Summary: A freak violent storms kicks up and brings a new face to Storybrooke
Disclaimer: I own nothing of OUAT
Rating: T
Pairing: Rumplestiltskin and Belle
A VAMPIRE IN STORYBROOKE:
The denizens of Storybrooke all remained in doors on this dark and rainy night. Thunder and lightning pierced the heavens with jagged lines and sonic booms loud enough to raise the dead. Dr. Victor Frankenstein sat in Granny's watching the abysmal weather longing for his home, for his Castle, for his research, and for his brother that he had yet to bring back from the dead. What had happened to his brother in the last 28 years? Victor shuddered to think about it as he continued to look out the window. Then, something caught his attention. In the center of the street thunder and lightning started to build up followed by a sonic boom so loud everyone in the diner had to cover their ears and close their eyes. When Victor opened his eyes, gazing out at the street once more, there was a body lying in the center of the street. The side of him that was a Doctor, that wanted to help, kicked in and before he knew it he was outside staring at the body.
Gold had been in his shop glaring at the sky for his terrible timing at bringing this storm. The whole day had been dreary; plain miserable forcing people to remain indoors. He had had plans with Belle, but they had required a clear day. Now he had wait for a better day and Rumplestiltskin hated waiting. Then the heavens opened up with their assault of lightning and thunder so loud it made his eyes and ears hurt. Though, what amazed him more was that as suddenly as all of the thunder and lightning started it stopped, leaving behind a person in the street. It was his curiosity more than anything that brought him out of his shop to investigate what new mystery this cursed town had deemed to present them with. He, however, was not the first person to be drawn from shelter. A few other interested people were already standing in a circle around the body; Victor, Jefferson, Regina, and David. "What happened?" Gold asked just to break he eerie silence that had befallen them.
Victor crouched down over the body, feeling a sense of familiarity. Tentatively he reached out, touching the shoulder, and pulling the form over where he saw the face of a woman he never thought to see again. "Mina?" Victor whispered brushing back a lock of her midnight hair from her perfectly pale cheek. Her eyes were closed, her clothes were soaked, and she was barely breathing. From what he remembered Mina could mimic respiration as if she were still alive. Gently he reached out and felt her pulse, even though it was a futile gesture. "Mina?" He called to her again. This time he felt her stir. Victor could only hope that she was still in her right frame of mind. But this would not be his luck. Mina's eyes opened blazing in green fire. Before his mind could process what was happening he felt her fangs tear into his neck, "MINA!" He shouted.
Mina didn't know what was happening, where she was, or who the people were surrounding her. All she knew was that she was starving. The hunger burned through her, scoured her throat and it made her feel as if she would never be sated again. Then she caught a whiff of home, of blood she had tasted before. Opening her eyes she saw Victor and his blood was calling to her, begging her to taste him. Mina could hardly refuse; she was ever so hungry. Feeling her fangs extend she used her vampiric speed to get behind him, pull down the collar of his shirt, and sink her teeth home in his skin. Her fangs punctured the vein in the crook of his neck and the sweet nectar of life flowed over her tongue, soothing her ravaged throat as it filled her stomach. She drank deep, so deep that if she wanted she could drain her victim in a matter of minutes. Mina tried to fight back the blood haze, the euphoria as she tried not to kill Victor. She wasn't a killer. She couldn't be. Fighting back the rising urge to kill her prey Mina threw herself away from Victor, from the people gathered around, and curled up.
Jefferson moved to Victor's side taking out a handkerchief and pressing it to the two neat fang marks. The doctor wasn't the only one who recognized the woman. "Mina, its Jefferson." He angled his head to look at Victor, who nodded. Jefferson looked at Regina, at David, and then at Rumplestiltskin. The imp just shrugged. The Hatter went to his knees and leaned over the quivering form of the woman he had seen many times in the Doctor's realm. Gently Jefferson reached out to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. She stopped shaking and looked at him. "You're safe here." He soothed.
"Where am I?" Mina asked recognizing Jefferson finally able to make her voice work. She looked at all the faces around her; Victor who was grasping the side of his neck. He looked pale, deathly pale. "Victor, I'm sorry." She apologized. Moving away from Jefferson she went to her friend. Without explaining to the others, who she knew would have questions; she pricked her finger, moved aside the blood soaked silk, and rubbed a small amount of her blood over his wound. "Don't you know better than to feed a starving vampire?" Mina scolded Victor with a smile as he shook his head. The side of the good doctor's neck healed up in the blink of an eye. "All better."
"Who are you?" Regina asked taking a step back when Victor and the woman stood up. The pale woman wavered on her feet only to be caught by Jefferson. It confused Regina and she didn't like that feeling. Magic had brought the woman here but how? No one could travel between another world and this one. There were no portal's left, at least none that she knew of?
Mina turned to the other woman seeing the glare of suspicion being directed at her. She nearly hissed in disapproval but bit down on the urge. "I'm Mina. Victor knows who I am." It was the only explanation that she was going to give. "If you're going to ask how I got here, I don't know. All I know is there was a storm and blinding light, then I was here starving and feeding on Victor."
"Ok," Regina mumbled, and then she said, "The better question to ask is, what kind of thing are you?" She let mistrust coat every single word.
"I'm not a thing." Mina snapped. Anger was always a sure way she would do something stupid and she was more than likely to hurt someone as she was still so hungry. The blood she could smell called to her like a sirens song. In an effort to fight it, she clenched her fists tight, her nails digging into her palms.
"You're obviously not a person!" Regina fired back. She was reacting to the small amount of instinctual fear that warned her to back away slowly from the new arrival.
"She's someone from my world," Victor said. "Mina and her husband have helped in my research in bringing someone back from the dead." The people in this circle were the only ones to truly know who and what he was and where he came from. "Mina is… not alive in the traditional sense. Something else animates her body." He explained glancing at her. Victor could see she was fighting back her urge to feed again. "Mina?"
"I need a glass of red wine and dry clothes. I look like a drowned rat," Mina looked down at her appearance. Her boots were soaked all the way through the leather, her leather pants were clinging to her legs, and the bodice she wore kept the wet fabric of her shirt pressed tightly against hr dead flesh making it uncomfortable. Even the long jacket she wore was like wearing a wet blanket. She was breathing hard, not from the need of oxygen, "It'll help." Mina wrapped her arms around her mid section feeling colder than she had ever felt. The blood she took from Victor hadn't been enough to sustain her, enough to make her look alive. She needed more; she needed blood from someone more powerful. Mina could smell power in this land and from the woman who had called her a thing. There was even power coming from the man who said nothing, who leaned on a cane, and remained out of the way. But Mina turned her attention back to Regina. She was still very hungry.
Victor could see what was happening. He knew Mina better than he knew the people of this world. Now that he had his memory back, he could help her. Quickly he covered her eyes before her compulsion worked on Regina, "We'll get you that wine and clothes." Victor looked to Jefferson, "Do have something fitting the lady's style?" The Hatter smiled, touched Mina's shoulder, and headed away from the group.
"Has it escaped anyone's notice that she attacked Dr. Whale, and we're just going to let her roam free?" Regina snapped.
"She was hungry," Victor let his voice fill with anger in response to Regina's ignorance.
"What is she?!"
Mina shook off Victor's hold and turned to the other woman, "I'm a vampire."
GRANNY'S:
Mina sat at the bar bouncing her left leg up and down in an attempt to distract herself from all the heart beats in the room. If she wasn't careful then she would lose her control and attack someone. In nearly 200 years of her undead life she hadn't killed a single living person no matter how hungry she was. Mina wasn't going to start now. Victor had managed to convince the Sheriff that she wasn't a danger and for now, the blond man was going to let her roam free. Resting her elbows on the table Mina scrubbed her hands over her cold face. She was alone; she was the only vampire in this place. It just hit her. The man she loved was alone and so was she. In the back of her mind, just a distant echo, she could feel a great sadness. Her love knew she was missing. Mina had to fight back tears.
"Hey, are you alright?" Ruby had seen the stranger when she had come into the diner with Dr. Whale and then he had left her here to run a quick errand. She had been watching the woman ever since.
Mina looked at the kind face of a woman who smelled of wild blood, of the wolf. It was something Mina recognized, "Yes, I'm fine." She wiped away her tears that had fallen despite her best efforts. "I just realized I'm alone here. The only one I know is Victor." Mina took a glance around at all the people staring at her. It was hard being the new face.
"I'm Ruby," Red offered her hand, "Now you know me." The woman grasped her hand and red gasped at the intense cold that bled into her skin, racing up her arm. She took her hand back quickly shocked.
"I'm sorry." Mina placed her hands in her lap. "I'm just starving." She offered up as an explanation. "When I haven't fed well, my skin gets really cold" Then she remembered that she hadn't said her name, "I'm Mina by the way." Mina tried not to notice all the people staring at her and Ruby.
"If you're hungry I can fix you something to eat," Ruby offered taking in the woman before her. Her skin was deathly white, yet perfect in its complexion, and her eyes blazed an inhuman green that reminded her of an emerald burning in the flame of a candle.
"I… uhhh…. I don't eat." Mina fumbled feeling self conscious for the first time. It had been a long time since she had been around so many warm, live, people. "To eat food you have to be alive… and… well… I'm not really alive anymore." She rambled lacing her fingers together.
Ruby placed her hands over Mina's asking, "Then what do you eat?" She didn't miss the way her eyes flicked to the side of Ruby's neck and then her hands disappeared off the counter and into her lap. "Oh," Ruby stepped back resisting the urge to cover her neck.
"Yeah, I drink blood and on occasion red wine." Mina fiddled with the button hole on her jacket. "Victor went to the hospital to get me blood so I don't hurt anyone."
"I'm sure you won't," Ruby said stepping back to the counter. "I know what it's like to be afraid of hurting people."
"Of course she won't." Victor said. He had stood back watching Ruby talk to Mina for a few seconds before coming forward. "Now, Mina this blood isn't fresh, it's been stored until it could be used again. We'll see how well you do with it." Though, Victor wasn't really sure how well she would stomach it from the face she was making. "Ruby, could you heat this up and pour it in a wine glass, please." Victor handed the wolf the medical bag of blood.
Mina felt her stomach roll at the thought of ingesting old blood. "I don't know how well this will work, Victor." She sighed, "I've always fed from the vein, but I'll try it." A strange beeping drew her attention. When Mina looked up, Ruby was coming back with the wine glass and the smell of blood invaded her senses. It was heaven, it was bliss, and it would end her hunger. She knew her eyes were glowing with power and a growl rumbled in her throat. Ina flash her hands shot out, took the wine glass, and brought it to her lips. Greedily she drank deep, draining the glass in a matter of seconds. Her lips were painted crimson. The warm blood settled in her stomach but it didn't energize her like she was used to. "It's not working." She sighed. "The blood is too old."
"Then feed on me," Ruby suggested gaining the attention of everyone in the room. She didn't know what had made her offer, but she felt it was the right thing to do. If she could help Mina and keep her from hurting someone, Ruby might be able to pay back all that she had done in taking Peter's life and Gus. "I can help you. I'm a wolf."
Mina shook her head, "No, Ruby you don't know what you're offering. I could lose control and kill you." It was petty and low to try and frighten the wolf, but Mina feared what would happen to her should she actually ever kill someone. She had managed to avoid having that type of blood on her hands. "I'm sorry Ruby, but I can't let you offer your neck to me. Not right now, not when I am so hungry, not when I could kill." She closed her eyes and let the shame wash over her. Then, she felt the warmth of Ruby's hand on her arm. Looking at the wolf, she saw a knowing smile and understanding in the other woman's gaze.
EARLY MORNING:
JUST BEFORE DAWN
Mina had slipped away from Victor when he had succumbed to sleep. She still hadn't gotten that change of clothes and was eager to get out of the clothes. Out and about in the night she let her senses take in all the sights and the sounds that normal humans missed. Mina was able to follow the scent Jefferson left behind. She moved through the night unseen until she came to a large mansion. Up on the porch she tried the door knob and found it unlocked. Stepping quietly inside, she heard two heart beats. One was slow, telling her that someone was sleeping and the other was slightly elevated. Then the sound of pacing caught her attention. Moving with speed up the stairs she came into a large opulent bedroom where Hatter stood in front of a huge wardrobe. "Hatter?" Mina asked and made him jump. "Sorry."
With his heart beating wildly out of control from being startled by Mina he said, "I couldn't decide what you would have wanted to wear." Jefferson thought that was why she was here. He stepped aside motioning to all the clothes. "Take what you want."
Mina slipped the wet jacket off her shoulders letting it pool at her feet as she walked towards the wardrobe. Next came the buckles keeping her bodice hooked to her torso. Without having to ask him, Hatter came to release the middle hooks she couldn't reach. Soon, it too fell away from her body. Mina put her foot on the thin bench at the end of the bed to undo the laces of her boots that were laced all the way up past her knees. All the while she was aware of Jefferson watching her movements with avid interest. Mina made a great show out of removing her boots. Taking turns to drop them over her shoulders. Then came her black silk shirt. It was ruined from the blood she had taken from Victor. Mina slowly pulled it over her head, slowly exposed the long line of her back to Jefferson. The fabric of her she gathered up her long mass of her curly midnight locks to expose the mark of the Dracule, an ornate dragon with its wings spread and fire coming out of it mouth, in between her shoulder blades. Mina dropped her shirt to the floor and then felt his hands on her hips.
"You know," Jefferson whispered raggedly, "A lady should be modest." He teased her. Mina was always kind hearted but she had a wicked side to her when she chose to explore it. Right now, he could tell, she was choosing to be naughty. Of course it was mainly due to the fact that her hunger hadn't been sated completely. The primal side of her that demanded blood as payment would force her to feed and it was better for everyone if she fed on someone she knew, someone she had tasted before.
"You're right," Mina purred, "A lady should be modest." She turned in Jefferson's embrace pressing herself tight in against him. Her lips sought his, sought the warmth of his body. He was willing and brought his arms around her letting her ravish his mouth. Jefferson even growled when her fangs scraped his bottom lip. She took a step towards the bed but didn't have the chance to take another. Jefferson's hands came down to the back of her leather clad thighs and picked her up. She eagerly wrapped her legs around him while they continued to kiss. "Let… me… feed… from… you…" She gasped between kisses.
Jefferson knew what she wanted and he was more than willing to give it to her. The backs of his knees hit the edge of the bed causing him to sit abruptly on the overly stuffed bed. They broke the kiss and chuckled. She was naked from the waist up and he was still fully clothed, but this was not about sex. It was about blood and she desired his. Mina slid off his lap to let him situate himself in the center of the bed. Then he motioned for her to come to him. He was eager to once again feel the bite of a vampire. It was more addicting than traveling between worlds.
Mina growled low in her chest climbing up on the bed. She settled herself over Jefferson's waist, her hands going to the black scarf he wore. Teasingly she tugged it free and then saw a scar that went from ear to ear, only she had a sick feeling that the scar encompassed his whole neck, "Dear lord, Jefferson…."
His haze abated and Jefferson took the scarf from her putting it back around his neck, "Not from the neck." He didn't want her to stop. Jefferson took her hands and placed them over the buttons of his vest. She caught on. Then, one by one, the buttons popped open. Mina pushed the tough material aside so she could go at the buttons of his shirt. Hastily she freed them. Under the light of the crescent moon his bare skin shimmered in the moon light. Jefferson gasped from the anticipation of her fangs sinking deep into his flesh. "Do it…" He moaned.
Mina let her hunger have free reign over her mind. Stretching out between his legs she felt his hardness pressed in against her abdomen as she set her lips over his left nipple, right above his heart. She let her tongue swirl around the straining bud before she dragged her fangs down hard enough to scour his flesh leaving red welts. His heart beat out of control; she could taste his pulse dancing on the tip of her tongue. Mina made sure to count his breaths. One. Two. Three. On his fourth breath in Mina sank her fangs in right above his nipple. The blood flowed into her mouth bringing the slight hint of magic with it. With her tongue she swirled around his hardened nipple again while she drank him down. Mina arched her back rubbing her stomach over the steel of his manhood so he got as much pleasure from this feeding as she was being nourished. As she sucked deep on the two puncture wounds Mina rubbed against him causing enough friction. Over and over she did this while listening to him moaning in pure male pleasure.
Jefferson sank his fingers into Mina's hair arching his back at the feeling of her hungry mouth at his chest. His mind was overwhelmed with so many different sensations. Her fangs had hurt, but then she started toying with his nipple while flexing her stomach muscles over his firm member that he didn't know what to feel at one time. "Oh, gods…" Jefferson moaned loudly. "Take as much as you need." He gasped tightening his hold on Mina's hair. She nodded as best as she was able without sinking her fangs back into his chest.
Mina knew she had to stop soon, but Jefferson tasted so good. His blood reminded her of the summer sun when she had been human. He tasted wild and uninhibited. Jefferson was addicting. Sucking he last bit of blood she dared Mina forced herself back where she pricked the tip of her finger and rubbed her blood over the two small puncture wounds healing them completely. His blood painted his chest just as her breasts were covered red. Jefferson lay against the mound of pillows, his chest heaving up and down. From his memories she knew there was a wash room attached to the bedroom. Her feet carried her to the bathroom where she soaked a black wash cloth and cleaned the blood off of her chest. Mina wrung the cloth out seeing the bloody water run down the drain. She wet the cloth again cleaning out the rest of the blood so she could take it out to Jefferson and clean his blood up while he regained his strength.
Jefferson's head was still processing everything that had just happened when he felt the warmth wet cloth against his chest. He opened his eyes to see Mina cleaning the blood off of him. Jefferson hadn't realized that she had taken so much. "That was amazing." He smiled brushing one of her curls out of her face. "You haven't lost your touch, Mina." She backed off the bed; her eye adverted, and went back into the bathroom. Jefferson followed her. "What's the matter?" He asked.
"You let me feed on you while your daughter was in this house." Mina looked at herself once again in the mirror almost sick at the sight of herself. The child could have come in at any time to see a vampire feeding on her father. "I can't believe…" She trailed off not knowing what to add to that.
Jefferson turned Mina to face him, "You fed on me while you had a husband." He stated. "My daughter sleeps through the night. She sleeps so soundly that not even a stampede of ogre's could wake her." Jefferson brought his hands up and cupped her face, "You needed this and I wanted to help." He noticed that a red tint had come to her cheeks. She had certainly fed well. It was enough to make her seem alive; her chest even rose and fell as she took in air that she didn't need.
Mina brought her hands up and pushed his ruined bloody clothes off of his shoulders and even took the scarf from around his neck again. Rapidly his blood memories were fading and she wanted to know what had happened to him. "How did you come by such an angry scar?" She asked dropping the scarf so she could trace the pink line with her index finger.
Jefferson sighed placing his hands on her waist again, rubbing his thumbs over the edge of her leather pants, "I got trapped in Wonderland." He said. "I was tricked by Regina, through no fault of my own, and the Queen of Hearts caught me; she beheaded me but I didn't die." Mina leaned into him and kissed the closest section of his scar. Her lips were warm just as the rest of her body would be for hours to come.
Mina pulled back, "I'm sorry that happened to you." She had memories of a long ago era were men were brutally killed with pikes. That had been her husband's doing from a time when he had been a monster, a killer consumed with blood and madness and sadness. "If there is anything I can do…"
Jefferson covered her mouth, "You can feed on me when you need to." He said with a euphoric smile. "Now, you must dress because I am sure Victor will want you close until he is sure you'll acclimate to this world well enough." Jefferson winked dragging Mina back out to the bedroom. As she stared at the clothes his fingers busied themselves with undoing the laces of her pants. He rolled them down her long legs and helped her to step out of them. "By tomorrow night these clothes will be cleaned and you can change to once again feel like yourself." Jefferson left her alone.
Mina picked out another pair of leather pants, a crimson silk shirt, and a vest small enough to be skin tight on her so that it would hold her breasts in place until she had her corset returned. She pulled the pants on, buttoned them, and pulled the zipper up. Mina made sure to pick the smallest clothes as she could so they would be tight on her slender frame. Her build had always been lithe and elfin thin. Each button closed covering more and more of her pale skin. Then it came time for the vest. Slipping it on, she fixed the buttons and pulled the laces as tight as she could on the either side. She took in her appearance and noticed that her hair didn't look right half up and half down with this new look of hers. Mina pulled free the multitude of tiny clips holding her half her mass of curls up away from her face. The locks tumbled down over her shoulders and now she looked more like she belonged here. She went to sit on the bench where she once again laced her boots up. The shoes Jefferson had didn't appeal to her.
Rather than wait for Jefferson to return, Mina slipped from his house so he didn't have to entertain her anymore. She knew he was tired but he had been fighting to stay awake so long as she was there. This way, he would see her note on the mirror and then he would smile before lying down to get some sleep. It's not like she wouldn't see him again. In a flash of movement Mina made it back to the town just as the sun was rising. At first she wasn't worried; she was safe guarded against the sun thanks to her husband and his gypsy descendants, but then a terrible pain seared along her jaw, her hand, and the triangle of her chest that was exposed from the shirt she wore. Hissing in pain Mina disappeared through the first door she came to. She didn't have time to marvel at the library as more sun light filtered through the windows. Mina sped through the book shelves until she came to a corner with just enough darkness to keep the sun off of her. She had to huddle in close to the wall as her skin healed instantly. "Brilliant!" She shouted knocking the back of her head against the hard wall.
Belle had gotten up early so she could do more cleaning in the library. It was her hope that she could have the doors open by next week, but that looked less and less likely. She was just pulling on one of Ruby's borrowed flannel shirts she used for cleaning when she heard the door open and a muffled voice fill the silence. Leaving her shoes off, Belle padded on silent feet down the stairs and into the still dark library. What she saw shocked her. A pale beautiful woman was huddled in a dark corner keeping out of the sunlight as much as she could. "Are you ok?" Belle asked going over, compassion filled her.
Mina heard the footsteps coming down the stairs and thanked whatever god was listening that she hadn't fought Jefferson when he offered her his blood. A young woman with auburn hair and blue eyes appeared looking concerned. "No, I'm not. The sun has me trapped." Mina answered honestly. "I'm new here and well I don't get along with the sun very well." Knowing that it would hurt, Mina needed to demonstrate what she meant. She stuck her hand into a ray of light where the skin began to burn and sizzle. Mina pulled her arm back into the dark and laughed out of futility. "I'm stuck in this corner unless you know someone who can wield magic."
Belle came closer as the other woman's skin had started to burn. "I do know someone but I don't know if he could help or if he wants to." She replied. Belle wasn't sure that Rumpelstiltskin would help even if she asked after she had practically threatened him to stop using magic. Their relationship was complicated on a good day. "If you give me ten minutes I can bring him here." She offered.
Mina looked up with gratitude, "Thank you." She whispered hugging her knees closer to her chest trying to keep away from the sunlight. The other girl backed away and headed for the front door. Mina had no other choice but to listen to her footsteps and then the front door opened and then closed. Until the kind hearted, kind eyed, young woman came back Mina was stuck hiding from the sun. There was the small part of her that feared the woman wouldn't come back.
Belle made her way down the street and over to Rumple's shop. She felt back for having to go to him, but at the same time she was determined to bring help to someone she had promised it to. Belle peeked in the window and saw him standing there behind one of the counters seamlessly lost in thought as he stared at their chipped cup. Tentatively she knocked on the glass pane gaining his attention. He smiled at her and waved her inside. "Here we go," Belle sighed painting a gentle smile on her face.
Rumplestiltskin was surprised to see Belle knocking on his door, it was pleasant. The bell over the door jingled signaling her coming into his shop. He grabbed his cane and stepped out from behind the counter making sure first that the cup was safely on the glass counter, "What can I do for you?" He asked.
"I didn't want to come here, to ask to do…" Belle fumbled, "I don't want to put you in this position…" She covered her mouth with her hands. Her words were coming out wrong and she wasn't making sense. He came to her and put his left hand on her shoulder. Instantly Belle calmed and she was able to speak. "There is this woman in the library and she needs help; magical help. I hate to ask you to do this considering I…"
"Sweetheart, it's alright. If you need my help, then it's yours; always and completely yours." Rumplestiltskin said. He would do anything for Belle no matter what she asked. "Let's go and see what I can do for her." He smiled waiting for Belle to lead the way. Then she threw her arms over his shoulders. "What is it?" He asked.
"Thank you," Belle whispered. She stepped back and smiled at him. "I know I'm not being consistent, asking you to stop, and then being in a spot where you had to use magic, then coming here and asking you to use magic…" Belle trailed off and then shook her head.
Rumplestiltskin stepped to the door and then offered Belle his hand, "Come on."
Back at the library Mina tried to regulate her breathing. It was true she didn't need it, but it helped to give her something to do while she waited for the girl to come back. Mina was trying to keep her breathing in and out and very slow but the more she thought about being trapped inside all day was drawing her attention away from her breathing. Then she heard footsteps, two sets, one was normal and wearing heels, and the other set was limping. "Are you back?!" she called out.
"Yes, we're back." Her voice echoed on the walls.
"Did you bring your friend?!" Mina angled her head trying to see the woman who said she would help but sunlight cut across her cheek. She hissed in pain and huddled further into the corner, she was quickly running out of darkness to cower in. "I really hope he can help."
"Oh I can dearie," Rumpelstiltskin stepped around the corner and was mildly shocked to see the woman from last night staring up at him. "Well, now, this is surprising."
Mina whispered, "Its you. You were there… last night…. What?"
"Yeah, so I was." He crouched down as best he could and said, "Now, it comes to my attention that you need my help." Rumple held out his hand, offering it to her, "I'm Rumplestiltskin. I didn't get a chance to introduce myself."
"I'm Mina," She looked to the other woman, "And you." Mina felt the sun creeping closer.
"I'm Belle." Belle crouched next to Rumple and saw the burn marks on Mina's face more clearly. "What can we do to help you?"
"I need a magical kick start." Mina started to unbutton her vest and then her shirt, "I hope your both aren't shy." She slid the vest off and avoided the sun as best she could. Then she stopped, "I should give the origin of my sun protection." Mina moved to the left just a little. Another ray of light was crept closer. "The man who made me what I am imparted a certain gypsy protection on my skin. When the sun shines on me molten gold markings appear on my wrists and track all the way to my temple. Since I am in another world I think the magic here is different and I need the marks enchanted again, but your magic must touch my skin."