Thank you Fiend89 for editing!
Warning: Redbeauty sailing ahead!
"This is your third ice tea, should I be worry?" Red slides a cup of ice tea to Belle. "Call you a cab, maybe?" Red teases the smaller brunette.
"I never had ice in my tea before," Bella defends herself. "It's really good."
Red leans on her elbow, "you sure that's the only reason you downing the beverage really fast?"
Belle traces the rim of the cup with her finger, not wanting the green eyes to see right through her. Even after all these years of being separated, Red can still read her like a book.
"I... I feel like I should be doing something. Keep myself busy or help out more in this town," Belle admits.
"Well, we'll find you a job," Red declares. She'll do anything to see that smile back on her lover's face.
"Doing what?" Belle questions. "I've been locked up for more than half of my life."
Red purses her lips, thinking of what she can say that won't land her sleeping in the dog house. "You love books. There is a library that's been closed, now that the town is changing, maybe they need a librarian?"
"You think it'll open again?" Belle asks with a little hope.
"I'll look into it. Maybe I can ask a favor," Red promises. "Just leave it to me."
"Aren't you just the sweetest lover," Belle leans over the counter, connecting their lips for a quick peck, but turning into more.
They sigh in relief as their lips move as if they were dancing the tango, not caring who was staring. They weren't gonna stop showing their love for each other, especially when they were apart for so long.
"I'm glad that you found each other once again, and I'm not complaining. But it would be nice of I had some help," Granny's voice breaks them apart.
Red blushes as she went back to work with a huge smile on her face.
"Sorry, Granny," Belle apologizes.
"I'm just happy to see that smile back on Red's face," Granny takes out an old tea-cup. "She searched and searched, not stopping until every rock was turned."
Belle looks at the familiar chipped teacup. It was the tea-cup that was dropped by accident back in their land. "She kept it?"
Granny shrugs, "it was the only thing that had your scent. The only thing that reminded her of you."
Reaching over to place a hand over Granny's, "I promise that I won't let it happen again. I won't be able to live through it again."
"Miss. Lucas," Regina greets the young beautiful brunette when she answers her door.
"It's Red," Red corrects the former mayor.
"Red," Regina forces a smile as she looks around the yard, looking to see if it was a trap.
"I came alone," Red assures Regina, seeing the caution stance.
"And why would you come to see me?" Regina asks, wondering why the werewolf came to see her, still not believing that it wasn't a setup.
"I wanted to ask you a favor," Red admits, scratching behind her ear, trying calm her nerves. Though she has seen Regina differently from what she remembered in their home land, she is still conscious of the "Evil Queen". Regina's hard stare still made her cower and shiver in fear.
"You, the best friend of Snow White who tried taking me down, needs a favor from me?" Regina questions the brunette. It's starting to seem like a set up, more and more.
Maybe Red should rethink things through. Coming over to the mansion during her lunch break isn't enough time to meet Regina. Regina was on edge with Emma in another world and people wanting her head.
"It's not about Snow. I trust Henry when he says that you are redeeming yourself and I believe that you are," Red states seriously, looking into the dark brown eyes. "You are changing and I'm willing to stay by your side. That's why I came to you to ask of a favor."
Opening the front door more, she motions the other brunette to enter the house. Regina stands to the side to let Red walk pass her.
Baby steps, little tiny steps is what is going to take down the cage that Regina is in. To have people start seeing her in a different light. And this was the third step into trying to be her old self again.
Step one, help find a way to bring Emma and Snow back. Step two, try to make peace with Charming by working with him than against him. Step three, swallow up her pride and help others, period.
Nothing major has happened yet but hopefully it'll work out in the end. She just has to learn herself all over again. She has been good once before, she can do it again. Just old habits die-hard.
"And what is this favor you want to ask of me," Regina questions. "I don't have a lot of influence as I once did before."
Red looks around the mansion, she has never seen what it looked like from the inside. Just like she imagined, it was well put together just like the former mayor.
"The old library, I was wondering if you could open it up," Red gets to the point. Regina was never the type to beat around the bush, always gets straight to the point. And that's the method Red was going to use here.
"I'm not the Mayor anymore," Regina points out. She wishes she was but the townspeople didn't want the Evil Queen managing the town anymore.
"But the library is yours. Is there any way of opening it up to the public?" Red was desperate. She wants Belle happy and comfortable in their new life. And the library was the key to that.
"What if I could, what's in it for me?" Regina asks. She has been changing for Henry to prove she isn't the Evil Queen. She opened her cold heart for Emma to prove she can love again. However, she won't do anything for no reason. Everything comes at a price, it's not just magic.
"A friend. A true friend."
"You want to be my friend?" Regina snorts, "you have death wish?"
"I see what Emma sees," Red says simply. Just a couple of months ago when she was having a hard time, Regina gave her advice. She saw Regina in a different light since then and she won't lie, she liked it.
Regina eyes widen, not sure what to say to what Red just pointed out.
"I think I found the perfect useless item slash object," Red continued to speak, hoping that will convince Regina to help her.
"Is this object held dearly by Emma?" Regina questions quickly. This might actually help her in the long run.
"It was what kept her here," Red answers.
Regina nods her head and sticks put her hand. "I'll see what I can do."
Red smiles and shakes the brunette's hand, sealing the deal.
Henry was heading to the sheriff station from school to meet up with his grandfather when it all happened.
Some random man came behind Belle, covered her mouth, and dragged her away.
He knew how angry and piss his mom will be if he put himself in danger to save someone. So instead, he runs into the police station.
"Grandpa!"
"What is it, Henry?" Charming goes over to the out of breath child.
"Belle was kidnapped," Henry answers. "Someone came behind and dragged her."
"Did you see who?"
Henry shakes his head, "I was too far."
"Don't worry, she's going to be fine. I'll find her," Charming promises the troubled kid.
"How are you going to find her?" Henry asks.
"Emma didn't get her searching skills from your grandmother," Charming points out. "And Red can find anyone, especially Belle."
Charming goes over to the desk, grabs the badg,e and walks out of the station with Henry at his side. There wasn't time to waste. Not when Rumpelstiltskin could be involved.
"Let go of me!" Belle demands, fighting against the tight grip.
"Belle…" a familiar voice, a voice she hasn't heard in so long.
"Papa?" Belle looks around to find her father. Not understanding why he just dragged her across town.
"Oh, I've missed you, Belle," Belle's father pulls Belle into a hug.
"Father…" Belle returned the gesture, still in a state of shock from seeing her father. It's been so long from that terrible morning.
"I'm so sorry this is how we had to be reunited. Please understand. I had no choice," Belle's father explains.
"But to kidnap me?" Belle questions. Where in his right mind was that right? He should have just come looking for her, and talk to her like a human being.
"After the curse broke, I searched all over for you and discovered you were still with the beast..." Belle's father told her as tries to explain behind of kidnapping her.
"What does Red have to do with you kidnapping me?" Belle demands for an answer. She will be taken away from Red again. Not by her father's decisions. Not like before.
"Are you saying you fell in love with it?"
"First of all, Red isn't a beast. Second of all, why does it matter if I love her or not?" Belle snaps at her father. She is not liking her father insulting Red. She was no beast.
"You can not love a beast." Belle's father shakes his head, "promise me you no longer love her. That you will never see her again."
Belle shakes her head, arguing back. "No, no. I'm not a child!"
"She's a monster. She will end up killing you," Belle fathers shakes his daughter.
"The heart wants what the heart wants," Belle states stubbornly. Her father wasn't going to make her stop loving Red. She will always be tied to Red. Their hearts and souls are bonded.
"Then I don't have a choice," Belle's father lets go of Belle. "I'm sorry. Do it."
A strange man comes from behind the older man and grabs Belle. As she was being dragged out of a shop, Belle couldn't help but look at her father full of hurt. "What? Father. Father, what… What are you doing?! Stop!"
"Goodbye, Belle. I love you!" Belle's father calls after her.
"Father!"
He enters the diner while Red was serving. "Hey, Red? Can I talk to you?" Charming asks for a moment with the tall woman.
Red finishes taking an order and walks over to the counter. "Yeah, why?"
"Are your senses in tuned as before?" Charming questions his long time friend.
Red looks at Charming and Henry in confusion. "Yeah...Why you ask?"
"Belle was kidnapped."
Red was getting the order ready when Charming told her the horrifying news. "Wait. What?" Red snaps her eyes wildly at the male.
"I saw someone come behind her and drag her away," Henry tells her.
"And now we need you to find her," Charming puts his input.
"Granny?" Red calls out to the back.
"Yes, Red?"
"I'm going to take the rest of the day off and I'll pull a double tomorrow," Red wipes her hands. "I need to find Belle."
Red turns around and reaches for the tea cup. Closing her eyes, she brings the cup to her nose and breathes in the scent, letting it over take her senses.
Charming sees the confused look on his grandson. "Red can find anything to anyone if she really wants it. You can't hide it if it has a scent or marking. She will always find what she wants," Charming explains to Henry.
"Like how she found you and the heart?"
Charming nods his head, "yes."
"If you boys are done chatting, I have my lover to find," Red calls their attention at the door.
"And she moves fast," Charming points out, explaining how Red was already at the door.
The three of them storm out, following Red as she leads them. Using the scent from the tea-cup, she suddenly stops in front of Moe's Flower Shop. Her jaw clenches, blood boiling. It has comes down to this...
"What's wrong?" Charming asks, seeing the sudden shift in Red.
"This is her father's shop," Red growls and pushes forward, entering the shop.
Belle's father's face drop at seeing the brunette woman. "You again. Out! This is a private establishment – you're not welcome."
"Where's Belle?" Red demands, not leaving until she gets answers. She was here, that much she knows, but the flowers has covered Belle's scent from her. Too many smells made it hard to single out Belle's scent.
"I'm not saying. She's safe. So you can stop looking," Belle's father answers, staring hard at Red.
"I won't let you take her again," Red growls. Her wolf was starting to show, her eyes were dangerously turning yellow, her fangs started to show.
"You will destroy Belle like you destroy everything else." Belle's father leans closer to the brunette, "well, I won't let that happen."
Eyes widen, "what have you done with her?"
"Have her to forget about you. Not matter the cost. Even if it means she forgets me, too."
"He's sending her across the town line," Charming sums it up. "But we have the town line patrolled..."
Red breathes in Belle's father's scent. Flower and mine dust filled her nostril. "The tunnels – they lead out-of-town." Snarling, Red pushes Belle's father into his counter. "You better hope that I get to her beforehand."
"You won't make it, it'll be too late," Belle's father calls after Red as she made her way out of the shop.
The cold air hits her face as she runs. Running faster than humanly possible, Red rushes to save Belle. She won't let her be taken away from for a second time. Not if she could do something this time.
As she ran, she can hear Charming and Henry trying to catch up to her but were failing miserably. She won't be slowing down, she will keep pushing on. Every second counted down to Belle losing her memory.
Finally making to the mines, Red sniffs the air, smelling out for Belle's scent. She catches a faint smell of it and starts to follow its path. She goes down in the tunnel, letting it lead her to her lover. She will save Belle. She won't lose her again.
"Please! Stop! What are you doing?" Belle's voice echoed.
Red's attention snapped towards Belle's voice, rushing down the tunnel. "Get your damn hands off of her!" Red tackles the strange man to the ground.
Picking up the man with ease, she slams him into the rocky walls of the tunnel. Her and her wolf was ready to rip this man apart who dared to put his paws on her Belle.
"Red," Belle places a hand on Red's shoulder, bringing her back to herself.
Her boiling blood started to calm at the warm touch of Belle's. Letting her grip go, she watches the man get to his feet in fear.
Turning around Red pulls Belle in her arms, letting Belle's scent hover around her. "I won't lose you again."
"We are together, I didn't forget," Belle whispers, assuring her lover that she was fine and still in her arms.
"I almost ripped your father and that man apart," Red cups Belle's face in her hands, looking into blue crystal eyes. "I love you."
"I love you too," Belle pulls Red's lips to hers.