THE STORY OF THE BOYS WHO LOVE YOU: PART 1

This is the story of the boys who loved you,
Who love you now and loved you then.
And some were sweet and some were cold and snuffed you,
And some just layed around in bed.
And some, they crumbled you straight to your knees,
Did it cruel, did it tenderly.
Some they crawled their way into your heart,
To rend your ventricles apart.
This is the story of the boys who loved you.

Red Right Ankle by The Decemberist


Sarah sat silently in her car for a few moments, a smile playing at her lips. Her shock from Killian's advances still hadn't worn off. It wasn't the fact that he had kissed her; she wasn't virginal by any means. It was the effect that his kiss had on her that she couldn't shake. It had been so sweet and innocent that her mind couldn't process it quickly enough to respond.

Then the reality set in; Ruby. How could she have been so stupid? Guilt washed over her and the previous euphoria she felt diminished entirely. She had to avoid Killian at all costs. She couldn't do that to Ruby, no matter how immature she had acted the night before. They were best friends and she'd choose her over any guy; even one that made her heart skip several beats.

Sarah ran her fingers through her hair in frustration and guilt. A knock on her window brought her back to the present. She quickly rolled down her window.

"Sarah, hey. You okay?" It was Emma Swam accompanied by Sheriff Graham. Both looked at her with concerned expressions.

"Hey guys, yeah I'm ...fine. Just a little out of it," Sarah laughed half-heartedly. "How are you? Enjoying the new title I presume, Ms. Deputy," Sarah winked at Emma.

Emma smiled, "Yes, although there's a lot of weird ... stuff going on. And Henry won't quit his obsession with this fairy tale book. Kids, ya know?"

"Oh, I can imagine. We were all his age once. Just try to enjoy it, they grow up too quickly."

"So I've been told. Anyway, you going to the Halloween party next week?"

"Oh shit, I totally forgot! Yeah, Ruby and I are going early to help Mary Margaret set everything up. Should be fun! Well, I've gotta run; errands. See you guys there?" Sarah finished hurriedly.

"You know it! Be safe!"

Sarah rolled up her window and started her car. A quick trip to the grocery store and then she'd soak in the tub for the rest of the evening.


The smell of lavender enveloped Sarah and she couldn't be more thankful that she was sitting in a scalding hot bath. Her body still ached from nearly freezing to death earlier and she was chilled to the bone. She covered the bathroom with candles to create the most relaxed environment possible; a bottle of white wine sat next to the tub, just for good measure.

Her day had gone from bad to decent to wonderful to terrible within a matter of hours. She wanted to melt away every ounce of stress and mentally prepare for facing Ruby. Slowly numbness overcame her and closing her eyes, she saw the ocean. Not only did she see the ocean, she was in it. Rocking back and forth to the rhythm of the waves, she realized that she was on a large ship; the salty sea air blowing through her hair. She felt free and in control, the opposite of her current situation. She could hear jeers and chatter surround her and caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a whole crew of ...pirates? Attempting to process her odd "day-dream," she heard someone call out to their captain. She looked from side to side, trying to find this so-called captain, when she realized that the person was actually addressing her. "Me? Captain?" She shook her head and opened her eyes, utterly confused by her mind's trickery. "Huh. That was weird. Stupid wine ..."

An hour or so of soaking and three tall glasses of wine later, Sarah was officially emotionally spent and ready for a good night's sleep. She drained the bathtub and threw a towel around her body, blowing out the candles as she walked out into her living room. Feeling a cool breeze, Sarah cocked an eyebrow and surveyed the room. "I didn't open any windows ..." She spotted a set of curtains blowing slightly in the wind and walked over to shut it. Turning the lock, she checked all of the windows and, satisfied that they were all secure, headed into her bedroom to wait for sleep to set in.


Sarah and Ruby were supposed to meet at Granny's Diner around 9 a.m. to coordinate schedules. Sarah was justifiably nervous; she hadn't spoken to Ruby since Saturday night. All she could do is hope that Killian called her back and made plans to accompany her to the Halloween party. That would quiet Ruby down for a bit, at least.

Walking into the diner, she quickly noticed Ruby sitting in a booth, animatedly flailing her arms to get Sarah's attention. Sarah laughed and took a seat across from Ruby.

"Oh my god, I have SO much to tell you. Firstly, let me apologize for being a royal bitch at the bar," Ruby paused to take a sip of her coffee (which was most likely her third or fourth cup of the day ...), "I was already kind of drunk and my inner ... she-wolf was raging. I'm sorry."

Sarah laughed, "Ruby, don't even worry about it. I know how you get when there's a handsome guy involved. No hard feelings, I promise. Anyway, how was the rest of your night?"

"It was amazing. At first, Killian didn't seem that into me. Kind of ... I dunno ... preoccupied? But then, after you sang karaoke, which was awesome by the way, he just came at me full force. I should have you sing around hot guys more often! Anyway, so we were making out and whatnot and then he led me out to his car! We made out in there for a bit and then he drove us to his place and we ... well you get the idea. He passed out right after but it was glorious. I swear I heard angels singing, it was a beautiful thing. The next morning he drove me home and I promised myself that I wouldn't be the one to initiate another date or anything but I just couldn't help myself. He didn't pick up when I called, which made me think that I was just another chick to him. But then he called me back an hour later and WE'RE GOING TO THE PARTY TOGETHER!"

Sarah was actually kind of impressed that Ruby rattled off her story in what seemed like only one breath. She wouldn't let her inner disappointment show, she was happy for Ruby. At the same time, she was harboring some serious resentment towards her about Killian. As long as they stayed away from each other, she'd get over him no problem. It's not like he actually wanted to date her, anyway. She could justify her "crush" as a shallow waste of time.

"That's great Ruby! I'm happy for you," Sarah smiled, hoping Ruby didn't sense how hollow her statement was.

"Thanks, it's going to be ah-mazing! Speaking of the party, what time should we head over there for the set-up?"

"Mary Margaret said around 3 or so. I still have to find something to wear. What are you gonna wear?"

"I'm not sure yet, either. I'll just throw something together later. It's no secret that I have more clothes than I know what to do with," Ruby laughed.

Sarah and Ruby chatted for a bit before Sarah left the diner in search of a costume.

*Check my profile for Sarah's outfit*


Sarah had gone from shop to shop in search of the perfect costume and decided to call it quits for the day. Walking out of the final unhelpful store, she sighed and grabbed her phone from her purse. She had a missed call and voicemail from Killian. Putting her phone to her ear, she let the message play.

"I had hoped that you would answer because I hate leaving voicemails. Anyway, I was just calling to see if you and Ruby were speaking again. If you'd be so kind as to call me back, we can schedule our little ... date. Have a nice night, lovely."

Sarah scoffed at the message, was he an idiot? Thinking that he could sleep with her and then play pretend with Ruby to bed her, too?

Just as Sarah put her phone back into her bag, she saw something in the forest move from the corner of her eye. It was already dusk and very easy to get lost in the forest without the sunlight. She remembered Mary-Margaret saying that Henry had taken to sneaking around Regina's back to pursue what he called "Operation Cobra."

Without a second thought, Sarah ran towards the forest in search of the source of movement.

"Henry! Henry, is that you?! You can't be out here, kid! It's not safe and I'm not gonna explain what happened to you to your mothers! Henry, c'mon! This isn't a game! You can search or whatever in the morning!"

Sarah stopped in the middle of a clearing and looked around exasperated. The sound of a twig breaking caught her attention and she moved towards the sound.

"Henry?" was all she could say before she was grabbed roughly from behind.

"Wha- let go of me, you imbecile!"

A hand covered her mouth and suddenly she was forced around to meet the gaze of a man with an odd hat on his head.

"Listen here, missy. I need you to be quiet, okay? I'm not going to hurt you as long as you keep that pretty mouth shut. Now ... I'm going to take my hand away. Scream and you'll regret it. On the count of three. One ... two ... three."

Sarah gasped for air and coughed.

"What do you want from me? Who are you?"

"My name is Jefferson and I need your help. You need to help me get Emma Swan's attention."

"Emma? Why? She works at the sherif's station. Just go and talk to her, you idiot."

"I'm starting to lose my patience with you, sweety. It's more complicated than that. Now, I'm going to take you back to my house and we'll wait for Emma there. Sound good? Good."

Jefferson tied a scarf around Sarah's mouth and walked her back to his mansion in the woods.


"She's here. Didn't tell me how feisty she was. Yeah, yeah, I know the plan. How long do I have to keep her here? Okay."

Jefferson hung up his phone and sighed dramatically, "Well, looks like you're going to be my houseguest for a few days. Don't worry, I'll make sure that you're as comfortable as possible. You're not who I'm after, anyway. Just a pawn in my plan but there's someone else that is very interested in you. Another story for another time! Goodnight, little bird!"

Jefferson left her gagged and tied to a chair in a large bedroom. Real cozy, Sarah thought to herself. Her mind was reeling with questions that she couldn't even ask. Who wanted her and why? What did Jefferson want with Emma? Sarah fell asleep wondering what would become of her.


"Hey Emma, have you seen Sarah lately? She hasn't been here in two days and that's not like her." Ruby asked the deputy.

"Really? No, I haven't. I'll ask around though. She's probably just been busy." Emma tried to assure Ruby.

Emma sat and sipped her hot chocolate. She felt someone sit down next to her and turned her head slightly to glance at them.

"Hello, deputy. Nice to see ya." Killian said in an awkwardly hushed tone.

"Killian. Hey, have you seen Sarah recently? About 5'5, long brown hair, 25 years old?"

"I know Sarah, Ms. Swan. And to answer your question, no I haven't. Why do you ask?"

"Ruby's a little worried about her. She hasn't been seen in two days and that's a little unnatural for her. Sure you haven't seen her?"

"Hmm, that is quite unusual. And no, I haven't but I'd be happy to help you look for her."

"Are you any good with tracking?" Emma asked half-heartedly

"Who do I look like? Graham? I have a set of eyes and ears though. Let me finish my coffee and call my crew to let them know I'll be late."

Internally, Killian's heart lurched at the news of Sarah's disappearance. He had been expecting a return phone call and when he didn't receive one, he gave up on her. This made more sense, however, and her safety was at risk. He couldn't let harm fall upon her no matter their personal circumstance.