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INDIANA JONES
xiv. THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER
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PRESENT DAY
STORYBROOKE
"NICE SHOT, CHIEF. BET you 20 bucks you can't do it again," Storybrooke Newspaper Editor, Sidney Glass challenged Sheriff Graham Humbert from the inside of Granny's Diner.
The two were spending some downtime together on that warm night. The bells on the door to entrance of the Diner jingled as Anna James walked in. It was clear that she was about to go to bed, considering she had her hair tied up, a makeup-less face, and she wore sweatpants.
"Hey, Ruby," Anna greeted tiredly. Anna and Ruby had always been good friends. Ruby was the only girl in Storybrooke that wasn't always having an emotional breakdown and was close to Anna's age.
The red-lipped girl flashed a smile at the tired girl. It disappeared when she noticed how tired Anna was. "Hey, Anna Banana," Ruby greeted. "You look tired. Wait—let me guess. Henry wants another Hot Cocoa with Cinnamon?"
Anna nodded as the girl immediately got to work. "I don't know how he can have so much Cocoa," Anna admitted. "I think it's making me go coco if you know what I mean."
Ruby laughed at the sound of this. "Poor you. Maybe you should just tell Henry no sometimes," she suggested. Anna's eyes widened.
"And risk him staying up all night? Heck, no!" Anna exclaimed. "Regina would murder me and I don't think I'd get any sleep. I'd become the Walking Dead. Literally."
"Well, at least you'd be a pretty zombie," Ruby joked. She placed the to-go cup in front of Anna. "One Hot Cocoa with Cinnamon to go!"
"Thanks, Ruby. You're a lifesaver," Anna said.As Anna gave her some money, she made her way to the door. She spotted the back of Emma's head, but before she could call out to the woman, a dart went flying at the blonde. Anna wasn't sure what came over her, for the next thing she knew, she rapidly reached out and grabbed the dart in mid-air.
"Whoa," Anna breathed, staring at the dart in her hands. Emma spun around, staring at the dart in Anna's hand before the two girls turned to face whoever threw the item, which was Sheriff Graham.
"What the hell?" Emma questioned, enraged. "You could have hit me!"
The somewhat tipsy man began to walk toward the two girls. "I never miss," he informed them. "You've been avoiding me since last night when you saw me."
"Um... I'll leave you two to it," Anna awkwardly said. She placed the dart on the closest table before walking out in discomfort as she thought about how Graham and Regina had been hooking up without anyone knowing. Anna shivered as she walked back home and muttered, "Gross."
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PAST
THE ENCHANTED FOREST
16-year-old Indiana Jones would be found getting a drink. She couldn't sleep—not after everything that had happened to her. To think that months had past since that horrible time and Indiana was still being haunted by it. Even if she couldn't remember specifics, she remembered feeling miserable after all of it. Indiana never wanted to feel like that again.
While her closest friend and pupil Snow White was sleeping, Indiana was hoping that a bit of alcohol would help her fall asleep. She was calmly sipping on her beverage when she heard a man say, "They're letting animals in here now?"
Indiana looked over, spotting a white-haired wolf sitting near a man with curly brown hair. "This isn't a slaughterhouse," another one said.
"Forget him," a third muttered. "He might as well be one, too. I heard he was raised by 'em."
"He does smell like 'em."
"Pathetic. I heard he cries over his kills."
She shook her head, choosing to stay out of it as more and more people harassed the man for bringing in an animal. Eight-year-old Indiana would have been so mad at 16-year-old Indiana for not immediately jumping in to help the man out.
"Tell me, Huntsman. What kind of a man cries over an animal?"
The brown-haired man kept his eyes staring at the table before him as he said, "An honorable one." The same man asked what he knew about honor. "I have it. They have it. You don't. They're pure of heart... not selfish and self-serving like... people."
The wolf suddenly began to growl at the man harassing the Huntsman. "You better tell him to stop threatening me," the same man said to the Huntsman. "Because you know what I do to animals that threaten me?" He pulled out his dagger. "I hang them up on my wall."
Something in Indiana just felt the need to get up and get them to shut up, for the next thing Indiana knew it, she was standing up and pressing down on the man's pressure point. He immediately fell onto his knees. "You men are pathetic," she spat as the Huntsman got up and angrily jabbed his blade into the man's neck.
A bar fight immediately commenced. The huntsman threw the second guy at the wall. Before he could get to the third one, the guy ran off. The Huntsman looked over at Indiana. "Thanks," he told her.
"Something in me snapped. Normally, I would've just let you die," Indiana admitted as she made her way to the door. She smirked at him. "But something tells me you would've been just fine on your own."
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PRESENT DAY
STORYBROOKE
Anna James happily strolled into Mary Margaret Blanchard's classroom once all of the fourth graders retreated for lunch. She placed a small bag on the teacher's desk. "One Grilled Cheese from Granny's to-go," Anna greeted.
Mary Margaret smiled gratefully at the teenager. "My hero!" the woman said to Anna. "I don't think I could've gone all day without eating something."
"Don't mention it," Anna responded, pulling out a grilled cheese of her own. "I just can't believe you forgot your lunch."
The two chuckled, enjoying their lunch together by making small talk. Out of nowhere, Sheriff Graham strolled into the classroom, asking if he could talk to the two girls. He started things off with a question that threw Mary Margaret and Anna for a loop. "Mary Margaret, how long have we known each other?" he asked.
"Um... I don't know. A while," Mary Margaret answered as she swallowed another bite of her sandwich.
"Do you remember when we met?" Graham wondered, looking between Anna and the teacher. Mary Margaret inhaled deeply as she thought about it. Anna pressed her lips together and furrowed her eyebrows. "Me neither. I can't remember when I met either of you or when I met anyone. Isn't that odd?"
"I don't know. I mean I suppose," Mary Margaret agreed.
Anna nodded. "But... But, you know, that's just... life," the girl stammered. "Things just get a little, er, hazy."
"Anna, Mary Margaret, have I ever hurt you?" Graham wondered, somewhat disregarding what the woman said in response.
Anna raised her eyebrows as she shook her head. Mary Margaret responded with, "Oh, Graham, no. Of course not. What is going on?"
"Do you believe in other lives?" the man wondered. Mary Margaret asked if he meant heaven. "I mean, like past lives." Anna's eyes widened, thinking about the weird visions she'd been getting.
Mary Margaret chuckled lightly. "You've been talking to Henry," she stated. Graham put on a confused expression. "Well, he has this book of stories. He's been going on about how he thinks we're all characters from them—from another land, and we've forgotten who we really are."
Graham looked away, interested in hearing this. Anna noticed his facial expression. "Which, of course, makes no sense, Graham," Anna told him.
He looked back at her. "Oh, yeah, no. Of course," he responded.
Mary Margaret reached forward, feeling his forehead. "Graham, you are burning up. Go home and get some rest," she told him.
He nodded and thanked them before leaving. "Something about that guy is so weird. I can never put my finger on it," Anna admitted. She and Mary Margaret shrugged before continuing their meal.
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PAST
THE ENCHANTED FOREST
Indiana muttered profanities to herself as she attempted to wiggle her wrists out of the ropes that were tied around them. Over her face was a bag, so she could see nothing but darkness.
'Stupid, stupid girl,' Indiana thought furiously.
Not too long ago, Indiana was kidnapped. She was pissed about it, too. The one time Indiana got to sleep in just happened to be the same day Snow White nearly got killed by someone sent by the Evil Queen. Luckily, Indiana stepped in just in time. On the other hand, Indiana Jones had been taken instead.
The bag was pulled off of Indiana's head. The girl squinted, looking around as her eyes slowly adjusted to the brightness of the darkly decorated room. She looked straight ahead to find the Evil Queen staring at her with a smirk.
Indiana stared at her with a dull look in her eye, which was common for the once joyful and outgoing girl. Things changed her. It wasn't very surprising to see that Indiana had lost the sparkle in her eye after everything she'd been through.
"Indiana Jones," the Evil Queen greeted with a fake sweet tone. "How wonderful to see you."
"Regina Mills," Indiana mocked with a slight smirk. "You're starting to look a lot like your mother."
"You will not speak to me with that tone of voice, brat," Regina hissed. "And you will most certainly not speak to me about my mother. That's not why the Huntsman brought you here."
Regina made a motioning gesture with her hand. Out walked the man from the bar just a few nights ago. Indiana clenched her jaw. "You're kidding me," Indiana breathed. "I stuck up for you and your dog and this is what I get for it? This is why it's rare to see me help people these days."
The Huntsman remained noiseless. Regina walked forward, studying her. "Indiana Jones: bandit, extraordinaire Adventurer, and more importantly... cold-blooded murderer," Regina listed.
"Why are you listing things we all could read on one of my darling Wanted posters that have been up for a century?" Indiana asked bitterly. Though it sounded like her question was a hyperbole, it was very much literal.
"A lot of people could use you for their own personal gain," Regina said, ignoring her question. "Which makes me wonder..." Without further ado, Regina shoved her hand at Indiana's chest, attempting to rip out her heart. Indiana stayed frozen with the same blank expression on her face. Regina hissed, pulling her hand away when a burst of golden light hit her. "Figures that Peter Pan would put a spell on your heart."
Indiana raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar, yet familiar name. "Who?"
Regina huffed, thinking for a moment while ignoring her question. "I've decided what we'll do with you," Regina declared. "Tomorrow at noon the kingdom will see Indiana Jones's head go flying. Huntsman, take her to the cell."
The Evil Queen let out a dark, sinister laugh as the Huntsman took the girl away. Though her fate seemed to be written, Indiana couldn't help but have a good feeling.
Maybe that was because she was too fond of a thing called belief.
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PRESENT DAY
STORYBROOKE
Anna James sipped on a cup of freshly brewed coffee with her legs propped up on the desk in the workspace of Storybrooke's Deputy, Emma Swan. The girl didn't have much to do and since Henry was still at school, Anna decided to drop by and visit Emma Swan.
The brunette was doing some reading for school as she listened to Emma angrily vent about Mayor Regina Mills. Not too long before Anna arrived at the Sherriff's station, Regina had told Emma to "stay away from Graham" and to "keep their relationship strictly professional."
"I mean... she's psychotic! It's so high school what she's doing!" Emma exclaimed. "Who does she think she is telling me that I don't let anyone in... that I have... walls!?"
"That's where I'm gonna have to stop you," the multitasker decided, shutting her book and setting it on her lap. Emma stared at her in confusion. "You so totally have walls."
"What does that even mean?" Emma grumbled.
"It means... you don't like letting people in. Quite frankly, I'm surprised you're even willing to vent to me because your walls are built so high," Anna admitted. "Look, as much as I'd love to listen to you talk about my boss, I think you should talk to your boss. Just try to clear things up with him."
Emma sighed and nodded. "You're lucky I like you enough to listen to you."
Anna arrogantly grinned at the sound of that. Too bad she didn't realize that Emma was only so willing to talk to her because she idolized Indiana Jones.
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PAST
THE ENCHANTED FOREST
"Maybe I'm just a dumb bandit, but I'm pretty sure the forest isn't where my cell is," Indiana said to the Huntsman. The man walked around her, pulling out his knife to cut through the ropes around her wrists. Indiana merely twisted her arm slightly, wiggling through the rope with ease.
The Huntsman looked at her in surprise. "You knew how to become free this whole time?" he queried.
Indiana smiled at him as she rubbed her wrists. "Of course I did! What kind of criminal would I be if I didn't?" she retorted cockily. "So you wanna tell me why we're out here?"
"Run."
The girl wore a puzzled look on her face. "Say what?"
The Huntsman smiled at her. "That's the first time I've seen you show any emotion," he admitted. "Now, run. Unless you want to die tomorrow afternoon." Indiana opened her mouth to question him, but he continued to speak. "This is my thank you to you after that night at the bar. Now leave."
Indiana shrugged.
"Farewell, Huntsman."
Just as he said, Indiana Jones ran.