Done with finals so now can start updating frequently. That finale still took a lot out of me but so happy Rumbelle finally got married and hoping Season four at least for Rumbelle is angst-free

All works of Once Upon A Time are owned by Adam Horowitz an Eddie Kitsis as well as ABC

Chapter Six

The smell of ink and parchments became too much for Belle as she started to head into her library, it was like returning home regardless of being back in her father's castle the library was the closest thing she called home there for it contained not only her favourite books but also heirlooms her mother inherited to her which were used for research purposes but hardly used due to not having any monetary or practical military gain. She spotted a large book on the stand ready to be read with the ink still distinct to make every detail from the art of the pictures to the exquisite stitching. As she is about to read the text, a noise creeps behind her with a comfort feeling surrounding her allowing her to turn to find an familiar guest in her sanctuary.

Rumpelstiltskin in the fashion of a nobleman: with a long dark blue waistcoat, silver vest, white cravat with a dark blue gem and trousers which seemed to be made out of leather along with the most complicated laced boots known to man. His face had looked nearly 10 years younger as though any signs of a hard life never existed as his hair was tied back up in a black ribbon showing a smile as he runs over to Belle for a passionate embrace as he cups his hands onto her face to kiss her.

"Rumple, what are you doing here?" Belle began to be giddy as he caressed her cheek followed by another kiss

"I missed you my darling Belle" he continued to stare at her with adoration as purple smoke appeared from his hand taking the form of a single red rose presenting it to her with a flirty smirk. Belle curtsied back as he bowed to her accepting the rose in which Rumpelstiltskin took Belle by the waist and started to dance with her.

In the next second, their quiet moment was interrupted followed by a small yelp coming from Belle as Rumpelstiltskin accidently stepped on her small feet. "So sorry, still two left feet when it comes to this". Rumpelstiltskin started to back away from his partner not wanting to look at her in the eye when it became her turn to give him a kiss followed by a hug reassuring him he had done nothing wrong.

"Don't worry, I am just as a klutz" She presented another smile to him he stood on equal ground to her and they tried to resume dancing, this time though Rumpelstiltskin was starting to do the waltz a bit without stepping on her as Belle would warn him when it was time for him to move forward. "That is it, one two three and one two three you're doing great" he could see her enthusiasm as she started to move a little faster hoping he could keep which he was doing to at last able to grab her by the arm and twirl back to him as they held each other closer than before.

"I love you so much Rumple" Belle's declaration became a shock to herself as she admitted her feelings and was proud to state them while Rumpelstiltskin crept his face towards her ear leaning on as she could feel the air around them starting to decrease. "I could never love a pirate". Belle regain her senses as she turned back and slapped her suitor noticing his appearance changed into wearing all black with scaly skin almost like a reptilian using his arms again to tie wrists back.

"What are you doing let me go! HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" Belle tried to wiggle out of the rope but it was no use as she was floated up by a few inches off the ground with her captor having a child like giggle as he circled her a few times.

"What's the matter dearie? Can't handle what you are? Enjoy being shark food" Belle saw herself standing on top of a plank in the same room but the floor appeared to be clear with a view of sharks swimming around below. She was immediately walking feeling a sword poking into back until a loud pounding noise coming into her ears. The pounding was so loud that the plank and sharks had disappeared immediately with the strange figure changing back into Rumpelstiltskin as before.

The room started to darken around Belle as she saw Rumpelstiltskin began transforming into dust with any remaining visibility she was in the library turning into dust as well with all she could hear was the same pounding noise into her ear over and over to the point where she started to break into the floor screaming for the noise to end.

Belle blinked back into a different location than where was a second ago. Instead of being back in her library in Avonlea, images and shapes began forming to the lower deck of the Jolly Roger where she found herself tied up and gagged next to barrel near the stairs with no possibility of getting out. Trying to piece the events previous was her recent memory of being back on the ship just before setting for sail followed by what feels like a pounding into the head. Belle could count in one hand anyone who would best her in a fight and the possibility became almost impossible to conclude as she started to regain her senses again following by a shadowy figure hiding behind the beams in the background. She tried to scream out for Killian but there her squeals were faint due to being gagged as she started to struggle on the ropes in order to break free, from what she could gather the knots were on so tight it became too exhausting as she feared for her life when seeing the figure come out to the shadows but it was not what she had expected.

Standing in front of her was a woman slightly taller than her by a nearly a foot, dark hair and brown eyes dressed in peasant clothing who gave off a worried look not at Belle however but as though she was waiting for someone to come through the door. She went up to Belle who while gagged started to screaming hoping some residual noise may have allowed one of the crewmen or even Killian to break her free but the next second she got a loud slap across her face.

"No one is going to hear so shut up and you can get out of here sooner than you like." The woman gave her a menacing grin where if looks could kill, Belle would have dead in less than a second. What was puzzling Belle the most was that there was something familiar about her in which she was either unable to figure out or could not comprehend as her thoughts turned to trying to find a way to get out as quickly as possible. She was not sure whether Killian was even alive which left her even more frightened as there could have been other pirates on deck who might have seen her a spoil of war, a fate which scared her even more than dying. A second afterwards she heard a row as she could hear Killian's voice giving out orders.

Oh he's safe, if I can just get a response to him. Hang my code, the sooner I can draw my dagger on this wench's throat, the better my day will get. Belle began to squirm to a spot nearby the door where she knew there was a clear view on deck hoping it would be a way to be released as she started to notice her captor looking through her valuables, one such item leaving Belle in complete anger was her captor opening up the velvet pouch Belle kept in her satchel which had the only possession she would fight to the death keeping. The captor went through the pouch picking up a diamond chain which had a dark blue pendant and put on her admiring its beauty leaving Belle angrier by the second but needing to remember in getting help rather than retrieving her mother's necklace. Suddenly Belle noticed a thump blocking her view where from what little she could see was some facial features that were all too familiar.

Rumple, what are you doing here? Even Killian was asking the same as she heard the spinner stating he had his wife allowing Belle to be annoyed that Killian was trying to point his sexual escapades towards her cuckolded friend when it suddenly hit her as to why her captor looked so familiar. It had made sense she was not able to recognize her as she only saw a glimpse of Milah that night at the bar but couldn't understand what was going on around.

"We have a son and he needs his mother" was all she could make out what Rumplestiltskin was saying as she heard the crewmen laughing from what appeared to be Killian backing up the spinner stating the ship was in need for companions. If you wanted you bring a woman on this ship, go to the brothels. You had your fun Killian just give him back his wife. She could imagine how scared Rumple must have been cowered by Killian with only his staff for support knowing how threatening Killian can be especially when he would end up starting a fight"

"….I do consider myself an honourable man, a man with a code so if you truly want your wife back all you had to do is take her. Never been in a duel before I take, its simple pointy end goes into the other guy…" she could hear a large clank blocking her view seeing it's a sword followed by another sound of Killian unsheathing his. Are you daft, he uses a staff for support you know he can't fight you. At that moment Belle began to understand what was going on and then turned to see her forgotten captor just relaxing on her hammock laughing at what was transpiring up above. "go on pick it up" was all she could hear Killian tell what came off as whimpers from the other man as there was some laughter in the background. All her worries then turned to the realization Killian was going to kill Rumpelstiltskin at that moment don't do it Rumpel, please think of Baelfire…

"A man unwilling to fight for what he wants, deserves what he gets" it appeared as though Rumpelstiltskin was going not going to be duelling but the fact Killian would knowingly kill a cripple because he confronted him made her sick to think she was related to him.

"Please sir, what am I going to tell my boy" hearing what appeard to be whimpers, already her heart was breaking for this man

"The truth, that his father is a coward" afterwards she could no longer hear what was going on as all she could think of the events from the other day when she saved Rumpelstiltskin from being robbed. He had a face of defeat that made her want to protect him at all times now knowing he was going to home and be branded a coward by her own brother.

Had Belle not heard everything she would never believe Killian was capable of such malice. She was not naïve in how ruthless he can be even at times careless where she was lucky to be a fast learner in danger or his antics might have gotten her killed a long time ago. Never in her wildest dreams could she believe her own brother was someone who would take advantage of someone who was clearly physically weaker than him. At last the door opened in which he came down hoping he will untie her and give her the explanation she deserved when his attention turned the woman in the hammock as they began to passionately kiss.

"I honestly thought you were going to stab him for a second, that gnat is so pathetic it's funny he even made it all the way here." Her thoughts were muddled as Killian kissed her neck untying her blouse as quick as possible until Milah stopped him to point out Belle still tied up and gagged staring at them with tears wanting everything going on to be another dream she will wake up from.

"My apologies love forgetting my manners. Milah this is my darling little sister Belle, Belle this is Milah." Killian got up picked his dagger to free Belle who gave him a huge shove pushing him down on the floor as he looked shocked over what she had just done.

"You sick, pitiful excuse of a man. How could you? The both of you!?" turning towards Milah "And you, take my mother's necklace off you disgusting piece of…" Killian gave her another hard slap across her face leaving her in tears as the sting of the hit made her realise this was not the beloved brother she loved and worshipped.

"Honestly Belle you can be so melodramatic at times. I didn't hit you that hard and mom's necklace looks great on my beloved, she would have wanted it to be one the woman I love. This isn't how I planned on letting you two meet but Belle you need come outside for a bit and Milah why don't you keep yourself comfortable, Belle has whatever you need." That left a smirk on her face as she started to poke around her satchel while Belle was being dragged out by Killian above deck. Her first thought was to get off board as fast as she could but they were already out to sea and she knew the boat was safer spot to be than being eaten by sharks.

"How could you do such a thing? The fact you stole another man's wife but were going kill a crippled man when he had every right to confront you. So help me Killian if you don't turn this ship around I will kill you myself!" Still struggling to leave Killian's grasp as one of the crewmen got a pair of shackles and two more helped tie her up on the beam shackled up with only her arms bound up as she kept struggling to pull the bind free.

"Killian this isn't funny, please let me go. This isn't like you what are you doing?"

"You are to stay here for the remainder of the day with no food or water or even your precious books to keep you company. I will not tolerate insolence from anyone on my crew even from my dear little sister."

"I am being insolence? You are a coward and a liar! You told me that woman was in desperate need of her life. I know her family, there was nothing wrong in that household apart from living in poverty." She then noticed Killian taking out of his vest an all too familiar book as went around her reading one of the passages…

"It breaks my heart seeing how Rumpelstiltskin has a sadness to his eyes where I just want to hug him and whisper to him everything will be fine. Baelfire is also a darling, I would be so proud to have that boy as my son and it does pain me to suspect his own mother may not appreciate him the same. If only there was some way to help, I wish there was a way…" Killian stopped reading looking at Belle with an approval look that made her want to vomit seeing her own words being thrown at her face. "This not what I had in mind and you know it, give me back my journal" she could not stop crying. "That boy needed his mother, you practically ruined a family the Killian I know would feel tremendous guilt over this.

"The world is not as black and white as you think. We fell in love and she wanted to leave, I am sorry the boy will grow up without a mother but it's more shameful for him to know his father couldn't even fight to keep her. Also you are one to talk, I was expecting to read your journal consisted of a some little boy who were spending your time with; the fact you are in love with crippled spinner is amusing to consider. Don't worry in time you will forget about him and see that Milah coming with us was the best to have happened." He then kissed the cheek that had been slap and got a handkerchief to Belle as he started to dry her tears. "Although I am curious about something; when the spinner knew you, did he addressed you under your given name or our mother's name?" That blow left Belle shocked worse than any strikes she would have ever received as Killian gave her another kiss on the forehead "You know why I have to call myself 'Lacey' and my crime is nothing compared to what you did" hoping to still get some sense into him but now she might as well accepted that nothing would go in her favour.

"I will unfree you later tonight, can you behave until then?" she nodded not wanting to look him as Killian left her sight a second later. Belle was no longer able to cry as she now to wish she was anywhere than on the Jolly Roger. She then began to wonder if living with her father and stepmother was a better fate than were she was at the present. Then her thoughts went back to Rumpelstiltskin and Baelfire admitting to herself she was partially responsible for their now misery.