Chapter 10:
Characters:
ES: Emma Swan aka The Savior (Swan)
KJ: Killian Jones aka Captain Hook (Hook)
OC/ AP: Orion Constellation aka Amber Philips (Star)
Mr. Smee
PP: Peter Pan (Pan)
LJ: Lila Jones
LP: Luke Philips
KP: Kelly Philips
Home
The three of them, Emma, Hook and Amber stood outside the pawn shop. Amber needed a few minutes to catch her breath as her memories came rushing back to her. The times she went to the park with her mom. The times her father walked with her to the bus stop. Everything came flooding back to her in one giant wave.
ES: Everything? You remember everything? Emma asked while taking Amber's hand.
Amber nodded slowly as she recomposed herself.
ES: This is great! Ok, so what do you need? I know you are ready to get home.
Amber looked Emma straight in the eye when she simply replied, No.
**Flashback***
Pan's camp was crawling with Lost Boys on guard duty. Pan had Hook tied up with Mr. Smee again. From the corner of his eye Hook watched Lila sitting beside Pan as they ate by the fire. After a few minutes Lila and one of the Lost Boys came over to Hook and Mr. Smee with some food. Lila untied Hook's hand just enough so he could hold the food.
KJ: Lila, please… try and remember…. remember how happy we all were when we were children. It can be like that again. He whispered when he was sure the Lost Boy couldn't hear him.
Lila just glared up at him from the corner of her eye.
KJ: You know it in your heart that I am right.
LJ: And what do you know about hearts, you're just a pirate. She replied before turning her back on him and returning to her seat beside the fire.
Hook tossed the food to the ground and sighed out of frustration.
Mr. Smee: Oi! Ya coulda offered some of that to me. Smee said as he finished the last bite of his food.
KJ: I apologize if filling your big belly is not at the top of my list right now, Smee.
Mr. Smee: Aye, once we get loose from these ties we best grab the Trolddom Pendel and get back to the ship.
KJ: Only after I convince Lila to flee with us.
Smee took a deep breathe then confronted the Captain.
Mr. Smee: Capt'n we have been on this island for so bloody long I have forgotten what sunlight is. Every Pirate knows when to flee the storm. Hook eyed the sailor, Many men have lost their lives already. What is all this for? We have risked our lives and turned up empty handed.
KJ: I risk my life for two things love and revenge. He looked at Smee with a furrowed brow, I am not leaving this island without that coin or Lila.
A siren sounded throughout the camp. All of the Lost Boys froze, and Pan slowly rose from his seat beside Lila. He suspiciously gazed around the camp. Suddenly a menacing shadow flew overhead. The shadow dives down and dances around Pan. Then the shadow dashes back over the trees.
PP: Darling, it seems we have more visitors arriving on the beach. Go on and welcome them. Pan instructed Lila while stroking her hand.
LJ: Of course. She said with a slight bow of her head and a sweet smile, Who am I greeting?
PP: Actually…, Pan said loudly to be sure that Hook could hear, he is another pirate. I believe he goes by the name of Blackbeard. He said with a wicked smile.
Smee gasped and looked over at Hook.
Mr. Smee: The infamous Captain Blackbeard. He is the toughest, most blood thirst, and vicious pirate in all the seven seas. He whispered.
With a raised brow Hook looked at Smee.
Mr. Smee: Aside from you of course. He quickly corrected.
KJ: You're right though, he is ruthless. Lila should not be confronting him. Hook knew he needed to do something to protect his sister, You send a young girl to fight the pirates, Pan? Not man enough to do it yourself?
Pan glared at Pan then went back to whispering to Lila. As Lila walked by Hook tried to warn her and tell her not to go to the beach. He told her it wasn't safe but that only seemed to fuel her desire to go even more. There was nothing Hook could do. He watched Lila walk off in the same direction the shadow dashed off into.
Mr. Smee: What would a Captain like Blackbeard want in a place like this? Smee wondered out loud.
KJ: Likely he is after the same thing we are. Hook replied, his gaze stayed fixed on the spot he had last seen Lila.
***Present Day ****
ES: No?
OC: No, I remember it all now. She says looking from Emma to Killian, I know how I got here and what I was doing. Amber looks down at the ring in her hand as a tear rolls down her cheek.
Emma sees how upset Amber is and suggests that the three of them find somewhere to talk. Hook suggests they go down to the docks. He points out that not many people hang around down there so they will be left alone. It is quiet and it will give Amber the space she needs.
Hook, Amber, and Emma arrive at the docks. Hook leads the way aboard the Jolly Roger. He kicks a couple of empty crates aside and slides over a few barrels for them to sit on.
ES: This isn't exactly what I meant when I said lets find some place to talk but…. She mumbles quietly under her breath as Amber sits down on one of the barrels.
OC: This is your ship, Killian?
KJ: Aye. He replied with a proud smile.
OC: It's beautiful. Amber said as she gazed around the ship, I have never seen a boat like this before.
KJ: That is because she is a one of a kind, Hook boasted, She's my home. He added thoughtfully while looking Amber dead in the eye as he took a seat beside her.
Amber smiled softly and looked back down at the ring in her hand.
**** Flashback***
Amber pulls up in front of a small townhouse in the city. She reaches into the passenger's seat and grabs a nicely wrapped present. Then she slides out of the car and walks up to the front door. She rings the doorbell and is greeted by her parents with bright smiles and warm hugs. She steps inside the familiar home and looks around at the handful of people scattered about talking, listening to music, eating and drinking. Then she hands her dad the gift and smiles.
KP: Honey, we told you that you didn't need to get us anything.
OC: I know, I know but I had to. I am happy for you guys, it is worth celebrating.
Luke Philips nodded as he put his arm around Amber. He tightly squeezed her shoulder then ushered her farther into the house. They walked under a large banner that read; Happy Anniversary!
LP: Amber honey, you remember Thomas my boss? Luke led the introduction and began bragging about Amber's most recent promotion at work. It was not long before Luke and Thomas began talking about work of their own. Amber quietly slipped away and found her mother, Kelly sitting on the couch with some of her friends.
Amber poured herself a glass of wine and sat down next to her mother. She sat quietly and just listened as the women all giggled and gossiped as they joked about the good old days when they were Amber's age.
KP: You know your father and I are so happy you could be here. Kelly said eventually turning to face Amber. She took Amber's hands in her lap and smiled, You have grown up so fast…
OC: Alright, mom. Amber chuckled nervously as she felt her cheeks redden from embarrassment, I am just going to make a quick phone call to June and make sure everything is read for me when I go into work tomorrow. I'll be right back.
Pulling out her phone from her back pocket Amber made her way to the back of the house. She came upon her old bedroom door. It was tattered and worn with tape residue still left over from the posters that once hung on the front of it. Amber began dialing June's number as she pushed open the door and looked around. Everything was just as she had left it before leaving for college. She couldn't help but smile as she gazed at the ribbons she had won over the years or the photographs from her fifth birthday. The phone was ringing when Amber noticed a large envelop sitting on her bed.
When she picked up the envelop she saw her name was written across it. With the phone still up against her ear Amber opened the envelop. It contained several pieces of paper and pictures of her as an infant. She pulled out her birth certificate, a photo, and what appeared to be a legal document. Amber gazes of the documents. Then just as June picks up the phone Amber lets her phone fall to the floor.
Amber reads over the paper three times before rising from the bed and rushing out to the living room where her parents and their guest are all gathered. It doesn't even occur to Amber ask to speak to her parents in private. She just blurts it all out at once.
OC: I am adopted. She states with a slightly raised voice. Everyone turns and looks at her. Some people nervously step away from Amber. Her parents exchange a look and that is all Amber needed to know that it was true, Why.. how could you keep this from me? She asked completely hysterical now.
LP: Where did you find that? Her father asked with a harsh and scolding tone.
OC: It doesn't matter. Why didn't you tell me? She asked, Were you ever going to tell me the truth or were you just going to lie to me for the rest of my life?
KP: Honey why don't we talk about this…. Kelly reached out for her daughter but Amber pulled away.
OC: You lied to me. My whole entire life you have been lying to me! She cried.
LP: Amber, we did what we thought was best. We love you and we….
OC: Love me, you love me? She choked, you wouldn't have kept this from me. You wouldn't have lied to me for all these years if you really loved me.
KP: Please honey, just listen….
OC: Amber shook her head, No. I am done listening to you. She ripped her coat off of the coat rack causing the sleeve to tear and she grabbed her keys off of the table by the door. She stormed out to her car not giving her parents pleading calls or the party another thought.
She just jumped into her car and drove off. She did not even think about where she was headed. All that kept playing through her head was the number of times when her parents could have told her the truth. Drove and cried for hours before she realized she had been heading north. She kept driving until she passed a sign that read: Welcome to Maine
OC: Maine! She said aloud.
Amber knew she should turn around but the very thought of going back to the city made her sick to her stomach. Her whole life had been there, but now that life just felt like a pile of lies. She did not want to face it. She kept driving and decided a weekend away might be just what she needed.
Awhile later when Amber had been driving down a quiet road for some time she heard a strange clicking noise and realized she was beginning to slow down. She looked down at the dashboard and realized she had run out of gas. She pulled over to the side of the road then just sat staring at the dashboard.
OC: Perfect. She sighed. Then she looked around for a sign for a gas station but there seemed to be nothing around. Annoyed she picked up her ripped coat from the passenger's seat and searched the pockets for her phone. That was when she realized she had left her phone and purse at her parent's house. Of course… this is just what I need right now.
She knew it wasn't the best idea but unless she wanted to freeze to death she knew she had no choice but to walk to the nearest gas station. So she pushed open the car door and stepped out of the car. With no coat, no license, and no phone Amber began walking.
It felt like she walked for hours before she saw any sign of life. Her legs grew sore and she was freezing. She knew she had seen a mile marker sign a few miles back and she thought she would have come across some other sign of life at this point, but she still had no way of getting help so she just kept walking. Eventually she had walked herself right down Main Street, Storybrooke and had not even realized it. She was so cold and sore she was barely even conscious. She took a few steps towards what she thought might be a gas station but she collapsed before reaching it.
*****Present Day****
Knowing that Killian and Emma were waiting to hear the story Amber sighed. She knew it would seem childish and petty but now that she knew the truth she no longer felt like New York was her home.
OC: Because I don't have a home to return to.
Amber knew she needed to get away. She needed to find her real home and as crazy as it sounded there was something about Storybrooke that just seemed to be calling to her. Maybe in Storybrooke she could find the answers to who her real parents were and why that had abandoned her as a child.