SMOKE AND ASHES
As a result of Belle continuing to pressure Gold regarding her accompanying him into the underworld, Gold has reluctantly revealed that it would be possible for her to go under the guise of being his "pet." Belle is willing to do this, but Gold strives to convince her that this will not be play-acting – that she would have to put herself under his total control. Later that day, unwillingly, Gold procures a heavily warded box that Belle is able to effortlessly unlock. In it are items that are used to control both the magical and non-magical, both Light and Dark (he has acquired them to keep them from being used). Belle convinces him to use the golden collar on her just so that can see if they are able to manage the forces that will be unleashed. Gold quickly becomes uncomfortable with the experiment and removes the collar but Belle, still under the lingering effects of the enslaving device, quickly seduces him. Later Gold sends Killian and Ruby down into the underworld on a mission.
A.N. Ying-fa-dono suggested the name The Villains' Club (I was just going to go with The Rabbit Hole, but I liked this idea sooo much better – thx).
Chapter 26
Monday
It was a testament to sleaziness. There were tables stained, worn and damaged with cuts and gouges, wooden floors blackened with a sticky film of filth, a thick, permanent haze of cigarette smoke. The beer was bitter, the cocktails expensive and the whiskey watered. There might have been music but no one could hear it over the raucous conversations of the patrons, the ribald joking of the bartenders and the lewd banter that passed between the wait staff and the customers.
At first, no one noticed the statuesque brunette and handsome young man as they walked into the place.
The woman stood in the center of the bar and dropped the black velvet cloak, revealing an amazing skin-tight red bodysuit with a line of sequins up the side encasing her all too perfect figure. Every eye in the place turned towards her.
Satisfied with the impact of her entrance, Ruby sat down and turned to Killian, "Darling, get me a drink."
"Yes, my dearest," he replied. "Your usual, Red Devil?" he asked.
"Please." Ruby favored the southern drink made with gin, Campari, Lillet Rouge and red Absinthe. Sitting as she was, in the center of the Villains' Club, Ruby had no shortage of admirers. She favored several of them with smiles.
Killian wearing his black leather duster and over-sized boots, made his way up to the bar, well aware that there were any number of female eyes (and not a few male) following his progress. He ended up standing by an attractive blonde. He'd always favored blondes and this one was very nice. "Buy you a drink, darlin'?" he asked her.
"Aren't you with the wolf-girl?" the woman asked giving Ruby a sideline glance.
"Well," he hedged, "for the moment," and he favored her with a smile.
"Sure, get me a Satan's Whiskers?" the blonde ordered the martini with added orange liqueur.
"Of course, my dear," and he ordered drinks for himself, for Ruby and for the pretty blonde.
He returned to the table with his own drink and Ruby's.
"You can't even keep it in your pants for five minutes," Ruby said just a bit louder than necessary.
"Oh come now, darling. I thought we were going out for a fun evening."
"A fun evening - together!" Ruby shot back at him. "Don't tell me you weren't hitting on that skanky blonde?"
"Well, actually she's rather sensational."
Ruby took a deep drink from her cocktail. "Why don't you just head back over there, you slime bucket. I can get my own drinks. Or find a real man who'll get them for me."
Killian glowered at her. "I don't' need your bitchin'. You want me gone, I'm gone," and he got up to return to the bar. He settled in next to the blonde.
"Date's over?" she asked him.
"Our long term relationship is over," he said with just the right touch of dejection.
As he sat chatting up the blonde, he kept an eye on Ruby who was soon enough joined by two lowlifes. He knew she was more than a match for both of them . . . at the same time. He glanced around the room surreptitiously. Ah, the one he was supposed to distract was sitting up on the dais, like a queen surveying her minions. An older woman, for sure, but still quite the beauty. She turned as if she had felt his eyes on her. He smiled and raised his glass to her. She stared back at him, looking him over, and, after a moment, he was sure he had seen a hint of a smile.
+ + + + Back at the House
Sunday had passed quietly for the other residents of The House, with the notable absences of Ruby and Killian. Belle had worked with Gold in his kitchen to prepare macaroni and cheese to take up to the communal dinner. She had managed to slightly burn it, but it was still edible.
On Monday morning following, Belle asked for a little time off. She had an appointment that Emma had gotten her.
"Are you all right?" Gold had asked anxiously.
"I'm fine. I just wanted to get something taken care of," she had told him brightly.
When she returned he ordered lunch for them from Chestnut, getting her the shrimp salad and, for himself, the corn-fried catfish delivered to the shop. Belle relaxed and ate with him in the back room.
"You actually think you're ready for this?" he had to ask her.
"I am," Belle answered him simply. She knew exactly what he was talking about.
Gold sighed and put in a call to Milah. Belle focused on re-dusting some of the areas that she had already cleaned but then started back where she had left off, going into each nook and every cranny, cleaning and polishing. Milah came by the shop just before two o'clock and Gold called Belle to the front of the shop.
"I need her to look like she's going clubbing with you and Ruby," he told her then hastily added, "but not too slutty!"
Milah smiled. "She's going as your pet sex slave." When Gold started to protest, Milah waved him off. "Oh, for Pete's sake! Everybody knows! How could I possibly get her too slutty?" Milah asked him. "Now, are you thinking Princess Leia slave girl with the brass bra? Or something in leather? Naughty Catholic school girl? Do you want her vijayjay to show when she sits down?"
Gold looked at her, not sure how to respond.
Milah sighed and continued, "You want jewelry? She's not pierced but I can get clip-on nipple shields and nose rings. I can also get temporary tattoos."
"I . . . I . . . don't think that jewelry . . . or tattoos are going to be needed," Gold was finally able to choke out.
"Suit yourself. Well, I'll just go with my gut. It worked great last time. I should be able to come up with something," Milah said, hooking her arm in Belle's and walking her out.
Gold got up and poured himself four fingers of Johnny Walker Blue. Milah had not failed him the last time. But what would she do with Belle this time?
Yes, he needed her to look sexy – not hard for her – but she was also a lady. He didn't want her to look cheap.
Belle was also modest, he knew that first hand. How would she handle being put on display?
This part of the whole plan was a disaster.
But he had accepted that it was necessary.
It was later in the afternoon when Milah returned with Belle. Belle was wearing her coat and carrying several bags. She thanked Milah and told her that she would take it from here.
"Well?" Gold was nervous. He could see that Belle's hair had been polished so that it hung down her back in lustrous waves.
Belle just smiled at him. "I think we should perhaps go upstairs to your . . . our apartment." And she turned and started up the stairs.
Gold glanced at the time. It was a little before five. Well, hell, he could close up early for once.
If he could have, he would have vaulted up the stairs, two, even three at a time. As it was, he hurried up them, stopping at each floor to rub his knee. He arrived at his apartment. He opened the door and saw that the place was still dark. "Belle?" he called out.
There was no answer. "Belle," he called again and went on into the bedroom.
Belle stood in the middle of the burgundy-toned rug still wearing her coat. She had her back to him.
"So you made it. I thought you might want to see these outfits in the privacy of the bedroom. Take a seat please. . . Master," she smiled at him.
"Don't joke about that, please," he told her.
"Well, dressed as I am under this coat. . . " she shrugged. "I've got three different outfits. You'll have to tell me which one you prefer."
"Which ever one you are most comfortable wearing, Belle. I don't want to make this any harder for you that it's going to be."
"Oh, now here I was hoping I was making it . . . harder . . . for you."
He sat back. Belle had always been a willing, eager, sometimes forward partner in their amorous trysts, but this was a new level for her. She was determined to torment him, he could tell. He might as well enjoy himself.
"All right, my dearest, darling tease of a girlfriend. Get on with it," and he poured himself yet another glass of fine whiskey.
Belle turned her back and began inching off the coat. "Oh, I should probably also tell you that Milah took me into one of the back rooms of her salon."
He waited.
"Well, bottom line is I don't think there's a hair below my neck."
Gold closed his eyes. This woman was going to kill him before it was over.
"Milah told me this is classic clubwear." And she turned revealing a black dress, well sort of a dress. It was extremely short and very tight and the front consisted of strategically placed strips of fabric, revealing Belle's stomach and both the tops and bottoms of her bosom. On her feet she wore thigh high black stiletto boots.
She stood for a moment modeling the very revealing dress.
"Are you wearing anything under that?" he had to ask.
"No. It would show," she replied demurely. "What do you think?"
"I think you look like a walking felony," he answered. "Da- amn, girl."
She swept her hair up in her arms. "Well, I need you to wait here a moment and I'll get on outfit number two."
And she walked off to the bathroom, the stiletto heels forcing her into a hip-swinging walk.
Gold took another drink. He wasn't sure he'd survive this.
It took a moment, longer than he'd expected but Belle came out wearing her coat again and stood in the center of the room.
"Oh, and I saw a doctor this morning and I now have a ring."
"What?!"
Belle smiled at him. "I did the adult thing and I didn't think I would be any good with the daily pill thing so I have a ring."
He was looking at her hands.
"It's not on my finger silly. It's so I don't get . . . you know."
"Oooh," he finally figured it out. "Belle, I didn't object to taking responsibility . . . "
"But now you don't have to," she told him in a husky whisper. "Now back to the outfits, darling. Milah and I both liked this outfit. It has a certain . . . primitive appeal." And she dropped her coat. This time she was wearing what appeared to be two rags made of some mystery animal skins. One rag was wrapped around the center of her bosom, barely covering the nipples and pushing her breasts out and up. The second was tied around her lower abdomen, a folded piece of supple leather. She wore nothing on her feet. There were leather strips tied around her upper arms and wrists. It did not escape Gold's notice that the leather strips could easily be used to restrain the woman.
"Turn around," he ordered her.
Belle complied and he could see the back of the 'skirt' barely covered her shapely rear.
"Belle, bend down and touch your toes."
She did and the bottom of the 'skirt' pulled up, exposing her. . . well, exposing her.
"All right," he managed to breathe out.
"What do you think?" Belle asked him.
"Very naughty, but a little too revealing. I'll have you know that I'm quite enamored of your . . . assets, but that doesn't mean I want to share them with everyone," he reminded her.
"That's what we thought. I have one more outfit." As she returned to the bathroom, she said over her shoulder, "It's my favorite."
Gold took another drink while he waited. What would she come out in this time?
It took longer this time to change than it had the moment before. Belle finally returned, again wearing the winter coat. This time she just dropped it from her shoulders and allowed it to hit the floor.
Gold sucked in his breath.
Belle was wearing a gold lame halter top, with little triangles that covered the center of her breasts. It was more conservative that the other garments she has worn but revealing enough. It tied around her neck and he guessed it could be easily removed by a tug on the neck and another tug on the back. Around her hips, she wore a wide soft, loose swath of the lame tied together on her hip. She wore golden sandals on her feet.
Gold took one more drink, draining the glass. "This one. . . this one will do."
"I thought so," she told him.
"Belle," he was going to try again, "this is so not a good idea."
"Why not?" she came and sat at his feet and rested her arms on his lap. She looked up at him, her blue eyes wide, "I trust you. You won't hurt me."
He leaned forward and took Belle's hands into his own. "Belle, there is something else."
She waited. She could tell that this was something that was very painful for him.
"Whenever I go out of this place, this . . . world, if you will . . . I . . . I change."
Belle wasn't sure what he meant. She waited for him to continue.
"I become . . . I look . . . I . . . . " He stopped and closed his eyes. "Belle, I become a monster, the Dark One."
She took one of her hands and put it over his. "I don't understand."
"I . . . my skin changes. My eyes, my hands. I don't look human."
"It's still you inside?" she asked him.
"Mostly. When I'm the monster, the beast, I become more . . . obsessed with power, with maintaining control. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to keep everything I have."
"Do you still recognize people? Will you know me?"
"Oh yes, but my darkest feelings about you will rise to the surface."
She was silent for a while before asking, "You have dark feelings about me?"
"Oh, I don't want to hurt you, my dear, nothing like that. What I want to do is to lock you up in a tower somewhere so I don't have to share you with anyone. I have to fight those feelings every day because, as Gold, I know that keeping you a prisoner would be wrong. I know that if you love me, if you truly love me, then I have to allow you to be free, because only if you choose to stay with me, only then will I know that you do truly love me."
"What will happen when you let this beast loose?" she asked him, her beautiful blue eyes locking with his.
"I don't know. I hope the beast knows that abusing you in any way – keeping you prisoner, hurting you. . . would end up costing him. The beast would lose you. I. . . I don't think he wants to lose you."
"I'm interested in this. . . beast," Belle told him. "He sounds lonely."
Gold laughed, a bitter self-deprecating laugh. "He is a cantankerous, difficult, selfish, self-absorbed bastard."
"Well then, no wonder he's lonely," Belle told him and he leaned down to wrap his arms around the kneeling woman.
+ + + + Late Monday Evening
"Regina, you sure you can handle this?" Gold felt like he'd had this conversation or a similar one before. They were standing in his shop, behind the counter.
"I don't think they'll be coming after The House. It's you they want and you're walking right into their clutches," Regina wasn't entirely on board with his makeshift plan – go in, hope to locate the scroll and dagger piece, hope to get them and hope to get out. Regina wasn't big on depending on good luck to get things accomplished.
"I suspect you're right, but," he shrugged, "what the hell. I've got to see my father or he'll raise. . . well, you know what. So I might as well look for the scroll and dagger bit while I'm down there.
"Take a little advice?" Regina said to him before he turned to go.
"I'll listen," he responded.
"Zelena. Watch out for Zelena. She's much more dangerous than my mother or your father."
He regarded her with some disbelief. "My father is a major corrupting force of generations of young people – war, drugs, alcohol, despair, cars, cell phone texting – whatever takes them down. And your mother . . . "
"Has no heart or soul and will kill for the sheer joy of taking another life," Regina finished for him.
"I was going to say is the Queen of Bitches, but that works too."
"My sister is unpredictable and unfettered by any moral constraints. She fancies herself in love with you. If she's thwarted, there is no telling what she might do," Regina finished her warning.
Gold winced. "I'll keep your advice in mind," he told her.
+ + + + Even Later Monday Evening
"Belle?" Gold began. They were in his apartment putting last minute touches on their attire.
She was looking him over much the same way he had looked her over. "Interesting. What are you wearing?" she asked him.
"Just some clothes that look better on my other personae," he hedged. He was wearing as best that Belle could determine leather pants with a silken shirt and a long vest that looked sort of like crocodile.
"Belle?" he asked her again, holding up the golden collar.
"I'm sure I want to do this," she reassured him for the twentieth time.
He gently placed the collar on her neck.
Belle stood with her eyes closed allowing the magic, the dark magic to wash over her. Gold had pulled out more of the threads that held the magic in, weakening the collar but not totally neutralizing it.
He watched her adjust to the powerful forces that were still in the collar as they took over her body and her will. She struggled but managed to remain standing rather than dropping automatically to her knees.
"Belle?" he questioned.
"Yes Master," she responded immediately.
"Let's explore the limits of the collar. I'd rather do it here than in the Undertown," he told her.
"Yes Master," she was standing in the golden clothing, her hair curled in ringlets, her makeup more pronounced than she usually wore, with her eyes accented and her lips painted red.
"Can you look at me?" he asked.
Belle blinked her eyes and attempted to raise her head but it did not happen, "Only if you command it, Master."
"All right. I want you to look me in the eye."
Her eyes flew to his, "Master is kind."
"Master is feeling like crap. Let's try some simple commands." He considered as he walked around the beautiful woman. She watched him as he went around to her back. "I want you to resist me as much as you can. Do you understand?"
Belle looked distressed but she nodded.
"Kneel," he started out with the simplest command.
Belle immediately went down to her knees.
"That's resisting?"
Belle cringed and he felt awful. This beautiful free spirit cringing like she'd been beaten. "Belle," he hastened to reassure her. "It's all right. You did fine." He held out his hand and asked her to rise which she did.
"Belle, are you in there?" he asked her.
There was a long moment and she nodded.
"Good. Hang onto yourself. I'll be as gentle as I can but I must convince these people that you are my current . . . " he didn't like the word, "pet. I will have to say and do things . . . well, I won't be having a good time. If they think for one moment that I actually have feelings for you, then you'd be in danger."
She nodded.
"You have my permission to talk whenever you wish," and he kissed her forehead. "Let's get your coat and we're off."
+ + + Very Late Evening - Carolina Lane
Belle felt strange. In some ways protected but in other ways she felt more open and more vulnerable than she'd ever felt. She did trust Gold, but there was this Dark One, the Beast, that lived within him. She didn't know him. She wasn't sure about his alter-ego.
They had walked over to Carolina Lane. Belle had never felt comfortable in the little stretch of road that lay between Lexington and Broadway. It wasn't even marked on many maps. They stood outside Number 9. This was the place. She gave Gold an encouraging look before he rapped on the door. The poor man still was obviously miserable about what he'd had to do with the collar.
A small window in the door opened. "What's the password?" said a gruff voice.
"Open the bloody door or I'll blow it down and then set you on fire," Gold responded and held up a fireball in his hand for the creature behind the door to see.
"Close enough," came back the voice. And the door swung opened.
As Belle stepped over the threshold she felt as if she had indeed gone into another world – Undertown, Gold had started to refer to this place. Her skin tingled and she felt that the collar activated and actually gave her some protection from some of the stray wisps of energies that were floating all around; the only magic she was acutely aware of was Gold's. She turned around and gasped.
Gold was watching her closely. She stepped forward to see him more closely. His skin glittered with golden-grey scales. His eyes, always expressive, seemed even larger with cat-eye slits in the darkened orbs.
She put her hand on his arm. His skin was cool and dry to the touch, like a snake. She could tell he was trying not to flinch back from her touch. She made eye contact with him and without hesitation, moved in to kiss him on the lips. She whispered, "Beautiful. You're beautiful."
He shook his head, clearly not believing her.
The odd creature it reminded Belle of large rodent that had opened the door was looking closely at Gold. "Dark One, forgive me. I did not recognize you in the outside world. Please sir, how can I be of service? Anything you desire."
"The Villains' Club. We're going there."
"Yes, of course sir." and it drew back to allow them to pass.
They went down flights of stairs, some long, some short, turning, twisting with only red tipped sconces along some of the walls. As they descended, Belle became less concerned with the darkness and more concerned with the smells. There was an unhealthy, putridness that got stronger as they went down – like unwashed bodies and the wastes of illness that had been left to ferment. It was everything she could do not to gag.
They ended up on a street, one that looked suspiciously like Lexington Avenue and Belle had the sense that this world mirrored the one above. Gold stepped decisively with no limp as they proceeded up the street, crossing over what might have been Walnut to the first building on the right, a disreputable appearing bar.
The place was loud with unruly laughter and the occasional scream. It was darker inside that the oddly lit street. When they stepped inside, the place abruptly became silent. All heads turned to look at them. Belle nearly crouched behind Gold not anxious to become the focus of anyone's attention.
"Your royal highness," someone said and Belle startled. It took her a moment to realize that the Weasel-looking bartender was addressing Gold.
"Table," Gold ordered.
Several women dressed in more revealing costumes than Belle was wearing under her sturdy black coat, came up to Gold. They put their hands on him revealing blood-red fingernails. "Your highness, your highness, come with us, come with us." And they pulled him along, ignoring Belle. She trailed behind Gold.
They steered him to a dais with a bare table, a bench and several chairs. He sat down and favoring Belle with the briefest glance he gestured for her to take a place on the floor. Inwardly she grimaced at having to kneel on the filthy floor. It wasn't the humiliation of kneeling at his feet that disturbed her that was part of the act. It was coming into contact with the grimy, nasty wooden floor. She felt his hand on her head. He stroked her hair as if to comfort her.
"What may we bring you, your highness. Anything you want," the woman said suggestively.
Gold gave her a tolerant smile. "Johnny Walker Blue for me and some red wine," he told them.
"Yes, your highness," one of the Belle guessed they were waitresses . . . or whores replied and she spun off to fetch the man his order. The other waitress sat down beside him.
"We are honored that you have come to this establishment. Anything that we can do?" Again with the suggestiveness.
"Yes, you can go away," Gold said to her dismissing the sultry waitress.
The woman if it was a woman seemed surprised at the dismissal but after glancing at Belle, she shrugged and slithered off.
The other waitress returned with the two drinks. He took them and waved her off. He handed the wine down to Belle.
Belle sat under the table looking out for bugs . . . and rats. The smell in the place was a combination of stale cigarettes, rank vomit and old beer. She often put her hand under her nose so that the odor would be reduced somewhat. Gold sat quietly drinking his drink watching the crowd.
He was on his third drink Belle was still sipping the first glass of wine when the bar got quiet again. Belle could see that a young man, really more of an older boy, a teenager perhaps, too young to come into a bar, had entered the place. The young man might have been handsome except for the surly, sullen look on his face. Everyone drew back and bowed. The young man's eyes went right over to Gold and he strode through the crowd coming right over to them.
"Rumple, how good to see you. I see you got my calling card."
"Hard to miss. It messed up my evening. I'd intended to go right to bed but I had to clean up the mess you left."
"Well, I didn't want there to be any misunderstandings. Good to see you again. I see you survived being a guest of Blue."
"Barely. They decided to let me go."
"They don't let people go. I suspect you were about to break through their wards and they knew it. They couldn't afford to let you know how close you were to beating them."
Gold hadn't thought of that. Had he been about to break through their bindings? He thought . . . they had told him. . . he'd believed them . . . they told him that they thought they could trust him, that he would behave himself now that he knew and respected their power. Now, he didn't know if he should believe his father.
"I was very proud of you, son. Most wouldn't have survived as long as you did, much less walk out and away from those bitches. But, I understand, that you answer to them now. That's disgusting."
"We do what we have to do," Gold responded leery of his father.
His father leaned into him, "If you swear allegiance to me, I could end their control over you."
"But then you would have control over me," Gold told his father. "No thank you. Is that why you wanted to see me?" he asked.
"I just wanted to check in with my most promising offspring, my heir apparent if you will."
"I'm doing fine," Gold assured him, still wary of the man.
"I can see that," the boy-demon leaned back in his chair and glanced down at Belle who was doing her best to be invisible. She'd quickly found that much of her own magical talent had been neutralized by the collar and her old trick of disappearing was not one that she could make work at the moment. She kept her eyes down and tried to be still. "Who is this pretty thing?" he asked, his eyes roaming over her, making her feel dirty.
"My latest pet," she heard Gold reply.
"Really? I didn't think you went in for that type of thing. You've never been noted to have a woman on a leash before now. There's hope for you yet. What's special about this one?" he asked.
"Belle," she heard Gold call on her. "Stand up here." Belle immediately complied, keeping her eyes down. The next command came, "Remove your coat."
Belle immediately unbuttoned the black coat and slipped it off her shoulders, allowing it to fall to the ground.
Gold's father and Belle was having a hard time accepting the youthful offender as Gold's father looked her over, his eyes lingering on her breasts and her exposed navel. He reached out and touched the golden collar around her neck – it was everything that Belle could do to not recoil.
"Excellent. Where did you find her?"
"She's the help," Gold told him. "She was dusting my books, I noticed her legs and her tits and I thought why not have her dust where it counts."
His father gave a nasty laugh and clapped Gold on the back.
"You do have an eye for beauty that's for sure. You get that from me. I've seen some of the women that come in and out of that house of yours. I like that pretty blonde that carries a gun, what's her name?" his father asked.
Gold smiled at him. "Now father, I haven't slipped so far that I would willingly give you the name of any of my people. If you want to know who the blonde is, I suggest you pursue her yourself."
"Well Cora's daughter, Regina, her - I already know, but she isn't quite so interesting to me. She probably bites."
"The blonde bites too," Gold assured him.
"I like that. I like the feisty ones that you can crush the spirit out of them."
Belle's blood ran cold at this statement. Gold had signaled for her to sit on his lap and she had complied. Being so close to him, she felt comfortable and safe. This teenager who was apparently Gold's father gave her the chills. "Now," he said and she felt Gold's fingernail his talon? trail up her neck. She winced as she felt it break the skin. "I like them with a little spirit left in them." And she felt him lick up the wound. "If they're too beaten down they don't cry when you fuck them. And if they don't cry," he turned her face to his, "what fun is it?"
Gold looked back at his father who was regarding the interaction with interest.
Belle tried to turn her face away but Gold held her in place. Almost on cue, Belle felt the tears well up in her eyes.
"Yeah," Gold continued. "I like them with a bit of fight left in them."
Belle felt the tears spill over and run down her face.
His father yawned. "Well stay in touch. I might have some ideas that might involve you." And Gold's father left.
Belle felt him begin to kiss her tears away. So softly that only she could hear him, she heard him whisper, "You're doing beautifully, my darling. Kiss me now."
Belle readily began kissing him, putting her arms around him, compelled by both the collar spell and her own relief to have his protection.
"What did you think of my father?" he asked her between kisses.
"Pretty scary," she whispered her answer to him while kissing up his neck to his ear.
"Pan is pretty seriously scary," he agreed.
"Pan? Is that his name?" she asked.
"That's what we call him. He usually appears as an older teenager and prefers the company of young girls, really young girls."
"Like your mother?" Belle was now kissing him in the hollow of his neck. She found the texture of his skin fascinating. It was smoother than she thought it might be.
Gold agreed with her, "Like my mother. She lived with her only relatives, two aunts, when he started coming by the house. My mother was apparently quite young, very trusting and altogether naïve about men. It didn't take him long to seduce her and then abandon her. She died giving birth to me and I was raised by my spinster great-aunts. I didn't find out he was my father until my magic started to manifest and even then he just paid me passing interest. It was when I truly began to show potential, master fire, then air, then earth and finally water that he paid me a visit."
Gold was enjoying himself despite the stench and general uncomfortable nature of his surroundings. He had no pain from his leg in this world and at the moment he had an extraordinarily beautiful woman in his lap, squirming and passionately kissing him back.
A shadow fell on them.
"Well, the rumor mill is already at work. I'd heard that you'd come to town. Didn't know you were bringing your pet."
Gold didn't have to look up. It was Zelena.
Thanks so much to all those reviewers who have been sticking with me: Robin4, RoxyMoron, orthankg1, cynicsquest, The Prince's Phoenix, Anne Andrews (Guest), Montreat11 (chapters 1, 2 and 3), CharlotteAshmore, RaFire, deweymay, karolprado, juju0268, MyraValhallah, Chauchi, Aletta-Feather, spacecats, thedoctorsgirl42, and Erik'sTrueAngel
This story is about to get darker (may be some trigger warnings coming up – we are in the Underworld after all).
NEXT: Well, Zelena!