Graham had truly surprised Cameron over the last few days, he had taken the information from Gold and run with it. The husband and wife had watched him build up the case against Regina Mills with strength and determination, he was a wolf with a bone, far more vicious than any normal dog. It had to be said Cameron was impressed and that didn't happen often.

Belle had done a lot of thinking over the last couple of days, for a time she had been angry at Cam for not telling her about the embezzlement, but that soon passed. Anger had given way to happiness when she realised that the case meant that soon they would be free of Regina and her evil plots. In a way it was a relief. Victor had been right when he said Regina ruined everything, but she wouldn't be able to destroy anything after Cam and Graham were done.

Regina had no choice but to panic, no one had seen her leave her office since the incident, but only a select few knew she was hiding. Licking her wounds in a corner, trying desperately to regroup and think her way out of the hole she had dug for herself. She had drawn a blank though. Regina didn't know quite how much Gold had on her but she knew it wasn't something she could just sweep under the rug, he was out for blood. Dean Mills would never admit it, but she was afraid. She knew she couldn't just up and leave, running would just give Gold the satisfaction of playing cat and mouse. Fear cut her deep, a sting that at first she didn't notice but the pain increased as he closed in, circled her until he was done playing with his food. Regina could have suspended him, he did sleep with his student after all, but that would only do more damaged. She had to focus on covering her tracks...but it was already too late.

Two-thirty-eight was when Belle and Cam noticed Graham and several uniform officers making their way down the long hallways towards Regina's office. Cam and Graham's eyes met briefly and the teacher couldn't help but smile as he heard a thick Irish accent say.

"We got her."

Just like that Regina had lost.

It was one of his proudest moments when he saw Regina handcuffed and being dragged from the building as she screamed she had done nothing wrong. Even Belle chuckled. Regina had made an excellent start at covering her tracks, a few more hours and the police would have been able to prove nothing. It looked like she had called in every favour she could but still it wasn't enough, Gold had gone for the jugular and had left Regina in a pool of her own blood. Gold found that fitting.

XXXX

Almost a week had passed and not even Albert Spencer, Regina's lawyer, could find a way out of her charges. The college couldn't afford more embarrassment than they already had and so the board had quickly replaced her as Dean and Archie Hopper was the perfect replacement. Hopper was a good man with firm morals and would make the college proud. Gold had quit, but then again the board had been one second from firing him anyway. Gold didn't care, he had Belle, Bae and his baby and that was all he needed, well them and Kubla.

It took a while but Cameron finally managed to convince Belle to stay in New York for a while after her English course finished, he would go ahead and get things ready in Storybrooke, and finish his little wedding gift to her at the same time but she didn't need to know that. Victor had offered to drive her once she was finished packing but Cam insisted there was no rush, and so they would part for two weeks. Belle and Bae would travel with Victor, Ruby and Jefferson when they were ready to move. Cam wanted to make sure that his darling wife felt no pressure from him, wanted her to have two weeks just to herself just being without a care in the world for a little longer before an entire town learned she was the wife of a monster. Cam had wanted to take Bae with him but Belle had become rather maternal and refused to let go of him, it was one battle he knew he couldn't win. It ended up being rather peaceful driving to Storybrooke just him, Kubla and Cordelia.

XXXX

"Belle, is this your jacket?" Ruby began wandering out of her half packed room and over to Belle's. "I found it in my closet but I don't think its mine."

"I've been looking for that for almost a year, Ruby." She said in a mock annoyed tone. "Keep it, I bought a new one anyway."

"Sorry." Ruby dropped the black leather jacket. "Hey no you don't, let me."

Belle had been attempting to lift her suitcase from the top shelf of her closet until she was carefully barged out the way so Ruby could do it for her.

"I can still do things myself you know."

"Yeah, but not heavy lifting. I am Aunt Ruby the epic and I will not have that little angel or you hurt."

Belle just smiled as she watched Belle set the case down on the left side of her bed. Bae was playing with Humphrey on the other side trying to stay awake rather than admit Mama was right when she said he was tired and needed a nap. The last day of packing was slow and apart from Ruby finding two tops and a pair of shoes that belonged to the mother to be it was uneventful, until seven o'clock when Jefferson and Victor showed up with Chinese.

"I love you." She announced to the two men as soon as the scent reached her nose.

"Sorry babe, but I'm taken." Jefferson joked as he set the bag down on the coffee table while Victor went for plates.

"Okay who wants beer?" Ruby asked the room as she followed the blonde to the kitchen.

The boys responded with little grunts that she took to mean yes please Ruby, that would be great. Ruby normally brought Belle some water or juice but she had something else planned, since she would be working at Granny's again Ruby wanted to be able to serve more than a finger of whiskey and beer in the evenings.

Victor returned to the coffee table with the plates just as Bae appeared in the living area holding Humphrey and rubbing his little chocolate eyes, he had fallen asleep around half five and Belle had no intention of waking him.

"Mama?" Everyone looked up despite him calling for her. "Mama, hungry. Smell scwib." It was so cute that he couldn't say squid and Belle knew she had created a little monster when she cooked it for him and Cam what seemed like forever ago. Just as Belle was about to speak Jefferson flew across the room to the young boy and pulled him up, bouncing him in the air causing the toddler to giggle.

"Well, I think if we ask Uncle Victor you can have as much as you like." He swung the boy round so he could sit on his shoulders and then walked back over to the small couch and sat. "So, Uncle Victor." Jefferson began, a teasing smile on his face. "Are you going to hurry up and open the boxes so we can feed this growing boy or do we have to starve."

"I think Uncle Jefferson should be nicer to me or he may get spanked."

"Promise?"

"Okay you two, calm down." Belle's voice of reason rang out ending the risqué chatter going on. She pulled Bae from Jefferson's shoulders and settled him down by her were she could put a little of the squid on his plate. "There you go angel, eat up."

"Here you go." Ruby said as she set a tall glass with a straw down in front of her best friend.

"What's this?"

The glass held three colors and looked a little like a sunset in a glass. Belle was curious, Victor raised an eyebrow as he slumped to the floor beer in hand.

"Its called an Afterglow. I wanted to do more cocktails when I'm back at Granny's and this is one of the non-alcoholic ones. Its grenadine, orange juice and pineapple juice. You'll love it!"

They chatted and joked long into the night, staying quiet enough not to wake Bae for a second time. Ruby had been right about the afterglow, Belle did love it. The auburn haired beauty couldn't help but smile as she looked around at her friends and felt her baby kick, the baby she would meet in four months, she was surrounded by her friends and her children just like she had always wanted to be. Soon she would be reunited with Cam in their new home and they could be happy...forever, her heart tingled with happiness at that thought. Everything she had ever wanted was happening and Belle couldn't help but feel a renewed faith in true love.

In that moment everything was perfect.