Hey, sorry for the slow update. I've been a little busy. But I was quite excited to write more scenes with Belle and Jefferson. And here they are...

One of the nurses, a man, walked into Belle's cell with a huge grin,

"You're free!" he said, gently squeezing one of her hands. Belle looked up at the man with a friendly smile, but was slightly confused.

"Yeah. I guess I am." She was wearing the same clothes she had when she first got here. Even though Belle didn't remember this happening, she knew she couldn't wait to get home to wash up and start normal life again.

The man led her out of the room and into the hallway. Then they went round a few corners which eventually led them to the front desk, where a lady was sitting.

"Could we have the form please?" he asked the lady. Belle watched as she took a piece of paper out from a file and grabbed a nearby pen. She handed it to the man and he held the paper up in front of Belle.

"You just need to sign this," he said, "then you can leave." The man handed it to her, and she quickly filled in her name, "Oh, and your father will be coming to collect you shortly." He added a little grimly.

Belle kindly smiled at the man again, "Thank you." she said, handing him the form and pen. He gave it to the lady at the desk and when he looked back, Belle's eyes were long and distant.

"Are you okay?" he asked, frowning a little.

Belle turned to him, snapping out of her daydream, "Oh, yeah. I just can't wait to get out of this place."

"Don't worry, once you're out, you'll be free. And you can go find Mr Gold."

Belle looked confused again. Did she know this nurse? He was acting as if she did. He was really nice. A lot nicer than anyone had ever been to her in this hospital. Besides Archie. He was nice too.

But she shook her head, "Who?"

The man's smile faded and he shook his head a little frustratingly, "Wait. You don't remember him?" Belle shrugged and shook her head, "You don't even remember who I am. Do you?"

She shook her head again, "No, sorry. I don't."

"She doesn't remember Mr Gold." Moe French stepped beside her with a twisted smile, "Isn't that a shame?"

Belle turned to her father and smiled delightedly, "Papa!" she threw her arms around him, clearly happy to see him again.

"Hello Belle." He chuckled slightly, "Let's go home, shall we?" Belle let go of her father and nodded. They both turned, walking off.

Just before they stepped out of the door, Belle turned to the nurse, "Thanks again, Mr…"

The man snapped out of his little daydream. He didn't seem exactly happy, "Jefferson." He forced a smile, "Just call me Jefferson."

Belle smiled in return, "Thank you Jefferson." And both her and her father left.


Rumplestiltskin stood in his shop, nervously polishing one of his many items. He needed something to take his mind off Belle.

It had been a week. And Dr Hopper would've been to see her today. Emma promised she would give him any news on Belle. And he was waiting for that to happen. He was warned not to see Belle until she was ready. And Rumplestiltskin thought that any minute, he would break.

But then the bell rang. And his stomach twisted as he looked up. But it wasn't Emma.

"Jefferson," he didn't even bother to smile. Rumplestiltskin wasn't in the mood today, "May I help you with anything?"

Jefferson didn't look happy. He'd come straight from work. Rumplestiltskin didn't expect him to be. Both he and Jefferson knew that each other remembered their past lives. And rarely bothered to talk to each other in this land. But Rumplestiltskin knew he worked in the psychiatric hospital, where Belle was. And that was the only thing keeping him from kicking him out of his shop.

"Belle's free."

Rumplestiltskin's stomach turned and his mouth became dry, "She, she's free?" he stuttered. Jefferson nodded. "Well, when can I go see her?" he walked out from behind his counter, but Jefferson held out his hand, telling him to stop.

"She doesn't remember you."

Rumplestiltskin's voice turned dangerously quiet, "What?"

"I talked to her and-"

"Someone should've been there! I should've been there! Belle needed someone to talk to to keep her sane! She needed someone to be with her so she wouldn't forget!" he shouted angrily.

"I was there." Jefferson tried to stay calm. Rumplestiltskin wasn't the only one that cared about her.

"Well, why has she forgotten then?!"

"I couldn't talk to her."

"You couldn't talk to her?!" he yelled. Jefferson started to lose his patience a little.

"Regina threatened me. She saw me talking to her. She told me if I did it again, I would be fired and moved to the other side of Storybrooke. That means I can't see my daughter. You know what it's like to lose a child."

Rumplestiltskin went quiet. He tried to calm down. "I'm sorry." Jefferson continued, "I didn't know that she would go back to her cursed-self if she was alone."

"Alright, well, what happened with Dr Hopper?" he said, lowering his voice.

"He said Belle's sane. Which is true. But now she's cursed again, and she'll go crazy round you-"

"Don't, call her crazy." Rumplestiltskin interrupted, trying to keep calm.

"If Dr Hopper sees her like that," he continued, ignoring Rumplestiltskin's interruption, "he'll defiantly reconsider her release."

Rumplestiltskin closed his eyes, trying to collect his thoughts. Then he sighed frustratingly as he opened them. "So I can't see her."

"Well, Dr Hopper cured her once, right? Can't he just do it again?"

"As far as he's concerned, Belle doesn't need treatment. And even if he did, it wouldn't last forever. Only Emma can break the curse. Belle's curse might be different, but it's still connected with everyone else's."

"So what are you saying? We just wait?" Rumplestiltskin shrugged sadly,

"It seems we're going to have to."

"Don't worry. I'll watch over her. I'll make sure you two don't accidently meet."

Rumplestiltskin realised that Jefferson was doing him a huge favour. And that meant he wanted something in return. Everything comes with a price.

"Why are you doing this? What do you want?"

"I know what it's like for people to think you're crazy. Belle doesn't deserve that. I don't want anything. I'm doing this for her." Then he left.


Jefferson walked down the stairs into the psychiatric hospital, where Regina was talking to the lady at the front desk.

"She left?" Regina asked, clearly annoyed. This made him smile, to see her like this.

"Regina." He interrupted. She turned round irritably,

"What?"

He went closer to her and snarled in her face, "I quit."

"The crazy atmosphere finally got to your head?" she smiled mockingly.

"I've seen what this place does to people, Regina. And I don't want to be a part of it. I don't want to be responsible for what happens to these people."

Regina's mocking smile turned into a hideous grin, "You mean Belle?"

Jefferson clenched his jaw tight. Forcing himself not to say anything. Regina was on his last nerve. She knew what she'd done to Belle. And she was happy about it. Jefferson wanted so much to kill her there and then. But he couldn't. What would Grace think of him?

To stop himself from doing anything he'd regret, he left. He was going to go find Belle.


He found her sitting by herself at Granny's café with a cup of tea in her hands. She seemed to just be observing the place and people around her, until she spotted him.

"Jefferson, right?" he walked up to the booth and looked down at her with a half-hearted smile.

"Yeah. You remember me." obviously not how he wanted her to. But at least she knew his name.

She gestured for him to sit down, so he slid in the seat opposite her.

"So, is there anything I should know about my life? You know, since I've seemed to have forgotten everything."

"You haven't forgotten everything. You remember your father. And Ruby. There's not much more really."

"Are you sure? You seemed really friendly to me back at the hospital." She said, taking a sip of tea.

"Well, when I was working there, I guess we built up a little friendship."

"Really? I'm sorry I don't remember."

"That's okay. It's not your fault. Have you spoken to your father about anything?"

Belle shrugged, "Archie told me he was the reason I was sent there. That my own father locked me away."

"And have you asked him about it?"

Belle was quiet for a moment, "Yes. He said that, I was in a bad place at the time. That I really needed help. He thought putting me there would help. And I guess it did. Since I don't remember any of it." She forced a weak smile.

Jefferson didn't reply. He was trying to remember what she was like before she was put in the hospital. They hadn't really met before. Only on one occasion, and that was the day he found out about her curse. But that she too remembered their other life.

"Why aren't you at work?" she asked curiously, trying to change the subject.

"Oh yeah. I quit."

Belle's eyes widened as she took a sip of tea, "You quit? Why?"

Jefferson waved it off, "Oh, it was boring me."

Belle managed a little giggle, which made him smile.

"I like you, Jefferson. I'm sorry I don't remember you. You must've been a good friend."

"We only knew each other for a week."

Belle seemed surprised, "Really? Only a week?"

Jefferson nodded, "Yeah. I was the guy that gave you your meals."

"You were?"

"Mhm." He hummed.

"I was in the hospital for a week. Did we become friends because of me being locked up?"

"Yeah. I was going to help you escape." He winked, lowering his voice.

"What?" Belle gasped, but she smiled.

"Yep. But I guess I didn't need to."

"I don't remember us even talking."

Jefferson began to look a little guilty, "We did. And then we didn't."

Belle raised an eyebrow, "We did and then we didn't?"

He shrugged, "Yeah. All great friendships work like that," he grinned, "with no talking." He joked.

Belle laughed again, "Well I'm glad we're friends. You remember things about me that I don't."

"I told you, we only knew each other for a week."

Belle picked up her mug and spoke before taking a sip, "Yes, but a lot can happen in a week."

That-Jefferson knew- was completely true.

"Even with no talking?" he grinned.

Belle put her mug down and smirked, "Even with no talking."