𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐀𝐇 toward the school bus, listening to the young girl tell her the new plan of getting Princess Elizabeth and Prince Edward together again. The more Victoria heard, the more she didn't believe what she heard. That Hannah's adoptive sister was actually her grandmother and Victoria's mother was a fairytale character. What was more concerning to the older woman was that both Hannah and Henry believed it to be true.
"Are you even listening to me?" Hannah asked with her hands on her hips.
Victoria looked down at the brunette. "Sorry. What were you saying?"
"How we're going to get Eliza and Jonathan together," Hannah said, continuing to walk down the sidewalk. "The amnesia thing is only a minor setback."
Victoria sighed. "Hannah, I thought we were putting that to rest." Her daughter looked back at her. "David is married. There's no way that he and Mary Margaret were once married and never knew it.
"Well, then what about Eliza?"
She shrugged. "What about her?" she asked in exasperation. "She's the daughter of the Mayor. Just like you. But it doesn't mean that she's the daughter of the Evil Queen."
"Why won't you just believe me?" Hannah asked, crossing her arms. "I'm not crazy."
"I'm not saying you are," Victoria replied before sighing. "Look, Hannah, for my entire life, I've never known who my parents are. I accepted the fact that nobody wanted me. Now you're telling me that my parents sent me away because of a magical curse? And that she's your adoptive sister?"
"Do you hate them?" Hannah asked quietly making Victoria look at her. "Do you hate that they sent you away?"
Victoria paused and let out a breath. "I don't hate anyone," she replied, shaking her head.
"And if this curse were broken, would you listen to what they had to say?" she asked as the school bus stopped at her stop. "Try and be a family?"
Victoria sighed. "Sure," she said, appeasing the girl. "If the curse ever broke, I'd hear them out. Go to school."
Hannah nodded before turning to look at her from the door. "Oh, and for the record, I'm not crazy. Look." Victoria followed her extended finger to see Eliza and Jonathan standing outside of the woman's apartment mid-conversation. "He finds her in every realm," she said with a smile. "It's what their story says."
Victoria glanced at the two as the bus drove away before walking in the direction of Granny's where she and Emma would soon make the acquaintance Ashley Boyd.
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"𝐃𝐈𝐃 𝐒𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 how you're an inspiration to everybody by proving you can change your own life?" Elizabeth asked Cinderella in the corner of the ballroom.
"She did," Cinderella nodded, linking arms with the brunette and smiling softly. "I was so glad to hear you would be coming."
"We wouldn't have missed your wedding for the world," Elizabeth replied, patting her arm. "And Thomas is very good on the eyes."
"Does that mean I have to fight the man to get my wife's attention back on me?" Elizabeth and Cinderella looked over to see Edward walking toward them. The Princess chuckled softly and kissed his cheek.
"Oh, hush, you know you're the only one for me," she told him while Cinderella smiled at the two.
"I just hope our marriage is as wonderful as yours has been," she said and Elizabeth squeezed her shoulder.
"It will be," she assured her before linking her arm with her husband's. "But I'm afraid we have to go. Before my mother starts to wonder where I am."
Cinderella shook her head. "How you manage to keep your marriage a secret from both your parents is something I will never figure out."
"It's not easy, but you do it for the person you love," Edward said before kissing the blonde's cheek. "Congratulations again, Ella. And give Thomas our best."
"I will."
"Eliza, could we ask you a few questions?"
The woman in question looked up from her computer to see Henry and Emma standing in the doorway of her office. "Um... sure. Is something wrong? Where's Hannah?"
"She's with Victoria tracking down another lead," Henry replied making his adoptive sister more confused.
"Lead?" she repeated.
"It appears that Ashley Boyd has gone missing," Emma told her and Eliza looked at her in shock. "And we were wondering if you might have any ideas of where she might have gone."
"Ashley's missing?" Eliza repeated, furrowing her brows. "Do you know what happened?"
"Did you know her?" Emma asked and the brunette nodded.
"Not well, I mean we're more acquaintances," she replied with a shrug. She laced her fingers together and rested her head on her hands. "Ashley's been... well, it hasn't been easy with her being pregnant so young. I would try her boyfriend. Or maybe it's ex-boyfriend now."
"Boyfriend?"
Eliza nodded. "Yeah, um, Sean Herman," she said, writing the address on a piece of paper. "He lives with his father, Mitchell. He's a... complicated man. Especially when it came to his son and Ashley together. Just a warning."
"Thanks."
"Hey, Eliza, were you talking to Jonathan today?" Henry asked and she furrowed her brow. "Hannah said you were but I didn't believe her."
"Why does it matter?"
"Because he's your true love!" Henry exclaimed while Emma pursed her lips. "Nobody believes us, but it's true! And you'll see that we're right."
Emma chuckled awkwardly. "Okay, we're gonna go now. Uh, thanks for the help, Eliza."
"Sure..."
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𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐀 𝐒𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐘'𝐒, 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 about what Hannah had said about her parents. Would she really hate them? There were very few people that Victoria actually hated but her parents weren't among them. They must have had a good reason for giving her up. Perhaps they had been in the same boat as her when she was eighteen years old and weren't ready to have a child. She could hardly be mad at them when she had the exact same thing.
But for some reason, what Hannah said echoed in her mind and it wouldn't leave. As crazy as it sounded, it would certainly explain why she was never able to find her parents. Every database, every internet search always resulted in the same thing: they didn't exist. All she knew was that she had been left on the side of the road and was immediately taken to an orphanage. She had no history, no story and nobody wanted her.
"Penny for your thoughts?" A voice broke Victoria out of her daze and looked up to see Eliza sliding into the booth seat across from her. "Something's on your mind for you to be that distracted. I must have called your name a dozen times."
Victoria chuckled, shaking her head. "Sorry. Just in my own head, I guess." Her eyes traveled across the young woman in front of her as she accepted a cup of coffee from the diner's owner with a sweet smile. "Have you lived in Storybrooke long?" she asked Eliza and she nodded.
"All my life," she replied, blowing on the warm beverage for it to cool to a drinkable temperature.
"And you never thought of going somewhere else?" Victoria continued making Eliza purse her lips.
Eliza shook her head. "I've never really had a desire to. Every time I reach the town line, I just... turn back and go home." She took a sip of her coffee. "I've noticed you've been spending more time with Hannah. And my mom is remarkably calm about it considering she's doing all she can to keep Henry away from Emma."
Victoria shrugged. "Maybe she likes me more."
"Maybe..."
"Hannah mentioned you were talking to Jonathan," Victoria said and the woman across from her nodded. "How's he settling in?"
"Well, he still doesn't have all of his memories," Eliza replied with a sigh. "Or any. But he seems to be doing well. He hasn't really socialized all that much, but he's trying." Victoria nodded, still thinking about what Hannah had told her. "Are you sure you're okay?" Eliza asked her. "You really seem to be thinking hard about something."
"Just keep getting distracted by my own thoughts," Victoria said, shaking her head. "It's getting pretty late. I'll see you back at the apartment."
Eliza nodded. "Goodnight."
As soon as Victoria's place was empty, it was soon filled by Jonathan Nolan and Eliza looked at him. "Hi."
"You're the only person I know," he said and she smiled softly. "You don't mind, do you?"
She shook her head. "Not at all. Do you fancy a walk, at all?" He nodded and she smiled to herself. "Well, it's your lucky day, Mr. Nolan. I can give you the grand tour."
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𝐁𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 night, Eliza and Jonathan found themselves at the pier overlooking the river. The cool breeze blew through Eliza's loose curls as they stopped at the railing, taking in the salty water smell.
"I wish I could tell you about myself, but I don't think I can," Jonathan said and she looked at him sympathetically. "So tell me something about you. Something you've never told anybody else."
"That I've never told anybody?" she asked in amusement, leaning forward against the railing. "Well, that seems tough. Okay... a squirrel once followed me home and I was convinced that I could talk to animals."
"And can you?"
"I'm pretty sure he was just after my granola bar," she said with a laugh and Jonathan chuckled. She pursed her lips and looked at him. "Is it weird? Having a name but no memory?"
He shrugged. "I mean... a bit. Apparently I have a brother and sister-in-law and I have no recollection of them. No childhood memories. Presumably fights with said brother. It's like everything's a fog. And then there's a little boy and girl who keep looking at me when they see me."
Eliza cleared her throat awkwardly. "I think those are my brother and sister. Don't take it personally. They do that a lot."
Jonathan nodded in amusement. "I'll try and remember that. Thanks for the walk. I needed it."
"Of course."
He clicked his tongue. "You don't happen to know if there's anywhere available to live, do you?"
She sighed. "I already offered up my spare room, but Granny's is always available. There's always rooms to stay in."
"Perfect. Thank you."
"And, if you ever need to talk to someone, you know where to find me." She smiled softly before leaving the pier and Jonathan watched with a small smile.
"Oh I will."
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(author's note)
finally we can get some love action happening... and not just in flashbacks :)