Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World. I'm borrowing the characters and situations to show my love and to spread it to those who love to read. Also, the prompt is based on the intro to the show and I did borrow most of the dialogue from the pilot movie for the first two prompts.

A/N: This is based on the TV show Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World, which aired in the early 2000s and I used to watch every weekday morning before school back in the day. Unfortunately, TNT no longer plays the reruns, but this was my introduction into a fandom and my first OTP. I just knew I had to Rumbelle it and I hope you will like it as much as I did. Just to clarify—Belle is going to seem OOC but it fits with the character she is based on, and of course, there is a reason for it. In fact, it's more of a role reversal for Rumple and Belle when you think about it.

The Lost World

Prompt: At the dawn of the twentieth century, a band of adventurers set out to prove the existence of a prehistoric world. Stranded in a savage land, befriended by an untamed beauty; together they fight to survive in this amazing world of lost civilizations and terrifying creatures—always searching for a way home. (Rated T)

It was hard to believe that a couple of months ago they all were gathered in the lecture hall of the London Royal Zoological Society, listening to what was assumed to be the mad ravings of Professor Reginald Mills. Of course, he had the last laugh when it turned out to be true since the expedition had found the Plateau and already experienced the dangers that lay ahead.

First, majority of their hands and guide were murdered by vicious head-hunters and now… the hot air balloon was in need of repair after the terrible turbulence from the storm they encountered upon their descent.

Thankfully, no one was seriously injured.

"Figures you'd land on top of me," mumbled Belle French, the wealthy and moody heiress that funded the entirety of this venture. While her intentions were unknown, there was no doubt that her skills as a linguist proved to be useful. However, there was one person who was consistently questioning her motives, and he was currently fighting back a smirk as he took advantage of the moment, pressing his body into her warm and soft curves.

Lord John Rumpton, world renowned hunter and sole heir to the Rumpton estate in Avebury, grinned wolfishly as he pushed up on his arms so he could gaze upon her furious features.

"I must say," he said. "You broke my fall quite nicely."

There was a beat and then Ms. French shoved him off her making him fall on his side with an "oomph!" Getting to her feet, she brushed the debris off her clothes and bent down to grab her hat. Dusting the brim off, she plopped it on top of her curls and joined the others to see what could be salvaged. She didn't bother to glance behind her to see if Lord Rumpton injured himself. He was a big boy and if he had a boo boo… Well, she wasn't Florence Nightingale.

Stumbling from a bush was Professor Mills. "Nolan!" he cried.

"I'm all right. I'm all right!"

Belle looked up to find the young American tangled with the rope from the balloon in a tree. The journalist managed to free himself and was using the rope to climb down. He jumped the last couple feet where Doctor Hopper stood, patting himself in stunned disbelief.

"I'm alive!" he whispered.

"Is everyone okay?" Mills demanded.

The unanimous voices of "yes" echoed as they all surveyed the land. They were very fortunate the balloon on a tree's canopy and the distance to the ground wasn't life threatening. Apart from the scratches and bruises, there were no broken bones. Once Mills was satisfied the party was in good health, he ordered them to grab what they could carry so they could find some shelter.

Belle noticed Nolan veering off on his own and rolled her eyes. Typical American boy scout, she thought. Ever since they first assembled in Mills' study, she wasn't impressed that he had come. David Nolan had little knowledge about the jungle, and not even his experience during the war could prepare him. Belle pegged this was more to impress a girl and she had been right.

xXx

"Her name is Abigail. She's my editor's daughter and my fiancée," Nolan said, showing her a photo of a handsome woman with blonde hair.

"Oh?" Belle said with her brow raised. "Cutting the wedding short with this expedition, I take it. Cold feet?"

"No. No. Abigail insisted I do this. Once we're married, her father won't give me the chance to do a story like this. At least I can say I went on a wild adventure to tell my children and grandchildren."

xXx

There was no turning down his excitement. Even the spill they took didn't slow him down with a pen in hand and a notebook in the other. No doubt detailing the frightening accounts already.

As for Mills and Hopper, the two scientists were busy bickering as they fought over the compass and which direction to take. Dr. Archie Hopper was a brilliant botanist and Professor Mills greatest critic. Hopper was a skeptic about the existence of this Plateau and the creatures that were said to have inhabited it. The Zoological Society volunteered him to go on this expedition to prove Mills wrong.

So that left…

Stepping beside her was the one man who was proving to be a thorn at her side. His prized rifle was held in his hands, his face on the constant lookout for danger. While it seemed that was his purpose (she had no doubt since he took his job as protector serious), Belle knew he had an ulterior motive for sticking close. Especially to her.

xXx

"Happy to prove you all wrong, gentlemen."

With a dramatic entrance, Belle pushed the doors to Mills' study open just as her future colleagues were spouting their theories of her absence. She relished their looks of astonishment as she glided across the floor, taking in the many artifacts and fossils scattered around the room.

"What a marvelous collection of dead things you have here Professor Mills." As her eyes swept over the displays, she rattled off their respective Latin names.

"Ah, you know your reptiles madam," Mills commented with a hint of surprise.

Belle's lips curved in response as she locked gazes with the one person in the room who was trying to ignore her. He looked away, keeping busy with cleaning a pistol, but she caught the impressed look at her intelligence. Grinning widely, she sashayed past him.

"I've been around a few," she purred, catching the glint of the hunter's eye. She knew Lord Rumpton's reputation as a ladies' man and she couldn't resist the harmless flirting. He was a very attractive man with a very attractive wealth attached to his name. She could have fun on this expedition or perhaps add him as husband number five.

Breaking away from him, she turned her stare on Mills. "My main interests lie in geology."

"Of course, Madam French," Mills said with a slight bow. "We will bring back as many samples for you."

"Yes but what I see will be in their natural habitat."

As she quite expected, the men's jaws slacked open at her announcement. The protests were immediate. However, Belle dismissed them with a flick of her wrist. "I am funding this little adventure of yours Mills," she reminded him coolly. "It's only right I go where my money goes."

Yet it was the scoff that captured her attention as she levelled a piercing glare at Lord Rumpton who silently trailed behind her to lean on a desk. Crossing his arms over his chest, he met her glare full on as he calmly stated, "The Amazon is no place for a lady. We are capable of bringing back what you wish. After all…"

The gull of the man! Well, Belle will show him. Grabbing one of the rifles on the table, she pulled the pin, aimed, and fired a shot between his legs.

The smirking lord jumped with a startled cry and gazed at her in disbelief.

"I'll make sure to leave my dresses at home," she replied.

xXx

Since that meeting, Lord John Rumpton had made it his sole purpose to follow and annoy her to no end. Belle was sorry for even contemplating about toying with him as a diversion. He was downright infuriating! From the moment they began their journey, he had plagued her with endless questions about why she funded the expedition to her motives and what she was hoping to gain. Of course, her reasons were hers alone and she wasn't going to share her real motive. He wouldn't understand and it wasn't a pleasant topic conversation anyway. And it wasn't his business. Yet he followed and bothered her like it was his mission.

"To what do I owe this pleasure Rumpton?" she said, irritable he couldn't leave her alone for a minute. Even when she had bathed that first night in the jungle, he followed her! Of course he saw the Cayman before her, but that wasn't the point. She would have made it out of the water in time before she became that animal's dinner.

"Just making sure there aren't any head-hunters or cannibals lurking around. And… I wanted to make sure you weren't hurt. I did land on you."

His touch of concern surprised her. She quickly masked her reaction and tossed her braid over her shoulder. "I'm walking, aren't I?"

"Yes—"

"Clearly, I'm fine." Anything else Rumpton was going to say was interrupted by Nolan screaming.

At once, everyone ran in the direction. They arrived in time to see Nolan getting to his feet and a girl several feet away. She had a small knife in her hand, her green eyes wide and wild. Her long, wavy black hair cascaded over her shoulders to reveal her fur and leather outfit.

"It's all right! She saved me!" Nolan exclaimed.

"She did?" Hopper said incredulously.

"Yeah. She swung here on that vine and saved me from being plant food."

Belle saw a giant flower behind the girl whose petals were closed in a chastised way. "Human fertilizer. How lovely."

The girl waved her knife as they slowly inched towards her. Mills and Hopper were using their hands to communicate. And Nolan took a can of food, dipping his fingers into it. "It's food. See? You eat it."

"I don't think she understands us," Hopper said.

The girl's nostrils flared as she let out a grunt towards Nolan.

"Go on Nolan," Mills encouraged. "I think she's listening to you."

She crept near Nolan to look at the can. She sniffed and took a step back, grunting again. So Nolan grunted. She grunted again, a bit deeper. Then her grunts turned into a rhythm and Hopper snapped his fingers.

"Why, that's Beethoven's Ninth Symphony!" he declared with delight.

The girl smiled and straightened her posture. "It's a favorite of mine, especially my parents," she said. At the explorers stunned expressions she let out a giggle. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Snow White."