No Love Lost (Rumbelle AU)

Chapter 43

He was free. Free! Robert couldn't thank James enough. He could hardly believe it. And he was sure to give his thanks to Emma as well when he finally saw her. Most importantly though, he would be reunited with Belle again. It had only been over a month since his imprisonment, but to him it had felt like a year. It might as well be. Robert considered the entire town to be like a prison.

James chuckled softly. "Really Robert, I knew it couldn't have been you. There's no need for thanks my friend."

"James, if it wasn't for you I'd still be locked up in there waiting a death sentence." Robert sighed. "How is Belle doing? She's ok?"

"Yes, she's fine. She'll be better once she sees you."

"And...the baby? She still...?"

"Yes. They're both well. Don't worry." James smiled.

They both walked toward the exit and then out the door. Robert was so relieved he could cry. He was wearing his clothes again, breathing fresh air, and soon he would be with his wife again--

"What the hell?!" Robert exclaimed when they walked past the police station. Or what remained of it.

The place was...burned. Most of it was still standing but it was charred and destroyed. It was no wonder Robert had sensed smoke. It was real, there had been an actual fire, and since the station was right in front of the jail, anyone inside could smell its remains if a door was opened, which is precisely what James had done to come in and announce Robert's release.

"I know," James said, a side of his mouth curving wistfully as he watched the rest of the police and firefighters examining the scene and cleaning up.

Robert was confused at the expression. James looked sad, but it was also as if this was an expected thing to happen.

"But...what...? Why?" Robert could not find the right words.

"Found it in flames very late last night," James explained sullenly. "A few hours after I found Emma's car pummeled on the side of Elk Drive."

Robert stared at his friend, appalled. What?!

James glanced over, then shook his head. "There's a lot I need to fill you in on. I still haven't gotten a hold of Emma yet, I pray to God she's ok. But right now..." James nodded behind him as a few people who had gathered around the station noticed Robert and immediately began their worried and angry back-biting whispers about how a murderer had been let out onto the streets. "...right now, I'd stay low. We all need to. They won't get it now, but I'm hoping that'll change soon."

Robert agreed and followed James to the car. Once again, plans of escaping Storybrooke raced through his mind. He will succeed this time, he needed to. And as James started his tale of what went down during his absence, he quickly saw that he and Belle would no longer have to be alone in it this time around.

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She was lucky he didn't kill her. No, Killian would never do that. Not to her, not when he cared about her so much. He loved her. He wanted her all to himself. That's what he said and what he kept saying as he whipped her naked flesh again and again. She was still in great pain. The scars on her body have yet to start healing. She had not been allowed to leave the house or use a phone, or even the internet. Killian made sure to secure it all away.

James had tried coming in that morning, but he was quick to back down once Killian threatened violence. If anybody else had tried contacting her, she had no way of knowing. All she could do was hide under the covers.

She felt stupid. She had been caught. What a failure she was. And with every movement, the sheets scraped against her bare scarred flesh and she felt like screaming. She wished she could go back to the days when she was blissfully unaware of Killian's true nature. At least back then she was happy....right?