Chapter Seventeen: Why I love Him

"If you press me to say why I loved him,

I can say no more than because he was he, and I was I."

~Michel de Montalge

"Belle? Are you here?" James knocked on the front library doors as he entered. He held the books he had borrowed from Rumplestiltskin in one arm.

Henry walked in behind him with his bag slung over one shoulder. The young boy looked around the inside of the library now well lit from the windows and a few new colors on the inside walls. He had never been in the library and knew that it had never been open during the curse because of what lived underneath it. All the books that lay wasted for years was a sad thought. He absolutely loved books.

"Belle?" James asked again and looked suspiciously back at the door that was unlocked. She never left it unlocked unless she was there.

"James?" drifted from the back of the library and he heard her footsteps start to come toward them.

"You scared me for a minute," he called out to her and then looked over the library just as Henry had done, "The front door was open."

"Sorry," she apologized as she rounded the corner, "I was in the apartment busy with a few things."

James smiled and looked up at her face where the vicious gash ran over her cheek. It was deeper than what he thought it was and he knew from experience that it would scar badly even if she took care of it. His smiled faltered a little bit and Belle smiled sadly back at him knowing it was because of the gift from Hook. She would have the reminder of the day she nearly lost her memory and her love for the rest of her days. Not even Rumplestiltskin's magic could heal the deep wound; he had tried at her request.

"I'm sorry," James muttered and shook his head, "I should know better, I'm staring."

"It's okay," she chuckled sadly and that told him that it wasn't, "You have no idea how long I stared at myself in the mirror when I first saw it."

James didn't have anything to say after that.

Belle clapped her hands together and nodded toward him "What can I help you with? I'm not officially open for a day or two, but I see you brought me books."

"Returning them," he smirked and pushed them toward her, "Gold let me borrow them. They weren't really any help without some magic of my own."

"Ah," she nodded and pulled them toward her. He looked at her side where he saw something hanging at her side. He lifted a brow and leaned his head to the side to see the cursed dagger strapped to a belt that hung around her waist.

"He gave it to you?" he asked with surprise.

"I'm the only one he trusts it with," she shrugged and put a hand on the handle to check that it was there. She took a breath and looked back at him, "As much as I don't like it, it's the only way that he lets me protect him. I don't intend to let that opportunity to pass by."

He smiled at the stubborn tone in her voice. He looked over his shoulder to look for Henry and saw him perusing through the aisles. He turned back to Belle, "I was wondering, does this library have a magic and rituals section?"

"Sure does," she nodded and walked over to the other side of the front desk and down the second aisle. She held out her hand toward the block of books, "Probably not as impressive as Rumple's collection, but there are a few large books that go over magic as a two-sided coin. You know, neither evil or good? It just is…"

"Like no dark or light?"

"No, it makes sure that the reader knows that there is black and white magic, but magic itself is neutral," she put a finger to her lips as she trailed her other hand over the spines of the books. She grabbed a thick volume and pulled it out, "Here it is."

He pulled the book from her hands and flipped through a few of the pages. He nodded and raised his brows at the amount of reading that he would be doing in the next few days. They both headed toward the desk again and James passed by Henry as he turned down another aisle.

"How is it going?" James asked Belle when they stopped at the desk.

She lifted a brow in question.

"…with Rumplestiltskin?" he elaborated.

"Oh," she rolled her eyes at herself, "It's better. We are both a little on edge because of Hook and Chernabog. They are still out there with Baelfire somewhere and it is driving Rum to endless worry. The not knowing the most, I think."

James took a breath and jumped into it, "I was doing my beat around town and… I might have some information…"

Belle jumped as some strong voices chuckled and passed by the doors. She frowned and walked to the doors to lock them tight. She turned around and lifted her hand to point toward her apartment, "Come to the back. We can talk there a little more comfortably."

"Henry, I am heading toward the back," James called out and saw his grandson's head pop out from one of the stacks with a new book in his hands, "Are you going to come with us?"

"Can I stay out here and look?" he asked with hope in his eyes.

"I have no problem with it," Belle shrugged when James turned to her.

"Knock yourself out," James relented and Henry smiled wider as he popped his head back into the stacks. James chuckled, "That kid has a heart for reading."

"Being stuck in the wrong world might be a big part of that. Then again I was an avid reader when we were back in the kingdoms at his age," Belle said and again motioned toward her apartment.

James followed her back and was surprised to find her kitchen and front room stacked with a few boxes. He looked from the half opened boxes to her, "Moving?"

"Returning, we'll say," she went into the kitchen and noticed that she had already packed her tea kettle.

"Then it's going a lot better than I thought," James scratched the back of his head.

"You think it's too quick?" she asked and leaned against the counter. He noticed that she asked the question as an actual plead for some feedback.

He sighed and leaned on the table facing her, "I feel that he's made progress. Anyone that had known him from before can see it. If it's enough for you, then no one can argue with that. I know with Snow and me, we were back and forth so much I didn't know where I was half the time with her."

"I know that feeling."

"Can I ask you a sort of personal question?" he asked and folded his arms in front of his chest as he looked her over for twitches.

"Go ahead," she copied his stance and he smiled friendly at her pose. She was accepting his challenge.

"Why do you love him so much? Give him the chance to prove himself as a better man while all others shun him."

"Others have never seen the man that I have behind the beast," she offered and then looked at the ceiling, "It's a lot less complicated than you may think. I love him because he is who he is and I am who I am. That's all we've ever needed to be for one another. We have our problems, but it wouldn't be love without them."

"I know that feeling," he repeated her earlier words.

She reached into the sink behind her where two clean cups sat, "Some water?"

"Sure."

As James and Belle continued to talk in the apartment portion of the building, Henry explored the new worlds stretched over each wall. He smiled and laughed to himself every so often as he found more books that tickled his fancy. When the library was finally opened he could see himself taking permanent residence in one of the plush chairs in the child's section.

He turned another corner down a stack as he heard a dull thump behind him. He turned around and peeked around the corner to see what dropped. A book sat in the middle of the aisle. Henry shifted his eyes from side to side, but still approached the book. Books have been great allies in the past; maybe this one will be too. He picked up the older looking book and turned it over in his hands. No title, no pictures, just a dull blue cover. He opened it and saw that the first page held one passage.

"'What you are looking for'…" Henry read and tilted his head with a sad chuckle, "I need a way to get Emma and Snow White back. That's what I'm looking for."

He felt a pull to turn the next page and did so, not wanting to argue with any magic that may have its hand in this. There on the next page was a picture of two women that looked suspiciously like the two women he had just mentioned. The two of them were walking through a portal with smiles on their faces as if coming home.

Before he could take the book to his grandfather the picture faded and another page turned to show him the index and the chapters on magic and the use of said magic. Henry huffed, "Just like a book. Give you a teaser and then you got to read through all the other stuff to get to the good part."

He closed the book and tucked it under his arm to go and find his grandfather and Belle.

Belle and James sat at her small table that now had seen many guests. They sipped on their water as Henry joined them and sat next to James.

"Did you find something, Henry?" Belle asked and eyed the book under his arm with a warm glance. She always enjoyed seeing young children wrapped up in reading.

"It's more like it found me," he smiled hesitantly and looked at the book again.

"Those are the best reads," Belle said with a confident smirk.

"I hope so," Henry nodded as Belle giggled at the boy. She understood why Rumplestiltskin had taken a liking to him.

A knock on the door rose Belle from her seat and she opened it to find Rumplestiltskin on the other side.

"Hello dearest," he said and kissed her cheek over the stitch gently. Still accepting it and understanding her hesitance of it.

"Hi Rumple," she smiled warmly back at him.

"The front door to the library was locked," he mentioned as he walked into the apartment and found James and Henry at her kitchen table. He stopped and looked over the two figures, "How are you doing, Charming?"

"Doing well," James nodded and showed him that he meant no ill will with a tip of the cup he held, "I returned those books and may be checking out another-"

Henry nudged him in the side and showed him the book he had.

"-Or two."

Rumplestiltskin smiled at the young boy's motions, "I see."

"And I was telling Belle," he hesitated and then leaned forward in his chair, "I may have some information."

"Information?" Rumplestiltskin asked.

"About your son."

Ruby blew her hair from her face that had slipped free from the pony tail she had shoved it in. She cleaned off the table the last customer had left from. It was close to closing time and she felt each minute pass agonizingly slow. Archie was going to come by after closing and walk her home. It was a small gesture, but Ruby appreciated it. Especially after what had happened to Belle…

If she ever caught the guy she would tear him to shreds- wolf teeth or no.

The bell to the diner chimed and she looked up to see a dark haired man make a way to the counter and heaved himself into a seat. Ruby threw the towel over her shoulder and walked behind the counter. She put on her hostess smile and felt a little miffed that the guy chose the last second to come into the diner.

"Working a little late tonight, aren't we?" she asked with her hands on her hips.

"Just a very rough couple of days," he nodded and gripped at his side where she could see the obvious signs of an injury and some dressing. He looked up and gave her a grin, "I just lost a good bunch of men to a storm the other night. My new business partner is in the deal only for himself and doesn't take kindly to input from me."

"Well, we don't serve alcohol, but I can get you a coffee or a hot chocolate," she shrugged.

"Anything warm would be appreciated," the man nodded again.

Ruby took the last of the coffee from the pot and filled up a mug. She passed it to the man and watched as he reached with his opposite arm from what she expected. She then saw that the man had a prosthetic on the other hand. Her eyes narrowed and she could feel the wolf in her growling at the back of her mind. This was the man that cut Belle, the man that had almost cost her everything that she ever loved.

"So do beautiful women usually play waitress in this town?" he asked with an up lift of the corner of his mouth.

"I am in line to own this place," she answered harshly, "Was actually just packing everything in for the night."

"Wouldn't want some company for the rest of the open hours with a charming man, would you?" he asked and looked into his cup, "I have many a stories of far off worlds that may just interest you."

"I think I've had my fill of far off world stories for the day," she began to clean a few places down from him and set her mouth into a thin line. He was flirting with her. He dared to flirt with her.

"I think that you would really like mine," he took her hand that was closest to him and pulled her back to in front of him.

She pulled her hand out from his grip with a frown, "You wouldn't like my teeth. I wouldn't provoke me."

"You have no idea about provocation, my dear," he stood from the seat and leaned toward her with a snarl in his voice, "I could tear you down in a single moment."

"I won't think that'll be necessary," a voice carried over from behind Hook. Suddenly Hook was pulled back into his seat by the collar of his jacket.

Ruby looked behind the captain and saw Archie pluck his umbrella hook from the man's collar and propped the item at his side again. She smiled at his heroic action for her honor.

"Are you okay, Red?" he asked sincerely.

"Yeah, I'm just fine," she nodded and came around the counter to give him a hug and a swift kiss. He hugged her back and blushed mildly under the very public and very welcomed sign of affection.

"You have got to be joking," Hook laughed and looked back and forth between the two of them. He shook his head and looked to the ceiling, "The world has gone mad."

"How's that?" Ruby asked still held tight to Archie.

"Are all the beauties paired together to those who don't match them?" Hook asked and leaned back in the chair as he gulped down the last of the coffee.

"Red…" Archie warned her as her posture stiffened.

"No," she whispered back and stepped up to who she knew to be a dangerous man. She didn't care at the point and pushed him back far enough that she saw him grimace from the wound in his side. She looked at him in the eyes, "Let me explain something to you, pirate…"

His eyes grew slightly under her gaze as he realized she knew who he was and also seemed to be on the other side of the fence. He then narrowed his eyes when he saw hers switch to colors of a wild animal.

"What are you?"

"I am a wolf and wolves mate for life so we know a thing or two about love," she growled at the back of her throat and could vaguely hear Archie try to talk her out of eating the man from behind her. She focused on just Hook's eyes, "Love is not lust. It's not about what you have in common or what the physical may or may not say. It's what you are different in that makes that other person so irresistible. Them excepting you even though you are broken or feel incomplete. It's that acceptance… that love of your darkest parts that make you complete. That is not madness. It's the only thing that actually makes sense."

Hook nodded and looked down at his prosthetic. He probably didn't think that he would run into supporters of his enemy in a diner and didn't put his hook on. Or any sword for that matter.

Ruby stood back from him and then barked, "Get out of my diner before I tear out your throat!"

Hook stood slowly and proudly. He pulled on his jacket, sniffed at her and then walked out the door.

Ruby let out a breath and calmed the wolf inside her, begging to be set free.

Archie put a hand against her arm and rubbed up and down to settle the rest of her nerves, "Are you okay?"

"Better," she growled and turned her head toward him, "He was the one that hurt Belle."

"Him and Chernabog," Archie nodded, "I assumed."

She quickly turned around and hugged him tight. He smiled and wrapped her against him again. He kissed the top of her head and pulled her away, "Let's get this place closed up. I think a cup of cider has your name on it at my apartment."

She smiled softly and then stopped just short of going back to her cleaning duties, "Can I borrow your phone?"

"Of course, but why?" Archie handed it over, knowing that hers was in the back with her other personal belongings.

"I have to wonder why he would be out and about by himself with a wound that he has to hide and Gold on high alert," she mumbled as she dialed a number, "He's planning something. I just don't know what."