Well… watched Deep Skin twice today on hulo… once before school and once after. It kinda sorta screwed up my story a bit… but that's one of the prices for writing a fanfic while the series/t.v. show is still going on and is still so early in it.
Anyways, I'll find a way to mend it. I'm already brewing over ideas. :D
That aside…
Here's chapter 7! Finally, we're in Storybrooke. And now that we're there, things are going to become a little more… suggestive with Mr. Gold and violent with Shyam who has a new name. Let's see if you can figure out who is who now… If no one knows by the time I update, I'll tell you who is who but I think I've made it pretty obvious.
Also, I am debating raising the rating later on… what do you think? Let me know as we get further into the story.
As always, enjoy!
-OUAT-
Chapter 7- Welcome to Storybrooke
Allard sat in the back of his shop, working carefully on the dress suit that had come to him earlier in the week. His hand ghosted over the material, caressing it as if it were a lover, his brow furrowed as he was deep in concentration.
All the concentration was broken as the shop door opened in the front, making the bell ring and alerting the tailor to a customer's presence.
"Allard?" Came the female voice of Penelope. She sounded upset, in distress. He quickly dropped his work and rushed to his friend.
"Penelope?" He said, walking over to the red haired girl and grasping her cold, silver hands in his pale flesh ones and, upon seeing her tears rolling down her face, reached up and stroked her cheek whipping them away. "Penelope, what's wrong? What's happened?"
"Mr. Gold," The young girl sobbed softly. "He-he took my house… I couldn't pay my rent so he took it… everything's gone."
Allard pulled his friend to him, hugging her close, stroking her hair gently as she cried. She and Gold have always fought, never saw eye to eye. Just a little while ago, they had had a large row full of yelling and court threats. It seemed like now, Gold had just won the fight by taking Penelope's house and everything in it. He was a snake, sneaky like a fox, toying with everyone, playing sick little games.
"It's okay," Allard whispered comfortingly. "I promise Penelope. I'll help you."
"I'm scared, Allard," Whispered the girl. "I don't know what to do. I have no money, nothing to call my own. I am the poorest of poor, the weakest of weak. I'm alone."
"You're not alone," Allard whispered. "You can move in with me." He didn't mention that he too had little money and that he was struggling to pay his own bills to the pawnbroker. "I'll support us both."
Before Penelope could reply, the door opened and Allard released her, turning to face the incoming customer. It was a woman he had never seen before with blonde and slightly curled hair. She was wearing a white tank top and dark jeans. The tank top clung to her body, leaving little to the imagination. Her face portrayed irritation and she was tense.
"Anyone seen a little kid? A boy? Ten years old?" She asked stiffly. "He has brown hair, he's the mayor's kid?"
"You mean Henry?" Allard asked.
"Yes." Replied the mysterious woman.
"He wasn't at his castle?"
"No."
"Try Dr. Cricket's office," he said after a minute's pause while he thought. "He might be there for his session." The woman nodded quickly.
"Thanks." A pause. "Where is that?" After Allard gave her the directions, the woman was on her way, walking down the sidewalk. Allard watched her out the window, Penelope, who had calmed down, by his side.
"Who was that, Allard?" She asked with a small sniffle. Allard shook his head slowly.
"I have no idea."
It had been a few weeks since Emma had come to Storybrooke and she had made the mistake of speaking with Regina about Henry and his fairytale obsession, calling it crazy that he thought everyone in the town was a storybook character.
She was angry—furious—with herself and with Regina for tricking her. She had hurt Henry and she hated that; hated that she was responsible for his current pain.
His face as he fled… it was horrible to see. Absolutely horrible. He had been broken, crushed, and it was all Emma's fault. The tears that had shown in his eyes… God, Emma felt guilty.
She passed a large building and froze, frowning slightly. She looked up at the upper floor and into a window where a silhouette of a girl—maybe 17 years of age—stood looking out, watching Emma. Behind her was a large, bulky look man with a cruel and intimidating body. The girl watched her for a minute longer before pulling away and the man pulled the curtain shut.
"Something catch your eye, Miss Swan?"
Emma jumped barely before turning to see a man dressed in a black suit with a black under shit and a blood red tie around his neck. He was leaning on a cane with a golden handle and his thick yet stringy, shoulder length slightly greying dark brown-sandy hair was framing his face. His face was free of emotion.
"No," Emma said just as emotionless. "I was just passing through." She had seen this man once before, at Granny's when she first arrived, but that was the only time. The man approached her now and stepped up beside her, limping as he put weight on his right leg, leaning heavily on the cane. He looked up at the now closed off window.
"What did you see?" he asked softly.
"Nothing. Just a girl and a man behind her. He closed the curtains." Emma replied.
"I see." Was the reply. He turned to look at her. "Be on your way, now, Miss Swan." Emma glared at him not liking being told what to do, but something told her to do as he asked without argument. So, she began to walk away heading for Dr. Cricket's office before a thought struck her and she stopped, turning back to him.
"What building is this?" Slowly, the man tore his eyes away from the window once more and looked at her.
"An orphanage," He said softly, almost sadly. "An orphanage for children who have never been wanted by anyone because of illness, injury or traumatizing experiences."
Emma glances once more at the large building and dared to ask, "How many children are there?" The man looked back at the window and sighed deeply.
"As far as I know," He whispered. "One."
Emma nodded barely and left, he heels clipping against the sidewalk as she did. The man continued to watch the window for a while longer before, with a pause in which he closed his eyes before reopening them, he sighed again and limped down the street, his cane hitting against the concrete with a soft clunk… clunk… clunk… as he went. He put his left foot in front of his right, right in front of left.
Mr. Gold returned to his pawn shop and turned the "Open" sign to "Closed" before walking to the back and sitting down behind his desk, turning around to face the dust-gathering guitar sitting on the stand in the corner of his shop. It hadn't been touched by anyone—not even him—for years. Since before he arrived in Storybrooke with everyone else, since before he pushed a certain 17 year old girl away, since before the ball where that same girl slipped through his thin, scaly finger like smoke, because of his mistake.
Just like his wife had.
Just like Belle had.
Now, he sat alone in his pawn shop in our world, cane in between his legs as he leaned forward, turning it in his hands as he watched the guitar as if expecting it to start playing on its own. When it did not move, he leaned back and closed his eyes, his heart full of grief as he fought back the emotions threatening to overflow, threatening to take over him.
Sally…
Brenton Orphanage had, like Gold had said, only one child living there amongst the 154 rooms, all of them filled with 35 beds each, 64 heart monitors in the entire building, 5,000 IVs, 14,000 different kinds of medication, and $1,564,098 in savings. All this, for the single child living under the roof with Ryan Tate Brenton, the founder and owner of the orphanage and the third most powerful and richest person in the town, right hand man to the mayor.
Lilybeth "Lil" Shabnaz Caras had lived there for as long as she could remember, lying in bed 20 hours a day hooked up to a machine that helped her breathe easier and taking medication to ease the pain her right lung, where a sharp stone was embedded and had been forever, caused it.
The doctors were unable to remove the stone because Lil had not money or family to pay for the surgery and Ryan wouldn't waste his money on something like that when it wasn't for sure a good recovery. Even if they could remove the stone, the doctors didn't think Lil would be able to breathe properly again, ever.
Lil never spoke single word. She slept 14 hours a day out of the 20 she lied in bed with (the rest of the hours in the day were spent going to the bathroom or taking walks, and playing board games in silence) and the rest was used for eating, reading, watching T.V. or listening to Ryan rumble on about nothing that interested Lil.
Ryan often had Dr. Cricket come and visit Lil to talk to her about the unknown trauma she had faced and why she had fallen silent, but she never spoke. The meetings were always one-sided or completely silent. So, after a while, Dr. Cricket decided to let her open up when she was ready and instead grew a bond with her by playing board games, drawing, or sometimes he read to her while he held her like you would do a small child. Lil would sometimes become so comfortable that she would fall asleep with her head on his shoulder, inhaling his scent of fresh fallen rain, mowed grass, and old books. It made her feel safe, made her feel at home.
Home… it was something she had never had, never know. At least, not that she remembered. Everything was a haze, as if she had tried to block everything out, not wanting to deal with whatever had made her fall silent and the frustration everyone had towards her because of it. So, she found comfort in silence and with Dr. Cricket, he only friend in the world of not speaking, in the world all together.
Now, she lay in bed staring at the ceiling blankly. The woman who had passed the orphanage was someone she had never seen before… then again, she never saw anyone but Ryan, Dr. Cricket and the mayor, Regina.
Regina… Lil didn't like her, didn't like the way she spoke to her or the way she looked at her. Regina had a cold, cruel face and a fake smile that made Lil want to hurl. It was disgusting. Everything about her was plastic and sickening, revolting, making Lil want to destroy it. But she couldn't. She couldn't do anything because she couldn't even summon up the courage to talk, to utter a single sound.
Her thoughts turned away from the mayor and instead to the story Dr. Cricket had read to her yesterday. It had been about a stuffed rabbit that had been given to a little boy who grew sick and the rabbit had to be thrown away. But, the rabbit had been turned into a real rabbit and joined the other rabbits in the field. It was childish and Lil knew she was too old for those kind of stories but she couldn't help that her mind seemed to be younger than she was, more fragile.
Ryan and Regina… neither one of them cared how fragile she was. They neglected her all the time. They were cruel with their words and actions. Ryan would often "forget" about giving Lil her medication and get angry when Lil would cry silently because of the pain. They would harm her, hit her, twist an arm the wrong way, stomp on her toes, to try and get her to make a sound. Nothing ever worked and they would get angry and even more violent. Lil had to have been to the hospital 5 times in the past month because of the injuries they have inflicted in their rage at her silence.
Their treatment only added to her wanting to remain speechless.
Dr. Cricket didn't know of the abuse they gave her. If he did, he more than likely wouldn't let her stay there with them. But then again, she was unwanted. That's why she was there in the first place. All the other orphanages were wanted by people and that's why they lived at the normal orphanage while she lived at the "special" one. Well, that and because she refused to talk due to trauma and because of her injured lung.
She hated this place. She wanted out, wanted to escape but there was no escape as she was often reminded by Ryan's sneering voice as he tortured her. There would never be an escape because she was a freak, a silent, unwanted freak and that would never change.
Lil closed her eyes, wanting to stop thinking, wanting to just fall asleep and let her mind go blank. She hated to think, hated to let these things into her head. She didn't like to think, didn't like to feel. When she felt tears begin to come she knew it was time to shut down and that's what she did, that's what she always did.
She closed her eyes, said a silent prayer for someone to save her, someone to love her, then fell asleep, closing out all emotion and all feelings.
She was swallowed by darkness and fell into a sleep just as silent as she was while awake.
Night came and with it, nightmares.
You're a coward, Rumpelstiltskin!
Kiss my boot!
In front of my boy?
Kiss my boot!
No one can ever, ever love me!
Papa?
Tell me about your son.
There's not much to tell.
Can you imagine me with that power?
Or maybe you're trying to figure out the beast's weaknesses.
You think you're uglier than you are, that's why you covered up all the mirrors.
What did you do? Nail these?
Yes.
Just a woman selling flowers.
You had a life before all this, Belle.
I want her name!
Emma.
Snow White and Prince Charming!
I'm having twins.
No matter what world you find yourself in, I will have your baby!
An empty heart and a chipped cup!
It's just a cup.
True love's first kiss can break any curse…
You turned her against me!
Who are you talking to?
The queen! Your friend the queen!
Rumpelstiltskin!
I have a question to ask you.
I want to fight.
You have nothing!
Congratulations on your little war.
You were spying on me!
What are the organs for?
Star light, star bright.
My prince charming. My Lancelot.
All magic comes with a price.
I wasn't finished! There's more!
There always is with you.
First star I see tonight…
In this new world I want comfort.
I wish I may, I wish I might…
You'll be rich!
If I should come to you for whatever reason you will do as I say and all I have to say is… please!
Have this wish I wish tonight…
Sally!
Rumpelstiltskin!
A dark curse…
On her 28th birthday…
Emma? What a lovely name.
We had a deal! I want her name!
Threw herself of the tower. She died.
Her father was cruel.
She needs… a home?
Is this about the girl I met on the road?
Belle.
My wife.
I lost him. And his mother.
Sally…
Rumpelstiltskin…
I'm sorry…
I'm sorry…
I love you…
I know…
-OUAT-
There's chapter 7!
What did you think? Liked it? Hated it? Loved it?
Review/add/promote!
-Blue