As Killian and Emma were halfway through a delightful meal, Belle was pacing back and forth on the sidewalk near the Nautilus.
She was mumbling to herself and nervously running her fingers through her brown, wavy locks.
She finally groaned and sat down on the bench beside August. She buried her face in her hands as her boyfriend ran his hand up and down her back.
He then reassured her, "You know you don't have to do this now. He's not expecting you, and even if he was, he understands that you need time."
Belle raised her head up before she sighed. She then told him, "I know it's so much to take in - I'm not sure a lifetime would be enough time to truly sort through it, much less a few weeks."
"But?" August supplied.
"I can't stop thinking about everything that Emma told Killian and I. About our father having changed - I want to see it - him - for myself," she explained.
August squeezed her hand as he told her, "And I won't stop from seeing him - I think you should. But you've been pacing for half an hour trying to make this decision - I don't know that you're truly ready."
Belle offered a small smile and squeezed his hand as well. She loved him so much - he had always supported her, and he hadn't wavered throughout this whole ordeal.
She took a breath before she spoke, "If I don't try now, I don't know that I'll ever gather up the courage again."
August offered a sympathetic look before he kissed her forehead. He then spoke, "I know this is something you need to do alone, so I'm gonna head back to my place. I'll be there if you want to talk later."
Belle nodded before she wrapped him in a fierce hug. She whispered a "thank you" before pulling away.
He nodded before kissing her softly. He then took one of her hands and squeezed it before he stood up and began walking back to his apartment.
Belle took a breath and exhaled deeply to calm her escalating nerves before she rose from the bench. She determinedly set her shoulders before walking down the sidewalk to the front of the restaurant.
It was just past opening time, and the restaurant was still rather quiet save for a few people having breakfast. Brennan was currently wiping down a few glasses.
Belle placed her hand on the door handle in order to head inside. Brennan happened to glance in her direction, and her shoulders sank as though the weight of this conversation was physically weighing her down.
She quickly let go of the door and began rushing back to the library. She only made it as far as far as the bench when she heard her name being called.
She slowly turned to face her father. He empathetically began, "I don't want to push you or your brother - I know this is rather difficult for both of you," taking a deep breath before continuing, "But since you came to the restaurant, I thought that you might want…" trailing off and looking down.
There was silence for a few minutes, the only sound being the chatter of strangers and the sounds of the city around them.
Belle then took a deep breath before she admitted, "I did…still do want to talk to you, but I'm not sure where to even begin."
Brennan nodded before he told her, "I believe I do." He then motioned to the bench and asked, "Shall we?"
The brunette simply nodded before she sat down, with Brennan following suit. He took a deep breath before he looked over at her.
He couldn't help but tilt his head and smile ever so slightly as he observed, "I knew you favored your mother, but I don't think I realized how much until now. I believe you may be the spitting image of her."
Belle couldn't help but smile at the mention of Colette before she spoke, "That's what everyone - including Mum - always told me. And that I act quite a bit like her, too, save for a handful of traits that I…" trailing off and moving her gaze to the ground.
"That you got me from me," Brennan supplied. He then sighed and continued, "But I'd wager that you came up with that conclusion on your own. I broke Colette's heart - I can't imagine she'd want to talk about me."
Belle couldn't bear to look up as she said, "Only to explain that you had left, and it would only ever be the two of us." She took a breath before she added, "There were times when I would remind her of you - mainly because I have your eyes."
"That you do, love. You and your brothers - in truth, it's the only thing I ever gave the three of you," Brennan responded, a twinge of regret in his voice.
He took a breath before he commented, "Although, Alice also had blue eyes, but hers were considerably darker than mine. She used to joke that it was rather unfair that we both have blue eyes, but both of our boys take after me."
Belle couldn't help but chuckle at that before she observed, "So, that's where Killian gets his sense of humor from."
"I dare say it is," Brennan conceded. He then reminisced, "She was quite funny. She always knew how to make me laugh, even after she became sick."
"That sounds like my brother," Belle surmised. She then continued, "Killian told me she had lung cancer, but I think he only remembers a little about her. What he does know about her is what Liam told him."
"Killian was only three years old when she died, so it's not surprising that he only has a few memories. Liam was 10, but he often acted wise beyond his years because he felt as though he needed to be strong for his little brother. I suspect that didn't change after I left."
Brennan then ran his fingers through his hair. Belle tilted her head as she looked at him, hearing what he didn't say.
She then took a breath before she told him, "But you're here now. Doesn't that count for something?"
Brennan glanced her way as he commented, "Based on the uncertainty in your voice, I'm not entirely sure."
As Belle was attempting to come up with a reply, Killian was stalking toward them, the enjoyment of his breakfast date with Emma gone.
Belle glanced up to see her brother coming, the ire written on his face. She sighed before she stood up, meeting him as he had made his way over.
She placed her hands on his chest as she tried to assure him: "Don't overreact, Killian. I promise that I'm fine."
"Is that why you looked upset earlier? And why August was trying to make you feel better?" Killian challenged, his eyes landing on their father.
Belle noticed his stare before she sighed once more and she placed her arms by her sides. She then explained, "He didn't do anything to upset me, Killian. I'm just trying to figure all of this out."
Killian searched her eyes for truth as Brennan rose to his feet.
He took a breath before he offered, "If it helps, Killian, I did keep my word about not pushing either of you - your sister reached out to me."
Killian furrowed his brows as he looked to his sister for confirmation.
Belle nodded before Killian addressed their father: "You can't blame us for being uncertain when it comes to you," with fire behind his words.
Brennan ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath before he spoke, "I know I hurt both of you so long ago, and I understand if you don't want anything to do with me. But I really want a chance to make things right."
"And we should just take your bloody word for it?" Killian angrily seethed.
"You have no reason to trust me," Brennan admitted. He then took a deep breath and told them, "But I did move here to be closer to the two of you. I just didn't know how to go about approaching you."
"But then Emma decided to approach you - I suppose that makes things a bit easier," Belle surmised.
"To a degree," Brennan began. He then took a breath and admitted, "Seeing as it was rather difficult to gain her trust, I knew it would be even harder with you two. But I wasn't about to give up - I made that mistake before, and I didn't want to hurt either of you again."'
Belle tilted her head as she considered her father's words while Killian just eyed him with a look that was a cross between curiosity and mistrust.
He then crossed his arms as he challenged, "It seems rather convenient for you that Swan came to you first. Would we even be having this conversation if she hadn't?"
Brennan ran his fingers through his dark hair - again - as he considered his son's words. He took a breath before he answered honestly, "I would hope we would be. Though I know my reaction wasn't especially welcoming when we ran into each other, Belle, those drinks I offered when all of you came to the restaurant was a small way of reaching out. You have to believe I would have found a way to let you know I was here."
Belle adopted a thoughtful expression while her brother ran his fingers through his hair.
He sighed before he frustratingly told his father: "It's still bloody hard to believe that you'll stick around this time - you always leave eventually. We left England because you couldn't handle being reminded of Mum, and you left Liam and I when you were afraid of getting caught for your crime. Even after you had fallen in love again and had gotten remarried, you left six months after the birth of my sister. So, forgive me if I have a hard time believing you won't leave again."
Without another word, he turned around and marched back to the Cove.
Belle sighed as she watched her brother's retreating form while Brennan ran his fingers through his hair once more.
The brunette then faced her father and told him, "I should probably go talk to him."
She then turned to leave when she was stopped by Brennan's voice: "Wait, Belle."
She turned back around, and he continued, "Do you feel the same way as Killian?"
A silence took over as Belle thought over his words. The awkwardness it created was almost palpable.
Instead of answering, Belle asked one of the many questions that had been burning a hole in her brain: "Why didn't you stay? You could have found Liam and Killian, and we could have been a family."
"That very idea haunted me for years and years after I left you and your mother. I finally managed to come up with an answer, but it's a flimsy excuse at best," Brennan admitted.
The brunette only tilted her head in question, and he elaborated, "I was running from my past and my guilt. If I stayed, I would have to raise a child with the knowledge that I abandoned two others. If I did manage to find your brothers, I'd still have to face that same knowledge and tell Colette the whole truth. And so, I took the easy way out by running, and I didn't stop for the next twenty years."
"Until the last year," Belle added. Brennan simply nodded in response.
He then took a breath before he told her, "I did love your mother, Belle. She gave me a chance to start over, but I squandered it. I did want to have children and a family with Colette, but after you were born, I was only reminded of Liam and Killian. I wanted to be a good father to this precious baby girl, but I found I couldn't escape my past. I believed my messing things up was inevitable, so I ran to avoid the situation and the guilt entirely."
Belle took a moment to consider his words before she spoke, "She loved you, too. But she had to learn to move on," looking down and fiddling with hem of her dress.
She then slowly looked up and locked her blue eyes with his and asked, "Did...did you ever think about me?"
Brennan looked thoughtful for a few moments before he answered, "I thought about you and your brothers. As for you, I wondered what you'd look like, what you'd sound like, and whether you'd have your mother's kind heart. I so hoped you would, though I never imagined I'd see it."
He smiled slightly at her, and she offered a small smile in return. He then chuckled lightly and added, "I also didn't imagine that you'd even find your brothers, let alone be so close with Killian."
Belle simply nodded before she lamented, "I hate I never had the chance to meet Liam." She then took a breath and spoke, "I am rather glad that I found out I have a brother. I always wanted siblings when I was growing up, and Killian is the best brother I could have asked for."
A moment later, she started laughing. Brennan gave her a strange look and asked her, "What's so funny?"
She sobered and answered, "I was just thinking about how Killian can be a little annoying at times. He knows how to get under people's skin - particularly Emma's. The Cove is on her way to work, and she began stopping by every morning right after it opened. He was quite the flirt, and it annoyed Emma to no end. It's rather comical looking back."
Brennan couldn't help but chuckle as well before he told her, "I find that rather interesting considering that the two of them are rather inseparable. She's very protective over him."
He then ran a hand through his dark hair and added, "Both of you actually."
Belle hummed in response before her expression turned to one of reflection. She then seriously spoke, "She has reason to be. We've both lost people we've loved dearly, and I had my heart broken because I kept loving someone who wasn't going to change. It took me so long to open up to love again with August and to trust he wouldn't hurt me. I may have never known you, but I still experienced the pain of growing up without my father. I want to trust that you won't leave again, and I really want to believe that you've changed," the emotions welling up in her voice, and tears forming in her eyes.
She then looked down to wipe away those tears as Brennan ran his hand over his face as he thought about what to say.
He cautiously reached for his daughter's hand before pulling his hand back. Belle noticed and covered his hand with hers.
He took a deep breath before he told her, "I know I can't possibly make up for abandoning you all those years ago, and I don't expect you to just accept me into your life. As I told Emma, you and Killian do need time to figure out what to do, and I completely respect that. I know you can't speak for him, but I do hope you'll consider giving me a chance to get to know you."
He then removed his hand from Belle's and told her, "I think I'll head back to the restaurant. Let me know what you decide whenever you have the chance - I'm in no rush."
He got up to leave when his daughter's voice stopped him: "Wait." He turned around to see her standing as well.
She took a deep breath before she spoke, "I meant it when I said I want to trust you, and I want to believe you've changed. But, I had the same faith in my ex-boyfriend, and he let me down multiple times. There was a time where I truly thought my heart would never heal."
A flash of hurt and sadness appeared in Brennan's blue eyes for her before she continued, "And while I know that opening your heart to someone can mean there's a chance of being hurt, there's also a chance of building something really wonderful. I do want us to be a family, but I have to know that you won't leave again. As a child, I never understood why you never wanted me, and it took me a while to realize that it wasn't because I was unlovable. I see now that you were hurting, too, and you have been all this time. You could have admittedly handled things better, but you're only human.
"I forgave you a long time ago because carrying around all that pain only hurt me in the end. But knowing you were here - and seeing you - brought those dreadful feelings back up. But, I'm trying to let go because I do see why Emma trusts you. I can't promise this will be easy for me, but I can promise that I'll try."
A smile graced Brennan's features as he told her, "That's more than I dared to hope for, Belle. I don't intend on letting you or Killian down this time, but I know that my words mean very little. If you'll let me, I'll do everything I can to show you that I'm not leaving this time, and I'll do my best to be the father you deserved."
Belle tilted her head as she looked at him, taking in his words. After a few moments, she took a breath and told him, "Okay."
Brennan smiled once more before he nodded. He then told her, "I must get back to the restaurant, but I do hope to see you around."
The brunette couldn't help but smile as she replied, "Perhaps." He nodded at her before heading back to the Nautilus.
Belle took a deep breath before she turned to head to Killian's shop.