Rewrite the Stars ★ Henry Mills

Chapter Eight

"I'm guessing you know why we're here..." Hayden spoke to Doctor Hopper as Alex sat on the couch with her arms around herself.

"I talked to Sheriff Swan, yes." He turned to Alex, sighing. "So, Alexa, I think it would be best if you tell me what happened..."

"Don't you already know?" The girl mumbled. 

"I know bits and pieces of it, but I want to hear the whole thing from your perspective."

She took a deep breath. "I wanted to help Emma on the case... She wasn't going to let me, but then Ruby talked to her and something she said must have convinced her. She let us come, and we found David Nolan."

"If I'm correct, Emma took him to the hospital, right?" Archie asked, and Alex nodded.

"So, Ruby and I went back to go find stuff. We were walking in the woods... and... I saw a piece of wood on the ground by the river..." She said, trailing off. "I lifted it- and I- I saw a jewlrey box."

"And what was in it?" He asked, softly.

The girl shook her head, tears forming. "No." She said quickly, her body visibly shaking.

"Alexa... its okay. Deep breaths." He said, as Hayden put a hand on her back. "What was in it?" He repeated again, in an even gentler tone.

"It was a.... h-hum-man h-heart!" She choked out, her tears rolling down her face. "Can we please go home?" She whispered, and Archie sighed. He knew that was all he was going to get from the girl.

"I'll see you in a couple of days, okay?" She simply nodded, adjusting her hair so it was covering about half her face. She walked out with Hayden, getting into the car. Hayden sighed. This would be harder than he thought.

★★★

"If you throw up in my car, I will kill you." Hayden said, rolling his eyes. Even though he was worried about Alex, when she said she felt sick to her stomach, he became worried for his car too.

The girl rolled her eyes. "I can't control it."

"Alex, you need to take some deep breaths. You're getting yourself so stressed out that you're making yourself sick." He sighed. She just groaned again, and he turned his attention to the road. "Look, I'm going as fast as I can, kid. Just wait a few more minutes."

But, Hayden was going a little too fast. Before he knew it, he was being pulled over by none other than Emma Swan. She walked up to the car. "Is everything okay?" She asked, noticing how Alex was curled in a ball.

Hayden sighed. "I don't know, Sheriff Swan. I don't know...."

Emma walked around to the other side of the car. "Hey, kid."

"Hey." She mumbled back.

"You know, I was going to drop off Henry at Granny's to get some hot chocolate... do you want to come with us?" She asked, and before the girl could reply, she added. "I'll even give you some money for the payphone if you want to call your brother so he can pick you up..."

Alex looked up, nodding. "I guess..." She said, unbuckling her seatbelt.

"Why don't you go to the car, while I talk to Hayden..."

★★★

"I'm guessing Emma told you." Alex said softly, as Henry stared at her worriedly.