The commotion outside of Belle's icy chambers was the only noise she had heard while being held as prisoner, that is at least besides the noise of her food tray being slid across the floor to her every other day. It was enough noise to stir confusion. The noise of swords clashing together woke her up immediately and had her pressed against her wall in fear that she was next. The next noise was bodies hitting the floor. Then a lock being picked on her cell door. By this point she was shaking with fear. Her heart began to beat quicker as fear rushed through her veins. As the steel beam door swung open Belle could barely absorb that someone besides a guard was in her prison cell. The figure was dressed in all black barely even revealing their face under a hood. The figure had the shape of man but was so stealthy and quick like a fox. The moment felt frozen in time. A rescue? Was all she could think about. Time and days had all been blurred by a dark haze that permanently was cast over her prison cell. Her body ached from all the beating she had received from the Queen's henchmen. Every bruise on her body told a story of her showing resistance and then eventually the resistance was whipped clean from her. For a second she thought the figure might have been one of the Queen's guards in disguise trying to trick her into believing in an escape, but the figure called out to her with a friendly voice. It was a soft gentle handsome voice that felt like a melody to her ears. She couldn't even comprehend the words he was saying because she was so absorbed into the fact that somebody besides a guard was in her cell with her. "Could it be a savior?" She thought to herself. No. She suddenly reminded herself not to be so trusting of others. After all, it was why she was locked up in the Evil Queen's tower. It was her tragic flaw, being too trusting.

"You must be Belle." The voice called out to her as he approached.

"Stay back." She spoke pressing even closer against the wall as if she could escape by seeping through.

"Apologies." His hand rose to his hood exposing his face. Belle couldn't help but stare at his hand, or lack off. He wore a silver hook as a hand and something about it told her not to trust him. "I'm a friend, I'm here to rescue you." When his face was fully revealed Belle scanned it immediately realizing she did not recognize him. He wasn't anybody she was familiar with. He was younger than she expected. His face had a few scars here and there but other than that his skin was flawless and smooth. She was mesmerized by his blue eyes. It had been a long time since she had seen a man this beautiful. Even just a man, at that.

"No. I don't believe you. The Queen must have sent you. This is all a ruse, I won't fall for it." He kneeled down in front of her and began to work on undoing her shackles that were pressed tightly against her wrists causing chaffing and irritation on the skin around and under the heavy metal.

"Your village. It's in trouble. I've been sent here to rescue you on orders sent by your father. His village is being terrorized by the same evil Dark One that kidnapped you in the first place." The sound of the shackles dropping to the ground startled her causing her to jump even closer to the stranger she didn't trust. He smiled standing just inches away from her. She could smell the ocean on him. He had clearly traveled a long way. "We must hurry, he's a monster we don't have much time."

"Rumpelstiltskin." She spoke as if his name was a forbidden word. She had not thought of him in such a long time. She had tried to forget him, after all he was the reason she was captured. Because he was the Dark One. Because he could never show how much he loved her to the point that he drew her away. Her mind however grew nostalgic for the man she loved. It pained her to admit it but oh love him she did.

"Legend has it there is some sort of dagger we can use to kill him. We have to save your village." The man placed his hand against her shoulder and she shuttered at the contact. Even more she shuttered at how warm she felt feeling his touch on her. But she couldn't let herself get distracted she needed to get back to Rumple, she needed to tell him how she really felt.

"I can talk to him, he'll listen to me. I know he will." Belle began to stand up excited to finally see him again. She was pleading now, excited even.

"No. We must find the dagger." The man's voice grew stronger and more persuasive.

"I don't know what you're talking about. And I have no idea how to kill Rumpelstiltskin nor would I ever want to." She answered genuinely confused.

"You don't." He responded with his voice altered. There was no kindness behind it anymore in fact she sensed anger and frustration.

"No. I love him." Belle admitted to herself and to the stranger who looked as shocked as she felt.

"Well…now this changes things." He lifted his hand to strike her but to his dismay she dodged the swing and was able to unsheathe his sword from its scabbard on his hip. She pressed it close to his throat and threatened to slit it if he moved. He had to admit, he was impressed. The thin grin plastered on his face revealed that much to her.

"You really think me as weak and defenseless. I just told you I love the Dark One, so trust me I know a thing or two on how to defend myself." She was speaking through her teeth and she imagined herself actually slitting this liars throat. She regretted every positive though she ever had about him. He was worthless. "Now you will release me, don't you dare think you are leaving me here to rot. And you will get me back to my one true love." The man gulped at her words but not willing to fight her on them.

"Ok get this…I will release you and I'll take you back to the Enchanted Forest aboard my ship but due to my little let us call it a…vendetta against your reptilian lover I will only take you that far. And then from there on you're on your own princess." He gasped in shock as she lowered the sword and held it against her side. His forehead was sweating.

"Lead the way to your ship but may I remind you I'm the one with your sword and I am not afraid to gut you like a fish." She motioned for him to walk outside of her chambers and lead her down to the stairs. "Oh and for the record, I never wanted to be a princess. So I would appreciate if you dropped that pet name."

"Something about you already told me that." He muttered to himself walking down to narrow stairs laughing as he passed by the now deceased corps of the guards who had previously guarded her chamber. Belle practically stumbled down the stair and impaled her ticket out of the castle as she held the sword closely to his back as he guided her. Walking felt foreign to her and running was even more difficult. Her legs hadn't moved in what felt like years. As they neared the end of the stairs, the man pulled her aside riling a complaint out of her. He quickly put his hand over her mouth and shushed her. She obeyed but only due to her desire of freedom. To see the outdoors. To kiss the man she loved.

"There are two guards blocking the exit. I'm going to need my sword back." He whispered close to her ear as her heart beat rapidly in fear that their escape would fail.

"Do you intend to kill them?"

"No, I'm just going to wave it in their faces in hopes that they run away." His face twitched in annoyance. "Of bloody course I am going to kill them."

"That isn't fair there must be another way that doesn't involve murder."

"Merely five minutes ago, you held a sword to my throat threatening to gut me like a FISH." He pressed two fingers against his temple trying to make sense of her.

"I don't know them. What if they have families." She peered across the hall to examine the two men whose backs faced them.

"You don't exactly know me either love." He spoke smoothing over the hair on his mustache.

"I know you're a manipulative liar and that's enough for me." She winked at him then turned her head to examine the castle she had never seen before. He softly sighed knowing she would not change her mind. "You take the guard on the left and I will take the one on the right." She whispered as she guided him as they inched closer and closer to the central palace exit.

"And what exactly are we doing."

"Exactly what you wanted to do to me earlier."

"Now love, I wanted to do a lot of things to you earlier, care to be more specific." She shoved him disgusted as he snickered softly as he still followed her.

"You are such a scoundrel. I meant we are going to knock them unconscious."

"Aye I got the gist. Just wanted to upset you." His grin turned devilish. A part of her actually had to reconsider what was worse, staying in her cell or putting up with the stranger who was already driving her mad.

While Belle's chest bundled with nerves and tension over the guilt she felt plotting to hurt someone, her rescuer conveyed a polar opposite reaction. Belle knew she had to act fast and move in sync with him so there was no struggle but all she could think about was her guilt. The only thing keeping her going was seeing Rumple. She had to tell him how she felt. He needed to know. She peered over to glance a few feet away to give her partner in crime a signal. She turned to face the guard and with a strike to the back of the head from the flat portion of the sword, the guard was out cold. It was over. She was free from the Evil Queen's hold.

"See how well things went. And nobody died." Belle remarked in a know-it-all tone.

"Sure. And it only took about a half hour longer than my original plan would've" He replied sarcastically.

The walk through the woods to the ocean side area was brief but none the less exhausting. She could feel her legs giving out on her. She needed food and water and a good shower. A part of her thought she was dreaming when she finally caught sight and smell of the ocean. Before being imprisoned she was never a big fan on the marine life but at that very moment it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. The docks had all kinds of ships harbored at the port. Sailors and pirates alike walked the dock freely. As they headed closer to the strip of dock he had pointed to earlier a group of sailors saluted her rescuer and he nodded in the direction then they were on their way. He smirked knowing Belle was shocked at the power he held over the men. Fear was in their eyes.

"Now listen here, princess. While I do indeed admit your swordsmanship skills did catch me off guard, you truly are no match for a 300 year old pirate captain. I'm taking you to your destination not out of fear but for respect. I respect your skills and admire your passion. You remind me of myself when I was younger." His boots stopped at a spot on the wooden docks.

"Wait…YOU are a captain? Ha ha very funny. Where is your ship. All I see is a rowboat." Belle stood still on the dock as the supposed captain guided her to an empty spot on the water. She neared him but kept her distance.

"Now that's what you captured from all those words?" He rolled his eyes and took a step over the docks rising panic in Belle thinking he might stumble into the ocean but instead his foot landed on some sort of invisible step and then half of his body was consumed by the invisible force. She had never seen anything like it in person only in her books. A clocking device, it was clever. Perhaps more clever than she gave the captain credit.

He outstretched his hand while she stood in awe trying to grasp exactly what she was seeing. She hesitated but gave in to her curiosity and grabbed his hand allowing him to real her on the ship. "What- what is this? Where are we? How did you do that you're just a normal man?"

"Yes unlike your reptilian lover I do not wield magic in me but I do dabble in collecting relics and having connections with the right mythical beings. Don't act surprised, magic can be in anybody even a person like me."

"Stop calling him my reptilian lover, he's not a frog. Ugh-what am I even talking about he's not even a reptile he's just scaly and weird looking because he's the Dark One"

"Ha-ha that has a nice ring to it. The princess and the frog." He waited for the look of hurt to flash over her face just like it did every time he said something insensitive but to his surprise he simply saw a smile. She was basking in the beauty that was the Jolly Roger. She had never been aboard a ship so large and regal as it. Something about the ship gave her hope, even if some of the crew passing by looked at her like she was dinner.

"You never told me your name. Captain." She looked in every direction but at his. There was so much commotion happening on the ship it was hard to keep track. There were more than a dozen men on the ship preparing it for sail, and by the looks of it, they respected him.

"It's quite clever actually. The names Hook. Captain Hook to be exact." The name struck a chord with her but for some reason she could not remember why. The more she learned about him she felt she knew who he was. He waved his steel metal arm juncture to emphasize his point.

"Nice way to find a silver lining through a bad situation."

"Oh you have no idea." He muttered under his breath.

"What is your real name though? I'm sure you had a real name before you lost your hand."

"It's unimportant that man died the day I lost my hand." He spoke as he looked out at the open ocean.

"And you call me dramatic, go figure." She crossed her arms.

"I take it this is your first time on a pirate ship." The corner of the pirate's mouth twitched with mirth. It was written all over her face.

"What gave it away." She teased. "Is it the look of disgust on my face?" His grin was quickly dissolved with her comment.

"Hey now. Don't forget I'm doing YOU a favor." He continued. "I'll have you know the Jolly Roger is the most beautiful ship in all the realms. This boats been through hell and back." Although the wooden boards on the ship were creaky dusty and some boards were probably stained with blood she had admit, the red and golden accents on the outer portion of the vessel gave it charm.

"I'm only teasing Hook. I apologize." She spoke in a rushed manner wanting to get the sentence out of her mouth quickly, half regretting even apologizing.

"You've got to call me Captain around the crew." He eyeballed the bundle of men who stood their distance from them but where clearly observing them. "I'll introduce you to them later, I should probably show you where your sleeping quarters will be. You must be exhausted." His gaze met her face as he studied her. Her eyes were on the brink of exhaustion, almost even closing at some points.

"That would be much appreciated." She obeyed his physical request when he used his hand to motion for her to follow him. He led her to a set of beautifully wooden carven doors. He pointed to the skull with a pirate hat on it and smiled.

"Those are the captain's quarters. So I'll be just next door if you need anything." He said as they walked down a short set of stairs once passing the threshold of the wooden carved doors. "You'll be here, the guest's quarters." He pointed in the direction of a door down the hall from his without getting too close. He looked at the door and as Belle studied his face she saw a somber look escape the captain, there was a pang of sadness in his eyes as he looked away from the door. "I'm going to go attend to my men and help set sail, everything you need will be there. I'll send my cabin boy shortly to bring you a wash tub and some soap for you to draw a bath. Ah and any of the clothes you might find in the drawers are yours, so help yourself." With that said he was gone.

She paused before she entered the room. There was a tiny carving that could've easily gone unseen. It read M+K and a heart was drawn around it. She smiled imaging anybody being able to fall in love on a god forsaken pirate ship. She wondered where the happy couple was now, she did not see any woman on the deck so she figured they must have left the pirate life for each other. The room was larger than she expected. However, having lived as a maid for Rumple and then being held as a prisoner shortly after by the Evil Queen, she would've been happy with anything. The room was a little dusty as if no one had set foot in it for some time but it was still enchanted with the pirate life glamour. There was a small bookshelf that she couldn't help but feel drawn to. Being the book worm she was she ran over to see what kind of books were located aboard a pirate ship.

"Romeo and Juliet?" She said aloud to herself. She couldn't imagine anyone on the ship being fond of the Shakespearean romantic tragedy. As she flipped through the pages admiring the aged paper and small notes embellishing the book, a paper fell out and landed by her feet. She quickly felt a pang of guilt thinking she might've somehow damaged the book but as she bent down to grab the paper she realized it was actually a photo. Without paying close attention to the image she first turned to the back which had a handwritten note scrawled on it. I will love you for an eternity through life and death. We will see each other in another life. You are my one true love Killian. Just reading those words had Belle in tears and through the tears she was determined to see the authors face. She turned the image and admired her beautiful raven locks and bold green eyes. She was beautiful and her posture was fierce. However, something inside Belle had her thinking she recognized the woman. She scanned the image searching for any possible clues but she kept coming up short. How did she know her? Then it hit her. Once when she was cleaning out Rumple's basement where he put things he had no use for anymore but refused to throw out, she found a box full of sketches and paintings. It was her. The muse for all the artwork was her. Milah. Belle remembered seeing that name written on all of the prints. Belle fell back into a chair in shock. How could it be? She had so many questions running through her head. She never dared ask Rumple about who the woman was but through the sketches and drawings she could tell there was something between the two. Upon hearing a knock at the door Belle quickly ran up to the bookshelf and placed the book along with the photo in their original place. Some things were better kept unseen.