Disclaimer: As you can probably tell from the fact I'm writing fanfiction, I don't own Once Upon a Time or any of its characters.
"No. No there is no way-"
"Why would I lie about that?"
"I dunno…because?"
"I have to side with Emma on this one, Belle. I believe in a lot of impossible things…but this?"
"It's not impossible! I swear on my library I'm telling the truth!"
"Let's be real, Belle. You did not start that book today and finish it by noon."
Belle sighed, tucking the rather thick volume back into her bag, "I don't see what's so unbelievable about that."
"The part when you claim you didn't skim," Emma muttered.
"But I didn't!"
"It should be up this hill," Mary Margaret interjected and Emma shelved the Belle-reading-at-the-speed-of-light debate until later.
Before they could make it there, they were cut off by a sword. Mary Margaret stumbled back, reaching for her own but thankfully the offending sword was lowered before any further action was taken.
"Thank the gods you're alright!" Mulan exclaimed.
Philip moved out from the shadows as well, glancing back protectively towards a visibly shaken Aurora. The three newcomers eyed the trio warily.
"Yes, we're fine," Belle said slowly, "…did something happen?"
"We were attacked," Mulan said gravely. Aurora's face twisted up as she tried to keep from crying, and Philip wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
They led them into the camp, and Emma realized it was impossibly quiet. There wasn't even a bird they could hear. And it was completely still, the kind that screamed "abandoned". And, when they passed the guard towers, she saw why. She had seen a lot of horrific things in her life; going from foster kid to thief to bail bonds person to sheriff/savior she was bound to. But this…this took the cake.
The entire common area was covered with bodies.
"We were sent out on a scouting mission," Philip said gravely as Aurora buried her face in his shoulder, "When we returned…"
"We were protected here…hidden," Mulan insisted, "How could the ogres find us?"
"Ogres didn't do this."
They turned towards Belle. She held onto a beam of a platform as if to keep herself steady, pale and looking like she was about to throw up. She was staring at the corpse of a young boy, his mother reaching towards him even in death. Her eyes filled with tears as her voice broke.
"It was Cora… She…ripped their hearts out. She killed all of these innocent people…"
"Cora escaped?"
"We ran into her at the castle," Mary Margaret explained to Mulan, "She's killed Lancelot. We were coming back to warn you…"
"We're all too late," Philip murmured.
Emma glanced over, seeing something shift under the debris, "Wait… Something's under there!" She stumbled over the ruins towards it, and the trio followed.
Mary Margaret glanced back to see Belle still staring at the boy and his mother, silent tears slipping down her face. She went over to her and rested a hand on her shoulder.
"…we can't let her get to Storybrooke," Belle said, "No matter what it takes, we have to stop her."
"We will," Mary Margaret promised softly, squeezing her shoulder, "We'll beat her… Good always wins."
Belle gave a small smirk, "What about almost-good?"
Mary Margaret nudged her, "You are good, Belle… It's just sometimes hard to see that through the Caretaker mask."
Like how it was sometimes hard to see the man behind the beast, Belle presumed.
They glanced over as Emma and Phillip started unearthing a man from beneath the mix of boards and bodies.
"A survivor?" Belle murmured in surprise.
"She's gotten sloppy," Snow mused.
Belle glanced over the stranger as she and Snow rejoined the group. He was dressed in peasant clothing, despite the pricey rings on his fingers and earring. Dark hair, somewhat scruffy facial hair…
"It's okay," Aurora cooed, "You're safe now."
"Thank you," he gasped, glancing from one face to another, "…thank you."
He turned to Belle and she stopped dead in her tracks, their blue eyes locking. Recognition dawned on both of their faces, frozen for a moment before his mouth slowly opened.
"…you."
The remaining five all turned to stare at Belle, who looked like a deer about to bolt.
"You're supposed to be dead," Killian Jones insisted.
Belle bit her lip, "…yeeeah, about that..."
IIII
Belle examined her reflection in the river as she fixed her gauntlets. Her flame-repellent armor was more flexible than she had been led to believe…then again, she doubted Rumplestiltskin would give her anything resembling an ordinary soldier's. Just noticing how shiny it was, and the deep cobalt it was painted in, suggested that either he had it designed for her or he just so happened to find a spectacular fit at the markets.
"You slay dragons often, dearie?"
She glanced up the hill to see Rumplestiltskin strutting towards her, and her heart caught in her throat. His own armor was bulkier, a gold color in contrast to her darker shine. Belle bit her lip, gazing at him through lowered eyelids.
"I'm not usually one for knights in shining armor… But for you I'll make an exception."
He smirked, "Don't get used to it," he eyed her back, "You don't look so bad yourself."
"I'm just glad I get armor for this job," she said, shooting him a meaningful glare. Rumplestiltskin ignored it.
"Of course; dragons are a step up from unicorns, especially the kind we're fighting." He straightened her shoulder plates, "I usually send heroes after the dumb ones, but this one's a smart beastie."
He stepped behind her, steeled fingers twisting her hair, "He's been here a couple of months, far as they can gather. Keeps taking off with maidens, but they didn't know it was him until he got careless last week."
"What is it with monsters and maidens?" Belle wondered as Rumplestiltskin tucked her hair into a ponytail.
"They're tasty," he insisted, holding her hair in place while she donned her helmet, "They've tried sending in their own men, but they get anywhere near the cave and they're slaughtered. So not only a dragon, but a dragon with a hoard."
It was stifling, and the slits were just enough to be able to see through, "Magic can only do so much to help ventilate this armor." Rumplestiltskin warned, his voice muffled as he put on his own helmet, "But I'm sure you'd rather sweat a bit than be burnt to a crisp."
"I'll let you know afterwards," she said, stooping down to pick up her shield. The thing was almost as big as she was and about as light as a sack of flour.
Belle followed after Rumplestiltskin, struggling to keep up with the extra weight bringing her down. How was she supposed to fight in all of this? The dragon could bat her around and she'd scarcely be able to brace herself…
Rumplestiltskin held an arm out and she stopped, the pair of them crouching to the ground. A large shadow fell over them, gliding on towards the rocky alcove Rumplestiltskin had been staking out.
"Give him a head start," he murmured, "You go in through the front, I the back, and between the two of us we'll corner him. You remember where I told you?"
"Gills, legpits, soles, fire glands, directly under the throat or tail, and square in the chestplate's softspot."
"That's my girl." He clasped her shoulder, pressing his helmet against hers, "Be safe."
"You too," she said, taking the hand on her shoulder and squeezing it.
He released her, rising to his feet and skirting around the foothills. Belle followed after where the dragon had disappeared to. A large opening cut deep into the rock, wide enough for an entire caravan to move through in a row. It was showy, as dragons tended to be, advertising its location. But the fact that the surrounding area wasn't covered in human skeletons was reassuring. She unsheathed her sword, held her shield out in front of her, and descended into the cave.
She had of course studied up on the breed of dragon they were currently pursuing, their hunting and nesting styles. There would be an obvious entrance, a concealed exit for fast escape, and a dozen or so dead ends to trap adventurers and heroes alike. Belle paused to let her eyes adjust, and then scanned for the tell-tale signs of the way into the heart of the nest.
Belle was shocked to see how obvious the route was; not because of carelessness, but carefulness. It was covered in booby traps, ranging from strings that triggered spears to thrust out, or well-concealed pits. This dragon was guarding something tenaciously, or was just a paranoid ball of scales. Belle was betting on the former.
She carefully found her way down the corridor, avoiding the traps by sheer luck most of the time. The further in she traveled the darker it became, and Belle worried soon it would be too dark to see.
But there was light coming from up ahead and she took a deep breath. This was probably it…the treasure room, central to any dragon nest. Whatever this beast was hiding it would be in here.
Torches lined the cavern, and Belle immediately noticed how…empty it was. Just a large room with a few miscellaneous things. An old carriage, a flat cart, a dummy that looked like it had once been used for arrow practice, a carefully arranged pile of books in a secluded corner… And skeletons. Lots and lots of skeletons.
She went over to the books and crouched down, examining them. A few of them were beat up pretty badly; pages torn out, deep gashes in the cover, but there seemed to be at least an attempt to keep them intact. Belle felt along one of the damaged covers, a groove nearly its entire size dug into it. She squinted, trying to make out the scraps of the title…
Without warning, a force like a brick wall slammed into her, sending her flying across the cavern. Her shield skidded across the floor, helmet knocked clean off. She blinked the stars out of her eyes, fighting to see what had happened.
Her stomach bottomed out as she saw a figure large as a house moving towards her, long sword-like teeth parting to reveal the glow of a growing belch of fire.
II
Killian Jones liked to think he was a practical man, a man of common sense and logic. That being said, six against one were not very good odds, especially with him unarmed and the game up scarcely before it had begun.
Of course, there were some things so far out of left field that all one could say was…
"How in the seven hells…?"
"I could ask you the same thing," Belle insisted.
"Who is this?" Aurora wondered, vocalizing everyone else's thoughts.
Belle took a deep breath, blowing it out in a huff, "An acquaintance…" She glanced at Emma, "You probably know him as Hook?"
"Captain Hook," he corrected.
"Captain Hook? Like…chasing Peter Pan and running from an alligator Hook?"
"I don't run," Hook disdainfully informed Emma.
"That makes it easier for us," Phillip said. Mary Margaret's blade was at Hook's throat in an instant.
He got to his feet slowing, holding both his hand and stump up. His eyes remained on Belle, while her shock turned into bitterness.
"Careful, Snow," she warned, "He's got a thing for married women."
Hook sneered at her, "Your tongue certainly hasn't dulled over the years. Still with that demon?"
Belle held up her left hand in response, "Six years next March… Thirty-four if you count cursed years."
Hook shook his head slightly, still mindful of the blade, "I took you for being much smarter."
Belle simply shrugged.
Hook was guided to the common area's table, and Phillip found some rope to bind his arms. Mulan stood beside him while Aurora, Mary Margaret, and Emma stood across, the two latter folding their arms out of habit.
"So we've got a village full of bodies and yet you're the only survivor…how does that work?"
He frowned, "We were caught off guard… She slaughtered everyone in one fell swoop, ripping hearts out left and right," he swallowed roughly, "I hid under the corpses of those already dea-"
"Liar."
Everyone turned to Belle, who was rifling through a satchel.
"There's a couple of charmed cuffs in here," she explained, "So either you've learned a few tricks…or your allegiance lies with Cora."
Hook's meager façade dropped and he glared at Belle, "Weren't you ever taught not to go through people's things?"
"Weren't you ever taught not to take things that don't belong to you?" She swung her leg over the bench, sitting in front of Hook, "Question is, why did she leave you alive?"
"Why are you alive?"
Belle drummed her fingers against the table. Hook raised an eyebrow at her. The silence stretched out until Belle finally compromised.
"Answer for answer?"
"Only if you go first," he insisted, staring at her, "…even if you survived the mermaids, you would have surely drowned."
She bit her lip, reluctant to bring this fact to light. But really, it wasn't the biggest secret of her life, "Alright, well I…might be immortal."
Suddenly she had caught everyone's attention, as they all gaped at her.
"You're immortal?" Mary Margaret echoed.
"Reasonably," Belle corrected, "There's no such thing as true immortality."
"Do you die of old age or sickness?" Aurora asked. Belle shook her head.
Emma stared in confusion, "…what about if your head gets cut off? Like…what happens?"
"Emma," Mary Margaret scolded.
Belle sighed, "Far as I know everything about Rum's curse applies to me as well, except for the scales. Which means there's only one known way to kill me."
"The dagger." Hook murmured.
Belle winced, "Not sure how you know about that but yes. Moving on, why aren't you in Neverland?"
If it was possible, Hook became even graver at her question.
"Pan returned."
Belle leaned back, looking as though she had suddenly tasted something bitter. Hook smirked, "So he's warned you about that demon, eh?"
"He's mentioned him, yes."
"So then you understand why I had to leave."
"Absolutely." If he made Rumple nervous, she couldn't imagine how dangerous this immortal little boy could be. She'd skip asking him how exactly he had left the world and move on to something more pertinent, "Why are you allies with Cora?"
"Who says we're allies?"
"She wouldn't leave just anyone alive."
Hook shrugged, "Perhaps we have mutual interests and I just so happen to be useful enough for her to agree to buddy up with me."
"Why would you want to go to Storybrooke?" Emma wondered.
Hook glanced up, considering her a moment. He didn't have to answer, since it was his turn for a question and the fetching young lass wasn't even in the agreement… But he'd humor her.
"Have you taken a look around? It's not exactly paradise… Only other settlement is far south, and they have a rather catty royal family," he tilted his head, "I figured I'd take my chances somewhere else… And now, seeing my revenge isn't as complete as I thought…"
"Touch one hair on Rumplestiltskin's head and I'll show you who the real crocodile is."
Hook grinned at Belle, his eyes roving over her body, "I do so love a challenge…" He remarked wistfully.
Belle twisted around in her seat, "Can we just feed him to the ogres and be done with it?"
"You don't want to do that," Hook cautioned, "Not if you ever want to be reunited with your families."
Belle's metaphorical hackles rose. She knew he was trying to save his own skin, that it would be easier to leave him to die… She knew better than to humor him… With a huff she turned back to him, taking the bait anyway.
"Alright, why should we leave you alive, particularly after you admitted revenge against my husband is back on your agenda?"
Hook straightened importantly, "You have a way back to Storybrooke with the sparkly dirt…but what's going to keep you from ending up in some other land?"
Mary Margaret and Emma turned to Belle, but she was just as stumped. Hook smirked.
"Cora shared with me the knowledge of a compass to prevent such a thing from happening. I could help you track down the compass in exchange for passage."
"And how do we know you won't just turn us over to Cora?" Mulan spoke up.
"Because my loyalty lies with whoever will get me out of the Enchanted Forest, and my chances of survival are much better in this company."
Belle arched an eyebrow, "You're willing to face Cora's wrath?"
Hook met her eyes coyly, "Maybe I'll trust you'll protect me, little sparrow. Besides you, unlike your mate, practice good form. You won't kill me or leave me to die."
Belle fought down the urge to punch him in his smug pirate-y face. If she wanted to go home, though, she'd need him to cooperate.
"Yes, well, you might be worth breaking my code over," she warned.
No sooner had the words left her mouth that she realized how wrong they could be taken. And if the captain's lecherous expression was anything to go by, he had taken it the wrong way.
III
It had been pouring buckets all evening and really, what did Mr. Gold have to go home to? So even though it was well after hours, he remained at his shop reorganizing displays. The cat perched in the front window like a mannequin, watching the rain fall intently.
"Figaro, I really doubt anyone's going to decide they want to go shopping this late at night," he chided the feline. Its tail merely flicked, dismissive of his professional opinion. Mr. Gold rolled his eyes and went back to polishing a metallic tea set he had brought out of storage.
He hoped it wasn't raining where Belle was, or if it was that she had some sturdy shelter to hide under. A book to read, food in her belly, safe from any possible harm that could befall her… He had exhausted his wishing that she was here, so he might as well wish for more practical things for her.
A low growl interrupted his thoughts and he glanced up, wondering if the storm was upsetting the cat. A new crack of lightening illuminated a figure passing in front of the shop and for a brief moment Mr. Gold's eyes met those of a young man. They were blank and yet held within them a muted rage. The light faded and Mr. Gold grabbed for his cane, moving towards the door before sense could settle in. He threw it open but there was no sign of the man outside. Mr. Gold felt a tremor in his hand and retreated back inside, tempted to lock the door. Maybe he was going crazy…
And yet five minutes later his cell phone was ringing and it was Regina's number on the screen. He answered it and didn't even get the chance to speak before Regina started rambling.
"I'm at the hospital, Whale's arm has been torn off, and I know it's crazy but…" She took a shaky breath, "Daniel's alive."
"I was hoping you wouldn't say something like that," Mr. Gold confessed.
Regardless, he drove to the hospital, and by the time he arrived he still didn't have an explanation. He followed his instincts down to the basement, a flickering light at the end of the hall guiding him to the scene. It seemed as though everything was either upheaved or broken, blood coating the table and an unconscious, one-armed Dr. Whale on the floor. Regina knelt beside him, looking a little too excited for the morbid scenario. She glanced up and he didn't see the created monster looking at him; he saw the young naïve girl that was head over heels for her stable boy.
"You were wrong," she insisted with an almost manic giggle, "The dead can be brought back to life."
IIII
Belle should have been nothing more than charcoal…or at least her head should have been nothing more than charcoal. She should've seen a bright orange light behind her eyelids before death took her… But all she heard was chirping. She opened her eyes to find a much smaller dragon cocking its head curiously, chirping and cooing like a little bird. It craned its neck to sniff at her and Belle reached out a hand… Only to have a thunderous roar remind her that there was an adult to match the hatchling.
The older dragon grabbed at its child but the little one danced away, cheeping irritably. The adult snarled and then reached for Belle…only to be blocked by the hatchling, who squealed indignantly. Its parent huffed, and Belle could have sworn it gave the draconic equivalent to a whine.
The little one wagged its tail, and when Belle got to her feet the creature could easily look her in the eye. It tilted its head to the side and Belle extended her hand again. The hatchling sniffed at her armored fingertips…then nuzzled the hand aggressively. Belle giggled, scratching its scales, and it cooed happily at her, drawing closer.
The moment was interrupted as the larger dragon whirled around, facing an armed pseudo-knight.
"Rumple, stop!" Belle commanded.
"Are you mad, dearie?!" He exclaimed, his sword raised, "These are dragons, not puppies!"
"He's protecting his child!"
"And I'm protecting my wife!"
Belle unsheathed her sword and the hatchling sprinted towards its parent. The adult bore its fangs, the ridge on its back standing up. Belle stormed towards Rumplestiltskin and pointed her sword at him.
She didn't need to see his face to imagine the aghast expression that must be on it.
"…are you asking for a divorce?" He asked uncertainly.
"I'm asking you to take ten seconds and think."
With some trepidation, he lowered his sword. Belle showed him the same courtesy.
"Belle, we really can't afford to have a discussion right now," he insisted, "We have a mother-"
"Father," Belle corrected, gesturing towards its head, "The horns are too large for a female."
Rumplestiltskin sighed, "Fine, a father and his child, and we're in their den with swords planning to kill them."
"So it makes perfect sense why he'd want to kill us."
"Ten minutes ago you were on my side."
"Ten minutes ago I thought it was a rogue dragon protecting its hoard and killing humans for the fun of it," she glanced over at the hatchling hiding behind his father's foreleg, "This changes things."
"Aye," Rumplestiltskin agreed, raising his sword again, "Now we need to kill two dragons."
Belle's sword clashed with his, keeping him still.
"Rumple!"
"What?!"
"Think," she pleaded, "You said yourself he's intelligent, and he's obviously killing to feed his child. What if…what if we could just move them somewhere else?"
Rumplestiltskin stared at her, "Move them somewhere else?"
"Somewhere where they wouldn't have to feed on humans to survive."
"Well we do have a surplus of wild animals around our castle," he muttered dryly, "We could just…put the little one in a wagon and go home, and Daddy can follow us in the air."
"Yes, that's it!" Belle exclaimed, "I don't know about the wagon bit but the rest of it was genius!"
"And sarcastic."
"Yeah, well, serves you right," Belle insisted, immediately trying to figure out how to get the dragons to move somewhere else.
It was clear that though they understood tones and gestures, the dragons could no more understand their words than they could understand the dragon's roaring. The father seemed to recognize they were peaceful and attempting to help, though he kept a wary eye on both of them at all times. The hatchling's wings were too small and weak for flight to be an option, as was probably why they were stranded so close to the cities. With promises to return with a solution, Rumplestiltskin and Belle retired to the Dark Castle for the night.
"Baden could fit in the carriage," Belle mused over her book, "We could cover it so no one bothers him."
"Who's Baden?" Rumplestiltskin grumbled, rolling onto the bed.
"The hatchling," Belle said as if he should know this.
"You named it?" He groaned.
"Mmm hmm. If they're going to be living near us, we should name them," she surmised, turning the page as he fumbled to get under the covers.
"Dare I ask what you named the father?"
"Rumford."
Rumplestiltskin went quiet, turning to stare at her. Belle's cheeks pinkened as she refused to look up from her book.
"…they just reminded me of you and Bae," she murmured, "Father, raising his son alone, doing whatever he can to keep him safe and fed…"
She finally gathered the courage to glance over at him. His face was still, an attempt to be emotionless. She couldn't tell if she had struck a wrong chord by choosing those names.
Eventually Rumplestiltskin sighed, resting his head against his pillow and closing his eyes.
"Rumford and Baden… Remind me not to let you name our children."
Belle smiled, returning to her nighttime reading, "Yes dear."
III
Mr. Gold was unable to forgive Dr. Whale for keeping him from what time he could manage with Belle. His night hadn't ended with helping Regina get Dr. Whale out of the basement; no, apparently it was his job to help Regina explain what had happened (somehow without mentioning the reanimated corpse running around town). The nurses and couple of other doctors flitted around, directionless without their captain. And, for some reason, he was thrust into the position of being the one who was informed of every little thing.
It wasn't brain surgery; he had lost his arm, and a lot of blood with it. It should be as simple as a transfusion and reattachment…then again that sort of straight-forward thinking might be the reason he wasn't a doctor.
Whale began to stir in his hospital bed and Mr. Gold glanced over.
"Welcome back," he murmured.
Dr. Whale blinked and tried to sit up, wincing at the pain, "Rumplestiltskin…"
"Victor," he greeted curtly.
The doctor glanced around the room. Apparently the pain killers were both too much and too little, dazing him but he was still flinching.
"You brought the stable boy back from the dead," he remarked. Dr. Whale nodded. "Why?"
"Because…" He took a deep breath, "Because I thought if I brought him back for her…she might return me to my world."
"Why would you want that?" Mr. Gold murmured, "I would imagine you'd be salivating at all the toys this land has to offer."
"Yes but my brother is still back in our world," he clenched his jaw, "I need to go back…try it again…."
"Again?"
"The first time ended badly," Dr. Whale admitted, "I simply have to try again…use some other way…"
"So he'll end up like the stable boy," Mr. Gold said. Dr. Whale stared at his monitor refusing to answer.
Mr. Gold leaned back in his seat, readjusting his position, "Sometimes the dead need to stay dead," he advised.
"I'm not giving up on my brother."
"No, you're just going to keep torturing him." Dr. Whale shot him a glare but Mr. Gold let it roll off of him, "There are laws that no magic can break…that no technology should supersede… Dead is dead. Stop trying to steal fire from the gods lest they punish you for it."
Dr. Whale went silent; Mr. Gold wasn't sure if he was caving in or merely refusing to argue anymore. He listened to the steady beeps of the machine; proof that Victor Von Frankenstein was alive. Alive, dead… They seemed so resolute. And yet there was a gray area between the two, a no man's land.
"Can you do it?"
Mr. Gold glanced at Dr. Whale, steady blue eyes meeting his brown, "Do what?"
"Put it back."
He looked at the stub that was Dr. Whale's left shoulder, "You want me to reattach your arm?"
"It's not like I'm talking about anything else," he muttered.
Mr. Gold couldn't help but smirk in amusement, "We're in a hospital, why would you ask me for help?"
Dr. Whale grimaced, "Because even if they could reattach it after all this time they'd probably have to shorten it, or graft it. And I'm sure your way is much simpler."
"My way? And what way is that?"
"You know what I'm talking about," he stared up at the ceiling, "…name your price."
Mr. Gold grinned. Perhaps he should wait for something better to come to mind…but the idea was far too tempting.
"I want you to say it. Admit why you're asking me for help."
He thought for a moment that Dr. Whale wasn't going to give in, that he would actually be so stubborn as to turn down his offer. He was silent for far too long…
"…I need magic," he finally admitted.
Mr. Gold inwardly gloated at the small victory, "That's all I needed to hear."
David came in to the room to see Dr. Whale staring at his hand. The hand that was on the arm that had been ripped off in the attack that was now connected to him again seamlessly. He glanced at Mr. Gold, who looked particularly smug, and wondered what deal Frankenstein had made in order to elicit his help.
Mr. Gold glanced up at David, "Did you find him?" He asked.
David nodded, "Yeah…he was at the stables…" He shook his head, "He's…not all there. Regina insisted I let her talk to him."
Mr. Gold paused for a moment, before he reached for his cane and got to his feet. His services were no longer necessary here…and he supposed he was required elsewhere.
IIII
Baden ran to greet them as soon as they approached the cave entrance, chirping excitedly and nuzzling Belle. Belle giggled and stroked his neck.
"I missed you too, buddy. Here, I brought you some treats." Belle fumbled through the pockets of her cloak until she found the chicken she had put there. Baden squealed happily, and Belle laughed as she managed to avoid his teeth as he eagerly snapped up the food.
Rumplestiltskin glanced up as Rumford joined them, glancing around warily. He looked at Rumplestiltskin, snorted, and then turned his attention towards Belle. She was leading Baden over to the enchanted carriage, luring him into it with the remainder of the chicken. Magical though the vehicle was, it would be a bit crowded if Belle and he were supposed to ride in it with the hatchling.
She stepped back out, smoothing down her travelling cloak, "Well he's tucked in," she announced, going to Rumplestiltskin and taking his hand. She glanced up at Rumford, "Are you ready?"
Rumford glanced back into his cave, staring at his home. He made a noise that sounded like it came from deep in the back of his throat.
"It's alright," Belle cooed, "It's just a place… Your real home is wherever Baden is. And you'll both be safer…isn't that more important?"
Rumford didn't respond. Eventually he turned around, ran a few strides, and then launched himself in the air, sailing effortlessly. Belle squeezed Rumplestiltskin's hand before leading him back to the carriage, drawing the curtains closed.
Baden seemed awfully calm for being tucked into such a space. In fact, he looked like he was falling asleep. Rumplestiltskin scooted in beside Belle, who had set Baden's head in her lap.
"…is he okay?" Rumplestiltskin wondered.
Belle smiled, "Yes, he's fine… I just put a little sleeping draught in the chicken to make the ride easier for him."
Rumplestiltskin grinned disbelievingly, kissing Belle's cheek, "You're so devious," he praised.
With a simple command the carriage started and he snuggled up to Belle. She rested her head on his shoulder, stroking Baden's scales.
"It's funny how everything changes," Belle murmured, "Doesn't seem like that long ago I was sitting across from you, dragged along to supposedly watch you kill a man."
"Would have killed him too, except for the pregnant loved one and the nag that wouldn't shut up," he insisted.
"Whatever you say, dear," Belle murmured, nuzzling his neck, "All I know is that for a supposed monster you were awfully sweet, sharing a blanket and helping me out of the carriage."
"So what if I was polite to you… It's called chivalry."
"It's called "I pretend to be a big scary monster when really I'm just a ball of fluff"."
"We have a long carriage ride ahead of us; I suggest you not start it out this way."
Belle snickered, burying her face in his shoulder. He couldn't help but smile. Yes, he had been wrapped around his little maid's fingers since the minute she chipped the cup…but that didn't mean he'd let her know that.
It was a peaceful ride, Belle dozing off and causing his arm to go numb. He glanced out occasionally at the scenery, spotting Rumford every once in a great while following the carriage from above. Maybe Belle was right…maybe there was something that resonated about the father and his child that could be comparable to his own scenario. But until the dragon dropped his hatchling into a green vortex of doom, he would still maintain that there was no comparison.
Baden started to stir once they got up into the mountains, shifting around to the point of waking up Belle. He chirped and kept trying to jump out of the carriage, growing more and more agitated the longer his protests went unheeded. When he started calling for his father, though, Rumplestiltskin knew they weren't going any farther.
The carriage halted and Baden hopped out, Rumplestiltskin right behind with a sleepy Belle on his recovering arm. Rumford cycled down from the clouds and Baden reared onto his back legs. Rumford landed and ducked his head down to sniff at Baden. Baden gripped onto his muzzle with his front claws. Rumford huffed some steam onto him and Baden cooed, hanging on to his papa.
Rumplestiltskin and Belle watched the pair for awhile, both lost in their own thoughts. Eventually Rumplestiltskin laced his fingers with Belle's and tugged her back towards the carriage for the rest of the ride home. Belle waved at the two dragons.
"Bye Rumford, bye Baden, I'll see you again soon, enjoy your new territory!" She called.
Rumford glanced over at Belle…and Rumplestiltskin swore he bowed his head in gratitude.
II
Belle wasn't particularly surprised when Mulan pulled her aside before they set out. The three of them had been conversing amongst themselves since the snarky interrogation, Aurora and Philip appearing to argue quite heatedly about something.
Mulan took a deep breath, hands resting instinctually on the hilt of her sheathed sword, "We're not going with you to retrieve the compass," she said bluntly.
"Sorry to hear that," Belle murmured, "But you aren't going to stay put, are you?"
"Aurora's concerned about this southern tribe, especially if they don't know anything about Cora," she tilted her head, "Do you think Hook was being truthful? That there is another settlement? We haven't heard of them before."
"I don't see why he'd lie about that."
"Split us up?"
"No. If he really thinks he's better off with our group he'd want as many people as possible to hide behind," she shrugged, "He's a captain; he's used to a crew."
Mulan frowned, "And if he's Cora's spy?"
Belle smirked, "Then I'll put that hook to creative uses."
The other woman smiled, before embracing her, "Be safe, Belle."
"You too, Mulan."
Terse and reserved as always, Mulan returned to her friends without prolonging their goodbye. It seemed as though the royal pair were making their own farewells to Mary Margaret and Emma. Phillip caught sight of Belle as she approached and went to hug her immediately.
"I'm sorry that we aren't staying to help you," he murmured in her ear.
Belle shook her head, "There's no reason to be sorry; you have your loved ones and I have mine. You have to protect them," she pulled away, beaming, "Besides, we have it handled. We'll grab the compass, restore the wardrobe ash, and be back on our way without so much as a struggle. You'd be bored if you tagged along with us."
She was lying through her teeth, but it seemed to assure Phillip anyway. He gave a slight bow.
"Safe journey then, friend."
"You three as well."
Aurora glanced over at Belle and gave her a genuine smile. It said more to Belle than a thousand words could have.
They headed out not much longer afterwards, Hook leading the way with bound wrists. Belle held on to his leash, and Emma got the impression that she tugged a little more often than was strictly necessary to keep him in line.
"Do you get the feeling we're being led straight into a trap?" Mary Margaret whispered into her ear.
Emma's eyes didn't stray from watching the pair in front of them, her voice equally low, "Absolutely. Long as we know it's a trap everything's good."
A surge of pride went through Mary Margaret at her daughter's cleverness. Might have been some tough trials she had to endure, growing up in the land without magic alone and unknowing, but she had come out stronger because of them. Just like how all of Regina's manhunts had made Snow stronger.
"It's just over this ridge," Hook called back to Belle, glancing over his shoulder.
Belle didn't look like she was in the mood for any games, "Oh, and where is it hidden? A gingerbread house? A Cave of Wonders?"
"Good guesses love, but you're going to have to think a bit taller."
The group crossed over the ridge and Belle sighed. Mary Margaret grimaced. Emma squinted.
"Is that a beanstalk?" She asked.
"Aye," Hook agreed.
"Let me guess; the compass is at the top," Mary Margaret muttered.
"Guarded by a giant, yes," Hook turned and grinned at the women, "You can see Cora's hesitance to go and retrieve it without aid."
Belle shook her head, "Not really; it's just a giant," she insisted. Hook turned, staring at her as if she had lost her head.
"There's a fine line between brave and arrogant," he drawled, "And you have certainly crossed that line."
III
Regina wasn't sure how long she had been at the stables, on her knees sobbing her heart out. All that she was aware of was that she had to watch her true love die, again, this time by her own hand. Her sobs eased and she sat there, hugging herself, wishing that the pain would just end.
She heard the tapping and tensed up, gritting her teeth together. This wasn't exactly what she had in mind for ending pain…
"Come here to gloat?" She snarled, "Chide me for believing that the dead can be brought back? Call me a child that believes in nursery tales?!"
"No," Mr. Gold murmured, standing at her side, "Just came to check on you."
"Check on me?!" She spat out, "Why would you give a damn about me now?! I did what you wanted me to do; I cast your curse for gods know why! I played my part and now you can toss me in the trash like the rest of your used up pawns…" Regina's body trembled but the sobs didn't start anew. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
She opened her eyes to see him staring down at her with that poker face that meant he was hiding his true feelings. Regina drew herself up like a cobra and struck out, hitting his leg once, twice.
"It's your fault! It's your fault! You made me this way; you made me into this monster! I was a sweet girl before you came along!"
"None of that, dearie," he hissed, "You forgot who summoned me time and again. You forgot that these are your choices and though I guided you I never once made you do anything. You are who you are because you made yourself this way, not me. You're due for a good long look in the mirror, and I dare you to confront the demons you find."
Regina glared at him, but he didn't move. Infuriating imp... Her shoulders sagged under the weight of her burdens.
"Why can't you just leave me alone?" She murmured defeatedly, "…you win. Your true love's alive and mine isn't."
"Wasn't a contest," he muttered, "But maybe this is karma for lying and telling someone that their true love is dead."
IIIII
Holy crap… I did not foresee how intense this program was going to be. I am so sorry for how late this chapter is; hopefully I can at least pump out chapter six before school starts again (and hopefully this quarter won't be as time consuming). Happy holidays!
Sneak peek: One of my favorite brotps never done; Giant Beauty. Gold finds out Belle's current company. And instead of a flashback to the Enchanted Forest, we get to see how Mr. Gold and Rose met/fell into mutual affection.
