#ship: mobster rumbelle

[bellefrenchroleplays]

“I couldn’t sleep either. Want me to make you some tea?”

‘’--Jesus Christ, Robbie!’’ A breath of surprise left her as she heard a familiar voice behind her, just about managing to stop herself from grabbing the nearest sharp object and ramming it right into whoever it was that was disturbing her on her own front porch at 2 o’clock in the morning that Autumn evening. It was a little chillier now the season’s were changing, she’d been forced to bring a blanket with her, which was now wrapped across her shoulders to starve off any kind of chill. In a few more weeks, coming out here at night would be a sure fire way to develop pneumonia but sitting under the stars in the black of night had been one of her favourite activities for the past few years. 

Ever since the incident with her Father, and the loss of their unborn child, sitting out on the porch in front of the big salmon coloured house, just letting the world pass by and hearing the owls chirp had been somewhat therapeutic for her. That had been almost two years ago now, the anniversary a few weeks away and her heart ached as she thought about it. There had been some nights that she’d spent permanently outside, almost as if she didn’t want to be caged in and needed to feel the wind through her hair to be soothed but eventually, the nightmares had calmed and her own bed had been more of a sanctuary than not. 

The little black and white photo next to her on the porch swing - which she’d made him buy, despite his protests that he wasn’t an 80 year old woman - had disrupted the peace she’d found, and left her almost just as scared as she had been two years ago. 

Belle had expected to feel elated when she fell pregnant again, but instead she just felt fear and a stinging sense of melancholy that told her they should have had a rambunctious toddler running around, preparing to become a sibling for the first time. Deep down, she was happy. A part of her wanted to scream it from the rooftops and buy every baby item available in Storybrooke but the other part of her was just terrified. While their lives had calmed down, he mostly worked at the pawn shop and she at the library, it wasn’t completely safe and she was so scared about something happening to this baby that she almost didn’t want to let herself get attached. At almost 8 weeks pregnant, she was nearing the time when they would have lost their first and that reminder weighed down on her like a tonne of lead.

It was probably weighing on both of them, hence why he was also awake in the early hours of the morning and right on the porch with her in his pyjama’s. He looked tired, brow furrowed, and was probably trying to focus on her and her feelings rather than his own when it came to their pregnancy. She’d seen his tears at their first ultrasound earlier that day though, and she knew how much this meant to him. They’d only known a few days, perhaps because both of them had been ignoring the symptoms for the last few weeks, and she’d seen his protectiveness increase ten-fold in that time. He probably wanted to wrap her and their baby up in cotton-wool, never let them out of his sight and truthfully, a part of her wanted that too because she was just so scared this would be ripped away from them again. 

That fear likely wouldn’t dissipate until their child was placed in their arms and she sighed, brushing a hand through her hair and nodding at him, her other hand curling around the ultrasound photo in her lap. 

‘‘I... yes, a cup of tea would be good.’‘ That fixed everything, didn’t it?

[bellefrenchroleplays]

“I know you and this isn’t you.”

The sight of Will Scarlett, collapsed on the floor with blood pouring from his head, was ingrained into her memory but not out of horror or guilt. No, she was still in a state of shock, unable to quite believe what she’d done that evening but she didn’t feel guilty for it. As far as she was concerned, that Neanderthal had deserved it. He’d continued to pursue her after she’d knocked him back, pointing out that she was taken and she had absolutely no interest in any other man. She’d been adamant, she hadn’t even accepted a drink from him, trying to focus on her evening with Emma, Ruby and Mary Margaret. They’d tentatively invited her out, and they’d been pretty surprised when she’d accepted though she didn’t blame them; she’d been living in sweatpants with her hair tied in a messy bun since she’d been sent home from the hospital. It was so hard to motivate herself into doing anything else, mourning the loss of her unborn child, her innocence and everything else that had been ripped away from her recently. 

Her attempt at normalcy had certainly ended in tears, and potentially trouble. She might have been in shock, she remained quiet as Emma had ushered her out of the club, giving her the courtesy of taking her home rather than the police station. Anyone else would have been locked up right away but after all she’d been through, she was being shown a decent amount of leniency. She’d still need to make a statement and if Will wanted to press charges then there was little Emma could do but for now, she’d been allowed home. All the while, she’d remained quiet, not saying a single word until her and Robbie were alone, her boyfriend knelt in front of her, his hands reaching for hers. It was only then that she registered that her hands were covered in blood, but it didn’t scare her like it should have done. 

‘‘Maybe this is me now.’‘ She finally replied slowly, lifting her head to meet Robbie’s eyes. ‘‘I’m not a beacon of light, Robbie. I stabbed my own father and I-- I’m the reason our baby died. There’s -- there’s nothing good or light about me any more.’’ Belle shook her head, a surprisingly calm look on her face. She’d accepted it now, though she was still swirling in a pool of insecurity, hurt and self hatred. ‘’I hurt Will because I wanted to, because he didn’t listen to me, I won’t apologise for it.’‘ 

[bellefrenchroleplays]

❛ You think I’m inclined to believe that? ❜

‘‘I don’t care what you’re inclined to believe.’‘ Belle huffed, before her biting words were interrupted as he pressed the ice pack against her cheek and it stung the bruise already forming. Moe’s fiery temper and anger issues had once again exploded that morning, and her attempts to take a bottle of whiskey from him had ended with a smashed bottle and Belle rushing out before anything else could happen. It was horrible, it was terrifying, and she wasn’t at all sure how she’d found herself in a situation where she was afraid of her own father, and yet still felt too guilty to abandon him. If she left him now, he would truly lose himself to the bottle and his anger, and she would have failed him. Again. His worlds swirled around in her head each day, reminding her that it’d taken her months to work out he’d been locked up in the asylum and that she’d even slept with the man who’d done so. He made her feel as if she owed him, and she struggled to get away from that, even as his behaviour turned dangerous.

Of course, fate was a cruel bitch and she’d just happened to run right into the man causing half of her problems as she’d left her apartment, barely able to disguise the tears in her eyes and the red mark on her cheek. Belle had tried to just walk away, but Robbie hadn’t taken no for an answer and all but dragged her into his shop, making her sit down while he grabbed an ice pack and attempted to wrestle the truth from her. A part of her longed to tell him, to reveal just how bad things had become and how she was doubting her every decision, but a stronger, more stubborn part of her refused. She didn’t need him to save her, after all. ‘’I told you I walked into the door. Not that it’s any of your business, but you know how clumsy I am.’’

[bellefrenchroleplays]

❛ You didn’t even bother to tell me about this? ❜

Gritting her teeth, Belle grasped the blurry black and white scan picture close to her chest, refusing to let Robbie see another inch of it. It’d toppled out of her bag, revealing the secret she was trying so hard to hide from him. Was it cruel? Yes, probably. It certainly wasn’t moral to keep the pregnancy from him, not when it was his child too, but they hadn’t shared a pleasant word in weeks and it made her sick to think about him for a multitude of reasons. Before her doctors appointment a few days ago, she hadn’t even been completely sure what she wanted to do about the situation. 

The thought of having the baby of a murderer wasn’t a good one and her head told her that she shouldn’t continue, but her heart had loved the child growing inside of her since she’d discovered it’s existence. No matter who the father, it was an innocent baby and she didn’t need Robbie. She didn’t need his brutal, violent influence and they’d be just fine without him. ‘’No, I didn’t.’’ She managed finally, a hand pressing against her flat stomach protectively as she glared at him, still full of so much anger and hatred when it came to him. Belle’s fire hadn’t dampened, in fact, she was even more angry with him. If he’d just been the man she knew he was, if he’d just been good, then they could have been happy. They would have discovered her pregnancy together and they would have been happy.

Instead, that had all been robbed from her because of his actions and his lies. Belle was furious with him and even through all that, she was the person she hated most. Because late as night, or early in the morning where nausea plagued her and she felt so alone, all she did was pine for him. She wanted him to hold her hair back and rub her back as she was sick, she wanted him there at appointments with her. She wanted him. It was a weakness, and it made her so angry that she just couldn’t shake him. Even if sense told her that she needed to run, to take the baby away and to keep them both safe, she couldn’t. Because there was a part of her that absolutely knew Robbie would protect their child with everything he had.

 ‘’You know why? Because I’ve been too busy wondering how the hell I’m going to explain to my child how it’s father tried to kill it’s grandfather and locked him in a mental asylum!’’ 

[bellefrenchroleplays]

❛ How long do you think I will wait for that happen? ❜

‘‘As long as it takes!’’ Belle interrupted quickly, reaching out to grab a hold of Robbie’s forearms, trying to get him to focus and look at her instead of gathering his weapons and going on a murderous rampage. He wanted vengeance, she knew, and she didn’t blame him. Jefferson had only just pulled through, and they’d all been absolutely terrified. They’d both sat with Gracie as she sobbed and cried with worry, their comfort almost meaningless when faced with a little girl scared about losing her father. She was staying with them while her dad recovered in the hospital, and she knew she had to keep her voice down to ensure she didn’t wake her. The poor girl had been through enough, and she deserved some decent sleep. 

‘‘The police will find who did this to Jeff, and they’ll be punished. They’ll go to prison, just like they should.’‘ She squeezed his arms, eyes pleading with him to see sense and to see another way to deal with this. He was full of rage and angry, and Belle understood, but going around murdering people in the name of justice wasn’t the right plan. Deep down, she knew her pleading wouldn’t be able to stop him if he’d set his mind to it, but she was trying. As murky as the water had gotten in their new life together, the majority of Belle wanted to be good and she only agreed with his violence and treachery when necessary. In this case, it wasn’t.

‘‘If you kill the men who did this, they’ll get the easy way out. If you let the police deal with this, they will rot in a state prison for the rest of their lives. Their suffering will be prolonged. Is that the more just option, Robbie? Please, think about it.’‘

[bellefrenchroleplays]

"Do you want me to leave?"

Shaking her head quickly, Belle buried her head against Robbie’s chest, not wanting to look around at the destroyed shop anymore. She was devastated that all her hard work had been crushed, the carefully crafted wooden units were covered in glass from broken vases and flowers were strewn across the floor, totally trampled on and ruined. It was heartbreaking that only a few days after opening, she’d have to close again and pick up the pieces, to try and rebuild once more because of some thugs that had decided to raid the till and vandalise when they were there. 

It was awful, she knew she’d barely left fifty dollars in the till overnight, and she felt bitter that was all it’d taken to destroy everything once more. Her hard work, her mothers legacy, ruined once more. Belle couldn’t help but let out a sob against his chest, knowing her tears would be staining his white shirt but she didn’t care. She was exhausted after working so hard to get everything up and running, and broken to see it ruined. It’d scared her too, and she found herself wondering whether it was a random attack or someone victimising her. For the first time, she was reminded that she was utterly alone, no family around her, in a town where she barely knew anyone.

Except Robbie.

‘‘I want you to stay. I need you to stay. Please.’‘

[bellefrenchroleplays]

❝ If you stay, it’ll destroy you too. ❞

Pausing in the doorway, Belle heard her fathers voice, a last ditch attempt to get her attention, she was sure. She turned, seeing him all his shackled, orange jumpsuit glory and all she felt was pity. Not love, barely even anger. Even if he’d inflicted more bruises and emotional wounds on her than any father ever should do to his daughter, she just couldn’t bring herself to hate him. It was too strong an emotion to waste on someone who’d treated her so awfully and she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction, not after all he’d done. For all she cared, Moe French could rot in a prison cell while she became Belle Gold and moved on with her life. She glanced down at the ring on her finger, letting that give her strength once more. 

‘‘The only thing that almost destroyed me was you, father.’‘ She told him venomously, cooly, managing to maintain her composure in the face of his warnings. They weren’t out of concern for her, she knew, he didn’t really care if his daughter was consumed by the shady world of the mob, he just didn’t want her to be with Robbie. The fact she shared a bed with the man who’d locked him up and taken away his business destroyed him, and she turned her hand, making sure her engagement ring was more on show, just to rub salt in the wound. 

‘‘My love for you... You used it to manipulate me, play me, you even hit me and I convinced myself it was my fault. For not being there and helping you. I felt guilty every single day and you loved that! You loved that you had me under your thumb but that’s over now.’‘ It hadn’t been a good few weeks for her, lost in the grief of losing her relationship and overwhelmed by the sudden change in her father. It’d been awful, but she was even more grateful to Robbie for bringing her out in that darkness. It didn’t matter how dark he was, what he did, he was her light. ‘‘I’m going home, to a fiance that loves me, and you’re going to rot in here. Enjoy that, father.’‘

[bellefrenchroleplays]

"I'm sorry I called you at 3AM. I needed you."

Swallowing hard, Belle looked down at the rose she held in her hand, having been busy making up a bouquet for David, one filled with pinks and reds and generally flowers that symbolised romance. She wasn’t sure whether it was for his wife Katherine or mistress, Mary Margaret, but it still fed odd to be composing such a beautiful piece, when her own relationship was in complete tatters. How anyone managed to have two relationships on the go was beyond her, given she’d barely managed to keep one, and she felt a rush of bitterness towards David and any happy couple. Why did adulterers get to be happy when she was miserable as sin? 

Pushing that down, her grip tightened on the rose, the thorn digging into the palm of her hand but she ignored the sting. Belle hadn’t expected him to come and apologise for the night before, when she’d been woken in the middle of the night to his drunken voice on her voicemail, talking of love and loss and how much he missed her. He pleaded, he begged, and she’d been in tears just listening to him talk, but she’d still said nothing. Simply listened to the call and ended it when it got too much. 

‘‘You can’t need me. I--’‘ She went to speak, to rant about his crimes and how betrayed she felt, but she’d said it too many times. He was sorry, but he wasn’t sorry for his dark deeds. He was sorry for the lies, for not telling her, and as a devout hero, she wasn’t sure she could be with someone who murdered without batting an eyelid. It was wrong to love someone like that, yet she still did. 

‘‘At least Jefferson got you home safe, I suppose.’‘ Belle managed instead, forcing her to remain cool this time. It’d be better for all of them if they just moved on.

[bellefrenchroleplays]

❝ I think you’re overcomplicating it. ❞

Shaking her head gently, Belle was adamant that she wasn’t. She wasn’t overthinking or making something out of nothing; they were valid fears. Maybe she’d suddenly had a little bit of a fit about appropriate preschools and daycares, about trusting the townsfolk to care for a child that hadn’t even been born yet, but deep down, she knew it wasn’t about the quality of schools. It was the town in general, how they were viewed. She had plenty of friends, she was well liked despite being the partner of the most feared man in town, but she didn’t trust anyone when it came to the safety of their baby. 

‘’No... no, I’m not, Robbie. I’m right and you know it. We can’t raise a baby here.’’ She looked down at the scan picture in her hands, feeling a rush of love even while knowing the fetus was barely the size of an apple. That feeling of love and need to protect would only increase as the months went on, and she didn’t feel comfortable in this town any more. ‘’How many times had someone tried to kill me? You?’’ Belle pointed out, feeling a little clench in her stomach at the thought of his near death experiences and the scar on her shoulder from Killian’s bullet. Jeff had scars too - they’d all been hurt over the years. 

‘‘This place is dangerous for us. Maybe we can deal with it, but a baby shouldn’t have to. I think... I think it’s time to leave.’‘ Belle knew that it was his entire business, his entire family legacy, but she couldn’t take the worry. She was a target just because of their relationship, used as a pawn and she sensed their child would be to. Not to mention the danger he was constantly in, and she refused to lose the father of her baby to this chaos.