Says "AU" on the tin because the trip to Neverland we're talking about here isn't necessarily the one from canon, if only because Henry's left in Storybrooke and the trip takes an entire year for reasons unknown. This story was inspired by the "Belleformayor" hashtag and some fanart for it. This was supposed to be a one-shot, but it's become a four-shot instead. Hopefully you guys enjoy it!


"Are you ready?" Bae's eyes sparkled with excitement as put a hand on his father's back as they stood on the deck of the Jolly Roger, heading towards the gaping, swirling, green hole in the ground that was a portal back to Storybrooke.

Rumplestiltskin's smile was unabashed as he nodded, feeling much as his boy did. Once they'd gotten to Neverland and completed all their necessary tasks and made sure everyone in their group was safe and sound and healthy enough to be unharmed by the return, nearly a year had somehow passed and they were all more than ready to return home. He looked around the ship, at all the people who were standing on the deck. Emma, Bae, Hook, the Charmings, Regina, and himself. They were each filled with nervous excitement, and he knew that each of them were envisioning what they would find when they got back.

In his own case, all Rumplestiltskin could see swimming before his vision was his wife's beautiful face.

As if he could read his father's thoughts, Bae leaned in and asked above the whirling air of the portal, "What do you think Belle's been up to?"

Rumple didn't have time to answer before the portal swallowed them whole.


"Archie, I hate my life," Belle declared sharply, setting down her pen instead of throwing it across the room as she desperately wanted to.

"Come on, no, you don't," Archie coaxed, looking at her from across her desk. "You have a good life, and you know it."

"And what's so great about it?" she snapped.

"You've got a coveted position in town-"

"Shut up; that's why I hate my life!"

"Okay," Archie tried again. "Then think about it this way. You have a lot of friends here still-"

"I have a bunch of whiny citizens and five friends," Belle corrected sourly, putting her head in her hands.

"There's more than just the council," Archie protested. "What about Granny? Doesn't she count?"

"Granny is currently having trouble understanding that the road in front of her shop will be repaved only once the road crew has the time, so, no, she doesn't count; Granny is a part of today's reason why I have a headache."

"Fine, what about Alana, then?"

Belle lifted her head and managed a wry half-smile at the psychologist.

"There," Archie smiled. "That's better."

Belle rolled her eyes in good enough spirits, and apologized, saying only, "I'm sorry; I know I've been cranky today."

"Hey, that's okay," Archie answered. "I know that tomorrow marks a year that they've been gone; that's got to be hard. You're allowed to fray a little at the edges, Madame La Maire; it's called being human."

"Thank you, Archie," Belle said softly, smiling half-heartedly at him.

"Any time." Then he stood up, saying briskly, "Now, it's getting late, and I'm sure the dwarves have had about all they can stand of babysitting your poor four-month old."

"By which I'm sure you mean that Alana's probably reaching her threshold for the day on how much 'uncle' time she can handle."

"Exactly," Archie grinned, asking, "Do you want me to walk you to pick her up?"

"No, thanks; I've got a few more pieces of paperwork that I have to do first."

"No," Archie ordered flatly. "You need to spend some time relaxing with your daughter; the paperwork will be there tomorrow."

"That's exactly the problem!" Belle nearly whined.

"I will get Mulan or Henry to help me drag you out of here," Archie threatened. "You're half asleep just sitting there, city hall closed hours ago… and I daresay that you're distracted with thinking about him. Doctor's prescription for that is spending time with the family that you do have in town instead of thinking about those that are away. So let's go; like I said, doctor's orders."

"Thanks, Archie," Belle said, standing reluctantly and grabbing her purse. "I think I'd rather just walk myself to the dwarves'."

Archie didn't make any further comment on what they both knew was bothering her. Instead he just nodded his understanding and gave her shoulder a squeeze when they reached the sidewalk. Then they separated ways, Dr. Hopper going towards the apartment above his practice, and Belle towards the dwarves' house to pick up Alana.

As she walked, Belle's fingertips brushed of their own volition against the ring on her ring finger - her wedding ring from Rumple. The townspeople could say whatever they wanted about his no longer being among the living - and by now most of them did so to her face - but she knew that it wasn't true. He was her husband, and she believed in him, even a year later. She believed that he - and the others - would come back. They had to. She didn't want to live out her life without them in it, and the idea of Alana never meeting them - particularly Rumple - she refused to even consider it.

So she would follow Archie's advice. The only thing that she would think about tonight was the fact that they would be back, and that, in the mean time, she still had Alana.

Speaking of which… Belle forced away her dreary thoughts and stretched a smile onto her face before knocking on the dwarves' front door.

"Hey," Grumpy said, stifling a yawn when he saw her on the stoop. "Lanie's asleep on the couch; everybody's asleep here except for me… as I'm pretty sure you should be; you look exhausted."

Belle ignored his pitiful attempt at mothering, saying instead, "I'm sorry, Grumpy, I probably shouldn't have stayed at the office as late as I did."

"No, you probably shouldn't have, but that's never stopped you before." The words were sharp - as was typical of Grumpy - but Belle knew that the intent was caring. "Are you going to come in?"

Belle shook her head. "I've still got some inventory waiting for me back at the pawn shop, and I took some of the books from the library that need repaired."

"Gods, Belle," Grumpy groaned. "I have talked to you about this, and I know I'm not the only one, either. You have August working at the library for a reason!"

"But only for a couple hours a day!"

"Belle-"

"Grumpy," Belle snapped. "Give me my daughter so that I can go home."

The dwarf huffed with displeasure that was probably more concern for her than anything, and Belle stayed on the stoop as he gathered Alana and her things from inside his house.

Managing to feel at least a little contrite by the time that he came back with her daughter already strapped into her car seat, she said, "Thank you for picking her up from the daycare earlier."

"You're welcome," and from Grumpy that was as close to spoken forgiveness as they were going to get. Belle smiled lightly as she transferred Alana's car seat into her own arms with as little shifting as possible, but Grumpy wasn't buying it. "Hard day?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she admitted.

"How bad?"

"Grumpy," she said honestly, if not a little sardonically, "I will kill myself if tomorrow is another day like today."