Zelena's reaction to her not allowing someone to pet Luna had made Alice start to question a lot. She'd seen mother act like that. When a spell was done right, when a potion was the right color, when the market had had the right ingredient. She'd seen that behavior. She hadn't had a word for it. She always just appreciated it as the distration it gave mother. If she was doing that Alice was free of active pain for at least a few hours. She could just sit and watch as the things outside of the tower reminded her that she would never be near them. Of course, that always came to an end and sometimes mother had gone from one extreme to the next and become so unbelievably angry that Alice had started to wonder if the small break was ever worth it.

The word was happy. Mother had been happy about things. They'd all been things for her magic. Zelena had said she was happy for Alice. That didn't make sense. How could she be happy for her?

"Happy?" Alice asked after finishing the ice cream.

"Yes, do you know what that means?" Zelena asked. Alice nodded. Kind of.

"Forme?"

"Yes, I'm happy for you. You're doing so good. I know it's really hard for you to say what you want and even harder for you to say no. I'm happy that you're learning how to do that. It's a good thing."

Alice nodded and continued with her thoughts. Mother had never been happy about anything Alice had ever done. Not anything she'd done the right way. Not anything she'd done wrong. The closest thing was whem she'd had the same weird facial expression right after she noticed Alice had fallen for a trick. But Zelena didn't seem to intend to hurt her. It'd been long enough now that if she was going to she would have done it already. Zelena wouldn't hurt her. The realization kicked into Alice's brain. Zelena. Would. Never. Hurt. Her. She'd told her this over and over again but it had felt like a lie. Some dream that she'd be woken from by sudden pain she'd let herself stop expecting. She had been wrong. Zelena was never going to harm her. It didn't matter what she did. There was nothing she could do that would make Zelena angry enough. And now she was okay with that.

"Youwon'thurtme." Zelena blinked. That wasn't a question. That was a statement of fact. Alice had finally gotten it! She understood.

"Never."

Zelena cried tears of joy.

Alice blinked. Had she upset her? "Whyareyoucrying?"

"Tears of happiness, Alice."

Everyone finished their food. And they went back home.

Alice drew something and folded it up. The next day she handed it to Zelena. Zelena was so proud of Alice she didn't think. She went to hug her.

Alice froze not sure what was happening. She no longer feared Zelena but what was happening? This didn't hurt but what was it?

Zelena pulled back quickly realizing that Alice wasn't comfortable. "Sorry."

"Whatwasthat?"

"It's a hug, Alice. It means I care about you. I'll put this with the rest of your art."

Alice shook her head. "Foryou."

"Oh. Thank you."

Luna started circling showing she needed the bathroom and Alice walked outside with her. Zelena opened the piece of paper and saw herself cheering.

And in Alice's handwriting Thank you for being happy for me.

Zelena had it framed and hung it in her room. Alice finally felt safe. It'd taken months but Alice was no longer the scared little girl that had spent ages quiet begging to go back to a painful life because it was easier.

It'd been hell to get her there but she'd do it all again a thousand times over.

Zelena had decided Alice was finally stable enough to be able to move. She'd missed Regina and Henry who'd moved back to storybrooke not long before and they moved back to Storybrooke. Everyone in the town knew about Alice's situation quickly and there were far fewer problems with Luna.

Alice was sitting in the library Robin had walked her to. She was flipping through a dictionary and found the defintion of the word mother. She flinched at the word. to bring up a chld with care and affection. See also mom,mum. Alice had learned how to laugh from one of Henry's younger family members and let out a small laugh.

Alice thought about it. Mother had never shown her any care. Zelena had. Mother had only ever been happy about her magic. Zelena had cheered whenever she did the slighest thing that was good. Mother had beaten her for any wrongdoing, Zelena had untaught every lesson mother had forced her to believe. Zelena had only ever made her feel like she mattered. Mother had told her the only reason she didn't let her bleed to death was because she cared for the market. Mother had chained her up when all she'd wanted was to play, Zelena had reacted to Alice's attempts at angering her with nothing other than kindness. Mother had made it clear she didn't want anything Alice made, Zelena had kept every single one, even framing a few. And she was happy she had now. Zelena was more her mother than mother would ever be.

A year later, New York Art Gallery.

Alice stood with Luna standing next to her, a little bow tie attached to Luna's collar. Alice pet Luna and listened as people bustled around the room.

She no longer needed someone to walk with her but she still never learned how to navigate crowds by herself and still occasionally had bouts of uncontrollable fear. She now knew logically that no one would hurt her but she still asked Luna for permission whenever she was out in public.

Zelena looked around the room, every wall had a drawing on it inside a frame. She knew she should have kept Alice's art. She was talented. And now she knew it too. She'd taken Henry's advice of sumbitting some of her work to an art gallery and they'd love it and she was opening her first show.

"Are you the artist?" someone asked her. Alice's communication skills had been improved a lot by some therapy with Dr. Hopper. "Alice Mills?" Zelena had legally signed adoption papers. That were slightly forged due to the part where she'd basically kidnapped her.

"Yes."

"These are amazing, great job. Nice to meet you."

Alice smiled. Really smiled. Something she'd never done as a child. "Thank-you."

The person walked away and Alice fielded more and more compliments. Luna helped keep her from panicking.

Finally Zelena, Robin, Henry, and Regina walked in. Alice had gotten used to Regina. It'd taken time and they'd never be that close but she stopped fearing her.

"I'm proud of you, Alice," Zelena told her. Alice smiled. Something she did so much more of now. "And I got you this."

Zelena handed her a small package. "Open it."

Alice gently took the paper off and looked at it. It was a framed drawing. The first one she'd ever made. Zelena had really kept every single one.

"I love it," Alice hugged Zelena, tears of happiness in her eyes. She was loved. She was happy. The woman that had tortured her for years wasn't her family. This was. "Thanks mum!"