[Indianoutlawesq]

Part II

As the crowd filed out of the town hall, Mary Margret (the mayor/Snow White), her husband David (Prince Charming) and the red mini skirted Ruby (Red Riding Hood) searched and found the stranger attending to his camera equipment on the trunk of his car. They were joined by the previously absent Emma (Sheriff) just as they approached the stranger.
“What happened at the meeting?” Emma asked
“Something very odd,” David replied as he greeted the stranger with open hand. “Hello.”
“Hi.” The stranger returned. Emma, unaware of the incident in the hall just looked on amazement as David deliberately put his hands on his hips exposing his deputy badge and gun.
“Excuse me, do we know you?” He scanned the stranger, for it is not unusual to discover long distant friends from the Enchanted Forrest but he was not familiar.
“I doubt it, I just arrived today.”

Emma pulled Mary Margaret aside.
“I thought the town was still under a spell, no one can enter from outside?” She said.
“I...” Mary Margaret was cut off.
“Look, I am sorry I entered this little town but did you say spell? As in magical spell?” He looked at the stunned faces. Outsiders had come here before but most were oblivious to the magic the town possessed. Moreover since the Snow Queen cast her spell it should be impossible for anyone to enter from the real world.
“Magic.” Mary Margaret huffed nervously. “Magic, that’s not real.” She was unconvincing.

The stranger looked around the town, studying, then at each of the people’s faces before him. He just frowned and shook his head in doubt.
“Crap. I did it again.” The stranger grimaced. “Aaron what you have done this time.”
“Excuse me?” Emma boldly asked.
“Sorry, Aaron Wright.” He held out his hand and she nervously shook it. “Magic, sorcery, nothing new to me, but it seems the more I try to avoid it, the more I keep running into it. Like the witch back at the meeting.” Jaws were dropped. He put his camera bag away and turned back to look at the crowd with puzzled looks. “Look, whatever it is you people have going on here is your business. I want no part of it. I will warn you this is not my first encounter with “magical” beings.” He did the air bunnies.
“Sorceress.” The short red miniskirt Ruby interjected.
“Sorry?” Aaron said.
“Sorceress, not a witch.”
“Much better.” He returned sarcastically. “I am just passing through, came here to shoot a few nature pictures of the state. If you could point me in the way of a place to eat that would be great.” Everyone just pointed to Granny’s diner. David ran up to him.
“Wait, where are you from?” David said expecting an answer from a place in the enchanted forest.
“Scottsdale.” He took two steps, shrugged his shoulders and took a deep breath. “Alright, I can see you are confused. Here is the short story. I am not magical, I do not come from some magical place, I am just normal. It’s just that magic has no effect on me, nor does it concern me.” He took a few more steps then a realization hit him. A big smile struck his face and he immediately returned to the group. “Oh my god!”
“What?” Emma asked with concern.
“Sorry, it takes me a little bit to tune into a place. I get it!” He immediately shook David’s hand, then Mary Margaret’s, then Ruby’s. “Prince Charming! Snow White! Red Riding Hood! Wow.” He then looked at Emma, frowned. “Sorry you are unfamiliar, but I do sense great power.” He seemed very happy. “Incredible, meeting all the fairy tale characters, you must have some story.” He laughed, walked toward the diner with a very elated attitude. Everyone continued to stand in silence. Broken by David; aka Prince Charming.
“I don’t understand. Regina should have turned him into a frog back in the meeting.
“Toad!” Aaron said loudly over his shoulder.
“Excuse me?” David called back.
“Toad, she tried to turn me into a toad.” At that he made his way into the diner; Ruby quickly followed as she was late for her shift.

Nearly half an hour passed as the stranger ate his grilled cheese in his booth. The entire diner stared at him over their shoulders in amazement. Finally the door opened and in filtered Emma, David and Mary Margaret. They went directly for his booth, Emma sitting down.
“Who are you?” She asked
“Aaron Wright.” He answered.
“No, wait, ah.” She shuddered. He finished his meal, wiped his face, took a drink of tea and looked at his interrogators.
“Here’s the deal, I am here just to shoot a few coastal pictures for a magazine. I don’t care about what your town is doing, though it is cool to meet you all.”
“That doesn’t explain what happened back at the town hall with Regina.” Mary Margaret interjected.
“That. Well I am immune to magic.” He scanned their faces again. “Not sure why, don’t really care. If you must know this is not my first encounter with mystical creatures. Witches, warlocks, gremlins, vampires and werewolves,” Ruby leaned over and refilled his tea from a pitcher. He looked her directly in the eye, “no offense.”
“None taken,” She smiled.
“Is that why Regina didn’t turn you into a frog?”
“Toad, and yes, her magic is useless against me.”

The exchange ended and the stranger began fiddling with his iPad. The trio met outside privately.
“Do you believe him?” Emma said.
“I am not sure, but we have more pressing matters. Regina.” Mary Margaret opined. “Why does she suddenly want to be mayor again.” It was at that moment Belle walked up to the group.
“I know the answer.” She did not smile. “Since Gold left I have been reviewing the books.”
“You are his wife,” plot exposition by David.
“Regina owes a lot of back payments on her house. My guess is she needs the income.” Belle answered.
“Great, Regina is broke and needs a job.” Emma replied.
“She couldn’t possibly win.” David said trying to quell concern.
“Never count the Evil Queen out.” Mary Margaret stated, then she observed a well dressed women enter the Diner, “oh no.”

The diner door opened, ringing the familiar bell. Regina scanned the room to find the stranger sitting with Ruby. She walked up and looked Ruby directly in the eye. “Don’t you have something to clean? Ruby just hissed at her.
“We can finish this later.” Ruby smiled and went back to her duties behind the counter. Regina sat down. The stranger handed her the scarf. She snapped it up.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to take this from you.”
“Just who the hell do you think you are?” Regina snapped.
“Aaron, Aaron Wright.”
“Cut the bull, you should be frog in a pond somewhere right now.”
“Toad.”
“Sorry.”
“Toad, you tried to turn me into a toad, not a frog. What is it with this town and frogs?”
“How?” Regina said perplexed.
“As I told your friends, magic has not effect on me and I could really care less about your little town. This fairy tale land here is your business; I am just here to take a few pictures and leave.” He looked over at Ruby and winked; she smiled her girlish smile and went back to working.
“What you said was out of line.”
“Out of line yes, but very true.”
“I have never been so insulted, back in the Enchanted Forest I could have had you beheaded.” Regina pointed her finger at him while standing. She poked him hard in the chest, several time until he grabbed her wrist and held it firmly about the cuff of her blouse. The diner patrons gasped in fear, Granny reached for her crossbow.
“Let go of me.”
“Now who’s being rude?”

Regina tugged for a second, smiled and disappeared in a cloud of purple some, just like in the town hall. She reappeared in the foyer of her house.
“That son of a b*tch.” She exclaimed as she headed for her study, then feeling a breeze she looked down. Her blouse was gone and she was left in her bra from the waist up.

Back in the diner the stranger quickly folded the blouse and put it in his satchel; paid his bill and left.