This chapter took forever! Also, I changed the title of the story to something a bit more fitting. :) I'm excited for the direction of this story! Hope you enjoy!
Regina peered over her book, watching as Emma paced the bedroom floor.
It had been only five hours since Finny had dropped Henry off and the mysterious aura had brushed over the whole town. Upon questioning the girl if she had felt the same thing that they had, Finny had only shook her head in confusion. She didn't feel anything out of the ordinary, except for the embarrassment of getting all excited.
"This isn't a good feeling, Regina. I don't know what this is, but-"
"But your white-knight senses are tingling and you feel the need to save the day, right?" Regina smiled, patting the open space beside her in the bed lightly. "Come to bed. We'll have an emergency town meeting tomorrow."
Emma stopped pacing and gave a slight huff before slowly making her way to the bed and crawling under the covers. Regina instantly cuddled into her side, her eyes lighting up in happiness. Emma tried her best to avert her gaze to Regina, but found it impossible.
"...get it all out, Emma." Regina sighed.
"Well," The blonde pouted. "I just don't understand why Finny didn't feel it too. It was hard to miss. It was like..."
"Like all the bad things that have ever happened in the world just decided to ban together and create a wave of desperation across Storybrooke."
"It hurt." Emma nodded, agreeing.
"The only person in Storybrooke who still obtains the power to do that is Rumpelstiltskin." Regina sighed.
"Do you think he really had something to do with this? It would make sense. If he did, then whatever spell he cast probably didn't affect the orphans. They aren't from the Storybook, after all."
"...Emma, I have something to admit." Regina closed her eyes slowly. "I'm pretty sure that they have something to do with the Storybook."
"What?!" Emma shot Regina a look, her eyes widening drastically. "I wanted them to be safe from this!"
"I checked the Storybook tonight after we put Henry to bed. Someone's started a new story in the book, but it isn't finished yet."
"No...I thought we were through with that stupid book!"
"We're not through until we're free. And we aren't. No one is allowed to leave Storybrooke without losing their memories. The only way we could tell if the orphans aren't affected is by..."
"Pushing them over the town line."
"And that could either make life easier for all of us...or destroy them."
"And depending on who they used to be in fairytale land, it could also destroy us."
It was silent for a few moments, this information and realization sinking into both of their heads.
"...who wrote it?"
"I have no idea. Neither does Henry."
Emma sighed, looking down at Regina with a smile.
"No worries. We'll get through this. We always do."
Regina snuggled closer, allowing Emma to wrap her arms around her.
"Sleep?"
"Sleep. Night, 'Gina. Love you."
"Goodnight, Emma. Love you more."
The inside of the castle was just as extravagant as the outside. Its high ceilings, winding staircases, and ornate furniture Yet, to me, it was cold and stuffy. It reminded me of a prison. Everything was just a little TOO perfect and nothing was familiar. Yet, this was- is -home. How can I deny something that I grew up with?
They led me to a room that I presumed to be my own. It was beautiful; white wood furniture adorning the room. A vanity table, a large bed with light green linen, a grand dresser, and a desk of some sort. Vines grew from the walls, beautiful red and white flowers sprouting from them.
Roses. Yes, definitely roses.
Those were familiar, somehow.
"Do you remember anything?" Snow asked me, enthusiasm masking some emotion. One that I couldn't put my finger on.
"Now, Snow, you know as well as I that it will take much more than the revealing of a room to bring back such important memories." That voice was new. It was kinder than the others and seemed to be much more genuine.
"Oh, Felicity. I hope one day you will remember our family's caretaker," Snow spoke longingly as I turned, staring the new woman in the eyes.
"Your Highness," The woman curtsied, her curly, thick ginger locks shifting to cover her kind face. "I am Alma Gans. I watched over you as you grew, teaching you what Snow White and King Charming were not able to."
I eyed the kind woman cautiously. My head gave a small nod and I found myself bowing in return. There was a twinkle in her eye, the shine of something mischievous. Almost as if she knew something that I did not.
That wasn't far from the truth, now was it? She knew of everything that I did not.
"Alma will come for you when it's time for supper. At that time, Anya will join her fellow knights in their quarters. You will not see her until supper is over." Snow informed, giving me one final hug before slipping over to my bedroom door.
"It's quite nice to have you home."
Her voice was quiet and I wasn't sure if I was meant to hear it, so I pretended like I didn't.
She exited, Alma following her.
Leaving Anya and myself all alone.
"Can you not just leave?!"
"No, Princess! It's my duty to protect you!"
"I'm pretty sure I can protect myself, Anya."
"That's what you said the last time. And look what happened then!"
"I can't even remember then, so it's not fair for you to hold that against me!"
Anya was silent for a long moment, her face falling into a brief despair. She glanced up at me, flashing a broken smile.
"Princess...we used to get along so well. Why can't you trust me?"
It was my turn to be silent. I didn't trust Anya. I felt like she was lying. How was I to tell her that? Even if she meant nothing to me now, she must have meant something before I lost my memories. She has done nothing to hurt me so far and I didn't want to hurt her. But how could I avoid it? I lifted my head and our eyes met briefly. She flinched at the obvious darkness shining in my eyes. There was a knock on my bedroom door, another knight entering the room along with Alma. He bowed to me and turned to Anya.
"Anya, it's time for supper. Lets go." He ordered, turning to leave the room once again.
Anya glanced at me for a moment, a pleading look on her face. She opened her mouth to speak, but only closed it and shook her head lightly. Quickly, she fled from the room.
I don't feel like Princess Felicity. I don't think I was ever her at all.
"Felicity, we didn't quite get a chance to speak. May we?"
I nodded quickly, allowing her to lead me to my bed, sitting beside of me gently.
"You don't remember. But what if there's nothing to remember?"
My eyes widened. She was quite blunt.
"W-What are you trying to tell me?"
"I can't specify, my love. All I can say is that, within the next few weeks, you will meet several kids of your own age. Each of them will be able to tell you a little about yourself, but only if you help them in return."
"And that will help me remember?"
Alma laughed.
"Love, try to think out of the box, if you will! Imagine that nothing here is real and everything is fake."
"Oh." I looked down, my brows furrowing.
"And, please, don't be hostile towards Anya. She's in your shoes. Also, the knight that came in to relieve her- trust him. He's one of my greatest allies. Nathaniel is his name. He is one of the realest things in this entire palace, other than myself."
"So...trust no one except for you and Nathaniel?"
"Yes. Even Queen Snow and her husband. They...they know what they're doing. But they have no choice in the matter. Anything that they tell you is a lie. But don't let your distrust show. That will only do more to hurt you."
Alma leaned forward, grabbing me by my shoulders. Her expression was stoic and serious, her eyes finding mine.
"And, no matter what, do not trust-"
Suddenly, a loud beating came from the bedroom door. They flew open to reveal a disheveled knight, his hair spiky and his eyes a deep brown.
"Alma! The king and queen are waiting on you!" He exclaimed, an accent thick in his voice.
Alma pulled away, smirking.
"You can trust this skinny strip of an idiot, too."
Dinner was as awkward for me as I had imagined it was going to be. But, keywords: for me.
King Charming avoided all awkwardness by trying to fill in all the gaps in my memories. He told me of times when I was a child up to my very last birthday (Apparently, I'm fifteen. Though my birthday is in a week, Snow tells me). There are stories of temper tantrums and sickeningly sweet moments between the three of us. The stories are supposed to benefit me but, to be honest, it only makes me want to leave this place as soon as possible.
But I can't leave. Because this is home and I will forever be accompanied by my- her -knight.
"Are we the only people of royalty in this castle?" I ask steadily, trying to shake the shyness from my voice.
"No, there's one other. She is the one who found you in the woods outside of the castle. You both get along quite well. You called her 'Coco' as a child, but you've grown accustomed to her real name since the age of nine." Snow informed, wiping at the corners of her mouth with a napkin. "Right now, she's off to another kingdom, trying to form...alliances."
"Oh? Is she of relation to yourself?"
"She's my step-great-grandmother. Or, she almost was, if it hadn't been for her pesky daughter refusing to marry my father. Claimed to love another, Regina did." Snow shook her head disappointedly.
Regina. Familiar.
"What is her name? Well, the one that I now call her, that is."
"Cora."
A woman crept up to Snow's door silently, standing for a few moments before beating her fist on it lightly. She scowled as she noticed the light flicker from the crack at the bottom of the door. The scowl left her face as quickly as it had disappeared and replaced itself with a soft smile.
"Cora," Snow gasped as she opened the door. Out of anyone, she hadn't expected that woman to be standing there.
"Ah, little Snow White. Look at how much you've grown!" Cora exclaimed, clapping her hands together.
"No, Cora. Go back to Fairytale Land. Just leave us be."
"Why, Snow, you don't even know what I'm here about!"
Charming walked to the door, trying to see who had decided to visit at such a late hour.
In the end, he wished he hadn't. He had never seen the woman in person, though he had heard about her briefly from Snow. What little she told him spoke volumes of the horrible person Cora truly was.
"Oh, you must be Prince Charming!" Cora gasped, staring up at him. "How handsome you are!"
"King. King Charming." He cleared his throat, looking away from her.
"No reason to be afraid, you two. I'm not here to hurt anyone."
"I'm not afraid of anyone. Especially you." Snow frowned, hissing her words.
Cora smirked, ignoring her.
"Now, I'm not expecting to be invited inside, but I'm here to tell you about a little plot I have...for revenge."
"Against who?!"
Cora's smirk turned into a deep smile, her eyes darkening.
"My daughter. Regina."
"We could never! Not when-" Snow began. Unfortunately, Cora interrupted her.
"Not when your own daughter is so madly in love with her?" Cora tsk'd, shaking her head slowly. "You know you still feel vengeance for my daughter. Luckily, so do I. Do you not want your daughter back? She has succumbed for evil. She fell for your worst enemy, completely dishonoring the Charming name! Do not tell me you have no spite for Regina."
Snow was quiet once again, dropping her eyes to look at the ground.
"We've come to terms with who Emma fell in love with. It wasn't her choice." The black haired woman said finally, though there was a waver in her voice that just didn't sit right.
"Well, if you don't want to settle the score with Regina..." Cora turned around, walking away from the door slowly.
"Wait!" Charming shouted, trying to get Cora's attention. "Just come back for a moment."
"Charming!" Mary Margret gasped. "We are not siding with her!"
"Listen, Snow. This is a chance to get revenge on Regina for all that she has done to us. Do you not wish for that?"
"Every day." Snow gulped, frowning. "But that doesn't mean I would act upon it. There are many things that she has done wrong, yes, but I have done many things wrong too."
"Like what?" Charming asked, growing ill.
"Telling Cora about Daniel, Regina's love. If I hadn't told her..." Snow spoke of Cora as if the woman wasn't even standing in front of her. Cora suppressed a scoff.
"I still would've killed him. It's quite simple, Child. I already knew about Daniel and Regina. I was only testing you." Cora smiled.
"Wait- you already knew?!"
"Of course. I knew of everything that went on in those stables. Ripping them apart was always my plan, but I decided to wait it out...to test your loyalty."
"So...he would've died anyway. Nothing would've changed."
"Snow, let me remind you. Regina is evil. Once you become evil, regardless of any redemption that you go through, that evil remains."
"See, Snow? Regina is still evil."
The black haired woman was quiet for a long moment before responding.
"...No. I can't do it."
Suddenly, with a flick of Cora's wrist, Charming and Snow flew backwards, falling deeper into the house.
"If you do not help me," Cora pulled a heart from the bag hidden beneath her layers of dress. "Then someone must die."
"Who's heart is that!?" Snow exclaimed, standing to try and snatch it back from Cora.
"Oh, who knows. Perhaps it belongs to that wolf. Maybe it belongs to one of those orphans. Even worse, perhaps it's Henry's." Cora shot Snow a sidewards glance. "I guess we'll have to find out, now won't we?"
Cora gripped the heart tighter and tighter, until-
"Stop!" Snow shouted, reaching out to the woman. Her grip released.
"W-we'll...we'll help you. Just, please, don't kill Henry. And at least let Emma love Regina to the very end. Evil or not, true love cannot be denied."
Cora cackled, stuffing the heart back into the confines of her several layers of dress.
"And that's where we differ, Snow. No one truly needs love. But, yes. I'll agree with your terms. Regina and Emma are meant for a happily ever after in the end. That's the way it was written. And who can mess with the words of the author?"
Charming nodded slowly and Snow looked down.
"Do you need a place to hide?"
"Thank you, Charming. But I have my own means of living. I'll be back tomorrow night to speak specifics."
Cora disappeared from their sight, a cloud of black smoke surrounding her.
"I...I hope we did the right thing." Snow whispered, turning to embrace her husband.
"I'm certain we did. Don't worry, Snow. Everything will be alright," Charming smiled down at her, wrapping his arm around her as he led her back into the house.
A cat scurried off into the darkness of the night, returning to the orphanage quickly.
'It's starting sooner than I thought. Where is that pesky rabbit?'
Those dreams. They were getting worse.
Finny yawned as she walked sluggishly to the diner, rubbing her eyes fervently.
"Are you sure you're alright, Finn?" Anya asked, looking down at the shorter girl.
"Yeah, Anya. I'm fine. Just a bit tired."
"Yeah. Every night since we've moved here, you've had to be woken up because of nightmares. No wonder why you're sleepy. You're not getting any sleep."
Finny shook her head, petting Jade tenderly. Anya noticed that even the cat seemed tired.
"I promise I'm getting sleep, Anya. And they're not nightmares. They're just dreams."
"Yeah, sure. Dreams that wake you up sobbing."
"I just..." Finny shook her head, dropping her eyes to the cat that had fallen asleep in her arms.
"We can drop it if you want, Finn. No biggie." Anya said, staring at Finny through the corners of her eyes.
"Thanks." Finny muttered.
Anya frowned.
'What's up with her?'
Jefferson watched them as they walked down the street, his eyes glued to the cat in Finny's hands.
Finny plopped down on Henry's castle, laying out so she was staring at the sky.
Lately, even as she daydreamed, all she could think about were those stupid dreams. Every time she closed her eyes, the dream continued where it had left off. At first, she just dealt with it. But things had gotten worse. Sleeping was meant for resting. Yet, for the past week, she felt like the more she slept, the more tired she became.
So, basically, she could sleep but she'd only wake up deathly tired. But if she didn't sleep, the results would be worse.
Her wrist twitched.
"Oh, Finny!" She heard Henry exclaim from the base of the castle.
"Hey, Henry." Finny didn't look at him.
"Is this your cat?"
Emma.
Finny shot up, watching as Jade rubbed up against Emma's leg affectionately.
"Y-yeah. Sorry." Finny spoke quietly, calling for her cat. Jade looked up, meowing quietly, and hopped up into Finny's lap.
"She's cute. Where did you find her?" Emma asked, stepping forward to pet Jade.
"She found me, more like. Just appeared on the porch." Finny yawned.
Emma's eyebrow rose.
"You tired?"
Finny nodded.
"Maybe you should try going to bed earlier, Kid."
'Doubt it.'
But, instead of saying that, Finny only nodded, shrugging.
Emma stared at the girl, noticing the dark bags under her eyes. They weren't there the day before and Emma doubted that Finny had collected such an abundance of bags in one night. The sheriff's face scrunched up in worry. Henry glanced between the two of them silently. They held each other's gaze, though Finny didn't look like she was really looking at Emma. She looked dazed, as if she weren't quite sure what she was staring at. Suddenly, she broke the gaze, her head turning towards him.
"Henry. You said something about completing that book, right? Mind if I start now? It'll help me get my mind off some things and help you finish that book." Finny winked.
Henry's face erupted into a wide smile and he immediately pulled the book from his bag.
"Here, Finny!"
Emma stepped away, trying to erase the worry off of her face.
"Listen, Finn. We're holding a town hall meeting around five. Can you stop by the diner and tell Alma and the others? I don't really have the time right now. I'm taking Henry to Sn-my mom's house."
"Sure. I can do that." Finny agreed, smiling softly.
"Oh, and," Emma spoke excitedly. "If you want, you can come over after the meeting tonight. It ends at six, so just be at our house a little afterwards. We want you to have dinner with us and I, personally, want to see how good you are at running red lights and smashing into the side of buildings."
Finny laughed, nodding.
"I'll come by. It'll be fun. I just hope..." She trailed off, standing and clutching the book in her arms. "I'll be there." She gave Emma a wide smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
'Familiar'
"Oh, I'll take Jade with me to Mary Margret's so you can actually get into the diner!" Henry exclaimed, picking the cat up. "They love animals but, unfortunately, the rest of the town doesn't exactly agree with them being near the food."
Emma laughed lightly at how ironic that was.
"Sure, why not. I'll just pick her up from your house when I come by." She shrugged nonchalantly, waving at the two as they started to walk away.
'I need to write.'
Beauty and the Beast.
It had been one of her favorites as a child. The idea of a beautiful lady falling in love with, not only a hideous beast, but a horrid man, was interesting. To think that someone could have that much compassion and didn't have to judge based on the outside was amazing.
You didn't see it happen as often in real life.
But, as she read through the pages that gave the story of Beauty and the Beast, Finny could only say one thing:
It wasn't appealing in the slightest. It seemed to go far into the beast's story but it didn't tell much about Belle. Not to mention, they threw the role of the beast to Rumpelstiltskin, a man who was no monster. He was a man who created monsters. A man who created them and never stood up to the consequences of his actions. A coward, to say the least. Plus, he threw Belle away for fear of losing his power. He never wanted Belle to help him. He never wanted to change.
You can't have your cake and eat it, too, Rumple.
Finny narrowed her eyes. The Beauty deserved much more. A beast that she could actually help; one that actually wanted to be helped.
Finny flipped through a few more stories, reading over them. She knew all of them by heart, the corners of her mouth falling down as she looked over the printed words and faceless pictures.
'Red Riding Hood'
Suddenly, with a flick of her wrist, Finny started writing.
"Thanks for watching him, mom."
Snow was more than happy to watch her grandson. She just had to get him back home before Cora showed up...
"Do you want me to drop him off at Regina's before the town meeting? Surely he doesn't want to go and sit through that..."
"Nope, too boring." Henry scrunched up his nose.
"Yeah, that's fine." Emma nodded, smiling at her mother.
"Hey, that cat...is it the one that the orphan girl was trying to find a home for?"
"Yeah, her name's Finny. She decided to keep her. The cat's name is Jade."
Snow knew that's probably where she had last seen the cat, but she couldn't shake the lingering feeling that she had seen it after that, possibly wandering the streets? The cat tilted its head slightly at her lingering gaze.
"So, what's Regina bringing up in this meeting?"
"Well, of course, I'm sure you felt that weird...sensation yesterday?" Snow nodded and Emma continued. "Well, that's coming up. And also, Mr. Gold skipped town, so we're assuming it had something to do with him."
Snow gasped.
"He...he left Storybrooke?!"
"Yup, apparently so. Either that or he's decided to start living in the woods. We're going to see if Belle knows of his whereabouts. Though, I doubt she'll know. So that'll be coming up at the meeting." Emma informed, frowning.
"Well, we all know Rumpelstiltskin..." Snow sighed, her face falling. "Listen, Emma..."
"Yeah?"
"About...Regina..."
Emma sighed, shaking her head.
"Listen, Mom. We've already talked about this. Actually, this is old news. Why is this being brought back up? It doesn't need to be."
"Well, there are new circumstances."
"New circumstances? Listen, I don't even want to know." Emma frowned, making her way to the front door. "See you later, Snow."
"Emma! Look." Snow rushed forward, grabbing Emma's wrist. "I can't explain anything. It would...I'm not supposed to."
She looked down, taking a deep breath.
"Just...Emma. Just be careful."
Emma turned around, looking at her mother. Confusion and anger spread across her features, but she only nodded in response before exiting the apartment.
Jade hopped from Henry's arms, slowly sashaying up to Mary Margret. The cat purred, rubbing her back against the woman's leg. Henry smiled despite witnessing that adult's conversation.
He didn't want to be reminded of who his mother used to be.
"I can't believe Gold up and left Storybrooke!" Ruby shouted, leaning against the diner's counter. "He didn't even tell Belle where he was going!"
"Must not take the relationship that seriously." Anya sighed, twirling the straw around in her iced tea. Her eyes shifted to the shape of Finny, who sat beside of her. The girl's right hand was frantically writing, almost as if her life depended on it. And maybe it does. Anya decided not to ask what she was writing. Some things were meant to stay secret. Though she could make out Finny's messy handwriting on the paper.
"Think of it this way, Rubes. This is your chance to move in for the kill." Anya winked lazily, flashing a wide grin.
"If only you knew, Anya." Ruby narrowed her eyes, looking towards the clock. "Hey, Finny, you said that the meeting was at five today, right?"
"Yeah. That's what Emma said." Finny spoke quickly, not even managing to look up from the piece of paper in front of her.
And, thus, Anya's curiosity got the best of her.
"Finn, what are you doing over there, anyways?"
"Nothing much. Just writing."
"Oh."
Both Anya and Ruby stared at her for a few seconds, watching her hand flutter from line to line.
"So...you gonna tell us what you're writing or what?"
Finny stopped writing, closing her book quickly. She glanced at the two who were now closer to her shoulder, peering over it.
"It's nothing. Just a little...change that I'm thinking of making. I have to get Henry's approval though."
"Cool." Anya sighed, annoyed at the lack of trust.
That's how it had been lately. She was slowly losing Finny...and she couldn't figure out why.
Ruby glanced between the two, worry creasing on her brows.
"Anyways...it's about five. We ought to get going. You coming, Finny?"
"No, I think I'll just...I don't really want to go. I think...I think I'm just going to head on home. See you guys later."
Finny slipped from the stool, tenderly grabbing her papers and Henry's book. Ruby and Anya watched her leave, a silence crossing over the diner as she walked out of the door.
"Alright, Anya. What's wrong with you two? Lovers spat?" Ruby smirked, her hands on her hips.
Anya sighed, looking away from Finny's retreating form.
"I love Finny, Ruby. Just not like that. She's been my best friend for as long as I can remember." Anya shrugged. "I just feel like I'm losing her. She won't tell me anything."
"What's there to tell? You guys live together."
"...well, her dreams...nightmares, more like. I have to wake her up every night because she's either sobbing or screaming or whimpering in her sleep. It awoke Alma once. Since she didn't know the dreams were reoccurring, she wasn't too worried. But...I have to share a room with Finny. And I know what's going on."
This caught Ruby's attention, the woman standing straighter as she listened.
"Does Finny recall her dreams?"
Anya nodded slowly.
"Yeah. She claims she does. Though she won't tell me what goes on in them. She used to tell me everything. I used to be able to read her like an open book. Now I can't even figure out what's going on in that fucking head of hers." Ruby watched Anya hiss those words, her face contorting in anger.
"Perhaps the book has closed. I'm sure she has her reasons, Anya." The older woman spoke gently, wrapping her arm around Anya's shoulders and leading her out of the diner.
"Yeah, I guess. It isn't like Finny to do something like this on purpose. I just want her to remember that she can trust me. I could never hurt her. And now she's writing again. She hasn't attempted to write anything since the week she first arrived at the coop. After that, she never wrote anything serious."
"Why's that? Does she not like to write?"
"Well, it's difficult to explain. She admitted to me once that she longed to be an author, but she isn't able to be one. Before she came to the orphanage, there was a tragic accident and she lost the ability to use her left arm. Unfortunately, that's her dominant hand. After months of rehabilitation programs and learning, she was able to use her left arm again. But she still wasn't able to write as well as she used to, before the accident. Even when she tried to type, her left hand just wasn't having too much of it."
"She also loved to draw, but that's even worse than writing, so she lost that ability as well. The book Henry gave her to complete...it must be pretty important to her. Because now she's trying to use her right hand. And that's almost like starting over."
"That's horrible." Ruby frowned, chewing her bottom lip. "I wish I could help her."
"That's how I feel." Anya nodded silently. "I don't want her to have to go through anything like that ever again. I want her to realize that she's safe...and that I'll protect her."
Ruby smirked.
"Sounds like love to me."
Finny flounced onto the couch, staring blankly at the wall in front of her.
She should've gone to that town meeting. She should tell Anya about her dreams. She should tell Henry the truth about the book. She should tell Alma the truth about her family's death.
But, at the same time, she was a new resident and didn't belong at any town meeting. Her dreams would only hurt Anya and lead to more distrust. Henry probably wouldn't believe her about the book; plus, how else would he find out about the truth? And Alma probably already knew.
Alma knew everything.
It had all started when she had her biggest fight with her best friend. Life after that...it fell off course. All the people she loved slowly, one by one, turned against her. They betrayed her in every way possible. Even her own mother, who claimed to love her without reason. Who claimed to love her regardless of what she was or the decisions that she would make.
Her mother who claimed that she would always be there for her, only to turn her back when she was most needed.
What hurt the most, however, was being able to think such horrible things and not even feel any emotion about them. She couldn't remember the last time she cried, let alone mourned for her family.
That was enough thinking for today.
She glanced at the clock, frowning at how early it was. Another hour until she was to be at Henry's house. Another hour until she had the same feeling of familiarity again.
The feeling of familiarity sure was happening a lot in this town.
"Hey, Finny." Sarah spoke excitedly, rushing down the stairs clumsily. "Are you going to the town meeting?"
Finny shook her head quickly, her face turning red. She had hoped that no one would be home.
"How do you feel about exploring the woods? Lola and I were just about to go. Come with us!"
Finny now saw Lola climbing down the stairs behind Sarah, her face only a little less excited as the blonde's.
After a moment's consideration, Finny nodded, standing quickly.
"Good!" Sarah exclaimed, grabbing her coat. "Lets skedaddle then! Adventure waits for no one, as far as I'm concerned."
"Hold on, Sarah. I have to get my shoes!" Lola exclaimed, calling out after the girl.
But Sarah was already out the door.
Mr. Gold entered the tall building quickly, glancing around for a reception desk.
"Hello there. I'm Mr. Gold and I have an appointment." He spoke charmingly, a crooked smile working its way upon his face.
The receptionist's fingers clacked around on her computer for a few moments, solidifying Gold's words.
"I see. Go on in. They're expecting you."
"Thank you." Gold gave another smile, turning to head for the door behind the receptionist.
He gripped the book under his arm tightly.
This was something that he wasn't supposed to do. This was the biggest rule over all of the rules. And who was he to challenge the creator?
As he walked through the large wooden doors, he felt a sense of power rush through his body. Once man sat at a desk, the other pacing the room. Gold smirked, glad that he was still able to get this reaction out of people.
"You," The man pacing the room stopped, glaring at Gold as the door shut behind him. "You were never supposed to come back."
"And you, both of you, were supposed to hold onto your end of the deal." Gold smiled. "But ya didn't, did ya?"
Both men were silent.
"Sit, Rumpelstiltskin. We need to discuss this." The more composed man who was sitting at the desk directed.
"Honestly, there's nothing to discuss."
But Gold sat down anyhow.
"You really need to leave."
"And you really need to age." Gold placed his finger on his chin in thought. "Oh wait. If you aged, you'd both turn to dust itself."
"...alright, Rumple. We did what you asked us to. We-"
"No, you didn't." Gold leaned forward, slamming the book on the desk.
"If you did your jobs, then why is everything out of order?! Why are they already in Storybrooke? The rabbit isn't even there yet. It's out of order, William!" Gold exclaimed, shooting a look to the man, William, who sat behind his desk.
"This is not something that we can help. Even you must remember that the rabbit is never on time. Even with our prodding, that animal would be late. This is its personality is, remember? This is how its character was written."
"I told you to be in Storybrooke with that stupid rabbit the moment the curse was broken. That was the final part of our deal. After that, you'd both be free. But you couldn't even do that."
"Listen. This wasn't our fault-"
"Yes it was, Jakob. It is all your fault. And, now, I'm losing my love to an actual beast! A wolf!"
"Wow, Rumple. I didn't think it got any worse than you." Jakob cackled, crossing his arms.
And, suddenly, Gold was across the room, shoving Jakob against the wall and gripping his collar.
"The book is changing, Jakob! The stories are being changed back into their original forms! All because you couldn't keep up your end of the deal. In only a matter of time, little miss Felicity herself will change the story of the Grimm brothers. I assure you that you'll be in her dreams soon enough. And, after that, depending on how she liked you, you'll either get to stay in...or be written out!"
"W-wait," William rushed over to his brother, peeling Gold off of him. "The author has already arrived? Does she remember?"
"Yes, she has arrived. Why do you think I'm here? The two of you mean nothing to me. I could care less about you. But you're messing up the time line. And not only does this affect me badly, but it also jeopardizes your lives. Lets keep that in perspective, shall we?"
Jakob instantly straighted out his shirt, clearing his throat. William quickly made his way back over to his desk, grabbing a box.
"Alright, Rumple. I understand now. Lets get going. We're to find the rabbit, correct?"
Gold smirked.
"Yes. Though, I assure you, it won't be so hard to find. We just need to get it to Storybrooke before Cora strikes."
William straightened up.
"You never spoke of her. She's in Storybrooke? I thought she was pushed into Wacky world."
"She's a smart woman, William. And you don't have to worry about her. That heart of yours isn't exactly with you at the moment. That was traded away quite some time ago, now wasn't it?"
"We will not speak of that." Jakob snapped, clenching his fists as he walked towards the door.
"No. I suppose there isn't any reason to speak of something that no longer exists. It's merely a waste of words."
William glanced at the older man, shaking his head slightly.
"We don't regret anything."
"I never said you did, William. The only thing either of you had to live for was each other. And when it all boils down to it, that ends up being lonely company, does it not?"
William opened his mouth to reply, only to find himself snapping it closed.
"...off we go."
"Indeed."
Finny walked along the sidewalk, rubbing at her eyes. The woods were as boring as they were cracked out to be and the only thing that seemed even remotely interesting was that unfinished little building in the woods. Of course Sarah wanted to explore that as well, which only meant going inside of it. That's when Finny decided to take her leave. There was something about that little room that felt off, and if there was anything waiting for them inside, she'd rather not get caught up with it.
She walked quickly and diligently, managing to keep her head low enough to avoid catching people's stares.
That is, until she stepped in front of someone. More like, he stepped out in front of her.
"Oh, sorry." He muttered, turning to look at her.
"It's alright." She mumbled, her hand immediately finding her bracelets.
"Hey! You're the one with that cat, right?"
This caused Finny to look up, into the eyes of a total stranger.
"Y-yeah,"
The man smiled wanly.
"She's a lovely cat. Just, let me warn you, she's also a trickster. Chances are, one day, she'll run off and never come back. I used to leave out food for her all the time. I had once wished that I could've taken her in, but she just never seemed like that type of cat. If you can get her to be domesticated, good for you. But I never could." He held out his hand. "Jefferson,"
"Finny." The girl slipped her hand into Jefferson's, shaking it quickly.
"Oh, and this is my daughter, Grace."
"H-hi, Grace." Finny smiled down at the younger girl. "I'm Finny."
"That's a funny name." Grace giggled. "But you can call me Gracie. I prefer that over Grace."
"Yeah, my name is quite funny." Finny smiled.
"Well, we ought to get going, Finny. It was nice meeting you." Jefferson gave a nod, placing his hand on the small of Grace's back, leading her as they walked away.
'Alright. Now, lets hurry and get to Henry's. I don't wanna be late...'
Finny jogged off, not noticing as Jefferson turned to stare at her as she did.
"...August is going to love this."
"Finny!" Henry exclaimed, shooting into her arms before she even had a chance to step onto the porch. "I'm glad you came!"
"Well...I hope I wasn't late..."
"Of course you weren't. Mom just said that dinner's going to be finished cooking in ten minutes. You're right on time!" He grabbed her hand, leading her inside. Once inside, Finny couldn't help but blink in wonder.
It was quite a big house for only three people.
"Mom! Emma! Finny's here!" Henry shouted.
Finny could hear the sounds of pots sizzling and slight cursing from the kitchen.
"Emma..." She heard Regina sigh. Suddenly, the woman was walking through the corridor, an apron around her body and a wide smile plastered on her face.
"Finny! I noticed you weren't at the meeting today. Why didn't you come?"
"I figured that...ya know...you guys wouldn't want a bunch of orphans swamping your town hall. Sarah and Lola stayed behind too."
"Actually, the only orphans who came were Anya, Cosette, Jack, and Gus. Ishai wasn't there, either." Regina's eyebrow quirked upwards.
"Oh, well, sometimes he just...leaves. He always come back. He was on the streets when Alma found him. It's something...familiar for him. Safe." Finny explained. "We all have things that we do or places that we can rely on to make us feel safe. Cosette has her tutu, Jack has Gus and Gus has Jack, Sarah has her hairbrush, and Lola...well, she values her legs. Oh, and Anya has Alma."
"What about you?" Henry asked suddenly.
"Oh," Finny hesitated for a moment. "I don't have one."
"Well," Emma interjected, walking through the corridor. "We'll just have to find you one, now won't we?"
"Hey, Finn." She ruffled Finny's hair, holding up a bandaged finger. "I was trying to help 'Gina cook, but I ended up cutting my finger."
"And this is why we leave the cooking to me." Regina spoke sarcastically, smiling at Emma.
"Hey! I'm a good cook. ...Most of the time, anyway." Emma gave a crooked smile.
"Yeah, my favorite is her runny eggs and burnt toast." Henry laughed.
"I hope your finger's alright..." Finny glanced at it before smiling along with the rest of them. "But I suppose I'll have to try your food, if it's so famous. Burnt or not."
"And I'll make sure you get to."
"So, you took a chainsaw to her apple tree?!" Finny exclaimed, crying out in laughter.
"Yup! I took that chainsaw and completely whacked off part of the tree."
"It was the first time I felt something for her. Though, unfortunately, it wasn't quite reciprocated." Regina smiled.
"It took a little longer for me to realize that I was in love with her." Emma crinkled her nose.
"That's hilarious! They do say that there's a thin line between love and hate, after all."
Regina had fixed lasagna, much to Finny's excitement. It had been delicious. But now, they were sitting in the lounge, chatting on the couch while Henry set up the game system. Jade relaxed on Regina's lap, purring softly as the woman ran her fingers through the cat's fluffy fur.
"I see you like Jade. And she likes you too." Finny smiled, wringing her hands in her lap.
"Now, I'm no Snow White," This was obviously an inside joke between the two. Finny noticed them glance at each other, smirking. Emma playfully elbowed Regina's arm. "But I do like cats."
Jade snuggled deeper into Regina's lap, almost as if she understood the woman.
"OK, it's hooked up and ready to be played!" Henry exclaimed, walking over with three remote controllers.
"You're not playing?" Emma glanced at Regina, her brows furrowed.
"Oh, no. I'm horrible at video games. They aren't really my thing."
Emma shrugged.
"Oh well. Greater chance that I'll beat Finny."
"Yeah, I doubt it." Finny scoffed, gripping her controller excitedly.
"I'm pretty sure that I'm the best, you guys." Henry smirked, raising a brow as he looked at the both of them.
Emma reached out, ruffling his hair.
"I'm sure you are, Kid. But I have had more experience, after all."
"But Emma, you've never had anyone to play with. So you don't know how to win against other people."
"That's right, I guess. But multi-player is pretty Mickey Mouse.. Plus, if that were true, wouldn't it apply to you as well?"
"True. Finny, do you have experience?"
"Yeah, actually. My sister and I used to play-" Finny stopped mid sentence, blinking. She took a deep breath. "We used to play all the time."
"Oh. I didn't know you that you have a sister. How old is she?" Henry asked, staring at Finny as he waited for the game screen to finish loading.
"She was ten. Would've been eleven in December." Finny gave a half smile, her gaze fixed to the television screen. Regina noticed the 'was'.
Past tense.
"My age."
Finny nodded slowly.
"Yup. She was exactly like you."
"What happened to her?" Henry asked, deciding not to drop the subject. Emma glanced at Regina worriedly.
"Now, Henry, that isn't something you ask-"
"No, Regina, it's OK." Finny smiled, dropping her gaze back to Henry.
"See, Henry, my sister had her flaws. Yet, I still loved her. But, one day, my mother had to leave. And, of course, she took my sister with her. Unfortunately, she told me that I wasn't allowed to come with them...not just yet, anyways. So that's what happened to her. I'll see her again one day, I'm sure of it, but I just don't think that it'll be anytime soon." She reached out, ruffling Henry's hair. "So that's why we have to become really good friends, OK? It gets a little lonely, not having a younger sibling to look after."
"I'll just have to step up to the plate." Henry smiled up at her, eyes shining. "Anyways, who's ready to get their butts beat at Mario Cart?!"
Emma whooped, throwing her arm into the air.
"I am!"
Finny smiled tenderly. If anything, she knew that she was not getting beaten today. Regina stared at her silently, her admiration for the young girl growing stronger.
All she had to do was say that her sister was dead.
"Cora-! You came back."
"Did you think I wouldn't show?"
Snow pushed Cora inside of the apartment, quickly closing the door behind her. Cora sat on a couch, her hands falling into her lap properly.
"Where's Charming?" She asked, looking around curiously.
"He should be home in about ten minutes." Snow spoke nervously, wringing her hands on the apron tied around her waist. "Do you want anything to drink?"
"Water. It's been a long day." Cora sighed, her eyes following Snow as she walked into the kitchen.
Snow was sure that those ten minutes were as long as Cora's day. In those minutes, the woman actually tried to catch up to Snow, asking about Emma and life in Storybrooke. It was only natural that when James walked through the front door, Snow ran into his arms.
"Oh, Cora. You're here." He nodded towards the woman on the couch, laying his coat on the arm of a chair.
"Yes. I was waiting for both of you to get home so I could tell the specifics of our plan. But it seems like I got here a bit too early, so Snow and I were just catching up."
"Oh. Well, thank you for waiting."
Cora smiled grimly.
"You're quite welcome."
Snow scoffed.
"Lets just get on with it, shall we? I already hate that we have to do this."
Cora paused a moment before starting.
"The root of this plan has to do with the orphans. They are the key to this. If you remember that ominous feeling that overcame you yesterday, that was because the eldest orphan opened the box of hope and despair. That box was only supposed to be opened after all the keys had fallen into place. Thus, since the orphans are they keys, the box was only to be opened after the orphans had remembered their true identities."
Cora sipped her water, soothing her throat.
"But the events are out of order. The only way for Regina to suffer is to intensify the curse that the box has placed over the town. The box is of hope and despair. As of yesterday, the ability to leave town has been opened. That is the hope. The despair, however, is the new curse that's been placed over the town."
"And that is?"
"The author of the book. Whoever this person is, they've returned. And, with the despair, anything that they write will come true. That is their power, whether they realize it or not."
"How does this make Regina suffer?"
"Well, that's not quite the reason. That's part of the second stage of the plan, which I will address at a later date.. The first part, however, is to get each orphan to remember. Oh, and, I almost forgot. There is one other thing."
Cora leaned forward, frowning.
"The orphans are the key, yet only when they remember. But there are certain events that will unlock their memories. We have to find a few other key elements. The Cheshire Cat, the Courage-less lion, the one with no heart, the one who doesn't know right from wrong, the Duchess, the March Hare, and that pesky White Rabbit."
"And those are humans...?"
"Yes. And, no worries. The two of you will remember over time. This quest will be quite easy, I assure you. Regardless of how difficult it truly sounds."
"Wait. What is the second stage of the plan?" Snow asked, her voice shaky.
"Well...we must kill them. All of the keys. And, after they are dead, we will all get the happy ending that we very much deserve."
"Kill the orphans?! But Henry's so attached to that Finny girl... I thought we agreed that Henry wouldn't get affected by this!"
"We agreed that the child wouldn't die. And he won't. But I can't help if he gets attached to a key element of this plot. It might be better that way, actually."
"And why is that?! So you can get better satisfaction as you tear his only friend away from him?!"
"No, my dear. This way, Regina can get close to her. And Regina...well, after that, Regina can remember."
Cora smirked.
And then, I'll get my revenge.
Hopefully I can give you guys a description of Cora's revenge when I sort it all out. There's a lot of thought going to be placed into this story, and so my brain really hurts. But that's ok. Because it's all worth it! :D
Also, if anyone's interested (Though I doubt you are) and you're a fan of the show 'Reba', I'm thinking about writing some one-shots of Barbara Jean/Reba Femslash. Because I ship them, OK? And there just isn't enough fanfiction of those two together... :/
Anyways, way off topic. Sorry. I hope you enjoyed it~! :D