I do not own the rights to anything Disney. Next update is May 5th.

Staying Alive

Lindsey blinked a couple times trying to make sense of the scene in front of her. The Cheshire Cat was hovering in the air, which given her history, wouldn't be too much of a big deal. What made it weird, wasn't that he had hadn't been there a couple seconds earlier. In his place had been Lucifer and Madam Mim.

"What just happened?" asked Lindsey. She seemed to be the only one in the room confused by the recent events. Ratcliffe looked relieved and wiped his brow before quietly exiting the room, afraid that Mim's affections might have been transferred to the Cheshire Cat along with her purple hair. Ursula and Maleficent seemed bemused by the unconventional situation before them.

"It appears the renewing potion did its job... it renewed the two of them, into the Cheshire Cat," mused Maleficent. "Which does make sense, the Wonderlanders have always denied him being one of them."

The Cheshire Cat had been quietly listening to the conversation regarding him. He had also been testing out his new powers, practicing disappearing and reappearing at will throughout the room. His new favorite discovery was learning how to do it one body part at a time. He continued popping in and out of the room, all while paying close attention to the discussion.

"But that's not possible," said Lindsey shaking her head, "I've seen him before! If he was just, just-"

"Created," supplied Ursula. Then she added, "What do you mean you've seen him before?"

Before Lindsey could answer, Maleficent interjected. "Of course he's visited her before. She's partially responsible for his creation, naturally he's drawn to her. As for how, it should be obvious if you were paying attention in your lessons with Jafar earlier."

Lindsey could feel her face grow red at the accusation Alright, so she hadn't paid attention, but that wasn't anything new. Even Maleficent and Ursula had excused themselves from the lesson, so weren't they being hypocritical?

"Um," mumbled Lindsey as she strained her memory in order to recollect something from the lesson. When that failed, she fell back onto her traditional method of dealing with unexpected questions: guessing. "Magic?"

Considering where she was, it seemed a decent guess. Disney and magic seemed to go hand in hand.

Ursula chuckled until Maleficent shot her a death glare. "How do you expect to defeat the heroes if you can't even pay attention in your lessons? Your plan may prove to be successful, but you still need to know the basics of how this world works. If you had paid attention, you would know that time travel is possible."

Time travel? But wasn't that more science fiction than fantasy? The more Lindsey thought about it, the more she realized she shouldn't be putting too much thought into analyzing time travel in the Disney world. Besides, it actually explained a lot about the cat. How he knew things that hadn't happened yet, and didn't know things that had already happened.

"I can time travel?" piped up the Cheshire Cat, who was still listening intently to the conversation. Deciding to try out his new trick, he then disappeared from sight, before reappearing mere seconds later. "That was fun, I think I shall try it again. Goodbye Not-Lost Girl."

After a couple seconds passed without him returning, it was clear that he was gone for the time being. Lindsey wondered where, or when, he had went. Probably off somewhere bothering her, knowing him.

"So who gets to tell the social-climber her beloved cat from hell just combined with Mad Mim to form an even crazier creature?" laughed Ursula, amused at the thought.

Judging by the looks that the two were giving her, Lindsey had a good idea who that responsibility was going to fall to. She liked Anastasia perfectly fine, but her mother? That was another story. Cinderella was a movie she was familiar with, and the step-mother had always scared her as a kid, despite not having any magic like Maleficent or Ursula. Lady Tremaine was more realistic, a person that one could encounter in real life. She actually reminded Lindsey of a great-aunt who usually favored Sidney over Lindsey, treating Lindsey a lot like Cinderella. Given the little Anastasia had talked about her mother, she was just as bad as here as she was in the movie.

Surely, she wasn't capable of murder? Physiological and verbal abuse for sure, but murder? And surely if she was, wouldn't the other villains stop her? Hades had said that if she died here, it would be for good, and that wouldn't help the villains at all...

"Ah-hem," said a voice from the door. Lindsey turned around and saw that it was Frollo. Oh yeah, he was supposed to teach her history and geography. With the whole Cheshire Cat fiasco, that fact had slipped from her mind. Now that she remembered, she remembered something else as well- Frollo was now married to Lady Tremaine, which actually made her Lady Frollo. Thinking of her like that, made Lindsey's head hurt, she'd stick to Lady Tremaine for the time being.

Putting on her best smile, she sidled up to Frollo with an idea in mind. Rocking back and forth on her heels, she said, "So, want to hear a funny story?"

Gaston took a gulp from his mug before loudly slamming it down on the wood table, startling the other patrons at LeFou's tavern.

"What's the matter, Gaston?" asked LeFou, pulling up a chair next to him.

Sighing, Gaston used his right arm to wipe the froth off of his mouth. "LeFou," he bellowed, "I've been thinking."

Internally, LeFou groaned. Gatson thinking never boded well, he was much better at following the ideas of others rather than coming up with his own. His last great idea had resulted in Gaston's own death, and LeFou being labeled as a villain. While Hades brought Gaston back, and LeFou ended up with Anastasia, he didn't want to live through the consequences of another one of Gaston's great ideas.

He didn't say out loud though. Gaston was one of his best friends, and didn't handle criticism easily. He either ignored it, or punched whoever dared to speak it to his face.

"Gaston, thinking is never good," replied LeFou, adding, 'at least for you' in his mind.

"I know," grumbled Gaston, unaware of what his friend was really thinking. "It's just Ursula keeps going on about this girl being the one, and having to listen to her, but her plan sounds so... stupid." He brought down his fist on the table to emphasize his point.

LeFou groaned internally again, hoping that Gaston could go at least one visit without damaging the furniture. Skilled carpenters were rare finds, and they usually charged exorbitant fees for even the smallest jobs. Some might wonder what LeFou was still doing with somebody like Gaston who caused so much chaos and havoc in LeFou's life. LeFou's own wife even had a hard time understanding the friendship, often citing Gaston as a bad influence on the children.

Their friendship could be traced back to their childhood, back to a time when LeFou had actually been bigger than Gaston. Gaston had been very small as a child, and rather frail looking- something his father wasn't too proud of. Although Gaston never said anything at school, LeFou was smart enough to know that there were more to the bruises and marks on Gaston than simply falling down or running into doors as he claimed. LeFou befriended the small boy, often bringing him home to get a decent meal. Gaston's mother had died when he was very young, leaving his father in charge of cooking which he seemed to be very poor at.

Whenever Gaston would come over, he would eat as much as possible, taking whatever leftovers remained home with him. This seemed to work, for Gaston eventually began to gain weight, remedying his sickly appearance. He continued to gain weight, which then turned into muscle. LeFou was happy to note that the stronger Gaston became, the amount of the bruises and their frequency lessened. Having a son who finally met his high standards, Gaston's father started to teach him 'manly' activities such as wrestling and hunting. Gaston would give his kills to LeFou's mother to cook into a huge feast for them all.

When it became apparent that LeFou had reached his maximum height, other children in the village took to making fun of him. Gaston was the one who defended LeFou from his bullies, similar to how LeFou had helped him when the situation had been reversed. As the two grew older, they continued to watch each other's backs.

Sure, the more Gaston grew in size, his ego grew to match it and he started to belittle LeFou, and stopped treating him like an equal and more like a sidekick. LeFou put up with it though, knowing that he was really Gaston's only true friend, and that Gaston needed somebody to look after him. LeFou hadn't done such a good job in recent years, but he still tried and stuck with Gaston through thick and thin. Although Gaston would never admit it, LeFou knew he was touched when Gaston was asked to be the godfather to LeFou's children.

Gaston's fist was enough of a reason to gather the attention of those around him- most of which were Hook's pirates, enjoying being in port and spending their wages on alcohol, hot meals, and some of the town's loveliest ladies.

With the center of attention on him at last, Gaston cleared his throat so his deep voice would be loud enough to fill the entire room. "Her plan is stupid. Sure Hook's ship is fast, but is it fast enough? How long will it take to defeat the heroes? Months? Years?"

Others in the room agreed, cheering Gaston on and letting out numerous, 'Here here's' and 'Aye's'. Satisfied, Gaston continued. "I don't know about you, but I don't think I can wait that long for victory. What if the heroes attack before then? We'll be off carrying goods, leaving everybody here defenseless."

More cheers filled the room, one even coming from LeFou. As much as Gaston's thinking got them into trouble in the past, he did have a point. How long was the plan going to take? LeFou had his children to think of, and Anastasia. Would Maleficient, Ursula, and the other magic users in the castle be enough to keep the heroes at bay? LeFou wasn't willing to risk his family's safety on the mere plan of a girl who was younger than wife and wasn't familiar with this world.

"What do you have in mind?" called one pirate from the back.

"Yeah," yelled another, and others quickly joined in.

Ever one for dramatic performances, Gaston stood up and posed grandly- one foot on his chair, another on the table, and his hands on his waist. LeFou tried not to wince at the creaking the chair and table were doing, they weren't that well made to begin with, let alone sturdy enough to put up with the abuse Gaston was forcing them to go through.

"If she has a plan, I suggest we come up with one of our own. One that will be more beneficial to us than hers. After all, she's just a little lady, what does she know about the art of war?"

More choruses of agreement rang out in the room, and a feeling of doom began to fill LeFou.

If Gaston's plan didn't kill LeFou, Anastasia and the girl would.

"The girl did WHAT to my LUCIFER?!"

Frollo was not one to cower. Instead he was slinking into a corner of the room in order to get away from his wife's rage. He should have known a cat named after the devil would not be good news, but at the time marrying Lady Tremaine seemed like such a good idea. He admired the way she ordered others about, the fear she could instill in them with just one look, the deviousness of her mind. She may not have had the gypsy's looks, but she did have a mind that rivaled his own.

Furthermore she understood propriety, and was an upstanding citizen whose only crime was trying to teach a girl the morals of hard work and to curb her seductress ways. Frollo could relate, he had been just as dedicated to his raising of the young Quasimodo, and both of their charges turned on their guardians, causing society to cast them out as the 'villains'.

Oh why had he let that girl charm him and talk him into being the one who broke the news? Looking back, the smiles on Ursula's and Maleficent's faces should have tipped him off that the girl's talk of not being brave enough to face his wife, and how it would only be natural for her husband to break such delicate news, wasn't sincere. It was nothing but a bunch of pretty words meant to ensnare him and manipulate him like that gypsy's dancing had once done. If it wasn't for the girl's role, he would have vowed vengeance. Perhaps a good speech on the sinfulness of lying and falsehoods during their first lesson would do her good. The story she had told, wasn't the funniest in the least.

If he managed to live that is.

**Author's Note**

I'd like to thank Deathstroke Terminator, DoubleTrouble28513, Daydreamer747, nightmaster000, Galimatias, The Invisible Enchantress, and Guest for reviews. I love getting reviews, and the more the merrier. Since I can't respond with a PM to Daydreamer747 and Guest, their responses are below.

Daydreamer747: Thanks! I've been waiting to reveal the Cheshire Cat aspect for a while, and I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Guest: I love the Cheshire Cat and am glad I managed to work into the story as much as I have. Shan Yu doesn't strike me as the patient type, and I would hate to see what lessons would be like with him. Sorry, butasper will not be featured in this story- 101 Dalmatians is too modern due to the cars and other modern day technology. Since the story takes place in an alternate dimension, I'm trying to keep the time period to the 1700's at the latest, so no cars and no Jasper.

I'm glad that everybody liked the Cheshire Cat reveal, and hopefully the explanation of time travel makes sense. Being able to time travel with magic was seen in the Sword in the Stone with Merlin, and with the Genie in Aladdin.

This chapter was originally going to be a bunch of little scenes, similar to what you see at the end. Then I realized I needed to spend more time with explaining the Cheshire Cat and Gaston's backstory came out. Gaston isn't really a villain, he's just a bit full of himself. I always got the impression that there was more of a male presence in Gaston's life than a female, which most likely favored brawn over brains, causing him to turn out like he did. The only affection and approval he ever got from his father but probably craved was due to his strength and manliness- leaving little value for things like being smart, and strength of character. I also wondered why LeFou stuck with Gaston so much, even after being confined to a snow pile outside of Belle's house for what appears to be a long time.

So next chapter, little scenes featuring at least Lindsey, Hook, Pocahontas (I haven't forgotten about her), Anastasia and LeFou. Depending on those scenes, there could be more.

I loved writing Frollo. He's the type to never admit that he's whipped, and blames all his misfortunes on others. He looked after Quasimodo for all those years, how dare that boy rise up against him! How dare that gypsy use her wiles on him an then reject him! Like I said, a fun character.

Thanks for reading, and if possible, please leave a review.