Chapter Twenty-One: Bait

"The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost."

~G.K. Chesterton

The doors of the library opened so that Belle could take a fresh breath. It was finally the day to officially open her doors to the rest of Storybrooke. The banner that she and Ruby worked on was nailed to the top portion of the library and, despite her pleas otherwise; Rumplestiltskin gave her a fresh coat of paint on the lower floor of the building. Everything was finally put in its place and she was ready to welcome in the people. She thought that it would be perfect to open on the weekend so that the children especially wouldn't have to worry about school interfering, but the best laid plans often go awry.

"You have got to be joking," she mumbled and looked up at the sky.

Above the library and all of Storybrooke were dark clouds and gusts of winds that blew at the residents that decided to go out for the day. Small steams of sunlight that was able to pass through the clouds were muted and far between. Most of the sky past the darker clouds was a solid gray instead of the bright blue that she was accustomed to. The wind seemed to keep the dark clouds in a circle around the small town and see knew that rain couldn't be that far off.

Belle put a hand to her hair as it whipped across her face and her dress beat against the sides of her legs. The banner above her was still holding to the building, but if the wind picked up and stayed steady the banner won't stay for long. Her brows furrowed and studied the clouds as they swirled like what she assumed a tornado would look like when it started to form. She knew that this wasn't normal, especially when the sky just looked overcast this morning when she first arrived at the library.

"A storm is coming," she whispered into the wind.

"Belle!"

She looked down to see the youngest prince with one of the books that they had borrowed on their last visit, "Hello Henry."

"I thought I would visit my new favorite place," he smiled and held out a book to her.

"Thank you, Henry. You also happen to be my first customer," she smiled and took the book along with his hand to bring him back inside the building. She shut her doors, but kept them unlocked just in case that there would be business to have. She put the book on the front counter and noticed that it was the one that his grandfather had borrowed, "Did James have any luck with this one?"

"Not too much," Henry shrugged, "He asked to see the other ones that you had."

"Those are pretty heavy," she said with a smirk, "I know that you're strong, but I don't know if you want to try to carry those home."

"Gramps will be here later," Henry explained, "He had something to finish up at the station."

They both turned their heads as they heard the pummeling of rain begin to fall from the sky and onto the sidewalk and the building's roof. They looked at one another and then toward the windows where the water poured over the glass in sheets.

"Well, you have spectacular timing. Any later and may have both been stuck with wet clothes," Belle smiled at him and rubbed the top of his head. She started to head toward her old apartment where she kept a few things just in case she stayed too late and waved him to follow her. He did so and Belle began to make some hot chocolate. She brought the cup over to him and held the other cup in her hands.

"What about other people?" Henry asked and looked toward the door that led toward the main library.

"I doubt that I will have any with that flood happening out there. I am just glad that Rumple was able to repair the leaks in the ceiling," Belle smiled happily as she sipped on the chocolate, "The last thing I needed was to dry out the reference section again."

Henry smiled and sipped as well, "Do you do magic, Belle?"

"As little as I can," she admitted, "I don't like it and try not to use it."

"Why?"

"I saw what it did to Rumple."

"But what if it wasn't dark magic?"

"That is yet to be explored," she nodded and turned her head toward the door of the apartment. She stood and walked toward the door as she heard some scratches and thumps that she knew weren't from the rain.

"Belle?"

She put a finger to her lips and pushed her other hand toward him to tell him to stay where he was. He nodded, but watched her closely. He knew that she could defend herself, but what kind of prince would he be if he left her to do so?

Belle put her cheek to the door to listen for the unusual sounds, but then jumped back suddenly.

"What wrong?" Henry asked and got up from his chair.

"It's… really warm," she put the back of her hand to the door and then waved it back and forth. She looked toward the bottom of the door and saw the tell tale sign of orange and whites flickering just by her feet. She turned away from it and took hold of Henry's shoulders, "Come on, Henry. Back to the library."

"Why? What's going on?" he asked and went with her pushing.

"That door should be ice cold with the rain that's pouring down. It's too warm."

"Are you saying that there is a fire?" he asked with large eyes.

"That's what I am saying, now go," she pushed harder as she saw the flames begin to lick inside what was her apartment. She closed the door to her library and grabbed her jacket that hung in one of the halls. She kept a hand on Henry's back and pushed him toward the front doors.

This should be impossible. Rumplestiltskin had put enough charms and protections over her library, not even Ogres could break through. How was it that a fire could break through the barriers, and a magical one at that.

"How could there be a fire?" Henry asked as thoughts flew through his head, "It's pouring outside!"

"I don't know," she shook her head and subconsciously put a hand on the dagger that hung from her waist. Her voice suddenly took on a deeper tone, "It's almost like magic… exactly like magic."

They turned the last of the stacks and both sets of eyes fell on the front doors already engulfed in flames. Belle pulled Henry toward her and put both hands around him, "No."

"What's going on?" Henry asked and looked toward the windows all of which seemed to be swallowed by the flames.

"Somebody made sure that we would be in here during the storm. Or at least, that I would be," Belle growled and gritted her teeth. It was a well done plot to keep her inside as the outside began to burn.

She immediately thought about the escapes that she knew and how they were blocked. She thought about Henry and how he was an innocent in this dangerous game. Then she thought about her library and how much time and love that she had put into it and how it was going to be gone in seconds. How they may be gone in seconds if she didn't do something.

"No," she hugged Henry tighter to her and they backed into a far corner of the library as smoke began to spill into the stacks.

"Belle?" Henry asked with a quiver in his voice, "What do we do?"

"Call for help," Belle grabbed the dagger from the sheath and pulled it to her face, "Rum, I need you."

In moments he appeared a little ways from them without the signature purple smoke that usually surrounded him. He noticed the heat and the smoke that was starting to billow around the whole of the library. He looked up and down the stacks and saw her wrapped protectively around Henry, "Love?"

"We need to get out of here," she said with pain in her eyes, "…fire."

He knelt next to her and put a hand on her and Henry. Before either one could blink, they were outside and were instantly surrounded by the sounds of the downpour. Belle kept her body around the small boy, but lifted her head up to where she could see the library from across the street. They were under an overhang of the building across the street and Belle saw the large flames lick at the new paint and the banner that had somehow stayed on.

"No…" she whimpered and shook her head.

"Stay here," Rumplestiltskin whispered to her and snapped his fingers as he disappeared.

She saw him back across the street and used the rain to splash against the side of the building to quench the flames. When the flames didn't stop or were even affected, he used other magical means to get them down to a manageable size. Henry poked his head from under Belle's arms and watched it in amazement.

"He's putting it out," Henry said obviously.

"He is," Belle nodded and waited until he rejoined them across the street. By the time that he had finished, the apartment was totally destroyed and half of the library was a dark, ashen mess. Half or more of the books were gone as was the children's section that she had worked so hard on. She felt part of her resolve crumble at the thought.

Rumplestiltskin knelt down next to them both, but checked Belle over first, "Are you all right, love?"

"I'm fine," she whispered and let a tear fall down her cheek.

"We will build it back up," he promised her, "You will have it back. As good as new, I promise you."

"They used magic… They broke through your enchantments..."

"I used them to keep them out, I didn't think of his Hellfire," he admitted.

She bit her lip and he cupped her cheek to brush away the tear. He placed a tender kiss to her lips and she finally nodded. She would build it back up; she would start again, because she wouldn't let them take it from her completely. She wouldn't let them take it from the towns people either.

"Are you alright there, Henry?" he asked him next and patted the boy on the head.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he nodded, "Belle got me out of the apartment fast."

After a few moments James rounded the corner in his truck and got out to face the building, his hands immediately went to his hair in panic. He looked at the charred remains and the smoke that was piling out of the windows.

"Henry!" he yelled into the rain toward the building, "HENRY!"

"Over here!" Henry cupped his hands around his mouth and waved James over.

James ran as fast as he could, plucked up Henry from Belle and held him close, "I thought that you were in there when I got the call about the fire…"

"I was in there," Henry said matter-a-factly and leaned back from his grandfather to turn toward Belle and Rumplestiltskin, "Rumplestiltskin got me out."

James held out a hand toward Rumplestiltskin, the other arm securely around his grandson, "Thank you."

"It's no matter," he answered and shook his hand anyway.

"To me it is," James answered.

Belle sighed sadly and stood up next to Rumplestiltskin, "Well, it looks like it will be a while until you can borrow those other magic books, James."

"It looks like it," he chuckled sadly, "I am sorry about your library, Belle."

"Oh, you shouldn't be," she shook her head, "But I know of one devil and a pirate captain that will be."

"Do you think it was planned?" James asked.

"What kind of fire stays lit in this kind of downpour?" she growled and felt Rumplestiltskin's arm fall around her waist and hug her against him.

"At least you are safe," he reminded her and kissed her temple, "That could have turned out worse if you didn't have the dagger with you."

Belle frowned and looked at her library through the rain. She saw the blackened edges of the windows and doorways where the bulk of the fire was and then to the side of the building was a figure. He stood to the side of where the apartment once stood and turned his head from the charred remains to them. Her eyes narrowed and she finally recognized the build and height of the man.

"Baelfire…?" she whispered and put a hand to Rumplestiltskin's chest.

He turned quickly to where she was looking and saw the same man standing in the rain.

Baelfire stood still, his hands at his side and stared almost blankly at the small group. He simply turned and began to walk down the alleyway and turned right toward the far edge of town; toward the town cemetery.

"Bae…" Rumplestiltskin sighed and immediately began to run after him.

"I am going with you!" Belle yelled after him and turned toward James, "Get Henry to a safe place. I don't think that this is going to end well."

After that she made sure that the dagger was secure at her side and ran after her true love.

"Aren't we going to help them?" Henry asked and looked at his grandfather who already had his phone to his ear.

He looked down at Henry with a stern look, "I am, but you are going to stay out of the line of fire- Red? How far are you and Jiminy from the library?"

Rumplestiltskin followed the form of his son as close as he could. When he used his magic to transport himself closer, it would seem like he would only be transported further back. He didn't understand why Baelfire was running from him, other than the thought that Chernabog was once again in charge of his limbs and he was running straight into a trap.

"Bae!" Rumplestiltskin called ahead as he disappeared around a sharp corner.

As he turned around the same corner he came across the archway into the graveyard. He lost sight of Baelfire, but knew that he had run the direction of the graveyard. Rumplestiltskin eyed the gates and noticed that beyond them, the rain decreased and eventually stopped. He stepped over the boundary line and carefully stepped into the hallowed ground of the graves. There were few that Regina brought over with them from the Enchanted Forest who had already passed, but who she did deem worthy to come over even in death were dark souls indeed. He read over some of the names by the gates and frowned. He defiantly was not in good company.

"Rum?"

Belle whispered from behind him as she finally caught up to him and put a hand around his closest to her. He felt her light shine bright through the small connection.

"Welcome to the both of you!" a voice boomed from the center of the graveyard. They both looked out over the graves and saw Chernabog toward the middle catacomb of the Mills mausoleum, "I see that you both got here without much trouble."

"A very fitting battleground you chose," Rumplestiltskin called back toward him and stood tall as he shifted in front of Belle and held her hand tightly, "As you will be forced into this hallowed ground at the end of this meeting."

"Such confidence for a soon to be defeated cadaver," Chernabog chuckled darkly and let his wings spread from his body. Belle gasped a bit from the impressive silhouette. Hook stood further back with what was left of his crew and to his side was a bounded Baelfire. Baelfire's eyes shifted from the devil toward his father and Belle and then back again.

"Release my son," Rumplestiltskin growled and narrowed his eyes toward Chernabog, "He did his part to lead me here, let him go and we will settle this among the two of us as it should be."

"You are not in a position to make threats or commands," Chernabog reminded him as his wings folded behind him, but stayed out to make him like a handsome gargoyle.

"I will not allow you to do this any longer. No more threats and no more pain to those that I love," Rumplestiltskin vowed, "It has gone on for too long."

"Oh, I can guarantee that they will not feel pain by the end of the day, Rumplestiltskin," Chernabog smiled devilishly, "Corpses don't feel pain… that's why they are also real suitable armies."

Chernabog's hand lifted from his side and waved over the expanse of the graveyard in front of him. The ground began to shift under Rumplestiltskin's and Belle's feet for a few seconds before it stopped. Chernabog's fist closed and then dropped as sounds of shifting sand, dirt and leaves surrounded them. Rumplestiltskin looked around him at the graves and headstones as some shifted from the movement below them.

Belle's grip on Rumplestiltskin's hand tightened and she placed her other hand on his chest as she turned toward him, "Rumple?"

"Black God of death…" Rumplestiltskin breathed and Chernabog smirked. Bodies of the darkest souls of the Enchanted Forest began to rise from the ground and scratch against the dirt as they dug themselves out. Rumplestiltskin turned his head toward Belle, "Love? You might want to get back home until this is over."

"You are not fighting alone," she whispered and turned her eyes to stare into his, "I didn't practice and work with you for nothing. No matter what happens, I will not leave you. Forever, remember?"

He nodded with a thin line to his mouth. His hand grasped in hers squeezed gently. She felt the shift around her and looked to see a light weighted form of armor surround her. He was letting her stay and fight beside his side. He was protecting her best he could.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Please don't let me regret it," he whispered back and she smiled at him before they turned back to Chernabog and his lackeys.

"I want my chance at the crocodile," Hook said and unsheathed his long sword. Baelfire fought against the hold that Chernabog had over him. Hook looked back at Baelfire, "I am sorry that you will have to see this, but it is all that he deserves…and all that I know."

Without announcement or preamble both the corpses and pirates rushed forward toward Rumplestiltskin and Belle. They both stood tall and Belle took out the blade that was at her side to take down who and what she could. The large group of enemies circled them and the sheer numbers did not look good against two.

"I love you, Rumplestiltskin," she said and put her back to his.

"Don't say goodbye to me," he said and pressed his back to hers, "I am not going anywhere… but all the same, I love you, too. I will always love you."

She smiled sadly and gripped the dagger as it hummed under her hands.