To put this bluntly, I'm super late. I can't give you any excuse as to why, but I just lost motivation. But inspiration came to me, and so I went ahead and wrote this. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. A really good episode, and now in this fic. I make no promises I won't go on another hiatus, but I will try to get these out. It will most likely be more random on when it's released, but I do want to do this. But this is the part where you guys come in. I know it's a bit to ask, but if you can leave a review, I would love it. It gives me motivation to get this done and make sure you guys get content. Well, on with the show.
I really should get a closed sign. Here I am cleaning up for the night and in comes Graham. I prayed that today wasn't the day it seemed to be. He opened his mouth and my fears were confirmed.
"Daniel, I need to talk to you."
"Sheriff Graham, what can I help you with?" I couldn't stop my voice from wavering, I know what he's trying to do, I just don't understand why he's here.
"I talked to Henry, he said you may just be able to help me with something." Oh. That's why. Damn it, I'm such a blather mouth.
"Oh, um, what does he think I can do for you?"
"What do you know about the Curse?"
"I didn't think you believed in that. Seems as if our young friend had no one behind him on that. Not even his own mothers."
"No one except you."
"Yep"
"Well, I've been seeing these visions, of this wolf. And flashes, of what seems like- "
"A past life. I know"
"How?"
"Because, I-" How did I know? I mean, I know how I know, but I can't tell him that. "Because I've also had visions." Not the biggest lie I could have told.
"What did you see?"
"That's not important. What's important right now is that you can't go for your heart."
"How did you know- "
"That doesn't matter. What does matter is that bad things could happen if you do. Regina's vault is not safe. You can't."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Just trust me."
"No, I'm sorry, but I have to try."
"Then I'm coming with you."
"I can't ask you to do that. You're doing stuff here."
"Actually, I was just cleaning up. Let me put on my jacket and then we'll go."
We headed out and ran straight into Emma, and she continued on with her non-belief.
"Hey, I hear you're having a bad day. Daniel, what are you doing here?"
"Who says?"
"Pretty much everyone."
"I can vouch for that ruling" I claimed, then I addressed her question from earlier. "I'm making sure he doesn't get himself killed"
"Well thanks for that." Emma said. She then turned to Graham, "I think you need to go home and get some rest."
"I'm fine"
"No, Graham, you're not fine. You went to see a 10-year-old for help."
"He's the only one making any sense."
"What's going on?" she paused, glancing at me, then turning back, "What's really going on?"
"It's my heart, Emma. I need to find it."
"Okay, so… how are you gonna do that?"
"I just need to follow the wolf."
"What? What Wolf?"
"From my dreams. He's gonna help me find my heart."
"I'm sorry. I… Thought we were talking in a metaphor here. You really think you don't have a heart?" She looked at me long and hard, a stern look forming on her face. Then, she turned back to Graham, looking more empathetic.
"It's the only thing that makes any sense. It's the only thing that explains why I don't feel anything."
"Listen to me Graham, you have a heart. I can prove it." She reached her hand out and placed it on his chest. "See? It's beating, it's real." She grabbed his hand and placed it under hers. "Feel that. That is your heart."
"No," he said, pushing her away, "It's the Curse."
"You can't really believe that's true…" She trailed off as she looked at something behind him. Me and Graham both looked over as well and saw his wolf. It growled and ran off. Graham started chasing after it. Emma glanced over at me. "Did you set this up?"
"Why would I set up a fake event for something I believe in with all my heart. That wolf, and Graham's flashes, are real."
"You know what, forget it. I'm going after him."
"I'm coming too."
"Fine"
We managed to catch up to Graham and saw him staring at the wolf.
"Graham, be careful." Emma said
"Don't worry. He's my friend, he won't hurt us." The wolf howled and we followed it all the way to Regina's vault.
"What is that?" Emma asked.
"It's my heart, it's in there. I have to look in there. I have to get in there." Emma and I ran over to stop him, I knew he couldn't do this. We can't be here when Regina shows up.
"Please," Emma pleaded "Come on."
"Graham, even if your heart is in there, we don't know what could be waiting for us." I needed to stop him.
"I thought you believed in the Curse." He replied
"I also believe in staying alive."
"You really think that your heart is in there?" Emma said as he hurriedly shook his head yes. "Okay. Let's find out." She then tried to open the door, "Come on," Then she kicked the door in, and we went inside.
"It's gotta be in here…" Graham started "Somewhere," He frantically started searching, nearly tearing stuff apart looking. "There gotta be a hidden door, a lever…" He started trying to forcefully open an urn to no avail. "Something."
"Graham," Emma started. "Hey, Graham. There's nothing in here."
"There has to be. And if there isn't, Then—"
"It's okay. It's going to be okay." Suddenly, a dreaded voice was heard outside.
"What the Hell do you think you're doing?" Regina said. All three of us came out, and she stared at me and Emma scournfully.
"What are you doing here?" Emma stated.
"Bringing flowers to my father's grave like I do every Wednesday."
"Don't blame them. It's my fault. I wanted to look in there." Graham defended.
"Really? Why? What were you looking for?"
"Nothing. It was, uh… it was nothing."
"You don't look well, dear. Let's take you home."
"No, I-I don't want to go home. Not with you."
"Oh? But you'll go with her? With them?"
"Hey, this is between you two." Emma stated, bluntly.
"Yeah, leave us out of it." I agreed.
"She's right," Started Graham, "It's between us, and things have to change."
"And I wonder why that is all of the sudden.
"It has nothing to do with her. You know, I've realized that, I don't feel anything, Regina, and I know now it's not me. It's you."
"So you're leaving me for her."
"I'm leaving you for me."
"Graham, you're not thinking straight."
"Actually, for the first time, I am. I'd rather have nothing than settle for less. Nothing is better than what we have. I need to feel something, Regina, And the only way to do that is to give myself the chance."
"Graham—"
"I'm sorry. It's over"
"I don't know what I ever did to you, Ms. Swan, Mr. Cassidy, to deserve this— To have you keep coming after everything I hold dear."
"I told you, it's not her, and it's not him either."
"None of this happened until she got here. None of this happened until he started filling my son's head with these delusions."
"I'm sorry, but have you ever stopped to think that maybe the problem isn't with us, but with you?" Emma defended
"Excuse me?"
"Henry came and found me. Graham… kissed me. Daniel is Henry's best friend because you won't let him have any. Both were, and are, miserable. Maybe, Madame Mayor, you need to take a good, hard look in the mirror and ask yourself why that is. Why is everyone running away from you?" Regina responded to this by punching Emma in the face. Emma punched back and started pushing her up against the wall of the mosk. Me and Graham managed to pull her off and get her away. "Not worth it." Emma finished as she walked away.
"Graham?" Regina said, on the verge of tears, but he walked away.
"Coming?" he said to me.
"No," I replied, "There's something I need to say to her in private
"You going to slap me too, Mr. Cassidy?" Regina said once Graham was out of earshot.
"No, I'm here to beg something of you. I know what you're going to do. I know you're mad, but please, I understand and want to help. Don't do what you're thinking of doing."
"I have no idea what you're talking about. I am reasonably upset after a break up, granted, I doubt you would know anything about relationships."
"Go ahead and insult me, I won't fire back. But you need to realize that what you're about to do is not the answer. I know the Curse is real. I know you know that you know too, because you cast it. But you don't need this Curse, or any method involving death, to assure your happiness."
"And now we're back to this "Curse" thing again. Really Mr. Cassidy, I would think you're old enough to abandon these delusions."
"And that right there is why Henry is pushing away."
"Don't talk to me about my son like you know what he thinks. You don't know the first thing about my son." My patience was running out. I knew she would be stubborn, but it's like there's no sign of the mother who raised me.
"I don't know about your son? I know more about him then you do. He has felt neglected, and told he is crazy, and you know what? He's just about starting to believe it. So if that was your intention, then fine, you've just about convinced your son that he has a mental defect! You should be who he goes to for help. Instead, he comes to me, because I treat him like a person, not a piece of property that you get to control!"
"You don't know the first thing about what I've been through. I have sacrificed so much, everything I do is for Henry."
"I don't understand? Both my mothers died and I was powerless to stop it. My father died trying to be a hero. My grandfather was consumed by his inner darkness and only managed to gain clarity when he saved his wife from their own son. I was raised by a pirate who, granted, could've done worse, but it wasn't the same! I'm honestly surprised I'm not insane. You don't know what I've been through. You want to be the Evil Queen? Then this is how you do it! You want to not lose your son? Then stop. Tell him the truth, or else you could lose him forever," I was done with this. I needed to go home, or at least, what equated to home. "Goodbye Mother, and be glad I know the good person you can be. Or else…" I couldn't even catch myself as I walked away. I slipped up, and now she might know. But I didn't care. As I walked off though, she asked one last question.
"Or else what?"
"After all you've done? You'd be dead where you stand." And I left.
