Love's a Witch (4/4)
Title: Love's a Witch
Summary: It's Valentine's Day in Storybrooke and a former sea witch has her sights set on reclaiming her former love. Unfortunately her spell instead effects, and reunites, another pair of the town's residents.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: 1x12
Pairings/Characters: Vanessa/Gaston, Ruby/Gold, Granny, Emma, Regina, Mary Margaret, David, Belle, Ashley/Sean, mentions others
Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time is not owned by me, but by ABC. I’m simply borrowing these characters for non-profit entertainment.
A/N: I started writing this before 1x12 aired so while it holds minor spoilers for that, it would now clearly be AU.
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3
~~
Chapter 4/Epilogue - Face to Face With Destiny:
Vanessa had been standing at the edge of the shore and staring out at the vast sea as she attempted to lose herself in her thoughts almost from the moment Gold had left. She had gotten changed into what would at least be deemed appropriate beach attire for the day, on a cold day anyway. It had been a few hours now since her unexpected visit with Gold and she was sure Regina would try to find her now. But try as she might to think of anything else, she could still hear Gold's angry tone in her mind. Somehow even her mental scolding of herself had taken on his accented voice.
The only thing that was able to distract her even slightly was the barking of a dog not too far from her. Her eyes still forward, she wished the beast would shut it. Despite the earlier tonic she had concocted for herself, her head already hurt enough without that sharp sound to add to her misery.
Only the dog seemed to have other plans as Vanessa quickly felt what could only be large paws at her side, the surprise and sheer weight of the animal sending her back a step. It was times like that she almost hated having chosen such a petite form.
"Fou!" a man's voice called, but Vanessa was too busy realizing the German Shepherd didn't seem to mean any harm. Instead it had hopped back down, its paws back on the sand and had turned back in the direction of his master to bark again as though he found something.
Still stunned from the initial surprise and fear given the sudden memory of an incident with a Sheepdog many years ago, it wasn't until the dog's master was right there with them and trying to talk sense to the animal, as well as apologize to her, that she finally saw him. Or, rather, she first saw his long, muscular legs. Then as her eyes trailed upwards she saw his large hands at his hips. By the time her eyes met his broad chest; her own heart was racing and was seemingly pounding right up against her ribcage. It was when her eyes raised higher to the cleft of his chin and then finally to his own blue eyes she was sure she just might faint. Instead, she only breathed, "Gaston?"
"Uh, close, but no. Do I know you?" the man asked, his voice just as deep and rich as she remembered.
Vanessa was pained to have to swallow the reply she wished she could give, and instead she lied. "I don't think so. I'm Vanessa." She knew him, or at least she had; and quite literally better than anyone likely could. But it was clear Regina had made him forget her just like she had done to so many others.
"Gavin," he nodded. "Like I said, I'm sorry if my dog scared you. He just started running, I almost couldn't keep up." Turning his attention back to the large German Shepherd, he added, "But I got ya, didn't I, Fou?"
The dog's tail wagged and he looked up at Vanessa as if expecting to be petted by her too. He looked so proud of himself that Vanessa just smiled, trying not to laugh as she asked, "Your dog's name is Fou?"
"Yeah, it sounds better than outright calling him a fool, which he is. But I can forgive him this time. It's not every day he finds such beautiful women for me to meet."
Vanessa nearly blushed, knowing he was only attracted to those as beautiful as he considered himself to be. And before Regina's spell had banished them here to Storybrooke that comment would have had her launching herself into his large arms faster than almost anything. But she kept her feet on the sand and told him, "It's fine. I love dogs; I was just a little surprised. I've always wanted about six or seven, myself. But my beach house isn't really right for that."
"Six or seven, that's a good number. One for each kid, right?" he chuckled, a low and familiar sound that had Vanessa smiling again.
"Something like that."
"You're right though, you'd want something like a hunting lodge for that many. Even by himself Fou can do quite a number on our place."
"Yeah," she nodded. "You're right, I would. A big, rustic one with a nice fireplace you could actually roast full meals over. Something to make you feel like you went out and caught it yourself."
"Sounds like you've got your sights set on a hunter," he smirked.
"Quite the idyllic scene, I admit," she nodded. "Hunting lodge, the dogs, a he-man who enjoys providing for his little wife and strapping sons. I just haven't seemed to have found the right one yet."
"You know, I really have the strangest feeling that I've met you before," he told her, scratching his smooth chin.
Vanessa felt her heart all but stop. "You do?"
He chuckled as he then ran that same strong hand through his long dark hair. "Yeah. And if I haven't, I'm glad I have now. Seems a shame I could have lived here all along and have not met someone as beautiful as you."
She almost blushed again, which was typically a rarity for her but this was the man she still loved, and he was flirting with her. "How about, if you want, you come up for a beer some time? I live right over there. Maybe we could get to know each other that way? Or know each other again, if we did meet some other time?"
Gavin looked to the dog. "What do you say, Fou?" The dog barked and wagged his tail again and Vanessa and Gavin both laughed. "I guess that settles it."
"He realizes he's not getting any of the beer, right?" she asked, still laughing. She could only guess that Regina's spell had even worked on the animals because she doubted the former LeFou would like her so much if he remembered she was the one who had turned him into a dog in the first place.
"Shh," Gavin told her. "He was a third of the deciding vote. Let's not have him try to convince me to head back home already. He gets jealous enough as it is."
"I can see why," she smirked back up to him.
"Really?" he asked, drawing the word out as he eyed her almost sudden lustful expression. This day was certainly looking up, Gavin decided. It sure beat being stuck behind the sports tavern bar with hardly any customers after so much of Storybrooke had seemed to have chosen romantic dinners over drowning their sorrows the night before.
Vanessa nodded. "But in that case, so Fou doesn't change his mind, maybe I have something inside to keep him busy while we chat."
"A pair of shoes you don't mind becoming chew toys?"
"I was thinking a hamburger," she chuckled.
Gavin laughed too and as they headed up to her home, Vanessa felt his arm slip around her back as though he still did it every day. With that she knew her spell had finally worked in her favor.
As she was back at the side of the brute of her dreams, Vanessa knew she was finally once again face to face with her destiny, and finally reunited with her Gaston.
The End
Summary: It's Valentine's Day in Storybrooke and a former sea witch has her sights set on reclaiming her former love. Unfortunately her spell instead effects, and reunites, another pair of the town's residents.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: 1x12
Pairings/Characters: Vanessa/Gaston, Ruby/Gold, Granny, Emma, Regina, Mary Margaret, David, Belle, Ashley/Sean, mentions others
Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time is not owned by me, but by ABC. I’m simply borrowing these characters for non-profit entertainment.
A/N: I started writing this before 1x12 aired so while it holds minor spoilers for that, it would now clearly be AU.
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3
~~
Chapter 4/Epilogue - Face to Face With Destiny:
Vanessa had been standing at the edge of the shore and staring out at the vast sea as she attempted to lose herself in her thoughts almost from the moment Gold had left. She had gotten changed into what would at least be deemed appropriate beach attire for the day, on a cold day anyway. It had been a few hours now since her unexpected visit with Gold and she was sure Regina would try to find her now. But try as she might to think of anything else, she could still hear Gold's angry tone in her mind. Somehow even her mental scolding of herself had taken on his accented voice.
The only thing that was able to distract her even slightly was the barking of a dog not too far from her. Her eyes still forward, she wished the beast would shut it. Despite the earlier tonic she had concocted for herself, her head already hurt enough without that sharp sound to add to her misery.
Only the dog seemed to have other plans as Vanessa quickly felt what could only be large paws at her side, the surprise and sheer weight of the animal sending her back a step. It was times like that she almost hated having chosen such a petite form.
"Fou!" a man's voice called, but Vanessa was too busy realizing the German Shepherd didn't seem to mean any harm. Instead it had hopped back down, its paws back on the sand and had turned back in the direction of his master to bark again as though he found something.
Still stunned from the initial surprise and fear given the sudden memory of an incident with a Sheepdog many years ago, it wasn't until the dog's master was right there with them and trying to talk sense to the animal, as well as apologize to her, that she finally saw him. Or, rather, she first saw his long, muscular legs. Then as her eyes trailed upwards she saw his large hands at his hips. By the time her eyes met his broad chest; her own heart was racing and was seemingly pounding right up against her ribcage. It was when her eyes raised higher to the cleft of his chin and then finally to his own blue eyes she was sure she just might faint. Instead, she only breathed, "Gaston?"
"Uh, close, but no. Do I know you?" the man asked, his voice just as deep and rich as she remembered.
Vanessa was pained to have to swallow the reply she wished she could give, and instead she lied. "I don't think so. I'm Vanessa." She knew him, or at least she had; and quite literally better than anyone likely could. But it was clear Regina had made him forget her just like she had done to so many others.
"Gavin," he nodded. "Like I said, I'm sorry if my dog scared you. He just started running, I almost couldn't keep up." Turning his attention back to the large German Shepherd, he added, "But I got ya, didn't I, Fou?"
The dog's tail wagged and he looked up at Vanessa as if expecting to be petted by her too. He looked so proud of himself that Vanessa just smiled, trying not to laugh as she asked, "Your dog's name is Fou?"
"Yeah, it sounds better than outright calling him a fool, which he is. But I can forgive him this time. It's not every day he finds such beautiful women for me to meet."
Vanessa nearly blushed, knowing he was only attracted to those as beautiful as he considered himself to be. And before Regina's spell had banished them here to Storybrooke that comment would have had her launching herself into his large arms faster than almost anything. But she kept her feet on the sand and told him, "It's fine. I love dogs; I was just a little surprised. I've always wanted about six or seven, myself. But my beach house isn't really right for that."
"Six or seven, that's a good number. One for each kid, right?" he chuckled, a low and familiar sound that had Vanessa smiling again.
"Something like that."
"You're right though, you'd want something like a hunting lodge for that many. Even by himself Fou can do quite a number on our place."
"Yeah," she nodded. "You're right, I would. A big, rustic one with a nice fireplace you could actually roast full meals over. Something to make you feel like you went out and caught it yourself."
"Sounds like you've got your sights set on a hunter," he smirked.
"Quite the idyllic scene, I admit," she nodded. "Hunting lodge, the dogs, a he-man who enjoys providing for his little wife and strapping sons. I just haven't seemed to have found the right one yet."
"You know, I really have the strangest feeling that I've met you before," he told her, scratching his smooth chin.
Vanessa felt her heart all but stop. "You do?"
He chuckled as he then ran that same strong hand through his long dark hair. "Yeah. And if I haven't, I'm glad I have now. Seems a shame I could have lived here all along and have not met someone as beautiful as you."
She almost blushed again, which was typically a rarity for her but this was the man she still loved, and he was flirting with her. "How about, if you want, you come up for a beer some time? I live right over there. Maybe we could get to know each other that way? Or know each other again, if we did meet some other time?"
Gavin looked to the dog. "What do you say, Fou?" The dog barked and wagged his tail again and Vanessa and Gavin both laughed. "I guess that settles it."
"He realizes he's not getting any of the beer, right?" she asked, still laughing. She could only guess that Regina's spell had even worked on the animals because she doubted the former LeFou would like her so much if he remembered she was the one who had turned him into a dog in the first place.
"Shh," Gavin told her. "He was a third of the deciding vote. Let's not have him try to convince me to head back home already. He gets jealous enough as it is."
"I can see why," she smirked back up to him.
"Really?" he asked, drawing the word out as he eyed her almost sudden lustful expression. This day was certainly looking up, Gavin decided. It sure beat being stuck behind the sports tavern bar with hardly any customers after so much of Storybrooke had seemed to have chosen romantic dinners over drowning their sorrows the night before.
Vanessa nodded. "But in that case, so Fou doesn't change his mind, maybe I have something inside to keep him busy while we chat."
"A pair of shoes you don't mind becoming chew toys?"
"I was thinking a hamburger," she chuckled.
Gavin laughed too and as they headed up to her home, Vanessa felt his arm slip around her back as though he still did it every day. With that she knew her spell had finally worked in her favor.
As she was back at the side of the brute of her dreams, Vanessa knew she was finally once again face to face with her destiny, and finally reunited with her Gaston.
The End