss French, and I happened to ask if you had made an appointment yet."

At the mention of the center's ridiculous name, Calder snickered quietly. "Can't say I have, dearie."

"I'm serious Gold. I'll expel Baelfire if you go back on this deal."

"I don't remember agreeing to the terms of a deal."

"Oh, but you did Mr. Gold. I distinctly remember you telling you heard me 'loud and clear,' now was it?"

Damn, Regina, Calder thought. He could hear the smirk in her voice through the telephone. She was right on that account, he did indirectly make a deal about taking Baelfire to counseling. The pawn shop owner cursed his past self for not paying closer attention, and it wasn't like he could back out of this deal he struck through words instead of through paper. Baelfire's education was at stake in this situation, and he couldn't let that falter any more than it already had.

"Gold, are you even listening to me?"

"What was that again, dearie?"

"Ugh, I'm not repeating myself Gold. Just take your son to counseling, attend some family counseling, and I won't have to bother you again. Is that loud and clear?"

Calder smirked at the mocking tone Regina's voice had in it before replying, "Indeed it is Ms. Mills."

"Good, I better not have to call you again because next time it'll be to let you know your son's been expelled for a week as a warning."

"Always a pleasure to chat with you, dearie."

"Same could be said for you Gold. Goodbye."

The phone line clicked before Calder could respond to Regina. A heavy sigh from Calder filled the room as he set the phone back in its place. There wasn't going to be any easy way out of this situation, he thought. This wasn't something he could just donate money to the school to let it slide; Regina wouldn't give him that satisfaction. He looked down at the phone and the scrap of paper, in the same place he had left it earlier in the week, with Hundred Acre's phone number on it. The pawn shop owner moved the scrap of paper closer to him, shedding more light onto the messy handwriting, and picked the phone up again.

His fingers brushed over the phone's keypad, nerves settling in his body. On one hand, Calder could let the issue sit and try to talk things out with his son like a normal parent would. The idea was very tempting, but Calder couldn't take that chance. Besides, Calder knew if he didn't call the counseling center he'd have Regina on his back again about expelling Baelfire. His son's education was more important than his pride, even if Calder wasn't willing to admit it out loud.

Swallowing his pride, Calder pressed the according keys that would put him through to Hundred Acre Counseling Center. "Seven, eight, six, two, three, five, five, three, four, three." he whispered, pinching the bridge of his nose as the phone dialed.

"Hundred Acre Counseling Center, this is Ruby Lucas speaking, how may we help you today?"

The cheeriness in the receptionist's voice made Calder cringe. Granted, this receptionist was far less perky than the last one Calder had talked with, Goldie Locksley if he remembered, but all the same annoying in his mind.

"Uhm, I was wanting to set up an appointment with Miss…" he looked down at the scrap for the name, "French, for family counseling." The words felt like poison as they left his tongue, his pride taking a hit for turning to outside help. 'It's all for Bae's sake.' he thought, swallowing back his pride.

"Oh, awesome! She's a great counselor, Mr…"

"Mr. Gold."

"Alright Mr. Gold, what day do you want to come in for an appointment?"

He looked over at the calendar next to the phone before replying. It was only Tuesday, he'd have to make an appointment soon no matter how much he wanted to put it off if he wanted to keep Regina off his back, and the sooner he did this the sooner everything could be fixed. Surely things could be solved with a few sessions and this horrible nightmare would be over, he thought before replying. "Wednesday around three."

"Perfect! We'll see you then Mr. Gold."

"Quick question dearie, how much is this little...endeavor going to cost me?" Money was no setback for Calder, he had made his wealth very early on through a few shady deals, but he wanted a clear picture of what he was getting himself into money wise.

"Well Mr. Gold, our services are free to the public. We make our money through taxes and donations to keep our doors open."

So he would be paying for this in an indirect way, he thought. Better than paying upfront he supposed. "Alright, I also need to make a separate appointment just for my son."

"Sounds good Mr. Gold, I assume you want him to have Miss French be his counselor as well for his one-on-one sessions?"

"Aye."

"Alrighty, she has an opening on Friday around the same time as your family session. Would that work?"

Fridays were the days Calder stayed later in his shop working on his refurbishings, since Baelfire was usually out with friends, and it provided him with the relaxation he needed. He figured he could always drive back over to the shop while Baelfire was in his session then back to pick him up. Besides, if he didn't like this counselor he could easily switch her out for another that worked with his schedule.

"That'll be fine, dearie."

"Okay, Mr. Gold, see you and your son on Wednesday. Goodbye!"

The line clicked before Calder could reply to the receptionist. Well if that wasn't the theme for phone conversations today, Calder wouldn't have known better. He placed the phone back in its holder and looked over at the clock. It was getting close to four, and Baelfire should've been home by now. Calder figured he should close up his shop and head home to inform his son of their upcoming counseling session.

The drive home was nothing out of the ordinary, minus the fact that a sense of uneasiness had settled over Calder. There was no way he'd be looking forward to that counseling session, but he figured he wouldn't have to do much talking during the session. All he'd have to do is make sure the counselor was as good as Regina said, have Baelfire visit with her a few times, bear through a few family sessions, and everything could return to normal. Not an impossible task, but it would definitely test Calder's patience.

He shrugged the idea off as he pulled up to the driveway of his home. The pawn shop owner could see the flicker of the television through the window, a sure sign that Baelfire was home. Calder shifted the Cadillac into park and turned the vehicle off once he was in the driveway. He reached behind his seat, grabbed his cane, and opened the door so he could step out.

Shutting the Cadillac's door, reminding himself to press the lock button on his keyset, Calder started his walk to the front door. The rhythmic sound of his cane constantly hitting the pavement soothed Calder, making him forget momentarily about everything. Before he knew it, he was standing in front of the front door. He dug out his house key from his pants pocket, slipped it into the lock, and opened the door.

"Bae?" he called out.

"In the living room."

Calder shut the heavy wood door behind him, quickly turning the lock back in place, and slowly walked to the living room. The sight of his son sprawled out on the sofa almost made Calder feel bad about having to let him know they were starting counseling the following day.

"Bae, what are you doing after school tomorrow?" he asked from the entry of the living room.

"Probably hanging with Hook tomorrow. Why?"

The mention of Killian's nickname caused Calder to internally roll his eyes. "Change of plans then, we're seeing that counselor tomorrow. I'll pick you up after school." Calder moved out of the entrance to the living room to the connecting kitchen. If there was any way he'd be able to get through this conversation tonight it'd be with the aid of a glass of scotch.

"I'm not going."

Calder paused in his movement, and turned to face his son. "Well we're going tomorrow, cancel your plans." he said, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"I don't see why I have to fucking go." Baelfire sat up from the sofa, turning the television off, and turned his attention to Calder. The seriousness on his face worried Calder. Maybe it was a good thing he set up that appointment with the counselor, the pawn shop owner thought.

"Bae, language."

"Like you have a right to say that papa, I've heard you use worse."

He paused at his son's remark, fully knowing Baelfire was true. Calder had cursed out his tenants over the phone on more than one occasion in front of his son when they asked for an extension on rents. That wasn't the point he was trying to make to his son though. "You're going Bae, and that's final."

"This is so dumb, papa. You're only doing this because Regina's making you and you're scared of her."

The comment made Calder visibly flinch. He knew his son was right; Calder was only doing this because he was afraid of Regina in a sense. There had to be a catch somewhere in the scheme, everything came with a price, especially with Regina involved. This had to be the price Calder would pay for taking Regina's advice. If Baelfire's education wasn't involved as a consequence, Calder would've dealt with this whole situation in a completely different manner.

"You're about to be expelled, Bae. Doesn't that matter to you?"

"I don't fucking care papa."

Calder gripped the kitchen counter, a poor attempt to calm his temper down, before replying to his son. "Well I don't care how you feel about this Bae, you're going whether you like it or not. Your education comes first, and don't think I forgot about what Regina said about your grades."

"You're a coward"

The sentence was barely audible as it slipped through his son's lips. Calder had hoped he heard him wrong, that his son hadn't used his biggest fear against him.

"What was that Baelfire?" Calder's voice came out icily, the anger in his body slowly boiling every passing second.

"You're a coward." This time the sentence came out a little louder, albeit still quiet.

"I can't quite hear ya dearie." The venomous tone within his voice struck him after the words hung in the room. Yet Calder couldn't hold himself back, even if it was his son challenging him. His son knew where his weak spots were, and if Baelfire wanted to win the argument he knew exactly where to pick at old wounds.

"I said you're a coward. That's the only reason you're doing this."

The pawn shop owner's jaw clenched before he gritted out a reply. "Go to your room, Bae. We're not discussing this any further tonight. You're going and that's it."

"Whatever."

His son picked himself up off of the couch and walked up the stairs toward his room. Calder's hand tightened around the kitchen counter, his knuckles growing white from his grip. At least this time their fight hadn't ended in a screaming match, but instead it somehow had turned out far worse than the minor yelling they had grown accustomed to.

The room felt heavier as he heard his son slam the door to his bedroom. His eyes shifted up to the cabinet next to the kitchen counter where he kept his liquor. Unclenching his hand from the counter, Calder moved his hand up to open the cabinet and pulled out a glass and bottle of scotch. As he poured himself a drink, his body began to tremble with overwhelming hurt and anger. He knew his son was upset with him for going through with counseling, but that didn't make it alright for Baelfire to use his insecurities as a weapon.

Calder set the bottle down once his glass was full, staring down at the amber liquid in the glass. He picked the glass up, holding it in front of his eyes, and took a hard swig of the liquid. The alcohol burned more than usual as it slid down the back of his throat. Calder downed the rest of the glass before he turned his attention to the abandoned bottle of scotch on the counter. He opted to replace his empty glass with the almost full bottle of scotch, fully knowing this would be far more effective tonight than constantly pouring glass after glass.

With the bottle in hand, Calder shifted his weight into his cane and guided himself back into the living room. He took another swig of scotch as he passed over into the room near the couch. Calder could feel the anger swirling within his body, the aid of the alcohol was also a factor, as he ran his hand through his hair, and effectively spilling scotch in the process.

"Fucking shit, Goddammit." he mumbled, his grip tightening on his cane handle.

A few tears spilled past Calder's eyes, the sudden dampness on his cheeks surprising him. He slowly picked up his cane, and stared at the wooden stick. The sudden urge to break something, anything in his vicinity, overtook his mind. Calder flipped the cane around, so the handle was by his feet, and swung it over his head to make contact with the glass coffee table. The loud crash the handle made with the glass coffee table made Calder feel a little better, if only a little. He had never been one for dealing with his emotions internally, always opting for the physical.

He allowed himself a few more swings, fully knocking the remaining glass free from the table frame, before stepping back and ungracefully plopped himself onto the sofa.

"Papa…"

His son's voice from the top of the stairs had startled Calder for a moment. He quickly composed himself before replying, "Go back to your room Bae."

"But papa-"

"I said go back to your room Baelfire." Calder shouted, keeping his eyes fixed on the broken coffee table. The sound of his son's feet shifting on the staircase caused Calder to tense. He didn't need his son seeing him like this, even if his son had been the catalyst that had brought this about.

Finally a sigh was heard from the top of the staircase followed by footsteps back into Baelfire's room. Calder released a sigh of relief, taking another swig from the bottle of scotch, before leaning back into the sofa. The breaking of the glass table is probably what made Baelfire come down and check, Calder thought. Another swig of the harsh liquid found its way into his mouth. He had screwed up yet again by pushing his son away. Damn his pride, but he wasn't going to let this go easily.

One of the very few ways to get inside his head, and his son had found it with little effort. Calder sighed, lying back onto the sofa, as he propped his bum leg up onto the sofa. He was too tired and angry to drag himself up to his room, having to walk past his son's room on the way, to sleep off his sour mood. The bottle of scotch slipped through his hand, landing on the wood floor with a light thud. Things would be better in the morning like they always were, Calder reminded himself as he slipped into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Calder woke up with a haze clouding his mind. He rubbed at his eyes, trying to clear his mind in the slightest, so he could figure out what time it was. Before he could even attempt to read the clock above the fireplace, the clock began to chime that it was eleven.

"Guess the shop's staying closed today." he mumbled, screwing his eyes shut.

The endless dings from the clock made Calder's head pulsate, reminding him of last night. He sighed before setting himself upright, the events from last night flooding back to him.

Shattered glass sat at his feet and the bottle of scotch was half in the bottle and half in a pool on the floor. Better to get up now and clean it than later, he assumed while he forced himself to stand up with the aid of his cane.

The pawn shop owner hobbled into the kitchen to look for a dustpan and some old rags. He easily found what he was looking for in the cabinets under the sink. As he pulled out the items he cursed his past self for letting his anger get the best of him. His bum leg was killing him, no thanks to sleeping on the couch or the alcohol, while he pulled himself upright.

The trek back to the living room was a bit slower this time, Calder no longer fueled by anger and instead drowsiness, but he wouldn't let that set him back. He figured it was better to clean up the broken glass and spilt booze so neither his son nor himself got hurt because of his own carelessness. It wasn't like it was too daunting of a task either, just a lot of bending that Calder wasn't used to with his bum leg.

After he had cleaned up the mess from his tantrum of the previous night, Calder made his way upstairs. He was still fighting off the slight hangover, head pounding with every step, but a quick shower would help sort him out. Besides, he would need a clear head for their counselor visit, and it was better to do that without prolonging his hangover. A quick shower and a nap would put him in the right state of mind for the afternoon's task.

Calder's nerves began to tug at his mind as he waited for Baelfire outside of the school. He damned himself for taking a long nap before leaving the house because it gave him no time to stop by the shop and work on that tea set. He felt himself longing to be working on that project right there in the car, no matter how impractical it was at the moment. There was something about it that calmed him down unlike any other project he'd worked on.

Before he could dwell more on the tea set, Baelfire was walking out of the school with all the other children. Calder felt hostility forming within when he saw his son waving goodbye to Killian. That bastard of a child who probably didn't have to go through counseling, Calder bitterly thought. He gritted his teeth, trying to hold back, instead of lashing out again last night.

"How was school, Bae?" he asked once his son opened the Cadillac's door.

No response, nothing that Calder hadn't expected. He was never able to pull much information out of Baelfire on the subject of school, but he used to at least get something instead of the silence he was receiving now. Calder turned his attention to the road, pulling out onto the main road.

The car ride over to Hundred Acre Counseling Center was quiet, not that Calder had expected any different. His son hadn't even bothered with a simple hello or any attempts at conversation since he had climbed into the Cadillac. Instead of trying to make an awkward situation more awkward, something Calder had found himself becoming an expert in, the pawn shop owner thought about the things he'd need to work on the next day in his shop.

Soon they were pulling into the parking lot of the counseling center. The realization pulled Calder out of his thoughts, replacing his thoughts of future projects with what was ahead of them.

"You ready, Bae?" Calder asked, turning the car off after parking.

"Whatever." Baelfire responded, stepping out of the car the first chance he got.

Calder slumped over the wheel before he stepped out of the car himself. This counseling session could only go one way from what Calder had noticed already. They were probably going to scare the poor woman off with their yelling, that was if Calder didn't try to break anything in the woman's office. He hobbled after his son, who was already halfway to the entrance, and felt his heart growing heavy with every step.

The inside of Hundred Acre Counseling Center had taken Calder aback when he followed his son in the structure. The outside of the building looked like any other building in Storybrooke, but the inside looked as if a child had designed it. Calder should've seen it coming, especially with a name like Hundred Acre. The entirety of the reception area was covered in a children's idea of what a forest looked like. Fake trees were along the walls in place of traditional support columns, and there were comical versions of forest animals within the painted walls. There was even a cartoon yellow bear eating out of a honey jar, which just added onto the ridiculousness of the whole thing in Calder's eyes.

Calder looked at his son, noticing Baelfire had the same look of bizarrement Calder was positive his own face had, and turned his head to where the receptionist was seated. Well, if it was a counseling center geared mostly toward children, the inside assured Calder in his thinking.

"Come on, Bae." he said, voice coming out barely above a whisper.

The receptionist at the desk seemed to stick out the most in the children's themed waiting area. She had her hair piled up in a wild pony tail, bright red lipstick, and a tight red dress that surely violated every dress code for when someone worked with children. Where exactly had Regina sent his son and him, Calder mulled over.

"Hi, I'm uh here for our appointment." he said, uncertainty coating his voice as he tapped on the receptionist's desk. Calder placed his hand on Baelfire's shoulder to help steady his nerves, and was instantly met with his son shrugging his shoulder to remove it. The action hurt Calder, already aware that his son was angry with him for forcing him to come along, but he tried to brush it off so he could save face.

"Oh, you must be Mr. Gold, and that must be your son! I'm Ruby Lucas, we talked on the phone yesterday." The receptionist, Ruby Lucas, stood up from her desk and stuck her hand out.

Calder took the offered hand, gave it a shake, and then dropped his hand back to his side. "Aye, is Miss French in?"

"She stepped out for a second, but she'll be back in a moment." she said with a smile. The dark-haired woman picked up a clipboard from her desk and added, "You'll also need to fill out some paperwork before you go in, standard procedure."

Calder took the clipboard from the receptionist's hands, glancing quickly over the paperwork.

"You can sit down over there with your son and bring that back up when it's all filled out. By the time you're done, Miss French should be in her office."

He looked over to the area Ruby was pointing at, not even noticing that his son had left his side, and nodded. As he walked over to the tiny waiting area, his eyes glanced down at the paperwork again. The sheet seemed simple enough to fill out, not unlike anything Calder hadn't filled out before for his own doctor's visits. It would only take him a few moments to fill out the appropriate boxes, and then get in and out with this counseling session. Easy enough, he thought as he sat beside his son.

Within a few moments, Baelfire still not heeding Calder his attention, the paperwork as all filled out. Calder released a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding until he signed his name at the bottom of the paper. He gave the paper once over before standing back up, and walked over to the receptionist's desk.

"All done, Mr. Gold?" she said, turning her attention away from the computer.

"I believe so dearie." Calder slid the clipboard over the desk, placing both his hands atop his cane.

"Alrighty, you and," she paused, looking over the paperwork, "Baelfire, can head into her office. She should be in there by now."

Calder nodded, and motioned for Baelfire to follow behind him. He heard his son grunt as he pushed himself up from the waiting area. The pawn shop owner stepped aside as his son pushed past him and walked into the counselor's office. Calder felt disheartened as he walked into the office, noting Baelfire had already sat down with his feet propped up on the coffee table.

"Bae, feet." Calder warned.

"Whatever." His son shifted himself, slightly slumped in the chair, and scratched the back of his head.

He rolled his eyes, knowing that was the best he'd be able to get out of Baelfire, before he took a look around the office. The office was a medium sized one, roughly the size of Calder's own home office, but had walls lined with multiple bookshelves. How anybody could read, let alone own, that many books, he wondered as he seated himself next to Baelfire. He was relieved though that the office didn't mirror the waiting room with its forest theme.

It wasn't long after he had sat down that a door off to the side, one that Calder hadn't paid too much attention to, opened and a petite brunette backed herself into the room. She hadn't taken notice of Calder and his son, much to his distaste, and had focused her attention on the bookshelves in front of her.

Calder cleared his throat, making sure his and his son's presence was known. Already a few minutes into this session, and Miss French was proving to be a nuance, Calder thought. This was probably why Regina recommended this counselor to them; she knew this particular counselor would get on the smallest of Calder's nerves. He made a mental note to get back subtly at Regina after this session.

The woman's body jumped slightly at the sound of Calder's grunt. He took a special pride in making the woman jump, just as he did when he frightened others in town. It was definitely one of Calder's favorite hobbies he had outside of his refurbishings.

"Oh! You scared me, guess I should pay more attention to my surroundings." A giggle escaped from her body, creating a sound akin to tinkling bells. Calder still couldn't see her face, due to the woman keeping her back to them, but when he did, he'd give her a piece of his mind. He'd tell her that she was being unprofessional and how she should know when her appointments were scheduled. If she kept this up for the rest of the session, adding onto his immediate distaste already, Calder would seek out a different counselor, one that didn't come from the recommendation of Regina.

The moment she turned to face them, Calder's breath hitched. He hadn't expected her to be so breath taking, and instantly dismiss his dislike of her. The way her tousled, brunette locks cascaded down and framed her face made her look like something out of a fairy tale. In his lifetime, Calder had seen a lot of beautiful things, most of those being within his pawn shop, but nothing compared to the woman in front of him. Even from across the room, Calder couldn't help but be mesmerized by the woman's eyes. Her eyes seemed to resemble oceans, no too common, Calder thought. There was something else her eyes reminded him of, but Calder couldn't think of it.

"Dad, what are you doing?" Bae whispered.

Calder tore his eyes away from the counselor to look at his son. Though his son's face showed a lack of disinterest, Calder thought it was nice of his son to still remotely care about what happened to him. Even if they were having a rough patch, if it could even be called that, somewhere inside his son cared.

"Nothing, Bae."

His son narrowed his eyes in response, stuffed his hands into his leather jacket, and slumped further into the chair. The action worried Calder for a moment, his son used to pester him about what was bothering him before giving up, but those days were done and gone.

The pawn shop owner looked at the counselor's eyes again, intrigued by the blue of her eyes. Her eyes were a deep sapphire, shining brilliant in the natural light provided by the windows. The closer she got toward him, the more intricate her eyes became. They resembled oceans, skies, stained glass, but all of those sounded cliché in Calder's mind. Nothing could compare to just how beautiful her eyes were.

"You must be Mr. Gold, and you must be Baelfire." she said, looking at both of them, when she was standing beside the loveseat. "You can call me Belle or Miss French, whatever's more comfortable for you."

It wasn't until she sat down in the seat that it hit Calder what her eyes reminded him of. Those blue eyes were the same shade of blue on the tea set he'd been working on all week. Her deep, blue eyes matched the paint strokes Calder had become all too familiar with in the past week. The sapphire hue against the white of her eyes perfectly mirrored the tea set's color palette. If Calder hadn't already been intrigued with that tea set over the past week, he would've been far more invested if he had seen this woman's eyes prior. The counselor's eyes could've easily been painted by Calder's hand if she was within an actual painting, they were that captivating.

Her eyebrows knit together, the right side of her mouth quirking slightly, indicating just how long had passed since she had last spoken. Calder's face flushed when he realized that he was staring directly at her for such a long time, his gaze unfaltering nor hidden in the slightest, and opted to break his gaze to look at the coffee table instead. In spite of his efforts, Calder still found him staring at the counselor from the corner of his eye. There was something about her that kept demanding Calder to look at her and never take his eyes off of her.

He watched, attempting to mask his gaze this time, as she shifted herself so she was seated opposite of his son and himself. The pawn shop owner took in a deep breath, his hands tightening around his cane handle, to keep himself collected. Baelfire was here, they were supposed to be here to talk instead of scream at each other for once, and they were certainly not here so Calder could stare at a woman clearly half his age.

The attempts Calder had tried to put in place were beginning to prove difficult once the counselor had lifted one leg and crossed it over the other. His eyes wandered from the coffee table up toward her legs. It wasn't in Calder's nature to blatantly stare at women like they were some envious prize, but the beauty in front of him was a blatant contradiction to Calder's normal behavior. Her legs were an expanse of pale skin, both legs melding together as she adjusted herself within the loveseat. He could have stared at those legs all day if he wished just so he could see where they ended and she began.

"So, where do we want to start?" she said with a smile, her hands folded neatly over her crossed legs.

Calder shook his head lightly, pulling himself out of the haze Belle French had unseemingly cast upon him, and directed his attention to her eyes yet again. If Calder had thought going to counseling was going to be tough already, fully knowing his stubborn nature and walls he had built around himself long ago would prove difficult, their counselor, Belle French, just made it far tougher.

A/N: wow, this chapter turned out a lot longer than I had intended OTL I got so carried away with the angst and Calder describing Bell Once again, I want to thank Megan and Morgan again for looking at this multiple times for me and giving me suggestions. You guys are my faves, and I can't say that enough 3 Next chapter will have some actual Calder/Belle interaction, so yay!