02x11 - The Outsider
Posted: 01/15/13 09:02
–[Storybrooke]–
(Mr. Gold’s car comes to a stop in front of the town boundary. He gets out and then pops the truck, where Smee is bound and gagged inside. Mr. Gold removes the gag and leads Smee over to the town line.)
Mr. Gold: This will only take a moment.
Smee: Don’t…push me over. If I cross the line, I’ll lose my memory. It’s a cruel fate.
Mr. Gold: A fate you were more than willing to bestow upon Belle.
(Mr. Gold kicks Smee to the ground and takes his hat.)
Mr. Gold: You’ve had this rag since the day we met. Why is it so important to you?
Smee: My grandmother made it for me when I was a boy. It’s always brought me good fortune. What difference does it make?
(Mr. Gold pours a potion over the hat, causing it to glow with magic.)
Mr. Gold: Oh… All the difference in the world. It’s your only chance.
(He throws the hat back to Smee, who quickly puts it on.)
Smee: What do you mean, my only-
(Suddenly, Mr. Gold pushes Smee over the town boundary. A surge of blue magic pulses through his body, and then stops.)
Mr. Gold: What’s your name?
Smee: William Smee.
Mr. Gold: And who am I?
Smee: Rumpelstiltskin. The Dark One. I remember everything! How can this be?
Mr. Gold: Well, it seems our little experiment was a success. Now go.
(Smee flees the scene.)
Mr. Gold: I have a trip to plan.
———–
(Several of the Storybrooke residents are gathered around a casket and a tombstone. It reads ‘Archibald Hopper – Friend and Conscience’. Mary Margaret gives a eulogy to the crowd.)
MMB: Some of us knew him as Archie. Others, as Jiminy. But we all knew him as a true friend. And though, he may now be gone, he will always live on inside of us. Reminding us to be our best selves, to do the right thing, to always fight for what we believe in. So, we shouldn’t think of today as goodbye, just as a way of saying… Archie, we’ll be listening.
(Marco walks up to the tombstone and lays Archie’s umbrella against it.)
Marco: I miss you so much, my friend. Well, at least… You are in a better place.
———–
(In the hold of Hook’s ship, Hook is interrogating Archie, who is still tied up.)
Archie: Wait! No, please, don’t! Wait! Please! Please!
Hook: Shh… As your patient, the Dark One must’ve told you all manner of secrets. Where is his dagger?
Archie: I don’t know anything about a dagger.
Hook: No, you don’t, do you? It’s his weakness. Now, tell me, does he have any others?
(Archie doesn’t respond.)
Hook: Very well. I’ve always wanted to dissect a cricket.
(Hook digs his hook into Archie’s forehead.)
Archie: No! Wait. Wait. Please.
Hook: Ah… That’s more like it. Now tell me, Cricket, what is his weakness?
———–
(Belle enters Mr. Gold’s Pawn Shop.)
Belle: Hey. What, uh… What’s wrong that you couldn’t tell me on the phone?
Mr. Gold: I did it. I can leave.
Belle: You can cross the town line?
Mr. Gold: Indeed, I can. When I pour this potion onto the object I hold most dear, that object becomes a talisman, and allows me to cross the town line and still remember who I am.
Belle: And who you’re looking for?
Mr. Gold: My boy.
Belle: What, um… What will you enchant?
Mr. Gold: Well…
(Mr. Gold reveals a hidden safe behind a painting. He unlocks the safe, a pulls out a well worn shawl.)
Mr. Gold: This shawl…is all I have left of my Baelfire.
Belle: I don’t suppose I could come with you?
Mr. Gold: No, I… I… I truly wish you could, but… I only have enough of this potion for one object.
(He puts the shawl back into the safe.)
Mr. Gold: Hey. This is my journey, Belle. This is my journey. I’m afraid it’s something I have to do alone.
(They hug.)
Belle: I know.
–[Fairy Tale Land - Past]–
(Belle is reading at a table in a pub. She watches a crowd gather around a man on the other side of the room.)
Man: There’s a fearsome beast ravaging a faraway kingdom. Its eyes burn with fire. They call it the yaoguai. No man has been able to k*ll it, but we will. There’s room on our wagon. Now, who’s going to join us?
(Grumpy approaches Belle’s table and sits down.)
Grumpy: Looking for an adventure?
Belle: Dreamy, right?
Grumpy: Yes. I came to thank you. That advice you gave me last night? It worked. Nova and I are running away together.
Belle: That… That’s wonderful.
Grumpy: Why don’t you sign up?
Belle: I, um… I’ve always dreamt of heroics, but… I think it’s safer I stick to my books. They’re the only adventures I know that have happy endings.
Grumpy: Well, maybe this one’ll have one, too.
Belle: Well, yeah, I doubt it. Last time I faced a beast, it… It didn’t end well.
Grumpy: What are you talking about?
Man: Men, follow me. Yaoguai awaits.
(The men begin filing out of the tavern.)
Grumpy: Get on that wagon. Go. Take a chance.
Belle: Thank you.
(Belle packs up her book and goes to leave, but Grumpy stops her.)
Grumpy: Wait! Belle, wait. It’s fairy dust. Might come in handy.
(He hands Belle a small satchel.)
Belle: Oh, no… Thank you, I… I’ve seen what magic does to people.
Grumpy: You’ve seen what dark magic does. Fairies use this for good. Now go be a hero.
Belle: Okay.
(She runs off to catch up to the group.)
–[Storybrooke]–
(Belle enters the library and grabs a handful of books to put away. She runs into Hook, who is reading a book in one of the aisles.)
Belle: Uh, sorry. The… The library’s not open yet.
Hook: Oh. I’m not here for the books, love.
Belle: You. You’re the one who broke into my cell at the Queen’s palace.
(Belle runs out into the main part of the library, and Hook follows her.)
Belle: You wanted to k*ll Rumpelstiltskin.
Hook: Oh, I still do. But, right now, I’ll settle for you.
(She pushes a cart of books on top of Hook and runs into the elevator. Hook frees himself from the pile and dashes towards the elevator, but the door shuts in his face. He bangs on the elevator door, while Belle calls Mr. Gold from inside.)
Mr. Gold: Hey, Belle.
Belle: Rumpel, I’m… I’m in the elevator. There’s a man here. He broke in. He wants to k*ll me.
Mr. Gold: Belle? You’re… You’re breaking up. Who’s in the library?
Belle: …Pirate-
Mr. Gold: Belle?
Belle: …A hand. Missing a hand-
Mr. Gold: Belle?
Belle: Hello?
(The line cuts out and Belle hangs up the phone.)
Mr. Gold: Belle?
–[Fairy Tale Land - Past]–
(Belle has managed to catch up with the group of travelers. She sits on the back of the wagon, reading her book.)
Man: What’s that?
Belle: Uh, a book? I trust you’ve seen them before.
Man: You expect to defeat the fiercest creature in the land with a book?
Man 2: Maybe she means to bore it to death.
Belle: It will tell us how to find the yaoguai.
Man: These are just scribbles.
Belle: It’s called another language. And one that I know how to translate.
Man: What?
Belle: Oh, I thought it was just scribbles?
Man: We’re here to protect the land, girl. If that book tells us where to go, you shall share it with us.
Belle: It says we’ll find the yaoguai by the lake.
Man: The lake, you say?
Belle: Yes.
Man: You heard her, Claude! We’re going to the lake!
(The man pushes Belle off the wagon while it’s still in motion and yells to the driver.)
Man 2: To the lake!
Belle: Wait!
Man: Don’t forget your book!
(The man tosses the book towards Belle. Belle picks it up, and then, looking smug, she yells to the distant wagon.)
Belle: Enjoy the lake!
(She reads a passage of the book aloud.)
Belle: The yaoguai prefers mountain habitats to all others. The yaoguai hibernates by day, hunts by night.
(Belle tracks down the yaoguai, until she arrives in front of a cave in the forest.)
Belle: Please be asleep.
(She draws a dagger and begins slowly approaching the cave. However, she steps on a branch, alerting the yaoguai to her presence. The yaoguai charges out of the cave towards Belle. She runs, but trips and falls to the ground. Mulan, who has been waiting in secret, sh**t the yaoguai with an arrow, scaring it off.)
Belle: How ever can I thank you? Y-you saved my life.
Mulan: And you ruined my hunt. It took me weeks to track the yaoguai here.
Belle: Yeah. I found it in a day.
Mulan: You had luck on your side.
Belle: No, not luck. It was this.
(She holds up her book.)
Belle: I could, uh… I can help you find it again.
Mulan: You’ve done enough damage already. If you really want to help? Stay out of my way.
–[Storybrooke]–
(Belle is still trapped in the elevator. There is someone banging on the door, trying to get in. When the door opens, it turns out to be Mr. Gold, not Hook. She runs into his arms.)
Mr. Gold: Belle.
Mr. Gold: It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay. Here.
(He places his jacket over her shoulders.)
Belle: Where… Where is he?
Mr. Gold: I don’t know. But you’ve nothing to fear. I’m here now.
———–
(At Mary Margaret’s apartment, Henry is brooding on his bed. Emma enters the room with a pop tart on a plate.)
Emma: Hey, kid. You hungry? I managed to wrangle up a pop tart.
Henry: No, thanks.
(Emma heads back to the living room, where Mary Margaret and the rest of the funeral attendees are gathered.)
Emma: Well, that went well.
MMB: Emma, you’re doing all you can do.
Emma: That’s what makes me feel awful.
Leroy: Ladies? The dwarves have been thinking. We have to ask – when do we go back?
Emma: Back? Where?
Leroy: The Enchanted Forest. Our home.
MMB: You want to go back?
Emma: We fought really hard to get here.
Leroy: But with what Regina did to Archie, Storybrooke ain’t as safe as we thought.
Emma: We’re going to find her. There’s only so many places she can hide.
MMB: We’ve dealt with her before, we’ll do it again.
Leroy: But it’s not just her. The curse is broken. There’s a whole world full of people beyond the town line that don’t know who or what we are. Ever think of what might happen if one of them were to come pay us a visit?
Ruby: He’s right. What if they see, you know, magic? Like a girl turning into a wolf, for example? Folks weren’t exactly understanding back in our world.
Emma: Okay, let’s not worry about ‘what ifs’. No one is here.
Leroy: Yet. Maybe they come, maybe they don’t. But that doesn’t change the fact that while we might enjoy things like penicillin, we’re a bit homesick.
———–
(Mr. Gold and Belle are walking along to main street back to Mr. Gold’s shop.)
Belle: Where are you going?
Mr. Gold: The shop.
Belle: Why?
Mr. Gold: Well, let’s just say, there are many wonderful things in there, that I could use to make sure that pirate never comes near you ever again.
Belle: Rumpel, no. We… We need to report this to the Sheriff. They’ll take care of him. You’re so close to finding your son. Please. Please, don’t let your hatred for this man get in the way of that.
Mr. Gold: But he tried to harm you.
Belle: But why? What… What happened between you two?
Mr. Gold: Belle… This is really not your concern.
Belle: He att*cked me. It most definitely is my concern.
Mr. Gold: Many years ago, I was married to a woman named Milah… Until Hook crossed our paths.
Belle: She was Baelfire’s mother?
Mr. Gold: Yeah. And because of that marauding cur, he grew up without her. He took my wife – he took Bae’s mother – so I took his hand.
Belle: That’s why he came after me. But, uh, what… What about her? What… What did he do? Rumpel, you can… You can tell me anything.
Mr. Gold: She d*ed. That’s all that matters.
(They arrive at the shop and they both enter. Inside, they discover that the entire shop has been ransacked.)
Belle: What happened here?
Mr. Gold: Hook. This is why he att*cked you.
Belle: To get you out of the store. What did he want?
(Mr. Gold checks the safe and finds it empty. From a nearby rooftop, Hook spies on the pair through a telescope. Smee, holding the stolen shawl, joins Hook.)
Hook: You have it, Mr. Smee?
Smee: What is it, Captain?
Hook: It’s the end of the crocodile’s hope. Now he’s trapped here.
———–
(Mr. Gold begins smashing things with his cane, until Belle stops him.)
Belle: Rumpel! Rumpel! Stop it! Stop, please.
Mr. Gold: No, you’re right.
Belle: Hey…
Mr. Gold: I’ll have to retrieve what’s mine.
(He st*lks towards the exit.)
Belle: Let me… Let me help you.
Mr. Gold: This is my fight.
Belle: And this is my fault! If Hook had never att*cked me, you never would have left the shop.
Mr. Gold: How do you propose that we get the shawl back? Have you dueled with a pirate before? How exactly are you going to help me?
Belle: Well, I’m not just going to sit here and do nothing!
Mr. Gold: No. You’re going to go back to the library, lock the door, and wait for me to dispense with this problem!
Belle: And, if I don’t? You’ll… You’ll cast some spell that gives me no choice?
Mr. Gold: No. I trust you’ll do as I wish, as you trust me to be a better man. Belle, please. Hook has maybe cost me the chance of finding my son. I don’t want to lose you, too. Here, look. I want you to take this.
(Mr. Gold pulls a g*n out of one of the drawers and hands it to Belle.)
Mr. Gold: Just in case Hook is stupid enough to come after you again. Point this, pull this trigger, and the g*n’ll do the rest for you. Alright? Alright?!
Belle: Yes, yes.
(He tries to leave, again, but Belle stops him at the door.)
Belle: W-wait. Promise me that you going after Hook is just about getting the shawl back.
(Mr. Gold doesn’t respond, and abruptly leaves.)
–[Fairy Tale Land - Past]–
(In a village center, Belle is pulling up a bucket of water from a well, when two of the men from the wagon ambush her. One grabs her and holds her over the well, while the other interrogates her.)
Man: The yaoguai wasn’t at the lake.
Belle: I’m, uh… I’m sorry. I… I m… I must’ve misread that one.
Man: See, you know what I think happened? I think you sent us in the wrong direction on purpose.
(Suddenly, one of the men is hit and is thrown onto the ground. Mulan emerges from the crowd of villagers.)
Mulan: Let her go.
Man: This isn’t your fight, solider.
(The second man draws his sword and begins to swipe at Mulan. Unarmed, she twists him onto the ground, losing her helmet in the process.)
Man 2: Wait. You’re a-
(She punches him in the face.)
Mulan: Yeah, I know.
(Mulan notices that a crowd has gathered at the scene. She directs her attention towards the men.)
Mulan: Go.
(The two of them leave. Mulan approaches Belle.)
Belle: I didn’t expect to see you again. Thank you.
Mulan: I had to put up with brutes like them when I served in the Emperor’s army. Fools who think we have no business holding a sword. I only wish there was someone there to stand up for me.
(Mulan grimaces in pain and grabs her knee. It’s clearly wounded.)
Belle: You’re, uh… You’re bleeding.
Mulan: I’ll survive. The sun should be setting soon. We need to move out.
Belle: What… What… What do you mean, ‘we’?
Mulan: You tracked the yaoguai in a matter of hours. It took me weeks. You track the beast, and I’ll k*ll it.
Belle: I’d be honoured to help you.
–[Storybrooke]–
(Belle is cleaning up the mess of books at the library. Amongst the pile, she finds a knotted piece of rope. Curious, she finds a book titled ‘A Nautical Guide’, and looks through. She finds a page on ship knots and discovers that the piece of knotted rope is called ‘the Monkey’s Fist’.)
Belle: Hook came here on his ship.
———–
(Carrying a bag, Smee heads down the main street of Storybrooke. When he reaches a parking lot, he is confronted by Mr. Gold.)
Mr. Gold: Leaving town, Mr. Smee?
(Using magic, Mr. Gold pins Smee to the wall. He struggles to breathe.)
Mr. Gold: I spared your life. And this is how you repay me? That object you stole from me – I want it back.
Smee: I gave it to Hook.
Mr. Gold: And where is he?
Smee: I don’t know. W-we met on a rooftop. He didn’t tell me anything.
Mr. Gold: And why would he? Hook knows exactly what you are, Mr. Smee – a sniveling rat.
(In a puff of black smoke, Mr. Gold magically transforms Smee into a rat.)
Mr. Gold: Now, scurry off.
———–
(Belle makes her way down to the docks to search for Hook’s ship, but finds it deserted.)
Belle: Where is it?
(Above her, she notices several seagulls perched on a seemingly invisible object. She grabs a handful of feed from a nearby container and throws it at the base of the ‘ship’. The feed reveals the stairway leading onto the boat.)
Belle: Found you.
(Belle carefully walks up the stairs until she crosses an invisible barrier, which allows her to see the ship for herself. She goes below deck, where she hears Archie yell out.)
Archie: Hello?
Belle: Uh… H-Hello?
Archie: Down here!
(Belle opens the grate and finds Archie tied up inside.)
Archie: Belle! Oh, thank God!
Belle: Archie! You’re… You… You’re okay!
Archie: Yes, I… I… I am. I… I… Can… Can you, uh…
(She grabs a nearby sword and cuts Archie’s ropes. He unties his legs himself, and climbs out.)
Belle: Go. Find Mr. Gold. Tell him I’m here. Bring him back to the ship.
Archie: Wait. You’re not coming with me?
(A creaking noise is heard from above.)
Belle: Go. Go! Go, go! There’s no time to argue.
(Archie exits, leaving Belle behind.)
———–
(David and Mary Margaret are washing dishes at the apartment. They see Henry sitting on his bed and calling someone.)
David: Who’s he calling?
(The recording on Archie’s office phone is faintly heard.)
Recording: You’ve reached the office of Archibald Hopper. I’m sorry I can’t take your call right now. I’m either with a patient-
Henry: Or dead.
(Henry hangs up. David sits next to him on the bed.)
David: It’s okay, buddy. Things will get better, I promise. You just…got to hang in there.
Henry: Doesn’t feel that way.
David: I know. I know.
(Pongo suddenly enters through the front door and rushes over to where Henry is sitting.)
Henry: Pongo!
MMB: How did he get in here?
(Emma enters.)
Emma: I brought him. Marco and I had a chat. Archie knew how much Henry loves this dog. We decided he should have him. That is, if you’re up for taking care of him, Henry.
Henry: Yeah, I am!
(They see the trail of mud brought in by Pongo.)
Emma: Henry, why don’t you take Pongo outside and clean him up?
Henry: Okay. Come on. Come on, boy! Come on! Let’s go! Come on, boy.
(Henry exits.)
Emma: Alright, look. I know that there’s a lot to work out logistically, but-
MMB: No, no, no. I think giving Pongo to Henry is a great idea. It’s just, four people and a dalmatian in this loft. Things might get a little-
Emma: Cramped. I know. We’ll get creative.
MMB: Or… We could get our own place.
Emma: You want to do what?
David: You want to move out?
MMB: Whoa! I… It’s just a suggestion.
Emma: After twenty-eight years, isn’t this what we’ve all been waiting for? To be together under the same roof?
MMB: Yes! I just… Imagined a bigger roof. …With turrets. Being here in Storybrooke, we have a chance at a fresh start. Let’s take it.
———–
(Belle places the g*n on a counter and begins to search the room for the shawl. She finds a locked box on a shelf, but no key. She eventually finds the key on one of the shelves and opens the box. Inside, however, there is only a few pieces of gold. Holding the shawl, Hook enters behind her.)
Hook: Looking for this?
Belle: Uh, that doesn’t belong to you.
Hook: Oh, it does now.
(The both glance at the g*n. Belle attempts to grab it, but Hook is faster.)
Hook: Oh… My dear Belle, you should’ve stayed with your books. Real life can get so… Messy.
(He points to g*n at her head.)
–[Fairy Tale Land - Past]–
(Mulan and Belle are traveling through the woods, when they come to a ridge.)
Belle: It’s just ahead.
Mulan: You found it. Your books serve you well.
(Below, they see a burning village. Mulan cringes in pain due to her injured knee.)
Belle: Mulan, your leg’s getting worse.
Mulan: No. I have to protect my village.
(Mulan attempts to walk, but collapses in Belle’s arms.)
Belle: You can’t even walk. How… How are you going to k*ll the yaoguai?
Mulan: I’m not. You are.
Belle: Me? I… I’m… I’m… I’m not a soldier.
Mulan: You have good instincts. You tracked down that beast faster than I ever could.
Belle: Uh, tracking it and k*lling it are not the same thing.
Mulan: There was once a time when people didn’t think that I had what it took, either, but I proved them wrong.
Belle: How?
Mulan: By showing them that I had the warrior spirit. Once I found something worth fighting for, I fought for it with everything that I had. I never gave up. Belle… The fate of my village depends on you.
(Mulan unbuckles her sword and hands it to Belle.)
Mulan: Don’t be afraid.
–[Storybrooke]–
(Hook still has the g*n pointed at Belle’s head.)
Belle: I’m not afraid of you, and I’m not leaving without that.
(He places the shawl on the counter.)
Hook: Well, I admire your loyalty. But helping Rumpelstiltskin? I’m afraid you’re fighting a lost cause.
Belle: He needs that shawl to find his son.
Hook: And what makes you think his son wants to be found? Mm? I’m doing that boy a favour.
Belle: Have you not hurt Rumpel enough?
Hook: Oh. I’ve hurt him?
Belle: You stole his wife.
Hook: Tell me something, love. If a woman comes to you and begs you to take her away, is that theft?
Belle: Why would she leave him?
Hook: Because he was a coward. And because she loved me. I should have b*rned this the moment I acquired it.
Belle: Why didn’t you?
Hook: Because she made it.
Belle: I’m sorry she d*ed, but… Vengeance? Vengeance won’t bring her back.
Hook: d*ed? Like it was some kind of accident? Is that what he told you?
Belle: He… Well, he… He didn’t say.
Hook: No, of course not. Of course he’d leave out the most important detail of her passing.
Belle: And, uh… What would that be?
Hook: He k*lled her. He ripped out her heart, and he crushed it right in front of me.
Belle: No…
Hook: Oh, yes.
Belle: No!
Hook: Yes. He will do anything – anything – to hold on to his power. Why do you think anyone who’s ever gotten close to him, has either run away, or been k*lled? Now, what makes you think you’re any different? Tell me something, darling. Why would you want to fight for a man like that?
Belle: Because I still see good in him. Because I believe he’s changed. Because his heart? Is true. And yours? Yours is rotten.
(Belle slams the oar that’s handing from the ceiling into Hook’s head. He stumbles backwards and falls into the storage area where Archie was held. Belle grabs the shawl from the counter and runs upstairs.)
Hook: You have no idea…
(Belle makes her way above deck, where Hook cuts her off.)
Belle: How the hell did you…
Hook: Oh, I know this ship like the back of my… Well, you know. I’d suggest you give that back to me now.
(Mr. Gold arrives on deck.)
Mr. Gold: Or what?
Hook: Ah. You look different in this world, crocodile. Like the coward I met so long ago – limp, and all.
Mr. Gold: And yet, you still can’t k*ll me.
Hook: Let’s have it, Dark One. What magic are you going to hide behind today?
Mr. Gold: Oh, no. Not magic.
(Mr. Gold hits Hook upside the head with his cane, causing him to fall back. Mr. Gold then furiously begins to b*at Hook with his cane.)
Belle: Rumpel! Hey, let’s go. Let’s go. Let’s go.
Mr. Gold: No, not yet, Belle.
(He hits him again. Belle holds up the shawl.)
Belle: This – this is what you came for. This is what’s going to get you back to Bae.
Hook: Ah, you’re wasting your breath, love. He can’t resist. He has to prove that he’s not a coward.
Mr. Gold: You may want to turn away, Belle. This isn’t going to be pretty.
(Mr. Gold again begins to b*at Hook with his cane.)
–[Fairy Tale Land - Past]–
(Belle sees the yaoguai in a field, leaving behind a fiery trail. She yells to it in order to coax it towards her.)
Belle: Over here! Over here!
(Belle runs into the nearby village, which appears to be abandoned, with the yaoguai trailing close behind. Belle waits by the above ground water system and draws her sword. When the yaoguai approaches, she slashes the pipes, releasing a blast of water. The water extinguishes the yaoguai’s flames and it flails helplessly on the ground. Belle approaches the creature, and sees that it’s writing symbols in the dirt.)
Belle: You… You’re writing something. Jiu wo. Save me. You need help.
(She sheathes her sword and instead takes out the satchel of fairy dust.)
Belle: Let’s, uh… Let’s give this a try, shall we?
(She sprinkles the fairy dust over the yaoguai, and in a puff of purple smoke, transforms the beast into a human – Phillip.)
Prince Phillip: The curse… You broke it.
Belle: Someone… Someone did this to you?
Prince Phillip: Maleficent – an evil sorceress from my kingdom determined to do everything in her power to keep me apart from Aurora, my true love. So she exiled me to this land, and turned me into a monster. I tried to warn the villagers, but… No one understood what I really was. Except you.
Belle: Well, you’re not the first beast I’ve faced.
Prince Phillip: I am forever in your debt. Please, tell me how I might repay you.
Belle: My friend’s hurt. She… She needs a doctor. As do you. Help me bring her back to the village.
Prince Phillip: It would be my honour.
–[Storybrooke]–
(Mr. Gold continues to b*at Hook in a blind rage as Belle watches.)
Hook: Do it! Do it! k*ll me! He has to show you how powerful he is.
Belle: No, Rumpel. This… This is what he wants. To destroy every bit of good in you.
Hook: Rip my heart out. k*ll me like you did Milah, and then I’ll finally be reunited with her.
Mr. Gold: He has to die, Belle.
(Mr. Gold drops his cane and lunges for Hook’s throat.)
Belle: No! No, he doesn’t! There’s still good in you. I see it. I’ve always seen it. Please. Please show me I’m not wrong.
Mr. Gold: You take your little ship, and sail until you fall off the edge of the world. I never want to see you again. Let’s go.
———–
(At. Granny’s Diner, Mary Margaret and David are looking through the real estate available in Storybrooke.)
MMB: I really liked this one.
David: I don’t know. The yard looks kind of small.
MMB: You going to say that about every house we look at?
David: I grew up on a farm.
MMB: This isn’t about the houses, is it?
David: We buried a friend this morning, Mary Margaret, and it made me realize… I don’t want to die here.
MMB: But our home, David? It doesn’t exist anymore. The ogres are back. Cora’s in power.
David: Which is exactly why we need to return. To make things right – to fight.
MMB: I’m tired of fighting! That’s all we’ve ever done. We have a chance here – a chance to be together.
David: But what if we don’t belong here? Isn’t it worth it to fight for what we really want?
MMB: Unless, we don’t want the same thing.
———–
(At Mary Margaret’s apartment, Henry is drawing at the table, while Pongo lies near his feet. Emma enters.)
Emma: You plotting your escape from Shawshank, kid?
Henry: No, they’re blueprints. I had some ideas for what to do if David and Mary Margaret move out. Look.
Emma: You want to make Mary Margaret’s room an armory?
Henry: Yeah. You know, for weapons and stuff. To protect us – from Regina.
Emma: She’s not going to hurt you. I’m not going to let her.
Henry: She hurt Archie. What if she wants to take me back?
Emma: That’s not going to happen.
(There’s a knock on the door, which causes Pongo to become agitated.)
Emma: Pongo? What is it?
(Emma answers the door and discovers Archie – alive.)
Emma: Archie…
Archie: Hi.
Emma: What happened?
Archie: It was Cora. She kidnapped me.
Henry: Archie?
Archie: Henry. Oh!
(Henry and Archie embrace.)
Archie: Oh, it’s alright. I’m fine. I’m fine.
Emma: Henry. We were wrong. Regina didn’t do it.
Henry: I knew it. Maybe we should let her know.
Emma: Yeah. But something tells me, either way, we’re going to pay the price.
———–
(Mr. Gold’s car pulls up in front of the town boundary. He and Belle sit inside and talk. He holds up the shawl.)
Mr. Gold: This would have been lost if it wasn’t for you, Belle. I would have been lost. After everything you’ve learned about me, after everything I’ve done, why haven’t you given up on me?
Belle: I learned a long time ago, that when you find something that’s worth fighting for, you never give up.
–[Fairy Tale Land - Past]–
(Belle and Phillip arrive to where Mulan has set up camp.)
Belle: My… My friend’s over that ridge. There she is.
Mulan: Belle. You’re alive.
Belle: I, uh… I did it. I defeated the yaoguai. …With a little help.
Mulan: Who are you?
Prince Phillip: I was the yaoguai.
Belle: He was cursed. So, I helped him. Now he’s going to help you.
Mulan: Wait. You’re not coming?
Belle: I have another beast to face. Goodbye.
(Belle hands Mulan her sword, and Mulan hands Belle her book.)
Mulan: Goodbye, Belle.
(Belle heads into the forest.)
Prince Phillip: We haven’t been properly introduced. My name’s Phillip.
Mulan: Mulan.
———–
(Belle walks a bit through the woods until she reaches a road.)
Belle: I’m coming back, Rumpel.
(Behind her, the Evil Queen, several of her guards, and the two men from the wagon have tracked her down.)
Evil Queen: Isn’t that sweet? Still fighting for true love, even to the bitter end.
Belle: How did you find me?
Evil Queen: You really should be nicer to your traveling companions. Right, Claude? Take her to the tower.
(Two of the guards grab her and drag her towards a wooden cell.)
Belle: What? No. What are you… What are you doing? I… I can save him! Just let me go to him. I… I can break his curse!
Evil Queen: You already tried and failed. That monster’s beyond saving. I’m sparing you a lifetime of pain and misery.
(They lock her inside.)
Belle: You… You can’t keep us apart forever! I’ll fight for him. I’ll never stop fighting for him!
–[Storybrooke]–
(Mr. Gold and Belle approach the town line. Mr. Gold pours the potion over the shawl, causing it to glow with magic.)
Belle: Okay…
Mr. Gold: Here we go.
(He crosses the spray painted boundary, causing a surge of magic to pulse through his body.)
Mr. Gold: Belle…
(Belle edges closer to the town line and grabs Mr. Gold’s hand.)
Belle: It… It worked.
Mr. Gold: Yes, it did. It did.
Belle: Now you can find your son.
Mr. Gold: Oh, Belle, I so wish you were coming with me.
Belle: As do I, but… It doesn’t matter.
Mr. Gold: And why not?
Belle: Because you’ll find him. And, when you do, I’ll be here waiting for you when you get back.
(They go to hug, when a sh*t rings out. Belle falls forward across the town line, causing the magic to surge through her. Behind them, Hook is pointing the g*n in their direction.)
Hook: I wouldn’t count on it.
Mr. Gold: Belle?! Belle? Belle!
(He lowers Belle to the ground. She looks up at him with a confused look on her face.)
Belle: W-Who’s Belle?
Mr. Gold: Oh, no. No, no, no, no…
Hook: Oh, fear not. She’ll live. She’ll just have no idea who you are.
Mr. Gold: What you’ve done cannot be undone.
Hook: Well, now you finally know how it feels! Well, go ahead, crocodile. Do your worst!
Mr. Gold: Oh, I intend to.
(Mr. Gold magically produces a fireball in his hand. He goes to throw it, but a car suddenly barrels down the road towards them. Mr. Gold grabs Belle and rolls them both out of the way, but the car ends up hitting Hook. Hook ends up unconscious on the side of the road, while the car swerves and crashes into a large boulder. The car comes to a stop and the license plate can be seen. The car is from Pennsylvania.)
–[End]–
(Mr. Gold’s car comes to a stop in front of the town boundary. He gets out and then pops the truck, where Smee is bound and gagged inside. Mr. Gold removes the gag and leads Smee over to the town line.)
Mr. Gold: This will only take a moment.
Smee: Don’t…push me over. If I cross the line, I’ll lose my memory. It’s a cruel fate.
Mr. Gold: A fate you were more than willing to bestow upon Belle.
(Mr. Gold kicks Smee to the ground and takes his hat.)
Mr. Gold: You’ve had this rag since the day we met. Why is it so important to you?
Smee: My grandmother made it for me when I was a boy. It’s always brought me good fortune. What difference does it make?
(Mr. Gold pours a potion over the hat, causing it to glow with magic.)
Mr. Gold: Oh… All the difference in the world. It’s your only chance.
(He throws the hat back to Smee, who quickly puts it on.)
Smee: What do you mean, my only-
(Suddenly, Mr. Gold pushes Smee over the town boundary. A surge of blue magic pulses through his body, and then stops.)
Mr. Gold: What’s your name?
Smee: William Smee.
Mr. Gold: And who am I?
Smee: Rumpelstiltskin. The Dark One. I remember everything! How can this be?
Mr. Gold: Well, it seems our little experiment was a success. Now go.
(Smee flees the scene.)
Mr. Gold: I have a trip to plan.
———–
(Several of the Storybrooke residents are gathered around a casket and a tombstone. It reads ‘Archibald Hopper – Friend and Conscience’. Mary Margaret gives a eulogy to the crowd.)
MMB: Some of us knew him as Archie. Others, as Jiminy. But we all knew him as a true friend. And though, he may now be gone, he will always live on inside of us. Reminding us to be our best selves, to do the right thing, to always fight for what we believe in. So, we shouldn’t think of today as goodbye, just as a way of saying… Archie, we’ll be listening.
(Marco walks up to the tombstone and lays Archie’s umbrella against it.)
Marco: I miss you so much, my friend. Well, at least… You are in a better place.
———–
(In the hold of Hook’s ship, Hook is interrogating Archie, who is still tied up.)
Archie: Wait! No, please, don’t! Wait! Please! Please!
Hook: Shh… As your patient, the Dark One must’ve told you all manner of secrets. Where is his dagger?
Archie: I don’t know anything about a dagger.
Hook: No, you don’t, do you? It’s his weakness. Now, tell me, does he have any others?
(Archie doesn’t respond.)
Hook: Very well. I’ve always wanted to dissect a cricket.
(Hook digs his hook into Archie’s forehead.)
Archie: No! Wait. Wait. Please.
Hook: Ah… That’s more like it. Now tell me, Cricket, what is his weakness?
———–
(Belle enters Mr. Gold’s Pawn Shop.)
Belle: Hey. What, uh… What’s wrong that you couldn’t tell me on the phone?
Mr. Gold: I did it. I can leave.
Belle: You can cross the town line?
Mr. Gold: Indeed, I can. When I pour this potion onto the object I hold most dear, that object becomes a talisman, and allows me to cross the town line and still remember who I am.
Belle: And who you’re looking for?
Mr. Gold: My boy.
Belle: What, um… What will you enchant?
Mr. Gold: Well…
(Mr. Gold reveals a hidden safe behind a painting. He unlocks the safe, a pulls out a well worn shawl.)
Mr. Gold: This shawl…is all I have left of my Baelfire.
Belle: I don’t suppose I could come with you?
Mr. Gold: No, I… I… I truly wish you could, but… I only have enough of this potion for one object.
(He puts the shawl back into the safe.)
Mr. Gold: Hey. This is my journey, Belle. This is my journey. I’m afraid it’s something I have to do alone.
(They hug.)
Belle: I know.
–[Fairy Tale Land - Past]–
(Belle is reading at a table in a pub. She watches a crowd gather around a man on the other side of the room.)
Man: There’s a fearsome beast ravaging a faraway kingdom. Its eyes burn with fire. They call it the yaoguai. No man has been able to k*ll it, but we will. There’s room on our wagon. Now, who’s going to join us?
(Grumpy approaches Belle’s table and sits down.)
Grumpy: Looking for an adventure?
Belle: Dreamy, right?
Grumpy: Yes. I came to thank you. That advice you gave me last night? It worked. Nova and I are running away together.
Belle: That… That’s wonderful.
Grumpy: Why don’t you sign up?
Belle: I, um… I’ve always dreamt of heroics, but… I think it’s safer I stick to my books. They’re the only adventures I know that have happy endings.
Grumpy: Well, maybe this one’ll have one, too.
Belle: Well, yeah, I doubt it. Last time I faced a beast, it… It didn’t end well.
Grumpy: What are you talking about?
Man: Men, follow me. Yaoguai awaits.
(The men begin filing out of the tavern.)
Grumpy: Get on that wagon. Go. Take a chance.
Belle: Thank you.
(Belle packs up her book and goes to leave, but Grumpy stops her.)
Grumpy: Wait! Belle, wait. It’s fairy dust. Might come in handy.
(He hands Belle a small satchel.)
Belle: Oh, no… Thank you, I… I’ve seen what magic does to people.
Grumpy: You’ve seen what dark magic does. Fairies use this for good. Now go be a hero.
Belle: Okay.
(She runs off to catch up to the group.)
–[Storybrooke]–
(Belle enters the library and grabs a handful of books to put away. She runs into Hook, who is reading a book in one of the aisles.)
Belle: Uh, sorry. The… The library’s not open yet.
Hook: Oh. I’m not here for the books, love.
Belle: You. You’re the one who broke into my cell at the Queen’s palace.
(Belle runs out into the main part of the library, and Hook follows her.)
Belle: You wanted to k*ll Rumpelstiltskin.
Hook: Oh, I still do. But, right now, I’ll settle for you.
(She pushes a cart of books on top of Hook and runs into the elevator. Hook frees himself from the pile and dashes towards the elevator, but the door shuts in his face. He bangs on the elevator door, while Belle calls Mr. Gold from inside.)
Mr. Gold: Hey, Belle.
Belle: Rumpel, I’m… I’m in the elevator. There’s a man here. He broke in. He wants to k*ll me.
Mr. Gold: Belle? You’re… You’re breaking up. Who’s in the library?
Belle: …Pirate-
Mr. Gold: Belle?
Belle: …A hand. Missing a hand-
Mr. Gold: Belle?
Belle: Hello?
(The line cuts out and Belle hangs up the phone.)
Mr. Gold: Belle?
–[Fairy Tale Land - Past]–
(Belle has managed to catch up with the group of travelers. She sits on the back of the wagon, reading her book.)
Man: What’s that?
Belle: Uh, a book? I trust you’ve seen them before.
Man: You expect to defeat the fiercest creature in the land with a book?
Man 2: Maybe she means to bore it to death.
Belle: It will tell us how to find the yaoguai.
Man: These are just scribbles.
Belle: It’s called another language. And one that I know how to translate.
Man: What?
Belle: Oh, I thought it was just scribbles?
Man: We’re here to protect the land, girl. If that book tells us where to go, you shall share it with us.
Belle: It says we’ll find the yaoguai by the lake.
Man: The lake, you say?
Belle: Yes.
Man: You heard her, Claude! We’re going to the lake!
(The man pushes Belle off the wagon while it’s still in motion and yells to the driver.)
Man 2: To the lake!
Belle: Wait!
Man: Don’t forget your book!
(The man tosses the book towards Belle. Belle picks it up, and then, looking smug, she yells to the distant wagon.)
Belle: Enjoy the lake!
(She reads a passage of the book aloud.)
Belle: The yaoguai prefers mountain habitats to all others. The yaoguai hibernates by day, hunts by night.
(Belle tracks down the yaoguai, until she arrives in front of a cave in the forest.)
Belle: Please be asleep.
(She draws a dagger and begins slowly approaching the cave. However, she steps on a branch, alerting the yaoguai to her presence. The yaoguai charges out of the cave towards Belle. She runs, but trips and falls to the ground. Mulan, who has been waiting in secret, sh**t the yaoguai with an arrow, scaring it off.)
Belle: How ever can I thank you? Y-you saved my life.
Mulan: And you ruined my hunt. It took me weeks to track the yaoguai here.
Belle: Yeah. I found it in a day.
Mulan: You had luck on your side.
Belle: No, not luck. It was this.
(She holds up her book.)
Belle: I could, uh… I can help you find it again.
Mulan: You’ve done enough damage already. If you really want to help? Stay out of my way.
–[Storybrooke]–
(Belle is still trapped in the elevator. There is someone banging on the door, trying to get in. When the door opens, it turns out to be Mr. Gold, not Hook. She runs into his arms.)
Mr. Gold: Belle.
Mr. Gold: It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay. Here.
(He places his jacket over her shoulders.)
Belle: Where… Where is he?
Mr. Gold: I don’t know. But you’ve nothing to fear. I’m here now.
———–
(At Mary Margaret’s apartment, Henry is brooding on his bed. Emma enters the room with a pop tart on a plate.)
Emma: Hey, kid. You hungry? I managed to wrangle up a pop tart.
Henry: No, thanks.
(Emma heads back to the living room, where Mary Margaret and the rest of the funeral attendees are gathered.)
Emma: Well, that went well.
MMB: Emma, you’re doing all you can do.
Emma: That’s what makes me feel awful.
Leroy: Ladies? The dwarves have been thinking. We have to ask – when do we go back?
Emma: Back? Where?
Leroy: The Enchanted Forest. Our home.
MMB: You want to go back?
Emma: We fought really hard to get here.
Leroy: But with what Regina did to Archie, Storybrooke ain’t as safe as we thought.
Emma: We’re going to find her. There’s only so many places she can hide.
MMB: We’ve dealt with her before, we’ll do it again.
Leroy: But it’s not just her. The curse is broken. There’s a whole world full of people beyond the town line that don’t know who or what we are. Ever think of what might happen if one of them were to come pay us a visit?
Ruby: He’s right. What if they see, you know, magic? Like a girl turning into a wolf, for example? Folks weren’t exactly understanding back in our world.
Emma: Okay, let’s not worry about ‘what ifs’. No one is here.
Leroy: Yet. Maybe they come, maybe they don’t. But that doesn’t change the fact that while we might enjoy things like penicillin, we’re a bit homesick.
———–
(Mr. Gold and Belle are walking along to main street back to Mr. Gold’s shop.)
Belle: Where are you going?
Mr. Gold: The shop.
Belle: Why?
Mr. Gold: Well, let’s just say, there are many wonderful things in there, that I could use to make sure that pirate never comes near you ever again.
Belle: Rumpel, no. We… We need to report this to the Sheriff. They’ll take care of him. You’re so close to finding your son. Please. Please, don’t let your hatred for this man get in the way of that.
Mr. Gold: But he tried to harm you.
Belle: But why? What… What happened between you two?
Mr. Gold: Belle… This is really not your concern.
Belle: He att*cked me. It most definitely is my concern.
Mr. Gold: Many years ago, I was married to a woman named Milah… Until Hook crossed our paths.
Belle: She was Baelfire’s mother?
Mr. Gold: Yeah. And because of that marauding cur, he grew up without her. He took my wife – he took Bae’s mother – so I took his hand.
Belle: That’s why he came after me. But, uh, what… What about her? What… What did he do? Rumpel, you can… You can tell me anything.
Mr. Gold: She d*ed. That’s all that matters.
(They arrive at the shop and they both enter. Inside, they discover that the entire shop has been ransacked.)
Belle: What happened here?
Mr. Gold: Hook. This is why he att*cked you.
Belle: To get you out of the store. What did he want?
(Mr. Gold checks the safe and finds it empty. From a nearby rooftop, Hook spies on the pair through a telescope. Smee, holding the stolen shawl, joins Hook.)
Hook: You have it, Mr. Smee?
Smee: What is it, Captain?
Hook: It’s the end of the crocodile’s hope. Now he’s trapped here.
———–
(Mr. Gold begins smashing things with his cane, until Belle stops him.)
Belle: Rumpel! Rumpel! Stop it! Stop, please.
Mr. Gold: No, you’re right.
Belle: Hey…
Mr. Gold: I’ll have to retrieve what’s mine.
(He st*lks towards the exit.)
Belle: Let me… Let me help you.
Mr. Gold: This is my fight.
Belle: And this is my fault! If Hook had never att*cked me, you never would have left the shop.
Mr. Gold: How do you propose that we get the shawl back? Have you dueled with a pirate before? How exactly are you going to help me?
Belle: Well, I’m not just going to sit here and do nothing!
Mr. Gold: No. You’re going to go back to the library, lock the door, and wait for me to dispense with this problem!
Belle: And, if I don’t? You’ll… You’ll cast some spell that gives me no choice?
Mr. Gold: No. I trust you’ll do as I wish, as you trust me to be a better man. Belle, please. Hook has maybe cost me the chance of finding my son. I don’t want to lose you, too. Here, look. I want you to take this.
(Mr. Gold pulls a g*n out of one of the drawers and hands it to Belle.)
Mr. Gold: Just in case Hook is stupid enough to come after you again. Point this, pull this trigger, and the g*n’ll do the rest for you. Alright? Alright?!
Belle: Yes, yes.
(He tries to leave, again, but Belle stops him at the door.)
Belle: W-wait. Promise me that you going after Hook is just about getting the shawl back.
(Mr. Gold doesn’t respond, and abruptly leaves.)
–[Fairy Tale Land - Past]–
(In a village center, Belle is pulling up a bucket of water from a well, when two of the men from the wagon ambush her. One grabs her and holds her over the well, while the other interrogates her.)
Man: The yaoguai wasn’t at the lake.
Belle: I’m, uh… I’m sorry. I… I m… I must’ve misread that one.
Man: See, you know what I think happened? I think you sent us in the wrong direction on purpose.
(Suddenly, one of the men is hit and is thrown onto the ground. Mulan emerges from the crowd of villagers.)
Mulan: Let her go.
Man: This isn’t your fight, solider.
(The second man draws his sword and begins to swipe at Mulan. Unarmed, she twists him onto the ground, losing her helmet in the process.)
Man 2: Wait. You’re a-
(She punches him in the face.)
Mulan: Yeah, I know.
(Mulan notices that a crowd has gathered at the scene. She directs her attention towards the men.)
Mulan: Go.
(The two of them leave. Mulan approaches Belle.)
Belle: I didn’t expect to see you again. Thank you.
Mulan: I had to put up with brutes like them when I served in the Emperor’s army. Fools who think we have no business holding a sword. I only wish there was someone there to stand up for me.
(Mulan grimaces in pain and grabs her knee. It’s clearly wounded.)
Belle: You’re, uh… You’re bleeding.
Mulan: I’ll survive. The sun should be setting soon. We need to move out.
Belle: What… What… What do you mean, ‘we’?
Mulan: You tracked the yaoguai in a matter of hours. It took me weeks. You track the beast, and I’ll k*ll it.
Belle: I’d be honoured to help you.
–[Storybrooke]–
(Belle is cleaning up the mess of books at the library. Amongst the pile, she finds a knotted piece of rope. Curious, she finds a book titled ‘A Nautical Guide’, and looks through. She finds a page on ship knots and discovers that the piece of knotted rope is called ‘the Monkey’s Fist’.)
Belle: Hook came here on his ship.
———–
(Carrying a bag, Smee heads down the main street of Storybrooke. When he reaches a parking lot, he is confronted by Mr. Gold.)
Mr. Gold: Leaving town, Mr. Smee?
(Using magic, Mr. Gold pins Smee to the wall. He struggles to breathe.)
Mr. Gold: I spared your life. And this is how you repay me? That object you stole from me – I want it back.
Smee: I gave it to Hook.
Mr. Gold: And where is he?
Smee: I don’t know. W-we met on a rooftop. He didn’t tell me anything.
Mr. Gold: And why would he? Hook knows exactly what you are, Mr. Smee – a sniveling rat.
(In a puff of black smoke, Mr. Gold magically transforms Smee into a rat.)
Mr. Gold: Now, scurry off.
———–
(Belle makes her way down to the docks to search for Hook’s ship, but finds it deserted.)
Belle: Where is it?
(Above her, she notices several seagulls perched on a seemingly invisible object. She grabs a handful of feed from a nearby container and throws it at the base of the ‘ship’. The feed reveals the stairway leading onto the boat.)
Belle: Found you.
(Belle carefully walks up the stairs until she crosses an invisible barrier, which allows her to see the ship for herself. She goes below deck, where she hears Archie yell out.)
Archie: Hello?
Belle: Uh… H-Hello?
Archie: Down here!
(Belle opens the grate and finds Archie tied up inside.)
Archie: Belle! Oh, thank God!
Belle: Archie! You’re… You… You’re okay!
Archie: Yes, I… I… I am. I… I… Can… Can you, uh…
(She grabs a nearby sword and cuts Archie’s ropes. He unties his legs himself, and climbs out.)
Belle: Go. Find Mr. Gold. Tell him I’m here. Bring him back to the ship.
Archie: Wait. You’re not coming with me?
(A creaking noise is heard from above.)
Belle: Go. Go! Go, go! There’s no time to argue.
(Archie exits, leaving Belle behind.)
———–
(David and Mary Margaret are washing dishes at the apartment. They see Henry sitting on his bed and calling someone.)
David: Who’s he calling?
(The recording on Archie’s office phone is faintly heard.)
Recording: You’ve reached the office of Archibald Hopper. I’m sorry I can’t take your call right now. I’m either with a patient-
Henry: Or dead.
(Henry hangs up. David sits next to him on the bed.)
David: It’s okay, buddy. Things will get better, I promise. You just…got to hang in there.
Henry: Doesn’t feel that way.
David: I know. I know.
(Pongo suddenly enters through the front door and rushes over to where Henry is sitting.)
Henry: Pongo!
MMB: How did he get in here?
(Emma enters.)
Emma: I brought him. Marco and I had a chat. Archie knew how much Henry loves this dog. We decided he should have him. That is, if you’re up for taking care of him, Henry.
Henry: Yeah, I am!
(They see the trail of mud brought in by Pongo.)
Emma: Henry, why don’t you take Pongo outside and clean him up?
Henry: Okay. Come on. Come on, boy! Come on! Let’s go! Come on, boy.
(Henry exits.)
Emma: Alright, look. I know that there’s a lot to work out logistically, but-
MMB: No, no, no. I think giving Pongo to Henry is a great idea. It’s just, four people and a dalmatian in this loft. Things might get a little-
Emma: Cramped. I know. We’ll get creative.
MMB: Or… We could get our own place.
Emma: You want to do what?
David: You want to move out?
MMB: Whoa! I… It’s just a suggestion.
Emma: After twenty-eight years, isn’t this what we’ve all been waiting for? To be together under the same roof?
MMB: Yes! I just… Imagined a bigger roof. …With turrets. Being here in Storybrooke, we have a chance at a fresh start. Let’s take it.
———–
(Belle places the g*n on a counter and begins to search the room for the shawl. She finds a locked box on a shelf, but no key. She eventually finds the key on one of the shelves and opens the box. Inside, however, there is only a few pieces of gold. Holding the shawl, Hook enters behind her.)
Hook: Looking for this?
Belle: Uh, that doesn’t belong to you.
Hook: Oh, it does now.
(The both glance at the g*n. Belle attempts to grab it, but Hook is faster.)
Hook: Oh… My dear Belle, you should’ve stayed with your books. Real life can get so… Messy.
(He points to g*n at her head.)
–[Fairy Tale Land - Past]–
(Mulan and Belle are traveling through the woods, when they come to a ridge.)
Belle: It’s just ahead.
Mulan: You found it. Your books serve you well.
(Below, they see a burning village. Mulan cringes in pain due to her injured knee.)
Belle: Mulan, your leg’s getting worse.
Mulan: No. I have to protect my village.
(Mulan attempts to walk, but collapses in Belle’s arms.)
Belle: You can’t even walk. How… How are you going to k*ll the yaoguai?
Mulan: I’m not. You are.
Belle: Me? I… I’m… I’m… I’m not a soldier.
Mulan: You have good instincts. You tracked down that beast faster than I ever could.
Belle: Uh, tracking it and k*lling it are not the same thing.
Mulan: There was once a time when people didn’t think that I had what it took, either, but I proved them wrong.
Belle: How?
Mulan: By showing them that I had the warrior spirit. Once I found something worth fighting for, I fought for it with everything that I had. I never gave up. Belle… The fate of my village depends on you.
(Mulan unbuckles her sword and hands it to Belle.)
Mulan: Don’t be afraid.
–[Storybrooke]–
(Hook still has the g*n pointed at Belle’s head.)
Belle: I’m not afraid of you, and I’m not leaving without that.
(He places the shawl on the counter.)
Hook: Well, I admire your loyalty. But helping Rumpelstiltskin? I’m afraid you’re fighting a lost cause.
Belle: He needs that shawl to find his son.
Hook: And what makes you think his son wants to be found? Mm? I’m doing that boy a favour.
Belle: Have you not hurt Rumpel enough?
Hook: Oh. I’ve hurt him?
Belle: You stole his wife.
Hook: Tell me something, love. If a woman comes to you and begs you to take her away, is that theft?
Belle: Why would she leave him?
Hook: Because he was a coward. And because she loved me. I should have b*rned this the moment I acquired it.
Belle: Why didn’t you?
Hook: Because she made it.
Belle: I’m sorry she d*ed, but… Vengeance? Vengeance won’t bring her back.
Hook: d*ed? Like it was some kind of accident? Is that what he told you?
Belle: He… Well, he… He didn’t say.
Hook: No, of course not. Of course he’d leave out the most important detail of her passing.
Belle: And, uh… What would that be?
Hook: He k*lled her. He ripped out her heart, and he crushed it right in front of me.
Belle: No…
Hook: Oh, yes.
Belle: No!
Hook: Yes. He will do anything – anything – to hold on to his power. Why do you think anyone who’s ever gotten close to him, has either run away, or been k*lled? Now, what makes you think you’re any different? Tell me something, darling. Why would you want to fight for a man like that?
Belle: Because I still see good in him. Because I believe he’s changed. Because his heart? Is true. And yours? Yours is rotten.
(Belle slams the oar that’s handing from the ceiling into Hook’s head. He stumbles backwards and falls into the storage area where Archie was held. Belle grabs the shawl from the counter and runs upstairs.)
Hook: You have no idea…
(Belle makes her way above deck, where Hook cuts her off.)
Belle: How the hell did you…
Hook: Oh, I know this ship like the back of my… Well, you know. I’d suggest you give that back to me now.
(Mr. Gold arrives on deck.)
Mr. Gold: Or what?
Hook: Ah. You look different in this world, crocodile. Like the coward I met so long ago – limp, and all.
Mr. Gold: And yet, you still can’t k*ll me.
Hook: Let’s have it, Dark One. What magic are you going to hide behind today?
Mr. Gold: Oh, no. Not magic.
(Mr. Gold hits Hook upside the head with his cane, causing him to fall back. Mr. Gold then furiously begins to b*at Hook with his cane.)
Belle: Rumpel! Hey, let’s go. Let’s go. Let’s go.
Mr. Gold: No, not yet, Belle.
(He hits him again. Belle holds up the shawl.)
Belle: This – this is what you came for. This is what’s going to get you back to Bae.
Hook: Ah, you’re wasting your breath, love. He can’t resist. He has to prove that he’s not a coward.
Mr. Gold: You may want to turn away, Belle. This isn’t going to be pretty.
(Mr. Gold again begins to b*at Hook with his cane.)
–[Fairy Tale Land - Past]–
(Belle sees the yaoguai in a field, leaving behind a fiery trail. She yells to it in order to coax it towards her.)
Belle: Over here! Over here!
(Belle runs into the nearby village, which appears to be abandoned, with the yaoguai trailing close behind. Belle waits by the above ground water system and draws her sword. When the yaoguai approaches, she slashes the pipes, releasing a blast of water. The water extinguishes the yaoguai’s flames and it flails helplessly on the ground. Belle approaches the creature, and sees that it’s writing symbols in the dirt.)
Belle: You… You’re writing something. Jiu wo. Save me. You need help.
(She sheathes her sword and instead takes out the satchel of fairy dust.)
Belle: Let’s, uh… Let’s give this a try, shall we?
(She sprinkles the fairy dust over the yaoguai, and in a puff of purple smoke, transforms the beast into a human – Phillip.)
Prince Phillip: The curse… You broke it.
Belle: Someone… Someone did this to you?
Prince Phillip: Maleficent – an evil sorceress from my kingdom determined to do everything in her power to keep me apart from Aurora, my true love. So she exiled me to this land, and turned me into a monster. I tried to warn the villagers, but… No one understood what I really was. Except you.
Belle: Well, you’re not the first beast I’ve faced.
Prince Phillip: I am forever in your debt. Please, tell me how I might repay you.
Belle: My friend’s hurt. She… She needs a doctor. As do you. Help me bring her back to the village.
Prince Phillip: It would be my honour.
–[Storybrooke]–
(Mr. Gold continues to b*at Hook in a blind rage as Belle watches.)
Hook: Do it! Do it! k*ll me! He has to show you how powerful he is.
Belle: No, Rumpel. This… This is what he wants. To destroy every bit of good in you.
Hook: Rip my heart out. k*ll me like you did Milah, and then I’ll finally be reunited with her.
Mr. Gold: He has to die, Belle.
(Mr. Gold drops his cane and lunges for Hook’s throat.)
Belle: No! No, he doesn’t! There’s still good in you. I see it. I’ve always seen it. Please. Please show me I’m not wrong.
Mr. Gold: You take your little ship, and sail until you fall off the edge of the world. I never want to see you again. Let’s go.
———–
(At. Granny’s Diner, Mary Margaret and David are looking through the real estate available in Storybrooke.)
MMB: I really liked this one.
David: I don’t know. The yard looks kind of small.
MMB: You going to say that about every house we look at?
David: I grew up on a farm.
MMB: This isn’t about the houses, is it?
David: We buried a friend this morning, Mary Margaret, and it made me realize… I don’t want to die here.
MMB: But our home, David? It doesn’t exist anymore. The ogres are back. Cora’s in power.
David: Which is exactly why we need to return. To make things right – to fight.
MMB: I’m tired of fighting! That’s all we’ve ever done. We have a chance here – a chance to be together.
David: But what if we don’t belong here? Isn’t it worth it to fight for what we really want?
MMB: Unless, we don’t want the same thing.
———–
(At Mary Margaret’s apartment, Henry is drawing at the table, while Pongo lies near his feet. Emma enters.)
Emma: You plotting your escape from Shawshank, kid?
Henry: No, they’re blueprints. I had some ideas for what to do if David and Mary Margaret move out. Look.
Emma: You want to make Mary Margaret’s room an armory?
Henry: Yeah. You know, for weapons and stuff. To protect us – from Regina.
Emma: She’s not going to hurt you. I’m not going to let her.
Henry: She hurt Archie. What if she wants to take me back?
Emma: That’s not going to happen.
(There’s a knock on the door, which causes Pongo to become agitated.)
Emma: Pongo? What is it?
(Emma answers the door and discovers Archie – alive.)
Emma: Archie…
Archie: Hi.
Emma: What happened?
Archie: It was Cora. She kidnapped me.
Henry: Archie?
Archie: Henry. Oh!
(Henry and Archie embrace.)
Archie: Oh, it’s alright. I’m fine. I’m fine.
Emma: Henry. We were wrong. Regina didn’t do it.
Henry: I knew it. Maybe we should let her know.
Emma: Yeah. But something tells me, either way, we’re going to pay the price.
———–
(Mr. Gold’s car pulls up in front of the town boundary. He and Belle sit inside and talk. He holds up the shawl.)
Mr. Gold: This would have been lost if it wasn’t for you, Belle. I would have been lost. After everything you’ve learned about me, after everything I’ve done, why haven’t you given up on me?
Belle: I learned a long time ago, that when you find something that’s worth fighting for, you never give up.
–[Fairy Tale Land - Past]–
(Belle and Phillip arrive to where Mulan has set up camp.)
Belle: My… My friend’s over that ridge. There she is.
Mulan: Belle. You’re alive.
Belle: I, uh… I did it. I defeated the yaoguai. …With a little help.
Mulan: Who are you?
Prince Phillip: I was the yaoguai.
Belle: He was cursed. So, I helped him. Now he’s going to help you.
Mulan: Wait. You’re not coming?
Belle: I have another beast to face. Goodbye.
(Belle hands Mulan her sword, and Mulan hands Belle her book.)
Mulan: Goodbye, Belle.
(Belle heads into the forest.)
Prince Phillip: We haven’t been properly introduced. My name’s Phillip.
Mulan: Mulan.
———–
(Belle walks a bit through the woods until she reaches a road.)
Belle: I’m coming back, Rumpel.
(Behind her, the Evil Queen, several of her guards, and the two men from the wagon have tracked her down.)
Evil Queen: Isn’t that sweet? Still fighting for true love, even to the bitter end.
Belle: How did you find me?
Evil Queen: You really should be nicer to your traveling companions. Right, Claude? Take her to the tower.
(Two of the guards grab her and drag her towards a wooden cell.)
Belle: What? No. What are you… What are you doing? I… I can save him! Just let me go to him. I… I can break his curse!
Evil Queen: You already tried and failed. That monster’s beyond saving. I’m sparing you a lifetime of pain and misery.
(They lock her inside.)
Belle: You… You can’t keep us apart forever! I’ll fight for him. I’ll never stop fighting for him!
–[Storybrooke]–
(Mr. Gold and Belle approach the town line. Mr. Gold pours the potion over the shawl, causing it to glow with magic.)
Belle: Okay…
Mr. Gold: Here we go.
(He crosses the spray painted boundary, causing a surge of magic to pulse through his body.)
Mr. Gold: Belle…
(Belle edges closer to the town line and grabs Mr. Gold’s hand.)
Belle: It… It worked.
Mr. Gold: Yes, it did. It did.
Belle: Now you can find your son.
Mr. Gold: Oh, Belle, I so wish you were coming with me.
Belle: As do I, but… It doesn’t matter.
Mr. Gold: And why not?
Belle: Because you’ll find him. And, when you do, I’ll be here waiting for you when you get back.
(They go to hug, when a sh*t rings out. Belle falls forward across the town line, causing the magic to surge through her. Behind them, Hook is pointing the g*n in their direction.)
Hook: I wouldn’t count on it.
Mr. Gold: Belle?! Belle? Belle!
(He lowers Belle to the ground. She looks up at him with a confused look on her face.)
Belle: W-Who’s Belle?
Mr. Gold: Oh, no. No, no, no, no…
Hook: Oh, fear not. She’ll live. She’ll just have no idea who you are.
Mr. Gold: What you’ve done cannot be undone.
Hook: Well, now you finally know how it feels! Well, go ahead, crocodile. Do your worst!
Mr. Gold: Oh, I intend to.
(Mr. Gold magically produces a fireball in his hand. He goes to throw it, but a car suddenly barrels down the road towards them. Mr. Gold grabs Belle and rolls them both out of the way, but the car ends up hitting Hook. Hook ends up unconscious on the side of the road, while the car swerves and crashes into a large boulder. The car comes to a stop and the license plate can be seen. The car is from Pennsylvania.)
–[End]–