Hello again! So here is the first chapter of this story (not including the prologue). I hope you enjoy reading this one. Let me know how you guys like it!


The First Snowfall

"So they're both safe then?"

"Yup! If I can find Princess Aurora again when I sleep then I'll be able to help them get back home."

"And what about that Cora woman that you mentioned?"

"My mom's mom? Mr. Gold has a way of stopping her from coming through the portal."

Mr. Gold. A name that Scarlett brought a chill down her back. The young woman beside Emma's son contained her anger as she kept a straight face and smiled, watching as Henry took a bite from his hamburger.

The curse had been broken. Everyone had regained their real memories from their home before Storybrooke and for the most part, people had their happy endings. For some though, the story was just beginning. Emma and Snow had fallen into the Mad Hatter's hat and back into the fairytale world-or whatever was left of it. They had all tried figuring out a way to get the two back and when King George had destroyed the hat, Charming had been sure that all had been lost. Still, he kept a brave face on for his grandson and for his friends. They were looking to him to lead them in the right direction and give them hope and he'd be damned if he failed them. They had all come too close to just turn back now.

And when the prince had truly thought there was nothing he could do, Henry had woken up with the answers.

"You're turning out to be the biggest hero this town has ever seen," Scarlett said with a playful smile as the young boy chuckled and shook his head at his mother's close friend.

"Well, it's time for me to do something, not just sit here and watch and read about the stories. I have to make my own adventure and be my own hero," he said thoughtfully, the boy sounding rather wise for his age. The woman's bright auburn, loosely curled hair sat just to the middle of her back as she smiled widely at him.

"Emma would be really proud of you," she stated reassuringly as Henry smiled softly, his heart sinking; he just wanted his mother back.

"Henry?" The two sitting in the booth of Granny's Diner turned to see David and Regina walking into the small restaurant. They glanced around before their eyes fell upon the two. The boy's grandfather smiled as he walked over to them, Henry's adoptive mother following close behind. Her dark brown eyes met a pair of light hazel eyes, the hatred ever so evident in the latter pair. Neither said anything in front of the boy as he stood up, his companion doing the same thing.

"You ready, kiddo?" David asked, the undertone rather obvious in his voice as Henry smiled confidently and nodded his head.

"Definitely." He turned to Scarlett as she looked down at him and smiled widely at him. She knelt down beside him and hugged him tightly as he hugged her back.

"Be careful, hero."

"I will, don't worry. I'll get mom and Snow back," he stated as Scarlett nodded her head. She stood to her feet and watched as David and Henry turned and began to make their way out of the restaurant, the prince nodding to the woman in a white short-sleeved shirt that fit her form nicely and jeans with a pair of maroon flats. She smiled back at him and returned his gesture with her own nod before they walked out, Regina soundlessly walking out with them.

Scarlett stood alone for a second before she sighed and began to make her way out of the diner, leaving a tip for Ruby. She smiled at her friend as the werewolf smiled back at her, waving. Then she was alone again, walking aimlessly around the place she thought had been her home for 28 years. She stopped by the tiny park and took a seat beside a small bush, gazing out at the people trying to continue with their lives as the people they were and the people they thought they were. She glanced down at her empty hands and frowned as she sighed and shook her head.

Her eyes began to wander from the trees to the people to the cars passing by. Her trail stopped at the bush beside her and her eyes softened as she stared at what looked to be a rose bush. Her expression fell as her heart dropped to the bottoms of her feet. She reached out and plucked the flower from the shrub, smiling forlornly. She shook her head as she held tightly to the stem of the rose.

One is only truly defeated when they stop fighting for what they want.

Scarlett wasn't going to admit defeat so quickly.

She'd get her happy ending.

~X~

It was strange. She had never spent winter alone before. The season used to be one of her favorites, now it was a time of sadness and dread.

A young woman, no older than 25, sat by the fireplace of her small cottage home. It sat in the middle of a forest, secluded from others people. She didn't mind though; it was calm and peaceful that way. The cottage itself was tiny, only made to hold three or four people. There were two small bedrooms, one seeming to be used every day and the other not having been touched in what looked like quite some time.

The young woman residing in the home was a petite sort of girl. She had light auburn hair that almost looked red in the light of the flames that danced in the fireplace; her natural curls sat just below her shoulder blades. She had bright, spry looking hazel eyes that shined with a need for adventure and life. Her rosy cheeks seemed to compliment her light complexion. The skirt of her dress was a yellow-orange sort of color, her white top covered with a light red vest, which was almost styled like a corset.

"I suppose this winter will be a colder one," the young lady said quietly as she glanced out the window, a few specks of snow landing on the glass. She blinked as she watched the snow begin to fall harder before it began to stick to the ground and everything it touched. She chuckled at that as she sighed, grabbing a log and carefully placing it into the dying fire. She stared at the flames as they whispered to her quietly, filling the silence she sat in.

Letting the flames rise slightly, the hazel-eyed wonder stood to her feet and made her way to the bookshelf that was on the adjacent wall to the fireplace. Her eyes flickered through each shelf before she picked a book and walked over to the fur rug, taking a comfortable seat and opening her book to the first page. Settling in she smiled to herself and yawned.

Before she could even finish the first sentence a heavy knocking caught her attention.

Surprised by the sudden sound, the auburn haired woman cautiously stood up. The knocking sounded through the air again, assuring her that she hadn't created the noise in her head. She carefully approached her door and stood there for a moment, staring at it with a confused sort of expression. "Who would possibly be outside at this hour in this sort of weather?"

"Why don't you try opening the door and finding out, love."

The voice was unfamiliar and had a slightly deep tone. The young lady had been caught off guard by the muffled sound as she tensed slightly; she hadn't realized she was speaking out loud. Having no other choice, now that she had been found out, the 25-year-old pulled the door open, the draft of cold air sending chills up her spine.

Though it was dark outside, the light from inside was able to reveal a young fellow. She had never seen such a man before. He was dressed in black from his shirt to his pants and even to his boots. Her eyes drifted from his feet to his face and immediately she had been caught off guard by his piercing blue eyes on his perfectly chiseled face. She was quick to gain her composure though; she wasn't one to swoon so easily. She watched intently as the man gave her a cheeky sort of smirk.

"Evening, darling."

"Isn't it a tad too early to be addressing me with such a familiar title?"

"Oh, feisty are we?" the stranger said as his smirk widened slightly. The unfazed woman merely rolled her eyes as she made sure to keep the man from entering her home by standing right in the entrance. She ignored the crisp breeze as the snow continued to fall, white dots melting away into the man's lush, brown hair. She caught his gaze as he peered at the fireplace, a deep longing seeded in his eyes.

"I suppose it's a bit obvious, why I'm here."

"Please, explain," the auburn haired woman said with a challenging smile. The stranger blinked before he chuckled at her sprightly attitude.

"You see, I've been travelling a long way and need a place to rest."

"And you want to rest here?"

"Smart girl, aren't you?" the brunet said sardonically as he watched the cottage owner glare at him.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid my home isn't open to strangers." Before she could close the door, the man grabbed ahold of it with a loud noise. Hazel eyes widened as they stared at a shining hook sitting at the end of the man's left arm that had embedded itself into the wood of the door, the reflection of the light gleaming off of it. She stopped herself from trembling as the man placed a polite smile across his lips.

"You wouldn't want to leave a young man like myself to freeze, now would you?"

"You are none of my concern," the 25-year-old snapped in return as she narrowed her eyes. "I don't know what sort of trouble you caught yourself in, pirate, but I refuse to be a part of it."

"And how is it you know I'm a pirate?" he asked curiously as he raised a brow. He watched the woman try and struggle to close the door and mentally laughed.

"If it isn't your obvious attire then it is the hook that's replaced your hand," she pointed out as the pirate himself glanced at his obvious trait. "What is the infamous Captain Hook doing here?"

"I see my title exceeds me," the captain stated with a sly smile. "Let me introduce myself."

"Not necessary," the young lady snapped as she tried to shove the door closed once more; she failed. She growled as she glared at the intruder.

"Killian Jones."

"Well, Killian, I suggest you start looking for another place to rest because you won't be here."

"So quick to push a poor, helpless person away?" he said, feigning sadness as he kept the door pried open with his arm. "And I thought a beautiful lass like yourself would be a bit more understanding than this."

"Compliments won't grant you a way in," the young woman said, though she still couldn't stop her already pink tinted cheeks to go darker. "If you think that I'm going to just let you come into my home-" That was when she had really taken a moment to look at him.

Killian was soaked from head-to-toe for reasons she didn't know. That meant he was probably starting to go numb, not to mention the snow was beginning to gather on his shoulders and head. His sleeves were torn, as if someone had tried cutting him, and as the auburn haired girl took a moment to glance outside she could see miniature droplets of what seemed to be blood left in the pirate's trail.

Looking back at Hook, whose expression was a bit more pressing than it had been before, the cottage owner sighed as she moved aside and pulled the door completely open. She watched as relief swam in Killian's eyes. She kept her hazel eyes pasted to his form as he carefully walked inside, the snow melting away almost instantaneously.

"I knew you'd come around," he said with a playful smirk, though his companion was having none of that. He tugged his boots off, so not to get her floor wet, and sighed, his limbs slowly warming up just from being out of the snow. He glanced out the window and stared at the snow menacingly; he hated winter.

"Don't think it's because your charm worked. It didn't."

"A man can dream," the captain said with a shrug. He glanced around the cozy cottage and immediately his eyes fell upon the shelf of books. He stiffened after a second, not noticing that his rescuer had grabbed him a cloth to dry himself with. He nodded a thank you to the woman as she merely grabbed his wrist, pulling him to the ottoman that sat contently in front of the fire. He curiously watched as the stranger before him knelt on the floor and examined his sliced leg. The blood had dried-or perhaps froze-hours before but the wound was still open and fresh.

"So what sort of trouble did you find yourself in to gain such a wound like this?" she asked as the blue eyed pirate looked down at his leg and chuckled.

"I've persevered through wounds much worse than this, darling," he stated as he glanced at his lost hand, his chipper tone lost for the moment. The petite woman quickly took notice of the change in mood but said nothing. She just quietly continued tending to his wound, rolling his pant leg up enough to clean what would become a scar. They sat in silence as she worked with nothing but the occasional flicker from the fire. Neither from the opposite party seemed to mind the peace though.

Killian stared into the flames and the young woman on the floor was focused on bandaging his wound. He stole a glance down at her, taking notice of the tint of her hair from the light and taking notice of the way her eyes sparkled. He blinked a few times before he tore his gaze away from the woman and winced, his healer mumbling "sorry," under her breath. After a few more seconds, she stood to her feet and sighed, gathering her supplies and walking to the cabinet, stuffing everything back where it belonged.

"As long as you stay out of trouble your wound should heal just nicely," she explained as Killian looked over his shoulder. He stood to his feet and took slow and careful steps towards the stranger, the woman not moving an inch. The back of her neck began to tingle as she felt the man's presence behind her, the warmth of his body surrounding her.

"Perhaps there's something I can do to thank you," he said in a low voice, a pair of hazel eyes meeting his blue ones. The two stared at each other for a long moment as the silence drowned out the sound of the wind racking against the walls outside and the fire crackling behind them. The pirate raised his hand up to brush the back of his fingers against the woman's rosy cheeks. He smoldered at the woman as she stared up at him, her eyes unreadable.

"I think…" she trailed off as her body leaned slightly into his, causing Killian's nerves to spark. "…I shall pass."

Killian blinked as the woman turned around, whipping her hair into his face. He winced slightly as he stepped back, letting the woman stroll past him. He turned and his stare followed her with every step she took. His expression lightened as he began to smirk, chuckling softly. Shakng his head, he walked back over to his spot on the chaise longue and took a seat. He looked over at the retreating woman, who didn't spare him a second glance as she disappeared down the small hall.

"Blankets are in the closet space to your right!" she called out as Hook looked up to the closet. He opened the small doors and sure enough there lied a stack of blankets. He grabbed one and laid himself out on the couch, enjoying the fact that he was lying on something that was similar to a bed; he hadn't slept on an actual bed in ages. He listened carefully to the steps before the sound of a door opening caught his attention.

"Did I ever mention, thank you, love?" He waited patiently for a response, and after a few prolonged seconds, he received one.

"…You're welcome, pirate." Killian released a quiet laugh before he closed his eyes and fell fast asleep.

As for the lovely young lady, she stood in her bedroom and sighed. She quietly shut her door and stared at it for a moment before she carefully locked it. She turned to her bed and took a seat before she yawned. Looking to the window she watched the snowflakes frost on to the glass.

And so the winter began.


So there you have it! I purposely haven't said her name just because I want readers to guess what fairytale "Scarlet" comes from ;D I hope you enjoyed reading this and the next one will be out soon!

Thanks for reading!