The Girl With Lost Memories - Parts 1 & 2 (An OUAT Fanfiction)

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 43: 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒞𝒶𝓇𝒹 𝒲𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝓂𝓊𝒹𝑔𝑒𝒹 𝒩𝒶𝓂𝑒

The sun's warm glow paints the sky in shades of pink and orange, creating a serene atmosphere over Storybrooke. The light streams through the café's windows, casting long shadows across the wooden floors.

Melody brings over our coffee, placing each mug on the table. This time, I receive a criss-cross pattern made with chocolate syrup.

"Thank you," I say, then take a sip of the hot latté and release a contented sigh.

"Since you agreed to the interview, I decided to make the entire article about you. GMS and WOLF are going to cry for not getting you for themselves," Delilah says, producing her notepad and flipping through its pages until she lands on the right one. "Alright, first question," she says, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret for my ears only. "Why did you come to Storybrooke?" I thought everyone knew the answer to this question, so it seems odd she'd ask.

"To find my parents," I say, trying to express my confusion.

"That's it?" she says as though she watched a movie with a dissatisfying ending.

"What other reason would I have?"

"Everyone knows you're here to find your parents, but there must be another reason no one knows. Now's your chance to share that." Her words sink in, causing me to evaluate that reason. I can't tell her it was to escape the foster home. That sounds selfish and fear-driven. If only they knew what I was running from. Am running from.

"Sorry to disappoint, but that's it."

She slumps her shoulders and stares at her notepad. "I guess I could elaborate. 'Orphan Bella Palmer takes a leap of faith and journeys far to our hidden town in a pursuit to find her long-lost parents, whom she's yearned for her entire life.'"

"I'd take out the 'orphan' part. It's not a label I want inscribed on my forehead."

"Sure, sure," she says, scribbling notes. "Next question. Why do you want to find your parents?"

"There has to be a why?" I burst out, infuriation gripping me. Why does there have to be a reason for finding my parents? Wouldn't it be the same for everybody?

"I know, but people want things spelled out for them."

"Why would you want to find your parents?"

"Love, validation, support—"

"All those things."

"Okay, got it." She writes more notes. "I'm getting the vibe you don't want to talk much about your parents, so I'm gonna skip a few questions." Delilah crosses them off in her notepad while muttering, "No. Not that one. Nope. Oh, got one! This one's more for me as a friend, but I'm sure the town would also love to know. Who's someone you'd kill to meet?"

"Kill's a strong word," I say, remembering how Henry implied that he wants to murder Mr. Gold. How can I be sure of his intentions when he played it off as a joke?

"Love to meet, then."

If I was eleven and still obsessed with technology, I'd say, "Tony Stark," but that didn't go well. I'm still haunted by that memory and can't watch a Stark Industries ad without feeling ashamed. So I go with the next Avenger I admire. "Natasha Romanoff."

"I love her!" Delilah exclaims, smacking her hands on the table. "She's such a badass and a powerful woman. I wouldn't want to get into a fight with her. She'd break my neck just by looking at me. As much as I'd love to meet her, though," she tilts her chin downward to say under her breath, "I'm gonna have to say Captain America." Her cheeks flush rose pink.