One more before the holiday! Probably won't have another chapter up till the weekend, and I actually may focus on my other fic for a bit. Enjoy! Thank you for all of your kind feedback . . . . please keep it coming!
I do not own "Once Upon a Time."
Chapter 17
Gold and Belle entered the dining room together, holding hands and smiling at one another. "Well, good morning to both of you." Mrs. Potts said as she entered the room upon hearing them. "I have a nice breakfast all ready for you."
"Gwen, you don't have to do that, Belle and I can handle the cooking." Gold said. "You're retired."
"Are you implying that I'm old, dear? I may not be a young girl anymore but I can make myself useful about the house." Mrs. Potts said.
"It's really very sweet of you, Mrs. Potts, thank you." Belle said.
"You're very welcome. And you can call me Gwen, you know." Mrs. Potts said.
"Well, at least let me help you bring things out – Gwen." Belle said. "Ian, just stay here, we'll take care of everything."
"Right. You're going into the kitchen to talk about me." Gold said. Belle just smiled at him. "I'll get the coffee cups out." Belle and Mrs. Potts went into the kitchen together.
"I haven't seen him that happy in years. Not since Bae was here." Mrs. Potts commented. "I think he's going to be fine once all of this is over."
"You really think he'll be willing to leave? I love him, Mrs. – I mean, Gwen, but – I have to admit I've thought about – what if he doesn't want to leave." Belle said.
"He knows that. Dear – he had a really hard time of it after he lost Bae. I don't know how much he's told you yet, but – just be patient with him. I'm honestly amazed at how far he's come since I left. Give him time. Don't give up on him – please." Mrs. Potts said.
"I won't." Belle told her. "I know he puts on this tough façade, but – I can tell he's very fragile. I'm trying not to push him too hard."
"You give him the strength he needs." Mrs. Potts said. "That's what's been missing all these years. The kind of strength that comes from true love. I can give him support and I have but – he needed someone like you and I was certain he would never find that, not locked away like he has been. I'm not glad for what happened and for what you saw, but – I am glad that you came here."
"Me too." Belle said.
"Well, come on, let's get breakfast out there before it gets cold." Mrs. Potts said, and she and Belle took the plates out into the dining room, where Gold was waiting.
"Oh, this looks wonderful Gwen." Gold said as Belle set a plate in front of him.
"It really does." Belle agreed. Mrs. Potts took the coffee pot and picked up Gold's cup.
"Let me get you another cup dear, this one is chipped." Mrs. Potts said.
"No – I want to use that one." Gold said. "It's – special to me." Mrs. Potts looked at him with a puzzled look.
"I dropped it." Belle said as she sat down at the table next to Gold and took his hand. "When I first came here. And um – he didn't get angry at me. I thought he was making fun of me when he kept using it, but – he was reminding himself that he could control his temper when he wanted to." Belle beamed a huge smile at him.
"There are but a few things that I truly cherish in this house, most of them in Bae's room, but this cup – I truly cherish this cup. It reminds me that I can be a better man – for myself and for Belle." Gold said.
"Well, that's wonderful, dear. You two enjoy your breakfast, I won't bother you any longer." Mrs. Potts said.
"Gwen, you're not a bother, sit down with us." Gold said.
"It's alright dear, I already ate." Mrs. Potts said. "Besides I have some work to do upstairs, and I'll need you to be joining me as soon as you're done. I'm sorry to steal him away from you dear." she said as she looked over at Belle.
"It's okay – I'll find some more books in the library to keep me busy." Belle said.
"The library? I thought you closed that off." Mrs. Potts said.
"Belle loves to read. No sense in all of those books sitting there gathering dust any longer." Gold said.
"Well – alright then." Mrs. Potts said, and she walked behind Gold and gave him a hug. "Very proud of you, dear. See you upstairs in a bit." Mrs. Potts left the room.
"What was that about?" Belle asked.
"There was a reason I had the library locked up." Gold said. "Don't have very good memories of that room. But that's no matter. It's yours now – you enjoy it."
Twenty one and a half years ago . . . . . .
Gold entered the house, which was very quiet. He knew that Milah was home, her car was in the garage. He had arrived home a bit earlier than expected so that he could surprise Bae when he came home from school. He set his bag down in the hallway when he heard some muffled noises coming from the living room. Gold limped toward the sound. When he entered the room, he found it to be empty, but the door to the library was cracked open. Gold peeked inside and heard the conversation quite clearly.
"You should probably go. He'll be home soon." Milah said.
"We never did find that book I was looking for." Jones replied.
"Oh, you're right, that's what we came in here for." Milah said, laughing. "Oh, Killian – why can't we just run away?"
"Because your gimp husband will find us with all of his connections." Jones said. "He wouldn't look for us if you left the boy behind."
"Do you really think I'd give Ian the satisfaction of having my son?" Milah asked.
"You've said many times that the boy does nothing but hold you back. Leave him, Milah. I just bought my boat, we can see the world together." Jones said.
"That would mean Ian would get what he wants – me gone, and his son. He doesn't deserve anything he wants." Milah said. "He'll have that boy over my dead body."
"You could take him on in court." Jones said. "His bum leg – you said he did it to himself."
"I just suspect that he did, I have no proof." Milah said. "But when I mentioned it to him – he seemed nervous, so – I suspect I'm right. That damn Potts woman likely covered it up, she's always covering for him. She treats him more like her child than her partner, always coddling him. Just my luck to marry a man with no living parents and still end up having to endure the mother-in-law from hell."
"Well maybe we can come up with a plan to – be rid of both of them. Permanently." Jones said.
Gold had heard enough. Part of him wanted to simply burst into the library and strangle the both of them. But he turned and walked away. He would deal with them later.
Later that evening, Belle helped Mrs. Potts in the kitchen after dinner. "You really don't need to do this dear, I can handle it just fine." Mrs. Potts said.
"I know – I just want to – be useful. You and Ian worked all day and – well, I'm not used to doing nothing with my time." Belle said.
"You're doing something. You're here for Ian, and for the first time in over twenty years he's going back to being the man that he used to be." Mrs. Potts said.
"You know, the first morning I was here, I went to sit down with him for breakfast and he told me that he didn't like company, and that you never sat with him and ate." Belle said.
"Oh, he was just saying that to keep you at arm's length. It takes him quite a bit to trust someone. Even with a background check." Mrs. Potts said.
"Background check?" Belle asked. "Do you think he did one on me?" Belle asked.
"Oh, I'd be certain of it, I doubt he'd have let you into the house without one." Mrs. Potts said. Belle looked offended. "Oh, don't be upset, dear – it's just something he does, and I'll admit, I've done it many times myself. When you work in the field we do it's very easy to become a bit – paranoid at times."
"Well how much does he know about me, then?" Belle asked.
"You'd have to ask him that." Mrs. Potts said.
Later that evening, Belle entered Gold's room dressed in her usual pajama bottoms and t-shirt that she wore to bed. Gold was sitting up in bed reading a magazine. Belle climbed into bed without saying a word to him. "You've been very quiet since dinner. Something wrong?" Gold asked.
"How much did you know about me? Before I came here?" Belle asked. Gold put his magazine aside.
"I knew that you and Gwen weren't discussing anything good." Gold said.
"You did a background check on me, didn't you?" Belle asked.
"No." Gold replied.
"No?" Belle asked.
"I did five." Gold said. Belle looked at him angrily, then she pulled the covers over her shoulder and turned her back to him. "I was going to do a couple more but you were so – utterly dull on paper that I figured what was the point." Belle turned and looked at him.
"Dull? I thought you said I fascinate you." Belle said.
"Oh, you do dear – just not on paper." Gold said. "What's that saying? Don't judge a book by its cover. You are – a perfect example of that."
"So all the things I've shared with you, all of my stories – you already knew them." Belle said.
"Some of them. Didn't know the bicycle one. But it was nice to hear you tell them. Sweetheart, I'm sorry – you just have to be careful in my line of work, why do you think I was so upset about your little friendship with that Ruby girl?" Gold said.
"You still think Ruby has some hidden sinister agenda?" Belle asked. Gold sighed.
"Probably not. I actually got on with her grandmother very well at one time and – she and Bae would play together sometimes when they were kids. But it's just best to err on the side of caution. Look, after all of this ends, we can look into Ruby's background and if it's clean – aside from whatever she does in those short skirts – you can re-visit your friendship with her." Gold said.
"Is this how it'll be for us? Always? Anytime we meet someone, you're going to hop onto the computer and probe their entire life story?" Belle asked.
"I'd like to say that no, that won't be the case. But it likely will." Gold admitted. "Belle, I have very good reason for this. Look at what happened with Hopper, and no one would have suspected him. And that wasn't the first incident like that in my life. You always have to be careful who you trust."
Twenty one and a half years ago . . . . . . . .
Gold had spent a couple of extra hours at his office, researching the background of one Killian Jones. To say he wasn't impressed with the man was an understatement. He had a shady background from start to finish. Born in Ireland, arrested there multiple times on petty thievery, somehow finagled a work visa with an international boating company, and currently had a green card that permitted him to work in the states, which puzzled him because with his record it had to mean that he had some underhanded connections in order to acquire this status. On paper he looked shady at best. In person – he knew the man was even worse. Gold arrived at his apartment in Virginia armed with enough information to present to Milah when he and Bae got back home that assured him that any attempts she made against him would be futile. Regina Mills had gladly agreed to watch Bae for a couple of extra hours that day; they seemed to be getting on quite well. Bae had been with him for three days and they were having a wonderful time, despite the shadow of Killian Jones cavorting with his wife looming over him.
Gold opened the door to find Bae and Regina sitting in front of the television console playing a video game – with a young man. Bae jumped up and ran up to Gold.
"Papa!" Bae shouted. "I won again!" Regina and the young man with her stood up.
"Did you now?" Gold asked, looking the man up and down and glaring at Regina. "Bae – can you go to your room for a minute please?"
"Okay. Bye Regina, by Daniel!" Bae said, and he left the room.
"Who is this?" Gold asked Regina bluntly.
"This is my boyfriend, Daniel. We were going out tonight so I told him to just come by after he got off work." Regina said.
"Daniel what?" Gold asked.
"Daniel Stallman, sir. Nice to meet you. Thanks for helping Regina out, it means a lot to her." Daniel said, offering his hand to Gold. Gold refused to shake it.
"I'd like to speak with Miss Mills in private, if you don't mind." Gold said. Regina glared at Gold angrily.
"It's okay. I'll be waiting in the car." Daniel said. He gave Regina a kiss on the cheek and left.
"When I requested that you watch my son, I presumed that you understood that it was YOU who would be watching my son. I gave no permission for you to have a guest over." Gold said.
"It was just my boyfriend. We weren't doing anything, just playing video games with Bae." Regina said.
"How much do you know about him?" Gold asked.
"Bae?" Regina asked. Gold glared at her.
"Your boyfriend. You've been dating him for how long?" Gold asked.
"Three months." Regina said.
"Have you done a background check on him?" Gold asked.
"Why would I do that?" Regina asked.
"Because you're interning at the CIA with the possibility of gaining employment there, and you can't trust anyone." Gold said.
"He's my boyfriend." Regina said.
"And? Where was he born? What is the background of his parents, where did he grow up, how many times did he move in his lifetime, how many jobs has he had, how long was he employed with each of them, how much money does he have in his bank account, does he have any questionable personal associations, and what is his specific interest in you?" Gold asked.
"You're paranoid." Regina said.
"I'm realistic." Gold said. "You think I didn't do a full check on you before I let you sit for my son?"
"You did not." Regina said.
"You grew up in suburban Boston, your parents own their own business which bears your father's name but your mother pretty much runs it because she's a controlling bitch and you couldn't move out fast enough to get away from her. You've been a straight A student your whole life and have never failed at anything you've tried, academic or otherwise – until you met me." Gold said. "Would you like me to spout off your financial net worth?"
"How would you get that?" Regina asked.
"Well, the agency has your social on record, it wasn't that difficult. Now – if you think that you're going to pursue a serious relationship with this young man – I recommend a background check. All you have to do is get his social security number and get it to me, and I'll do the rest. I can get some things without it but, better details with it. And in the future, I suggest you do this much sooner than three months into dating. Second date would be my recommendation." Gold said.
"Well, there won't be a future in that regard – Daniel's the one for me. He's my true love." Regina said.
"There's no such thing, dearie." Gold said.
"Just because your love life sucks doesn't mean other people can't be happy." Regina retorted.
"You know nothing of my life, love or otherwise." Gold said.
"Right. You're married, aren't you? And yet you spend half of your time away from your wife. Why isn't she ever here? Why isn't she here when your SON is here? And how come there are no pictures of her anywhere? You have tons of pictures out of Bae but none of his mother. Why is that?" Regina asked.
"We're done for the evening, dearie." Gold said. "Get his social – better to be safe than sorry."
"I know all I need to know about Daniel. And he's waiting for me. Goodbye, Mr. Gold." Regina said, and she left. Gold shook his head in disgust after Regina left. He went into Bae's room. Bae was sitting on his bed playing with several of his Star Wars figurines, where were laid out in an orderly fashion.
"Put your toys away Bae – we're going out for dinner." Gold said.
"Okay, papa." Bae said. Gold stepped out of the room. He hesitated for a moment, then went into the living room, sat down on the sofa, and picked up the phone.
"Yes, it's Gold. I need a favor. Find out all you can about anyone currently in the age range of twenty to thirty who bears the name Daniel Stallman." Gold said into the phone.