The sounds were overwhelming. All the woman could hear were the sounds of guns banging in the open space and bombs booming overhead. These noises had become her doorway to the world outside, the chaos calming her as the sounds came closer. She was a medic in the U.S. Army. At least, she had been until five months previously. When the enemy forces had attacked the little outpost where she was stationed, she and her men held out for as long as they could. However, her men had been dying, she had been desperate for reinforcements that she was almost sure had never arrived. The enemies shouted over the thin walls that had been broken down almost completely that they would leave the rest alone if they could receive a doctor to take back with them, to help them. She remembered, she had looked at her men, who lay sick and dying, and at herself, covered with bruises and on the verge of collapse. They had been starving, and she had known, her men could not stand another attack. She had cleared her head, and had covered up her second-in-command, an officer named August Booth in a blanket, and had stepped out of the little wrecked building and, just like that, Dr. Renee Xantho had become a prisoner of war.
In her time in the army, she had heard many gunshots and bombs, but these brought a feeling of never-ending joy, for after several hours she could no longer deny herself, they were coming closer. She tried, in vain, to sit up, despite the searing pains in her legs, back, and chest, from what she had endured over the past five months. At first, she recalled, it had not been horrible. There was the occasional beating when she was less than obedient, and she had to heal all of the wounded soldiers that were brought to her. After the first few weeks however, the small camp in which she was held was brought under new management. When the new commander had discovered her, he implemented a new policy of torture and less-than-humane treatment towards the foreign member of the camp. As the months wore on, she found herself fighting for the right to live, doing things that she never thought that she would ever subject herself to.
As she lay in the corner of her little cell that had become her home, and her sanctuary, she suddenly heard a scramble of footsteps running across the cellblock, and the opening and slamming of doors. She tried to cry out, but her voice was unable to follow her mind because of the months of disuse and abuse. She sat there, in the dark, listening to the footfalls of those who could be her rescuers, for what seemed like hours. She had almost given up hope of being found and was resigning herself to the slow, painful, death she seemed destined to receive when the footsteps stopped right outside the door to her cell. As the door was cracked open, she saw a gruff face appear for a second, disappear, and then reappear suddenly, with an astonished look on its face. Renee noticed, that when it came closer, it bore the mark the same as she had, back then. It, a soldier, her mind supplied, walked carefully toward her cell, her cage, and Renee shifted back suddenly, and felt small and dirty as she hid her face with her now long brown hair, which was speckled with blood. The soldier came closer and when he approached her jail, he declared with a soft voice, unexpected for having such a tough face, "Hey, it's okay. It's over. Can you speak? Can you tell me your name? Are you badly injured?" At this, Renee stared awestruck at this soldier, unaware of the meaning behind his words, as the thing that she had hoped and prayed for came true and she tried to scoot closer, only making it a half of an inch before crumpling to the floor, the pain overwhelming her as darkness clouded her vision.
That had been close to two years ago. After a year of rehab, Renee had been released into society. Her first course of action was to look up the members of her original troop, the ones who she had last left scared and dying in a small building in the Middle East. She had found most of them, alive and working, some even with families or significant others. The only one that she had not found was August W. Booth. She and August had been friends since boot camp, and quickly bonded over their love of writing. He was the one who took her mind off of the chaos around her, and he had become one of the best friends she had ever had.
Ever since she had returned to the U.S. she had been writing, about everything. Eventually, after several failed attempts, she gave up on being a doctor, claiming that what had happened was too traumatic. She went back to college, and took special classes in profiling, to help her to write her characters realistically. There wasn't much to bother Renee once she had moved back to Los Angeles. She found herself isolated, untrusting, and one day her inability to trust had gotten her into trouble.
Renee had been at a conference for writers being held in Anaheim, and had been at the bank, ready to make a withdrawal. She remembers there had been a crash and then someone was yelling "On the ground. Get on the ground NOW!" She was pushed to the floor, and adrenaline started pumping in her blood. She heard the shot of a gun, and looked to her left to see a man fall to the ground, blood coming from a wound in his side. At once, she felt like she was transported into a battlefield in the Middle East, and, before her mind decided otherwise, Renee slowly crawled over to him. One of the robbers grabbed his gun nervously and yelled at her "What are you doing? Get away from him!" She looked up at him and said calmly, even though every nerve in her body was on fire, "I'm a doctor. Let me help him." The robber looked at the man, and nodded, and Renee quickly stood up and went to him, assessing the wound and noting that he was breathing, and his pulse steady before applying counter-pressure to the wound. With her attention focused on her patient, she barely noticed when the EMT's arrived and asked her how he was. She replied, giving all the information she knew, and noting that his blood loss had been surprisingly light.
After this, Renee chose to go back to her medical profession. She started looking for jobs on the East Coast, wanting a fresh start. She found it in a little town called Storybrooke. They had been searching for a doctor to help run the local hospital for years, and, after talking with the other doctor on staff, a Victor Whale, decided to take the job.
Now, Renee steps off her motorcycle, looking around at the little town that was to become her home. She noticed a diner, with an inn, and the sheriff's office, which was surrounded by shops. The thing that drew her attention the most, however, was the clock tower that stood in the middle of the town. It was frozen, its hands not moving past 8:15. The tower seemed to project sadness, and she found herself staring at the abandoned library underneath, before parking her bike and walking around.
She had decided that the town may be small, but its inhabitants definitely weren't. In fact, most had personalities that seemed larger than life, she reflected, as she sat down on her bed in Granny's Bed and Breakfast. Finding a place to stay until she had an apartment had seemed like a good idea, and quickly made the top of her priorities. She wandered the town for a while, before going into the small inn.
"Be right with you dear", Granny said, popping her head in from the kitchen and yelling "Ruby, we have a guest! Stop flirting with every living thing that breathes! And, watch the diner for a minute. Don't scare anyone off." Granny wiped her hands on her apron and sighed, before giving Renee a dazzling smile. Renee figured that it had probably been a while since there had been any visitors to the town, and shyly smiled back, quietly inquiring about a room.
"Right then. Here you go, a view of the town square. I saw you staring at the clock earlier. It hasn't moved for as long as anyone can remember. What are you doing in town?"
"Oh, I'm here for a job. I'm the new doctor at the hospital, and I just need a room until I can get a place." Renee replied, liking the woman despite her slightly overbearing personality. "Thank you so much for the room."
"If you are looking for an apartment dearie, remember to come stop by my shop." A voice behind Renee threw her off guard and she jumped, nearly punching the stranger in the face as her curly, wild hair hit him in the face. He was a man of medium build, with hair like sandpaper, tamed into place. His brown eyes sparkled and he looked at her with a new intensity, seeming to pour into her very soul, and reaching the corners of her existence. His suit was impeccable and he gripped his cane, which seemed to be a part of him, creating the illusion of a very well put-together man.
"I am terribly sorry if I frightened you, Miss…?"
Renee snapped back to attention before relaxing, and replied "Xantho, Dr. Renee Xantho. I'm the one who's sorry. It's been a long trip and I am very jumpy. I would love to come see you tomorrow, before I start work on Monday."
"Well Miss Xantho, I look forward to seeing you. I think I know just the place for you. My name is Mr. Gold. I own Gold's pawn shop and I am also the resident lawyer and realtor. I will see you around. Granny, can I have my usual?" With a nod from Granny, Mr. Gold sauntered out into the diner, leaving behind a very interesting atmosphere in the charming inn.
After taking her key, Renee put it in her pocket, said goodbye, and headed out to explore the town that had suddenly become much more interesting. As Renee walked down Main Street, she was excitedly taking a second look at everything except her feet, and walked straight into an inconveniently placed streetlamp, landing on her butt. As she sat on the ground, a little dazed, a woman came rushing up to her, setting down her shopping bag and holding out a hand to Renee.
"Oh my gosh, are you okay? Do I need to call an ambulance? Did you hit your head? Oh, do you need ice? I can get ice! No, no ice on head wounds. I don't even know. I volunteer at the hospital, I should know. I work with second graders, I should really know… let me start over, I'm sorry, my name is Mary Margaret Blanchard. Are you okay? That seemed like quite a fall." As she finished her rant, Renee stared dumbstruck at the black haired beauty. If she dressed a little differently, Renee had no doubt that she could turn heads if she wanted. Mary Margaret's expression kind and patient, Renee could see why she would work with children. Taking her hand, Renee was pulled to her feet.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's my fault for not looking where I was going. I am new in town and was taking in the sights." Renee shook her head, embarrassed, but happy that she hadn't hit her head very hard at all. She was starting to get a headache, and apologizing and agreeing to have lunch with Mary Margaret, the two exchanged numbers and Renee headed for the park.
The park was beautiful. In the middle was a large apple orchard with juicy red apples hanging from nearly every branch. "Beautiful, aren't they." A voice came from a ways off, and Renee turned around slowly, grateful that someone in this town approached people normally. The person was a woman, graceful and chic, wearing a suit and heels, looking completely at ease in the orchard. "You must be the new doctor. Renee, right?" At Renee's confused look she clarified with a smile, "Dr. Whale told me. Let me introduce myself. I'm Regina Mills, the mayor of Storybrooke. Welcome." Regina smiled and picked an apple, "Help yourself, the trees are public property, and this place is pretty desolate."
"Yeah, that's me. I love the town, by the way, even the people here are a little… weird. I mean no offense." Renee picked an apple, and placed it in her satchel. She took the opportunity to study Regina, or Mayor Mills. Renee noticed that the woman had a very welcoming smile, and it definitely seemed to free the woman's usually somber expression, creating a light face, Renee wondered how long it had been since it saw the light of day.
"Oh, none taken. Believe me. I know that they can be fairly weird, especially on your first day. I am actually here to invite you over for dinner, if you can make it. Consider it a "Welcome to Storybrooke" thing." Regina said this all with a smile, but this one didn't quite reach her eyes. Renee wondered what had happened to her to keep her this closed off from others. Regina's phone buzzed and her ringtone, the Darth Vader theme song started playing. "Sorry, that's my son, Henry. He's calling from home, I have to take this. Here's my number." Regina said, pulling out a business card and handing it to Renee. "Call me when you are more settled in, we can have dinner."
As Regina walked away, Renee sat down on a bench, and a man came walking towards her, clearly in her sight. He had a very determined gait and his walk was calculated and quick. He approached her, and reached out his hand for a hand-shake. "Hi, I'm Sherriff Graham Humbert. I am the law enforcement of Storybrooke. If you ever have any trouble, give the station a call. Do you like to play darts?" This question took Renee by surprise. It was a game she had played often with her boys in the Middle East, and, truth be told, in that moment, she kind of wanted to play. Graham had a very nice stature and his wild curly brown hair reminded herself of hers. His jacket was wrapped around him and underneath was a vest, shirt, and tie. His badge hung on his belt, and he smiled at her like she was the most important person on Earth. Everything about him screamed trustworthy and it did not hurt that he was extremely attractive.
"I'm Doctor Renee Xantho. I'm the new doctor down at the hospital." Renee shook Graham's hand and he smiled at her firm handshake. "First of all, question, do I call you Sheriff, Graham, or Mr. Humbert?" Graham visibly grimaced at the mention of 'Mr. Humbert'. Renee laughed at the look on his face and then asked "Are you any good at darts? I don't want to play a beginner." Now Graham just looked offended, but Renee noticed it wasn't actual offense, simply sarcastic offense at the insinuation that he wasn't good at darts.
"Rest assured, my dear Renee, I am very good at darts. However, you look exhausted… and lovely. But exhausted. May I walk you to wherever you may be staying? Granny's? Have you eaten?" He looked so adorably concerned for Renee's well-being that Renee started to feel uncomfortable but happy that he cared. She nodded the affirmative to all his questions and together they walked back to Granny's the silence between them comfortable, and eventually they started chatting until they came to the porch at Granny's. When Graham saw Renee head inside, he left to go to his squad car, and Renee stood, peering out the window at the man outside. Heading upstairs, she removed her jacket and changed into her pajamas before sinking into her bed and looking forward to the changes in her life that would come in the morning.