Hi! Do you think "Abigail" counts as gothic horror? Just a thought I had recently.
I get where you are coming from with the location, vampires and all that but not really? It has the claustrophobia and the monstrous aspects but I’m not sure the mood and themes of it are quite right if you get me.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 6/6
Fandom: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield, Bofur/Dís (Tolkien)
Characters: Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield, Dís (Tolkien), Bofur (Tolkien), Fíli (Tolkien), Kíli (Tolkien), Balin (Tolkien), Dwalin (Tolkien)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Pre-Quest of Erebor, Arranged Marriage, Adventurer Bilbo, thauc23, Light Angst, Hobbits Being Assholes, Found Family
Summary:
While on his regular trade route between the Shire and the Blue Mountains, former adventurer Bilbo saves young Fili and Kili from wolves. By dwarrow tradition, this creates a bond between him and the children's family, which takes the form of a betrothal to Thorin, who is not too pleased to learn he is duty-bound to marry to a total stranger.
Author’s Note: I really hope you enjoy the story, lotus0kid, and that it makes you smile!
Summary: Storybrooke AU. Mr. Gold finds himself on an unexpected trip.
“When you think about it, I’m doing you a favor.”
“Shouldn’t that be my line?” Richard Gold looked up from his seat in Archibald Hopper’s office, his expensive three piece suit a bit wrinkled after all day wear. Dr. Hopper also wore a suit, though one that had seen better days. He looked slightly uncomfortable at being caught repeating the kind of words Gold often used, but only slightly. Perhaps, after a few long chats in this office over the years, Dr. Hopper felt as if they were friends. Gold wasn’t sure he’d go that far, even if Dr. Hopper knew more about Gold’s personal life than anyone in the town of Storybrooke, Maine. He had, after all, just threatened him with eviction for not having this month’s rent, but perhaps Dr. Hopper also knew that it was rather an idle threat. At least, due to the circumstances.
He looked across the room at Pongo. Dr. Hopper’s Dalmatian was resting on top of a comfortable looking blanket on top of his bed. The poor dog was recovering from surgery. His leg was wrapped up in a cast and he was drowsy from the procedure and the pain medicine. Gold had a soft spot for Pongo, and understood that Dr. Hopper had used the rent money and then some for this unexpected procedure.
“It’s the perfect solution,” Dr. Hopper continued, pushing up his glasses and sitting up straighter. I don’t have the money, due to Pongo’s surgery, but I do have this trip I was to go on, and now I need to stay with Pongo. You can go in my stead. It’s all expenses paid. I won it in a contest, so you don’t have to worry about a thing. I can make all of the changes with the company and you can even invite your son.” His smile reached his eyes, and the thought obviously made him happy. Dr. Hopper was one of very few people in this town that even knew he had a son, and how much Gold loved his son, and missed him.
Bae would probably enjoy it, and might be able to find a way to convince his mother to allow him to miss school. “That isn’t a bad idea. I haven’t seen him in months. It would be the perfect reason for his mother to allow him to go away with me.”
Archie brightened even more, if that was possible. “I told you! I really would be grateful if you would take this deal.”
Gold was amused. “I think you might be adapting some of my quirks.” This time, Dr. Hopper grinned and walked over to his small cabinet and pulled out a bottle of scotch. Gold nodded when Dr. Hopper nudged the bottle towards him as an offer. Adapting some of his quirks, indeed. Dr. Hopper poured them both a glass and they shared a moment of silence as they enjoyed the fine liquid. Gold put his glass down. “And I sincerely hope that Pongo mends swiftly. Call me with the details as soon as possible so that I can make arrangements with my son.”
“Will do!” Dr. Hopper was already rummaging through his papers to make the relevant calls. Hopefully, this will turn out to be a good way to reconnect with his teenage son.
*****
Mr. Gold boarded the plane looking more like he was going to a business meeting instead of a vacation. He had a shoulder bag that held his travel essentials, and he’d checked his other luggage. It took some effort to move through the narrow aisle of the plane with his bag and his cane. He resisted the temptation of blowing his hair out of his eyes. His hair was shoulder length, as he’d worn it since before Bae was born, except that now there were generous amounts of grey along his temples and sideburns. Where had the time gone? He would hopefully be meeting his fourteen year old son at the hotel. Fourteen! In the last picture his son had sent him, Bae looked like he’d grown a foot, and he had grown his hair out like his father, except there was much more curl to his son’s hair, unlike his. He’d taken from his mother in that regard. Gold really hoped that Milah would not resist allowing Bae to take this trip on his own to meet his father.
After what seemed like ages of waiting for people to place their carry ons in the overhead bins, Gold was finally at his seat. This plane had two seats on either side of the aisle. It was quite small, and he had wished he’d convinced the company that provided Dr. Hopper with this winning trip to allow him to upgrade to first class.
The window seat was already occupied, and he looked carefully at his ticket. He did indeed have the aisle seat, which on the one hand helped because he could stretch out his bad ankle if he really needed to, but on the other hand he might have to get up over and over again if he had an annoying neighbor. He took his seat, took the newspaper out of his bag, and placed his bag underneath the chair. He put his seatbelt on and settled in with the folded newspaper in his lap. It read: June 1st, 1983. At least he was able to get today’s paper at the airport.
“Good Morning, Mr. Gold.” He started, and turned in the direction of the voice. The Australian accent was unmistakable. He knew this person. She was from Storybrooke as well. The daughter of the local florist.
“Ms. French, I didn’t expect to see you here. Good Morning.” He was, in fact, quite taken aback. Truth be told she often took his breath away, especially when he ran into her unexpectedly in town. There were times when he knew he might see her: at Granny’s Diner for breakfast or lunch, at the library where she worked, at her father’s shop, or even in his shop, when she would stop by looking for rare books or tea sets. However, this was something else entirely. He’d never imagined running into here on a plane of all places, and looking as lovely as ever. She was dressed in bright yellow flower patterned sundress, and her sunglasses were perched on top of her head. Her brown hair fell in waves, covering her bare shoulders.
“Didn’t Archie tell you I’d be going on this trip too?”
“Oh no, he failed to mention that. I… I didn’t realize that the two of you were together.” The last bit somehow made it out of his mouth instead of staying in his thoughts.
“Oh, no… we aren’t.” She reached out and touched his hand, and he tried not to react in any way. “We were just going as friends, since I was there at Granny’s and encouraged him to enter the contest. It was for up to four guests. Ruby and Billy were going to come too, but it didn’t work out.”
“I see… well I’m probably not going to be as good company as your friends…”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Mr. Gold. I always enjoy chatting with you.”
He managed to smile back at her. “I enjoy our talks as well, Ms. French.” She smiled back at him and leaned back in her chair.
“Archie mentioned that your son might be joining us?”
For a moment, Gold was angry with Dr. Hopper for mentioning his son, but Belle was so very sweet in how she inquired that he relaxed immediately.
“Yes, I’m hoping his mother will allow him to make the trip on his own. He’s fourteen now, and I think he can manage. I’m supposed to call them when we land and make sure he will be joining me.”
“Oh I’m sure he will come. He’ll enjoy visiting Disney World too! So many rides. This is my first time visiting, but I did go to DisneyLand once when I was his age. I loved it.”
They mostly spent the flight in companionable silence. She read her book and he read the paper, commenting on interesting things they read. As they left their seats to exit the plane, Belle reached up to retrieve her carry on. Gold thought for a moment, how best to help her with his bad leg hindering him. Before he could come up with a solution, a tall lad reached up and took her bag down for her. She thanked him politely and Gold allowed her to move ahead of him as they exited the plane. He tried not to glare at the young man behind him.
*****
They shared a cab to the hotel and stepped up to different desks to check in. Gold made sure to request an adjoining room for Bae who would be arriving in the early evening as per his ex-wife’s assurances. Belle and Gold parted ways after check in, with Belle heading up just ahead of him. When he arrived at his room, he set up his luggage and looked around. It wasn’t bad. They had set them up at the Contemporary, which was quite nice, and had easy access to the Magic Kingdom park. The rooms were higher end than Gold had expected from a trip that was not paid for by the guests. Gold’s room had two double beds and a balcony with a theme park view. The concierge assured him that they would have a wonderful view of the fireworks. Gold discovered the door to the adjoining room and decided to take a look at Bae’s room and make sure all was well before he arrived.
He opened the door and nearly fell back into his room. He had to steady himself with his cane. He hadn’t opened the door to an empty room, as he had expected. Instead, he had barged in on Belle, who was unpacking her luggage and laying out her clothes onto the bed. He had, unfortunately, arrived just in time to see her holding up her nightgown, which was practically see through, and definitely more suited for Florida heat than the cooler weather in Maine.
“I’m so… so sorry,” he stammered, as Belle stared at him with a mixture of surprise and what he thought was amusement. He felt flushed with embarrassment, and that never happened to him. She placed the nightgown on the bed, and put her hands on her hips. “I thought this was going to be empty. I had requested an adjoining room for my son…”
“It’s OK, I think I understand what happened.” Belle said, gently. “You need to remember that you and I are on the same vacation. You requested an adjoining room, but the trip was originally intended for a family vacation. One room for the adults, and the other for the kids.” She beckoned him inside. He took a few steps in, feeling very awkward, and hoping he didn’t show it at all. He normally didn’t betray his emotions, but with Belle, it was different.
Belle’s room had a large king sized bed, and the same balcony and view. “I see. So this must be the room they had intended for the adults, and I have...” he turned to indicate the open door to the other room.
“The kids room,” Belle chuckled. “Do you want this room? I don’t mind.”
“No, no. I’ll see if I can change things around. May, I?” he indicated the room’s telephone, and Belle nodded.
After a five minute long conversation with the concierge he gave up.
“No other rooms. Cheerleader convention.” That time, Belle laughed out loud, heartily
“Bae and I can share my room. It’s quite alright. We have two beds. I had hoped to give him his own room, but this will be fine…”
“Thank you, Mr. Gold.”
“Not at all. I’m sorry to have barged in this way. I hope you know that I didn’t intend to interrupt--” he indicated all of the clothes on the bed.
“I didn’t mind.” She smiled at him, somewhat flirty, though Gold was sure that was his imagination. He had imagined that kind of thing on more than one occasion in their past interactions, and he always immediately admonished himself. Belle was not someone that would be interested in him. She was a beautiful, kind, intelligent, PhD student, who could find someone much better suited for her. And someone closer to her age too. He was a good fifteen years her senior. He shouldn’t even entertain the thought.
*****
Belle was done changing into her comfortable clothes for the evening. She had decided to stay at the hotel and order in, perhaps watch the fireworks from the balcony, and then get an early start in the morning. She thought that she might ask Mr. Gold and his son if they wanted to visit the parks together, but she hadn’t decided on whether she would be intruding or not. The thing was that she was quite excited to have found herself in this situation. She had always had a bit of a crush on Mr. Gold, ever since she had arrived in Storybrooke after Grad School. It was over three years already, and while she’d had a couple of boyfriends, no one ever really kept her interest. Of course, she knew he was quite a few years older than her, but she never paid much attention to that sort of thing. She was a grown woman who could go out with whomever she wanted. She was getting ahead of herself. Even though she had a feeling that he returned her interest, she wasn’t certain. Still, seeing how he blushed earlier gave her a little bit of hope.
There was a knock at her door. Perhaps it was Mr. Gold calling? She opened the door and took a peek through the crack. It was a boy, a teenager, slightly taller than she was, with tousled brown hair. This had to be Bae! “Hello!” she greeted him.
“I’m sorry, I think I must have the wrong room.” He looked down at some wrinkled papers in his hand.
“You must be Bae!”
The boy looked surprised at first, but recovered quickly. “I like Neal better, actually. My parents just call me Bae. It’s a nickname.”
“For Baelfire, I know. It’s your middle name. Your dad told me. He’s going to be so happy to see you. He’s been looking forward to it so much.”
Neal looked like he was trying to process everything. He was still standing outside the room and he looked like he was trying to peer inside. “Is my dad staying with you?” he asked slowly, uncertainly.
Belle smiled at him and responded coyly, “Yes, and no. He’s next door. I’ll let him explain it to you.” She put her arm on his shoulder and led him toward Mr. Gold’s room. Neal knocked on the door and it was a moment before Gold appeared and smiled so broadly that Belle was certain she’d never seen him look so happy.
“Bae!”
Neal hugged his father tightly, “It’s Neal now, Papa. Remember?” He was smiling when he pulled away.
“I’ll let you two get reacquainted,” Belle said. “Have a good evening.”
“Nice meeting you… I”m sorry, I don’t know your name.”
“Oh forgive me! It’s Belle. Nice meeting you too, Neal.” She waved goodbye and went back to her room, feeling very happy for Mr. Gold.
*****
“So she isn’t your girlfriend?” Neal asked, for the second time. He was sprawled out on one of the double beds, clicking through the channels on the TV.
“Bae, I’ve already answered that question.” He looked up over the large map of the Magic Kingdom park that he was analyzing. He was determined that his son have a good time on this vacation.
“Are you sure, though?”
Gold folded the map in half and gave his son an exasperated look. “Of course I’m sure, Bae.”
“Well then, I’m pretty sure she wants to be your girlfriend.”
Gold sighed. This was getting a bit out of hand.
“She likes you, Dad. Mom says I have a 6th sense about these kinds of things. I always know who is going to end up dating at school before they do.” Neal sat up on the bed. “Don’t you think she’s pretty?”
“Of course, but that’s besides the point. She wouldn’t be interested in me, and that’s a fact.”
Neal laughed. “Trust me, Dad. She likes you.”
“Can we please change the subject?” Gold asked, wearily.
“Sure. I think we need to discuss something else. You aren’t going to go to the parks in a suit every day, are you?” Neal pointed at the suits hanging in the closet.
Gold suddenly found himself at a loss for words. He hadn’t considered that at all, but he had nothing else with him. “It’ll be fine, Bae.” He was trying to reassure himself, as much as Bae.
“No way, Dad. I’m going to get Belle to back me up on this one.” Before Gold could stop him, Neal was up out of bed and knocking on the door to the connecting room.
It took all of one minute for Belle to open the door curiously.
“Belle you have to tell my dad that he can’t wear his usual clothes to the parks. He’s going to melt.”
Belle laughed at the colorful expression. “I don’t think he’d melt exactly, but he’d probably be very uncomfortable. You don’t have anything more suitable for the hot weather and for all the walking?”
She directed the question to Gold, and he shook his head, lamely. She turned back to Neal. “You know what you have to do then,” she said, solemnly. “You have to take him shopping. There are many shops in this hotel, and they all will still be open. Why don’t you two go shopping and before you go we can decide on something for dinner. I’ll order it while you two are out, and by the time you get back the food will be here for you.”
Gold couldn’t deny that this sounded like a good idea, and it made him feel so very good to have Belle helping him navigate this situation.
*****
Over dinner it was decided that the three of them would go to the Magic Kingdom park together. Gold was dressed in a white t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Neal had tried to get him into a pair of shorts, but it wasn’t happening. It was going to look odd enough limping around with his silver tipped cane in that outfit. Not nearly as dignified as when wearing a suit. Both Belle and Bae wore tank tops, and shorts, and they slathered on the sunscreen. Belle made sure to give Gold some too, and she even rubbed some on the bridge of his nose before he could protest.
They spent the day together going on various rides. Gold was glad that Belle was with them. Occasionally, he would sit out on some of the rides and she would go with Bae. They went on Space Mountain, and the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad together. They all went on the Mad Tea Party ride, even though it made Gold a bit queasy. Pirates of the Carribean was amusing, and they were able to ride that one together. Both Belle and Bae grabbed onto him when the ride suddenly dropped in the dark. By the time they went on the Haunted Mansion ride, Neal had made some young friends from the cheerleader convention. Belle and Gold ended up alone in the same car, and Belle held onto his hand the entire time, alternating being thrilled, spooked, and fascinated by the ride.
By the evening the three of them functioned almost like a little family. That’s what it felt like to Gold, and he would be very sad when this trip was over and they went back to their regular lives. Neal had wanted them to stay in line for Peter Pan’s Flight, but Gold had asked to sit that one out. Belle offered to keep him company while Neal went with his newfound friends. It was getting close to the hour of the fireworks display and the park was emptying out in certain areas, as people gathered to watch the show. Many of the rides had shorter lines for that reason, so he hoped that Neal wouldn’t be too long and they would be able to find a spot to watch the fireworks show.
Belle led him to a bench near a running fountain. This section of the park was quieting down as the crowds moved towards Cinderella’s Castle. The sound of the fountain was soothing after the long day. They sat together for a bit, and Belle slipped her hand in his. It wasn’t the first time that day, or the second, or the third. Gold had been trying very hard not to read into it, but it was difficult not to. Belle had been very close to him all day. He also had been behaving in a more familiar manner with her. Something was changing, or perhaps it was something finally coming to light.
“Mr. Gold. I have a confession to make.”
Gold swallowed hard. “Oh?” He tried to sound more curious than nervous.
“I like you very much. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I have liked you for a very long time.”
“I like you too, Ms. French. You’re very good company.”
“Please call me Belle. I’ve asked you before.”
“Yes, Belle. I’m sorry. Old habits…”
“You do understand what I’m saying, don’t you?” She took her hand and placed it on his cheek, making him face her.
“I do, I just don’t quite believe it.”
“I’ve enjoyed this day so much, haven’t you?”
He nodded.
“I want to have more days like this, where we get to spend time together, because I think you like me just as much as I like you.”
She was gently stroking his cheek. “Am I correct?”
He remembered Neal’s words from last night: “She likes you, Dad” and wondered if she’d overheard them. He had felt the connection between them all throughout this trip, but he refused to believe it. He wasn’t going to deny it anymore. “Belle French, I like you very much indeed.”
She sighed in relief, and smiled. “Mr. Gold, I’d like to kiss you now.”
“Under one condition,” he said, smiling. “You have to stop calling me Mr. Gold.”
“Deal,” she said, and leaned forward. He met her half way and they shared a sweet, gentle kiss. He pulled back, and gauged her reaction. She didn’t seem like she wanted him to move too far, and pulled him back for a deeper kiss.
“Dad! Come on we’re going to miss the… fireworks… show…” Neal stopped in front of them, out of breath from having run over from the ride nearby. His jaw hung open, and it took him a moment to recover. He clapped and pointed at his father. “I told you, Dad! I know about this stuff! Since you guys are busy, is it ok if I head over with my friends? I can meet you back here.”
“You can go on ahead, but not too far, we’ll be right behind you,” Belle said, and pulled Gold up from his seat. She linked her arm with his and they followed Neal as he met up with his friends just up the path.
“When we get back to Storybrooke, would you like to go to dinner with me?” Gold asked.
Belle chuckled. “Most definitely yes. Maybe we can have some fireworks in Storybrooke too,” she teased, and squeezed his arm.
Instead of being taken aback this time, he teased in return, “I think it is quite likely after that last display.” She leaned in closer, and the fireworks went off above the castle. The crowd around them cheered, and music played through the speakers around them. They walked arm in arm and found a spot near Neal and his new friends. They were pointing and marveling at the display. Belle leaned against him as they watched, and Gold had a sudden feeling of gratitude towards Dr. Hopper. He really did do him a big favor.
A bit of family fluff for @lotus0kid for Rumbelle Secret Santa 2019.
Title: Kitchen (Mis)Adventures
Author: (S)Ydnam
Word Count: 1245
Prompt: “Don’t try this at home”
Summary: A minor kitchen disaster or 2 and a bedtime story in the Gold household.
AN: I started out going with more of a “someone watches Mythbusters and hijinks ensue” bent and then I think I got hungry and changed directions. Someday I may finish my original take on a prompt. Today is not that day!
He wanted to sound stern. This was serious. But the way his son beamed up at him proudly while holding out a bowl full of what he was reasonably certain was supposed to be food of some kind was making reprimanding the boy quite difficult.
“Gideon,” he began, “this-”
“Is very impressive,” Belle cut in. “But perhaps not the safest experiment. You’re supposed to have help in the kitchen.”
“I saw it on TV,” Gideon explained, “and then I did it too.”
“We worked that part out on our own,” Rumplestiltskin answered dryly, looking around the kitchen. “What sort of television programs have you been watching?”
“All of them,” Gideon answered solemnly. “Henry watches TV with me.”
“Perhaps teenage nephews of preschoolers shouldn’t be allowed to babysit. Or I should change my Netflix password.” While he loved his grandson, even when he stubbornly refused to show it, it was much easier to be angry with Henry than with Gideon.
“Why don’t we help Papa clean up,” Belle suggested. “Before we get ready for bed.”
“Can we watch a show after?” Gideon asked hopefully.
“Not tonight,” Belle said hurriedly. “Maybe Papa will tell you a story. If you help get this all cleaned up.”
Clean up took less time than originally feared with the three of them working together. The mess, even Rumplestiltskin admitted later, looked far worse than it was. He wouldn’t go so far as to admit to overreacting, of course. Gideon was sent off to find pajamas and brush his teeth.
“He said he wanted a snack,” Rumplestiltskin grumbled. “At no point did he say he would try to burn the house down or use every appliance in the kitchen. How did he even know how to work some of those?”
“He’s 4,” Belle answered. “Nothing was in danger of burning down. He just loves cooking shows. A kitchen accident was bound to happen eventually.
“He must never be left alone again,” Rumplestiltskin said darkly.
“Rumple. He made a mess. Nothing was even burned. The blender might be a casualty but there’s no need to overreact.”
“Constant supervision,” Rumple continued, undaunted.
“He’s alone in the bathroom brushing his teeth at this very moment,” Belle pointed out.
“I can hear the water running. That’s not the same.”
“He could be flooding the bathroom, Rumple,” Belle teased. Rumplestiltskin’s eyes widened and he had taken 2 steps toward the door before Belle reached out to put a hand on his arm. “He’s fine. And he did make a snack, after all. Just an impressively messy one. I’m sure the toothbrushing will be less messy. Listen, the water’s stopped already. Not on nearly long enough for a flood.”
Gideon appeared in the doorway then, dressed in his current favorite pajamas, the ones covered in anthropomorphized foods. “Story time?” he asked hopefully.
“Story time,” Belle agreed.
Rumplestiltskin reached down to scoop up his boy and carry him to his bed. “What sort of tale tonight, Gideon?”
“Um. Um. Um. Stories about Papa!” Gideon did love stories about his Papa. The ones he heard were, of course, carefully curated by his parents so as not to frighten him too much. At least the ones he heard at home. Ones told to him by his nephew, or his nephew’s other relatives, were more difficult to control.
“Maybe Mama could tell you a story about Papa,” Belle suggested. The look Rumplestiltskin gave her was somewhere between curious and horrified. She simply smiled in return. He sighed, very softly, and resigned himself to his fate as he tucked Gideon in.
“Once upon a time,” Belle began, “before Mama and Papa were even married-”
“Here or inna Forest when Papa had sparkles?” Gideon interrupted.
“Here,” Belle clarified, fighting back a laugh. “No sparkles. Mama and Papa were going out on a date, only Papa…. Your Papa was not very good at dates yet.”
“Is he good now?” Gideon asked, side-eyeing his father.
“Better than he was,” Belle assured her son. “Much better. But that took time. Lots of time. Lots of tries and false starts.”
“You’re making me look bad,” came the half-hearted and very soft protest from her husband.
“I didn’t tell him about the date where you threatened to turn a waiter into an armadillo,” Belle pointed out. “Oops.”
“That was hardly an ‘oops,’ my dear. And I never actually turned anyone into an armadillo!” Pigs, insects, a goat on one memorable occasion, but never any armadillos. Perhaps the lack of armadillos in the world he grew up in had something to do with it but he certainly was keeping armadillos in mind should the need ever arise.
“You thought about it,” Belle reminded him. “Loudly. In the middle of dinner.” Gideon giggled at that. “But back to the story, on another date, Mama and Papa were at Granny’s for dinner and Mama ordered lasagna and Pa-”
“It’s frozen,” Gideon interrupted. “Papa told me.” Rumplestiltskin looked quite smug at that but then his smirk slowly disappeared as he realized where this story might be headed.
Belle laughed. “That’s what Papa told me as well. And Granny was not amused, even though it really is frozen. I didn’t mind. It still tasted good to me and I told her that and I’ve ordered it again. Then she told Papa she’d like to see him cook a better lasagna if he was going to keep speaking out against hers.”
“Oh no,” Gideon whispered, eyes wide. He adored his Papa but he had a very healthy respect for Granny Lucas.
“Oh no indeed.” Belle’s eyes sparkled as a grin spread across her face. “Did you know Papa told her he could do it? Even though he’d never made a lasagna in his life? Of course, I had never cooked a lasagna either so I couldn’t help. Even if I had wanted to. Papa had one cookbook, no lessons, not even any cooking shows on Netflix to help.”
“I failed,” Rumplestiltskin admitted. “Spectacularly.” He punctuated the statement with a grand flourish of his hands. “Red sauce everywhere. A small grease fire that was thankfully easily contained. I would have done better to purchase another frozen one and try to pass it off as my own. Bested by the old wolf once more.”
“They’re friends,” Belle stage-whispered to her son. “But they pretend they aren’t.”
“And with that, my dearest boy, it’s time for you to sleep. May your dreams be pleasant ones with nary a kitchen disaster.”
Some time later, in their own bed, Belle lay resting her head on her husband’s chest. He twirled a lock of her hair in his fingers. “Why that particular story tonight?” There were far worse things she could have told their son, of course, and he would learn most if not all of them someday. The lasagna disaster, embarrassing though it may have been at the time, was rather tame.
Belle laughed and snuggled closer. “Because it was the same thing Gideon did. You tried something you’d no business doing simply because you thought seeing it, or eating it, meant you were qualified to replicate it.”
“Hubris, I’m afraid, is a family trait.”
“I’m well aware, thank you,” Belle answered. “I knew exactly what I got into when I married you.”
“Any regrets?”
“Only that you still haven’t mastered lasagna. Perhaps you and Gideon can learn together. Carefully. And maybe borrow the diner kitchen, stainless steel is easier to clean.”
Summary: The Town Council of Storybrooke made a mistake when they tried to cut the funding for the Storybrooke Public Library. Belle French is now on the warpath and if it takes organizing an electoral challenge to the entire council so be it. Politics makes strange bedfellows when she discovers that Mr. Gold worked as a political organizer in his youth. A Rumbelle Christmas in July story for @Lotus0kid. Her prompt was “All rigth, prove me wrong” link for AO3 https://archiveofourown.org/works/19892980
Summary: One could say that Queen Belle of Avonlea had everything the world could offer. A handsome husband, an equally husband infant son, the hearts of the people of Avonlea...and yet she had nothing.
On AO3
Hi @lotus0kid,
Merry Christmas! So when you first opened the idea of a Rumbelled version of Queen Anne and Aramis...I had to jump on it! I remember watching the series as it came out on BBC and was an instant fan. Thanks for giving me the gift of revisiting one of my all time favorite series!
