Hooked

After the return to Storybrooke and the ensuing excitement of many reunions, Ariel finally managed to slip away and back to her apartment. She thought about telling Killian, but he looked content at Granny’s, enjoying a drink and talking to different people. She was glad that people were finding it easier to accept him, but she knew this just wasn’t the place for her. Being surrounded by so many people was just something she didn’t entirely enjoy.

When she unlocked the door to her apartment, she was comforted by its familiarity. She felt like she had been gone for a while, but it had really been less than a week.

She brought her pack into her bedroom before heading to the bathroom to enjoy indoor plumbing and a hot shower. Once she was done, she changed into clean and comfortable pajamas before heading to the kitchen where she pulled out her trusty liquor bottle and poured herself a well deserved drink. She wasn’t very hungry—she had eaten a bit at Granny’s before she had snuck out.

Not much later, Ariel crawled into her bed, thankful for its comfort and warmth. She didn’t realize how tired she had been until she was under the covers.

---

She was hiding in the Enchanted Forest, deep in the shadows, staying close to the trees. The food she had managed to steal was forgotten, still clutched in her hand, as what she had overheard sank in.

She knew nothing of curses, but from the sounds of it, this one wasn’t going to be good. She had no idea what to expect, but she supposed anything would be better than this life she was living.

This life, which was a curse all on its own. She didn’t have her family, or friends… She had no one.

She slept in the occasional barn, or cave, or just under a tree. She was sore, exhausted, hungry, and thirsty. She wished there was some way she could just return to the ocean—be a mermaid again.

The tears came quickly, and she sank to the ground, dropping her food as she pulled her knees to her chest.

She really had nothing…so what was the point of this curse?

---

Ariel sat up suddenly, gasping for air as she choked on sobs. The door to her bedroom burst open and Killian moved quickly to the edge of her bed, sitting down and pulling her to him. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, focusing on the fact that he was there and she wasn’t alone. Despite her memory, she at least knew that Killian cared about her.

She scooted over in the bed, and pulled Killian down to lay beside her. When she had calmed down, she leaned forward in the bed to kiss him gently. When she pulled away, he reached out to gently wipe away some of the moisture still on her cheeks and Ariel let out a sigh.

“Bad dream?” he asked quietly.

“Memory,” she muttered, eyes scanning his face. “When the curse was coming, I kind of realized how alone I was. I had no one and thought what more could a curse possibly do? I didn’t have a place to live or food to eat. I had money that Eric’s family had given me, but I didn’t want it. I didn’t want his help, no matter how miserable I was. And then of course, once the curse came, I ended up here, so I guess it was kind of a blessing. But I still had the money from Eric, and I just blindly used it to pay for this apartment and food. But I was still alone and had no one. I didn’t go outside much unless it was to just go to the docks or get supplies. I was alone and I was mostly just distrustful of other people. Once the curse was broken, it was clear that it was all due to how Eric had handled finding out about me.”

She stopped talking, shutting her eyes to try and push away that feeling of loneliness she had always clung to. Ariel could feel Killian’s hand rubbing her back gently.

“I didn’t think that I could ever trust people again, really,” Ariel said, choking on a sob. She opened her eyes, searching Killian’s as he watched her intently. It was dark in her room, but the moon was bright that evening, providing just enough lighting to see his face. She reached out to touch his jaw gently. “And then I met you, and I thought you were just some rude and flirty pirate. But you’re—you’re so much more. I just—I trust you and I-I think I love you. And I know we haven’t known each other for long, but I have never felt anything this strongly toward another person—not even toward Eric and I— ”

Killian moved swiftly to kiss Ariel, pulling her body tightly to his causing her to gasp into his mouth. He moved them so that Ariel was beneath him, and he hovered over her, holding himself up by his forearms. He pulled away and carefully tucked some of her hair behind her ear.

His eyes bore into her own for a moment before he spoke.

“I have loved before,” he finally said. “Milah—she was everything to me, and she got taken away from me. I’ve spent my whole life trying to get my revenge for her death. I never expected to find someone I could love again.”

Ariel reached up and quickly pulled Killian’s face back to hers, kissing him forcefully knowing that they had both overcome a lot to get to this place now where they could both feel safe and loved. They both had their past loves and both had pain and sadness—but all that mattered now was that moment.

They hadn’t expected to find each other, but they had and it had changed them both so much, hopefully for the better.

---

Things seemed to go down from there. Ariel chose not to get involved, knowing there wasn’t much she could do, but she couldn’t help the fear that filled her. Peter Pan was in Storybrooke, having taken over Henry’s body. Killian told her of a new curse that was threatening them and Ariel just watched as he went to help the others.

She was scared for all of them.

She was surprised, a few days after her admission to Killian, when there was a knock on her door and she saw Gold standing in her doorway.

“Mr. Gold?” she questioned. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, dearie,” he said. “I just came to give you something that belongs to you before it’s too late.”

“What?”

Gold shook his head and reached into an inside pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a small box which he handed to her. Confused, Ariel stared at it for a moment before slowly opening it. Resting inside was something she hadn’t seen in a long time: the scale from her fin that she had given Rumpelstiltskin in exchange for her legs.

“I don’t understand,” she said. “Why are you giving this to me?”

“It may come in handy if certain events unfold,” he said, eyes not meeting hers. “If the time comes when you need it, you’ll know what to do with it. Keep it with you at all times.”

Before Ariel could ask any more questions, he turned and limped down the hallway. Ariel watched him go down the hallway and when he was gone, she stared again at the scale wondering what on Earth it could possibly do for her now.