Once Upon A Fan

By AnnDi10

Chapter 1

Erin Sebel and her friend Mary Margaret were relaxing and sunning themselves on a sandy patch near the shores of Crystal Lake on the edge of Storybrooke. It was Saturday and they were enjoying their day off. They had eaten earlier and were debating as to whether or not they should take a quick dip before returning to town. Erin had asked her good friend to meet her here so she could ask her advice. 

“So why all the secrecy Erin? Just what is going on?”

Erin looked shyly at her friend and took a deep breath before she answered. “Mary Margaret I think I have a crush on someone. No, I do have a crush on him. No, it’s more than a crush. Oh, I don’t know what it is except I can’t seem to think about anything but him. I even dream about him. What am I going to do?”

Mary Margaret eyed her friend in surprise. This was the first time Erin had ever shown such a deep interest in anyone. Mary Margaret worked part time with Erin at her new small school that she had recently opened. She was a teacher working with deaf children. She was trained in American Sign Language or ASL. Erin was young, but surprisingly level-headed. It certainly was not like her to be so befuddled. Mary Margaret chuckled to herself and thought; it had to be love for her to be in such a state. And that was something Mary Margaret knew quite a lot about. 

“So just who are we talking about here? Do I know him?” 

“Of course you do Mary Margaret; I am talking about the new school principal, Eric Princeton.”

“The principal, you can’t be serious!” Mary Margaret sat straight up and looked squarely into her friend’s eyes. “Tell me you didn’t just say that!”

“I just can’t help myself Mary Margaret. I know this is going to cause huge problems in our working relationship. I really need some advice here before I do something stupid that I will regret.”

“My goodness Erin, you have got it bad. I can see that this could really be a problem. Well give me a moment or two to think, this has kind of taken me by surprise.”

As Mary Margaret was mulling all of this over Erin just sat there with a dejected look on her face. She removed a tendril of long auburn hair from her face. She knew she was being foolish but somehow this was really happening to her. She gazed out over the water as if hoping that some magical solution would just appear there, but there was very little likelihood of that happening. The water was beautiful and serene. She wished her thoughts were as serene. Without actually realizing it she was watching a small rowboat in the distance. Someone was fishing and had obviously made a catch. As she watched, the man struggled to land the fish and stood up in the boat in his efforts. 

Alarmed now, Erin leapt to her feet to point to the man. “Mary Margaret, that idiot is going to capsize his boat if he doesn’t sit down. The thing is already teetering. What is wrong with him?”

As both ladies watched in horror, the small craft did teeter over and the man appeared to hit his head on the bow and fell into the water. 

“Mary Margaret, run to the car and get your cell phone and phone 911. I’ll swim out and see if I can help him.”

Mary Margaret ran for the car. She knew that if anyone could get out there in time to help it would be Erin. She was a phenomenal swimmer and had won several junior championships. She just prayed that Erin was fast enough.

Erin dove in immediately and swam like a fish, cleaving her way through the water to reach the stricken man. No other thoughts were in her mind now, she was just focussed on getting there on time to save the man from drowning. Time was of the essence and she knew she not only had to reach the boat but had to dive and locate the man under the water. 

It took three dives to see him near the bottom of the lake. Taking a deep breath she went down after him and managed to bring him to the surface. He was unconscious so it was easy to roll him onto his back in the water in the rescue position and swim to shore with him. By the time she got there Mary Margaret was ready to help her drag the man onto the shore. It was so fortunate that she was there to help, because this guy was well built and must have weighed at least 180 pounds. 

She knew she would have to begin CPR immediately and started to do just that. It was then she realized who this man was. Eric Princeton, that new school principal was lying in the sand unconscious in front of her! She didn’t hesitate despite her feelings, training took over and she performed mouth to mouth resuscitation. Mary Margaret seeing her friend had things well under control ran back to the car and brought her a blanket. Then she called to Erin that she would go down the road to meet the ambulance and direct them up the right path. 

The man coughed a few times, spit out some water, and then was breathing on his own. He appeared to be dazed and his eyes were glazed over. Erin knew from her first aid training that this could mean that there was a head injury and it might be serious. She tried talking to him to keep him awake, to help him focus. If he had concussion then the last thing she wanted him to do was lose consciousness again. He looked like he was fading in and out of consciousness though, and she was at her wits end to think of a way to help him. Where was that damn ambulance anyways? Suddenly she had an idea, and began to sing close to his ear. That seemed to help him. He started to respond to that. At least his eyes were open if not completely focussed.

Two paramedics and Mary Margaret rushed up followed by another person. The paramedics went right to work and Erin finally had a moment to catch her breath. The other person stepped forward and both ladies were surprised to see the mayor, Regina Mills standing in front of them. 

“Well ladies that was a close call. How fortunate that you were both on the scene and able to render assistance. I heard this over my scanner and followed the ambulance out when I heard Mary Margaret’s voice on the 911 call. It looks like they are ready to transport him to the hospital now so we will take it from here. Thank-you for all of your help. No need to trouble yourselves any further.” Regina gave them a saccharine smile and followed the paramedics to the ambulance leaving the two friends to just stare at one another in amazement at being so summarily dismissed.

Chapter 2

Ariel was so excited that she could hardly contain it. Today was the big day. She was finally going to see the surface world for the first time. She was now old enough and her older sisters were helping her prepare. She had been waiting for this for so long and now that the time had actually arrived she just didn’t believe it was all real. So many times she had heard her sisters talking about all the fascinating things they had witnessed on the surface. 

Ariel had collected so many artifacts from the surface world that she had found scattered about under the surface that she knew she wanted to see more of the human culture. And they must have a wonderful culture to make such intriguing items. She knew it was forbidden for humans and mer-people to meet but at least she could observe from afar. That would be more than enough to satisfy her curiosity. 

As her head popped up out of the sea she looked about at the wonder of a beautiful sun shining on the surface of the water. As the waves danced about the sunshine resembled sparkling diamonds. How delightful she thought as she swam and dove in and out of the water using her powerful lithe tail to thrust herself high in the air. She could feel the cool breeze in her long dark red hair and on her face. Overhead she could see seagulls flying and diving into the water.  Tantalizing clouds blew across the sky forming strange and wonderful shapes that piqued her fantasy. She was actually trying to figure out if any of the shapes looked like sea animals she knew when she saw a sailing ship in the distance. It had two masts and looked like one her sister had drawn for her. Since she had never seen one for real she was extremely curious and decided to move in for a closer examination. 

Keeping well hid just below the surface of the water she got quite close to the vessel. She could see figures moving about on its decks. They must be the humans she was so inquisitive about! Yes, she could hear them talking and singing. How wonderful! Ariel loved to sing and her voice was one of the most enchanting in the whole mer-kingdom.

“Ok guys, one more time. Happy Birthday for Prince Eric. Let’s hear it across the ocean!”

As the sounds of the birthday song rang out across the waters, Ariel had a chance to observe closely the young prince for whom they were singing. He stood straight and tall and looked so at ease on the deck of his ship. Despite herself she got closer to see better. His hair was very dark and a small wave of it kept escaping down over his forehead even though he repeatedly pushed it back. His features were smooth and uniform. He started to laugh at the antics of his shipmates and his whole countenance lit up with mirth. Ariel found herself fixated on his smile. He was so handsome. How she wished she could be human for just a short while and spend some time with him alone.

While musing about this Ariel noticed a quick change in the weather. Black clouds had set in and a strong wind had picked up. The waves were beat into a lather and they licked angrily at the sides of the vessel.  The men on the ship ran about tying down latches and trimming the sails. All the while the ship tossed and bobbed around like a helpless cork. The storm worsened and Prince Eric ordered his men below. He lashed himself to the steering wheel and tried to keep the ship from being broadsided by the biggest of the waves.  Ariel watched all of this in dismay knowing there was nothing she could do to help her sweet prince.

Vicious waves broke over the bow and stern of the ship. Washing the decks with sea foam and spray, the waves beat against Eric as he desperately tried to steer. The lashings came loose and he was swept overboard into the churning waters. Down, down he was swept until he lost consciousness. Ariel raced through the water after him until she reached out a hand to grab his arm. Swimming with all of her strength she brought him to the surface and headed for land just as quickly as she could. She knew that men breathed only air and could not survive for long under the waters. She had to get him to safety, to save him. She had to. 

At the water’s edge she raised his head and shoulders up out of the water so that he was partially on land and partially in the water. She couldn’t do more than this as she could not walk on dry land with a tail. Not aware of human first aid she did what came naturally to her own people. She breathed her own breath into his mouth and hoped it had the healing affect that it did with her own kind. He moaned and turned his head. Water spewed from his lungs and he started to breathe on his own. His eyes were still closed though and she was worried she had not done enough. She began to sing a powerful healing song known only to her people. The song reverberated over the waves and the prince began to respond to it. She could see colour returning to his cheeks and warmth was creeping back into his limbs. She had to leave quickly now before he woke up and saw her. But she couldn’t resist one small kiss. Ariel placed her lips on his and kissed him longingly.  It felt so right, that she was loath to stop. Yet she must stop. She moved him as far as she could onto dry land and shot through the water putting distance between them.  It was fortunate indeed that she did this as Eric’s men had made it to shore and were running along the beach to help their stricken prince. 

She watched from a distance as the men ministered to Eric and finally they carried him further inland out of her sight. Ariel felt as if a part of herself had been ripped from her side. She yearned to be able to follow him. Her heart seemed as though to burst and her eyes filled with tears. Tears! A rare thing for a mermaid to cry. This only happened during times of great loss or love. Which was it for her? She had already guessed. She loved Eric. She loved him with all her heart and soul. 

A love doomed from the start. He did not know she and her kind even existed and he must never know this. He certainly did not know she had saved his life and stolen a kiss from him. But that kiss had awakened a love inside of her so powerful that she knew she had to find a way to be with him. Even to be near him would be a blessing. She dove deep under the water torn by confusion and turmoil. What cruel fate this was to keep her from him?

Chapter 3

Mary Margaret and Erin checked at the front desk of the hospital to see if Eric was going to be ok. The nurse on duty told them that he was resting comfortably but as they were not family she could not give out more information than this. When they asked if they could see him they were informed that the mayor had restricted all visitors for now. 

Erin looked surprised at this. “Why would Regina do that? What gives her the authority? She certainly is not a family member!”

Mary Margaret peered sadly at her friend. “Regina does as she wishes and as for authority – well being the mayor gives her all the authority she needs. You know what I went through when David was hospitalized. Regina was not family then either.”

At this juncture the lady mayor in question walked up to the front desk. “Can I help you ladies? I could hear you all the way down the hall. Is there a problem?”

Erin stood her ground. “I seriously doubt you could have heard us Regina, we were barely talking above a whisper! We came to see if Eric---I mean ifMr. Princeton was alright. After all we did have a hand in saving his life.”

“I will thank you to address me properly young lady. It is Madame Mayor to you. I do not like being spoken to in that tone of voice or taken to task by a – school marm in a public venue. If you must act so uncouth let’s continue this conversation in private shall we?” She proceeded to lead the way for the two ladies to follow her into an unused private office just to the side of the front desk. 

Being a redhead and subject to the infamous tempers that redheads were notorious for, Erin felt the red creep up the back of her neck. Oh, Regina was pushing all the wrong buttons right now. Less inclined to seek confrontation, Mary Margaret knew she was going to have to act as the peacemaker here. The prospect did not feel too good to her.  Both ladies followed the mayor into the empty office.

As Erin fought to control her emotions, she couldn’t help wonder what this woman was up to. Just what trick did she have up her sleeve? She did not trust her as far as she could throw her, so she was steeling herself to deal with just about anything as they entered the office and shut the door tight.

Strangely enough Regina appeared to be more calm and congenial as she sat on the edge of the desk in the room. She folded her arms and watched both women closely. Choosing her words carefully she started the conversation.

“Now listen ladies, I am just trying to avoid a nasty situation in the halls. I am sure we can air our differences out and come to some conclusion here if we all try. I would not want to give anyone the wrong impression. We all want the same thing. We would like Mr. Princeton to get the rest he needs so he will have a full recovery. I am sure we can all agree on that.”

Erin eyed her warily. “Naturally we all want that.”

Regina cut through to say, “Good then I really see no problem here, do you?”

The two younger ladies looked at each other. Oh, she was good. Too good. 

Mary Margaret spoke quietly. “Of course we are not here to interfere in his recovery by any means. We just wanted to see if he was alright and if there was anything further we could do to help.”

Regina smiled her most charming smile. “You can see that he is being well taken care of and of course I have taken a personal interest to make sure he receives the best of care. I feel responsible because I was instrumental in helping him attain his post. I would like him to remain healthy enough to continue it. Does that answer some of your questions?”

Boy she was good. Politics certainly was her game.

Neither of the younger ladies could actually argue those points so they remained mute. Regina took full advantage of this.

“As far as I can see we are now all on the same page. I suggest you go home and once Mr. Princeton is on the mend then you can inquire about visitation. In the meantime I will monitor the situation to see that all possible services and care are given to him.”

Erin thought, damn the woman! She made it seem like they were interlopers, when all she wanted to do was rush to his side and comfort him, not harm him. She was going to have admit defeat to Regina on this score.

The two ladies prepared to leave when Regina asked politely if Erin could stay back for a few minutes. She had something she wanted to discuss with her in private. Mary Margaret shot a quick glance to her friend but her look was returned with Erin’s confident smile. Erin could take care of herself in many situations but she had never gone toe-to-toe with the lady mayor before! Mary Margaret nodded to her friend but made sure she knew she would be waiting for her just outside of the office.

“Such a lovely girl Mary Margaret. You are most fortunate to have her as your friend.”

Given the history between Regina and Mary Margaret, Erin knew that this was all just a ploy. Was she trying to bait her again?

“Miss Sebel, I want to apologise for my comment earlier about you being a school marm. That was uncalled for. I should have been more discreet. I can only say in my own defense that I was worried about Eric.” She watched Erin’s reaction to these assertions closely. “I do not know if you are aware of this, but Eric and I have been – well seeing one another and I have become quite fond of him. I would not want this to get out into the public right now, but I tell you this so you will understand more clearly how I feel and why I was so rude. Please forgive my harshness.”

Erin felt like someone had just reached in and ripped her heart out! So that was why Regina was in the middle of all of this. Regina and Eric were lovers! The mere thought of this sent shockwaves throughout her entire body. She was speechless. 

Regina pressed her advantage. “I’m afraid I am going to have to ask you for a favour as well Miss Sebel. You see when Eric reached full consciousness I was with him. He – a – thought it was me that had rescued him. And I did not disavow him of that misconception.”

As Erin drew in her breath through her teeth Regina quickly continued. “I know that was terribly wrong of me but he looked so helpless at the moment and I was so worried about him that I just couldn’t argue with him. He was totally convinced that it was me. We were worried about concussion and we did not want to stress him or upset him. It could have complicated his condition. I hope you will be gracious enough to understand and forgive my little deception.”

“Now this is the favour I am asking of you. Would you please not tell Eric about my little deception? We are at such a tenuous place in our relationship that I would not want to jeopardize it with this. Could you please just go with this for now?”

Erin could not believe what she was hearing. Regina wanted her to help her perpetuate a lie so she could cement her relationship with the man Erin loved. And what kind of relationship is based on such lies anyway? Erin just stood numbly and shook her head.

Regina could see that Erin was not going to be convinced so easily. Her eyes narrowed for a few minutes sizing the woman up. Time to pull out the big guns Regina she thought. 

“Miss Sebel I would hate to see anything happen to that wonderful school of yours. We need something like that here in Storybrooke. As I happen to know your landlord very well I have to say he can at times be subject to whims and impulses. I may not be able to influence him enough to make sure he continues to allow you stay in your building.”

Erin thought, why the dirty b----! “Mr. Gold hasn’t indicated to me that he is not willing to continue with our arrangement. “

“Yes, but he may also not be aware that there are some investors scouting about at the moment looking to purchase choice land parcels. You have to admit that the property you are renting from him is in a choice area. Mr. Gold and I go way back. We have had business dealings for many years. He almost always takes into consideration what I have to say. (She did not elaborate that while he may consider what she said – it did not mean he would allow it to influence him.)”

Well there the other shoe had just dropped. Erin knew it was game, set, and match. Regina knew it too. What a masterful stroke. Pure genius, evil genius! So unless Erin held her tongue and was silent, she ran the risk of being evicted from her school with all of the children! No doubt she would also influence Mr. Gold to not rent any other building to her either. Regina would just find another choice job for her new beau.

Chapter 4

Ariel was devastated. She could never be with the man she loved. There had to be some way she could fix this. She could not go on without him. Her heart ached for him. This consumed her every waking moment. She was willing to try anything at this point. It was just that the ‘anything’ could prove to be very dangerous. Ariel was now desperate enough to go to Ursula the Sea Witch to make a deal.

Approaching the witch’s cave took every ounce of her resolve. As a young child she had been terrified by the evil stories told about the witch. Every parent used these stories as cautionary tales to elicit good behaviour and compliance from their children. Now here she was actually going to see this person to ask her to grant her a wish. If she had not been so inconsolable she would never have ever considered this terrible path.

The cave was in darkness and Ariel could feel her heart pumping with trepidation and fear. She almost turned back but at the last minute stood still just outside and called to the witch.  In a rush of sea foam and dark waves the witch answered the call. She towered over Ariel and her voice seemed to reverberate from the coral that surrounded the cave. 

“To what do I owe the pleasure today my dear?”

“I have come to seek a boon of you oh mighty Ursula.” Ariel was visibly trembling now.

“A boon. Really. I do not just grant boons freely. They come at high price. What do you offer in return?”

Ariel had not considered this aspect. She had nothing of value to offer. What could someone like Ursula want from someone like her?

“I am willing to do anything you ask of me. Anything”

Ursula raised her eyebrows and quietly assessed this young creature before her. She seemed genuine enough, not to mention desperate enough. 

“I am feeling very generous today my dear, so I will grant you your boon, provided you are willing to pay my price.” The witch watched the young girl carefully.

Ariel told Ursula her story and explained how much she wanted to be near her prince. She wanted to be human so she could do this. She further explained that she wanted to marry her young man and live happily ever after with him.

“Well I must say this is quite a mess isn’t it? Well I may have a solution. It may not be everything you wanted but then you will have to decide that for yourself if you want to take me up on my offer. I can make you human so you can be with your prince. But there are conditions to my boon. First you must give me your voice. Your beautiful singing voice. You will remain mute until your prince’s true love’s kiss releases you from this silence.  Secondly, this boon has a time limit. You have only seven days to convince your man that he is to marry you. If this does not happen or if he marries another you will become as sea foam on the oceans never more to return to the life you know. I of course, still get to keep your voice. So do we have a deal my dear?”

Erin took her time to consider the conditions. She knew that her own love and longing for Eric would transcend all obstacles but would it be the same for him? Would she be able to pull this off in time without the use of words? It was all so overwhelming. Yet her heart was so empty without him. She knew she did not have the strength to refuse the witch.

Ariel awoke with water lapping at her face. She was lying on the shore near the place where she had saved Eric. She was so tired and confused. What had happened? Why was she here? She rolled over and her mouth dropped open. There in place of her beautiful tail were two long slim human legs. She wiggled her toes and marveled at how strange they looked. She was human! The witch had kept her promise. Ariel wondered now how she was going to find her prince.

As luck would have it that was not as difficult as she might have imagined. Eric was walking along the beach when he spotted the young maiden at the water’s edge. He often took long walks here trying to remember what had happened to him the day he almost drowned. He recalled a beautiful voice singing to him and warm moist lips on his. But he could not remember much more. He thought if he returned here that something might jog his memory and he could find the owner of that lovely voice.

Quickly reaching her he started to ask several questions. Ariel could not answer so she did her best to indicate to him that she was mute. After a minute or two he realized what the problem was and started to ask yes or no questions that she could shake her head to for an answer. She told him she had been shipwrecked and that she was all alone with no one to take care of her. Eric was so taken with her beauty and charm that he declared that she could come and live at his castle and never fear again of being alone or friendless. 

True to his word, Eric took good care of her and she wanted for nothing save him. How she was going to carry out the rest of her mission was something she had no inkling of at the moment. As she needed to think things through that evening she found a quiet spot in the garden hoping some reflection would bring about a solution. Her heart was heavy as she sat there under a rose arbor. 

Lost entirely in thought, Ariel was startled when a figure appeared near her side. He was not too tall and had long hair, gold flecked skin, and wore the most outlandish outfit made of snakeskin and leather. If she had had her voice she might have screamed. The figure made a polite bow and an elaborate gesture with his hand. He wore a huge smile on his face but that smile did not reach his eyes that seemed to bore into her, discerning everything about her. She felt like he could almost read her every thought. He frightened her.

“Good evening my dear Ariel. I am happy to make your acquaintance. My name is Rumplestiltskin and I am here to help you solve your dilemma?”