Alice's plan to overthrow the Queen of Hearts is thwarted by a dashing pirate with a hook. Years later, after the curse is broken, they reunite once again.
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This morning was Neal's funeral, which I elected not to attend. Not just because I don't know the man, but because there's enough going on in my mind as is. The sun is already starting to set as the warm glow from my lamps illuminates my apartment. My heart races in my chest as I grip the potion bottle tightly in my clammy hands.
This Zelena woman is killing people. She could kill Emma or Henry too, and I feel helpless to stop her. I stop pacing and look down at the potion in my hands before popping the cork off. I take a whiff, surprised by the sweet smell emanating from the bottle.
"Just do it," I whisper to myself, feeling sick to my stomach. My hands shake hard, like leaves on a tree, as I quickly tilt the liquid into my mouth and swallow. My vision goes black all of a sudden, or maybe I've closed my eyes. At first, there was nothing but a dizzying blankness, as if the world around me is dissolving, folding in on itself. But then, like a floodgate breaking open, my mind erupts in flashes.
Faces. Names. Places. I see them all, swirling around me in a chaotic whirlpool, impossible to hold onto—yet impossible to forget. My chest tightens as a flood of emotions hits me that I'm not even sure are my own: Joy, sorrow, the deep, aching weight of loss, and the pure, undeniable thrill of rediscovery. I gasp, my breathing ragged, as memories slam into me with the force of a thousand tides.
I remember the sound of my father's voice, deep and filled with amusement and wonder. I remember the warmth of the sun on my skin during childhood summers, the feeling of Killian's mouth pressing against mine, the cold cement walls of the asylum.
Each memory is like turning a key in a lock, unlocking more than just images and voices but also parts of myself—my sense of self. It's not just that I know who I am; it's like the essence of my being has been stitched back together, each memory a thread pulling me into my own skin, back into the rhythm of my heart.
And then, as suddenly as it had begun, the tide recedes, leaving me breathless and trembling, my mind both overflowing and yet somehow whole. I stand in the dim light of the kitchen, still clutching the empty vial. The world now looks a little sharper, a little more vivid. I grin at my reflection in the window before tossing the vial into the trash.
Killian. The memories flood me—Killian's voice, his hands, the way his gaze used to soften when I was near. My chest tightens. I owe him, don't I? A year... He never stopped searching for me. How does someone fight so hard for someone who doesn't even remember them?
He came all the way to New York just to get me back, to give me my memories back. The last time I saw him as myself was when we were standing over the town line, ready for the curse to take us back to the Enchanted Forest. But I never left. He could have abandoned me, left me to my devices, but he didn't. How someone like him went from being an enemy to the person I trust most in this world is a mystery to even myself.
As hard as it is, though, I need to deal with the Zelena problem before running off to find Killian. Zelena challenged Regina to a fight that's supposed to happen—shit. I look over at the clock and feel my heart drop. It's supposed to be happening now. I need to find my sword.
