Caroline stared long and hard at the box between her hands. The earrings were easily the most beautiful piece of jewelry she had ever seen, aside from her mother's wedding ring or any of Emma's necklaces. She was shocked to know that Zelena bought them for her, out of all the other gifts she could have received. Caroline liked how they glittered in a thousand different directions when she tilted them from side to side, how she imagined she would look in them... and how they made her feel special.
However, there was a catch to Zelena's unexpected present. Caroline didn't know why she didn't stay longer, to say hi, or at least long enough for her to open it so she could give her an over exasperated 'thank you' right then and there. But she was no where to be found- Caroline didn't even realize that she had come into Granny's in the first place, let alone spoke with her dad. That gave her a fluttered feeling in the pit of her stomach, like someone had picked her up and shaken her one too many times. She remembered spilling all those worrisome things to Zelena concerning her parents- about herself- personal things she really wouldn't have told anyone else. It just didn't seem right for them to meet- like oil refusing to have any connections with water. More importantly, as soon as she unwrapped the earrings, her entire family seemed to slam on the breaks- shut down, transform into people she had never seen before. Everyone looked cautious, unsure of things, and completely blindsided. They cast nervous glances towards one another in hope of finding clarity, only to become more muddled and skittish than they were to begin with. Ruby, Henry, even Roland couldn't cover up their slightly shocked, mesmerized expressions, no matter how many fake smiles they sent her way. Everyone seemed to drift their odd body language towards Robin and Regina, who both had completely unrecognizable expressions on their faces. That's how Caroline definitely knew that something was up.
When they got home, Robin offered ice cream, which, of course, was an offer the now ten year old couldn't refuse. It wasn't until she sat down at the kitchen table, with her mother and father sitting across from her, that a strong and formidable barrier between her and the rest of the world, that Caroline realized that she had fallen right into their trap.
"This is about Zelena, isn't it," she stated nervously, the question rushing out of her before she could push it back.
Her mother nodded. Caroline noticed that her hand was covered by her father's, and that her eyes weren't filled with the confidence they always bestowed. Her father looked the same way, though he was clearly trying harder to put on a strong face. It sent shivers down her spine.
What have I gotten myself into?
"I- we- just want to know why you've never mentioned her before." Regina attempted, her gaze shooting right through her, like her daughter wasn't even there.
"You've never done this before, kept someone from us. Out of everyone in this town, why choose a middle aged midwife?"
"Because she's nice to me," Caroline defended, "and she doesn't know a lot of other people here. She's interesting and she's fun to talk to."
"We just don't know who she is, honey," Robin added in, "don't you think it's a bit odd that your mother, the mayor, hasn't met her?"
"Not only that; she's not in any of the censuses, either," Regina finished, her voice instantly darker and slightly brash. As a result, the hand over hers squeezed slightly.
"Don't gang up on her like that. She was just being nice. She's my friend."
"We're not trying to, Caroline. I just.. I don't have a good feeling about her. And the earrings she got you... They're really expensive. Whether we know her or not, I don't feel comfortable with you receiving such a valuable gift. You need to go back to her house and return it."
A force purely unexplainable to the child knocked into her like a cinder block. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. She couldn't even feel. The warm brown eyes that belonged to her mother were no longer the trusting and kind; they were meaningless. A void of nothing. Caroline had never felt such a terror in her life.
"I can't believe you don't want me to have a friend," she muttered, realizing there were tears accumulating in the corners of her eyes.
Regina hated feeling so helpless. She wanted to erase the last day of her life and simply move on. They were supposed to be free from all of the unnecessary turmoil- things were supposed to be smooth sailing after she met her soulmate. But fate simply couldn't let that happen.
"If you don't go right now, I'll have to come with you."
Caroline kept her betrayed gaze locked onto her mother, an immovable death trap that was slowly taking the life of both participants. She had just about forgotten about her father being there. Finally, the ten year old snapped, giving out from the pressure and letting her eyes fall to the ground. She had lost the battle. Inside, she knew she would. There was no way she could go up against the Evil Queen and actually win.
"Fine. I'll give them back." She said forcefully, ungracefully scooting back her chair and popping up to a stand, snatching the box and stomping towards the door. Regina didn't watch her daughter leave. She couldn't. She continued to stare off into nothing as Robin continued to squeeze her hand. She could tell he was angry too; whether that anger stemmed from the eerie feeling about the stranger in Storybrooke or her own bad parenting, she couldn't tell.
--
The forest seemed almost foreign to her as she raced through it. She couldn't keep her mind at a constant thought for more than a few seconds. None of it mattered, and she didn't care about it. The one person she managed to become close to was the one person her parents forbade her from seeing. They didn't understand. They didn't know anything. Maybe it was possible for her mother to have once been the Evil Queen- until then, Caroline couldn't picture it. The stories of heroic princesses and noble knights all seemed unrealistic to her, until she realized that all of those stories had one thing in common. Pain. The earth shattering moment that changed the direction of one's life.
The cabin was soon in sight, dark and blended in with the surrounding trees. Caroline had to slow her pace in hope of preserving some of her sanity; she had a fear inside that her mother was following her. But she knew she had to be overreacting. She was in control of her life, she knew who her parents were, and more importantly, who Zelena was. Her placid life would continue to stay steady- fairytales weren't a part of her life. She was a normal kid living in a world of promise.
If that was so, why was she scrambling around the forest rethinking everything about her life?
She had no time to think of an answer, for in a matter of seconds she was standing on Zelena's front porch and pounding on the wooden front door as desperately as her small, tired physique could.
The door opened almost immediately after. Caroline's eyes took a moment to adjust to the blinding light that flowed down the porch and out into the black blanketed forest. Zelena looked down at the child with concern written on her face, wordless towards the girl that looked completely bedeviled with grief and torment. With tears still in her eyes, Caroline couldn't help but note how beautiful Zelena always looked. It was fairly late into the night, yet she looked pristine in a simple pair of blue jeans and a black top. Her fiery red hair was wild with curls, and her bright blue eyes, though filled with worry, looked as welcoming as a cloudless summer sky. Surrounded by the intense light, Zelena seemed to be the savior to all of her worries.
Caroline wanted to cling to her and cry like she had done in the past; but she couldn't do that to herself, not with knowing that she would probably never see the woman again.
"What are you doing here? It's still your birthday... Why aren't you with your family?"
Caroline felt defeated, battered, and just plain exhausted. But she continued to gather as much confidence as she could, trying her best not to let the pain she was feeling on the inside show.
"I, uh, my mom... She wants me to give this back to you."
Caroline hated how weak her voice sounded when it was spoken out loud. She hated how the cold made her shiver like a puppy, and how controlling her mother was over her life. Then again, she was the mayor.
"Here, come inside. We'll discuss this over a mug of cocoa- I still have some left from your last visit."
Seeing how warm it was inside compared to the frigidness of the forest gave the ten year old an easy decision. The cheerfulness laced in Zelena's English accent only made Caroline feel even worse about herself- she clearly didn't understand what was happening.
She took a seat down on the couch and slumped back into it, holding the black box between her hands. A blue mug steaming with heat was soon presented to her. Caroline contemplated taking a sip. As enticing as it was, she couldn't pretend that they were having a friendly visit.
"T-they're really nice earrings, but I can't keep them. I'm sorry."
She blurted the words out unevenly, feeling awkward and nervous and terrified all at the same time. The feeling caused her nerves to wreck havoc inside of her. Caroline waited painstakingly long seconds for the woman to respond- just a word was all she needed. But for what seemed like an eternity, Zelena gave her a perplexed look, as if there was something about she said that she just didn't understand. On the other hand, perhaps she was thinking up the right response.
"Zelena?" The girl spoke into the blank air, ashamed of herself for feeling so desperate. "I can't keep these. My parents are making a huge deal about not knowing you- I tried to tell them you're my friend. But they won't listen."
Her small voice was enough to get a reaction from the woman. Setting her mug down, Zelena raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. She was still standing, and that was starting to make Caroline uncomfortable.
"Well, if your parents don't want you to have them, there's really nothing I can do about it. You don't have to worry about the price- I found them in some of my old boxes from ages ago."
"But that was the best present anyone has ever given me!" She blurted out, with eyes full of innocence. "You can't just play it off like it was nothing!"
Her words seemed to have an effect on the wicked witch- Zelena paused for a moment, giving the girl a thoughtful look with her bright blue eyes. After a quick second, she flashed an enticing smile.
"Well, try them on then."
Her request was matched with a heavy silence.
"Huh?" Caroline questioned, "try them on?"
Zelena shrugged. "Why not? So you can, you know, enjoy them for a little bit. I'm sure they'd go perfect with your eyes."
Instantly, Caroline's gaze shifted back down to the box in her lap. The idea automatically registered as wrong in her mind; her mother would say it would be intrusive. But, the girl also knew it would be impolite. Most importantly, she was a friend- why not have a little fun?
"I... I don't even know how to put on earrings," Caroline admitted, a blush blooming across her cheeks, "I've never taken these ones off before."
"Never?" Zelena asked, raising an eyebrow, "sounds like a challenge. I'm always up for a good fashion crisis. The question is..." She paused, her expression both dubious and excited, "do you trust me?"
Suddenly, the air was charged with something new, something that sent a positively wonderful feeling through the ten year old's veins.
Zelena knew she had her answer before Caroline said a single word.