Bella POV

Tabitha walked over to where I was sitting. "So Quinn put you in time out?" I nod trying to fight back tears. "She's very ungrateful."

I look at Tabitha in confusion. "You risked everything to help her and this is how she thanks you? It's not right. If I were you, I'd run away. That would show her."

I shake my head no "mama said stay put."

"But why should you? After all, you didn't do anything wrong. It's not like you went to see Dr. Strange of your own free will. You were tricked into it. But does she care? No she just punished you without giving you a chance to explain."

"Now where were we before you interrupted me with this stupid video? Ah yes, I was about to beat the crap out of you." I could hear Pooh Bear telling Barbara.

"Bella, would you like to go see the zoo?"

"Wes but mama said to stay put till she says othawise."

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her. Besides, it's just around the corner where's the harm in visiting it for a few minutes?"

Tabitha had a point but I shouldn't go alone. It was too dangerous and that's what had gotten me into trouble in the first place. "Take Miss Bella to the zoo. Have her back within an hour." Tabitha told one of the ladies who nods. I looked up to see a sign that read carnival of terror. I blinked I thought that detective Gorden had shut this place down for good a long time ago. It was then that I realized that I was alone. Where had the lady who had brought me to the zoo gone?

"Well well, what do we have here? A trespasser. Do you know what we do to those who trespass in our territory? We toss them into the snake pit." With that he shoved me towards a huge tank below I could see several poisonous snakes. Cobras, Asps, vipers etc.

"Pwease me nu mean to twesspass me got lost. What is dis pwace?"

"Well, before the bridges blew this was the place to go for fun. It was a zoo, an aquarium a museum and a circus." The man said with a laugh. "Now it's the green dragons's territory."

Quinn POV

"Look Quinn, I know your angry about my shooting you but you have to believe me it was an accident. I never meant to paralyze you and I've done everything in my power to try and make up for it. Who do you think paid for yours and Bella's hospital bills? I told those idiot doctors to do whatever it took to help you walk again."

"Say for a moment that I do believe you. That doesn't change the fact that you lied to me about helping me find Bella."

"Quinn, the truth is that I didn't lie to you about searching for Bella. I had Tabs looking into it and when she did find Bella she told me that Bella was in a safe and loving home."

"Safe and loving home? You've got to be kidding me. She was in a home where she was physically, verbally and mentally and possibly sexually abused daily. How is that a safe and loving environment for a child? In fact, Zachary was going to sell her to strangers for money. He didn't love her."

At this, Barbara glared over at Tabitha then back over to me. "Where did you get your information from?"

"Jerome told me if you don't believe me then you can ask her yourself. Bella sweetheart, could you come here? Barbara needs to ask you something. Bella?" Glancing around the room I frown. Bella is nowhere in sight. "Where did she go?" The women shrugged. "What do you mean you don't know? How could a little girl get past an entire room of highly trained women?" Again the ladies shrugged their shoulders and then turned their attention to Barbara.

"I think we've entertained Miss Young for long enough don't you boss? Shall we take her outside and teach her what happens when you mess with us?"

"That won't be needed. Quinn is and has always been a siren she just lost her way for a while. I'm going to do right by her for once. Go and help her search for Bella. Make sure they are both returned here safely."

"Yes Ma'am." The leauge member said bowing before exiting.

Barbara POV

Tabitha frowned "since when do you care about Bella?"

"Since I found out that she's my heir."

"And you discovered this when?"

"I felt a strong connection with her when they arrived. But I think it goes back further then that. The truth is, I first realized that Bella was special soon after Ra's gave me the Demon's head. He gave me a bunch of moldy boring old books to read. None of which made much sense to me. So I gave them to Bella and she seemed to understand them completely."

"I see. So what are your plans for Bella? If She truly is your heir, then she is your downfall. Just like Bruce was Ra's. She has to die. It's the only way to ensure your safety." Tabitha replies.

"No, it's not the only way. The best way to ensure that Bella doesn't try and kill me is to get both Quinn and Bella to trust me."

"You know that won't be easy after what we did to them."

"Nothing worth having is ever easy to obtain. Besides, ensuring that Bella remains safely in our care gives us an advantage over Jeremiah."

Bella POV

As I stared up at the man who held me in his grasp I wished that I hadn't listened to Tabitha. Maybe then I wouldn't be in this mess. "I think the creature in this cage should be hungry lets give it a midnight snack shall we?" With that the men shoved me into the exhibit. Yet, for some reason I wasn't afraid.

"Hay, why aren't they biting her?"

"Give it time. She will be bitten soon enough and then she will die a very slow and painful death."

"Umm boss, I think I recognize that girl from somewhere. Maybe it wasn't a such a good idea to have thrown her into the snake exhibit."

"Yeah and why is that?"

"Because, I just remembered where I saw her before. That's Jeremiah Valeska's baby sister and Barbara Keen's adopted daughter. We need to get her out of there before either one comes looking for her."

Meanwhile, in the pit a snake had slithered up to me and hissed at me. "Hi." The snake cocked it's head at me and then flicked it's tongue at me causing me to giggle. "Pwitty snake. Stop it. That tickles." I said as the snake curled up in my lap. I leaned back startled as another snake hissed angrily at me and I whimpered as it sunk its teeth into my wrist. To my surprise the snake in my lap lunged at the other and immediately attacked it causing it to release it's grip on me.

"Oh great we are so dead." The young man groaned.

WC  1096