"This elevator is the only way down to Neverland. It leads directly to a government building that is located in the center of the city. This building is a declared neutral zone, none of the sector leaders go near it, and it's too messy getting involved with the government. Killian's people will be the ones you encounter first. He likes to recruit the new prisoners."

"Am I to be recruited?"

"Yes, it is impossible to go straight to Gold, he will kill you."

"How does Killian lead me to Gold?"

"They have been after each other's throats since before Neverland. Become Killian's girl, Gold will come to you."

Belle arched her eyebrow up, "Become Killian's girl?"

"Killian has a particular fondness for having female bodyguards."

"Bodyguard... Right. That's what their called..."

"Just do your thing, impress Killian, move up in his ranks, and Gold will come for you."

Belle listened intently as David was giving her last minute information that she might need. "The elevator is always guarded by three guards at all times, on both ends. The code to open the doors, change every hour. We make sure no one goes in who isn't supposed to, and no one is to come out. Criminals sent to Neverland never leave."

Belle smiled warmly, causing David to look towards the floor, "Except me."

"Except you."

"If there's all this security here how did Emma even get in Neverland?"

David never lifted his gaze; Belle could tell he bore all the responsibility of losing his daughter. His shoulders sagged further down; he looked like a broken man. Belle wanted to embrace him in a tight hug, but she also knew now wasn't the time. "I taught her self-defense, well maybe more than self-defense. I thought I was being a good father, and I have to admit that I hope she'll follow in my footsteps and enter the bureau. It would appear that I trained her well."

Silence lingered between Belle and David. "Did Emma go into Neverland freely?"

"Yes, but he's using her, he tricked her somehow."

"How can you be so sure?"

"She's my daughter. Baelfire Gold is manipulating her somehow."

Belle could see the inner conflict inside David. He wasn't trying to convince her, he was trying to convince himself. Belle had a feeling that Emma left with Baelfire by choice, there was something between them.

Belle reached out and gripped David's arm. "You need rest. Go home, calm down, I'll bring Emma home. No worries." She put her best smile on her face, hoping to bring her friend comfort. "Now shoo, I need to leave."

"I will never be able to thank you enough. I will be forever in your debt."

"Nonsense, I'm simply paying off the debt I owe you. If you didn't see the potential in me I would already be down there."

"You are too good of a person to be there Belle."

"Many, including myself, would disagree. Never forget my past David, I never will."

"Be safe Belle. They'll kill you in there."

"Not if I can help it."

Belle took a deep breath and stepped into the elevator. Shooting one last smile to David, the doors began to shut.

"Oh wait, Belle!" David threw his hand between the doors, not allowing them to close. "Once you're down there, you are a criminal, no one knows you're an agent."

"Sounds fun. Goodbye David."

With that the doors shut and began to lower Belle down into Neverland.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As soon as the doors opened Belle felt two sets of hands grab her and pull her out. The guard on her left turned her arm in order to read her number. "Welcome to Neverland, 8752229."

The second guard who still had a hold of her right arm began leading her away into another room. "Hey Bill, this one isn't trying anything! The ladies always try and persuade us. Shame, she's such a beauty." The first guard, Bill, laughed and tightened his grip on her left arm. "You know we're not supposed to touch them. They belong to the government now."

Belle cringed slightly; she was considered property now, no longer a human being. The second guard stopped and tried to grope at her breasts. "Look Bill, she's even displaying her body, she's practically begging for our attention." He was still attempting to grope her when Belle slammed her head into his throat. The guard instantly released her, "You little bitch, with that attitude you won't survive here."

Bill simply laughed at his friend and continued to lead Belle into the new room. In the far corner she could see the door that led out of the building, into the city. "Phil, Phil, I keep telling you to leave the ladies alone." Bill stopped her right outside the door. "Phil, come scan her."

Slowly Phil made their way back to them and pulled a scanner out of his belt. Belle automatically tilted her head down in order to give better access to the bar code. There was a beep and her file was now displayed on the screen to the left of them. Bill cleared his throat, "Well now, Lacey, looks like we might have underestimated you. Maybe you'll live."

Phil came up and stood in-between her and the door. "Listen up, your weapons are in a box outside the fence, the code is 4596. You have thirty seconds to get from this door to the outside of the fence. If you are still inside the fence in thirty seconds you will be shot on the spot. Now have fun little beauty."

Belle felt sick to her stomach hearing that repulsive man call her what her father did. Maybe she could tell him that later, let him know that he insulted a high ranked agent. Belle smiled at the thought. She would definitely put him in his place when the time comes. Without a moment's notice the door opened and Belle stepped out.

Belle wasn't completely sure what she was expecting to see once she stepped out into Neverland. It was obvious that it was a city underground. Looking up Belle could see rocks and dirt instead of a clear blue sky. There were lights everywhere, illuminating the city, but there were still many dark corners. Neverland looked and felt dangerous. Belle continued to look around. She could not see much from where she was standing due to the high security fence that surrounded the government building. She was honestly surprised that the building didn't need any more protection, but maybe there was something else that she could not see.

"Tick tock Little Beauty." Belle recognized Phil's voice and nearly wanted to march right back to him and put him in his place, but David had warned her that no one could know her true identity.

Taking a deep breath Belle made her way to the gate. She only had thirty seconds to leave the area, well more like ten since she wasted most of the time staring at the celling, she couldn't call it sky.

Phil's voice came over the intercom again, "Five, four, three.."

Belle made it to the gate when he reached two and was out by the time she heard him click his gun. Belle pushed the gate shut and there was a buzzing sound followed by the gate locking.

Now that Belle was outside of the wall she could see more of Neverland. It was a big city with many buildings reaching towards the rock ceiling. There were some areas that looked to be farmland; Belle remembered reading a story about how the government had managed to successfully grow vegetation without the need for sun. It was impressive that they were to develop this kind of technology, Belle found it more impressive that the government used the technology for the prisoners.

Belle could see lights on in various buildings, smoke rising from some smaller ones, most likely homes. There must be some sort of ventilation system for the smoke to not pollute the air, it probably also brings in fresh air to the city from the outside. Neverland was a remarkable place, even though it was a prison.

"Time to look around later," Belle muttered under her breath. She could not help that she was a curious person. If she had the time she would love to explore every inch of Neverland, see what makes it tick, but she was here in order to bring Emma home, not explore. Belle found the box to the left of the gate and she pressed the number code. "Four. Five. Nine. Six." Belle said each number as she pressed them, making sure she pressed the right code, something told her if she got it wrong, it would never open for her. The box beeped and the lid clicked open. Belle reached in and pulled out her two daggers along with their harness. One at a time Belle pulled each dagger out and inspected it, making sure they were truly hers and not tampered with. She ran her fingers along the edges, tracing the cravings of the blades. She had them custom made using the same steel that Samurai warriors used for their katanas. She appreciated quality, and wanted nothing but the best. Her daggers could cut through bone like butter.

Each dagger had slightly different carvings from the other. Her left, and favorite, had the Kanji for "Remember" on the blade close to the hilt. Beautiful craving of sakura ran along the blade. Belle smiled as she ran her fingertips along the blossoms, "Fleeting beauty," she murmured. Placing that one back in the harness, Belle pulled the second one. This one looked identical to the first except for the carvings. This one had vines with thorns running along the blade. Above the hilt was a carving of her family crest. Pleased to see that her daggers were in perfect condition, Belle sheathed the second one and slipped the harness over her back, clasping it right under her breasts.

"Time to find a pirate," Belle glanced around and started walking down the street away from the government building and into the heart of the city.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

Belle felt like she had been walking for several hours. She squinted up looking into the bright lights above, it was impossible to tell what time it was in Neverland. The longer she walked around the more thankful she became for not having to live in this place. She shuddered remembering how close she was to be locked away here for good.

It was amazing how Neverland felt just like a typical city up top. There were many buildings, stores, entertainment, even vehicles. It was a city ran by the criminals. She was currently in Killian's district and it did not appear that he cared for the welfare of the people living within his area. She saw many people living on the streets, poor, starving, and begging for anything others were willing to give them. They were most likely petty criminals, people who probably did not deserve to be here. She was lucky that David saw something else within her, the part of her that she thought died with her parents. Belle stopped and looked at the people who were lingering around her. How did the government view them? Why are they here and she's out there? What makes her any different?

"Uhm, excuse me, miss?"

Belle turned around and automatically grabbed the stranger by the throat, cutting off any additional words he might have said. The man was stout and short, his blue eyes staring at her, wide with fear. Belle let him go and he knelt down picking up a red beanie that must have fallen off when Belle grabbed him. She could see him shaking as he was putting his hat back on. Belle gave him an impatient look, wishing for him to speak and to stop wasting her time.

Thankfully the man took the hint. "Hello, are you new around here? I don't remember ever seeing you before."

Belle tilted her head, but remained silent.

The man looked to the ground, visibly shaking. Belle began tapping her foot impatiently. She had to find Emma and leave Neverland as soon as possible, the place made her feel uneasy. Her tapping didn't make the man feel any better; he continued to stare at the floor. Faking a yawn Belle stretched her arms back and pulled a dagger. She had no intention of hurting the poor man, but she needed information.

The man must have noticed he movement and glanced up finally. She could see water build in his eyes. Belle looked at the man curiously, why he here, Neverland did not seem to be the place for him.

Belle's fingers caressed the blade of her dagger, "Look, I don't appreciate it when people waste my time." The man nodded, but didn't move to speak. "You are wasting my time." Belle knew she was scaring the man, but sometimes it was the only way to get anything done.

"Please, please, please," The man fell to his knees.

Belle glanced around them; he was drawing attention to them. She bit her bottom lip trying to think of a way to make it less noticeable. The man looked like he wasn't planning on moving, she could see wet spots on the ground below him, he was crying.

Belle rolled her eyes. This was proving to be more difficult than she intended. "Look, I won't hurt you; I just need you to answer a couple of questions. Please."

The man's shoulders sagged at least that was improvement. Belle took another quick glance around. She could see a group of about five men slowly approaching from an alleyway across the street.

"Is there somewhere else we can talk? I would actually love a drink." Belle added a smile, and she could see the man completely relax. After a moment he was again standing in front of her brushing the dirt from his pants. "I know of a pub, couple of blocks away."

Belle put her dragger back in its sheath, "Great, you lead and I'll follow."

The man nodded again and turned to head down the street. They made it about a block down when Belle could hear low whispers and light footsteps behind them. "You might want to duck in that alley right there."

The man turned, "What?"

At that moment she could hear the footsteps grow louder and faster. "Move!" Belle shoved the man into the alley and continued running away from the steps behind her.

Laughter started to build behind her, they were enjoying the chase. "Just my luck." Without notice Belle stopped running and turned to face them. It was the same five men she saw earlier. A couple of them had small pistols; another had a knife, while the remaining two looked to have long pieces of pipe. The man holding the knife stopped running, the others shortly followed his example.

"Looks like we found ourselves a new friend," the men laughed.

Belle remained silent. She needed to think of a plan. They didn't look like they would prove much of a challenge, but they outnumbered her too much to allow for any mistakes.

"Can I have a turn with her first?" Belle felt sick to her stomach.

Another one chipped in to the conversation, "She's too pretty for you."

The man with the knife chuckled. Belle assumed he must be the leader of their little group. "She's the prettiest one we've seen in a while. I believe it is only proper that I get first dibs."

"That's not fair."

"I'm the one who keeps all you idiots alive."

Belle just stood watching them bicker. This little fight between was pointless, because soon they would all be dead. Belle grinned; it had been awhile since she had some fun.

The five of them began to move, meaning to surround her. Belle simply stood and watched.

"Look, she's not even going to try and stop us." Belle stopped caring who spoke. She closed her eyes, waiting for their approach. She could hear them stepping closer. She started to count slowly. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. They were almost next to her. Seven. Eight. She could smell them. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. One reached and slightly touched her arm. "Lucky number thirteen." It came out as a purr. She felt the man closest to her freeze.

"What was that?"

Belle opened her eyes and looked him dead in the eye. "Lucky number thirteen." Before he could respond Belle ducked down and kicked his feet out from under him. He landed on the ground with a loud thud. A piece of pipe skidded across the ground, away from anyone's reach. The other four men lunged toward Belle and she reached behind her grabbing the daggers. As soon as they were in her hands she plunged them into the chest of the closest man, instantly killing him.

She swung around pulling her daggers out of the body and kicked another one. The man with the knife came behind her and grabbed her by her hair. She stomped down on his foot, but he only tightened his grip. "Little feisty, aren't we?"

"You have no idea." She pushed down with her right big toe and the blade slid out of her boot. She elbowed him in the chest which caused his grip to loosen so she could turn and kick him in the gut, sinking the blade into his intestines. The man tried to scream from the pain but only grunting sounds left his lips. Belle let him fall to his knees before she turned her attention on the remaining two. One had a pipe while the other was pointing his gun towards her. The one with the gun was clearly the bigger threat, the one she needed to take care of first. It would take a couple of seconds before the other could reach her with the pipe.

"You're going to regret this you little bitch." The one holding the gun was clearly trying to intimidate her. Belle laughed. "What's funny, bitch?"

"I was just picturing me plunging my blades into you." The man's gun lowered a hair, he was slightly scared. Belle took the opportunity, "Can you just imagine the pain you'll feel with the cool steel in you? Your blood rushing out of the wound, dripping onto the ground." She was purring and smirking, the perfect distraction.

She could see the influence she was having over him, his friend was also faltering. The man who she hit earlier was starting to stir; she needed to take care of him as well. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm bored." She tilted her head to the right, grinning.

She took her left dagger and threw it, hitting the man with the gun straight in the throat. His friend looked down at him in shock, and then looked at her. He dropped his pipe and attempted to back away, raising his hands in surrender. "Please, it was all them, I just do what I'm told."

Belle lifted an eyebrow. She was facing her inner demon, part of her knew that letting him live was the right thing, but she couldn't help but admit to herself that she was enjoying this. She didn't realize that she missed this side of her; it felt like basic instinct, second nature. The man was continuing to back away. She was running out of time and needed to make a decision. She needed to catch Killian's attention, from her research of him she knew that he was ruthless; he would want her to be as well.

"I'm sorry. I'll make it quick." She lunged towards the man and stabbed him right in the heart, instantly killing him.

Behind her the last man was crawling, he was probably hoping she had forgotten about him. She pulled her blade from the man she just killed, and then moved towards the other body, grabbing her second dagger. The man was now trying to stand up so he could run from her, but she was quicker. He was up on his knees by time she reached him. She grabbed his hair so she could tilt his head up; with the swift motion she slit his throat. Killing him quickly.

"That was impressive." The man with the red beanie stepped out of the alley Belle shoved him in. "Very impressive."

Belle continued to watch him as he went to each body, searching the bodies for things he could take. He also picked up the guns and placed them in a bag he had slung over his shoulder. He didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that there were five dead bodies, or that she was the one who killed them. How did he know that she wasn't going to kill him? She never made any promises.

"You seem quite calm."

He looked up at her, "Oh?"

"Earlier, you were shaking with fear and begging for your life."

He continued looting the bodies. "About that…"

Belle interrupted him, "Who are you?"

"Smee, William Smee. I work for Mr. Killian Jones…" He let the last name linger in the air, most likely waiting for her reaction.

"Killian Jones? You work for him?"

"You know your criminals. I'm in his inner circle. He sends me out occasionally to recruit fresh blood. Apparently I have a knack for it. My specialty is retrieving hard to find objects after all."

Belle let out a little sound of surprise. He was in Killian's inner circle; this man had been playing her from the beginning. "You've been playing me." She took a step closer to him, and he automatically took a step back. Her daggers were still in her hands, dripping with blood.

"It was necessary; normally by playing victim means I have a greater chance of living. You, however, are probably my greatest find."

Belle's lip quirked up, "Greatest find?"

"Yes, would you like to meet Jones, Miss…"

"French, Lacey. And yes, yes I would."