Well, here is the first chapter of Try To Remember! *screams internally* This will be the very last installment in my Almost Lover trilogy. It takes place in Storybrook.

If any of you have not read my previous two stories, Almost Lover and An Empty Heart, I really recommend that you do that first so that you can really understand the amount of depth and feeling I have put into these characters!

I would have uploaded this faster but I wanted to finish my Robin Hood fic first so that this could get all of my attention. Thus, this is three weeks later, but I hope the wait was well worth it.

As always, I hope to see some old faces and some new! Love all you guys!

This story is dedicated to my best friend Emma who simply could not wait for this! She helped me to figure out a lot of the story plot, and when I need to rant about it, I go to her. Also, this is for Jillian, who was so heartbroken over An Empty Heart that I don't really know how she's going to be able to survive the whirlwind of emotion and angst in this story...

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Really I don't. Well, except baby Rose...:)

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Belinda French walked the cold streets of Storybook. The town was a staple of cleanliness and order, but she always found it, for all its charm and history, cold. Cold as in aloof. Indifferent. As in no emotional attachment whatsoever. But perhaps she just found it particularly so today because the sky was overcast and dark with rain clouds, the trees whipped with a ferocity in the ghastly wind, and the chill of autumn nipped at her bones. Regardless of the reasons, she began to pick up speed, until she was nearly sprinting, trying to reach her destination before the torrential downpour.

In her hands was clutched her faded red leather purse. She held onto it tightly, ensuring that the purse would not open and give its contents up to the wind. The zipper would have served that purpose if it hadn't broken off nearly a week ago. But did she have the money to pay for a bright and new clutch, one without a broken zipper? No. The only money she did have to spend at the moment was in her purse and it was the very reason she was gripping it so tightly. Because if she lost this, she would be screwed. Totally screwed.

Her small, low-wage job as the town librarian was a pleasant job, one that Belinda enjoyed, but the truth was that it was not nearly enough to support herself and the baby. They were just scraping by and that was through Belinda's sparing every last penny of theirs. It made her question her decisions sometimes, but she never regretted them. How could she regret having little Rose? She was her true pride and joy in this world. But Belinda would be lying if she said that she hadn't asked herself if she had been ready to have a baby. The answer was a resounding 'no'. She hadn't been. But she had gotten pregnant anyway. And Rose had been born. And even with all of the hardship that had followed, she loved the baby with all her heart.

That reminded her. After she was finished here, she had to go pick up Rose from Granny's Diner. Ruby always looked after the baby while Belinda was working. Though Belinda wondered if perhaps Granny did most of the looking after...considering...well, Ruby. But then again, Ruby loved Belinda and loved Rose. So much so that she didn't charge them anything to look after her. Which made Belinda feel like it was a win-win situation.

Her thoughts stopped as apprehension assaulted her senses. She was finally at her destination, and just in time too, because the first droplets of rain were falling. And they were large and heavy. She hesitated for only a second before taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, and then she grabbed the handle and yanked the door open. She heard a bell jingle as she entered. The pawn shop was a place she made a habit not to frequent except for when she absolutely had to. Like today. But she did find a lot of the possessions to be of much interest. Old. Valuable. Antique. Collectible. Anything and everything that would perk her curiosity, if it weren't for the one thing that scared her senseless. Rather, one person. And here he was now.

She had heard the monotonous thud of the cane before he had even appeared from behind the curtain leading to the back room. Per usual, the man's dark suit was clean and tailored. A blue tie was at his throat and his hair was combed out of his eyes. Several rings adorned his fingers and a grim line were his lips. In one word: intimidating. And Belinda certainly felt intimidated when she was around this man.

"Ahh, Miss French, what can I do for you today?" He asked in a pleasant voice and a tilt of a smile. But it all felt cold to her. Like a crocodile's smile. That's how she would describe it.

Nevertheless, she mustered up a smile of her own and her politest voice as she walked up to the front counter and dug her hands into her purse. "Nothing, Mr. Gold. I just have your rent money." She successively pulled out the envelope containing the rent and handed it over to her landlord, watching as her hard-earned savings were grasped between his nimble fingers.

Silently, he counted it. That's what Belinda hated most about her meetings with him. He was just so quiet. It was nearly unbearable. Belinda liked her silence, but this was just awkward. And, anyway, she had a small baby at home. She didn't know what silence was anymore! Except when she was in Mr. Gold's presence.

"You appear to be short by half, Miss French," he stated. He seemed to be trying to hide his disapproval as he looked at her and gave her another one of his crocodile smiles. "Why would that be?"

Here it was. The moment she had been waiting for. She nervously drummed her fingers against her stomach and swallowed hard. Could he smell the fear on her? It had to be like an incredibly strong perfume wafting through the entire shop. Surprisingly, though, her voice did not shake as she answered him. "I know I don't have it all, Mr. Gold..." she fumbled and he frowned, "But I promise I will."

"Your promises mean nothing to me, I'm afraid. All I want is my money."

"And you'll have it," she insisted, "You see, Rose got sick this past week. It was just a simple cold, but being a new mother, I took her to the hospital and-" by now, she wondered if Mr. Gold was even listening to her story. To her, he looked positively bored. "Anyways, I was short the 250. But I will get it to you as soon as possible." Her tone indicated pleading.

Mr. Gold shook his head and sucked in breath through his teeth. "I'm sorry, Miss French, but people who come in here pleading with me to give them more time usually take my generosity for granted. So, forgive me if I don't believe you."

"I'm an honest woman. I work hard-" Belinda fought back but was interrupted.

"And you're a single mother with an infant, that's just the truth. The child will get sick. The child will need more food, more diapers, more care and attention. What happens when you can't make the payment next month, Miss French? Or the month after that? Ya see," he chuckled but it was bitter, "I'm the landlord. I need my money."

Belinda could barely resist rolling her eyes. Mr. Gold was the richest man in town! If he needed anything, it certainly wasn't more money! She couldn't even imagine what she would do with all the money he must have lying around...

Instead, she withheld the impulsive reaction and refused to back down. Her child's livelihood depended on this. She had to make him see it her way. "Please, Mr. Gold. I need this. I promise I will pay you back when I have the money. I swear it to you!" When he didn't answer, she threw every last shred of pride she owned out the window and succumbed to the one thing she had hoped she would never have to say. "Please, Mr. Gold. I beg you."

More silence. But he was intrigued. She could see it in his blue eyes. "You beg me, Miss French?" She nodded her head, utterly humiliated, but his answer was worth all of that. "Fine. I will give you two weeks to pay the remainder of this month's rent in addition to the 500 you owe me for next month...on one condition."

Belinda's heart went from soaring to crashing down. "On one condition?" She echoed warily. What could he possibly want from her? The girl who had virtually nothing but the clothes on her back and a baby in her arms?

He nodded his head. "Of course, I don't know what it is yet, but when I call you out on it, I expect you to hold to your promise."

She had no choice. It was either this or risk being kicked out on the street. Belinda couldn't have that. They would never survive that way. So, she nodded her head and held her hand out over the counter. "Deal," she declared with a hint of bravery in her stance. Her head was held high. She would not let it fall in front of him.

He seemed, at the very least, impressed that she wasn't whimpering and falling to the ground, pleading like some of the wretches whom he had had to deal with in the past. It was this thought that occupied his mind as he grasped her hand in his, smiled that crocodile grin, and whispered back, "The deal is struck."

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First chapter! Here we go! What did you all think? Love it? I hope so.

And the name 'Belinda' is courtesy of Emma. I had several names in my head and she helped me choose this one!

Please review, lovelies! :D

~Lady Gisborne 15