#swyntibbs

@exsgttibbs, @lou-bonfightme

It was evening, not long before the shoppe was to close. Toulouse had just arrived, Opal on his hip, to help her lock up. Hades was busy with the Board as the month was tapering off to it’s end and applicants were submitting their runs for candidacy. Usually, closing up the shoppe was something Belle could absolutely do on her own, but, despite her efforts to hide it, she had slowed down considerably. 

Twins was no joke, she was coming to find out. She was aching every day. And, although she’d been on bedrest with Opal, and sick in a much different way--Belle could feel the toll the pregnancy was taking on her body. No matter how she fought it, her body’s needs always won out in the end. 

So, Lou was here to assist in closing up shoppe. Putting away the few books that needed to be put away, locking up, and counting the till. Belle was in charge of babysitting Opal whilst this was done. 

Sitting in a chair, she sat Opal on top of the table, playing a game of pattycake with her. The bell over the door of the shoppe went off and Belle looked around her daughter to see Tibbs had walked through.

“Sorry, we’re cl--” Toulouse started, but Belle cut across him.

“Oh, good! You’re here!” Belle beamed. She checked her phone to see the time. “Tch, late, but that’s alright. Surgery run over? No matter.” Belle got up, slowly, carefully from where she was sitting. She helped Opal hop from the table to the chair down onto the floor, tugging at Belle and making her wince. Immediately, her daughter made a beeline for Lou. Belle headed towards the counter too.

“I’ve got something for you,” she sing-songed at Tibbs. “Toulouse, will you hand me--yes, thank you.” She gestured to the package behind the counter that Lou handed over, watching the other man curiously.

“Oh, right. Toulouse, this is Dr. Willis Tibbs, he’s a friend of mine. Tibbs, this is Lou, my...” Belle trailed off for a moment, hesitated, snapped her eyes to Lou, whose cheeks were a bit pink, before looking back at Tibbs. “...friend,” she finally settled on, though it didn’t feel quite right. Though, neither did...partner. They hadn’t really discussed that, had they? 

@exsgttibbs

It was early morning. The sun just cracking over the skyline like the yoke of an egg. Everything was still, quiet. 

Belle was scurrying through the backstreets of District Six like a field mouse. 

She should not be out at this time of day, but she had to gather her things or risk being late to class. Belle couldn’t keep anything at Hades’ house in the Victor Village. Not a hair pin, not a footprint. Even if he was her husband, if she was caught by anyone spending the night with him, her every move would be carefully scrutinized. 

Being the wife of a Victor was not a low-profile position to hold. 

Not to mention, if the Capitol got wind of their relationship, they could use her against Hades--make him do terrible things, like mentor children on how best to die, like sell himself. She didn’t want that. She’d die before she let herself be used as leverage. Or--her child. That wasn’t a life for a child to live. 

So, she snuck, because even though she loved someone, this wasn’t a world where loving someone was easy. 

This was a path she had walked many times before over the last two years. At all times of day--early morning, late in the night, whenever made the most sense, whenever she could sneak away. She missed the winters, when snow kept them inside the house for days and no one was looking for her, or missing her back in her small one room hovel. 

“Hey!” someone called and Belle stopped, because running was stupid, and Belle was not stupid. She was only just outside the gates of the Victor Village, there was only one place she could have been coming from. With Milori gone at the games, it was either Varian’s house or Hades’ house. Though the peacekeeper was probably too stupid to figure that out. 

She turned on her heel, chin lifted defiantly, staring right into the black shield in front of the peacekeeper’s helmet. “Yes?” she said, as sweetly and as innocently as she could. This was a dance she had done many times.

“Where are you going so early in the day?”

“Home.”

“From where?”

“I was out for a walk, what does it matter?” That was said much more tersely.

“No one is out at this hour.”

Belle looked pointedly over her shoulder to the teams of men marching towards the mines and the forest. “No women, you mean.” 

“Unauthorized citizens--” Belle rolled her eyes as the peacekeeper droned on. She was feeling sick and just wanted to be home, so that she didn’t chunder all over this nice peacekeeper’s shoes. “--cannot be out during--”

“--unauthorized hours,” Belle finished for him. “I’ve heard it all before.” 

Hades had told her not to mouth off to anymore peacekeepers, but when had she ever listened to what someone told her to do? 

“Then why were you out?”

“Because I wanted to be. It’s a nice morning.” 

“I will need to check your bag, miss,” the peacekeeper said, stepping forwards.

Belle stepped backwards and clutched it closer to her. 

@exsgttibbs

Belle had woken up to Kiki calling her name, bent over her, having pushed rubble from the ceiling off of her. She was covered in dust and a bit of blood from a few scratches and her whole body felt like she’d just--been tossed several feet by the wing or foot or maw of a few ton dragon. Her whole body was sore--possibly more sore than the time she’d been, y’know, stabbed and left for dead and then walked through hell for three days.

At least she’d been dead for that and hadn’t felt pain.

This was--everywhere. Every time she breathed it was a stab of pain radiating through her chest and Belle, someone who was the epitome of “I’m fine, I’m fine”--knew that she wasn’t.

“Calcifer,” she said though. Gone.

“Howl?” Gone.

“The heart?” Gone.

All of it gone. She’d failed. She had, in fact, potentially made everything much, much worse. Melaenis lost to her shadow. Howl without his heart. Her own body possibly injured (definitely injured). Kiki’s home destroyed. 

It was a good thing she could focus on the pain in her body so she wouldn’t have to focus on the pain in her heart, which hung twice as heavy as it normally did, all the way down into her stomach. It took them twenty minutes just to get her up and into a cab. Belle, in that time, badgered and badgered Kiki about having a place to stay, but the girl had assured her there was somewhere--just like Belle had assured her she was fine and could get to the hospital herself.

They’d parted ways. 

Belle had called Hades--that had been a fun conversation. It would take him about half an hour to get to the hospital. Hopefully she’d be all done by then. 

The A&E lights were bright and disorienting and she stopped in the middle of the doorway--half hunched, her clothes ripped and burned, bleeding and covered in ash--and squinted at the bright light.

“Oh, miss! Here, come sit down--what happened?” A nurse asked, flocking towards her at once. The A&E was dead silent except for her. She was led to a bed immediately, though she flinched away from the nurse’s touch at first. There were tears in her eyes, from the pain, and from the way her heart jackrabbited in her chest. 

“Is--Dr--Dr. Tibbs h-h-here?” she wheezed, instead of answering any questions. 

“Oh, he’s--yes, I can page him, if you’d like.” 

@exsgttibbs

Belle had been on her way to work, when she saw an older woman leaning against the side of the flowershoppe, breathing uneasily. Curious and concerned, Belle had approached the woman and asked if she was alright. 

Unable to speak, the woman simply shook her head, her eyes a little wild with panic and she clutched onto Belle’s hand, which made her blush, but she pulled out her phone and dialed the emergency number.

“It’s alright,” she reassured, placing her other hand over the woman’s and smiling a little. 

The ambulance came quickly, and Belle expected to watch the woman get loaded up and then go about her day. (She would, of course, follow up later.) But, the old woman wouldn’t let go of her hand. 

“Uhm--c-can I come with her?” she asked, still patting at the woman’s grip on her, which was surprisingly strong. 

The paramedics looked between each other before shrugging and she climbed up into the ambulance. 

Now, Belle had never been in an ambulance. She’d only ever been in a hospital when she was very small, and only had very vague memories of it. Mostly of her mother, pale and fragile in a hospital bed, and the beeping of all the machinery. Her heart clenched a little, and she felt her own breath coming a little more shallow as she settled near the woman, doing a good job of making herself small and staying out of the way. 

“Do you know what medications she’s taking?”

Belle shook her head, eyes a little teary. “I-I just met her today.” 

The paramedics went back to work, talking amongst themselves. 

When they got into the hospital, they wheeled the woman to a little area where curtains could be pulled around her. Belle trotted next to the trolley that carried her, the woman refusing to let go of her hand. The tips of Belle’s fingers were going slightly numb. The paramedics told her that a doctor would be with them shortly. 

All the rushing about and clamor made Belle’s throat close up and she moved towards the wall, where the woman’s head was, to get as much out of the way as possible. It bent her arm at an awkward angle, but she ignored it.

@exsgttibbs

It was just after the Charmers had left for the day, lunch hour over and everyone back to classes. Belle had an hour before her next one. She hated that hour, usually, because what was she supposed to do in just an hour? She could hardly get anything done of substance in that time. 

No matter. Right now, she was grateful for the gap, because it meant she could finally work up the confidence to ask Professor Tibbs what she needed of him. It wasn’t that Tibbs was intimidating or anything, no. Belle quite liked him actually, always had. She just--didn’t know what he would do if he said no. Of course she could find a back up, but for what she wanted to do, nothing would look better than the Charms professor at Hogwarts writing you a letter of recommendation. 

Lingering after everyone else had filed out, Belle took a deep breath and crossed to where the professor was organizing some papers on his desk. 

“Uhm, P-Professor Tibbs? Do you have a moment?” she asked.

In which Hades, Belle, Toulouse, and Raksha meet with Dr. Tibbs and Mistress Alexander to discuss their options to conceive...[takes place: idk early January]

follow along with the arc here!

@trip-downtheriverstyx, @labellerose-acheron, @thesorceress-hera, @exsgttibbs

[cw – discussions of experimental pregnancy]

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BELLE: There were too many people squeezed into Mistress Alexander’s living room, if you asked Belle. 

She sat between Hades and Toulouse on the couch. Raksha was perched, somewhat stiffly, in an armchair next to the couch. The children--including Dhaumya--were with Juno in a backroom, being entertained. If you listened closely, you could hear their giggles and Opal’s shrill, demanding voice. 

Tibbs and Hera were also placed around the living room. They were sitting with their cups of tea. Hera’s living room was certainly cozy, but--it still felt cramped. Especially for discussing something as delicate as they were discussing. 

Hera had opened the floor to the Acheron-Bonfamilles to start the conversation and Belle was wrestling with a way to start.

|| || ||

[link here]

In which Dr. Tibbs follows up with Raksha and Dhaumya...[takes place: June 24]

@exsgttibbs, @lou-bonfightme, @labellerose-acheron, @trip-downtheriverstyx

[cw -- medical discussions]

*O*O*O*

[link here]

In which Dhaumya is brought to the hospital, diagnosed with a heart condition, and rushed into surgery...[takes place: June 22]

@exsgttibbs, @dian-morey, @tirameunpaso-felix, @vixey-chakraborty

[cw -- child illness, werewolf prejudice, medical emergency, discussion/thoughts of (child) death]

*O*O*O*

the rest of the New Hearts Arc can be found here…

*O*O*O*

[link here]