I Know The End || Killian Jones

𝟶𝟻 - 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚙𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚕𝚏

storybrooke, maine

— IT WAS A WARM BUT FOGGY MORNING WHEN AJATRI PULLED INTO THE ANIMAL SHELTER PARKING LOT. She'd received a call from the doctor earlier in the day, and agreed to come as soon as she dropped Grey off at school. When she stepped inside, she found a familiar face behind the desk.

"Well if it isn't my favourite coma patient." She joked. "I heard you were working here."

"Hi." He greeted with a smile. "You were one of the ones that found me, right? I'm David."

"I know." She replied kindly. "I'm Aja. How have you been?"

He nodded. "I've been alright. It's a relief to have my memories back. Well, most of them anyways. There are some fuzzy spots."

"I guess it's better than nothing, though." Aja commented.

"Yeah. So, what can I help you with?"

"Actually," She gave a little wave when she spotted the doctor making his way to the front that he returned. "I was called in."

The doctor nodded as he reached the front desk. "Thank you for coming, Ajatri. We've had a pair of dogs run off into the woods, and I was hoping you might be able to help."

"Of course. All I need is a direction and a decent description."

"We have pictures in the back. I'll go find them."

When he had disappeared, David shot her a curious look. "I didn't realise you ran an animal search and rescue...?"

She chuckled. "I suppose I might as well, at this point, but no. I just know the woods very well. Both my parents were hunters. It's actually why I was recruited to the search party that went looking for you."

He nodded, studying her for a moment. "Have we... did we ever meet before that?"

The question caught her slightly off guard, and she shook her head slowly. "No, I don't think so."

"Huh. Strange."

"I suppose it is, in a town this size." She mused. "I thought everyone knew everyone."

"So did I." He seemed to think about that for a second. "But in the spirit of making new friends, perhaps you'd like some company on your woodland search? I do, after all, work for the place that actually lost the dogs."

She smiled at that. "You know, I wouldn't mind some company at all."

the enchanted forest, long ago

— IT WAS A WARM BUT FOGGY MORNING WHEN DAVID WAS AWOKEN BY THE SOUND OF FRIGHTENED SHEEP. For a moment, he was completely disoriented. What could possibly be wrong at this hour, with the sun on the rise? It didn't take him long to find out. When he stepped outside, that was when he saw them. Three sizable wolves stood in the fields beyond the house, stalking closer and closer to the flock with each passing minute.

For a second, he stood frozen. He could fend off the occasional lone wolf or coyote, but three grown wolves? Not to mention, what in the world were they doing hunting in the early morning?? He clutched his shepherd's stick and prepared to fend them off, drawing a long breath. "Back!" He shouted, hoping that perhaps he might succeed in at least startling them a bit. "Get back! Leave them be!" One of the wolves leapt closer with a snarl, causing him to flinch back.

Then a new sound split the air. It sounded like another wolf howling, and the three in the field froze, turning towards the edge of the woods where the sound had come from. Then it came again, and they began taking cautious steps towards it, as if uncertain. David braced himself for the worst.