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Well, she had always wanted a pet.
“Alastair.” Belle stood in the hallway leading to their living room, stopped in her tracks.
“Hmm?” Gold answers the unspoken question without looking up from his current task.
“Is that a cat in our living room?” She pointed to a black cat curled up in Alastair’s lap, who was sitting on the floor with cat toys strewn across the rug.
“I believe she is a Felis Catus, ay.”
Belle let out a sound that was between a choked-off laugh and a groan. “I know what the scientific name for a house cat is, Al. I meant, what is it doing in our living room?”
The cat seemed to interpret her raised voice as a threat. It jumped up, its fur standing on end, and hissed at her. When the ball of fur wasn’t curled in on itself, Belle could see the cat better. It was missing its left eye, a scar cutting through the socket. It was skinny and missing fur in places, even though its coat didn’t have any knots. The hairbrush with black fur sticking to its prongs may be the reason for that.
Instead of answering her like a normal boyfriend, her lover kept petting the rogueish cat, making soft cooing sounds to calm it. Thankfully, it didn’t do more than give her the stink eye and sit back down, even though it refused to take its eye off her.
“Have I ever told ye the tale o Tam Ļin?” His accent was thicker than he normally used, making Belle more curious than concerned. He only let his accent through if he was relaxed, if he felt safe.
She set down her bag on the floor and stepped closer until the cat’s ears flattened on its head, then she sat on the floor, still several feet away. “No, I don’t believe you have, but you know me, I’m always up for a good story. But, this better explain why it looks like you robbed a pet store.”
Mr. Gold hummed and held out a cat treat in his palm. The cat took it slowly, its eye still never leaving her. “It’s an old Scottish folktale. There was a beautiful maid who met a man in the woods. She knew him as Tam Ļin, the elf knight who haunted the moorland at the edge o her father’s estate. She had been warned tae never go intae the forest, as it was known tae be claimed by the faerie. But with a heart full o adventure and bravery, she didn’t heed the warning, and thus met her knight.”
Belle’s attention was drawn to the cat, who seemed to be getting used to her presence enough to lie back down in the pawnbroker’s lap. She smiled at the adorable sight. If anyone in Storybrooke could see the feared Mr. Gold now, they’d think a changeling had replaced him.
“‘I am no elf, ma lady, but just a man, a mortal man.’ The knight told her his woeful tale. He was taken by the wild folk on a huntin trip when he was still young. From then on, he had been enchanted tae protect the woods, as he waited for his gruesome fate. Ye see, he was tae be a sacrifice tae hell that the fae performed on the feast o Samhain. Tae free him from his destined fate, she had to pull him from his horse as they paraded through the forest, and no matter what spell the queen o the fairies threw at them, she could not let him go. And, so she did as he bade. He transformed intae aw manner o beasts and horrors, and when she still did not let go, the queen turned him intae fire. Even as her skin burned, she did not release him. She haed won, and the queen was forced tae let him go.”
Belle waited for him to continue, but when he didn’t, she asked, “While that is a heartwarming tale, I fail to see how it relates to our furry friend.”
Al smiled. “I’ve been seein her around. After weeks o trying, I got her tae let me get close. I started tae leave out food on ma way home. Noticed she started following me a few nights back.”
His smile turned into a frown as a furious expression crossed his face. “Mr. Nottingham couldn’t make rent. Instead o wanting tae deal with me, and quite sloshed, he set his huntin dog on me.”
A hand flew to her mouth as Belle gasped. “Are you alright?”
He nodded and looked down at the cat, who had decided Belle wasn’t a threat at the moment and closed her eye. “I was on the ground before I knew it, dropped ma cane.” His hands clenched at the reminder of his busted ankle. “I-I couldn’t get away. Then I heard an ungodly howl, and she leapt out o the shadows and latched onto the dog’s behind. Na matter hou much he thrashed, she refused tae let go. Someone called the police, and thankfully, animal control. Keith was arrested. Apparently, Mr. Nottingham was runnin a dog fighting ring.” If possible, his face got even angrier.
After a few deep breaths, he continued, “The dog will be fine, and get the help and second chance he deserves. They were going to take the cat tae the shelter too, but I—intervened.”
He reached under the cat's chin to pull out a nametag on a black collar Belle hadn’t noticed before, “The maid that refused tae let destiny take her love was named Janet.”
Leaning forward, Belle could see, in bright gold letters on the tag, the name of the newest member of their family, Janet.