A/N: thanks for all the reviews and encouragement with Lines We Cross. I'm continuing the story and including Snow into the mix.
The Enchanted Forest
"Fiona, honey, please don't stare. It's rude." Moira reminded her curious niece.
"Yes, ma'am." Fiona tried so hard not to stare at the people she saw outside the carriage, but it was so difficult not to be amazed at everyone around her.
As her family's carriage made its way through the village she felt like it coming home for the first time.
Compared to the rest of her family, Fiona appeared to be so tiny and petite. Even before her parents explained that she was adopted, she was keenly aware with how different she was early on. In these lands, though, she was the norm and her family seemed like fair haired giants.
Her aunt Moira had taken her along with a couple of her cousins to visit the more prosperous kingdoms in the East as their land direly needed supplies as the ogres had been pressing against their borders for years.
It was taking a toll on both their land and people. These supply runs were becoming more frequent and so it was decided that this trip Moira was going to try and establish regular trade routes.
Besides her own five sons, Moira was Fiona's guardian. Many days she seemed exhausted just from keeping up with her family, so the little girl tried her best to behave.
Michael, who was only a few years older than her, whispered in his younger cousin's ear. "Don't worry Fi, there will be plenty of chances for you to get to see the people up close. I heard there will be a festival in the town." This was his third trip so he already had some spots he wanted to show her.
The little girl's eyes lit up. "Really?" She was grateful her cousin was going to be her guide.
He nodded and pointed out their carriage window. "If you thought King George's land is wealthy, then you'll be amazed at this kingdom." Enjoying his position as the older one, he quizzed Fiona. "Do you remember who rules this land?"
The raven haired girl thought for a moment. "Queen Regina?"
Overhearing the conversation, Moira commended her. "Very good Fiona."
The girl beamed at the praise before a question came up in her mind. Ever curious, she asked her aunt, "What is the Queen like?"
"I don't know, I've never met her yet. I've heard that she's quite skilled with negotiations, so I have to be in top form. King George's people put in a good word for us, so she'll see me tomorrow."
"Can I come?"
"No, this is strictly business. You'll remain with your cousins in town."
The girl was disappointed, Fiona was hoping to see the Queen. There wasn't another female ruler in the kingdoms around here, the other queens were simply spouses.
Her cousin patted her on the back to cheer her up. "Don't be too sad cousin. I heard she's a witch."
"Michael! Where on earth did you hear that nonsense?"
He answered. "I heard it from villagers and merchants."
She eyed him suspiciously. "Had they met the Queen?"
"Well, no, but-"
"Need I remind you young man, that you can't always believe what you hear. You have to find out for yourself who a person truly is." Getting back to the original topic, the woman told her niece, "If all goes well, we'll have a trade route between her kingdom and ours. It would supply us with enough ore that I wouldn't have to constantly do these trips."
Fiona's hazel eyes looked at her aunt and pleaded. "What? I really like this place." She was just getting old enough to travel, she didn't want to be stuck again at home.
Curious as to the reason, Moira asked, "What do you like about this place?"
"The people are really friendly here. Every place we've stopped I've gotten candy." She loved tasting the sweet treats in this part of the world. "The children here must always be happy."
Moira laughed at her niece's childish observation. "Honey, most children don't get showered with candy, even in this land. We're getting special treatment because we're guests." Besides the carriage they were riding in, their attire stood out from those around them. "We're a novelty to them."
"I know what that word means! We're different, unique."
Michael gently elbowed Fiona. "Don't make the rest of us look bad."
Moira was going to chide her son when the carriage bumped hard on the road. The jolt woke up Fiona's cousin Ewan. "What happened?"
Michael smirked at his older brother and had an idea. "You were just talking about how we're getting special treatment in the kingdoms here because we're novelties." Michael knew that Ewan hadn't been keeping up with his studies. "Do you know what that means?"
The muscular blond shrugged and repositioned himself so he could return to his nap. "No, I haven't a clue."
Seeing his opening, Michael teased. "It means different."
With his eyes still shut, he casually remarked. "Ah, like Fiona."
Fiona's face dropped.
"Ewan. Watch your tongue!" Moira knew her son had no malicious intentions with his comment, but it was still hurtful.
"What did I do?" He groggily asked. When he opened his eyes to protest, he saw his younger cousin holding back tears. "I'm sorry I didn't mean anything Fiona."
"It's fine." Putting on a brave face, the little girl pretended she was okay. "I have to get back to studying anyways." She opened her book and pretended to read. She couldn't help but think about how right her cousin was. As if her dark hair and small stature didn't make her stand out enough, her lack of brute physical strength usually meant she was left out in many games back home. She was highly competitive and quite clever with games, but winning seemed elusive for her.
She much rather preferred her martial arts training. As a member of the Isen clans she was expected to serve and protect and that meant getting lessons on horseback riding, archery, and sword fighting. Those solo ventures were outlets for her and as she had gotten older, she discovered she was quite good at them. Her instructors praised her skills with the bow and arrow and said she was a natural with riding. Horseback riding was her only opportunity where she could excel against the others.
Sword-fighting, though, proved to very difficult for her. While her size and finesse meant she could maneuver around the other kids, her sheer lack of strength and fortitude meant that she usually tired out quickly. When she was tired, she was sloppy. And when she was sloppy, she got whacked. Hard. The kids in her training classes teased her as one hit was usually enough to knock her to the ground (and end the match). Fiona hoped to one day be strong enough to fend off ogres when the time came, but if she couldn't even handle her clansmen, what chance did she have?
Storybrooke
Glancing at her watch, Fiona continued to sit at the bench outside waiting for the sheriff to get off his lunch break. The hazel eyed brunette had long stopped looking at that ridiculous clock tower above the library. Ever since the curse brought them over to this forsaken land and town, it never moved. Seeing it broken was a constant reminder that she was stuck here with practically everyone else in Storybrooke. Some days she dreamed of going to the tower and setting it on fire.
Fiona couldn't wait for the day when she could escape this place. She just wished she knew how.
He's late. She sighed and impatiently started tapping her feet. The police station was her last cleaning assignment and she was looking forward to getting an early start on having some fun this evening at The Rabbit Hole.
Thursday night meant joining the karaoke competition and she promised Ruby that she would accompany her in a duet. While she wasn't exactly eager and happy to be getting up on stage, the outgoing waitress promised her free drinks and dinner. Now that she was living on her own for the first time, Fiona was willing to sing for her supper. Her budget was certainly tighter than she was used to.
As she was about to head over to Granny's and grab a latte to push through the afternoon lull, Sheriff Humbert pulled his cruiser up, got out of the car, and asked Fiona. "Hey, where's Ashley?"
"She's at the doctor's for a baby check-up. I decided to help out so she could get some rest today. Please don't tell her boss." Fiona answered. Ashley was having trouble with paying the bills and Ruby couldn't cover for her. Fiona didn't want a doctor visit to get the hard working girl fired, so she volunteered to clean the station.
"Her secret is safe with me." The fair-haired sheriff could appreciate the gesture. "Come on inside to the pig sty." Graham commented as he unlocked the station's doors. He knew he had seen her around, but he couldn't place where. Seeing as she was athletically built, he was guessing she was one of the volunteer firefighters. Struggling to recall her name, he gave up and just asked, "I know I've seen you around. What's your name again?"
They shook hands. "Amelia Kyle, but I like to be called by my middle name, Fiona."
When everyone came over to this land, she noticed that everyone had been given new identities, including her. Unfortunately she did not get the memories everyone else picked up so she had to gather her story from talking to others. Unable to juggle everything, she changed her middle name in Storybrooke to her old name in The Enchanted Forest. It made things much easier and she was less like to slip up.
"Ah, Fiona. What a lovely name." It rang a bell. "So you're going to be Ruby's partner tonight? She seemed pretty excited when I saw her at breakfast. I hope you two win the competition. I heard the pot is about $300 tonight." While it was sweet that he was making small talk, it bothered her that Ruby had mentioned her to him. He was the sheriff and through town gossip, Fiona knew that he and the Mayor were an item.
She was scared of Mayor Mills finding out that the curse didn't completely work on her. Why the Evil Queen wanted to banish everyone here in this horrible little town was beyond her. She was never privy to the details; she was just 12 when the curse transported them. She heard whispers of course, but none of the adults wanted to worry their children so they spoke in hushed tones about the matter.
It hadn't dawned on her that she was afraid of a woman she only met a handful of times, mainly seeing her from a distance, always at crowded events like Miner's Day. She was grateful that her family lived away from downtown. Even though she recently moved in, she still tried to avoid places like the town hall.
Fiona started her cleaning assignment, beginning with the stalls in the back while he continued the chit-chat. "When I saw Ashley last week she looked like she'd have her little one any day now."
Everyone has been saying that for the last 13 years. The baby is not coming. Fiona thought. Part of her wondered how horrible it would be to be spending over a decade pregnant. That was one blessing of aging as she did in this cursed town. Her head just ached at thinking about how old she really was versus how old she actually was. By her estimates she was aging slowly, taking about two years to age one. It made adolescence a virtual hell, but at least she was finally out of it (or so she hoped).
However she kept those feelings and thoughts to herself and cheerily played along with the sheriff's comments. "Who knows, she may have the baby tonight!" She gave her best smile to keep up the ruse of being cursed like the others. She hated playing dumb, but she needed to do it to keep a low profile.
The Enchanted Forest
The Horseshoe Inn was to be the lodging for this portion of the trip. As the inn-keeper showed them their rooms, Fiona was impressed at how much nicer it was compared to the last place they stayed boys shared a massive bedroom and Fiona had a room with her aunt.
Settling in for the night, she made sure to lay out her clothes for the next day. Once the boys were settled down, her aunt came in to check on her.
"How are you doing Fi?" She kissed her on the forehead and sat on the bed to catch up with her. The older woman used these small windows of time in the evenings to talk with her niece. Ever since the tiny girl could speak, she always seemed to have something to say. Tonight was no different.
The little brunette's expression shift to a more serious one. "Do you think I'm from here? I look a lot like these people." She spoke softly, afraid that her question would insult her adoptive aunt. She loved her family with all of her heart, but a small piece of her was curious to learn about where she came from. All she knew about her birth parents was that they were killed by bandits. She didn't have their names and she had no idea exactly where they were from. She just wished could know something about them, but everyone had been tight-lipped.
She had no real answers to give the girl. "Perhaps my love." Moira felt sympathy for her petite niece. Moira had already went against her deceased sister's wishes by bringing the girl with her to this part of their land. Emyn never wanted Fiona to come to the kingdoms here, so much so that she cut off the nascent trade deal she made years ago. If things were so dire, the Isen woman would've stayed away from here, but she had no choice. Their people had to survive.
"Do you think any relatives are here?" She had secretly hoped that would've bumped into some long lost uncle or grandparent who would be able to answer her questions, but she knew the chances were slim. "Do you think they tried looking for my birth parents? Or for me?"
"Maybe. If we found them, would you like to stay with them?" As the girl was getting older, Moira was worried that she was becoming more and more isolated. While she didn't ever want her niece to leave them, she also wanted Fiona to be happy.
"No, I want to stay with my family. With you. I just wanted to know more about my birth parents. That's all."
Her niece's answer made her smile. Gazing at the raven haired girl, she answered her question as best she could. "Who knows, we may discover something here that will lead you to them." Kissing her forehead, Moira tucked her in for bed. "Have a good night."
Storybrooke
Sheriff Graham popped in time to time to chat with her about typical small talk as a way to keep her company and to pass the time. As she was wrapping up a couple of hours later, she gathered her supplies and walked over to the station's office area. "I gotta say being Sheriff looks like a pretty sweet job. All the power and no responsibilities." Even though they had just met that day, the two had developed a teasing rapport.
He had a sense of humor about watching over Storybrooke with its typically boring routine. She imagined that he must be bored out of his mind some days.
Picking up on her joke, he smirked. "Don't be fooled. Storybrooke keeps me plenty busy with all the adventures around here. Just last week I saved Pongo from getting hit by a car. Very dramatic, Archie was in tears, thanking me for my service. Perhaps you saw the story in the paper?" She laughed at the absurd thought. Dr. Hopper was not one to give himself over to big displays of emotion. Just thinking of her profusely thanking Graham while crying seemed hilarious.
Sad thing was a story like that would be on the front page of the Storybrooke Daily Mirror in a heartbeat. The Mayor would no doubt order that hack of a writer Sidney Glass to cover the story as a way to spin her accomplishments. Which Fiona thought was kind of ridiculous. No one ever ran against Regina during elections.
Just then the phone rung and Graham picked it up. "Sheriff's department. How can I help you?" His face changed instantly and Fiona knew that this was a serious matter. Being curious, she hung around to see what was going on. The voice on the other line talked excitedly for a couple of minutes. "Okay, I'll head over there as soon as possible. Let me call the Mayor first."
He hung up the phone and immediately picked it up again. This time he dialed out. "Mayor? We have a problem. A child is missing from a camping trip at the woods." Fiona felt terrible thinking about a child alone in the forest. She could hear a woman's voice on the other line, but couldn't make out what she was saying. Graham spoke again, "Sounds great Mayor. I'll see you there."
Remembering that Fiona was in the station, he addressed her. "Looks like duty calls.' He went to the coat hanger to grab his jacket and leave. She took her supplies and was going to head home. No need to interfere with the search. As she was leaving, Fiona saw her in the flesh - Snow White.
She was a bit stunned and watched the demurely dressed brunette walked past her without a second glance and rushed straight to Graham's office. "Sheriff, we lost one of our student in the woods." As she blurted out all the about the missing student to the law officer, Fiona recalled the first time she met up with the young woman. It was in the other realm a lifetime ago.
The Enchanted Forest
Morning came at the inn and all of the children were summoned downstairs. Aunt Moira spoke sternly. "I want all of you to be on your best behavior as I take care of business with the Queen today. Stay in town until I come back this evening. If I run late, make sure you're in bed here at the lodge. Break the rules and next trip you'll stay with your grandparents." All the children promised to obey.
It didn't long for Michael and Fiona to break away from the others and get some freedom. As she, Michael, and Ewan were exploring the town, her older cousin caught the eye of a young woman by the marketplace. Seeing their chance, Michael and Fiona offered to keep themselves entertained for a few hours and meet up with Ewan at the middle of the square by sundown. Without a second thought, the older boy agreed and the two ran off.
Michael clasped his hands, excited to be the one in charge. "First, things first. We have to go to the baker's shop here. These people have pastries and desserts made of the best fruits that I've ever." They started searching for one and within the hour found exactly the place he remembered. Drawing out the money bag with silver and copper coins. He counted out the exact amount needed. They were so distracted by the food, the two did not notice a man watching Michael put his money back inside his satchel. As they left to explore the rest of the town, he followed.
It was getting close to mid-day and Fiona was bored. They seemed to have visited every single toy cart and had caught the puppet show. She wanted to stay at the well just outside of town for a minute and rest. Oddly enough, the place was almost empty. Michael nudged her and whispered. "Get up quickly. We're being followed."
Fiona scanned the area and noticed that the same man with that ugly hat from this morning was indeed following them and she got nervous. As the stranger walked closer to them, the pair noticed that he was not alone. Four other men joined them, some of them armed with knives and some concealing what was in their hands. They were blocking the main path back to the village.
Terrified, Michael grabbed his cousin's arm. "Run Fiona!" With that, the two dashed into the woods right next to the well. Behind them they could hear the men laughing as they followed. "Stupid children! You've just made it easier for us to catch you." Since the bandits were bigger, their strides were helping them catch up.
As the children were running for their lives, Michael came up with a plan. "I have the money bag and that's what they're after Fiona, so if you hide while I run past this hill, maybe you can backtrack to the village and get Ewan to help."
Fiona wasn't having any of it. She would not abandon her cousin and leave him with the thieves. She snatched the money bag from him. "We both know that I'm a much faster runner. Go ahead and get Ewan." The bandits were getting closer and she started to get anxious as she heard Michael yelling. "Are you crazy?! Give me the money bag Fiona and run to safe-"
With that, Fiona heard his voice abruptly stopped and she looked back to see nothing but endless woods. No Michael, no bandits. Stopping in her tracks, she realized that she was in a completely different area than where she had been a few seconds ago. Disoriented, she didn't watch her next steps and fell down a hill, slamming her right knee onto a rock. The pain made her yelp out. Grabbing her leg, she checked her injured knee. Badly bruised and cut, it looked much worse than what it was. She noticed that someone was coming towards her.
Thinking it was the robbers, she got up quickly and took out the small sword she was allowed to carry on trips.
A woman appeared from the trees ahead of her. "Are you alright?"
Fiona tried to get into a defensive position. "Stay away robber! I can defend myself!" Putting pressure on her back leg caused her to wince in pain as her knee buckled with the shift in weight. She dropped her sword as she fell.
The kind looking woman smiled, "It's okay little one. I'm not a bandit. I want to help you." She extended her hand to help Fiona up. "My name is Snow White. What's your name?"