A/N: I reached 100 favorites and 150+ followers! Again, thank you so much for reading and enjoying my story! It means a lot! Well I hope you guys like this chapter. I think it's a nice transition to what's gonna happen in the next chapter (and it's something BIG lol). Thank you to those who left reviews and please continue doing so because it really excites me to know that you guys are also excited! Also, thanks again to those of you who follow me and favorite the story. ENJOY :D
Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time, except for my own original characters.
"Killian!"
Clarissa ran through the dark forest in an attempt to find her missing lover. The night brought upon an eerie silence; no human or creature in sight. She continued dodging the trees as she sprinted, calling out his name.
"Killian, where are you?!"
Suddenly, up ahead, purple smoke appeared from within the darkness. This smoke was familiar to her, filling her with a sense of danger. Abruptly, she turned around and changed her course. The smoke chased her. No matter how far she ran, it followed.
A pulled root caused her to trip. Looking up, she was horrified to see that the purple smoke had surrounded her. It was everywhere. There was no way to escape while it floated toward her.
"NO!"
Clarissa woke up with a start, her breath lost.
She was in her bedroom back in Storybrooke. She clutched her sheets tightly, bringing it closer to her shaking body. Sweat rolled down her face as she wiped away the tears in her eyes. Clarissa had been having nightmares for the past couple of days. It started the night her memories returned, the same day when she learned that Killian was still back home. It was always the same dream. She's in the woods, screaming his name, but in the end she always gets swallowed up by the purple smoke. It was a constant reminder of the day she got separated from him; but most importantly, a constant reminder that he was not here with her.
Clarissa tried to mentally push way the nightmare as she lay back into bed; crying herself to sleep.
Morning came soon after and so did her usual routine. Although much has changed in Storybrooke since the curse broke, not much had changed for her. Her life remained pretty much the same; she still worked at the boutique doing the same tedious activities as before. Though she did manage to find more of her old crew mates in town, it wasn't enough to fill the empty void in her life. Even her best friend Aurora was no where in sight, meaning she was probably in the other realm. Clarissa felt like she had the worst luck. Why did she always end up alone?
So once she finished getting dressed, she headed off to what was next on her schedule: the diner.
"Morning April!"
Ruby's cheery voice made Clarissa smile while she sat in her usual booth. Curse or no curse, Ruby was still her friend.
"Hi Ruby,"
"What can I get ya today?" she asked.
Clarissa was about to answer with her typical 'coffee and eggs', but figured she might as well try something different. Hopefully her life would do the same. "Pancakes."
Ruby grinned and wrote it down in her little notebook, "You got it."
Granny's Diner was always quick to deliver and so within just a few minutes Ruby returned with her order. The round plate held three pancakes stacked upon each other with syrup and whipped cream glistening on top.
"Thanks." Clarissa frowned. Looks delicious, but not that exciting of a change.
The dark haired woman looked at her blonde friend with concern. Ruby noticed how her straight hair was rather frizzy and it seemed like she had gotten bags under her eyes. Something was wrong, she could sense it.
"Hey," Ruby sat down on the booth across from Clarissa. "are you okay? You seem gloomier than usual…and tired."
Clarissa sighed; Ruby could always tell when something was troubling her, maybe her 'wolf senses' had something to do with it. "Ever since our memories returned, I've been having nightmares."
"About what?"
"About something that happened in the past…about someone I lost."
Ruby faltered before asking any more questions. She saw how uneasy it made Clarissa feel to simply talk about her nightmares and so she didn't want to pester her further about it.
"Well, I would suggest distracting yourself from negative thoughts." She proposed, "Is there anything you like to do before bed that could help?"
"I like to read." mentioned Clarissa.
"Perfect!"
But then she woefully bit her lip, "But I don't own that many books, and the ones I do I've read over 100 times."
The frown on Ruby's face didn't last long as she instantly thought of an idea. "Why don't you just borrow some from the library?"
"The library? It's been closed down for years."
"Yeah, but just recently someone took interest and is renovating it." Ruby stood up and headed toward the kitchen, but not before adding, "Her name is Belle; tell her I sent you. You should go check it out!"
"Thanks, I definitely will!" beamed Clarissa.
Once the pancakes were devoured, Clarissa headed out with new excitement toward the library. She loved reading and she prayed that this idea would help stop her nightmares from being so recurrent. However, her trip to the library came to a halt when she spotted a cute little boy coming her way.
"Henry!"
Henry Mills was well and healthy, and Clarissa couldn't be any happier. She would never want to see any more harm fall upon this poor child.
"April!" She kneeled down, but was nearly tackled by Henry's hug. They embraced for a few seconds before letting go.
"How are you doing sweetie?" She asked while standing back up.
He grinned, "I'm good, just about to get on the school bus."
"Good morning Clarissa," greeted David who appeared behind Henry. It was funny to think that he was Henry's grandfather, he's so young.
"Morning David," she smiled back.
The yellow school bus swiftly appeared around the corner of the block. Henry waved goodbye and raced with the other children toward the bus. Clarissa watched Henry safely get inside and once the bus disappeared, so did her smile. She had questions for David that she didn't want Henry hearing.
"How's it going trying to locate Mary Margaret and Emma?"
In the aftermath of breaking of the Dark Curse, Mary Margaret and Emma got sucked into a portal that took them back to the Enchanted Forest. It's been days since the incident and no one has seen them return yet.
David exhaled loudly and rested his arms on his waist. "It's not going very well. Jefferson's hat was the only hope we had, but now it's gone. I don't know what else to do except pray that they'll come back."
"You think they can do it on their own?"
"Mary Margaret and I will always find each other." He said optimistically. "I believe in that."
How romantic, if only it were true for me too… Clarissa sulked, wishing she could be that optimistic about reuniting with Killian. She also wished to be reunited with Aurora. "Do you think it'll ever be possible for us to return to our land?"
"I'm not sure, I don't know of any other portals that could transport us back. But nothing's impossible, I promise to let you know if I figure anything out."
"Thank you."
The two departed in their separate ways and went about with their day. Clarissa continued with her outing and finally reached the clock tower. Under the clock tower was the library and right next to it was her boutique. A large blue sign was above the door: "Storybrooke Free Public Library Opening Soon". How did she not notice it before?
The white tarnished doors made a loud creak as she stepped inside. The area was very dimly lighted probably due to the windows that were still boarded up. Directly to the right she noticed a large counter labeled "Circulation Desk". The rest of the room was filled with colorful books organized evenly on the green painted walls. A few small tables were placed in order to accommodate room for readers. There was even a small elevator car near the back of the room, but it seemed to be out of order. Overall, the room was slightly petite, but it gave off a very peaceful atmosphere.
"Hello?" The place looked empty and so she raised her voice. "Anyone here?"
"I'm in the back! Be out in a second!" shouted a voice with an Australian accent.
Within the minute, a young woman about Clarissa's age emerged from the back while strolling a cart filled with books. She was very pretty and had long brown hair with brightly colored blue eyes. She seemed oddly familiar to Clarissa though. Where have I seen her before? Nothing came to mind, so she ignored the small curious feeling she had.
"Hi. I'm sorry, but the library isn't open yet." she addressed apologetically.
"Oh um, Ruby sent me." Clarissa played with her hands, suddenly nervous. "I was really hoping to check out a book and she said you could help me." Please say yes, I'm in desperate need of a good distraction.
"Ruby?" Belle smiled, thinking back to the nice young woman she befriended at the diner. Ruby proved to be a good friend to her and the blonde woman standing in front of her seemed just as nice. "In that case sure, help yourself."
"Thanks so much!" Yes! It's so exciting to find a new book to read.
Belle's cheerfulness disappeared when she looked down at the amount of books she had in her cart. "It's just that…well since the library isn't ready; I haven't been able to completely fill in the shelves yet. Some books are still missing."
Clarissa took a moment to think; today was Saturday so that meant that her boutique was closed. Since there was nothing else she needed to do today, she figured she could lend a helping hand. She did love books anyways.
"Well I'd be happy to help."
"Really? You would?" Belle exclaimed.
The blonde shrugged, "Sure! I might even find a good book to read while I help."
"Thank you, that's very kind! Things should go a lot faster now that there are two of us."
With Clarissa's help, the two young women pulled the cart toward the middle of the room, in between all the books. Belle explained to her how to read the labels and place the books correctly where they belong. They were arranged alphabetically by the author's name.
"Oh, I'm Belle by the way." She said abruptly, introducing herself.
"I'm April," Clarissa said naturally, but suddenly shook her head. "I mean Clarissa…or April? I'm sorry; I'm still confused by this whole curse thing. Either name is fine."
Belle giggled at her debacle, "It's okay, but I think I'll go with April since I did meet you first in this world and not the Enchanted Forest."
"Sounds good to me," agreed Clarissa as she laughed along.
Hours passed as Clarissa and Belle organized the library. As they worked, they spoke about their enjoyment for books, shared stories and many other interesting topics. The two had a lot in common and for every minute that ticked by, their friendship grew. It was nice having another friend Clarissa could talk to. She was really sweet and reminded her of her best friend Aurora. And Belle was happy to have made another friend in town as well.
"What about this book?" offered Belle as she blew off some dust off the cover. "It's one of my favorites. Far off places, daring swordfights, magic spells, and a prince in disguise! It's a very romantic and entertaining tale."
Clarissa scrunched her eyebrows at the book worryingly. She loved romantic novels, but at the moment it was the very thing she was trying to avoid. She didn't want to empower her nightmares with more lonely thoughts on love.
"No thank you."
Belle frowned feeling a little offended that she didn't want to give one of her favorite books a chance. "Oh come on, I'm sure you'll love it. You were just telling me how most of the books you like reading deal with romance and adventure."
"I know," she tried her best to not let herself sulk, "but I'm just currently not in the mood for romance."
Guilt washed over Belle when she saw the distressing expression on Clarissa's face. She could instantly tell she was hurt. "You're heartbroken."
Clarissa chuckled softly, "Am I that easy to read?"
The brown haired woman gave her new friend a comforting smile. "I'm here for you if you need someone to talk to."
Since the curse hit, she hadn't spoken to anyone about her personal troubles. Maybe it was about time to confide in someone and tell her story. "There was a man back in our land who was ruthless, fearsome, and vicious. But beyond his outside exterior, he was also charming, noble, and courageous. I was able to see the good inside him…and I fell in love. However, before the curse hit he betrayed me and broke my heart."
"I'm so sorry," whispered Belle as she tried to soothe her.
"You know what the saddest part is?" Clarissa wiped away a tear that managed to escape. "I was willing to forgive him, but I got separated from him before I got the chance. Now I don't know if I'll ever see him again."
"True love always finds a way. I'm sure you'll find each other again and make things work."
"I hope so. I really do." Belle's consoling words cheered her up. It felt good to have gotten it off her chest. "Well enough about me; is there anyone special in your life?"
Belle laughed, "Actually there is and surprisingly your description of your true love fits mine almost perfectly. He's also a very dark man, but has a good heart."
The word 'dark' triggered the fog surrounding Clarissa's mind to vanish. It suddenly became clear who Belle was and why she looked so familiar to her! Belle was the girl she saw in the enchanted mirror the day she got separated from Killian. She was the one Killian thought knew how to kill the Dark One because of her relationship with him.
"Rumplestiltskin?"
Her blue eyes grew wide, "How did you know?"
"Lucky guess…" All the terrible things she read and heard about the Dark One filled her head. Everyone in town kept their safe distance from him. "But Belle he's very dangerous. Are you sure you can trust him?"
"I trust Mr. Gold with my life. He would never hurt me." She retorted, "I know what people say about him, but he's changed. He's a good man. You out of anyone should understand that the most."
She's right. Who am I to say anything when I'm the one who fell in love with a pirate? People aren't always what they seem. I've learned that. It looks like Belle and I have a lot more in common than we thought. Too bad it's the fact that our lover's are mortal enemies.
"Speak of the devil,"
Just then the door opened to reveal non other than Mr. Gold himself. He stood tall with his cane and was dressed in one of his typical suits. Clarissa hadn't seen him since the curse broke. She was afraid of him after learning his identity was Rumplestiltskin, the powerful man Killian wanted to kill. She had been purposely avoiding him in hopes of evading a confrontation, but there was no where to run now; though just discovering that he cared for Belle calmed her nerves slightly.
"Rumple!" Belle cried out joyfully.
"Good afternoon ladies," Mr. Gold smirked and glanced at Belle, but kept his eyes on Clarissa.
"Rumple, this is my new friend April." She introduced. "She was helping me get the library ready for its opening day."
"We've met," he nodded at the blonde, "thank you for helping Belle."
Clarissa waved her hand, "Oh it was no trouble at all."
He turned to Belle and checked his watch. "Are you ready to go try Granny's hamburgers?"
"Yes! Just let me just grab my purse from the back."
Belle disappeared to the back of the library and left Mr. Gold with a very uncomfortable Clarissa. He kept quietly staring at her from across the room in a very eerie way. She felt herself start to shake, her nerves getting the better of her. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid.
"I know who you are," he said while breaking the silence, "you're Lady Clarissa."
Clarissa was stunned with shock. I never told him my real name. "How did you –"
"I kept very close tabs on the man you call your Captain." He cut her off, "I knew he seeked revenge so I had to keep a close eye him, and that meant knowing all about him and his relationships."
Shit.
Mr. Gold took several steps closer to her until they were eye to eye. "Where is he now?"
"I don't know."
"Don't lie to me."
"It's the truth." Clarissa stood her ground, "And if I did, why on earth would I tell you?"
His eye twitched, "So I can make sure he stays the hell away from us."
Oh. So he was afraid. He was trying to keep Belle in the dark from what he did to his wife and Killian. "You haven't told her have you?"
"Are you ready Rumple?" asked Belle as she appeared from the back. She saw how close he was standing to April and she worried. "Is everything okay here?"
Mr. Gold looked at Clarissa and for a second; she swore she saw a hint of vulnerability in his eyes. It's not my place to tell. This wasn't any of her business and she really liked Belle. He should be the one to tell her of his crimes. He's going to have to eventually.
"Yeah, everything's fine. I was just about to head out too." Clarissa answered while grabbing her purse and a book that she had put aside to read. "Have a nice lunch guys."
She grinned, "Alright, see you around!"
With a quick wave goodbye Clarissa exited the building and hastily entered her store right next door. She went toward the back and up the stairs that connected to her apartment. Dropping her purse on the counter, she made her way to her bedroom and sat down comfortably with her back against the headboard. She opened the new book she brought and sighed.
"Time to distract myself."
After a good couple of hours passed, she decided to take a break from reading and cook herself some dinner. However, when she returned to bed something beside her book caught her attention. Her phone was blinking, signifying she had received a text message. Picking up the phone she saw that it was a message from Ruby. It read: "Mary Margaret and Emma are back!"
The night was cold as the Jolly Roger sailed across the unruffled waters of the north Atlantic. Gray and ominous clouds hung low in the atmosphere. They blanketed the sky, stretching over, hiding the moon and its stars. A fog rolled in, filling the air with a thick, damp mist. But even the murkiest of nights could not stop this ship from heading to its destination.
Killian took a deep breath as he held onto the ship's wheel. Thanks to Lake Nostos the magic bean used to transport them to this new land worked perfectly. He felt a new sense of excitement in his veins. Rumplestiltskin will have no idea of his arrival, giving Killian the advantage. Finally he'd be able to have his revenge! Nothing is going to get in the way of him skinning his crocodile.
But then a poignant thought crossed his mind. Once he kills the crocodile, he'll have nothing to look forward to. His life will be empty. Revenge may sate his being, but it was an end, not a beginning. She was right all along.
Looking down at his side, Killian grasped the beautiful sword tightly in his hand. The three jewels on the golden hilt still shined brightly till this day. Her father's sword was the only token he had left of his beloved Clarissa. She was the only one who ever saw the good inside him.
When she ran away in the woods of Lunaris, Killian spent days and days looking for her. The curse hit soon after that, but he was sure that she was not taken by it. His confidence came from her last words to him "I want to go back home,". Her home, the kingdom of Princess Aurora, and all the area around it was not affected by the curse, meaning Clarissa shouldn't have been in its range. So he kept searching for her, all over the kingdom and through nearby villages. But there was no sign of her anywhere.
By that time the ogres were beginning to reappear and reclaim the Enchanted Forest. Those who remained built a 'safe haven' in an island to protect themselves from the wrath of the ogres. Killian continued his search for her, but not even in the safe haven could he find her.
If it were not for Cora, he would have continued looking for her till the end of his days. Cora found him one day searching in the forest. She said she had found something that might've belonged to Clarissa. But what she found broke what was left of his heart. She had Clarissa's sword; it was all damaged and bloody. Cora said she found it by a group of angry ogres. Clarissa would never leave behind her sword; he knew how much it meant to her. So it was time for Killian to accept what he'd been denying for weeks: Clarissa was dead.
Killian gazed back at the ocean, remembering how devastated he was on that day. He found no reason to go on living, but Cora convinced him to take all his anger and refocus it on his life's true goal: killing Rumplestiltskin. Since that day he's felt his heart turn black. There was no more need for any love in his life. With love came despair, and he had enough wounds to last a lifetime. Everyone he has ever loved has died: his brother, Milah, and Clarissa. He truly believed he was cursed to live a life of unhappiness.
Suddenly, out of the fog emerged a bright illumination from up head. Killian took out his telescope and stared in direction of the lights; the lights of a small town.
"There it is." He said grimly.
Cora appeared from behind him wearing a long blue gown. She stood next to him and watched the sight before her with an impious grin.
"Storybrooke."
