Look what I haaave! A shiny new update to satisfy all your Belle cravings! No Gold in this chapter, but he'll be making an appearance. (Not yet. But soon.)
See how fast I updated this for you guys? Y'see what I do for you?
Disclaimer: I don't own the show Once Upon A Time. I don't even technically own the DVD - my mom bought it for me a while back, so it's hers if you look at it that way.
She woke up with a muddled head and bound hands. Panic seized her - where was she? What was going on? Had someone kidnapped her? - but then she blinked the sun out of her eyes and realized she was safe in her bed.
The History of Fairy Tales was spread open to a story about a woman who was taken prisoner in a beast's castle. She'd fallen asleep reading it; her hands ached from the weight of its thick pages. It sounded like something Emma would've bought for Henry. So what was she doing with it? She didn't remember buying it, the same way she didn't remember getting home. The same way she didn't remember a lot of things, lately.
Belle scowled at the sunlight and closed her blinds. It was too early and the sun was too bright. Stupid sun. She moved the book to the far corner of her bed, deciding it could wait to be read. Then she buried her head under the covers and found herself relaxing into their warmth. She heard her phone beep from somewhere outside the blanket walls before long. Knew she should get it. Knew it was probably important. But she was so comfortable she didn't feel like moving, and let the call go to voicemail. The darkness kept her hangover at bay. Before long, she was deep asleep and dreaming of roses.
There was only one rose, really. It was locked away in a shadowy room somewhere she'd never been before, but somehow knew the way to. Belle knew he was fast asleep in his chambers, and that he wouldn't wake for at least another hour. He'd never have to know. It wasn't like she wasn't going to steal it. She only wanted a little look-see. That wasn't so wrong, she thought.
As she ascended the sweeping staircase, one of her shoes slipped off. She couldn't go back to get it now - she was already at the top -, there wasn't enough time. But if he found it without her foot inside...she shuddered at the thought of what he was really capable of. She pushed onward, shrugging the notion away. Slipped off her other slipper to keep quiet, hoped Ella wouldn't mind if they got some dust on them.
She passed by several doors, all of them shut tight as he'd requested. She'd never seen the inside of any of these doors, just as she'd never seen the upper levels of his crumbling castle. He'd told her there were too many memories, here. Too many things that would set him on edge after he'd held tight to his control. And she understood that, understood it better than anyone else, but curiosity had consumed her for too long.
Belle picked a door at random. The knob was gilded and shining, and the wood was smooth and gleaming. She held her breath when it swung open at her touch. The room was shadowy, hard to see into. Enormous drapes descended down over the windows and spilled to the floor like a waterfall.
She pushed the door completely open and stepped inside. The walls were painted a deep, bruised purple that made her think of rotten grapes and sour wine.
The room smelled like roses, but tasted like tears. She'd always pictured it like this, even when she'd been kept away in another castle, by another beast.
"Time's up, dearie." His voice in the doorway froze her. She'd always pictured that part, too.
She jerked upright in bed, shivering at the thought of his voice so close to her. The dream faded the way it always did, dissolving into soap bubbles of thoughts that popped when she held onto one for a moment too long. But she remembered that there was something about a castle. It was in a faraway place, a place of magic and misery, hope and horror.
Her phone beeped and she jumped. Things were different here, she reminded herself as she got up to fetch her cell. Things were different here, she thought as she looked at the screen.
16 new messages.
so bored
Please remind me y i work here again?
or why i work at all
The messages went on and on. As far as Belle could tell, they were all from Ruby. It made sense, really. They were basically attached at the hip whenever they were together. Being apart wasn't an option for Ruby. She scrolled through the rest of the text messages with a smile. Most were silly, unimportant. A few made her laugh out loud. But by the time Belle scrolled to the last one from just an hour earlier, fear choked her. It was Emma.
She said something had happened to Gold. He'd asked for her at the hospital.
Belle's mind jumped to every injury she'd ever seen from that brief time she'd been an EMT. Skin torn from bone. Blood sparkling on asphalt. Raw, red stubs where arms and legs had been before. That couldn't be him right now. No. No. It couldn't have been.
She scrambled to find clean clothes. Tennis shoes. A hair tie. The thought of him bleeding made something inside her swell with worry. Because things were different, here. He isn't immortal, here.
She had her hair up in less than a minute, was slipping into ballet flats in another. They were delicate little things, shiny and crystal-blue. Ella's, she realized. And she had a feeling that the shirt she'd tugged on wasn't hers, either. It seemed like Ruby's, snug in places she wasn't used to. But none of it mattered.
She grabbed her car keys, racing down the stairs and out the door. Her dad tried to stop her, ask her where she was going so late, but she barely heard. Didn't care.
The rainwater was slick on the sidewalk, and Wednesday's snow had turned into slush in the street. She unlocked the Bug and got in. Shoved the key into the ignition and started up the car only for the engine to stall.
"Dammit."
She tried again.
No go.
"Dammit, dammit, dammit." The word spilled from her lips like she swore regularly. Panic had her on edge. She tried starting the car one last time. Closed her eyes tight and gripped the steering wheel hard. Heard the engine start. Stutter. And actually stay on.
She promised herself she'd thank every deity she knew of soon. Not yet. But soon. The storm wasn't over just yet. She still had to get to the hospital. And she had to do it without losing her mind on the way.
chapter three end