Author's Notes: I do not own Once Upon A Time which is a show on ABC that thinks I care about a Wicked Witch not played by Idina Menzel. Tell you what, when she starts singing, we can talk. Okay? Thanks for all the reviews, I think it was like 13 last time I checked for last chapter? I have not gotten back to anyone yet, but I do really appreciate them and will get back to you soon. Probably after I feed my dogs. Thanks again, please let me know what you think and happy reading!
The weeks leading up to the trial had a buzz over Storybrooke. The town gossiped as it did without knowing any of the details, just pieces from those who had been called to testify and had already given their statements. The gulf between the Golds and the Charmings grew larger which made everyone nervous. Emma was still speaking to the Golds due to her own general anger at her parents for deciding to move to the Enchanted Forest and not mention it. The Charmings spoke to Neal, but not with any depth.
Henry still went back and forth, seeking a reconciliation for a problem he didn't know the details behind. As usual since Emma was busy with the trial prep, Neal got Henry from school and this afternoon took him by the pawn shop. Beatrice tried her hand at entertaining by doing her latest: conjuring cookies that always seemed to come out too dry. After he had his fill, Henry reminded his father that they had promised Archie to come visit the puppies. He eagerly invited his aunt and that was how Gold found himself in Doctor Hopper's office with his daughter and grandson cooing over a pen of fifteen Dalmatian puppies.
Gold hadn't actually known Beatrice could coo. The few babies in Storybrooke she usually tried to avoid on her own without the aid of overzealous mothers. Now, though she seemed relaxed as she played games with the pups. Her enthusiasm almost rivaled Henry's but her reserve kept her in check.
"So, what happened?," Neal asked Archie, motioning at Pongo and his "girlfriend" Perdita as they slept beside the pen. Parenthood had apparently exhausted them.
"Well, after the Curse broke Mrs. Gutman and I haven't really been able to keep Pongo and Perdita apart. Then this happened," Archie said helplessly.
"Yeah, but where's the other eighty four?," asked Beatrice. "Seriously, this town should be overrun with Dalmatians."
"Didn't Mrs. Gutman want them?," asked Henry.
"Oh, Perdita is staying with me for a little while, Henry. Mrs. Gutman and I have joint custody," Archie said with a smile.
"Hey," said Beatrice, turning to Gold and holding one of the puppies. He couldn't help but notice she had been holding the same one for a while. A girl with a big spot on her ear as her only marking so far. "If Pongo and Perdita have True Love, does that mean they have magical puppies?"
"They're dogs," said Gold.
"If unicorns are real, why are magical puppies stupid?"
"Don't ask for logic, Bea," Neal warned.
"You seem to be making a friend," said Gold.
"Oh, yeah, I guess," said Beatrice.
Gold wasn't certain about magical, but the puppy did seem to have the ability to make Beatrice smile.
"Dad, can I get one?," asked Henry.
"Nice try, kid," said Neal. "You can ask your mom about that one."
"I need to get ready for my next patient," said Archie. "Uh, Beatrice?"
"Yeah?"
"You still have a puppy."
"Oh, sorry," said Beatrice. She put the puppy back in the pen. "Bye, puppies."
"Do we have a witness list?," Venus asked, strolling in. Regina and Kathryn both held out papers. Venus looked at Regina's. "You have a great many witnesses named."
"I do."
"A great many more than Kathryn has," said Venus looking to the new defense table.
"Well, I do have a lot to prove," said Regina. "Since the Fairy's crimes are so numerous."
"Are you aware of this?," Venus asked Kathryn.
"Regina and I have been sharing information according to your ruling."
"Very good then." She turned to Mother Superior. "And you, Viviane, are you prepared to speak for yourself?"
"Of course."
Emma couldn't help but notice Regina's smirk.
"You seem rather certain of yourself, Your Majesty," said Mother Superior.
"Play nice, Viviane," warned Venus.
"I'm merely looking forward to the proceedings, that's all," said Regina. "I intend to show all the lives you've ruined and cap it off with your centuries long campaign against a young girl whose greatest crime appears to be burning an old car."
"And being a demon spawn destined for darkness-" said Mother Superior. Kathryn tried to silence her with a look.
"Let's save it for trial," said Venus. "Assuming we have no more pending issues, I will see you all on Monday."
"My client wishes to spend this weekend under house arrest at the convent," Kathryn said reluctantly.
"Viviane, do I look stupid?," asked Venus.
"I have no magic. What harm could I do?"
"You would doubtless ask one of your sisters to use some of her magic as you have before," said Venus. "Back to your cell."
Venus snapped her fingers and Mother Superior vanished.
Regina and Kathryn gathered their things. Emma went to Venus as they left.
"Are you sure about Regina for this? She seems to be having a lot of... well, fun."
"She likes destroying people."
"Yeah, I don't think that's a good thing."
"You know her better than me, but let me ask this, what do you suppose Regina might have been born into a Land Without Magic?"
Emma shrugged. "I don't know. I never thought about it."
"Her mother ruined her, that much is obvious and if Cora had no magic, would she have been able to crush her daughter under her thumb for so long?"
"You can crush someone without magic."
"Yes, but not quite so definitively which is why it should be used carefully."
Belle carefully unpacked her mother's trunk to place the thinks around her room at the Dark Castle. She hung the tapestries first and then went on an inventory of the jewels. She wasn't interested in them for their purpose so much as she wanted to look at them and remember her mother as she wore them.
The books were next and that's when Belle got to looking at the leather bound journal. She had never read it before. Her mother always shut it as she entered the room. Belle had just assumed it was Reinette's own private thoughts, memoirs of a marriage to Maurice, but if these were Reinette's own miseries why were they in such a strange code? Shorthand she had known, but why this foreign shorthand? Belle could recognize the language but not the shorter form of it, nor did she read the language.
She briefly wondered if that was Reinette's plan.
What would her mother want to keep a secret from her?
She flipped through pages until she began to recognize a numbered system of dates.
And places.
She recognized the places from her only summer in society before her mother died, before the ogres came and before she came to the Dark Castle. Had that all really only happened a few years before? She felt like a different person.
She did recognize one name in particular: Edelweiss.
Edelweiss was the name of the village at the base of the long mountain pass to the Dark Castle. She had of course ventured there before, to fetch straw once and after her return she went to market days when the weather was good for fresh air and to amuse herself. Her mother's markings seemed to indicate a visit to the library. She now remembered a brief stop at the coaching inn, never realizing how close she was to her future fate.
Regina entered Granny's and a hush fell over it.
"Leroy," she said.
He looked up at her. "I'm trying to eat my breakfast."
"Don't let me interrupt," she said, placing a scroll with a seal on the table.
"What's that?"
"That's your summons. I'll be calling you at the trial."
"What? Why me?"
"Well, you discovered the sleeping curse that Belle was put under, not to mention I believe the Blue Fairy had a hand in separating you from someone."
He grimaced.
"See you there," said Regina.
"Regina, what are you doing?," asked Mary Margaret.
"I'm doing my job as charged to me by Venus herself," said Regina.
"You don't have to enjoy it so much," remarked David.
"I love what I do," said Regina. "And you and the winged freak all love acting pious. It will be a relief when we've dispensed with that."
Regina stalked out.
David shook his head. "Don't listen to her."
She shrugged. "How can I not? Emma's still mad at us. Belle won't even speak to me."
"We'll fix it. We'll find a way to get the beans back."
Mary Margaret had to bite back a laugh. "Is that what you think will fix it? We betrayed them, David."
"How many times have they manipulated us?"
"That doesn't make it right and besides that, we weren't a family then," said Mary Margaret. "Actually, since we found out the truth about Henry's father, they haven't done anything..."
"They ripped out Tamara's heart."
"To protect us," said Mary Margaret.
"What good is it if we lose sight of what's right?," asked David.
"I'm not sure what that is anymore," she admitted sadly.
"Is she already gone?," Belle asked in astonishment.
Gold nodded. "She wanted to find a Starbucks before the class began."
"Well, I suppose that just leaves us then," Belle remarked with a mischievous smile.
"I suppose it does."
Belle sat at the counter. "Merlin and Aurora are running the library today. I'm thinking of asking Mrs. Foley to come help out. With the trial starting, I'll be busier."
"Are you really going to watch the entire thing?"
"She killed my mother, Rumple. I want to see someone finally hold her accountable for something since Snow White and the Prince seem so determined not to."
"Did Beatrice ever have pets?"
It was an odd inquiry, but Belle had grown used to such questions and only hoped it didn't signal an impending melancholy. She shrugged. "Some fish, a hamster."
"She never asked for anything else?"
"We always had a tiny apartment. I think she didn't like to get her hopes up."
"Well, you don't now..."
"Rumple, where are you going with this?"
"Did you know Pongo's a father?"
"Archie told me all about it. And Henry. Then Henry again."
"They're seven weeks old. Doctor Hopper informed me that one in particular has already weaned entirely."
"Since when do you and Archie talk about dogs?"
"I like dogs. In fact, I find them much more tolerable than most people. Oddly enough Granny and Miss Lucas seem to try my patience more than most."
"Is there a reason we're-"
"This pup is one that Beatrice took a shine to."
"You want to get Beatrice a dog?"
"Yes. I've got several well-reasoned and persuasive arguments..."
"I bet you do."
"Mostly it boils down to that I think it would make her happy."
"Well, who's going to watch it? We can't leave the poor creature caged up all day."
"I've already thought of that. I can keep her at the shop while Beatrice is in school."
"You want to keep a puppy in an antiques shop?"
"Any damage it does I can easily undo, Belle. After all, I've worked with Regina."
Belle smiled. "You're asking me to get a puppy," she said.
"I suppose I am, though I don't see what's so amusing."
She failed to stop a giggle. "Yes, we may get a puppy."
Kathryn walked into the sheriff's office.
"Kathryn," Emma said in surprise. "What's up? Do you need something else for the trial?"
"I need to talk to someone."
"Okay..." Emma said cautiously. "Why don't you sit down? Do you want a drink-"
"I can't do this."
"What?," asked Emma, trying to answer the question as she asked it. "Do you mean the trial?"
"Have you seen the depositions?"
Emma looked over at the monstrous stack on her desk. She had been catching up on them when she could. "Yeah..."
"Did you read the one from Theresa Ingersoll?"
"I hadn't gotten there yet." She paused. "She has a stall at the farmer's market, right?"
"She was a medicine woman in our land. She was the one the Blue Fairy called upon to..."
"Oh," said Emma, slightly grateful she hadn't read it.
"They tied her up. They forced Belle to swallow poison. She convulsed, she nearly choked on her own vomit so that the Blue Fairy could kill a baby in the womb."
"Yeah, I guess it's a tough job. Defending Mother Superior I mean."
"Tough? It's impossible." Kathryn shook her head. "If by some chance I win this trial, it won't be because the Blue Fairy was right. It'll be because people hate Regina or Gold."
"I'm sorry you're having a hard time-"
"You need to talk to your parents."
"What?"
"Maybe they can talk to Mother Superior and just get her to accept her punishment."
"Venus made us swear not to tell the details..."
"I need you to try," said Kathryn, tensely collecting her bag. "Because I can't do this. Even if she is my fairy godmother."
Kathryn left leaving Emma speechless.
Beatrice arrived in Augusta early enough to find out that the class was held at a center next to a Starbucks. She parked her car and walked in. The smell of coffee hit her and she breathed it in.
Why couldn't they just conjure a Starbucks in Storybrooke?
She ordered and noticed that there was already a group gathered with the recommended study guide for the course. They looked so... not like they came from a storybook. As they headed out, she realized it was time to head over to the class.
"Your name?"
"Beatrice Fre-Gold," she answered.
The woman nodded. "It says here you still haven't paid."
"Oh, right," said Beatrice. She reached in her messenger bag and got out the small roll of cash that her father had sent her off with.
The woman eyed her as Beatrice handed over the money.
"We take checks..." she said.
"My dad likes cash."
"Well, Blake will be your instructor. It's the second room on the left."
Beatrice went in the room and no one stopped talking or even took notice. She took an empty seat next to a girl in a pink sweater.
"Do you go to Dirigere?," she asked.
"Uh, no," said Beatrice.
"Are you home schooled? I haven't seen you at Cony."
"No, I'm from Storybrooke."
"Storybrooke? Where's that?"
"It's a couple hours away."
"Wow. You're from somewhere even smaller than this place?"
"I guess."
"I'm Kennedy."
"Beatrice."
Then it hit Beatrice.
This was the closest she had ever come to appearing normal. No glasses, no increasingly weird family, no Taylor Billingsley, no Mother Superior. Nobody here even knew who she really was. As far as they knew, she was just a regular girl from Storybrooke who lived with her perfectly normal parents. She could be the most popular girl in Storybrooke for what they knew!
"Oh, cool skin on your iPad," said the boy at the next table. "I like Doctor Who, too."
"Oh, my God, did you just say Doctor Who?," the girl sitting behind him asked. "Do you think they'll bring back all the doctors for the fiftieth? What about Rose?"
"Probably," said Beatrice. "I just wish Donna would get her memory back."
"Oh, yeah, that was so sad," said the girl.
People understood her!
The door opened and a boy strode in. He was a few years older and a little cute which did not go unnoticed by the other girls and from what Beatrice could tell at least one boy.
"I'm Blake. I'm your instructor for the PSAT preparation course so you can pass the PSATs. Then you can take courses for the ACTs and PSATs and not get into the ivy league and wonder what the hell it was all for." He picked up a stack of papers. "Get out your pencils. Time for your first practice exam."
"We just got here," said Beatrice.
"Yeah, so it's assessment time," he said. "I can see you're going to be fun."
"Back at you," said Beatrice.
"Oh, good, we have a smart ass."
Beatrice shook her head. "You have no idea."
It was a strange thing.
When she had come once to fetch straw, the villagers looked at her with pity. Obviously the new girl in the Dark Castle and she briefly wondered how many there had been. Then she was gone for a while and back. The pity remained.
Then she came down in a new work dress and a bracelet that Rumplestiltskin had made for her and a purse full of coin. She hadn't given it a lot of thought until the next visit when she wore a new winter cloak that Rumple had given her and a demure pair of gold earrings that he had also made. As she went to the stalls, she noticed eyes drawn to her ears or her wrist.
She almost felt embarassed, but she didn't want to make anyone uneasy so she had been determined to wear the old dress and no jewelry. That was until Rumplestiltskin had decided the weather was too cold and the path too harsh so he would take her in the enchanted carriage. She had tried to get out without the jewels but his face looked so crestfallen as he asked what had happened to them. She said she had forgotten and excused herself while she went to retrieve them.
Once she arrived in the carriage with no horses, with the Dark One himself as a fellow passenger even if he didn't get out, Belle knew that any suspicions the villagers had were confirmed. Anyone who had contempt was careful to hide it as she went from stall to stall.
She rode the enchanted carriage alone today. It wasn't a market day. It didn't need to be for the library to be open.
She walked inside and found a table. On top of it suddenly sprung the most gangly toddler she had ever seen with a piercing, decisive look in his eye.
"Are you from the Castle?," he asked, he reached over and impertinently fingered her gold bracelet.
"Yes," Belle answered as she didn't feel she had a choice. She smiled. "Did you guess because of the bracelet?"
"Yes."
"Well, you must be a very smart boy then."
"No, my brother's the smart one."
"Surely there can be more than one smart brother," said Belle.
"My brothers said he was a monster."
"What do you think?"
"You're not scared so how could you live in the same house as a monster?"
Belle smiled as she leaned in and whispered conspiratorially. "So he must not really be a monster, but that can be our secret."
"Nephew!," a voice boomed out. "Stop bothering my parishioners!"
The boy scampered away.
"Please excuse him, Mistress," said the man. He waved his hand. "He's... well, sometimes we think he's touched."
"He's very smart," remarked Belle looking for any sign of the boy who seemed to have vanished into the stacks. She looked back at the librarian. "Does he live with you?"
"Thank the Gods, no," he said. "My sister's. She and her husband have a cottage not far, but occasionally they are called upon to lecture at the great universities and I am called upon to look after their boys while they travel. There's three and that one is the most trouble. Never mind that, Mistress, how can I be of assistance?"
"I recently found a journal of my mother's," said Belle. "It seems she made a visit here and I was hoping to find out what she had looked at."
"I'll be happy to help any way I can," he said. "Do you know which volumes?"
Belle took out the journal and opened it to the page about Edelweiss. "I'm afraid I don't know the shorthand."
"Yes, it's a rare dialect from Agrabah. If you wait a moment, Mistress, I can find a volume to translate."
"Did Archie say she seemed willing?," asked Belle as they approached Mrs. Gutman's house.
"My name gives her pause," said Gold. "I asked if he could arrange a meeting for us."
"Hello, Mr. Gold," he said. "Belle."
"Archie," said Belle.
"Mrs. Gutman is waiting inside."
Gold followed Belle into Mrs. Gutman's house. The Dalmatian pups were playing in a pen while Perdita napped. The woman herself stared sourly at them.
"Mrs. Gutman," said Archie, "I don't think you've met Belle."
"Nice to meet you," said Belle. She looked at the puppies. "They're gorgeous."
"Yes, well, I have a lot of people who are interested," she said, casting a glance at Gold. "I don't give them away to just anyone. Archie said I should talk to you. I like to know people before I give them a dog."
"Of course," said Belle.
"How many live in the home?"
Belle smiled as best she could. "Well, it's the three of us. It's a big house. The backyard is fenced."
"Have you ever had a dog?"
"No-" said Belle.
"Actually, I have," said Gold. The others looked at him in surprise. "I've taken care of sheepdogs."
"Dalmatians need lots of walking..." She was clearly hoping Gold would back down.
"I expect we can manage that," Gold answered.
"Beatrice, their daughter, is very good with the puppies," Archie offered. "She's a very responsible young lady. I'm sure she can help take care of a dog."
"Which one was it?," Belle asked, looking in the pen.
Gold pointed out the puppy himself. She laid apart from the others and gnawed at a rubber bone that was about half her body length. "That one."
"That one?," Mrs. Gutman asked with dread.
She looked aghast as Belle reached down to pick her up.
"Oh, she's adorable," said Belle.
"Are you sure?," asked Mrs. Gutman.
"Yes," said Gold.
"It's just this one has some dominance issues. She's not as social as the others..."
"Then I expect she'll fit in just fine with us," said Gold.
"Oh, look at her, Rumple..." Belle cooed as the puppy sought to examine the new woman holding her.
Mrs. Gutman looked anxious at the sight of Belle falling in love. "Are you sure you wouldn't like another one?"
"What's wrong with this one?," asked Gold, growing irritated.
"I would just hate for you to have to deal with any behavioral problems later on..."
"My daughter liked this one," he said sharply.
"What he means," Belle said, trying to save the situation, "is that we aren't frightened by a challenge."
She still looked wary.
Gold sighed. "What if I promised not to blame any future issues on you? I always keep my promises."
"I suppose that will do..."
"Then it's just the matter of price."
Emma had been in the throes of preparations for Mother Superior's trial for a couple weeks now. She was at Regina and Kathryn's beck and call finding witnesses and taking statements, not to mention her parents. Kathryn's visit hadn't helped matters.
"Emma!," called Mary Margaret.
Emma sighed and turned to her mother catching up with her on the street.
"I had an idea-"
"Is this about the trial?," she asked.
"Maybe we could just find some witnesses who support her-"
"Mary Margaret, don't take this the wrong way, but I don't know who else you're going to find. Maybe you should talk to Belle."
"I told you what she said."
"I can't say I blame her..."
"So you agree with her?," Mary Margaret asked in disbelief.
"What? You think Belle deserved to be locked up and poisoned?"
"No, of course not, but Mother Superior helped us fight Regina, she helped save you from the Curse-"
"In a tree she traded Belle for!"
"It's complicated."
"No, it's really not."
"Emma, you would have been cursed like the rest of us."
"Yeah and instead, I got to be on my own for twenty-eight years so excuse me if I don't see what's so great about her."
"You broke the Curse. You saved us all."
If there was one thing she was starting to hate, it was this line of reasoning. "Which I think was actually Gold's plan so maybe you should be sucking up to him."
Mary Margaret nodded. "We're back to the beans."
"Well, what the hell did you guys think was going to happen? That Regina and Gold were just going to agree to come back as your prisoners? Have you ever met them?"
"You don't know what they were like in the Enchanted Forest. They were dangerous."
That's when Emma spotted a curios sight outside the door to the grocery store.
"Yeah, I would take you seriously but all I can see is Gold holding a puppy."
"What?," asked Mary Margaret.
She looked ahead. Gold was standing outside McDonald's grocer and did appear to have a Dalmatian puppy curled against him.
"Hey, Gold," said Emma. She looked at the pup. "You're going to hurt your reputation standing around with a puppy like that."
"Well, we'll see about that, dearie," he said. "Your Highness."
"Why do you have a dog?," asked Mary Margaret.
"Because I bought her."
"For what?"
"For my daughter," Gold said tersely.
Emma scratched the dog's ear. "Are you surprising her?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact," said Gold.
"Yeah, just don't surprise Henry," Emma warned.
Belle emerged from the store holding a bag.
"Hello, Belle," said Mary Margaret.
"Mary Margaret," she answered coolly. She looked at Gold. "We should get her back in the car. It's too cold out here."
"As you wish," said Gold. "See you Monday, Your Highness."
"Monday?," asked Mary Margaret,
"The trial, of course."
They left. Emma turned to Mary Margaret.
"This whole thing's crazy. Crazier than usual. Can't you talk to Mother Superior? She as much confessed. Convince her to take her sentence. Then maybe you can apologize to Belle and save your friendship."
"Fine," said Mary Margaret. "I will find my own witnesses."
Emma groaned as her mother stalked away.
The librarian served Belle tea while he sought out the first volume. As she sipped, the curious gatekeeper re-emerged climbing through an empty bottom bookshelf.
"You said he's not a monster," he said as he closed the distance between them.
"He's not."
"Then why keep you a prisoner?"
"I'm not a prisoner."
"Then why do you stay?"
"Why do you suppose your parents stay together?," she teased.
"My brother says social convention."
Belle eyed him. "Do you even know what that means?"
"Sort of."
His uncle reappeared and the boy ran off.
"Here we are, Mistress. Agrabah shorthand."
Belle took the volume and eagerly began studying it against her mother's journal.
"I'm home," said Beatrice as she came into the pink Victorian. She put her messenger bag on the floor.
"In the den!," Gold called.
"How was it?," asked Belle.
"Well, the instructor's kind of a jerk, but the kids are okay..." she said, walking into the living room. Her parents were curled up on the sofa. Her mom had a book and her dad had a... "Puppy."
"Yes, that would be what she is," said Gold with a smile. "You remember your friend, don't you?"
"Can I hold her?"
"You might as well seeing as she's yours," he teased as he handed the puppy over.
"Really?," she asked, taking the dog in her arms.
"Be careful," Belle warned.
"Belle, her mother carried her around by the neck," said Gold. "I saw her brother drag her by the ear with his teeth."
"What's her name?," asked Beatrice.
"Well, what do you think it should be?," asked Gold.
"Amelia?"
"No," said Belle.
"What?," asked Beatrice.
"My great-grandmother's name was Amelia. I can't name a dog after my great-grandmother."
"Martha?," asked Beatrice. Her mother looked hesitant. "I can do this all day."
"Martha," Belle agreed.
"We put her bed in your room," said Gold. "She sleeps there and you have to help take care of her."
"I can do that," said Beatrice, bordering on something like excited.
"Here," said Gold, getting up from the sofa. "She's due for another meal. I'll show you what she eats."
Belle spent the next few hours happily translating and decoding her mother's writing. She found call numbers and checked them against the library inventory.
Then it didn't make sense.
"What's wrong?"
Belle looked down to see her gatekeeper underfoot.
"Something just doesn't make sense that's all."
"What?"
He disappeared as Belle went back to his uncle and waited while he spoke with another patron.
"It seems I'm interested in these volumes," said Belle handing over a small piece of paper.
"Local history of the castle?," he asked. "Very good, Mistress."
He went and retrieved them for Belle, then she sat with them finding nothing except in the final chapter: how the Dark One acquired the castle from its last foolish owner and made it his own.
She wondered what her mother could have possibly wanted with that.
Gold was awoken by a knock on the bedroom door. The clock indicated an inhuman time. He got up quickly to open it and find a heavy-lidded Beatrice holding Martha.
"She won't sleep..." she whined.
Gold looked. The pup seemed perfectly awake.
"Well, you're holding her."
"If I don't hold her, she cries..."
"It's her first night away from her mother and litter-mates. She's bound to cry."
"What do I do..." Beatrice moaned helplessly.
Belle stirred. "What's wrong?"
"Just the puppy." He led Beatrice out. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's see if we can't get her to settle."
The day had dwindled and Belle made her way back to the enchanted carriage through the village square.
"Not a good time at the library, sweetheart?"
She turned to see Rumplestiltskin hiding in the shadows. He strode towards her.
"Usually a day among books makes you much happier," he said teasingly. "I was hoping to capitalize upon such happiness this evening."
"Let me have my way with the books and then..."
"I have my way with you. Precisely."
"How do you know I'm not having my way with you?"
Belle was then mortified to see the library gatekeeper had been hiding in a shrub and chose that moment to show himself. He stared up at Belle.
"Who's this?," asked Rumplestiltskin. "Ought I be jealous?"
"This is my new friend," said Belle. "He's guardian of this library."
"You're well suited to one another then."
"He looks like a monster," the boy pronounced.
It was rare to see something like surprise in Rumplestiltskin and yet Belle could swear she saw it.
"Then I must be a monster," said Rumplestiltskin.
"She's not scared," he said. "I'm not scared."
"That's because you're both fools," Rumplestiltskin answered.
"Rumple..." Belle chastened.
"Well what else do you call a woman and a boy unafraid of someone who looks like a monster?," he asked.
The boy considered this. "Something else."
"Well, when you have a better answer you can come tell me at the Dark Castle if you survive the journey."
Belle was about to reprimand him again but it was then as if Rumplestiltskin froze. The boy ran away as his uncle called after him.
"Rumple, what is it?," asked Belle in concern. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," he said finally.
"What was it?"
"There was just something in that boy's future," said Rumplestiltskin.
"Is he special?," asked Belle, looking in the distance for any sign of her new acquaintance. "He is unreasonably smart for his age."
"Yes, he'll be very smart, very clever. We'll see him again. I just can't work out how."
"Come back to the carriage," Belle implored him. "You're worrying me."
Belle staggered in to see that Beatrice was half asleep and Gold was giving the puppy a china saucer of milk. "The book said not to let her know that crying gets a response."
"Tell her," Beatrice said with her face smashed against the pillow.
Belle sat down on the bed next to Beatrice. She looked at Gold. "These sheepdogs of yours, did you bring them milk on a saucer in the middle of the night?"
"She misses her family."
Belle smiled through her tiredness as she grabbed one of Beatrice's throws to wrap around herself. "Suddenly you're much more sympathetic about that. You never brought me milk in a saucer."
"You didn't ask," said Gold.
"What are you people talking about?," asked Beatrice.
"Your father mocked me once for missing for my family when I first came to his castle."
"I never mocked you, I only said I didn't wish to hear the sobbing. It disturbed my concentration."
Belle looked to the TV. "What are we watching?"
"Apparently, we need to teach Martha about her namesake," said Gold. "So far I've decided it's very foolish to run off with a strange sorcerer when you ought to be in medical school."
"He didn't shut up during the episode with the witches," moaned Beatrice, head still smashed in her pillow.
"Well, let's see, a man who's not a wizard creating spells out of thin air in a Land Without Magic? Did the writer do any actual research or does he just assume I'm as big a moron as he?," asked Gold. He looked down to the pup as she nuzzled at his pajama leg. "Are we finished, dearie?"
"Don't call her dearie," said Belle as Gold picked the puppy up from his feet.
"Oh, so she's included in that?"
"Well, you like her better than the people you call dearie, don't you?," asked Belle.
"Yes," said Gold, "I suppose I do."
"You do realize this dog has us in her thrall, don't you?," asked Belle.
"Yes, I was starting to suspect that."
