Author's Notes: I do not own Once Upon A Time, which is a show on ABC where they give you about five minutes of hope and then tear it away for a prolonged agony. Thanks for the reads and the reviews. I'm so sorry, I don't think I've gotten back to any of my reviewers yet. So, please, please let me know what you think and happy reading!


Two Days After The Curse Broke...

Neal had just gotten a new phone after his shattered on the sidewalk the day the pigeon delivered the postcard. He had just finished loading it up with music and it was still charging when it rang.

He saw it was Beatrice. He thought about not answering, not wanting any part of magic and all that crap now that it was back, but he also knew Beatrice. If she was calling, she would never stop.

Never ever stop.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," said Beatrice.

"What's up?"

"You haven't heard from August, have you?"

"I got a postcard. So, the Curse is broken?"

"Oh, yeah, totally broken and now I am living in crazy town."

He cracked a smile. "That bad, huh?"

"You know the town in Gilmore Girls?"

"Beatrice, I'm a guy. I've never seen Gilmore Girls."

"Okay, then the comparison I was about to make is completely pointless."

"So, your mom knows she's..."

"Belle from Beauty and the Beast, not just Belle the strangely kind librarian? Yeah, she knows."

"Did you find your dad yet?"

"Oh, yeah. Found him."

He was curious at the tone of her voice. "What? Is he really hairy or something?"

"No, but you probably know him."

"I doubt that. I left that world a long time ago."

"No, apparently everyone knows him. Do you want to guess?"

Neal smiled. "Okay, I'll play. Give me a hint."

"Straw into gold."

Neal's stomach sank below his knees. "What?"

"Is that not enough? Likes to trade in first born children, though he keeps telling me it was just sort of a baby broker thing so I guess that's a moral gray area..."

Neal had to sit. "So, uh, your dad is Rumplestiltskin?"

"I suppose you want to keep your first born now? Though he claims that's not how that went, but won't say anything else."

"Beatrice, did you tell him about me?"

"Uh, yeah, because when I first met my dad, I immediately thought to mention this guy I know in New York-"

"Beatrice!," he shouted.

"What? Do you owe him money or something?"

That was when Neal heard a voice he hadn't heard in hundreds of years.

"Beatrice."

He thought the once familiar lilt was going to give him a heart attack.

"Beatrice, dinner is ready."

"Okay..." she said.

"Are you talking to someone?"

"Yeah..."

"Who?"

"A friend. Is that okay?," she asked sarcastically.

"It's eggplant parmigiana," Neal heard his father offer. "Your mother said you enjoy it."

"Yeah, I'll be a minute."

There was a pause while Neal assumed his father- their father- left.

"Okay, what's your deal?," asked Beatrice.

Neal couldn't ponder an answer. "Beatrice, don't call me again."

"What?"

Not answering, he hung up the phone.


The sun was just rising in the sky when Catherine felt her husband curling up against her.

"You know," she began, "come couples keep separates chambers and some husbands have the good sense not to bother their wives in such a ghastly manner as this after near thirty years of marriage."

The Duke kissed her neck. "That is for the husbands of lesser women."

"Was last night not enough for you?"

"It will never be enough," he promised.

There was a knock at the door. "Your Grace! Sir Maurice of Avonlea is here!," called the footman.

Catherine groaned. "What land is Avonlea that is acceptable to arrive before a house has risen for the day?"

"I dare say Sir Maurice has no regard for such things," said the Duke. He looked back to the door. "See to it that he is comfortable and he may wait in the breakfast room!"

"Yes, Your Grace!"

"What does he want?," asked Catherine.

"I assume to ask permission to propose to Reinette again merely so he can be rejected again."

"Will you grant it?"

"I would never grant it if I thought she would accept," said the Duke.

"Oh, to have my powers back just a moment," said Catherine.

"Now, my lady, what would making him into a block of ice solve?"

She turned to shoot him a glare.

"Oh, you are right," said the Duke in astonishment. "That would solve everything."

"I just don't understand," said Catherine. "Time was no mere Knight of Avonlea would dare to court the daughter of the Duke of Padua, Heiress to the Far North Kingdom."

"Now you sound like my mother," said the Duke.

"I know. I frighten myself sometimes," said Catherine. "Perhaps you should not grant it this time."

"Do you truly think Reinette would accept him?"

"I think she might get drunk or a witch might cast a spell..."

"Fear not, we will not be tied to that man," said the Duke. He curled back against her. "Now, to revisit the other issue..."

"So not in the mood."

"Well..." said the Duke, "that's that then."


Belle had never been much for being alone.

She could be alone. It wasn't that. Reading her beloved books was a solitary activity but one she always tried to take into the garden or the sunshine of a window. In the Dark Castle she would often take her books into wherever Rumple was. In Manhattan, she had tried Beatrice's patience by dragging her daughter into the living room just to read in the same room.

Since Beatrice and Rumple went through the portal, she was mostly alone. She spent some of the days with David, working on a way to get them home, but they were spinning their wheels right now and the Prince's charms were somewhat lost on her. Belle thought Rumple must have been rubbing off on her. She worked at the library some of the time, then had done some work at the pawn shop while she looked through Rumple's books for help for the rest. It wasn't as if there had been much business. Some of the townspeople had dropped off their rent, some had come in to try to reclaim some piece of their former lives. Belle tried not to be a pushover, but a well-timed reminiscence about a beloved grandmother and she was through. She tried to dissuade buying under what an item was worth by making a note for Rumple about the sale in front of the customer. That had helped more than once, but the dwarves had gotten a very good bargain on their drinking steins. Surely he couldn't fault her for that?

Well, he most likely would fault her, but do nothing.

Night was the worst. It reminded her of her various cells. She went back and forth between her own bed and Beatrice's. She had cuddled with the stuffed lamb that had been her daughter's constant companion as a small child and still sat atop the pillows. She had even watched Doctor Who.

Then one night she had an idea.

"Henry."

The boy was at the counter of Granny's drinking hot chocolate. Ruby was behind the counter.

"Morning, Belle."

She smiled. "Morning, Ruby," she said, sitting on the stool next to Henry. She put Beatrice's Macbook down.

"What's that?," asked Henry.

"It's Beatrice's computer," said Belle. "I need your help."

"What are we doing?," asked Ruby, leaning in conspiratorially. "Reading her diary?"

"I would never do that," said Belle. "I don't know a lot about these things, but as I understand it, everything is on something called the Cloud?"

"Yeah?," asked Henry, clearly unimpressed by Belle's technical knowledge.

"Back in New York, Beatrice had a friend. He was from our land," said Belle.

"Our land?," asked Ruby.

"He didn't come here with the Curse," Belle explained. "I was thinking he must have gotten here somehow and if we knew how..."

"Maybe we could use it to get back my mom and Mary Margaret!," Henry said excitedly. He then realized his error. "And Beatrice and Mr. Gold," he quickly amended.

Belle nodded, not offended by the oversight. At least he had an excuse, unlike most of the people in Storybrooke who seemed unmoved by the events where Rumple and Beatrice were concerned.

"Maybe it was a magic bean," said Ruby.

Belle shook her head. "No, I know who got the last one. It's not him."

"So, what do you want me to do?," asked Henry.

"I just need you to get into Beatrice's contacts," said Belle.

He opened the Macbook. "Do you know her password?"

"It's 'Come along, Pond.' All one word."

Henry typed.

"You know her password," said Ruby with a smile. "You are a sneaky mom."

"I am not," said Belle. "It was my condition for buying it. Oh, don't tell Rumple."

"She can always change it," said Henry.

"Or yeah, she could change it," said Belle.

In no time, Henry was in a page with Beatrice's list of contacts. "So, who are we looking for?"

"His name is Neal Cassidy," said Belle.


Reinette returned to her room. It had been a long day at the palace. She had agreed after her début to come serve as Princess Eva's lady-in-waiting for a while. It was no real burden. She enjoyed the travel and she had finally gotten her friend to lose some of her less desireable behavior. In fact, they had even visited the kingdom of Prince Henry and Princess Cora and Eva tried her best to make friends. Cora pretended to accept, but Reinette had the distinct feeling that Cora was not the sort of woman to have a lot of friends.

Now they had resumed their search for a husband for Eva and it had taken them to King Leopold. Things seemed to be going well as Leopold kept conjuring new amusements to keep them in the kingdom. She just had to get the king to be alone with her friend. Reinette was certain a wedding would follow. Then perhaps her True Love would finally show himself.

She looked up to see Merlin waiting in a chair.

"My lady."

"Merlin," said Reinette, she said smiling. "What are you doing here? Do you have business with King Leopold?"

Merlin chuckled. "You really don't want to know what happens to King Leopold."

Reinette frowned. "I don't?"

"Trust me on it," said Merlin. "No, my business is with you. How goes the search for True Love?"

She sat. "Uneventful."

"No marriage proposals?"

"No, I've had about six. All from Sir Maurice."

"Well, that won't do," said Merlin.

"I much agree."

"I think perhaps it is time to enlist the help of your Fairy Godmother."


Belle tried Neal's phone off and on for a while. He never picked up. Then one day in the shop, she had enough of combing through Rumple's books of magic and dialed the number again.

A woman answered. "Hello? Neal's phone."

"Uh, hello," said Belle, shocked at actually getting an answer. "Is Neal there?"

"Yeah. Who is this?"

"Belle French."

There was a pause as Belle heard some sort of mild argument between Neal and the woman.

Neal finally came on. "Hello?"

"Neal, it's Belle. Do you remember me?"

He took a very long time to answer. "Yes, I remember you."

"I don't want to bother you, but it is sort of an emergency."

"What kind of emergency?"

"Beatrice was sent through a portal to the Enchanted Forest. I'm looking for ways to get her back."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but I can't help you. Maybe you should ask her dad," he added, the last bit sounding oddly bitter. "The Dark One."

"Well, I can't," said Belle. "He's gone with her."

There was a long pause. "He went with her?"

"Yeah," said Belle. "It's a bit of a long story."

"I bet it is," Neal mused.

"Look, I know you don't think you can help, but if you told me what you know, it might help."

"I don't..."

Belle decided to try something else. She wasn't too proud for it, not where Beatrice and Rumple were concerned. "Look, it's not just me. I know a lot of people don't really give a damn about the Dark One and his daughter getting back-"

"No, Belle, I didn't mean it like that-"

Belle continued. "Emma and Snow White are gone as well. Emma has a son and the prince is basically pointless without Snow."

"Emma has a kid?," asked Neal.

"Yes," said Belle. "He's almost eleven. Sorry, do you know Emma?"

Neal hung up.


A few nights after their last meeting, Merlin led Reinette to a clearing where the Gold Fairy was waiting.

"Reinette, have you met your fairy godmother?"

Goldie glared at him. "That's not how it works."

"Yeah, yeah, tell it to Cinderella."

"Who?"

"Future, remember? So, Reinette, no progress as of late?," he asked.

"With my True Love?" Reinette shook her head. "Whoever he is, remains a mystery."

"Not any more. Goldie's going to speed things along."

"Speed things along?," Reinette asked incredulously.

"See, we're on a bit of a timetable. If you want to get to know your True Love, you need to meet him about now so you can get married and have a very lovely daughter who is of age and well past her awkward phase just about the time that the ogres invade."

"The ogres?," asked Reinette.

"Ogres?," emphasized Goldie.

"It's not as if I'm the one coming up with this," said Merlin. "Not all of it anyway. What are we standing here for? Goldie, do your thing."

The Gold Fairy sighed and waved her wand. Gold fairy dust flew into the air and plopped down.

"Goldie," Merlin said with irritation.

"I take it that was not supposed to happen?," asked Reinette.

"No," said Merlin.

"I don't know what happened. Fairy dust never fails," said the Gold Fairy.

"Maybe the dwarves who mined it were drunk," said Merlin. "Try again."

"I only have so much."

"Look, the next time you need a mouse to turn into a footman, I'll do it. It will take me all of two seconds and I won't have to spout any magic words," said Merlin. "Do it."

They watched again as the Gold Fairy waved her wand and the dust fell to the ground before Merlin's feet.

"Is this a trick by that blue nightmare?," asked Merlin.

"Do you think I would be here if she had any idea?," asked Goldie. "There has to be an explanation."

"Explanation? The explanation is that your wand must be warped from making too many ball gowns!," Merlin shouted.

"Shouting at me won't help," said Goldie.

"Twelve generations. Twelve generations of True Love!," said Merlin. "Only to be stopped now when I am so close!"

The Gold Fairy scowled and transformed back into her winged form.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?!," shouted Merlin.

The fairy didn't answer and just flew on.

Reinette looked at Merlin in confusion. "What does this mean?"

"I wish I bloody knew."

"What do you need twelve generations of True Love for?"

"I need fourteen."

"What do you need fourteen for?"

"I have a vision."

"A prophecy?," asked Reinette.

"It's both," said Merlin.

"I don't understand."

"I can see the future. I saw it centuries back, plain as day, unfolding in front of me and I set about making it a reality. The closer I've gotten to it, the more difficult it's become. This step eludes me. I just need to figure out this step. The next bit is easy. A beauty. A beast. A library. A tea cup. The thing writes itself. This can't end like this! I already gave him the tea set!"

Merlin looked back at Reinette who was staring at him.

"I'm sorry?," Reinette said uncertainly.

"I don't understand. You're her mother. She's the product of True Love, how else could it happen? Where's your True Love?!"

"I don't know and if this is what your help is going to be like, no thank you."

Reinette turned in a huff, smoothed her skirt and began walking back towards the castle.

Merlin rolled her eyes. "Every idiot princess in this bloody land can find her True Love and I get the one girl who can't."

Merlin stomped and began to follow her when he noticed the fairy dust on his boots.

He stopped and turned back to see the trail of gold dust from where he had begun to where he now stood.

"Oh, come on."


After another sleepless night, Belle walked to the pawn shop. She stopped seeing an unfamiliar car with New York plates in front. She turned to the door to see Neal, sitting on the sidewalk.

"Neal!," she said in amazement. "What- what are you doing here?"

"Yeah," Neal stood, stretching. "I came to help."

"You did?," she asked in shock. "Have you seen your family yet?"

"I can't," said Neal. "They're sort of in the Enchanted Forest."

Belle frowned. "I don't understand."

"Belle, I'm Baelfire."

Belle was silent as she opened the shop and walked in. Neal followed her.

"Are you going to say anything?"

Belle turned around and crossed her arms. "Prove it."

"Prove I'm Baelfire?"

"Yes. August already tried this."

"He did?," asked Neal. "Asshole."

"I'm waiting," Belle said tersely.

"I can describe the dagger to you. The Dark One dagger? With his name on it?"

Belle shook her head. "I have half the town looking for that and August already tried that, too."

Neal shook his head. "My mom's name was Milah-"

"Not good enough."

"What do you want then?"

"There's something in this shop that belongs to you," said Belle.

Neal looked. There were about a million things in the shop. "You want me to pick it out."

"Well, Baelfire ought to be able to."

He nodded. "You're not a pushover."

"No, I'm not."

Neal started looking methodically. "You know, we didn't have anything when I was growing up. Our house had a thatched roof. You have to remake those every so often. They leak, they blow away. After he became the Dark One, he started collecting all this crap. Every time I see one of those reality shows about hoarding, I think about him."

Belle tried to hide her internal agreement of that assessment.

"He never got that I didn't care about that crap. I just wanted him back."

"It's different when you have children," Belle said, hating herself for cracking before she had proof. "I know he's caught up with the things, he can't help himself sometimes, but when you have a child, you can't just count on a wing and a prayer. It tears at you when you can't give them something."

Neal stopped and smiled as he spotted it. He pulled the brown leather soccer ball off the shelf and turned to Belle. She held her breath.

"He made this for me," said Neal. "I was playing with it, by myself because I didn't have a lot of friends after he became the Dark One. This farmer's wagon almost hit me and I fell and skinned my knee. So he turned the guy into a snail and stepped on him."

"You're Baelfire," Belle said in astonishment.

Neal shrugged.

"You told Beatrice not to call you anymore!," said Belle.

"Right..."

"You realized you were her brother, didn't you? You're the only person who understands what this is like for her and you told her not to call you!"

He shrugged again. "I didn't know what to do. I have a lot of issues with my father."

"Issues?," asked Belle. She walked up to him. "You have father issues?"

"He broke our deal."

"My father said he was dying to lure me home. Then when I got there, he held me prisoner and tried to abort my baby. After that, he let the Blue Fairy put me under a sleeping curse. Since the Curse ended, he's tried to steal Beatrice's baby tooth, used the possibility of a reconciliation as a distraction while his co-conspirators sent my daughter- your sister- through a magic hat to what they thought was a void. Since then, I have had to stop him from trying to find the Dark One dagger twice. I wish he would let go!"

"Okay, that's a lot of issues..." said Neal.

Belle shook her head. "I'm not saying you shouldn't be angry. He fully expects you to be angry, he expects you to hate him, but you need to know he has spent hundreds of years trying to find you. We were going to find you, but then..."

"What?"

"We found out that if you cross the town line, you forget who you really are. Your cursed self becomes your only self. He's been trying to find a way around it, but there's been a delay."

"Yeah, I guess," said Neal.

Belle smiled. "I'm glad you're here."


"You've returned," said Goldie.

Merlin looked up at the Gold Fairy. He was watching from far away as Reinette and the other royal ladies in waiting hosted a picnic, meant to entertain King Leopold and his knights.

Reinette was singing again.

Her singing was all he wanted to hear.

"Did you figure it out?," asked Goldie.

"Figure what out?"

"Why the fairy dust did not move?"

Merlin cast a glance up at the fairy. "Did you?"

"I believe I did," said Goldie. "Prophecy is a treacherous magic."

Merlin snorted. "You're telling me."

"I suppose you'll have to quit your vision."

"Quit my vision?," he asked. "I can't quit my vision. I've put hundreds of years into it. She is my gift to this realm."

"She?"

"Never mind I said anything."

"These lines of True Love you've brought together, they often have magic," said Goldie.

"People with magic can have True Love as well." He looked back at Reinette. "Apparently."

"If you are trying to make a witch or a monster-"

Merlin turned to glare. "Don't you dare call her those names. You know not what you speak of."

"Then tell me."

Merlin looked back at Reinette, sharing some joke with Eva.

"I won't tell you. I'll tell her," said Merlin.


Belle walked down the street with Neal. The new visitor was attracting attention, especially since he was with Belle.

"So, what have you and this prince guy been doing?"

"Spinning our wheels, mostly," said Belle. "I've been looking through the books Rumple has. He's been helping the dwarves mine fairy dust and basically telling all to Mother Superior."

"Mother Superior?," he asked.

"The Blue Fairy," said Belle. She looked up at Neal. "It hasn't exactly been a smooth three hundred years between she and Rumple."

"No, I guess not."

"She's been against Beatrice for some reason, always. Rumple thought it was just him, but lately he's started to think there's something more to it."

"More? Like what?"

Belle shrugged.

"You know she used magic, right?," asked Neal.

"What?"

"In New York, she used magic on this guy who was trying to take her."

"Nobody should be able to do that," said Belle.

"I know."

"Why didn't she tell me?," asked Belle.

Neal shrugged. "You weren't really believing any of the things she was telling you."

"Right," said Belle. She motioned at the door. "Let's go inside. Wait, what should I say? I mean, what should I call you?"

"Well, Neal works-"

"No, but who should I tell them you are?"

"Oh." Neal shrugged. "You should probably just say the truth. It's all going to come out anyway."

Belle smiled. "Okay."

They went inside. David was sitting at a table with Henry, waiting for the daily meeting.

"Hi, Belle," said Henry.

"Hey, Henry," said Belle. She motioned at Neal. "This is the friend you helped me find."

"What friend?," asked David.

"Can you help us get my mom and Mary Margaret back?," Henry asked eagerly.

"Well, I don't know, but I'm here to help," said Neal.

"Who is he?"

"This is Rumplestiltskin's son," said Belle. "Neal."

"Rumplestiltskin has a son?," asked David.

Belle resisted rolling her eyes. He could be so thick headed. "He is sitting right in front of you."

"You're Baelfire!," exclaimed Henry. "You're in my book."

They did the wrap up. David explained Mother Superior still didn't know how to use the fairy dust to restore a portal which Belle didn't believe at all. They ended up chatting and Belle noticed Neal taking an interest in Henry.

A particular interest.

"What's going on?," asked Belle as she followed him out of Granny's.

Neal stopped and turned around. "What do you mean?"

Belle walked up. "I saw the way you looked at Henry. What's going on?"

"I don't know what you mean-"

"I know the look because a couple of months ago it was the way Rumple looked at Beatrice," said Belle. "I know I didn't have your attention on the phone until I mentioned Emma and I really didn't care because... because no one is ever going to care about Rumple and Beatrice the way I do, but you're Baelfire so... what's going on?"

"I know Emma."

"Oh, Gods," said Belle.

"We dated, sort of. We stole things..."

"What does that mean?"

"I didn't know who she was, but August found me and told me and I had to let her go so she could come back and break the Curse. So I let her go down for these watches I stole."

"Henry was born while Emma was in prison," Belle said with distaste. "Did you know that?"

"I do now," he said sheepishly. "Are you being judgmental?"

"Yes," said Belle.

"You've been hanging out with my dad and you're going to judge me?"

"Don't make this about you and your father. This is about you. As for your father, he has many, many faults and I know that better than most people, but he never would have left me to rot in a prison." Belle stalked off, clacking her heels against the pavement.

"Belle!," Neal called. "Where are you going?"

"Home! We'll talk in the morning! And don't you dare think of leaving!"

Belle walked away and then through the haze of her anger came the realization that the dungeon at the Dark Castle probably counted as a prison.

Never mind. She was making an exit.

She went home with plans to locate the finest bottle of wine Rumple had and have a glass.

Or two.

Or the whole damn thing.


Belle was suddenly aware of flames around her. She pulled her arms close to her and took in her surroundings.

She was in the Netherworld. She remembered coming her a few times after she had been set free from the Blue Fairy's sleeping curse.

It had always been the same. The darkness. Her screaming baby and having to find her. After the Curse broke, she finally realized this was probably where Beatrice's fear of the dark came from. This wretched place.

Belle waved her hand and the flames disappeared. She wasn't about to stand surrounded by fire the whole night.

That's when she heard sobbing.

"Beatrice!," she called, hurrying forward into the darkness. "Beatrice!"

"Mom?," Beatrice answered weakly.

Belle followed the sound of her voice to see her daughter huddled in a corner.

"Mom!" Beatrice got up and ran towards her, their embrace falling through each other.

"Hey, it's okay," Belle said reassuringly. "Neither of us is really here, remember?"

"What are you doing here?"

Belle shook her head. "I drank a whole bottle of wine."

"You what?"

"Apparently, if your natural defenses are lowered, you can end up here again."

"You drank a bottle of wine?"

Belle shook her head. "It is an incredibly long story. Now, tell me what's happening there. Are you safe?"

"I'm at the Dark Castle."

"And Papa's with you?"

"Yes."

Belle smiled and nodded. "Good. That's good. Emma and Mary Margaret are alright?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, then, what's wrong?"

She shook her head. "I keep screwing up. Oh, yeah, your fiancé was a rose-"

"Gaston was a rose?," asked Belle.

"And he's missing a foot-"

Belle gasped and covered her mouth in horror. Was Gaston that rose? Had Rumple given her Gaston?!

"Some crazy woman has my glasses..." Beatrice continued.

"What crazy woman?"

"Cora. She wants to get back to Storybrooke to reunite with Regina and this is my fault-"

"Beatrice, listen to me," said Belle. "None of this is your fault. None of it. Just do what your papa says and I know he'll bring you home."

Beatrice shook her head. "I don't like it here."

Belle shook her head. "It's okay. You'll be home soon."

Suddenly, the ceiling opened and sucked up Beatrice.

"Beatrice!," Belle screamed after her. "Beatrice!"


Regina awoke to the sound of someone banging on her door. She wondered what it could be, since she didn't hear the rabble of the townspeople having decided to kill her again. She pulled her robe around her and went down to the front door.

Where she discovered Belle smelling like a cask.

"Are you drunk?," Regina asked incredulously.

"Cora. She's there. She's found them in the Enchanted Forest."

"What do you mean? That's not possible. My mother is dead."

"No, she's not, Beatrice has seen her and she wants to do something to her."

"How do you know this?"

"We met in the Netherworld. She got ripped away. What does Cora want with Beatrice?"

"I wouldn't know," said Regina.

"Yes, you would," said Belle.

Regina straightened. "I would think she most likely wants revenge."

"For what?"

"Because Rumplestiltskin turned her daughter against her and got her to send her to another realm."

Belle's heart sank.

"I'm sorry," said Regina, shutting the door.


Reinette walked into her room to once again find Merlin.

"My lady."

"Sir," she said. "If anyone sees you, it will be quite a scandal you know."

Merlin sighed. "Yes, I suppose it is generally heading in that direction."

"I was jesting."

He stood and walked to Reinette. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior the other night."

"You ought to."

"See, I have a vision and no one knows the truth of it, but I'm about to tell you."

"You are?," Reinette asked incredulously.

"Please have a seat."

Reinette did. Merlin pulled up a chair next to her.

"This land was not always here. It was created from the remains of another realm with all the magic that was left. The two people that created it, the original powers, disagreed on one thing."

"What was that?"

"Magic," said Merlin. "She thought magic would be safer in the hands of a sort of privileged class of magicians."

"Do you mean fairies?"

"Mostly. He wanted to distribute the magic evenly, but naturally, being a match of equals, they went with her plan."

Reinette smiled.

"Yeah, yeah, it's funny from over where you're sitting," said Merlin. "Anyway, she double-crossed him, tried to take all the power for herself and her fairies and has been using it to those she thinks worthy and no one else ever since."

"Surely that's-"

"It's a decadent system, Reinette. The reason I care so much for the Land Without Magic is that they evolve, they do things, they've got plans to explore the stars-"

"The stars? How can one explore the stars?"

"They'll figure out the how. The point is no one even dreams like that here."

"Except you."

"I've been trying to come up with a way to right the wrongs of this world and to that end I have-"

"Camelot?"

Merlin snorted. "I'm not even really bothering with that any more. No, there is a girl, a very special girl, your granddaughter and I thought she would be the one to change everything."

"My granddaughter? Don't you think I ought to have a child first?"

"I think you ought to have a daughter called Belle."

Reinette was in shock. "Do you suppose I might find a husband?"

"No, I supposed you might find your True Love, the trouble is, I have."

"You have?," she asked in dismay.

"Yes. If you were to be connected with him, you would spend the rest of your life in shadows, not to mention the child and I don't see how she is ever going to meet him if she's his daughter... He is just a thickheaded bastard and won't fall for it at all."

"You couldn't be wrong about my True Love?," asked Reinette.

Merlin turned slowly. "How do you mean?"

He found himself quite surprised as Reinette kissed him.

"Reinette, I-"

"I didn't need fairy dust to tell me," said Reinette.

"You don't know what this means."

"I don't care."

He maintained their close proximity. "You see, Reinette, True Love is magic and all magic comes with a price. Especially this."

Reinette smiled. "You once asked my parents what they were running from."

He had said that. True Love would always get you.


Belle tried to clean herself up after her early morning visit to Regina, but she was afraid it had no effect. Leroy had commented on how bad she looked.

Leroy.

So she sat at Granny's waiting for another conversation with Neal that would probably drive her to another bottle of wine. That or worrying about Beatrice and Rumple.

"You don't look good," said Neal as he sat down across from her.

Belle grimaced. "Thanks for that."

"Were you drinking?"

"Can you blame me?," asked Belle. She took another sip of coffee. "Oh, Beatrice is right. This is doing nothing for me."

"What happened?"

Belle leaned in to whisper. "You mean other than you telling me you think you're the father of Emma's son? And you had her sent to jail for stealing watches you stole?"

"I explained that-"

"Neal, you might imagine that I take a dim view of anything where the pregnant woman gets locked up."

"I didn't know she was-"

Belle held up her hand. "Just save this discussion for Emma and for when my head isn't throbbing."

"Given up on Rumple already?"

Belle looked up at Regina. "This is his son."

Regina frowned. "His son?"

"Neal, Regina. Regina, Neal," Belle managed to groan out. "Oh, by the way, Regina is Henry's adoptive mother."

"What?," asked Neal.

"Yeah, this is why I drank the whole bottle." Belle looked up at Regina. "What are you doing here?"

Regina surprised Belle by sitting down in the booth next to her.

"I am going to help you," she managed to choke out, brushing her hair from her face.

"You're going to help us?," Belle asked in disbelief. "Why? Why should I trust you?"

"Because I am doing this for my son. He wants Emma and Mary Margaret back and if I leave it to you..." Regina paused. "Well, you may yet be fairly competent because Rumplestiltskin must see something in you, but if we leave it to the Prince and all of his noble blundering, my mother will be here before you know it and then we're in real trouble."

Belle nodded. "So, what do we do?"

"As frightening as it is, we have to think like Rumplestiltskin," said Regina.

"Beatrice said they were at the Dark Castle," said Belle.

Regina nodded. "He'll have his magic there to protect them, but that wouldn't be his first order of business."

"He'll want a portal," said Neal.

"Where's he going to get one?," asked Belle. "There are no magic beans. I checked the shop. The slippers are here. A looking glass just sends you to Wonderland and he won't go to Wonderland."

"Peter Pan's Shadow," offered Neal.

"Neverland?," Regina asked skeptically.

"Her Majesty's right, he's not going to do that."

The three looked up to see Merlin standing at their table. He was dressed casually and has something that reminded Belle of her old satchel over his shoulder.

He continued. "The reasons are long and complicated, but I assure you Rumplestiltskin will not be making his way back to this realm with a layover in Neverland."

"Merlin?," Belle gasped.

"You're alive," said Regina.

"I know it's a letdown, Your Majesty, but the fact you hadn't killed your mother was something of a letdown for me so we are almost even," said Merlin, sitting down next to Neal. "Almost."

"Wait, you were there?," asked Belle. "How are they? What's happening?"

Merlin looked her in the eye. "They need our help."