She knew she had to pick up his call eventually.
Killian was never the type to give up, even if the universe around him conspired against his ways. This was possibly the most interesting and infuriating thing about him.
Her sigh echoed in the empty room for umpteenth time.
"When are you coming back?" Killian asked, and Belle rolled her eyes under the dim light of her lamp. She just wanted some sleep.
"I don't know," she rubbed face again, feeling her eyelids heavier and heavier each time. "When I finish my writing, when I'm done collecting all the information I need," she gestured vaguely in the empty space, close to picturing her tired hands strangling his neck. The image helped her push some of the sleepiness away. "We have until next year to have this ready. Don't worry," she told him.
She knew it was a futile wish. She could explain it a hundred times in a hundred different ways, but he could never wrap his mind around that one unchangeable fact: she did not need his worry.
His accent returned thick and irritated through the static. "It's not about time. I'm worried about you"
There it was.
Belle rolled her eyes again, making little effort to hide the annoyance in her voice. "Don't be. It's just like I said, they are all impeccably secured and I'm becoming friends with a lot of them" she recalled their names and faces, and the gentle memories of her many pleasant conversations eased her growing irritation. "There is no danger here for me"
"Yes, but—" Killian cut himself short, and the muffled sound of rubbing cloth and lazy breathing filled the line.
He was in bed. Instead of allowing himself the rest he so clearly wanted, he decided to bother Belle and deprive her of her comfortable sleep. She wrote another entry on her mind for the growing list of reasons to never pick up a call from Killian Jones.
"What about the werewolf?" His dragged question was a whisper. Still, she could hear every note and tone of his disgust, and it didn't sit well in her guts; the way he said the word.
This was most definitely not a conversation Belle wanted to have with Killian.
She locked her jaw, the flash of anger cutting through her thick fatigue. "Did Mary Margaret tell you that?"
Killian spat his answer immediately. "Of course! I'm part of this team! I had to approve the change to exclude the werewolf!" His raising voice sounded strangled, like he was trying his best to keep quiet. His best wasn't good enough. "Of course I know this, Belle!"
"Do not raise your voice, please," Belle asked. They both knew it was a command.
Killian breathed out, before continuing. "I'm sorry," was murmured, "I… That's just something I need you to know. I am part of this too"
"I know you are," she ran her hands through her hair, resting the weight of her head on her arm. Gods, she just wanted to sleep! "But, again, here this is my call to make," Belle explained, feeling annoyed at herself for doing so.
She shouldn't have to explain it. They were grown adults, with careers and reputations. They were renowned professionals in their field and they worked for one of the best, most credible teams in country.
They shouldn't be having this conversation, late at night, each in their own beds, fighting a losing battle against sleep and trying their best not to yell at each other. That was ridiculous. They should act like the professionals they were, and accept the changes and tribulations of their job.
It was plain and simple. The fact that Killian refused to treat Belle like any other coworker was infuriating, bordering insulting. She knew he would not dare do the same to David or Mary Margaret.
It was all because he felt this sense of entitlement around her. She had always noticed it — that air around him, when he addressed her. Something old and dusty and smelling too much like a caveman.
He believe he owned part of Belle and that was easily the first three hundreds entries on her list.
She wished her silence would convey it all — she didn't want to waste her vanishing energy with words —, but it appeared like the trick only worked with Ruby. Or with people with the decent amount of perception. Apparently, the silence didn't speak for everyone.
Killian wasn't phased. He continued, on his same momentum. "Did she try anything with you?" His voice was now careful and slow, and Belle dreaded what was to come.
That mute sound before the storm. He was shedding all of his professional front, entering their most uncomfortable and astonishingly undeveloped territory yet: friendship.
No, that wasn't even the right word to call what they had. Whatever it was, it wasn't friendship. Regardless, Killian insisted on it.
"Who?" Belle tried her luck. Playing oblivious tended to serve as a decent hint to most people. At his grunt, she sighed. Yes, most people.
"The werewolf!" He said.
"No, of course not!" Belle's face frowned into a defensive mask. "She barely talks to me. She wants nothing to do with me," She recalled and tried not to wince at the oldest memories of the girl. "Why would she try anything?"
"I know she is messing with your head" Killian accused, and Belle fought off a laugh. If she so much as coughed, he would take that as a challenge and Belle wasn't in the mood to deal with his temper. Not when all she wanted was to sleep.
"She has opinions," she elongated her words, "Valid ones. And I began to see more of her side. That's that," she felt the edges of her voice getting sharper, and slowly breathed in, calming her nerves. "That's how normal conversations go"
Before her voice had even faded, Killian spoke again.
"But she is not normal" He, too, stretched each syllable of his words, and Belle wondered who learned the annoying habit from who. "You know that, right? She didn't try to convince you otherwise, did she?"
His anxiety was growing beneath his accent and Belle tried to speed up their conversation. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck calming down a grown man in the middle of the night, when all she wanted was some sleep.
"No," her voice was hard, "No, she's not normal. The silver bars that separate us serve as a reminder enough on their own!"
Belle's own discomfort showed itself despite her struggle, and Killian at last seemed to notice the change in her tone. She was begin to doubt he was even listening to her.
"Okay, okay" he sighed, "Don't try your luck, okay? Keep doing your work, and ignore this one"
This one.
Belle grinded her teeth.
"You can do this"
"I know I can, Killian" she spat her reply, her fingernails scratching her scalp to alleviate her anger.
He had a way to get under her skin.
"And if something goes wrong, if you start to freak out or… Doubt anything, please call me," he asked. "I'm here for you"
Though his words were nothing but sincere, Belle knew without a doubt that she didn't want him there for her. Calling him in a time of need would never be a possibility — the infinite list made sure of it.
"I know, I know!" Her reply was hollow of meaning.
"Okay, fine" he was quieter now. Maybe Killian knew it, too. "I just wanted to let you know. Be safe, Belle"
Belle shut her eyes and nodded. "I will" She quickly ended the call, throwing her phone to the side, away from her reach.
She rubbed her eyes again, this time trying to wipe the irritation from her face, and the feeling of Killian's overbearing presence from her mind.
How confident he had been, that Belle needed any of his advice — any of his support and his wisdom. She didn't. She would never need it. Not in her most desperate time, she would resort to him. Not even if the ground beneath her feet gave in, she would reach for his help.
She would rather fall into the endless pit of whatever lurked in the Earth, than reach for him. That was certain.
As she rolled to her side and pulled the covers up to her ears, she tried to think of anything else, to distract her from her disdain of him.
Literally anything else. Murder, famine, horror. Anything would be more enjoyable as a lullaby than the recent memory of his voice.
Searching through groggy thoughts and formless faces, she found refuge in green eyes and long dark hair.
She didn't know why. Her mind took her to the greenest hill and she stayed there, starting at the deep silence of the Den. The sleep crawled back into her body and filled her mind with disconnected pictures, and she closed her eyes.
That night, she dreamed with the moon.
It was a warm, windy Sunday.
The quiet town was even quieter and the streets were as soundless as her room. After trying to polish her first chapter about a hundred times, she gave up on her work for the day, packed her bag with books and snacks, and drove to the Park.
She waved to her new friends by the gate and steered curve after curve in search of a parking spot closest to the Den. Eventually, she settled for a short walk to the habitat and enjoyed the lengthy path her lazy feet took her on.
It gave her some precious time to calm down.
Breathing in and out, she reminded herself that Ruby was just a person.
Yes, a hybrid of incredible skills and strength, but a person, nonetheless. A person with likes and dislikes, quirks and preferences, just like the crew who watched over her.
Ruby was a person. Belle shouldn't fear her, or be nervous around her. Ruby was a person.
Step after step, she paced closer to the Den and her heart beat to the rhythm of her feet.
Well, the first point was easy to argue. Belle didn't have it in her to fear Ruby. She never did, truly. Not more than she feared her many bosses and bullies years before. Survival or social, fear was not the issue.
It was her nerves. Always, her nerves. Uncontrollable and unreasonable.
She knew she would be daring further than before, with what she intended for their meeting of the day — and she was aware of the risk she was taking —, but she figured she would survive it, whatever the outcome turned out to be.
She would live and leave in one piece, perfectly fine. Maybe one or a thousand ranging nerves to leave her crippled for a few weeks, but fine, in the end.
Ruby was a person and Belle was usually great with people.
Like a hunter stalking her prey, she could point their weakness and strengths; their worries and honors; their moods and inclinations.
Belle French knew how to read and deal with people. A moody girl with impossibly self-incriminating eyes should not be much of a challenge.
She reached the end of her walk and stopped by the silver bars. Her heart beating firm inside her chest.
Bag sliding off her shoulder and book crooked under her arm, she adjusted her posture before calling attention to herself. Presentable again, she knocked twice on the bars, trying to make the noise as dull and small as possible to not irritate sensitive hearing.
That had been the polite way to address ogres, according to their Caretaker. Belle just hoped the same applied to werewolves — not that Ruby's Caretaker cared much for her hearing —Focus! She told herself, shaking her head to the sides.
"Hey there!" Belle called to the empty den after her third knock with no response, "Are you home?" She bit her lip almost immediately. That may have been a bad joke to make.
The echo of her call faded away and the habitat remained unchanged. Decided to continue, Belle walked a few steps further, trying to get a better angle to look inside the cabin. The low lights were on in what seemed to be a bedroom, but her ears couldn't pick up any noise or movement.
She waited a few seconds more, shifting her weight to the front of her feet and back, like a child pretending to be patient.
"Ruby?" She called again, and finally, the cabin showed some reaction.
The lights flickered off and the wide entrance door slowly dragged and creaked open.
Bare feet stepped lazily on the wooden porch, carrying the slouched down figure of Ruby outside.
Long and messy dark hair framed a puffed face lined with pillow marks. The clear personification of a good night of sleep.
Belle giggled to herself. "I'm sorry," she covered her mouth, as she watched Ruby walk closer, groggy feet still adjusting to the terrain, "Did I wake you up?"
The answer was obvious and Ruby didn't bother with words. She just raised a sleepy smile and shrugged, tossing the loose hair away from her face.
"I have all the time in the world to sleep" Ruby yawned soundlessly, turning her head to her side. Belle took the chance to admire the sharp canines once more. Each time she stole a glance at them, they worried her less; she liked them more. "What is it?" Ruby frowned at her, and Belle snapped back to her own body.
She shook her head and found a firmer footing on the ground, before reaching with both hands for the book by her side. "I brought you something"
Belle's voice was thin and shaky, and she hoped the gifted hearing couldn't hear the fast beating of her hopeful heart. As she held the book closer to the bars, she concentrated on not trembling or faltering, keeping her eyes fixed on Ruby's face.
The pale features slowly lost their sleepiness, drawing lines and shades of surprise, as the bright eyes inspected the light blue cover.
Ruby's reaction was welcoming, and Belle celebrated the first victory of the day.
The girl inclined her head to one side, hair swaying in the movement, reminding Belle of a confused puppy and its long ears. She tried her hardest to kick the image to the back of her head, but the more she thought about it, the clearer it became.
She bit her lips again, holding her smile.
"What is it about?" Ruby didn't take her eyes from the book, inspecting each letter and every drawing.
Belle shrugged, curving a smug smile on her face. "If I told you, it wouldn't be so Mysterious, now would it?"
Ruby rolled her eyes at Belle's bad joke, but it was light and playful — enough to calm the beating heart down.
"Take it. I know you will like it. It's my favorite of his work," Belle held the book closer to the bars, turning and pushing it through the furthest her short arms could hold it. The bars couldn't burn her human skin, after all.
With an easy smile, Ruby reached for the book, careful to avoid the silver. When her hands were about to touch it, a loud voice crashed onto them, breaking their comfortable silence.
"Ruby! Step back!"
Belle spun to find Zack running towards them, sweaty chest breathless and red face worried.
He had his hand on his belt, holding what Belle peeked to find was a small spray can, colored in lavender. She hissed. Aconitum.
She was about to march towards him and protest the action, when she heard Ruby sigh.
She turned again, to see the girl holding her arms up in surrender, tired eyes to the ground and shoulders flaccid in defeat.
The exhausted familiarity of her reaction told Belle this was not the first time Zack overreacted to that extent. Probably, it wouldn't be the last.
"No, Zack!" Belle called to him, determined to break his burning focus on Ruby. She didn't want to witness the effect of an aconitum spray on a werewolf's face. "I'm just — see?" She held the book up, turning the cover to him. His dark eyes scanned the book, plagued with suspicion. "I'm just lending her a book. That is just it," she breathed out.
Belle felt her own body tensing up and curving in itself, making itself smaller and smaller, in her best effort to show the boy no danger or ill intentions.
It was tiring and uncomfortable, trying to prove herself harmless. She wondered how Ruby managed to live in that constant.
"Yeah, Zack. Relax!" The girl joined her. Her eyes, however, didn't bother looking him in the face. "I won't rip her arm out or anything," Ruby ended with a scoff and Belle felt goosebumps rise up her spine.
Surely, Ruby was kidding, but the fact that she so easily could do such a thing was unnerving on its own. It was like standing on the tallest edge, knowing you could never fall, but dreading it anyway.
She wondered if that was fear — or simply a raw form of awe.
"I—I'm sorry, but I don't think that's allowed?" Zack looked at Belle and followed line of vision. Slowly, he seemed to realize the placement of his hand and eased his grip on the spray.
Belle frowned at his tone. "What, for guests to lend book? Seriously?"
Ruby leaned closer to whisper, "He is new here," and when Belle turned to look at her, she was already back to her place, staring down the Caretaker. "It is allowed," she showed her teeth, "Read the fucking manual. There is nothing against it"
Belle watched as Ruby's light energy revolved with rough frustration.
It seemed to be the way they were accustomed to. Aggression and mistrust, in an endless loop.
Ruby was clearly much rougher treating her Caretaker, and Zack always had to calm down from a paranoid trance to address Belle. It was as if they had their standard moods to treat each other. Hardened and final.
"Here, check it for knives, keys, cooked meat," Ruby jabbed at him, pointing to the book in Belle's hand. She took the cue to offer it to Zack. "You know, all that is forbidden"
Zack took the book from Belle with as much care as someone takes possible bomb. Belle scowled at his tension, while he flipped quickly through the pages and shook and patted the book down, inspecting every part of it.
She winced at the careless handling, and Ruby snorted at her reaction. "What?" Belle shot her a defensive glance. "I care for my books"
Ruby smiled with the corner of her mouth, white canines again in display, "I can see that"
Belle puffed and looked away to hide her blushing cheeks.
The long, torturous moment was over, and Zack finally handed Belle the book.
"Thank you," she nodded to him, and he nodded back to her, in an uncomfortable, mechanical exchange.
A beat and he was gone, walking back to his station with nervous eyes still looking back over his shoulder.
"I would growl at him to scare him off, but he has all those gadgets" Ruby's playful tone drew Belle' eyes back to the Den. "It's not worth the headache," Ruby wrinkled her noise and faked a painful expression.
Belle smiled and tried not to look too apologetic. Ruby certainly didn't want her pity. She joked to make light of it, not to ask for compassion — that was one thing Belle had learned about her. Wolf or not, there was a shadow of pride in Ruby.
Sighing her thoughts away and recapitulating all her precaution, Belle reached the book in between the bars. Once Ruby had the firm grasp, she let it go. Pale hands patted the cover and examined the texture of the pages. Her fingers slid down the thick spine, much like one inspects a weapon.
Finally, Ruby looked back at Belle. "Thanks," she waved her free hand, and turned her body to leave.
Belle was shocked into attention, "Hey, wait a second!" She called promptly, before Ruby's long strides could get her any further.
The girl turned to her again, confused expression on her face.
Belle gulped, swallowing her ragged energy. "Do you have something I can borrow? A bad movie, maybe?" She gestured excitedly in the empty space between them, "I figured we could have a cultural exchange, here"
At Ruby's raised eyebrow, Belle braced for impact.
No snarky retort came and she sighed in relief. Instead, after the endless second, the girl walked back to the bars, brow furrowed in what looked like mocking doubt.
"I thought you said you would be bored within a minute", Ruby argued, crossing her arms over her chest, book safely secured in her hand.
"A day," Belle corrected and Ruby nodded.
"A day, of course"
"I can watch a lot of movies in a day," Belle promised, lifting her chin up. Ruby's smile turned into a low chuckle.
"Not my bad movies," A single eyebrow raised again, defiant. "They are a challenge"
Belle scoffed, "Come on, I can handle it," she waved enthusiastically in the air. "Give me your worst one!"
Ruby's face still held her intrigued grin as she bowed and made her way back to the cabin. After a moment, she returned — book replaced with a DVD case.
Much like before, she examined it thoroughly before presenting it to Belle. "Attack of The Crab Monsters", Ruby proudly offered.
At the sight of the monstrosity, Belle grunted and winced, letting her shoulders fall. "Oh."
"I told you," Ruby chuckled at the reaction. Belle's squirming expression refused to relax, and she pointed over her shoulder to the cabin, "I have another, if you want. The Room, it's a classic," she marked the tittle with dramatic wide eyes, and Belle had to smile at the little joke. Ruby hummed in thought, "I have Samurai Cop. Or Birdemic! I swear, you cannot keep a straight face through this one!"
Ruby's excitement contaminated Belle, and she felt giggles bubble silently from her chest.
Ruby was so beautiful smiling.
Belle realized it, then, that joyfulness still existed in her, somewhere. Ruby wasn't purely resentment and protest. She was silly and joyful, at times. Whatever misery skulked in her, it wasn't enough to swallow her whole.
And Belle knew she wanted so much more of it — all the joy and silly happiness that escaped her, through the cracks of her masks.
Belle shook her head and joked an insulted look. "That's hardly fair! I brought you a beautiful piece of literature and you bring me…" she leaned closer, scrunching her nose at the tittle, "Crab Monsters"
Ruby shrugged, pressing her lips together almost apologetically. "That's how it is. I'm sorry I don't have The Notebook"
Belle snorted, "I bet Ariel has it!"
"Oh, she does!" Ruby nodded, "She's watched it a hundred times. She can remember all the lines. It's scary," she cast a look in the distance, towards the Aquarium.
"Pfffft," Belle mocked, "I'm sure you can recite a few of these atrocities, too"
Ruby licked her lips, rolling her shoulders back and composing her best acting pose. "'You are tearing me apart, Lisa!'" She chuckled at herself then dismissed the act with a quick wave, "But, again, that is a classic"
Belle stared her down, shaking her head mechanically and putting up her own dramatic act of disappointment. "You have terrible taste"
"You haven't even watched it! Give it a try," Ruby protested. She pushed the movie through the bars, struggling to balance her hands between the silver. Painfully aware of the impairment, Belle quickly reached through, and took the case.
"I will," she examined the artwork on the cover — needlessly sexual. She turned to look at the back, handling the case like one handles expired food. "But I don't have much hope"
Ruby laughed, "Well, that's wise"
"I guess!" Belle agreed.
Little by little, their voices faded into silence, and they were left to look at each other, carried by the calming sounds of the birds and the smooth current of the stream in the distance.
Ruby still hadn't broken her gaze, and Belle started feeling nervous again. It was definitely not fear.
Ruby's expressions were always translucent for Belle to read and, now, that proved to be quite unnerving.
She stared at Belle with a new type of curiosity.
Not mocking, not angry, not defiant. She was light and joyful and playful, almost nothing like the girl Belle had met on her first day.
The question was starting to burn in her chest. The stillness slowly turned heavier and heavier to her ears and she couldn't stand just one more second of it.
She cleared her throat and breathed in deeply. She had to ask.
"At the risk of… ruining my luck," she began, and noted how Ruby's eyes colored in confusion. "What changed?"
Ruby blinked, "What do you mean?"
"For you, to decide to finally talk to me, nicely" Belle fidgeted, pressing the plastic case against her chest. "What changed?"
The girl waited for long, long seconds. Belle thought the sun would set before she spoke again.
With a click of her tongue, she lifted up her shoulders and answered. "I was tired, I guess"
Belle scoffed. A disbelieving glare in the blue eyes. "Tired of the Rude Act?"
"Tired of being alone"
The words hung heavy and silence sat between them.
Belle became aware of how her body felt, itching and uncomfortable. Out of place.
"And why exactly do you think that was an Act?" Ruby raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. "It felt very real at times", she smiled, and Belle knew the discomfort was her own.
Ruby didn't mean it as terribly sad as it had sounded.
Belle gulped and adjusted her posture, trying to shake off her shoulders the sudden awkwardness.
"I don't know," she looked down, away from the green eyes for a moment, "Everyone that I asked said that you're kind. That was always the first thing, actually: kind. But then, you weren't exactly that, with me. I figured it was a front"
She inhaled, hoping to look up and find the amused smile welcoming her questions. But when she looked up to Ruby's face, all lightness had been erased and replaced with a serious, defensive scowl — jaw taut, and lips in a thin line.
"You talked to people about me?" Ruby's voice was low.
Belle wet her lips before replying.
"I wanted to know how to better approach you — make amends —, and you weren't being of any help, so I went and looked for it," Belle shrugged, feeling her arms press harder against her body, in a protective reflex. Her bones begged to run, but she wanted to stay. "Ariel had some wonderful things to say about you, and Regina—"
"Don't ask people about me," Ruby stepped impossibly closer, inches away from burning against the silver bars. The cold fire in her eyes barely seemed to notice them, starting directing into Belle's very core. "Don't— Don't talk to people about me. I'm not a topic, I'm not to be discussed and analyzed and studied—,"
"Easy!" Belle held up her hands, but her shoulders resisted relaxing. Her whole body was tense, wanting an escape. "I was curious, that's all"
"You were invading my privacy," Ruby stepped back, body rigid and muscles lean. Never breaking eye contact with Belle, she held her gaze, electric and hard. "You were—you were crossing my boundaries!" Ruby's face was a mask of offense, eyes wide and lips pressed to her teeth. She was ready to run.
Belle stepped forward, reaching her hands to the empty space. "I wasn't! I was trying to understand you. I still am," she shook her head, fighting to keep her voice calm, "There's no harm in that!"
Ruby didn't answer. She exhaled through her nose and rolled her shoulders back — all the clear tells that she was about to leave, slam the door again and shut all chances Belle could have at explaining herself.
Belle wouldn't allow it. As Ruby started walking — long strides covering ground much faster than she ever could — Belle followed, circling the cage.
"Listen to me!" Belle yelled to her back. "I want to know you. Screw why I'm here!" She threw her hands in the air, as soon as the Ruby turned to look over her shoulder. Eyes still a concrete wall. "I talked to my boss, and I'm not writing about you anymore. Like you wanted, you are no longer a subject, a study. You are just a person"
Ruby huffed, feet finally firm on the ground. Her walk had stopped, but her body remained taut and ready to burst.
"I stopped coming like you asked, right?" Belle insisted, taking all the chances Ruby was willing to give her, "I respected your wishes. But… I'm still curious about you", she admitted, and her breathing felt warmer, faster.
It was incredibly vulnerable, to say it out loud. It stripped her of any leverage she ever thought she had. It left her exposed.
Ruby scoffed. "Google 'werewolf' until you're satisfied, then"
"This is not— listen to me!" Belle walked closer to the bars, griping the cold metal with sweaty hands. "This is not about that. I don't care that you're a werewolf. I see beyond that, it doesn't matter!"
Ruby curled her lips up, and Belle knew she was fighting a growl. Part of her seemed to want to scare Belle off. Another part of her, struggled to stay.
"What I'm curious about…" Belle dared continuing, swallowing the irritation vibrating in her own chest. "I'm curious about you. Your personality, your terrible tastes," she laughed a nervous sound, raising the case she still held tightly in her hands. "Your races with Ariel and your talks with Jiminy. That's it!"
She puffed and caught her breath, just waiting for Ruby's reaction.
It took even longer. Seconds, minutes or hours, Ruby stared at her, her expression an indivisible blend of confusion, anger and boredom.
She scanned Belle up and down, before her chest rose up with a deep, slow breath. Only then to fall down and dissolve the rigidity of her arms.
"Why would you want to know about me?" Ruby's voice sounded defeated. Limp hands gestured to her body, "I'm just this. This is all of me"
Belle shook her head, brown locks flying over her eyes. "It isn't," she whispered, and Ruby frowned between wincing and scoffing. "And I trust everyone when they say you are kind, friendly, selfless—"
"I'm not," Ruby let out a long sigh. "Don't expect so much of me. They are all mistaken. I'm this."
"Maybe right now," Belle nodded, "but that's okay. I just…" She weighted her words. Ruby had given her space to talk and she wanted to make the most of it. "I just want to know you. Honestly, like an equal. Like a person" Belle confessed. Her eyes locked on Ruby's, "Can you understand that?"
The girl seemed to fight her confusion. Her eyes seemed unsure what to look at, what to focus on, travelling the spaces between them, and around Belle's worried face. She searched for something.
In the end, she resigned to the vacant space in the long distance. "There's nothing to know," she stared at Belle one last time before she turned to leave, "Don't waste your time," And Ruby walked away, deaf to Belle's calls.
The cabin door shut slowly this time, just the hollow, tired echo of the wood, in the quietness of Belle's thoughts.
She sighed to herself.
There is more to her than anger and misery, Belle reminded her flickering hope. More to her than this.
She looked down to her hands, fingers pressing carefully the around the edges of the plastic.
Much, much more than this.