Author's Notes: I do not own Once Upon a Time. Thank you so much for the reads, follows and reviews. I can't get enough of them. Please let me know what you think and happy reading!
Grumpy was the leader of Snow White's Royal Guard. As such, he had to keep an ear to the ground for developments. Who knew what Regina might be planning in her exile? And Rumplestiltskin. That imp was always up to something.
Then one day Sir Maurice arrived unexpectedly seeking refuge. He appeared before Snow White and the Prince at court, looking like a broken, disgraced man. His was a small principality, but it had been in his family for generations and there had never been problems. To lose it seemed to have taken a great toll as he told his tale in front of the court.
"I don't understand, Sir Maurice," said Snow White. "Your land has always been prosperous. Your people were always content. You even managed to defeat the Ogres. What made them rebel against your rule?"
Sir Maurice looked ashamed. "They have fallen under the spell of the Dark One."
Charming and Snow exchanged glances. The audience murmured.
"Rumplestiltskin?," asked the Prince.
"Why?," asked Snow.
"I'm afraid I couldn't say, Your Highness," said Sir Maurice.
"You're welcome to stay as long as you need, Sir Maurice," said Charming.
"Will Belle be joining us?," asked Snow.
Sir Maurice seemed almost startled by the question. "My daughter was traveling when the revolt began. I sent word for her to stay away."
Grumpy eyed Sir Maurice. He was definitely lying about that and Grumpy thought for sure it was about Belle.
Sir Maurice said some words of thanks to the royals and went off.
"Why would Rumplestiltskin cause a rebellion against Sir Maurice?," asked Snow White.
Charming shrugged. "Why does he do anything? He's insane."
"I don't think so," said Snow White. "He's always tried to get us together."
"But why?," asked Charming.
"I don't know why, I just know he has a reason," said Snow White. "I don't see what leaving Sir Maurice landless accomplishes or what it has to do with anything."
"Do you know Belle?," asked Grumpy.
"Yes," said Snow. "Her mother, Lady Reinette, was lady-in-waiting to my mother. We used to play together at the Summer Palace."
"Good thing she was away during the revolt," said Charming.
"Yeah," mused Grumpy. "Good thing."
"Hello?"
"Neal, hi."
He groaned. "Beatrice. Seriously? What time is it?"
"It's three."
"Beatrice, why are you calling me?"
Beatrice flipped through the pages of the storybook. "These other realms, are they like other dimensions?"
"What?"
"You know, the Enchanted Forest is a parallel universe, so is Neverland and Wonderland. Although, as far as Neverland goes, if it's a whole other universe, why does it seem to just be one freaking island?"
"I don't know, Beatrice, I never bothered asking." His voice still sounded asleep.
"You went hopping between dimensions and didn't bother asking how it worked?"
"People don't really think like that where we're from."
"They really should."
"Why aren't you asleep?"
"Nightmares."
"Go back to bed."
"They just start again."
Neal groaned. "What kind of nightmares?"
"There's a room and it's dark, but there's fire."
"Sounds like a sleeping curse."
"It sounds like a what?"
Neal cleared his throat. "It's a sleeping curse. You were under a sleeping curse at some point."
"What do you know about sleeping curses?"
"My dad used to... Just trust me, I know about curses. Your soul visits this Netherworld-"
"My soul is in a what?!," Beatrice shrieked.
"It'll fade..."
"This Netherworld, is it another dimension or a different plane of consciousness?"
"Beatrice, I'm going back to sleep."
"Excuse me for wanting to know where my soul is going while I'm asleep!"
Beatrice no longer heard anything and looked at her iPhone.
"He ended the call," she muttered. "Jerk."
Grumpy kept an eye on Sir Maurice while he stayed as a guest at the palace. Grumpy noticed that he and the Blue Fairy kept meeting in the garden. Ever since what had happened with Nova, Grumpy had been unable to set aside his personal feelings when it came to fairies. He supposed they had their uses and they had helped in the fight against Regina, but he didn't have to like them.
He had seen Belle once again on her way back from adventure as she stopped off in the tavern for something to eat. She explained she was going back to fight for true love, because it was worth fighting for. He got the feeling she was holding back on something.
"When I think of my poor daughter and what that monster did to her..." said Sir Maurice. "He must have done something to her, cast some spell..."
"I wish it were so, Sir Maurice," said Blue. "Belle made her own choice to choose the Dark One over all else, even good and now she is surely paying the price."
The Dark One! Rumplestiltskin? Had she loved him? Grumpy found it difficult to fathom, but, hey, whatever. Blue was right, though, she wasn't under any kind of spell.
"Does she... suffer?"
"No, she's simply sleeping."
Grumpy waited until the fairy left the palace grounds and followed her blue light out deep into the forest. He watched from a distance as she descended and used her wand to move aside an overgrowth of vines to reveal a glass coffin. He couldn't see the occupant from his vantage point, but watched as the fairy waved her wand again and flew off.
Grumpy waited until the Blue Fairy was gone to go over to the spot with the vines. He pushed the overgrowth aside by hand and was able to see the coffin's occupant.
"Belle..." he gasped.
"Beatrice," Belle said in shock.
Beatrice looked up. Her mother stood in the doorway. She had been hovering between consciousness and unconsciousness for most of the night, finally noting that morning had arrived. She had to do something, what was it?
Right. School.
"I'm getting ready, I swear," said Beatrice, willing her body to move. "Just one second."
"You look awful," said Belle.
"Thanks, Mom. I'll fix it. I just need my glasses."
"They're on your face."
Beatrice blinked. "Are they?"
Belle walked over and put her hand on Beatrice's forehead. "You're not warm. Is it something else?"
"I didn't get much sleep."
"Well, how much did you get?"
"I don't know, an hour?"
"An hour?!," Belle exclaimed. She frowned. "Beatrice, were you up all night watching Doctor Who again?"
"No," she said defensively. "I had... nightmares."
"Nightmares?," asked Belle. "What sort of nightmares?"
"Nothing, here, I'll go to school," said Beatrice, sitting up. She swung her right leg off the bed. "Give me a minute, I'll get the left one going."
"Beatrice, tell me..."
"You know what, I'll just crawl," she said unceremoniously dropping to the floor. "Maybe I can stand by the time I get to Starbucks."
"Beatrice, how long has this been going on?"
Just ever since she had used magic. Or whatever. "I don't know, a few weeks."
"Beatrice, why didn't you tell me?"
"I'm fine. It's not a big deal."
Belle shook her head. "You can't go to school like this. Get back in bed."
"I'm fine."
"Back in bed. Now."
Beatrice sighed in resignation and climbed back on to her bed, collapsing and unable to move.
Snow rode a carriage deep into the woods as the dwarves led the way. She wasn't used to not being on a horse, but she was pregnant and had to get used to that. Grumpy had said there was something she needed to see out here and she trusted him enough to go without further details.
When the carriage stopped, Snow got out. The dwarves parted ways to show her what they had traveled to see.
"My glass coffin," said Snow.
It was grown over. Snow had the dwarves help her pull off the brush and greenery to see that it was Belle.
"Oh, my poor dear friend," said Snow. She turned to the dwarves. "Do you know who has done this? Was it Regina?"
"That's the kicker," said Grumpy.
Before Snow could ask what he meant, the Blue Fairy arrived.
"Oh, Blue, thank the gods you're here. My friend Belle has been put under some sort of spell, for some time it would seem. She needs your help."
The Blue Fairy didn't answer.
"What's wrong?"
With no answer, Snow White looked to the dwarves.
Grumpy shot Blue a glare. "Why don't you ask her who put Belle under the spell?"
Snow White turned to the fairy.
"Snow White, there are things you do not understand-"
"Like what?"
"Belle is carrying the Dark One's daughter. That cannot be allowed."
"Allowed?," Snow asked with disdain.
"The child's existence would only enhance the Dark One's power. That cannot be allowed. If such power fell into the wrong hands, which it surely would-"
"What about Belle's hands?"
"The Dark One is sure to corrupt."
"You sure like telling people how to run their lives," said Grumpy.
This earned a glare of disapproval from the fairy, not that Grumpy cared.
"I want to talk to Belle," said Snow White.
"I can't do that. The risk is too great."
"You are speaking nonsense. The child is innocent, no matter her father. Belle can guide her daughter." She didn't add that Rumplestiltskin had confided in her about her about heartbreak when she went to him to forget her now husband.
"Your Highness-"
"Or I'll summon the Dark One," said Snow White.
The Blue Fairy looked at her in shock. Grumpy smiled as the dwarves stood resolutely with their princess.
"I will summon him and tell him what has happened and who is responsible."
"You don't know what that would mean."
"I know what this means," said Snow. "Wake her up.
The Blue Fairy waved her wand and beneath the glass, Belle's eyes flew open. Grumpy led the dwarves in taking the cover off.
"There," said Snow helping her sit up, "there my dear friend. You're alright."
Belle opened her mouth. No sound came out.
Snow White turned back to the Blue Fairy. "Why can't she speak?"
"She tried to summon the Dark One."
"And what do you think will happen if I return her to Rumplestiltskin without her voice?," asked Snow White.
"You would return her?"
"If it's what she wishes."
The Blue Fairy waved her wand again.
"Hello, hello..." Belle said, testing out her own voice. "Your Highness."
Snow shook her head. "Just Snow for you my very dear friend."
Belle turned to the Blue Fairy, but she was flying away. She looked back at Snow.
"Belle, tell me what happened."
Belle tried to collect herself, but it was no use. "They tried to kill my baby!," she sobbed as she fell into Snow's arms.
Snow held her friend. "No harm will come to her or you. You have my promise."
Beatrice was surrounded by flames.
"Oh, come on," she muttered. She had fallen asleep.
The flames leapt up and hit her left arm. She howled in pain and looked at her arm. It was burned.
"Help!," she heard a voice scream. "Help!"
Beatrice made her way through the flames. One leapt in front of her, obscuring her view and she waved her hand in instinct, but saw that the flame dissipated. She frowned and tried it again, the flames disappeared, until the whole room was empty and she saw a frightened young woman in a pale pink dress.
"How did you do that?," she asked.
"I don't know," said Beatrice. "Magic?"
"Magic," she said, looking scared. "Did Maleficent send you?"
"Maleficent?," asked Beatrice. "Oh, no way. You're Sleeping Beauty?"
"No, that was my mother."
"Oh, well, my mom is Belle."
The young woman looked at her. "Who?"
"Belle, you know, Beauty and the Beast. Tale as old as time, true as it can be? Barely even friends, then somebody bends, unexpectedly..." she tried to sing the last word and the girl seemed unimpressed. "Yeah, I've been listening to that a lot lately."
The woman stood. "I'm Princess Aurora."
"Beatrice."
"What sort of clothes are those?"
Beatrice looked down at her pajama bottoms and t-shirt. "I'm sleeping. These are pajamas. Not all of us fall asleep dressed for the Oscars."
"I was spinning."
"Really? Don't you people learn? Stay away from spinning wheels!"
Aurora looked taken aback.
"What are you spinning for anyway? You're a princess! Go shopping!"
"What land do you come from?," asked Aurora.
"New York."
"And you practice magic there?"
"Well, I did this thing with some powder and just whatever that was. It's not like I go around trying to practice magic."
"Beatrice! I'm home!"
Beatrice awoke in her bed. The sun was setting.
Belle popped her head in. "Did you get any rest?"
"Yeah, I got some."
"Good, I brought dinner."
Beatrice got up and stumbled out to the kitchen.
"Ooh, dumplings," said Beatrice reaching with her left arm across the counter.
"Beatrice!," Belle gasped.
"What?"
Belle gripped either side of the burned forearm. "Beatrice, what happened to your arm?"
Beatrice stared at the arm in horror. How could that be? How could that possibly be?
"I burned myself, uh, cooking. It's not that bad."
Belle looked up at her daughter, positively stricken. "Beatrice, what have you done to yourself?"
"It was just an accident on the uh, stove..."
"Beatrice, the stove is broken."
Oh, right. The super said he would fix it a week ago.
Belle looked ready to cry, taking her daughter in her arms.
This was going to be hard to explain.
