chapter 1: new girl in town
It was a quiet autumn morning in Storybrooke,when a mysterious woman strolled across the town line. The people in the town where abnormally cheerful due to the lack of danger in the past week. Granny's Diner was preparing to open and Doc could be seen stacking the shelves of the pharmacy. Children lined outside to wait for their school buses, while David and Mary Margret stood outside the Sheriff's station. The mysterious woman quietly walked the streets as the towns people went about their daily business. She took her time, taking in all of what Storybrooke had to offer. She smiled at how serene the people were, but her smile faded knowing the turbulence to come. Finally she decided she needed a place to settle, and headed towards Granny's Bed and Breakfast. When she arrived, she was surprised to find Ruby behind the counter.
" Hello, um-" she said reaching out for a hand shake.
"Ruby." she replied, completely ignoring the woman's attempt at greeting her. " I'm a little busy. Do you need a room?"
" Yes, yes I do." the woman answered trying not to show that she was offended
"I need your name, and how long you will be staying with us." Ruby said as she frantically open a logging book and began to write.
" The name's Izzy, and I guess I'll be staying a while." Izzy reached into her pocket and pulled out $300 dollars. She was new to this world, and had no real understanding of the worlds currency. She gently set the money on the counter. Ruby looked surprised.
"I guess so." Ruby said with a chuckle "You got a last name?"
"Uh, no-no just Izzy" she replied nervously.
"Okay." ruby says with a shrug as she hands Izzy her room key. "You'll be in room four"
Izzy slowly grabs the key and lets out a slight chuckle as she walks away.
"Wait!" ruby exclaims "Don't you wanna bring in your stuff?"
Izzy shrugs and smiles "Didn't bring anything."
Izzy headed up to her room. When she arrived she meticulously remade the bed , and used wet wipes to re-clean any surfaces. After a while, she pulled a small wooden box from her pocket and sets it on the floor in front of the bed. Using her magic to activate the box, things start to spring out of it: a small wooden desk equipped with what looked like a chemistry set, a massive pile of clothing from ball gowns to jeans, and lastly her heart. By the time she was done organizing her clothing, night had fallen. It was the perfect time to hide her heart somewhere safe.
Izzy left the in a rush and she knew exactly where she wanted to go. She walked the streets with purpose letting nothing and no one get in her way. Finally she arrived at the cemetery and headed toward Regina's vault. As she got closer she was overwhelmed with the feeling of dread. The vault had been enchanted but Izzy was prepared for that. She pulled a small vile from her pocket and drank it. After doing that, walking into the vault was easy. She paused at the site of Henry's grave. She left a small trinket on top of it before she moved it. She knew that Regina would figure out someone was in her vault so she had to move fast. She left her heart in a satchel and placed it in one of the many small cubby holes that lined the wall, and dashed out of there, accidentally leaving the door open. As she left she saw headlights coming her way. To avoid be seen she poofed back to the bed and breakfast.
Regina rose from her car with great caution and suspicion. Someone was in her vault, her space and she wouldn't stand for it. The thought alone made her blood boil. She approached her vault and notice the door was slightly ajar. Regina hesitated for a second. She wondered whether or not to call Emma for backup, but her anger made the decision for her. Regina rushed to the door slamming it open to find nothing out of place, but what she found was something new. Something she had not seen in a very long time, her fathers broach. Regina slowly lifted the broach from her fathers coffin as she fought back tears. The broach made her both happy and sad, and then immediately suspicious. She pocketed the broach and headed out of the vault.
Izzy didn't spend a lot of time at the inn, she was too hungry. She had heard wonderful things about Granny's diner and decided it was time to pop in. Walking into the diner immediately made her nervous. Henry was dining with his grandparents, she took great care to avoid them.
"Izzy!" Ruby called out, "Hey."
Izzy waved and headed toward her, finally planting herself on a stool at the end of the bar.
"What'll have?" she said cheerfully
"Um, what do you recommend?" Izzy replied with uncertainty. It never, for a second, occurred to Izzy what this realm's food would be like.
"Well, people love our burgers. Oh! We have great lasagna too."
the only lasagna Izzy ever enjoyed was her mother's, the thought made her smile.
" I'll have the burger." Izzy said with a sly smile. "Oh, and cocoa if you have it."
"Yup, coming right up." Ruby said as she bounced off to the kitchen.
As she waited Izzy listened to the table behind her. Henry was bored and looking for another "operation". Mary Margaret was just glad to spend time with Neal, and though David loved the peace, he missed the danger.
Regina rushed up the stairs to Emma's apartment, desperately clutching her fathers broach. She burst through the door interrupting another date for Hook and Emma.
"Seriously!?" Emma exclaims as she jumps off the couch and out of Hook's arms, "What the hell?"
" I found this in my fault, on my fathers grave." Regina breathlessly says as she holds up the broach.
"So?" Emma says frustrated.
" This broach belonged to my father. It was destroyed when I was child. It can't be here!"
Emma annoyance turns to concern, yet Hook is simply annoyed.
" Listen lass, I'm sure this can all wait til-"
" Shut up!" Regina screams interrupting Hook "Someone was in my vault, and I enchanted it to keep Zelena out. How is this possible? Not to mention that this someone had to have pulled this out of the past. That's powerful magic."
"Dangerous magic." Emma says more concerned than ever.
"So what? You're just going to go running around looking for some mysterious person. Can't it wait? Hook says angrily
" No, I'm going to do my job and keep this town safe!" Emma yells at him. Emma turns back to Regina "Did you check the rest of the vault?"
" No," Regina fidgets " I thought I might need backup in case they're still there."
" Alright lets go." Emma said grabbing her jacket from a chair.
"That's it?" hook says angrily
"Yes. You know what, we'll talk about this later okay? I gotta go." Emma says while putting on her jacket and walking out the door.
"Your burger will be done in a few minuets. That will be $3.50" Ruby says as he punches buttons on the register. Izzy reaches into her pockets, looks at her money and immediately becomes confused. Ruby noticed. " Here let me help," Ruby grabs the wad of cash and pulls out $5.00. "You're not from around here are you?" Ruby's curiosity was bursting at the seems
"Am I that obvious?" Izzy said solemnly.
"You kind of stick out like a soar thumb." Ruby says with a chuckle.
"Do you know if anyone is hiring?" Izzy asks causally to change the subject.
"Well, I heard Belle needed help at the library. How long have you been here?"
"Who's Belle?" Izzy says avoiding eye contact. Izzy knew who Belle was, but she didn't want Ruby to know that.
"She's the Librarian, wife of Mr. Gold." Ruby noticed Izzy's unwillingness to talk about herself. It made her suspicious in Ruby's eyes. "You can find her at the pawn shop or the library."
Suddenly granny came out from the kitchen and set the plate of burgers and fries in front of her.
"Thank you" Izzy said trying to figure out what exactly she was looking at, and how to eat it. Ruby leaned across the counter. "You just pick it up and bite, and those are fries. You don't really need utensils to eat this meal." she says with a wink.
"I would like a knife and fork" Izzy said suddenly.
"Really?!" Ruby replied skeptical
"I have this compulsion, uh, I don't touch my food directly."
"Oh, your O.C.D!"
"Yyyeah." Izzy had no idea what she was talking about, but Izzy was tired of talking.
"Let me know if you need anything else."
Granny set a knife and fork next to her plate "Whatever floats your boat." she mumbled walking away.
Izzy silently ate her meal as she planned the following day. Working at the library was perfect for her. There was a lot of information she needed to finish her mission, and the library is the best place to start.
Emma draws her gun as she slowly and methodically approached Regina's vault, with Regina close behind.
"Just a second." Regina says reaching out and lifting the enchantment on her vault. Emma looks at Regina with indifference "What? You wouldn't have been able to get in." she says defending herself.
Emma turns and continues towards the vault. Once inside Regina moves Henry's grave, then steps aside so Emma could go in first. Emma sees nothing that shouldn't be out of place as far as she knows.
"Come on, there's no one down here." she yells up to Regina. Regina comes down and they both start to look for anything out of the ordinary or missing. Emma is fascinated by the vast amount of magical trinkets and herbs, she reaches out for a vile when she hears Regina gasp.
"What? What is it?" Emma says turning to face Regina. Regina turns to reveal an enchanted heart. "Do you think someone wanted to steal it?" Emma asks.
"No, this isn't one of mine. I'd know it." Regina says angrily.
"Well, they left it here for a reason, we just have to figure out what it is?"
"Isn't it obvious? My vault is the most secure area in Storybrooke. They left it here to protect it. The real question is, who left it here?"
"Can't you use the heart to make them come to you?" Emma says exhausted
" Well, Savior, did it ever occur to you that this person would have thought of that too? If they can get into my vault, then they can find a way to protect their heart. Besides I tried the minute I picked it up."
Emma rolls her eyes,"Well what now?"
" Whoever this person is, it's someone we have never come across before. If I were the Sheriff, I would start looking for new faces." Regina says with a sinister smirk
"That's almost impossible, the new curse brought in so many new faces." Emma pauses "Looks like I'm heading back to the records. Are you gonna leave the heart here?"
"Yes. Keeping it with me is dangerous, they had the right idea to leave it here in the first place."