"Are you sure you don't mind coming with us Belle? I wasn't looking forward to the long drive home that's for sure" said Emma, while she sat on Belle's bed watching the tiny beauty pack her overnight bag.
"Emma," she replied, her Aussie accent drawing out Emma's name, "please don't be silly, of course I don't mind...I mean it's a bit of an adventure isn't it? This boy Henry comes out of seemingly nowhere, says he's your son, and wants you to come back home with him. It's exciting! But how are you feeling?" Emma looked up into Belle's sky blue eyes shadowed with concern about how her best friend was feeling.
"I don't know Bells, it's all so surreal...yet you know I did have a son that I gave up for adoption so he would have his best chance, and he'd be Henry's age now...and you know how I can tell if someone is lying? Well this kid? He's not lying..." Belle looked at Emma as she stared through her bedroom wall into the next room, as if she could see Henry sitting there waiting patiently for the two women to take him back to Storybrooke, where he lived.
"Ok, well I'm packed and ready to go! It will all work out Emma, I can feel it in my bones...we just have to do to take it one step at a time." Belle smiled at Emma as she led her out of her room, and into the lounge room where Henry was waiting.
"Ok Kid, let's get you back home." Emma reached out her hand to take Henry's. Belle fell into step behind the two, watching them as they made their way down to Emma's yellow VW. She took a deep breath, a million thoughts running through her mind. Her estranged father lived in Storybrooke. He moved there soon after Belle's mother had died, and Belle, wanting to finish her degree in Library Management, had stayed in Boston and had ended up moving in with Emma. Belle had never really told anyone, not even Emma, what had happened between herself and her father. She was a little concerned (well if truth be told she was greatly concerned) on what would happen if she saw her father again. But it may not happen, she thought to herself. Just do the brave thing and bravery will follow. Belle took a deep breath, sent the waiting Emma and Henry a beautiful smile, and got into the car with the others, ready to head out on their adventure.
"Well that was...intense" Emma said to Belle as they were driving down the main street of Storybrooke. Emma had dropped off Henry home and had met his "Mother". Belle had sat quietly in the car, and watched on as the front door had opened and a woman with short dark hair hurtled out and embraced Henry. That woman gave Belle chills up and down her spine, but she didn't tell Emma that, she sat there and listened as Emma explained the "interaction" for want of a better word, and based on that, Emma had decided that she would stay in Storybrooke just a little longer, to see if Henry was really ok, or if Madam Mayor Mills was ill treating the boy somehow.
"Ok, so what do we do now?" asked Belle, looking on either side of her as Emma drove. She noticed the flower shop on the corner "Game of Thorns". Belle knew that was her father's shop. Maybe I should tell Emma, she though, explain to her about what happened so long ago. Belle turned to Emma and opened her mouth, only to be cut off with Emma saying "Well firstly we need to find somewhere to sleep for the next few nights" Emma turned a brief look in Belle's direction, and at her friends nodding head, went onto say, "the only place that they have here is a B and B called Granny's Inn, lets hope they have some rooms for rent."
Emma pulled up in front of the inn. "Stay in the car where it's warm Belle, and once I have the rooms sorted I'll come out and get you." And with that, Emma exited the car, and went into the inn. Belle sat in the warm car and continued to look around her as dusk settled into night. Belle wasn't feeling too well, ever since she had entered Storybrooke her brain felt...cloudy...confused. She didn't know what to make of it. Some serious daydreaming had entered her head that was for sure, Belle thought to herself. The images of sweeping lands, large stone castles and golden ball gowns danced through her head. When she had seen the Mayor, she had flashes of dark dank stone walls, almost like a prison. It was all very strange, thought Belle, maybe I do need a but if a rest before I start work again, it looks like my imagination is starting to creep into my everyday life...and that can't be that good she thought with a laugh.
A movement out of the corner of her eye had Belle twisting around to get a better view through the darkness.
Along the sidewalk came a man. A very well dressed man, in a dark suit and tie that made him blend into the darkness. But the man didn't skulk in the shadows, his slow and rolling gate oozed power. Belle watched the man as he approached the Inn, and as he came flush with the car, Belle's eyes travelled up the man standing there. She took in his shiny black shoes, his impeccably made dark blue suit and overcoat, his black cane with what looked like a golden handle (surely not made of real gold she thought) She took in his lithe frame, and her blue eyes landed on his face, lined and strong. Not a young man, but by no means an old man. A very good looking man truth be told, Belle thought to herself. He turned his head slightly and looked out over the street, seeming not to take in the bright yellow VW to his right. He turned and headed into the inn where Emma was.
Belle thought of getting out of the car for a moment, to follow that man. The urge was so strong a part of Belle was shocked at the sudden need that seemed to be bursting through her chest. She took a moment, closed her eyes and took a breath to calm herself. She was not the type of woman to blindly follow a man, any man, let alone a stranger. Belle open her eyes and dared peak to her left to see Emma walking back out of the inn, smiling and swinging two sets of keys in her hand.
"Let's go Bells, we've got two rooms overlooking the town square...Oh and I have to tell you who I just met, it was the strangest thing, while I was in there this man came in..."