Another Chance (at Love)

by CharlotteAshmore

Belle's not the shy, timid little teacher's assistant Dr. Rush always believed her to be. Would he have brought her aboard Destiny had he known beforehand? A reboot of the series basically, but with my own twists and Belle thrown into the mix.

17. Chapter 17 Pain

A/N: Ugh! I hated this episode. There was no way I was going to be able to do anything with it, so I came up with my own game plan. I tried to stay true to the premise for the episode, but Belle's experience is a bit more angsty than I'd originally planned.

Chapter Seventeen: Pain

It was late when Belle stumbled through the stargate, Rush at her side, Dunning and Scott bringing up the rear. She yawned widely as she dropped her pack next to Riley - who was overseeing the unloading of the Kino sled and what goods they'd collected - and trudged off towards the changing bay where she could slip out of her fatigues and back into her more comfortable clothes. "I'm so tired," she grumbled with a yawn, slipping into her sandals. "I think I'm going to go to bed. Are you coming?"

Rush already had his notebook in hand, his mind whirling with things he wanted to do. "I'm sorry, love, what?" he asked distractedly, his eyes scanning the page.

"Are you coming to bed?" she asked again, pulling her black crew shirt on and doing up the buttons.

He cast her a look of regret. "No, I can't. I've been away too long as it is. I need to get back to work." His thin lips curled into a grin as he pulled her into his arms. "Besides, you need to get some rest and …"

"… if you come with me, I won't be resting?" she finished for him, leaning in to receive a kiss.

"Exactly. You have that meeting with O'Neill in the morning and you really should be rested and alert when you arrive," he murmured against the shell of her ear as his lips found the sensitive flesh beneath and sucked gently.

Belle swatted his shoulder and trailed her hand down his arm to twine his fingers with hers, pulling him along behind her. She'd walk with him as far as the control room before leaving him for the night. "I still don't like the idea of visiting Earth without you."

"You wouldn't be going without me if he hadn't requested your immediate presence. Young wants me to oversee the repairs on the scrubber in the new section of the ship we've reclaimed and refuses to allow me to accompany you." He raised her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her palm. "Did the colonel tell you what they wanted with you at HWC?"

Belle shook her head, stifling another yawn. "No. Dr. Williams probably wants an update on our research regarding the gate and why we haven't figured out the right sequence to dial home. Telford's no doubt pressuring him again. I shouldn't be gone for more than an hour or two at most."

He stopped in the darkened corridor outside the control room and pressed her against the bulkhead, his hips grinding into hers as his lips came crashing down on hers. A low growl of pure need sounded in his throat as his tongue delved into her mouth. Belle returned it with equal fervor, her hands carding through his hair to hold him in place should he decide to pull away. Only their desperate need to breathe made her release him from her grasp to press her brow to his.

"Just make sure you come home to me," he whispered, moving in to sip gently at her lips.

"I will, Nicholas. I'll never leave you for long, my love," she purred, her hands sliding down his chest as he backed up a step. "I'll see you before I leave in the morning if not before, alright?"

He pressed his lips to her brow and nodded, his dark sable eyes locked on her back as she left him to his work. Every time she left his sight, he felt the same familiar fear rise up to choke him, coiling in his belly like live eels until she returned to his side. Their captivity at the hands of the Nakai and their separation when she'd been left behind on the planet of the ruins was still fresh in his mind, and he wondered if there would ever come a time when he wouldn't fear losing her.

For the past month, it was uncommon to see one without the other. Rush wasn't pleased that she'd been summoned to Earth, but there was little he could do about it. He couldn't very well forbid it. He tossed his notebook onto the console and scowled blackly at the empty room. She'd come back to him … he was certain. And if she didn't, he'd simply sever the stones' connection.

X*X*X*X*X

Belle stood next to the round table in the communications lab, flipping a stone from one hand to the other in her nervousness. "So, who am I switching with this time?" she asked, eyeing Riley warily as he switched the plate on and made a note on his clipboard to log her time in.

"Dr McCormack, I believe. I assume because you'll be there meeting with Dr Williams and she is part of his team," Riley replied, smiling reassuringly at her.

She groaned and dropped into the chair provided for her. "Rush is not going to be happy about that. He doesn't like her and to have her in my body is only going to make it worse. Have you told Young?"

"I believe the colonel has already arranged for Dr McCormack to spend her time with Eli discussing your joint research."

Belle sighed and cast him a hesitant smile as she extended her hand towards the plate. She took one last deep breath and placed her stone on the Ancient device, feeling herself fall through the void. When she opened her eyes, she was at HWC in their communications lab, a smiling Peterson there to greet her.

"Dr French?" he asked, wanting to make certain the transfer had been completed successfully.

Belle shook her head, trying to adjust to the strange body she inhabited. "Yes, Major. Is the general ready to see me?" she asked, rising unsteadily to her feet. Alana McCormack was close to her height, so she could at least be thankful she wouldn't have to adjust to that.

Peterson opened the door and ushered her out ahead of him. "I will be your liaison here should you wish to leave headquarters while Earth-side. Just let me know, Dr French. I'm at your disposal."

A sly grin curled up one corner of her mouth as she looked at him. "Well, I wouldn't find it amiss if we left for a while to grab a bite to eat. I've been craving a basket of chili fries like nobody's business lately."

Peterson led her into the general's outer office and nodded. "Whenever you're ready." He knocked on the door and opened it at the general's command to enter, closing it behind her after she'd gone inside.

Jack O'Neill rose to his feet as she approached his desk, her shiny black heels muffled by the gray carpet. "Dr French, congratulations," he said, gesturing for her to have a seat in one of the two chairs available. "I didn't get to tell you that when we received the news."

"Thank you, Jack, but somehow I don't think you called me all the way down here to congratulate me on my doctorate," she retorted dryly. "So, why don't you tell me what this is all about, hm?"

He sat back in his chair and clasped his hands over his abdomen, his general mien slipping back into place. "Williams will want to speak with you while you're here, of course, but I called you down because we're holding a person of interest … one who claims to know you. And considering she broke through seven levels of security before she was caught, I wanted you to come in to identify her."

"No one knows me, Jack," Belle scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "I've spent ten years of my life buried in my studies, my research and my job. If you'll recall, when you hired me, you remarked on my lack of social life and claimed I spent entirely too much time with Nicholas. Any friends or acquaintances I have are somehow involved in the stargate program."

"Well, she seems to know you, Belle." He regarded her quietly for a moment, searching her face for any signs that she might be less than forthcoming. He withdrew a photograph from a file folder on his desk and slid it across the polished surface. "She even knows how you like your cheeseburger. So, either she's the best hacker in the country and has been stalking you, or she does indeed know you."

Belle picked up the picture and flipped it over. There was more than one, several angles from an array of security cameras scattered throughout the building. Her face drained of color and her lower lip trembled as she stared at the woman in the photograph, a full frontal shot as she stared directly into the camera above her. The slight smirk on her full lips, the determined gleam in her eyes … she'd wanted to get caught.

"Has …" She released the breath - she hadn't realized she'd been holding - in a whoosh, her eyes taking in the black leather jacket, boots and shock of golden curls spilling over the woman's shoulders. "Has she been read in?"

"Read in?! She knows about the program! She knows all about us and we can't find squat on her." He threw up his hands in disgust as he leaned forward on the desk. "She worked as a bail bondsperson for several years in Boston, but then about twelve years ago she just dropped off the map. Belle, I need to know what the hell is going on!"

"She knows where I am, then?"

"Apparently."

"Let me speak to her." She rose to her feet and rested her palms on the desk, her eyes twin coals of fire in her borrowed face. "I might be able to fix this," she said, cutting him off when he opened his mouth to protest.

He nodded and reached for the phone, asking Peterson to come and escort her to holding. She swallowed down the bile which rose to choke her at the thought of her past having finally caught up with her. Damnit, Emma, why couldn't you have just left well enough alone?

X*X*X*X*X

Peterson led her to the main holding area, which frankly was a brightly lit storage area. They didn't receive many guests who tried to infiltrate the Pentagon. The few who had tried over the years hadn't made it far and ended up on the bad side of a bullet. What the hell had Emma been thinking? She stepped up to the thick plate glass, easily seeing into the room whereas Emma wouldn't be able to see out. Or so she thought as the Storybrooke sheriff raised her gaze and met Belle's, her eyes narrowing curiously. Things were just getting more and more confusing.

"Thank you, Major," she smiled at Peterson. He didn't say anything as he let her into the room, but she knew he'd stand vigil at the glass to watch over her. It was his duty after all. She also knew if it appeared she was in danger, he'd call for a military contingent to get her out of there. She wasn't in danger, not from Emma Swan, but they had no way of knowing that.

Belle raised her gaze to meet Emma's warm green eyes as she stepped over to the conference table where the woman sat. "Miss Swan," she greeted stonily, folding her arms over her chest as she looked down on her. "It seems you've caused a wee bit of panic amongst my superiors."

Emma rose to her feet and rounded the table, coming to stand before the diminutive doctor. She tilted her head to the side, holding her silence. Finally, her eyes brightened, and her lips broke into a smile. "So … how's it feel to be in someone else's body?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Belle scoffed, maintaining the ruse. She knew better than to tell anyone of Destiny, Icarus or anything pertaining to the SGC and Homeworld Command.

"Oh, come off it, Belle. Do you really think I can't tell it's you? Posture, tinted cheeks, crossed arms, the way your left eye crinkles just a bit more than your right when you stare at someone too hard? Not to mention, you have a very distinct mental signature," Emma said quietly, knowing they were being watched.

Belle arched a dubious brow. "How did you get past security?"

Emma perched a hip against the table and smiled again. "You know … magic," she said in her best imitation of a certain imp they'd both known long ago.

Belle gnashed her teeth together against the familiar pain which clenched her heart at the gesture. "Be sure to tell our doctors that, Miss Swan. They'll be sure to find you a nice, padded room for you, somewhere to help you come to grips with your delusions of grandeur. I hear Thorazine comes in mocha mint now if that's your thing."

Emma huffed a small laugh as Belle turned to leave. "Still witty as ever, eh?" All pretense of amiability and friendship disappeared from the woman's face as she grabbed Belle's arm. "Do you have any idea how long I've searched for you? Why'd you leave? Rumpelstil —"

"Don't you dare say his fucking name, Emma!" she hissed, whirling about, her dark eyes flashing fire. "You never gave a damn about him … or me! He died and you left me lying in the street while you ran off to play savior. You have no right to say his name."

"Knew you were in there," Emma breathed out on a sigh. "Belle, I know why you ran. It can't be easy to lose your true love." She shoved her hands in the pockets of her jeans as she leaned back on the table, suddenly uncomfortable. "Look, your family has been worried about you. You need to come home, even if it's just for a day."

"My family? My father doesn't give a damn about me. He saw my choice to stay with Rum as a betrayal to him," she spat bitterly. "I don't have anything left in Storybrooke. The town shouldn't even be there after Pan's curse. How are you here at all?"

Emma shrugged. "Regina. She helped me and we were able to stop it. You shouldn't have left, Belle. Storybrooke is your home."

"No, it's not. My home is aboard Destiny a couple billion light years on the other side of the universe. My home is with Nicholas and my friends … my real friends," she sneered. "Storybrooke stopped being my home when my … when Rum died, and you lot abandoned me in the street."

"I haven't spent the past ten years looking for you to go home empty handed."

"How'd you find me, by the way? I thought I covered my tracks rather well," Belle said, glaring at the blonde.

"Wasn't easy. Every time I thought I might be able to pick up your trail, your social security number changed, your money trail vanished, and my leads went cold," Emma smirked wryly.

Belle laughed. "It's amazing who you might meet in college. If you know who to ask, you can get anything accomplished. There were several in some of my computer classes who were quite brilliant."

Emma nodded. "So, you ready to go?"

Belle gaped at her. "Go? Emma I'm not going anywhere with you. You're not going anywhere. They're going to keep you here until they dissect you to the minutest hair. You broke into a government facility with information about the best kept secret in the country. The only place you're going is jail."

The blonde sheriff waved a dismissive hand as she reached out and grabbed Belle's elbow in a firm grip. "Nah. I've been locked up before. Not gonna happen again."

"Emma —"

A swirl of white mist and a chuckle and they disappeared. Peterson burst into the room, radio in hand as he called for backup, but it was too late.

X*X*X*X*X

Belle fought off a wave of dizziness as the mist dissipated and she stumbled back against a car. It was still a yellow Volkswagen bug, but a newer model. Some things apparently never changed. What surprised her, was that it was the only thing registering in her mind at the moment. She should have been wondering how the savior was able to use magic outside of Storybrooke, when she'd never been able to do so before.

A warm hand reached out to steady her and her eyes widened. "Easy there, Belle," the owner of the warm masculine voice said reassuringly. "It's ok."

"Baelfire!" she hissed, gaping at him. "This is so far from ok it's not even funny! What are you doing here?"

"I would think that would be obvious, Miss French," a third voice said. "I'm assuming you are indeed Miss French. Otherwise, Emma wouldn't have bothered to bring you along."

The icy cold hand of dread squeezed her heart as Regina stepped out of the shadows of a nearby building and cast a smirk her way. "Oh, hell, this just keeps getting better and better." Belle threw her hands up, exasperated, and tried to get her bearings. The bug was parked in a small lot outside a grocery store beneath a busted streetlight, and she had to wonder if it had been like that before the trio had arrived. It was still very early morning, just after six and a storm was brewing.

"Don't worry, Belle, you'll feel better when we get home," Neal smiled as he held the passenger door open for her.

Belle backed away. "I don't think so. The only place I'm going, preferably without any of you, is back to HWC and then to Destiny, so … if you'll be so good as to excuse me."

Regina reached out and snagged her wrist, keeping her from venturing too far away from their little group. "Aren't you the least bit interested in what's been going on since you disappeared?"

Belle snorted, the sound masking the unease clenching her stomach. It was never a good idea to play around with magic, especially when Regina was involved. "I've spent the past decade trying to forget about Storybrooke, so no … I can't say that I give a damn about what's happened to it in my absence."

She wanted Nicholas … needed him with a burning passion. She wanted the normalcy the ship had come to afford her, and she especially needed to be back in her own body. She could kick Jack for making her come down to be ambushed by her former friend, her almost stepson and the evil queen. Rush was going to be inconsolable if she found herself trapped in McCormack's body with no way to return to him.

Emma raked a hand through her hair and huffed out a long breath. "Belle, come on. We need your help, ok? Just come back with us. If you still want to go back up there … to the ship … er … whatever … we'll bring you back."

Considering how easy it was for Emma to detect lies, she could almost make her own believable. "Thanks, but no. There's nothing left for me there and I don't feel the need to go back, not even to see my father."

"That's the excuse you gave her?" Neal asked in an aside, shooting Emma a puzzled look.

"It doesn't matter," Regina shrugged.

"Regina, no!" Emma cried, too late. Belle dropped like a stone as she was enveloped in a midnight blue mist. "There was no need for a sleeping spell. What if someone had seen?" she asked, dropping next to the petite brunette sprawled on the pavement. "Neal, help me with her."

"No one saw and even if they had, we could take care of the surveillance cameras. Unlike you," she sneered, getting her digs in for Emma's carelessness at HWC.

"If I had disrupted the security cameras, her superiors never would have summoned her, and we wouldn't now have her to take back with us."

While they argued, Neal lifted Belle's limp form and settled her into the back seat of the bug. "Do you think we could maybe argue on the road? We've still got a ten hour drive back and the less you two are away from Storybrooke, the better."

Regina rolled her eyes and climbed into the backseat next to Belle. "Fine."

Emma rolled her eyes and climbed into the driver's seat to slam the keys into the ignition. "All I know is that this better work, Regina. If you're wrong and we've just kidnapped —"

"Oh, stow it, Swan, and just drive," she muttered, disgruntled by the two of them and the entire situation that had forced her to leave Storybrooke. "The sooner we get back the better. Remember … we still have to tell him."

X*X*X*X*X

"Mom!" Henry smiled in surprise as he opened the door of the pink Victorian for Emma. "Where've you been? You've been gone for four days."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm sorry, but things are a bit more complicated than I thought they'd be," she grumbled, moving out of the way so Neal could carry Belle into the house, heading straight for the library.

"Is that her?" her son asked, his brows drawing together in a frown as he followed behind them. "How can you be sure?"

"Where's Grace? I didn't know you would be here today," Regina asked, hugging him as he watched his father set his burden down on the sofa.

Henry smiled. "She took Cara to the park this afternoon while I played chess with grandpa," he replied, his eyes alight with love at the thought of his eighteen month old daughter and his wife of three years.

"Where is your grandfather?" Regina asked, moving to stoke the dying fire.

"He's out in the garden with his roses. It's not really been a good day for him."

Neal stood and rubbed his hands together in gleeful anticipation. "Well, it's about to get a whole lot better."

"What is, Baelfire?" Gold asked from the open doorway. "And who is that?" He pointed at the prone form lying on his sofa.

Baelfire grinned unrepentantly as he stepped aside. "We found her. Or rather, Emma did."

Rumpelstiltskin couldn't mask the hope that washed over his face as he pushed past his son, only to have it replaced by pain and loss as he looked down on the girl who was clearly not his lost love. "That's not Belle," he hissed angrily, whirling on Emma and his son. "I find your joke in poor taste, Baelfire. Now get her out of my home."

Emma stepped into his path as he turned to move away, laying a hand on his forearm. "Come on, Gold, have a closer look. Do you really think I would have resorted to kidnapping if I wasn't absolutely sure? She's in there."

"How?" he sneered. "Not even I have attempted transference."

"You don't need to," Regina huffed. "You can glamour yourself into anyone you like."

Neal picked up the file folder Emma had dropped onto the coffee table and held it out to his father. "It's all in here, Papa. All of Emma's research." He tapped a finger against the folder. "It'll tell you everything you need to know."

Gold glanced warily between his son and daughter-in-law and then sighed, taking the folder and moving closer to the fire. He cast Regina a pointed look until she got the hint and heaved herself out of his favorite chair. He sat down and opened the file, his gaze darkening as he swiftly read through Emma's research.

His eyes narrowed dangerously on a photograph clipped to one of the pages. "Who is this, Dr Rush person? He looks remarkably like me," he murmured, continuing to read without glancing up at Emma.

"Dr Jackson said Belle works for him … his assistant or something. She went to this planet with him before they got stranded on the spaceship," Emma said, sitting down on the coffee table next to the sofa.

"You didn't damage his mind, I hope, when you retrieved the information you sought?" Gold asked, reviewing several pages documenting Belle's academic career and a copy of her recent doctorate degree. A small smile twisted up one corner of his mouth. He'd always known she was a brilliant little scholar, but her aptitude for numbers was astounding.

"No, he's fine. You have to admit, though, this stargate program is rather fascinating. Imagine if we had something like that to enable us to travel between realms. Then we wouldn't need —"

"Emma," Neal said, resting his hand on her shoulder. They'd had the argument too many times between them. She had no desire to travel back to the Enchanted Forest … ever, yet her son desired it more than anything. Neal didn't care one way or the other as long as his family remained intact.

Henry's cell phone rang, and he left the library to answer it, promising to return shortly. Regina paced restlessly before the hearth, the nails of her right hand clicking together in irritation. "So what are we going to do with her? She can't very well stay like this."

Gold snapped the file closed and set it on a side table before rising to his feet. "We get her body back. Between the three of us, we should be able to do it."

"Are you sure, Papa?" Neal asked, casting him a dubious look. "Are any of us sure this is what Belle wants?"

"It doesn't matter what she wants, Cassidy," Regina snapped. "We've talked ourselves blue in the face. You know what's at stake here."

"But —"

Emma rose to her feet and rested her hand against her husband's chest, her eyes pleading him not to argue with Regina. "Neal, why don't you call mom and check on Melanie, make sure she's not driving her grandparents up the wall, hm?" she asked, knowing their six year old daughter could be a handful at times, even for someone as patient as Snow.

"Yeah, alright." He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek, his expression saying he'd go along with whatever they planned, but that he wasn't altogether happy about it. His father's true love should be given a choice to make her own decisions. "Just yell if you need me."

Emma turned on the others as the library door closed behind Neal. "So what are we going to do? Neal's right. Belle should be able to make her own choice."

No one decides my fate but me. The words reverberated softly in Gold's mind as he thought back to the first time he'd seen his Belle, standing in the center of her father's war room with that lummox of a fiancé trying to shield her from him. I'm sorry, sweetheart, he thought remorsefully. Not this time.

"We're getting her back." He moved to stand at the end of the sofa next to Belle's head, reaching down to rest his fingertips on either of her temples. "I will ground her consciousness. Regina, you are to focus on her physical body. Emma you must project this body to where Belle is while Regina and I pull her physical form here. It should be simple enough."

The two women nodded as they looked at Gold, noticing the darkness which seemed to exude from his pores. They'd all grown stronger in their magic over the years Belle had been absent from their lives and now it seemed it was going to be tested to the very farthest of their abilities. Gold's dark magic, Emma's light and Regina a combination of the two. If they couldn't pull it off, she doubted anyone could.

X*X*X*X*X

Belle felt as though she were floating on a wave of contentment, similar to what she experienced after an hour in bed with Nicholas. She could vaguely make out the flickering of light behind her closed lids and she wondered if she had once again fallen asleep on the sofa on the observation deck. She was distracted from that thought as she felt her love's warm fingertips stroke her face delicately from temple to the smooth curve of her jaw.

She leaned into his touch and yawned. "Mmm, Nicholas, I was having the strangest dream," she murmured sleepily, reaching for him where he knelt beside the sofa, his hand curled over her shoulder. She pulled him down to her, smiling against his lips as he eagerly responded to her kiss. She carded her fingers through his hair and her brow knit into a frown as she realized she needed to cut his hair again. She'd just cut it, though; why would it be ready for a trim so soon? Something else dawned slowly on her befuddled senses … he tasted of mint and tea and … maple syrup? Her fingers smoothed over his cheek … no beard?

Her eyes flew open as his lips trailed away from hers to the pulse point beneath her jaw. "Oh, Belle …"

She grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked sharply as she slipped out of his loose embrace. Her gaze slid past him, taking in the familiar furnishings, the muted elegance of the room in which she'd spent so much time with …

"Rumpel?" she asked in a horrified whisper. She released him and scooted further down the sofa as she stared at her former love.

Gold sat back on his heels, holding his hands out to her in supplication. "Belle …" he said, his voice entreating her to listen. "I can explain, dearest. Or, at least, try to explain," he added when she still stared at him aghast.

"You're dead! I watched you fucking die!" she shrieked, scrambling off the sofa and retreating behind it, placing it firmly between them.

Gold rose to his feet, but made no move to follow. "Belle, I'm immortal. You know that."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she felt her panic rising. "You. Were. Dead! Your body was gone, Rum. Poof!"

"It's not as simple as that, Belle." He raked a hand through his hair in frustration. "Would you please sit down and at least talk to me? Let me explain." If she were reacting like this to his supposed resurrection, he could just imagine how she would act once she found out she was back in her own body on Earth.

Belle moved slowly around the sofa, eyeing him warily before choosing to resume her seat. She crossed her arms over her chest and arched a brow when he sat on the sofa beside her yet still didn't say anything. "Well?" she prompted. "Explain."

He leaned forward and braced his forearms on his knees, rubbing his hands together as if trying to find a way to begin. She was the only person in creation who had the ability to leave him tongue-tied. Apparently, some things never changed. "After … ah … after Regina and Emma stopped the curse —"

"How? Big rolling green and purple clouds of magic were rolling over the town when I crossed the barrier. There was no stopping it."

"There's a counter to every curse, Belle. Emma simply had to embrace her role as the savior. The combination of white and dark magic, and some quick thinking on Henry's part …" He waved a dismissive hand. "The three of them share true love … that of a parent with their child, a child with his parent. They were able to shield the town and the curse rolled over them harmlessly, dissipating when it reached the town borders and leaving Storybrooke unscathed." It wasn't so farfetched to believe. Cora had done much the same before the first curse had been cast.

Belle nodded, not the least bit surprised that Henry had inherited his mother's aptitude for magic. "Alright, I'll buy that. It still doesn't explain how you survived."

"I'm getting to that," Gold snapped. He took a deep breath and tried to quell his anxiety. Why had he thought it would be easy to tell her everything after all the time which had passed? With a flick of his wrist, he conjured a tea tray. "Tea, dearest?" he asked, hoping the steaming aromatic brew would put her in a more receptive mood. It always had before. He was grateful for something to do with his hands as he composed himself. He didn't want to explain the past ten years. All he wanted was to haul her upstairs and lose himself in her and never let her go again.

She couldn't help but smile at the tray, noticing there was even a small plate filled with her favorite chocolate scones. He set the tea and a scone on the table before her and backed away, seeing to his own cup. He was jittery and anxious, she noticed, no matter how valiantly he tried to hide it.

Finally, he heaved a weary sigh, his dark eyes tortured as they met hers. "The dagger saved me."

"I beg your pardon? The bane of your existence saved you?" she asked dryly.

"I'm tied to it because of the curse. When I sacrificed myself, my curse had no idea how to handle it. There's never been a dark one to make such a sacrifice before, but the demon cannot survive without its host. It latched onto me and sucked me into the dagger with it, along with all my power."

"Rum, the dagger disappeared when you did. Where did it go?" she asked as she lowered her cup and stared down into the amber liquid.

"To my vault in the Enchanted Forest. It —"

"Then how the hell are you here?" she snarled impatiently.

"If you'd stop interrupting, I might be able to tell you!"

Belle pursed her lips and gave him a pointed look, her displeasure obvious. She wondered briefly if they'd ever have a conversation where they weren't yelling at one another. "I'm sorry, Rumpel, this isn't exactly easy for me."

"Like it was easy for me to come back and find you gone?" he countered, his eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and pain.

"So, you were trapped," she retorted icily. "Who freed you?"

"It was Bae who figured it out. The tricky part was obtaining the dagger. Jefferson used the hat and brought him to our realm."

"The hat was destroyed when Emma and Snow were lost … just after the curse broke on Storybrooke," she reminded him.

Gold sighed, shaking his head at her attention to detail. "It was an easy fix. How do you think he was able to travel between the realms after he reunited with Grace?"

"Because he couldn't bear to separate her from her cursed parents? It all seems to be a bit convenient to me, and just another thing you hid from me." Her eyes narrowed. "And if his hat couldn't bring you to this land to find Baelfire without the aid of the dark curse, how is an open line available to you now?"

"I don't remember you being quite so tenacious, dearest," he growled impatiently. At this rate, he would never finish his explanation.

"Humor me."

He took a sip of his cooling tea, hiding a smile behind the rim of the chipped cup. "A magical connection needed to be established between the realms … two realms steeped in magic. Once I brought magic here after the curse was broken, such a connection was easy to form."

Belle nodded, accepting his explanation. When he didn't continue, she waved a hand, gesturing for him to proceed with the rest of his tale.

"Because of the vault's blood lock, Bae was the only person who had a chance of retrieving it. When he returned, Emma was waiting with a spell to free me from the blade." He lifted his gaze to meet hers, trying to gauge her reaction only to be met with a blank stare. "Why did you leave, Belle?"

Belle pressed her lips into a thin line as she tried to suppress the pain, cursing softly as the first of her tears spilled over her lashes. "I had to," she cried, a broken sob tearing from her throat as she pressed a hand to her lips. "You were dead! When Pan's magic wore off, I collapsed in the street, Rumpel. I felt as if I were dying, too, and they abandoned me. Not even your precious son offered me comfort!"

Gold moved to her side, kneeling at her feet so he could gather her in his arms, pulling her against his chest as she wailed in despair. "I'm so sorry, my love," he crooned, stroking his hand over her hair. "I'm sorry I left you. It was the only way to save you."

Her hands fisted in his dress shirt as she pressed her face against the hollow of his throat. "I needed you, Rumpel, and you were gone," she wept, her words nearly incoherent as her body shook with great heaving sobs. "I couldn't stay here. I had to get away … as far and as fast as possible."

He pulled her off of the sofa and onto his lap, his arms enveloping her as he buried his face in her hair, his eyes streaming from the pain she must have endured. "Where did you go? Emma began searching immediately after she and Regina brought me back. Every time she got too close, you vanished."

"I spent a few weeks in a hotel room near Boston, wishing you'd taken me with you, to be honest," she said as she accepted the silk handkerchief he offered. "Prayed for death a couple times, didn't eat, sleep was an impossibility. I was hoping when I left, I would forget, but the pendant prevented even that small comfort. Then I had to figure out what I was going to do with my life."

His hand slipped into her hair, his nails scratching soothingly along her nape. "What did you decide? Is this when you went to California to … Berkley?" he asked, trying to remember the details he'd read in the file.

"No, I tried several different schools. I was afraid to stay in one place for too long. I had this fear that someone from Storybrooke would eventually find me and drag me back. I know it's a risk to be let loose on the world with what I know of magic. One day, after I'd finished my masters in Theoretical Physics, I flipped a coin and ended up at Berkeley." Her heart clenched as she thought of Rush. "Oh, gods! I have to get back to HWC. They're going to be looking for me! I'll be surprised if Jack doesn't have me arrested."

Gold tightened his arms about her struggling form as she tried to move off his lap. "Belle, you can't go."

"I have to! Nicholas needs me. Not to mention, I'm in a borrowed body. Alana's eventually going to want it back, Rumpel."

His jaw clenched at her mention of the scientist. "You can't go back, Belle … ever," he said, staring down into her wide cerulean eyes. He lifted her hand to his lips, her gaze following the action as he brushed a kiss to her fingertips … her fingertips! She ripped her hand out of his grasp and turned it over several times, staring in horror at her pale skin with the blue polish sparkling on her nails. Chloe had just painted them yesterday, she thought hysterically as her gaze swung to Gold.

"What did you do?!" she cried in horror.

"It's ok, sweetheart. There's no reason to panic. We brought you home … all of you … your body included. We exchanged your body for the borrowed one. She's safely on your ship and you're here with me, where you belong," he murmured calmly, stroking a long fingertip over her cheek as he regarded her steadily.

Belle pushed against his chest, wriggling off his lap. "You have no idea what you've done! How are we ever going to explain this?! The government does not acknowledge the existence of magic, Rumpelstiltskin!"

"Belle, calm down —"

"Don't you tell me to calm down! You've stranded that poor woman on Destiny. She doesn't want to be there, I do! It's my home."

Gold rose to his feet, his brow drawn in a dark frown. "No. This is your home," he insisted. "It was a small price to pay to get you back."

"Rumpelstiltskin, I'm not the same person I was ten years ago. My entire life is wrapped up in that ship."

His eyes narrowed and she could feel the crackle of magic in the room as his temper neared its breaking point. "Is it the ship, Belle, or something else? Dr Rush, perhaps?"

"Yes. Rum … Rum, I love him. He saved me when I had no hope of ever loving again," she whispered, turning away when she couldn't bear the pain in his eyes any longer.

"You love me, Belle," he stated softly, his voice thick with emotion. "We have true love. That doesn't just go away because we were parted."

"I do love you, Rumpel. I've always loved you. Do you think just because I love Nicholas that I've stopped loving you? My heart doesn't work that way. But I can't just leave him. He needs me … and I need him." She brushed angrily at her tears before she turned to face him again. "I've worked so hard to get where I am now, I can't be here. My life is on Destiny."

His features hardened as he met her gaze, his eyes chips of ice. "It's too late. It was a one way trip, dearie. I'm afraid you're stuck with me."

"Rumpel —"

"I never should have let Emma talk me into bringing you back, but I couldn't banish the hope I had that you'd still want me. I was a fool. She and Regina were so bent on finally breaking the last phase of the curse …" He turned away from her and leaned an arm against the mantel over the hearth, staring down bitterly into the flames.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, moving to his side.

"The last phase of the curse, dearie, the final piece that will take us all home to the Enchanted Forest. I'm the last holdout, the only person in Storybrooke who hasn't received their happy ending," he scoffed, his mouth twisting into a wry smirk. He turned to her, his arm snaking out to wrap around her waist. "I need you, Belle. You are my happy ending."

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he buried his face in her neck. "Oh, Rum …" she choked out as she stroked his hair in an effort to soothe him. It was killing her to see him so tormented. She hadn't been lying. As much as she loved Nicholas, she loved Gold just as much.

"I need you, Belle, so much," he wept, his tears splashing against her collarbone. "Please, Belle. Stay with me. Let me take you home … our real home … the one we weren't able to have before in the Dark Castle. I know I can make you happy this time."

"Rumpelstiltskin," she scolded, "you made me happy last time until you got some insane notion in that thick skull of yours to send me away. But I can't just forget everything that's happened since then. I have people who depend on me, people I love who I can't just abandon. Besides, the curse won't break unless I have my happy ending, too, right?"

He shook his head as he raised it to meet her gaze. "You left, sweetheart. The charm I placed on the pendant not only preserved your memories and protected you, but it severed you from the curse. My happy ending is the only thing holding us all here." He pressed his brow to hers as he cupped her face in his warm palms. "I can't have that without you. Please, Belle. It's our chance for a new beginning. I love you so much."

"Rum, I can't just forget —"

"Yes, you can." He reached into his pocket and removed a dark blue vial, the potion swirling brightly behind the murky glass. "With this, I can take your memories, sweetheart. I can take you back to the day I rid us of Pan. You won't remember anything that happened after that day. You can love me again and we can go home. Or you can refuse and keep your memories. We'll just remain here in Storybrooke." He pressed the vial into her hand. "There's no going back to Destiny, Belle. It's your choice, however, as to whether you want to spend forever with me here or in the Enchanted Forest. It's your choice whether you choose to go back to when you loved me or preserve your memories of your new life."

Belle looked down at the potion in her hand. She could toss it into the fire and cling to her memories of Nicholas, to mourn his loss as she had Gold's, to yearn for his touch, his love … or she could drink the potion and forget the past ten years, forget the pain of losing Gold and begin a new life with him. A life filled with happiness and children and love. It would be as if he'd never died, as if she'd never left his side. They could be happy …

She couldn't raise her eyes to see the expectant look on his face. She knew what she had to do, and it was ripping her heart to shreds. Tears coursed down her face, and she bit violently at her lip to stop the sobs which rose in her throat from bursting past her lips. I'm so sorry, Nicholas. I love you so much. Please let him know how much I love him, she thought, saying one last goodbye to him even if only in her mind. She could practically feel the hope and happiness radiating from Gold as she removed the cork from the vial and raised it to her lips, swallowing the potion in one long gulp, the blue swirl of magic engulfing her and leaving her dizzy.

Gold caught her as she stumbled, her gaze dazed and unfocused. "Belle? Sweetheart, are you alright?" he asked, drawing her protectively against his chest.

"Mhmm," she hummed, pressing a kiss to the hollow of his throat. "What are we doing here? I thought we were going to meet Emma at Regina's vault."

Gold closed his eyes as he held her tightly, smiling in relief as the potion stole away her memories, leaving nothing but their love in their place. "All taken care of."

"Pan?"

"Gone," he confirmed, trailing light kisses over her face. "Gone forever." His lips brushed over hers and she hummed happily in response. One kiss. One kiss and they could go home. One kiss and they'd be happy … forever. "I love you, Belle," he murmured softly against her lips.

"I love you, too, Rum."

X*X*X*X*X

TJ wiped a hand over her brow and leaned against the cabinet at her back, careful of the latex gloves on her hands. She stared down at Airman Dunning, a worried frown pulling at her lips. "Has he said anything else, Lisa?"

"No," Dr Park said, shaking her head. "Brody helped me strap him down though, he was thrashing about so much. What do you think is wrong with him? Or Volker?"

"I don't know. I can't find anything physically wrong with them." She looked at her two patients, both in a near coma from who knew what. They'd simply collapsed. She didn't know what to do for them. Dunning had been brought in first, screaming about snakes and Volker shortly after, pleading not to be buried alive.

Greer carried another into the infirmary and TJ gasped. "Not Vanessa, too!"

"I found her in the armory, checking her weapons in after her trip offworld. She was screaming, all curled in on herself," Greer said, laying Vanessa down gently on a gurney.

TJ was quick with her examination, and again came up empty-handed. She pushed against the lieutenant's shoulders to hold her down as she cried out. "I didn't mean to kill him. It was an accident. I didn't mean to." Everett rushed to her side as he came into the infirmary, having been alerted to the epidemic by several concerned members of the crew.

"It's alright, lieutenant," he said, soothingly. "We know you didn't mean it." He shrugged when TJ cast him a questioning look. "Tamara, have you found anything? Is this something we need to worry is going to spread?"

"I don't know yet. I need to run some tests."

"Could it have been something they picked up on the planet?" he asked, moving with her over to her desk. He frowned as he took in the three patients. "They were all members of the away team. Maybe it's some pathogen? Parasite?"

TJ grabbed her kit and dug through it in search of another pair of gloves, tossing them to the colonel. "Only one way to find out. Let's check for parasites before hauling out the big guns to search for something internal."

Everett pulled the gloves on and started on Dunning's right side, TJ on the left as they searched every bit of bared skin for any signs of a parasite. "Has anyone else been brought in who wasn't on the team?"

"No," she shook her head as he lifted Dunning up so she could check the back of his head, "but I think it would be a good idea to get everyone who went down to the planet up here to the infirmary immediately."

Park moved to help TJ as Young removed the radio from his belt. "Rush, this is Young. Rush, come in. Rush!" He cursed beneath his breath.

"I hope you're going to curb that habit once our baby is born," TJ snarked, a grin playing on her lips.

He huffed a short bark of laughter. "I promise. So, Rush isn't answering his radio … big surprise." He lifted the radio again. "Dr French, this is Young, come in." Nothing. He thought quickly, trying to remember who had gone offworld. Scott, Chloe, and Barnes … all unaccounted for. "Greer. Grab a detail and round up the remainder of the away team. Rush and French aren't answering their radios. Check the control room, hydroponics, and their quarters first."

"Yes, sir."

X*X*X*X*X

"Strap him down!" Greer barked, fingering his swelling eye as two of his men dragged a violent Rush into the infirmary.

Young arched a brow at the master sergeant as the two marines secured Rush to a gurney. "What happened to you? Walk into a wall?"

"Hardly," he smirked. "The old bastard got the drop on me."

"Where did you find him?" the colonel asked as Lisa began to examine the doctor.

"Control room on the floor next to his console. He was twitching pretty badly. I only touched his arm to check him and bam!" Greer admitted ruefully.

Everett chuckled, knowing it had to rub the man raw that Rush had given him what would be a lovely black eye. "I'll see to it you get an extra portion of the cobbler stuff Becker's whipping up for dessert. And Belle? She's the only one unaccounted for."

Scott and Chloe had been found on the observation deck in pretty much the same condition, though not quite as violent as Nicholas. "Rivers and Rennie are checking her quarters. She wasn't in hydroponics or any of her usual haunts," Greer said, taking an ice pack TJ offered him and laying it over his eye to combat the swelling.

"We got her!" Rennie called out as he came into the infirmary bearing an unconscious Belle. She was unresponsive, though the tear stains on her face attested to her own internal struggle like the rest of them had been experiencing. The airman laid her on the gurney to Rush's left and cast his worried gaze to the colonel. "Sir, is she going to be alright?" He had a soft spot for the little brunette – as many of the crew did – and the concern evident in his gaze was shared by his companion.

"She's going to be fine. You two, do a random check. I've confined everyone to quarters until this is over. Do a door to door and make sure no one else is suffering any ill effects. Go!" Young ordered. He didn't need anyone else in the infirmary getting in the way.

"Everett, come here," TJ called to him. "I think I found something."

Young moved over to Belle's bedside. "You had to start with her?" he asked incredulously.

"Would you rather us wake Rush up first – if I'm right – and have him hovering and cursing and threatening everyone? If we can remove the parasite successfully from Belle first, she can help us with him," she reasoned. She turned the light up a notch from where she'd set it beside the gurney and held a magnifying glass towards the nape of Belle's neck. "It's difficult to see, which is why I missed it on my initial examination. You see, right there?"

Young squinted at the tiny black bug attached to the back of her neck, just beneath the hairline. "Mhmm, yeah. Looks like a tick."

"Yeah. I just checked the others; they all have one, same spot – top of the neck there," TJ confirmed. "I don't know for sure, but I think this is what's causing the comas. I'm thinking they probably inject a venom or some sort of toxin that affects the brain's chemistry, bringing their worst fears to life. From what I can tell, Volker is afraid of being buried alive, Dunning is deathly afraid of snakes, Vanessa's afraid she's killed someone, Scott is seeing himself as a failure for not being there for his son, Chloe is blaming herself for her father's death and Rush is running from the blue aliens."

"And Dr French?" Everett asked as he stared down at the petite woman on the gurney.

"She's the only one who hasn't been screaming. There's no telling what's going on in her head. What would Belle have to be frightened of? I've never met anyone like her. The only thing she's said is Rush's name," TJ said, clearly puzzled.

"Can you remove it?"

TJ shrugged, reaching for a pair of tweezers. "They seem similar to Earth ticks. I could try and remove it the same way." She lifted the magnifying glass and the tweezers, leaning close to the back of Belle's head and gently took hold of the exposed end of the tick. Belle's whole body jerked, her back bowing up off the gurney as she struggled for breath.

Everett gripped her shoulders as she started to convulse. "What's happening?"

"I don't know! She's crashing. We need to start CPR," TJ yelled, grabbing the airbag from the tray on the table while Young began compressions. She removed the bag and leaned in closer to Belle's mouth, listening for breath sounds as Young continued to pump at her chest. Finally, Belle drew in a weak breath and relaxed against the bed.

"She's breathing, Everett, stop." She put the airbag down and put her fingers to the pulse point throbbing weakly in her throat. "She's back."

"Alright, we've got to get it out of her," Young said, rolling her onto her side so TJ could see what she was doing.

TJ groaned as she got a closer look. Even less of the tick was visible above her skin. "It's dug in even deeper."

X*X*X*X*X

TJ wrapped her stethoscope around her neck and set aside the blood pressure cuff. "Her pulse is normal and BP's back in range."

"And removing the thing is impossible?"

"No," the medic sighed wearily, rubbing at the near constant pain in her back. "It's just that when I tried to pull it off, it must have released more toxin. I just have to figure out another way."

Young left her and Park alone to check on the team he'd sent door to door to check on the rest of the crew.

X*X*X*X*X

"Colonel," TJ called as he came back into the infirmary sometime later.

"Hey, what've you got?" he asked, making his way to her side.

TJ gave a weary sigh. "The venom we extracted from the jungle planet creature – it worked as an anesthetic on Rush during his surgery. I think that if I apply it topically to the tick …"

"Knock it out and give you time to remove it."

"Worth a shot," she murmured, fatigue already beginning to wear on her.

"Tamara," he whispered gently as his hand slipped around her to knead the tight muscles at the small of her back. "Why don't you go back to our quarters and lie down for a while. Park and I can work on the tick removal."

"I'm fine, Everett," she assured him, leaning into his touch. "I need to be here."

"You're suffering. You need to rest," he protested. "I'm worried about you."

"I'll be fine. As soon as we get this done and everyone's back to normal, I promise I'll rest."

"Alright, let's get to work."

X*X*X*X*X

Belle's eyes fluttered open. They felt like someone had taken sandpaper to them and her head ached as if Thor's mighty hammer were chipping away at her brain matter. She groaned, trying to lift her hand to press to her temples only to find it clasped tightly in both of Rush's. "Belle …" he whispered softly, brushing the hair away from her face as he leaned in to kiss her. "How are you feeling, love?"

"Wh - What happened?" she asked, still groggy from whatever had been done to her. His beloved face swam in and out of focus as he helped her sit up on the gurney. "What's wrong with me?"

He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her fingertips. "From what Lt Johansen has been able to tell us, we apparently picked up a bug on the planet. It injected us with some sort of toxin which put us into a coma and forced us to live out our worst nightmares."

Belle's eyes filled with tears, her lower lip trembling as she reached out to cradle his face in her hands. "It was all a d - dream? You're here?" she asked tremulously. She pulled him down to her, burying her face in his neck as she wept tears of relief.

Nicholas held her tightly, feeling she needed the support and comfort ... if her grip on him was any indication. "Shh, mo stór, I'm here. It's alright. It was just a nightmare."

She cried harder. "No, they t - took me away from you. I c - couldn't get back to you, N - Nicholas." Her whole body shook with tremors as she sobbed in his arms. "E - Everything I've been running from for the l - last decade —"

He lifted her in his arms and carried her from the infirmary, glaring at TJ as she opened her mouth to forestall their departure. Belle didn't need her medical services any longer. She just needed him. He murmured soothing nonsense to her all the way to their quarters where he locked the door behind them and laid her gently on their bed, following after her.

"Belle, love, it was just a dream. No one is going to take you from me," he assured her. Yet, still she continued to weep. He didn't know how long he lay there with her, secure in his embrace, before her sobs faded away into little hiccups and she relaxed her grip on him. "Tell me what I can do, mo chroí, to help you," he whispered, his lips ghosting over her temple.

Belle bit her lip to still its trembling as her heart clenched with fear and pain. Unimaginable pain. Gold was alive, had held her in his arms. It couldn't have been a dream. He'd felt just as real to her as Rush did now. "I need … we need to use the stones. As soon as you can arrange it." She looked up at him with watery eyes, her face stained with the tracks of her tears. "Please, Nicholas. I have to be certain."

"Belle —"

"Please, Nicholas. I have to be sure. I know you hate to visit Earth … so do I, but I have to do this, and I need you to be with me when I do."

Unable to bear the despair and pain in her gaze, he reached for the radio clipped to his belt. "Colonel Young, this is Rush," he said, his voice hoarse with emotion. It was tearing him up inside to see his Belle so overwrought.

"Go ahead, Rush. And why did you leave the infirmary? You need to come back and let TJ examine you and Dr French," the man barked irritably.

Rush bit back a retort and pressed the comm button. "Colonel, Belle and I need to use the stones. Do you think you could arrange that?" he asked.

"What?! You just woke up from a coma, man! Why would you need to use —"

Nicholas cut him off. "Colonel, it is merely a courtesy asking your permission, you understand."

Young was silent for a full minute before he sighed. "Fine. How soon do you need to —"

"An hour at most. And I can't guarantee how long we'll be. I wouldn't ask if it weren't important."

"An hour."

Belle drew in a shaky breath as she nestled into Rush's chest and curled her arm over his waist. "Thank you, darling."

He set the radio aside and wrapped himself around her, cocooning her in his embrace. "Anything for you, my Belle."

X*X*X*X*X

Rush tried to focus on the road, but couldn't seem to stop himself from casting furtive glances over at Belle as she sat silently in the passenger seat of the SUV which had been awaiting them at the communications base in Bangor. From there it was just over an hour commute to Storybrooke. Daniel had volunteered to switch with him again, but Mehta hadn't been available to Belle. Instead she was currently inhabiting the body of a petite USAF major named Lexie Rinaldo. She was a petite blonde with blue eyes and a warm smile, but she couldn't compare to his Belle. Major Peterson sat in the back, having insisted on accompanying them out of state. Several states, in fact, he thought as the Maine highway flew past.

Belle had said little once they'd completed the transfer to Earth. It just wasn't like her not to be bubbling with energy and talking non-stop. She was rarely silent, and it had him more concerned than he was willing to admit.

"Slow down, Nicholas. You need to turn right at the fork ahead. It should take us straight into Storybrooke," she said softly, her voice flat and devoid of emotion. He knew her iron will was the only thing driving her right now. The need for answers could be a powerful motivator.

"I've never heard of Storybrooke, Maine, Dr French," Peterson remarked casually from the backseat. "And it's not on the map."

"It was a very close knit community," she murmured. There was a distinct possibility it wasn't even there. She fought back a fresh wave of tears as the sign at the town line came into view, panic steadily rising in her chest.

Rush reached over and covered her hand with his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "We don't have to do this, Belle. Just say the word and I'll turn the car around right now."

She turned her watery eyes to him and tried to smile, though it came out as more of a grimace. "No, I need to do this. I've been running for far too long."

She sucked in a deep breath as they crossed the town line. She could practically smell the magic in the air, that familiar hint of ozone which always surrounded Rumpelstiltskin. The town was still there, and the thought had her wrapping her arms about her middle, almost as if she were trying to keep herself intact. The quaint little homes, the sheriff station, the diner. They were all there without a hint that a curse had created it. She was sure it looked to Rush just like any other small town in America.

"Pull over there, Nicholas," she instructed, pointing to an empty spot on the street outside the diner. "I'm sure you and the major will want something for breakfast. I'm sorry for making you drive out here so early."

Rush pulled into the space and killed the car, turning to her and dragging her into his arms, his voice soft in her ear. "I would do anything for you, Belle. I hope you know that." He smoothed his fingers along her cheek. "It will be fine. I won't leave you for a moment."

"I know," she sighed. She pulled out of his embrace. "After breakfast, Major, I'd like for Nicholas and I to have some time to ourselves if you don't mind. I promise to keep in contact with you periodically."

The major nodded in agreement and got out of the car, opening the door for her. She shivered as she stepped out into the brisk autumn morning, fighting back a wave of nostalgia for the last time she'd walked these streets with her love, her hand clasped in his. Her hand slipped easily into Rush's as he led her up the walkway and into the diner. Silence greeted them, a hush falling over the diners as they made their way to an empty booth.

Nicholas wrapped his arm about her shoulders and pulled her close as he followed her into the booth, Peterson taking the other side. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," she gritted out through clenched teeth as her eyes scanned the diners. "Don't let them bother you. They aren't used to strangers."

She even managed a smile for Ruby when she finally came to the table with some menus. "Hi, welcome to Granny's. Can I get you guys something to drink?"

Belle smiled over at Nicholas. "Coffee black, double shot espresso, Venti, please and Earl Grey tea for me." Peterson ordered a black coffee minus the espresso. Rush was practically drooling over the thought of rich black Colombian coffee. Ruby smiled, casting them a curious glance before rushing off to fill their orders. She returned shortly and Nicholas didn't hesitate to lift the cup to his lips, his eyes closing in pleasure.

Ruby held her pad and pen at the ready as the men made their final decisions on what to have. Peterson chose a western omelet with toast while Rush ordered two eggs over easy, bacon and an English muffin. Belle smirked at Rush and ordered a basket of chili cheese fries with jalapeno slices and bacon. Ruby gaped at her and dropped her pen.

"Something wrong, miss?" Rush asked, frowning at the waitress.

"N - No," she said, waving a dismissive hand as she retrieved her pen and scribbled the order on her pad. "I just had a friend once who used to order … y'know, nevermind. Just reminded me of her I guess. I'll have this right out to you."

"Just couldn't resist, could you?" Rush asked, his warm breath caressing her ear. "Did you know her well?"

"She was my best friend," Belle smiled a little wistfully. She turned to whisper mischievously, "She's also a werewolf."

Rush turned startled eyes on her as he choked on his coffee and reached for a napkin from the dispenser. She stifled a giggle and turned back to the occupants of the diner, searching out familiar faces.

Leroy sat at the counter with a little boy who favored him, his little overalls and plaid shirt rather cute on his small form. It made her wonder if he'd finally won the hand of his true love. Astrid was a flighty little fairy, but she was sweet, and she couldn't help but hope that they'd found happiness.

The bell on the door rang, signaling a new customer and Belle looked over to see Dr. Archie Hopper enter with a set of twin girls who ran over to Ruby and threw their arms about her waist with a shout of 'Mommy!' Granny came out of the back room and shooed them from behind the counter with a fond grumble for the pair.

Ruby came over and served their breakfast, but Belle only managed a few bites, her nerves twisting and churning her stomach to the point where it didn't want to hold any food. It only grew worse when the door opened again and Emma Swan came in, greeting Ruby and Archie before her eyes were drawn to Belle and her companions in the corner booth. She wouldn't be the least bit surprised to learn Ruby had called her to tell the sheriff about the strangers in town. As long as she didn't run into Regina, she'd be fine.

Emma smiled warmly as she sauntered over to the table. "Hi, I'm Emma Swan, the sheriff. What brings you to Storybrooke?"

Belle regarded her coolly, returning her smile. "Just passing through. We had business in the area, took a wrong turn and saw the diner. Thought it would be as good a place as any to grab a bite to eat." She had to force back a laugh as Emma's eyes narrowed on her, searching for the lie, confused when she didn't find one. It was just evasive enough not to be an outright lie. Belle did have business in the area - learning whether Rumpelstiltskin was really gone - they had taken more than one wrong turn after they'd left the airstrip, and she knew for a fact Granny's was the best diner in Maine.

The tall blonde seemed to accept her answer when her ability to detect lies helped to ease her suspicions. "Well, enjoy your stay. Let me know if there's anything I can do for you."

Belle ordered another coffee for Rush as Peterson paid their tab, breathing deeply to calm her rattled nerves once they left the diner. Peterson retreated to the SUV and the laptop he'd brought with him, planning to use it to pass the time while he waited for them. Rush's arm slipped about her waist as she pointed out the direction she wanted to go.

"Where to next?" he asked, sipping gingerly at the brew in his to-go cup.

She stiffened, squaring her shoulders with determination and strengthening her resolve. "The pawn shop. I have to go there. If I don't, I'll never be able to put this part of my life behind me."

He brushed a kiss to her temple. "As you wish, love. Can I ask what that remark was all about back there in the diner about the waitress?" he asked, patting himself on the back for restraining himself as long as he had.

Belle laughed for the first time since before she'd woken up in the infirmary. "Remember my past? Or what you saw of it in my memories?"

"Yes. How could I forget Rumpelsnarkskin," he quipped.

"Hahaha, Nicholas," she murmured dryly. "Well, we're not the only fairy tale characters to have come over with the curse. "Our waitress … Little Red Riding Hood. The man who came in with the twin girls was Jiminy Cricket and the man at the counter with the sweet little boy? That was Grumpy."

"Wait, as in the seven dwarves, Grumpy?" he asked incredulously, his mouth gaping. He was still finding it difficult to wrap his analytical mind about her fairy tale past.

"Yup."

"And the sheriff?"

"Snow White and Prince Charming's daughter." Her eyes sparkled with deviltry as she stopped in front of the door leading into the pawn shop which still bore Gold's name on the sign, feeling her smile slip to be replaced with a sense of dread. They'd spent so much time there together. Nothing like the pink Victorian or the library, but here was where his treasures were stored, a story woven within each piece. How could she walk into his world and not see him standing behind the counter or in the back room tinkering away on some piece of their history together.

Rush paused with his hand on the doorknob, watching her warily. "Belle we don't have to go in if you'd rather not."

"I know, but this is one of the reasons I made you bring me all the way out here. I have to do this."

The bell over the door chimed and she felt her heart clench, the familiar sound reverberating all along her spine. The shutters were open, light filtering through the slats and shining onto the display cases. She could feel her hands shake with trepidation, her stomach protesting the greasy breakfast she'd consumed. She slipped her hand into Rush's, squeezing tightly as their fingers twined.

"I'll be out in a moment," a deep voice sounded from the back room. She breathed out a deep breath as she realized it wasn't the voice she'd been expecting. A moment later, a young familiar face poked his head through the curtain, stealing away her breath. "Hi, welcome to Gold's, can I help you?"

"H-Henry?" she stuttered, taking in the suit and tie he wore. His youthful face had evened out into lines that reminded her of his grandfather, but his smile was all Baelfire.

"Do I know you?" he asked, cocking his head to the side as his brow furrowed.

Rush gave her hand a warning squeeze as he moved to the counter. "No, we're just passing through, lad. I was wondering if you could tell me about that book you have in the window? My wife here has a thing for books. Especially rare volumes."

Henry shook his head as if to clear it and led them over to the window. "I'm sorry, that book's not for sale, but I could show it to you if you like," he offered, retrieving it from the front window and laying it out on the display case. "It's rather rare, one of a kind actually, but it's a family heirloom and I can't seem to bring myself to part with it. I just use it for window decoration to draw in customers who might be interested in other volumes I have here."

Belle's hands reverently caressed the storybook, her fingers tracing over the words in gold gilt lettering across the cover. Her hands trembled as she flipped through the pages until she found her own story, tears springing to her eyes as she took in Rumpelstiltskin's face shadowed in profile. Her finger traced lovingly over his image as she swallowed around the lump in her throat.

"That's one of my favorite stories," Henry muttered softly, studying her curiously.

"Mine as well," she whispered softly, unable to take her eyes from the page.

Rush cleared his throat, drawing the man's attention away from Belle. "This is a rather nice place you have here."

"Thanks," Henry smiled, always pleased by the praise to the family business. "It was my grandpa's shop. When he passed away, it went to my father. Dad would rather play deputy and spend his time working with my mom. She's the sheriff. So, when I was old enough, he passed it on to me."

"Your grandpa was Mr Gold?" Rush asked, carefully eyeing the boy.

"Yeah, he was. He … um … he died about ten years ago," Henry murmured, pulling absently at his collar. "He was a good man. Not everyone thought so, but to me he was."

"He must have loved you very much," Belle mumbled, swiping surreptitiously at her tears. She cast a watery smile his way as she closed the book. "Thank you so much for your time." She beat a hasty retreat to the door, leaving Rush behind to explain her abrupt departure. She couldn't do it. She couldn't stand there and talk to Henry about Gold without completely losing her composure. It offered her small comfort that the boy had been able to see so clearly behind the mask Gold had perfected over the years.

Belle leaned against the building, tears flowing unchecked down her face as she looked across the street at the library. She laughed hysterically as she wondered who might have taken over its upkeep after she'd left. It had been a gift from her love, and she'd abandoned it just as she'd abandoned the town … as they'd abandoned her. She barely noticed when Nicholas exited the pawnshop and took her in his arms.

"Belle, what is it? Are you alright?" he whispered, tucking her head beneath his chin as she fought to pull herself together. It didn't make her feel any better to hear an unwelcome voice sound behind her.

"Hey, are you ok?" Emma asked, staring at Rush over Belle's shoulder.

"Yeah, she's fine, thanks."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"No, thank you," Belle said, straightening and wiping away her tears on the back of her sleeve. "If you'll excuse us." She didn't give Emma a chance to answer, taking Rush's arm and leading him down the street to her last stop.

Henry stepped out on the sidewalk, staring after the pair of strangers. "What's up, mom?"

"I don't know, Henry, but my Spidey senses are tingling and not in a good way. Did they seem a bit strange to you?" she asked, watching the pair cross the street in the direction of the flower shop. Her eyes narrowed as she saw them go into Game of Thorns. "What do you suppose they'd want with flowers if they're just passing through?"

"They seemed nice. The man was interested in the Once Upon a Time book for his wife, but I told him it wasn't for sale. She seemed a bit upset while she was looking through it."

Emma cut her eyes at him, curious. "Did she seem interested in a particular story, or did she just flip through it?"

Henry frowned. "Mom, what are you thinking?"

"Just answer the question," she said, screwing her face up in exasperation. "Humor your mother."

He chuckled. "Actually she was interested in Beauty and the Beast. You know ... grandpa's story." He thought for a moment. "And her husband asked about him."

"Who, the beast?"

"No, Mom … Grandpa."

Emma arched a brow as her intuition poked her with a pointy stick. She groaned inwardly as she leaned up to kiss her son on the cheek. "I'll see you later. Don't forget you and Grace are having dinner with us tonight."

He said goodbye to her, but she barely heard him as she set off towards the flower shop. Something wasn't right about that woman, and she intended to find out what it was. The clues were right there, staring her in the face, but she didn't know of any magic that could possibly change someone that much. And plastic surgery could change certain things, but not height, or the timbre of someone's voice. She'd bet her next bear claw the woman was more than she seemed.

X*X*X*X*X

Rush pulled Belle along behind him into the flower shop and into a secluded corner, disappearing amongst the lilies and roses and jonquils set out in a vibrant display, happy the florist was busy with a customer. She was nearly hyperventilating again, and he was tired of all the cloak and dagger bullshit. "Belle -"

Her hand clamped over his mouth. "Shh!" she hissed in warning, her eyes wide with alarm. "Don't use my real name. Emma, I'm sure, is already suspicious."

"You've got to give me something, love. How am I supposed to protect you if I don't know what the hell is going on!?" he growled in an angry whisper. "Why are you so afraid? I know this has something to do with what you experienced in your coma, but I don't like being kept in the dark."

"I promise to tell you everything, just … Nicholas, please, just trust me?" she asked, her eyes wide and pleading with him to understand, to put his trust in her.

Rush sighed, finally nodding. The tension eased from her shoulders, and she raised up on her toes to press her lips to his, ignoring the fact that he was presently in Daniel's body. She paled, however, when she stepped away from him and saw who was at the counter.

Nicholas bumped into her as she stopped mid-step on her way to the front of the shop. "What is it?"

She pointed silently and pulled him behind a display of geraniums. "Snow White and —"

"Let me guess … the Evil Queen?" he snarked. His mouth gaped when she nodded. "The same one who locked you up?" he asked, his teeth gnashing together as she nodded again. This was what he got for falling in love with a fictional character, he thought bemusedly. "And the man behind the counter?" He was almost afraid of the answer.

"My father."

"Wonderful. Just grand, love." He linked his fingers with hers and pulled her towards the front of the shop, ready to be done with this errand. Thankfully, he wasn't in his own body, wasn't her potential fiancé – though he was determined to revisit that thought later – and didn't have to worry about making a good impression. He caught just the tail end of the ladies conversation – something about arrangements for the fall festival the woman with the pixie cut was chairing – and more for the town hall. Whatever it was all about, it seemed to bring a smile to his Belle's lips and for that he was grateful.

Regina glanced curiously at Rush, her gaze seeming to dismiss Belle as she handed the florist a check. "Thank you, Mr French. I'll be expecting those arrangements no later than Tuesday," she murmured distractedly as she smiled at Rush. "Hello, I don't believe I've seen you in town before. I'm Regina Mills, Mayor of Storybrooke."

He arched a brow, his blue eyes searing a hole through the hand she offered until she withdrew it. "How nice for you —"

"Please ignore my husband," Belle interjected, toying with the hem of her light jacket as she elbowed Rush in the ribs. "He's a bit out of sorts. We took a detour and wound up here instead of the bed and breakfast he'd booked several towns over."

Regina's dark gaze reminded Rush of a viper eyeing a juicy mouse, but he held his silence, offering her a tight smile. "Well," she finally said, "I hope you enjoy your visit."

The relief was evident on her face as she watched Snow and Regina leave the shop, glad to be rid of them. Moe French smiled kindly at her as she stepped up to the counter and she forgot how to speak, her memories reminding her of a better time before her relationship with Rumpelstiltskin had made him bitter and angry, before he'd rejected her, before he'd tried to destroy her mind by sending her across the town line in a minecart. She forgot all of that as she stared up into his pale blue eyes. Right now he was her papa and she needed him more than air.

"Hello, miss, how may I help you today?" he asked, his voice warm and sad at the same time. It made her wonder how much time he'd spent being sad after she'd run from Storybrooke.

"Magic is green," she found herself saying before she could stop herself. "Little fairies sing …"

"And the peonies bloom for my Belle in the spring …" he finished, his deep voice trailing off into a gasp as he stared wide-eyed at the strange girl in his shop. "How …"

Rush wanted to kick something – really hard – as he watched the tears trek down her face and drip from her chin.

"My little daughter, my Belle, she used to say that when she was a child." He hurried around the counter and grasped her upper arms as he loomed over her. "Do you know her? Do you know where she is?"

Rush rolled his eyes as she shot him a pleading look and gestured for her to go ahead. She'd already stuck her foot in it, she might as well get muddy.

She shook off her father's hands and clasped them tightly in hers. "I had to see you while I was here, Papa," she said softly, her eyes begging him to believe and trust in her. "It's me … Belle."

Maurice's eyes searched her face, searching for any trace of his daughter in the stranger before him. He knew he would be able to clear up any confusion as to her identity with one question. His eyes flickered furtively over to her companion, who seemed nothing but concerned for the little blonde in military dress. "Who took my Belle from me?"

Her lip trembled as she smiled up at him. "My true love … Rumpelstiltskin."

He dropped her hands and hurried to the door, throwing the lock and flipping the sign to closed. He even pulled the shade to keep onlookers from peering through the window. He approached her slowly. "Belle? Is it really you, my darling girl?" he asked, tears welling in his eyes.

She threw herself into his arms, letting him envelop her in his embrace. "It's me, Papa," she cried, weeping years of heartache and miscommunication out on his shirt.

"What happened to you? Magic? Who did this to you?" he asked in a rush, pulling her into the back room with him and gesturing for Nicholas to follow.

"Mo chroí, this is a horrible idea and I'm telling you now I don't like it!" Nicholas hissed in Ancient, making his feelings on the subject clear.

"This is something I need to do, Nicholas. He's my father and there's a good chance I won't get to see him again. Let me say goodbye."

Rush sighed, knowing he couldn't, in good conscience, deny her request. "Fine. I'm going to have Peterson fetch me another coffee while you two catch up," he said sulkily, tugging her forward to give her a swift kiss. He didn't want her father to have any doubt in his mind where he stood with Belle.

"I love you, Nicholas," she murmured, a rosy blush coloring her cheeks.

He paused in the doorway and grinned wickedly. "Aye, my treasure, I love you, too."

"Belle," Maurice said, eyeing her curiously. "Please. I need to know what happened to you, how you got this way."

Belle sat down on the stool at his worktable and heaved a deep breath. "It's a rather long story. Papa, you have to understand that I couldn't stay here after … after what happened to Rumpel." She went on to tell him about her flight over the town line, her academic career which had led her to Nicholas and a modified version of her life on Destiny. There was no reason to make the poor man worry more than he already had.

"So your mind is in someone else's body?" he asked, staring at her wide-eyed, a bewildered expression on his face.

"Yes. I'm still me, though, Papa. At least I got to see you," she smiled. "Now, tell me what happened after I left. Have you ventured from Storybrooke at all?"

He sighed, removing his ball cap and scratching at his thinning hair. "Well, Regina, Emma and their boy saved us all from Pan's curse after the Dark One … er … Gold," he amended when she arched a brow at him, "sacrificed himself to save us all from Pan. I didn't know what had happened to you. Even Sheriff Swan and Regina couldn't find you. Now, I understand it was because you didn't want to be found."

She reached out and squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I couldn't stay, Papa ... not when every little thing would remind me of Rumpel. I needed to leave, to find a new life for myself without him. But I have Nicholas now, and I'm happy, so I don't want you to worry about me."

"How can I not, Belle? You're not even on the planet!" he hissed, looking over his shoulder as if expecting someone to come and snatch her away from him.

"Just know that I've found my happy ending, Papa. Be happy for me."

"I am, daughter," he said, drawing her into his embrace. "I love you so much, Belle, and I'm so thankful you've finally come home."

"Belle," Nicholas called softly from the doorway. "Your friend, Sheriff Swan is heading this way, and she doesn't look very happy. Do you want to talk to her as well or are you ready to go back?"

She looked at him, startled. "Emma can't know who I am. She'll have too many questions I'm just not prepared to answer. Perhaps one day, but not now." Nicholas nodded, accepting her decision and dialed Peterson on his cell, giving the major directions to the florist shop.

"No, you can't leave already," Moe protested. "I've only just got you back. There's still so much I have to say."

"I know, Papa," she said softly, reaching up to stroke his cheek. "And we will. I'll arrange to see you again, I promise. Trust me."

The SUV pulled up behind Game of Thorns as Emma began pounding on the front door of the shop. Moe looked warily towards the door and then back at Belle. "I do, Petal. I love you."

"I love you, too, Papa."

X*X*X*X*X

Nicholas rested his chin on his Belle's shoulder as he sat on the stool, and she stood between his parted legs tapping out code on the console. She was perfectly content to work with him practically wrapped around her. They had returned to Destiny only a scant hour ago and he'd chased everyone from the control room so they could have their privacy to talk.

"I'm sorry you didn't have more time with your father, but it seemed to have done you some good to spend even a little with him," he said, catching her hand and showing her the mistake she'd made in the line.

She quickly corrected it and began again. "I'm glad I went back. It was worth it to see him. We parted on rather bad terms long before I left Storybrooke."

"You want to tell me what prompted our little visit?" he asked, his tone coaxing her to share with him. He hated to push, usually allowing her to share in her own time, but he had to admit to being more than a little curious.

Belle stiffened, but she didn't push him away. "My greatest fear. When I was in my coma, I lived my greatest fear," she whispered, her fingers slowing on the console and finally stopping as she set his notebook aside and turned in his arms to face him.

His eyes were soft sable brown, filled with love and concern for her as his hands squeezed her hips lightly. "What is your fear, Belle?"

She looked away, her gaze focused on the buttons of his waistcoat, unable to look at the worry upon his face if she was going to explain what she'd been running from. "My biggest fear, when I left Storybrooke, was that someone would come to drag me back. I couldn't stay there, Nicholas. Gold was gone … there was nothing left for me there. So I ran. I ran to escape the pain."

Rush brushed her tears away and pulled her in for a light kiss, his thumbs gently caressing her cheekbones. "Tell me what happened, Belle. I've never seen you so frightened and upset about anything. Frankly, you scared the shit out of me."

"I'm sorry. It's just really hard to talk about this after keeping my secrets for so long." She sighed and rested her head against his shoulder. "In my nightmare, O'Neill called me down to HWC because Emma had broken into headquarters and got herself caught. When I went to see her in interrogation, she knew it was me. She knew! It was awful. She took me back to Storybrooke and she and Regina and Gold … yes," she said at his befuddled expression, "Gold was alive. They switched my body for McCormack's and brought me back to Storybrooke."

"How the hell —"

"Magic, darling. Gold is … was … very powerful, never doubt it. I was trapped with no way to get back to you." Tears slowly made their way over her lashes to spill down her ashen face again, but she took comfort in his tight embrace, drawing strength from his love. "I love you, Nicholas. As much as I loved Gold, I lost him. I can't bear to lose you, too."

"You won't, my Belle."

"So now you see why I had to go back. I had to make sure he was really gone. I had to confront my fear rather than run from it over and over. Now I'm free. Although, I would very much like to visit my father again."

He stroked his hand over her hair, his fingers kneading the tension from her nape. "I'll talk to O'Neill personally. We'll make it work."

The FTL drive disengaged, and she slumped against him with a wave of dizziness. She wondered if she'd ever grow accustomed to the sensation. Rush reached around her and pulled up the link to the gate room, a new feature Brody had coordinated a few days before. Young joined them, poking his head into the control room to make sure he was welcome. Someone must have warned him that Rush wanted to be alone with Belle.

"So, you two, what've we got?" He took in Belle's red nose and tear stained face and frowned with concern. "Dr French, are you well?"

"Fine, Colonel, thank you." She looked down at the console and nodded. "Atmosphere's good if you want to send a team."

Rush looked up at the clock above the door. "Ten hours on the countdown. Shall we take a look?"

Young shrugged. "I suppose. Our luck's gotta change at some point."

"Just remember the bug spray," Belle snarked, grinning cheekily at Young.

Rush and Young both shook their heads at her as the colonel lifted his radio and pressed the comm button. "Scott, this is Young. Get a team ready. You're going off world."

A/N: OMG I AM AN EMOTIONAL TRAIN WRECK! You can thank AquaJasmine23 and Emilie Brown for inspiring this chapter (Way back when, but regardless …). I want to tell you I am ready to curl up beneath my desk and not come out for a week! I've never bawled so hard while writing a story before, but we needed to have Belle face the fear of her past at some point and I figured this would be as good a time as any. If you read the chapter all the way through and didn't abandon the fic in the middle, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you all!