I hope everyone enjoyed the first chapter! I really enjoyed writing it!
Disclaimer: No, I do not own Once Upon a Time (sadly). If I did, Rumbelle would have a lot more scenes, Belle and Neil would be treated as main cast members, and I would be playing a character. And Emilie, Jared, Ginny, Lana, Bailee, Jennifer, and the entire cast and I would be best friends.
Chapter Two:Enchanted ForestA soft mewling sound filled the tent, in sharp contrast to the sounds of battle that was finishing up outside. Belle gasped. Love like she'd never felt coursed through her as Red lay the tiny, squirming bundle in Belle's arms.
"Congratulations, Belle," she said, eyes a bit wet from the emotion of it all, "You have a daughter."
"She's beautiful," Snow added. Then, gesturing to Red, they turned away, slipping out of the tent to join the fight, leaving Belle alone with her newborn daughter.
Belle was overcome with emotion. She adjusted her hold on her daughter so she could get a better look at her. Her eyes, a brilliant, piercing blue, looked straight into Belle's own. Belle smiled. She'd read enough to know this wasn't normal, not yet, but wasn't at all concerned.
"Yes, Elsa," Belle chuckled softly, "You a lot of your father in you. You're going to be a very special little girl, indeed."
"Belle! Belle!" Neil's voice rang throughout the camp. Belle blinked sleepily. She was sore, and, for a few seconds, wondered why. Then the events of the night before flew back into her brain.
"Neil? Neil, I'm here! In the tent," Belle answered. Neil appeared a moment later, out of breath.
"I came…as fast…as I could," he gasped. Leaning against the tent pole for a moment to catch his breath, he continued, "Snow told me you would be in here."
He knelt down by Belle's bed. "So, last night was busy, huh?" he began, somewhat awkwardly. Belle laughed softly.
"That's the understatement of the century. It was, in fact, very busy, but in a good way. Are you ready to meet your sister?"
"Am I ever!" Neil grinned. Belle swung her legs over the edge of the bed and eased to her feet. She padded softly over to the cradle. Picking up her baby girl, she carried her over to Neil.
"Neil, meet Elsa," Belle proudly said, "Isn't she beautiful?" Neil agreed. Only a day old and Elsa was already a beauty. She had bright blue eyes like her mother, and alertness obviously inherited form her father. But the likeness to her parents ended there. Elsa's hair, rather than being the darker color of her parents, was a pale blonde, like straw. In fact, that word could be used to describe all of Elsa: pale. Her skin, her hair, her eyes…all beautiful, yet all pale. Belle, however, didn't care at all. This was her daughter, and Rumplestiltskin's daughter, and Belle loved her for that, no matter what.
The Land of Oz"Ugh…that sappy, loving family of yours makes me sick," a woman's voice echoed through Rumplestiltskin's head. He blinked, trying to distinguish a face. His sight began to clear, and soon he saw the person to whom the voice belonged. A woman stood a few feet away, looking into a glass ball. In the glass ball, Belle and Neil were frozen in time, looking with love in their eyes on the tiny baby in Belle's arms. The woman turned to him again, clearly disgusted. Kneeling down in front of him, she smiled. "But I don't think you need to worry about them too much longer, my pretty. No…I have a very special plan for them, and all their companions. And it won't be too pleasant. In fact, it will…"
As she continued to speak, Rumplestiltskin's mind trailed off. Who was this woman? And why did his head hurt so much? He vaguely recognized the woman and man in the ball, but couldn't remember their names. He groaned. It hurt to think! And the voices…they screamed at him, day and night. Telling him he wasn't good enough, that no one could ever love him, that all he was good for was the darkness. The voices took different forms: sometimes the voice of a woman, soft, low, and sweet, yet full of hurt and anger. Sometimes a boy's, betrayed and lonely. But most often, a dark, sinister voice, full of anger and bitterness… the voice of one who should've loved him, but had not. Rumplestiltskin curled up into a ball on the floor, trying without success to shut out all the voices.
Storybrooke
Belle looked up as the bell on the door jingled. A woman she'd never before seen stepped in, with reddish hair and a green brooch on. She walked up to the counter. Belle smiled at her, waiting for her to speak. When she did, the words she said were not what she'd expected.
"You must be Mrs. Gold," the woman began, in a crisp English accent. Belle started a bit, taken off guard.
"Oh…uh, no…I'm not Mrs. Gold," Belle stammered, surprised.
"Oh…well then, is Mr. Gold in?" the woman persisted. At these words Belle's heart cracked a bit more. She felt tears stinging her eyes, no matter how hard Belle tried to hold them back.
"No…He, uh he died," replied Belle, attempting still to hold back the pain, and conceal how much this hurt. The woman's face immediately became one of sympathy and sorrow.
"I'm so sorry for your loss…" she trailed off.
"Belle," trying to smile, Belle stated, "My name is Belle."
"Belle…what a beautiful name!" as she spoke, a sudden gleam came and went in the woman's eyes. It was quick, but Belle caught it. She didn't like that, and it made her uneasy.
When the woman left, Belle shook her head, attempting to clear away the strange, disoriented feeling that suddenly filled her head. The more Belle thought about the woman, the less Belle trusted her. First of all, almost everyone should know by now that Rumplestiltskin was dead. Also, there was the strange, almost sinister flash in the woman's eyes. 'I'll have to keep a watch on that her,' Belle thought.
Enchanted Forest
A few miles away from where Belle, Neil, and everyone else were camped, a huge fortress rose above the trees. This was the palace of the Evil Queen. The dark structure loomed out of the darkness. In the highest tower, staring out the window with a calculating, cold look on her green face, the Wicked Witch stood. She turned away, then called out, "My beautiful One!"
As she spoke, a horrendous figure flew out of the blackness. It had huge, leathery wings, and the face and body of a monkey. "Follow the band of munchkins, wherever they go. And, especially watch the beauty and her child. She is very important to me."
With those words, the monkey flew off into the black night sky.
Well, there's chapter two! What did you guys think? Leave a review and tell me! So, which one do you think Zelena wants, Belle or Elsa, and why? Will Belle discover Zelena's true identity?
Next week: Belle discovers something strange about Elsa, Regina and Robin meet after Regina saves Roland, and Grace baby-sits Elsa while Belle and Neil go find a way to bring Rumplestiltskin back.
