Belle French

"I understand, but I also know that the future isn't always what it seems. I will see you again."

- Belle to Mr. Gold

Belle, also known as Lacey, is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. She débuts in the twelfth episode of the first season. She is portrayed by starring cast member Emilie de Ravin, and is the Storybrooke counterpart of Belle.

History
After the casting of the Dark Curse, Belle becomes a patient in the town hospital's psychiatric ward. The details of her life while imprisoned are still unknown. Due to remembering his life from the Enchanted Forest, Mr. Gold has memories of how he lost Belle presumably at the hands of her father. One day, he takes away the delivery truck of Belle's father, Moe French, who is late on his rent payments. Later, Mr. Gold's house is ransacked and several items, including his only memento of Belle—a chipped cup—goes missing. All of the belongings except for the cup are returned. Suspecting Moe has it, Mr. Gold decides to take things into his own hands and tries to beat the truth out of the man while expressing a great deal of rage in blaming him for Belle's death. Instead, it is revealed Regina stole the cup, and uses it to goad Mr. Gold into telling her his real name. Satisfied, Regina gives the cup back and leaves to pay a visit to Belle at the hospital while Mr. Gold remains unaware his lost love is alive.
 * -|During the Curse=

Jefferson is jilted by Regina on her promise that if he helped her retrieve something from the Enchanted Forest to get rid of Emma,and in return she'd bring his daughter back to him. To spite her, he decides to free the imprisoned girl in the psychiatric ward and bring her to Mr. Gold, who he knows won't be pleased at what Regina has done. He disguises himself as a hospital staff member and sneaks down to free Belle after drugging the nurse. He urges Belle to seek out Mr. Gold, and gives her instructions to tell him specifically that Regina locked her up. She goes into the pawn shop and informs Mr. Gold what happened. He is shocked to see her alive, and though Belle doesn't remember him, he promises to protect her. Whilst leading her out to the woods towards the wishing well, the Dark Curse breaks. Belle regains her Enchanted Forest memories, and reaffirms her love for Mr. Gold, who she still affectionately calls Rumplestiltskin. From the wishing well, she watches as Mr. Gold mixes the true love potion with the well water, which transforms it into a purple smoke and brings magic back to Storybrooke.

Following the aftermath of the restoration of magic in Storybrooke, Belle and Mr. Gold speak beside the wishing well. She tells him of her imprisonment and asks if the release of magic was to seek revenge for her capture. He states it wasn't his intention, but will use it to his advantage. She makes him promise not to use the magic to seek revenge against Regina, which he agrees to. However, Mr. Gold finds a way to harm his nemesis without himself being the actual person to do so by releasing a Wraith to suck out Regina's soul. Upset at his broken oath, she leaves the pawn shop in tears of anger and frustration. After the Wraith disappears through a vortex, leaving Regina Mills unscathed, Belle returns and states she will remain with Mr. Gold because he is still a "monster."
 * -|After the Curse=

On night, Belle has a nightmare in which Mr. Gold attacks Leroy, who has come looking for his axe. To her horror, he takes on his old appearance as the Dark One and proceeds to strangle Leroy to death. She wakes up in a cold sweat and goes looking for Mr. Gold, who she finds in the basement secretly spinning gold thread and working on magic.

The next day, Belle asks Mr. Gold what he was doing in the basement when she saw him practicing magic. He tries to brush it off, but she states he is a coward for not letting her into his life. Then, without informing Mr. Gold, she leaves for the diner, where Ruby serves her iced tea. Ruby asks if she is all right, to which Belle responds she fears she is headed towards a break up. When offered a room at the bed and breakfast, Belle also makes mention of a possible job and talks about her love of books. Ruby points her in the direction of the closed down library that needs a librarian. Belle thanks her and goes to peek inside the library. She is startled by William Smee, who distracts her with a number of questions, and then kidnaps her.

Taken to a back room, she is reunited with her father, Moe French. Though at first, Belle is overjoyed, she balks when Moe tells her to leave Mr. Gold for good. Unable to talk her out of not being with that man, Moe orders Smee to take his daughter to the town boundary so that she will lose her memory. Taken underground, she is tied to a mining cart and set off down a train track by Smee towards the boundary. In an attempt to free herself, she grabs the key to release the handcuffs, but drops it on the tracks. She is saved by Mr. Gold's magic, which pulls her back to David Nolan, Ruby, Moe, and Mr. Gold. She is grateful for Mr. Gold's help, but she makes it clear they are not back together, and berates him for not being able to be truthful with her. Belle is also equally unhappy with her father for trying to make choices for her.

The next day, Belle is having breakfast at the diner while Ruby is introducing her to pancakes. Ruby gives her a small box with a bow; stating someone left it on the front desk. Belle opens it to see the key, which she uses on the library. Inside, Mr. Gold is waiting for her and informs Belle about an apartment available for the librarian. As Belle is handing the key back, he tells her to keep it. Mr. Gold admits he brought magic to Storybrooke because it is his crutch, and he doesn't know how to live without it. He also tells Belle when the Dark Curse broke, he thought he would be able to leave Storybrooke and search for his son, but instead a new curse forces those who try to leave will lose their Enchanted Forest memories. Through practicing magic, he had wanted to see if breaking the new curse was possible. Having given her the absolute truth, Mr. Gold turns to leave, but Belle invites him out for a hamburger at Granny's sometime, to which he happily agrees.

Belle celebrates with the miners after the discovery of the diamonds in the Storybrooke mines. While drinking, she sees Ruby being asked out by Billy. Noting her friend's obvious discomfort, she comes over to excuse Ruby for the night with the reason being they are having a girls' night out. Billy takes the rejection in stride. After he leaves, Belle remarks he seems nice, though Ruby is distracted and heads to the back room of the diner.

Ruby is accused of murdering Billy, though David and Granny believe otherwise. To keep the townspeople from harming Ruby,she is taken from the jail cell to the library to hide out. Belle supports Ruby's innocence and allows her to stay. Later, she takes the chains off Ruby so she can use the restroom, but Belle herself is chained to the pipe. Ruby doesn't want to risk anyone else she cares about getting hurt, and believes the townspeople's anger towards her is justified. Leaving Belle in tears, Ruby goes to face the mob.

Later, Belle and Mr. Gold go on a date at Granny's and are served hamburgers. They are interrupted by the presence of Regina, who needs Mr. Gold's help in dealing with their nemesis, Cora. Belle asks who Cora is, though Mr. Gold replies she will never have to meet her. Mr. Gold argues he has defeated Cora before, but when Regina reminds him that last time he fought Cora he "didn't have anything to lose", she is referring to Belle, which makes the librarian nervous.

In the pawnshop, Belle is getting ready for a picnic lunch with Mr. Gold when Emma, Mary Margaret, and David arrive and accuse Mr. Gold of causing Archie Hopper's death. Belle is in disbelief at this, and Mr. Gold states there is a way to prove his innocence in Archie's killing. With a little help from Emma, Pongo's memories show what appear to be Regina killing Archie in cold blood as Belle looks on.

She, along with the other townspeople, attend Archie's funeral where Mary Margaret gives a eulogy in remembrance of him. Afterwards, Belle meets up with Mr. Gold, who happily tells her the potion for crossing the border works. She expresses wishes to go with him, but he regretfully says the potion is only enough for one person. She heads to the library later on to sort through books. Once inside, she notices a stranger standing in the corner. Belle notifies him the library is not yet open for business and is shocked in recognizing him as the man who broke into her cell in the Evil Queen's palace, Captain Hook. In a state of panic, she runs from him but is unable to escape the building. Belle pushes over a bookshelf, which topples and pins him to the floor. Using time to her advantage, she scurries into the elevator. The elevator begins to shake from the force of Hook's exertions in breaking it open. Pulling out her cellphone to call Mr. Gold, she is able to tell him about the man trying to kill her, but when she attempts to give more details, Mr. Gold is unable to hear her through the bad reception. Belle does not return to the library until Mr. Gold operates the switch to open the elevator shaft.

Reunited, they hurry back to the pawnshop together. On the way there, Belle demands to know Mr. Gold's history with Hook. Hesitantly, he finally tells her Hook stole his wife, Milah, from him years ago. When she asks what happened to his wife, Mr. Gold can only say that she died. Later, they argue about her staying behind while he goes to deal with Hook. William Smee, acting as Hook's accomplice, stole Baelfire's cloak, which Mr. Gold wants to get back. He is adamant she does not come along, and under his anger is fear for Belle's safety with Hook still on the loose. He gives her a loaded gun to keep in case she needs to ever use it to protect herself. While Mr. Gold is away, Belle goes back into the library. There she finds a knot left behind from Hook, and she browses a shelf to find a book about knots. Opening it, she realizes the knot comes specifically from a ship.

Belle heads to the harbor to have a look around. Noting nothing out of the ordinary, she happens to look up at the seagulls, and is surprised to see one of them land and stand on something invisible. Suspecting something is there but she can't see it, Belle takes a pinch of dust and throws it over. The dust settles and reveals stairs leading up to an invisible ship. She goes up the steps until she passes a barrier that leads her onto the ship's visible deck. Belle opens a door below deck and makes the startling discovery of Archie tied up. She uses a sword to cut him free and urges him to get back to town. Then, she proceeds to rummage around the shelves, hoping to find Baelfire's cloak. She finds a key to a large chest box, but opening it only reveals gold coins inside. In her distraction, she puts down the gun, and just then Hook makes himself known to her. She lunges for the gun, but Hook is faster. He threateningly points the gun at her forehead, and whilst they converse, he reveals to her a truth Mr. Gold did not tell her—that Rumplestiltskin killed Milah by ripping out her heart. Even knowing this, Belle still believes in Mr. Gold and asserts that she knows he has changed and has good in him. She hits him with a rowing paddle and runs away to above deck while taking the cloak with her.

Mr. Gold shows up to save Belle and proceeds to beat Hook bloody with his cane. Belle pleads that they should leave, but Mr. Gold cannot contain his anger at Hook's presence. Finally, he stops when she reminds him of the hope she had in believing he changed, and that if he has, to walk away right now. They leave Hook's ship.

That night, Mr. Gold and Belle are at the town border. He uses the potion on himself and steps to the other side of the border line while his memory stays intact. Belle is very pleased the potion will give him the opportunity to find his son. She promises to wait for him in Storybrooke. The heartfelt moment is interrupted by the sound of a gunshot from behind Belle. The bullet pierces Belle's shoulder, causing her to trip and fall over the border into Mr. Gold's arms, and thus loses her memories. Hook is revealed to be the shooter, stating Mr. Gold knows how it feels to lose someone he loves. Mr. Gold yells her name in anguish, but she stares at him in confusion, asking, "Who is Belle?" In her amnesiac state, she witnesses Mr. Gold conjure a fireball from his hand.

Frantic and confused, Belle doesn't know who she is or how she got there. Mr. Gold is worried about her injuries, so he magically heals them. An ambulance arrives at the scene and takes Belle to the hospital. While she lies in the hospital bed, Mr. Gold tries to trigger her memory with true love's kiss, which does not work. Belle awakens, but screams in horror at the sight of him.

Later, Mr. Gold tries another method by magically charming the chipped cup. He gives it to Belle in hopes that she remember her past from the Enchanted Forest. Belle is afraid and unsure when he mentions magic and tries giving the cup back to Mr. Gold, but he insists she try. Belle becomes angry and throws the cup, shattering it to pieces. She asks him to leave one final time, and Mr. Gold finally leaves her room in tears.

Ruby comes to the hospital and gives Belle some familiar things to cheer her up. Belle questions Ruby about the accident and the man who magically healed her. Out of fear of exposing magic, Ruby tells Belle the tranquilizers she's been given must be causing hallucinations. Upset no one believes her, Belle acts out violently and has to be sedated by the nurse. Later that night, Greg visits Belle in her room. She thinks he, too, does not believe her about the fireball, though Greg admits he saw it.

Still resting up in her hospital room, Belle is visited by Regina. Uneasy at the woman's presence, she asks if they were friends. Regina mentions they knew each other, and asks Belle about Mr. Gold and the dagger. She has no memories of anything, so Regina knocks the girl unconscious and uses magic to levitate the items in Belle's bag into the air to find clues on the dagger's location.

From her cellphone, she receives a call from Mr. Gold. Apologetically, Belle tries to tell Mr. Gold she doesn't remember him, which he knows, but wanted to give his last regards to her as he is dying. He knows she doesn't remember who she is, but describes the person he knew in her; a beautiful woman who loved an ugly man, and adds she creates goodness in those who don't have any. Belle begins to tear up at his words, but he hangs up before she can respond.

Mr. Gold visits Belle at the hospital. She is more trustworthy of him since their phone conversation and believes him when he wants to help her regain memories. While Mr. Gold is getting her discharged from the hospital, Belle packs up her belongings. She is visited by Regina, who makes herself known to Belle as the mayor. When she hears from Belle that Mr. Gold is going to help restore her memories, Regina is displeased. Thinking quickly, Regina bends down to pick up an item, and instead conjures an enchantment on little red card of the town bar, The Rabbit Hole. Regina asks if it belongs to Belle. Though Belle says no, Regina suggests she should take a better look at it. Belle glances down at the card and is surprised at the flood of memories, exclaiming she remembers who she is. In fact, Regina has given her false memories to replace the memories she lost as Belle. With the false memories, she assumes a new personality and a new name, Lacey.

Lacey promptly leaves the hospital on her own and heads to The Rabbit Hole. With her hair done up and in a blue sleeveless outfit, she begins to play pool by herself while chatting with Mr. Clark. When Mr. Gold shows up looking for her, she recognizes him as the man who once visited her in the hospital. Mr. Gold is completely at loss how to speak with her due to Lacey being so different from the Belle he knew. A man, Keith, tries to flirt with her but is shot down quickly when she says he is not her type. Seeking advice from David, Mr. Gold tries to act normally with Lacey and asks her out on a date. She accepts, and they meet at the diner for dinner. During the date, Lacey talks about how she has heard stories about him in town, but she is not afraid because to tell what is in a person's heart, one must truly know that person. Her words shock Mr. Gold because she once said those exact words in her previous life in the Enchanted Forest. He accidentally spills wine on her dress, and she goes to clean it up in the bathroom. In actuality, Lacey only decided to go out on a date with Mr. Gold because she felt sorry for him and planned to meet up with Keith secretly in the alley. Mr. Gold happens upon them and angrily shoves Keith off Lacey, thinking she is being assaulted by him. Instead, he realizes she meant to have a tryst with Keith. Finally, she admits to the real reason why she agreed to the date, and the reality is she and him do not fit together because she is not Belle.

Later, in The Rabbit Hole's parking lot, she finds Mr. Gold beating Keith for previously making out with her. She comments he really is as dark as what people say about him, and Mr. Gold bitterly agrees, embracing who he has always been. Lacey is glad he is not who she thought he was and watches with a mischievous smile as Mr. Gold continues to brutally take out his anger on Keith.

Afterwards, she and Mr. Gold leave and walk down the street chatting happily, which is secretly witnessed by Hook through a telescope in the clock tower.

While on the streets one morning, Mr. Gold is annoyed when Dr. Whale supposedly eyes Lacey in a suggestive manner and intimidates him into a cowered state. With Lacey's approval, he is inches away from stamping his foot in Dr. Whale's face when Neal rushes out of the bed and breakfast to free him. Neal is disgusted at his father's actions and reminds him of the time he turned someone into a snail. Amused, Lacey laughs and asks to know more about it, but Mr. Gold senses tension from Neal, so he sends her off to wait for him elsewhere while he converses with his son.

Lacey spends more time with his Mr. Gold at his shop drinking alcohol. She is exasperated and annoyed when asked to step in the next room after Mary Margaret and David come to Mr. Gold for help in finding a missing Regina. After they are gone, Lacey corners him with the fact he can do magic and didn't tell her about it. He remarks she should pour another glass as he explains. She is amazed when he procures an expensive looking necklace out of thin air and helps her to put it on. After learning more about his inability to age as the Dark One, Lacey wonders if she, too, could become immortal so they could be together forever. He says it's possible, but mentions it doesn't keep a person immune from dying. Mr. Gold goes on to tell her about the prophecy a seer gave him a long time ago that a certain someone will be his undoing, which he takes to mean his death will occur because of that person. Puzzled, Lacey questions why he doesn't just get rid of the obstacle in his way as he's the kind of man who won't let anything stand in his way.

Lacey comes out of the pawnshop's back room just as Leroy and the other dwarves are exiting. She doesn't know what is going on, though Mr. Gold looks grim. She remains unaware the entire town is in danger of reverting to a forest with all the current inhabitants, including herself, disappearing due to activation of a trigger. When Lacey spills a cup of scotch all over the table, she hastily tries to use Baelfire's shawl as a wiping rag, to which Mr. Gold stops her from it and angrily exclaims it belonged to someone very important to him, and that she would not understand. Lacey apologizes, and in this moment, he realizes the person he needs most is Belle. Reaching into the cabinet, he pulls out a small bag and spills out the contents--broken pieces of the chipped cup--onto the table. Using magic, Mr. Gold reconstructs the cup to its unbroken state. Lacey expresses puzzlement at his fixation on the cup, but goes along and drinks the potion substance when he pours it into the object. After a moment, Lacey's persona is replaced by the return of Belle. They have an emotional reunion. Mr. Gold is sorry for waking her up only to die on the same day, but needed her back. She comforts him as he cries over the loss of his son.

The trigger is permanently stopped with the combined magic powers of Emma and Regina, but in the midst, Henry is kidnapped by Greg and Tamara and taken to another world. Mr. Gold decides he must go along to save him. Belle wants to go, too, but he instructs she must stay to keep the town safe and he's cloaked the town with a spell so no one can find a way in. She asks how he will find his way back to her. When the question is met with silence on his end, Belle is pained in her realization he is not coming back. Mr. Gold knows Henry is his undoing, but at the same time, he is also his grandson. He wishes to honor Neal by keeping Henry safe from harm. Though she's already been told this is the last time she'll see Mr. Gold, Belle believes the future is still uncertain and perhaps one day they will see each other again. They part with a farewell kiss. As she turns to leave the dock, Belle tells him Neal would be very proud of him.

Trivia

 * The name "Belle" is of French origin derived from the same word that means "beautiful".
 * The name "Lacey" is of English origin derived from the variant name spelling "Lacy" and the word "lassy" that the name of a town in Normandy.
 * Like Disney's adaption of the same character, Belle is interested in books and is given access to a library by her love interest, Mr. Gold.
 * Belle is the first person to whom Mr. Gold has revealed the motive for many of his actions and for creating the Dark Curse—to find his son.
 * Belle considers herself as an expert at rehabilitation.