Darkness [Neal Cassidy || OUAT || Double Swan #5]

38 - Firebird

Alana and Emma were inside the elevator going down to the bottom, it came to a jerky stop at the bottom and the twins try to stay stable.

"You alright, sis?" Emma asked.

"Yeah, looks like this is our stop," Alana said and the two of them opened the gate.

They stepped out and turned on their torches before they made their way through the dark tunnel, "We can turn back," Emma said.

"Not a chance in hell," Alana said.

Flashback: Maine - 2009

Alana, Emma and Cleo were inside the Courthouse, as they waiting for the twin's records to be examined.

"How long could this take? You take a file out of the drawer, you hand it over," Alana said.

"How hard is that? Maybe I can motivate them to speed up," Emma said as she stood up and walked to the desk.

"Armour," Cleo said.

"What?" The twins said.

"My jacket, the one you like to ridicule. It's my armour," Cleo said.

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked as Alana walked to the desk.

Cleo stood beside the twins, "Neither of you are thinking clearly. You're both emotional. It's what keeps getting you both in trouble. Can I give you a piece of advice? You two need to learn how to protect yourself. Look, whatever we find here, that ain't gonna be the end all be all. Find your armours," Cleo said.

The clerk walked out with their file, "Miss, I have your file," He said.

Emma took the file, "It's too thin," She opened it and saw the article, "It's the same damn article," Emma said.

Cleo picked up another sheet of paper, "There's something on the boy who brought you in. Looks like he ran away and fell out of the system," Cleo said.

"Lucky shit," Alana looked at the paper, "The inventory of what we came in with," Alana said as she and Emma looked sad.

Cleo patted Alana's back and squeezed Emma's shoulder, "I'm sorry," Cleo said.

"Something's missing. Can you just take another look?" Emma said.

"That's all there is," The Clerk said

"Just look again," Alana said.