A/N: Hi everyone! Just a quick note to let you guys know that our model for Mama Odie is the late Cicely Tyson - specifically from her role in Because of Winn Dixie. Despite her passing, I couldn't think of anyone better to play the lovable voodoo priestess :)

As Alena and the twins neared the food truck, she tilted her head. She spotted a man working in the truck with Sabine.

"Who is that?" Just as that thought crossed her mind, it dawned on her.

"Ah, that must be Naveen. Well, the cursed version of him."

Sabine then saw them and offered a smile and a wave. Alena waved back as the girls jumped up and down and did the same.

Sabine then turned to Naveen and spoke to him. He nodded before he grabbed some Styrofoam containers and headed out of the truck.

As he walked toward them, Emma looked up at her mother. "Who man, Mommy?"

"I think he's a friend of Sabine's. He's coming to meet us."

"Oh! Otay."

Lily then tugged on Alena's hand. "He nice, Mommy?"

"I'm sure he is, sweetie."

He then reached them, a smile on his face. "So, you're the friend Sabine told me about. Alena, right?"

With a smile, she nodded. She then gestured toward the girls. "And these are my daughters, Emma and Lily."

"It's nice to meet you all. I'm Drew." He then offered the containers.

"And Sabine made special gumbo just for you. All the flavor of the bayou – just not as much Cajun spice."

The girls took it and immediately dug in. Their faces lit up.

"So good!" "Best food!"

Alena couldn't help but laugh. "Thank Sabine for me." When she offered a ticket, Drew shook his head.

"This is completely on the house. Sabine insisted."

She rolled her eyes. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

Drew chuckled. "Yeah – she told me how you helped her with the food truck. I know she appreciates it – but she's still proud and wants to make her own way."

Alena couldn't help but smile. "I understand how she feels, so I'm happy to oblige."

He offered a nod before he tilted his head. He then motioned toward the truck.

"You know what, I forgot the beignets. You can't come to Rollin' Bayou without one of Sabine's beignets – I'll be right back."

As he hurried off, the girls looked up from their food. "Where Drew go?" Emma questioned with wide eyes.

"He's going to get some beignets," Alena told her as she opened her own gumbo. As she took a bite, she closed her eyes and savored the flavor.

"Man, that's good." Just as she went for another bite, Lily tugged on her shirt.

"What is it, Tili?"

"Where Drew? Want been-yay."

"I know, sweetie. He's coming."

Drew then walked back over, a bag of beignets in his hand. He handed it to her. "Fresh out the fryer."

She took them with a smile. "Thank you, Drew." He bobbed his head.

"If you guys are good, I'm gonna head back over and help Sabine."

"Well, actually," Alena began as she opened the bag. The girls squealed as they jumped up and down. She smiled and shook her head as she handed them each a beignet.

Drew let out a chuckle before she looked back up at him. "I do want to know how you and Sabine know each other?"

He rubbed his hands together. "We went to cooking school together – had a little bit of a rivalry going on."

"And now you work with her. I'm not quite sure I follow."

He chuckled once more. "Well, Sabine's food safety permit hadn't come in yet – and she, uh, had to shut down once the higher ups found out."

Alena's eyes widened. She smelled a conspiracy – but she couldn't be sure that it wasn't just paranoia.

She then let out a breath and gestured toward the truck. "I'm guessing you stepped in and saved the day?"

Drew laughed. "I'm not sure Sabine sees it like that – but I did persuade her to take the permit from my Cajun food truck. We both know that she's the better cook, and she actually worked hard to get here."

Alena tilted her head. "I feel like there's a story behind that."

"Oh, there is, but I won't bore you with the details," he began with a wave of his hand. He then stuck both of them in his pockets.

"Let's just say that Sabine is the one who really understands what it means to earn what you have."

With a nod, the blonde then perceived, "And I'm guessing you two found some common ground – and you're now part of Rollin' Bayou."

"Yeah – that's about the gist of it."

He then glanced back at the truck. "Sabine's getting ready to reopen so I should get back to it."

"Oh, of course," Alena began as she waved her hand, "It was nice meeting you, Drew."

"Yeah, you too."

He then bent down at the girls' eye level. "And you two – how are those beignets?"

Their mouths full - and covered in sugar - the girls both nodded excitedly. Drew laughed before he stood.

"I'll be sure to tell Sabine. Catch you guys later."

The three of them returned his wave before he returned to the truck. He hopped behind Sabine and worked the kitchen as she stood at the window of the truck.

She called out, "All right, folks, Rollin' Bayou is rollin' by you again. And we still have the best beignets in town." She held up a bag of them.

Drew sidled up next to her. "Or any town. Don't be so modest." The pair then exchanged a smile.

The desk sergeant held up a pair of tickets. "To hell with my diet. How 'bout a bag of beignets and a bowl of gumbo?"

She chuckled and handed him the food. "Yeah, mm-hmm. Sure."

"And, you know, I hear that people like to dunk 'em inside the gumbo," Drew offered, a teasing lilt to his voice. An amused expression crossed Sabine's features. "I hear that, too."

"Uh-huh." A grin then spread across his face. She returned, "Uh, if...if the spirit moves you."

The desk sergeant smiled as he waved the spoon at her. He headed off as Sabine and Drew both laughed. They then turned to the waiting crowd.

Alena smiled before she ate her gumbo. Her eyes wandered down to the twins, who still ate beignets.

As they finished, Natalie, Ryan, and Sophie approached them. All three girls squealed and hugged each other.

"I'm so excited about the sleepover!" Sophie exclaimed. The girls wholeheartedly agreed: "Can't wait!" "So fun!"

The three of them giggled. Natalie then offered, "We were all about to head out if you and the girls are ready?"

"Ready, Mommy!" "Let go!"

Alena ruffled her twins' hair as she chuckled. "Well, I think we've all had our fill of food and fun, so yeah, we're ready."

Natalie bobbed her head before she bent down on the girls' level. "Okay, girls, we're about to go to my house. Say goodbye, okay?"

Emma and Lily wrapped their arms around Alena's legs. She bent down and hugged them.

"You two be good for Ms. Natalie, okay? And I hope you have fun with Sophie."

"Be good, Mommy," Lily said, followed by Emma, "Have fun, Mommy!"

They pulled away just as Sophie and Ryan pulled away. He smiled and kissed her forehead.

"I hope you have fun."

"I will, Daddy."

The girls then gathered around Natalie. They all began talking - and squealing - at the same time. Natalie chuckled before she took them by the hands and led them toward her vehicle.

Alena and Ryan offered one final wave before the blonde turned to him.

"I am glad we did this – the girls are gonna have so much fun."

"Yeah, they are." He then released a breath and rubbed the back of his head.

"I have a shift starting soon, so I'm gonna have to head out."

"Oh! Okay, of course." Alena couldn't help the smile that made its way on her face.

"You soon won't have to worry about taking extra shifts to make ends meet."

Ryan smiled back at her. "That is still the best news I've had all day. We'll be in touch soon?"

"Absolutely."

He offered a nod before he headed to his car. Alena then headed toward her bug, all the while ruminating over how to spend the evening by herself.

New Enchanted Forest, Four Years Ago

"It should be right around here," Tiana surmised as she and Alena trudged through the swampland.

Alena hummed as she tapped the hilt of her sword. "I hope we find it soon - I didn't know it was this far out in the bayou. And I don't why I didn't think to just poof us here."

Tiana chuckled. "I know - it's quite the trek. But I can't say I blame Mama Odie for wanting peace and quiet, as well as privacy."

With a tilt of her head, Alena contended, "I can't say I do either. There were moments at the ball where all I wanted was to find a quiet corner to disappear into."

"I understand - a ballroom can feel a little suffocating at times. Even more so when you're the queen."

A smile then bloomed across her face. "But being there with those you care most about makes it a little more bearable."

Alena smiled as well – images of dancing in Jack's arms flashed in her mind. "Yeah, they do."

She then shook her head. "Are we getting close?"

"We should be." Tiana then surveyed the bayou around them. Her brown eyes then locked on a tree just in front of them.

She gestured toward it. "Here it is – she lives in that boat house just up ahead."

Alena nodded. She then raked her fingers through her hair.

"So, can we just approach it? I mean, I'm thinking we need to knock or something to let her know we're here."

"Well, child, I appreciate you thinking about me, but Mama already knows you here."

Alena and Tiana jumped. "Oops! Scared you, didn't I? Didn't mean it."

Before the young women could reassure her, the elderly woman called out, "Juju! Where'd you go?"

A snake slithered beside her. He then moved himself on the end of his tail and rested his head on her shoulder.

Mama Odie petted his head. She then gestured with the basket in her hands.

"Come on, we got to finish the gumbo for our guests."

"Wait. Did you know we were coming?" Alena questioned as she waved her hands.

Mama Odie nodded. Juju then guided her as she walked up to the boat house. Alena and Tiana followed her. They couldn't help but smile as she hummed an upbeat tune.

When they reached the tree, Juju pulled a rope, releasing a wooden platform. As they rode, Alena let out a yawn, stretching her arms over her head.

"I didn't realize I was so tired."

"I'd be tired, too, child, if I lived in your mind."

Before Alena could ask, Mama Odie hopped off the platform. "But this gumbo will wake you."

As she traipsed across the boat - with Juju slithering in front of her - Alena turned to Tiana.

"Does she already know about the nightmares?"

"I'll admit it seems that way," Tiana conceded with a tilt of her head. She then shook it.

"But I don't think she'll give you any answers until we try some gumbo."

Alena chuckled. "I think you may be right. But I won't say no to good food."

Tiana chuckled before Juju slithered over to them. He positioned himself on his tail.

"I know. We're coming," Alena told him as she patted his head. He then slithered away as she Tiana headed further into the boat.

They joined Mama Odie, who ladled gumbo from a large tub into wooden bowls.

"Here. You two need your strength after all that walking."

Tiana and Alena offered nods and "thank you's" before they each took a bite. Their faces lit up.

"This is really delicious." "Wow, this gumbo is amazing."

Mama Odie hummed before she gestured with her spoon. "And that ain't the only thing about it that's good."

Alena tilted her head as she swallowed. She then questioned, "What do you mean?"

"Well, one of you," Mama Odie began, her eyes focused solely on Alena, "Has been dealing with the Shadow Man."

The blonde pointed out, "He came to me! And I never accepted his bloody deal!"

"Ow!" she then cried out as she withdrew her hand. Mama Odie then shook the wooden spoon at her.

"Listen to me, child. I know it ain't your fault, but you dealing with the Shadow Man all the same."

Alena ducked her head and ran her fingers through her hair. "Sorry. I, uh, sometimes react impulsively."

"Mm-hmm," Mama Odie hummed before Tiana chimed in, "She's also more than a little stubborn and temperamental."

She couldn't help but grin as Mama Odie laughed. Alena rolled her eyes before Tiana cleared her throat.

"And those are some of the reasons she was so determined to find you. We're both hoping…"

Tiana trailed off as Mama Odie slumped in a nearby chair, her eyes falling shut. She then began to snore.

The queen shared a look with her friend, who only shrugged. The elderly woman then shifted in her seat. She stretched her arms above her head and yawned.

"Gumbo always puts me to sleep."

She then locked eyes with Alena. "Now, child, what is it that you need from Mama?"

Alena took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair. "I really don't even know where to begin."

She then remembered the tarot card in her pocket. "But maybe we could start with this."

She then grabbed the card and held it between her fingers. "This tarot card - the Magician card. I know Facilier left it for a reason, but I don't know what that reason is or what any of this has to do with my nightmares."

A thoughtful expression crossed Mama Odie's features. "It seems to me you got a whole lot of wants - but you're blind to what you need."

Alena furrowed her eyebrows. "But what I want and what I need - it's basically the same thing."

"No!" Mama Odie exclaimed, causing Alena and Tiana to jump. The blonde placed her hands behind her back.

The elderly woman then planted her hands on her hips. "If you want to know what any of this means, you've got to know yourself first, child."

Alena opened her mouth in question - but she promptly shut it, her blue eyes clouding over in confusion.

She then let out a sigh. "I don't know how learning more about myself will solve any of this."

Mama Odie shook her head. She then pointed out, "Because when you dig a little deeper, you find out who you are. And when you know that, you'll find out what you need."

Alena gestured with her hands. "So, the key to all of this is knowing more about myself. And why it's happening to me."

The elderly woman nodded as she ate her gumbo. She then raised an eyebrow as Alena buried her face in her hands.

"You still don't get it, do you, child?"

She never looked up as she shook her head. Mama Odie let out a sigh. She then stood and marched over to her, her hands planted on her hips.

"I need you to listen - really listen - to Mama."

Alena looked up, her blue eyes wide and her eyebrows furrowed. She wrung her hands together. "I just want all of this to be over."

"And it can be – you just have to listen to yourself," Mama Odie began. Alena opened her mouth to protest when the spoon was waved at her.

"All you need to know, child, is already inside of you. You don't need me or anybody else to tell you."

Alena narrowed her eyes. She then tilted her head and rested it in her hand.

"Well, I suppose there's a reason my powers seem to defy explanation."

That musing died when a glow emitted from the tub of gumbo.

"What is that?" Tiana questioned, her eyes going wide. Without a word, Mama Odie strode over and peered down.

"The Shadow Man is gonna have a visitor - but this boy doesn't know who he's up against."

Her eyes then landed on Alena. Her knees buckled, and her hands began to shake.

"Oh, gods, it's Jack, isn't it? Because of what I told him."

Mama Odie nodded. Alena started to pace back and forth. She rubbed her hands together before she ran them through her hair.

"He can't face him on his own! I can't think…I don't want to know…"

She trailed off as she shook her head, her breathing became heavy. Tiana then stopped in front of her and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Go to him - he needs you."

Alena nodded before she took a deep breath.

"I hope I'm not too late."

She then disappeared in a cloud of white smoke.