Alice woke up the next morning. She'd slept a lot better and wasn't jarred awake by the sound something made as she moved. It made her feel better knowing that she could actually be quiet. She didn't like making noise. It'd always gotten her in so much trouble. Alice winced. When she was in trouble, she had to deal with pain. Sometimes it didn't hurt that badly but sometimes it was awful and it didn't feel like it'd ever end. Even when she knew ir had to. Mother had had her limits. She'd hated her. But she had made it clear she'd never kill her. Alice had only the fact that the pain could only get so bad before she'd get a break to get her through it. Alice readjusted in her fort, trying to fold some of her blankets a little differently. It had been her way of making sure she had a space in the tower. She'd liked folding the blankets. It was the same as mother organizing her potions vials. She'd been allowed one small comfort in the tower and she was glad it hadn't been taken away. She tried not to let herself think the words [like everythin else.] But they came anyway. She was still struggling to figure out how her life was supposed to work now. How things were meant to be. She'd understood her life before.

Zelena came to check on her and saw Alice folding one of her blankets. This wasn't new but Zelena was glad that Alice was back to trying to do the smallest of things again. She'd stopped doing a lot since the iv had gone in. Likely because the noise bothered her.

"Are you feeling better?" Zelena asked.

Alice nodded. "That's good." It was time for yet another visit with archie. This one was scheduled for the morning. Zelena hadn't managed to pry any kind of porefence on that out of Alice. Not from lack of trying. It was possible Alice genuinely didn't care about a lot of things, but it was far more likely that she was afraid of saying the wrong thing so instead chosr to say nothing at all when asked what she liked better. "We're going to see archie today."

Alice nodded. She lijed Archie. She liked kt better when he came over but she didn't bother trying to say that. Alice looked at Zelena for a second.

"Do you want to est at th table or in your room today? Or somewhere else?"

"Table." Zelena was gladthat Alice had at least started to be able to handle choices better. At first it had taken her time to think through what Zelena probably wajted to jear, but she'd started to appear less reliant on that and go woth what Alice wanted. It was a small improvement, but every little bit was important. She hadn't been allowed to be anything outside of what she'd been told to be for so long. So muvh as having a prefence was proof that maybe just maybe the damage wasn't completely irreversible.

"Ok, thank you for telling me that. Go ahead."

Alice got up and went into the kitchen and sat in the seat she always sat in.

"Do you want something specific for breakfast?" Zelena offered once she'd gotten into the kitchen as well. Alice shook her head. She didn't really care.

"Do you want cereal lr eggs?"

Alice said she wanted eggs. They were less messy. And they were just in the fridge. There were lots of boiled eggs in the fridge. Alice liked them but hadn't said that.

Zelena got Alice's breakfast ready for her. Thinking about the fact Alice was unwilling to get her own food. She'd been so guilted out of taking care of herself in any way her mothe hadn't approved of. Zelena tried not to dwell on the what ifs of Alice's childhood. But they haunted her. And she didn't even have the full story. She couldn't imagine the kind of awful things in Alkce's mind, reminding her to follow rules she never should have had in the first place. Zelena had known evil. Had known the hatred of someone that had been meant to care for her. But she had never seen evil like that of Alice's mother. And it bothered her.

Zelena set a cup of water on the table as well. Maybe Alice would try it. For right now there was something doing that for her. Zelena really hoped Alice would eventually drink on ber own but she wasn't so sure that would ever happen. The amount of effort it was taking to reverse what she'd been taught was suprising. And it proved that Alice's mother had gone completly out of her way to make sure Alice was uncomfortable and in pain. Zelena doubted the woman actually had any good reasons but she knew she likely had given Alice the reasons. Alice most definitely believed what she'd gone through was appropriate. Or even that she deserved it. And when everything Alice did was ekther something she needed permissionn for or a punishment, it was incresinly difficult to explain to jer that Zelena avtually cared about her. She didn't ubderstand that. She barely understood her own needs. Zelena wasnt sjre why this had happened. And she felt guiltu for nlt stopping it sooner. But it had happened. And she hadn't managed to find Alice before the damage was done. But she was going to damn well try to fix it.

Alice finished eating and was petting Luna. She was ompeltly ignoring the cup of water. Zelena wasn't going to push her. It was already a day where she'd have to go and do things. And be around people that didn't always understand that she wasn't going to talk to them. That she wasn't going to understand certain things that everyone else understood.

Zelena refocused her attention to her. "Clean," Alice held up her empty plate. Zelena nodded.

"You can clean that, if you want to." Alice nodded. She did want to so those words didn't bother her as much as they did when they were used as a trap to get her to refuse to do something mother didn't actually mean to give her a choice in.

Alice got up and did what she wanted then paused for a moment, unsure of what she wanted to do next. Or what she was supposed to be doing. Alice sat down. Zelena noticed this.

"It's okay," Alice nodded. She wasn't upset. Just didn't really know what to do next. Zelena had daid thry were going somewhere.

"Go?" Oh, right. Zelena had told Alice what the plan was for the day.

"Yes, do you need to go to the bathroom first or do you not?"

Alice nodded. "Ok. Go ahead."

Alice did and then used Luna to come back.

"Okay, good. Are you ready?"

Alice shook her head.

"What're we missing?"

"Robin." Zelena nodded. Robin was probably still asleep but she could try tonsee if she wanted to come. Zelena knew that it wasn't anything personal that Alice didn't want to be alone with her. She was sure that in Alice's mind Robin was just safer. She'd lilkely ben the first person outside of her mother to interact with her. And she was also her own age. Or close to it. So however Alice believed that worked, she probably saw Robin as less threatening. Robin woke up and threw clothes on because there really waan't enough tine for a shower and they headed out.

Robin sar in the backseat with alice talking to her.

They got to Archie's office and Alice found a place to sit and she was a lot less upset now that the iv bag was inside something that didn't make any sound. And took up a lot less space.

She still fiddled with the needle, not rewlly trying tontake it out anymore but still trying tonexpress that she wanted to know when it wouldn't be in her arm anymore.

Zelena came over and talked to her. Telling Alice not to mess with the needle had only resulted in frustration for everyone. Maybe if she tried to find sonething else for her to do. Archie had said that it was better to redirect Alice's behavior than to use words that would make it seem like Alice was doing something wrong the last time they'd talked.

Alice had dropped bear while she was messing ekth the iv. Zelena picked him up and offered Alice the toy. Reminding her that bear had lots of little tassles and things to tug on.

"Do you want to play with bear or do something else?" Zelena offered. Alkce nlddedd and took the toy back.

"Thankyou."

"You're welcome."

Alice kept glancing at Zelena until she moved away and then she played with bear. It'd gotten her to leave the iv alone for a bit without upsetting her. Ok, zelena was certain archie was a genius even if his credentials were kind of faked.

Archie came to get Alice. Usuallg a nurse would come and walk a patient back but no one had been willing to risk that yet. Alice was no wjere near ready to go anywhere with anyone she didn't know on jer own. Even if it was just down one smàll hallway.

Archie and Alice both entered the office.

"Okay, we're going to play with some cups, ok?" Alice nodded. Play meant it'd be a game. Or a toy. And those things were fun. Archie had set a few cups up on the floor. If he framed it as a game mayve Alice would at the very least intwrqct with the idea lf drinking. But maybe she wouldn't. And if he framed it as a game she'd be far less likely to panic and refuse to so muvh as blink.

Alice wasn't scared of cups. She didn't like what was usually inside them. But these were empty. There was one bottle of water with a lid on it nearby as well.

"You can touch them if you want," archie offered. "You don't hsve to."

Alice looked at them. She didn't really care to mess with them. She went bsck to playong woth bear.

"Ok. That's fine. Do you like any of thr cups?" Archie had no idea how this would ever work if she wouldn't even touch an empty cup. That iv was looking more and more like it'd be a permanant part of her life. But no one wanted that. Especially not Alice.

"I'm not going to make you touch it. Just do you like any of them?"

Alice shook her head. They were just cups. Liquid went in, and then sometimes she had a really bad day. And mother got very angry when she made a mess. She'd explained what being sick was. And told Alice to control it. To make sure she never threw up anywere besides the bathroom but she wasn't allowed to move unless mother said it was okay and if she opened her mouth to ask it wasusually too late. Alice flinched. [I'm not drinking. Do not drink the water.]

"You're okay," Archie comforted. Was Alice genuinely that scared of just a couple of cups from his kitchen? That was not a good sign.

Alice nodded. Archie decided this course of action was never going to get them anywjwre. Whatbwas wrong with drinking? Why did Alice hate it so much? She'd done it a few times but that had been when told she had to. It'd been months and somehow alice hadn't drank a lot. Granted some of the food she ate had liquid in it but that was the closet thing to drinking she'd do unless forced.

"Do you want to draw or something else?"

Alice nodded. "Draw."

"Ok can i ask you to draw something or do you want to pick?"

Archiebwas rrally hoping shr picked letting him choose but it was not the time to force her.

"You."

"Ok. What's wrong with the cups? Ca you draw why the bother you?" Archie asked as he habded alkxe drawing supplies

Alice nodded and stsrted drawing. She finished after a little while and then let Archie see it. .

She had no problem tellong Archie how her mother trested her. There was nothing wrong eith it. Sje just didn't knkw hoe to explain Wht did Archie have so many questions? Hadn't he been throughbthe same thing? He had pongo! And pongo was a dog. And dogs helped people that needed help. And that was if you'd been hurt. So archie had been too and he asked so many questions. Why? It didn't make any sense! He should knlw the answers! Alice was uoset and overthinking. Archie had said she could touch the cups. And if thry weren't near her he couldn't make her drink out of them. She picjed one up,

"Goo_" Archie's priase was cut off by the emoty cuo hittong the wall. He was glad he'd broighr plastic omes instead lf glass.

"Hey, hey. You don't have to do that. We can talk about what's wrong," he tried to comfort her.

[Stop asking me things! I don't know! I'm sorry! I can't do this! I don't like this! Please stop!] Alice picked up another cup and threw it. Archie wished she'd scream, but every time she was uoset she destiryed her surroundings but never actually sakd wjat was wrong. And it had to be incredinly lonely to even at your most emotional, not be able to exoress why you were upset.

She was throwing things and ir could be anything. There was no way to know if she was upset about the way something felt or looked or if she was in agonizing pain. She'd react the same. The moment she got wmotional enough to want tonexpress it, she didn"t have a real outlet. Not one that would provide her with any real solution motnof the time. And that was around people that were willing to listen. Around her mother? Alice had probably not had much in the way of being able tonsay she was upset. Archie tried to calm alice down. Trying tonredirect her to other less dwstructive activites but she wasn't having it.

"Hey, hey. Alice look at me, please." She did.

"I know somethings wrong. I get it. I know you think you hsve to do thst to make sure whatever it is is okay. But you don't. I think i fiugred out thebdrswing. And I' sorry thst happened to you. I'm sorry youbwere in pain. Can you please put thrbcup down?"

Alice npdded and set it down.

"You think the water is going ro makw youbsick, don't tou?" Archie had looked at the draeing. Clearly Alice thought something in water made her sick. That didn't mean it actually had but she associating the water with getting sick. And from the way alice acted ablut everything else, it had likely often ended in her being hurt for things she couldn't control. Eother she just associating water with that pain or it had actually caused it. Eother way, convinging her that it was safe might take some time.

Alice nodded. "And that you'll grt in trouble when you make a mess youbcan't help but make?"

Aloce nodded. It'd happened before. It had been awful. She'd stopped being willing to drink after a while. And Archie wouldn't force her to do anything so she didn't plan to go anywhere near the water. Mother would demand she did. But Archie didn't behave the same way. [Please don't start now.] Alice really hoped Archie wouldn't.

Archie knew he likely didn't want to hear the ajswer to the next quration he had. But he couldn't really go frward with a plan unless he knew what the problem was. "Why do you think it will make you sick?"

Direct question. Alice looked down. She felt reaponsible for every single had hurt her.

"Motherspotions." Alice pulled a bit away. Feelijg guilty for so much as sitting in the room with Archie now. "Andifimadeamesspunishment."

Archie managed to keep his emorions flat. "That'll never happen again."

Alice stared at him. It didn't matter. She still worried it would.

"Do you think you can drink just a little of the water if i promise i've not opened this bottle. I can't have possibly put anything in it. You don't have to." Archie waa not risking Alice believing she had to do this. Clearly that had ended badly for her before.

Alice warched thebwater bottle warily. She didn't really bekieve archie. She knew he said he wouldn't hurt her. But red was the only person she fully believed on that one.

"I'll drink some too?" Alice nodded. Mother wouldn't make herself sick too. She wouldn't dare miss the market. Archie wpuldn't want tonget sick either, would he? Qrchie poured the samllest amount ofnwater in alice's cup. This was her decision. It had to be her decision. Alice looked at the watsr it didn't looknweird. And kt didn't smell weird. She tooknthe smallest sip of it. It went down ok. And now she waited. If she was going tonget sick kt'd hut her within tjr jext few minutes. She didn't. She didn't feel sick.

"Hey great job!" Archie all but threw a parade for this. But how exactly zelena would be able tonreplicate ir was a new pronblem. Archie let alkce pick ojt some candy and a aticket. And then it was time for her to go back to zelena.

They went to the wisting eoom and zelena came over to talk to them.

"She's a lottle hopped up on sugar, but did managed ro drink a bit of water."

Alice showed up Robin her sticker. She liked these. And had them sruck all ober the wall of her corner. She liked looking at them. They weree pretty. And they meant she was doing gold at sometjhing. The more of thrm she had, the less she felt like she was going to be hurt. But sje still feared that.

Zelena's eyes wwnt kinda wide. "Gold job, Alice. Do you wwnt to go to the diner?" Alice nodded. She liked the favt everyone was telling her she'd done good. But the water was still scary. She wasn't sure she could do it again. And archie hadn't told zelena about the bad part of their visit. She'd throen almost all of the cuos. And she wasn't sure she'd apologized. Alice didn't get it. Why was that being ignored. Maybe he'd just tell jer later? Alice pet luna and reached for her harness to hold onto as she lost her footing on the ground a little. Mother had always called her clumsy. But the reality was that every muslce needed for balancing and walkimg had been weakened over years od not being used and from being knocked over when she was managing to stand.

They headed to the diner after zelena checked if that's what Alice wanted to do and sat in their usual booth. Zelena would talk with Archie later.