Chapter 7:
When Bella arrived at the Sheriff's station later that afternoon, Henry and Mary-Margaret were already present, eating pastries they had brought with them for everyone and commenting on what had happened between David's wife and the gym teacher.
"Bella, have you been at Gold's this entire time?" Emma asked her once she came in the station.
"Yes, we talked a lot. I think that if we manage to find Belle alive and well, as long as she wants him to be a better man, he'll do his best to be a better man." She replied.
"Love can do that to people." Mary-Margaret nodded.
"That's great, that would be like vanquishing the Dark One except without killing him and we'd keep him on our side in case another bad guy comes!" Henry exclaimed.
"That's one way to see things kid." Emma chuckled.
"Where's Graham?" Bella asked.
"Henry told him that Regina's vault was under her mausoleum according to the book so he's going to check it out since we know she's busy at the office and won't be able to catch him." Emma replied.
"Are you sure that she won't step out of her routine and go there? It's always a possibility…" Bella insisted.
"Why would she? She never has so far." Henry shook his head.
"That was before Emma and I arrived, Henry. Our coming here changed things and it might change that as well." Bella added.
"She's right." Mary-Margaret nodded.
"What do we do then?" Henry asked eagerly.
"I'll go and see her, pretend I just want to introduce myself to the mayor of the town I'm now writing into. Henry, you go with Emma and help Graham. If Regina comes, you'll just interfere." Bella suggested.
"What about me?" Mary-Margaret asked.
"You take the book and try to get David to hold it, read it, believe it. If he could have the same reaction you did, it would be great, we could use him working with us." Bella told her best friend's mother who nodded and grabbed the large Storybook before she left the station, closely followed by Bella, Henry and Emma.
.
Bella quickly arrived in the city hall and asked to see the Mayor.
"You're lucky I was available, I usually don't meet people without appointments." Regina declared when Bella entered.
"Thank you, I hate to show up out of the blue but I felt like introducing myself to you was the right thing to do. I mean, it's a very nice small town you have here." Bella replied.
"Why should you introduce yourself? You're just Miss Swan's sister, right?"
"Actually, we're not related, we're best friends, almost cousins once but not sisters, not legally at least. But I'm a writer and since I might inspire my next book from this town's beautiful scenery, I figured it was only right for me to come to you first." Bella smiled, doing her best to look and act like a sweet, innocent young woman willing to give anyone who asked a chance.
"But you came here to help Emma Swan." Regina insisted.
"I came here to make sure that she wasn't alone and not to be alone myself. We've been together for the past 10 years, I couldn't just stay away."
"You're going to help her take my son away." Regina accused.
"Not at all. All I want is for everyone to find a way to be happy together, I'm an optimist like that. I don't know why Henry looked for Emma but he did and now that he came back in her life, she won't be able to let him go again, it was hard enough the first time. I'm confident that the two of you can make it work, if you take the time to get to know each other, to understand each other and to believe that you both want to make Henry happy, that you both want what's best for him. Henry seems to be a special boy and I'm sure he'll be able to reconcile the two of you eventually." Bella smiled.
"How optimistic of you." Regina replied and Bella could guess that the Evil Queen was now trying to figure out who Bella could be, what her role would be in the book.
"You sound like Emma when you say that, she thinks it's foolish as well." Bella chuckled.
"Well, looks like you're right and I do have something in common with her then." Regina smiled un-sincerely.
"To get back to my book, I want you to know that even if I inspire my book from this town and its people, I'll change any name of people and places. Apparently you like your town cut from the world and I respect that, it's the reason of its charm I guess." Bella told Regina, never parting with her sincere and gentle smile.
"That would be much appreciated. You've been seen at Mister Gold's pawnbroker's shop earlier today, why did you see him if you don't mind me asking? Did you know him before coming here?" Regina asked, confirming to Bella that she was having them watched.
"What better place for a writer to seek inspiration from than a shop filled with antiquities waiting to tell their stories?"
"Tell their stories? They're objects Miss Swan, they don't talk." Regina frowned.
"They do if you're willing to listen, with your imagination." Bella replied, amused as she thought of the Beauty and the Beast movie, her favorite, with the moving and talking objects.
"I see… Well, thank you for coming to see me today but I do have a lot of work to do. Being mayor of this town isn't an easy job and I promised Henry I'd be home for dinner." Regina dismissed Bella.
"Of course, thank you again for taking the time to see me. Have a good afternoon Mayor Mills and don't hesitate to call me if you want to ask me any questions." Bella smiled, shaking Regina's hand and giving her a piece of paper with her phone number on it before she left.
On her way out, Bella took the time to look around discreetly and soon spotted the one that was spying on her.
Sidney Glass.
Gold told her about him and she knew that besides Graham, he'd be the only other person in this town willing to do anything for Regina. Emma wasn't being watched right now and all Bella had to do was make sure Sidney stayed busy behind her.
.
Bella quickly texted Emma that Sidney Glass was following her right now and that Regina was still busy in her office. She added that she'd wait for them at Granny's and try to keep Sidney on her.
Emma quickly replied that they had found Graham's heart in one of the hidden boxes under the Mausoleum and that they were on their way, they'd just drop Henry off first.
"What can I get you tonight?" Ruby asked her.
"I'll just have a soda until Emma arrives, thanks." Bella smiled.
"Coming right up." Ruby nodded, returning Bella's smile.
"Thanks." Bella told her a couple of minutes later when Ruby returned with Bella's drink of choice.
"So, I was wondering… Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course Ruby, what is it?" Bella nodded.
Ruby sat down in front of Bella and after thinking for a couple of minutes she asked:
"In your books, all the hot scenes you write… Is it from personal experience?"
"Oh gosh no! No, I don't get around that much… No, I just have a very fruitful imagination when I don't get any for a few months, which happens often since I don't have sex until I date a guy for more than 3 months and that's happened like… 3 times maybe." Bella replied, blushing a bit.
"Oh… And you come up with that on your own? You don't watch porn or things like that?" Ruby asked.
"Not for this no. I just know what I'd like to live and I just… Go ahead and write it." Bella informed her.
"Can you... You know, get off by simply using your imagination?" Ruby asked Bella in a whispered voice.
They were both blushing hard now and Granny, from her spot behind the counter, was about to come and call Ruby back to work.
"Not only my imagination, I need some manual help if you know what I mean." Bella replied with a smirk just before Ruby was called back in to work.
When Emma and Graham arrived a few minutes later, they looked much closer than before.
"So, what happened between the two of you?" Bella asked when she noticed how relaxed Emma looked.
"We found his heart, everything is fine." Emma replied.
"What did you do with it? Did you manage to put it back inside his chest?"
"Yes, she did it." Graham replied proudly.
"At first I didn't think I could do it since there is no magic here but the heart in itself is magic. I closed my eyes and tried, concentrating on the fact that I believed it to be possible. When I opened them again, I had done it. And just so Regina doesn't know immediately that it's missing, we replaced it by an old one." Emma explained, obviously very proud of herself.
"Well, that's good. Now, before we start looking for Belle, we should try to take care of Sidney Glass to make sure that he stops following us around. He's not even trying to hide it, or if he is, then he's not very good at it." Bella told them.
"Yes, I saw him outside. He could do with a lesson in spying techniques. I'm sure even Henry would be better than he is." Emma argued.
"Maybe we need to find reasons to arrest him. If we look deep enough, we're bound to find something useful." Graham suggested.
"How about we have dinner first though? I'm starving." Bella suggested and the couple in front of her agreed.
"I could do with a grilled cheese and some onion rings." Emma nodded.
They ordered and ate joyfully while exchanging ideas on how to deal with their current problems. Graham was confident that they would find a way to legally put Sydney in jail and Bella believed it too but Emma was a bit distracted. She kept on checking her phone, waiting for Mary-Margaret to inform her that her father remembered everything and that she could go and meet him officially.
"Don't worry Emma, even if the book doesn't work on David, he'll believe once you break the curse and I'm confident that you will." Bella reassured Emma.
"I know, I just… My entire life I've wanted to know my parents and now they're here but it's like they're out of reach…" Emma shook her head.
"You have your mother." Graham reminded her.
"She believes but she doesn't really remember everything, it's still not the same." Emma added.
"Don't worry, with a little patience, everything will be back to the way it should be." Bella replied, trying not to think too much about the fact that she still didn't know who her own parents were.
"Oh Bella, I'm so sorry! I complain about my situation when yours is much worst, you don't even know who your parents are, what they look like or where they are! I'm sorry…" Emma exclaimed.
"Don't worry about it, let's deal with one thing at the time." Bella brushed it off.
"I think we could start by arresting Sydney Glass. Bella could press charges because he's following her and she can claim she's afraid for her safety. We should be able to keep him a few days at least." Graham suggested to change the subject.
"Good idea." Bella nodded.
Once they were done eating their dinner, they rushed back to the sheriff's station and Bella filed the necessary paperwork that would allow Graham to arrest Sydney.
"I'll do it tomorrow morning." He informed them.
"I hope Mary-Margaret is home. It worries me that she hasn't texted or called." Emma confessed to Bella on their way home.
"Don't worry, I'm sure it will all be fine. Now, I feel like something's changed between you and Graham, care to explain?" Bella asked her best friend.
"I… After I placed his heart back, he kissed me. I thought it was just in the heat of the moment but he said that he'd love for us to try to have a relationship so… Why not?" Emma explained with a little blush.
"Well, you've changed Emma. Being in this town has made you more open." Bella complimented.
"I hope we'll be able to find your father soon Bella, I know how much you want to know him." Emma told her.
"It's okay, don't worry. Now that I know that my dreams are memories, I have something of his to hold on to. His voice, his presence." Bella smiled.
"I'll do everything I can so that you have more than a memory to hold on to." Emma promised before she entered Mary-Margaret's building and Bella turned the corner to go back to the Bed and Breakfast.
.
"Oh hey Bella, going to bed already?" Ruby asked her as soon as they entered the building.
"I might read or write a bit first." Bella smiled.
"I'm heading to the White Rabbit for a drink if you want to come with me. You might meet someone interesting there." Ruby offered.
"Why not? One drink won't hurt and it might change my mind a bit." Bella accepted and followed Ruby out.
The two young women walked side by side and talked as they made their way to the bar. On the way, Ruby told Bella a bit more about the town and its people, at least their cursed version of it. Bella found it easy to hang out with Ruby and she couldn't wait for the curse to be broken so she could get to know Red more as well.
"Do you come here often?" Bella asked Ruby when they finally entered the bar.
"A few nights a week, yes. It helps me fight the boredom of this small town life." Ruby replied.
"Well, I have a feeling that things will change and get a lot less boring in the next few weeks." Bella replied with a mysterious smile.
"Here's to hoping!" The young woman dressed in red and black said, cheering with her glass.
After about an hour of drinking, talking and laughing, Bella headed to the bathroom only to have a young man run into her and spill his drink on her shirt.
"Oh! Sorry Miss, I didn't see you there." He apologized with a smile on his face Bella guessed had won over several other women before, if not with the smile, then it had to be his accent.
"Don't worry, it can always be cleaned up." She waved it off, trying to move past him but he blocked her, stepping on the same side as she did.
"Are you here alone?" He asked her.
"No, I came with my friend Ruby."
"New to town and already making friends? And here I was hoping I would be lucky enough to be your first friend in town." He replied, making her chuckle.
"Did you expect this line to work?" She asked him, amused.
"Kind of, yes." He nodded, smiling as well.
"I'm not that easy to get." She told him stepping around him and making her way to Ruby.
"Allow me to buy you a drink?" He asked her, following her.
"Sorry, I've had all the drinks I need for tonight, I'm about to leave." She smiled, blushing under Ruby's eyes that followed her and her drink-spiller.
"Dinner then?"
"You want to buy me dinner? I don't even know your name." Bella shook her head.
"Will Scarlet, Miss. It's enchanting to meet you." He bowed and though she didn't remember why or where, Bella felt like that name was familiar.
Was it possible that he had come from his fairy-tale without changing names like everyone else? Surely Regina only changed the names of the people she wanted to hurt the most, if he was a nobody in the Enchanted Forest, then his name would be the same. She'd have to read the book more closely to find out who he was. Somehow, in her head, the name Will Scarlet was attached to the woods and reminded her of Robin Hood.
"I'm Bella." She replied.
"So Bella, will I have the honor of taking you to dinner tomorrow?"
"You're really serious about this?"
"Of course I am!"
"What if I say yes and tomorrow you're too hung over to remember this talk?" She asked him.
"Trust me, I'll remember you." Will assured her.
"Fine. I'll meet you at Granny's around 7:30 for dinner tomorrow. If you're not there by 7:45, I'm eating alone and your window of opportunity will have closed up." Bella finally agreed, making him smile and leave her alone with a smile.
"New boyfriend?" Ruby asked her.
"I'm pretty sure he'll be too drunk to remember tomorrow but we'll see where this goes. I'll never know if I don't try."
"Yes, who knows, he might be your Soul mate." Ruby chuckled.
"We'll see. He is kind of cute and I do have a thing for accents." Bella commented as they paid and walked slowly back to the Bed and Breakfast.
.the sorcerer's thoughts.
This Will Scarlet thinks he's good enough to date my daughter? How did this even happen? I looked away from the mirror for 10 minutes to get some tea, I knew I needed to be extra vigilant when she's in a bar, and when I come back, he's asking her out? I made it my mission to protect her from losers like him and now she's considering going on a date with him. The boy doesn't even have his heart in his chest and when he gets it back, he'll still be in love with Anastasia. I should just send him back to Wonderland or erase his memories of the evening so that he doesn't show up to their date but then again, it would hurt my daughter.
She wants to believe that he'll come, that he'll be there for her, that he won't be another disappointment and I can't hurt her that way, I can just hurt him after he's hurt her.
Fine, I'll let him keep his memories and go to the date, but his first step out of line will also be his last. He better not break her heart or hurt her in any way or he'll end up in more pain that he could have ever imagined.
I won't let him break my baby's heart. She's had enough broken hearts in her life already.
Here we are with another rewritten chapter. One of the last.
I'm having some fun writing the Sorcerer's thoughts. Do you like reading them or would you rather I didn't write them anymore?
Review?
Lorelei Candice Black