Whew! I rushed this chapter, but I think there's a lot of important things in here. #Spoilers - I'm sorry, SWEN, we're still getting over the finale, but I just had to throw more feels your way.

Note: I don't own the OUaT characters. I just ship them really really hard.

Waiting on the Other Side

"Daddy, look! I brought you flowers for your office. The cheshire cat said the flowers will keep away the madness." Alice beamed, placing the flowers in an empty vase on the desk. Dr. William Chesshyre smiled down at his daughter with tired eyes. She loved the feeling of his hand on her head; heavy and comforting.

"Thank you, Alice. Have you finished your lesson?" he asked gently, occasionally glancing at his paperwork.

"Yes, Maureen said my writing is very good," she answered excitedly. Alice turned to see the middle aged maid of their home at the doorway.

Dr. Chesshyre nodded, "Good afternoon, Maureen."

"Good afternoon, sir. I'll have your afternoon tea ready in just a bit. Would you care to take it in the lounge?"

The doctor looked down at his smiling daughter, staring into her deep blue eyes that reminded him of his departed Dinah. "No, Maureen. I think Alice and I will take our tea in the garden."

Alice cheered excitedly, rushing out towards the flower filled garden she loved to play in. She was happy here, with her father and maid, Maureen. Connecticut wasn't like home yet, but it was fine as long as they were together, just like they had been in England.

Alice opened her eyes. She had no idea what time it was, but it was dark outside of her tiny grey walled room. She was surrounded by nothing but simple furnishings. A plain sterilized bed, a single bedside table, a chair in the corner underneath a window with cheap curtains. The door was shut, held closed with heavy locks. A window with a slide panel was on the door so that outsiders could peer into the room. She hated this room. It was in this room that the nightmares were the worst. It was where she had the scariest of dreams.

The small girl clutched her white rabbit. It was slightly dirty, but Alice knew she would never love a toy as much as she loved this one. Emma had given it to her on her first night in Storybrooke. Right now, it was the only thing that kept the nightmares away.

"Alice, try to get some sleep. I'll stay right here with you," William said softly to his daughter. The girl nodded slowly and closed her eyes, comforted by her father's presence. Even in the pale light of the bedroom, Alice looked very much like her mother. She had fallen ill from the change in weather. Since the move from Hertfordshire to Connecticut, Alice's body had been struggling with the atmosphere. She developed allergies and insomnia, which Maureen had helped soothe with bedtime stories and warm tea with local honey. But this time the entire household had caught something.

William coughed. He felt the exhaustion in his body. Tired and ill, William decided that being by his daughter's side was more important. He'd get rest eventually. It wasn't uncommon for him to stay up late, catch some sort of cold or flu and bounce back from it. Although this illness had been going on for a few days, today was really wiping him out. It was late at night and Alice was finally able to sleep. Her fever had gone down significantly. He calmed down, glad that his daughter would be safe. He lay his head down on the bed next to her, praying for her health to return.

The next morning when Maureen came to wake Alice, she found the little girl sitting up in her bed, shaking her father gently.

"Daddy? Daddy, get up."

"Alice? What's wrong?" Maureen asked.

"Daddy won't wake up. I think he's really tired."

The maid frowned. "Alice, why don't you go wash up?" The girl nodded and squirmed off of the bed. Once she was out of the room, Maureen placed her fingers on her employer's neck. Her hands began to shake as the realization sank in. William Chesshyre would not be waking up.

The doctors said it was pneumonia. Alice had no idea what it meant, but she knew that it meant her father was sick and he wasn't coming back. She felt lost, lonely and guilty. She had dreamt that night of her other world. Of Wonderland. She had spent this last visit with the Caterpillar. He told her that she would be safe in Wonderland, if she ever wanted to stay. Alice had told the wise old bug that she needed to go home, to her father.

As she sat in the cemetery with Maureen and her father's colleagues, Alice wished she could return to her dream land. She had nothing to fear there. This world was lonely without her father. Even if she had known Maureen all her young life, it wasn't the same. She watched as the white rose she tossed into the grave stood out brightly against the deep red ones that scattered the coffin. She wished her white rose would disappear, dyed red and fade into the background like all the others.

A knock came at the door. Alice looked up, holding tight to her rabbit. It was merely one of the orphanage nurses, bringing a tray of food and pills. The nurse set the food on the rolling table by Alice's bed and sat down in the corner chair with a book. This was the routine. They would bring her food and sit there, making sure she would eat. When she didn't in the past, they would call in orderlies to make her take the pills and sleep. She was a troubled child, after all, she told herself.

Raising the bland food to her mouth she frowned. It wasn't like Regina's dinners. There was a small cookie on the tray. She ate it after the rest of her flavorless meal, remembering how soft the cookies she had made with Regina were compared to the dry flakey thing in her hand. Alice pushed the table to the side slowly and laid down again, holding her rabbit close. The nurse came and took her tray, double checking to make sure she took her pills. They were supposed to 'keep her level' but all they did was make her sleep. Before she drifted off, she wondered what Henry was doing.

"Alice, this is your new family for awhile," said the social worker. She was a young woman with long dark hair and dark brown eyes. She had introduced herself as Justine Reyes. She was nice, but Alice held a slight resentment for her because she wanted to go home. She wanted to be in her own bed where her father would tell her stories until she fell asleep.

"Hello, Alice. We're so happy to have you here with us. I'm Gloria Rosetti, but you can call me 'Mom." the woman said. Alice didn't feel like she was allowed to call her 'Mom.' She was a short portly woman with curly brown hair. Her husband was an equally portly man. Alice thought they looked like the Tweedles.

They took her in and gave her a room. But she missed her father. There were other children there. Ones that the Rosettis had taken in that were orphans or foster children just like herself. They were lively, but sometimes they were rude. One boy was particularly mean, always fighting back and causing trouble for the family. It was on the days that he caused trouble that it seemed like Alice would get into trouble as well.

The other children asked her where she was from. Her home, the home in Hertfordshire and in Connecticut were gone because her father wasn't there. Maureen was gone, too. So her heart told her that her home was Wonderland. That's what she told the other children. They told her she was crazy. She had simply said, "We're all mad here." The other children had complained to the Rosettis. They scolded her for telling lies. But Alice insisted that it was the truth. She was Alice. She sang songs with the Tweedles, danced amongst flowers and ate cakes that made her grow to enormous sizes or drank juices that made her very tiny.

Punishment at the Rosetti home was often brutal. Since there were so many children, Mr. Rosetti made it a point to punish the troublesome ones. He never struck them, but they were often locked into a small room under the steps for several hours. Alice used that time to sleep, to escape to her Wonderland.

In Wonderland, she had tea with the Mad Hatter. He insisted that she call him 'Jefferson.' Compared to the other inhabitants of Wonderland, he was quite different. There was always a lost sort of look to his eyes and he would talk about 'Grace.' Alice never asked who Grace was, she understood that if the Hatter wanted to tell her, he would. Instead, he asked maddening riddles. "Why is a raven like a writing desk?" She never discovered the answer. When she was allowed out of the small room, the children avoided her. Mrs. Rosetti had sat her down alone and tried to ask Alice why she lied. Alice couldn't tell her why, she hardly knew the reason herself. She never thought she was lying. Wonderland had been very real for her. At times she found cake crumbs in her pockets. She awoke once with a cookie in her hand that said 'Eat Me.' The other children accused her of stealing snacks. Again, she was punished. Over and over, she was left, lonely and locked away in the small room.

Justine came one day and spoke to Mrs. Rosetti. Alice was loaded up into Justine's car and Mrs. Rosetti stood at the door with a very relieved look on her face. No, this home wasn't meant for Alice. She was soon brought to an orphanage at Boston where she would silently wait for the right family to come along.

"How are you doing, Alice?" Dr. Young asked. Alice sat silently on the couch with her rabbit. The room was boring, nothing like Archie's office. It was uncomfortable, the couch was worn out and the old leather had cracks where the stuffing began to peek out in the cushions. Dr. Young was very systematic. He saw many children throughout the day. It wasn't like Alice was the only one who had a troubled past. She clutched her rabbit and wished Regina was still sitting with her. She felt safe there, with Regina and Archie, that she was sure if she told them about Wonderland and all the things she had seen, they'd believe her.

Alice shrugged. "Still not talking, then?" Dr. Young continued as he made notes on his clipboard. "Where did you get the bunny?"

"My Ma gave it to me," she said. The middle aged psychologist opened his mouth to speak but closed it quickly. It was the first time he had heard Alice say more than two words. Something was different about the girl. "What was your Ma's name?"

"Emma."

Dr. Young frowned. According to Alice's records, her mother's name was Dinah Chesshyre. "Is Emma from Wonderland?" he asked, playing into her game.

"No. But Mommy said she's a Knight. Mommy's a Queen." Alice sank further back into the chair. She didn't want to talk about it anymore. She missed her new home where she was sure Regina was making dinner and Emma was sitting in front of the television with Henry. She wanted to be there, helping Regina in the kitchen.

The doctor scribbled more notes on his clipboard. Extended exposure to the wilderness during her disappearance has further damaged Alice's psyche. She now claims that the people she considers her parents are a 'knight' and a 'queen.' It is recommended that Alice remain at the orphanage for further development and evaluation. Her speech has increased and she is willing to say a few things.

"Why did you leave, Alice?"

The girl shook her head. She was done talking. This wasn't the first time she had met Dr. Young. He didn't really care about what she said and even at her age, she wasn't oblivious to it. The doctor tried a few more questions, but Alice wouldn't respond. She remained stoic and silent on his chair until the 45 minute session was over. She suddenly missed Archie.

A space had opened up with a foster family in Toledo, Ohio. Justine decided that Alice needed to get away from Boston. That it may be too close to home. So it was off to Ohio with what little possessions she had.

The Camerons were a family with money. They lived in a large house with many rooms, but Alice and the other two foster children there were made to share a small room. The Camerons had a maid to help care for the children and a personal chef to prepare meals. But Alice still felt that it was cold and lonely in the home.

Mrs. Cameron had a quick temper. Alice had knocked over a glass of juice in the kitchen. Punishment came as a swift hand, hardened with expensive rings. Mr. and Mrs. Cameron argued often, the former would be drunk on his private collection of imported vodka. Alice had always been a bit of a clumsy girl, but her father never scolded her for it. She learned quickly to tread softly around the Camerons. Silence was best, for the most part, but oftentimes her silence would also induce punishment. They scolded her for being complacent and they viewed her silence as belligerence. Salvation could not come soon enough.

When Justine came to check on the family, the bruises on Alice's arms and legs were quite evident. She and the other two children were quickly sent off to an orphanage and away from the cold mansion in Toledo.

Justine had read the report from Dr. Young. She was shocked, to be honest. In the three years she had been Alice's social worker, the girl had never been vocal. Short answers, if any, were the best anyone could get out of her. She knew Alice was obedient, but she always refused to speak. She wondered just what Emma Swan had done that was different that caused such a change in a closed off girl's mind.

The social worker walked down the hallway of the orphanage. Portland's facility was more of a hospital than a home. Three private rooms were set aside for 'problem' children. Alice was in room 403. Other children lived at the orphanage, the more adjusted ones were allowed to live in the four large shared rooms; two for boys, two for girls. They had a normal schedule. Classes during the day, playtime in the afternoon, scheduled meals and bed by eight. Alice was separated from the others to prevent any bullying from other children. Justine knew she was a fragile girl, although the two weeks she had been in Storybrooke had certainly put a bit of healthy weight onto the girl. She hated to admit it, but she was impressed. When she had gone to pick up Alice, the child was wearing well fitted designer clothes. Lucky Brand jeans, a Burberry blouse, a Burberry coat and matching shoes. It certainly wasn't the state that she expected to find Alice in, but she was appreciative of the care that Emma and the Mayor had shown the girl.

Standing in front of Alice's door, Justine peered into the window. Alice was sitting quietly on the chair by the window, curled up with her bunny and a book. When she opened the door, Alice barely glanced up at her before turning her attention back to her book. She was reading a dog-eared copy of The Hobbit. Alice was never one for 'light' reading. The rabbit sat in her lap as if it were reading with her.

"Reading again, Alice?" Justine asked as she sat on the bed. Alice shrugged and continued keeping her eyes on the book. "Did you read a lot in Storybrooke?" Again Justine was answered with a shrug. It was clear that Alice was mad at her. Or at the very least, that she wasn't ready to speak to Justine. The woman sighed and stood up. "Okay, I suppose today isn't a day to talk. We'll chat later."

Alice looked up as Justine walked to the door. "When can I go home?"

Justine spun around, her eyes wide. "You are home."

The girl shook her head, sending her blonde locks around her shoulders. "Mommy isn't here."

Curious to see if she could get Alice to speak more, Justine returned to the bed and sat down. "Who's your Mommy, Alice?"

Frowning, as if Justine had just asked her a stupid question, Alice looked up at the woman, "Regina."

"Who's your dad, then?"

Alice shook her head, "Daddy died a long time ago. But I have my Ma, Emma and Mommy. They're my mommies and Henry is my big brother. They said so. Grandpa David and Grandma Snow said that I'm their family, too. I made lots of friends."

"Is that where you got your bunny?"

"Ma gave Sir Rabbit to me. He's my friend, too."

Nodding slightly, Justine began to understand. "I see. Well, we'll see. I can't promise anything, but I'll see what I can do." Alice smiled a little, then opened her book again to continue reading. Justine watched the girl for a moment before leaving the room.

For some reason that Alice didn't understand, the next family she was sent to was in Corpus Christi, Texas with the Parker family. They were simple people in a small house with three children. Alice learned from the previous houses she was sent to that it was best if she didn't speak. Mrs. Parker was a single foster mother. It was her job to simply care for the children that the government sent her. Alice didn't seem to mind the long distance she had to go, once she had settled in. Because she wouldn't speak, Maria Parker tried all sorts of different ways for Alice to communicate.

Instead of having her own room or sharing a room with all the other children, she lived in a room with two beds. She shared the room with another little girl, but Alice decided to keep to herself. Maria Parker tried to give Alice other options by handing her a sketchbook and a box of colored pencils. The materials sat on the desk for several weeks before Alice even touched them. She started with drawing the pencil holder in front of her. Every shade and angle seemed so easy to replicate on paper. After a few tries, Alice figured out how to apply pressure with the pencil to create darker shadows, defined lines and depth.

When Maria discovered the drawings, she praised Alice's skill. Encouraged, the girl decided to experiment with the color pencils. Day by day, she improved her skill through trial and error, drawing still life images of things around the house. Each successful piece brought her further praise. Her confidence rose, but she still feared speaking to anyone. Words were sensitive and too easily misunderstood. She decided that drawing her thoughts would be more effective.

Alice started with images from her dreams. Jeweled boxes with 'Eat Me' cakes, the wise old Caterpillar on a giant mushroom, the singing flowers, the White Queen. Each new drawing became more lifelike as she continued practicing, earning praises from Maria. But the nightmares still came. She thought that if she drew what she dreamed about, it would help the nightmares stop. Her art became darker, portraying a wicked looking Queen and a slithering beast in a wooded land. Maria became afraid, worried for Alice's sanity. Each day, the images became darker, more violent. The woman that Alice drew as the Queen of Hearts was kind in the beginning. But the more Alice drew her, the more darker and sinister she became, with hearts in her hand and a wide grin on her lips. Maria became truly frightened of the little girl.

Justine finally came, at the request of Maria Parker. They took Alice to a psychiatrist, but soon afterwards, she was moved out of Corpus Christi. She never knew why, but she was quick to learn that Wonderland was something only she could believe in.

It was playtime at the orphanage. The yard wasn't very big, but there was a jungle gym, a sandbox and a vault bar. Small children played in the sandbox and three girls Alice's age were hanging off of the vault bar and perching themselves on it. Alice sat and watched from a nearby bench, content on reading The Hobbit. A girl with brown hair and pig tails came over to her.

"Hi. Are you new?" the girl asked. She was dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt with a flower on it. Alice looked up from her book. The girl tilted her head curiously, "I'm Madison."

Alice only looked at Madison. She missed Belle and Ruby. It had only been a few days ago when she and Henry were at their house, making cakes and pillow forts with Mulan and Aurora. There was a different aura being around her big friends compared to the children at the orphanage. Just being around them felt different, like they were from another world. It comforted Alice and made her feel like she wasn't so alone. Everyone in Storybrooke made her feel that way. She wanted to go home. Alice missed the only people she trusted enough to call family.

The orphanage's matron, an older woman named Evelyn, came to where Madison had approached Alice. She put her hand on the other girl's shoulder, "Madison, why don't you go play with the other girls? Alice can't play right now."

Looking a little disappointed, Madison nodded, "Oh... okay." She turned and walked away, heading to the vault bar where the other girls were. Evelyn didn't stop to ask Alice anything or even acknowledge her. Alice Chesshyre is a special case. The line in her file was more than enough for Evelyn to know that the small blonde child should be left alone, that she was only brought outside for fresh air and sun. Alice turned back to her book, hoping to get lost in the world of Bilbo Baggins.

Every family that Justine had brought Alice to was the same. They put up with her for a little bit, but after a few months, they begged Justine to take her to another home. She didn't fit in. The other children bullied her. Even if the foster parents tried to stop it, the torment never ended. The children were jealous of Alice's skill, they hated how she never spoke to them or how she didn't even acknowledge them. But Alice was afraid. Either way, she would be outcasted.

Justine moved her several times, hoping that Alice would be able to settle in with families that became available, even if it wasn't in a local area. She just wanted the little girl to open up and be a child. Although Alice never answered her, Justine encouraged her to keep drawing. She gave Alice a gift on Christmas, a watercolor paint set and a fresh canvas. It was only a few weeks later when Alice produced a painting of a gigantic chessboard with a King and Queen all in white.

In Baton Rouge, Alice took inspiration from the surrounding area, painting willow trees by the water, old historical buildings and the landscape of the American bayou. She thought if she stopped drawing pictures of Wonderland, the nightmares would stop. That she wouldn't have to return to the Queen of Hearts and risk losing her head. But three months passed and Justine came once again to take Alice away and place her in another home. The Gilford family she was with couldn't afford as many children as they took in and Alice was not as communicative as the other children were. They just didn't have the time for her.

Her time in Baltimore was just as short. The Johns family was nice, but as soon as Alice was left to interact with the other children, she became too difficult to deal with. The family didn't understand why she wouldn't speak or communicate. She simply sat alone and read her books or drew in her sketchbook. They had taken in children with difficult backgrounds or with existing medical conditions, but Alice never seemed to have anything so obvious. She didn't scream or cry, she was just silent.

Barbara Johns was a God-fearing woman. Convinced that Alice was taken over by some curse or devil, she tried bringing the girl to church. Alice listened, but she didn't sing the hymns or pray with Barbara and the other foster children in the Johns home. She listened to the sermons and while many things they talked about were difficult for her to understand, she did find she agreed with one thing: that love was unconditional. Her father loved her like that, no rhyme or reason, it was just because he was her father. The families she had been with had only cared for her as a duty, but she longed for the smile of her father's face, even if she made mistakes. She missed him, their home, her life that was suddenly gone from her little hands.

But she didn't want to participate in the Johns' religious activity. Alice felt like it wasn't her world, it wasn't meant for her to be there. Barbara Johns couldn't take it anymore. As much as she tried, she couldn't find a way for Alice to open up and behave like a normal girl. There was just no way.

When Justine came to check on her again in three months, the Johns family was more than willing to let Alice move on to another home. They simply didn't click.

The cold emptiness of the orphanage classroom was beginning to settle into her stomach. Alice wanted to go home to Storybrooke. She drew in her sketchbook that Regina had bought her. A page was ripped out where she had given the drawing of the apple tree and swan to her new mother and it was proudly displayed on the wall in the study next to Henry's perfect attendance award. Although the room had other children in it, Alice always sat in the back. If she drew during lessons, no one bothered to stop her. She didn't have the determination to do the schoolwork as she did with Snow. The young teacher had been kind to her, encouraging and treated her like family. It wasn't something that Alice understood or could explain, but everyone she met in Storybrooke seemed to understand her. Even when she became frightened at the man Regina spoke to that Alice was convinced was the Mad Hatter, Regina simply held her and stayed with her until she felt better. She wasn't locked in a room or left in a corner. She was cared for and loved. She missed that most of all.

Alice understood that one thing was different. In every family she had been in, she was dropped into, as if she were just another thing in a collection of imperfect things. But Emma and Regina, they had wanted her to stay with them. Ruby wanted to play with her, Belle wanted to read with her. Mulan and Aurora were happy to play with her and listen to her stories. Snow wanted to paint with her and David wanted to do arts and small craft projects with her. Henry wanted to to be her brother. That was what was different. They wanted her there. The family she had grown to love in Storybrooke wanted her to be there.

When Justine came in the evening, Alice was asleep. She peeked her head into the room to find the girl buried under the thin blanket with her sketchbook on the ground. Justine picked it up, figuring that it had fallen from the bed where Alice fell asleep with it. She opened the pages and saw something completely different from the other pieces she had seen before. Alice drew dark, sinister images in the past. But everything after the ripped page was far from it. A diner with two smiling waitresses and a kind but grouchy looking woman. A police cruiser and a horse with an Asian woman perched on the horse in aviator sunglasses and a man with a kind smile. A pixie haired schoolteacher in front of a chalkboard. A pretty librarian with curly long hair. Each image had someone in it and they looked happy. It was an incredible change from what Justine had seen before from Alice. The last page that was drawn on was what made Justine stop and peer closely at it. In front of a white mansion stood a woman in jeans, jacket and long curly hair and a woman in a dark suit and heels with short wispy hair. Between them stood a young boy with a crooked smile. At corner of the page, Alice had written family. Justine knew who it was immediately. Even without Alice's incredible artistic skill, Justine understood that the picture was clearly Emma Swan and her new family with Regina Mills. Her heart hurt just slightly as she put the notebook away with a smile before leaving the room silently.

The moment she set foot into the small family tract home of the Lewistons, Alice felt uneasy. It wasn't just that Rochester was such a remote place in New York, but something just felt wrong. The older boy in the house was the Lewistons' son. She was uncomfortable under his dark eyes every time he looked at her. There were two other foster children, both younger than herself. They looked equally unhappy except in front of social workers. Alice didn't like this home. Nothing felt real.

She tried her best to stay out of trouble and under the radar. The first time she left a pencil on the floor, Mrs. Lewiston threw a fit. The house was impeccably clean at all times. If anyone had even moved something out of place, they were met with swift punishment and the back of a hand. But Alice was naturally clumsy. She had fallen into the habit of shutting her eyes tightly anytime she saw anyone's hand raised in the air. The son called her 'stupid' or 'retarded' for not speaking. But she wasn't deaf. His words hurt her more than his mother's hand. It was the worst house she'd ever been in. Her dreams took her to Wonderland, where she could escape. But even there, she felt more fear than she ever had before. It was as if the things that scared her in her waking hours, followed her into her dreamworld of Wonderland. No where was safe.

Her artwork became darker. Alice found herself going through more and more pencils, just trying to make the image as dark as possible. Whether it was the grotesque scene of the Walrus devouring baby oysters or the maddening grin of the Cheshire Cat, each drawing was darker and more disturbing. Mrs. Lewiston made Alice sit outside all afternoon in the garage by herself when the sketchbook was discovered. Her book and pencils were confiscated until Justine came to check on the family. The visit would have been routine, probably resulting in Alice being sent off to another psychiatrist. But someone was watching over the children this time. Alice tripped and scraped her elbow. When Justine rolled up her sleeve to check the wound, she found more bruises than she could count. Alice thought she had made another mistake, another reason for her to not ever have a real family. The Hatter told her to behave, there were people who loved her. The Caterpillar said she was a good girl. The Queen of Hearts smiled at her on rare occasions. Alice would have done anything to return to Wonderland where the evils of the world she lived in would be a vague memory.

Justine Reyes walked into Alice's room for the fifth time in the short time she was in the orphanage. As always, Alice was perched on the bed, drawing. Her latest piece was one of the same schoolteacher and the smiling man. Justine sat down on the bed next to the girl. "Who's that you're drawing, Alice?"

Alice shrugged. She didn't feel like talking today. Not to anyone. The other children ignored her as did most of the orphanage staff. The matron came to check on her occasionally, but other than her visits with Justine, Alice was left in her room with her sketchbook and her bunny.

The dark haired woman smiled softly, "I'll be back in two days, Alice. I hear there's a new family for you. I think this one might be it, do you?" Finally putting her pencil down, she turned back into the book where she had drawn Henry, Regina and Emma in front of the white mayoral mansion. She held it up to Justine and shook her head. The woman frowned slightly, "Is this your family?"

Alice nodded. She closed the book and held it close to her, drawing her legs up to her chest and curling in upon herself. No family was ever going to be like the one she had with her father. He loved her dearly, so much that he sacrificed himself for her well being. But for the first time, she found a family she believed wanted her just as much as her father did. She felt like she belonged. Since he had passed, Alice had only ever wanted to leave. Now, for the first time in her young life, she wanted to go back.

Justine stood up from the bed. "I'll see you in a few days, Alice. Let's give this new family a chance, okay?"

Without looking up, Alice simply shrugged and picked up her book again, returning to her drawing.

She was in a plain, grey and white room. Simple curtains and a single chair next to a window. The room itself was depressing. It was too clean, too sterile to be a child's room. It didn't take Alice long to realize that it was a room for 'bad children.' The ones that were 'difficult' to manage. She hated it. Alice had never hated anything so much.

"One does not simply accept that things must remain as they are," the Queen of Hearts told Alice. "My dear, we are all going to have weak moments, but in order for things to change, we must make it happen ourselves."

For the first time, Alice understood what the Queen of Hearts had told her. The woman said many things, spoke of a life she didn't understand. She told Alice of a life, in another world, with a family that was always beyond her reach, but a life filled with magic and success. Most of the time, Alice nodded and kept quiet, since the Queen was quick to anger and even quicker with punishment.

She waited until it was playtime. Alice was smaller than the other children and it was often that she went unnoticed. In her simple blue dress and tired shoes, she crawled through a curl in the fencing around the orphanage. She didn't care where she was going, but anywhere was better than the orphanage or any of the families she was with. Portland wasn't a particularly busy place, but it was relatively easy to slip onto a bus with a crowd of people.

When the bus finally stopped, Alice found herself at a rural bus stop in front of a general store, right along the edge of a forest. She looked up and down the road, watching the bus head back towards Portland. Wherever the road would take her must be better than where she came from. As long as she followed it, she'd find someplace to be.

It wasn't a very busy road. Alice walked alongside it, careful to not step into any potholes. She was a clumsy girl and after tripping once or twice, she decided to walk on the pavement. The truck coming around the corner honked it's horn loudly as it careened down the path. The driver swerved to avoid Alice, sending the vehicle into a ditch where it harmlessly sat with spinning wheels. Alice ran into the forest where she sat down in a clearing and cried. She cried for her father, for all the families she disappointed, the ones that hated her, the children that despised her. She cried for the times she angered the Queen of Hearts, when the Hatter would go off on a raging mad tirade of riddles and nonsense. Alice cried for everything she kept inside, the painful things she tried to put to paper. She felt paralyzed, lost and wanting nothing more to go back to the life she had with her father. How long had it been? Alice could barely remember. She was halfway through first grade when he died. She didn't remember going to school much after that. A few schools here and there, in homes that she would stay in longer than a few months. She was always in special classes. She didn't make friends. She told herself she didn't need them. She had her friends in Wonderland.

When the State troopers found her, she was still sitting in the clearing. She didn't answer them. It wasn't until someone else came along that she finally allowed her eyes to focus slightly.

"Hey kiddo... um... do you have a name?" the person asked. Alice focused her eyes on a pretty blonde woman. Her eyes were full of concern, it was a look that Alice had seen many times. But the woman held her hand out, "I'm Emma."

Not sure what to do, she tilted her head slightly and responded, "Alice." She didn't understand why, but seeing the hand being held out to her seemed not so threatening. Something was different about this person. "It's nice to meet you, Alice. Do you want to come back to town with me?"

When Alice put her hand in Emma's, she felt relieved. As if all the things she had cried about were gone in the simple gesture of Emma's hand around hers. She followed the woman to the car and listened quietly as she called someone. "So, where are you from, Alice?" Emma asked suddenly.

"Wonderland." Alice hadn't told anyone that in a very long time. But somehow, she felt that it was okay telling it to Emma. There was a questioning tone in Emma's voice when she repeated it. Alice thought that maybe Emma wouldn't believe her. It certainly wouldn't be the first time an adult didn't believe her. But she was more surprised that although Emma didn't say anything more about Wonderland, she simply promised to take care of her. Alice wasn't sure what to do or say. But something about the blonde told Alice that she understood. Impulsively, she hugged Emma.

The woman was gentle with her and held onto her hand as they walked up to a big white house, as large as the house in Toldeo. That house had bad memories. But when the door came flying open and a pretty dark haired woman began speaking in a frantic tone, Alice ducked behind Emma. The woman's eyes were intense and her voice was strong and commanding. Emma spoke with the woman for a few minutes, leading Alice into the house and sitting her on a couch. The house was very clean, but the walls weren't covered with art like the house in Toledo. There were pictures, family pictures of the woman and Emma, with a small boy. Sometimes there were other people in the pictures as well.

"Alice, this is Regina, my very important partner. I have some things to take care of, but she'll be here with you. Will you be a good girl and listen to her while I'm away?" Emma asked. Alice looked at Emma for a moment before drifting her eyes up towards the other woman. The intensity of her eyes was gone and all Alice saw was a warm smile and soft brown eyes that looked kindly at her. "Hello, Alice. My name is Regina Mills. I was just about to bake cookies for dessert tonight, would you like to help me?" Alice watched her carefully for a moment. Adults who wanted something out of her always seemed to look away after asking things. Alice waited to see if Regina would do the same. When the woman's eyes never left her own, Alice nodded. Regina's hand went out to her and it was the same feeling she experienced when she put her hand in Emma's. Something felt different. It was hard to explain, but Alice felt safe for the first time in three years.

Justine had come to pick Alice up from the orphanage. She didn't have much, just the clothes she was wearing when she was brought to the orphanage, her bunny, sketchbook and pencils. Justine had brought her a small canvas bag to carry it in. As always, she had no idea where they were headed. All she did was get into the car and wait to arrive at her new home, praying the entire time that it wouldn't be as bad as the others had been.

The drive wasn't long, but she was tired. Alice was tired from sitting in that cold, sterile room all the time. She hated that orphanage. They treated her like she was some crazy child. The only thing she could do to get those things out of her head was sleep. Hoping to see Wonderland, Alice closed her eyes and allowed herself to sleep in the car.

The car stopped a few times, shaking Alice from her car nap. She would check her surroundings briefly before curling up again and going back to sleep. She thought she felt herself being carried from one car to another. There was a familiar scent of jasmine and cedar in the air in front of her as the car door opened and Alice allowed herself to wake up. She hadn't been paying attention to the ride out at all. Justine was long gone and she wasn't in the tiny economy car that the social worker drove. Instead, she was sitting inside a black SUV. Mulan was in front of her with the door open.

"Good morning, young one. It is time to go home." Mulan announced. "I am sorry you had to leave. But I believe your family is waiting for you."

Alice's eyes went wide. She looked around frantically and immediately recognized the house behind Mulan. She threw her arms around the warrior's neck and hugged her. Smiling, Mulan lifted Alice out of the car just as the front door began to open.

Her feet moved faster than they ever had before. Just like in the picture she drew, Emma, Regina and Henry stood at the door waiting for her. Regina fell to her knees, holding her arms out as Alice came running into them. She felt the warm embrace of not only Regina, but Emma and Henry as well. For the first time, Alice was home.

I hope you guys liked this chapter! We're no where near the end! We've got to find out what happened in Storybrooke while Alice was gone, right?

As always, your reviews are welcome. Stay tuned for the next chapter!