Swan Song ❂ Killian Jones [1]

26

Odette moved through the streets of Storybrooke, a set destination in her mind as she carried go bags from Granny's. With a smile on her face, she politely greeted the town's people who passed by her, a trait that, while it belonged to Iris more than it did to Odette, seemed too hard to shake as they adjusted to their new lives. She didn't mind however, at least nobody's yet been rude to her in response.

As she sent a small smile to Geppetto, Odette pulled her coat closer around her, somewhat regretting not changing out of her work clothes before she left the studio. The sun shining in the sky had deceived her, but with her free time limited, it was too late for her to go back and change into something warmer. And the food would get cold too if she did.

So instead, she hurried up, and soon enough reached the Sheriff's station, walking in on the sight she had been expecting when she first made the decision to come. David was leaning over one of the tables, a book in front of him as he most certainly researched for ways to get Snow and Emma back.

"Knew I'd find you here." She spoke, finally announcing her presence and making David jump in his seat, not even aware she'd entered until her voice sounded. "I also knew that you'd be so focused on this, you'd forget to eat." Odette added on as she walked over to his desk, setting one of the bags down in front of him after closing and pushing away the book he'd been reading.

"You didn't need to-" David tried to reassure her that he would've remembered on his own at some point, at least when he had to make Henry something to eat, but before he could finish, Odette interrupted him.

"I wanted to. I had some time between classes with nothing to do, so what's better than helping you with these books over some good food?" Odette stated simply, pulling up one of the chairs so she could sit at the end of the table next to him. A smile came over David's face as he accepted, finally reaching for the Granny's bag that she'd set before him.

"So, have you managed to find anything yet?" Odette asked curiously, her eyes scanning over some of the books he'd managed to scrounge up from unknown places. Once again, they seemed more like this world's fairy tales than anything else.

"No, nothing. All of this is just useless. And the people who might have answers are Gold and Regina, neither willing to help, certainly." David said with a heavy sigh.

"I remember reading about travelling between realms back in the Forest. Magic beans, doors, portals, there must be some way, even here. We'll find it." Iris tried to sound optimistic, to make him feel better and have an easier time believing. And whether it worked or not, he did not reveal as he chose to latch on to something else.

"Why were you looking for ways to travel between lands?" He asked curiously. While he knew she was probably referring back to her time searching for a way to break her curse, he didn't know she'd ever thought of leaving the Enchanted Forest. That part of the story she'd never told him.

"Remember the story I told you about how I was looking for a wizard that can answer any question you ask him?" Odette reminded David of the time when she came back during Snow's pregnancy and shared all that she'd done in her absence. She waited until he nodded her head, confirming that he did remember before she continued. "Well, he wasn't in the Enchanted Forest but another land, one called Oz. I was looking for a way to get there."

"How did you learn about him?" David asked curiously, knowing he himself had never heard of such a wizard. And someone like that would surely be well known back in their lands if the story of his power was true.

"My dad went looking for him once. Before I was born." Odette revealed, having heard the story of her father's journey to Oz many times during her childhood. "It was where he met my mother."

"And you never found a way to go there." David concluded the story, unable to hold back a small sigh of disappointment. He'd hoped that, if Odette had ever travelled between realms, she might offer some answers he hadn't yet found.

"No. But not for a lack of trying." Odette added to his words. She did try. Repeatedly and constantly. And failed just as many times. Until she ultimately gave up, thinking she'd exhausted all of her options and there was truly no hope of ever breaking her curse.

"Well, maybe us remaining here, in Storybrooke, could be good for you." For a moment, David let his mind wander away from topics of realm travelling and his search for ways to get back to his family. "Before, the Enchanted Forest was large and with so many people spread all over it. Now, everyone's in the same place. It might make it easier to find your true love." He offered optimistically. But Odette knew better than that.

"And what if he or she isn't from the Forest? What if they're from Oz, or Wonderland, or some other place I haven't even heard of yet?" Odette raised an eyebrow, making David send her a pointed look. One she'd received many times before when she sounded even remotely like her usual pessimistic self.

However, before David could say anything to scold her or try and reignite her hope, the sound of David's phone ringing brought pause to their conversation as he shuffled through his things before finding it and picking up the call. Odette continued to eat her food, only able to hear the David's end of the conversation. She gathered it had something to do with Henry, but only when the call ended did she get to discover what exactly it was about.

"That was Regina. Henry seems to have stood her up and took the keys to her vault." David explained with a shake of his head, already moving as he stood from his seat as he grabbed his jacket. "Could I please ask you to fill in here, in case someone comes in, until your next class? Every so often people come in about their loved ones or damages to the house and such things." David pleaded with her, Odette nodding her head without hesitation.

"Of course. I have some time before I have to pick up the girls at the bus station and take them to the studio for a class." Odette agreed, watching as David started towards the door, but calling out she stopped him for one more moment. "Hey, do you mind if I do some searching for someone too?" She asked for permission, the man nodding his head in a sign of yes before he finally left.

The thought had occurred to Odette that perhaps during their time here, during the curse, one or more of the Merry Man had passed through the station at one point or another. And if they had, there'd be record of it. Pictures of their faces, and the names by which they lived here.

And so, after cleaning up the remnants of their lunch, Odette started to look through some of the file cabinets and files. Sorting them into a more orderly manner as she went along. A part of her really wondered how Emma ever found what she needed around here.