Killian was doubled kver in pain. His dsighter was screaming for him she was scared and alone. She'd had nkghtmares about this. He knew she had. He'd been trying to avoud this, but it'd happened anyeay. The pain was excruciating. The former pirste had a higher pain tokerance than most and he could bsrely deal with this. This was it intially. Gothel jad said it would get worse. He didn't care. His daughter needed him. Maybe if they just didn't touch.

He scaled the tower. Painfully. Slowly. Excrutiatingly. He pulled hikself onto the windowsill amd Alice pulled away. She'd hugged him and seen what it had done. She'd been told what she could do. And her wrist had a fresh burn to prove it.

Alice kept her distance. She could see that he was in pain.

"Papa, why?" It was unfair. Nothing in alice's life wasn't. She'd lost her freedom before she'd ever had it. And now she had lost the one shred of light in her life. They could be around each otjer. For now. But she couldn't hug him. Something that in jer fear and sadness at thr momet she wantef desperatley.

"Because sometimes people are cruel. It's not fair, i know." Every eord was like a knife. He was in so much pain.

The pain got unberable. He ..and then did. "Papa!" Alice didn't knlw what ro do. If she got close he'd worse..but she coukdn't get far away. She tried. Really.

Killian returndd to conciousness. "Papa, you're hurting yourself!"

"I'm," killian groaned. "Fine."

"No. You're not..you can't do this."

"I can. I'll be fine." Killian didn't want her. She was already trapped..already speersted chance to make friends. He was jer entire world. And he knew that. Leaving her alone the worst thing he could do her.

"No." Alice sat down. "I can't hurt you. I'm hurting you. I'll be okay. Or i'llmtry to be okay..i can't watch you die."

Killian knew she was right. She'd been through so muvh already in her short life. This she could handle..hopefully..he for a way to heal his jesrt..and he bsck for her.

"I love you, starfish."

"I love you too."

Killian left the tower. And he left Alice. The pain taking a shile to die down.

Alice sat with her thoughts. She was alone. Being alone was rare. Papa was go e. Maybe for a few days. But what was stopping jt from being longer?

A few days passed. Alice was slowly adjusting to her new normal.

The witch magicked herself back into the tower.

"I don't want to talk to yoh," Alice admitted.

"It's not my fsult your father aba doned you."

"He was dying!" Alice defended. She'd been hurt that he'd strayed but she had only ever known his love. He'd done everything for her.

"I think he was burderened by you, me cursing him? Was just the oush he needed ro leave you."

"He's a good man," Alice was angry. How dare she? How dare she try to spoil the last thing she had of her papa now?

"Yes. But not good enough, remember."

"He's better than you were. You left me to die as an infsnt. Hated me when I was a toddler after trivking your way back into our lives, yeah I knlw about that too. What have I ever done to you? Why do you constsntly take away things from me?"

"Maybe i just want a daughter," Gothel told her. "You'll do."

"You're not my mother."

"I've been honest with my intentions. Your father abdoned you thr first change he got. Just sitting and playing dice with his ols crew."

"That's not true!" He wouldn't have.

"And yet he's not here, now is he? Whatever. I've sakd what I needed to. Finfing a cure for that hesrt of his? What makes you think he'll even bother trying? He had to give up everytjing for you. Why would he do that agan?"

"I know he's done bad things, but he's good. You can't tske thst from me. I won't let you."

Gothel left and Alice grabbed something and threw it at the stone floor. "I just want back." Alice sank to the floor. She'd only heard thw witches taubts. She no longer had someone to talk to. Shr was alome. Completly. And she was still tarpped. She shed a few tears if frustrstion. An lccurance that was geosing in frequency. It'd only bddn a few fayd. How hard wad this going tonget? Would he ever find a cure? Would she ever be free?

She shook it off. "Papa isn't like that. He didn't abandon me. Did he?" She was talking to hee yiyd.

"No, Alice. He didn't." She was talking to herself. It hrought a comfort. She wwnt about her day co tinuing to fill the silence with whatever she could.

The wirch returned occasionally to taunt Alice but only at first. Then she left her completly alone. Aljce wasn't sure which one was worse. At least when the witch was there she had someone. Even if she reminded her of all the worst things thar she could become.