A/N My muse has up and run away on me. I really struggled with this chapter but hopefully that tempestuous muse makes her way back to me. I still may change this ch. But thought I would post it and see what you think.

Chapter Seventeen

Storybrooke Beach

Belle stands on the sidewalk near the hospital exit doors, holding her bag as Ashley comes driving up in an old pickup truck. She hops out and smiles at Belle as she rounds the front of the truck to take Belle's arm and grab her bag.

"How are you feeling, Belle? Killian called and asked if I could pick you up today because he is off with the others, saving the day." She says with a laugh.

Belle smiles warmly at her, silently blessing that pirate for his thoughtfulness, as she lets Ashley assist her into the truck.

"That's alright. They came by yesterday and briefly told me what is happening." Belle says as she pulls her seatbelt across her stomach.

Ashley slides into the driver's seat and with a sidelong glance at Belle, asks nervously,

"Am I allowed to ask what happened?"

Belle gives her a quick smile before looking down at her stomach, running a hand over its slight swell, making her fingers tingle slightly.

"I don't actually know. No one does. I was just bleeding and passed out but everything seems to be fine." She finishes with a shrug as Ashley starts the truck and pulls away.

After a moment's thought, Ashley says before chuckling.

"Well, thank heavens for one-handed pirates."

Belle smiles widely and laughs.

"Yes. For a man who tried to kill me twice, he's really redeemed himself."

Running a hand over her baby belly again, Belle winces slightly when she gets a small shock; almost as if she brushed a live wire. She shakes her hand and goes back to chatting with Ashley as they drive towards Snow and Charming's apartment.

Henry is there waiting on the sidewalk to help Belle out of the car and up the steps to the apartment.

"I feel fine, really. You don't need to wait on me." She says with a small blush as she sits down on the couch.

"It's alright. I don't mind. The others are out dealing with the pirate crisis. They've taken back the Jolly Roger and are going to try to capture the other ship soon." Henry says as he moves about the apartment.

"That sounds dangerous." Belle says with concern.

Henry shrugs and grins at her from the kitchen.

"They have two pirate captains, a saviour, a magic queen, a bandit, a werewolf and a prince. I think they'll be okay."

"I hope you're right, Henry." Belle says worriedly.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Killian sits on a rock, throwing pebbles into the water while Snow and David sit on a log not far away, waiting for Emma's return.

Suddenly, Regina appears in a puff of purple smoke, hands on her hips.

"I thought I would speed up the process of moving you all to the ship." She says to their curious faces.

Just then Emma silently swims up onto the rock beside Killian and he jumps when he feels her hand sliding over his thigh. His head whips around and he grins at her.

"Welcome back, saucy siren." Killian says as he leans in to claim her offered lips.

"Ahem." Regina pointedly clears her throat to get Emma and Killian's attention. They hesitantly cease an increasingly heated kiss and both look to where Regina and the Charming's are waiting.

Emma pulls herself up onto Killian's lap to address her parents and dangle her tail in the water.

"So, did anyone know that I can't take this thing off?" she asks, holding up the mermaid cuff.

Snow's face goes slack and her eyes wide.

"Oh! I forgot that. Someone else has to take it off for you. [she looks at Emma abashedly] Sorry about that."

Emma raises an eyebrow of admonition but sighs.

"We kind of threw that plan together without really thinking it through. It's a miracle it worked out as well as it did with me stuck in the water below the ship. Thankfully Regina is good at reading between the lines." She finishes with a chuckle as she feels Killian running his fingers curiously over where her skin meets her tail.

Regina is getting impatient.

"Fine, well let's get the three of you back to the Jolly Roger quickly so we can finish this." She says, walking closer to Emma and Killian, followed by Snow and David.

Emma slips off Killian's lap with a sigh.

Without another word, Regina, Snow, David and Killian disappear in smoke and Emma dives backwards into the water to follow them.

Killian breathes a sigh of relief as his feet touch down on the deck of the Jolly Roger. He tilts his head back and closes his eyes to listen to the sound of the creaking wood and gentle flapping of the sails.

"My darling…" he murmurs as he opens his eyes to look around and pin Maggie with a glare.

"She's back in one piece, just like I said she would be." Maggie starts with her hands held up as he stalks toward her.

Killian gets close to Maggie and whispers to her.

"Take my Love or my ship from me again and you will see just how much I remember about my evil pirate ways."

Maggie smothers a smirk at him.

"Sorry?" she says as an almost apology. Killian just glares at her and then turns to head to the helm to assess the situation. The others follow him.

Maggie speaks first.

"The revenge is drifting towards us on the current so we haven't much time. If there's a chance of taking her, it will have to be soon."

"I can put a magic barrier around the ship but it will take the power out of any offensive we launch."

Regina says, looking over to notice Killian scrutinizing the other ship with a concerned expression.

"The revenge is turning." Killian says, not taking his eyes off the 'Queen Anne's Revenge'.

Maggie's head snaps around to look as Killian draws out his spyglass to get a closer look and a cold sweat breaks out on Killian's back.

"THEY'RE PREPARING TO FIRE!" he yells

Maggie and Killian spring into action as Regina starts throwing magic up with one hand to cover the ship and the other holding a fireball at the ready.

"We have only moments before we are in range of her cannons!" Killian shouts as he cranks the helm to port, away from the 'Revenge'.

Killian knew it was useless but he had to try. He had just gotten back to his beloved ship and now he was to lose her again.

The Queen Anne's Revenge opens fire on the Jolly Roger.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

The faint 'pop' of cannon fire has Henry and Belle jumping up from the couch and abandoning the documentary on television to run to the window. Exchanging a look, they both turn and run for the door and down the steps, heading for the docks.

All the while, cannons sound before the corresponding explosions out at sea.

Belle and Henry reach the docks and watch in silent horror as the Jolly Roger is bombarded by cannons. Fireballs are flying towards Blackbeard's ship but they can see that their friends and family are outgunned and only moments from being in real danger. The few miles of ocean between them and the ship seem like millions as Henry turns to bury his tear-streaked face in Belle's shoulder.

Belle hugs Henry to her as she watches the mast of the Jolly Roger fall and the ship begin to break apart. She chokes on a sob and tears stream down her cheeks as she absently rubs a hand over her belly and almost jumps as another shock rips up her hand and arm. Belle looks down and holds her hand close to her belly again experimentally; this time she sees the small flash of lightening that snaps from her belly to her tingling hand. Shaking her head, she returns her focus to the sea battle before her.

A crowd has gathered to watch the final moments of the Jolly Roger and Belle fights back sobs as her hand absently goes to her stomach again. She staggers back from Henry the moment that her hand makes contact and Belle gives a short scream of alarm. Reflex has her grabbing her stomach with both hands and a shudder runs through her, drawing the attention of a few of the townspeople.

"Belle?" Henry says with a startled expression, stepping towards her.

A faint blue glow surrounds Belle and Henry sees her dark eyes fade to white and her expression turns to one of serene confidence. She straightens her stance and walks with purpose to the closest fishing boat.

Grumpy has been watching Belle since she clutched her stomach and now follows her and Henry to the boat and climbs aboard in time to see Belle raise a hand above the control console and start the engine. Henry and Grumpy exchange shocked looks and then hang on as Belle starts moving the boat out towards the sinking wreck of the Jolly Roger.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Everything seems to have slowed and a calm comes over Killian as he stands at the helm of his ship, helpless as he looks around at the chaos. Regina launches fireballs at the enemy ship as the Jolly Roger tears apart around them.

He wonders idly if Emma is safe and his heart swells and burns with all she may lose in the next few moments as he watches Maggie grab Regina's shoulder and snap her out of her focused rage. He doesn't hear what Maggie says over the roar of the cannons but Regina suddenly looks around the ship's deck in a panic and tries to grab for the people closest to her. Before she can take anyone to safety, the Jolly Roger is hit with several cannons at once and the deck explodes into splinters, sending everyone into the open arms of the sea.