A Story That Will Never Die {Henry Mills/OUAT} [2]

Facing the Future

***

I KNEW RUNNING away from those vampires was futile, so I used what I knew would get me away from them: my magic. With a flick of my wrist, I had disappeared away from them. I found myself in the middle of town, looking around. I guess my emotions got the better of me. It was an impulsive decision to leave, and I did it. But they hid that my father was this King who wanted me, who wanted my inner cheshire to come out once again.

Why would they hide that? Probably to protect me. But I don't need protection, I'm Aria Hale. I've been hurt my entire life, and managed to stay sane and alive. I'm alright on my own, if they haven't realized. They just saw my memories. Now they know what I've been through and what I've endured. They know I can take care of myself.

But that lead me to one question: why would my father fake his own death? Why would a man that always seemed so kind and loving towards me be trying to change me into a bad person again? Into the person I used to be back in Wonderland? I have Henry now. I have Mary-Margaret, and David, and Emma, and Regina. I have reasons to be good now. To be better. I don't want to change back. I won't change back.

I sat on a bench, messing with my hair, deep in thought. I was brought out of my thoughts by a hand on my shoulder, looking up to see Damon. Had he finally grown on me? Maybe. Just a little bit. But I'd never say that to him. I could tell seeing those memories had changed his views on me. When he saw that I didn't do anything to really hurt anyone, besides when I lost control... But I don't like thinking about when I had killed that man. That was a dark time in my life, and it had been my greatest regret ever since. "Aria, lets go home."

"Home? Mystic Falls isn't home. Mystic Falls is ages away from Maine. Storybrooke is my home. And I just want to go back... Get back to my family, to Henry..." I said softly, sighing. I looked up at the raven haired vampire who seemed to begin to care.

"I know. And as soon as things calm down, we're going to take you home. I promise. I know you miss those people, I saw how much you loved them and cared for them. It was disgusting how much love you have for them really," Damon joked, scrunching his nose up in disgust. "I'm only kidding. I want to get you back because I know they're out there somewhere missing you. And so I can get you out of my spare room," he once again joked, this time cracking a grin.

My eyes lit up, full of hope and joy. "Really? You promise? You're going to take me home?" I asked with the largest grin I could possibly have. Damon had successfully made me smile, and that was hard right now.

"Stake my heart, and hope to die," Damon said, instead of doing the "x" over his heart, he mimicked a stake going into it. "But I'm going to have a talk with that Henry kid. I can tell he's more than just a friend," Damon said, giving me a look. "I know the 'look' when I see one." Seriously?

"Yeah... We're best friends. We've helped each other since we've met each other. And we'll always be there for each other, especially now that we are... together," I said cautiously, looking at Damon.

"Well, Caroline owes me $20. I told her you were together with him," Damon smirked. "But now that you've told me, as soon as we get to Storybrooke, I'm going to put the fear of me in him," he said with a chuckle, and I only giving him a look of disapproval.

"Henry's a good guy, Damon. There's no need for you to put the 'fear of you' in him. I'm pretty sure that he and I will be just fine. We've both had these feelings for a while now," I admitted softly, "It just took me a little while to realize."

"For his own sake, he better be," Damon said. "After all, I've seen everything you went through. I can promise that heartbreak is ten times worse," he said softly. It sounded like he was speaking from experience, from what I gathered. He had a look of longing on his face. Who broke his heart?

"What about you... Who broke your heart?" I asked Damon curiously, getting up from the bench as we started on our way back to the house.

"Her name was Katherine. She... She killed my one true love, Corinthia. Corinthia looks just like Charlotte, if you need a visual. Exactly like her," Damon said, "But you saw a picture of her in my room when you went through my stuff. I forgot about that." Damon glared at me disapprovingly, and I only gave him an innocent shrug.

"You put a girl in a random home with random people, of course she's gonna snoop around. You were basically asking for it," I said to him. "But what about Katherine? What does she look like?" I asked softly.

Damon inhaled, looking down at me. "Elena. She looks just like Elena. You see, Elena and Charlotte are the doppelgängers of Katherine and Corinthia. But unlike the past between their ancestors, Elena and Charlotte have both ironically became best friends," he had a look of sudden realization on his face, as he opened the car door for me. "Anyway, enough about pasts. Let's get to the house."

***

After we arrived at the house, I went through my memories for the people who didn't see. From the moment I first met Henry, to when Henry and I were in New York the year we forgot our memories, eating popcorn together and talking about Walsh and Emma. Well, then I explained that Walsh was actually a flying monkey, and I feel like they didn't quite believe me. But he was! With a tail and everything!

I then started to explain to them about the inner cheshire ordeal, "There was once a time in my life, where you wouldn't consider me... good. My best friend was killed by someone my mother sent, and my only other friend left because she felt she had to get away. And maybe it was me she needed to get away from. I always have felt like she left because she feared me and my mother. After that, it was like something inside of me just snapped, and I wasn't me anymore. I didn't go by Trinity after that, I went by Chess. I turned into the Cheshire Cat, and I lived off of goods I stole and pawned. I wasn't good, and definitely did a lot more bad things as the Cheshire Cat than I ever thought I capable of. I realized that I was a villain. And at the time, well I didn't care. I ended up killing someone one day though, when my powers got out of control. Somehow, the guilt and the sadness that his death brought me, snapped me out of it. I was no longer the Cheshire Cat. I moved to Enchanted Forest for a new shot at life, and it worked. I got better, and felt happier. And now... Now by father wants to bring that careless, evil person back. The girl I used to be. The girl that I don't want to be again..."

"Well, we aren't going to let that happen to you, Aria. You don't deserve to go through this after what you went through in your past. And if you don't want to go back to being that way, you don't have to. I suggest that we take a small group, march straight to the king... And confront him." Ah, Charlotte. Always with the bright ideas. Notice the sarcasm.