No Love Lost (Rumbelle AU)

Chapter 13

Halloween Part 1

He lay on the ground unmoving, blood trickling off his face and into the dirt.

"Oh my God..." Belle panted. "Oh my God!" She knelt down next to him and tried shaking him awake. Nothing.

Robert slowly backed away and let his cane drop to the ground, unable to say a word. He hadn't meant to hit him that hard. He had only lost his temper. Only.

Belle's lip trembled as she looked up at her husband. Tears struck her eyes. They were tears of worry and fear.

"What did you do Robert?" she cried. "What have you done?"

8 hours earlier

Belle watched the little children run around the schoolyard in their Halloween costumes. She laughed as she saw two girls dressed up as princess fairies run around pretending to cast spells on the other kids with their wands. Belle sighed as she felt Robert's arm wrap around her and hold her close.

It was finally Halloween and the school had been decorated with black and orange streamers and paper jack-o-lanterns, ghosts, witches, and other monsters spread out outside, in the classrooms, and throughout the halls. Some of the secondary teachers even brought in small pumpkins so the kids could help each other carve their own jack-o-lanterns.

The gym for the Halloween party was finally complete. A large black banner with orange glitter stars and a gold sign that read "Happy Halloween" was hung over the refreshments table. The table cloth was a bright orange with black and green typical kiddie Halloween decorations pasted all over it. The floor was polished and glossy. Black and orange crepe paper hung all around, and some of the art students from the high school had brought over some of their spooky but kid-friendly artworks to hang on the walls. Emma had even thought of making and hanging fake cobwebs around the tables and chairs on the sides. Killian had wanted to leave filthy buckets of green and brown slime lying around the sides of the gym to give the party more of a scary and gross feel to it, but Blaire had said no and that it would cause a huge mess. Killian just scowled, but didn't fight it.

Belle had tried talking with Emma again. She wanted to clear things up from the week before. But Emma wasn't in the mood to talk, as she had purposely ignored Belle and walked off whenever she came near. And if Belle had any questions on what she should do, Emma would bluntly give her orders and leave it at that. Belle had to finish her projects with another volunteer's help. It was upsetting that someone she had gotten fairly close to over the years would choose to believe a man she had been with for only a short time and who was known to be like a casanova. Though Belle wasn't too sure if Emma saw it that way, as she would see the two make out and flirt practically every chance they got.

While Emma had avoided Belle, Belle tried to avoid Killian in order to keep the peace and not start another fight with Emma. But it was hard since they all had to work together. And whenever Killian would smile and make small talk, Belle tried her best to be as civil as possible, even when Emma would glare at her from across the room.

Belle wasn't too pleased with Killian anyway. Not after seeing the shit show that had happened to her step grandson at the diner. The video went viral in Storybrooke. Henry had come to the Golds' doorstep one school morning because he couldn't bear the harassment he was receiving from other classmates. She and Robert had consoled and comforted him and even let him stay in the house while they went to work, with Robert promising to come home early.

Regina came to pick him up after her day's work was complete. She had barged into Emma's apartment and screamed at Killian after what she had seen and heard from Henry. Emma had been upset too, but she didn't want to argue with her boyfriend. Killian had said Henry had taken his words the wrong way, and that's what Emma believed, that it was all a misunderstanding.