Author's Notes: I do not own Once Upon A Time which is a show on ABC where all of a sudden the woman with Evil in her NAME starts talking about what it means to be a hero. I'm sorry? Really, just talk me through that again. Thanks for the reads and reviews, I will get back to you all shortly, but I really appreciate them. Blame the NBA. As for this chapter, it's about 90 percent fluff for which I blame the angst in the world. Thanks again! Please let me know what you think and happy reading!


Merlin entered the pawn shop and pulled out a notebook. Gold rolled his eyes. Since he had known the man, Merlin had always chosen his own topic of conversation and expected everyone to join him there. This was going to be one of those times.

"I have made a list of things I think we ought to teach Beatrice," said Merlin. "Keeping in mind that Neverland's magic is so much more powerful. She'll have to be disciplined."

"Beatrice isn't going to Neverland," said Gold.

"I'm not sending her, but I want us to prepare for the scenario that she might end up there. She'll need to protect herself against Pan until we can help her. This is strategy, Rumplestiltskin."

"She's not going anywhere."

"So, you have told her nothing, I take it."

"She doesn't need to know."

"Sunshine, if you don't tell them, I will."

"That would be a mistake."


Beatrice was surprised to see Merlin as she headed towards her car down the street.

"Really?"

"Come on. Lesson time. Let's get a cupcake," he said motioning at Drury's shop.

"You're not watching the trial?"

He scoffed. "The never-ending trial? I saw most of it the first time, though you saw a bit yourself. Congratulations, by the way."

"Thanks," she said with a grimace.

They got cupcakes and went to sit at one of the tables that usually went unused in February.

"Now, what do you know about other realms?"

"Other realms? Land Without Color, there's no color."

"They aren't very creative there."

"Um, Oz?"

"Most obnoxious bunch of witches I have ever met..."

"Wonderland."

"One bad long trip."

"Neverland."

"Ah, Neverland, what do you know of Neverland?"

"It's like Lord of the Flies?"

"Hmm," said Merlin, "not an unfair comparison, though there's no boy with glasses to be the Christ figure."

"I saw Hook," said Beatrice. "Hey, has anybody shown that to the actual Hook? That whole Dustin Hoffman thing might disturb him."

"What about the book? Surely, your mother had you read it."

"The guy's a jerk," said Beatrice.

"Oh?," asked Merlin.

"He's selfish, he doesn't care about anyone else, there's one where he actually switches sides against the Lost Boys. He kills them when they get too old or something, he doesn't care if he's about to die..."

"Now, let's stop there," said Merlin. "I am going to tell you the real story of Peter Pan."

"Oh, God, is it worse?"

Merlin nodded. "Once upon a time, Peter Pan was an ordinary man."

"An adult?"

"He was selfish, he fathered a child with a woman, never loved her and the child... I'm not certain. I think he thought he did. He drove the woman away with his cruelty, leaving the child alone with him."

"Then what?"

"The child was given a magic bean and what do we know about magic beans?"

"They ruin lives," Beatrice said, rolling her eyes.

"Very good. Pan traveled with the child to Neverland and once there discovered he had no magic."

"Why not?"

"Because he was a father. As long as his child remained, he could never have the power he sought because a child can't have a child. Teen Mom not withstanding."

Beatrice shook her head. "What did he do with the kid then?"

"Sent away. Taken in by a kind couple." He shook it off. "The thing to remember about Neverland is that it is lousy with magic. Anything you want to exist, will exist. The problem is Pan."

Beatrice frowned. "If we're planning a vacation there, I can think of some other places. Aruba. Disney World. Hey, Disney Cruise. Let's do that."


"Did Merlin teach you anything fun today?," Belle asked Beatrice.

Gold's head snapped to Beatrice across the dinner table. "You had a lesson with Merlin?"

"More talking than anything else," said Beatrice.

"About what?," asked Gold.

"We talked about other realms and then we ended up discussing Teen Mom."

Belle shook her head. "You should have never shown him that."

"What other realms?," asked Gold.

"Neverland mostly," said Beatrice. She looked at Belle. "Hey, it turns out Peter Pan is a jerk."

"Really?," asked Belle.

"Excuse me," said Gold, getting up from the table.

"What's wrong, Rumple?," asked Belle.

He didn't answer, just walked out.


Gold was tired. He hadn't gotten a decent's night's sleep since Merlin's visit with the Scotch. Belle had taken notice, indeed everyone had and now the elder sorcerer was taking it upon himself to share his secrets.

Belle slept soundly next to him and he turned over again.

Then the puppy bounded into the room and onto the bed.

"Martha, what are you doing in here?," he asked. "How did you get out of Beatrice's room?"

He didn't have the will to fight the dog so he chose to close his eyes, wondering if a fully grown Dalmatian would one day sleep between he and Belle. Then he heard more footsteps and felt more bouncing on the mattress as something else crawled between he and Belle.

He decided he would have to open his eyes.

That's when he saw a little girl, helping herself under the covers.

"I had a bad dream," she said.

Gold jumped out of bed, causing his bad leg to scream in pain.

"What's wrong?," she asked.

Gold turned on the lamp. "Belle. Belle, wake up!"

Belle stirred. "Rumple, what's-"

She sat up enough to realize what the source of Gold's unease was, looking at the little person in the middle of the bed.

"I had a bad dream," she said plaintively.

"Right," said Belle, "of course you did. I'm so sorry."

"There was a big shadow."

"It's not real, sweetheart," said Belle.

Gold frowned. "Shouldn't I call someone?"

"About the shadow?," the girl asked.

"Papa's just being silly," said Belle.

"What?!," said Gold.

"Rumple..." Belle urged.

Gold stopped and looked. The girl did have Beatrice's brown hair and eyes, not to mention the adorable chubby cheeks that were in all the photos he had seen of her as a child. Except the lack of glasses, they were a match.

Not to mention, she did seem to be wearing the Doctor Who t-shirt Beatrice had gone to bed in, which was still far too big for her.

"Oh, gods..." said Gold.

"What's wrong, Daddy?"

"Beatrice," asked Belle, "what do you remember?"

"About my dream?"

"No, what about before you went to bed?"

Beatrice shrugged.

"How old are you?," asked Gold.

"Six and a quarter."


Winter.

Nearly the end of winter, but the trip to the Island Kingdom had given her a respite from the cold. Not quite a respite since the place was so hot and sticky, but definitely a break. She found that since she and Rumple returned to the Dark Castle, it seemed colder than ever. Not that he noticed. So Belle wrapped herself around him to sleep, relishing the feel of his rough skin against hers and covered herself in every available fur and blanket.

"This is stifling," Rumplestiltskin muttered with his eyes closed.

"I'm still cold," she whispered back.

"Shall I warm you up again?"

Belle giggled. "Not like that," she whispered, resting her cheek against his.

He held her tighter and she wondered how it was he always had such a firm grip.

The she thought she saw movement outside the window of her room, but that was impossible as they were at the Dark Castle and it sat high above anything. Then she kept seeing light shift again.

Then no it was definitely something with blank bright eyes.

And it was trying to break into the room my smashing against the window.

"Rumple..." she urged, trying to jostle him. "Rumple, wake up!"

"Eager are we?"

She slapped him on the arm which got him to open his eyes. He recognized the sound at the window and got out of the bed.

Whatever creature it was seemed to vanish.

Rumplestiltskin turned to Belle. "Sweetheart, did you see anything?"

Belle shook her head. "No. Just a shadow."


The next morning Gold made Beatrice pancakes because he didn't know what else to do. Belle had tried to find Beatrice clothes, but the only thing she had come up with was a Princess Belle dress in a box of toys that were now scattered across the kitchen. It seemed every toy she owned had a name and Gold had forgotten all of them. She now sat at the counter in the dress eating happily as Belle ran out to try to get the children's shop to open early for her.

"Oh, good," said Gold as Merlin walked in the kitchen.

"Belle called me." He turned to Beatrice. "Good morning, sweetheart. Can I get a kiss?"

Gold rolled his eyes as Beatrice gave Merlin a peck on the cheek. "You are taking advantage."

"Of course I am. They're only small and cute once. Sometimes twice," said Merlin.

"I'm not small, I'm a big girl," said Beatrice.

"Of course you are, sweetheart," said Merlin. "Did anything interesting happen to you last night?"

"I had a bad dream."

"Anything else?"

"No." She looked up at Gold. "Can I have more pancakes?"

Gold heard the door open. He rolled his eyes as Neal and Emma entered.

"Whoa," said Emma.

"Wow," said Neal. "This is really happening, huh?"

"Hi, Neal! Hi, Emma!," said Beatrice. "Do you want pancakes?"

"Sure, Bea, I'll have pancakes," said Neal, taking the stool next to her.

"She remembers us," said Emma.

"Indeed," said Merlin. "A curious spell. It's as if she's been dropped in here thinking she always was here."

Emma looked at Gold. "What's with the Princess Belle dress?"

"Do not start with me, dearie," said Gold.

Gold heard the door open again. Belle entered with three shopping bags.

"What did you buy?," asked Gold.

"She doesn't have anything," Belle reminded him.

"We're not keeping her this size," said Gold.

"Why can't I wear my princess dress?," asked Beatrice.

"What if I want to wear mine?," asked Belle.

"We could wear them together," said Beatrice.

"Did the level of weird just go up in here?," asked Emma.

Beatrice turned. "Emma, you could wear a Snow White dress."

Neal laughed.

Emma shook her head. "Yeah, kid, not gonna happen."

"You can keep the dress on while I wash your new clothes," said Belle.

"Belle..." Gold grumbled.

"She has sensitive skin," said Belle, stalking off to the laundry room.

"How are we coming on those pancakes?," asked Neal.

Emma looked at Merlin. "Anyone I should question?"

Merlin nodded. "Check the fairies."

"I will," insisted Gold.

"No, you have to watch your daughter," said Merlin.

Beatrice smiled broadly.


Gold walked down from the parking space to the shop. Beatrice seemed determined to walk behind him and consequently Martha kept getting between his legs.

"Beatrice," said Gold. "Please don't walk like that."

"Good morning, Mr. Gold," Archie said brightly.

With that greeting, Gold felt Beatrice clamp down on his legs with no regard to which was the bad leg.

"Who's that with you?," asked Archie.

"That's Beatrice," said Gold, eager to unlock the door to the shop. "Don't ask."

"Right," said Archie. "Good morning, Beatrice."

Beatrice didn't say anything and instead hid her face.

"Excuse us," said Gold, opening the shop door. Beatrice didn't say anything and darted inside with Martha.

"Alright, Beatrice, you and Martha play and I will be looking in my books."

"Okay."

Beatrice amused herself with the sundry dolls and books for the morning as Gold searched through magical volumes. Belle entered.

"Mommy!"

"Hi, baby!," said Belle, happily accepting Beatrice's hug around her waist. "Are you having fun with Papa?"

"Yes," said Beatrice. "He doesn't have any toys, though."

Belle handed her the tote bag. "I brought you some more books and I bought you some paper and crayons."

"Thank you," she said running off to the backroom.

Belle smiled and walked to Gold. "Have you found something?"

"No."

"Well, Merlin's working on it. Why don't we go to Granny's?"

"Something's wrong with her," said Gold.

"What do you mean?"

"She practically tripped me coming in here. She wouldn't look at Doctor Hopper. Every time someone comes in the shop, she hides."

"Rumple, that's Beatrice."

Gold shook his head. "I don't think so."

"I'm her mother. I don't think she spoke to anyone but me in complete sentences until she was nine."

"When I met her, she was not afraid of anyone," Gold insisted. "She saw me bind and gag Regina and still gave me attitude."

"She had to find her courage and her voice," said Belle. She glanced back at the backroom and walked over to Gold behind the counter.

"I know this is different, but whatever the reason, you are being given a gift. You never knew her as a little girl. Now you can."

Belle turned to the backroom. "Beatrice! Come on! We're going to Granny's."


At lunch, Mary Margaret and David appeared. Mary Margaret immediately seemed taken with the opportunity of a small Beatrice. Something about how she and Belle plotted as children that their daughters would play together so they went off. Later in the afternoon, satisfied he had found a solution, Gold walked to the park with the spell book in hand. They could get this nonsense sorted finally.

He arrived to find Mary Margaret was animatedly teaching Beatrice to shoot a bow. Belle, Henry and Martha stood nearby while they had David fetching arrows from the targets. Mary Margaret used her hands to support Beatrice's grip on the bow and pull the string.

"Belle..." said Gold.

"Shh," Belle hissed.

"That's okay, Beatrice," said Mary Margaret, showing that twenty-eight years as a teacher were not totally miscast. "You're going to have distractions. You just have to ignore them and concentrate on what you're doing. Take a breath."

Gold rolled his eyes. Belle could not be serious. He wouldn't have let Beatrice take archery lessons were she her age.

Mary Margaret helped Beatrice properly release the string and the arrow flew, landing just on the target.

"Good job!," Mary Margaret exclaimed. "You did it!"

"Well done, Beatrice," said Belle leaning down to kiss her on the cheek.

"Daddy, look! I'm Merida!," Beatrice exclaimed.

"Or Katniss," Henry offered.

"Yes, very nice," said Gold. He held out the spell book.

"What's that?," asked Belle.

"I think I've found the correct spell," said Gold.

"What spell?," asked Beatrice.

"Rumple, maybe we should do this at home..."

"No, I think we ought to let Beatrice get back to herself as soon as possible." He opened the page as Beatrice stared up at him. He waved his hand and...

Nothing happened.

"What happened?," asked Henry. "Wasn't she supposed to change back?"

Gold grumbled. "Fairy magic."


This was not happening. He had set about trying to make dinner and to his dismay, Beatrice had gotten back in her freshly laundered Belle dress and put in a long neglected DVD of Beauty and the Beast.

Of which she apparently knew every song and line. Belle had joined her on the sofa and seemed content to cuddle with her.

"Daddy! It's your song!," Beatrice shouted. "You're missing it!"

Gold ignored her, but then discovered what she meant.

"Tale as old as time! True as it can be! Barely even friends! Then somebody bends unexpectedly!"

Gold groaned. Beatrice did not have the best singing voice to start with, but it seemed her six-year-old self wanted to compensate for that with volume.

Then he heard Belle joined. "Bittersweet and strange, finding you can change, learning you were wrong..."

Belle popped her head in the kitchen. "Rumple, why don't you watch with us?"

"I'm busy."

"Dinner can wait."

He didn't answer.

"Why is it she barely speaks a word outside the house, but can't be stopped inside?," asked Gold.

Belle frowned at him. "Because she feels safe with us." She motioned at the door. "I have to go back. You're about to be lost without me."

Minutes later, Gold was busy putting plates on the table when he felt Beatrice grabbing his legs from behind him.

"Daddy, did Gaston try to kill you?," she asked sadly.

"Well, to be honest, he didn't get past the door before I turned him into a rose."

"Good," said Beatrice. "I hate him."

"Beatrice..." Belle said disapprovingly as she put her in her seat at the table.

"I do. He's mean. And stupid. And not handsome."

"Well," said Belle, "he's not as handsome as Papa certainly, but you shouldn't hate anyone."


That night, Gold awoke to the distinct sound of something crashing.

He hurried out of bed and saw that Beatrice's door was ajar and her bed empty. He flew downstairs to find the source of the noise was in the study.

He entered to find Beatrice standing next to an armoire where he kept some of his less potent formulas and spells. It had the sort of protection spell even a six-year-old sorceress could break and now the contents of the bottom shelf were broken and magic spilled everywhere. Beatrice looked up at him terrified.

He didn't see that, though.

"Beatrice, what did you do?"

"I..."

"Why would you break into something with a protection spell on it? Did you ever stop and think there was a reason?"

Belle entered. "What's going on?"

Gold waved his hand in dismay at the mess of broken bottles and magic boxes. "Look what she did."

At which point Beatrice let out the biggest, most pitiful sob that had ever been sobbed. Belle's face sank as she crossed over the destruction. Gold threw his hands up in dismay.

Belle scooped Beatrice up.

"Oh, sweetheart, it's okay," Belle said, kissing Beatrice's cheek.

"It was dark... I saw a monster..." Beatrice said through sniffles. "I needed magic..."

"It's okay..."

"It's not okay!," Gold protested.

"Let's get you back to bed," said Belle.

Walking past him, Belle shot him a look. Defeated, he began sifting through the magical remnants. More time must have passed than he thought because Belle had returned, was standing over him with crossed arms and he was forced to consider the possibility she was displeased with him.

"What in the hell is wrong with you?!," she shouted.

"More than you know, dearie."

Belle shook her head in disgust. "Don't quip at me. You do not yell at her!"

"Do you see her path of destruction?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize that the damage was so great that the powerful Rumplestiltskin couldn't undo it. What is that? A locator spell? It's not as if you have a whole drawer of them at the shop!"

"I suppose you just let her behave like this."

"She's six! Six-year-olds break things!"

"She broke into it."

"Because she was scared and she needed magic. I wonder where she could have gotten that idea!" She forced herself to take a breath. "Her complete paralyzing fear of the dark has actually gotten better over the years so maybe you could act like a caring father instead of an overgrown child who's mad his toys were broken!"

"Do you have any idea what she could have done?"

Belle appraised the remnants and pointed at the various shards. "I broke three of those, two of those and one of those and nothing ever happened."

She stomped out leaving him to clean up the mess.


There were murmurs in the Queen's Castle, saying that their mistress was about to unleash something dark.

Not that anyone had told Belle directly. She was locked up here with no books, nothing to do except mark the days on her wall and eavesdrop. Whatever Regina was planning, it was terrible. She was going to take them away somewhere, a land where only she would get her happy ending.

Belle was starting to wonder if she would ever get a happy ending. If Rumplestiltskin was a prisoner, did that mean he had never heard what happened to her? Did he even realize she was alive? Would Lancelot have told him what happened?

If he knew, he would have come.

Belle also had to wonder at the idiocy of Regina's men. If their mistress was so determined that only she would be happy, why did they continue to help her? It wasn't as if she cared about them.

She wondered at what sort of a land would be worse than the cell she was currently in.

She was lucky that Regina hadn't come to visit since shortly after her capture. The Queen had quickly lost her amusement at her because Belle was quick to remind her that she was inviting the Dark One's wrath, digging herself in deeper every day Belle was a prisoner. Belle didn't think Regina liked to be questioned. She was starting to form a nice round bump now. Tiny. Barely raising up from an otherwise flat tummy, but almost enough to be seen through her rags. Outside the cell, someone might have assumed she was just getting fat, but the meager rations the guards gave her would rule that out as a possibility. She had a feeling the Huntsman knew, but kept his mouth shut. Belle was terrified of whatever Regina might plan for her child.

A girl, she thought. Clever. Curious. Kind. Funny. Strong.

She was strong. Belle knew that. She had to be to survive the medicine woman. She would have to be if they were ever going to leave this tower and if they were going to survive whatever Dark Curse Regina had planned.

Belle saw green smoke on the horizon. She made her way to the window as best she could with her foot chained to the bed. This smoke was no ordinary smoke, it billowed everywhere, eclipsed everything.

It was magic.

It was the Queen's Curse. It had to be.

As Belle wondered if she would ever see Rumple again in this new land, a shadow appeared flying through the window and coming towards her.

Belle gasped as it grabbed her wrist and she found her feet were no longer at the floor. Her shackle meant she was still attached to the wall and this angered the shadow, seeming to want to pull her apart to get her from the wall.

The green smoke continued to grow closer.

Belle had a few seconds to make a decision. She was used to being impulsive on her own, but she had to think of someone else now.

The shadow was clearly planning on taking her somewhere. Another realm? It might have seemed to a passerby that anywhere was better than where she was now and at one time she might have agreed, but the shadow's rough treatment and blank eyes made Belle wonder if that was the case.

The Curse cloud was also planning on taking her somewhere along with the rest of the realm. Along with Rumple if he was out there somewhere. As powerful as the Queen's Curse looked to be, Belle knew from her books that curses were always broken. Then maybe she could find Rumple and they could be a family.

Curses always broke.

Decided against an unknown present in favor of future happiness, Belle fought her way back from the shadow and grabbed on to the bed, which was also bolted to the floor.

The shadow seemed to catch on to her plan and pulled harder.

The Curse cloud came closer.

Belle screwed her eyes shut to ignore everything except holding on.

She would do this. Her baby needed her to do this. She could do this it wouldn't have to be long.

Soon a white light appeared in front of Belle's eyes and she looked to see the shadow seemingly slumped against the wall as the cloud was a few feet from the tower. The shadow seemed to come to and appraised the distance of the cloud and Belle.

Then it flew away.

Belle suddenly felt exhausted as the green smoke covered everything and it filled her lungs.


Gold spent the night feeling rotten.

He had lost his patience. He had never lost his patience with Bae and he knew better than anyone that he was not the same man that had raised Bae. Besides that, Bae had an entirely different childhood as the impoverished son of a spinner. If he had time to play, if they had anything too valuable to break, Bae never would have done that because carelessness was the luxury of a comfortable child.

He sought some way to make amends and his mind went to his wheel and what sorts of things he might have gotten for Beatrice if they were still in their old land. He could almost picture that, Belle's swollen belly under a book as she read by the fire, he at the wheel.

A blanket, he would have made her a blanket first. From the finest, softest wool in the land and gold thread. His knitting was not as good as his spinning or weaving, but it was superior to a lot of people's. So he acquired some wool which was tricky in Storybrooke in the middle of the night, but not impossible and spun it into something soft. He had one visit from Belle after the knitting began sped up by magic, but she left him to it.

Someone else didn't.

"He knits now."

Gold looked up to see Merlin.

"What are you doing, sunshine?"

"I'm knitting," said Gold. "I don't suppose you've found the cause of Beatrice's transformation."

"Tired of the sleepless nights already?"

Gold scoffed and continued looping through loop. "Brave words coming from someone who left his child in the care of Sir Maurice."

"I don't know if you ought to be the one lecturing on fatherhood, sunshine. Belle told me what happened. Do you realize the amount of trouble Beatrice might have caused in the old land, teeming with magic?"

"Do you want to perhaps get back to doing something useful?," asked Gold. "Like undoing this curse?"

"Or knitting?," asked Merlin.

Gold knocked at the door. Beatrice glanced up, then looked back down. Her dolls and lamb were arranged in a semicircle around her.

"I came to apologize."

He walked over and lowered himself to the floor in great pain.

"Papa never should have yelled at you," he said. "I was wrong and I yelled at you and for that, I am truly sorry."

He let her digest that and put the blanket on the floor in front of her.

"I was scared."

"I believe you and I understand it was frightening so I made this for you."

Beatrice eyed it. "It's a blanket."

"Yes, made of the softest wool and do you see what that is?"

Beatrice looked closer. "Gold?"

"Yes, I wove gold thread in it which means when you have this, my magic will protect you from anything that would dare threaten you."

Beatrice picked it up to examine it closer, feeling it with her fingers.

"Really?"

"Yes, really,


The blanket seemed to make Beatrice happier, but Gold wondered if he had done the right thing as it immediately became her constant companion, going to the shop, Granny's and everywhere in between. Now she was using it as a cape as David supervised she and Henry playing with wooden swords. The invitation had come as a surprise to Gold, but it seemed Henry's amusement at an aunt that was now five years younger than him rather than five years older had no end. Gold sat at the bench with Martha.

"You can't get me, Beatrice!," Henry taunted.

"Henry, go easy on her, she's smaller than you."

Beatrice shot a glare at David and the prince held his hands up in surrender. This was enough for Henry to get an edge in and slap Beatrice's shoulder with the side of the sword.

"Ow!," she screamed and Gold found himself getting off the park bench.

"I won!," said Henry.

"You did not win! You just got me in the arm!"

David shrugged. "She has a point, Henry."

"Beatrice, are you alright?," asked Gold.

"Again!," Beatrice insisted with a look of fresh determination.

"Maybe we've had enough-" Gold began to say.

He was ignored though as Beatrice and Henry were back to thrashing swords at each other.

"Oh, come on, Beatrice," said Henry. "I'm always going to win, I-"

Beatrice waved her free hand and Henry was knocked backwards to the ground and skidded a few feet back.

"Beatrice!," Gold shouted sternly. He looked to his grandson. "Henry, are you alright?"

Henry sat up, looking none the worse except for the mixture of dirt and snow on him. "Yeah."

That was when David burst out laughing. Gold eyed him harshly.

"You, Henry," said David, "forgot the most important rule of sword fighting: never underestimate your opponent. When you duel with a powerful sorceress, don't be surprised when she uses sorcery." He gave the sorceress in question a courtly bow. "You have won, my lady Beatrice."

Beatrice curtsied in response as Henry stood and brushed the dirt off himself.

Emma came walking up.

"Mom!," said Henry. "How much did you see?"

"You mean did I see you get your butt kicked by a six-year-old girl? Yeah, I saw that."

David led the kids off. Emma turned to Gold.

"I talked to Sister Astrid. The fairies really don't seem to know anything."

"As they would," said Gold. "No matter. I'm sure this will be resolved one way or another."

"Really?," asked Emma. "That's awfully laid back for you."

"I really ought to be getting back to Beatrice."


It had happened.

Gold was sitting on a chair in the shop, next to a small table, an antique play table he had forgotten all about but Beatrice had made her own in a few days. Beatrice sat opposite, Martha eyed the sight curiously and the dolls were arranged between them. There was a tea set, one of the cheaper ones in the shop.

If there was a place where past Dark Ones gathered together, they were doubtless laughing their arses off.

"And what do you think, Your Highness?," Beatrice asked, turning to one of the dolls.

Gold sipped his pretend tea.

"What do you think, Daddy?," asked Beatrice.

Gold had lost track of the topic seeing as how he and Beatrice were actually the only participants who could talk.

"Yes, most fascinating," said Gold.

Beatrice nodded and turned to the red-haired doll. "Miss Merriman, you finished your tea again! You must be very thirsty."

Beatrice picked up the doll's cup and dropped it, knocking it on the edge of the table.

She froze and looked up at Gold.

"I'm sorry..."

Gold didn't want to unleash the stream of tears that had followed the last breakage of something. Gold quickly made his way to pick it up off the floor.

"It's just a cup," said Gold picking up the now chipped cup. If he let the women in his life carry one like this, he wondered if he could expect a whole cabinet of chipped china. He looked up at Beatrice. She still didn't look convinced.

"Come here," he said, taking her by the hand to another cabinet. He waved his hand and it opened. He pulled out the little white tea-cup with the blue painting. "Do you know what this is?"

"The chipped cup," she said.

"That's right." He recalled only having shown it to Beatrice once at Belle's behest in the immediate aftermath of the Curse breaking. He hadn't even let her hold it. He held it out to her. "Here."

Beatrice shook her head. "I'll break it."

"No, you won't and even if you do, it will be alright."

Beatrice timidly took the cup.

"Your mother chipped that cup when she first came to my castle," said Gold. "She was afraid I'd be angry with her and every day after I only drank from this cup."

"Why?"

"Because it was hers."

"I don't understand," said Beatrice.

"No, you wouldn't," said Gold. He shook his head. She would never understand what it was like to be that lonely, that said, waiting for that flicker of light. He would make certain she didn't.

"Rumple!," called Belle.

"Where are you, sunshine?"

Gold took the cup back and put it away as Belle, Merlin and Venus arrived in the backroom.

"I wasn't expecting you," said Gold.

"Good news, we found out who did this," said Merlin. "Bad news, not a fairy so we won't have the pleasure of plucking off anyone's wings, though you may still want to." He cast a glance at Venus.

"It was a gift," said Venus.

"Your gift?," Gold asked in confusion.

"Look, I know better than most how screwed up you can be if you grow up without a parent," said Venus. "Though it was as much a gift for you as her."

Gold glanced over at Beatrice who seemed confused by the whole conversation.

"When will she...?" Belle couldn't seem to finish the question.

"In the morning," said Venus.

"We ought to leave you to it," said Merlin. He looked at Gold. "We still have that pending matter to discuss tomorrow, sunshine."

Merlin and Venus left. Belle knelt down in front of Beatrice.

"You have my chipped cup," said Belle.

"I broke Miss Merriman's cup."

"Well, I'm sure it was an accident," said Belle.

"It was."

"Well, why don't we gather up your dolls and books and go home?," asked Belle.

"Okay."


The shadow dropped Pan inside the small apartment. The woman, Belle, was asleep in her bed. Pan sprinkled a sleeping potion at her and made his way to the crib.

The child. Beatrice if the Darling boys were to be believed. She stirred and her lack of vision became readily apparent. She fussed, but she never focused on him.

Power. Oh, yes, the child's magic could even be felt here in the Land Without Magic. Pan considered that this infant might be the only useful thing his boy had ever done for him.

The infant grew red-faced and sobbed as her mother didn't wake to her cries.

"So like your father..." Pan sneered.

Merlin grabbed Pan by the back of his neck. The man-child froze.

"I would remind you," Merlin said in a low voice, "that you have no powers in the Land Without Magic, but I do. Not that I need them to snap you in two."

"I have my shadow."

Pan watched in amazement as Merlin's own shadow flew in the window and handed him a box.

Merlin held out the box. "No, you don't."

Pan's gaze turned back to the sleeping infant. "Isn't this cozy?"

"Oh, yes, very cozy," said Merlin.

"Our granddaughter."

"You are not her grandfather," said Merlin. "You are merely the man who sired her father, then cast him aside because you were too cowardly to grow up."

"What about you? The man who sired her mother and cast her aside to protect your greatest vision?" Pan cast a look back at Merlin. "The Dark Princess."

"The fact that you think that shows just how twisted you are. What's it like in your head? How do you ever find anything getting so turned around?"

"I need new magic."

Merlin leaned in. "You need to do us all a favor- but especially your son- and die already. This child is not the answer to your problems and if you come near her again, I will end you. I don't care if I have to kill all your psychotic lost boys or destroy your whole realm and the ones adjoining. This child, yes, this Dark Princess will always be defended."

Pan smirked. "Is that all?"

"You know," Merlin considered, "the day you abandoned your son, that was the best thing that could have happened to him."

Pan was surprised as Merlin threw him out the open window and panicked. He caught the sorcerer's expression as his shadow caught him.

"Don't play my game, boy," Merlin snarled.


The Golds went home. They ate dinner and let Beatrice eat too much dessert, then played Monopoly.

Gold let her win. Well, the entire principle of the game had broken out when Beatrice asked if he was actually going to make her pay rent like everyone else. Well, of course not. Then Belle had come up with an argument of her own, that since she had sworn herself to the Dark One forever, she really wasn't supposed to enter into other contracts so really Gold ought to be paying her rest as well.

He was doomed.

Belle read three stories as Gold watched until Beatrice was finally passed out enough to be left alone in bed.

Gold hadn't been able to sleep, not while he knew the spell was ending. His little girl would be gone, the one who played tea party and made him drawings.

He was happy to have her back. It was ridiculous. They were the same person. Both beautiful and smart. One was just a little braver than the other and spoke her mind more often than not. Still, she was the one that boys and all too often some ill-thinking man stared at. He was going to have to gouge out the eyes of every lecher in Storybrooke at this rate.

Early in the morning, there was a knock at the door.

He took his cane and went to the door. Beatrice was of course there, the top of her head just under his chin and back in her pajamas. He couldn't help but notice she had the white and gold blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

"Was I just six for a while?," she asked.

"Yes, your great-grandmother's notion."

"Oh. Okay." She paused. "Yeah, my room is trashed."

"Your room was always trashed," Gold mocked.

Martha barked from the bedroom.

"Girl..." Beatrice groaned.

Something in Gold made him want to follow, seeing as how the puppy had managed to summon a fearsome bark for whatever had perturbed her. As he considered it, he heard Beatrice scream and hurried down the hall, limping without his cane.

There was a pounding against her window. Beatrice had managed to grab her puppy and was backing towards the door.

Gold saw what she saw.

A shadow.

Pan's shadow.

The shadow thrashed against the magical wards he had placed on the house. He shoved Beatrice behind him.

"Don't you dare..." he growled.

"Rumple! Beatrice!," Belle called frantically as she hurried down the hall.

The shadow finally burst through the wards and into the room. It waved off the fireball Gold lobbed at it, knocking him to the side.

Belle threw her arms around Beatrice as the shadow came towards them. Then the same pulse of magic that had rendered Mother Superior powerless came out from Belle, knocking the shadow back. The shadow spun around swiftly and back through the window.

"What just happened?," Beatrice asked.

"Rumple," said Belle, scrambling to his side on the floor. "Are you alright?"

"Fine, sweetheart. Are you two alright?"

"I think so. I just..."

"Used your magic again?," Beatrice supplied.

"Rumple," Belle said breathlessly, "what was that?"