Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Once Upon A Time, but I did write this story. Enjoy! o(*ω*)o

Jill Bird was a leather clad menace who fought with a dark fire in her eyes and a grin that rivaled the Cheshire Cat. She threw brutal punches and savage kicks that thirsted for blood and spit words dipped in venom. Her attention divided among the male population in her high school, jumping from one to another without care for what others said and instead savored each remark, feeding it to her need to continue doing so. She sneered at the idea of growing up, having responsibilities stacked on her and happiness wilt with her life. She listened to no one other than her cousin, Amella Fallen, a sharp grinned person who cackled and happily joined her in pranks set on the people of Storybrooke, and her loyal friend, Ceann Caillte, an introverted observer (that talked to only Jill and Amelia as far as anyone's seen) that could give Jill information of someone in the school at anytime. Jill absolutely loathed the word "love", especially if it was true, and she turned a clammy shade at the mere thought of it all. If anyone ever asked why, she'll snicker in their face. "Love is too bothersome, weak! Why would I want to be tied down to one person?" If there was anyone that Jill loved to taunt and mock more though, it was Keith Smith, a plain bookworm who's eyes stared down in the hallways, who drowned in green sweaters three sizes too big, who wore turtle glasses that always slipped down his face, and who hid a secret fire. Jill loved watching the fire crackle across his features when she spoke just the right words and prodded at the right subjects with sharp grins.

Keith, on the other hand, hated Jill Bird with a scorching passion. He wanted her to leave him alone since day one. He could never remember when Jill had started to taunt him, but every time he tried to think of what could've caused such obnoxious attention, he was left with foggy memories. He was the opposite of what Jill was. Instead of mocking politeness, he was a gentleman, honest to his word. He could never fight back well, but something about Jill always urged a biting remark to fly past his lips. His acting was stale and far too suspicious. If he ever attempted to lie, he'd look this way and that, fidgeting with his clothes; but the stories he wrote were woven like fresh silk, each letter set to perfection. Keith couldn't wait to grow up, to leave Storybrooke and look at different lands, different cultures, historical landmarks; he already knew what colleges he was aiming for and he hoped to major in Writing.

One day. One day Keith misses school and returns the next day in English class with a partner project worth 200 points. He informs his teacher about his absence and she then points to the one lone student sitting in the corner of the room, saying he has to work with her for the next two weeks. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end and his palms turned clammy, tightening around his backpack straps. As if feeling someone looking at her, Jill Bird looks up from her phone and when her eyes connect with Keith's crestfallen expression, a wicked grin spreads wide on her face and she brings up a red, manicured hand to wiggle her fingers at him. Despite his attempts to try and change his partner, his teacher just shook her head and Keith swore he saw a flash of sympathy across her features. With a gulp, Keith soldiered on down the aisle to an empty seat in front of Jill who kicked her feet up on her desk and folded her hands on her stomach, chair balancing on two legs.

"Nice to see you, partner." It was supposed to be a link of polite words, but through Keith's ears, he heard a hiss of a snake.

Three days into their first week as partners, Jill went missing. Keith was hunting all around the school during lunch on Thursday, a scowl darkening his typically meek features. He knew that disrespectful, horrible girl wasn't gonna do any part of their work, but he figured that she would at least appear at class, even if it was to annoy him. If he didn't have so much work from his other classes, he would have finished this stupid partner project in no time. Finally, he found Ceann Caillte on the school bleachers, dragging out a cigarette.

On rare instances the two would talk to each other, but they never spoke of much. At most, they sent little nods of acknowledgment to each other in the hallway; any other sign of noticing one another was based purely because of Jill. Besides, Ceann held a much too intimidating air for Keith to carry out a simple conversation in. Ceann raised a brow, half-lidded eyes lazily trailing the boy who stumbled up the bleacher stairs to stand beside him.

"Where's Jill?" Well… That wasn't what Ceann expected.

"Ohh," Ceann drawled with a crooked smirk. "Well, this is new. The rabbit going after the bird." Even irritated, Keith's flushed cheeks deepened and he bristled at the memory. He wore rabbit pajamas one time to school in his rush to catch the bus and suddenly he's nicknamed Rabbit by that demon girl. He shook his head to diverge himself from the train of thought.

"Look," He grimaced, fists at his sides to try and stop himself from shivering in the October chill. "I just- I just want to know where she is. We have a project and it's really, really important that it's finished and I can't do it on my own. I need help, so if you could please just tell me where she is, that'd be nice." Ceann looked him over.

"What would I get in return?"

"What?"

"Come on now, Rabbit. You aren't that dumb." Ceann rolled his eyes and Keith couldn't help but cross his arms protectively over his chest. Noticing this, Ceann snorted. "I also don't want your body. Please. You're Bird's and my loyalty to Bird runs deep. I owe her my life." Keith noticed the blatant pride softening Ceann's normally blank and concealed features. He pursed his lips, but the words flew through his mouth before he could filter himself.

"Why do you even like her? She's horrible!" His hand smacked into a dog pile over his mouth, eyes wide as he saw the instant protectiveness barb in Ceann's eyes, mouth hardening in a thin line. Ceann stood and Keith bit back a yelp at his suddenly close proximity, hovering over him with a snarl.

"I owe her, because when no one else was there, Bird took me in. She held me in her home and gave me warmth and I believe you don't even deserve a speck of her attention, but she has her reasons for what she does and I believe in her decisions. Before you start asking people for things, learn to be a polite, goody-two-shoes." Ceann stood straight and Keith inhaled sharply, not realizing he was even holding his breath. "If you want to find her, look for her yourself."

Ceann threw his cigarette on the bleachers, stomped it out, and left Keith gaping at air with his words replaying in his head like a broken record. He felt piqued, felt his face flush with embarrassment. That was the most that Ceann had ever spoken to him and he knew it could've gone better, but damn it all, he doesn't believe he did anything wrong. He believed that Jill Bird was a horrible, wicked child who harassed him every day, who clawed and fought, who sprayed dirty words and eerie symbols on private property if she wanted to and cared little about anyone but herself. She played people like a puppet master and used them only when she wanted to until she was bored. She acted out with sadistic glee like some twisted child.

"But," He muttered and looked down at the cigarette at his feet, broken and burnt out. He hated it when he felt his sense of morality kick in. "Everyone has a reason for turning into some way, no one is born bad."

The bell rang and he shook his head before going to his next class, cheeks flushed and eyes watering from the cold, with a bag already in the class.

Throughout the night, he pondered on the riddle of Jill Bird's being. What caused her to be so… Cruel? If Ceann was really serious about what he said, about her, the girl who once went to juvenile center because she set the nurse's trash can on fire, why does she act so brutally now? He remembered asking her about love, asking her if she even could love. He remembered the way her face twisted with disgust, staring at him with a cold, unrelenting hatred. He remembered how she recoiled away from him and spit out that she didn't need love, she didn't need the distraction. It was a short second, but he thought he saw a ghost in her eyes before she turned and left him in the cold, alone. Tomorrow he had to find Jill for sure and maybe, just maybe, he could actually try to learn more about her. With that concrete thought, Keith Smith, the normal boy who was a has-been king of a land only known in a storybook, who traveled between lands and lured boys out of their homes with a needle like grin and magical pan pipes, fell into a dreamless sleep.

(Emma Swan and a small child named Henry had driven into Storybrooke only hours before and the clock's handle hummed with movement.)

An~d that's it so far! (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑ I tried my best to fit the names for each of them with the Queen's wicked sense humor. I wanted to set up the outline of my version of their cursed personalities and relations with each other. Wendy- I mean Jill, will talk with Pet- I mean Keith in the next chapter.

Jill Bird- Wendy

Keith Smith- Peter (Scottish: Keith-Forest)

Ceann Caillte- Felix (Irish: Lost One)

Amella Fallen- Tink (Latin: Amella-To Strive or Excel or Rival)