Smoke and Ashes
Ruby and Killian arrive in Undertown and go out of their way to attract attention. Belle has a busy day, procuring birth control for herself and then allowing Milah to convert her into a suitable "pet" for Gold to take to Undertown. Gold remains most uncomfortable with exposing Belle to the dangers he knows lurk in the underworld, but, feeling he has no other real choice, he takes a collared, scantily-clad Belle down to the Villains' Club. It is in the underworld that Belle discovers that her lover is widely regarded as the heir apparent to the demon Pan and where she meets Pan himself, who appears as a surly teenager. She is repulsed by Pan's malicious, predatory attitude. While still in the club, Belle and Gold are approached by none other than Zelena.
A.N. Warning for some seriously kinky stuff coming up (some strong suggestion of child abuse).
Chapter 27
Undertown
+ + + + Avonleigh
"Your majesty?" a portly gentleman had responded to King Maurice's call.
Maurice looked up, "Ah yes, Cogsworth. Thank you for coming at this odd hour."
"Is it the letter sir? I told the staff that they would only upset you if they showed you that thing. It's obviously from some deranged individual who delights in causing others distress."
Maurice shook his head. "I don't think so. I can't really explain it but it feels right. The way it's signed. I have every reason to believe that it is genuine. It's from my precious girl."
"Sir, you must know by now. . . "
Maurice waved him off. "Whoever wrote this knows a lot about my daughter, not only that she is not really sick, but they've included things that I think only she would know. I have accepted the letter as legitimate."
"Very well sir," Cogsworth stood waiting. Was there to be anything else?
"There is something else. A few days before I got this letter, I met a man who was doing research in the library. He told me that I might yet get to see my daughter alive and well, walk her down the aisle and live to play with grandchildren."
"A coincidence sir. A well-meaning stranger. . . "
Maurice shook his head. "I'm not a big believer in coincidences. Somehow I think this man might have known something. I don't think it would be too much of a problem to get more information about him and see if there is any possible connection between his being here and the letter arriving soon after his departure. If there isn't any, then it's just a little time that we've lost."
Cogsworth thought only a moment, "Well, if he was doing research in the library, he would have had to present credentials to Luminere. I would suggest we talk with him first."
"Excellent idea. Except, I will talk with him, I think. There's a small chance that Luminere may know something about this and I want him to share what he knows without him feeling that he's being threatened."
Cogsworth nodded, "As you wish, your majesty."
+ + + Zelena speaks her piece
"Go away Zelena," he muttered as his hand crept up to cup Belle's breast. Now that she was close, sitting on his lap, her intoxicating smell filled his head. He abruptly realized that the lure of the collar was working on him just as it placing demands on Belle.
"She has the dagger and the scroll," Belle whispered into his ear. The sensation of her warm breath gently teasing his ear and the import of her message, shook him. It took every ounce of Gold's fortitude not to flinch. "Why is she green?" Belle asked a follow-up question, also whispered, followed by her licking along the edge of his ear.
"Now you really don't want me to go away just yet, do you?" Zelena wheedled. "You know . . . usually mother sits here – holding court, but she's got a new boy toy right now so she's . . . busy." Zelena fluffed her hair. "I just saw your father and he told me you were here. I might have some news about him, what he's up to. I think you might be interested." Zelena's eyes were uncertain.
Gold pretended to reconsider. It wasn't easy. Belle was pressing hot, desperate kisses down his throat.
Yet Gold knew he would have to deal with Zelena. He didn't want to. He didn't like the woman. She had always fawned over him but everything in him said that if she could ever gain the upper hand, she would be a bully.
"Five minutes. Say your piece in five minutes," he finally told her and nodded at the bench opposite his. And he turned his attention back to Belle. Ah Belle. Delicious, warm and luscious Belle, wiggling on his lap.
Rather than sitting opposite, Zelena sat on the same bench that Gold and Belle were occupying.
"You aren't going to order me a drink?" Zelena asked peevishly, obviously miffed that his primary attention was still on the golden-clad mousy brunette squirming on his lap. Whatever did he see in her?
Gold sighed and held up his hand to signal for the waitress's attention who promptly attended the threesome.
"I'll have a Dark and Stormy," Zelena told the waitress who looked at Gold. He gave a slight nod.
Gratified that she had been able to gain a seat next to him and five minutes of his company, Zelena tried to make conversation. "It's really nice to see you down here. Slumming with us reprobates? What brings you down here?" She was trying desperately hard to be pleasant.
Gold glanced at her, sitting quietly for a long moment, before answering, "Boredom, just boredom."
Zelena leaned into him, leaning over so he could see down her dress. He had finally stopped kissing and pawing the little mouse. "Missing a little excitement in your life?"
"A little," Gold admitted.
The waitress returned with Zelena's drink. She picked it up and downed nearly a half of it before putting the glass back down. "Any openings in that house of yours?"
"Tick tock, Zelena," he reminded her but then replied, "The House decides. If there are any openings, it will post them in the window," he replied, knowing full well that only those who were 'eligible' would ever be able to see any 'rooms for rent' signs.
"Well, I don't get by there often, although I do go upworld at least once a week."
"Looking for new toys?" Gold asked her returning his attention to Belle.
Zelena didn't respond to his comment but instead announced, "Your father is planning to cast a curse to do away with Light Magic."
This got Gold's attention. This made Gold stop kissing Belle. "What?!"
"Well, that got your attention," Zelena observed.
"Tell me more," Gold asked, trying not to act too interested.
"Well . . ." Zelena hedged. "Why don't you come back to my place and we can . . . discuss it." She was sitting close to him and stroked his arm. "It's going to take more than five minutes. I'll tell you what I know. Everything I know. Promise."
Gold was hesitant. He didn't like this woman, but she had leverage, things he wanted, information he needed. He managed a smile. "Very well, Zelena. This one time, your place."
Zelena was obviously thrilled. "Yes!" she responded breathlessly. "You'll come alone?" she asked glancing at Belle and then turning her attentions to him, hopefully, oh so hopefully.
"I have nowhere to leave my pet, so she'll come with me. She can sit in an out-of-the-way place and be quiet." Besides he needed to get Belle inside of Zelena's apartment so that she could precisely locate the scroll and dagger bit.
Gold left a hefty sum on the table to pay for the drinks and as a tip for the staff. He gestured for Zelena to lead the way. She was obviously disappointed that Belle would accompany Gold.
Belle followed at a discrete distance behind Gold and Zelena who was draping herself around the man while she walked next to him – how was she doing that?
Belle's Empathic Talents were spiking. Although she had an instant dislike of the tall strawberry-blonde, she also felt that the woman was damaged and didn't like herself. She'd had a hard life and felt that the world owed her.
Belle could also tell that the woman was infatuated with Gold or Rumple as everyone down here called him. She must ask him about that sometime.
Walking along the streets of Undertown Asheville was like walking through a thick fog very early in the morning. Everything was colored shades of grey - dark grey streets, medium grey buildings, light grey street lights. They slogged through the dimly lit, damp streets. At least this part of Undertown smelled better.
Belle was fighting the call of the collar. There was still the strong urge to kiss and caress the man. She took a deep breath and refocused herself. Then she looked at his back as he walked purposefully along the grey thoroughfare. Those pants really fit him well, the boots he wore hugged his legs. Belle gave herself a little shake.
Although, Gold had successfully removed many of the threads, but there was still the compulsion to obey, still the overwhelming desire to please and to be pleasing. Managing this collar thing was turning out to be more difficult that she'd thought it would be.
They went through the streets and up to Zelena's Undertown apartment. Belle looked around and realized it was or would have been if it was in the upper world on the corner of Alston and Broadway, about at the point that Broadway became Biltmore Avenue. They went upstairs (no elevator in this building either).
"She can sit here by the door," Zelena told Gold without looking at Belle. Belle looked to Gold her master; he perused the area and nodded.
"Belle my pet, sit here. Be a good girl and I shall reward you later," he promised her.
Zelena wasn't happy to see and hear this and led Gold off. "What do mean, you'll 'reward' her?" she asked.
Gold knew she was jealous no doubt about that – he didn't have to be an Empath to read her emotions at the moment.
"She's wearing my collar. Whatever I tell her is her reward, that's her reward,"
Zelena considered. "Really? And what kinds of things do you tell her?" she asked and Belle caught a salacious, prurient curiosity concerning the nature of Gold's relationship with her. Belle sensed that Zelena took pleasure from the discomfort of others – had she had others take pleasure from her discomfort?
"Well, we don't engage in much conversation to be truthful. Usually it's more of what I have her do . . . or do to her."
Zelena's eyes were glinting, "Like what?" she asked breathlessly - definitely lustful, unwholesome interest.
Gold steeled himself. Zelena, with her touching and shameless glances, definitely was interested in him (he would have had to have been deaf and blind not to pick up on it). Doing what he felt he had to do, Gold abruptly pushed Zelena against the wall. Holding her there he softly caressed her face, "Sometimes I let her suck my cock. Other times I just fuck her."
"Oh!" Zelena was clearly aroused by the crude talk. "What do you do when she's been naughty?" She was panting and breathing heavily. Hearing her, Belle rolled her eyes. Poor Gold was likely struggling hard not to pull away from the woman in disgust.
"I usually spank her," he told Zelena, breathing into her ear.
"Do you do it . . . hard?" Gold could see that Zelena's eyes had dilated and he could see her mouth was open. Gold worked to keep himself focused – doing what he had to do. Knowing that Zelena could take pleasure in the pain of another was revolting.
"Not too hard. I don't like to leave bruises," he whispered. He wasn't going to be able to continue with this. He stepped back, releasing Zelena.
Zelena took several deep breaths, obviously disappointed, but she quickly recovered. "Can I get you a drink? You like Johnny Walker Blue, don't you?"
How? Why would she know his drinking preferences?
"Yeah, I like it," he admitted.
"Good. I was hoping you might come visiting one day and I bought some," she gushed and rushed into the living room to pour him a drink. Before he followed her, Gold took one last glance at Belle. She could tell he was finding this cozening up to Zelena most difficult.
With the two out of view, Belle closed her eyes and felt around the apartment. She kept encountering nasty little piles of . . . well, nasty. Not what she was looking for. She dimly heard Gold asking Zelena about the curse his father was considering casting.
Belle touched on the scroll – oh darn! It was in Zelena's bedroom . . . on the floor . . . just in a pile with other loose papers.
But where was the dagger piece? Belle scanned the apartment. Nothing. But she had felt it was here. Somewhere. She knew she had felt it. She began her scan again. Not in the kitchen. Not in the bedroom. Not in the bathroom. Ah, there in the living room. But where? It was as if there was a shifting shield that opened and closed in no particular pattern. She couldn't quite pin it down.
Zelena was blithering on. Gold began to pretend to sip his liquor all the while pouring Zelena more of the strong drink. They were sitting together on her little sofa and Zelena was leaning over making sure he would see her generous cleavage. She continuously touched him, his arm, his shoulder, his leg.
"How do you know my father is planning to cast a curse that will destroy Light Magic?" he persisted, shifting a bit to put a little distance between them.
"Well, you know that sometimes Pan gets a little tipsy and he likes to show off?" she was eager to gain his confidence, his appreciation, his admiration.
"I do," Gold confirmed.
"Well," Zelena was obviously overjoyed to be sharing this tidbit of information. She continued, "I overheard Pan and Mother talking when they were drinking together and bitching about this and that, you sometimes, Regina sometimes, Blue, of course, and Pan said, 'Well Blue won't be a problem much longer.'"
Gold refilled Zelena's glass. "And Cora questioned him?"
"Did she ever! What the hell do you mean? Blue won't be a problem much longer, my mother repeated."
"And?"
"Pan told her that he was going to cast a spell, a spell that would take care of Blue and her kind forever."
"So what's stopping him from going ahead and doing it?" Gold asked.
"He needs something, something he doesn't have to do it," Zelena sat back and flipped her hands through her hair.
"What's he missing?" Gold pressed.
Zelena shrugged. "No idea."
Gold slowly traced his finger down her arm. He then looked up and made eye contact with Zelena. In a whisper, he asked, "Could you find out?"
Zelena grinned, pleased to have garnered his attention. "I might be able to. Pan likes me." She bit her lower lip. Her eyes were shining when she asked, "What would be in it for me?" she asked.
"What would you like?" he asked, keeping his voice slow, soft and seductive.
"Well, I would. . . no. . . I don't think I could ask for . . ."
He leaned in, his lips nearly brushing against her neck, his breath tickling her. "Speak up, Zelena. There must be something I have that you want."
Zelena had relaxed, tipping her head back as he traced a taloned finger along her neck. Her breathing had quickened. "Oh, I don't know. I mean the damn House has already kicked me out. I'll never have a place there."
He pulled back. "I don't know, you do a good deed or two and it is possible that the House might change its mind." Although I doubt it.
"I would be willing to let you decide on a suitable reward," she smiled at him and then sat back, slumping against him. "You know something? I used to spy on you and my mother," Zelena giggled when she told him, beginning to melt into his body, resting herself against his side.
He pulled back, puzzled, "What?"
"You know Cora's house. I grew up there. It had lotsa hidden passageways and secret little hideaways. I used to watch my mother entertain."
Gold said nothing. Where was she going with this?
Zelena took another drink and continued. "She would spend a lot of time getting herself ready. Different undergarments for different men, you know. Some liked lace, some liked leather," Zelena giggled again, "some preferred nothing at all. She had some really naughty outfits, some that exposed her tits and some that exposed her hoohah."
"You would watch her dress?" he asked. What the hell had Cora been thinking, allowing her daughter to watch this type of activity? What else had she witnessed as a young child? He wasn't sure what to say,"What I remember from the brief time we were together was that it was pretty, lace and satin. After we parted ways, I never saw her underwear again," he shared.
"Oh I know you didn't," Zelena agreed with him. "You were the only one who didn't, did you know that?" Zelena hiccupped. "The other men," and Zelena dropped her voice, "they would come to see her and she would take them up to her bedroom and play games with them." Zelena took another drink and dissolved into giggles. "I used to watch from a special little hidey-hole I had." Zelena again dropped her voice and whispered, "One of her favorite games was the Whipping Game. She would have the man undress and make sure that he was . . . you know, interested. Then he had to get on his hands and knees and Mother would whip him, really hard with a cane. She would draw blood from some of these men." Zelena took another drink. "The rule was if the guy could maintain his . . . interest . . . after the caning, then he could do whatever he wanted to Mother. If he got . . . disinterested, then she could do whatever she wanted to him."
Gold nodded. Zelena had witnessed this perverted activity! No wonder she had . . . issues.
Zelena was struggling to stay in an upright position but still managed to take yet another drink, "None of the men ever got to do what they wanted to do to her. Oh, and Mother was very creative, you know, with what she did with them. Sometimes the man would just get ten more hits, sometimes Mother would take the cane handle and shove it up the guy's ass and then she would have the man fiddle with himself until his shot his wad all over the rug." Zelena took another drink, quite tipsy by this time. She continued, "Sometimes, the man would have to pay some kinda penalty and wear one of Mother's devices. She had a lot of devices, usually things she would stick up their bums and they'd have to wear it until she told them they could take it out. Sometimes she'd put this cage-thing on their cocks and if they got it up again it would squeeze them something dreadful."
"That's disgusting," Gold let slip. He'd suspected Cora was into some kinky stuff, but hadn't realized just how over the top she was. And Zelena had watched all this!
"No, what was disgusting is that these guys would all come back to see her," Zelena drained her glass and Gold poured her another.
Zelena continued, her speech more slow and more slurred, "But you. When you were the one she was expecting, the one who was going to come over, I could tell. She was always very careful to pick out lacy, frilly underwear and would change her dress five or six times. She wouldn't use nearly as much make-up. And then I would watch you two together."
He frantically thought back over his post-break-up times with Cora. He couldn't remember engaging in anything inappropriate.
"I would just come over to help her with the occasional spell," Gold confessed. "She was a married woman, so I wouldn't have considered having more of a relationship with her."
"I think mother was always hoping that you would try something. Do you know what I think?" she asked coyly.
Gold didn't trust himself to say anything. He shook his head.
Zelena smiled at him and leaned in to place a tentative kiss on his neck. "I think in Mother's way, she loved you." Zelena sniffed. "And I fell in love with you too. Did you know that? You were the only nice man I'd ever been around. The only decent man. When I was little, I used to have this fantasy that you would come one day and tell me that you had just found out that you were my father and you wanted me to come and live with you and you would promise me that you wouldn't hurt me and I could go outside and play and you would love me and take care of me." Zelena had tears running down her face.
She sat crying softly before she spoke again, "But of course, you never did."
"Zelena, I'm not your father," Gold told her sadly.
"It took me awhile to realize that there might be some perks in that," she smiled sadly at him and her eyes closed and her head dropped.
She had passed out.
"Belle," Gold just barely raised his voice, not wanting to wake Zelena. He gingerly pulled himself away from her. Belle had instantly appeared in the doorway. She had tears running down her face she must have heard Zelena's sad little story.
"She's passed out. I'm not sure what to do here," he said to Belle.
Belle looked things over. "Let's carry her to her bedroom. We can put her to bed and pick up a little something," she said meaningfully.
Belle must have figured out where the scroll and dagger part were. Gold nodded and, using magic, he hoisted up Zelena and carried her back to the bedroom.
"We should undress her," Belle told him.
"What?! Belle, I really don't want to touch this woman any more than I absolutely have to!" he protested.
"Not completely. The same you would do with any drunk. Take off her shoes and socks and cover her up," Belle directed him.
Gold glared at her. When he didn't make a move, Belle sighed and removed the woman's pointy-toed boots and striped stockings.
"She thinks she's in love with you, you know that," Belle told him.
Gold was standing, not moving. "Why would we care what she thinks?"
Belle continued, "It's rather sad, don't you think? But the bigger issue is that I while I've found the scroll¸ I still can't pinpoint the dagger. If you want that, we'll have to come back here. It's here somewhere, but I can't quite get where it is."
"Really?" Gold wasn't happy to hear this. "I was hoping this might be over tonight."
"Really, when you've just heard that your father has a plan to kill off or neutralize all the beings of Light?"
"Well," Gold didn't want to agree but it was pretty obvious what needed to be done.
Belle had meanwhile scrambled through some of the paperwork Zelena had lying around and secured the scroll. She held it up so that Gold could see it.
"Let's go," she told him.
"I thought I was supposed to be giving the orders," he told her sullenly.
"Any time," Belle shot back at him.
His eyes narrowed briefly and Belle froze, feeling the surge of power spear into her. "Maybe later, my sweet" he muttered under his breath and followed Belle out of the room.
As soon as they made it out of the room, Gold halted Belle, turning her to face him. "This collar," he began. "It ties you to me, but I had no idea how much it ties me to you."
Belle looked up into his brown eyes. They were dark in the dim light (or were they widened in passion?).
"Do I repulse you?" he had to ask. He had pushed her up against the wall much as he had done with Zelena earlier.
"No," Belle answered honestly she had no choice under the influence of the collar. "You excite me."
He sniffed her, deeply breathing in her scent, delighting in finding only his own scent on her – his woman, his female. No other man had ever had her. He felt a fierce unremorseful level of pride in knowing that she had only ever known his touch, his kisses, his cock.
Belle had dropped her eyes. She had his permission to look him in the eye, but the unbridled desire that was shining through his darkened eyes unnerved her. She knew she had pleased him, his pleasure in her fairly hummed through her body. "Now?" she asked. "You want me now?"
She was up against a wall and it took him only a moment to lift her up so that she was pinioned between his body and the wall.
There was no doubting his desire for her. And she only wanted to please him.
And he was kissing her, hard, harsh kisses, his teeth grazing her lips. She could feel his hands on her waist, holding her up. She opened her mouth to his.
Gold - Rumple - was reveling in his mastery over his darling girl. He had complete control. He could do as he pleased.
Then he stopped.
This wasn't right. This wasn't the relationship he wanted with this woman. She was too wonderful to be taken up against the wall of some dirty tenement building. She was special, too special to be treated like a common whore.
Belle was continuing to try to kiss him, straining towards him, pressing her lips to his cheek, his neck, his chest as she could.
"Belle, stop, stop, my darling," he managed to whisper to her.
"I want only to please you. Am I not pleasing you?" she asked him.
"Oh yes." Oh yes! "But this is not right, not proper, not respectful."
"I will try harder to please you more," Belle told him, her little hands digging inside his leather vest, inside his shirt and splaying themselves against his skin.
He somehow managed to pull himself away from her, setting her on her feet on the floor of the hallway.
"Let's go back to The House," he told her ordered her.
Belle dropped her head but dutifully followed him down the stairs and out into the open air. He looked around. It was probably about three in the morning. There were a few denizens of this dark world moving around, but the streets were not safe and most inhabitants with any sense had retired.
Of course, Gold realized, he was one of the things that made the streets 'not safe.'
He led his Belle down the streets back, past the Villains' Club and back to the un-predisposing building they had first came out of upon their arrival. He began climbing the stairs. He glanced back. Belle was following him what choice did she have?
Damn! He realized that he shouldn't have looked at her. Soft, sultry, alluring, warm . . . receptive. She looked up at him, her blue eyes small slender rings around black pools.
"Yes master?" she asked him with a smile. "Do you want something?"
He knew it was the collar, controlling him as much as it controlled Belle.
But no, he really did care for this woman, loved this woman. Just because there was a love spell, hell, a lust spell, on a binding he had put on her, didn't make any of his feelings less real.
He pulled her to him.
Immediately she was kissing him, her hands touching him, wandering down his body, touching him, feeling him, everywhere.
This wasn't wrong. They cared for each other.
Just because they were in a stairwell where just anybody, anything might happen upon them . . . just because he was in an inhuman form . . . just because they were both under the influence of a dark, dangerous spell . . . just because he could and she would.
A small part of his brain registered what was happening.
Somehow he managed to pull back yet again from Belle. "No, this isn't right. This is dangerous. We shouldn't . . . not like this." He stood with his hands on both sides of her, resting against the wall. Belle tried to lean in to kiss, to touch him.
"No!" he ordered sharply and she immediately drew back.
"Have I displeased Master?" she asked him. "Please, let your girl please you."
Gold was alarmed. Belle's speech patterns, her actions, were becoming increasingly not her own, increasingly those of the compliant slave girl.
"We've got to get back to The House," he told her urgently and he took her hand to help her continue up the stairs, back to the small little warehouse-like structure that was off Carolina Lane. The rodent creature was nowhere to be seen.
Well enough. Gold pulled her through the door and stepped outside into the brisk air. He turned for a moment, ignoring her languid attempts to entice him. She seemed like she was sleep walking.
They made it back into the shop. Belle was feeling as if she had been in a dream. She had few memories of walking away from Zelena's apartment, through the streets of Undertown, up the stairs to Carolina Lane and the walk back to The House. She shook herself and looked at one of the clocks he had on the wall. It was three thirty in the morning. He reached up to unfasten the collar but then stopped.
"I want you to understand something here and now," he began. He was no longer the green-gold reptile.
Belle stood absolutely still. What? What was he going to say? What was he going to do? Some command, perhaps? She felt herself growing heated and, what was the term he had used? Receptive.
"You are not going back with me into that hellhole, that horrible place. You will stay here and read or dust or whatever it is you do. Do you understand?"
Compelled by the collar, Belle could only nod.
He removed the collar.
"Do you understand?" he asked again.
Belle nodded. "So, you think you can find where she has the dagger piece on your own?" she immediately asked him.
"I believe I know where she has the dagger piece," he told her.
She looked at him, questioningly.
"I believe that it's around her neck. She has a large green stone, an emerald, I'd guess, mounted on to it."
Thanks so much to all you faithful reviewers: juju0268, RaFire, Montreat11 (chapters 10 & 11), jamie. wan. Kanobi, Anne Andrews (Guest), deweymay, orthankg1, Robin4, The Prince's Phoenix, RoxyMoron, Leafena, karolprado, Tinuviel Undomiel (chapter 16), Chauchi, spacecats, MyraValhallah, jewel415, thedoctorsgirl42, emospritelet (chapters 25 & 26), and Erik'sTrueAngel (Guest)
NEXT: Ruby goes in search of Killian
Gold confronts Zelena (again)