Twice Upon A Time:
Winterfest was one of those rare Degrassi events to go off without a hitch and Drew couldn't help but smile thinking that this was a sign that he was finally getting the hang of this whole school thing…so what if it took him until his second attempt at Senior Year to make it so. Once the event ended, duffel bag in hand, Drew shared a cab to the airport with Clare and flew into the City. It was late upon arrival and they soon made their way toward the Coyne loft which took the affluence of the condo he used to share with Fiona and well…amped it up to eleven. The following morning, he felt a pillow hit his face.
"Waky Waky," Clare said with a smile much too bright for….okay so it was 10AM and he got up much earlier on a school day but it was too early to be perky none the less.
"Can't you go meet Eli on your own?" he asked as he looked over to Clare who was wearing a pair of leggings under a skirt paired with a nice sweater.
Clare simply shook her head.
"No, I'm not letting you mope around here…. Come on."
"Who says I'm planning to mope," Drew said with a smirk, "I was thinking sleep in another couple hours…maybe take a walk and grab a slice or two of authentic New York Pizza…."
"Well plans have changed," Clare said picking up a pair of Drew's jeans and one of his button ups and tossing it at him glad that he showered the evening before.
Once Drew was dressed he made his way out of his guest room just in time to see Eli and Clare catching up and making out on the couch. At first sight, Drew watched as Eli raised an eyebrow causing Drew to pout a bit. Sure he and Eli Goldsworthy weren't BFFs but it wasn't like they were enemies either.
"Drew," Eli spoke bluntly, "how's it going back at Degrassi."
"Good, though if it wasn't for your girlfriend keeping me in line I'm sure I would have crashed and burnt once again."
"Don't sell yourself short Drew….I just encourage you to crack a book you actually doing the reading is on you."
Shrugging back his shoulder Drew watched as Eli looked to Clare.
"Are you sure this is a good idea," he whispered, "I mean Katie…"
"Is a Princess…almost a Queen….I'm sure she's over Drew…I mean Darrin screwed her up allot worse."
"True," Eli replied agreeing with his girlfriend before looking back up toward the subject of their chat.
"So, are we going someplace or what?" Drew asked.
Clare nodded reminding him to keep an open mind as they left the penthouse and made their way toward the park.
-x-x-x-x-x-
Taking in all the sights and sounds of the city, Drew couldn't help but be impressed. He'd been to the city before as a child and he remembered that back then he'd been filled with just as much wonderment as he was now.
"So, what are we planning to do? I know Clare commented about going to visit someone and not staying in the city long."
"I did," Clare said with a nod as they got deeper into the park to a place near the botanical gardens but still far enough away from crowds….the place where the mirror was located.
Eli reached into his pocket pulling out the key fob as Drew rolled his eyes curious as to what the other boy was doing however knowing not to ask any questions as Clare said to keep an open mind and that was exactly what he was doing….and even as a patch of park suddenly began to transform into something out of a science fiction movie from Adam's library mum was the word.
Drew soon watched as Eli took a step toward the glowing blue light and soon disappeared from sight sending a chill to cross his spine as he looked toward Clare.
"I know you said you were visiting friends and well something tells me this trip we won't be taking a greyhound."
Clare shook her head.
"I told you keep an open mind," she replied before holding out her hand, "anyway do you trust me?"
Drew just shrugged his shoulder as he took Clare's hand. He had nothing to lose and besides there was that age old saying you only live once and so he figured what the heck.
Drew soon stepped through the mirror alongside Clare his breath held as he soon showed up in a small room where Eli was standing, pushing the button a second time and causing whatever portal it was that they had fallen through to close.
"Where are we?" Drew asked.
Eli and Clare looked at one another wondering how they were going to word things. Did they outright tell Drew they were in a room in Snow White's palace or did they wait for him to see things for themselves.
"We're here to visit friends," Clare simply said deciding to keep it vague causing Drew to nod. He knew that already however he was wondering just what kinds of 'friends' he was about to meet. Was Eli secretly some kind of Vampire after all….I mean he did tend to wear allot of black and in some mythos Vampires could be out in daylight without meeting a true death.
Drew decided not to make any more comments and instead followed the couple along a dimly lit hall which seemed to soon be decorated with an ornate carpet and chandeliers and soon there were some portraits hanging on the wall.
Snow White , read the name under one of the first paintings causing Drew to wonder….were they in some kind of secret Disney owned facility….no….while the picture did have the known attributes of the fairytale princess…the ebony hair, the blood red lips, the snow white skin….she looked nothing like the Mouse House's version of the princess…. Taking a few more steps he noticed a new portrait and Eli and Clare seemed to notice that one too. William 'Jake' White .
"Is it just me or does that last portrait look like….."
Drew's question was cut off however as footsteps soon filled the air and a man approached dressed in a way Drew could only describe as 'Ren Fair Chic' not that he'd been to a Renaissance Fair….though over the summer Adam took Becky to one before he moved away and the pictures his brother posted on facerange and hastygram fit the style of those of this man before him.
"Ahh m'lord, m'lady," he said with a slight bow. "We've been expecting you're return….and I see you brought a friend."
Clare nodded her head.
"Marcus this is Drew, he just got his heart broken recently and I thought a dose of magic would be good for him."
Drew raised an eyebrow at Clare's words….what did she mean by a dose of magic? And besides wasn't it his idea to come with her on vacation and not the other way around.
"Welcome to the Fourth Kingdom," Marcus said holding out his hand, "any friends of these two are a friend of mine….anyway I'll go inform the staff to set up a bedchamber for Drew."
Eli and Clare just nodded as the guard walked away glad that he didn't seem too put off with Drew's presence and hoped that this would be a sign of things to come. Once Marcus had once again turned a corner and became out of sight, the trio continued to journey down the hall until they reached a wide open room… one of the grand halls….to be more precise….the throne room. Seated on on one of the thrones was a young dark haired maiden, her face turned from the teens. She was chatting with someone who looked to be a subject of the Kingdom and that subject seemed to be smiling as the girl talked.
While Drew didn't see the maiden's face there was something about the dark haired woman that was all too familiar. Pausing for a moment he thought back to that portrait he saw as they were walking…. One that looked all too much like Clare's stepbrother Jake….and the fact that Jake seemed to be the man's middle name just made it all the more eerie…..still….despite the jeans being replaced by a day dress and the tiara on her head there was no mistaking that figure anywhere .
"Katie," Drew whispered.
x-x-x-x-x
Katie was loving the time she had spent in the Kingdoms so far taking in her position as Princess with open arms. She'd had plenty of leadership experience as editor of the Daily and school president however unlike the latter she wasn't going to muck things up. She was shaping up to be a great Princess and she knew that one day she would make a great queen though she knew she could never hold a candle to Snow White with a story that was legendary in multiple realms. She thought of her Prince Charming in every sense of the term who was busy with his father doing what she only assumed were Princely things much like the way she was at present doing her duty as Princess by tending to the needs of her fellow countrymen and women. The person she was speaking to bowed her head thanking Katie again for the advice she'd given her about planting her crops as word had seemed to spread about the newfound Prince and Princesses green thumb.
"It's my pleasure," Katie spoke with a grin as the woman walked away leading Katie to turn her head meeting the eyes of her two friends as well as someone she never expected to see ever again….well at least not while she'd been in the Kingdoms….
"Drew?" Katie questioned as the boy nodded causing her to climb off her throne and walk toward the trio.
x-x-x-x-x
Drew was waiting for the girl to give him a well deserved slap while Clare and Eli were waiting for her to rip them a new one for bringing someone from the outside especially this someone to the Kingdoms however instead she flashed the boy a smile.
"So, Drew, how are things with Bianca?" Katie asked and Drew thought this punch in his proverbial gut was worse then a literal slap in the face.
"Over," Drew replied simple as that knowing if he added it was cause she cheated Katie would most likely go on a tangent about how much of a bitch karma was and so he kept it vague.
"I'm sorry to hear that, I really thought you two would last."
Drew smiled noting the lack of sarcasm in her tone.
"And what about you and Jake….I take it you're still together."
"We are," Katie said with a nod revealing the ring on her finger causing Drew's jaw to drop.
"You're engaged…..congratulations." He wasn't poised to say much more considering up until October he'd been engaged himself for all of six months.
"I know….sometimes I need to pinch myself thinking about it…..though the fact that I'm engaged kind of takes a back seat to the whole being a Princess thing."
"a Princess…..but America isn't a monarchy….neither is Canada."
Katie just looked over toward Eli and Clare and rolled her eyes.
"I take it you didn't find it necessary to give Drew at least the reader's digest version about the Nine Kingdoms before you took him through the mirror," she spoke with a sigh, "I thought you'd be smarter than that."
"Nine Kingdoms?" Drew asked as Katie nodded.
"Remember all the fairytales that Audra might of told you when you were a kid…..well….here characters such as Snow White and Cinderella are to put it bluntly more so historical figures then fictional characters."
"So that painting….she was real?"
"As real as you and me…..and she was Jake's great grandmother."
"Jake….as in Jake Martin is related to Snow freaking white…..Katie….whatever weed your man is smoking must be some strong mind altering stuff to get you to believe this."
Footsteps echoed in the air as the Drew could soon feel the presence of someone behind him.
"Trust me, we're clean and sober," Jake's voice said filling the air causing Drew to turn around to see the young man dressed in some tight looking pants and a red tunic…and was that a sward hanging from his belt…. "Anyway, we might want to relocate to another room so you could sit down and hear the whole story especially since you'll be staying here for a while."
Drew just nodded knowing that Clare had reason to keep telling him to keep an open mind cause the story he was about to hear was hard to believe….
TBC
Next chapter will pick up after Drew's heard the story about the Kingdoms and how Jake and Eli are Wendell and Wolfinia's kids respectively… I may do one or two more chapters before the boys head off on their journey though I don't know if I'm just going to focus on that or have a Katie/Clare/Adult B plot to parallel the boys trip to the Sleeping Kingdom…..reviews and ideas always welcome