A/N: I am usually not a straightforward pairing girl, but I felt enamored with this couple. Reviews, comments and suggestions are always welcome and I hope that you will enjoy this first chapter. Happy reading!

Chapter Rating: K

Annabelle was a somewhat quiet girl. She was almost always shy, but she she longed to act courageous, at least just once. Her dream career was to become either an author or a librarian. Reading books let her escape from her life and it became her one true passion. Her mother died when she was eight years old from suicide. Her father turned to drugs ever since. He was a drug addict and became violent towards Annabelle when ever she spoke up. She lived somewhat in poverty, her father had a flower company, but that was it. They were on food stamps and her father had been trying to get on welfare for three years. As much as life dealt her a rough hand she was still a positive soul. She was optimistic at every turn and tried to enjoy her work. While she didn't have many friends, she had a very strange crush. His name was Mr. Gold, he was a wealthy business man who owned most of the town Annabelle lived in. It wasn't like she was attracted to his power or his looks (for which many thought he was lacking), but she was attracted to his aura. She felt like she knew him before and every time she heard his name, saw him or even caught a glimpse of him she would smile. Her father hated Mr. Gold and with good reason, Mr. Gold kept raising their rent and harassing her father. She didn't know what her father did to him, but she did know that it must have been something great. She really had no idea why she liked Mr. Gold, but her heart longed for him. Her father kept her inside all day and she rarely got out much, she never wanted to argue with him because he could get very violent when he got angry. Not a day would go by where she didn't miss her mother, she could always calm him down.

Annabelle was up at sunrise today and she was singing while cleaning. Just as she was finishing dusting the corners she heard yelling. She winced from bad memories of being hit by her father while he was screaming at her. She ran to where the source of the yelling was coming from.

"Please Gold, I will pay you! I just need more time," her father (Moe French) begged.

"You owe me rent today you fool! I will never give you extra time, so pay up and stop pleading," Mr. Gold sneered.

Annabelle hated moments when her father would cower, she wanted to do something, but what? Then an idea popped into her head and she tried to keep down her nerves.

"Mr. Gold I will work for you for free if you give my father more time on our rent," Annabelle spoke, with courage for the first time.

"Belle?" Mr. Gold said softly, almost in shock.

"No Annabelle, please don't," Moe said.

Mr. Gold was in shock for a moment, and then he regained his composure. His face turned cold and he cleared his throat, sending chills down Annabelle's spine.

"What would I want with you?" Mr. Gold snidely said, while looking Annabelle up and down.

"Well I can clean very well, and I can cook very nicely if I do say myself," she exclaimed.

Mr. Gold smirked and said, "fine, I could use that. Moe I will take your daughter, and she will now live with me. If you have any complaints I suggest you keep them to yourself or I shall make your life more miserable than it already is."

The rest of the day became a blur to Annabelle, her father protested loudly and Mr. Gold gave out threats, but the worst part was packing. She didn't really have much, but looking at her plain clothes compared to Mr. Gold's impeccable clothes made her feel inadequate. Most of her clothes were to big and belonged to her mother. Annabelle sort of had the same frame as her mother, but Annabelle was a little more petite. Annabelle picked up her mother's picture on her wooden dresser and smiled. Her mother was such a caring and a loving person, even on the day she past she was comforting to Annabelle. Tears started to form in her eyes when she heard a loud knock on the door, startling Annabelle.

Mr. Gold exclaimed to through the door to Annabelle, "the car is leaving Belle, either come with me now or stay here."

Her father screamed for her to stay, but she had to do this for the better.

Annabelle grabbed her suitcase and lugged it through the door and downstairs to the front door. Her father was crying and for the first time in a long time she was crying too.

"I will visit often Papa," Annabelle told her father.

She hadn't called her father Papa, since her mom was alive. It was a tearful goodbye, but she was glad to be out of her bad home situation. To be honest she was scared, very scared, but she was also a little excited to be seeing Mr. Gold more often. Her heart fluttered thinking about it. Under is hard demeanor must be a kind person.

In the car Annabelle sat in the backseat like she always did when going out with her father. Mr. Gold didn't protest, but also didn't seem happy about it either.

"Where will I be staying?" Annabelle finally spoke, breaking the silence.

"My dear lass, you will be staying with me in my home."

"Wh-what? In your mansion? With you?" Annabelle asked, while blushing.

"Of course dearie, I'm not going to let you sleep outside."

She gulped and smiled, this day just got better. Now Annabelle was determined, she was going to get her courage back and be the best she can be.

"Belle are you quite alright?" Mr. Gold asked.

"Yes I'm just fine, I was just daydreaming."

"Well dearie, here we are."

They arrived at a dark mansion with no lights on. It looked something like a horror house in the night and it made Annabelle wonder if it would look just as terrifying in the morning.

"What do you think of my home Belle?" Mr. Gold asked.

"It's very, uhm, unique," Belle stammered out.

Mr. Gold parked the car in his long driveway and got out to open the door for Annabelle. This action surprised her, she would never have suspected that a man so feared and hateful would do such a kind and gentlemen like thing.

"Thank you."

He nodded in her general direction and led her into the house. He flipped the lights and the entrance gleamed with shine and the chandelier glittered with poise. It was extravagant to say the least. Annabelle stood there in shock and Mr. Gold smirked at her expression and chuckled.

"This is your new home and your duties start tomorrow. I'll show you to your room now."

"How come you don't have any servants?" Annabelle asked.

"Because I have you now," he replied.

He decided to show her the room she would now be staying at. He took her up winding marble steps to a double door room. He motioned her to open it and she did so revealing a beautiful and elegant room. She was completely and utterly speechless. The room have dark hard wood floors, it had two bay windows, a skylight, a white princess canopy bed with red silk sheets perfect;y covering the bed. Her closet was humongous with what seemed liked thousands of clothes and shoes just for her. She put her hands up to her face and tried to cover her eyes as if it weren't real. When she uncovered her face it was all still there and Annabelle fell to the floor.

"I'll leave you alone tonight, but tomorrow you must get up at dawn to clean and do your new jobs." He said, trying to hide his glee.

He was overjoyed that Annabelle liked her room, he had tried to make it look like it did in the other world, but it didn't come even close. He had to leave immediately to stop him from smiling and hugging Annabelle.

The morning came and Annabelle woke up warm and refreshed. She was in a daze and she knew she had to start another day. She almost called out to her father, but when she looked around she saw that her room looked drastically different. Was this a dream? Then she remembered the events of yesterday it seemed so fast and so rushed that she was living with Mr. Gold, but somehow she seemed happy.