In Portland, a beautiful blonde girl of fifteen with beautiful blue eyes and shameless looks lived in a slum with a drunk woman and her son who made her life difficult.
"It's disgusting I already asked you to prevent your son from playing pigs, rebelled to his adoptive mother who smoked a big cigar inside."
"With the misery that gives you the state to raise you I will not trample too much."
"The social services could at least have verified that you had the maternal instinct before giving you the approval of host family, but it does not matter tomorrow we will have more to support each other ..."
"What does that mean exactly ?"
"I'm sixteen tomorrow, I'll ask my emancipation and I'll get out of your rat hole."
Suddenly, the bell rang:
"Go open", the woman yelled as she walked to her room.
The teenager pulled the door. She saw a woman and a man in their forties.
"Hello, can I help you?"
"Are you Lux?" the blonde woman asked with medium length hair.
"And who are you ?"
"My name is Annie Walker and this is August Booth, my former companion, we are your biological parents."
Lux remained frozen in front of them. She was in shock. Them too. They were amazed by her beauty and the aura she gave off.
She brought them in and gave them cups of tea. The silence lasted for very long minutes.
Annie started the discussion.
"Lux, we do not want to interfere in your life but you have parents now so if you need us, do not hesitate."
"Today I planned to ask my emancipation", the girl said.
"Do you want to emancipate yourself from the authority of your adoptive parents?" August asked
"Not the guardianship of the state. I have never been adopted."
Annie did not understand, she was sure that the doctor had given her the certainty that she would be, but she did not interrupt her
"I have to appear before the judge tomorrow. If I do not get it, I'll have to spend two more years getting wandered from rotten foster family to another with alcoholic mothers and half-obsessed fathers who are all trying to flirt with me and that, to be honest it swells me. I will not have to depend on so-called incompetent adult for anything, the youngster revolted."
They were surprised by her strong character as a rebellious teenager who hides what she has been through.
"If we can do something?" Annie worried.
"No, that's nice."
"We'll go with you to court tomorrow", August said.
"No, I do not need, thank you."
"Lux, we want to get to know you", the new father exclaimed
The next day, both parents docked Lux in taxi, in front of her old home.
"I do not understand what happened, the social worker told me that he had no problem finding you a family, they had a long waiting list", Annie said.
"Yes, but, he did not warn you, I had a heart problem at birth, a kind of hole so I had to have several operations, the adoptive parents do not jostle when they see a little baby, full of tubes at the hospital. They ended up declaring me healthy but I was three years old and all that people want is a baby …"
August and Annie looked at each other, confused by the sad life their daughter had been through. The driver left them in court. Lux rushed to the big building. Annie ran after him. August followed them, without word.
"Wait, I'd like you to understand how we got there, it's not that I did not want a baby but I was unable to bring you up, August was gone, I had nobody to help me and then I had a job that forced me to abandon you, and also I was young ..."
Luxe did not look at her, she went on her way. Her mother stopped her.
"And you may not have thought of everything, there are a lot of things to consider if you want to be emancipated. Do you know where you will live, where are you going to school, and how are you going to make a living?"
"Without wanting to annoy you, I did not have any parents for fifteen years, it's not now that I need it."
In court, Luxe was standing in front of the judge. Her parents were sitting in the stands.
"So, miss, you're sixteen, today", the judge said.
"That's it, I'm now old enough to be emancipated," the girl nodded.
"You had seven different host families", she said, browsing her file.
"Yes, well it's not really my fault ..."
"And who is responsible then? You're not going to tell me it's all those parents who welcomed you to their homes?"
"No, I would have liked to have a family, only the state never found me a good one."
"So at this time, you do not have a permanent residence?"
"When I'm emancipated, I plan to rent a studio next to my school."
"And with what income do you expect to pay for this apartment?"
"I have three thousand dollars on my account."
"And who will bail to help you?" the lawyer asked
The teenager did not know what to answer. Suddenly, the two old lovers got up.
"I'll pay the lease", they informed at the same time.
The judge and the young orphan stared at them.
"Wait who are you, please?"
"These are my biological parents", Luxe announced, annoyed, who finally wanted to finish and get her emancipation.
"Sir, you are a writer in a little town named Storybrooke, and you're married and you, miss, you're working at the CIA, she said, flipping through a form where both parents had to introduce themselves. None of you have a criminal record."
She spoke to Lux
"I will be honest with you, girl, there is no question that I authorize you emancipation, you have no income, no permanent residence. On the other hand, August Wayne Booth and Annie Walker are still legally your parents. The signatures have not been certified, so they are worthless. The custody of the child is entrusted to the legitimate father."
August shook hands, proud. Lux sighed and left the place, cross, without anyone noticing.
"What? but why him, why not jointly?" the furious young woman asked
"Because you live far from each other and you, miss, you do not have the right to look after a child while you are a CIA agent, it's too dangerous. That's why you made a choice to abandon her."
"But I'm her mother and I carried 9 months in my belly, it's unfair. August abandoned me with the baby,too, he does not deserve her."
"I remind you that I was not aware and then she has no memory of that time."
"Fortunately she would know that you're just a loser."
"I had a mission to accomplish."
"Taking care of a woman who is now married to a one-armed man, you really assured", Annie replicated.
"My decision is made, the hearing is over", the judge announced by tapping her hammer.
Annie and her former accomplice came out of the room. They found Lux sitting on the stairs outside. Her mother wanted to approach her, but she refused. She stood up.
"Great, I got the opposite of an emancipation", the teen recognized, furious.
The CIA officer walked across the street leaving the father and daughter behind. August sighed.
"Annie, if you told me you were expecting a child, we would not be here today."
She turned to him, annoyed.
"Why would I tell you? You would never have admitted she was yours."
He got closer to her, omitting Luxe, behind him.
"That's right, what should I have done? to propose you to raise the child with you, like two normal parents, because I do not remember hearing you say that you wanted a child."
"No, for sure, there is a lot of things I did not want when I was twenty-three years old. All I wanted was to live with you without anything or anyone", she tormented herself.
"Why are you so angry?"
"Because it's you who is annoying me."
The rebel saw their quarrel and accosted them.
"Stop kids, be mature, a little."
She spoke to her mother
"I know it was bad to let you down and then, you never let anyone down, maybe, at least at one point you had, do not what would be the desire to keep me?"
Annie understood her daughter's reaction. She looked at her, saddened.
"No", she admitted honestly.
Lux felt once more abandoned by her mother. She did not show her disappointment and turned to her father.
"Let's go !"
She turned her back to the young woman.
"Lux does not go away", Annie insisted.
"No, you're nice, you pretend I did not exist, you've been very successful for sixteen years, so go on."
"Go get your things, I'll meet you at your host family", her legitimate father said
She said nothing and ran to her old home leaving her mother motionless and helpless. August seemed lost. He saw Annie, betrayed both by her daughter whom she had just met and by him whom she loved, whom she had just found. She left, desperate.
The young father remained dejected and watched her go. He began to feel sorry for her. He decided to be compassionate and ran to the young woman. He took her hand gently.
"You must stop being angry at yourself, we are as irresponsible as each other."
"I told her that I did not want to take care of her and maybe it's not wrong. Excuse me, I've blamed all of you on you while I'm as guilty as you in this story. I know you do not want to be there for her anymore than I do for her. She's right, I can not be her mother and ... I do not want to, to be honest."
"Frankly, you take that much better than I expected."
"It's because you underestimated me then. Live your life with her, make her happy, I am convinced that you are able to and that's all that matters, your good to both of you. She's your eyes, anyway, I've always loved your eyes ... And anyway, I could not take care of her. I'm leaving in a week on a mission for two years. (she heaved a big sigh) Farewells is overrated but I'm glad we had time this time."
She approached her former companion, kissed him gently on the cheek, they exchanged a smile of friendship.
"There is really something to change in you", the biker announced
"Possible, in any case, take care for your daughter."
"Our daughter, her ex lover corrected, I hope we will see each other."
"I hope so."
Annie went to join her taxi, saddened to leave her exbeloved, again ..
August accosted Lux in motorcycle. She put her luggage in her hold.
"Hold on tight", her father retorted
He started the engine. She is dying to him. ...
They stopped to make a lunch stop. During the whole meal, Lux did not say a word. She felt too upset at having missed her emancipation. The biker spoke.
"That was so terrible, the host families"
"Worse than that", announced his daughter without being interested in him.
But suddenly, she gave him a smile. August was delighted to see this pretty girl smile.
"Anyway thank you for agreeing to take care of me", recognized the teenager. "I hope I will not be a burden to you."
"I'm sorry you had to go through hard times as well."
"You're doing nothing for it."
"On the contrary, I should have stayed with Annie and kept you. All my life I wanted to have abandoned her, to have abandoned you."
"You must surely have a good reason", Luxe proved
"I had to watch over a young woman who had lived the same life as you. She had been abandoned by her parents, like you. I found her in the woods when I was seven years old and I promised myself to always look after her but I left her to live my life and I discovered too late that she had lived a hell. She lived in many foster families who disliked her, she was always alone because of me. So, after leaving Annie, I realized that I did not want her to go through these ordeals, I wanted her to be a stable life. I found her ten years later in Storybrooke where she now lives with her son, who she had previously abandoned because she was too young to have a child, and her parents whom she found. Lux, I can understand what you went through, that's all that Emma has lived."
"Yes. Is Emma your wife?"
"No, I'm married to her best friend Lily, her only friend she met when she was a teenager. Her mother lives in Storybrooke so Emma went to pick her up. Emma is more like a sister to me."
"Lily also, Did she have no parents ?"
"Before finding her mother, she lived like Emma and me It's a little more complicated but her parents also abandoned her but she was lucky to be adopted. But soon after meeting Emma, her family no longer satisfied her and she ran away. She also had a little trouble with the police."
"And you, you have parents?"
"My mother died shortly after my birth and my father left when we found Emma, baby. He wanted to search her parents but he did not come back. I lived very long alone, sometimes with bands of friends but it did not satisfy me until I met your mother. Then, I saw Emma in Storybrooke, my father was present too and I lived happy days with him. But my father died, not long ago, before Lily and I, we fall in love."
Lux smiled at him.
"Most people, they dare not be frank so they tell you salads, stuff like do not worry it'll work out, you'll find a great family, one day, you'll see, but you're not like that, you dare to tell the truth."
"What are you ready to hear, I want to tell you the truth if you promise not to get upset or even to get me the kind of ironic thinking we have the gift of doing in the family"
"I'll try."
"Do not worry all it will be okay you will soon find a great family and finally a real home. Your home was bad before but the next may be good. Accept things and stop running away."
"Stop, you know nothing. When I saw children in my foster home with a couple, I now knew that no one would ever have the look he had when he looked at them. I had the impression of always being invisible."
"Yes I know Lux, that look I can have for you, I assure you, if you accept me. I'm so happy to meet you, girl. I have a great chance. I know that you do not consider me as your father yet, all this is delicate but I promise you that I will strive to be there for you, whatever happens. I know that we hardly know each other but I would like you to believe in me. In any case, a thing for sure, I believe in you, Lux. You will finally have the family of your dreams, I swear to you. Storybrooke is a small town, everyone knows everyone, it will be your big family. You will never be rejected, you will finally be accepted."
He approached her and put her forehead against hers, then he got up and took her hand
"Come on, let's go home."
She smiled at him and followed him to his city that will become her ...
They arrived at their destination. Lux did not expect this city so calm and so beautiful. She saw, approaching her, a woman looking like a wealthy businesswoman in the company of a boy of the age of the orphan and a beautiful blonde in a leather jacket.
"August is it your daughter ? She's a beautiful teenager", her friend said
"Lux, this is Emma."
"I'm glad to meet you", smiled at her, intimidated.
"Me likewise", Emma annonced giving her back her smile.
"And I introduce you to Henry, her son of your age and this is Regina, his adoptive mother."
Regina took her by the shoulder and took her to the big clock.
"Lux Booth, as mayor, I want to welcome you to Storybrooke."
After, Lux got rid of her things from her sack at her father's house, met her mother-in-law, whom she already considered as her own mother, and had spent her entire afternoon with her father who made her discover the city, she felt the first time in her life truly at home.
In the evening to make her a surprise, August hid her eyes with his big hands and took her to Emma's apartment. Suddenly, he freed his hands. What was her surprise to see all her new big family: Emma, Mary Margaret, David, Regina, Zelena, Killian, Henry, Violet, Lily, Maleficent, Ignir, Archie, Mulan, Mother Superior, Doctor Whale, Granny, Ruby, Dorothy and Tinker Bell. She was so surprised to see them all. She had the impression of already knowing them. Her father gave her a gift packet.
"Did not you think we were going to forget your birthday?" the writer exclaimed , delighted.
"In fact, this is the first time that I wish it", the girl recognized, moved.
Granny brought her a beautiful and delicious cake she had made, with sixteen candles . She lit them. She went to her birthday cake. She looked at everyone, so touched. She did not want this moment to end. She began to blow her candles.
"If you want your wish come true you should not forget one, sweety", Killian retorted.
She raised her eyes to her father who was snuggling in the arms of his wife. She was so amazed to see August and Lily, so loving, united, radiant and especially so blooming, just as she lived, at this very moment. All the residents of Storybrooke had their second chance and their happy endings not except this reval-life couple and this teenage girl.
"It has already happened …"