Cursed Hearts

Secrets in the Making

"Do your parents know you're here?" Belle eventually spoke, her instant hesitation giving an automatic answer.

"Not really- things are kind of crazy at the house."

To her surprise, Belle gestured towards the back door. "I'll go let him know you're here. Stay put for a second."

Caroline watched the woman disappear in the back room, alone again in the shop with all of the mysterious items. She wondered what stories could be told from each object, thinking about how the box in her arms had the power to change the lives of her entire family. She tried to think about what to say while waiting, but every attempt reminded her of how childish she seemed and how desperate the situation was. Stepping out of her comfort zone wasn't easy for her.

"Miss Mills, what a surprise." Rumple voiced from across the room, his words instantly sparking the air between them. Caroline felt frozen in place- no one had ever called her that before. All she could do was stare back at the feeble man leaning on his cane that once resembled the man that everyone feared more than death itself. It was hard to see him as a threat then.

"I was... just wondering if I could talk to you for a moment about... this," she said, holding the box up once again.

If Rumple was surprised, he concealed it well. "Let's take a look at that back in the office- just in case someone comes in."

She followed him through the door, soon debating how angry her mom would be if she found out that she went there alone. The office was simply a dust covered computer tucked in the corner of their living space- Caroline couldn't help but glance around at the medical equipment strewn around the room, making the place look like a raided doctors office. She had different expectations for how the Dark One lived.

"Sorry about the mess," Belle interjected as soon as she saw them, sending her husband an annoyed look that probably meant she didn't want guests in their apartment. Clearing off a section of the couch, she gestured for the girl to sit down.

"If you need anything, let me know- I'll just be working some city council stuff for tomorrow's meeting."

It sounded odd for those words to come out of her mouth, considering that Regina had been the mayor since anyone could remember. Still, Caroline thanked her with a smile, the woman soon disappearing back into the room she came out of.

"It's about... Zelena," she began, not knowing how to present the box of questions. "She's out in the world somewhere with all of her magic, and I think she wants me to know where she is."

He gave her an inquisitive look. "What makes you think that? Maybe, wherever she is, she found something that makes her happy."

Opening the box, she took out the postcard and gingerly handed it over towards Rumple. "She sent this to me yesterday. I don't know what she expects me to do, or what she's trying to say- all I know is that she has her powers and didn't really get what she wanted back in the Enchanted Forest."

He took a few moments to study the card carefully, suppressing a smile as he did so. "Even after all these years, she still has such an art for making everything about herself- some things never change I suppose."

Caroline didn't know what sort of reaction she expected from him, but she at least expected him to do wave his hand and use magic to trace the postcard somehow. Instead, he handed it back to her as if it meant nothing at all.

"So you don't think she meant anything? Why'd she send it to me then?"

"She's worried about being alone," he told her, "and obviously upsetting your mother is a risk she's willing to take in order to keep you in her life."

It was strange grasping the idea of Rumple knowing things about Zelena that she would never know. Caroline was envious of his ability to effortlessly understand everything about everyone.

"What was she like?" The girl blurted out, "when you first met her, I mean."

Rumple knew her mother would be angry with him for talking to her about Zelena, but with everything going on recently, the truth couldn't possibly do more damage than what already had been done. The eagerness in her eyes reminded him of Regina in every way, before all the heaviness of the world brought her down.

"She was desperate to prove that she was just as powerful as her sister was. She found out that I was the one teaching Regina magic, and wanted me to teach her instead. I've never met anyone as hard working as she was."

Caroline only knew bits and pieces from the past Rumple and her mother shared- the information she received came from others outside of her family that took a lot of convincing to talk. Before her journey to the Enchanted Forest, she was frustrated with the fact that her parents refused to tell her anything about their lives before they met one another. After experiencing glimpses of their past lives firsthand, she understood perfectly why they didn't ever want to talk about it. Still, Caroline had never felt closer to her parents.

"How did you know that my mom was the one that would carry out your curse? Why couldn't it have been Zelena instead?"

Rumple took a breath, not entirely sure how to answer that question. The complexities of his life would never fail to catch up with him, no matter how many years went by.

"When I... became the Dark One, it changed the way I perceive time. For me, time doesn't go by in a straight line- I know what happened two hundred years ago, what will happen tomorrow... all of it, all at once."

Heavy silence came over the room as Caroline processed his words. The idea seemed absolutely crazy, yet she knew his powers could be that strong. A darkened feeling began to push its way to the front of her thoughts, causing her to look up with inquisitive eyes.

"Did you know that Zelena had ruby slippers that let her travel across different realms?"

His initial pause gave the ten year old the answer she was looking for.

"It was you," she uttered, barely above a whisper, "you were the one that put those shoes there so we could come home."

When Rumple failed to confirm her accusation, Caroline's shock shifted to irritation. "Why didn't you say anything when we got back in town? How did you know Zelena would use the shoes to bring us back instead of doing what she wanted?"

She scowled towards the man who couldn't meet her in the eyes, instead looking at a fixed point in the distance with his thoughts elsewhere. "How can you possibly know everything anyways?"

He eventually returned back to their conversation, mustering up the strength to face her. "I thought I owed it to your mother to help your family," he said softly, still resonating a detached attitude. "And... it's complicated- I can't explain how it works. Sometimes segments from someone's future comes into my mind, like pieces of a puzzle. Whether or not that future actually comes to pass is beyond me even."

"So you assumed Zelena would do the right thing," Caroline said, still trying to wrap her mind around what he was saying. "That was a lot of trust."

"I told you, I've known Zelena for quite some time- she doesn't let others in easily, but when she does, she becomes extremely loyal."

A flush of emotions ran through her in a manner of seconds, causing her thoughts to jumble in her head. "You think she let me in?"

Rumple gave the girl a look, reaching for his glass of water. "It doesn't take much."

The girl felt a smile encroach on her face, forgetting completely about the postcard that caused her so much worry earlier.

"If Zelena needs anything from you, she would find a way to get to you personally instead of sending an ominous postcard. I wouldn't be concerned. Just focus on moving forward- and give your mother some extra attention."

Caroline hardly had time to agree and say her goodbyes before she was back walking down Main Street with her box in hand. She still had a million questions about what to do next, but she knew that home was where she needed to be.