Chapter 1: A New Beginning
David Nolan stood in front of his car, all packed up and ready to go. He had all of his clothes and a few personal possessions packed in the back of his pickup.
It only took two days to completely pack all of his belongings, and he was ready to leave. He needed change. He hadn't been happy in some time, but he was determined to change that.
Kathryn stood by him, the look of sorrow plastered on her face.
"You know you don't have to leave." she was pleading," we have only just started consoling. We can still make this work."
He didn't want to hear it. They have had their difficulties in this marriage since the beginning. What they had could never make him happy.
"You know what. I loved you the best I could. What I could do I did. What I couldn't do I tried. But it wasn't it for me. Not enough. And I don't think it was enough for you either." His words were oddly comforting to her. It made sense. But she was losing the only life she has ever known. "Kathryn, I will always care for you. You will always have a place in my heart. But we don't belong together. Maybe we did and missed our moment. Maybe we never belonged together all I know is we will never make each other happy."
Kathryn thought on his words. It was all true. They didn't really go together.
"I can't blame you for seeing it first. I suppose we have been growing apart for some time now." She fiddled with her hands as she spoke." Ill draw up the paper work and send it to you." The two hugged, then he was off. His truck roared to life and puttered away
He was off to his new life. He had found an apartment in a small town in Maine. He was happy getting out of the city. He always hated Boston. He only ever moved there for Kathryn and her work. The people were rude, the streets always packed. And the drivers were some of the worst he has ever seen. He wanted to move back to his home state, but not his home town, so he found a small town similar to the one he grew up in.
The drive was long, David arrived in the late afternoon. After living in the city so long he had almost forgotten what it was like outside. It was to be quite different. Quaint. He had an address but when he pulled up it didn't make sense. The address was for a pawn shop. Figuring he must have written in down wrong, he decided to go in and ask for directions.
A chime of the bell filled the otherwise empty store, alluring the silence of his entry. the store was filled with the most unusual things. Of course pawn shops had all types of things this one seemed even stranger than most. Some of the things were normal like guitars and beer mugs. But also very exotic things. A few swords, some creepy people puppets. One item in particular caught his eye. A glass mobile. I was made of blue glass and had delicate glass unicorns hanging from it. It was expertly crafted. The light danced gracefully off the work of art and shimmered around the shop.
"See something you like?" the voice started David. He shot around to see the speaker.
"No. uh…sorry." He observed the man in front of him. He was an older gentleman, probably 50with long black hair reaching down to his shoulders. A beard was stubbly. His clothes, a suit were ever so nice. Clearly he did well here. He leand on his left side with a cane in hand.
"May I help you?" a rather thick Scottish accent on his words.
"Yeah, hi my name is David Nolan."
"Ah…" the man walked towards him, heavily using the cane "Mr. Nolan" he spoke with a smile revealing a single gold tooth. "I'm Mr. Gold. I believe we talked on the phone about an apartment."
"Oh yes."
"Well here are the keys and the address." He reached for them on the counter. "I'll be around tomorrow for first and last month's rent."
"Thank you." David reached for the keys and paper.
"You enjoy your day Mr. Nolan." David smiled and left through the ringing door.
The building was easy to find. He parked on the side of the street turned off the engine and locked his truck.
The building had to have been a factory of some sort at one time. It was all brick with large windows and reminisce of a smoke stack. Faded letters that read 'cannery' were still visible.
He made his way up the stairs to the second floor keys in hand. He placed it in the lock but when he went to turn the key it stuck. He giggled the key, it started to move then stuck again.
"Oh come on." He said muttering curses under his breath.
He tried removing the key but it wouldn't budge. David kneeled down to try and jimmy it out when he heard footsteps. 'Maybe that's another tenant who can help' he thought still tugging at the key. There was a large thump, he turned around to see a figure.
"Hey can you-" he was quickly silenced by a swift right cross to the jaw.
He fell to the floor with a thud. His vision ailing all he could see were two glowing green emeralds.
David awoke with a splitting pain in his jaw and head. He was no longer in the hall way, he was in a room. A sweet sent filled his nostrils, a succulent chocolaty aroma. He couldn't really make out his surroundings. His eyelids fluttered open, as he tried to regain his barring's. He could tell he wasn't in the hall way, but that was the extent of his knowledge.
It was a room with red brick and white painted wood that was chipping. The walls had the same faded writing as the outside of the building, it was a loft of some sort.
A man and woman stood by the door.
"He should be fine, call if there are any problems." The tall blonde man instructed the much shorter women. She nodded in response, her short raven hair jerking forward with the movement.
"You can also call if there aren't any problems." He added with a very cheesy grin.
"Right." The woman caught the flirtation but did not want to encourage it." Thank you dr. whale." She practically shoved him out of her apartment, closing the door right after he was out of the way. Walking into the kitchen her casual sneakers squeaked slightly.
David sat up, only to fall right back down with a groan getting the attention of the women. She quickly ran to his side.
"Careful there." She cooed, "You hit your head pretty hard."
"w-where…am I?" he stammered.
"My apartment."
"Who are you?"
"Oh sorry, I'm mary maragret Blanchard, and you?" she sat on the coffee table so she wasn't towering over him.
"David Nolan." He sat up again, slowly this time. The throbbing pain in his head grew worse.
""well it's nice to meet you David Nolan." She held out her hand, he took it hesitantly.
"What uh…what happened?"
"What do you remember?"
"Well…"he thought back, "I was trying to unlock my apartment door, the key got jammed. Then there was a figure." Thinking made his head ache more. They sat for a moment.
"Anything else?" she asked trying to jog his memory.
"I remember my head hurting." She smiled at least he didn't hurt his sense of humor. She stood up and walked into the kitchen. When she returned she had two cups of hot chocolate clutched in her hands.
"Here," She handed one to him.
"Thanks." He took it, "cinnamon?" he asked
"Yeah, sorry just a habit of mine."
"Hmmm." He took a sip "OW!"
"Careful it's hot." Her warning a bit late.
"No the chocolates fine. My jaw is killing me." He rubbed it finding a bandage on it.
"Right. That." She chuckled slightly with embarrassments she placed her mug on the table. Why would she be embarrassed?
"That is because you have stiches. Three to be precise."
He looked dumbfounded.
"From when I knocked you out." She spoke to the ground feeling rather guilty.
"Pardon me?"
"I'm the figure you saw."
His eyes widened in realization. The emeralds. The orbs of green he saw were her eyes. He sat for a moment thinking playing it back in his head replacing the figure with her. He took a sip and continued.
"Why did you knock me out?" he leand forward setting his mug on the table next to hers.
"Well I thought you were trying to break into my apartment, so…I punched you. Although it was a valid and understandable reason, the tone in which she spoke made it sound absurd. "Only after did I relies you were the new tenant and you got the apartments mixed up. So I brought you inside and called dr. whale."
"That cheese ball of a guy is a doctor?" out of everything she had said that was what David couldn't believe.
Mm nodded.
"So I know it's not the best impression but, welcome to Storybrooke." She smiled.
"You make me feel so welcome." He quipped.
They shared a few laughs before David felt he had over stayed his welcome, more like capture.
"Thank you." He stood in the door way.
"Of course any time." She blushed. The reddening of her checks amplified by the paleness of her skin.
David left to begin unpacking his things. This time his key worked. His apartment was just like hers. The same large windows flooding the small flat with the evenings light. The same red brick and chipped paint that should be repainted but gave the place a sort of character. Even the same lay out. The only real separate room was the bath room, the rest of it all just sort of blended together. The bed rom was really just an alcove of the kitchen which bled into the dining area, into the living room. It also had the same loft that hers did. The only difference between his and hers was that his was completely empty of all furniture except a small bed which was more of a caught and an old bar stool at the counter that would probably give way under his weight.
He brought all of his boxes up in a few short trips. Most were fairly light only filled with clothes. Just about everything was to go to Kathryn in the divorce. He wanted nothing from that life anyway.
Only now was he realizing he would have to buy all new things.
His stomach rumbled loudly echoing through the empty flat. He checked the kitchen. The fridge hadn't even been plugged into nothing could be in there. All the cubberds were empty. Not even a forgotten mug from the previous tenants.
He sighed.
David forgot what it was like uprooting from home, finding a new one. It always took time. He felt the bandage on his chin. The pain he could take, but the bandage was just torturous. It was so annoying.
He went to the bathroom to examine he damage. Slowly removing it he saw the small cut and stitches.
"That's all?" that was what all the fuss was about? That's nothing. He has surtantly had worse. He continued to poke at it until a knock at the door.4
"Must be Mr. Gold for the rent.
When he opened the door he found the beautify mm
""h-hi." He stammered.
"Hey," she twisted the ring on her finger, "so I've been thinking. I can't just punch you in the face and not make up for it. So I thought I could show you around town, or buy you dinner. What do you say?" she was nerves. She was asking him out on a day, but not asking him on a date.
David smiled at the woman's absolute kindness. "I would love to."
The two of them spent the next three hours walking around Storybrooke. Mm showed him every inch of town, and introduced to every person they saw.
By the time they finished it was nearly 8 pm. Mm insisted they go to Granny's diner, her treat of course.
"What can I get you two?" the tall thin waitress asked.
"the usual ruby." Mm stated. Not even looking at her menu.
"And you?" she tuned to David.
"Oh ill have the burger please." She nodded and went to place their orders.
As she walked away, you could clearly see she was practically a model. Her legs stretched on for miles, the only thing stopping them was the floor. Which was emphisiesed by the shortest of shorts she wore, which were a bright crimson.
David didn't look though. He was far too busy getting lost in mm eyes.
She loved this. Most guys in town tend to blatantly stair at ruby making it ridiculously odviest they were checking her out. But David's eyes never traveled southern that her lips.
Refreshing he thought.
Over dinner the two of them talked, manly on how they got to Storybrooke. It turned out mm had lived there almost her entire life. Only leaving for college. David preceded to tell her everything about his marriage and divorce. Commenting more than once that he 'never tells anyone one this much let alone someone he just met.' but it felt like they had known each other a life time.
When the check came, the two of them preceded to do the check dance. Debating who should pay.
"I knocked you out and you had to get stiches. It's the least I could do." Mm reached to snatch it from his hand but he pulled it away at the last second.
"No, you already made up for that by showing me around town. Now let me thank you." Before she could protest he jumped to his feet and rushed to the register.
Mm couldn't help but smile and laugh at his redicoululy chivalrous actions. After tipping ruby he sat back down.
"Well because you paid. I'll walk you home." She joked.
"Fine, I know it's so far for you but…" he joined in.
The two left the diner stumbling as they laughed at their sarcastic conversation. They walked to their apartment building was only two blocks. A three minuet walk at most, but it took nearer ten as mm pointed to every shop and house and gave a detailed history lesson on who lived there. She had told him all this before, he didn't mind though. He liked hearing her talk, and enjoyed when she got really enthusiastic.
They stood in front of the stairs between their two apartments.
"Thank you so much for showing me around and introducing me to people. It has such a nice introductions. I think I'm really going to like it here.' He smiled a big doppy smile.
"Well of course! It's always nice to have new folks in town." She smiled back, staring into his brilliant cobalt eyes. "And thanks again for paying for dinner." She added, almost jokingly. Wishing he had let her pay, but she also loved the gesture he made.
"Well you'll have to get the next one." He looked to the floor then back to her awaiting her response.
"Huh… I guess I will." She smiled, happy he wanted to spend more time with her.
The two stood there in silence for a moment not knowing how to say good bye.
"Well." David was the first to break the silence, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"I don't know. I don't come hear often." He smiled at her quip, gave a nod and opened the door to his apartment.
"Good night."
"Good night."