Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time does not belong to me! All characters and references to the show belong to ABC and Channel 5
Once Upon a Time: Schools Out! The Third One-Chapter 5
It took twenty minuets, but Belle managed to arrive back to the College with ten minuets of the lunch hour to spare. She didn't really notice the time though, her mind constantly going back to Ruby's 'Joke' in the deli:
How could she even bring that up? Ever since her break up, she had barely even gone near another guy! Sure, she'd had offers. Jefferson, Guy's in Miami...
But she was still hurting. What Rumplestiltskin did with Milah...it had left it's mark on her. Big Time.
And anyway, Belle thought as she briskly walked towards the lecture buildings, even if it was meant as a joke, it was completely wrong of Ruby to do that in front of all their-Oh!
Belle cried out as, distracted by her thoughts, she missed her footing on the small steps leading up to the building doorway. She fell towards the floor, throwing her arms out to prepare for the incoming impact-
And was instead felt a pair of strong hands on her forearms, catching her right before she fell hit the hard concrete.
"Oh!" Belle gasped, cursing her clumsiness "Thank-you so much! God, I'm such a klutz..." she muttered.
"I have trouble believing that" said the male voice above her, and Belle frowned at the familiarity of it. She looked up. Her eyes widened.
No way...
"Oh. Jefferson" The Hatter softly smiled down at her, and Belle automatically righting herself and pulled away from him "I...sorry for...collapsing on you"
Jefferson chuckled, following her as she moved away from the step "Don't worry about it. Feel free to fall on me anytime!"
Belle, meanwhile, looked for a way out. She was in no mood to put Jefferson off today, and just wanted to go to class (ten minuets early...) but he didn't seem ready to let her go just yet.
"I, uh, I couldn't help but notice, you seemed a little...distracted before you fell" he observed, his head tilted slightly to the side like he was studying her "Is everything O.k?"
"Jefferson, I really don't want to get into it right now!" Belle said, her voice coming out harsher than she meant it to. Jefferson held up his hands, immediately backing off.
"O.k, O.k, sorry" he quickly apologised, and Belle immediately felt guilty. It wasn't his fault Ruby made bad jokes.
"No, I'm sorry" said, tucking a loose curl behind her ear "It's...been a bad afternoon"
"Oh?" Jefferson raised an eyebrow. Waiting.
Belle breathed a small sigh "It's nothing, really..."
"Oh, come on" he suddenly grinned "If you can't talk to an acquaintance, who can you talk to?"
Against her will, Belle's lips lifted in a soft smile. Jefferson had fallen silent, still waiting. She looked at him for a long moment, considering...
No. She couldn't do it. It would be a betrayal to Ruby and Belle was not that sort of girl!
"Sorry Hatter, I...I can't say"
"Ah well!" Jefferson sighed, shrugging heavily "Didn't expect that to work anyway" he added, and Belle's soft smile reappeared. As the bell rang out announcing the end of lunch, he doffed his hat to her-much like he had done on Saturday-and walked towards his own class.
Strange, Belle thought as she finally walked into the building where her Geography lecture was waiting for her, the way he talks, it almost had me convinced that he WASN'T just trying to get into my pants!
OUAT
Later that day, when classes had ended and Belle retreated to her usual table in the library, Ruby found her and apologised again for her admittedly insensitive joke. With a sweet smile, Belle graciously accepted.
"Thank God!" Ruby sighed with relief, and Belle laughed, lowering her book.
"Yeah, I think I've kind of been put off dating, anyway" she said.
"I understand that" said Ruby, her voice soft with sympathy "After everything that happened last semester..."
"Well yeah, there's that" Belle agreed "And there's also the fact that...Jefferson's still trying to get me to go out with him"
"What?!" Ruby screeched, shooting up from her chair so quickly and violently Belle was surprised she didn't carry on right through the ceiling. She looked like she was ready to kill "That bastard!"
"Ssh!" hissed the voice of Ms Krone-the scary, elderly librarian with ridiculously thick glasses-as she popped up out if nowhere beside the bookcase next to the taller brunette.
"Do not start with me, Ms Krone!" said brunette almost yelled, pointing a red tipped finger in her face. The old woman snarled at her, but lurked away when she saw the fire in Ruby's eyes.
She then turned back to Belle "I can't believe this!" she cried, collapsing back into her chair. Belle stared at her friend with wide eyes.
"Rubes...calm down, I said no!"
"That's not the point!" Ruby exclaimed, shooting forwards "The asshat's still going after you even when I specifically told him to leave you the hell alone!"
"You did what?!" Belle yelped, and Ruby froze instantly. With her petite frame and love of slushy romances, it was sometimes easy to forget that Belle French was a fiercely independent young woman, and that when anyone interfered in her problems she was very likely to explode.
Uh-oh
"Ruby..." Belle growled, already rising from her seat.
"N-now just wait one second!" Ruby babbled hastily, but Belle didn't look any less mad "I-I just wanted to get him to-to back off! I was trying to protect you!"
"I'm not a child, Ruby! I can take care of myself!"
"I know that!" Ruby yelled desperately, her heart starting to beat faster as Belle's glare intensified "I-I just didn't want you to get screwed over again! Especially..." she swallowed, casting her eyes down to the table in a way that made Belle's fury only slightly abate. She suddenly looked so sad..."Especially not by some asshole who probably just pretending to care about you" she finished, her voice almost a sad whisper.
"Oh Ruby..." Belle breathed, sympathy overriding her anger and causing her features to smooth out of their angry creases as she took in the pained expression on Ruby's face.
What the Hatter did to her...it must've left it's own mark. She moved over to where Ruby was sat and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, squeezing gently to provide some comfort. So she was very surprised when the red-clothed girl chuckled and shrugged her off. Belle was confused until she pulled back and saw the wolfish grin on her red lips.
She'd been having her on!
"You hag!" Belle cried, and Ruby just burst out laughing even when she got a slap on the shoulder. Belle tried to stay mad at her, but soon found herself dissolving into her own giggles "I actually felt sorry for you, I really thought you were upset!"
"Over him?!" Ruby laughed, and Belle had to admire her ability to both laugh and look disgusted at the same time "Per-lease!"
"I hate you" Belle shook her head, but was still unable to get really mad. She sat down in the chair next to Ruby and waited for her childish laughs to pass.
Once she had calmed down, she spoke again:
"Ruby, thank-you for looking out for me. I appreciate it, really. But...I don't need you to. I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself" she said, her tone reasonable. Ruby looked at her for a minuet, and then heavily exhaled.
"I know" she said, and the two friends hugged again. While locked in their embrace, Belle spoke into her ear:
"Trust me, Ruby. I have no plans to date Jefferson Hatter"
OUAT
Usually, when the late hours of the afternoon reached the Darq House, the boys who inhabited it would swarm together to study, relax, or plot a humiliating/bloody revenge on those who had crossed them.
However, that night, few students had chosen to study, relax, or plot in their own dorm, and those who had were enduring the reason why:
Rumplestiltskin Gold.
Despite his room being on the second floor of the dorm, his furious, muffled screams of fury were impossible to ignore, and the resident's knew when he was pacing because, with each stamp of his feet, small flakes of ceiling plaster floated down onto the heads of unsuspecting boys. Rumplestiltskin was pissed, everyone knew that for sure.
The one thing they didn't know (and definitely weren't about to try and find out!) was why.
OUAT
"He is six, Goddamn years old!" Rumplestiltskin screamed into his phone, the hand that ran over his head tugging on his hair "And you and that bastard were going all WWE with him in the house! What the hell were you thinking?!"
He paused, his breath coming out heavy and laboured. He waited for his mother-Katrina Gold, who he had asked Baelfire to pass the phone to after he'd told him goodnight-to speak, but instead, the line was silent.
He waited. "Mum. Are you there?" he demanded. She hadn't spoken since, unable to keep his anger back, he'd roared at her for about ten minuets straight, and now it seemed that she'd disappeared completely!
Rumplestiltskin pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at the screen. The call was still connected. Why wasn't she answering?
He pressed the phone back to his ear "...Mum?" he said again, this time questioning whether or not she was actually there.
"...are you ready to talk to me in a more civilised manner, young man?" came Katrina Gold's brisk Scottish brogue. Rumplestiltskin rolled his eyes and tried not to groan. This woman dealt with his father on a daily basis, what in Gods name made him think she would put up with him screaming in her ear?
So, he let out a deep breath "Yes, Mother" he said, keeping his voice calm.
"Good" Mrs Gold responded approvingly "Because right now, I want you to listen to me. I am sorry, that we frightened your brother so much, it was the last thing I wanted-"
"Yeah, but it didn't stop it from happening, did it?" Rumplestiltskin couldn't help himself.
"Rumplestiltskin!"
"Sorry"
He heard her sigh, and then she was silent again for a few, long moments. When she did speak, she sounded very, very tired.
"Rumple, I know how much you love Bae, but don't you think I love him just as much?"
Rumplestiltskin frowned "Yes. Of course-"
"So you'll believe me when I say that I was just as horrified as you when I found out how scared he was today?"
"...I suppose-"
"Right. So I think it would be nice if, after trying to reassure my six year old son that I am not going to kill his father, and that he is not going to kill me, I didn't get a telling off from my nineteen year old. Don't you?"
He didn't respond, struggling with feelings of guilt and stupidity "I...yeah" he said lamely, and could've sworn he felt his mother's amused smile on the other end of the phone "Can you just...try and promise me one thing?"
"What, sweetheart?"
"If you do end up fighting again" he started. He'd learned from past experience that there was little point in getting Mummy to promise not to fight with Daddy, so it was better to go with the next best thing "Can you...at least try and make sure Bae can't hear you? I really don't want him calling me up out of fear. Again!"
Mrs Gold hesitated "I promise...your father and I will try to, Rumple"
"Thank-you. O.k, I've gotta go"
"No, wait! Wait!" his mother called frantically as he went to hang up "Rumple?"
"Yeah?"
"Um..." it was now her who hesitated "Y-your father's here, actually"
Rumplestiltskin stiffened, his jaw locked, and the hand he'd been resting on the foot of his bed tightened on the high bedpost. Oh, he knew exactly what she was going to do now, the same thing she'd been trying to do those last few weeks of the previous semester, the same thing she'd been trying to do the whole time they'd been in Scotland.
"Yes. And?" he said stiffly.
"Would you...would you like to talk to-?"
"No"
"Rumple-"
"I said, no"
"I know him sending Milah to break you and Belle up was wrong, but-"
Rumplestiltskin didn't wait to hear the end of that sentence, and just closed his phone with a snap.
OUAT
Regina had never been one to forgive easily, Daniel-and probably many, many other people-knew that for a fact. She was stubborn, strong willed, and had built up a lot of walls around herself over the years, and while those walls were starting to break down little by little, they were still there, and while she had shared more with him than she had with any other person on the planet, Daniel knew that Regina still absolutely hated to feel vulnerable.
Which was why, after he finished his evening shift at Stable Eating, he went to her room in the Mills house and apologised.
Regina scrutinized him for a few moments, as though making sure he was telling the truth. She must have decided he was, because a few moments later she leaned forward and kissed him softly.
"I'm sorry, too" she said, pulling away and glancing at the ground "For reacting the way I did, I-"
"Hey" Daniel cut her off, resting his hands gently on her shoulders to make her look at him before continuing "If you say nothing's wrong, then nothing's wrong"
I'll just have to wait until she's ready to tell me what is wronghe thought as Regina melted into his arms, his hands stroking her back.
Her chin resting on his shoulder, Regina tried to ignore the tight feeling in her chest, telling herself that it hadn't really been a lie. For all she knew it could be nothing, it could just be her over-reacting to a...familiar situation!
Couldn't it?
OUAT
The sky was completely black on the moonless night. No sound came from any of the dorm houses or educator lodgings, everyone who lived in Fairytale College was sound asleep, dreaming their usual dreams as they waited for the dawn to break.
Everybody...except one.
Her name was Jacqueline Sprout, Jack for short. She was tall, had long, chestnut coloured hair and a pretty face, and she stood in the singular light cast by the lamp-post outside of the College entrance. Waiting for someone.
And, eventually, that someone turned up.
"Took you long enough!" said Jack, turning as the she approached. The woman tutted, stepping into the light herself so that the teenager could see her black suit pants and jacket, her brown hair was straight, and fell around her aging face.
"Now, now, don't get smart with me, Dear" said Cora Mills, her tone teasing, but with a noticeable edge to it. Jack quickly apologised, her eyes on the black handbag slung over Cora's right shoulder.
"I did what you said" Jack told her, getting excited when Cora put her hand on her bag, but not reaching into it.
"And?" Cora questioned, a carefully plucked eyebrow rising. Jack shrugged.
"Well, I wasn't there, but I heard she and Daniel had a fight" she said, and immediately Cora's eyes sparkled with delight. She moved closer to Jack and once again the teenager became hopeful. But was disappointed yet again when all Cora did was hold out her hand, chuckling when she looked confused.
"My skeleton key, Dear? I trust you still have it, and I want it back" she reminded her, and with a small sound of acknowledgement Jack dug into her pocket and pulled out the black, heavy key she'd used to unlock Regina's bedroom door the previous night and handed it back to Cora, trying not to shudder at the woman's relishing smile and the way her claw-like fingers curled over the key.
"Thank-you" she said, putting the key in her jacket pocket and finally digging into that black bag. From within it, she brought out a thick envelope.
But before taking it, Jack hesitated, watching Cora wearily "And...you're sure, she won't be able to trace it back to me?"
Cora looked bemused "Why would that concern you?"
Jack raised an eyebrow "Because I've seen what happens when people cross Regina Mills. I don't want to end up in Jail or hospital!"
The corners of Cora's lips twitched, and she let out another small chuckle "My dear, I promise you, by the time I am done, and that bus boy is out of the picture for good, no-one will know you had a part in this"
Jack still looked skeptical, but she still reached out and took the envelope of cash.
Cora smiled "Tell you what, just to make you feel better I won't use you again. Would you like that?"
Jack frowned at her patronizing tone, but rather than being so stupid as to rise to it she just shrugged again "Suits me" folding the envelope of cash under one arm, she started to walk back to the college, but right as she reached the gates she she turned back to Regina's mother one more time "Hey!"
Cora looked up, already starting to make her own way back home.
"What's your plan, anyway? For Regina?" Jack asked, watching as a thin, icy smile spread across the strange womans lips.
"My plan...is to help her" she answered, and proceeded to disappear into the shadows.
So, tell me what you think! By the way, I might not to be able to update as often because I have other obligations so you guys will have to be patient with me. Also, my feels to those who are gonna be facing your last episode of Once Upon a Time Season 2 this Sunday, it looks like they're gonna do another season though so STAY STRONG!