So.. here's Chapter 2! Enjoy!
CHAPTER 2
When Charlie opened her eyes, she thought for just a moment that she was back home, in the woods just outside the castle grounds. She used to sneak into the forest when she was younger while the rest of the castle was asleep and stare up at the stars, studying each twinkling light through the branches of ancient oaks and maples. Once, she fell asleep while she was there, and by the time the morning light filtered in through the treetops, her parents had sent out an entire search party for her.
But Charlie soon realized she was definitely not back home. Thoughts of a green witch and swirling gold portal swarmed around in her head like stinging bees, giving her a massive headache- or perhaps that was just the way she had landed. She stood up quickly, not realizing how sore and stiff she actually was, and glanced around. A paved road was inches from her feet, and several yards away from where she stood was a green road sign that announced in white lettering, "Welcome to Storybrooke."
Storybrooke.
"Lottie! Lottie!" a voice called out for her from the woods behind her. She whipped around.
"Leo!"
The two wrapped their arms around each other for a moment before Leo broke it up. "Good thinking on the portal. But where exactly are we?"
Charlie pointed to the road sign. "Storybrooke, I suppose."
"Storybrooke?" Leo said thoughtfully. "Why did you bring us here, of all places? I thought it was cursed, or something. I mean, isn't that why our parents never took us here?"
"I didn't bring us here. The beans did. They bring us wherever we absolutely need to go, and I guess they thought we needed to go to Storybrooke."
"Well, if beans tell us to go somewhere, then we should definitely follow their advice," Leo said sarcastically, a hidden smile finally showing itself.
Charlie elbowed Leo lightly in the gut, but she couldn't help from smiling herself. "Shut up! I just saved our lives, remember?"
Leo wrapped an arm around Charlie's shoulders. "Sorry, Lot. I was just trying to lighten the mood."
She looked up at Leo, one eyebrow raised.
"And thank you one thousand times over for saving my life."
Charlie nodded, grinning a little at her best friend. "Well, what are we waiting for? Storybrooke, here we come!" She picked her father's sword off the forest floor, and Leo put his hand behind his back, feeling around for his bow and arrow.
The two slowly walked toward the sign, and, taking a collective breath, they stepped across the town line.
()()()
Mary Margaret was tired. Being a parent to a toddler did that to a person, of course, but she was more than tired in the physical sense- she was tired of danger, of one villain after another, and tired, most of all, of curses. Her family had suffered enough.
For whatever reason, Mary Margaret had decided to go to Granny's that day. She was sick of being cooped up inside all the time, and David was taking care of Neal today. Besides, she wanted to talk to her daughter. Mary Margaret, on a whim, had called Emma and asked if they would want to have lunch together. Emma said yes.
And Emma was late.
Mary Margaret's eyes wandered around the diner aimlessly. She took a small sip of her coffee just as two teenagers walked in.
A boy and a girl. The boy was tall, with a fit build. A bow and pack of arrows was strapped to his back. His brown hair was mussed, and his face was scruffy, like he hadn't slept in a while, or he'd slept far too long. His rumpled green clothes suggested only one thing- he was one of Robin's Merry Men. However, Mary Margaret was absolutely certain she'd never seen this boy before.
The girl was almost as tall as the boy, but not quite. She was stunningly beautiful with long dark hair, piercing blue eyes, and prominent cheekbones. She had a little dimple in her chin that made Mary Margaret stop in her tracks.
She'd know that chin anywhere.
Mary Margaret analyzed the rest of the girls' appearance as curiously as she could without looking like a stalker. The girl wore dark blue jeans tucked into black combat boots, a sword gripped tightly in her hand. She wore a plain black t-shirt under a red leather jacket.
Mary Margaret's breath caught in her throat.
The boy and girl made their ways over to the counter. Ruby raised her eyebrows.
The girl smiled. "Ruby! Why aren't you in the Enchanted Forest?"
"What?" Ruby looked at her blankly. "Do I know you?"
"What do you mean, Ruby? Of course you do!"
Ruby blinked, but said nothing.
"It's me," the girl said. "Charlie? Charlie Jones?"
"Yeah," the boy piped in. "And Leo Hood?"
They're common last names, Mary Margaret told herself, but she could not keep the names Killian Jones and Robin Hood from popping into her head. The girl did look like Captain Hook, now that she thought about it, what with her dark brown hair and bright blue eyes. And, Mary Margaret realized, the boy was a spitting image of a young Robin Hood, down to the bow and arrows.
"I'm sorry," Ruby said, pulling Mary Margaret out of her own head. "But I have no idea who either of you are."
The teenagers traded worried glances.
"But, Ruby…"
"Where exactly are you two from? And how did you get to Storybrooke?"
The girl- Charlie, Mary Margaret supposed- looked at Ruby quietly, as if trying to come up with something to say. The boy's eyes- Leo Hood's eyes, she should say- roamed around the room nervously before resting right on her. His eyes widened, and he nudged Charlie, raising his chin toward Mary Margaret. Charlie looked to Leo worriedly.
"Sorry to bother you, Ru- ma'am," Charlie said. "But we've got to go."
And without another word, the teenagers left the diner, the door shutting quietly behind them.
It had been peaceful for a couple days, now, Mary Margaret reminded herself. A new threat was bound to come around at some point.
()()()
Charlie and Leo left the diner breathlessly.
"Oh my God," Charlie said.
"Oh my God," Leo agreed.
"Where the hell did that bean take us?" Charlie wondered aloud as they began to trek down Main Street.
"I don't think it's about where," Leo muttered gravely. "It's when we have to worry about." He pointed to a newspaper rack that sat outside of a barber's shop. The headline announced, "Peace Returned to Storybrooke… But For How Long?" But it wasn't the headline that worried the two teens- it was the date in the upper right hand corner.
May 27th, 2016.
Four years before Charlie or Leo were even born.
But before Charlie even had time to react, they were stopped in their tracks by a man dressed in head-to-toe leather.
"Who are you, lass," a young Killian Jones whispered dangerously, "And how the bloody hell did you get my sword?"
What do you think? Good? Bad? Let me know!
