"I know someone that works here, so I snagged an invitation." Robin explained producing the card with a smooth flick of her wrist and holding it up for Alice's inspection with a rather proud grin. Alice shuddered at the possibilities of what that could mean remembering from that first painful skimming of those pages she'd read of her book that this Robin's dealings rivaled that of the Captain Hook from her Robin's Storybrooke.

"Hey." The Robin at her side coaxed pulling them to a stop seeing the faraway look in Alice's eyes while the carriage they had come in drove off. "Just because I got this invitation from another woman and we will be needing a quick exit once I get what I came for doesn't mean I can't take you on a proper date while we're here."

"What are we here for anyway? If I'm going to help you shouldn't I know?" Alice wondered looking up at a castle that could rival the one her Robin showed her once while they were looking in Henry's book of the castle that was meant to belong to King Midas.

Robin stiffened at the questions absently twisting the invitation in her other hand as they stepped closer to the front doors refusing to meet Alice's eyes before she answered. "Can't we just have a nice time before we get down to work?"

"Alright but I feel a little overdressed for the occasion." Alice admitted making Robin chuckled. "You look beautiful as always." She assured tucking a stray lock of hair behind Alice's ear. "Just be sure you can still dance in that thing once we're finished climbing this step mountain cause I'm demanding at least one possibly even two before the real fun starts." Her dark archer says in a low voice reminding the blonde on her arm that she wasn't with the Robin she knew as they trekked up the steps.

"The last time I was at a fancy party like this I was working for Rumpelstiltskin." Alice mused unlocking her arms from Robin's as she stared up at the towering structure ahead of them only for the other woman to grab her hand interlocking their fingers instead.

"I just don't want to lose you it all." Robin defended giving Alice another of her adorable smiles.

"We're not even properly in the castle yet how could you lose me?" Alice laughed only making Robin smile wider, yet it didn't reach her eyes. "You'd be surprised." Was all the archer answered with tightening her grip around Alice's hand.

Alice chose to let the matter drop in favor if another more maddening topic "You still haven't told me what we're here for." Robin sighed heavily bringing their joined hands up to brush her lips against Alice's knuckles then leaned in pulling Alice in to brush their lips together. "You let me worry about that okay?" was whispered against her lips making Alice's head spin as well as want to pull the darker archer in for another longer kiss.

Alice wanted to argue back once she regained control over herself but whatever she was going to say chocked off in her throat as soon as she stepped over the threshold and the palace doors swung open for them.

"Everything alright Tower Girl?" Robin asked no doubt feeling Alice's hands trembling in her own. She couldn't answer not right away at least over the strong feel of old magic flowing around her. If she wasn't completely sure she was wrong Alice would have sworn it was some kind of variation of the spell that had held her prisoner in her tower for the first seventeen years of her life or at the very least some strong kind of blood magic.

"Will you at least tell me how you know me in this realm." She knew it was a lot to ask, but it was something she had been curious about since waking up under the supposed villainous archer's tender care.

"Would your curiosity into our past have anything to do with that bottle you have tucked into your satchel?" The annoying question made Alice tug the concealed bag closer on reflex more than anything else. Part of her wondering how Robin had even found a way for her to be able to bring it along in the first place. "If I said yes and that I have a way for you to start a new life somewhere else would you still tell me?"

"That is a story with a not so happy beginning or ending." Robin answered her tone sullen. "Tell me anyway. Please" Alice pressed gently while Robin's eyes only hardened the longer she looked into them. Robin scoffed at that rather than answer her properly lifting two glasses from a passing waiter offering one to Alice before taking a long sip of her own draining half the glass in one go before speaking again "I know you're not supposed to be here but somehow taking me along with you when you go back to where ever you are from isn't possible."

It was Alice's turn to scoff at that tilting the contents of her glass around while she watched some of the other guests waltz around the dance floor. "I mean to even try and attempt something like that you'd need an insane amount of magic or…."

"Or know an author?" Alice offered in a low whisper making the other woman's eyes widen as they met her own. "Well I have both and that little bottle you found snooping in my stuff is to help me help you." Alice tells her truthfully taking a small sip from her own glass.

Robin licked her lips while she thought everything over. "We finish this last job. We finish this then maybe I'll come with you." She decides draining the last of her drink. "Now how about a dance?" Alice hesitated shaking her head part of her not wanting her first dance at a fancy ball to be was with someone who was meant to be a crueler version of her Robin,

"Please," Robin whispered making Alice blink in surprise when her voice was more like the Robin she knew was waiting for her back in Storybrooke even her stance had softened. "Please Alice." Robin tried again her arms snaking around Alice's neck as she stepped into the blonde's personal space clinging onto her for dear life.

"One dance." Alice relented when the music changed into something slower that she wasn't expecting a band from the Enchanted Forest to know as she let Robin lead her out onto the dance floor.

Alic let her eyes slide closed trusting Robin to make sure they wouldn't run into anyone or anything while the danced.

Except when she opened her eyes when the music suddenly cut off in the middle of their second dance they were no longer in the middle of a crowded dance hall or even in a castle. They were standing in the middle of an overgrown flower grove that any other time Alice would have loved.

This time, however.

"I'm sorry we're late. She seemed to need a little more persuasion than we'd originally thought." Robin says without looking away from Alice's confused gaze. All she could see was a flash of regret before the emptiness returned to the archer's eyes as her arms dropped away she turned to the throne like tree behind them.

The woman held out her hand toward them. "So you truly have returned to us." She smiled while Robin knelt in front of her head bowed and back stiff. "I never would have believed." Gothel says in surprise "I'm here to re-pledge myself to the coven." Robin says but stops as a cloud of green smoke enveloped the still kneeling archer changing her dress into a much sleeker form-fitting fully armored version of her hunting gear complete with bow and quiver of arrows slung across her back trading in her browns and earthy greens for ebony black and emerald colors. "Welcome back." was all the elder woman said before her eyes rose to meet Alice's.

"My daughter." Gothel smiled her hand reaching out to caress Alice's cheek as Robin rises behind her only to head in the direction of a young-looking ash tree rather than spare the pair even the slightest glance. The white tree trunk the only real splash of color in that dark little corner of the grove.

"Not while I'm around to say otherwise." Another much more welcomed voice answered making everyone in the grove turn to look at her. "Sorry I took so long darling, Traffic was horrible."