I intend to publish some short stories with the connected characters' meetings in the Enchanted Forest and then them reuniting in Storybrooke after the Curse is broken. There should be 8 of them that haven't been properly explained in the original story, so here they are :)

#3: The Wolf & the Reader (Rating: K+)

Enchanted Forest

8 Months Prior

Ella snapped her eyes open with a gasp. The world was swirling all around her, a mixture of colours and shapes that it took some time for her to make out and understand. She had been dreaming about the plane again; she had heard the pilots cry for help on the speakers, heard the screams around her as the plane dipped downwards. According to her provisional calendar – lines carved into an old tree trunk – it had happened just over four months ago and she still feared that she would wake up in that seat again, realize that this was just her imagination trying to buy her some time.

Slowly she got up on her knees and crawled out of her hiding place, a simple wind shed built out of branches and covered in fir. The two young sons on the nearby farm had helped her build it; their family had offered her a place to stay with them, but she had decided not to burden them more than she already did. Besides, what could she do to help them? She knew nothing of working in a farm and the more she stayed around people the more likely it was that they would notice her ability to wield magic.

She reached into the pocket of her long tunic, a helpful gift from the farmer's wife, and pulled out the roughly twelve inch long carved wooden stick. A wand. Her wand. It had helped her a lot out in the wild and, as a silent thank you to the farmers, she had also used its magic to secretly help them. As long as she stayed out of sight they probably did not realize that it was her who mended their roofs overnight and tracked down their missing cows. She felt like a secret superhero while doing it, which was also quite fun.

"Hello."

Ella jumped and spun around, quickly hiding her wand again. A woman, a bit older than her, had appeared behind the trees. She had pale skin, green eyes and dark, wavy hair, which was mostly hidden beneath the hood of her long, red cape. She also wore a long, red skirt and red gloves reaching up to her elbows.

"I'm sorry if I scared you", she quickly said. "I was just surprised to find anyone out here."

"No, that's fine", Ella quickly replied. "I was just lost in thought, that's all."

The woman nodded with a smile of her own and took a step closer.

"You... smell familiar", she eventually said. Ella's eyebrows shot up.

"I smell familiar?"

"No, I meant look", the woman corrected. "Look familiar."

"I'm pretty sure you didn't", Ella said. "What's so familiar about my smell?"

"I... don't know", the woman responded. "I'm sorry, but how can you be so calm about me saying something like that?"

"I've seen my fair chair of oddities; another one can't hurt."

"Well, I might just be the oddest of oddities", the woman mused, "but there's something about your scent that's just... very familiar."

Ella looked around at the place that she had made her home and shrugged.

"Maybe fir needles?" she suggested. "They're everywhere here."

"No, it's something else", the woman said. "I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's... ah, never mind."

She took another step forward and held out her hand.

"I'm Red", she introduced herself.

"Ella", Ella responded and shook the hand. "How come you're here?"

"I went out on a midnight run", Red responded.

"A midnight run?" Ella asked with a frown. Red grinned.

"Told you I'm an oddity", she said. "To tell you the truth I'm a werewolf."

"Wait; Red, as in Red Riding Hood?"

"Pretty obvious, isn't it?" Red said, still grinning, and twirled around to show off her long cape.

"That's beautiful", Ella said.

"It allows me some control over my transformations", Red explained, "but now I mainly use it because it's sort of become my trademark. I can control myself when I'm a wolf as well."

She pulled it off and handed it to Ella.

"Here, try it. You seem a bit cold."

"And you don't get cold?" Ella guessed.

"Not this close to the full moon", Red answered as Ella pulled on the cape. It was warm and tinged with magic.

"It suits you", Red said.

"Thanks, but you probably need it more than me", Ella said and started to remove the object. Red, however, stopped her.

"Keep it on", she said. "I can pick it up in a couple of days, after this month's transformations are done."

"You transform more than once?" Ella asked.

"About five times per month, when the moon is at its fullest", Red responded. "Last night was the first this month."

"I've never seen a real werewolf transformation", Ella admitted. "Is it painful?"

"Not really", Red answered. "It happens really quickly. Want me to show you?"

"You can?"

"I can tonight."

Storybrooke, Maine

Present Time

Ella was the first of the group to enter the diner, but it was already packed with people rejoining with their friends after the breaking of the Curse. She stood on her toes to try to spot Red in the crowd, but there were too many people around.

"Looking for me?"

The voice made her squeal and spin around.

"Jeez, Red, must you do that every time?" she berated. The waitress grinned.

"Of course; now that I remember how to scare you properly again, I'll make sure to do exactly that."

"I will jinx you next time you do that", Ella said and placed her hands on her hips. Red smiled and shook her head.

"You know, I don't mind", she said. "Your face when I scare you is worth it."

Ella tried to keep her angry face on, but before long she burst out laughing and hugged the other woman close.

"It's good to have you remember me again", she admitted.

"Any idea why the Curse didn't work properly on you?" Red asked. Ella shook her head.

"Not sure. But I'm going to find out."