Dancing. [Tag Eric]

Eric frowned as he looked down, feeling he had to work more on her self esteem while they were trapped into that fancy prison. ''C'mon, I know it's difficult to find qualities in ourselves, but trust me... You're sweeter, and funnier, and sometimes even stronger than Kida.'', he mumbled quietly and kissed the top of her head affectionately. ''You got me, Belle... Not the way Kida got me. I screwed badly with her, but I never failed you''

Belle chewed on her bottom lip, listening to him but still finding herself not able to fully accept his words. She wanted to. Her self esteem was just low -- as anyone in her position would probably have. "No... You've never failed me, because you never could. Kida's emotional... I'm not -- at least, not with you... I can be light hearted and free and... well, myself with you. It's what I've always loved about me and you," she admitted, tilting her head so she could look at him. "I'm sorry for hurting you... I... I honestly miss us," she mumbled, her cheeks flushing a soft red.

''Ah-ah... Don't do this'', he mumbled and put his finger upon her soft lips. He caressed her cheeks, seeing it turn into the soft red he had always loved to see. ''I miss us too... But Kida, she's exactly whay I need... You said for yourself, she's emotional, and I'm not. We're like you and Flynn'', he mumbled softly and nodded. ''I didn't understand you and Flynn before, but now I do'', he addmited and looked at her with defeated eyes. He loved Belle, but he wasn't meant to be with her, not on this life.

Belle frowned, her eyes turning to those a puppy might own in a look of defeat as she leaned into his hands. She shook her head at his finishing statement and sighed. However, she leaned up and pressed a tender kiss against his lips, letting the emotion she was trying to speak of seep through -- that love she said she missed. Her lips trembled as she pulled away. "I... Kida's l-lucky," she whispered, forcing on a smile before moving out of his arms and walking into the bathroom, pushing the door closed behind her and walking over to the counter. She sat upon it and pulled her knees to her chest to allow herself to lay her head atop her knees.

She knew she had been the one to throw away her time with Eric. That much was always obvious to her. But, it was the fact that even now, those feelings weren't gone. If they weren't supposed to happen, why were the feelings still there? She closed her eyes and ignored the stinging from the tears that were behind her lids now.

His eyes showed how much he meant his words, but once he had her lips on his he widened his eyes and soon he got swept by the moment. He held her closer to him, and closed his eyes while he felt the love she was giving him through the soft touch of their lips. He leaned towards her when she pulled apart from him, and looked helpless at her as she closed herself at the bathroom.

He ran both of his hands through his hair and looked at the closed door, as if he could opened it by just staring intently at it. This wasn't how he wished to spend her birthday. His heart belonged to Kida, but also to Belle, but he loved her with different ways. He couldn't love Belle like he had loved her before, when she was apart from Flynn. He called that off long ago, and Kida had replaced the emptiness he felt after he realized Belle didn't belonged to him. ''Belle'', he knocked softly at the door. ''Open the door, please. Let's talk''

Belle shook her head, holding her legs tighter and only squeezing her eyes closed more. The door wasn't locked, but she figured he knew that. He was only being nice. "No... Just, go drink. I don't want to talk," She whimpered, trying to sound normal, but finding it useless as her voice shook. She wanted to just forget -- to forget she'd said anything, or done anything at all. If she hadn't drank, she wouldn't have thought to much into things. But, she had, and now her heart was beating in her ears with the fear that she'd screwed things up, simply because she couldn't keep her feelings to herself.

Eric stood by the door for a long moment. He hated hearing the pain in her voice, but also he wanted to give her space. He decided he would come in any way, sometimes Belle did bad decisions and being alon on a moment like that was one. She needed to friend shoulder, and Eric was there for her, after all she had done to him, that'd be the least he could do.

He walked into the fancy bathroom quietly, and handed her a handkerchief... ''You know you can alaways speak to mind to me'', he reminded her and gently rested his hand upon her head as he stood by her side on the counter.

Belle nuzzled her hand unconsciously up into his palm, simply because she felt comfort from him, even if her emotions were scattered about him at the moment. "I can't, though... I don't know what I'd say," She mumbled, taking the handkerchief and wiping her eyes gently. "I love Flynn... I know I do... It's just... It's always been there between us, and you know it," She said simply, looking away from him. "I got scared of losing Flynn, and I stopped things with us because I knew we go together so well that neither of us would leave -- I wouldn't lose you... Flynn is amazing and sweet and I love him more than myself... I don't know, Eric," She groaned, holding her head and closing her eyes again.

She took in a shaky breath after a long moment to calm herself down. "Kida can give you a family. I can't do that," she said simply, nodding to herself. "That's what I tell myself. Sad, huh?" she muttered, letting her legs fall so that they hung over the side of the counter. "That makes her better, too, I guess," she smiled bitterly at the ground.

Eric listened while she talked, and tried to understand her feelings, but as much she talked, he felt his eyebrows frowning. He had thought he got some improvement about her self esteem, but she was proving him wrong. ''I-I know what you mean... And you'll never lose me'', he assured her, taking a deep breath. ''But...'', he sighed and looked down to her, quite sternly.

''But you must stop thinking so little about you. There is no such thing of who is better, at least not to me. I love you both, and I could die to keep you and your sister safe. You are my family, Bells'', he said quietly and softly caressed her stomach, like he did with Kida when she was carrying Jacob. ''And how can you be so sure you won't be able to be a mother? Don't you believe in miracles?'', he raised his eyebrow, ''I can always curse you'', he suggested and a small smile started to tug his lips.

Belle looked away from him as he started to chastise her for her her self esteem. She sighed, finally turning her golden hues back to him and chewing on her bottom lip. She looked down to his hands on her stomach and shook her head, not able to return his smile. "Eric... I don't believe in anything. Not a heaven, nor a hell. Certainly not miracles... I can't have children. It's something I've come to accept. Don't give me a false hope, Eric. That's just... cruel," she whispered, looking down to her stomach and wrapping her arms around her sides. She shook her head and slid off the counter, walking back to the bedroom and going over to the couch where she fell face-first and cuddled into the pillow.

Eric let go of his hand from her as she started talking, his expression becoming serious. ''I-I...'', he tried to come up with something, but instead he only watched her walking away again. Once back into the room, he pursed his lips and sat by her side on the couch. He put his elbows on his knees and looked to her, ''I didn't mean to be cruel... It's just... I'm still a fucking believer, Bells... and I believe in you'', he said quietly and leaned back on the coach. ''I want to see you happy, that's all''

"I am happy," Belle snapped, glaring at the wall. She pursed her lips and then closed her eyes, sighing heavily. "I want a baby... more than anything. I see Damon and I get jealous... I was jealous of Kida. I... I even felt a little smug when she lost Jacob, but I felt bad as soon that thought crossed my mind. I don't want her to be like me. I want her to have children and for you to have a family with her. She deserves that... So does Flynn... If he came back with some girl who could have children, I bet I would push him towards her. I feel so badly that he can't have children just because of my defect," she said, making a face.

(DOOROPENMERIDA.)

Eric looked with uneasy eyes while she vented about all her wanting of having a baby, but as soon she told him she was happy Kida had lost Jacob he froze on his seat... Losing his unborn child was one of the hardest things he had to pass through, and even Belle sayinf she was sorry after it, he couldn't help but feel a little tense, not for her revelation, but because he felt that sleepy pain again. ''Bells, have you talked frankly to Flynn about it?'', he asked her calmly.

[She's closing the door at his face... And I'm starting the feel the feelings for when Marina is pregs again...]

Belle looked to Eric with apologetic eyes, seeing the way he was rigid now. She hadn't meant to upset him. She sat up and touched his hand, trying to show she was sorry. "Talked to Flynn about it?" she scoffed and shook her head. "When do I get to talk to Flynn about anything?" She asked rhetorically. She went over to the small fireplace and lit it, sitting down in front of it and pulling her legs to her chest.

Eric gave her a weak smile and nodded in reponse to her apologetic eyes, like they had always talked without saying a word. ''You mean because he's always travelling, or because you're afraid to speak your mind with him?'', he asked a little bluntly. ''We work so well because that's how we deal with things, we're never afraid of talking our minds... Maybe that's what missing between you and Flynn'', he said quietly, and with his eyes he could say he didn't mean to hurt her with his words, but also he couldn't stand seeing her like that, unsure of herself.

Belle sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know... We just don't get very serious much of the time... We try to be light and just relax. I don't like to think about what I can't do -- which is a lot these days," she said, making a face towards the fire. "He's gone so much now that I really don't have the chance, too," she mumbled, resting her chin on her knees.

He studied her for a moment before taking a seat by her side at the floor, he crossed his legs on his lap and looked at her. He knew that being imprisoned was affecting her worse than him, and unfortunatelly he couldn't do much on solving that situation. ''Promisse me, you won't miss the first chance you'll have of getting out from here. I know Rider loves you, and I know he'll come with some plan to save you from your crazy brother, and you have to promisse me you'll take about it... This is a big deal, Bells. You can't push it anymore''

Belle shook her head, looking towards him. "Not a chance. I'm not leaving. John would flip his shit if he didn't get his way," she pointed out. "I'm not putting that risk onto you, or myself for that matter. I'm fine. He lets me wander the house -- I have my library, like I did growing up. I'm used to being confined. And, besides. It's not so bad. I have you here. When you're not sneaking off to see Kida," She mumbled.

''Don't be so stubborn'', he pouted and moved closer to her... ''I would be happier if you were with Flynn... I know the guy loves you, and I know you'd be safe by his side'', he encouraged her.

"I'm not being stubborn. I'm being logical. I know my brother better than any of you. I know what he does when he doesn't get my way. I also know how much he likes to snap necks these days," she said, making a face.

He rolled his eyes slightly, she could have been logical, but she could also being very stubborn... ''You trust him too much... Has he remembered today is your birthday? And I'm sorry if I'm worried that yours could be the next neck he could snap'', he mumbled and looked at her golden eyes.

"He won't hurt me... Not that badly, anyway," Belle shook her head. "He knows it's my birthday. That's why he didn't care about the alcohol. Otherwise, he wouldn't have let me have it. He doesn't like my growing up habit, so he doesn't celebrate my birthday... He's my brother, Eric, just as you are. I don't like admitting I'm related to him at times because his mind is a little more screwy than the average mental patients, but I do love him and I do want to make sure he's alright, too... I'm safe here," she nodded.

''Okay... I give up'', he chuckled lifting his hands up in the air. ''I won't discuss if you're safe here or not, because this conversation will be endless, and we will never agree about it'', he shook his head and tood up, ''And if you don't mind, I'm going back to my book'', he said with a charmingly smile and pick his bottle back as he walked back to his book.

"Smart man," Belle murmured, smirking before picking up her bottle of rum and taking a long drink, nearly finishing it in one go. She laid back onto the ground and stared up at the ceiling. "How was Kida?" She asked suddenly, realizing she'd never really inquired on how her sister was doing in Rider's mansion.

''Easy, light headed'', he mumbled with a small smirk when he noticed the long shot she took from the bottle, and discreetely hid the other bottle from her. ''She... She's working as a maid at the mansion'', he made a face as he said that, ''And she's wearing her wig when I saw her, we need to come up with a plan to take her from there'', he mumbled, remembering the Kida thought old Rider was nice.