Alice
Avril Lavigne
Almost Alice
xXx
"Um… where?"
"The Enchanted Forest."
Truth be told Darcy still wasn't convinced she wasn't dreaming especially since the tall hatted man standing over her looked a hell of lot like a certain formerly brainwashed assassin. That had to be it. She fell asleep at her desk and because her subconscious was a masochistic bitch it conjured weird, not unpleasant images of her current crush. She had to admit the Victorian gothic ensemble was a nice touch and the guy liner; definitely a turn on.
"The Enchanted Forest?"
"That's what I said." he replied extending a hand for her. hesitantly she took it allowing him to help her up the smarmy smirk on his face doing thing to her she didn't want to think about, which was hard when he was looking her over so thoroughly. "Judging by your own clothing, you're not from around here." He continued. He still had a grip on her hand as he turned to walk away, gently pulling her with him. "So, what realm are you from?"
Darcy stared at the back of his head, covered by the wide brim of a silk black top hat. With every minute that passed she was beginning to think this was a dream less and less. "This isn't a dream is it?" She asked quietly bringing the man whose name she still didn't know to a stop.
"Not that I'm aware of." He replied turning back to her. "Who am I to say whether or not you're dreaming? Although if this is my dream I'm certainly not complaining." He continued with another leering look. She huffed rolling her eyes. "In the meantime, let's treat it likes it's not a dream and you tell me what realm you're from and maybe just maybe I can help you get home."
"Oh, okay… I think it's called Midgard. At least that's what Thor and his buddies call it."
"I see I know exactly where that is. And your friends with the Aesir." He bowed exaggerated. "It would be a pleasure to assist you, Princess."
"I'm not a princess." She explained as he continued on her hand still in his.
"Really, you certainly look like one to Me." She was not, repeat, not blushing. No way. She was an adult; a strong, powerful woman who didn't bend so easily to silly pick-up lines disguised as compliments. And yet that charming tilt to his lips and the sparkle of mischief in his eyes hit all the right buttons for her.
Guy liner as she'd taken to calling him in her head led her to a cabin nestled between the tall trees and sitting up on a rise created by the roots of the trees. "Here we go. My home, as humble as it is." He told her, pushing open the lopsided front door. The inside was as simple as the outside, a bed in one corner, a galley kitchen in the other and table and chairs somewhere near the middle. "I hope you can forgive the mess princess, I don't spend much time here."
"It's fine, and again, I'm not a princess." He hummed at that, moving about the small room. She watched closely as he gathered a few things in the kitchen and set about making tea. "So, Um… you said you might be able to help me get home."
"I did say that didn't I?" he replied looking over his shoulder before returning his gaze to the stove. When it was obvious he wasn't going to say anything else she spoke up again.
"And, can you, help me that is?"
"I cannot." He replied turning from the stove with the boiling kettle and filling two mugs on the counter. "At least not yet."
"What do you mean?" she asked accepting one of the mugs from him.
"I mean there is a trick to traveling between realms." He explained, removing his hat and tossing it on the bed. He then took a seat on the end of it. "One of the main factors is timing. Now, you came through your own portal while the realms were perfectly aligned."
"Liked the convergence?"
"Eh, no. The convergence is an alignment of the greater realms like Asgard and Midgard, Niflheim, and Alfheim. The alignment I'm talking about is between lesser realms and its parent realm." She looked confused but captivated so he continued on. "You see all realms are connected in some way and each realm has its own smaller realms connected to it. The Enchanted Forest, The Sherwood Forest, and all the other magical or impossible realms are offshoots of Midgard. The smaller realms connected to Midgard are where all the magic went when Reason and science took over Midgard."
"Reason?" she huffed. "You obviously haven't been there recently." She muttered with a sigh. "Okay, so when does the next alignment happen so I can go home?"
"Do you remember what time it was in your realm?" She shook her head.
"I barely remember how I got here in the first place. I pretty sure there was an explosion but other than that, nothing." He hummed.
"It would appear you have a mild case of transcendental sickness. Nothing to worry about though, it'll come back to you."
"So, what? The exact time I left my realm is when I can go back… what tomorrow?"
"Exactly. Not bad princess." She rolled her eyes and took a sip from the tea.
"So, what do I do until then?" she asked him, setting the cup on the table. All she got in reply was a shrug. "Is there nothing to do around here?"
"Not really, we are in the middle of nowhere." He actually spoke this time. Darcy took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she plopped onto one of the rickety old chairs. He watched her pouting, her eyes tracking the far wall. He sighed.
"You know I never got your name." he asked.
"I never got yours either." She replied. He smirked again.
"It's Jefferson." He told her.
"Darcy."
"Well Princess Darcy, there's not much to do around here, as I've said, however, if you don't mind the walk I have a few errands to run out in the woods." She shrugged.
"Alright."
"Excellent." He stood up offering her his hand. She took it letting him pull her to her feet and then as he had led her to his home, he led her right back out.
xXx
"If nothing else the scenery is nice."
"I suppose it is." Jefferson replied standing up from his stooped position. He watched Darcy, her back to him as she stared out at the crystal clear lake. "We're right on the border of the Sherwood Forest actually."
"Oh really? Is Robin Hood going to come dashing out on his steed and steal all our valuables?" she turned around to face him, the mocking expression on her face pretty prevalent.
"Actually, he's retired." He explained. "Got married, has a son. Now he owns a bar."
"That's… kind of depressing." She replied her mocking smile slipping a little.
"Oh yeah, why's that?" Jefferson moved down the hill coming to stand in front of her on the beach.
She shrugged. "I don't know. I guess these fairy tales the people in my world grew up with are a bit romanticized in the grand scheme of things. I can't picture a hero like Robin Hood settling down and being… domestic?"
Jefferson chuckled. "It's ironic."
"What is?"
"You come from a world without magic and yet you're so eager to see it." She huffed a laugh.
"I've seen magic before." She explained. "You ever see the rainbow bridge up close?" he shook his head. "If that's not magic I don't know what is." A small smile tilted his lips as he watched her. "What?" she asked squirming under his scrutinizing gaze. He shook his head.
"Nothing at all, princess."
xXx
The next day came and went and Darcy's memory didn't return. So she spent the day following Jefferson around the forest on his errands. He met with a few people and gathered a few things and by sunset they returned to the cabin. As with the night before, Jefferson forfeited the bed to her and as payment she made breakfast the next morning. By the end of the week when her memories still hadn't returned Darcy couldn't really find it in herself to care. Sure she missed her friends, but in such a short time she'd found herself reluctant to leave her host.
Darcy couldn't help but noticed that Jefferson seemed to feel the same way. So at the end of a month when her memories did return she said nothing, and Jefferson who she had no doubt knew she'd regained her memories if the concern she'd seen in his eyes that morning was anything to go by, seemed grateful that she didn't. Some days Darcy missed her friends and her home but most days she thought nothing of them; her mind to focused on the here and now with the man she found a new home with.
The years seemed to pass slowly. They fell in love, were married and within a few months of that marriage they were expecting. Grace was born on a starry night nine months later. Darcy couldn't remember feeling as happy as she stared down into the little face of her beautiful baby girl. Know that all the love between she and her husband created such a sweet gift sent her heart fluttering and made her the proudest woman in the world. That night they lay together, bracketing their newborn daughter and holding on to each other.
xXx
The swirling lights were brighter than anything she'd ever seen with the exception of the last time she had seen this. "Mommy what is that?' Grace's voice rose over the rushing wind. Darcy tore her eyes from the color dancing within the vortex and knelt beside her daughter.
"Sweetheart, go find your father, run home as fast as you can and don't look back okay?"
"But what about you mommy?"
"Mommy will be okay, just go." Darcy explained a sad smile on her face. The truth of the matter was, she didn't know what was going to happen, all she knew was that danger could lurk on the other side of this portal and she'd be damned if let anything hurt her baby girl. When Grace still had turned to leave Darcy grew fervent. "Go! Grace, run, find your father! Go!"
With that the little girl turned and ran, her back to the vortex as Darcy watched her go. The last sight Darcy had of the Enchanted Forest was her daughter making it to safety.
xXx
"Darcy? Darcy can you hear me? Darcy?"
Darcy groaned, her eyes opening slowly only to snap shut to relieve the pain in her temples.
"Oh thank god."
Darcy finally opened her eyes again, taking in the hospital room and worried scientist standing beside her bed.
"What happened?" She asked watching JAne shift on her feet.
"One of the machines went haywire. You were sucked into a portal." Bruce's voice drew her attention to the other occupants of the room. "It took a little while but Jane was able to recreate the circumstances and bring you back."
"How long is awhile?" She asked the hazy feeling that she was missing something settling into the back of her mind.
"About a month." Tony got straight to the point. "I have to admit I thought you'd be a little more ragged after spending a month in the middle of nowhere."
Darcy looked down at herself, still as well groomed as she had been a month before. She was in a hospital gown now, but sitting on the chair not far from her was a lovely blue and white dress that she vaguely remembered putting on that morning.
"What happened to you Darcy?" Jane asked softly. Darcy shook her head.
"I don't remember."
"You have the transcendental sickness my lightening sister." Thor's voice drew their attention to the door.
"Sounds contagious." Tony replied.
"It is not serious. You should regain your memories with time. Until then, we are all just happy to have you home."
"Yeah." she replied softly, sinking back into the bed. She was home, so why didn't she feel like she was home.