Belle felt the anxiousness in the air as she stood by the docks. It had been months, but finally – finally – was the day she had been waiting for. As she pulled her jacket closer to her shivering body, she could only stare at the pirate ship in the distance, completely ignorant to all of Storybrooke's other citizens.
Rumple.
It had been terrible, waiting. Knowing she was completely helpless, knowing that there was no way to fight for him, had left her feeling desperate.
But at last, the ship was there. Right before her eyes.
The gangplank lowered.
And out stepped Regina.
And Emma.
And Henry.
And Bae.
And Snow and Charming and Hook.
And she was oblivious to the cheers surrounding her.
She searched the ship desperately, scanning over every nook and cranny, starting to ignore the tears that were blurring her vision.
Blindly, she ran towards the ship, before a hand reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back. Spinning around, she looked up desperately at Hook.
But the look on his face made her heart sink. "Lass," he said, in a quiet voice she'd never heard him use, "He got tricked."
No. No. Rumple couldn't be…he couldn't be de-
He placed a small, dark box in her hands.
"He's in here."
She looked down at it numbly. "Pandora's box."
He nodded. "I truly am sorry. But it appears he'll be stuck there for a little bit."
"A little bit?" she asked, doubt creeping into her voice.
"Regina….she says she doesn't know of a way to get him out."
Her voice was quiet. "You meant forever."
He looked away, nodding slightly.
"Thank you," she said, and walked away as quickly as she had come.
Hours later found her on the library's floors.
The tears had finally stopped, but she hadn't bothered to wipe the smears of makeup drying on her cheek.
She clutched the box tightly in her hands, staring at it in disbelief.
How could something so tiny keep someone so powerful locked up? It seemed impossible.
But yet, here she was. Holding the cage of her Rumple, with nothing to keep her from freeing him but her own ignorance.
But the library was full of books, and she knew that every curse could be broken. Even if it meant that she would spend the rest of her life searching for the cure.
She lifted up the box and touched it lightly to her lips. "I'll save you, Rumple," she whispered.
And she would.
