A/N: Well this is my first story I've submitted in well nearly a decade now but I want to get back into the swing of things so I can make some headway in getting my original stuff set, now for the usually disclaimer, I own NOTHING in this story as all characters are from either the tvshow One Upon a Time or Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla, that being said I should give a warning as well (although I don't see why personally) if you are familiar with the story of Carmilla then you will know that relationships between two women will appear and be discussed, yes that means femslash, although probably nothing explicit. I apologise in advance if any of the characters seem OOC and I'll tell you in advance that this is not betaread.

This is a little test for me to see if I've still got it so I'll wait to see what people say before starting on the next lot of chapters. Enjoy!

Once Upon a Time

Once Bitten

Chapter One: A Lonely Girl

-Enchanted Forest-

Laura sighed softly, her breath misting slightly in the cool mountain air as she gazed forlornly at the small village in the valley below the castle from the window of her room, her head leant against the rough stone wall and a fur cover wrapped around her shoulders and a simple cream tunic with pale yellow skirt pooling around her legs in gentle waves as she let her mind wander.

There were people in that little village; she knew this for a fact as she had passed through many times with her father and a small enterouge of guards, however she'd never actually spoken to anyone. She wondered what their lives were like; surely there were other girls her age that lived there, what did they talk about? What was life actually like when you didn't perpetually have armed men standing stoically around you or your father hovering just over your shoulder?

Laura sighed again, dragging her eyes away from the village to glance about her room, a four-poster bed, pale yellow curtains with gold trim pulled back to reveal a similarly coloured duvet that she knew was almost excessively comfortable, two dark oaken wardrobes painted ivory white sat on either side of the bed a chest sat at the foot of it, while across the room sat an oaken vanity, melancholy blue eyes stared back at her from a youthful face, skin as pale as moonlight and framed by light brown hair currently pulled into a loose braid that lay over her shoulder.

A knock on her bedroom door drew her out of her thoughts; she briefly toyed with the idea of just ignoring it but decided against it and with an almost bored "Come in" she turned back to the village.

The door creaked open and she didn't even need to turn to know that it was her father, other than the maid he was the only one to ever visit and the maid had already been by earlier.

"Laura, sweetheart, it's good to see you again." His voice was warm, the affection clear and Laura turned to smile at him. He was a thin man, hair a dignified silver from age and brushed back away from intelligent blue eyes, the years had been kind to him and he grinned warmly down at her, his arms held behind his back.

"Hello father, it's good to see as well. How was your trip to Snow White's?"

"Eventful although I am sure you would find it all very tedious."

"I would have still liked to accompany you, perhaps I could join you next time?" she turned hopeful blue eyes on her father but he merely frowned down at her.

"You know it's too dangerous at the moment, even with that man locked away the Evil Queen is still at large."

"But father!" she implored, rising to her full height even though she still barely reached his shoulder, "Why would she have any reason to attack us, we have nothing to offer her and surely we would be safe in Snow White and Prince James' own palace! I'm not a child anymore, I don't underst-"

"NO!" her father's roar dropped her back into her seat and she stared up at him with wide eyes, he closed his own briefly and turned his head away before continuing, much calmer, "There is always the chance of danger, with your mother gone." He paused and Laura could see him visibly fight back tears before he carried on, "I don't know what I would do if anything ever happened to you."

Laura quickly lowered glassy eyes to the floor, her hands fisting her skirt tightly, "I know father but sometimes." Shaking her head lightly, she lifted her eyes to gaze back out the window to the village; she continued on in a much quieter tone, "Sometimes I feel like a prisoner in my own home."

Silence filled the room; she could feel her father watching her as she continued to stare down at the village with sad blue eyes.

"There is a masquerade ball in a few days." Laura turned to her father, clear confusion clouding her features at her father's odd segue, he was not meeting her eyes and instead looking out the window to the valley, "I received an invitation for two" hope and excitement bloomed in Laura's chest, her father turned his gaze back to her and smiled warmly, "how would you like to join me?"

She threw herself forward, the fur blanket flying from her shoulders as she gripped her father around the chest in a tight hug, she felt his chuckle rather than heard it with her ear pressed against his chest, "I take it that's a yes?" he whispered gently as he wrapped her in a warm embrace.

-Storybrooke-

Storybrooke Annual Costume Ball

Town Hall

7:30PM – 1AM

Emma continued to stare at the poster highlighting the town's annual costume ball posted on the window of the diner, part of her wondered if it were some kind of joke. The door to the diner suddenly opened to reveal Ruby in her usual barely there work "uniform", one dark eyebrow raised as she regarded Emma.

"So, you going to come in or just stare at the window all day?"

Shaking her head and smiling slightly Emma merely nodded towards the poster before following the younger woman into the building and up to the counter. "So, what's with the whole costume ball thing? Halloween isn't for months yet."

Ruby glanced up at Emma from where she had started to wipe down the counter before shrugging, "Its town tradition, this time every year we have it."

Before Emma could question further she was distracted by the door opening and closing quickly as Mary-Margaret rushed in, multiple rolls of paper clutched under her right arm with still more stuffed into a satchel hanging off of her free shoulder, her cheeks were rosy from the cold and exertion.

"Hey Ruby, coffee to go please" she turned to Emma with a smile as Ruby got to work preparing her order, "Hey Emma."

Emma nodded her greeting as she took in the other woman's rather haggard appearance and the fact that she was obviously in a rush to get somewhere, "Busy?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, I've still got more posters to put up, then I've got to help with the decorations and I still need to get some volunteers to help out on the actual night."

Emma's other eyebrow shot up, "I'm guessing this is for the costume ball?"

Mary-Margaret turned to the blond with a look of surprise before shaking it off with a wry smile, "Sorry, I forgot to tell you about it." She pulled her slipping satchel further onto her shoulder before continuing, "The school and church hold it every year to raise funds, we put it to a vote and all the kids chose to hold the ball, they even help make some of the decorations for the night."

Ruby placed the to-go coffee cup on the counter and leaned over with her arms crossed and a grin spreading across her face, "It's actually pretty fun, and we supply most of the buffet although some of the other local businesses do help out."

Emma smiled at the thought and was about to offer her own assistance when they were interrupted by a quiet, feminine voice.

"Excuse me, Ms Blanchard?"

They turned to find a young woman no older than 18 he was even shorter than Mary-Margaret, her hair was a light brown and cut so short that it barely brushed her shoulders although her bangs were long enough that she had to brush them out of her pale blue eyes while her skin was almost as pale as the school teacher's.

Mary-Margaret smiled gently at the shy girl, tilting her head slightly to the side "Hi Sheri, you know you can just call me Mary-Margaret right?" at that Ruby grinned broadly at the shorter girl "Hey Sher!"

Sheri smiled shyly at the older women and raise a hand to brush her bangs from her eyes again while nodding her understanding to the school teacher, "Hi Ruby", she turned to Emma and greeted her with a polite nod and a quiet "Sheriff Swan" with her left hand still playing with the hair over her ear in a rather obvious nervous gesture, her other arm stuffed into her denim jacket's pocket.

She turned back to Mary-Margaret before continuing, "I heard you were looking for volunteers to help at the costume ball, I'd like to help out if that would be alright."

The school teacher smiled brightly and nodded towards the younger brunette, "Sure, it'd be a great help!"

"Sure your dad'll let you stay up that late? Isn't it past your curfew?" Ruby smirked at the younger girl teasingly and her cheeks flared red as she glanced away with a slight mumble that sounded suspiciously like "hopefully".

Taking pity on the girl Mary-Margaret grabbed her coffee and then asked "why don't you help me with the posters and then I'll talk to your dad for you?" at that Sheri smiled thankfully at her before nodding goodbye to the other two women as the pair left.

"Hopefully he'll let her go, girl needs some fun in her life", Emma turned to stare incredulously at Ruby's words, noting the look the brunette explained "Sheri got really sick a couple years back, it was a big scare to her dad but ever since he kind of treats her like she's made out of glass, barely ever lets her out of his sight, me and the girls try to include her as much as possible but…" she trailed off and then continued with an almost exasperated air "Honestly, I'm surprised he wasn't here with her."

"Poor kid"

OOO

When Mary-Margaret and Sheri arrived at her father's jewellery store they were greeted by a rather large man with greying black hair cut very short and a well-trimmed moustache. He grinned at the two women as they walked in the door; he had a dark green tool-kit sitting next to him as he worked on the hinges of one of the stores jewellery cases.

"Kiddo, Mary-Margaret"

The pair nodded in greeting to the joiner before Mary-Margaret asked, "Good to see you Mike, I wanted to ask Sheri's father something."

With a brief nod towards the school teacher the large man then bellowed toward the back of the store, "OY! JOE!" shortly after a distinguished looking man with silver hair and wearing brown waistcoat over a cream shift and brown tie entered from the back of the room, he smiled instantly upon seeing Sheri.

"Sweetheart!" he then turned a friendly smile to Mary-Margaret, "Ah, Ms Blanchard, to what do I owe this pleasure? You don't often visit my little shop."

Mary-Margaret smiled at the man and gave a slight nod, "Well Mr Le Fanu, I was hoping you'd let Sheri assist us with the costume ball at the town hall."

At that the older man frowned, glancing at his daughter who dropped her gaze before turning his eyes back to the school teacher who continued to smile at him, "I don't know Ms Blanchard, it carries on well into the night and I'd rather prefer my daughter not be walking the streets at that time."

"Please dad" Joseph Le Fanu turned to his daughter who looked up at him with pleading blue eyes and his frown deepened.

"Now Sheri, we've talked about this-"

"Oh come on Joe!" the large man interrupted as he stood up and put one large arm around the much smaller girl making her seem even smaller by comparison, "let the kid have some fun, it's not like she's gonna be surrounded by strangers! Hell, if you're that worried why don't you go as well, it is for charity you know!"

The silver haired man crossed his arms over his chest and raised his gaze to a corner of the room with a frown, all was silent for a few moments before he spoke again, "Fine, but on one condition-" before he could even finish he found himself in a tight hug by his daughter over the display case of his store.

"Anything daddy!" her voice was muffled slightly by her face being pressed against his chest and he couldn't help the gentle smile that graced his face as he smiled down at his only child.