Belle didn't want to turn back. She continued for a moment to walk briskly away from the dock, her eyes threatening to overflow with tears at any second. She didn't want to watch the man she loved vanish along with that pirate ship to some far away realm where she wouldn't be able to even send him a letter. Rumpelstiltskin may have believed he was heading off to his death, but she just couldn't allow herself to accept that, or she'd crumple all together. As it was, her steps felt unstable, her breath came in gulps, and her head spun- perhaps a side effect from all the alcohol she had consumed during her time as Lacey.

Finally, curiosity got the better of her, and she paused and turned around just in time to see the ship disappear into a swirling vortex. She realized she didn't even know where they were going. Wherever it was had been decided after everyone had already boarded the ship. Pulling her blue coat tighter against the ocean breeze, she stared at the spot where the Jolly Roger had just been. The little scroll Rumple had given her with instructions for a cloaking spell to protect the town sat in her pocket, and she fingered it absentmindedly, uncertain what to do next. Tears pooled at the rims of her eyes and trickled down her cheeks one by one.

She felt as if she had been awaken from a trance, which she supposed was true. After what felt like ages of having no memories of her past at all while stuck in the hospital, she had spent the last couple days believing she was this entirely different person: a barfly, a lush, someone who actually felt turned on by Rumple's violence. The realization made her shudder. For so long she had encouraged the good in him, and now she had to accept that her own alter ego had pulled him in the opposite direction.

Since Regina hadn't bothered giving her memories when she stayed in the asylum for years during the curse, she hadn't really had to deal with being both the way everyone else in the town had. Now, however, she remembered everything- ditching Rumple at Granny's to go have a make out session with Keith, feeling excited watching Rumple beat him up afterwards, staying up late into the night getting drunk at the Rabbit Hole (Belle wondered how her body even tolerated all the alcohol), asking for immortality, using Baelfire's shawl to wipe up a spill, etc. On top of that, she also had a whole lifetime of false memories that belonged to Lacey but never actually happened. The sensation unnerved her. Belle wished she could banish Lacey to the deepest corners of her mind.

Taking one last look at the horizon, Belle decided it was time to put on a brave face and head back into town. Granny's Diner had always been a warm and welcome place. Perhaps she could take comfort in some time with her good friend, Ruby. Ruby...she felt terrible about how she had behaved when her friend had visited her during her time in the hospital, getting so worked up that the nurse stabbed her with that awful syringe again. Belle felt as if she had to apologize to nearly all of Storybrooke for Lacey's behavior.

A small crowd filled the little eatery. Belle could hear loud voices celebrating that the failsafe trigger had been defeated, and no one was going to die after all. She wiped the dampness off her face, took a deep breathe, and opened the door. The chatter hushed, and eyes looked her way. Belle recognized the dwarves, Archie Hopper, Ruby, and Granny. A gruff bearded man studied Belle's face intently and pursed his lips.

"Lacey?" he ventured. Belle shook her and offered a smile. "Welcome back, sister!" He gave her a hearty hug.

"Oh, Dreamy! It's good to be me again!" said Belle.

"It's Grumpy now, remember?" said Grumpy.

"Yes, that's right..." said Belle. "I'm never going to get used to that." Everyone laughed. With the tension broken, the others crowded around her.

"Belle, is it really you?" said Ruby. "I've missed you so much!" The friends embraced, and Belle felt tears trickling down her face again. When she looked up, she noticed Ruby's cheeks were damp too.

"Have you heard from any of the others?" asked Archie. "The destruction stopped, but we haven't seen Emma or their highnesses since they left."

Belle became quiet. Her gaze dropped to the floor for a moment. "They've gone." The room exploded in confusion.

"What?!"

"Gone where?"

"Are they all right?"

"Are they coming back?"

"After they stopped the failsafe," Belle explained, "they discovered Henry had been kidnapped by Greg and Tamara and taken through a portal. They've all boarded the Jolly Roger to go rescue him...all of them, even Hook, Regina and...Rumple." The news stunned everyone into silence.