SMOKE AND ASHES

While walking along the streets of Asheville, Mr. Gold has offered his hand to Miss Belle. He has gone on to introduce our innocent Miss to the pleasures of osculation and she has proved herself to be an adept student.

Intrepid Mary Margaret has shared that she and David can get through each other's shields (because they have True Love) and she has passed on some handy-dandy manufactured identity papers to Belle.

Belle has shared the True-Love-Trumps-Shields theory with Mr. Gold; they have both discounted this as a factor in their relationship. Later doing her job in his shop, Miss Belle finds the mysterious Artifacts Room and sets out to clean this very dusty backroom. When Mr. Gold has not heard from her, he goes in search and he finds her, distracts her and she falls from a ladder . . . into his arms.

A.N. Just a little (borderline) smut in this chapter.

Chapter 12

Sparring

Gritting his teeth and praying to all that was unholy that his leg wouldn't buckle, Gold gently set Belle on one of the sturdy tables in the room. Just the right height. He moved in quickly to stand between her legs. He then lent his entire attention to kissing her. She'd started it. She responded to him, promptly opening her mouth and allowing his tongue entrance and then delicately returning the action.

"You taste good," he told her,

"You too," she managed to get out before returning her complete attention to his lips.

Vaguely she felt his hand drift down her back eventually coming to rest on her buttock. He trailed down her thigh and then he lifted her by her knee pulling her leg up so that it was wrapped around his waist. On her own she followed suit with the other leg so that now she was snuggly wrapped around him, her legs crossing in the small of his back while most of her weight rested on the table.

Slowly his hand moved slowly . . . around her body slowly . . . so that it was trapped slowly . . . between their bodies and slowly . . . he was trailing kisses slowly . . . down her neck, causing her to shiver and shake and slowly . . . he centered his hand slowly . . . right between her legs. He was slowly cautious but persistent. His fingers slowly reached down and brushed slowly . . . against her in a most intimate manner and he heard her gasp as he began to slowly caress her . . . slowly touching her, relishing the dampness that he felt almost immediately through his fingertips.

Belle pulled back. The man's eyes had gotten very dark. "What are you doing?" she asked breathlessly.

"Giving you pleasure," he promised her. "Do you trust me?"

She looked deeply into his eyes. She trembled reading his determined intent, "I trust you."

He smiled, kissed her again and then he began to move his fingers, surely, with a dark sweet purpose in mind. He wanted to deliver her onto the path of delight.

Not quite able to move her sturdy cotton panties aside, he still managed to sense the fine curves of her femininity and gently he began to exploit the hills and the valleys, the soft tissue beginning to swell with her need, moving¸ massaging, stimulating in firm driving circles. She dropped her forehead to his shoulder and he heard her breathing shorten. She had placed her hands on his shoulders and he could feel that she had clenched her fists onto the top of his jacket, holding onto him as if he was the most important, the only thing, in her world. She had closed her eyes. She felt something beginning to coil and tense deep inside of her, answering the call his fingers were pulling from her body.

Belle was not sure what was happening. She was experiencing . . . something . . . something overwhelming, over-powering, overcoming. This remarkable man was taking her on a journey, giving her insights into a part of herself she had neglected to become familiar with. Teaching her . . . giving her passion, sexuality. The swirling waves of magical energy in the room augmented his every move, making her dizzy, faint, enhancing his efforts towards leading her into ecstasy.

He continued with soft kisses along her neck feeling her quiver. As her breathing got faster and harder, he could hear little cries. He delicately touched her mind, reading her. Yes, yes,yes, she was getting closer.

He heard the shop bell ring.

He paused and heard Belle whimper, "Please, please don't stop."

"Gold!" It was Emma calling for him.

Loudly calling for him.

It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped on him.

"Damnation!" Gold actually growled. He stopped what he was doing and, with some effort, he spoke gently, "Belle, Belle! I have to stop. Emma will come looking for me and I don't want her to . . . well she already thinks I'm a reprobate but she might think less of you if she found me compromising you."

"Uh huh," Belle was still breathless and on edge. She was shaking but managed to lower her legs from around his waist and he helped her to stand. Belle glanced at him and, even in her naïveté, saw that he was experiencing a clear reaction to their activities.

"I'll manage," he told her. "I'll be uncomfortable but I'll manage. Now, my sweet, you need to fix your hair and get back to the curtains." He looked around and called out, "Emma, I'm in a back room. I'll be right out." He gave Belle a quick kiss on her forehead and left her. "We'll have to finish this another time. I'm very sorry."

Belle was trying to clear her head. She felt wound up, with a near unbearable tension settling in her lower abdomen. What had almost happened? What had he been doing to her?

Unsteady on her feet, she set about folding up the curtain that had come down but even in this far back room, she could hear snippets of Emma's voice. The woman sounded upset. Belle stopped and stepped around to see if she could hear more of what was going on.

"We weren't expecting them. They had put a freeze on me before we knew they were anywhere near us and then they attacked."

She heard Mr. Gold call her, "Miss Belle, get out here, please." There was urgency in his voice. She ran out to the front of the shop.

She gaped at what confronted her. Emma and David were both there, covered with deep scratches, their clothes soaked in streaks of blood. They looked like they had been dragged through deep thorny brambles. As she watched, Gold's hand lit up with a purplish light and he gently waved it over the two. Belle could see the deep scratches closing. He worked slowly, going over each limb, front and back and then over their trunks, their stomachs, backs and chests, going from Emma to David and then back again.

"David managed to take out about ten of them, but they swarmed over us."

"Powries?" Gold asked.

"I guess, they had red caps and they stank," David told him. "They had these big black iron boots on but still managed to move damned fast."

Gold nodded. "I can stop the bleeding but it's much harder to replace blood. Do you need to go to the hospital?" he asked David.

"I should be all right. Emma, how about you?"

"I'll be okay," she assured both David and Gold. "I'm weak, but not at death's door. They apparently had some kinda freezing spell they hit me with but it didn't last long enough for them to kill us. Once it faded, I was able to blast them."

Belle was listening to the conversation from the entrance into the shop's display area.

"We'll need to go up and change," Emma said looking at her blood stained uniform. "Thanks, Mr. G. Any suggestions for us?"

Gold turned to Belle. "Well?"

"Other than Emma's fireballs would there have been another weapon that might have worked against these. . . powries?" she asked first.

David and Emma looked at Gold. "Yes," he answered. "Any weapon made of silver - a blade, a bullet, even a silver cross, could have hurt them, possibly held them back, at least slowed them up."

"So our people all need to be carrying a silver knife or a cross?" Belle asked.

"That would help, but some of our people can't manage silver. We'd have to give them a knife with a silver blade but an iron handle, like Jones has."

"Doable?" Belle asked.

He gave her a brief smile, "Doable. I'll get Leroy on it. "

"Would it be possible for there to be some way for each of us to notify others if we came under attack – kinda like an 'I've been attacked and can't get up' button. If there was some way that the rest of us could get there to help out, that would be good too."

"Teleportation is very sophisticated, Miss Belle. I can do it, and it's a real possibility for Jefferson, but I don't know if even Regina or Emma can master it, not just yet anyway. None of the others could ever manage it."

"What teleport?" Belle asked. "Anybody near could just get up out of their seat and run there as soon as they could."

Gold nodded. "Possibly. Possibly." He turned away, but Belle continued.

"Do we need to go ahead and alert everyone else? If there's been one attack in broad daylight, might there be others?" she asked.

Gold nodded. "Emma, can you send out some texts?"

"Can do. Will do," the woman answered him.

"Let me help you upstairs, Emma," Belle said to her. Then she turned to David, "Do we need to call Mary Margaret?"

David shook his head, "She's in class. I don't want to alarm her. Just let her know to be on alert. I'll tell her everything when she gets home."

Belle went with Emma and the two women went toward the lobby. David remained behind with Gold. As the women started up the stairs, David called up, "Emma, Belle, I'm going to get a shower and then change. I'll throw these clothes into the washer and I'll meet you back down here."

David waited until the women had gotten up the staircase. He turned to Gold. "That's a remarkable young woman," he commented.

Gold didn't respond.

"Mary Margaret tells me you two can get through each other's shields," David began hesitantly.

Gold still didn't respond. Of course, Mary Margaret had told her husband.

David waited but could tell the older man wasn't going to say anything. "Mary Margaret likes her. She thinks she'll be good for you. She's worried that. . . " he didn't finish.

This time Gold spoke up, "that I won't be good for her?" He gave David a tight smile. "If it makes you two feel any better, I have the same concern."

+ + + Upstairs

Belle followed Emma into her apartment. It was laid out identically to hers but Emma's decorating style, if it could be called a style, was quite different from hers. It was remarkably lacking in frou-frou, feminine details or anything that was revealing about its tenant. There was a plain wooden table with three plain wooden chairs. There was a small blue sectional sofa and plain Berber-like rug in the living room area. There was also an open metal bookcase with no books but it did hold a small flat-screen television. The kitchen contained a microwave and a high end coffee maker.

"I'm not much for decorating," Emma told her as she began to strip off her leather jacket and bloodied tank top remaining in her jeans and sportsbra. "Belle, are you all right? You look kinda flushed," Emma asked as she sat down to remove her boots and socks.

"Uh. . . I . . I'm fine," Belle stammered. She wasn't. She was still over-heated and jittery feeling.

"Well, I'm glad one of us is. I'm not," Emma said pulling off her last sock.

"What happened?" asked Belle.

"All right. David goes out on routine patrol with an officer twice a week just so he can report back to the Mayor how things are on the streets. He was riding with me today; he usually does. We'd had some complaints about some noises coming from Carolina Lane. We parked on Hiawasee and we were just walking down it to check things out when we got surrounded. They were on us in a flash and they must have had some sort of a glamour set around us so nobody else could see what was going on. They froze me and I couldn't do anything to help David. He cut down at least ten, maybe more of them. When I unfroze, I was able to take them out."

"What were they going after?" Belle asked her.

"No idea unless it was just blood. I know David and I had both got the creeps as we were walking down that alley. I'd like Archie to walk it – with some protection, of course."

Belle followed up with a question, "Emma, what is it that Archie does? I've got a good sense of many of the people that live here. Some of you are magic wielders, like you and Regina, and some of you are fighters, like Mary Margaret and Mr. Jones. I don't know about Archie and Leroy?"

"Oh, Leroy is our weapons manufacturer. He's actually a dwarf. Not a little person, mind you, a real honest-to-Pete dwarf, as in 'hi ho hi ho, it's off to work we go.' He's great if you need a mace, a crossbow, a Gatling gun, a surface to air missile or something," Emma answered. "And Archie, well, it's hard to explain. He's kinda like you except instead of people, he's in tune with places. If Archie goes into a bar with you and he says he has a bad feeling about the place, you better turn around and get out. He can sense if anybody's hiding out, lying in wait to jump you. And if you're traveling anywhere, he can totally tell you when the next clean restroom is going to turn up and tell you the best route to go to avoid the lights."

"Nice," said Belle. "I'll let you get your shower so you can get back to work. Will we be seeing you this evening for sparring practice?"

Emma sighed, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that if I don't show up Gold will just find another time to kick my ass."

+ + + Evening practice

Belle had managed to go back to the shop and complete her hours. She was determined at least while she was on the job to maintain some distance from the very alluring Mr. Gold and his magic fingers and magic lips. It wasn't hard; he seemed to be avoiding her also.

Well, she thought, things had gotten rapidly carried away earlier that afternoon. With him catching her and holding her and not letting her go, and then she had gotten carried away and kissed him . . .twice. And then he had kissed her. And then he had used his clever fingers to do something to her, touching her where she had never been touched before, creating incredible sensations and . . . and . . . leaving her unfulfilled and aching and kinda desperate. Her body had calmed down . . . but it had taken a while. She also quickly realized that the magical ambience of the Artifacts Room was making her just a bit woozy, so she opted to work in another part of the shop, one of the open areas that pulled in the usual desperate customers who were looking for just the right antique washstand or hand-carved bedframe.

At closing time, he insisted on taking her out for supper.

"It's a newish place, Storm Rhum Bar and Grill."

Belle hesitated.

"Belle, I'm trying to be respectful of you and I feel I owe you something for taking advantage of you this afternoon."

The devil! she thought. He was making the offer in the form of an apology and if she turned it down . . .

"All right," she agreed reluctantly.

"Good, because I've already reserved a table for us for six thirty." He smiled and then handed her an odd stone hanging from a necklace.

"This isn't a gift. It's an amulet that should protect you from certain types of weapons," he told her putting it around her neck. It hung next to her mother's necklace.

They walked up Lexington, all the way past Aston, but the weather had begun to turn, if not warm, less frigidly cold. Belle wondered if Gold was intentionally trying to draw out the dubharim or, what was it, the powries? But he seemed supremely confident, no sense that he was worried if he would be able to protect them should there be an attack, more like he knew there wouldn't possibly be an attack.

They were promptly seated in the stylish restaurant and they ordered their meals, grilled mahi mahi with polenta, asparagus, wilted greens, corn and a fennel salad for Belle and a grilled filet with fingerlings, mushroom, asparagus, and a spring onion soubise with a ramp pesto for Gold.

"This is going to be a long evening," Gold told her. And he ordered a Brown Derby, which was a bourbon, grapefruit and honey cocktail and, intrigued, Belle (showing her new driver's license) ordered the Perfect Storm Mojito made, of course, with rum, lime and mint, but with added ginger beer.

"What do you think happened this afternoon with Emma and David?" he asked Belle as soon as they were alone.

"Emma told me they were on Carolina Lane checking out a noise complaint when the attack happened. Broad daylight. It seems that our enemies are getting bolder."

Gold noted that she had said "our enemies" and was pleased that she was seeing herself as part of his team. "They are. Or perhaps Emma and David were getting too close to something."

Belle looked at him questioningly.

"I believe there is an entrance to the Underworld on that little lane."

"Really?!" Belle was familiar with the one lane alley, set in the block between Hiawasse and Walnut on parallel sides and Lexington and Broadway on the other sides. It wasn't even marked on many maps and had a string of untitled business fronts strewn along it. It had always had an unsavory feel.

"What do you mean an entrance?" she asked.

"You know, you knock on the door, give the password and they let you in."

"What do you mean Underworld?" Belle was getting a very uncomfortable feeling from this conversation.

"You know, the purview of the bad guys."

Belle was stunned. "Are you telling me . . . ?"

"The Gates of Hell are located in the block next to our home," he replied calmly while taking a bite of his filet.

Belle sat looking at him with her mouth open.

Gold glanced up his dining companion. "What? They usually keep them shut," he told her. "And it's not literally Hell. It's more like a . . . Hell Annex," he explained apparently quite unconcerned. He leaned in, "The House is where is it for a reason."

Belle nodded. "All right," she said weakly and bent her attention to her meal. Gates of Hell?! And here she was worrying about little shadow creatures. She looked back up at Gold. How could he sit there so composed, so nonchalant, knowing what he knew. Gates of Hell? Gates of Hell!

As they walked back to The House they were under city lights in the enveloping darkness. After his declaration, Belle found herself walking even closer to Gold, seeking his protection as well as his warmth. He put his arm around her shoulder. She did feel warm and safe.

There were other people on the streets, other couples, groups and singles. He and Belle walked along with Belle stopping from time to time to look at window displays. They were well down Broadway when something changed in Gold's body timbre. Another person might not have been aware of the change, but Belle was linked empathically as well as physically with the man and she sensed him tightening up.

A striking, tall woman with strawberry blonde hair was coming toward them. She wore a bright green silken flowing skirt and a matching tight fitting embroidered jacket. She was smiling effusively.

Gold shifted Belle so that he was in front of her. "Stay behind me," he hissed and then turned to smile at the woman.

"Zelena," he greeted her.

"Why hello, you darling doll," she addressed him, almost purring. "You're looking so well. How are all your people?"

"We're doing fine," he responded evenly.

"Really? I'd heard that there had been a little problem earlier with some of our young ruffians. Kids huh! Having fun! What do you say?" her voice was low and seductive. She had shrugged as if the powrie attack was of no consequence. "And who is this little thing hiding behind you?" she asked, her attention drawn to Belle.

Gold continued to block her view, "My latest pet. She couldn't possibly be of interest to you. How's your mother?" he asked, changing the topic.

The woman pulled a face. "Mommy's fine, if you must know. She's still pining after you, darling . . . and, I can certainly see what she sees in you." She leaned in suggestively towards him," You fill out that Armani just fine. Are you sure you would never consider having another go with a younger model?"

He pulled back and looked the woman over. "No, Zelena."

The woman laughed at that, a deep throaty laugh. Belle, from her vantage, tentatively reached to feel out this woman. Murky, voracious, power-hungry, sensual appetites, not a pleasant person. She had designs on . . . Mr. Gold! Belle pulled back from the woman. She felt . . . unclean after foraging around in the woman's psyche. Belle also realized that she herself was experiencing a new emotion . . . jealously.

The woman had moved in closer and laid her hand on Gold's chin. Somehow he managed to remain absolutely still. "I think we'd be sooo good together," her voice low and seductive. "We have been."

"I really don't remember," Gold responded sourly. "As I recall you had me drugged, so I really don't remember. And right now, my dear, I have other . . . commitments."

"Blow them off," Zelena directed him ordered him.

He smiled and pulled away from the woman. "I don't think so Zelena. Don't touch me. Don't get near me. And . . . stay away from my things." He gave her a tight smile and, still managing to keep himself between Belle and Zelena, he began to walk away.

Belle scurried after him, sensing that now was not the time to dawdle or to ask questions or press any feminist agendas about being her own person and being able to take care of herself.

They walked at a clipped pace for the remaining distance back to The House, walking in silence with him holding her hand forcefully.

"I'm all right," she told him. "You don't need to hold on to me so tightly." They had gotten back into the lobby.

He glanced down. "Oh, I'm sorry. After that flagrant display we witnessed, I was afraid they might rush us and try to scoop you up and take you away from me. I wasn't worried that I could take them, but was afraid it might get messy and I was concerned that you could get caught in cross-fire." He didn't make eye contact. "I would feel very badly if my arrogance had caused you any harm," he confessed.

"The woman we met?" Belle questioned.

"Let's just say that she is an old acquaintance. A pupil for a very brief time. The House dismissed her after about six weeks."

"Really?" The House would do that?

"Yeah, and there's a bit of history between us, but it's not a pleasant story. Maybe another time." He was holding her by the arms and looking down into her eyes. He didn't say anything. "You know you're so beautiful," he told her softly and he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "You don't have to come to the sparring. Your talent seems to be passive. Archie is excused also and Leroy only comes to see how he can manage our weapons."

"I want to come. I was the one who suggested it," Belle told him. "I might want to participate."

He smiled again. "Belle, I don't really think that would be a good idea. Apparently you're able to break shields but you aren't a fighter or a magic user."

He escorted her to her apartment and scooted her inside.

It was only a moment later when he found Belle trailing after him as he labored up the stairs on his way to the roof.

She was still talking.

"But we don't know what I can and can't do. At least let me see. If I get burned or blown back or whatever, I can sit back down."

"You could get injured, really hurt. I don't want to risk you," he told her waving her off.

"I still want to try," she persisted.

They had made it up to the roof. Several other house members were already on the rooftop, warming up, doing some simple tricks. Chairs had been set up along the perimeter of the roof with several of them having been put behind one of the tables that had been used for the Sunday brunch. Gold sat behind the table. Belle sat down next to him.

He looked at her. He had begun to realize that she wasn't giving up on this. His eyes narrowed, "Perhaps you may be of some use. You're good at seeing the big picture, picking up on what goes wrong. You can help me with feedback."

Belle bit her lip but didn't argue with the man. She sat meekly by him and watched as he set up Regina and Emma against Jefferson and Ashley. It was a battle of magical strengths and Regina and Emma quickly subdued the other two using fireballs. But Belle had not seen any teamwork between the women; they had fought separately without any evidence of prior planning.

Gold shared this observation with the sparring partners and Regina promptly shot back at him, "Well so what? We still won." She sat down in a huff. Gold ordered her up again, and this time partnered her with Mary Margaret.

Regina and Mary Margaret were put up against Milah and Emma. Emma and Milah were able to get hits on the other two women using fireballs and lightning, but again, no teamwork.

"I'm still not seeing teamwork, ladies," Gold groused at them. This time it was Emma who stuck her tongue out at him.

Gold sighed, then set up David and Jefferson against Ashley and Killian. Jefferson used his air magic and knocked down the other two and David was able to move in with his sword and 'kill' the little Fire Elemental and the Fighter.

"That was the first time I've seen teamwork," Belle observed, whispering to Gold.

"Agreed," he said back to her, then announced to the group, "That's the best we've seen so far."

Jefferson bowed to Gold and Belle. He then bowed to the assemblage who was sitting on the sidelines observing.

Belle continued to watch as different pairs were put together but, mostly, the team members fought as individuals, doing their own thing, sometimes pairing their strengths but usually not.

After about a half hour of sparring, Belle again appealed to Gold. "Please let me try. I have no idea what I might be able to do and I won't know until I try."

He was planning to tell her 'no,' but turning and looking into her pleading eyes and winsome face, he capitulated. "All right Belle, but if you get popped or zapped, I don't want to hear about it," he tried to be stern.

She grinned at him, barely stopping herself from kissing him. She then ran over to the sparring area.

He thought long and hard. Jefferson? No, the man was attracted to his little maid. Milah? No, she didn't have enough control and could possible hurt Belle. David? No way, the man was just too damn nice. He continued thinking over his options.

Finally, "Emma, pair with Belle against. . . . Regina and Killian."

Killian bowed towards the two opposing ladies and Regina smirked. At the 'go' signal Regina held up her hands and blue flashed out. Before Emma could parry, Belle had stepped in front of her and raised her hands. There was a second odd blue flash temporarily blinding the observers.

"Regina," Killian complained, "I can't move."

"I used a freezing spell on them and it, apparently, bounced back onto us," Regina had been bespelled into place by her own spell and was now quite disgruntled.

Emma raised up mini-fireballs and zapped the two, not harming them but signifying a 'kill.'

Gold had watched from the sidelines as had everyone else.

"What just happened?" Jefferson asked him. "Did Belle just deflect one of Regina's kick-ass freezing spells?"

Gold made a decision, "Emma, throw a mini-light ball at Belle," he directed.

The light ball dissipated before it hit Belle.

"What did you just do?" Gold asked her.

"I told it to go away," Belle answered.

"Emma, hit her with a larger light ball," he directed.

Again the light ball dissipated. They continued this until the light ball had reached the size of cantaloupe and this time, it bounced back at Emma. She dodged it.

"That's what happened with the freezing spell!" Regina observed. "She bounced it back towards us! I wasn't expecting that. I've never seen anybody who can shield against spells and bounce them back at you."

Gold considered. "David and Mary Margaret, you two go up against Belle and. . . . Jefferson."

The four combatants bowed to each other . . . and as David and Mary Margaret raised their weapons, a sword and a crossbow, Belle reached into the folds of her skirt and pulled out her gun. She shakily pointed it at Mary Margaret and directed the two to put down their weapons which they promptly did.

Jefferson had started laughing, but he managed to collect the weapons and turned back to Gold. "I guess we would shoot them or capture them at this point."

Mary Margaret had also begun laughing. "I would never have thought you had it in you, girl! Totally unexpected."

Gold nodded at Belle. "You brought a gun to a . . . sword and crossbow fight?" he asked.

Belle shook her head. "I thought I'd come prepared. I'm still not comfortable even holding this thing." And by now she was holding the gun upside down with one finger in the trigger guard.

Gold had her set the gun on the table in front of him. He looked hard at her, considered awhile and this time he set Regina and Emma against Milah and Belle.

"We can't match their strength," Milah whispered to Belle. "We're dead. We're totally screwed."

"We don't have to beat them. We just have to stop them from beating us," Belle assured the sullen woman. "Can you make it dark and windy?" she asked Milah with her back to the two sorceresses.

Milah nodded and almost immediately the roof top was cloaked in a heavy cloud cover and buffeted by wind. With every passing moment, the darkness became thicker.

Belle reached out and took Milah's hand and in a moment the two . . . just disappeared.

Regina and Emma stood astonished (as did all the watching participants). They circled the area but couldn't find any trace of the Weather Witch or the Empath.

"All right Belle," Gold called out. "You've proved your point." And Milah and Belle re-materialized on one corner of the sparring mat.

"She's good," Emma told him from the floor. "Why don't you take her on, Gold?"

Several more of the other tenants agreed with Emma. "Yeah, I'd like to see what you can do against her."

"Come on Gold," Jefferson urged him. "Can you take her on?"

Gold closed his eyes. Then he slowly rose and curtly motioned Regina, Emma and Milah off of the sparring area court. He limped over and stood in front of Belle.

He nodded and gave her a slight smile.

"Miss Belle, are you ready?" he asked.

Thank you so much for hanging with me after the Atlanta wi-fi disaster. Special thanks to all my amazing reviewers (who keep giving me these ideas!): The Prince's Phoenix, cynicsquest, cheesyteal'c, emospritelet, karolprado, juju0268, Aletta-Feather, Erik'sTrueAngel, Anne Andrews (Guest), Tinuviel Undomiel, OneMagician, deweymay, thedoctorsgirl42, EevyLynn, RaFire, MyraValhallah, spacecats, Robin4, jewel415, Grace5231973, OneMagician, orthankg1 Chauchi, and RoxyMoron

NEXT: more sparring, more reveals, and Belle takes on a new project