Chapter 7: The Swan in Peril
Present Day: Storybrooke
…
"Wait, your Odette's true love?" Emma asked yet again. "You're actually alive?"
"Yes! How many times do I have to say it?" Derek spoke strongly as he threw up his hands.
"Alright let's just all calm down," David said as he placed himself between his daughter and the stranger with arms outstretched. "Why don't we start by you telling us how you know about Odette?"
Emma crossed her arms and frowned. "Yeah. Any why you have not broken her curse yet?" She could not help the edge in her tone.
The stranger seemed to notice because he turned his head to glare at Emma a bit. "I did not know she was alive okay? I've been stuck in this town for years and she's been here the whole time!" He plopped down into a chair next to one of the unoccupied desks, dropping his forehead in his huge hands. "All this time, she's been here and I didn't know. She's been a bird for over 30 years!" He moved his face into his hands and moaned, a strange desperate sound.
Emma felt her heart soften and she spoke in a gentler tone than before. "Look, we are almost certain she is still alive but she might be hurt and in pain and we have to find her." She stepped closer to Derek. "I need you to tell us everything."
Derek tilted his face up a little so that his eyes came into view as he nodded, the action seemed to be very hard to do. Then he started to speak quietly, "okay. I came over with the first curse and it established me as a—", he flinched, "—sales representative of cheap, sub-par used properties in Storybrooke." He looked up and noticed Emma's raised eyebrows. "I know, I know. Not the most princely of positions." There was a slight pause as he let out a big sigh. "Anyway, after the curse broke I looked for Odette but could not find her. I searched everywhere. I even went to Mr. Gold and tried to make a deal for a Tracking Spell but I did not have anything of hers to use. Finally I figured she had died in the Enchanted Forest and tried my hardest to live with that." He nodded, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Afterwards, I quit cheating people by selling below-par housing and established myself as a construction worker, using my knowledge of the faults in the housing to correct them for all the inhabitants I cheated during the First Curse."
Emma was silent, reassessing her opinions of this prince after hearing his story. It must be unimaginably painful, she decided, to have lived in this cursed town for years knowing that your true love was dead. Perhaps she had been too harsh on him.
As if sensing her thoughts, Derek looked up at her. "But you have found her?" he asked breathlessly. "She's alive?" He stood, his eyes the very essence of hope.
Emma sighed. "Yes but we…don't know where she is now. She avoiding us at the lake and we can't search for her during the day without tipping off—" she was about to say 'Rothbart' when her mother deliberately cleared her throat loudly, cutting her off. There was no need to tell the hot-headed young prince that the evil sorcerer who had cursed his true love was also here in Storybrooke. Emma picked up on the signal and adjusted her sentence, "—anyone else about her. It uh…might be dangerous." Emma walked closer to Derek. "She might be afraid of me because I had to arrest her for 'Breaking and Entering' when we first met so is there anyone you can think of that she would go to for help? Any one that she would think might hide her?"
Derek shook his head forlornly. "Her father is dead and her kingdom was turned over to mine when she di—when she was presumed lost."
"I think I might know someone who can help."
Emma turned to her mother, surprised. "You do?"
Snow nodded, thinking hard. Remembering as best she could the adventure she had with the Swan Princess. "Besides myself, there were two others that met Odette and one of them could maybe even help track her!"
"That's great! Who?"
…
"Have a good night Rayne!"
"You too Maleena. I'll see you for the eclipse party in a few days!"
Rayne exited the Storybrooke Yoga Studio, satisfied with the day's activities which included trying the strange stretching art that they called yoga in this realm. So many unusual things in this world to try and taste, and only so long she could do it because she would be leaving back to the Enchanted Forest after seeing her first solar eclipse in a few days. The wolf had only recently returned to the Land Without Magic from her adventures in Arendelle with Elsa and Anna and in Oz with Mulan, Red, and Dorothy and had so many new things she wanted to try before realm traveling again.
Lost in these thoughts and disregarding everything else, Rayne failed to notice the dark swirls of magic that had collected at her ankles. A sharp blow to her legs pushed her onto her knees before she respond. She quickly bounded upward again in a defensive crouch, fists up and ready to fight, but saw and heard no one.
"Well, well," a puff of purple smoke and then a man appeared right next to her. Whipping around, she saw that the stranger was dressed a fine long black cape and a sorcerer-like outfit complete with high-boots and gold trimmings. "You are not something I would expect to find here," he shrugged, "Clearly a waste of time dealing with you but still—better safe than sorry."
"And you are about to become very sorry!"
Rayne the Wolf shifted to her true form mid jump, hackles up to their fullest, teeth bared, and golden eyes flashing. She made a majestic leap towards the very surprised face of her attacker when yet another magical force pushed into her side, sending her crashing into a dumpster and crumpling into a furry heap at the feet of the woman who had just sent the magical force pulse. From there, her muscles froze with a magical bind and she could not move.
"I told you she reeks of both fairy and mermaid magic Father! One second later and I would not have prevented that!"
The sorcerer Rothbart was indignant that his own child should show him up. "Well how was I supposed to know that it has the magic of shifting? I thought we were going after a werewolf and it's not the full moon."
The second stranger rolled her eyes then looked down at the magical creature in question. "It's a wolf Father! Not a human, a wolf that can change into a human," she sneered. "Strange magic indeed."
While fighting the freezing spell placed on her, Rayne saw the same grey eyes, the blonde hair, and the beautiful face of Odette, Princess of Schwansense—but her nose was not fooled.
"You are not Odette," she growled in a human tongue, "you do not smell like her".
"Right you are wolf-girl!" Odile answered, her voice a smooth, eely sound, "Which is why we cannot have you running around telling everyone." With a flick of her wrist, two small bottled magically puffed into her outstretched hand. Rayne's golden eyes flicked once to the articles before comprehending their purpose and widening with horror.
"Time to get rid of all of that good magic you have so unfairly come to poses," the woman known as the 'Black Swan' whispered. Uncorking both of the bottles, she watched as two separate swirls of magic gently lifted themselves off of the wolf and glide slowly into the glass vessels, one golden and the other blue. The freezing spell prevented the wolf from doing anything to stop it, save a few whimpers and growls of protests. By the time the process was over, the two vials were filled to the brim with mermaid and fairy magic and the poor wolf lay panting on the cold concrete sidewalk, stripped of all her magical gifts of shifting and speaking.
Odile smiled slyly at the two vessels in her hand as she corked both carefully, "Well that was fun!" There was a primordial roar as the wolf suddenly broke from the freezing spell and attempted to leap onto the witch but with one flick of her wrist and a puff of red smoke, the enraged creature was gone.
Rothbart was astonished against his will at the amazing magical reflexes of his daughter. "Where did you send that beast?"
Odile smirked, "Somewhere deep in the woods; where she cannot bother me." She carefully pocketed the purloined magic. "Now if you'll excuse me Father, I have a prince to find."
…
Wearily opening the door to his humble bachelor pad in downtown Storybrooke, Derek plopped the keys down in their usual place in a bowl on the hallway table and sighed heavily. It was the wee hours of the morning and he had spent the entire night alongside the sheriff and her—um, pirate husband looking for Odette, but with no luck. He shook his head. It was still weird to think that a pirate was the deputy. Hook had offered endless words of encouragement while the Savior had been a bit quieter; he suspected she was still mad at him for betraying Odette that night back in the Enchanted Forest.
He appreciated both their efforts immensely but a small part of him was seriously starting to suspect that Odette was no longer showing herself at the lake because she feared the Savior and getting locked up again. That was reasonable but that meant that their search grid would have to expand to all bodies of water within Storybrooke and that would take a lot longer. Needless to say, he was exhausted and sick with worry. But there was to be no rest for him, he would keep searching until he found Odette. After what he did to her in the Enchanted Forest, something he would never forgive himself for, he would keep searching until the end of time.
I'll go by the homeless shelter again, he thought resignedly. If she went back there for food or shelter maybe we can…
A small noise in the back of his apartment broke his musings and his head lifted, instantly alert. Years of princely training in the arts of sword and archery combat had gifted him with heightened reflex and instinctual reactions to such things so that his right hand flicked casually to the bat he always kept on hand near the front door. He gripped the handle, letting the makeshift weapon dangle next to his right leg and approached the closed bedroom door guardedly.
Back in the Enchanted Forest, Prince Derek was not known for his cautious nature; Derek the construction worker was no different in this world. He threw open the door, his weapon at the ready to bash in the head of the intruder.
"Derek STOP!"
The baseball bat dropped to the floor as he stood dumbfounded.
Odette was standing in the middle of his bedroom. She smiled up at him.
"Hello my love."
Derek did not hesitate, did not question anything, but leapt into the room and scooped the woman he loved off her feet, hugging her tightly and twirling her around and around until they were both dizzy. Then he gently put her down.
"I thought you were gone! I thought I would never see you again."
The woman he held smiled coyly, "I am here now my love."
Derek hugged her close, never wanting to let go. His arms noticed a change in her frame. "You're so thin! You need some nourishment other than pond fish," he started to turn them both towards the kitchen area. "I have some food, the cuisine from this realm is exceptionally—"
"Derek I cannot stay long."
He turned back to her, shocked. "What?! No, no I am never letting you out of my sight again."
She took his hands into her own small ones. "I am still cursed Derek. As soon as the sun rises and the moon leaves the lake, I'll be a swan again." She tightened her grip on him. "Listen carefully; I do not have a long time. To break this curse we must do something more than a vow."
"What is it? I'll do anything—"
"We must marry."
For some reason, Derek's shock factor went upwards. "What?!" It was the last thing he had expected from his somewhat-reserved Odette.
"It's the only way," she said breathlessly, "We must exchange vows, make an unbreakable bond, and then, only then, will I be free of this curse." She reached up and stroked the stubble on his right cheek. "Then you and I will be together…forever". She leaned in and roughly placed her mouth over his. Derek's own lips automatically responded but his heart did not flutter at all and his mind was screaming at him that something was wrong; that was when he knew—this was not Odette.
With the lightning fast reflexes of a prince with a lifetime of training, he twisted away.
"What are you doing!? Derek my love—"
"Do NOT call me that!" Derek shouted, "I know who you are and I know what you did!"
"My prince what are you talking about?"
As an answer, Derek lunged forward and pinned the woman against the wall, roughly shoving her by the shoulders then holding her down with all of his strength, not bothering to be gentle because she was of the opposite sex. "You think you could fool me again? You think after what you did that night I would not remember you?"
An instant transformation overcame the facial features of the woman. The face still carried Odette's features but the eyes became cruel, her smile cold and condescending, and her voice malicious. "Well well. I was hoping you were dumb enough to forget."
His anger increased and, despite years of being taught never to harm a woman, his hand went over her throat. "I will strangle the life out of you right here, right now! You are the reason for Odette to be cursed in this land!"
"Ah uh, my prince!" Her voice did no falter for an instant, she was not afraid of him at all. "I was hoping it would not come to this but, lucky for me, your beloved princess was brave and stupid enough to break into my father's house and I managed to 'borrow' something from her that might help you settle down and see it is me that you were always meant to marry and not that brat." Her smile slithered wider and, ducking her head slightly, she whispered a few words of magic while keeping her cold eyes on Derek's face.
The swan necklace around her neck glowed as a red wisp of smoke was released and vapor ascended into Derek's eyes. He briefly registered that it was some sort of magic, but it was too late. The red wisps had slipped into his eyes—the pupils dilated once then readjusted themselves—completely clouded over with magical blinders. He was now her puppet.
Odile smiled then wrapped her arms around his neck; there was no resistance from the big, handsome man she had coveted for so many years. "Now my pet, as I was saying we must be married." She purred, a self-satisfied smirk on her face. "It was always me you were meant to be with, not that spoiled, beautiful, wretched wench of a princess."
Derek spoke, his voice caught with passion. "Yes of course, we will marry as soon as possible."
…
"What the hell is going on!?"
It was late in the afternoon and the Charming family were all gathered in the Sheriff's station. Hook perched himself on the side of one of the desks while David and Snow were seated in miscellaneous chairs. Their daughter could not be convinced to take a seat as she paced the floor of the sheriff's station over and over; Emma was outraged and she let it show.
"Emma, calm down please," Snow White tried to rein in her daughter's wrath. They needed to think clearly and her anger was not helping.
"The hell I can!" Emma only paced faster. "First Rayne goes missing, then suddenly Odette just shows up at Derek's place, wants a wedding, and then disappears? I'm not buying it." There were various nods and sighs from her parents and her husband. They had all heard the news earlier that morning from Jiminy; he had called the sheriff's station and reported that Derek had come in, rather abruptly, to quickly apply for a marriage license. When Emma had questioned him further the town marriage official had told him all he knew, which unfortunately was not much. Apparently Derek had been visited by his true love in the night and she had convinced him that this was the only way to break her curse. That was why they were rushing the wedding.
"Look I do not pretend to understand all of this sheriff," he had spoken calmly over the phone. "But I know that you would want to know. I have every reason to believe that you will figure this whole thing out."
His faith in her abilities as the Savior and the Sheriff was touching but Emma was unnerved to the core. He had seemed oddly calm and nonchalant about all of it whereas Emma was a raging fury. She stopped, only to continue her pacing another second later. "I don't believe for one second that the woman who was in Derek's apartment was really Odette. She is under a spell. Someone is forcing her to do this, or...something. Something is not right and I do not like it."
Hook spoke up. "That's the shrewd bails bond woman speaking Swan." He lifted his hook in a salute. "I am with you."
Emma allowed herself to pause and glance at her husband with a grateful smile. "Thank you Killian." She shook her head. "When I interrogated this woman a few days ago, she was terrified out of her mind and she had given up all hope. She did not know Derek was alive, let alone have gone to him and demanded a wedding—" she glanced up at her mother, "—it's this feeling I cannot shake. Something is not right here and we need to figure it out."
Snow frowned. "Do you think it's a trick from Rothbart?"
Hook spoke up. "After the barrage we gave that sorcerer I doubt very much he will have anything to do with the swan princess, if he knows what is good for him."
Emma shook her head. "It's not him; it does not feel like him."
"What do you mean Emma?" asked David.
"I cannot shake this feeling that we are missing something," Emma concluded as she fingered her own swan necklace, she had been doing that a lot lately. "This is too elaborate, too involved…it feels like—" she shrugged "—no never mind."
Her husband was instantly on his feet. "What is it love?"
"It feels like…when I was a bail bonds woman and someone was scheming against one of my marks. As a personal vendetta." Her eyes became distant as she recalled the incident. "I think…I think someone has a personal grudge against Odette and is setting her up for something…something bad."
Everyone was silent, contemplating such a grim thought. Finally David nodded. "Well what do you suggest?"
Emma sighed, frustrated. "My gut is telling me we need to flush out whoever is doing this, make sure that Odette is safe." She paused. "Damn I wish Rayne or Ruby was around to smell her out. Or if we had something of Odette's. It'd be nice to use a tracking spell and find her."
Snow nodded in agreement. "I know." She stared out the window of the sheriff's station. "It's not like Rayne to just take off like this."
"I'll swing by Granny's this afternoon and ask again if she came back to her room," offered David, "In the meantime, what are we going to do about this wedding?"
"Well, Regina said Derek applied for a license just this morning so…it will be tomorrow evening. The day of the solar eclipse."
"Tomorrow?" repeated Emma. "That fast?"
Snow nodded. "Jimminy said that caterers have already been contacted, everyone will be there."
"Actually, a wedding is a perfect cover."
Everyone turned to the Savior, completely and utterly confused.
"Sorry love, what did you just say?" asked Hook. "I thought you wanted to stop the wedding."
"Think about it," Emma argued. "Whomever is doing this to Odette clearly wants a big show." Emma turned to Hook and explained, "If we can flush out who is doing this at the wedding, we can catch them red-handed and then help Odette and Derek break the spell."
Hook frowned. "It sounds risky love."
"I know, but it may be our only chance. Our last chance."
…
Princess Odette of Schwanense peeled her pile of potatoes expertly, brushing away a strand of loose blonde hair that had escaped the light blue head wrap she now wore when working in the kitchen, leaving a smudge of dirt on her otherwise flawless face.
Dopey chuckled and wiped his own hand across his cheek then pointed to Odette's dirty cheek.
She laughed heartily. "You take a glance in the looking glass and we'll see who has the dirtier face." Dopey joined in her laughter and the two of them resumed work with vigor.
Odette had been working part-time at the food co-op for a few days now and, honestly, it was the happiest she had been since landing in this realm. For the first time in the 30-something years she had been a bird in Storybrooke she had friends, she had a job, a roof over her head, and a place to stay. For a pampered princess, she had taken remarkably well to the position of a kitchen maid; cleaning, cooking, serving late meals occasionally. All of this done in the night hours, when she was a human. Just as the first light of dawn was creeping over the edge of the town of Stroybrooke did she excuse herself and slip into a deserted alleyway, where she transformed and no one was the wiser.
The head of the kitchen had offered to extend her into the daytime shift with a generous salary. Odette politely refused every time; never revealing the exact reason why she could not be there during the day.
Dopey had been her constant companion during the first days she had begun her work: teaching her how to do kitchen tasks, using gestures to explain how the modern-day appliances work, and listening to her talk. While they were working Odette recalled hearing the head chef talk of an upcoming celebration earlier that evening for which they were preparing the food for now.
"Dopey, what is the coming celebration we are preparing for?" she asked while reaching for another potato.
Dopey paused in his peelings and lifted his hands; he pretended to slip a ring onto his left ring-finger. Then he swept his hands upward and over his face, as if lifting a bridal veil, and exaggerated a kiss with puckered lips and noises
"A wedding," Odette said, "How nice." She smiled sincerely. "And who is the lucky bride?"
Dopey tilted his head upward, and then flicked his index finger upward from the bottom of his nostrils.
"A very influential lady?" Odette concluded. "Well, lucky groom!"
Dopey nodded, but his face was troubled. There was something fishy about this wedding but he could not quite figure it out.
The clock struck 5 am and Odette finished the last of her work, wiping her hands on her apron before removing and hanging the article in its designated area. She glanced down at her skinny-style blue jeans, white v-neck shirt, and simple flats. The clothing of this realm was so unlike anything she had ever experienced but it was remarkably comfortable and she was glad Dopey had managed to find her something to wear other than those rags she had purloined. An odd thought entered her head, I wish my father and Derek could see me now, working and earning my keep. She paused, a little melancholy at the memory of her dead loved ones, before retrieving her thrift store-bought bag and waving good bye to Dopey as she exited the food co-op.
As Odette crossed the lighted street towards her designated transform-back-into-a-swan hideaway, a large automobile quickly rounded the corner. She swiftly stepped onto the sidewalk to avoid it and ducked into the alleyway. The vehicle that slid to a stop in front of the Storybrooke Animal Shelter had the words "Animal Control" splayed onto its sides; she did not like the sound of that phrase and ducked further into the alley. From the cab a number of men in reflective uniforms jumped out and started to unlatch the backdoors. Odette heard the enraged growls and thrashings of a caged animal from inside. Something big and something very angry.
"Get a rope on it!" yelled one of the men.
Odette watched, horrified, as the three large men with poles and nets wrestled a muzzled and chained creature from the truck towards the back entrance of the Animal Shelter. The animal fought and strained every inch of the way, but to no avail. It was forced into the backdoors where they shut with a resounding boom.
Odette could only stare. "Rayne?" she whispered.
Inside the animal shelter, Dr. Ameyew was forced to tranquilize the wolf and place it in an isolated holding cell in the shelter's dog run. At this point everyone was saying the creature was mad and encouraged him to put the crazy thing down, but the good doctor knew that wolves in this town were not to be underestimated and intended to wait until he could make some inquiries. While he stepped into his office, the holding area was quiet.
The wolf's heavy eyelids were having trouble focusing but she managed to slide them open a crack. She was lying on her side in a small concrete cell, muzzled and collared, and clearly locked in. Wishing to give into the overwhelming darkness temporarily, she slowly started to slip into slumber until something else came into her blurred vision: a woman now knelt next to her cell.
"Rayne," whispered Odette. "Rayne can you hear me?"
The wolf whined a soft, confirmation note then closed her eyes again. All she wanted to do was sleep.
"Come on Rayne, wake up" Odette said urgently. She glanced towards the office where the man had his back turned to her and seemed to be occupied with one of those 'talking phone' devices that people in this realm used to communicate with one another. The keys to the dog runs were hanging from a hook right next to the office doorway, but there was also a large window where he would easily be able to see her.
Tiptoeing over and doing her best to be sneaky, Odette quietly and delicately took they keys, keeping her eyes on the man just on the other side of the doorway, ready to bolt if he should turn around and see her. He did not turn around which gave her the opportunity she needed. Quickly unlocking the cage, Odette knelt next to the semi-conscious animal and started to stroke her head.
"Rayne please wake up," she pleaded. "Oh my gods, what did those monsters do to you?"
The wolf tried to respond, raising her head slightly only to drop it exhaustedly on the floor.
As Odette was still pleading, she felt the feathers start to sprout on her fingers. Shit! The sun is coming up. Working as a kitchen maid, she had become somewhat familiar with the crasser of this world's vernacular. Her whispers became more urgent. "Damn it Rayne I do not have a lot of time," she leaned closer and picked up the wolf, hoisting the animal to lean heavily onto her hips and forced it to start walking towards the exit, "But you have to come with me. Now GET UP!"
Dr. Ameyew concluded leaving a message on the town hall voicemail then come back into the dog run area to check on the wolf. His dark eyes widened in disbelief. The cell was open and empty and the back exit door was opened.
In the alleyway, a white swan was pecking at the muzzle around a wolf's face. The canid protested to the treatment with mellow growls but finally the article came off. The long, pink tongue of the wolf enveloped the feathery face of the swan in gratitude.
Okay okay! That's enough. Odette protested good-naturedly, smiling as a swan does with an upturned beak, I realize you are grateful.
Rayne snorted and pawed at her snout, still trying to scratch off that horrible feeling of a muzzle on her face. You have no idea.
At the sound of a garbage truck pulling dangerously close to the alleyway they were hiding in, the swan waddled a bit to the side of a trash bin for cover. What are you doing here? she asked, How did that happen to you?
It's a long story but Odette, you're in danger.
The swan hissed. If you are referring to Rothbart do not bother —her black swan eyes became sorrowful—he has already done his worst to me.
The wolf shook her furry head. No, I am not talking about him. This is someone else, someone far more dangerous than Rothbart and, Odette—she is after you.
…
