It's the morning after Ursula and Cruella stole from the pawn shop and Belle is not in a good mood. She can't believe she let them get the best of her. She should have had her guard up and remembered Ursula's tentacles, especially considering there was a time they had wrapped around her throat.

Belle let out a huff as she rummaged through her bag for the key to the library. It wasn't as if there was anything she could do now. She was useless. She couldn't research her way out of this.

The librarian was beginning to consider the merits of knocking all the shelves down when she opened the door to the sight of a figure waiting for her. The unexpected presence of the person nearly caused Belle to drop her key and she searched helplessly for something to fight off the intruder with. Coming up empty, she did the one thing she could do. Talk.

"How did you get in here?" The figure chuckled and Belle could hear the intruder shifting about. Suddenly, with a snap of their fingers, the lights came on and Belle immediately recognized the intruder as Maleficent. The enchantress was in a vest and fedora rather than her usual horns and black dress, but it was most definitely her. "You can skip answering the earlier question. I assume you're the reason the others stole from the pawn shop?"

Maleficent placed a hand over her heart. "I'm hurt. They were merely returning something to its rightful owner." Belle's hands fisted at her side. She had had her fill with fake emotions and twisted words. She'd received enough of them from Rumple to last a lifetime.

"Why are you here?" Maleficent strolled easily through the room, dragging her fingertips along book stacks and desks. She eventually reached the reading chair in front of the elevator and delicately picked up Her Handsome Hero from its position on the seat. She thumbed through the pages before closing the unfinished book and looking up at Belle.

"You know, you never did finish. I was looking forward to hearing the cause behind the villain's actions." Belle's jaw dropped.

"H-how did you? I don't understand." Maleficent's eyes widened in surprise.

"You truly had no idea who you'd been reading to that whole time? No one told you the beast they were keeping in that disgusting cavern was me?" Belle shook her head in disbelief.

"They wouldn't keep a person underground for twenty-eight years. They're not that cruel." As Belle spoke, she immediately knew how untrue her words really were. Maleficent did as well and chuckled.

"My, your denial of people's true natures is spectacular! The clear answer is that they would. Regina had no trouble locking you in an asylum for that length of time. Why would she have any qualms over keeping me locked down there as a dragon?"

"A dragon?"

"The first form I was locked in, yes. Usually I can will between forms, but not here. At least not during those curse years." Belle's face scrunched in confusion.

"What do you mean 'first form'?" Maleficent walked towards Belle, deliberately keeping herself from making any sudden movements.

"Well first it was the dragon, then it was a pile of dust, until finally it was a strange undead zombie corpse creature. Honestly, the smell was by far the worst part. Also I'm pretty sure I have a pebble or two still lodged under my skin."

"I'm not sure how to respond to that," Belle replied honestly.

"I'm not sure either. I don't even think the rocks stay in the same place to tell you the truth. Another thing I'll have to get used to I suppose." Belle was surprised at the laugh threatening to escape her lips. Instead of giving in to the unwelcome impulse, she cleared her throat and took a step back. She was admittedly surprised again when a flash of hurt crossed the other woman's features.

"You haven't answered my question from earlier. Why are you here?"

"I wanted to see how you'd react to who you've been reading to. It wasn't entirely what I expected. Also, I was wondering if I could borrow the book. I wasn't lying when I said I was looking forward to certain parts." Belle searched Maleficent's face, scanning for any signs of falsehoods or trickery, but found only earnest hope and honesty.

"This is a library and you are, technically, a member of the town so you have the right to borrow books. You simply have to guarantee you'll take care of any books you take."

"Why of course," Maleficent said with a flourish. "It is your favorite one, isn't it?" With a wink and a puff of smoke, the enchantress disappeared. Belle stood gaping at the spot where the woman had been for quite some time. The whole conversation had left her thoroughly perplexed and disturbed. She wasn't sure what to make of any of it.

Belle eventually moved from her position in the doorway to a seat at a desk where she noticed a card had been left. A card that was etched with a certain someone's name and a phone number. Belle took it in her hand and began twirling it between her fingers. There was no way Maleficent had changed. Unless the reading Belle had been doing had morphed something in her. Belle shook her head. Impossible. Whatever this was, whatever Maleficent was starting with her was some sort of game. A means to a devious end. It had to be.