Chapter 12


However, Nova wasn't as ready as Belle, if her trembling hands and sweaty forehead were any kind of indication.

Belle watched as the woman breathed deeply, focusing her eyes in her barely-there bump. The librarian grabbed the woman's hand and squeezed her fingers.

"You will do great! You're an amazing fairy!" Belle said with a smile and Nova giggled.

She was not that great, in fact, she was so clumsy she could barely touch anything without breaking it or making a mistake that would cause terrible damages, but Belle's trust and the warm of her hand made her braver.

"Did I ever told you how my first day in the Dark Castle was?" Belle asked and Nova shook her head, confused. "I tried to serve tea to Rumple… and ended up chipping a cup… when I tried to make dinner I burned the bread and he had to extinguish the fire with magic… From then on, that cup became his favorite and that oven became my fiercest goal to achieve…" Belle told her.

Nova understood what she was trying to say… Not everything bad in the past remains in the present, we can learn and cherish those mistakes because they are who we are…

"Thank you…" Nova said, and with renewed hope, she put her wand over Belle's belly and whispered to herself. A red liquid appeared inside the vial she was grabbing and Belle shivered, feeling cold over her body at seeing something that belonged inside her baby outside… But she was sure Nova did everything perfectly and her child was safe.

"And now…" Nova said, grabbing the photograph with the spell. "This one is a bit tricky, but we can do it…"

Nova's wand touched the inside of Belle's wrist and she felt a cutting sensation, observing a small drop of blood float to mix with another one from the vial. A small golden light appeared over her middle and Belle felt like she was under a summer sun. It was like the warm was spreading from the central point in her abdomen to the rest of her body, making her sleepy and content at the same time. She felt her eyelids drop and in a second she was sleeping.

Nova rose from her chair beside the sofa where Belle was sleeping. She knew it took a lot of energy from Belle to have those spells performed over her, but she expected she would wake in a few hours, ready to take the journey of her life.

"Rest, Belle… You are going to need that energy very soon…" Nova whispered, touching her curly hair softly and leaving the house. She needed to be with Grumpy, she needed to see he was still there, in their small house, ready to hug her and kiss and make her laugh.


Belle woke hours later with the sun beating against her eyelids. She looked around and found herself in her sofa, without any trace of the photographs Nova brought the previous night. The fairy probably destroyed them, so no one would find out what they were doing. She just hoped that her newest friend, yes, because she considered Nova a good and trustworthy friend, wouldn't get in trouble with the others fairies… She could imagine all too well the Blue Fairy's condemnatory face.

The woman ran upstairs, ready to pack a bag. As soon as the opportunity arose she would ask for Anton's help at using the beans and would leave to find Baelfire. For some moments, she wondered if she shouldn't ask for someone's company, but then, the town's safety would be compromised in another missing vigilante. And even being away, she wanted all the people safe… She saw that as her responsibility! So, readying everything for her departure, she left the house with a new energy in her steps.

"Hey Belle!" Ruby said when she entered the dining. The woman was cleaning a plate with much too care, and when the kitchen door opened and Whale appeared, Belle couldn't stop the surprised expression.

"I'm helping her." he explained,while putting the lasagna plate over the counter in front of an old woman.

"Where is Granny?" Belle asked and Red's face paled.

"She is not feeling all that great. I told her she shouldn't be doing all those shifts..." the werewolf girl said and Belle realised it was because of her idea that the old woman was having to work harder. And remembering she had to leave in a near future made her even more unease.

"Where is she?" Belle asked again and Ruby answered telling her she was in her room, to the old woman's much chagrin.

Belle smiled and waved, leaving the dinner and heading towards the other building behind the dinner.

"Can I?" she asked, when she found herself in front of Granny's room, knocking on the door. However, no one answered… Belle found herself with fear permeating through her mind. What if the woman was sicker than she was letting on? Swallowing her good manners, Belle tried the knob and opened the door… finding an empty bedroom in front of her. She entered the place and saw how immaculate it looked with its pristine curtains and windows; the books neatly arranged in a small shelve.

Belle was ready to leave the room when she found something out of the place on the floor. A wooden box with some arrows, a dagger and a bow was open beside the bed. Realizing the missing piece, Belle knew exactly where Granny was and wandered through the woods until she could hear the sound of a string and an arrow.


"I thought you were sick…" Belle said, seeing Granny stop her practice to look at her.

"I talked with my crazy granddaughter… She worries too much, just because I have a small fever, she thinks I'm good to go… It must be that doctor's fault…" the woman sneered and Belle laughed. "But why are you here? Do you need something?"

For some moments Belle thought about telling her everything, from the baby to her future trip, but then, her mouth opened and the words pilled down.

"Can you teach me how use a crossbow?"