Belle sighed as she threw her bag onto the hotel bed and collapsed next to it. It was the end of day 2 of their search for Mal's daughters. They'd found people who seemed to know them, but they'd both disappeared at some point or simply just left and now Emma was having to use her sources for another search. Regina was sitting in a chair not far away, repeatedly checking her phone while watching some stupid show on TV.
Belle looked down at her phone as it rang and smiled at seeing Cruella's name on the caller ID. "Hello?"
"Tiny Thing?"
Belle smiled at the sound of the purr from the other end. She quickly got off the bed and stepped onto the balcony, shutting the door behind her. "Mal. I'm glad you called."
"How could I not? Are you well?"
"Yeah. I'm fine. And you?"
"Well enough. Have you had any success?"
"No, but we'll find them. I promise."
"I believe you."
"Have you been writing?" Belle asked.
"Yes. It will be finished by the time you return."
"I can't wait." Belle glanced up at Regina, looking so sad just sitting there all alone, trying for all the world to pretend like she was interested in the program on TV. Emma was on one of the other beds, sound asleep. "Will you do something for me, Mal?"
"Name it."
"Will you call Regina and talk to her. I mean just talk, about anything. She misses you."
"I will not forgive Regina for what she did."
"I didn't ask you for that. I just said talk. Give her a chance."
"Why? Because she's sorry for what she did? I warned her. I begged her. I pleaded with her not to cast the curse, but she wanted vengeance more than she wanted me. Not only that, but she decides to trap me underground for 30 years. Why should she be forgiven?" Belle sighed. The dragon had a point. "Regina has dealt with a lot of pain being inflicted upon her, but she has dealt out just as much."
"Says the person who razed an entire kingdom to the ground because of one man."
"Don't patronize me." Mal growled.
"I'm not. But maybe you guys should just talk on the phone. Maybe not being face to face can help."
"I don't want to talk to her. I want to talk to you, that's why I called."
"Mal. Please? For me?"
"What do I get in return?" The question sounded almost seductive in nature but Belle dismissed that. Surely, the dragon didn't hold any feelings for her. Not in that way.
"Whatever you want."
There was a long pause. "Have you had any nightmares?"
"No. All good."
"Fine, I'll talk to Regina, but you have to talk to the Dark One."
"Why?" Belle sighed. "Oh, fine."
Mal chuckled. "Good night Little One."
"Good night Mal." Belle clicked end call and went back inside to get her clothes out for bed.
"Interesting conversation?" Regina asked nonchalantly.
"Yep." Belle showered and changed and came back to crawl into bed, pulling out a book. It was one about dragons that she'd found in Mal's library that had somehow followed her to this world. She flipped excitedly through the pages, reading up all about her newfound friend. "Hey, Regina?"
"Yes, Miss French?" Regina asked as she climbed into her bed.
"Is Mal actually a dragon or can she just shift into one?"
"She is actually a dragon." Belle nodded and turned back to the book. "What is that?"
"A book."
Regina frowned. "Obviously."
Belle smiled and handed it to her. "I got it from Mal's library. She took me there in a dream and let me pick out some books. I don't know how it ended up in my apartment."
"Mal can pull things out of the dream world and into our realm." Regina answered slowly. "Was there a book there called Teardrop Scales?"
"Yes. She told me it was trash, but I convinced her to read it to me. It's very sad and has a terrible ending. I managed to get her to continue writing it though." Belle accepted the book as Regina handed it back.
"She never let me touch that thing." She heard the queen mutter. "What does she see in you?"
"I don't know." Belle said, even though Regina was clearly talking more to herself than to her. "What did she see in you?"
"We are nothing alike."
"That may be, but both of you have changed. Maybe that's why you can't reconnect."
"She wants nothing to do with me." Regina sighed. "She hates me."
"She doesn't hate you. She's disappointed and feels betrayed, but she doesn't hate you."
"How do you know?"
"I just...do. I mean after something like that, she would've killed you without a second thought. But she hasn't. Just like she hasn't killed Snow and Charming yet. There's a reason she hasn't. Whatever it is must be important though."
"I agree. I wonder what it must be." Regina said thoughtfully. She turned her head when her phone started ringing and clicked the answer button. "Hello? Mal?!" She quickly hopped up and stepped onto the balcony as Belle had. Belle smiled, looking up at the queen, excitedly talking on the phone like a teen talking to her crush. It only served to make her even more sympathetic to the queen's plight since Mal was probably not going to forgive her, and if she did, they would never be able to have the relationship they used to. Everything was just one big mess after another. Hopefully Belle could help clean up the one the Charmings made first. After a while, she put away the book and laid down for the night.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Emma stopped outside a small coffee shop with a gas station and repair shop across the street. The last stop had yielded no results and now they had a flat tire after running over something in the road. Regina and Emma went off to get a tire for the car while Belle went into the coffee shop to order them some breakfast.
She walked inside the small establishment and sat down at a booth. A waitress came over and Belle froze at seeing the length of her hair, long and golden and reaching the back of her thighs, only slightly shorter than it been in the vision. Her eyes were so like Mal's, piercing yet warm at the same time. "What can I get you?" Millie asked.
"Actually, um, I was hoping to give you something." Belle said, trying to think of the best way to approach this. She pulled out Mal's necklace and handed it to the blonde. "It's from your mother. It's from Mal."
Millie popped open the locket without hesitation and pulled out the dragon scale. She ran her fingertips over it over and over. "This can't be real." She whispered.
"It is. If you want to talk about this at a better place at a better time, then we can. I know what this must sound like. I'm a friend of Mal's and I'm trying to help her...get her happy ending." Belle shrugged, looking down so she would stop rambling, very much aware of Millie's hard gaze upon her, so much like her mother's.
"What's your name?"
"Belle." Belle looked back up, offering her hand. "Belle French. Bookworm, librarian and over achiever."
Millie shook her hand, but was clearly still guarded. She pulled out her pen and wrote quickly on her pad. "Meet me here later and you can explain all of this. 4 o' clock."
Belle nodded, accepting the piece of paper. "The scale is yours by the way. Actually it's Mal's, but she wanted you to have it. She said you would want proof."
"You know who I am?"
"It's a lot to explain, but I do your name is Millicent."
Millie slowly nodded. "Then I'll see you there. My mother...what's her full name?"
"Maleficent, The Dragon Queen."
"It must be true then." She slowly smiled. "Thank you, Miss French." She turned around and left the shop with her boss calling after her, but he was promptly ignored.
Belle looked up as Emma and Regina walked in and sat down. "So where to next?" Regina asked.
Belle held out the piece of paper. "Here. I just met Millie and she told us to meet her there at 4."
"How do you know it was her?"
"She knew what the scale was. I think she knows everything, to be honest."
"How is that possible, she was like 4 when all this happened, right?" Emma said.
"3." Belle corrected. "And maybe she does remember it. She wasn't too trusting though and I doubt this is their real address. The last thing she wants is some crazy woman with a dragon scale showing up at her house where her daughter is."
"True." Regina nodded. "Then I guess we have a few hours to kill." The wait went by rather quickly and they drove out to the address that Millie had written down, which turned out to be an abandoned lot outside of town. Millie and Lily were already there, standing outside their dark blue dodge charger with Seraphina sitting on the roof. Millie dressed smartly, just like her mother but more casually. She wore black jeans, thick boots, a gray tank top with a black vest over it. Lily wore jeans, brown boots and a long sleeved brown shirt. She was sitting on the hood of the car while her older sister just leaned against it.
Emma parked and they got out of the car. Belle quickly stepped forward. "Um, Millicent, this is Emma Swan and R-"
"Regina. The Evil Queen. Believe me, I know who you are, our only friend." Millie cut in. "Emma Swan? The Savior? You really couldn't have brought more hated people for this little talk, Beauty."
"Millie." Regina began, but was cut off as Lily suddenly leaped down and marched up to Emma.
"Long time no see, Savior. How is life without your darkness?"
"You know I had nothing to do with that." Emma said.
"Oh no? Your parents did though, didn't they? You better hope I don't find them or I will-"
"You won't touch them." Emma snapped.
"You found out who you are. Congratulations, so did I. Do you really think you can stop a fucking dragon? My mother is the Dragon Queen, the Evilest of them all, baddest bitch in the sky. Yours is a little princess. Who do you think is going to win this fight?"
"The baddest bitch still got defeated, didn't she?" Emma hissed.
"Enough." Regina said, quickly stepped between them. She tried glaring Lily down. Such a tactic might've worked with anyone else, but certainly not a dragon. Especially if that dragon was related to Maleficent.
Lily smirked. She actually laughed in Regina's face. "You think I'm supposed to be afraid of you?" Regina scowled. If she had her magic, she surely would've launched a fireball by now.
"Lily." Millie called, stepping forward. Lily sighed and took a step back, crossing her arms. Millie looked at Emma and Regina with nothing more than disdain, as if the Queen and the Savior weren't even worth her time. She looked at Belle. "Is our mother alright, Beauty?"
"She's fine. Very angry because of what happened, but she's fine. Would you like to talk to her?" Belle asked.
"Please."
Belle pulled out her phone and called Cruella. "Cruella? Please put Mal on the phone." The woman bickered for a moment with Ursula and she rolled her eyes.
"Cruella DeVil is still alive? Did she and Ursula finally get together?" Millie smiled.
Belle nodded. "Mal?"
"Yes, Tiny?"
"Millie wants to talk to you."
"She does?"
"Yeah, she's right in front of me." Belle smiled when she heard Mal start purring uncontrollably. "Here she is." she handed the phone to Millie and the blonde stepped away. It wasn't long before she was crying. Seraphina leaped down to see what was wrong with her mom.
Emma and Regina walked a little ways away as well, arguing softly, which Belle paid no mind to. Millie passed the phone to Lily and she shyly talked to Mal as well. Seraphina declined the offer to talk to her grandmother, asking instead to actually go see her. After a while Millie gave the phone back to Belle.
"Thank you." Mal said softly.
"Of course, Mal." Belle hung up and put the phone away. "So are you coming to Storybrooke?"
"Not if they're going to attack my family." Emma said, coming back. Regina sighed loudly behind her.
"We're going. To hell with your family, they can be dealt with later." Millie snapped. She looked at Belle. "Take us to our mother, please."
"Belle doesn't make the decisions here. I need your word that you're not going to hurt anyone. Does a dragon even have honor?" Emma asked.
"Want to find out?" Lily growled.
"I don't see why she doesn't." Millie cut in. "She seems to be the only one with any sense."
"I'm talking to Lily." Emma glared at the other blonde before turning back to Lily. "You're angry and you have every right to be, but hurting my family is not going to help you."
"Do you realize what those bastards to me? I grew up for half my life believing that no one cared about me, that no one wanted me. It was a miracle that I did find Millie at all. Do you have any idea what's that like?" Lily asked.
"My mom couldn't raise me either-"
"Your mother made the choice to give you up. Ours fought for us. And now you want to defend them? You don't want us to get our revenge even though you know that we deserve it. Your parents are monsters who pretend to be all high and mighty. They deserve to burn."
"If you hurt them, I'll end you!" Emma suddenly whipped out her gun but Lily pushed it aside, not afraid in the least.
"If you shoot me my mom will destroy that town, so don't pretend like you will. You're too good for that. But then again, your parents basically went out of their way to create their idea of a perfect hero, at the cost of what life we could've had. Some heroes." Lily turned back to head back to the car, Seraphina following.
Millie walked up to Emma and slammed her against the bug. "Don't ever threaten my sister again." she released her and walked over to Belle, handing her another piece of paper. "Meet us here when you can. Come alone...please." She went back to her car and got inside. Lily was driving and roared away at breakneck speed.
Belle looked down at the piece of paper. It had to be their address. "Well, this little meeting was a bust."
"They're going to hurt my parents if we bring them to Storybrooke."
"And Mal will if we don't bring them." Regina said.
"Oh, they're coming to Storybrooke." Belle said matter of factly, tucking the piece of paper away. "Mal deserves her family and we're going to bring them to her. They were screwed over by Charming and Snow because the heroes were selfish and were only thinking about themselves. They have every right to want vengeance. Millie was right about one thing, Emma, if they really wanted to do some damage they could've right then and you wouldn't have been able to do anything about it. That's a fact. We need them to cooperate."
"Lily started all this bullshit." Emma snapped.
"Very mature, Miss Swan, and I know she did, but she's angry. Let her calm down and I'll go talk to them and sort this mess out. But if you want to get technical, your parents really started all of this."
"Belle, going to their house is like walking into a dragon's lair. We can't protect you." Regina added.
"Don't need it, Regina. Millie already knows that Mal trusts me. She'll know not to hurt me."
"You have so much faith in them? Why?"
"Because no one else ever has. They both grew up alone. Millie only had 3 years with Mal before Snow and Charming stepped in. Mal didn't even get to see Lily at all. I know Cora was terrible to you, but if she weren't, and someone took you away from her, when all she wanted was to love you and care for you, wouldn't you hate the people that committed the act? Wouldn't you want justice?" Regina sighed and Emma crossed her arms, looking down. Both of them eventually got back into the car but Belle remained outside, away from it as she called the Dragon Queen again.
"Is something wrong?" Mal asked immediately. "What happened?"
"No, I just...I needed to talk to you. Things are a little complicated. Lily is pissed of course, I think she's the one with your actual temper. Millie wants to come see you. Lily wants vengeance and Emma doesn't want her family in danger."
"Her family is already in danger if she doesn't bring me my children." Mal hissed.
Belle sighed. "In that dream, that nightmare I had, they came to Storybrooke. It lead to their deaths."
"It was a dream. That is all."
"But what if it might happen. I don't want to hurt them. I don't want to watch you die." Belle whispered.
Mal let out a frustrated whimper. "Are you crying?"
"No."
"Good, please don't start. I cannot be there to comfort you, but I trust you, Belle. I trust that you will do what is right. I trust your heart, your big, beautiful heart. You should do the same."
"And if they get hurt because of me?" Belle asked.
"They won't. Once they cross the town line I can get them in line."
"You said so yourself you don't know them. How are you gonna do that?"
"However I can. I just want them back. I want to know them and see them and hold them like I never could before. Please?"
"Of course, Mal."
There was a pause and a smug sounding question. "You really called just to talk to me, didn't you?"
Belle laughed and wiped away the few tears that had managed to escape. "Sounds like it, doesn't it?"
"I'm not complaining. Hurry back."
"Yes ma'am." Belle hung up and ran a hand through her hair as she walked back to the car and climbed inside.
"What did Mal say?" Regina asked nonchalantly.
"Nothing of importance." Belle replied. She was silent, collecting her thoughts as Emma drove out to the small house in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of junk laying around the yard. She climbed out, holding the box that Mal had given her. "Be back in about half an hour." She told Emma.
"You sure you don't want us to wait?" Emma asked.
"Positive." Belle answered, although she knew the blonde wouldn't go far. She took a deep breath as she walked up to the house. "You can do this Belle. You've faced worse. Their mother, for one. It's just a little talk."
"You can relax." Millie opened the door. "We won't hurt you. Come in."
Belle quickly complied. The interior of the house was small and neat. Lily was on the couch, reading a book to Seraphina. She dipped her head politely as Millie lead her into the back room. There was nothing in it except one wall was covered in pictures and papers, all of them trying to pinpoint the location of Storybrooke. She noticed pictures of Snow and Charming from children's books that had been marked out. A trashcan nearby was full of burned and singed papers. "You do know what happened."
"Merlin's apprentice came to my sister after she and Emma got into a fight. He told her everything. Using that information, she found me. We have spent years trying to find this Storybrooke, to get revenge, to find our mother, to get some kind of…"
"Closure?" Belle suggested.
"To get answers. What happened and why did it happen to us. Only to find out…" Millie plucked the images of the Charmings off the wall. "These bastards ruined our lives for the 'Greater Good'. They sucked the darkness out of their daughter and put it in my sister." She tossed the pictures into the trash. "I can't even remember my mother. Her voice brought back some memories. I used to love to listen to her purr. I could just lay there for hours in her arms listening to how content she was. I loved her eyes too. Cold, but burned at the same time. I don't know what she actually looks like though."
"You will soon. She's...very beautiful. Probably just an older version of you." Belle said, thinking of Mal herself, remembering the night the blonde had held her and let her cry her eyes out, promising that she's always protect 'her tiny thing'. "She's really tall too...well to me she is. She calls me Tiny."
Millie chuckled. "You are." She tilted her head, looking at Belle. "Why does she trust you? I don't remember her being very trusting at all."
"She's not. When she broke out of her prison beneath the library, the Dark One shot her with a poisoned arrow and I helped heal her. She's kinda my friend."
"You blush when you talk about her."
"I-I do?" Belle asked.
Millie smiled. "Yes, you do. It's cute. But anyways, we'll go to Storybrooke and we'll behave for now. Lily won't cause any trouble. I just thought it was easier telling you this than it would be with your friends. Unless friends is too strong a word."
"Honestly, I'm not even sure anymore. Anyways, I had a question." She opened the box. "What the hell is this?" Inside the velvet lined box was a small stone, smooth and black.
"It's a dragon egg. I used to have one myself. Can't imagine what happened to it." Millie answered, taking it out. "But not the type of Dragon we are. They're a smaller race without our intelligence, but still pretty smart. They're basically like cats, and don't even get any bigger than them."
"Mal gave me a pet dragon?" Belle asked, putting down the box so she could take the egg with both hands.
"So it would seem. It'll hatch soon too. Probably once you get back into Storybrooke where there's magic."
"Thank you, I just thought it was a rock."
The dragon laughed. "I'm starting to see why my mother seems to care for you." She left the room and Belle gently put the egg back and closed the box and locked it. She followed Millie back into the living room. "Pack up, we're leaving."
"Now?" Lily asked, glancing at Belle.
"Yep." Millie said. "Our family has been divided for too long. Wouldn't you agree?"
Lily and Seraphina both grinned as they stood up and raced into their rooms to pack.
"We'll meet you back at the lot in an hour."
Belle nodded and was surprised when Seraphina returned to walk her out to the road where Emma and Regina were still waiting.
"You have a pretty voice." Seraphina said, looking up at her.
"Thank you. You are just really pretty."
Seraphina smiled. "Have you met my grandma? Do you think she'll like me?"
"She is going to adore you." Belle promised. "I'll see you soon."
"Okay." Seraphina smiled again before racing off back to the house. Belle got back in the car and placed her box in the seat.
"They're coming?" Emma asked.
"Yes. Millicent said to meet them back at the lot in an hour and they'll follow us home." She leaned back in the seat and sighed, more than ready for a nap on the long drive home. Soon the dragon clan would be reunited, and then the next problem of trying to save Charming and Snow would arise.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Belle was the first to exit the bug, bypassing the other heroes completely to go and hug Mal, who was dressed in a grey suit with a long matching coat. Mal was clearly nervous and welcomed her into her arms. "I missed you, Mal."
"I missed you too, Tiny." Mal chuckled. "Did they come?"
Belle stepped back and smiled. "They came."
Millie exited the charger and froze as soon as her eyes fell upon Snow and Charming. She glared at them, but ultimately turned away. Lily got out next, but she didn't reign in her temper easily and snapped at Emma when she tried to steer her away. Seraphina hopped out and walked behind her mother as they approached Mal.
"Millie?" Mal said softly.
"Mommy?" Millie whispered. Both of them embraced and burst into tears. Mal purred so loud that the heroes turned to see what was making the noise.
"I'm so sorry, Millie. I've missed so much."
"I've missed you too, Mom." Mal kissed her daughter's head and sighed, as though she'd been holding her breath. Millie motioned to Lily and stepped a little to the side. "Lilith, this is our mom, Maleficent." Lily smiled shyly but Mal pulled her into her arms as well. The sight of them almost brought tears to Belle's own eyes, but she managed to hold them back as Mal took in the sight of her children, smiling at Millie's hair and calling Lily beautiful several times.
"Both of you are so beautiful. I can't believe you're here."
Millie grinned. "Well, you have one more surprise, Mom. Meet your granddaughter, Seraphina." She gave her daughter a little nudge forward. "She doesn't bite...much." Seraphina was trembling. Mal crouched in front of her.
"You're really beautiful." Sera said, voice shaking.
"You don't have to be nervous, dear. And I may be beautiful, but I don't compare to you." Mal smiled, holding out her hands, which Sera took. "Relax, I'm your grandmother. May I have a chance to be one?"
Sera nodded. "You look like Mommy."
"Mommy looks like me." Mal corrected with a smirk. Sera suddenly threw her arms around Mal's neck, shocking the woman so much she nearly fell over. She laughed and hugged her granddaughter close as tears sprang to her eyes again.
"Do you know how to breathe fire and become a dragon?" Sera asked excitedly.
Mal gently smoothed the little girl's hair behind her ear. "Of course, and I'll teach you too. Whatever you want to know." She looked over at Belle and dipped her head. Belle nodded back, knowing that she could have her time when the dragons were done celebrating. Mal poofed them away, no doubt going to the cabin.
Belle collected her things and went to her apartment. She tossed everything onto the couch and trudged to the bedroom, falling into the bed with a sigh. She could've cursed when she heard some idiot knocking on the door. "I'm coming." She sighed, getting up to answer it.
"Hello Belle." Gold said.
"Hello Rumple." She replied politely, not at all in the mood for this, but she had promised Mal.
"I just wanted to congratulate you on the success of your mission."
"Come in, Rumple. We should talk." She sighed, stepping aside so he could limp in. She closed the door and sat down in the recliner that Mal had sat in a few days ago, while Gold sat on the couch.
"Belle, I know you're angry with me." He said quickly. "For I said about Maleficent. But you must understand I was merely trying to protect you."
"I understand that and I appreciate it. Granted, I don't know Mal the way you do but she would never mean me any harm."
"You really believe that?" He asked incredulously. "Maleficent knows how to toy with innocent women. You're just a game to her so she could get her happy ending."
"You're wrong. Mal cares about me." Belle said without hesitation. She believed that the dragon cared about her too and the Dark One was really starting to piss her off by insulting her.
"She is the Dragon Queen. Dragon comes before everything else. As in beast."
"She is not a beast!" Belle roared, rising to her feet angrily. "I didn't want to speak with you, but she asked me to. I considered trying to work through this with you, but never mind. I am done with cowards, with trying to mend your heart when I should be protecting mine. Show yourself out, , and don't come back." She went into her room and slammed the door. A minute later, she heard the front door close in the same manner. "So much for talking." Belle looked around the room for the box Mal had given her and found it on the floor, broken, along with little black specks all around it. "It hatched!" She yelled excitedly. "Wait, where is it?" She looked around. "Come out little dragon. Come out wherever you are." She sighed. "Damn it."
There was small mew from behind her and she spun around. There was a tiny gray dragon sitting on her bed, looking directly at her. It let out a sharp clicking noise and she slowly moved forward, offering her hand. "Hello there." It made the clicking call again. It was so tiny, no bigger than a newborn kitten. When she reached out to touch him, he nuzzled her hand with his nose. "You're a cute thing." She reached for her phone so as not to surprise it with sudden movements and called Cruella.
"Dahling! How dare you not come see us!" Cruella demanded at once.
Belle smirked. "Let talk to Mal for a moment."
"We don't just buy Mal her own damn cell phone." The woman continued to rant.
"Belle?" Mal's voice came on next, purring so hard she could barely talk straight.
"It hatched!" Belle whispered excitedly. "There's a baby dragon on my bed! What do I do?"
"Probably feeding it would be good. Milk and cooked meat. Do you like it?"
"I love him. What do I name him?"
"Whatever you want, dear. He has imprinted on you. He is yours."
"Okay." Belle hung up and gently picked up the little dragon and scratched him on the side of his neck. He made a purring noise as she carried him into the kitchen and made him something to eat. He was so cute and once he finished eating, curled up with her in bed like a little cat.
/
When Belle opened her eyes, it was late in the morning and her baby dragon, whom she named Thorn from the dragon in the Eragon books she used to read to the Queens of Darkness, was still sleeping away on the other side of her pillow. Mal was standing next to the window, looking out of it, but she turned her head with a smile when Belle stretched.
"Good morning, Tiny Thing."
"Good morning. Busy night?"
"Yes indeed. Neither of my daughters seem to know what it means to go to sleep at night. They're knocked out at the moment."
"You didn't sleep?"
"Too excited. Too happy." Mal smiled, holding out her hands. They were shaking. "I didn't think it would this affect on me. They're wonderful, Beauty."
Belle laughed. "Millie's nickname for me."
"It's cute. Maybe even better than Tiny."
"It doesn't matter. I like your name for me. By the way, this is Thorn." Belle sat up and nudged Thorn until he raised his head and hopped into her lap, tail tip quivering excitedly. "Why'd you give him to me?"
Mal shrugged. "I happened to find it the other day and thought you might like a pet. Preferably one that can protect you when I cannot. Not that you need much of it, Brave Little Thing." She purred, sitting on the edge of the bed. "The trip was fine for you?"
"Yes."
"Good. And Regina gave you no trouble?"
"No. She was really happy to talk to you on the phone."
"I heard." Mal said simply, still focused on making sure her Tiny Thing had not been harmed in her absence. "Did you speak with the Dark One?"
"Sorta. He was insulting, so I told him to get out." Belle shrugged.
"He insulted you?" Mal growled.
"Not me. You. He called you a beast." Belle said, looking up at the blonde. "You're not a beast." She added firmly.
"I am a dragon-"
"A dragon is not a beast. You are not some mindless animal and I won't tolerate you or anyone talking as though you are. You're as human as any of us." Belle snapped vehemently, surprised at her own rage at the thought. Mal seemed visibly taken aback as well. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Mal said softly. "No one has ever defended me in such a way."
"Someone should." Belle replied.
Mal looked up at her, seemingly regarding her words. She raised her hand and Teardrop Scales appeared in her hand, now newly titled, A Dragon's Memoir. "Early morning present?"
"One second." Belle hopped up and rushed into the bathroom to wash her face to wake herself up a little bit and rushed back to dive on the bed, laying on her stomach and looking expectantly up at the dragon with a grin.
Mal chuckled as she moved to the side of the bed to rest her back against the headboard. Thorn let out a squeak and cuddled up against her side. "One day, the heartbroken dragon was visited by a young queen. The queen wanted to learn magic, she wanted revenge, and she believed the dragon could teach her how to obtain such. But the dragon had given up long ago, no longer even a shadow of her former herself. This young queen was determined however, and her determination helped the dragon get her fire back, at the same time igniting a spark to the dragon's heart that had burned out long ago." Belle listened in silence as Mal read about her time with Regina, when they were young and in love and happy. Then she read about Regina's descent into madness, into darkness, from which she couldn't escape. A darkness that not even dragon fire could pierce. And the Curse...Mal spent her days sleeping mostly. The library had been closed for 28 years so of course she got no visitors, probably didn't even know anyone else was aboveground. Regina had weakened her magic so that not even her dragon form could break itself free. But the most hurtful part was, the dragon had spent nearly 2 years after the curse broke replenishing her magic. In that time, Regina hadn't mentioned the dragon, hadn't visited her and had been so wrapped up in her own family problems and happy ending that she had completely forgotten about her former lover trapped beneath the library, steadily building strength, biding her time.
Belle sighed. No wonder Mal refused to forgive Regina. She thought Mal would end there, but she was surprised when the dragon continued to describe her attack on the town, getting shot with the arrow and revealing the treachery of Snow and Charming. When she spoke about Belle healing her, Belle nearly wanted to cry at the way the dragon described her mixed feelings about the situation. She'd been happy to have help with her wound, almost relieved because she didn't know what poison had been used or how to rid herself of it, and being so guarded, so watchful that she was practically looking over her shoulder, expecting the poultice Belle used to kill her even faster.
"But it never did. The dragon was quite confused by this strange little thing that continued to return to check her wound. She was small, almost insignificant to many others the dragon had met. But then she spoke…" Mal paused, looking a little uncomfortable. Belle gestured for her to keeping going and smiled, hoping it would appease her worries. "But then she spoke...and it was like the sounds of a fire, gently crackling in the hearth. Like the smell of the wind after it rained. She was a beauty, in her body and in her heart and in her voice. Despite knowing the darkness in the dragon's heart, she chose to see the goodness. She chose to believe that there was more to the dragon queen than just the dragon and the queen. She saw a woman, a mother, heartbroken and desiring only to hold her children again. So the Brave Little Thing returned them to her arms, facing everything without fear, without wavering for a moment. The dragon wondered, how someone could be so constant, so defiant and strong, when her own fire couldn't be." Mal sighed and tossed the book on the bed. "I'm leaving."
"Mal." Belle said, quickly grabbing her hand, momentarily surprised by how soft it was. "Whoa, what kind of moisturizer do you use?"
"What?"
"Never mind, not important. But, come on, please don't go."
"I told you, I don't like showing feelings." Mal ran a hand through her hair.
"I know. I won't stop you, but I just wanted to thank you. That was beautiful. I don't really think of myself as significant most of the time, to be honest. It's the big heroes that have the adventures and do all the saving, not me."
"If they were more like you, half of this bull wouldn't happen." Mal said. She looked at Belle out of the corner of her eye before leaning over and placing a kiss on her forehead. Her touch burned for a moment before melting away. "I will see you later, Tiny." Mal poofed away and Belle smiled stupidly to herself for a moment before deciding to get up and get ready to head down to the library. She showered and got dressed in a pretty blue dress, putting on a gray sweater over it with black flats. Thorn sat on her shoulder as she grabbed her purse and headed out. Storybrooke was bright and seemed almost back to normal as she made her way to her favorite place. Walking into the library was like walking into her second home. She placed Thorn behind the desk so she could keep an eye on him and was about to start when the door swung open and Regina stepped in, brandishing coffee and a box of doughnuts.
"Good morning, Miss French."
"Good morning, Madame Mayor. What's this?" Belle asked.
"I've been acting like a petty jealous ex...and I'm sorry. You were only trying to help Mal...something I should've done from the beginning." Regina said. She frowned when Thorn leaped onto the checkout desk, walking across the keyboard and knocking over a pencil holder. "That is a dragon. A tiny dragon in the library. Why is that not surprising?"
"He's a gift from Mal." Belle said. As soon as she said the name there was a puff of purple smoke and a deep one handled pan appeared on the desk with some kind of cake inside it.
"What is that?" Regina asked.
Belle burst out laughing. "It's a pan with cake. A pancake. That's amusing." She straightened up. "Mal doesn't know what a pancake is." She explained to the confused mayor. Belle pulled off a piece and was about to take a bite when it all disappeared and was replaced by a plate of actual pancakes, 3 strips of bacon and some eggs, along with a small pitcher of syrup. "I would've preferred the cake." A note appeared a moment later stating that she needed to eat properly. A glass of iced tea appeared next, also with a note, saying from Seraphina. "They're so cute."
"Millie and Lily are happy? Settling in well?" Regina asked.
"I suppose. I haven't seen them since yesterday when they left with Mal. She's so happy."
"You seem to be good at that...making her happy."
"I guess." Belle shrugged. "Are Snow and Charming just gonna walk away from this?"
"I doubt it if the dragons have anything to say about it." Regina sighed, leaning against the counter. "Some of the people are turning on them, they're ashamed and afraid to leave their houses. It's just a mess."
"They should be ashamed." Belle said firmly. "But I suppose that justice won't come just yet."
"No, not yet, but soon. With Lily's temper, it sure as hell won't be long. I'm afraid of the consequences of this. Mal has already shown her anger."
"You're concerned about Millie." Belle surmised.
"I'm concerned the people are gonna react violently and Seraphina might be caught in the cross-fires. An unhinged dragon mother is not what we need right now."
"It'll be a chain reaction. If Seraphina is put in danger, then Millie will jump in and then Mal, and eventually Lily and the Queens. It'll be chaos."
Regina nodded. "No matter what Snow and Charming did, it's only gonna get worse before it gets better."
Belle looked up at the mayor as she sipped her coffee. "Do you believe that dreams can be premonitions?"
"What do you mean?"
"I had a dream...the night before we left. It was about bringing Mal's daughters back and it just ended in disaster. Death and disaster."
"Was I there?" Regina asked, curiously.
"Yes. They had the cuff on you and were holding you back." Belle answered. "Lily and Millie were already dead. Ursula was half dead, Mal was dying. I was trying to help, but someone shot me and it set Mal off. She killed Emma and Snow and destroyed the town. It was just hell." She looked down at the food on the counter and picked off a piece of bacon to give to Thorn. "Can you make the rest of that go away? I'm suddenly not hungry."
"Sorry for ruining your appetite." Regina said, waving her hand and making the food disappear.
"It's no problem. Anyways, that's when Mal took me to her library, to dream a better dream, I guess you could say."
Regina nodded slowly. "What does she believe?"
"It was just a dream and it didn't mean anything. I wouldn't forgive myself if anything happened to any of them because of something I could've prevented."
"I'm sure everything will work out fine. For you anyway." Regina stepped back and nodded to Thorn. "I must go, but it was nice talking to you, Miss French."
"You too, Madame Mayor."
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Mal tilted her head, watching her daughters spar in the yard in front of the cabin. A smile touched her lips. Both of them were athletic, naturally, and were battling it out like it was real. Millie used a long staff, similar to her own, while Lily used a quarterstaff, shorter in length but slightly thicker on one end. This seemed to be a favorite pastime of theirs. It gave her the time to truly look at her children and see what they'd become. Millie, she noticed was almost haughty, something she'd always been. She thought dragons were superior to humans and Mal could understand that. She was slightly vain as well, but mostly when it concerned her hair, and just like her mother she loved shiny things, jewels and gems. Lily didn't seem to care much about that kind of thing. She was hotheaded and temperamental, but that only made Mal smile. She would've made a strong dragon queen. Her loyalty knew no bounds when it came to her family and she was protective of her niece. Seraphina was a bit of a mystery personality wise. If anything, she was a mix of Millie and Lily, always composed mostly, like her mother, but she'd already demonstrated that she could be just as fierce as her aunt when she needed to be.
Her granddaughter came and sat next to her, smiling brightly at her. "Hey Grandma. Is it okay if I call you that?"
"Perfectly so." Mal replied. "And hello to you, dear."
Seraphina grinned. "You don't want to fight?"
"No, I don't want to whoop your mother and aunt this early in the morning."
"Come on Mom." Millie said. "Show us you still got it."
"Unless, you know...old ladies have to rest." Lily smirked.
Mal raised an eyebrow. She waved her hand, conjuring her black jeans and a black tank top. Her staff appeared in her hand and she used it help her stand. "You sure about this, dears?" Mal asked as she strutted forward.
"Oh yeah." Lily said with a grin, twirling her staff and getting into a ready crouch.
Mal gave her own staff a twirl and got ready. Millie attacked first from behind but Mal ducked, steppined forward to push Lily back with a few well placed shots and suddenly spinning to hit Millie hard in the shoulder. Millie growled and shook it off. Mal arched an eyebrow as they went at it, both them working together to try and and pick out her weaknesses. Millie was the faster and more flexible of the two, but Lily was the hard hitter. Mal still had far more experience than either of them and it wasn't hard to send them rolling them across the grass with a few precision shots.
"Can I learn too?" Sera asked, walking up next to Mal.
Mal smiled and waved her hand. Charming appeared in front of them dressed in brown burlap pants and a loose white shirt. He was a mere conjuration but he was a perfect tool to teach a young dragon how to fight. She then made another staff appear, light brown and similar to Lily's. Sera picked it up easily and swung it around. "Okay, now pay attention." Her granddaughter nodded. "Contrary to popular belief, dragons don't usually do the slash and claw stuff unless they're in dragon form. In human form, we prefer blunt objects. Hit hard and hit often. Power is key. A direct shot to the head, temple, forehead or nape of the neck, will usually do the trick." She touched the places to demonstrate. Lily and Millie walked over to listen as well. "You're short and small."
"So I have to bring him down to my height. Got it. Let me try."
Mal smirked at her enthusiasm and took a step back. "Begin." Charming dropped into a fighting stance, but Sera aimed directly for his dominant knee, knocking it out from under him. She then spun and clocked him in the temple, knocking him to the ground. "Excellent work, my dear."
Sera beamed proudly as Millie kissed the top of her head. "I learned watching mommy."
"And you are an excellent learner." Millie smiled at her daughter.
"Shall we begin again?" Mal asked, already knowing the answer. They sparred all morning and Mal was glad of the workout and the chance to spend with her children. They ate and decided to walk down to the lake for a swim to get rid of the sweat and dirt and rest their aching muscles. Mal decided to call Belle and invite her too. The librarian quickly agreed.
"Are you going to invite Regina?" Belle asked.
"Why should I? If she comes, then Henry will probably come. Not that I mind the boy or anything. I don't want Emma coming too, and ruining everything."
"Ignoring people is not the way to work out your differences."
"No, but it's a good way to keep them alive." Mal responded.
"Fine." Belle chuckled. "I'll be there in a minute."
"See you then." Mal hung up and handed Cruella back her phone. She looked up at a smirking Millie as she walked up in a white bikini.
"So...you and Beauty?"
"What?"
"You two are really feeling each other."
"I haven't felt of her." Mal frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"You like her. She likes you." Millie prompted.
"You know I hate subtle messages, Millicent." Mal growled, waving her hand so that she wore a black lace bathing suit.
"Do you love her?" Millie asked with a sigh.
Mal didn't respond. "It is not as simple as that."
"So you do. But you don't know if she likes you in that way, right?" Millie nodded. "Gotcha." she continued smirking as she walked forward and Mal grabbed her arm, seeing the many scars criss crossing her child's body.
"How did you get those?"
"Fight Club." Millie shrugged. Mal prompted her to explain. "Well, when I fell through the portal, a really nice family found me. Everything was pretty good until I got kidnapped by these assholes. They forced me and these other women to fight each other night after night. It wasn't that bad when you're the champion." She shrugged again.
"Tell me those men are dead."
"They are. Don't worry."
"I'm sorry. I should've been there to protect you."
"You couldn't have. I'm okay, Mom. It's over."
Mal sighed and looked up as Lily left the cabin, wearing a red bikini, revealing the scars all along the left side of her body. Clearly, this didn't bother her daughters, but it pained her to no end. "Lily?" she nodded to the scars.
"Abusive parents. Nothing big." Lily said dismissively.
"Would you like for me to remove them?" Mal asked. Both of them shook their heads.
"It took a lot to get them." Millie said. "We might as well keep them."
Mal nodded, but she hated that she wasn't there to protect her children. It made her want to set something on fire. Both of them touched her shoulders.
"Relax, Mom." Lily looked into her eyes. "It's really okay."
"It's not." She hissed. "I should've been able to protect you."
"We all failed in protecting each other." Millie murmured softly. "But we won't again."
Mal nodded, remembering that the only reason Millie had run out of the cave that night was to get her sister back. She'd failed. Mal had failed. Everything was so wrong. None of this should've happened. She was irritable all the way down to the lake, but she tried to have fun with her family. It wasn't until Belle arrived that she found herself smiling brightly and welcoming the young brunette with a kiss on the forehead before the librarian was pulled down to the water by Seraphina. Mal thought she looked nice in her light purple bathing suit. Maybe more than just nice. It got her wondering if Belle and Rumpelstiltskin had ever consummated their marriage. She didn't believe it so. At least hoped so. Belle deserved more than that fool. Certainly not her. She was too dark for someone as bright as Belle. She would only corrupt her.
"Mal." Belle suddenly popped up right in front of her face. "Are you gonna come in or just sit on the sand with your thinking face on all day?" Mal smiled as Belle took her hand. "Come on."
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Belle was pleasantly exhausted when she returned home that night. Mal had carried her there and now she was barely awake, curled against the dragon's leg on the bed and listening to her purr while she provided warmth for the brunette. Mal sat once again with her back against the headboard and was softly stroking Belle's hair. Thorn was asleep next to them on the pillow. Belle was transfixed by how soft the dragon could be. How soft she actually was compared to everything she'd been told about her.
"Did you have fun today?" Mal asked.
"Of course." Belle let out a content sigh. "I like spending time with you guys."
"I am glad you do." Mal purred. "But I feel I must ask you something very important."
"Something wrong?" Belle raised her head, gently resting her chin on Mal's soft thigh and looked up at the dragon.
"Nothing is wrong...but something is...strange. I suppose. I think I am starting to care for you more than I should."
"What do you mean?"
"I am...starting to grow feelings for you. Feelings that should not exist between friends." Mal said slowly.
"You're sending me away?"
"No. I couldn't do that if I wanted to." Mal sighed.
Belle sat up and moved closer to the dragon. "It's okay, Mal."
"No, it isn't."
"It is." Belle touched Mal's cheek and the dragon leaned into her touch. "What if I told you that maybe I might be growing feelings too?"
"Then I think we stay away from each other for a while. It is dangerous for you."
"I don't care. You're like my best friend and I care about you. Please don't…" She pleaded.
"It must be done. I will not put you in danger. You showed me what you do in your dream. Trying to defend me and getting yourself killed." Mal closed her eyes for a moment. "I wouldn't forgive myself."
Belle swallowed hard and moved even closer. She was almost in the dragon's lap at this point. Mal looked up at her, one eyebrow perfectly arched as she watched the librarian with a curious eye. Belle hesitated for a moment before pressing her lips against Mal's.
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Read and review! Sorry for any mistakes or errors.