Chapter Text
Storybrooke was an idyllic town, straight out of a Norman Rockwell illustration and there was perhaps no time that it fulfilled that image as much as Christmas.
The townspeople began decorating as soon as they cleared away their jack-o-lanterns. Every house was lit up, the town Christmas tree went up in front of City Hall and the carolers began practicing.
Except for one resident.
Mr. Gold.
Mr. Gold owned nearly the whole town. He never decorated his shop or his house, the big pink Victorian sticking out like a sore thumb amongst the others plucked from vintage postcards.
And the town couldn’t forget it.
“Belle, sign this.”
The librarian looked up from her pancakes at the clipboard her friend, Ruby, was sticking in her face.
“What is it?”
“Just sign it.”
“I’m not going to just sign anything,” said Belle, taking a clipboard. “A petition?”
Leroy piped up from down the counter. “Yeah, we’re gonna get Gold to put up some lights already.”
“What?” Belle furrowed her brow as she read the paper. She shook her head and put the clipboard back down. “I’m not signing this.”
Leroy groaned.
“What? Why not, Belle?,” asked Ruby.
“You can’t create a petition to make someone put up Christmas lights. That’s hardly in the spirit of the season,” she said as she resumed eating.
“But, Belle, we’re in a competition...”
ABC was holding a seasonal reality competition for “The Most Christmas-y Town in America.” Storybrooke had made the final five and the entire town had thrown themselves into it.
Almost.
Belle rolled her eyes. “I know and I’ve decorated the library.”
“Look, if we’re gonna be the most Christmas-y town in America, everybody’s got to get in line,” said Leroy. “That includes Gold.”
The other diner patrons murmured their agreement.
“Well, I’m not signing it,” Belle declared. “For all you know his mother died on Christmas and that’s why he hates it.”
“I know his son hasn’t been home in years...” said Ruby.
“You know, if you all wanted to get in the Christmas spirit, you could give to the library book drive...”
They all looked away.
“Oh, come on,” said Belle.
“Why can’t kids just go to the library if they need a book? Isn’t that what it’s there for?,” asked Ruby.
“It is, but this way they can have a book at home that belongs to them,” Belle explained. “It’s not as if I’m asking for the world here. How much does a children’s book cost?!”
After she finished breakfast, Belle returned to the library. It was almost ready for the holidays, the lights already strung up outside. She still had to finish decorating the ten foot tree inside. She had prepared the decorations herself, making a paper chain that looked to be of old book pages, book-shaped ornaments with titles on them, the round discs with portraits of authors and the star for the top of the tree. She hauled the ladder back out to put the finishing touch on.
As she placed the star, Belle slipped and found herself falling...
Then she found that she had landed on something rather warm and firm, but not too farm. She turned her head to see Mr. Gold underneath her, his cane tossed aside in the chaos.
“Miss French,” he said nonplussed.
“Mr. Gold!” Belle quickly clambered back to her feet and helped him up. “I am so sorry. Are you alright?”
“I’ll be fine,” he said collecting his cane. “Rather careless of you to climb up like that in those shoes.”
“Thank you,” said Belle.
He shrugged. “No matter.”
Belle motioned at the tree. “What do you think?”
Gold looked appraisingly at the decoration. “You’ve certainly put a lot of detail into it.”
“I tried.”
“It hardly seems worth your neck.”
“I think I was holding out some futile hope that it might inspire some donations...” Belle motioned at the box she had wrapped in shiny red paper and placed at the bottom of the tree.
“A book drive?”
“I thought it would be nice for the children who need it to have something of their own to take home.”
“You don’t seem to be having a great deal of luck.”
“No, I’m afraid not,” said Belle. “Never mind my problems. What brings you to the library, Mr. Gold?”
“Yes, of course. I just got some new first editions in at the shop. I thought you might like to have a look at them.”
She smiled. “Surely you have someone who can actually afford them who might like to look first?”
“As it happens, I don’t.”
“You’ll spoil me, Mr. Gold. I can come by tomorrow, if that’s alright with you?”
“Until tomorrow.”
The next day Belle awoke to another freezing Maine morning. She pondered whether she wanted to go to the diner and hear the inevitable topic of conversation, but her growling stomach won out over good sense.
“He can’t do that!,” said Leroy.
“He said it was a fire hazard,” said Ashley.
“He’ll stop at nothing!,” said Leroy.
Belle nodded at Ruby as she took off her scarf and coat. “What’s going on?”
“Gold says Sean and Ashley have to get rid of their tree.”
“You should go to the mayor,” Granny advised.
“Is it a fire hazard?,” asked Belle.
All heads turned towards her.
“What?”
“Of course not!,” snapped Ashley. “He just hates Christmas and wants to take it away from everyone!”
“He’s not the Grinch, Ashley,” said Belle. “If he wanted to take Christmas away he would just raise everyone’s rent.”
“Greedy bastard,” said Leroy.
“It’s no wonder his kid doesn’t come home,” said Ruby.
Word spread quickly throughout Storybrooke with everyone asking if Belle had heard what happened and professing their opinions on the issue. By lunchtime, Belle had heard enough of it.
She took a break in the afternoon to look at the books at Mr. Gold’s shop. It was freezing and she walked quickly as she spotted him shoveling the snow away from the doorway.
Which was when two boys, probably twelve, threw buckets of water at him.
“Take that, Grinch!”
With the temperature outside it would have been enough to shock anyone and Gold went stumbling towards the door as Belle raced towards him. The boys went running.
“Get back here, you bastards!,” Belle shouted as they ran cackling. She turned towards Gold. “Mr. Gold?”
“I’m fine,” he said, faltering as he went to grab his cane.
“Let’s get you inside.”
He went in first and Belle followed.
“Have you got a towel or something?”
“I am quite fine, Miss French.”
“How can you be? You must be freezing.”
“I keep a change of clothes in the shop.”
“Please let me help you.”
He mumbled gruffly and went beyond the curtain to the backroom of the shop. Belle stood uncertain what to do for a moment and then spotted a small space heater sitting just behind the counter. She unplugged it to carry it into the backroom.
There she found Gold. She had never seen the man without his jacket on, but she had managed to find him shirtless. She had little time to ponder the very tempting planes of his chest before she spotted a shining gold object hanging from a chain around his neck.
A Star of David.
He seemed to spot her gaze as soon as it landed on him, hurrying to put on and button up the fresh shirt.
“Miss French, your concern is appreciated, but overindulgent. I am fine.”
She ignored him, finding a new plug for the space heater. “I thought this might help. Where’s your kettle? I’ll make you some tea.”
“Gold’s Jewish?,” asked Ruby as she poured Belle's coffee.
The waitress was in disbelief.
“He was wearing a Star of David and he doesn’t like to decorate for Christmas. How stupid are we all that none of us thought of it?”
Ruby frowned. “But he’s Scottish.”
“There are Jewish people in Scotland, Ruby!” Belle held up her iPad mini, her leading source on Scottish Jewry. “In fact it seems Glasgow has the largest Jewish community...”
“Why is that important?”
Belle frowned. “Because Mr. Gold is from Glasgow?”
“Is he?”
“Ruby, not to be critical, but you’ve lived here your whole life?”
“Yeah.”
“And Mr. Gold’s been here this whole time?”
“Yeah, but when I was a kid he only owned like half the town.”
“And he hasn’t put up Christmas lights once?”
“No.”
“And nobody considered the possibility that he was Jewish?”
Ruby shook her head. “He was... Scottish.”
Leroy approached. “You talking about Gold?”
Belle sighed. “Yes, Leroy.”
“Did you hear some kids nailed him with water buckets?”
Belle turned to Leroy. “Yes, Leroy and when I see their arses next I intend to beat them with my shoe.”
“What’s your problem?”
“My problem is this town and your hateful little campaign against Mr. Gold for no good reason.”
“Belle, we are this close to being The Most Christmas-y Town in America.”
“And you all choose to celebrate the birth of Jesus by forcing everyone else to. This is as bad as the Starbucks cups.”
“Come on, Belle, they can’t put one snowflake on it?”
“It’s just a cup!,” Belle shouted. “And we don’t even have a Starbucks!”
“Do you even have Christmas in Australia?”
Belle shook her head. “Oh, my God... I just... can’t... I...”
Leroy didn’t see why this was an odd question. “I mean, isn’t it hot there?”
“We go to the beach! We have a barbecque! Because Christmas is not about decorations or winning some stupid contest, it’s about spending time with your friends and your family and letting them know what they mean to you!” Belle took out the iPad. “And you know what? I’m going to show you what it’s truly about. I am going to buy Mr. Gold a Chanukah present.”
Ruby frowned. “What? Like the little spinning top thing?”
“No, not like the little spinning top thing. How long do I have even?” Belle resumed tapping on the iPad.
“It still doesn’t mean he gets to tell Ashley and Sean to take down their Christmas tree,” said Leroy.
Belle looked at her search results where she was met with a startling revelation.
“It’s tonight.”
Ruby tilted her head. “I thought it was like the day after Christmas.”
“Oh, my God, it’s tonight and it’s happening...” Belle looked out the diner window at the setting sun, faintly visible behind gray clouds. She looked around frantically. “I need something now. Ruby, give me that pie.”
“But the apple’s our best seller,” said Ruby.
“Do I look like I’m joking? Pack up the pie.”
"I was going to order a piece of that!," Leroy protested.
Racing the sun, Belle walked briskly to Mr. Gold’s house. She had never been before, but the lack of decoration made it stand out in this case, though she wished she had dressed a little warmer as her legs went numb underneath her tights.
Her fingers nearly frozen, she made her way up the steps and rang the bell.
An eternity seemed to pass as Belle stood shivering. Mr. Gold finally blessedly answered the door.
“Miss French.”
“Mr. Gold.”
“How can I help you?”
“I wanted to check on you,” she said, her lips becoming clumsy. “After today. I wanted to make sure you were alright.”
He eyed her suspiciously. “Come in, Miss French.”
She did and was ecstatic to feel the heat of the house.
“May I take your coat?”
She put the bag with the pie down, shrugging off her coat.
“Your solution to make certain that I didn’t catch hypothermia was to get it yourself?”
“Well, I don’t have a car.”
“You might have called.”
“You’ve never given me your number.”
He didn’t answer that. “I’ll make some tea.”
Belle followed him further back, the dining room was connected to the kitchen, but there was no sign of anything like a holiday. Surely he ought to have something out by now? Her eyes wandered over the china cabinet to the very top shelf where she saw a Menorah shoved to the back. She glanced over at Gold as he filled the kettle.
“Shouldn’t that be out?”
He looked back at her. “Shouldn’t what be out?”
“Your menorah? It’s the first night, isn’t it?”
He looked up. “That? No. Why bother?”
“Mind if I have a closer look?” Belle retrieved a chair from the table and climbed on. Gold’s expression became one of panic.
“Miss French, I would prefer you not risk your life on old relics-”
Belle shoved aside the other items and came up holding the gold Menorah. She turned back triumphantly and stepped off the chair.
“It’s hardly risking my life, Mr. Gold.”
“Thank you, but I haven’t bothered with it in years.”
“Oh,” said Belle. “So, you weren’t the one to polish it, either?”
He didn’t answer, going back to the kitchen as Belle took a closer look at the menorah. There were nine candle holders and they were linked by an intricate design of vines.
“I like it. Where did you get it?”
“I don’t remember.”
Belle turned it over to see Gold engraved on the bottom. “Your surname is on it.”
He grunted. “My grandfather made it. He went to Glasgow in the thirties, worked with metal.”
Belle placed it on the table and took a seat. A few moments later, Gold made his way over with the tea tray and joined her.
“Do you have any plans for the holiday?”
Gold looked up at her as if she had been speaking a foreign language. “Plans?”
“You know, family coming?”
“No.”
“Not even your son?”
“No, he’s busy.”
“I’m sorry.”
He shrugged. “No matter.”
Their gaze ended up on the menorah.
“You could light it,” Belle suggested.
Gold shook his head. “I don’t have any candles.”
“Oh.” Belle felt a bit deflated. “I brought you pie. From Granny’s? Basically frozen by now.”
“Did Mrs. Lucas know it was for me?”
“No. She won’t have had a chance to poison it.”
Gold smiled. Belle giggled back.
Gold insisted upon driving Belle back to the library. As soon as the Cadillac was gone, Ruby darted across the street to Belle.
“You were gone so long, I wondered what happened.”
“I was fine.”
“So? What happened?”
“We had a lovely chat, drank tea and had some pie.” She looked wistfully down the street as the Cadillac disappeared down the street. “I’m going back tomorrow.”
“What? Why?”
“Because he shouldn’t be alone. It’s a holiday. No one should be alone.”