Part 10

Bella and Hook had just entered the castle and Bella couldn't believe how big it all was. She had never seen anything like it and it gave her the impression that she was exceptionally small.

"This is all so big...Now I know how mice feel..." she declared, making her companion chuckle.

"Come on, according to Cora's indications the treasure room is this way." He pointed to the right.

Cora had given him directions and description of the place and so they quickly arrived in a gigantic treasure room. Bella was in awe in front of so much beauty.

Bella frowned as she stepped over a human skeleton, not much taller than she was. It looked like it had been left where the body fell and Bella tried to forget the fact that it had once been a real body. Beside the skeleton was a simple but pretty sword with the name "Jack" written on it.

"Jack...I guess the story I know isn't the real one if Jack died up there instead of going back down with the golden goose." She whispered.

"Legend says that the sword is coated in poison to kill the giants but be careful, if it's powerful enough to kill a giant, who knows what it can do to a human." Hook explained as they kept on walking, escaping a few smartly placed traps along the way.

"Wow...All the starving people that could be fed with this gold..." Bella said in awe as she looked around.

"You've got such a big heart... All I think about when I see this is my pockets and how empty they presently are." he replied as he placed a couple of gold coins in his pocket.

"We're not here for you to get richer, we're here to find the compass and go home." She exclaimed as she grabbed his arm and pulled him further down the alley.

"You know, if you want to get closer to me, you don't have to find an excuse." He smirked at her as she tried to pull him along.

"Come on, we don't have time to waste." She begged him, looking back at the door.

"What's your hurry?" He asked her with a smile as he forced her to stop.

"Do you know how long magic knock out powder lasts on a giant?" Bella asked him, letting go of his arm with a blush.

"I have no clue." he smiled back at her.

"That's my hurry." She replied, looking toward the door to make her point.

"Point taken." he said as he walked further down the room with her, not without placing another couple of coins in his pocket.

They arrived in front of several chests and they separated to look through them. While Bella looked carefully for anything that could be what she needed, Hook found something that caught his attention as soon as he opened the first chest in front of him.

Among all the gold and gems, there was a bright red watch/compass who didn't tell time. On top of it was engraved TSM finder. Could it really be? He had heard legends about it and if he was right about what it was, lots of people would pay a lot of money to have it in their hands only for a few minutes.

He opened it and before he could read the instructions engraved on the inside of the top cover of the watch, he saw both arrows turning and pointing to Bella. Curious as to what it meant, he read the instructions. They were in another language but thankfully he could read it. As he read on, he hoped that Bella didn't know how to read this particular language but since he had learned it in another realm and she had never traveled, he felt confident that she wouldn't know this one.

"You hold the True Soul Mate finder.

The big arrow points to the closest True Love compatible with you.

The small arrow points to your one Soul Mate.

If yours isn't in this realm, it will keep on turning.

You can have several True Love but only one True Soul Mate.

Cherish it forever."

Killian Jones knew that he had no choice but to believe in this compass/watch because he had heard of it a couple of times before in his travels. Once more he opened it and both arrows turned quickly to point to Bella.

"Did you find anything?" Bella asked him when she saw that he wasn't searching anymore.

"What?" he asked her, closing the compass again quickly, having a hard time accepting the revelation the compass made him.

Could he even believe it? Of course he could, but accept it? He needed time, she couldn't find out now. He vaguely wondered if she already felt something for him but he pushed it aside. Now wasn't the time to concentrate on things like this. he had a mission to complete.

"Is this what we're looking for?" She asked him, pointing at the red watch in his hand.

"No, but it might turn out useful some day." He smiled, putting it in one of his belt pockets so she couldn't see it.

She seemed to believe him because she smiled at him, nodded and went back to looking. Maybe she simply didn't care or figured that it was a pirate thing.

If they were True Love, Soul mates even, it would explain why he felt so good around her. Would this explain her tears earlier? She had asked him to consider giving up on killing The Dark One, would he be capable of doing it? Give up on avenging his last Love for his one perfect Soul Mate?

He looked up at her and smiled. The light in the room and the gold were reflecting on her skin and hair, making her look like she was in a halo of light, like an angel and he couldn't help but smile wider.

It would take him some time to get over Milah, he had held on to her too tightly over the past couple of centuries to let go this easily and it probably explained why he didn't feel the full power of love yet but he now knew he had the hope of finding love again. All he had to do was concentrate on Milah until she was avenged in order to prevent him from feeling too much and too early for Bella. After all, he had all the time in the world right? He was sure than even if Bella already felt something for him, she was capable of understanding his need of more time. After all, she knew about Milah, she would probably wait until he was ready.

Suddenly, a big crashing sound was heard and they could see the giant coming their way.

"Bella!" Hook exclaimed as she turned his way and he yelled "Run!" at her.

Bella didn't have time to do anything because Hook ran toward the giant and distracted him. Not looking back, she ran back to the skeleton and instinctively grabbed Jack's sword. She wasn't going to leave him behind and go back down without the compass. She was going to fight, even if this would be the first real fight of her life, even if it was against a giant. She had to try something to save Hook, the first man she had been capable of loving.

When she arrived back in front of the giant, Hook was knocked out cold and the giant turned her way, looking very angry.

She stood her ground, the sword in front of her. Before she tried to hit the giant with the sword, she decided to try and talk their ways out of this, without violence.

"My name is Bella. Please, we don't want to hurt you, we just want a compass so we can go home." Bella told him in a voice loud enough so he could hear it, making sure he could see on his face that she was sincere.

"You humans always come to hurt, you all killed my entire family, why should I believe you?" He growled, his voice resonating all around her.

"Just look in my eyes. You can see a person's soul through their eyes and people always tell me that I'm an open book. Please, just give me a few moments to explain the situation. Here." Bella said as she threw the sword as far away from her as she could and lifted her arms in a non-armful way.

"Fine." He nodded and Bella started telling him who she was and how she and her friends arrived in this place.

Then she told him their plan to go home and why they needed to go before Cora did. She told him everything, not hiding anything that could be important. He listened to her and she could see in his eyes that he believed her.

"I don't know what happened to you, I only know the tale they have in my land but we both know that the story is always told by the winner and often it's told wrong. I can see in your eyes that you've suffered and I'm sorry for that but you're a good person, I know it. Please, help us get back home." She begged him.

"Well Bella, you're not like most humans I've encountered before... My name is Anton." he smiled at her.

"It's nice to meet you." She replied before she realised that Hook was standing back up behind her.

"Hook! Are you okay?" she asked him as she rushed by his side.

"I've been better but I have to say, you impress me." He replied, eyeing the nice giant.

"Anton, do you happen to have any bean left? It would make going back home much easier." She asked him.

"No, they're all destroyed. When King George's son James attacked we didn't want to risk them stealing them from us. I only survived because I was destroying them..." Anton replied, his eyes full of sorrow.

"Prince James? He's my friend Emma's uncle. Her father is his twin brother but they're totally different... James died. He was too arrogant apparently and he paid the price for it." Bella explained.

"At least there's some justice then." The giant nodded as he sat down in front of them.

"You must be so lonely out here... Aren't there any giants left anywhere else?" Bella asked him kindly.

"Not in this world, no...and without beans I can't go and look for more of them elsewhere..."

"Lake Nostos!" Bella exclaimed.

"What about it?" Hook asked her.

"Anton, there's a lake down there, Lake Nostos. There isn't any water left in it but if we dig we should be able to find water. It's magical, the water from this lake has regenerative properties. If you put a burned out bean in it, then it will restore it and you'll be able to grow more of them." Bella explained to the giant.

"My father had me salt the earth here." Anton replied.

"Then go somewhere else! I'd offer you to come with us, we'd love to have you but you're much too tall, if our town accepts you, the other people from our world wouldn't and it wouldn't be fair to you." Bella sighted.

"It's very nice of you... I'm too tall for your world and when my brothers were alive I was too small..." Anton told her.

Killian didn't speak much, he simply watched Bella win over the giant he had been told was so evil and angry.

"Life has a way of being ironic with us." Hook said to Anton who nodded.

The giant fumbled in his shirt and handed Bella a golden chain with something on it.

"Here, take it. It's the compass you're looking for. I hope it helps you get back home." Anton smiled when she took it.

"Thank you... I just wish there was a way for us to help you..." She replied.

"Maybe you can still come with us... Take a couple of the destroyed beans with you... When we get to the lake you'll be able to bring them back to life..." Hook suggested, deciding to take a page out of Bella's book and try to be nice.

Plus, if the Ogres or Cora's zombies were to attack them, a giant would be a good ally.

"I'd have to dig them out and look for them... I buried most of the destroyed beans when James and his men left..." Anton replied.

"Well, we have to find Cora and take the ashes back from her anyway. Even if the beans work, we can't let her have a possible way to follow us. You could join us in Lake Nostos in a few days." Bella suggested.

"Wait here." Anton said before he rushed off.

"Did you see that he has one of the destroyed beans around his neck? Why don't we just take this one?" Hook asked her in a whisper.

"Because it wouldn't be right and because it's better if we make friend with him." Bella replied and he nodded.

Anton came back a few minutes later with something in his hands.

"Here, it's a magical mirror. I have one too, it's easy to use. This way we'll be able to talk and I'll know where to find you." he offered.

"Thank you!" Bella exclaimed before she added:

"Can it join other mirrors too? Like back in Storybrook?"

"I think so yes, as long as they're spelled." he nodded and handed something else to Bella.

It was a little silk pouch, only the size of her hand. It was very pretty and she was sure that it cost a lot of money.

"What is it?" she asked him.

"Don't open it here. It's for you, only you. You're the first human to show me true friendship and your my first real friend. I know you're sincere when you say that if you could you'd take me back home with you so it's to thank you for your concern. Open it later." He told her and Hook swore the giant was blushing.

"Thank you Anton, I'm glad you stopped to listen to us, you're a good friend. If we ever come back here with everyone, I promise I'll come see you and try to find a way for you to be with us if you haven't found another land to be happy on." Bella told him.

"I'd hug you but I'm afraid I'd crush you." The giant replied, making her chuckle.

"Well, in my mind I'm hugging you." she replied.

"Yeah, everyone's hugging." Hook muttered, a little jealous of Bella's connection with Anton.

"You should take Jack's sword. The poison on the blade won't hurt you and it'll be easy enough for you to handle. Jack had her sword design especially for her." Anton suggested.

"Her? Wait, Jack was a girl?" Hook and Bella exclaimed together.

"Yeah, Jacqueline, Jack for short... She was a bad person." He replied.

"Well, thank you. Surprisingly enough I don't feel odd carrying it. It's not too heavy and if the poison can't kill me it's a good thing given how clumsy I can get." Bella nodded while she grabbed the sword and Hook went to get Jack's sword scabbard before he helped Bella put it the right way.

As soon as Bella grabbed the sword, deciding that it was hers, the name Jack changed to become hers.

"I've heard of such swords... They change names with every new owner that's deserving of the power of the sword." Hook explained as he kept on helping Bella in the new accessory.

"Cool." She breathed out.

The proximity made Bella blush. Hook was so close to her now that it sent shivers all over her body. Anton looked away for a moment, he felt like he was intruding on an intimate moment and he didn't want that.

"Well, I feel a bit weird but I'm sure I'll get used to it soon enough." Bella smiled.

"I'm sure you will." Anton and Hook both replied, smiling at her.

After that, Bella put the mirror, the compass and Anton's gift to her in her bag before Hook and her started on going down the beanstalk.

"Well, that went well. I can't wait to get down so you can finally tell me your secret." Hook exclaimed as they both started to go down.

"Right, I almost forgot this was coming..." Bella sighted.

.

While Bella and Hook were winning over a giant rumored to be lethal, in Storybrook, a lot was happening.

For the first full moon since the curse was broken, Ruby stayed hidden in the library basement and didn't hurt anyone, unable to get free and reassuring herself in the fact that she still had control when, the next morning, she woke up and remembered everything. Unfortunately, the next morning, they discovered a dead body and the town wanted to pin it against Ruby since it was a guy that flirted with her often. Charming joined Graham in the investigation while Henry stayed in the Library with Belle and they soon discovered that King George was behind it all. They even found out that he had stolen Ruby's cap, the one who helped her keep control during the full moons.

While they were looking for the once defeated King at his work place and his apartment, the man broke into the sheriff's station and managed to steal the hat, following Regina's instruction on where to look.

Regina was all to happy to inform them of the intrusion as soon as they came back, smirking and knowing that they'd be too late to save the hat.

The prince and the huntsman ran as fast as they could to find George but just like Regina had predicted, the hat was already done burning when they arrived.

"Why? Why did you do that?" David asked him.

"Because I want you to know what it's like to be left without hope of a family. I want you to know what it's like to be all alone." George yelled back at him.

"Get over yourself, it's not my fault if James died and it's not my fault if you never had a family. You could have remarried and had more children instead of tearing me away from my home. You chose your own fate." David replied, trying to keep calm.

"Don't worry, they had another plan. Now all we have to do is hope that they get the ashes from Cora." Graham reassured his girlfriend's father while he cuffed the culprit.

"What are you going to do to him?" David asked.

"Well, he did kill someone so it's jail time for him." Graham replied.

They put George in the cell next to Regina's and started seriously discussing what they were going to do with them because they took all the cell space they had. Plus, they couldn't officially imprison former King George for killing a mouse, even if said mouse had been turned into a man. It was Enchanted Forest business, not something that could be dealt with in this world.

"Gold has been working with the Blue fairy on a cell like the one we locked him in back home. We'll be able to lock Regina in it soon." David informed him.

"How soon?" He asked.

"Probably a couple of days more. Don't worry, she won't bother you much longer. We'll lock her up in there and nobody will ever have to worry about her ever again." The prince informed him.

"Good, because I was seriously considering asking Gold to render her mute or change her into something small enough that I could step on her by mistake." The sheriff confessed, making David chuckle.

.

While Bella and Hook were climbing down, Emma was getting worried and impatient.

"I never should have let her go, this way way too dangerous for her. If anything happened to her it'll be on me. I was stupid to leave her all alone with Hook... if she told him about her father he probably killed her himself..." Emma started ranting.

"Stop worrying so much Emma, I'm sure she's fine." Snow tried to sooth her.

"It hasn't been that long. Who know how long it took them to get to the top. We can't exactly expect that compass to be the first thing they see when they enter the place... We still have a few hours before we need to start worrying." Mulan replied.

"Maybe... I'm still worried though." Emma insisted as she sat back down and decided to prepare the Chimera that Mulan and her had killed so that Bella would have something to eat when she came back down.

"It's a lot of meat..." Aurora said while the beast was roasting on the fire.

"Yeah, I don't know about Hook but Bella won't eat the snake part of the thing, she'll probably stick to the goat part, maybe the lion one but that's it." Emma nodded.

"I miss Granny's." Snow sighted.

"So do I." Emma nodded.

I hoped you liked this 10th chapter.

What do you think will happen for King George in the future? I can tell you that he will appear again.

Don't forget to review,

Lorelei Candice Black