Disclaimer: I do not own ABC, Once Upon time or any of its characters. Just Aria and the chaos I create.
"What on earth kind of place is this?" I said to myself as I drove into town. The drive from Boston was long, and annoying because Emma chose the one place that Google maps can't find. It was quaint, and welcoming. Two things that irked me.
"Sherriff's station, Sherriff's station…" I mumbled to myself as I drove slowly down the main street. A pawnshop to my left and a closed down library under a clock tower a little ways down the road and after that I saw a building with a cruiser parked in front of it. A small whimper was made from her daughter's car seat in the back and I smiled in the rear view mirror.
"Are you awake sleepyhead?"
"Momma," She said, pointing out the window to the clock tower as I parked.
"That's a clock. Tick tock." I said, unbuckling myself and getting out to unbuckle Amaya's car seat. She climbed out and looked around shyly. The furry spotted monster in the back of the car was excited to get out and smell all the new grass, relieving herself on the lawn of the Sheriff's station. I picked it up with a spare baggie I had and tossed it as Amaya stood next to her, patting her back.
"Good Purdy!" She exclaimed.
"Come with me little love," I said as I took her hand and shut the door. I clipped Purdy's leash on her, and held it firmly in hand. Looking at my dog still hurt.
We walked up to the building and I picked Amaya up to carry her inside, walking towards the offices at the end of the hall.
"Emma?" I called, as the hall opened into a room with desks and two large cells.
"She's not here right now. Can I help-" A man started to say but stopped when he looked up at me.
"I'm looking for my sister, Emma. Do you know when she'll be back?" I said as Amaya waved at the man. He gave a small smile and waved back, still a little dazed looking.
"I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself, I'm David. I'm the deputy around here."
"I'm Aria, and this is my daughter Amaya."
"Gramps, I found the-" A boy of about 11 came around the corner and stopped looking very happy for a second at my face and then confused.
"Oh, I thought you were my mom," He smiled before going to sit at one of the desks, looking to be doing his homework.
"I'm sorry, did he call you Gramps?" I asked a little confused.
"Ah, Henry, since your mother isn't here, I should probably introduce you to your Aunt. This is Aria, Emma's twin sister."
"She likes to remind me that she's the oldest." I joked, still not at ease with the way they were looking at me.
"Who's that?" The boy, Henry, asked pointing to my daughter
"'maya!" Amaya said proudly, hitting her chest with her palm several times.
"This is your cousin, Amaya." I smiled, noticing the similarities Henry held to Emma.
"It's nice to meet you Henry," I said softly, giving him a small smile. I didn't want to be rude to him, after all, he was my nephew.
"It's nice to meet you too! My Mom told me so much about you. Did you know my Dad?"
"No, I heard about him though after your mom's time in Phoenix. He's really high on my list of people I'd like to beat up," I laughed. Henry's face contorted in confusion.
"I thought he was a hero? He was a firefighter. Why would you want to beat him up?" He asked, as I sat down. My blood ran cold. She lied to him. To her own flesh and blood.
"Apparently I'm not the only one she lies too," I mumbled to myself.
"Listen kid," She said, and he smiled, "That's what Emma calls me."
"She has a very good reason for telling you the firefighting story. She probably thought it would be easier to use that because it wasn't made up on the spot."
"How do you know?" David asked, leaning against a desk with his arms crossed.
"Because that is what happened to Amaya's father, just over a year ago." I said, looking down at my little angel.
"So, what happened to my Dad then?"
"He and your mother were like Bonnie and Clyde for awhile. But he betrayed her, making her take the blame for a crime he committed. That's how she ended up in jail. He high tailed it out of the country, and let her take the fall. She loved him, and it broke her. I don't blame her for trying to shield you from that hurt. But I draw the line at lying to children."
"So my father was a bad man?" He asked.
"Not a bad man. He was rough around the edges, and put your mother through a lot. But I don't believe he was evil."
"I'm sorry about your Dad Henry," David said rubbing the little boy's back.
"And I'm sorry about Amaya's Dad." Henry said, looking up at me.
"I loved him, but at least Amaya will grow up with stories of her Dad's days battling the fires of Boston, and his faithful Dalmatian, Purdy. His whole Firehouse chipped in for our move down here. Now, where do you find a realtor's office around here?" I asked David.
"Down the block actually." He smiled. I noticed his eyes, and said, "Are you by any chance the family Emma mentioned?"
"Yes, but not in the way you'd think. I'll let her explain it when she gets back," He said sheepishly.
"Okay…" I said, as I got up with Amaya.
"I'm gonna go see what availabilities you have around town. Emma and I butt heads a lot, so we should never live under the same roof."
"Can I come?" Henry asked excitedly.
"Um, you should probably finish your homework Henry," David said, at my look of hesitation.
"Okay. And then we begin Operation Believer," Henry stage whispered
"I'm missing something," I guessed.
"A very big something and Emma will explain it when she and my wife get back." He said as I picked up my purse.
"Okay. How long will they be gone?" I asked, looking at my watch.
"We don't know." Henry said sadly.
"I'm really confused now."
"They are out of town right now. Something with a case and my wife chose to accompany her." He said, struggling to find the right words.
"She asks me to come and doesn't even tell me she won't be here. Great," I sighed, before I gestured for Henry to follow me.
"Do you have keys for your mom's place? I can watch you while she's gone."
"Actually, David is watching me at my Mom's place. But you can stay with us until you find a place." Henry said as he got his coat on.
"I think that's what your mom was thinking too," I said, as I helped him shrug on his backpack.
"I'll be by the apartment in an hour or two." David said, giving a wave goodbye.
"I still think the blue one is nicer," Henry said as we walked into the Ice Cream shop.
"It was nicer. It had a big yard for Purdy too. I think you made my choice for me Henry," I smiled at my nephew. He showed me the kinds of ice cream he liked and I looked up to order.
"Two rocky road cones please," I said, and added, "And a small scoop in a bowl for the little one."
The blonde lady smiled and said, "On the house. Henry's my favorite customer. Welcome to Storybrooke."
"Thank you," I said as she handed over the cones, and I gave Henry his. Amaya was waiting patiently by my side for her little bit of Ice Cream. We sat at a table, where I could see Purdy still tied up to the post I left her at.
"Archie's got a Dalmatian too. He's named Pongo."
"Huh, maybe they are meant to fall in love and have 101 puppies," I joked, and Amaya looked thrilled at the idea.
"Puppies!" She squealed.
"Not right now love. A few more years though, when you can take care of them." I smiled, wiping her mouth off.
"When do you think you'll buy it?" Henry asked, meaning the house.
"I was thinking I'll give it a few days at Emma's and then get started on the purchase. All my stuff is coming down in a week anyways." I sighed.
"So, did you and my mom ever have the same foster families?"
"No, Emma was more fortunate in her families. I got the ones that were… well more like Annie. The orphanage part, I mean. They only had the kids as a source of income and made us do everything. It's how I learned to cook." I said, as Amaya finished off her bowl. She gestured for more, but I shook my head saying, "We are having dinner soon. If you eat all your dinner, you can have a little bit more."
"So, have you tried looking for your parents?"
"I gave up that search 20 years ago. I knew it was futile, and that wherever they were, they weren't together. I knew more about myself than I did about them, so it was easier for me to accept. Emma still secretly holds out for the fact that they are out there. Every year on her birthday, she wishes to not be alone anymore." I explained.
"And what do you wish for?"
"I wish for Ice Cream cake," I said seriously.
"You don't wish for your parents, even a little bit?"
"Henry. I know how important it must have been for you, finding your mom. But my life hasn't been defined by my wishes. It's been defined by how I accept things and move on. Your mom described me to you, didn't she?"
"She said sometimes you acted like a Vulcan, from Star Trek."
"Yeah, I do. I know how emotions can blind a person, so I chose not to be emotional over something I couldn't control or change."
"Oh." He said, looking sad.
"Don't get me wrong Henry. I love my sister, and my daughter, and I'm already starting to love you. But I stopped searching for my parents a long time ago."
"I actually know who they are though." He sighed.
"Oh?" I chuckled, "Who are they?"
"It's easier if I show you," He said taking a book out of his backpack.
"This book is all true, and everyone in town knows who they were back there."
"Back where?" I whispered.
"In the Enchanted Forest." He said opening the book to the very last pages. I was confused when I saw the picture of two babies in white blankets. One with purple edging and the other with yellow. On the blankets were two names.
Emma and Aria.
"Wow," I whispered to myself, thinking about the baby blanket I had repurposed for Amaya, sitting in the car.
"This was right before your parents sent you through the wardrobe to this land. There was a curse that the Evil Queen placed on the land, that took away all of the happy endings. It brought everyone here, took their memories and gave them new lives, where the only one that got a happy ending was the Evil Queen."
"And who is this Evil Queen?" I asked, trying to turn the page.
"My adoptive mother, Regina."
"And how come everyone remembers all of the sudden?"
"Because my Mom broke the curse. My adoptive mom gave her an apple turnover with a poisoned apple, and I got put under the sleeping curse because I ate it instead of Emma, to prove to her that magic and the curse exists. True Love Kiss broke the curse."
"So where is Emma now?" I asked, confused.
"She and your mom fell through a portal. It took them back to the Enchanted Forest, and we are trying to get them back."
"How about we stop eating ice cream? You sound like you get hyperactive on sugar.," I said, really wanting this to end.
"You don't understand, you are the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. You're the unexpected Saviour. Emma broke the curse, and I think you're meant to help her."
"Kid, I'm no savior. I should get Amaya home before she crashes. She didn't have a long enough nap in the car."
"At least read it," He made me promise.
"Okay, we'll read it together at Emma's place." I said, sighing in defeat.
"Can't wait to see the look on Emma's face when she realizes you believe too." He smiled.
"Okay, so I have a question. Why aren't you with your adoptive Mom?" I asked, narrowing my eyes playfully at him.
"The whole town, kinda wants to hurt her. You know, for transporting them to another world, taking their memories, and then the Wraith that destroyed town. But that was all on Gold."
"Gold?"
"Rumplestilskin. He brought magic to Storybrooke. Actually, he can get you to believe," Henry said excitedly.
"Henry, slow down," I said as I picked up Amaya and followed him out of the store.
"Mr. Gold," Henry said to a man walking down the street with a young woman around my age.
"Young Henry, what can I do for you?"
"This is my Aunt Aria," He said introducing me.
"Hi," I said, holding out my hand. He shook it with a smile, saying, "You are a little late to the party."
"I'm sorry?" I asked, before he waved his hand over my forehead. I was hit with a wall of memories, flooding back into my brain and finding their homes throughout my lifetime collection. One stood out from the crowd, of a David placing us in a cupboard and saying, "Find us."
"What the hell?" I asked, holding my head. Amaya patted my cheek and I hushed her murmurs.
"Where… where's my father?" I ask the man that gave me back my memories.
"Aria?" I heard behind Gold.
"And that is the end of my favors. Enjoy your retrieved memories Ms. Swan."
"It's…Thank you?" I said, as David… my Dad moved closer. Mr. Gold and the young woman walked away, and I looked up at my father.
"You gave us up, to protect us." I said, as he looked to be struggling to find the words.
"We wanted to be selfish, we wanted to keep you both with us, but we knew we had to give you your best chance."
"I get it. Emma doesn't, I know that for fact. I'm a little more forgiving than she is." I said, with a small smile. He smiled wide, tears in his eyes as he asked, "Can I hug my daughter, and my grand-daughter?"
I didn't respond, except to hug him tightly, as he cradled my head.
"Even if I wasn't aware of the last 28 years, I still missed you so much. I will never let you go now." He said as I cried softly into his shoulder.
"This is a lot to take in, in one day," I said as we released each other.
"I'm sure it is. I'll cook dinner tonight. Does Amaya have any allergies?" He asked thoughtfully.
"Nope, She'll eat just about anything. She just hates onions." I chuckled, tucking Henry into my side after giving him Purdy's leash to hold.
"Well, no French Onion soup then."
A/N: What do you think?