Author's Note: Alright, dearies! We're down to the home stretch! After this there will only be one more chapter! It's been a wild ride and I want to thank you all for the reviews! It makes my humble little writer's heart happy to know that people like my work. Stay tuned for a sequel and look for me in other fandoms!
Chapter 14: Sweet Dreams are Made of These
"Promise me!"
"I promise. I promise."
Those were the last words Belle remembered before the darkness claimed her. She felt like she was floating, but there was no bright light, no angels coming to greet her. It was just darkness. There would be moments of clarity. Belle could hear the steady beeping of the heart monitors and the strange Darth Vader-esque sounds that the breathing machine made. Her favorite sound though was Adam's voice. He had to be reading to her. She recognized passages from his favorite book, and pieces of fairy tales. Oh he was getting so much better at reading. Belle was so proud, but she couldn't tell him how good he was doing. Gold had to do that for her.
Rodric. Oh how she remembered their kiss. So sweet and pure. He tasted like the pawn shop and pine trees, but she found that she loved it. Belle could tell it was only him in the room because that was the only time she felt his touch. It was light and hesitant, like he could somehow break her, but it was there none the less.
"I love you, Belle. I need you to come back to me. Adam misses you too. Please, Belle. Please wake up."
Belle wanted to comfort him. She wanted to wrap her arms around his neck and hold him close and tell him that everything would be okay. She wanted them to be a family. Adam deserved a good father, and for the first time in her life, she felt like she deserved a good man too. Rodric was everything she wanted, and she would fight to stay with them. It was hard though. Every time that machine breathed for her it hurt. There was a physical therapist that would come in and move around Belle's legs and arms so she wouldn't get blood clots. Belle hated that woman even though she never laid eyes on her. She was rough and every movement sent searing pain through Belle's body. Pain that no one seemed to be aware of. The medicine they had her on pretty much put her body in a catatonic state. Belle's mind may have been able to register the pain, but there was no speeding up of her heart to reveal just how much pain that woman caused her.
God she was tired of this place. How long had she even been asleep? Days? Weeks? Months?... Years? It frightened her to think that she would wake up and her son would be grown. What if she missed her chance with Rodric? What if she never woke up? Dying didn't really scare Belle as much as it probably should have, and when you live with a man that beats you bloody most nights and uses you for a personal sex doll, part of you hopes for it. Part of you prays for death to take you before he can hurt you again. Belle had those thoughts before. She thought about ending it all just to make the pain go away, but then she saw her son. She saw Adam playing in the yard and she knew in that moment that she would never be able to leave them in the hands of that monster.
Sometimes Belle would actually have dreams. She saw Danny a lot of the times. Adam and Rodric too, but it was mostly Danny that filled her comatose dreams.
Belle was sixteen years old, with her brown hair pulled back into a high ponytail and an Atlanta Braves baseball cap on her head. She was wearing jeans and a light blue tanktop with her work boots on her feet. Brown gloves protected her hands while she grabbed the harsh rope that secured the bales of hay and threw them into the barn. Farm work was hard, but it was good exercise, there was no denying that. Her arms were toned like the rest of her and she had a lovely farmer's tan. Belle wasn't smiling though. Instead her normally cheerful face was pulled into a pensive frown. Something was wrong. Something bad was about to happen, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was yet.
The dogs started to bark like crazy at a black sedan that was coming up the driveway. That feeling of dread only served to grow until it threatened to choke her. She dropped the bale of hay and sprinted to the main house. "Daddy!" She called out.
Moe Hayes came out of the house and saw the sedan. His first thoughts were of worthless debt collectors. He paid them already! Why were they bothering him now? Finally the car stopped and two men stepped out in dress uniforms for the Army. Metals gleamed on their chest and one of them had a letter in his hand. Moe paled.
Belle was confused at first, but the look on her dad's face explained it all. Fear filled her bright blue eyes as she looked to the men. Their faces were hard, but sympathetic at the same time. The older of the two spoke. "It is my regret to inform you that Corporal Daniel Hayes was killed in action two days ago…" Belle's knees got weak and tears erupted from her eyes. She saw the man's mouth still moving, but the words didn't make sense anymore. Nothing did. Danny was dead.
The sixteen year old turned and ran out towards their fields. Her and Danny used to play there all the time. It was where she felt closest to him. Belle didn't know she tripped on something until the ground bit into her hands and she rolled onto her back. Sobs racked her body and she gave a primal scream of pure agony. She screamed her brother's name over and over as if that would somehow summon him to her side and make him alive again. It didn't work.
They were at Arlington National Cemetery now, watching as Danny's casket got lowered into the cold ground. Belle felt empty. Danny had been her best friend and protector all her life. Him going away was hard enough on her, but the fact that he came back in a box destroyed her. "You shouldn't have gone back, Danny." Belle whispered to her brother's coffin. "I told you not to go. Why didn't you listen to me? Why didn't you stay?" The coffin didn't answer. It never would.
Belle hated it when she dreamed of Danny. It only made her miss him more. The only things she looked forward to was hearing the activities of the room. Mostly the beeping and whirring of the machines combined with Adam's voice was the only noise in the room. However, even in her coma, Belle noticed a pattern. Adam's voice would fill her days, and depending on whose turn it was, music from Ruby, or Rodric's tender voice would fill her nights. Ruby stayed two nights in a row one time. It made Belle uneasy. Where was Rodric? She wanted to ask that question and many others, but her voice was silenced for now. Belle listened to the rock and roll melody that Ruby was playing on her phone for her.
Such a beautiful color you wear upon your skin
And a perfect shade of purple on a flower permanent
And I'm constantly reminded of a past that never bloomed.
As I sit behind these bars, only silence fills the room.
I've never been down this road before.
As the days go by I only miss you more.
I thought one day we would touch the sky.
Never grow up, never gonna die.
I never realized what you meant to me
Till I tried drowning out your memory
But it burns read, like it's not over.
It only hurts when I'm sober.
Belle recognized the song as Purple by Pop Evil. She wanted to smile. Ruby loved that song, though she never did figure out why. It didn't really matter at this point. Belle loved Ruby's taste in music.
Belle was older now, but she was in a dark room, one that she didn't recognize. She could hear people walking about around her, but nothing brushed into her. It was a little disconcerting. She looked around, trying to find a shred of light, anything that would tell her where she was, but for the longest time there was nothing.
"Belle? Belle!?"
The woman froze at the sound of her name. She knew that voice. She prayed to hear that voice again someday. Slowly Belle turned and gasped when she saw him. "Danny." She breathed. He looked just like she remembered him. He had a strong jawline and high cheek bones like their father, but he had their mother's slight build and bright blue eyes. "Danny!" Belle ran to her older brother and had every intention of hugging him tightly, but he held up his hands to stop her.
"No! No you can't touch me, Belle! You can't!" Danny sounded frightened, but that was wrong. Danny wasn't scared of anything.
"Danny, what are you talking about?" Belle asked, still holding her hand out to him. "I've missed you, big brother, why can't I hug you?"
"Because if you touch me then you have to stay." Danny said, sorrow in his tone. "Belle you shouldn't even be here. I should have been there to protect you from him."
Belle let her hand drop to her side and just stared at her brother. "Danny, you did what you had to do. I'm not mad anymore. I miss you every day, but I don't hate you for what you did. I'm proud of you."
Danny gave a shadow of a smile. "I'm proud of you too, little sister. You finally got away from him and you kept your boy safe." Oh he wanted to hug Belle so badly, but he couldn't. She had Adam to worry about and that man that she was seeing. "You've got a good man, Belle. Gold is a bit old for you, but he loves you."
Belle smiled and looked down as if she were blushing. "I love him too, Danny. He's so great and you should see how he is with Adam. I want us to be a family."
"Well you can't be a family with him if you stay here, sis." Danny said kindly. "You have to go back. You have to go back so you can be with Adam and Gold."
She nodded slowly and turned away from her brother. "I miss you every day, Danny."Belle whispered softly.
His voice came from directly behind her now. "I miss you too, Belle. We'll see each other again. Just not now. I love you."
With that, Belle was alone in her darkness again. She sighed softly and just settled down to wait for the next thing to happen.
Ruby's phone buzzed softly and she answered it. "Adam's been asking about you. When are you coming back?" There was a pause and then a sigh."Had another close call. She was okay about a minute later, but still… Adam and I are still here. He didn't want to leave her alone." Another pause. "He'd like that. Hey, Gold."
"I hope you made him suffer. Belle is the best person I know. She didn't deserve this."
Belle longed to get out of this stupid catatonia. She wanted to talk to Ruby and hug her kid. She wanted to kiss Rodric and tell him that she was never going to leave him again. She wanted so many things. But mostly she just wanted to be free of this lifeless fog.
"I'm back, Belle. You're safe now. Nothing is ever going to harm you again. I promise."
Rodric Gold sounded so sure of himself, but Belle would have reminded him of the folly in making promises he couldn't keep. He couldn't protect her all the time. She chose not to focus on that though. He was back in her room with her and Adam. They were all together. That was the important part. So that week passed, and the third week of her coma came.
Belle had that sense of dread again. She was in the apartment above her library dressed in a black cami and red gym shorts. Oh no. No. He found them! No! She ran to Adam's room, but he wasn't there. "Adam!" She screamed his name. "Adam!"
Ruby perked up when Belle's heart rate started to climb. She was up and got Adam off the bed before Gold could even stand. Belle's arms were twitching and her head was moving from side to side. Noises were coming from the back of her throat. All of these things were new. Ruby held Adam tight, but looked at Gold with hope in her eyes. Belle was waking up. "Mama?" Adam called out. "Mama!"
"Mama! Mama!" Belle could hear Adam screaming for her as she searched the suddenly labyrinthine apartment. Every turn brought her to a dead end or a longer hallway. "Adam!" She screamed. "Adam!"Another turn brought her face to face with the man that put her in the hospital. Devin smirked at Belle and gave a bone chilling chuckle. "You're mine now, bitch." He lunged at Belle.
Three nurses and a doctor were now in the room trying to hold Belle down before she could hurt herself, but she was fighting like hell. They told Ruby and Gold to get Adam out of the room, but only Ruby and Adam left. Gold stayed and watched while Belle fought against the nurses, muffled screams of terror coming out of her throat. Her heart rate was going off the charts now.
Belle fought hard against Devin, but now it felt like thousands of other hands were holding her down. It only made her flail more and scream, begging for someone, anyone to come help her. Gradually the image of Devin faded away and her eyes opened. White lights blinded her and her eyes snapped shut again. The smell of antiseptic and medicine filled the air. "Ms. Hayes! Ms. Hayes you need to calm down, we're trying to help you!"
Gold saw a flash of blue on Belle's face and knew that she opened her eyes. Relief flooded him and he almost went weak at the knees, but now wasn't the time for that. He squared his shoulders and pushed one of the nurses out of the way and lightly touched Belle's face. "Belle, look at me. Belle you're safe." He had to dodge a few of her blows, but at the sound of his voice, the flailing slowed.
Belle's terror filled blue eyes focused on Gold's calm chocolate brown ones. The touch of his calloused hand on her cheek felt like heaven. She could smell the pine. She dreamed of that scent. Slowly, her heart rate came back down and she stopped fighting every one so much. It was like Rodric Gold was the only person in that room. Belle closed her eyes slowly and leaned into his touch. His lips brushed her cheek and his forehead rested on hers for a brief moment. "The docs are going to take care of you, Belle. I'll be right here, okay? I'm not going anywhere." He pulled away slowly, which Belle didn't really like, but she stayed calm because he stayed in her line of sight at least.
The doctor's got to work securing her IVs once again and pulling the tubes out of her throat and nose. Belle coughed and gagged a little, but once the doctors were done, she was breathing easier. She felt sore because of her injuries and because of the fight she put up, but she was awake. She was free for real now. They let her sit up and she smiled as much as she could when Adam came back into the room.
"Mama!" Adam squeaked happily. He all but jumped onto the bed and buried himself in his mother's arms. She winced a little, but she didn't dare tell him to stop. Belle wrapped around her boy as tight as she could and kissed the top of his head and his face all over. "I missed you, Mama." He whispered.
"I missed you too, baby boy." Belle whispered back. Three weeks of not talking rendered her voice next to useless, but she could still speak softly. Belle held Adam for a good hour before they had to do more tests on her to make sure she was really okay. They asked her questions and made her breathe into a machine on top of drawing tons of blood. By the time everything was over, all Belle wanted to do was sleep again. When visiting hours were over, Adam refused to go back to the apartment.
"I wanna stay with you, Mama." Adam said stubbornly. "I don't want to go back to the apartment."
Belle smiled some and kept her arms wrapped around Adam. "I don't think it would be such a big deal if you stayed." She whispered. Belle looked to Ruby and Gold. Ruby looked relieved that Belle was awake while Gold had his typical mask on. His eyes betrayed him though. They looked wet with unshed tears.
Ruby looked between Belle, Gold and Adam before she smiled some and went over to Belle's bedside. "I'll head out and see you guys in the morning okay?" she said, hugging Belle lightly and giving Adam a light kiss on his forehead. She left without another word and Gold's emotions pretty much ran wild. He moved to the bedside and pulled Belle into his arms as gently as he could. After some maneuvering all three of them were on the bed together with Belle leaned against Gold and Adam leaned against Belle. All of them relaxed for the first time in what felt like months instead of mere weeks.
Gold looked at Belle and kissed her lips softly before whispering "I love you." He wanted to tell her now while he still had the chance. The thought of losing her spurred him to get the courage it took to tell her that. "I love you, Belle."
Belle looked up at him before looking at the now sleeping kid in her arms. She smiled softly and looked back at Gold. "I love you too, Rodric." Her eyes closed again and she rest her head against Rodric's chest, falling into a comfortable slumber.
P.S. I do regret to inform you all that Chapter 15 might be a little delayed do to the fact that life has a tendecy to suck at times. Summer Class, Job and what have you, but I do plan on having it up by this weekend. Thank you, dearies! It's been a blast!