Belle stepped outside the library, into the cold night air and locked the door behind her as she quickly crossed the dark street. Rubbing her shoulders, she passed the pawn shop and immediately felt a hand on her shoulder. The hand of the man she used to love.

"Belle-"

"Rumple, please. Not now."

"But Belle-" There was a loud rumbling and the earth started to shake. Gold put a protective arm around her, but she pushed him off and looked back towards the library, knowing what lay beneath. She hadn't believed the warnings of the others, of the Dragon Queen trapped below her feet. Caged up for over 30 years now. Gold raced into the pawn shop just as the library exploded as a great dragon tore its way free, clawing its way into the sky. Maleficent was free. She unleashed a powerful roar, full of fury and fire and Gold stepped back out, brandishing a massive crossbow that he could barely carry alone. He pulled Belle away from the shop and kicked out the stand, setting up the crossbow.

"What are you doing?" Belle asked.

"Taking out a dragon." He replied. Maleficent was hardly able to be seen in the night sky, but as she came into view as she spiraled down towards the town, firebombing the pawn shop until there was nothing left of it. She continued on to lay waste to another place, it looked like the Mayor's Office. As she flew past again on near silent wings, Gold fired. There was a roar of pain from the dragoness as she hit the ground hard and started to change form.

"Maleficent!" Cruella snapped, stepping out of the wreckage of the library, ash covered and dusting off her precious coat. "A little warning would've been appreciated."

"No kidding." Ursula added, using all eight of her tentacles to wipe herself off.

Maleficent stood up, fearsome in the dark light of her destruction, dressed in snug fitting leather pants, a leather jacket and tall dominatrix heels. A large arrow was sticking out of her shoulder, which she ripped out and tossed to the side. By then, the heroes were convening to assess the threat. Emma and Regina were covered in ash as well. They must've been in the office when Maleficent blew it up.

"Maleficent, what the hell do you think you're doing?!" Regina roared.

"How dare you?" Maleficent hissed. "How dare you lock me in my dragon form for 30 years!"

"Mal-"

"Don't call me that!" Maleficent roared. She softened her voice and Belle saw the sag of her shoulder. She was still in pain, but her pride and rage refused to allow her to show it. "I thought I meant more to you. We were friends."

"We were more than friends." Regina said, taking her hand. "I loved you, but I needed to cast the curse."

"Loved." Maleficent emphasized. "And you didn't need to do anything." The blonde squeezed Regina's hand, forcing the woman to her knees. "I will deal with you later." She stepped around Regina and conjured her staff in her hand as she stalked towards Snow and David.

"Maleficent, wait. Please." Emma said, stepping in front of her. The blond swung her staff overhead and used it like a bat to hit Emma hard in the shoulder, knocking her out of the way.

"Maleficent, please." Snow pleaded. Mal ducked David's sword, laying down her staff and caught the blade between her palms. The metal melted a second later and Maleficent picked up her staff again, sending the prince flying with a controlled burst of magic. She advanced upon Snow and grabbed her by the neck, lifting her off the ground. "Please."

"I should burn you and this town to the ground for what you did to me. And you continue to call yourself a hero." Maleficent hissed. "How dare you have the audacity to call me evil?" She squeezed hard and dropped her hand, dragging Snow around as she turned to the small crowd that had gathered. "Who the fuck shot me with that arrow?" She walked forward, still dragging Snow, who was trying to get free but there was no way she could break the dragon's grip.

"It was me." Gold limped forward.

"Dark One, of course." She suddenly launched Snow, and Gold crashed to the ground beneath her as he tried to catch the flying princess.

Mal turned back to Regina as she stood up. "Maleficent, please. I can make this right. Please, just give me a chance."

"You chose vengeance over me! You don't love me." The dragon hissed. "You don't know, do you? The truth behind your so-called heroes?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Ask them." And with that, the dragon queen made her departure, along with her comrades, not in a flash of purple smoke, but in a whirling cyclone of flames. The town seemed so much more darker after she left. Belle was no longer cold. The burning wreckage of the pawn shop provided more than enough warmth.

"What the hell was she talking about?" Regina demanded, glaring at Snow as she stood up.

"Regina, don't-" David tried to say, but the queen stole his voice.

"There is an irate dragon in our midst, pissed because of something far worse than what I did to her. Now I want to know what you did."

Emma stepped up beside her, rubbing her shoulder. "What did you do, Mom?"

Snow rubbed her throat as David made sure she was alright. "Because of us...Maleficent lost her child."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Belle went to her apartment and put on a sweater and grabbed her bag. She went about the room, collecting ingredients. It was an old remedy that she'd read about in a book once. It should help Maleficent's wound, that she was sure was hurting the queen far more than she was letting on. She fixed the poultice and made her way outside again. Dawn was starting to streak across the sky and yawned, exhausted after the night's activities, but determined to help in any way she could. The fall out after revealing what the Charmings had done had yielded a fight between them and Emma and Regina going off to try and find the Dragon Queen. Belle knew that up until this point, Cruella and Ursula had been staying in Rumple's old cabin in the woods. So it took her no time at all to find the queens down near the lake, trying to clean Mal's wound.

"It's not working. What was the arrow coated with?" Ursula asked, controlling the water to wash away the magic.

"I can't move my arm anymore." Mal hissed, lowering her head.

"Stay with me, Mal."

"I can help." Belle said as she stepped out of the trees, raising her hands to show she meant no harm.

"What are you doing here, Rumple's girl?" Cruella asked, pulling out her pistol and laying it nonchalantly across her lap.

"She's in pain. If I don't help, she could lose her arm. Rumple uses a powerful poison for his weapons and he probably used a lot of it because she's the Dragon Queen." Belle reached into her bag and pulled out the dragon book, quickly flipping through the pages and held it out to the duel haired queen of darkness. Cruella snatched it and looked over it.

"She's right, dahling. There's a poultice for it. The ingredients are right here."

"I have some of the poultice already made." Belle offered, pulling the small jar out of her bag as well.

"Go get the ingredients from the woods." Mall commanded. "I can handle a librarian on my

own."

Ursula and Cruella gave them both skeptical looks, but ultimately fell to command and was soon swallowed by the trees as they left to complete their task.

Belle approached the weary dragon and knelt at her side, quickly drying the hole in her shoulder. "I'll need you to remove your jacket." Mal flicked her fingers and her jacket disappeared, revealing that she was only wearing a black bra underneath. Ignoring the heat rising in her cheeks, Belle opened the jar and started to gently apply the salve to the wound. Mal's entire body started to relax as the pain was alleviated.

"Why are you helping me?" The dragon demanded.

"Well." Belle said, glancing at her, finding that she was being scrutinized carefully. "You could have done much worse and they...kinda deserved it. I don't want to be mean and I'm not going to pretend like I understand what you're going through. But...I don't think you deserve the pain you're in and I don't like being someone hurt. Especially if there's something I can do to help."

Mal's only reply was a snort. "I will need to take my dragon form until this heals completely."

"The poultice needs to be applied twice a day for at least 2 weeks."

Mal stood up and offered her hand to help the librarian to her feet. "You are a brave little thing. Thank you."

Belle nodded. "But I would like something as payment."

"Besides me not eating you?"

"Repair the places you destroyed."

"No."

"Then just the library then."

"No. Your payment is your life. Good bye." Mal waved her hand and Belle found herself back in town. She sighed and started walking home.

"Belle. Where have you been?" Gold demanded as soon as he spotted her. Regina was standing a few feet away, assessing the damage to the shop. Clearly, they were trying to repair it, but Belle knew that erasing the effects of dragon fire and fury would not be an easy task.

"I was with Maleficent. I gave her a poultice for her arm." Belle shrugged.

"You found her?" Regina asked. "Where is she? I have to talk to her."

"Your shattered love life is far less concerning than Belle being in danger." Gold snapped at her.

"I wasn't in danger. Wounded or not, if Maleficent wanted to kill me, she would have done so. And I don't think she wants to be bothered while she's hurt."

"Perfect time to strike." Gold said, receiving harsh glares from both women.

"She is the victim in all this." Regina lifted her chin. "I should've been there to help her."

"Yes, yes, this is all really sad, but once she regains her strength, she's going to come back and you and I are the only ones who even come close to stopping her."

"I won't hurt her." said the queen matter of factly.

Belle sighed as she walked off, freezing at the sight of the newly rebuilt library just ahead. "She did do it." she laughed as she raced inside, finding everything just as she's left it the night before.

/

Mal looked down in the water and quirked her lip at the smile on the brave little thing's face. She waved a talon, dismissing the image on the lake and walked towards a small little alcove that she'd built near the cabin. It was hidden with the leaves and branches of low hanging trees magically planted and it would be a good place to rest until she recovered so she could finally enact her revenge. When she dreamed, she thought it would be of slaughtering Snow and David or her fractured relationship with Regina, but instead, her dreams featured a little librarian's smile and her lovely voice as she told Mal a story. A story of vengeance.

The dragon's head head snapped up as Cruella and Ursula returned, bickering as usual, but her thoughts were haunted by Belle. She did not want to darken that light. She was too good for something so terrible as she. Still, she had a beautiful voice, and she showed no fear in helping the dragon queen. She was indeed a brave little thing.

Still, something bothered her and it wasn't too long before she felt a burning in the side of her neck. The mark. The dragon's mark that she'd marked Regina's neck with so long ago. It bound together in ways incomprehensible to those who had not felt it. Regina was trying to find her using it. So...Maleficent severed it.

/

"Regina!" Emma quickly caught the queen as she nearly collapsed to the floor and helped her sit down on one of the trunks in her vault. "Regina?"

"No." Regina's eyes snapped open and she rushed to one of her mirrors and turned her head, moving her hair and revealing the small dragon symbol on the side of her neck. It glowed briefly before fading away completely.

"What was that?"

"My mark. The only thing she ever gave me besides her heart." Regina said, sinking down into a chair. "She really does hate me."

"You still love her?"

"Yes."

"Then there has to be a way to make this right. You can't give up, Regina." Emma tried to encourage.

"Give up?" Regina said. "Give up? Like I did with Robin? Or Graham? Or Daniel? When have I ever given up?" she stood up, scowling at the mere thought of doing so. "I just need something else. Maybe I can try a locator spell." She held up her hand, a small scale manifesting in her palm. "It's not the whole scale, but it should work." She cast the spell and the scale started to float, but only for a moment before it fizzled out and fell back into her hand. Regina screamed in frustration and threw the scale across the room.

"What now?" Emma asked.

"She's hurt, she won't attack at least." Regina sighed. "I suppose we'll have to wait for her to come to us."

"Which will be when she's fully recovered and pissed off."

"Correct." Regina looked around. "I'm gonna keep trying to find her, go get Henry so he can help us. Meet me at the mansion."

Emma nodded. She left the vault and drove out to the bus stop, making it just in time for him to get out of school. She got out of the car and smiled as she greeted her 14 year old. Henry grinned as he saw her. "Let's go kid, we got a job to do."

"An Operation?"

"Sorta. We need to help your mom find Maleficent."

"Operation Monkey, I like it."

"What?"

"Well I can't say Operation Dragon, everyone will know what we're talking about."

"Well alright then. Operation Monkey it is. We can stop by Granny's and get us some lunch. Regina's waiting at the mansion-"

"Emma, please talk to me." Snow pulled up in Charming's truck, but Emma wasn't listening. She got into the car and slammed the door. "Emma! Please!"

"Mom, what's going on?" Henry asked as Emma drove off, despite her mother beating frantically on the windows to get her attention.

"Your grandparents did something... unforgivable. They're not handling the consequences of their decision very well." Emma replied through tight lips. Instead of heading to Granny's, where she would no doubt be followed to, she called Ruby to make a delivery and headed straight to the mansion. Inside, Regina had already filled the living room with books and scrolls and was pouring over a book when they walked in.

"Maybe we should ask Belle to help." Henry said, looking at the books.

"Miss French already knows where Mal is and refuses to tell us. So we're on our own. One of these things has to have something on finding dragons who don't want to be found."

"Well if she doesn't want to be found and she could destroy us if we do, then why are we trying to find her?" Henry asked, tilting his head.

"Because." Regina sighed. "It's complicated."

"You love her." He said, sitting down. "But Mom, she's had 30 years to sit in darkness and nurse a wounded heart. It's not going to be as easy as just talking to her. Even I know that."

"Then how else can I apologize?" Regina asked, arching a perfect eyebrow.

Henry shrugged. "You know her better than I do. I'm gonna go change out of my uniform. Be right back and then we get started." He raced upstairs and Emma looked up at Regina as she dug her hands into her hair.

"We'll find her, Regina." The blonde assured her. "Everything's gonna work out."

"It would work out better if that stupid bookworm would just tell me where Mal is. Why would Mal let her get close? And more importantly, how did she find them?"

"All questions you should be asking Belle."

/

It was about a week later and Belle had gone to check up on the Dragon Queen every day to make sure the other Queens of Darkness were following the proper instructions. They were it would seem, when they weren't off having sex in the cabin, that is. Maleficent was usually curled up in her nest or sitting on the edge of the lake, staring out over the water, and hardly acknowledged Belle's presence. Belle knew the queen was heartbroken, having lost her child and being betrayed twice by the ones she thought loved her. The librarian's own heart almost broke at the pain the woman must be going through. One thing she did notice however, was that Mal seemed to like to hear her speak. So she came up with the bright idea of bringing a book with her a couple times to read it for her and as soon as she would begin, Maleficent would curl up and start purring to listen, growling or snarling when she stopped and sounding almost annoyed when she had to leave without finishing her tale. One time, even Ursula and Cruella sat outside to listen. It became one of the bright spots of Belle's day.

"Why do you keep doing this?" Ursula asked, after she finished the Eragon book. The Sea Witch walked with her back to the cabin.

"Because she likes it." Belle said, gesturing to Mal.

"You know we're villains, right?"

"After everything I've seen and heard, I don't believe there are ever true villains...or true heroes. Things are usually just too complicated to be black and white. There are always gray areas."

"True words." Ursula inclined her head. "Bring Eldest tomorrow."

Belle smiled. "I will." There was a flash of purple smoke and she found herself in her usual spot at the edge of town. She put her book away in her bag and started back to the library. She still had some time to kill before it was time to close up. She had a visitor waiting for her.

"What do you want, Rumple?" She asked, walking behind the checkout desk to return the book and take off her bag and jacket.

"I was wondering if you would join me for dinner at Granny's." Gold said, smiling at her. "You know, for a date."

"No thank you. Please leave, I have work to do."

"Belle, I've really been trying here. Why won't you give me a chance?"

"Because I'm sick of being hurt by you. Every time I give you a chance, you end up breaking my heart. Now please, Rumple, leave me alone. Move on." she turned her back to him to fill up her arms with books that needed to be reshelved.

"Belle-"

"She said leave, Gold." Regina snapped, entering the library, pushing open both doors and making an entrance as only she could seem to do.

"Regina, this has nothing to do with you." Gold hissed.

"And almost nothing in the Enchanted Forest had anything to do with you, but you managed to stick your nose in everyone's business, didn't you, you little imp?" The queen shot back.

Belle slammed her books on the desk. "Say your peace and leave. I have work to do!"

Regina seemed momentarily surprised by her bold words, but quickly recovered and her face became impassive again. "I need to know where Mal is. I have exhausted every possibility in trying to find her and nothing has worked."

"Well I'm very sorry about that, but Mal doesn't want you to find her. Simple as that. Now both of you please leave." She hoped that doing some work would make them realize that they weren't wanted. Gold got the hint and eventually left, but Regina stayed. "Regina-"

"I still love her." Regina said softly, looking down at the book that Belle had been reading to the Queens of Darkness. "Do you know if she's alright? I know you only went to see her once, but...I need to know."

"She's perfectly fine. Cruella and Ursula are keeping the wound clean and apply the poultice just like I asked."

"And you would only know this if you kept going to see her." Regina's eyes suddenly turned hard and she marched right up to the librarian. "Where is she?!"

"Better." Belle replied calmly and without fear. "Now she isn't locked beneath the library."

Regina scowled. "Fine then. If you want this fight, then so be it." The queen then proceeded to storm out, passing a confused Emma on the way.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing important. Have you found anything?"

"Nope, I haven't found Maleficent's daughter yet, but I'm still looking. If she's alive, I'll find her."

/

Regina followed the little bookworm the next day. Out into the forest and along some old forgotten trails before they came to the lake. A cabin was nestled amongst the trees not too far away, but the librarian walked right past it where Mal was sitting on the edge of the lake, glistening in morning light. Belle smiled as she spoke to the dragon, telling her about her recent encounters as she applied the salve to a barely present wound. The Dragon Queen was almost back to full strength. The very sight of her almost took Regina's breath away. Maleficent was truly a beautiful creature to behold. Regina stayed hidden as Belle sat down in a chair and Mal nestled up behind her, looking over her shoulder as the beauty read from a book. The dragoness was purring, her tail flicking lazily like a content cat and Regina felt a spike of jealousy rip through her at the way they seemed so familiar, so comfortable with one another, but she didn't reveal herself just yet. After a while, Belle stopped reading and looked up at the majestic creature looking down at her.

"I was locked up by Regina too, you know. For 28 years. It was rough. I can't imagine what you went through."

Mal suddenly shifted back down to human form. Her clothes hadn't changed from the last time and Regina scowled at the lack of clothing on the blonde. Mal was hardly bothered by it, but Belle turned her head and blushed. A deep chuckle escaped the dragon.

"I would imagine it was. Being separated from your true love for so long." There was something strange about the she-dragon's voice. She sounded almost sweet and soft spoken when she talked to Belle, a stark contrast from the woman Regina had always known.

"Rumple isn't my true love."

"Oh? Trouble in paradise?"

"There never was a paradise. Just a palace of lies and deceit." There was another pause between them before Belle asked, "Do you still love Regina?"

Mal tilted her head. "Such a question...cannot be answered at this time."

"So you don't know?" Belle ventured to ask.

"I...don't know." The blonde arched an eyebrow and looked down at Belle. "Can I go swimming with this stuff on?"

"No!" Belle snapped, immediately standing up to check her shoulder. "I just put on a fresh salve."

"And you can put on another once I'm through." Mal smirked.

"Maleficent, don't you dare."

The dragon grinned as she walked out into the water and turned to face Belle.

"Maleficent."

"Bella." Mal replied, opening her arms and letting herself fall back into the water.

"Dammit, Maleficent!" Belle snapped.

Mal suddenly appeared next to Belle, smirking. She was completely dry, except for her hair. "Oh would you look at that? Miss Innocent has a potty mouth."

"I never said I was innocent."

"Didn't need to. Fine, since I can't swim, would you at least come back later today and read some more?"

Belle frowned, looking up at the dragon queen. "You're in human form now, you can read yourself." Maleficent's response was to shift back into dragon form. "Fine." Belle threw up her hands in defeat. "Fine, I'll be back around 7 after I close up. Rest and don't go swimming." Mal responded with a hmph noise. Belle smiled over her shoulder as she started off back home, only to be poofed away a moment later.

Regina watched Mal stare at the water at her feet for a minute longer before summoning the courage to step out into the open. "Mal?"

Mal's head whipped around and she rose to her feet, her chest glowing and Regina barely managed to move before she was incinerated by a great blast of flames. "Go away." came the guttural growl from the dragon's throat.

"Mal, please. Just let me apologize."

Mal shifted back. "Your apology means nothing to me. I don't want to talk to you right now, Regina, so just go away. I have another week left. Then we can talk."

"But you talked to Belle."

"Belle didn't break my heart!" Mal roared. "Belle didn't say she loved me, then locked me underground for over 30 years! Just go away!" She conjured her staff and hit it on the ground, making her and the cabin disappear.

Regina tried to hold back the tears that threatened to fall and managed to get home and into her bedroom before the floodgates could burst.

/

Maleficent growled as old memories of her and Regina threatened to assault her and could only think of one place to go that would offer the solace she sought. She materialized inside the library that was thankfully empty. A smile touched her lips as she found Belle humming while she sorted some books, standing on a step ladder as she rearranged them on the shelf. Mal walked forward and looked up at her, shocking the woman so much that she fell backwards. It took no effort for the dragon to catch her.

"Maleficent, what are you doing here?"

"Regina found me and the results of that meeting weren't exactly productive. I just...ran. But your presence...calms me, so I sought it out."

"Oh, well then. Wait one second." Belle quickly got down to go lock the door and switch the closed sign. "Come with me, there's an apartment upstairs we can talk in."

"You don't stay here?" Mal asked, following her as she lead the way into the back and up a narrow flight of stairs. The apartment was barely more than just an attic that had been converted into a living space. There was a bed, some carpets, a desk, a wooden chair, a recliner with a some pillows in it, and a small table with a lamp on it.

"No, I used to. Rumple bought a better apartment not too far away." The librarian said dismissively, flicking on the light. "Did you want to talk?"

"Actually I wanted you to read to me." Mal smirked as she kicked off her boots and lay down on the bed.

"You are older than anything and yet you want me to read to you like you're a child?" Belle asked with a laugh.

Mal waved her hand, producing their book in her palm. Belle snatched it as she took a seat next to the bed. "Thank you."

"Anything for a friend." Belle smiled as she turned to find the page, missing the surprised look on the face of the dragon. "Alright, shall I begin?"

"You shall."

/

Belle smiled down at Maleficent's sleeping form, no longer the big bad firebreathing dragon. In the lowlight, she was breathtaking and there was a rush of heat in her cheeks as her eyes slowly roamed downwards to the toned exposed abdominals of the blonde. Belle gulped and averted her gaze. She truly considered Maleficent to be a friend, not that the dragon regarded her in the same manner, but still… She pulled out a blanket and draped it over the she-dragon, although she didn't think she could get cold anyway, before snuggling up in the nearby recliner with a quilt of her own. A moment later there was a chuckle and the blanket was suddenly wrapped around her. Belle opened her eyes and found Maleficent laying down again, uncovered and on her stomach and her gaze quickly found its way to long leather clad legs and a rather beautiful backside. She grabbed a pillow and threw it, hitting Mal in the head, which popped up immediately. "That's for kidnapping me by the way."

Mal smirked. "Brave little thing, hitting a dragon. I will return the favor for that."

Belle grinned. "Okay. We'll see."

There was another chuckle as the blond laid back down and Belle snuggled up with her quilt, only to find herself moved a second later and laid out on the bed with Mal curled up in the chair. She rolled her eyes. "Really?"

Mal's response was a pure, genuine laugh, originating from her very being, filling the silent air with its medley. "Yes. Really."

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A/N: I have no idea where this pairing came from. I just popped into my head. I love both of these characters and their actresses so I decided to play around with them a bit. This will probably be a short story but I would like some good reviews on it anyway and any suggestions you guys may have are appreciated. By the way, I was pretty upset by Maleficent's portrayal on OUAT. I love the motherly part, but she could've been done with a better badass side, since she's one of the most powerful villains. So that'll be rectified in this fic.