Once Upon A Time - Ocean Of Darkness

XI

She waited patiently for the arrival of the vehicle, which she would share with the determined faces of people who were bloodthirsty for any kind of evidence. The whole mission was relying on the fact that Gold had phoned someone at Cora's address, and this was so proof towards her being in leagues with him. Belle was afraid of intruding in on an innocent woman's home and accusing her of multiple crimes, she didn't want a repeat of her false accusations towards Ruby.

She sat alone in her despondance, enjoying her few precious moments of solitude. Pacing back and forth, her mind pondered the outcomes. She anxiously thought of the consequences if Gold was already there, or if Cora was truly in leagues with him. They could be wondering right into a trap, and she wouldn't be surprised if Regina set them on this mission on purpose. Belle didn't feel like she could trust anyone right, except for the innocent eyes of her fake boyfriend or the kindness of Ruby's heart.

Her chain of thought was broken when a woman positioned her self before Belle's eyes. She could already identify her upon seeing her eyes, the twinkling emerald irises that looked frighteningly sweet. It was Ariel, it had been a whole day since their last encounter, and Belle wasn't ready for more boasting from her. She'd curled her hair since yesterday, it twisted down her shoulders elegantly and rested against her skin tight dress. Held in her hands were a couple pages of paper, slickly cut with sharp edged corners, which probably explained the lightly healed cuts on her palms. Her makeup was heavy, she had carefully shielded the rings under her eyes that only slightly shone though. Her lipstick matched her dress, and you could tell she's spent the morning matching her look carefully.

"Belle!" Ariel spoke pleasantly. Belle shook at the sudden squeakiness that radiated from her mouth. Her voice was borderline irritating, and Belle clenched her fists in order to not speak her mind. She wasn't in the mood for her enthusiasm, it had been a stressful day already and a ray of sunshine wouldn't hinder the incoming storm.
"Ariel!" Belle said gently, engaging in a tight hug with her.
"How's your Saturday going? I'm just out and about, Eric and I are going out tonight and I just wanted to buy a new dress for the night."
"Well, nice to know you're getting another dress to add to your endless collection of one time worn clothes." Belle replied.
Ariel's grin quickly transitioned to an unimpressed frown.
"Well at least some of us can afford nice things to wear. Have fun with whatever you're doing, and enjoy your weekend."
Ariel swiftly moved away from Belle's gaze, lightly bumping against her as she advanced away down the street, not looking back once.

Belle almost felt guilty, Ariel was a nice person, almost too nice. But her wealth, her beauty, her perfect boyfriend, it angered her. It made her feel worse about her own life. Ariel had no consideration of others different from her. She invited Belle out to expensive places, with no thought towards it being unaffordable to her. She looked down on those below her in class. And never did she once take a moment to consider that her life was a lot better than others. If only Belle would've told Ariel about her past, her struggles, her fists being constantly ready to fight through any obstacle. And a simple smile seemed to give off the idea that Belle was living a joyous life, but Ariel didn't know that looks could be deceiving.

Belle could see the van driving up the street. It was hideously obvious, the large scale of it and the matte black colour, trying so hard to blend in with the busy streets of New York. But it was so obviously an official vehicle, one loaded with dozens of agents. It pulled up right beside her, the sudden stop of it sending a breeze through Belle's hair. The tinted window was rolled down, revealing Mary's confident face, as the back door of the car opened. It already looked cramped inside, the walls were rimmed with uncomfortable looking benches that were below the many people sat on top of them. They were all dressed in casual attire, as if to present the idea to Cora that they were just a group of people off on a trip somewhere. Even if they were riding in a jet black government van.

She spotted a place between two agents and squished herself between them, as the door shut tightly and they began moving quickly.
No one spoke a word,everyone just looked afraid. She could feel the tension in the tight space, she could feel how terrified everyone was. And they were afraid of a woman who possibly dated Gold, a woman who could have nothing to do with him anymore. And yet ever since she told them about Cora they feared her. They believed word Belle spoke. For she was their leader, she was ordered by Regina to direct them toward victory.
She didn't like being looked up to. She didn't feel she deserved any of it. It's like Regina knew that, it's like she knew that Belle would be a humble leader. Maybe that's why she chose her, maybe she actually believed in her. Regina could in all certainty be telling the truth about Cora, and maybe she just couldn't see that being true.

"We had Kathryn overlook Cora's work schedule," Merida said to Belle. "She should be at home now, and we're nearly there."
"And what do we do? Just barge in there and ask her what she knows?"
"Kathryn found recorded phone calls between Cora and we friend Pauline, she managed to piece together Pauline's words to make our own message. We left the message on Cora's phone last night, Pauline 'said' her daughter was going to stop by tomorrow." Merida told her. "And that's you. We'll be outside for backup, but I hope you're ready to get some information out of her, no matter how hard it takes."