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The Trade	By : sandyl666 Category: +1 through F > Coraline Views: 11933 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: Coraline book-verse is owned by Neil Gaiman and part of movie-verse is owned by Henry Selick, I own nothing. I make nothing whatsoever by writing and posting this on.

Chapter List
- 29
- 30
- 31
Disclaimer: Yay! Coraline's plot/characters don't belong to me – they belong to Neil Gaiman/Henry Selick! Hahaha, don't have to write these anymore, mwahahaha.
A/N: I noticed I'd named another chapter 'Resolve', which is quite close to this chapter's name, except that chapter's 'Resolve' meant determination. The 'Resolution' here means... The End.
Chapter 30: Resolution

Coraline shivered lightly. How long had it been since she had fallen into the well? How much time had elapsed? In her hand she held the key tight, unable to give up the hope that Kate might have gone for help. As much as her ex-best friend hated her, there was no way she could let Coraline die, right?
A tear slipped out of her eye and she shook it away hastily. No, the Kate she knew wouldn't do that. She wouldn't.
Then again, the Kate she knew was cheery, and had no reason to hate Coraline. Coraline pressed her lips together, willing herself not to cry. She had to be brave... Somehow. Her baby in her womb needed her to be strong.
"Please hold on..." she told her stomach. "Hold on just a bit more,"
She jumped a few minutes later when she heard the cover being pulled back slightly, scraping against the gritty ground. Her heart started pounding. She thought she could hear voices as well. She couldn't deny the hope that filled her at the sound. But the cover moved no further after that, and was only open a tiny slit – not enough for a person to come through and save her.
No hope.
She sighed, so much for that. Must have been some animal which had gotten curious. Her skin felt wrinkly, she had been in the water way too long. Her fingers felt numb.
Coraline's head snapped up when she heard a scuttling sound. It was almost like metal tapping against stone. She held her breath, unable to believe it.
She turned on her torch, having switched it off a while ago, afraid that the batteries would run out, and shone it up. She let out a small cry of relief when she saw two metal fingers, sharp like needles, scaling the rock wall quickly and practically running to her. It reached to her face level and she couldn't for the life of her remember why she had found those sharp, metallic fingers to be so scary once.
'Bel..." she whispered, her voice cracking, both from the powerful emotions that were running through her and the cold that had practically overtaken her body.
One of the fingers caressed her face, careful not to scrape her delicate skin. Relieved tears ran down her face. Then the finger turned and grabbed hold of the key she was holding. It seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then it quickly left, climbing up the mossy walls of the well. Coraline wrapped her arms around her midriff. She had to protect her baby. For him.
It wasn't long until she heard him shout her name above her.
"Coraline!" She craned her neck and thought she could see the cover get pulled back further. Beyond that she was sure she could see Bel's silhouette, though it was hard to tell.
"Bel!" Coraline croaked back. "I'm here!" And then moments later sticky strands of a web touched her face. Gratefully, she tied it around her foot and arm, making sure it wouldn't strain any part of her body and cause it to snap. Bel started drawing her up as soon as she secured the ties.
It was only moments before she reached the well entrance but it took an eternity. He pulled her up and out of the hellish well. She stumbled as she felt solid, non-wet ground beneath her feet again. Her skin was soggy and wrinkled, and the cold air nipped at her, sucking out any warmth left but she didn't care. She embraced the Beldam for all she was worth.
He returned it, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her as close as he could. He planted little, desperate kisses along her neck. She could feel the relief and joy from them, at being reunited once again.
"Are you alright?" he whispered into her hair. She nodded in reply, then gasped. She pulled away from him.
"My baby," she mouthed silently, laying her soggy hands on her belly. Tears of despair flooded her eyes. Bel placed his own palms on her midriff and a warm light shone from them. Seconds passed before he finally sighed in relief.
"They're fine," he told her with a small smile. She broke out into a smile too, and rested her head against his chest. He produced a blanket out of god knows where and wrapped it around her, before holding her close once again. "Don't leave me," he whispered, his mouth beside her ear. "Never again. I'll truly end up dying without you,"
Coraline closed her eyes and leaned against him, recalling a time when he'd said those words and she had wanted nothing to do with it. "Okay," she said weakly in reply. "I wasn't really living without you anyway,"
"Coraline... You okay?" Wybie asked hesitantly from behind her. She looked at him in surprise, having been so focused on Bel to notice her long-time friend and his girlfriend.
"Coraline..." Kate looked at her in pure concern, none of the earlier jealousy which had been plaguing her tainting her tone.
"Kate... Thank you,"
Kate shook her head. "I didn't do anything, it was all Wybie and the Beldam,"
"That's not right, Kate, if it weren't for you, we would've never known," Wybie said, holding her hand tightly. Coraline smiled to herself to see they had seemed to patch things up.
Suddenly she felt gloriously dry and she turned back to Bel, who was still holding her tight. His warmth started to encase her and she sighed, leaning into him. "How?" she whispered to him.
"I heard everything from Lovat. He figured out that I could hear him from the doll, and he helped pull the door open just enough for me to get my fingers through, and get to you," Bel explained, nuzzling her neck.
"When Kate got me, I knew we wouldn't be able to rescue you by ourselves... We had to get help. The Beldam was all I could think off," Wybie shrugged.
"I'm sorry, Coraline. You were probably horrified when you saw me close the well, right? But I swear - I didn't do it to strand you there! I figured it would be less cold if I closed it, and I didn't want some other people to find you and do who knows what to you," Kate explained. "Especially considering how lowly the villagers already think of you. I really am sorry, that was as much as I could do,"
Coraline nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Kate. You saved me," She smiled at Wybie. "You too, Wyborne,"
They smiled back at the bluenette who looked up at Bel. They didn't need words. She just snuggled against him.
"We should go back," Bel said quietly. "Come home with me. Dre misses you. She needs her mother,"
"Okay," She agreed easily. She didn't even need to think twice about it.
Kate stepped forward towards her before they could make a move. "Will we see you again?" she asked worriedly.
"I don't know," Coraline replied honestly, moving from Bel. He released her hesitantly. "But I'll never forget you, Kate,"
Kate smiled, and hugged her tight. She hugged her best friend back. "I'll miss you,"
"I'll miss you too," Coraline replied. Kate released her, and Wybie stepped forward. He stopped, standing a feet or so away, keeping his distance pointedly. He looked at her awkwardly.
"Sorry... About yesterday-"
"It's okay," she said before he could continue. "Don't worry about it,"
"Take care of yourself, Jones,"
"I will. And I'm sure Bel will too," she said, knowing he was agreeing without having to consult him. Coraline waited for Wybie to move closer, but he was obviously minding Bel's feelings. She rolled her eyes and closed the distance between them, pulling him close so she could hug him one last time.
"Don't do anything stupid like this ever again," he whispered into her ear.
"I won't. Be happy, best friend," She ordered him.
"You too,"
They drew away and she smiled at him. "I'm glad you were born, Wyborne,"
"Yeah, me too," he said with a grin. She looked at her friends one last time, then turned away, back to Bel, who put his arm around her shoulders with the intention of never letting go again.
"Do you think we'll ever see her again?" Kate asked quietly as Wybie escorted her home.
Wybie thought about this seriously. "No. No, I don't think so..." he said quietly, his voice low and sad. "But it's probably for the best,"
"It is?" Kate asked in confusion. What would be good about never seeing her best friend again?
Wybie nodded once. "You knew, didn't you? About my feelings for Coraline,"
Kate stared at him, wondering how he knew that she knew. She nodded once.
"I thought so. You've been acting strange," Wybie said. He stopped, and Kate, seeing him stop, halted mid-step. "Kate, I'm sorry. I really do like you, it's just that Coraline... I, to her-"
"It's okay," Kate interjected. "I understand. I'm not angry. Sad, and disappointed. But I'm not angry,"
"Let me finish... I'm not going to give up on our relationship," Wybie said firmly. Kate stared, her heart pounded. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? "It'll probably take me some time to get over Coraline, if you're willing to wait..." he trailed off, leaving a gap of silence for her to fill.
"I am," she said instantly, not even having to think things through. "I'll wait for you, Wybie. However long it takes,"
A smile spread over Wybie's face, and he started walking again, linking his hands with Kate's as they made the dark, quiet trek back to her house, their warmth shared between them as she moved closer to him.
Everything was going to be alright between them.
After saying their goodbyes, Coraline and Bel went back to the Pink Palace. They sneaked past her parents' bedroom where they could hear her father's snores. She moved to her room quickly and wrote a letter to her parents. As angry as they were at her, she knew they would still worry if she disappeared, and she promised them that she would be okay. She ended the letter by telling them how thankful she was for them raising her as they had, was grateful for their care, however little. Before she left, she also collected the doll Bel had made for her, and took it with her.
She left the letter on the table beside their bed, next to the alarm clock. She hesitated before leaving, and after a moment's thought, removed the dragon hairclip her parents had bought her during a less lonely, happier time and placed it on the letter. She wanted them to realise she was no longer a child who needed clips in her hair so they could see her face. She was an adult now – she no longer needed their care, though she was grateful to have received it.
As she left her parents' room, she noticed Bel looking at her neutrally, but somehow she knew he was concerned about her leaving behind her parents, perhaps never to see them again. She simply smiled at him, hoping to seem reassuring.
He said nothing, but took her hand and guided her to the little door. Except it wasn't so little anymore, it had grown in height so that she and Bel could walk through comfortably. She lifted an eyebrow at him. He shrugged in reply, though his face lit up with a small smile. She laughed softly and pulled him through, glad to be going home. Unlike the first few times she had gone through the tunnel, it wasn't rainbow-coloured, littered with webs nor was it a plain white tunnel. It spanned a further distance, and the walls were lined with shelves. On the shelves were memories. She recognised some of them, like a little drum that she remembered the mice playing, a bowl of – she suspected, very old – colourful candy, a small costume fit for a dog with angel wings, a blue jumper with stars on it folded to one side, beside it were a pair of black boots. She smiled when she saw the clothes, and brushed her finger against them lightly. She jumped when she heard a click, and looked back at Bel. He was locking the door that led from the tunnel to the pink palace.
He caught her look. "I don't want any more children finding their way here and interrupting us," he explained.
She nodded understandingly. He caught up to her with three long strides and she grasped his hand as her eyes wandered over all the familiar objects decorating the shelves. She came to a full array of dolls, mainly of herself. Her in her raincoat, the very first doll she'd received, her in the drab school uniform she was forced to wear, one of her in the blue top with stars on them, and others with practically all the outfits she had in her closet. She looked up at Bel, only to see him staring at them, on his face was what she recognised as a nostalgic smile. She wondered what memories he was seeing as he looked at them. She released his hand, drawing his attention, and placed the last doll she'd received at the end of them. It just seemed to fit.
Bel wrapped an arm back around her waist as he too contributed something to the shelf. The black key.
"Don't you need to lock the other door?" Coraline asked in some confusion.
"No. You're free to go back to your world whenever you wish, love," Bel said, smiling down at her, a smile that had no hidden intent nor anything sinister about it. It made her smile back in return.
She shook her head. "I've said my goodbyes. It's better I disappear forever. Plus, the things I love most in this world are here,"
Something seemed to spark in his eyes as soon as he'd said that, and he drew her close into a tight hug. He put his lips to her ears, and whispered the one thing he had found so difficult to admit to her before.
"I love you,"
Coraline couldn't even bring her hands up to hug him back, she was that stunned. She drew back slightly so she could look at his face. He was completely sincere. It wasn't a joke, or some bout of playful teasing. She smiled back at him.
"I love you too. Beyond anything else in this world," she said. She paused. "Except maybe our kids. But that's because they're part you too,"
He laughed and hugged her close again, pulling her to his chest.
They stayed like that for a while, happy and content to just be in each others' arms after so long. But finally, Coraline spoke, unable to stand being apart from Dre any longer.
"I want to see our daughter," she said somewhat anxiously.
He nodded. "She wants to see you too, badly," And with that he pulled her through the other door, not even bothering to shut it. Coraline knew she would be back in that tunnel soon. But not to return to her parents, or the cruel world that scorned her. No, she would be back there to reflect on all the memories – both the fond ones and the not so fond ones.
When Coraline got to the stairs, she found herself walking faster and faster, until finally Bel was forced to release her with a chuckle so she could dash up the stairs. She ran to what was previously the room of her Other Parents, and stared, stunned, at the child that lay in the bed.
The girl's hair was straight and black, splayed out all around her, but she could see a blueish hue surrounding her head like a halo. She wondered if it was from her genes, or just a trick of the moonlight. Long eyelashes of the same colour framed her closed eyes. She was much bigger than she had been about four months ago, she looked to be maybe two or three years old. Coraline baulked at that. How much had she missed?
She stepped closer towards the bed, feeling herself gravitate to the child. She hesitated when she noticed the dried trails of tears on the girl's cheeks. Finally, taking a deep breath and preparing herself for the impending rejection, she touched the girl's face. Dre woke up instantly.
Her large black eyes stared into her mother's, and Coraline couldn't help noticing how similar the girl seemed to be to her father.
"Mama?" the girl inquired in so slight a voice, it broke Coraline's heart. "Am I dreaming again?"
"No," Coraline said gently, sitting on the bed. "I'm really here. I'm back,"
The girl stared at her mother in a stunned silence, and Coraline waited, her whole body tensed with her distress. The girl moved so fast Coraline never caught her movement, flinging her arms around her mother.
"Mama!" Dre's voice was so relieved, Coraline was shocked. "Mama, where did you go?" she wailed.
"I'm sorry," Coraline said, choking on her own sob. "I'm so sorry. I never should have left,"
"Don't leave again, Mama. Please don't ever leave again,"
Coraline pulled back from the hug so she could wipe away her daughter's tears. "I won't, my little Dre. I'll never leave you or your papa ever again,"
Dre held out her pinky. "Promise?"
Coraline smiled and hooked her little finger around her daughter's much smaller one without hesitation. "I promise,"
Bel, having been just outside the door respecting the privacy he knew mother and daughter needed, made his entrance, smiling.
"Daddy!" Dre said, holding one arm out to him. He sat on the bed and pulled both his love and his daughter into his lap, kissing Dre's cheek first, then Coraline's. Both girls giggled. "Are we going to be together forever now?" Dre asked.
Coraline and Bel exchanged a smile, and she stroked the side of her daughter's cheek gently. "Yes, I think we will,"
And she was right.
A/N: Argh, it just felt so right to end it there, even though there are still some lose ends I need to tie up...
Coraline remains pregnant for fourteen months this time, with twin boys. In case you hadn't figured. Coraline certainly hasn't realised she has more than one baby yet (At the end of the story), though she will remember that Bel said "They're alright," some time soon, I bet. I don't have anywhere else to write in this little fact, so I thought I'd write it here.
Bel doesn't eat children ever again. He still gets the energy he needs somewhere else, and it does involve killing people, but he doesn't go for the most vulnerable of people anymore, out of deference to his lover. I'm a little fuzzy on the details.
I know you're all a bit disappointed at the abrupt ending, as am I, and I do have a very short epilogue coming up (about a page and a half) which doesn't really tell you much.
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- 31
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The Trade