Author's Note: Because I'd like to think she's off having amazing adventures when she's sidelined on the show :)

Will include references to Rumbelle and Doctor/Rose, but mostly a Belle character piece.

Prologue: The Impossible Town

"I've been picking up some weird readings from this area," the Doctor said aloud. "Funny things. For about 28 years, it looks like there's nothing here at all. The only way you can notice it is by noticing that you don't. But here – here's where it opens up. So, let's go and see what it is, shall we?"

There was no reply. He had been alone for so long, he had almost gotten used to the silence, but fighting Autons with Rose had almost felt like the old days, and that made the solitude even more painful. If only she had said yes when he asked her to come with him.

Well, nothing to do now but move forward, even if that meant traveling alone.

He opened the TARDIS doors and looked out on what seemed to be an ordinary street in an ordinary small American town: cars that looked a bit too old if he was right about the year, shops up and down the side of the street, and a clocktower looming over what looked to be a boarded-up library.

"Well, this looks fairly normal," he said to himself. "Too normal. Time to find out what secrets this normal little town is hiding."

With a smile – definitely not a forced smile, he told himself without really believing it – he set off across the street towards the library. That seemed like as good a place as any to start. He felt for the sonic screwdriver in his pocket, thinking that he might have to force his way in, but the doorknob turned in his hand, and the door swung open. Inside, he found an empty desk and an oddly-decorated wall. A very small young woman stood nearby, shelving books, and looked up when he entered.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said in an adorable accent that he thought might be Australian. "The library's not open yet."

"Well, I'm new in town," said the Doctor with a shrug. "In fact, I'm not really sure exactly where I am. I was hoping you could tell me?"

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, and that went on his list of weird things right away. What on earth could be suspicious about saying he was lost? But then she softened, and, shelving the last of the books she was carrying, came over to greet him.

"You're in Storybrooke, Maine," she said. "My name is Belle. Belle French."

"They call me the Doctor," he said promptly. He paused, expecting her to ask the question they always did, but she just nodded.

"Names have power," she murmured. "That's what Rumple says, and he would know. I understand if you don't want to share yours."

Well. That was unexpected. He raised his eyebrows and wondered silently how this Belle had unknowingly hit so close to the truth. But another question took precedence.

"Tell me, Belle," he said, "have you noticed anything … odd … around here?"

She laughed. What an unusual reaction, he thought, putting that down on the list of things that didn't make any sense at all about this town.

"Was it something I said?"

"It's just that … well, everything's odd about Storybrooke," she told him. "I mean, it's not every day that you wake up and remember you're a fairy tale character."

He was nodding along to her words, when all of a sudden they hit him like a brick to the head. His eyes widened.

"A what?"

"Wait …" the suspicion was back. "You don't know? You really are new in town, aren't you?"

Well, if she was telling the truth, he could take a good guess which character she was supposed to be. Brown hair, surrounded by books, and of course her name … no, that was just coincidence. He had seen a great many things in his life, but fairy tales simply didn't exist. There had to be some explanation. False memories of an impossible story implanted in normal human beings. Robots programmed to think they were storybook characters for some nefarious end. Or perhaps a strange sort of alien theme park. The possibilities were endless.

"Are you telling me that everyone in this town thinks they're a character out of a fairy tale?" he asked.

Belle nodded, but her expression had gone uneasy.

"Don't tell anyone," she said. "If the outside world finds out about us … well, I'm not exactly sure what will happen, but everyone seems to think it would be bad."

A genuine grin spread across the Doctor's face. Storybrooke was a mystery, and one he intended to solve.

Belle followed the Doctor out into the street, trailing behind him as he wondered aloud what the town of Storybrooke might be. His suggestions seemed bizarre to her, even more bizarre than the strange aspects of this world that she didn't have any false memories to soften. But her curious mind was burning to know more about the stranger.

"Wait for me," she called, hurrying after him as fast as her high-heeled shoes would allow. "Look, just let me show you around town. Then you'll see it's perfectly normal except for the little … oddity, and you can be on your …"

Her voice trailed off as she caught sight of her father's flower truck driving down the street. She gulped. Fresh memories of a dark mine tunnel and a handcuff around her wrist sent a surge of panic through her.

"What?" the Doctor asked, apparently noticing her sudden silence. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing. I just saw someone I'd rather not think about, that's all."

He didn't pry further, and she was grateful for that. Instead, after an awkward moment, he asked, "What about that diner you were telling me about, then?"

Belle's face lit up. "They serve the best iced tea. Come on, I'll show you."

At the diner, Belle sat across from the Doctor and watched as he picked at his meal. She, meanwhile, dug into her burger, savoring the strange combination of flavors. If there was one thing she loved about this world, it was the food.

"Tell me again how you got here, Belle," the Doctor said, pushing fries around on his plate.

"Well, there was a curse," she said. "The Evil Queen's curse. It destroyed our land and brought us here, created Storybrooke."

"You're telling me you're from some kind of parallel world?"

Belle shrugged. She hadn't thought about it that way, but it didn't seem far off.

"I'm still not convinced this is real," he admitted. "Even for me, it's too far-fetched."

"I know how you feel," said Belle. "Sometimes it doesn't feel real to me, either. Like this is a dream, and any minute now, I'll wake up back in the Enchanted Forest."

From the look on his face, she realized that wasn't quite what he had meant. But then something registered in his eyes, like a hint of recognition.

"You say your world was destroyed?"

Belle nodded. "I think so. David – Prince Charming – is trying to find a way back, but Rumple says there's nothing left to go back to."

Was that sympathy in his eyes? No, more like empathy, Belle realized, becoming determined to figure out what secrets the seemingly cheerful Doctor was hiding.

"Rumple," said the Doctor. "You keep saying that name."

"Rumplestiltskin. He's …" Belle hesitated. What she and Rumple were to each other now, she still wasn't sure. "In this world's stories, I guess you could say he's my Beast. But enough about me. Tell me about yourself. Who are you? How did you get here?"

He sat back and looked at her for a long time. Then, seeming to make a decision, he spoke:

"I'm an alien."

"What!?" Belle stared at him, flabbergasted.

"I come from another world, like you, but my world was a planet a long way away."

Was. Past tense. "What happened?"

"It's gone now," he said.

"And you … you're all alone? Or are there others?"

The Doctor hesitated.

"I'm alone," he said quietly. "There was someone. A girl named Rose. I asked her to travel with me, but she said no. The whole of space and time and …" his brow furrowed. "I didn't actually tell her the TARDIS did time travel, did I?"

Belle stared at him, unable to process what he was saying so casually.

"Time travel is impossible," she stammered. "I've read about it. That's one of the three laws of magic: you can't change the past."

The Doctor grinned again. "For you, maybe. I'm a Time Lord. Changing the past is what I do."

There it was again, that little flicker of something she couldn't quite name beneath the smiling exterior. For a moment, she was reminded inexplicably of Rumple. But that wasn't quite right. He was more like the reverse of Rumple. Instead of hiding his humanity beneath a persona meant to frighten, the stranger was putting up a cheerful front that hid … sorrow? Regret? The simple fact that he was not, in fact, human?

"You could come with me," he said. "See the universe."

Belle smiled, but it was a sad smile. That was what she had always wanted: to travel, to see the world, to be a hero. All of space and time sounded like a dream come true. And yet …

"There are things that I need to do here and now," she said.

His face fell.

"But maybe … some other time? If I see you again, that is?"

The Doctor nodded. Then, with a smile, he grabbed a pen and a napkin and jotted down a phone number.

"Call me if you change your mind," he said. "I'll come back for you."

Belle took the napkin and folded it carefully before putting it in her purse for safekeeping. Then, turning back to the Doctor, she added: "You should give Rose another chance. Tell her you travel in time, see what she does."

The Doctor looked at her closely and asked, "What makes you say that?"

"I can tell she means a lot to you," said Belle. "And you shouldn't be alone. No one should."