The Phony King

"Are you sure you don't want to go with us." Dad asked as he was pulling on his jacket, looking at my mom. I peeked through my eyelashes at her as I pulled my scarf on. She had collected herself, but all the makeup had rubbed off around her eyes. She shook her head, giving both of us a weak smile. I hated how I didn't know what to say to her. "Ok then," He said, crossing over to her and kissing her. "We'll just be headed off."

We closed the door behind us and walked out to the car. "Here," I looked up in time to catch the keys. "You drive."

"Really?!" I asked, lighting up. Normally, for rent day, my dad drove, unless it happened to fall on my birthday or another holiday and then I could drive. It was a big deal. I grinned from ear to ear as I slid into the driver's seat and started the car.

We sat comfortably in silence as I pulled onto the main road. Collecting rent, this was pre Emma, pre savior. It was also pre mom and that made me feel guilty, but i pushed that feeling away. This was so nice, such a normal, mundane part of my life. Peace crept through my bones and I let out a big sigh.

"Robin," He spoke up, looking uncomfortable. "How are you?" The weight of his question fell on me and I considered it. I swung my eyes back to the road, thinking through my answer carefully. This was my dad; I could tell him anything, but this? How I had felt every second since Neverland?

A black car, most likely driven by Ruby, whipped around the corner, driving about twenty miles over the speed limit. She passed so close she almost clipped the side mirror.

I inhaled sharply, my heart pumping into overdrive. No, no, no, no, not now. I held my breath as I started to panic. You are fine, come on Robin, you are fine. It was just a car. It was just Ruby in a car, you are ok, you are not hurt. This isn't the forest, this isn't Neverland; you are ok.

It was too late; I gripped the wheel so tight it hurt my hands, trying to stop myself from shaking. My head was spinning and I let my breath out slow, trying not to alarm my dad. I had to get out of here; I needed a place where I could scream and cry and not scare anyone. Stay calm, just stay calm.

A dull hum filled my ears and it was like I couldn't see, like a thick glaze had dropped over my eyes. I needed to run, to get away before I or anyone around me got hurt. I could hear Rumpelstiltskin talking to me, but I couldn't distinguish the words. I was choking, choking of fear and panic. I tried; no complete thoughts, all a big mess, calm down, not an arrow, safe, you are safe.

I had to stop the car; I needed to stop the car. I pulled over to the side of the road, and parked. Throwing open the door, "I'm going to get the rent!" I gasped, running away from the car, opening the door to what turned out to be Granny's diner. I collapsed at the nearest booth and buried my face in my hands. I gripped and pulled on my hair.

Get a grip. I chanted over and over, trying to calm and even out my breathing. It took a minute, and I pushed it all down. It wasn't gone, but it was still lurking in all the dark areas of my heart, just waiting.

I stood up and straightened my jacket, hiding my still trembling hands in my pocket. This was getting worse, it wasn't just my nightmares and memories that set me off now; it was everything. No, I wouldn't let it; I just needed to calm down. I felt ashamed, what was wrong with me?

I looked out the window at my dad, he couldn't see all the way into the shop so he hadn't seen my episode. He looked so disappointed, and it was so bewildering that it took me a minute to realize...

The diner was always last on the list, so when we were collecting rent we could end our rounds with lunch together. A tradition we had never broken, even when I was a baby. And with how I avoided his question, he probably thought I didn't want to talk to him.

I wanted to talk to him so bad, he just couldn't know about this, about me. So I held my head as high as I could. There were not many people in the diner, but the ones who were looked at me with disgust.

These were people who had liked me when we were cursed. People who had turned on me the moment they realized who my dad was. Now that all the spells had been broken, everyone was wary and distrustful of me, and they believed they had good reason to.

I was not evil; I just needed to collect the rent. I walked up to the counter. Widow Lucas looked over her glasses at me. "What do you want?" Not unkindly, just frankly.

I stuttered over the words. "I'm here t-to collect the rent." She let out a huge sigh, exasperated and bustled off. I stood there, taking several deep breaths. There was no way I could drive home... What was I going to tell my dad?

"Here you go," She returned, holding out an envelope. I reached out and cursed my hand for shaking slightly when I took it. I still held my head high. She gave me the look that one gives an addict: pity, disgust, and concern. She probably thought I was strung out on magic. I pleaded in my head that she would not tell anyone important.

I left, the cold wind biting my cheeks, but it was so oddly refreshing. I went over to his side of the car and he rolled down his window. "Well how was the old bat?' He asked, and I grinned as I handed over the envelope.

"She was fine," I replied, chuckling and feeling better as I did so. "Hey dad?' I asked, nerves, normal nerves though, creeping into my voice. "I really need to just walk around for a bit. Can I collect the rent around the house then head home? I really just need to walk, peace and quiet and whatnot."

I hated to see the crushed look in his eyes, but as he looked me over more carefully he nodded. He understood on some level. "Of course you can." I handed over the keys and he got out.

He stood there looking down at me and then pulled me into a small hug. "You stay safe," His voice thick. "I'll see you at home." I nodded, so grateful of him. I stood there and waved the car off. Then I took a deep breath and turned the opposite direction and started the walk back home.

The cold air felt wonderful, and I pulled my jacket close, arms crossed as I walked down the street. Nobody seemed to be out. The weather was too poor. I liked this. I still wasn't too ready to be around people. A man rounded the corner and I straightened up. I knew this man...

It was Prince John. In the Enchanted forest, he had been Prince John. Here he was the CEO of the fishing company Nathan Griffon. With a big ego and even bigger ears, he lumbered down the street, smoke trailing up from his cigarette. He was a horrible man both worlds, and in all the stories I had read as a kid... He had been the arch nemesis of my father.

My fingers twitched in my pocket, itching to take from him whatever I could. My mind filled with anticipation, and I smiled truly smiled. I was getting closer to him and I made my move.

I went to take a step, not placing my foot down. It 'slid' out from under me and I went crashing down, right into his side. "I am so sorry!" I gasped, scrambling to stand up and pulling his wallet from his coat. "Oh, are you ok? I really didn't mean to do that..." I rambled until he cut me off.

"It's fine," He brushed me off, muttering under his breath as he relit his cigarette storming off. My grin stretched from ear to ear as I walked away, I pulled the wallet out and twirled it around my fingers, and pulled out the money before tossing it away. It felt great.

"Stop, thief!" A voice exploded from behind me. I jumped; surely not. I had never been caught before, never. I started to run, but a strong force collided with me. "You think you can just steal from me and get away with it," He propelled me forward until I hit the wall. The air rushed from my lungs and I waited for my inevitable breakdown. It never came. What was wrong with me, a simple pickpocket, was I truly that messed up?

I was terrified yes, but it was overtaken by this adrenaline, that spread through my veins like wild-fire. "Help!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, trying to get someone's attention. I pulled an arm out of his grasp and swung. It clipped his chin and he growled, actually growled at me.

"Listen here you little..." He swung at me and I ducked, steadily moving back. If I could get to the fire escape in the ally I could get out. Avoiding arrest, this was something I did all the time. I took off running.

As I rounded the corner he caught up to me, grabbing me and slamming me against the wall. "I should have known, just like your type." He was too close, his breath smelled terrible. I tried to get away but the man had a good fifty pounds on me.

"You know nothing about who I am! You're a fake, you have no real power her just like back home!" I spat at him, so angry at him: at who he was and what he did.

He leaned in close and I twisted my head to try and move away. Grabbing a fistful of my hair he forced my head. "Ah, Robin Hood I say, I once knew your father" I glared at him. I was growing panicked, there was no one around. "Nobody here to save you, you know." His leer at me made my heart pound.

Fighting to get away wasn't working, he yanked on my hair, slamming my head on the wall behind me. I tried to blink away stars, "Help!" I cried out again, but with one final pull, he jerked me down to the ground. Everything was all blurry and I tried to open my mouth to scream but it didn't seem to be working. I didn't seem to be feeling right...

"This is for your dear old father," He said, and he acted as if he was going to kick me, I tried to stop the world from spinning.

A person fell out of the sky slamming into him. It took several seconds for me to process that the person was real, very real. It was obviously a man, dressed in old style clothes like the ones I had seen in drawings of the enchanted forest. A navy cloak covered his face; he had shoved Prince John back, punching him in the nose. I tried to get up and help but things spun so much that I just lay there, watching. The two fought before the stranger grabbed a lid off the trashcan, and slammed it over the top of his head.

I saw his fall, and he lay there without moving. I saw a pair of old brown scuffed boots approach me, and the person who had saved me knelt before me. "Are you ok?" It was a kind sounding voice, with helpful arms that pulled me to a standing position.

He smelled like campfire smoke and I could see kind brown eyes from under the hood. "Thank you," I said, alarmed at my slurred speech. I pulled away from him, trying not to sway.

"Hi," He said as I collapsed back into his arms. "How ya doing?" He wrapped his arm around my waist and I felt like I should care more about this than I did. "We need to get you to the hospital." Why the hos-hospital, I fell juss fiine?

It was then the full reality of what had happened hit me. I shoved him back with a gasp, I needed to get home. I needed to get away from all of this. I was maybe steady on my feet, and with growing dread in my stomach, I took off running.

"Wait!" I heard him call, I didn't look back.


"Rumple please stop, there's no point. Don't do this, please, just stay here." My mom begged him, pushing against his chest as he tried to get out the door. I jumped out of the chair and helped her.

"Dad, please, I'm fine. If you go after him, it's only going to make this worse!" I could see the blood lust in his eyes, but at our determined insistence, he stopped fighting us.

My memory had gone hazy after I had taken off running. My mom said she had found me in the bathroom, sitting on the floor, slumped again the wall, with my hair disheveled and my clothes rumpled. I looked blankly at the wall despite her attempt to talk to me.

At that point she had called my dad, hysterical, and he rushed home. They helped me into the kitchen where with a wave of his hand and a cloud of smoke, my head was fixed. I'd had a concussion; once he fixed me I was able to clearly tell them the story.

"You think I'm just going to let him get away with this." he stormed. He was pacing back and forth through the kitchen. "If he thinks he can hurt my family."

"I understand Rumple," She said, sitting next to me and pulling me close, running her hands through my hair, trying to fix it. I didn't pull away from her and closed my eyes; it felt nice. "She's safe, that's all that matters." I leaned into her touch, feeling like I was safe.

This was new; the maternal love. My dad was amazing, but this was so much different, and it made me feel like a little girl. She kept running her hands through my hair, brushing it, being careful of the spot where he had tried to rip it from my skull. It made me want to cry, not because it hurt, my dad had fixed me right up. It was just so nice to be loved, and to know I was loved.

He turned and looked down at the two of us and the anger went out of his gaze. He crossed to us, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Are you sure you're alright?" I nodded.

"Just thirsty." I spoke up, my throat was dry and scratched, like I had been screaming. He moved off at once to get me a drink. "Mom," I said, before I chickened out. I felt ridiculous, what kind of girl asked her mother to hold her because she was upset?

I really didn't know the answer to the question; I was seventeen years old for goodness sake! She was looking at me expectantly. I just leaned against her shoulder. She understood at once, wrapping her arms around me and pulling me close. She kissed the top of my head. "You're going to be fine Robin, I've got you."


Poor girl, eventually guys things will get better for her! I will not end this story sad! Disclaimer: I am just writing what I think PTSD would be like, I don't know first hand...

But that evil man right! But that's ok, because Robin has her own personal savior! So, do you know who her mystery man is? He is one of my favorite Disney characters and I am super excited to write him in as her love interest. He is important and he will be back in chapter five! Gives enough time for the huge surprise in the next bit! Stay tuned for that!

Again, that you so much for reading my story! But please REWIEW so I know what y'all like, what y'all dislike, and what y'all would like to see more of! Until next time! REVIEW!

Angel C.