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This article focuses on the main reality character.
For her Wish Realm counterpart, see Wish Belle.
For the Season Two episode, see "Lacey."

You are a hero who helped your people. You're a beautiful woman who loved an ugly man. Really, really loved me. You find goodness in others. And when it's not there, you create it. You make me want to go back. Back to the best version of me. And that never happened before. So when you look in the mirror and you don't know who you are, that's who you are.

Mr. Gold to Belle French src

Belle, later known as Belle French,[2] also known as Mrs. Gold[3] and briefly known as Lacey, is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. She débuts in the twelfth episode of the first season and is portrayed by starring cast member Emilie de Ravin. She is the main reality version of Wish Belle.

Belle is based on Beauty from the fairytale "Beauty and the Beast"; and on the character of the same name from the Disney film Beauty and the Beast. She also takes the place of Ellie Fredricksen from the Disney/Pixar film Up.

History

Before First Curse

Belle is the daughter of Colette and Sir Maurice. She lives in an unnamed kingdom with her parents, and she grows up living in a castle. As a child, Belle learns to love books after her mother introduces her to Her Handsome Hero, a tale of compassion and forgiveness. She comes to admire these two attributes as what embodies a hero. During her childhood, Belle becomes friends with a boy named Samuel. ("Family Business," "Her Handsome Hero," "Out of the Past")

After Belle has grown into a young woman, Maurice tries to interest her in a suitor, Gaston, whom she believes is vain and a notorious womanizer as the rumors say he is. Maurice stresses that their kingdom is at stake, because he requires the army of Gaston's father Lord LeGume to end the ogre skirmishes, but to do that, Belle must marry Gaston. Belle is upset at this, but when Gaston sympathizes with her and even offers to leave to ease her discomfort, she decides to go on a walk with him. In the woods, Gaston attempts to win her over with flowery praise, which she finds amusing. She learns he's not a womanizer, although he is looking to meet a woman with a strong character like Belle's. Hearing a beast nearby, Gaston goes to track it down, and Belle follows, finding him near a pit where a young ogre has fallen in. He suspects the ogres are using their young as spies and wants to bring the fledgling to the castle, but Belle disagrees, knowing the men will torture the ogre. She persuades Gaston into letting her decipher the ogre's intentions by consulting a magical antiquities book. During this, she tells him about her mother instilling her love for books, and then lends him her favorite one, Her Handsome Hero. When he tries to kiss her, she is momentarily fazed before directing his attention to the antiquities book, which states the mirror of souls can prove if a person has evil in his or her heart. Since the item is only an hour's ride away, she goes to fetch it, and Gaston stays to keep watch on the ogre. Accompanied by her father, Belle returns with the mirror, and she finds Gaston collapsed on the ground after the ogre attacked him and fled. Despite Maurice urging her to go home so the rest of them can hunt down the ogre, Belle manages to stop them from killing the ogre. Gaston then looses his arrow, to which Belle uses the mirror to protect the ogre. She notices wounds on the ogre's back, and in the broken mirror, she sees Gaston has demonic eyes, proof of the evil in his heart. She calls him out for torturing the ogre during her absence earlier, while Gaston argues that ogres are evil and he didn't need a mirror to know that. Belle refuses to let him harm the ogre unless he kills her first, and she then allows the ogre to escape. Later, her father tells her the ogres have breached the eastern region. Since the war is unavoidable now, Maurice brings up the arranged marriage again, since he cannot defend his kingdom without Lord LeGume's army. For the kingdom's sake, Belle accepts the proposal. ("Her Handsome Hero")

Sometime later, Belle and her mother are preparing to escape the castle as ogres breach their guard walls. At the sound of an approaching ogre, they hide under a table, but when the ogre rips away the table, Colette sacrifices herself by staying behind as guards pull Belle to safety. Soon after, Belle loses consciousness and later awakens in bed, recalling nothing about what happened earlier. Unable to remember how Colette died, she discovers from a book that rock trolls can restore memories. She becomes interested in finding them, but her father doesn't want her to pay the price of magic. Maurice orders her to stay put, however, she secretly travels to Arendelle where a woman named Anna helps her find the head rock troll, Grand Pabbie. As they prepare to climb a mountain, Anna uses Belle's ice pick and accidentally drops an item. Belle returns it to Anna, who explains it's a hat capable of absorbing magic which she stole from a "twisted man." When Grand Pabbie meets Belle, he turns her memories into a stone, telling her to return to where she lost her memories, brew a tea with the stone in a kettle and drink it to remember everything. Anna learns from Grand Pabbie that her aunt, Ingrid, is not trustworthy, causing her to fear for her sister Elsa's safety. As the two leave, a storm created by Ingrid traps them. Thrown aside by a wind, Belle drops the stone, which falls out of reach. Anna, clinging to a ledge, implores for help. Belle tries to reach the stone, but it shatters, so she rushes to Anna, who slips and falls unconscious. Ingrid then takes the hat from Anna and disappears with her in a puff of smoke. Returning home, Belle learns from her father of how her mother died. Upon seeing ogres that have entered their kingdom's road, Belle suggests getting help from a wizard, Rumplestiltskin, despite the price for magic, as she wants to be as brave as her mother was. ("Family Business")

When Sir Maurice requests the assistance of the Dark One in a war he is losing against the ogres in his town of Avonlea, Rumplestiltskin offers protection in exchange for Belle's servitude. Defying her father and fiancé, she agrees to the terms of the deal. Once at his castle, he shows Belle to her "room," which is essentially a dungeon cell. ("Skin Deep")

Longing for her family, Belle spends the night crying. When Rumplestiltskin bursts in to shut her up, they hear a thud from the main room. There, a hooded thief is stealing a wand. Boasting about his bow and arrow that never misses, the thief shoots at Rumplestiltskin, who is hit by the shaft. However, since Rumplestiltskin is immortal, the arrow has no effect, and he imprisons the thief; subjecting him to physical torture. As the Dark One's servant, Belle is made to wash Rumplestiltskin's bloody aprons after the torture sessions. Pitying the man, she frees him, but doesn't realize he has stolen the wand during his escape. Once Rumplestiltskin discovers this, he forces Belle to accompany him as he tracks down and murders the thief. During their carriage ride, she reasons if he lets the thief go unharmed, people will stop seeing him as a beast. Believing there is good in his heart, Belle claims he loves something more than power. Rumplestiltskin agrees, but then giddily tells her that he loves his things more than power, much to her disappointment. In the woods, a sheriff stops them for trespassing on his land, though he recognizes the owner of the bow and arrow Rumplestiltskin has. Bargaining for information, the sheriff asks to spend a night with Belle, but an impatient Rumplestiltskin rips out the man's tongue. After returning it, the sheriff reveals the thief's name is Robin Hood and tells them where to find him. On foot, Belle and Rumplestiltskin spot Robin Hood using the wand on a sickly woman. Despite that Robin Hood stole the wand for good intentions, Rumplestiltskin entraps Belle in the ground as he readies his arrow shot on the thief. When the healed woman stands up, uncovering a pregnant belly, Belle implores Rumplestiltskin not to make the child fatherless by killing Robin Hood. Her words get through to him, and he purposely allows the arrow to miss his target. Heading back to the castle, Rumplestiltskin shows Belle an extensive library, gruffly denying that the room is for her and that he just needs her to clean everything. However, an all-knowing Belle happily attests that does have good in him, a compliment that surprises Rumplestiltskin. ("Lacey")

Later, when Belle tries to make him tea, she startled and drops a cup, and accidentally chips it. ("Skin Deep")

While Rumplestiltskin is away in Camelot, Belle examines a sword in the castle cabinet. Catching her off guard, Rumplestiltskin accosts her for snooping, and though he did say that she could, this was to test how she would react in his absence. Engrossed in his castle collections, Belle reasons she was curious since he never talks about where the items came from. Furthermore, it's her dream to see the world, which is what he gets to do. When she inquiries about his journey to Camelot, he chucks her a "souvenir," a magic gauntlet used to locate one's greatest weakness. As he states, the weakness is usually a thing the person loves most. After serving him tea, Belle theorizes he collects things to fill a hole in his heart. Instead, Rumplestiltskin whisks her off to laundry duty. Spotting a lone puppy, she follows until losing sight of the animal and is kidnapped by Cruella De Vil. Taken to Demon's Bluff, Belle is coerced into speaking a ransom message into an enchanted sand dollar, begging Rumplestiltskin to bring the gauntlet in exchange for her life. Rather than Cruella, Maleficent demands the gauntlet when Rumplestiltskin arrives. He quickly overpowers her before the sea witch, Ursula, tightens her tentacles around Belle. Completing the trio, Cruella steps out to pressure Rumplestiltskin into paying the ransom, but he only gives up the gauntlet once Belle's heart is almost crushed by Ursula. With the terms satisfied, Ursula pushes Belle, who falls into Rumplestiltskin's arms, as the sea witch and her allies disappear. Rumplestiltskin then consoles Belle by stating they won't be able to hurt her now. Surprised at his concern, she wonders why he cares about her. Stumped by the question, Rumplestiltskin shoves her away from him and callously remarks that, rather than someone else, only he is allowed to end her life by crushing her heart. ("Heroes and Villains")

While Belle is on cleaning duty, she inquiries about why he spins so much, which Rumplestiltskin states helps him forget the things he lost. She begins tugging the curtains let more light into the castle, but when she pulls too hard and falls, Rumplestiltskin catches her in time. Surprised, Belle thanks him, and he awkwardly puts her down. ("Skin Deep")

During one day at the castle, Belle has just finished doing the laundry and polishing the silver when Rumplestiltskin returns with a wailing baby for her to look after. She is shocked to learn he stole the child, and his possible sinister intentions for the infant once he comes back at sundown. After Belle calms the baby by reading him the tale of Gideon from Her Handsome Hero, she takes him with her to escape the castle. She wanders into an unlocked tower at one point and finds an incantation written in fairy language used to summon the Black Fairy, which she is able to read and translate. As soon as Belle is done writing, Rumplestiltskin arrives to steal the paper and the baby, as he intended for her to unknowingly provide the translation. Belle is locked in the tower by Rumplestiltskin, but the Blue Fairy frees her and urges her to save the baby. Belle arrives in time to see Rumplestiltskin distracted with confronting the Black Fairy, and she goes to grab the child. When Rumplestiltskin finally notices Belle, the squid ink on the fairy wears off, allowing her to escape. Having no knowledge of what transpired between him and the fairy, Belle tries to be sympathetic to whatever pain Rumplestiltskin is in and what he wanted from the Black Fairy, but she insists that sacrificing a child is not the answer to his problems, however, Rumplestiltskin dejectedly remarks that no one understands his pain. Later, Belle returns the child to his elated parents, as an unseen Rumplestiltskin watches longingly from a distance. ("Changelings")

While Rumplestiltskin is in a mournful mood, Belle accidentally walks in on him lighting a candle. Despite that he tells her to go away, she approaches to set down a basket of flowers on the table. When he warns her a second time, Belle notes a shawl nearby. Immediately, she realizes the candle is in remembrance of someone and gives her condolences. Rumplestiltskin remarks that this person is not dead, though, and simply just lost. He sadly admits it is the person's birthday, and regrets his past actions tore away their chance to be happy together. Belle proposes that it's not too late. Though Rumplestiltskin hopes for the same, he thinks his own ending won't be a happy one. ("Going Home")

Noticing Rumplestiltskin has returned to the castle, Belle walks in to greet him and ask if he needs anything. One of the Dark One's guests, a blonde woman, recognizes Belle. She claims Rumplestiltskin mentioned her, to which Belle is pleasantly surprised, though he says that never happened. As Rumplestiltskin shoos her from the room, Belle remarks that he could speak in a nicer tone. Nonetheless, she leaves as he requests. ("Snow Drifts")

Over the course of a couple of months, Belle slowly gets to know Rumplestiltskin and they develop a friendship. One day, she goes to town to buy food, where the villagers gossip about her being the Dark One's maid. As a wounded soldier is carted towards camp, she recognizes him as Samuel, her childhood friend. Seeing his injury is from an enchanted weapon, Belle brings him home with her to cure him. Rumplestiltskin, although not pleased with a stranger in his castle, agrees not to kill him. When Samuel awakens, he relates a fabricated tale about how acquired his wound as she researches healing methods. At one point, she finds a notebook in his belongings, which reveal his actual plan is to steal the Dark One's dagger and control Rumplestiltskin into plundering the Enchanted Forest. Despite her doubts about Samuel's story, she keeps her find a secret. Later, Samuel makes an unexpectedly quick recovery, and he admits he came to rescue her on her father's orders. To free her, he wants to use Pandora's Box to trap Rumplestiltskin. Knowing his real plan with the dagger, Belle deliberately leads him out of the castle. From outside the door, Samuel continues an attempt to persuade her, until he seemingly disappears. Rumplestiltskin returns, with the box in hand, as Belle explains why she had to stop Samuel. When she questions where her friend is, Rumplestiltskin only states he kept his promise and didn't kill him, although he secretly condemned Samuel to a swamp. ("Out of the Past")

Later, in conversation, she learns the small clothing in one of the rooms belongs to Rumplestiltskin's son. On the topic of why she accepted his deal, Belle explains it was an opportunity to be brave. As for her left-behind fiancé, she rejects the idea that her idea of love would fit with someone as superficial as Gaston. When she further implores the Dark One about his past, Rumplestiltskin responds by sending her to fetch straw, and he'll tell her his tale when she returns. Belle questions if he trusts her enough to expect her return, but Rumplestiltskin admits he assumes she'll run away. Offered a choice to return home or stay as his servant, Belle contemplates this as she walks to town, where she meets the Queen, who tells her about true love's kiss that can break any curse; namely Rumplestiltskin's. She returns to the castle with a basket full of straw and asks Rumplestiltskin to tell her about how he lost his son. He makes it short and vague. She leans in to kiss Rumplestiltskin, intending to break his curse, and pulls away as the darkness lifts from him. Before the curse is completely gone, Belle mentions true love's kiss, causing him to accuse her of conspiring with the Queen to strip him of his powers. Desperately, Belle attests her love for him is true, but he refuses to listen, throwing her in the dungeon. Later, Rumplestiltskin kicks her out for good, claiming his power is more valuable than her, while Belle brands him a coward for not believing she loves him. Before leaving, she swears he will regret his decision, as there will be nothing left for him except an "empty heart and a chipped cup." ("Skin Deep")

Some time after this, Belle meets Robin Hood again and they have other adventures together. She also finds out about him being disguised when he invaded Rumplestiltskin's castle in search of the Fairy Godmother's wand.[4]

Belle spends her time at a local tavern when she overhears a dwarf, Dreamy, tell his fellow brethren about how strange he is feeling. Belle recognizes the symptom as being lovesick, to which Dreamy begins talking to her about a fairy named Nova who told him about going to Firefly Hill. Amused, Belle bluntly tells Dreamy that Nova is obviously inviting him to meet her there. When Dreamy asks her what love is like, she replies that it is the most wonderful and amazing thing in the world, but it does not always last forever. Additionally, she has already had her heart broken enough to know when someone is reaching out, referring to Nova's invitation to Dreamy. Belle presses him to seize the opportunity and be with Nova while he still has a chance. ("Dreamy")

The next day, she returns to the tavern and is greeted by Dreamy, who thanks her for the previous advice as he and Nova will soon be leaving together. Belle is estastic at the news. Suddenly, a group of men burst into the tavern to announce they will be heading to a far off land in search of a beast called the Yaoguai. Dreamy thinks it's the perfect opportunity for Belle to have a real adventure. Belle is more unsure since the only adventures she has experienced are the ones in books, which all have happy endings. At Dreamy's urging, she eventually gives in and is given a pouch of fairy dust by him. During the journey, she reads a book detailing the Yaoguai's whereabouts. Her travelling companions, particularly a man named Claude, give her a hard time about being a bookworm. She informs them the book will give them clues as to where to find the Yaoguai, and when pressed, lies and tells them the creature can be found by a lake. They kick her off the wagon to find the Yaoguai themselves, but Belle consults the book to track the beast to a mountainous cave. She approaches the den, but attracts the Yaoguai by stepping on a branch. Belle flees until a female clad warrior, Mulan, drives the Yaoguai off. Upset, Mulan berates Belle for startling the Yaoguai, which she spent months trying to find. Belle states she only wanted to help while the latter tells her to go away. Later, Belle stops by a village well to grab a sip of water and is accosted by Claude and his cronies for previously misleading them to the lake. They attempt to dump her down the well, but Mulan scares them away while sustaining a leg injury. Having a change of heart, Mulan proposes they hunt down the Yaoguai together. On the way there, Mulan can go no further as her wound is getting worse and entrusts Belle with the task of killing the Yaoguai. Armed with Mulan's sword, she heads into the valley and lures the Yaoguai into the village. After letting out a spray of water from a slashed pipe, the beast's bodily flames are doused out. To Belle's amazement, the Yaoguai collapses on the ground and scrawls the message "Save me." She opens her pouch of fairy dust, sprinkling it on the Yaoguai, who turns back into a human man, Prince Phillip. He is deeply grateful, to which Belle wishes for him to repay by taking Mulan to a doctor for treatment. She leaves them and begins making her way back to Rumplestiltskin. Instead, the Evil Queen captures Belle, after being tipped off by Claude, and imprisons her. ("The Outsider")

Kept as the Evil Queen's prisoner in a palace, Belle is shackled to a bed post and kept alive for an unknown period of time. Outside the room, Claude, employed by the Evil Queen, guards the cell. When a stranger approaches pretending to deliver food for Belle, a fight breaks out, in which Claude meets his demise at at the hand of Hook. He opens the door and claims to be rescuing Belle. When asked why, Hook explains she needs to help him kill Rumplestiltskin, who is holding her father captive. Belle does not believe him and states that she can talk and reason with Rumplestiltskin. When Hook does not budge, Belle admits she does not know how to kill him, and does not want to. Since she is not buying his lies and refuses to comply, Hook knocks Belle unconscious, and prepares to kill her when the Evil Queen walks in to stop him. ("Queen of Hearts")

During First Curse

After the curse is cast, Belle becomes a patient in the town hospital's psychiatric ward. After remembering his life from the Enchanted Forest, Mr. Gold has memories of how he lost Belle, presumably at the hands of her father, who is now a flower delivery man named Moe. One day, he takes away Moe's truck because he is late with loan payments. Later, Mr. Gold's house is ransacked and several items, including his only memento of Belle, a chipped cup, goes missing, though Emma manages to get all the stolen belongings back, except for the cup. Suspecting Moe has it, Mr. Gold kidnaps Moe and tries to beat the truth out of the man, while expressing a great deal of rage, blaming him for Belle's death. Instead, Regina later proves she stole the cup and uses it to goad Mr. Gold into admitting his real name, to prove he has regained his memories from before the curse. 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. ("Skin Deep")

Angry at Regina for going back on her deal with him, Jefferson sneaks into the psychiatric ward to free Belle and bring her to Mr. Gold, who he knows won't be pleased with 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. ("A Land Without Magic")

After First Curse

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 as an advantage. She makes him promise not to use the magic and 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 pawnshop in tears of anger and frustration. After the Wraith disappears through a vortex, leaving Regina unscathed, Belle returns and states she will remain with Mr. Gold because he is still a "monster." ("Broken")

One night, Belle has a nightmare in which Mr. Gold attacks Leroy, who has come looking for his ax. 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, whom she sees is in the basement secretly spinning gold thread and working on magic. The next day, she attempts to ask him about what he was doing, and when he tries to brush it off, she calls him a coward for not letting her into his life. Without informing Mr. Gold, Belle leaves for the diner and gets Ruby's with possibly reopening the closed down library. She goes to peek at the inside of the building from the outside window, but is distracted and then kidnapped by William Smee, who brings her to Moe. At first, Belle is overjoyed to see her father again, but balks when he insists that she leave Mr. Gold for good. Unable to convince her, Moe orders Smee to take his daughter outside the town line so that she will lose her memory. Belle is handcuffed to a mining cart underground as it sets off on the tracks. In an attempt to free herself, she grabs a key for the cuffs but drops it. Belle is saved by Mr. Gold's magic but makes it clear she doesn't want him in her life, since he is unable to be truthful with her, and is equally unhappy with Moe for making choices for her. While spending time getting acquainted with food at the diner, Ruby gives her a small box someone left at the front desk. The box contains is a key, which Belle uses to open the library. Inside the building, Mr. Gold admits bringing magic to Storybrooke because he doesn't know how to live without magic. However, the price of bringing magic to town is not being able to leave without losing his Enchanted Forest memories, and therefore, Mr. Gold is unable to search for his son, who was also his motivation for making the Dark Curse. He acknowledges experimenting with magic to figure out a way to break the price of magic. After telling her all this, he turns to leave, but Belle wants to start over with Mr. Gold and invites him to have hamburgers with her at Granny's. ("The Crocodile")

At the diner, Belle celebrates with the miners after the discovery of diamonds in the Storybrooke Mines, which can be made into fairy dust and rescue Emma and Mary Margaret from the Enchanted Forest. 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 and leaves. Belle remarks that he seems nice, though Ruby is distracted and heads to the back room of the diner. The next morning, Billy turns up dead, and Ruby is accused of murder, since she shape shifted into a wolf the night before, but can't remember anything. David and Granny believe in her innocence, as does Belle, who allows them to hide Ruby in the library from the angry townspeople. Ruby is chained up as a safety precaution, but Belle releases her when she asks for a restroom break. Instead, she is cuffed while Ruby, believing the townspeople's hatred towards her is justified, goes to face the mob. Much later, David presumably unchains Belle after discovering Albert is the actual culprit in Billy's death and Ruby's name is cleared. ("Child of the Moon")

Belle and Mr. Gold finally go on a date at Granny's with a serving of 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 Regina reminds him that was during a time he "didn't have anything to lose." From this, she indirectly references that Belle will be in danger if Cora reaches her, which makes the librarian nervous. ("Into the Deep")

In the pawnshop, Belle is getting ready for a picnic lunch with Mr. Gold when Emma, David and Mary Margaret arrive. They accuse Mr. Gold of causing Archie's death, to which Belle reacts in disbelief. Mr. Gold proves his innocence by giving Emma a dream catcher to look into the memories of Archie's dog Pongo, who witnessed his owner's death. She sees a recollection of Regina killing Archie in cold blood, though no one is aware it is actually Cora masquerading as the madam mayor. ("The Cricket Game")

She, along with the other townspeople, attend Archie's funeral where Mary Margaret gives a eulogy in remembrance of him. Afterward, Belle meets up with Mr. Gold, who happily informs her about his success in making a potion to cross the border, which will work if poured on his son's shawl. She wishes to go with him, but he regretfully says the potion is only enough for one person. Later in the day, Belle goes to sort books in preparation for a future library opening. Once inside, she recognizes a stranger as Hook and runs away, but he blocks her. Belle pins him on the floor by toppling a bookshelf and scurries into the elevator. She calls Mr. Gold and tries to give more details about Hook, but he can't hear her through the bad reception. She stays in the elevator until Mr. Gold comes to the library. Reunited, they hurry back to the pawnshop as Mr. Gold hesitantly tells her how Hook stole his wife, Milah, from him years ago. When she asks what happened to his wife, Mr. Gold says that she died. He discovers the shawl is gone and furiously plans to go after Hook alone. He hands her a loaded gun to defend herself with. She returns to the library and finds a knot Hook left behind. From browsing through a book about knots, she determines it comes from a ship. At the dock, she sees a bird standing on something invisible. Belle uses a pinch of dust to outline the steps onto a ship and follows them up through a barrier onto the deck. She ventures below deck to free a trapped Archie and urges him to go back to town, which he does. Belle looks for the shawl, and distractedly sets down the gun. Hook makes himself known to her with the shawl in hand. They both lunge for the gun, but he grabs it first and aims it at her forehead. He reveals Mr. Gold killed Milah by ripping out her heart and crushing it. Even knowing this, Belle still believes Mr. Gold has changed for the better. She hits him with a rowing paddle and runs away to above deck with the shawl, but Hook gets there first. When Mr. Gold shows up to beat Hook bloody, Belle pleads for him to stop as proof he has changed from the past. They leave together, and later that night, she watches as he uses the potion and shawl to cross the border while his memory stays intact. From the opposite side of the town line, Belle promises to wait for him. Suddenly, a bullet ricochets into her shoulder from behind. She falls over the border into Mr. Gold's arms and loses her memories as Hook is revealed to be the shooter. In an amnesiac state, Belle doesn't recognize her own name when Mr. Gold calls her and witnesses him conjuring a fireball just as a car crashes into town. ("The Outsider")

Frantic and confused, she doesn't understand what is going on. Mr. Gold is worried about Belle's injuries, so he magically heals them, which only frightens her. Emma arrives in her sheriff car with David and Mary Margaret. While an ambulance is called, Mary Margaret soothes a panicked Belle, and later hands her over to a nurse at the hospital. Taken in as a patient, Belle tries to get some rest but is startled awake by Mr. Gold kissing her. She screams in horror until he leaves. However, Mr. Gold returns later with a chipped cup, which he says is enchanted with magic, and insists that she try looking at it so her memories might come back. She becomes afraid and unsure when he mentions magic. She gives the cup back, though he keeps pushing it back at her. Frustrated, she angrily throws the cup at the wall as it shatters into pieces. She demands that he leave her alone, which he finally does in tears. ("In the Name of the Brother")

During Belle's stay at the hospital, Ruby tries to cheer her up with some familiar things, such as her favorite book. Belle suspiciously questions her about the accident and the man who used magic to heal her. Worried about exposing magic, Ruby ignores the inquiry and tries to persuade Belle that the tranquilizers must be giving her hallucinations. Upset no one believes her, Belle acts out violently and has to be sedated by the nurse. Later that night, Greg, who was the driver in the car crash, visits Belle in her room. She thinks he doesn't believe her about the fireball just like everyone else, though Greg admits he saw it too. ("Tiny")

While still resting up in her hospital room, Belle meets 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. ("Manhattan")

From her cell phone, 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 describes the person he knew in her; a beautiful woman who loved an ugly man, and further explains that 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. ("The Miller's Daughter")

When Mr. Gold pays her a visit, Belle is happy and relieved to see he survived. She is more trustworthy of him since their phone conversation and believes that he wants to help her regain memories. She tries to thank him for healing her, but he avoids the topic of magic, which disappoints her. While Mr. Gold is getting her discharged from the hospital, Belle packs up her belongings. Regina comes in to introduce herself 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 a matchbook 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 ones she lost previously. Belle assumes the name Lacey and leaves the hospital to hit up the bar by playing pool and chatting with Mr. Clark. Mr. Gold approaches her, and she remembers him as the man who visited her at the hospital. A man, Keith, tries to flirt with her, but she shoots him down. Mr. Gold asks Lacey out on a date at Granny's, which she accepts out of pity for him. Despite turning down Keith earlier, she makes plans to meet with him behind the diner. During the date, Lacey is impressed by Mr. Gold's approachable personality since the stories about him say otherwise. She states that it's important to truly know someone by seeing what's in a person's heart. He accidentally spills wine on her dress, so she goes to clean up, but actually goes to make out with Keith outside. Mr. Gold witnesses them and shoves Keith off in the belief he is assaulting Lacey. Instead, she admits the real reason she agreed to the date. Lacey is simply not attracted to Mr. Gold's nice guy personality and specifies they do not fit together because she isn't Belle. Later, in the bar's parking lot, she watches Mr. Gold beating up Keith. Intrigued, she realizes Mr. Gold is actually more than meets the eye, and finds herself drawn to his dark nature. She stands by with a mischievous smile as Mr. Gold continues to hit Keith. ("Lacey")

Afterward, 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. ("The Evil Queen")

One morning, while on the streets, Mr. Gold accuses Dr. Whale of eyeing 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 stop the dispute. 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 as they drink. She is exasperated and annoyed when asked to step into the next room after Mary Margaret and David come to Mr. Gold for help in finding a missing Regina. She overhears them bargaining with him for magic. After they are gone, she asks about his magic use and is amazed when he procures an expensive looking necklace out of thin air and helps her to put it on. After learning more about Mr. Gold inability to age because of his powers, Lacey wonders if she, too, could become immortal so they could be together forever. He says it's possible, but mentions that it doesn't keep a person immune from death. 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. ("Second Star to the Right")

When Leroy departs the pawnshop after urging Mr. Gold to restore Lacey's memories, Lacey pops out from the backroom, completely oblivious to the conversation that took place. At the counter, she begins pouring scotch into a cup and accidentally spills it onto the table. Lacey grabs a nearby cloth, not knowing it's Baelfire's shawl, to wipe the mess up, until Mr. Gold angrily snatches it away, shouting that it belonged to his son. Startled, she apologizes for her mistake, while Mr. Gold grasps in this instance that he hasn't come to terms with Baelfire's death. Realizing he needs Belle and not Lacey, he magically reconstructs the chipped cup to its unbroken state. Lacey is confused over his fixation on the cup, but when he pours a substance into it, she consents to drink it, restoring Belle to her old self. Mr. Gold apologizes for bringing her back when they are going to die from the trigger's effects but needed her support. She then comforts him as he cries over the loss of his son. With Emma and Regina's combined powers, the trigger is halted, however, Henry is taken by Greg and Tamara and taken to another world. At the docks, Belle is with Mr. Gold when they learn of Henry's kidnapping. Mr. Gold decides to go with the heroes to rescue his grandson, and though Belle wants to go too, he asks her to stay and keep the town safe with a cloaking spell. At their parting, Belle discovers he won't be able to return to her, but she voices hopes that the future is not set in stone. After sharing a goodbye kiss, she praises Mr. Gold for his efforts, as Neal would be very proud of him. ("And Straight On 'Til Morning")

As the Jolly Roger heads into a portal bound for Neverland, Belle tearfully watches the ship disappear from her view. Suddenly, Archie, Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Happy, Leroy, Mr. Clark, Mother Superior and Walter run up to her, with all of them elated over the town being saved. Belle breaks out of her saddened stupor to inform the group about Henry's kidnapping and the cloaking spell they now must enact to keep outsiders from entering Storybrooke. Once they are in the mines, some of the dwarves quarry a large rock to obtain fairy dust, one of the spell's ingredients. With encouragement from Mother Superior, Belle dumps the vial's contents on the rock; causing a stream of magic to shoot out and begin covering a barrier over Storybrooke. Afterward, in the diner, she tells Archie her fears that Mr. Gold will die on his mission. Belle wants to help save Henry, and while Archie thinks she did her part by protecting the town, she scoffs over the fact all she did was pour a potion over some rocks. She also thinks no one will invade the town, and believes Mr. Gold doesn't need her. Suddenly, a guest from Neverland, Ariel, brings Belle a sand dollar from Mr. Gold. Upon further examination of the sand dollar, Belle hears a message from Mr. Gold telling her to look for an item in the pawnshop that can defeat Pan. He states it can be found with "the strength of their love," leading her to find the chipped cup, which she places in the cupboard. This activates a hidden panel in the floor, where she finds Pandora's Box. The women are quickly taken hostage by Pan's associates, Michael and John, who steal the box and leave to destroy it. After getting free of their binds, Belle and Ariel rush to the mines, where Belle shoves a mine cart to stop the men from smashing the box. Only when Belle regains the box, John and Michael admit they are helping Pan because he has their sister Wendy, but she persuades them that the box is essential to freeing Wendy. She then sees Ariel off as the mermaid returns to Neverland with the box. ("Dark Hollow")

Following a safe journey out of Neverland to Storybrooke, Belle welcomes back Mr. Gold and Neal. To ensure Pan will never be a threat again, Mr. Gold seals Pandora's Box in the pawnshop. Later, Belle helps Mr. Gold get dressed and casually mentions the endless possibilities of his future now that everything is settled. Mr. Gold agrees and states that the only future he wants is where they are together. The next day, as she and Mr. Gold are exiting the shop, David, Emma and Mary Margaret rush over to ask for the box as they believe Pan is controlling the escaped Shadow from inside it. Belle joins them at the town border, where she watches Emma steps over the town line before Mr. Gold opens the box to release Pan on the same side, rendering the Lost Boy powerless. Pan claims to be Henry, as the two switched bodies and proves it by telling Emma something only the boy himself would know. They all regroup with Hook, Neal and Tinker Bell at the vault, where Regina took "Henry" for protection, though the door is locked. After Mr. Gold opens the door with magic, the group find an unconscious Regina and discover Pan took the Dark Curse scroll. ("The New Neverland")

For Regina to undo Pan's curse, Henry and Pan must return to their rightful bodies so she can regain the scroll and destroy it. As soon as Mr. Gold uses the Black Fairy's wand to do just that, everyone scrambles to look for Henry. While Mr. Gold chooses to stay behind to keep watch on a sleeping Pan, Belle joins the others in the search. Shortly after reuniting with Henry, the group is accosted by Pan's freezing spell. The Lost Boy begins narrowing down his choice of who he will kill from Belle to Neal just as Mr. Gold intervenes to save them. Belle listens as Mr. Gold declares his love for her, as well as Neal, but he regretfully states that he can't be together with them. In a heroic move, Mr. Gold summons the Dark One's dagger, stabbing Pan as well as himself with it, killing both of them. Once the freezing spell wears off, Belle collapses onto the ground, still reeling from seeing her lover die before her eyes. Regina reveals the price of stopping Pan's curse is for everyone to return to the Enchanted Forest. Before the curse spreads through the entire town, Belle gathers at the border with a handful of residents, where Archie comforts her over her loss. Regina sends Emma and Henry out of town to keep them from the curse's grasp, and when the curse cloud approaches, she stops Pan's curse by undoing her own curse, sending everyone inside the town back to the Enchanted Forest. ("Going Home")

Before Second Curse

After Regina takes magical preventive measures to undo Pan's casting of the Dark Curse, all the inhabitants of Storybrooke pay the price by returning to the Enchanted Forest and reverting to their prior personas. In a group, they manifest in the land of Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip. A plan quickly assembles for everyone to make their way to the Queen's old palace. Before they set out, Belle overhears Neal talking to Prince Charming and Snow White about going to his father's castle to find some way to Emma and Henry, but the couple insist crossing the realm is impossible as well as the fact neither will have any recollection of him. On the trek to the palace, Belle has hopes Neal will see his family again and also believes Rumplestiltskin is not truly gone since they did not see where his dagger went. Later, Friar Tuck, Little John, and Robin Hood of the Merry Men join their party. Belle has a cheerful reunion with Robin Hood as does Neal Cassidy. Upon arriving at the outskirts of the palace, Regina discovers a protection spell, cast by whoever is currently residing inside, is keeping them from going in. For the time being, Robin Hood suggests everyone can take shelter at Sherwood Forest. ("New York City Serenade")

As they depart for Sherwood Forest, a flying monkey attacks, sending Belle and various other members of the crowd scurrying back to witness the creature nearly knock into Neal, though Regina quickly dispenses of the being by turning it into a stuffed animal. In a group discussion, Belle shares knowledge about the flying monkey's origins in the land of Oz, so Regina determines the person in the palace is the Wicked Witch. A plan is set up to wait for Regina to bring the shield down and then mobilize the whole group into the palace. Once night falls, Grumpy gives the signal when he spots the dissipating barrier, meaning Regina was able to lower it, so everyone begins assembling towards their destination. ("Witch Hunt")

Setting hopes on resurrecting Rumplestiltskin, Belle and Neal go to the old castle looking for information. As they enter a room, she lights a candelabra and accidentally awakens a person residing inside the object. Calling himself Lumiere, he explains how Rumplestiltskin cursed him after a broken deal. Belle promises they can restore him to his original form if he helps them bring back Rumplestiltskin. Lumiere points her to a large book on a shelf where she takes out a hidden key, which he states is for opening a vault and reviving the Dark One. She and Neal make plans to go to the vault, and Lumiere agrees to lead them there. The following day, under Lumiere's instruction, they head to a forest clearing. Directed to the center of the ground as the vault's resting spot, Neal begins uncovering it from the snow. When he expresses uncertainty, Lumiere boldly claims to have lived in the Dark One's library for two-hundred years, which Belle knows is a lie since Rumplestiltskin specifically made that room for her barely thirty years ago. Caught, Lumiere admits he was cursed by the Wicked Witch, who wants the Dark One alive so she can control him with the dagger. Though Belle warns Neal about the consequences should this happen, he stubbornly pushes the key into the vault seal. As an unexpected price, Neal must forfeit his life while Rumplestiltskin is resurrected. On the brink of death, he is saved when Rumplestiltskin absorbs him into his own body. The Wicked Witch retrieves the dagger from Rumplestiltskin and then orders him to kill Belle. Before he can, Lumiere entraps the Wicked Witch with his flames. Torn, she flees, taking Lumiere with her, and leaving behind Rumplestiltskin. ("Quiet Minds")

Following her escape from the Wicked Witch, Zelena, Belle reports to Aurora, Prince Charming, Prince Phillip, Snow White and Regina about Neal's sacrifice to resurrect Rumplestiltskin. While everyone ponders what the witch wants from them, Aurora and Prince Phillip admit Zelena desires Snow White's unborn child and that they were forced to keep quiet or their own child would be harmed. After this revelation, Zelena arrives to turn the two into flying monkeys and then immobilizes Prince Charming, Snow White and Regina as a terrified Belle looks on. Zelena approaches to touch Snow White's belly; claiming the baby will be hers, and she departs soon after. ("A Curious Thing")

Some time later, while gathered inside the palace with Regina, Robin Hood, Snow White and many other residents, Belle witnesses a reunion between a long-lost Princess Rapunzel, who Prince Charming helped rescue, and her parents. ("The Tower")

Months pass, and Belle, Grumpy, Prince Charming, Snow White, Regina, Granny and Robin Hood discuss counterattacking Zelena. They break into the Dark One's castle where Belle gains information from an imprisoned Rumplestiltskin about Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, who can help them. After a visit to Glinda and discovering only Emma can defeat Zelena, Snow White secretly casts another Dark Curse to return all to Storybrooke and seek out her daughter. Before the curse spreads, Zelena drops a forgetful potion to strip everyone of their memories from the year spent in the Enchanted Forest. ("A Curious Thing")

During Second Curse

A new curse is cast by none other than Snow White; returning Belle and the rest of the Enchanted Forest inhabitants to the town of Storybrooke. However, as a result of Wicked Witch of the West's interference, everyone's last recollection is the final day in Storybrooke when Regina stopped Pan's curse, but no one can recall anything further than that. Belle resumes life, albeit without Mr. Gold, and begins running his pawnshop. Emma returns and holds a town hall meeting to figure out who is behind the new curse. Leroy is quick to accuse Regina of wrongdoing, and Belle follows suit in agreement as do the other residents. Even Emma refuses to believe Regina, who causes a building tremor out of frustration and then magically dissipates away. Unknown to everyone, aside from Leroy—who is also in on the scheme—this is a ploy Emma and Regina set up in order to make the townspeople believe the madam mayor is guilty while the two sleuth out the real criminal. ("Witch Hunt," "The Tower," "A Curious Thing")

One day, a midwife named Zelena comes into the pawnshop, mistaking her for "Mrs. Gold," and then asking for Mr. Gold himself. Belle quietly states that he died, to which Zelena gives her deepest condolences. As a customer, Zelena seeks Belle's help to pick out a baby gift for an expecting Mary Margaret. Belle happily assists and turns to search for just the right gift when she is magically frozen in place by Zelena, who grabs a plant called night root from a compartment behind a wall painting. Presumably, Belle is unfrozen and has no idea anything is amiss. ("The Tower")

Belle is alerted to the recent news about Mr. Gold's revival by Emma and is tasked with researching how he was resurrected. David and Emma go searching for Mr. Gold while Hook opts to stay behind in the pawnshop with Belle. She takes his decision warily, especially since he tried to kill her twice prior, though Hook states that he means to use this time to make it up to her. The two begin taking books off shelves when a noise erupts from pawnshop's front door. Believing Mr. Gold has come back, Belle sprints off and witnesses the door being rammed open, though the person is not her beloved, but Neal. After taking him to the hospital, Emma snaps a photo of a triangle mark burned into Neal's palm, which Belle begins looking into it. Discovering the symbol's meaning in a book, she phones Emma to notify her that the mark originates from a key to the vault of the Dark One. Assuming Neal used it at some point, Mr. Gold was resurrected in this manner, but the catch is the Dark One will be revived while the key user will die. Emma discovers Neal is still alive in Mr. Gold's body. After she magically separates them, Neal perishes. Saddened by the news, a grieving Belle is comforted by Mary Margaret. ("Quiet Minds")

In mourning, Belle attends Neal's funeral to pay her respects. Afterward, at the diner, Zelena publicly reveals herself as Regina's half-sister and forces her sibling into a showdown on Main Street after sundown. In preparation, lest Zelena is planning something wicked, Belle, David and Tinker Bell seal off the streets. Hoping to sway Mr. Gold to their side despite that Zelena is controlling him with the dagger, she sneaks into the farmhouse cellar to coax him out of his prison while David, Emma, and Tinker Bell stand guard outside. Belle nearly succeeds until he warns her it's a trap, to which she notices Zelena has been quietly watching from the shadows. Fleeing, she stumbles out just before Mr. Gold, on Zelena's command, tells them to stay out of the way or risk death. During the evening, on Main Street, Zelena approaches while trailed by a helpless Mr. Gold. Belle witnesses Regina being thrown into the clock tower by Zelena, who later flees on her broomstick. ("It's Not Easy Being Green")

When Ariel enters the pawnshop, Belle is relieved that she is all right after not seeing her since the new curse has been in effect. She helps Ariel and Hook to search the shop for one of Eric's old belongings in the hopes of finding him. After Hook discovers Eric's cloak, Belle pours a locator potion on it. The cloak becomes enchanted and floats towards the location of its owner, to which Ariel and Hook follow along. ("The Jolly Roger")

After catching Regina sifting through items in the shop, Belle, still upset about being locked up for twenty-eight years, tells her to get lost. Regina offers an apology and asks Belle to think about Mr. Gold, who is still Zelena's hostage. Anger quelled, Belle calms down enough to admit she's been piecing together the ingredients Zelena has collected to find out what spell the witch is trying to cast. However, Belle is stumped over what is so special about Regina's heart that Zelena desperately needs it. Regina decides to find out what Zelena wants by talking to Cora, which is made possible once Belle gives her the now defunct candle to access the land of the dead. When Belle cracks Zelena's spell, she tells the others and they regroup at Regina's house where Mary Margaret was just possessed by Cora's spirit. Mary Margaret explains that her own mother, Queen Eva, caused Cora's marriage to Leopold to fall through, which resulted in Zelena being abandoned. Belle reveals the collected ingredients; David's courage, Regina's heart, and Mr. Gold's brain are items for a time spell to alter the past. Namely, Zelena desires to kill Eva so Cora would have never abandoned her first-born child. ("Bleeding Through")

Regina figures out the key to break the curse and getting everyone's memories back is to make Henry believe in magic. When Emma recalls believing in magic because of Henry's storybook, David, via a phone call, asks Belle to search for the item in the pawnshop, but she does not find it. Once Regina bestows Henry with a kiss of true love, the curse breaks and everyone regains their memories from the lost year in the Enchanted Forest. ("A Curious Thing")

After Second Curse

Once the second curse is broken, Mary Margaret goes into labor at the hospital as Belle stumbles upon Zelena in the hallway. Zelena scoffs at Belle about not having learned her lesson the last time the dagger was utilized on Mr. Gold. Belligerently, Belle asserts her refusal to believe that, even though Mr. Gold desperately insists she must leave. Continuing to give Zelena a tongue-lashing over what she's put Mr. Gold through, Belle suddenly collapses, via the witch's magic, in his arms. Though Mr. Gold doesn't wish to leave his beloved, he is forced to by Zelena's will. In the aftermath, Zelena successfully makes off with the newborn as the last ingredient for her time spell, however, Regina herself defeats her sister with light magic. Regina, gaining the dagger, hands it over to Belle for safekeeping. She returns to the pawnshop where Mr. Gold is waiting for her. Once there, she relinquishes the dagger into his possession so he can be forever free of anyone's control. The only thing Belle asks of him is to not go after Zelena as she knows he is capable of being good. Because of Belle's immense trust in him, he affirms to do the same for her. As Mr. Gold hands back the dagger, he proposes to Belle, which she happily accepts by putting down the weapon and drawing him into an embrace. Without her notice, Mr. Gold switches the dagger; taking the real one while replacing a fake in the pawnshop. Unknown to Belle, he later kills Zelena; accidentally triggering magic in her pendant, which activates the time spell. ("Kansas")

Belle, unable to keep what she believes is the real dagger, tries to give it back again. Mr. Gold insists he trusts her completely and then changes the topic to their upcoming wedding. She happily informs him that her father, Moe, has given his blessing to them. During the diner celebration welcoming David and Mary Margaret's newborn son, Belle and Mr. Gold walk in as Zelena's time spell is activated. They both follow David, Regina and Robin Hood to check up on Zelena, who is now missing from the jail cell. Regina suspiciously accuses Mr. Gold of wrongdoing but he attests Belle has the dagger and wouldn't order him to harm Zelena. To prove it, David runs the security tape, which Mr. Gold secretly manipulates to give the appearance that Zelena used magic to turn herself into a statue, which shatters and melts away into powder. As a group, they agree to leave the time portal untouched, however, Emma and Hook enter through it to the past where they recreate a first meeting between Prince Charming and Snow White and then return to the present. Later, Belle witnesses David and Mary Margaret announce they are naming their son after a true hero—Neal. During the marriage ceremony, Archie acts as pastor while Belle is walked by her father to her future husband. Beginning her vows, Belle recalls losing Mr. Gold to darkness, weakness, and death, but has actually spent her life finding him. He talks about being unloved and unloving since love has always given him pain, but she was the one who brought light into his life. Mr. Gold promises to never forget what he once was and what he is now. Belle believes the monster in him is gone, even though as a man he is flawed, everyone is too, which only deepens her love for him. ("Snow Drifts," "There's No Place Like Home")

Following the wedding, she encourages Mr. Gold into visiting Neal's grave site. Afterward, Belle shows Mr. Gold a vacant mansion that she wants to use as their honeymoon suite. Inside, as she chatters on about the scenic ocean view, he magically freezes her in place and switches out the fake dagger in her purse with the real one. As he unfreezes her, Belle then leads him into a large dance hall. To have their first dance as husband and wife, Mr. Gold transforms their clothes and adds lighting and a playing gramophone as they waltz together. Later that night, an unassuming Belle is asleep when Mr. Gold takes the real dagger and uses it on a mysterious cylinder object in the house. At some point, he once again places the fake dagger into Belle's purse. ("A Tale of Two Sisters," "Rocky Road")

Returning to the shop, Mr. Gold and Belle's marital bliss is interrupted by David and Hook, who informs them that an ice magic wielder, Elsa, entrapped Emma in a cave where she is freezing to death. David explains Elsa is looking for her sister, Anna, whose pendant she found in the pawnshop. Belle fishes out a photo of the necklace, which David recognizes as belonging to a woman he once knew as Joan, whose real name must be Anna. ("White Out")

Inside the pawnshop, Belle stands by as Emma and Hook question Mr. Gold about his knowledge of Elsa. As Emma recalls, he had the urn, which Elsa was trapped within, in his vault. Mr. Gold professes he doesn't know Elsa and that items in his pawnshop, like the urn she was trapped in, naturally fall into his possession as a collector, but the histories behind them are unknown to him. Hook counters that Mr. Gold wouldn't unless he had something to gain out of it. Owning up to his past, Mr. Gold affirms that was true once, but since losing a son and gaining a wife, he's "turned over a new leaf," which impresses Belle. In order to satisfy their skepticism, he allows Belle to command him, using the dagger, into revealing the truth. After she orders him into doing so, Mr. Gold professes that he did not know Elsa was trapped in the urn and that he doesn't know her or Anna, though it is a lie, as the dagger is a fake. Nonetheless, this declaration whittles Emma's doubts. ("Rocky Road")

One morning at the library, Belle discovers a drunken man sleeping on the floor near some bookshelves. She phones Emma, who promptly arrives to apprehend the man into her custody at the sheriff's station. ("The Apprentice")

Assigned as Neal's caretaker for the day, Belle heads to the apartment where she cradles the cooing infant while sitting on Mary Margaret's bed. Nearby, at the counter, David quietly soothes Mary Margaret's worries about leaving Neal; saying that Belle is a natural with the baby and she has their emergency numbers if anything goes wrong. ("Breaking Glass")

Receiving an urgent call from Emma, Belle tracks down Mr. Gold at the pawnshop and they go to the sheriff station where David, Elsa, Henry, Hook, Mary Margaret, and Regina are also gathered. Emma plays a camera recording, filmed when she was in a foster home, which reveals her then foster mother was the Snow Queen. At Henry's revelation that the Snow Queen has an ice cream truck, everyone splits up to search. David suggests Belle utilize tracking skills, but she'd rather research at the library. With hidden nervousness, she allows Elsa to come with her. Unbeknownst to Elsa, Belle once met Anna in the past and let her down. Losing hope, Elsa wonders if Anna put her in the urn, just as the Snow Queen claimed, and that her sister doesn't want to be found. Guilt-ridden, Belle excuses herself to make things right. Armed with the dagger, she commands Mr. Gold to lead her to the Snow Queen. After he does, Belle orders him onto watch duty while she goes into the Snow Queen's lair. Inside, she hopes to retrieve a Sorcerer's Hat to force the Snow Queen into revealing Anna's location. Unveiling a mirror, Belle's reflection taunts her about being a coward by having once valued a stone over Anna's life. The doppelganger nitpicks Belle into believing the dagger is fake. While in a trance, she slashes Mr. Gold's neck. Mr. Gold grabs Belle and teleports them to the pawnshop where she snaps out of it. There, she admits Anna is missing because of her and apologizes for abusing the dagger and using him. When Mr. Gold forgives her, Belle expresses remorse for keeping a secret from him as she knows he would never keep something from her. Rushing to the sheriff station, she reveals to Elsa how Anna was captured by the Snow Queen in the past. Relating knowledge about Ingrid's mirror, Belle explains it's key for casting a spell of shattered sight, which will make everyone turn on each other. ("Family Business")

Belle deciphers a spell to give Emma the opportunity to capture Ingrid. As the spell dictates, a candle must be lit with magic and then blown towards the target, which will form binds on the person's wrists. After Emma succeeds in doing so, she brings Ingrid to the station for questioning. Belle walks up to the clock tower where David, Elsa, and Hook are studying a mirror previously placed by the Snow Queen. She hastily rushes over; warning the trio not to look in the reflection or it'll brainwash them. On closer examination, Belle notices it's not the same mirror she saw in the Snow Queen's lair. Realizing they have been duped, the group arrive too late to the station entrance, which has already been frozen shut by Ingrid. Storming into the pawnshop, they request Mr. Gold's assistance, and he only agrees after much imploring from Belle. Joined by Henry and Mary Margaret, everyone arrives at the station as an explosion tears open a hole in the building. A shaken Emma explains the Snow Queen got away, but she herself caused the combustion. With her powers spinning out of control, Emma then accidentally collapses a streetlight, which almost falls on Hook, but David takes the hit. Mary Margaret reprimands Emma, but upon seeing her daughter's hurt expression, she retracts her anger. However, a shaken Emma flees and drives off in her car. ("The Snow Queen")

While everyone spends the entire night searching for Emma, Belle babysits Neal. She tells Mr. Gold about what's happening, and he secretly decides to use the situation to his advantage by attempting to trick Emma into giving up her powers to the hat. ("Smash the Mirror")

In an agreed deal, Ingrid allows Mr. Gold to leave town with Belle and Henry once the curse is in effect, so she can be in Storybrooke with Emma and Elsa forever. At the pawnshop, Belle reveals to Elsa and Emma that they can defeat Ingrid's curse with a hair strand from someone who has already been affected by the same spell and making a counterspell with it. Elsa suggests that she herself was sealed in the urn, by Anna, who was under Ingrid's spell, so her sister may fit the criteria. Under a magnifying glass, Belle sees mirror dust embedded in the pendant, which proves Elsa's theory. A plan is formed to gather the nuns for the creation of the counterspell while Elsa and Emma use a locator spell to find Anna. With the nuns, Belle assists them at the diner when Mr. Gold arrives asking her to watch over the pawnshop. She insists on staying since the counterspell is very important, and he relents by deciding to keep her company until the business is finished. Elsa and Emma are led to a mine cave-in and are prepare to blast through to reach Anna until Belle phones David to let them know the nuns can make a counterspell with only the necklace. Elsa dupes them by handing over a pouch full of rocks and takes the real pendant to continue tracking her sister. After reaching the diner, everyone discovers the truth. Emma offers to retrieve the necklace, but Belle states that by the time she gets back, the counterspell will not be potent. Later, Belle receives word that Anna has been found and is on her way to the diner, so she leaves the remaining work to the nuns. She then departs with Mr. Gold; not knowing he is luring her away so Hook can help him absorb the nuns into the hat. They say their goodbyes outside the pawnshop, and Belle goes into the back room as he enacts a shield to protect her. ("Fall")

Once Ingrid's spell affects the town, Belle is put to sleep by Mr. Gold, and she remains in this state after Ingrid's spell comes to an end. ("Shattered Sight")

After Belle awakens, her husband suggests packing for a trip to New York so they can have a proper honeymoon. While closing a suitcase, she talks to Henry about going out of Storybrooke. Puzzled, the boy informs her that the remnants of Ingrid's magic will keep those who leave town from reentering. Although Belle did not know this, she assumes Mr. Gold has found a loophole around the issue. Noticing Henry is unhappy, she learns he is disappointed over the fairytale storybook and all the bad things that happen to Regina in it. She points out that it won't always be so since his mother is changing for the better. This cheers up Henry, who thanks her and endearingly calls her "Grandma," which makes Belle laugh and suggest he just refer to her by name. As Henry helps her pull out another suitcase, some stacked items fall in the process. Within the pile, Belle is shocked to see the magic gauntlet, an item used to locate one's greatest weakness, which Mr. Gold once traded to save her life. Troubled by the find, she tests the gauntlet out and it leads her to the real dagger. Witnessing Mr. Gold crushing Hook's heart, Belle orders him via the dagger to stop. She then commands him to drop the heart and unfreeze Emma and Mary Margaret. Thirdly, Belle makes him teleport both of them to the town line. There, she recalls when he traded the gauntlet for her, and her perception that this proved he had love in him. Instead, Belle recognizes he has not and will never give up power for her. He insists having power is not a bad thing, and they can have both, though Belle states she only wanted his love. Mr. Gold pleads for another chance, but she refuses. Having once said she saw the man behind the beast in him, Belle angrily declares he's just a beast now. In tears, she banishes him out of Storybrooke. ("Heroes and Villains")

During the six weeks after Mr. Gold's departure, Belle and Hook research a spell for freeing the nuns from the hat. One morning, she opens up the library as Hook meets her there after parting from Emma, who goes on sheriff duty. Once inside, Hook studies a board complied with information concerning the missing nuns, and in anger over the lack of progress, he knocks it off the wall. Belle tries assuring him that they do have a spell to release the nuns as well as the Apprentice, but it'll take some time since she is consulting with outside sources to translate it. When Hook expresses guilt for imprisoning the Apprentice and anger about Mr. Gold's trickery, she openly recognizes her own weakness in not seeing her husband for what he was because of love. She believes Hook dealt with the same, except his love for Emma was used against him by Mr. Gold. Despite all the bad things her husband did, Hook asserts Mr. Gold did truly love her. Teary-eyed, Belle remarks that she hopes he found what he was looking for. Later in the day, she receives an email from an Oxford professor, not knowing it is actually Mr. Gold, who gives her the translation, to which Regina uses the dagger to perform a ceremony on the hat. The nuns return safely, and while everyone basks in the reunion, none of them see a Chernabog being released from the hat and flying off. While the diner is bustling with activity to welcome the nuns back, the Chernabog makes itself known to the townspeople. With Emma, Hook, Mary Margaret, and Regina, Belle ducks for cover behind a building as the group come up with a solution. After Emma and Regina temporarily stun the beast with their combined magic, Belle goes to look up information about the Chernabog at the library. Eventually, with knowledge from Cruella De Vil and Ursula about the Chernabog, the creature is forced across the town line and fades out of existence. ("Darkness on the Edge of Town")

Hearing of Cruella and Ursula's arrival to town, Belle prepares a transformation potion, in fear of retaliation from them. Once the female duo enters into the pawnshop, she warns them not to try anything or she'll use the potion to turn them into toads. Giving congratulations to her for banishing the Dark One, they drop hints about Mr. Gold's sad circumstances in New York. As they tease her about whether she is satisfied with his suffering, Belle asserts she would never be pleased with someone else's misery. Without Belle's notice, Ursula uses her tentacles to reach into the backroom and grab a wooden box containing Maleficent's totem. Belle then questions whether the two of them actually came to buy anything, so Cruella asks her to find something fashionable to adorn her car hood. After the women leave, Belle receives a phone from Emma about Cruella and Ursula's suspicious behavior. Checking the backroom, she finds the wooden box missing, to which David forces Cruella to pull over her car so he can search the vehicle. In the evening, as Belle is fixing one of the window displays, Mr. Gold secretly watches her from across the street with a longing gaze. When Will walks up to her inside the shop, she smiles happily before kissing him; much to Mr. Gold's shock. ("Unforgiven")

In the pawnshop, as Henry studies the storybook for clues on the Author, Belle walks over carrying a snack as she inquiries about his research. The boy explains finding a page with a door, which he believes will lead to the Author. She encourages him to continue investigating and then hands him the snack. While she is on a diner date with Will, Hook pulls Belle aside for a chat and tells her about Regina going undercover and finding out Cruella, Maleficent and Ursula are seeking the Author to change their stories. Since the trio wants Regina to steal something, he speculates they need the dagger to lure the Dark One into town and control him for the mission. Convinced that the dagger must never fall into their enemies' hands, Belle meets up with Hook to hand the weapon to him so he can hide it. Before doing so, she ominously considers the possibility that Mr. Gold is already in town. To quell her worries, Hook encourages her to order the Dark One with the dagger to face her if he is present. When her command yields nothing, Belle is relieved, however, she remains unaware Mr. Gold is already in front of her, except he is disguised as Hook. Turning the dagger over to him, she then returns to the pawnshop, where Will left a rose for her outside the door. Placing the gift in a vase, she busily admires it as Hook returns and persuades her into reciting a pirate's oath, in which neither of them must ever speak about the dagger to each other or anyone else. When questioned about her romance with Will, Belle admits the relationship is new, and she's not completely over Mr. Gold, but he makes her happy. Curiously, she wonders why he and Will are on bad terms, to which Hook states the man took something he cares about. Once he's outside the shop, Mr. Gold reverts back to himself and sadly regards Belle before leaving. ("Enter the Dragon")

Receiving news about Mr. Gold's return to town, a shocked Belle is asked by Emma to turn over the dagger so they can find out his plans. Instead, Belle pointedly states she gave it to Hook last night, although he has no recollection of ever receiving the dagger from her, revealing Mr. Gold must have disguised himself as him to get the cursed weapon. To this, Belle expressed dismay at the fact Mr. Gold once again tricked her for his selfish reasons. Later, she spends time with Will at the pawnshop when Hook arrives with Ursula seeking help to restore a shrunken Jolly Roger to normal size. Belle doesn't believe he's the real Hook until Ursula notes that if Mr. Gold was disguised him right now, he would have likely already killed Will. As Will has experience from his travels to Wonderland, he gives Hook and Ursula a concoction made from magic mushrooms to use on the ship. ("Poor Unfortunate Soul")

After Maleficent puts the whole town to sleep, Belle falls unconscious behind the pawnshop counter. Slipping into the shop, Mr. Gold carries her onto a bed, where he begins talking about the many debts he has acquired from his questionable actions. Believing there is no way to repay the debts completely, Mr. Gold expresses a desire to change things quickly with the Author's help, and if it's possible, he'll come back for Belle. ("Best Laid Plans")

Desiring a way to subdue Mr. Gold so he won't stop her from rescuing Robin Hood, Regina approaches Belle at the pawnshop, telling her about the trouble her ex-husband has caused her. Belle offers to help, which follows with Regina taking out her heart, without having asked for Belle's permission. Sent to the well, she summons Mr. Gold and asks him for the truth about why he's in town. Mr. Gold pulls out his own heart, which is completely black except for a small bit, explaining that his dark deeds are poisoning him and only the Author can reverse it. Once the heart is completely blackened, rather than dying, he'll lose his ability to love anything or anyone. Belle, accepting his reasons, reconciles with him. As the pair break apart from a kiss, Regina controls Belle into deliberately saying hurtful things to Mr. Gold, such as Will being a better kisser or that his attempts to win her back are pathetic. Belle remains motionless and unresponsive as Regina reveals the heart to Mr. Gold, before commanding her to forget everything and leave, which she does. Regina then warns Mr. Gold against stopping her trip to New York or she'll hurt Belle. ("Sympathy for the De Vil")

Belle leaves the pawnshop to babysit Neal, and after being finished for the day, she picks up dinner for Will from Granny's. Will returns, with a box, which he reveals is her heart that Regina stole. When Mr. Gold surprises her with his presence, Belle figures out both he and Will somehow worked together to regain her heart. She rebuffs Mr. Gold from speaking to her, but he adamantly tells her about his regrets about lying to her through their marriage. Mr. Gold admits he doesn't expect forgiveness, but by giving back her heart, Will is now her protector, as he believes himself unworthy of the task. After returning her heart, Mr. Gold walks out. Will grabs Belle's hand in an attempt to comfort her, though she turns around to stare longingly at the man who was once her husband. ("Lily")

After Isaac Heller rewrites everyone's stories in the Heroes and Villains book, Belle and every former Enchanted Forest native is taken into an alternate reality. ("Operation Mongoose Part 1")

During Alternate Reality
After Isaac Heller changes everyone's stories in the Heroes and Villains book, Belle remains somewhat the same, as loving and kind as ever, and has become a mother to a young son. Her husband, Rumplestiltskin, known as the Light One, is a knight that saves villagers from danger with his powerful light magic. One day, while Rumplestiltskin is away, Belle welcomes Isaac into her home for a sip of water. After her husband returns, she goes to fetch fresh water from the well. Isaac attempts to convince him that this life is fake, and while Rumplestiltskin is a hero in this one, he's a coward in reality. Isaac reveals knowing he's kept his first son, Baelfire, a secret from Belle, and threatens to tell the kingdom about his cowardice if he doesn't kill Henry. Later, over tea, Rumplestiltskin tells Belle about his dilemma, stating that the kingdom is in danger and if left unchecked, it will destroy the happiness they have. He worries about making a choice that may be the wrong one, but she is certain he'll do the right thing because he's a hero. At one point, she hands him a cup of tea, but he drops it, causing the cup to become chipped. Belle assures him that it can be fixed, though he is unsure the same could be said for his dilemma. Once Henry harnesses the pen, he undoes all of Isaac's stories and returns everyone to their lives in Storybrooke. ("Operation Mongoose Part 2")

Before Third Curse

Harnessing the quill, Henry reverts Isaac's stories and returns everyone to Storybrooke. Remembering what happened in the alternate reality, in which Rumplestiltskin killed Regina, Belle storms into the pawnshop to confront Mr. Gold. Upon seeing him collapse, her attitude softens. Knowing his time is almost up, he reminisces about being happy with her in the alternate reality. She insists they were happy in Storybrooke, or they could have been if it was enough for him. Mr. Gold admits it wasn't enough since he didn't believe anyone could love him, to which Belle asserts she knew what she was getting into with him and wasn't going to back out. He wishes her happiness with Will, but she denies loving him. Belle wants to stay with Mr. Gold in his last moments, however, he pushes her away, deeming it dangerous since only the Dark One will remain after his death. When he passes out, she gains help from the Apprentice to trap the darkness in his heart into the hat. While still unconscious, Mr. Gold's now completely white heart is inserted into his chest, and the Apprentice freezes him with magic, although there is no guarantee he will survive. Seconds later, the darkness escapes, first into the Apprentice and then into town, as Emma later absorbs it and becomes the new Dark One. ("Operation Mongoose Part 2")

In the aftermath, Belle joins everyone as the weakened Apprentice gives them instructions on how to find Emma with his wand. Later, she watches over a sleeping Mr. Gold. Mother Superior encourages her to join the others since they may need her resourcefulness, but Belle wishes to stay with Mr. Gold in case he passes away. To reassure her, Mother Superior uses her wand to link a rose in a bell jar to Mr. Gold, stating that as long as the petals on the flower remain, he is alive. Belle takes it with her as she leaves to find the others. In order to track down Emma, who has fled to another realm, someone with enough dark and light essence must use the Apprentice's wand to open a portal to reach her. After Hook frees Zelena to gain her help, she double-crosses him, leaving him no choice but to tell Regina, Emma's parents and Belle about what transpired. They are too late to stop Zelena from kidnapping Robin and using him as leverage against Regina, who forfeits the wand to ensure his safety. As the group looks on, Zelena uses the wand to create a cyclone, but she is weakened by a magic drain, giving Regina the chance to reclasp the bracelet on Zelena. Later, Belle and her allies seek cover in the diner, as Regina redirects the cyclone to Emma, causing the whole diner to be taken away to the Enchanted Forest. ("The Dark Swan")

After arriving at the Enchanted Forest, some of the group search for Emma and bring her back to the diner building, where Belle and the rest of the crew come out to greet her. Soon, they are approached by King Arthur and his knights, who believe they are prophesied to reunite them with Merlin. The whole group is then led to King Arthur's castle in Camelot. ("The Dark Swan")

At the castle, King Arthur introduces the group to his Queen, Guinevere, and he announces there will be a ball held in their honor. During the festivities, Belle keeps watch on her rose, which already has several fallen petals. Leroy believes it symbolizes hope because for each petal still on the rose, those are chances that Mr. Gold has of surviving. Belle thanks him for the advice and asks him to dance. After he accepts, she heads out onto the ballroom dance floor with him. ("The Price")

While Regina researches magical remedies for freeing Merlin, Mary Margaret prompts her about the fact Merlin could either be trapped inside the tree or be the tree itself. Belle suggests they could test it out by taking out of the tree's branches, but Regina declines, believing they'll have trouble if the branch ends up reverting to one of Merlin's fingers. When Arthur comes to check up on their progress, Belle mentions how great it is to work with Merlin's books as it's almost like working with the sorcerer himself. Inspired by this, Mary Margaret wonders if they could find a way to talk to Merlin. This leads Regina into finding information on a toadstool called the Crimson Crown, which can do just that. Arthur and David go to retrieve it, but the quest is a failure. ("Siege Perilous")

Once Emma reverts Merlin to human form, she and some of her allies regroup in the diner. As Belle and the others watch, the great sorcerer helps to undo the enchanted sand's effects on David and Mary Margaret. Merlin confirms he can remove Emma's darkness, but the darkness may have taken root inside of her where no one can see it, and for him to remove it, her heart must be ready to be free. ("Dreamcatcher")

With Merlin's magic as well as David and Hook's fighting skills, they clear the dungeon of Arthur's guards, with Belle following them. At the cells, they find Lancelot, and unexpectedly, Merida, too. Because Merlin is unfamiliar with the magic on the prison bars, Belle helps him with a spell to break them. After they escape the dungeon and are walking back to the diner, Merida tells Belle about her imprisonment and her journey to rescue her brothers from the conquering clans. Once the others are out of sight, Merida distracts Belle and knocks her unconscious, taking her on a rowboat in the middle of the Ivory Sea. Upon waking up, Belle angrily confronts Merida for the attack, while she's adamant she needs Belle's magical knowledge to find her brothers, and she couldn't risk her saying no if she simply asked for help. At a witch's house, they perform a spell in the cauldron that conjures up a vision of where the clan lords have captured Merida's brothers and sentenced them to execution. Desperate to change their fates, Merida asks her to brew a potion, the Spell of Mor'du, which can transform someone into a bear. After witnessing Merida's superb archery skills, Belle is doubtful she needs magic to gain the clans' respect when her physical strength is impressive enough. Before they ambush the clans, Merida admits she is depending on magic because the clans lost faith in her after her archery skills failed to save her father from an attacking enemy. Believing Merida can do without magic, Belle secretly switches the potion with water. When push comes to shove, with the clans shooting three arrows at her brothers, Merida relies on brute skill, using her one loosed arrow to cut off the three arrows. After her brothers are freed and the clans recognize her as their Queen, Merida sees Belle off in a boat. ("The Bear and the Bow")

After Arthur and Zelena's defeat, Belle is present in the diner as Emma uses the flame ember to reforge the sword and dagger into one weapon. Suddenly, Hook collapses from a cut he previously sustained from Excalibur, which no magic can heal. A desperate Emma, willing to do anything to save him, including creating more darkness, teleports away with Hook. As she tethers Hook's life to Excalibur, making him a Dark One like herself, Doc and the others remain in the diner, looking on in alarm as black tendrils of darkness evaporate from Merlin's body. ("Birth")

Despite Emma's efforts to turn Hook away from the darkness, he kills Merlin to enact another curse to return everyone to Storybrooke so he can fulfill his centuries-old grudge against Mr. Gold. In the hopes of finding a way to return him to the man he used to be, Emma absorbs Hook's memories from the last six weeks into a dreamcatcher, and she does the same with Belle and everyone else, to ensure no one remembers Hook becoming a Dark One, before adding the dreamcatcher to the curse brew, creating a full memory wipe. Soon, the curse spreads and sends them all back to Storybrooke. ("Broken Heart")

After Third Curse

Upon arrival to Storybrooke, Belle and the others crash to the floor from the impact of the diner dropping onto the ground, and as they get up, the group realize they are still in Camelot attire, and the last thing anyone recalls is entering King Arthur's castle. Emma, in order to keep Hook's secret under wraps, enters and professes that she will punish them for what they did to her. ("The Dark Swan," "The Price," "Broken Heart")

The next day, Belle is working at the pawnshop when Hook comes in to ask her about why true love's kiss didn't work for her and Mr. Gold. She explains it did the first time, but because Mr. Gold was scared of a life without magic, he pulled away, causing the darkness to regain its grip on him. Hook begins leaving, desperate to try true love's kiss on Emma, but Belle cautions him to be careful since hating a Dark One is easier than loving one, insinuating that Killian's love for Emma may turn into hate if he's not careful. When a fury kidnaps Robin Hood, Belle gives Regina information about the fury, which is a demon of the underworld sent to extract the unpaid price of magic, and that she has until the full moon reaches its zenith to save him. After Robin is saved and most of the townspeople are having a night out at the diner, Belle approaches Hook at the counter as he is drinking. Putting down her rose's glass jar, she jokes about offering him a glass if he asked, and then inquiries about whether true love's kiss worked on Emma. Hook affirms it did nothing, but he resolves to not to give up on saving her. Later in the night, she and Hook share a glass at the counter. ("The Price")

Hoping to wake Mr. Gold from his coma, Belle puts together a healing spell, but she is unable to find the last ingredient, which has to be something that touched Mr. Gold when he was still just a man. David and Arthur interrupt her search to ask if someone came into the shop to pawn a magic bean, but she hasn't seen anyone like that today. To reveal the identity of the bean thief, David spots a chalice in the pawnshop and decides to utilize it. Belle affirms that the cup has no magic in it, as it's a souvenir from Doc's birthday party, but David takes it anyway, having a plan of his own. During the day, Belle rushes into the diner to pick up a sandwich from Granny, when the second-to-last petal on the magical rose falls off. Belle thinks it means Mr. Gold is close to dying, but a second later, all the fallen petals dissipate and regenerate on the rose. Realizing Mr. Gold is actually waking up, Belle takes off to the pawnshop, but she finds him gone from the cot. ("Siege Perilous")

Believing Emma is responsible for Mr. Gold's disappearance, Belle goes with Regina, Robin and Hook to break into Emma's house while she is away. At first, they are unable to get in because of a protection spell on the door, but on Belle's suggestion that Emma would allow Henry into her house, Regina conjures Henry's scarf, using it to bypass the spell. In the basement, they see Excalibur in its stone and notice the sword's markings are the same as the Dark One's dagger. Belle finds evidence that Mr. Gold was being kept in the basement, and just as Robin recommends searching the rest of the house, Regina receives a text from Henry, warning that Emma is on her way back. As they scramble to leave before she returns, a box catches Hook's eye, and he opens it to reveal a dreamcatcher, realizes Emma must have used them to take her and everyone else's memories. That night, during a town carnival, Belle joins Hook at a table, where he tells Arthur, Guinevere, David and Mary Margaret about Excalibur's location. After Hook probes him about the sword and dagger's connection, Arthur admits knowing the dagger is Excalibur's missing blade, and when combined together, it can extinguish the darkness, but in Emma's hands, she may use it to snuff out the light. ("Dreamcatcher")

Belle, with her allies, decides to use the Crimson Crown to summon Merlin, however, only a person chosen by the great sorcerer can do that. Belle suggests getting help from Mr. Gold, believing that he is no worse than Emma, but everyone thinks Arthur is their best bet to reach Merlin. In defiance of them, she storms out, going to the library to figure out Mr. Gold's location with a map. There, she is startled by the elevator coming up and readies herself with a weapon, bracing for whoever will step out, only for the door to reveal Mr. Gold, who is hiding from Merida. During a brief respite, Mr. Gold thanks Belle for not giving up on him, as it was her voice that he heard during his coma, which gave him the strength to cling to life. Tears well up in Belle's eyes, especially when Mr. Gold considers how she stood by him even after everything he's done to her. She, putting the moment and her emotions aside, persuades him to go back to the pawnshop with her to find magic. After making it there, he tells her about his leg limp, which is a reminder of his cowardice during the Ogre Wars, and that his cowardly nature persisted even after he became the Dark One. Even with knowing how he got the limp, Belle believes he is heroic because he broke his own leg in order to be with Baelfire. When Merida shows up to kill Belle on Emma's orders, Belle and Mr. Gold barricade themselves in the back room. Merida breaks in, mistakenly shooting a mirror of the two, before cornering them. Prompted by Mr. Gold's inaction, Belle pulls a rug from under Merida, rendering her unconscious. On the way out, Mr. Gold grabs a potion and drives Belle to the town line, intent on escaping from Emma. Belle, believing it'd be better to face Emma together, forces him to stop the car. Mr. Gold, insisting he cannot be a hero, confesses to crippling himself during the Ogre war because he was scared of dying. He believes the only way he can protect her is if they leave town, but Belle, realizing he wants to protect himself, parts ways from him. Belle then runs into Merida, who drinks a potion that turns her into a bear and starts chasing Belle. After fleeing into the woods, Belle tries to convince Merida to listen, however, the bear is soon distracted by Mr. Gold's presence. While left to the bear's mercy, Mr. Gold makes a last-ditch attempt to fight, throwing the potion on Merida, who reverts to human. The three return to Emma, with Mr. Gold agreeing to pull Excalibur in exchange for Merida's heart and finding out where her brothers are. When Belle asks what'll happen if he is unsuccessful, Emma snaps that she'll be the maid to clean up his remains. Mr. Gold, after pulling out Excalibur, leaves with Belle. ("The Bear and the Bow")

When Hook enters the pawnshop seeking Mr. Gold, Belle mistakes him for Emma in disguise and aims a crossbow at him, which she only drops after Mr. Gold assures her that it's actually Hook. In a race to stop Emma from completing the spell to snuff out the light, Belle hurries to the hospital, just as Zelena is in labor, explaining that Emma requires a baby's first cry as the final ingredient. Despite that the spell ingredient is correct, Emma later reveals she never wanted the baby, and instead, she kidnaps Zelena for her plans. ("Birth")

With Hook awakened as a Dark One, his desire for vengeance leads him to challenge Mr. Gold to a duel at noon on the Jolly Roger. Belle joins Mr. Gold and their allies at Regina's house to discuss Hook's plans. While Emma believes it makes sense Hook wants revenge on Mr. Gold, she suspects there is more to it than that, though she doesn't know what else because Hook stole some of her memories. Going by Merlin's final message to them about Nimue being their only hope of defeating the Dark One, Mr. Gold suggests researching The Dark One Chronicles to learn more about her. As everyone leaves for the library, Belle notices Mr. Gold is not going with them. He considers that he still needs to prove himself, even though he saved Belle from Merida because one brave act doesn't erase years of cowardice. Wanting to be the man she deserves, he understands that her continued efforts in not giving up on him isn't the same as wanting to be with him. Mr. Gold vows, if he survives the battle, to love her in the way he never could before, and he asks her to meet him by the wishing well after the duel so he'll know she loves him and wants to be with him. After Mr. Gold's victory, he is ready to put the past behind and begin anew with her, but Belle rejects him because, although her love for him remains, she is unsure whether she wants to mend their relationship. ("Broken Heart")

Receiving a call from Mr. Gold, Belle goes to the pawnshop to see him. Believing he wants to talk her into taking him back again, she begins reiterating what she told him last time, but he gives her a potion, telling her to use it to leave town and see the world as she's always wanted. Belle, surprised by his sudden proposition, questions if something is wrong. Mr. Gold hugs her, stating he just wants to fulfill her dream and then hands her his car keys. As she exits, Belle tells him she always knew there was a hero in him. That night, Belle says goodbye to her father, before heading into the car and driving away. Only later, when Henry calls her, she learns about the recent trouble the townspeople, including Mr. Gold, has had with the Dark Ones and the mark of Charon. Realizing this is why Mr. Gold sent her away, Belle returns to the pawnshop to confront him. At first, she berates him for lying to her again, but then, she kisses him, knowing this time he lied to protect her. For his selfless behavior, Belle professes that she doesn't need to travel the world to know she wants to be with him. After re-consummating the marriage, Belle is asleep in bed, while Mr. Gold leaves to meet with Emma, who claims she can hear the dagger calling. Mr. Gold reveals he is the Dark One again, after using magic to make the darkness return to him, rather than let it die out from Hook's sacrifice. Furious at his machinations, Emma threatens to tell Belle everything, unless Mr. Gold reopens the portal to the Underworld so she can save Hook. ("Swan Song")

Shortly before leaving for the Underworld, Mr. Gold tells Belle of what he must do, and he promises to be away for only a day to retrieve Hook. Belle accepts his reasons and asks him to come back to her after everything is over. ("Souls of the Departed")

In Mr. Gold's absence, Belle continues with her life in Storybrooke. On one of these days, she has lunch with Leroy at the diner, where Granny brings her an order of pancakes. From the Underworld, Mr. Gold sees this event through a crystal ball, after creating a spell in an attempt to locate his deceased child, Neal. Yet, when the crystal ball shows him Belle instead, he is shocked as he realizes she is pregnant with his child. Shocked at this revelation, he drops the ball, which shatters into pieces, as he recalls the deal he made with Fendrake years ago, in which he will owe the healer his second-born child. ("Devil's Due")

Arriving at the nunnery's nursery room, Belle visits baby Neal and Robin, both of whom she has brought formula bottles for. Belle senses something is off after Mother Superior mistakenly takes the wrong bottle for Baby Hood, with her intuition being proven right, after the real Mother Superior walks in. With her cover blown, the fake nun morphs back into Zelena, who has come to take her daughter away. Belle tries to stop her, and she is backed up by Mother Superior's wand, but suddenly, an earthquake occurs, with the ground opening a portal. Belle believes Zelena is responsible, but she insists it wasn't her. Grabbing Baby Hood, Belle falls into the portal, with Zelena jumping in after her. Landing in the Underworld, Zelena theorizes Hades made the portal, and that he wants her baby for a time spell. Distrustful of Zelena, Belle runs away with the child, seeking refugee in Underbrooke's library. She hides behind a bookcase after hearing the elevator come up, but it turns out to be Mr. Gold. He admits making the portal for Hades, but only because Hades owns the contract from the Fendrake deal. Belle realizes she is pregnant and is briefly happy at the news, before getting upset he sold their child. When Mr. Gold promises to protect her and the child with his powers, she becomes even more disappointed, realizing he is the Dark One again. Mr. Gold rationalizes that while he loves the dagger, he also loves her and that he's both a man and a beast, with both halves not able to exist without the other. He states that while he can be a better man, he won't ever be a different one. Mr. Gold believes, despite all this, they can have a future, but Belle refuses to make a choice at the moment and decides to wait until everyone returns home. After finding Robin and Regina, Belle gives the baby to them, although she is wary of Zelena's presence. Robin allows Zelena to feed the formula to her daughter, only because her powers aren't working, but as soon as Zelena's magic returns, she douses the trio with a blast and runs off with the baby. Zelena eventually relinquishes the baby to Robin, and Belle joins the heroes at the apartment. ("Our Decay")

Not wanting to lose her unborn child to Hades, Belle enlists Mr. Gold's help, though she forbids him from using dark magic. Instead, she theorizes his dark magic can be turned into light magic because Merlin once said there might be someone who can wield the Dark One powers for good. While Belle wants him to prove he is that man, Mr. Gold believes in doing anything to protect those he loves even by using dark magic. He relents to her idea after she demands his cooperation if he wants a future with her. They scour books on light magic, but none reveal a way to turn dark magic into light magic. Mr. Gold thinks her plan is impossible, and the only thing to do is use dark magic for good cause. When he insists she's setting herself up for failure, she storms out. Outside, Gaston, Belle's one-time fiancé, tries to kill Mr. Gold with an arrow dipped in the river of souls, as revenge for the latter killing him. Before one of Gaston's arrows hit him, Mr. Gold teleports himself and Belle to safety. Belle chews him out for not telling her about Gaston's death, while also being irritated at her own botched plan. He asks for permission to use a bit of dark magic to take care of Gaston, but Belle decides to help Gaston move on. Recalling that Hades seemingly grew weaker when Hook's brother moved on, she predicts helping souls leave is the key to defeating him. At the pet shelter, Mr. Gold magicks open Gaston's locker at Belle's request, but not without specifying her biased views on when it is acceptable to use dark magic. In the locker, she finds a book she once lent Gaston, leading her to believe she is his unfinished business. While waiting for Gaston, Belle is offered a chance by Hades to void the baby contract if she lets Mr. Gold and Gaston fight and for one of them to push the other in the river. After declining, she sets up a dummy of Mr. Gold in the pawnshop to lure Gaston in. She talks to him about the book, to which he tells her how he died after trying to be compassionate and forgiving as she once preached. Later, she stops Mr. Gold from throwing Gaston into the river, after she tells him about the deal with Hades, by seizing the dagger. Gaston then tries to shoot Mr. Gold, but a panicked Belle shoves him into the river. Horrified at herself, she comes to grips with having given into darkness in the heat of the moment, but soon realizes it was for nothing because Hades decides to keep the contract intact. ("Her Handsome Hero")

Still harboring guilt over Gaston, Belle is looking at the Her Handsome Hero book, when Mr. Gold tries to pull her out of her stupor. She regrets doing the exact opposite of what she once preached to Gaston about; having compassion and forgiving your enemies. Belle considers that she could live with herself if Hades had agreed to break the contract, but instead, it's made her realize what she did was selfish and just to save Mr. Gold's life. She splits from Mr. Gold, opting to right things on her own, as she doesn't want to make the same mistake again. Knowing of Hades's affection for Zelena, Belle hopes she can persuade him to tear up the contract. Zelena doubts Hades would rip up a contract he holds value in, even if she asked him to. When Belle admits she can't trust Mr. Gold at this point, Zelena considers herself to be in the same position with Hades, who, like Mr. Gold, is a beast behind the facade of a man. Belle doesn't believe her and instead thinks Zelena is afraid of giving Hades a chance. After Belle has a bout of morning sickness, Zelena casually mentions she never went through that, since Emma sped up her pregnancy. Fearing Hades could do the same to her, Belle mournfully concludes that time is not on her side. However, Zelena offers a solution, the sleeping curse, to pause her pregnancy indefinitely. With the curse prick, Belle returns to Mr. Gold, revealing her plan to him. She tells him that while she is asleep, he'll have all the time he needs to figure out how to destroy the contract. Mr. Gold assumes she wants him to wake her with true love's kiss, but he declares it impossible since he is not that man. She agrees and suggests her father can wake her instead. Before pricking herself, she orders him to get her back to her father after the contract is voided. ("Ruby Slippers")

Under the sleeping curse, Belle's soul travels to the Netherworld. ("Child of the Moon," "Ruby Slippers")

As Belle remains cursed and asleep, Mr. Gold apologizes for not being the man she wants him to be, and that he'll have to do things his way to ensure their child's safety. To accomplish this, he accepts a deal to help Peter Pan. Prior to letting Pan kidnap Zelena, Mr. Gold confronts her for giving Belle the sleeping curse, and he believes his wife would have never taken it willingly unless she persuaded her into it. Zelena reminds him of his past promise to stop trying to kill her, but Mr. Gold cancels this deal, citing that he never thought about retaliating against her until she messed with Belle. ("Sisters")

After getting Hades to rip up the contract, Mr. Gold returns to the pawnshop, where he attempts to give true love's kiss to Belle. It doesn't work, and Pan suggests that it failed because Belle doesn't fully accept who Mr. Gold truly is. In a new deal, Pan requests a new living heart for himself, and in exchange, he'll give him the Underworld version of Pandora's Box to keep Belle in during the return trip to Storybrooke. Mr. Gold ends up giving him a wineskin he had filled with water from Acheron and glamoured as a heart, which sends Pan to the Worse Place, leaving the box free for the taking. After absorbing Belle into the box, Mr. Gold takes it with him and goes home through the portal. ("Firebird")

Upon his return to Storybrooke, Mr. Gold unsuccessfully tries to intimidate Moe into waking Belle with true love's kiss, but the latter refuses, out of spite against him. In an alternative plan to save his wife, he absorbs Storybrooke's magic into a piece of the Olympian Crystal, and then travels to New York City. Within the privacy of a hotel room, Mr. Gold prepares a summoning circle to use the crystal to wake Belle, who is still in the box. He promises that, after she is uncursed, he'll take her traveling around the world as she always wanted. From the Land of Untold Stories, Hyde opens a portal to the Land Without Magic with a wand and steals the box from Mr. Gold, in the hopes of using Belle as leverage against the Dark One. Later, Mr. Gold travels to the Land of Untold Stories to demand his wife back. Hyde agrees to provide information about waking Belle, and in return, Mr. Gold allows him to claim Storybrooke as his own. ("Last Rites," "Only You," "An Untold Story")

After making a deal with Hyde, Mr. Gold arrives at the Temple of Morpheus, where he releases Belle from the box and sprinkles sand onto her, in order to enter her dreamworld. He unknowingly affects Belle's unborn child with the sand as well, resulting in the dreamworld being shared by both Belle and her child, who assumes the form of a grown man, "Morpheus." Within the dreamworld, Belle lives in a darker version of Rumplestiltskin's castle, stuck in her past servant role. When Belle spots Mr. Gold, she can only see him as the scaly-skinned Rumplestiltskin, whom she apologizes to for not having his tea ready. "Morpheus" gives Mr. Gold a time limit to awaken Belle, or else she will return to the Netherworld's red room for good. Belle begins pouring tea, but she drops the cup, only for Mr. Gold to catch it. He suggests that she take a break, and then he switches on the vinyl player to play the same song he and Belle waltzed to in the Sorcerer's mansion. Mr. Gold asks her to dance with him, and she obliges, surprised that he is giving her a choice rather than ordering her around. During the waltz, the castle loses its darkness and he poofs Belle into a gown before the dance continues. When Belle remarks that it's a shame he's lived alone for so long, Mr. Gold tells her about the son he lost because he was too scared to let go of his darkness. Belle asks if he would change if he could now, and Mr. Gold swears he'd be the best man for her. They kiss, with true love's kiss momentarily lifting Mr. Gold's darkness, before Belle pulls away, having regained her memories. Mr. Gold tries to persuade her that things are different now and they can be together, but Belle refuses, believing their union has already caused too much heartbreak for both of them. "Morpheus" returns to congratulate Belle for not falling for Mr. Gold's lies again, explaining that this was a test and that now that she's passed, he'll wake her with true love's kiss. Belle insists she doesn't know "Morpheus," but the latter reveals he is her unborn child. Before waking her up, "Morpheus" warns her to not let Mr. Gold ruin them like he ruined his first family. After receiving true love's kiss from him, Belle awakens, deciding she will heed her son's warning from now on. She swears off a future with Mr. Gold and then returns to Storybrooke, where she passes by the closed pawnshop. ("The Savior")

The next morning, Belle shows up at the diner and surprises everyone with her return. She explains that, because she and Mr. Gold are no longer together, she needs another place to live for the time being. Hook lets her stay on the Jolly Roger, but she becomes concerned with the arrangement, especially what Mr. Gold would do if found out about Hook helping her. She asks why he would go to such lengths for her, he guiltily recalls the past times he tried to hurt her and his wish to make up for it. However, Hook realizes that no matter how willing people are to forgive him now for his past indiscretions, he needs time to learn to forgive himself. Belle agrees with him, in that she too is making up for past mistakes, such as trying to fix her relationship with Mr. Gold when things between them were no longer working. She vows, from now on, to make better choices for her unborn son's sake. ("A Bitter Draught")

After Belle moves into one of the rooms below deck, David visits her, with a cassette tape from Mr. Gold. She catches on that he made a deal with her husband, and David explains Mr. Gold had information about his father's death. Belle gives her condolences about David's difficult upbringing because his father was a drunk, but when David admits the hardest thing was not having him around after he died, she realizes fathers and sons need each other, despite everything. This leads her to play the tape, which is a recording of Mr. Gold singing a Scottish lullaby for his and Belle's unborn child. ("The Other Shoe")

As Hook is preparing to move in with Emma, he gives Belle a conch shell as a form of protection, in which if she speaks into it, he can hear her and come to her aid if needed. Mr. Gold shows up to tell Belle that Hyde may be coming after her, but she tells her husband to leave, which he agrees to do, but not before casting a spell on the ship to prevent her from leaving, and to ensure Hyde cannot get to her. Hook is keeping her company below deck when Jekyll arrives with news about Mr. Gold stealing the serum in order to kill Hyde. Seeing Hook's concern for Emma, whom Jekyll reports is out searching for Hyde and the Queen, Belle encourages him to go find her. After Hook is gone, Jekyll opens up to Belle about Mary, a woman he loved and lost to Hyde. Belle becomes uneasy after Jekyll speaks about Mary in a possessive way, to which she excuses herself to get sugar for his tea. Instead, she begins reaching for the conch shell, however, Jekyll smashes it before she can call for Hook. Belle grapples with him and eventually frees herself by stabbing him in the neck with a piece of the shell. She runs to the upper deck, where the spell prevents her from leaving the ship. Jekyll corners her and reveals he wishes to kill her as revenge on Mr. Gold, whom he blames for Mary's death. Luckily, Hook saves her by shoving Jekyll into a harpoon, which kills him. In the aftermath, Belle berates Mr. Gold for trapping her on the ship and the consequences of what would've happened to both her and her child if Jekyll wasn't stopped. Mr. Gold reveals he sought out the serum in the past to be rid of his feelings for her, and his relief over it not working because he never wants to lose his love for her. Belle is still angry at him for endangering her and her child's lives and refuses to have his protection ever again if it means she has to keep paying for his actions. She also tells him off for trying to be someone he is not, and that she can still see him for who he truly is. Mr. Gold then claims that, while she won't come back to him out of love, she eventually will out of necessity if she wants her child to be safe. ("Strange Case")

At the hospital, Belle is waiting to have her first ultrasound when Snow comes to talk to her. The bookish girl admits she did not tell Mr. Gold about the appointment, and that she is uncertain about allowing him to be a part of her son's life later on if she doesn't even want him around before the baby is born. Snow suggests she doesn't have to make a decision now and can wait a few trimesters until the baby has grown more. After the ultrasound, Belle receives two photo scans of the baby, with the option of giving one to Mr. Gold. She relates her dilemma to Snow, who is sympathetic about why Belle is hesitant since Mr. Gold has already disappointed her so many times. Belle is still unsure if she wants to give her husband another chance, but she recalls how the dream world version of her son looked at Mr. Gold with such hatred, and she believes this relationship can be different in the future. Later, she arrives at the pawnshop and slips one of the ultrasound scans under the door for Mr. Gold. ("Dark Waters")

When the Queen threatens to destroy everyone with Acheron water unless Snow and David relinquish their hearts to her, Belle apologizes to the heroes for not being able to help, as she's already searched through all her books and found nothing useful. She later finds out from Zelena that Mr. Gold and the Queen have more than just a business relationship, and of Mr. Gold's intentions of using the shears on her son so he won't grow up to hate him. Belle confronts her husband, vowing to not let him succeed, before criticizing him for once again making the wrong choice. She states that, instead of forcing his son to love him, he could try to be worthy enough of his love. Frightened by his prospect, Mr. Gold questions what will happen if he fails in his endeavor, to which Belle chastises him for being too weak to even be good, and that it's worse than him being evil. ("Heartless")

Fearing Mr. Gold is plotting to take her son away from her, Belle goes to Zelena for help using the Sorcerer's wand, with plans of escaping to the Enchanted Forest. Zelena has no interest in getting involved but agrees to after Belle reminds her that they've both been disappointed by the people they love. However, since the wand is in Mr. Gold's shop, they seek out Aladdin to steal it for them. After Aladdin turns the wand over to Belle, she gives it to Zelena. Before Zelena can open a portal, Mr. Gold teleports in to retrieve the wand and clasp a tracking bracelet on Belle's wrist. Belle calls him a beast for what he's done, while Mr. Gold asserts she can think of him however she likes, however, he's doing this out of love for her and their son. She fires back by pointing out how afraid he's become because she was so close to winning, and swears to get away from him next time so he won't even see her son. In return, Mr. Gold menaces her about his reputation for taking children rather than giving them away. ("I'll Be Your Mirror")

Upon seeing the effects of Mr. Gold's aging spell on one of the nuns, Belle concludes her husband might use the same spell to speed up her pregnancy so he can cut away their son's fate with the shears. She unknowingly falls asleep while doing research at the library, in which she finds a book in the dream world version of the library that tells her to "follow the ribbon" if she wants to defeat the Dark One. Belle is led by the ribbon to the shears within a cave, where she realizes that she's dreaming as "Morpheus" arrives. He hints that the answer to stopping Mr. Gold is right in front of her, and begs her to stop his father from changing his fate before it's too late. After "Morpheus" then cuts the ribbon with the fake shears, Belle awakens and finds a book she was reading before she fell asleep. The book, written in squid ink, is the answer her son spoke of, but Emma and Hook fail to find the shears after paralyzing Mr. Gold. While Belle is still in the library, Mr. Gold arrives to accelerate her pregnancy, Belle reminds him that he doesn't have to be like this, and all she ever wanted was for him to try to be good. Mr. Gold, however, believes no one is capable of loving him, especially since he's already lost her, and their son is now his only chance at love. Belle brings up the consequences of his plan, in that he will lose her forever. Not wanting this to happen, Mr. Gold gives up and retreats. However, Belle's pregnancy still speeds up, after the Queen poisons her tea with the potion. During a painful labor, she passes out and meets "Morpheus" in the dream world, where he once again implies what she must do to stop Mr. Gold. Realizing she has to send her son away after his birth, she weeps and bids a heartfelt farewell to him, with "Morpheus" telling her not to forget the book. After the birth, Belle holds her son for a short time before asking Mother Superior to be his fairy godmother and to take him away so Mr. Gold can never find him. She also gives the Her Handsome Hero book to her, and asks her to read it to her son often as proof his mother is always close to him. In a final goodbye, Belle names her son Gideon, after the hero in the book. Mr. Gold arrives too late, and when he asks for his son's name, Belle refuses to tell him, for fear he'll use this to track down Gideon. ("Changelings")

With the nuns' help, Belle makes a quick recovery from giving birth. She spends one evening at the park bench, where she holds teddy bear plushie when Mr. Gold comes to give her the news that he cannot find their son anywhere. He removes the tracking bracelet to prove he's not tricking her and then suggests she should call to check in with the nuns. Belle phones the convent, and upon learning Mother Superior returned in a battered state, she and Mr. Gold rush to her side to find out what happened. Mother Superior recalls being ambushed by the Black Fairy, whom she fought against vigilantly, only to lose and for the latter to kidnap the baby. At the pawnshop, Mr. Gold admits to Belle that he has blood ties to the Black Fairy, who is his mother. He finds Belle at fault for handing their son over to Mother Superior, and Belle blames him for pushing her by speeding up her pregnancy, which Mr. Gold swears to her that he wasn't the one to do that to her. Belle notices their arguing has only divided them and hurt their son, so Mr. Gold suggests they should work together now for their child's sake. As Mr. Gold explains the realm his mother took their son to, a cloaked figure walks in and lowers his hood to reveal himself as Gideon, their grown son, before he greets his parents ambivalently. ("Wish You Were Here")

In Gideon's own words, he alludes to his parents about how the Black Fairy attempted to make him dark, but he never turned because he always remembered his mother's desire for him to be a hero. Belle is touched to hear this but horrified to learn Gideon still intends to kill Emma Sometime after Gideon disappears on his own, Belle goes to David and Hook for help tracking him down. She asks them to give her a chance to talk her son out of his mission, and they agree, but if it doesn't work, they intend to use force to stop Gideon's plans. By nightfall, Belle rushes to the town square with Mr. Gold, where they try to talk Gideon out of killing Emma. Gideon doesn't listen and instead freezes his parents and the other bystanders to keep them from intervening. In the aftermath, Gideon is defeated by Emma and forced to retreat. Belle wanders off to the wishing well, where Mr. Gold joins her, and they discuss their son. Mr. Gold admits he was wrong about wanting to cut away Gideon's fate with the shears and that while he himself is addicted to the power that comes from magic, he doesn't want their son to kill Emma and go down the same dark path. Belle realizes that earlier on, despite knowing Gideon had bad intentions with Emma, she still wanted to protect her son. This, in essence, has helped her see how easy it is to do the wrong thing believing it's for the greater good. She ponders if they can actually help Gideon, and Mr. Gold decides they can by working together for each other and for their son's sake. ("Tougher Than the Rest")

In the woods, Belle and Mother Superior rejoin Mr. Gold after a futile search for Gideon. An argument breaks out between Mr. Gold and Mother Superior, but Belle calms them down by reminding them of their mission. After Mother Superior leaves to continue looking on her own, Mr. Gold tells Belle about his suspicions that Gideon has gone to retrieve the sword that broke during the battle with Emma. Later, Belle comes to the pawnshop, where Mr. Gold has brought a comatose Mother Superior. She is horrified, believing their son did this, but Mr. Gold admits he did it rather than allowing Gideon to do it, as he did not want their son committing a dark act and having no way to turn back from the darkness. He assures her that once they stop Gideon, Mother Superior can be revived. Belle thanks him for being unselfish by darkening his own soul in lieu of their son, and that if he can make the right choice after all the bad things he's done, perhaps there is hope for Gideon as well. ("Ill-Boding Patterns")

At the pawnshop, Belle is there when Emma and Snow come to Mr. Gold for information about the Black Fairy. Emma tells them of the ultimatum that Gideon gave her: help him kill the Black Fairy or she'll never see Hook again. Belle begs Emma not to hurt Gideon because he is only evil due to the Black Fairy's influence, and truly believes if Emma helps Gideon through this, he will come to the side of good. Emma tells Belle that she is hesitant to believe Gideon can change after everything she's seen him do, however, she ends up giving Gideon a chance when Mr. Gold informs her about the threat the Black Fairy poses to Storybrooke. Later, Belle and Snow rejoin Emma and Mr. Gold at the Sorcerer's Mansion in the aftermath of Gideon leaving Emma to die so he could channel her magic to reach the Black Fairy. Emma proclaims to Belle and Mr. Gold that their son is irredeemable while Mr. Gold vows to take her out if she tries to kill Gideon. After Emma and Snow leave the mansion, Belle laments about Gideon truly being a lost cause, but Mr. Gold assures her that they can still influence their son into becoming good since he is presently no longer under the thrall of the Black Fairy. Little do they know, the Black Fairy has been controlling Gideon this whole time with his heart and that the portal Gideon made from Emma's life force has allowed her to come through to Storybrooke. ("Mother's Little Helper")

After the Black Fairy pays a visit to Mr. Gold at the pawnshop, Belle walks out from the backroom, in shock over seeing her. The Black Fairy talks to her, telling her that she is pleased to make her acquaintance. Belle, upon noticing Gideon beside the fairy, lets him know that no matter what he's done to help the Black Fairy, he can always come back to their side. The Black Fairy shoots down the idea, and when Mr. Gold attempts to attack her, she forces him to stop by seizing the dagger. ("Awake")

Upon learning from Mr. Gold that the Black Fairy has been controlling Gideon's actions this whole time, Belle is relieved that their son can be saved after all. Mr. Gold begins working towards getting their son back by trying to find a way to awaken Mother Superior, who knew the Black Fairy and may have a way to defeat her. After Mr. Gold has left, Belle pulls out a blanket to tuck over Mother Superior's body. With plans of killing the Black Fairy, Zelena drops by to ask her to babysit Robin, which Belle agrees to by offering a bassinet for the baby. Later at the pawnshop counter, Belle is holding a giraffe plushie as she plays with Robin when Regina comes in looking for some ingredients for a locator spell. Upon seeing Robin, Regina is shocked and pieces together that Zelena must have gone after the Black Fairy on her own. Belle is left unsure of what happened as Regina leaves in a rush to find Zelena. Much later, Zelena returns to collect her daughter from Belle, who reports that Robin was very well-behaved. Belle suggests she can babysit again if needed, though Zelena states that it's not necessary. After Zelena reveals Mother Superior's whereabouts to Regina and Emma, Belle explains to them about what happened with the nun and her role in allowing it to happen, although she is not proud of what she did in order to protect Gideon. She then encourages Mr. Gold into letting Emma revive Mother Superior since he hasn't yet found a solution and they shouldn't allow the Black Fairy to steal any more of Gideon's time from them. Once Mr. Gold acquiesces, Belle and the others watch as Emma crushes a light fairy crystal over the nun's chest, which restarts her heart. ("Where Bluebirds Fly")

When Mr. Gold's attempt to awaken Mother Superior from sleep apparently fails, Belle sees him venting his frustrations on a mailbox, however, she points out that he's letting the Black Fairy get to him again. Mr. Gold expresses worry since he's already lost one son and is about to lose another. Belle insists it won't happen as long as she's around, which makes Mr. Gold feel grateful that Gideon has her as a mother since he can't help but think that it is his family's destiny for children and mothers to always be separated. Suddenly, Emma calls the pair back into the pawnshop, telling them that Mother Superior is waking up after all. Shortly after Mother Superior tells the heroes where the other half of the wand is hidden, the Black Fairy morphs out of her Snow disguise as Gideon sheds his David disguise, much to everyone's shock. The Black Fairy then kidnaps Mother Superior and teleports out, but before Gideon can follow her out, Mr. Gold clamps his wrist with a cuff to disable his magic. With Gideon later tied to a chair, Belle attempts to ask him about where his heart is hidden and tries to spur him into resisting the Black Fairy's control again. Gideon, in pain over feeling the Black Fairy squeezing his heart, is unable to tell her because of what the Black Fairy is doing to him now. Belle backs off from questioning her son, but Mr. Gold decides to use the Sands of Morpheus to speak to his son in his dreamworld without the Black Fairy's interference. Before he does, however, he asks for Belle's trust, which she gives by saying she believes he will do what's best for Gideon and their family. Mr. Gold then charges her with looking after everyone, including himself, while they are asleep. After Mr. Gold, Emma, and Morpheus return from the dream realm, Regina comes back to the pawnshop with the fixed wand and urges Emma to do her duty as the Savior and defeat the Black Fairy with the wand, but Emma declines and reveals Mr. Gold is the Savior who is meant to do it. Belle, pleased by this revelation, expresses her renewed hopes to Mr. Gold about always knowing that he was a good person behind the mask of a beast and now he knows it too. Despite his reluctance to accept himself as a Savior, Mr. Gold goes to face the Black Fairy and returns with a heart presumed to be his mother's as proof he killed her. He also returns Gideon's heart to him before undoing his binds, to which Gideon is happily welcomed home by both of his parents. Mr. Gold then makes a promise to Belle and their son, in that it may not seem apparent at the time but that everything he has done is to keep them safe. Both Belle and Gideon look on appreciatively as Mr. Gold tells them this, without them knowing he didn't actually kill the Black Fairy and instead formed a secret alliance with her. ("The Black Fairy")

The day of Emma's wedding, Belle locates Snow's old wedding dress in the back of the pawnshop. She gives the dress to Snow, who has it dry-cleaned before excitedly telling Emma about it. ("The Song in Your Heart")

During Fourth Curse
Under the Black Fairy's Dark Curse, Belle becomes too fearful of leaving her own house while Gideon's memories of his mother are altered so he remembers her abandoning him shortly after his birth. Although Fiona shows Mr. Gold photographic evidence of Belle visiting various countries and seeing the world without him and Gideon, Mr. Gold uses Belle's book to locate her actual whereabouts in Storybrooke. Belle peeks at him from behind her curtains and then proceeds to flee to the kitchen when he comes into the house to find her. Terrified of going outside, she then locks herself in her bedroom, telling him that she's safer inside. ("The Final Battle Part 2")

After Fourth Curse

When the Black Fairy is killed by Mr. Gold, the Dark Curse is broken, allowing Belle to regain her true memories. She finds Mr. Gold at the pawnshop and learns from him about the last command that the Black Fairy gave Gideon to kill Emma. Belle joins him in the mines to track down Gideon's heart and save their son, however, she twists her ankle and stays behind while Mr. Gold ventures in deeper by himself. Mr. Gold returns with Gideon's heart but reveals that, despite attempting to do the right thing, he was unable to lift the command. As the two embrace and console each other over the loss of their son, they hear a baby's cry. Upon further investigation of the baby, they realize Gideon has returned to them as a newly restored infant. Mr. Gold, overcome with emotion, believes they now have a fresh start, though Belle heartily corrects him by saying it's a happy beginning. ("The Final Battle Part 2")

Sometime after the final battle has been won, Belle and Mr. Gold dance together in the pawnshop before sharing a romantic kiss. Belle brings Gideon along to Granny's, where she and Mr. Gold join some of the other heroes for a peaceful supper. ("The Final Battle Part 2")

During one year, Belle and her husband prepare a birthday party for Gideon at Granny's. Mr. Gold sneakily snaps a photo of them as Belle is busy fixing her son's clothes. Belle protests because she believes she looks like a mess, but Mr. Gold interjects that she looks beautiful. She then goes over a list, noting out loud which of their guests are bringing balloons, cake, and bubble wands, before Mr. Gold persuades her to calm down and that the party will be fine as long as Gideon has fun getting birthday cake all over his face. Mr. Gold gives Belle a travel album, telling her that she's been so patient with him, and now he wishes to finally fulfill her lifelong dream of traveling around the world. ("Beauty")

At some point during their travel, Belle and Mr. Gold visit the Wandering Oaken's Trading Post in Arendelle.[5] Many years after their departure from Storybrooke, Belle, Mr. Gold, and their much older son Gideon visit a river near a bridge. As Gideon dashes ahead on his own, Belle takes notice of the history of the river, where many people have come to make wishes. Mr. Gold expresses joy at having been able to spend the last ten years with her and his desire to live a natural, moral life with her, which he attempts to obtain by tossing the dagger into the river. Belle is proud of him, however, the dagger magically returns to him only seconds later. She encourages Mr. Gold to not give up as they will find another way. In an unknown library, Belle and her husband are pleased when Gideon announces he has been accepted into Elphame Academy. Mr. Gold is reluctant to be parted from his son, but Belle assures him that they've had Gideon for eighteen wonderful years and now it's time for him to make his own path in life too. Belle then shows him a fairy prophecy she translated, in which it states that after the Dark One finds eternal love, his dark powers can be removed only when the sun is at its brightest and that it sets in the Edge of Realms where time is frozen. Mr. Gold recognizes that it may take an unknown amount of time for the sun to actually set, and Belle insists they can build a new home there as they wait. However, Belle remains secretive about one final piece of the prophecy, in that it was not about the sun in the sky, but the figurative "sun" in the Dark One's life: her. She realizes from this that she not only has to die for Mr. Gold's desire to be mortal to come true but that also Mr. Gold must believe the power of their love will persist even after her death. After their house at the Edge of Realms is finished being built, Mr. Gold carries Belle over the threshold. ("Beauty")

As Belle continues to age while her husband remains immortal, the couple is occasionally visited by Gideon during the years he returns home to see them before going back to school. Several years after this, Belle is now an elderly woman as Mr. Gold is still youthful as ever. Belle steps onto a stool as she reaches for the window curtains, and she looks back to smile at her husband before pulling them open, only to lose her balance and fall. Mr. Gold catches her in time, though he panics as she seemingly passes out from exhaustion. After moving his wife to the couch, he tries to convince her to allow him to use the dagger on her just this once so she can be cured of whatever ailment she has. Instead, Belle comes clean about the part of the prophecy she omitted and explains what he must do after her death in order to be led back to her. Seeing how afraid he is of living without her, Belle retells the story of how they fell in love and all the times they were separated before being reunited, as a way to reassure him that if he lets her go now, it won't be the last time he ever sees her again. As she dies, Mr. Gold weeps over her still body. Gideon later returns home to pay his respects at his mother's gravesite, where he offers to put an end to his father's life so he can join Belle in death, however, Mr. Gold opts to wait for the day he can relinquish his powers to the Guardian and be reunited with his beloved. ("Beauty")

Sometime after Belle has moved onto the afterlife, Mr. Gold visits a cave in the New Enchanted Forest, where people can communicate with the dead. There, he conjures a photo of her before talking to her about how he and Gideon have missed her greatly since she passed on. A witch doctor, Facilier, interrupts this private moment to introduce himself and reveal that he can hear the dead talk, in addition to knowing Mr. Gold wishes to ask Belle if Alice is the Guardian. When forced by Mr. Gold to tell him what Belle is saying, Facilier states that the Guardian must be pure of heart but he'll know for sure by testing Alice and that Belle fears he will succumb to the darkness since she is no longer by his side to help him. Alice, proven to be the Guardian, later absorbing all the darkness from Mr. Gold into the dagger, however, Mr. Gold is reminded of Belle's last words to him about being a good man who would find his way back to her, prompting him to stop Alice from accepting her role as he does not want to sacrifice her for his own happiness. ("The Guardian")

After Fifth Curse
After Rumplestiltskin persuades Sir Henry into writing the Guardian's powers out of existence, leaving Weaver without a way to be rid of his Dark One powers and be reunited with Belle as planned, Weaver sacrifices his own heart to put an end to his life as well as Rumplestiltskin's. Weaver, now dead, goes to Mount Olympus,[1] which appears to him as foggy, desolate area he wanders through until Belle's familiar voice calls to him. Youthful again and dressed in the yellow ball gown she wore when she and her husband danced during their honeymoon, Belle waits for him by a wishing well decorated with candles. When Weaver reaches her, she tells him that she knew he would make it home before they kiss. ("Leaving Storybrooke")

Family

 
Maurice
Moe French
 
Colette
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gaston
 
Belle
 
 
 
Rumplestiltskin
Mr. Gold
Weaver
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gideon

Notes:

  • Solid lines denote parent-child blood relationships
  • Dashed lines denote marriages and engagements that result in offspring
  • denotes the deceased
  • Gaston and Belle were formerly betrothed


Trivia

Etymology

  • The name Belle, which comes from Disney's Beauty and the Beast, is French for "beautiful."
    • It is also a reference to the original French version of "Beauty and the Beast," where Beauty is called "la Belle," meaning "the Beautiful."
  • Belle's last name, French, is a nod to the French origin of the fairytale of "Beauty and the Beast."
  • Belle's alias, Lacey, is of English origin and is from a surname derived from Lassy, the name of a town in Normandy, France.[6]

Character Notes

Production Notes

Disney

Fairytales and Folklore

  • In the original version of "Beauty and the Beast" by Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve, the good fairy tells Beauty the story of how the wicked fairy attempted to murder Beauty (who turns out to be the daughter of a king and therefore a princess) when she was a baby, planning to commit the murder in a neighboring forest. The good fairy considered taking Beauty away, but knew that the wicked fairy would just retake the child from her, without it being in her power to stop her. The fairy discovered that a merchant's baby daughter had died, so in order to protect Beauty, the good fairy took the dead girl away and left Beauty in her place. Similarly, on Once Upon a Time, Belle (here the daughter of a lord who is the ruler of an unnamed kingdom) tasks Mother Superior (aka the Blue Fairy) with taking her newborn son away to protect him from Mr. Gold (aka Rumplestiltskin), the Black Fairy's son. However, the plan fails, and afterward, a distraught Mother Superior reports to Belle and Mr. Gold that the Black Fairy abducted the baby in the forest, despite Mother Superior fighting as hard as she could to stop her. ("Changelings," "Wish You Were Here")

Lost

Popular Culture

Props Notes

Set Dressing

Costume Notes

Goofs

Appearances

Note: "Archive" denotes archive footage.

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Abrams, Natalie (May 28, 2018). Once Upon a Time bosses on that surprise series finale ending. Entertainment Weekly. “If we're talking about the scene of what happens to Rumple, that’s not purgatory. That's heaven. That is 100 percent he’s made it home to her, and they're absolutely not in any purgatory. We saw what that would be, which was the Hades season, and this very much looks like they have moved on into a happier, happier place.”
  2. File:401Newspaper2.png
  3. "A Tale of Two Sisters," "Beauty," Once Upon a Time, ABC
  4. TwitterLogo Mica Blackwell (@micablackers) on X, formerly Twitter: @AdamHorowitzLA how did Belle recognise Robin in 3x12 if she only saw him through the clover spell disguise in 2x19? (April 13, 2015). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
    TwitterLogo Laclan (@storybrookecity) on X, formerly Twitter: @micablackers @AdamHorowitzLA i assume they had other adventures together after 2x19's flashback (April 13, 2015). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
    TwitterLogo Adam Horowitz (@AdamHorowitzLA) on X, formerly Twitter: @storybrookecity @micablackers exactly! (April 13, 2015). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
  5. File:704PicturesOnTheChimney.png
    File:704CupAndPictures.png
  6. Given Name LACEY. Behind the Name. Retrieved on September 11, 2018.
    Given Name LACY. Behind the Name. Retrieved on September 11, 2018.
  7. InstagramIcon Emilie de Ravin (@emiliede_ravin) on Instagram: More wig fittings for #onceuponatime #rumbelle this Friday! 💙 #oncers @onceabcofficial #belles * oh hi there @lparrilla 😉 (October 25, 2017). (backup link) (archive screenshot) (photograph)
  8. TwitterLogo ενα✨🧁 (@GlindaLoveShoes) on X, formerly Twitter: Em dyed her hair for the show but then didn't like it anymore/it got annoying so she stopped after 2 years #ouatvan (March 26, 2017). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
  9. Whitney, Alyse (May 6, 2016). 'Once Upon a Time': Who Will Die in Season 5's Penultimate Episode?. Hollywood Reporter. “One person who won’t be affected in this finale is Belle, who will be in a sleeping curse until next season so the actress could go on maternity leave. But Kitsis notes she still will play a "pivotal role."”
  10. TwitterLogo Camilla Luddington (@camilluddington) on X, formerly Twitter: Ha I love this! 2 more I also didn’t get- belle in once upon a time and Emily Thorne in revenge. Those two hurt 🥴😂 (September 3, 2020). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
  11. File:112OhMyGods2.png
  12. File:406Awake.png
  13. Dove, Steve (February 11, 2013). Storybrooke Secrets: Tiny. ABC. Archived from the original on September 30, 2013. “For those who may have forgotten, ONCE show creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz were two of the writers behind Lost and they always look for fun ways to shout out to it. For instance, when Ruby comes to visit Belle in the hospital, Belle is watching Exposé, a fictional TV show from Lost, which also happened to be Hurley's favorite.”
  14. File:603BelleReading.png
  15. File:603SomethingForYou.png
  16. File:211BelleDagger.png
  17. File:314CutRoot.png
  18. File:612FightForYourLife.png
  19. Once Upon a Time - Prince Charming's Dagger Prop (Hero) also used by Belle (0163). iCollector. Archived from the original on July 5, 2020. Retrieved on July 5, 2020. “Aluminum hero dagger prop with brass guard and pommel. Also used by Belle.”
  20. File:W102StepOne.png
    File:W103YouDontNeedMe.png
  21. Once Upon a Time - Prince Charming's (Josh Dallas) Hero Dagger Prop, also Belle and Alice (0041). iCollector. Archived from the original on October 14, 2020. Retrieved on October 14, 2020. “This style of dagger saw repeated use by many different characters including Belle French and Alice (Once Upon a Time in Wonderland).”
  22. File:211GoldCoins.png
  23. File:102AnOldBook.png
  24. File:104ShoeOff.png (over the lamp, pinned on top of the picture of the couple on the horse)
    File:310LightsOut.png (on the right hand side of the desk, next to the black and white illustration)
  25. 25.0 25.1 File:102What.png
    File:202LookWhatI.png
  26. FlickrIconTemplate Lawrence Andreutti. Regina's House: P1100918 (October 15, 2012).  (archive copy)
  27. File:614ThatsNotYours.png
  28. File:720GotItMom!.png
  29. File:202LookWhatI.png
  30. FlickrIconTemplate Lawrence Andreutti. Regina's House: P1100915 (October 15, 2012).  (archive copy)
  31. File:112Shoes.png
    File:112ThankYou2.png
  32. File:202AndIm.png
  33. File:211BelleDagger.png
  34. File:W104Promo11.jpg
  35. File:221Necklace.png
  36. File:204OccasionIsUs.png
  37. File:319NealWasDying.png
  38. File:504ReachingForSand.png
  39. File:404INeedYou.png
  40. File:406No.png
    File:406ForgetThisNonsense.png
  41. File:704HesJustExcited.png
  42. File:406IKnow.png
  43. File:411BeautyAndTheBeast.png
  44. File:414HoldsOutDagger.png
  45. File:317PourALittle.png
  46. File:505BelleRumpleStorybook.png
  47. File:622SupperPage.png
  48. File:721ApprenticeVision19.png
  49. File:621BellePhotograph.png
    File:621BellePhotograph2.png
    File:621BellePhotograph3.png
  50. File:721DidFacilierDoThis.png
  51. File:720IveTried3.png
  52. File:719YeahIWas.png
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