Author's Notes: I do not own Once Upon A Time which is a show on ABC where Belle held a baby and it was adorable! Also, it probably heavily influenced this chapter. I also do not own "Baby Mine" or A Study in Scarlet. Thanks again for the reads and reviews! 501! Woo! Also, I also published the first part of this story's companion piece, Tales of the Far North Kingdom just in case you missed it. I will get back to you all soon. Please let me know what you think. Happy reading!
Then
The weeks since Beatrice's birth had been a time of upheaval for Rumplestiltskin. The castle was no longer quiet, its new princess' cries echoed in the halls. He had a curse to prepare which seemed incongruous with the new life upstairs.
He ventured up to the nursery. The midwife had just arrived for a visit and he wanted to make certain everything was alright. Belle had been strong through her delivery, but he wanted to be certain he hadn't missed anything.
"Baby mine, don't you cry. Baby mine, dry your eyes..."
Rumplestiltskin entered the nursery. It was a well-appointed room, full of opulent fabrics and toys. Nothing quite interested the Dark One as the beauty in the center of the room as she held her newborn, swaying to a song meant only for them.
"Rest your head close to my heart, never to part, baby of mine..."
She glanced up at him, eyes shining and smiled, then stared back at the baby.
"You shouldn't be up," said Rumplestiltskin.
"I'm fine." Belle turned to her midwife. "Tell him I'm fine."
Leigh smiled. "Belle is fine. Besides, I've known mothers that give birth and have to go work the fields the next day."
"Then why have you graced us with your presence?"
"I believe our arrangement was to ensure the little one's good health," said Leigh, glancing again at her charge. "I was just doing that. She's quite lively and she's got a good mother. You know where I am if you need me before you get a nanny."
"A nanny?," asked Belle. She turned to Rumple.
"Merlin mentioned someone," said Leigh.
"I'll be sure to mention it to Merlin," Rumple muttered.
Leigh left.
Belle looked to Rumple.
"I was going to put her down for a little while, but if you wanted to hold her..."
"No, I have work to do," said Rumple. "Carry on with your plans."
Now
"And what can we tell about Gatsby?"
Beatrice thought she was going to scream. She couldn't listen to one more conversation about The Great Gatsby. She was going to go home, figure out how to hold a séance and tell F. Scott Fitzgerald what a crappy novel he had written. She didn't care if it was shorter than the other choices and that's why the rest of the class had picked it. Give her War & Peace, give her anything but this stupid book.
"Miss Gold, is there a problem?," asked Mrs. Edwards. "Are we boring you?"
Beatrice searched her memory for why Mrs. Edwards had a problem with her. Had her dad turned her husband into something? No, wait, family friend of Cinderella's.
"I can't talk about this book anymore," said Beatrice. "I just can't, okay?"
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, that's so. I'm so tired of it. I'm sick of the random third person narrator. I'm sick of Daisy. I'm sick of Gatsby being stupid. And how am I supposed to write an essay about religion in The Great Gatsby? There isn't any! You might as well have me write an essay about technology in The Canterbury Tales!"
Someone cleared her throat. Beatrice looked up to see Belle standing in the doorway.
"Mrs. Gold," said Mrs. Edwards. "Can I help you?"
"I'm taking Beatrice out for the rest of the day. She has a very important appointment."
Beatrice was slightly mortified by her mom being there, but if it got her out of another discussion of what Daisy represented, her mom could start calling her pet names and pinching her cheeks.
"I'll still expect that essay on time, Miss Gold."
Beatrice could write that essay now. "There is no religion in The Great Gatsby. They're all jerks. The end."
"I see I came at about the right time," said Belle, wrapping her arm around Beatrice's shoulder.
"Yeah, thanks. What appointment?"
"Mary Margaret's first meeting as mayor?"
"What? Why am I going?"
Belle narrowed her eyes. "Do you remember when we were at her apartment?"
Beatrice vaguely recalled an incident a few days before. She, her mom and Pamela had been in the Nolans apartment. Pamela had been attempting to give some pointers on dealing with the new prince, but was hindered by Mary Margaret refusing to let go of him. Also, Regina had just given up her post as mayor.
"I mean, I don't even know what I'm supposed to do! Who am I supposed to invite?"
"Well, you can't have Regina's lackeys back," said Belle.
"You could always have the Quorum of Twelve..." Beatrice had mused, looking at her phone.
"What?," asked Mary Margaret.
"Oh, the Twelve Colonies when they were destroyed, there was a representative from each in the Quorum of Twelve," said Beatrice.
Belle spoke now. "Mary Margaret really liked the idea."
"That wasn't an idea, that was a Battlestar Galactica reference!," Beatrice protested.
Belle frowned. "It wasn't the thirteen colonies?"
"No, it was the Twelve Colonies! Of Kobol!"
"Well, let's just not mention that to her, she's frazzled enough as it is."
"It is scary that she was my fourth grade teacher," said Beatrice. "Wait, why am I coming?"
"Mary Margaret's idea was to invite representatives from each kingdom in the Enchanted Forest and you are..."
"Heiress to the Far North Kingdom," Beatrice sighed.
"Oh, and you're also representing Edelweiss because your father made it clear he wanted nothing to do with it and appointed you."
"What? Come on!"
They finally reached outside. "In the car," said Belle.
"Couldn't stick Neal with something..."
Then
"Rumplestiltskin?"
He looked up from his wheel to see Catherine. She had just walked in.
"I was just off to bed. Belle is sleeping. I just thought I'd let you know."
"Yes. Thank you."
Catherine walked closer. "Is something troubling you? Forgive me for saying, you don't look like a man with a new baby."
"Don't I?"
"No. In my experience, you men prefer to strut around like peacocks as if you did the hard work."
Rumplestiltskin narrowed his eyes. "Your husband must have been a peculiar man."
"Very."
Rumplestiltskin motioned for Catherine to sit near him, conjuring a chair near his wheel. She sat.
"So, what troubles you?"
"Beatrice's magic."
"The Dark One is bothered by a little baby's magic?"
"The ice."
"Ah."
"Ice is beyond me. I can destroy it, but I have no idea how it works."
"It's like all magic, governed by emotion."
"Light or dark?"
"Ice doesn't work like that. It's elemental, neither light nor dark. Good or bad rests entirely in the heart of the practitioner."
"And in your family, the hearts of those practitioners?"
"My sister practiced dark magic and I would hazard that her heart was darker than most, but she had no ice. Of the Ice Princesses, there have been no dark hearts and I don't think Beatrice will be the first."
"My curse. The nature of it is that it corrupts everything."
Catherine sighed. "There ie one thing. Do you know a land called Arendelle?"
He grimaced. "I've heard of the place."
"They are distant relations and occasionally one of them possesses the ability to control ice. Well, control might be overstating it. She calls herself the Snow Queen."
"I've heard of them."
"And the Snow Queen?"
"If you want to see what happens when ice corrupts, look no further than her."
Now
Beatrice followed Belle into City Hall. Mary Margaret waited by the entrance to Regina's office with papers.
"Belle, Beatrice, you made it," said Mary Margaret. "I hope you didn't have to leave anything too important."
"Great Gatsby? Wealth corrupts. I've got it."
"What?," asked David.
"Your grandmother is already here," said Mary Margaret.
"Great." Belle motioned at the baby. "You know, I could have Pamela watch him during the meeting. I'm sure she'd love a change of pace from administering SAT practice exams."
"No, I'm fine," said Mary Margaret.
They went in and found Catherine on one of the sofas. The women exchanged greetings and sat.
"Your mother thought I could shepherd you through the first few meetings," said Catherine. She motioned around the room. "Clearly, you know Robin Hood."
"Yeah, not sure if he's mad at me..."
"Grumpy is representing the dwarves. I believe you know Ashley's father-in-law, Mitchell Herman."
"This place just gets better and better..."
Mr, Connolly, King of Dunbroch. Mr. Primm. You know Eric. Mr. Aziz, Sultan of Agrabah.
"Why's Granny here?"
Catherine and Belle looked at each other in confusion.
"I have no idea," Catherine finally conceded.
"Who's scowling next to her?"
"Oh, that's Mrs. Jin."
"Mulan's mother," Belle supplied.
"What did I do? Did I force her daughter to make out in the restroom at Mushu's? No."
"So interesting what you young people get up to."
"Just to clarify, I wasn't the one making out in the bathroom."
Mary Margaret brought the meeting to order.
"Okay, let's start with the agenda from Item One-"
"What about the ghost of Gold's dead wife coming back?," asked Leroy.
"Well, that's item five-" said Mary Margaret. "Now, the school bus stop situation-"
"I vote we skip items one through four," said Leroy.
"Honestly, Leroy," said Belle, "I've been waiting to talk about the bus stop situation for years."
"Fine," the dwarf relented.
"We have one bus stop on Main Street," said Belle. "It's a ridiculous system. You have to walk your child to a bus stop that is nowhere near anyone's house! In Maine? We really expect Kindergarteners to stand in the dark and snow blocks from home all winter?"
The assembled group murmured in agreement.
"Belle makes a very good point and that's why I've asked her to head the committee on school bus routes," said Mary Margaret. "Item two-"
"Can we go to Item Five?," asked Leroy.
"We have to discuss the recycling plant first,' said Mary Margaret. "Then there's the Spring Equinox Festival to plan."
"What about Gold's dead wife?"
Beatrice groaned. "Really, Leroy?"
"Fine, I can be flexible," said Mary Margaret. "Beatrice, maybe you could answer any questions."
Beatrice gave Belle a glance and sighed. "Milah came back from the dead. Merlin put her in a box, but he thinks it was part of someone trying to break through from another realm and brought random pieces with them. There's already some random woman in the hospital-"
"Who is she?," asked Mrs. Jin.
"Did I not just say random? Don't worry. Joseph's on it."
"Your boyfriend," Mitchell pointed out.
"Um, my boyfriend, the greatest detective in literature, yeah," said Beatrice. "Okay, so he'll have that figured out at some point."
"And we're sure Gold doesn't know anything?," asked Mitchell.
Some rabble joined him.
Beatrice rolled her eyes. "Okay, why don't you just run down to the pawn shop and ask him?"
"She has a bit of a point," said Catherine.
Then
"Well, it's a bit chilly, don't you think?"
The Snow Queen turned to face Rumplestiltskin.
"You're sitting in my chair."
"Am I? Forgive me." He jumped up and gave a courtly bow. "The Dark One."
"And what do you want?"
"I'm having a bit of difficulty with some rather pernicious ogres..." Rumplestiltskin rubbed his fingers together. "I thought a bit of icing might take care of them."
"What do I care for ogres?"
"I could make it worth your while, dearie."
"You don't have anything I want."
"Well, use your imagination, dearie, I bet I could find something."
"Nothing you could give me."
"Try again, dearie."
The Snow Queen raised her hands and lobbed bolts of ice at Rumplestiltskin. One landed straight at his abdomen.
"Oh, look at that. I've been impaled."
He pulled the icicle from himself and examined the object.
The Snow Queen stared at him in frustration.
"I think I have what I need, dearie."
Rumplestiltskin vanished in a puff of garnet smoke.
Now
"What are we doing?," asked Lestrade.
"Stopping for ice cream," said Joseph.
"Pardon?," asked Lestrade.
Lestrade followed Joseph into the shop.
"You've never held a prisoner before, have you?"
"No. Why? Is there something you wanted me to improve upon?"
They stood at the case as Sara walked over to them.
"You're back, Mr. Gillette," she said. "And you brought a friend."
"I did. How are things?"
"Things?," asked Sara.
"Things. You know, whatever it is that people talk about."
"I wouldn't know."
"Neither would I. I would like a carton of the Salted Caramel to go, please and whatever Lestrade would like."
"I don't know what it is."
"Make a guess."
Sara began scooping. "Sharing this with your girlfriend?"
"Doubtful." He glanced at Lestrade. "Pick one."
"What's the red one?"
"It's something I'm trying," said Sara. "Red Velvet Cupcake."
Lestrade shook his head. "Red velvet?"
"It's a faint hint of chocolate with overwhelming artificial coloring. Beatrice loves it." Joseph looked up at Sara. "He'll have one of those."
Sara handed off the cone and the carton. Joseph paid.
"It's cold," said Lestrade
"Yes, it's cold. Odd, don't you think?"
"This whole thing is odd. Why is this so sweet?"
"Putting the desserts aside for a moment, that place is cold, but there's no running machinery in there."
"So what? It's magic."
"Ah."
"Ah, what?"
"You come from somewhere that has to do with magic. I'm guessing the ginger in the hospital has something to do with magic."
Lestrade held out the ice cream. "It's good this."
"So, a woman of magic and influence."
"What makes you think she has influence?"
"Well, you refuse to speak about your mission and the way you just tried to question my reasoning."
"Ice magic is tricky. It's one of the elemental magics, that's what makes it so dangerous."
"Can anyone do it?"
"No, you've got to be born to it."
"Is that so?"
"Always that way with elemental magics. I thought you were supposed to be clever."
"I am."
"Don't you know anything about magic then?"
"I'm new."
"There's magic that comes from within- dark or light - and then there's elemental magic. Magic that's drawn from the world. The air, the earth, the water-"
"Ice."
"For an example, yeah."
"Beatrice didn't seem to know her."
"Does Beatrice know everyone?"
"Yeah, usually and I would think she would know the only other ice magician in town-"
"Sorry. Who is Beatrice? She's an ice witch?"
"My... girlfriend. She has many talents."
"Word of advice, you can't trust an ice witch."
Joseph's phone rang.
"Ah. One moment." He picked it up as Lestrade stared at him in confusion. "John."
"Were you ever going to ring me back?!"
"Sorry?"
"You said you would call me. It's been days. You haven't."
"Call you about what?"
"Your never-ending fountain of weird texts! Beauty and the Beast? Merlin? A waltz?"
"Oh, right, that was for a thing."
"Well?!"
"What?"
"Are you going to explain what that was?!"
"It was a thing."
John let out a breath. "Joseph, seriously, now, have you been using?"
"No. Well, there was this one incident with... well, given the circumstances. I'm not quite sure what that was. I would assume magic-based absinthe." He looked at Lestrade. "Is that a thing?"
Lestrade nodded as he licked his cone.
"That is not a thing! Joseph, if you had a relapse, you ought to come home and see the doctor-"
Joseph grunted. "I do not need to go back to rehab. It was a waste of my time the first time."
"And the other two? Waste of your time then?"
"I am doing fine. I will have you know I have a case."
"Oh, so you've finally sorted Adil Rahim flying out the window?"
"Yes, I have solved that case in its entirety. I had another case and I sorted that. Now I have a different case and possibly another one I just happened upon."
"So what? You're just going to go on solving crimes in- where the hell are you even?"
"Storybrooke, Maine."
"Where the hell is that?"
"John, I have to get back to you. I need to do some lab tests on my ice cream before it melts."
"What? Joseph, don't you hang up on me-"
Then
"You know, sunshine, I think you're overreacting."
Rumplestiltskin didn't bother looking up as he bored holes into his work table where the icicle sat.
"And of course, wasting your time," Merlin added. "After all, we're going to a Land Without Magic, I thought."
He was silent.
"Unless, of course, you propose to bring magic."
Rumplestiltskin finally looked up at him.
"Well, this plan gets more and more elaborate with each passing day. I don't mind. I appreciate attention to detail, I would just like someone to clue me in."
"I needn't share my plans with you, dearie."
"Except our interests have finally aligned," Merlin pointed out. "I don't know what you're worried about, though, I do have a suggetion. A nanny."
Rumplestiltskin snorted. "A nanny?"
"A very specific sort of nanny. When you hear an east wind she'll have arrived."
Now
Belle hung up her phone and turned to Gold and Neal.
"The Foleys cancelled on me."
"Did they give a reason?," asked Gold.
"Lila just said something came up," said Belle.
"Maybe you scared them off," said Neal.
"I did not scare them off."
"Come on. This whole 'My kid is your kid's True Love, let's have dinner' thing... It's kind of a lot."
Belle turned to her husband. "Rumple."
"Sorry, son. I agree with Belle. There's no sense wasting our time and besides that, the Foleys don't come barging in my shop for every little problem and their rent is always on time."
Then
Belle shook her head. She held Beatrice closer to her even as the woman put on a friendly smile. She had appeared almost out of nowhere in a prim black outfit with only a bag and umbrella.
Mary Poppins.
"Rumple, I don't need a nanny," she insisted. "I want to take care of Beatrice myself."
"I wouldn't dream of it," she said. "I think that it's critically important for parents to be involved."
"I'm sorry. I'm sure you're very good at what you do, but I don't need a nanny."
"Well, you have one," said Rumple with growing irritation.
Belle walked over to Mary Poppins. "What deal did he strike with you?"
"A deal?" She frowned. "Do you mean the terms of my compensation?"
"Yes. What are you getting?"
"Gold."
"That's it? Just gold?"
"Just?"
"Belle-" Rumple started.
"Tell me what your bargain was," said Belle.
"It's certainly not whatever you're thinking of."
Now
"What's this?," asked Lestrade, staring up at the pink house.
"The Ice Witch's house."
"I was just telling you what I know."
The door opened. Beatrice smiled and then turned her gaze to Lestrade. "Hi."
"Beatrice, Lestrade. Lestrade, Beatrice."
"Lestrade? Really?"
Lestrade frowned. "Yeah, really."
"Okay. What's he doing here?"
"Sort of my prisoner."
Beatrice let Joseph and Lestrade into the house.
"Shouldn't you maybe like keep him somewhere?"
"Well, if I kept him somewhere I couldn't learn anything from that and besides, no one ever actually seems to stay imprisoned here."
Belle entered.
"Joseph!" Before he realized what was happening, he was getting a hug. She turned to Lestrade. "And who is this?"
"This is Lestrade."
"Really?"
Gold and Neal entered.
"Joseph is here and he brought a friend," said Belle. "This is Lestrade."
"Really?," asked Gold.
"I don't get it," said Neal.
"Seriously, Neal, read," said Beatrice.
"Lestrade, why don't you follow Beatrice's parents wherever they're going to take you? Beatrice, I think you probably have a book you want to show me."
Beatrice entered the library. She knew what shelf she wanted.
"Sherlock Holmes, right here."
Joseph eyed the shelves. "Why are they here? I thought your mother did everything by call numbers."
"I don't know, Sherlock Holmes shelf." Beatrice picked up 'A Study in Scarlet.' "I thought you read this one."
"A psychiatrist once suggested it so I could see how dissimilar I was and free myself of the illusion that I was Sherlock Holmes."
"How did that go?"
"I am in Maine in a town full of storybook characters."
Beatrice finished thumbing through the book. "Gregson is the smartest of the Scotland Yarders, my friend remarked he and Lestrade are the pick of a bad lot. They are both quick and energetic, but conventional, shockingly so. They have their knives into one another, too. They are as jealous as a pair of professional beauties. There will be some fun over this case if they are both put upon the scent."
"I just found the one." His gaze went to another item on a shelf. A photograph in a silver frame. Beatrice looked to be six or seven, she was trick or treating in a gold Belle costume. He held it up for her. "Really?"
"I was Belle- well, Disney Belle- every Halloween for about seven years," said Beatrice. "Then I was a Dalek."
"You don't remember her?," Joseph asked, pointing at a blonde.
Beatrice shook her head. "No. She's just some random stranger."
Belle poked her head in. "Come on, you two. Dinner is done."
Beatrice left.
"Belle, do you know this woman?" Joseph handed her the frame.
Belle looked.
It was her.
The Snow Queen.
"No."
"Belle, why are you lying to me?"
Belle realized she was shaking.
Joseph nodded. "Alright, if you can't tell me the truth, you ought to know that she has an ice cream shop."
"Here in Storybrooke?"
"And Beatrice doesn't seem to know her."
"Belle?," Gold called.
"Coming!"
"My lady?"
Belle stopped and turned. Mary Poppins was as usual a few feet behind her.
"Are you going somewhere?"
"If you must know, I am going to take a turn in the garden for some air."
"Shall I accompany you?"
"No, I am perfectly fine."
She turned away, but the woman spoke again.
"It's a bit chilly."
"It's autumn. Soon we won't be physically able to leave the castle. I just want her to get some fresh air."
"She does seem to be bundled up."
Belle grew hot under the woman's examination. She may have only been a mother for a short time but she wasn't an imbecile. "I am her mother. I don't need your permission."
"I never said you did."
Belle walked out into the garden. Autumn had definitely come, the trees were picked clean and their contents were stored in the cellar.
"See, Beatrice, we don't need a nanny..." she cooed. "We're just fine out here, getting some fresh air, looking at all the pretty things. You can see the village down there. We'll go when you're older."
"Such a pretty baby."
Belle spun around to face a blonde in a long white dress.
"Yes," said Belle. She held Beatrice closer to her. Rumple had said he was going out, but he hadn't mentioned anyone coming to the Dark Castle. "How did you get past the gate?"
She was already backing away.
"May I hold her?"
"You just showed up here. I'm not going to let you hold my baby."
The woman tilted her head. "Belle, do you even know what you're holding?"
"How do you know my name? Who are you?"
The woman held out her hands. Swirls of magic came out and Belle's arms began to tingle, like they were coming from Beatrice. The infant began to scream and Belle stumbled, just able to keep from dropping her.
"What? What have you done?" She was out of breath both from the reverberations of magic and the pressure of the suddenly cold air.
"That's her. The power within her."
Belle gasped for breath. She thought she might come apart.
Suddenly an umbrella appeared before her eyes. As it came into focus Mary Poppins wielded it at the woman. Belle suddenly felt put back together and Beatrice's screams calmed to sobs.
Now
"It's just a shame that your family couldn't make it, Joseph."
"What?" He looked up at Belle. She was doing her best trying to act normally, but he knew he had shaken her. "Oh yes. You meant the Foleys."
"That's right," said Gold, perhaps not so subtly. "You have the family that raised you. You haven't told us much of them."
"You have a brother, don't you?," asked Belle.
"Yes. John. And a sister, Harriet. Our parents died in a car accident and we stayed with my aunt and her husband..."
"I'm so sorry to hear about your parents," said Belle.
Joseph's phone began buzzing.
"It's doing that again," said Lestrade.
"Well, ignore it," said Joseph.
"You know, I sort of lived in London for a while," said Neal.
The phone stopped buzzing, then quickly resumed.
"Maybe you should take that," said Beatrice.
Joseph got up from the table and walked into the living room.
"Aunt."
"Do you have any idea how long I've been trying to call you?!"
"Presumably since John spoke with you."
"You had a relapse and what the hell does magic-based absinthe actually mean?"
"Mostly what it sounds like."
He heard his uncle groaning. "Nellie, it's quarter past one. I have work in the morning."
"It's not my fault he didn't pick up! Now, seriously, what is going on?"
"I am fine. I am, in fact, gainfully employed."
"You're what?!"
"And I was in fact having dinner with a girl and her family."
"Alright, Joseph, that was one lle too many. You expect me to believe there's actually a girl whose family would invite you to dinner?"
"You'd have to know her father."
The doorbell rang. Joseph walked over, wondering who would possibly wish to bother the Golds at this hour. He held Martha back by her collar as he opened the door.
Where he saw approximately half the town.
"Is Beatrice home?," asked Leroy.
"Sorry, Aunt. Must go. Peasant revolt."
"What?"
He hung up the phone.
"Might I inquire as to what you wish to discuss?," asked Joseph.
"Uh, the giant ice wall she put up around the town."
Gold was already behind him. "Who is it?"
"Peasant rabble," said Joseph, stepping aside from the door.
"What's this?," asked Gold.
"Well..." Archie began.
"Yeah, didn't think this through, did you?," asked Joseph.
"You have exactly one minute to tell me what you're all doing here," said Gold.
"Or what?," asked Leroy.
"Fifty-five seconds."
"Come on, Gold! You can't turn us all into snails!"
"I can't?"
"Make Beatrice take down the ice wall!," said Granny.
Some of the crowd cheered in agreement.
Belle, Beatrice and Neal joined them.
"What's going on?"
"Rumple, who is it?"
"The town. They have thirty seconds to get off my lawn."
The others caught sight of the large crowd.
"We had a minute!," Leroy complained.
"You had a minute thirty seconds, ago, dearie."
Archie tried again. "Beatrice, could you just take down the ice wall?"
"What ice wall?," asked Beatrice.
"Come on. You're the only one with ice powers."
"Yeah, but I didn't put up an ice wall."
"Nobody's mad, Beatrice-" said Archie.
"Speak for yourself!," someone shouted from the back.
"Hey, back off!"
They looked down the steps to see Emma and David making their way through the crowd.
"Okay, everyone, go back to your homes!," said David. "The situation is under control!"
"I don't need your help," said Gold.
"Nobody wants any trouble."
"And yet they're here."
"Everybody go home now!," shouted Emma.
Emma and David followed the others inside.
"But, seriously, what is with the ice wall?"
Beatrice turned to Emma. "What ice wall?! I didn't put up an ice wall!"
"It surrounds the whole town," said David. "People are upset."
"Why? Because they can't leave? They couldn't leave anyway?"
"Well, come with us," said Emma. "Maybe you can take this thing down."
"I'm eating dinner."
"Beatrice, the whole town is in a panic and we need your help," David pled.
Beatrice turned to her father. "Oh, my God, you're right. This is really irritating."
Gold nodded.
Lestrade entered. "What did I miss?"
"Who are you?," asked Emma.
"He's my prisoner," said Joseph.
"Your what?!," David exclaimed.
"I found him in the course of my investigation."
Emma looked at Joseph. "If he's a prisoner, why isn't he in a cell?"
"Because as I understand it no one ever actually stays in one so why bother?"
"I hired you, you work for me."
"I don't think so."
"No, Joseph, that's actually what it means."
Lestrade motioned at Emma. "Who's she?"
"The sheriff."
"She doesn't look like a sheriff."
"Who is he?," Emma demanded.
"He's Lestrade."
Emma shook her head. She looked squarely at Joseph, then Beatrice. "Okay, you, come in tomorrow and you get the ice wall down."
"I didn't put up an ice wall!"
"Emma, she was with me all afternoon," said Belle. "I think I would have noticed."
"Oh, and the one around Regina's vault," said David.
The two left.
"What? Now there's one around Regina's vault I'm in charge of?," asked Beatrice.
Then
Belle fussed over Beatrice on the changing table.
"My lady, you can leave this to me," said Mary.
Belle still shook from her experience outside.
"She's right, Belle. Come drink some tea," said Catherine.
"I don't want tea," said Belle. "I want to know what happened. You're the Ice Princess. You ought to know."
"Fine. Describe her then."
Belle picked Beatrice up and shrugged. Mary wordlessly handed her a blanket for the infant.
"Blonde. With a white gown. No shoes."
"And did she have a pendant?"
Belle shook her head.
"Clear," said Mary. "A snowflake."
"Ah," said Catherine. "The Arendelle connection."
"Arendelle?," asked Belle.
"A distant relation, but we are the only two ice families left in the realm. She's called Ingrid, the Snow Queen. A treacherous sort."
"Well, what did she want with Beatrice?"
"I haven't the foggiest."
"I wish I understood something!," said Belle, sitting down in the chair with her daughter. "I still don't know what happened out there!"
Mary spoke. "It's a simple but nasty spell, drawing out the powers of one to use against another."
Belle frowned. "So that was Beatrice's magic?"
"Untapped potential. She has no magic yet. You heard her scream, she knew you were in pain and wanted to resist."
Belle snuggled closer to the baby.
She had resisted. She wanted to protect her. She loved her.
Now
Beatrice stared at the giant ice wall.
"It is impressive," said Pamela, unable to crack it with her umbrella.
"Yeah, see, you got your standard ice wall here," said Lestrade. He knocked on it with his fist. "Solid through."
"Well, I didn't do it," said Beatrice. She looked back at her family and Joseph. "Come on. If I had made an ice wall, I probably would have ordered an Elsa dress off Etsy then run around singing."
"Point taken," said Joseph.
Gold walked over to the wall and drew his dagger. He used it to break off a piece of the ice.
"What are you doing?," asked Belle.
"I'm going to find out who did this."
Then
Regina grimaced as the ice wall appeared.
"It's you..." she seethed, pulling her hand back. "Well, if you want a fight, I won't play with snowballs."
The Snow Queen materialized before her.
"Is there more than one of you?," she sneered.
"I heard rumors of a Curse. I came to make a deal."
Regina scoffed. "And why would I deal with some two-bit ice witch?"
"Because what I want resides in the Dark Castle. She's called Beatrice."
Now
Belle hurried into the master bedroom behind Gold and shut the door.
"You know who it is, don't you?," asked Belle.
"Sweetheart-"
Belle handed him the framed picture "Joseph pointed this out. He said she runs an ice cream shop. She's here. In Storybrooke."
Gold looked at it. "She's been here the whole time?"
"You told me she wasn't coming to this land, that she would never get near Beatrice again."
Gold shook his head. "I don't understand this at all. Even if she did get through, how is it we never noticed her?"
"Why is she framing Beatrice? What does she want with her?"
"It doesn't matter. Merlin and I will deal with her."
"How?"
"Don't concern yourself."
Belle shook her head. She hated when he said that.
She hated Beatrice getting hurt more.
Belle walked into Beatrice's bedroom. She was already in her pajamas and was getting under the covers.
"Hey," said Belle.
"Hey."
Belle sat on the edge of the bed. "You did really well today. At the meeting."
"Then I had an angry mob come after me."
"Well, I don't know about angry-"
"Mom. They don't like me. They never liked me. I got like a week of defeating the Wicked Witch goodwill, but we're back to normal now and-"
"Stop it," said Belle. She edged closer to curl Beatrice up to her. "Stop."
"Mom, you're not seriously doing this, I'm not six-" she said as Belle shushed her.
"If they knew all about you, they'd end up loving you too, all those same people who scold you, what they'd give for the right to hold you..."
"I'm not a flying elephant."
"From your head down to your toes, you're not much, goodness knows, but you're so precious to me, sweet as can be, baby of mine..."
Now
"I'm sorry, Belle."
Belle held Beatrice closer to her and looked up to glare at Rumplestiltskin again. She was furious. He admitted he had gone to see the Snow Queen and she must have followed him somehow.
"You were frightened of her magic?," Belle asked.
"It's always such a shame when learned sorcerers fear innate magic," Catherine added.
"Grandmother."
"Well, am I wrong, Rumplestiltskin?"
"No," he admitted, looking down.
"What about it was frightening?," demanded Belle.
"The storm when she was born."
Belle shook her head. "So what? It was a storm."
"It was a tempest."
"I've seen you conjure a tempest."
"Yes, conjure, not call upon one."
Belle looked at her grandmother.
Catherine shook her head. "Not uncommon. I had a blizzard. Your mother didn't have anything special, but she always was defiant. You... you had an unseasonably warm and pleasant day in the middle of three weeks of rain. Maurice went hunting."
"Why does this woman want Beatrice?"
Rumplestiltskin shook his head. "I really don't know."
"This new land and this curse," said Belle. "You said Regina could tear apart who she wanted. What if she takes Beatrice from us?"
"I won't let that happen. Before the Curse comes, there will be a chance to make a deal with Regina."
"A deal? Why would she give you anything?"
"Because I have something she needs."
"Milady?"
Belle looked over to see Mary.
"I was thinking it was about time for the young princess to settle in her bed, if you agree, milady."
"I'll come with you," said Belle.
Now
Lestrade took a piece of ice off the wall currently blocking access to Regina's vault with his encrusted dagger. He handed it up to Sherlock and then dusted himself off as he stood.
"So, do you examine it or take it to a lab?"
"You can, but you don't have to. Two different kinds of ice, not made by the same witch. You're clever."
Joseph looked at the other piece. "The one from the wall around town is denser."
"Suggesting?"
"It's colder?"
"Try again."
"The ice witch is left-handed?"
Lestrade scowled. "See, magic is emotion. No two emotions are the same, even when they are, so no magic can be the same even if it's the same technique."
"Modus operandi versus signature..." Joseph nodded.
Lestrade knocked on the ice wall behind him. "This is the work of a young sorceress. Talented but not angry."
Joseph held up the one from around the town. "Talented and angry."
"I would say your girlfriend made this one."
"Meaning someone else made the one around town. Someone no one knew was here, someone like the proprietress of the ice cream shop, but what does she want with Beatrice and why did Beatrice say she didn't remember doing this?"
"Maybe she didn't want to get in trouble."
Joseph shook his head. "Trouble doesn't scare her. Why would she do this to Regina... Operation Mongoose."
"What's that then?"
"I'm not certain, but I intend to find out."
Then
Rumplestiltskin walked into the nursery. Belle was with Beatrice again.
"Baby mine, don't you cry, baby mine, dry your eyes, rest your head close to my heart, never to part, baby of mine..."
She didn't look up when she began talking to Rumplestiltskin.
"You haven't held her since she was born. Is that because you're afraid?"
"Yes."
"Of her power?"
He scoffed. "No."
"It's not a stupid question. You just led a Snow Queen to us because you were afraid of not understanding ice."
"It's Bae."
"Bae?"
"I had almost forgotten what it felt like to hold your child. She made me remember."
Belle shook her head. "But it's the most wonderful feeling in the world."
"And I let it go."
Belle picked up the baby and walked over to Rumple. She put her into his very surprised arms.
He shook his head. "Belle, I can't, I'll-"
"Don't let go," Belle said softly with a smile.
