The Outsider [AU, locked to Claire Bennet]

[themaniwanttobe]

To say the last few weeks had been crazy was possibly the understatement of the year. Archie was in Granny's Diner, sitting looking out of the window onto the street. Ruby had been feeding Pongo treats again, and after all the insanity, things were... well, as settled as Storybrooke ever got. They seemed to lurch from one crisis to another, and

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[its_notluck]

Claire could hear her Dad's voice in her head practically scolding her for choosing such a small town. He would say it was better to lose yourself in a bigger town or city, where you could blend in with the crowd some more, where you wouldn't stand out, but she was tired of doing that. She was tired of looking over her shoulder and having to constantly leave. She knew she would have to do it again soon but she wanted to play make believe for just a little while and where could be better than a place called Storybrooke

[themaniwanttobe]

Archie shook himself, forcing himself out of the reverie he was in. Who was she, and what business did she have in Storybrooke? With Cora on the loose, the last thing they needed was a stranger.

He could see two of the dwarves encouraging him to approach her out of the corner of his eye. They couldn't have been more obvious if they had tried. In the end it was Pongo who made the decision to approach her, as he walked over, looking for treats. "Pongo, behave," Archie admonished his dog then looked at her. "I'm sorry, miss, he's a little enthusiastic sometimes'l

[its_notluck]

If Claire noticed the two coming towards her, she didn't give it away except for the sudden tension in her slim body as she turned slightly towards the man with the dog.

Tucking a blonde lock behind her ear, she simply smiled. "It's okay." She held out her hand towards the dog in quiet invitation. Clearly she was someone who was used to being around dogs. "What's his name?"

[themaniwanttobe]

Archie could read body language well - the joys of his job - and he forced himself to become more relaxed. He wasn't a threat. No one here was a threat.

"Uh, Pongo. His name is Pongo." Pongo stepped closer, sniffing her hand then wagging his tail at her. "I'd say he likes you." Pongo was a good judge of character when it came to it.

[its_notluck]

Claire felt bad for the kid as she watched the two of them. She didn't know what had happened but she knew what it was like to be scared and to think that everyone you met was someone who could potentially hurt you or someone you cared about.

"He's telling you the truth, I have no intention of hurting anyone. I just needed a place to stay for a day it two." What she wanted was a place to stay for awhile, a home, but she had a feeling she wouldn't be welcomed to do that here.

[themaniwanttobe]

Archie glanced up at Claire, giving her an encouraging smile. "It's fine, Henry. Trust me."

Henry waited a moment, then suddenly hugged Archie. "Okay, I need to go meet Mom. She's going to wait with me for the bus."

Archie waited till Henry had dashed off, then turned to Claire. "I'm sorry," he murmured.

[its_notluck]

Claire offered a faint smile as she shrugged a bit, watching Henry race off. "It's okay, it's easier coming from a kid, you know?"

She focused on him then, arching a brow. "Why would he ask if I was here to hurt people though?"

[themaniwanttobe]

Archie looked at her for a long moment, then made a leap of faith. "Because he got caught up in something not so long ago, and almost got hurt," he said, his voice soft. "It shook his confidence a little." That there was an incident at the stables was common knowledge, after all.