When they arrived back at one of the many dens on the island, Bebelle followed the group of boys taking Henry to a small cave to make sure herself that they wouldn't harm him, knowing well not to trust their word since more often than not they were known to be rough with each other. With her around, as they led Henry to the cave, the lost boys were on their best behaviour.
"Can you do a spell to stop him from running away?" Felix asked and she responded with a snort and a 'can I?' which meant of course. Jutting out her lips in a duck-like pout she pretended to be offended, before bursting into a fit of giggles.
"I can put a barrier on the cave entrance, that way he won't be able to leave unless he's given permission."
Felix nodded and left to inform Pan, while Bebelle skipped off the other way to collect candles and her spellbook.
Setting the candles down in front of the cave entrance, she sank to the floor beside them, finding the right page in her book and worked her fingers into the appropriate hand gestures for the spell. The candles lit themselves and the flames leaped up the full height of the cave entrance before dying down into a soft flicker and snuffing themselves out; signaling the completion of the spell.
Closing her book and collecting the candles, she pulled herself to her feet and headed over to Peter who was ordering groups of lost boys.
"It's done." She told him, and he nodded leaving her with a simple 'let me know when they arrive'.
She would have been annoyed with the lack of praise or response, but she had her own agenda, and for the time being she didn't want his attention. Bebelle returned her belongings to their original place before slipping inside the cave to search for Henry.
"Henry?" She called, finding the boy sat on the ground looking rather dismal. Her mouth formed a grim line and she sighed as she sat down beside him.
Henry frowned as he looked at her, confused as to why there was a girl in Neverland, from her clothing- which was definitely not from a 20th century london- he didn't think she was Wendy, but that was the only girl Peter had let come to Neverland right?
"Are...are you Wendy?" He asked to make certain, and the girl scoffed before covering her mouth with her hands as she ungracefully laughed.
"Wendy? No my name is Bebelle." She explained after she had calmed herself down, offering a soft smile to Henry to ease him.
"Why are you in Neverland?" He asked curiously, and Bebelle took the talkativeness as a good sign.
"Well, I was brought here by pirates and I guess the lost boys liked me enough to let me stay." Then she added as an afterthought, "You will like it here Henry."
Henry suddenly sat up straight, immediate refusal in his tone as he shook his head. "No, I can't stay here, my moms will come and find me and take me home, my family will- we know how to find each other."
Bebelle pursed her lips as she mulled over Henry's words to make sure she was careful with her next ones. She didn't want to disrupt Peter's plan, but she also couldn't help but let personal intrigue win over.
"What are they like, your family?" She asked, wondering what it was about them that had Henry putting so much trust in them, especially when herself and the lost boys didn't have any bright tales to tell regarding their own. So she listened eagerly, as he told stories of his moms and his family and an odd feeling of longing for what he had came across her. The feeling was shook from her as a lost boy stuck his head through the entrance of the cave.
"Pan want's to see you."
"Fine, tell him to wait a moment." Waving her hand she ushered the lost boy away.
Turning back to Henry, she placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Henry, do you trust me? I need you to trust me."
The boy was silent for a while, but seeing the pleading in her eyes, he slowly and eventually nodded. He was rewarded with a pleased smile from Bebelle.
"Good. Now i'm going to make you a promise." She said, holding out her pinky finger for him.
"I'm not going to let anything on this island hurt you okay, not even Peter."
Henry gave her a dubious look in return, glancing at her pinky finger with uncertainty and worry.
"But...he's evil. What if he hurts you?"
Bebelle giggled a little at the preposterous notion, then wiggled her pinky finger in front of Henry once more.
"You needn't worry about me," She said scrunching up her nose in amusement as she smiled. "I can take him. Now trust me okay?"
When Henry nodded locking his finger with hers, she widened her smile.
"Good. I'll be back later hm?" She told him, gathering up her skirts and ruffling his hair before she left the cave and went to seek out Peter.
"Always keeping me waiting aren't you." Peter's voice sighed with slight irritance, and she hummed in response as she skipped over to his side.
"Just trying to keep the curiosity alive." She retorted, her voice dragging out a sigh of her own before she stuck out her tongue.
"What am I needed for?"
Peter gave her a pointed glare before handing her a piece of parchment paper.
"I need you to spell this map for me, for when the saviour gets here."
With a nod Bebelle flipped over the piece of paper and then opened her other palm, setting it alight.
"What are you-" Peter began, but she cut him off with a cluck of her tongue and a point of her finger.
"-Aishh, do I ever question your expertise?" Bebelle inquired, puffing out her cheeks and raising her eyebrows. Peter quirked an eyebrow of his own in response.
"All the time." He deadpanned, ending Bebelle's argument before she could start it.
Picking up an iron bowl so the parchment ashes would collect in it, Bebelle shrugged her shoulders and huffed.
"Alright I admit it, but honestly I know what i'm doing."
Once the parchment had disintegrated she quietly chanted a few words until a puff of white smoke swirled around the bowl. Tipping the ashes onto the table, she continued to chant, watching as the paper reformed, this time blank. Bebelle plucked the blank map up with dainty fingers, waving it smugly infront of Peter's face.
"See? I told you I knew what I was doing."
Peter smirked holding his hands up in mock apology.
"I wasn't doubting you."
"Mhhm" Bebelle hummed, handing the map to Peter before perching herself on the end of the table, running her fingers along the uneven grooves in the wood.
"They're almost here, I can feel them in the waters..." She trailed off her voice distant as she cocked her head, and listened. Her features scrunched up, pulling into a frown.
"The dark one is here, I don't like the feel of his dark magic."
Peter put a reassuring hand on Bebelle's, causing her mouth to part and startled eyes to widen at the action.
"With your power I wouldn't worry about him."
Bebelle's cheek burned at the compliment, but her eyes stayed fixed on his hand laced with hers. Noticing it Peter chuckled before removing his hand.
"Are you up for an adventure Dolly?"
"Always." She answered immediately, her overeagerness amusing Peter.
He lifted his hand, motioning Felix over and fabricating a corn husk doll in his palm.
"I'd say our visitor deserves a welcome gift wouldn't you?"
Bebelle observed the doll curiously, wondering what meaning it held and how it was relevant to Rumplestiltskin. Before she could find out herself by picking it up, Felix had swiped it from Peter's hand and concealed it in his pocket, giving her a shrug in response when she glared at him.
"Take Felix to Rumpelstiltskin would you?" Peter ordered and she nodded with a sigh, jumping off the table and joining Felix's side.
"Lead the way Dolly." The blonde drawled, waiting for Bebelle to pick a direction before starting to move.
She lifted her head, searching for The Dark ones' source of power and stretched her arm out to point in the direction leading to it.
"This way." She instructed, picking up her skirts to start walking as Felix followed.
After several minutes of silence in the jungle, Felix spoke cutting through the calming jungle noise.
"Why are you so bothered about the boy?"
Bebelle came to a halt, her brows knitting together as she looked up at the lost boy.
"Who?"
Felix narrowed his eyes speaking drily.
"The boy. The one with the heart of the truest believer, what's got you so interested in him?"
Bebelle shrugged.
"I just understand him, I was like him once, scared, alone, not knowing what was going on-it's not a nice feeling to have to deal with alone. Besides Peter wants the boy to trust us right? It's much easier for a young boy to trust a pretty girl."
Felix opened his mouth to say something, deciding against it and instead settling for a snort.
"Who said you were pretty?"
Scrunching her face up unhappily Bebelle scoffed, tossing her hair over her shoulder and grabbing her skirts again to continue walking, pretending she hadn't just heard what he said.
After some time she stopped, lifting a finger carefully to point through a curtain of leaves. Felix indicated for her to stay, and moved closer, peering through a gap in the foliage to see the dark one.
"Come out and say hello dearie."
The dark one's shrill voice called out, and Felix mouthed 'stay here' to Bebelle before walking through the jungle leaves and down towards Rumpelstiltskin. Hopping down to meet the dark one, he swung his club over his shoulder.
"Hello Rumpelstiltskin."
Rumple waved his hands.
"And welcome to the island, he wanted me to tell you he is excited to see you again."
Felix began circling Rumple who was sitting on a jagged boulder and Bebelle stood watching the dark one closely.
"Oh i'm sure he is."
"He wanted me to let you know that you're welcome in Neverland, as long as you wish to stay, there just one caveat."
"There's always something with him," The Dark one quipped, before silencing himself to hear Pan's demands.
"If you're here for the boy, well that makes you Pan's enemy."
Rumple eyed Felix, his gaze filled with a malicious intent. He hadn't seemed to yet take notice of Bebelle's presence, which she was glad for because she could use it to her advantage.
"Then nothing's changed."
"If you go against him you won't survive."
Felix warned and turned to Bebelle who inched closer to the two, his eyes telling her to stay back once more. Of course she ignored him.
"Well the question isn't will I survive, because we know I won't, no no..."
Rumple edged closer to Felix and Bebelle immediately put her defences up, her hair beginning to blow softly as if caught up in a breeze.
"The real question is how many of you I take with me."
Rumple reached out his hands towards Felix to grab him and Bebelle narrowed her eyes, the dark one's arm suddenly snapping back against his own will, leaving Felix unharmed.
Rumple turned to Bebelle and she looked at him with innocent doe eyes.
"You weren't being very nice to my friend."
Felix smirked at the bewildered expression on the dark one's face as he tried to figure out who the girl with sudden power was, curiously looking her over for some sort of clue. His eyes landed on the bracelet wrapped around her wrist and she frowned, pulling down her sleeve to hide it.
"Well aren't you quite the powerhouse dearie."
"So is that your final answer?"
Felix asked the dark one, steering his attention away from Bebelle.
"That's my answer."
"Well then I suppose that means i'll see you again in less friendly circumstances."
"Count on it."
Rumple said menacingly and Bebelle scoffed seeing him as no threat. The dark one turned to her and spoke to her as if she had made a mistake in mocking him.
"There's a reason they call me the dark one dearie."
Bebelle pursed her lips.
"I don't care."
Then she focused her gaze and watched as the dark one dropped to the ground with a hiss.
"Like you said, I have a lot of power, so i'd be a lot nicer to me if I were you."
She warned him in a scolding tone, letting him know she did not fear him in the slightest.
Rumple clenched his jaw to mask his pain and Bebelle smiled, turning to Fellix.
"One last thing." The lost boy said, throwing the corn husk doll at the dark one's feet.
"There's something he wanted you to have."
Rumple picked up the doll and tears sprung to his eyes as he recalled some long ago hidden away memories. Felix crouched in front of him smirking in satisfaction.
"Isnt it funny, the things we haven't thought about in years, still have the ability to make us cry."
He started laughing and rose to his feet and held out his hand to Bebelle to help her up the dirt bank as she lifted her skirts with the other.
"See ya around Dark one."