𝑶𝑪𝑬𝑨𝑵 𝑬𝒀𝑬𝑺 - Rumplestiltskin [1]

TWENTY SIX

26|VALENTINE'S DAY PT. 1

"Have fun hiding from Mr. Gold?" Emma joked as Bella walked into the station, meeting her roommate for lunch.

"I can't believe he heard me and I ran. I feel like such a teenager." Bella sighed, her ocean eyes glancing over the white sheet hiding trinkets on a desk. "What's all this? Isn't that Mr. Gold's?"

"Why doesn't it surprise me that you recognise it." The sheriff chuckled, shaking her head as she lead the curious woman into her office. "Mr. Gold is on his way now to pick it up, his house was robbed."

"It was?" She asked with shock, holding her hand over her mouth as she thought about how she was not there for him.

"Indeed it was, love." His familiar voice spoke from behind her, her back straightening as she awkwardly looked over her shoulder at the man.

"Shit." Bella mumbled, pulling her midnight hair back into a pony tail as Emma ripped the tarp off the trinkets.

"You're welcome." Emma said cockily to the man. "You were right, your man Joe ripped you off. It was all still at his place."

"My father?" The doctor gasped, sitting down in shock that her own father would stoop so low as to rob the one man that would not hesitate to kill him.

"And the man himself?" Mr. Gold questioned, not seeing the thief in the holding cells.

"Closing in on him." The sheriff informed him, sitting at the desk and leaning back in the chair.

"So, job well half done, then." The man said mockingly to the blonde woman.

"In less than a day, I got everything back." She said defensively, sitting up quickly. "Is something wrong?"

"You've recovered nothing." He snapped before calming down as Bella grabbed his arm soothingly. "There's something missing."

"I'll get it when I find him." Emma called out to his retreating figure.

"Not if I find him first."

"One second." Bella ran after the limping man, grabbing his arm to stop him. "Are you okay?"

"Not now, Bella." Mr. Gold sighed, turning to face her. His black heart almost melted at the sight of her worried eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Mr. Gold?" The sound of his last name caused him to freeze in his spot. It felt like ice coming from her lips. He had never officially told her his cursed name, preferring to avoid it but hearing her call his name felt so foreign.

"I'll be fine, dearie." He placed a delicate kiss on her lips, shocking her at the intimacy he showed before he walked out the station.

"You alright?" Emma eventually came to check up on the woman, finding her stood by the door touching her lips. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Sorry, yes." Bella immediately rushed out before returning her usual smile to her lips. "Shall we go get lunch?"

~•~

Bella sat in the bar with Mary Margaret, Ruby and Ashley on Valentine's Day with a drink in each of their hands. She knew she was a light weight and lightly sipped at her whiskey, her mind away in the clouds.

"Pace yourself, Ashley." Mary Margaret reminded the blonde girl as she and Ruby downed another shot.

"I am." Ashley stated defensively causing Bella to giggle at the obvious lie. "This is the first night out since I've had the baby. I am making up for lost time."

"Ash, check out those guys." Ruby hummed, staring at the single men stood at the bar.

"Honey, I'm still with Sean." She said but the three women could hear the hurt in her voice.

"You're not married. And he's not here." The brunette teased, trying to convince her friend to go over to the bar with her.

"He's working." Ashley sounded like a broken record, the three women always hearing that same excuse from their friend.

"He's always working." Bella spoke up, knowing what it felt like to have someone you loved be so distant.

"Have fun moping." Ruby grabbed her purse and drink and wandered over to the bar.

"She's right." Ashley sighed, her words beginning to slur as the alcohol kicked in. "He is always working. I thought love would be different."

"Me too." Mary Margaret agreed while Bella nodded. "Come on, let's have another drink."

"I'll need it, I want to phone Gold." Bella downed the rest of her whiskey and got a second drink with Mary.

"Don't do it."