The next few days were spent taking Alice on more car rides. She still hated the seat belt but seemed to tolerate it because the car was a way to get to places she liked going. Or rather to the one place in Storybrooke she liked going, the diner.

"Ok, nice. You did it all by yourself. I'm impressed. Good job." Zelena piled on the praise as Alice clicked the seat belt into place before she'd asked her to. She'd told her any time she was in the car she had to wear it but hadn't expected her to do it that quickly.

Zelena got in the car and drove to the diner. A place that she was pretty sure she should just rent a part of out with how often they'd started to go there.

"6th time this week, usual table?" Red asked as they walked in. Alice was now near exclusively eating spaghetti and eggs from the diner. Which could 't possibly be the healthiest diet but Zelena only had a few days to convince Alice that the car wasn't going to be a scary thing. If she got in the car and buckled, good things would happen. Even if it was a little uncomfortable or scary.

Everyone ate and then Zelena drove home.

Alice still didn't like the seat belt in the car but dealt with it because she liked going to the diner. She liked being around Red who was the only person she'd ever met that didn't scare her. She liked the fact she could easily curl up in the booth and still eat her food. She liked that she could just point to pictures, or that Red knew what she wanted. The diner was nice. So she dealt with the discomfort so she could go there.

"Good morning," Zelena greeted Alice who had used Luna to get into the kitchen. Zelena dreaded the day ahead. There was no doubt going to be at least one thing in the docotrs office that would frighten Alice, probably more. And some things might actually terrify her.

Alice stared at her. It seemed like they went to the diner all the time for breakfast now. And she wanted food. And if she got in the car then they'd get to the diner. She'd feel a little safer. She's sit in the spot she always did. She wanted to get in the car and go to the diner. Alice had her dictionat y in front of her and found the word she wanted.

She pointed to it. car.

Zelena blinked. That book was both a blessing and a curse. It gave Alice a way to communicate when she wasn't sure of a word, but it also gave her a way to avoid talking.

Zelena nodded. "Yeah, we're going on a car ride later. Not yet."

Alice tilted her head. She wanted eggs.

Alice flipped a few pages and pointed to the word she wanted. eggs.

"Okay. Hang on."

Zelena went to the fridge and grabbed a few boiled eggs, cut them both in half, then set the plate in front of Alice. It was a food Alice was incredibly familiar with and happened to like.

Alice nodded and muttered a thank-you. She'd wanted to go to the diner but this was good enough.

Alice at her food and had one of her stuffed toys in her other hand. They made her feel safer and she liked the way they felt.

Zelena sat down across from her. The doctors visit was likely going to take most of the day. Alice flinched as Zelena sat down but otherwise ignored her.

Zelena explained that it might take a while where they had to go. Alice nodded and went back to sitting quietly and not doing much.

Zelena went and made sure they had everything they'd need. There were extra blankets is nearly every storage space. No one could dismantle the forts that already existed but whenever Alice decided a new space was comfortable it needed to have at least a few. And putting blankets next to her in the car had made her feel a little better. There still weren't that many spaces Alice liked being. Another suffed toy in case Alice threw the one she had anywhere that it wasn't easy to retrieve. Water that getting Alice to drink was a different kind of headache. She'd drink it but it likely tasted different from the water she'd had acsess to in the enchanted forrest, and she was used to holding her pee so she was wary of drinking a reasonable amount of water.

Alice was still sittting with an empty plate in front lf her when Zelena walked back i to the kitchen.

"I'm going to grab that, ok?" Zelena grabbed the plate and Alice flinched. Alice stared at Zelena for a second. No. I clean. There's not any other reason for you to not hurt me!

Alice threw her toy down. Zelena held in a sigh. Alice's silent outburst were a frequent occurance. They weren't always dangerous but sometimes they became too intense. Hopefully this waan't one lf those times.

"Alice, what's wrong?" Zelena knew Alice couldn't really help it. All she'd known was that she wasn't allowed to express her wants or needs and that this had worked. It still sometimes got frustrating to know that no matter what she did, Alice was still going to struggle to trust her or anyone else. Which couldn't be a nice way to live. Zelena was saddened by the thought that Alice likely feared nearly everyone around her no matter hoe much they'd shown she didn't need to fear them.

Alice stared at her. She wanted to clean. Why'd Zelena take that? She needed to do it. It made her feel like she had a use. That's what mother had called it. She had her uses. And Zelena could leave if she wanted so it was all Alice had. Zelena wasn't supposed to clean up after her. Alice was frustrated and didn't know how to explain. She sat in her chair scared that she wasn't doing what she should be.

Zelena gave Alice a moment to think about what she might want to say. Alice reached over for her book and flipped it open to a page that got a lot more use than a lot lf the others. Clean. Alice pointed to it.

Zelena knew that Alice knew what she was trying to say but ekther from fear or nlt knlwimg how couldn't seem to say it. It was going to be a long day already. This wasn't the time to try and press further. She'd just tell her she could do whatever it was she qanted and hope it wasn't anything she shouldn't do.

"Ok, I don't know what you're asking. But go ahead. Whatever it is you want to do. Go ahead."

Alice stared at Zelena. She still had the plate. She wanted to clean it!

"Goaway." Zelena hated those two words. Alice used them for everything and they rarely made sense. It didn't always mean she wanted Zelena to walk away. Sometimes it meant something near her was bkthering her. Sometimes in meant she wanted to go into her room. Sometines it meant she wanted to set something down somewhere else. Or wanted someone else tonset sometjing down. But trying to give her words for those other things was not always an option. By the point sje'd gotten to asking for what she wanted in that way she was too upset to be willing to listen.

"Ok." Zelena got up amd started to walk away to see if that's what Alice had wanted. She threw something else, a clear sign of it not being the right guess.

"Ok, oh I took this i mesnt to put ir away. Let's figure out what you want first, thlugh." Zelena set the plate on the table. And alice nervkuslt glaced between ir and her. She grabbed the plate and pulled it close to her body. Alice stared at Zelena. She'd said she could. Hadn't she?

"Clean." Zelena thought for a moment. Alice wanted to clean the plate..she hadn't been asking for her to do it.

"Ok, I didn't understand you. You want to clean that," Alice nodded. She had to clean it. It made her feel a little safer knowing that she could at least try to do something. "Ok," zelena would explain to her that the one word wouldn't always work in a minute. Alice was frustrated and clesrly had one thing on her mind at the moment. "Alright, go ahead. But then can we talk?" Alice nodded again and did as Zelena asked. Alice sat down and began a strand of apologies.

"You're not in trouble, you didn't do anything wrong," Alice mentally added [this time]. She always managed to do something wrong, she had the scars that could prove that. Alice winced as she thought about that.

"Ok, I'm really proud of you for trying to communicate. You're getting better at that. Ypu're doing really good." Zelena led into the conversation she wanted to have making it as clear as possible that Alice wasn't in trouble, that she wasn't going to hurt her. "When you say clean, I don't always understand. Sometimes I need you to say a little more. I'm sorry i don't always understand you. Do you think you can maybe try to say who or what you want to clean? It's okay jf you're not ready for that."

Alice paused for a minute, running her hand along her toy. Mother hated when she spoke a lot..so she didn't. She used the least amount of words to communicate when she had no choice. Mother had usually managed to not want her to talk anyway. But Zelena wanted her to communicate with her. It was so different being around someone that said thry wanted her to talk. She still didn't trust it but hadn't been harmed hardly at all in the time she'd been around Zelena. She'd risk it. Maybe. She was still scared. But she'd try next time. Alice nodded.

"Okay, thank-you. Now we have to get going."

"Iwantcar."

Zelena mentally cheered. Alice got the idea. Kind of. It'd been weeks at the least since she'd heard a real sentence. The move had practically scared Alice out of talking for a while and it was taking time to rebuild what trust she'd had when living in the nef.

"Good job. Yeah, I agree we should take the care. Are you ready to go?"

Alice nodded. Luna already had everything she needed and was right next to her.

"Alright let's go."

Alice got into the car fairly willingly and didn't need any encouragement to buckle. She didn't like doing it but when she did she went place she liked.

Zelena got in the car and drove to the hospital, not at all prepared enough for the long day ahead.