#he was tossing lucy apples and letting her drag him around by the hand. he was laughing at edmund for not mentioning the torch

[zannolin]

the immediate shift in the pevensies from being frustrated and unhappy and upset with one another and themselves in england -> them all laughing and playing with one another the second they get to narnia again. susan not caring at all how mature she acts anymore as she throws off her blazer and her hair falls in her face, but it just makes her more queenly than ever. lucy racing her down the beach. them all forgetting they were annoyed with peter. peter forgetting he was angry at all. half an hour ago he was getting the shit kicked out of him but he can't even feel the bruises anymore. none of it matters because they're home, and they're splashing each other in the ocean and walking barefoot under the apple trees and i feel SICK i feel ILL they were SO HAPPY.

[beckybloomwood-archived]

I was digging into my old fic folder and the amount of unfinished stuff i have there is embarassing. anyway, i found this really old (2013-ish?) beginning of a tmp fic in which mindy and danny take gwen’s daughter (remember them?) trick or treating, and i thought it was kinda cute. also, i miss the show. enjoy accordingly to the quality of my writing which is, whatever.

The thing is, she's not used to kids. Granted, she's great at bringing them into the world safe and sound, but once all  the blood and  goo is off them and they rest in their parents' arms, her work is pretty much done. So, when Gwen hijacks her Halloween plans by getting chicken pox (who even gets chicken pox in their thirties? she wonders) and leaves her to babysit Riley the whole weekend, she doesn't feel up to the task. It's the first time she has to take care of her goddaughter without  Gwen's supervision for more than a couple of hours and she's dreading every minute of it.

"Riley, are you sure you don't need help getting dressed?" Mindy asks from the hallway outside her bedroom.

"No! It's a surprise!"

"Fine. I'll  wait here" Mindy gives up.

She heads to the bathroom and stares at the reflection in the mirror, smoothing her blonde wig and re-adjusting the tiny pink hat on her head.

"Eat your hear out, Reese Whiterspoon." She tells her reflection. She's just starting to retouch her lipstick when the doorbell rings.

"Door's open!" she shouts.

When she turns around a few seconds later, Danny's already there, leaning on the bathroom doorframe with a funny look on his face.

"Hi" he says, checking out her outfit.

"You're not wearing a costume" she remarks, turning around to point at his leather jacket, white button down and kakhis combo.

"You know i don't do costumes."

"Lame-o. How do I look?" she changes the subject.

"Like you came out of a cotton candy factory explosion."

"Yeah, you  wish you could have a bite of this." She drags her hands along her sides to emphasize her point.

Danny rolls his eyes, knowing full well that's territory he best not get into.

"Where's the kid?"

"Bedroom." Mindy answers, walking past him on her way towards the place in question. "Come on Riley, it's time to come out! you don't want it to be too dark when we go out, don't you?"

The little girl comes out a few seconds later. She's holding a football and her blonde hair is covered by a black wig.

Mindy furrows her brows, unable to discern what the costume might be. "Why are you dressed like a Little Rascal at an NFL game?"

"I'm Lucy!" Riley grunts, clutching her football close to her chest.

"Who?"

"From It's the great pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" The kid explains.

"Oh, right. That weird cartoon from the 40s you always talk about."

"You've never seen it?" Danny interjects, a smug smile on his face.

Mindy shrugs. "Why are you laughing?"

"It's the first time I beat you on a pop culture reference. Feels good."

"Ok, old man. Cool it. It's not like you won jeopardy or anything."

"So ... Should we go?" Danny suggests, heading towards the apartment entrance.

"No, wait! I have an idea!" Mindy rushes to her room, heels clinking on the hardwood floor. A few seconds later, she comes back with a brown fedora and she places it on top of Danny's head.

"And now you're Indiana Jones" She smiles proudly at her own brilliance.

"What-where did you even get that hat?"

"It's from back when i was dating Jamie. It's kind of a funny story actually."

"Oh, boy."

"Relax, you perv, it's PG rated." Mindy replies, leading the group out and closing the door behind them.

"Are you kidding me?" Danny inspects  Riley's pumpkin shaped bucket's content as they head down a residential street filled with brownstones. Lollipops. Mars Bars. Gummy bears. Twinkies. Sour straws. Snickers.

"You know what my neighbors gave me when I was a kid? licorice," he starts listing off. "Candied fruit, apples, candy corn. That was the stuff.  This is ... processed junk." he finishes, tossing a milky way back into the bucket.

"More like, delicious processed junk" Mindy replies, mouthful of chocolate.

"I'd never let my kid eat this stuff."

"Good thing you don't want any, then. Poor souls."

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Under the Apple Tree--Chapter 5

Ship:  Outlaw Queen

Rating: T

Synopsis: After being hit by the Olympian Crystal, Robin was transported to Seattle, unable to return to Storybrooke or any magical. When it was clear he had no way to return to his family, Robin finally decided to bury his broken heart in work–founding a landscaping business, Sherwood Forestry.  Fifteen years later, Robin receives an order from the last person he ever thought he’d see again, making him realize that hope never truly dies.

Previous: Chapter 1  Chapter 2   Chapter 3   Chapter 4

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Rayna tossed and turned, her sleep restless and troubled.  She didn’t remember ever having such a rough night’s sleep. Finally, an hour and a half before dawn, she decided to get up.  After starting the coffee, she gathered the ingredients she needed and got started on the pastries she hoped to feature at Grandma’s that day.

Baking always relaxed and focused her, and she needed it more than she had in weeks.

Her meager sleep the night before had been punctuated by odd dreams, more like flashes of impressions.  Most were gone as soon as she woke, but there was one dream she just couldn’t shake.   She saw herself with long hair, simply dressed.  She wore a red, velvet dress with a tight corset and a plunging neckline. Looked like something out of a Renaissance fair.  

And he was there.  The landscaper, Robin Locksley.  Whatever her other dreams had entailed, she knew he featured prominently in all of them.  She blushed as she thought of the one dream she particularly remembered.  Robin had smiled at her and then leaned down to kiss her. She’d taken his hand, led him behind her up a stone staircase and then into her bedroom.

Rayna poured herself a tall cup of coffee, angry with herself and the feelings the dream elicited. She was a full grown woman, not some silly teenager with a crush.  Robin Locksley was a handsome man; there was no point in denying that, but Rayna had given up on love a long time ago.  It hurt too much when it inevitably crumbled.

What was it about Robin that kept him at the forefront of her thoughts?  She didn’t even know him.  Not really. They’d spent, what?  A couple hours together?  He was her landscaper!  Why couldn’t she get him out of her head?

Soulmates.

Rayna dragged in a deep breath at the word her thoughts oh-so-helpfully conjured.  What was up with her today?  There was no such thing as a soulmate!  And even if there was, it would take more than a morning spent over coffee and apple turnovers to find one.

But deep down, in the honest part of her being, Rayna couldn’t deny that the word resonated—and it seemed perfectly suited to Robin Locksley.

“Just….stop being an idiot!” Rayna growled aloud.

“I do hope you’re talking to the dough you’re kneading and not to me, sister dearest,” came the sleepy, masculine voice behind her.

Rayna turned around and glared at her brother.  “Why not both?  If the shoe fits…”

He brought his good hand to his chest and staggered back as though he’d been shot in the heart.  Idiot. Rayna watched as James ran a hand through his hair—making it stick up in every direction—pour himself a mug of coffee and then sit at the kitchenette.

“I do believe this is the first time you’ve ever woken before me, Ray,” James said, glancing over the newspaper sitting on the table.  “Is everything okay?”

Rayna turned back toward the dough, gave it one last punch and then put it in a bowl to rest and rise. “Of course everything’s okay.  Why wouldn’t it be.”

James sighed behind her. “Rayna, I’ve known you since you were born.  I know when something is bothering you, and this morning, something most assuredly is bothering you.  So what say you save us both time and simply tell me.  You know I’ll get it out of you eventually anyway.”

Rayna glared at him for another moment and then sighed.  She sat heavily in the chair across from James.  “It’s stupid.”

“I’m quite the good listener,” James said.  “And…it would be a kindness on your part.  Perhaps helping someone else through her troubles will help me to move past…my own tragedy.”

James’s voice broke on the last word, and for a moment he looked away, taking a deep breath, obviously trying to regain control of himself.  Rayna felt the shame and the pity well up within her.  Why was she so hung up over a crush when he was dealing with the loss of his wife and a permanent disability?

“It’s just…” she began. “Did you see the new apple tree out front?”

“Aye.  Sound investment, I’d wager.  Will be most helpful in your baking endeavors.”

“Exactly,” Rayna said, looking down into the black depths of her coffee and fiddling with the handle. “It was…it was delivered and planted by this man, Robin Locksley.  And, well, he came back the next morning and we had breakfast and talked…”

“And you’ve developed feelings for this Robin?” James asked.  Trust him to get right to the heart of the matter.

“Yes…no!...I don’t know!” Rayna said, getting to her feet and starting to pace.  “I feel this strange…pull…toward him, and I just can’t stop thinking about him.  It’s ridiculous, totally asinine.  He’s just the guy who planted my tree, for heaven’s sake. These feelings—whatever they are—are just stupid.  No one falls for someone that fast.  Besides. I tried the whole romance thing, and I never want to do it again.”

James’s blue eyes were pools of sympathy and understanding.  “I know what happened with Daniel was traumatic.”

“Understatement of the year.”

Daniel had been her high school sweetheart, but her mom had never approved.  Didn’t think Daniel was good enough for her little girl.  On that last fateful day, Cora had screamed at him, hurling insults and insisting they never see each other again.  Daniel had left as angry as Rayna had ever seen him. And his anger must have occupied his thoughts and kept him from paying close enough attention to the road.  She’d gotten word an hour later that he’d been killed instantly in a car accident.

“But,” James continued, “that doesn’t mean you must remain alone forever.  Love is worth it.  Love is so very, very worth it.  Even now, I wouldn’t trade a single, beautiful, perfect moment I shared with my Emma, even to escape the crushing pain her loss has brought to me.  I may feel as though someone reached into my chest and crushed my heart, but those years I spent with my sweet wife were worth every bit of it.”

“That’s great for you,” Rayna started, “but…”

“Shh,” James said, “I wasn’t finished yet.”

Rayna rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

“Rayna, if you feel a connection to this landscaper, explore it,” James said before taking a sip of his coffee.  “Perhaps nothing will come of it, but perhaps it will.  Love is so very, very worth it, and if you let Robin go without even exploring the possibilities, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.  Just…think about it, alright?”

Rayna was silent for a moment, and then nodded.  “Fine. I’ll think about it.  Happy?”

“Ecstatic,” James said, draining the last of his coffee and then getting to his feet.  “I’ve got to head down to the Warrior Swan.  Do a check on the inventory, put in orders for the stock we’re low on.  Get a wanted add written up for a new bartender.  That sort of thing.”

“Have fun,” Rayna said as her brother disappeared up the stairs to get ready for the day.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Think about it, Rayna most definitely did.  She thought about it as she punched down the dough once more, rolled it flat, slathered it with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, and then rolled it up to form cinnamon rolls.  She thought about it as she cleaned up the mess of her kitchen.  She thought about it as she made an apple pie.  She thought of it as she got started on a wedding cake she was making for a couple a city over.

She couldn’t help but think about it.  Was James right?  Should she explore this weird connection she had with Robin?  As she slid her cinnamon rolls into the oven, she let herself think about him.  He was handsome in that rugged, outdoorsman way.  He had kind eyes and a gentle smile.  He was the best listener she’d ever come across, and he somehow knew exactly what to say to her—whether it was to commiserate, to compliment or to offer solutions.  It was as though this connection between them let him see into her very soul.

Soulmates.

Rayna pulled in another deep breath, but before she could think further on that (frankly terrifying) concept, there was a knock at the door.  She wiped her hands on the dishtowel and headed toward the foyer.

“Robin,” she said, seeing the man on her doorstep.  “I was just thinking about you…um..I mean…”

He chuckled.  “No need to be embarrassed.  I’ve been thinking quite a bit about you as well.”

“Yes, well…” Rayna stuttered, wondering if her cheeks were now as red as her honeycrisps.  “Um, what brings you to my home this morning?”

Robin gestured behind him. “I have a couple of people I’d like you to…meet.”

For the first time, Rayna realized Robin wasn’t alone.  He’d brought a man and a little girl with him.  “Please, come in.  All of you.”

“Thanks, Mo…Miss Miller,” the man said, looking aside as the little girl giggled.

“You’re welcome,” Rayna said, brow furrowing.  There was something vaguely familiar about Robin’s companions, but she couldn’t place it. “I’m sorry, but do we know each other? There’s something about you…”

“I’m sure I’ve never met Rayna Miller,” the man said carefully before extending his hand.  “Hi, my name is Henry Mills.”

He looked at her carefully, and Rayna got the strangest feeling that he wanted something from her. He was hoping for…something…but she had no idea what.

She took his hand, gave it a quick, businesslike shake, and then stepped back.  “I’m pleased to meet you, Mr. Mills.”

The man sighed and looked away for a moment, but then seemed to square his shoulders.  He gestured to the girl at his side.  “And this is my daughter, Lucy.”

The girl smiled, the dimples standing out on her cheeks.  “Happy to meet you!” she said cheerfully.

“The feeling’s mutual,” Rayna said, something about the girl giving her a little ache at the thought that she’d never had children of her own.  After a moment, she gave her head a little shake, and smiled at the trio in her foyer.  “I have a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls about to come out of the oven.  Would you like to join me for breakfast?”

“Yes!” Lucy said, quickly. “I love your cinnamon rolls….I mean…I love cinnamon rolls…in general…and I’m sure yours are great…”

Robin laughed and patted the little girl on the shoulder.  “Why don’t you go wash your hands?”

Lucy nodded, and ran toward the kitchen sink, while the adults settled themselves at the kitchen table.

“I’m sorry to descend on you like this,” Robin said, wry look on his face, “but Henry’s my neighbor, and I thought you might want to meet him.”

Rayna felt like she was missing something.  Both men seemed to know something she didn’t.  “Um…well, I’m pleased to meet you.  Have you lived in Seattle long?”

Henry exchanged a glance with Robin, before turning back toward her.  He took a deep breath.  “Actually, no.  I grew up in a little town in Maine, called Storybrooke.  I was adopted by the mayor, Regina Mills.  When I was 10, I found my birth mom, and she became the sheriff of Storybrooke.  She was a real savior to that town.”

Lucy rejoined the men, and all three of them gave her intense, expectant looks.  Had they gone crazy or had she?  

“Sounds like you had quite the childhood,” she said, noncommittally.

As one, Henry and Lucy’s faces fell, and Rayna felt (nonsensically) guilty for disappointing them. The problem was, she had no idea what they wanted from her or how to give it.

“Yeah, it was great. Never a dull moment,” Henry said.

They fell into a rather tense silence.  “So, why was it you wanted to meet me?”

“Well…um…I was hoping…that is…” Henry stumbled.

“He wanted to hire you,” Lucy spoke up.

Both Robin and Henry looked toward her in obvious surprise.

“Hire me?”

“Yeah,” she said with an earnest bob of her head.  “My dad is the author, and he has a new book coming out in a few months.  We were hoping you’d cater his book signing.”

“Exactly,” Henry said. “Robin and I were talking, and he told me what an amazing caterer you are, and it sounded perfect.”

“Really?” Rayna said, heart leaping at the thought Robin had been complimenting her to others.  Her eyes met his, and the belief and devotion she saw there staggered her.

“Really,” he answered. “You, Rayna Miller made quite an impression.  I’d recommend your pastries to the queen of England herself, should she need a caterer.”

Rayna felt her cheeks warm with pleasure at his praise.  “I think you might be overselling me a bit.”

“Not at all.”

For a moment, she held Robin’s gaze, getting lost in his green eyes, but then Lucy giggled and the spell was broken.

“I’d love to cater your event,” Rayna said finally, turning toward Henry.  “Just call me sometime so we can set up the details.”

“Great!” Henry said.  “I look forward to it.”

They shook on the deal, and then Henry got to his feet.  “Well it’s been great meeting you, and thank you for the delicious cinnamon rolls, but I’m afraid we’ll have to get going.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

An hour later, the oven timer went off, and Rayna quickly pulled the steaming, golden brown apple pie from the oven and set it on the range to cool.  She started to walk back toward the staircase, when suddenly something white sitting on the chair little Lucy had occupied, caught her eye.

Stooping down, Rayna discovered it was a book with an apple tree on the front.  Curious, she picked it up and flipped through.  It appeared the girl was following in her father’s footsteps.  She’d written a fanciful tale full of magic and witches and villains and heroes, complete with pictures.

Quite an imagination Lucy Mills had.

She set the book down on the counter, making a mental note to give it back when she met with Henry about his book signing.  No doubt the little authoress would want her manuscript back.

 Notes:

--So in this installment, Rayna gets some useful advice from her brother, James, and she “meets” Henry and Lucy.  Clearly Robin, Henry and Lucy were hoping that seeing her son and granddaughter would jog her memory, but unfortunately for them it can’t be that easy.  The darkness’s memory curse is too strong for that.

--Up next:  Robin, Henry and Lucy brainstorm “plan B”, and then Robin finds himself in James’s pub, where he gets a very unexpected pep talk.