Disclaimer, you know.

Dorothy awoke before sunrise and looked to find Alex nowhere to be seen. The night clothes he had been wearing were strewn over the changing screen in a relatively neat manner so she knew he hadn't been in a rush. She got up, changed, grabbed the scepter and the slippers and left the room. She ran into Alex who was carrying a bowl full of fruit.

"Glinda started the antidote already, actually, that was probably the wrong place to start wasn't it?" Alex asked.

"Yep, I wanted to know why you didn't wake me if you were going to get food." Dorothy replied.

"I didn't want to wake you, you were sleeping rather peacefully." Alex said

Dorothy rolled her eyes and sighed, another question then popped into her head.

"So, is Glinda staying here? Or is it going to be safe to leave the potion brewing here alone?" Dorothy asked.

"Actually, apart from Glinda's servants, we're the only ones still here, she transported everyone else in the night, boy I've only seen Ellie so miffed a couple times, but really no one was really happy about that." Alex said.

"Me included." Dorothy said taking an apple from the bowl.

"Well, Glinda thought it would be best, I can't imagine why, but she did." Alex replied

"Well, let's go back to the bedroom and tidy up, we'll head back to the city afterwards." Dorothy said.

"Fair, come on." Alex said walking around her.

Meanwhile at the city.

"So, when do you think they'll come here?" Ellie asked watching her sister stir the cauldron.

"I have no idea, now Ellie, if you don't mind, why do you go find something to do, I need to concentrate on the potion." Glinda said.

Ellie sighed and left the room. She made her way to the chambers where she found Ozma was lying on the throne with her legs hanging over one arm and her head resting on the other. She looked at Ellie and sighed.

"So, you bored as well?" Ozma asked

"Very, I take it you couldn't sleep?" Ellie asked.

"Not at all." Ozma replied.

They both sighed as Ellie walked over. It was then out of the corner of her eye Ellie spotted a raven sitting on the sill of the window closest to her. Before she could say anything it cawed loudly and vanished in a puff of black smoke. Immediately Locasta ran into the room. As the remnants of the smoke faded Locasta got a worried look on her face.

"Ellie, keep your guard up." Locasta said quickly walking out of the room

"But Locasta what was that!?" Ellie shouted

"Just keep your guard up!" Locasta shouted.

Ellie looked at Ozma who shrugged. Ozma then got up and walked over to the window. She immediately closed the shutters and followed suit with the rest of the windows. She then turned to Ellie and sighed.

"Well, on a lighter note, I've over heard talk that Alex and Dorothy are wonderful dancers." Ozma said.

"Oh they are, and there's something somewhat hypnotic about it, when they dance, you can't help but watch, you can try to look away but you find that, that your attention is always drawn back to them." Ellie said.

"I must ask to see that sometime." Ozma said.

"I wouldn't the main issue is that when Dorothy and Alex begin dancing together they don't seem to notice time passing or anything for that matter." Ellie said,

"Strange." Ozma said,

I've always thought so, but after having dealt with the jester and his hijinks strange is the norm for most of us." Ellie replied.

"Fair point." Ozma said.

Ellie opened her mouth to say something when immediately the door to the chambers made a loud whacking sound and closed slightly. At the same time a light thud was heard as it seemed someone had run into the door.

"Ouch." Came Lily's voice.

"Lily, you okay? That sounded painful." Ellie asked.

"I'm fine, I'm not bleeding, nothings broken." Lily said walking into the chambers,

"Lily you really need to watch where you're going." Violet said walking in behind her sister.

"Hey, I still won the race." Lily said rubbing the place that her forehead had hit.

"I think that you should still at least put some ice on it, or have Elena look at it." Ellie said.

"I'll be fine." Lily said.

Ellie rolled her eyes and sat down on the floor. She then took her little ball from her pocket and began bouncing it.

Meanwhile back at Glinda's castle.

Dorothy and Alex had tidied up the room to the point where you would need something akin to an electron microscope to tell if anything was awry. They then went to the courtyard and enjoyed some moments of peace before Chuck came in. she walked over to the tree and pulled the tap out of the tree. She then walked over to Dorothy and Alex.

"You two want to know a property of quoxwood sap?" chuck asked.

"sure." They both said in unison

"Dorothy can you remove the bandages from your arm?" Chuck asked.

Dorothy looked at Alex who took her wrist in his hands. He fidgeted with it for a moment before managing to get it undone. Dorothy winced as the wound began to sting. Chuck then to the tap and held it over the wound. A few moments later a large drop of the sap dripped onto the wound. Immediately Dorothy felt a chill and then felt a soothing feeling as the sap spread.

"It has soothing qualities." Dorothy said

"Indeed it does." Chuck said wiping off the tap with a handkerchief.

"But it won't get rid of the toxin." Alex said.

"No, but it does reduce bleeding temporarily, and it shouldn't sting that much anymore, at least until Glinda applies the antidote, which will burn a lot." Chuck said wrapping the handkerchief around the wound.

"So when she does it, be prepared for a lot of pain?" Dorothy asked.

"It only last a few seconds to a few minutes depending on factors." Chuck said.

"great." Dorothy said sighing.

"anyways, I have other duties to take care of, I'm sure we'll meet again at some point, but I think it's about time you two return to the city." Chuck said before walking out of the courtyard.

As Dorothy and Alex were left alone they shared a glance before Dorothy took Alex by the hand. She tightened her grasp on the scepter.

"Take Alex and I back to the emerald city." Dorothy said clicking her heels together.

Immediately they felt themselves lurch forward.