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The Trade Off	By : LotornoMiko Category: M through R > Once Upon A Time Views: 5409 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Once Upon A Time fandom. Nor do I make any money off of it or this story.

Chapter List
- 1-The Trade Off
- 2-Two
- 3-Three
- 4-Four
- 5-Five
- 6-Six
- 7-Seven
- 8-Eight
- 9-Nine
- 10-Ten
- 11-Trade 11
- 12-Twelve
- 13-Thirteen
- 14-Fourteen
- 15-Fifteen
- 16-Sixteen
- 17-Seventeen
- 18-Eighteen
- 19-Nineteen
- 20-Twenty
- 21-Twenty One
- 22-Twenty Two
- 23-Twenty Three
- 24-Twenty Four
- 25-Twenty Five
- 26-Twenty Six
- 12
- 13
- 14
There wasn't much time to think. Not with a wolf charging his way. Hook barely had a chance to step away from Belle, before the punch caught him square across the jaw. Pain spiked in him, the wolf packing strength in her fist. Hook would actually stumble back across the floor, his good hand raised up to his face to feel and gauge just how much damage the wolf had done.
He came away lucky, finding it wasn't broken, nor was it dislocated. It still hurt like crazy, Hook knowing he would have a bruise, and some swelling to deal with later. He'd have worse to deal with right now, the wolf still charging, still lashing out with her fists. Hook wasn't one to often hit a woman, but this wolf was leaving him sorely tempted to do just that. Especially with every hit she landed, Hook forced on the evasive, his arm raised up to block the blows.
He was careful with his hook. The wolf hadn't realized the danger she was in, or maybe she just didn't care. But his hook was made of pure silver, one carefully placed stab of it, would end the wolf's threat and possibly her life. He wasn't into killing women, a fact that saved her, even as Hook grew more angry and annoyed.
His mood grew worse when the man's fist came out of nowhere, Hook thoroughly suckered punched by a prince of all people. It was more a blow to his ego than anything, Hook not thinking much of princes in general. Thinking them spoiled, and living charmed lives, their happy endings all but guaranteed. It didn't surprise him that this prince had had to rely on the element of surprise, that he had had to fight dirty to land a punch on Hook. He might even admire the man's quick thinking, and underlying sneakiness, if not for the fact he had used such things against Hook himself.
Instead he was angry, his nose actually bleeding a little. Hook didn't bother to wipe away the blood, instead giving a vicious grin at the prince, a moment before he punched him right back. Several female screams were heard, right before it became an all out brawl. The prince barreled into Hook, trying to take him down, the wolf female skirting around them, waiting for an opening of her own.
Hook and the prince were engaged in a slug fest, punches landing any and everywhere. Hook got one to the stomach, the wind knocked out of him, forcing him to bend forward in time to get backhanded across the face. Hook growled, and brought his hand forward, an uppercut with his fist catching the prince on the chin. The many rings Hook wore on his fingers, helped to slice open the prince's face, blood dripping everywhere.
The blood enraged the wolf, the woman rushing forward though Hook couldn't guess what she intended to do first. Hit him or bite him, and since neither option appealed, Hook grabbed at her arm, twisting it behind her back, before roughly flinging her into the prince.
The prince tried to catch her at the last possible second, but instead tumbled down to the floor with the woman. Hook was already moving into place, to kick the prince in the head, when a gun shot went off. Everyone froze, Hook narrowing his eyes at Swan.
But before he could so much as voice a single word, the blonde haired woman was issuing a threat of her own.
"The next bullet I fire." She said, her gun lowering it's aim from the ceiling to get a bead on Hook. "Will be right at you."
"That's hardly sporting, lass." Hook pointed out. "Especially given all I was trying to do was to defend myself from their attacks."
"Defending is one thing." Swan hissed. "Kicking a man when he is down, is entirely another."
"And yet I didn't see you leaping to MY Defense when the odds were two against one." Hook's tone was sour. "But then I suppose that was all fine and well, as long as I was the one losing."
The blonde gave him her own version of a nasty smile. "Considering what you've done? I'd say you earned the right to be beaten for it."
"Now, now lass. You can't be still holding a grudge over my leaving you locked in that dungeon." Hook smirked at her.
"You left us all to die!" Swan exclaimed, her agitation showing.
"But you didn't die. So we're more than even, considering the foul things you did to me."
"I left you on that beanstalk because we couldn't trust you." protested the Swan woman.
"No, you only thought you couldn't. I had full intentions of honoring my part of the bargain, if it meant I'd get to finally go after the crocodile."
"Pirates have honor?" Hook heard the prince groan. "Don't make me laugh."
"Oh we have honor. It's just not one most people can appreciate." Hook retorted.
"Honor among thieves, is that it?" Hook's attention was drawn to the woman who had spoken, Snow White standing next to, actually holding onto Belle's arm. Both women had done their fair share of screaming, Snow White terrified for her friend and her husband. Belle's reasons for screaming were less known to him, Hook figuring at best it was a case of the beauty not caring for any of the violence that had been happening.
"Something like that." Hook answered Snow White in a cool tone. He didn't appreciate being lumped in with thieves, Hook knowing pirates were a in a class of their own. That they were more than your random, every day thugs, a kind of criminal nobility with reasons and motives beyond that of the common thieves, killers, and bandits.
Rulers of the seas, pirates were free in ways the people of the land could never begin to appreciate. Doing what they liked, taking what or who they wanted, going where they pleased. It was a life like no other, and one not even royalty could match.
"Doesn't matter." Swan's tone was dismissive, her gun still trained on him. "Honor or not, you've done more bad than good."
"Are you sure about that, Swan?" Hook asked, his low tone challenging and underlined by a dangerous sounding growl to it.
"You're a pirate." She said, as if that was all that mattered. And to most people, it was. It was a simple but real truth that most wouldn't be able to look beyond the pirate, to see the individual's worth. Most days Hook didn't care about such attitudes, but with the Swan woman he was disappointed, having thought she'd be a bit more open minded and not so quick to judge.
Ah well, it didn't matter, he thought to himself, giving the Swan woman a bright and cheery smirk. Hiding how it annoyed him, Swan and the other's low opinion of pirates.
"What is it that you and your friends want so badly, that you felt you had to come barging in on a man and his woman's private moment?"
The words he used, the way he had phrased the question, triggered a series of protests, the wolf kneeling on the floor the most vehement in her anger. "Belle is NOT your woman."
"Beg to differ." Even to his own ears, Hook sounded smug. "We have an arrangement."
"Oh yes, we know all about your arrangement." That from Snow White, the short haired woman barely fighting back a scowl. "And how you have to coerce women to your bed!"
Hook nearly scowled at that himself. "Don't usually have to. But when an opportunity presents itself...."
"You're despicable." Swan said, then made a shooing gesture with her gun. Hook was only too glad to step away from the prince and the wolf, watching then as Snow White all but flew to her husband's side.
"I'll be fine." Hook heard him murmuring, his wife placing trembling fingers to the blood on the prince's chin.
The wolf, and Hook had known what she was even before she had attacked him, sprang to her feet now. Her eyes looked wild in their anger, SHE looked wild, a feral aura about her that spoke of her eagerness to continue the violence against him. He couldn't resist a snide comment, practically daring the wolf to hit him once more.
"You act more like a rabid dog than a wolf."
"Ruby, no!" Snow White cried out when the wolf took a step towards him. The wolf actually listened, a fact that amazed the pirate.
"Yes, heel for your master." He said out loud, and the wolf, this Ruby snarled.
"I listen to my FRIEND, not master." She narrowed her eyes in response to the smirk Hook gave her. "You'd best be wary, pirate."
"Oh?" Hook arched an eyebrow at her. "And why is that?"
"Because Belle is my friend as well. And a friend I consider very dear at that!"
Hook was left wondering if there was more to it then that, thinking the wolf far too worked up for a mere friend's sake. He made a mental note to ask Belle later about that, even as he mockingly spoke.
"Is this the part you tell me, I better not hurt her?"
"You've already hurt her!" snapped the wolf.
Though it was foolish of him to take his eyes off a clearly angry wolf, Hook still shifted his glance to Belle. She wasn't quite looking at anyone, at least not enough to make eye contact. But she wasn't staring at the floor either, teetering somewhere between sadness and anger, and a good deal of shame and embarrassment.
"And for that I am sorry." Hook said without any smirks, without any mockery to his voice. Belle's surprise showed in her eyes, for one quick second the woman actually looking at the pirate. But he was remembering earlier in the day, all the pain he had witnessed, the sad state Belle had been driven to. It was largely his fault, Hook having had to hurt Belle to get what he wanted.
"Instead of being sorry, you should just leave her alone!" snapped Ruby, angry and impatient.
"Afraid I can't do that, pet." Hook retorted.
"And why not?" It was a demanding question that was voiced by several of the people in the room.
"A deal's a deal." Was all Hook would say, the pirate in no way feeling as though he owed anyone an explanation, let alone the ones who had intruded on his ship, intruded and tried to beat him half to death.
"Break it." Swan ordered him.
"Did you really come here simply to save Belle from the big bad pirate?" Hook asked, affecting a bored look to his expression. "Or was there something more you be wanting?"
"Besides the chance to shoot you?" It wasn't stated like a real question, Swan smiling unpleasantly. "No, that would just be a bonus."
"We're here to find out what you know about Cora." Snow White spoke up from her spot on the floor.
"Cora? I won't be much help there."
"If you won't talk..." Swan began, her own voice an ominous growl.
"It's not that I won't, it's that I can't. I haven't seen Cora since the night we arrived in Storybrooke." Which was a lie of course. But he owed no loyalties to the people here, and everything to the sorceress.
"And you expect us to believe that?!" Swan snapped in disbelief. Hook merely shrugged, not caring what the blonde did or did not believe.
"Won't change what's true. We parted ways weeks ago."
"Weeks?!" Did he imagine the squeak to Swan's voice. "You mean you and Cora have been in Storybrooke for weeks now?"
"I don't believe it." Snow White muttered. "She would have made her presence felt by now."
"Takes time to plot a good revenge." Hook said to her. "I should know."
"There's more you should know than that." The prince said, and shrugged off his wife's attempts to help him stand. It was almost impressive to see the effort the prince made to rise to his feet on his own, although the effect was ruined by the way he seemed to sway in place. "I don't believe for a damn second you don't know more about Cora and her whereabouts."
"What you want to believe doesn't change what is true." An annoyed Hook snapped. "Cora is gone, and if I was to hazard a guess, I'd say she was with that daughter of hers."
"Regina." Swan sighed. "She's gone into hiding."
"Then if you better hurry and find her." Hook advised. "Before Cora does."
"He's right." Snow White said. "Regina is in a vulnerable state right now. There's no telling what she'd do, what she'd agree to, if Cora were to appear."
"Glad we can agree on that at least." Hook said, then gave a pointed look. "Now if you don't mind..."
"We're going to search your ship." Swan announced, to the approval of the others. "Cora might..."
"Cora is not here." Hook said, more than a little anger and annoyance in his voice.
"Maybe. Maybe not. But she might have left some clues, something that would help us track her down, or give us an idea of what she's planning."
"If Cora doesn't want to be found..." Hook began, and the wolf known as Ruby interrupted him.
"Cora probably didn't take into account that a wolf would be tracking her." She smirked.
"The trail is weeks old, and what's left of it is being washed away by the storm." Hook pointed out with his own smirk. "You'll have a devil of a time finding her, even without those things to factor in."
He felt pleased to watch the smirk fade off the wolf's face, her eyes troubled as Ruby nodded her head. "He's right....which is why we have to hurry."
"Yes, hurry along." Hook made his own shooing gestures towards the door. "No need for either of us to waste each other's time."
"We'll leave as soon as we're done searching your ship." The Prince said.
"You're not going to find anything." Hook snapped, his impatience showing. "It wasn't as if we had time to pack before coming here."
"I still want to look around." The prince insisted.
"And I still need something of hers to smell." Ruby added.
"Search all you like." Hook scowled. "It's not as if it will make any difference."
"We'll find out if that's true, soon enough." muttered Swan, finally holstering her gun. A tension Hook hadn't been aware of, eased out of him now that the gun wasn't tracking his every movement.
Sour faced, Hook crossed his arms over his chest, watching as the group began spreading though out the bedroom. The wolf, Ruby was handling his things, sniffing at various cloths and fabrics, trying to pick up on something that Cora had worn or touched. Hook knew she wouldn't find anything of Cora's here, even if the sorceress had been stupid enough to leave anything behind. The sorceress had simply never had reason to venture into Hook's bedroom, Cora respecting the few boundaries he had.
The prince was also beginning to rifle through Hook's things, but it was clear by his fumbling the man had not a clue what he was looking for. The prince probably believed he would know it when he saw it, but magic was almost never that obvious.
The prince's daughter, Swan, stood several feet away from Hook. She was frowning, her gaze narrowed and on him, the woman clearly waiting for him to try something. But at least the gun remained in it's holster, the woman not quite as trigger happy as she would have Hook believe.
Out the corner of his eye, he noticed Snow White's movements. He turned to watch her, the short haired woman approaching a detached looking Belle. The raven haired woman would gently lay her hand on Belle's arm, and the brunette reacted, clearly startled. Snow White gave Belle a kind, reassuring smile, speaking softly to her.
"Let's get you dressed and out of here." Snow White suggested. Belle's pale skin flushed a faint pink, the woman lowering her eyes out of embarrassment. Snow White didn't judge, didn't do or say anything more, except to ask in a helpful tone. "Where did you leave your clothes?"
Snow White was already casting a look around the room, trying to see if she could spot Belle's clothing among Hook's belongings.
"I..." Hook braced himself for what Belle was about to say, sure the admittance that she didn't know, that Hook had taken them from her while she showered, would again have the wolf trying to beat him half to death. "I'm staying."
"You don't need to be around him any more." Snow White said, turning back to Belle. "You don't ever have to see him again, and you don't have to stick around while the ship is searched."
"We'll walk you home." Added Swan, a brief glance diverted from Hook so the blonde could give a small nod to the brown haired beauty. Hook saw her eyes widen in response to the teary eyed look Belle gave her, the brown haired woman quickly, perhaps angrily brushing at her face.
"My home was with Rumplestiltskin." Belle announced, a tremulous quiver to her voice. "I don't even have that now."
Understanding dawned on the mother and daughter's faces, Swan then giving a venom filled look to Hook.
"Belle....there's other places you can go." Began Snow White, only to be interrupted by Belle.
"But I WANT to stay HERE."
Hook felt a genuine surprise go through him, not having expected that at all. And though he wanted to be smug, a suspicion went through him, Hook not believing for a second that Belle was saying this out of any real desire to remain on the ship, or to adhere to the bargain she had mad with him.
"You can't be serious." Swan said.
"She's not." Ruby had stopped searching through Hook's things, speaking as though everything was decided. "And forget about Rumplestiltskin. You'll stay with Granny and me at the inn."
"No." Belle said, and there was a firmness to her voice. "I won't."
"What? Why not?!" demanded Ruby, and now she was coming towards Belle and Snow White. "You can't possibly mean to stay here, to honor that sick deal he made with you." Ruby was giving Belle a searching look, the brown haired woman troubled but not flinching back from what was being said.
"There's such a thing as being too honorable." Swan was heard saying.
Ruby continued to stare at Belle, and now frustration was blooming in her expression. "Why are you even here now?" She asked, her tone suspicious.
"I came willingly enough." Belle answered.
"You mean he didn't coerce you this time?" Snow White asked, but Belle just shrugged her shoulders.
"Had nowhere else to go...."
"Well, you have a place now." Ruby insisted, grabbing at Belle's arm. Actually trying to drag her towards the room's broken doorway.
"I'm still staying, Ruby." Belle insisted, fighting against Ruby dragging her forward. "I have too."
Ruby stiffened, then dropped her hold on Belle's arm. She turned to stare into Belle's eyes, and Hook didn't know what the wolf saw, what sort of upsetting expression that caused Ruby to snap and bolt from the room.
"Fine, do what you like." She was heard saying, before she disappeared into the ship's hall. Belle let out a distressed cry, and went limping after Ruby, an all but panicked exclamation issued out of her.
"Ruby! I can explain!"
"This I got to hear." Swan said, and with a nod, she and Snow White hurried after Belle and the wolf. Hook was interested in this explanation himself, but as he moved to follow the women, a hand clamped down on his shoulder.
"It's time we get some things clear." The prince said when a scowling Hook turned to look his way.
"OH? And what's that?" Hook asked, shrugging the hand off his shoulder.
"I don't know what game you're playing with Belle, but you are not going to hurt her any more than you already have." The prince said, practically snarling in Hook's face as he talked.
"And I suppose this is the part you tell me that you'll hurt me a dozen times worse if I do?" Hook asked, flippant and snide.
"No, this is the part I show you." The prince said, pulling back and punching Hook. The pirate swore he saw stars, staggering back and swaying on his feet. "I consider Belle a friend. I protect friends, as well as my family."
"Then we have a problem, mate. Because I'm not about to back down just because some spoiled prince thinks to throw his weight around and bully me about." Hook flashed his teeth in a feral grin. "And in case you haven't noticed, it's just you and me now. No daughter to come to your rescue, no wolf to play tag team with."
"I don't need help, and I won't need saving this time around." The prince said, bringing up both his fists. The pirate grinned, and made a come and get it gesture with his hook, his good hand making and readying a fist, for round two of the fight that was about to happen.
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To Be Continued...
Argh....it ended up not getting to the part I thought it would but really I need a Belle POV, for her to explain why she wants to stay. (It's the thing I mentioned in an author's note, about how Hook wouldn't know, but the readers would know. XD) Also not sure how I feel about this chapter....I like it, but I guess I worry Hook is being too big an asshole. I dunno...any thoughts or opinions on that?
This was also delayed by a few things. The main thing being, and this is my confession now, when I am working on a wip story, I actively reread it several times. I definitely reread every time I go a few weeks/months without a new chapter, or if I worked on a different story during that time period. But I also reread just to refresh my memory of things....I mean I can remember the major things, but sometimes little details escape me. Anyway, I was in the midst of doing a reread to try and get in the mind set to write the Charmings, when unwanted company for my mother showed up. This guy is LOUD, likes to shout when he talks. Which means whenever he shows up I can't read, write, or watch tv, cause hes drowning out the sound and being distracting. So this guy caused me to be delayed on rereading and writing this story.
The other thing is...goodness me, I now have four new ideas for Once Upon a Time, three of them Hook belle, two of them inspired by the season finale. One I already started (the stalker fic.) while the others are all going, "Write me, write me" in my brain. It's very hard to write anything when I have so many different scenes in my head. And I still need to update my existing wips! I swear part of it is, I want to start the fics before someone else gets the same idea....it's like a fear, anxiety and compulsion all combined. I wouldn't be surprised if I do start them...and imagine how much worse the ideas would be if the show actually gave us some more Hook Belle interactions?! XD Sometimes I wish I had an off switch in my mind for the creative process...just to have a break from thinking up new story ideas!
Anyway, enough rambling from me. Looking forward to any feedback you guys and gals might have for this chapter's contents!
---Michelle
- 12
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The Trade Off