Chapter 29: One Pill Makes You Larger
"You sure you don't want to go?" Kat asked for what must have been the hundredth time.
"I'm sure, Alice." Jefferson told her as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Its not like they're going to try and force you to make a hat now that Emma and Mary Margaret are back." That had been the only reason that Jefferson had stayed away from the public eye up until then. He feared that Charming would lock him up like the Queen of Hearts had in his quest to get back his wife and daughter. Not that he could blame the man, considering the things he did to try and get his own wife and child back. One of which was the reason he didn't feel like going.
"I don't think that Snow White or Emma would be too thrilled to see be after my last encounter with them."
"Oh, right." Kat muttered, having forgotten that he had kidnapped Snow to force Emma to make him a hat, "Sorry."
"It's alright, my love." Jefferson reassured her before kissing her on the temple, "Now go have fun at the party with your brother, alright?"
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Everyone in the party cheered when Snow, Emma, Charming, and Henry walked through the door. Red ran over to her friend and gave her a hug almost immediately.
"I wasn't worried a bit." Red told her best friend, still hugging her.
"I can tell," Snow responded jokingly before letting go of Red, allowing the woman to hug Emma.
"Oh, we all missed you." Jiminy told the woman as he walked over, hugging her as well.
"Tacos." Emma told Granny, gesturing to the container in her hands, "I cannot tell you the relief of cooking something that I didn't have to kill first."
"Don't I know it," Granny told the blonde, "Meatloaf back home? What a bitch."
Kat chuckled lightly, knowing exactly what the old woman was talking about. It was a good thing Kat was handy with a sword, otherwise it would have been even harder to cook half the time.
"Glad I never had to live there." Kyle muttered quietly, causing his sister to elbow him lightly.
Once Emma handed the tacos over to Granny, Kat walked over to the blonde and gave her a small hug, "Great to see you guys alive and well."
"Thanks." Emma smiled, before recalling something, "Wait, isn't your motorcycle fixed by now."
"It is." Kat told her, "I'll save the details for later, but basically, me and my brother are staying in town."
Emma, curious now, began to ask the woman about it but was cut off.
Clink Clink Clink
Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned towards the Prince who had tapped a glass to get their attention.
"I just wanted to, uh, thank you all for joining us tonight. Mary Margaret and I, we have a saying, that we will always find each other, and while I believe that with all my heart, I'd like you all t raise your glasses and join me when I say, here's to not having to look for a while." Charming's last sentence caused a rouse of laughter to come from the group as they raised their glasses, "To Mary Margaret and Emma." They all cheered, happy to have the two women back.
Ring
Everyone turned towards the door, and to their shock, the person entering was Regina. The former Queen smiled as she entered, holding a container in one arm as she moved the door out of her way with the other.
"Sorry I'm late." Regina apologized, though not a soul responded, and most looked angry that she was even there.
"What is she doing here?" Grumpy asked as he picked up a knife from the counter.
"I invited her." Emma states plainly as Regina placed her container on the counter.
Obviously questioning their daughter's sanity, Snow dragged Emma over to Charming so they could have a private discussion.
As they had their discussion, Henry walked over to his step-mother. After Regina began to give him a piece of her food, Henry told her, "I'm glad you came."
"Me, too." Regina smiled down at the boy before looking over at the nearest person, who happened to be Grumpy, "Oh, I made lasagna."
"What's the secret ingredient?" Grumpy asked suspiciously, "Poison?"
"Red pepper flakes." She said before putting a small amount in her mouth, as if to prove to the man it was not poison, "Gives it some kick." She then offered the plate to Grumpy, who took it, sniffing it to make sure it wasn't poison, still not trusting of the woman. Regina watched with a frown as the man walked away, upset by his suspiciousness, even if it was plausible.
"May I have a piece?" Regina looked over to see Kat standing there, holding a plate up slightly.
"I'm surprised you aren't as angry at me as everyone else." Regina told the girl as she cut out a pieces of lasagna for the brunette.
"Oh, I'm pissed about what you put my husband and child through after I had been taken away from them." Kat said, nodding in thanks as the woman placed the piece on her plate, "This may be my anger management counselor talking but, I won't hold a grudge against you for it as its Jefferson and Grace who should, not me."
"You went to anger management classes?" Regina raised an eyebrow, not having expected that, or that the woman would be so civil towards her.
"Yeah." Kat nodded, scratching her cheek in embarrassment, "When I was still in grade school I used to express my anger with my fists… Needless to say, my parents sent me to anger management classes. Though they really didn't help until… until high school." Kat frowned, not wanting to say that they only helped after her parents died.
"Considering how calm you seemed when I first met you, I never would have guessed." Regina said as Kat began to eat her lasagna. It was somewhat of a comfort that the woman hadn't questioned or checked it for poison.
"Yeah, well, from how you seemed when we first met, I never would have thought you would be such a powerful sorceress." Kat shrugged.
"Gee, thanks." Regina said dully, remembering why she had become a better sorceress.
"I mean it. I can feel the magic coming off you in waves." Kat shrugged.
"And what do you know about magic?" Regina asked, now curious.
"Oh," Kat muttered, recalling that Regina was someone who didn't know that she was a magic user. She was going to say something, but was cut off when her brother walked over, calling her.
"Sis, you gotta try these tacos, they are delicious." Kyle told her, showing her his half-eaten taco for emphasis.
"Alright." Kat laughed before turning back to Regina, "Um, thanks for the piece of lasagna, it was delicious. It was nice talking with you."
"Yes, you too." Regina muttered as Kat walked away.
Kat hadn't realized how much time had passed as she chatted with her brother, but, by the time she went to go see how Regina was doing, figuring that the woman would be lonely at the party, she was no longer in the diner.
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The next night, Kat and her family were sitting in one of the many rooms of the mansion, watching a children's movie. Kat was sitting in Jefferson's lap on the couch while Grace sat next to them and Kyle sat cross-legged on the floor.
As they were watching the movie, Kat suddenly felt a sudden rise in magic. Kat stared at nothing as she concentrated on the feeling. It was very powerful, no doubt about it, it also felt similar to Regina's magic, only more experienced. It wasn't Rumplestiltskin's magic, however, that man's magic was very powerful but didn't feel quiet as similar to Regina's as this person's.
"Kat?" Jefferson called out, noticing the blank look on his wife's face, "Alice?"
"Huh?" The brunette muttered, snapping out of her trance.
"What's wrong?" He muttered quietly, not wanting to concern his daughter who was laughing along with Kyle at the movie.
"I'm not sure." Kat told him, just as quiet, "But whatever it is, it most likely isn't good."
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"Bye, mama!" Grace waved her arm as she headed towards the school.
"I'll see you after school, Grace." Kat called out before putting on her helmet. She had just dropped off her brother at the high school and was currently making sure her daughter made it to the school. Once the blonde was inside the building, she revved up her bike and headed back home. She still had an hour or so before her shift at the diner started, so she was going to spend that time before it with her husband.
As she drove back home, she felt her phone vibrate in the front pocket on her jeans. Figuring it was nothing too important, Kat continued her drive; planning on calling whomever it was back once she got home.
Soon enough, she pulled up to the, now ever so familiar, house. Once she took off her helmet, she dug out her phone, remembering that she had gotten a call during her drive. She was slightly confused when she noticed that it was Red who had called her. Perhaps Kat needed to head in early or something, breakfast rush tended to range in how crowded it got depending on the day.
Kat dialed the werewolf's number as she walked up the stairs to the front door. She entered the house and made her way to the kitchen as she listened to it ring. When Red finally picked up, the brunette had just met her husband in the kitchen and gave him a good morning kiss.
"Hey, Ruby, what's up? … Sorry, I was driving back home after dropping Kyle and Grace off at school. … What's wrong, Ruby?" At that point, Jefferson sent his wife a curious glance at the concerned tone in her voice. Obviously something was wrong. "Wh-what? … Wait, are you sure she was the one who did it? … No, I'm not taking any sides here, Ruby, I just think you shouldn't jump to conclusions based on what she's previously done. … Oh. ... Do you still want me to come by anyways?… I'll talk to you later, Ruby." She then hung up her cell phone and placed a hand over her forehead, covering her eyes slightly.
"What's wrong?" Jefferson asked as he got up from his seat, wrapping his arms around his wife.
"Archie's dead." Kat muttered, her voice slightly shaken. She may not have really spoken with the man, but she still knew he was a good man, "Regina killed him."
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Regina cried as she watched Emma tell Henry about how she, supposedly, killed Jiminy. She knew her son would never trust her again now. The worst part of it all was that she really wasn't the one to blame. Yes, she had the argument with the cricket early in the morning yesterday, but she didn't see him after that, and she definitely did not kill him.
"My, my. How the mighty have fallen." Regina jumped slightly before whipping around, seeing Cait sitting in the back seat, grinning insanely.
"What are you doing here, Cheshire?" She asked coldly, though its effect was somewhat lost due to the sadness that was still in her voice.
"I had heard that the Queen of Hearts was coming for a visit. I was disappointed that you tried to revoke her invitation." Cait stated calmly, her grin ever present, "Though I am enjoying the results. How does it feel to have your child taken away from you?"
"…" Regina said nothing as she glared at the grinning teen before she finally snapped, "Get out!"
Cait only chuckled before disappearing from Regina's sight. The former assassin knew who did murdered the cricket, and she was going to go congratulate them.
Thank you, kykyxstandler, for the review. I hope the beginning of this chapter explained why he hadn't really shown up much in the chapters.
Thank you, Supernova13, for the review. I'm glad you are enjoying this story and the fact that it has Labyrinth in it. I hope that you continue to enjoy this story.
I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Reviews, as always, are greatly appreciated.
