Lonely Hearts Fall The Hardest *Henry Mills Love Story*

Chapter Twenty-Seven ❤️❤️❤️

The problem with small towns, Nora thinks as she walks down the sidewalks, is it seems there is no trouble to get in. Nora wasn't the type to go looking from trouble, most the time it came to her easy enough, but now that she wanted some? There was none to be seen. All she wanted to do was keep her mind well... out of her memories. Busy herself. Which that alone is highly unusual for Storybrooke. She had thought about spray painting train cars, stealing a candy bar from the corner store and going back to pay tomorrow. She had contemplated trying to pickpocket someone and then give their money back. Nora had even thought about ordering food from Granny's then skipping on the check, but of course coming back to pay once she got away with it. It wasn't so much she wanted to be bad, but she wanted to see if she could be. I mean why not? She was apparently raised by the dark one and what not. But none the less all her ideas had been stupid and completely un troubleish, though that candy bar did sound really good right about now. Nora rolls her eyes at herself as she plops down on the yellow curb across from a place called "Mr. Gold's something something something". Nora honestly just isn't in the mood for anyone to mess with her. Oh but there goes Henry, messing with her, as he strolls down the sidewalk as if It's a pleasant sunday afternoon, no Regina in sight. Nora raises her eyebrows at him and silently wishes he wouldn't notice her, with a flare of her powers he doesn't, because no one would notice her. It's not so much as invisible as it is camouflage. She still there just, undetectable until she draws attention to herself. Nora once again didn't think she was capable of such a feat yet here she is. She decides not to question it as Henry looks through her, past her, with his piercing green gaze. That is before turning and pulling open the door to Mr. Gold's something something something shop.

Nora stands and walks over to a window in the shop, just curious what Henry would be doing "for his mom" in this shop. She cups her hands around her eyes to get a closer look inside. And when she gets a good glimpse inside, she realizes that this 'Mr. Gold' is no other than Rumplestiltskin. What was Henry doing associating with him? So much for doing something for Regina. Then, a thought hits her like a brick. Was he in there to learn about her past? Did he take it upon himself to learn about the first 10 years of her life without her, just because she doesn't want to know? Why can't he understand that the past is in the past, and she doesn't need to know nor does he. Out of pure curiosity, she presses her ears against the window to try to hear their conversation. Because Nora is a spy at heart.

"A job?" Rumple asks, not sure whether he should let his grandson work in his shop. Wait, Nora thinks, Henry is getting a job with Rumple? How can he get a job and she can't? She is the one who really needs a job so that she could pay her own way and not depend of his family for everything. Plus, why a job with Rumple, out of all people? All of these questions wander through her mind but on the bright side, she is relieved that Henry isn't there to learn about her past.

"You know, after school and weekends. Now that my father's gone, I've realized that you're the closest thing I've got to him." Henry explains. "But, if you don't want me around.." He starts as he turns to walk towards the door. Did Henry really want to bond with Rumple? I guess that's his family but still, that just takes more time away from her... Nora thinks.

"No, woah." Rumple says, stopping him in his tracks. "Alright, A few days a week. But uhhh, stay out of the back room, and don't touch anything without asking." Rumple explains, using hand gestures. Henry smiles and nods. "You can be my apprentice." Rumple continues.

"What does an apprentice do?" Henry asks.

"Many, many things. First, you can start by sweeping the floor." Rumple says, handing him a broom. Henry gives him a reassuring smile as begin to do his task as Rumple retreats to the back room. Nora quickly ducks down out of the window to make sure Henry doesn't see her, even cloaking magic could falter. A job, Nora thinks. She doesn't know if she should be happy for Henry, or upset with him. If this was what he was sneaking off to do, not only did he lie to her and it's not like something he couldn't have told her. She would have understood, and maybe wouldn't have been so eager to jump to conclusions. Though even with this job, he has been acting like she's not very important to him anymore. She didn't need to be the center of his universe, but she'd at least like to be an orbiting planet. Nora lets the cloaking spell dissolve as she walks away from the shop. For some reasons beyond Nora, all of this saddens her. Like maybe she was a phase, a passing craze, just wondering around Storybrooke on her way out of the spotlight, and being forgotten scared Nora even more than being alone. As Nora turns down an Alleyway, a short cut to the loft, she starts to feel faint. A headache similar to the one thing morning pounds through her as she claws at the stone wall next to her to hold herself up. Her eyelids feel like lead and her head like its the home of a large and very rowdy marching band. Nora whimpers as she falls to the ground, face first, knocking her head on the corner of a dumpster before sprawling out on the ground awkwardly, passed out cold.

These weren't specific memories, just glimpses of a girl she used to be. One lonely moment after another. A little girl outside of the Dark One's office, just wanting him to open the doors and play with her like he used to. A little girl in the middle of a magic lesson, being yelled at and pushed harder until she was in tears. But in the middle of all those flashes of solitude and sadness are happy moments. The Dark One feeding a giggle chubby toddler crushed carrots, and smiling down at her big hazel eyes filled with happiness. The same toddler standing on his toes as they danced around that ball room to the song that always made the little one giggle. Him bringing her a tea set and her talking him into playing tea party with her for hours upon hours. Nora finds herself wondering where it all went wrong until her curiosity is appeased. She had been almost kidnapped once before, it made him distant to her, obsessed with protecting her whether that was to make her the most skillful child in magic there had even been or to make sure she never left the palace again. He had loved her, so much so that she was his weakness and anyone who knew of the Dark One knew of his young protege as well. The one thing that Nora was so very surprised to find, is how remarkably similar she was to the little girl. She thought when she was little who should have been happy, had a family, but on the contrary. Sure her early years were very happy. She always got what she wanted and was always smiling, but ever since that attempted kidnapping when she was six, she's never been happy. Seven years of loneliness, seven years of being desperate for kinship, seven years of seeking love, seven years of solitude of the heart. It was just as Nora had feared, she found out something she didn't want to know, yet she didn't regret learning like she had thought. Sure there was still more to find out but she understood now, how she grew up. Maybe still not where she came from, or who her true parents are, but she understands why she feels like there is a permanent hole in her heart. It's the space every one passes through, when they walk out of her life.

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And here is another chapter! I hope you enjoy even though It took me a whole week to update!! :) Thank y'all so much for all the love and support, I know a lot of you didn't want drama butttttt what can I say I couldn't help myself *Evil Smirk* Any how, if you haven't already- Vote, comment, and share to get your self a pair of wings! Read on, our flying fans!
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Claire and Alona