It wasn't that Melody wanted to avoid Rogers. She didn't. Melody wanted to spend as much time with him as she could, thinking maybe, just maybe, she could wake him. But it hurt. Even the thought of being near him while he saw her more as a stranger than a love caused her chest to ache.

Regina had been the first to call her out on it. Two days after Lucy had woken up, she'd cornered Melody in the keg room of the bar and confronted her over her poor mood and lonely drinking after shift. Regina had scolded her, like a mother with a child. It would've been amusing, Regina talking to her as such. Back in the New Enchanted Forest, they'd been on equal footing, Melody- Calliope- having thousands of years of experience over Regina's decades. But here, with her cursed memories, sometimes she felt more like a lost child than she cared to admit.

She should've been spending as much time with her loved ones as she could. At least, that was what Regina told her. She pointed out how, despite the pain it caused, she tried to be there for Henry every day. And so Melody had promised to try to do the same.

Standing outside Roni's Bar, across from the precinct, she took a few deep breaths. The air chilled her lungs. Somehow the sensation calmed her down. As a gust of wind blew her hair into her eyes, she started across the street.

When she opened the door, it surprised her how quiet the precinct was. Sergeant Ryce sat behind the front desk as always. Other than him, though, she saw no one. She listened to the ticking clock for a moment before moving over to the desk sergeant.

"Hi Sergeant Ryce," she said. "Is Detective Rogers in?"

He looked up at her, setting his cup of coffee back on the desk. "Yeah. He expecting you?"

Melody flashed him a small smile. She shook her head, then held up two Grande coffees. "Figured he could use a pick me up."

"Go on back."

There wasn't any more activity in the hallway than in the reception area. She passed a single officer and glimpsed two more in a small kitchen making food, then halted by the detective office. Rogers sat at his desk, slaving over his laptop and glaring at the screen. Across from him, Weaver just played with a pen. He looked nearly as put out as his partner.

"Knock knock," Melody said, leaning in the doorway.

Both men looked over. It almost made her laugh, the way both of them fell back into their chairs dramatically. Rogers seemed to relax. She didn't know what emotion Weaver was feeling. Definitely exasperation. But she had a feeling it wasn't exasperation at her. More likely at Rogers.

"I shoulda known you wouldn't stay out of here for long," Weaver said. He dropped his pen back on the desk.

She flashed a tiny smirk. "You know me too well, Weaver. Sorry I didn't bring you a drink," she added, not at all sorry. "Figured I'd brought you enough, with the balloons and flowers and all." Moving into the room, she put the second drink in front of Rogers. "Here."

"Thank you," he said. Rogers shot her a quick smile, "What are you doing here?"

Weaver interrupted her. "Hopefully, getting you out of here so I can concentrate."

"What?" Rogers asked.

Melody laughed. "Don't take it personally, Rogers. I figured he'd want to get rid of you. He doesn't play well with others."

"Well, dearie, I only enjoy spending time with the most competent person in the room. Me."

"We need to work on this case," Rogers tried to protest.

But Weaver was having none of it. "Rogers if you don't get out of here, you're going to hurt yourself staring at that damn screen. Go get some air. You've got an hour break for lunch. Take it now."

He went to protest again, but Melody just smirked. She gestured back down the hall. "Come on."

"Fine," he said.

Getting up from the table, he told her he had to go get his coat. While he disappeared from sight, she turned back to Weaver. He just shook his head.

"Thanks," Melody said.

He waved her off. "I did it for me. I need to dig around and something tells me, that pirate isn't about to accept the reality of magic just yet."

With a small laugh, she left their office. Melody waited for Rogers in the reception area. It didn't take long for him to meet back up with her out front.

He still looked troubled, brow furrowed as he pulled on his coat. She supposed they all were. Melody handed him his drink; he'd forgotten it on the desk.

"Thank you," he said, trying to smile. "Did you plan that with that bastard?"

"What? Getting you out of your office?" Melody laughed. "No."

As they stepped into the cold, both braced against the wind. It had picked up since the early morning. With a tiny yawn, she shuffled in place for a moment. Then she pointed down the street.

"Let's go to the docks. I need a break, you need a break. The water is good for that." She didn't wait for him to respond, and to his credit, he followed her without protest. Melody smiled over at him. "Weaver may be a bastard, but he was right. You need a break."

He shrugged. "Lives are at stake. I can't afford one."

Spoken like a true hero. At the thought, she turned away so he couldn't see her smile. Killian never liked when she pointed out his heroism. But she felt he deserved it. He'd spent ages burying the good man. He deserved every ounce of praise he got for turning it around.

"What is it Tilly likes to say? You need to look at the board in a different way?" She turned back to him. "Trust me. Take this break."

They paused at a street corner to wait for the crosswalk. Rogers still frowned down into his coffee, but as she watched him, he looked at her instead. Melody wanted to kiss him again. She wanted to see if she could jog his memory. But both of them had to believe in true love to do it, and as she saw the pain in his eyes and his stance, she knew he didn't. It didn't stop the warmth that crept over her body as he watched her, though.

Before either could do anything about it, the lights changed. They turned away. Melody suggested grabbing pretzels as they passed a food truck, and soon she was chewing on pretzel bites as they approached the water.

Rogers laughed to himself as they stood side by side, looking out over the Sound. When she asked him what was funny, he just shook his head. "You're certainly better company than Weaver."

"That's not hard to do," Melody said. But she laughed too.

Laughing felt so odd, so out of place. Standing there a few meters from the edge of the Sound, pale grey clouds creating a patchworked sky, Melody allowed her thoughts to stray to days on the sea. Her smile didn't fade. She forced herself to remember good times despite the curse. Melody closed her eyes.

"Weaver said you know the cult," Rogers said a few minutes later. He turned to her, and she did the same. His jaw was clenched in thought. "That they'd tried to recruit you?"

Melody let out a long breath. Her thoughts went to the New Enchanted Forest, to days when Gothel had worked to drive a wedge between her and those she cared about. The coven had nearly destroyed her life. She turned back to the water. She'd need to tread carefully with her response.

"I don't mean to pry, love, but if it could help-"

"It's fine," she assured him. Melody turned back to Rogers and forced a small smile. "They did. It was a long time ago, during a stint when I was on my own." After a moment she shook her head. "We came down here to take a break from the cult."

"Right. Of course."

But he didn't seem alright. His gaze drifted across the horizon, never settling. Melody hesitated. Then she grabbed his hand. He stiffened at the action for a moment, then almost seemed to deflate. Melody offered him a small smile.

"Rogers, you will solve this." She turned to him straight on, gripping his right hand as tight as she could. "Trust me."

He looked at her. She could almost feel the way his eyes traced every inch of her face and again, she yearned to tell him about his true nature. But she couldn't. Fighting back tears, Melody just tried to smile. Neither spoke. The air seemed to crackle, like when it was split by a storm's lightning. She leaned in closer. She needed him to believe.

"Hello, Detective!" Tilly's lilting voice cut through the energy in the air, causing both to step back. She wandered over, one hand in her coat pocket and a smile on her face. "Hello, Melody."

Melody grinned at her, shaking her head as she turned away from Rogers. The young woman looked to be positively glowing. She held a milkshake in her left hand.

"Hey Tilly," Melody said. She gestured to the milkshake. "Isn't it a little cold for a milkshake?"

But Tilly just snorted a laugh. "Never. I'm already cold, what's more of it? I love the cold." She took a sip.

Rogers let out a small huff of amusement. He gestured to her. "What flavor did you get?"

"Chocolate. Always chocolate." Tilly grinned. She glanced between them and her smile only grew. "So are you two..." She wiggled her eyebrow.

Rogers shuffled his feet, and Melody crossed her arms. It took all her effort to suppress her smirking. With a quick glance left at Rogers, she just chuckled. "He needed a break from his case, and I have the day off. Figured I'd help."

"Uh-huh." But Tilly just snickered. "Course, course." With a wink and no further comments, she let them be, continuing down the running path around the water.

Melody laughed under her breath as she watched the girl go. Before either she or Rogers could speak, however, her phone buzzed. As she pulled her phone out of her coat pocket, Rogers paused and did the same with his own.

"I need your pirate back."

She glanced up. Any hint of Rogers' smile had disappeared as he read his own text. After a moment of staring at the ground in front of them, he stuck it back in his pocket and turned to her.

"Weaver needs me back there," he said.

Melody nodded. She took a moment to look at him there, all sorts of stressed and contemplative. Then she smiled. "Go. Solve this case."

Left to her own devices, Melody continued her walk along the running path. Not too much further down was a parking lot she planned to call a Swyft from. She relished the feeling of wind on her face while she could.

The rest of her day was free until evening. After dinner, she'd need to go back to her apartment for her guitar. The coordinators of the food truck event "Taste of the Heights" had offered her an hour time slot to perform from 7 to 8 pm. But until then, she intended to relax.

Melody pulled out her phone. Henry had planned to release the first episode of his podcast, H-Town, at noon. As she found it and hit play, Melody allowed the distraction to consume her.

By the time she finished her walk and her Swyft ride to Roni's bar, she'd just finished up the episode. She couldn't stop her smile. He really had a talent for writing. She supposed it shouldn't have surprised her, him being the Author and all. She'd known many Authors in her time, often acted as a counselor for the ones considering straying from their path as a recorder of events, not a creator. But Henry was the first she'd come to know as a friend.

Remy stood behind the bar chatting with a couple of customers when she walked in. He looked over and smiled, and she returned the favor. Roni's was mostly quiet, with only a few patrons sitting at tables or on couches. But she grinned when she saw a familiar face.

"Henry!" she said. Melody patted him on the arm as she took up a seat across from him at the couches. "It was so good!"

He broke into a smile, wringing his hands together. "You thought so?"

"It was amazing," she assured him. Melody let herself relax into the brown leather couch, closing her eyes. "It was an honor to be a part of it. Even if Jacinda took center stage."

"Saw you and Rogers taking a walk earlier. Are you two...?"

Melody opened her eyes. He sat smirking behind his cup of coffee. The prospect of talking to Henry Mills about her dating life seemed wrong somehow. Or at least, it did to Calliope. But her cursed memories saw no issue with it. Confusing. Melody sat up straighter and decided to play the part.

"We haven't actually been on a date," she admitted. "But..."

"But what?"

Melody laughed. She reached forward and grabbed one of the pretzels out of the complimentary basket. He seemed to be in a particularly good mood. Maybe things were going well with Jacinda. "I don't kiss and tell."

Henry burst out laughing. He took another drink of his coffee. "Fair enough."

"You and Jacinda, though?" She leaned forward. "How's that going?"

He went from openly amused to a bit bashful in less than a second. "I don't wanna jinx anything."

Melody let it go. She couldn't stop her smirk, though, as she went over to the bar and got a soda and a basket of fries. Not the healthiest lunch, but she felt like comfort food.

"Are you going to Taste of the Heights tonight?" she asked a few minutes later.

Henry shook his head. "No, I've got a... work thing. Potential job offer."

"That sounds promising!" Melody eyed him closer though as he fidgeted at her words.

"You're playing tonight, right?" he asked.

She grinned. "Yeah. I've got an hour block from 7 to 8. Hopefully near Sabine's truck."

It didn't take long for the two of them to settle into quiet work. As customers came and went, Henry typed away at his computer and she did the same on her phone. She'd sent out a couple of her pieces to poetry magazines the night before, finally getting over her- Melody's- fear of rejection. Even though she knew they'd never have a response for her in less than 24 hours, doom scrolling was a thing. The dangers of this world.

At 3pm, Melody packed up. As Regina and Zelena started to take over from Remy, she slipped out the door. She needed a nap before dinner. Barely remembering to set an alarm on her phone before passing out in bed, she pushed away all thoughts of Rogers and the curse and the Coven of the Eight in favor of rest. The bed moulded to her body.

When she woke up, it was to the blaring of her alarm. She startled. For a brief moment, she couldn't remember where she was. She remembered lagoons and tall trees, dark city streets awash with reds and greens reflecting in pooled waters, the honking of horns and geese. Cold sweat bathed her skin. She struggled to catch her breath.

Her fingers grasped around her, and she felt the soft linens of bed sheet against her skin. Melody took another deep breath. She was in Seattle, in the Land Without Magic, with memories of both Calliope and the curse. And as she turned off the still-raging alarm, she saw it was nearly 5:30. She had to get dinner.

Melody opted to order pizza. Turning on her record player, she let the incredible voice of Ella Fitzgerald fill the room and her heart. Blue Skies accompanied her as she went through the motions of setting the table, checking her email, and responding to a text from Sabine about that night's event. By the time the pizza arrived, she'd put her terror from her mind.

Before heading down to the skate park, Melody tuned her guitar. She let the familiar sensations of her callused fingertips against the strings relax her further. Knots of excitement and nervousness had started to form in her stomach. It had been a long time since she'd performed at an event, even longer since the event had been as big as Taste of the Heights was supposed to be.

Culinary treats, live music, art vendors. It was supposed to be the highlight of the month, especially for those interested in the arts. Sabine had just managed to secure a spot for her truck, the Rollin' Bayou. Apparently, the competition for location was cutthroat.

Her Swyft dropped her off at the entrance of the skate park. Melody took a deep breath in through her nose, relishing the scents and tastes floating through the air. She could hear a saxophone playing jazz inside the park. Dissonant voices of the gathered crowds nearly drowned it out. With a smile, she passed through the open chainlink gates.

Melody pushed between pedestrians. She saw a few food trucks she recognized from the streets of Seattle. Sabine had texted her that she'd gotten a spot near the back. It took some time, but eventually, Melody managed to reach her.

She found Sabine working side by side in the yellow and blue Rollin' Bayou truck with a man she didn't recognize. He had a brilliantly white smile that he flashed at every customer. Melody went around to the side as Sabine caught her eye.

"Hey girl!" She stepped down to the ground, rubbing her hands on her apron. "Want some beignets for good luck?"

Melody laughed. "Do you even have to ask? But who's that?"

Sabine's smile dropped for a moment, but then she shrugged, looking back up at him. She turned to Melody. "That's Drew. He's an old... friend."

Melody wracked her brain for memories of Drew, or whoever he'd been in the New Enchanted Forest. But she drew a blank. Maybe he was just a friend of Sabine's, not Tiana's. She turned back to her. "Cool! You'll have to introduce me sometime. But I need to go set up." It was nearly seven.

"Yeah, totally. Here." Sabine reached into the food truck and grabbed a white bag with a firefly on it. "Take 'em."

With a last thank you, Melody grabbed the beignets and rushed off to find the music space. When she got there, the jazz musician was just packing up, grinning at the applause of the gathered foodies. Melody got out her guitar.

Rarely did Melody ever have access to a sound system. She couldn't help but grin from ear to ear as she did sound checks. Most of the listeners had dispersed to find more food. But as Melody situated herself and strummed her guitar, they began to gather again.

The thrill of playing for the audience fueled her desire to do well. The music filled every inch of her body and she lost herself to it. From Nirvana to Linkin Park, Imagine Dragons to Florence + The Machine, she did her best to entertain the skate park. She even threw in some Beatles and Def Leppard.

As her hour came to a close, Melody didn't want to stop. But her replacement was setting up and her final song, Linger by The Cranberries, nearly ended. So she just threw herself into the final chorus.

When she finished, she bowed for the applause. The guitar case in front of her had filled with dollars and coins. It would be more than enough to justify a few extra meals out for the week. She grinned.

For the next few hours, Melody tried the different food trucks and wandered around the art stalls. Sabine had her work cut out for her as she continued to be one of the most popular trucks, and didn't have much time for socializing, but a few of Melody's coworkers had come for the night and she chatted with them.

Though tired, the adrenaline of performing had Melody wide awake and over the moon. Even as she bundled into her ride share to take her to her apartment, she couldn't settle down. She considered heading to Roni's, maybe getting a drink or two.

The decision was made for her as she sat down on her couch. In her quiet apartment, she felt out of place. Something in her felt bad about feeling such joy while Gothel stalked the streets of Seattle and Anastasia stayed missing. But she couldn't help it. The music, the arts of Taste of the Heights had filled her with inspiration she'd been missing for years. But the buzz of her phone interrupted all that. Weaver.

"Meet at Regina's ASAP."

She stopped breathing for a moment. Her blood ran cold, wondering what could be so important as to need her at the bar at nearly two in the morning. But she didn't waste another second. She pulled on her brown coat and slipped back into her boots.

On the walk to the bar, the terror that she'd awoken with that afternoon crept back in. She tried to remind herself that there was no use worrying, not until she learned more from Rumple and Regina. As the neon sign came into view, she reminded herself this again.

The door was unlocked, but only three people sat inside: Regina behind the bar and Zelena and Weaver, Rumple, sitting in front of it. They sipped at half-drunk glasses of alcohol.

"There's the Muse," Weaver said. "Took you long enough, Dearie."

She shut the door and locked it. "I came as soon as you texted. What's wrong?" Joining them at the bar, she accepted the glass of whiskey Regina pushed her way. "Can't be good, if we're all drinking over it."

"Rumple and Nook found something," Zelena said. "Something bad."

Melody's heart leaped into her throat. She turned to Weaver. "Well?"

"It seems whoever killed Lucy's doctor, also tried to kill someone else. A baker, down the street." He handed her a photo of the doctor. "Both of them, members of the Coven."

"What?" Melody's eyes widened. "Someone else must be awake!"

Regina nodded. "Someone, is killing witches."

In the silence of the bar, the music system turned off so only the sounds of the ice in their glasses interrupting the stillness, Melody felt darkness closing in. She glanced at Zelena who didn't meet her gaze, nursing her glass with a glare. Then she turned to Weaver. He seemed nearly as troubled. And anything that troubled the Dark One couldn't be good.