Once Upon A Wondrous Love (A Once Upon A Time Fanfiction)

Chapter Five: You Won't Need to Know My Name

Jefferson sighed heavily as he pushed open the door to the library. The bell on the door made his head ache, the thoughts of that girl still swirling in his head. 

"Papa!" Grace seized him in a hug and it took him a moment to fully register the action. "Jefferson? Is everything alright?" Jefferson looked up to meet Belle's eyes. "Yes." he replied quickly. "Grace has almost finished her book. I will send her home with Through the Looking Glass. No doubt she will love to hear about your adventures." Belle said as Grace handed her the books and she stamped them. 

"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked once again. "Yes, I---did you happen to see a girl come through here? She had long dark hair, pretty eyes. She was carrying a big book." Jefferson described as Grace eyed him quizzically. 

"Yes. She was just here but left in quite a hurry. I haven't seen her before...have you?" Belle asked as she pulled a large cart of books from behind the desk. "No. But I feel like I have." Jefferson said softly. He tried to shake the electricity that ran up his arm. 

"Come on Papa. Let's get home for tea." Grace said, tugging on his hand. Something was changing.

Alice

I was out of breath by the time I came upon a large building. Collapsing to my knees, I took in the harsh air in large gulps as I stared up at the building before me. 

It was more like a castle than a house. The gaping three story manor towered up into the trees. Beneath a stone awning, a large door stood, a dog head with a knocker in its mouth. I could not see, from where I stood, how far back the house stretched, all I could do was stare. 

I broke my gaze and grabbed the book I had involuntarily stolen from the library and shoved it into my backpack. Swallowing hard, I started towards the building. I tried the door and with no luck was I able to get it open. 

Sighing after realizing that all the windows were covered in some dark material, I made my way back to town. Thoughts of the man swirled in my head as I flipped through the book. 

After finding nothing, I returned it to the library (through the slot as I was horribly embarrassed to face anyone) and then went back to the B&B. Something had to give, soon.

My first week in Storybrooke passed in a blur. I stayed extra busy working at the diner, trying to keep my mind off of those eyes. Each morning I woke more exhausted than the last but tried with every fiber of my being to stay optimistic. 

I swiped past Ruby just as my shift was ending. She was holding a paper in her hand, chewing once again on her red pen. "Seen Victor lately?" I teased, pinching her side. She jumped and gave me a look, motioning her eyes towards the door Granny had just left through. 

"He wants to see me tonight, but I can't." she said, her shoulders falling. I eyed the red circle that blotted the paper. It was a house. "Tell ya what. You show me that house, I'll cover for you." Her eyes lit up. "You'd do that!?" I nodded. 

"Now let me change and we can see that house."

"So how did you know how to get here so well?" I asked as I sat in the front seat of Ruby's 1975 Camaro. The red wolf charm that was suspended from the mirror shone in the sun as we drove. 

"Well, I've kinda been watching it for a while now." she said, softly. "You have?" I asked, wanting her to continue. "I mean, I love Granny...but I want to be my own person now, you know. And this would be my way of becoming that." She pulled up into a dirt driveway that wound into the trees. 

"Sounds like the exact opposite from what you told me before." I commented. "I can-don't want to leave...really. But if I am going to stay here, I want to live in style." We turned the corner and came upon a large Victorian house. She stopped the car and waited for me to get out.