A/N: Sorry this took so long. Been having computer issues and it's kind of awkward to write this story in the public library.
"Oh my Emma" the words played in her head over and over, "I do think I could love you"
Fingers traced lightly all over her body, leaving delicious tingles in their wake. Hearing herself groan, Emma reached out to grab the fingers to guide them to the area that had now begun aching desperately. Guiding the fingers to her, Emma heard a soft giggle as the fingers began playing with her panties. Slipping two fingers inside, Emma groaned as her hips arched into the touch as Belle found her sensitive clit and began rubbing. Feeling herself growing wetter by the minute, Emma parted her legs to give Belle's fingers more access to her aching point. Clawing at the bed sheets, Emma suddenly felt the intense urge to yank Belle down on top of her.
"Oh!" Emma shot up to pull the girl down on her, eyes blinking wildly when she found herself grasping at thin air.
"Shit!" Emma rubbed her sore eyes as her head pounded from the hangover.
"Emma!" her eyes flew open hopefully, but she was soon disappointed to see the worried frown of Mary Margaret, "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, yeah" Emma said with a slight moan as she swung her legs off the side of the bed, "When did you get home?"
"Get home?" Mary Margaret gave her a very questioning look, "Emma, I never left. I came home after school ended and was in the middle of grading papers when I fell asleep"
"You were here the entire time!" Emma felt her face burn red, "Shit, Mary Margaret I am so sorry, I thought you were gone-"
"Emma, what's going on?" Mary Margaret took a few steps away from her, "You look like you've seen a ghost!"
"I feel like I have" Emma whispered to the floor before peering up at Mary Margaret desperately, "Last night, I was upset over Graham and I had a bit too much to drink"
"Yeah, I can see that" Mary Margaret nodded sarcastically as she folded her arms.
Emma waved off her friend. "Anyways, some girl helped me home. Have you ever heard of someone named Belle?" Margaret shook her head. "She's a bit shorter than me, has long auburn hair and big blue eyes. Thinks love is the key to everything?"
"I've never heard of her" Mary Margaret continued to shake her head, "And I know almost everyone here"
Emma let her hands flop to the side in exasperation. "She would've been all over Henry's curse theory"
Something clicked in Mary Margaret's mind and she peered up at Emma intently. "Wait, that's sounds a lot like Mr. French's daughter, Isabelle. But there's no way it could've been her"
"How come?" Emma wanted an answer and she wanted it now.
Mary Margaret looked very uncomfortable. "She died some years ago"
Emma blinked is shock. "Oh"
"Emma, I think you need to go get some coffee" Mary Margaret advised her friend, "I think you had way too much to drink last night and were seeing things. Where did you meet this girl anyways?"
"Granny's" Emma was completely flabbergasted. Last night had seemed so real. "Everyone was gone and it was just the two of us"
"Yeah, you were dreaming" Mary Margaret said with a closed lip smile, "As for Ms. Isabelle, the last person who saw her alive was Mr. Gold"
"Gold?" Emma couldn't help but sneer the name.
"Yep, she was his housekeeper for a while. Her father owed him money and she went over there to work off the debt. One night he fired her, and then no one heard from her again. A few days later, it was reported that Madam Mayor found her dead in the street"
"Interesting" Emma could help but give a soft laugh, "Regina probably poisoned her"
Mary Margaret gave her a withering look. "Actually, they blamed Mr. Gold originally, but he managed to have the accusations dropped"
"I'm sure he did" Emma gave another soft laugh, this time from relief, "That was one weird dream. I'm going to go jump in the shower and then I'm going off to the station"
"Emma" Mary Margaret called after her, "You don't have to rush. It's not even six in the morning. You don't have to be at the department for another hour and a half"
"Yeah, I know. Going to go in early today. Need some time to think"
A few hours later and with a clearer head, Emma was off in her car, doing a morning patrol of the back area of Storybrooke. Ms. Ginger had left an angry voicemail on her phone about a neighbor's dog barking uncontrollably in the night. Unfortunately for her, this was the second time she had gotten the report, and Ms. Ginger lived away from everyone else. Driving around the forest was not something Emma was comfortable with, especially after seeing Graham's wolf.
Her thoughts trailed to the night before of Belle, or whoever the girl had been. It had been such a vivid dream and periodically throughout the day, Emma could have sworn she felt the girl's fingers still tracing over her body. Feeling that sensitive area beginning to tingle again, Emma roughly pushed the thoughts away.
"I do think I could love you" Those soft words replayed over in Emma's mind, making her body tense uncomfortably. She did her best to shake off the images running through her mind.
Something white caught the corner of Emma's eyes and she slammed on the brakes. Thinking she had found the wolf again, Emma dashed out of her car, straight into the heart of the woods. She dashed wildly around for a few minutes.
"Hey!" she called out to no one in particular.
Something rustled behind and Emma instantly spun on her heels towards the noise. The bush was rustling. Eyes narrowing in concentration, Emma stealthy crouched down and inched her way towards the bushes, biting the inside of her cheek to stop from making any unwanted sounds. The rustling grew louder and louder-
"Oh!" Emma fell over flat on her back as two squirrels dashed out of the bushes. Closing her eyes, Emma took in several deep breaths, glad no one was around to see her. "Really!"
There was a slight giggling from behind her that made Emma's eyes fly open again. Arching her head back, Emma saw a pair of silver heels standing above her. Flipping herself over, her eyes trailed up the blue dress, finally to the dark tresses.
"It's you!" Emma gasped as she pulled herself to her feet.
Belle stood just a few feet in front of her, dressed in the same blue dress as the night before. Only this time, she wore a dark green forest came over her shoulders with a hood.
"Where did you come from?" Emma asked her, her voice coming out sharper than she had intended, "You scared the hell out of me!"
"I've been here the entire time" Belle said, her accent ringing softly in Emma's ear, "I've been watching you bravely fight the huge, ferocious squirrels over there"
"You saw that eh?" Emma stood stark still, remembering her earlier conversation with Mary Margaret, "Did you see my roommate in the apartment last night? She said she had been there the entire time"
"No one was there, but you and me" Belle said with a coy smile.
"Is that so" Emma could help but shift away from Belle. Something about the entire situation didn't sit right with her.
Belle didn't seem to notice Emma' tense disposition. Practically skipping, she was soon within arm's reach of Emma, a huge, knowing smile on her face.
"Admit it" she teased as she craned her slender neck towards Emma, "You're happy I'm back!"
Too shocked to say anything, Emma gave a half smile as Belle brushed off some dirt on Emma's face. Feeling the cool, soft fingers against her face, Emma couldn't help but shiver. There was no way this girl wasn't real.
"Follow me" Belle's eyes were twinkling so brightly that the stars would've been envious. Grabbing a stunned Emma by the hand, she continued on. "Follow me, Emma"
"Wait!" Emma shrieked as Belle began prancing away from her. Turning behind a few large trees, Belle was suddenly gone from sight. Sprinting, Emma was soon after her. "Hey, where are you going?"
She could hear Belle's sot laughter all around her. Emma broke out into a full run but it seemed the faster she ran, the farther Belle's voice became. Foot, hitting a tree stump, Emma soon found herself face flat on the ground again.
"Oh jeez" Emma growled under her breath as she pulled herself off the ground for what seem like the hundredth time that day.
"Pretty Sheriff" she heard Belle's singsong voice.
Looking over, she saw Belle smiling at her as she readjusted her hood back over her head. With that, she hopped over a fallen tree and disappeared from view.
"Hey wait!" Emma couldn't help but become frustrated with the girl.
Ankle twisted from her fall, Emma couldn't chase after her. Angling herself over the fallen tree, Emma stopped when she saw a group of tall bushes rustling. This time, she caught the shine of dark hair amongst plants, convincing her this time, there was actually a person in them.
"Hey!" Emma shouted as she saw the head move, "I'm not playing this game-" Emma came to a dead stop when she saw who it was behind the bushes.
"Good morning Deputy" came the rich, Scottish accent, "Sorry if I startled you"
"I-I'm sorry" Emma stuttered, "I thought you were a woman for a second"
Mr. Gold frowned at her. "Did I forget to take off my dress?"
"No, I-I, I'm sorry, long day!" Emma still continued to gape at him, as she took in the suit, apron, and shovel in his hand. "What are you doing out here?"
Mr. Gold stopped to inspect his shovel before answering her. "Spot of gardening"
"Gardening? In the woods? In a suit?" Emma looked at him incredulously, "Really? What are you gardening in the woods?"
"None of your concern" Mr. Gold gave her a wolfish grin before pointing his shovel at her, "And what might you be doing out here?"
Emma went to answer, but she stopped. Pulling herself back into her calm, cool, demeanor, she matched Mr. Gold stare for stare. "None of your concern"
"No, you were looking for a woman" Mr. Gold gave her a sarcastic laugh, "Well, Deputy, I can understand that desperate times call for desperate measures, but I highly doubt you'll find a woman out here"
"Excuse me! No, I meant I had seen someone and I was trying to find her!" Emma sputtered out.
"Oh, I see" Mr. Gold gave her a self satisfied grin as he angled himself around her, "I do wish I could be of more help to you Deputy, but I'm afraid I haven't seen anyone out here"
Emma was too stunned to say anything as she watched him walk off. Momentarily tempted to see what he had been 'gardening', she decided against it and continued her search for Belle. After another hour had passes by, Emma found herself staring at her patrol car. She had been wandering in one giant circle. Yanking opening her car door, she slid into her seat, griping the steering wheel as she tried to regain her composure. It was a good couple of minutes before she knew she had enough control over her emotions to drive.
"Hey Ruby" Emma said as she took a seat at the bar. She had just finished her shift for the day and Belle hadn't made any other appearances that day.
"Emma, are you ok?" Ruby approached her as she took Emma by the hand, "I know, it' the thousand dollar question"
"I'm fine" Emma said bluntly as she reclaimed her hand, "Question about last night; did you see a girl wearing a bright blue dress with dark hair?"
"No" Ruby shook her head, "What was her name?"
"Belle" Emma said flatly. It seemed that the conversation was going to take the same direction as it had earlier with Mary Margaret, and she wished she hadn't brought it up.
"There isn't anyone here by that name" Ruby's brow furrowed in confusion, "Then again, there might be a few people around here I actually don't know"
"Yeah. Right" Emma rolled her eyes.
Ruby shrugged slightly. "Sorry. You here for a drink?"
"Sure, why not" Emma said, feeling very disappointed.
Ruby nodded and walked off back into the kitchen to get Emma' usual glass of whiskey. Staring at the floor for a few minutes, Emma began wondering if she had indeed made Belle up. First Mary Margaret, whom everyone knew and loved across the town, hadn't heard of Belle, and now, neither did Ruby. And Ruby was one that seemed to make it a personal goal to know everyone in town. Could she really have been that lonely? Maybe Belle was just the quiet type who kept to herself mostly? And if she were real, why did Belle suddenly dance away from her?
'Maybe she's embarrassed' Emma couldn't help but think to herself as she pulled her arms around herself for comfort. Feeling a heavy pang in her chest, Emma did her best to throw up her walls as high as she could.
"Looking for me, pretty Sheriff?" Emma heard a soft giggle next to her.