Dreamy

"Tell me you dropped out on Ms. Blanchard" Mark asked his daughter that morning while getting ready to work.

Valerie rolled her eyes

"I didn't" she answered cleaning up the kitchen. Mark stopped his movements and looked at her

"Well, do it. She's a bad influence"

Valerie stopped with an annoyed sigh rolling her eyes. She turned to her father flashing him a look

"I won't. It's Miner's Day. This is a day where everyone celebrates, but because of her they don't? I can feel the spirit around Town" she smiled sarcastically. Mark sighed shaking his head

"She's a home wrecker. She destroyed the Nolan's marriage. Of course she's a bad influence"

Valerie bit her lip to prevent herself to say something back. She had no desires of fight to her father but he was making it difficult

"Anyway. I'm not gonna drop something I like to do only because it'll damage our name"

Mark frowned

"Valerie I mean it. Go to Ms Blanchard and tell her you quit being volunteer"

"I won't" Valerie told him crossing her arms.

"If you don't I will. And trust me it won't be pretty"

Valerie gaped at her father. Was he serious? She didn't doubt it.

"I thought I was free on my making my own decisions, dad. I decided I wanted to help Ms Blanchard on this now that no one wants"

"Not in this, okay? You'll listen to me, that woman is gonna stain you reputation"

Valerie pursed her lips angrily

"You mean your reputation... I mean, no one wants to hear the daughter of the chief of The Daily Mirror, Storybrooke's Newspaper office is siding of with the town's harlot. Yeah, what image you're gonna represent when they realize you can't control your own daughter"

Mark glared at Valerie. In a part she was right, he didn't want to be seen as someone who can't control his child. But for another, he wanted to protect her, shield her from bad influences.

"That's it. You're not going out today. You're grounded and you're forbidden to assist at the celebration" he told her walking to her and grabbing her arm

"What? No, dad!" Valerie's protests got ignored by his father as he with all his strength took Valerie to her bedroom. She struggled in his grip "No, let me go, dad!"

"I'm tired of this, Valeria. You don't want to hear to me for the good then you do for the poor"

They arrived to her room where Mark forcedly took Valerie and threw her to her bed.

She stood up glaring at her father as he walked outside

"You can't keep me in here, dad" she told him glaring. Mark grinned wickedly

"Of course I can. Like I said you're grounded" Mark told her closing her door, Valerie ran to her door trying to open it, but to no avail. A click sound was heard and Valerie stopped, she turned the knob slowly and she realized it was locked "Dad?" She whispered, her voice trembling "Daddy? Are you locking me up?" She asked sadly, her eyes burning up, the sensation of tears prickling her eyes "Please, open up" she knocked the door twice, putting her ear to the door to listen outside, a sob caught in her throat "Please"

Mark stood outside her room, his eyes sad listening to his daughter pleading to let her go. It hurt him more but he was doing it to protect her

"Dad, please, let me out, please" Valerie's pleading voice sounded muffled to the door. He closed his eyes and silently walked away from her bedroom

~~~~*~~~~

Valerie tiredly looks up to her window, the sun was down and the atmosphere was dark. The stars were on the sky, revealing Valerie had been locked up all the day.

She walked to her window and watched the lights around town, symbolizing Miner's Day. She sighs hanging her down in defeat, knowing she let Mary-Margaret down when she told her she'll be there for her. She looks up when the power of the lights at the festival goes down.

She furrows her eyebrows seeing the darkness. Suddenly a small light appeared on the dark night, followed by another and another. Valerie smiles weakly at the view

Her sad eyes changed into determined eyes as they flicker to the ground. She leaves the window and grabs a backpack stuffing it with some clothes and some candy bars she keeps at night. She grabs a flashlight. She changes her shoes for black sneakers, cringing at the color.
She keeps her jeans and places a black hoodie on top of her red blouse top. Her hair on a ponytail as she fixes the cap of the hoodie on her head. She grabs her backpack and the flashlight and goes to open the window

There's a tree next to her window to where Valerie climbs and she swiftly jumps to the ground. She flicks the flashlight on and breathes a sigh of relief

"Well, those spies movies really work, thanks Henry for recommending them to me" Valerie whispers to herself grinning as she points the light to her now closed window.

She takes a deep breath and walks away from her home into the darkness