Finding Your Story (Once Upon a Time)

Chapter Thirty: Awake

Rogers: The doctors took Clara to one of the hospital's rooms, after they checked her blood pressure, and did all other medical proceedments.

She looked healthier and less pale, as she stared in her room, amongst the warmth of the flannel blankets, with a cup of hot cocoa in her hands.

"Did the doctors treat you well, luv?" I asked, coming closer to her, and kissing her forehead. Clara was like a daughter I never had.

"Yes, they did, detective, but not as much as you." She said, with a beautiful smile covering her blood red lips.

"Now, I'd like you to tell me a little bit more about your captivity. I know it's awful, but we need all the intel we can get to go up against Victoria."

"I know..." she whispered, not very happy about going through all the terror she faced, again.

As I realized how uncomfortable it was for her to talk about that, I changed the subject.

"Never mind, let it be, you need to rest now. I'll be back tomorrow, and I'm bringing you sweets."

"No, it's okay, detective. I can tell you about Victoria. The sooner I do it, the better."

"Okay..." I was astounded by the girl's bravery. I sat on the couch behind me and listened carefully to her words.

"Like I was saying...Victoria knew how we all ended up in Hyperion Heights, but what she didn't expect was for me to maintain my memories, as well."

"Memories?" I asked, couldn't believe that we were going on that road of the magical nonsense again.

"Yes. I know that you probably think I'm crazy, but you have a good instinct, captain, you'll figure out I'm right."

"Captain?" I was even more confused, but still, what intrigued me the most was what Clara said about me having a wife.

"Yes, you're captain Hook, my step-grandfather!" She said, with a naughty smirk.

"Is that supposed to be a joke, because I don't have one hand?" I asked, making fun of the situation.

"No." She was laughing hard with all of that, and her laughter was extremely contagious. "It's true. We were all in the Enchanted Forest, and then Mother Gothel used me to cast the dark curse, the one that brought us here and changed all of our memories."

"Hm..." I was even more incredulous, listening to her words. "So...let's just say you're right, why did you maintain your memories and the rest didn't?"

"That's because I have the heart of the truest believer and not even a curse can take away my strong belief. Even though it took my father's...But maybe that's because he's grown and doesn't believe like he used to..."

"And what about this...Mother Gothel...Who is she, in this world? Is she Victoria Belfrey?"

"No, she isn't. Victoria was Lady Tremaine. Gothel is someone even worse in this world."

"But that doesn't make any sense, even if we take your words as true. Why would it be Lady Tremaine to take the charge of the curse if she wasn't the one to cast it?"

"That's because Gothel is smart. She knew how powerful Tremaine was in the past, how cunning and wicked, that's why she put her in charge. Plus, Gothel has something even worse planned for all of us, that's why I have to get the bean that will take me to Storybrooke."

"Where you'll find the savior, you spoke of?"

"Yes! Your wife."

"Yeah...About that...I'm single, always had been."

"Come on...Even George Clooney was the most famous single eye candy in all the realms and he got married. Did you really think Captain Hook wouldn't?"

I started laughing harder with her sense of humor, but still couldn't shake the intrigue that information gave me.

"And how would captain Hook marry a savior?"

"That's a long story...But hey, do you really think I could make all this out on my own? This is true."

"Okay, lass. Now, finish your cocoa so you'll get home."

"Home? I don't understand...I'm not going to stay in the hospital?"

"Nope, I've made some arrangements and found a way to take you home, just now. Your mother must be missing you so much! Oh, here she is!"

I opened the room, where Clara's mother stood, with a white cake in her hands and a smile outstanding her blue eyes and multicolor braided hair.

"Hello, sweetheart, I've missed you so much..." She whispered, with her eyes burning in jubilee.

"No...Gothel..." Clara whispered, with her eyes pale blue of concern.

"Miss Gardener, here's your daughter. She has a beautiful imagination."

"Thank you, detective, for finding her, I've missed her so much!"

"No, detective...Take her out of here, now!"

"Clara, what's wrong?" I asked, confused with her shaking hands and fasted breathing.

"She's not who she says she is! She's Gothel! And she'll be taking me away for good!"

"Clara, this is your mother."

"Clara, sweetheart, it's me. Oh, poor child, what did Victoria do to you?" Eloise Gardener came closer to her daughter, covering her with kisses. Clara was frightened, and her fear truly seemed real.

"Let me go, witch!" She screamed.

"But I brought you cake..."

"Clara, don't speak to your mom like that."

"She's not my mother!" Clara kept screaming and lifted from bed as she scratched Eloise's arms in rage.

"Clara, stop!" Eloise grabbed Clara's arms and tried to calm her down, singing some weird child's Christmas melody.

"It's going to be okay, child, we're going home."

"Eloise, perhaps it's better if she stayed in the hospital, she's still very shaken by all of this." I said, worried with Clara's wellbeing.

"No, she'll be fine once we get home." Eloise said, still covering Clara with kisses and singing the weird melody that seemed to calm her down. It was as if Clara was being hypnotized. "Thank you for everything, detective, I'll take it from here. Let's go, Clara, everything will be alright."

Eloise took Clara under her wing, chanting the melody, as I looked at the scene, surprised and intrigued. Not knowing if I'd run and grab the little girl, protecting her with my bare hands and trusting her none logical fairytale theory or just let her go with her mother, who in Clara's eyes was the dreadful Mother Gothel, a witch who would be planning the destruction of us all and whatever darkness Hyperion Heights would have to face, would touch the entire world and could only be stopped by a savior who was far away, far from reach...