Once Upon a Time 1. Arrival

Chapter 1

24 hours ago, they had been shrouded in a cloud of bilious green smoke. When his sight had cleared again, Hook had been standing somewhere in the middle of the Dark Jungle. Alone.

Oh how much he truly hated Neverland and this ill-mannered boy.

He had been calling out for Emma, Charming and Snow and, yes, even for the Evil Queen for hours. But after a while he had to admit to himself that Pan and his bloody smoky spell had certainly made sure the Henry-Rescue-Team would have a tough job to find each other again.

Luckily, this island was not unfamiliar to him. After having climbed up a hill nearby, he was easily able to locate his position. Apparently, Pan had transported Hook to the north-east of Neverland, somewhere near the coast. Which was – how could it be otherwise – exactly at the other end of the island than the point he had been spirited away.

Great.

Before they had been separated, the team had been heading towards the heart of Neverland, to find the Hollowed Tree. Tinkerbel had told them that this would the place to find Pan's base. And Henry.

Best thing to do would probably be to stick to the plan and go there. The others would certainly do the same – from whatever place Pan had transported them to.

Being a pirate to the core, Hook knew that it wouldn't be clever to set out precipitately. One too easily loses the way in Neverland. He needed orientation, he needed a plan.

He decided to take some time to draw a sketchy map, first. Therefore, he had built himself a provisional camp. The camp was situated near to the shore, but still well-hidden in the thicket of the Dark Jungle. The place he had chosen was perfect. Due to the thickness of the Jungle, he couldn't be easily tracked down by some bumbling Lost Boys, but could on the other hand quickly rescue himself to the water if serious danger from the forest might occur. Furthermore, he was surrounded by some big hills, which were quite helpful while sketching. In addition to that, Hook had spent some years (actually about one century – thank you again bloody Crocodile) on that island, so he still remembered this hell of a place well enough to draw a more or less accurate map by heart.

After nearly one day of work, Hook sat by the fire and regarded the result. Though he had spent some years to urgently forget about Neverland and its hideous secrets and places, he had surprisingly remembered quite a lot. From the latest point of view, this was in fact quite useful. It was all there on his map: the Mermaid Bay, the Enchanted Springs, the Skull Caves, the River of Broken Tears, the Meadow of Lovely Thoughts, the ….

_Crack!_

A cracking sound from the deep of the forest immediately woke him from his thoughts.

_Damn, they've already found me!_

But on second thoughts, _"they" _could be anybody.

Worst case: Lost Boys or even Pan (but the latter wouldn't be so stupid to announce his appearance by careless walking), best case: someone from the rescue-team (preferably Emma, but hopefully not an ugly old Crocodile).

Hook quickly grabbed the map and climbed on a tall tree nearby. When he reached the lowest perch that was thick enough to carry his weight, he sat on it, quietly observing his camp from above. Due to the darkness, his matching clothing and some leafage, Hook was pretty much invisible though he was only about 10 feet above the ground. He sat there for a few minutes, waiting. Nothing happened. When he already wanted to climb down, cursing himself for his oversensitive imagination, a small, hooded figure appeared.

_Ah, so my senses are still intact. A Lost Boy has found me._

Hook eyed the figure from his hiding place. The hooded person slowly circled the fireplace, cautiously looking into the darkness of the forest with each step. Obviously, the figure was not yet aware of Hook's presence. The unknown person even made the impression of being quite confused by the camp's abandonment.

_Such a bloody beginner – this is going to be quite easy!_

The cloaked person didn't call out for the rest of the Lost Boys, so Hook mused that this had certainly been a one-man-mission. The figure was probably one of Pan's spies. And a badly-skilled at that. Hook felt a little offended that Pan hadn't even chosen his best men to track him down. He sighed quietly. At least, that would make things much easier.

He waited until the small figure had reached the side of the camp, where Hook's tree was standing. The figure turned to face the fireplace again, apparently indecisive what to do next.

_Now that's what I call a perfect initial situation for an unexpected attack._

Blurting out a vigorous, loud battle cry, Hook jumped down from the perch and landed hard on his feet, right next to the hooded figure. Startled by the unexpected attack, the figure let out a sharp gasp and started to run, but Hook was faster. With his hand, he grabbed the figure's shoulder and forcefully whirled the person around. At the same time, Hook shoved one leg behind the figure's right foot and pulled it away from the ground so that the opponent lost balance. Pressing his body against the other, both crashed noisily to the ground. The pirate lay above, hook vigorously pressed against a white, silken throat. In the heat of the moment, the hood had come off the figure's head, finally revealing the face.

Hook's eyes widened from confusion when he recognized the familiar blue eyes. Frozen in shock, the woman beneath him stared at him. Her rosy mouth was ajar from a silent scream, some of her normally neatly arranged chestnut curls where now all over her face and her oh so blue eyes opened wide.

"Belle?!" was the only thing Hook managed to croak out.


	2. An Alliance

"Belle?!"

The shock in her eyes was immediately replaced by pure anger. As Belle glared at Hook, she desperately started to squirm free from his hold.

"Get … off!" she hissed.

But Hook was still staring at her, unable to move. He was not even aware of the fact that the whole weight of his body was still pressing against the small woman.

This was not possible. They had used the last bean to come to Neverland. She could not be here. Or had he just fallen asleep at the fireplace and this was only a very strange and vivid dream?

But the sudden punch between his legs told him one thing: this was definitely _no_ dream.

Screaming out in pane, Hook rolled over and Belle was finally able to get free. She quickly crawled away to make some distance between her and the howling pirate and got to her feet. Facing Hook, she reached for the small knife in the inside pocket of her cloak, pointing it at him with a trembling hand.

Hook quickly recovered from the first wave of sharp pain and got on his knees, holding his crotch. His face was still contorted with pain but when he looked again at Belle, confusion was back.

"Belle?!" Once again, he was apparently not able to say more than her name, still not believing that this was really happening.

"You stay away from me, Hook!"

It was really her. The fire in her eyes was the same when she had been on his ship, trying to get the Crocodile's shawl back. And she held the same strength in her voice.

"What the hell are you doing in Neverland?" Great, he had apparently regained his mind and voice.

"That's none of your business!" She kept glaring at him, her whole body trembling from strain.

This wouldn't lead to anything. He had to approach this task differently. Time for Charming Hook. He finally managed to get up on his feet.

"I see, love." He said, putting on his most seductive smile. "But it was really not necessary to punch me like that."

Belle narrowed her eyes, knife still pointing in Hook's direction.

"You deserve much more pain, pirate!"

The seductive smile turned into an amused grin. Oh this little cat definitely had claws. The Crocodile admittedly had a nice taste for women. Holding up his hook he just answered mockingly: "I can bear quite a bit of that, don't you think?"

Belle's features didn't change. Hook sighed. Apparently, his normally contagious smile didn't work to solve this particular situation.

"Look, love, …" he began, taking a step forward towards her. Belle took a step backwards.

"Stay where you are or I will …" Her voice was audibly trembling.

"Or you will what? Kill me with your small knife, hm? I would love to see that." he seductively purred and moved closer. Belle kept standing where she was, refusing to back away and with dangerously glistering eyes. She didn't want to kill him, but if he was trying to attack her, she would certainly do anything to defend herself.

When Hook was close enough, she jumped forward, trying to stab the knife somewhere into his body. But the pirate simply stepped aside, grabbed immediately her wrist and pinned her against a tree nearby. He tightened his grip around her hand and she was forced to let go of her knife. The small weapon dropped to the ground. Holding both of her wrists with the help of his hook above her head, his free arm wrapped around her waist, holding her still. She was trapped. His face was only inches away when he spoke.

"Ah ah ah. Brave you are, darling. But I really wish you stopped trying to hurt me."

"Why should I, you tried to kill me!" She stared directly into his eyes. Honestly, what did he think? He had shot her, had made her forget her beloved ones. He had tried to kill Rumpelstiltskin.

But what she didn't expect to see was regret in his eyes. He sighed deeply.

"I have never tried to kill you Belle. I didn't even want to hurt you. And I deeply regret that my hate for that monster had blinded me to do so… to become like him for one weak moment or even worse. But it's over. You have nothing to fear, love."

"What do you mean by 'it's over'?" Her eyes widened. "You killed him?!" Belle started squirming and screamed: "NO! NO! NO! YOU BASTARD! I WILL …"

Hook interrupted her immediately by putting his free hand on her mouth. Tears were running down her cheek.

"Easy, darling." He hissed. The last thing he needed was a handful of Lost Boys while trying to calm a hysteric woman. "I did no such thing. I DID NOT kill your beloved monster! Even if he still deserves it! But I was talking about a ceasefire."

A wave of relief washed over her eyes.

"Now, will you listen, princess? As you seem to like making deals, I tell you what. I'll put away my hand from your mouth, if you promise to stay quiet in return and stop trying to kill me. I would hate to be detected by Pan or his gang of misbehaving teenagers. What do you say, do we have a deal? "

Belle nodded reluctantly and Hook gave her a winning smile. "Good girl." He said and moved his hand away, wrapping his arm again around her waist. Belle inhaled sharply but kept her promise to stay still.

"You both declared armistice?" She looked at him doubtingly. Both men hated each other to the core, she knew that. It was rather hard to believe that they had compounded their conflict.

"Indeed. Saving Henry is way more important than our crusade against each other." Hook held a firm expression while talking, leaving no doubt that he really meant what he said.

"At least for now" he added, winking at her.

"That's a good thing." She answered softly, ignoring the last part of his statement.

"Alright." Belle shifted uncomfortably, her arms were still pinned above her head and beginning to hurt. Additionally, the sharp wood against her back was painfully scratching.

"So, now that I have promised not to hurt you, would you then be so kind and release me? This position is getting quite uncomfortable."

Hook grinned broadly at her. As he moved his face even closer, he purred: "You think so? As for my part, I'm really enjoying it and the …" he paused, glancing down at her cleavage, "… view."

Noticing the furious look on her face, he sighed heavily. Maybe flirting was not exactly the best way to earn her trust. But he was a pirate and a beautiful woman was pressed against his body. After all, the leopard can't change its spots.

Reluctantly, he freed her wrists from his hook's cold grasp and slowly stepped away from her, leaving her space to breathe. Belle rubbed her wrist with her other hand.

"Where is he?"

Hook made his way back to the fireplace and Belle was cautiously following. She didn't entirely trust Hook, but as it seemed, she had no other choice at the moment.

"Your _pretty_ coward of a boyfriend? Honestly spoken: no idea." was the short answer.

Sitting down next to the pirate, Belle looked at him confusedly.

"I don't understand."

"Me neither, love. When our ship had arrived at the waters of Neverland, our dear friend the Dark One decided to leave us." Hook's expression darkened with each word.

"He left you? Why? What happened? But you wanted to find Henry together, didn't you?"

Hook snorted contemptuously and stared at her.

"Aye, that's what we had thought. Unfortunately, the Crocodile seemed to have other plans. He's probably hiding somewhere on the island, waiting for us to defeat Pan. As I said: once a coward, always a coward."

"Rumpelstiltskin wouldn't do that. He vowed to rescue Henry to honor his son! Even if that meant his certain death. Maybe he just didn't want to put you at risk and that's why he left."

Belle had folded her arms across her chest and reminded him of an upset, stubborn child who wanted to make a point. She simply looked _adorable_. Quickly trying to hide the amused grin on his face, Hook slightly shook his head. No matter what the Crocodile did, she always found a way to defend him. The Dark One clearly didn't deserve her. It was a shame she didn't see the truth, that she didn't see there was a coward hiding behind dark power. But it had been an exhausting day and this was neither the time nor the place to discuss this delicate matter.

"If you say so, darling."

"What about the rest? Emma, Snow?"

"Ah ah ah ah ah, darling. I think now it's my turn to ask some questions, don't you think?"

Belle eyed him suspiciously for a moment. "Such as?"

"Such as: how on earth did you get here? We used the last magic bean. And – more importantly – why did you come here? This is not exactly a proper place for a beautiful princess, I hope you are aware of that!"

The look Hook gave her was purely curious. Belle hesitated. He was not her first-choice companion, but on the other hand with his help, it would be much easier and safer to face this new place and to find Rumpel. So in order to lay the groundwork for some kind of companionship, they had to be honest with each other. He had been so far, so it was her turn now. She reached for the inner-pocket of her cloak and pulled out a golden armlet.

"With the help of a friend." She said shrugging her shoulders and showed the trinket to the pirate.

Hook observed the armlet. It was beautiful. Made from expensive, heavy gold, it was richly ornamented with several pearls and seashells in different colors. But he had absolutely no idea how it could have possibly helped Belle to reach Neverland.

With a puzzled look on his face, he looked back at Belle. "What is that?"

"Oh" Belle had thought showing the armlet to a pirate would have been self-explaining. "I thought you were a pirate and knew about it." She smiled at him teasingly, obviously amused by his lack of knowledge.

Feeling offended by her amusement and her last statement, Hook replied grouchily: "I am a HELL of a pirate! Be sure of that! But that doesn't mean I care for some bloody piece of jewelry. Isn't something I would wear."

Hook's sulking was answered by Belle's giggle. "It wouldn't suit you anyway. You're not exactly the _gold _type, right?" Understanding the double-barreled meaning of her statement, Hook frowned at her - which made Belle even laugh more.

_Bloody woman_.

"It's a mermaid armlet." Belle finally explained. "When a mermaid wears it, she receives legs. And when a woman from the mainland wears it, well, it works the other way round and she transforms into a mermaid."

It took Hook some time to get her message. His eyes widened.

"And mermaids are able to cross realms." He whispered more to himself than to her.

"Exactly. My friend, Ariel, from Storybrook gave it to me. It originally belonged to her, but due to True Love's kiss, she didn't need it anymore to have legs."

Hook stared at her, utterly bewildered. "Are you just telling me you transformed into a mermaid and … _swam _… all the way here to Neverland?!"

Belle simply shrugged her shoulders and nodded. "It wasn't _that _far, you know."

The pirate breathed out sharply. It took him some moments to assimilate the piece of information.

"Damn you are a hell of a woman!" he said after a while, entirely impressed by the girl's wit and bravery. She slightly blushed to the plainly spoken compliment and she smiled at him sheepishly.

"Will you now tell me where Emma the rest are?"

Hook told her everything what had happened since they had gone through the portal. He told her about Tinkerbel, about their plan to reach the Hollowed Tree and, of course, how they had been separated thanks to Pan's magic.

After having finished, Belle sighed deeply. "So Pan is really as dark as everyone says?"

Hook let out a muffled laugh. "Darker, love. Much darker."

"How are you planning to reach the Hollowed Tree? Do still know the way?"

Without answering, Hook fetched his map and held it out to her. As she took it in her hands, her eyes widened in surprise.

"A map? Did you draw it?"

"Aye. I've spent some time on this island, so I drew one by heart. It's not perfect but it might be helpful to get to the heart of Neverland."

"It's amazing." Belle whispered, stroking the sensitive piece of paper. She immediately took in all the unfamiliar names and places: Mermaid Bay, River of Broken Tears … the map was like a sealed book, hiding too many stories and adventures Belle so urgently wanted to discover.

"Glad you like it. So if you want to join me, I'm leaving just before sunrise. This is why I really need to get some sleep now." Hook looked at her expectantly.

"I'm coming with you. I'm afraid I would be rather lost without you. And I can't wait at the beach for Rumpel to find me."

Hook shortly nodded as a response and both lay down on the cool but soft moos to sleep. While Belle quickly dropped off, Hook observed her sleeping face. She was not like the other princesses he had encountered during his life. Belle was different. She was only looking fragile, but her heart, her bravery and her wit formed an inner strength that would have outreached even some of the king's bravest soldiers. While slowly dropping off, Hook wondered if the Crocodile had been the only reason for her to come to Neverland. Thinking about it, Hook fell to a dreamless sleep.

Both didn't notice the two dark figures in the thicket of Dark Jungle who had been watching them.

When Hook and Belle were finally asleep, the bigger turned to the other.

"Let's go back. We need to tell him that she has arrived."

Without another word, the two figures vanished into the thicket of the forest.


	3. Trapped Tigress

"How long does it take us to reach the Hollowed Tree?"

They had been walking the whole day and Belle already felt her whole body aching from pain. Almost half a day, Hook and she had been wandering through the Dark Jungle – and by now, it was no secret to her why it was called the "Dark Jungle": it was definitely dark and, due to thick vines and pricky shrubs, nearly impossible to get through. They often had to change their original direction since even the pirate's sharp hook or his even sharper sword were sometimes not able to break through. But over time, the thickness of the jungle had slowly cleared and had been replaced by spacious woodland scenery.

The pirate and the beauty had finally made camp near to a small lake somewhere in the depth of the forest and were now sitting next to a small fireplace.

"I don't know. Maybe about one week." Hook answered.

"ONE WEEK?!" Belle let out a shocked gasp. This was definitely not the response she had been looking for. "You are kidding, right? It didn't look that far on your map!"

Hook laughed at her plainly shocked reaction. "Well, no one said it would be easy, love. This is Neverland. Unfortunately, we can't reach the Hollowed Tree directly. It would be too dangerous. I'm afraid we have to go a long way round and approach the heart of Neverland from south-west."

Exhausted, Belle let herself fall on her back and exhaled sharply. Closing her eyes, she was seriously wondering how she could possibly survive another day of walk, let alone seven days.

"Or maybe I simply appreciate your companionship and therefore prolong our little intimate togetherness for my own good."

When Belle opened her eyes, Hook was bending over her, a playful smirk playing around his mouth.

Belle, annoyed by Hook's constant innuendos, simply rolled her eyes and shoved him away. "Just stop that, Killian. I'm not in the mood for your bullshit."

The pirate just laughed at her annoyance but moved back. He had come across many women during his lifetime and Hook knew when it was definitely wiser to stop the teasing. Additionally, he somehow was not able to turn down any of her requests since she had started to call him _Killian_. Usually, nobody did. And he didn't mind – quite the opposite actually, as his nickname demonstrated just how much others should fear him. But when they had started their little journey in the morning, Belle had insisted to call him by his given name. As an explanation, she had just babbled something about trust and companionship and power of real names. She was a stubborn woman, Hook had already figured out that much. So instead of continuing a useless fight, Hook simply gave in after a while. It was strange to hear his name again after such a long time, but honestly spoken, Hook started to like it. He wouldn't admit it, though.

"Well, I see that, love. But I'm afraid I was serious about the time we need to travel there. As I said, Neverland is a dangerous place and we have to be careful. Besides, we better only travel by day and this will slow us down."

Since Belle didn't answer, Hook assumed that she had finally accepted his explanation. Actually, she really had no other choice. Wishful thinking would probably not cast all the island's dangers away.

Both sat in silence for quite a long time, each following their own thoughts. Belle's soft voice was the first to interrupt the pleasant silence.

"It's breathtaking."

Hook wasn't sure if Belle had addressed him or if she had just been talking to herself.

"Pardon?"

"This place." Belle simply stated as if her answer had been the most obvious thing in the world. "It's stunningly beautiful."

It was only then that Hook took in the sight before him. The setting of the sun dipped their surrounding into different shades of yellow, red and orange and the lake nearby was glistering as if it was composed of millions of small, sparkling rhinestones and diamonds. She was right, the scenery _was _breathtaking and Hook felt like seeing for the first time.

"It is." He admitted a little bit hoarsely. "But don't let Neverland's beautiful appearance deceive you. It still remains the most dangerous place of all realms."

"I know. But things are hardly ever what they first seem to be. The world is full of mysteries that wait to be uncovered."

Belle didn't face him while talking. She seemed to be too enchanted by their beautiful surrounding. Watching her closely, Hook noticed the dreamy expression on her face and he recognized the deep longing in her eyes. He knew this look only too well. It is said that eyes were the windows to our souls. And Belle's big, blue eyes mirrored a strong but desperate desire for something more than her current, sheltered life was able to give her. Hook suddenly remembered the thoughts he had had the night before when he had drifted off to sleep.

"You still owe me an answer, love." He said quietly, not wanting to jolt Belle out of her trance-like mesmerisation.

It apparently took some time until his words reached her. Startled by his question, she turned to look at him, obviously puzzled.

"I do?"

"Aye. From yesterday. I asked you why you had come to Neverland. Missing your scaly Crocodile, I guess?"

"Of course I missed Rumpelstiltskin." She replied firmly. But this answer was not entirely satisfying and Hook felt it in his bones that there was much more to tell.

"And that was the only reason?" Hook pressed further, eager to confirm his theory. "You had simply been lonely back in Storybrooke and wanted to be reunited with him? That's why you crossed realms?" There was an unmistakable hint of disbelief in his voice.

After some moments in silence, Belle continued with a small, sad smile on her face.

"I did feel lonely." She admitted. "My heart was breaking when Rumpel said goodbye and when I stood at the docks, all alone, watching your ship disappear. But my heart didn't only break because he left me, but also because I once again missed the chance to be part of an adventure." Belle sighed deeply, trying to fight back her tears.

"I don't know why he didn't want me to come with him, to help him. You know … I've always wanted to see the world and do the brave thing. I don't want to be the dull, pretty face dressed up in fancy clothes. I yearn for being a hero, at least for once." Belle let out a sad laugh and shook her head vehemently.

"But apparently, the men in my life don't seem to think that I'm capable of."

Hook couldn't help but feel sorry for the princess in front of him. He could see as well as feel the deep sadness and desperation in Belle's heart. But how could anybody not notice her strength and iron will to seek for more in life?

"Why is that?"

Fixating the flames of the fireplace, Belle continued while holding a dark expression on her face.

"Maybe because it's not what a princess is supposed to look for? When I was young, my father always told me that my only … _duty _… was to find a proper husband and to give birth to the kingdom's heirs. That fighting and heroism should be left to soldiers, not women – much less princesses. He tried to satisfy my desire for adventure by providing loads of books, and I really did appreciate that. It was the only way for me to somehow escape court and its lifeless daily routine. But they were merely a tiny silver lining in a world of dullness. They were hardly able to replace what I really needed."

"And what was that?" Hook asked softly.

She exhaled sharply, still suffering from the memories of an unsatisfactory life.

When she raised her head to look at him, the smallest of lights had lit up her eyes.

"Freedom." She replied longingly. "And adventure."

Then, her gaze once again wandered back to the fireplace.

"When Rumpel came to offer his deal, this was my chance to break free. Of course, at first sight, my prison was simply replaced by another. But as it seems, adventures can be found in the most unexpected ways and places. In my case, this adventure in the Dark Castle was True Love." Remembering her time with Rumpelstiltskin, a warm smile darted over her face.

"But still. He won't let me help him." Belle continued sadly. "He wants me to stay safe, protected in his Dark Castle or in Storybrooke. I guess that doesn't leave much space for adventure, too. That's the reason why I decided to find a way to Neverland and come here. To prove him and my father wrong. To prove everyone wrong who doesn't think I'm capable of … well … more."

Completely taken aback by Belle's story, Hook couldn't help but stare at her. Belle reminded him of the beautiful white tigress he had once seen at the sultan's palace in Agrabah. Hook had discovered the majestic animal in the Royal Gardens. Due to its exotic beauty and rareness, the tigress had been trapped in a huge cage with golden bars, with its only purpose in life being a living exhibit in order to pleasure the royal court. Hook still remembered that the princess had proudly pointed out how hard it had been to tame the wild animal and how long it had taken until they had finally succeeded. But having looked into the tigress's lost eyes, Hook knew better. Captivity had destroyed the animal's spirit and to him, that was rather heartbreaking than a _success_.

And obviously, those men who affected Belle's life to such a great extent had tried to do the same to her. She, too, was supposed to live in a golden cage. A gorgeous exhibit for the world to admire, tamed by the ones who claimed to love her most. Protected, yes. But hardly free.

"I'm sorry." was the only thing Hook could finally answer.

"Oh no please." Belle stated hastily. "_I am _the one to be sorry. You certainly didn't expect that kind of emotional outburst." Belle, obviously feeling uncomfortable, waved her hand as if to chase away her emotional confession. "It was a foolish thing to say."

"No! Don't be!" Hook protested fiercely. He quickly moved closer and covered her hands with his. Surprised by his reaction, Belle looked up to face him. Hook was looking straight into her eyes, shaking his head lightly.

"It's nothing foolish about following one's heart's desire and to seek adventure. I have no idea why those men in your life don't see what I see though we've only met a few times."

Belle dropped her gaze and whispered sadly: "How can you know. You barely know me."

"No, love, listen to me." Hook lifted her chin with his hand so that she had to face him again.

"I have been a pirate for a very, _very _long time." He said firmly. "Part of my job is to distinguish the real adventurers from the wanna-bes. And I can feel and see your strength. Sure, you are a woman who deserves to be protected as best as those men in your life can afford. But you're also a tigress, love. Don't let them ever tame you, Belle."

His words evoked a small smile on her face.

"I won't." she answered softly, maybe a little more to herself than to him.


	4. Not a Lost Boy

**Chapter 4**

The next day, Hook and Belle continued their journey heading further south. Having left behind the Dark Jungle, travelling had become less exhausting. Furthermore, Hook appeared to be a rather pleasant travel companion. Belle was curious about his life as a pirate, and he was only too eager to share his stories. He told her about his former crew, the foreign places they had been to and even about his one encounter with Blackbeard, the infamous, dangerous pirate. Everytime when Belle held her breath while listening or when her eyes widened in excitement, Hook was pretty proud about his life.

He felt a little sting in his heart when he remembered old times. His thirst for revenge had made him forget so much, actually it had made him forget his whole life _before _Milah and the Crocodile. But the more stories he told, the more did he remember. And he liked it pretty much as it reminded him of a life without hate but zest for life and lasting excitement.

It was about two hours after midday when he suddenly interrupted his stories. Belle had tried to hide her exhaustion, but Hook had noticed the pained expression on her face with every move she had made since noon.

"I think that was enough walking for today." He finally stated. "We should set up camp near that river over there and allow ourselves a little bit of rest."

Looking at her, he could read the answer on her face before she was even able to voice it.

_"Bloody, stubborn woman." _He thought, smiling to himself. She would never admit being too tired to move on.

"No back talk, princess!" Hook firmly announced before she even had a chance to answer. "We need to brace our forces for tomorrow as we will reach a rather stony and unpleasant canyon. And yesterday was quite an exhausting trip, I think we deserve that rest."

"Alright." Belle finally said a little bit relieved. "As long as it won't prolong our arrival at the Hollowed Tree, I wouldn't mind some recovery."

"I'm glad you agree. I think I wouldn't have lasted much longer." Hook replied, winking at her knowingly.

When they had found a proper place to settle, Hook decided to go to the forest to find something to eat.

"You'll stay here, love. Make yourself comfortable, take a bath in the river if you want to. I'll be back as soon as possible."

Belle stared at him in confusion. "No I want to come with you. Or maybe I can catch some firewood in the meantime."

"No." Hook replied a little bit louder than before. "Just listen to me and stay here, alright?"

Belle crossed her arms and glared at him sulkily. "Why? I thought you meant what you said yesterday."

Hook let out a desperate sigh. "Belle, I did mean what I said. But this …" he nodded toward the forest nearby "… is something different. It's were the Lost Boys use to hunt. There are many hidden traps and as I know this gang of ill-behaving teenagers quite well, I'm able to detect them. You don't. So just do me a favor, stay here, be quiet and let me find us something to eat. I'm really hungry right now and actually not in the mood for further discussions."

He looked at her expectantly. Belle finally sighed, obviously a sign of defeat, and nodded.

"Fine. I'll be right back." With those words, Hook vanished into the forest, leaving behind a displeased princess.

Belle finally obeyed and tried to follow Hook's orders. The bath in the river was quite nice and a pure blessing for her aching muscles. Feeling refreshed and revived, Belle sat down at their camp and waited for Hook to return. After about one hour, there was still no sign of the pirate and Belle started to get worried. What if he had walked right into a trap and was now in need of help. Belle bit her lower lip and considered her situation. She had promised Hook not to go into the woods, but on the other hand, if he needed help, Belle simply had to find him. And on second thoughts … she was a smart girl and some traps built by teenagers would certainly not be too difficult to detect. After another ten minutes of wait, Belle finally decided to search for Hook and entered the forest.

Walking deeper into the forest, Belle soon was surrounded by big coniferous trees. The forest soil was soft and of a rich green. Rays of sunlight broke through the thicket of the forest, making the trees and mossy surfaces glow. Belle dared to close her eyes and took in a deep breath. The forest smelled heavenly and reminded her of her childhood trips to the forests of Avonlea.

Belle moved further, slowly, cautiously – eyes carefully scanning the forest soil for hidden traps. After a while, she reached a small, glistering meadow. She searched the place for any sign of Hook, once again without results. She already wanted to turn away, heading back to the camp, when the huge flower in the midst of the meadow attracted her attention.

Belle's eyes widened. Never in her whole life had she seen such a beautiful flower. Its petals were of a rich red with glistering waterdrops sitting enthroned on top of them. Enthralled by its beauty, Belle slowly moved closer, trying to get a better look at it. The closer she came, the stronger was she enwrapped by the intensive, sweet flowery scent. Her senses seemed to focus entirely on the mysterious plant. Belle reached out one hand to finally touch it, curious about how it would feel under her soft palm.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

The sound of the unfamiliar voice dispelled the heavy, rosy cloud inside her head. Surprised, Belle turned around to find a boy standing only several feet in front her. He was leaning casually against an old tree, with a sly smile across his face. His eyes were of a deep brown, but there was something about them, something Belle was not sure whether to be attracted to or better to be afraid of.

"But if I were you, I wouldn't touch the lovely flower" he continued "It is said to be rather poisonous."

Belle looked back at the flower. It didn't appear dangerous, but she knew all too well that things were not always exactly what they had first seemed to be.

"Well then I'm glad you were here to rescue me!" she replied, smiling brightly back at the boy.

"At your service, my Lady!" He bowed self-mockingly, just like Rumpel used to do. Having a closer look at him, Belle noticed that the stranger was rather handsome. He was a teenager around 17, wearing a small knife at his brown leather belt. The rest of his clothing was just as green as his surroundings.

"So I guess you're one of the infamous Lost Boys of Neverland?" Belle asked curiously.

"Oh well- I'm afraid I don't consider myself as one of the Lost Boys" The boy kept smiling at her, but his expression had become darker, somehow dangerous.

Belle blinked at the boy in confusion, her heart was starting to pound faster in her chest. He was not one of the Lost Boys? Did this mean there were other people living in Neverland? People who could maybe help defeat Pan?

The boy stared at her for a moment, his smirk never leaving his face.

"But honestly spoken …" he continued "I guess everyone could be somehow considerd as a lost boy" While speaking, he slowly stepped closer. ".. or girl?" he added, staring at her.

Belle swallowed hard, getting more and more uncomfortable in the young man's presence.

"Oh well as for my part, I'm not really lost." She answered, trying to sound jauntily. "I was just gathering some firewood and got distracted by this lovely flower. But I still know how to get back to the place I'm from." She took a step backward, waving one hand at the stranger.

"So thank you again for the rescue, it was nice to meet you, really. But I should better head back, I'm sure my friend is already waiting for me. Have a nice day."

Belle quickly turned around to head back toward the camp, intending to make as much space as possible between her and the mysterious boy. She had the strange feeling that this person was a mystery she actually did not want to uncover.

But suddenly, her wrist got caught by a strong grip and she was whirled around. The boy was now standing close to her, still smiling. His eyes had a dark brown colour, strangely remembering her of Rumpelstiltskin. But there were no sparkles of gold, no warmth, no friendliness. No, on second thoughts, they had absolutely no resemblance with Rumpel's.

"Well sweet girl" he continued, moving his face dangerously close to hers, stopping only inches away.

"I was not saying you would not be able to find your way back to the camp… But what about your heart, sweetness? Rather lost, isn't it?"

Belle inhaled sharply.

"Why would that be?" There was an unmistakable trembling in her voice. His eyes were piercing hers, as if he wanted to look straight into her heart. Most confusingly, his scent was strangely familiar.

"Well … Forced away from your kingdom to save your people and captured by evil spirits for such a long time. And the beast you claim to love, beauty? He casts you away or keeps leaving you for his own good. So tell me, girl, where do you belong to?" While speaking, his grip around her arm tightened.

"Always so kind and beautiful, but always so lonely…" he lifted one finger to gently stroke her cheek. His touch sent an unpleasant shiver through her whole body.

"You know... I always recognize the lost ones, my dear. And you feel it too, don't you sweet _Belle_. You feel your lostness deep down in your heart."

Belle was not able to move. She kept staring at those mesmerizing eyes. She knew she should push this boy away, deny everything he's just said, telling him that Rumpel was always there for her, that she belonged to him ... that she was not lonely. But the small voice in her head which she had always successfully been able to ignore kept her from denying. It was true: she had always been all on her own. She had friends, yes. But they had never really understood her. Only one person had: her capturer, her master, her True Love. But since they had admitted their feelings to each other, he kept abandoning her. She truly wanted to believe in her happily ever after. But everytime Rumpel turned away from her, leaving her, a part of her happily-ever-after-dream left, too.

_Stop!_

Why did this stranger know her name? How could he know anything about her?

"Who are you?"

She tried to sound brave, not willing to admit that his words had uncovered the most desperate thoughts of her darkest hours. Nevertheless, her question merely came out as a soft whisper. Without strength nor anger, but rather curious sadness.

"I think you already know, lost girl." he whispered in her ear. Her eyes widened.

"PAN! STAY AWAY FROM HER!"

A furious male voice freed her from her trance and she stared at the man who had emerged from the dark forest across the meadow. Peter Pan loosened the grip around her arms, stepped away and turned around to face the harasser who aimed his sword point directly at the young man. His hook was glistering in the light of sunset.

"Killian" Belle whispered, her voice full of relief.


	5. The Island's Monster

**Chapter 5**

"Hook! What a pleasure to see my favorite pirate again." Belle could not see Pan's face, but she was sure that he was still holding his faked smile.

Despite the anger in his voice, Hook's face was covered by a sneer. He slightly bowed his head, but his dangerously glistering eyes were never leaving Pan's face.

"I'm afraid the pleasure is not mutual."

When Hook's eyes met Belle's, his expression suddenly softened. "Belle, love, come here. I'm sure you don't want to play with an ill-mannered teenager." Though his voice sounded smooth and steady, his eyes were desperately pleading.

With shaky legs, Belle slowly moved toward him, eyes never leaving his, refusing to look back at Peter Pan. As soon as she was within reach, the pirate slid his hook into her skirt and pulled her quickly to his warm chest.

"Don't fear, pet. I'll deal with this one." He silently whispered, holding her in a tight embrace. She could feel his warm breath on her cheek. After moments that felt like hours, Hook gently shoved her behind his back. Protected by a warm, human shield, Belle finally looked back at Peter Pan.

The young man was still standing where she had left him, arms crossed in front of his chest. He didn't seem angry but rather amused by the scene in front of him.

"Oh isn't that interesting" he finally stated with a malicious grin across his face. "The bright knight has come to rescue the damsel in distress from an evil monster. Classic. And truly touching. Our story, though, is a little bit different, isn't it pirate? The role of the hero is normally not what suits you well, Hook."

Belle felt how Hook's whole body started to tense at those words. The pirate didn't answer, but let out a dangerous snarl.

"But I have to admit, I'm quite surprised to see you protecting especially this girl. After all, she's the Dark One's True Love. You are protecting what he has taken from you."

"She is not responsible for his deeds." Hook hissed. "She is not the one who should be punished only because she tries to believe in a … in that man!"

A tear emerged in Belle's eyes. Never had she thought that Hook would protect her, defend her. But he was so different from what she had imagined. Beneath the dark cloud of revenge that had enveloped his broken heart, there was much more to detect. She had seen kindness, loyalty and courage. But also pain and oh so much sorrow. Overwhelmed by his words, she moved even closer to his back, squeezing his waist tightly to express her feelings.

She felt how his body softened under her touch and for one moment, Hook turned to face her. His ocean-blue eyes were now looking deep into hers.

"Although it took me some time to realize that." he whispered softly. For one moment, Belle could see all the pain and desperation that Hook had been suffering from for such a long time. But in addition to that, she could see something else: a pleading for forgiveness. Unable to say something, Belle simply replied with a small smile. They just stood there, staring at each other, until a sharp voice brought them back to the meadow.

"So you and Rumpel still have the same taste when it comes to girls, hm? I won't blame you, Hook. After all, she is a really pretty little toy."

At those words, Hook's head immediately snapped back to face Pan.

"Watch it, boy!" Hook's voice was dangerously low and rough. "I don't bloody care about what you think! I'm sure you are not here to discuss my preference for girls. Pray tell, what do you want?! "

"Ah, did I just touch on a raw nerve? I see." For the slightest of moments, Pan's smile vanished and was replaced by a thoughtful expression. When he continued, he glared at them mischievously.

"Well, don't worry, pirate. I've not come here to harm her. I just wanted to welcome our latest islander to Neverland. You know… make sure she has arrived safely and is aware of all the … _dangers_ ", he stressed the word while looking at Belle, "… that are lurking at this beautiful place."

Belle let go of Hook's waist and slowly stepped to his side, glaring at Pan.

"I think I'm _now _pretty aware of the _monsters_ ", Belle stressed the word just as Pan had done before, "that hide on this island!"

Noticing that Belle was now beside him, Hook immediately tried to shove her back. But Belle wanted to show Peter Pan that it took a lot more than a mischievous smile to scare her off. Thus, despite Hook's efforts to draw her back, she tenaciously stood her ground and continued snarling at Pan.

"And by the way: I'm not planning to stay on this island much longer than needed. So I consider myself rather a visitor than a new _islander_ as you've put it!"

"That remains to be seen, Belle." Pan whispered. For the first time, his smile had completely vanished from his face and he was flashing his eyes darkly at Belle.

"Remember what I've told you, Beauty." Pan continued stony-faced. "Just listen to your heart and stop ignoring what it tells you. Feel the pain." He suddenly sighed heavily. "Then you'll understand. You don't need to fight for a false life."

Without another look at Hook, Pan turned on his heels and vanished into the thicket.

Belle simply watched him disappear, his last words a throbbing in her head.

After a moment of silence, Hook turned to look at her. His face was taut with anger.

"Do you want to kill us woman?!" he screamed angrily. "Why the bloody hell didn't you listen to me?! I TOLD you to stay near the camp! Do you even have a CLUE who that was and what he could have done?!"

But, for Belle, Hook's voice was merely a distant noise that hardly was able to reach her. As Hook kept throwing his tantrum, she only was able to stare at the spot where Pan had vanished. Those words had left behind an overwhelming feeling of uneasiness. She felt as if a dark, cold hand was reaching out for her soul, making it harder and harder to breathe. Finally, her whole body went numb and her legs subsided.

"Belle!"

Before she hit the ground, Hook was there to catch her.

"What's wrong with you?!"

Belle felt how her body was cautiously laid on cold grass. She managed to open her eyes, looking into Hook's worried face.

"Dizzy" is all she could reply, fighting against the darkness that threatened to take possession of her.

She saw how Hook's lips moved, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. She closed her eyes as her world kept on spinning.

"Killian … don't … leave" was the last thing Belle could breathe before her world went dark. The only thing that remained was Pan's voice knocking in her head.

_You feel your lostness._

_You don't need to fight for a false life._

_Always so lonely._

_Lost girl._


	6. Nightmares

**Chapter 6**

When Belle opened her eyes again, it was already nightfall. She was lying next to a warm fireplace and a soft jacket had been carefully put under her head. Her head was still slightly spinning and she desperately was trying to remember what had happened that had caused her to lie on the ground, head throbbing and feeling disoriented. The only image that came to her mind was the face of a boy with dark eyes and a wicked smile.

When she tried to rise, strong, rough hands gently pushed her back to the ground.

"Careful, lass. You have been unconscious for quite a long time. Best not to move too quickly."

Belle blinked, and slowly, the blurred image of Hook's face above her became clearer.

"What happened?" It was no more than a cracked whisper, but according to the tensing of his jaw, Hook had understood the words.

Sighing, he removed his hands from her shoulder. "I was hoping you could explain that to me, love. Once this nasty son of a tadpole had vanished into the woods, you collapsed and …" he pursed his lips as if he had to think about the next word. "… fainted. Lucky you, I was able to grab you just in time."

"Pan" Suddenly, the events of the afternoon were back in her mind. The meadow, the dangerous flower, the boy who had suddenly been standing so close… The words he had said, still ringing loud and clear in her head. And his smell: dangerous and at the same time rather familiar.

"Aye. Pan." Hook spit out the name as if it were something very disgusting in his mouth.

Belle slowly sat up, feeling an unpleasant numbness throughout her whole body. "And I was asleep until now?"

Looking straight at Hook's face, Belle immediately noticed the change in his expression. For a moment, he looked even more concerned before he finally turned his head toward the fire, clearly avoiding her gaze.

"Kind of."

"Kind of?"

How can anybody be _kind of _asleep? But Hook, still staring into the fire, didn't answer. Belle slowly moved a little bit closer toward the pirate. "Killian…?" Her voice was soft and pleading. What had happened that made him feel so uncomfortable?

Rumpel once had said names had power – apparently he had been right. Hearing his given name from her lips had obviously broken his will to remain silent. Hook sighed and closed his eyes, face still toward the fireplace.

When he spoke, his normally playful and light voice sounded strangely hoarse.

"After you had collapsed, I was trying to wake you. When you didn't react, I chose to carry you back to the camp." He paused, trying to find the right words to explain what had happened. "You lay there… pale, cold and completely still. If you hadn't breathed, I would have thought you dead. After maybe two hours, you suddenly started to squirm as if in pain, flailing around. I tried to calm you, wake you, but it didn't work."

He paused for a moment and faced her. "I have to admit: I never thought that a tiny princess such as you could bear so much power. You made it a tough job to hold you, love."

A small impressed smile was playing around his mouth. When he continued, this hint of a smile was once again replaced by a rather troubled look. "Sometimes you opened your eyes and stared at me, whispering broken sentences. I didn't get much but …" He didn't finish the sentence. Instead, Hook sharply exhaled, apparently mentally cursing himself for having even begun the sentence.

"But what?"

Silence.

Belle reached out for his hand, squeezing it softly. "Please tell me." Caught off guard by the warm touch, Hook automatically turned to face the little princess again. The fire was reflected by her blue eyes and made them even larger than usual, even more beautiful. How could he deny her any request? Ever again?

But he remembered the last few hours all too well. Her screams had been heartbreaking, her eyes wide open and terrified. She had grabbed his coat and pleaded him to stop her pain. Not to leave her … to rescue her. He had tried to calm her by stroking her hands and head softly, by talking fluffy nonsense, by rocking her in his strong arms like a child. He had desperately asked her from whom or what she needed rescuing, that he wanted to help her. She then had stopped squirming and stared at him. Her eyes had suddenly become desperately sad. _"Nobody will save me. I'm alone. Only shadows. Why do you leave me?" _ Those had been the last, clear words that had come out of her mouth before she was closing her eyes again, shivering all over her body.

"Killian?" Her sweet, trembling voice brought him back to the fireplace. Belle was still staring at him, a confused expression on her beautiful face. He sighed. Maybe he doesn't need to tell her everything.

"You had a nightmare. You told me not to leave, so I stayed here with you."

Good. This was at least no lie.

She studied his face for a moment, wondering if he was continuing the story. This had been the second time in one day that her True Love's worst enemy had rescued her: first from Pan, second from an apparently evil nightmare. She couldn't help but squeezing his hand tighter, giving him a small smile.

"Thank you. For staying with me."

He smiled back at her, his features finally softening.

"No matter, love. You know … Pan was right. I can't stand seeing a damsel in distress." He gave her a wink and she released a brisk lough.

"Lucky me!"

"Well, love, this was quite an exhausting day - for both of us. Maybe we should get some sleep? We need to get up early tomorrow and I'm afraid the best way to face this lovely island is to be well-rested."

Belle nodded. In fact, despite having been unconscious for about half the day, she was still feeling rather struck. Observing her surrounding, Belle suddenly felt a sting of uneasiness. She had never been overly scared by the darkness, nonetheless, this was Neverland. And as it seemed, it was the most dangerous place she had ever been to. Where the mere touching of a flower would mean certain death and simple words cling your soul until you don't remember how to breathe. Those thoughts led a slight shiver down her spine.

Watching the princess, Hook sensed her uneasiness. Still bearing the previous pictures in mind, he wanted her to feel as safe as possible. If her nightmares returned, he wanted at least to be there, holding her close.

Before talking, he uncomfortably cleared his throat. When exactly had been the last time he had asked a woman just to lie next to him, just in order to make her feel safe? How could he possibly choose the words without making the impression of an offensive, lecherous lady-killer? That he admittedly was-

"Um … love … you know, after all that happened today … I mean … Pan and stuff … and … Neverland can be quite … you know, frightening. What I mean is … I'm hot … um … I mean I'm warm. No, that doesn't sound good. Because it's cold and … um … the nightmares? I mean if it makes you more … you know … comfortable … I could … only if you want to, you know?"

_What's wrong with you, mate? That sounds awfully embarrassing!_

"Can we just sleep close, Killian?" Hook's pitiful stammering was thankfully interrupted by Belle's sudden question. No, she didn't want to sleep alone. Not tonight.

"I mean … only tonight? If that's okay for you?" Her voice sounded unsteady, begging, but it was the best and sweetest thing Hook had heard for quite a long time.

He warmly smiled at her, lifting his arm to signal her to lie next to him. "Come here, love."

Grateful, Belle followed the invitation. When she settled next to him, Hook laid his arm around her shoulder and pulled her head gently to this chest. Belle inhaled deeply, breathing in Hook's sent. It was a pleasant scent, implying a sense of safety. The only man with whom she had ever been this way had been Rumpel. The very thought of him made her heart ache. When would she finally find him? And most importantly: what would he say if he knew she was lying next to Hook? The man who had stolen his wife many years ago? She suddenly felt a sting of guilt. But then again, Hook looked after her and made her feel safe and protected. And this is what Rumpel always wants her to be, right? This is the reason why he keeps leaving her. To protect her … to safe her.

"Belle?"

Hook's voice startled her from her thoughts of Rumpelstiltskin.

"Hm?"

"What was your nightmare about? Do you remember?" His voice was only a whisper.

"I don't know." Belle breathed. "All I remember is an overwhelming darkness."

Hook didn't answer. Belle listened to his steady breathing, his chest softly moving up and down, until she finally fell to a peaceful sleep.

When he felt Belle's body relax against his own, Hook slightly tightened his grasp around her.

"I won't let him hurt you, Belle. I promise."

* * *

On a hill nearby, two figures were watching them in the protection of the darkness.

"So she's protected by the pirate now. Why didn't you just catch her when you had the chance?"

"She still needs time. She still believes in the people she is so eagerly fighting for."

"What about Hook? He seems to have developed a soft spot for her."

"He won't be a problem. Leave that to the Dark One. In fact, this unexpected turn of events will eventually play in our cards. Don't worry Felix. Just wait and see. The Lost Girl will soon return home."

When the clouds moved and the hill was illuminated by moonlight, Felix could see the complacent smirk and the burning, dark eyes in Pan's face.


	7. Kiss on the Cheek

**Chapter 7**

When Hook woke up the next morning, the first thing he noticed was the smooth, warm skin under the palm of his hand and the pleasant smell of roses in his nose. He somehow felt pleasantly trapped but didn't dare to open his eyes, at least not yet. If this was still some kind of dream, he was not yet ready to wake up. After a few moments, his trap slightly moved, clinging tighter at him.

_Wait. Since when do traps move and – most notably – smell that heavenly?_

Hook finally managed to open his eyes, blinking due to the blinding sun. The _trap, _as he soon found out, was a small, warm woman with auburn hair sleeping next to him. They were facing each other and her legs were twining around his complete lower body. Even if he had wanted to (and of course he did _not_), there was hardly a way out. Hook's gaze wandered up to his arm. During sleep, he had apparently laid his hand possessively around her small waist. Well, _actually_, he had somehow managed to shove his hand slightly _under_ her shirt so that his hand was now lying on bare skin. Well, force of habit.

_Gods, her skin feels incredibly soft._

Belle was still sound asleep, her delicious breasts steadily moving up and down. Hook smiled to himself while watching her sleep. He knew damn well that every single man she had ever met had told her how much she lived up to her name. Not a very clever pick-up line, to be honest. But as he watched her flawless porcelain face framed by dark, soft curls, he couldn't help himself but think just the same. She _was _stunningly beautiful. She smelled divine and the feeling of her naked skin beneath his own, rough paw sent down familiar sensations to certain parts of his lower body. But more stunningly, it felt _good _to lie next to Belle, having her so close. Not _good _in a lecherous, longing way (_ok – maybe not __only__)_,but _good _in a quite innocent, the-whole-world-consists-of-purple-bubbles way. And this was a feeling he hadn't had for a rather great amount of time. He knew it was already late and they should probably get up and continue their journey. But listening to her steady breath, inhaling the smell of flowers, he didn't feel any rush. Instead, he closed his eyes again, shifted his body slightly and nestled even closer up to her.

Unfortunately, this slightest of movements caused Belle to wake up. Yawning loudly, she freed her legs from Hook's body and rolled on her back, causing Hook's hand to rest on her flat stomach. Startled, she turned her head to the side to look straight into the pirate's blue eyes.

"Good morning, love." Hook said in a deep, hoarse voice. "Did you sleep well?"

Removing his hand from her stomach, Hook reached out to gently tuck a loose flick of hair behind her ear. Regaining her composure after some moments, Belle sat up hastily.

"Um, yes. Quite well, actually." Belle replied sheepishly. "Thank you. How about you?"

Hook stretched his arms and legs contentedly, grinning at her broadly. "Best sleep in a while."

Looking at the sun's position in the sky, Belle breathed out noisily. "It's quite late, isn't it? Close to noon. Why didn't you wake me?"

"Well, first of all you needed to catch up some sleep. And secondly, I didn't have the heart to disturb your pleasant sleep. You were simply looking too peaceful. But you're right. We better get going."

* * *

Belle and Hook were walking in silence for quite a long time. Hook just now and then darted a worried glance at his companion, still wondering about the events of the day before. Belle didn't look at him. She seemed to be completely lost in thought, her eyes firmly fixed on the ground.

Hook finally couldn't stand their silence anymore. He missed her chatty, light spirit and the blithe, friendly smile on her face. Sure, an encounter with Pan never was an enjoyable one, but the fainting, the screams, the whole sudden change of her behavior were simply … unsettling.

He started an uncreative jabber about their journey, the landscape, gods, even the weather. When here only reaction consisted of "humph"s and "uh-huh"s, he finally had enough.

"You are alight, love?" he said quite loudly to break through her thoughts.

Startled, Belle turned her head for the first time to look at him.

"I'm sorry. What was that? I'd somehow got carried away by my thoughts."

"I asked if you were ok." Hook replied firmly with an oddly upset expression on his face.

When Belle didn't answer, Hook breathed in sharply.

"Look, love." He continued, trying to calm his voice. He didn't know what exactly made him feel that upset, but he wanted her to talk to him. He wanted her to trust him. Hadn't he proven himself often enough? Hadn't it been him who had held her throughout the night, protecting her from darkness and nightmares?

"I need you to talk to me. Since you've met this greenish, vicious forest dweller, you have …" he swirled his hook through the air as if to catch the right words, "changed somehow."

Belle stared at him for a moment, apparently undecisive what to respond.

"I'm not frightened if that's what you mean." Belle finally replied, raising her brows.

"No, Belle. This is exactly _not _what I meant." Hook had stopped his walking to glare at her. "This would at least be a reaction I'd be able to understand. You _should_ be frightened. But instead, you just look utterly … _confused_?" He lifted his shoulders and waited for her to affirm his choice of word.

Hook waited for her to say something, but the only response he received was a reluctant nod.

"Alright." Hook finally stated. "If you don't want to tell me what Pan had said to you when the two of you were alone, I'm perfectly fine with it. I have no idea what he's after. But I do know one thing, love, and you have to keep this in mind. Pan is a manipulative, evil boy. He loves to play his wicked little mind games and, more importantly, he loves to _win _them. He is quite good at detecting the slightest of weakness in a person to finally use it against them. So, whatever he told you, neither believe nor even think about it. And if you feel like talking, well … let's just say that as the charming lad that I am, I was many a time able to solve any kind of problem."

He cocked his head, offering her a slight, unsure smile.

After having thought about his words, Belle's facial features finally softened and she slowly approached the pirate. Reassuringly, she softly laid her hand on his right upper arm, searching for his eyes.

"You are right, Killian. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken his words to heart. His presence just feels so … lasting." Belle struggled to find the right word to describe the strange feeling Pan had caused, and still did. But _lasting _was the best she could think of.

"Lasting?" Hook furrowed his brow. "Like a permanent pain in the ass, I guess?"

Belle broke out in laughter. "Yes I think you could put it that way."

"Well he's certainly good at that." Hook agreed.

"So … shall we move on then, my lady?" Hook asked after a while, offering his arm self-mockingly like a gentleman.

"Why sure, good Sir." Belle bobbed a curtsey, giving him a warm smile. She then raised herself on tiptoes and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek, whispering a soft "Thank you." against his ear. When she moved back, Belle squeezed his arm and turned around to continue the walk.

Hook just stood there, completely frozen. His hand wandered unconsciously toward his cheek, still sensing the warmth of her lips on his skin. Belle turned around to face him again.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked, smiling innocently at him.

Hook somehow managed to remember how to move his legs again and quickly caught up.

_Oh come on, mate. She's not the first woman to kiss you. On. Your. Cheek. You had many women doing quite a lot more than that!_

Belle linked arms with him and restarted a cheerful chat. Hook just listened to the sound of her voice. He couldn't help the feeling that he was starting to get in big, big trouble.


	8. Who are they?

**Chapter 8**

"Not serious, right? I mean … you _can't _be?!"

Belle was staring at the gaping abyss in front of her. "There must be somewhere … a bridge or something?"

Hook let out a roaring laughter. "No, love." He answered. "There's no such thing, I'm afraid. We could actually circumvent climbing down the stony wall of this crag by going further east."

Hope lit up Belle's face.

"But this would mean firstly, to extend our journey to about two more days, and secondly, and this is the real reason, it would mean to make our way through the Wastelands of Neverland. Wild horses couldn't drag me there. Against that area, climbing down this crag truly appears to be quite a cinch."

Reluctantly, Belle took one step closer to the edge, peeking down the huge stony wall to see the valley.

"I highly doubt that." She finally sighed.

"It's really not that bad, dear." Hook said reassuringly, trying to bolster her up. "There's actually a small path leading nearly the whole way down to the ground. It falls away sharply and is rather stony, so we still have to be careful. But it'll make things much easier."

"No climbing?" Belle's tensed expression had luckily softened a little bit.

"Only the last bit. We'll be fine, I promise."

Belle took a deep breath. Maybe now it was time to mention her fear of heights, right?

_Do the brave thing and bravery will follow._

"Alright." She finally said with a shaky voice. "Lead the way."

* * *

As things turned out, going down the path, Hook had led her to, was actually not that bad. It was a stony and exhausting trip and Belle refused to look down, but after a while, she more or less got past her fear. That was at least the case until they reached the end of the path which was – as Belle noticed with horror – still about 50 feet above the ground. When Hook turned to look at Belle, shock and fear were plainly written on her face.

"OK, love, here we go. Listen to me, and you'll be fine, alright? I'll go first. We don't need to rush so take your time to get a steady hold. Always make sure you'll have a protruding rock for at least one hand and foot within reach before you climb further down. And don't look down. Won't make things easier." He squeezed her shoulder and began to climb down the crag.

When Belle finally started to find her hold with trembling hands, Hook was already half way down the rocky wall. Belle began to climb – slowly, cautiously and never looking down. She just concentrated on each move she made. The stony wall was quite uneven, so it was at least no problem to find protruding rocks to hold onto.

It happened when she was about 15 feet above ground. Hook was already standing at the bottom, calling out supportive words of advice and compliment. When Belle reached out for another rock to hold onto, it suddenly broke away from the stony wall. Not being able to quickly find another one to grab, Belle lost balance, scratched her hand on the razor-sharp surface and fell down. Hook immediately jumped to catch her, both of them then crashing noisily to the ground.

"Belle?! Are you alright?" Hook looked at Belle who was lying next to him, holding her head with one hand.

"Um, yes. Yes, I think so." She stammered, still being at a slight state of shock. "I just wanted to grab that stone and it broke off the wall and I … _ouch_!" A sharp pain in her right foot interrupted her when she had tried to stand up.

Hook was immediately by her side, helping her sitting back down on the ground.

"Easy, love. Let me take a look at that." He said, gently removing the shoe from her foot. He closely looked at it, carefully squeezing different parts of the foot. Every now and then, Belle let out a sharp, pained gasp.

After having completed his examination, Hook turned his head to face her again, a sign of relief written on his face. "You were quite lucky, darling. Thankfully, it's not broken. Nonetheless, you've torn a muscle and will probably not be able to walk on your own for the next two days, at least not without pain."

"Shit!" Belle blurted out loud, causing a broad smile to appear on Hook's face. "This is so me … I can't even climb down this _bloody_ wall without getting hurt."

Hook's smile even broadened. "Ah, listen to you, darling. Already cursing like a real pirate! Must be my good influence." he said, winking at her.

Belle just tried to fight back her tears and said angrily: "Don't make fun of me, Killian. Not now."

"But love, I'm not making fun of you. Cross my heart! You did quite well for the first time!"

Belle rolled her eyes. "That doesn't change the fact that, because of my clumsiness, we are not able to move on." She looked around, taking in their surroundings, and added: "And this is actually not a nice place to set camp, right?"

"Aye, you're right. We mustn't stay here. But first things first. Show me your right hand." Hook ordered.

"What …" Belle asked in surprise but interrupted herself when she looked down at her hand. Until now, she hadn't noticed that it was covered with grazes and slight cuts.

"It's nothing." She said hastily. "No need to worry."

But Hook simply ignored her. He forcefully yanked a piece of fabric from her cloak and winded it around her scratched up hand. While holding her hand with his, he used his teeth to tie up the makeshift bandage. Hook's eyes were never leaving hers. Meeting his piercing, intensive and captivating gaze, Belle suddenly felt dizzy. But she refused to look away, not willing to destroy this strange but somehow thrilling moment between them.

When he finally removed his mouth and his hand from hers, Belle exhaled heavily as if she had held her breath during the entire time. She was still trying to regain composure, when Hook had already started to speak.

"There. We should better move on, love. I'll carry you the rest of the time. No back talk!"

With those words, he bent down and lifted her carefully from the ground. She laid one arm around his neck to get a better hold and he started walking.

"Where are we going?" She asked curiously.

"I know a place nearby where we can probably stay. I'm sure they can even help fixing your foot."

"_They_?" Belle gave him a puzzled look. "Who's _they_?"

Hook sighed deeply before answering. "A Native American tribe that lives here. I used to know them … um … well, at least one of them … quite well."

Being so close to his face, Belle immediately noticed the slight blush on Hook's cheek. Oh my gods, was he really blushing? Belle smiled at him mischievously.

"One of them, hm?" she asked teasingly. "A girl, I suppose?"

Hook let out a small laugh. "Of course, love. It was a hell of a long time in Neverland and I can't help being devilishly handsome. But she was not simply _a _girl. She was the tribe's princess."

"Killian Jones, don't tell me you have a soft spot for princesses?" Belle said giggling.

"Only for certain ones, love." He answered, smirking at her.

Belle laughed out loud and continued her inquiry.

"I see, Captain. So tell me, what happened to the both of you?"

Hook simply shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "You know… two people aiming for different things in a … um … _relationship_ as she had put it. Didn't end well."

Belle raised her brows. "Let me make an educated guess … You dumped her, right?"

Before Hook was able to reply, a sharp, female voice interrupted their conversation.

"Oh indeed he did. And not very nicely, as far as I remember!"

Hook, still holding Belle in his arms, whirled around to find a tall, black-haired woman standing in front of them. Her tanned skin was covered with colourful, strange symbols and she wore an unusual beige-coloured dress that ended mid-thigh. From the furious look the woman gave them, Belle assumed that the aforenamed princess was now standing in front of them.

"What are _you_ doing here, Hook?!" the woman asked forcefully.

"Speak of the devil." He muttered silently.

"A pleasure to see you again, Lil." Hook retorted a little bit louder, tightening his grasp around Belle's body.

* * *

Neither Hook nor _Lil, _as the pirate had addressed the tribe's princess, said a word. The princess was just glaring at the pirate with an unmistakable "one-wrong-word-and-I'll-punch-you-in-your-pretty-face" expression. The tension in the air was really unbearable, but Belle wisely chose not to intervene. Oh no, she was definitely not suicidal. A fight between two ex-lovers? No thank you, none of _her_ business.

Belle was quite surprised when the princess' eyes suddenly met her own. Lil's expression turned into a rather unpleasant sneer, making Belle feel even more uncomfortable.

_Damn, Killian! What did you do to that girl…?!_

"Don't you want to introduce me to your pretty little girlfriend, Hook?"

Hook sighed, clearly annoyed by the entire situation.

"Of course, love. Where are my manners?"

The girl just snorted at that comment.

"Belle, may I introduce you to Tiger Lily, the beautiful and apparently rather resentful daughter of Wily Hawk, chief of the Aptokee Tribe. But just call her Lil. She'll be fine with that."

Tiger Lily growled dangerously. She obviously wasn't really fond of this idea.

"And Tiger Lily, this outstanding beauty in my arms is called Belle, Princess of Avonlea."

Belle rolled her eyes. Did he really have to provoke Tiger Lily that much? She didn't know what had happened between both of them. But, according to the furious look in Tiger Lily's eyes, Belle had the feeling that Hook's definition of a _proper break-up_ was kind of … well let's say not utterly gentlemanly.

To Belle's surprise, Tiger Lily let out an amused laugh, which was, unfortunately, not very soothing.

"Really, Hook?" she spat. "Another princess? I'm really wondering how you do that."

"Well, you should know the answer, love. It worked with you." Hook retorted calmly.

Tiger Lily's laugh stopped abruptly and she narrowed her eyes. She had already opened her mouth to give him another, hateful, response, when Belle finally chose to interrupt. This whole ex-lover drama would end in nothing. And she was feeling awkwardly trapped between them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Tiger Lily." Belle said sweetly. "I'm sorry for Killian's bad manners but we really had quite an exhausting day. I'm afraid that's the reason for his poor behavior."

Hook had opened his mouth to protest loudly, but closed it again when Belle slightly shoved her elbow into his chest, ordering him to stay quiet.

"And just to sort things out: we are not together or something. I'm deeply in love with someone else." Hook's body slightly tensed at those words. "But I've sprained my ankle and Killian was thankfully offering to carry me all the way. We were wondering if we could maybe stay with you and your tribe. Just for one night, of course. We would really appreciate your kindness."

Tiger Lily gave Belle a long, puzzled look. When she finally replied, a small, amazed smile had softened the harsh expression on her face.

"I'm sorry about my behavior, Princess Belle." Tiger Lily answered politely. "My tribe will be happy to help you. Follow me. It's not far from her."

Before she turned to lead the way, she gave Hook one last evil look. "Just to make this clear" she declared in a hard voice. "I'm helping _her_, not you."

When they reached the tribe of the Aptokees, Hook and Belle were quickly surrounded by a crowd of tribe members who were eying them curiously.

Belle was now more or less standing stably on her own feet (_well, actually __foot_) again, with Hook being close to support her. After a while, a huge, massive man occurred, wearing a stunningly beautiful feather headdress. His entire skin was covered with colorful pictures and symbols and he held a long, wooden wand in his hand. Though the man made quite an imposing impression, Belle immediately could sense wisdom and a good-hearted nature. Relieved, she even managed to give him a warm smile.

The tribal chief took only a short glance at his visitors before he addressed his daughter.

"Tiger Lily" the strong, deep voice announced loudly. "You've brought us two guests as I can see. One we already know" he gestured one big paw towards Hook. "And one we don't." He turned his head to meet Belle's gaze. His eyes were oval-shaped and of an intense, dark green colour. For one long moment, the big man stared at her with a blank expression on his face. Belle forced herself to hold his gaze, still smiling. The tribal chief rewarded her steadfastness with a friendly look.

"A strong one, indeed." He said approvingly. "What's your name, child?"

"My name is Belle." She replied with a steady voice. "Princess Belle of Avonlea, daughter of King Maurice from the Enchanted Forest."

"It's nice to meet you Princess Belle." The chief said, bowing his head slightly. "My name is Wily Hawk, chief of the Aptokee tribe of Neverland. But do tell, princess. Your home is far away. What brings you to our island?"

"Same holds true for you, Killian Jones." He added, turning towards the pirate. "You left this island a long time ago with the aim never to return. And still, here you are."

"It's nice to see you again Wily Hawk. And you are right. I didn't want to come back. But Pan has kidnapped a boy from our home and we are here to rescue him." Hook explained shortly.

"That's a noble and dangerous purpose, my friend." Wily Hawk answered with a serious tone in his dark voice. "I wish you the best luck to succeed."

"Thank you chief. We were hoping to stay here overnight. Belle has sprained her ankle and she needs some rest at a safe place." Hook gave Belle a quick, worried look before he turned to face the huge man again.

Immediately, the tribal chief spread invitingly both arms and declared loudly: "Stay with us as long as you wish, my friends. Rest for a spell before you continue your difficult task. Eat and drink with us. Let's celebrate an unexpected reunion and a new encounter!"

The whole tribe cheered and roared out loud.

"_SAHAKABE!_" Wily Hawk shouted noisily over the heads of his people.

Within moments, the crowd went silent and parted as a small, wrinkled woman with long, snowy hair appeared. Although she was quite tiny and walked with a stoop, Belle could detect respect and awe in every member's face. The mysterious woman stopped only few feet before Belle and Hook, eying them closely. Belle couldn't take her eyes off and caught herself wondering, how old the woman would probably be. Judging from the depth of her many wrinkles, she was as old as the hills. But looking into piercing, catlike eyes, Belle almost changed her mind. Those eyes didn't belong to an old woman. They were neither blurred nor tired, but rather alert and impish.

The old woman reached out one hand to touch Belle's cheek.

"Welcome, Belle." She simply said in a deep, hoarse voice.

"Um … thank you." Belle answered, unsure what to say.

"Oh come on, old girl. No hugs left for your favorite pirate, hm?" Hook suddenly blurted out playfully.

When the old woman turned to face him, a roguish smile was playing around her mouth.

"Well, you left me, boy." The woman said, winking at him.

Hook tossed his head back and let out a loud, roaring laughter.

"I'm so sorry, Saha. You know I had to." He said, pulling the old woman into a tight embrace. "But it's nice to see you again."

"Bad weeds grow tall, boy. Isn't that your philosophy of life?" She answered, smirking at the pirate.

Belle watched the scene between the old woman and the pirate narrowly, smiling instinctively to herself.

"Belle, this is Sahakawe." The tribal chief finally explained. "She is the tribe's shaman. Go with her, she will take care of you."

Hook immediately took his arm around her waist to support her walk.

But the chief held up one hand to stop him. "No, Hook. You'll stay here. You have to tell me everything about your situation."

"But Belle's ankle …" Hook began, pointing a little bit desperate at Belle's foot.

But Wily Hawk simply cut him off. "Kokoum will help her."

A big, muscular man took on step forward, separating himself from the faceless crowd of tribe members. His stony, strict face was directly darted at Belle, apparently eager to be once again the strong ("_and half naked as usual" _Hook noticed angrily)tribal hero.

Without a single word and on quick move, the hulk of a man flicked tiny, little Belle over his shoulder and marched towards the numerous wigwams. The obviously deeply shocked Belle had no option but yielding up to her fate. She gave Hook a final, desperate look until she and the stony-faced muscleman were out of sight. Sahakawe finally followed them.

Hook sighed deeply.

"Come now!" Wily Hawk announced. "We have much to talk."


	9. Knowing

**Chapter 9**

Hook sat by the tribal fireplace and watched how the lambent flames were slowly burning the chopped wood. He had spent the rest of the afternoon talking to Wily Hawk and the tribal council, explaining his situation over and over again. He had told them about Regina's evil curse and Storybrooke, about Greg and Tamara, and how the Henry-Rescue-Team had finally made their way to rescue their beloved child. It had been an exhaustingly long story, but every member of the tribal council had been listening patiently, eyes firmly fixed on the pirate and with a stony expression on their face. After Hook had finally finished his report, nobody had said a word. However, some of the members had exchanged looks, _knowing _looks to be precise. Did the tribe know about Pan's intentions? About his plan concerning Henry? Hook wouldn't be surprised. After all, he, himself, had made the experience not to underestimate the tribe's skills, knowledge and, above all, it's magic. But then again, Hook was feeling quite exhausted due to the happenings of the last days. To protect Belle and him, the pirate had had to be particularly attentive and beady-eyed during their trip. His nerves had been all on edge for a few days now, so maybe, just maybe, he had rather imagined or over-interpreted those looks. It was also possible that the appearance of the Evil Queen and the bloody Dark One in Neverland had caused those expressions on the tribal member's faces. After all, this was indeed not a very pleasant idea to think of. Facing Pan was difficult enough for the tribe, but they had somehow been able to manage that. But with two further villains in Neverland? This could definitely overwork the tribe's magical abilities.

Hook sighed and kneaded his temple with one hand, eyes closed. Whatever the tribe knew or was afraid of, he would have to find out tomorrow. Maybe he could ask Tiger Lily. It was about time to work things out with her anyway.

Wily Hawk had asked Hook to leave the council after his story, so that the core members could discuss the current developments. He had already risen to leave, when Sahakawe had appeared at the meeting to finally join it. Neither the shaman nor Kocoum had been there during Hook's report. However, when the old woman had finally come to join the gathering, there had been no sign of Belle or the bloody half-naked tribal warrior.

"Where is Belle?" Hook had asked immediately. He hadn't seen her since Kocoum had carried her away from him.

Before answering, Sahakawe had given him a long, thoughtful look.

"Healing." was her simple reply.

"That's no answer to my question, Saha!" Hook's voice had sounded much angrier than he had intended to. But why on earth couldn't she just answer his question?

_Healing_.

What a useless reply.

The old woman had once more taken her time to speak again, which had made Hook even more furious. But he had learnt a long time ago not to mess with this old woman. She was a powerful magician, and a stubborn as well. That was actually the reason why Hook liked her so much. Sahakawe was just like a cat: innocent and harmless on the outside, but if you messed up with her … well, just don't. She would make you never forget. So Hook had ignored the urging voice in his head and waited patiently for her to answer.

"The girl is sleeping." Sahakawe had finally stated. "I gave her a potion which will accelerate the healing process. She will be fine tomorrow."

"Alright. Thank you, Saha. Which wigwam? I want to check on her before I'll go to sleep."

Hook trusted the old woman, of course he did. But nonetheless, this whole place was rather new to Belle and, as she was surrounded by so many new, mysterious faces, she was probably feeling alone and would welcome seeing a familiar face..

But the shaman had just slowly shaken her head.

"Leave her sleep, Killian. You'll see her tomorrow."

"But …" Hook started, unwilling to accept "no" as an answer.

But Sahakawe had interrupted him immediately with a strong, powerful and quite determined tone in her voice.

"I said no, Killian Jones."

"Don't worry." she had added with a softer voice. "Kocoum is looking after her as long as I'm attending the meeting. Your friend is well-protected. Now go and get some sleep, boy."

With those words, the shaman had turned her back on Hook, indicating that the conversation had ended. Hook had had no other choice but leaving the tribal council and made angrily his way towards the fireplace.

Maybe sleeping was not such a bad idea. After all, he wouldn't be able to talk to Belle until the next morning and, moreover, the day had been quite energy-snapping. The council members hadn't yet returned from the meeting, so apparently, they were still talking. About whatsoever.

Hook made himself comfortable somewhere near the fireplace. He had never been so much into sleeping in a wigwam. He had always preferred sleeping outside, watching the stars and pretending that he was on the high seas again. He missed his life as a pirate. Piracy meant freedom. At seas, there were no rules apart from the oceans', no regret, no second thoughts. A pirate takes what he wants, no matter the consequences. While looking up to the stars, Hook found himself wondering if Belle would enjoy such a life, too.

Belle.

The Dark One's woman.

The beautiful tigress that had broken out of her golden cage.

The sweet girl who had been sleeping in his arms last night.

Whom he had protected from Pan and darkness.

Who was now being protected by a bloody, stony-faced, half naked tribal warrior.

The thought of Kocoum made Hook clench his teeth. This special member of the tribe had never liked Hook – and vice versa. Kocoum had always been the bravest, most talented, best skilled, most modest, bloodiest warrior of the tribe. Everyone adored him. Every woman wanted to be his squaw, every man wanted to be just like him. Well, everyone apart from Hook. For him, Kocoum was just a dull Native-American-prince-charming-version. Hook, in contrast, was a pirate. A shifty but charming villain, who rather bedded women than wasted time on talking about any sort of relationship. Both of them had a charm all of their own and women adored them in equal measure. And now this mysterious, muscle-bound tribal hero was looking after Belle, doing Hook's job. Hook let out an angry moan. While thinking about the best ways to keep Kocoum from the little princess (ranging from abduction to kissing the girl senseless in front of the oaf), Hook finally fell to a rather fitful sleep.

* * *

The tribal council meeting lasted far into the night. Sahakawe hadn't said much during the gathering, but she never did. She didn't need to. Her asset was to know, not to share and she knew more than anyone else and more than any other could handle. She sometimes laughed to herself about the starry-eyed boldness and barefaced bumbledom of some of the tribe members. Little did they know about the world, about Neverland, about magic. During the meeting, Sahakawe had exchanged looks with Wily Hawk, the only tribe member who knew as well. Not as much as her, but he was at least not being fooled by the idea of mortal power. Their relationship was based on mutual respect and trust, which was essential to protect the tribe with collective forces. When the council meeting ended, the tribal chief slightly nodded towards the old woman, signaling her to do whatever she thought would be necessary. Sahakawe then turned without another word and left.

As soon as she crossed the tribal borders, she began to mumble different spells in ancient languages. After a while, she was interrupted by the feeling of an all too familiar dark presence. Sahakawe clenched her teeth. Of course he would come.

"Hello Malcolm. It's been a while." She said, eyes still closed.

"And you still keep calling me by the wrong name. I explain your poor memory of names by your age, old woman." the spiteful voice of a young man answered.

Sahakawe finally opened her eyes, looking straight into Peter Pan's face.

"Or maybe I know you better than you do. We are what we are. No matter how thick you'll wrap yourself with magic, some things never change." she replied in a calm voice.

For one slight moment, the skin under Peter Pan's eyes twitched and he was glaring daggers at the old woman in front of him. Then, his face was once again covered with a malicious sneer.

"Whatever you say, squaw." he said, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "Anyways, I've not come to fight with you over my name."

"Thought so." Sahakawe answered coldly.

"Good." Peter Pan was starting to circle her, the dangerous smile never leaving his face. But the old woman didn't flinch. She knew as well as he did, that Pan was not able to harm her. Sahakabe was protected by old magic, much elder than Pan's. It was maybe neither more powerful nor very multifaceted compared to his, but it prevented him from harming her or her people. That was all that mattered.

"I was wondering" he continued "why you have boosted the protective shield around the tribe." He was now standing in front of the shaman, eying her suspiciously. "Any special reason?"

Sahakawe smiled sweetly at the boy in front of her. "Only some preventive measures."

"What for?"

The old shaman laughed and leaned in closer.

"To protect." She whispered.

Peter Pan shook slightly his head and took one step away.

"That doesn't make any sense. You know that I'm not interested in your little tribe. You wouldn't need using more magic to keep me away." He wandered back and forth, thinking intensely about it. "No. Not your tribe." He murmured. "There must be something else." Suddenly, he turned quickly towards the old woman, his eyes wide and filled with a self-satisfied realization. "Or someone else, right? She is with you."

When Sahakawe answered, she cocked her head and held a contemptuous smile on her face.

"Poor boy. Don't you see? You are fighting a losing battle. There are too many people who love her, not least your own son. No matter how hard you'll try or how long you'll wait, she will never be a lost girl again. True Love has changed her."

"And that's exactly the important part where you are mistaken, old woman. Her faith in people makes her vulnerable. It doesn't take much to turn love into hatred and desperation. And I will be the one she will come to. Just like it used to be, once upon a time. You should know by now, squaw. Peter Pan never fails."

With those words, Peter Pan vanished into a cloud of green smoke, leaving Sahakawe standing alone in the middle of the forest.


	10. What I don't deserve

**Chapter 10**

The huge, muscular man had carried Belle straight to a large sort of tent. A so-called _wigwam_ as Belle proudly recalled from one of her books. When he carefully laid her down, he opened his mouth for the first time.

"Sahakawe will be here any minute. She will take care of your ankle." He simply stated with a powerful, dark voice and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Belle heard herself suddenly saying. The big man looked back at her, apparently startled by her sudden advance to speak.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I didn't get your name earlier. The whole situation was quite overwhelming." She let out a brisk, bright laugh to hide her nervousness.

"Kocoum." The giant answered.

Belle sighed inwardly. This man in front of her was apparently not one for many words. Or smiles. Or any emotions. But she kept on beaming at him.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Kocoum. That's a very beautiful name by the way. I've never met someone who was called like this."

She gave him another disarming smile.

And finally, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly upwards and softened the stony-faced expression.

"Thank you, Princess Belle."

"Oh, no." Belle immediately waved her hand. "No. No princess. Please just call me Belle, alright?" Kocoum only nodded in response. "Oh, and thank you for carrying me all the way. That was very kind of you!"

Before he could answer, Sahakawe entered the wigwam. As if by command, Kocoum's tiniest of smiles was again replaced by a serious inexpressiveness.

"Kocoum" the old woman said. "Please leave us alone now. I need to examine the girl's injuries. But stay near. I need to talk to you afterwards."

The obedient warrior nodded once again and turned to leave the wigwam. When he was close to the entrance, however, he faced Belle one more time and said: "Get well soon … Belle." And the tiniest of smiled reappeared on his face before he walked out.

Belle and Sahakawe sat some moments together in silence. Alone with the old shaman, Belle felt suddenly a little bit uncomfortable. She had lived long enough in the Dark Castle to sense any kind of magic. And as it felt, the old woman was surrounded by a hell of a lot magic. Although Sahakawe's power felt different from Rumple's dark one, Belle was not entirely sure if she should trust the woman in front of her. But then again, she remembered the cordial welcome between Hook and Sahakawe. He apparently trusted her. Even more, he seemed to really like the old woman. They had hugged and had teased like a granny and her grandson would have done. Maybe Belle just had to trust her, too.

Sahakawe broke the silence, apparently sensing Belle's inner conflict. "You don't need to be afraid, child. I don't mean you any harm. I'm just an old woman who wants to help."

"Do you mean with magic?" Belle replied suspiciously.

The old woman let out a low, clattering laugh. "No, my dear. No magic. Just with the help of some indigenous herbs and tried and trusted domestic remedies."

Belle had often read about herbalism and was admittedly curious about the whole process. Maybe she could learn some useful things from the old shaman, too. But her feeling of distrust had not been completely vanished yet.

"But you hold magic within you, don't you? I can sense it." Belle said reluctantly.

"Yes, I do, my dear." Sahakawe confessed with an amused smile on her face. "But your ankle will be fine tomorrow even if we just use Mother Nature's magic, don't you think? You must know magic is quite a tricky thing. Because all magic …"

"… comes with a price." Belle whispered, ending Sahakawe's sentence herself. That's what Rumple always used to repeat.

The old woman cocked her head and smiled at Belle. "That's it, Belle. It's useful but dangerous at the same time. But you seem to be quite familiar with this topic, aren't you? How so? I do sense a faint pulse of magic around you, but it's nothing you did produce, right?"

"Oh." Belle blushed a little bit. "Uh … back in our homeland, I used to live with a powerful sorcerer. I was his caretaker. He used magic quite often, so maybe some of it got stuck on me."

The thought of Rumpelstiltskin made her smile which didn't go unnoticed by Sahakawe.

"I see my girl." She said softly, giving Belle a knowing smile. "And your heart tells me that he soon became more than just your master, right?"

"Yes" Belle answered sheepishly. "Rumple has started to change for me. He has become a better man." Belle's smile broadened. "I love him."

Sahawake suddenly grabbed Belle's hand.

"That's a good thing. The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return. Don't forget that. Love is the most powerful protection spell against any kinds of dangers." She said, looking straight into her eyes.

"I'm happy for you, Belle." Sahakawe added more quietly, squeezing Belle's hand tightly.

Belle felt a pleasant warmth running through her body and knew instinctively that the old woman meant every word she had said.

* * *

It was the first night that Hook was dreaming of Belle. Different from what had really happened, Hook had decided to rescue the beautiful princess from the Queen's tower and took her with him on board of the Jolly Roger. She became part of his crew and his life and together, they sailed around the world. In his dream, she was on deck at night watching the peaceful sea when he joined her. She leant her head on his shoulder and Hook put an arm around her waist, holding her tight like a lover would do. Then, she turned in his embrace to look at him. The moonlight bounced off her porcelain skin and made her glow. His hand and hook still rested on her hips, pulling her carefully closer.

"You are so beautiful. I don't deserve you, my princess." Hook said with a strangely hoarse voice.

Belle tilted her head and gave him one of her warm, disarming smiles. She lifted one of her small, soft hands to gently touch his cheek and whispered: "A man who is willing to fight for what he wants deserves what he gets. Don't you think, Captain?"

Belle wetted her lower lip with the tip of her tongue and Hook slowly bent down, aiming to feel those delicate lips on his own, desperate to taste her soft skin. But just before their lips were able to meet, Belle's eyes suddenly widened in horror and she brought both hands to her throat. Panting for air, she fell hard on the ground, choking desperately as if an invisible hand was trying to choke her to death. Hook tried to get down, but some strange power prevented him from helping her. He was not even able to move one singular muscle. Instead, he just had to stand there completely frozen and had to watch Belle's death struggle with tears in his eyes. Suddenly, purple smoke appeared and enveloped her body completely. When the smoke vanished, Belle was gone and a distant high-pitched giggle was the only thing that broke through the silence of the night.

Hook jumped awake, sweating all over his body and with his heart pounding hard in his chest

The first thing Hook did the next morning was to march straight towards Sahakawe's wigwam to look for Belle. Although he knew that it had just been an evil dream, he urgently needed to check on her, see her. But when he arrived at the wigwam, the only person who sat inside was … _oh bloody hell, seriously?!_ … Kocoum. He was sitting on the floor, mingling some herbs in a small, wooden bowl. He didn't even bother to look up when Hook entered.

"Where the hell is she?!" Hook spat, darting daggers with his eyes at the huge man in front of him.

"Sahawake went to the forest to collect some herbs." Kocoum replied dryly, still not raising his head.

Hook felt how the anger started to boil in his stomach. Was this oaf really trying to play games with him?

"I think you know damn well that I wasn't talking about Saha, man!"

"If you were talking about Belle" Kocoum said, shrugging his shoulders innocently. "She will spend the day with some of the tribe members. She is quite eager to learn more about our culture. So as her ankle was much better this morning, Sahakawe sent her away with Nakoma and some of her friends. You won't see her until the big feast tonight."

_This morning?! Does this mean this bloody hulk of a man has spent the night with her in this tiny tent? Oh he better not …!_

"And what exactly are _you _doing here?" Hook growled.

"I was just getting ready to get some sleep when you stormed in." Kocoum replied nonchalantly. "I've been awake the whole night to watch over Belle."

Hook sighed. He somehow had the strange feeling that Sahakawe was trying to keep him away from Belle. But why would she do that? He needed to talk to Wily Hawk about yesterday's council meeting anyway. Maybe he also knew something about this particular matter. Well at least they won't be able to keep him away from Belle at tonight's feast.

When Hook headed towards the tent's entrance, he suddenly stopped and turned, addressing Kocoum one more time.

"Ah and Kocoum, my old friend. Just a word of friendly advice." Hook fiercely flashed his eyes at the other man. "You stay away from her or I'll make you remember why everyone is calling me 'Hook'."

It was the first time that Kocoum raised his head to look at the pirate. But before he could answer anything, Hook had already turned around to walk out of the tent.

* * *

The big celebration started just before sundown and the whole tribe had already gathered at the huge fireplace in the middle of the tribe. Oh, Hook remembered the tribe's celebrating quite well: A lot of drumming, a lot of food and fire-water (not as good as rum, but it fulfilled its purpose after all), and a lot of lovely Native American women dancing all night. In short: something always to look forward to!

But as Kocoum had been right and Hook hadn't met Belle during the entire day, fire-water and lovely ladies definitely had to wait some more minutes. When he finally spotted Nakoma and her group of friends, he practically ran towards them.

"Hook!" Nakoma said surprised when he reached them. "Are you looking for me, honey?"

"Hello, love. No I'm afraid not this time. But I'm sure you are still going to help a devilishly good-looking but desperate young pirate, won't you?" Hook replied, winking at her. His charm always worked with Nakoma. "I'm always in quest of a beautiful woman as you know. Brown hair, beautiful blue eyes, an accent you wouldn't soon forget. I was told you guys spent some time together today, right?"

Nakoma grinned broadly at him. "Oh Belle is really such a sweetheart, Hook. Everybody adores her already – including me. We had a fantastic day together. She's with Tiger Lily at the moment. Lil wanted to give her something more appropriate to wear for tonight. Belle was so excited. They should be here any minute."

_Appropriate? What does she mean by "appropriate"?_

"Ah, speaking of the devil." Nakoma added some seconds later and pointed over Hook's shoulder. "Wow, she looks amazing!"

When the pirate turned, the sight before him literally caught his breath. The woman in front of him wore a beige-colored top and matching skirt with fringes. He swallowed hard when he noticed that the outfit was with bare midriff and revealed more of her soft skin than he had seen before (not that he hadn't imagined, though). The same held true for the skirt. Admittedly, he had seen her in shorter skirts in Storybrooke, as this one she wore now ended decently mid-thigh. The difference was, however, that she had always worn dark tights as well which were covering her legs. Looking at her bare skin now made him immediately regret her unnecessary addition of clothing in Storybrooke. When Hook finally managed to tear his eyes away from her well-toned curves, he noticed that her upper arms were colored with beautiful Native American symbols and pictures and she wore two big, golden armlets with feathers around them. There were even two small black stripes under her beautiful blue eyes. Belle wore a leather strap around her head which was neatly decorated with small, fluffy feathers. Her dark curls, however, fell loosely on her slender, white shoulders. She was beaming at him, her bright, blue eyes wide open and shining with a pleasant anticipation.

"Well?" she finally stated a little unsure. "How do I look?"

_Adorable! Amazing! Beautiful! Hot! Sexy as hell!_

Those descriptions, and many more, were pounding vigorously in his head. But somehow, they didn't reach his mouth. He just stood there, overwhelmed by her appearance and not able to think straight.

"Oh honey you just look so amazing!" Nakoma screamed and pulled Belle into a big hug. "I'm sure every man wants to dance with you tonight! You just look like a real tribe member, doesn't she Hook?"

Hook finally managed to overcome his speechlessness.

"This is … um … I mean you look …" he stammered.

_Bloody impressive, Killian. You should have really stayed with silence!_

But Belle obviously knew what he wanted to say as she gave him a bright, shining smile. And Hook couldn't help but smiling back at her.

"Come on, girl. I need to show you everything. We'll have so much fun tonight!" Nakoma declared happily. She immediately grabbed Belle's hand and pulled her away and towards the fireplace. Belle gave Hook an apologetic smile and mouthed: "See you!" Hook was about to follow when his shoulders were grasped by a strong, huge arm and turned around. Wily Hawk broadly smiled down at the pirate, his face already flushed from too much of fire-water.

"Killian! What a great night to celebrate, isn't it? Are you sure you already want to leave us tomorrow?"

Hook somehow managed to free himself from the tribal chief's embrace.

"Thank you Wily Hawk. But I'm afraid we still have some distance to cover."

"Oh, come on boy! Stay with us a few more days." Wily Hawk roared cheerfully. "It's been a while! And your lovely companion enjoys her stay as well, you know. She appears to be quite talented. At least that's what Kocoum told me."

Hook cocked his brow angrily. "Did he?!"

"Well yes. After all, he spent his afternoon with the girls. Poor boy but he didn't really seem to mind, actually." Wily Hawk chuckled loudly. "Now boy, you're way too sober for such a big celebration. Let's get you something to drink!"

Hook desperately turned around once more and searched the place for Belle. When his eyes found her, she was already surrounded by a cluster of young men to whom she was talking cheerfully. At least, Kocoum was none of them. So he finally gave in and followed the tribal chief to get something to drink. Maybe alcohol would help him enjoying this party.

* * *

Well, it did not. The celebration was in full swing now and everybody was dancing wildly to the beatings of the tribal drums. Well everyone except for Hook. He was sitting sulkily on the ground, one cup of fire-water in his hand and watching Belle dancing. Or talking. Or laughing. Or clinking cups with one of the tribe members. And Kocoum never seemed to leave her side.

"_If looks could kill …_" Hook thought angrily. "_Well, Kocoum wouldn't be a problem anymore. Does she even remember I'm still here? Bloody woman. With her way too short top and her way too blue_ _eyes_."

"So? Who is she?"

Tiger Lily's voice disrupted his angry thoughts.

"Who is who?" Hook asked annoyed while Tiger Lily was sitting down next to him.

"The girl." She simply stated, pointing one finger in Belle's direction. Belle was still talking to Kocoum, still holding this way too sweet smile on her face.

"Oh Lil. You should stop smoking this bloody tobacco. You are too young to be that forgetful. Her name is Belle." He answered sighingly.

Tiger Lily simply rolled her eyes. "That I know, Hook. I was asking who she is to _you_."

Startled, he blinked at her in confusion.

"Last time I checked she was my travel companion."

Tiger Lily let out a cheerless laugh. "Is that so? And you're not possibly trying to have more than that?"

"Well I'm a pirate, love." Hook answered, forcing himself to put on his seductive smile. "Kind of inherent instinct to try to bed a beautiful woman."

Tiger Lily narrowed her eyes and watched him closely for some moments before she spoke again.

"Don't take me for a fool. I see the way you look at her. There is longing, I don't doubt that. But there's something more. The urge to protect? Maybe the urge to possess, too? And still, here you are. Sitting on the ground and watching Kocoum and her."

"That's really none of your business, Lil." Hook answered dismissively. He was really not in the mood to discuss something he didn't really understand himself with some sort of ex-girlfriend. But when he faced her, he saw a hint of frustration in her face. And then he understood.

"Wait a minute. Don't tell me you're in love with the oaf?!"

Tiger Lily started to blush and Hook laughed out load.

"Oh love. That's a really interesting turn of events." He said, winking at her. "Alright then. Can't have let your love-life being screwed up again because of me."

Tiger Lily glared at him sulkily. But when he reached out to grab her hand and squeezed it tightly, grinning at her, her features, too, turned into a tiny grin.

"Thank you."

"No matter, love. I'm always the one to call to save a poor damsel in mistress."

With those words, he stood up and headed towards Belle. He was a pirate for God's sake.

And a pirate always takes what he wants.

* * *

When Hook approached her, Belle was once again completely pored over dancing with some of the tribe members. Her body moved gracefully to the rhythmic sounds of the drums and Hook caught himself staring at her for one moment. Maybe the fire-water had admittedly been a little stronger than he remembered, but when he watched her dance, he suddenly felt dizzy.

After a few moments, however, he gathered his wits again and joined the dancing group. Belle was spun around and her body was shaking with laughter. After a few moments, she stumbled over her own feet, and fell directly into Hook's arms. When he looked into her face, those adorable eyes were looking straight back into his and they were shining like blue diamonds.

"Oops!" she giggled, clinging at him. "So there you are, finally!"

Her breathe came quickly and her face was flushed from heat, exhaustion and … alcohol?

"Love you look rather exhausted." He purred. "How about a pause and maybe something to drink?"

"Oh no!" she giggled once again. "I had quite a lot of those funny tasting drinks. But a break would be great." she chirped and took his hand in hers.

Giving Kocoum one last victorious smile, Hook led Belle to a silent place slightly away from the celebration. When they were alone, he turned to face her again.

"So, guessing from your enchanting dancing performance, I'd say your ankle is alright again?"

Belle let out one of her heartwarming laughs.

"Yes. Thank goodness! Thank you so much for bringing me to the tribe. They are all so adorable!"

Hook cocked his brow. He immediately had to think of Kocoum and couldn't prevent himself from asking his next question.

"Adorable? Like Kocoum?"

Belle started to giggle heavily. "Well I'm not sure if that's the best word to describe him. He's nice, but maybe not very adorable. At least for my taste."

Slightly pleased by her answer, Hook moved closer towards her.

"So his stony-faced, silent nature didn't win your heart then?" he quipped.

His joke was rewarded by another of Belle's chuckles.

"Most definitely not, Killian! I've spent some time with him but he's not so much into talking I guess. And he's always so …" she waved her hand in the air to find the right word to express Kocoum's nature. But due to the impact of the fire-water, she lost her balance and was about to fall to the ground. But Hook jumped immediately to her side and caught her. When he pulled her up, their faces were only inches away and she was staring at him with wide open eyes.

"… serious." she breathed to complete her sentence.

Looking into her face, Belle just looked like in his dream. Gentle, tender and glowing from the moonlight.

"Maybe we should go back to the celebration?" she whispered.

"No." Hook answered silently, his hand and hook remaining around her waist so he could feel the softness of her skin under his palm.

"Why did you bring me here?"

Hook lifted his hand and gently brushed one loose flick of hair from her porcelain-like face.

"Everyone spent so much time with you. I was jealous, love." He admitted softly. His hand rested on the crook of her neck, pulling her gently closer to his face.

Belle's eyes widened in astonishment, but she didn't pull away. Quite the opposite, actually, as she leaned into his soft touch.

Their faces were so close, Hook could already feel her warm breath on his lips. Just one slight move of his head would be enough and he would finally kiss the endearing princess in front of him. He would feel the softness of her lips, he would taste her sweet flavor and he was all too willing to get lost in her.

But suddenly, Belle shoved him gently away from her.

"I'm sorry." She said and sounded somehow confused. "Killian … I … I just … I can't."

And with those words she quickly spun around and ran towards the wigwams, leaving behind a sad looking pirate.

After some moments in silence, a deep, female voice startled him from his thoughts.

"You can't have her, boy."

Hook spun around to see Sahakawe standing in front of him, a serious expression on her face.

"Go away, Saha. I don't feel like talking at the moment." Hook said dismissively. He liked the old woman but he was sure, when she kept talking, he would probably vent his frustration on her.

"No, boy. You have to listen to me. This is important. You must stop this before it's too late."

"Before the Crocodile comes and kills me? I don't care." Hook spat.

Sahakawe cocked her head and whispered: "Before she falls in love with you, too, and ends up with none of you, Killian."

Hook blinked at her in confusion. "I don't understand."

Sahakawe sighed deeply. "Love can be our strength, but also our weakness, boy. If you truly feel something for the girl, you must stop. For her sake."

Hook felt a familiar stitch of pain in his heart. When did this start? When did he once again start to feel something for the Dark One's love? Why can't he care for another girl and have finally his happily ever after? Maybe because he was a villain. And villains don't get happy endings.

"I'm sorry." Sahakawe said softly and patted his shoulder.

"Don't be." Hook answered sadly. "I'm just losing what I don't deserve."

* * *

**_NOTES_**

Hey guys! Thank you so much for reading my first facfic. And thank you for your kind reviews! :)

Actually, I'm a really huge Rumbelle – shipper (the winter final's episode really broke my heart! :( I'm still recovering). However, I really do love the idea of Captain Beauty as well. Especially after I've watched some Hook x Belle videos on youtube which have actually inspired me to start. *.*

I already have some ideas where the story will lead to. But not telling ;D I don't want to spoil the fun ;)

Have a merry Christmas 3

PS: I hope you recognized Kocoum and Nakoma from Disney's Pocahontas ;)


	11. Westwards

**_Chapter 11_**

Glary rays of sunshine hit Belle's closed eyelids the next morning, forcing her to slowly wake up. Groaning, she covered her eyes with her hands and rolled over to the other side. But every move caused a very unpleasant sting in her head and she groaned even louder.

_Never will I drink this fire-water stuff again. Ever!_

Eyes still closed, Belle tried to recall the happenings of the evening. First, there were only blurred images in her head. But the more she thought about it, the clearer did they become. She remembered the large fireplace and the joyful dancing of the tribe members (_and her dance performances after a few cups of fire-water…_). Belle had really enjoyed the evening. Those Native American's really knew how to throw a party. Tiger Lily had lent her some of her clothes and the moment Belle wore them, she suddenly did not simply feel like a part of the tribe, but like an utterly different person. For one evening, she was able to leave Belle from the Enchanted Forest or Storybrooke behind, with all of her worries and insecurities, and replaced her by a strong, rollick young woman. She clearly remembered the men's looks and compliments and how she had enjoyed them… how she had especially enjoyed Hook's gaze.

_Hook!_

Belle's eyes suddenly shot open.

His name didn't only bring back the memories of his gaze on her body, but also the feeling of his soft palms on her hips, the scent of his masculine, pleasant smell, the image of his tender lips that had been so close… her strong desire to kiss them…

But, luckily, she had stopped herself just in time and had run away. But if she was really honest to herself, a part of her _had_ _wanted _to kiss him and feel his lips against her own. Confusion clouded her mind. That had never happened before, not since she had met Rumpelstiltskin. But _he_ was her one and only, the only man who she truly desired. And yet… the memory of Killian's parted lips and his piercing, blue eyes didn't leave her mind and evoked a strange but not unpleasant feeling in her stomach.

_"No." _Belle thought, shaking her head determinedly._ "Rumpelstiltskin is my True Love_. _I love him and Killian is one of his worst enemies! The one who stole his wife from him. The pirate who tries to seduce every woman who crosses his path. Don't be stupid. You don't feel anything for him and vice versa. You just drank a little bit too much and got overwhelmed by your loneliness."_

However, she had to admit to herself that she really did like the pirate. Hook had become a good friend to her. He helped her whenever she needed him and kept her save. But what struck her most was the fact that he really seemed to understand her. He didn't see the dull, little princess who should stay at home and read some books. He saw more in her, Belle could feel that. And that was quite a welcome change.

"Belle?"

A sweet, female voice interrupted her confused thoughts. When Belle looked up, Nakoma was standing in front of her in the tent, beaming at her.

"Oh sweetheart, you're not really used to alcohol, are you?" the other girl said with an amused grin on her face.

Belle once again put her hands up to cover her face and slightly shook her head, letting out a suffering groan.

"Oh don't worry sweetheart." Nakoma laughed. "That's not unusual. The main thing is that you had a good night yesterday."

But apparently, the sight of the suffering princess in front of her aroused Nakoma's compassion and she tenderly patted Belle's arm.

"I'll bring you something to fight the headache. I promise it will help." she said softly, knowing just all too well what kind of nasty headache fire-water could evoke. "The chief just sent me to inform you that Hook and you will not leave our tribe until past noon. Wily Hawk insists on that. And with the help of some of my special hangover-cures, you will be fine until then."

Nakoma gave her an assuring smile and left the tent. Belle sighed heavily, still fighting the roaring pain in her head. Until now, she hadn't thought about the fact that Hook and she would be leaving the tribe today.

Just the two of them, traveling together.

Alone.

After what had happened the night before.

Great.

But on second thoughts, maybe Hook had been drunk too and didn't even remember what had (or rather what had _nearly_) happened between them. But, even if he did, he was a pirate. He certainly did this all the time. After all, he was the one who was quite an expert in meaningless flirting. And how much experience did she have? Well, honestly spoken, not that much. There was really no reason to over-interpret the situation and bring it up again, right? No. Best thing to do was probably to ignore what had happened (_"Nearly!" _Belle reminded herself) and just move on like it had been.

After all, whatever this strange moment between the two of them had been, it certainly didn't mean anything, neither to her nor to him, and would definitely not happen again.

* * *

_She was lying next to him, her soft hands stroking lightly over his bare chest. His strong arms were wrapped around her slender figure, holding her close. He buried his nose in her dark hair, inhaling deeply the flowery scent._

_"What are you thinking about, love?" she asked with her sweet, light voice._

_"About you and me." He replied, face still buried in her hair._

_With her fingers, she drew tiny circles on his chest and placed small kisses on top of them._

_"Me, too. I want to stay with you like this forever."_

_"You know that we can't. We are not meant to be."_

_Then, she raised her head, looking at him. Her bright blue eyes held a thoughtful expression and she bit her lower lip just like she always did when she didn't agree with him._

_"Tell me, Killian." She said softly, stroking his cheek. "What makes you so sure about that?"_

Another dream. Hook was rubbing his face with his hand, trying to push the memories of this dream far, far away. After his encounter with Belle and the rather discouraging little chat with Sahakawe, he had barely been able to fall into sleep. Everytime he had closed his eyes, he had seen Belle's pretty face before him. It had taken him one whole bottle of fire-water until he finally was able to drop off. But apparently, he couldn't escape either her pretty face or his wishful thinking in his dreams.

However, the thought of last night's encounter with Belle evoked a small smile on Hook's face. Never had he been so close to her and, to be honest, he didn't regret it. He had expected her to push him away, punch him in his face or to scream furiously at him. But nothing had happened. Belle hadn't rejected him, at first at least. Quite the opposite, actually. Having looked in her bright, blue eyes, he had clearly seen that his affections were definitely not one-sided. Belle had felt the chemistry between them, too. But she had obviously been staggered by her feelings and chose to run away from him.

Their first encounter after the night of the feast, however, was nothing like Hook had expected it to be. It was noon and she already sat by the tribal fireplace, alone, chewing some dry bread. When he slowly drew closer, she suddenly sensed his presence and turned around to look at him. Although she was obviously still suffering from the impact of last night's fire-water, she gave him a bright, shiny smile.

"Killian, there you are!" she exclaimed cheerfully.

_Why is she smiling at me? Has she forgotten about what had happened last night?_

Hook sat down next to her, eying her with a confused expression on his face.

"Belle." He began reluctantly. "How are you feeling?"

Belle sighed deeply and brought one hand to her forehead.

"Well" she said with closed eyes, rubbing her forehead lightly. "I'm still recovering from last night's party. Next time I'll definitely stay with water."

She let out a brisk laugh. "But Nakoma gave me a funny tasting drink this morning. She said it would help and she was right. I'm feeling much better now."

Belle held up the piece of bread in her hand and added: "This helps as well. Do you want some?"

Hook slightly shook his head, still staring at her suspiciously.

"And you remember …"

"Everything." she interrupted him at once. For the slightest of moments, the smile on her face disappeared and was replaced by a strange, alarmed look.

_Ah! So she does remember. But she obviously doesn't want to talk about it._

Instead of pushing further, Hook decided not to mention last night's happenings. He was rather glad that she didn't avoid him. Ignoring the topic was definitely the lesser of two evils. After all, they had to keep on traveling together and that would make things at least a little bit easier.

"I'm glad that you're alright, Belle." Hook responded and gave her a small smile.

She needed time, time he was willing to give her. Belle was still confused, he could see that. And he would not push her to deal with those confusing, new feelings. Well, at least he would try.

* * *

When Hook and Belle were finally ready to continue their journey, the whole tribe had come together to bid them farewell.

"I wish you would stay much longer, my friends." Wily Hawk announced loudly with his strong voice. "But I understand that your mission doesn't allow further delay."

Hook nodded shortly, but Belle moved towards the tribal chief and pulled him down into a big hug. Wily Hawk was obviously surprised by the sudden bodily contact, but then he returned the hug and held her tight.

Hook smiled to himself.

_Oh sweet Belle. Even the big Wily Hawk has already fallen for you._

"Thank you so much, Chief." Belle said, smiling brightly at the big man. "Thank you for everything."

"I wish you all the best, Princess Belle." The tribal chief responded softly. "Pan is an evil boy. But if you believe in your strength and in your friends, I'm sure you will succeed and rescue your little friend Henry."

After that, Belle was surrounded by several tribe members and everybody was hugging and smiling and crying. After only two days, Belle had apparently gained a place in everyone's heart.

"So you're leaving again, boy?" the husky voice of the old shaman sounded.

Hook turned around to face Sahakawe.

"True, old girl." he answered playfully. "After all, this world seems to need a hero and I'm the best man for this job."

The old woman cocked her head and gave him a long, thoughtful look.

"So it seems, Killian."

Then she looked in Belle's direction and added more quietly: "But remember: not everyone needs saving. Even if your past makes you see things differently."

Hook bit something inside his mouth in order to prevent himself from responding. It took much of his self-control not to argue with the old woman. Why didn't she see that the Crocodile was not good for Belle? That, after some time, the Dark One would certainly destroy her, just like he did with everything that crossed his path. Why did Saha wanted to leave Belle to such a cruel fate?

But there was no use in arguing. Not when the old woman gave him this final "you-know-that-I'm-right"-look. So Hook swallowed his urge to respond and nodded. Maybe she was right. After all, the Crocodile _was_ Belle's True Love. If he deserved that happiness or not.

"Good boy." Sahakawe answered contentedly. "However, I'm very proud of you. Even though you knew what awaited you in Neverland, you came back to help your friends. You chose others above revenge. That's the right thing to do."

Hook rolled his eyes. "Pretty words, old girl." he said.

He had tried to sound sarcastic, but all his efforts couldn't mask the good feeling those words evoked deep inside his heart.

Sahakawe gave him one of her rare smiles and he pulled her into a big hug.

"It was nice to see you again, Saha" Hook said softly.

When he was about to release her, Sahakawe tightened the embrace and whispered in his ear: "I have sensed the power of the Dark One close by here. When you leave the tribe, go eastwards. He seems to head for the Enchanted Springs, you should reach him by evening. Go there, and she will be safe."

Then she released him and took one step back, looking at him.

Before he could say anything, Belle was already by his side and looked at him expectantly.

"Shall we?" she chirped cheerfully.

The pirate gave her a wobbly smile and nodded.

Belle waved one last time at the tribe members and turned to head towards the forest. When Killian was about to follow, Sahakawe suddenly grabbed his hand.

"Killian!" she said forcibly "Promise me!"

Hook swallowed hard before he answered in a quiet voice so that only Saha was able to hear his response.

"I'll do whatever is best for her, not him."

Then he forcefully released his hand from the old woman's grasp and followed Belle into the woods.

* * *

"Promise what?" Belle asked curiously after a few minutes in silence.

"Hm?" startled, Hook turned to Belle who was eying him enquiringly.

"Saha." She replied, shrugging her shoulders. "She said that you should promise her something. What was it?"

"She told me to look out for you." he lied. "She really cares for you, love."

Belle's eyes brightened at his answer. She had apparently no idea about what Saha had really asked him to do.

"Oh I like her, too. First, I was a little bit scared to be honest. She has got quite an impressive aura. But she is such a good person. Mysterious, yes, but good-hearted."

Hook only gave her a silent nod.

Belle pulled out the map and studied it carefully.

"So, what do you suggest? Which direction should we take?"

The simple question was hanging in the air like a dangerous, dark cloud.

Hook took the map and pretended to study it carefully in order to play for more time. He hadn't made up his mind yet.

What was the best direction to take?

Move eastwards towards the Enchanted Springs and return Belle to her grim fate?

Hook was no fool. He knew how True Love worked. Belle was deeply in love with the old Crocodile – for whatever reason. But that didn't mean that you couldn't fall in love with another person. True love was not something that unconditionally bonds two people together for the rest of their lives. Belle loved her own imagination of the Dark One. She loved the idea of the man behind the dark magician. The one who chose light over darkness. The one who chose her over his power. However, although Hook had seen the Crocodile's deep love for the beautiful princess, the pirate had also seen the Dark One's strong craving for more and more power and magic. In the end, of that he was sure, Belle would lose her hopeless battle against the darkness in the Crocodile's heart and she would end up caged and hurt.

No, he wouldn't allow that. Not after what Hook had seen in Belle's eyes the night before. Not after the thought of his own happily ever after was for the first time not dominated by the desire of revenge but was driven by the tiny hope of a second chance of love.

"Westwards." Hook finally answered with a dry mouth. "We need to move westwards."

* * *

Hook was not content with the whole situation.

As he had suggested, they had moved westwards and each step was taking them farer away from the Crocodile. Which was a good thing. He needed more time to open Belle's eyes. He needed more time to make her see and feel what he already did.

But that was quite a tough job as Belle was obviously trying to avoid every bodily contact or intimate situation.

She was talking, of course she was. But something had changed. She meticulously focused on superficial jabber, leaving absolutely no opportunity for him to show her that he understood her, that he cared for her.

It was in the evening when he finally had enough of her avoiding behavior. They had finally decided to set up camp and were sitting next to the fireplace. When Belle had asked him to hand her some of the bread the tribe had given them to take with them, their hands touched for one long moment. Surprised, Belle looked up to meet Hook's gaze. The pirate looked straight into her eyes, holding her glimpse with his ocean blue eyes. Belle immediately pulled her hand away and muttered some unintelligible words which probably meant something like "thank you".

"How long do you want to behave like that?" he finally said sharply.

Oh of course, he had been willing to give her more time. More time to comprehend her feelings. More time to handle last night's happenings. But _this _situation was simply unbearable.

"Behave like what?" Belle answered innocently which made Hook even more furious.

"Oh don't play games with me, Belle." Hook hissed. "You are avoiding me. I'm not even allowed to touch your hand! It's because of last night, isn't it?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Killian." she said after a moment and was already about to turn away from him.

_Oh no, love. That's not how we play this game._

Hook grabbed her left upper arm with his hand and whirled her around so that she was forced to face him.

"Yes you _are_. I know that you remember what happened last night. Don't take me for a fool, woman! I know why you behave like this."

Belle's face turned into an angry expression.

"_Nothing _happened last night" she hissed and forcefully pulled her arm out of Hook's grasp.

He should stop. He should leave her be. He should give her time. But he was already beyond common sense.

"Oh so you really want to tell me that you behave like this because of _nothing_? Do you seriously want to tell me that you are not avoiding any bodily contact?" he sneered.

"And why should I do that?" Belle replied with a low voice, eyes glistering dangerously at him.

Hook moved closer to her until their noses were nearly touching. But this time, Belle didn't back away. She was staring at him, challenging.

"Because you are afraid to reveal yourself. Afraid to admit."

"There is nothing to admit." Belle growled, turned her back on him and walked away.

She turned away from him. Again. And suddenly, Hook's mind was clouded by hatred and frustration. Hatred because the Crocodile didn't deserve this woman, frustration because this woman didn't admit that she had felt the chemistry between her and the pirate, too.

"Do you really think he will ever choose you over his power, Belle? Are you really that stupid to think that living happily ever after with you would _ever _be enough for him?"

At those words, Belle stopped and turned around. Tears of anger were glistering in the corners of her eyes.

"Yes, Killian! Because he _loves _me! _Truly _loves me!"

"Then why does he leave you all the time? It looks to me as if he's rather running away from a spoiled, dull little princess who obsessively is trying to tame the beast!" Hook bellowed back.

But he immediately regretted his last words when he saw the pained expression on Belle's face. And he knew: he had pushed her too far. He had hurt her. Looking into her watering eyes, his rage flew away as fast as it had appeared. And suddenly, he felt miserable.

"Belle, I'm sor …" Hook began at once, his eyes pleading for forgiveness.

But Belle interrupted him immediately.

"You know nothing." she said with small voice, pain vibrating with every word.

"Please, Belle. I didn't mean to …" Hook started once again, but was silenced by Belle's head-shaking.

"But you did. Save your words, Hook. This conversation is over for tonight."

With those words, Belle turned away from him and laid herself on the cool grass of the forest soil. Hook desperately stared at her back, cursing himself for his rage-caused stupidity. After a few moments, he decided to leave her be. He had never wanted to hurt her. But there was no use in trying to explain it to her right now. She was clearly upset and didn't want to talk to him. And he couldn't blame her for her reaction. When he laid down to sleep, he vowed to himself that he would find a way to make it up to her the next day.

This night, Hook fell into a deep sleep. He was so sound asleep that he didn't even notice when Belle suddenly woke up and left their sleeping-place in the middle of the night.

He didn't hear the distant music of the panpipes that was drawing the princess deeper and deeper into the darkness of the forest.


	12. Panpipes

**_Chapter 12_**

_"No!" she exclaimed desperately. "Please, papa! Anyone but him!"_

_Her father sighed heavily. "You said the same thing about the other five suitors, Belle. As a princess, you have certain obligations. Marrying is one of them."_

_Belle stared at her father in disbelief. How could he force her into a loveless marriage? And of all things, with Gaston, the self-centered, self-appointed glamour boy from the neighboring kingdom. Tears of anger and despair were starting to flow down her cheeks._

_"The only person Gaston truly cares about is himself, papa! I spent a solid hour listening to his boring hunting stories. And he talks about himself in third person! 'No one's slick as Gaston, no one's quick as Gaston, no one's handsome as Gaston ….'" _

_Belle made a contemptuous sound._

_"I cannot marry someone like him!"_

_King Maurice kneaded his temple with one hand. He truly loved his daughter. She was more beautiful than any other girl or woman in the kingdom. Blessing and curse at the same time. As soon as she had turned 14, an unstoppable wave of all kind of suitors kept coming to his castle to ask for her hand. But no matter how handsome, brave or rich they were, the princess always found a reason to reject them. Well, actually there was always only one reason: she wanted love. And apparently, none of the suitors seemed to fit. But the king had become tired of this. Marriage at court had never been about love. It was all about alliances and advantages. Gaston was the perfect match, and this time, his lovely daughter would have to obey. _

_"I just came to inform you about the decision, not to ask you for your acceptance." he answered sharply._

_Belle gasped and her big blue eyes widened even more. She was just staring at him, utterly speechless. The pained look on her face broke his parental heart. But it had already been decided._

_"You are 17, Belle." The king continued with a softer voice. "It's about time for you to be engaged to someone. But I won't make you marry until your 23__rd__ birthday as Gaston still has to do some years of military service. That will give you enough time to … accept … the situation. And maybe, when you get to know him better over the upcoming years, you will look at him in a different light."_

_"No matter how much time I'll spend with this man, I will never love him!" Belle spat, her voice shaking from frustration._

_"Enough!" the king shouted out loudly, banging his fist forcefully on the table which startled Belle to the core. _

_"You will marry Gaston, Belle! I'm tired of your romantic delusion of love! You have embarrassed me and your kingdom long enough! This marriage will be a very lucrative deal. I won't let your stubbornness destroy it!"_

_Belle looked at him with narrowed eyes._

_"Then you're craving for more land and power is more important to you than the happiness of your only daughter?" she said quietly, desperately trying to suppress her bitter sobs._

_After a moment of silence, her father responded with a low voice: "I am the king. I don't have to explain myself."_

_Belle stared at him in shock and took one step backwards. _

_Then, she curtsied slightly._

_"Then I'll do as you wish, Your Majesty." She answered quietly, tears running down her beautiful face. Without another look at her father, she quickly turned away and ran out of the throne room, no longer able to hold back her disappointed and desperate tears. _

_Belle locked herself up for the rest of the day. No one was able to calm the princess, no one was able to prompt her to open the doors of her chamber. At midnight, Belle was still lying on her bed, but she had stopped crying as she had apparently run out of tears. Her father and her maids had thankfully stopped trying to talk to her and now she was alone, staring passively at the ceiling of her chamber. _

_Then she heard the music. _

_It was a strange sound, something she had never heard before. However, she liked it and the inexplicable urge to find the source of the music clouded her mind._

_Like being in trance, she somehow managed to leave the castle undetected and followed the sound of the music. It became louder and louder, drawing her into the forest nearby. Every sense told her to stop, to return to the castle, but all that mattered was the music that was luring her closer. When she reached a small meadow that was illuminated by the brightness of the moonlight, Belle finally detected the source of the strange music. In front of her, there was a boy, maybe at her age, dancing around a big fireplace. The upper part of his face, however, was covered by a grey hood. Belle immediately noticed the small, wooden instrument in his hand. It was a Pan-Flute. _

Belle shot up, her heart pounding rapidly in her chest.

Since she had arrived in Neverland, she was having this strange dream over and over again. It always began the same way, and it always ended the same way. Before she was able to step onto the meadow or talk to the strange boy who was playing the panpipes, she woke up.

Sometimes, Belle wondered if it was really just a dream or rather a faded memory of her past. It almost felt like her subconsciousness was preventing her from remembering. But remembering what? She didn't even recall having had this unpleasant conversation with her father. When he had told her about her engagement with Gaston, she had not been overly enthusiastic, but she had known that it was the best for the kingdom. Besides, her father would have never talked her into marriage.

But still … something about this dream was strangely familiar.

Belle rubbed her face with her hands.

Neverland was a strange place. Belle had always been able to rely on her senses. But since she had arrived on the island, nothing was like it had been before. What was left was the mere feeling of utter confusion. Neverland was a place where one's imagination ran wild.

Even the music of her dream was still playing in her head.

_Wait!_

No, the music wasn't in her head, was it?

Belle cocked her ears and listened carefully.

There was no doubt. Belle heard the strange music somewhere in the distance of the forest. But it was not as loud and alluring as in her dream. Yet, no less attracting.

Belle bit her lower lip and turned her head to face Hook. He had lain down next to her but with enough space for at least three more people to fit between them. However, his hookless arm was stretched towards her. But due to the space between the, it was not quite able to reach her body.

The princess watched his face for a few moments. His lips were firmly pressed together and his brow wrinkled. He almost looked like in pain, or at least it didn't look like a peaceful sleep.

Belle's heart sank when she remembered their fight earlier. How could he have said something like that to her? Sure, the second the words had left his mouth, Hook had regretted them. But still. It hurt nonetheless.

But strangely enough, Belle had the inexplicable urge to touch his face and to stroke his cheek. She could see from the expression on his face that he didn't feel well. And Belle wanted to touch him, wanted to soothe him. She wanted to tell him that everything was alright, that they were still friends. That he had been right and she cared for him.

But just when Belle moved her hand to reach out for his face, Hook's words were suddenly back again, throbbing mercilessly in her head.

_He is running away from you!_

_Spoiled, dull little princess!_

Belle pulled her hand away.

And then, she heard the strange music again, this time louder than before.

Just like in her dream, Belle suddenly felt the urge to find the source of the playing. Even more: she finally had the chance to detect it, something that was apparently not possible in her sleep.

She took one last look at the pirate.

He would never let her go on her own. He would tell her how dangerous Neverland was and that she needed protection. That she shouldn't follow some strange music from the forest.

And suddenly she felt a hint of anger in her stomach.

_What does Hook know?! _

He, too, was simply another man in her life who apparently was the opinion that she was not able to make her own decisions.

But the music didn't sound or feel dangerous. It reminded her of secureness, freedom and love … of childhood lullabies and adventure at the same time.

Belle stood up, carefully. She didn't want to wake her travel companion. Soft-footed, the princess made her way towards the forest, feverishly following the sound of the music of her dream.

* * *

The sounds of panpipes led her right into the darkness of the forest. Completely concentrating on the music, Belle soon lost track of time. But she didn't care. Just like in her dream, all that mattered was the invisible force that pulled her further towards the source of the music, enveloping her senses completely.

The sound became louder and louder until she finally reached a small forest glade. Like in her dream, the darkness of the night was illuminated by the shine of a small fireplace and the glistering light of the full moon and thousands of stars.

And then she saw him. A young man was sitting on the cool grass with his back to her, playing the panpipes.

Belle stopped under the screen of night and listened, completely trapped by the enchanting sound of the music. She didn't even notice when her legs suddenly started to move forward, finally stepping onto the grass of the forest glade and into the moonlight.

"I hoped that you would come." the all too familiar voice announced.

The young man had stopped playing but his back was still turned towards her.

Belle froze in place. Without seeing the face, she knew exactly that Peter Pan was sitting right in front of her. And this time, Hook was not there to help her.

All senses told her to run, but all she was able to do was to take one small step back, slowly approaching the entrance of the forest.

"No, please!" Pan suddenly whirled around to face her but kept the distance between them.

"Please, Belle. Don't leave."

To her surprise, Pan's voice sounded different from their last encounter. Somehow softer and much more vulnerable. Studying his face, there was no hint of a diabolic smirk or dangerous glistering eyes. Instead, he rather looked like a lonely, lost boy who was glad that someone had found him.

Belle didn't move further backwards. Instead she cocked her head and eyed him suspiciously.

"Pan?" she whispered, still not sure if that was the same boy from the first encounter.

Pan gave her a broad smile, stood up and nodded.

"Although I would feel more comfortable if you called me Peter."

Belle still didn't move. No matter how innocent this boy might look like, she should never trust him. That's what everyone else had said. And she had sensed that, too.

Therefore, she straightened her body and gathered all of her remaining courage.

"What is this all about?" Belle finally asked, putting as much strength into her voice as she could afford.

Pan raised his brow and looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?" he asked, sounding utterly irritated.

Belle inhaled deeply before she spoke. This encounter was so confusing, so different from the first one.

"What do you want from me?"

Peter Pan let out a boyish, light laugh.

"To apologize." he responded.

"Why would you do that?" Belle answered, utterly confused. Without noticing, she took one step toward Pan.

There was something familiar about him. Something she couldn't quite allocate. But this time, she felt that he didn't mean her any harm.

Peter Pan's smile faded and was replaced by a sad expression.

"We didn't have a very good start the other day." he said with a low voice, eyes firmly fixed on the ground.

"I didn't want to scare you, Belle." Pan continued. "But I did. And I'm sorry for that. But you have to believe me. I will never want to harm you."

"I want us to be friends." he added, raising his gaze to look at her again.

"You kidnapped Henry!" Belle suddenly exclaimed, looking at Peter Pan furiously. "How could I ever be friends with someone who steals away children from their loving families?!"

No, she wouldn't fall for Peter Pan's lies. She knew too much about him. She wouldn't get deceived by his tricks.

But Peter Pan still held his apologizing expression on his face.

"No, dear. It's different from what you think. I just took him away from his family because they were _not_ lovingly. I've never wanted to keep him in Neverland. His family should come here to rescue him. They would have to work together, for the first time actually. It's just a game and Henry will win in the end. As soon as they have found him, he is free to go."

"Just a game? I don't understand." Belle looked at him with wide, blue eyes. What was Pan talking about? Henry was in great danger. Henry was in Neverland against his own will, wasn't he?

Pan sighed deeply in response.

"Look, Belle. Henry is not happy with his unique familiar situation, don't you agree? He is just another lost boy. His father is dead, his biological mother gave him away when he was a baby, his grandfather is the Dark One who had tried to kill him… Not to mention the …" Pan waved theatrically one hand in the air as if to search for the right word, "… rather _complicated _relationship between his adoptive mother and his grandparents on his mother's side."

He looked at her expectantly.

"And our little game helps them to rethink their positions, to make them aware of the fact that Henry is more important than anything else. Hopefully."

"Hopefully?" Belle narrowed her eyes. "What if they don't succeed?"

"Then …" Pan responded and shrugged his shoulders. "They don't deserve him and he is free to stay with us. Neverland is a place where lost souls can find refuge and their happily ever after."

Belle exhaled sharply. Did Peter Pan tell her the truth?

Thinking about it, he definitely had a point. The kidnapping _had _bound Henry's family together. Former enemies were now working together. And maybe the love for the boy could even turn hostility into friendship.

However, Belle still had the feeling that something was wrong about the story. She had sensed Pan's dark side the other day. She couldn't simply ignore that and the warnings of Hook and the tribe members.

"I'm sorry." she finally stated after a long pause, refusing to look into Pan's eyes. "I really want to believe you. That you only want the best for Henry. But I cannot simply trust you. Taking away a boy from his family doesn't seem right to me."

"Even if that means to have a second shot at a new, better family?" his voice was low and sounded almost like a purr.

When Belle raised her eyes again, Peter Pan was standing only some feet in front of her.

"I don't know." Belle whispered. "They do love him."

Peter Pan's face turned into a compassionate smile.

"Love can be a cruel thing, sweetness. Loving is simply not enough. Especially when there are so many things in the world that people are craving for: money, reputation, revenge …" he lifted her chin with one hand and she stared into his brown eyes. "… or power. It makes us weak and lonely."

Belle had heard this sentence before, but she couldn't quite remember where and when. But it sounded familiar.

Was he right? Do people really care more for power and revenge than for true love? Does love mean loneliness in the end?

But then again, Sahakawe's words kept on ringing in her head.

_The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return._

"I think you are wrong." Belle finally said with a strong voice but smiled sweetly at the young man in front of her. "Love is the most complicated but most powerful thing in the world. If you give your heart to someone special, you can achieve anything together."

Pan took on step away from Belle, his eyes flickering with a shining gleam.

"I hope you are right, Belle." he murmured.

"I should return to the camp." Belle finally stated after some moments of silence.

"Yes, we don't want the pirate to worry too much, do we?" Pan answered with a blank expression on his face.

"But before you go, I have something for you."

Suddenly alarmed, Belle took one step backwards and she eyed him suspiciously.

But Pan simply ignored her behavior and pulled out a white, crystal hand mirror from a small leather bag that was lying next to the fireplace.

"It's beautiful." Belle said admiringly when Pan showed it to her and reached out to touch the crystalline surface.

"And it's yours, if you'll have it." Pan replied, smiling innocently at her.

"Oh." Belle was finally able to take her eyes off the beautiful mirror. "No. I think… no, I don't like mirrors very much." She took one step away from the present and let her arm drop.

Pan furrowed his brow.

"A beautiful girl who doesn't like mirrors? That's rather hard to believe."

Belle simply shrugged her shoulders.

"But this is not a normal mirror. It's a magical one."

He gently stroked the rim of the precious object.

"Nobody is able to spy on you when you have it in hands. Not even the Evil Queen." he continued, giving her a knowing look.

"Then it's … it's just a normal mirror which blocks the view from magicians?" Belle asked in a tone of uncertainty.

"Oh no!" Pan answered, shaking his head vehemently. "It is so much more!"

He slowly came closer, eying the mirror with an almost loving expression on his face.

"This" he continued "can show you any person you want to see."

"Um … Thank you. But I don't think that I need it." Belle answered reluctantly.

Pan's lips twitched into a small smile and he narrowed his eyes.

"Are you sure? I can feel just how much you miss your True Love, Belle. This mirror could help you find him. You would be able to see him and locate him much easier."

The thought of seeing Rumpelstiltskin again let her heart jump.

Maybe she should take the present. After all, she didn't need to use it, but it could become helpful sometime.

But Belle was still quite suspicious. Peter Pan's whole behavior: it just didn't match her first impression of him, let alone the stories from her friends.

"Why would you possibly want me to have it?" Belle finally stated warily.

Peter Pan's smile didn't leave his face when he answered.

"Well I want you to find your True Love, sweetness. And if the mirror, in addition to that, might help to convince you of Henry's happiness in Neverland, I would be more than happy." the young man answered, winking mischievously at her.

"Thank you." she said with a small voice.

Belle slowly reached out her hand to grab the beautiful hand mirror. It felt smooth and surprisingly warm. Having a closer look at it, she noticed just _how _beautiful it actually was. It was richly ornamented with faceted glass beads and was gleaming splendidly in the shimmering moonlight. It completely took her breath away.

Pan's voice interrupted her admiration.

"Just think of the person you want to see and it will show it to you."

Before he turned away, another thought crossed her mind.

"Wait!" she suddenly exclaimed.

Pan cocked his head and stared at her, waiting for her question.

Belle pointed at the panpipes in his hand, suddenly remembering the actual reason why she had left the camp.

"The music you were playing … it was the reason why I came here. I …" she hesitated, not sure how much to tell Peter Pan about her dreams and the absurd attraction the music apparently had on her. "… I was wondering if I heard it once before?"

Pan's face turned into a mischievous smile.

"Yes." he answered with a dark voice, eyes gleaming with a hint of self-satisfaction. "Yes you did, Belle. Once upon a time."

Suddenly, Belle was shrouded by a cloud of green smoke. When her vision cleared, she was standing in the middle of her camp. Hook was still deeply asleep.

Belle tightened her grasp around the magical mirror.

The encounter with Peter Pan had confused her even more.

Who was he and why did he want to help her?

Was he really as dark as everyone had told her?

But most importantly: Had she already met him, a long time ago? Why didn't she remember?


	13. Ways to Apologize

**_Chapter 13_**

"Wake up."

Eyes firmly closed, Belle just let out a muffled moan and rolled herself to the other side.

"Sweetheart, wake up. Wake up for me."

Belle felt how rough but warm fingers gently stroked her cheek. She finally managed to stir her eyes open and looked straight into Hook's face. He was smiling at her, though she could also see a hint of uncertainty in his eyes.

"Good morning, love." The pirate whispered softly.

"Killian…" Belle groaned and slowly managed to sit up. "It's still dark. Why have you woken me up?"

She felt utterly exhausted. She didn't know what time it was, but as it was still before sunrise, she had been probably hardly sleeping for more than 3 hours.

Hook kept on smiling at her. The sound of his given name on her lips had apparently soothed his uncertainty. Instead, his ocean blue eyes were now filled with excitement and anticipation.

"It wouldn't make any sense if the sun had already risen." He just said, winking at her.

Confused, Belle blinked at him.

"What wouldn't make any sense?"

But the pirate just smiled a secret smile and rose.

"You'll see. Come, now. We need to hurry."

With those words, he pulled her up with one hand and held her leather bag out to her.

Belle sighed and took it from him.

Hook was already heading towards the forest, but Belle suddenly remembered her late night encounter with Peter Pan. Hastily, she looked into the leather bag. A strange feeling of relief hit her when she found the beautiful hand mirror safely stowed in the inside of the bag. Before she had gone to sleep earlier, Belle had wrapped the precious item into some clothing and had put it there. She still hadn't decided whether to use the mirror or not, but simply to have it left a strange feeling of safety and power.

"Come on, Belle. We'll miss it otherwise."

Hook's urging voice was finally able to draw Belle's attention away from the item in her bag. He was already standing at a small hillside and was gesturing Belle to follow him. Looking at his face, she once again noticed how it was lit up by an expression of pure excitement. The pirate reminded her of a young boy at his birthday, who was all too excited to unwrap the presents in front of him.

Finally, Belle's legs started to move and she followed the pirate further into the woods. After all, what other choice did she have?

* * *

After about thirty minutes, Hook was still not willing to answer her questions. And her mood clearly darkened. She was tired, she was hungry, and – above all – she was still mad at him about what he had said the day before.

"Come on, Killian. Just tell me where we are going. I'm hungry and I haven't slept much. Can't we just rest for a minute?" Belle asked him for the hundredth time.

The last times she had asked him, Hook had simply turned his head towards her and had smiled at the princess, with "It's a surprise, love!" being his only answer.

This time however, he grabbed her by her hand and dragged her closer to his body.

"My, my, little princess. You are quite an impatient one, aren't you?" he whispered playfully, a roguish smile toying around his mouth.

"Do you really want to know where we are going?"

Belle rolled her eyes and nodded. The pirate brought is lips closer to her ear and Belle waited excitedly for his answer. Although she wouldn't admit it as she was still angry at the pirate, but Hook's secretiveness had made her quite curious.

His warm breath and his soft lips against her earlobe made her shudder pleasantly and sent a strange feeling to her stomach. Being so close to him, smelling his familiar scent again and feeling his scrubby cheek against hers made her heart race in her chest. Belle felt losing herself in this simple touch and it took a lot of self-control to keep on focus.

"Not. Telling." Hook finally whispered and Belle could _hear_ the mischievous grin on his pretty face.

When he pulled away, Belle immediately felt the loss of his body's warmth and suppressed her urge to drag him back against her own body.

Instead, she looked into his grinning face and glared at him.

"I don't see the fun of it, Killian." Belle said sulkily and turned away from him.

But Hook's hand grabbed hers and whirled her around.

"Don't be mad at me, Belle." He said, winking at her. "We're almost there!"

With those words, Hook let her up onto a small hill nearby.

Having reached the summit, Belle noticed that they were right at the shore of Neverland, looking down at a small bay. The water of the ocean was glistering from the light of the now slowly fading stars and moon.

"It's beautiful" Belle said a little bit unsure. Yes, of course it was beautiful. But was _this _the reason why they had to get up that early?

"Wait" Hook simply stated, his eyes firmly fixed on the horizon.

Before Belle was able to respond anything else, the morning sun rose.

And then Belle knew exactly why Hook had brought her to that place. The sight in front of her was breath-taking. Belle loved sunrises. She loved the way how the darkness of the night was defeated by warm, shiny lights of sunrays and how life slowly started to begin again. To her, sunrises meant beauty, hope and life and no matter how dark the day before might have been, a new day was always the start of something new.

But never had she seen such a beautiful and exceptional one. The rising of the sun not only dipped their surrounding into different shades of orange and gold, but suddenly, there were all ranges of colors in the sky. Waves of dark blue and green mixed with yellow and purple dominated the horizon. The play of colors was simply stunning. The more the sun rose, the more different were the colors in the sky. After a few minutes, waves of shiny orange, yellow, pink, and gold seemed to fight against darker waves, mainly consisting of purple, blue and dark green, drawing a spectacular painting into the sky.

"Killian … ", Belle finally managed to breath out, tightening her grasp around his hand. "This is stunningly beautiful."

Hook brought one arm around her waist and held her close.

"It is" he whispered softly against her hair.

"These are the Lights of Neverland, love" he continued after a moment. "They appear every morning at sunrise, but you can only see them from this hill."

Belle slowly turned her head to face the man standing close to her.

"What are they?"

"To be honest, I don't know. There are different stories about those lights. Some say they are fragments of magic from other worlds that somehow came to Neverland. Then again, some say those lights merely reflect the interaction between the water and sunrays. But I think this spectacle looks far too magical to be brought down to simple physico-chemical explanations."

Belle nodded in silent agreement.

"Personally" Hook continued, "I stick to what Sahawake once told me. She says those lights represent the spirits of children who visit Neverland in their dreams. When the sun rises, they go back to their own world as their dream of Neverland slowly ends."

"Spirits of dreaming children? Mmmh, I think I like this theory best." Belle whispered after some moments.

Still observing the fascinating play of colors, she slowly leant her head on the pirate's shoulder.

"Thank you for bringing me here." she finally breathed.

"Oh, darling, but the best is yet to come." Hook said with an amused voice.

Startled, Belle lifted her head to look at him. There was a broad smile across his face and he simply pointed one finger towards the bay beneath them.

Belle's gaze followed the direction of his finger and she surveyed the smooth water surface. She gasped for air when a small head suddenly occurred. Then another. And another. And another.

After a few moments, the bay was filled with about ten heads that were breaking through the water surface.

"Mermaids" Belle whispered more to herself than to Hook.

"Aye." He answered, grinning at her. "Welcome to Mermaid's Bay, love."

Belle saw how the mermaids climbed on small rocks and started to brush their long, colorful hairs with see stars and shells. Belle wanted to move closer towards the edge to have a better look at these fascinating creatures, but Hook gently held her back.

"Better not, darling. We don't want them to see us." He whispered into her ear. Without further questions, Belle obeyed and sat down on the hill and watched how the mermaids brushed their glistering hair.

And then, they began to sing.

_My heart is pierced by Cupid, I disdain all glittering gold,_

_There is nothing that can console me _

_but my jolly sailor bold._

_Come all you pretty fair maids,_

_whoever you may be_

_Who love a jolly sailor bold _

_that ploughs the raging sea._

_Sailor, my love, come to me, _

_bend the wind and all the seas,_

_I've anchored you to me,_

_abandon all you seek._

_My heart is pierced by Cupid, _

_I disdain all glittering gold,_

_There is nothing that can console me _

_but my jolly sailor bold._

Their voices were clear and beautiful and Belle would have loved nothing better than to climb down the hill and join the group of mermaids and to sing with them.

The sound of the song was touchingly sad and melancholic, but yet beautiful to the core. Listening to it, Belle didn't feel sad but utterly overwhelmed by all sorts of feelings as they repeated the verses over and over again.

Belle felt the mermaid's love for their sailors in every word they sang, and feeling Hook, the pirate, so close to her, left a warm, pleasant feeling in her heart. Usually, those feelings towards her travel companion startled her, confused her. After all, Hook was not Rumpelstiltskin, he was not her True Love and it was inappropriate to feel anything but friendship for him. But while listening to the mermaid's song, she shoved those dark thoughts away and leant her head on his shoulder. Belle enjoyed having him so close to her, she loved his masculine scent of leather and sea air, and every touch of his big, rough hands sent waves of pleasure down her spine. She sighed silently and stopped her thinking bit by bit as she surrendered herself fully to the sound of the mermaid's chant.

* * *

Hook felt Belle's head resting on his right shoulder when they both listened to the mermaid's song. During his time in Neverland, he had often come to that place in order to watch the beautiful creatures and listen to their morning chant.

He was a man of the sea and was attracted by mermaids by nature. They were fascinating creatures; Fascinating, beautiful, and completely dangerous. Every sailor knew the stories about the mermaids, the gorgeous and portentous sirens that meant doom for every brave man who crossed their paths. Their songs and voices promise lonely men the satisfaction of any kind of desires: love, wealth, adventure, eternal life. It's their way to lure nearby sailors with their ships. In the end, however, those ships end up shipwrecked and no survivors are found.

It is said the best way to resist the call of a mermaid is to think of the woman who holds your heart and each time Hook had visited this place in times past, he had thought of his True Love. Milah: The dead queen of his heart and the fuel to his revenge. But this time was different. Milah was still in his mind, of course she was, and she would never leave his head or heart. But this time, the longing for his dead love didn't overwhelm the pirate's senses. This time, he also thought of the princess next to him. The beauty that sometimes reminded him of his Milah, and who was yet so different. Hook absentmindedly put an arm around Belle and drew her closer.

He could have stayed with Belle like this forever, leaning their heads against each other and listening to the alluring mermaid's song. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, and all too soon for his liking. The sun was now standing full-size in the sky and the colorful lights slowly faded away. At the same time, the mermaids finished their enchanting singing and disappeared once again into the depth of the glistering ocean (_probably in search of poor, lonely souls)_.

Hook had expected Belle to pull away as soon as the mermaids ended their song. But contrary to his expectations, Belle's head kept resting on his shoulder. He almost thought her asleep when her soft, sweet voice broke the silence.

"Killian, that was the most beautiful surprise."

Hook grinned into her hair.

"I'm glad you liked it, love", he replied softly. "You see… This is my way to apologize."

She lifted her head and looked at him. Cocking her head, Belle eyed him curiously.

Hook cleared his throat before he went on talking. This wasn't easy for him.

He was a pirate, for God's sake! Pirates normally didn't feel sorry about _anything_. They say and take whatever they want and care only for themselves in first place.

But Belle was worth a try.

"Look, love. I didn't mean what I said yesterday. Well, at least parts of it. You are not spoiled and definitely not dull. You are one of the most adorable and interesting persons that have crossed by paths during my life." The expression on her face softened a little bite, but she was not smiling at him.

"And despite my handsome face and strong, defined, young body" he added, daring to wink at her, "you can consider me as old as times and I've met many, many people so far. And none of them are able to hold a candle to you, of that be sure. My rage was aimed at the Crocodile, not you Belle. And I'm sorry I upset you, I truly am."

Hook puffed out a long, exhausted but somehow relieved breath. This was definitely the longest apology-speech he had ever held in his entire life. He looked straight into Belle's blue eyes and studied her face. After the longest of moments, her features finally softened into a sweet smile.

"I'm sorry, too, you know." She finally replied. "I completely overreacted. I guess you just hit a raw nerve. And …" Belle hesitated for a second, "some of the things you said… I think I just couldn't handle them."

Before Hook could reply anything, Belle suddenly got up and straightened her skirt.

"So? After all those apologies … We should move on, don't you think? Or is there anything else you wanted to add?" she asked looking at him expectantly.

But the pirate only shook his head lightly in response, staring at her.

And there it finally was again: Belle's light and gorgeous smile Hook had missed so much.

Hook couldn't help but smile back. He got up as well and fetched the map from his pocket. They were getting closer and closer to the Hollowed Tree. Having Henry in mind, that was definitely a good thing. The less time the boy spent with this evil creature called Pan, the better. When Hook studied the map and their position, his face suddenly lit up.

The sudden, bright shine in Hook's face didn't go unnoticed by Belle.

"What is it?" she inquired.

A broad grin spread across his face and he gave her a sly look.

"Not telling." he simply answered, grinning.

Belle rolled her eyes but smiled at him.

"Another surprise?" she said, desperately trying to sound annoyed.

He simply shrugged his shoulders and smiled at her.

Belle slightly shoved her arm into his rips: "You know. I'm not so much into surprises."

Hook grabbed her by the elbow and dragged her closer.

"You know." he purred knowingly next to her right ear, "I think you are lying, love."

* * *

**_Notes_**

**Guys, thank you so much for your lovely reviews =)!**

**I really love them and I'm glad you like my little Captain Beauty story!**

**It's quite difficult to set the right pace for the development of their feelings for one another. But I'm glad to hear that you think it's realistic ;)**

**Next chapter will reveal more about Pan's reasons to give Belle the enchanted hand mirror. And of course: more Captain Beauty!**

**And btw: the mermaid's song was the one from "The Pirates of the Caribbean 4" (and an additional verse) **

**Have a great weekend :)**


	14. The Mirror of Aphrodite

**_Chapter 14_**

Belle had to wait for hours until the pirate finally had mercy and revealed his next secret. It was shortly before sundown when they reached a beach. Having a look at the map, Belle noticed that the beach was actually part of the so called "Coast of Lovely Thoughts", marking the most southern point of the island. Alas, studying the map didn't bring her closer to the answer why Hook was so excited to come here. A small red circle which marked the area was the only hint – and as much as Belle set her wits to work, she still had no idea what this so called secret was about. Her confusion even increased when they finally reached the beach. It was just a beach – a beautiful one with soft, white sand and palm-fringed – but still just a beach.

"Finally" he breathed, looking longingly towards the sea.

"I don't understand, Killian." Belle answered, her brows cocked in confusion. "What exactly are we doing here? Setting camp?"

The pirate turned his head to look at her. His blue eyes were burning with excitement and he wore a toothy grin on his face.

"Yes, we are setting camp, love. But not here." After a short pause, he reached out one arm and pointed one finger towards the sea. "There."

Belle stared at him, trying to understand what he wanted to tell her. Her gaze drifted towards the ocean and she was looking intensely at the place that he was pointing at. But she couldn't see anything. There was simply nothing … well except for water.

Hook laughed when he saw her confused expression.

"Oh come one, darling. You are a clever girl, aren't you? Do you have still no idea where we are going to stay for the night?"

Then he leant in closer and whispered: "Most people can't see what is right in front of them. Well, except for little sneaky librarians, of course."

Hook winked playfully at her and the penny dropped.

"Your ship!" Belle exclaimed, finally able to put the pieces together.

"Exactly, love." Hook answered while smiling at her. His excitement to get back onboard of his most valuable treasure was both audible and visible in every feature of his voice and body.

"Cora's cloaking spell is still hiding my precious from the rest of the world. I'm the only one who is able to see her."

"_Her?_" Belle echoed amused.

"Of course, love. The _Jolly Roger _is my oldest friend and dearest companion. No matter how dark times or seas were, she has always been there for me. My ship carried me safely to different places and adventures and helped me out of whatever dangers might have occurred. And she is more beautiful than any woman I've ever laid eyes on."

His passionate speech about his ship was interrupted by a plainly audible "tsk-"sound from a certain princess next to him. Amused, he turned to face Belle again and grabbed her chin softly with one hand.

"Jealous, love?" he purred, smirking at her.

Belle rolled her eyes and freed her chin from his hand.

"Certainly not." she simply answered, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

Hook laughed at Belle's aloof reply. Milah had always reacted the same way. She had always accused him of caring more for his "stupid, little ship" than for her, which had of course been perfect nonsense. But he had loved to tease her with his affection for his beloved ship, not least because their fight had always ended in mind-blowing, angry sex.

Hook grabbed Belle by her waist and spun her flush against his body, holding her tight.

"Don't worry, love. No ship could ever replace the bodily warmth of a woman, especially of a beautiful one such as you." Hook purred and smiled his most seductive smile at her.

His smile grew when he saw the princess in his arms blushing and when he felt the light shiver that his voice was sending through her entire body.

But after a few seconds she regained her composure and wriggled herself out of his embrace.

"Stop it, Killian!" she hissed and straightened her skirt.

"What?" he smiled innocently "It's just the truth, love."

Oh how he enjoyed to make her lose her composure.

Belle shook her head angrily.

"Alright then." she continued, clearly trying to change the subject. "How are we going to reach your boat?"

"Ship." Hook said sharply. "It's a ship, not a boat."

Belle sighed loudly. "Whatever. So how are we going to reach your _ship_ then?"

Without answering, Hook walked into the forest nearby. When he came out again, he carried a small canoe and two paddles over his head and placed it onto the water.

"Just get in and enjoy the ride, love." he called out and gestured Belle to come along.

"And by the way" he added when she had finally sat down and he began to paddle. "_This _is a boat. Hope you see the difference."

"Look's rather like a nutshell to me." Belle said, eying their means of transportation warily.

Hook only laughed and shook his head lightly.

* * *

It didn't take them long until they reached the _Jolly Roger_. Hook climbed up his ship first before he let down a corded ladder to help Belle.

"Welcome onboard of the Jolly Roger!" Hook exclaimed happily.

His hand ran softly over the wooden surface of the ship's rail, a steady habit he always performed when he came onboard again.

"Come, love. I'll show you your chamber." the pirate finally announced and led Belle below deck.

They went through a narrow corridor until they reached a big, wooden door. Hook pushed the door open and revealed a spacious, nicely done up room. Several maps were pinned to the walls and a big, wooden desk was standing right in the middle of the chamber. However, the only object in the room that was able to gain Belle's full attention was the large, fluffy and probably comfortable bed which was standing in the left corner of the room.

Belle sighed inwardly. When exactly had been the last time she had been sleeping in such a soft, cozy bed? She didn't mind the life of an adventurer, but sleeping in the forest without pillows or a blanket definitely left marks. So it was hardly surprising that every muscle in her body was longing to lie down on the bed in order to fall to a deep, pleasant sleep.

"There's also a bathroom next to your room." Hook's strong voice interrupted her thoughts. "Thanks to Cora and her magic, the sanitary equipment is quite similar to the one you are used to from Storybrooke. Take a bath if you want to and make yourself comfortable. In the meantime, I'll prepare us something to eat."

He waved one hand towards the opposite door which probably led to the foresaid bathroom.

"Thank you." Belle replied and smiled widely at him. The prospect of a bath to wash her body and hair and a pleasant sleep during the night clearly lifted her spirits.

Hook then turned on his heels and closed the door behind him, leaving Belle alone in the room. Belle went straight towards the bathroom, eager to feel the magic of fresh water on her skin.

After having made full use of the bath tub and all kinds of different, good smelling oils that she had found in the bathroom, Belle wrapped a fluffy towel around her body and made her way back to the main chamber. Never had she enjoyed a bath just as much. She was feeling much better now: certainly refreshed and full of energy.

As Belle had used the tub to clean her clothes as well, she was now searching the wall closets and cupboards for something else to wear. Maybe one of Hook's t-shirts or maybe a dress that Cora had left behind.

Belle quickly made a find. Opening a big, oak-panelled wardrobe next to the bathroom door, Belle found a great number of different clothes in different colors. Flipping through the garments, she finally chose a dark red blouse, a black corset and dark leather pants to wear. To her surprise, the clothing fitted perfectly – except for the pants as they were a little bit too long. Belle eyed herself critically in the wardrobe mirror. Her beauty had never meant much to her as she preferred to be judged by what was in her heart rather than her exterior. But when she looked herself up and down in the mirror, she had to admit that she actually liked what she was seeing. There was no dull, pretty little princess who was staring back at her. No. This time, there was a strong and daring woman in the mirror. An adventuress, a person who would never let anybody decide her fate but her. Belle couldn't help but smiling at her reflection in the mirror.

* * *

Hook was standing on deck when Belle finally appeared. Buried in thought, he stared towards the island of Neverland. A creaking sound behind him interrupted his deep thoughts and announced the princess.

"Finally. I'm starving, love. What took you so …"

But he choked on the last word, unable to finish his sentence. For the slightest of moments, he thought his Milah was standing right in front of him. But then he looked into those big, ocean blue eyes. No, not Milah. The girl in front of him was Belle.

"Killian?" she asked with a nervous voice when he didn't finish his sentence. The pirate just stood there, completely frozen and apparently unable to speak. But what troubled her more than his speechlessness was the look he gave her. First she saw confusion and a hint of hope in his eyes, which was quickly replaced by a pained expression on his face.

And then the scales fell from her eyes. Shocked, she inhaled sharply and brought one hand up to cover her mouth.

"Oh I'm so sorry." she gasped hastily, looking down the clothes she was wearing,

"Killian… I didn't mean… I mean I didn't know. The clothes were just… and I needed something to wear. I'm so sorry, I should have known" she stuttered, grabbing his hand.

How could she have been so utterly thoughtless? She was wearing Milah's clothes. Killian must have kept them in the wardrobe as a remembrance.

But after a few moments in silence, Hook's face softened and he smiled sadly at her.

"There is nothing to feel sorry about, Belle. I shouldn't have kept them anyways. I just couldn't bring myself to throw them away."

He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles.

"But they suit you, darling. You are certainly the most beautiful piratess."

Belle returned is wobbly smile.

"I could change into something else if you … " she offered carefully, only to be interrupted by Hook's shake of the head.

"No, no. Choose anything you want out of the wardrobe."

The pirate took one step back and eyed the beauty from top to bottom. Her sight could only be described as _glorious_. The dark leather pants matched her curves perfectly and highlighted her long, toned legs. The black corset was tight-laced and set the focus on her ample, well-formed breasts that were covered by the wide, dark red blouse. He couldn't prevent himself from smiling. If she hadn't already won the pirate's heart, this outfit would have had definitely finished him off.

"The only thing that could suit you better than this would probably be to wear nothing at all, darling." He finally said, smiling seductively at her.

Belle once again rolled her eyes and punched his arm slightly.

"Is this your way to pay a compliment, Killian?" she sighed.

Hook simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't blame me, love." he answered, stepping closer. "I'm a pirate and rather a man of action than of flowery words in order to show my affections."

"Of that I'm sure." Belle finally chuckled. "But enough of your ways to woo innocent women. I'm starving. Have you prepared something to eat?"

Hook mockingly bowed lowly and offered one arm like a gentleman.

"Mais oui, mademoiselle." he answered with assumed voice and fake accent. "Dinner is ready."

Laughing lustily, Belle bobbed a curtsey and linked arms with the pirate.

"Then, good sir, lead the way, if you please!"

* * *

After dinner, Belle was standing at the ship's railing and was staring towards the open seas. Though the day had been beautiful, even magical, last night's encounter with Pan was now back in her mind. During the day, she didn't have the time to think about it. But while enjoying the silence of the night, Pan's words suddenly came back again.

Both, his words and his whole behavior, had been surprising as well as confusing. Normally, it was a simple task for Belle to look into a person's heart. Thanks to the gift her fairy godmother had given her upon her birth, Belle was able to sense goodness as well as badness in others. But Peter Pan was another matter. When she had first met him, she had clearly sensed a wicked aura that had surrounded him. But then again, last night had been different. When he had told her that he didn't aim at keeping Henry in Neverland, he hadn't lied. She had been able to feel the honesty in each of his words. Furthermore, this constant feeling of familiarity troubled her most. The music, Pan's scent, those words he had used … everything went straight to her heart and seemed to shake up long forgotten images and unpleasant feelings.

Belle rubbed her throbbing head with one hand and let out a long sigh.

"A penny for your thoughts."

Hook's sudden appearance made her gasp and she immediately whirled around to face him.

He was standing right in front of her, head cocked and with a concerned expression across his face.

Belle gave him a weak smile.

"Nothing you have to worry about, Captain. It was just an exhausting day."

"You know …" he said, positioning himself next to her at the ship's railing. "I really do like the way you call me 'Captain'. I think we should keep that up."

Belle just let out a soft laugh and continued to stare towards the open seas.

They remained in pleasant silence, each one following their own thoughts.

After a while, Belle started to speak again.

"Do you think Henry is ok?" she asked softly, eyes still firmly fixed on the water surface.

"I don't know." Hook answered honestly. "Depends on Pan's intentions. I still have no idea why he needs Henry or why he has brought him to the island."

Belle's heart began to race in her chest. Should she tell Hook about last night's encounter? He would be certainly furious.

"What if …", she began, swallowing hard.

Hook turned his head and raised his brows.

"What if _what_, love?"

Oh he just knew her to well. Something was definitely up.

"What if Pan just wants to help Henry?" Belle continued silently, her eyes still fixed upon the ocean.

Hook let out a loud laugh.

"Help?!" he blurted out contemptuously. "Believe me, darling. _This _son of a cowardly tadpole doesn't want to help anybody but himself. He has abducted a boy and has separated him from his family. What makes you think that this has anything to do with helping?"

Belle bit her lower lip. Hook just repeated what she had asked Pan the night before.

"What about the Lost Boys?"

"What?" Hook stared at her, the confusion clearly written on his face.

"I mean … _who _are the Lost Boys? Why are they here, with Pan?"

"They are mainly orphans as far as I know. Pan's shadow visits the other worlds from time to time and searches for lonely boys to bring them here."

"So Pan gives them a home, then?"

Hook's desperately shrugged his shoulders and he stared at her in disbelief. Was Belle seriously trying to defend Pan?

"Well, yes, in a way. But that's not the point. They all come _willingly_. Henry is not a Lost Boy. He was _abducted_ and is _forced_ to stay here until we come and rescue him. He is probably caged and Pan's latest source of amusement."

Belle sighed heavily.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?!" Hook's confusion turned into fury. "Belle, what the hell has come over you? Look, I know you want to see goodness in everyone. But Pan is different. He's the bloody enemy! Why are you defending him?"

"I'm not defending him!" Belle hissed back.

"I met him." she added more silently after a pause.

"Whom?" Hook asked puzzled. "Henry?"

"No. Pan."

"Yeah, I know. And the result of this little encounter was that I had to hold you throughout the night because you fainted and had evil nightmares." the pirate answered furiously.

"No." Belle's response was barely a whisper. "I mean last night. I met him last night."

For one moment, there was silence. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of the sea. The pirate was staring at Belle, his face showing all kinds of emotions: fury, fear, worry, disbelief, rage, confusion. He closed his eyes in order to calm down. When he opened his eyes again, Belle refused to look at him. She had ducked her head and her gaze was firmly fixed on the deck's floor.

"Why would you do something that stupid?" was the only thing he was able to growl while desperately trying to suppress his temper.

"Look, I know it was a dangerous thing to do. And stupid."

Hook left out an angry snort.

"But he didn't mean me any harm. We just talked, and he was telling me about his plans concerning Henry."

"Oh now it's getting interesting, love. How exactly did he justify abduction?" Hook sneered.

Belle finally raised her eyes and looked straight into Hook's face. His expression was beyond fury. He was mad at her for leaving in the middle of the night, he was mad at him that he wasn't awake to protect her from Pan, and he most definitely hated Pan for enticing Belle away and telling her lies.

Belle took his hand with both of hers and moved closer.

"Killian." she said softly, watching how his expression suddenly softened with the use of his given name. "I'm sorry I met him on my own. And I didn't say that I believed what he had told me. I just ask you to hear me out and think about it."

Looking into her lovely face that was illuminated by the moonlight and those two big, blue diamonds, Hook's fury suddenly vanished and he sighed heavily.

"Alright, love. What did he tell you?"

Belle gave him a winning smile.

"Pan said he didn't want to keep Henry in Neverland. As soon as we've found him, he lets him go. He says Henry is unhappy with his familiar situation as everyone in his family wants to kill each other or abandons him. This abduction or fake-abduction shall help the family members to work together, to get along with each other. For Henry's sake. And even if we don't achieve to find him, Pan is still willing to bring him back home. But he will also offer him to stay in Neverland."

Hook listened carefully. Admittedly, Pan had a point. But still, why would he care to help Henry? Hook knew Pan long enough. He wasn't the type to help anyone but him. But then again, he _had _offered some of the Lost Boys a home. However, Pan was not someone to trust. After all, he was the master of mischief and tricks. And this was probably just another.

"Do you think he speaks the truth?" Hook finally replied.

Belle shrugged her shoulders. "As I said, I don't know. But I think Henry's safe until we find him."

"Yeah, safely in a cage." Hook snorted. "I just hope the boy is fine."

For one moment, Belle wore a thoughtful look on her face.

"There might be a way to find it out." she suddenly said.

Before Hook could reply anything, Belle rushed towards her cabin.

After a while, she reappeared with her brown leather bag at her hands and removed a small object which was covered with clothes.

"Enlighten me, darling. What is it?" Hook announced impatiently.

Without another word, Belle slowly began to unwrap the small object. Hook's mouth fell open.

"The Mirror of Aphrodite" Hook gasped in awe.

"The what?" Belle cocked her eyebrows and watched the pirate closely.

But instead of answering, Hook just reached out one finger to caress the mirror's rim.

"Killian?" the princess asked again, noticing how Hook's eyes were suddenly illuminated with a certain gleam of desire.

Startled, Hook suddenly pulled away and he raised his eyes to meet Belle's. There was an unmistakable dreamy expression on his face.

"That, my love" he finally replied, "Is the _Mirror of Aphrodite_."

Belle was sure that she had already read about that certain mirror in one of her books, but she didn't remember the story.

"What does that mean?" she finally asked.

Hook chuckled to himself.

"Oh, dear Belle. You are holding one of the eldest and probably one of the most precious magical items in your lovely hands. And you don't even know it."

"Then enlighten me, Captain." she echoed his previous choice of words.

"Alright then." Hook said. "Have you ever heard of a Goddess called Aphrodite?"

Belle nodded.

"Yes, she is said to be an ancient Goddess of Love, Beauty and Pleasure." the princess dutifully recalled from one of her books.

Hook smiled at her. Belle knew a lot of things. But for the first time, he was able to tell her a story she didn't know already.

"Exactly." he continued. "Legend relates that the Goddess of Beauty fell in love with the great God of the Sea, Poseidon. After weeks of longing, Aphrodite finally fled her unloving marriage with Hephaistos, the God of Smiths, and started an affair with Poseidon. Until then, both lovers met every night to be together and to satisfy their desire for one another. But the relationship was soon detected and led to conflicts amongst the Gods."

"Hephaistos?" Belle breathed.

She was absolutely consumed by the story and hung on every word Hook said.

Hook shook his head, looking into her bright, excited eyes. Oh, he was clearly enjoying having Belle's full attention.

"No, the God of Smiths didn't care." he continued. "Aphrodite was not exactly what one might have called a _faithful _wife and he was used to her affairs. Poseidon had another rival, one who was much more dangerous than the old God of Smiths. The one person who found out about Poseidon and Aphrodite was Ares, the powerful God of War. It is said that Ares and Aphrodite had a long love affair which had lasted for the duration of her marriage with Hephaistos. When Poseidon appeared, however, she ended her relationship with the God of War in order to be with him. When Ares saw his beloved in the arms of another man, he was beyond fury. He desperately tried to force her to come back, but Aphrodite never agreed. His jealousy made him strike a deal with Erebus, God of Darkness. When he called for Aphrodite, he declared his terms. As long as Aphrodite was refusing to come back to him, the oceans would have to suffer from eternal darkness. The consequences were horrible. Without sunlight, the seas were condemned to death. As fish, sea plants and other creatures of the ocean began to die, Poseidon, too, slowly lost his powers and became weaker. No matter what Aphrodite did to save her lover, she was not able to succeed. In the end, she had no other choice than to comply with Ares' claims. He forbade her to ever meet Poseidon again, but Ares allowed the two Gods a final good-bye. The legend relates that both heartbroken lovers exchanged farewell gifts. The powerful God of Seas gave his lover a special necklace with a beautiful seashell. Whenever she should hear the sound of the sea, this necklace would enable her to hear her lover's voice instead. In return, Aphrodite handed Poseidon her beloved hand mirror. It is said that he only had to think of her, and he would see her again."

Belle felt as if she wasn't able to breathe when Hook finished his story.

He smiled at her stunned face.

"And that was the story of the Beauty and the Sea." Hook conclusively announced.

"Such a sad story." Belle finally breathed. It was only then that Hook noticed the small tears in the corners of her eyes.

"Yes." he agreed. "A sad story indeed. But also a very interesting one. This legend was passed from one generation of sailors to the other. The Mirror of Aphrodite is one of the most searched magical items in our world. There are countless books, pictures and stories about it, but no living soul had yet been able to find it."

Hook was once again staring longingly at the mirror in Belle's hands.

"Why does everybody want to have it, I wonder?" she asked, pressing the mirror closer against her body.

"Don't worry, love." Hook laughed "I'm not going to steal it from you. It's just more beautiful than I have ever imagined."

Belle relaxed a little bit. She trusted Hook, but he was still a pirate. And the way he had been looking at the valuable item had been less than soothing.

"Anyways, this mirror is said to be quite powerful. Most treasure hunter just want to find it to sale it to the highest bidder. But I think those people are simply fools. This mirror can be so much more. As I just mentioned in the story, it enables you to see anyone you like without them noticing: friends, family, but also enemies, of course. Having the mirror in hand, you can spy on anyone you like, so you can make sure that you are always one step ahead. That's quite a powerful gift. Plus, the magic of the mirror is really old, it can't be manipulated by present-day sorcerers."

"That's why nobody can spy on us." Belle added silently. Pan's words finally made sense.

Surprised, Hook stared at her for a moment.

"Where did you find it, lass?" he finally whispered.

"I didn't." Belle admitted. "Pan gave it to me last night."

Confused, Hook blinked at the beauty in front of him.

"Why?" His voice sounded strangely hoarse. It actually was no surprise to Hook that Pan possessed such a powerful item such as the Mirror of Aphrodite. But why did he want Belle to have it?

"He told me that it would help to believe him what he had told me about Henry. And …" she hesitated for a moment.

"And …?" Hook pressed further.

"And he wants me to find Rumpelstiltskin." Her voice was just a whisper and she averted her eyes.

Hook was suddenly feeling an unpleasant numbness in his body. Of course, the mirror allowed her to see her lover again. The mirror would show her that the Crocodile was close to the Enchanted Springs. In the end, she would leave Hook to stay with the Dark One.

The pirate felt a big lump in his throat.

"Have you found him?" he whispered hoarsely.

Belle lifted her head and eyed him for the longest of moments.

"I haven't used the mirror yet." she finally breathed.

A wave of relief flooded Hook's entire body and he couldn't prevent himself from smiling at her.

"But we should use it to see if Henry is ok, don't you think?"

Hook only nodded.

Belle took a deep breath and lifted the beautiful hand mirror.

"Show me Henry." she whispered.

Suddenly, the entire mirror vibrated and was shining in a bright, green light.

When Belle saw Henry's face in the mirror, she suddenly grabbed Hook's hand and squeezed it tightly.

* * *

**_Notes:_**

**The legend about the Mirror of Aphrodite is completely made up of course (except for the relationships between Aphrodite and the other Gods). The idea came while writing the chapter, but I think it fits quite nicely into the story. So I hope you liked it, too! :)**

**J**


	15. Now or Never

**_Chapter 15_**

_Henry was sitting on a stone, watching the Lost Boys dancing around a huge fireplace._

_"What's up, lad? Don't you want to join the dancing?"_

_A tall, blonde boy with a long face and hollowed cheeks sat down next to him._

_"I don't feel like dancing" Henry answered._

_The tall boy cocked his head and looked at him compassionately._

_"Is it about your family?" he asked after some moments of silence._

_Instead of answering, Henry just dropped his gaze and nodded._

_"Don't you like being with us? Don't you have fun with us?" the blonde boy asked, sounding a little bit offended._

_"No, Felix." Henry immediately replied, "It's not that. You boys are great. I just miss my family."_

_The blonde boy, Felix, let out a short, contemptuous snort._

_"Oh yeah, the family of the year, wasn't it? Watching them trying to kill each other is certainly much more fun, I guess." Felix replied sarcastically._

_Henry rolled his eyes. "Come on, Felix. You don't even know them. They are not that bad."_

_Felix just raised his brows, staring at Henry knowingly._

_"Alright" Henry finally gave in sighingly. "They _are_ that bad."_

_The other boy lifted his long arm and patted Henry's shoulder comfortingly._

_"Don't be sad, lad." he said with a small smile on his face. "All of us went through comparable experiences, I'm afraid. Take Tootles for example." he pointed at a small, black-haired boy with a round face. "His mother was a maid who fell in love with a noble man. But as soon as she was pregnant, this oh so noble father turned away from her and cast her and unborn Tootles away."_

_Henry gasped. _

_"Oh gods! What an evil man!"_

_Felix nodded in silent agreement._

_"No doubt about that. But his mother was even worse if you ask me. Time passed and poor Tootles' appearance seemed to remind his mother more and more of his father. She couldn't bring herself to love her own son. She married another man and adopted his two children. The sons were much taller than Tootles and bullied him as often as they could. And sadly enough, his own mother didn't bring herself to care."_

_Felix sighed deeply at the end of Tootles' story. _

_"That's an awful story." Henry finally stated, shaking his head. "Poor Tootles."_

_"Oh don't worry, Henry." Felix answered. A small, cruel smile darted over his face. "Everyone gets what they deserve in the end."_

_Confused, Henry blinked at him. "What do you mean?"_

_Felix shrugged his shoulder innocently. "Ah well … let's just say Peter's shadow took care of the tormentors. One night, the shadow paid them a visit and … um … scared them to death."_

_The blonde boy chuckled. _

_Henry cocked an eyebrow. "It scared them? Well, the shadow really is terrifying, I guess. But do you think they stopped bullying other children after that?"_

_Felix eyes became darker when he answered, a broad smile dancing across his face. "Oh I'm pretty sure they did no such thing after their encounter with Pan's shadow."_

_Both boys fell into an awkward silence and watched the others dancing. _

_"Anyways," the tall boy broke the silence after a while, "Tootles is happy now, that's all that counts, isn't it? You know … Pan has offered each one of us a home, a better family. We chose to be with him."_

_"I know." Henry replied silently, eyes firmly fixed on the ground._

_"However" Felix continued, flashing a smile at the boy sitting next to him, "Pan told me that you will probably leave us soon."_

_Henry raised his head and stared at the blonde boy in surprise. "Why's that?"_

_"Well, lad, because your family is finally working together. Although your adoptive mother doesn't seem to be too fond of her travel companions, I'm afraid." Felix laughed out loudly. "She seems to be a very particular person. But she is really trying. For you. I'm sure they will reach our camp soon enough."_

_"And then I can go home with them?" Henry's face clearly mirrored the pure joy Felix' news had evoked in the boy's heart._

_"Of course." Felix answered immediately. "You can go home with your family and you can live … how do you say that? … happily ever after?"_

_If possible, the smile on Henry's face even broadened. _

_"Then why don't you come with us?" he suddenly asked. "Come with us to Storybrooke. You can have a home, too. I know many families who would be certainly so happy to adopt Tootles, or Nibs, or Curly …"_

_Henry's passionate speech was abruptly interrupted when Felix raised his hand in order to indicate Henry to stop._

_"No." the tall boy declared with a low voice. "We won't leave Neverland, Henry. At least, not now."_

_"Why not?" Henry pressed further, desperately trying to convince his new friend to change his mind._

_But Felix just shook his head. "That's none of your concern, my friend. Please understand. But I assure you: you always meet twice."_

_The right corner of his lips twitched slightly upwards. It was not what one would call a pleasant smile, but Henry decided not to push further. _

_All of a sudden, Felix stood up and held out one hand towards Henry._

_"So what do you say? Enjoy your stay here until your family comes to bring you home?"_

_Henry' face lit up and he took the other boy's hand._

_"Alright!" Henry exclaimed happily. "Let's go dancing!" And he practically ran towards the other boys in order to join their joyful dancing._

* * *

The image of Henry's elated face slowly faded from the surface of the magical mirror. The only thing that remained was the reflection of Belle's and Hook's confused expressions.

After some moments in silence, Belle lifted her head to gaze at the pirate.

"Well?" was her simple and shaky attempt to start a conversation about what they had just observed.

Hook let out a long breath, still looking at the mirror. As it seemed, Henry was alright. Even more than that: The Lost Boys have become his friends. They seemed to care for Henry and were apparently trying to comfort him. Never in his whole life had he seen this bloody bean-pole Felix talking so friendly to anyone.

And there was another matter: never had he heard about one of the Lost Boy's heartbreaking stories. He knew that they were most likely orphans. But to Hook, they had always been just faceless, misbehaving children who had run away with Pan. That had automatically made them his enemies. Hook had never neither questioned their reasons, nor their fates.

But despite all, Hook simply couldn't get rid of the feeling that something was terribly wrong about this whole situation. He knew Peter Pan. More than once had he heard about the stories in which Pan's shadow had ripped off the shadows from those people who had dared to disobey. Hook had seen how Pan had destroyed lives by using mind games and magic. He was _not _the hero who offered a home to orphans and sad children. Pan was evil.

"I don't know." he finally answered and scratched the back of his head with his hook. "Henry seems to be fine."

"And he's making friends with the Lost Boys." Belle added.

"So it seems." Hook replied warily.

"Then, Pan has told the truth?" Belle pushed further, but Hook only shook his head slightly.

"I don't know." The pirate repeated. It was the truth: he _didn't _know what to make of this whole situation.

"But Henry is not locked up in a cage and they _will _let him go as soon as we find him."

"Just because the bean-pole says it doesn't mean that Pan will be true to his word in the end, love."

"But …"

Before Belle was able to bring up another argument to defend Pan's intentions, Hook quickly interrupted her.

"Belle" he said firmly and raised his gaze to meet her hope-filled eyes. "I am glad that Henry is fine. And I have to admit this is not what I've expected. But still … something is wrong about this whole thing. I just feel it in my bones."

"You think Pan manipulated the mirror?" Belle asked thoughtfully.

Hook just shook his head in response.

"No, though he is quite powerful, he wouldn't be able to break the old magic that surrounds the mirror."

"Then what is it?" Belle suddenly snapped sharply.

Startled by the sudden angry sound of her own voice, Belle immediately took one step backwards and stared at the pirate. From the expression on his face, he, too, was quite surprised by her harsh reaction.

"Oh, I … I'm sorry, Killian. I didn't intend on snarling at you. I don't know what came over me." she added softly.

Hook gave her a small smile and took her hand in his own.

"Belle, love, I do believe that this was really Henry who we saw in the mirror. And I do believe that he's fine. And maybe, just maybe, Pan has really told the truth and lets him go as soon as we've found him. But we don't know that. Perhaps this is just one of his bloody tricks."

"Yes, but like you said: we don't know." Belle replied silently.

"No, we don't." Hook admitted with a long sigh. Why was this little beauty just always that trusting? "But I just have the feeling that there's more behind it. I just can't point the finger at it right now."

Belle nodded silently.

"So please, love." Hook lifted her chin with one finger. "As long as we don't know for sure what Pan wants, I want you to stay away from him."

"If he really wants to harm me, he would have done last night, Killian." Belle argued stubbornly.

"Belle…" Hook slightly raised his voice and his eyes were glistering dangerously.

This woman is simply too curious, too trusting, and too stubborn: dangerous combination!

After a moment, Belle rolled her eyes and finally gave in.

"As you wish." she sighed. "I'll stay away from him."

The pirate raised his brows and eyed her doubtingly.

"Promise?"

Belle gave him an annoyed smile and nodded.

"I wouldn't dare to disobey the Captain's order." she said teasingly.

Pleased with this answer, Hook gave her one of his charming smiles.

"Ah that's the spirit, love. You would make a fine member of my crew."

"If you say so." Belle said with a giggle and shrugged her shoulders.

"But either way…" she continued with a serious voice. "… we should find Henry as soon as possible. I child should be with his family, don't you think?"

Hook just nodded in silent agreement.

"I think it's time to locate the others. Should be easy enough with this mirror and your knowledge of the island."

Hook swallowed hard at those words. Of course they had to find the rest of the Henry Rescue Team sooner or later. But a part of him had hoped that this would happen rather later than sooner – especially if that meant that Belle would be reunited with the bloody Crocodile. But then again, this was about Henry, Milah's grandson. And not about a pirate's revenge or his happy ending.

"You are right." Hook finally stated with a low voice. "Let's see where Emma is."

But Belle shook her beautiful head.

"No" she whispered with a trembling voice. "No, I want to see Rumple first."

And Hook's heart sank. Honestly, what had he been thinking? Of course she wanted to see her True Love first. He knew exactly what that meant: She would be reunited with the Crocodile and Hook would lose her forever. The Dark One would never allow her to come near Hook again. Ever. But he didn't have another choice, did he?

Before Hook could think of another way, an excuse, to dissuade her from her plan, he was already hearing her sweet voice in the darkness of the night.

"Show me Rumpelstiltskin." Belle breathed softly on the glistering surface of the magical mirror.

Once again, the hand mirror started to vibrate forcefully and shone in this bright, green light.

And there he was: the Dark One.

But he was not alone.

* * *

_"What do you want?" Rumpelstiltskin growled dangerously._

_"Oh come on, Rumple." Peter Pan laughed. "Such hostility?"_

_The Dark One narrowed his eyes, darting daggers at his counterpart. _

_"Yes." he finally hissed. Pure hatred was utterly audible in his voice._

_Pan raised his hand towards his heart as being offended. _

_"Oh that hurt, laddie." he replied with a chuckle._

_The skin under Rumpelstiltskin's eyes twitched dangerously._

_"I just ask you one more time." the Dark One hissed between clenched teeth. "What. Do. You. Want."_

_"Or what?" Pan challenged while moving closer. "Are you going to kill me? We both know you can't do that."_

_"It's worth a try." Rumpelstiltskin answered with a way too calm voice._

_All of a sudden, he threw a large, burning fireball towards a seemingly surprised Pan. Within milliseconds, however, Pan blocked it with a wave of his hand and the fireball hit a tall tree nearby._

_"Nice shot, Rumple." he said grinning. _

_The mischievous smile across Pan's face just earned another dangerous growl. _

_"Calm down, laddie." he finally sighed. "I just came to explain."_

_"I don't need your explanations." Rumple shouted, no longer able to hold back his anger. "I will do anything to get my son's boy back. Even if that means my certain death! And there is nothing you could possibly do about it!"_

_Pan stared at him for a moment before he raised his voice again._

_"Why are you suddenly so keen on throwing your life away, hm?" the younger finally whispered while cocking his head._

_The Dark One didn't answer. He just kept glaring at the young man in front of him._

_ "Well…" Pan continued sighingly, "… if saving Henry means certain death, why did you leave Storybrooke then? I mean … you spent a lifetime in craving self-preservation. What happened to you?"_

_ For the first time, the fury in Rumpelstiltskin's face was replaced by a hurt expression._

_"Things are different now." he answered with a toneless voice. "I have nothing to live for."_

_ Pan arched his brow in surprise._

_"You don't?" _

_"This conversation is over." Rumpelstiltskin growled while turning his back on Pan, starting to walk away._

_"Then what about Belle?" Peter Pan shouted at his back._

_Suddenly, the Dark One turned around again, jumped forward and slammed Pan against the next tree. Hatred, fury and desperation were written plainly across his face while he was tightening the grip of his hand around Pan's throat._

_"That's none of your business." he spat._

_"Just wondering, Rumple." Pan choked out, smiling mockingly at the most powerful wizard of all realms. "Isn't she someone to live for?" _

_As if his hands got burnt by the mere question, the Dark One suddenly let go of Pan's throat._

_"My only purpose in life has always been to find my son – something you would never understand." Rumpelstiltskin hissed. "My son is dead! The only way I can redeem myself is by saving his son in giving my life."_

_"My my, laddie. You are throwing away your happy ending. Just like that." Pan said, shaking his head thoughtfully._

_After some moments in silence, Rumpelstiltskin answered with a hoarse voice. _

_"I don't care anymore. Belle would have left me with time, I don't have illusions about that. __Bae__ was my happy ending, not her."_

The magic mirror fell noisily to the ground. The glass didn't break but the Dark One's face vanished from its' surface at once.

Hook lifted his gaze to look at the beauty who was standing next to him and who had dropped the mirror.

Belle's face was completely pale and she was staring vacantly into space with wide open eyes. She just stood there, completely frozen in place and motion. Neither her face nor her eyes revealed any glimpse of emotion. Entire blankness was the only expression that dominated Belle's beautiful facial features.

"Belle …" Hook began softly, trying to awake the beauty from her paralyzation. He had no idea how to continue the sentence. However, he had the feeling to at least say _something_.

But Belle didn't answer. She just kept staring at the mirror on the ground. Out of instinct, he cupped her beautiful face with hook and hand and tried to force her to look at him.

"Belle, love, look at me."

After moments that felt like hours, Belle's eyes seemed to focus again and she was finally meeting the pirate's gaze. Hook's heart ached when he looked into the blue diamonds that he adored so much. Incomprehension and hurt were the two emotions that clouded her usually shiny eyes.

"Are you alright?" Hook asked softly.

_Honestly, mate. What kind of question is that?! Look at her! Of course she is __not__ alright!_

"No." Belle finally said with a cracked voice and shook her head desperately. "No it can't be."

"Belle…" Hook tried to pull her into a tight embrace but Belle forcefully pushed his arms away from her and took one step back, still shaking her head in disbelief.

"No!" she suddenly screamed. The confusion and disbelief in her face had turned into pure hurt and anger. "He is doing it again!"

Hook looked at her, utterly confused.

"What is he doing again?"

"Leaving me!" Belle shouted. Hot tears of anger were now flowing freely down her cheeks.

"He is leaving me again! Again! We could have had happiness, our happy ending! But he doesn't want it. What was that?! He has got nothing to live for?" Belle let out a sobby, scornful laugh. "Because True Love is nothing to live for?! Because Baelfire has always been the only thing that mattered? And what about me?!" Her eyes were burning with frustration.

"What was I then?" she continued desperately. "His brief flicker of light in the ocean of darkness?! The stupid girl that kept coming back to him because she was believing in _her_ happily ever after! With _him_! I'm so tired of fighting. I'm so tired of convincing him that we could have a future. Together!"

Belle's entire body was shaking from anger and desperation and bitter sobs were interrupting her high-pitched rage with increasing frequency.

"But he doesn't want it!" she sobbed, the words hardly audible.

Then, she collapsed on her knees, finally overwhelmed by exasperation. "He doesn't want _me_."

Watching Belle in so much pain made Hook's heart break. Trying to convey as much comfort as possible, he knelt by her side and took the shaking princess into his arms, stroking her head softly with his hand. Belle buried her face in his coat and cried heartbreakingly. The woman he deeply cared for was falling apart in his arms, crying over the same monster that had once before hurt a woman Hook had loved.

"Shh, love. Don't cry, Belle. I'm here." he whispered into her hair, rocking the beauty tenderly in his arms. Hook kept on consoling Belle for quite a long time, breathing comforting nonsense until her uncontrollable sobbing became less and less. After a while, Belle's breathing became much calmer.

"Belle?" Hook finally whispered but didn't receive an answer.

When he peered down to look at her face, he noticed that she had fallen asleep in his arms. Apparently, her emotional outburst had been simply too much for her to take and had consumed the rest of her energy storage. Hook carefully shifted her body closer to his own and pressed a tender kiss on her forehead. He then tucked her head under his chin and tightened his grasp around her small form in order to offer her body as much warmth as well as protection as possible.

With her being asleep in his arms, Hook now had the chance to silently recall the recent happenings. The Crocodile had finally unwittingly slipped his mask. At last. More importantly, Belle had seen the man who was hiding behind the powerful Dark One. But to Hook's surprise, this had not been the man who Hook had expected. And for the first time in centuries, the pirate even felt a hint of pity for Rumpelstiltskin.

Indeed: All magic comes with a price. And the more powerful the magic, the greater the price. And in the Dark One's case, his price was Belle.

* * *

Hook awoke in the middle of the night due to a sudden feeling of chills. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Belle was just about tiptoeing towards the entrance that lead below deck.

"Are you freezing, love?" Hook said and smirked slightly when his voice made Belle jump.

Startled, she turned around to face him.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Killian. I didn't mean to wake you." Belle replied and gave him a tiny smile. "But yes, it was getting rather cold."

Hook rose to his feet. When he moved closer, he noticed that her eyes were red and swollen from tears. But even if the smile she gave him was a rather small one, it still made his heart flutter.

"I see." Hook answered softly and returned her smile. "Are you feeling better?"

"No." Belle replied honestly and dropped her gaze. "I mean … It's not like I haven't already suspected his feelings, his motives. But his words hurt nonetheless."

She sighed heavily, desperately trying to prevent new tears from appearing in her eyes.

"I'm sorry." Hook whispered compassionately and brushed away one single tear that run down her check.

Belle let out a half-hearted laugh.

"Killian, it's not you who needs to feel sorry. Neither is it his fault. I always knew that he loved his son more than anything else. That Bae has always been and always will be his top priority. I'm fine with that. I just wished the search and his grief over his son wouldn't have clouded the thought of a possible future with me."

"Belle…" Killian stopped for a moment, unsure how to express his feelings without upsetting Belle in this delicate situation. He knew that he had to choose his words carefully and wisely.

"To be honest, I truly wished for it to happen." he began slowly. Startled, Belle raised her head to look at him. When Hook couldn't detect any sign of anger in her eyes, he took one deep breath and continued.

_Now or never._

"I can't stand seeing you in pain, love. But I know from the bottom of my heart that you would have never been able to be happy with him. In the end, you _would _have seen the monster that he is. He doesn't deserve you."

Instinctively, Belle opened her mouth to protest, but Hook vehemently shook his head to silence her.

"Don't, love, please. I know that you see things … _differently_. But I don't. I can't. Not when this is about you. Since the first time we met, I wished that you could see the truth. That he is not capable of loving you the way …" he paused for a moment and added after a few heartbeats more silently, "… the way others would."

Belle's blue eyes were wide open and staring straight into his, making his heart beating faster and faster in his chest.

"Why do you care so much, Killian?" Belle whispered with a hoarse voice.

Hook cupped her cheek with his hand and gave her a sad smile.

"Don't you already know?"

Belle leant into his touch and gave him a small, wobbly smile.

Yes, she knew the reason why he cared. And although Hook could see her eyes watering with tears again, he could also see the shiny spark of affection that had emerged as well. The one he had seen during their stay with the Aptokee Tribe only few days before. Hook could see the blue of her beautiful eyes even as she stared at him in the darkness.

Hypnotized by those two shiny jewels that were sparkling back at him, Hook slowly bent his head and moved towards Belle's face. His thumb was ghosting lightly over her lips as he pulled her closer. Belle didn't resist.

And then, he could finally feel her warm lips on his own.

_Gods, her lips taste divine._

Hook kissed her gently, tentatively, still fearing that Belle would pull away any second. But she didn't. Moving his hand to the crook of her neck, he put a little bit more pressure behind the kiss. When Hook felt her lips moving against his own, his mind completely shut down and his body took over. He wrapped his hooked arm around her waist and pulled her even closer against his body. Belle's hands came up to tangle in his hair as she responded to the kiss's pressure. Hook could still taste the salt from her earlier tears on her lips, but that just made him more eager to kiss all of her pain away.

After some moments however, Belle broke the kiss to catch some air. Her cheeks were flushed, but she was still clinging to the pirate's body. Hook listened to the sounds of their heavy breathing, his arms still wrapped around Belle's body.

Belle was the first to catch her breath again.

"It's late." she whispered after a while.

Hook just made a low sound in his throat and buried his face deeper into her hair. He didn't want this moment to end.

"I should go to bed." Belle said and wriggled herself gently out of his tight embrace. Hook immediately felt the loss of her bodily warmth and was just about to follow her. Sensing his intention, Belle held up one hand to stop him.

"Belle …" he whispered desperately.

_Does she regret the kiss already?_

"I … I need to be alone right now." she responded, averting her eyes. "Please, Killian. I promise we'll talk about this. But … but just not now."

With those words, she turned around and made her way towards her cabin.

"I'm sorry!" Hook suddenly called out at her back.

Belle stopped and turned her head to look over her shoulder, looking straight into his eyes.

"I'm not." she replied softly, smiling lightly at the pirate.

* * *

**_Notes_**

**Oi, that was a tough one guys.. ;)**

**It was quite difficult to make Belle lose faith in dear old Rumple (the Rumbeller in me died several deaths while writing .. *.*) I was guided by some Rumple scenes from season 3 in Neverland. **

**However: hope you liked the Captain Beauty scenes ;)**

**Thanks again for reading and reviewing! Your reviews mean so much to me and some are really inspiring!**

**J**


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Once Upon a Time, Hurt-Comfort, Romance