Hurried footsteps sounded around the corner, followed by the ding of a bell fastened to the top of the door. Snow flurries feathered the outside sky, making the diner seem especially welcoming that Monday afternoon. Business was slow, yet the room seemed to light up at the presence of the nine year old girl.
"Hi Granny, Mom sent me to get dinner." She began, sitting herself up on one of the barstools.
The elderly woman smiled. She had a soft spot for the girl, considering the fact that her life had begun in her quaint little restaurant.
"Alright then Miss Caroline, what will it be today?"
Fishing out a crumpled list from her pocket, she squinted at her father's messy handwriting. "Lasagna, macaroni salad, and three hamburgers- Roland insisted on getting two for himself."
Granny chuckled, accepting the girl's crisp twenty dollar bill and sticking it in the register. "We'll have all that out as soon as possible. You just sit tight."
That was something Caroline was used to doing. The diner was a second home to her, along with everyone in it. She had grown up with these people, never knowing anything else than the little town of Storybrooke, Maine. Though things weren't very eventful, there were still many tales of villains and heroes, battling head to head for the sanctity of true love. She knew very well of her family's past history; her mother, the powerful queen, and her father, the outlaw with the bravest heart of them all. Of course she was proud to call herself the daughter of Regina and Robin Hood, but life at home was far from eventful. In her school, there were only five other students her age. She didn't mind it too much, it only meant she spent a large majority of time with her family. Her huge, slightly chaotic family.
"Hey kid, anything new happening with you?" Ruby Lucas asked, catching Caroline's attention quickly.
Her response only came in a shrug. "Not much. Just school."
The waitress had to roll her eyes at her enthusiasm as she filled a glass with chocolate milk. "At least you're surviving the cold. Your mom owes you for making you come out here in storm like this." Ruby then slid the glass of milk over to her, smiling as the nine year old quickly drank it down.
Caroline wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, smirking at her comment. "Yeah, but I don't mind. Being at home means watching Roland playing video games and Mom talking about work."
"Well, you're always welcome at the apartment. When Will isn't trying to cook, that is."
She had to chuckle at that one. Her uncle Will was something else.
"That man is a disgrace to cooking," Granny intervened, setting a large paper bag down in front of her. "Now you be careful getting this home, Caroline Grace. And tell your mother to quit sending you outside when it's ten below; you're bound to catch something one of these days."
The girl smirked, sliding off the barstool and taking the gigantic bag in her arms. "Okay Granny. Thanks for the food!"
After Granny and Ruby both bid their goodbyes, Caroline set off on the journey back to her house. The snow flurries had vanished, yet the temperature had stayed at its bone chilling temperature of three degrees. It seemed as though Storybrooke had frozen over.
Pressing the bag against her coat, she began down the white covered sidewalk, only able to go a few feet before she slipped on a patch of ice, sending her and her family's dinner onto the ground. Caroline responded with a groan, instantly taking attention to the pain from her knee. Looking down, she was less than amused to see a tear had appeared in one of her good pair of jeans. Not only a tear, but a scrape as well- blood began to appear over her skin, followed by more pain. There she was, Caroline Hood, nine years old, sitting in the middle of the sidewalk, her dinner scattered in the snow beside her; she looked helpless in every way possible.
"Are you hurt?"
A voice sounded from the silence, causing the girl to glance upward in surprise.
"Uh, no, just got a scrape. I'll be okay." She replied, though, not in a convincing way.
Her mysterious hero was dressed in a black coat and snow boots, two things necessary for surviving a winter in Storybrooke. As Caroline focused more on the perfect stranger, she realized that her rescuer was a woman, around the same age as her mother.
"That doesn't look good," she noted, unzipping her purse and fishing her hand inside. "Luckily, I have a solution."
Tentatively, the woman kneeled down before her, presenting her with a thin white bandaid. "May I?"
Caroline was skeptical, but she figured there could be no harm done in having some help. Soon, the bandaid was placed over her wound, and she was helped up to her feet. Surveying the catastrophic scene before her, Caroline's heart sank when she saw that the macaroni salad had spilled all over the snow.
"Surely Granny can make you another one," the woman attempted, picking up the bag and handing it to the girl. "I've got to pick up an order myself."
Perplexed at her kindness, the nine year old followed her back into the restaurant, feeling rather ashamed at what she had done. The sinking feeling inside had to chance of going away- her mother was going to be angry when she saw the rip in her pants.
"Granny... Do you think you could make another macaroni salad? It sort of... Spilled."
The older woman gave her an unamused look. "I told you to be careful, Caroline!"
Her face fell into a saddened pout, something she was good at doing. It worked every time with her father.
"I'm sorry, I promised Mom I'd be back by five."
Granny wasn't a woman to be messed with. Everyone knew this; she was tough as nails, absolutely nothing nor no one frightened her. But, for Caroline... There was hardly anything she wouldn't do.
"It's okay dear. It'll be another few minutes, though."
Instantly, the girl's gloomy expression turned into a smile. "Thank you!"
For a second, Caroline thought she caught a faint smile on Granny's face.
"And you had the cheesecake, right?" She asked, turning her attention to the woman beside her. For a second, Caroline had forgotten she was even there.
Ruby handed her the small round dish with a smile, collecting her money and getting on with her job.
"Cheesecake is probably the most delicious thing in this realm," she sighed, breathing in the smell with a smile. "Would you... Like to share some with me? You'll be here for a little bit longer, and I certainly can't eat all this myself."
The nine year old hesitated for a second; she was right, but she also knew her parents wouldn't be happy with the fact that she was talking with a stranger. They were most likely already angry with her, though, for taking so long at the diner. So she nodded and sat down in the chair across from the woman who had come to her aid just minutes prior, awkwardly accepting a fork from her and taking a small bite from the side.
"You're the mayor's daughter, right?"
Caroline nodded warily towards the mysterious woman.
"I can tell. You look like her."
"Do you have any kids?" She knew she had to start reciprocating questions before the awkwardness fried her to pieces right there at the diner.
The woman chuckled as she reached for another bite. "No, it's just me. I do work with babies, though."
The confusion was still biting at the back of her mind; Caroline had lived in Storybrooke her entire life, and not once had she seen this woman before. If the stories her parents had told her were true, then everyone in the town had been there since before the curse was broken, back when they had forgotten who they really were. Some people had avoided the curse, and still lived in a land called the Enchanted Forest. Nobody could switch between realms, not easily, that was. And if they did, surely the nine year old would have heard about it.
"Is something wrong?" She heard the woman ask, making her realize that her expression had changed.
"No, I was just wondering why I've never seen you before," Caroline admitted, figuring there was no harm in saying it. "Were you here since the town was created, or do you have..."
The woman eyed her curiously. "Have what, dear? Magic?"
There was something new in her voice then, suddenly making Caroline extremely interested in what she had to say.
"No, I didn't arrive here with the rest of these people," she began, "I made my own portal. Just a few weeks ago, actually."
She took pleasure in seeing the nine year old's brown eyes widen with curiosity.
"So you do have magic, then. What's the Enchanted Forest like?"
Chuckling, the woman slowly took another bite of cheesecake. "It's certainly beautiful. Perhaps when we have more time I can tell you about it."
The answer wasn't the answer she was expecting, but even that couldn't stop the excitement from spooky in Caroline's face. She had actually met someone besides her parents who had recently been to the Enchanted Forest; someone who also had magic, nonetheless. Before that day, she had believed that only her mother, Emma, Mother Superior, and Rumplestiltskin had magic in their town.
"Now, you said your mother was Regina Mills," the woman continued curiously, "so who's your father then?"
Caroline properly licked the cheesecake from her fork before replying. "Robin Hood. I have two older brothers on top of that."
After she said that, she caught a look of surprise on the woman's face- she had absolutely no idea why.
"Isn't he... A thief? I think I remember hearing his name around in the Enchanted Forest."
Caroline let out a small laugh. "I think he used to be, but he's just my dad now."
When she reached for another bite of cheesecake, she realized that it was completely gone. How that happened was something even she didn't know.
"Caroline, your food is ready!" Granny shouted across the diner, causing the girl to turn around in her chair.
"Well, I guess I better get going," she said, "thanks for sharing your cheesecake with me. And for uh, helping me with that fall."
The woman smiled back at her. "Not a problem! You're strong for a girl like yourself."
"Hey, I'll be ten in three weeks. I can take care of myself." Caroline countered, "but I'll definitely be more careful this time."
She was about to turn around and retrieve her food, but that was before she realized that she didn't even know the woman's name.
"Oh yeah, what's your name? You know, just in case my mom knows you or something."
Standing up, the woman held the empty cheesecake box in her hands, sliding her purse back over her shoulder.
"Zelena. Yours?"
Caroline had to take a moment to ponder on that name- definitely unique, to say the least. But, even without knowing her name, she could never possibly forget the woman with hair red as fire.
"Caroline."
They shook hands then, making the girl feel delightfully grown up.
"That's a pretty name. Well hopefully I'll see you around town, Caroline."
And she secretly hoped she did. Finally; something interesting was happening in the quiet little town of Storybrooke.
The nine year old didn't hesitate to grab her second order of food and take off towards home.