Hello again everyone! It's been almost exactly a week, and I'm back with a new chapter. I partially blame my brother, who finished season 1 for the first time just days ago, but it's also easier when some of these chapters aren't technically long to write.
Anyway! Thanks to FallenFeather92 (Thank you! I hope you enjoy the rest!), LegacyReturns (Thank you! And yes, that pattern of flashbacks matching the present. I do that sometimes, but other times, such as with individual character chapters, don't do it as much. This chapter, however, does because I rewrote the show's flashback! I hope you keep up with everyone, I have my own notes to keep them all straight, lol) and (Thank you!) for reviewing, all 11 followers, 9 favorites and 139 readers.
Okay, so here's the next chapter! Longest chapter yet, with more characters introduced and hints for others given as well. Feel free to guess away and enjoy the extra long chapter!
Chapter 3: Wake Up
It took a week for the queen to grow comfortable with Emrys' presence, to trust that his presence was not that of a threat. It also took only one question for her to begin to trust him.
"You're not physically here, are you?" She asked one night as the two of them sat in her garden. It was late, but it was the only time she got to herself. And if Emrys was going to be joining her from now on, as he had for the past week, she had no doubt she would come to treasure this time. But that was only if she could trust him.
"What gave me away?" Emrys smiled helplessly. The queen couldn't help smiling back in return.
"I must admit, your astral form is very sophisticated, but there's an air about you...one that makes it feel like you're here, yet not." The queen explained.
"I see." Emrys nodded thoughtfully before gently extending a hand to her. "But yes, I am not truly here physically, only in spirit."
"Then why come here at all?" The queen proposed, resting her hand on his. Sure enough, her hand phased through his entirely.
"To be perfectly honest, I saw a glimpse of the future, with you and I side by side." Emrys admitted, staring down at their hands, unable to touch despite being so close. Then he met her eyes. "However, I have continued to come back simply for you, and your companionship, if you would still offer it to me?"
And the queen smiled.
"I think that can be arranged."
Zoe smiled as she flitted around the hospital ward, delivering flowers Mary Margaret had given her and encouraging the students to interact with the patients as they delivered artwork to help the patients in their recovery.
She enjoyed these days, when they took field trips that brought smiles to others' faces, and Mary Margaret was the best at organizing those.
Zoe made her way over to the teacher and gently touched her elbow.
"This was a really good idea and I think the kids agree." She whispered.
"Thank you." Mary Margaret smiled before she looked up and a confused expression replaced her smile.
Curious, Zoe followed her gaze only to see Henry sitting beside a comatose patient, separated from the rest of the ward. Of course, then the boy started reaching out and that was when Mary Margaret moved, Zoe at her side.
"Henry, we could really use your help with the decorations." Mary Margaret said as she opened the door.
"What're you doing in here, Henry?" Zoe asked, moving to stand beside Henry, laying a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Is Mr. Doe gonna be okay, Miss. Blanchard, Zoe?" Henry asked, ignoring both of them. However, the concern in his eyes was genuine and Zoe softened at that, squeezing the boy's shoulder.
"I'm not sure, but I hope so. He's got the best doctors in Storybrooke looking after him." Zoe reassured.
"His name's not John Doe, honey, that's just what they call people when they don't know who they are." Mary Margaret gently corrected.
"Do you know who he is?" Henry asked pointedly, his eyes solely on his teacher.
"Nope. I just bring him flowers on my rounds." Mary Margaret shook her head as she stepped further into the room.
"What's wrong with him?" The boy asked.
"I don't know. He's been like this as long as I've been volunteering." Mary Margaret sighed.
"Does he have any family or friends?" Henry questioned.
"No one's claimed him." Mary Margaret denied.
"So he's all alone." Henry stated.
"Yeah...it's quite sad." The teacher nodded.
"It really is...I hope he wakes up soon, you know? There must be someone out there that misses him." Zoe mused.
"I think so too." Henry nodded before his expression turned sly as he glanced up at his teacher. "Are you sure you don't know him?"
"Of course I'm sure. Come on, we shouldn't be in here." Mary Margaret nodded towards the door and Zoe began to subtly pull Henry towards said door. The teacher pet the boy's head as he passed her.
As soon as they left the room and Mary Margaret closed the door, Zoe led Henry back into the room and whispered under her breath,
"Now what was that all about?"
"Just something for Operation Cobra. It's a need to know basis." Henry whispered back.
"Operation Cobra? Is that your code word for the curse now?" Zoe raised an eyebrow, keeping her voice low. She may not believe in the curse, but she wasn't gonna crush the kid by denying its existence.
"Yep! I'll tell you later, but I need to tell my birth mom first." Henry smiled.
"Alright, kid. You just focus on decorating here first though, okay?" Zoe smiled as she led Henry to a part of the ward.
Seeing them, Paige smiled at the girls she was standing with before she ran over to them.
"Hey, Henry. Want to hang up these streamers with me?" The girl asked.
"Sure." Henry nodded with a smile of his own, waving by as Zoe moved on to another group, satisfied for now.
As Hope made her way through the woods, silent and unseen, she paid attention to the glowing blue ball of light in her hand, well aware of the equal golden glow in her eyes, and followed the minute changes in the ball of light's directions to guide her way.
Somewhere...somewhere in this forest was her cousin, whom her father had sent her to find, saying it was her destiny to be at her side. Well, if that was the case, then Hope would fulfill her destiny...and then she'd go home, where she belonged.
With that thought in mind, Hope continued to walk, only to stop when she heard voices. Quickly, she snuffed out her magic, with her eyes returning to their natural brown color, and hid behind a tree. Her hands wrapped around the bow she carried across her back, ready to rip it off at any moment.
Cautiously, Hope peeked around the tree, only to see-
A prince, grinning up at a figure caught in a net.
"Not the jewelry type." A female voice drawled and Hope almost groaned aloud. Of course her cousin would be in a situation like this. After the pirates (no matter how nice they were) turned out to be her ride to Misthaven-sorry, the Enchanted Forest-but now her cousin was currently making a living as a thief.
"Indeed, I noticed." The prince nodded in agreement and Hope had to bite her lip to stall the laughter on her lips.
"What is that supposed to mean? Are you insulting me?" Snow demanded, for that was who the thief was, Snow White, her cousin on her grandfather's side.
"Quite right, my apologies, how dare I cast aspersions at the person who robbed me." The prince returned easily. "Where are my jewels?"
"I sold them." Snow declared, a smirk in her voice.
"What?" The prince asked.
"What do you care? Don't you have a palace full of treasures somewhere?" The thief demanded.
"These were special. Among them was a ring that belonged to my mother, a ring I was about to give to-"
"The nag with the bad attitude, that's what this is about?" Snow cried, her voice filled with amusement. Hope almost snorted in a fashion that her aunt would've found hilarious before she bit her lip and remained quiet.
"She's my fiancée." The prince stated, though he didn't deny Snow's words.
"Good luck with that." Snow said, a smile obvious in her voice. "You must be getting something impressive to agree to that union.
"Excuse me?" The prince demanded.
"I know how these things work. True love? It doesn't exist." Snow stated. "It's all arranged marriages and business transactions. There's no such thing as love at first sight. Or first kiss. Let me guess: her kingdom wants to take over yours, so this is, what, a last ditch effort to avoid war?"
"This is not a takeover. It's a merger and, quite frankly, it's none of your business. Now this is what's going to happen: I'm going to cut you down and you're going to take me to whoever has my jewels and then you're gonna get my ring back." The prince stated firmly.
"Why would I do that?" Snow asked.
"Because you don't want me to tell anyone who you really are." The prince smirked before he took out a wanted poster and held it up. "Snow White."
Well, shit.
Without thinking, Hope came out of the trees, armed with her bow. Without a second of hesitation, she nocked an arrow and let it fly, hitting a tree just behind the prince, startling him.
"Who's there?" The prince demanded.
"I'd be careful with who I believe, Your Highness." Hope warned as she stepped out of the trees. "After all, you know just how twisted the truth becomes when rumors get involved."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" The prince demanded.
"There's more to this then you know, so watch who you're blackmailing." Hope snapped, her eyes narrowed.
"So you have a partner…" The prince sighed as he gazed up at Snow before his gaze turned serious. "Help me get my ring back or I turn both of you into the queen's forces. And I have the feeling the queen's not as...charming as I am?"
"Well, I wouldn't want to stand in the way of your getting true love." Snow sighed as she shifted around. "Stand down, kid, no point in killing someone at your age."
Hope was so startled by the words, she couldn't move for a moment, a moment long enough for the prince to unsheathe his sword and cut Snow down. Once she snapped out of it, however, Hope relaxed her stance, returned her arrow to her quiver and moved to help Snow get herself out of the net.
"There we go. Quite the dashing prince, isn't he?" Hope drawled sarcastically once Snow was back on her feet.
"You have no idea. Who are you anyway, kid?" Snow questioned as she looked at Hope, probably wondering why a strange girl wearing an unfamiliar traveling dress and cloak was standing before her.
"I'm Hope. I'm your maternal cousin through my grandfather." Hope smiled as she held out a gloved hand to shake Snow's own, dubiously given one. "My father sent me to M-the Enchanted Forest to help you."
"Riiiiiight, let's go with that." Snow nodded, obviously not believing her for a second.
That was fine. Hope had plenty of time to earn her cousin's trust and an heirloom to prove her identity. Now they just had to survive this little job they acquired first.
As Zoe made her way to the Toll Bridge with a plate full of food, she hoped to heaven and hell that she'd find him here. He tended to rotate where he was every day, but he was always near a source of water, so she hoped she guessed correctly. Otherwise, she'd never find him in time.
And Astrid had helped her sneak out the back to make sure she could deliver this in a timely fashion too…
Finally, the bridge came in sight and Zoe couldn't help the smile of relief on her face as she spotted the sloppily dressed man sitting at the bottom of it.
She didn't know his name, he never gave it, but despite the fact that he was homeless, the man was so nice that she couldn't help, but feel sorry for him. So she turned her feelings into actions, visiting him as many mornings a week as she could to give him at least a good breakfast, if she managed to find him between his Toll Bridge, beach and dock rotations.
Why he liked water so much, she had no idea.
"Hello!" Zoe called out cheerfully, causing the man to look up in surprise before he smiled kindly at her.
The man wasn't that much older than his 40s, at least in Zoe's opinion, with long dark brown hair that was scraggly and tangled with leaves and kind brown eyes. His clothes were old and loose, but he refused any that Zoe brought for him to wear, insisting he was fine, even as he always kept his feet in the water at all times.
Why, she had no idea.
"I hope you weren't waiting long." Zoe smiled as she knelt beside the man, keeping a small distance so he didn't startle and rush into the water (he did that the first time they met and terrified her because they were at the docks, she almost thought he'd drown). She set the plate down before backing away again. "Here you go, my friend Aislin made it special. She's trying out cooking as a hobby now, funny enough."
"Thank you, miss. You're too kind." The man said, his voice soft, as if he were no longer used to speaking.
"I wish I could do more. I want to help you get back on your feet." Zoe admitted. He was the kind of person she wanted to help, him and others who were lost in the world. She wanted to get them back on their feet, improve their mental health and push them towards a better life, supporting them all the way.
That was how Einri's mom met his dad, after all. His dad helped his uncle stay sober (which he has now been for eighteen years, Einri's mom and aunt were very proud) and his uncle had then introduced his dad to his mom. The rest, they say, is history.
She wanted to be like that, and maybe this man was the first step. Maybe that was why she felt the intense need to help him, even just slightly.
Maybe…
"You're doing more than enough for a lost cause like me." The man smiled. He always smiled.
"If you say so…" Zoe sighed before she pushed herself to her feet and dusted off her jeans. "I'll come by to see you again soon, okay? Please, tell me if you need anything."
The man simply nodded, and Zoe smiled one last time before she made her way back into the woods, away from the Toll Bridge.
When she made her way back into Storybrooke, she happened to glance to the side, only to spot Derek spray painting the side of Granny's Diner...again. Zoe sighed at the sight. For years now, Derek had been acting out, a troublemaker who was a year Zoe's senior and got picked up by Graham for his vandalism as often as Leroy was picked up for being drunk. Recently, though, Zoe had started to think Derek was purposefully getting picked up by Graham, as a kind of unspoken part-time job, but this was ridiculous.
And honestly, he was getting predictable, and he wasn't even that good at art (she'd seen Kai actually wince in pain at the sight of Derek's artwork, it was so terrible). But he probably needed the excuse to go work with Graham given his reputation...thinking like that, Zoe took out her cell phone and ran over towards Derek.
"Hey, Derek!" She yelled.
"Yo, whatchu want, chica?" Derek asked and Zoe had to physically stop herself from wincing. He really was stubborn in that delinquent image of his, from how he spoke to how he dressed, wearing loose clothing and an ostentatious skull beanie.
"You're doing this so someone calls Graham, yeah? I'll do it." Zoe shrugged.
"I don't know whatchu talkin' 'bout, chica! I'm jus' here to show off my beliefs, yo!" Derek denied.
"Your beliefs in...cats?" Zoe raised an eyebrow skeptically, even as her fingers dialed the familiar number, her eyes darting up to the poorly drawn graffiti that vaguely looked like a cat. He was really bad at art.
"Ya gotta let 'em run free and wild, yo! Keepin' 'em domestic ain't shit, yo!"
"Riiiiiiight...hey, Graham! Yeah, Derek's spray painting the side of Granny's again...yeah, thanks. See you." Zoe hung up and walked away with a loose wave. "Bye Derek, hope to see you at school."
"School's whack, yo!" Derek yelled after her. That opinion was exactly why he often was caught skipping at the skatepark (which he was actually pretty talented in doing), often ending up in the sheriff's station at the end of the day for his hard work. Jeremiah loved sarcastically clapping for him whenever they met.
But Zoe just smiled back at the blonde teen and continued on her way.
Though, a few minutes later, she was surprised when she saw Graham's police car drive by, preceding the sight of Henry running out of Granny's, followed by Mary Margaret and Emma. Without even thinking about it, she followed them all the way to the hospital, where they found Graham among a bunch of doctors, and Derek at his side.
"You sure got here quick." Zoe said as she stopped at Henry's side when Graham stopped them both.
"Graham picked me up on the way, yo." Derek explained, his expression serious. That already told Zoe something bad was happening.
"What's going on?" Mary Margaret asked as she caught up to them. "Is it John Doe? Is he okay?"
"He's missing." Graham admitted.
"What…?" Zoe gasped, staring into the room as Derek nodded solemnly at her side. And when she spotted the empty room, with the mayor inside, she couldn't help the hiss of pain that slipped between her clenched teeth, her hands covering her burning eyes.
"Yo, you okay?" Derek asked, laying a concerned hand on her arm.
"Zoe? What's wrong?" Henry asked, just as worried as he pulled on her hand.
"Nothing, I'm fine." Zoe shook her head, blinking several times to clear her vision. Of course, it didn't help much, considering the mayor walked out shortly after to confront them.
"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked. Emma remained silent, so the mayor focused on Henry, grabbing his hand from where it rested against Zoe's. "And you. I thought you were at the arcade. Now you're lying to me?"
"What happened to John Doe? Did someone take him?" Mary Margaret asked, redirecting the conversation.
"It ain't me, yo, I ain't doing that shit." Derek shook his head, his hands held up in surrender as Zoe looked at him.
"Of course it wasn't, Derek. We don't know yet what happened. His IVs were ripped out, but there's no sign for sure there was a struggle." Graham explained, tapping Derek's shoulder consolingly, causing the blonde teen to relax.
"What did you do?" Henry demanded as he looked up at the mayor.
"Henry!" Zoe scolded, her voice a hiss.
"You think I had something to do with this?" The mayor questioned, looking down at her son with hurt eyes.
"It is curious that the mayor is here." Emma said then, redirecting the mayor's attention to her.
"I'm here because I'm his emergency contact." The mayor explained.
"You know him?" Mary Margaret asked, hope in her voice.
"I found him on the side of the road years ago with no ID." The mayor corrected. "I brought him here."
"Mayor Mills saved his life." Dr. Whale stated as he joined them.
"Will he be okay?" Mary Margaret questioned, desperate.
"Okay? The man's been on feeding tubes for years, under constant supervision." Dr. Whale said. "He needs to get back here right away or, quite honestly, 'okay' might be a pipe dream."
"Well, then let's quit yapping and start looking." Emma suggested.
"That's what we're doing." The mayor contradicted. "Just stay out of this, dear. And since I clearly can't keep you away from my son, I guess I'm just going to have to keep my son away from you." The mayor grabbed Henry's hand then and began to walk with him towards the exit. "Enjoy my shirt because that's all you're getting. Sheriff, find John Doe. You heard Dr. Whale, time is precious." With that, the mayor marched out, Henry at her side.
"I should probably head out, I promised Einri we'd hang out. But I'll check back with you all later?" Zoe said, wanting to get out of the way. She hated being a burden, it was all she had ever been.
After all, why else would she be living in the covenant? She'd been a burden the moment she entered this world, but she'd be damned if that fact left a man to die.
With a smile she only half meant, Zoe waved goodbye as she left the hospital. Her smile fell as soon as she was past the white, white doors, however.
Things were mostly silent as Hope, Snow and the prince, who Snow had dubbed 'Charming', made their way through the woods. Most of the time, Hope hung back to give the two of them privacy, something inside her urging her to do so.
That didn't stop Charming from engaging with her cautiously, about the same as he engaged with Snow. But Snow remained distrustful and distant from her cousin.
Which Hope entirely understood, considering her own step-mother had a wanted poster out for her. But still, Hope was in this for the long haul. She'd take her time.
Of course, then she overheard Snow talking about living somewhere isolated and Hope felt her hands burn with the ice under her fingertips. She remembered all too well what such a wish had almost cost her mother...she refused to let Snow feel the same way.
Just then, Snow brushed aside some bush, revealing a river. She turned to Charming and stated,
"I'm thirsty. May I?"
"Sure. Make it quick." Charming agreed. Hope, however, narrowed her eyes as she followed her cousin and the prince. Snow reminded her a bit of her aunt, except not nearly as mischievous. She didn't trust where this was going.
And, sure enough, after drinking from the river and giving Charming a chance to drink for himself, Snow kneed him right in the gut before pushing him into the river. Hope barely had a moment to process this, however, before Snow grabbed the back of her cloak and threw her into the river alongside Charming.
For a single, heart stopping moment, Hope panicked as her head submerged and she barely managed to curl her hands into fists, lest she freeze the river and make this entire situation worse.
But even as she broke the surface for air, the current continued pushing her on, towards Charming and away from Snow as her cousin stole from the prince's belongings and fled, leaving the two behind to drown.
"You know, when I said I wanted to hang out, I didn't mean this." Einri complained as he and Zoe followed Henry into the woods, with their only light being a flashlight in the boy's hand.
"Stop whining, you know we couldn't let him go alone." Zoe rolled her eyes. She and Einri had been going to meet up with a friend of Einri's, Zephyr, when they spotted Henry running towards the woods. Zoe wasn't surprised the boy didn't stay away, so she followed after him to make sure he was safe at least and Einri, being a gentleman, called Zephyr to let him know they couldn't make it and joined her and Henry. The boy in question had been very excited the whole time, treating the whole thing like one grand adventure, though Zoe really hoped this 'adventure' ended with nobody getting hurt or worse, in John Doe's case.
"Come on, I think they're up here!" Henry urged the teenagers on, and they quickly picked up the pace, uncaring of the twigs they snapped in their wake, announcing their arrival just before they appeared to Emma, Mary Margaret and Derek.
"Henry!" Mary Margaret cried, focusing on the child as the trio reached her.
"Did you find him yet?" Henry asked.
"No, not yet." Emma said. "You shouldn't be here. Why did you two let him come here, uh-"
"Sorry! Henry wouldn't let us bring him home, so I thought if nothing else, we could make sure he was safe." Zoe answered before she startled. "Oh, uh, I'm Zoe and this is Einri."
"I would like to say, to any wolves or vampires out here, this was all Zoe's idea." Einri declared overdramatically, causing Zoe to roll her eyes.
"Yo, there ain't no vampires and shit out here." Derek shook his head, confused. "Graham wouldn't let nobody out with 'im otherwise."
"I can help." Henry insisted, bringing the conversation back on track. "I know where he's going."
"And where's that?" Mary Margaret question.
"He's looking for you." Henry stated, looking at his teacher.
Thankfully, Hope managed to get out of the river with Charming's help and without using her magic at all. Unfortunately, as soon as they found Snow, they found her pinned to a tree with, no doubt, the queen's loyal knights looking ready to kill her.
Hope shared a look with the prince before she moved faster than ever before.
Just as the one knight raised a knife up to stab Snow, Hope let the arrow she had nocked fly, no doubt killing him instantly. For a moment, she wanted to freeze, to cry, but she couldn't, because her cousin was still in danger and now she was too, she couldn't lose it, not yet.
Charming charged forward and engaged one of the two remaining knights, the one pinning Snow to a tree. Acting quickly, and seeing Snow was still mildly frozen in probably a state of shock, Hope grasped another arrow from her quiver and nocked it before firing it at the other knight, causing his horse to whine as it reared back to avoid the danger.
Suddenly, Snow charged for the remaining horse, only for the knight Hope had been shooting at to scoop her up as if she were nothing.
"No!" Hope screamed as she ran towards the prince as he knocked down the knight he was fighting, leaving him unconscious. Her magic was bursting under her skin, ready to burst out as ice or something else, she had no idea. "What do we do?!" She demanded of Charming.
But Charming didn't answer, instead stealing a bow and quiver from the remaining horse and charging into the woods. Hope ran after him and watched as he carefully aimed before loosening the arrow, causing it to strike true and knock the knight off his horse and set Snow free.
"Let's go." Charming urged and Hope followed after him, her worry forcing her silent as the two ran through the woods until they met up with Snow as she got control of the horse and dismounted.
"Snow!" Hope shouted as she ran up to her cousin and stopped just short of hugging her, her hands clasped tightly together to prevent any magic from leaving her fingertips.
"Are you alright?" Charming asked as he stopped beside Hope.
"You…" Snow panted as she stared at the two of them. "You saved me."
"It seemed like the honorable thing to do." Charming said.
"And I wouldn't leave you." Hope added before she started. "Oh!" Quickly, she turned to Charming and fell into a curtsey, despite her wet dress. "Thank you for saving me from the river, Your Highness."
"You can just...stick with 'Charming'." Charming shook his head at her and Hope straightened up only to smile at him.
"I like that even better." She declared.
"That's all well and good, but what's that behind you?" Snow questioned. Hope turned and froze at the sight of ice footsteps leading from the woods...to her.
"Shit…" She whispered under her breath. "So...uh...I have magic?"
"Ice magic?" Snow asked, eyes widened.
"And other magic. It's a long story." Hope hedged. "It only comes out when my emotions go haywire, so you're safe."
"And how do I know you're not a witch pretending to be my cousin?" Snow demanded, looking guarded. Hope wondered if this was how her mother must have felt, all those years ago.
"Because I have this." Hope answered, reaching into her satchel and pulling out the crest of her grandfather's native kingdom, handing it over easily. "That's the crest of your mother's royal family, yes?"
Snow stared in shock for a moment before she nodded.
"I...suppose it's true then. And...thank you, as well." She said and Hope smiled as she took the crest back.
"Of course." She nodded.
Charming cleared his throat, getting their attention.
"Are you ready?" He asked them both.
"For what?" Snow questioned.
"My jewels." Charming reminded her. Snow blinked a couple times, briefly glanced at Hope and then spoke,
"Right. You've got a wedding to get to. The trolls I sold them to are just beyond the next ridge. We need to be careful."
"What, of trolls?" Charming asked.
"You've clearly never met one." Snow stated, serious.
"They are not to be underestimated, though I suspect they're different from the ones I'm used to." Hope added, at which her cousin nodded in confirmation.
"Aren't they just little people?" Charming questioned, looking lost.
"You're thinking of dwarves." Snow shook her head. "Show a little respect. They'll cut your hand off sooner than they'll shake it."
"Well, then let's get this over with." Charming sighed.
"Yes, we've both got places to be." Snow agreed. "So let's go."
"You have your lonely little corner of solitude to find." Charming said sarcastically.
"And you have a ringless fiancée to appease." Snow shot right back.
"So we're all busy, how quaint, now let's move." Hope grinned at them both as she fell into step beside them, Snow leading the stolen horse with them.
"You're the one who woke him up. You're the last one he saw." Henry insisted as their rather large and unlikely search party made their way through the woods. "He wants to find you!"
"Henry, it's not about me. I just...I think he's lost and confused." Mary Margaret cut the boy off gently. "He's been in a coma a long time."
"But he loves you!" Henry cried. "You need to stop chasing him and let him find you."
"Kid, you need to go home! Where's your mom?" Emma swiftly cut off any further arguments, briefly glaring at Zoe and Einri, no doubt for encouraging this behavior. Zoe winced in apology while Einri squeezed her shoulder. Derek was so lucky to have a legitimate reason to be there… "She's going to kill me. And then you. And then me again."
"She dropped me at the house, then went right out." Henry explained.
"Well, there go our heads." Einri groaned, running a hand through his hair. Zoe elbowed him harshly in the side, muttering a quiet 'stop it'.
"Well, we need to get you back immediately." Emma stated.
"No!" The boy argued.
"Guys?" Graham called out.
"Yo, over here!" Derek added shortly after.
Quickly, the two adults, two teens and one child ran after the sheriff and delinquent, only to find them kneeling near a bush. Zoe gasped when she saw what it was they found, her hands instinctively clasping onto Henry's shoulders.
"Is that…?" Mary Margaret trailed off, staring at the hospital bracelet that was caught in the brush, and on it was-
"Blood." Emma confirmed grimly.
It was difficult, three people riding one horse, but the three of them managed to make it work with minimal awkwardness until they finally reached the ominous, in Hope's opinion, troll bridge.
Snow slipped off first, then Hope jumped down as her cousin grasped the reins and Charming dismounted at last. Once they were all safely on the dirt, Snow hit the horse's hind and sent it running back into the woods with a 'hyah!'
"Trolls don't like horses." She explained upon seeing Charming's confused expression.
"Do they like reindeer here? The ones I know do." Hope questioned, a note of childish curiosity in her voice.
"I have no idea and no interest in finding out." Snow shook her head before she turned back towards the bridge. "We walk from here. Follow me. And keep quiet."
Silently, the three of them stepped onto the bridge and Hope watched as Snow walked towards the edge.
"Where are they?" Charming questioned.
"They're here." The bandit said simply before she placed a handful of gold coins on the side of the bridge.
The next thing Hope knew, three ugly, large trolls had climbed up the sides of the bridge and had surrounded the three of them, knives at the ready. They were nothing like the trolls she knew, and she barely stopped her gasp of horror, suddenly filled with a wave of homesickness.
"It's fine. I know them." Snow drawled, her voice relaxed.
"Why you here? I thought we were done?" One of the trolls demanded, his knife pointing at the bandit.
"I want to make another trade." Snow shrugged.
"I'm not talking in front of them. Who are these two?" The troll demanded, his eyes on Charming and Hope as the remaining two surrounded them, their eyes suspicious.
"No, they're with me." Snow shook her head.
"That's good. With you." The troll said sarcastically. "Well, that makes it all fine."
"They're no one." The bandit denied. "Look, I want to buy back the jewels I sold you."
"Who are they?" The troll demanded.
"I said don't worry about it." The bandit stepped between the troll and the two royals, her body relaxed and open. "Look, I'll give you back all your money. You just give me the ring. You can keep everything else."
There was a moment of silence, tension running high, before finally, the lead troll nodded at one of the others and the second troll held out a bag that no doubt contained Charming's jewels.
"Thank you. We appreciate the help." Charming said as he took the bag.
"He's too eager." The lead troll said, causing the second one to take the bag back and Hope had to bite her lip to avoid the full bodied flinch she wanted so desperately to give. "This is a setup."
"It's not!" Snow protested.
"They're both royals!" The troll insisted, gesturing to both Charming and Hope's attire. "Hold them!"
Suddenly, the lead troll had an arm around Snow's neck and the two remaining ones charged Charming and Hope.
"Let her go!" The prince demanded as he unsheathed his sword. The troll, however, slapped Charming's sword aside with his knife and threw the prince into the walls of the bridge.
Before Hope could even think of raising her hands, for a spell or her bow, she didn't know, the other troll had grabbed her wrist and thrown her onto the other side of the bridge, a knife at her throat.
"No! You can trust me. Look, you can trust me." Snow insisted desperately. "If I wanted to set you up, I would have. Don't hurt them."
"The time for dealing is done. Search them." The lead troll ordered.
Hope bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, resisting every urge in her body to scream and kick and release the magic that was bubbling inside her. She had nothing of value to these trolls on her, but even so, every item she owned was thrown to the ground of the bridge. Her bow, her quiver, and the entire contents of her satchel, which included a necklace with one crocus and one snowdrop charm she had hidden inside it. They did the same to Charming at the same time, even throwing Snow's fairy dust to the ground, before they threw all three of their captives to the same side to look over their spoils.
Then one of the trolls held up Snow's Wanted ad and began to laugh.
"Snow White." The lead troll laughed as he looked from the ad to Snow herself, comparing the two. "Quite a reward. Take her!"
Hope watched as Charming's eyes darted to his sword before he grabbed it in the moment the trolls' eyes left him. With a yell, he swung at them until they were forced to release Snow.
Hope wasn't paying too much attention, instead she was moving. Raising her hands, she found a loose stone in the bridge and whispered under her breath,
"Oh please work." She didn't have the words for a specific spell, but she had belief, hope and hell of a fight or flight response and-
She felt it as her eyes flashed gold and the stone she was aiming for went flying into a troll's head, at the very least dazing the durable little monster long enough for Charming to grab her and push her into Snow, and then push both of them together towards the bridge's exit.
"Go! I'm right behind you!" The prince yelled and the two cousins fled, Snow grabbing her necklace and the jewels as she did so.
"Follow me!" The bandit yelled. "They don't know the forest like I do!"
"Snow!" Hope shouted as the two turned around, only to see that Charming had fallen behind on the bridge and the trolls would, no doubt, kill him.
Hope was running before she even thought otherwise, options of what she could do circling through her mind viciously before she reached the edge of the bridge and allowed frost to form in her hands.
The trolls were going to behead Charming if she didn't do something!
But before she could let the frost and ice fly, Snow pushed her back and threw her fairy dust instead. Hope watched in awe as the lead troll turned into a cockroach. The two remaining trolls moved to attack Snow, but her fairy dust was faster and soon, only three trolls, a prince, a princess and a bandit remained on that bridge.
Hope felt her ice disappear with a gasp.
Charming seemed to feel the same way as he slowly looked up and stood up with his sword in hand.
"You...you saved me." He said, as if he couldn't believe it.
"It was the honorable thing to do." Snow smiled as she removed her now empty necklace.
"What about your special someone?" Charming asked.
"I'll think of something else." Snow shrugged, throwing the necklace to the ground. "It looks like I've got a sorceress now, we'll see how we do."
"I think we can figure something out." Hope smiled tentatively, playing with her fingers nervously as she stepped forward to her cousin's side.
"Thank you." Charming breathed out. He then sheathed his sword and the three of them quickly picked up their supplies. Hope sighed in relief as she tenderly held her necklace, her thumb brushing against the crocus and snowdrop charms on it, feeling the residual magic of both her parents there, keeping it safe.
"I'm okay." She whispered, gently kissing it and feeling the kiss of winter returned to her skin, making breathing just a little easier. Without hesitating, she put the necklace on, feeling a sense of normalcy return to her as the charms settled against her collarbones.
"Anyway, how could I let Prince Charming die?" Snow teased as they continued collecting their supplies.
"I told you, I have a name." Charming whispered, his voice soft and meaningful. Hope recognized that tone, heard her father whisper to her mother in that same tone, and she backed away to give the two a sense of privacy. "It's James."
"It's nice to meet you, James." Snow smiled, her voice soft and unlike anything Hope had heard from her cousin before. Hope couldn't help her own smile, happy that something good had come of this trip. Then the bandit glanced back at her. "We should go. There may be more of them coming."
"Yeah, I don't want to destroy the bridge next time." Hope winced as she restrapped her quiver on and slung her bow on, ready to go. Charming nodded in agreement and the three made their way off the bridge, the prince recollecting their coins as they went.
A wolf howled as they reached the Toll Bridge and Zoe felt ice in her veins.
"Oh, God." Mary Margaret whispered, sounding worried and scared, and Zoe instinctively moved closer to squeeze her hand. "Where is he? Can you see him?"
"The trail dies at the water line." Graham shook his head.
"Hey...isn't someone over there?" Einri pointed out as the group spread out their flashlights to look. Mary Margaret moved fastest, her flashlight pointing where Einri did and there they found the homeless man Zoe had visited just that morning kneeling alongside John Doe.
He wasn't moving.
"Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!" Mary Margaret screamed as she threw her flashlight down and made her way over to the two men.
The homeless man was supporting John Doe's head, keeping him out of the water as much as he could, but the coma patient was still deep enough that there was a very real fear of him not making it.
"I need an ambulance at the old toll bridge as soon as possible." Graham yelled into his walkie talkie.
"Hurry, he's been here too long!" The man cried, sounding concerned as the three adults ran over to help him, Derek, Zoe and Einri staying back with Henry. Without thinking about it, the four grabbed onto each other, Zoe with Henry's right shoulder and Derek's right hand, Henry with Zoe's right wrist, Derek with Zoe's left hand and Einri's right hand, and Einri with Zoe's right shoulder and Derek's left hand, which were linked in front of Henry as if to block him from running out.
"Hang on. Hang on. Hang on." Emma repeated as the four adults pulled John Doe out of the water.
"I'm falling, falling, falling. I'm falling." Mary Margaret cried out. "Keep going."
Once they exited the water, the man stayed behind and passed John Doe's legs off to Emma, leaving the three adults walking on land as he followed in the water, the worry never leaving his kind looking features.
"Hold on. I feel we need to slow down. Slow down. Slow down." Mary Margaret said before they laid John Doe on the ground near the children. He wasn't awake. "No, no, no, no, no. I found you! It's gonna be okay!"
"Help's coming." Graham confirmed.
"Is he okay? Is he gonna be okay?" Henry asked, terrified out of his mind and shaking in the circle of Zoe, Einri and Derek.
"Henry, don't look, okay? All of you, don't look." Emma said, running over to the children and physically turning them away, making sure she kept them in the circle of her arms to keep them that way.
"Oh God…" Zoe whispered as her grip tightened on Henry and Derek. Tears were falling from her cheeks and her body was trembling, but she had no idea why. "Oh God…"
"Please, please…" Derek whispered at her side. "Not again, don't do this to nobody again…"
Einri was silent and when Zoe looked up, he was gazing at the scene behind him, a lost and helpless expression on his face.
"Come back to us." Mary Margaret begged, and Zoe just barely heard her whisper, "Come back to me."
For some reason, that made Zoe feel as if her heart were being stabbed and something was building up inside her, something that made her want to scream.
"It's okay. It's okay." Emma whispered, mostly for Henry's benefit, as Zoe registered the sound of Mary Margaret performing CPR behind them.
And then...the sound of sputtering and gasping.
Emma's grip loosened and Zoe looked up to see Einri's eyes wide in awe.
"She did it…" The brown haired teen whispered, and Zoe turned to see Mary Margaret supporting John Doe's head, Graham looking relieved and the homeless man smiling as his gaze shifted from the three of them to the children and Emma.
"You saved me." The coma patient's hoarse voice filled the air.
"She did it. She did it." Henry repeated, a joyful smile forming on his face as he looked from the two of them to the teenagers and his birth mom standing with him. "She woke him up."
"Yeah, kid, she did." Emma confirmed, sounding a little in awe herself.
"Maybe there's something to true love's kiss after all." Zoe smiled through her tears, loosening her grip on Derek's hand to run a hand through Henry's hair, kissing the top of his head.
"Maybe…" Einri agreed, sounding confused and lost.
"Yo, this is great!" Derek grinned before he released Einri's hand and ran over to join Graham in looking over John Doe, seeming determined to learn again now that the situation wasn't serious.
"Thank you." John Doe hoarsely said.
"Who are you?" Mary Margaret asked.
"I don't know." The coma patient answered.
"It's okay. You're going to be okay." The teacher sounded as if she were smiling, and Zoe felt herself relax entirely as the ambulance sirens sounded nearby.
The large search party made sure they all followed the ambulance back and watched as Dr. Whale and his team began to get John Doe back on his IV and everything else he needed, while also looking him over for any further complications.
"David?" An unknown voice suddenly yelled, and a woman Zoe didn't recognize pushed her way through into the room. "David, is that you?"
They could only watch then as Dr. Whale pulled the woman away from John Doe.
"Who is that?" Mary Margaret questioned.
"His wife." The mayor's voice stated, and Zoe would have jumped through the ceiling if Einri wasn't there holding her hand in his.
The three of them walked quietly through the forest until they reached where they would part ways.
"So...you probably want this." Charming said as he took out a pouch.
"Right, the gold. Thank you." Snow nodded as she snatched the pouch and tied it to her waist. She then took another one out from under her arm and held it out to the prince. "And you can't get married without this."
Charming smiled as he took the pouch and opened it until he held a silver ring with a green jewel in his hand.
"That's pretty." Hope smiled from where she stood between the two.
"Thank you." Charming smiled before he turned to her cousin. "I know. Not your style."
"Well, there's only one way to find out." Snow mused as she took the ring and placed it on her right ring finger.
Hope had to stifle a gasp as she watched the two of them, the look in Charming's eyes and the ring on Snow's finger. Suddenly, she understood what her father meant when he said she would just 'know' certain things, such as what was destined or when she needed to be somewhere.
When she looked at the two of them, like this, she felt as if she were staring into the future itself.
"Yeah, not me at all." Snow said as she took the ring off and held it back out in offering. "I'm sure your fiancée will love it."
Charming laughed slightly before he took the ring and returned it to the pouch with the rest.
"You know, if you need more, you can have the rest." The prince offered. "The ring is all I require."
"No, I'm good-we're good. Thanks." Snow smiled, briefly gesturing to herself and Hope, who tried to hide how bright her grin got when her cousin basically confirmed she was taking her along. "We both got what we wanted."
"Well, wherever you're going, be careful." Charming smiled. "If you need anything…"
"You'll find me." Snow stated, with a belief and faith unlike any Hope had seen outside of her parents and her aunt and to-be-uncle.
"Always." Charming confirmed, with that same unending faith.
"I almost believe that." The bandit smiled. She then picked up her bag and prepared to leave.
"Well, goodbye, Snow White, Hope." Charming nodded at them both.
"Goodbye, Your Highness." Hope smiled with a teasing curtsy.
"Goodbye, Prince Charming." Snow bowed teasingly.
"I told you. It's James." Charming corrected.
"No, still like Charming better." Snow rolled her eyes.
"I agree. It suits you much more than 'James'." Hope teasingly stuck out her tongue.
"Well, come on. We've got a long ways." Snow lightly hit her cousin's arm and the princess nodded with a smile and waved at the prince before the two turned their back on him and began to leave.
But right as they were going to turn the corner back into the woods, Snow stopped, and Hope watched her cousin turn back and watch as Charming walked towards the castle. With ginger, careful fingers, Hope reached out and squeezed her older cousin's free hand.
"This story isn't over yet. It's only beginning." She whispered as she watched the yearning on the bandit's face.
"And how would you know that, oh Your Royal Highness?" Snow raised an eyebrow at her.
"I can just feel it. Call it magic or destiny. Whatever." Hope shrugged uncaringly, but her smile didn't dim.
She knew she was right. This was the beginning, for all of them. And she had no doubt they'd all cross paths again someday.
Snow shook her head at her before using the princess' grip to pull her further into the woods without another word.
"His name is David Nolan." Mayor Mills said as she looked over the search party with a judging eye even as she smiled. "And that's his wife, Kathryn. And the joy on her face? Well, it's put me in quite the forgiving mood. We'll talk about your insubordination later. Do you know what insubordination means?" This, she directed at Henry. The boy shook his head. "It means you're grounded."
"On that note, Zoe and I should be getting home." Einri cut in nervously as he looked around. "Very pleasant to see you all, glad to see Mr. Nolan's alright and good night, Madame Mayor. Henry, good luck." With that, the teen grasped his best friend's hand and practically yanked her out of the hospital, forcing her to only send an apologetic look back at Henry.
"Einri, what the hell's going on? Why are you so freaked out?" Zoe demanded once they were outside, and she could yank her arm free.
"Who was that man?" Einri asked, his eyes almost frantic.
"Man? You mean Mr. Nolan?" Zoe questioned, confused.
"No! The other one!" Einri frantically shook his head.
"I don't know, he's never told me. Why are you freaking out?" Zoe asked, her voice softer as she realized just how freaked out Einri was. His hands were trembling, and his eyes were wide with fear and confusion.
"Because! I recognized him, but I have no idea how!"
That night, Einri laid in his room debating what he would say before he decided to just bite the damn bullet.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Zeph. Sorry for bailing on you earlier. Something important came up." Einri greeted his best male friend with a sheepish smile, even if the blonde couldn't see it.
"Oh, that's alright, I get it. I just spent the night with Adrien instead, since he came home early." Zephyr said, his voice quiet and subdued like it normally was.
Einri winced but didn't say anything out loud. He had his own suspicions about Zephyr's twin brother, but nothing he could bring to Graham.
"That's great man, still I'm sorry for bailing on you. Hey, what do you say you and I meet up this weekend, just us? We can make it a guys' thing, invite Kris and Alastair, anyone else you want too." Einri offered.
"Yeah...yeah, that sounds fun. I'll talk to Alastair." Zephyr sounded as if he was smiling. That's good...that's really good.
"Alright man, it's a deal! See you!" Einri hung up just as his front door opened.
"Einri? Are you home, son?"
"Yeah, Dad." Einri came out and leaned against his door jam, crossing his arms. His dad, Arawn, had long black hair and pale skin that made it look as if he rarely saw the sun. He was a glass worker that moved to Storybrooke from Spain when he was fresh out of college, ended up sponsoring Einri's uncle and meeting his sister who later became his wife.
The rest, as they say, is history.
"How was your day?" Arawn questioned curiously as he rolled up his sleeves and collapsed in a kitchen chair. Einri's mom, with her long, braided black hair and hazel eyes, began to heat up his dinner as quickly as she could.
"It was good. Spent it with Zoe." Einri shrugged, being deliberately vague. He couldn't quite explain just why his skin felt as if it were crawling right now, but it did.
"That's good. I'm glad. Is your homework done?" Arawn prodded.
"All set and ready to go." The boy saluted, causing a smile to twitch his father's lips.
"Good. I'm proud of you. Did you eat already?"
"Yeah, a while ago." Einri nodded.
"I see. Make sure you go to bed at a decent time, yes?" Arawn said.
"Yeah, Dad, I will." Einri confirmed. "Night, Mom."
"Good night, Einri. I love you." Dahlia smiled as she set out her husband's dinner, kissed him welcome and then walked over to hug her son goodnight, placing a kiss on his forehead.
Einri smiled as he relaxed in his mother's embrace, breathing in her rose water scented skin, before he returned to his room and collapsed on his bed.
That night, Einri dreamed of crashing waves, a rickety ship and a voice, a voice that sounded so familiar and made him feel safe, telling him to leave. He woke up the next morning with a promise burning on his lips, but no idea what it was.
That's the end!
Yeaaaah, remember when I said Einri kinda accidentally became a secondary protagonist? This last scene was not originally planned, but Einri wouldn't let me NOT write it, so here it is. He's quite vocal considering I've literally never seen his movie until today, but that's beside the point. In any case, Einri and his family's curse seems pretty obvious to me now. I'm very amused with his uncle's curse, considering who his uncle is, lol.
Anyway! I'm pretty sure, so far, that this is one of two really long chapters. The next chapter is the first of the 'one character' chapters, which focuses not on the main plot, but a character who is similar to the main plot's main character. For example, chapter 4's POV character is similar to Cinderella/Ashley, despite her not being in the chapter. It also sets up the individual chapter structure. Fun times!
Quick note: all characters I give POVs to, their stories won't be revealed entirely in their one main chapter. We're sticking with these characters for the most part for six seasons, possibly seven as well. Their stories are basically the same as their source material, barring some differences, so I'm not rewriting all of it, but good portions of it will pop up throughout the seasons as needed.
Almost forgot! Hope's eyes flashing gold when she uses all magic BUT ice magic is a reference to BBC Merlin, which I am using as a basis to fix all the Camelot bullshit right from the start in season 1. It's also a way to keep the three kinds of magic separate: Enchanted Forest magic, Arendelle ice magic and Camelot magic.
I think that's it for now...I'll be back as soon as I can!