A/N: I'm back! Things start heating up in today's chap, and the angst only increases from here on out. So enjoy...relatively speaking.
Twenty minutes later, Finn, Amanda, Jess, Wanda and Casey ran into the Ticket and Transportation Center, Disney's main travel hub, to join the other Kingdom Keepers, who were waiting silently by a gift-shop near the parking lot. Finn and Amanda held hands as they approached. The group did not seem to be the same one that they'd seen just the day before. No one was talking. They were hardly looking at each other. They all looked tragic leaning against the edge of poles and sitting on planters.
Philby was the first to approach them, having noticed them nearly the second they left the parking lot.
"Hey," he said, greeting them all. "So what's up?"
Finn leaned past him to address the whole group.
"We found some more clues about Casey's theory: thought we should check them out."
"Oh come on," Maybeck exclaimed, jumping out of his seat and groaning.
All eyes turned to him.
"I thought we decided a week ago that all of this stuff was bullshit!"
"And we also said that it would be good to keep an eye out just in case," Jess argued, jumping on the defense.
"Nothing happened at the Haunted Mansion, and it was never going to! All this is, and all it ever was, is an attempt to protect her feelings."
He pointed at Casey, then crossed his arms. Casey shrunk back, looking hurt. Jess saw this and scowled at Terry as rage boiled in her stomach, her face getting hot. She didn't care what the truth about things was. In her current reality, she'd only just met this guy, and she wasn't about to let him get away with bullying a 15 year old.
She was ready to lunge at him, but Amanda put out a hand to stop her. She looked over at Finn then with a pleading gaze. With every minute that passed, they were running out of time to fix things, and the situation around them was growing worse and worse.
"Listen," he said. "I know something is up in these parks–even though we've never gotten any proof–and I think you all do too; otherwise, you never would've come to Earl of Sandwich three weeks ago, and you wouldn't be here now."
Everyone was silent, but their eyes were locked on Finn. Amanda looked at him with a wide-eyed enchantment of love. This was her Finn, back in front of her as if they'd never left home; he always knew exactly the right things to say.
"I don't care what you think after today," he continued. "I don't care if we never speak to each-other again after this; just give me tonight. I can't tell you how, but I think if you give me tonight, everything's going to get better."
After a moment, Amanda took a step forward and grabbed his hand. He looked at her, exhaled, and she nodded. Soon, Jess too walked up and stood next to them, her mouth in a scared but confident line as she stared at the others. A few seconds passed, but Philby eventually walked forward and stood in front of them.
"I'm with you man," he said, and held out his hand.
Finn smiled and shook it, trying not to cry. The two of them had been through so much together, and oftentimes they'd been more "frenemies" than friends. But now, staring at him in the eyes, Finn saw only one thing: a brother who'd always been the first one to have his back. He missed him.
Philby looked back at Willa who exhaled before standing up from the planter she'd been sitting on.
"I guess one night couldn't hurt," she said, walking over to join them. Philby smiled at her, and she did too, for the first time since they'd gotten there.
Finally, everyone looked at Charlene and Maybeck, who still hadn't spoken. Maybeck's arms were crossed tightly, and he still looked angry. Charlene seemed uncomfortable, but was silent as she stayed close next to him.
Finn stared Maybeck down, looking right in his eyes and pleading. It was a desperate shot, but he knew that somewhere in there, somewhere deep down, there was a piece of his friend who would never turn down a chance to help anyone or anything-especially if it meant glory for himself.
Finally, Maybeck sighed.
"One night," he said. "After that, you're not getting anything more from me."
Charlene let out a huge breath, and Finn smiled.
"Trust me man," he said. "That's all we need."
Maybeck nodded solemnly, but didn't say anything.
"My Dad works in the park," Wanda said. "He's sending over one of the express monorails soon to get you in, so we better hurry up to the platform."
"You've really planned all this out, haven't you?" Philby said, and for the first time since they'd met in this world, he sounded hesitant.
"I guess so," Finn said. "You're just gonna have to trust me."
He looked around into the eyes of the people around him, both his friends and not all at once.
"So," he said. "Are you in?"
No one said a word for the entire Monorail Ride to Magic Kingdom. Awkward silence was seeming to become a characteristic of their little group. It was the longest monorail ride to Magic Kingdom any of them had ever experienced, but eventually they reached the station, and jogged to the front gate, where an old man was waiting for them in a Main Street cast-member costume.
Finn smiled: Wayne.
"Hello," Wayne said, firmly but friendly, just like when they'd first met eight years ago. "Nice to meet you all; I'm Wayne."
Philby greeted him brightly and Willa gave a half-hearted wave, but in general the responses were less than enthusiastic(save for Casey of course, who, kept in check by Jess, looked like she might explode).
"Hi Dad!" Wanda said brightly, walking up to give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"So," Wayne eventually continued, looking at Finn. "What's your plan for tonight?"
Finn recited the lie he'd carefully rehearsed over and over on the way there, explaining the business with the Stonecutter's Quill, and how he and Amanda thought that, if Casey's theory was true, it might be worth checking out.
"When we get to the Cinema," he said. "We'll need a team of people to be lookouts outside, and a team of people to be lookouts at the halfway point of the store. Then a third team will go in and grab the pen."
"No way," Maybeck interjected, before anyone else could say anything. All eyes turned to him.
"I thought you said you were okay with just one night," Jess said, her impatience growing thinner and thinner.
"Yeah, that was before you told me we'd be breaking and entering and stealing a priceless Disney artifact! My aunt's in the hospital; I can't afford to be going to prison tonight."
"We're not gonna get caught!" Jess argued. "That's why we have Wayne and Wanda taking care of everything."
"Who says I trust them?!"
"I trust them…and you trust me…right?"
Jess stared at Maybeck, but he just crossed his arms and said nothing. Jess snorted.
"Unbelievable!" she exclaimed. Finn and Amanda exclaimed a panicked look.
"I can't trust anyone right now!" Maybeck snapped. "Or ever! And I can't do this! If the police show up, it's over for me and my aunt…period. Although I guess someone like you wouldn't have to think about something like that."
Jess, fed up, lunged at him, but Amanda grabbed her, and Charlene, who until now had been standing in seeming shocked silence, rushed to stand in front of Maybeck and threw out her arm to signal him to hold back.
"Enough!" she shouted. "Terry and I can stand guard here. It's probably safer that way anyway."
"I guess you're right," Finn said, breathless with panic. With every second that passed, they ran out of time to get the quill. His friends were growing less and less like the friends he knew, and if they let it go any longer, there'd be no hope of keeping anyone together; they needed to get that pen…now.
"I was looking through the boards before Amanda called me," Philby offered. "Someone swears they saw the Evil Queen standing on the castle balcony the other day. Should I…"
"You and Willa look into it," Finn said, jumping straight back into leader mode.
Philby nodded. Willa looked hesitant, but if she objected to the task she didn't say anything.
"We should have a code-word," Charlene said. "Something that, if one of us sends it out, the other one automatically calls them to see what's up."
"Good idea," Finn said. "Any suggestions?"
No one said anything for a while, but eventually Amanda spoke.
"Keeper."
She looked over at Finn, exchanging a soft smile.
"Do we have a plan then?" Dell asked, looking at everyone. "Charlie and Terry stay here, Willa and I head to the castle, and the rest of you go to the cinema?"
"Sounds good to me," Jess said.
"Yep," Charlene added.
Willa was silent.
"Whatever," Maybeck sighed.
"Okay then," Finn said. He walked over to them and put his hand out, hoping for them all to join him for another corny break. Maybeck just shook his head and walked away.
Charlene flashed him eyes of apology before following, and Philby gave him a nod before motioning Willa to start the walk to their post.
Finally, they were alone, and Finn looked over at Amanda, hoping beyond hope that somehow he'd wake up, and they'd be hanging out in his basement, and this would all be a dream, and she'd tell him to get ready to go to a movie with Charlene and Terry. No such response came.
"Ready?" she said.
Finn took a deep breath and grabbed her hand, squeezing for reassurance.
"Let's do this," he said.
A/N: *evil smirk*I'm really excited for you guys to find out where this goes. Let me know what you think is gonna happen next! I'd love to hear from you! Until Sunday then, thanks for reading, and stay magical!