Author's Notes: I do not own Once Upon A Time or anything in the whole Disney family, really. Anyway, thank you for reading and the review and the favorites/follows. They really do mean the world to me. Please let me know what you think and happy reading!


Belle looked out the window of the King of Agrabah's library. Night had fallen and it still seemed to be as hot as the day. She could see the lights of hearths of clay houses and the campfires of the desert nomads. This was such a wondrous land and yet Belle had only seen it from inside the palace walls. Apparently, women had even less opportunity in this land than her own and Rumplestiltskin insisted that she stay in the palace, the access to a new library was partial payment for his services.

Belle was reading her fourth book of the evening when she noticed a golden glow in the sky heading towards her.

"I've been looking for you, Belle."

The gold dot blossomed and became a fully formed woman in a gold dress.

"Fairy Godmother," said Belle. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I'm just visiting."

"That's not what I meant."

Belle suddenly felt as if she were being scolded. The look on her Fairy Godmother's face said everything.

"This is about Rumplestiltskin?"

"You're a good and smart and beautiful girl, Belle. What are you doing with him?"

"He saved my people from the ogres."

"Yes, and it was noble of you to sacrifice yourself, but dealing in dark magic cannot leave you untouched."

"Dealing in dark magic? You say it as if I had other options when I did not. You offered no help when I asked."

"Fairy dust has limits, Belle."

"That still would have done nothing for my people."

"I can use it to help you, Belle, to get you away from him."

"Belle!"

She heard Rumplestiltskin down the hall, his footsteps approaching. She looked back at her Fairy Godmother.

"I'll give you three days and I'll return," said the Gold Fairy, going back into her magical form and shimmered away.

Belle looked back to the door as it magically opened. Rumplestiltskin entered.

"You're back."

"Miss me?"

Belle embraced him. "Did you get your genie?"

"Not yet, but I will." He stood back to admire her in the Agrabah court dress, a gauzy blue midriff revealing affair embellished with precious gems. "The local couture seems to suit you."

"Does it?"

"Yes." He pulled her closer, bending his head down to kiss her shoulder. "Everything does."

"I was reading."

"You'll strain your eyes. Come to bed."

"Strain my eyes?"

"Yes, it would be a pity."

"Wouldn't you fix them?"

"But what would you offer me in return?"

"I have to offer something?"

"Everything has a price."

Belle smiled. "What could I give you in return?"

"We'll come up with something," said Rumplestiltskin.


It had been a few days since the first sighting of the man in the green jacket. Beatrice couldn't decide if she was being paranoid or if he was really following her. She saw him again at the library and at Starbucks in line behind her, but those weren't exactly places only she went. She hadn't told her mother anything yet, she hated to worry her. Yet the thought distracted her while she tried to concentrate on her homework.

"Beatrice! I'm home!"

Beatrice looked up.

There was a man with her mother.

Why was there a man with her mother? Her mother didn't date. Here he was, middle-aged, balding, with a genial smile that Beatrice's gut told her not to trust.

"Beatrice, this is Owen Flynn. He just started at the library. He was helping me get these home."

"Hi, Beatrice."

"Hi, Owen."

"Interesting book you have there."

Beatrice looked down. It was the voodoo book that she had found to try to understand what was in the sack.

"We were just in New Orleans for a conference," said Belle. "Beatrice became very interested in the voodoo culture."

"Did she?"

Beatrice didn't answer.

Belle tried to fill the air. "We bought these amazing pralines. Let me get you one to thank you for being so helpful."

Owen followed Belle into the kitchen.

"Don't give him our pralines," Beatrice hissed.

She watched in horror as Belle chatted with Owen more. After what seemed like forever, he left.

"You cannot go out with that guy," said Beatrice.

Belle looked at her. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"Well, last I checked, I'm the mother here."

"Last I checked, you're too nice."

Belle laughed. "I'm too nice?"

"Yes, you are, you think that there's good in everyone-"

"I do not."

Beatrice bent down to look her mother in the eyes. "Yes, you do."

Belle seemed more amused than anything by her daughter. "How can you be this cynical at your age?"

"I was born cynical," said Beatrice. "I'm also right."

"Name three times I have been too nice."

"Ilsa, who was stealing from us."

"She probably just needed the money for her family."

"Mom, she had a Rolex. There was also those supposed Girl Scouts who never delivered those cookies. You always give homeless guys money, even when they're not really homeless, they're just lazy college students!"

"Do you not want me to date? Is that it?"

"Well, not until I've done background checks on everyone."

"Beatrice, he's a librarian."

"Why isn't he married? What's wrong with him?"

"Is something wrong with me that I'm not married?"

"Is his favorite book 'Catcher In The Rye?,'" asked Beatrice.

"Why are you being weird about this?," asked Belle. "Is something else going on?"

Beatrice scoffed. "No, nothing else is going on. What's going on is you are, are, I don't know..." She stormed off.

"Beatrice!," Belle called after her. "Beatrice, come on! Don't be like that!"


Belle was reading when she noticed the point of a blade over the page of her book and at her neck. One of the king's daughters was staring her down.

"Uh, Jasmine, isn't it?," Belle asked still staring at the knife.

A bag went over her head and she fought as she felt herself being pulled away.

When the bag finally came off, Belle was next to a tiger in a sandy dungeon.

Jasmine stood over her. "Heel, Raja."

The tiger stopped sniffing at Belle and sat back.

"Now," said Belle, "why have you kidnapped me?"

"My father sent for your imp to find the djinn. I need him to stop."

Belle nodded. "I don't like you calling him an imp."

"Then what shall I call him?"

"How about his name for a start?"

Jasmine grunted.

Belle nodded. "Uh, look, Jasmine, here's the thing. I've been on a few of these sort of business trips with Rumplestiltskin and sometimes people try to get to him through me and it doesn't end well."

Jasmine looked at her questioningly.

"I mean, I can usually get him to change whoever it is back into whatever they were, but it's, well, I'd rather just not go through it."

"I need that djinn."

"What for?," asked Belle.

Jasmine waited a while before finally answering. "There's a man."


Belle couldn't remember the last time she had been on a date.

Or she mostly just couldn't remember. It certainly wasn't since Beatrice was born and though the details of her daughter's conception were sketchy Belle hoped there was dinner involved and maybe more.

"Thanks for taking me out, Owen," said Belle. "I don't know when I've been out."

"You should get out more often," said Owen. "A woman like you shouldn't be alone."

Belle smiled and shook her head. "I'm not alone. I have Beatrice."

"Does she see much of your ex?"

Belle smiled again. Certainly not knowing your daughter's paternity was a second date conversation. "No, not as much as we'd like."

"We'd? The split must have been amicable then."

Belle shrugged. "Why not be friendly?"

"Does he live far?"

Belle looked at the menu, eager to stop this topic of conversation. "So, I was thinking about the chicken satay."

Beatrice sat in the kitchen. She had suggested the Thai restaurant to Belle, pretending to be supportive, but mostly because her physics lab partner Tommy's family owned it and his older cousin, Non, was a waiter.

"Kid, are you going to sit here all night?," asked Non.

Beatrice shrugged. "Hey, you got your money. Also, I need more spring rolls. What were they talking about?"

"Your dad, I'm guessing."

"My dad? What did she say?"

"Not much. Sort of a weird conversation."

"Anything else?"

The waiter thought. "He likes to take pictures of his food. I wouldn't worry too much. I don't think there's going to be a second date."

Beatrice peered back out the kitchen window at her mother and Owen. Belle was getting bored now. Owen was still leading the conversation.

Beatrice walked over to Non. "Twenty dollars if you spill something on him."

"Would have done it for ten," said Non.

"Crap," muttered Beatrice.

The date was tragically cut short after Owen had to leave due to a terrible soup spill, Beatrice followed him as he went home.

Where the man in the green jacket was waiting.

"What happened to you?," asked the man.

"Long story," said Owen. "What about the girl?"

"I haven't seen any magic."

"She's curious. God knows she's got it in her."

"And the woman?"

"Oh, she's one of them. Believe me on that."

"But if they can leave the town now, if that girl is out here-"

"Don't worry, it won't come to that. I'll see to it."

As soon as they went inside, Beatrice bailed, running home.

On the elevator ride up to her apartment, she thrust her hands in her jacket pocket and pulled out the sack the woman had given her and the tarot card.

The Magician.

"No way..."

She went inside the apartment. Belle still wasn't home. She went to her room and opened the sack. It contained candles, some stones and something labelled "zombie powder."


Belle listened as Jasmine explained.

"So, he's poor?"

"And my father's forbidden me even seeing him. That's why we had to steal the lamp so he could present himself properly."

"Jasmine, you don't need the lamp," said Belle. "You just need to believe in Aladdin and yourself and your love."

"Live outside the palace?," asked Jasmine.

"Jasmine, trust me there's a whole world out there and not everyone lives in palaces. You can live in a house..." Belle motioned at Raja. "With a big yard."

"What did your father say when you married him?," asked Jasmine.

"Our initial arrangement was of a somewhat different nature," said Belle. "But it's blossomed into love over time."

"Love? Him?"

"Some might say the same about a penniless boy from the streets," Belle chided. "Or the spoiled princess who won't make any sacrifices for the man she says she loves."

"You two make a strange couple."

Belle nodded in agreement. "But which of us is the strange one?"


Beatrice walked into the Starbucks. She had called August after she got home and he said he would meet her on his way out of town. She spotted him immediately. August waved to her with a smile and she rushed to the table.

"Wow, didn't even stop to order, must be-"

"Is magic real?"

He paused. "What do you think?"

"August, I'm not really in the mood for one of these games where you ask questions after I ask a question. You gave me that book when I was a baby and it says it all takes place in another realm. I met this Voodoo woman-"

"You met who?"

"She said that I was from another realm and she gave me this." Beatrice fished the tarot card out of her pocket.

August looked taken aback. "And who did she say that was?"

"My father."

August was silent.

Beatrice took a breath, not sure she was ready for the answer. "Is that in any way true?"

"It might be." August paused. "Beatrice, do you know anyone with a receding hairline?"

"Oh, yeah, that was totally going to be the other thing."

Beatrice looked back. Owen was heading right towards her.

"Beatrice, I'm so glad I found you. There's been an accident. Your mother's in the hospital. You need to come right away."

"No, she hasn't," said Beatrice.

"I'll take her," said August.

"Who are you?," asked Owen.

"Who are you?," spat Beatrice.

Owen grabbed her by the arm and dragged her as August was in pursuit.

"Let go of me," Beatrice said elbowing him.

He grabbed her by the hair and dragged her into an alley. There was a van waiting. August followed and hit Owen hard enough to free Beatrice. The men fought.

Beatrice reached in her pocket for her phone and instead found the powder. Owen knocked August to the ground and Beatrice threw the powder at his back.

Owen froze.

Beatrice got up. August looked at her in astonishment.

"What was that?"

Beatrice just shook her head.

"That was magic! You used magic. How did you do that?"

"It was just this powder, the woman gave it to me, I..."

August walked over. "Beatrice, what did she say when she gave it to you?"

"She told me to pick one and that I would need it."

August looked at Owen. "Come on," he said helping Beatrice off the ground.

"Should we call someone about him?," asked Beatrice.

"And tell them what? You froze him with magic powder? I don't think so."

"It said 'zombie powder.' You don't think he's going to eat anyone's brain, do you?"

"Let's just go."

"Where are we going?"

"To meet someone."


August led Beatrice to an apartment building. He hit the buzzer for 7B.

"Hello?"

"It's me."

The buzzer sounded and the door opened. August led Beatrice up the stairs and to the apartment. A stubbled man appeared.

"Who's this?," he asked.

"Neal, this is Beatrice. Beatrice, Neal. You two have something in common."

The two stared at each other for a moment.

Beatrice looked up at August. "We do?"

"Neal's from our land," said August.

"We have a land?," asked Beatrice.

With a pained expression, Neal led them inside.

"I don't understand," said Neal. "You said she's from our land, but she looks too young."

"I am right here," said Beatrice.

August spoke up. "Regina had her mother sent away from Storybrooke when she was pregnant. I don't think I totally understood why until just now. She just used magic."

Neal shook his head. "There's no magic here."

"It sounded like something brought over from the other side, but she can use it."

"Who's she supposed to be?," asked Neal.

Beatrice threw her hands up. "Still, standing right here."

"Sorry," said Neal.

"She's Beauty and the Beast's kid," said August.

Beatrice contorted her face in disbelief. "I'm sorry, I'm who?"

August looked back at her. "You didn't know? I dropped some really big hints."

"There's no kid in that story," said Neal.

"There's also no magic in that story, except for the rose," said Beatrice. "And the candelabra and the clock and the teapot. Okay, basically that whole house was magic, but there was definitely no kid."

"Let's say that version of the story wasn't entirely the truth, except there was a rose and a teacup," said August.

"Oh, come on," said Beatrice.

"Okay, what's your mom's name?"

"That's a coincidence."

"What is your mom's name?," asked Neal.

"Belle," Beatrice grumbled.

"Does she like to read?," asked Neal.

Beatrice looked at Neal. "Okay, like, are people named Belle not allowed to read? Is that what we're saying? What kind of message is that?"

"Not when they're from Storybrooke," said August. "Believe me, your mom is the Belle from the book."

Beatrice looked at Neal. "You believe him?"

"I have to," said Neal. "I know it's the truth."

August spoke. "They don't know it. There's a Curse that brought them to this world from another realm. Someone's going to break it."

Beatrice tried to recall the details of the book. "This is why my mom doesn't remember anything," said Beatrice.

August nodded.

"So, what? How do we break this curse?"

"We don't," said Neal.

"Remember the last part of the book? The Savior?," asked August.

"Great, so how do we find-"

"She's actually already in Storybrooke."

Neal looked at August. "You didn't say that."

"I was going to when I saw you," said August.

"If she's there, why hasn't the Curse broken?," asked Beatrice.

"Because she doesn't believe yet."

"Oh, great plan," said Beatrice, "have a savior who doesn't believe in what she's saving. Who came up with this?"

"That's why I'm going back," said August.

"You are?," asked Neal.

August shrugged. "I have to. In the meantime, I need you to keep Beatrice safe."


Belle went back to her suite, exhausted and certainly not in the state she wanted to be in for her visitor.

"Fairy Godmother," she said.

"I've come to see what you have to say, Belle."

Belle sat on the chaise lounge. "I love him."

"Belle-"

"I love him. I know full well who he is and I still love him. I want to be with him, to help him."

"Belle, he is the Dark One. He only cares about his own power."

Belle shook her head. "That's just a part of him."

"His power will consume him, Belle and nothing, not even you, will be untouched."

"He needs me."

"Have you thought of children, Belle?"

Belle shook her head. She sincerely hadn't. "I suppose children will come if it's meant to be."

"Such children would surely be monsters and there would be people with an interest in stopping that."

"I don't believe they would be. How could any child born of true love be a monster?"

The Gold Fairy sighed. "I want to be perfectly clear, Belle. Once I leave you tonight, I can no longer help you."

"I understand."

"I'm supposed to report this immediately to the Blue Fairy," she said.

"No, please, he-"

The Gold Fairy held up a hand to stop Belle. "I saw what you did to help Princess Jasmine. In light of that, what I will do is forget to do so."

"You'll forget?"

"Fairies can't lie," Gold explained. She paused. "Be careful, Belle."

The fairy imploded back into her smaller form and Belle watched as she flew away.


August left Beatrice with Neal to get her home. They stood outside his building and Neal tried to hail a cab.

"Why aren't you in Storybrooke?," Beatrice asked Neal.

"I left that world a long time before the Curse."

"Why won't you go back?"

"My father."

"Your father? What did he do?"

Neal was silent as he kept trying to hail a taxi.

"Seriously, what?," asked Beatrice. "You haven't seen him in years and you're still hiding. What did he do?"

Neal scowled. "You wouldn't understand."

"No, I wouldn't. I don't even know my father. Well, except he's the Beast or whatever."

Neal nodded. "Well, I can guarantee he won't be as bad as mine."

Beatrice sighed at Neal's ineffective taxi hailing. "Let me." She stepped out, raised her right hand and one immediately came to a stop.

"Wow, August is right, you are magical," he said dryly.

"Ha ha."

"Call me if that guy shows up again or anyone else starts sniffing around," said Neal.


"Funny thing," said Rumplestiltskin.

Belle looked up from her book, startled.

"You see, I went to an awful lot of trouble to find the genie that was causing all that trouble, I capture the miscreant, bring him back and the King has another job for me."

"Oh?," asked Belle.

"Yes, it seems one of his daughters and her pet tiger have disappeared. He offered me all the treasure in Ali Baba's den to find her."

"Really?"

"And the library, but I thought I would check with you first."

"Oh," said Belle, looking around. It was too bad. It was an impressive library. "You didn't want what was in Ali Baba's den?"

"Really, Belle, if there was anything worth having there, I would have it already." He motioned around. "You didn't want the library?"

"No," Belle lied.

"Well, then, I suppose we should just hope the poor princess can make it on her own."

"I suppose."

"Did anything else happen while I was gone?"

Belle shook her head. "No."

Rumplestiltskin nodded. "Ah."

"I guess we should be going, then," Belle said, putting her book down and looking longingly at the library.

"Why don't you finish reading that one while I tell the King no?"

Belle smiled. "Okay."

Rumplestiltskin walked out of the library, glancing back at a contented Belle. He stepped out onto one of the palace's verandas.

"Still there, Goldie?"

The Gold Fairy appeared. "Yes, Rumplestiltskin?"

"Did you think I wouldn't notice?"

"I thought it was best not to deal with you directly." She paused. "Belle's a wonderful woman."

"Oh, something we can agree on. I suppose you're going to fly back and tell all?"

"No, I will keep my promise to Belle for as long as I can," said the Gold Fairy. "For her. Not for you."

Rumplestiltskin snorted. "Well, there was never any confusion on that score. If you do have to pass it along, add in this: a fairy helped to take my son away and I won't let that happen again. Is that clear?"

"Very."

"Good. Now, fly away, fairy."


Beatrice went home. She took a shower, got in her pajamas and took out the book, poring over the tale of Beauty and the Beast.

"Beatrice."

She looked up to see her mother smiling. Belle came in and sat at the foot of the bed.

"You had me worried with that strange call of yours, earlier," said Belle. "Asking if I was alright? What was all that about?"

Beatrice shook her head. "I just had a bad feeling."

"If it's about Owen, you don't have to worry," said Belle.

"Oh?," Beatrice asked nonchalantly.

Belle shook her head. "Not for me."

"That was quick."

"I didn't need very long."

"I thought you had to get to know people and understand them, people have layers..."

"Mock all you like. That's still true. Owen just had less layers than I would have liked." Belle paused. "I've never told you something. Do you know how I know I loved your father even though I can't remember my old life?"

"No."

"Because it hurts and I know when I find someone else, it will stop hurting."

"Tale as old as time," said Beatrice.

Belle looked at her with a frown. "What?"

"True as it can be."

"Why are you being so silly?," asked Belle.

"It's that sort of day."

Belle kissed her on the cheek. "I'm going to start dinner."

Belle got up and left. Beatrice laid back and pulled her pillow over her head.

She was living with a freaking Disney princess.