- Author's Note - Hey, guys!
Wow, you completely blew me away with the feedback on Chapter One! So many favorites and follows, and, of course, a HUGE thanks to Winchestergirl123, Nightingale690, twgreentea, and MedievalWarriorPrincess for going the extra mile, and sending in a review!
I just have one note before we get into Chapter Two.
So, if you were among the first to read the first Chapter, you'll probably remember that I wrote about a character named Killian, who is Belle's boyfriend. But, after posting the first Chapter, an idea for a different boyfriend for Belle, that'll be played by a character that's already in the movie, came to me. So, to make things easier, I went back and edited Killian out of Chapter One. It truly changes little to nothing, since, as I said, he was only mentioned, but please feel free to re-read Chapter One, if you'd like, and you'll see what character from the movie will be Belle's boyfriend/love interest in this Chapter, and I'll confirm it at the very end.
With that, here's Chapter Two. I really hope you all enjoy, and, as always, PLEASE review!
June
Belle sat in her airline seat, watching the clouds and the land beneath them pass by through the window next to her.
After eight months in England, staying on a secluded expansive estate with family friends, she was finally returning home to Derry, for the first time since that horrifying rainy day in October.
Belle had all but had a complete mental breakdown after witnessing Georgie's death. She rarely ate, and would vomit up what she did consume, though not on purpose, if was as if her body had a mind of its own, and was turning on any form of sustenance that entered it.
She hardly ever slept, and, when she did, she'd wake the entire house with her blood curdling screams fueled by the excruciating nightmares she'd experience.
Bryan and Katherine would burst into her room, expecting to see her being murdered, only to find their daughter still asleep in bed, but seemingly trapped in her slumber, gripping her bedding in such tight fists that, even with the sheets acting as a slight barrier, she'd still have marks on her palms from her fingernails, and it more often than not took them getting physical with her in order to wake her up.
They didn't know what to do. They'd already lost one child, and now another was slipping away from them, but in the exact opposite way they'd lost Georgie. Bill was also, naturally, suffering, not only because of the loss of his little brother, but seeing what it was doing to his beloved older sister. So, Bryan and Katherine had decided that, if there was any chance of Belle recovering, it had to be away from Derry.
The former Military pair had friends all over the World, and many of them were also retired. One in particular had an estate in the gorgeous English Countryside, where he raised horses and dogs for show. He had experience helping soldiers with PTSD, and that was the closest thing they could describe what Belle was going through, so they'd sent her to him, and that's where she'd stayed for eight months.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we hope you've had an enjoyable flight. The Captain has now turned on the 'Fasten Your Seatbelts' sign," came the voice of one of the Flight Attendant's over the plane's intercom, tearing Belle from her thoughts. "Please fasten your seatbelts, and prepare for landing. As always, thank you for flying Delta Airlines."
Taking in a deep breath, Belle secured her seatbelt across her slender waist, then laid her head back against the rest behind it, as the plane descended into Portland International Airport.
Bryan and Katherine stood outside, by where the shuttles, Ubers, and other cars would pull up to let people off, or pick them up. They didn't want to overwhelm their daughter by waiting for her right at the gate of her flight. They wanted to give her the time and space to get off the plane, collect her luggage, and come outside to meet them when she was ready.
Not to say they weren't anxious, almost vibrating with the combined excitement and nervousness of seeing their beloved baby girl for the first time in eight months, and the pair stood side by side, where Bryan had one arm wrapped around Katherine's slender shoulders, while she clutched at the front of his button down with one hand, and the back of it with her other.
The doors nearest to them slide open, and a fresh group of people came pouring out, mixed in with those trying to get inside, and Bryan looked for Belle, being 6'4" in height, and therefor able to see over the heads of most people.
But he didn't need to look long, before the crowd parted enough to reveal he and Katherine's daughter. She had an airport employee at her side, pushing the cart her luggage was piled onto, as she'd naturally had to take a lot, since she'd been gone more than half a year.
She'd truthfully only packed for a few months, and, when she'd needed more time, she'd gone shopping for new clothes and such, as well as additional luggage, so she could bring it all back with her. She was most defiantly a girl in the sense that she loved to shop.
Bryan and Katherine had opened a bank account overseas in Belle's name, and deposited a fair amount of funds into it for her, so money hadn't been a problem. It never really had for the family, as Bryan owned his own construction company, and Katherine had started a clothing line, which was successful enough that it was sold in a lot of high end stores all across the World.
Belle wore a long sleeve Navy henley from Abercrombie & Fitch, with most of the buttons undone, revealing the top of a lacy black bra, somewhat baggy grey jean capris, folded up a couple of times at the ankle, and black and white Converse sneakers with white ankle socks, while her seemingly endlessly long chestnut curls were down, hanging over her slender shoulders, and down her delicate back, as usual.
She looked a bit tired, but, otherwise, perfectly healthy. Her weight was back to where it'd been when Georgie died, and her already milky white skin had returned to its normal almost ethereal pale shade, as oppose to the practically pasty death-like hue it'd had eight months ago.
Coming to a halt a few feet from her parents, Belle thanked the airport employee, who gave her a smile and a nod, before heading back inside, while she turned to face her parents, whom she sent the strongest smile she could muster, as she rested her slender hand on the strap of her carry on bag, the only piece of luggage she carried.
"Hi, Mom," she said. "Hi, Dad."
Katherine smiled back, her eyes glistening with tears, and she moved forward, where she lifted her hands to cup either side of her daughter's face, gazing into it for a few seconds, as if to make sure she was real, before she closed her eyes, which squeezed the tears free, and moved his arms around her baby girl, hugging her tightly against her own slender form, while she choked out a soft sob.
Bryan soon followed after his wife, wrapping one long limb around both her and Belle, while lifting the other to cup and cradle the back of his daughter's silky head, his own eyes shimmering with tears of joy, love, and relief, which he soon sealed as well, as he held his two girls against himself, next turning his head to kiss the side of Belle's, before simply going back to enjoying the feeling of having his baby in his arms again, safe and healthy once more.
Belle couldn't help but stiffen slightly as Katherine first approached, and she stood still as her Mom cupped her face, before she found herself melting into first her arms, then her Dad's, her eyes slipping shut, while she raised her own hands to them, and the feeling of being held in her parents' loving embraces for the first time in eight months nearly caused her legs to buckle beneath her. Fortunately, Bryan was strong enough to effortlessly keep both his ladies on their feet, and she bit back a sob of relief, as she sagged into their safe, secure forms, and sheer comforting presences.
After loading up Bryan's blue Ford F-150 with Belle's luggage, the three climbed inside, pulled out of the airport, and onto Interstate 95, which would take them all the way back to Derry from Portland.
The three hour long ride was quiet, with the only sounds being the wind blowing through the truck, since they had the windows open, and the low noise of the music Bryan had playing softly on the radio.
He drove, while Katherine rode shotgun, and Belle sat in the backseat. She was scrolling through on her phone, only her closest friends knew she was coming back today, but not Bill, who was currently at school for his last day before Summer, and she wanted to surprise him. Something else Belle had been able to do in England was finish up her Senior Year of High School and graduate from such, so she was still all set to head off to Harvard in a few months.
Looking up from responding to a text from Caroline, who, along with Emma, and another girl named Bonnie, were Belle's tight knit group of girls, she saw her parents exchange a smile, while Bryan reached over, and picked up Katherine's hand where it rested on the center console, the two entwining fingers, before her Father went back to watching the road, and Belle was unable to help but smile softly at the sight of her parents probably the happiest and most in love they've been in almost a year.
As soon as the blue Ford F-150 crossed over the town line into Derry, Belle choked, and began coughing, when a feeling, like a heavy, dense fog, enveloped her in a suffocating manner, but she was able to cover it up, when her concerned parents looked back at her, by joking a bug had flown into her mouth.
Her smile fading, as soon as Bryan and Katherine faced forward once more, her Father chiding that she was just like every other woman, and didn't know how to keep her mouth shut, a joke that earned him a scoff and a slap to the chest from her Mother, which he laughed off, as did she, Belle looked out the open window next to her, watching the town go by, with all of its familiar sights and people, and she'd almost gotten her heart to return to its normal pace, when the truck pulled into the driveway of their house.
Seeing the family's home for the first time in eight months, when the last time she'd been in it was, without a doubt, during the worst time in her life, not to mention it was filled with both physical reminders of Georgie, and all of the memories of him, stole her breath from her lungs once more, though she managed to keep quiet about it this time, especially since her parents were distracted with other tasks.
Bryan killed the engine, and shared a look with Katherine, offering his wife a reassuring smile, before he climbed out, heading to begin unloading his daughter's luggage, while Kat climbed free next, moving to join Belle as she too climbed from the truck, her eyes never leaving the house.
"Does it look the same?" Katherine asked, lifting a hand to her daughter's slender back, and rubbing it through not only the material of her Henley, but her long chocolate curls that hung there.
"Yes," Belle nodded, almost jumping when her Mom touched her, she was that on edge that soon after returning to town.
"Well, we didn't change anything," Bryan said, as he gathered as many bags and other pieces of luggage, then sent his daughter a smile. "Unless you count the present your old parents have waiting for you in your bedroom."
"Mom, Dad, you shouldn't have," sighed Belle.
"Oh, come on," Katherine replied. "At least see it first. Then judge."
Belle smiled softly, nodding in agreement, before allowing her Mom to lead her up the front porch, and to the front door, which she paused to unlock, then open, before guiding her daughter inside.
"Oh, don't worry about the bags!" Bryan jokingly called after them. "I got it!"
Walking into the house, Belle once again felt suffocated. How did absolutely every single thing inside somehow make her think of Georgie?
She scanned the interior, which was brightly lit from all of the curtains being open, and the summer sun shining in, standing alone in the foyer, while Katherine walked around, opening all of the windows, that they'd naturally closed and locked, before they'd left for Portland, and Bryan took a few trips from the truck to his daughter's room and back with her luggage, allowing the fresh air inside the house.
"You okay?" Bryan asked, as he came to a halt beside her, after shutting the front door, holding the last of her packed up belongings, aside from the carry on bag she had slung over her slender shoulder.
"Yes," Belle quickly replied, before flicking a look over at her Mom. "I believe someone said something about a present."
Katherine laughed softly, while Bryan chuckled, and he wrapped his free arm around his daughter's shoulders, guiding her to the stairs, while his wife followed behind them. "There's my girl."
Each step made her legs weaker, and she wasn't sure she'd be able to stand the sight of Georgie's bedroom once they got to the second floor, but, as if able to read her mind, Bryan held her tight against his side, while Katherine was not even a full step behind Belle, ready to catch her if her husband's hold for some reason failed.
Upon reaching the landing, Belle's eyes fell upon the dark doorway of her little brother's room, and it both angered and pained her to see it was the only place in the house not brightly lit up by sunshine, getting to enjoy the fresh air blowing in from outside through an open window.
"It's dark," Belle said. "Why is it dark?" She heard either one or both of her parents begin to speak, but she swiftly cut them off. "Why is it dark? You can't leave it dark! Don't you remember Georgie's afraid of the dark? You can't leave him in the dark!"
"Okay!" Bryan replied, loud enough so she'd hear him over her rant, but not so high it'd startle her, or make her think she was angry. "Okay, sweetie."
"It's all right," Katherine spoke, lifting a hand to her daughter's back. "It's all right, baby. I'll open the curtains and the window for him, okay?"
Belle merely nodded, her dark brown eyes were glistening with a burning sheer of tears, and she watched her Mother move over to her little brother's room, pausing at the dark entrance, before she disappeared inside, and, a second later, the room filled with sunshine, followed by the sound of the window being unlatched, then opened, causing her to hear birds chirping outside, mixed in with the light breeze, and she relaxed.
"I'm sorry," Belle said, raising a slender limb to touch one side of her own beautiful face. She had to remember her parents had lost a child. She had to remember Bill had lost his brother too. It wasn't just her loss, though she certainly felt it in the worst way. "I'm so sorry."
"Hey," Bryan responded, setting down the luggage he carried, then reaching out to draw her into his arms. "It's all right, my love. It's all right. We know."
Katherine emerged from her lost son's room, and strode quickly over to where her husband held their daughter, adding in her own hands, as well as comforting words. "It's okay, sweetheart. It's okay. We promise."
Taking in a deep, noticably shuddered breath, Belle pulled back from Bryan, in order to wipe away the tears that had slipped free, then sent her parents a smile.
"Okay, present then, please," she joked, and her Mom and Dad smile in response, the latter nodding over at her room, which the former stepped into place to guide her to, while he gathered her luggage back up, and followed after them.
Stepping into her bedroom for the first time in eight months, Belle lifted her dark brown eyes to its interior. Her Dad had been truthful, nothing was different, it was all the same, aside from the new bedding on her bed, already made up, and the fact that was it was impeccably clean, plus it was naturally missing the stuff she'd taken with her, but, aside from that, it was the same.
"Your Mom picked out the new bedding," said Bryan, as he set the last of the luggage down in the pile he'd created just inside her doorway. "We thought you'd want something new to sleep on."
"But that's not the present," Katherine spoke up, pointing at the end of her bed, while a bright smile lit up her beautiful face. "That is."
Belle saw it now. Settled in a perfect display were a bunch of new photography equipment, including cameras, lenses, tripods, storage, software, and, even a brand new laptop to view and edit them on. Photography had been a hobby of hers, before Georgie's death. Pretty much every framed or hung picture in the house had been taken by her, aside from the ones she was in, and, of course, the ones from before she was born.
"Oh, Mom, Dad," Belle breathed, as she padded over to her bed, setting her carry on bag on the floor, before she sat down by the equipment, picking up the nearest camera, and turning it over to look at it, then lowering her eyes to the rest of the gear. "You shouldn't have."
"Well, despite your many shopping trips while away," said Bryan, standing next to Katherine with one arm around her, and the other hand resting on his hip. "You still had a lot of money left in the account we set up for you, so we wanted to do something nice for you with it. Something that would make your homecoming less stressful, and more. . . happy."
"I am happy," Belle replied, sending her parents a smile. "Thank you so much."
"You're welcome, sweetie," Bryan answered, moving over to his daughter, and leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her head. "We also figured you'd want to document your last summer here in Derry."
"So, what do you want to do now?" asked Katherine, walking a few steps over to where her husband stood with their baby girl. "Do you want to play with your new toys? Or you can unpack. Oh! Are you hungry? I can make you something while you unpack. Or you can wait and we can eat and unpack together."
"Kat," Bryan spoke up to his excited wife. "Let Belle tell us what she wants."
"Right," Katherine replied, blushing softly. "I'm sorry, sweetie. Your Dad's right. You tell us what you want to do."
"Um. . . " Belle began, setting the camera back down among the other equipment, then getting to her feet. "I want to go see Bill. If. . . that's okay."
"I think that's a great idea," Bryan said, nodding, before looking over at his wife. "School will be out soon."
"Yes," replied Katherine, smiling. "Of course, sweetie. Of course you want to see your brother. I know he'll be so happy to see you. We did as you asked, and didn't tell him you were coming home today, so, why don't you take your Dad's truck, and go pick him up from school? Give him the best surprise ever. Which is saying something, considering it's already his last day of the school year."
Belle smiled softly in response, nodding, before turning to her Dad, who dug the keys to his blue Ford F-150 out of his back jeans pocket, then handed them to her.
"Be careful," Bryan said, leaning in to press a kiss to her forehead, as she took the items.
"I will," replied Belle, before walking over to share a kiss on the cheek with her Mom.
"I'll unpack your stuff," Katherine said. "Then I'll get started on dinner. What would you like?"
"Mom, stop worrying about what I want," Belle laughed. "Make whatever you want, whatever we have."
"Oh, your Mom nearly bought out the entire grocery store when she went shopping yesterday while I was at work," Bryan chuckled. "I'm surprised it didn't tip Bill off. It's a good thing we have that extra fridge in the garage. She wanted to make sure you could have whatever you wanted for your first dinner back."
"Fine," Belle said. Truthfully, this was all overwhelming, but she was determined to get through it. Or, at least, her first 24 hours back without a breakdown. Aside from the small one she'd just had about Georgie's room being dark. "Meatloaf, rice, mashed potatoes and gravy."
"You got it," Katherine responded. "What about dessert?"
"Why don't Bill and I pick up a cake or something on the way home?" Belle suggested, truthfully looking for any way to spend as much time away from the house as possible.
"Cake sounds perfect," said Bryan, smiling softly at his daughter.
"Okay," Belle grinned sweetly in response, before finally making her way from the room, waving to her parents with the hand holding the truck's keys. "We'll be back."
She heard them call out farewells to her, as she did her best to leave the house at a normal pace, but, as soon as she was out the front door, she absolutely bolted for the truck, all but throwing herself inside it, then starting it up, and backing as quickly as possible out of the driveway without drawing attention, before driving off toward the school, which had previously been her school, before she'd finished her Senior Year and graduated while in England.
"Best. Feeling. Ever," said Stan, as he, Bill, Eddie, and Richie emptied their backpacks into the two black trashcans on the sidewalk out of the school, then put the now weightless items back on.
"Yeah?" replied Richie, looking up at him. "Try tickling your pickle for the first time."
"Hey, what do you guys wanna do tomorrow?" asked Eddie, as they all ignored their friend's usual crued humor.
"I start my training," answered Richie, while he adjusted his already too large for him glasses.
"What- What training?" inquired Eddie, with a furrowed brow.
"Street Fighter," explained Richie, with a slight shrug.
"Is that how you wanna spend your summer?" Eddie asked in disbelief. "Inside of an Arcade?" Even though the business in question had just undergone a serious transformation, in order to get kids back inside it to play their games, rather than at home on X-Boxs, Playstations, and computers, and he knew the last place his friend wanted to be was at home with his parents, if you could call them that.
"Beats spending it inside with your Mother," Richie retorted, before offering up his hand to Stan for a high five. "Oh!"
"What if we go to the Quarry?" Stan offered, lifting his own limb, though not to return his friend's gesture, but to grab his wrist, and use it to lower the arm.
"Guys, we have the B-B-B-Barrens," Bill reminded them, standing with one hand holding his empty backpack.
"Right," Stan said, as Eddie and Richie nodded, while an air of sadness washed over the four.
"Betty Ripsom's Mom," Eddie spoke up next, drawing the boys' attention to the woman standing on the other side of road, staring intently at the school, which kids were still piling out of, excited to start their summer, while Sheriff Bowers and one of his Deputies stood behind her by their Squad Car.
"Is she really expecting to see her come out of that school?" asked Stan.
"I don't know," Eddie replied. "As if Betty Ripsom's been hiding at home after the last few weeks."
"You think they'll actually find her?" Stan inquired next, his gentle, loving heart shining through once more.
"Sure, in a ditch, all decomposed, covered in worms and maggots," Richie instantly began, lifting a hand to gesture at the shortest of the group, as he went on. "Smelling like Eddie's Mom's underwear."
"Shut up!" Eddie snapped back. "That's disgusting."
"She's not dead, she's m-m-m-missing," Bill said firmly to Richie.
"Sorry, Bill," Richie said genuinely, as he absently lifted a hand to touch his glasses, before looking over at Eddie once more. "She's missing."
Turning around, Bill started to walk off, and Eddie and Richie followed him, the latter, of course, already talking once more, while Stan paused to pick up something off of the ground that he'd dumped out of his backpack, but that had missed the garbage can, and toss it in, before he went to join his friends.
"You know, the Barrens aren't that bad," Richie spoke up. "Who doesn't love splashing around in shitty water?"
Before he, or any of the others, for that matter, could do or say anything else, Henry Bowers suddenly appeared, grabbing the back of Richie's backpack, then using it to harshly yank him backward, where he collided with Stan's front, causing both boys to collapse to the ground with grunts of surprise and pain, while the latter's yamaka flew off, and was quickly snatched up by Patrick Hockstetter, who fell into a crouch by its owner, holding it up tauntingly before he could recover.
"Nice frisbee, flamer," Patrick chuckled.
"Give it back!" Stan exclaimed, making a grab for it, but the older boy was too quick.
Laughing, Patrick straightened up, sharing a look with Henry, as well as Belch Huggins, who was sneaking up behind Eddie, before he tossed it like a frisbee into the open window of a passing by bus. "Fuck you, losers!"
Eddie nearly vomitted, when Belch did what he does best, and burped right into his ear, before shoving him in front of Bill, who was soon purposely knocked into by Henry, as he and Patrick walked by to join up with the third member of their group, and started toward where the fourth, Victor Criss, was waiting across the street for them by Belch's late 80s dark blue Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.
"You s-s-s-s-suck, Bowers!" Bill exclaimed, having a particularly hard time with the word 'suck', since any words with 's' or 'p' are the more difficult ones for him, and so the stutter of it came out more as one long syllable, rather than several individual 's's, but in his anger toward the lead bully, he managed to get it out, while Richie and Stan got to their feet behind he and Eddie at the garbage cans.
"Shut up, Bill!" Eddie pleadingly whispered to his friend, but it was too late, as the three older boys stopped, and turned to face the four, Patrick smirking widely.
"You. . . s-s-s-say something, B-B-Billy?" Henry mocked the one who stood up to him, before starting over toward him once more, shaking his head as he did so, and soon followed a few steps by Belch and Patrick. "You got a free ride this year 'cause of your siblings. Ride's over, Denbrough."
The sound of static on a radio suddenly pierced the air, and Henry looked over to see his Father, still with Betty Ripsom's Mom and his Deputy by the Squad Car, taking a step closer to the group, taking off his sunglasses, eyes glued on his son, whom he sent a warning look, knowing that's all he had to give him.
"This Summer's gonna be a hurt train," Henry continued, after meeting his Father's eyes, which, outwardly, only bothered him a bit, but, inside, shook him to his very core. "For you and your faggot friends."
Lifting one of his hands, he licked the entire length, from the bottom of the palm to the tips of his fingers, then went to wipe it on Bill's face, but, out of nowhere, another limb shot out, and grabbed it, preventing the action.
Belle stepped in between her brother and Henry, using her hold on the latter's wrist to twist the limb around behind his back, then lift a foot to kick the bully away, as she simultaneously released his arm.
Bill's heart skidded to a halt within his chest, as he suddenly found his beloved big sister, whom he hadn't seen in eight months, not only here, but saving him from Henry in a way he had no idea she knew how to do, while Eddie, Richie, and Stan's eyes widened at the appearance of Belle.
Henry, meanwhile, stumbled on his feet, as she kicked him away, before angrily spinning around to see who'd done that, any plans he had to do or say something dying when he saw who it was, while the smirk that had alighted Patrick's face completely died, as he found himself looking at her sudden form in shock.
"Stay away from my brother and his friends, Henry," Belle said in a warning tone, while she planted her feet even more firmly on the ground in front of said boys.
"Well, well, well," Henry replied, a smirk of his own beginning to spread out across his visage, as he recovered from the blow, which still shocked him to learn had come from Belle, and started toward her. "Look who it is." Turning his head, he met Patrick's gaze with his own. "Better watch out, buddy. The ex is back in town."
"Why are you still hanging out with these Psychos?" Belle asked Patrick, finally looking past Henry at her ex-boyfriend.
"What do you care?" Patrick asked, recovering enough to smirk slightly, followed by a shrug of his lean shoulders. "You dumped me, remember?"
Belle sighed softly. She should've known Patrick would hate her. They'd dated for years, pretty much their entire teenage ones. They'd be each other's first everything. First date, first kiss, everything that came with being one another's first boyfriend and girlfriend. They'd even lost their virginities to one another. But then things changed.
Patrick started hanging out with Henry and the others, began bullying kids, even her own brother, and Belle knew she had to make a choice, which led to her breaking up with him, then, not long after, Georgie died, causing her to have to leave town to recover for eight months.
She still loved him though, she most defiantly continued to care about him. He was her first love, after all. They always hold a special, untouchable place in your heart, not to mention body, mind, and soul.
"Yeah," Henry said, turning to face her once more. "Then you left town for almost a year. My boy's moved on, sweetheart. Found some better pussy."
"Oh, baby," Belle mockingly said, while smiling in the same manner, even though it truly hurt her to think about Patrick with other girls. "There is no better than mine."
All four of the boys' eyes widened now, especially Bill. He'd never heard his sister talk like that. Even if she actually hadn't said the word as Henry had.
The lead bully chuckled softly, flicking a glance down Belle's beautiful, slender form, spotting the black lace of her bra visible through the open buttons of her Henley. "Such a tease." Taking a step closer, he went on. "You know there's only one way to find it. How about you give us a kiss?"
Belle mocked another smile, before leaning forward to whisper to him. "If you don't leave my brother and his friends alone, the only thing you'll be kissing is that pitiful thing between your legs goodbye."
Henry's smile faded, and he backed away on instinct, gazing at her for a moment, before he recovered, his eyes sweeping from Belle and the boys, to his Dad, who was still watching, now with a smirk on his face, and finally to his friends.
"Come on, Henry," Patrick spoke up, and, fortunately, the lead bully listened, though not before getting one last shot in on the group in front of him.
"I'll be seeing you all soon," he said, and Belle merely glared back at him, though her eyes soon drifted to Patrick, who met them with his, before he, Henry, and Belch finally walked over to join Victor, and climb into the car, which soon started off, swiftly driving off.
"Wish he'd go missing," Richie spoke up, words that caused Belle's brow to furrow, even as she watched Patrick until she could no longer see him.
"He's probably the one doing it," added on Eddie.
"Belle?" Bill said, before she could ask her brother's friends what they meant, after snapping out of gazing after her ex-boyfriend, and she looked down to see him gazing up at her, his eyes glistening with tears. "Is it really you?"
Belle smiled softly at him, fighting back her own sheen of years, as she came face to face with her brother for the first time in eight months, lifting her slender hands to cup either side of his growing more handsome by the day face, her touch seemingly confirming his last doubts that she wasn't real, since he choked out a joy filled sob at the feeling of her gentle limbs on his skin. "Yes, Bill. It's really me."
Breathing a bit heavily, Bill choked out another sob, then threw his arms around his sister, hugging her tightly, while he cried softly, and her own limbs instantly wound about his skinny body, holding him as snuggly as she could against her own, soon lifting a hand to cradle the back of his head, while she dropped her own to press a kiss to its top, before burying her nose there.
"I've m-m-missed you s-s-so m-m-much!" Bill sobbed against her chest.
Belle laughed softly, not because it was funny, simply because she was so happy. Happier than she'd been in almost a year. Being back with Bill, it made up for all of the horrible feelings she'd had since first crossing over the town line a little over an hour ago. "I've missed you too, tough guy. More than you'll ever know."
It was now Bill's turn to laugh softly, as he pulled back to look up at her beautiful, beloved face. He'd almost forgotten how beautiful she was.
"I think I can im-imagine," he said, while she lifted her hands once more to wipe away his tears.
Smiling, Belle leaned down, and pressed a kiss to his forehead, before turning her sparkling dark brown gaze onto Eddie, Richie, and Stan, while Bill moved to stand beside her, where she still had one arm wrapped around his shoulders.
"Well, look at you three," she said, before quirking a dark brow playfully. "I don't remember saying you guys could get even more handsome while I was gone. How am I supposed to keep you all to myself when I'm now going to have to fight off every girl in school?"
Eddie, Richie, and Stan all blushed, looking away from Bill's beautiful sister, and Eddie and Stan were jealous Richie had his glasses to adorably fittle with in the wake of her words.
"We've missed you too, Ellie," Stan said, being the first to recover, and offer her a smile.
"Yeah," added on Eddie.
"True that," spoke Richie, which caused the other three boys to roll their eyes.
Belle giggled sweetly, then stepped forward, and offered her arms to the trio. "Okay, come here, you three."
Richie got first dibs, wrapping his pale limbs around her waist, and she hugged him, while dropping a kiss to his forehead, before Stan moved in, and she pecked his cheek, then enveloped him in a hug similiar to her one with Richie, before finally turning to Eddie, whom she offered her arms, laughing when he happily stepped into them.
She loved all of the boys, but Eddie held a special place in Belle's heart. Maybe it was because he reminded her the most of Georgie. And not just because he was the smallest in height. He was simply so sweet, gentle, and loving, so innocent, and naive of the World, just like Georgie, while Eddie only knew what his Mother allowed him to, making it up to his friends to keep him afloat in the real World.
But, since Eddie was the smallest, Belle got to pick him up. So, moving her arms beneath his, she did just that, lifting him right up off of his feet, and hugging him as he held onto her, laughing, while she pressed a long kiss to his cheek, before setting him down, where she saw his face was completely red.
Before she could do or say anything more, Bill had thrown his arms around her, and was embracing her tightly once again, as if making sure she stayed there by keeping a physical hold on her, and she smiled softly, wrapping her own slender limbs about him once more.
"Okay, I'm guessing you boys have had enough of school," Belle said to the four.
"You got that right," scoffed Richie.
"Okay," Belle repeated with a nod. "So, why don't you lot get your bikes, we'll load them up in the truck, and I'll drive you all home?"
"Really?" Eddie said with a bright smile.
"Thanks, Belle!" Stan exclaimed, before Richie shoved he and Eddie forward.
"We'll get your bike, Bill," Richie said to their friend, so he could stay with his sister.
"Th-Th-Thanks, R-R-R-Richie!" Bill stuttered in response as fast as he could, before the three disappeared around the other side of the school to where they left their bikes in the morning.
Belle turned to face her brother, one arm still hanging loosely around his shoulders, while the other touched his face again.
"I can't believe you're really here," Bill said.
"Well, I am," Belle replied, before she sighed softly, moving forward, in order to fall into a crouch in front of him, where she took up both of his hands with her own, and now had to be the one to tilt her head to see him. "And I promise, Bill, I am not going anywhere ever again." Pausing, her beautiful face took on a playful expression. "At least not until summer's over, and I have to go to Boston. But, even then, I'll be home every weekend. I swear."
"You better," answered Bill, and she could tell he was barely holding back tears once more, but, before they could say anything more, someone else approached them.
"Thank you, Belle," came a somewhat gruff voice, and she looked up to see Sheriff Bowers standing there.
"Sheriff," Belle said respectively, straightening up, where she turned to face the man, putting her arm around Bill once more. "What for?"
"For putting my son in his place," the man answered, nodding at the spot where Belch's car had once been. "Glad I'm no longer the only one who can do the job."
"Well, thank you, Sheriff," Belle replied. "But I was just protecting my brother and his friends."
"That may be, but, in any case, welcome home," Sheriff Bowers said, offering her a smile, as he lifted a hand to touch her slender shoulder, an action she wanted to slither away from like a snake under a rock, but she forced herself to stay still, even when he noticeably slid his gaze appreciatively up and down every inch of her beautiful form.
"Thank you, Sir," she merely responded with, as well as a smile of her own, before Henry's Dad turned, and headed back over to his Squad Car, which was when she noticed the woman by it with the Deputy. "Is this Betty Ripsom's Mom? Is she picking her up from school?"
"N-N-No," Bill reluctantly replied, now realizing he's most likely going to have to tell her about how the girl's gone missing.
As soon as she'd said it, Belle could tell by the look on the woman's face that she wasn't here to pick her daughter up from school, and Eddie and Richie's earlier words flooded back into her mind.
"Is this what Eddie and Richie were talking about?" she asked her brother, whom she turned to face once more. "Did Betty Ripsom go missing?"
"Y-Y-Yes," Bill answered, just as reluctantly as before.
"How long has she been missing?" Belle inquired next, even as a pit of despair began to rise up in her stomach.
"A f-f-few we-weeks," responded Bill, continuing when he saw the look of sadness that came across his sister's beautiful face. "E-Ellie, pl-please d-d-don't be upset! We ju-ju-just got you b-b-back!"
Belle was about to respond with how she'd gotten upset as soon as she'd pulled up in their Dad's truck and saw Henry, Patrick, and Belch tormenting Bill and his friends, especially Patrick. She'd really hoped he'd have moved past this bullying bullshit by now, but she didn't want her brother to be upset either, so she sent him the strongest reassuring smile she could.
"It's okay, Bill," said Belle, reaching out to hug him. "I'm not upset. It's okay. I'm fine. I promise."
Bill sighed in relief, embracing his sister in return, and, a few minutes later, Eddie, Richie, and Stan returned with their bikes, as well as her brother's.
"All right," Belle spoke, wrapping an arm around Bill's shoulders, as he took his bike from Richie, and Stan's, while the five started across the street to the truck. "Nobody's moved, right? Everybody still lives where they used to?"
"Well, actually, could you drop me at the synagogue?" asked Stan. "My bar mitzvah's coming up, and I have a lesson with my Dad."
"Your bar mitzvah's coming up?" Belle replied excitedly, offering the young boy a bright smile, while she hugged him slightly up against her side. "That's great, Stanley! I'm so proud of you!"
"Have you s-s-seen anyone else yet?" Bill asked, as he sat buckled in the passenger seat of Bryan's blue Ford F-150 truck, while Belle drove. They'd dropped Eddie and Richie off at their houses, and Stan at the Synagogue, then went to pick up a cake for dessert, and were now on their way home.
"No," Belle replied, while she guided the vehicle with one slender hand on the steering wheel, and rested the side of her long lush silky curly head on the other, since her elbow was on the open window frame, as they had the windows on the truck down, soon looking over at her brother to offer him a soft smile. "The girls are coming over for a little bit after dinner though."
"I'm s-s-sorry about P-P-Patrick," said Bill, causing his sister to shift her gaze over onto him once more, having moved it back onto the road after falling silent.
"Oh, Billy," Belle sighed, moving the hand she'd been resting her head on to the steering wheel, in order to take the one that'd been on it off, so that she could reach over, and grasp her younger sibling's nearest hand. "You don't ever have to apologize for him. It's not your fault."
"I t-t-t-tried to t-t-talk to him," Bill stuttered out. "W-When he wasn't with B-Bowers."
Belle looked over at him once more, surprised at his words, before she offered him a fresh soft smile, while she began to rub the back of his hand with her thumb. "Thanks, love. I appreciate that." Sighing, she went on. "I thought about him a lot, when I was in England. I hoped he'd have gotten over this bullying thing. That the guy I'd fallen in love with would break through whatever hold Henry has on him, but I guess I was foolish to think that would happen."
"It's never f-f-foolish to think the people we love could come b-back to us," said Bill, a statement that caused Belle's brow to furrow, as she once more flicked a glance at him. She knew he wasn't really talking about Patrick.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"I want to show you something," Bill answered with a smile. "Wh-When we get home. B-Before we go i-inside. It's in the g-g-garage."
"Okay," Belle slowly responded, trying to ignore the rising feeling of anxiety that his words caused her, before she focused on driving again, and the two fell silent, holding hands, as she guided the truck through the town to their house.
Pulling into the driveway, behind their Mom's car, Belle turned off the engine, then climbed from the truck, fetching Bill's empty backpack from the second row of seats, while her brother got the boxed up cake, setting it on the hood, then leading his sister to the closed garage, his bike, affectionately called 'Silver', still in the bed of the vehicle.
"Come on," Bill called to Belle, who set his empty backpack next to the cake on the front of the vehicle, then followed him.
She had a bad feeling about whatever it was inside the garage, which, like most people, they never used for actually storing vehicles, though Bryan's truck was too big for it anyway, so only Katherine's car would've fit, that Bill wanted to show her, but she couldn't say, 'No.' to him, especially since she just reunited with him after almost a year.
Belle stood back as Bill lifted up the garage door, then followed him inside, flicking a glance around at everything kept in the outside room attached to the house, including all of Bryan's familiar workout gear, before her gaze fell upon a table with a bunch of yellow, see through tubes put together on it, and, nearby, the cage with her brother's pet hamster in it.
"Hey, what'd you do with Mr. Gordo's tunnels?" Belle asked, as she now recognized the items, just before spotting something hanging on the wall to the left that made her heart skip a beat.
It was a map of Derry, showing the streets, and, beneath them, the sewer lines. It was from their Dad's office, since he needed it for his in town construction contracts.
"Come look," Bill said, snapping Belle out of her thoughts, and she walked over to the table, where she watched him drop an action figure into the open tunnel bit sticking up into the air, that was labeled with tape and permanent marker "Witcham", the name of the street Georgie had died on, then grab the gardening hose she now realized had been dragged into the garage from its usual resting place outside of it.
Bill pulled the handle, causing water to emit from the spout, which fueled the action figure through the makeshift sewer system he'd built, and Belle followed it with her eyes, until it fell out of one of the tubes facing down at the ground, and into a used paint tray on the floor, that had been labeled "The Barrens", rather than the one next to it, which had no assigned name.
"See?" Bill smiled, setting the hose down, as he lifted a bright smile to his sister's beautiful face. "The Barrens! If the storm swept Georgie in, it's the only place that he could've ended up."
Belle's heart, which she hadn't thought could break any further than it already had been, absolutely shattered at her brother's words, and the realization that he'd built this sewer model out of his hamster's tunnels as a show that their little brother could still be alive and out there.
She'd never told Bill what she'd seen that day, and she'd promised herself she never would. It wasn't because she didn't think he'd believe her, she simply didn't want her little brother, the only one she had left now, with those images in his head. She'd take them to her grave before she imposed the horrific death of Georgie on Bill. She'd also never told her parents the whole truth. She knew they wouldn't believe her. Why would they? She barely did, and she'd actually been there. She just confirmed what they already knew, that Georgie was gone, and he was never coming back.
The story of what had happened to Georgie had been easy to put together for the Cops, even without a statement from Belle. By the time they'd gotten there, all of Georgie's blood had been washed away by the rain, but Mrs. Sterling telling the Police she'd seen it, as well as, moments prior, the little boy himself by the sewer drain, made them come to the conclusion that he'd fallen, hurt himself, most likely a head injury, causing him to be knocked unconscious, bled out, and the storm had swept his body into the sewers, while Belle had arrived during the events, though not in time to save him, hence her breakdown.
"Oh, baby," Belle breathed, while a burning sheen of tears rose up in her dark brown eyes, as she moved closer to Bill, and fell into a crouch in front of him, where she grasped his hands with her. She truly didn't know what to do, what to say. She couldn't tell him Georgie was dead, especially because that would mean he'd demand answers as to why she was so sure, and she'd have to break her promise to never tell him what she saw, but she couldn't bring herself to dash his hopes that he could find their little brother either. All she could do was pray Georgie's body was found, so they could bury him, and finally, truly get passed this. "You did a great job."
Bill's smiled faltered at the sight of his sister's reaction to his display, but returned when she complimented his work.
"I know we'll find him someday," Belle went on, and she wasn't lying. She just left out the part of how she was speaking of his body, not him alive, as Bill hoped. "And I know it means so much to him that his big brother is working so hard to bring him home." Again, not a lie. They were a Church going family, or at least, had been, and believed in God, Heaven, Hell, etc., so she knew Georgie was watching them from Heaven, and that, once they found and laid his remains to rest, he'd be home again. "But I don't want Mom or Dad getting upset. So, why don't we give Mr. Gordo back his tunnels? And put the map back in Dad's office, before he sees it's missing?"
Bill nodded. He'd spent a lot of time on the model of the sewers, and he'd planned to show it to his parents, but, when he was reunited with Belle today, he knew she had to be the first one to see it. Now that she had, and knowing she believed him, was enough for him.
"I'll take a video of it with my phone before we do so," Belle added on, offering her brother a smile. "Just in case we need it later."
"Thanks, Belle," Bill said, and she could tell he too was now holding back tears. "I just needed someone to believe me, you know."
"I know, love," Belle replied, stroking his hands with her slender thumbs, before she used the hold to pull him to her, kissing his cheek, before wrapping her arms around him, and hugging him tightly, an action he happily returned, securing his limbs about her neck and endless chocolate tresses, and she couldn't help but flick a glance at the sewer model made from the hamster tunnels, as she embraced him, before she forced her gaze away, closing her eyes in order to help do so.
Belle held the front door open, so that Bill could carry the cake inside, then closed and locked it behind him, his empty backpack once more slung over her slender shoulder, while they'd unloaded his bike from the truck before coming inside.
"We're home!" Belle called to their parents, as she wrapped an arm around Bill's shoulders, then led him through the house to the kitchen, where they found Kat, cooking dinner. "Hey, Mom."
"Hey!" Katherine exclaimed, pausing in her task of using the mixer to mash the freshly pealed and cut up potatoes, in order to walk over them. "There are my babies." She kissed Belle on the check, and Bill on the top of his head, before taking the boxed cake from him. "I'll take that, sweetheart."
"Where's Dad?" Belle asked, as she handed her brother his empty backpack.
"He's in the shower," replied Katherine. "You got a package in the mail, Belle. From your Uncle Rupert." She laughed softly, as she placed the cake on the counter. "Your Dad joked it was must be the one thing you couldn't fit in your luggage."
Belle smiled softly at her Mom's words, even as the realization of the package arriving hit, since she knew exactly what was in it, as Uncle Rupert was the family friend she'd spent eight months in England with.
"Yes, pretty much," Belle laughed, before gesturing behind her, in the direction of the staircase. "Uh, I should go open that."
"Okay," Katherine said, turning her sparkling eyes onto her son. "Come on, Bill. Be my kitchen helper and set the table?"
"Uh, s-s-sure, Mom," Bill stuttered in surprise, meeting his sister's gaze, before he moved to do so, and she smiled at him.
Belle knew this was probably the happiest her brother had seen their Mom since that day in October, and it naturally threw him, but pleasantly, so she gave him a reassuring look that it was real, then watched as he excitedly went to complete a task that, eight months ago, he'd have complained about having to do, while tossing his empty backpack aside for the time being.
Turning on her heel, her endless lush dark brown curls spinning through the air, Belle swiftly made her way back to the foyer, then upstairs.
Belle could hear her Father in the shower, and she smiled softly at the sound, before stepping into her room, where she closed the door behind her.
Facing the interior, she saw her Mom had indeed unpacked everything, and her bedroom was now truly imaculate. Even her new camera equipment was set up on her desk.
But all she was interested in was the rather large rectangular plain brown paper wrapped package on her bed, secured all around with thick clear tape.
Grabbing a pair of scissors from her dresser, Belle walked over, and sat down beside the package, checking the address to make sure it was indeed from the man in England, before she began at it with the sharp item, soon having the tape sliced through, and the paper ripped away, exposing the box it'd all been concealing.
Setting it down on her bed, she shifted in her position to better face it, bringing one leg up in front of her, bent at the knee, then reached out to open it.
Inside, held perfectly in place by fitted black foam, cut specifically for the item and its accessory, was a Desert Eagle with a brushed chrome finish, a .50 caliber handgun that weighed almost 5 pounds even without a clip, an item which was currently tucked into another cut slot of the black foam next to the weapon, in it.
Belle picked the gun up, and held it in one hand, turning it over to look at it from all angles, before she plucked the clip free, seeing it wasn't loaded.
Placing it on the bed, she rested the heavy weapon in her lap, then reached into the package, pulling up the piece of black foam, which was when she saw what she'd been looking for, a box of ammunition hidden on the bottom.
Picking up the box, Belle opened the top, and her eyes fell upon its contents, which were rows of bullets made entirely out of silver.
She plucked one of the rounds free, holding it up in front of herself, and turning her fingers slightly, so she could view it by way of the sunlight hitting it from her open window, making sure it was what she'd asked her Uncle to make for her, and it was.
Placing the bullet in the box once more, she closed it, and tucked it back into the package, before she grabbed the empty clip, then swiftly loaded it up into the grip, before effortlessly pulling back the heavy barrel, which cocked the gun. Were there an actual round in the chamber now, and were the safety off, it'd be ready to fire.
Taking in a deep breath, Belle released slowly released it, as she looked at the powerful gun in her hands. She hadn't exactly spent all of her time in England doing her school work, and focusing on her both mental and physical health. She'd gotten most of that done in the first few months. The rest of the time she'd spent getting ready, under her Uncle's tutelage, specifically training in hand to hand combat, and learning about firearms, with the Desert Eagle being her favorite, and, since civilians, of course, can't carry weapons on planes, the gun had to be sent to her through the mail, something only Law Enforcement and Military could do, so it was perfect that her Uncle was the latter.
She may have no idea exactly what it was that killed her brother that stormy day back in October, whether it was Human or not; though most likely the latter, a fact she'd had to come to terms with, hence the silver bullets, as she figured, since the material was often a weapon used against monsters in fictional stories, it was probably her best bet against the thing that had taken Georgie from her and her family; but she did know one thing for sure, and that was that she was going to kill that fucking clown.
- Author's Note - Well, there you have it. Chapter Two. And, just to confirm, as I said I would, Patrick Hockstetter is Belle's "love interest" or whatever you want to call it in this story, which should let you know that his fate will probably be quite different from the movie. ;)
Again, with that, I really hope you guys enjoyed it, and PLEASE take the time to send in a review! I'll most likely start work on Chapter Three this weekend, if not today, so, the more you review, the more motivated I am, and, therefor, the faster the story would be updated. :)
