Author's Notes: I do not own Once Upon A Time which is a show on ABC where you realize this is the longest your OTP has ever been happy and it was about five minutes in total of onscreen time. Unless we count offscreen time and assume that stretch after Broken and before The Crocodile started was blissful. Anyway, thanks for the reads and reviews. I am always so appreciative of them particularly since we are on Chapter 50 of a story that got like two reviews for the first chapter, maybe like ten for the first five? Anyway, I will get back to you. Please let me know what you think and happy reading.


Emma grimaced. It was cold. She was cold. She was so cold that she wished she could still feel cold as they trekked from the Jolly Roger and deeper into Neverland.

"Emma, are you alright?," asked Mary Margaret.

"I'm going to do it."

"Are you sure?," asked David.

"I was sure when my butt froze." She hurried up the line. "Gold!"

Gold turned. "Did you want something, dearie?"

"You know what I want."

"Do I? Because I recall earlier when you said, 'No, Gold, I don't need any more favors from you.'"

Emma rolled her eyes.

"Well?," asked Gold.

"I need a coat."

"And what can I expect in return?," asked Gold.

Emma's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me? You didn't make anyone else do this!"

"They all took it when I offered."

Emma looked around. Everyone else, including her own parents, was outfitted in extremely warm looking parkas. Gold's whole dragon hide look was augmented by some black and grey fur. Belle seemed to have gotten the best one fur-lined leather to go with the leather outfit with inexplicable short shorts that seemed to come from nowhere. Emma hadn't wanted to take anything...

And she also liked how her red leather looked.

"Papa..." groaned Neal.

"So, dearie, what can I expect in return?"

"How about I'm the mother of your grandson and I broke the Curse?"

"Which reunited you with your family."

"Gold!," shouted Emma. "I'm helping rescue your daughter!"

"Which is why I offered everyone else coats."

"And because Belle made you," added Venus.

"Rumple..." said Belle.

Gold wasn't tired of the game yet. "No, no, dearie, you were warm enough in your jacket..."

Emma felt a coat land on her shoulders. She looked over to see Merlin.

"Thanks," said Emma.

Gold glared at Merlin and walked away.

"Don't mind him," said Merlin. "These little games keep his mind from his existential crises which is something I do believe I would like to avoid this trip."

Emma looked at Merlin. "What does Peter Pan want with Beatrice?"

"This land is his tomb and he just doesn't know when to lie down and die already. He was a miserable sod before and the years have only made him more of one."

"Do you have a plan?"

"I'm hopeful that a solution will present itself." He looked to Emma to find her expression of disbelief. "I am open to suggestions, Savior."

"I just thought between you and Gold there would be a plan," said Emma.

"Merlin..." a drawling voice taunted.

They froze. Merlin turned slowly to Felix.

"Felix, my old friend," said Merlin. "You look as ugly as ever."

"Pan welcomes you to Neverland."

"I'm sure he does," said Gold.

"That is unless you're here for the girl," said Felix.

"Well, it's not because of your exciting nightlife," said Merlin.

"Yeah, the place seems to have cooled off," said Neal.

"Yes, it is a bit brisk out," said Merlin.

"If you wish to take the girl, you and Pan will be enemies," said Felix.

"Then nothing has changed," said Gold.

"Pan thought you might say that."

They suddenly found themselves surrounded by Lost Boys. They drew swords. Mary Margaret got out her bow.

The Lost Boys fell in, attacking from all sides. David fought against one with swords, as Hook went up against Felix.

One of them lunged for Ariel and soon found that the mermaid's weapon of choice was in fact a fork. As he howled in pain, Emma turned to share his surprise.

"Seriously?!"

"Emma, look out!," shouted Neal, pushing her out of the way of an arrow.

Mary Margaret returned fire.

"That's dreamshade, love," Hook explained. "Don't want to be stuck with that, though..."

Emma rolled her eyes at Hook. Gold and Merlin pushed back the remaining Lost Boys with waves of magic. As they scattered to the winds, Gold waved his hand smacking the slowest escapee against a tree. The tree's vines wrapped around the boy as Gold approached him.

"Now, dearie, I'm going to ask you some questions and you are going to answer me and if I don't like the answer, well... that would be bad for you."

"Oh, here we go," said Hook.

"Rumple-"

"Papa, please," said Neal.

"What has Pan done with Beatrice?," asked Gold.

The boy seemed relieved to answer that. "Pan doesn't have her!"

Gold twisted his hand causing the boy to gasp for breath.

"You can't do this, Gold," said David.

Gold seemed to ignore the pleading. "Remember how I mentioned if I didn't like your answer, dearie?"

"It's true!," the boy gasped. "Pan doesn't have her! She froze the island and built an ice palace!"

"An ice palace?," asked Belle.

The boy nodded at Belle. "She's locked in there! Pan can't get past her magic!"

Gold twisted his hand again.

"Pan can't get past her magic?," asked Merlin.

The boy shook his head.

"Rumple, please," said Belle.

Merlin waved his hand and the boy disappeared. Gold turned at him in anger.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Merlin shrugged. "You were done with the boy."

"No, I wasn't."

"He was telling the truth, Rumple," said Belle.

"I sincerely doubt it," Gold sneered.

Merlin motioned. "Look around you, sunshine, do you think if Pan could stop Beatrice's magic we would be standing at the bloody North Pole?"

"Pan is far too powerful-"

"You keep on saying that, sunshine, yet I don't see how that's so."

"If you dare to interfere with my getting my daughter-"

"Stop it!," shouted Belle. "You both want the same thing, there's no need to argue about it."

"And what do you suggest?," Gold asked.

Belle looked at Merlin. "This ice palace. Does it seem plausible?"

"Ice Princess, Ice Palace, why not?," asked Merlin.

"Except this is not the Far North Kingdom, is it?," asked Gold.

"No! It's Neverland, a place that runs on belief. For a thing to exist, you must only wish it so. Do you doubt she can manage that?"

Belle looked at Gold. "I think he's right." She bent down and picked her satchel up off the ground. "We go find the ice palace."

"If there even is one..." said Gold.

"Oh, you mean like that one?," asked Hook.

They looked to see Hook holding a telescope with his good hand.

"Oh, what a nice whatsit," said Ariel.

Belle walked over and took the telescope from Hook. Looking through, she saw the turrets of the promised ice palace.

"This way," said Belle, marching off.

Merlin shrugged at Gold, then followed.

Emma turned to Neal. "Is Belle in charge now?"

"I guess."

"What is she wearing?," Emma hissed. "Who wears tights and leather shorts?"

"What makes you think I know?"


Belle steadied herself.

It was her final evaluation by Doctor DeAngelis. If everything went well, she would be released from the hospital in the morning.

She wouldn't be released to much. Her lawyer, Kenya, was going to help her find a small apartment until the lawsuit with Storybrooke was settled. August, her only friend, had promised to help as well. She just had to get out of the hospital.

"Miss French."

She looked up to see a young man with glasses.

"John Darling, Social Services."

"Social Services?"

"Yes, I'm here to discuss the options available to you regarding your child."

He held out several brochures about adoption, warm pictures of perfect families on them.

Belle didn't want to touch them.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry you're wasting your time. I'm keeping my baby."

"Are you sure?," asked John. "Let me put it to you this way, perhaps it's the correct decision for you, but what about the child? You have no family, no means of supporting yourself, no education to speak of."

"I'll get them," said Belle. She protectively covered her belly with her arms.

"Miss French, the state can remove a child from the care of an unfit mother."

Belle shook her head. "I am not unfit."

"Miss French, you're a patient at a mental ward who doesn't even remember who the father of her child is."

"Belle," called the nurse, "don't be late for your appointment. Doctor DeAngelis is waiting."

Belle brushed past the man and headed down the hall.

"I made tea," said Doctor DeAngelis. "And I brought something special in celebration of our last session. Ricotta pie."

Belle watched as Doctor DeAngelis cut the pie.

"My grandmother's recipe. She was from the old country."

"The old country?," asked Belle.

"Palermo in Sicily. She got sent to America when she was fifteen with five bucks. She worked in my grandfather's bakery, raised five kids and made Sunday dinner every week including the day before she died." The doctor handed her a plate.

"She sounds remarkable," said Belle.

"Most people who have been inpatients for a long time are fearful about returning to the real world. There are a number of factors, just the process of being institutionalized among them, but in your case, Belle, I don't think you should worry. If my nana could do it, so can you."

Belle smiled. "It is a delicious pie."

"You are worried, though."

Belle hesitated.

"It's okay, Belle. I'm not going to lock you up for being worried mostly because it's a waste of our time."

"My memory."

The doctor nodded.

"You keep saying it will come back and I just don't know. I haven't remembered much of anything. Just my father and those nuns..."

"There's nothing wrong with you organically. Whatever happened to you is in that head of yours. We could try hypnosis again..."

Belle scoffed. "For all the good it did me. My head is so full of stories all I spoke of were fairy tales."

Doctor DeAngelis shrugged. "They were deeply embedded in your subconscious. I did like the one about the beast. It reminded me of that great G.K. Chesterton quote."

"The what?"

"He was an English writer among other things. He wrote that the great lesson of Beauty and the Beast was 'that a thing must be loved before it is lovable.'"

Belle smiled. "I like that."

The doctor frowned. "Are you sure there was nothing more to that story?"

"What? I'm really Belle?"

"Not exactly, but there must be a reason your subconscious coded in that particular language." She shrugged. "That's not important, though. Your future with your child is."


Belle rolled over. She had a decent rest. It was no fault of Rumple's. The tent he had conjured would have been fit for the Sultan of Agrabah, but her thoughts stuck on Beatrice. They had spent the day before hiking to a vantage point, only to discover the existence of the ice palace and that it was still a good hike away.

Waking up, Belle found a doll made of straw with a little blue and white jacket. She also found she was alone.

Belle took the doll and ventured outside. Gold was at the campfire and appeared to be boiling a kettle.

"Hey," said Belle.

He glanced up. "Hey. I was just making tea."

Belle sat next to him on the log in front of the campfire.

"I'll wake the others in a moment," said Gold.

"Let them rest a little longer."

"They're not here to rest," said Gold.

"Rumple, they-"

"Where did you get that?," asked Gold, pointing at the doll.

"I found it in the tent-"

Gold was on his feet. "Come on out, dearie."

"Rumple, who are you talking to?," asked Belle.

"That would be me, lass."

Belle looked up to see a boy that had appeared out of nowhere.

"Well, you've done well for yourself, haven't you?," said Pan looking at Gold.

"Where's Beatrice?," demanded Belle.

"Oh, your daughter. She's safe in her ice palace for now, she doesn't like to play much. I'll soon cure her of that."

Belle stepped forward. She felt Gold holding her back.

"If you hurt her, I will-"

"What? Throw a book at me?" He arched an eyebrow at Belle. "Face it. There's nothing you can do to help her."

"We'll see about that, dearie."

"I've come here to make an offer. Leave this island now and you and your friends can live. You'll still have your precious Baelfire and Belle seems fertile enough. You could start over with a new child. Perhaps you could actually get it right for once."

Gold had to hold Belle tighter.

"You are disgusting," Belle sneered. "That's all you are, a disgusting little boy."

Pan looked at Gold. "Maybe you want to have her reconsider."

"I'm not making any deals, dearie."

Pan laughed. "You know you can't stop me. You don't have the guts to do what needs to be done. You never have."

Pan vanished. Gold released Belle.

"What did he mean?," asked Belle.

Gold shrugged.


Beatrice wondered why enchanted ice palaces couldn't come with enchanted televisions with enchanted Apple TVs. Also, enchanted satellite dishes just in case she was in Neverland too long and missed the new Doctor Who episodes at the end of March.

What if time ran differently in this universe and she had already missed it?

Her parents really needed to hurry up.

Just as she was about to start writing down theories for the new companion mystery, Beatrice heard someone screaming. She cautiously went to one of the icy windows and looked down onto the frozen tundra.

There was a little boy in pajamas. She hadn't seen them with the rest of the Lost Boys, she supposed maybe he was too young to go around trying to capture her.

Though they did seem amused enough trying to hunt him down. Of course they were. She was in freaking Lord of the Flies.

Beatrice groaned and materialized an ice staircase.

She was going to regret this.

Once she got down, she waved her hand to send the staircase crashing to the ground and headed in the direction of the hunt.

Beatrice spotted the boy and then the hunters.

"Come to play?," asked Felix.

She really didn't like Felix. She kind of wished she had a better handle on that whole weather thing. Some lightning bolts were definitely in order for that guy.

Beatrice stopped and turned. "You know what, dearie? I'll make an exception for you."

As Felix lunged forward, she waved her hand ane encased him in a block of ice. A couple more Lost Boys caught up with him and stared in amazement at their comrade.

"Yeah, you want some more of that?," said Beatrice, thinking this bravado thing was so not her.

It didn't seem to matter to the Lost Boys as they ran off. Beatrice looked to the jungle in pursuit of the little boy.

She was pretty sure her dad would be the one to kill her this time. She could picture it now.

"And why did you go in the jungle after you conjured a perfectly secure ice palace?"

"Well, there was this little kid in the jungle..."

She could picture the unimpressed glare now.


Belle's mind wandered in the days since she saw Regina at the deposition. The settlement check had been cut and suddenly she had all the money she could ever know what to do with at her disposal.

The problem was that she didn't know what to do with her life. She had her little apartment in Boston, but she wasn't attached to it. It wasn't home.

August had brought her to New York. He said there was something she had to see.

"Watch out," cautioned August, grabbing her wrist as she started in the street. She stepped back just as a taxi went around.

Belle shook her head. "It feels like I should be better at that." She often forgot little things, like green meant go, red meant stop.

"You'll get the hang of it," August promised.

August took her further down the street where Belle found great imposing steps. She looked up to see a huge building, like a palace with three great archways and lion statues flanking either side. Everything Belle had seen since she arrived in New York had been a source of astonishment, thought it shouldn't have been. The mass of people, the great huge buildings. This, though, this was special.

"What is this place?," she asked, looking at August.

"This is the main branch of the New York Public Library."

"A library?," asked Belle, gaping in amazement at the great edifice. "You mean everything in there is books?"

August smiled. "Should we find out?"

Decidedly pregnant, August somehow still managed to beat August up the steps and through the doors. The interior was just as magnificent with great reading rooms. There were chandeliers and murals on the ceilings. Each room seemed to be a new world of books on a particular topic. There was a universe in there.

"How do I get to stay here?"


After another long day's trek through the jungle, they arrived at the ice palace.

"No doors," said Neal.

"Nor any stairs," Hook remarked. "Your sister's architectural design does leave something to be desired."

"It's the best way to keep someone out," mused Mary Margaret.

"Maybe we can throw a rope up..." said David.

"You can throw that far?," asked Hook.

Venus sighed. "You all say that like one of these two isn't going to magic us a way up there."

Merlin and Gold exchanged glances.

"I've got this one," said Merlin. He waved his hand and a rope ladder appeared.

Belle stepped up. "I'll go first."

"It could be a trap," cautioned Gold.

"Or it could be our daughter, alone and terrified," said Belle. "Come up after me."


Beatrice heard a rustling in the brush.

"Hello?"

She saw a small figure move.

"Um, hi? It's me, not the psychos from the Lost Boys."

Beatrice stepped forward hearing something buzz and seeing a tiny green light underfoot. She bent down to find a toy replica of the Eleventh Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver. She held it up.

"What do you think of bow ties?," she asked. "I think they're cool."

The boy looked out from behind a tree trunk.

"You're going to want this back," said Beatrice.

He carefully stepped forward. Beatrice handed him the toy.

"My name's Beatrice," she said.

"Adi."

"How long have you been here?," asked Beatrice, thinking it couldn't be that long, unlike this hundreds of years crap Neal had talked about.

Adi shrugged.

"Did you see the Christmas special? With the snowmen?"

He frowned. "I saw the one with the trees."

"Okay," said Beatrice. "That is going to make my magical powers much less scary."

Adi looked at her skeptically.

"Look, either you can deal with the Lost Boys or me, a Whovian with magical powers."

"Are you a witch?"

"I don't have a hat. That's something, right?"


Belle got to the top and managed to help herself onto the balcony.

"Beatrice!," she called. "Beatrice!"

She opened the ice doors as Gold came up over the balcony. She rushed inside to find an empty ice palace and a red leather messenger bag.

"She was here," said Belle. She picked up the bag and held it close. "She was here. Why would she leave?"

"I'll find her," promised Gold.

The rest of the crew slowly made their way up.

"She's not here," said Ariel.

"Yes, we had noticed that," said Hook.

"Just because you're a pirate that's no reason to be rude," said Ariel.

"Actually, I think you'll find it is."

"Where's my dad?," asked Neal.

Belle looked behind her. "I could have sworn..."

Merlin sighed. "If you will all excuse me..."

"No!," Belle protested. She stepped closer. "Something is going on. Something Rumple's not telling me. I want to know what now."

Merlin grimaced and held his arm out. "Take my arm. We'll be back momentarily."

They disappeared.

"And are we supposed to just sit here?," asked Neal.

"Do we have a choice?," asked Emma.

"I think I've got a way to stop Pan."

Hook scoffed. "Do you now?"

"Yeah, you can come. Want to go fishing?"

"Fishing?," asked Hook.

Neal went down the ladder, then Hook, then Ariel after him.

"Right, guess I'm going," said Emma.

"Be careful, Emma," said David.

"Yeah, I know, he's a pirate."

"We'll stay here with Venus and wait for the others to get back and hold the palace," said Mary Margaret.

Emma shook her head as she got back on the rope ladder. "I can't believe you guys say that like it's a normal sentence."


Belle felt pretty pleased with herself. She had managed the transition to New York and had just been to her first class to get her GED.

She was on track. She could do this.

"Ms. French."

Belle looked up. It was Mr. Darling.

She pulled the stack of books she had with her against her chest. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged. "I was just wondering if you had given my proposition any more thought."

"No," said Belle. "It was an awful proposition. I'm keeping my baby and that's final."

"What is it you think you can offer your child?"

"I love her," said Belle. "I have money now and I just started a class to get a high school equivalency diploma. From there, I'm going to start college and become a librarian."

"And do you think that's enough? Doesn't your child deserve more?"

Belle frowned and opened the door to her apartment. "Please don't come here again."

She slammed the door shut in his face.


Emma looked at the frozen beachhead.

"What are we doing out here?"

"We're going fishing," said Neal.

"Fishing?," asked Ariel.

"Is that a problem for you, love?," asked Hook.

Neal started looking for something. "You guys try to find something to make a spear out of."

"A spear?," asked Hook.

"What are we fishing for?," asked Emma.

"You'll see."

"Right," said Emma, looking for spear pieces. "You know when you do the cryptic thing you sound like your dad."

"I do not sound like my father."

"Yeah, you do."

Hook shrugged. "You do, mate."

"What do you mean cryptic?," Neal asked defensively.

"Having a meaning that is mysterious or obscure," supplied Ariel.

The other three looked at her in astonishment.

"What? You don't have dictionaries on land?"

Emma shook her head. "What makes a spear?"

"This does," said Ariel, bending down to brush some snow off an arrowhead. "The spear's the pointy one, right?"

"Right," said Neal, collecting a conch shell.

"Will this do?," asked Hook, breaking a thin branch off a tree.

"Yeah," said Neal, getting some twine to tie the arrowhead onto the stick.

"What? You're all outdoors-y now?," asked Emma.

"I was in Neverland for a very long time. I know all the tricks," said Neal, casting a glare at Hook.

"Like what?," asked Emma.

Neal passed the spear to Hook. "Like this."

He blew into a conch shell. Suddenly a huge black squid sprang up from the water, breaking some of the ice. Hook threw the spear and it landed in the creature as it beached itself.

Emma looked at Neal with wide eyes. Ariel gasped.

"What did you do that for?!," shouted Ariel.

"I needed squid ink," said Neal. "To save my sister? Remember?"

"Why didn't you just ask?!," said Ariel.

"You can ask?"

"Yes!"


Merlin transported them away and Belle followed him deeper into the jungle floor. Belle looked to Merlin.

"What is this about?"

Merlin silently pulled the velvet pouch from his jacket and revealed the dagger.

Belle shook her head. "Why do you have Rumple's dagger?"

"Because he gave it to me. Because he didn't want to do anything stupid, yet he's managed to get around that like so many other things..." Merlin passed the dagger to Belle.

"What am I supposed to do with this?," asked Belle.

"I would suggest starting by summoning him back. Dark One, I summon thee usually does it."

Belle sighed. "Dark One, I summon thee."

Gold appeared. Glancing from the dagger to Belle, he turned to give Merlin a deadly glare.

"I tried, but you were an idiot," said Merlin.

"Why would you give Merlin your dagger?"

"I have a nasty habit for survival, Belle. The only thing that will defeat Pan is my death. I made a mistake once, choosing power over my child. I won't do the same again."

Belle shook her head. "You're not going to die."

"It's the price for Beatrice's return."

"There has to be another way."

"Belle, there is no other way-"

"You don't know that," said Belle. "How could you have possibly found every option?"

"That's just it. There are none," Gold said in exasperation.

"And you don't know that!," said Belle. "And you're not dying!"

She held the dagger out to him.

"Keep it," said Gold.

"I don't want it," said Belle.

Gold walked away from them. Belle looked at Merlin.

"He is a stubborn one."

Belle put the dagger in her satchel. "We'll go back to the palace and we'll meet with the others and make a new plan."

"Belle, they don't have the stomach for what needs to be done."

"Well, let's find out what needs to be done first," Belle snapped.

She turned back to stalk off. Gold looked at Merlin.

"This is what happens when you're stupid," said Merlin.


Beatrice looked around.

"You're lost," said Adi.

"Look, I didn't make this stupid island."

"Oh, Beatrice, I had hoped you would enjoy your time here more."

Beatrice groaned as Pan appeared.

"It's him," Adi said, grabbing her hand.

"I saw what you did to Felix."

"Has he melted yet?," asked Beatrice.

"I thought it best to let him thaw over. You've made a friend."

"Yeah, well, I'm not as into abandoning small children as you are."

"What does that mean?," asked Adi.

"Did the Dark One tell you that?"

"You mean, did my father tell me about his deadbeat dad? Yeah."

"Are you certain Merlin didn't tell you? No great father there, either."

"Yeah, but if we're grading on a curve, he's still way ahead of you and he gave me a birthday present and a Christmas present. Right now you're competing with Moe French for crappiest grandpa."

Beatrice got a flash of something. It was as if Pan were replaced with a man.

"What was that?," asked Adi.

"That was nothing," Pan said a little too vehemently.

"Didn't seem like nothing," said Beatrice.

"The time for games has stopped and you are going to give me what I need."

"So not..." said Beatrice, stepping between Adi and Pan.

"Hey!"

Pan turned. Neal was standing with a bow and arrow. He shot it and the arrow flew at Pan. He caught it.

"Baelfire, you really ought to know better," said Pan.

"Yeah, didn't coat the tip."

A magical field appeared around Pan and he was immobilized.

"What was that?," asked Beatrice.

Emma hurried up. "Yeah, we'll talk about that later. Come on."

"This isn't over, Beatrice," said Pan.

Neal grabbed Beatrice. She found that Ariel and Hook were not far behind.

"What are you doing here?," asked Beatrice. "Also, Ariel, you have legs?"

"What is going on?," asked Adi.

"I'll explain later," said Beatrice.


They arrived back at the base of the ice palace.

"We've got a ladder over here," said Neal.

"Uh, yeah," said Beatrice. She waved her hand and a staircase appeared.

Emma turned to Beatrice. "Really?"

"Yeah, really," said Beatrice, ascending the steps.

They went in the doors to the ice palace.

"Beatrice!," exclaimed Mary Margaret. The woman rushed over and gave her a hug.

Venus was next. "Welcome back, sweetie."

"Are you alright?," asked David.

"Yeah. Neal's plan worked," said Emma.

"Where are my parents?," asked Beatrice.

"They went somewhere with Merlin," said Mary Margaret. "I'm sure they'll be back soon."

"Merlin?," asked Adi. He looked up at Beatrice. "You said you would explain later. It's later."

"Right," said Beatrice. "Guys, this is Adi. So, Snow White, Prince Charming, Ariel, Captain Hook, my great-grandmother, Venus, my brother Neal and Emma."

Adi stared blankly.

"Just pretend it's a Doctor Who episode," said Beatrice.

"Beatrice!," Belle called.

"And here comes Belle from Beauty and the Beast, kid," said Emma.

"Mom!," Beatrice shouted back, heading for the stairs.

She stopped in her tracks and stared at what her mother had on.

"Really?"

"What?," asked Belle.

"That's what you're wearing?"

Belle looked down at her boots and leather shorts. "What?"

"Really?!"

Then Gold came up.

"Seriously, did you join KISS while I was gone?" She looked back at Belle. "And you're the groupie!"

Gold just shook his head at her. Belle grabbed her daughter.

"We're all here, we can leave," said David.

"We're just leaving?," asked Beatrice.

"Did you want to stay?," Emma asked incredulously.

"Beatrice, we came to get you and we're taking you home," said Belle.

"Pan isn't going to give up," said Beatrice.

"You needn't worry about that," said Gold.

"What? I'm just going to stay in a windowless room for the rest of my life?" Beatrice looked at Merlin.

"Well, you must admit, you wouldn't get bored," said Merlin.

"He needs me for something, what is it?"

"He's dying," said Merlin. "His magic is finite, it's reaching its end."

"What does that mean?," asked Neal.

"It means he is not as powerful as he once was."

"Oh, so my ice monster wasn't as great as I thought?," asked Beatrice.

"No, this place runs on belief."

Beatrice paused. "Does Pan have to believe he's a boy in order to use his magic?"

"What do you mean?"

"He was different for a second and I think I know why. If he has to believe he's a boy and Dad's here, Pan gets weaker every second."

Venus stepped up. "She has a point."

Merlin rolled his eyes. "And you're an expert on magical islands, now?"

"I'm an expert on love. Children are by instinct, selfish. They grow into love, some sooner than others. A parent is meant to be capable of the best kind of love-"

"If you're trying to make him a better person, you're wasting your time," said Gold.

"No, I want to remind him how far short he falls of the standard," said Venus. "He is a father, he is a grandfather, make that impossible for him to ignore..."

"And that might be enough," said Merlin.

"See? You should have asked me sooner," said Venus.

Merlin rolled his eyes.

"Pan is too powerful," said Hook.

"Look at the state of this place," said Merlin. "Baelfire thwarted him with squid ink. He's not near as powerful as he thinks he is."

Mary Margaret stepped up to Merlin. "Do you think you can stop him?"

"We're leaving," said Belle.

"Belle," said Mary Margaret, "I know why we came here but you saw what Pan and his shadow did to Storybrooke, what they could still do. Storybrooke's not safe and neither is Beatrice. If we can stop him here, we owe it to everyone."

"Pan and his shadow are two separate entities," cautioned Gold.

"I can catch it," said Neal. "That's how I got out before."

"Belle," said Merlin. "We can do this."


Belle awoke as Beatrice cried. She walked to the bassinet and picked her up to cradle her.

"Beatrice, sweetheart, it's alright, you're alright..."

She cried again and there was a knock at the door. Belle hoped it wasn't one of the neighbors coming to tell her she had a baby who cried too much. One had told her as much in the elevator and it was all Belle could do to not slug the woman. Beatrice was just sensitive for some reason, not so much in the day, but at night she could become inconsolable.

Carrying Beatrice, she flicked on the lamp. The baby seemed to calm down as she made her way to the door and looked through the peephole.

It was Mr. Darling.

Balancing the baby, Belle opened the door with the security chain on.

"Mr. Darling, what are you doing here?"

"I was in the neighborhood, Ms. French. I was wondering if you had given any more thought to what I said."

Belle looked down at Beatrice.

"I don't need to give it any more thought."

"Ms. French, if I could just have another word-"

"It's the middle of the night!"

"Please."

Belle nodded and shut the door. She gave Beatrice a kiss on the forehead and put her back in the bassinet.

Belle went to the kitchen and picked the frying pan off the stove.

Mr. Darling fell to the floor as Belle smacked him with the frying pan. He tried to shake it off, looking up at Belle in amazement.

"If you come near me or her again, I am going to call the police," said Belle.

She slammed the door back shut and did up all the locks.

"So," said Merlin, "where's your brother?"

John looked up. "Are you Merlin?"

"Indeed I am."

"Pan didn't say you would be here."

"I am always here," said Merlin.


"I'm not tired," Beatrice complained.

"Somehow I doubt that," Gold said, leading her by the hand to one of the rooms of the ice palace.

"Seriously, what is with the outfit?," asked Beatrice. "I mean, I get that you can't go walking through the jungle in a suit, but did you have to raid Gene Simmons' closet? Do you own jeans? Why not get some face paint?"

"I'm afraid not." He opened a door. "This ought to do."

He waved his hand and a bed appeared. He motioned as Beatrice rolled her eyes to climb on top.

"Are you just going to let everyone else sleep on the floor?"

"It's your ice palace, it's not my fault it's unfurnished, though I may make an exception for Bae."

Beatrice laid down and Gold pulled the covers over her.

"You're going to stay here, aren't you?"

"To watch over you." He waved his hand and a table appeared with a candle.

"Thanks."

"Close your eyes," Gold said softly.

Beatrice did and Gold watched over her, losing track of the time.

The door opened. Gold looked back to see Belle's smile. She walked over and climbed on the bed with Beatrice between her and Gold.

"When Regina had me in her tower, I wondered if I would ever leave, if I would ever see you again and if Beatrice would ever meet you..."

"Belle..." Gold winced.

"She needs you, Rumple," said Belle. "You love her. You could never hurt her. She believes in you. I believe in you."


"Are they asleep?," asked Venus, staring out at Neverland.

"You know how mortals like their rest," said Merlin. He hunted through the foodstuffs for a satisfactory snack and found a pear. "What have you got planned for him?"

Venus looked from the balcony back to Merlin.

"I'm going to do the worst thing you can do to someone," said Venus.

Merlin looked at her questioningly.

"I'm going to make him grow up."

She stopped and turned from her son to the window.

"What can you tell me about Rumplestiltskin's mother?," she asked.