Start The Story Over

Again, princes and princesses weren’t the problem. Several European countries still had them. The problem was the kind of princes and princesses that Tilly was talking about. Glass slippers. Poisoned apples. Frogs turning into people. That didn’t happen. 

“Sadly, I am awake. As I have been since 6am this morning because my roommate doesn’t know how to do anything quietly. Awake and remembering all that’s important which, sadly, isn’t much. You know all about my life, T. About losing my dad as a kid. Never knowing my mom. It’s why Weaver keeps an eye on me. Cause my dad was a member of the force. Now…if you feel like walking with me to work…I’ll make you an extra special Gingerbread Latte.”

No, that was not what she had meant! Yes, they were all physically awake, living this mundane life, but mentally they weren’t. They were all walking autopilot, letting someone else pull the strings and tell the story.

When Chloe changed the conversation to food however, Tilly could feel her own stomach growling with the need to fill itself with something decent. Even if it was just a latte, it was something that would quench her hunger for a little bit.

"Jefferson!” He was one of a few faces he never expected to see again, a man who was more elusive than the white rabbit. Henry approached the portal jumper with a smile, looking around expecting someone else to be with him.

“What are you doing here, in this realm? Did you leave Storybrooke? Where’s Grace?” So many questions, so little time. His attention returned to the elder male, giving him a moment to respond to his questions.

It was just his luck, it was almost as if everyone was coming out of the woodworks. Henry let out a defeated sigh, his shoulders slouched. He moved towards his sister, shaking his head slightly.

“I swear if you’re here, mom is probably having a field day,” he stated with some concern.” Has something happened back home? Or are you fleeing the nest?”

Not that he blamed her for wanting her own freedom, but he could imagine what was going down back in Storybrooke.

”As much as I enjoy company,” Alice began as she folded her arms. “Who are you and what do you want?” 

It wasn’t often that anyone really sought her out, especially considering she never really stayed still too much. She was on the search for her cure, exploring the worlds at any lead that she could find.

Her gaze remained focused on her visitor as she waited for the answer, preparing herself in case she needed to run.

It didn’t sit right with Regina either, their mother’s treatment of their father. He was a good man. And yet nothing, not even his title, was enough for her. Hadn’t that been what her mother wanted? To marry a prince? Why wasn’t that enough? Why did she have to continually butt into her and Jefferson’s lives as well?

When she got married? She was NOT going to be her mother. That much she knew.

“How bad do you think it would be if I just left? Apologized later.”

Their father only wanted to make his wife happy, he wanted his family to not want. As the years had gone on, he had seen the change in the dynamic of his parents. More servant than a prince, something he could not completely ignore...but he had to for his own sake. He couldn’t challenge their mother after all.

He frowned when he heard what Regina was suggesting, sitting up a little. “She’ll hunt you down, you know she will. She will find you, and all it will do is piss her off.”

“It was never meant to be a punishment. Grace ending up with a different family was a fluke; based totally upon where she had been when the curse hit. She and Jeff were separated and so, in this new land, they were separated. But she’s never wanted for anything. I swear. Just like I promised him. And I couldn’t…without magic, there was no way to put them back together. To write her a different identity. But his memories. Those…I needed him. Despite all the times he turned his back on me in the past I needed him. Needed someone who knew the truth. Who I could talk to. I’m not the monster you all want to paint me as. I love my son. I loved my father. And believe it or not, I love my brother.”

He sighed, nodding. “Okay.” He said, “I guess I’ll wait.” Yeah he was disappointed, but he still had his books and photographs to help keep him entertained until the day finally came and he could make his own memories and adventures all on his own. After all, he still was young yet. He had his whole life ahead of him – he hoped.

Ben laughed with his mother, shrugging. He nodded in agreement, “Okay..” He said, “And I promise I’ll apologize to dad when I see him again.” He knew he was being stubborn earlier. After all, he did get a bit of his father in him. Sure he may be the type to look past the outside and see what’s on the inside before making any judgements and he was very into reading and traveling like his mother, but he still had a bit of a temper like his father and when the two of them got at it, no one was happy.

A whole life that Belle hoped she was there for, watching him and each step he took to become the man she knew he would be.

“That’s the Ben I know and love,” she pulled him into a one-armed hug as she pressed her lips to the side of his head. “Just give your father some time and he’ll see that he can’t keep you stuck here, and I am sure in time you will make a very compelling argument which he can’t deny.” Just like she had done time and time again, making Rumple stop to consider his actions. Just like she would, he would need to learn how to let go. To let Ben have his freedom.

He nodded, “Nice..” He said, not digging too much into her past. If she had wanted him to know more, she would’ve told him everything from the start. He looked over at her as she rambled on about masks and the world not being real. Roland laughed, “It’s the only world I know, so that’s gotta count for something, right?” He asked,  remembering his time in Storybrooke and Sherwood Forest. He got out of the car, closing the door before leaning back up against it.

“I’m Roland,” He said, leaving it at that. She clearly wasn’t all there so he didn’t want to scare her away with his backstory. “And believe it or not, I believe you.. Even if most people might think you’re a little bonkers.” He said, with a chuckle. And she might’ve been, but it ddn’t mean she shouldn’t be trusted.

All there, all gone. Many had thrown different things at her, claiming she was mad when she wasn’t. No, she saw clearly as the fog had begun to disperse. The truth was starting to come to light, and she wasn’t about it keep it all in. “That’s what you say,” Tilly said as she grinned. “But I know different, I know there are other worlds. Ones with magic, with adventure. This world is false, something that Victoria dreamed up.”

He laughed, shaking his head. “Better than not having me at all, I presume.” He said, tilting his head to the side. At least he had people now. Before it was just him, Regina was back here in Storybrooke and Wish Hook was trying to kill him and take his place in Storybrooke with Emma.

Emma was right. A couple’s retreat wasn’t his thing. In fact, he hated the idea of one, but… if it meant her relaxing and taking care of herself instead of over-worrying like she does best, then maybe he could grow to like it. As she rattled off another idea, he smiled. “I like that idea better, love.” He said, leaning over to press a kiss to her temple. “But you gotta promise to not worry about Henry too much.” He stated, “Just worry the proper amount.”

That was a promise she was now sure she was going to be able to keep, especially when he was so far away from her. She had always known it was going to be hard, especially when they started to prepare for him to leave. Nothing really prepared her for that day, but Killian was right. She needed to stop worrying so much, he was a grown man who had people there to help him.

Theory was alright, Neal could work with theory. But it would be hard “But in reality you don’t?”

Maybe some of Emma has rubbed off on him after all because he can tell she’s lying. But it’s not a malicious lie, one look in her eyes confirms that fact.He shakes his head, slightly disappointed. 

“Well thanks for your help. Maybe his company will have something. You said your name was Lucy right? If you happen to see Henry, could you tell him that Neal Nolan asked about him? My sister Emma and I are really concerned.”

Emma? He said his sister was Emma, and his last name was Nolan? Did that mean he was apart of that story? Was he from Storybrooke, did he know the truth? Lucy had no many questions, but she knew better than to spout them off to people she didn’t know.

Probably. As Snow was one of those teachers who deeply cared about her students. And while punishment was vital to understanding that one had done wrong, it didn’t mean the kids needed to feel bad about themselves. Hence the treats.

Or something like that.

News getting back to her father was exactly what Morgan feared. Skipping out was one thing. But skipping out and coming home hours later, with no sign of where she had been…doing so with the lost boys? That was a whole different thing entirely.

“Well…some friends of mine were waiting. See, they kind of…ummm…instituted the whole jail break thing to begin with. So I went off with them for a bit. You know. Typical teenage stuff.” If one didn’t live in Storybrooke and wasn’t the daughter of the saviour and Captain Hook.

She could see it now, her own daughter following in her footsteps...or worse, her father’s. Not that it was likely that she was going to end up in jail, or the hook-handed captain with a thirst of revenge, but she could just see that Morgan was just going to get into constant trouble.

“And who were these friends?” Emma asked.

Emma could not help but have a sinking feeling she already knew the answer, one which had become common - and one she had been keeping away from Killian. She knew his relationship with the Lost Boys, and she knew he would probably not take too kindly to his daughter being influenced by them.