I am so sorry that it took me so long to get this chapter done but thank you for your patience. Btw if you're into OutlawQueen check out my page for the prompts I did for OQ week on tumblr. Thanks and enjoy!
Belle sat at the bar counter trying her hardest not to think about the events of the day. Her walk down the road had been a long one and once she saw the rooftops of Storybrooke she sent Regina home. She didn't want to be watched right now. She wandered around town until the sun went down and she sought refuge in the Rabbit Hole. She didn't feel ready to go home. Going home meant she would have to get ready for bed. Then go to sleep. Then wake up. Then experience one moment of blissful ignorance before she remembered everything that happened the day before. She wasn't ready for that moment. She wanted to avoid it for as long as possible.
The dark atmosphere of the seedy bar was a stark contrast from the friendly atmosphere she would have experienced at Granny's. It wasn't a place that she would've normally gone but she remembered that Lacey used to spend a lot of time in the bar. Lacey, she thought wistfully. What she wouldn't give to be her right now. The vivacious barfly could've shaken this off. She was still reminiscing over her alter ego when Emma sat next to her at the bar.
"Hey there," she said awkwardly. "Need a drinking buddy?"
Belle just shrugged her shoulders. If Emma wanted to join her while she wallowed that was her choice.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Well after dropping off Regina's car I came home and found my parents… reconciling," said Emma with a cringe.
"Oh!" said Belle raising her eyebrows.
"Yeah I figured a shot of whiskey would cure my trauma," said the blonde. "What are you drinking?"
"Nothing yet," replied Belle quietly.
"Well that needs to be fixed," said Emma signaling the bartender. Before Belle knew it she'd already ordered them two shots of whiskey.
"I gotta say," said Emma. "I never pegged you for the seedy bar type."
Belle sent her a small involuntary smile. "I'm not but Lacey was."
"Your Storybrooke alter ego?" said Emma raising her eyebrows. She'd almost forgotten about the short time Belle spent as the town's resident party girl.
"Yeah," said Belle nodding her head softly. "I just thought that maybe if I was in a place where she would go I would feel more like her and less like me."
"And why would you want that?" asked Emma sympathetically.
"Because if I was Lacey then days like today would never happen to me," said Belle honestly.
Emma looked at Belle with concern in her eyes. She saw how devastated Belle was at the town line and she knew there was nothing she could say to make her feel better.
"Emma if I ask you a question will you be honest with me?" asked Belle quietly.
Emma eyed her nervously. "Yes."
"Did I do the right thing today?"
"Yes you did." Said Emma firmly. "You're a hero Belle. Everything you've done these past few weeks has proved that a million times over."
"If that's true then I why do I feel like this?" she asked sadly. "If I'm a hero and I did the right thing then why do I feel so empty inside?"
Emma sighed before answering her. "Okay Belle, I am going to tell you something that not everyone realizes so I need you to pay attention."
Belle stared at the blonde with her full attention.
"Being a hero doesn't always feel good," said Emma seriously. "All the books and the tales make it seem like it's all adventures and victories but that's not true. More than bravery or courage being a hero requires sacrifice. Look at my parents. Hell, look at Regina. None of them got where they are now by making the choices that made them feel good. The truth is a lot of people are going to look back on this and remember it as the day a great evil was banished from Storybrooke. But you… you'll look back on this and remember it as the day you gave up on someone you loved and forced them out of your life. And that's just how it is."
Belle stared at Emma with sad eyes as she spoke. The blonde was giving her the harsh honest truth. And she had to admit it didn't feel good.
"Well at least you were honest," said Belle turning away from her.
"I know it's hard to hear," said Emma shrugging her shoulders. "But that's your cross to bear because like it or not you're one of us now. You're a hero Belle French."
Belle sighed. "It's not really what I expected."
"I know," said Emma. "But I promise you one day you'll look back on it all and think it was all worth it."
"Have you reached that day yet?" asked Belle.
Emma gave her a small smile. "Yes I have."
Emma had never meant anything more in her life. Her life before Storybrooke was not a happy time for her. She'd spent so much of her life alone that it'd nearly hardened her beyond repair. But now she could look back and see that all the pain that had followed her in life had been for a purpose. It had led her home. She still carried the scars of her past with her but she no longer allowed them to define her. She was no longer an orphan who thought she could never matter. She was a Savior. She had her parents, her son, and even a dashing pirate who loved her enough to cross realms. There were days where she could still hardly believe it.
Seeing Emma smile despite her past gave Belle a small spark hope. If the Savior could get past her pain then so could she. She thanked the bartender as he gave the ladies their respective shots.
"So you've told me the downsides of being a hero," said Belle. "Are there any perks?"
"Well," said Emma picking up her shot glass. "I hear we make excellent drinking buddies."
Belle gave her small smile as they clinked glasses.
SIX MONTHS LATER
Belle rested her chin in her hand as she waited for Emma and Regina to show up at the diner. This was the closest she'd get to a break all day. Since the banishment of Rumpelstiltskin things had been relatively busy for Belle. As the two people in the town with the greatest magical knowledge she and Regina had been put in charge of going through everything that was in the pawnshop. For the past few weeks they'd been cataloguing everything that was dangerous, useful or needed to be returned to it's rightful owner. Though it pained her to be in the place where she spent so much time with her former husband she was glad to have something to occupy her time. She'd mourned the loss of Rumple but she refused to let herself be paralyzed by his absence any longer.
The bell above the door rang as Emma and Regina walked into Granny's. Belle smiled as she greeted them.
"Hey Belle," said Emma sliding into the booth.
"So why'd you ask us to meet you here?" asked Regina bluntly. When Belle had asked to meet them at Granny's it had put her on alert. What could be so important that Belle couldn't wait until she got home?
"Well I wanted to talk you about Rumple's estate and it's a conversation that requires both of you. So I thought it was best to meet on neutral ground."
A few days ago she and Regina had stumbled across Rumple's financial records. Regina had reminded her that even though she had left Rumple they'd never truly gotten divorced and that put her in charge of his estate. She always knew that Rumple had arranged to be well off during the curse but she never realized just how wealthy he really was. He had owned Granny's, the convent, the Charmings' loft and various other properties throughout the town. Belle tried to imagine herself living off those properties and running them all but she knew it could never feel right to her.
Regina nodded her head. "Fair enough. What's going on?"
"Well as you know I've been put in charge of Rumple's estate," started Belle. "I've thought it over and I've decided that I don't want it."
"Are you sure?" asked Emma. "You and Gold weren't exactly divorced. Legally you would be well within your rights to keep it."
"I'm sure," said Belle. "I don't want to have to depend on him or anything that he's left behind. Besides, thanks to your mother I've received a generous raise for my services as the city librarian. I'll be fine."
After a small trip to the Merry Men's camp with Regina Belle had discovered that most of the men there hadn't been gifted with literacy in the second curse. After doing some investigating around town she discovered that nearly a quarter of the second-wave citizens were still illiterate. When she talked it over with Snow the princess had admitted that in their haste to design the curse they had left out some of the more basic skills for the newer citizens. Since then Belle had started a very successful literacy program that she ran through the library. Thanks to her, readership in Storybrooke had really boomed and the library was busier than ever.
"So why did you need to see us then?" asked Regina. "You're free to do whatever you like with the money and I'm sure you're perfectly capable of donating it to the right places."
"Well I've thought about it a lot and I think the money should go to Henry," said Belle.
Emma raised her eyebrows at that. "You want to give the money to Henry?"
"Yes," said Belle nodding her head. "He's Rumple's only living relative and I think he deserves to have it. Besides it's quite a large sum of money and it's sure to come in handy."
"Wait," said Regina. "Exactly how large are we talking here?"
Belle pulled out a folded piece of paper and slid it over to them. The two women exclaimed as they saw the number.
"Woah! That's a lot of digits!" said Emma with wide eyes.
"Well 28 years of compound interest will do that to a bank account," said Regina in disbelief. She always knew that the curse had made Gold wealthy but she didn't realize just how comfortable he was.
"Belle this is very generous of you but I'm not sure how I feel about my fourteen-year old having enough pocket change for a fleet of Ferraris," said Regina.
"Now wait a minute Regina, maybe we should think about this," said Emma practially. "In less than four years Henry is going to be applying to colleges and I want him to be able to go wherever he wants regardless of cost. I know in the Enchanted Forest we would be royalty but here I'm just a small town sheriff and you aren't even working as mayor anymore."
Regina scrunched her eyebrows at Emma's words. She'd been saving for Henry's college since she first adopted him but tuition prices were rising and with the missing year and Zelena her income had stalled over the past two years.
"It's not like I'll be giving him a briefcase full of cash," said Belle. She pulled a thin manila folder out of her purse. "I was able to go online and get the paperwork for a basic legal trust fund. You and Emma would be the executors of the fund until his 25th birthday then the rights would transfer over to him. Regina since you're Henry's legal guardian I would put you in charge of maintaining all of Rumple's rental properties. It's not much work so I figured you could handle it. I just need both your signatures and it'll be binding."
Regina thought over what Belle's offer. The thought of taking anything from Rumpelstiltskin still made her skin crawl but this could be good for Henry. "I suppose that with the terms you've set I could be okay with this arrangement. But Belle are you sure this is what you want to do?"
Belle nodded her head while handing them the pens. "Yes. I want nothing more from him."
Later that night Belle decided one the few free nights she had to catch up on Harry Potter in Regina's library. Henry had recommended the magical series and Belle was quite enjoying the young wizard's journey. Even though everything with Rumpelstiltskin was settled she still lived in Regina's mansion. Storybrooke real estate was scarce and she really enjoyed staying with Regina and Henry. They'd truly become her family.
"Oooh Goblet of Fire! That's my favorite one!" said Henry smiling as he walked into the library.
"I'm really loving it," said Belle looking up from the pages. "He just got his name pulled from the fire so things are starting to get interesting."
"Well I promise not to spoil anything for you," said Henry taking a seat next to her. "So I talked to my moms today and apparently thanks to you I'm going to be a very rich man on my 25th birthday."
Belle closed her book with a sigh. "So they told you huh?"
"Yeah they did," said Henry nodding his head. "So are you sure you want to give up everything?"
Belle nodded her head. "Yes I'm sure. Henry I have spent a lot of time mourning what happened with your grandfather. Now not having to worry about money would be nice but I'd never be able to get past him while I'm still living off what he left behind. The money's better off in your hands. I know you'll do good with it and it's time for me to start moving on."
"Okay," said Henry shrugging his shoulders as he stood up. "I just wanted to make sure before I started picking out colors for fleet of Ferraris. I'm thinking red with a few yellows mixed in to keep things lively."
Belle chuckled at Henry's joke. He never failed in making her smile.
After his conversation with Belle Henry went straight up to his room and called Grace.
"Hey Henry!" she said answering her cell phone.
"Hi Grace," he said with a smile. "I think it's finally time to take Operation Beautiful Hatter into action."
So Operation Beautiful Hatter will be put into action in the next chapter. It'll be full of scheming with our favorite young couple Henry and Grace.
What did you think about Belle's decision? Let me know. Please Review and Follow.