Disclaimer: As you can probably tell from the fact I'm writing fanfiction, I don't own Once Upon a Time or any of its characters.
A/N: This chapter contains some allusion to the taboo subject of pedophilia (concerning Katja and the difference in her physical and mental ages). Nothing particularly offensive, but just so you're aware. Also don't think too hard about the Wonderland Golden-verse timeline in relation to canon, or your brain will explode. I've tried my best, but sometimes your brain just says "don't care about sense I want this".
It didn't really matter which way Alice Kingsley turned; the forest looked the same in every direction. There were signs but they all said such silly things like "this way" or "that way" or "here" or "there". It gave no names to any towns or paths or anything, and she feared she would never find her way home.
Movement flickered in the corner of her eye and the young girl started, only to see that it was a long dark tail swaying absently from a branch. It was joined by a leather clad leg and a boot that looked too big for its wearer. Alice could have sworn it hadn't been there a moment ago.
She followed the appendages up to see something almost as odd as a rabbit in a waist coat or mushrooms that made you grow or shrink. It was a cat and yet it wasn't; it was a very feline-esque girl only a couple of years older than Alice, sharp-featured and thin as rails. She lay out on the branch, watching Alice with a smug grin.
Alice approached the tree, clearing her throat, "Excuse me, Miss Puss…"
The grin widened and Alice was unnerved by the sight of four sharp canines, but it seemed only amused. She took a deep breath and continued.
"I was wondering perhaps if you could tell me the way?"
"Depends."
Alice startled at the cat speaking, even though she should have expected it, "Depends on what?"
"On where you're trying to go," The cat shrugged a shoulder lazily, "Keep walking and you're sure to find some way… Maybe not your way, or the way, but a way nonetheless."
The cat continued to grin and Alice sighed, "You're just as mad as everyone else here…"
She burst out laughing, a rough but not unpleasant noise. She wiped at her eyes, "Silly girl… We're all mad."
Alice jumped as suddenly there was a hand on her elbow. The cat girl tilted her head questioningly as if unaware that she had gone from up in a tree to right next to Alice in the blink of an eye.
"You're not from here," she observed.
Alice sighed, "No, I'm not…obviously."
"Not so obvious," The other girl protested, "How did you get to Wonderland?"
"I fell through a rabbit hole," Alice informed her.
"Lucky…I've been trying to hunt down that rabbit for weeks," she pursed her lips, "…what's your name?"
"Alice, Alice Kingsley," she bobbed into a curtsy, but the cat didn't return the favor, "And who might you be?"
The cat smiled, "Whatever you want to call me. I'll answer to it," she promised.
Alice thought a moment, "You grin almost non-stop, like a Cheshire Cat. How do you like Ches?"
"Better than checkers," The cat girl said, then giggled.
She straightened and turned an ear towards down the road, still as though listening for something.
"I hear fine china," she announced.
Alice blinked and the Cheshire Cat was already down the path, looking back expectantly. Alice trotted after the funny girl, only to have her run a few more yards through some willows. She drew back the branches to a most curious sight.
A boy sat at a long table covered with saucers, cups, teapots, and jars covering every square inch, chairs of all shapes and sizes crowded around. He sat pouring himself some tea, dumping in so much honey it was practically a soup. He couldn't have been much older than Ches, with spiked brown hair and lovely pale eyes.
The Cheshire Cat, so bold was she, that she strolled right to the table and took a seat. The boy jerked back and stared at her.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
Ches shrugged, "Taking a seat. You looked lonely."
"And how do you know that you're welcome? Maybe I'm waiting on guests."
"Are you?"
"…well one, but he's a very strong "maybe"."
Alice took a few steps closer, much shyer than her counterpart, "You haven't even been invited," she chastised the cat.
The boy nodded vigorously, "No, no you haven't."
Ches rolled her eyes, "Well then, may I have tea with you?" She asked sarcastically.
"Only if you answer one simple question," he pulled out a hat from its box and flipped it neatly onto his head, "…why is a raven like a writing desk?"
Alice took a seat across from the Cheshire Cat, forming a triangle between the three of them, "Let's see… Why is a raven-"
"I haven't the faintest idea," Ches said plainly, "Now pass the butter so I can get started on my tea."
The boy gave her a sly grin, and Alice smiled shyly at the boy. It was the first tea party Alice, Jefferson, and Ches ever had together.
III
There was a pounding in Belle's skull and she wondered briefly if she had fallen off the shop's ladder and cracked her head against a counter. Hopefully Rumple hadn't come in…though if he had she'd probably be waking up in the emergency room. It was certainly bright enough to be… She squinted as she opened her eyes. Outside… She was outside but there was a canopy overhead. She moved to sit up but a hand pressed firmly against her shoulder.
"Careful, Belle," A familiar voice cautioned, "You hit your head pretty hard… You might be disoriented."
Belle's eyes opened further and she stared at the woman standing over her.
"…Mulan?" She murmured, and the woman nodded.
Mulan hadn't been part of the curse.
Belle scrambled to sit up, stars blinding her as the pain in her skull throbbed. But that mattered very little as she pieced together what had happened. She had spun the hat, stayed nearby to make sure it worked properly, Regina shoved her-
"No!" She roared. Mulan held out her arms as though she was calming a startled horse. Belle glanced around the courtyard, too obviously not in the land without magic, "No, I can't be here! I can't be away from him, not when we're so close!"
"Belle…"
"I have to get back, we have to get going, I promised him only twenty-four hours until we'd leave Storybrooke!"
"Belle."
She swung her legs off of the bed but stopped. Where would she go? She had neither portal nor portal-jumper, no idea how to get back to her husband… She took a deep breath to force herself to settle down and then smiled painfully.
"I'm sorry… This probably isn't the reunion you were expecting," she mumbled, "Under any other circumstances I'd be happy to see you again, but…"
"You've fallen through a portal back to our land," Mulan finished. Belle nodded, then winced at the motion. "Your comrades are with Philip and Aurora right now."
Belle frowned, "Comrades?"
"Snow and Emma."
Belle's eyes bulged, "They followed me here?!"
"Emma was trying to stop you… And Snow White didn't want to be separated from her daughter."
"Not again, anyway," Belle murmured. Poor Snow…poor Emma.
She finally caught on to Mulan's nervous shifting, how she couldn't quite look at Belle straight on. "What's wrong?" She frowned, a nervousness forming, "…why am I separated from them?"
"Aurora refuses to be in the same room as you," Mulan said bluntly, "I tried to tell her but she wouldn't listen to me."
Belle stared uncomprehendingly and Mulan took a deep breath, finally meeting her eyes.
"Tell me the truth; are you the Devil's Bride?"
It had been so long since she had been called by her old nicknames that it took her a moment to realize what she was saying. Belle cringed, knowing the truth could hurt her…but there was no way she could lie to Mulan.
Belle bent her head, "…I am," she admitted.
Instead of the admission calming her, Mulan seemed infuriated by it.
"How?! The girl I met, the one who saved Philip, she would have never done something like marry the Dark One for power," she said vehemently.
"I didn't do it for power," Belle insisted, "…I did it because I love him," she shook her head, "It's not smart or safe, but I can't help it anymore than I can stop the rain from falling or keep the sun from shining," she shrugged, "He just…happened."
Mulan looked sympathetic…and pained for some reason. She glanced down at Belle's mark and Belle realized a short sleeve probably wasn't the best top for strolling around the Enchanted Forest. She missed her old gloves.
"It's just a promise," she assured Mulan, "…though I have to admit magic's a nice bonus."
"Belle!"
They turned to see Mary Margaret running towards them, Emma and Philip not far behind. Belle barely had the chance to smile before she was trapped in a tight embrace. She hugged back with a soft laugh.
"You really didn't have to follow me," she insisted.
"I can't believe Regina did that!"
"The woman who locked me in a tower and tortured me to near death? I can."
"Belle." She glanced over to see a smiling young man watching her, "Sorry I didn't recognize you at first. The clothes, the hair, the scar… They aren't as I remembered."
"It's alright, Philip; we only knew each other for about an hour," she pointed out, "What matters is that you are reunited with your true love…and that Maleficent will never bother you two again."
"Because of the curse?"
The group glanced back at Aurora, who kept her distance. She watched Belle with a mix of hatred and fear, distrust painted on every feature.
"No, because she's dead. Emma killed her," Belle inclined her head towards the savior.
They all turned to look at Emma, who was dumbstruck by the accusation.
"I thought it was a dragon… You telling me it was an evil fairy?"
"Not sure she was a fairy…" Mary Margaret murmured doubtfully.
Aurora's suspicious gaze turned back to Belle, "I know who you are… I've heard the stories."
"Most have," Belle admitted, "But the majority of them are vague, or exaggerated, or flat out untrue. I don't know why people insist we do but I for one have never eaten a baby, and I'm pretty sure Rumple hasn't either."
"Philip wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Belle," Mulan defended.
Aurora glanced at Philip and he nodded, "She saved me from the curse Maleficent placed me under… The villagers would have killed me, if she hadn't of taken the time to understand what I was trying to say."
The formerly sleeping beauty stared at the Caretaker, who was trying not to blush. Had it been anyone else she would have immediately thanked them for saving her true love's life… But this was a woman who had done horrible unmentionable things. And yet…and yet she didn't seem horrible, not even back at the academy. For a minion of the darkness she didn't seem to fit the part. She was…confusing. Not able to slide into one category or the other.
"I don't trust you," Aurora stated.
Belle nodded, "I understand."
Why was she being so difficult to hate?
III
Alcohol was not a solution to life's problems, Mr. Gold knew. Hiding in the bottom of a bottle was temporary and his problems would be waiting for him after he was forced to sober up. But even that knowledge didn't keep him from indulging, dulling his pain to a manageable level. Besides, if he hadn't of gotten completely wasted and sobbed until he passed out on the couch, he would've gone to hunt down Regina and kill her.
He blearily opened his bloodshot eyes, throat aching while his very brain throbbed. It felt as though there was a heavy weight on his chest. Apparently the alcoholic tolerance of the Dark One hadn't carried over…or maybe it was because he hadn't drank so much since before Belle came into his life. He hoped for a brief moment that it was just another nightmare, that she'd come down the stairs and tease him for not coming to bed.
Belle was gone. Bae was in this world. Yet he couldn't imagine leaving Storybrooke without Belle, finishing the quest she had helped him so much with. He needed her as much as magic. Even more.
Something vibrated against his chest and he glanced down to see the cat, bright yellow eyes watching him. They weren't half-closed in bliss; he didn't bat at Mr. Gold's hands to try and get him to pet his fur, or bump his head in apparent ecstasy. He just sat there, staring, purring.
Belle had told him during the flurry of reading she did to prepare for caring for the kitten that cats didn't just purr when they were happy, but also when they were anxious. Mr. Gold called utter bull crap; most cats had nothing to be anxious about. Belle insisted it was like humming to them. Mr. Gold had rolled his eyes and given up trying to talk sense into her.
Now he could understand, because there was nothing to be happy about and everything to be distressed over. The cat's primary caregiver was gone. His secondary caregiver was a nervous wreck. He didn't know when or if either of those problems were going to be solved. He was coping by purring, which was much better than him meowing at the door…almost soothing, really, as if he were trying to calm Mr. Gold as well.
"Figgy…" He murmured, scratching behind both of his ears. The cat closed his eyes and bent his head forward, his purring hiking up. Mr. Gold leaned forward and pressed his forehead against the cat's, closing his eyes.
He had never wanted the thing, but he had never been so grateful for having it. It was a connection to Belle, something that could understand Mr. Gold's pain to a highly specific degree. They were the pair Belle never meant to leave behind, completely lost without her gentle guidance.
Mr. Gold yowled and the cat fled, a sudden skull-splitting noise erupting nearby. One hand grappled for the shrieking device and the other grasped his head to keep it intact. He thought he had hit the "hang up" button…but apparently it had been the "pick up" one. He sighed, holding it to his ear.
"Gold residence," he muttered half-heartedly.
"Hello, Mr. Gold, this is Principal Poppins."
Mr. Gold's brow creased, "Principal?"
"Yes. Would you be able to come to the office for a quick conference? Your dependent is facing expulsion."
Dependent? Who the bloody hell was his…
…oh. Oh. "…I'll be there as soon as I can," he hissed before hanging up.
Pain in the ass pussycat…
Kit Pettigrew had been to the office more times than she cared to count…but this was her first time in the conference room. It was the first time she hadn't been alone facing the wrath of the administration. It was the first time that adults were being called in. It was her first time being Katja in this situation, not Kit. Though that last "first" made her more confident than unsettled.
The kid next to her was scared out of his mind, but she couldn't imagine why. Henry Mills, the son of an evil queen and a savior… Quite the parental coincidence. Especially because one of his mothers wanted to kill the mother of his other mother. Yeeeeah, she was almost glad she didn't have anything but loosely adopted family for the curse to mess up. He seemed to be a good kid, though, and she was tempted to comfort him.
Before she opened her mouth, Principal Poppins came back in, taking a seat at the head of the table, "Your parents have been called," she informed them.
Henry's eyes widened, "But my mom is in another dimension," he insisted.
She sighed, "Your…other mother has agreed to come in in light of her absence."
Both Henry and Katja cringed. Principal Poppins didn't look too pleased either.
"I think you should just expel me and get it over with," Katja spoke up, "I mean, it is kind of creepy, a twenty-two year old amongst middle schoolers."
"You're not twenty-two."
"Actually I am, just not in human years. This," she motioned up and down her body, "Is very convincing, but I'm not human. Pureblooded werecat…the curse just took my kitty features away."
Principal Poppins just stared at her, as if trying to detect whether Katja was full of it or not. She sighed and decided to just continue, looking at Katja, "Your guardian will also be joining us."
Katja tried not to visibly cringe. He probably wouldn't be too happy about that…
Henry kept trying to meet Katja's eyes as they waited for the storm but she focused on an arrangement in the wood grain. It looked like an imp with one really big eye and one really small one.
In true Evil Queen fashion, the doors flew open to the conference room.
"What is going on?! What did they do to my son?!" Her eyes locked on Katja, "You…"
Katja tried to meow a protest, but it came out like some strangled whine with her human vocal chords. She scrambled back in her chair as Regina advanced on her.
"Mom!"
"I should have killed you when I had the chance, you troublesome arrogant snarky little kleptomaniac!"
"Why are you mad at me?!"
"Stop!"
Regina loomed over Katja, her fingers curled as if forming a fireball. Apparently either she couldn't or wouldn't actually make one. Katja was beyond-words grateful for that, especially because she wasn't positive she could teleport across the room if need be.
"Ms. Poppins has informed me that Henry was involved in an incident you were a part of," Regina growled accusingly.
"She saved me!" Katja winced as Henry practically trumpeted the words, "I was being bullied by a group of kids and she cut in."
Regina stared at Katja and Katja turned away, feeling like she had a sudden sunburn on her face.
"You…saved him?" She said slowly. The Evil Queen was clearly daft.
"What was I supposed to do, watch?" Katja muttered, drawing her knees to her chest, "Not his fault he was adopted by the Evil Queen…"
"As we discussed beforehand it wasn't your reason, it was your method," Principal Poppins said slowly, "But we'll wait until your guardian arrives to fully explain what occurred."
Regina's face went blank, "…her guardian?"
Everyone's timing seemed to be spot on today because only a few second later, Mr. Gold strolled in. Katja grinned sheepishly at him.
"Hey Rumproast…"
"Ten o'clock and you're already in trouble?" He grumbled, though his glare was intently locked on Regina, "I thought you weren't a morning person."
"Maybe that's why; I'm not awake enough to think rationally and therefore I made a poor decision." She glanced at Principal Poppins, but apparently fake-acknowledgement of a perceived bad move wasn't gaining her any points. She turned back to the other grown-ups.
She had been around for the Evil Queen's tutelage, watching mostly from the shadows as the almost-sweet young woman turned into a formidable antagonist. She had seen them get along, had seen them annoyed with each other, had even seen them fight. But this, Regina stepping back while Mr. Gold glared at her as if looks could kill… There was actual hatred going on, and Katja wondered if she'd have to scoot out of the way of impending murder.
But Mr. Gold's glare broke and Regina maneuvered out of his way while he took a seat next to Katja, "What seems to be the problem here, Ms. Poppins?"
Principal Poppins, who had been warily watching the pair, folded her hands together on the table, "Miss Pettigrew…Katja I believe she said her uncursed name was… Has gotten into a fight."
Mr. Gold arched an eyebrow, "So?"
Principal Poppins' lips tightened, "So she attacked a group of ten younger children-"
"Henry's age," Katja clarified.
"Using what appeared to be martial arts techniques-"
"Reggie's decision to hardwire these skills into my brain has evidentially backfired."
"And sending many of them to the hospital."
"The school overreacted."
"One of the boys has a concussion."
"That's what happens when your head smacks against concrete."
Mr. Gold frowned at Katja, "Picking on children… I taught you better than that." Katja bowed her head, actually looking ashamed for once, "Why are you harassing kids half your mental age?"
"She was defending me," Henry spoke up again, a weight to his voice, "They were bullying me because of who my adoptive mother is, like it was my choice. Their leader was pushing me, trying to get me to fight… When Katja came out of nowhere, taking them down like…like…"
"Like a werecat," Regina supplied, looking guilty and disgusted with herself, as she should be with her son being bullied for his mother's reputation.
Henry looked at Katja with a sense of awe, as though she were some sort of hero. Katja inwardly rolled her eyes at that thought; she didn't have the moral boundaries to be anything more than an occasional vigilante.
"Katja's cursed persona has done many, many things against school code…but this is different. She's attacked other students, many of them needing medical attention. And, though Henry here testifies for self-defense," Principal Poppins nodded towards him, "I'm afraid it's too much and too serious to merely brush off."
"Expel her, then."
Principal Poppins and Henry both stared at Mr. Gold. Katja tried not to smile.
"Mental versus physical age aside, the way school is set up, with classrooms and hardly any hands-on activities, trapped inside and told what to do for eight hours a day five days a week… Katja will continue to cause problems because this is simply not the place for her."
"But she needs an education," Principal Poppins insisted, "All children do."
"Then she will teach herself," Mr. Gold said simply, "If she wants to know, she'll learn, sometimes through tough experience but she is perfectly capable of surviving her own mistakes."
Katja glowed at his praise, giving a few rumbling grunts before she realized she couldn't even purr. Being a human sucked.
"Now either she is expelled or I withdraw her myself. If I were you I would go for the former, since there is a zero tolerance policy against fighting. Might as well make an example of her."
Katja emerged from the office a free woman, no longer oppressed by the board of education and able to do whatever she wanted. She was grinning like a cat, stealing glances at an aggravated Mr. Gold. Finally, hallway clear and he unsuspecting, she threw her arms around him and squeezed tight.
"You're the best, Rump!"
He staggered at the force, but didn't push her away. He didn't yell and berate her for being a cuddly nuisance. He just paused a moment, smirking and letting himself be hugged.
"I know."
"And thank you for not killing me when I was that annoying Kit bitch."
"The thought crossed my mind plenty of times, but you're welcome."
"I probably would've killed her if, yanno, I was aware…and not her."
A hand slowly rose, resting on her head and stroking her long hair once, "…I missed you, Puss," he confessed softly.
"Missed you too…Only I didn't know I did. But I kind of did, in my gut…" Her head rose, glaring at him, "…you made me clean your house because I stole my own ball back." Mr. Gold smirked and Katja sighed, burying her face in his jacket, "Whatever, I can't be mad at you for anything you did because you suffered Kit to try and bring me back. Not sure I'd do the same for you."
Mr. Gold stood for a moment longer, then sighed.
"Alright, off." Katja whined. "I mean it, Kitty Kat, we're in public."
"So if we go somewhere private you'll show me affection?"
"Not likely, but at least I won't beat you to within an inch of your ninth life." Katja grumbled but pulled away, content to merely walk beside him.
It was weird, Rumplestiltskin being human. She wasn't sure she liked him this way, especially since he had a bum leg. He just looked so utterly plain without his green sparkle-skin and lizard eyes. He was a bit too serious to be her mentor, but she still recognized him in the glint of his eyes and expressive hands. She followed him out into the parking lot before biting her lip and turning to face him head on.
"Do you and Bluebelle wanna like…go grab some cheese fries or something?" She asked shyly.
His head snapped towards her, looking at her as if trying to decide whether she was serious or not. Katja stared back innocently and his expression softened.
"Belle's gone."
"Obviously," Katja motioned around the Belle-less campus.
He shook his head, "No, Belle's gone…from this world. The hat that took Emma and Snow White away…also stole Belle."
Katja's eyes widened, "No shit… Gods, are you alright?"
Mr. Gold's lips twitched and he shook his head, "No…and I doubt I will be until I at least know she's alright," he turned his head away.
Katja set her hand over his on his cane, "Chill," she murmured gently, "Remember who you're talking about. She helped me slaughter an entire tribe of ogres and she's read more books than anyone ever. I don't need a crystal ball to see how she is; Belle is fine, having an adventure but missing you," she shrugged, "If she wasn't, you'd probably explode or something."
Her mini-speech earned her a small smirk, "Shouldn't I be the one encouraging you?"
"About what? I don't have a true love in another realm," she insisted.
He turned back to her, frowning, "You don't have a true love anywhere; I forbid you falling in love and getting married."
Katja snickered, "You can't stop true love."
"Sure I can," he insisted, "You're my pussycat. I don't want some boy stealing you away."
"First of all, it'll be a man, or a woman I'm flexible, but no boy or girl. Second, I have needs, needs you cannot fulfill because ew. Third…how do you know I haven't found him already?"
"Because I would've known if you had," he said confidently.
Katja cocked an eyebrow, "What if I couldn't be with him? Starcrossed lovers and all that jazz."
There was something terrifyingly serious about Katja's face. It made Mr. Gold uneasy.
"…do you have a true love, Katja?" He asked softly.
She shrugged casually, "Everyone does… But don't worry about it, Rumpy," she squeezed his hand before backpedaling, "Love is madness, and I don't want to go mad."
By the time Mr. Gold had worked through her jaded comment and came up with a rebuttal, she was gone. Perhaps love was madness…but it certainly made reality easier to deal with.
III
"Twas brillig, and the slithy toves. Did gyre and gimble in the wabe," A young woman sang cheerily as she made her way through the endless forest, now caring very little about which path she'd take. She'd eventually get to where she was going and there was no use worrying over if she was taking the right way or not. Ways weren't right or wrong when it came to travelling roads; some were just more direct than others.
A hand suddenly snatched hers, lacing their fingers together. She had long ago gotten used to Ches's sudden appearing and disappearing act, though the feline still tried to catch her by surprise.
"All mimsy were the borogoves," she chimed in and together they sang, "And the mome raths outgraaaaaaaaaaabe."
They giggled like school children, before shrieking as someone grabbed the pair of them.
"Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!" Jefferson growled as menacingly as he could and the women laughed hysterically as he took on an odd accent, "Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun the frumious Bandersnaaaaaaaaaatch!"
Their hatter draped his arms around both of their shoulders and the trio continued forward, laughing and stumbling about as if they were drunk. Ches for one knew she was, drunk off her tail from the perfection of the moment, her two best friends at her side, the world their oyster and nothing impossible in their Wonderland. Ches would have loved to freeze time and stay right there in that moment, feel that intoxication of life forever. Inside of it she didn't worry that she'd never find the rabbit hole, didn't miss Rump or her mother, didn't have to read Alice or Jefferson. She could just be Ches.
The trio tromped to a stop as they spotted a piece of parchment nailed to a tree. Ches ducked away from Jefferson to investigate. There were two sketches, one of a woman who looked incredibly like her and one that looked incredibly like Alice. It was a wanted poster, dead or alive, at the command of Her Majesty the Queen of Hearts. No reason was given but 10,000 gold pieces per rebel was in bold.
"You crash one croquet game and suddenly it's all "off with your head"," Ches muttered as Jefferson peered over her shoulder.
He tore the flyer down, "I told you two to be careful…" He growled.
"Relax, Jeff, it's the Queen of Hearts. We lie low for a week and she'll forget all about it," Alice insisted, then frowned, "Why am I on there though? Just because I snuck into the tournament and giggled at your antics?"
"Like she needs a reason beyond that," Ches muttered, continuing to stroll along the lane. Alice followed and Jefferson sighed.
On one hand they had a point; the Queen of Hearts had a notoriously short temper but he wasn't sure it would be as easily forgotten as they imagined. Being an enemy of the Queen was not a good idea.
"We could go to Neverland, or Narnia, wait for it to blow over," Alice suggested. She elbowed Ches, "But you'd have to go this time too."
"And have the clock turn back on me? No thanks, I like being on this end of puberty," she grumbled.
"Well if you would have taken holidays like Jeff and I, you would be just a permanently aged," she insisted, "Instead, you've been white rabbit hunting trying to find its hole."
"You came here through that hole didn't you?"
"Yes…"
"And you came from a land without magic, right?"
"Right…"
"So in order to get to a land without magic, I have to find the white rabbit's hole," she concluded.
"Why would you want to go to a land without magic?" Jefferson piped up, "You're one of the most magically dependent people I know."
"It's not for me," she protested, "…it's for a friend."
Jefferson studied Ches, curious about the mix of determination and sadness in her dark eyes. It really was for a friend… But who wanted to go to a land without magic?
They arrived at their destination; a pool that was formed by twin waterfalls that trickled down the side of a cliff before cascading downwards. Alice insisted it looked like a giant crying; Ches saw two constantly bleeding puncture wounds on a shoulder. Jefferson thought they were both crazy.
Ches immediately began undoing the lacings of her dress, heart pounding. Alice gasped.
"Chessa, no! Not with Jefferson here!"
"What?" She mumbled, desperately hoping she was just imagining color rising to her cheeks, "Jeffy's seen us plenty of time in our shifts."
"Yes, but that was before we became women," Alice explained, certainly blushing.
"Nothing's changed though…right Jeffy?"
His eyes seemed to be transfixed on her lacings. He blinked slowly, raising his lovely eyes to meet hers, "What was that?"
And there it came again, this…mysterious feeling, a heat forming in a spot below her stomach. She didn't just want to take off her dress; she wanted to take off her shift, her intimates, even her boots, bare herself to Jefferson without apology. She wanted him to see who she was, all of it, to tell him her real name and that she too was from the Enchanted Forest and knew Rumplestiltskin. She wanted him to know her inside out, beginning but not ending with her body. But she was afraid of telling him or even Alice this; such thoughts were probably disgusting to a human, sex an endgame instead of a starting point to them.
"Jefferson you weren't invited," Alice chastised lightly, "It's a girl's swim."
"And I'm not one of the girls?" He feigned hurt, clutching at his chest. Both Alice and Ches rolled their eyes at him.
"Go play with your buddy the March Hare or something," Ches said, idly tugging on her laces.
His eyes trailed back down to her hands, then snapped up, "…alright. Just call if you want me to join in."
It was meant to be a joke, but Ches wished he was serious.
Once he was safely off wandering, Ches and Alice stripped down to their shifts, slipping into the pool. Ches dunked her head under and surfaced, enjoying the cool water. She wasn't an avid swimmer, but she didn't hate it like stereotypes would lead people to think.
"Chessa?" Alice asked softly.
Ches turned to face her. She sat, treading water and looking like she didn't know how to phrase what she wanted to say. Eventually she took a deep and asked, "Do you think Jefferson's…attractive?"
Ches couldn't hold back a snort, "I guess… I mean, if he wasn't one of my best friends," she tilted her head, "Why do you ask?"
Alice bit her lip, "I don't know… I just feel so strange around him lately. My heart starts pounding and I get these odd thoughts…of chapels and white picket fences. I don't know, it sounds silly when I say it out loud." She sank down, her dark hair fanning out like seaweed, "…do you think I'm in love?" She queried.
Love…if Alice was in love, then what was Ches in? Lust? Could her feelings really be simplified like that, as just wanting to bang a cute guy?
"I wouldn't know," Ches confessed, "Never been in it."
"I think I am," Alice murmured, "But how can I find out if he feels the same?"
"Ask him," Ches muttered. That should be obvious even for Alice.
"I don't want to look silly!" She insisted.
Ches let herself float up onto her back, watching the clouds lazily.
"…could you ask him for me?" Ches kicked a few times, very nearly going under in her shock, "I just think you'll be able to put it better."
"Me? Little Miss Blunt? I'll make both of us look stupid."
"You won't, Ches. I'm sure of it."
The werecat glanced up to see Alice looking down at her. She smiled and Ches's insides twisted like snakes.
"…I'll see what I can do," she finally surrendered.
"You're such a good friend," Alice praised, "I'm lucky to have you."
Ches laughed weakly, tempted to drown herself, "Love you too Allie…"
Wonderland was beautiful, in its own way. It wasn't Jefferson's favorite world by any means but there was a certain pleasing aesthetic about blades of grass tall as trees, petals large enough to be beds. The way the sunset filtered through the hundreds of blades, playing with the light… It made the mad world almost bearable. Truthfully he only stayed because of Alice and Chessa's fascination with it. Sadly he didn't think that Ches would ever leave now, not with the threat of deaging and her obsession with the rabbit hole.
As was her style, she simply appeared, leaning against a blade of grass. She was captivating, a stained glass decoration always turning, throwing her colors out across a room. She was enigmatic, and yet an open book. An ever-changing painting that was at the same time familiar, perhaps because it changed.
"Have a nice swim?" He asked.
She shrugged, "It was fine," she examined him, cocking her head quizically, "What were you thinking about?"
Jefferson smirked, "I was contemplating things that began with the letter "c". Color, change, climate…"
"Confessions?"
He shook his head, "Cheshire Cat."
She lifted an eyebrow, "Certainly?"
"Consistently."
"Cause?"
"Craziness," he grinned, "Caring constantly… Conversations cancelled… Cognition confidentially confined."
Ches was sure she was hearing only what she wanted to hear…perhaps a projection of her own emotions. Because there was no way this man could feel the way she felt towards him towards her. It would be far too convenient…and far too wrong.
"What are you saying, Jefferson?" She asked plainly.
Jefferson pouted as she stopped their game, walking towards her, "C'mon, Ches… It's not that hard to figure out," he smiled, that brilliant smile that made her stomach clench, "I mean, haven't you seen the way I look at you? I know you've noticed, by the laces stunt you pulled today…"
Ches winced, "…this isn't the way this conversation's supposed to go."
He raised his eyebrows, "And how is it supposed to go?"
She took a deep breath and huffed it out, "…how do you feel about Alice?"
It was his turn to cock his head, "Alice? She's my best friend."
"Just your best friend?"
Jefferson studied Ches, slowly drawing out the meaning behind her questions, "…just my best friend," he said, a hand reaching out to gently brush her jaw, "My blood doesn't race whenever she's near… I don't find myself wishing I could just…lean…in…and…"
He had been bending down towards her with each word, his voice growing softer and softer. Ches hesitated for a fraction of a second before coming the rest of the way and pressing her lips to his.
It was gentle, careful, not at all the sort of kiss Ches had witnessed or even given before. There was a sort of shyness to it, a kind of slow grace. It didn't so much end as morph into a second longer kiss, only a tad bit firmer. He tasted like tea leaves and sugar.
They continued to experiment, nothing rushed but a type of intensity beginning to build. And then there was something in her chest, something screaming "yes, yes, yes!" and she felt as though all of her emotions, all of her strength, all of her being were pushing out towards him, trying to give her whole self to him.
She broke away with a gasp, terrified at whatever that had just been. Jefferson looked at her questioningly but Ches couldn't explain. She simply shook her head and vanished.
What the hell was that sudden devotion about? Yet, even as she asked the question…she knew the answer.
Over the next several days Jefferson kept trying to get Ches alone but Ches refused, either disappearing entirely or staying by Alice's side. Every time Alice tried to ask about if she had found out Jefferson's feelings Ches changed the subject. She couldn't talk about what had happened… Didn't want to think about what happened. Because she knew, in the back of her mind, that it hadn't just been a kiss shared by two old friends.
If Rump's descriptions were anything to go by, she had shared true love's kiss with Jefferson. And that, to a werecat, was deadly.
III
The three horses Mulan and Philip had brought split up the group smoothly; Philip and Aurora on his stallion, Mulan and Belle on her filly, and Mary Margaret and Emma on the mare. Emma was instantly wishing for a side cart or something, unable to get used to the up and down jerking merry-go-rounds hadn't prepared her for. She was embarrassed at how tight she was holding on to Mary Margaret, but she didn't really have a choice if she wanted to keep her seat.
Near dusk they approached a small settlement on the edge of the woods, without so much as a wall to close it off from danger. The villagers, if they could be called that, glanced nervously towards the newcomers, not appearing very comforted by the fact that Philip and Mulan had returned. Emma watched enviously at how easily the other pairs dismounted…and then there was her. She sort of just…slid off and managed not to fall over.
Mulan took off her cloak and draped it over Belle's shoulders. Belle immediately recognized the gesture for what it was and tightened it around her, hiding her arms. Mulan gave Aurora a glare, one that Aurora easily read; don't run around the camp raving about the Devil's Bride, even if she was among them. Aurora turned away bitterly, Philip taking her hand to reassure her.
"She's a good person," he said softly.
"She might've been, when you knew her," Aurora muttered in response.
"Philip, why don't you go tell our leader that we've returned…with more company than we expected," Mulan added, glancing at the trio of misfits.
Philip nodded, kissing Aurora's hand, "I'll be right back."
"Let me come with you," she pleaded.
He laughed, "I won't be gone long… Just play nice with the other girls."
Aurora grimaced, glancing at the group. The Caretaker was watching her but she appeared…sad. As though viewing a play that reminded her of her past. She had been taken from her love when she went through the portal…was she missing him? Could she miss him?
Belle jumped a little as Mary Margaret lightly touched her elbow, her lips barely moving as she spoke.
"They're watching you, Belle," she murmured, flicking her eyes towards the villagers, "Me and Emma a little bit too, but they are definitely focusing on you…"
She did a quick survey before responding, "None of them look familiar."
"And you'd know every single person you or Rumplestiltskin have ever dealt with?"
"Most of them, at least."
"They'd know who you are just by looking at you?"
"I wouldn't think so," she glanced down at her arm, but it was as securely hidden as it had been since she'd dismounted, "But I wouldn't shrug it off too readily."
Mulan tried to stare down the other survivors, keep them from asking questions, but even she couldn't hold their curiosity at bay. Emma glanced between the nervous clumps of villagers eyeing up Belle and the various members of their own group.
It was a quiet almost stand-off until a woman's frail voice broke through the murmurs.
"Caretaker?"
Belle knew it was a mistake to respond, that she should have ignored it and pretended that she was just some random stranger. But the tone to it, the quiver of hope…plus there was the knee jerk reaction of her title being called. She glanced towards a middle aged woman, whose hands were trembling as she moved closer than the others dared. And there it was, the desperation that seemed to come with every deal.
Her eyes swam with tears, "My son… He's sick…dying. I…please…"
She could hear Rumple's voice in the back of her head, insisting that she should turn away and not concern herself with the issue. That it wasn't worth getting tangled up with these people, that she should try to keep her distance and pretend she had no idea what they were talking about.
But no matter how hard she tried…she could never quite get the hang of being a true Dark One.
She glanced apologetically at her friends before making her way towards the woman, "Take me to him," she said, as authoritative as possible.
Terrified but grateful, the woman led Belle away. Emma stared after them, the correlation not quite clicking.
"Is she, like, a celebrity or something?" She asked.
"Less a celebrity and more a legend," Mary Margaret said, glancing around the camp, "When you don't have much hope, you cling to anything."
Less a legend and more a mythological goddess called upon for miracles, Emma thought. Belief in something was powerful, even if that something didn't exist. Like Santa Claus.
"I'm glad that you found your true love," Lancelot said as Philip stood to leave, "Though I am concerned about these strangers from another realm."
Philip smiled, "Don't worry; one of them is an old friend of Mulan's, and helped me once upon a time. I doubt she'd align herself with anyone untrustworthy."
As if to counter his statement, a guard came rushing in to the quarters.
"What is it, Tristan?"
"It's that boy Lazarus. The one every medicine person said would die within the week," The guard took a deep breath, "He's been healed."
Lancelot stood, walking towards the door, "How can this be?"
"Magic," Tristan said simply.
The fallen knight walked out onto the deck of the hut built a few feet above the ground, peering out. In the glow of torchlight, he saw that the pale sickly child was now healthy, running around with his ecstatic playmates. Lancelot frowned.
"No one has magic in this village, not even the prisoner."
"It was one of the strangers, a powerful sorceress returned to our land from the curse," Tristan glanced at Lancelot, "…they've been calling her the Caretaker."
Lancelot glanced at Philip, who grinned, "That's the one I was telling you about. I don't know what you've heard but I assure you it's probably just an exaggeration."
Problem was, Lancelot had never heard of the Caretaker, and didn't like the thought of someone with magic tossing it about the place.
The four women loitered near what must've functioned as the common area, a few tables with benches under a roof. Mulan couldn't seem to stop pacing, and Aurora kept messing with her shawl. Mary Margaret glanced towards where Belle had wandered off to every few minutes and Emma hoped she hadn't been burned alive or whatever people did with witches around here.
Eventually Belle reappeared, a lightness to her step and an ease to her posture. She took a seat next to Mary Margaret and grinned.
"The boy…is he…?"
"He's going to be fine," Belle assured her, "It was beyond herbs, but not beyond magic."
"And what did you ask for in return?" Aurora murmured.
Belle glanced at her, "It's a private matter…but something he could easily afford."
Aurora rolled her eyes before turning away. Even that didn't seem to dull Belle's spirits much, who continued to smile to herself as though fueled by others' happiness.
The quintet glanced up as Philip rejoined them, looking slightly confused.
"Our leader wants to meet with you," he said, sounding a little surprised, "He's asked you three to dinner."
Emma's stomach clenched painfully and she realized she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. The tenseness of the situation had pushed food to the back of her mind but now hunger had returned with a vengeance. None of the others seemed to object to a meal, following Philip to a longhouse that served as a dining hall.
Towards the back sat a tall, powerfully built man in armor, lost in thought. Mary Margaret spotted him and beamed.
"Lancelot!"
The man glanced up and smiled, "Snow… Philip didn't tell me you were one of the strangers."
"To be fair he didn't tell me that you were the leader either," she laughed, skirting the table to embrace him.
Emma was glad she wasn't the only one caught off guard by the apparent reunion. Belle and Mulan, now Snow White and Lancelot? Next she'd find out that Red Riding Hood was friends with one of Cinderella's mice.
"Please, make yourselves comfortable," Lancelot said, motioning around the circular table.
Emma sat across from Lancelot, with Mary Margaret on his left and Belle to his right. The other three seemed to have bowed out as quickly as they could and Emma was starting to wonder if she should be more concerned about Mrs. Gold.
"You were taken with the curse; how did you get back?" Lancelot asked incredulously.
Mary Margaret shrugged, "Fell through a portal… Long story," she tilted her head, "The real question is why you weren't… I thought it covered the entire land."
Lancelot shook his head, "It's a mystery as to why we stayed behind… For some reason this region remained untouched."
Mary Margaret glanced at Belle, but Belle just shrugged, equally mystified.
"We fought for this safe haven… Twenty eight years have given the beasts of the realm time to flourish and gain control of the majority of the land. Especially the ogres."
"Ogres? Like fe-fi-fo-fum?" Emma asked.
Mary Margaret rested a hand on her daughter's arm, "No, those are giants."
Belle looked a little offended by the statement, but said nothing out loud. Emma stared down at Mary Margaret's hand and she shyly drew it away.
"It doesn't matter; we need to get back home, to our families," she insisted before glancing at Belle, "I…think I have an idea on the "how"," she admitted. Belle looked slightly surprised at this news.
"What is it?" Lancelot asked curiously.
Just then, dinner arrived. Emma's nose wrinkled as a platter of gigantic ribs was set in front of them, alongside a small stack of plates.
"Do I want to know what that is?" Emma mumbled.
"Looks like chimera," Belle observed, "Part goat, part lion, part snake…and pretty aggressive."
Emma and Mary Margaret both appraised the meat nervously, while Lancelot started sawing the meat off the bones.
"I haven't had chimera in ages," Belle said wistfully, "Probably not since my journey to Agrabah."
"You've actually eaten this?" Mary Margaret asked, and if Mary Margaret sounded incredulous at this news then Emma sure as hell was concerned now.
Belle shrugged, "It's pretty much eating whatever you can kill when you're trekking through the wilderness. Certainly not the worst thing I've ever had to eat," she eagerly dished up a plate for herself, "It's terrific with curry sauce."
Emma had never imagined Disney's bookworm Belle capable of killing her own food…then again this was the woman who went at Pinocchio with an axe. She was starting to think their world left a lot out with their retellings.
Mulan's cape slid as Belle helped herself, and Lancelot glanced down at her arm, "So you're the sorceress they've been talking about."
Belle's eyes widened in horror, and she quickly worked to hide her dark mark.
"They call you the Caretaker because of what you did for that boy," he ventured.
"My name's Belle," she said softly.
Lancelot smirked, "I'm sure your intentions are good, Belle… But one miracle will not win them over. Dark magic shouldn't be trusted in the first place, but especially after this curse and the discover of Cora-"
"Cora?" Mary Margaret interrupted, her pitch rising to a squeak.
Lancelot nodded gravely, "She's lost her power, but we've imprisoned her, just to be sure."
"Who's Cora?" Emma asked, continuing to study the meal and weighing it against just how starving she was.
"Regina's mother," Mary Margaret explained, "She disappeared shortly before Regina married my father… It was rumored that Regina exiled her."
"Her own kid kicked her out of the kingdom?"
Mary Margaret shrugged, "Says a lot about Cora, doesn't it?"
"Cora's dead."
They turned to a shell shocked Belle, who stared at Lancelot in a silent prayer that he was lying. Her voice shook and she kept her hands firmly clasped in her lap.
"Regina saw the body herself," she whimpered.
"Apparently Cora's mentor taught her well, to be able to fake her own death," Lancelot murmured.
Belle's chin quivered for a moment before she pushed her seat back, "I need some air," she breathed, stumbling to her feet and retreating. Her chimera remained untouched.
The three watched her leave the longhouse, Mary Margaret fighting the urge to follow her.
"I didn't know that she knew Cora," she admitted.
Emma shrugged, surrendering to her stomach and dishing some of the questionable meal onto her plate, "Gold might've told her about her," she pointed out.
Lancelot frowned, intrigued by Belle's reaction…well by Belle herself. He didn't like the thought of someone who could challenge him in his domain.
III
"Ches you're far too quiet."
The cat in question glanced up from the tea leaves she had been idly stirring, looking at Alice and Jefferson.
"Just contemplating things that start with the letter A," she said, "Angst. Abstinence. Anger. Adultery."
"Adultery?" Jefferson scoffed.
"Already an anxiety." She glanced at her old friend, "…Alice."
Jefferson frowned, before glancing in the same direction. Alice looked between the pair of them and glowered.
"What is going on between you two?" She muttered, "You've been acting so strange since Ches and I went for that swim."
If only Alice knew…
Ches went back to listlessly stirring her tea, Jefferson dumping more honey into his. Alice fumed.
"We have never kept secrets before and we are not about to start now," she said firmly. She turned to Ches, "Is it because you asked him that question we talked about?"
No. In fact she was pretty sure it was the exact opposite of that.
Ches shifted uncomfortably, "You know we only have one birthday a year, but what about the 364 other days? Are they our unbirthdays?"
"Ches!"
"I suppose that makes today my unbirthday," Jefferson mused.
"What a coincidence, it's my unbirthday too!"
"Well a merry unbirthday to you, then!"
"To you!"
Ears welled up in Alice's eyes as she got to her feet, "You two are impossible!" She exclaimed, "A pair of insane children incapable of growing up! Well I refuse to sit around playing informational monkey in the middle!"
"Alice…" Jefferson murmured.
"Don't "Alice" me!" She snapped, hands balling into fists, "When you're ready to actually act like an adult and talk instead of throwing around riddles, then you can come find me!" She stormed away, trying extremely hard not to let either Jefferson or Ches see her cry.
Ches watched until she vanished from sight, then growled and pushed her tea away, "Now look what you did…"
"What I did? You're the one who refuses to tell her the truth!" Jefferson protested.
"It would devastate her!"
"And keeping things from her won't?!" He shook his head, "You're a real piece of work, you know that?"
"Look who's talking."
"At least when I feel something I'm not afraid of it."
"Alice loves you!"
"Which is a shame because I'm in love with you!"
The entire forest seemed to still at his confession. Ches stared at him and he shifted as though sitting on a pile of jacks. He cleared his throat.
"…I love you, Chessa, alright? And if you don't feel the same then I-"
Ches could only describe it as instinct, her logic disappearing in light of the heat in her veins. She stepped onto the table, scarcely caring what her boots crushed, as she crossed the distance between them. She sank to her knees on his placemat, snagging him by the scarf, and stared him in the eye.
"I love you too, Jefferson," she growled.
Their mouths connected so fast their teeth clacked together, and he surged to his feet. Claws made shreds of his clothing and he tore at hers eagerly, scrambling up onto the table. Hot tea spilled and dishes were knocked over as their mouths opened, hands all over each other. Cups shattered as Ches pinned Jefferson to the table, grinding against him. A hand fisted in her hair, legs entwining with hers and she was suddenly flipped over, back slamming against the table and causing a tea pot to smash.
Alice could have been standing right there and Ches wouldn't care enough to stop, embarrassingly vocal as Jefferson caressed her, the feel of his mouth on her skin the most perfect sensation she had ever felt. Her ears filled with the soundtrack of breaking porcelain and Jefferson's groans. Her eyes were filled with his body and the night sky looming over them. And, for the first time in her entire life, she felt…whole.
It was hours before they calmed down, casually spooning on what had once been a tea party. She had jam in her hair and there was a smear of butter on his back, their skin tea and sweat soaked… But it was still perfect. Ches leaned her head back against his chest.
"…why is a raven like a writing desk?" She wondered idly.
"I haven't the faintest idea," Jefferson murmured, kissing her neck.
And the feeling came back again. Of devotion completely to Jefferson. Of everyone else coming second, and nothing else mattering besides Jefferson's happiness. The feeling she couldn't go on without him.
She gave herself credit for not bolting this time, her hammer heart the only thing that could betray her.
"Jeffy, we can't do this."
"You're right. One of us will eventually end up with a piece of glass in our buttocks."
"No, I mean this…" She nuzzled his shoulder gently, "It would break Allie's heart."
"At first, maybe, but she'll get over it. She'll be happy for us, and find her own love."
"And what if she doesn't? You want to lose her?"
"Of course not," he muttered into her hair, "I love her, but not like I love you. She's our best friend."
"Then think of that. I'll still be around if you choose her…but I can't promise the reverse."
"Oh come on, Alice isn't that shallow," Jefferson insisted, "She'll understand."
"You obviously know nothing about women and their abilities to resent." She sighed, hating herself for sinking so low but knowing she'd have to in order to convince him, "If you continue to pursue me I will leave Wonderland."
Jefferson tensed, then jerked up to stare down at her, "…you're bluffing."
Ches shook her head, "Never been so serious in my entire life. Choose Alice and I won't do the time warp and go back to being ten."
Jefferson pulled away, "You're heartless, you know that?" He snarled.
Ches propped herself up on her elbows, "Caring about my bestie is heartless? Dang, who knew."
Jefferson clenched his jaw, causing a tendon in his neck to jump, "It's not just about Alice. I know it, you know it, so just tell me what it is."
How on earth was she supposed to describe her feelings to him? That falling in love with him felt as dangerous as parading around a tribe of ogres with a trumpet and a suit made of raw meat? She shrugged lightly.
"Sorry, Jeffy… My life means more to me than you."
The next day Ches lay out near the pool, trying to hold back the thoughts of last night. She wanted to apologize, to explain that she was just terrified at how intense her emotions were. Give her time and be a little patient and then maybe…
"Ches! Ches!"
Ches opened her eyes, looking up as Alice leaned over her.
"You talked to him, didn't you?!"
She blinked, confused as to why she seemed so happy about it, "Um, yeah, I talked to Jefferson."
"I knew it!" She squealed, hugging the cat tight, "He told me this morning that he has feelings for me! Can you believe it?! Oh Ches, I'm so happy I could die! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best friend in the world!"
If that were true then the world was in serious trouble.
The scene repeated six months later when Alice informed Ches that Jefferson had proposed. Another six months and Ches was the maid of honor at her best friend and the love of her life's wedding, an intimate gathering held underneath blades of grass tall as trees.
Ches watched the dragonflies and horseflies chase each other, feeling as though someone were squeezing her heart to the point she couldn't breathe. But she would live…wasn't that what mattered? That her weird oober-emotions wouldn't turn her into a lemming if something were to happen to Jefferson?
"I was hoping you'd speak now," The man in question admitted, coming up behind her.
Ches shrugged, "I'd rather forever hold my peace," she replied.
He sat down beside her on a log that, if they were on the same scale as the forest, would be little more than a twig. She couldn't look at him and he didn't glance at her. She finally sighed, her feet going pigeon-toed.
"Just promise me you two will be happy… That I didn't doom you to eternal marital hell in an attempt to make all of us content."
"We will," he assured her, then took a deep breath, "We don't bring up the tea party, ever. Agreed?"
"No one has to know," Ches murmured in agreement. It was enough that it happened.
It fell into silence and a part of Ches longed for the days when they spoke easily, when they were friends and Wonderland lived up to its name. Things had been so simple then… But of course her and Alice both had to go and fall for their mutual bestie Jeffy. And Ches knew it was chicks before-
"You ready…my husband?"
They glanced up in unison at Alice, no longer a vision in white but still glowing. Jefferson stood, taking his top hat off and smiling.
"Whenever you are, Mrs. Liddell." She giggled and they linked arms.
His hat fell with a twirl, spinning of its own accord and creating its vortex. Alice beamed at Ches, hair flying wildly.
"We'll see you in a few weeks, Chessa!"
Ches managed to smile, tears streaming down her face, "See you then. Have fun, lovebirds!"
Jefferson didn't look back and, once it was large enough, they jumped. The purple swallowed them before vanishing, the hat slowing and finally falling onto its side. Ches picked it up and held it to her chest, finally able to cry. She sobbed, loud and ugly, for a thousand reasons…mostly because the cost of her life was so high.
She walked home that night wishing she had Rump with her; sometimes his boots weren't enough, and she could use his bluntness to tell her that she had done the right thing for everyone involved. She spotted a flyer posted to a tree and glanced at it. She might've thought it was hers and Alice's old wanted poster… Only the price on their heads had doubled.
III
Katja had no idea what to do with herself now that she wasn't busy trying to get out of school. She should be figuring out her place in the new economy; ogre killing had been her bread and butter in the Enchanted Forest, but there wasn't much need for that here. She didn't like resorting to theft unless she'd done a favor for someone. Maybe Rump would hire her, even though the thought of him as her boss was the stuff of nightmares.
"Hey!"
Katja paused to see a girl Henry's age running to catch up to her. Intrigued, Katja waited, phantom tail twitching. The girl smiled at her and something buzzed in the back of Katja's mind, as though she should be reminded of someone.
"I heard about what you did, protecting Henry from those bullies," she said, "I just wanted to say that I think that was a really nice thing for you to do."
Katja arched an eyebrow, "You probably didn't hear the part where I beat them up, then."
"I did, but still… It's the thought that counts," she looked her over, "So who were you, back in our land?"
"Katja," she said, "A lot of people knew me as the Puss in Boots, though."
The girl glanced down at Katja's footwear and smirked before looking back up at her, "Well I was known as Paige here, but my real name's Grace."
The epiphany smacked Katja in the face and she was stunned silent. Grace… Of course it was Grace, she resembled her mother so much. But that smile…
"Henry says that my papa's known as the Mad Hatter," Grace continued, taking Katja's silence as confusion, "But I don't think he's truly mad…"
"It's…nice to meet you…Grace," Katja choked out the words, fighting the urge to hold her close and tell her how much she's wanted to see her again.
"Nice to meet you too, Katja," she smiled again and turned to leave.
"Wait," Katja spat, not wanting Grace to go away so soon, not after all this time. Grace looked back at her curiously, "You want to grab lunch at Granny's or something?"
There was no precedence for this question; Kit and Paige had never said a single word to each other the entire curse. But Grace just nodded as if it were a perfectly logical, perfectly natural offer.
"Sure."
Katja thought she might explode at the single syllable.
III
Ches really hoped it was her sensitive ears and that Alice wasn't actually screaming that loud. Jefferson had her biting down on his scarf…but that could only do so much when Alice was in such incredible pain.
She watched the surrounding area more thoroughly than a guard, tail flicking. The Queen's patrols had been increasing, the pressure to find her and Alice intensifying after over a year without results. The Queen of Hearts hadn't let the incident slip her mind and Ches wondered exactly what the tyrant was after. All of this couldn't just be over a game of croquet…
And suddenly the screaming died off, turning into heavy breathing and light sobs. Ches relaxed some, head swiveling to and fro. The coast seemed clear, though. They had survived the afternoon and early evening with Alice's ordeal, and the screams hadn't called attention to their hideout.
A half hour later Jefferson emerged from the den they had made in the side of a hill, clothes still stained with blood. Poor guy… But Ches was their best look-out, so she had to be the one on guard. He collapsed beside her, grinning.
"It's a girl," he announced softly, hardly containing his excitement.
Ches smiled, "That's great. Healthy?"
"Far as we could tell. Came out blue but that went away after a bit." Ches met his shining eyes. "She's beautiful," he declared, which seemed like an exaggeration considering he had met the babe while it was covered in his wife's blood and mucus. But he was happy to be a daddy, and it was a celebration none of them had enjoyed since the honeymoon.
He nudged her shoulder with his, "Go. Alice wants you to see her," he urged. Ches didn't need further prompting.
She teleported herself into the den, creeping her way towards Alice's makeshift bed. Alice was cooing lightly to a bundle in her arms, eyes full of love. Ches knelt shyly next to the new mother.
"I didn't know how deep I could love until now," Alice declared, shifting the babe to give Ches a better look, "See? It's your Auntie Chessa. She came to meet you…"
"What's her name?" Ches asked.
Alice beamed, "Grace Chessa Liddell."
Ches's head snapped to stare at Alice, who only giggled.
"Don't act so surprised; you've been by my side ever since I came to Wonderland, and I'm sure you'll be by hers as well."
"Now the poor child has to live with your ridiculous name choice as much as I do," Ches teased, turning back to Grace.
Ches hadn't seen a ton of babies, but she was positive Grace was the cutest by far. Just the right amount of chub, with large brown eyes and pale pink lips. Alice held Grace out to Ches and the cat took her into her arms, holding her close. Ches swore her heart would blow up with love, this defenseless little girl at her breast. She held one of her tiny hands, mesmerized at how miniature it was and yet absolutely perfect. Ches's fingers curled around her tiny fist.
"Damn it."
"What, Ches?"
"She's not even an hour old and I freaking love her. Two minutes tops and I'm wrapped around these itty bitty fingers!" Alice giggled and Ches glared at her. "Why are you laughing? I'm serious! All three of us are in severe trouble. There's no way we'll be able to punish her when she's older! She is going to get away with murder and we'll be the three guardians responsible because we couldn't punish her when she did bad! Allie, the fact you're still laughing is concerning me…"
Wonderland lived up to its name again for a week, as they took turns caring for Grace. Ches felt less like a third wheel and more like the auntie she had been decreed. It was a small family of gypsies, moving around the realm and too busy with their newest member to notice any other feelings, like unresolved romantic issues. Ches was curled up in their den, fast asleep, when she was woken up by something acrid burning her nostrils. She sat up instantly alert, eyes opening to the sight of flames.
She yowled and glanced about, but Alice nor Jefferson were in sight. Grace was still in her makeshift cradle and Ches scooped her up, transporting them out of the den.
They were instantly surrounded by guards, yelling and thrusting spears or arrows at her. Ches curled around Grace, darting around the guards and making for the forest. She was just about to teleport them again when an arrow grazed her forearm and it felt like the magic had been sucked out of her. All she could do was run into the forests, dodging and weaving and working herself in so thick they couldn't possibly follow.
She didn't dare stop until they were completely alone, the only sounds coming from her or Grace. She sank down to her knees, examining her wound more carefully. It looked normal enough, not magic inflicted… She dabbed at the blood with her finger and sniffed it.
Silver… That deck of cards knew exactly what they were hunting.
As one arm held Grace, the other cleaned the cut, working the silver out of her system. Luckily it hadn't gone too deep and soon Ches felt her magic returning to her. She kissed the top of Grace's head reassuringly before teleporting to their agreed upon meet-up place if something such as this occured.
Alice and Jefferson were already at the pool and Alice spun around.
"Ches!" She exclaimed, both of them rushing towards her. Ches embraced her with one arm.
"She's fine," she quickly assured them, "Don't think she inhaled too much smoke."
She passed Grace to Jefferson, who quickly checked her over. He glanced at Ches, "You alright?"
"A little freaked, but otherwise okay," she sighed, "I'm just glad you two were gone."
"We went to go get breakfast," Alice explained, biting her lip, "We saw the den on fire…troops surrounding the area… We were so worried."
"Well, we made it out," Ches murmured, glancing between the two of them, "Did you at least get breakfast?"
The couple laughed tensely and Jefferson nodded to a basket not far off. There was something very grave in Alice's face, contemplative, but Ches figured she was just thinking about the fallout of the attack. The lackeys had finally tracked them down after all this time.
It was that night, as they found shelter in an abandoned cottage, that Alice finally spoke her mind.
"You need to leave Wonderland."
Jefferson and Ches looked up at Alice, not sure which of them she was talking to. Alice glanced up from her cup of tea to meet her husband's eyes.
"We can't go on like this, running and hiding. One day we will be caught…and I don't want you to lose your head."
"If I go then we all go," Jefferson said plainly, "The Queen doesn't even seem to know about me."
"Exactly…and I don't want you to be dragged down with us," Alice took a deep breath, "The hat can take two; we've made sure of this every trip since you started showing me the worlds. I want you to take our daughter back to your home… I want you and her to go back to the Enchanted Forest."
"No!" Jefferson refused immediately, "You're mad if you think I'll leave without you, either of you!"
"Jeff, be practical. We can't carry a baby around with us when we're trying to hide, and they don't care about your capture," she glanced around, "The best thing for us…for all of us, is for you to leave with Grace."
"And damn you to spend the rest of your life here?!"
"Not necessarily."
They both turned to Ches as she spoke, idly spinning her empty tea cup on the table. Ches took a deep breath.
"I…can travel between worlds," she admitted, "Hell that's how I got here in the first place. I'd need to work up my stamina to be able to take two, and gather the supplies I need but eventually… I could bring us back to the Enchanted Forest."
Jefferson stared at Ches, "But you'll…"
"Turn into a kid again, I know," she sighed, stilling the cup, "But Allie's right; running around with a baby, no matter how cute, is eventually going to get us caught. It's better to get the two that aren't on the poster to safety before they're added."
He turned his head back and forth, looking helplessly between them. But he knew that he wouldn't be able to change their minds.
The next day they gathered, fighting back tears as Jefferson prepared to leave. Grace was fast asleep in his arms, so innocent it made Ches glad she didn't have a clue what was going on. Alice went first with her goodbyes, hugging Jefferson tightly and burying her face in his shoulder.
"I'll miss you so much," she murmured, sniffing as she brought her head back up, "Even if it's only for a little while."
Jefferson nodded, "Only for a little while," he repeated, too stricken to say much else.
Alice leaned down, kissing the top of Grace's head, "And I will miss you, my precious daughter. Be good for your papa, alright?" Alice stepped back, wiping at her eyes.
Ches numbly approached Jefferson, embracing him.
"Keep both of you safe, alright?" He murmured.
"Course, Jeffy," she said, "And I'll get her back to you ASAP."
"How long is it going to take?"
Ches bowed her head, "…I don't know," she confessed.
Jefferson frowned, "…do it as soon as you can, then." Ches nodded, then looked down at Grace.
She wouldn't be the same, Ches knew, no matter how long it took. Kids grew in the blink of an eye and she'd miss watching her grow, even if it was only a few months out of her life. She smoothed Grace's brown hair, soft as Pegasus down.
"See you soon, kiddo," she murmured, then stepped back.
Jefferson took a deep breath, before taking the hat off of the top of his head. He spun it as he tossed it to the ground, creating that same purple vortex Alice and Ches had seen dozens of times. He glanced back as it grew, eyes watery.
"I love you two," he said.
"And we love you," Alice assured him.
Then, with a half-hearted jump, Jefferson and Grace disappeared from Wonderland. The purple magic went with them and soon, all there was left of him was a hat.
Alice slowly approached it, bending down to pick it up. She held it to her chest and started to sob. Ches knelt down beside her, rubbing her back.
"It's alright, Allie… We'll be with them again soon," she said, unable to keep herself from crying along with Alice.
Years passed, the pair of them trying to both avoid the Queen of Hearts' forces and find the necessary ingredients for Ches to be able to take them to the Enchanted Forest. They refused to give up hope, even when it seemed like Ches would never gain the power to take two through the vastness of time and space. If it got to be too much they grieved together, curled side by side wherever they managed to find somewhere to sleep.
It was all well and good until a woman from their lands decided that 100,000 gold pieces was worth more than a pair of comrades, and informed the Queen of Hearts of their whereabouts.
III
"Oh my gosh, are you serious?!"
"Dead serious! This tiny blonde chick was the one who kept breaking into their house, eating their food and messing up their beds! They were so pissed!"
The other patrons of Granny's only spared the occasional glance at the two girls in the booth, assuming that they were just two average friends sharing fries and sipping on milkshakes. Even those who recognized Katja only thought it was nice that the insufferable "Kit" actually had someone to hang out with.
Katja was just glad to be reunited with Grace, even though she was ten years older than the last time she had seen her and not nearly as portable. She could see bits of Alice and Jefferson in their child, and it made her heart ache even as she was glad. Shestirred the foamy remnants of her shake, having to ask but feeling shy about it all the same.
"How's your dad?"
Grace glanced up, frowning, "What do you mean?"
"Like, how is he doing?" She enunciated, stabbing the glass with her straw, "I saw him…once during the curse, towards the end, but other than that…"
"You mean he's here? In Storybrooke?" Grace's face lit up.
Katja stared, "…where the hell have you been staying if it's not with him?"
"Neighbors from our old land," she said dismissively, "My papa and I were…separated. By the Queen."
Evil bitch… Katja pushed the empty glass aside.
"Come on, then. He's probably worried sick about you."
"You know where he lives?" Grace asked incredulously.
"Yeah." Perhaps her Kit personality had gone a little overboard with her crush on Jefferson… It wasn't stalking if she only checked out his place once, right?
Granny spotted the two heading for the door and opened her mouth, but Katja cut her off.
"Just put it on Gold's tab!"
Granny frowned thoughtfully, then shrugged. It worked for her.
Grace was only mildly surprised as Katja took her by the wrist, but the girl's next words concerned her.
"I don't typically do this on a first date, but you're just going to have to trust me. Don't worry, you're not going to get split in two or something; I'm a professional."
Before Grace could question what Katja was talking about, there was a sickening lurch and then suddenly they were standing in front of a large mansion. Grace stared at Katja, who merely shrugged.
"Werecats do cool tricks," she rang the doorbell.
Grace took a deep breath, the anticipation hardly having time to build. Dull footsteps came from inside, making their way closer to the door. She tried to peer inside, get a good look at who was coming, but the door was open before she did.
And there he was. His hair was shorter, spiked up, and his clothes were more kempt, but it was him. He stared down at her in disbelief and she beamed, throwing her arms around him.
"Papa!"
"Grace…" He breathed.
His arms wrapped tightly around her as he seemed to sink under the weight of her affections, closing his eyes and simply drowning in the fact he had his daughter back.
After a few moments Grace turned around, "Katja-"
But the girl she had met today was nowhere to be seen.
Was it the cowardly thing to do, disappearing before Jefferson came to the door? Absolutely, Katja was a big enough girl to admit that. But she didn't want a huge scene in front of Grace…or any scene. It was still hard to face him after all these years.
She didn't feel like going home right away, so she stopped by the Rabbit Hole for a few beers. The bartender didn't card her, which was great because she didn't feel like explaining how she was indeed of age by her race's standards. Though with the continuing threats of chaos overtaking the town selling alcohol to minors didn't seem like a big deal. She went home with a buzz, intending to get drunk in the privacy of the house she took as payment for helping out with Mary Margaret's case.
It was a large house, white with roman pillars on the porch and two balconies, one in the front and another overlooking the lake. After the storm she had thankfully been staying with the Golds during, she realized she needed at least one permanent roof to hide under if the weather got soggy. Tonight she felt a little more domestic than wild, so indoors it was.
She flicked the lights on to the hardly-furnished living room, save for the fully-functional bar that was off to one side. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw someone was sitting on the futon couch.
He sighed, looking unamused but not homicidal, "Hello Ches."
Katja leaned against the doorframe, "…hey Jeffy."
III
"You know I don't make a habit of working with the Queen of Hearts," Jack remarked, "But the chance to bag a werecat? Too good to pass up."
Ches glared at the woman gloating, surrounded by the Queen of Hearts' forces. Alice had a blade pressed to her throat, keeping both of them from fleeing. It had been stupid to accept a stranger's offer to spend the night in the cabin, but Alice had been so tired of sleeping on the grass or in trees. She should have known…should have been stronger and not given in to the promise of a place to rest. And now the woman who had seemed so kind and generous last night was taunting her.
Her lips curled back as she growled.
"None of that," Jack scolded and the blade pressed deeper into Alice's skin.
Ches was forced to stay still as they put a silver collar around her neck, rendering her magic-less…but not defenseless. She waited until the lackeys pulled away before lunging forward, snarling and knocking Jack against the wall. Ches relished the fear in her eyes, the unmistakable stench of it coming from her, even as four men pulled her off of the supposed huntress.
Jack straightened, brushing herself off and turning to Alice, "I'm sorry you got tangled up with the likes of her… Sometimes it's hard to realize that they're monsters when they look so human."
Alice glared at Jack, "And sometimes the monsters turn out to be human."
They were loaded into two separate cages on two separate carts, and Ches spent the majority of the journey pacing… Kind of like a wild animal. Guess she wasn't helping her case. It was a few days to the Court of Hearts, and their hosts barely remembered to give them food or water. Ches didn't mind so much but looking at Alice's pained expression…that was unbearable.
When they arrived at the palace, they were taken out of their cages and cuffed, and Ches noticed just how fast the mouse of a huntress Jack had scurried off. The lackeys then marched them into the palace, to a room that was as white as bleached bone. There was a long table off to the left, a sort of throne, and then what looked like the guilty party's chair. Ches was forced to sit in that chair, chained to it, while Alice remained standing, the guards surrounding her.
"Leave us," A new voice commanded from somewhere behind Ches. The guards didn't hesitate before abandoning Alice and vacating the room.
Alice and Ches exchanged a worried look. It seemed the Queen had arrived.
A small woman stepped into Ches's view, made to look much bigger with her ostentatious gown of pure white and ruby red. Long dark curls were piled on top of her head, dark beady eyes examining her. She smirked.
"So, I finally caught you… Cheshire Cat," she murmured, looking smugger than any person ought to.
Ches's claws dug into the arms of the chair, "All this over one croquet game?" She faked incredulity.
The Queen of Hearts laughed softly, "No, this isn't about your childish antics in a queen's court, or else your head would be off your shoulders. That stunt just alerted me to your presence in my queendom," Her eyes scanned over Ches's body, "A werecat in Wonderland… What a pleasant happenstance, considering they're only native to the Enchanted Forest."
"I thought you better than a trophy hunter," Ches said honestly.
The Queen of Hearts grinned, "Trust me, if I wanted you dead then you would be."
"Then what do you want?"
She clasped her hands in front of her demurely, "There's the curiosity," she cooed, striding a little closer, "I have been told that your kind are realm jumpers. I just so happen to need to go to another realm…your home world, in fact."
"Why?"
The Queen of Hearts smirked, "I don't need to give you a reason; I just need for you to do it."
"I was ten, it was once, and it was only me. What makes you think I can do it again?" She asked.
"Your motivation will be greater."
Her Majesty went over to Alice and Ches felt her stomach drop. Alice met the Queen of Hearts' gaze steadily, a bravado Ches couldn't even imagine having on her features.
"Alice, right?" She inquired. Alice gave a stiff nod. "Some advice, sweetheart. Don't go running around with powerful magic users…you'll end up a weakness."
Fast as her own reflexes, the Queen of Hearts shoved her hand inside of Alice's chest.
"ALICE!" Ches screamed.
Alice's face was frozen in an "oh", her eyes wide with pain. With a sickeningly wet squelch the Queen of Hearts pulled her hand back out, something glowing, red, and beating in her hand.
She showed it to Ches, who couldn't breathe, "I trust that you will do your best now that your friend's life is at risk?"
To demonstrate her point, she squeezed the heart. Alice fell to her knees, clutching at her breast and gasping.
"I'll do it! I'll do it just stop it!" Ches shrieked.
The Queen of Hearts' grip relaxed and Alice's shoulders sank in relief, "Good," she gestured towards the table, "I should have all of the ingredients that you need… Even the ones that you and Alice have failed to gather."
Ches stared at her friend's heart, resting in the palm of their enemy's hand. For all it mattered it might as well have been her heart on the line. She was starting to realize how big of a weakness love could be.
The days fell into a predictable pattern. She and Alice spent the nights in the dungeon, a thick wall between them and just enough food and water to sustain themselves. They were brought up in the morning, Alice standing beside the Queen of Hearts while Ches worked. Depending on how much Ches could do, they could be up there for a couple of hours or the entire day. When Ches could move no further on the preparation, they were cast back into the dungeon. The only time Ches was allowed to be free of her collar was during her work, and even then the Queen of Hearts and Alice were behind a barrier. A barrier she could easily break down, but not fast enough to save Alice if her heart was crushed.
The afternoon was passing, heading towards the evening. Ches stared blankly at the wall; the Queen of Hearts had given her today to rest, since the spell required the full moon in order to be cast. Sleep wasn't an option, not with the thoughts plaguing her. Such as if the Queen would keep her word…and what would happen to Alice? It would be hard enough trying to take two through the ether to the correct world…she couldn't possibly bring Alice with her too. Would she be trapped behind in Wonderland until she could find Jefferson and give him his hat back?
"You have to let her kill me."
Ches's head turned towards the wall, pretty sure she hadn't heard Alice right, "What are you talking about? There's no way I'm going to let you die."
"You have to, Chessa…" Alice's voice was rough, and Ches couldn't tell if it was from thirst or emotion, "Whatever reason she has for going to yours and Jefferson's world, it can't be good. I don't want to live with a guilty conscious knowing I was the reason you helped her."
"Alice-"
"Ches please," This time she was certain it was from emotion, and she could practically see the tears streaming down her old friend's face, "I am not afraid of death… I am afraid of my daughter growing up without parents. I am afraid that, no matter what Jefferson assures her, Grace will think I abandoned her… That I did not love her. I need you to protest that. I need you to be there for her the way you were there for me when I came to this land. I need you to be her auntie, her surrogate mother."
Ches closed her eyes, body jerking as she sobbed her protest, "I can't…I can't…"
"I know you can!" Alice wept, "You have to! For me, and Jefferson, and Grace!"
"How could I ever look at him again knowing I let his wife die?!"
"Because you chose the greater good!"
There was no more room for words. Ches covered her ears, burying her face in her drawn-up knees, as if that would drive away Alice's request. She could not see what Alice saw, that the need was so great that she'd have to die to keep the Queen of Hearts from crossing over. But if Alice felt their family was in danger…
They were brought up once the moon had risen and the sun had disappeared completely. The Queen of Hearts watched with cautious hopefulness, Ches setting the mixtures out into the direct light of the full moon. The large bowl of liquid that Ches dubbed "holy water" shimmered, going from half-transparent to a milky silver. The ground up powder became less fine, going so far as clumping in some sections. All good signs.
She took a deep breath, dipping her claws into the liquid. She channeled her magic towards the very tips of her fingers, then made a very distinct pattern, Rump's voice echoing softly as if it were just practice all over again.
The scratch marks of holy water hung in midair for a few moments, then bled, thicker and thicker. Ches quickly gathered a handful of the powder, imagining the destination as she tossed it methodically, covering the holy water. The powder dissolved and the liquid formed a large oval that rippled like water. A portal.
The Queen of Hearts smiled, "Well done," she praised, taking a step forward. She found she could move no closer and her good mood vanished.
Ches glanced back, eyes glossy, "…I'm sorry, Allie," she murmured.
The Queen of Hearts tried to repel the reversed barrier, but it was too strong.
Alice nodded softly, "It's alright, Ches… It has to happen this way."
The Queen of Hearts brandished Alice's heart, "Take it down! Take the barrier down or she dies!"
Ches shook her head softly, taking a step back. It felt as though she had lost a foot, having it stuck inside of the portal.
Alice took a deep breath, straightening with that ever-present courage, "Love them for me," she murmured.
"You will not defy me! You will take me with you!"
Ches sank back, her entire leg in the void. She nodded to Alice, mouthing softly "I promise".
The portal started to lap at Ches, drawing her in. The edges were already moving inwards, and even if the Queen of Hearts ran it was doubtful she'd make it in time.
"NO!" Her hand clenched into a fist, ash trickling through the cracks of her fingers.
Ches was helpless to watch Alice's body go still, and then fall to the ground.
"Alice…" A wounded mewl.
And then the ether swallowed Ches whole, and there was nothing.
III
"I've been contemplating things that start with the letter "m" while I waited for you," Jefferson informed Katja, crossing his legs and leaning back in the seat, "Malice. Murder. Mystery. Mistakes."
"Marriage maliciously memorialized?" Katja guessed.
"Mostly."
Katja took a deep breath, digging her hands into her pockets and scuffing the toe of her boot against the ground, "…are you mad at me?"
"I'm mad at your actions," he said, as if there was a difference, "For showing up on my doorstep all those years ago only to say that Alice was dead. No explanation, no sticking around to see how we've been in your absence."
"I figured you didn't want to see me."
"Why? Because you think you're the reason she's dead? I wouldn't know, you didn't give me any details," he cradled something in his hands, passing it between them slowly, "Unless you're the one who tore her throat out, or cut off her head, or hung her, or whatever that tyrant did to her then you did not kill Alice."
"I might as well have for all the good I did," Katja protested.
"Then I should be blaming myself too…for all the good I did in saving her," he glanced up at Katja, hands stilling, "And then Grace shows up on my doorstep saying you brought her back to me, but you couldn't even face me after the way you abandoned us."
Katja scoffed, shaking her head, "You wouldn't want to talk to me."
"You wouldn't know because you never stayed to find out." His hands clenched tightly over the thing in his hands, jaw set, "You're a coward, Ches. No matter how you skirt around an issue that will never change."
She saw the porcelain peek out of his fingers and knew exactly what he was holding.
"Put it down, Jefferson!" She snapped, "Where did you find that?!"
"It was sitting right here," he insisted, placing it on the arm of the futon.
It was little more than the broken-off spout of a teapot, the porcelain slightly cracked but still as brilliantly white as ever. Jefferson met her eyes.
"Now why would you keep a broken piece of a tea set?" He asked dryly.
Katja folded her arms tightly, "What do you want me to say, huh? You want me to admit I never got over you? That I stole a keepsake of that one glorious night we had together knowing that nothing could replace the way I felt about you, that I knew it would never happen again?!"
Jefferson rose to his feet, crossing the distance between them. He reached out, but Katja stubbornly swept his arm away.
"Don't touch me," she muttered.
"Ches…"
Katja snorted, "You don't even know my real name."
"I do," he said calmly, "But I can't stop calling you Ches. It's what Alice named you. It's who I knew for all those years. It's who I fell in love with."
She shrugged helplessly, "I'm fifteen now."
"Twenty-two," Jefferson corrected.
"Hardly four years older than Grace."
"Eleven."
"No one cares about my actual age! All they see is some teenager and a grown man with a daughter nearly her age."
His eyes narrowed, "And since when have you ever cared about what other people think, huh?"
"Ever since it was illegal!" She exclaimed.
Jefferson snorted, "Don't you think they have bigger issues to deal with than someone who's a girl merely in body?"
"I'm not taking that chance."
"You've never taken that chance when it comes to me," he pointed out bitterly. He brushed past her, making his way to the door, "I'm sick of being second place to whatever excuse you come up with to keep me away."
Katja tensed as he walked away, wincing as he slammed the door behind him. She sighed, going over to her personal bar. She'd need a lot more booze to deal with this.
III
Ches fell to her knees shrieking and wailing, not caring who heard her now. Her arms wrapped around her stomach and chest as though trying to hold herself together, rocking back and forth and flashing her fangs as if threatened. Pain like this hadn't racked her body in years and she hardly took notice of her lack of breasts, or how she had shrunk a few inches and lost the small flare of her hips.
She kept screaming and sobbing because there was no one to hide from in this world. The Queen of Hearts could no longer get to her. And Alice was dead.
She curled up on her side when she became too exhausted to continue, staring blankly at the surrounding forest. A night passed without her noticing and by morning, she could sit up. She was hungry and thirsty, but that paled in comparison to the scent she found near a cleared patch of mushrooms.
Jefferson had been there.
Ches tracked him faster than a bloodhound, moving through the forest with terrifying purpose. She had to see him, had to see Grace, had to see that they hadn't slipped away along with Alice. And, she supposed, she should tell him the news.
The scent led her to a cozy cottage, a little run down but not such a bad place considering the campsites they had pitched over the years. She could see him through the window, hair longer, disposition calmer… But still undoubtedly Jefferson. She didn't let herself think before knocking at the door.
A short time later it opened and Ches's throat tightened as he took her in, astonished.
"Ches…" He moved to embrace her.
She stepped back and he stared, confused. He then glanced around.
"Where's Alice?"
Ches swallowed roughly, "…the Queen of Hearts found us."
Jefferson went still.
She had no more tears to give, but her body sure tried, "I tried, Jeffy… I tried to protect her. But I let her die."
Jefferson's lips slightly parted, but nothing came out. Ches shook her head helplessly, "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry."
"Papa?"
Ches heard the small voice and knew who it had to be. Alice's daughter, now motherless. Because Ches had let her die. It was too much, and she vanished.
Jefferson glanced around but she was nowhere to be seen.
Grace held onto her father's pantsleg, tilting her head, "Who was here, Papa?"
He pulled away from her, storming out into the front yard, "Ches! CHES!"
But she wasn't playing a game. She was gone, and she wasn't coming back. Apparently just like Alice.
III
If there was one thing twenty-eight years of madness had graced him with, it was time. Time to learn. Time to think. Time to wait for something to happen. His fingers moved across the ivories with scarcely a thought, playing a piece he had long ago memorized. The music soothed him, but couldn't quite drive away his pain.
He didn't even glance over as someone appeared on the bench beside him, continuing the melody.
"You know, it's polite to knock at the door instead of just letting yourself in," Jefferson reprimanded.
"I didn't think you'd answer once you saw who it was," Katja said honestly.
"I might not have," he admitted.
The song tapered off and his hands rested on the keyboard. Katja took a deep breath.
"You're right, though. I am a coward. I have been since the first time I died," he glanced at her, slightly shocked, and she smirked, "There's a lot you don't know about me."
She hunched her shoulders, staring down at his hands, "True love's really dangerous; I watched my mother die because of it. But…there's really no point of living if you play it safe. People spend their entire lives looking for their one true romantic love; it'd be a shame if I wasted the fact that I found mine."
Jefferson tentatively smiled and Katja shyly reached out her hand, setting it on top of his.
"Will you wait for me, Jeffy? Until I'm eighteen? I mean, we don't even know how Grace would react…"
His expression was stern, "I waited years for you and Alice to come back…years trying to find my way home to Grace from Wonderland…and then twenty-eight waiting to see if my daughter would ever wake up from Regina's nightmare. A couple more isn't going to kill me," he raised his eyebrows, "Though it's going to feel that way."
Katja grinned, cocking her head, "Feels like fate wanted to give us a second chance, huh?"
Jefferson sighed and rolled his eyes, "You're mad," he insisted.
"Only as mad as you are," she retorted.
He slid down the bench, trying to push her off of it. She giggled and pushed right back, and soon both of them were trying to get the other off the end of the wooden bench, laughing and playing just like they used to before the tea party.
III
Belle stood outside of the village, staring out over the water that surrounded the peninsula. She couldn't calm down, not after what Lancelot had insinuated, nor could she make herself approach the pit where Cora was supposedly being held to see if it really was her.
There were two very disturbing implications to what Lancelot said. One was that Rumplestiltskin, her faithful husband, who had vowed to be honest with her in all matters, had bold-faced lied to her. The second was that one of the most powerful dark magicians in the realm was still alive, one that may or may not have a bone to pick with Rumplestiltskin. It was as though a sleeping dragon had woken up, within range and possibly able to breathe fire.
She heard footsteps coming from behind, and knew who it had to be.
"Lancelot found an available hut to house us for the night," Sure enough, it was Mary Margaret's voice calling out to her. A hand rested on her arm, "…are you alright?"
Belle shook her head.
"…do you want to talk about it?"
Belle shook her head again.
"Alright…if you change your mind…"
"I'll talk to you," she murmured, turning to face Mary Margaret. She smiled, grateful for her old friend's support, even if she wished the former princess hadn't of jumped in after her. Mary Margaret rubbed her arm comfortingly before they started back inside.
"I am kind of curious about this mysterious plan you have," Belle admitted teasingly.
Mary Margaret shrugged, "I don't know if it's even a plan…it's an idea I'm hoping you can do something with," she glanced at Belle, "…Emma's wardrobe."
Belle's pace slowed, nearly stopping as she considered, "It's not impossible… And it's not like we have much else to go on." She glanced at Mary Margaret, "We can try."
The hut didn't allow for much privacy, a single room with two beds on opposite sides of it. Emma wordlessly took a seat beside Mary Margaret on one.
"You don't mind, right?" Emma asked, regarding Mary Margaret's astonished expression.
"No, no of course not," she stuttered, trying to hide her smile at such a simple gesture.
Emma tried to act like it was no big deal; it wasn't the first time they'd shared a bed for a night, and they'd been living together for months now. There was just the added factor that it was Snow White she had been rooming with…along with her being her mother. Did that make her a princess? Damn that made her a princess, didn't it? Like she knew the first thing about being one…
Belle sat on her cot, back to the pair as they put out the candles and crawled under the blankets, trying to not be awkward with each other. She stared down at the two rings on her left hand, the deposit and then the promise itself. She bowed her head and pressed the rings to her lips, careful to keep her crying as quiet as possible.
I need you so much right now, Rum, she thought. I am terrified that Lancelot is right and that you were wrong… I don't know how to get back to you; I just know that I have to. But I promise I'll find my way home; just don't give up on looking for Bae.
Worlds away, Mr. Gold finished laying out the blankets on the couch, unable to face their bedroom alone. The cat studied him from Belle's reading chair, the furball shadowing him all over the house now that his mistress was absent. Mr. Gold sank down onto his new bed, sighing.
"She better get back here soon," he muttered, setting his cane against the coffee table, "She knows I can't sleep well without her."
It was meant to be irritated, dark humor. But it just came out pathetic. Yellow eyes seemed to hang on to every word, legs tucked up underneath his body as if he were just a body, a tail, and a head. Mr. Gold reached back and flicked off the light.
"We have things to do," he continued to protest, "She can't just go running off on a field trip to our homeland right before we embark to go track down my son. I mean I know she's nervous, but this is a little overboard."
He was aware of the way his voice cracked, of the painful hook caught in his throat. He stared down at his wedding ring while he played with it, breaking down at the sight of a little gold and what it signified.
"…please come home, Belle… I can't find Bae without you… I can't go looking for our son without you."
IIIII
Well that was a behemoth of a chapter. Like, I knew it was going to be long but dear goodness... Now that that's out of my system, the Rumbelle will return to proper levels until chapter seven.
I also have a greater respect for continuity errors. I mean, ideas change, and where you end up may be different from where you thought you were going to start. And sometimes the story you want to tell doesn't give a frick if it makes sense or matches up or not; it just begs to be told.
Sneak peek: The Trio of Awesome goes to storm the (mostly dilapidated) castle. Mr. Gold is a cranky old cat man. And once upon a time, Belle kissed a girl…and she can't exactly say she didn't like it.
