Chapter One: Storybrooke
A young girl of about fifteen walked down along the docks of Storybrooke. She had dark brown hair that was rather messy and pinned back out of her face and eyes that sparkled like emeralds. Her legs showed several bruises and band-aids from rather recent endeavors. She wore a dark blue skirt, which did nothing to hide them well. She hummed an old song she really could remember where she had heard it before quietly to herself.
She took this way nearly everyday to her after school job. It was much quicker than walking through town. Okay, so maybe it wasn't, but it was pleasant. She loved the smell of the salty sea air. All she had to do was-
"Samantha!" The girl froze. With a groan she turned around as one of the fishermen came towards her. He was about twenty with messy, windblown dark brown hair and sea-green eyes. The man reeked of fish and seawater. Samantha stopped and turned with a false smile on her face.
"Hello, Lewis," Samantha said. Lewis knelt down beside her.
"Sam, what are you doing here?" He asked.
"Nothing~"
"Samantha Roberts."
"Lewis Stevenson."
"Tell me the truth. I know where you're supposed to be." Samantha sighed and crossed her arms.
"Fine. I personally think that some time with her son might do both if them a little good." Lewis sighed, rubbing his face with his oily hands before standing up.
"You know Mayor Mills. She wants you on time. She has an important meeting today." Samantha nodded.
"Alright then. I'll just be on my way." She turned away from Lewis. Lewis put a hand on her shoulder.
"I'll be taking you there. You know how mad she got last time you were late."
"That's because I was three hours late." Lewis laughed before turning to one of his co-workers.
"Gil! I'm leaving early!" he yelled. "Is that okay?"
"Hey, Sam!" the man yelled back as he nodded. Samantha waved a bit before she and Lewis left the docks.
A young girl of age fifteen stood in the front of the wedding party. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a messy bun. It was always messy, no matter how it was done, as her hair was untameable. She wore a dark blue dress with red trim along the neckline, long sleeves and the skirt. She had a small dagger strapped to her leg, just in case. And her name was Erica Hawkins.
"I do," said the Prince. He had dirty blonde hair and blue eyes.
"And do you, Snow White, promise to take this man to be your husband, and love him for all eternity?" asked the priest of the ceremony. Erica felt a tears form in the corner of her eyes. After all that has happened to them, Snow White and Prince Charming deserved a little happy ending.
"I do," said Snow White with a smile. She had black hair and green eyes.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife." Erica applauded along with the rest of the crowd as the Prince and his bride leaned in to seal their marriage with a kiss. However, the doors swung open. In stepped a woman with black hair and brown eyes. Erica's own eyes narrowed at the sight of the Evil Queen entering the hall.
"Sorry I'm late," said the Queen as she approached the couple. Erica's hand flew to her leg, as her other pulled up her skirt. She unsheathed the dagger quickly. One of the crowd members grabbed her arm to stop her from doing anything rash. Erica watched as two guards were flung out of the Queen's way with magic. Erica tried to get at her, with no prevail. Snow White drew her husband's sword, pointing it at the Queen.
"She's not the Queen anymore," she said, "She's nothing more than an evil witch."
"No, no, no," Prince Charming reassured her, taking the sword from Snow. "Don't stoop to her level. There's no need." He turned his attention to the Queen. "You're wasting your time. You've already lost. And I will not let you ruin this wedding."
"Oh, I haven't come here to ruin anything. On the contrary, dear, I've come to give you a gift," said the Queen with a wicked smile.
"We want nothing from you!" Snow yelled.
"But you shall have it! My gift to you is this happy, happy day. But tomorrow, my real work begins. You've made your vows, now I make mine. Soon, everything you love, everything all of you love, will be taken from you." Erica sneered at the Queen. She had already taken what she had loved most, and Erica held a dark hatred for the Queen because of it. "Forever. And out of your suffering, will rise my victory. I shall destroy your happiness, if it is the last thing I do." The Evil Queen turned and headed for the door. Erica's fingers curled around the dagger. She broke free of the man's grip and ran towards the Queen.
"Hey!" she shouted. The Queen turned at this attention, giving the guard her chance to throw the small weapon directly at her. Unfortunately, the Queen disappeared into smoke before the knife could even pierce her. Erica stared the the spot, allowing tears to come back to her eyes. These tears were not from happiness. They were from heartbreak.
Lewis walked beside Samantha through the town. Not many people looked their way. It wasn't uncommon to find these two together. Most of the townspeople described the relationship between Lewis Stevenson and Samantha Roberts was like that of a brother and sister.
"Sam," said Lewis as they pair got closer to the Mayor's home. "How's your mom?" Samantha tensed a little bit, but made sure that it was unnoticeable.
"She's… fine…" Samantha muttered. "Just fine." It was also common knowledge to know about Samantha's mother. Sarah Roberts was a maid at the town's inn. However, about a year ago she had fallen ill and was unable to work. In order to pay rent, Samantha had taken up a variety of jobs, being of working age. She was a hard worker, and many people were happy to let her work. Well, not many. One of her jobs was working for the Mayor, watching her ten year old son Henry whenever she had to leave for an extended amount of time.
The pair walked up to the Mills residence. Lewis knocked heavily on the door, which opened almost immediately. It was a woman with short black hair and cold brown eyes. She was dressed and ready to go to a business meeting. She sighed upon sighting Samantha.
"Hello Miss Mills," said Samantha with a false smile.
"Madame Mayor…" Lewis added. "Good to see you again."
"You as well, Mr. Stevenson," said the Mayor. "I see you brought my… worker, to me." Lewis laughed uncomfortably.
"It was alright, Ma'am. I'm always watching out for her." Lewis laughed again as he ran a hand through Samantha's hair. "She's my sister. I don't mind."
"Sister?" asked Mayor Mills, her tone rather stern. "I didn't know she was your sister." Samantha glanced at Lewis.
"We aren't really siblings," said Samantha. "It's just a way to describe our relationship. Lewis is more like a family friend than anything." The Mayor seemed to relax a bit. "I'm sorry for being late… again."
"Not at all." The Mayor stepped aside. "Henry's in the living room." The girl nodded and headed inside the home. Regina Mills stared at the fisherman. He wrung his fingers together nervously.
"Sister?" she repeated. "You call her your sister?"
"Yes. I do," said Lewis. "Is there a problem with that? It's not like we're really related." The Mayor shook her head. "Then, do you mind if I stay here? I finished up my shift, and I'm sure that Sam isn't one of the most responsible people here."
"Do whatever you please."
Samantha stood behind a young boy of age ten with brown hair and hazel eyes. He sat on the sofa, reading a book with vividly colored pages. Samantha leaned on the edge of the sofa.
"Hey, Henry," she said. The boy looked up at her. "Whatcha reading?"
"Just an old book," Henry answered. "It's nothing important." He closed the book as Samantha walked around and sat down next to him. "You were down at the docks again." Samantha started at Henry blankly.
"How'd you know-"
"I can tell. That and you smell like fish." Samantha smelled her shirt, getting only Lewis's scent of off it. She gagged a little bit. His scent was always heavily of fish. "Hey, Lewis."
"Hey, Henry." Samantha looked up to see the smiling fisherman walking in the room. He took Samantha's previous spot leaning on the sofa. "What's up?"
"Nothing much." Henry looked down at the book in his hands, running his fingers along the cover. He looked at the pair.
"What?" both Samantha and Lewis said in unison. Henry shook his head.
"It's nothing. It's just… you two remind me of someone." Before either one of them could say anything, Henry stood up. "I'm going to go to my room for a bit, alright?" Samantha nodded.
"Alright. But Henry-" Henry was already up the stairs and out of sight.
Erica stood at the door of Snow White's chambers. It had been weeks since the Queen's threat, and the entire castle was on edge, especially the new queen. Erica was no longer in the dress she was forced to wear. Insead, Erica was in a stiff, white jacket with a collar that fit around her neck that was trimmed silver. She wore silver gloves on her hands, black pants, and black boots. A cutlass hung by her side in its scabbard. Her messy hair was pulled back into an equally messy ponytail. She was as on edge as she was before, at the wedding. Her heart was still heavy from the Queen's threat.
Erica was snapped out of her thought when the door opened. Her eyes turned to Charming.
"Is there anything wrong, your highness?" she asked automatically. The Prince sighed. "Sorry, force of habit."
"No," said Charming. "Erica. I need you to find me a guard. Snow and I have to go… visit someone." Erica raised an eyebrow.
"Visit someone?" she repeated. "Why would you need an escort to visit-"
"We're visiting the mines."
"...Oh…" Erica bit down on her lip for a second. She didn't know anyone brave enough to go and visit him. Unless… Erica grinned and turned to Charming. "I know the perfect person for the job. Me." Charming groaned at the idea. "Hey, I can do it."
"You're fifteen."
"I've done things far beyond a girl my age. You know that." There was silence. "I can do this. Please, Charming. I know no one else braver or that is willing enough to go."
"Fine." Charming turned to go back in the room. "We leave in five minutes."
Samantha stood in the kitchen, making dinner for both her and Henry. Lewis had refused any food, having stated a million times that Samantha wasn't one of the best cooks. Lewis stood over the counter from which Samantha had placed the food.
"What is this?" Lewis asked, poking it with a fork.
"My sorry attempt to make food," Samantha answered. "Hey, I'm going to go get Henry. He's been up there for the past four hours. I'm kinda worried about him."
"You go. I'm going to try and find out what-" Lewis picked up some of the slightly burnt scrap off of a plate. "-this is." Samantha rolled her eyes and went up the staircase. She hummed quietly herself as she knocked on the bedroom door she knew belonged to Henry.
"Henry!" she said. "C'mon sleepy-head. Time to wake up." Samantha paused for a few seconds before knocking again. "Henry?" There was still no response. With a small laugh, Samantha opened the door. She looked at the lump that was Henry, who was wrapped up in a blanket. "Henry." He still didn't move. Rolling her eyes, Samantha walked over to the bed. "C'mon, Henry. Time to wake up." Still no response. She put her hand on Henry's shoulder, shaking him. "Henry." Nothing. Samantha pulled back the blanket. Her eyes widened, and she staggered backwards. Underneath the blanket was a pile of pillows. Henry was nowhere to be seen.
"L-Lewis?" Samantha stuttered. "Lewis!" She turned on her heel and ran down the stairs, Lewis was standing over the sink, and the fork he had was on the floor. He was spitting something into the sink.
"I think we might want to order something," Lewis said as he looked up. "No offense, but-" He caught sight of Samantha's face. She was worried, and looked close to panicking. "What's wrong?"
"It's Henry," she said, her voice wavering. "He's gone." Lewis's eyes went wide.
"What?! I thought you were checking up on him every hour!"
"I was! I thought he was asleep! I went to wake him, and he wasn't there!" Samantha groaned, placing her face in her hands. "The mayor is going to kill me!"
"Sam, Regina isn't going to-"
"Yes, she is! Miss Mills is going to poison me or something!" Samantha leaned up against the wall and sunk down onto the floor. "I'm a dead person." Lewis knelt down beside Samantha and pulled her hands away from her face.
"You are not dead," he said. "Look at me." Samantha raised her green eyed gaze to the man. "You're going to be fine. Now, come on. Get up." Lewis pulled Samantha to her feet as he stood as well. "Here's what we're going to do." Lewis pulled his phone out of his pocket. "You're going to call the Mayor. And I'm going to go get the Sheriff. Alright?" Samantha nodded and took the phone from Lewis. She dialed on the number quickly before putting it up to her ear. It rung for a few moments before being answered.
"Miss Mills? We have a problem."
Erica pulled down on the edges of her hood with the one hand that she didn't use to hold a torch. Snow White and Prince Charming walked behind her. All three were dressed in robes that would cover their faces.
"Remember," she directed. "When we get to the cell, you must stay out of the light. Whatever you do, do not let him know your name. I learned that the hard way." They approached the cell, and Erica's eyes narrowed. "Rumplestiltskin. Rumplestiltskin! I need you." A man crawled out of the shadows. He had brown hair and amber eyes, but he didn't look human. His skin was a greenish-gold with his teeth and nails yellowing. Erica found him absolutely nasty. He grinned upon seeing the three.
"No, you don't. They do," said the madman. "Snow White and Prince Charming… You insult me. Step into the light and take off those ridiculous robes." Exchanging a look, Snow and Charming removed their hoods. "That's much better."
"We've come to ask you about the…" Charming began to say before he was cut off.
"Yes! Yes! I know why you're here! You want to know about the Queen's threat."
"Tell us what you know," Snow White ordered.
"Ooh, tense, aren't we? Fear not! For I can ease your mind. But… It's going to cost you something in return."
"This is a waste of time, your highness," Erica whispered to Snow. "I say we just-"
"What do you want?" Snow said quickly.
"Oh… The name of your unborn child?" asked Rumpelstiltskin.
"Absolutely not!" said Prince Charming in a firm tone.
"Deal!" said Snow, not taking in consideration her husband's response. "What do you know?"
"The Queen has created a powerful curse. And it's coming," Rumplestiltskin told them. "Soon, you'll all be in a prison. Just like me, only worse. Your prison, all of our prisons, will be time. Time will stop, and we will be trapped. Someplace horrible, where everything we hold dear, everything we love, will be ripped from us while we suffer for all eternity. While the Queen celebrates, victorious at last. No more happy endings."
"What can we do?"
"We can't do anything."
"Who can?"
"That little thing, growing inside your belly." Rumplestiltskin gestured to Snow White's pregnant belly. In a swift instinct, Erica drew her cutlass. She slashed at Rumplestiltskin's hand, only to end up nicking him.
"Don't touch her," the guard said through her teeth as she sheathed her weapon.
"Tsk tsk. The infant is our only hope. Get the child to safety. Get the child to safety and on its... twenty-eighth birthday, the child will return. The child will find you and a final battle will begin!" The man inside the prison laughed wildly.
"We heard enough," said Prince Charming, taking his wife in his arms. "We're leaving." The prince and his wife headed for the dungeon's exit.
"Hey! No! We made a deal! I want her name!" Rumplestiltskin yelled. "We had a deal! I need her name! I want her name!" The royals turned back.
"Her? It's a boy."
"Missy… Missy… You know I'm right. Tell me, what's her name?" There was a brief pause as everyone waited for Snow White's answer.
"Emma," she said at long last. "Her name is Emma."
"Emma…" Erica watched as the prince and his wife walked out of the dungeon. She was hesitant in following. Apparently, this didn't go unnoticed. "You want to ask me something to, don't you?" Erica turned back towards the prisoner. "Remove your hood, child." The guard pulled off her hood, revealing herself. This is what she was warned against doing. Erica stared at him. "Erica Hawkins. Pleasure in seeing you. I've heard so much about you from your brother..."
"You don't know what I need to know," she said almost through her teeth, getting back to the topic at hand.
"Just ask." Erica smirked.
"I'm not stupid. I know you want something in return."
"Smart girl. Then give me what you have." Only one thing popped into Erica's mind. She pulled off the leather cord she wore around her neck, and held it out. On the end of the cord was a single, gold coin. Carved into it were two letters: E & H.
"This is the only thing I have. It's all I have to remember him by." Erica said. "It's enchanted with a protection spell. As long as it is worn, the wearer will be protected from any kind of magic. My brother has one as well." Tears were on the brink of forming in Erica's eyes at mention of her brother. Rumplestiltskin extended out his hand, and she dropped the coin in. He stared at it with a slight fascination before looking up at the girl.
"What do you want to know?" he asked.
"My brother," Erica said automatically. "I want to know about him. I want to know if I'm going to see my brother again." To her surprise, Rumplestiltskin smiled.
"You will," he said. "Oh you will. Your brother will be with you again." Erica covered her mouth to hide the smile forming behind it. "But not like this." Her smile fell. "The curse. The curse will erase your memories. You will forget. You won't remember."
"I'll find a way," Erica told him. "I'm a Hawkins. We always find a way." And with that, she left.
Samantha sat across from the Mayor with her face in her hands.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry. I am so, so, so, so sorry!" It had been four hours since Henry disappeared. The Sheriff- Graham- and Lewis were in the kitchen, talking feverishly about where Henry could have gone.
"You should be," said Regina. "But… that doesn't matter now." Samantha looked up at the mayor.
"Please, I'm just as worried as you are. I thought he was asleep… I didn't know…"
"Alright, ladies," said Lewis as he and Graham walked into the room. "Graham and I have a few ideas on where Henry could be. So I say we start looking." Regina stood up.
"Alright then," she said. "Graham and I will look. Mr. Stevenson, you will take Miss Roberts home. You, young lady, are dismissed." Samantha stood up at these words with wide eyes.
"What?!" she exclaimed. "No, you can't fire me! I need this job! My mom, she's-"
"I know about your mother, Miss Roberts." Regina leaned in a little closer. "And her condition." Samantha's face paled. "You are dismissed." Regina walked over to the door with Graham following her. Lewis went over to Samantha. He took her hand.
"It's gonna be alright, Sammy," he said in a calming tone. "C'mon." Samantha nodded and followed. Regina opened the door. Standing on the walkway was a woman with blonde hair and green eyes. With her was-
"Henry!" Regina exclaimed as she rushed towards her son, embracing him. "Henry… Are you okay? Where have you been? What happened?" Henry pulled away from Regina.
"I found my real mom!" he said. He pushed past Graham, Lewis and Samantha and ran into the house. Regina stood to look at the woman standing before her.
"Y-you're Henry's birth mother?" she stuttered.
"Hi…" said the woman. Graham and Lewis exchanged a glance with each other.
"I'll just go…check on the lad," said Graham. "Make sure he's alright." Lewis took Samantha by her hand.
"And I better get Samantha home," said Lewis. "Goodnight, Madame Mayor." He turned to the woman. "Miss." And with that, the pair were gone into the night.
Every one of Snow's and Charming's allies had been gathered around a table at the castle. The curse they had been told about had the prince and Snow in a frenzy. So, the logical thing was to find a way to stop it. Erica stood beside Charming.
"I say we fight!" recommended Charming as he lead the discussion.
"Fighting is a bad idea," said the small Jiminy Cricket. "Giving into one's dark side never accomplishes anything."
"Then how many wars has a clear conscience won? We need to take the Queen out before she can inflict her curse."
"Are you sure we can even trust Rumplestiltskin?" Erica asked. "He can be a liar." She was still ticked off about what he said about her brother.
"I've sent my men into the forest. The animals are abuzz with the Queen's plan. This is going to happen unless we do something."
"There's no point," Snow White interjected. "The future is written."
"No. I refuse to believe that. Good can't just lose."
"Maybe it can."
"No. No, not as long as we have each other. If you believe him about the curse, then you must believe him about our child. She will be the savior." Erica rolled her eyes just as the door to the hall opened. A few guards entered, dragging behind them a piece of a tree. The brown-haired, brown-eyed Blue Fairy was with them.
"What the hell is all…" Erica gestured to the tree with her finger. "This?"
"Our only hope of saving that child," the Blue Fairy told them. Erica laughed.
"A tree? The fate of us and this entire world rests on a tree?" She turned to Charming. "What were saying about the fighting thing?"
"The tree is enchanted," the Blue Fairy explained. "If fashioned into a vessel, it can ward off any curse." She turned to the old man sitting at the table. "Geppetto, can you build such a thing?"
"Me and my boy, we can do it," Geppetto told her.
"This will work," the fairy told the Royals. "We all must have faith. There is, however, a catch. The enchantment is, indeed, powerful, but all power has its limits. And this tree can protect only one."
"Only one…" Erica breathed. She looked over at Snow with worried eyes. Only one…
Lewis walked beside Samantha in the dark, cold night. The girl had begun to get teary-eyed ever since Regina had fired her. It wasn't much like the adventurous girl with band-aids and bruises on her legs that she always was. The last time Samantha had been like this, it was when her mother was sick.
"You okay?" he asked, putting an arm around her. Samantha nodded.
"Yeah," she said. "Yeah… It was just something the Mayor said… it got to me."
"Don't let her get to you. You still have enough money to pay for rent and anything else. And you have me. If you never need any help, you come to me. Alright?"
"Alright." There was silence as the duo walked up to an apartment building. It wasn't just any old building. It was the building in both Samantha and Lewis made their homes. Samantha sighed.
"Thanks for the offer, Lewis," she said. Before Lewis could say anything, the girl wrapped her arms around him. Lewis blinked for a split second before wrapping his arms back around her. As the two separated, Samantha laughed. "You know, the mayor may be right about one thing. You are like my brother." She smiled as she ran into the complex. "I'll see you later!"
Samantha unlocked to door to her apartment. She sighed as she closed and locked the door. Her eyes dimmed as she gazed out on the small apartment she called home. It wasn't much, but it was all she could afford. She tossed herself onto the small bed that her mother previously occupied. Small tears leaked out of her eyes. Each job she held had its advantages. Her job with the mayor, was probably the most important. Its advantage to her was the money she got. She used it to buy the necessities and pay the bills. But that wasn't it. The job also provided friendship, which fell upon her relationship with Henry.
The girl didn't have many friends. Or any friends that were close her age. Most of them were adults. She was alone.
Erica stood guard outside Snow's doors once more. It was a very... strange... day as to put it. Geppetto and his son were at hard work on carving the wardrobe, which was finished. Only one problem remained, well two. One: the curse. Two: Snow was having her child. And Erica was worried about the baby.
"Only one..." she repeated. Erica's thoughts were cut off by a loud bell ringing throughout the castle. Her eyes widened. She drew her blade and ran to the closest window. In the distance was a dark, storm-like smoke that was progressing towards the castle. "Oh no..." Erica tore away from the window to join the rest of the guards.
Samantha stood at the door of one of the classrooms in the school. She leaned at it, watching the teacher. She had short, black hair and eyes that were as green as a forest. She had a kind face, and an even kinder heart. She was also one of the first people Samantha turned to when her mother got sick.
Mary Margaret Blanchard stood there, instructing her class, with a bluebird resting on her finger.
As we build our birdhouses, remember – what you're making is a home, not a cage," she reminded her class. "The bird is free and will do what it will. This is for them, not us. They're loyal creatures. If you love them and they love you, they will always find you." The bell rang before she could get out anymore. The class began to gather their things. "We'll pick this up after recess. No running!" Samantha maneuvered through the class as she made her way to Mary Margaret.
"Hello, Miss Blanchard," she said with a grin. The woman turned around and smiled.
"Hey, Samantha," she replied. "How's your mother?" Samantha tensed up.
"She's-" Before the girl could answer the question asked, two people entered the classroom. They were Mayor Regina Mills and the blonde woman from the night before. Henry's birth mother.
"Miss Mills. What are you doing here?"
"Where's my son?"asked Regina.
"Henry, I assumed he was home sick with you." Regina's cold gaze turned on her former employee. Samantha crossed her arms.
"I haven't seen him since last night," she answered. "Why? Is he alright? He's not sick, is he?"
"You think I'd be here if he was?" said Regina before turning on Mary Margaret. "Did you give him your credit card so he can find her?" Regina gestured to the woman with her.
"I'm sorry, who are you?" she asked the stranger.
"I'm his… I'm his…" the blonde woman stuttered.
"The woman who gave him up for adoption," Regina finished.
"You don't know anything about this do you?"
"No, unfortunately not," replied Mary Margaret before she went to look through her wallet. "Clever boy… I should never have given him that book."
"What book?" Samantha asked. "You mean that book Henry had with him last night?"
"What in the hell is this book I keep hearing about?" Regina asked rather angrily.
"Just some old stories I gave him," Mary Margaret explained. "As you well know, Henry is a special boy. So smart, so creative, and as you might be aware, lonely. He needed it."
"What he needs is a dose of reality. This is a waste of time." Regina turned to leave, knocking over a nearby stack of books in the process." Regina turned to leave, knocking over a stack of books in the process. "Have a nice trip back to Boston." And with that, she left.
"Sorry to bother you," said the woman.
"No it's… It's okay," Mary Margaret told her. "I hear this is partially my fault."
"How's the book supposed to help?"
"What do you think stories are for? These stories are classics. There's a reason we all know them. They're a way for us to deal with our world. A world that doesn't always make sense. See, Henry hasn't had the easiest life."
"Yeah, she's kind of a hardass." Samantha laughed a little bit, causing the attention to fall on her.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh," she said, apologizing. "It's just… I kinda agree. But… Henry's really like any kid who gets adopted."
"She's right," Mary Margaret continued. "He wrestles with that most basic question they all inevitably face – why would anyone give me away? …I am so sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean in any way to judge you."
"It's okay," said the woman.
"Look, I gave the book to him because I wanted Henry to have the most important thing anyone can have. Hope. Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing."
"You know where he is, don't you?"
"You could check his castle," suggested Samantha. The woman looked at her. "It's this playground on the beach. He usually hangs around there. I would show you but…"
"Thanks." The woman left without another word.
Erica looked at the guards assembled before her. They were all afraid. As was she, but she didn't care. There was one thing on her mind.
"Protect the castle," she said. "The Queen is coming. And so is the curse. Protect the castle at all costs!"
Lewis thoroughly enjoyed his days off from work. For one, he wouldn't smell horrible for an entire day. Second, he didn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn. Third... well there wasn't a third reason.
He was currently walking down by the coastline, unconsciously fingering a gold coin on a leather cord in his pocket. A bad habit, really, but it gave his hands something to do. Lewis could never sit still for long. And the sea was his favorite place to be.
The young man walked along the shoreline until he spotted something up ahead. It was an old wooden structure, built like a castle. Lewis smiled upon seeing it. He didn't know why, but he just did. He narrowed his eyes when he caught sight of someone sitting on it. Brown hair… a school uniform…
Lewis walked up to the small boy who was sitting on the structure. Henry didn't even notice him.
"Hey, Henry," he said. Henry jumped before turning around to face the smiling man as he sat down beside him. "Why aren't you in school?"
"I… uh…" Henry stuttered. Lewis laughed.
"Don't say anything. I did that same thing when I was your age."
"You did?" He nodded.
"Yeah. I always slacked off of my responsibilities, and I never really went to school… huh. I guess that's why I'm a fisherman." Henry laughed. "What're you doing here?"
"Nothing. Just… sitting." Lewis nodded.
"Do you mind if I sit with you?" Henry shook his head. Lewis shifted in his position. "So… about last night…"
"I don't want to talk about last night." Henry looked over at the man beside him. "I got Sam fired, didn't I?"
"I don't think she's mad at you." The boy sighed. "Sammy's gone through rough times. I think she'll survive." Neither one spoke after that. Lewis pulled the coin out of his pocket once more and began flipping it between his fingers.
"What's that?" Henry asked. Lewis looked over at him, ceasing his action. He flipped the coin once more. It landed in the palm of his hand.
"It's just a coin." He handed it to Henry. "I've had it for as long as I can remember. I think it's real Spanish gold. Like the kind pirates had." Henry flipped the coin over to reveal the two letters that were carved into it.
"J.H.?" he asked, reading them aloud. "What's it stand for?" Lewis shrugged.
"I don't know. They were on there when I got it, so…" Henry reached around to the schoolbag he had with him. He rummaged around in it for a second.
"You left this in my car." Lewis and Henry turned as they saw the blonde woman from the night before walking towards them. Henry handed Lewis back the coin, which the fisherman pocketed. The woman handed Henry his book before sitting down next to him.
"You're Henry's mom, aren't you?" Lewis asked her. She nodded, and Lewis extended his hand. "I'm Lewis. Lewis Stevenson." The woman clasped her hand around his.
"Emma Swan," she said. There was silence again. Emma looked across to the clock tower. "Still hasn't moved, huh?"
"I was hoping that when I brought you back, things would change here," Henry admitted. "That the final battle would begin." Lewis looked over at the boy rather suddenly.
"What?" he said. Henry looked over at him.
"There's a curse. Everyone here is a storybook character. In my book," Henry explained. "No one remembers because of the curse. Even you." Lewis didn't say anything. "Emma's the only one who can break it. She has to fight."
"I'm not fighting any battles, kid."
"Yes, you are. Because it's your destiny. You're going to bring back the happy endings."
"I don't mean to interrupt," Lewis cut in, "But… can I see the book? For a second?" Henry nodded hesitantly. Lewis took the book in his hands, running his fingers along the cover.
"Can you cut it with the book crap?" Emma asked. Lewis flipped through the pages.
"You don't have to be hostile. I know you like me – I can tell. You're just pushing me away because I make you feel guilty. It's okay. I know why you gave me away. You wanted to give me my best chance." He stopped at each illustration, looking at how each character bared a resemblance to someone he knew.
"How do you know that?"
"Because it's the same reason Snow White gave you away." Lewis looked at Emma for a moment before looking back through the book.
"Listen to me, kid. I'm not in any book. I'm a real person. And I'm no savior. You were right about one thing, though. I wanted you to have your best chance. But it's not with me. Come on, let's go."
"Please don't take me back there. Just stay with me for one week. That's all I ask. One week, and you'll see I'm not crazy."
"I have to get you back to your mom." Lewis stopped flipping through the book.
"You don't know what it's like with her. My life sucks!" His eyes landed on a illustration near the end of it.
"Oh, you want to know what sucking is? Being left abandoned on the side of a freeway. My parents didn't even bother to drop me off at a hospital. I ended up in the foster system and I had a family until I was three, but then they had their own so then they sent me back. Look, your mom is trying her best. I know it's hard and I know sometimes you think she doesn't love you, but at least she wants you." It was of a girl, dressed in white, and a man dressed in black. They both looked like soldiers.
"Your parents didn't leave you on the side of a freeway. That's just where you came through." They were crying. The girl had blood staining the front of her, and the man was holding her as if he was cradling a child.
"What?" The man was holding her in his arms, and a bloody blade was lying on the ground. Blood stained the girl's front, and the side of her mouth. The man had his hand on her wound.
"The wardrobe. When you went through the wardrobe you appeared in the street. Your parents were trying to save you from the curse."
"Sure they were. Come on, Henry." Lewis closed the book. He handed it back to Henry and watched as the two left. His eyes, as green as the sea, were watering. Why? That man in the book looked like him. And the girl… the girl looked exactly like Samantha.
Erica ran through the halls, avoiding any battle she could with the Queen's army. The only thing on her mind was Snow White. She pushed past several people, using her blade to keep any other from touching her. After all, Erica had a debt to repay. And she wanted to do it before the curse was cast.
She ran into the princess's chambers. Her jaw dropped when she found it empty.
"No…" she breathed. "What…"
"Oh joy," said a voice from behind her. Erica whipped around to find the Evil Queen standing behind her with one of her guards. Her eyes widened when she saw who it was. "She's gone."
"And you can't get her. Snow's gone," Erica said through her teeth. "And so is her child." The Queen's expression didn't falter away from victory.
"But she's already lost. I've sent my guards to get her child. And the curse has been cast." Erica smirked.
"I don't care. The longer I keep you busy, the longer Snow is safe."
"Then that means you're a liability." The Queen turned to her guard. "Kill her." A violet shade shimmered over the guard. The Queen walked away, leaving her guard and Erica alone.
"I'm sorry... " said the guard as he drew his sword from his side. "I'm so sorry."
"As am I," Erica replied with her grip tightening on her cutlass.
Samantha walked down the streets of Storybrooke. She didn't have much time. She had just gotten off of her shift at the diner, and was going to ask Regina for her job back. She suddenly stopped. Was this really the right thing to do? After all, Regina knew the truth about her mother. It would be used against her. Samantha sighed, running a hand through her hair.
"I don't need this job…" she muttered to herself. "I-" Before Samantha could even finish her sentence, two arms came up and wrapped themselves around her. She struggled against the hold until a familiar scent caught her nose. Fish.
Lewis ran a hand through Samantha's hair, and Samantha felt a tear drop down onto her face.
"Lewis, what are you-" she said. Samantha broke free of Lewis's grasp, and turned to look at him. His eyes were red, as if he had been crying. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah… yeah… I'm fine," Lewis said, sniffing a little. "You know I love you… you know that, right? You're my sister." Samantha nodded slowly.
"Yes. But, you know I'm not really your sister." Lewis nodded.
"You know I would never hurt you, right?"
"Yes." Before Samantha could say anything else, Lewis wrapped his arms around her again, running his hand through her hair. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"Yeah… yeah…" He pulled away. "Lemme take you home." Samantha nodded, agreeing. Although, she was worried for Lewis. He never acted like this. In fact, she couldn't even begin to guess what caused his sudden behaviour. She hated to see him like this. Samantha was scared for him. She wanted him to smile, as was the way she always wanted to see Lewis. Smiling.
The guard swung his blade at his young opponent. She countered, and the two cutlasses clashed.
"You don't have to do this!" Erica yelled as the guard swung again, only to be stopped. "Please, you don't have to listen to the Queen!"
"You don't understand," said the man. "I have no choice." The swords clashed again. "The Queen has me under her control. I can't stop it." The blades zinged as they slid apart. "You know I love you…" Tears formed in the man's eyes as they clashed again. "You know that, right?" Erica nodded, with tears also forming in her eyes.
"Yes." They clashed again.
"You know I would never hurt you unless someone forced me to, right?" Erica nodded again.
"Yes." The blades zinged.
"I'm sorry Erica." The guard dropped his sword. Erica did the same. With a smile, she embraced the guard, who wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so, so sorry…"
"You have no re-" Erica's sentence was cut off when she felt something small and sharp pierced her abdomen. She collapsed into the guard's arms as blood leaked from the wound.
"I'm sorry…" he said as he fell to the ground, cradling the girl in his arms. He pulled out the knife from her body, and pressed a hand against the wound in an effort to stop the bleeding. Erica felt tears sliding down her cheeks, and the tears of the man splashed down upon her.
"I know…" Erica said, looking into the man's sea-green eyes. "I know you are…" The man looked at her with pain.
"You're my sister…" he choked out. "I love you…" Erica put a hand on the man's face, letting his dark brown hair fall onto her hand.
"It's alright, Jim," she said. "I love you, too…" Jim Hawkins lifted up the girl, laying her down on his legs. He held her, letting his tears fall.
"Erica..." Jim rested his head on Erica's forehead. "This is all my fault…" Erica wiped the tears from her brother's eyes.
"It's not your fault…" Erica coughed out a little blood. Her brother's grip on her tightened when a fierce wind began to tear the room apart.
"We will be together again, Erica," Jim told his sister. "I've lost you once before, I won't lose you again! I promise!"
"I know you will. We're Hawkins. We always find a way." The dark, stormy smoke of the curse flooded into the room. And that was the last time the Hawkins siblings remembered seeing each other, before waking up in the small town of Storybrooke, Maine.
Samantha walked through the halls of the building she called home with Lewis beside her. She glanced over at him, noticing that he was twirling that coin she had given him between his fingers. It had become a habit of his when he was nervous about something. Samantha stopped in her tracks.
"You're nervous about something, Lewis," she said. "You're doing that thing with the coin." Lewis looked down at his hand before quickly pocketing the gold.
"If I told you… I don't think you would believe me," Lewis said. "Now, come on. I don't think you want to keep your mother waiting." He turned and continued walking down the hall. Samantha walked behind him.
"I don't like it when I'm lied to," she said. "What was it you always tell me? A sailor tells no lies?"
"It's a pirate tells no lies," Lewis said as they came to a stop at the apartment. "And last time I checked, you are not a pirate."
"Neither are you." Lewis sighed.
"You wouldn't believe me, even if I told you. It's just something crazy." Lewis ruffled Samantha's hair. "You go and get some rest. You have school and, if I recall, a job shift tomorrow." He walked off down the hall. "Night, Sammy."
"Night…" Samantha muttered before walking into her apartment. She locked the door behind her, sighing. She threw her bag onto the floor, and dropped down on her bed. "What are you hiding from me?"
Lewis stared at the coin as he sat in his own apartment. It swung in his vision, allowing it to become buried in his mind. The image he saw in Henry's book also popped into his mind. He smirked.
"A pirate never lies…" he repeated. Lewis laughed a bit. "I only wish." He dropped the coin onto the coffee table in front of him. "Welcome to life, Lewis." He glanced out the window. "Welcome to Storybrooke…"