Author's Notes: I do not own Once Upon A Time which is a show on ABC where I guess I'm not getting jossed on Rumple's mom. Anyway, thanks for your reads and reviews. I'm so sorry I haven't gotten back to anyone, I will try to do better, but this chapter has been a beast. So, please let me know what you think and happy reading!


A Long Time Ago In The Enchanted Forest

The storm seemed to cover the full length of the Enchanted Forest. It took an otherwise calm autumn day and turned the sky black with clouds and lightning leading back to the Dark Castle.

Rumplestiltskin paced the hall. Belle was inside with her grandmother and the midwife. Every so often, some moan of pain emerged from the bedchamber and the Dark One froze uncertain of what to do.

Down the hall, Merlin sat in a brocade chair, lounging as he read a borrowed book of Belle's. In his time he had sat through many labors and was not about to be put off by this one.

Even if it was his own daughter's.

Which was a fact known only to him, but he had seen enough to know these things were best left to those who understood them and that was most assuredly not him.

Belle screamed this time, a shrill thing that came from shock if nothing else, but Rumplestiltskin stopped and turned on his heel towards the door.

"Don't worry, sunshine, she's just progressing."

He didn't answer the elder sorcerer, edging closer to the door.

Merlin sighed. "What is it you think you're going to do if you go in there? That's right. Nothing. Why don't you conjure yourself a chair and explain this story to me? 'Her Handsome Hero.' It's the worst kind of cliche. At least the journey to the Land Without Magic will provide Belle with more challenging reading material."

Rumplestiltskin scoffed. "Of course you can just sit there. You don't really care."

"I care very deeply. Never mistake calm for lack of caring." He looked up from the book. "Have you thought on the fairy godmother issue?"

"Of course I have!," he snapped.

"Because I wouldn't risk bringing the Gold Fairy to the Land Without Magic. You know, especially for that part where you intend to bring magic."

"I would rather not bring any of them," Rumplestiltskin snarled.

"Yet I think if you kill them all it might be noticed." Merlin flipped the pages. "The Gold Fairy will want to give a gift and your daughter will be beholden to any fairy who gives her a gift. So, said fairy must be killed or stripped of her powers."

"It just so happens I have something in mind."

"Do you, sunshine?"

"Belle happens to share a fairy godmother with a certain down on her luck noble's daughter and the family of a certain king."

"Well done, then."

It was then that Merlin sensed a visitor in the garden.


Now

"There she is!"

Beatrice froze, feeling the admiration of her mother. Belle's smile was a mile wide. She walked over and hugged her before she could do anything else.

"I am so proud of you!"

"I haven't done anything yet, Mom."

"But you will. I know you will," Belle said, cupping Beatrice's face.

Her father handed her a cup of coffee and she took her place at the counter.

"Do you want to go over your remarks again?," asked Belle.

"No."

"Do you want me to come with you? I can come with you."

"Do you want me to come with you?," Gold interjected.

Beatrice's eyes widened. "Really no."

"Well, Grandmother and Grandfather will still be there," Belle reassured her.

Gold placed her breakfast in front of her. "Did you enjoy your evening?"

"Sorry?"

"Did you and Joseph have a nice time?"

"Oh. Yeah. We just hung out."

"And were his new friends there?"

"No... we just walked around."

"Did you?"

Belle shot Gold a look and he stopped his questioning.


"Oh, no."

Louise sat down by Jenna. Her twin had been sitting at the top of the landing, looking down at Joseph.

"Yeah," Jenna agreed.

"He's got that look."

"The look that says he's trying to think of something and because we are who we are, that something is going to be ridiculous?. So, I'm thinking we're on our own for the next bit."

"The next bit?"

Jenna looked at Louise. "Home? Still trying to get there, you know."

"It's not like we have a time travel spell."

"No, but you might remember Mom does. Got it when she was fifteen. Grandpa will have it in his shop, no doubt protected by blood magic."

"And you think he'll have made it that easy? We can just walk in there and he won't ask who walked in, use the TARDIS and disappeared?"

"It's not a TARDIS."

Downstairs, John walked in.

"You were like that when I left three hours ago."

"You left?"

"Is this what you do all day?"

"I'm working."

"On what exactly?"

"I need to go to hospital," Joseph said jumping up suddenly.

John shrugged. "Any particular reason?"

Joseph grabbed his coat and walked out without further comment as John trailed behind.

"Should we see what that was about?," asked Louise.

"I don't think so."


Jenna and Louise got ready and soon made their way down Main Street.

"Nothing changes..." said Jenna.

"Not true," Louise argued. "Plenty's changed. My shop's over there now. And we got the tandoori restaurant."

"Oh, God, don't look."

"What?"

"The people who got evicted for your shop..."

The owner of the video store walked out and put up a sign, nodding at them.

"That's not my fault. He hadn't paid his rent in twenty years and video is a dead medium now."

"Whatever you say..."

They walked towards Granny's.

"You know Grandpa would set you up with anything you want."

"I don't want anything."

"Maybe you should help out at the library since you have a degree in that. Free up Grandma."

They entered the diner, glancing around for a table. Louise elbowed Jenna.

Jenna turned to see what her twin wanted to draw her attention to. It was Beatrice sitting alone.

"We should sit with her."

"No," Jenna protested, looking around. "Surely she's eating with someone."

"Well, let's find out."

Louise dragged Jenna to the booth where Beatrice sat. She cleared her throat.

Beatrice looked up.

"Oh. Hey, guys."

"Is anyone sitting here?," asked Louise.

"Well, I am," Beatrice frowned. She motioned at the empty table next to her. "There's an empty table there..."

"No, I mean, could we sit with you?," asked Louise.

"You want to sit with me?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind."

"No, I mean, it'll save me from having Mrs. Schuman try to send half of her kids over."

She motioned at the woman who had crowded her brood into the corner table, occasionally shooting Beatrice death glares. The twins sat.

"Does that happen a lot?," asked Jenna.

"Well, she seems to think that I should be her babysitter and I don't babysit. I am not good with kids."

Louise couldn't hide a smile. "Really?"

"Yeah, I don't hate kids, just don't leave me with one. I have no idea what to do with them. I don't want to kill anyone."

Jenna and Louise stared at her speechless.

"What?," asked Beatrice. "I'm not trying to kill anyone. I'm just not good with kids. Like you can't let them do stuff and people think it's obvious. Then you're supposed to talk to them in some mystery way and people think that's obvious, too."

"Do you want kids...?" Louise asked slowly.

Beatrice stared back at them. "Am I supposed to know the answer to that?"

Her phone buzzed. "Sorry. Excuse me one second."

Beatrice slid out of the booth and walked into the hallway.

"She is nineteen, right? I don't know what we're expecting here," Jenna reasoned.

Louise looked up. "Do you think Grandma and Grandpa are the reason we're not dead?"

"Could be..." Jenna leaned back. "I never realized how lonely she was. Why did she never tell us how lonely she was?"

"She's introverted..."

"Reinette, she couldn't even comprehend that we wanted to sit with her. Look around here. Mrs. Schuman is not the only one giving her side eye. It's basically everyone in here and somehow, for some reason, she still wants to help them." She shook her head. "God, all those years I got annoyed with her for trying to indoctrinate us with Doctor Who and British television, I bet she was just hoping for someone to talk about it with."

"She has friends."

"You shouldn't have to help people out of Netherworlds and give them back their voices to get friends."


Then

Merlin stepped out into the garden. The clouds poured, lightning lit up the sky and he had the feeling that he was not alone.

"You're hiding something."

Merlin turned to see Maleficent.

"You're missing something," he said, motioning at her head.

"Oh, the horns? I like to vary my look."

"What's this one called?"

"Shabby chic," she said, spinning around in her purple velvet cloak.

"And what brings you to the Dark Castle?"

"The same thing that will bring every halfway decent sorcerer in the Enchanted Forest here. The Dark Princess."

"Well," said Merlin, stepping closer, "your interest is noted, but not necessary. The situation is well in hand."

Maleficent scoffed. "You call that tempest well in hand? Face it. The secret's out."

"Yes, look at all these armies and sorcerers storming the Dark Castle..." He motioned at the mountain passes around them. "Oh, wait. That's not happening, is it?"

Maleficent rolled her eyes.

"Might you care to know why?"

"I have the sickening feeling you're going to tell me even when I don't care..."

"Because no one- not even you- would dare to storm this castle and steal away the child of the Dark One. At least no one with anything approaching sense."

Maleficent scoffed. "You apparently underestimate the denizens of this realm."

Merlin waved his hand. "I don't think it's possible to underestimate the people of this realm. Not their fault, really. That's what happens when you have a power meted out by an immortal in a tutu..."

"And yourself."

"Yes, well, I acknowledge my shortcomings."

"And the Author?"

He paused. "I fear the Author and I don't see eye to eye on such matters."

"Then let me help."

He answered with a shake of his head. Around them the storm broke and there was the sound of a newborn wailing.

"If you'll excuse me," he said.

"She's your daughter."

Merlin stopped and turned back around.

Maleficent smiled. "Belle's your daughter. The Dark Princess is your grandchild and I want in."

"I don't know what sort of game you think you're playing at, but I would destroy you as soon as look at you."

"How very interesting. We can discuss it at my castle."

She disappeared and a dragon took her place in the sky. Merlin rolled his eyes.

"Show off..."


Now

"So," Beatrice concluded her remarks, "do we have any questions?"

"How do we know they're not dangerous?," asked Mrs. Jin.

"What? Like we've been locking up people who are dangerous?," asked Beatrice.

That comment earned her a disapproving look from her great-grandmother. Beatrice turned back to the woman and smiled.

"Doctor Hopper will be evaluating the patients on a case by case basis," Beatrice said, motioning at Archie. "We'll help anyone who needs it, which after over thirty years locked up is probably everyone."

Mr. Aziz spoke next. "But we don't know what's in the past of these people."

"You don't know what's in the past of anyone," Beatrice answered intentionally avoiding Mary Margaret's gaze. "Anyone could be holding on to a deep dark secret that none of us have never heard of."

Aziz nodded, seeming to accept this reasoning.

"That's rich..." Mitchell Herman muttered.

"So, sorry, Your Majesty," said Catherine, turning pointedly. "Did you say something?"

Alec looked downward, knowing enough to dread the fight that was to come.

"I didn't say anything, Your Grace."

"Good. See that you don't."

It was then that Cruella's car went barreling past the window, causing everyone to turn.

"Who is that?," asked Mrs. Jin.

"I've never seen that car before," said David.

"Really? I'm sure I have. Anyway, does anyone have any more questions?," Beatrice asked loudly, trying to cover the sound of the car making another pass.

Beatrice answered a couple more questions and they agreed to return to vote in two hours.


John was used to Joseph's mood swings and thus had not questioned it when they got in the car and began driving.

Though he grew wary when they arrived at Storybrooke General Hospital.

"Joseph, what are we doing here?," John demanded as they entered the hospital.

"Didn't I say?"

"No, you didn't."

"Ah, the Dark Princess' love returns at last."

Joseph turned to see Hook with a bandage wrapped around his head.

"Well, well, someone's been hitting the rum a bit too hard, hasn't he?"

"Oh, this scratch? I got in a bit of a tiff."

"Really? You had a disagreement with the deck of your ship? That hardly seems appropriate. You are the captain after all."

John frowned. "Sorry. Who are you?"

"You two didn't meet?"

"Where would we have met?"

"I assumed there would have been a memorial service followed by some sort of reception. Probably at Granny's, but I did hold out hope that there would be a more appropriate venue selected."

"We did have a memorial service and there was a wake at some Chinese restaurant."

"Oh, well, that's something. Did you use the private room?"

"Are you seriously criticizing your funeral arrangements?"

"Hardly. I don't know what they were yet. Now, were there nibbles or did everyone order off the menu?"

"Nibbles. Mulan and Aurora organized it, Mr. Gold footed the bill. Does that meet with your standards?"

Joseph turned to Hook. "And you couldn't be bothered to come? We did travel back in time together."

"Again, who are you?"

"Oh, right. John, this is Captain Hook. He's Beatrice's father's first's wife's boyfriend. He's also very interested in Sheriff Swan, but I don't think that's working since he was passing his time with the bottle rather than her."

John looked Hook up and down, then turned back to Joseph.

"What's with the Jack Sparrow rip off thing?"

"What brings you to the hospital?," asked Hook.

"Tetanus shot. Afternoon."

Joseph walked off. John nodded at Hook and hurried to follow him.

"You're not getting a tetanus shot, are you?"

"No."


Beatrice opened the door of the cabin and burst in.

"When I said stay out of sight, what part were you missing?"

Beatrice didn't get an answer. In fact, she was alone in the room. "Guys?"

"Just a moment, darling!," Cruella called.

Beatrice waited. Cruella and Ursula emerged from the bedroom looking very disheveled.

Beatrice looked at Cruella clad in red silk. "That's totally my dad's robe..."

"I thought it was a bit short. We were just-"

"Oh, my God, you don't think I know what two people who just had sex looks like? Do you not remember who my parents are?"

"The horrors you must have seen growing up," mused Ursula.

"And you have tentacles..." Beatrice observed. "Okay, that's a new one. I'm not going to be asking a lot of questions about that."

Cruella nodded. "Yes, darling, you do have a bit of a fresh-faced innocent thing going on. I suppose that means you haven't done the do with that scrumptious bit of detective you call a boyfriend. Seems a shame, really."

"None of your business. What were you doing in town?"

"Just had to get some air, darling."

"Yeah, no."

"You're not running the show," Ursula said.

"I'm the one with the plan, so, yes, I am, unless you two want to contribute anything?"

"And what is your plan?"

"I'm getting Maleficent back and that is already underway."

"How?," Ursula demanded.

"All in good time," said Beatrice.

Ursula groaned. "Gods, she sounds like him."

Beatrice's phone buzzed. She looked at the screen.

"I have to go."


"What are we doing then?," asked John.

Joseph nodded towards a locked door.

"Joseph, that looks like a med dispense room."

"Excellent deduction, Doctor Watson."

"What are you doing?"

He took out a pin and went to work. The door readily popped open.

"Well, that was a bit of a letdown. Not even a challenge."

He walked in. John attempted to call him back, but just ended up inside.

"Joseph, what the hell are you doing?"

"Well, I need some drugs."

John shook his head. "Damn it, Joseph-"

"Not for me. Honestly, John, if I were going to return to opiates, I would have done it in 1914 when they were passing them out like breathmints. No, this is for Mary Margaret and David. I could work out the dosage myself but seeing as you're here-"

John held up his hand. "Wait a minute. What do they need drugs for?"

"I just need them to be unconscious a few minutes."

"Again, what for?"

"I need their blood. Well, Beatrice needs their blood."

"Why does Beatrice need their blood?"

"Because she needs to resurrect Maleficent."

"Why..."

"Oh, well, apparently Snow White and Prince Charming kidnapped Maleficent's child- who was in an egg at the time- and poured all of Emma's darkness into it. The egg was lost, no idea where the child is and no one knows about it except Beatrice, Cruella de Vil, Ursula, myself and now you."

"Are you sure you're not on drugs?"

"Didn't Beatrice's choice in dinner conversation the other evening seem strange to you?"

"I was having dinner with Rumplestiltskin, Princess Belle and Merlin! It was all strange!"

"Come on, John. You have to help me before someone realizes we're in here."


Then

Back in the Dark Castle, Belle held the infant against her chest. She was exhausted and a mess, but she could safely say this was the happiest she had ever been in her entire life.

"Rumple, look what we did..."

"What you did, sweetheart."

She shook her head but didn't take her eyes off the baby. "No, ours. Our daughter. Our beautiful Beatrice." She kissed her on the forehead. "Welcome back."

Rumplestiltskin edged closer, running his clawed finger along the newborn's scrunched up face. Belle beamed back at him, her forehead coming to rest against his.

"I'm interrupting."

Rumplestiltskin looked up at Merlin. "Yes, dearie, you are."

"Rumple, please," Belle warned. She smiled back at the elder sorcerer. "Did you want to see?"

"I wonder if I might hold her."

Rumplestiltskin snapped to stand and appeared next to other man. Merlin sighed.

"This is when your curse speaks loudest, I know," said Merlin. He turned to face him. "It's why you took it on so of course it would be loudest. I've done this with all of them, I have never taken anyone away."

"Rumple," Belle said quietly. He didn't react. "Rumplestiltskin."

Slowly, he turned. Belle looked at Merlin.

"Why don't you sit next to me?," she suggested.

Rumplestiltskin grumbled as Merlin took his place next to Belle. She gingerly passed him the baby, swaddled in the special blanket her father knitted for her.

"You are the product of the longest line of unbroken True Love in the Enchanted Forest. On your mother's side, I won't even start on the absolute wreck on your father's side, some evidence of which you can see in play right now..."

Rumplestiltskin seethed.

"You might think you don't belong, but you are exactly where you need to be. You don't see the world like others, you are exactly what we have been waiting for, beautiful Dark Princess."

He wished to linger but could feel Rumplestiltskin's eyes on his back and handed the baby to her mother's eager arms.

He stood back up and Rumplestiltskin took his place next to Belle.

He never quite felt more alone.


Now

Beatrice arrived back at town hall as the council dispersed. She leapt out.

"Where were you?," Catherine demanded.

"It wasn't supposed to be for another hour!," she protested. She motioned at Mary Margaret and David in the distance. "What the hell?!"

Just then, Jenna and Louise walked up.

"Oh, ladies, how lovely," remarked Alec. "We're a bit in the middle of something. Forgive us."

Beatrice now turned her attention to Mary Margaret. The woman already had her hands up in surrender.

"What the hell happened?," Beatrice demanded.

"Mr. Herman called it to a vote-"

"And you, what were you doing?"

"Beatrice, it wasn't even close."

"Why wasn't it close? I had a plan and everything."

"Because you carry the blood of the Dark One."

"Excuse me?," Jenna said from behind her.

Mitchell looked at her. "Who are you?"

"I'm Jenna. I'm... from another realm. Who are you?"

Louise whispered in her ear.

"What? Really?" She looked back at Mitchell. "Anyway, you're disgusting. Your logic is extremely disgusting."

"You are seriously problematic," Louise added.

Beatrice glanced back in surprise. "Okay, thanks, guys, but-"

"Darkness has a hold on her, nothing changes that," said Mitchell.

"Oh, you want to see some darkness?," Jenna dared. "Because I can show you some darkness but you had better be sure you're ready-"

"Jenna," hissed Louise.

"Fine." She glanced at Mary Margaret and David. "Though honestly, I thought I would see some more help from you two. So, thanks for nothing."

"Whatever," muttered Beatrice. "I don't know why anyone would expect help from you guys anyway."

"Beatrice!," Mary Margaret exclaimed.

"You know how we could have passed that motion? If you had said, 'I think this is a good idea and we should do this.' Or if you know, you had run roughshod over people like you normally do when it's not about you!"

"She does make a point," said Catherine at the same time Jenna muttered, "Got a point."

The older woman looked at the younger in surprise.

"We're done here, right?," asked Beatrice. "Yeah, we're done."

Beatrice got in the car and drove off, the first bars of the Wicked soundtrack blaring through the closed windows.

"Where did that come from?," Mary Margaret wondered at David.

"Possibly every time your personal growth has come at the expense of your kingdom's and subsequently this town's safety," offered Catherine.

David and Mary Margaret stared at her.

Catherine feigned an innocent expression. "Oh, sorry, was I not supposed to say that out loud?"

"I think I love her more," Jenna whispered to Louise.

"Yeah. Same."


Then

Merlin entered the throne room of the Forbidden Fortress.

"A bit pretentious, don't you think?," he asked.

"Excuse me?"

"What the hell do you need a fortress for? You don't rule anything, in fact you don't do much of anything."

"Yet you still came here."

He walked up the steps to her throne. "My relationship with Belle is my business and I would rather it not get spread around."

Maleficent's mouth curved into a smile. "It's such a secret you haven't even told her... I can't wait to see the look on the Dark One's face when he finds out."

"I wouldn't look too forward to that."

She stood. Drinks appeared in her hands and she passed one to Merlin. "Alright, I'll keep your precious secret. I just want to know one thing."

"And what is that?"

"Belle's mother was a lady of Queen Eva's court, the daughter of a Duke and the Ice Princess."

"And?"

"How the hell did you get with her?"

"Seriously? That's your price?"

"In my experience, royal ladies can be choosy with that sort of thing. They hate to risk their reputations."

"Don't make the mistake of lumping in my Reinette with any other court ladies you may have known..."

"Then why weren't you with her?"

"My reasons are just that: mine."

Maleficent nodded and held up her glass. "To old flames."


Now

"What is the plan here?"

"I thought that would be perfectly obvious," said Joseph, balancing the tray of drinks as he walked up the steps.

Joseph knocked on the door. David answered.

"Hi, Joseph."

"I wonder if I might have a moment of your time." He smiled as he held out the tray of drinks. "I brought cocoa with cinnamon. Tea for John and I."

"Come on in."

"Hello, Joseph," Mary Margaret said in surprise.

"Hello." He handed her the cocoa and gave David his.

"Perhaps we should sit down," Joseph said with feigned nervousness as John rolled his eyes.

"Of course," said Mary Margaret. She exchanged a look of concern with her husband.

Mary Margaret and David took their places on the sofa. John and Joseph sat in chairs on the other side.

"Beatrice is terribly disappointed in today's outcome," Joseph began. He motioned at the stairs. "Is Graham asleep?"

"Yes, he's even sleeping through the night now. Finally," Mary Margaret said as she took a sip.

"Oh good. Anyway, as I said, she's disappointed."

"We can't help the council's vote," said David.

"Well... that's not really true is it? You have a great deal of influence and you chose not to exercise it."

"Joseph, we can't make people do something they're not ready for."

"What's this about?," asked John.

"Letting the inmates of out the asylum," said Joseph. "Mostly because Regina put them there and nobody ever bothered seeing if they were actually mad."

John turned to the royals. "Are you telling me you have innocent people locked up in an insane asylum?"

David objected. "It's not that simple-"

"Seems simple."

"Some of them were dangerous back in our land," said Mary Margaret.

Joseph looked at his brother. "And some of them were presumably Regina's political prisoners."

John shook his head. "This is so screwed up."

"Joseph, it is a very difficult situation and we're doing the best that we can. Maybe the council will reconsider."

"Perhaps they would if you would lend your support to the cause because as is nobody will listen to the Dark Princess because of her father. Then again, I suppose that's how things were done in the Enchanted Forest. You can write off the child if the parent's a villain. It doesn't matter what you do to them: they had it coming for being born. Such audacity."

"We never said that," Mary Margaret objected, unsteadily putting down her cocoa cup. A quick glance at David's revealed he shared the same wooziness.

"You seem tired," said Joseph. "Perhaps we ought to come back another time and discuss exactly what relationship with a villain merits what worthiness of existence. Or perhaps you would just as well admit your hypocrisy now..."

Their eyes closed and they passed out.

"Right," said Joseph turning to John. "Blood samples, if you please."

"I hate you."

"No, you don't."


Beatrice parked her car. Marian, Tink and Astrid waited for her by the hospital's ambulance entrance.

"Are you sure about this?," Astrid asked instead of greeting.

Beatrice turned to Tink awaiting an objection.

"As your fairy godmother, I am obligated to remind you to be careful with your powers."

"Marian," said Beatrice.

Marian shrugged. "I've been Regina's prisoner. I wouldn't wish that on anyone else."

"That's more what I was looking for," said Beatrice.

Astrid and Tink exchanged cautious looks as they followed their charge up the sidewalk.

"Is Pamela back yet?," asked Tink.

"Nope, sorry. She's still settling things at Downton Abbey. She can't stop me."

"Does your father know you're here?," asked Astrid. "Maybe we should call him..."

"You guys can wait out here if you want and I'll just send everyone your way..." Beatrice mused.

Beatrice walked in the hospital and smack into Doctor Whale.

"Beatrice... Is there something I can help you with?"

"I came to shut down the asylum."

He frowned. "David told me the council voted against that."

"Yeah, well-" She cut herself off and looked at the trio behind her. "Actually, this is a perfect place for a quote. I recognize that the council has made a decision, but given that it's a stupid-ass decision, I've elected to ignore it."

"What?," asked Whale sharing in their collective confusion.

She shook her head at him. "Avengers. God. Get with it. Any day now, Thor's going to come looking for his hammer."

Beatrice walked off to the door that led to the basement.

"Key code?"

"Beatrice-"

"Know what? Never mind."

Astrid covered her eyes and Tink took a deep breath. A flick of her hand froze the keypad. She heard a very satisfying electrical short and the door popped open. She stepped inside to see the icy nurse, a woman who always gave her the most unnerving feeling.

"What are you doing here?"

She motioned at the door. "Asylum's closing. Find another job."

The nurse pressed the intercom. "Security!"

Beatrice rolled her eyes. "I have ice powers."

Another few steps and another flick froze the doors, making them pop open. Slowly, some of the inmates dared to peek out and they were met by Astrid, Tink and Marian.

"What the hell have you done?," asked Whale.

She shrugged. "Pretty sure I closed down the asylum."


Then

In the realm of bad ideas, Merlin had only ever done anything this stupid once.

Waking up in the Forbidden Fortress wasn't that terrible, was it?

It was definitely up there. Remembering lost loves and alcohol was never a good mix.

"Well, you certainly loaf about, don't you?"

Maleficent entered the room. At least she had the decency to look disinterested and he certainly hoped she was.

"Were you going to sleep all day?"

She left again and he took the chance to get dressed. He had just begun to ponder whether it was rude to puff into smoke without saying goodbye when she showed herself again.

"Leaving so soon?"

"Some of us can't hide in our castles all day. I have appointments to keep."

"For your Dark Princess?"

He snapped. "Exactly."

Merlin was about to take the high road with the puff of smoke when Maleficent interrupted.

"Or Rumplestiltskin's Dark Curse?"

He eyed her. "I wouldn't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, don't bother. I already have it."

A flick of her wrist had her staff appearing in her hand. He could see the curse scroll in the globe at its head.

"Regina traded it to me," she said. "For a mere sleeping curse."

"Sleeping curse. Don't you ever do anything original? Face it, your best work was years ago."

"Unlike you."

"Yes, unlike me. In my case, the best is yet to come."

"How dare you..."

"How dare you be angry with me when you just thought you would pull a fast one on me. I do not care to be used by anyone and if you want to know about that curse, why don't you simply ask its author yourself?"

"It could destroy this realm."

"Perhaps."

"And you don't care?"

He shrugged. "The scope of what I care about is a particularly narrow one. If you think that you're going to guilt me into caring, well, you are quite mistaken."


Now

Joseph shut the door behind them and checked his watch.

"What do we do with these now?," asked John, holding up the samples.

They soon found a revolver in their faces and looked up to see Hook on the end of it.

"I knew you were up to something. What have you done with Emma's parents?"

Joseph rolled his eyes. "Of course. Emma's parents because everything is about you and your conquest. Would you get over it already?"

While the pirate stared at them, Joseph took the chance to slam him into the wall. Hook jabbed at him with his hook. John pocketed the vials of blood and went for the arm with the revolver, grabbing him at the end of the wrist and slamming it into the brick wall until it clattered to the floor. Joseph finished off the pirate in one swift knock to the ground and collected the revolved, grabbing his arm.

"Are you hurt?," asked John.

"Damn, I liked this coat..."

"We need to get you to hospital."

Joseph shook his head. "No, what we need to do is hide him. Possibly for a while."

John gaped at his brother. "What do you mean for a while?"

"That is unless I can get an amnesia potion..."

"What?"

"You ring Beatrice while I put him someplace," Joseph said, passing his phone over.


Beatrice entered the house. She greeted Lady and Martha in the hallway with affectionate ear scratching as her parents emerged.

"Sweetheart, we were just about to call you," said Gold, greeting her with a kiss on the cheek.

"We heard what happened and when you didn't answer..." Belle squeezed her tightly and stepped back. "How do you feel?"

"Oh, I'm good, actually. What's for dinner?"

Gold and Belle exchanged concerned looks.

"It's pot roast," her father answered.

"And Ingrid gave me a special new flavor to cheer you up," Belle said cautiously.

Beatrice shrugged. "Well, I'll take it..."

They sat for dinner and the doorbell soon rang.

"Oh, I'll get it," Belle said brightly.

Beatrice finished chewing. Her father looked at her curiously.

"What's going on?"

"Stuff."

"Emma!," they heard Belle greet from the hall. "We weren't expecting you."

They soon arrived at the dinner table, Gold's eyes staying fixed on Beatrice.

"Beatrice," said Emma, "we need to talk about what happened at the hospital."

Belle furrowed her brow. "Beatrice?"

Beatrice put down her fork and looked up. "I iced over the asylum."

"You fried the electrical wiring."

"Yes, that was what I was going for."

Emma sighed. "I know the council didn't go your way-"

"No, they didn't. They voted without me, they totally ignored all reason because Cinderella's father-in-law told them that someone who carried the blood of the Dark One couldn't be trusted."

"He did what?," sneered Gold.

Beatrice shrugged. "So, you know what, it didn't really seem fair to keep everyone locked up because the council was stupid. I did what any of the alleged heroes would have done if they could be bothered."

"I have to take you in."

Gold stood. "I don't think so, dearie." Belle put her hand over his wrist.

"Just so I can be clear, is it just a bad idea if I do it?," Beatrice asked. Emma turned to look at her. "Because if you had done it, everyone would be having a party at Granny's right now."

Emma shook her head. "It's not like that."

"Yes. It is totally like that and it has been since the day you came to town."

"Belle," said Emma. "Come on. You're the reasonable one."

"No," Belle replied coolly. "I am her mother and even if I wasn't, I don't understand how what she did was wrong. I think we're done here."

"We are," said Gold.

Emma cast a curious glance at Beatrice and left without further comment. Once they heard the door shut, Belle turned to Beatrice.

"Why didn't you say anything?!"

"Are you yelling at me? Why did you-"

"I am not yelling at you for freezing the asylum! I'm yelling at you for not saying anything about it and just sitting here as if nothing had happened!"

Gold now rested his hand over hers. "Sweetheart, we want to support you however we can, but we can't do that if you don't tell us what you're doing."

Belle took a breath and pulled her chair closer to Beatrice. She leaned forward and caressed her cheek.

"And why all this resentment of Emma?," asked Belle.

"Other than the town thinks she's good and I'm evil?"

"It doesn't matter what the town thinks-"

"Yes, it does because if I'm ever going to get anything done around here, they need to cooperate or I'm going to have to keep freezing things."

Beatrice's phone rang.

Her mother was having none of it. "Put the phone up, we're talking."

"It's Joseph."

Belle shook her head. "Tell him you have to call him back."

Beatrice picked up the phone. "Yeah, hi, Joseph-"

"Beatrice, it's John. Joseph and I have Captain Hook locked in a cupboard and we need an amnesia potion."

Beatrice looked up as her parents were staring at her intensely.

"Yeah, I can't come right now. You're going to have to do that on your own."

"What?! Beatrice, you can't be serious right now! Joseph, she says-"

Beatrice hung up and put the phone down on the table.

"I think there's more to whatever you're feeling against Emma. It's not a competition, Beatrice," Belle tried to reassure her. "Whatever she is doesn't affect you."

"No, it just serves as a stark contrast. Or maybe people just don't care about free will, I don't know."

"Is that why you're doing this? The recognition?"

"No, but-" Beatrice closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Nobody likes to get dumped on all the time."

"I understand that. You listen to your heart. You always do what it tells you and that may not be the popular choice, but you make it and we'll always support you, but you have to tell us. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

Belle smiled. "You don't have any other sweeping plans we need to know about, do you?"

She simply answered "No," a reply no one believed.


Then

"I didn't know!," Belle shouted.

Merlin entered the Great Hall gingerly and looked on the sight. He had been summoned by the Dark One on a matter of great urgency to the Dark Castle. Belle stood at one edge of the long table rocking the baby. On the other, stood the Dark One, looking perturbed.

"What's the matter?," Merlin interrupted.

Rumplestiltskin turned, clicking his heels. His anger had put him in full theatrical mode. "It seems Maleficent paid a visit."

Merlin tried to appear unfazed. He had avoided her since their last meeting. "Did she?"

"And someone let her give a gift!"

Belle was not so theatrical, the hurt plain and raw on her face. "I didn't let her do anything, Rumple! What was I supposed to do?" Belle turned to Merlin. "I didn't realize."

"Of course you didn't." The situation was not what he would have chosen, but he could already see Belle's eyes shiny with tears. "What gift was it?"

"She said it was the gift of compassion."

Rumplestiltskin grumbled.

"Is it that bad?," asked Belle.

"No," said Merlin. "Just expect a soft heart and someone who never found a lost cause she didn't like."

"Between Snow White and her Prince and the dragon sorceress, this place is becoming a veritable tourist destination..." Rumplestiltskin grumbled. "I'm going to kill the next dozen people who walk by the gate."

"Rumple!," Belle exclaimed.

The infant whined. Belle looked up at Merlin apologetically.

"She's hungry."

"Of course."

Belle left, casting a glare at her lover.

Merlin turned to Rumplestiltskin.

"Did you have plans for Maleficent?"

He scoffed. "What do I care for Maleficent?"

"You must understand the consequences. When you bring magic to the Land Without Magic, Beatrice will be beholden to Maleficent. I trust you can recognize the severity of such an alliance, sunshine. She can owe no magical debt and certainly not to someone..." He spoke more for himself than for Rumplestiltskin.

"I got rid of the gold one, didn't I? Why don't you take one?"

Merlin froze. Rumplestiltskin finally looked up at him.

"What? No ideas on how to slay the dragon?"

"Well, we wouldn't be here if the Chernabog had done its job, would we?"

Rumplestiltskin turned away, waving his hand dismissively. Merlin tried to look contemplative. There were, of course, a dozen ways to slay a dragon and half of them wouldn't take that much effort. Easier if he played on their uneasy truce. Maleficent had been burned on that score before and he would hate to do so again, but that wouldn't stop him. He could live with regret, but regret wouldn't even be that, no. True regret would come from sacrificing centuries of work for a fleeting attachment that he had known from the outset had no future.

A snap of Rumplestiltskin's finger awoke Merlin from his contemplation.

"I have it."

"Do you now, sunshine?," the elder wizard asked flatly.

"I'll persuade Regina that Maleficent is plotting against her, tell her that she requires a special form of punishment. It won't be too difficult, she's already convinced the world is out to get her."

"Well, that's because she's planning to curse them all."

He shrugged. "No matter."


Now

"We could just leave him in here," Joseph pondered as Hook lay unconscious on the floor of the utility room.

"How is that an option?"

"Send the Jolly Roger out to sea, say he's gone, no one would ever question it."

"And do what with him?"

"Lock him up."

"So what? He starves to death?"

"Well, you were the one against murder-"

"Murder is not a solution!," John hissed back at him.

"Murder is an elegant solution and you're the one who fails to see that."

"Because you can't kill people!"

"I have a centuries old sorcerer who will gladly dispose of the body for us! I'm certain he's actually just been waiting for this opportunity to pop up!"

"Face it, Joseph. We are up a creek with this. What happens when David and Mary Margaret wake up?"

Joseph shrugged. "They aren't terribly clever. They'll just assume they fell asleep. Besides, even if they did put it together that you took blood, they would need to know why and they can't find out why without exposing themselves."

There was a knock on the door. Cautiously, Joseph edged it open, quietly allowing entry to Jenna and Louise.

"Have you got it?," he hissed.

"You know, I don't think we should be doing this," said Jenna.

"I need a potion, I need it now."

"Well, you're lucky I'm the one skilled in potions," said Louise, pulling a glowing vial from her pocket.

John looked at Jenna. "What's your skill?"

Jenna pulled a bottle of rum out of the paper bag she held. "I am good at staging the scene."

"Very good..." muttered Joseph.

Hook slowly stirred from unconsciousness. He was bound to a pipe with some clothesline Joseph had found.

"Ladies..." He nodded at them. "Perhaps we can work something out."

Nothing could have put them off more.

"So not interested. You're almost as old as my grandfather."

Louise scoffed. "You make me glad to only like women."

Jenna snapped her head at Louise. "Do you want to save something?"

She shrugged. "It's not like he was surprised."

John leaned in. "What are you two talking about?"

"You only like women?," asked Hook.

Louise rolled her eyes and pulled the stopper off. "Somebody open his mouth and someone close his nose."


Belle put her book down as Gold walked to the bed.

"What happened to your red robe?," she asked. "I always liked that one. It reminded me of some of the things you wore back in our land."

"I think I left it at the cabin," he said taking off the blue one he wore and getting under the covers.

Belle leaned up and gave him a peck on the lips.

"She's holding out on us."

"What? Beatrice?"

"Of course Beatrice. I don't care about what she did, I understand her reasons."

Gold smiled to himself. "Beatrice has always been one to get things done. She's very determined."

"I wouldn't know where she gets that from," Belle said staring at him.

"Oh, wouldn't you?"

"Fine, she has a double dose of determination, then."

"Better than a double dose of something less desirable."

Belle shrugged. "I just want to know what she's thinking."


Then

"Rest your head close to my heart, never to part, baby of mine..."

Belle took a turn in her routine to see Merlin. Her face lit up in the way that only Belle's could.

"Apologies," he said reflexively. "I'm interrupting."

"We don't mind." She looked down at the baby. "Do we, Beatrice?"

Belle motioned for him to sit. There was a small sofa and chair in the nursery and he took the sofa.

"Is there news?," she asked. "Rumple said he was going to deal with Maleficent."

"No, no news on that front, but I expect he's doing so as we speak."

Belle nodded, continuing to rock Beatrice.

"So, I was thinking..."

"Always trouble when a woman does that," he said dryly.

Belle smiled. "You told me you've always followed my family."

"Yes, I have."

"So you knew my mother?"

"Yes, of course," he answered. "Reinette was... quite a special woman."

"I don't think my father ever thought so. When I got older I started to wonder at how they had ever married or had anything beyond the most perfunctory acquaintanceship... Finding out Maurice wasn't my father actually made a lot of sense."

"Did it?"

"I always thought we had nothing in common and now I know the reason why." She paused. "So, it stands to reason that you must know the man who fathered me..."

Merlin froze. Belle stared at him with big eyes. Eyes that while centuries more youthful certainly reminded him of his own.

"I did know him."

Belle nodded. "No chance of an introduction?"

"Oh, Belle..."

"Was it that he didn't want children or did he not-"

"No, no, that wasn't it at all."

"Then what was it?"

Merlin took a breath. Belle awaited his answer.

"He made a mistake," said Merlin. "There was a misunderstanding and your mother was never a woman to forgive so easily as readily as she could love. There was no way back from it."

"Did he try?"

Merlin found himself forced to look back at her.

"Never think he abandoned you. He always asked after you, he wanted to know what you were up to and he would not have been prouder could he have claimed you as his own."

"Then why does he hide?"

"Fear."

Belle turned and considered this.

"If you do see him again, I would like to meet him. You can tell him he needn't fear anything from me."


Now

Beatrice came downstairs to find her grandfather sitting on the sofa. He put away his phone.

"Good. You're awake."

"I wasn't," she grumbled.

"What are you sleeping for? Get a coffee or something."

Beatrice moaned as she plopped down in the chair. "It's two in the morning. My dogs didn't even follow me down here."

"Yeah, I find conversations go quicker when one party is sleep-deprived, I used to do it to your father all the time. So..." he eyed her, "what were you thinking?"

"Are you upset about the insurance ramifications, too?"

"No. I don't give a damn about the hospital or about anything else. I care about you. What were you thinking?"

"I'm not good enough."

Beatrice expected to be cut off, but instead she found her grandfather awaiting her explanation.

"I've tried for years now, to change people's minds, to have people like me and whatever I do, I'm not good enough. So, I decided to focus on something I could do."

"You realized you did have power..."

She shrugged. "I guess."

"Do you know what I think it is?"

"You feel things in your heart so much that your mind feels inadequate and you do something drastic."

"It's not feeling inadequate, it's being inadequate."

Beatrice met her grandfather's eye again.

"I am sincerely looking forward to the day you realize that's not true."