Alexander swirls around and around, trying to make sense of his surroundings as he travels. Suddenly, he gasps as something touches his arm. "Ahh!"
"What? What?" Thomas says frantically, trying to figure out what startled Alexander so badly.
He looks down to see his hand clasping Alexander's arm in a near death-grip.
He realizes that he must have grabbed him in fright at the sudden spinning. He laughs embarrassedly, hoping that Alexander will not say anything.
"I know you love me, Jefferson. You don't have to grab my arm…." Alexander teases.
No such luck. Thomas thinks glumly, attempting to regain his fallen composure.
And then he is out of time, because their feet both hit solid ground at the same moment. They collapse on impact.
Alexander shakes his head to clear it. Then he stands up, pulling Thomas with him.
"Come on, Mayor Jefferson! We only have 34 hours, since we want to get back with enough time to break the curse!" He says urgently.
Thomas complies silently. Soon they are moving along at a brisk pace.
Alexander begins to think that they might not talk anymore on this trip, which is really a shame, given the many questions that Alexander still has.
His opportunity to restart the conversation appears when Thomas, obviously ill at ease, trips over a ridge in the soil and gets hit in the face with a low-hanging branch.
Alexander laughs, quietly though, so as not to offend Thomas beyond the point of no return. He steps forward to hold another branch out of Thomas's way, which Thomas finally acknowledges with an appreciative smile and a mumbled statement of gratitude.
"So, how did you get Philip?" Alexander begins, starting with a relatively neutral topic, because despite Thomas's dislike of Alexander, he truly does care about Philip as a son, to an unimaginable degree.
Thomas visibly relaxes at the question. "I have always wanted children. Sally was alright with children, too, before she died. I never loved anyone since then, so I went to an orphanage to adopt a child. I saw Philip and I was immediately fond of him, and have been ever since." There is a wistful and loving expression in his eyes that counters any doubt that Alexander could possibly have.
"I am sure that you will fall in love again." Alexander says consolingly, although he is not as certain of this statement as he is pretending to be.
Thomas scoffs and turns to face Alexander. "Yeah, right. No one can possibly love me."
Alexander bristles at this for two reasons. The first is noble: Thomas's expression conveys that this is not a cursory self-deprecating statement but rather a genuine impression that Thomas has of himself. The second is more selfish: he does not like being disagreed with in any circumstances, a fact to which John can attest.
John. The thought hits him all of a sudden. John is asleep, and might die if they do not quicken their steps.
"Come on. Move faster." Alexander implores Thomas.
And just like that, the moment is over.
Alexander is content to leave them in silence for a few minutes if it speeds up their walking pace, which is already quite a gait.
"Where are we?" Thomas breaks the silence several minutes later, looking over at the map in Alexander's hands.
It had given Alexander no small amount of pride when Thomas had handed him the map, explaining embarrassedly that he is rather terrible with maps and directions.
"We are about one mile from the cave, if this map is correct and I can read it properly." Alexander replies lightly.
Alexander thinks that might be the end of this conversation until Thomas asks an unexpected question.
"How do you know about the map? And how much do you know about the Enchanted Forest?"
Alexander shrugs. "Philip called me here -"
He pauses here, expecting to get some sort of remark regarding how Philip has not left Washington Heights recently, although Alexander knows for certain that he has.
None comes, so Alexander concedes that Thomas is too invested in knowing the answer to his question to bother with technicalities.
"-just as my latest job ended, on my birthday too, so he sort of forced me to come with him, and without a job I had no ability to turn him down. So when I got here and met you, I decided to do a little research on the town and the Enchanted Forest to see if Philip's claims hold water."
"Happy belated birthday." Thomas begins, much to Alexander's surprise. "So what did you find out?"
Alexander notices that Thomas does not ask whether Alexander found out if the claims are true, which generates a pang of sympathy from Alexander because it is almost a confession of the truth of the statements, which condemn Thomas to no small degree.
"I read about a map of the Enchanted Forest existing, and that it was kept by a person who remembers his identity despite the curse, which I also read about. I figured it was you, since you are the only one of means who remembers your previous identity." Alexander explains quickly. "And Philip brought me a book once I had settled here. I never got around to reading it because he always took it with him, but it had a beautiful cover and he said it told the story of Washington Heights and the Enchanted Forest."
Thomas's cheeks flush with color. The book had seemed slightly more odd every time he picked it up, but he had dismissed it as an unjustified feeling. PHILIP HAD SHOWN IT TO ALEXANDER FIRST?! PHILIP!
Thomas is intent on punishing Philip, but then he remembers that Philip is the reason he is out here in the Enchanted Forest, pushing back leaves before walking along with this truly insufferable man because of Philip. His anger dissipates.
And just in time, because Alexander has stopped walking. Thomas peers around Alexander's still form, impatient to find out why Alexander has stopped.
As soon as he does, Thomas wants to cover his eyes and hide.
There is a golden dragon, likely guarding the exact egg that they are trying to steal.
Oh no. Thomas's vision swirls around and around until he cannot see anything anymore, only hear Alexander ostensibly leaning over him. "Thomas? Thomas?"
Thomas is about to bite out a retort for using his first name, since his official title is "Mayor Jefferson," especially to Alexander.
But before he can choke the words out, his vision darkens and the world disappears as he falls unconscious.
A/N: Thank you for reading! Reviews are appreciated!
-HamiltonAsparagus