Gold didn't spot Belle until his arms were full of her. He was just on his way to the coffee shop for his daily dose of caffeine and fiction, when she had come flying out of a side door and ran straight into him. She was a mess, hair tangled, shoes barely on and she would not look up for the gum-covered floor.

'Sorry,' she sniffed, rubbing at her nose with the cuff of her sleeve.

'Quite okay, Belle,' he hummed, holding her shoulders as she steadied herself. She looked up.

'Oh.' She just about brought herself to smile at him. 'Mr Gold, it's … I'm…. Oh, I'm such a mess.' She patted the knots and tangles that surrounded her face. 'I must look….'

'You look beautiful,' he breathed, before he had chance to stop himself. He'd been thinking about her too much, dreaming that he'd told her she was beautiful on New Year's Eve, wishing he hadn't been such a coward. It was only natural that now his subconscious would take over and render him a foolhardy idiot.

'I do?' she asked, eyes shining. There was a sadness deep within them and Gold wished her could remove it for her, but all he could offer was a simple nod of reassurance and a whispered:

'Yes.'

She gave him a stronger smile and pushed a few flyaway wisps of hair away from her face.

'You're always so sweet, Mr Gold. People couldn't be more wrong about you.'

'I do doubt that, dearie,' he muttered. 'But I am rather,' he searched for the right word and fixed on, 'complicated. There are many sides to me, many angles.'

'I don't think you're that complicated.' Belle shook her head fondly. 'You just like to think you are. When I look at you, I see a good man, who's lost himself to other people's rumours and speculation.'

'You're not one to listen to rumours?'

'I've always preferred a story with substance to a tabloid tall tale,' she said.

He believed her and he smiled. He couldn't help it. Despite what he knew about her situation with Charlie, and despite his own sorry existence as the perpetual loner, there was something comforting about meeting someone who just got you; someone who didn't feel worlds apart from everything you believed in. She made him feel less lonely in a world where he'd always been alone.

Maybe he could repay the favour now. She'd been crying when they'd collided, perhaps he could offer a small crumb of comfort; or a coffee and cake of comfort at least.

'Can I buy you a drink?' he asked, gesturing to the coffee shop.

'Thank you, but there's something I have to do … alone.'

'If something's troubling you, you would be better to talk to someone. Where is that barista boyfriend of yours?'

'He doesn't understand,' she sighed. 'He thought he was doing something really sweet. He wasn't to know.'

'Know what?' Gold asked. He tried to seem gentle, but any man who could make a woman like Belle cry was a complacent fool who didn't appreciate what he had. 'What did he do?'

'Nothing, just the book … the burned one. He bought me a brand new one for Christmas and today, when I returned from work, I found he'd tidied up my flat and thrown my old book out … the one with the message from Jenni Jottings and…. I know it's just a book, I shouldn't be so upset but….'

'No, no.' He cut her off before she had chance to wind herself up into a teary mess. 'That book was your talisman. It was your reminder not to give up hope. A reminder to follow your dreams and become an author.'

She blinked at him. He thought he'd said something wrong, but she just threw her arms around his neck and whispered "thank you" in his ear.

Immediately uncomfortable, he pushed her to arm's length. He couldn't have her that close and not breathe in the smell of her fruity shampoo or tell her that she was perfect.

'I didn't do anything, dearie…'

'You understand.'

'… but I could.'

'Could what?' she frowned, her forehead creasing gently.

'Jenni Jottings is doing some special verses for our Premier Valentines Card range,' Gold shrugged. 'If you were to come to the office on Friday, around midday, I'm sure she could be persuaded to write you a message in your new novel.'

'Really?' she asked, blinking excitedly. 'Really?'

'On one condition,' he said, holding up a long finger to really emphasise his point.

'What is it?' she asked, with more than a hint of intrigue.

'Promise me you won't give up on your dream. Promise me you'll keep writing and that you'll start sending off manuscripts, and entering competitions.'

She stared back at him, head cocked to one side, puzzlement etched in the crinkles of her face, and then she asked something that completely threw him:

'Why do you care so much?'

'I don't care, dearie,' he scoffed. 'I just hate to see good talent go to waste.'

'Of course,' she nodded. He suspected that she didn't believe him, but he had no time to dwell on that because she took his hand – the one that wasn't on the cane – in both of hers and whispered:

'I promise not to give up.'

'Well then I promise to arrange the meeting.'

'Oh,' she threw her arms around him again, her enthusiasm nearly bowling him over. 'You are the most wonderful man.'

He wanted to tell her that it was in fact she who was wonderful. He wanted to tell her that she deserved someone who could understand her, who treated her like the princess she was. But the reality was that even though Gold found himself falling for her, he was not the prince that she was worthy of. He never would be.

I just want to make a quick point of saying that this chapter was already written and proofread before I watched yesterday's episode. The fact that Belle and Rumple (in the episode) had almost exactly the same exchange as Belle and Gold (in this chapter) amused me greatly. Also, the "Rumple saves Belle" scene in the episode was cute. (I'm pretending that was where the episode finished and that the metal glove, Gold's dark side, and the town line don't exist.)

So, whilst I prepare to prance about in blissful denial for 3 and half months, I hope you enjoyed this latest encounter. Next one should be up soon, but I'm doing just a little redrafting. I'm attempting to remove some melodrama – we've had enough of that in this fandom! – and I always intended for this fic to be held together by a promise of hope.

Love to all of you who are reading,
Sisi…xx