It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

Belle rolled her eyes at her older sister Mary Margaret as their mother Mrs. French pleaded with their father about meeting the new mystery bachelor that was in town. Storybrooke was a small town where everyone knew everyone and everyone's business, and when a new person who happens to be a handsome bachelor with a good fortune strolls into town, well, it will be the topic of discussion at everyone's table that night.

Mary Margaret tried to stifle the smile that was appearing on her lips, but their all seeing mother noticed and pointed at the shy daughter who was now blushing under everyone's eyes.

"See Mr. French! Even our lovely daughter wants to meet Mr. Nolan, and I bet she is dreaming of their future house and children right now!"

Mr. French sighed dramatically. "Yes darling, I'm sure that's what all the lovely daughters in town are thinking right now." Mr. French sought out his favorite daughter and winked at her. Belle held in the laughter at her father's antics, but her merriment shined in her blue eyes.

Mrs. French gasped and grabbed on to her husband's arm. "Oh my Mr. French you are right! That is why we must be the first, before those other girls try to take him away from our lovely daughters."

Mr. French walked away from his wife towards the window that looked out to the gardens as his wife talked and waved her hands around like a wild chicken behind his back. The other daughters: Emma, Ashley, and Astrid were sitting at the table staring at their mother in different ways. Ashley and Astrid looked hopeful and excited, but Emma looked bored like she wanted to be anywhere else but there.

Astrid was the first that spoke up, "Oh Papa please go introduce yourself! Ashley and I have been looking forward to a ball and maybe they will throw one if we ask nicely!" She looked over at Ashley who nodded her head eagerly.

Mrs. French watched with fury in her eyes as her husband put up his hand to stop their talking and started to walk out the door. She was about to say something about her husband not caring about their daughters well being when he stopped and looked at all of the women in his life.

"Introducing myself again would be ridiculous would it not?" Mr. French smirked as his wife's mouth opened wide in shock and strolled out, shutting the door behind him as he heard his youngest daughters jumping up and down cheering, and his wife shouting about how he was going to kill her the way he messed up her nerves.

As Mrs. French talked to Ashley and Astrid about what they should serve to eat when Mr. Nolan arrived, Belle turned towards Mary Margaret on the couch while laughing and soon Mary Margaret joined in.

"Dear sister, I feel it is unjust to laugh right now," Mary Margaret whispered as the laughter started to die down.

"And why is that?"

"Mother is just trying to be helpful..." Belle raised her eyebrows in disbelief and Mary Margaret sighed. "Belle, she is...she just wants the best for us."

Belle glanced over at her two sisters and mother who were still going over the appetizers. "Mary, I do love mother, but you have to admit that she is just trying to pair us up with the next eligible bachelor so she can brag about it to the whole town. I mean don't you feel embarrassed when mother directs the attention on you? Don't you ever feel angry that she doesn't ask you what you want?"

Mary Margaret looked down at her clasped hands. "I just do what I'm told Belle. I'm not like you," she said in a dejected whisper.

Belle was surprised at her sister's response, because why would she want to be like her? Belle was the outcast in town, the girl who spoke her mind, read too much, played in the mud as a child while the other girls dressed up and played house. Where Mary Margaret was beautiful with dark elegant hair and skin white as snow; she was the epitome of the perfect woman: pretty, shy, and had right sense of humor.

So Belle grabbed her sister's hands in her own and shook her a little to get her to look at her. "Mary, what do you mean? Why would you want to be like me? I'm the odd one in the family, well besides Emma...I mean look at you! You are so pretty and any man would be lucky to have you, so don't worry about that!"

Mary Margaret's lips twitched with a hint of a smile. "Belle, my dearest sister, I wish I was brave like you. I do not have the will to stand up for myself like you. I'm the eldest, but you were the one who protected me when we were little and still protects me even now. I should have been the one to yell at William Whale when he made fun of you for reading, but I got scared and just stood there, but you got up and threatened to throw a rock at him. You're so strong and your just as pretty yourself you know."

Mary Margaret nudged Belle playfully, and Belle smiled gratefully back at her. A crash then made both the elder girls jump as one of the chairs fell on the floor. Mrs. French, Ashley, and Astrid looked at Emma who accidently tipped the chair over. She shrugged her shoulders and then proceeded to walk out. Mrs. French's face then became red as she ran after her daughter shouting about how she should be put in the pig pen for her behavior and temper.

Astrid and Ashley grumbled about their sister's poor behavior and walked out also. Mary Margaret got up as well, but stopped when she realized Belle didn't get up as well. "I'm going into town with Mama, aren't you coming also?"

Belle was going to, but after her talk with Mary Margaret she wanted to be alone with her thoughts. "No I think I'm going to stay here."

Mary Margaret nodded in understanding, knowing that her sister just sometimes like to be alone, usually out in the field by her favorite tree reading one of her books. Belle watched her elder sister walk out of the room, and she sighed. Belle was shocked at how her sister truly felt about her, because deep down Belle didn't think she was that brave. Her sister made her out to be some hero, something that is unreal and can't be touched, where Belle craved to be real and understood for who she really was. She was just a normal person like anyone else, but in this small town she was labeled the "odd daughter."

Of course her father understood her, and he nourished her hunger for knowledge, but it was still not enough. Belle got up from the couch and grabbed the book she was currently reading and a blanket. She walked out the doors of her house and towards her favorite tree where Mary Margaret and Belle had their names carved into. She placed the blanket down on the ground and opened her book to where she left off.

Before she knew it, light was fading away and as she looked up to the sky and saw stars twinkling in the sky she smiled sadly to herself and closed her eyes to make a wish.

I wish that I could see the world and meet someone who truly understood me.

She opened her eyes and heard the giggling of her younger siblings reminding her that she still was stuck in Storybrooke and she had this present life to continue. But before she left towards the house again she looked back up at the stars and smiled to herself.

She might be lonely in this small bumpkin town, but she was also a dreamer.