A/N: And I'm back. Caught up with my other stories for the moment. In future chapters, looks like there's going to be more flashbacks. Wow, this story has really developed a mind of its own. Almost towards the end.
I am standing in the Sheriff's Department. After the chase incident, I find the first bathroom to try and clean myself up so I can at least look presentable. I am a sweaty mess. Graham has run down to Granny's for me and put my torn, bloody clothes in the wash for me. I'm in a pair of extra clothes that are a little to big for me, and he struggles not to laugh when he arrives. After a quick filing of the paperwork, he dismisses me and sends me back home, saying I can come in for an hour or two tomorrow to get everything filed. He mumbles something about needing an extra holding cell for the rest of Chess's men when they arrive. He doesn't want them all in the same room. And I am to stay away from Chess, Mathew, or whomever he really is. That's not going to work as I have some questions I need to ask him.
Back in my apartment that night, I drag out my old book from my childhood and begin flipping through it. There is something not right about this town, and my earlier talk with Archie about the mines has me unsettled. They all came out thinking they were fairy tale creatures and were forced to leave Storybrooke? The whole thing is strange, and I make a note to go down to the Library on my next day off and rent some of the old fairytale books. I want to compare their stories to this, and I want to see if I can find where Miss Jenna originally got this book from. I stifle back a yawn. I haven't been sleeping much. I'm still to scared to face Rumpelstiltskin.
The next morning, I fight off fatigue as I head to the Sheriff's Department, opting to walk again. The place is slammed full with people, buzzing from the excitement yesterday. Behind me, one of Chess's men is shouting and my mood sours instantly as I turn towards the back of the office. Graham is now busy dealing with the police right now and eager reporters. No one even sees me walk away from the crowd towards the back of the holding cell. I find Chess just sitting there, face forward, staring at the wall. There is a small trail of dried blood trailing down from Chess's hairline from where Mr. Gold had hit him. There is also a trail of black running down his face from where his eye liner has run. Standing in front of the cell, we are all alone in the room. Eyes darting towards me, he smirks slightly with a roll of his eyes.
"Hey you!" I snap at him, arms folded in front of my chest, "You said you know who my parents are. Well, are you going to tell me?"
He gives a soft laugh, which infuriates the hell out of me.
"Excuse me!" I have to be careful not to raise my voice so I don't snare anyone's attention, "There had to be a point for you to demand to see me yesterday. Are you going to answer me or not?"
Again, nothing. Advancing towards the cell, I am about to say something else. In a whirl, he is suddenly on his feet, body pressed close to the bars. I freeze.
"I've met your father" Chess said, his grin going crazy, his purple bangs glued to his right eye from sweat, "As I've mentioned, you are just like him. You both believe you can have everything. And yet, you are so, so dull"
"How am I dull?" I snicker at him, "You're a nut who thinks he's a cat!"
He lets out another strange, soft laugh. Something about it is so familiar, but I can't quite remember where. He rises to his feet and is now staring directly at me.
"I lost you once" his voice grows wistful, which throws me off guard, "I lost you in a deal"
His expression is so sad, and this makes me feel more nervous.
"Come here" he strains against the bar as he reaches a hand out towards me. I take a step backwards, and he makes a choking sound in the back of his throat.
"Strange" he cocks his head to the right as he stares at me, "You let the imp touch you, but you are repulsed by me"
"How the hell did you get that information?" I can hear myself snarl at him.
"How the hell do you think…little dearie" The wind is knocked out of me and for a moment, why world goes upside down. There is a loud crash behind, sending me forward in a startled jump. Fast as lightning, Chess shoots a hand forward and before I know what's happening, he has me by the shirt and drags me to him. Cold bars pressed my face, he wraps his free arm around my waist.
"Get off me!" I shriek, no doubt alerting the others.
"So, Rumpelstiltskin's little dearie is afraid of me" his smile is so large it can't be human. He lets out a snort, free hand on my cheek, hot breath blowing in my face, "That's so sad. I would've loved you. He won't save you. But I, I would've. Do you want to know who he is?"
"Let me go you sick freak!" I shout, doing my best to strike him.
"Don't let her take me from here" Chess's voice has gone from dangerous to pleading in a matter of seconds, "If I leave, I die! Don't let them take me!"
"Get off her!" strong hands are wrapped around me shoulders are prying me backwards.
"No! She's mine!" Chess is near frantic as he grip around me tightens, pulling me closer against the bar, "She has to save me!"
A fist goes flying past my face and Chess drops to the ground. Turning, I see Graham behind me, arms breaking my fall.
"Why did you go near him again?" Graham demands to know, hands still clutching my shoulder,
"He said he knew my parents!" I can feel hot tears threaten to pour down my face.
"Oh, Jenna!" his face become bewildered, "He was probably only just saying that. And what does he think you're saving him from?"
"I don't know!" I take several deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. He knows about my dreams. He knows!
"Jenna, your shaking like a leaf" Graham suddenly grows concerned. I don't want to say anything else, lest I burst out the entire tale. "I think it's best we get you home"
"Yes, I think that is the best idea" a cold voice says behind me. Turing around, I see Mayor Mills standing behind me. The cut on her face bandaged, she still manages to smirk. "Deputy, job well done. I will speak with you tomorrow." Eyes darting back to Graham and then to me again, her expression becomes even more hostile. "Both of you. Tomorrow at five"
She gives me one last icy smile and she moves past me.
"Regina, what are you doing?" Graham wants to know as she waves everyone out of the room.
Eyes meeting Chess's, her expression becomes even tighter. "I want to have a word with my captor. Everyone out of the room"
Graham tries to say something, but Regina waves him off. Chess is standing again, eyes locked with Regina's, hands by his sides, closed into fists. Tension is mounting by the minute. Hand around my shoulder, Graham leads me to the door. I am silent again.
"Jenna, are you ok?" Graham asks me as he drives me back to my apartment, "I'm still impressed by your actions the other day. I am amazed you caught that man all by yourself"
I say nothing as I stare out the window. The memory of Mr. Gold knocking Chess out flashes in my mind, and I feel a tightness in my chest. As my mind trails off to Mr. Gold again, I remember my apartment and the 'late' fee. The bank would be open today and that needs to be resolved.
"Would you mind dropping me off at the bank please?" my voice sounds very distant.
"Sure thing" Graham makes a quick turn and we are soon at the bank. I still remain silent. Pulling into the parking lot, he turns towards me again. "Would you like me to wait out here for you?"
He is so close to me, his hand brushing mine.
"I think I'll be fine, thank you" I say quickly. I don't want him to know about my rent situation. However, by the way the town goes, I will be surprised if it isn't posted in The Daily Mirror tomorrow.
"Are you sure" he really doesn't want to leave, "You don't live far from here"
"I just need to get something from the bank, and then I'll walk home" I say calmly, silently cursing myself and this embarrassing situation, "I'll see you tomorrow"
He gives me a half-hearted wave as I turn to leave. I am afraid to look back as I hear his car leave. Mind in a haze, I walk towards the bank, fumbling with some papers. I am not looking where I am going.
"Morning deputy" I hear a low, Scottish accent next to me.
Hands flying everywhere from the shock, I look up to see Mr. Gold (again), standing directly in front of me. Once again, he has his smirk in place.
"You again" I roll my eyes.
"I did say I needed to have a word with you later" he says innocently, "When I saw you walking by, I figured why not now"
"Can't it wait" I say as I bend down to get my fallen papers which have begun to scatter with the wind. He just stands over me and watches "You know, a gentlemen always helps a lady pick up dropped items!"
"Really!" He puts hand on his chest is a false show of surprise, "Well, as we both know, I am no gentlemen"
I pull myself back up to my feet to look him straight in the eye. "Well, I already figured that out" I say sarcastically.
"Alright, I see you are in no mood to talk" he says with another of his flamboyant twists, "I'll stop by your apartment tomorrow morning"
He moves to the side to let me pass. Gathering my papers, I walk towards the bank.
"Oh, deputy" I hear him call out and I brace myself, expecting another round of verbal sparring. Turning around, he maneuvers himself towards me, his hand outstretched. "You dropped your wallet"
Face flashing crimson red, I mumble something as I snatch the wallet roughly away from him and dart inside. As I hand the bank teller my information, I look behind me to see if he is still outside. Thankfully, he isn't.
"Excuse me, Ms. Black" the teller says, grabbing my attention, "But what is it you'd like to do today?"
"Oh, sorry" I say as I snap back around towards him, "I need to make a withdrawal" I am not happy about this. In order to pay off my rent and my 'late' fee, it's going to cost me the rest of my savings. I'll be living off ramen and Regina's apples for the next two weeks.
The teller frowns. "I do apologize ma'am, but it looks like there is a hold on your account"
"What! How can there be a hold?"
"It looks like there was some fraudulent activity not to long ago. I apologize, but it is on hold while our finance team reviews this"
"Excuse me but no" my voice is going shrill, "I need that money for my rent"
"Ma'am, it looked like a fraud on our end, and we have one our lawyers investigating this right now and it was stated clearly that there was to be no activity on your account until further notice" the teller is still so calm, "I've seen this happen before. It usually takes five to seven business days for the hold to drop off"
I raise my eyebrows. "Oh really? That's perfect for my landlord! Now, he can double my late fee. Can I close my account?"
"No, ma'am, I am afraid not"
"And whose the lawyer for this place?"
"It's Mr. Gold. He just stopped by to review your account earlier today"
"Oh of course he did!" I snap as I snatch my information away from the teller.
I barely remember walking back to my apartment. I am not sure what to do. My supplies are beginning to run thin and I do not want to ask for help. With Mr. Gold freezing my account, my late fee only goes higher. And since he's my landlord as well…
'So that's how he's going to try to get the 'debt' I owe him' I think to myself.
I stay up for the majority of the night researching ways to take my account off hold. I'll need a lawyer. I run my hand through my hair in frustration. I try to look up names for other Storybrooke lawyers, and the only one who comes up is the D.A. Other than that, there are mysteriously no other lawyers here. And of course, Mr. Gold charges by the day when he's working on a case.
"Or maybe they took their names out because they don't want to go against Mr. Gold" I mumble to myself.
I had thought the town was afraid of Regina. Or was it Mr. Gold? Did they have any connections to the other? I rub my eyes as I think this to myself. Maybe Mary Margaret would be able to answer me. Dr. Hopper was clearly terrified of Regina and not even Graham seemed willing to stand against her. Hell, even Chess had gone still when she arrived to visit him. And what was she visiting him for anyways? Vision going blurry, I don't even remember falling asleep.
I am awoken by a sudden knock on my door. Bolting up, I hadn't even realized I had fallen asleep. The rapping on my door has become even louder. Squinting at my phone, I frown when I realize it's not even eight in the morning.
"Just give me a second!" I shout at the door as I head to the bathroom.
Flipping on the lights, I gargle quickly with some mouth wash and run a comb through my hair. There are dark circles under my eyes, no doubt from the last few sleepless nights. The person at my door has begun knocking again. Frowning, I yank open the door.
"Ms. Black, did I wake you up?" It is none other than Mr. Gold!
I nearly slam the door on him. "You know, it's pretty early in the morning to be collecting people's souls"
"I rise every morning at six. It's the best time to start life" he pulls himself up straight as he peers into my apartment behind me, "May I come in?"
I pull myself up to my full height as well. "No you may not"
"Excellent, thank you!" before I can respond he sidesteps me into my apartment.
"Hey! I didn't say yes!"
"Once again, I appreciate your willingness to cooperate" he smiles as he walks around my apartment, clearly ignoring me. "Now, I am here to discuss this apartment I procured for you. I see that you haven't yet made a payment and your late fee is now $100. If this continues any further, Ms. Black, I will be forced to evict you"
"Oh really" I slam the door shut as I turn to face him.
"I have been rather lenient with you. Most tenants are forced out within the day" he narrows his eyes at me and I resist the urge to curse at him again.
"So, you want your rent, and I want my apartment" I say, my face twisted in a sarcastic smile, "So let's find a compromise here"
"I'm all ears" he moves closer to me again.
"Take off the hold on my account" I say as I poke him in the shoulder, loving the sight of him flinching from my touch, "Then, I can get you your money"
"Hold on your account?"
"Oh stop with the innocent 'old man' act! I know for a fact you did it"
"If, I did it" he voice suddenly becomes menacing again, "I would not remove it so simply. You would owe me another favor. My, my, you've been in town for less than two months and it looks like your debt to me is only continuing to grow"
"If you evict me and I am forced to leave, you get nothing" I grit my teeth, "So, if you want anything, take that hold off, no extra favors or fees!"
"And where would you go?" he says back, clearly amused by my attempt at backbone.
"I don't know" I say honestly, "But you still wouldn't get anything out of this"
"Is that so?" he reaches a hand towards my face again, "Ms. Black, I must say, you look exceptionally tired. Having troublesome dreams?"
I catch his wrist in my hand and yank it away from my face. "The hell is it with you invading my personal space? Are you trying to creep me out?"
Before I can do anything, he flips his hand and catches my wrist. Yanking me towards him, he pins my wrist behind my bank. Once again, I stand stark still, heart pounding in my chest.
"I admire your courage" he says lowly, "But everything I do comes at a price. You want that hold taken off, what are you going to do for me?"
"What's your price?" my voice comes out in a whisper. This answer seems to please him.
"That man you 'caught' yesterday" his brown eyes are boring straight into mine, "What was his name?"
"Now what would need to know that for?" a nervous laugh pulls from my throat.
He makes another innocent face. "Curiosity"
"Mathew Bartholomew. You knew that though; it's all over the newspaper"
"No, what did he call himself?"
"Chess. He thought he was the Cheshire Cat"
I yank my wrist out of his grip, but I don't move an inch away. Curiosity gets the better of me, as always.
"A man who thinks he's a cat" Mr. Gold hasn't moved away from me either, and I feel a strange tension beginning to build, "Truly, that is the sign of someone losing all rhyme and reason. How interesting"
A strange smile flits over my lips and my fear of him begins to slip away. Feeling an unusual boldness, I push myself up against him and he immediately tenses. For the first time, I have the upper hand. "Now, take off the hold on my account. By the end of today, so I don't accrue anymore of your late fees"
"And what of my debt from our broken deal?"
"No time to discuss that today" I turn and walk away from him, "I have a meeting with Mayor Mills later on today and I have to prepare for it. Time for you to go collect somebody else's debt"
"Good luck" I hear him mutter as he exits my apartment.
I don't turn back around. I am sure I can find a way out of that contract. I just need to buy some time. Getting my clothes ready for the meeting later, a rush of adrenaline sweeps over me and I burst out in a large smile.
Up next: Jenna learns a painful secret and a new plot begins.