n/a: been having a bit of writer's block, so this may not be up to par as we've reached a turning point in the direction of the story and I've been unable to even start it. Also, the German sentence example was from my lv 1 class a few semesters ago.

Gideon walked into his father's shop and was suddenly taken aback by a cover of Waving Through a Window that was playing. He walked to the back of the shop and froze when he saw red ombre hair trailing down the back of a girl.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

Morrighan turned around. "Your dad hired me," she replied with a calm face and her interesting accent.

"Oh," replied Gideon. "Sorry, I was just shocked. I knew he was looking for extra help, but I didn't think it was the mayor's niece."

Morrighan shrugged and turned back to her task. Gideon walked over and found that she was counting up the bills and balancing the books and taking stock notes.

"I always hated doing that," he said.

"I did it for the circus as part of my Math class." She always had the most interesting things to say. "They always took a more realistic approach to schooling. You can actually learn a lot about physics when it's saving your life every day."

"I wish Storybrooke High were like that," he complained. "I'm so over calculating problems that involve Jimmy and a hundred watermelons."

"I guess he's your version of Dieter and his collection of lederhosen," she said.

"When are you here until?" he asked.

"Five," she replied.

"What needs to be done?"

"This is the last thing I've been told to do," she said. "I'd assume you have a better idea of what needs to be done every day than I do."

"May I ask you a question?" he asked, leaning back against one of the many benches.

"I guess that depends on the question," she replied.

"Could we hang out more?"

"Why?"

"Well, to be honest," he started scratching his head nervously, "I've known all these people my entire life and it's pretty boring here in Storybrooke. And you've been all over the world. Done a lot of the things I hope to do someday. I was hoping maybe you would have some tips for me or something?"

"So like a mentor situation?"

"Well, I was hoping more like friends. I overheard Mary-Margaret talking to David while I was hanging out with Neil one time," he continued, "and they seem to think Regina's worried because you don't have any."

"All my friends are elsewhere. I've got a couple in New York and Oxford, a few acquaintances around London and France, and a pen pal in Quebec."

"And you're literally the only person I know who's been to all those places," Gideon said. "It's fine if you don't want to, I was just hoping I guess."

"You know," she said, turning around, "sure." She shrugged. "I'm stuck here till my eighteenth birthday, I might as well enjoy it." She extended a hand.

They shook on it.

"So, friend," Gideon started, turning with her to face the paper and taking a stack of them for himself. "How do you feel about hanging out after this?"

"Can't, I promised Regina I would go to supper with her at Granny's," she replied. "Maybe tomorrow though."

"What if we grabbed some ice cream? There's a shop right next to here."

"Not a huge ice cream fan," she replied.

"Really?" he asked in shock.

"Yeah," Morrighan explained. "I was on a no sugar diet until I was ten, then I went to an all you can eat ice cream bar and puked my guts out."

Gideon chuckled. "I think that was all the candy topping, not the frozen treat. You should try some plain vanilla soft serve."

"You know dairy's bad for the voice," she said.

"I've seen you drink a full glass of milk at Granny's," he accuses.

"It's not like I'm on Broadway right now," she said slyly. "And besides, a little dairy her and there is fine if you know what you're doing."

"And you do?"

"I've been performing since I was three. I know what I'm doing."

The song changed and Morrighan started mouthing the lyrics as the chorus started.

"Dad really let you put your own music up?" he asked. "he never lets me touch the stereo."

"it was you mother's idea."

Gideon rolled his eyes. "Of course it was. She's got just as much wanderlust as I do. Probably wanted to get on your good side for all the travel tips. Did she tell you about how-"

"She wants to travel Europe once you graduate," Morrighan finished, "yeah, she did."

"Forgive me if I'm being a bit frank, but where did your name come from?"

"My mom chose it."

"I gathered that."

She chuckled. "I wasn't finished. Morrighan is some Celtic warrior goddess or something. Morgan isn't an actual nickname for it. It's German though, means morning. I just used to write that as my name in videogames because they were locked at six characters and the letters were pretty close and eventually, everyone adopted it as a nickname."

"Can I call you Morgan?"

"I don't care. It's my name either way. Call me Morrie though and I will kill you in your sleep."

He looked her up and down. "I believe you. Storybrooke doesn't have a gym, how do you keep up?"

"I go jogging in the morning. Then I do some basic stretches. Throughout the day I do home workouts like squats and that sort of stuff."

"I hate all that."

"I've never lived without it. "

"I'd guess not."

They continued in silence for a while. Mr. Gold came in near five to check on the progress. Working together, the two of them were already done and in the process of double-checking everything.

Gideon offered to walk her back to her house and she accepted. He grilled her on everything from the languages she spoke (she was certified in seven total, one of them being BSL. Five were first language certifications and two were second, though she wanted to get them upgraded in University). She was going to university in Germany in an arts & science double masters. Gideon hadn't even though of looking for programs like that when he'd been applying. He'd gone straight for NYU.

"Woes of a small town," Morrighan lamented.

"Yeah," Gideon agreed. "Now I'm wondering what I missed out on."

"Well, in Germany the semesters are on a different schedule so you could apply for international programs there."

"I don't speak German."

"There are English ones."

"My dad would hate it."

She shrugged. "I moved across the Atlantic when I was fifteen. I'm sure you can do it at eighteen."

"Your mom let you?"

"She cried, but the opportunities were worth it in the end. And it's not like I've never gone back. Besides, now I can foster my only child syndrome in peace. Younger siblings make it so much harder." She rolled her eyes.

They were getting along. Better than Morrighan had thought. He understood her in a way people here did not just because he wanted to get out of here. She knew exactly what he was missing out on. The last two years of her life had been amazing, the best ever. And they'd been that way because she'd gone off on her own and grown as an individual. She carved her own path and found where her interest truly lay. She wouldn't deny anyone that experience.

They came up to the Mayor's house.

"So, ice cream tomorrow after work?" Gideon asked.

"I'm really not set," she admitted.

"I'll have ice cream then, and you can watch me eat it."

"Sound good," she replied. "See you then.

"See you then." He waved bye, then turned and walked away.

Morrighan walked into the mayor's house at quarter past five. She said high to Regina and Robin.

"Morrighan," Robin started as she turned for the stairs.

"What?" she asked with a smile.

"Oh never-" Regina jabbed him in the ribcage.

"I was wondering if..." his ears were turning red. The same way Morrighan's ears did. "I was wondering if you could help me learn German," he finally got out.

"Really?" she asked.

"Since English is your third language, I thought it might not kill me to learn a second, but Regina says I'm abysmal and need help." He was clearly embossed.

"Sure," the girl replied. "You should have asked sooner. What were trying to rise?"

"DuoLingo."

She snorted. "That doesn't help that much. You need grammar if you really want to understand everything. We do this funny thing where we don't always put the subject in the 'correct' place according to English grammar. And there's like an order to how you put certain adjectives and stuff and basically, if you don't know your pronouns you won't know if the lion cub is being attacked by a dancing frog or if the dancing lion cub is attacking the frog." She chuckled. "Duo's got level one vocabulary and that's it."

All the colour drained from Robin's face.

"it's okay," she said, "we'll take it slowly." She smiled.

"Alright," Robin said.

"Are you ready to go to Granny's?" Regin asked.

"Yeah," Morrighan said.

"Great, you're going to have to tell us all about your first day," she said, grabbing her purse and coat and heading to the door. Robino followed her.

The three of them walked to Granny's; Robin and Regina arm in arm. Morrighan stayed close to them, answering their questions about her day with enthusiasm. The two of them couldn't stop smiling. They were finally waking this work. It may have taken them over a month, but it was working.