Dear all, welcome! This fic is about Merida and McIntosh, and what I wish could happen between them. I totally ship these two and there's not enough of them on ^^. This is my very first fanfic and, as you'll probably notice, English is not my first language, so please be indulgent! Constructive criticism is of course welcome! No flames: you don't like it, I don't force you to read it!
Disclaimer: I do not owe Once Upon a Time (otherwise Merida would have already married McIntosh and they would already have a whole bunch of crazy redhead babies running around!)
The sun was setting down over Storybrook. Life under the Dark Swan's threat was… peaceful, in a sense of 'calm before the storm' peace.
Belle had just finished the shop's inventory and was slowly walking down the street toward her home, her heart heavy with thoughts of Rumple. He had saved her life and in the process had become the hero Emma wished for. She had taken him away to finish whatever dark plan she had cooked up, and Bella had not seen or heard of Rumple for 3 days.
She was caught up in her thoughts, and maybe that's why she missed the strange cloud of blue smoke that appeared in an alley on her right. However, she didn't miss the man's voice when he called out to her.
"Hey, ye wench"
The rough voice startled her out of her thoughts and she instinctively took a step back before looking at him. The man seemed oddly familiar, though she could not remember where she had seen him before. He was tall, clearly in good shape, with messy dark curls and, based on the kilt he was wearing, she would have guessed he was Scottish.
"Tell me where I am! What's this strange place" he asked her, his hand moving toward his sword.
"Hum" she stammered "You're in Storybrook, Main. Have you ever heard of the dark curse? That's the place it took people from the Enchanted Forest… That's where you are right now. Who're you, where are you from?"
The man seemed to calm down with her answer, his hand finally moving away from his weapon. "Name's McIntosh, from clan McIntosh. I'm from DunBroch, don't ye remember me lass?"
Belle looked at him, surprised "What do you mean I don't remember you? Have we met before?"
"Aye, we have. Yer the one who helped Merida t'save her brothers and take the throne from us!"
Belle took a step back again. Considering his words, she could expect him to attack her, especially if she had indeed helped steal a throne from him… But the man didn't move to attack her, he just seemed genuinely surprised she didn't recognise him.
"Ye've really forgotten about me? Yer not lying?"
"I'm sorry. The Dark One resides here and for some reason she stole our memories of the past few weeks, if I indeed met you in these times I'm afraid she took these memories from me."
The man blanched "She took yer memories? Just yers or everyone's? Tell me!" "Everyone's! She took everyone's memories, but why are you asking?"
The man, McIntosh, seemed to shrink down at her words, as if hope had all but left him. "Then ye canna help me. If ye donna remember her… ye canna help me find her."
"You're looking for someone?" Belle wondered. Why did people with a quest always end up in Storybrook? "Who is she? I might not be able to remember her but maybe I can help you find her! I'm pretty good at decrypting magic and I'm good with with books! I could help you."
He seemed to hesitate but nodded with a sigh "What do I have ta lose. Okay, I'm lookin' fer me Queen. Name's Merida. If ye've met her ye cannot miss her: she's a loud, spirited fire-cracker with fire red-hair. The lass is quite hard ta miss."
Belle felt her worries disappear with each of his words. Of course she knew the girl! It was the same woman who Emma forced to turn Rumple into a hero! She nearly told him so but stopped. He said she was his Queen… and before he had said that she had help a woman steal a throne from him… so it had to mean that Belle and Merida had worked together while in Camelot to steal this throne! So then, why would he be looking for her now? Was he seeking revenge?
Her panic must have shown on her face because McIntosh slowly put his hands up in a non-threatening way, to show her he meant no harm. "Donna worry. I'm not looking fer her ta hurt her. I'm here ta rescue her." "Rescue her? Why would you come to save her if she… we, stole your throne?"
He sighed "Listen lass, that's a pretty long story, one that' ye'll remember someday I guess, but right now all ye need ta know is that I'm here ta save her. DunBroch's in danger and we need our Queen. Can ye help me or not?"
Belle nodded "I believe you. I'll help you. But I have to warn you: the Dark One was the one who took her here. I don't know why she needed her but I know she's been using Merida to do her dirty work."
"Usin' her?" he repeated, offended "What do ye mean usin' her? How?!"
"The Dark One… she can take someone's heart out of their chest without killing them. When she holds someone's heart, she can control this person and force her to do anything, even against their will. That's what she's done to Merida."
This time McIntosh really went white. "She took Merida's heart?" Belle nodded, again "She did. And we're not sure where they are now. The Dark One holds my husband too." After a though she added "If you're here to save Merida you're on our side. Come with me, there're some people you ought to meet".
"I'll come with ye"
Belle guided him toward the Charmings' apartment. Maybe this new, unpredicted ally could be helpful.
Just wait Merida. I'm comin' fer ye me Queen
Merida sighed and started to count the cracks on the stone wall again. This had been her way of passing time for the past two days. Thought she was glad the Dark One had other matters on her mind rather than play with her heart right now, she was also slowly beginning to think that maybe having her bored to death was Emma's latest plan.
'Well lass' she bitterly thought 'that's what ye get fer being sucked up into a crazy magical smoke cloud'. If only she hadn't been so close to Camelot at the time. DunBroch seemed to have been spared from the blasted curse, if only she had stayed there instead of going for a ride to clear her mind. 'If only I had just faced him instead of running away. That's yer punishment fer bein' a coward'. The Dark One had never asked her how she'd got trapped in the curse, she was too happy to have a puppet and didn't even bother taking her memories away. And Merida would have hated to confess it out loud: the only reason she was out there riding, so far away from home, was because she was hiding from a man. 'If only I could blame it all on him. Gods, that would be some much easier. That blasted, bloody oaf of a man'. But she could not, because it was not his fault… Wasn't really hers neither… 'Okay, maybe it was both our fault'… Something had happened, right before the curse, something she had definitely not seen coming. She was falling in love. And with one of the last men she ever thought she would fall in love with. 'By the Lords McIntosh if I ever see ye again I donna know if I'll kiss ye or kick ye'.
It had all started right after she'd found her father's helm, hereby saving her kingdom. She had been quite grateful for McIntosh's, McGuffin's and Dingwall's unexpected arrival to save her from Arthur, and McIntosh's words about her being the Queen had touched her more than she cared to admit out loud. Though she would never have expected it, her views of the three 'traitors' had shifted slowly. She had even mentally thanked Emma in her mind for having taught her the value of mercy and for encouraging her to spare these men's lives.
The feast for her coronation had been grand. Even more so since they celebrated both her coronation and the saving of the kingdom. In hindsight, Merida knew she had been a little too easy on ale that night, but it had been her coronation after all. Though it wasn't all ale's fault if she had suddenly seen McIntosh in a different light. Well, it might have influenced the look she thought she had seen in his eyes whenever she'd looked at him. And it might have also have influenced her reaction to him slightly. But she knew better now. Ale might have lowered her inhibition and made her more daring but it wasn't all.
Even now, weeks later, she could remember the fire she had felt burning in her core just from his glances. She remembered the desire she had seen in his eyes, and how it had echoed her own. She remembered how they had seemed to move around one another the whole evening, exchanging glances and loaded looks, softly brushing against each other when passing, hands barely touching when standing side-by-side. She remembered how they had started to talk at some point, and how the whole room had seemed to disappear around her, her attention solely on him. She remembered noticing that they were slowly moving toward one of the exists while talking, as if unconsciously moving away from the crowd for privacy. What she could not remember however, was how they had gone from talking in the main hall, surrounded by the whole clans, to furiously kissing each other in the secured privacy of her rooms. They must have crossed half the Castle to get there, but she couldn't recall any of it. For all she knew they might have just magically 'puffed' there.
What she did remember distinctively though was the burning passion she had felt as they'd kissed. She had prayed for it, for him, not to stop. She remembered the way his hands had felt on her hips, how they had moved over her body, leaving a trail of delicious burning fire in their wake. She remembered how he had caressed her, how he had grabbed the skirts of her dress, holding it around her waist to stroke her bare tight. This simple touch had been enough for her to moan his name in abandon. He had moved her to the bed and she had let him. It had been a bit clumsy at first, clearly ale's fault, but desperately, magically wonderful and overwhelmingly satisfying. His weight on her, his touch, his smell, his voice, the way he'd look at her, the way their sweat had mixed as they'd moved together toward pure, white, hot pleasure, it was all engraved in her mind. She had felt incredibly beautiful at that time; he had made her feel that way. And before she had fallen asleep she remembered wishing for it to happen again in the future.
The next morning however had been a different story. She had awoken with one of the worst hangover of her life, mentally promising herself that she would never, ever, drink like that again. And then she had noticed the clearly manly arm wrapped around her waist. She had frozen in panic and it had taken a few long seconds for her alcohol-addled, sleep-deprived brain to remember why there was a man in her bed and who the man was.
How she had managed to extricate herself out of his hold without waking him was beyond her, especially since the alcohol in her system didn't exactly make her more graceful or discreet. She had changed and ran out of the room before he'd woken up, and she had managed to spend most of the day hidden in her study, far away from him.
She had felt lost. At the time she had blamed ale for everything that had happened, cursing each and every drink she had had in her mind and aloud. How the hell was she supposed to face the man now? She had groaned when she'd realise the implications of what she had done: she was the Queen and she had just slept with one of her subjects. And not any subject, with McIntosh! One who had betrayed her. McIntosh had been a rebel at some point, he had threatened to kill her brothers just to get the throne for God's sake! And now she had slept with him! What if that was one of his ruse to get the throne? To sleep his way into her heart so she would make him King? Had she fallen straight into a trap? She'd had a sudden vision of him gloating as he woke up in her rooms. She could not allow this to happen ever again. She had to make it clear with him that she would not be this weak again.
With her mind made up she had been ready to face him. But, she had to admit, she had not expected any of what had happened after. She had not expected McIntosh to be the one to find her, catching her of guard, and never in a million year had she imagined he would be apologising to her! Hearing him apologise and call their night 'a mistake' had both relieved and angered her. Her womanly pride didn't take well to being considered 'a mistake' but the Queen in her was aware that this was the best possible outcome. They had both agreed that it should never happen again.
'What a fool I was'. She started to count the cracks again.
For a few days they had avoided each other, only meeting when necessary and never alone. But something had changed that night, and she was tragically aware of it. Every time they were in a room together her whole body was ablaze, like every fibre of her body was reacting to his own. She'd had to constantly monitor her features and reactions when he was around, and she'd wondered if he had the same problem with her.
And of course at some point what had to happen happened. He had come to her study to discuss some clan matter. Alone. In her study. Where people knew not to come and bother her. Where they were absolutely alone. She had resisted, or at least that's what she told herself to feel better. She couldn't recall who had attacked who… probably they had jumped each other… He had cleaned her desk in one swift movement, sending everything crashing down so he could sit her upon it. He had taken her on the desk... against the wall… on the floor in front of the fire place… driving her to pleasure so many times that she had lost count. As they'd laid on the floor after, soaking into the blissful pleasure and roaring fire of the fireplace, her head on his chest, his arm around her and his hand softly caressing her waist, she had asked him where they were going with that. He had sighed, she'd felt his large chest moving under her head, and his hand had stopped moving. He'd given her the answer she had expected, the one she would have given if he'd been the one to ask. "I don't know".
Much later they had agreed on taking it slow. They could not deny their attraction toward one another, not after what had happen twice. So they'd agreed to stop thinking and just see how it went. And it had worked for a while. Until their last dispute, the one she had been running away from that fateful day.
They had grown closer during this 'not-really-a-relationship-but-still-somehow-a-relation-that-includes-sex-but-no-feelings' of theirs. Cuddling after sex forced them to open up and talk, preferably not about work. So there was no denying that they had grown closer. People had started to notice the subtle but still evident shift in their relation. Her mother had been the most open about her concerns, and maybe that was what caused it all. Lady Elinor had expressed the very same concern Merida had voiced to herself the first time: what if this was all a trap? What if McIntosh had been pretending all along, just to seduce her? She had wished she could tell her mother she was wrong. But how could she have convinced her mother when she couldn't even convince herself?
She had been thinking about it when she'd met McIntosh that evening, and he'd sensed her mood straight away. He had gotten too damn good at reading her. At first she had refused to tell him what was wrong and it had angered him. They'd fought and at some point she had let go of everything. She'd told him about her conversation with her mother and how, indeed, she couldn't bring herself to trust him. She told him how she had doubts about everything because she just couldn't forget who he was: the one who had taunted her for being a woman their whole life, the one who had refused to recognise her as Queen, the one who had betrayed her, who had kidnapped her brothers and nearly killed them. The one who, not so long ago, would have done anything, even kill innocent wee boys, to be King. She told him that she could not forget, no matter how good sex was, no matter how… natural… being with him had become. And she'd told him she wasn't sure she could ever forget that. He'd stayed silent the whole time, tensed and straight as if to fight any physical reaction to her words. And he'd ask a single question "Is that really all ye think of me?" She had not answered, but her silence had been more eloquent than any word. He'd nodded "Well, there' nothin' I can do ta change yer mind now can I? Ye've decided." She had expected him to fight, to deny, but he'd just moved to leave the room, to leave her. He'd stopped by the door "I know ye won't believe me Merida, but it was never a game fer me. I dinna lie. And I'd never have expected ta fall in love with ye. But I did. And if ye'd given me chance, I'd have proved ye I could be a better man." He'd left and she'd remained frozen, her hands tight on the back of the chair in front of her. She'd felt regret, but she had not moved to stop him. Instead she'd ran to the stable to get her horse and she'd left for a ride to clear her mind and forget about everything.
And now here she was, a prisoner to the Dark One, lost in a strange new world, so different from her own, with no hope of escaping.
"God dammit" she fought against the ropes on her wrists again but to no avail. The Dark One had left with Rumplestiltskin a while ago and she was literally tied down until the blasted witch came back to free her. "God damn her. I should've killed her when I had a chance". She looked around again for something to help free herself or for an escape route. But she knew there were none, she'd been looking for the past few days. She could not free herself from these ropes, not with her arms spread like they were, and even if she could the only way out was through the house and she'd risk being caught by Emma. "God dammit" she swore again.
"So yer tellin' me ye know where the Dark One lives, but no one's tried ta get in and save them?"
Belle had taken McIntosh to meet Snow White and Charming, and they'd called Regina to meet them. Together they had all briefly explained the situation to McIntosh and that's what he got out of their explanation. "If ye know where she lives, if ye know she's keepin' them in her house, why donna ye just wait fer her ta leave ta get in and save them?" How could they have not thought of that?
"We tried" Regina answered "But her house is now warded against us. We can't enter."
"It is warded against ye specifically or against anyone who tries ta enter?" he wondered.
"What difference would that make?" Charming inquired.
"Well" McIntosh explained "I donna know much about magic but seems ta me that, if it's warded against ye specifically, maybe someone she dinna expect can still enter? I'm not from yer Storybrook, the Dark One donna know me and she could not have expected me ta come. So she had no reason ta ward her house against me. Maybe I can enter?"
Charming nearly said something but stopped. They all pondered… It could actually make sense… The house was not warded against Henry and despite being the Dark One they couldn't imagine she'd protect her house against everyone since innocent bystanders like a delivery boy or postman could then get hurt just from knocking… And Emma would obviously know who were the more likely to try and save her again: her parents, Regina, Hook… If she indeed warded the house against them only, then maybe an unplanned protagonist could enter…
"It's worth a try" Charming admitted.
"Great", 'Finally', "Let's go then"
"Let me just check that she is still with Hook" Regina moved to the mirror and waved her hand. Her reflexion changed to show Emma with Hook, somewhere in the woods "The coast is clear. But we will have to be quick"
"We will" McIntosh promised "It's either I can go in or I can't. And if I can it will only take me a few minutes ta save Merida".
"Let's move then"
'Eleven…Twelve…Thirteen…Fourteen… And fifteen… Still fifteen cracks on the wall, how surprisin'. I really need ta find a new hobby.'
Merida had no idea how long she had been down there, but her limbs were getting sore from her position on the floor. Where the hell was the bloody Dark One?
'Must be night already. Feels like I've been there alone fer hours. Where the hell is she?'
A sound of movement in the house caught her attention. Someone was moving above her. 'Is she finally back?' She waited, listening intensely. The steps seemed hesitant, as if the person didn't know the house. 'Canna be her then.' She realized. If only she wasn't gagged! She could have called for help! She frantically looked around for something that could make enough noise to catch the person's attention. Nothing. God damnit there was nothing around she could use.
The steps seemed to leave in another direction and she felt her panic rise 'Come back, come back, whoever ye are! Ye cana leave. Please, please come down there! Donna leave me here. Come on, come on.'
The steps seemed to hesitate around the house and disappeared for a while. She prayed he or she had just gone to search the first floor and would come back down soon. She waited restlessly and sigh in relief when she heard the steps again. This time they seemed to move closer. 'Come one, come on. Check the door and come down. Come on' Her heart soared when she heard the sound of the basement door being open. The steps moved down the stairs, coming closer and closer. Just a few more steps and she would be able to see him or her. More importantly the person would be able to see her!
'Finally! Come one, show me who ye are!' Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head when she finally saw who it was. How the Hell…
"Merida!"
McIntosh rushed to her side and quickly took the gag of her. "Are ye alright?"
She was stunned "McIntosh, but how? How are ye here?"
He moved to untied the ropes around her wrists "I'll explain everythin' later. We have ta move before the Dark One comes back. Do ye have yer heart back?"
"Aye" 'How the hell did he know about her heart?' "Aye I got it"
"Good" he finished the second knot, setting her free. He helped her up from her position on the floor, holding onto her waist as she stretched her legs for the first time in hours. "Can ye walk?"
"I think so"
They moved out of the basement as quickly as possible, McIntosh helping her up the stairs. He stopped her at the top of the stairs, quickly checking for any sign of the Dark One, before motioning her that they could move. They rushed out of the house where the Charmings, Regina and Belle were waiting for them.
"You found her! Are you ok?" Belle was the first to come to their help.
"We're good" McIntosh told her "I'm sorry, there was no sign of yer husband. We have ta go before the witch comes back!"
They all retreated to Gold's shop where they would find magic to help them. McIntosh never let go of Merida the whole way, she noticed.
Once settled inside Regina and Belle made sure to set up protection against the Dark One, to at least slow her down if she were to come.
McIntosh helped Merida onto a cot in the back room and she gladly sat down.
"Are ye ok lass?"
Merida nodded, tired.
"I'm glad ta be out"
McIntosh was about to say something but was interrupted when the Charmings, Regina and Belle came to join them, asking Merida questions about Emma and Rumplestiltskin. She answered everything she could with much patience. They finally left to rest, allowing the two some time alone, showing McIntosh how to properly close the shop's door behind them.
Once everything was safely locked he moved back to the room with Merida. Stopping at the entrance he took a minute to watch her. She had reclined on the cot but despite her closed eyes he knew she was not sleeping. Her long red tresses were fanned out under her head, like an angel's halo on fire. Her chest was slowly rising and lowering and he noticed for the first time how ragged she looked: her dress, the same one she'd been wearing the day she'd disappeared, was tattered and stained, her skin was sickly and slightly grey, with dark circle under her eyes, as if she'd been malnourished and had not slept properly in a while. 'Of course she hasn't eaten or slept properly ye oaf. She was kidnapped ye fool.'
He moved closer and she opened her eyes to meet his.
"Are they all gone?"
"Aye. We're alone."
She moved to sit on the edge of the cot, giving him some space to sit down next to her.
"So. Will ye tell me how the hell ye managed ta find yerself here lad?"
"Aye. I will"
He told her everything. How the Castle had gone mad when they had all realised something had happened to her. How they had heard about the curse in Camelot that had stolen everyone. How people had started to wonder if she had been near Camelot and been taken. He told her of his guilt when he'd realised that she had indeed been taken and that it was his fault. He told her how her mother had moved up as Regent in her absence, to protect the throne and how the McGuffins and Dingwalls had betrayed them again. He told her how, in a desperate last attempt, he had gone to the old hag, the one who had given the helm to King Fergus, to ask for a way to find Merida. He told her of the quest the hag sent him to, to gather ingredients for a potion that would help him. He told her how, once satisfied, the hag had brewed some strange decoction that would transport him through time and space toward her. He explained how he'd drank the potion and found himself here, in Storybrook, right in front of Belle, who he had recognised. He told her everything up until the moment he had appeared in the Dark One's basement to save her.
Merida listened to him without a word, her mind in frenzy. When he finally stopped she lashed out, punching his broad chest "Are ye crazy? By the Gods do ye realise how incredibly stupid ye were? What kind of fool are ye? Donna ye realise how dangerous it was ta go and see that hag? What if she had betrayed ye, ye oaf? How could ye trust her? How could ye drink something she gave ye? Were ye out of yer friggin' mind? That potion could've poisoned ye or kill ye? Why did ye do somethin' so reckless, so…"
"I did it fer ye!" he interrupted her rant and grabbed her wrist before she could hurt herself "I did it ta find ye! I had ta! It was me fault ye were taken in the first place! I had ta find ye."
She stopped fighting against his hold "Ye came because ye felt guilty? That's why ye did it?"
"No!" gosh, she got it all wrong "I did not come because I felt guilty! I came because I care about ye, ye crazy wench! I came because I love ye!"
She gaped at him "Ye love me… Ye love me still? After everything I've said"
McIntosh burnt crimson. He had not really planned to tell her that, not now, not this way, not after everything she had indeed said, but it was done "Aye. I do."
She shook her wrists out of his hold and looked away "I'm sorry fer what I told ye before. I regretted it the second I said it" she admitted.
"Merida…", "Let me finish" she stopped him "I care about ye McIntosh. I don't know if I can say it's love just yet, but I know fer sure that I canna see me future without ye in it. I'm sorry fer suggesting ye were doin' everythin' ta become King. I should have trusted ye more."
"Hey" he moved his hand to caress the side of her face, forcing her to look at him. "I will prove ye that I can be a better man Merida. I promise ye, ye will never have ta doubt me again"
He kissed her tenderly and she sighed.
It felt like home.