Chapter Seventy—"Breakout"

Regina went straight to the shop the next morning, thinking: I'm spending way too much time in this place. Yet Rumple remained her best ally, not to mention the only friend who really understood her. Oh, he could drive her crazy sometimes, particularly with his penchant for secret keeping, but she could at least—usually—be certain that he hated her mother with a passion. He had, after all, flat-out told Regina that he wanted to kill Cora, which probably meant he wasn't going to ally with her any time soon. Rumplestiltskin was the king of being unpredictable, but Regina was pretty sure she understood what he wanted. For now.

Unfortunately, the petite brunette was behind the counter in the shop instead of the Dark One.

"Where's Rumple?" Regina asked curiously.

"Renee has a cold, and it's his turn to deal with that," Belle replied with a smile. "He'll be in this afternoon."

The thought of Rumplestiltskin caring for a sick child—regardless of the fact that Regina did vaguely remember playing with him as a toddler—still made her blink. "Well, you are married to the man, so maybe you can help me."

"I'll do my best," Belle replied, and she really was earnest, wasn't she? Regina studied the other woman for a moment, actually glad for the chance to get her measure when Rumplestiltskin wasn't around. She'd already seen that Belle seemed to have the Dark One wrapped around her little finger—even if he was still very much Rumple—but what kind of person was Belle by herself? Regina wasn't stupid enough to think that she was cut from the same mold as Cora; Rumple seemed to have decided to go for Cora's opposite this time around.

So, she's sweet instead of nasty, and probably loving instead of heartless, Regina decided via process of elimination. And… stubborn instead of calculating?

"How much do you know about the Basement?" she asked bluntly.

"I know what it is, and where it is," Belle replied, looking Regina straight in the eye. "And I know it's a terrible place where your mother puts people she hates."

"Just be glad that your husband's a bit too old to be stuck in there," Regina said without thinking, and noticed the very interesting manner in which Belle's eyes flicked to the counter.

"I think your mother had other plans for him," she said quietly, and Regina just shrugged. Leave it to Rumple to tell her nothing—and probably tell nothing to his little wife, as well.

"Anyway. We—Emma and I—are working with a couple of people to just break the place open and get the people out. But we have to put them somewhere where Mother can't find them, otherwise she'll just kill them or find somewhere new to lock them up," she replied, getting to why she'd originally come to the shop. "And Rumple owns more than half the damn town. He's got to have somewhere. Assuming he's willing to let us use it."

"To keep people safe from Cora? I can talk him into that," Belle answered immediately, which took Regina aback.

"You can?"

Belle smiled. "Leave that to me. Rumple has a cabin out in the woods that should work. It's near the lake—do you need me to give you a map?"

Damn. This was moving faster than Regina anticipated—and faster than she possibly could have hoped. Was Belle so certain that she could convince Rumplestiltskin to help so overtly? The brunette's expression was calm and confident; she certainly seemed to take her ability to get Rumple to agree as a pre-ordained conclusion. Should Regina allow herself to hope that? Well, if she can't, I lose nothing, she decided.

"A map would be excellent," Regina said decisively. It didn't mean she wouldn't ask Rumple later—just to make sure his wife wasn't working behind his back—but she'd take what she could get. They needed somewhere to put those people, and a secluded cabin in the woods would be the perfect place. Particularly because Cora certainly wouldn't think that Rumple—self-serving, dark and dangerous, Rumplestiltskin—would ever help with this.

Belle rummaged through drawers until she found what she was looking for, a map of Storybrooke and the surrounding forests. She promptly marked the location of the cabin and showed Regina the best way to get there, and then quirked a smile. "You're wondering if Rumple will actually agree to this."

"Partially," she admitted. "It's not that I don't trust whatever methods of persuasion you have with your, uh, husband, but…" Or that I even want to think of how you'll talk Rumple into this, Regina added mentally as she trailed off.

Belle snickered. "Rumple knows he'll need all the brownie points he can get with the Savior when the curse is broken," she pointed out, and Regina's respect for her intelligence increased tenfold. "Besides, I prefer to use logic to convince him of things, particularly when they're easy ones."

It took all of Regina's self-control not to gag at the thought of what other methods Belle might use, so she grabbed the map, thanked the former librarian, and headed out of the shop as quickly as her legs could carry her.

Rumplestiltskin had just finished brewing the potion to cure his sick daughter when his phone rang. Focusing on pouring the bright blue liquid into a sippy cup, he didn't even bother to look at who would be calling his cell shortly before lunch, and just flipped it open to answer. "Gold."

"Rumple, it's been too long," Cora's voice came through the speaker, and he almost dropped the phone.

"What do you want?" he snapped, not even bothering to pretend to be nice. He'd spent the morning dealing with a sick and cranky three year old, and did not want to add a bitchy and arrogant Evil Queen to his day.

"Dinner. Tonight, dear," was the response, and Rumplestiltskin slammed the (now-empty) beaker down on the counter of his cellar workroom.

"You've got to be joking," he growled. Kill her tonight! You're close enough to the curse breaking that it won't matter. People might even thank you, his curse sang, and Rumplestiltskin tried not to snarl out loud. The thought was getting more and more tempting.

"Not at all. Meet me at the new Italian place," Cora purred.

"What is your game?" Rumplestiltskin asked, forcing himself back on balance and keeping his voice softly dangerous. "Trying to make it look like we're on the same side before the curse breaks, and hoping that people will misinterpret? If you're thinking that'll force me to help you out of the unfortunate predicament you'll find yourself in, you're sorely mistaken."

"Can't I want to spend time with an old friend?" she countered, but he could hear the slight edge in her voice. Yes, that was what Cora wanted, and Rumplestiltskin couldn't avoid her damned caveat, either. Soon, he promised himself. Soon the curse will break and those little commands will not matter.

"Enjoy it while you can, dearie," he spat, and hung up the phone before she could say anything else.

Yes, he would have to go, but Rumplestiltskin suspected Cora would not be so stupid as to touch him again. He'd even use a please to prevent it if he had to; all he had to do was get in before she could now him on something. He hated to waste his pleases like that, but there was only so much he could take. Besides, they were getting so damned close. Soon enough, his pleases wouldn't matter, either, and he might as well get his money's worth out of them while they did.

"Do you have a moment, Swan?"

Killian felt like the asked that question entirely too often, but lately he'd found himself chasing Emma Swan around far more than any self-respecting pirate would chase any woman. It wasn't that she wasn't worth the chase—because she undoubtedly was worth pursing—but it really did start to get old when the lady in question did not reciprocate his feelings. Particularly when he had someone else to care about, and Emma seemed to be focused on everything but her own love life.

"Sure, Killian. What's up?" she asked, looking up from the cabinet she'd been organizing in the back of the sheriff's station. Both cells were empty, now, of course; Moe French was still in the hospital and Tony Rose was in the cemetery. That meant that they'd at least have a little privacy for this conversation, even if Cora was magically eavesdropping.

Not like Cora didn't know what he was going to say, anyway.

"I…well, there's no easy way to say this, love, so I'll just be blunt, shall I?" Killian started, wishing that he'd managed to build a romantic relationship with this extremely difficult woman. That, at least, would have made this conversation so much simpler. "We both know that Storybrooke is getting dangerous for you. Cora wants you dead, and with magic here, she's likely to succeed when she tries to kill you."

"Wait, what? You know about magic being here?" Emma asked, looking stunned.

"Aye," he confirmed. "How or why isn't important. It's a long story, anyway. But I think you know enough to know that Cora plays for keeps."

Emma grimaced. "Yeah, I've seen that."

"No, you haven't," Killian disagreed, thinking of the lives Cora literally held in her hands and the killing spree she was likely to go on if the tide turned against her. "Trust me, things can and will get worse. And she'll go after your boy, too."

"Henry is her grandson!" the sheriff objected, but he noticed that she didn't look terribly surprised.

"And if you believe that library fire happened accidentally while young Henry was inside, Swan, you're much more foolish than I thought," he retorted bluntly, leaving out his own regrettable role in that affair. "Cora will stop at nothing to get what she wants, and what she wants is you dead. The only way to avoid that is to leave Storybrooke."

That made Emma blink. "What? Leave Storybrooke? Are you serious?"

"As the grave," Killian said solemnly. "You've got to get out of here, and I can help with that. Say the word, and we can leave tonight. I've already arranged everything—for you and Henry both."

"Killian, I can't just leave. I've got responsibilities, and—"

"You can't fulfill your responsibilities if you're dead, love," he cut her off. "Believe me, I know Cora better than you'll ever want to, and you're living on borrowed time. Trust me, and we can beat her."

"I can't," Emma repeated, and then something cunning flashed across her face. "Besides, if you know about magic, you know about the curse. If Cora kills me, the curse breaks, doesn't it?"

Now it was his turn to be taken aback. "I've…I've never heard anything about that."

"Well, Regina has," she replied firmly. "That means I'm safe, or at least safe enough. And I'm not backing down from a fight, either."

"Emma—"

"I'm grateful for your concern, Killian, but I'm not going anywhere," she interrupted, and that was that. Then she smiled. "Besides, you're still up on assault charges, and you can't skip town while you're waiting for that plea bargain to work out."

"Are you really going to bring those up now?" he asked plaintively.

"I'm still the sheriff," Emma replied calmly. "And I'm damn well going to do my job."

Barely an hour after Killian left her office, Emma met with Regina and Errol in Regina's home office. Regina had apparently warded the place so that Cora couldn't spy on them, so it was the safest place they could talk and plan.

"We've got a place to put everyone," Regina said after they settled in. "Gold's got a cabin out in the woods he'll let us use. I gave Belle—err, Lacey" that last bit was definitely for Errol's benefit—"a call, and she said she can get it stocked with the necessities by tonight. She's sending Dove out."

"Gold's henchman?" Errol asked in surprise, and Emma had to agree. She knew that Regina was friends with Gold, but she hadn't really expected the cold-blooded pawnbroker to help.

"The very same," Regina replied with a crooked smile. "I talked to Gold, too, and he said that he'll 'loan' us Dove for the next couple weeks. Dove will keep an eye on the cabin and make sure no one goes wandering in that direction."

"That's…oddly helpful of him," Emma said slowly, and then looked suspiciously at Henry's other mother. "What'd you have to give him?"

Now Regina smirked. "Nothing. I got Belle to do the convincing for me."

Well, Emma had seen Gold go all quiet and nice around his wife, so she supposed she shouldn't be surprised that Belle could talk him into helping. Still, it was better than she'd expected, so she figured they shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Instead, she glanced at Errol.

"So, you're sure you can get in?" she asked.

"Yeah, I've got the security codes. If you two can have a van there and ready to take everyone away, I can be in and out in as much time as it takes to wake the people downstairs up and sneak them out. It would also help if you could somehow make sure that the folks upstairs—like Merryweather and Carroll—don't know what we're doing."

"I can handle that," Regina volunteered. "A simple silencing spell should do it nicely. They won't hear a thing."

"Can't you, you know, put them to sleep or something?" Emma couldn't help but wonder. Errol, meanwhile, seemed to swallow the fact that they were talking about magic fairly well. All things considered.

"No, that's always been Maleficent's specialty, and we're trying to keep her from noticing us."

"Wait a minute, Merryweather is Maleficent?" Emma gaped. "Like, out of Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent? Is that why you wouldn't ever tell me who she was?"

"She's an old friend," Regina said defensively. "And it's not her fault that mother gave her a brothel. She'll be furious when she wakes up."

"Maleficent—the crazy evil sorceress—is your friend?" Errol got in, looking stupefied.

"She's really not that crazy," Regina objected, but she seemed a little worried. And Emma couldn't blame her. Poor Errol was trying to swallow everything, having just found out about the curse, and finding out that Regina was friends with the Mistress of All Evil (Emma remembered that name from the movie) was kind of rocky. Still, she spoke up to save Regina from this little faux pas.

"I guess who she is doesn't really matter if we can get everyone out. So, Regina will do the spell and drive the van, and I'll go in with you in case you need help," she told Errol.

"No offense, but I'm not used to breaking into places with the sheriff on my heels," he said dryly, and Emma grinned.

"I guess I never mentioned that my car started off as stolen, did I?" she countered. "I've broken into more than a couple of places and stolen stuff myself. I won't get in your way, and I'll be a second set of hands if you need one. Okay?"

The firefighter—who Regina had told her was Robin Hood back in the other world—shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

"Then we'll do this tonight," Regina spoke up to seal the deal, and the three exchanged nods.

Even as the threesome planned, Rumplestiltskin found himself sitting in Storybrooke's not-as-upscale-as-advertised Italian restaurant. Cora, of course, had her chair entirely too close to his, but at least she had not tried to touch him—yet. If her hand so much as twitched in his direction, Rumplestiltskin was already prepared to please her out of it, and perhaps even get himself out of this entire date while he was at it. Because he really did know exactly what Cora was up to: she was planning for the future, something she was almost as good at as he was.

Yet she didn't know that he was ahead of her on that front, too. Even as they ate, Belle and Dove were stocking the cabin with enough food and medical supplies to care for Cora's 'special cases' kept in the Basement, and he was neck deep in helping the heroes, even if it did go against his darker nature. But if it helps me find my son, I will ally with whomever I must, Rumplestiltskin thought behind an expressionless face. Particularly when it's against this toxic woman who I was once foolish enough to fall in love with. His formerly lingering affection for Cora was all but gone, now. She'd made sure of that, just like she did now, smiling at him so knowingly and pretending that she didn't know how his skin crawled when she leaned close.

"Tell me about your little 'wife'," Cora said unexpectedly, and Rumplestiltskin shoved down the suddenly cold feeling in his heart to smirk at her.

"Finally heard about that, did you?" he taunted his former student lightly.

"Yes, Tollak was quite put out when your legal maneuverings took away his chance to save poor little Renee. Did you really adopt the brat, Rumple?"

His temper reared up so suddenly that the glasses on the table started to vibrate before Rumplestiltskin could slam a lid down on both the fury that wanted to rise and the darkness egging it on. But it took him a few crucial seconds to do so, and Cora was already giggling softly.

"You even like the little girl," she marveled. "Well, I shouldn't be surprised. You've always had a soft spot for children. Are you still missing dear Baelfire?"

"Don't push me, dear," he said quietly, his temper firmly in check even as his curse howled for release. "You won't like what will happen if I decide to go against my better judgment and end you here and now."

"You won't," Cora replied confidently, folding her hands on the table.

Had she tried to touch him right then, Rumplestiltskin would not have been so sure.

"You're counting on that, but you of all people should remember what I can do when provoked," Rumplestiltskin reminded her conversationally.

"Really, Rumple, you're getting dramatic for no reason," she smiled. "I merely asked as a friend concerned for your well-being, of course."

He snorted. "Of course."

"I do still wonder what you see in her, though. She's smart enough, I suppose—if you can pry her head out of a book—but there's no power behind the pretty face. She was a mere knight's daughter back in our world. I would have thought you'd want someone better."

"Like a miller's daughter?" he shot back, regaining his sly smile and watching the point slide home. Cora snarled inaudibly.

"I am a queen," she snapped.

"Technically, right now you're merely a mayor. And that's rather a step down in the world, isn't it?" Rumplestiltskin taunted her back. "Still, that's a promotion for a girl who used to carry the sacks of flour to market because her father was too drunk to bother."

Now the silverware did a little dance, and Rumplestiltskin found himself smiling at her display of temper. Heartless or not, it took Cora more than a few seconds to calm down.

"Don't mock me, Rumple. You'll regret it."

"Oh, will I?" he snorted again, this time far more derisively. The next words came out quietly, their sing-songy manner disguising the inner turmoil he still felt when faced by her threats. "What are you going to do to me, Your Majesty, tie me down and hurt me until I give in?"

His laugh was closer to the imp's high-pitched giggle than anything he had uttered in a long, long time. Cora, however, faced him with her eyes narrowed and her back straight.

"Of course not," she replied coolly. "I'd do far worse."

Back in the Enchanted Forest, he would have grabbed her by the throat and squeezed her life out. Had they not been in a busy restaurant, Rumplestiltskin would have done that, here, too. But no. Subtlety was in order, so he just reached out and took her by the right wrist, clasping it tightly in his left hand. Magic flowed through his body as he channeled his curse's strength into his very human hand, squeezing until he felt bones grind against one another, stressed almost to the point of breaking. Cora flinched a little at first, and then shifted uncomfortably, despite her obvious attempts not to react.

"I wouldn't advise that, dearie," he warned her softly. Dangerously. "I may look human here, but I am nothing of the sort."

Another squeeze, and then he let go, rising while Cora tried all too hard not to pant in relief and pain.

"Good night, Madam Mayor," Rumplestiltskin said politely. "I do believe our dinner is done."

He strode out without bothering to look at the infuriated expression on her face.

{**********}

One moment, Ruby had been sleeping semi-peacefully, aided by painkillers that Mirabella had snuck her from somewhere. The pills weren't enough to really knock her out, but they did make the pain of two cracked ribs and a very sprained ankle livable, so she was very grateful for the help. The next moment, however, a hand was on her shoulder and shaking her, which meant Ruby woke up to Mirabelle's face entirely too close to hers.

"Shh!" the petite blonde whispered. "There are some people here to get us out. Can you walk?"

"For that?" she asked, sitting up too quickly and wincing in pain. "Anywhere."

The next person Ruby saw was Emma Swan, and she damn near hugged the sheriff. Emma just gave her a grin and grabbed her right arm while Mirabella grabbed her left, and they helped Ruby to her feet. Meanwhile, the firefighter who had saved Lacey in the library fire helped Ana wake up Paris, Talia, and Magnolia. Ruby would have expected escape to be a lot harder, but Emma just gave her a wink and led the group outside. There was a truck waiting, with Regina Nolan—of all people!—in the driver's seat. Ruby had to do a double take, because sure enough, that was 'Game of Thorns' painted on the side, and apparently their getaway vehicle was the florist's truck. Soon enough, they were all inside, huddling together in the back on a bunch of blankets someone had put down for them. The interior still smelled faintly like roses, but there weren't any flowers in sight. Her ribs ached from sitting on the floor, but Ruby gritted her teeth and refused to complain.

Somehow, they managed to drive away without anyone noticing them, though Ruby did notice Errol resetting the alarm system on the way out. That alarm had caught everyone who had ever tried to escape, but apparently the fire chief defeated it easily enough, because he jumped in next to Regina with a huge grin on his face. The mayor's daughter quickly put the truck into gear and headed away from the town center while the former residents of the Basement exchanged incredulous glances. Sneaking a look over her shoulder told Ruby that Emma's yellow bug was following them, which meant things were probably going to be okay, but could escaping really be that easy?

"Where are we going?" Mirabella spoke up first, directing the question at Errol. She probably doesn't even know who he is, Ruby realized. Mirabella had told her more than once that she barely remembered any life outside the Basement. In fact, it seemed like only Ruby and Ana (or Vicky, as Madam Merryweather liked calling her) remembered ever having lived anywhere else. Best Ruby could guess, the others had had the memories drugged out of them. Talia certainly looked frightened enough to be in a moving vehicle to prove that theory.

"A safe place," Errol replied. "It's a cabin in the woods. You won't be able to leave, yet, but it'll be away from the Basement and no one will hurt you."

That was all well and good, but Ruby really didn't like the sound of not being able to leave. "So, we're trading one prison for another?" she demanded.

Errol looked shocked; Regina was the one who snorted. "Don't be ridiculous. You're welcome to wander away if you want, but do you really fancy a return trip to the Basement, or someplace worse? My mother will happily snap you back up if hiding is too good for you, Ruby."

"That's not very nice," Mirabella retorted, and Regina suddenly seemed to notice her in the mirror. Regina's eyes went wide, and she almost swerved off the road.

"Tink?" she stuttered, and Mirabella just stared at her.

"If that was an apology, it's the strangest one I've ever gotten," Ruby's friend replied, and Ruby tried very hard not to laugh. Laughing hurt.

"No—well, maybe it is," Regina said, looking like she was trying to get over some shock or another. "Look, I'm not here to be nice. Emma can do that all you want. I'm trying to take you someplace safe. It shouldn't be for long."

"How long?" Ana spoke up, and at least she didn't seem to startle Regina so much.

"Hopefully, not more than a few weeks," was the answer. "Maybe less."

"We've got food and medical supplies there," Errol piped up. "And Doctor Hopper is going to come out in a few days, after you get settled in. Everyone should be comfortable, and if you need anything else, all you have to do is ask."

"Why are you helping us?" Mirabella asked when no one else wanted to say anything.

"Because it's the right thing to do," Errol answered, and Ruby noticed that Regina's eyes were firmly on the road now, as they took a left off of the road leading out of town and headed deep into the woods.

"That doesn't seem to happen much in this town," Ana said, and Ruby had to agree with that.

"Well, it does now," Regina replied firmly, and they spent the rest of the ride in silence.

She had not been expecting a phone call from Keith Law a few minutes after she returned home from her 'date' with Rumplestiltskin. "Yes?" Cora snapped. The Sheriff of Nottingham had his uses, but he was really one of her more despicable tools.

"I just…jus' watched a truck full of peeps pull away from your special place," he slurred, obviously drunk.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded. Deciphering a drunk's words was not anywhere in her plans for the rest of the evening. Cora had been about to turn in for the night, after spending a few enjoyable minutes contemplating how she would punish Rumple for his defiance, but this fool had ruined that.

"The crypt. No. Not that." She could hear Keith thinking hard. "Cellar. No. Basement! That's it. Basement."

"Wait a minute," Cora said slowly, suddenly feeling like a tornado was whipping around her. The curse was weakening. The feeling was almost imperceptible, but it was there. She could feel the edges fraying, could sense things starting to go wrong. Emma Swan's presence had made time start moving, and little by slowly, the Savior had influenced events, but not in any major way. Cora had still possessed all the power…until now. Something had changed.

"Still waitin'," Keith slurred after a minute. "Pretty mayor lady."

"You are disgusting," she snapped before she could stop herself, and then checked her temper with an effort. "Are you certain that you saw people leaving the Basement?"

"Was it a party?" he asked drunkenly. "'Cause I woulda wanna go."

Not teleporting herself straight to the fool to rip his heart out took a gargantuan amount of self-control.

"No, it wasn't," Cora snarled. "Thank you for the information, Deputy. I'll see that you're rewarded. Did you see anything else?"

"I dun think so. But it's kind of blurry, and my truck's in a…in a bitch. Ditch."

Oh, great. Someone else could call the sheriff about Keith driving drunk again. Cora certainly wasn't going to put herself out for his sake. So, she just hung up the phone and stopped to think.

Yes, the curse was going to break. There was no use denying that; the Savior had been here since October, and the tide had finally turned in her favor. Cora knew she could prolong things—and she would, out of spite, if nothing else—but she was no fool. She knew what was coming, and even though she had prepared for that eventuality since the beginning, the thought burned. Oh, she had always known that any curse she received from the Dark One was bound to have a loophole, all but guaranteed to have some hidden way to be broken. Fury, however, would not avail her now, so Cora put her righteous anger aside.

She needed insurance.

Picking up the phone, she called her daughter. Zelena picked up on the first ring. "Mother!"

"Hello, darling," she replied, forcing her voice to convey affection instead of the anger boiling in her veins. "I need a favor."

"Of course I'll be happy to help," her eldest said eagerly, and Cora finally allowed herself a smile. At least Zelena was loyal, and she would always be able to count on that so long as she treated her well.

Honestly, Cora was glad to treat a daughter well. Regina could have had everything she wanted—even love—if only Regina had been obedient and loyal. Of course, Regina had chosen Eva's disgusting daughter instead of her own mother, but Cora had a new daughter, now, and Zelena would never make that mistake.

"I knew you'd say that," she responded proudly. "We need some insurance now that things are changing. Fetch the carpenter and bring him to the house at the edge of town."

"Your summer house?" Zelena asked quickly.

"Yes. There are cages in the cellar. Put old Marco in one of those."

One Month Before the Curse

Cora had always been a believer in making lists, in planning every move out meticulously. Being driven by emotion was a surefire way to fail, and she knew that she had to cast this curse with a clear and determined mind. And she would cast it; Rumplestiltskin had made sure of that in his own twisted way by using Regina's blood to ensure she could not hurt Snow or her little prince. Oh, but she would use Regina, too; in the new world, if not before. Her precocious traitor of a daughter had chosen the losing side, and Cora would prove that to her. One way or another.

Yet there were many others who needed to be punished. Regina would be taken care of because she was her daughter, and Cora would marry her heir to the prince who never should have rejected her. The others, however…oh, they would pay. She had plans for Snow already—a sordid past, a broken heart, emptiness in her life that she could never overcome—but Rumplestiltskin was next on her list. He was as much responsible for her defeat as anyone else, even if a part of Cora didn't want to admit that he'd gone over to the heroes quite so completely. It's always about his son, she reminded herself. He wants this curse to get to the Land Without Magic, so I shall give him that. But he will also be what I want, and give me that which he has refused me.

Yes, Rumplestiltskin would suffer. So would everyone else who had dared to get in the way, who had supported Snow, and the other royals who had once spat upon Cora for not being 'good enough' to be one of them. She knew their type, of course, and it was time that the royals discovered what it was like to suffer. That thought made her make another note on her list—now she knew what to do with the little princess who had infuriated Maleficent so. And she would give Maleficent power over Aurora, too, in payment for the deal Cruella had made with her to ensure the security and happiness of her fellow 'Queens of Darkness'.

That was such a ridiculous little title, but Cora heard worse. She would give Maleficent exactly what Cruella had asked for, and no more. But she would not forget that Maleficent had offered Snow an alliance, either. Nor would she forgive that little act of idiocy. But Cruella had slipped up when she bargained for friendship, security, and material wealth for herself and her fellows. Cruella had forgotten to include Maleficent's daughter in that deal, and there lay the insurance Cora needed against any rebellions on the part of the so-called Mistress of All Evil.

She would win. And this curse would be the first step.

"I didn't expect you to be here," Regina said by way of greeting, climbing out of the truck and eyeing Belle.

Belle bit back the urge to ask her why she wouldn't be there and instead shrugged as casually as she could. "I do have to take the truck back, you know."

"It's not like anyone will notice it's missing," the older woman countered, and Belle barely managed not to roll her eyes. "Where's Rumple?"

"Busy." Belle was not going to tell Regina that Rumple had been tonighted into another date with Cora, or that she was worried sick about her husband. She didn't think Cora would be foolish enough to try to hurt him, but last time Rumple had come back shaken from just her touching him. Belle needed something to do other than sit there and fret, and she could help people here. It wasn't just a good distraction; it was what heroes were supposed to do.

"Right." Regina rolled her eyes. "Anyway, this lot's in kind of rough shape, so be careful around them. They're not terribly trust—"

"Lacey?" a voice interrupted, calling her cursed name, and Belle turned to face Ruby.

"Ruby!" she gasped, shoving past Regina to approach her friend. Mindful of what Regina had said, Belle allowed Ruby to reach out to hug her. "I'm so glad to see you're all right."

"A little banged up, but yeah, I'll be fine," Ruby replied immediately. "Are you involved in this?"

"The cabin belongs to Gold," she admitted. "And I might have, uh, borrowed my dad's truck for this one."

"They should have had you drive. We'd have been nice to you," the taller woman replied, and Belle couldn't help smiling when she saw Regina scowl. Regina meant well, of course, but she could be very abrasive—even in Belle's limited experience with her—and Ruby and the others had clearly not been happy to find the mayor's daughter playing chauffer.

"Well, we're all here now," she said brightly. "And we'll keep you safe until we can get you back home."

"Can you let Granny know I'm all right?" Ruby whispered all of a sudden. "I get it if you can't tell her where I am, but she's got to be worried. She probably thinks I ran away or something…"

"I'll tell her," Belle promised, squeezing Ruby's shoulders once more. That got her a grateful smile, and then Ruby seemed to notice the short blonde who was standing not far away from them, looking uncomfortable.

"Oh! Lacey, this is Mirabella. She's been in the Basement a long time, but she's a friend now."

"It's nice to meet you," Belle said. The other woman eyed her suspiciously, but after a moment, she took it.

"Any friend of Ruby's is a friend of mine," Mirabella replied, and Belle gave her an encouraging smile.

"Let's get you both inside," she said. "I promise it's a lot more comfortable than the truck, even with the blankets we put on the floor. And there's plenty of food, too, for anyone who is hungry."

"Sounds like paradise," Mirabella quipped, and Belle decided then and there that she was going to like this woman.

A/N: I apologize for any errors—I spent the afternoon at the doctor, and I'm a bit out of it! Thank you all for the awesome reviews, particularly the anons that I can't reply!

Stay tuned for Chapter Seventy-One—"Promises Given," in which Regina plots to save David, Cora wakes Jefferson up for a special job, Henry and Emma try to figure out who Gold really is, and Neal arrives in Storybrooke. Back in the past, Cora baits a trap for her favorite daughter.