Author´s message: Just as a wee reminder; I speak Scottish English, also known as Scots.. It means, that I sometimes get the spelling wrong. So forgive me, if I do that and I hope you enjoy my little fanfic.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. The characters are mainly the real life actors and my interpretation of who they are. If I do not hit them spot on, it´s because I don´t know these people personally. (The only character, I know personally, is the one, I loosely based on myself and a friend of mine. Her name is Tori, I hope you like her, she was needed for my story to develop properly.)

And to you SQ´ers from facebook, who have been ever so patient with this story coming along, I thank you from my heart, that you guys included me in your group. That being said, I don´t resent any of the other ships - as a matter of fact, I´m a bit of of ship-slut.. I love them all and wouldn´t dare to choose one over the other. This story formed as an SQ fic in my mind first (as a dream) and I always go with my first intention for a story. Sorry for this long talk, you just go read the fic now.

It´s mid-febuary, the year 2022. The cast of hit-series Once Upon A Time and their main-writers, Adam Horowitz and Edward 'Eddy' Kitsis, are at their first round-table since the 7th season began. It´s 14:48 and the round-table has been going for about 15 minutes. Viktoria, the new castmemeber, is answered a question, she got from a fan from her homecountry.

"How did you get to know Jen?"

~x~

It started aboot two years ago. In 2020. Ah lived together with 3 others; One closeted, one open and oot and a fellow bi. The openly gay guy loved teasing the closeted gay guy and me fellow bi girl clearly thought, she was something special. Ye see, Ah never spoke aboot me sexuality with me room-mates, because they where just the cheapest solution fer me, at that time. Ah didnae have enough money fer a dorm-room of me own, much less having storage fer me things. Ah sold most of me belongings, when Ah got the scholarship, so Ah would have money when Ah came to L.A. That meant, Ah only brought some clothes, a few photographs and an easy recipe on black bun, which is a biscuit of some sort.

Any ways, the openly gay guy was named Mitchell, he was full-blood Italian, his father owned a restaurant back in Italy. He was one of those fellows, that every girl would die for a date with. Unfortunately for them, he was gay and very open aboot it. He was always on man-hunt, where ever we went and would never hold still aboot the exquisite cuisine, he was used to back home. He also owned a scarf, coloured as the rainbow, that he would wear with anything, really, and he barely took it off.

The closeted gay´s name was Juan. He came from Buenos Aires and spoke English with this Spanish accent, he knew could melt even the most hardcore. He was fluent in 5 or 6 languages, because he went to a special school, back in Buenos Aires. His hair was a little longer, than a lad normally would consider masculine and it was extremely unruly. His left hand was constantly ruffing up, his already rather windblown hairstyle, which just made it look even more interesting. The reason, we knew, that he was closeted, was because he agreed to play truth and dare with us and consequently chose truth. The poor bloke had to answer honestly and he admitted to the 3 of us, that he was gay. Pretty brave move.

My fellow bi was named Mila. Other than being the only really feminine person in our apartment, she was also the youngest. She was 19 and she came from Los Angeles. You could tell straight away, that she was born in L.A. Even though, she was naturally brunette, under the blue and purple hair-dye, she talked so much nonsense, she could´ve been platinum. Other than that, she actually didn´t think too much of how she looked. As long as her hair was okay, everything was fine.

Oh well, they all went to the same courses as Ah did. Drama, music, creative writing and how to deal with media. Mitchell wanted to earn money, to move his family to the U.S. He wanted to do it the same way Elvis, MJ and a lot of other famous stars had done it. He wanted to make life for his family easier. Juan wanted to get better, so his contract with Latin-American Disney Channel could become a reality. He wanted to be an actor and be good at what he did. For Mila, it was merely a family tradition, attending those courses, because you where a failure in her family, if ye didnae act, sing or both. Nobody was surprised to find oot, that Mila wanted to be a model, not an artist.

And me? Me name is Viktoria, me friends and family call me Tori... Don´t everyone nowadays? Nobody says Viktoria any more. It sounds, Ah don´t know, posh and so utterly British. Ach, Ah came from Scotland to learn more. Me passions had been acting, singing, drawing and writing ever since, Ah was a little lass. Ah wanted to pursue me dreams and become an actress. Y´all know more aboot me than Ah do meself.

Well, it was a regular night out with the others. It was in May and we had just finished our last course and thought to celebrate the good grades. The others had gotten in their narrow minded heads, that just because Ah was Scottish, Ah had to love going on pubs! And they where´nt wrong. Ah love pubs. It´s just, that there is a difference between Irish and Scottish pubs. Most native Americans does not know this and on top that, they think we understand each other... We don´t! Ah still have no clue what the waiter told us that night. Never mind, we got our fish-n-chips and beer. Ah think one of the other guests heard me accent and found it familiar, cause he came over and gave us a real Highlander ale each.

Mila sipped on hers for a while and then decided, that she´d become drunk on this strong Scottish beer. Mitchell and Juan drank about half their beer, before feeling a wee bit queezy. All three looked very strangely at me, when Ah, after watching the others taste it, drank my whole beer, like ye drink water, thanked the lad and apologized for the bunch of titties, Ah had as room-mates. Ah then turned to my room-mates and questioned their facial expressions.

"Well, señorita, you just chunked all that cerbeza down, without even seeming a little bit drunk afterwards... That IS very insólito"

Juan stood up from his chair, slowly making his way back onto his feet and had to hold a tight grip on the backrest, as to not fall to his knees. Ah laughed heartily at the scenery.

"It´s tradition in Scotland, to get together and drink ale. After a few times, yer body adjusts to it and it is actually one o´ the things, Ah kind o´ miss the most.."

Ah smiled and looked at the other two. Mitchell smiled back at me, nervously, not knowing which leg to stand on. Mila just burped, as an answer and ran oot of the pub, to throw up in a bush ootside in the street.

"You better go after her, Ah will pay and go find an actual Scottish pub..."

Ah nodded at the lads, as they packed themselves together. When Mitchell had gotten his rainbow coloured scarf, they ran after Mila. Ah paid the poor waiter, who was still not understandable, and went oot, on a hunt for an actual Scottish pub, where Ah could have an ale with some fellow Scotsmen.

About halfway to the Scottish pubs in our neighbourhood, Ah began feeling followed. It was a man, well in his 60´ies, could´ve been me dad. At some point, he began walking faster and caught up with me. At first, Ah had no idea, what he wanted, but when he pushed me behind a huge container, it came to me. Everything Ah had ever heard aboot these things came to me mind. So did all me memories of serving Gods own country fer 2 years. Me brain blacked oot on me, Ah had nowhere to run. So Ah panicked and began screaming as high, as Ah could, in hopes of somebody still being in the streets on a Friday night. Ah think, it scared him, cause he then threw me down on me back, really hard, causing me to loose me breath fer a second, and stepped on me ribs. They didnae break, but he did bend some of them, which made it hard fer me to breathe. Every time Ah struggled, he´d hit or throw me into the container. At some point, Ah had come back oot on the street again somehow, with him running after me. At that point, he´d broken me right leg a wee bit and bruised me face and body. Ah had no idea of how bad it was, cause me mind was only thinking of getting away. He could´ve killed me. Oot in the lights of the street, Ah began hammering on the windows and doors of all the restaurants, shops and pubs in the street. Ah stopped ootside a pub, called 'Ye White Horse', to breathe and rest me leg, that was now hurting really bad. Ah had no time to take a closer look, before a horrible sound suddenly became much louder.

The old man had suddenly caught up with me, even more out breath, than Ah was and seemingly very drunk. He kept yelling stuff at me, on the top of his lungs, that Ah even to this day have never figured oot the meaning of. Ah suddenly could not lift me feet off the ground, so Ah just stood there and let him catch up to me. He then fiercely nailed me to the window of the pub, with a rough push of both his hands and started kissing me. Everywhere. Ah could smell the alcohol, such an awfully strong smell. Ah felt how his eyes ate me up from the inside. At one point, Ah got eye-contact with the beautiful green-eyed woman inside the pub. Ah opened me mouth to scream or yell, but the man silenced me with a large and sticky hand. Me eyes screamed fer help and she didn´t need a second look at my terrified expression, to decide her actions. Am glad, that she didnae have to. Ah could see, in the corner of me eye, that she dragged another woman out of her seat and both went off. The man began opening his zipper and Ah thought, This is it... You´re going to loose yer mind fer good this time, Tori! But before he could drag his pants down and pull it oot, he was hit hard by something. Or someone. Someone with a fist of steel. Ah didnae see more, cause Ah fainted, as soon as he loosened his grip and let go of me. The pain was just too much and the stress in me head had built up to an enormous extent. The last, Ah remember from that night, was a big bright light. Two smaller lights, coloured in blue and green nuances was in the middle of all the golden light.

"Are ye an angel?"

Ah whispered and blacked oot.

Next thing, Ah knew, Ah woke up in an apartment, with beige walls and very little personal things. It looked like one of those you rent for a while and move oot again before even moving in. A blonde woman, with really long hair and a red Quidditch t-shirt on, was sitting in a big chair, not far from the soft couch, Ah was lying in. The angel from the day before. She was all curled up on the chair and her blue-grey eyes were fixed on the TV-screen. Her hair was messy and pulled up in an effortless ponytail. Her seating position reminded me of a cat, the more impossible to maintain, the better. Ah looked at her with fascination. She then felt me eyes on her and paused the show.

"Hi"

She turned to meet me glance, rather quickly, causing her to close her eyes fer a second, to regain balance. Her voice was raspy and deep, and her eyes were still groggy from sleeping, or not sleeping at all.

"Hi"

"How do you feel?"

She looked at me, her eyes scanning me for any signs of feeling uncomfortable. Ah thought for a while and then smiled at her.

"Ah actually feel just fine... But ye have to fill me in, cause Ah cannot remember what happened after ye beat the old pished goon up."

She smiled as well and moved her chair closer to me.

"You blacked out, so I picked you up from the ground. After standing there for a little while, we got company. Our friends, Josh and Colin came outside and scared the heck out of the bastard. Then you woke up a little.. You said, your name was Tori. I then presented myself and my friends."

She stopped and looked at me, with worry in her eyes. Ah gave her a confused look back.

"Am sorry, Ah don´t remember yer names.."

She laughed at me, such a lovely warm laughter.

"It´s okay.. My name is Jennifer, but my friends and family call me Jen. Yes, you may call us by our nicknames, if it´s easier.. Then there´s Ginnifer..."

Jen picked up a picture from a nearby shelf. It showed her, the beautiful woman with green eyes and a brunette with a wonderful smile. She pointed at the green-eyed woman.

"That´s her. We call her Ginny, which sounds like a pixie.. That´s pretty suitable for that haircut of hers"

Jen was referring to Ginny´s ebony-black pixie-cut, short hair.

"The other woman on this pic was´nt in the pub with us last night, but she is a close friend too.. Her name is Lana... And then, of course, Josh, Ginny´s husband and Colin, who´s a mutual friend.. Was that too much at once or can you remember it?"

She looked worried, so Ah smiled at her and nodded.

"Ah didnae hit me heed.. It´s harder breathing and walking, than remembering.. Thanks, Jen, it´s really nice of you and yer friends to help me."

Ah realized, that me voice sounded out of breath and that was what made the worried wrinkle on Jen´s forehead. So Ah tried to speak up fer her.

"Do you want something to eat or drink?"

She suddenly turned on a service-mind. Ah smiled at her once more and nodded.

"Have ye eaten breakfast yet?"

She suddenly looked guilty and shook her head. Her golden locks went flying around her pretty face. It took me a while to snap out of it, having fixed me gaze upon her.

"Do ye have someone, to tell you, how tapped off you are?"

It slipped oot of me mouth, before Ah could think. She seemed a lot older than me and very straight as well. Not that she couldn´t be squint, Ah just didnae picture her that way.

"Excuse me?"

She looked at me, her eyes wandering all over me face, searching fer a translation fer me Scottish glossary. Ah could see the blood flush up her cheek, as she realized, what Ah just said and Ah would have given more than a penny to know, what she was thinking just then. Maybe she was squint. But a squinted woman wouldn´t seem so innocent. Ah tried to save meself, with another sentence.

"Ach.. Would ye be so kind, as to help me oot o´ this monstrosity of a couch? Ah would like to stand up, please..."

Jen looked blank for a moment, while she processed the first sentence. Then she suddenly woke up.

"Uh? Sorry, of course, I´ll help ya!"

Her voice was flustered and dreamy. Ah know, it´s fluffy, but that was how it sounded to me. She helped me up and over to the tiny kitchen. When Ah was well-placed in front of the little one-man stove, Ah looked at Jen.

"Ye don´t mind fetching the stuff, Ah need, to make a proper breakfast fer us both?"

She shook her head, that was slowly going bright red.

"Of course not!"

After a little while of her, finding different items in the kitchen and handing them to me, meanwhile trying to disguise her rosy cheeks, Ah began cooking. About 15 minutes later, we where sat, once again, in the couch, with each our plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, tattie scones, baked beans and mushrooms, all of the above topped with a great deal of ketchup. A proper Scottish breakfast.

"Do you always eat this healthy?"

Jen asked, teasingly, with a sceptic glance at all the food in front of her. Ah nodded, with a face so grave, that politicians would have stood up in ovation.

"Don´t ye know? Scotland is the country with THE healthiest diet on earth.. We completely ootdo everybody, including Africa..."

Ah exclaimed, with a smile and a look, that dripped of sarcasm and dug into me plate. Jen giggled, like a little school girl.

"No, I didn´t know that! I usually just have a bowl of yoghurt for breakfast... Ehm.. What do you like to watch, Tori?"

She turned around to pick up the remote control, that was hidden between the cushions behind her.

"What do you think?"

Ah asked back, with me mouth filled with scrambled eggs, bacon and mushrooms. Jen looked at me fer a while, as if she could read me mind, and then clicked the remote control four times. A Scottish news channel turned up on the screen, with the image of a very fire-y haired woman, in her mid-fourties who, in Gaelic, presented the dull news of upper Scotland.

"Do you understand, what she´s saying?"

Jen was looking at me, with half a loaf of bread sticking out of her mouth. Ah nodded and then cracked with laughter.

"Not all Scotsmen speaks Gaelic, let alone, understands it, but a primary-school friend had a grandmother, who spoke Gaelic and she didn´t neither speak, nor understand English.. We found her interesting to talk to, so we learned Gaelic for her sake."

Jen had now eaten all her bread, not registering her own motions, all caught up in me persona.

"Thanks for the picture.. Now I just see this very old lady, in traditional Scottish attire, with candle lights in her eyes... Uhm, it´s the only channel, that I know is Scottish.. I don´t know, if there´s anything else"

She looked apologizing at me, with almost a puppy-like expression.

"Just put on ABC or BBC.. That is, what is running in me dorm, when princess Mila wakes up and needs to mend her hangover"

Ah smiled, as Ah surrounded the word 'hangover' with to fingers in the air. Jen took another loaf of bread to eat together with the breakfast, that was now starting to look like a food-war on both plates with all the ketchup now blended with the scrambled eggs looking like blood on top of the tatties, mushrooms and sausages.

"How could I not guess, that you live together, with a room-mate? Maybe it´s because, you seem my age, but you don´t look it.. By the way, I´m 39."

Ah looked, in surprise, at her. Certainly was not the first time somebody mistake me fer being older than Ah am, but this was something else.

"Actually, Ah live together with 3 other people... Mila, Mitchell and Juan... Do Ah really seem 39? Me birth certificate says 22 years old..."

Jen put her hands, in the air, in an apologetic gesture, as if Ah would hit her, after that comment.

"It was meant, as a compliment! Even though, you seem 17 years older, you still look your twenties, if that does any good.."

Jen put down her hands again and finished her plate of Scottish breakfast. Ah smiled at her, when she looked up at me, taking the last bite. Ah was a wee bit surprised, that this little woman could eat like that. We both put down our plates on the table, at the same time. You would think, that the inconvenient touching hands moment would have arrived around this time, but no. We just looked at each other and Jen got a bit awkward about her position. Ah could see straight down into her cleavage and discovered, that she was only wearing a t-shirt. Jen fidgeted back in her spot. Ah looked questioning at her.

"Erm... You did something yesterday, that I´ve wanted to ask you about ever since..."

Ah looked confused at her and then came to the conclusion, that Ah must have shown me rescuers something special the night, they ever so heroically stepped in.

"Ye mean..?"

Ah formed a delicate tiny snowflake above the palm of me right hand. Jen looked, at it, as if it was the first time, she had ever seen snow. Baffled and entranced, as the crystal in me palm multiplied.

"If Ah had more energy, Ah would´ve showed ye something more barry than this, but Ah don´t think, Ah have the strength to control something bigger right now."

Jen nodded and looked even more amazed at the, now multiple, snowflakes above me hand.

"I just wanted to know, if I´d dreamt that.. It´s amazing... You´re amazing.. How do you do that?"

She pointed to the cold spot, inside me palm, right where the snowflakes were.

"It´s an ability, Ah was born with, Ah guess... Sometimes it´s a gift, and sometimes it´s a burden... Ye know what? Ah probably should call me room-mates and tell them, Am okay"

Ah looked excusing at Jen, who was like just taken out of a trance, when Ah vaporized the ice-crystals in my hand. She was anywhere, but present. She didnae respond to anything, Ah said.

"Yeah, sure..."

Her voice was airy and her eyes looked far away. Ah was thinking hard of why Ah shouldn´t confess, that Ah had taken a liking fer her. She clearly wouldn´t have heard it anyway.

"Ach, Ah like you, Jen.. Very much"

She was clearly far far away. Ah clapped my hands, to get her back on earth. Ah smiled, when she jumped by the loud sound of my hands clasping together and blinked, as if she had been in the cinema for an hour or two. Her eyes looked dim fer a brief moment, trying to remember our conversation.

"You know what, I´ll drive you home, if you want. Just promise me, that you will call me..."

She looked seriously at me, like I would just forget her after this whole time. She didn´t remember what Ah had just told her. Felt like declaring yer love to a dead person.

"Jen, you saved me life! Ah owe you... Erhm... Me innocence."

Ah looked at me hands, embarrassed to tell the truth. Jen looked surprised at me and twisted one of me red curls around her fingers, as we sat closer, turned towards each other.

"You´re a virgin? I never would´ve believed that... Anyhow, please, call me sometime. You have to meet your rescue-team."

At that point, Ah think we were both a little rosy in our cheeks, feeling the blood rise to the head, as we were sitting extremely close. Ah took the opportunity to scoop meself closer to her, in the couch. We ended up sitting with our legs intertwined and our shoulders basically mushed each other.

" Don´t be daft.. You punched the ned. You picked me up from the ground. You listened to me unconscious nonsense. You put me in yer sofa. You ate breakfast with me and you´ve talked with me. You´ve been like me room-mates should´ve.. Ah bet they´re not even the slightest bit worried about where Ah am, on a Saturday, after a disastrous dinner at an Irish pub... So, of course Ah will call you.."

Ah began to laugh, at the memory of me younger room-mates and how naïve and innocent they would now appear to me. As if they where not already acting young enough. Jen looked confused, trying to ask what it was, that made me laugh. She smiled at me, as Ah told her what had happened before Ah met Big Bad Twally and we both cracked of laughter afterwards. Ah could not help, but notice, how lovely, Jen´s laughter sounded to me. It suddenly felt, like there was a thousand butterflies inside me stomach and every time, she laughed, smiled, talked or just looked at me, all those butterflies would flutter around, so wildly that it warmed me whole body and made me blood flush to my head. Ah could see, that Jen was going bright red, as well, but Ah still believe to this day, that Ah was the biggest tomato, at that point.