A/N: Again, sorry it took so long for the update! Thank you SOO much for sticking it out and for all the reviews, follows, and favorites! Keep it up! You guys are super awesome! Here we go...
Belle skimmed the pages of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, (the real version, supposedly) hoping to find a clue she might have missed last time. The realization that Regina could supersede the laws of magic at any moment was nerve-wracking, but at the moment there was nothing they could do. They had no solid proof of this genie; no one had ever seen him or his bottle. But, from what Henry had described, Belle was certain.
Jafar was in Storybrooke.
"So this is what you do, all day."
Belle glanced up over the pages of the book to see Rumplestiltskin leaning back in his chair, arms folded, watching the people roaming about in the library. She smiled at him. "Don't you like it?" Her grin grew bigger as he frowned. She knew he wasn't fond of people in general.
"Too many people," he muttered as Granny walked in, shooting him a sour look.
Belle leaned forward and placed a hand on his knee, raising her eyebrows and giving him her best "I told you so" look. "I told you, you didn't have to come."
His hand enveloped hers, and a smile played at the corners of his mouth. "Yes, but I wanted to." He lowered his voice. "With Regina in need of my cooperation, I wouldn't leave you unprotected. Or," he continued, smiling now, "perhaps I just wanted to see you all day."
"Belle!"
She shot up out of her chair at the loud disturbance, looking at the door where Henry came running toward the front desk, out of breath. Quirking an eyebrow at him, Henry smiled sheepishly, that same smile he always gave her when he made an outburst in the library.
"Sorry. I mean, 'Belle!'" he whispered.
Belle smiled and leaned her crossed arms against the counter. "That's more like it. What is it?"
He still spoke in hushed tones. "My mom. Regina," he corrected quickly. "She's going to Wonderland." He glanced at a watch on his wrist. "Correction: she's probably already there."
Rumple stood up beside Belle. "Her first wish?"
"Yeah. I heard her talking to the genie again."
"Do you know why she's going?" Belle asked, sorting through the options in her head.
"Not exactly, but they were talking about returning some special water and a well…"
"Did they say anything about Nyx?"
Henry's eyes lit up. "Yeah!"
Belle took in a deep breath and gripped her arms to steady herself. She had a pretty good idea of what they had been talking about.
"Belle?" Rumple asked softly, his hand on her back.
"Why?" Henry asked, concern showing in his eyes. "What's that mean?"
"Regina." Belle sighed, though it did nothing to help release the tension in her body. She didn't know how, or why, but she did know the intention. "She's going to free Jafar."