Author's Notes: I do not own Once Upon A Time which is a show on ABC owned by a parent company, Disney, which owns a lot of the things I write about including a restaurant called Tony's in a theme park which I can highly recommend. Thank you for the reads and reviews. I will get back to you all very soon and can't wait to hear from you. Please let me know what you think and happy reading!


The Enchanted Forest, Long Ago

The Dark Curse cloud unfurled through the Enchanted Forest. Merlin had brought Belle to the dwarf mines where Rumple was being kept. She held Beatrice against her and carried a satchel containing the few possessions she wanted to be sure didn't get lost. Beatrice's blanket and lamb, her mother's pendant and journal, a couple books and the chipped cup.

"I shall leave you here," said Merlin.

"What?," asked Belle.

He nodded towards the tunnel. "Snow White's guards have abandoned their posts. I must be away to this new land before the cloud comes."

Belle knew this was coming and that ought to have made it easier.

It didn't.

"When will I see you again?"

"I will see you when you wake up tomorrow." He caressed Beatrice's cheek. "You too, sweetheart."

"But we won't see you again for such a long time."

Merlin smiled. "Do the brave thing..."

Belle smiled. "And bravery will follow."

Merlin kissed her goodbye and Belle watched as he disappeared. She clutched Beatrice closer and turned back to the tunnel.

The dwarf mine. A suitable prison for the Dark One. Belle felt colder just being in the place. She heard voices and stopped in her tracks.

One was Rumple's. The other was Regina. She pushed herself against the wall and pulled her own cloak over Beatrice.

"What took you so long, dearie?!"

"You know what took me so long."

"Oh, right. The Curse. You did it."

"I did it and I wanted you to know it before you, like all the pathetic denizens of this wretched land, forgets everything."

Rumple then asked a question Belle hadn't expected.

"How did it feel?"

"Watching the Curse cloud fall? It felt like victory."

Rumplestiltskin's laugh filled the mine. Belle felt Beatrice squirm and he;d her tighter in hopes she would stay quiet.

"No! How did it feel to kill the thing you love most? Ripping out the heart of your father. How did that feel?"

"It was the price of the Curse. How it felt didn't matter. He would have understood. I took my life back. I had to. I won."

"And yet, here you are, feeling the need to gloat. Something's missing isn't it, dearie?"

"Not at all. I have everything I want. Nothing can stop me now."

Rumplestiltskin giggled. "Not quite."

"What does that mean?"

"The Savior. The child of Snow White and Prince Charming. She can stop you. She can break the Curse."

"Of course it did, but even if you succeed with that, you have a bigger problem. There's a hole in your heart and someday, you'll come to me to fill it."

"You overestimate your powers of foresight."

"And you underestimate the price of what you've done!" He sang. "You shall see, you will come to me. There is more you need. Oh!"

"Your taunts will get you nowhere! I know you too well. You want to make another deal. Well, I won't."

"A deal? I've already gotten everything I wanted in this new land. What more can I want from you?"

"Oh, to be let out of this cage. To be let out of our last deal? To escape the Curse?"

"But why would I desire that, dearie? I'm exactly where I want to be."

Regina vanished and Belle continued down the path.

"Back already, dearie-"

Rumplestiltskin stopped as he saw Belle's face.

"Belle..." He was in shock. "I didn't think you'd come."

"Of course I came," said Belle. She looked at Beatrice. "Where else would we be?"

"One moment."

Belle frowned as Rumple went digging in his cell for something. He pulled out a parchment and she watched as he blew on it. The bars to his cell vanished.

"The Blue Fairy's magic," said Rumplestiltskin.

She fell into his arms, Beatrice between them. Rumplestiltskin took the baby from her.

"My sweet Beatrice."

She reached up to touch his face. It was never fear or revulsion, just as some point she had deciphered her papa's skin was different from all the others.

"She missed you," said Belle. She then corrected herself. "We missed you."

"And I you."

"I wanted to see you, but-"

Rumplestiltskin shook his head. "No matter now. We're together."

Belle nodded.

She hoped they would be.


Storybrooke, Now

Beatrice rolled over.

At least she attempted to roll over. It was hard to share a bed with a cocker spaniel and a dalmatian, especially when Lady and Martha were both bed hogs.

With a flick of her wrist, Pamela turned on the light.

"Up!," she said simply.

"It's Saturday," groaned Beatrice.

"Yes and it's wasting away."

"I was at a wedding in the middle of the woods until three in the morning after I traveled through time."

"We need to get you back on a normal schedule," said Pamela. "You've been out of school too long and you start back on Monday."

"They're just going to review," said Beatrice.

"You need to be back in a normal routine. I don't know quite how long your parents intend this honeymoon to last, but I can't imagine they'll go through Monday dinner and they asked me to help you get back to normal."

Beatrice sat up. "Yeah, how's that ever going to happen?"

"You have SATs to study for, you need to have that draft of your college admissions essay ready for the consultant to read. I actually managed to reschedule with her after having to put her off for ages." Pamela motioned. "Get up."

Beatrice got up and dressed before Pamela could use her magic to cast off the blankets and have her levitating from the bed. When she got to the kitchen and took her stool, Pamela was already making breakfast. Her choices were far less indulgent than Gold's. She had a yogurt parfait waiting and Beatrice could see she was making yet another egg white omelet.

"I'm just saying could we keep one egg yolk?," asked Beatrice.

"It's a power omelet."

"Pinterest?"

"Yes." She nodded towards the stack of papers on the counter. "The consultant's name is Ms. Stein. She sent a packet of things. Sample resumes. Example applications. She looked over what I sent and she sees one problem. Extracurricular."

Beatrice dropped her jaw. "Are you kidding me? I read at the library. I organized a food drive. This is why I went to Boston last summer which was such a good idea..."

"She doesn't think it's enough."

"I broke two curses."

Pamela frowned as she put the omelet before Beatrice. "You think Harvard should admit you because you kissed a boy twice?"

"I also time travel and the boy is Sherlock Holmes so that should be bonus points or something..."

"What about a sport?"

"A sport? Are you kidding?"

"You run with your mother sometimes."

"Not that fast and we get coffee and sometimes look through abandoned houses." She paused. "Hey, let's get that quidditch team going."

"Oh, Beatrice..."

"I can fly with a broom, you could use the umbrella."

"Do try to take this seriously."

Just then Neal appeared. He walked in and sat down next to Beatrice.

"So, what's for breakfast?"

"I beg your pardon?," said Pamela.

"Aren't you cooking?"

"Mr. Cassidy, you appear to have misunderstood my position. I am the nanny. My responsibilities to housekeeping and cooking extend as far as the needs of my charge. Mr. and Mrs. Gold are my employers, they are the ones to change my duties as circumstances necessitate. He made no such request before he left as regards you."

Neal shook his head. "What does that mean?"

"She means you're cooking for yourself," said Beatrice.

"Finish your coffee and we'll do a practice test."


Storybrooke, 1997

Mr. Gold's leg hurt.

It had been building up all day. It was a rent day so more walking than usual. He was just hoping to make it to closing time with no customers.

The doorbell rang and instead of being greeted by a customer or tenant he saw Mayor Mills striding in.

"Madame Mayor."

"Mr. Gold, I've been meaning to talk to you about a matter of some delicacy."

He scowled. He might have guessed at the delicate matter before the mayor entered.

"Moe French came to see me. He was concerned about his stepdaughter."

"Mr. French needn't worry."

"I asked around and it seems as if no one has seen Isabelle outside your house in months."

"Mrs. Gold is absolutely fine. Thank you for your concern."

"Well, it's not just her. It's also his grandchild."

"I don't know where you get your information, dearie, but my daughter is most certainly not his granddaughter and she is fine."

"You understand I have to take these allegations seriously."

"Allegations? What exactly am I being accused of?"

"There's no need to be so defensive, Mr. Gold. As mayor, I take an interest in the lives of all Storybrooke's citizens."

"Your interest in unnecessary in this circumstance."

Finally ridding himself of the pesky mayor, Gold walked to his car and blissfully drove home, happy to be off his leg at last.

Moe French had never been happy with him. Isabelle's mother, Rachel, had died when she was sixteen leaving custody to her second husband instead of the girl's father. Colin Avalon was a physics teacher at Storybrooke High School and had a reputation for being eccentric, something of a dyed in the wool hippie. Most of the town thought Rachel had made the right call. Gold wasn't so certain. It was more like Isabelle had custody of him the way he carried on which was especially disconcerting given her reckless ways. She looked for a way out.

Mr. Gold was her way out.

It had scandalized the town. Isabelle was very young still and Mr. Gold was... himself. Someone might have tried to talk her out of the relationship if they weren't terrified of their landlord. Mr. Gold was pleased with the arrangement. He never had much luck with women, he'd had to fight for everything he had and it was gratifying to take the most beautiful woman in town on his arm. Storybrooke's simpletons could think what they wanted.

Then came the baby.

Of course he was thrilled. The whole town had to watch as Isabelle carried around the proof of their coupling. It was the birth. The idiot doctor and Isabelle's idiot stepfather and his idiot employee who nearly killed her. Isabelle became afraid to leave the house.

So she hadn't. Her life became entirely focused on the baby and staying inside. The child was trying his patience these past couple weeks. She was teething and prone to crying. She seemed especially displeased with him for some reason.

He walked into the house, already waiting for the moment when he could get a Scotch and excuse himself from an evening at the family hearth.

"Mr. Gold."

"Miss Lyndon."

"I'm going to take Beatrice for her bath."

"We're not quite finished yet," said Isabelle, feeding Beatrice a spoon of rice which the toddler seemed to be resisting.

"She seems to be done,' said Gold.

Isabelle frowned. Pamela lifted the baby from her high chair and as she did Beatrice waved pudgy little arms.

"I'll see you later," Isabelle promised.

Beatrice looked at Gold with a glare and mumbled some baby talk at him.

Pamela carried the toddler off. "Now, now, enough of that," she chided.

Isabelle looked at Gold.

With a look that could mean no good was going to come of anything he said.

"What?"

"You could at least acknowledge her."

"Isabelle, I've had a long day, culminating with having to deal with your idiot stepfather."

"Well, repossess his van and close the damn shop if it means you'll spend some time with your daughter."

"I do spend time with her."

"Colin spends more time with her than you do."

He paused. "Your father was here?"

"He comes all the time in the afternoons. I've told you before, but I suppose you don't listen to me, either."

"She's fine-"

Before he could finish, Isabelle was out of her chair and off in a huff.

Scotch would be early tonight.


Now

Beatrice got her mocha from the counter and returned to her corner of Starbucks. It had been ever since Merlin brought her in when she was four and she got her first taste of espresso.

There had been no looking back.

Pamela had brought her in the afternoons during the Curse and she did her homework. After the Curse broke, she had done the same thing, but there was an even wider berth for Rumplestiltskin's daughter than Mr. Gold's daughter. It was even wider for the Dark Princess, except for friends who dropped in looking for her and lately, Joseph.

She sat down on her sofa. "How are those essays coming, Joseph?"

"Well, they all look to be rather promising. For example, 'Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you and what lessons did you learn?'"

"Oh, well, easy the time I tried to dump water on the Wicked Witch of the West and failed, I learned you should try ice first."

"Excellent," said Joseph.

"How could they not accept me?"

"'Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community or family.'"

"Oh, what about the time I called Peter Pan a loser and set an ice monster loose on Neverland?"

"They'll have to accept you then." He turned back to the paper. "This is one is my personal favorite of the set. 'Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.'"

"What? It says that?"

Joseph nodded as Beatrice snatched the paper back.

"So many angles you could use, your father is Rumplestiltskin, a Dark Curse brought you to this world..."

Beatrice shook her head. "I'm never going to be able to write one of these."

"Of course you can. Make something up."

"I'm sick of making stuff up," said Beatrice. "I'm sick of having to be two different people at once. They just don't get it."

"Yeah, well the idea that Beauty and the Beast are real and in Maine is rather difficult to believe."

"No, not people, my parents. I get that the Enchanted Forest was screwed up at times and I don't need to depend on magic here, great. Really."

"But?"

"Every time I leave Storybrooke, I have to lie. I had to lie from the day I realized I was the only one at school actually moving up grades to the day the curse broke and I am sick of it. When I go to college, four more years of lying."

"I suppose I never really understood it as lying," Joseph mused.

"What's that?," asked Beatrice.

Joseph turned. "That appears to be a ship heading towards the dock. An old ship at that..."

Some of the fog cleared.

"That's the Jolly Roger," she pronounced.

"How can that be? Hook said he had to leave it in the Enchanted Forest when Zelena cast her curse."


Then

Mr. Gold made a point to go to bed after Isabelle was asleep.

The door to the nursery was cracked open. He could hear sobbing inside.

Damn.

Miss Lyndon had the rest of the evening off. He could wake Isabelle, but that meant talking to Isabelle and potentially continuing the earlier argument about the baby.

Deal with the baby or deal with Isabelle.

He walked in the room hoping it wasn't anything too complicated.

The room was fit for a Victorian princess, all pinks and whites, nursery rhymes on the wall, a shelf of storybooks, two chests of toys and a dollhouse Beatrice was too young for. She stood in her crib and Gold walked over, resting his cane against the rails.

Beatrice had two favorite possessions. Oddly enough Gold couldn't recall where they came from. A soft white blanket with gold thread and a lamb. She sobbed as she held the lamb and sucked its ear.

"That won't do, dearie."

"Papa..."

She sobbed the word like he wasn't standing in front of her.

He sighed.

"Alright, dearie..."

Gold reluctantly picked her up and she grabbed onto him. He had to keep her from choking him with his tie. He let her nuzzle against him and then he spotted something else in the crib.

A red leather book with gilded letters. It certainly looked too valuable to be in Beatrice's crib. What had she gotten into? He reached in to pick it up.

Then it all came back.


Now

Beatrice and Joseph watched as the ship pulled up to the dock and walked out towards it.

"This is not feeling like a great idea," said Beatrice.

The ship dropped anchor and the plank was extended to the dock.

A woman stepped off it.

"Where am I?"

"This sounds promising..." muttered Joseph.

"Storybrooke," Beatrice answered. "I'm Beatrice. This is Joseph."

"Milah."

Beatrice's eyes widened.

"Milah... from the Jolly Roger. Right..."

"Problem?," asked Joseph.

"Yeah."


Then

Gold turned slowly to face her. The girl beamed back at him.

"Beatrice." He kissed her on the cheek until she squirmed. He had never dared do that in the Enchanted Forest. "Oh, my sweet girl."

His leg throbbed but he didn't care.

"Belle!" He shook his head. "Isabelle!"

She was in the room like a flash. Anything that might remotely have to do with Beatrice had her immediate attention.

"Yes. What is it?"

Gold held the book out. "Do you know how this book got into her bed?"

"I don't know, I've never seen it before."

"Are you sure, dearie?"

Isabelle finally took it and as soon as she did Gold saw the same flash of magic. She held it for a moment looking gobsmacked.

"Rumple?" She approached closer. "Rumple?"

"Yes, sweetheart."

She took his face in her hands and kissed him deeply. Beatrice squirmed as she was caught between them.

"Oh, Beatrice." Belle squeezed her. "Beatrice, we're back."

"Who are you calling?," asked Belle.

"Who do you think?," he muttered.


Now

Pamela entered Tony's. She found Richard Alden waiting for her and the man gave her a slight wave.

"I didn't think you were coming," he admitted sheepishly as he sat. "You've broken off our last five dates."

"I take great offense to that," said Pamela. "I came to the first."

"You left."

"Beatrice had been taken by the Wicked Witch of the West. The second she needed me. The third I forgot because of a memory curse."

"The fourth?"

"Mary Margaret went into labor."

"And last night?"

"How was I to know Mr. and Mrs. Gold would decide to get properly married after forever? What was I supposed to do? Leave Beatrice alone?"

"She is seventeen."

"Yes, and she's just met her True Love. It's not a great combination. I've got to get her back to school on Monday and I spent all afternoon getting her back on track with her SAT studying. Then there's subject exams. I don't know which would be best. Obviously, Physics and Mathematics are her strong suits, but she could do well on the Literature one and the Japanese one might persuade them she's well rounded-"

"You always do this," said Richard.

Pamela shook her head. "Do what?"

"Go on about Beatrice."

Pamela shrugged. "I was just talking about my day."

"Don't you think you've been with them long enough?"

"Oh, fancy running into you here..."

Richard looked up. Pamela rolled her eyes as Merlin pulled up a chair.

"See what I mean?," said Richard.

"Mr. Avalon, this is my evening off."

"And where might my granddaughter be?"

"She is brainstorming college admissions essay topics at Starbucks. Perhaps you could go harass her."

"No, no, why interrupt her when she's obviously meeting with Joseph?"

"She didn't say she was," Pamela countered.

"Did she say she wasn't?"

"Uh, Mr. Avalon, we're trying to have dinner here-" said Richard.

"Oh, don't let me interrupt."

The waiter came over and Merlin didn't move.

"What can I get everyone?," he asked.

"A glass of iced tea and the zucchini fries, please," said Merlin. He looked at Pamela and Richard. "Didn't you two want anything?"


Then

Gold opened the door for Merlin.

"Oh, Mr. Gold, I just came to let you know that I'm not paying rent anymore," said Merlin.

Gold rolled his eyes as he let the man in the house.

"It's not really that I can't afford it, it's that I would rather buy other things."

"Merlin..." Belle said, rushing towards him for a hug.

"I was here this afternoon, you know."

"I wasn't," said Belle.

They sat in the living room. Beatrice was falling asleep in Belle's arms, but her mother was in no rush to put her in her bed.

"How long since you awakened her?," asked Gold.

"On schedule, that was three weeks ago on her birthday."

"Three weeks?," Belle asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, thanks for taking three weeks to pick up something that was in your baby's crib."

Gold tried to steer his attention back to the topic at hand. "Does Regina know?"

"No, Regina does not know. She doesn't spend all of her time making certain that everything is just the same, but she has begun to notice ripples."

"Ripples?," asked Belle.

"The nature of this curse is that everything must remain the same. Any changes weaken the curse. Like a stone in a pond. Ripples."

"She came to see me today," said Gold. "She said Moe was worried about Belle."

"Ah, yes, the local florist. I see him once a week. He calls me a drunk. I call him a waste of skin."

Belle scowled.

"Isabelle never scowled at me when I said things like that," Merlin countered.

"Has Beatrice caused any ripples?," asked Gold.

"Yes, there always there no matter the size of the stone. No matter the size of the stone." Merlin leaned back. "Frankly, I find it a miracle that Regina's not bored to death. I want to take my own life just thinking about it. Everyday the werewolves have the same argument, Geppetto can't fix one bloody sign and that winged tart has been showing up at every school board meeting to make my life miserable."

"Does Regina realize you've been awake?," asked Belle.

"No, she's too busy with her boy toy and keeping Snow White on her toes."

"Snow White's here?" Belle shook her head. "I don't understand. There was the tree. Is her daughter here, too?"

Merlin looked to Gold.

"Perhaps Charming went with her..." said Gold.

Merlin shook his head. "He is in a coma in the hospital. I found him when I went for a flu shot about ten years ago."

"You told me Snow White would be with her daughter," Belle accused Gold. She turned to Merlin. "You told me that tree had enough magic for two."

"It did," said Merlin. "Whatever the problem was, it happened on their end."

Belle was livid. "So my oldest friend's baby is out alone somewhere! In this world?!"

Merlin shook his head. "She's got to be fourteen by now..."

Belle stood and readjusted Beatrice in her arms.

"This changes nothing, Belle," said Gold. "She will still return, she will break this curse and be reunited with her family."

Belle didn't answer.


They ushered Milah back to the house having no better place to put a dead woman, though Beatrice put Lady and Martha upstairs. She knew Milah wasn't crazy about her dad, probably not a great mom since she ditched Neal to be a pirate wench, but she wasn't sure if she was legitimately crazy.

Pamela wasn't home. She had a date. Merlin wasn't answering. She didn't call Neal or Hook. She suspected Milah wasn't staying and it seemed like a mean thing to have a loved one come back from the dead and have them leave again. She texted Henry to do something with Neal. She even tried Mary Margaret, but all she heard was screaming baby.

Beatrice frowned at her iPhone.

"No one is answering."

"Well, your parents are on their honeymoon..."

Beatrice shuddered.

"Have you phoned them?"

"What am I supposed to do? Phone and say 'Hi, Dad, your ex-wife that you killed is back?'"

"He killed her?"

Beatrice shook her head. "It's a whole long thing."

Joseph held his hand out. "Give me your mobile."

Beatrice handed it to him. He quickly redialed.

"Yeah, hi, Rumplestiltskin. How's the honeymoon? Anyway, Milah, not dead."

He hung up and placed the iPhone back in her hand.

"That ought to elicit a response."

"Milah not dead?," asked Beatrice.

"I thought concise was best under the circumstances."

"And you swear you've never seen BBC Sherlock?"

"Shall we call Regina?"

"Why would we-"

"You and Emma bring back Robin Hood's seemingly dead wife and suddenly your father's dead wife and Hook's dead lover arrives in town on a ship we all thought to be lost in the Enchanted Forest. Does that seem suspicious to you?"

"Okay, yeah, I see your point, but I am so not calling her. I'm not exactly her favorite person right now... or ever."

"Do you think you're going to be her favorite person?," Joseph asked, nodding his head towards Milah as she perused the dining room. "Excuse me one moment."

Beatrice watched as Joseph walked in the dining room. He held his palm out.

"The silver, if you please."

"What? I didn't."

"Don't insult my intelligence. I find it very trying and you're already dead."

"What?"

"The silver."

Milah reached into her top and pulled out a selection of dessert spoons. Joseph took them with a curt smile and placed them on the table.

"I would clean those," said Joseph. "I'm going to wash my hands now."

Joseph walked over to the kitchen sink.

"So, Milah," said Beatrice, "what do you remember last?"

"My cowardly husband," said Milah.

"Yeah..." She glanced over at Joseph.

"He had just found Killian and I. The fool."

"Yeah, well..."

"Once I find him, I'm going to have my revenge. Then I can find Killian and we can get back to our lives."

Beatrice nodded. "Oh, yay, good for you..."

Beatrice walked back in the living room.

Joseph turned to Milah. "Excuse us."

He followed Beatrice.

"We need a plan," said Joseph.

"At the moment, I'm leaning towards getting my dogs and going to stay at Ariel and Aurora's until I can reach my parents. I should call ahead, though. Mulan's been staying over."


"I've heard good things about the polenta," said Merlin. "It's a difficult dish to get right."

Pamela and Richard hid behind their menus, hoping that not engaging with the wizard would make him go away.

"You're not still gluten-free, are you?," Merlin asked Pamela.

"I'm afraid not."

"Good. It was one of your more idiotic notions."

"Excuse me?"

Merlin's phone rang. "One moment." He picked it up. "Hello?"

Beatrice responded. "Seriously, does no one answer the phone?"

"What do you need?"

"A wizard."

"Why are you phoning me? You're already there."

Beatrice sighed. "Ghost Milah in my house. What do I do?"

Merlin groaned. "Will this woman ever be happy?"

"You know if there's something else you need to do, don't feel as if you have to stay," said Pamela.

"Are you coming over?," asked Beatrice.

"No, this is simple. Look on the mantle."

Beatrice walked over to the fireplace. "Yeah?"

"There's a music box with a green stone on top..."

"I'm not crazy about green stones."

"This one's fine. Play the music, it will lure her in and shut the lid. Keep it locked and I'll have my mother return it to Hades."

"That's all?"

"Yeah. Easy."

"Why does my dad keep a ghost trap on the mantle?"

"Why does he do any of the things he does?"

Merlin hung up. "All done. Where were we on entrees?"


Beatrice walked into the kitchen holding the music box. Joseph looked up from the table.

"Hey." He motioned at Milah. "Milah was just regaling me with the story of her cowardly husband while she drank your father's port."

"Yeah, well, I just thought we'd listen to this music box."

"Oh, really?"

"Really."

Beatrice put the box on the table and for a moment it looked as if it was working. Milah was being sucked into the box as the music played and then there was a burst of light. It enveloped the whole of the room. Joseph and Beatrice ran upstairs.

"What did you do that for?!"

"That was my plan!"

Martha sat on the landing.

"Okay, Martha, my room," said Beatrice. "Where's Lady?"

"What lady?," asked Joseph.

"Lady. My dog?" She shook her head. "Check my parents' room."

Joseph pondered the information that Beatrice had another dog. It must have happened with the alternate timeline he had found himself in. He looked in the doorway of the Master Bedroom and spotted a brown and tan spaniel with nearly red ears.

Lady.

"Really?," he asked the dog.

"Joseph!"

"Found her!" He picked up the dog and she growled. "Behave or I'll ring up some Siamese cats."

He walked into the bedroom. Beatrice had opened the window.

"Escape plan?," he asked.

"Ice powers."

Beatrice held her hands out and absolutely nothing happened.

"Well, crap."


Then

Belle was humming.

Gold watched as she flitted about the kitchen as she once had in his castle. Beatrice watched with rapt attention in her high chair. Pamela, for her part, watched in bewilderment, surely wondering what might have brought about this change of mood in her employer.

"I can get Beatrice's breakfast, Mrs. Gold," said Pamela.

"No, no, I want to," said Belle.

"Good morning, Mr. Gold. I was going to get Beatrice's breakfast-"

"It's alright, Pamela. I have it. I said so," said Belle.

"May I speak with you?," Gold asked.

He led Belle into the laundry room and shut the door.

"What?," asked Belle.

"You heard what your father said, Belle. Any ripples may alert Regina."

"I was making my daughter breakfast."

"Any changes to our routine-"

"I've been trapped in this house by my own fear," said Belle. "Half the time, I've been unable to care for myself, let alone her. I will not continue."

"You don't have a choice."

"Are you just going to go on being Mr. Gold?"

"The whole town sees me. I don't have a choice."

"I meant in here. The man who sees his wife and child as his possessions? The man who barely sees his baby?"

"Of course not," said Gold. "We have to be cautious, though."

"Beatrice is going to keep growing because that's the deal we made. I never made a deal to not care for her and I doubt that was Sherlock's intent."

"We made the deal we made to spare her and Sherlock is not here to protect her. We are and that's what we're going to do."

"You're giving orders now?"

Gold scoffed. "Would that get you to actually do what I ask?"

Belle lowered her eyes at him and returned to Beatrice.


Gold carried on his routine, trying to maintain his absolute best facade of routine. He had thought Merlin to be exaggerating but he feared he wasn't.

His errands in the early afternoon took him past the playground. Pamela had taken Beatrice, as she always did. Pamela was lost in conversation with some of the women who brought their children to the park. Beatrice was in the sandbox.

And she spotted him.

"Da!"

He continued walking.

Rumplestiltskin would have walked over. If Mr. Gold ignored his child as she called for him, well, that would merely be another addition to the litany of reasons Storybrooke's townspeople thought he was a bastard.

"Da!"

"Beatrice, no!," Pamela shouted.

His facade was unable to win out over his parental instincts and he turned just in time to see Beatrice toddling out of the sandbox and presumably towards the sidewalk and closer to him. Before he had time to ponder just when she had taken steps or if this was indeed the first time, she fell, her skull smacking against the pavement as Pamela was too late to catch her.

"Oh, God..." said Pamela.

Beatrice screamed and her forehead gushed blood. If the people of Storybrooke were scared before, it got worse as they watched Gold rush towards her on that damn leg and towards Beatrice.

He scooped her up from Pamela.

As usual, the nanny was afraid of the wrath of her employer. "Mr. Gold, I'm so sorry. I-"

He cut her off. "Get the car."

"Right."

Pamela rushed off. Gold rocked Beatrice as she screamed.

"There, sweetheart. Papa's here. Papa's sorry."


Now

"And this is what I mean," said Richard. "You can't even go out for dinner without these people interrupting."

"Oh, was this a date?," asked Merlin.

"Of course it was a date," said Pamela. "You knew it was a date."

"No, see, my mother happens to be the goddess of love and I created the longest line of True Love known to the Enchanted Forest so I know a date when I see it. What I saw was two people who looked annoyed with one another and happened to be sitting in a restaurant."

"Only because she can't get a night away from you people!," said Richard.

"I am not having this discussion in front of him," said Pamela.

"Oh, please, don't spare my feelings," said Merlin.

She turned to him in a huff. "I have very little regard for your feelings."

"You know, Joseph had a deduction he mentioned to me."

"And now there's another one," muttered Richard. "Are you going to be cooking his breakfast, too?"

"He mentioned that you never phoned to break your dates, you texted and you never waited for a response," said Merlin.

Richard stood up. "I spent the whole curse waiting around for you and I've had about enough. Beatrice Gold has a mum and it's not you. I can't compete anymore."

"Richard," said Pamela. "Don't be ridiculous-"

He walked out.

"That went well," said Merlin.


Gold took Belle's hand as he rolled over to face her. The house was quite for a honeymoon and Gold thought too quiet for two parents.

"You want to call her, don't you?," asked Belle.

"I said no such thing and I don't know if you realized, but I was very content to be here with you."

Belle smirked. "I had noticed."

"Did you want to call her?"

"Rumple!"

"It's hard to be away from her."

"I know," said Belle. She adjusted herself to be closer to Gold. "She's going to go off into the world at some point."

"Why should she?"

"Because she's a young lady and if she wants to explore the world that's what you as her loving papa is going to help her do. I think she might be a little capable than even I've given her credit for."

He nodded, taking on the new information. He knew it. Beatrice was Belle. She was capable of nearly anything. Some things he hadn't dreamed of. Still, letting go of his children had never helped him in the past."

"I'm just going to check my phone."

"Rumple..."

Objections aside, he fished for his phones in the pile of clothes on the floor. Turning it on, it buzzed with some voice mails.

"She did call," he said to Belle.

"Was that an accusation?"

He listened and handed the phone to Belle. She replayed the message.

"Milah not dead?," asked Belle. "What does that mean?"

"I expect we'll find out and I expect our illustrious mayor is behind it."


Poltergeist Milah raged downstairs. Beatrice laid on the left of her bed, Joseph on the right, the dogs in between.

"Ideas?," asked Beatrice.

"I don't know how to work this into your college essays."

"Ideas about what to do?"

"Well, we called everyone, all that's left is to wait for your parents to get bored of their honeymoon."

Beatrice nodded. "Yeah, we're going to die here."

"Oh, I found out what the shredded paper was in my room at the inn."

"Yeah, because that's what I was worried about on my deathbed."

"It was a book. A library book."

"Okay, so if we don't die here, my mom will kill you."

"Beauty and the Beast."

"So dead."

"Apparently in this version, the Beast and Belle can't be bothered to rule their own kingdom because they're too busy enjoying their honeymoon."

Beatrice was silent, letting the sound of Martha's tail wagging against the bedspread be the only noise in the room.

"Well, in retrospect, I wish you had mentioned this before this evening began."

"Yeah, to be fair there was no mention of the teenager that got left home alone."

"That's because she was killed by the ghost of Beast's first wife."

Joseph nodded. "Probably."

"Your Highness!"

Beatrice jumped up as Joseph followed her to the window. Robin, Marian and Roland were standing in the garden.

"Oh, thank God, someone," said Beatrice.

"Hi, Beatrice!," Roland called out and then returned to his ice cream cone.

"We were walking back to our camp when we saw..." Robin hesitated as he motioned at the windows. "Whatever that is."

"We're thinking poltergeist," said Beatrice.

"Are you alright?," asked Marian.

"Yeah, fine," said Beatrice. "Could you guys possibly go find Merlin and tell him the music box didn't work?"

"I have ice cream!," said Roland.

"That's good," said Joseph.

"Why haven't you conjured something to help you down?," asked Marian.

"Yeah, there's a network error on that," said Beatrice.

"What?"

"Just go get Merlin! Please!"

Robin nodded. "I'll get you down. Does your father keep a ladder or a rope in the garage?"

"He's a sorcerer!," Joseph shot back.

"Please don't shout at Robin Hood when he's trying to help us."

"Where are your parents?," asked Marian.

"Honeymoon!"

"Oh..."

Beatrice turned to Joseph. "Is there someone in the Enchanted Forest who doesn't know about my parents?"

"I highly doubt it."


Gold waited. Pamela was a mess next to him, the usually careful nanny waiting for her employer to explode. He stared at the tiles of the waiting room, cursing the Land Without Magic, cursing himself for bringing her here. Back home, he would have waved his hand and Beatrice would have been back to them. He would have made her a playground of marshmallow fluff or something.

His thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of black heels. He didn't need to look up to know whose they were.

He looked up. "Madame Mayor."

"Mr. Gold. I heard what happened at the park and I wanted to come over here and see if there was anything I could do."

Gold pondered whether this was an appropriate time to use one of his pleases. She must have noticed Beatrice. This whole thing was more of an exploratory operation than anything else. Did she know he was awake? Mr. Gold probably would have shouted at his nanny by now.

"No, Madame Mayor, I don't think there's any need for you here."

"Mrs. Gold," Pamela gasped.

They turned as Belle stalked in. She seemed to have caught the attention of the other people in the waiting room.

"Well, this is quite a day," said Regina.

Belle ignored Regina. She focused on Gold. "Where is she?"

"They said they had to do an MRI."

"Poor thing."

Belle turned to Regina. She didn't take her gaze from the woman.

"Pamela, would you mind getting us some coffee? None for Mayor Mills. I'm sure she won't be staying."

"Yes, of course."

Pamela quickly hurried off.

"I didn't think you were leaving the house these days, dear," said Regina.

"My daughter is in the hospital and it's really none of your business."

"Your stepfather simply expressed his concern to me, that's all." Regina checked Gold. "No one has seen you lately."

"I am fine as you can see. Now excuse us."

"It just strikes me that little Beatrice may not be getting the care and attention she needs," said Regina. "Perhaps a social worker could help you-"

Belle turned back to Regina.

Gold took her by the arm in fear that some of the wild Isabelle hadn't left and would claw at Regina's throat any moment.

Or that might have been Belle.

"Are you threatening us, dearie?," asked Gold.

"I'm just trying to help."

"Your efforts, while commendable, are wasted, I'm afraid. Perhaps you ought to find someone else in Storybrooke to make your project."

"I seem to have struck a nerve," said Regina.

"Yes," Belle answered back.

Doctor Whale appeared, looking bewildered at the scene before him.

"Mr. and Mrs. Gold?"

Regina stalked off.

"How is she?"

"No fracture, no internal bleeds, just one very unhappy little girl with a big bump on her head and some stitches."

Belle broke out into a grin with tears of happiness.

"Excellent. Thank you, Doctor Whale."

"Can we see her?," asked Belle.

"Of course."

Belle barely waited for permission as she dashed into the hospital room. She stopped as soon as she saw whole was holding her.

Gold saw it.

"Miss Blanchard," said Gold.

Mary Margaret turned. "Isabelle! I didn't think you left-" She shook her head. "Never mind. Of course you did."

"Uh, Mary Margaret," said Belle, "what are you doing here?"

"Oh. I volunteer at the hospital. I guess you didn't know that since you're usually busy with much more interesting things. I was just helping hold her while Doctor Whale did her stitches."

"Oh, poor baby," Belle cooed.

"Yeah, look, pretty girl, it's Mommy," Mary Margaret joined in cooing as she handed her to Belle. "Doctor Whale gave her a little something for the pain while he did the stitches so she is feeling pretty good right now."

Gold reached over to examine the stitches.

"Thank you for taking care of her, Mary Margaret."

She smiled. "It was my pleasure. I love babies and she was so sweet."

Belle nodded.

"Thank you, Miss Blanchard."

"You're welcome, Mr. Gold. I'll see you on Tuesday."

Gold frowned. "Why?'

"Rent day?," the woman asked timidly.

"Yes, of course, dearie."

Belle continued to rock Beatrice.

"You were right," said Gold.

She looked up at him.

"I have been too cold for too long. It has to stop. For her sake."

Belle leaned up and kissed him. "I'm glad."


"You're not going to respond to his ultimatum, are you?," asked Merlin as they walked down the street.

Pamela shook her head. "Richard is all bluster. He won't hold to it."

"Does he really expect you to pop off and have babies or something?"

She shot him a glare. "And why not? I need to have my own life sometime."

Merlin shook his head. "That's not what people like us do."

"People like us?"

"You and I, we're kingmakers. Though we occasionally touch glory in our own right, we exist to propel others to greatness."

They finally arrived at the Gold house just in time to see Mulan, Aurora and Ariel rushing into the backyard.

"What is this?," Pamela mused.

"No idea..."

Beatrice looked down.

"We have the rope!," said Mulan.

"How am I supposed to get a Dalmatian down a rope?," asked Beatrice.

Pamela strode in. "What are you all doing out here? It's past Beatrice's bedtime."

"Oh, Pamela, umbrella!" Beatrice looked down. "Oh, Merlin, anything!"

"What's going on?," asked Merlin.

"Milah not dead, possible poltergeist..." said Joseph.

"Did you try the music box?"

"Of course I tried the music box!," hissed Beatrice.

Merlin shook his head at the flashing lights from the windows. "I knew I hated that woman."

"Well, do something," said Beatrice.

Lights shone on the house as the Cadillac pulled into the driveway.

"Oh, now you all show up..."

"Beatrice, are you alright?!," Belle called.

"I'm fine!"

Gold looked from the house to Belle. "This is what comes of leaving."

"Also, magic, not working," said Joseph.

"What?," asked Gold.

"Okay, forget the music box," said Merlin.

"Yeah, I pretty much had."

"Pamela, I am going to need use of your umbrella," said Merlin.


Pamela stepped in the doorway and opened her umbrella as Merlin got the door. He followed behind her as the umbrella pushed against the magic flying in the house.

"If Beatrice's magic doesn't work, why should yours?"

"Because Beatrice has not yet learned to tap in to the powers on my side of the family."

Merlin closed his eyes and pulled back his hands back. The colors of the vortex swirled and closed, falling into the music box as it snapped shut.

"The coast is clear!," Merlin called.

Beatrice and Joseph carefully descended the stairs. Belle and Gold rushed in the house, quick to hug their daughter.

Merlin turned to Beatrice. "Try your magic."

She held out her hand and formed an ice ball, then made it vanish.

"What was that?," asked Pamela.

Merlin knelt down and picked up the box. "Someone just tore between worlds. Not too big a hole, but powerful they didn't care what they took along the way. Was Milah the only unusual thing?"

"The Jolly Roger," said Joseph.

"I bet if you go around town you might spot some things that don't belong," said Merlin.

"What does that mean?," asked Belle.

"It means someone wanted to get here," said Gold.

"And the magical outage?," asked Beatrice.

"It's been known to happen with this particular realm. They have been known to pluck souls from death. Death can just be another realm."

"And what realm would that be?"

Merlin turned to Gold. "Those who rule call it the Dark Forest.I myself have only been once."

"Well, I've never heard of it," said Gold.

"That's because this realm is kept locked from all. It's impossible to get in and nearly impossible to leave."

"What do they want with this world?," asked Pamela.

"I'll let you know."