Author's Notes: I do not own Once Upon A Time which is a show on ABC where they rip out the hearts of their characters and their fans. Thank you so much for the reads and review and favorites and follows. I so appreciate them, though I haven't gotten back to anyone because I've been writing this chapter. So, please, please let me know what you think and happy reading!


Belle watched Gold in frustration as they stood behind the counter in his empty shop.

Since borrowing the book from Beatrice, Gold had cast several wards over the object to keep it from ill-intentioned hands, then he had tried to figure out how to use it himself.

"I have tried every implement I can think of," said Gold as Belle leaned on the counter to stare at the book. "Every magical quill, every type of ink. The only thing left to try is blood."

Belle frowned at him.

"Which, obviously, I won't do."

Belle flipped through it again. "Maybe the pages are enchanted?"

"It's no enchantment I know of." He looked back up at Belle. "When did Merlin say the title changed from 'The Dark Princess' to Beatrice's name?"

"He said it must have been just after I realized I was pregnant with her. I had just finished with Much Ado About Nothing not long before and I liked the name."

Gold thought on it. "You got it on your birthday."

"Yes," she said with a smile.

Gold's mouth curled into a smile. "That was a good birthday."

Belle nodded in agreement. "Very good."

"I should ask Merlin," Gold said, returning his attention to the book.

"Which you can do later," said Belle, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning up to kiss him. "We have date night."

He frowned. "I thought that was merely a clever ploy we were using to not have Beatrice around when we discussed the book."

"I thought it might be more convincing if we did the date part. I've made reservations at that nice restaurant at the waterfront, but that's not for an hour."

"I don't suppose you have any idea what you would like to do with that hour?"

"We could re-enact my birthday..." Belle said, teasing him with another kiss.

"Is that when you think Beatrice..."

Belle smiled. "Maybe or it might have been on that trip we took to the Island Kingdom?"

Gold's mouth curled into a smile once more. "That was a good trip."

They kissed again.

"Is the door locked?," asked Belle.

"With the spell I cast, no one is getting in here."


Beatrice used to look forward to Friday evenings in Manhattan. Anything was possible when she and her mother went out on the town in search of something new and exciting. A movie. Snagging a table at Serendipity. They had once found a restaurant that only served different types of lasagna.

Storybrooke had considerably less options.

Even less tonight.

Her mother had casually mentioned it was "date night" and that perhaps it would be a good night for Beatrice to have dinner with Merlin or Aurora, who had recently moved out into one of Gold's vacant properties. Merlin was shutting down the library and Beatrice was waiting at Granny's, getting dessert out of the way.

"Hey, Beatrice."

Beatrice looked up. It was Leroy/Grumpy coming in with the other six dwarves. For some reason, he had a soft spot for her. She suspected it was actually a soft spot for her mother, but she was just happy enough to not have someone drop the Dark One bomb at her every meeting.

"Hi, Leroy."

"Where's your mom?"

Beatrice took a breath. "Date night."

Leroy's face contorted in disgust as Beatrice's did much the same.

"Yeah, I know," she confirmed.

"You can eat with us if you want," said Leroy, motioning at where the dwarves had sat.

"Oh, thanks, but I'm supposed to eat with my grandfather."

Leroy frowned. "Moe?"

"No, Merlin. Has that not gotten around yet? I thought there was an email or something."

"No, not yet."

He paused and Beatrice turned behind her. Mother Superior had entered with some of the nuns. She stared icily at Beatrice.

Ruby was on it, walking up to the former fairy. "Come on. You know what Mary Margaret said."

Beatrice frowned and strained to listen. What had Snow White said?

"I'm not doing anything," Mother Superior said huffily. "I didn't even know she was here."

"Maybe we should go," one of the other nuns offered, glancing back at Leroy and Beatrice.

"Quiet, Astrid," Mother Superior said in a curt tone.

"If she's here, you can't be," Ruby said quietly. "Don't make me get Granny."

"Do you know when you might be done?," Mother Superior asked, suddenly turning towards Beatrice.

"Sorry?"

"When do you think you might be done?," she repeated. "So I can know when to come back."

Suddenly all eyes in the diner were on Beatrice which was not a sensation she enjoyed.

"Come on. You're better than this," Ruby implored.

Defeated, Mother Superior turned in a huff, running smack into Merlin.

"Oh, the Blue Trollop," he said. "How not nice to see you again."

"Merlin. Enjoy dinner with your monster."

"Big talk for someone who hasn't gotten her wand back."

"I will."

"And I will be here as ever. All roads go through me."

Mother Superior left with the nuns.

"Bye, Astrid," Leroy let slip.

Beatrice turned back to him as Merlin came to sit across from her in the booth.

"What did she say?," asked Merlin.

"I don't know. It was weird," said Beatrice. She motioned at the space formerly occupied by the nuns. "Was that Nova?"

Leroy put his gruff demeanour back on. "What? Who?"

"Astrid. She's Nova."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Um, Nova? The woman you were in love with?"

Leroy shook his head. "Dwarves don't fall in love."

"Except when they do," she contradicted.

She just then noticed Merlin watching her as Leroy went back to his table.

"Why don't you ask her out to coffee or something?," asked Beatrice.

"She's a nun."

Beatrice nodded. "Yeah, because Regina made her a nun. She's the Evil Queen, not the Pope. What is she even actually queen of?"

"Look, she's a fairy. I'm a dwarf. That's how it is."

"Why does that mean you can't do what you want?"

Ruby came over. "Hey, give him a break, okay?," she asked softly.

"Why is it, even with the Curse broken, nobody can tell me why they do what they do?," she asked.

"Our land was different," said Ruby. "Now, what can I get started for you guys?"


The Duke of the Frontlands kept meticulous records of every child who was born. Merlin had tried many lands before, but once he arrived at the Frontlands finding a child called Rumplestiltskin was a simple thing.

He walked out to the cottage. Less of a cottage, more of a shack with a thatched roof in bad need of repair. Merlin spotted several empty bottles in the grass surrounding the home and one look inside the hole in the wall passing as a window revealed that there was no furniture merely a pallet on the floor.

He walked around the house, looking for the occupants when he found a baby in a basket.

He knew him as soon as he saw him.

"Rumplestiltskin..." he said with a smile.

"Stop!"

Merlin turned to see a gaunt woman with even thinner red hair brandishing a shovel.

"Back away from him," she instructed.

Merlin motioned at the baby. "Are you this boy's mother?"

"Yes, I am," she said. She suddenly looked stricken. "You haven't bought him, have you?"

"Bought him?," Merlin asked in disbelief. "Is he on the market?"

"Not exactly," the woman muttered, putting down her shovel. "My husband, you see, he's got a bit of a gambling problem..."

"Your husband?," Merlin asked. "I didn't see a husband mentioned on the birth certificate."

"Well, he's meant to get properly married, but business has been slow..."

Merlin motioned at the callouses on her hands. "Is that why you've been working in the fields with an infant at home?"

"Just a bit of gardening..." She paused. "Sorry, who the bloody hell are you?"

"My name is Merlin. And you are?"

"Gormlaith."

Merlin nodded. "So Rumplestiltskin wasn't that much of a leap."

"Steady on! What's that supposed to mean? Why are you showing up at my house, asking questions about my baby?," she demanded.

"Do you believe in True Love?"

"Princes kissing girls to wake them up from curses? That sort of nonsense?"

Merlin nodded. "So the romantic part is coming from the other side of the family. Understandable."

"What are you talking about?"

"Who's this?"

Merlin turned to see a man stumbling over.

"Malcolm," said Gormlaith nervously, "we have a visitor."

"Yes, hello, I'm Merlin," he said. "I was just telling your... I was just saying what a handsome boy you have here."

Malcolm shot a look. A look that suggested how little regard he had for his offspring. He walked back into the house and Merlin watched Gormlaith cringe as they heard the sound of the family's few possessions clattering and breaking.

"You should leave," said Gormlaith. "It's never good when he's in one of his moods."

"And what about you?"

"I can handle him."

"And the boy?"

Gormlaith picked up the baby's basket and headed back towards the shack.

"Look after him," Merlin instructed. "We'll talk later."

Gormlaith shot him a look and went inside.


Beatrice was cautious as she entered the house, knocking on the door and stomping in. "I'm home! In the living room!," she added for good measure. No way was she going to share Emma's fate of walking in on her fairy tale parents...

Not happening.

Belle entered from the kitchen. She had on her robe and nightgown. "How was dinner?"

"Good."

It was then that Gold joined them. "And Mother Superior?"

Beatrice shrugged. "I don't know. She barely said anything to me."

"Yes, but what did she say to you?"

"Rumple, Ruby would have said if it was important," said Belle.

"Sorry, Ruby talked to you?"

"She texted," said Belle.

"Why?"

"Because I asked her to look out for you," said Belle.

"Great. Just so I know, is there anyone else keeping an eye out for me?"

"Beatrice," said Gold, "I don't know that you're appreciative of the contempt that Mother Superior has for you."

"Yes, she traded me for a tree and stole my baby tooth," said Beatrice. "I get it."

Gold looked pointedly at Belle.

"Just be careful around her," Belle implored.

"Beatrice, we brought you an extra dessert," said Gold. He looked at Belle. "Could I speak to you alone?"

"Yes," said Belle.

Beatrice tried not to think about what Gold wanted to speak to Belle about. He gave her a kiss and said good night, then Belle followed suit.


Merlin had been not far from Longbourne when he heard there was a market day. His hosts sought to entertain him by saying that there was often very fine wool for sale there.

That's when the market had attracted his interest because he thought his spinner might be there. He had not looked in on him in a while since the spinsters who raised him died and wondered how Rumplestiltskin might be getting on.

That's when he got a surprise and Merlin did not get surprises often.

He was looking at the various stalls when he did find Rumplestiltskin selling wool. That's when he noticed the lovely dark-haired young thing next to him.

A wife?

Rumplestiltskin had a wife?

Given the man's quiet nature and the considerable emotional wreckage that his childhood had done, Merlin had almost entirely expected Rumplestiltskin to remain a bachelor the three hundred or so years before his True Love came into his life.

"Can I help you, sir?," he asked.

Merlin frowned. "Do you not remember me?"

"I'm sorry. I don't."

"Merlin. I was a friend of your aunts."

"Rumple..." said the woman.

Rumplestiltskin glanced back and saw her disapproving look staring at a customer with coin in his hand. Rumplestiltskin excused himself and went back to the man.

"We were just talking. I'm Merlin. I knew his aunts."

"Milah," she said shortly.

"So, Milah, are you from Longbourne?"

"No. I'm from the same village as Rumplestiltskin."

"Ah."

"And would I know your father?"

"You might. He's the cheesemonger."

Cheesemonger's daughter. He recalled the man had many children that he put to work for him.

"It must be a very different life for you then," said Merlin.

"Of course. I am married."

"Such different work. Not as taxing."

"I do my share."

"Oh. Why don't you show me which wool you spun?"

"I'm afraid I'm still learning. My hands aren't as skilled as Rumplestiltskin's."

Merlin smiled. "Oh, darling, you're not fooling me."

"Excuse me?"

Merlin leaned in closer. "He is not your end game, is he? He was just the first road out for you."

"I don't like-"

"Don't waste both our time with denying it," he hissed. "I'm usually right about these things. Actually, I am definitely right about this thing, but you are not his end game, either."

Milah looked at him in a way that clearly betrayed she didn't believe that.

"Yet," Merlin said considering, "you may yet serve a purpose."


The story of Dreamy and Nova had always been a favorite of Beatrice's, regardless of the Belle cameo. It had made her sad. In fourth grade, they had all been assigned to make their own fairy tale book. Beatrice had been surprised to hear that nobody knew the story of the dwarf who fell in love with the fairy, nor did they understand why it needed a sequel.

Then again, she had once failed a reading comprehension quiz in the second grade when it had revolved around the story of Snow White and Prince Charming. Beatrice had not bothered to read the story given in her primer and instead moved on to the test relying on the book August had given her. It had been open-ended with questions like "Who is the Evil Queen?" To which Beatrice naturally answered, "Regina, the daughter of Prince Henry and the Queen of Hearts, who was worse." Another question asked "Why did Snow White bite the apple?" Beatrice had answered that it was of course to save her True Love, the Big Bad Wolf, her grandmother and the Seven Dwarves. The last question on the quiz had been "What happens to the Evil Queen?" The answer to that had taken an additional page and had caused her teacher to send Beatrice to the school psychiatrist and bring Belle in for a parent-teacher conference to discuss why Beatrice was so fixated on the Evil Queen ripping her father's heart out. When they asked her, the answer "It was the thing she loved the most" had gotten her sent back to the school counselor for a session a week until the end of the year despite Belle's explanations.

With a sequel to the tale of Nova and Dreamy in mind, Beatrice made her way to the convent. There was the church, the house where the nuns lived, the school and then the community center.

"Hi," she said. "Sister Astrid?"

Astrid looked up in shock.

"We haven't met yet. I'm Beatrice French. Or Gold. It's definitely one of those."

"Yes, I know who you are," the woman said meekly.

"Well, Jamie told me that you are having a food drive for the Thanksgiving dinner," said Beatrice.

"We are," said Astrid in surprise. "Jamie told you?"

Jamie actually hadn't. She had been talking about it in English class, not acknowledging Beatrice's existence, intending to blow off the whole project.

"Anyway, here's the deal, my high school resume is looking a little thin lately since I moved here and there's now a big gap in my transcript from when I was stuck in the other realm. I could really use another community service project. I've done this before, in New York."

"Well," said Astrid, "our donations have been rather light. We still need most of the supplies for our Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless."

Astrid motion at the donation box which was at the moment four jars of beet borscht, a can of sardines and one can of pumpkin pie filling.

"Storybrooke has homeless?," asked Beatrice.

"They used to be trolls," said Astrid.

"Oh."

Astrid moved closer to Beatrice. "Do you really think you can get people to donate to you?"

Beatrice nodded. "Yeah. I've found the trick is all in who you ask first."


Regina opened her front door to find Beatrice.

"I'm confused," said Regina.

As she would be, but Beatrice had practiced this strategy before among the well to do mothers of her school. Start with the one who has the most to prove. In this case, it was Regina.

"I was going to say hi first," said Beatrice.

"Does your father know you're here?"

"Not so much. Anyway, I have an idea that I think can help the both of us and hopefully some other people. Are you aware of Storybrooke's homeless problem?"

"I created it."

"Yeah, I was planning on not mentioning that, anyway, Sister Astrid is in charge of the food drive for Thanksgiving dinner at the soup kitchen and I was thinking you could make a donation."

Regina narrowed her gaze at Beatrice. "Why?"

"See, I have several donation stations set up at my dad's shop, at the library, the grocery store and Granny's."

"And why would I care about feeding a bunch of ex-trolls?"

"Because if you came into Granny's while it was particularly crowded and made a sizeable donation, I think it would show Henry and the rest how committed you are to changing."

"But I'm only doing it to toy with them?," she asked.

Beatrice shrugged. "Not toy exactly. Does it really matter why someone donates to a food drive?"

"What's in it for you? You're Rumplestiltskin's daughter. There must be something."

"If you donate first and you donate a lot, when I go around and ask other people, I can tell them 'Well, Regina donated.'"

"And you use me to shame them?"

"And you have the moral high ground over everyone who doesn't donate."

Regina nodded, finally appreciating the thought process. "That is clever."

"Just nothing to do with apples. People are still kind of leery about that."

"Why are you really doing this?"

"Would you believe me if I told you it's all part of an elaborate plan to get a dwarf and a fairy together?"

"No."

"Never mind then."


Rumplestiltskin sat alone in his magical carriage.

At least he thought he was alone.

"Is this really fun for you?," Merlin asked.

Rumplestiltskin looked to see the wizard sitting across from him.

"What precisely is it you see in Cora? I mean, for one thing, she's heartless. Literally heartless as in remember that time she ripped her heart out?"

"What do you want, Merlin?," he growled.

"I was just checking up on you," said Merlin. "Big events are on the horizon."

"I would take a closer look at your plans."

"Yes, yes, time of the Curse approaching. We all know. Well, actually, we all don't know. You and I know."

"And yet you haven't done anything about it."

"Back to my question, what is it you see in Cora? Is it the sneaking around her idiot husband? Oh, by the way, even though he is an idiot, you're probably not fooling him."

"What do you care?"

"I'm curious."

"We have things in common."

Merlin laughed.

"What?," Rumplestiltskin asked in offense.

"You two have nothing in common with the exception of some very strange personal habits. That woman ripped her own heart out for the opportunity of being fifth in line to be queen of a third tier -at best- kingdom."

"We were both looked down upon by the nobles."

"Some princess tripped her, they tried to draft your son into the Ogres War. Those are two very different things."

"I need her."

"No, you need her daughter. I can only guess at Cora as being a result of your very twisted issues with women."

"I'm tiring of this conversation."

"Did you ever think through running off with Cora? What would have happened if you had been the father of her first born?"

Rumplestiltskin was silent.

"You would have been the thing she loved the most and she would have had to rip out the heart of the thing she loved the most and that would have been your heart and well, it's no use going to a Land Without Magic you haven't got a heart when what's left of you gets there. It won't be easy to find your son then and what were you going to do? Be cruel to one child to find another? What would Baelfire say?"

Merlin rolled his eyes as Rumplestiltskin pretended to ignore him and glanced out the window of the magical carriage.

"Have you ever thought of having more children?," asked Merlin. "You know, other than that one time."

"No."

"Perhaps you should think on it."

"I can't replace my son," Rumplestiltskin seethed.

"Of course not, but perhaps things will be different. You may have a daughter. You may not have a woman who uses you to her own end."


Saturday morning. Beatrice sat at Granny's with her mother, Mary Margaret and Henry. Belle and Mary Margaret were working out the details of Thanksgiving dinner, word of which was not supposed to reach Gold or David until about the time one of them started looking for the meal itself. Both women thought it would work better this way and with things starting to settle, conversation drifted towards Beatrice's project.

"I think it's so great that you're taking on this food drive," said Mary Margaret.

Beatrice shrugged. "It's not a big deal."

Belle shook her head. "She's too modest. She did things like this all the time in New York."

"Because people left me with it," said Beatrice. That was the truth. She was the unpopular girl who could be counted upon to finish a project while the popular girls texted and took the credit.

"She has gotten McDonald's Grocer to donate all the turkeys," said Belle. "Not to mention Mr. Drury is donating fresh bread and pies."

"It wasn't like it was hard," said Beatrice. "I just asked while Dad stood in the corner and glared."

To be honest, that had been the bulk of her strategy.

Mary Margaret smiled. "I don't remember Mr. McDonald donating anything, ever. I think it's about time you got out there and let people see who you really are."

"Mom!," said Henry.

They looked up to see Regina entering the diner carrying two heavy grocery bags. A hush fell over the diner, one that Beatrice realized was not dissimilar to when she arrived somewhere.

"Henry," said Regina, all smiles as the boy hugged her around the waist.

"What are you doing here?," asked Henry.

"I was just coming to get coffee and drop these off," said Regina, placing the grocery bags in the donation bin.

"You're donating?," Henry asked in surprise, a surprise shared by the rest of the diner.

"Of course I am," said Regina. "Why don't I buy you a hot chocolate and you tell me how things have been?"

"Okay," Henry said happily as he and Regina sat at the counter.

Mary Margaret turned back to Beatrice in astonishment. "How did you do that?"

"I just asked," said Beatrice.

"Wow. I guess she really is trying to change," said Mary Margaret.


"Hello, sunshine," said Merlin, entering the pawn shop.

"You're late," said Gold.

"Yes, well, we're both immortal, I think we'll cope with the loss."

Gold put the book on the counter and laid his hand on it. "What is this for?"

Merlin motioned at it. "I gave that to Beatrice. Why doesn't she have it?"

"Because she used it to paint her toenails."

Merlin shrugged. "Well, teenage girls, what are you going to do?"

"I want to know what this book is. What it does and what it is for."

"I've already said. The book is her future."

"It hardly has anything."

"Because the future is unwritten and no one can write Beatrice's fate but Beatrice and I hope you have not been playing with it, sunshine."

Rumplestiltskin leaned forward. "Do you think I am going to allow my child to be hurt by this? I don't care about your vision, my loyalty is with her."

Merlin leaned towards him. "Have you had a chance to think? What the blue tart did, actually, everything the blue tart has ever done, it wasn't about you, it was about Beatrice."

"And what about Beatrice would scare her?"

"Obsolescence, of course."


Beatrice opened the hatch of her car. It was practically lowered from all the groceries she had collected in it over the past few days. Her Regina strategy had worked well and all of a sudden, people were hurrying to donate. The dwarves were following with the other donations, Mr. Drury's donations would come in the morning before the meal was served. She started moving the groceries onto the curb and after several times, looked up to see Mother Superior.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm bringing the donations for the food drive," said Beatrice.

"We don't need your help."

Beatrice frowned and took out another bag. "I think you kind of do."

Mother Superior shook her head. "I won't allow it. Take these things away."

Beatrice sighed. "Look, I don't get all of this, but I know my dad's the Dark One and you frown on that. You had to trade my mom for a tree for Emma, okay. Maybe that was the right thing. I wasn't there. The tooth thing was weird... Do we need this whole bitchy thing, though? I can be civil."

Mother Superior looked at her in what she supposed was amusement. "They haven't told you."

"They haven't told me what?"

"I never gave you your gift," said Mother Superior.

"My gift?"

"When you were born. When a child is born, all fairies bestow a blessing."

Beatrice frowned. "Yeah, I think I'm good."

"No, I insist," she said, taking out her wand. "I bless you with the gift of humility."

"Uh, okay..." Beatrice said frowning.

"Beatrice!," Belle shouted.

She looked back. She hadn't noticed her mother's car pulling up. Belle quickly parked and ran out of the car, putting herself between Beatrice and Mother Superior.

"What are you doing here?," asked Beatrice.

Belle ignored her. She looked back at Mother Superior. "What did you do to her?!," she demanded.

"I gave her a gift," said Mother Superior, starting off.

Belle followed, grabbing the woman by her shoulder and spinning her around.

"What gift?!," Belle shouted. "If you cursed her-"

"I don't curse people. Perhaps Rumplestiltskin could tell you more about that."

Mother Superior walked away. Belle rushed back to Beatrice.

"What did she say?," said Belle. "What did she do? Was there fairy dust?"

Beatrice shook her head. "I don't know. I have to get this stuff inside."

Belle got out her cell phone to call Gold as Beatrice walked over to the groceries on the sidewalk, then froze.

"Beatrice?," Belle asked in concern.

"I don't know what to take in first..." she said, not sounding like herself.

"What?" Belle walked over. "Beatrice, tell me what's wrong."