Author's Notes: I do not own Once Upon A Time. Thanks for reading and following and the reviews, I appreciate it. Please let me know what you think, thanks and happy reading!


Belle looked out the window of the horseless carriage. She was starting to recognize the outer limits of her father's lands. She soon went past the gawking villagers as they wondered at the carriage, what sort of magic it used and who the occupant must be.

The spring wildflowers were fully in bloom, palettes of color dotting the countryside. Belle had been many places, seen many things, but she was still taken with the beauty of her homeland.

She had not been home since she first left with Rumplestiltskin. When she first left him, she had wandered, but not home, either too embarrassed or unwilling to explain how her heart had broken. Now she had word that Sir Maurice was ill and needed his daughter's help. It took every bit of convincing Rumplestiltskin that she needed to go. She was a free woman, not that he liked to hear it. Still, Belle realized their arrangement would be a bit touchy with Sir Maurice to say the least. Perhaps that was the true reason she hadn't written her father, it was the sort of development that had to be explained in person.

She knew almost for certain that this would be her last visit home.

Once she was inside the grounds of her father's house, the carriage stopped. She got out and examined it. Nothing seemed broken, but then again she didn't know much about magical carriages.

She continued on through the garden to the entrance.

Her father's man, Jean, opened the door.

"Belle," he said in astonishment. "The beast let you leave?"

"Don't call him that," Belle warned. "I shall go to my father."

Belle began up the grand staircase.

Jean cleared his throat. "Sir Maurice is in the receiving room."

Belle turned back to Jean. "The receiving room? Surely he's too ill to be conducting business."

Belle made her way to the receiving room. The doors opened and she found Sir Maurice sitting in his chair. Off to his side, floating, was the Blue Fairy. Her presence gave Belle pause.

"Father?"

The doors shut behind Belle and she heard them lock.

"Hello, Belle," said the Blue Fairy.


It was Saturday morning and the night before August had called to say that he was in town. Belle couldn't meet for brunch, but sent Beatrice.

She walked on her own. She was a New York kid. Walking on her own didn't bother her, nor did riding the subway. The restaurant was just a few blocks so she walked, but couldn't escape the feeling that she was being followed. She looked back after a couple of corners, but didn't see anyone.

"What does your mom do on Saturday mornings at the library?," asked August as he dug into his eggs.

Beatrice shrugged. "She helps with this charity thing, teen mothers who are studying for their GED.

"Does she get paid?"

"No."

"That's Belle..." said August.

"What do you mean?"

August shrugged it off. "She just likes to help people."

"Is that what she was like growing up?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"You know," said Beatrice, "it might be nice to have some stories about her. Something about her wild years? Something I could bring up when we're having knockdown drag out mother-teenage daughter fights."

August shook his head. "You're never going to have those. Your mom's too nice."

"What made you finally leave Thailand?," asked Beatrice.

"I've got some business to deal with," said August.

"Another deadline?"

"Yeah, you might say that."


Belle listened as her father and the Blue Fairy speak for some time.

"No, Father, you have it all wrong. He let me go!"

"Yes, now we can save you," said Sir Maurice.

Belle shook her head. "No, I mean he let me go before."

Sir Maurice looked puzzled. "Before?"

"Yes, then I went back. I chose to go back."

"There's no need to keep your bargain with that monster, Belle."

Belle shook her head. "No, Father, that's not it at all."

Belle noted that none of this seemed to be a surprise to the Blue Fairy who had stayed oddly silent. Belle supposed her own Fairy Godmother had recounted their conversation to her.

"Yes, I went back." Belle decided to spare some of the details and what had happened in between. "I went back because I love him."

Belle felt her smile threatening to overtake her whole face. Sir Maurice actually looked ill now.

"He can never love you back, Belle," said the Blue Fairy. "The Dark One cares only for his own power. He lost his own son because of it."

"Yes, he told me about Baelfire and your role in it."

"He had only himself to blame," the fairy added.

"Yes, he realizes his mistake. He's changing. I know he loves me."

"Why? Because he gives you bribes?," Moe asked looking with contempt at Belle's golden adornments.

Belle looked down at her gown and the necklace. "These were gifts."

"Rumplestiltskin's gifts always come with a price," said the Blue Fairy.

Belle stood. "I am done."

"Belle, I forbid you to return to that monster!," Maurice shouted.

"No one chooses my fate but me and do not call him that." She walked back to the doors, having forgotten that they were locked. "Would someone open this?!"

She realized the Blue Fairy was floating next to her. "We know, Belle."

Belle felt her heart stop.

"Such events do not escape our notice," said the fairy.

"Know what?," asked Sir Maurice.

"Is this the reason I was summoned?," asked Belle. "Is this the reason for the ruse? Why you said my father was dying?"

"It was necessary," said the Blue Fairy.

"What if you were right? What if he hadn't let me come?," asked Belle.

"What is going on?," asked Maurice.

The Blue Fairy turned. "Sir Maurice, your daughter is going to have a child. The child of the Dark One."

Belle turned back to look upon her father. His face was a mixture of grief and dread and perhaps even disgust.

"What can be done?," Sir Maurice lamented.

"Done?," asked Belle.

"Belle, you are not tied to this monster because you bear his demon seed. He will be made to answer for this and you will not be dishonored."

"Do not use those despicable words," said Belle. "I have not been dishonored."

"The Dark One's power cannot be permitted to propagate in any way," said the Blue Fairy. "You must do this, Belle. Cora and Regina the Queen, these are the Dark One's past pupils and the same destiny awaits this child."

"What sort of a fairy are you?," Belle asked with disgust. "This is a child. She has done nothing wrong."

"She?," the Blue Fairy asked inquisitively.

"It's true, then," said Maurice. "The child has dark magic."

"It was just words," said Belle. "It doesn't prove anything. This isn't some demon you're talking about, Papa. This is your grandchild."

Belle looked in her father's eyes and somehow in these few minutes something had changed within him. She knew he wouldn't try to understand, that he had turned.

"If you are going to act, it must be quickly, Sir Maurice," said the Blue Fairy. "You will have limited time to act."

Belle didn't like where this was headed.

"Rumple-"

She was cut off by the sudden loss of her own voice. She looked desperately at her father and screamed silently as the guards dragged her away.


Beatrice went by the library after parting ways with August. She had the same feeling again and looked back to see a man in a green jacket. She went on to the library and up the stairs. She spotted the man downstairs, talking to one of the reference librarians and supposed it had just been a coincidence. Lots of people went to the New York Public Library.

Belle French had recounted many times for her daughter their first visit to the Stephen Schwarzman Building of the New York Public Library. To be fair, Beatrice was in utero at the time. Belle had just started living in New York and August urged her to go, saying she would enjoy it. When Belle got there, she thought it looked like a castle of books, complete with a lion statue out front to guard it. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen and knew she just had to work there. She got a GED, went to college and got a Master's in Library Science. When she graduated, the only job available at the time was at the Riker's Island branch, she took it. Her supervisor flatly said she wouldn't last, but none of the inmates frightened Belle. She worked her way up, promotion after promotion and was finally at her castle.

Upstairs, there were classrooms where the meetings were held. Beatrice spotted her mother inside. The classroom was nearly empty. Belle was holding the hand of a girl not much older than Beatrice herself, heavily pregnant as she cried. Beatrice waited quietly and looked the other way until the girl had presumably calmed down and Belle was showing her out.

"Oh, Nina," said Belle, "this is my daughter, Beatrice."

"Hi," said Nina.

"Hi," said Beatrice. The girl didn't seem to be in a conversational mood, not that Beatrice could blame her.

"Well, Nina, call me if you need anything."

"Thank you, Ms. French."

Nina left. Belle turned to her daughter. "Come on. Help me clean up."

Beatrice helped Belle pick up some books and trash that had been left behind.

"Had you been waiting long?," asked Belle.

"A few minutes."

"Poor thing," said Belle. "Entire family is telling her what to do with her life. I know what that's like."

"Really?," asked Beatrice.

Belle nodded.

"You weren't that young when you had me," said Beatrice.

"Well, don't tell my father that."

"What did he say?"

Belle stopped. "Well, you know I don't remember much, but I got an earful, he'd disown me. He made me go talk to these awful nuns," she recalled with a shudder. "Everyone tried to talk me out of what I knew for certain."

"What did you know?"

"That I loved my baby," Belle said with a smile. "Once you know that, there's nothing more to talk about."


In a dungeon, Belle was coming back to consciousness. She looked around, catching the glimmer of the fairy on the far side. There were several of the local clerics talking with her father. Finally, there was an old woman she recognized. She lived out on the fringes of her father's lands and was known for her questionable teas and potions. Everyone knew what she did and yet no one spoke of her.

Belle's throat still burned from whatever she had been forced to consume. She opened her mouth and still no sounds came out. She felt tears rolling down her cheek.

She stopped as she felt movement in her womb.

It hadn't worked. Her child was alive.

"I used every remedy," said the old woman. "They've all failed."

"Try something else!," Sir Maurice insisted.

"I fear the Dark One's influence is too strong," said the Blue Fairy.

"You must do something," said Sir Maurice. "Or surely Belle is truly lost."

"You misunderstand, Sir Maurice. Fairies have certain rules, that is why I have left it to you and the clerics and the medicine woman."

"Then what is there?"

"I believe there may be another way that I can act," said the Blue Fairy.


Belle and Beatrice walked home from the library. They made a quick stop at the grocery store and that was where Beatrice noticed the man in the green jacket in the frozen food aisle.

"Beatrice," said Belle.

She turned back to her mother.

"Why don't you pick out some cereal and yogurts for your breakfast?," asked Belle.

"I'll just go to Starbucks."

Belle frowned. This was as close as she ever got to scolding or punishment. "A growing girl cannot survive on espressos alone. Pick some out."

Beatrice looked back for the man in the green jacket.

He was gone.

"Beatrice, what is it?," asked Belle.

Beatrice looked back as her mother waited expectantly.

"Yeah, yogurt, coming up," said Beatrice.