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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
- 13
- 14
- 15
For the longest time Belle had been dealing with embarrassments, humiliation and shame coursing through her at an alarming and frequent rate. They had only spiked stronger within her, when Ruby and the Charming family had made their presence known, actually catching her half naked and with Hook's hand on her bare thigh. Belle had wanted to crawl under some rock, maybe even die from her embarrassment. It was one thing to talk about the things she had had to do with Hook, but it was an entirely different matter to actually be seen in the midst of it.
It didn't matter that nothing particularly sinful had been happening, that the most wicked thing Hook had been doing was to massage her thigh. Belle was all too aware of how bad it had looked, how she was naked under his shirt, how she shouldn't have even been in his bedroom in the first place.
And then the fighting had broken out, jarring Belle out of her humiliation, long enough for the woman to scream out her alarm. Snow White's daughter, Emma, put a quick end to the fighting, her gun still smoking as insults and threats and insinuations about the past were exchanged. Things were alluded to between Emma and Hook, things Belle would have normally been quite curious about.
Instead she had stood there, detaching herself from the situation. From her feelings and upset, from looking directly at anyone. Belle still listened to all that was being said, still noted how Hook would not be cooperative with the Charmings over their inquiries about the sorceress Cora. Belle saw how the prince and Ruby began searching the room, desperate to find something that would help them in their quest to find and stop the evil queen before she could harm anyone else.
Slowly, Belle started to come back to herself, to allow herself to feel something other than shame. She was still embarrassed, but she ignored those humiliated feelings to focus on the chance she had to do something for the Charmings. To seize the opportunity her association with Hook now offered them all.
And so, when Snow White, that kind, gentle woman, had tried to help Belle to walk away with some dignity intact, Belle had balked at all efforts. Even Ruby's own insistence that Belle HAD a home, that Belle could stay with her, were tossed aside. Words came from within, distant to Belle's ear, but ringing with a firmness, as she had announced to all present that she wanted to stay.
Such a claim had the expected effect, the other women alarmed, dismayed, even horrified. Ruby had tried to deny the reality of it, actually attempting to drag Belle from the room. Belle didn't know what sort of expression she had worn, when she had refused to leave with the red streaked black haired woman, but Ruby had been hurt by it. Hurt, bewildered, even confused, and rightfully so, the woman not at all close to guessing why Belle had decided on such a thing.
Snow White and Emma hadn't come close to understanding either. Belle could remember their frowning faces even as she focused on Ruby, who had bolted for the bedroom's exist. Belle had felt another moment of real panic, hurrying after her friend as best she could, shouting at the top of her lungs, that she could explain.
Those words didn't slow Ruby down at all, the woman speeding away as though she had forgotten about the search. Belle was vaguely aware of being followed, but she didn't stop to see who was hot on her heels. She was too busy limping after Ruby, well aware her hurt ankle was protesting all this vigorous activity.
It was difficult to catch up with a wolf under normal circumstances. It was made worse when that wolf was upset an actively avoiding you. It became downright impossible with an injury, Belle making a pained sound and stopping to lean against the hallway's wall.
Shadows fell over her, Emma Swan and Snow White proving to be the ones who had followed. There was no sign of the prince, or the pirate, and that was troubling given the men's animosity towards one another. But Snow White and her daughter didn't seem to have much concern for the prince, as though they were confidant he would ultimately win in a fight with the pirate. Belle wished she could feel that same belief, but too many disappointments and let downs had happened to her in too short a time.
"Shouldn't..." Belle began, and Snow White interrupted her.
"He'll be fine." She assured her, and gave Belle a strained smile. "We're worried about you..."
"What are you thinking?!" Demanded Emma with her hands on her hips. "Why would you want to stay here, and with Hook of all people?!"
"I don't." Belle said, watching as Emma frowned. "But I HAVE to."
"Have to?" repeated Emma, giving a shake of her head. "You're not without options. Ruby herself, has already said you can come stay with her and Granny."
"You're not homeless or without hope." Snow White added. "So why?"
"I understand that, NOW." Belle stated. She wasn't about to admit to how panicked and desperate she had been earlier, or to just how stupid she had reacted to all that had been happening, or that she had been ready to curse herself rather then deal with her life as it now was. "But there's more at stake here than just me."
The mother and daughter exchanged looks, but understanding had yet to dawn. "Hook is never going to admit to anything about Cora. At least not to you."
"But you think he will share that with you?" Emma sounded doubtful.
"He's already made some off hand remarks about her. Little things here and there, nothing we can use to find her...nothing YET that is." Belle explained. "But maybe if given time, and the chance to speak with him alone..."
"We might not even have that time." Snow White said with a sigh. "Cora wants to kill us, and to worm her way back into her daughter's life."
"She hasn't done either yet." Belle pointed out.
"And that's troubling, that she's waited this long." admitted Snow White.
"Every second matters." Belle stated. "As long as Cora is waiting, that gives you, ME, the time needed to find out vital information from Hook."
"I don't like this." Emma said, and Snow White was nodding. "I don't like the idea of you in his clutches for any period of time or reason, even if it's to help us stop a monster like Cora."
"Sometimes we have to sacrifice...." Belle began, and Emma interrupted her.
"Haven't you sacrificed enough?"
Belle lowered her gaze for one brief moment. "I have, but...But I don't want to lose anyone else!" She was agitated with that admission. "I have so few relationships left, so few people I can call friend and count on. I don't know what I would do if Cora succeeded in killing you all."
"That is why..." She continued, near begging with not just her words but her eyes. "I have to do this. I have to do whatever I can to help. Even if it means sleeping with the enemy."
"Are you sure..." Emma fell quiet at Snow White's touch on her arm.
"Thank you, Belle. You're more courageous than most give you credit for."
Belle tried not to sniffle and grow teary eyed at what Snow White said. "Thank you." She whispered, and Snow White gave her a smile.
"I'll go catch up with Ruby." The short haired woman said. "She may not like it either, but she has to understand the real reason why you're doing this."
"Thank you." Belle repeated, this time giving Snow White as grateful a smile as she could manage. Snow White nodded once more, than took off running, quickly disappearing down the ship's dark hallway.
Belle was left with Emma, the blonde still frowning and shaking her head in disbelief. "It'll be okay." Belle said to her, and stood up straighter. Emma immediately gave Belle a hand, helping the injured brunette to limp in the direction Snow White had gone.
"I wouldn't be able to do it." Emma said out loud as they walked. "That pirate's too much a perv. Not to mention a complete and utter bastard."
"I can't say I could give convincing arguments against either point..." Belle murmured, and Emma nearly laughed in response.
"Yeah, you would know, wouldn't you." Emma sighed then. "I still can't believe what a mess this all is. Hook AND Cora were supposed to be stuck in that other world..."
"Just what went on over there?" Belle asked, genuinely curious.
"A lot of betrayal, death, and frantic running around." Emma grimaced. "Hook and Cora were ruthless in their quest to get to Storybrooke. And don't let that pirate fool you. He wasn't about to not backstab us, and hand over the compass to Cora."
"Is that why you left him on the...what was it...?"
"Beanstalk." supplied Emma. "And yes. I couldn't trust him. I still don't..." She wagged a finger at Belle. "And you shouldn't for a minute trust him either. He's self serving under the best of circumstances....I wouldn't want to see what he would do with his back against the wall...."
Belle shivered at that, wondering just how bad things could have gotten for Rumplestiltskin AND herself, if Hook had gotten desperate.
"I'll be careful." She said out loud, but Emma had noticed her shivery reaction.
"There's still time..." The blonde said. "I mean, we could always beat the answers out of him...."
"Don't you think Hook is the sort that he would refuse to answer the worse you did to him?" Belle wondered.
"Maybe. But I won't lie and say I wouldn't enjoy hurting him. And not just me!" But Emma sighed when Belle didn't so much as smile at the thought.
"It'll be all right." Belle said out loud, in an attempt to reassure them both. "It's just sex he wants. It's not even about me, but about hurting Rumplestiltskin."
"Doesn't mean you don't hurt all the same." Emma pointed out, and Belle could only shrug in response for it was true.
"Belle...if at any time you want to stop this..." Emma began, but a shout rang out. The blonde woman immediately reacted, shoving Belle behind her, even as she drew her gun out of it's holster.
"That was Snow White!" Belle exclaimed from behind Emma.
More shouting was heard, and then Snow White came out of the darkness, out of breath and excited. "We found something!"
"We?"
"Well...Ruby. She sniffed him out." Snow White said.
"Him? Him who?" Emma demanded.
"Go on and see." Snow White said, gesturing them ahead of her. "I'll go round up the boys, and see what Hook has to say about this..."
Belle and Emma exchanged puzzled looks, but moved to walk the way Snow White had come from. Soon they were topside on the rain drenched ship, unable to miss the excitement of Ruby dealing with a very agitated man.
"Who..." Belle started to say, but Emma was already stepping forward.
"Anton!" The blonde woman cried out, and the man turned. Belle took in the sight of him, the man round in shape, with dark curly hair. His eyes lit up with recognition when he saw the blonde, and for one second he looked happy to see her. And then something happened, his expression falling, the man starting to shout again.
"Oh no....oh no...." He was saying, even as Emma hurried towards him. "That witch did this! That witch made me little!"
"Little?" Belle asked, confused.
"This is Anton." Emma said, her hands held up in a placating gesture. "The giant from the top of the beanstalk."
"Giant no more..." He moaned in grief.
"Cora has to be the witch he mentioned." Ruby said. "But why would she bring him here?"
"I have no idea." Emma admitted. "Where did you find him?"
Ruby's gaze slid over to an uncovered cage, and Belle's jaw dropped open in shock. Emma's expression hardened to see where the giant had been kept, the blonde woman actually muttering something nasty about putting a bullet in the sorceress.
"It'll be okay." Belle said out loud, since no one was saying anything more to calm the upset former giant. "We'll help you...somehow..."
"What can you do..." Anton moaned. "You're all little people....evil..."
"Hey now!" protested Emma, and Anton made a reluctant amendment.
"Well except for you...."
Belle knew there was a story there, but she couldn't begin to guess at what had really gone on at the top of the beanstalk. She also knew now wasn't the time to get the full story, not with all that was going on, the least of which being soothing an upset former giant.
"You'll find there are a lot of nice people in Storybrooke." Emma was saying to the giant. Anton didn't look like he believed her, giving Belle and Ruby distrusting looks. The blonde woman would pull him aside, talking quietly to him as Ruby approached Belle.
"Hey." She said, but Ruby didn't quite smile, her expression troubled. "I'm...I'm sorry for about earlier. For getting so upset and running out on you."
"It's all right." Belle was quick to reassure her. "It's no wonder you got upset. You couldn't know what I was thinking, the reason why I was saying I wanted to stay."
"Still I should have given you the chance to explain." Ruby said.
"I can do that now....that is, if Snow White hasn't already filled you in?" Belle asked.
"She's told me enough. Can't say I like this idea." Ruby frowned. "The thought of you submitting to that pirate's perversions....well let's just say ripping his face off is the more mild a response I have had to such a thought."
"My way is less....bloody." Belle tried to make light of it.
"You're going to get hurt...Hurt even worse than you already are." pointed out Ruby. "And it's not too late to back out..."
"But I won't." Belle insisted. "If I can help by doing this...."
"This noble but ultimately stubborn streak is probably the same thing that caused you to decide to willingly go with Rumplestiltskin." complained Ruby with a sigh.
"But Hook is no Rumplestiltskin." Belle pointed out. "Not even close."
"Can tell you Hook won't react any better to betrayal than Rumplestiltskin would." Ruby was adamant when she said this.
"I'll be far out of his reach before he learns of it." But Belle still shivered. She wasn't sure if this counted as a betrayal of Hook, but she was in effect using him. And not even telling herself that Hook was using her in turn, was enough to make Belle feel better about the whole situation.
"Besides..." Belle continued out loud. "Considering the way the four of you were all eager to hurt him, Hook would be a fool to try and retaliate in any way against me..."
"I'd bite off his other hand for so much as thinking it." Ruby smirked, than sobered. "All the good it will do if he makes a move long before we can protect you."
"Ruby..."
"I'm not saying this to scare you..." Ruby said, then sighed. "Okay, maybe I am just a little. But I want you to understand each and every possible risk."
"I do understand." Belle insisted. "And thank you." She added, giving Ruby a quick hug. A bewildered Ruby returned the hug, but anything she could say was lost to the sound of the new arrivals. Ruby immediately stiffened as she caught sight of Hook over Belle's shoulder, the man loudly insisting he knew nothing and had nothing to do with the giant on his ship.
"Do you honestly expect us to believe that?" Prince Charming was asking.
"Believe what you like, it's the truth." Hook retorted. Belle turned in time to see him cross his arms over his bare chest, his scowl as sour as the one the prince wore. Both men looked pretty bedraggled, the prince's shirt torn, flecks of blood on him and the pirate. Belle wouldn't be surprised if both men didn't end up nursing black eyes, and she gave a brief look at Snow White, amazed the woman had managed to somehow stop the fighting.
Snow White for her part, merely shrugged her shoulders. Belle wasn't sure what to make of that gesture, but before she could voice anything out loud, the former giant shouted.
"YOU!"
The prince gave Hook a knowing look, his split lips smug in their smile. "You still going to pretend you don't know anything about him?"
The prince barely finished what he was saying, before Anton was on him. Belle, along with everyone else present, reacted in shock, to watch the former giant punch the prince.
"HEY!" Emma shouted, as Snow White let out a scream of her own, rushing to help her husband. Ruby was moving forward, pandemonium close to breaking out. Hook inched back, making no effort to help the women break up the fight between the prince and the giant.
It took all three women to pull Anton off of the prince, and even then the women were clearly struggling. Badly wanting to help, Belle moved to assist them, when Hook sidled up to her, and snagged her about the waist.
"No use getting caught up in the fuss." He said.
"I can help." Belle insisted, but even to her own ears that sounded lame.
"Not without hurting your ankle further." Hook frowned at her, Belle wondering if that was honest concern she saw in his blue eyes. It couldn't be, she decided frowning at him in return.
"What do you care?" Belle demanded, trying to pull away. The pirate's expression darkened, but any snide comment he could have made was lost to Anton's shouting.
"Let me go! He's got to pay!"
"Anton!" That was Emma, shouting over the giant. "What is this all about?!"
"It's him!" Anton was infuriated, glaring at the prince with murder in his eyes. "It's all because of him!"
"What is because of him?!"
"It's because of that...that murdering liar, that my family is dead!" Anton screamed, and there was pain in that exclamation. "Let me go, I have to avenge them!"
"What are you talking about?!"The prince was asking. "I've never seen you before, or any giant for that matter! Let alone killed one!"
"I saw you with my own eyes!" Anton was saying. "You and Jack, in order to take the beans. You killed my family, my father, all my brothers!"
"That's not possible..." Emma trailed off at the shocked look on the prince's face. "Is it...?"
"It wasn't me." He breathed out, and Snow White nodded. "It was him....it was my twin brother...."
Belle wasn't the only one surprised to hear about the prince having a twin, Hook looking stunned.
"What are you talking about?" Emma asked, and her father sighed.
"It's a long story...."
"We've got the time." smirked Hook, which earned him a withering glare from the prince.
"Enough! I won't listen to your lies!" Anton shouted, and broke free of the women. He quickly had the prince on the run, the former giant chasing the prince up and down the length of the ship in an attempt to wring his neck.
"Wait, Anton, wait!" Emma was pleading.
"Please, just hear him out!" added Snow White.
"Why should I!?" demanded Anton, taking a wild swing at the prince.
"Please....! He's my father!" Emma cried out in a strained voice. That startled the former giant into stopping, the man turning to look at the blonde haired woman.
"Your father? You? The only nice little person I've ever met, related to the most evil of men I've ever had the misfortune to trust?"
"I'm not evil!" The prince cried out.
"He's not!" added Snow White, and Ruby was nodding.
"The prince is one of the kindest, bravest, most heroic men I've ever known."
"Please Anton...." Emma pleaded. "What harm could it do to listen to him?"
Anton was clearly reluctant, but nodded all the same. "You have five minutes." Leaving them all to wonder if five minutes would be enough time for the truth to be revealed.
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To Be Continued....
Ah I stopped it when I did, a big part cause I don't remember all the details surrounding why Charming wasn't raised with his brother. I remember most of the story around it, but I think I need to go refresh my memory, or find some synopsis online or something. Unless someone wants to remind me in the review section why Charming was sent to live as a poor shepherd boy? That's the detail I'm real fuzzy about. =/
I'm actually imagining for next chapter, like a small time skip where it's Hook and Belle alone, and a chatty Hook is marveling out loud to Belle all that was revealed. We shall see....Anton was a part that also had me worrying big time, cause I wasn't sure how to handle the finding of him, and then his anger and misunderstanding over Charming's identity. See I want a lot of season two to be playing out in the background. Not that I intend to devote the whole fic to writing out season two, but I didn't want Hook and Belle to exist in a vacumn that had nothing happening to anyone else.
Course...I thought my time skip of three days, would have already happened by now, but I can't complain even if it feels like it's taking forever to get to that!
Chapter was delayed mainly cause I've been having really bad sleep these last few days, (Damn cats taking turns waking me up for snuggles) and then the bad sleep turned into insomnia. I tried to work on this and something else Hook Belle related, and let's just say I was too mentally exhausted to really write. It wasn't until today, that I trashed my two attempts (Only a few paragraphs each) and got a start to this chapter, that flowed almost non stop from start to finish into the written word. So I'm happy with this chapter! Whoo hoo!
Laters!
----Michelle
- 13
- 14
- 15
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The Trade Off