AN: This was originally titled "Once Upon A Different Beauty". We all remember what Emma said in S5, how Regina's love with Robin had helped her to heal from the loss of Daniel. What if something similar happened with other characters? What if another person from our world got to see theirs? How would that affect certain storylines?
"Do you think she's okay?"
"Trust me, Kimmy. Your mom's going to be fine. She'll be back in no time."
Kimberly Drummond fidgeted as she worked on her criminology paper. Her mother had undergone major surgery and was recovering in the hospital. She never stopped worrying about her. Her best friend, Elise, had come over for dinner that night. She was also getting a head-start on a couple of her own assignments.
"You're good for taking care of her, but I worry you're losing yourself in the process. You never want to go out and have fun anymore."
"Hey, I'm plenty fun. I just play it a little closer now."
"Closer to what?"
Kim giggled and playfully smacked the back of her friend's head, before returning her attention to her work. The only break came when their pizza arrived. Elise left soon after the plates and cups had been cleaned, and after getting a promise that Kim would try to get a decent sleep. Of course, once the door to her apartment was shut, she went right back to working on her report. She wanted a general outline written down, as well as some small paragraphs on a few key points. That way, she could start putting together the main report and the power-point tomorrow. Another couple of hours later, she finally put away her books, and she was enjoying some hot chocolate as the late-night news began. During a commercial break, she glanced out the window to her right.
There were no clouds, each star easy to see. Suddenly, one of those stars streaked across the sky. The corner of Kim's mouth twitched up, and she briefly recalled Elise's words about having more fun in life. Then, something odd happened. A tiny speck, what looked like a piece of the shooting star, started to fall. Was she imagining it, or was that speck coming towards her? It started to move faster, with real direction and intent. What the hell was going on? The closer it got, the more nervous she became, screaming and jumping out of the way when it crashed through her window. She watched in confusion as the glowing orb changed shape. It doubled in size, two arms and two legs sprouting outward. Then, a soft feminine giggle met her ears.
"Don't worry, sweetheart. I'm not going to hurt you."
Kim didn't know what she expected to see, but a tiny woman with wings and a shimmery mint-green dress sure wasn't it. She hadn't been drinking. Maybe, Elise was right about her sleeping habits. The small woman smiled, drifting closer to her face.
"Who are you?"
"My name's Penny. I'm a fairy."
"Well, I can see that. Why are you here?"
"I'm here for you."
"Have I done something wrong?"
"The complete opposite, in fact. You're special, Kim. You're meant for something great."
"What do you mean?"
Penny gestured at the couch, which Kim silently took a seat on. She still wasn't sure if this was a dream or not. But since it appeared to be non-threatening, she decided to go with the proverbial flow.
Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, she listened as the fairy continued to speak: "I'm very good at detecting people with kind souls, and I reward them for their behavior when I'm able. You truly are a kind soul, Kimberly. You give of yourself, not asking for anything in return. You take care of your disabled mother, and you're diligent in your education. Anyone who knows you can see that you're exhausted. That's what drew me here. You deserve a break."
"A break? How?"
"It's my understanding that there's a particular entertainment program you like, involving people like me."
Immediately knowing which show she meant, Kim replied, "But that's fake."
"And where you think the men who created it got their ideas? Many people who dabble in so-called fairytales were born with a psychic connection to the Enchanted Forest. The Grimm brothers had it. Hans Christian Andersen had it. Walt Disney had it. The list goes on. It's this realm you'll be brought to for your vacation."
Then, Penny went on to further describe the circumstances Kim would be dropped into. She said there was a man in her world who'd recently lost something precious. He desperately needed guidance, but he wouldn't admit it aloud.
"This will be your task while you're there. Find him, and coach him out of his pain. You've done such a good job with the people around you, so I have no doubt you'll be able to handle this."
Taking a deep breath to calm down, Kim said, "If I choose to go…what'll happen to my family and friends here? Won't they miss me? Where will they think I've gone?"
Penny replied, "I'll arrange it so that they believe you've gone to a retreat in the mountains. They'll get postcards from you, so they won't worry."
"And my mother?"
"She'll be fine, sweetheart. She knows you need a break, just as much as I do. You have to trust me. That's the key to all this. If you don't trust me, the magic I need to bring you to the Enchanted Forest won't work."
As Kimberly fell into deep thought, contemplating the pros and cons of before her, a certain image from her childhod flashed in her memory. She was watching an animated movie with her cousin, Jason, who was babysitting her.
In the scene, a woman was arguing with her thirteen-year-old daughter: "We'll be together again. You must have faith."
The daughter replied, "Faith?! Trust?! Pixie dust?! Mother, those are just words from your stories! They don't mean anything!"
Now, they meant a chance at seeing what every child on Earth had dreamed of for hundreds of years. Did she dare refuse? She looked to her right, focusing on the street below her apartment window. People were driving around, too wrapped up in their worldly stresses to spare a thought for the fantastical. A smile slowly crossed her face, as she realized that she'd be a complete fool to turn down this offer. Making her decision, she then re-made eye-contact with Penny.
She said, "I'll go, as long as I know I'll be safe."
"I'll make sure you are. Nothing physically dangerous will befall you."
With that, Penny drifted down to Kim's left hand. She landed on it and gently grabbed ahold of her thumb, tapping her wand to the knuckle. Suddenly, a light burst from the tip of her wand, blinding the young woman.
The fairy's voice took on a strange echo-y tone: "Have fun, and be happy."
When the light cleared, however, Kim felt anything but happy. Rain poured down all around her, soaking though her new clothes: a tan skirt, a white blouse, and a plum-colored, front-laced corset. Couldn't that fairy have picked better weather? She searched around for shelter, before finally spotting a castle not too far away. Hiking up her skirt, she ran in the direction of it. She was panting as she arrived at a pair of large doors, using all of her effort to lift one of the heavy knocking rings. There was no answer at first. So, she did it again, and then a third time. Still nothing. This was getting more and more frustrating by the second, and exhaustion was setting in.
Giving up on the rings, she banged on the doors with both fists and screamed, "Please, let me in! I need help!"
Just when she thought all hope was lost, the doors slowly began to open. Kim was prepared to thank whoever had let her in, but she was surprised to find no one there. She took a few minutes to absorb her surroundings. The hallway was made of a light grey stone, with matching Roman-style columns on either side. A Persian rug lay across the floor, and a small table with flowers on it sat in the center. A single large staircase sat at the opposite end of the hall, and it split off into two other staircases that went in different directions. As she approached it, she squealed in sudden fright when the front doors slammed shut behind her. She convinced herself it must've been the wind. Swallowing hard, she ascended that first staircase, and she chose the direction of the one to her right.
Walking down a long hallway, it was easy to be distracted from how wet, cold, and tired she was. It seemed like every few inches she walked, she passed another tapestry or painting. Every so often, a sculpture or vase could be found, sitting on a raised platform. Her jaw was beginning to ache from all the dropping. Whoever owned this place was extremely wealthy. She came to another set of doors, this time made of mahogany. Black metal, molded into swirly designs, had been nailed along the top and bottom of the doors. Kim gave a slight whistle of awe at their beauty. Tentatively, she placed her palm against a door and pushed it open.
The room inside was a lavish dining hall. Its windows stretched from floor-to-ceiling. A wood-and-glass case took up an entire wall on the other end of the room. Various antique-looking objects were inside it. Another Persian rug ran down the center of the floor, and a table big enough to seat fourteen people was on top of it. Directly across from Kim was a large free-standing mirror. What appeared to be a blanket lay crumpled around its base. Walking over and examining it, she found that it was actually a heavy brocade curtain. Then, a glint in the corner of Kim's eye drew her attention. She stood up straight again, turning in the direction of what, at first, seemed to be another chair in a far corner. It was in shadow, so it was difficult to see clearly. Curiosity again taking over, she began walking towards it.
Now that she was standing closer, Kim realized that what she'd been looking at wasn't a chair at all. A bench was attached to a medium-sized wheel, a wheel that had a needle on one end. Bristly fiber trailed off from one side. She reached over and touched it, the word "straw" escaping her in a heavy, whispery exhale. This felt familiar. Too familiar. Her eyes followed the length of the straw, until a point where it changed from bristly to refined. Suddenly, she understood what the glint she'd seen before was. This was gold. There was only one character she knew of with this particular talent. Her heart leapt into her throat, and she began backing away from the wheel. She was beyond nervous now. Of all places she could've ended up. Then, there was a whoosh of air. A tall shadow appeared behind her. Kim's gaze went to the ground.
She swallowed hard again as a voice said, "Well, hello, dearie."
AN: I modeled their first meeting on a scene from "Beauty and the Beast": the moments when Belle is exploring the west wing, and she's fascinated by everything she sees.
