Crocodile's Daughter - Never Lose Hope

2 - The Thing You Love Most

As I returned to the shop, I glanced up at the clock tower, and the most magical thing happened. The clock hand moved. My mouth spread into a wide grin as I pushed open the door to the shop. I pulled my key out of my pocket, locking the door and putting it back. I quickly swept the floor, then went into the back, changed into pajamas, and fell asleep on my cot.

The next morning, my father and I were walking down the busy street. Archie was walking Pongo, Granny was returning to her diner with some bread, Ruby was putting out the sign, and people were flocking to Granny's Diner. "This is where I leave you," My father said in front of Granny's. "Okay. See you later," I said, turning around and going in. I sat down and Ruby smiled. "The usual?" She asked and I nodded.

Emma was sitting next to me, looking at the paper. I glanced over at the title, and it read Stranger Destroys Historic Sign. She placed my order in front of me, and the same in front of Emma. She glanced over at me as I took a sip. "Hot cocoa with cinnamon?" She asked.

"Yep," I said. She turned back to Ruby. "Thank you, but I did not order that," She said, confused. "Yeah, I know. You have an admirer," Ruby said, smiling. Emma glanced over at me.

"Wasn't me," I said, holding up my hands. She looked behind at Sherrif Graham and stood up. "Ah, so you decided to stay," He said. "Observant -- important for a cop," She said. "It's good for our tourist business. It's bad for our local signage," He said.

"It's - -It's a joke. Because you ran over our sign," He said after Emma gave her a look. "Look, the cocoa was a nice gesture, and I am impressed that you guessed that I like cinnamon on my chocolate, 'cause most people don't, but I am not here to flirt, so thank you. But no thank you," She said, putting the cocoa down on the table. "I didn't send it," He admitted. "I did," Henry said from the corner booth. "I like cinnamon too," He said.

"Don't you have school?" Emma asked. "Duh. I'm 10. Walk me," He said, putting on his backpack. "Wait! I'm coming with you," I said, finishing my cocoa, laying down a 5, and slinging on my backpack. "How old are you?" She asked. "15?" I shrugged.

As we walked, Henry rambled on about fairy tales and Operation Cobra. "So everyone here's a fairy tale character -- they just don't know it?" Emma asked. "That's the curse. Time's been frozen until you got here," He said as Emma started to bite into the apple she was carrying. "Hey! Where'd you get that?" Henry asked. "Your mom?" Emma said, confused.

"Don't eat that," He said, throwing it over his shoulder. "So, Henry, what you're saying is...I'm a fairy tale character?" I asked. "Yep. But I can't figure out who you and your father are," He admitted. "Maybe I can help you with that," I said. Henry nodded and continued filling Emma in.

Henry gave Emma some pages out of her book, warning her to let them fall into his mother's hands. "So, why do you need that cane?" Emma asked me as Henry ran into the school. "'Cause I can't walk without it, duh," I said. "I think it has something to do with this scar around my foot," I said, showing her the scar that ran almost around my foot. "Where'd you get that?" She asked.

"Can't remember," I said. "Bye, Emma," I said, turning towards the school. "Bye Reagen," She said. On the bus on the way back home, I was sitting next to Henry, who pulled out his book. "Let's see...here. Read this," He said, flipping through his book until he landed on a page with a woman and a man on a deck.

'"I'll let you stay, on one condition. You tell me your real name," Killian Jone said, and Reagen turned, looking out onto the sea. "Rempalenski. My name is Rempalenski,"' Reagen said, looking at her captain. "Did you ever love Milah?" Jones asked, and Reagen started at him. "Not since she abandoned us," She told him. "She always said her biggest regret was not taking you and your brother with her, but she knew you would never leave him," He said.

"I find that hard to believe. She left without a goodbye, and during the night. We just...woke up and she was gone. My father went to go look for her but came back that night saying that she was dead. I don't remember being sad for long. Bae, my brother, he was devastated," ' I read.

-

"It's just us, dearie," My father said to a rat scampering across the floor towards our cell. "You can show yourself," He said in a singsong voice as he stood up. The rat turned into Regina, the Evil Queen, who cracked her neck and sighed. "That curse you gave me...it's not working," She snarled. "Oh, so worried. So, so worried...like Snow and her lovely new husband," My papa said.

"What?" Regina asked. "They paid me a visit as well," He said, running up to the bars and grabbing them. "They were very anxious about you and the curse," He sneered. Regina marched right up to the cell. "What'd you tell them?" She asked.

"The truth--that nothing can stop the darkness...except, of course, their unborn child. You see, no matter how powerful, all curses can be broken," He told her. "Their child is the key. Of course, the curse has to be enacted first," He said lowly. "Tell me what I did wrong," She snapped. "For that, there's a price," He said. "What do you want?" She asked, annoyed.

"Simple. In this new land, I want comfort. I want a good life," He said, explaining his terms, "Fine. You'll have an estate, be rich," She snapped. "I wasn't finished. There's more," He exclaimed. "There always is with you," Regina said. "Yeah. In this new land, should I ever come to you for any reason, you must heed my every request. You must do whatever I say, so long as I say...please!" He exclaimed.

"You do realize that should I succeed, you won't remember any of this?" She asked. "Oh, well, then...what's the harm?" He asked, mocking her. "Before you strike this deal, I have one question. What will become of me?" I said, standing up and going to the bars. "I thought you said we were alone," Regina snarled. "Oh, we are. You, me, and the Nightingale," Papa said.

Regina looked over at him, glaring. "I don't care what happens to her," He shrugged. I frowned, picked up a rock, and threw it at him. He dodged it, then turned back to Regina. "Deal," She said, and he snorted, retreating from the bars.

"What must I do to enact this curse?" She asked. "You need to sacrifice a heart," My papa told her. "I sacrificed my prized steed," She said. He leaped towards the bars, wrapping a hand around her throat. "A horse? This is the curse to end all curses. You think a horse is gonna do? Great power requires great sacrifice. The heart you need must come from something far more precious," He snarled.

"Tell me what will suffice," She ordered. "The heart of the thing you love most," He said. Regina escaped his grasp. "What I loved most died because of Snow White," She snarled. "Is there no one else you twuly love?" He asked.

"This curse isn't going to be easy. Vengence never is, dearie. You have to ask yourself a simple question--how far are you willing to go?" He said. She put her face right in front of his. "As far is it takes," She said. "Then please just stop wasting everyone's time and just do it. You know what you love. Now go kill it,"