The house looks like a miniature mansion with multiple windows that felt like emotionless eyes that had been waiting for my return. Everything about this house felt like a trap. Except the house was undecided if I was the trap or if it was the house itself.

But I guess one of us know.

My eyes began to glance over the eight windows and the upstairs balcony that shone over the front of the house. A symmetrical product all the way around. From the short green bushes that guided the walk-way to the front door or the two tiny trees that grew in pots on either side of the white pillars that guarded the front door. All of these obvious parallels brought a pit to my stomach, until my eyes a shift of light occurred in one of the bottom right windows.

Light illuminated from the bottom window with the occasional shadows that crossed the window. Theo wasn't joking when he said that my mother was throwing a party. I looked away from the house and onto the street as I saw cars parked along the right side of the street. I couldn't help but think that if all of these cars were here for me or to support my mother with my arrival. Either way, I knew that peoples eyes were going to be on me. Unfamiliar faces trying to make sense of mine.

It's interesting to think that children are able to identify familiar faces in their home just by the silhouette of their parents or the  touch of their mothers hands, but I could not. All I could think about was how I didn't have that connection with my mother, but I had one with my dad. It's not that I was protecting trauma, but it was like there was nothing there. Like I was protecting nothing.

A forced blockade created when all I had wanted was to just be able to identify something as simple as my mothers perfume. What I did know was how I felt. Of how my heart was waiting for a sliver of my guard to crack so that I could feel a potential of what it means to be held by your mother. All these thoughts had made me want to push Theo out of his car, steal his keys and drive away.
And for a second I had thought about it.

But I refuse right now.

Even though I have vacant memories of my mother, my father had filled that vacancy as if my  glass were half empty.

He had brought me up into my life—taught me to walk, talk, read, communicate, love..
There wasn't one ballet recital or parent-teacher conference he missed. My dad had watched me cry over the boys who would break my heart because they could or girls who would turn on me because I didn't fit up to the image they wanted me to be.

But my father remained the only consistency by himself.

The father who had no face and did not exist anymore.

I used to think that maybe he was more lonely than I thought. He did have a girlfriend, Lilly, who would come by multiple times a week to cook dinner for us and to see my dad and I. My dad claimed that they weren't together, but there was too much tension between the two of them that it seemed like they couldn't get away from each other.  My father had tried so hard to himself, me and Lilly that he was a good father. And even though he was, I felt like he was still lonely even though he had help.

But Lilly's been around for as long as I can remember. Her and his friends always had been.

If anything, Lilly was more of a mother figure to me than my own mother was. Enough of a mother to make me beg to stay with her in Pennsylvania then to start a new life in Storybrooke.

Lilly drove my to the train station and after we gave our hugs goodbye she said she would come visit me within my first month in Storybrooke and that she would help me with applying to colleges. I felt bad for Lilly, not only had I lost the person I had loved most, but she had too. I couldn't help but think of why she wouldn't come with me to Storybrooke and why she would stay in Pennsylvania. It felt selfish to think that, but I couldn't help but think of why a woman who loved me so much didn't come with me.

Out of everything, I missed of my old life, I missed my home, my familiarity.

And now I had to start over again with a woman who didn't want me to begin with.

"Bella?" Theo's voice echoed in my thoughts.

And then I felt his touch again.
Except this time it was on my shoulder.
His touch snapped me out of my daze and brought me back to this moment, this rainy day, this reality.

My eyes fixated on my legs and then to Theo's hand on my shoulder until I finally focused on his eyes. The frame speed of my brain had always slowed when I would be touched.

Where I stop thinking, I stop breathing..

In a way I view myself as a sort of plague, comforted within my own disease. Which is why when I'm touched by someone other than myself, I feel like a part of myself leaves my body and resides within the other person.

Immediately infected.

I just never know which part of myself leaves and which part of myself stays.

"Bella?" Theo says again, "Are you okay?"

My eyes sharpen into Theo's and feel a moral embarrassment wave across myself.
I had been staring at him this whole time.

I shook my head to eliminate the remainder of my brain fog, "Yeah-no I'm fine. I'm just," I motion my hands towards the house, "adjusting."

Theo nodded his head as he took his hand off my shoulder, "Take as much time as you need."

"Thank you for um, driving me here. I don't know if I was in your way or..." I shrugged my shoulders as I looked back towards the house.

I did not know what to say.

"I wanted to pick you up, uh," Theo began as he turned the car off.
My heart stopped.
"I know what it's like to have to live somewhere you don't want to go and uh, I thought you'd rather be greeted to your own personal hell by a familiar stranger."

I don't why but I laughed at his remark. It felt nice knowing that Theo understood how I felt and it spark a certain warmness inside of my stomach.
Maybe he understood how fucked up it was being content of living a lifetime without facing their own issues and just felt bad for themselves for the rest of their life.

But no, I had to face them.
I had to face them right now.

"Let's go." I said grabbing my backpack from between my legs and placed it on my lap.

Breathe.

I could hear Theo putting the keys into his pocket as I placed my hand on the door handle. "No turning back now," He said in a chuckle, "It's about you now."

———————

Out of all of the ideas I've had in my lifetime, thinking that I was ready to come to the front door of my mothers house in the middle of a thunderstorm,
may have been the worst one I've had yet.

But at least I wasn't alone, entirely.

I reached my fist towards the front door to knock.
I'm gonna knock.
I'm gonna knock.
I'm gonna-
"Hold on," Theo said, jolting me out of my adrenaline rush, "your backpack zipper is unzipped."

Theo then zipped my backpack as I looked back at him with my eyebrows furrowed, "I was about to knock on the door." I blatantly said.

Hence Theo and I being completely drenched by the rain, Theo tilted his head to the side and smirked, "I wasn't holding you back. You could've knocked when I was zipping your backpack or even the moment we got to the door Bella. You chose not to."

My breaths became jagged as I glared at him and then turned my direction towards the door and closed my eyes as I said lowly,
"I'm gonna throw up."

The front door opened widely and within the door frame I was greeted by the hiatus of my existence. My mother.

Regina fucking Mills.

My mother wore a tight black dress accompanied by a black belt that fitted around her waist. Her dark red lipstick complemented her jet black hair that is longer than from what I remember it to be. Her hair now rested on her shoulder rather than below her jaw. All of these observations made within my peripheral vision while my eyes stayed fixed on her brown eyes.
The same brown eyes that I have.

We stared at each other for a little bit as she observed my face, my blonde hair, my clothes. The look on her face wasn't disappointment, but rather of surprise. I wonder if she felt the guilt pour into her body seeing me stand at her door— completely aware of who I am and what I've become.
Or that if she felt the pit of nothing I had felt for her.
" Isabella come inside please, let's get out of this rain." She said as she motioning for Theo and I to go inside.  Her eyes softened as they looked into mine and onto Theo's.

A different look bestowed on his face that was different from mine.

I removed my eyes from my mothers as I stepped inside. A step in and my shoes were greeted by a elevated standing. I looked down and saw a house mat stating 'Welcome Home' in bold black letters with a picture of a valley of roses beneath it.

Instinctually, I wiped my shoes on the mat with two vigorous swipes and took in my surroundings.

What a bland white house.

The entrance consisted of a winding staircase that started from the right and wrapped around the wall, ending to the top left to the upstairs.

However, what I found most interesting was that the entrance room had no furniture within it--except for the staircase, the marble floor and the three doors that led to various parts of the house. In front of me, the left and to the right.

Painted white double doors.

Three unknown doors that could lead to possibly anything and everything. The doors could lead to a dungeon or a living room, hell-fire or the kitchen. No opening, no vulnerability in the house.

Either way the lack of color and signs of life were apparent. I can't help but think about how I spent an entire summer here and have no memory of this haunting scene of a house, but of my mother--who was just as intense as her home.

Regina's arms wrapped around me into a surprise embrace, causing my eyes to bulge out of my head. My arms have no moved from my side as I feel the muscles of my mothers arms contract around me and my backpack. I try to move back a bit to create space, "I'm wet...You shouldn't ruin your dress.

I felt her take a deep breath out as she held me tighter, "I do not care. I-"

Regina's words were cut off by the sound the right door opening. Revealing the best surprise I could possibly imagine.

"Henry!" I exclaim as my mothers hold on me loosens.

Henry ran over to me, wrapping his arms around me in a warm embrace. The smile on my face felt real and for a moment, I forgot about everything.

"You look good Bel! Look at you," Henry let go of our embrace and held my shoulders with his hands and looked at me, "Officially a grown up. Tall and..blonde?"

I nodded my head as I felt another set of hands touch me from behind. The smile on my face decreased a tad as I thought it was my mother who was touching me, but it wasn't.

It was Theo.

Theo leaned in behind me and whispered, "Breathe Bella," Theo's lips were then inches away from my ear as continued, "Smile and they won't question you."

I could hear Theo's footsteps walking away as I focused back onto the person standing in front of me.

Henry made a questionable face as he watched Theo walk up the stairs, "Bella does it feel good to be back? I've missed your face."

I shrugged, "Besides you, he's kind of all I remember of being here. I'm honestly surprised you weren't the one who picked me up." I said as I pushed Henry's shoulder lightly making him let out a dry laugh as he looked beside me.

Undenounced to me, I had forgotten that my mother was next to me watching everything unfold around her. But as Henry's eyes shifted toward our mother his smile faded. I looked over at Regina who had a weary smile on her face as she clasped her hands together.

Regina walked towards the door on our right and opened it revealing the multitude of people waiting inside to greet me.

It was the dining room.

The multitude of people inside all had their eyes on me and who I was. A stranger connected to all of them.

My eyes shifted towards my mothers and all she had said was "This is all for you. I hope you like it."

I could tell my mother didn't know what to say or do. A certain brand of fear cascaded over her face, the same way mine did. Except her fear had layers of something I couldn't begin to understand and the only layers of fear I had revolved around what I did not know.

I didn't know which one is scarier.

As I walked in, I was greeted by a multitude of familiar faces I had forgotten. There was people reintroducing themselves to me and people hugging me as if I was a long lost friend. One of the first people to hug me was Emma, my mothers wife. Emma gave me a tight hug as she talked about how much this meant to her, my mother and Henry. Emma was the only one who broke the ice and told me how sorry she was for me--that losing a parent is hard and is outside of the natural order, but the fact that I was here now would make up for lost time and to take as much time as I needed to heal. I found it odd that Emma was the only one to mention anything of my father passing or say anything in regards to saying that they were sorry for my loss.

Does anyone know what happened?

They had to.

Emma guided me through the dining room as she then introduced me to Mary Margaret and David. Emma was tedious about introducing me to her friends and was delicate with how she would word her sentences together about them. They seemed like nice people, but I could tell their words were filtered, just like everyone else's that Emma introduced me to. Granny, Ruby, and then-

"Mr. Gold," Emma dryly stated. I felt the air shift between Emma and the man in front of us that I presume is Mr. Gold. Mr. Gold wore all black-- a black suit, tie, shoes, etc. Mr. Gold was shorter than I was by maybe a couple of inches. Not a dramatic height difference, barely noticable. I only noticed that I was taller than him once I looked down and saw that he was supporting his body weight on his cane in front of him. "What're you doing here?"

Oh, he wasn't invited?

Mr. Gold let out a sort of chuckle as his eyes shift from me onto Emma, "I had to come see the golden girl. Let alone my family," Mr. Gold had a raspy accent I couldn't pinpoint. His accent almost threw me off, but it didn't distract me of what he had just called me.

Golden Girl.
Family.

Odd.

Mr. Gold continued as he shifted his body towards me, "I was invited by your mother."

I nodded my head as my eyes glanced behind Mr. Gold to a pack of three men standing in a corner drinking some sort of brown liquor in a clear glass. To where I heard the conversation fade into my mind as I focused on the duo in front of my eyes. One of them being Theo who had been talking to the other another man.  He was tall and dark. Dark black hair, with a stubble beard to compliment his face. His wore a dark leather jacket, black pants and a black shirt. A face I had known and seen before.

It was Killian.

My fathers friend.

What was Killian doing here and why hadn't I known he was coming? Killian found my gaze and did not wave to me or speak, but looked away as if I was just a stranger. Him and my father raised me and was in fact a part of my earliest memories. He was a part of my home. He is my home. I felt my body lean forward, only to have been pulled by Emma's arm in between my own as I faced the current reality I was a part of.

A forced dance.

The silence between the three of us was louder than I anticipated. I had grown so accustomed to my thoughts that once thunder clapped outside, I had shook.

Emma then spoke up as she untangled our arms, "Mr. Gold is Henry's grandfather."

Emma glared at Mr. Gold as Mr. Gold smirked back at her.

As I stand here, I can't help but think about how much of a stranger I am to these people at this moment and how much I do not know about these people. Everyone here is talking to one another because everyone here knows one another, there's a sense of peace. But there is no peace within myself because I do not know even the basic information of the people in front of me. Was Mr. Gold Emma's father or not? Who even is Henry's father? I know his name was Neil and that he died tragically, but how did he die? Why won't Killian acknowledge me? Why am I the only one here who does not know what is good and bad here? Or better yet what is hidden.

"Oh nice." I remarked. This was such an awkward encounter. I could feel the embarassment and tension and it has nothing to do with me. I turned towards Emma, "Where is the bathroom?"

"There is one through the kitchen to the left and then there is one upstairs."

Furthest away.

"Okay, thank you." I almost made my way out of the dining room until I was caught offguard by a voice.

"Hey," I turn around at the familiar voice. My stomach churns as I meet my mothers gaze, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

I nodded my head. Control yourself, turn it off. "Yeah, I'm just going to the bathroom."

She nodded her head as she took a view steps forward towards me, "Is this all too much for you," she whispered, "I can make them all leave if you're uncomfortable."

What do I say.

"Um, everyone seems really nice and thank you for doing this all for me. I just need...time." I whispered back.

It's true I was overstimulated. So overstimulated that I couldn't tell that I was hungry, let alone that I was panicking.

For the first time, I was able to see my mothers humanity drain from her,
because of me.

It was humanizing, for me mostly. Now that I know that she, more than ever, cares about what I think as of this moment.

"I just kind of want to rest tonight, is that okay?" I asked searching in her eyes for a response that could please me or displease me. Either way, both reactions were expected out of my mothers facial response.

Confusion and understanding.

Regina nodded her head as she placed her hand on my lower back as she guided me out of the dining room and back into the main enterance, "I'm sorry Isabella. I just thought you'd want a warm greeting since..." Regina paused realizing she was on uncharted terriorty. She closed the double doors.

Now it was only her and I.

A 1v1.

The moment I had been waiting for.

"Look," Regina spoke up again, "This is probably more difficult for you then it is for me. You've come back home or you've just came back. I've been distant from you and it-"

"Mom." I interrupted, bringing herself and myself to a hault realizing what I had just said.

Mom.

Out of all the scenarios I had in my head about how it would be to see my mother face to face after 10 years of not physically seeing her, nothing had prepared me for this moment. I had always envisioned that once I had seen her again that I would scream in her face, win every argument but I had never envisioned what the next moments were after-- of how I would live after. I had never thought that far. 10 years of being consumed of rage made me forget the most important aspect of life I had known.

Nothing will happen the way you want it to.

I took a deep breath in. My staggered breath revealing not the rage I had envisioned but the hurt, "I don't want to talk about it right now. I'm feeling too much, but I appreciate everything you've done for me. And Theo-"

"What about Theo?" She interrupted.

What?

"Thank you for having Theo pick me up. It broke the ice for me a little bit before coming here, it felt nice seeing him."

Regina nodded her head wearliy, unsure about what her next words should be.  "It was a curtesy that your father would've wanted before you arrived."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, "Dad wanted Theo to pick me up? I didn't know they knew eachother."

"If I had the choice-" Regina stopped speaking as she heard footsteps trail behind her with a swift and abrupt shift of the dining room doors open and shut.

"Dear Regina," Mr. Gold said as he resurfaced behind my mother, "Let the girl get some rest. Look at her- still damp from the rain. You poor girl."

Mr. Gold then whispered something into my mothers ear very quietly. Quiet enough that I couldn't hear what he said. But the quiet was loud enough for me to understand that for whatever reason Mr. Gold has a sort of hold over my mother. 

Again with the secrets.

The perfect town, with the perfect people and the perfect lives- pretending. Pretending, hiding, walking on eggshells because I am here.

It is obvious enough to me that I am the outsider here in Storybrooke. Regardless of who my mother is and why I am here, the secrets of the town hold a stronger hold on the people who live here versus myself.

Most importantly, I can see that no one trusts me enough with the true.

The constant pressure of the perfect life that was trying to be percieved to me only served a warning in my mind. The strangers here tonight, my mother, Mr. Gold and Emma did not trust me and I did not trust them.

Regina's energy then shifted back towards me, her eyes were cold and calculated. Institinctually my first thought was to smile--seem as oblivious as possible. 

So I did.

My mothers gaze softened as she and Mr. Gold looked at me, "Do you remember where your room is?" She asked.

There was obvious pressure.

I shook my head, "No."

"It's upstairs, second door to the right. Do you need me to show you?" The blatant eagerness was present in Regina's voice. An eagerness that seemed to have nothing to do with me.

My eyes fixated on my mother as I felt Mr. Golds gaze turn into a glare at the side of my face as he tried to guess on what I would say next. My mothers ability to be readable definitely precedes her. A visibly weak trait that I am glad I did not inherit.

"Sure, I'd love that mom." I said softly as I broke my gaze and looked into Mr. Gold's glare. My mother then turned towards the stairs as I followed suit.

My eyes inspected the spiral black-carpet steps that I would go up.  An obvious and bold memory that a child should have, a trauma bond of the past. An obvious memory that I was experiencing for the first time.

I could feel my blood pressure rise to my cheeks as the frustration began to settle into anxiety. Before I could unravel my anxiety driven tangent I was then gripped by Mr. Gold calling my name behind me. I turned around realizing that I was halfway up the staircase and peering down a Mr. Gold who stood in the middle of the entrance room with his cane placed in front of his body.

A sly smirk appeared on his face as he spoke, "The resemblance is impeccable Isabella."

I had always thought I had looked just like my mother. An observation that only I thought only I saw, but was royally wrong about. Anger began to boil in my veins which is why I thought the appropriate response would be "Thank you."

Mr. Gold then turned around and began walking towards the front door as he stated "You resemble your father, golden girl. Through and through."

Hi guys!!

Hope you like this chapter! I know it took a while for me to post but here it is!! Chapter 3 a certain stranger will be appearing into Isabella's life.
Want to take a guess who?