I Do Not Own Anything Expect For My OC. :)
That Mischievous Grin
Chapter Two
By LoveMeNever
Jaime could not sleep, she was sitting in the boring hospital room blankly staring at the wall. Her wounds were better but they had been disturbed from the nurses trying to help her wash off all the dirt in the shower. Talk about a difficult task with fractured ribs.
She began to go over her memories before the attack, nothing was coming to mind. All she could remember was feeling bored, lonely in her little cabin/house at the edge of town so she decided to go get a few essentials from the store or just hang around Granny's Diner.
Just in order to move around and do something since she did not have a job to occupy her. After that it was a bit of a mess of memories.
I made it into town… but ran into Mr. Gold, that guy always pisses me off. I remember we talked to each other for a brief moment and then… nothing. I hate this feeling, why can't I just remember?
Part of her had a gut feeling that Mr. Gold had something to do with this plus it was the only thing that made sense. It wouldn't surprise her in the slightest, the man had something against her, but she never remembered doing anything to him.
The infuriating man has never been fond of her and the feeling was mutual. He always gave her a bad vibe and she was good at reading people's intentions for the most part, this guy just masked himself completely to well. She can never tell what his motives are or what he's thinking.
It drives her insane.
Jaime reclined the hospital bed hoping to get some sleep but she knew her mind and the lack of night would not allow her. Even with the curtains drawn the room was still bright from the morning sun.
She looked over at the clock on the end table next to the bed, 10:03 a.m. Yeah, sleeps not happening.
A knock came at the door when the bed stops reclining. Jaime barely even look in the direction of the door because she assumed it was the nurse checking up on her like they did every hour or so.
When the nurse doesn't approach her bedside she glances and, much to her surprise, finds Mr. Gold standing with his hands resting on his cane in front of her. She doubted it was coincident that she was just thinking about him and now here he was.
"Mr. Gold… to what do I owe the pleasure?" Jaime sarcastically says while glaring at the little imp man.
His lip twitches like he was trying to smile, he takes a few limps forward, "I'm just checking up on you, seeing if you remember anything about your… troubling incident."
Troubling incident.
That is the phrase he's using, Jaime can't help but find the way he said that suspicious. It sounded all to fake.
"Well, Mr. Gold," She sits up carefully trying not to strain herself "I don't remember anything and I don't suppose you know anything, do you?" She raises an eyebrow.
He looks at her curiously as if he does not know to what she was referring too.
It looked like genuine confusion, but Jaime was still on her guard and she knew better. He pauses, and does not say anything, instead he looks around the room and changes the subject.
"You're comfortable here then?" Jaime was going to answer the question but Mr. Gold doesn't give her a chance, "That's good, because the doctors tell me you'll be fine within the week, so you will be able to return to your home soon."
"What do you-" Mr. Gold interrupted her again.
"The doctors say you will be fine, Ms. Foster."
Sure, she knew she would be fine but really? Within the week? According to the doctors she suffered four fractured ribs, a fractured ankle and wrist, some internal bleeding, and a small concussion.
She would have thought that would be longer hospital time than a week.
Another thing that strikes Jaime as odd is that Mr. Gold is giving her this news, not the doctors.
"Why do the doctors not tell me this themselves? You're suddenly a delivery boy?" She smirks at him knowing fully well that this remark will not sit with him.
Mr. Gold clutched his cane tighter but did not let any other sign of his anger show. The woman was only taunting him and he would not give her the pleasure of a violent remark.
"I'm only concerned for your health, so I asked the doctor myself. If you do not believe me, ask Dr. Whale." Mr. Gold paused looking unfazed by Jaime's glare. "Good day, Ms. Foster."
If it were up to Jaime's glare the imp would be dead a hundred times over, but she wasn't going to magically form laser beam vision to strike him down. She just glared at his retreating form and once he was out of sight, she huffed in frustration.
She saw and heard Sheriff Graham knocked on the open door once Gold left.
Great, one visitor after the other. This was more visitors than she got in a month.
"Sorry to bother you, Jaime, but I've got to ask you some questions about the attack." Graham smiled and pulled out a little notepad and a pen from his sheriffs jacket. He sat down on the edge of the hospital bed.
Graham was actually one of the few people in this town that Jaime got along with and semi-trusted.
As much as she didn't want to talk about what happened to her, not that she even could from lack of knowing what happened herself, she knew he was just doing his job.
"I really don't remember anything… other than waking up in the woods and Emma Swan finding me." She surmised that Graham had already met Emma since he didn't ask who she was.
"Alright, don't worry, if you remember anything else let me know. I'll find out who did this." Graham smiled but there was still concern in his eyes. Jaime was never good at moments like this so she just nodded stiffly and tried to lighten the serious atmosphere.
"If they're not all the way to... I don't know... China by now?" That was pathetic.
Graham chuckled at her attempt at humor.
"Well, I have to get back to Mayor Mills she wants to talk to me about the newcomer, Emma."
Mayor Mills.
There was a pang of something in Jaime when the Mayor was mentioned. She couldn't quite grasp what it was because it was gone almost as soon as it came.
She'd never met the woman personally but she always heard that she was greatly respected and feared at the same time. Imagine that, her whole life living in Storybrooke and she had never once met the Mayor.
Graham stood shoving the pen and paper back into his sheriffs jacket after he scribbled on it. "You take care of yourself." Jaime once again nodded stiffly.
"Yeah... you take care of yourself too. Don't get shot." It sounded awkward when she said it.
Boy, did she need to get more open to sappy conversations.
Regina sat in her office signing papers that she didn't even feel like signing. She would just glance at what it was about and then decide whether or not to sign.
She glanced up annoyed at the knock at her door. She had been expecting Sheriff Graham but he was running late. Tardiness was not something she only tolerated on occasions. Looking back at her papers she firmly said, "Come in."
Sure enough, Graham slipped inside the room gently shutting the door behind him. "How are you today, Madam Mayor?"
He thought it would be rude to start talking business without greeting the powerful woman first. He had an idea that it might make her in a better mood since he was late.
"Let's skip the pleasantries."
There went that theory.
She pushed a stack of papers to the edge of the desk signifying she was done with those, then she walked to the front of her desk, handing him a piece of paper with Emma's picture on it.
It was a background check. Graham looked at the paper then back at Regina who was a bit too smug. He was hesitant to know what the paper said but he read it anyways. It basically just said that Emma Swan had been in prison for theft.
"Regina-" Graham started but the Mayor put her hand up to stop him.
"Do I need to remind you of the no-felons policy? I suggest you do something about this before I have you fired. She's already stolen Henry's files from Dr. Hopper and damaged my apple tree." Regina was starting to grow furious at the thought of Emma still being in town roaming free.
"She hasn't been only wreaking havoc, you know. She saved a woman's life." Graham thought that maybe Regina would stop her relentless pursuit to make Emma leave town if she knew that she helped one of the people from town. Or at least make her less hostile.
But he had no such luck.
Regina raised her eyebrows, "Now you're just being ridiculous nothing goes on in this town that I don't know about."
One problem: Regina had no idea what Graham was talking about, she had not heard of anything remotely resembling what the sheriff just told her and she created this place so nothing went on without her knowing.
At least so far it hadn't.
She knew everyone from the Enchanted Forest, what their background was in Storybrooke, what changed in their appearances, and where they lived.
As creepy as that may sound.
"You didn't know that Jaime Foster was attacked and then left for dead in the woods? Ms. Swan got to her just in time to take her to the hospital." Graham was shocked the Mayor had not heard this news, seeing that she was determined to keep tabs on Emma.
"Just make sure that Emma Swan leaves town, am I clear?" Regina's voice had become dangerously low. She wished that woman would just get the hell out of her life and stop causing her to well... lose control over things.
Graham sighed knowing the Mayor would not give up her relentless attempts to drive Emma out of Storybrooke.
Regina walked back to her desk and rested her fingertips on the glass surface waiting expectantly for Graham's response.
"I'll take care of it." He turned to leave but before his hand touched the doorknob Regina stopped him.
"Can I expect to find you at your place tonight?" Her voice wasn't as hostile as before but it was still low, it still sent shivers up Graham's spine.
The slight movement did not go unnoticed by Regina either, which plastered a pleased look on her beautiful face.
"...Yes." He gulped then hurried out the door before the Mayor could say anything else... distracting.
Regina sat staring at her next stack of papers that needed to be read through and signed. She really did not feel like doing them, plus, she wanted to find out who Jaime Foster was.
The name did not ring any bells.
I guess I'm paying her a visit. She proceeded to grab her coat and car keys to head to the hospital.
It was now 2:49 p.m. Jaime just sat staring at the clock next to her bed. The nurses had been in the room a few times to check her vitals and ask if she needed anything. There really wasn't anything she needed so they would leave without another word.
She noticed that a new nurse came to check up on her every time and that they came every hour.
This hospital was about to drive Jaime to the point of walking out the front doors but every inch of her body still hurt. After all, it had only been a day since her 'troubling incident' as Mr. Gold put it. She rolled her eyes.
Jaime sighed at the lack of things to do. At least when she was at home she had a television not to mention she loved spending time outside in the woods. This room didn't have a TV. It was a very bland typical white hospital room. The most entertaining part about the room was the huge glass windows that allowed her to see into the hall.
Yay. Fun. Jaime thought sarcastically.
Without much warning a woman dressed in a white skirt, pink top, and blue sweater entered Jaime's room. She had very short dark hair and held a small vase with two white flowers in it.
"Oh goodness, I'm so sorry I thought you might have been asleep!" The woman smiled but seemed embarrassed. Jaime grinned at the way this woman was acting, she was kind of making a big deal out of walking in the room.
"It's okay..." Jaime dragged out the sentence waiting for the other woman to tell her name.
"Ah, I'm Mary Margaret!" She smiled widely and held up the flowers, "Could I just set this on the table?"
Jaime looked at the flowers then nodded and watched as Mary Margaret set them on the table next to the bed. They were simple but pretty flowers.
"Thank you."
Jaime half expected her to leave the room but she actually lingered.
"Um... I'm Jaime, by the way." She went to hold out her hand but a sharp pain stopped her when she moved the muscles in her arm. Never mind...
Mary Margaret noticed the discomfort.
"Are you okay?"
Jaime laughed a bit, "Well, I'm you know, uh, in the hospital." She raised her eyebrows.
"Right, dumb question." Mary Margaret laughed at herself then she became a little more serious. "Can I ask what happened?"
Let's see... I was attacked by someone who I cannot seem to remember for the life of me and I was left for dead in the woods, then a complete stranger drove me here. Here being the place that will drive me to want to die of boredom.
"Just an... accident in the woods." Jaime knew Mary Margaret wanted the whole story but thankfully she did not press her for answers.
In all honesty, Mary Margaret was a bit on edge with Jaime at first. Everyone knew who Jaime Foster was and there were rumors around town that she was into all sorts of weird things. Some people even accused her of sacrificing animals or that they had seen her running through the woods like a wild animal.
Mary Margaret has also seen her in Granny's Diner and most people would look at her oddly when she said something. She has never actually talked with the woman or had any strange encounters with her.
Sitting here with her wasn't bad though. She did not seem to be weird, just a normal person in their late twenties, maybe early thirties.
"So... do you work in town?" Mary Margaret wondered if maybe Jaime had a night shift somewhere and that was why no one ever really saw her on a daily basis.
"Uh, no, actually I don't have a job... which probably is not going to pay for these hospital bills. Hah." Dammit! Why didn't I think of this before I got jumped?! Like she had any control over it.
Mary Margaret wondered if she even had a house or car without a job. It would be rude to ask.
Jaime sighed in exasperation and threw her head back on her pillow causing her already sore neck to ache. Ow.
"Do you like kids?"
"Sorry?" Jaime was taken back by the random question and her head popped up. Her eyebrows furrowed but also a curious gleam in her eyes.
Mary Margaret closed her eyes and laughed. "I'm a teacher at the elementary school..." she opened her eyes and focused on the flowers she brought in, "I could use an assistant and the pay isn't great but it'll help pay for those hospital bills. Of course you'd have to come in for an interview and we would need to do a background check first."
Jaime was shocked to say the least. She'd only been talking to Mary Margaret for less than ten minutes and she was already offered a job.
Damn I'm good. She smirked inwardly.
"Wow... you'd actually let me work for you?" Her mouth was still agape and her eyes flashed with curiosity.
"Sure, why not?" Mary Margaret smiled brightly at the other woman's expression.
"Can I think about it?"
"Of course take all the time you need! The position will be open for a while, here..." She searched around the room for a piece of paper and pen. All she could find was a napkin and pen on the table so she just settled with that. "Call me when you decide."
She wrote her number down on the napkin and handed it to Jaime who now had a smirk settled on her features.
Why is she being so nice to me?
She's seen Mary Margaret around town before but this was the first time they have met face to face. Maybe she didn't judge Jaime based on what other people said about her. She had to admit it was refreshing being treated normally.
"Thanks, I will."
"I need to get back to my class, we're here on a field trip to give flowers to all the patients but school hours are almost over now. Hope you start feeling better! I'll see you later." Mary Margaret smiled then exited the room.
Jaime watched from the huge glass window that showed most of the hallway as Mary Margaret rounded up her students, told them something that they all smiled at, and then they all left the hall.
I've never seen myself working with kids, can't really say I've liked them a whole lot. Then again it would be money to pay for my hospital bills. I could suck it up for a few weeks, right?
She smirked and chortled softly.
Regina walked in the sliding doors of the hospital and was immediately overrun by elementary students and Mary Margaret.
Perfect. This day keeps getting better and better. Regina thought sarcastically to herself, although she would not have a problem saying it out loud.
"Mayor Mills, what are you doing here?" Mary Margaret asked suspiciously.
"Do I need a reason to be here? I'm the Mayor." Regina's voice dripped with venom. Ever since Emma Swan had come to town everything was changing. The townspeople were starting to get attitudes towards her whenever she would make a bitter remark.
"No I guess you don't need one, sorry Madam Mayor."
Regina smirked and pushed past the school teacher, she made sure their shoulders knocked a bit in the rude action. She immensely enjoyed getting away with being a bitch to Snow White.
The first place she went was the front desk where a blonde receptionist sat, currently on the phone. She politely signaled to Regina that she was in a call but would be right with her. Of course, Regina did not want to wait.
"I need to find a woman named Jaime Foster." Regina rested her forearm on the counter and started tapping her fingers in annoyance.
The receptionist stared at the mayor and decided it would be in her best interest if she hung up the phone and helped her.
Probably a wise move.
"Jaime Foster let's see..." she typed the name into her computer and waited for the file to come up. She noticed Regina's impatient tapping fingers that had red nail polish on them. "Ah! Room 12, that's straight down the hall and to your left."
Regina nodded but didn't bother thanking the woman, she was on a mission to find out who this Jaime Foster really was. She knew it had to have been impossible for someone from the Enchanted Forest to hide in Storybrooke without her knowing.
Right?
Once her eyes landed on the room that was down towards the end of the hall, Regina could see the woman sitting inside on the bed. At first Regina could only tell that she had straight brunette hair, but as she got closer she stopped. Her breath hitched in her throat and her eyes widened.
The woman turned her head and their eyes meet, there was the slightest hint of amusement in Jaime's.
Regina would recognize those purple eyes anywhere.
There's no way...
Sorry for the cliffhanger but I didn't want to reveal Jaime's Enchanted Forest character identity quite this early! ;D Let me know what you think so far! :)