Purple smoke spilled from the wishing well like a science experiment gone awry.

"So…" Rumplestiltskin drawled with a hard edge in his tone. "Regina kept you in a box for thirty-two years—three years before the curse plus the twenty-eight cursed years and an additional year after Emma started time again—and the only reason you are free." He bared his teeth in stark fury at Regina, "is because the Mad Hatter wants her dead and is too spineless to do the deed himself."

Belle nodded curtly. "That would be correct." Hugging Rumple's neck, she murmured, "Thirty-three years, so nice to see you again!" She'd been out of his castle for one year—and on her way back—when Regina trapped her.

Belle had been compressed—a rat in a cage—for so long. A great bulk of it, she hadn't known who she was, had no visitors, and didn't even have a book to soothe her. She wasn't sure what sanity she had left to cling to.

It was wonderful to remember herself again. She had flashbacks of being in her prison cell in Regina's castle and Graham feeding her every morning through the slot for a food tray.

She'd only been Rumple's indentured servant for a couple of months before he freed her. She'd gone places for a year, had adventures. She'd met Merida. Nine months after her first taste of adventure, she realized she wanted nothing more than to be in Rumple's arms; to see his face in the flesh rather than her cold memories.

With her blue eyes firmly shut, she woke up every morning to see him in her mind's eye. The kiss she'd initiated. Feeling her lips pushing against his, she felt him yanking her up and holding her as he had when she fell from the curtains. In real life, she purred and drove home an adult fantasy.

This was why she smiled each morning.

Until Regina trapped her.

On the way back to Rumple's castle, Belle had convinced Dreamy to see the stars with Nova. In return, he persuaded her to go after the Yaoguai. Chasing that dream, she'd bumped into Mulan and Philip, who'd been transformed into the beast by Maleficent.

At the end of that journey, she'd left Mulan with Philip in the belief she'd be in Rumple's arms soon. Instead, Regina had captured her as if she were nothing but a wild mare.

In the prison cell, Belle had begged over and over for books. She asked Graham first. Uncomfortably, he confessed, "The Queen owns my heart and forbade me to give you anything but food. Or to ask anyone to bring you something." Troubled, he murmured, "I will try to vouch for you, but I fear if I do, she will crush my heart."

Though Belle had witnessed firsthand some of Regina's nastiest moods, she optimistically clutched the bars of her cell and encouraged, "Come now, no one's that cruel."

Graham had eyed her like she was heartbreakingly naïve. "A lot of common folk are that cruel. They just don't have the power to enact it. My parents abandoned me to the wolves, hoping they'd eat me. Instead, the wolves cared for and raised me."

Belle had shaken her head. "That can't be true. They must have lost you. And been out of their minds when they couldn't find you."

Graham smirked and shook his head slowly. "No, Belle. The wolves and I can communicate. Two of the males were out scouting the area. They witnessed what my mother screamed at me. Because I was crying, she yelled that I was a…disgusting piece of sausage and she wanted to roast me alive."

Graham squeezed his eyes shut briefly, pinching the bridge of his nose then fleetingly wetting his lips with his tongue. It was painful, even then, for him to recall the truth, but he faced it without balking.

"She was about to drown me," he informed Belle with haunted, abused eyes, "when my father suggested she let the wolves have me. She loved that idea, so they packed up their camp, rushed off, and left me."

Belle had tapped her foot. "That can't possibly be true," she uttered wisely from her cage. "All human parents love their babies and take good care of them. The wolves lied to you. Your parents must have searched for days."

"You're a sweet girl," Graham uttered gruffly, making Belle bristle. At thirty-one, she despised being called a "girl". Besides, there was a twitch of disparagement in his tone. "But you seem to believe all families are like yours. Must be nice," he commented nonchalantly, "to have parents who wanted you, but they obviously sheltered you from reality."

Belle scoffed. "My parents weren't perfect. And I mean…I'm not stupid like you think I am. When I was twenty-five, my mother introduced me to a love of books by finally believing I was old enough to read her copy of Her Handsome Hero. Gideon's story was tragic. Sadly, my mother was killed by ogres a few years later…"

"I don't think you're stupid," Graham assured her boldly, "but blind to the cruelty of humanity. I had the displeasure of meeting my aunt a few years back. She couldn't believe the wolves didn't eat me. My parents are in another world now, and a good thing too." Gruffly, he pronounced, "If I meet them in person, I will tear their throats out…The wolves are the only family I ever needed. Doesn't matter anymore." He arched his neck irritably. "I'm the Queen's pet," he spat.

When Regina visited Belle several days later, she laughed and laughed, clutching her stomach and nearly falling over. When she could speak, she waggled her finger at Belle. "This is what you get for falling for your employer."

"At least I'm not a rapist," Belle huffed.

Regina tittered. "It's so cute how you think I care about the moral high ground." She snorted with revulsion. "Well, that's you, darlin'. Blank of sins, boring as can be, too perfect to be real. I wonder what Rumple sees in someone so shallow." In a fog of purple smoke, she vanished before Belle could think to ask for books.

When Belle managed to ask Regina for books a month later, Regina laughed so hard she fell on her butt.

"Spell books?" she managed to croak in midst of her callous laughter.

Belle did not refrain from rolling her eyes. Though her instinct cautioned her to be courteous to placate her captor, she had already noted Regina seemed to find her ladylike behavior under distress comical. "Stockholm syndrome", Regina had referenced it as. Crinkling her eyes at Belle and marveling, "You really think if you're nice to me, I'll be nice back? That's hilarious!" Regina had guffawed hard, clutching the bars that confined Belle.

When she could speak again, Regina spat with snakelike venom, "Did you behead my father or stab my favorite steed…or go into my vault and empty my boxes of their hearts? No. You didn't do anything, except exist." Regina played with her updo. "I'll have you know I told Loverboy you committed suicide. He was distraught." Straightening her skirt, Regina asserted smugly, "He's got your chipped cup as the centerpiece of his table! Imagine that!" Regina clapped sarcastically. "But mark my words—If I wish to punish him (not you, darlin', you can cuss me out all you like, I don't mind), I will kill you."

That had been Regina's second visit. Belle had asked for books on her third visit.

"I don't want spell books," she had stated in response to Regina's two-worded question with a tilt of her head and quirk of her lips. "Unless you've got one that can teach me how to momentarily transform myself to liquid so I can get out of this cage and another spell to turn you into a moth so I don't have to kill you, yet you are taken care of."

"Ooh, sassy wench," Regina sneered insincerely. "Either way, you're my captive, not my guest. You're not visiting a bed and breakfast. No one here gives a damn what you want, princess. Is the cot not accommodating enough for you?" she simpered.

Belle had refused to reply. Regina had been right though. Being the only daughter of a king (however small her kingdom was), up until Belle left her father's castle for Rumple's, she'd had beds fit for a princess. She had left for Arendelle after her mother's death in effort to recover what she'd forgotten. During her time away, she'd slept in bed and breakfasts with ladies who recognized her as the princess and thus offered her their comfiest bed.

Rumplestiltskin had given her a plain but comfortable room. Hardly a room fit for a queen but definitely not a bed of straw. His castle hadn't been that dusty, which was why she had concluded he was lonely and embarrassed about it. She was sure he used a spell on the castle to make it clean itself. Though she had never confirmed this suspicion.

In any case, after searching for adventure for a year after Rumple, her cell in Regina's castle had the least comfortable sleeping space. Even counting that horrid wagon she'd slept in overnight with those boys who disbelieved she could hunt the Yaoguai. The cot seemed to go out of its way to be as uncomfortable as possible. As if Regina had thought to herself with a smirk, "How can I make this bed painful to sleep on? Ah! Crushed rubies!"

It wouldn't matter if she did stuff the cot with crushed rubies since Belle would never escape to sell them. It didn't matter since Belle was so bored she slept for ten hours each day regardless.

Belle broke from her thoughts and back to Rumple, the purple fog, and the wishing well.

She saw the madness glinting on Rumple's face. The steely rage mingled with the thirst to deliver justice for Belle and Jefferson.

Belle didn't want Regina dead. And her love's gold eyes plainly announced he did want The Queen to die.

She hadn't moved or spoke much since Regina captured her. Though fed, she was frail. Yet, she lunged herself at Rumple.

Hoarsely, she whispered a command. "Don't kill her."

"She only kept you alive in case she wanted to crush your heart in front of me one day," the imp growled through clenched teeth. "Otherwise, she would have disposed of you."

"That's true." Belle slid her eyes away. "I can't deny I am very upset with her…and yet, I don't want you to hurt or kill her."

"You won't have to know anything about it."

"Rumple, please," she pleaded, clutching the back of his neck and stroking it. Gazing amorously into his eyes, she murmured, "Can't you put aside your fury…and enjoy being with me?"

His taut muscles relaxed. "Certainly." He dropped a kiss to her forehead and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Promise me. Promise me you will not hurt her physically. You may exchange angry words with her if it makes you feel better, but nothing else."

He promised.