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The chain with its charms hanging from the rearview mirror swung rhythmically back and forth, the slight clicking the only sound in the car. The journey had begun with amicable chatter, but the drive had been long and one by one the four friends had been reduced to weary window gazing. But Mairin’s restless thoughts would not be silent as she drove.
The charms caught her eye. She’d picked them out in a moment of homesickness during her first semester at college, over a year and a half ago. Four little silver charms: a ship, a swan, a sword, and an apple. Back and forth with that click like an ominous clock. Tick tock, almost home. Tick tock, almost to Storybrooke. Tick tock, almost out of time to tell them. Her eyes strayed up to the mirror to observe Devin behind her. He looked his usual sullen self; his head rested against the window, his hood pulled up, his shoulders hunched. But long years of friendship had taught Mairin how to read him. He toyed incessantly with the wooden pendant he wore on a cord around his neck; he was as anxious as she was.
Mairin glanced over at her passenger seat at Kaleb, the boy she had been dating for the last six months. In the back seat, next to Devin, sat Candace, Mairin’s best friend since she’d started college. Mairin felt a surge of affection for these two, but it did nothing to alleviate her anxiety. Mairin Jones and Devin Booth were both Storybrooke natives, born and raised in the magical town, both with a fairy tale heritage. Candace and Kaleb had no such history, and knew nothing of their friends’ unusual home.
Mairin had not made the decision lightly, inviting them to stay with her over spring break. Nonetheless, Devin had berated her over the foolishness of her plan. She’d gone through with it anyway, in true Mairin Jones fashion. Devin had sworn and called her the reckless spawn of a pirate. She’d smirked and called him the stubborn grandson of a tree. And at the last minute, Devin had asked to join her on her drive home.
“So,” Mairin began, breaking the silence of the car, “My parents don’t know you guys are coming. Which should be fine, just… my family is complicated.”
Kaleb turned to face her, eyes affectionate and interested. He gave her a nod to go on.
“Well I’ve told you guys that I have a half-brother,” Mairin continued.
Candace and Kaleb nodded. She glanced at Devin for support but he was staring fixedly out the window. Mairin took a deep breath and continued. “Well, he’s about sixteen years older than me. And my mom actually gave him up for adoption right after he was born. But she reconnected with him when he was 10. And now he just considers both her and his adoptive mother his moms.”
Candace looked thoughtful, “Ok so there are some complicated relationships-”
“Oh, I’m not done,” Mairin cut her off. “My mom grew up in foster care but met and became close to her parents when she was an adult. And she has a brother who’s only a few years older than me.”
“Alright, even more complicated,” Kaleb said.
Mairin gave a small nod. Devin was watching her now. She heaved a deep breath and then said in a rush, “And my grandparents are the same age as my mom.”
There was a moment of silence as she waited for that to sink in.
“So,” Candace stuttered, clearly trying to make sense of the information. “There’s… a big age difference between your mom and your dad?”
“No. That not it.” Mairin shook her head.
Devin snorted. “Yes. There is absolutely an age gap between your parents!”
“Not really. Not like that.”
“Yes really.”
“Depends on how you think of age. Whatever. That’s not the point.” She turned back to Kaleb and Candace, who had only grown more confused. “No. Not like that. Like, my mom is the same age as her parents.”
Candace’s brow furrowed. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“I told you, it’s complicated.”
“Stop saying ‘complicated’.” Devin grumbled.
“How would that happen?” Kaleb interjected.
“Just spit it out, Mairin,” Devin snapped.
“I’m trying to be tactful.”
“You’re failing. Just say it.”
The car pulled across the Storybrooke town line. Mairin and Devin both felt a surge of energy as their magic awakened. Mairin stopped the car just within the boundary line. She closed her eyes and clenched the steering wheel in her hands.
“Magic is real and there are other worlds and Storybrooke is full of fairy tales that are real. My grandparents are Snow White and Prince Charming and my dad is Captain Hook.”
For just a moment everyone sat motionless. Then Candace laughed. “You had me worried there, for a moment that you were going to drop some huge dysfunctional family secret on us, like your parents are cult leaders or something. But, ha ha, Fairy Tale Land.” She turned to Devin with a grin. “Let me guess, your parents are Beauty and the Beast?”
Devin scowled. “Yeah, that one isn’t exactly a favorite around here. No. My dad is… Pinocchio. And um… my mom is,” he wouldn’t meet her eyes, “Maleficent’s daughter.”
Candace laughed again, not mean-spiritedly, a true mirthful laugh of someone enjoying a joke with a friend. “Oh, so that’s your evidence? I have to believe you because your nose isn’t growing?”
Devin gave a wry smile. “The only thing I inherited from my dad is my effortless charm and roguish good looks.”
Had Mairin been paying attention to the exchange in the back seat, she might have noticed Candace’s approving smile, and hint of a blush. But Mairin was too focused on her frustration at the lack of belief. “No this isn’t a joke, and I can’t drive you into the middle of town until we get this straight.”
“Come on, Mairin,” Kaleb laughed. “This is just like you and Devin. Come up with some crazy claim and then push it to the point that we start to question your sanity.”
“Like the time you tried to convince us that Devin was possessed,” Candace put in.
“Or the time you claimed the cafeteria lady was trying to put a curse on me,” Kaleb added.
“Got to give you props for creativity in your choice of characters though. Snow White, Captain Hook, Pinocchio and Maleficent would not have been the ones I thought to include. Very unorthodox.”
Devin sighed irritably. “Come on Mair, let’s get this over with and go home. I’m sick of being in this car.”
“What would you like me to do? Force them to believe?”
“They’re never going to believe this is anything more serious than all those pranks.” He leaned forward in his seat with sudden intensity. “Not unless you give them a reason. We’re inside the town line; show them something.”
Mairin blanched at the idea, her eyes shifting nervously over to Kaleb. To spring that on them so suddenly seemed… “No, I can’t do that,” she muttered awkwardly.
Devin’s eyes softened. “Mairin Jones, I do believe for the first time in your life you’re embarrassed.” Without warning his tone shifted to one of determination. “Fine. I’ll show them.” He flung open the car door.
“What are you doing?” Came the bewildered cry from the car.
Devin ignored it and strode a few yards from the car before turning back to face them. “I’m only gonna do this once, so you two better be watching.”
Kaleb and Candace exchanged bemused glances. “Are you gonna make your nose grow for us?” Candace teased.
Devin rolled his eyes. “Watch.”
He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. When his eyes opened the irises glowed yellow. A low sound like a growl rumbled in his chest. The occupants of the car watched in astonished fascination as a swirl of black smoke, coming from nowhere, it seemed, engulfed Devin. The smoke billowed up and up, ever wider, ever taller. It lasted barely a couple of seconds, but seemed an eternity to Mairin, who knew what the smoke would reveal when it cleared.
The smoke cleared as abruptly as it had appeared. In Devin’s place stood a massive, jet black dragon. He gave one powerful beat of his wings and blew a small spurt of flame. To their credit, neither Kaleb nor Candace screamed.
With another swirl of smoke, Devin was human again. He stomped back to the car, flopped into his seat and slammed the door shut. “Can we go now?”
Mairin’s hand moved to the gear shift but she hesitated, turning apprehensively toward her friends for their reaction.
Kaleb slowly met her eyes. A trace of a smile touched his lips. “Daughter of Captain Hook, huh?”
Mairin smiled and arched an eyebrow. “I always told you I was a pirate.”
The car surged forward. “Welcome to Storybrooke.”