Disclaimer: As you can probably tell from the fact I'm rewriting seasons in fanfiction, I don't own Once Upon a Time or any of its characters.

Cora regarded the castle with a mix of wistfulness and disdain. The hiccup at the beanstalk had already put her off the pirate being particularly useful, carelessly getting himself caught while the girl had talked her way free. He had wasted her time and tried her patience… But he might serve as a distraction when the inevitable confrontation occurred. He could have the savior, but she wanted Snow White.

And there was the matter of the doe-eyed novice, cut from the same absurdly optimistic cloth as Snow. She wasn't Rumple's type at all and that...irritated her.

"I have to admit I'm not well prepared to deal with those sorts of beasts," Hook remarked, eyeing the pair of dragons, "Sea monsters, yes, but I didn't bring my harpoons."

The smaller one stood perched on a spire while the larger crouched on top of one of the walls. Junior seemed anxious, constantly moving about, while Senior was as still and unblinking as a gargoyle, fixated on them.

"A beast is a beast, whether it flies, swims, or speaks and stands on two legs," Cora raised her hand to the gates, starting to untangle the various protection spells placed upon it.

There had been little time for discussion about what they were going to do; Belle had taken Mary Margaret's hand and she had in turn grabbed Emma's. They bolted down the stairs as Belle led them to the back gardens and towards the stables. Magic aside Emma doubted there'd still be horses able to take them anywhere, but she was thrown a curveball when Belle instead went for a carriage. It was leaning up against the stables, and was in bad need of a cleaning, but once Belle got close enough it righted itself with a creak.

Cora had to admit that the spells were of decent quality; they slowed her down, amazingly enough. But finally she felt the last one crumble away and she swung open the gates. The dragons tensed but she paid them little mind, strolling up the path towards the castle. The younger one roared, sounding more like a sick lizard than any fear-inspiring creature. It spread its wings but still Cora continued her advancement. She glanced up only after it had launched off of the spire and prepared a hex to greet it with.

Screeching, the elder flung itself from the wall, racing after its cocky offspring. It twisted itself around its child as Cora cast the spell, receiving the full impact of it. The dragon rapidly turned to stone and shattered as it hit the ground, while the younger somersaulted head over claws.

Hook paused as Cora ascended the steps, hardly giving the incident a second thought. He glanced back as the wyvern recovered, screaming at the fragments that had once been its parent. It scrambled over, trying to fit pieces back together and weld them with licks of flame. Hook turned away before he could let the scene resonate, following the Queen of Hearts into the Dark Castle.

Maybe if Belle had more time she would've come with a better plan than "magic carriage and phasing through the back wall". But she knew better than to rely on the enchantments she had put on the gates to hold, and she didn't relish the thought of challenging Cora without the ink.

Mary Margaret looked unsettled, Emma motion sick, as the carriage tore through the path of least resistance, occasionally jolting them as it caught a root or stone. They rode in silence until the wails of Baden began. Belle twisted around in her seat, staring back in horror the way they had come.

Mary Margaret was quick to reach across and take Belle's hand, "He's fine," she insisted quickly.

Belle turned around and saw that her friend was doing her best to believe her own words, forcing a grimace that was supposed to be a smile.

"He's fine," she repeated and Belle's stomach clenched.

"...he's fine," she choked out, trying to force out the possibilities that threatened to play out in her head. There was nothing she could do now... Nothing to help her dragons.

She didn't feel much like a khaleesi anymore.

IIII

It was an interesting, if not farfetched idea; storing memories so that they could be recalled if they were lost. She hadn't questioned what use it would be for the curse; either they would have their memories or they wouldn't remember anything of their lives before. She couldn't imagine they'd only have a partial memory at any point...

But she supposed it was worth a shot, and it could be useful, if not interesting. As open as Rumple was now that they had faced his past, there were still things he didn't elaborate much on and things she didn't think to ask about.

She was exhausted from doing memory extraction all day, but physically and emotionally. Having to picture some of the scenes and hold them long enough for the extraction to take place brought tears to her eyes. She had already done her mother's death, the aftermath of her and Rumple's only kiss, her father's rejection... She needed something happy to end on.

She closed her eyes again and thought of the time she had snuck out of bed to see her first ball. She remembered the music and the lights...she remembered spotting her parents and watching them dance. She could still see how her papa's eyes lit up and how wide her mother's smile had been. Clinging to the images she raised her hand, flexing and unflexing her fingers in front of her forehead as if she were trying to hypnotize someone. The memory became easier to hold onto, almost to the point of being totally immersed in it. Then, before she was completely lost to it, the image was gone. She opened her eyes to find a floating glowing yellow ball drifting in front of her and she carefully handled it with her magic. With all of the delicacy she could muster, she carried it and set it down into the net of the empty dreamcatcher. She wrote on the label "first dance" and then went to hang it in the cabinet with the rest of hers.

She glanced over her results, giving a defeated sigh as she realized she had a long way to go. She had most of the important memories preserved but, considering how many memories she possessed total, she had hardly made a dent. She glanced towards Rumple's collection which was understandably massive. Nearly three centuries worth of deals, manipulation, and loneliness with only the occasional glimmer of happiness... It completely dwarfed her anthology.

There must be so many stories on those hooks...

She glanced around, even though she knew Rumplestiltskin had left to fetch something from the village. Justifying that she would only glance at the labels, she opened his cabinet and started flicking through. Some were easy to imagine what they could contain; "Happiest Day of My Life" was, obviously, Bae's birth and conversely, "Worst Day of My Life" was when he had lost him. She found their wedding right behind it and a pattern emerged from that first row; she and Bae were at the forefront of the collection. Getting a stool she found more ambiguous terms; "Eleanor and the Cloak", "Pig Butcher Incident", "First Night With Scheherazade". Fetching the ladder she started in on those memories he preferred to forget; "Milah's Death", "Going AWOL", "Kicking Belle Out". Her shifting paused as she came to one labeled "Gold Spinning With Cora". She knew about Cora of course, and that Rumple had trained her and flirted with her and ultimately she had chosen Prince Henry over him.

Whenever Belle had asked for him to teach her how to spin straw into gold, he had always changed the subject or brushed it aside. She had never thought much of it until now.

She descended the ladder and activated the dreamcatcher, the web lighting up with a gold shimmer as an image came to life. It started off basic enough; the only oddity was that Cora had actually read the contract before signing. Younger Cora had scarcely tried before complaining to Rumplestiltskin, who told her to stop thinking about it. Belle grimaced as Rumple advised on drawing from her anger for the emotion behind the magic. Rationally it made sense but seeing Rumple this bitter... Having to hear about that moment with Hordor...

"Let me help you."

Belle couldn't look away as he put his hands on the woman's bare shoulders, easing himself down behind Cora. His nose brushing her skin, breathing her in. His arm running up hers in a gentle caress. His lips whispering against her cheek.

This went far beyond his normal flirtations with those he dealt with. He was actually coming on to her, growls as soft as his touches. The dreamcatcher clattered to the table as Belle fought the urge to vomit.

"Belle?"

Her head whipped up to see her husband standing in the doorway, holding a lunch tray and completely unaware how things had changed. He glanced down and spotted the dreamcatcher, his nose wrinkling.

"What are you doing going through my memories?"

"It doesn't matter," she choked, storming around the table. He set the tray down and went to read the label.

"...Belle what on earth are you doing looking at this?"

"Well I certainly didn't know what exactly I was going to be looking at!" She snapped, continuing out of the room.

Rumplestiltskin stood for a moment, caught off-guard. His gut was telling him to apologize to her...but for what? She had been the one rooting around in his memories without asking, and it wasn't like he hadn't told her about him and Cora. Why should he apologize for a dalliance that happened before she was even conceived?

II

The carriage slowed and eventually stopped at an opening that could've been mistaken for a cave, if not for the reinforcing wooden beams. Belle stepped out first, then Mary Margaret and Emma.

"Doesn't seem like it's been twenty eight years," Mary Margaret said, "Feels like just the other day we were coming here to..." She trailed off, glancing at Belle.

Belle was clearly thinking about the same thing, her arms crossed as she glared at the entrance to the dwarf mines. Mary Margaret went to touch her shoulder but she withdrew.

"...I know you did what you felt you had to," she murmured, "I even know that it was what he wanted... But it still hurts. You took the side of a woman you barely knew who had the sense of a goat and locked my husband underground in a dirt-floored cell."

"Belle," Mary Margaret said softly, trying to push down her guilt, "I know you love him but... He's done unspeakable things..."

"So did Regina but you gave her a cell with a view, completely furnished. You treated Rumple worse than a beast," she shook her head, "We can't get into this, though; no doubt Cora already knows we're gone and it's only a matter of time before she figures out where we are, if not where we're going."

Her arms still folded, Belle walked briskly inside the mines. Emma took Mary Margaret's hand, squeezed it, and together they descended into the earth.

Emma saw Belle's point about the conditions; the further down they went the colder and damper it seemed. She had lit a couple of torches, passing one to each of them.

"How long was he down here?" Emma blurted out.

"A few months," Belle said casually, "You remember the deal with Ashley?"

"Yeah..."

"She changed her mind earlier than the day she talked to you... She sent a letter to Rumple saying she was having twins and wanted to renegotiate because their crops were failing or some other nonsense. The ink in the pen used to sign was the very squid ink we're going to use on Cora...so at least we know it works."

Emma had...no idea what to do with this information. On one hand, trading for babies was extremely unethical but on the other... Even Gold shouldn't have been stuck down here, and if Ashleyrella had gone back on her deal...

Belle reached back to squeeze Emma's shoulder and give her a small smile, "Your parents were thinking of you," she reassured her, "Well, I'm assuming they were... Anyway, it's where he wanted to be."

Mary Margaret turned to her, "What?"

"Rumplestiltskin wanted to be caught," Belle said, going to slide her torch into one of the fixtures on the wall, "He wanted to be easily accessible to both you and Regina for the last stages of the curse... For Ella to be indebted at the least and at the most... We could've had a child."

The weight of the statement stilled them for a few moments before Belle stepped into the cell. The ink wasn't out on display and, though it would've been nice, she hadn't really expected it to be that easy. They started to search the crevices of the rocks, Mary Margaret using the cracks to climb up higher.

"It has to be in here somewhere," she insisted. Belle ran her hands over the stones, trying to think like he would.

Emma tensed as she spotted something behind a boulder, her heart sinking as she realized what it was. She picked it up and showed it to the others.

"Well...it was here..."

Mary Margaret glanced back as Belle approached, examining the empty ink well. She bit her lip thoughtfully, "It might've spilled..."

There was a clunk before the teeth of the gate came crashing down behind them. They spun in unison to see Hook leaning against the lever, Cora not far behind.

"You could've made it a bit more difficult," Hook critiqued, "Like pulling up a net on fish..."

Belle felt a weight lift off of her and watched in horror as her knapsack appeared in Cora's hand. The woman checked its contents and then gave her a pitying look, "All your eggs in one basket too... It's almost like you didn't want to go home."

She tried to sense weaknesses in the bars, to break them, or even to get the lever to turn back, but Belle might as well have been trying to poof herself back home.

"Don't waste your energy, dear; Rumplestiltskin himself couldn't escape from his cell." Cora's lips curled in a condescending smirk, "You may have his power in your veins, but you still have a long way to go before you're ready to play with the big girls."

Belle lashed out but Cora stepped back, wrinkling her nose as if a child's jelly-smeared hand had almost grabbed her gown.

"Much as I hate to get between a good catfight, we really should be going," Hook said, "Time has started moving again and I'm a little antsy to move from vengeance to resolution."

"Of course, dear captain," Cora turned away, "I'm very anxious to meet my grandson Henry."

Emma threw herself at the bars, hitting them again and again, "You leave Henry alone!" She screamed after Cora, "You leave my son alone!" Cora gave Emma a bemused glance before walking away.

Hook hesitated for a moment, meeting Belle's eyes.

"Don't do this," she murmured, "It won't give you peace to go after him."

His jaw tightened, "Maybe not...but it'll feel damn good." He pivoted and followed after the Queen of Hearts.

Belle sank dejectedly against the bars, while Emma crouched down to try and pry the door up. She hated to say either one of them were right, but it had been almost comical how easily they had locked them up and stolen away the items they had worked so hard to obtain. She was just about to get down and try to help Emma when Mary Margaret gasped.

"Did you find something?" Belle asked, spinning to face her.

"Yeah but... I don't know what I found."

Emma paused in her digging to stand up. Mary Margaret met Belle's eyes, "Did Rumple mention leaving a note for Emma?"

Belle frowned, "I don't think so...why?"

Instead of answering, Mary Margaret unfurled the parchment in her hand. On one side was the reissued faux deal but on the other…Emma's name had been written hundreds of times, different flourishes but all very nearly the same size. Belle felt a stab of secondhand embarrassment at the evidence of his manic infatuation.

Emma's eyes widened in horror, "...what the actual hell…"

"He was obsessed with you, Emma; you were the key to breaking the curse." Mary Margaret offered the scroll to Belle.

Belle avoided Emma's stare, "...he knew before I was even born? He made me the savior?"

"He didn't make you into anything; everything you are is because of what you've done," Belle assured her, "He just took advantage of what you are, the product of true love."

She held the parchment up to her nose and sniffed, making a face, "That's definitely squid ink."

"Well that would've been useful two minutes ago," Mary Margaret muttered.

"Might still be useful now..."

There had never been a ton of scratch-and-sniff spell books around the dark castle; Rumplestiltskin equated them to cheating. Besides, it was difficult when most spells of this type were one-use. It didn't make a lot of sense for Rumple to have a paralyzing ink in a cell he was already trapped in...but to manually etch a spell in case he needed to escape...

Belle took a deep breath, calming herself and letting the magic do its work. The words floated off the page and, with a simple huff, they drifted towards the bars and dissolved them. Mary Margaret let out a surprised laugh and Emma straightened.

"Come on," she urged, taking the lead. Her identity crisis could wait until they were home safely.

IIII

He had every intention of going to her and sorting things out. He wanted to make it right, to settle it and then move on. Belle, however, wasn't in the mood for peace.

She wasn't in the library, or any of her reading nooks that she had created around the castle. She wasn't attempting to cook, or gardening. Finally he saw a light in the stables and reluctantly went to visit them.

The horse noticed him first, snorting and tossing its mane in agitation. Belle paused in her grooming of its coat, glaring at him for a moment before resuming.

"It's alright, Phillipe," she cooed, "It's just my asshole."

"As quaint as your cutesy nicknames are, dear, I don't think I'm being much of an asshole tonight," he argued, "I mean, it's not as if I hadn't already told you about Cora…"

"Well it's one thing to know and a whole other thing to actually see it." She tossed the brush back into the grooming box, "And there is a vast difference between "I want to have children with you" and just about taking her right then and there!"

Rumplestiltskin tensed not appreciating her tone, "Why were you even looking through my memories, especially if it was marked "Cora"?!"

Belle wasn't about to admit her flimsy reason, picking up the box and stepping out of Phillipe's stall. Rumplestiltskin's peace-seeking agenda had retreated in the wake of his defensively raised hackles, and with the agenda went the majority of his sense.

"Are you really going to be upset because I dared to desire other women before you? I might not be a man but I'm not a eunuch!"

"That was made abundantly clear!" She snapped, storming past him, "Makes me wonder how many decisions you've made based on your dick!"

"Well I've got one in front of me right now!"

"I'm a dick decision?!"

"Yes, yes you are!"

He had to trot to keep up with her and with a single glare backwards she started trotting as well.

"I'm surprised you've never called me Cora!" She spat.

"And why on earth would I do that?! You're completely different people!"

"I'm glad you acknowledge that!"

She stomped inside and he tried to cut her off before she went for the stairs. She tried to side-step him but he blocked her. She kicked the stool of his spinning wheel in frustration.

"Regina could be your daughter for all you know!"

Now that was below the belt, "She is not!"

"How do you know?!"

"Because I know!"

He side-stepped her and stalked his way towards the staircase. It was Belle's turn to chase after him.

"And how on earth would you know?! Did you make a test?!"

"I didn't need to!"

"What do you mean you didn't need to?! Look at me, you bastard!" He, of course, did not.

He could've possibly deescalated the situation right there but the accusation was too much to simply talk it out. Belle was being completely unreasonable, and it was so rare that he was in the right that he'd cling to it for all it was worth.

II

"I may be a simple pirate, but I know one thing; lakes have water."

Where would Cora be without this extremely insightful captain? She would have never guessed that lakes needed water... He wasn't even worth rolling her eyes over.

Cora pulled out the waterskin, "This water has magical properties... I don't think it's a stretch to assume it was what they were going to use to restore the ash."

She unscrewed the lid and poured its contents into the depression of earth. The water hit the ground and ignited, remembering itself as it was returned to its rightful place. It spread and grew; within moments a portion of the dried up lake bed had returned to its former glory. She then rifled through Belle's knapsack until she found the compass and the wardrobe ash.

"Would you care to do the honors?" She offered.

Hook took the vial of wardrobe ash, tugging the cork out with his teeth and spitting it aside. He dumped the ash into the lake water and watched disinterestedly as it swirled, creating a luminescent vortex. Seemed like no matter the method all portals created with water looked alike.

Cora offered her hand, the compass resting in its palm, "Don't let go, unless you want to end up some place that isn't Storybrooke," she warned.

He rested his hand over the compass, his fingers curling around her hand. He glanced at her and she gave him that nauseatingly saccharine smile.

"I told you that I'd deliver you to Rumplestiltskin," she purred.

It didn't matter that she kept her word; Hook still wasn't trusting her as far as he could throw her with his left hand. Despite himself, his mind wandered back to the cave, and though he'd have far less success in his mission if she had he found himself wishing the crocodile's fierce mate hadn't been so silly as to not pay attention to her surroundings.

"On three," Cora said, and he braced himself to leap with her, "One-"

An arrow whizzed between them, catching the compass' chain and tearing it from their grasp. When they looked across the pond, they saw Mary Margaret lowering her bow, flanked by her daughter and her friend.

"You're not going anywhere!" She shouted.

"Grab the compass," Cora murmured to Hook, skirting the lake, "I'll deal with them."

Of course she had found a way out of that cell, Hook mentally grumbled. Now if only they had planned for that.

III

For once, Regina's motives weren't completely selfish. Yes she was terrified at the thought of her mother coming into her town to wreck havoc, but it wouldn't just be her who would suffer. Even if Cora left the rest of the population alone, she was guaranteed to want into Henry's life. Regina would not let her mother ruin Henry the way she had been ruined.

She was doing this town a favor, and if the trio did somehow triumph over Cora... Then their deaths would be unfortunate, but she was trying to help, trying to do the right thing. She could hardly be blamed for that, could she?

And yet, despite insisting she was trying to change for Henry... There was a nagging fear in the back of her mind that she was taking the risk because either way she'd win.

Gold's security hadn't improved since the Ashley incident, and it hadn't taken a genius to absorb the fairy diamonds into the wand. Now she was making her way up the hill towards the wishing well Rumple had mentioned, going over the spell in her mind. It was one she had memorized for just such a case, after her mother had been kicked to the Wonderland curb.

When she looked up and saw Rumple standing between her and the well, she was only mildly surprised.

"Now what are you doing, dearie?" He hissed, "Surely you're not daft enough to think you could get away with this."

"It has nothing to do with daftness," she said, continuing towards the well even as he sneered at her, "It's called sense, which you have apparently lost if you're willing to believe it's not going to be Cora crawling out of there."

"It's not," he snapped, "Now give me the wand before I have to make you."

She stopped, standing toe-to-toe with the imp. And she had to smile, because he had seemed to have forgotten that she knew him. His little snarl and bravado wasn't fooling her.

"You'll have to rip it out of my perfectly manicured fist," she insisted, "But you're not going to."

"Really."

"Really."

"You're threatening to incinerate my wife, of course I am."

"Then do it, but I think deep down...you want me to cast it. I think somewhere there's a part of you that knows they're not going to make it. I think the only reason you're not helping me is because your precious Belle is at risk, and you can't stand to think of her as fallible." She shook her head, "It's like you've forgotten your own teachings since she wandered into your castle. Love is weakness, and you're being blinded by it."

Rumplestiltskin was silent, his snarl losing some of its anger as his glare softened into uncertainly.

She held up the wand, "We'll find another way to get them back... But right now we need to end her once and for all."

He examined the wand, guilt washing over him as he realized Regina's words were sinking in and hitting home. He was a practical man; yes it was three against two, and the three included his wife and the savior. But the savior had next to no experience, and even if he let Belle have all of their combined power it would be generous to say she had five years practice with wielding magic. Cora had decades, and the pirate had lived centuries. Slitting throats would be no more difficult for him than Rumple turning someone into a snail. He didn't even know if they had found the squid ink, or if Belle could extract it back to its liquid form and rid it of the spell he had woven just in case Regina had failed to enact the curse.

If only he had another night; they could easily set this up as a trap, get rid of Cora and Hook. Maybe he could find some way to warn her while they were awake, get her to save them and let-

"Mom!"

He was pulled from his thoughts as he saw Henry racing towards them, David lagging behind him. Regina lowered the wand, both of the storybook villains looking particularly guilty as the boy ran up to them.

"What are you doing?!"

"And what is he doing here?" Regina asked, looking irritably at David.

David shrugged, "He snuck out when he heard we were meeting up this morning... He wanted to be here when they got back."

Mr. Gold had never pegged the shepherd prince as the manipulative type, but by the way he was looking at Regina it was clear that Henry's presence wasn't a mere accident.

"He couldn't get a hold of you," Henry accused her, "You promised to meet at Mr. Gold's shop before you came out here, but you weren't there! Neither of you were!"

His heart ached more for the boy than Regina, who had backed herself into a corner. He remembered that look of betrayal in Baelfire's eyes and even though she had gotten under his skin and nearly convinced him to go turncoat... He'd show her mercy, for Henry's sake.

"He couldn't get a hold of her because we were down in the mines collecting the dust," he lied, "David must have forgotten we changed the meeting to here... Didn't you?"

David's eyes narrowed towards Mr. Gold but as soon as Henry turned to him the annoyance faded, "Oh...yeah that's right. They were supposed to stop at the shop for the wand and I was supposed to meet them at the well."

Henry glanced between the three adults, suspicious. But they clung to the shared lie they had created to protect the poor boy, and slowly he relented.

"So you are going to help get them back?" He asked Regina.

Regina nodded, "I am."

Henry watched her for a moment, before going to hug her, "I'm sorry I doubted you. You really are trying to change, aren't you?"

She stroked her son's hair, smiling down at him and enjoying the rare treat of affection from him, "I told you I was."

David and Mr. Gold exchanged a meaningful glance, cementing the fact that he and Regina had been caught being shady but there was no reason for Henry to know as long as the plan was put right back on track. David raised an eyebrow disbelievingly and Mr. Gold shook his head. He doubted he could explain to the optimist just why he had almost gone with the death trap when there was any risk of their wives being caught in it.

"I suppose you'll do the honors, then," Mr. Gold said. Regina nodded, nudging Henry away. Henry retreated to stand with his grandfather, who put a supportive hand on his shoulder.

Regina took a deep breath, waving the wand over the enchanted water. A stream of light magic caused the wand to glow before cascading down into the well, causing it to swirl. Regina held the spell until the magic was completely gone from the wand, then stepped back to stand by her mentor.

"Doesn't matter who comes through now," she muttered under her breath to him, "We just rolled out the welcome mat for them."

"Well whoever it is," he muttered back, gripping his cane tighter, "We'll be ready for them."

II

There was a single glance between Mary Margaret and Emma before all hell broke loose. Wordlessly Emma went right and Mary Margaret went left, drawing an arrow and notching it while Emma unsheathed her sword. Hook stood guard over the area where the compass had fallen, and Cora approached Mary Margaret.

Her memories of her step-grandmother were few and vague, besides the moment when Cora had gotten her to tell her about Daniel. There was an incident with a spell book that had left her with the permanent ability to communicate with birds but even then Cora had only shown mild annoyance that her privacy had been violated. Mary Margaret knew so little about her...and yet she couldn't bring herself to do more than aim the weapon at her.

Cora disappeared, and then there was a whistle from behind her. She jumped and Cora snickered.

"Won't Regina be pleased when I come bearing a gift for her?" She cooed, forming a ball of fire in her hand, "You know, she's always wanted your heart."

Before Mary Margaret could act, Cora hurled the flames at her. A stream of water rose from the lake and hit it, causing a column of steam to rise between Mary Margaret and her. She stepped through it but it was too late; Mary Margaret had retreated to pull the pirate off of her daughter.

"I think I'm starting to see why you and Rumple didn't work out." Cora calmly turned around to face the bedraggled Caretaker, who looked no more threatening than a kitten woken up from a nap. "You see he's sort of a family man and doesn't really believe in ripping relative's hearts out...even if the relation's through marriage."

"That's nice dear, but parlor tricks and hiding behind insults isn't going to save you." Belle fell flat on her back as the ground shifted under her, "Since you seem so eager to learn, I'll show you what a real witch can do."

Between a mother bear and her cub, Hook hadn't stood a chance. Emma and Mary Margaret shared a relieved laugh as they dug the compass out of the sand, him lying unconscious nearby. In the same instant, they remembered their comrade and looked up.

It was hard to make out exactly was going on; there was a mix of sand and steam, with the occasional burst of flame or splash of water. Figuring out who had the upper hand was just as difficult; occasionally there'd be a flash of black silk or denim but the fight rocked back and forth, each woman retreating and advancing in turn. Then Cora was thrown to the ground and Belle had enough time to glance over at them. They held the compass up triumphantly and she grinned, running towards them.

Until she was slammed down by an unseen force, Cora getting to her feet and brushing herself off.

"Belle!"

"You need to go!" She shouted, fighting against the magic as she struggled back up, "That portal's not going to stay open forever!"

"We're not leaving without you!" Mary Margaret insisted.

"You have to!" A wave crashed up onto the earth, but Cora merely turned it back on itself, "I can't keep her back forever! You need to jump! Now!"

They might have stood there arguing all day, but Emma did notice that the portal was beginning to shrink. If they didn't go soon, then none of them would be getting home. She held her hand towards Mary Margaret, the compass resting in it. Mary Margaret stared as Belle blocked another attack from Cora.

"I'll find a way back!" Belle screamed, "GO!"

Tears gathered in her eyes as she took Emma's hand, neither of them looking back as they jumped feet first into the portal. Belle had microseconds to feel relief that they had escaped, then grief that she was still here, before Cora launched another attack.

III

They waited with baited breath, staring at the portal. The silence was stifling; the tension required a jackhammer to break. Their eyes remained on the well, constantly vigilant for the first signs of their loved ones' return...or to face their enemies.

It finally broke as there was a splash, then a hand with a red leather sleeve clinging to the side of the well.

"Mom!"

Henry broke away from Regina, rushing over to greet Emma as she appeared. Mary Margaret came up next, and her husband went to embrace her and pull her out. Mr. Gold's heart pounded as he craned his neck, waiting for a chestnut curl or a delicate pale hand. He blocked out the welcoming and congratulations, straining to see or hear or even smell his beloved wife. He remained alert as they cleared, figuring Belle was playing with him, or having difficulty getting out of the portal. Maybe the water level had receded and he'd hear her any second now calling up for help.

He was startled by a hand on his shoulder, and he turned to see Mary Margaret's sympathetic gaze.

"She stayed behind, Rumplestiltskin. She made sure we'd get through."

"What?" He felt as though he had missed something, that he had tuned out the "just kidding" or the "she'll be up in a minute".

"She stayed to keep Cora from coming over," Emma clarified, "She saved us."

Mr. Gold's lips curled back, "You...left her?"

"She made us!" Mary Margaret protested, "The portal was going to close-"

"And you left her behind with Cora!" He snapped, "She got everything together for a portal and you abandoned her!"

"Calm down, Gold, we can make another portal, we just need to figure out how," Emma insisted.

"Just make another portal?! Just make another portal?!" His voice cracked on his hysterics, "She's back there with a dangerous sorceress and a pirate with a grudge but I can just make another portal?! Because they're so easy to come across?!"

David reached as if to restrain him but Mr. Gold jerked away. He knew he was losing it; he knew if he stayed much longer someone would either end up dead or he'd break down sobbing. Without another word he left them, going back to his Cadillac alone.

He grit his teeth as he slid into the driver's seat, "This is why we don't play hero, Belle," he growled under his breath, "Because heroes always have to make the sacrifice... You might be fine with it but I'm not... I'm not fine with you being the price for Emma and Snow White to come home..."

He really needed to get somewhere private before he completely lost it.

IIII

The fight lasted a week. It was officially the longest they had ever fought before.

It wasn't like they didn't miss each other; on the contrary they missed each other very much. Rumple tossed and turned all night while Belle took to reading to keep from actually going to bed. They avoided each other, because when they met the claws came out, and hours of screaming and yelling and chasing each other up and down staircases occurred. Both were firmly rooted in their belief that they were right, and nothing could change it.

But Rumplestiltskin's barricade softened when he came across his wife sobbing.

He had been risking a trip through the grand hall, his desire for food stronger than his desire to keep from fighting with Belle. He heard the soft sniffles coming from her armchair by the fireplace and had hesitantly gone to investigate.

She was curled up in a ball, arms wrapped around her legs with her knees pressed to her chest. Her face was buried there as she sobbed, nails digging into her calves. Instinct took over and he knelt in front of her, a tentative hand resting on the seat cushion.

"Dearie..."

Belle looked up and her face creased. His hand moved closer as he gazed up at her, concerned.

"I hated it, Rumple," she choked, "I hated seeing that."

At long last, the argument was being boiled down to its roots. The yelling and screaming was done with, and now it was just talk.

"I didn't know you were coming, Belle," he murmured, "I...thought she was the one. I didn't know any better."

"I know, I know..." Belle's hand went to take his, "...you can see the future, but damn it if you've ever seen anything related to me. You're always so surprised."

He gave a rough laugh, his thumb stroking her skin, "...I know Regina isn't my daughter because it never went that far. One day we were discussing children and running away together and that night... She decided to go with the prince."

Belle scooted over and Rumple took it as invitation to squeeze in beside her, curling around her.

"...she hurt you, didn't she?"

"Yes."

"You thought if she couldn't accept you, then no one could."

"...yes."

She turned to rest her head on his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her, "I think...it wasn't so much that you were that close with her. I mean it was upsetting but not seven days and nights worth of anger... I think...what scared me the most...was seeing how you acted around her. That darkness... Wearing it like it was your true self..."

"Belle, you are one of two people who can bring out the best in me," he murmured, "No other woman could bring out the man in the monster but you. She brought out the darkness, but you bring out the light."

She closed her eyes, listening to him breathing for a few moments, "...it's still terrifying to think about, what she drew out of you and how you two bonded. I'm thankful to know the truth, and I do know you love me... But I don't ever want to see that side of you if I can help it."

III

He hadn't gone back home. He hadn't made it that far. He had retreated to the shop and smashed things until he was assuaged, and then he wept.

Now, as night was starting to close around Storybrooke, he had wrapped himself in the comfort of being numb. He went about cleaning up the shop as if it were a typical day... He idly wondered if he'd ever see his wife again, and when. He worried about the cat and how it would take the news that its mother wasn't coming home, possibly ever. He even considered a trip across the town line, figuring it would hurt a lot less than living without Belle.

Mr. Gold's back was to the door as the bell rang and he sighed.

"I'm not dealing tonight, dearie."

"That's a pity. I suppose I'll just have to come back tomorrow."

At first, to make sure his ears weren't deceiving him, he glanced in the mirror on the wall. A warm smile greeted him as he saw a chestnut haired woman standing at the entrance, blue eyes bright with happiness. Mr. Gold spun around and there she was, smug as ever.

"Belle!"

He fumbled around the counter as she ran to meet him, squealing as he picked her up and twirled her around.

"I told you I'd make my way back to you," she insisted as he set her down.

"That you did, love... That you did."

He held her for ages but she didn't seem to mind, her chin resting on his shoulder and staring at the back wall, beaming.

Not far from the shop lay Storybrooke Harbor, several ships anchored there. One in particular stood out; much bigger and grander than the others, and not one that had been parked there during the curse. Rather it would have stood out, if it had been visible, but a cloaking spell concealed it and its three passengers. One was the captain, while the other two were cargo.

Belle stirred, her head throbbing as she slowly regained consciousness. Her eyes opened and she noticed she was in a cage; just wide enough to stretch her legs and just tall enough to let her stand. She gingerly touched the back of her head, scowling.

She would have had Cora on the ropes, if Hook hadn't come to, snuck up behind her and knocked her out.

She glanced over and gasped as she saw her fellow prisoner in his own cage, "Anton?!" He was out cold though, and showed no response other than his chest rising and falling.

She stood up and immediately noticed two things; one, she was completely unarmed. Completely. No matter how she patted herself down or looked around her cell she saw no sign of the dagger she had carried strapped to her back, hidden except for that one night of homesickness.

The second was a giant mirror set very purposefully across from her cage and as she watched an image came into focus. She pressed herself against the bars as she saw Rumple, heartbreakingly dejected as he cleaned the shop. The door open and he warned whoever it was that he wasn't in the mood for dealing.

Then she heard her own voice, saw her own face, watched herself as Rumple eagerly went to meet her, spinning her around and holding her tightly as she would expect if she had come home from a long absence. Then the doppleganger rested her chin on Rumple's shoulder, looking straight at her through the mirror and grinning in an unmistakably Cora way.

Hook was above deck, sharpening his appendage as he mulled over how he was going to kill the crocodile now that it was apparent Storybrooke had magic. Cora had assured him that there was still a way to do so, but she hadn't been very generous with the information that made her so confident. Perhaps she knew of the dagger's location... He froze as he heard the scream, a scream that made his blood run cold and his hair stand on end.

It wasn't the scream of a woman who realized she had been captured. It wasn't even a scream of pain at watching "herself" reunite with her husband. No, the scream he heard Belle make was the terrifying screech of a harpy intent on blood for retribution.

IIIIII

So after about two years of having this in my head, it's finally out... And I am really excited. We miiight've just boarded the angst train but this fandom is kind of used to it by now.

Sneak peek: It doesn't take long for Rumple to pick up on something being wrong with "Belle", and it doesn't take Cora long to start plotting.