Chapter 1: Off to Wonderland
Emma:
Emma opened her eyes and saw a bright blue, cloudless sky. They were in a field of grass with mushrooms and flowers sticking out and about. They had made it to Wonderland, just as planned.
She recalled as she first introduced the plan to him. They'd been running to the throne room in the castle.
"Killian, what if we went to Wonderland before going back to Storybrooke?" she asked.
"You're out of your mind. Your mother and father would go mad," he disagreed.
"I promised to help you though," Emma protested. "Now would be the perfect time. I mean, when you get to Storybrooke, I doubt you'd want to leave, considering the fact that you want to get revenge on Go –Rumplestiltskin right away…even though I won't let it happen."
"I want to get you home safely first. It's what you've wanted this entire time."
"We have the magic beans with us. I can use magic. You're a good navigator. This can work. Imagine, we can succeed in Wonderland, we can bring her back with us."
"You don't understand, if the queen finds out that I'm there, she'll skin me alive. She hates me more than Rumplestiltskin and Jefferson combined."
Emma paused for a moment. "I'm willing to risk everything, for you. I trust you for once, and I want you to trust me. Please, from Wonderland, we can go straight back to Storybrooke."
Killian knew he wouldn't win the fight. "Alright, fine. How are we going to tell your mother?"
"We don't," Emma gave him a sly smile. She knew he loved it when she didn't listen to her mother. "We just go along with everything."
"How exactly are we supposed to do that?"
"Easy, convince her to throw a second bean to make the portal bigger, which it will. The first bean she'll throw to the ground will create the initial portal for Storybrooke. The one that I will happen to throw into the already formed portal will create a second pathway to Wonderland."
"It won't work because we need the compass to get to Wonderland."
"We will have the compass."
Killian eyed her with curiosity and interest, the same curiosity Alice had shown when she first fell down the hole so long ago. "Please, love, continue."
"Snow will hold onto the compass itself. Now, we only need to be holding onto a small part, so we'll be holding onto its chain. As long as we think of nothing but Wonderland, the chain of the compass will get us there without a problem."
Emma saw in his eyes that the plan was good. "One thing though," she concluded. "I don't know what Wonderland looks like, so you'll have to give me a place in Wonderland to think of."
Killian thought for a moment. "I would tell you to think of the castle, but that would give us away, and so would the village…okay, I want you to think of a field, rolling with hill and grass all over. There are mushrooms, flowers, caterpillars, insects flying, everything you've heard about Wonderland. We'll be starting at the beginning of a dirt path that leads to the Queen's maze. Behind you, there will be a looking glass portal that leads to the room between the realms. When we jump into the realm, hold my hand in case something goes wrong."
Emma recounted and repeated everything that was just said to her. "Okay, are you ready for this?"
Killian smirked, "Love, are you ready?"
She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Always."
He laughed and brought her close and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "How long have you been thinking about this?"
"Ever since I promised I would help you find her."
"This is why I'm not good enough for you."
Emma stood on her tip-toes and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Let's not worry about that right now."
She smiled and took his hand. Together, they made their way to the throne room.
Emma looked at her surroundings and took a deep breath. Journey number two, she thought to herself. Let's do this.
Killian:
He looked around and saw the world he'd once seen so long ago. It was just like he remembered it; he still hated it. He felt someone grab his hand and jumped at the touch. He was relieved to see Emma standing by his side.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked her.
"I'm doing this because I want you to be happy," she said seriously.
He looked forward and saw the path waiting for him.
"You don't seem happy to be here," Emma observed.
"Trust me, I'm not."
"And why is that?"
"Don't worry about it."
He turned around just to make sure that the door was still there, in case he wanted to make a quick escape. This was the one place that made him feel like a coward. He kept thinking back to the last time he had been in Wonderland. If only Alice hadn't taken the blame, he sighed.
Together, he walked with Emma on the path.
"Love, do you have a sword with you?" he looked at her.
"I left the last one in the throne room," she admitted.
"Well, it'd be best if you made or found one because you never know what to expect here."
Emma gave him a weird look. "Is everything alright?"
She squeezed his hand and stood in front of him. "Killian, I'm sorry. If this is too much for you, we can always go back. Really, if you don't want to do this, we don't have to."
"No," he held both her hands and kissed her forehead. "Thank you for doing this. We can finally get Alice back."
Emma gave him a comforting hug before they resumed their walk. Killian admired how the scenery hadn't changed. It was the one thing he loved about Wonderland. Apart from Snow White and Prince Charming's castle, Wonderland was one of the most beautiful places he'd ever been to.
After about twenty minutes of scenic walking, they reached tall, cut shrubs that seemed to form a barrier before them.
"Is this the maze you told me about?" Emma asked, starting to show fear in her voice.
"Yeah," Killian admitted as he held her hand tighter, trying to calm her. "Don't be afraid, love. I'm right here."
"There's no going back once you enter, is there?"
"There is, but the way back is more complicated than the way in."
Together, they entered the maze.
Jefferson:
They'd made it to the room between the worlds. Henry and Grace stood and admired all of the different doors. He brought them close, knowing they would be too tempted to try one of the doors.
"Daddy, is that the door to Wonderland?" Grace pointed to a glass door that resembled a mirror.
"Yeah," he patted her head. "That's where we're going."
Excitedly, Grace took Henry's hand and ran to the door. They almost walked through without Jefferson, but he stopped them in time.
"We have to all enter at the same time," he warned them. Hopefully this works, he sighed.
Jefferson held Grace's hand, and Grace took Henry's. Together, they squeezed through the door. Jefferson closed his eyes, hoping that both Henry and Grace made it through.
"Daddy, why are you closing your eyes?" Grace tugged on his hand.
He opened them and gave a sigh of relief; Henry was still there altogether in one piece.
"Are you ready to find your mother, Henry?" he looked at him.
"Of course I am," he gave Jefferson a courageous smile.
Grace and Henry walked ahead while Jefferson walked behind them. He realized he was still holding both his and Grace's hat in his right hand.
"Grace, put your hat on," he handed her the smaller hat. She happily took it and wore it with pride.
She looks just like her mother, a dagger of pain shot his heart. He still had to find a way to tell both kids that they were rescuing not only Emma, but Killian and Alice too.
They walked on, and he listened while Grace and Henry talked about nothing but Wonderland and their new weapons; the sword and the hat. Jefferson remembered the last time he had been in Wonderland. He'd been left behind by Regina, but thankfully, at the time, she didn't know anything about Alice. He'd been left, trapped by the queen, to make countless hats for the same purpose of his own. It also gave him time to search for Alice because last time, he, along with Killian, had failed.
That bloody bastard, the name brought anger to him. He should've been the one to stay here, not Alice. She should've been the one to take the freedom. He hated Killian just as much as Killian hated him.
But, just like Killian, he hated Wonderland with a burning passion.