Brushstrokes were a blessing. The feeling of fingers on her back were what her body was used to and so even if it had been nearly two months since she last felt them part of her still expected to find them there every time she woke up. But that feeling wasn't normal anymore. The shrill of the alarm calling her from sleep, forcing her to fling herself up in the morning and get to work before she could go back to sleep, that was her new normal! But this…this wasn't normal.
Her back itched. Not a real itch, like the scratching of skin. It itched in an unnerving way, woke her before the alarm could go off, and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and her body tingle. It was a feeling she knew, one she was overly sensitive too from decades in the asylum with Regina paying her small unexpected visits. It was the feeling of being watched.
The moment she arrived at that conclusion her fingers sought out the bottle of freezing potion she'd taken to sleeping with underneath her pillow and she opened her eyes pushed herself up ready to throw the potion and escape and found…
Nothing.
It was empty. And the feeling she'd had…it was suddenly gone too.
Yet, the raised goosebumps were still there on her arms and just because the feeling was gone didn't mean she believed what she saw with her eyes, not anymore, not after the week she'd had. Her eyes had landed on the chair that they had always kept against the far wall, the one that faced the bed, the one he often sat in to put on socks and tie his shoes when he got dressed in the morning. There was a depression in the cushion, but…that could have been there the entire time, an old memory from the last time he'd sat in it months ago. Couldn't it? When was the last time she'd sat in it?
She tore her gaze off the chair and pushed herself out of bed, trying to ignore the feeling of vibration in her body as she opened the door, stepped out into the long hall and up to the railing that over looked the first floor.
Nothing.
She knew what this house sounded and felt like when it was empty and right now there wasn't another soul here with her.
She could go down and check the basement, in fact it appeared she was going down to check the basement before she'd ever given herself permission to but she knew what she'd find before she even got there. It was empty as well. Boxes, tables, books, wheels, all exactly where she'd left them, just like when she arrived back in their room and glanced at his chair-
Her room. After two months she wouldn't think she'd have to keep reminding herself and she usually didn't but these last few days, with the confirmation that he was here, somewhere in town, with the visit he'd paid her in the shop as she slept…
So she'd had a small setback. She wouldn't let that stop her now. It was her room. Her house, her car, her bed. Her chair. And if she didn't want it placed there then she could just move it into the sitting room!
Determined, she strode forward, picked the thing up and marched it around the corner, dropping it against the wall, far from where she'd never have to see it when she woke up again! But still that cushion! She was being silly, imagining things, he wouldn't come back here in the middle of the night and take advantage of her heavy sleeping. Then again, watching her sleep…he always did love to do that. The locks had been changed since the last time he'd been here but for the Dark One that wasn't really a problem. He wouldn't have? Would he?
She reached out, her hand shaking, afraid of what she might find, until she simply touched the back of the chair. Cool. No trace of body heat like someone had ever been sitting there…except for that cushion.
Frustrated, she shook her head, snatched the cushion up, and shook it so that when she returned it to the chair the depression was gone. There! Now she didn't need to wonder. Now she'd-
She felt herself jump and nearly loose her footing at the shrill alarm beeping at her from the bed. Heart racing she sped off to shut the ridiculous thing off before sitting down on the side of the bed in the silence and catching her breath. She was being paranoid. Ridiculous, really. She'd had six weeks of peace, albeit, six weeks of tortured peace, but now she felt like she was four again! Questioning the existence of ghosts in her haunted pink house. Only it wasn't a ghost. It was her-
The Dark One. No. He hadn't been here. He wouldn't. Would he? Stalk her in their hom-her home! Not his. Hers. She'd taken great care to make it hers and she had the paperwork to prove it belonged to her. He wasn't going to scare her away from it! But that only mattered if he'd been here. Which he hadn't. Had he?
Ridiculous. She was being ridiculous and she needed to get to work. So without another thought she moved into the bathroom and ran the water for her shower, picked clothes out of the closet, and went to work. Rapunzel was in the library this morning and that was just fine with her because there was something that needed done at the shop. It was time to clean up.
She started with those roses. Sweet smelling and perfectly healthy. They were almost magical and when she considered who they came from…they probably were magical. She threw them both in the trash. In the outside garbage can, just for good measure. She didn't know what they were supposed to mean, if it was a warning that he was stalking her, if he was taunting her for just giving up the dagger, or even…even…dare she think they were just given to her out of kindness? Was it possible that they were simply a sweet gesture that he would have done any other day, a small token to tell her that he still loved her? No. No, it wasn't that. It couldn't be. If she meant anything to him, if he was here to try and get her back, if he was here to talk to her then he would have done just that…talk! He would have seen her without a mask instead of sneaking around and manipulating her again. She didn't know why he was here, but it didn't really matter to her. It wasn't good.
She did her best to forget about the roses and move on to the bigger, and yet easier, task at hand. Books.
She'd given it her best shot, spent days on end looking for a spell or ritual or anything that could even hint at how Maleficent had gone from a pile of dust to living and breathing in Storybrooke. But she'd found nothing. If it wasn't in his books, then she was convinced that the spell didn't exist anywhere but his own mind and asking him was out of the question. Maybe, if she got the chance later today she'd venture up to the convent and see if the fairies knew anything about it but she wasn't hopeful and frankly she just didn't feel like it was a pressing priority anymore. Emma had asked her to find that spell but she'd never really asked about it again. And now, things being what they were in town, did it really matter how he'd done it? Maybe. There might be a weakness to the spell. But she was sure that there were also weaknesses to Maleficent herself that would be much easier to figure out than hunting for something that didn't exist. That would be her next task. But before she started another she had to end this one. The books she'd used had to go away before she could determine which ones to keep out and keep-
"Oh! Um…" There was someone in the store. Someone she recognized that had snuck up on her. Today was not the day for jokes like that. Nevertheless she smiled and tried to laugh off her jumpy reaction as she glanced at the door.
"Regina I uh…I didn't hear you come in," she smiled, motioning to the door, hoping that maybe next time she'd use it instead of magic. She really needed to get something more efficient than that bell to alert her when people were coming into the store. Half the time people came and went by magic and that bell did her little good. Especially since they were rarely good.
"You're ex-husband as done quite a number on me Belle," the mayor sneered, looking her over with contempt.
She felt her smile vanish at her words. Yes, thinking her new normal life was something she would hold onto forever…that had been a nice dream. "Oh. I'm, uh…I'm sorry to hear that."
"And now he wants me to work with him," she glared at her. She was trying to stay calm, to remember that this wasn't her fight, she had no control over what Rumpelstiltskin did, in fact she'd done everything she could to cast him out of this town! Everything except hold onto that dagger and keep it protected…just as Regina had warned her to do months ago. And now…now she really did have no control over what Rumpelstiltskin did, leaving him free to do as he pleased here in Storybrooke. And it appeared what he pleased was going back to hounding Regina. She was doing so well, with Henry and Emma, working with Rumple...that couldn't be good for her. She wasn't actually considering it, was she? Is that why she was here? To get her opinion?
"Ah, well I'm sure that would be a mistake," she warned.
"I know it is," Regina admitted. Something was off about her, different than when she'd last seen her. Although she and Regina had never really been close she knew her well enough to know when things weren't right for her, when she was too tense and stressed. And if things weren't right for her…she didn't want to get involved, to be anywhere near where Rumpelstiltskin might be in this town but…if she hadn't given the dagger away in the first place Regina wouldn't be in this mess. No wonder she looked angry with her. This was all her fault. But maybe there was something she could do to help her. Something that didn't involve meeting Rumpelstiltskin face to face because she was sure that wouldn't do her any good. But still, maybe there was something…
How can I help?" she asked, scared and excited all at the same time. Regina wasn't fond of nice little talks. Help was what she had come in here for. Therefore, she must have had something in mind, she just wanted to know what it was.
Sure enough the Evil Queen gave a smirk that made her shiver and think about where she had those potions hidden around the room. "I'm glad you asked," she said in a voice that was too sweet to be genuine. She took a small step back, remembering a freezing potion she had stashed somewhere behind her, wondering if Rumple's magic would work on him because she suddenly didn't feel like she was talking to the Regina she-
"AH!" Before she could process what had happened, Regina had reached forward. It felt like she'd punched a hole through her chest, broken her ribs, cut open her muscles…and then the pain was gone. A hand over her heart told her that her skin was whole and nothing was broken but she was still working on getting her heart to beat normal again, still trying to remember how to breath. "Regina…what..." when she finally picked up her head she knew exactly what had happened. And she hadn't felt fear like this since she'd been shackled to her bed in that tower, knowing day and night that Regina could order her dead at any moment and she'd be powerless to stop it. No, this was worse.
In the palm of Regina's hand, her heart glowed bright and red, a healthy specimen for any spell. Or the perfect tool for revenge. Rumple had hurt Regina. If Regina wanted to hurt him…crushing that heart and ending her life, just as she'd intended long ago, was the perfect way to do it. How had they ended up back here after all these years?
"Regina…please!" she begged, standing at full height, trying to sound as reasonable as she could. This wasn't the Evil Queen, not anymore, Regina had changed! Maybe she could be reasoned with. Maybe she could remind her. "Please, you're better than this. Think about Henry and-"
"Quiet," she ordered into the heart. She heard the word in her mind, a small but powerful voice in the back of her head that made her close her mouth and when she tried to open it…she couldn't. "I am better than this. But this is bigger than you and me now. It involves people we both love and I need you to do something for me."
"Regina," her words shocked her. She didn't know when she'd given her back her ability to speak but she was happy she had, and shocked that apparently she didn't need to speak the order out loud. No. She could talk. Right now, she needed to talk to the Regina she knew. "Regina, please…you don't need that. You know that I'll help you, I've always helped no matter what you needed."
"I need this!" she said holding the heart in front of her. "I don't expect you to understand why. But I do. And now I need you to do something for me. Something I'm certain you don't want to do, something to help Emma."
Something she didn't want to do? So…so she was just going to force her to do it, without even asking her first? And if Emma needed it... "Why me?" she asked her. "Why not David or Mary Margaret?"
"Because!" Regina yelled before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Several deep breaths before opening her eyes and looking at her again with a look she knew. Ghosts. Something was haunting her. Eating at her, leading her to no other choice but this one. Those decisions were never good decisions. "I think you're the only one that can do what I have in mind."
"Then why not just ask? I've always helped before you don't have to…take my heart, and force me to help you."
"Haven't you been listening?!" she growled. "I need this too. Because you doing this for me is only half of what I need. This is the other half," she explain, motioning to her own heart. Clearly she thought she was making sense but it all just sounded like gibberish to her. She needed her heart. She needed her heart not to control her she just…needed her heart? No part of this plan sounded good or well thought out to her. And it certainly didn't sound safe to her. "You're going to have to trust me for this," Regina whispered suddenly, looking her over with the intense look that she might actually trust on a normal day. But one glance at her heart in her hand…this wasn't a normal day.
"That's difficult to do when you reach into my chest and remove my heart without so much as a warning!" she spat back
"I know…so I'm going to make it easier on you…" Before she could ask her what that was supposed to mean she watched as she raised the heart to her mouth once again and whispered. "You're going to forget that I have this, this entire talk, you are going to forget I was ever here and you are going to go on a little walk because you want to see-"
There was a voice, a small thought in the back of her head, rising growing greater with every second. If she hadn't been here all morning she would have thought she wasn't alone but she knew she was. And there was something she needed to do, somewhere she needed to go.
Enough of this. Enough being afraid he might be around every corning watching her, enough tricks and games, enough trying to find answers that didn't exist, enough roses, and enough lies! It was time for her to get the answers that she'd been waiting too long for.
I know there are two theories on this scene. Did Belle know Regina took her heart? Did she volunteer? Or was she unwilling and ignorant. Obviously I went with the second theory because even as understanding as I think Belle is, I think that if Regina told her that she was going to see Rumple she would have tried to find another way to help her. I just didn't think it suited her for where she's at with Rumple and her feelings for him. "Oh yeah sure Regina you can borrow my heart I totally trust you and the other evil witch that tried to kill me with it before to not kill me or misuse it!" Yeah, totally not where she was at. So where do we go from here? Only tomorrow will tell!
Thank you for your reviews Grace5231973, Kathryn Claire O'Connor, Valerie3956, Teresa Martin, Rumbellefan, Ladybugsmomma, Raizen Yusuke, Deweymay, and Skitzoeinhoven. I appreciated them, as always! So, because I know I'm going to get this question at some point today, what happened with the beginning. Honestly, I have no idea. I know why the first half of this chapter exists. It's really show her walls breaking down more by messing up her pronouns again and showing that he's on her mind once more. But was he there watching her sleep during the night? Honestly I have no idea. I think that's the first thing in Moments that I'll leave up to you for interpretation. At least until I decide to write Rumple's side of all this and need to make a choice. Peace and Happy Reading!