The second the door snapped shut behind her, Belle turned back towards it, hoping beyond all hope that at any second, Mary Margaret or Henry or…someone…would come bursting through to save her from whatever spell Hook was under. But rather than a savior, she seemed to have gained a suitor.
Hook lowered himself down to one knee, took her hand and kissed it softly, and stood back up, his eyes never leaving hers for a moment. Belle gently pried her hand from his grip and backed up several steps, unsure of whether to run or refrain from any sudden movements.
"Has anyone ever told you that you're quite the beauty?" Hook asked, his eyebrow raised and accompanied by a familiar smirk that she had come to know even in her brief time around the pirate.
"You've no idea," she replied, rolling her eyes as the thought of the number of times every eligible man in her village had come calling at her father's door to ask for her hand and speak of only her beauty, and nothing else, came to the forefront of her mind. She quickly shook herself from her thoughts, stepping away from Hook and over towards the overturned bookshelves, hoping to possibly take his mind off of her until she could snap him out of this curse. "So, Deputy, I believe you said you're here to investigate the break-in?" He appeared lost for a moment, torn between the duty that he still knew he had and the newfound infatuation he had with Belle, until, sighing with annoyance, she added in the sweetest tone possible: "I would appreciate it so much if you could help me." At the mention of earning her gratitude and appreciation, his eyes lit up and he began scanning the room for evidence.
"Ah! Isn't this amazing?" Hook exclaimed after several moments of silence. He rose from where he'd been kneeling next to the overturned bookcase and turned towards Belle, holding out a scarf.
"That's not evidence, that's mine. I must have dropped it," she said, reaching out to take it from Hook just as he yanked it away and held it up to his face, rubbing it against his cheek.
"Your scent brings to mind an open field of wildflowers. Nothing like the sea, but still just as vast and infinite. Just as…everlasting," he said softly, wrapping the scarf around her neck and pulling her closer to him. He tied the scarf in a small knot but maintained his hold on it, despite Belle's constant attempts at pulling back. It became a game of tug of war until their faces were within an inch of each other and Belle managed to slip the scarf over her head and back away, towards the opposite side of the library, Hook trailing close behind her, her scarf now dangling from his hook.
Meanwhile, Mary Margaret and Henry burst into Mr. Gold's pawn shop, their breaths coming in gasps as they rested their hands on their knees to recover for a moment.
"Can I help you?" Mr. Gold asked, glancing up from what appeared to be the remains of a clock he was attempting to fix.
"The arrows that you sold me. They had magic, right?" Mary Margaret huffed, still out of breath.
"At one time, yes. Why do you ask?"
"We need to know what kind of magic," Henry said.
"They once belonged to a Cupid. I…acquired…them in my attempts at bottling true love some time ago. But they never produced any magic, so I kept them as trinkets. Why do you ask?" he explained, leaning over the glass with a newfound mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Mary Margaret and Henry shared a glance that they hoped only they could interpret correctly.
"I was practicing, and I accidently hit Pongo, and he's been laying next to a fire hydrant ever since. We thought that maybe he was under a spell, but it must just be a dog thing," Henry lied, waiting anxiously for whether or not Mr. Gold bought it.
"I see," he answered, that burst of excitement in his gaze fading to a look of boredom. "Well, I would suggest you refrain from hitting anyone else in the future. If that's all you need…" he trailed off, gesturing towards the door.
"That was it," Mary Margaret said, half-shoving Henry across the shop and out the door as quickly as they both could move without arousing suspicion.
"What do we do now? We can't let Hook make a move on Belle. And if Mr. Gold finds out, he's dead. Literally!" Henry cried as they started to run again, back in the direction of the library.
"I don't have any experience with Cupids. Maybe the magic will wear off on its own! But until then, there's only one person I know who's been able to keep Captain Hook at bay," Mary Margaret said, not needing to explain for Henry to know exactly where they were headed…and to whom she was referring.
