AN: So, after seven years there is finally an update! To be honest, I had given up on this, but when I discovered that people were still reading it and leaving reviews I knew I had to return to it! I hope I haven't lost my touch and you enjoy this update! I'm really excited to dive back into my world of Neverland!

"Got an update for me, Doc?"

"How many times must I asked you to stop calling me 'Doc?'" Whale replied curtly, his fingers coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose. Over the last week, he had made it his job to check on Belle's recovery since her accident. Turns out, Whale was actually a doctor. Well, at least he used to be. Turns out he got involved in some nasty illegal experimenting which resulted him in losing his medical license. Afterwards, he found himself performing procedures illegally to make ends meet which is how he ended up in Neverland.

"Whale sounds boring though." Mischief filled Belle's eyes. If she was going to remain stuck in bed, then she needed to find some sort of entertainment. "Also, Doc makes you sound more approachable."

Whale glanced over, his head shaking from side to side. "And why on earth would I want that? Do I seem like the type of person who wants to be labeled as approachable?" His fingers tangled together, becoming annoyed with the conversation. Belle had made it her goal to become closer with the doctor, but he did not seem to open up easily. Out of all of Gold's associate's, Whale was the most mysterious to her.

"Has anyone ever told you that you need to lighten up? Surely as a doctor you recognize the importance of taking care of yourself." Belle kept her tone gentle, doing her best to not offend the man. Her goal was to eventually become his friend, not his enemy.

"You're starting to sound like Ruby."

"What about me?" Ruby popped into the room and immediately weaved her way to Whale's side. It was rare to see one without the other. Her lips connected with his cheek as she planted a soft kiss there. A soft smile formed on Whale's lips as he leaned into her touch. The moment was sweet, but Belle couldn't help but feel a small pang of jealousy.

"Apparently we're both offering the same bit of advice to our favorite doctor." Belle smiled, making eye contact with Ruby. The two women weren't exact best friends at the moment, but they were definitely making progress. Ruby was guarded, most likely due to her past. Which was still a complete mystery to Belle. The couple were both a mystery, probably why they worked so well together. "He's far too high strung."

Ruby laughed, her arm looping with Whale's. Her free hand came up and gently patted him on the chest. "Glad to hear that I'm not the only one lecturing him. I'm too fond of him just to lose him to himself."

"And that is my cue to leave." Whale cleared his throat, disconnecting himself from Ruby and left the room.

Ruby's gaze followed him before turning back to look at Belle. "I know he's a little rough, but honestly he's a great guy. Took me a while to finally break through that hard exterior he built up."

Belle simply stared at the brunette, unsure of how to respond. "You two seem happy."

"Very. My life was meaningless until him."

"So you're saying that you needed a man to make you happy?" Belle asked abruptly, "Sorry, I don't mean to sound rude, but I don't really understand." Belle was conflicted with her own feelings with Gold and she hoped that Ruby could offer some valuable insight.

Ruby wrinkled her nose, a common habit of hers when she was thinking seriously. "No." She started, moving around the room to look out the window before continuing. "I guess what I meant was that by being with him I've discovered who I truly am. Before, I was shallow. Only cared for myself and did whatever it took to ensure a good life for me. I betrayed friends when it was convenient, and never formed a bond with my family." Belle could tell there was more to the story there but chose to not question it. "When I worked for Killian, I became worse. I was a bitch who treated everyone like dirt. I truly believed that everyone else was beneath me, and I never hesitated in reminding them of that. Victor saved me."

Belle tilted her head in encouragement. Hoping Ruby would continue with her story.

Ruby smiled sadly but continued to speak. "I was in a dark place when I was with him." Although she did not specifically say Killian's name, Belle knew. "I changed. Became a darker version of myself with him. I did what I thought I had to in order to survive. I was terrified when I first came to Neverland and he was the first one to offer support. I didn't realize there were other options, so I chose to join him. I was with him for several years, but they are all a blur. I did many things that I regret, but I felt I didn't have a choice. It wasn't Neverland that took away my freedom, but Killian."

As Ruby continued sharing her story, Belle found herself able to relate. Although her stay with Killian was brief, she had felt the same thing. Found herself changing because of his influence. It was a reminder of how much power he truly had.

"I still remember the day Victor came to Neverland." Ruby smiled fondly at the memory. "Whenever doctors enter the prison, they become desirable. Killian desperately wanted a doctor on his payroll, so he sent me to meet Victor at the gate upon his arrival. Naturally, Gold and Regina had also sent their own people to collect him, but fortunately for Killian, I was better. Before they could even react, I had Victor drugged and gone. It didn't take long to realize that he didn't belong with us though. Turns out Victor has a kind heart and refused to work for Killian." Ruby looked back at Belle. "Killian wanted him to do terrible things. Unspeakable things, and Victor refused. Killian doesn't take disobedience well and eventually Victor found himself locked away as a prisoner within a prison."

"That's awful." Belle responded quietly, unsure of what else there was she could say. This wasn't her story or her life and saying more felt like an intrusion. For now, she was happy with the fact that Ruby seemed to trust her enough to share the story. "I didn't realize Killian was like that."

"And that is what makes him dangerous." Ruby nodded, turning away from the window to face Belle fully. Her arms crossed against her chest as her mind briefly drifted away, most likely lost in her memories. "Luckily for Victor, I was assigned as his guard. Killian hoped I would able to use my power of persuasion to convert Victor to our cause, but instead I was the one converted. The more time I spent with Victor the more I realized how wrong Killian was. Before I viewed him as my savior, but then I learned that he was actually my captor. Soon, I fell madly in love with Victor and knew that we couldn't stay any longer. We ran away together, ran straight to Gold, begging for him to have mercy on us and to help shield us away from Killian. To this day I still do not know what Gold saw in us, but I'm glad. I couldn't imagine being anywhere else in this vile place."

By the end of Ruby's story, Belle could feel a small smile pull at the corners of her mouth. At least it had a happy ending. It was fortunate that the two were able to find each other and, in the process, find a place to call home. It seemed that Gold trusted them completely and together formed a family. Again, Belle felt jealous. Jealous of their family here in Neverland. Deep down Belle knew she could join the family, but that would mean staying in Neverland. Her freedom would have to be sacrificed and she wasn't sure if she was ready to make that decision. Besides, it wasn't exactly like Gold and her were a serious couple. Sure, there was an attraction there, but they hadn't formed any sort of commitment. They were friends with benefits, except without the benefits. So did that only make them friends?

"Something on your mind?" Ruby's voice broke Belle out of her trance.

"Oh, no. No, sorry, I just tend to stare."

"Stare?"

"Yes, I enjoy staring at the wall sometimes. Helps clear the mind." Belle chuckled awkwardly.

"Uh, huh. Has anyone ever told you that you're weird?"

"Weird?" Belle had known that Ruby was extremely blunt with her words, but did she actually find Belle to be weird? Had anyone ever called her weird before? Not that she could think of. "I don't think I'm weird."

"I don't mean it like a bad thing, just an observation." Ruby's shoulders shrugged, "Sorry, but I'm still trying to figure you out. You're a puzzle that I haven't managed to solve. I can't help but think that there's a reason why you're here. One that you aren't sharing."

It took all of Belle to remain calm and not respond too quickly. If she did, then Ruby would have more evidence to support her suspicions. "I'm here because I committed a crime. Just like you and Victor, Jefferson, and even Gold. We're all here because we did terrible things and the government is forcing us to pay for them."

"Shitty way to do it, if you ask me." Ruby snorted. "They gave us a city and said 'Here you go. Have a brand new fancy city and run it yourselves. Just don't bother us anymore.'"

"I think that was the point." Belle responded, "to remove us from the rest of society. What better way to eliminate crime than to make the criminals disappear."

"Still a shitty way to solve the problem."

"I don't disagree with you there."

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"Ah, Little Rabbit, how are you feeling?" Jefferson asked as he waltzed in the room. In his hands was a tray filled with too much food. For several days Belle had kindly informed him that he was trying to feed her too much food, but he waved it away and continued to do so. Belle had since given up. Jefferson did what Jefferson wanted.

"When do you think I'll be able to leave this room?"

Jefferson looked over towards her, a hint of sadness in his eyes. Their argument for keeping her in her room was because she was still recovering from her injuries, but she knew it was only an excuse. She had tried to run away and now she was being forced to remain in her room. Gold had told her that he had forgiven her for trying to run, but apparently it wasn't enough. The trust she had built was damaged and now she was Gold's caged bird. "Whale believes you should be well enough to venture out in a few more days." Jefferson finally responded.

"Jefferson, please. I need to leave this room. You can't keep me locked in here forever." She pleaded with her friend. Wait, friend? When had she started thinking of Jefferson as a friend? "I refuse to become one of Gold's precious antiques."

"It is for your health." Jefferson stressed, but his eyes spoke a different story. "We would hate for you to become more injured that what you are. Please, let us take care of you."

"You can't keep me locked in here forever. Don't force my hand. The last thing I want to do is hurt any of you."

"Sweet, sweet, Little Rabbit." Jefferson whispered, his voice sounding different than usual. "You're not going anywhere."

Before Belle could ask what he meant, the room faded into black.

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"Breakfast!" Jefferson cheerfully called out as he brought Belle a tray of food. Slowly, Belle began to open her eyes and look at the man with a glare. "Oh, Little Rabbit, surely you're not upset with me."

"Upset with you? Seriously?" Belle nearly shrieked. "You drugged me last night and don't you dare deny it."

"Why would I deny it?" Jefferson chuckled, placing the tray of food on her bed. "You were talking nonsense and needed sleep. I simply expediated the process."

"I can't even bear to look at you." Belle huffed, refusing to even glance at the food. She refused to give him the satisfaction.

"Oh, please don't look at me that way, Little Rabbit. Surely you know how much it pains me to see you upset."

"Does it really? How do I know that this isn't just some sort of giant act?" Belle raised a brow at the man.

"Well, how should I put this. My entire life is an act in case you didn't realize." Jefferson replied with a smile. "They originally wanted to put me in the asylum, Wonderland, but I begged them for Neverland. Had to be with Gold you see. He's the only one who actually puts up with me and treats me like a man rather than a lunatic."

"So, you're actually crazy?"

"Yes, quite."

Belle gnawed on her lip as she processed the information. How was she supposed to respond to that? What kind of man openly admitted to being crazy? Should she be concerned? Worried?

"But don't you worry your pretty little head." Jefferson patted her hair gently, "I would never do anything to cause you harm. Those I love I would die for."

Before Belle could respond, Jefferson turned and walked out of the room. Leaving her to her thoughts.

The last couple of days had been too eventful for Belle's taste. Not only did she hear Ruby's story, but she saw a side to Jefferson that partially scared her. It was a bitter reminder that Neverland wasn't paradise. A reminder of what she was sent to do. She needed to rescue Emma and return her to the surface. At the moment, Emma believed her future was in Neverland, but Belle knew better. Neverland would only bring the girl a lifetime of grief and struggle. This was no place for an innocent girl to live. But, how was Belle supposed to achieve this goal?

The thought continued to weigh on her until her door opened, signally a visitor. At first, she expected it to be Jefferson again to collect the breakfast tray, but instead it was Gold. "Ah, hello." He greeted with a soft smile. She could tell he was wary of her reaction to his presence by his eyes even though he did his best to hide it. "Thought I would drop by and see how you were doing." He stepped more fully into the room, his cane making a light tapping sound against the floor.

Belle continued to watch him in silence. At the moment she was pissed at him and didn't trust herself to open her mouth.

Gold sighed but continued to walk towards her until he reached the edge of her bed. Without asking for permission he lowered himself on the edge, sighing once more but this time in relief. "Jefferson told me you were pissed." He finally spoke after several minutes. "I just-"His accent was thicker than usual, making it more difficult to understand him. "I'm scared."

Belle continued to give him the silent treatment, but she allowed her face to soften at his words. They were still trying to figure each other out, which was a guaranteed way to lead to disagreement.

"I've been told before that I am a difficult man to love." He continued, his gaze completely focused on the ring on his hand. "My ex-wife left me for another man, and I guess I feared that you were doing the same."

"You truly believe that I'm petty enough to leave you for another man? Do you think so little of me?" Belle was hurt, but she refused to cry.

"I was worried that you missed your life with Killian. You seemed happier with him. More free."

"That is far from true. I'm not your ex, I'm not infatuated with Killian Jones. The man is vile and the mere thought of being with him disgusts me." Gold glanced up to look at her face finally, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Belle took that as encouragement to continue speaking. "I wasn't running to Killian, I was just running. I got scared of how comfortable I was feeling here. Finding a place to call home in Neverland wasn't part of the plan."

"Part of the plan?" Gold continued to stare at her, obviously confused by her words.

Shit. Belle thought to herself, she hadn't meant to say that, but it came out before she could stop herself. How was she going to lie her way out of this? "My plan for Neverland." She began, "When I was arrested, I knew I would be sent here, and I decided that it would be in my best interest to not form any relationships here. I wanted to decide my own fate."

"Then why were you with Killian?"

"He recruited me almost instantly and I felt that I couldn't turn him down. I feared he would do something rash if I denied him in the beginning. I was planning to leave him eventually."

Gold hummed; his gaze turned back to his hands. "I'm finding this hard to believe. If you didn't want to be with Killian in the first place, then why did you allow yourself to enter a romantic relationship with him?"

Of course, Gold would remember that and use that as a counter argument. Why couldn't they just return to how things were before she tried to run? "Just trying to survive." She whispered, hoping it would be enough to persuade him.

"Aye, I can understand that." He replied quietly, but made no move to continue speaking. With that, Belle hoped he would drop the subject and then they could continue to move forward.

"Am I forgiven?" Belle asked softly, reaching over to take his hand in hers. "I thought we were passed this, but I can't help but feel like you're punishing me."

His hand squeezed hers as he debated on what to say. "Seeing you after the accident frightened me. I thought that I had lost you for a moment and all I wanted was to take care of you, but then I remembered why you were hurt in the first place. I became bitter and instead of confronting those feelings I chose to lock you away."

"I don't blame you, and I understand, but I am not your caged bird. I am not something to be collected and preserved. If you can forgive me, then I can forgive you."

"I think I can manage that." Gold replied, sealing it with a kiss which turned passionate quickly. Soon, Belle found herself moving closer to Gold, seeking out his warmth and comfort. His hand continued to hold hers, but his free one reached up to tangle in her curls. Minutes ticked by and the two found themselves unable to separate themselves from each other.

"Papa! We're back!" Bae shouted, instantly causing Gold to move away from Belle.

"Who's that?" Belle asked, her breath heavy after their intense makeout session.

"That would be my son with his impeccable timing." Gold growled, "Suppose its time for your two to meet, yeah?"