"Heartless" by Marissa Meyer
Fanfiction by Anna Wilwerding
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Marissa Meyer, except the new characters that I create.
Disclaimer 2: DO NOT READ THIS FANFIC if you haven't read "Heartless" by Marissa Meyer. BEWARE OF SPOILERS!
Cath lifted Jest's hand and pressed a kiss into his palm. "Stay here," she said. "Wait for me." Pulling away, she faced the massive gate, wrapped her fingers around the bars, and pushed her way through.
Her feet sank into the muddied ground of the pumpkin patch. Mist swirled around her clinging to her skin. She wished she'd kept Hatta's coat.
To her left she could see the enormous pumpkin with it's carved-bar windows. Mary Ann's soft cries had quieted, but Cath could still her her sobs carrying over the otherwise silent pumpkin patch.
Picking up her skirts, Catherine tramped through the overgrown vines hurrying toward the pumpkin where Mary Ann was being kept prisoner, casting terrified glances over her shoulder at every noise. The shrieking wind. The rustle of leaves. The squish and slurp of her nicest boots pulling from the mud.
She tripped suddenly and fell, sprawling into a mud puddle. Her hands sank to her wrists, filth coating the front of her dress. Cath sat panting for a moment, feeling the hectic thrum of blood in her veins. Her teeth chattered. Pushing back onto her knees, she glanced around again and tried to catch her breath.
Then her eyes took in the uneven ground that had caused her to trip. Catherine scurried backward, hoping her eyes were mistaken - but no. It was a footprint planted into the mud, the edges dried and cracked. It could have been days old, or weeks, undisturbed until Cath had stumbled into it.
A three clawed footprint was pressed into the mud. The puncture of talons dug deep holes into the ground. Pumpkins and vines had been crushed beneath the weight of some enormous creature. Heart galloping, Cath scrambled to her feet and wiped her hands as well as she could on her ruined gown.
Mary Ann's cries had dwindled to sniffs and wavering gasps. Cath lifted her skirt and ran the rest of the way.
"Mary Ann," She whispered throwing herself at the window with its pumpkin-flesh slats. "Mary Ann! Its me!"
The sniffling quieted and Mary Ann appeared at the window, her eyes bloodshot. "Cath?"
"Are you alright?"
Mary Ann pushed her hand through the bars, reaching for her. "It's Peter. He put me in here and he - he has" - her voice broke - "The Jabberwock".
The Jabberwock. He was going to feed Mary Ann to the Jabberwock. Somehow Cath had already known it. The beastly footprint, all the other clues that had lead to her current situation. Cath shook her head to clear it of such haunting thoughts. "How do I get you out of here?"
"There's a door in the roof that opens," said Mary Ann pointing up. Cath stepped back and paced a around the pumpkin until she saw it. The jagged saw-cut that made a small square opening beside the pumpkin's prickly stem. Cath scanned the area and soon found what she was looking for; a ladder.
"Hold on, I'm going to help you," Cath said as she made her way to where the ladder was leaning against a nearby shed. She gripped it in her hands. It was almost too heavy for her to carry especially with her billowing dress that constantly got in the way.
She walked towards the pumpkin with the ladder in hand. Slow. So torturously slow. Tripping countless times, not daring to look down and see more tracks, she managed to get the ladder to Mary Ann's pumpkin. She leaned it against the prison, and began to climb up.
She hadn't realized how exhausted she was. She had to drag her feet up each rung, willing them to obey. Forcing them to go faster and faster. For Cath did not want to see the monster that had made that footprint, or the man who commanded it. She reached the top of the pumpkin and pulled open the roof of the pumpkin.
Although the pumpkin had windows, there were no rooms inside it. Just one large space with a relieved looking Mary Ann. Cath offered her hand and Mary Ann grabbed it. Carefully, she hauled her out of her pumpkin cell. They flung down the ladder together, not bothering to look back at the prison.
"Thank you," Mary Ann said as they hit the ground.
"How long have you been in there?" Cath asked her as they took the ladder back to where she had found it.
"Only a few hours, but it's been long enough that I don't want to spend another minute in this damn pumpkin patch. Let's go, and I'll tell you the full story when we return home," Mary Ann answered.
Before Cath could tell her that she wasn't going back to Rock Turtle Cove, that she was going to Chess with Jest, they heard a great thundering boom overhead. Cath froze. There was another boom in the distance. Wings. It was the beat of wings. Before Cath or Mary Ann could run, something grabbed her and slammed her back against the cottage wall so hard the wind kicked out of her lungs.
A scream died in her throat. Peter hunched over her, eyes ablaze and gleaming, an ax in his hand.
"What are you doing here?" he growled his lips curled back to show his yellowing teeth. Cath recoiled at the smell of rotting pumpkin on his breath but he held her firm against the cottage's side.
"I - I came for Mary Ann," Cath stammered wishing she could have sounded courageous, but her words came out in a squeaking rush. "P-please let us go. We don't wish you any harm… We just…"
"That's no excuse for trespassing on my private property," he snarled. Then his grin turned feral, wicked. "Well now my friend, you will become food for the Jabberwock along with this worthless wretch" he barked gesturing to Mary Ann. Cath squirmed and thrashed against the wall.
"I just want to leave with Mary Ann, you'll never see either of us again, I promise!"
A figure appeared in the corner of her eyes and Cath groaned as the King of Hearts came into view.
"Put my bride down immediately!" He ordered. Peter threw her into the mud and spat on her.
"Your majesty, they were trespassing, they deserve to be punished!" he sputtered full of anger.
"They did no such thing! They were probably just passing by, and happened to get lost," the king smiled at Cath as she rose from the ground, wiping Peter's pumpkin spit off her cheek. She was grateful for the King's saving her, but she didn't need, him. She hated him.
A screech spiked overhead and Cath stumbled, throwing her hands over her ears. She needed a plan. The jabberwock was coming. The king was here. That only left her one option.
"Peter, I'd like to make you a proposition," she smiled wiping her muddy hands on a clean patch of her gown. Peter glanced between the three of them.
"You have two minutes to wow me," Peter declared.
"Pardon me your majesty, but would it be ok if we talked in private?" Cath asked.
"Oh, of course," approved the king as he moved out of earshot. As soon as Cath was sure, he couldn't hear, she began.
"I'll feed your damn jabberwock if you let Mary Ann and I go," Cath commanded.
"What will you feed her? She doesn't eat pumpkins you know," Peter laughed.
"You can give her the king for all I care, just let us out."
"How do I know you're not lying?"
"You'll have to trust me." A pause.
"Deal." He took her hand in his and shook firmly.
"Get the king into the pumpkin cell, and you're free."
"What?" Mary Ann squeaked.
"I agree with Mary Ann, the King wasn't part of our deal," Cath argued.
"You said, and I quote, give her the king for all I care," Peter did a horrible impression of Cath. She stomped away. She was a fool. She'd made that deal with Peter out of pure desperation. Now she had to pay for her freedom by offering up the freedom of her betrothed. It's not like she loved him anyway, she thought as she made to coax him into the pumpkin.
"Cath, are you really going to do this?" Mary Ann whispered furiously.
"We have no choice. Do you want your freedom or not?"
"Ok,"
"Your majesty, I think I dropped my necklace in that pumpkin over there, would you please be so kind as to help me retrieve it?" The lie rolled off Cath's lips as smooth as butter.
"Why of course! We wouldn't want you to lose such a pretty necklace would we?" the king answered merrily. As if he had no idea, that he was about to become food for a beast. She felt a twang of guilt deep in her gut and cursed the fact that he was so gullible.
She led him to the ladder of the pumpkin, and let him climb up first. Now all she had to do was push him in.
"I don't see a necklace anywhere," said the king confused as he stared down into the pumpkin.
"I'm sorry," Cath said as she gave him a large shove, and sent his body tumbling down.
"Why?" the king asked looking up to her from the bottom.
"I've never loved you, I won't marry you, but you're the only way that I can have my own happily ever after with Jest. I wish I could say more, but I have to go,"
"So you're just going to leave me here?"
"Sorry," Cath apologized again.
"Oh ha ha, I see, you're just joking with me Lady Pinkerton. I never knew that you were so funny..." those were the king's last words as the jabberwock landed suddenly and ripped apart the pumpkin. The king was gone before he had the chance to know what was happening to him. At least he didn't suffer.
All of a sudden Cath was pushed up against the shed by Peter, his hand around her neck.
"I thought - we had - a deal," Cath coughed trying to breath.
"She's still hungry," was all Peter could snarl before a pair of powerful arms ripped him away. Jest. No, Jest couldn't be here. He couldn't go through a door. This was bad, this was very bad. Mary Ann was hovering in the corner as the Jabberwock paced in front of her waiting to make it's kill.
"No!" Cath screamed losing all control. She grabbed Peter's discarded ax from the ground, and ran as fast as she could towards the monster. There was no time for fear. Before the Jabberwock could turn around, Cath beheaded it. The body laid limp on the ground.
Peter was furious. "You killed her!" Cath didn't care. She was just focused on getting out of here before any of their fates came true.
Jest was struggling as he and Peter fought, throwing blow after blow, he was starting to get tired. Peter broke free of Jest's grasp and ran towards Cath in a frenzy.
"You!" he screamed, utterly insane. But Cath had an ax, and she wasn't afraid to use it. She swung before he could say another word. Jest looked towards her and Mary Ann.
"Let's go to Chess," he said breathlessly taking her hand.
~ 5 years later ~
"Mary Ann, could you take my lemon tarts out of the oven?" Cath yawned as she walked down the stairs.
"I already did," Mary Ann smiled, ever the dutiful servant.
"Are we ready to open the shop?" Cath asked looking around their bakery.
"Not until I get my morning kiss," Jest smiled coming down the stairs after Cath. She pecked his lips and he laughed.
"Are the kids still asleep?" she asked looking around.
"Yes, Cath, Ayden and Sage are fine. You worry too much,"
"They're your kids too you know. It's nice to know you care," Cath feigned annoyance.
"Mommy, what's for breakfast?" a sleepy Ayden waddled into the kitchen in his footie pajamas.
"I made pancakes with strawberry and white chocolate swirls," Cath smiled at her son.
"I love you mommy, and daddy," Ayden laughed as he plopped himself down at the table.
Author's note: I am somewhat new to fanfiction so please don't hardcore hate on my story. I do look at every review and take into consideration what they say. I'm writing this for myself but I'm also writing this for you guys. If there's something that you don't like let me know! I will keep it in mind. If there's something that you do like, please tell me, I will write more of it. This is just a oneshot, and I hope you enjoyed it. Be sure to check out my other stories "What Happens Next" a Disney Descendants fanfic and "ACOWAR Continued" an ACOWAR fanfic. Thanks for your support,
-AnnaBanana