Unsurprisingly, Killian hadn't been able to get very much during his walk about the camp, but he had still managed to get a hold of a few odd bits and pieces, and he had even managed to tuck it all into a bag he had hidden out of sight under the back of his coat. If anyone looked too closely, they could see the lumpy bulge against the middle of his spine, but it seemed there was still some left over luck on their side. So far everyone had mostly avoided the two of them. Even the guards that were meant to be watching them never bothered to keep too close an eye out, mostly out of spite. It was like their hatred for the two of them overrode their loyalty to Tiana completely.
Alice didn't bother asking what he had in there, but she gratefully accepted the small half broken knife he handed to her, tucking it into the side of her boot, hidden from sight and still within quick reach should she have need of it. He also passed over some slices of bread he had managed to steal when no one was looking, instructing her to tuck them into her pockets just in case they were later separated during the escape. Should the worst happen, they had no idea how long it would take them to find their way back to one another and they needed to be prepared.
Afterwards they had nothing left to do but wait the rest of the day out. As Alice expected, it seemed to take forever for night to fall with all her nerves so tense and jittering the whole time. Even her stomach was beginning to knot to the point where she was worried she was going to be sick and draw unwanted attention their way. To help take her mind off of it, Alice went over the plan, as well as trying to decide what they would do after the escape.
That was the real question. And it was a complicated one too. She was honestly wasn't sure what their next step would be and in the end, it really did help the time pass, though she still had no answers by the time the sun had finally set. It seemed they were going to making it up as they went once they were free to decide.
During the silent waiting and repeated preparations, they didn't say much to each other. And in the silence, Alice couldn't help but wonder if her father was as tense about the next few hours as she was. He didn't look it... Except for the way his eyes jerked back and forth from her to the door repeatedly the whole time.
But the ironic part was, Alice wasn't worried about making a break for it in the night and getting away from the people who had a high chance of killing her if they happened to catch them. She was just sick at the thought of leaving Robin behind while she did. Even now, she argued with herself, wondering if she should try one more time to find her and convince her to come with them, to join them in their fight so they could work together just like old times... Like they were supposed to...
But ultimately, Alice knew there was no point. Robin had made her decision. Alice was just going to have to wait until she fixed this whole mess before they could be reunited properly.
As night completed its takeover of the sky and the camp gradually grew quiet, Killian began to test the back of the tent with the tip of his hook, checking to see how easily it was punctured before peeking through the hole he made to see with limited vision if the coast was clear for them. They were near the middle of the camp but all the tents behind them were conveniently facing in different directions and the ones in use were full of sleeping occupants or otherwise those getting ready to be.
So with that final detail confirmed, Killian set about cutting the back of the tent while Alice stood guard by the entrance. She stood right in front of the flaps, so if anyone came charging in then they would run into her first, stalling them and causing enough of a confusion for Killian to hide his handy work. Their biggest threat – and the only one they had no way of avoiding – was if someone wandered behind the tent and saw him at work from the other side. For that, they could only hope it didn't happen.
For the whole time that her father worked, Alice felt even more painful nerves tightening around her stomach, getting worse and spreading until it was almost like the pressure was blocking and bruising the inside of her chest, all the way up to her throat. If they were caught, they probably wouldn't get another chance at this. And more than that. They would more than likely be separated for good, as well. Alice alone would have guards around her twenty four seven, in and out of the tent at all times, and her papa… Well, Alice had no idea what they would do to her papa. Would they lock him up in his own tent like they had her or would they just throw him out of the camp and banish him altogether? Or maybe something even worse...
It was hard to tell how much time had passed exactly before Killian was standing back up and grabbing the bag from under his bed, throwing it behind him, tying it around his torso and pulling on his coat on over the top. Once he was set, he turned back to Alice, waving her towards him.
Still feeling nervous and sick, Alice crept over towards him. She knew it was ridiculous, but she couldn't help but feel like every step she made on the soft ground was somehow ridiculously loud and noticeable by those outside. Even when no one came immediately running after them after she had crossed the room, she found herself pausing to take a slow breath and nodding her head quickly at the concerned look he gave her. She still felt terrible, but it was now or never and she was ready to take the plunge.
Killian walked over to the entrance and half stepped outside. "We're calling it a night. It's been a long day. So just leave us be, alright."
"You don't give out orders here." Was the guard's sharp reply.
"Just asking you to be courteous, mate." Killian said calmly, ducking back inside the tent. "It's clear out front." He whispered to Alice. She nodded, turning and ducking her head through the gap, carefully glancing around before pulling back. Also all clear.
"We're good." Alice replied, trying to keep the shake from her voice.
"Then let's go."
He walked over and held the material of tent open for Alice to crawl through, making sure not to let their skin touch as they did. After Alice was outside, she stood up, feeling all the hairs standing on end as she glanced around the open space, half expecting to find Tiana or Regina standing, waiting for their escape attempt. No matter how many times she repeatedly checked to see if anyone was there – and no matter how many times she assured herself that they were safe – she couldn't shake the frightened feeling that she was somehow more vulnerable standing out in the open like this than she had ever been before.
Luckily, Alice didn't have to wait too long before Killian was able to squeeze through the gap and join her, helping some of her fear subside. Even so, he looked as tense and frightened as Alice, and paused to press close against the back of the tent as he glanced around, triple checking they were still alone. They both knew that at any moment now, someone could come around one of the other tents and catch them in the middle of their getaway. All it would take was just one person to catch a tiny flickering sight of their legs and cry out a warning to bring the whole camp down on them and it would be all over.
Killian reached towards her, stopping short of touching her arm but with a lingering expression like he truly wanted to. Instead, he let his hand drop and nodded his head, silently turning and leading the way from the camp without making a sound. They ducked down behind the closest tent to their own and began to steadily make their way through the rest of the site, moving at a crawls pace so as to avoid making a stupid mistake and being spotted. The speed allowed them to keep an eye out for anyone who might be wandering by to catch them, even if it did take them twice as long to get going. But despite how prepared they were to hide or run at a moment's notice, it seemed the camp really had wound down for the evening, giving them their best chance and they had little hassle getting going past the other occupants.
Alice hadn't had a chance to really explore the area since being taken in, but she still felt sure that it had grown twice the size somehow during their break out. It took them forever before their tent was even out of sight and even then, there were still so many in their way as they headed for the trees. Afterwards they would need to start running all out if they wanted to get a big enough gap that Tiana and her men wouldn't be able to track them down again, not even including Regina and Zelena, what with their magic at full use here.
When they finally reached the first cluster of trees, Alice felt herself breathe both a sigh of relief and a slight breath of disappointment. Even now, when they were so close, she had stilled hoped that Robin would show up at the last minute and join them after all. And now she had run out of time, it truly hurt knowing they would really be forced apart yet again. Made worse, since there was no guarantee they would see each other again. Not if Alice and her papa failed to defeat Gothel this time round.
"QUEEN TIANA!"
Killian and Alice froze for a short moment. They couldn't help themselves. Even in the dire situations, they both had an instinct to pause at the sound of the cry not too far off, as if they were just making sure they hadn't imagined it. Then they snapped out of their shock and glanced nervously at one another, listening a little longer in case it really wasn't what they thought and it turned out to be a misunderstanding. Unfortunate that wasn't the case and they didn't need to listen too closely to realise it after the next cry came.
"SEND OUT SEARCH PARTIES IMMEDIATELY!" Came Tiana's commanding voice. "I WANT THEM FOUND!"
"Damn it. Alice, run!" Killian hissed.
She didn't need much more encouragement than that.
They pushed off the ground completely and broke into a sprint – it seemed all Alice had done since waking up in this world was run away from something or another – and together they darted the remaining distance into the closest set of trees on their left. They dashed down, no longer doing their best to stay quiet (thankfully the camps sudden uproar masked their steps well enough) and made their way between the outstretching branches in their way. From there, they did their best not to lose track of one another as they wound their way around all the logs and trunks getting in their way, moving deeper and deeper into the trees and away from the camp and the people looking for them.
Behind them, the shouts of Tiana and her people continued on, some growing distant and quiet while the others grew clearer and louder. Tiana's voice in particular was carrying most of all as she called out orders back and forth to everyone else, sending people in every direction and making it clear that she was not going to let the two of them get away so easily. Killian disappeared from Alice's side, but only for a second before he reappeared in front of her and began to lead the way for them both. Alice trailed behind him, unable to resist the urge to glance back over her shoulder, more than once, even though it meant she was slowed down slightly each time. Despite putting everything into getting away, she couldn't help but feel like she was just waiting for the moment where she was sure they would be re-caught somehow.
And then for a second time, Alice lost sight of her father. One minute he was in front of her but when Alice glanced back over her shoulder and looked forward again, he was gone. Instantly, she had to fight the panicked urge to call out for him or do something silly like stop short to look around. She wanted to, in case he had fallen or stumbled to the side and she was about to leave him behind but at the same time, she knew he wouldn't just lie there to be rescued, and if she stopped then she could fall too far behind and get caught herself. So instead she kept quiet, pressing her lips tightly together to make sure of it and kept running on, doing her best to keep from bursting into tears from her constant worry. Alice kept ducking around the trees that appeared in her way, sprinting but all the while she kept her eyes moving as well, searching for her father by sight alone while still forcing herself to be careful as she did. She had to. She didn't want to get herself turned around and end up back at the campsite like an idiot.
Alice was still pushing on at close to top speed when suddenly a shape appeared from behind one of the nearby trees to her right. She had no time to react to it when they suddenly knocked into each other, not hard enough to fall over but enough for them to stumble back to a sharp stop, struggling to keep their balance as they looked up at one another. For a moment, Alice was blinded with panic at having been caught and she prepared to fight with every bit of strength left to get away again, only to stop short when she realised who it was she had run into.
"Robin…" Alice gasped, barely daring to believe it.
Before she could say anything else, Robin lunged at her. She grabbed Alice by her shoulder in an iron tight grip and pushed her back against one of the nearby trees – thick and bulky enough to press Alice's body entirely against it and hold her firmly in place. It was such a surprise that Alice barely managed the 'oof' sound to escape her as the air was knocked from her lungs. From that point, she was stuck in place and unable to break free. Not that she made an actual attempt to fight back. The shock of seeing Robin again made her weak and numb, allowing herself to be held in place with minimal effort, though Robin was still pressing hard enough to leave a bruise regardless.
"What-" Alice began.
"MOTHER!" Robin called, turning to look passed the tree while still holding Alice firmly against it.
And just like that, Alice's body turned ice cold as the at the sound of her cry. "Robin…" She croaked, feeling her throat tighten and her chest ache all at once.
"MOTHER!" Robin shouted again, drowning Alice out and still looking around the tree away from her. Her grip tightened even more so Alice was unable to attempt to squirm out of her grasp, not that she actually tried to. She was too busy feeling her emotions crashing down on her at the betrayal from her true love.
"Robin!" Zelena's voice came suddenly. She didn't sound very far off, and her voice was quickly followed by the sound of rustling and crunching nature as she made her way towards them in a hurry.
"No!" Robin shouted. "Mum, she's started back around! She's going towards the camp to throw everyone off! Hurry! You have to catch her before she gets away!"
And with that, Alice felt her body slump against the tree as the tension flooded out from her limbs. She was momentarily taken off guard and frowned in confusion, wondering what Robin was talking about, before she realised that, at this angle, Zelena couldn't see her.
"Come on, then!" Zelena called.
"I can't! She tricked me. I dunno what she did but I'm stuck." Robin shook her head frantically as her mother continued to hurry towards her. "No, mum, go! Don't let her get away! You can come back for me when you have her. I'll be fine! Now go! Quickly! Before she escapes!"
A moment later, Alice once again heard the sound of Zelena's footsteps crunching on the ground as she turned and ran back in the opposite direction, heading away from where Alice and Robin were left standing. It didn't take long before the snapping of twigs and rustle of each broken leaf under her boots had faded into the distance, after which, it was too quiet to hear over the whistling wind. It wasn't long before they seemed to be alone once again.
"Thank you." Alice breathed as Robin let her go and took a small step back, giving her some very undesired space.
Robin looked like she wanted to say something but was unsure how to phrase it and ended up just shaking her head and turning away instead. "Come on. If I caught up, then the rest of the search party can't be far behind. We don't have long to get away."
Despite the intense situation and the sound of the others that were no longer quite as distant as they once were, Alice still paused to smile at her. "We?" She asked hopefully.
"Yes, 'we'. Now move!" Robin said, grabbing her arm and dragging her along behind her.
With a slight skip in her step, Alice followed Robin as they started back in the direction that continued to take them away from the camp. There were still voices calling out and cries from the people searching for them and some were getting louder and closer, but Alice barely noticed them anymore.
Because Robin had come back to her.
Just like she always would.
No matter what happened, they would never stay apart for long.
O*U*A*T
"What the- I thought you weren't coming!" Killian snapped.
He appeared so suddenly by their side that Alice nearly screamed and she saw Robin grab for her bow from the corner of her eye at the same time. Luckily they both caught themselves just in time as Alice's father came to a standstill beside them, panting a little but otherwise physically okay and unharmed. It was such a relief that Alice felt herself grinning, even while her side had a painful stitch stabbing into the spot under her rib. But as he moved closer to them, Alice was surprised to see him glaring at Robin, and he even made a point of stepping dangerously close to Alice so he could force his way between the two girls.
The three of them found that they had come to a stop at the edge of the trees, stepping out into what looked like a stretch of dry dirt forming a road between the forests edge. There didn't appear to be anyone else around this area and now nearly all the crying voices behind them were distant and faint enough that Alice finally felt herself somewhat relax and they all allowed themselves a moment to pause and catch their breathes. It wasn't long before the only other sound, apart from the distant calls, was the occasional bird chirp and the heavy gasping of breath that came from the three escapees.
"I changed my mind." Robin snapped back at him, making her own point of putting some space between them. "Now let's hurry up before they realise I lied and catch all three of us." She purposely walked around Killian until she was back standing beside Alice. "Which way?" She asked her.
Not wanting to admit that she still had no idea which way they should take next, Alice picked a random direction, pointing to the left on a whim. It was near impossible for her to tell, but she guessed it sounded like that way might be heading away from any lingering noises of the camp behind them.
"Then let's not waste any time." Killian said firmly.
"Since when were you so invested in this mission?" Robin said, raising an eyebrow suspiciously at him.
"Since when were you?" Killian challenged sharply.
"Don't start fighting!" Alice shouted over them, pulling Robin away from her father. "Can you please not argue right now? Please?!"
The two fell silent, glancing irritably at one another but at the same time they listened to Alice's pleas and stopped their squabbling. For that, Alice was grateful and was happy to move the conversation along to avoid it further, but at the same time, her own curiosity jumped in as well and she found herself looking to her love.
"So um… Robin… Why did you… Change your mind?" Alice asked shyly.
Robin looked away from her and for a moment, it seemed like she wasn't going to respond.
Then; "I did some thinking. Back in my tent." Robin explained. "I can't really put into words. I was just thinking it through… Thinking what you said to me… And thinking how I was letting you down. I was a total hypocrite, giving your dad a hard time for choosing his family over everyone else and the second I had my mother back I did the exact same thing." She looked down to where their hands were still joined, then up to look Alice in the eyes. In that moment it felt like when they were back in the yellow bug and Alice knew Robin was about to be open and honest with her once more. "I've told you before how… You're not what I expected. You're different to who you used to be. You seem like you truly want to help everyone and… I don't know why but I feel like I really let you down before. I feel so guilty over it, I couldn't just stand by and let you go at it alone... Or at least, let you go without me." She paused, then added quickly: "Without me helping, I mean."
Alice opened her mouth, not even sure what she was going to say, only that she couldn't be happier to hear Robin saying all of this. But she stopped herself short before she could. While Alice was very much elated to hear Robin feeling this way, something was telling her there was more that she wanted to say while they had the chance. So she kept quiet and waited for her to continue in her own time. Despite what she believed, Alice knew Robin well enough to know she needed to get this all out in one go if she was going to get it out at all.
"And then my mum started talking about my dad." She sighed. "You probably don't know him. His name was Robin Hood. He had a bit of a fling with my aunt and – for one drunk night – a fling with my mother." Alice bit her tongue on the truth and listened. "Mum said he was such a goodie two shoes, always going out of his way to save other people, to defend and protect them. It didn't always work out but he really did try his best. He probably would have become a great hero, people probably would have known him just by his name alone if Gothel's men hadn't cut him down right after I was born." She gave a small smile. "I was named after him, in case you didn't already guess."
"I'm sorry," Killian said softly, reminding the two of them that he was still there with them. "It's not easy, losing a loved one like that." He hesitated, then seemed to feel like he needed to add more and explained; "My father abandoned me and my brother to a lifetime of slavery, and then later my brother was killed. I never found out who, or why."
"Seriously?" Robin blinked up at him, like she hadn't expected that from him. "Oh wow, that's awful."
"Well, while we're on the subject of crap family." Alice chipped in. "My mother's an evil psychotic bitch trying to take over the world and making everyone in it miserably bow down to her, which, by the way, includes cursing me and my father from ever truly being together by making it so I'd accidentally kill him, just by giving him a quick hug. So thanks to her, I grew up pretty lonely. And now, to make things worse, she's hell bent on trying to kill me once and for all."
Robin stared at her, looking caught between sympathy and amusement. "Okay then, you win."
Killian nodded his head with serious sadness and Alice bumped her hip against Robin, causing the girl to fall against her father for her and grinning at them both. "But that doesn't matter 'cause we're together now." She said cheerfully.
"Aye, we are." Killian breathed, smiling back at her.
"For now," Robin said glumly. "Until Gothel finds her. I mean, do you even have a plan for what we're going to do next? How we're going to stop her with just the three of us?"
"I do," Alice nodded. "We're going to summon Weaver again."
It took the two of them each a moment of frowning in confusion before they realised who she was talking about. And even then, it was a few drawn out minutes before Robin finally caught on.
"Wait a min- Are you crazy?!" Robin snapped, ripping her hand free and rounding around in front of her. She forced Alice to come to a stop and face her furious gaze straight on. "The Dark One is evil, Alice! He's Gothel's lap dog, her right hand man! And he almost killed us once already! And now you want to try calling him to us again?!"
"Alice, you can't be serious!" Killian chimed, coming to a stop beside her.
"Just hear me out-" Alice argued.
"No! Alice! I'm putting my foot down on this," Killian snapped.
"Me too." Robin agreed firmly.
"Can I just talk?!" Alice shouted.
"NO!" Her father and her love snapped together, finally seeming to be on the same side for once.
Alice snapped her mouth shut and stared at them both in shock. She had expected resistance, but certainly not this much outright anger at her plans. She wanted to explain herself but it was clear neither of them were backing down any time soon. After a moment, they all silently agreed to continue walking and they seemed to have let the argument go but Alice was sure she wasn't imagining the slight stomp to their steps now.
"Fine, so what would you suggest?" Alice asked, all the while knowing she was still going to do exactly what she planned. She'd just need to be a little sneakier about it.
Neither of them replied straight away. Alice wasn't sure they were going to – wondering if they were really that angry at her for her idea – when Killian suddenly shook his head. "Let's get away from here first. We can discuss plans once we're safe from the angry mobs on both sides of this damn war."
"Your dad's right. Let's hurry. Once mum realises I'm gone, she'll start looking for us harder than ever." Robin explained.
"Will she be able to find us?" Alice asked nervously. She didn't want to think of how Zelena would react if she managed to hunt them down and found Alice with her daughter for a second time.
"I don't think so." Robin said, nodding at Killian. "It's just a theory, but I think that necklace sort of blocks out her ability to find us with magic. That's why she never found me before. She told me she tried but something odd happened and kept blocking all her spells."
"So it keeps Gothel and your mum out," Alice mumbled, nodding her head. This could be useful information to use for later. Though she had no idea how but by now she had learned to take what she could get.
"That's a relief." Killian noted.
"A small one. We're still just wandering without a destination." Robin grumbled.
Alice reached over, wrapping her arm around Robin's and pecking her on the cheek. "Don't be so negative."
"You're really chipper considering the situation." Robin noted dryly.
"Well of course!" Alice gave Robin's arm a soft squeeze. "I'm with two of the people I love most in the world. Not even Gothel can take this away from me."
"Don't jinx it." Robin said but she said it with a failed attempt to hide her slight smile.
Beside her, Killian was watching the two girls in silence. Alice caught sight of the thoughtful expression on his face and smiled when she noticed he wasn't so much as looking at them as he was their joined arms. She purposely wrapped her other arm around Robin as well and leaned to rest her head on her shoulder, smiling when she felt Robin sigh loudly at her cuddling but notably, she didn't bother trying to pull away from her either.
"Nothing could jinx this moment." Alice whispered. "It's perfect."
After a few more steps together, they heard a low rumble over head. The thunder that came just seconds before the rain.
"You were saying?" Robin groaned.
"Don't care." Alice said over the sound of the heavy rain fall. "It's still perfect."
To Be Continued...
Chapter Twenty-Two: A Hot Meal And A Warm Bed - Sneak Peek:
"What are you asking me?" Robin snapped, finally looking at her.
"I'm asking if there's ever a world where you could see yourself loving me." Alice said, staring at her. "Tell me the truth."
Robin's gaze wavered but she didn't look away. "Yeah. I guess. Maybe."
Alice's face broke open into a nervous smile. "Then why is it so hard here?"
"Because we're not in another world, Alice. We're in this one." Robin said sharply.
Alice hesitated, then pushed the sheets back and climbed on top of them. She tried not to think too hard about it as she crawled to sit by Robin's side, leaning towards her slightly. "What if we pretended we weren't? Just for one night. Just for tonight. What if we acted like they were in that other world and we could do whatever we wanted because we loved each other?"
Once again! Sorry for long break! I ran into some writers block but I am so close to being done that I will hopefully be posting a lot more. But that being said, the story still has a way to go before Alice's latest adventure is done. So enjoy and tell me what you think?
Please comment, tell me what you think of the chapter, tell me what you think is going to happen in the next chapter, tell me what you wish would happen, tell me if you're going to any cons this year, just tell me something!
Thank you! ;)