002: late night text.

[sheriffing]

I'll be honest, I don't know how all of you are living here.
Not existing, I don't need an explanation for that. I just...

[She's trapped by a future that hasn't happened yet. Hook doesn't have to tell her she's gone dark for her to know he was thrown by the fact that she wasn't. If there's going to be a fight, she's going to lose. In his future, she's the Dark One.

And to have it not happen just because she's here, when she doesn't know why, or for how long, or what this place wants out of her is maddening.]

I feel like I'm waiting for someone to flip the switch and send me back to my life. And I don't know whether to want that because it's mine or to want this because it could always be worse.

[She could be the person Hook thought she was. And eventually, she will be.]

Comments

text

[sheriffing]

It's temporary here, it's temporary back home.
I was under the impression that happy endings weren't so fleeting.

Re: text

[belovedson]

You know, the place I'm from is all about the happy ending? We're kind of obsessed with it.

[Fairytale characters and all.]

I'm not sure it works that way though. Not like people think. It's more like, "happy-while-you-can-be." I mean, people find their true love or their dreams, but it's just the start of a life together, you know?

[sheriffing]

And then what?

[belovedson]

Then you live it, I guess. You just don't have to face it all alone.

[sheriffing]

Doesn't feel like I get to live it.

[belovedson]

I know. You're stuck in some messed up version of a kid's story. And maybe back home things don't look all that great either.

It's still a chance worth taking. The bad days really suck, but the good ones? Are worth it.

[sheriffing]

Seriously Neal?

Stop ruining my night by being insightful.

[ He's right. She knows he's right - when did he get so good at this? ]

[belovedson]

[Oh shit.

Please hold.]

Emma?

[Guess who hasn't bothered to look at the caller id before now! Good job Neal.]

Sorry. It's kind of your own fault though. You're the one that made me realize all of this.

[And it's kind of nice to be able to pay back the favor.]

[sheriffing]

You need to stop giving me credit for things I don't remember doing.

[payback's a bitch.]

[belovedson]

Sorry again?

But it's kind of like karma, you know? I mean, I didn't want to hear any of this when you were telling it to me. [No, Neal had pretty much wanted to stay miserable and angry, thanks. Emma just wouldn't let him. So it's only fair that Neal gets to turn it around on her now.

And he just might be grinning on his side of the conversation.]

[sheriffing]

It's kind of like you're a pain in my ass.

[ The kind that makes her laugh, at least. If someone is going to tell her what she doesn't want to hear, he's the best candidate for it. ]

[belovedson]

[Good thing they're using text here; Neal almost made a comment about how she'd rather have him around than not, and that would've just made this whole conversation depressing.]

Hey, I've been called worse. [Thought successfully kept to himself.] And I bet you're smiling right now, so it's worth it.