They crumple to the floor upon landing. Alexander winces, sore from so much running, carrying Thomas, and his rough dismount from the unicorn.
Unbelievably, Thomas is still unconscious. Alexander wonders to himself how Thomas was able to defend himself as mayor of Washington Heights for so long if he is this solidly asleep when he becomes unconscious.
Brushing that thought aside, Alexander checks that he still has the golden egg with him. Mercifully, he does.
He scrambles up, checking his pocket watch (which multiple people have called him old-fashioned for wearing, with the exception of Lafayette who owns it and texture and antique store) as he runs across the floor. He leaves Thomas where he lies, in a hurry to save Philip and John - and certain that there will be time to save Thomas afterwards.
The time on his pocket watch shows just a few minutes and Alexander runs as quickly as possible to make the deadline set by James.
As he returns to the hall where James's mirror is and then into Phillip's bedroom, where both John and Philip are lying peacefully on the bed.
He has been rushing so much to see them that he scurried past James, who woke and started shouting after Alexander's quickly retreating form.
Now he rushes back into the hall where James's mirror is to get the instructions required to use the magic of the golden egg to reverse the curse on his husband and son.
James solemnly faces him and utters a sentence that Alexander most certainly does not want to hear. Dread fills his stomach as the words reach first his ears and then his brain.
"Alexander, it's too late. 36 hours have elapsed and you can no longer save them or Washington Heights."
"Noooo!" Alexander shouts dramatically toward the sky, rather like a character in a movie.
He sees Thomas's form drifting toward him as though carried by a ghost. He reaches over to take hold of Thomas's body and carries him into Phillip's bedroom.
He places Thomas gently on the bed.
Having gotten Thomas settled, he turns to John and Philip once more. A lock of hair has fallen into John's forehead, and Alexander brushes it away before kissing his forehead.
Then, although John would have given him a difficult time about it because of his dislike of such an action in movies, he kisses his lips firmly, as he has seen princes kiss their brides awake or back to life.
Miraculously, John begins to stir.
True love's kiss. Alexander thinks to himself, and luckily does not wince at how cliche it is.
What surprises him even more is that Philip begins to stir as well and quickly starts looking less gray.
Alexander feels a wave wash over him and he spins around frantically, caught up in a wind that did not seem to have existed before.
Before he knows it, he is put back down in Phillip's bedroom, clothed in a heavy gown and a cape, while holding a staff.
He seats himself back on the edge of the bed, watching John and Philip continue to stir. Once he is certain that both of them will live, he turns to look around the room. His eyes land on Thomas, who must also have been caught up by the wind, judging by how windblown his hair is, and he is dressed in peasant clothing, wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and a ragged shawl, a far cry from his tailored velvet magenta coat that he was wearing before.
It dawns on him that this wind must have been to take away Thomas's authority over magic and then his legitimacy in ruling the town after Washington Heights finds out that Thomas is the one who cursed them.
He cannot let that happen, not after everything that has transpired during and even before their adventure.
Alexander steels himself for a moment, and is therefore surprised when two pairs of warm arms are thrown around his neck.
John and Philip each kiss him. John slightly more affectionate on the lips, and Philip gently on the cheek.
Alexander smiles at both of them, then stands up and walks over to Thomas, who has finally regained consciousness.
"Alexander?" Thomas is obviously confused, but his slight slurring is not helping either.
"Yes." Alexander affirms.
"How did - how did I get here? Where's James?" He stutters.
Alexander softens a little more. "James is down the hall, in the mirror, and you are in Phillip's spare bed."
Thomas looks startled and begins to pull confusedly at the bedsheets, as though looking for something.
Alexander watches in interest and is surprised that Thomas does not mention anything about his clothing. He struck Alexander as a person who cares immensely about clothing and professionalism, although perhaps that was just an effect of him wearing a magenta coat, as that tends to have a narcissistic effect on people.
Alexander laughs at the thought.
Thomas, meanwhile, jumps up and runs down the hall, presumably to speak with James.
Alexander smiles and shrugs before turning back to talk to his family. Thomas will be fine for a few minutes. He is in James's very capable hands.
X
Thomas runs down the hall toward James.
He looks down and is instantly relieved that he is wearing pants. Not that he thought that he wasn't wearing any, but when waking up in a bed after being unconscious, people tend not to be wearing pants. People usually remove other people's pants to make them more comfortable. He is relieved that has not happened to him.
Thomas stops in front of the mirror and places his hands on his knees, gasping for breath. In the meantime, James crackles back into action.
"Thomas! I am elated that you are safe!" James cries, flinging his arms open as though to hug Thomas, although that is impossible because he is stuck in the mirror.
Thomas feels a pang of longing for James. He cannot do anything at the present time, knowing that since Alexander used the golden egg he has had power transferred to him and Thomas no longer has any capabilities.
That does not stop him, however, from wondering hopelessly why he put James in the mirror in the first place, given how helpful he is and how much Thomas would like him back in-person.
James can obviously sense some of this tension in Thomas and being unable to do anything about it, resolves to comfort Thomas instead.
He tells Thomas how Alexander was not able to use the golden egg because of how late the two of them returned, and that Thomas therefore has his power, if not his clothing. Previously, this would have comforted Thomas, but now it's not as important.
James moves onto a topic that he thinks will hearten Thomas, the subject of how Thomas returned to Washington Heights from the Enchanted Forest.
Thomas jumps in before James can begin. "Did Alexander carry me all the way? How embarrassing!"
James smiles mysteriously. "No, that's the subject of the story I'm about to show you."
James cuts to a scene in which Thomas is riding draped over a unicorn's back, with Alexander behind him for support of his prone form.
Thomas gasps. "That is a joke, right?"
James performs a sharp intake of breath, likely at how much Thomas doubts himself.
"No, Thomas, this is quite real." James insists. "A unicorn carried you back to the portal."
Thomas makes a face that James thinks indicates that he is about to start whining, but to his surprise Thomas only makes an unfortunate comment.
"Aw. I really like unicorns, but I got to ride one while I was unconscious. How unfair." He remarks in slightly saddened jest.
"You looked wonderfully peaceful." James remarks amusedly.
Such a statement implies that Thomas always looks agitated. Thomas would take offense at this if it was anyone but James saying so.
"I always had a soft spot for unicorns." Thomas replies, lost in a memory, likely in which his father had restrained him from frolicking with unicorns when he was much younger.
"I know. I saw you. I always wanted to bring you with me when I snuck out, but your father was very strict. I always slipped something of my adventures under your door, however."
"I remember that! It was you? I always wondered how those items ended up under my door without fail every weekend. " Thomas recollects fondly.
"I wish you could come join me." Thomas says wistfully.
"Me too." James answers.
At that moment, Alexander wanders into the hall, followed by Philip and John.
Thomas rushes to embrace his son.
Alexander does not stop him. Clearly, he can sense the emotions that have been shared between Thomas and James.
"Let me assist you." Thomas says, waving his hand toward the mirror.
The mirror disappears from the wall, and Thomas worries for a moment that Alexander has gotten rid of James completely.
Then a form materializes in front of him. It is James, in-person.
Thomas gasps before walking into an embrace with James and kissing him gently but urgently, in a way that suggests he has longed for James for a very long time.
James looks surprised, which is a credit to him because once he regains his composure and kisses Thomas back, it is evident that James has wanted Thomas in the same way for a very long time, perhaps even longer than Thomas has.
"Okay, lovebirds." Alexander clears his throat. "We'll leave you to it tonight, and we'll sort everything out in the morning."
Thomas and James both blush in embarrassment.
With that, Alexander walks away with Philip and John behind him.
Alexander does not look back, but if he had, he would've seen Thomas pulling an unresisting James back toward the bedroom.
A/N: Epilogues follow. The remaining chapters are all written and edited and will be posted over the next two weeks.
Thank you all for reading! Reviews are appreciated!
-HamiltonAsparagus