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Chapter Text

Skye was nine years old when she was first adopted by Regina. Before that, she had been taken in by three different foster parents and was placed in multiple group homes. She was sent back each time. Skye has never stayed in one place for longer than six months. According to Sister Mary Anne, Skye was a bad seed and she would never be a 'good fit'. At that point she was starting to lose faith she would ever be adopted, that anyone would ever want her.

She really thought the Brodies would be different. She had been with them just a month, and it was the first time she had ever called one of her foster parents “Mom”, by the end of the week, she was being sent back to St. Agnes’. Mrs. Brodie didn’t even come down to say goodbye.

Skye just couldn’t figure out what she had done wrong. Why did every foster family send her back? Why wasn’t she worth their love? She just wished someone would tell her what was wrong with her. What made her so unlovable.

By the time Regina walked through the doors of St. Agnes, Skye had learned not to expect anything. Nothing hurts more than hoping for something and losing it. She learned that the hard way. She really wasn’t expecting to get adopted, it was obvious the lady came in to adopt a baby, you could always tell why an adult was visiting the orphanage. The way she dressed was the most obvious tell, that, and the nervousness.

But now here she was, sitting in a car on the way to a town called Storybrooke in Maine. And the person who adopted her, her new mom was nice. Really nice. Skye had to try really hard to keep her excitement over being adopted in check. She couldn’t trust that this would last, couldn’t hope. Not after being sent back by the Brodies. They were nice too. Skye knew it was only a matter of time before she was going to be sent back. She hoped Regina didn’t send back Henry. He was a sweet baby, and deserved a nice home. She didn’t want to curse her new brother.

Regina glanced back at Skye through the rearview mirror. “You’ve been awfully quiet back there. Are you alright, dear?”

Skye turned her gaze from the window and nodded quickly. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“It’s okay to be nervous.” Regina said, softening her voice. “This is a big change for all of us.”

Skye hesitated and asked, “Why did you pick me? You were only there to adopt Henry?”

Regina smiled a thoughtful smile. “Because you reminded me of myself when I was your age. Smart, brave, clever, and a strong heart.”

Skye blinked, not knowing how to respond to that. “Oh. But you were only there for a baby?” She said unsurely.

“And,” Regina continued, ignoring Skye’s claims as she glanced back at Henry who was babbling in his car seat, “I thought Henry could use a big sister to look out for him.”

Skye shifted her gaze to Henry, and she felt herself give a small smile. “I guess I could do that.”

“Good.” Regina said, her tone warm but firm. “Because in this family, we look out for each other. Always.”

Skye felt her chest tighten at the word “family.” She couldn’t believe it. Not yet. But she desperately wanted to. “Okay.” she said quietly.

The car fell into a comfortable silence, broken only by Henry’s soft coos. Skye returned to staring out the window, watching as the trees blurred past. Despite herself, she felt a tiny flicker of hope.

~~~

Skye’s first new year at school was incredibly awkward, doubly so since her classmates from last year were all held back. And they pretended they didn’t know her. Which hurt, but she sort of got why.

She had only spent a few months with them before summer vacation started and Skye was sure she would have done the same if she got held back with the rest of them, especially if only one person from class advanced to the next grade.

It was a little embarrassing and probably said more about the teacher than it did the students. Although Skye really didn’t think Sister Astrid was a bad teacher, even if she was a nun.

Aside from that weird first few days where Sister Astrid repeated the same lesson and then pretended like she didn’t know what Skye was talking about when she asked why they were learning the same thing as they did the day before, she seemed fine?

Regina, Mom, told her that her teacher was probably just doing it because Skye was new, to help her adjust. Regina went to speak with her teacher after school, and the next day, classes resumed as normal.

So, yeah. Her old friends classmates were ignoring her. It was fine. Skye was used to being the new kid and making new friends. She did wonder who the other teacher for fourth graders was though. When she tried asking her classmates who they had last year, they just brushed her off.

“So, who was your teacher last year?” Skye asked one of the girls in the class sitting next to her with an easy grin, trying to make conversation.

The girl looked up and stared at her blankly for a second before shrugging and looked away. “None of your business, what’s it to you?”

Skye’s shoulders slumped slightly, but she nodded as if the dismissal didn't sting, message received. “Nothing, thanks.” she said, turning away. She didn’t take it personally. She was still the new kid, she knew how these things went.

That evening, while they were cleaning up after dinner she mentioned it to Regina.

“Mom, all my old classmates got held back. It’s… kind of weird.”

Regina tensed then relaxed, she looked up from the dishes she was cleaning, smiling softly. “Well, you’re smarter than they are Skye. You’re doing just fine.” she shrugged, showing Skye she wasn’t concerned. “People move at their own pace. Try not to worry about the others so much.”

Skye smiled a little, though she couldn’t squash all the doubt inside her. “I guess so. Or maybe they all just failed gym class. Dodgeball? Absolutely brutal.”

Regina chucked and shook her head. "Yes, I'm sure dodgeball is what did them in. Now, you can help me by starting to put these dishes away, my little dodgeball prodigy."

"That's dodgeball champion to you." Skye sassed back with a grin as she moved to place the silverware in the drawer.

Regina's face softened and her smile grew as she watched Skye. “You're calling me Mom now, huh?”

Skye hesitantly glanced up, nervous, with a slight blush on her face. “Yeah… Th-That's okay, right?” she said quietly. “It just… it feels right."

“Of course it is. I’m glad, sweetheart.” Regina said, voice full of affection, cupping her cheek. “You have nothing to be nervous about. You know I love you just as much as I love Henry. It’s not any different.”

Skye nodded, feeling warmth spread through her chest. “I know.” She paused, thinking of Henry, her little brother. “It’s nice, watching you with Henry. Makes everything feel... right, you know?”

Regina smiled and gave her a side hug. “Yes, yes I do. We’re family now. And family…”

“Sticks together!” Skye said, smile finally growing.

“So Mom, guess what!” Skye said, worries forgotten as she began thinking about the rest of her day at school, specifically her new teacher, Miss Blanchard.

“What is it, dear?” was the distracted reply as Regina went back to washing the dishes.

“Miss Blanchard is my new teacher. She’s really nice and so pretty! She said later in the year, we were going to build bird houses! She has one right outside the window and there was a blue jay inside it! I think she’s going to be awesome!”

Regina, who was currently washing a wooden spoon, paused and looked up at Skye who was bouncing in excitement. For a second, she didn’t say anything. Then, to Skye’s surprise, her moms face tensed. With one quick movement, Regina snapped the wooden spoon she was holding in half.

Skye blinked. “Uh… Mom?”

Regina’s face was flushed, and she quickly put the broken spoon down on the counter, clearly trying to calm herself. She didn’t look at Skye, and when she spoke her voice was tight, and full of repressed anger. “I don’t like her.”

Skye frowned, not sure what to make of it. “Wait, what? Miss Blanchard?”

Regina turned, her expression almost unreadable. She was closed off, cold. Not the warm mother Skye has spent the past few months getting to know. “She’s trouble. Trust me.”

Skye’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean? She seemed really nice. I don’t get it.”

Regina shook her head, not looking at Skye. “You’re too young to understand.”

“But, Mom, she’s just a teacher! Why don’t you like her?” Skye pushed, her curiosity getting the better of her.

With the hushed glee of a child who wanted answers to a question she knew she shouldn't, Skye asked, “What did she do?”

Regina sighed, running her fingers through her hair, clearly frustrated. “I said you’re too young to know.”

“But-” Skye began again, but Regina snapped, her tone sharp.

“Skye, drop it!” she said, her voice laced with frustration.

Skye flinched. She should have known better. She shouldn’t have pushed. Skye bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. She wasn't going to cry.

That was when Henry started crying from his seat at the kitchen table. She watched as Regina stopped what she was doing as she rushed over to pick up Henry and calm him down.

Regina was shushing Henry, his cries quieting while being held in the warmth of his mothers arms, when she glanced up at Skye, who was standing off to the side, shoulders hunched in. She frowned to herself. Grimacing. She shouldn’t have snapped at Skye, she was just caught off guard. Wasn’t expecting Snow to be brought up.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have snapped at you.” Regina said, moving closer to Skye. “I just don’t like her and that's all you need to know.”

Regina got next to Skye and held out one arm, opening for a hug.

And Skye crashed into her, holding on tight. “I’m sorry,” her voice muffled, pressing into Regina’s shirt. “I didn’t mean to make you upset.”

“It’s alright dear, you didn’t do anything wrong.” Regina said, trying to offer comfort.

Skye sniffled, pulling back to look at her mom. “I didn’t mean to ruin things. Please don't send me back.”

Regina softened her expression, and she brushed a stray lock of hair from Skye’s face. “You didn't ruin anything. And send you back? Whyever would I do that? You're not going anywhere, you're a part of this family now. Understood?" Regina waited until Skye nodded before continuing, "I know you were just asking. I’m sorry for snapping. But some things... some things are better left unsaid for now. Understand? Why don’t you play with your brother while I finish up the dishes.”

Skye nodded quietly, relieved at her reassurances, feeling the weight of the conversation settle in. She didn’t fully understand, but she trusted her Mom. She wouldn’t ask again. She didn’t want to get Mom mad enough to send her back to St. Agnes.

Regina went back to cleaning the dishes, repeatedly glancing over at Skye, where she was sitting with her brother, making funny faces at him.

When she finished, Regina cleared her throat and moved over to them. “Yes, well, be sure to wake up bright and early tomorrow.” She said as she tried to move on and lighten the mood.

“I’ll be having a long conversation with Miss Blanchard before school starts, so be sure to get up extra early.” Regina made her face comically stern to get her point across. “I need to make sure she understands that she is to give you the best education. Why don’t you head on up and get ready for bed while I put Henry in his crib.”

“Okay.” Skye said softly as she started to head up stairs, pausing when she heard her mom call out to her.

“And Skye, dear.” Regina called out. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Skye replied, smile growing back on her face as she went upstairs to brush her teeth and get ready for bed.

~~~

So, Mom’s feud with Miss Blanchard was weird. But it was also pretty funny to watch. All Mom had to do was stare at Miss Blanchard a certain way and she would let out the funniest squeak. Skye even started trying to replicate that stare during class when she was bored. So far there hasn’t been any success quite just yet but she wasn’t ready to give up.

“Do you think it’s all in the eyebrows?” Skye asked, practicing her glare in the hallway mirror.

Regina walked by, raising an eyebrow of her own. “The stare is all about intent, not just technique. You need to believe you have the power to terrify.”

Skye snickered. “Okay, but do you have to aim it at Miss Blanchard every time? You’re going to give her a heart attack!”

Regina smirked, “One can only hope.” leaving Skye to giggle to herself.

It’s been a few weeks since school started and she hasn’t exactly made any new friends quite just yet. She flitted from group to group, talking to everyone, but there wasn’t anyone she would really consider as a friend.

One afternoon, Regina asked about it on the drive home. “How’s school going? Are you making any friends?”

Skye shrugged. “It’s fine. I’m talking to people.”

“Talking isn’t the same as connecting,” Regina said. “Dr. Hopper thinks it’s important that you form lasting friendships. He says kids your age learn a lot through close friendships.”

Skye slouched in her seat. “I’m fine, you don’t need to worry.”

“Skye,” Regina said gently but firmly, “you’ve been through a lot, and I know how hard it can be to open up to people. But you’re smart, funny and kind. You’re exactly the kind of person others would want as a friend. And if they end up not wanting to be friends with you? Well, it’s their loss.”

Skye glanced at her mom, touched by her words but not ready to talk about why she hasn’t made new friends. “I’ll try.” she mumbled.

It had nothing to do with her missing her old friends and worrying her new ones would abandon her again.

Henry was still babbling no matter how hard Mom tried to get him to say his first words. He was about fourteen months old now, and Mom ended up going to ask Dr. Whale some questions to make sure there was nothing wrong with Henry. According to Dr. Whale, Henry was perfectly fine, and that all babies move at their own pace. Henry would say his first word when he was ready, there wasn’t any reason to panic quite just yet.

Before Skye knew it, it was Halloween. For her costume, Mom had wanted to dress her up as a princess. She ended up paying someone to make Skye a really fancy dress and even gave her a tiara that had real diamonds in it. According to Mom, as a princess, she only deserved the best.

“Don’t you think this is a bit much?” Skye asked, staring at herself in the mirror with wide eyes.

“Nonsense, dear.” Regina said, adjusting the tiara. “You’re representing this family, and I intend for you to shine. Besides, it’s Halloween. If you’re going to dress up, you might as well do it properly.” Regina smirked. “With style.”

There was a costume party outside Granny’s Diner where people would vote for who has the best costume and everything, and Mom wanted her to crush the competition. It was hilarious to see the look on her moms face whenever she saw her get competitive and a need to one up people.

Unfortunately, they never made it to Granny’s Diner as it started snowing and Regina hadn’t had a chance to change the tires just yet. She said she would call the mechanic in the morning to come change them and that they would just have to stay in tonight and watch a movie. That Skye could wow everyone with her costume next year. That was fine by Skye, she loved the nights where the three of them would cuddle up on the couch and watch a movie.

While her mom was in the kitchen making popcorn, Skye carried Henry over to the window to show him the snow. She began talking and pointing out everything she could see, telling Henry what each thing in their yard was. From the birds flying by, and the squirrels climbing trees, to the flowers planted in the yard, Skye was pointing out each object and made each description more outlandish than the last.

“And that,” she said, pointing to a snow covered bush, “is where the magical snow fairies have their secret meeting. If you listen really carefully, you might just hear them plotting their next snowstorm.”

Henry stared at her, his little face scrunched up in concentration. Then he pointed at the window and said, “Snow!”

Skye froze, her eyes widening. “Mom! Mom, come quick!” she yelled.

Regina rushed into the living room, her expression alarmed. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“He said his first word!” Skye said, grinning and pointing to Henry, bouncing him in her arms. “Say it again, Henry. Say snow!”

Henry pointed at the window again, his face lighting up. “No! No!”

Regina’s smile froze, and a flicker of something sharp passed through her expression. For a moment, she stood completely still, her hands tightening at her sides. Snow. Of all the words he could have said first, why did it have to be that one? Her chest ached, memories of betrayal and anger clawing at the edges of her mind.

Skye noticed none of it. “Heh, close enough. Isn’t that amazing Mom? He’s talking!”

Without her permission, Regina’s expression softened, her lips curled into a smile. It really was amazing. She walked over to Henry, crouching down to his level. “Yes, it’s wonderful.” she said, her voice tight but steady. “Good job, Henry.”

Henry beamed at her and kept pointing at the snow, happily repeating the word. “No! No! No!”

Regina’s jaw tightened, but she reached out and gently cupped Henry’s cheek. “That's right, you’re such a smart boy.” she said softly, brushing her thumb over his face. “Mama is very proud of you.”

Skye tilted her head, watching Regina curiously. “Don’t worry Mom.” she said with a grin. “He’ll say Mama eventually. You just have to convince him it’s cooler than snow.”

Regina let out a strained laugh, her expression momentarily hardening. “Yes, you’re quite right, dear.” she said, standing and turning back toward the kitchen. Her hands trembled slightly as she grabbed the popcorn bowl, taking a deep breath to steady herself. She loved Henry more than anything, and she wouldn’t let her past taint this moment. He was her son, and he deserved all her love. Even if his first word was a cruel twist of fate.

When she came back to the living room, Skye had draped a blanket over her shoulders like a cape and was making Henry giggle by pretending to be a snow fairy queen.

“Just practicing my magical queen skills.” Skye said with a cheeky grin. “Every kingdom needs a ruler.”

Regina’s lips twitched into a genuine smile as she handed Skye the popcorn. “Perhaps I should appoint you as my official court jester.”

While they had originally planned to watch “It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” Skye wanted to watch something that would let them celebrate Henry’s first word being “snow.” They put on “It’s a Wonderful Life” instead, settling in together on the couch, as the snow continued to fall outside. Regina, despite the sting of the word “snow,” found herself smiling as Henry dozed off in her arms and Skye snuggled into her side. For tonight, at least, the warmth of her family melted away the chill of her old wounds.

~~~

Skye was walking toward the Town Hall from school, her backpack bouncing against her shoulders. It had been a long and boring day. She takes back everything nice she ever had to say about Miss Blanchard.

Today, in gym class, they had to run a mile. It was the worst. Miss Blanchard was even going on about how important physical activity is for children their age. She just knew Mom’s “chat” with Miss Blanchard had something to do with this.

Skye decided to stop in at the convenience store and see if they had any new comics she could pick up for Henry. Mom hated when she read him comics, said she was going to rot his brain with all that make believe nonsense. She still didn’t stop Skye from reading them to him.

Henry loved it when she read comics to him, loved all the funny voices Skye gave the characters. He’d point at the colorful panels and giggle at the heroes in their costumes. Skye smiled to herself at the memory as she entered the store.

As she approached the rack, her eyes lit up. The store had just restocked with a new issue of “Captain America”. Well, she didn’t think it was a new issue, more of a new, old issue. She thinks she remembers overhearing someone describing it as vintage? It didn’t matter, it was perfect. She grabbed the comic, started flicking through the pages, and set her backpack on the floor.

Lost in the pages of the comic book, Skye didn’t hear the footsteps that approached her, only the voice that interrupted her.

“Captain America’s lame, Wolverine's so much cooler.” a girl said, standing nearby. She looked a year or two older than Skye, with blonde hair tucked behind her ears and a worn backpack slung over one shoulder.

Skye glanced over and shrugged, smirking. “He’s not lame, Captain America punches Nazi’s.”

The girl grinned. “Fair point. I’m Ava by the way.” She jerked her thumb over Skye’s shoulder. “That’s my brother, Nicholas.”

Skye looked over to see a boy fiddling with a pack of trading cards, his hands darting nervously as he glanced around the store. Something about it struck her as odd, but she didn’t comment as she took in their raggedy clothing. “I’m Skye, and this is for my little brother. He’s obsessed with heroes right now.” She held up the comic book to show them the cover.

“That’s cool,” Ava said, tilting her head. “You’re in Miss Blanchard's class right? We’ve seen you around. Do you wanna hang out with us?”

Skye hesitated, something was definitely up. She noticed how Ava kept glancing towards the counter, her smile a little too bright. Skye glanced back at Nicholas and caught the edge of a candy bar wrapper poking out of her own partially opened backpack.

Subtle, she thought dryly.

“Sure,” Skye said, keeping her tone casual. “Just let me grab another comic first.”

“So what did you guys do at school today?” Skye asked, trying to distract them as she stepped over to the comic book rack and partially entering the aisle. As Ava started talking about her day at school, Skye discreetly reached inside her backpack and started taking out the stolen goods. From candy bars to… toilet paper? Skye placed them on the shelf and started making her way to the counter.

When she got there, Mr. Clark, the store owner suddenly barked, “What the hell do you kids think you’re doing!” Then he let out a sneeze.

Skye froze, the comics clutched in her hand. Ava and Nicholas stiffened beside her, both glancing quickly at the door.

“What’s going on?” Skye asked, trying to sound annoyed rather than nervous.

“You kids think you’re real clever, dontcha?” He said before letting out another sneeze. “Empty your bag right now, don’t think I didn’t see you rob me.”

Skye glanced at Ava, whose face had gone pale. Then she sighed dramatically, pulling her backpack off her shoulder. “Fine,” she said, unzipping it. She shoved it toward Mr. Clark. “Take a look. Happy now?”

Mr. Clark rummaged through her bag, finding nothing but school supplies. His suspicion faltered. “Huh. Sorry kid.” He muttered, embarrassed. “Guess I jumped the gun. Here, take the comics, on the house.”

Skye grabbed the comics, her expression still annoyed, and stomped out of the store with Ava and Nicholas trailing behind. As they walked out, she glanced back over her shoulder at Mr. Clark, who was back behind the counter straightening things out. With a smooth motion, she snagged a couple of candy bars from the display by the door before stepping outside.

When they were far enough away, Ava let out a shaky laugh. “That was close. I thought we were done for.”

Skye shot her a sharp look. “You thought we were done for? Who put all that stuff in my bag?”

Ava blinked “Wait, you noticed?”

“Of course I noticed,” Skye said, rolling her eyes. “How do you think he didn't find anything? You two weren’t exactly being subtle.”

Nicholas looked down, mumbling, “We just thought… it’d be easier that way.”

“Well,” Ava said, grinning sheepishly. “I mean, I figured it’d be fine. I didn’t think he would check the bag of the mayor's kid.

Skye sighed, pulling the candy bars she swiped out of her pocket and tossed them to Ava. “Here. Next time, don’t involve me.”

Ava stared at the candy in her hands, then at Skye. A slow grin spread across her face. “Okay, you’re pretty cool. Think you could teach us how to not get caught next time?”

Skye shook her head, exasperated. “You two are seriously bad news,” she muttered. But despite her words, she couldn’t help the small smile tugging at her lips.

“Guess that makes three of us,” Ava said, slinging an arm over Skye’s and Nicholas’s shoulder.

They walked in silence for a few moments before Skye asked, “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Shoot,” Ava said, her grin fading.

“Why are you doing this? Stealing, I mean,” Skye said, glancing between the siblings. “That wasn’t just junk in my bag. It was stuff you need. Food, soap, toothpaste. That kind of thing.”

Ava’s smile wavered. She exchanged a glance with Nicholas before shrugging. “Things have been… tight at home” she admitted. “Our mom’s trying but…”

Skye nodded, her stomach twisting. She’d been there before, back in the foster system. Taking what you needed because no one else would give it to you. “I get it,” she said softly. “Maybe I can help.”

“How?” Ava asked, her tone defensive.

Skye hesitated then said, “There’s a supply room at Town Hall. Office stuff, toiletries, snacks. Nothing fancy, but it’s useful. No one would even notice if stuff went missing. They would just assume it got used.”

Ava blinked, surprised and shared a glance with Nicholas. “You’d really do that for us?” Nicholas asked.

“Yeah,” Skye said. “Stealing’s easier when you’re not desperate. Trust me.”

Ava stared at her for a moment before nodding. “Okay,” she said, her voice softer. “Thanks.”

Skye nodded back, her mind already working out the details as they pivoted directions and started heading towards Town Hall. If nothing else, she could make sure Ava and Nicholas had what they needed to get by. Everyone deserved at least that much.

~~~

Skye typically wasn’t a fan of Christmas. She loved the idea of it. The warm celebration, the twinkling lights, and being with the people you loved and who loved you. With family. But Christmas for her usually meant a lonely morning at St. Agnes’ or an awkward day spent in group homes where no one cared.

This year was going to be different. It had to be.

Skye woke up bright and early on Christmas morning, she tried to tiptoe downstairs, unsure of how quiet she was actually being in her excitement. As she reached the living room, she froze. Her mouth fell open as she stared, flabbergasted at the sight of the tree and all the presents surrounding it. There were just so many, and they were beautifully wrapped. And some of them had her name on them.

Santa didn’t exist, she was old enough to know that. Or if he did exist, he never delivered her presents before. But now, seeing just how many presents were under the tree made it hard to believe Santa didn’t deliver a single one. Maybe now that she had a family to love her, Santa thought she was worth it.

Skye wasn’t sure how long she was standing there for, staring in awe, when a familiar voice broke the silence.

“Good morning, dear. Merry Christmas.” Regina said with a smile on her face.

“Merry Christmas Mom!” she exclaimed in excitement and rushed over to give her a hug.

As Skye pulled back, Regina said “Why don’t you pick one present to open right now? We can save the rest for tonight. We have something special planned for the day.”

Skye opened her mouth to ask what, but Regina sent her a wink. “It’s a surprise, dear. You’ll like it, I promise.”

“Okay, can we bake apple turnovers tonight?” Skye asked, turning back to the tree. She began to circle it, trying to decide. “There’s so many, I don't know which one to pick!”

“Of course we can, dear. And just follow your heart!” Regina said with a chuckle as she headed toward the kitchen.

Skye stared unsure, frowning in concentration, debating if she should go for a big or small one, one in the middle or on the edge. She was pacing around the tree trying to decide when she saw it. It was a smaller present, tucked behind one of the larger ones. She picked it up and stared. This was the one, she was sure of it. Her heart was telling her so.

Regina walked back into the living room with two steaming mugs of hot cocoa. “Well go on, dear. It's not going to open itself.”

Skye carefully tore the paper open and slowly unveiled the gift. As she lifted the gift from the wrapping paper, she let out a stunned gasp. The picture frame before her was exquisite, unlike anything she had ever seen. Made out of wood, the edges were adorned with intricately carved flowers, daisies, if she wasn’t mistaken, each petal delicately carved with remarkable detail. And in the center of the frame was a photo, one that captured a moment that filled her with warmth. Skye was enraptured. It was the three of them, cuddled up together on the couch. Her family. The picture exuded warmth and love. It was utterly perfect, her most prized possession.

Her breath caught, and a wide smile spread across her face as she breathlessly looked up at her mom. “I love it.”

“I’m glad to hear that, dear. Now, why don’t you go put that in your room and get dressed. I’ve already laid your clothes out on your bed.”

Skye nodded eagerly and began to run up the stairs before suddenly pausing. “Wait. Who took the picture?”

Regina grinned at her and winked. “I did. With magic.”

Skye let out a laugh, shaking her head and continued on up the stairs.

“A horse?!?”

“Yes,” Regina said with a knowing smile, adjusting Henry in her arms. “She’s an older horse, perfect for a beginner. But she’s a big responsibility, Skye. You’ll need to come down here after school every day to take care of her. I won't hear a word about you slacking off.”

“I won’t! I won't!” Skye exclaimed, practically vibrating with excitement. She couldn’t stop staring at the beautiful creature before her, an Andalusian horse with the most striking chestnut coat she’d ever seen. “I can’t believe you got me a horse! This is the coolest thing ever!”

Regina’s smile softened with nostalgia. “Not just a horse, dear. You’re going to learn how to ride her, too,” she said, before her expression turned stern, “And you’re not to ride her unsupervised, do I make myself clear young lady.”

Skye stared at her with big eyes before turning her gaze back to the horse, head tilted with curiosity. “Did you know how to ride horses when you were my age?”

Regina chuckled softly, her gaze distant as she got lost in her memories. “Oh, yes. My father insisted I learn. He said it was a skill befitting someone of my… station. At first, I hated it, if you can believe that. Horses can be temperamental creatures, and for all my love of horses, I had no idea what I was doing. But then there was Rocinante.” Her voice softened further. “He was my first horse, gifted to me when he was a foal. He was the one I connected with most, a gentle, loyal soul. I grew to love riding, the sense of freedom it gave me. There's something truly magical about the bond you can form with a horse.”

Skye’s wide eyes were full of wonder and curiosity. “Do you still ride?”

Regina’s expression became closed off before her lips twitched into a small smile. “Not as often as I’d like, but I haven’t forgotten how. It’s like riding a bicycle, you never truly lose the skill. And now, it’s your turn to learn.”

Skye’s gaze turned back to the horse, head tilting. “What’s her name?”

“She's yours now. You can name her whatever you want.” Regina said.

“Yeah, but you said she's an older horse, right? So someone must’ve already given her a name.”

Regina hesitated, then sighed. “Stella. Her previous owner named her Stella.”

“Stella” Skye repeated, reaching out to gently stroke the horse’s soft mane. “It’s perfect.”

“You don’t need to keep the name you know,” Regina tried again. “You could name her something new-”

Skye shook her head firmly. “I don't want to take her name away. Stella is perfect.”

Regina sighed again, this time softer, her gaze drifting down at Henry in her arms. She doubted Skye had even noticed, too caught up in fawning over her new horse. Regina should have chosen a different horse, probably should have given her a pony, but with the curse in place… Either way, the temptation to gift her daughter her nemesis’s prized steed had felt like too good of an idea to pass up. It looked like the name Stella was going to stick.

The things she did for her family.

~~~

Skye, Ava, and Nicholas were at the stables on a warm afternoon, the scent of hay and fresh air surrounding them. Stella nickered softly as Skye ran a brush along her glossy chestnut coat. Ava leaned against the stall door, absently twisting a strand of her hair, while Nicholas leaned against a nearby fence, tossing bits of hay at the barn cats lounging in the sun.

"You’re really good with her.” Ava said, nodding toward Stella. “She seems so calm around you.”

Skye smiled, giving the horse a gentle pat. “I think she just likes the attention. She’s probably spoiled after all the carrots I've given her.”

Nicholas grinned. “So this is what having a horse is like, huh? You get a pet that’s ten times bigger than a dog and eats way more.”

Skye laughed. “Yeah, but it’s worth it. She’s incredible. You guys should come ride with me sometime. I can talk my mom into it, and I bet Stella wouldn’t mind.”

“I’ll pass,” Ava said with a smirk. “Nicholas would probably fall off in two seconds.”

“Hey!” Nicholas protested. “I’d last at least five.”

The three of them burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the barn. Skye leaned against Stella’s side, feeling a moment of contentment. It was nice to have friends like this again.

As the laughter faded, Nicholas leaned back on the fence, his tone becoming distracted as he played keep away with one of the cats. “You know, it’s nice having somewhere like this to hang out. We’re not used to places like this, being on our own and all.”

Skye froze, brush slipping from her fingers, her head snapping toward him. “Wait, what?”

Ava shot her brother a warning glare and tried to cover up his mistake, but the damage was already done. Ava let out a laugh that not even she could be convinced wasn’t fake. “Yeah, because our mom is just always so busy.”

“You’re living on your own?” Skye asked, shocked concern creeping into her voice as she turned to face them.

Ava sighed, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yeah, but we’re fine. We don’t need anyone’s help.”

“What about your mom?” Skye pressed, her voice mixed with worry and disbelief.

Ava and Nicholas exchanged a glance but didn’t respond.

Skye’s arms fell slack at her side. “You were lying when you told me you were living with your mom. You’ve been on your own this whole time.”

“Yeah, sorry.” Nicholas said after ending the silent conversation he was having with Ava.

Skye crossed her arms, she should have noticed sooner. “Look, I get it, I’ve been there. I won’t tell anyone but at least let me help. I just got a new laptop for my birthday. Maybe I can use it to find out what happened to your parents.”

They hesitated for a moment, then Ava said, “We know what happened, our mom died and our dad abandoned us.”

Skye frowned, “I’m sorry, really, but don’t you want to know why your dad left?” she said as she stared at them, knowing all too well the overwhelming desire to know.

Ava and Nicholas exchanged another glance. “Okay, but just… be careful. We don’t want anyone else finding out.”

Skye sat in a corner booth at Granny’s Diner, her laptop open in front of her. Ava and Nicholas sat beside her. The hum of conversations and the clinking of plates filled the air, but the trio was focused on the screen.

“Okay, so I did some digging,” Skye said, as her fingers hesitated over the keyboard before pulling up the file she was looking for. She glanced up at them, her expression apologetic. “And, well… I found nothing.”

Ava and Nicholas both slumped, their expressions falling simultaneously. Nicholas picked at the edge of the table, while Ava leaned back, crossing her arms as she began tugging at her hair with a frustrated sigh.

Seeing their disappointment, Skye rushed to reassure them. “No, no, but that’s what’s weird! There should be something, hospital records, birth certificates, anything, but there was nothing. The fact that there wasn’t a single trail for me to follow, it doesn’t make sense.” Even she had a trail to follow with her own parents, the fact that there was nothing? No records about their mother? Weird.

“What does that mean?” Ava asked, her brows furrowing.

“I’m not sure,” Skye admitted, glancing back at her laptop. “Were you guys born in Storybrooke? Maybe I’m looking in the wrong place.”

Ava and Nicholas stared at her blankly before exchanging a look and shrugging in unison. “We’ve been here as long as we can remember,” Ava said.

“Hmm.” Skye tapped her fingers against her laptop as she tried to think. “Maybe whoever’s in charge hadn’t made the switch to go digital yet when they filed your records? That’s the only explanation I can think of. Paper files would be harder to track down.”

“Is there anything else you can try?” Nicholas asked, his voice tinged with hope.

Skye shook her head, regret flashing across her face. “I’m sorry, I could keep looking, but without a trail to start on? I wouldn’t even know where to start looking for the physical files. Maybe I can talk about this with my mom, she would know. I was in the foster system, I know how terrible it is. If I tell her, she’ll help. You guys deserve better than this.”

“No!” Ava said quickly, her voice raising enough to draw a glance from Ruby, who was refilling coffee a few tables away. Ava lowered her voice and leaned forward. “Please Skye, don’t. You can’t tell your mother, promise you won't. You know she’ll call the authorities, and then we’ll be separated. Promise you won’t tell.”

Skye hesitated, her eyes flickering between their pleading faces. “I promise,” she said reluctantly. “But if you change your mind, let me know. I just… I want to help.”

Ava and Nicholas nodded, relaxing slightly. Skye closed her laptop and pushed it aside, forcing a smile as she leaned her elbows on the table. “Alright. So, what do you guys want to eat? My treat, well, my mom's, but same difference.

Nicholas perked up. “Does that mean we can get a milkshake and fries?”

Ava rolled her eyes but smirked. “You’re impossible.”

Just then, Ruby appeared at the table, pen and pad in hand. “Alright, you kiddos ready to order?”

Skye glanced up, her cheeks flushing the faintest bit pink as Ruby’s warm gaze fell on her. Ruby had always been a little teasing with them, but something about the way she said “kiddos” made Skye feel much younger than she actually was. Skye quickly pushed the thought away. “We’ll have, uh, milkshakes and fries please.”

Ruby chuckled. “Sure thing, kiddo. Milkshakes, fries, and a side of trouble for you?” She winked at Nicholas, who grinned back.

Skye ducked, trying to hide her flushing cheeks but couldn’t help the grin tugging at the lips. “No trouble here,” Skye said, a little too quickly, making her voice squeak at the end. She coughed to cover it up, her eyes darting down to her laptop.

Ruby raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “Uh-huh. Sure, Skye. I’ll be right back with your order.” she said with a playful tone before giving them one last teasing glance as she walked away.

As Ruby moved away, Skye slumped and let out a small sigh. She didn’t glance over at Ava or Nicholas, not wanting to see the looks on their faces.

Ava shot her a teasing glance. “You like her, don’t you”

Skye’s cheeks flushed even more, but she pretended to be engrossed in her laptop… that was closed. “No, I don’t,” she muttered. “I just think she’s cool.”

Later that evening, Regina sat at the head of the table, feeding Henry, her gaze sweeping over the nearly untouched plate in front of Skye. “Skye, you’ve hardly touched your dinner. What’s wrong?”

Skye poked at her mashed potatoes, avoiding her moms eyes. “Nothing Mom. I’m fine.”

Regina narrowed her eyes, her voice stern. “Young lady, I'm your mother. I can tell when something is troubling you. Tell me, and I can help.”

Skye hesitated, her fork hovering over her food. Her promise to Ava and Nicholas was something she couldn’t break. But, she was worried about their safety. Storybrooke may have been a small town compared to the bustling of New York, but it didn’t change how dangerous it was for them to live on their own.

The thing that decided for her however was Regina’s soft voice reaching her ears. “Whatever it is, you can tell me. You don’t have to handle it alone.”

Skye swallowed hard. She trusted her mother, knew she would help, Ava and Nicholas deserved better. “It’s my friends, Ava and Nicholas.” she began quietly. “They, they’re living on their own. No parents, no guardians. I was hoping you could help them. Find somewhere they could stay.”

Regina’s face closed off, her lips pressed into a thin line. “Living on their own? How long has this been going on for?”

“I don’t know exactly. They told me their mom died a while back. I just… I wanted to help them, but they made me promise not to tell anyone. They were scared they’d be separated if anyone found out.” Skye’s voice cracked. “But I thought you could do something.”

Regina stood, placed her hand on Skye’s shoulder. “You did the right thing by telling me. They can’t stay in that situation. I’ll handle it.”

Skye melted into Regina’s touch, glad she had her mother here to help her. “Thanks Mom.”

Skye was on her way to class in the morning, when she saw Ava and Nicholas coming up to her.

Ava’s glare could have cut through steel. “You told her?”

Skye’s heart sank, she wasn’t sure what was going on but she had a good idea. “Ava, I was trying to help-”

“You promised!” Nicholas snapped, his fists clenched. “We trusted you.”

“I had to! You can’t keep living like that!” Skye pleaded, hoping her friends would understand. “I thought my mom could help.”

Ava shook her head. “Help? She’s the mayor. She called the sheriff! He stopped us this morning. Told us that we had to go to the station after school! That we were being sent out of town, to separate group homes!” Her voice cracked, but her anger remained. “We thought you were our friend.”

Skye opened her mouth to respond, but the words caught in her throat. Before she could say anything, her friends stormed off. The guilt was suffocating.

Skye burst through the front door after school, her face flushed with anger. “How could you!?”

Regina raised a single, unimpressed eyebrow. “Excuse me? Young lady, watch your tone!”

“You’re sending Ava and Nicholas to separate group homes!” Skye shouted.

Regina’s expression remained impassive. “I’m not the bad guy here, Skye. They have no mother, there's no record of their father. They can’t just be living on their own. They need an adult to look after them. I’m doing what’s best for them.”

“No, you’re doing what’s easiest!” Skye yelled, tears streaming down her face. “They’re family! They should stick together! Isn’t that what you always say? You have no idea what group homes are like!” Skye just barely caught herself from letting out a sob, voice cracking. “I hate you! I never should have trusted you!”

Regina’s face fell, but she masked her hurt as Skye stormed upstairs, letting out a shaky breath. The slam of the bedroom door echoed through the house.

Alone in the silence, her mind flashed back to her younger self, betrayed by Snow White’s broken promise to her own mother.

Up in her room, Skye wiped her tears away, her resolve hardening. She began stuffing a backpack with supplies. She needed to help Ava and Nicholas. Her backpack full, she grabbed another bag. She needed to raid the kitchen for them so they would have food to eat too.

As she crept downstairs, doing her best to remain silent, avoiding the squeaky floorboards, Regina’s voice echoed from the living room.

“Yes, fine. I’ll bring them over tomorrow.” Regina said. “See that it gets done.”

Skye frowned but didn’t stay to listen. She grabbed the food and made her way back upstairs, slipping out of her bedroom window, her feet hit the ground with a soft thud. Ava told her of one of their hiding places, one of the abandoned houses in their neighborhood. Skye rushed over and hoped she wasn’t too late.

As she got there, she burst through the door, spotting Ava and Nicholas. “You have to go! The sheriff is coming, grab your stuff, be quick.” Skye panted.

“Skye?” Ava said, shocked to see her.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen.” Skye said, her voice trembling. “Here, I have some supplies for you.” She held out the supplies she’d brought, her eyes begging for them to understand how sorry she was.

Before Ava could respond, a voice interrupted from the doorway. “Skye. Ava. Nicholas. You’re all coming with me.”

They turned to see Sheriff Graham standing there. It was over.

Skye was sitting in the sheriff's office, while Ava and Nicholas were in the other room. They wouldn’t look at her. That was when Skye began to hear the sound of heels clicking sharply against the floor. Her mom. Skye refused to look at her.

“You ran away,” Regina said, her voice tight with anger and worry. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?”

“I wouldn’t have had to if you listened to me!” Skye snapped. “You’re just sending them away!”

Regina’s expression softened slightly. “I’ve found someone who can take them in. Together. Marco has agreed to look after them until we can find a permanent solution."

Skye blinked, her anger faltering. “Marco?”

“He’s always wanted children,” Regina explained. “He’ll give them a good home.”

Skye’s shoulders sagged with relief. “You… you really did that?”

Regina’s voice was firm but kind. “I’m not the bad guy Skye, I’m your mother. I always listen, even if you think I don’t.”

Tears welled up in Skye’s eyes before she lunged at Regina, wrapping her arms around her. “I’m sorry for running away.”

Regina pulled her into a tight hug. “We’ll fix this. Together.”

Regina wasn’t sure if she made the right choice. She only had a limited supply of magic in this world, and it was a shame to waste it on something as inconsequential as this. But here, now, with Skye wrapped up safely in her arms?

Nothing felt more right than this.

Chapter Text

Summer vacation was near, today was the last day of school. Skye was sad that she wouldn’t have Miss Blanchard as a teacher next year. Her mom was disappointed too, Skye could tell she was going to miss verbally destroying Miss Blanchard on her behalf.

“Alright class, be sure to have fun this summer!” Miss Blanchard called out cheerfully as the final bell rang. Everyone gathered their things and rushed out the door, eager to start their summer vacation. Skye was slower to put her things away and as her classmates filed out the door, she approached Miss Blanchard’s desk.

“Skye! Is everything okay?” Miss Blanchard asked, concerned, but with a warm smile on her face.

Skye reached into her bag and pulled out an apple, with a nervous grin on her face. “Yes Miss Blanchard. You’re the best teacher I’ve ever had and I wanted you to have this.” She held out her arm, apple in hand.

Miss Blanchard stared at the apple, face frozen, enraptured.

“I picked it myself!” Skye said with a conspiratorial grin. “Just don’t tell my mom.”

Skye’s words returned her to the present, she shook her head to clear herself from the trance. She blinked and smiled again. “That’s very kind of you Skye.” She reached out, and took a bite of the apple, eyes lighting up with delight. “Mmm, delicious! Do you have any plans for the summer?”

“Horseback riding!” Skye replied, excitement shining in her eyes. “Mom says I'm ready for the more advanced lessons.” She couldn't contain herself, excitement bursting at the seams, “Ava and Nicholas are going to meet with me during summer too. I’m sure I can convince Ava to go riding with me! Have you ever been horseback riding, Miss Blanchard?”

Mary Margaret’s smile faltered, her gaze growing distant once again, before her thoughts returned to her. “I’m afraid I haven’t, I’m nowhere near brave enough to ride a horse.” She reached out and gave Skye a kind pat on the shoulder, voice shifting to concern. “How are Ava and Nicholas doing? They seem a lot happier, those poor things, I can’t believe no one knew.”

“They’re definitely happier staying with Mr. Marco.” Skye beamed. “He’s been teaching them some woodcraft, and he even offered to teach me too!”

Miss Blanchard’s smile widened, her tone full of pride. “Well, I hope you have fun Skye, you did a very wonderful thing for them. You should be proud. They’re very lucky to have a friend like you.” She paused, looking thoughtful for a second, before reaching into her desk drawer. “Here, I want you to have this.”

Skye hesitated as she reached out and grabbed the notebook Miss Blanchard was holding, her eyes widening when she saw the cover.

It was adorned in artistically beautiful sketches of various woodland creatures.

“I.. I can’t accept this.” Skye said, her voice stammering with surprise.

Miss Blanchard shook her head with a kind smile. “Please, I insist. It’s something I work on in my free time, I have plenty of others at home. Really, you’d be doing me a favor by taking it off my hands. Besides, everyone could use a journal.”

Skye ran her fingers across the cover, her voice soft with gratitude. “Thank you, Miss Blanchard.”

“Now run along and enjoy your summer Skye. You’ve earned it.” Miss Blanchard said with a warm smile.

“Thanks, Miss Blanchard!” Skye grinned as she dashed out of the classroom, eager to go meet her friends and begin her summer vacation.

~~~

Summer was over before she knew it. Her mom took her horseback riding when she could get free from the office, and Mr. Marco even gave her a few woodworking lessons alongside Ava and Nicholas. Plus, she managed to convince Ava to go horseback riding with her! Well, a loud noise ended up spooking Stella before they could get on, and Skye needed to spend an hour soothing her horse before she calmed down. But, hey. Progress!

When she wasn’t spending time horseback riding or with her friends. She was spending time with Henry. His favorite game was ‘Superheroes,’ and he loved when she would put on his ‘cape’ and fly him around the house. It was tiring, carrying him while running, but oh so worth it to hear his laugh.

And then, late at night, under the covers after her mom tucked her into bed. Skye would be up on her laptop. Determined to improve her hacking skills. While the feeling lessened slightly now that she had a family, the need to know what happened to her birth parents was still overwhelming.

She hasn’t seen her friends for the past few weeks, she can only assume they were busy with Mr. Marco and would call when they were free. She got it, it wasn’t like there weren’t days where she had to bail on her friends because her mom wanted to spend time with her. They could have called. She missed them.

They'll be in eighth grade this year while Skye will be in sixth. Skye kept glancing at the clock, hoping it would move faster. She really needed to talk to Ava and Nicholas, because something weird was going on.

As the lunch bell rang, Skye quickly gathered her things and rushed out of Mr. Shepherd’s class to go meet her friends. When she got to their usual spot, she couldn’t find them. They were a no show. She would have to track them down after school. She wondered what was going on.

Skye spent all of lunch searching for them, she was irritated and hungry. She had wanted to talk to them about how she thought it was weird that none of her old classmates were in class with her. Now, she could talk to them about how upset she was that Ava and Nicholas didn't meet her for lunch like usual!

Toward the end of class, Skye was doodling in her notebook with her glitter pen. It was a deep purple, a gift specifically sent to her by Santa, or so Mom claims. Out of all the colors she’d gotten, this one was her favorite.

She was old enough now to be sure it was just from her mom, but she liked playing into the mystery. For Henry’s sake, totally not her own.

As she was doodling, she was trying to wrap her head around something even weirder that happened.

Earlier, she had asked her teacher if she could use the bathroom, and on her way back to class she walked past Miss Blanchard’s classroom. When she looked inside, her classmates from last year were all in there! Now, her entire class getting held back once is weird, but it happening a second time? That was just impossible! She ran to look inside of Sister Astrid's classroom and low and behold, her class from two years ago was still in there!

She needed to talk to Ava and Nicholas about this, and as the bell rang, she once again rushed out of the classroom to find them. Once she spotted Ava and Nicholas outside, she rushed over to them.

“Ava! Nicholas! Hey where have you guys been?” Skye shouted, waving excitedly. “You would not believe the day I've been having. Something weird is going on, and I need to talk to you guys about it.”

Ava turned and stared at her blankly before saying, “Umm, do we know you?”

Nicholas frowned, squinting. “Isn't she the mayor's kid?”

“Oh right, what do you want?” Ava said, realization filling her eyes, voice cold.

Skye frowned, confused, and rolled her eyes. “Guys, come on, this isn't funny.”

“We’re not joking,” Nicholas said. “We’ve never spoken to you before.”

As they turned to leave, Skye reached out to grab Ava’s sleeve. “Guys come on, it's me, Skye? This really isn’t funny. Whatever I did, I'm sorry, just-”

“Let go of me.” Ava snapped, her voice sharp. “We don't know you. And we have things to do”

“But-”

Before Skye could respond, Nicholas reached out and shoved her back, making her stumble. “She said let go.” His voice firm as he glared at her.

Skye tripped over her own feet and fell to the ground, and could only stare at them in confusion.

“Come on Nicholas, Mom’s going to be worried if we don't get home soon.” Ava said to her brother.

Powerless to move, Skye could only stare as they walked away, shocked. What just happened?

Skye walked home in a daze, trying to process what happened. No matter how she looked at it, it didn’t make sense.

“Mom something really weird is going on.” Skye said, her voice laced with panic. “When I spoke with Ava and Nicholas, they were acting like they didnt know me! And after school they walked away from Mr. Marco’s house, and headed toward their old home. And that's not all! None of my classmates moved to the next grade. I even checked Sister Astrids class, and my classmates from two years ago were still in there. And they don’t look any older! What is going on?” Skye said, slightly hysterical.

Regina paused as she stared at her daughter, how could she have forgotten to check on the curse. She hadn’t thought the magic would fade so soon. She was hoping by placing those brats with ‘Marco’ it would lead to Skye not asking questions. She was dreading this moment, hoping it would never come up, for she could never come up with a particularly good answer. Not one she wanted to give her daughter anyways.

Thankfully, she was prepared.

“What? Not aging? Skye, what nonsense are you talking about? How much sleep have you gotten? Have you been staying up late on your laptop again? How many times do I have to tell you not to do that, you’re going to ruin your eyes that way.”

Skye stared at her mom, frustration boiling over from today’s events and her mom ignoring her. “What, Mom? You’re not even listening!”

Regina reached out to feel Skye’s forehead, her expression shifting to concern. “Skye, you’re burning up. Here, drink some apple cider. It will help calm you down. Drink up.”

Skye rolled her eyes and took a sip to placate her mom. “I’m fine, Mom. I don’t feel sick. Something weird is going on, and you aren't listening.”

“Skye dear, you’re talking nonsense,” Regina said firmly. “I think it might be best if you visit Dr. Hopper. I'll schedule an appointment for after school.”

“What?! No! I'm not crazy, Mom! I…” Skye’s voice trailed off as an overwhelming wave of exhaustion hit her. “I… I’m so sleepy…” Her eyes fluttered shut as she fought to stay awake.

Regina’s voice softened as she caught Skye before she could fall. “I've got you, dear,” she murmured. “It’s alright. Just sleep, your mother is right here. I’m not going anywhere. Everything will be fine in the morning.”

Skye groggily woke up, disoriented and confused. The events of yesterday were still foggy in her mind.

“Good morning, dear. How are you feeling?” Regina said, voice full of concern.

“What… Mom,” Skye mumbled, her mind struggling to make sense of what was going on. “What happened?”

“You had a fever,” Regina said. “Thankfully it broke overnight while you were sleeping. How are you feeling now, dear? You were acting hysterical last night.”

“But… Ava and Nicholas…” She didn’t imagine that, she couldn’t have, her friends looking at her like she was a stranger.

“Whatever you’re talking about was just a dream,” Regina said, brushing off her daughter's words. “I called Marco last night, and he said Ava and Nicholas came straight home right after school. It was just your fever playing tricks on you, Skye.”

Skye sat up, she didn’t feel sick, but she also still felt dizzy. It was a struggle to make sense of things. “But… it felt so real.”

“I know, dear.” Regina said, her tone softening. “I still want you to visit Dr. Hopper after school today, I think talking about it could help you.”

Skye groaned, this wasn’t the first time she had to talk to a shrink, they never helped with anything, she hated talking to them. While her own experience was never so severe, she had heard plenty of horror stories from other foster kids. She didn’t want to talk to another shrink. She wasn’t crazy. “But…”

“No buts dear.” Regina said, voice firm. “You're going to Dr. Hopper after school and that's final.”

Skye knew there was no fighting it when her mom used that tone. “Ugh, fine.”

As she was getting ready for school, putting everything in her backpack she noticed something missing. “Mom, have you seen my glitter pen?”

Regina paused, thinking, before she said, “No, dear. You must have left it at school.”

Skye frowned. Well, she did remember drawing in her notebook yesterday.

Rushing out of class once the lunch bell rang, Skye went to their usual spot in the hopes of finding her friends. She felt nothing but relief once she spotted them.

“Skye! We didn't see you yesterday?” Ava questioned with a bright grin on her face, “We thought you had to go home early or something. We missed you.” she said as she reached out to hug Skye.

“I missed you guys too,” Skye said with a relieved grin on her face, hugging back, happy to be with her friends once more. “I had the craziest dream while I was sick.”

“Well you can tell us all about it.” Nicholas said, eager to hear whatever crazy dream Skye’s mind conjured up. “Unfortunately we can’t go to the stables after school, we have to get home early today, Marco said he wanted to show us something. I think he’s gonna let us use a power saw!”

“He is not.” Ava scoffed at him. “He probably just wants to show us more of his old stuff.”

Nicholas stuck his tongue out at her.

Skye shook her head, amused, then made a face. “Yeah well, my mom signed me up for therapy classes with Dr Hopper after school, so I guess that works out.”

“We can go down to the stables tomorrow, are you okay?” Nicholas asked concerned.

“Yeah,” Skye frowned. “I was just sick yesterday, I’m feeling better now. My mom’s just overreacting.”

“Good to hear it,” Ava said, “Now tell us all about this dream.”

Skye had checked her desk, and there was no sign of her glitter pen. Unable to find it, she decided to go to where she spoke with Ava and Nicholas yesterday. Something was going on, she knew she wasn't crazy, that she didn’t just imagine things yesterday. She had even checked Miss Blanchard’s class earlier to see if she was mistaken. She wasn’t. Her old classmates were still in there.

When Skye arrived at the spot, she didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. With a defeated sigh, she turned to leave, then, she saw it. There, sticking out of the dirt she fell in yesterday, was her glitter pen.

Something weird was going on in Storybrooke, and she was pretty sure her mom knew what. And that she wanted Skye to ignore it.

Skye glanced at her watch and winced. She was going to be late to her appointment with her shrink.

~~~

Sessions with Dr. Hopper were… fine. He was nice to talk to? Certainly better than her previous shrinks. Even if Skye couldn’t be completely honest with him anymore, it was still nice. Like having another friend. Dr. Hopper was good at that.

When she first started her sessions with Dr. Hopper, Skye tried to be stubborn, tried to be quiet on principle. Show him that she didn't want to be there, didn't need to be there. Despite her stubbornness, Dr. Hopper actually managed to get her to open up and start talking.

That all broke when she found out he was reporting to her mom about what she talked about in these sessions.

She had opened up to Dr. Hopper about wanting, no, needing, to know what happened to her birth parents.

The evening started like any other. Skye sat on the carpet of the living room floor, helping Henry stack blocks and make a tower. His laughter filled the room every time it fell, and Skye couldn’t help but laugh alongside him. In the kitchen, Regina hummed softly as she prepared dinner, the sound of the sizzling stovetop adding to the atmosphere alongside Henry and Skye’s laughter that made their house feel like a home.

Everything was perfect.

Then the phone rang.

Regina wiped her hands on a dish towel before picking it up. “Dr. Hopper,” she said, her tone brisk. Skye’s attention shifted from Henry’s attempt at building a tower when she heard her mom’s voice shift to a sharper tone. The one that meant trouble.

“What?” Regina barked. The rest of what her mom was saying was too quiet for her to hear, aside from the very end. “Thank you for informing me Doctor.” she hissed frostily, before slamming the phone on the counter.

“Everything okay Mom?” Skye called out.

“Just fine, dear. Keep playing with your brother, dinner will be ready soon.”

Alone in the kitchen Regina’s hands shook. It didn’t matter, none of it did. Skye was her daughter, hers, and nothing, and she meant nothing, would change that. She tried to focus on finishing dinner but found her mind wandering, unable to stop it. She glanced at the cabinet, surely one glass of wine wouldn’t hurt. Just to take the edge off.

Dinner was served not long after, and the three of them sat at the table. Regina’s gaze distant, as she picked at the food on her plate. Henry’s happy babbling the only sound filling the room.

Skye could see the tension radiating off her mother and decided to try and lighten the mood. “You know, Henry’s a total artist,” she said with a teasing smile, pointing toward his chaotic mess of food splattered across his plate and the table. “I really think he's going to be one of the greats someday.”

Henry grinned, holding up a handful of his food, squishing it all together between his fingers. “Splat!” he shouted, giggling, as he threw his food on the floor.

“Henry!” Regina’s voice was sharp, snapping him out of his giggles. He froze, looking up at her with wide eyes.

Skye let out a laugh, trying to smooth things over, not the reaction she expected. Usually, Mom would just freak about the mess he was making.

“Hey, it’s okay. He’s just, uh, experimenting?” She said with a grin, “I’m sure all the great artists have thrown food on the floor at some point in their lives. I bet some of them weren’t even toddlers when they did!”

Regina’s lips twitched, like she was fighting to smile, but the brief flicker of amusement didn’t last. She sighed heavily, running a hand through her hair. “Skye, eat your vegetables.” Her tone sharper than usual.

“I am.” Skye mumbled, startled.

Regina took another generous sip of her wine, glass nearly empty. She hadn’t touched her food. Finally, as dinner drew to a close, the silence broke.

“What am I doing wrong?” Regina muttered, her voice so quiet that Skye almost missed it.

Skye looked up, confused. “Mom?”

Regina’s eyes filled with tears as she slammed her glass down on the table, shattering it, the sound making Skye and Henry jump. "Wasn’t I good enough for you?” Her voice cracked, and she buried her face in her hands, trying to regain her composure.

“Mom, what are you talking about?” Skye asked, heart racing.

Regina looked up, tears falling down her face. “Why do you need them? What do they have that I don’t? Tell me what I’m doing wrong! Haven’t I done everything for you!” Her sharp voice broke into a sob, and she clutched the edge of the table for support. “You don’t need them when you have me!”

Seeing his mothers distress, Henry burst into tears alongside her. Skye froze, all she could do was stare with wide eyes. Is… is she talking about her birth parents? How would she even know?

This wasn’t the first time a foster parent or guardian had gotten drunk in front of Skye, she just never thought her mom would too. Usually, Skye would hide away until they calmed down. It was different this time though, this was her mom. She couldn’t just leave, not when she could help.

“Mom…” Skye’s voice trembled as she got up, “You… you haven’t done anything wrong.” Regina just started crying harder. It was like her mom couldn’t hear her. She glanced at Henry, who was crying even harder now. She leaned over and wrapped him in a hug, trying to soothe him.

She glanced around, looking for something, anything, that would help.

That was when she spotted it. The bottle of apple cider tucked away on the counter.

Skye thought back to the night this all started. She knows she didn’t imagine things, she knew she wasn’t crazy, didn’t just randomly get tired. There was some type of sleeping medicine in that bottle.

“Hold on Henry,” she murmured to her distressed brother. Skye grabbed a glass and quickly poured the cider and made her way over to her mother.

“Mom,” she said softly, “Here, drink this. It’ll make you feel better.”

Regina took a sip without question, too lost in her tears, too drunk to know what was going on, simply listening to her daughter's voice.

“Come on, Mom” Skye said, guiding her towards the living room. “Let’s go sit on the couch. Okay?”

“Henry,” she murmured.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him.” Skye said as her mom hit the couch, she gently guided her mom to lay down. Within seconds of Regina’s head hitting the pillow, she was fast asleep.

Skye stood for a moment and just stared in worry. She swallowed hard and turned her attention to Henry who was still sniffling.

“Hey, buddy,” she said softly, bending slightly to get him to look at her. “It’s okay. Mom’s just not feeling well. She was a little sick and needs some sleep. She'll be better in the morning, promise. How about we go play in your room, huh?”

Henry nodded slightly, still sniffling, and Skye lifted him up, carrying him to his room.

The next morning, Regina woke to the smell of burnt toast and the clatter of pots and pans. Her head was killing her, and her memories of last night were hazy. The last thing she recalled was making dinner. Everything after that was a blur.

When she stepped into the kitchen, she found Skye standing at the stove, staring down at the pan with a focused expression.

“Skye, what are you doing?” Regina asked, her voice still groggy. She moved in closer. “Let me help-”

“No!” Skye said quickly, turning to her with a proud smile. “I wanted to surprise you with breakfast!”

Regina let out a smile as she moved to pour herself some coffee. “That means more to me than you know, dear, truly. But, really. Let me help before you burn the kitchen down.” Regina took in Skye’s pouting face as she took over kitchen duties. “You can still help, how about you flip the pancakes for me.”

As they got into the rhythm of cooking breakfast, she cleared her throat before asking, “Skye, I didn’t… act strangely last night, did I?”

Skye hesitated for a brief moment, her grip tightening on the spatula. “What do you mean?” she asked, feigning nonchalance. “Like how you fell asleep right after dinner? I just figured you were really tired. With that festival coming up, you’ve been working so hard lately.”

Regina chuckled softly, a hint of relief in her voice. “Oh, Skye. That’s very sweet of you to say.”

Skye turned back to the pancakes, heart racing. Her mom could never find out what happened last night, could never find out that she was searching for her birth parents. As she switched the stove off, she carried the plate of pancakes to the table.

“Thank you, Skye. I love you.” Regina said, reaching out to ruffle her daughter's hair.

Skye just nodded, forcing a smile of her own. “You’re welcome, Mom. I love you too.” Despite everything that happened, she couldn’t help but melt into her mom’s touch.

So, yeah, needless to say, Skye never brought up the subject of her birth parents again, with anyone. At this point she just wanted the sessions to end. She just needed to wait a few more weeks before Dr. Hopper would give her the all clear.

Noticing her classmates not aging was simply the beginning of her noticing all the strange things happening in this town. She tested the limits of whatever time loop people were stuck in to try and find the boundaries.

First she brought things up with Dr. Hopper and witnessed how his gaze would cloud over when she pointed out the inconsistencies, before he reasserted that it was Skye who was the one that was mistaken, that she was simply seeing things that weren’t there. She had over heard him talking to her mom, telling her that she had an ‘active imagination’.

She even began to notice that people would have the exact same conversations that she remembered them having last year or the year before. Sometimes they would even have the same conversation that she remembered them having just weeks before.

The one that stood out the most was Ashley Boyd. She has been pregnant for as long as Skye can remember. Before she began noticing things, Skye just thought Ashly was having a lot of kids. When Skye asked her about her other kids though, Ashly simply laughed her off and told her she was carrying her first one.

Ashly Boyd was a strike against her time loop theory, considering how far along in her pregnancy she looked, but she didn’t know what else to call it.

Skye began to jot everything she noticed down in the journal that Miss Blanchard gifted to her.

~~~

One notable thing that happened this summer, aside from her riding lessons and her investigations, was the time that Skye finally swore in front of her mom, and maybe kinda blamed Miss Blanchard for it when Mom asked where she heard those words. Stupid. She should have just said she heard them before she was adopted by her. It wasn’t like it wouldn’t have been true. Her mom could just be so intimidating at times.

Mom went apocalyptic on Miss Blanchard. She was so harsh that Skye actually felt pretty bad.

It was one thing when Mom enjoyed being mean to Miss Blanchard for reasons she didn’t know about, it was a whole other thing when it was her fault. And it was, this time. Skye felt awful.

Skye shuffled in front of Miss Blanchard’s door, trying to work up the courage. She had to do this, apologize, it was the right thing to do. She knocked and waited. There was no answer, maybe Miss Blanchard wasn't home? Skye felt relief at the thought, she could come back another day.

Just as Skye began shuffling back, the door opened, and there stood Miss Blanchard. Skye stared, wide eyed, before plastering on a bright grin.

“Skye?” Miss Blanchard’s voice was curious and kind, “What are you doing here?”

“Miss Blanchard, Hi!” Skye said quickly, with forced enthusiasm. “Mr. Marco was teaching us how to make things and I decided to make this for you, here!” She held out a small, carefully carved blue jay.

Miss Blanchard took a moment to process what Skye was saying before reaching out and accepting it and began inspecting it. “Oh wow, this is lovely Skye, you made it yourself?” she said, voice warm, before her expression turned more serious. “This wouldn't have anything to do with why Regina paid me a visit yesterday, would it?

Skye winced, she scuffed her foot against the floor, “Yeah,” she muttered, looking down, before glancing back up. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have blamed you. I just… panicked.” Skye finished lamely.

Miss Blanchard’s expression softened. “Thank you, for the apology Skye.” She gave a thoughtful hum, eyebrow raised, “Although, in the future, instead of looking for someone to blame, perhaps you could choose to take responsibility for your actions instead. We are the choices we make Skye. Just something for you to think about.” She offered a smile, showing all was forgiven, “Now, run along, it's summer. There's plenty of fun to be had.”

Skye nodded, thankful Miss Blanchard accepted her apology. She had her words to think on.

So yeah, that was… terrible. But it wasn’t the most interesting thing to happen during summer. That happened when she finally confirmed to herself that people were trapped in some kind of weird time loop.

Toward the end of summer, Skye would go out without telling her mom where she was going, just that she was going to the stables. She had a theory, one she needed to prove to herself, she needed to know. If she was right, people here were trapped in some kind of weird time loop. She was going to figure out when people got ‘reset’.

If her theory was correct, any day now Ava and Nicholas would be back living on their own, and Mr. Marco would have no memory of them.

All she had to do was go to Mr. Marco’s house everyday and hang out with her friends, simple. Eventually, Mr. Marco would tell her that her friends weren’t there, that they had never been there.

And then, one day, he did.

When she asked Mr. Marco if she could see Ava and Nicholas, he acted like he didn’t know what she was talking about, like he didn’t know her, how he only vaguely recognized her as the mayor's kid.

When that happened, Skye rushed over to her friend's old neighborhood trying to find them. When she spoke to them, they acted like they didn’t know her either! Just that they’ve seen her around school. How she was the mayor’s kid. Exactly like that day after school.

That had confirmed it for her, something weird was going on in Storybrooke, and now, Skye needed to test if her mother knew about it.

That night, Skye told her mom she was going to spend time with Ava and Nicholas tomorrow. To her ‘utter shock’, Mom told her that she wanted to spend the day at the stables with her and she could spend time with her friends tomorrow. She insisted. Not suspicious at all. Especially since earlier, her mom told her she would have to get to the office extra early tomorrow.

The day after that when she went to Mr. Marco’s house, everything was back to normal. Her friends remembered her, like they had never forgotten.

Skye just didn’t understand why her mom would trap people in a time loop. Was she even really the one behind it? Or was she as trapped as everyone else?

~~~

She was in the same class as Ava and Nicholas this year, they never acknowledged how strange it was that they shared a class now. Skye couldn't keep pretending that everything was normal, she needed to bring it up with her mom.

“Mom,” Skye began “I’m in the same class as Ava and Nicholas this year.”

Regina didn’t even look up, absorbed in making sure Henry eats without making a mess. “That’s nice, dear.”

“Mom, Ava and Nicholas.” Skye emphasized, frustrated, her voice rising. “The same Ava and Nicholas who have been my friends for the past two years? The friends who were twelve when I met them! Does that ring any bells?!”

“Young lady, don’t take that tone with me!” Regina said sharply before her tone shifted to concern. “Are you feeling well? I think it's time you resume therapy sessions with Dr. Hopper. I’ll make you an appointment for tomorrow after school.”

With that Regina returned her attention back to Henry, ending the conversation. Focusing on making sure he eats without him dropping his food and making a mess. From Henry's laughter, her mom wasn't successful.

Skye could only stare at her mother in disbelief.

Skye sat back in her chair, frustrated. She couldn't believe her mom was sending her back to Dr. Hopper. She wasn’t crazy. She just wanted answers.

Mom doesn’t want her to talk about this. Message received. Loud and clear.

~~~

Skye was the same age as her friends now.

~~~

Henry’s fourth birthday was unforgettable.

They were in the backyard celebrating, it was superhero themed and Mom spared no expense at the decorations. While Henry hadn’t gotten the Superman costume he begged for, Mom did buy him a nice red cape that he spent most of the afternoon running around in. They were in the middle of an intense game of Simon Says when the most peculiar thing happened.

A moose jumped over the backyard wall.

Mom immediately dragged them inside and was freaking out. She called animal control to come deal with this while Henry was clearly loving it. He was smushing his face on the glass door trying to get a better look, eyes wide with wonder.

“It’s a moose! Mom, can we keep it?!” he asked, bouncing up and down.

“Absolutely not!” Regina snapped, her voice laced with alarm.

Skye could only stare at her brother's fascination with the moose and muttered, “Pretty sure he wants to ride it.”

Regina sighed, pressing her fingers to her temple. “Skye, why don’t you grab your present for Henry. I’ll set up the cake, he can open the rest of his presents once this… situation is under control.”

“Okay Mom,” Skye said, as she ran to the other room to grab the present.

That was when she heard her mom shout,

“Henry, NO!”

Skye rushed back to the kitchen and saw the door to the backyard was wide open. Henry had run up to the Moose, and was currently reaching out to pet it.

“Henry, get back here this instant!” Regina shouted, trying to get closer.

While the moose seemed calm, Mom was trying to get him away from it without angering it. It looked like she was on the verge of having a heart attack with how worried she was. It didn’t help that every time Mom took a step closer, it would let out a snort in warning, only calming when she took a step back.

Skye cautiously approached, eyes locked on her brother, “Don't worry, I'll try and grab him Mom.”

“Just be careful!” Regina said, voice full of worry.

Skye took a hesitant step forward, looking for any signs that the moose would get mad. When it didn't, she took another step forward, then another. Its wide eyes were focused on her, but showed no signs of aggression.

When she got close enough, she scooped up her brat of a brother, who, in his excitement at getting to pet the moose, didn't even seem to notice how worried Mom was.

“Bye bye, Mr. Moose!” Henry shouted, giggling and waving enthusiastically, as Skye dragged him towards their mom. Skye couldn’t help but roll her eyes at her oblivious brother.

“Henry Daniel Mills!” Regina scolded as she scooped him out of Skye’s arms, and began frantically checking over him. “Don’t you ever do something like that again mister! Do you hear me?”

Henry pouted. “But I just wanted to pet it.”

“No buts!” Regina huffed as she took him inside, “As punishment, you won't be allowed to open your presents until tomorrow. Now, you are to stay with your sister. I won't hear a single complaint from you. Skye, watch your brother, I’m going to finish the cake.”

“Okay, Mom.” Skye said.

Waiting until she could hear her mom in the kitchen, Skye let out an exasperated sigh. She flicked his nose lightly. “What were you thinking?”

Henry pouted. “I just wanted to pet the moose.”

“Yeah well, you made Mom worried.” Skye said, shaking her head, before smirking and held out the present she got him. “Here, if you can keep quiet, you can open this.”

Henry’s pout disappeared as he grabbed the present and ripped it open before letting out an excited squeal.

‘So much for quiet.’ Skye thought wryly.

Hearing Henry, Regina came back into the room and noticed what he was holding, before giving Skye a disapproving eyebrow. “And just what did you give him?”

Skye sheepishly replied, as she watched Henry play with his new toy. “I made it at Mr. Marco’s, it was supposed to be Captain America but I messed it up and had to turn it into a knight instead.”

“Hmm, I suppose it's fitting, a knight for my little prince.” Regina said, her expression proud as she ruffled Skye’s hair, “A knight protects people from all manners of danger, and you, young lady, were every bit the knight today, swooping in to rescue your brother from that… beast.”

Skye beamed at the praise.

Regina leaned down to kiss Skye’s brow, “Now come, Henry’s cake is ready.”

Grinning, Skye followed her mom and brother into the kitchen. ‘Henry’s knight, huh?’ She didn’t mind the sound of that.

~~~

Skye was going to be a grade above her friends this year. That was… something

~~~

Skye kept stealing glances at her friends, she couldn’t get over it. The fact that they were still twelve. Still working on the same school work they had when she first met them.

Earlier today, she had helped them with their math homework. It was the same problem they struggled with every year. By now, Skye was an expert when it came to that particular problem.

They were currently walking toward the beach after spending the afternoon at the animal shelter. Earlier, she’d asked Ava and Nicholas what pet they’d want if they could have one which had sparked a fierce debate between the superiority of parakeets versus dogs.

“Parakeets can learn how to skateboard! I think I win on that alone.” Ava said confidently.

“Dogs can learn too!” Nicholas shot back.

“Parakeets and tiny, it’s different!”

“Yeah, well, dogs can learn to play basketball!”

“Were you dropped on your head as a baby? They can not.” Ava crossed her arms. “That was a movie.”

“Can too! If a parakeet can learn to ‘skateboard,’” Nicholas gestured with air quotes, “then a dog can learn to play basketball! Besides, birds are annoying.”

Both siblings glared at each other, sure the other was right.

By the time they’d called a truce, Skye had remembered that Sheriff Graham volunteered at the animal shelter and suggested they go spend the rest of the day playing with the animals, only restarting their debate between animals once they left.

Now, as they walked toward the beach, repeatedly glancing between her friends, Skye couldn’t keep quiet any longer.

“I’m gonna be in high school next year,” she said abruptly. “You guys don’t find that weird?”

Ending their glaring contest, both turned to Skye with twin looks of confusion on their faces.

“What would be weird about you going to high school?” Nicholas asked, his brows furrowed.

“What would be-” Skye let out a disbelieving laugh. “What wouldn’t be weird! How long have we known each other? Been friends? When did we even meet?” She gestured between them. “Come on, you have to know something weird is going on. You’re still in seventh grade for crying out loud!”

Ava and Nicholas only stared at her in silence.

“Come on. Answer me!” Skye demanded. “How did we meet!”

Ava shrugged. “Skye, we’ve known you for as long as we can remember.”

Nicholas nodded, concern creeping into his voice. “Yeah Skye, are you feeling okay? You’re not making any sense.”

Skye’s shoulders slumped, defeated. She stared at her friends, looking for a hint that they knew something was wrong. For something, anything.

This isn’t the first time she’s asked someone in Storybrooke this question. How long they have known her. She would always receive a variation of the exact same response.

‘I’ve known you for as long as I can remember.’

Seeing nothing, Skye just quietly said, “Yeah, sorry, just playing a dumb prank, guess it wasn’t funny.”

She had hoped her friends would be different.

With a forced smile, she said, “You know what? I totally forgot. Mom wanted me to watch Henry. I should go.”

Skye didn’t wait for their response.

She had really hoped her friends would be different.

~~~

Skye was now officially a year older than her friends… she didn’t know how to feel.

Chapter Text

Skye had just started high school and she has improved her hacking skills by a large margin, she was getting close to finding what happened to her birth parents, she could feel it. Her trail led her to some government agency. S.H.I.E.L.D.

She wasn’t yet confident enough to be able to hack in and not get caught. She needed more practice, Mom would kill her if she found out what illegal activities Skye was getting herself into. She was hopeful that in another year, she would be confident enough to try and break in.

Skye had begun the process of digging into Storybrooke’s files in her free time. The cyber security here sucked, so it wasn’t exactly any good for improving her skills, but she had other reasons to dig into the files.

The more she dug into the town the less things were connected, the less they made sense. The files were there and made sense at a cursory glance, but the deeper she got the more messy things were. One file would say one thing, and the next would say something completely different. On their own both made sense, but together? Things get riddled with contradictions.

Why was she digging into these files? Even after she told herself to ignore it for her moms sake? Well, Henry was five now and was starting to question things. She would give him another year before he really started questioning things, maybe two.

The first time he began to notice something was up was after he turned four and his friends from preschool didn’t follow him into the afternoon classes. That was when Henry threw the biggest tantrum she could ever remember.

Mom eventually managed to calm him down. Skye didn’t hear what excuse Mom gave him, but she just focused on distracting Henry from it. As long as he was happy and she kept him distracted by playing with him, he’d be so happy he wouldn’t worry about not being able to keep the same friends.

Right? Right.

It’s not like it was a burden to play with Henry, she loved spending time with her little brother. She just also needed to find something that Henry could do by himself when she was busy. Maybe she could talk Mom into getting him some video games or maybe a computer.

Or perhaps she could talk Mom into getting the library reopened. That way Henry would have other ways to entertain himself when he got bored. Henry loved reading stories, she was sure he would love it in there. She was already imagining the ways she could help decorate a little nook specifically made for Henry to read in. His own fortress of solitude.

Henry had just started kindergarten. After school, she overheard Henry ask Mom why none of his friends from preschool were in his class, and heard Mom tell him that they were just in a different class and to use this opportunity to make new friends. Skye knew that excuse wouldn’t hold. It certainly didn’t for her.

Digging into the files wasn’t just about Henry either. She was also digging to try and find out who was controlling the reset. If anyone other than her mom was controlling the reset, she’d put her money on Mr. Gold. The guy gave her the creeps.

Whenever she saw him her instincts told her to avoid him at all cost, not to get noticed by him. It didn’t help that while her mom was mayor, Mr. Gold owned this town.

She saw the look in his eyes when he was collecting rent from people, he relished being cruel to them when they were short on rent. To be able to be cruel and get away with it. Being able to offer people ‘deals’ when they were backed into a corner and had no other choice but to accept his ‘kindness’ because for one reason or another, they didn’t make rent that month.

Skye just thought, if she could get proof that someone other than her mom was behind the reset, she could get them to stop it, to let the people in this town go. Could protect her mom from the mastermind's wrath. Henry would be able to make and keep friends. Ava and Nicholas would grow up with her.

She couldn’t think about the possibility that her mom was the one behind it all, it would break her heart. The mom she knew and loved didn’t match up with the idea that her mom would choose to trap a bunch of people in some time loop.

She already knew if her mom was the one behind it she wouldn’t confront her about it, didn’t want to rock the boat and ruin things. Mom’s already made it clear she didn’t want Skye to talk about it. She didn’t want to get sent to Dr. Hopper again.

Despite everything, there was some part of her that still feared her mom sending her back to Saint Agnes if she started asking too many questions. Things were good, better than good, and she couldn’t be the one to make her family fall apart by questioning things. She thought, maybe, once Henry went to college, she would finally talk to her mom about it.

She could ignore her guilt until then, she would just have to learn to live with hating herself.

~~~

Alright, so, getting Mom to reopen the library was a bust. She’d been pretty cagey about it, too. Something about the library being ‘too dangerous’ to be reopened. It was a library, Skye didn’t understand what about it could be so dangerous. Maybe something with the building structure? Still, Skye figured she had a better shot at convincing her to buy Henry a video game system for Christmas. She just needed to find the right way to frame it.

She was currently walking down Main Street with Henry, on their way to meet her friends for ice cream.

“So, excited to meet my friends?” Skye asked, glancing at him.

Henry shrugged. “I guess.”

Skye smirked. ”You guess? Come on, meeting my cool friends is, like, a huge honor.

Henry scrunched up his nose. “How cool can they be if they hang out with you?”

“Wow, rude,” Skye scoffed, nudging his shoulder while rolling her eyes.

When Skye spotted Ava and Nicholas outside the ice cream shop, she jogged ahead, waving. “Hey, guys! This is Henry. Henry, meet Ava and Nicholas.”

Nicholas crouched a little to meet Henry’s eye. “Hi, Henry! Nice to finally meet you. Skye talks about you all the time.”

Henry ducked his head, suddenly shy.

Skye smirked, she knew exactly what to say to snap him out of his shyness. “You know, Henry, Ava’s favorite superhero is Wolverine.”

Henry’s head snapped up. “R-Really? What do you like about him?”

As Ava and Henry launched into a debate about superheroes, Skye and Nicholas headed inside the ice cream shop.

“Hey, Miss Fisher!” Skye greeted. “Can I get a scoop of cookie dough, and a scoop of cherry vanilla for my brother?”

Miss Fisher smiled warmly. “Of course, Skye. And let me guess, a scoop of Chocolate Fudge Brownie for Nicholas and Butterscotch for your sister.” She said as she looked over towards Nicholas, her smile becoming teasing.

Nicholas ducked his head with a sheepish grin. “You know us too well, Miss Fisher, thanks!”

A few minutes later, they were strolling down the street, ice cream in hand.

“So,” Skye said between licks, “I’m thinking about signing up for the fencing class next year.”

Henry’s eyes lit up. “Really? Then you’ll actually be like a knight!”

“Yep, that’s the plan,” Skye said with a wink. “Maybe I can convince Mom to get me a suit of armor for Halloween next year.”

The conversation quickly turned into a lively discussion about what they wanted to dress up as for Halloween. Ava suggested matching costumes, while Nicholas insisted on something scary.

As they walked, Skye couldn’t help but smile to herself. It was nice having friends.

The four of them never did get to dress up for Halloween together.

~~~

Skye was fourteen, in her second year of high school and her friends were twelve, they’ve been twelve for the past five years.

Now that she was older, Skye was finding it harder to approach Ava and Nicholas, to talk to them, to help them. They didn't trust her. Wouldn't hear her out. It hurt.

After this year's reset she told her Mom she was going to Marco’s. All she got out of her was a distracted, “That’s nice, dear.”

They didn’t remember her.

She waited, kept not so subtly bringing up Ava and Nicholas, but every time she did Mom would change the subject. Skye was sure her mom knew what she was doing, but she just didn’t fix things. Marco had no memory of them and Ava and Nicholas were no longer her friends. Skye didn't know what changed.

Okay, so, her mom either couldn’t or didn't want to fix whatever was wrong. It's been weeks and Skye can tell her mom is starting to get annoyed with how often she brings up Ava and Nicholas. She’s pretty sure she’s one step away from being sent back to Dr. Hopper’s.

This was fine. It looked like she would just have to find a way to help them on her own. She came up with what she thought was a great plan. Okay, well, part one of a plan, but she would figure out the rest as she went.

So, Part One. Skye recreated how she and her friends first met. She went to Mr. Clark’s store, browsed the comic books and waited. It took a week, but eventually Ava approached her and Nicholas stuffed their stolen goods in her bag. Mission Success. While she wasn’t friends with them, she did manage to offer them access to Town Hall's supply room.

There was a brief moment where she considered letting herself get caught. Have her mom rush down here, then stare her in the eyes and ask her to explain how her friends are still twelve while she’s fourteen.

The moment passed.

Skye watches as her friends walk away from her. Hating herself for not being able to confront her mom about what's going on in the town.

There had to be more she could do. They may not know it, but Ava and Nicholas were depending on her.

Skye climbed up into Henry’s fort, needing some quiet to gather her thoughts. Mom hated that Skye found this place, hated that she showed it to Henry. Thought it was much too dangerous. Skye would never forget the lecture Mom gave her after she caught them playing on his fort. She shudders just thinking about it.

She sighed, leaning back against the wooden frame, thoughts on Ava and Nicholas. There was more she could do for them, she knew there was, she just had to think of what. The sound of footsteps on the ladder snapped her out of her thoughts, followed by Henry’s voice.

“Skye! Hey, Skye!”

She turned, seeing Henry’s head peeking over the edge as he climbed up. “Henry! What are you doing here?”

“We were supposed to meet at the movie theater after school,” Henry said accusatory. “You never showed up.”

Skye groaned and sat up straighter. “Hey, come on, get down. You know Mom doesn’t like you climbing up here.”

“No way,” Henry said, stubborn as ever. “Not until you tell me what’s wrong.”

Skye let out a sigh, and brushed her fingers through her hair. “It’s nothing, Henry. I just had a rough day and needed to think.”

Henry tilted his head, concerned. “Are you okay?”

Skye softened, letting herself smile. “Yeah. Better now that you’re here.” She reached out and pulled him into a hug. “Come on, we’ve got a movie to watch.”

Henry grinned as they climbed down. “Only if we can watch “Underdog” again!”

Skye stopped in her tracks, turning to stare at him in horror. “What?! No way! It’s my turn to pick. We’ve already seen “Underdog” three times!”

Henry’s mischievous grin widened. “Well, you shouldn’t have been late. Besides…” He leaned in, his voice a whisper, “I could always tell Mom you brought me to my fort instead of the movie theater.”

Skye groaned dramatically, “Blackmail? From my own brother?” She reached out to give him a playful noogie. “Fine, you little brat. We’ll watch “Underdog” again. But remember, revenge will be swift!”

Henry cheered in triumph, and despite everything, Skye laughed. Spending time with her brother always had a way of making everything feel a little bit better. This only cemented her decision. Skye couldn’t ruin this.

~~~

Skye is really relieved high school offers fencing classes, she enjoys it. Whacking people with a sword is a good way to vent her frustrations.

~~~

Okay, it may have taken her a few months but she finally had a way to help Ava and Nicholas. Her solution? Sending them a debit card in their mom’s name. Finding the corrupt billionaire that wasn’t difficult to hack into and steal from was the easy part. Learning about bank shit was the hard part and it was. not. fun.

She could figure out how to get them a new card sent every year after she was sure her plan would work. It wouldn’t be the same as staying with Mr. Marco, but it had to be better than them needing to steal things. It had to.

Now she just had to wait and catch the siblings trying to use the debit card. They were twelve, she doubted they knew how it worked. Skye certainly didn’t. She could teach them how. This was the least she could do.

~~~

She was fifteen now. She missed her friends.

~~~

It was about a week before Halloween, and the town was buzzing with preparations for the upcoming festival. Regina was swamped with work and couldn’t make dinner that night. Instead, she planned to drop Skye and Henry off at Granny’s Diner.

When they arrived, Skye quickly made her way to the bathroom, while Regina led Henry to their booth. As they slid into their seats, Regina’s eyes caught sight of Snow entering the diner. It was as if fate itself intervened.

Henry had been asking more questions than usual, questions Regina still didn’t have any answers for. She was relieved that Skye had stopped asking questions. She didn’t know what she would do if she hadn’t.

Mary Margaret was the perfect target to take out her frustrations on.

Henry frowned, his nose buried in his book as his mom’s voice rose in sharp, clipped tones aimed at Miss Blanchard. There were times when watching his Mom get mad at Miss Blanchard was funny. When she got mad at her over the smallest, stupidest things. This wasn’t one of those times.

He glanced over the top of his book, wishing she would stop, wishing she would act more like she did at home. Kind, Loving, Warm. It was times like this that he barely recognized his mom. He wished she was nicer. Henry sank deeper into the booth, trying to ignore his mom’s voice, hoping that Skye would return from the bathroom soon.

Skye was in the stall when the door to the bathroom suddenly burst open, followed by the sound of crying.

She didn’t know what to do. Should she say something? Let them know they aren’t alone? Go out and comfort them? Make sure they were okay?

Before she could decide, the bathroom door slammed open again.

“Mary Margaret!” Ruby’s voice echoed through the room, filled with concern. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Regina,” Mary Margaret choked out between sobs. “She… she said those awful things to me, and I just… I don’t understand what I did wrong. I don’t know why she hates me so much.”

“Yeah,” Ruby said, with a wince in her voice. “She was especially cruel today.”

Skye’s heart clenched with guilt.

Mom being mean to Miss Blanchard had always been something she shrugged off. It was just something funny that happened, especially back when she had Miss Blanchard as a teacher. Back when Mom treated every conversation with Miss Blanchard like she was going to war. It was just a quirk of her mom’s.

Skye had always figured Mom had her reasons, even if she never explained why she didn’t like Miss Blanchard, only telling her that Miss Blanchard did something to her in the past. Skye never questioned it.

But now, hearing Miss Blanchard cry? The confusion and hurt in her voice, how she didn’t even know why Regina hated her? It didn’t feel funny anymore. It felt… wrong.

Skye could only listen as Ruby calmed Miss Blanchard down, and wondered if there was something she could do to help.

~~~

Skye poked her head into Henry’s room. “Hey, shut off your video game and come downstairs. Mom wants to bake apple turnovers tonight.”

“What? But I can’t! I’m in the middle of a really cool boss fight!” Henry protested, eyes glued to the screen.

Skye stepped fully into the room, crossing her arms. “Yeah, and you can tell me all about it downstairs with Mom. Pause your game and let’s go.”

“I don’t wanna.” Henry said petulantly.

Skye narrowed her eyes at her brother. “Don’t lie to me. You love baking apple turnovers. What do you want?”

Henry pouted, knowing she’d caught him, before breaking into a mischievous grin. “There’s this new zombie game coming out, and I want you to buy it for me.”

“Oh really?” Skye raised an eyebrow. “And I’m guessing it’s rated Mature. You wouldn’t be asking me if it was rated Teen. No way am I getting in trouble with Mom for that.”

“Aww, come on!” Henry sighed dramatically. “You’re supposed to be the cool one. Remember last week when I helped you clean up after you spilled Mom’s coffee all over the couch? No questions asked?" He said, batting his eyes innocently. "You really won’t do this for your little brother?”

Unfazed, Skye raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “That was you. I was the one who cleaned it without Mom finding out. Now that you’ve tried the guilt trip, how about telling me what you really want?”

Henry’s face lit up, vibrating with excitement. “I want us to chop down our own Christmas tree this year!”

Skye blinked. “That’s it? And you’re not asking Mom yourself because…?”

“She’ll never take us if I ask, she’ll say it’s too dangerous. But if you ask… pleeeese?” Henry begged, giving her his best puppy dog eyes.

Skye sighed and began to say, “Yeah, well I-” right as Regina poked her head in the doorway.

“What’s taking so long? These apple turnovers won't bake themselves.”

Skye sent Henry a look. “Sorry, Mom. Henry just needed to get through part of his game before he could pause it.”

“Well, come on, then. We have work to do.”

As they headed downstairs, Skye casually asked, “Hey, Mom… so, I was wondering. What if we chopped down our own Christmas tree this year?”

Regina stopped in her tracks, giving her daughter a disbelieving look. “Chop it down? You can’t be serious. That’s what we pay other people for.”

“Course, I think it could be fun! A family bonding activity.”

Regina glanced at Henry’s hopeful face and sighed. “I’ll think about it. Henry, I think I left my purse in the car. Can you be a dear and check for me?”

“Sure!” Henry grabbed the keys and bolted outside.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Regina arched an eyebrow at Skye. “Chopping down our own tree? Really? I take it this was Henry's idea?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Skye grinned. “You know how much I just love that outdoorsy crap.”

“Language,” Regina huffed, though she was smiling fondly, shaking her head. “I swear, that boy. Chopping down our own tree? Where does he come up with ideas like that.”

“You really think I know?”

Mother and daughter shared a grin before heading into the kitchen.

~~~

Skye and Henry were seated in their usual booth at Granny’s Diner, the comforting hum of conversation and the sound of clinking dishes filling the air around them. Ruby slid two steaming mugs of hot cocoa onto the table, her signature playful grin lighting up her face.

“Here you go, hot cocoa, one with cinnamon and one without, for my favorite troublemakers.” Ruby teased with a wink.

“Thanks, Ruby,” Skye said, a little too fast. Her voice cracked halfway through and her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

In an attempt to cover it up, ignoring Henry’s grin at her voice cracking, she took a large sip of her hot cocoa, attempting to look nonchalant.

Instead, the scorching liquid burned her tongue.

She jerked back, almost dropping the mug. Her cheeks puffing out as she tried to cool the cocoa in her mouth without spitting it out, letting out an involuntary, “Hot! Hot! Hot!”

Ruby froze for a moment, then burst out laughing, shaking her head. “Oh my god, Skye, are you okay? You’ve gotta let it cool down first!” she teased, clearly amused once she realized Skye wasn’t hurt badly.

Skye face planted into the table, wishing the universe would swallow her whole. She would never live this down. Never. “I’m okay.”

“Remember to be more careful in the future Skye. The hot cocoa’s supposed to warm you up, not burn you.”

As Ruby walked away, Henry burst into laughter, clutching his stomach. “Oh my gosh, Skye. That was amazing.”

“Shut up Henry,” Skye muttered, slouching in her seat and glaring at her mug. Her tongue really hurt.

Henry wasn’t going to let such an amazing opportunity go. “You were like, ‘Thanks, Ruby,’” he mimicked, cracking his voice dramatically before miming burning his mouth. “‘Hot! Hot! Hot!’”

“You’re such a brat.” Skye grumbled, burying her face in her hands.

Henry just grinned. “Yeah, but you love me anyways.”

Skye glared at her brother through her fingers as he took a sip of his cooled hot cocoa and scrunched her nose up in distaste.

“Ugh. I don’t get how you like cinnamon in your cocoa. It’s gross.”

“Excuse me?” Henry gasped in offence. “Take that back! Hot cocoa with cinnamon is the best! How can you not like it?”

“It completely ruins the flavor and drowns out the taste of chocolate!” Skye shot back.

“It’s the perfect combo! Nothing can beat it!” Henry argued.

“Gross.” Skye insisted.

The back and forth was nothing new, it was a debate they’ve had countless times before. Eventually, they both dissolved into laughter, letting the argument fizzle out. A comfortable silence settled over them as they sipped their drinks.

Then, Henry broke it, his tone curious.

“You’ve been distracting Mom whenever she looks like she’s about to fight with Miss Blanchard. Why?”

Skye blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change in topic, mind flashing back to when she caught Miss Blanchard crying. “Uhh, well… I like Miss Blanchard. Figured she could use a break. You’re going to have her as your teacher in a few years, and Miss Blanchard won’t be able to avoid Mom then.”

Henry leaned forward, grinning, eye’s alight with delight. “Well, count me in! What are you calling this Operation?”

Skye let out a startled laugh, flatfooted. “Operation? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t lie to me! I know you gave it a name.”

“Ugh, fine you little brat. I’ve been calling it Operation Chameleon.” Skye admitted with a huff. She’s been spending far too much time with her brother.

Henry tilted his head, considering her words. Then his face lit up with realization. “Because you’re blending in, distracting Mom without making it obvious!”

“Bingo.” Skye said as she shot him finger guns.

Henry grinned wider. “Count me in! Though… the name could use some work. If anyone heard it, they could figure out what we’re trying to do!”

“Oh, and what would you call it?” Skye asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Dunno. Maybe… Operation Giraffe.” Henry said with a decisive nod, mischief in his voice. “No one would ever piece it together that way!”

Skye rolled her eyes, laughing despite herself. “Operation Giraffe? That’s the worst name I’ve ever heard, and I grew up with the name Mary Sue Poots. We may as well throw in the whole safari while we're at it.”

Henry shrugged. “It’s genius and you know it.”

Skye never expected Operation Giraffe to evolve as far as it did. What started as a simple way to give Miss Blanchard a break from being the target of her mom’s ire had grown into something much bigger.

Together, she and Henry started helping people all over town. Whether it was distracting Mom before she went off on someone or by simply offering to help someone carry their groceries home, they found ways to lend a hand without drawing attention to themselves.

The most important part of Operation Giraffe, according to Henry, was helping people without them realizing they were being helped. That included study sessions where they brainstormed ridiculous excuses they could give to people. He liked to think of it as being like Batman. Heroes who helped people from the shadows.

Skye wouldn’t have described herself as a hero, but she had to admit, it felt good to know they were helping people. Making their lives a bit better. Even if it was in small ways. It made the fact she was ignoring that people were trapped in a time loop a bit more bearable.

~~~

“You’re first dance, are you excited? Oh, Skye, you look beautiful in that dress,” Regina gushed, fussing over Skye’s hair. “Let me get some more pictures!”

“Mom, relax,” Skye said, rolling her eyes with a small laugh. “It’s just prom. Not like it’s my wedding or anything.” Honestly, her mom was more excited for the dance than she was.

Regina didn’t seem to care. “It doesn’t matter what kind of dance it is. You’re going, and you look stunning. You know how disappointed I was when you told me you were skipping your last three homecoming dances.” Regina practically bolted to the door when she heard it ring. “Remember, Skye, I want pictures!”

Skye rolled her eyes, she hadn’t been too willing to socialize back then, that was when Ava and Nicholas started to forget her. Back then she mostly just played with Henry or was on her laptop. She didn’t see a point to going to the dances, didn’t feel like befriending people to just have them forget her in a year.

Ava and Nicholas forgetting her was far worse than losing friends because she had to move away. She didn’t think she would have to deal with that anymore after she was adopted.

Going to her first prom just seemed like a thing she should do. Jamie Hatcher had asked her to the dance and Skye had said yes on a whim.

When her mom asked who she was going to the dance with, Skye simply rolled her eyes and told her Jamie asked her. “It’s not like we’re in love or anything. We’re barely even friends. I just figured it could be fun.” Still, there was some excitement there, Skye simply couldn’t resist being drawn into the hype of it all.

The night itself was fun, more fun than Skye had expected. She danced with everyone, moving from dance partner to dance partner, losing herself to the music as the light swirled around her. But not her friends. She wasn’t close enough to anyone to have any friends. Not anymore.

As the dance began winding down, Jamie came up to her with a small, nervous smile. “Hey, so a bunch of us were thinking about driving down to the docks after this. You know, just to hang out for a bit.” His tone was light, but the innuendo in his voice was unmistakable. Skye knew exactly what kind of “hanging out” he was hinting at.

Skye wasn’t against the idea, she’d been having fun tonight, and Jamie was cute, in the dorky kind of way. Besides, she was curious. She leaned in, about to say yes, when her mind flashed forward to something that stopped her in her tracks. A blank face. The reset. She’d been having so much fun tonight that she had almost forgotten.

By next year, Jamie wouldn’t even remember that they’d gone to prom together, let alone what happened after. The idea left her cold. Skye was all for making stupid fun decisions, the lecture her mom gave her for sneaking a taste of the scotch notwithstanding, but she didn't think this was something she was comfortable with. She didn’t think she could just live life as normal, and ignore the weirdness of the town if that happened.

Skye stepped back, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I uh, I don’t think I’m ready for that just yet,” she said, awkwardly, then added, “Besides, I’d hate to be the reason the docks lose their ‘most romantic spot’ street cred.”

Jamie's face flushed red as he scrambled to reassure her. “Oh, no, that’s totally fine! We don’t have to. I mean, not now. Or ever, if that’s what you want. Like, seriously, no pressure. That came out wrong, what I mean is-”

“Jamie,” Skye interrupted, placing a hand on his arm to stop his panicked rambling. He froze, his blush deepening. “How about this, you just drive me home?”

Jamie let out a breath he didn’t seem to realize he’d been holding. “Yeah. Yeah, of course. I can do that. Let’s do that.”

As they drove through Storybrooke, Skye stared out the window, her thoughts turning darker. For the first time, she caught herself thinking about how badly she wanted to get out of this town. Out of its weird time loops, back in the land where things were normal. The thought hit her hard, and she tried to shove it away, bury it under all the reasons she couldn’t leave.

This is where her family lived. Her mom. Henry. She loved them more than anything. She didn’t want to leave them.

But the thought wouldn’t go away.

As Jamie walked her up to the door, Skye gave him a goodnight kiss. As thanks for the fun night.

Two weeks later, Skye could be seen making out with Jade Finch under the bleachers. And two weeks after that, she could be found making out with someone else.

~~~

”I am Iron Man.”

Skye could only stare at her computer, mouth agape. She couldn’t believe it, a real life superhero. Henry was going to freak.

While she was in the middle of trying to process that a real superhero existed, she heard her mom’s voice shout out to her from downstairs. “Skye Mills! You better not be on that computer of yours! Hurry up and get down here young lady! I thought you wanted me to give you driving lessons?”

“Yeah, I’m coming Mom! Was just putting on my shoes!” Skye shouted back, stealing one last glance at her computer, awe in her eyes.

“So cool.”

~~~

Her mom was an idiot. Okay, that wasn't entirely fair. But telling Henry the reason she and him age while everyone else doesn’t was because they were both adopted? That the reason was because they were from outside Storybrooke? Mom knew Henry wasn't an idiot. He was eight, not three.

Skye mostly hated how true the statement was though. Because if you didn’t think about it, like, really didn’t think about it, it made sense. And Skye hated that.

~~~

Redacted. By S.H.I.E.L.D.

~~~

“Thanks for your help miss!” A young girl’s voice chimed, as the door closed behind her with a ring.

“Yeah, no problem. You two get home to your mom safe,” Skye called after Ava and Nicholas, watching the siblings walk off with grocery bags in hand. Her shoulders slumped as they disappeared down the street, making their way ‘home’. She had just finished teaching them how to use their debit card. Aside from her check ins on them, that would probably be the last time she talked to them for the rest of the year.

As Skye turned toward Granny’s Diner, where Henry was going to be meeting her, she absently rifled through her bag, pulling out the stack of college application letters. Her eyes lingered on the one from California. When she told her mom that she was considering applying to a school there, her mom had been… weirdly supportive.

It hurt more than she wanted to admit.

She had expected her mom to fight her on it, to argue that California was too far, that Storybrooke, close to home, was where she belonged. Instead, Regina had smiled, cupped her cheek, and said, “You’ll do great, wherever you go, dear.”

It made it feel like she didn’t care if Skye left.

Skye shook the thought away as she neared the Diner. She knew that wasn’t true. It didn’t matter where she went. It wouldn’t stop her family from loving her.

As Skye approached the Diner, she saw Granny unloading boxes from a truck out front, and Skye jogged over to help. “Here, I’ve got it, Granny!”

Granny glanced at her and huffed. “Well aren’t you sweet. If only my granddaughter was this helpful.”

Skye chuckled as she grabbed two boxes. “Totes happy to help.”

As they walked inside, Granny’s eyes flicked to where Skye’s hastily shoved papers were sticking out of her bag. “That time of year, huh? Big decisions ahead. You figure out which school you’re gonna pick yet?”

“Not yet,” Skye admitted, her voice quieter. “I’ve got some ideas, but…”

“Ah, I see. Still on the fence then.” Granny set her box down on the counter and leaned on it. “Want my advice?”

“Always.” Skye said, smiling.

“Follow your heart, kiddo. And make the choice you can live with. My Ruby, for all her grumbling and sassing, made a choice to stay here for me after my heart attack. She could leave anytime, and she knows it. But she chose to stay and help out, and I love her for it. I just hope she doesn’t come to regret it one day. Whatever you choose, Skye, make sure it’s what makes you happy. That’s what matters most in this world. Ah, here comes your brother, thanks again for the help kiddo. I’ll whip up two hot cocoas, on the house. And no buts!”

Skye’s mouth clicked shut and she grinned in thanks as Granny turned towards the kitchen when she felt Henry slam into her.

“Skye!” He said as he wrapped his arms around her. “I saw you made another advancement in Operation Giraffe! Good work!”

“Operation… oh, right.” Skye blinked, then laughed. “Yeah, another successful mission. Totally part of the plan.” In truth, she’d just seen that Granny needed help and jumped in. In the heat of the moment, she’d forgotten all about their secret project.

Henry grinned. “You’ll never guess what happened! I stopped by Mr. Clark’s shop after school, and they’ve got this new hero comic!” he said, bouncing with excitement. ““The Incredible Hulk!” Can you believe it? The comic was made by the same people who made the “Iron Man” comics! I bet he’s a real hero too, just like Iron Man!”

“Oh yeah?” Skye said, curious. “Well, I’ll dig around online later, see what I can find out. We can go to his shop tomorrow and pick up a copy, see what this new hero is all about.”

“I only flipped through the pages, but basically, he’s a guy who can turn into a big green monster and he smashes stuff!”

It was then that Ruby came over, carrying two mugs of hot cocoa. “Here we go, one with cinnamon for the little guy, and one without for the cutie,” she said with a wink.

Skye froze, her heart skipping, staring at Ruby with wide eyes. That was the tone Ruby used when flirting with her customers, and it was directed at her. It’s never been directed at her before.

Her cheeks flushed, and she stammered, “Th-thanks.” She couldn’t help but stare as Ruby walked away, eyes drifting lower than she typically allowed.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Henry grinning. “Don’t even think about it,” she warned, voice low. “Not unless you want me telling Mom you’ve been sneaking out to play at your fort.”

“What? I didn’t even say anything!” Henry said innocently, snickering under his breath.

As Henry began talking excitedly about his new comic and the potential new hero, Skye’s thoughts drifted back to her college applications and Granny’s advice. ‘Follow her heart, huh?’

Skye smiled faintly. She knew what she needed to do.

~~~

She did it. She couldn’t believe it. In her hands was the letter that confirmed it. Skye had been accepted into Caltech. Her eyes scanned the page over and over, the words “Congratulations on your acceptance!” played on repeat in her head. Caltech had such a low acceptance rate, and they accepted her. She had always dreamed about what it would be like to live in California. The sun, the beaches, all of that was possible now, with her acceptance into Caltech. Just a short drive away from L.A.. Of course, that wasn’t the only reason why, Caltech’s computer science programs were legendary.

A breathless laugh escaped her, equal parts disbelief and excitement. She stared at the letter again, mind racing. She really hadn’t thought she’d get in.

Later that night at dinner, Regina brought it up, “So, Skye, about that letter you got today…”

Skye froze for a split second but quickly shrugged, keeping her voice casual. “Oh, yeah. I didn’t get in. Guess my winning personality and hacker skills didn’t scream ‘future academic rockstar.’” She paused, pushing her food around on her plate, “It’s fine. I think I’ll just go to one of the in-state school’s. They’re cheaper, and, you know, I can visit on weekends to raid the fridge and act like I’m still not asking you for gas money.”

Regina immediately launched into a fiery rant about how the school clearly didn’t deserve Skye and how blind they must be not to see her potential. As her mom fumed, Skye just smiled faintly, letting her mom’s voice fade into the background.

It wasn’t that Skye didn’t want to go to Caltech, being among others who are like minded and passionate about hacking sounded like a dream. But sitting here at the dinner table, surrounded by the warm familiarity of home, she couldn’t imagine moving so far away. The thought of missing out on family dinners, on the way Henry’s face lit up when he talked about whatever book or comic he was reading, on hearing about whatever dispute mom had that day with the people of Storybrooke, the idea of moving away felt wrong.

This was home. This was where she belonged. And as much as she may have dreamed of California, she wasn’t ready to give this up.

As much as everything stayed the same in this town, she didn’t want things to change without her.

~~~

Henry was ten now, and Skye was away for her second year of college. Before she left, she promised she was close to finding out what happened to his real parents, why they gave him up for adoption. While she promised to visit and to call at least twice a week, it wasn’t the same as having her here. She was who he could always go to when he was feeling lonely. He didn’t know what to do with her gone.

He found out some important information today and wished she was here so he could talk to her about it. He spent an hour sitting at his fort- no, his castle after school trying to process it.

Their mom was the Evil Queen. It explained so much. It explained why Skye never said anything, why she always ignored the weird things happening in town when he tried to talk to her about it in the past, how she tried to keep him distracted from it. His mom was just too powerful, too evil. Only the Savior could defeat the Evil Queen and break the curse. The daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming.

The Evil Queen could never find out about this book, could never realize that he knew the Savior's name. The information was far too important. The curse would never be broken if she did. Henry just had to find her. Emma.

He ripped out the final pages and began to make a place to hide both the book and the pages, somewhere his mom wouldn’t look. She wouldn’t be home for another hour, he had time.

He’s already read the story of Snow White and Prince Charming twice. He felt a connection to the story and he wasn’t sure why. Maybe because he was determined to be the one to bring the Savior to Storybrooke? Or maybe it was because Snow White was his teacher at school, the one who gave him the storybook.

It had been obvious who Snow White was. Miss Blanchard. The person in this town his mom hated most.

As Henry began flipping through the pages, looking for a story that would catch his interest before he needed to hide the book away, he landed on one. It was titled “The Ballad of Mulan.”

One day he would read every single story in this book. He was going to find the Savior and help her break the curse.