My cell phone rang as I began to walk up the walkway leading to the front door on my house. I checked the caller ID, it was the pawnshop again. I picked up the phone, "Hello."
"Hello Jack," Came Da's voice, "You still at the old play ground."
"No." I said going up the porch stairs.
"Then where are you?"
"I am home," I said positioning my phone in between my ear and my shoulder, fiddling to get my house keys out of my pocket.
"So you are still joining me on the collections?"
"That was part of our compromise Da." I said, opening the door walking inside the house, closing the door behind me.
"I know." He said, "When will you get to the shop?"
"Forty-five minutes to an hour. I am going to go take a shower before I head over."
"Alright," he said, "See you when you get here."
"Hmm," I said, "See you soon Da." I hung up the phone. Da had stopped asking if I was okay a few calls back, must have figured if I had a spell I would just tell him. I placed the contents of my pockets on a nearby table, before I headed upstairs with my guitar case.
After a few minutes I the case was back under my bed, I was freshly showered, and was in a button down shirt tying my tie as I walked down the stairs. I grabbed the items I had left on the table and replaced them in my pockets.
I got to the pawnshop after about a ten minute walk from the house. The bell rang as I entered the shop. "Da I am here!" I called out.
Da came out from the back of the shop, a leather bag under his arm. "Your early he commented."
"No I am not," I said walking over to him, "I said I would be here in forty-five minutes to an hour. It has been forty-five minutes, I am right on time."
"I thought you were going to come closer to the hour mark." He commented.
"Well you would be wrong wouldn't you?" I said.
He shook his head and handed me the leather bag, "You ready to go?"
I nodded, "Yes."
"Then lets go." He said walking past me going towards the door.
We locked the door to the shop and started our routine of going to businesses around the town to collect their rents for the month. This was the main reason people did not like me in town I was just an extension of Da who took their hard earned money. Granny's Bed and Breakfast was our last stop of the night.
When we entered the Bed and Breakfast, I was a first surprised to see that Granny actually had a costumer. People rarely stayed at the B&B, Granny's Dinner usually paid the rent for both of Granny's properties. Then I noticed who her costumer was, apparently my recommendation took, I had to resist the urge to smile, I was working I had to keep my professional composure.
"Now, what's the name?" asked Granny opening up her guest book which had a layer of dust on it.
"Swan. Emma Swan." Answered Emma.
"Emma," said Da, "What a lovely name."
She looked back at us, I waved at her. "Thanks." She said, a bit confused I could tell by her tone.
Granny opened a drawer behind the desk and took out a wad of cash and handed it to Da, "It's all here."
Da reached forward and took hold of the wade of cash, "Yes, of course it is, dear. Thank you." He handed to me and I placed it in the leather bag. "You enjoy your stay…Emma."
I open the door for him and followed him out the door. We were half way down the path, when Da looked at me. "You know who that was Jack?"
"Yeah, she is Henry's biological mother," I explained, "When Henry ran away he went to go see her, I thought I told you that? She brought him back last night. Guess she wants to stay in town for a bit."
"I see, how do you know her?"
"Oh um, today Henry came to see me at the old playground, she came looking for him before I left."
"I see, she must be the one who knocked down the town sign last night."
"She knocked down the sign?" I questioned, "Out by the town line?"
"The very same, odd because she does not seem the kind to drink and drive."
"Yeah I suppose your right."
"Enough of that lets go put this money in the safe."
When we got back to store Da, had me wait outside, something about not trusting me with knowing where the safe was.. While I waited, I leaned back against the wall and I looked up at the old clock tower, it still reading 8:15. Then right before my eyes, the clock hand moved, and now it red 8:16. I blinked a few times maybe it was my imagination, but no it was not for a minute later the hand moved again, 8:17.
Looking at the clock I got sleepy and closed my eyes for a moment. That is all my mind needed to drift off again, another memory. I was back in the cave, it was similar to the first time I saw it, there was a dark smoke coming towards me. I jumped out of the now deep magically dug hole, and backed away as far as I could right against the jail cell bars.
"The curse." I said, "This is it, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is here," said Rumplestiltskin's voice, "Do not worry Jack we will be fine." The smoke came closer and closer until finally it engulfed me.
"Jack…Jack?" I heard opening my eyes and coming back to reality, "You alright son?"
I looked over at Da who had come out of the shop, "Yeah, I am fine. Just nodded off for a bit."
"You sure?" he asked, "Not lying to me?"
"Swear." I said, luckily for me I happened to yawn.
"You want to go home and go to bed?"
"No I'll be fine."
"Alright come on you got some cleaning to do."
"I know." I droned, dust collected in the shop quickly.
As I dusted that night, Rumplestiltskin's words echoed through my mind, "Your prison, all of our prisons, will be time. The time will stop, and we will be trapped". Time was beginning to march forward again, the bars to our prison were weakening, our curse was fading.
A/N: Officially done with Season 1 episode 1, next chapter will take place in episode 2! Kind of a filler chapter bit eh stuff does happen. I am entering the final days of vacation here so I am going to either upload a lot within the next few days so I get all that I got done up or I will slowly upload so that I can keep a good rhythm going. I have a goal to TRY to get to episode 12 by Valentines Day since it is the V-Day episode, but as usual I make no promises. As always, comments are welcome and I hope to see you all soon.