Disclaimer: I own nothing once upon a time, only Chanda.
Enjoy!
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On the Job
Chanda
Emma had been very interested in meeting Carillon. She'd had her registered, and coded in a matter of minutes and we spent the remainder of the time just, talking. Emma asked her about what the hospital had been like. She didn't have much to say about it.
"I don't remember much; I ate little and slept often. I always had these crazy dreams." Emma clasped her fingers and rested her chin on them.
"That's a little odd, you're not supposed to dream during induced sleeps. What did you dream about?" Carillon looked a bit uncomfortable, and wouldn't meet Emma's gaze.
"A man." I turned to her quickly feeling the curiosity burn in me.
"Really? What'd he look like, what else did you see?" She looked at me surprised, but continued.
"Well, I can't really remember much, but he seemed a bit sickly, his skin had a bit of a green tint to it in all my dreams. I remember mostly a big room with red walls." She sat and thought about it for a while, and I looked at Emma who seemed like she'd seen a ghost. The stories she'd heard from Henry may have sounded similar to her. She'd never heard anyone else talk about details quite so alike. She pulled out her cell and skimmed through the contacts. A muffled voice came over the speaker.
"Regina, you said you wanted a new babysitter for Henry right? No, not me, what about Chanda? You know Chanda Keller? Yes I've interviewed her and she has no criminal record, or charges of child abuse or neglect against her. Right…Right. Ok, I'll let her know." She hit the end button on her phone and pocketed it.
"What'd you do?" I asked awestruck. I had no experience whatsoever with kids. I mean yeah I've talked to Henry, but I've never been alone to watch one.
"Congrats you're a babysitter. You start Monday." I groaned.
"But that's tomorrow." Emma nodded.
"And?" I shook my head in disbelief.
"And it didn't occur to you that I have no idea how to handle a kid?" Emma laughed.
"Henry's ten he can pretty much handle everything except his meals. You have nothing to worry about, and when you head over you can take Carillon with you to take a look at his story book." Carillon tilted her head, confused.
"Story book?" I held my hand up for a minute.
"I'm supposed to keep her hidden for a while. How the hell am I supposed to sneak her in without a fucking invisibility cloak!" Emma giggled.
"Alright, alright, calm your panties Weasley Jr., and listen," she pulled car keys from her pocket, "take my WV and keep her in the car until Regina leaves, and then bring her in. The house is so freaking huge that if she comes home to check up on him you can hide her." I put my face in my hands and groaned. I didn't like this idea, but then I thought about it. Carillon remembers bits of her former life through dreams. If I can get Henry to read her her story then she might connect the dots.
"Alright, I'll fucking do it." Emma smiled in victory.
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General P.O.V.
After Regina had hung up the phone she headed up the stairs to Henry's room. She knocked softly, and Henry called for her to come in.
"Henry, I finally got someone who would take the new babysitting job." Henry groaned and fell back.
"I don't need a babysitter," she sat on the edge of the bed and patted his leg. He looked up at her, "Who is she?" Regina smiled at Henry, and this must seem like the most confusing part, for being the evil queen no one could know whether she truly loved Henry, or if she was just using him as a means of a hostage.
"It's Chanda Keller, and I'm not all too familiar with her, but Sheriff Swan said she was clean." She spat Emma's title when she said it, and it made Henry wince. He knew Chanda, and he also knew that she remembered. She didn't hide it from anyone else who remembered, and she most certainly didn't hide it from Henry. He continued to act depressed, but was actually excited. At least it wasn't Mrs. Quan again. He let a heavy sigh.
"That's alright, I'll deal with it." Regina smiled at the boy, and patted his knee.
"I knew you'd see it my way." After she left Henry pulled out the thick book, and turned to Chanda's tale.
Rumple sat on his sitting room couch and stared at the chipped cup. He rubbed the handle of his cane, and noticed something strange. The streetlight outside his window seemed to be spotlight for the display. He almost smiled at this. He looked up at his clock and saw that it was only an hour away from midnight. Only about six more days, what then? He lay his face in the crook of his arm, and sobbed heavily, but no tears would fall.
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Chanda
Before we headed home I stopped by the only store open at eleven at night to get clothes for Carillon. Yes Wal-mart isn't the best place in the world, but hey I could get a set of cami's for five bucks, so we stopped in, and found her size, and supplied her with a couple pairs of jeans, a few sundresses, shoes of different kinds, and some sweaters and t-shirts, and some pj's, all for fifty fucking dollars! I loved Wally World! We headed back to a really late supper of cup Ramen. To my surprise and upset, she didn't like it, but ate it anyway.
"Don't worry," I said stirring my noodles around, "I'll go shopping and get us some real food, and I need to learn how to actually cook anyway." Carillon sat her noodles down and shook her head.
"No, you've been such a big help, and I can't pay rent until I get a job, and I can't get a job until everything settles, and so until then I will cook the meals and clean house, deal?" I touched my finger to my chin mulling it over. She's in the wrong story again with the cooking and the cleaning and shit, but it would be nice to eat some real food.
"Mkay, that's cool. We'll wait about a week for you to get a job. I hear the library's got an opening, we can take you down at the end of the week." She nodded smiling widely. We finished up the food and headed off to bed. Tomorrow was going to be interesting.
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General P.O.V.
Carillon was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. The world twisted and turned, and the shadows of her bedroom darkened into a bricked cell. Sitting in a ring of light was the girl from before.
"Hello." Carillon said first this time. The young lady smiled at her.
"I see you've become more open since last time," her face grew serious, "but there is still business to attend to. I will ask you again. Who am I?" Carillon sat up straight, and smiled nervously.
"You're me, right?" The other Carillon smiled at herself.
"That's right."
"Wait," started the real Carillon, "seeing myself like this in a dream, does that really make me crazy?" The dream Carillon shook her head.
"No dear, you are just as sane as everyone else, but here in this place you see it don't you? The castle, the room, and the cup?" The real Carillon nodded vigorously.
"I have, but what does it all mean?" The dream Carillon looked at her sadly, and stood up walking over to her. The real Carillon stood up as if on instinct, and her doppelgänger came face to face with her.
"It means one last question, and I will not be here to help you. You've heard this one already, but it holds much more meaning than you know. Who are you?" The real Carillon looked at her befuddled, and almost screamed as the dream Carillon walked right into her body. The wall of the cell fell away showing the large velvet room with the long dining table. She walked up to the opening, but felt a force push her back.
Not yet. Said a voice with no sound.
You have a ways to go.
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Chanda
The drive to Henry's was a quiet one. Carillon held her face in her hand and groaned.
"Headaches suck!" She complained. This was the first and one of the few times I heard her whine or complain. I parked Emma's bug, and turned to the backseat where Carillon lay.
"Now B-Carillon, you stay here until I come get you. I want you to meet Henry, and he's been dying to read his story book to someone new," I threw a blanket over her and opened the door, "be right back." For this I wore my best dress and brushed my mess of a pixie cut down. I rang the doorbell which was instantly answered.
"Oh good you're early," Regina led me in while adjusting one of her earrings, "ok, so Henry's had breakfast, don't let him try to pull you in that he didn't. He's got all his homework finished, and is in his room reading. You really don't have much to worry about with him; he just needs his meals made. There's been a bit of an emergency so I'll be out till late. Henry's bedtime is nine-thirty sharp, and I want him tucked in and asleep. Usually I'm fine with leaving him home alone, but lately he's just wandered around and I'm afraid he might get snatched or something." This whole time I'd been smiling and nodding politely, but my brain had been screaming.
Bitch, bitch, heartless bitch, imperial bitchiness! More than that I was just throwing all the bad names I could think at her mentally, and hoping she would just drop dead. She didn't. Damn. She headed to the front door, and turned before going out.
"Bye Henry, be good!" There was no response from upstairs, and she merely shrugged it off and closed the door behind her as she left.
"Bitch." I said out loud this time.
"Tell me about it." I looked up and found Henry watching me from above.
"You weren't supposed to hear that." I said sheepishly. He shook his head at me and came down the stairs book in hand.
"Trust me, I've heard worse." Regina's car drove down the street and I headed to the door.
"Stay right here, I've got someone I want you to meet." Henry nodded and clutched the book as I ran out the door and across the yard to Emma's bug. I opened the door and pulled up the seat so Carillon could get out. She groaned at the sunlight. I led her inside quickly, and closed the locked the door.
"Henry this is B-Carillon, and Carillon this is Henry." I had to bite my fist while they shook hands. I've only just saved her and I'm already on the verge of saying her real name! I would suck at Taboo!
"Hello Henry, Chanda says that you would like someone new to read your book to." Henry looked back at me and I nodded. He smiled and took Carillon by the hand. He sat her down on the couch and left the book on her lap. He came over to me and whispered.
"Who is she?" He asked quickly. I leaned into his ear.
"Belle." Is all I said. He leaned away looking shocked.
"But the queen said-"
"Well, she lied." I interrupted. I gestured over to where Carillon flipped through the book curiously.
"She's on the verge of remembering, it comes to her in dreams, and she says that she sees a room, and other things. Maybe if you read her own story to her then it will jog a memory." Henry nodded, but looked deep in thought.
"What if it works?" I shrugged.
"Then we'll go from there."
"And if it doesn't?" I sighed.
"Then we'll figure something else out." He gave in and went to sit next to Carillon who handed the book over. I sat on the chair opposite them, and listened as Henry began.
"Once Upon a Time…"
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