A/N:: Greetings Readers! I just wanted to acknowledge everyone sending me very nice reviews, I definitely appreciate them. And since these reviews have indeed been sent, here's Chapter 2, as promised. Thank you!::
Chapter Two
"Rose Red, where are you?" Snow White called, wandering out into the castle hall in an unlaced wedding dress. She was struggling to hold up the hem.
"Sorry! I'm coming, I'm coming," a young lady with the same fair complexion and deep dark hair as the princess bride hurried to her sister's side.
"What took you? Come on, I need your help." Snow said, indicating the back of her dress.
"I know, I know. I couldn't find my shoes," Rose grumbled, putting some hairpins in her mouth to hold as she laced up her sister.
Snow giggled. "I'm so nervous! Is this really happening?" she let out a shuddering breath and beamed.
Rose smiled and moved on to pinning up Snow's hair. "I should hope so! True love, happy endings… sounds like you got everything you wanted."
Snow glanced at her sister in the mirror and noticed her subtle frown. "You'll find your prince someday, Rose."
Rose Red shrugged. "Perhaps. But for now, let's focus on your big day, hmm?" Rose grinned and Snow bit her lip as she tried to hide her wide smile.
"Hey, Rose?" Snow suddenly asked after a pause enveloped the two.
"Hmm?" Rose took a hair pin from her mouth and adjusted one of Snow's curls.
"I'm sorry."
Rose's nimble fingers paused and hovered over Snow's hair. "Whatever for?"
Snow sighed and looked down at her feet. "Leaving you alone with the Queen for all of that time."
Rose rolled her silver eyes. "You were on the run, hiding for your life, Snow. You have nothing to be sorry for." Seeing as this did nothing to ease Snow's conscience, Rose continued, "Besides, we're together here and now and nothing will take you away from me again. Not even the Queen."
Somewhere, deep down in a dungeon cavern, a mischievous character cackled sinisterly. "Ooh, I wouldn't count on that, deary…" he said to the empty shadows with closed eyes.
"Bellamy? Ms. Grey!" a voice brought Bellamy back from her reverie. She blinked and realized she had been standing in her shop with an angry Regina red-faced and livid standing in front of her. It was the next day and Henry had returned home late the previous night with an Emma Swan, his biological mother. Needless to say, Regina was gathering arms.
"Yes, yes I'm sorry." Bellamy stuttered.
"Good. Then I take it we understand one another?" Regina said, her arms folded and her stern eyes locked onto the young woman before her.
"Yes, ma'am. I'll be sure to call Ms. Blanchard after I leave Henry at the bus to make sure he makes it to school, this time." Bellamy recited, quoting word for word what the mayor had just instructed.
"You'd better. For your sake." Regina turned and her glare lingered on Bellamy before she put on her sunglasses and stalked out of the shop. Bellamy deflated and slumped against the coffee bar with her head in her hands.
"Bellamy! Bellamy!" an energetic Henry burst into the shop, startling Bellamy so much that she nearly fell over. A blonde woman followed him into the store.
"Oh, hi Henry." Bellamy put a hand to her heart, feeling it boom against her ribs. "Oh, who's this?" she asked, noticing the woman.
"I'm uh, I-" the woman began only to be interrupted by Henry.
"She's my mom." He shrugged before looking up at Emma. "This is Bellamy, but everyone calls her Bells. She has the best coffee in Storybrooke." He informed her.
Bellamy blinked, stunned at woman who gave Henry away ten years ago. She was pretty, that much was certain. Shaking herself out of her stare, Bellamy offered her hand. "Hi, nice to meet you."
"Same. I'm Emma." She swallowed hard, "Just Emma." She glanced down at Henry, hoping he took the hint as well. Bellamy understood and shook her hand.
"Bellamy, guess what!" Henry hopped up onto one of the barstools.
"What?" Bellamy asked, smiling lightly at Henry. "Did you find out who I was in the Enchanted Forest?" she asked, half jokingly.
Henry started then blinked in surprise. "Yeah, how'd you know?"
Bellamy grinned. "Just a guess, kiddo. I wasn't serious. Now, lay it on me. Who do you think I am?"
Henry leaned forward and whispered, "Rose Red, Snow White's sister."
She paused in astonishment before chuckling. "You think I'm a princess, too?"
Henry nodded. "Well, sort of. Rose Red's story is a little different than Snow White's and honestly, I really don't understand much of it…"
"Henry, we need to get you to your bus," Emma interjected, giving Bellamy a glance.
"Oh, okay. Bye Bells, Emma's gonna walk me today." Henry said, hopping down from the stool and waving.
"Bye, Henry."
Emma smiled shortly before turning. Quickly thinking of Mr. Gold's deal, Bellamy called after them, "Emma! Why don't you come back after you drop off Henry? I'll brew you one of my famous Storybrooke Specials, on the house."
Emma thought a moment before saying, "Sure." They left.
Bellamy went about her morning, serving her usual customers and stopping only once to have a casual chat with Dr. Hopper before Emma returned.
"Hi, Emma!" Bellamy called, waving her over to the bar. Emma approached and sat down with a deep sigh. She hurriedly made one of her secret coffee recipes and slammed it down in front of Emma. "There you are, and tell me honestly what you think."
Emma took the cup and took a sip. Her eyes widened and she nodded. "That's pretty good. What is it?" she asked, taking another longer drink.
Bellamy grinned. "Storybrooke Special, my secret recipe of the right blends of cinnamon, nutmeg, coffee and mocha. With some various ingredients thrown in as well. And sugar. Lots of sugar."
Emma scoffed with a smile. "So, you indulge Henry's little…obsession?" Emma asked after a while.
Bellamy, who was working behind the bar with her back to Emma, faltered. She turned around to face Emma. "I feel like it's sort of my fault."
"What do you mean?" Emma's eyes narrowed.
"Well," Bellamy folded her arms and leaned back onto her own little stool. "I'm the one who sold the book to Mary Margaret. She was going on and on about how unhappy Henry was at school and, I'm sure, at home. I just wanted to give him something to distract him, to sort of, I dunno, make him see that life isn't always gloom and doom like Regina says."
Emma frowned. "There's nothing wrong with that. But, thinking everyone in town is a character in the book who's under some curse is, is…"
"Farfetched?" Bellamy offered.
"Well, yeah."
The clock in town square tolled. Bellamy jumped and her head spun to the window in shock.
"W-What was that?" she asked, throwing down the towel she was holding and running to the window. True to her suspicions, the clock was now telling the correct time: ten in the morning.
"Why's that so important?" Emma asked, coming beside her. "It's just a clock."
"It's a broken clock." Bellamy said quietly.
"So, someone fixed it." Emma stated.
Bellamy glanced at her then back to the clock. She slowly looked away and went back to the coffee bar. "Yeah, must be." She cleared her throat. "So, you saw Henry to the bus?"
"Yep." Emma checked her watch. "I'll head back to the inn, now. I want to start unpacking."
"Sure," Bellamy followed her to the door. "And Emma?" Emma turned and Bellamy smiled kindly. "For what it's worth, Henry looks happier than he has in a while. I think you being here is good for him. Feel free to stop in anytime, okay?"
Emma nodded. "Thanks, I will."
Bellamy watched her go and grabbed her cell phone from her apron pocket.
"Hello, Bells? I'm starting class, can this wait?" Mary Margaret answered in a whisper.
"Is Henry there?" Bellamy asked.
"Yeah, he's sitting right here." She replied.
"Okay, thanks. The mayor wanted me to call and make sure he made it." Bellamy explained.
"I understand. I'll talk with you later, okay?"
"Got it, bye." Bellamy hung up and looked around her shop. Maybe mopping would make her feel a little better about being both Regina's and Mr. Gold's spy. Speaking of Mr. Gold, as if summoned by the mere thought of him, he arrived at the shop nearly twenty minutes into Bellamy's mopping.
"Oh, good morning Mr. Gold." Bellamy said, halting her mopping and heading to the bar, "Your usual?"
"Yes, please," he answered, using his cane to walk to the bar. Bellamy watched him in a mix of curiosity and apprehension as she worked on his order. Mr. Gold never sat down at the coffee bar. He remained standing, near the door, patiently waiting for her to hand him his coffee. She tried to not show emotion as she felt his transfixing gaze drill into her back while she worked. Finally, she turned around and placed the cup on the bar.
His lips spread into a thin smile, showing those impish dimples. He folded his hands around the warm Styrofoam and continued to watch her. "So, you've met Ms. Swann, then?"
Bellamy, feeling prickly and quite on guard in his presence, nodded. She wasn't too sure what to do with herself, so she forced herself to sit still on her stool behind the bar. "Yes, just this morning."
"Ah, I've had the pleasure as well. Met her last night at Granny's after sorting out some…business. Tell me your thoughts on her," he said in a manner in which what would usually be a suggestion was a demand. She folded her arms and shrugged.
"I don't have much to say, it's not like she poured out her whole life story." Like hell she would make this easy for him. If Gold wanted his information so badly, he would work for it.
As if sensing what she was doing, Mr. Gold grinned. "Or perhaps you just weren't observant enough to gather much of anything."
Touché, prig, Bellamy's eyes narrowed. Fine, I'll play. "She seems nice enough. That's really all I've got."
"Really?" his eyes grew dark as they bore through her, almost into her very soul through her clothes, flesh and bone. She felt horribly naked around him, like he could see every thought which passed through her head or take any memory from her mind. "What did you two talk about?"
"The weather." She deadpanned with a scowl.
He chuckled airily, clearly amused by her. "Really, Ms. Grey, I expected more from you."
She rolled her eyes. "Look, I dunno. Just small talk about Henry, I suppose. Mostly discussed his book."
Dark eyes shot to hers and held them in a vice grip. "Book?"
Bellamy, one. Gold, zero. She shrugged. "You know, his book. The one with all of those fairytale stories. He's been carrying it around with him nonstop."
Gold's eyes lowered in thought. "Hmm."
Bellamy watched him with a knit brow. "Why is this so important to you?"
"That, my dear, is none of your concern." He said lowly.
She raised her hands defensively. "Alright, alright. Whatever. Just curious, was all."
"Curiosity, as they say, killed the cat," he said as he stood with his cup. "You've been a tremendous help, Ms. Grey. Have a nice day."
"You're welcome, I guess. Bye, then." She watched him go and made herself a cup of tea. This would be a long day.
A/N:: Well, it's a little bit shorter than chapter one, but I think it makes its point. Thoughts are always welcome. ::