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. . . I sipped on my hot cocoa with cinnamon as I stared up at the two older women in front of me. Emma had invited me over to her house for brunch, but I knew it was really the 'confrontation' David warned me about yesterday. So I wasn't surprised to see the Mayor leaning against the dishwasher in the kitchen.
I scooted my chair forward and folded my hands over the white kitchen table, "The cocoa was really good, Emma, definitely going to get it more often."
Emma pursed her lip and looked over to Regina. She sighed and crossed her arms, "Yeah, I bet hot cocoa isn't much of an Adellian specialty."
"Adellia?" I feigned a confused expression, "What are you talking about?"
"Give it up, Cassandra, we know who you really are," Emma piped up.
I put my arms up in surrender and shrugged, "You caught me."
"Now, why are you really here in Storybrooke?" Regina questioned with steady intimidation in her voice.
My attention shifted to the green mug in front of me as I tried to gather my rehearsed words, "I'm here for my travel blog, that part wasn't a lie."
"And you just happen to stumble upon Storybrooke coincidentally?" Emma scrunched her eyebrows.
I nodded and took another sip of hot cocoa, trying to avoid her skeptical gaze, "But now I'm here to find Adellia."
"The forgotten kingdom," Regina added as she pulled out a chair from across the table, "It must be hard, having to be away from your home for nearly two centuries. I don't have any idea how lonely that must be. I wish I can help you, but I don't know any other way of traveling between the Realms besides the magic beans."
"And we lost the remaining plants awhile ago," Emma exchanged a tender look.
I bit down on my lower lip as I tried to focus on my breathing. I don't remember the last time I had the urge to cry. Nothing ever hurt more than losing Jace. A metallic taste started to overpower the cinnamon on my tongue.
Emma walked over to me and caressed my shoulder, "I'm sorry, Cass."
"The only other person I could think of who could possibly know another way to travel between realms is Gold or Pan," Regina reached over the table and took my hand.
I slightly jumped at Pan's name, "Pan? As in Peter Pan? He's real?"
"As real as the other fairytale characters in this town," Emma answered sourly as she shook her head, "But definitely more cruel and heartless than the Disney cartoon that's for sure."
"He almost turned Storybrooke into a new Neverland," Regina continued, reminiscing over the unpleasant memories, "Thankfully, Gold stopped him before he did."
My leg began to jerk up and down, "What do you mean by 'stopped him'?"
They exchanged glances and Regina shrugged, "Basically we put him six feet under the ground."
