EDIT: I have reformatted this story. It will now include past AND present. Last chapter was obviously the past (meaning FTL) and this chapter is Present day Storybrooke. I hope this will work, I'm trying it out (mostly just because I've had this present day story written up forever and I want to post it) so hopefully ya'll will like it.

Storybrooke: Present Day

-x-

She remembers the first time he showed up. Around the time her darker thoughts started creeping up, when she thought she was all alone, was when he had found her.

She was just sitting there when a knock rang on the door. She immediately tensed up; no one had ever knocked before. She wasn't going to get up, she decided. If they were going take her, they'd have to come in and forcibly move her.

There was a pause, she remembers, where she held her breath waiting for the person on the other side to make a move. She wondered who it was. She didn't get many visitors- usually the big burly man, the nurse who brought her food, and a woman with dark hair and dark lips. The woman always had a mean smile.

This person didn't show themselves. They knocked once more and then opened the peephole. They made sure only their mouth was seen.

She leaned forward on her bench, trying to discern the gender. By the strong jaw and light stubble she guessed it was male. A quick flash of dark eyes passed by the opening and her breath caught. They looked so familiar that her heart clenched painfully.

But as quickly as they showed, they disappeared from her view, and she felt her heart sink.

"Okay, it's you." he took a large breath and let it out in relief, "It is you."

"W-what? What are you talking about?" her voice cracked from lack of use. She placed her feet on the cold floor, leaning toward the door.

His mouth smiled, and she felt her heart clench again. "I don't have much time, but I'll be back." He acted as if to leave. She felt panic loop through her veins. She stood up without thinking, "N-no!"

He stopped. She froze, not knowing why she did that. Maybe it was the fact that she was lonely, and not many people visited her. Maybe it was because she felt that he was nice, that she could trust him.

"P-please...I..." she couldn't finish, feeling foolish for her words.

His lips pulled back into a smile, "Don't worry. I'll be back. I promise." he paused, "I found you this time, didn't I?"

She nodded, but then realized he couldn't see her. Before she could answer verbally she heard someone else's footsteps coming through the hall. The man turned away from the peephole to look and then turned back to her.

"Gotta go. See ya later, sweetheart. Be good."

And then he was gone. It wasn't until she sat down again that she realized he hadn't told her his name.

She would make sure to find out next time.