Crocodile's Daughter - Never Lose Hope

14 - Dreamy

The next morning I was sitting with Emma when Mary Margeret came in. "Excuse me. Can I have everyone's attention, please?" Mary Margeret asked, and everyone looked at her. "I'm sorry to interrupt your morning, but I just wanted to remind everyone that a very special occasion is upon us--Miners Day. As always, the nuns of Storybrooke are hoping that everyone will get involved and will help sell their exquisite candles. All we need are a few energetic volunteers. So who wants to join me?" Mary Margeret asked, and everyone turned back to what they were doing. Leroy went up to her. "Leroy, you want to volunteer?" She asked.

"I want to leave, sister. You're blocking the door," He said. "Of course," She said, stepping out of the way. "Uh, you know, if you wanted to help, it could really be a--" She started, but got cut off. "Oh, yeah. Right. Quite a team we'd make. Town harlot, town drunk. The only person in this town that people like less than me is you. If you're coming to me, you're screwed," He said, then left. "Hey, Mary Margeret, I'd like to sign up," I said, walking over.

"Great, Reagen!" She said fake cheerfully. We left, and Emma followed her. They talked for a bit until our phones rang. "Well, apparently, duty calls," Emma said, and we walked to the town line to get pictures of the car wreck. While Emma talked to Sidney, I put on gloves, took the keys and unlocked the trunk.

 "Well, she didn't hitch a ride. Her stuff's still in the back," I said, looking at the suitcase. Sidney offers to get us the phone records, and we agree. We turned as we saw David's truck pull up. "I'm gonna let you break the news," I said, then walked to the volunteer center. "Reagen, hey," Mary Margeret said.

 "What happened?" She asked, seeing the gloves. "Someone found Kathryn Nolan's car wrecked, with no Kathryn Nolan. Emma' handling it," I said. "You know how he feels about us," Mother Superior said to one of the nuns. "Hey, what's wrong?" I asked her. "We don't have enough money to pay rent, and you know how your father is," Mother Superior said.

"Yeah, I'm well aware," I sighed. "Oh, Mr. Gold doesn't offer much leeway," I heard one of the nuns tell Leroy. "Mr. Gold's your landlord?" Leroy asked as I walked over. "Leroy, my father owns almost all of the town," I told him, then turned to her. "I will talk to my father about this. You made a mistake, just like anyone else," I told her.

 "Well, you know how he feels about us. He already doesn't like us being in his building," She said. "Damn that man and his contracts," I muttered. "I will see what I can do," I told her, then stepped outside. "Hello, Mr. Gold's Pawnbroker and Antique Store," My father said when he picked up. "Hey, father. I'm at the convent, and the nuns are having an issue with payment. Could you please cut back the rent?" I asked.

 "Reagen, we had a contract. The terms were very specific," He said. "Damn the contract! They'll have to leave if they don't have a convent," I said. "I'm not changing the rent," He said, then hung up. I sat down, pulled my legs up and hung my head between my knees. "Hey, what's wrong?" Mother Superior asked, and I looked up.

"I talked to my dad. He said he wouldn't cut the rent back," I said sadly. "We'll find a way, Reagen," She assured me. At the booth, we were having no luck, because apparently a custodian, teacher, and pawnbroker aren't very good at selling candles, and 2/3 of us had a bad reputation, and I have to deal with my father's reputation. Mary Margeret and Leroy decided to go door to door but got a lot of doors slammed in their face. Sidney still hadn't gotten the phone records.

Today is going wonderfully.

-

Belle and I were in a dwarf tavern, and I had my hood up when we overheard some dwarves talking.  "It must be in your head," One said. "It's not in his head. It's in his heart. You're in love," Belle said. "Oh, that's impossible. Dwarves can't fall in love," He said.

 "Trust me. I know love, and...you're in it," She told him. "Ah," One said, getting up and leaving. "What's it like?" He asked, turning around to look at us. "It's the most wonderful and amazing thing in the world. Love is hope. It fuels our dreams. And if you're in it, you need to enjoy it. Because love doesn't always last forever. Ask Reagen," Belle said. "But if love's so great, then why do I feel so bad right now?" The dwarf asked.

"You need to be with the person you love," Belle said. "Yeah, but how do I know if she feels the same way? All she talked about was going to see some fireflies, not loving me," He said. "What--What did she tell you about theses fireflies?" Belle asked. "Uh, that she was gonna go see them on the hilltop tonight, that she heard they were the most beautiful sight in all the land. What?" He asked when she chuckled. "She wasn't telling you about the fireflies. She was inviting you to go be with her," She said.

"You think so?" He asked. "I've had my heart broken enough to know when somebody's reaching out. Now go. Find your love. Find your hope. Find your dreams," Belle told him, and he left, then she turned back to me. I was fiddling with my leather bracelet, which Belle stared at. "What's that?" She asked. "Just a bracelet. It came from my father's spinning wheel,"  I said.

"Have you ever been in love?" She asked. "No. Besides, who could love a beast like me?" I asked, and Belle sighed. "You sound just like your father," She said. "Well, he was wrong. He found love. I can't," I said. "If you believe you could find love, I think you could," She said.

"Well, I don't let myself get filled with hope, because if that hope broke, it would hurt more than not being in love,"

-

Emma and I were at the sheriff's station, looking over photos of the wreck when Sidney came over. "You find something?" Emma asked. "Kathryn's phone records. Every call she made the day she crashed her car, including an 8-minute call between her and David within an hour of the accident," He said, handing her the file. "That's not possible. He said he didn't speak to her that day," I said. "Then he's lying," Sidney claimed.

"No. I know when someone is lying, and David--" Emma started. "It's right here on paper Emma. Phone records don't lie. People do. And our friend David does it better than most. Don't beat yourself up over this. You're not the only person David fooled," He said, then left. "I'm going to call the phone company, get a second set of records," I said, pulling out my phone. "Why?" She asked. "Just to be safe," I said.

"I have to go work the candle booth tonight. Wanna come with me?" I said after I made the call. "Sure," Emma said. When we arrived, I saw Leroy on the roof with a pickaxe. Mary Margeret went up there, and they talked for a bit, then Mary Margeret crouched as he swung the pick into the electrical box, sending out a wave of sparks and causing a town-wide power outage. I ran over to the candle booth. "Candles! Candles for sale!" I called, and people flocked over, Mary Margeret and Leroy joining me.

We were barely able to keep up, Leroy was collecting money while Mary Margeret and I took the money and passed out candles. We soon ran out, and I pulled out 3 candles. "Reagen, Leroy...we sold out," Mary Margeret said excitedly, and we all started laughing. Leroy looked over at Sister Astrid. "Well go on, give her the news," She said.

 "Wait, here," I said, handing him a candle. "Look at us, 3 misfits who managed to sell out of candles," I said, grinning. Leroy went over with the money box. "5,000 bucks. Piece of cake," He said. "You sold them all?" She asked in disbelief.

 "I had a little help," He admitted. "You made it happen," She said. "You have no idea," He said, offering her the box. "I don't know what to say," She said. "You're welcome. Listen, that boat of mine? I'm gonna fix it up. And, well, maybe you could be my first passenger," He said, and she chuckled.

 "I'd like that," She said. "Well, then that's what we'll do, sister," He said. "Oh, it's beautiful, isn't it?" She asked, looking at everyone holding candles while wandering around, chatting. I gave Mary Margeret her candle, and she walked off. I was left, holding my unlit candle. I put up a sign, reading 'Sold Out!', then started wandering around.

"Great turn out you've got there," I turned, and saw Mother Superior standing next to me. "Yeah," I said, looking around. "Here," She said, taking my candle. I looked at her in confusion. She looked at me and smiled.

Then she lit my candle.