ellen729a said:

If you were looking for prompts for when Arthur Gold, Belle and Bae get to the cabin: Getting lost in the woods. Could be real-lost, pretend-lost (when I was a kid, a small patch of trees could be all sorts of wilderness survival stories), or Gold teaching Bae how not to get lost/what to do if he does get lost.

I'd like to add "bending the map." Bending the map is when you find yourself trying to make your surroundings fit where you think you should be rather than admitting you're somewhere else. If you find yourself saying "Maybe that used to be the stream over there and it's gone dry this summer-and overgrown with grass-and a couple of trees. . . ." you are bending the map. I think, when it comes to their growing attraction for each other, Gold and Belle are bending the map. That's not where they're supposed to be and it's not where they think the other person is, so they're both trying to change the road signs and convince themselves they're someplace else.

"Now, the most important thing to remember if you ever get lost is not to panic," Dad said.

He was holding a compass and looking at a map and Bae was pretty sure they were, in fact, lost. Mom seemed okay with whatever was going on, though, so Bae had to be as well. He trusted his dad, but his mom was, well, his mom. She'd never let him down before and he knew she wouldn't let anything bad happen. This was supposed to be a stargazing trip to the top of a nearby hill, but it had become an impromptu lesson in how to read a map a lot faster than Bae was really okay with, especially considering Dad admitted that he didn't really come here a lot.

Mom shifted the telescope a little bit on her shoulder, and Bae saw his dad cringe a little. Dad always felt bad about it when Mom carried things, but he was juggling a cane and a compass and a map and the telescope wasn't that heavy. Bae had been carrying it himself earlier, but after a half hour of walking his mom had taken it so he wouldn't get worn out. Dad just thought since Mom was a girl and short that meant she wasn't able to carry big things, or that she shouldn't have to. Bae knew better, though. He had seen Mom carry coolers full of drinks for soccer practice and all kinds of other things. She could handle the telescope fine. Besides, if she wanted to carry it he wasn't going to stop her. It wasn't heavy but it was pretty big and bulky and for all that he was apparently going to be a lot taller than Mom (his birth mom had been tall, and Dad was taller than Mom, too) he wasn't yet.

"See, Bae," Dad tried to show him the map. "This is where we are and this is where we're going."

Bae wasn't quite sure how Dad knew where they were, because it all looked like a lot of forest to him. There were some hills nearby but other than that he didn't really know how Dad could possibly have any idea that they were in this particular part and not the one over there. He nodded anyway, though, and looked at Mom for reassurance that he'd done the right thing. Mom was looking between the two of them and she didn't look so sure herself anymore and that was when Bae started to get nervous.

He wished Mom would say something to Dad. He wished she'd just ask a question or come out and say what they were going to do to fix it, but for the first time it occurred to Bae that Mom never really went camping either. She honestly might not know how to fix this. That was scary, because he'd never had a problem Mom couldn't fix before. He really, really just wanted to hug her now but they were walking and she was still holding the telescope so instead he just started walking really close to her.

"Arthur," she finally said. "We need to stop. I think Bae's tired."

Bae was tired, but he hadn't quite realized it yet. The fact that she had made him feel a little better.

Dad looked back at where they were and Bae saw a lot of things go across his face before he nodded.

"Yes, of course," Dad said, taking the telescope from Mom and setting it down on the ground. Mom sagged a little bit once the weight was off of her, and Bae sat down on a stump. He hoped Mom would talk to Dad and get him to take them back to the cabin. They could see the stars fine from there.

"We're not too far away," Dad told Mom and even Bae could hear how fake his good mood was. "Just a little bit longer, I think."

"Show me," she said, grabbing the map and holding it up. "Where are we going?"

Dad swallowed a little but came to stand behind Mom so they could both see what they were looking at. He pointed to a spot on the map.

"See," Dad said. "That's the hill over there and there should be a creek that runs along this path. We're going to this hill here."

"But is there a creek that runs along this path?" Mom asked quietly.

"Well, it's summer. You can't always trust a creek to be there all summer."

"Is there a creek bed?"

Dad was completely silent and Bae knew that nobody had looked to see if there was a creek to the side of the path. He saw Dad glance over at him, so he bent down and picked up a stick and started poking the dirt with it. He wanted to hear this, but it wasn't a conversation either of them would have with him in earshot.

"Arthur," Bae could hear his mom trying really hard not to yell. "Are we lost?"

He didn't hear his dad's reply, but he heard his mom suck in air hard and then she turned to face his dad.

"How can you not know?" she was talking in a whisper just loud enough to be heard if Bae held his breath. "What is wrong with you?"

"I thought I knew," Dad was clearly trying to calm Mom down but Bae knew that wasn't going to work.

"You brought our son out here!" Mom squeaked a little bit and hit Dad's arm. It wasn't hard, and Bae was pretty sure it was mostly out of frustration and fear but he'd never seen her hit anyone except when she was playing with him – she'd never even spanked him. He'd never seen her afraid before, though – not really. Dad didn't flinch, instead he just took her hands in his and held on while he talked.

"I'm sorry, Belle," he said softly and Bae saw his dad rubbing the backs of his mom's hands with his thumbs to try to comfort her. "I am sorry. I thought I knew where I was going and I thought this would be nice. You know I wouldn't have gotten either of you lost like this on purpose. You know that."

Dad was pleading a little bit, but it at least Mom didn't seem angry anymore so maybe it was working.

"We need to go back," Mom said firmly. "We just need to get him back to the cabin where it's safe."

"We do," Dad agreed but he didn't make any attempt to drop Mom's hands and lead them home which made Bae even more nervous.

"Do you know where the cabin is?" Mom asked and Bae knew she already had the answer to that.

"I'm not sure," Dad admitted quietly.

Mom was shaking now from something and Bae hoped it was anger and not fear because if Mom was afraid that meant Mom couldn't fix it. Mom had to be able to fix it, because somebody had to fix it.

Mom finally leaned forward and put her face on Dad's shoulder and started to shake harder, and that's when Bae realized she was crying. Mom never cried, and Dad seemed just about as confused as Bae felt. He dropped her hands, and moved like he wanted to put his arms around her but wasn't sure if he should or not, so instead he kind of waved at the air near her back. Well, clearly Dad wasn't going to be a lot of help with this, but Bae was pretty sure that he could at least do this much.

He stood up and walked over to his mom cautiously. She rarely cried, at least not in front of him and this was the first time it ever occurred to Bae that maybe Mom cried other times when he couldn't see her. The idea that she might not be able to rescue them was so, so scary and not because of spending the night in the woods (although that didn't sound like a lot of fun, it wouldn't kill them) but because Mom always fixed everything. He'd never had a problem that she didn't make better before.

Dad saw him coming and stood up a little straighter. He'd finally settled on resting his hands on her shoulders and rubbing them up and down her arms, but Bae wrapped his arms around her waist from the side and pressed his face into her stomach. Mom made a strange little whimpering sound and turned to pull Bae into a tight hug. He was having trouble breathing for a minute but it was okay, because it seemed to make her feel better. Dad was still standing nearby, looking uncomfortable and alone and Bae wished his mom wasn't so angry because Dad probably needed a hug, too.

He thought it was probably a relief for both of them when Mom stopped shaking, stood up, and snatched the map and compass away from Dad. Dad didn't seem like he was okay with Mom being so upset, but Bae thought he might be able to handle her being angry at him at least. Bae hoped so, anyway. Dad was kind of sensitive sometimes, but Bae trusted his mom. She'd never actually do anything bad even if she was angry.

It took forty-five minutes of arguing over a map and another hour and a half of hiking before they were safely back at the cabin. Belle had taken possession of the map and the compass, and Bae had apparently picked up enough on her distress (although how could he have missed it?) and clung to her like a limpet for the first hour of their journey, at which point Belle had been confident enough that they were headed in the general direction of safety that she was willing to look back to where Arthur trailed them.

He looked miserable, the telescope under one arm and his cane clutched in his hand. Maybe she'd overreacted, although she wasn't really sure how she should react to I got both of us and our ten-year-old lost in the woods with spotty cell service. He was so cautious most of the time and this was definitely a momentary lapse in judgment, but she was half afraid if she spoke to him she was going to kill him.

With a sigh, she disengaged Bae with a whispered suggestion that his dad might need help and slowed her pace enough so that Arthur was forced to catch up to her once Bae had the telescope.

"Am I forgiven, then?" he said with a wry smile that she knew meant he was trying his luck with a joke.

"Almost," she admitted. "I'm not terrified anymore, but I think you and I need to have a long talk tonight."

He nodded, accepting her terms, and glanced at Bae who was doing his very best to not acknowledge that his dad was in so much trouble.

Belle wasn't sure she'd ever felt as much relief as when the damn mansion he insisted on calling a cabin came into view and she knew that her son was safe. They made it through the door and Belle could have kissed the floor from sheer relief.

"I'm gonna go to bed," Bae said as he set the telescope down on the stairs.

"Take a shower first," Belle reminded him. "You're filthy."

He nodded before ascending the stairs on all fours. She should probably remind him to walk upright, but was too exhausted to bother. Whatever, climbing stairs like a dog was hardly the worst habit he'd ever develop. Arthur lingered in the living room, and she knew he was waiting for her to yell at him but just being inside had drained her of nearly all her energy. It was all she could do to collapse on the sofa with her face in her hands.

"I'm sorry, Belle," he said softly, coming to sit across from her in an armchair. "I didn't mean to put you and Bae at risk, I really thought I knew where we were going."

"I know," she muttered. "That's what's so fucking frustrating. I shouldn't have to worry about you leading us into the middle of the woods on a lark! For God's sake, you brought a first aid kit on a picnic!"

"I did," he agreed.

"You're supposed to know better than this!" she exclaimed, climbing to her feet and pacing now that she had energy for anger again. "You've never done something so dumb and I just don't see how this was a good idea. Explain it to me, please."

She stopped her pacing near his chair and stared down at him.

"I don't have an explanation," he reminded her. "I told you, I know it was a bad idea. I don't know why I did it."

"Not that," she said. "Why was it so important that we go for this hike tonight? What were we trying to accomplish?"

"Oh," he said with a groan. "There's a clearing a little ways from here. Somewhere around here, anyway. Last time I was up here I found it. It's so pretty and isolated from all the lights so you can see the milky way and everything and...I don't know. It just occurred to me that he'd probably never been far enough away from civilization to see the stars like that."

He took a deep breath as though bracing for her scorn, and she dropped back down to sit on the edge of the sofa. He'd meant well and she knew that – she'd known it even as she yelled at him and sobbed in the woods.

"I'm so, so sorry Belle," he continued. "Really, I am. If I could do it again we'd just go out on the back porch and look. I just wanted him to see what the sky is supposed to look like."

"It's okay," she said finally, reaching out and taking her hand in both of hers. "I understand. I shouldn't have hit you, anyway. No matter how angry I was at the time. I'm sorry for that."

"What?" he said, realization dawning on his face. "Oh, that? I barely even noticed. I've certainly taken a harder hit than that one."

"Still," she insisted. "I wouldn't want Bae doing it and I shouldn't, either."

"It was barely a tap," he said with a smile. "And I did almost get you killed, anyway. I think you earned it."

She tried to scowl, but he was just so happy that she wasn't angry with him anymore that she couldn't bring herself even to feign annoyance.

"Alright," she said finally. "If we're going to be friends again then I'm going to wash up and go to bed. I have forest all over me."

"That sounds like an excellent idea," he said, bracing his hands on the chair and beginning to stand up.

He didn't make it, though. Instead, he collapsed back into the chair with a growl and a wince. Belle was at his side in an instant, and had her arm around his shoulders before she knew what she was doing.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, but she knew as she said it what was wrong. "Is it your leg?"

He nodded instead of answering, gritting his teeth so hard Belle wasn't sure if one would break or not.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

He shook his head.

"No," he forced out. "I'll be fine."

"Let me rephrase that," she said again. "Is there something that I could do to help that you don't want to tell me about because you're too proud to ask?"

He froze for a second and looked at her. Pain was still visible in his face, but she seemed to at least have startled him into forgetting the worst of it, at least.

"Alright," he finally said. "There is something."