The Modern Fairy Tale Town Book 2: The Price of Magic

Chapter 17: In The Name of The Brother

"That didn't sound good." Ben frowned as he overheard his mother's screaming.

"Now, now, maybe this is a good thing." Jay suggested.

"Since when are screams are good thing?" Carlos asked Jay with a glare.

"Girls scream all the time whenever they see me in the hallways." Jay defended with a smug smirk.

"Yeah... Out of disgust." Carlos smirked back.

Jay then glared and growled, looking like he was about to punch Carlos until Ben grabbed the stronger boy's fist and shook his head slowly out of disapproval.

"No. No, no. Belle. No. No," Rumple said as Belle continued to scream until he left the room in shame and disappointment while two nurses raced into the room, trying to calm Belle down. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"Dad...?" Ben called in concern.

Rumple looked over at his teenage son as he was anything but happy after trying to kiss Belle.

"...Is Mom gonna be okay?" Ben asked softly.

"...I don't wish to discuss it right now," Rumple replied before he shook his head. "Perhaps we should head home."

"Now?" Ben frowned. "Oh, Dad. I'm so sorry."

"Does this mean our sleepover is cancelled?" Carlos asked.

"No, boys, you can still have your sleepover if you wish," Rumple replied. "I'm just not in the best mood right now."

"...Okay, Dad." Ben said lightly and in concern for his father.

Rumple nodded before he led the way down the hallway before the teenage boys soon followed after him. Ben glanced into his mother's room one last time before he looked back over again, then continued to follow his father to leave the hospital. He felt an aching feeling deep inside his body as though he could feel his father's mood and deeply emphasized.

Meanwhile, Hook was also in his hospital room and getting settled, though he was missing his hook. He soon saw that he wasn't alone in his room and it wasn't a company he was expecting.

"Where's Cora?"

Hook attempted to get up to greet his visitor, but was handcuffed to the bed as he raised his eyebrow at Emma, knowing she had to have done that. "Again? You're really into this, aren't you?" he then asked, attempting to move again, tugging at his handcuff, but it was clearly too painful. "Damn, that hurts." he then groaned.

"Told you. You cracked a few ribs," Emma retorted as she stood up, then stepped to the side of his bed before she decided to repeat her question. "Where's Cora?"

"You look good, I must say, all 'Where's Cora' in a commanding voice. Chills." Hook remarked.

"You have all sorts of sore places. I can make you hurt." Emma retorted and suddenly lunged forward as if to press on his ribs, but then pulled her hand back.

Hook relaxed and sighed before he decided to answer her question for his own sake. "I have no idea where Cora is. She has her own agenda. Harry's probably lost and alone out there though, looking for me. My poor lost boy out there, though you wouldn't know what it's like to lose a child, would you?"

Emma pulled a face, refusing to give in to the emotional blackmail, though that stung her a bit.

"Let's talk about something I am interested in, my hook," Hook soon suggested. "May I have it back? Or is there another... Attachment you'd prefer?" he then suggested, trying to be suave.

"You're awfully chipper for a guy who just failed to kill his enemy, then got hit by a car." Emma scoffed at that.

"Well, my ribs may be broken, but everything else is still intact, which is more than can be said for all the other bad days I've had," Hook defended. "Plus I did some quality damage to my foe."