Daniela Swan Once Upon A Time

Her Knight in Tiny Armour

" The castle! " Dani gasps in horror while watching Henry and hers place be destroyed. Grasping her twins hand tightly she can only watch with bated breath as the construction workers continue to tear it down.

" What happened ? I came as soon as I could. " She hears Emma's voice vaguely in the background.

" The castle! Sh- Their tearing the whole thing down! " Henry hastily corrects himself seeing the tears in his sisters eyes.

It matters not though, Dani can't hear a word their saying over the buzzing in her own ears. This was their place... This was the place they came when she was having a panic attack. This was the place they came when Henry was being bullied. This was the place they came when their mom was mad at them for not doing their chores. This was their safe place... and now it was gone.

Henry ran foreword, " Our book! It's - it's gone. "

Dani shook her head, still feeling as if fuzz was clouding her brain. Pushing herself through it she rushed to her brothers side. He was right, the book was gone. Grabbing his hand once more, Dani pulled Henry into a hug. " I wrote notes on a lot of it, we can piece together the rest. I'm sorry Henry . "

And so they set later at Granny's, surrounded by Dani's journals, trying to piece together the story's inside the book. " Whatcha working on? " a strange man in a leather jacket asked as he approached their table.

Dani instantly slammed the journal in her hands closed, " None of your business! " She said glaring fiercely.

Unfortunately at the same time her brother had also spoken up. " No time to talk, gotta write it all down before we forget! "

Scrawling Dani crossed her arms and waited on the guys response. " Yeah I hate it when great ideas slip away from me. "

" There not ideas, there stories from a book that we lost. " Henry responded absentmindedly.

" Must be a hell of a book. What's it about? " The guy asked taking a seat.

" Stuff " Henry said still just as absentminded.

" Sounds exciting. "

Dani decided enough was enough. " You seem awfully interested in us two little kids and our book. " She drawled put in a lazy tone.

The guy seemed amused with her. " Well I'm just being neighborly. "

" Does that mean your our new neighbor? " She asked brows raised.

" I'm just passing through, I'm a writer. "

" Then you're not being neighborly, you're just being a stalker. " Dani replied loudly intentionally drawing people's eyes. The guy must realize what Dani is trying to do, because he quickly gathers his things and leaves. 

That night when Dani gets back from visiting Jade, Henry tells her about the new park, and how Emma has to separate for awhile.

~~~

Regina stepped into Dani's room holding a box wrapped in green. " I've got something for you Dani. Now I know it can't make up for tearing down the castle but I just want you to know, I'm sorry. "

Smiling gently at her mom from her bed, Dani took the box. Running hands over the green wrapping paper before digging in. Tearing it from the box in one go a gasp escaped her lips when she saw what was inside.

Inside lay two simple journals that each had a quote on them. ( The Darkest Nights Produce the Brightest Stars ) and ( To Live Would Be An Awfully Big Adventure ) . But the real star of the package was the sketch kit. Oh it had everything she could want! Charcoal Pencils, Sketch Pencils,  Paper Erasable Pens, Pencil Extenders, a Craft Knife, Erasers, even Pastels! She was so excited!!!!