CHAPTER V

Aurora and Phillip sat together on a blanket on the grass. Ever since that field trip at the aquarium things had been different with the two. The once close and happy couple became cold and distant. Aurora's aunts forbidding her from being outside the house for long periods of times didn't help as well. The only time they were able to speak and or be together was school and dead in the night when her aunts were sleeping and that's about it. This day was different from the rest. Aurora was able to sneak out during the day and here the couple was now. Having a picnic and having the closest thing to a date since two weeks.

Things were not going so well on their their picnic date. Silence was a common theme as Philip tried his best to start a conservation, Aurora would only offer him one worded responses. As Philip pulled on the grass underneath him and looked and saw the blonde staring off into to space.

"Aurora." said Philip trying his best to get her attention.

The blonde looked at him with a confused look, "Hmm?"

"How was your day?"

She shrugged and yawned, "It was boring."

"Anything else happened?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

Aurora sighed, "Yeah. I'm pretty sure my day was boring. Just like all the other times you asked me."

He sighed and muttered to himself, "I'm just trying to make conservation."

Aurora must of heard him because she remarked, "Well it's hard to add when you aren't even allowed to be outside of your house for more than five minutes."

"Right."

Phillip smiled warmly at the blond while she only offered a weak one. He frowned:

"What's wrong, my Blair Rose?"

Aurora simply shook her head and replied, "It's nothing."

"The way your acting doesn't seem like that."

Aurora smiled at him weakly. "It's nothing Philip. I'm fine."

"People never say they're fine."

"Philip. Just stop."

"Are you-"

Aurora snapped at him, "I said I was fine. So just drop it. Okay?"

"If you say so."

Aurora glared at him.

He sighed and nodded. Philip scooted closer to Aurora and put his hand on her hers. Their fingers now being intertwined, Aurora moved her hand and looked the other way. Philip sighed and gently, Philip pulled her head towards him, thumb pressing on her chin. He went in to kiss her but Aurora pushed him away and sat away from him.

"Aurora."

"I'm sorry, it's just I have a lot on my plate."

"Like?"

"Just my aunts okay. So much is happening so fast."

"Do you want to talk about it."

"I rather not."

"Ah. Well okay then."

"You wouldn't understand."

"Understand what?"

"Nothing. Forget I said anything."

"I want to know, please tell me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Of course I am."

The blonde didn't say anything as she ran a hand through her long blonde hair. Philip frowned again and had put his arm around her. He pulled her close and whispered into her ear:

"Whenever you're sad I'm sad. Whenever you frown I frown."

"Philip, I-"

"Aurora you can tell me anything, you know that?"

"I know that it's just…"

Philip raised her head up so that the two were staring at each other. "Aurora my rose. If I had to kill a dragon to make sure you're safe I would gladly do so."

Aurora turned her away from him. "You're just saying that."

"I would kill twenty of them if that would mean your safety."

Aurora looked away, a blush forming on her cheeks. "Stop. I'm blushing."

"I would never rest until I know that you are safe and sound."

"Philip."

He didn't stop and resumed on going on, "I mean my word. So please my rose. Tell me what is bothering you."

Aurora shrugged, sighed, and finally caved in, "It's been a week since Belle went missing."

Philip nodded and looked off into the distance, "I'm sorry Aurora. You guys were close friends, weren't you?"

Aurora nodded along in agreement and she looked away too, "Maybe I should've snuck out like Ariel did."

"What do you mean?"

"If Ariel snuck out to see Eric. I should've snuck and be there with my friends."

"They were all drunk. If you went there the same thing would of happened."

Aurora glared at him. "Way to be downer."

"I'm just saying," defended Philip "All of you complain about how serious Belle is. Maybe today was the day Jasmine finally conceived Belle to let loose."

"Like that would happen. Belle always scolds us for having late library books or not looking both ways before crossing. It would take a lot more than Jasmine's teasing."

Philip sighed in defeat. "Yeah. You're right about that."

"I should of went to that party and stopped her from storming out Jasmine's house like that."

"And do what?"

"Stop her from leaving. Ask her where she was going too. Making sure she stayed safe."

"Would you really do that?"

"Of course I would. She's my best friend."

"You say that now. But would you actually do that if you were there?"

"What are you trying to get at?"

Philip paused and thought of the best thing to say, "Don't dwell in the past. You'll get whole stressed out about it."

Aurora glared, "Don't dwell in it? She's one of my best friends-"

Philip interrupted, "Don't think of all the "what ifs"; if you do you'll get all worked up about it."

Aurora closed her mouth and looked away. Moments passed and she looked at Philip again, "They're saying that she just walked out. Just like that, that's not something Bella would do."

"Aurora." said Phillip softly.

"There treating it like nothing happened to her."

"Aurora." said Phillip again, softly.

"Its. It's like Belle doesn't event exist to them!"

"Aurora." said Philip, much louder this time.

"Well I'm not going to just sit here-"

"Aurora!" shouted Philip.

"Sorry I-"

Aurora stopped talking and started to wipe her tears with the sleeve of her shirt. Moments passed and Aurora started to cry again. Philip pulled her close and wrapped his hands around her. In the crook of his neck he heard the soft sniffles and sobs. Philip rubbed the small of her back in his efforts to calm her down. He whispered in her ear and that seemed to work as she stopped her crying. Aurora then rested her on head on his shoulder. They stayed like that for awhile until Aurora soon pulled away from him and wiped away the remaining tears.

"I'm sorry for shouting at you." apologized Phillip

Ignoring Philip's words Aurora said, "You're right. I'm get all worked up about the "what ifs" again."

"She's one of your friends. I shouldn't of been the one telling you how to act. I'm sorry."

Aurora, ignored him again added, "It's just that if something ever happened to me, I'm not sure how you would act either."

Philip froze.

"If something did happen to me, what would you?"

Philip still stayed frozen unsure of what to say.

Aurora shook her head and changed the subject, "Something about this all thing just doesn't seem right. You know?"

Silence grew between the two at that comment. Philip cleared his throat, "You are right. Belle wouldn't storm out of Jasmine's house like that."

Aurora's eyes widened and smirked, "See! I told you!"

"We shouldn't stand around like sticking ducks either."

"What should we do about it?"

"I don't know. What should we do?"

More silence and soon, Aurora broke the silence that grew between the two.

"Wanna know the messed up thing?"

"What?"

"Nobody is doing nothing about it."

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone says that she's missing but there is no efforts of trying to find her."

"What are you suggesting?"

"That if nobody is going to do something about it soon. Some people should."

"What are you talking about?"

Aurora gave him a sly smirk, "We're two people."

"And?"

"We're known for doing stuff."

"I don't get where you're going with this."

"We should be the two people doing something about this."

"Like form a search party?"

Aurora's smirk grew wider and wider, "Yeah. Sounds like something that we would do."

Philip smirked and pecked her on the cheek, "When should we start searching?"

Aurora poked him on the nose, "Nighttime, meet in the woods by the old park."

"Why so late?"

"I'm not even suppose to talk to you. Especially outside."

"I don't see why your aunts hate me."

"They don't hate you."

"It seems like they do."

"They're just overprotective that's all."

"I guess I can see that, I mean ever since the-"

Aurora had put an index finger to his mouth to silence him. When her aunts found out about her passing out on the floors of the aquarium on that day; her aunts had barely let her be able to go outside of her home. Aurora hated that and she finally knew what Ariel was complaining about. how her father would never let her go out anywhere.

"Right. Sorry about that."

"It's fine. Just don't do that again."

Philip nodded. It was true, ever since that day in the aquarium Aurora was under a strict curfew. She would call it house arrest. She was only allowed to go to school and back straight to her home. They've been sneaking out and hanging out in the woods where they first met. Always at night. Always when her aunts were sleeping. This was the only time they talked during the day outside of school.

"Why are your aunts so strict?"

Aurora shrugged her shoulders, "Your guess is as good as mine."

"Have you ever thought of-"

Aurora interrupted his words with a kiss. The kiss wasn't passionate. It was just a chaste kiss on the lips. However it just being chaste didn't last for long. Aurora's hands cradled Philip's face as the kiss deepened and soon Philip's hands found their way to her hips. Aurora moaned and ran a hand through his neatly cut brown hair pulling on it causing him to moan as well.

Soon Aurora found herself on his lap, straddling him causing him to groan. As Aurora bit his lip wanting more, Phillip allowed it and soon their tongues were battling for dominance. As Aurora's hands traveled down inside his shirt and down his bare chest Philip groaned and gripped her hips. His hands went to travel up north and soon cupped her breasts, he smirked when he heard her moan. Soon he felt her hands on the belt buckle of his pants. As she began to undo the belt, Philip grabbed her hands and met her gaze. Aurora just looked at him and started to plant to kisses all over him.

Part of him wanted this to go on, but part of him knew this was just Aurora trying to avoid confrontation. Whenever the subject of her aunts came, this was usually how she would act. He was getting tired of her trying to dance her way out of the truth. Philip turned his head away from her, threw her hands away, shot up, and pulled her off his lap. His breath labored, he looked away and just sighed.

Aurora frowned and put her hand on his chest running her hand up and down. Philip's breath hitched, and she gave him a coy smile. She whispered in his ear, "Why did you stop? It seems like you were really enjoying that."

Philip didn't say anything, he grabbed her hand, and glared at her.

"What?"

He gulped trying to regain control. He breathed, "Don't change the subject ever like that again."

Aurora played dumb, "Do what again?"

"You know what."

"You weren't complai-"

"Enough!" shouted Philip, venom in his voice, "I'm sick of you avo-"

Aurora shouted back, "It would help if they answered my questions!"

"If you didn't want to talk about your aunt's you could just told me."

"Told you what? That they refuse to tell me anything about my parents?"

Philip didn't say thing as he tried his best to adjust his position.

"And If I do try to ask them. They just tell me I'm too young to understand."

Philip laid down on the ground and buried his face with his hands.

"It's not like I ever got a clear answer from them. Whenever I would ask them, they would always give me the same answer."

Philip sat up, "And that answer would be?"

Aurora drew her hand close to his face and caressed his cheek,"Watch out for thorns. Whatever that means."

"Huh?"

Aurora sighed, "They told me to careful around sharp objects."

"That's common sense."

"They told me to watch out for a spindle."

"That doesn't help."

Aurra sighed as she traced the outline of his jaw with her finger, "Yeah. It really doesn't."

Philip clasped her hand stopping it from moving and stared into her violet eyes, "Tonight?"

Aurora nodded, "Tonight in the night at the old park in the woods."

Philip smiled. "Right."

Aurora smiled too. "Be there or be square."

"Don't need to tell me twice."

"Then you better be there."

Philip nodded and kissed her on the forehead and stood up. He offered her his hand and she took it. Still hand in hand they walked to the old park in the woods and soon departed their ways. As he looked at her walking away, Philip couldn't help that there was more to what Aurora was telling him. He sighed in frustration and made his way towards the exit out of the woods. Maybe tonight he'll finally get some answers for all this strange stuff that's been happening recently. As he walked out the woods and looked at up at the sky and looked back down on the ground. He just shook his head and resumed on walking.

Time passed and true to his word it was nighttime and here he was standing in the woods and next to the old park, Philip sat on the old wings wait for Aurora. As he heard steps getting closer and closer he stood up up from the swing and smiled when he saw Aurora.

He gestured at the red cloak she was wearing and remarked, "Hold up there 'lil Red."

"Oh no." mocked Aurora trying her best to hide her laughter, "It's the big bad wolf."

Philip growled.

Aurora laughed.

Philip laughed too and grabbed her hand, "Come on, let's go look for Belle."

She nodded in agreement, "Yes. Let's."

Philip nodded and went on walking with Aurora at his side. With each step that they took and the more deeper they got into the forest, Philip could've sworn that he was hearing voices. Faint little whispers he heard grew louder and louder with every step the pair took. Eventually they had stopped walking and Philip noticed that something looked off about Aurora. He looked and noticed that her normal violet eyes were now green and she looked a bit off. Gently, he shook her trying to get her back in her senses. Suddenly, she started to walk again.

Philip called at her, "Hey. Where are you going?"

No response. Just mindless walking.

Philip shouted, "Hey Aurora. Stop. Where are you going?"

She didn't say anything.

"Aurora! Stop!"

Again no response. Mindless shuffling forward. Philip ran up to her trying to catch her, he stopped as he looked that Aurora was looking at and old black tree with a wheel carved on it. She pressed on the bark and quickly she pulled her hand back wincing in pain. Philip had grabbed her hand and saw the line of crimson blood flowing down.

Philip had put a hand to her cheek, "Aurora. Are you alright?"

Aurora closed her eyes and rested a hand on his chest and she fell down backwards. Phlip caught her before she hit the ground. Gently he laid her on the ground trying his best to figure out what was wrong. He looked at the tree and back at his sleeping beauty.

He cried, "Aurora."

No response.

Off in the distance, sinister laughter could be heard.

Philip looked up at the sky, tears streaming down his face and shouted, "Aurora!"

The sinister laughter grew louder.