Author's Notes: I do not own Once Upon A Time. I intend this as a love letter to Rumbelle and the fandom. I make no claims on historical accuracy in terms of the studio system and immediate postwar history, but as a history major and film major I intend to do my best as a matter of honor. Please let me know what you think and happy reading.

Hollywood.

The place where most people came to pursue their dreams had become Robert Gold's nightmare.

As his alarm clock rang, he got three unpleasant reminders. One, he was alone, his wife having long ago decided she needed her own bedroom. Two, his leg throbbed. It always had since the war. Third, he was due at the studio in an hour.

God, he hated this place.

The door opened and Milah stuck her head in. "If you don't get up, you'll be late."

"Yeah, thanks..."

She let the bedroom door slam on her way out and Robert painstakingly sat on the side of the bed.

Another day in paradise.

"Mama! Mama! Wake up!"

Lacey French opened her eyes and smiled. Colette stood over her, boring holes into her.

"Well, good morning, sweetheart."

"I need to know how the story ends," she lamented as she plopped onto the mattress with her blonde locks bouncing.

Lacey frowned playfully. "That's not quite the deal we made, is it?"

"Does the prince save the princess?"

"Well, you'll have to wait and see tonight assuming you behave for Mrs. Lucas," said Lacey, forging her way around the five year old and into the bathroom.

"Mama..." she moaned.

Lacey stood. "Colette, you know I have to be at the studio."

Colette sat on the bed and pouted as Lacey walked into the bathroom. "Why?"

Lacey flicked on the vanity light and sighed as she looked in the mirror.

"Because princes only save the princesses in stories."

Don Francis walked into the Story Department of Storybrooke Studios just as the first secretaries began to arrive and start the coffee. He walked straight back to the office he was certain had been occupied all night.

"Laurel..."

The petite brunette lifted her head from the desk and groaned.

"What on earth do you want?"

"We're meeting Leo in an hour."

"What? No..."

"No, I had to bribe Johannah to get us the slot after his bagel, but before he meets with Regina. It's the best slot of the day, he's never happy after he talks to publicity."

"It's not ready."

"Yes, it's ready, Laurel. Come on."

She staggered up. "Why can't we do it next week?"

Laurel stepped behind the screen in her office to change. Don turned away.

"Because August Booth's picture wraps this week. It's my only chance to get Robert Gold before somebody snags him."

"You mean Eddie."

"When Eddie just wants him to play the bad guy for his new golden boy, yeah."

Laurel emerged from behind the screen in a fresh dress. "Someone's bitter." She turned around in front of Don. "Zip me."

Don shook his head. "What do you do when no one's there?"

"Suffer."

The door opened and they were joined by an Englishman in a bizarre vest. He eyed the scene before him.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Don snorted. "No."

"Mark, would you zip me? Don's being horrid."

Don stepped aside as Mark zipped the dress.

"The way I see it is we pitch three ideas. We'll use Red Riding Hood first, then Beauty and the Beast and then a throwaway. Laurel you've got something, don't you?"

"Do you think I just sit around here coming up with bad ideas?"

"So you don't have one?," asked Mark.

"Of course I do."

Lacey pulled next to the guard station. The line of Cadillacs went practically all the way down Riverside. Lacey's little blue Studebaker stuck out as the engine chugged. She was still uncertain about life as an actress and had only relented on buying any kind of car out of practicality.

"Miss French," said the guard.

"Good morning, Mack. How are you?"

"Fine."

"And Jocelyn? How's she handling the baby?"

"She's practically sleeping through the night, my little princess."

"Oh, good. I'm so glad."

Lacey got a start as the car behind her blew its horn. She turned back to shoot a glare at the driver of the black Cadillac.

"Sorry, Miss French, I shouldn't have been talking your ear off."

"It's not your fault, Mack," said Lacey. She turned back. "Someone's being rude!"

Lacey drove off into the lot. The black Cadillac pulled up.

"Good morning, Mr. Gold," Mack said.

Gold merely grunted in response and drove on to the lot.

The wait outside Leo Blanchard's office was agonizing, but none of the three wanted to go in unless he was done with his bagel.

"Stick with the plan, Laurel," said Don, looking at her sideways.

"I can stick with the plan."

Mark leaned forward. "You just have a tendency to go off script."

"I do not."

"And you get frustrated," Don added gently.

"Name one time I got frustrated in a story meeting."

"The Sherlock Holmes meeting," said Mark.

"Eventually someone is going to have that take on it. It's crying out for it. This is his own fault for not doing Mermaid," Laurel snapped.

"Going well already," Mark muttered.

"How are we supposed to shoot underwater?," asked Don.

"Esther Williams is doing it somehow!"

"We could pitch Snow Queen," said Mark.

Don shook his head. "Don't you dare backtrack now."

"Snow Queen isn't near ready to pitch."

"Guys," said Don, "we pitch three ideas. Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast and the throwaway."

Johannah entered. "Mr. Blanchard is ready for you."

Leo Blanchard was a quiet man. He didn't like scripts, he liked the plots written up for him and he liked to hear pitches. Always three.

A system which arguably the best team at Storybrooke Studios often used to their advantage.

He stared at them as Laurel finished her Red Riding Hood pitch.

"She eats the boyfriend?"

"Yes."

Leo frowned. "You can't end a picture like that. I'd rather she eat the grandmother."

"We'll work on it, let's move to the next idea," Don suggested, giving Laurel a nod.

"Right," said Laurel. She put on her biggest smile. "We start in a sleepy Provençal village-"

Leo looked at Mark. "What about True Love's Kiss? Peter could kiss the wolf and she turns back to the beautiful girl?"

"Well..."

Don spoke up again. "How are we going to shoot the boy kissing a wolf without his face getting chewed off?"

"I was speaking," said Laurel.

Don shot her a look of concern. Leo didn't notice.

"Of course, I'm sorry," said Leo. "Work on the wolf thing, though."

"Right," said Laurel, "we begin in a sleepy Provençal village-"

"Provençal?," Leo interrupted. "You don't have to go to France, do you?"

"No, we'll shoot it on the back lot," Don promised.

"We close in on a girl with her nose stuck in a book. This is Belle."

"Is this my Beauty and the Beast?," asked Leo.

"Yes."

"Well, don't drag me through every detail..."

"Belle's father is a merchant, he goes to do trade at the castle and is imprisoned by the fearsome Beast," said Laurel. "Belle goes to find her father and he's grown ill. She fears he'll die and trades herself to be Beast's prisoner. Over time, they fall in love and he lets her go."

"Lets her go?," asked Leo.

"This is where it gets good," Don promised.

"Belle's father doesn't believe Beast could have treated her kindly and leads the villagers along with Belle's idiot fiancé into an attack on the Beast's castle. When the villagers come, he's sad."

"Sad?" Leo seemed skeptical.

Mark spoke up. "He's lived in isolation in his castle for years. He never expected or believed that anyone could fall in love with him, but she has and he lets her go because she deserves a life he can't offer her. Now all he has to look forward to is the same bitter solitude. He welcomes death."

Laurel picked up. "Belle comes to the castle to save the Beast, but before she can, the fiance- Gaston- pushed him off a ledge. He falls to his end as Belle watches in horror. She goes to him and sobs..."

"And this is where your True Love's Kiss comes in," Don promised.

"Belle's goodbye kiss breaks his curse," Laurel finished. "They are married, Gaston is vanquished and they live happily ever after. We end with them waltzing on a ballroom floor."

Leo frowned. "What's the third idea?"

"Hamlet with lions," said Laurel.

Leo looked to Don. "Do you want to get control of her?"

Laurel continued undeterred. "We begin on an African savannah as the sun rises, animals of all types gather all marching towards the same destination-"

"Leo, we don't need a third idea," said Don. "Beauty and the Beast is it. You already made a lot of money with Snow White and Midas' Daughter."

"Do you think this is as good as Snow White?"

"Well, no fault of your daughter's but I think it could be better than Snow White."

Leo looked at Laurel. "Do you have a script?"

"Yes."

"Have you all seen The Mysterious Island yet?"

"Of course," said Don. "Everyone's talking about it."

Leo nodded. "Terrific picture with our newest starlet in a small role. I think she would be a good fit for the part of Belle..."

"The young widow with the baby?," asked Don.

"Lacey French." Leo took a publicity shot from his desk and handed it across the desk to Mark.

Mark nodded.

"Isn't she Australian?," asked Laurel.

Mark shrugged. "French. Australian. Americans can't really tell the difference.

"Errol Flynn," Leo interjected with a shrug.

"Precisely," said Mark. He turned back to Leo. "I'd like to do a screen test."

"Of course. I assumed you had someone in mind for the Beast and the fiancé. Gaston? You three never come in here without having all the ideas."

Don didn't blink. "George Knight and Robert Gold."

"Robert Gold? Interesting choice, but we might as well do something with him since he's under contract for the time being," said Leo. "Still, seems like a shame to have George Knight in makeup most of the picture..."

Laurel opened her mouth and Don placed his hand on her wrist. "Then we're a go?"

"Tell me when you've talked to Belle."

They said their thanks and left, leaving the air-conditioned comfort of the executive building for the glow of movie land sunshine.

"You didn't tell him," Laurel accused.

"I told him, he just drew his own conclusions."

"He'll find out eventually."

"Leo's about to go on a tour of Europe with his wife. When he gets back Beauty and the Beast will be so far along, he won't be able to argue. Leo can find out at the premiere."

Laurel looked at Mark. "Is this Australian any good? I can't have some starlet ruining my film."

"Don't you mean my film?," asked Mark.

"Our film. Beauty and the Beast is our film. We just have to keep everyone else from screwing it up," Don said decisively. He turned to Laurel. "I can't believe you actually pitched Hamlet with lions."

"Somebody is going to do it eventually," she said plaintively.

"Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it."