Gold has led his people to safety escaping the Ministry's sneak attack. Once they are safe, he indulges his basest appetites with the sweet, innocent and compliant Belle who is quickly overwhelmed and finds herself in thrall to the experienced, sensual man.

Meanwhile, Captain Nolan and Lieutenant Commander Cassidy have begun to suspect the motives of Admiral Gorim (as do we all).

Falling

Chapter 10

Torn Apart

0000—00—0000

Admiral Gorim was pissed.

All the effort that had gone into this initiative and he still somehow got wind that they're on their way and beats them out of the harbor in that incredibly fast ship of his. He had risen fast and straight, going above the level any of their ships could manage. They'd gotten a couple of volleys off but he had, apparently, single-handedly deflected them. Then his people had managed to puncture a few of their ships and they had only narrowly avoided casualties. And now, many of the multi-national combatants that had agreed to this attack were not willing to continue with the commitment to bring Gold down.

This had been their best shot and they had blown it, just because Gold had somehow figured out they were coming. What did he see that she didn't see? What did he hear? What did he know?

Ah, but she knew that they still had a shot. There was no evidence that Gold had figured out what they had done. With any luck he was spending his time besotted with the little princess and would be well and truly distracted when they made their next attempt. This second time they would have to be much quieter, much more subtle.

This time they would follow Nolan's plan (for all that she didn't trust him, he had foretold the failure of their mass effort cautioning that Gold would be able to sense their coming and the plan that Nolan had put forth was now their best possibility of taking the man down).

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Belle became increasingly alert as she noted some light filling the room. Wherever they were, it was early morning. In the far corner of his chambers, Gold had filled a small bath tub with hot water.

"Can you walk, Princess?" he asked.

She wasn't sure, and was actually a bit surprised to find her legs would support her.

"Get in, there's just enough room for two," he directed her.

A bath sounded wonderful. She got in and he followed her, the two of them just fitting into the copper bath. He sat down and pulled her face to face on top of him. He connected with her instantly and she was gently impaled, straddling him on her knees as he leaned her backward to kiss her. They washed each other as they could without him moving in her. Yet she could still feel the connection and, slowly, the sense of fullness without the accustomed thrusting from him began to frustrate her. She began to rock back and forth on him. He held himself still, with some effort, but allowed her to control the situation, finding her own rhythm, finding her best position. She found herself clutching him in short order and collapsed into him. He allowed her to rest but then pushed her back up.

"I'm still in the game, Princess. Finish me."

"Call me Belle and ask me nicely," she told him, having just reached her own satisfaction she felt braver than she had before with him.

He narrowed his eyes. She was giving him orders? Well, no harm in giving her what she wanted, "Belle, my sweet, please satisfy me."

She smiled at him and again began to ride him, enjoying for the first time a small sense of power over him. some semblance of control. He began to urge her to go faster and she was able to watch him as he closed his eyes and clenched his body, giving it up for her.

He had her finish washing him off before he allowed her to get out, wrapping her in a large towel and sending her back to the bed.

"We need more food," he announced.

"Let me come out with you and get something to eat," she asked him again.

"Not yet. I still have some other things to introduce you to."

"But soon?"

"Maybe soon." He did not want to share her. He wanted to keep her here forever and make love to her every way he knew and, perhaps even invent a few new ways to have a woman. He had yet to explore only one aspect of her available channels and didn't want to move too quickly into invading other parts of her person. He was afraid he had already overwhelmed her. "I'll go get us something to eat." He promised and put on pants, a shirt and his boots. "I'll be right back."

He gave her a quick kiss and left her alone to get food.

First going by the kitchen and now on the way back to his quarters, he swung by the helm very quickly, carrying some food and drink. Emma and Jefferson were sitting quietly watching the cloud patterns, helping to keep look out.

"So is your hot little number cooling off any?" Emma asked him, recalling a conversation they'd had many days ago..

Gold smiled at her, "Not really, still simmering. . . or boiling actually. I'm just coming out for some more food and drink."

"It's been more than two days," Jefferson told him. "I would think that by now you would have exhausted your repertoire and could use a break."

Gold looked puzzled.

"You need to give the girl a chance to rest," Emma tried another tack.

"But I'm not through playing with her," Gold protested.

"You need to let her out and about now and again. It's not good to keep her locked up in your room," Emma was trying to be gentle.

"But she's having fun, too," he continued to protest.

"But she does probably needs to rest up some," Jefferson also cautioned him.

"But why?" Gold asked.

"She's new at this," Emma told him. "If you just keep her in your room and do what you've been doing with her, you will wear her out."

Gold nearly pouted. "But I'm not tired of her yet." He readied himself to go back to his quarters. He looked back at Jefferson. "And I haven't finished trying new things with her, not in just two days! I could keep going for a couple of weeks with new stuff." He looked over at Emma, "Now where are we?"

Emma had rolled her eyes before responding to his question. "Sir, we're over mountains," she updated him.

"Any sign that we're being followed?"

"Not that we've detected. We're watching closely."

"Let me know if anything appears out of the ordinary. And Emma, I would prefer that if you have anything to tell me, you will knock on my door and wait until I answer it."

Emma had to smile at that. "Of course, sir, understood."

"It could be awhile," he explained.

"Understood, sir," she repeated with a slight smile.

He left them.

Emma and Jefferson looked at each other. "What the hell all is he doing with her?" Jefferson asked.

"And he still has new stuff that he hasn't tried yet? A couple of weeks of untried, new stuff?" Emma asked, fanning herself.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Killian Jones was still celebrating. Not his fault that the stupid bitch hadn't able to take down Gold. She should've realized that bringing in that many ships would be a give-away to the man. Sensing metal was child's play to the goblin. You'd think anybody who'd been studying him would know that. Not his fault.

But damn. He had been so hoping that the Admiral would have been able to take Gold down. He might have lucked out and gotten back luscious Emma or even that pretty little piece that Gold had taken a shine to.

Now they would have to make a second attempt. The Admiral had come to him. She needed a ship. A fast ship with a clever crew. He might be around to see Gold taken down yet.

000-ooo-000-ooo-000

Gold had kept Belle in his quarters (without the collar) for four days now. She had sweetly acquiesced to every demand he had made of her, some pretty extreme but she didn't know that, so he felt like guilty shit when he kept turning down her requests to be allowed out. Fortunately for him, she didn't hold a grudge.

This last time he had briefly dozed and awakened to find her sitting on her knees next to him. She had pulled back the bed clothes and was looking at him, looking at his male parts.

She gently, carefully touched him.

She had gotten braver.

"This looks different now," she told him.

"He's resting. He'll be ready for you again soon," he assured her.

"Can I? . . would it? . . do you mind if I touch it?" she asked him shyly.

Hell, yeah. "It would be all right," he managed to reply.

She ran her fingers up and down him and, after only a little hesitation, closed her hand around him. He had a sharp intake of breath and she quickly let him go.

"Did I hurt you?" she was most concerned.

You should have asked me that when you had your legs wrapped around me while I was banging you against the wall two days ago and we hit that air pocket and nearly fell. "I'm ok," he answered.

She looked concerned. "It's just that. . . one of the few memories I have of my mother was when I was little and would hurt myself, she would kiss it to make it all better." She turned her big cornflower blue eyes on him. "Are you sure you're not hurt?"

He paused. Was she about to do what he thought she was about to do? "Maybe, just a little hurt," he told her.

He felt her lips on his shaft, on the head. She then stopped and looked up at him. "Does it still hurt?"

"Uhhhh, yeah, still some," he managed to say.

She nodded and he again felt her lips . . . then her tongue on him. Her fingers still traced along his length. She lingered on the head, gently sucking and running her tongue around him. She lifted her head and looked at him.

"There seems to be a little swelling going on," she observed. "Perhaps you were hurt more than you realized."

"May be," he agreed and he closed his eyes when he again felt her mouth wrap around him. With one hand he held onto the sheet and the other hand he put into her hair.

She began experimentally exploring him with her lips and tongue. She would take him into her mouth and would gentle suck on him. Although not as practiced as the courtesans and whores he had frequented, she was getting the job done. She was able to take him nearly entirely down her throat, sliding up and down on him. He began to guide her, helping her pace herself. She'd showed no signs of getting tired, of slacking off or pulling back.

This was the best time he'd ever had with a woman.

He began to feel a familiar building sensation. "Belle," he cried out hoarsely, "You don't have to finish this. I can take over," he told her. But she wouldn't stop. And he didn't have the will or the strength to stop her. He ended up grasping the sheet, pulling it up and holding her head as he released himself into her mouth. He could hear her make small gagging sounds as she struggled to hold onto him and swallow at the same time. She pulled up, finally, and gave him a shy smile.

"Belle," he managed to gasp out. He pulled her up to him. "I was not expecting. . . I never thought. . . I want you to know. . ."

"It's all right."

"No it's not." He had to rest a moment. He really did owe her. She'd been too sweet, too cooperative, too. . . everything. He lay a moment. He had to recover.

Finally, he said, "I've been treating you like a possession, like my personal whore and you've been nothing but compliant and sweet and giving and trusting and good to me." He managed to pull himself up. "Oh hell, I'm going to get you some clothes." He got up and dressed himself and left her alone.

"Amazing," Belle said to herself, lying back on the bed. "That was all it took? If a man only came with an instruction manual." She shook her head.

Gold had feverishly gathered some clothing from little Ashley, one of his helmsmen, for his paramour to wear out around others. Ashley and Belle wore the same size in shoes. But Ashley was taller and had a less voluptuous frame than his Belle, so the clothing was both too big and too small for Belle. Belle managed the skirt with no difficulties, but the top pulled across her bosom causing it to swell out the top of the corset that had come with it.

Hell, maybe Emma could help with a better fitting top. He had gone out again, but then Emma had laughed at him when he had asked if he might borrow one of her blouses for Belle.

"Don't want to show her off too much, huh?" she had teased him.

He shook his head. "I'm surrounded by sass and disrespect. I need to start keel-hauling crew who can't treat me like their captain."

"Hey, I'm giving you something from my very limited wardrobe," she protested, then added, "Sir."

He glared at her. "I think I should have fucked you when I had the chance. That might have made you a bit less impudent."

Emma was still laughing at him as she started out the door to get him the requested items. "Tell me, sir, how is Belle doing? Did you wear her out?"

He sighed, "She's fine. Starting to get her own ideas."

He waited in the helmsroom for Emma to return with the clothing. He checked out their location and had a new idea.

He was thinking about his princess. He wasn't sure that he wanted Belle to start making demands of him. Sure, he had enjoyed what she had done, but then he also very much enjoyed her being compliant and subservient to his desires. He preferred it when she was the one on the bottom. . . and he was on top. . . and in charge. . . and the one making requests. . . and demands. . . and giving orders.

But it had been nice.

And he couldn't get enough of her.

But Belle did seem to want her freedom.

She seemed unaware that he owned her.

She wanted freedom to move around the ship. Freedom to get out and meet people. Freedom to get off the ship. .

He smiled. Well he was going to let her off the ship. For a while. True, it was for his own amusement, to be sure.

They were near somewhere he had recognized. It was a place that had hot springs. They bubbled up amid the ice fields. Remote, with no human activity for many, many miles. The idea of getting her into the hot foaming water and letting her ride him there was too alluring for him to pass up.

He gave clear directions to Jefferson and Emma. He had definite plans to entertain his little princess in the bubbling waters.

He didn't allow her a tour of the ship nor the opportunity to meet any crew. He had required her to wear the collar. She had protested, but complied. He had then wrapped a heavy cloak, although she was still shivering as they rode a small transport down to the ice field.

"You'll like this, I promise," he told her. It was beginning to snow, but he found the hot spring by the steam and vapor rising off of it. He had done well to remember the location.

He quickly stripped off in the freezing air and slipped down into the steaming water. "Join me," he ordered her. She hesitantly removed her boots and put her feet in the hot water, then quickly took her remaining clothes off and slid in. She came to him and allowed him to hold her in his arms.

They sat in the water and looked out over the vista. A beautiful ice field covered with a layer of snow.

"This is beautiful," she told him, relaxing in his arms.

"I know a hundred such beautiful places. All over the world. There's one with a waterfall that falls into a quiet pool. Another where the trees are so wide you can walk side-by-side on them. And there's a place where the grass is so thick that it's like lying on the softest bed. I want to show you every one of them."

She smiled at him, "I want to see them all. . . with you."

He kissed her very tenderly. This was as close as he had ever felt with anyone. He didn't want to let her go. He didn't want it to end. He continued to kiss her gently.

Neither one of them heard the men sneaking up; they were so focused on each other. The men carried weapons made of silver and copper and tin, non-magnetic metals. They were on the loving couple before either one had heard anything.

"Captain Gold, you are under arrest." Gold reacted by first trying to shield Belle's body with his own and his attempt to protect his mistress cost him everything. There were too many and some of the men were able to drag her out of the hot pool and wrap her in a quilted blanket. They held a gun to her head, holding her hostage while Gold was pulled out. Before he could react there were metal rings, large magnets fastened onto his wrists and around his neck.

He realized quickly the magnets contained much of his expandable energies. He was gagged and also wrapped snugly into a quilt. He and Belle were carried off.

000—0000-000

"They've been down there a long time," observed Emma. "Are we sure they're all right?"

"I would think so. I mean he kept her in his room for four days straight and she seemed no worse for the wear."

"Yeah, but this is outdoors, it's snowing and cold and something could have happened. Maybe we should just go down and check on them. We could be discrete."

Jefferson sat a moment with his eyes closed. "It's odd. I don't feel him."

"What do you mean?" Emma asked.

"He's always in my head. It's like background noise. It's quiet, too quiet." He got up. "Let's go check on him."

They found the hot springs. There were still neat piles of clothes by the water, clothes that were now nearly covered with snow. But no Belle or Gold. Emma and Jefferson both drew their weapons and fanned out.

"It looks like a small force came in and got them. I'm finding what were probably footprints but snow has mostly filled them up," Emma shouted over to Jefferson.

The two circled back around to each other. "I found something," Jefferson held up a simple gold necklace, a gold flower petal encasing a simple pearl. "This is Belle's necklace. She took it off herself and let it fall on the ice here to give us a message."

"Like. . . ?"

"She would never give it up without great necessity." Jefferson sighed, "They've been snatched, captured. They must have figured out a way to contain the Captain."

"Where would they have taken them?"

"I don't know. But we've got to find them." Jefferson pronounced. "We've got to. Do you have any ideas?"

Ooo-ooo-ooO

Belle was in a cell. She had been given a simple grey shift to wear and slippers. There was a single window high above her head and a cot. The room was the same grey as her shift. There were no visitors, no news. She was frantic and upset. She was afraid to eat the food, afraid it might be drugged. She sat quietly, waiting, worried, too anxious to cry.

She didn't know how long, hours? days,? she had been left in the cell when the Admiral came in to see her.

"Princess Belle, I'm so sorry they feel it's necessary to take these precautions. This must be awful for you."

"Where is he? What have you done with him?" Belle asked her.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about Captain Gold. He's being taken care of. I doubt you'll ever have to see him again."

Belle couldn't stop herself. She cried out and sat back down.

The Admiral watched her closely. "If I didn't know better, I would think you had feelings for the man. The man who ruined your life."

"I want to see him. I want to know that he's all right," Belle insisted.

"You have been possessed by his nanobytes, my dear. I'm so sorry. We are going to try again to get rid of your nanobytes, Princess. There are going to be two procedures. The first will take out the nanobytes that I had put into you."

"You put nanobytes into me?" Belle was stunned. "When? How?"

"I had Dr. Steiner inject you with some of my blood. I will call them out painlessly."

"Your blood? You have your own nanobytes!" Belle put it together, "You went into the vat. You survived!"

"A long time ago. I studied Zosa's people and realized that none of them had cultivated the nanobytes, so I spend two years coddling the little things. Feeding them, keeping the temperature just right, talking with them, everything that I figured Rumach Skinner had done. And finally, I went in. And I survived. And I came out changed."

"But you aren't as powerful as Gold!" Belle stated it as a fact.

The Admiral stood quietly. "We have different talents."

"You aren't as powerful as he is," repeated Belle. "That is why you want him dead. Without him around to stop you, no one will be strong enough to withstand you."

The Admiral wasn't pleased. She continued with what she was staying, "The second procedure is designed to kill those nanobytes that Gold put into you and will almost certainly be harsher this time. I understand that Dr. Steiner thinks we need to use more nanocide and have the procedure last longer."

"I won't agree to it," Belle said defiantly. "I refuse to go through another one of those horrible treatments again."

The Admiral looked at her awhile. "Unfortunately it won't be your decision. My dear. We'll try to make it comfortable for you."

0000ooo000ooo0000

Emma had been walking around King Maurice's town and castle for a couple of days now. Jefferson had remembered that Belle had a pretty dark-haired friend, another princess, who had tried to intervene when Belle was bartering a kiss for her necklace. He had held a gun to her head and didn't think she'd remember him so favorably, so he had Emma go into the castle to see if they could find out who the pretty friend was.

Given Jefferson's description, remarkably detailed for a brief encounter, but then Emma realized they were talking about a beautiful woman, enabled her to quickly identify the friend as Princess Mary. She was still in the castle.

With a bit more investigation, Emma had discovered the Mary was the step-daughter of Queen Regina. A unusual piece of information. Regina was certainly no friend to Gold. Was this Mary Margaret somehow involved in the plot to take down Gold? Maybe she was angry at him for screwing over her best friend. Emma would have to feel her way with this one to get the best sense of whose side Mary Margaret would be on. She still felt safe in going to her to get help for Belle but maybe not for Gold.

Emma had been able to get into Mary's rooms. She had found where they were and had easily been able to break into the room. She was sitting quietly waiting for Mary. She didn't have to wait long.

Mary came into the room in the late afternoon. Emma made sure the woman was alone, then stood and greeted her. "Princess Mary. I'm a friend of Princess Belle," she introduced herself and held up Belle's necklace.

"What?!" Mary was startled. She pulled back, wary, not getting close to Emma.

"Princess Belle was kidnapped from this place by Captain Hook who sold her to Captain Gold. I work with Captain Gold."

"Is she all right. Is she ok?" Mary quickly asked how things were going.

"She was," explained Emma. "While she was with Gold. He took great pains to protect her, to take care of her." Of course he was boinking her brains out. "But we were somehow tracked into the far reaches of the north and they were both taken."

"Taken?"

"Judging by the footprints and finding Belle's necklace, someone disabled them and took them by force."

"But who?"

"We think the Ministry. They have the manpower, the technology, the mandate to get Gold. Belle, I think, would have been just a pawn in their game."

Mary had listened quietly. She walked over to the window in the room. "I have been observing the Ministry and their actions," she said quietly. "There are several of us that think that they have overstepped their authority, especially in their treatment of the Princess Belle." She turned back to Emma. "What do you want from me? How can I help?

Emma let out a sigh of relief. "Do you have any idea of where they might have taken them? Where could they have taken them?"

"I have no idea. But I know someone who might know, or who could find out," Mary told her. "Come with me."

She led Emma through the castle and out into the town. "We are going to the offices of the Ministry in town here," she told Emma. "There's someone there who can help."

She took Emma down streets with a confidence that came with being a princess royal. Emma noticed how many of the townspeople greeted her, some bowing, some offering her flowers, everyone smiling.

This woman was quite well-liked. That was a good sign to Emma. She was confident and focused, characteristics Emma strived for in herself.

But Emma was not confident or focused when Mary took her into the dark Ministry building. Even though this was not the main offices of the Ministry, it was close enough. Emma kept looking around to see if there were any wanted posters for herself, but didn't see anything. She did catch one description of herself as a footnote, along with a picture and description of her former employer, Jones. There were plenty of descriptions of Gold and a drawing which had genuinely captured his likeness. By force of habit she often looked over her shoulder to see if they were being followed.

Princess Mary did not pause, but led her directly back to one of the offices in the building. There were two men in the office. Emma greeted the tall Captain and. . .

Emma immediately pulled a gun on the other man, who promptly pulled a gun on her. The two stood there with their guns aimed dead on at each other.

"I thought you were dead," the man told her. "I went looking for you, but they said you never showed up."

"Liar," she spit at him. "I was there. I waited for you. You never came. You abandoned me, you low-life son of a bitch."

Captain Nolan sat back, looking at Officer Cassidy, then at Mary's companion.

"I take it you two know each other?" he asked.

A.N. I know people didn't want me to tear them apart right after they had finally gotten together (but hey, otherwise the story would be over, they'd sail off together and live happily ever after) - and it's not like I had Belle lose her memory of Gold or anything truly painful, like that.

Thanks to all those awesome reviewers: Hermitess, DruidKitty, Claire (Guest), The Prince's Phoenix,tigger64, Grace5231973, paulawer and new reviewer Estrany and all new followers and favoriters.

NEXT: Emma has a plan

Gold gets some devastating news

A rescue effort is mounted