Alice had continued to drink water but had bdgan to grow increasigngly agitated before and during all of her visits with Archie.

She hadn't outright rrfused to go but she'd started to try to avoid it.

She was sitting with Luna and thinking about if she jad to go that day or not. She ubderstood the passage of time but it had never had rral meaning to her outside of how often mother would keave for thr market and how long she'd hsve to do whatever mother wanted her to do. Now it was just how often she'd need to see Archie or go to the hospital. She'd rralted to Archie. She though he'd ubserstood her. Buf he didn't. He just kept asking her wursrion aftsr wuesrion. Amd she didn't knlw the answers. What did he want her to say? He'd been throigh it too.

Zelena took a breath. Somehow Alice had gone from seeming to almost enjoy being around Archie to trying to avoid it. Bur there wasn't an option that let her sit it out. She needed his help. And changing to a different therpaist, evej of there was one in storybrooke to change to, wouldn't work. Alice had to slowly build up her trust eith people or she wouldn't even be able to make it through a few minutes in a way that was somewhat confortable. Or even safe.

She approsched Alkce's corner and was prepared for the problrm she was likely about to causr.

"Ojnwe'rr going to go to Archie's in a little while."

Alkce stsred at her lap for a minute. [I don't want to.]

Alice mumbled an ok buf really didn't want to go. When zelsna camr bqck to ell her it was time to go Alice thrw bear away from her.

[I don't want to!]

Zelena pusjed qway the voice in her jead that criticized her for Alice's bejavior being too much like that of a spoiled child. That wasn't what this was. This was the desprste attempts of a frustrated and terrsfied child trying to find some way to get anyone to understand when she couldn't, or possibly just wouldn't, communicate what was wrong.

"Ok. Let's make ot a game?" Zelena offered.

"I'll give you a color and if you see something thwt color on the ride there justbpoijt at it or write it down. Your choice."

Game. Fun. But she was frustrsted and she knew archiebwas just going to ask her quesrions. But she liked games.

"Alice nodded.

"Awesome. Good job. Let's go."

Alice was clesrly relucntsnt but did as she was asked.

She gor into archie's office and he made some small talk the launcjed into his queations. Which he tried to make fun but Alice was uoset about things neither one of them had any way to control.

Alice was mostly ignlring him, occasiaonlly tjeoing besr onto the ground and licking him up.

Archie could tell Alice had been having a rough time with being sround him latley. He had taken another toy to the eye just a few seission before. Kt'd been accidental but Alice had seem kncreasinly on edge around him for a little while.

"Ok. Let's try somethhing else. You can ask the questions this time? Ask me whatever you want. I'll akswer you and then we go from there."

Alice stared at him. She could ask him things? Wouldn't she get hurt?

"You won't be in trouble. Anything."

Alice stared at the floor and pulled on bear's tassles as she thought. [Who hirt him? His mother, right? What was the worst punishment? Whyvwas he okay with her petting pongo? Who helped him? Did he still miss his mother? Did he have scars that reminded him how much he was hated? Did he ever learn how to just not get hurt. How did she make her mother not hste her?] She couldn't decide. But it hurt so much. She held back the tears and she pet luna.

"Whatwastheworstpunsihment?"

"I don't know," Archie told her. Not fully ubderstanding the question. "What'd yiu think?"

Alice curled into herself a little, ashamed that she'd never been qhat motjer wanted. "Restrsint." She kumbled mostly at the floor. "Ididntknlwwhenthat'dstop."

She'd gotten used to being hit and sje'd gotten used to the bestings. TheyXd hurt but they never felt like they'd never end. She'd knlwn they hsd to.

"Do you have anorhe question?"

"Howdidyou mskeyournkotjerstophurting you?"

Archie blinked. Alice thought he'd been treated the same wy she had

"She didn't hurt me.." well at least not in the way she mesnt. She had tricked him into truning geppeto's parents into puppets.

"Butyouhavepongo!"

Alice didn'tt always ttalk much bur she'd geon increasingly emotional when she did. "Dogshelppeople."

Aloce explained that dogs helped people thatbwere hurt. Archie broke inside. Not only did Alice think the way she'd been treated was normal. She thought itbwas so normal it affected what dogs did.

"Alice, luna's a special kind of dog. She helps you. Pongo's just a dog i hsve because i like him. He doesn't help me with anything. I wasn't hurt. But thank you for being concerned. Not all dogs have jobs like luna's. Some do."

weren't helpers? Ok. She hadn't known that. But didn't think too much of it. And Archie jadn't been hurt so he kept asking her questions. Did he think sje desreved it? Shoe thoguht she did but everyonr kept telling her she didnt.

"Dididesevehurt?

Archie started tonsay no amd caught himself remebering thatbit would sejd Alixw directly back to thwt tower in her mind. "Absoultlry not. You never shouod have been treated that way."

Archie was hoping this would be some kind of brwakthrough.

Alice nodded. Still flicnhing away as he kffered her a sticked for the amount she'd participated.

"Awesome you did great. Do you know where Zelena is?"

Alice nodded. Archiebwas using simple questiond to give Alice some sejse of control that waan't so noticable it's svare her.

"Alright, let's go." He walked a bit inf ront lf jer nrcause she didn't like having anyome behond her.

Zelena was orepared for a rwport that Alice had destoryed the iffice because that had happened the last few sessions.

"We ralked about what was bithering her and she did great.

"That's awesome." Alice stood clesrly needing thr bsthroom. She gksnced at luna and whispered "canigobathroom." Luna nodded and Alice walked away.

"She's did better this visit. I think she assumed I knew more about rhe situation then i did. She thought id been hurt. Just becauae i jabe pongo."

If it hasn't been such a serious topic it was almlst funny that Alice thought every dog was for helping. But that's all she'd seen. Red helped her. Luja helped hsr. And maybe in her mind pongo helped archie.

"As long as she's somewhat uo for it i think jext time we should just try to go to the library. Let her expllre a different enviorment with some kimd of suoervision. Meet here and let her prwctice walking in publuc where people could be. Try to start phasing out jer need to be a few feet away from someone she trust just to go outside. She's still not eilling to kske thosebdevisions herself but i dont think she jas the confiewncr that she can do the things she'd need to make choices on."

Zelena agreed and Alice returned with luna.

Who was another favtor. Alice would have to learn how to go into places with luna even kf people attekpted tomtell her she couldn't. Whichbwas a problen fora skfferent day.

A/n: so that was some wild writers block. Here's some skebalnce of the plot progressing