She was going home. He was going to get his son back. And together they would be able to finally start a chapter of life that she had only dreamed of having since she'd realized just how in love with him she was the first time she kissed him. There was nothing that could sully this wonderful feeling she had growing inside of her. Tonight couldn't come fast enough. It seemed like forever away, she would keep busy today, try and pass the creeping time by as fast as she could, try to contain her excitement...but it was going to be difficult.
When she walked back into her library she located the cart of books by the door, a few dozen so waiting to be shelved. Normally it was a tedious job, but it was perfect work for today! Her heart was fluttering and her mind was occupied with happy daydreams and the idea of getting lost in something mindless appealed to her. So she grabbed the stack off the top, checked their call numbers, and went back into the stacks of books to put them in their rightful place.
But as she made her way back, she paused at an unexpected sight. There was a man standing there! She was frightened for a moment, but then noticed he wasn't ransacking her apartment or looking for the dagger, he wasn't standing in a threatening posture or looking at her menacingly. He was simply looking at a book! In fact, as she looked him over she thought he didn't even realize she was there! It was as if he'd just seen the sign for the library and wandered in. Had she locked the door before she'd left?!
"Oh, I'm sorry...the-the library's not open yet."
He looked up slowly and she could finally see his face. Black clothes, short black hair, stubble where a beard should be, and his hands... No! Not hands! A hook for a hand. Her heart stopped. A smirk bloomed across his face as he closed the book and set it back on the rack. She knew him. "Oh, I'm not here for the books, love."
"You!" she remembered suddenly. Just the memory of their last encounter made her cheek sting where the bruise had sprung up after his last visit. It was a painful reminder that this man before her wasn't a friend and never had been. But who he was exactly she'd never figured out. After he'd slapped her the man who had tended to her cheek had laughed at her questions and said simply "you'll never see that pirate again". A pirate.
She took a timid step back, trying to keep her fear in check so that she could think. But she couldn't, it was clouding her judgment, making her feel like she was walking through a haze! "You're the one who broke into my cell at the Queens palace," she stated, the shadows were crossing his face and with that terrible smirk he looked more terrifying than she remembered.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw that she had a straight shot to the door. And through her fearful fog one word echoed in her mind.
Run!
She tore off through the library, each step bringing her closer to freedom, to help! But, just before she could get to the door the man suddenly reappeared. He cut her off, standing between her and the only way out. The only shield that she had was that cart of books.
She took a few deep breaths. Who was this man, this pirate? What did he want? Why was he here, looking for her, again?! The running was helping her clear her mind and the memory swam to the surface, allowing her to recall the reason for his last visit. "You wanted to kill Rumpelstiltskin," she accused.
"Oh I still do," he whispered with determination. "But right now I'll settle for you," he said as he pointed at her threateningly. He stepped aside, ready to make his move. Adrenaline raced through her body, giving her enough strength to act on instinct. Before he could make it any further she pushed the cart over, toppling the shelf of books onto the man as he fell to the floor underneath them. But it hadn't worked as well as she'd hoped, he was still free, just slowed down. She couldn't leave the front way, he'd catch her. The back was too far, he'd catch her that way too! There had to be another way out!
She glanced around and saw the elevator. She couldn't go up to where he'd hidden the weapon that would kill him, she knew that the man already knew about the myth of it. And she couldn't go down, as he'd warned her she wouldn't be able to without magic. But the small shielded space was her only option at the moment. Running over to it and copying his motions to open the doors. She didn't need to go anywhere, she only needed a safe place while she figured out what to do next. Once safely inside she saw the man had finally managed to free himself and was coming at her. She pressed the handle and instinctively backed herself against the far wall watching as he collided with the closed steel doors.
The doors banged against him and the hanging steel cage she was in vibrated and swayed with it. Now what?!
Rumple!
Through her terror the name came to her and she remembered that before going to see him she had pocketed the cell phone he had given her. She hadn't needed it until now, but she was certain this was the very reason that he'd wanted her to have it. If anyone would know what to do he would!
Her hands shaking, she pulled it out of her pocket and punched the buttons that would get the message to him. She held the device to her ear, listening to the strange warble before she finally heard his voice, "Hey Belle!"
"Rumple!" she said hoping he'd hear the desperation in her voice. Another bang wracked the elevator and she tried to catch her breath so she could speak to him. "I'm, I'm in the elevator," she stated, trying to get out everything that she could, to prepare him, to warn him. "There's a man here! He broke in and he wants to kill me!" There was suddenly strange crinkling sound coming from the device. He was saying something but she couldn't make out the words! It was getting worse by the second. Another bang. She had to say as much as she could before it was completely useless! "He's a pirate and he's missing a hand!" she exclaimed, before the crinkling stopped suddenly. "Hello?!" she called into the sudden dead silence.
She looked at the screen but it told her nothing and she closed the thing in frustration bracing herself against the unseen assault. She prayed he would know to come to her, that something was wrong, that she needed him. He always had in the past! She closed her eyes and tried to think, of something, of anything. But she had no weapons, no way out, there was nothing she could do! Then, just as she was close to sinking down into a ball and crying, it stopped.
She stared at the door, waiting for it to begin again. But just as suddenly as he had appeared, he seemed to have vanished. She couldn't move. Fear paralyzed her and held her in place. She didn't know how long she stayed there, the pattern of the elevator cage etching itself onto her back. Her heart didn't stop pounding. She still didn't feel like she could keep the air in her lungs as she debated her safety.
Suddenly a long clicking came from the doors. It was the mechanism. The one on the outside that opened the door. Her heart raced. He'd figured it out! He was going to come in here and kill her! She pressed herself flat against the surface, her fingers curled around the grate as she fought tears of painful regret, preparing for the worst! The doors rattled open-
Rumpelstiltskin stood before her with a look of relief on his face. "Belle-"
She ran to him without a second thought and threw her arms around him, holding onto him as tight as she could. He caught her, his hands settled against her back, and he was whispering to her in a gentle voice "It's okay, it's okay," as he rocked her side to side. She was upset to admit that for a moment, only minutes ago, she honestly didn't think she would live to see him again. His grip was a welcome feeling. "Here," she felt the large form of one of his jackets around her shoulders, and she released him, but couldn't stop her hands from trembling as she maintained her grip on his arms. He was here, standing before her...but where was the pirate?
She looked around the room like she might see the man standing in the corner over his shoulder. "Where...where is he?" she asked him. But he seemed to have disappeared. Somehow that didn't make her feel better. The clock told her she hadn't been in that elevator long, minutes only! He'd gotten her call and raced over just as she hoped. So where had he gone?! Why had he come in the first place?!
"I don't know," he muttered, looking her over with shocked concern. She wrapped the coat around her tighter, suddenly feeling very chilly, and tried to focus on his hands squeezing her arms securely, and his face...it held just a hint of fear looking back at her through the worry. Had he ever really seen her frightened before? Upset? Yes. Panicked? Sure. But petrified? No. It seemed to startle him almost as much as it did her.
"But you've nothing to fear," he said with sudden clarity, "I'm here now." He was right. As long as he was around, she was perfectly safe. Relief washed through her, as long as he was around no one would ever be able to harm her. She wrapped her arms back around him, seeking relief that he gave as he held her there but she knew from experience that it wouldn't last long. He was a smart, observant man who could hold a grudge better than anyone she'd ever met. And she knew that those who threatened her, often found themselves at the mercy of his wrath. It was only a matter of time until she'd need to soothe the beast within him, and save him from doing something foolish. She didn't want to lose him either, not after all that had happened.
"Belle," he said in her ear after a few moments. Then again, maybe it would be no time at all. "Take my keys, go back to the shop, and wait for me there so that I can look around and-"
"No, no, no, no" she interrupted not able to tear herself away from him. "Please! Please, don't leave me alone," she begged with naked honesty. She was half expecting the man to be waiting for her on the other side of the door. He wanted to kill both of them, why she wasn't sure, but until he was gone she didn't want to be out of his sight for a moment and she certainly didn't want him to walk out the door, never to be seen again. She didn't know what was going on, but she knew they couldn't be apart at a time like this. Had things really been better than good only moments ago? Had she really gotten back from his shop excited? It felt like their life had turned over. "Let's just go," she begged. "Please, let's leave, together, right now."
"Belle-"
"Please!" she cried pulling back to see his eyes. He could be anywhere, in any of the hidden nooks and crannies within the structure. She didn't want to be here and she didn't want him here alone either.
He gave a defeated sigh and unsatisfied nod. Then, without a second thought or glance behind, he placed a hand at her back, collected his cane from against the elevator wall, and on shaking legs they left the scene, with any luck they'd figure out what had gone so wrong.
"But Treatian, Belle shouldn't just recognize Hook from the tower, she should recognize him from when he went back in time with Emma!" You are truly an observant one awesome reader, but my excuse for why she doesn't recognize Hook is pretty much the same reason why she also didn't recognize Emma a few chapters ago. She wasn't focusing on her. When Hook and Emma come to visit in Mutual Contentment I did my best to put her focus on Rumple and because of that she hardly takes notice of the two people in the room. She met them both one time, years ago, for only a few minutes before she left. She didn't really take note of them then and at a moment like tis it certainly isn't going to come to her.
Peace and Happy Reading!
