Raven Pan (OUAT Fanfiction)

Chapter 11: Thorn in My Side

Season 1: Episode 11

Third Person POV: The Dark Castle

"Okay, Raven," Rumpelstiltskin said to the young nine year old. They stared at the flower pot. "Make it move."

Young Raven held out her hand. She made a straining noise. When the flower did not move, she whined, "It's not working!"

"Now, now, my dear," Rumpelstiltskin explained. "You just have to keep trying." He pat her arms. "You'll get it."

Kathryn's House

Kathryn and David sit at the dinner table eating. He compliments her cooking, but is clearing hiding something. "David, there's something we need to talk about," Kathryn says. David sits back in his chair as if bracing himself. "I applied to law school."

He pauses before responding. "That's amazing. Why didn't you ever tell me?" he asks.

"I don't know," she explains, "Maybe 'cause I didn't think I could actually do it, but I did." She pulls out a paper to her left. She hands it to David. "I got this today." Before he could read it, she says, "I got in."

David skims over the paper. "It's...it's in Boston."

She nods solemnly. "I know things have been hard between us, but maybe a fresh start is what we need. Maybe we've been fighting too hard to recapture old memories when we should have been making new ones instead." David sits in silence. In that silence, the knock comes to the door. Kathryn stands and answers it. She sees Raven standing outside. "Raven," she exclaims, "Are you okay? What are you doing here?"

"Long or short story?" Raven asks. Kathryn gives her a look of she already knew the answer. "Long story short, I beat up Mr. French because I thought he stole something from me when he robbed our house. Turns out he didn't have it. I'm trying to find the perpetrator while simultaneously running from the sheriff."

Kathryn shakes her head. "Come inside," she says standing to the side. Raven enters without hesitation. 

She walks towards the stairs. "Now I owe you three," she exclaims with a smile. "Same room as usual?" Kathryn nods then turns her attention to David walking out the door. Raven walks next to her friend. "Is everything alright?" Kathryn explains her dilemmas with her friend. "Well, what do you think you should do?" Raven asks. Kathryn shakes her head. "Kat," Raven exclaims. Her friend looks up at her. "I'm tired of you being unhappy," she explains, "I'm your friend and I want what's best for you." Raven grabs Kathryn's hands. "It's time to move on."

In the Dark Castle

Rumpelstiltskin had left for a while to go on a "business trip". Raven stared at the flower on the dining room table. "Why is it so hard?" she asked herself, "Daddy could do it." She frowned and looked down. "If only Daddy were still here." After a moment of gloominess had passed, Raven stood determined. She ran back over to where she had been before. She holds out both her hands and keeps trying to make it happen.

In Kathryn's House

The next morning, Raven wakes up unsure of where she was. When she remembers, she walks down the stairs. She listens through the house, hearing Kathryn type away in the study. Raven smiles and thinks, 'You're trying so hard to make it work. You've always been dedicated Abby.'

Raven decides to leave the house. She puts on her hoodie and walks outside. She goes down main street. When she makes it across the street from Granny's, she watches August leave. Raven takes in a deep breath, smelling his sent. 'Wood and...' Raven flashes her red eyes. 'Vervain.'