Chapter Eighteen

After the odd little run in with the young Frederick Adam was able to get the leftover bread loaves and two apple crumble muffins before returning to the Anti-Realm. As he walked through the Wardrobe, the black cat Varuo was nowhere to be seen. "Odd." He mused as he proceeded to enter further into the castle.

"Don't worry, I'm still here." Varuo hissed as he used his tail to write down the time of Adam's arrival.

"Good to know." Adam waved over his head and continued down the hall. He was surprised to see that Frederick had not met up with him. He almost always greeted him on his way back.

"Frederick is in his room." Varuo called and made Adam stop in his tracks.

"What?"

Varuo stretched as his tail flicked behind him. "Frederick is laid up in his room."

"Is he all right?" Adam asked as genuine concern began to grow in him.

"Something about having a headache most of the day." He yawned. "Talk to Mr. V. He will more than likely have more information for you. Other than a bad wave of headaches the man is fine."

"Where is his room?"

"Well, if you follow me I'll take you to him." Adam looked over his shoulder and saw that Mr. V was there. "I was waiting up for you."

"Is he all right?"

"Yeah," Mr. V flicked his head to the door for Adam to follow and walked through the threshold. "He's just having the repercussions of you writing your own story."

"What, dare I ask, are you talking about?" He rolled his eyes with a huff.

"You're going back through the tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and rewriting it for your story."

"My story?" He shook his head. "My story? How am I writing my story? I'm just going through my missions! I'm doing what you have assigned me to do!"

"Ooohhh looks like someone gets anxious under pressure." Mr. V chuckled, ignoring the questions. "As you and the Evil Queen signed in the contact - I just had to recently explain this to her the other day - things that you once knew are going to change. The Evil Queen's memory is changing which means that old man Frederick is going to experience the same things."

"What do you mean?"

"Frederick was the hunter." He waved his hand as if it was the most obvious thing. "His memories and even his life experience are going to be changing. Especially if you have run into him. Which with the way he came down with a migraine today I'd take a gander of a guess and say that you did."

"Literally on my way back. . ."

"Don't worry about it." Mr. V waved him off. "It was bound to happen."

"Your lack of concern is rather unnerving." Adam growled as his hand balled up into a fist.

"I have plenty of concern about this, Adam." Mr. V stopped and held his cane out to prevent Adam from walking any further. "This whole thing is just as new for me as it is for you. You aren't the only one that has to deal with the repercussions of all this. Now before you spout anymore nonsense, go in and check on Frederick." He gestured to the solid brown door that stood on the right wall. "Just try to be quiet and not raise his blood pressure too much, all right?"

Adam glared in response before walking past Mr. V and entered Frederick's room. It was plain, simple, and all wood save for the wall that had windows. Frederick in green striped pajamas sat in his bed with a steaming cup of tea on his nightstand. He stared out the raining window.

"Even if you want the weather to change it won't while you're here in the Anti-Realm." Adam tried to crack a joke but hated the way it sounded coming out. Frederick's head turned to him with a smirk.

"Welcome back, Master Adam." He smiled happily at him. "I'm so glad to see you. I'm sorry that I could not greet you properly at the Wardrobe. I had the worst headache overcome me and had a small spell.

"Yeah, that's what Mr. V said." He sighed as he walked over to the bed. "Also said it had something to do with things that I'm doing Apfel."

"Ah, well, that doesn't really surprise me." He smiled up at Adam. "I already saw this coming, especially since I am a part of the story, even if it is by the tiniest bit."

"You know, I don't know why you were telling me that I needed to be kind to you." He held the paper sack that had the three apple crumble muffins out to Frederick. "You haven't exactly stricken me as a bad guy."

"So you met me today?" He chuckled. "Did you recognize me by my charming good looks despite the wrinkles?" Another chuckle. "What's this?" He mused as he took the bag from Adam.

"When I met you in town today you said that this was your favorite."

"Apple crumble muffins." He gasped as he took one from the bag and began to unwrap it. "Dear lord, they still had some at the end of the day?!" Carefully holding the muffin in his hand he took a large bite of it and fell back against the pillows, melting in happiness. "Oh, how I have missed these." He continued to scarf the muffin down until it was entirely devoured.

"I'll have to remember to get you more next time." he chuckled and crossed his arms. "If I knew you liked these that much I would have gotten them for you much sooner."

"Don't worry about it, Master Adam." He chuckled and wiped away the crumbs from his beard and mustache. "They are hard to come by towards the end of the day. The baker hates having anything that is a day old in the shop. He just throws whatever can't be sold out by the end of the day or sells it at such a low cost he's practically cheated himself."

"I was curious about that. I felt like I underpaid."

"Don't feel that way." He chuckled and waved it off. "The fat fool just has a high amount of pride. If they didn't sell well during the day he knows better than trying to sell them at full price in the evening."

Frederick himself seemed to enjoy getting the muffins for so cheap, which would explain why they were his favorites. As he unwrapped the second one Adam could not help but glance Frederick over. Everything about him looked the same, though there almost seemed to be something off about him. He was still wrinkly, old, balding, and creaky, but somehow there was something youthful trying to hide underneath.

"How are you really feeling?" Adam asked, studying his face, looking for any sign that would give a hint or a glimpse of something being wrong.

"Just fine, Master Adam." He huffed with a frown. "I understand that I am the oldest member of the Staff here, but I do not need to be coddled or taken care of!" He frowned and stuffed the muffin into his mouth.

"I never once implied that." He snorted at the older man's angst. "Still, if there is something that you need, please do not hesitate to ask me."

"You are not supposed to be waiting on me, Master Adam." He frowned and set the third apple crumble muffin next to his tea cup on the nightstand. "I am your butler, therefore I am supposed to wait on you."

Adam growled, growing tired of this man's stubbornness. "Frederick."

"However." Frederick laced his fingers together and avoided eye contact with Adam. "I do have a small request."

"Name it."

"Would you please go and check on Queen Grimhilde?" His hands tightened together. "Here in the Anti-Realm?"

"Before I respond." He took a deep breath. "Why would you ask of me to go and see that - " He remembered the warning that Frederick had already given him about calling her an old hag. " - woman in this Realm?"

"Because just like Frederick the Queen has been experiencing a few problems." Mr. V answered from behind him. Mr. V stood propped up in the doorway leaning on his cane.

"You're the head of this," Adam countered as he turned to look at Mr. V. "Why don't you go and tend to this?"

"Because I have already had to speak with the Evil Queen once." He smirked and tapped his cane before sauntering into the room. "Plus, I'm making everyone do a Recon and visit home for those who haven't already."

Adam shook his head and crossed his arms. "I refuse."

"You can refuse all you want," Mr. V shrugged. "You signed a contract and you're going to do as I say because guess what? It is part of your mission."

"Why would you require us to go and visit the Villains?" Adam growled lowly. "I thought we weren't supposed to be getting in contact with them?"

"Yeah, well, ya know what?" He chuckled darkly. "I changed my mind, Adam. There are a lotta weird things that are happening and I can't get in touch with everyone to find out what's changed and what hasn't. So that means you're going to go see the Evil Queen as required for a mission as well as by Frederick's request that you allowed him to make." He snapped a smile on his face before taking a step back and making his way to exit the room. "I expect to see you at dinner this evening. I have an important announcement to make."

Adam glared after Mr. V as he exited the room and Frederick hesitantly watched Adam, curious to how he would react. All he had truly seen Adam do was ball everything up, huff, puff, and bury his anger. Now that his memories were changing he somehow knew that Adam was a dangerously powerful person that needed to be both respected and appeased in the best and worst situations.

Adam's anger seethed and he could only ball his hands into fists as he tried to bury the anger. Having an outburst in front of Frederick would do nothing to help him in his condition and it would not be a position that he currently wanted to be in. He wanted to do two things. He wanted to cause colossal destruction, but he also wanted to go see Snow White so that the anger would somehow just disappear. She had this magical ability of making all of his negative emotions just flutter away. It was unsettling how easily it worked as well as relieving.

"If the request is too much, Master Adam." Frederick cleared his throat. "I will not ask you to do such a thing -"

"At ease, Frederick." He tipped his head to the ceiling and stared at the cracks that crackled on the high surface. "I'm going to do it. . . There are just some things in life that are easier than others."

"I apologize, Master Adam." His old withered hands balled into fists. "If I knew that Mr. V stood right outside I never would have - "

"At ease, Frederick." He looked at the old man and truly saw how guilty the old man in the bed was. "I'll do it. Just make a better request next time."

With nothing left to say to the old man Frederick turned on his heel and left the room to return to his own. It was almost a month since he had seen the Evil Queen and he relished every moment not being in her presence here in the Anti-Realm even though he had to put up with her in Apfel. At least there he could truly get away from her when necessary. Here when he was in her castle he was in her realm of experimentation and torture. Depending on how things have taken to her in this Realm after some of his actions and choices he has made in Apfel she could be either livid or hysterically crazy mad; which neither were good but he would rather take the former rather than the latter.

Standing in front of his room he could not help but glare at his door. Although it would lead to his guest room of sorts while he was in the castle, it would also open up to a special portal that would take him to his real room in the remnants of the Evil Queen's castle. All he would have to do was pull the doorknob from its hold in the door and turn it upside down for it to take him to the other room. He knew what he needed to do to get this over and done with, but he really didn't want to do it.

"Hey, Adam." A hand rested on his shoulders and caused Adam to snap around with his hand at the person's throat. "Yo man, chill."

It was Eight Foot Joe, he did not seem too surprised by Adam's response and even seemed bored that his poisonous hand rested so close to his throat. "You look like you were having a panic attack or something. You good man?"

"I'm fine." Adam relaxed as he pulled his hand away and ran a hand through his hair.

Joe snorted and stuck his hands into his front pockets. "Doesn't look like it."

He groaned slightly. "I have to go see my Villain."

"Ah, that's rough man." He winced and rubbed the back of his neck. "But from what Mr. V has gone around saying we gotta go check in on the Villains to make sure they're alive and kickin' or some shit like that since we've been going and rewriting our stories alongside the real stories."

"Doesn't make it any easier to go and see the old hag." He hissed and balled his hands into fists.

"Yeah, but it is easier to go ahead and get it over with now than later." He shrugged before placing his hands behind his head and leaning back. "The old sea witch is probably going to boil over if her memory is even more screwy than it already was."

"I'm not particularly fond of seeing the Evil Queen either." Adam grimaced. "I know she's going to find some way of stabbing me for this."

"Tough luck, man." Joe grimaced too. "Good luck though, maybe you'll get away unscathed."

He mock saluted Adam before he flipped his door knob upside down and stepped into the Realm of water that made up Atlantica. Adam turned to his door and with a gulp proceeded to grasp the doorknob, flip the entire thing upside down, before stepping into his own portal that would take him to his dungeon cell of the Evil Queen's castle.

The reeking musk of mold wafted in the air and stung his nose to notify that he had officially and successfully made it to the place that was claimed as his abode; he did not say home because it was the farthest thing from being a home that even the homeless would not claim it. A shriek of anger echoed off the walls and a crash of breaking glass followed.

"Great." He sighed as he ran his hand through his hair and continued to make his way through the dungeons. "She's in a lovely mood."

He followed the green flames that lighted the pungent path that would lead him to her lair. As he walked around the corner he was not prepared to see her. In the Apfel Realm she was infinitely young and beautiful, however in the Anti-Realm in the remnants of the Apfel Castle she was anciently old. The sight before him was not horrifying, however it was entirely unexpected. She was middle aged. She was never middle aged. He could see that the remnants of her youth were wrinkled and graying. She always looked like an old hag while in the Anti-Realm unless she were meeting with other Villains or meeting people in which case she would have taken a youth potion to reverse her age. She never was middle aged, she just always skipped it for some reason.

The middle aged phase did not last for long because as she looked in the Mirror she went back to her youth, but as soon as she touched her face she became ancient. Another shriek escaped her and she threw a potion at the doorway where it landed in front of Adam at his feet.

He looked down at his feet before looking up at her, "You're certainly in high spirits."

"You!" Her gnarled hands pointed the crooked fingers at him. "You- You traitor!" She hobbled over to him hissing a slew of curses and profanities at him.

"I have not betrayed you, my queen." He sighed as he looked down at her. At least not yet. . .

"Don't lie to me boy!" She snapped and grabbed at his coat. "My memories! You're in them! You have betrayed me!"

"Have you forgotten what it is that you assigned me to do?" He sneered down at her. "Have you finally gotten dementia?"

"Don't insult me you fool!" She smacked his chest - mostly because as an old hag she could not reach his face as she came to under his elbow - before shoving off of him and stepping away. "Ever since this whole Recruiter program began things have changed!"

"What do you mean?"

"My memories have changed." She crossed her arms and glared at him and suddenly changed into a young woman. "You are in them and the story that I once knew so well has completely changed!"

"I will remind you that was part of the contract in the Recruiter Program." He mirrored her by crossing his arms and looking down at her.

"But things here are also changing." She held her head. "Color is coming back to the castle, flowers are trying to grow, the fountain is no longer broken -"

"Things are fixing themselves," he glared at her, "and you're complaining?"

"OF course I am!" She yelled at him.

"If things are changing here then that means that you're getting closer to having the ending that you want!" Adam yelled back at her.

"IF that is so, then why can't I stand the sight of you?"

"You have never liked the sight of me!"

"You're wrong!" She snarled as she became ancient. "Even though you were not naturally created you are nonetheless my son. And as much as it may sicken you to be thought of that way you are mine. You have obediently obeyed me for the last few years and have earned my respect." Her volume had quieted some but her tone was still angry. "I know that most times I was not in my right mind and I tortured you to teach you lessons, but I have never been so wroth with anger upon looking at you until now."

"Well, at least you claim me as your son." He rolled his eyes and frowned down at her. "I have still yet to figure out why Frederick is so infatuated with you, all you ever seem to want is the absolute worst in life."

"Frederick?" All anger left her as she said the name and she flashed to her younger self. "You know of Frederick?"

"Of course." He nodded his head slowly and chose his words carefully. "He is in Apfel, after all. With you assigning me the mission of killing Snow White, I was bound to run into him at some point."

"O-Of course." She cleared her throat and looked away from him, rather embarrassedly. "How is he?"

"He's fine." He shrugged. "Though, the way you treat him I don't really see why you should care."

"Watch it boy." She hissed and aged up again. "You would do well to avoid that sass and sarcasms with me."

"It was only by his request that I came to check on you anyways." He huffed and took a step back. "He was very concerned about you and your well-being in all of this. Much to his delight I shall be informing him that you are in high health and just as insane as I remember."

"He asked about me?" She became youthful again and if Adam hadn't already seen it happen off and on throughout their conversation he would not have believed that she was oddly enough regaining her youth from all of her mixed up crazy emotions.

"Of course he would." He snorted at the woman before him. "You and I both know he has always cared for you in so many ways. Why would it surprise you that he asked about you?"

"Don't be impertinent." She snipped and became middle aged again. "If this is all that you require of my time then you are dismissed. Return to the little cell or wherever it is that you came from and leave me be."

"Now that I have your permission," He growled in his throat. "I will be taking my leave shortly. However, I do have one more matter of business to discuss with you."

"And what, pray tell, is that?" She looked exasperated and rolled her eyes at him.

"Is there a way to get rid of the poisonous layers of skin that I have?" He stared her directly into the eyes without breaking eye contact to show her how serious he was.

"Remove the poison?" She gawked for a moment. "Well, I dare say it isn't impossible, I just don't know if it is at all or in fact possible."

"Can you or can you not precure me a remedy for the poison that has plagued my body?" He snapped and stood with his hands balled into fists as he looked down at her. "You, oh great apothecary, great chemist, great alchemist, can you actually remedy my poison?"

"It is not as simple as you would like to think, Adam." She hissed and touched her fingers to her temple. "Your entire chemical makeup was made up of negative emotions and poisons. Although your frame and anatomy has most definitely taken on the form of a human, because of your special birth into this world you have certain capabilities that no one else in any universe will ever have. I more than likely could take them away." She said confidently with a shrug. "However, that could also mean that you not only become handicapped but could lose your life in the process."

"I can smell hogwash Evil Queen." He snorted down at her. "I know you're capable, you just don't particularly want to help me at the moment."

"I, in fact, do not feel inclined to help you in any sort of way at the moment." She agreed and stuck her hands into the sleeves of her cloak. "Between the loathing I have for you of you being in my mere presence as well as the nasty attitude you have shown me today, you will be waiting a while before I decide anything about removing or enhancing your poisons."

Adam's jaw clenched and he glared at her.

"Do you have anything else that you wish to speak with me about?" She raised a challenging eyebrow at him.

"No." He spoke through clenched teeth. "I shall be taking my leave now."

Without so much as a goodbye, he turned on his heel and disappeared through a portal to take him to the Anti-Castle. Already in a sour mood he did not want to join the others for the dinner meal, not that he had for a few weeks, but Mr. V had insisted on his going because he had some sort of announcement that he needed to present to hear. Much to his chagrin he sat in his seat with the others and nibbled on the meal placed before him, but mostly sipped on the wine to try to settle his mood. Everyone, with the exception of Jane Hook and himself, was loudly engrossed in their conversations with each other. Even Mr. V and Ms. Scatter were both rather engrossed in an amusing and flushing conversation.

"Excellent." Mr. V smiled as he ate his eggs. "We will leave around five or so, pick up a bite to eat, then waltz our way downtown. Sounds nice?"

"Yes," Ms. Scatter flushed and stuffed a bagel into her mouth. "That sounds very nice."

Adam could not help but roll his eyes at their ever so silent affections that they avoided with one another.

"Ah, I should let the others know. . . " Mr. V looked up from his meal and out to the others. "All right, everyone." He tapped his cane three times and all eyes were on him. "I have an announcement to make."

"Are you retiring?" Shade asked while eating a bagel. Adam smirked a little at that, but quickly allowed his smirk to fall back into a firm line.

"No." Mr. V glared at her across the room and many snickers echoed. "This evening, you may stay out until midnight."

The room was deathly still and ghostly quiet. Even Adam was shocked. Mr. V, though he was usually rather relaxed and calm, was very strict with punctuality and curfew. He had no problem coming and hunting them down if they were not in their rooms by curfew or in time for dinner. Even though Adam preferred to be alone for his dinners and ate them in his rooms Mr. V would pop in to make sure he was eating or would assign Frederick to join him for his dinner.

"And to what do we owe this privilege?" Adam asked and pushed his meal aside and stared at Mr. V head on.

"Ms. Scatter and I have a few meetings that we must attend this evening and we will not be back until late." He explained. "Instead of raising the chance of your lot destroying my castle while I'm gone, I'd rather you cause a little more trouble in your own Realm. You must all be back by midnight this evening, however. I shall have the Staff waiting for each and everyone of your arrivals, so please make it easier on the Staff and do as you're told."

Not needing to be told twice, Adam jumped up completely disregarding his meal and darting to his room. He would need at least two pairs of clothes to survive his night and stay in Apfel as well as a possible book for Snow White. He had yet to pick out her book because what she wanted was rather obscure, yet simple. An adventurous romance with a happy ending. There were very few books that he read that actually had an ending, even less that actually had an ending he was satisfied with. The ones that he had read and loved were Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte; there was just something about the Gothic romances that he could not help but be drawn to. Finding something that she would be interested in would be rather difficult. Perhaps he would be able to determine what she would like after she got a bit better at reading. She has made steady progress with her reading so if she kept going at the pace she was, she would be ready to read almost anything.

Packing his few articles of clothing, a separate bag to keep the dirty clothes separate from the clean, his journal, and his usual items that he brought with him when he went back and forth between the Realms. He threw his messenger bag over his shoulder and he readied himself to go to the Wardrobe when he suddenly thought of Frederick. He needed to tell him of his meeting with the Evil Queen and the information that he had gathered. He stood in the doorway contemplating on what to do and what to say when that familiar ancient voice cleared his throat behind him.

"You seem hesitant, Master Adam." Frederick coughed as he stood in the hallway. "You rarely strike me as a man that would ever hesitate in anything."

He dragged his hand down the back of his neck,"I was trying to decide what I needed to tell you."

"Whatever it is that you wish to tell me, Master Adam." He gave him a smile and seemed to get some of his youth back.

"She's still a green fire." Adam frowned as he recalled his visit with the Evil Queen. "She's bouncing between ages as things are changing in Apfel."

"So she is affected by them as well. . ." He murmured to himself.

"I also asked if she knew of a way to remove the poison from my skin."

"How interesting." He put his hand to his shoulder. "And she said?"

"She didn't know of one off the top of her head." He gave a half shrug. "But since I did not deem myself at my best behavior, she is debating on even thinking of a way of removing it."

"I thought I told you to watch your tone." He huffed a growl. "Your tone comes across as very disrespectful!"

"That is all that I really had to share." He cleared his throat and walked past the threshold and past Frederic. "Oh, and she asked about you."

"She asked about me?" The pleasant surprise in his voice was enough to hurt Adam in his chest.

"I told her you were doing well and that you had asked about her. She seemed pretty pleased to know that you were thinking about her."

"Thank you, Master Adam." His voice quivered and he put a hand over his heart. "You've given an old man a new hope. . . I will trust you to make your decisions. Please continue to change the horrors of the past."

Though Frederic could not see, Adam nodded his head in response and made his way to the Wardrobe so he could travel through the Door Between Realms and go to Apfel to spend his first twenty-four hours there.


Author's Note:

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you're enjoying the story so far!

I know it has been a little bit longer since I posted, but this chapter kept fighting me and would not come to a conclusion. -_- Also trying to pinpoint books (many of which I have not had the time to read) that would fit the description for Snow White's interests has been difficult to research. On the other hand, if you're in need of a good read I recommend both Frankenstein and Wuthering Heights. Depending on your reading level they will be interesting or boring. They're both gradual reads, but once you get to chapter three in each of them the ball gets rolling and things start to fall into place.

Please bear with me as I update this story as well as my others. I just got new floors to install into my house and it takes up hours of the day and days of the week to install. I promise I'm writing, but I'm just slow on the updating. So many things keep happening, but I assure you that I am still writing!

Thank you for coming along the journey with me, stay tuned for more!

Ko-fi/SarahtheWriter