Belle French


 * This article focuses on Belle's Storybrooke persona. For her Fairytale Land counterpart, see Belle.

"No, you don't understand. It's my life."

- Belle's Counterpart to Moe French

Belle is a character on Once Upon a Time. She makes her debut 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
Belle was checked into Storybrooke Hospital's psychiatric ward since the curse was enacted and has stayed there since. When Mr. Gold beat her father, Moe French, it was done under the presumption that the man had the chipped cup Gold kept in memory of Belle. Instead, it turns out Regina Mills had the cup, and she used it to goad him into telling her his real name. Later, Regina pays a visit Belle's Storybrooke counterpart in the basement of the psychiatric ward. No one knows of the girl's existence in Storybrooke except Regina herself. She opens the door flap, prompting the girl to look up. Regina looks at her and smiles. ("Skin Deep")

Jefferson is jilted by Regina Mills on her promise that if he helped her retrieve something from Fairytale Land to get rid of Emma Swan, that in return she'd bring his daughter back to him. To spite her, he decides to reveal the girl Regina Mills is keeping locked up, and bring her to Mr. Gold. He disguises himself as a hospital staff member and sneaks down to the psychiatric ward to free Belle's counterpart after drugging the nurse. He tells her to go and find Mr. Gold, and to tell him that Regina Mills held her captive. She goes into the pawn shop and tells Gold what happened. He is very shocked and even though Belle doesn't remember him, he promises to protect her. He leads her out into the woods, and (due to Emma Swan successfully breaking the curse), she remembers her life as Belle and tells Rumplestiltskin that she loves him. She witnesses him creating the purple smoke that spreads across Storybrooke. ("A Land Without Magic") After Emma Swan breaks the Dark Curse, Belle is with Mr. Gold beside the well in the aftermath of magic being restored to Storybrooke. She tells Mr. Gold of her imprisonment and asks if the release of magic was to seek revenge for her capture. He states that it wasn't his intention, but he will use it to his advantage. She makes him promise not to use the magic to seek revenge. When he breaks his promise by releasing the Wraith to suck out Regina Mills's soul, she leaves the pawn shop in tears of anger and frustration. After the Wraith disappears through a vortex leaving Regina Mills unscathed, she returns and states that she will remain with Mr. Gold because he is still a "monster." ("Broken")

Belle next appears living with Mr. Gold in his Storybrooke home. She has a nightmare where Mr. Gold attacks Leroy, who has come looking for his axe. Mr. Gold transforms into the Dark One before Belle's eyes as he strangles Leroy. She wakes up in a cold sweat and goes looking for Mr. Gold, and sees him in the basement spinning gold thread and working magic without her knowledge.

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 Belle states that he is a coward for not letting her into his life. Then, without informing Mr. Gold, goes to Granny's, 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. Ruby offers her a room in the inn, and Belle tells her that she is looking for a job. Ruby tells her about the library when Belle mentions her love of books and that they might be looking for a librarian. Belle thanks her and goes to the library and peeks inside, seeing all the books there. She tries to get in, but runs into William Smee, who asks her for change, questions her whether she is meeting someone there, and then kidnaps her.

She is taken to a back room where she is reunited with her father, Moe French. She is at first overjoyed to see him, but when Moe demands that she leave Mr. Gold for good, Belle refuses, saying he does not have the right to tell her how to live her life. Moe realizes that he can't talk her out of being in a relationship with Mr. Gold, and orders Smee to take his daughter to the town boundary, so that she will lose her memory. Belle is then tied to a mining cart and is set off down a train track by Smee towards the boundary. She tries to get the key to release the handcuffs, and gets it, but drops it on the tracks. She is barely caught 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 it doesn't mean they are back together. She says he is a coward for not being able to be truthful with her. Belle is also equally unhappy with her father for trying to make choices for her. She walks off after saying she doesn't want to see either of them ever again.

The next day, Belle is having breakfast at Granny's and Ruby is introducing her to pancakes. Belle is staying at Granny's Bed and Breakfast for now until she gets back on her feet. Ruby gives her a small box with a bow, saying that it was left for her at the front desk. Belle opens it to see the key to the library. She takes the key and opens up the library. Mr. Gold is waiting for her, and tells Belle about an apartment available for the librarian. Just when Belle is about to give the key back, he tells her that he isn't giving it to her to get her back, and that she was right for calling him a coward. He admits that he brought magic to Storybrooke because magic is his crutch, and he doesn't know how to live without it. He also tells Belle that when the dark curse was broken, he thought he would be able to leave Storybrooke and search for Baelfire, but instead a new curse was put up in its place which erases the memories of those who try to leave. He says that he was practicing magic to see if he could break this new curse. As he turns to go, Belle invites him out for a hamburger at Granny's sometime, to which he happily agrees. ("The Crocodile")

Trivia

 * "Belle" may or may not have been given a new name in Storybrooke; since she was imprisoned beneath the hospital, she did not need a new identity.
 * Like her Disney version, Belle is interested in books and was given a library by Mr. Gold, her love interest and counterpart of the Beast.
 * Belle is the only person who Mr. Gold/Rumplestiltskin has revealed the motive for many of his actions and for creating The Dark Curse is to find his son, Baelfire.
 * Belle considers herself as an expert at rehabilitation.
 * She is the first and only one whom Mr. Gold admitted his real reasons for wanting magic. ("The Crocodile")

Appearances
Contrapartida de Bella Belle (Storybrooke) Belle (Storybrooke)