Rewrite the Stars ★ Henry Mills

Chapter Five

Henry was showing me a video game on a bench outside the school. He had been having a really hard time lately. The Storybook had disappeared, which had caused him to become distraught, looking for it everywhere. "Wow, I love that game. Space Paranoids, right?"

Sheriff Swan had come sit next to us. "Yeah, my mom got it for me." Henry said, looking up at her.

"I used to play that all the time when I was a kid. Relax – it's all in the wrists."

Henry looked around nervously. "My mom's picking me and Lexi up in, like, five minutes."

Emma turned to me with a look of surprise. Yes, the mayor. Picking me up. Willingly. I smiled sheepishly. "My step-dad needed someone to watch me, and the mayor owed him a favor. I can promise you she's not happy about it."

She gave a small smile, before turning to Henry. "Alright. I'll be quick, then. I just have something I'd like to give you." She took a book out of her bag and handed it to him.

Henry grinned. "You found it! Where'd you get it?"

"I found it in a gutter. It must have fallen off the dump truck on the way to the junkyard and got tossed around in the rain. And, somehow, made its way back to me."

"Is that it?" I asked in shock. "The Storybook?"

Henry nodded. "Lex is part of Operation Cobra now." He told Emma, still shaking his head in disbelief. "Wow. That's crazy."

"What other explanation could there be?" Emma shrugged.

"I don't know."

"Well, whatever happened, it came back to me."

"Maybe, it means our luck is changing. Operation Cobra is back on. It's a sign. Things are going to be better."

Emma gave him a sad smile. "I hope you're right, kid. I got to go."

★★★

Laney walked into a tavern, planning to find something to eat. She had done a few odd jobs in the nearby village, and had earned enough for a meal. The tavern was practically empty, except for a table of dwarves, and a young woman, sitting at a table alone.

She smiled at the young woman, walking over to her. "Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here? " Laney asked, shyly.

"Of course. I'm Belle." She said smiling. Laney sat down, looking around.

"I'm... Alexa..." She said nervously, trying to make the lie seem obvious. Last thing she needed was someone figuring out who she was.

"So, Alexa, what's a 13 year old girl doing alone at this time of the day?" (I'm changing Henry and Alexa's ages, so that it will fit in the book later. They're 13 now. Whoops)

"Just passing through... I'm going to meet my... brother... who works in the next town over." She lied. The woman gave her a doubtful smile.

We could hear the dwarves over at the next table talking, and couldn't help but eavesdrop. "It must be in your head."

"It's not in his head–" Belle interrupted. "It's in his heart." She finished, smiling.

I turned to the dwarf. "You're in love."

The other dwarf shook his head. "Well, that's impossible. Dwarves can't fall in love."

"Trust me. I know love, and you're in it." Belle said, shaking her head.

"What's it like?" The dwarf asked.

"It's the most wonderful and amazing thing in the world." I said, sighing softly.

"Love is hope. It fuels our dreams. And if you're in it, you need to enjoy it. Because love doesn't always last forever." Belle told him.

"But, if love's so great, then why do I feel so bad right now?" He asked, confused.

"You need to be with the person you love."

"Yeah, but how do I know she feels the same way? All she talked about was going to see some fireflies – not loving me."

"What... what did she tell you about these fireflies?" Belle said, smiling.

"Uh, that she was going to go see them on the hilltop tonight. That she heard they were the most beautiful sight in all the land." Belle and I started giggling. "What?"

"She wasn't telling you about the fireflies." I said, still giggling. "She was inviting you to go be with her."

"You think so?"

"I've had my heart broken enough to know when somebody's reaching out. Now go. Find your love, find your hope, find your dreams."

★★★

The town was in chaos. David and Mary Margaret's relationship was discovered, and by the next day, Katherine Nolan had disappeared. Alexa was at the diner, waiting for Hayden to pick her up. Knowing Hayden, it would be a while, and Alexa was sitting in a booth alone when someone sat across from her. She looked up to see the man that helped her with her bike a few weeks ago.

"You're the new guy, right... the one that 'mysteriously came into town'?" She asked, putting on a spooky voice at the 'mysterious' part.

"Mysterious is one way to put it," August replied, smiling.

"Sorry... I spend an... above average... amount of time at the Sheriff's station, and you've talked with Emma a few times." She said, shrugging.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "So, you're a bit of a troublemaker, are you?"

She shrugged. "I steal things every once in a while..." She paused. "Well... every few weeks..." She paused again. "Okay, maybe once a week... or more."

He smirked. "I used to be a troublemaker when I was a kid."

She tilted her head. "Bad family life?" She asked, curious.

"Well... it started out great. I lived with my dad, and my uncle. He was a carpenter. When I was around 12 or 13, this girl showed up in my town. She was beautiful, and I was in love with her. But, she saw me as her best friend, and nothing more. Before she came to town, she got separated from her boyfriend, and she was still obsessed with him. Then, one day, I left. Got involved with some things I shouldn't have... finally got over her."

Alex shook her head. "Wow, what a story." He nodded.

"So, what about you, kid? Family troubles?"

She shrugged. "My stepdad, stepbrother, and I don't always see eye to eye. I run away a lot. Sheriff Swan let's me stay at the jail... usually because I actually did steal something..." The door swung open, and Hayden walked in, looking around. He noticed Alex and motioned for her. "Well, that's my brother... Nice talkin' to ya... see you around."

She walked out, and August sighed. He still couldn't believe it was actually her. He didn't know how Regina could be that evil, forcing Laney to live such a terrible life. Apparently Regina really was getting revenge on everyone.