OUAT fic: "After Broken: Irene Adler"
Series: After Broken.
Companion to Midas and Nurse Cassandra. the series is a set of snapshots of various characters after the pilot episode of season 2.
Title: Irene Adler.
coda to 2.02 we are both.
Summary: Irene Adler wants to help.
Characters: Prince Charming|David Nolan, Henry (the Younger), Irene Adler|Jane White.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I own none of them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The lettering on the door read
JANE WHITE
Private Investigator
Underneath, on a piece of duct tape, was neatly penned I.A.
Prince Charming opened the door, stepping into the room first. The stereotype was wrong - it wasn't dusty, musty, or dimly-lit; the office was ordered and tidy, with reading lamps scattered all over the bookcases.
As Henry was coming in, Charming took one look at the woman behind the desk, and knew who she was. "Are you White or Adler?" Charming asked.
"As you put it, I am both," she said. "Hello, Henry."
"Hi," Henry said.
"Thank you for coming when I summoned you."
You didn't summon me - it wasn't magic. You gave Ruby a paper saying you wanted me to come to your office because there was something I needed. "It's okay," Henry said.
Jane began to open her desk drawer, and had the book halfway out when -
"Jane White?" Charming asked.
Not looking up, and leaving the book where it was for now, Jane replied, "Her Majesty has a sense of humor."
"Not that I've noticed."
"My note requested Henry."
"Where Henry goes, I go," Charming said.
Henry nodded.
"So you've already given up your quest to find your wife and daughter?" Jane asked.
"Never!"
"And yet you're here instead of questing," she observed.
"Why do you want to talk to me?" Henry asked her. "I don't know you."
"In one sense, this is true," Jane said.
"But you're not in my book."
"That means I did my job, young man. Before the curse was cast, before the civil war, I was Chief Investigator for the royal House of White."
"Snow White's family," Henry said.
"You certainly have your grandfather's grasp of the obvious," Jane said.
"Like your escaping your responsibilities and running away," Charming said.
"I chose not to fight in your civil war, King Charming," Jane all but spat at him. "And certainly I had a better reason than you did for running away from your responsibilities. A kingdom and a bride proved too frightening for you, so you ran into bed with another one."
Henry coughed.
"Apologies, Henry," Jane said. "Sometimes I find it more satisfying to react as if I were still Jane White and she alone."
"So, who are you?" Henry asked.
"Irene Adler, royal troubleshooter, problem solver, and inquisitor." Had I not left at the start of the civil war, I would never have met Holmes, Watson, or any of the others. "And I would like to offer you a job."
"Why?"
Because I've seen what happens to people who get between a Dark One and their goals. "You're a bright boy. Do I need more of a reason than that?"
"I have school," Henry said.
"I never interfere with an education. Though as I understand it, Operation Cobra introduced you to the field of investigating. I'm offering you a chance to continue."
"Can I think it over?" Henry asked.
Jane nodded.
"Though I do have a question -- how did you know about Operation Cobra? Who told you?"
"Even before your mothers ended the curse, Henry, I was an investigator," Jane said.
"You didn't talk to my mom?"
"As Irene Adler, I have not spoken to your mother since the civil war - his highness beside you made certain of that. As Jane White, I have only spoken to your mothers once each - when you were seven and made a fort in the library," which resulted in Regina closing it down. "And during one of our new sheriff's investigations."
"Can I come back when I make up my mind?" Henry asked her.
"Of course. No matter what the answer is, I still serve the House of White." Even if that makes your grandfather uncomfortable.
"Cool! Thanks," and headed for the door, then stopped with his hand on the doorknob. "What's that book?" Henry asked.
Jane smiled. "The other half."
"The other half of what?"
The story. "It's yours when you begin training."
"And if we insist upon it now?" Charming asked.
Her smile melted away. "You tried force with me once before, highness. Recall it didn't work out. Now please, see yourselves out."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
the end.
Companion to Midas and Nurse Cassandra. the series is a set of snapshots of various characters after the pilot episode of season 2.
Title: Irene Adler.
coda to 2.02 we are both.
Summary: Irene Adler wants to help.
Characters: Prince Charming|David Nolan, Henry (the Younger), Irene Adler|Jane White.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I own none of them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The lettering on the door read
JANE WHITE
Private Investigator
Underneath, on a piece of duct tape, was neatly penned I.A.
Prince Charming opened the door, stepping into the room first. The stereotype was wrong - it wasn't dusty, musty, or dimly-lit; the office was ordered and tidy, with reading lamps scattered all over the bookcases.
As Henry was coming in, Charming took one look at the woman behind the desk, and knew who she was. "Are you White or Adler?" Charming asked.
"As you put it, I am both," she said. "Hello, Henry."
"Hi," Henry said.
"Thank you for coming when I summoned you."
You didn't summon me - it wasn't magic. You gave Ruby a paper saying you wanted me to come to your office because there was something I needed. "It's okay," Henry said.
Jane began to open her desk drawer, and had the book halfway out when -
"Jane White?" Charming asked.
Not looking up, and leaving the book where it was for now, Jane replied, "Her Majesty has a sense of humor."
"Not that I've noticed."
"My note requested Henry."
"Where Henry goes, I go," Charming said.
Henry nodded.
"So you've already given up your quest to find your wife and daughter?" Jane asked.
"Never!"
"And yet you're here instead of questing," she observed.
"Why do you want to talk to me?" Henry asked her. "I don't know you."
"In one sense, this is true," Jane said.
"But you're not in my book."
"That means I did my job, young man. Before the curse was cast, before the civil war, I was Chief Investigator for the royal House of White."
"Snow White's family," Henry said.
"You certainly have your grandfather's grasp of the obvious," Jane said.
"Like your escaping your responsibilities and running away," Charming said.
"I chose not to fight in your civil war, King Charming," Jane all but spat at him. "And certainly I had a better reason than you did for running away from your responsibilities. A kingdom and a bride proved too frightening for you, so you ran into bed with another one."
Henry coughed.
"Apologies, Henry," Jane said. "Sometimes I find it more satisfying to react as if I were still Jane White and she alone."
"So, who are you?" Henry asked.
"Irene Adler, royal troubleshooter, problem solver, and inquisitor." Had I not left at the start of the civil war, I would never have met Holmes, Watson, or any of the others. "And I would like to offer you a job."
"Why?"
Because I've seen what happens to people who get between a Dark One and their goals. "You're a bright boy. Do I need more of a reason than that?"
"I have school," Henry said.
"I never interfere with an education. Though as I understand it, Operation Cobra introduced you to the field of investigating. I'm offering you a chance to continue."
"Can I think it over?" Henry asked.
Jane nodded.
"Though I do have a question -- how did you know about Operation Cobra? Who told you?"
"Even before your mothers ended the curse, Henry, I was an investigator," Jane said.
"You didn't talk to my mom?"
"As Irene Adler, I have not spoken to your mother since the civil war - his highness beside you made certain of that. As Jane White, I have only spoken to your mothers once each - when you were seven and made a fort in the library," which resulted in Regina closing it down. "And during one of our new sheriff's investigations."
"Can I come back when I make up my mind?" Henry asked her.
"Of course. No matter what the answer is, I still serve the House of White." Even if that makes your grandfather uncomfortable.
"Cool! Thanks," and headed for the door, then stopped with his hand on the doorknob. "What's that book?" Henry asked.
Jane smiled. "The other half."
"The other half of what?"
The story. "It's yours when you begin training."
"And if we insist upon it now?" Charming asked.
Her smile melted away. "You tried force with me once before, highness. Recall it didn't work out. Now please, see yourselves out."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
the end.